Author S.B. Niccum's Veiled Tour

UPDATE: We have a winner for the copy of Veiled. Thanks to all those who commented but...
ANGIE COTHRAN...you take the prize!

Today is an exciting day for me! I get to be the first stop in SB Niccum's book tour. She is the author of Veiled and if you haven't read this book yet, you should!

If you haven't, you are going to have an opportunity to win your very own copy today. After the interview, if you comment below you will be entered to win Veiled!

So let's get started shall we!

Silvina, thanks so much for letting me pick your brain today!

DB: Tell us a little about yourself and your book Veiled.              

SBN: Thanks for having me! Well, the first thing that comes to mind when I start talking about myself is the fact that I’m South American. I was born and raised in Argentina, my parents and grandparents as well.  So in spite of the fact that I don’t look it, I am Hispanic.  My family moved to the U.S. when I was fourteen years old and I spoke no English at that time.  It took me two years to learn it, so as you can imagine, high school was different for me.  I had to look up every word in the dictionary in order to do my homework. 

I ended up going to the University of Utah and studying Spanish Lit. mostly because I felt like a traitor to “La Raza” if I studied English Lit. 

Writing has been part of me since I was a little girl, and not having many friends in High School gave ample time to read a lot. 

I’ve always written things in English and Spanish.  But two years ago the idea for Veiled exploded in my head.  It was the first idea that came complete.  In the end I ended up using some of my earlier characters and ideas into Veiled. 

Veiled is the story of a soul (Tess) who is an un-embodied spirit who waits and trains for her mortality.  She has many apprehensions about mortality; she has watched other mortals and knows that life comes with many uncertainties—the main one being the Veil.  Once she crosses the veil into mortality she will lose all her memories of her pre-mortal life and naturally she wonders who she will be and how she will find her soul mate, Alex.  She is also very gifted; she has the gift of discernment that allows her to read auras and interpret thoughts or intentions.  She is chosen for an important mission in life, one that she must train carefully for.  A Seraph named Dayspring is assigned as her personal trainer and the action begins!

DB: I can’t imagine adding anything more challenging to high school (like a language barrier) than it already was. That must have been difficult, but the knowledge you’ve gained from it, I’m sure it was worth itJ

I know you have a second book in the works. Is there anything you can tell us about it and will there be more after it?

SBN: Living Soul is the sequel to Veiled and I’m currently finishing it up.  While Veiled is more of a fantasy, Living Soul is more of a Supernatural/ Paranormal story. 

Tess is now alive and trying to make sense of all the paranormal phenomena that surrounds her. She is also growing up in foster care and has no memory of her early childhood.  At school she meets a boy that she can swear she’s met before, but he also happens to be the most popular guy in school and half the student body likes him too!

While the theme for Veiled centered on preparation for having a good life; Living Soul focuses on the quest that mortals have for finding themselves (that person that we used to be, the person we wanted to be and we know we were).  I love the quote, “Life is not about finding yourself.  It’s about creating yourself.”  This is the message of Living Soul, intertwined with a lot of fun Supernatural and Paranormal YA stuff!

Endless will complete this series and it covers life after death.  Redemption, and dealing with the aftermath or our choices while alive. 

As a whole, with this series I hope to bring awareness to the blessing of life and the importance of how we spend it.

DB: This book sounds fantastic! I can’t wait!

Since the majority of my readers are writers themselves, I’d love to pick your brain about your writing as well as your mode of getting your book published.

Are you a plotter or a pantster when it comes to writing your stories?

SBN: I have to say that with Veiled, the story just bloomed in my head one day.  I had to fill in the gaps a lot, and I did that mostly by writing and re-writing.  I did find a way of working though, that I like.  I wake up early and write while the house is dark and quiet.  Then I plot the next scene while I clean the house or fold laundry.  But I am an outline freak, so I make a tentative chapter by chapter outline.  However if the story deviates, I’m okay with it.  I just correct my outline.  Having one makes me feel less paniky.

DB: I am an early morning writer too. I love getting up and having it done right at the start of the day.

About how long did it take you to write Veiled?

SBN: It took me a year from start to finish, then another six months to edit and another six months until it was published.

DB: Do you have a critique group or betas and what is your take on them?

SBN: I do now!  Back when I was still writing Veiled, I felt like I had to pull teeth to get people to read it!  No one (but my mother) wanted to take time off their busy schedule to read a manuscript of 138,000 words! Yikes!  I had to cut it down quite a bit.  Then I became friends with another writer mom, and we exchanged WIP’s.  It was great to have her opinion.  After that I posted a part of my book that I took out on my blog and a homeschooling mom (like me) from one of my yahoo groups asked to beta read the book.  I gladly let her do it and she was also very helpful. 

Once I got a publisher, two more people agreed to beta read and since the book has been out I have people (anxious people) wanting to beta read!  I feel very humbled every time someone says they liked my book. 

DB: It really is a great bookJ

Can you tell us why you chose to go the route of the small publisher and in the future will you stick with that or go another direction?

SBN: I started out by querying agents, and one of them told me that Speculative Christian Fiction was not “traditionally” published for the most part.  He steered me in the direction of a small press and told me to learn more about those. 

The press that he told me to query was bogged down with queries (big surprise!) and they were not taking any more.  During that time, my brother (who self published a non-fiction specific for his industry) told me to read a book that explained all the different types of publishing options available. 

I read up on the trends of the book industry and what Amazon’s e-publishing and Smashwords were doing to it.  I also read about traditional publishers and the realities of working with them, and of course the small press publishing houses that were popping up everywhere. 

I already knew that my chances for a traditional publisher were slim because of my genre, but I also knew that the traditional publisher’s demands on my time were not realistic for me.  I have kids that I homeschool and thankfully I don’t need a job.  I wanted to write and publish, but I didn’t want to leave my family to do so.  I wanted my life as it was + a published book. 

That pretty much left the small publishers and self-publishing available.  The idea of self-publishing was daunting, so I started looking into small publishers.  Luckily a friend of a friend patched me through to Linda Boulanger from TreasureLine Books & Publishing and one month later I was signing a contract. 

DB: Sounds like you did your homework. Linda is AWESOME by the way, for those looking for small publishersJ

Can you tell us a bit about the workings of getting your book published from start to finish with a small publisher?

SBN: Working with a small publisher has been very painless and easy.  The contract is simple; you split the royalties as you negotiate it.  They edit, typeset, form a cover, give you an ISBN and list your book through online booksellers such as Amazon, B&N.com and Smashwords.com and promote you on their web site and blogs. 

You get to work closely with the cover designer and do your own marketing.  If you want to be in an actual B & N bookstore, they will fill out all the paperwork for you.  Some of my fellow authors from TreasureLine have done so.  But to be honest, I don’t care for that.  I only have so much time in a day and I try not to get sucked into this world too much, or it’s no longer fun!  

DB: How much did you have to do with things like your cover art (which is beautiful!), editing, advertisement, etc?

SBN: Cover:  I actually blogged about this so you can go see how it was done!  http://spiritualsupernaturalparanormal.blogspot.com/2011/01/creating-book-cover.html

Editing:  After the last edit, I had two very meticulous friends comb through it one last time.  When I felt that  it was ready we got a proof ordered.

Advertising:  That’s pretty much my territory.  It’s been challenging and fun and sometimes frustrating.  But it is what it is!

DB: Last question and this one is just for fun…

Will you tell us something that we absolutely have to know about you?

I’m a foodie freak.  I went to culinary school and I’m obsessed with how things are processed.  For example:  who first tasted an olive and thought, “mm… I think I will soak this in a brine of lye and see what happens.”   Or, “I bet that if I squeeze this sour foul tasting thing between two rocks, awesome cooking oil will come out!”

So what you must know about me is: I will write about food in the future, and it will not be a cook book!  …not in the traditional way.

DB: Hmmm, now that is interesting. A book about food that is not a cook book. Can’t wait!

Silvina, thanks again for letting me be your first stop along this wild book journey of yours!

Readers, this book is such a fun, feel good read. You’ve got to pick one up you get a chance.

Also, if you have any questions for Silvina, ask away, she will be around today to answer any questions you may haveJ

And if you are interested in buying this book you can get it for $3.99 for your Kindle HERE and the actual book is $14.95 on Amazon HERE J

Firsts Fridays: NYT Best Selling Author, Julie Kagawa!

So today I am all about First’s Fridays and why shouldn’t I be. I only have one of my favorite authors here with me. You might remember, if you are a regular reader of mine, a time when I posted about being all wrapped up in a few books. Well, Julie Kagawa is the author of said books and not only is she cool straight down to the core because of the characters and worlds she creates, BUT she is a Kentucky girl like me! Let us take a trip down the meet Miss Julie road shall we?

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dogtrainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian Shepherd who is too smart for his own good, and the latest addition, a hyper-active Papillon puppy.

DB: Julie, thanks so much for doing this interview!  I know you must be super busy with Iron Knight coming out in October and allJ 

Speaking of Iron Knight (due out 10/25/11), I have to know…

Are there any goods you can spill the beans on in reference to Iron Knight?  Probably not, but you can’t blame a girl for asking?

JK: Lol, sadly no.  The news for Iron Knight has been very hush, hush and I can’t give out spoilers at this time.  BUT, in August, Teaser Tuesdays returns on my blog, so stay tuned for that. J

DB: Yay! It’s August folks. If you are interested in checking these teasers out Julie’s blog is http://juliekagawa.blogspot.com/

And for starters, here is the new front and back cover of Iron Knight….SQUEE!

DB: Have there been any talks of Iron Fey movies?

JK: No movie talk yet, though I’m still crossing fingers it could happen someday.  Sadly, authors have no say whether or not their books get made into movies, but it would be a dream come true if Meg, Puck, and Ash made it onto the big screen.

DB: I couldn’t agree more!

Tapping into the writer in you…

How do you write?  Are you a plotter or a pantster?

JK: A little of both.  I usually have several things I know have to happen, and I write towards those.  But the story always goes a completely different way then what I’d envisioned at first, so sometimes you just have to go with it. 

DB: I know this is your fourth book, but can you take us back in time to before you were first published.  Is there anything you know now that you would tell yourself then?

JK: What would I tell my just-published self, hmm.   Well, fasten your seat belt because it’s going to be a crazy, wild year.  You’re going to meet a ton of awesome people,  freak out over deadlines, do more interviews then you can ever count, get reviews that will make your heart soar and reviews that will crush your soul.  You’re going to win a RITA and hit the NYT bestsellers list and its going to be insane and overwhelming and completely amazing.  But the most important thing to remember is this: don’t forget the ones who saw you here, your fans and readers.  It’s because of them that you made it here at all, so always remember to be grateful.

DB: What a whirlwind experience! I love that you haven’t forgotten your fansJ

Can you tell us a little about the process, and how long it took for you to go from writing your first draft to being a New York Times Best Seller?

JK: Well, I decided I wanted to become an author in high school (after discovering that becoming a veterinarian required me to know lots of MATH, agh!).   It took many years to hone my writing skills well enough for an agent to want to represent me.   Lots of years spent writing, trying to get a book finished, and learning everything I could about the publishing process.   Even when I got an agent,  my first book never sold; after a year of no luck, she told me to write another book.  So I did.  I wrote The Iron King in a little under two months (using NaNo WriMo), and Harlequin Teen picked it up within a few weeks.

And the rest, as they say, is history. J

DB: OK, now that is cool! All you NaNo lovers out there did you hear that? Julie that is so inspiring to know it wasn’t easy for you either, but you never gave up. I’m all about perseverance.     

Last question and I’ll let you choose how to end it…

If you could give us aspiring authors any advice, what would it be?

JK: Persist.

DB: Mmm hmm, seeJ

JK: This is the best advice I can give you. There is no magic formula, no secret code for becoming a published author; it's all hard work and patience and yes, a little bit of talent and luck. Writing is a skill that takes practice and time to develop, same as painting or kung fu or playing the guitar. You're not automatically good at it, at least, I never was. While you're writing and honing your skills, learn everything you can about the business. Read books on writing. Start a critique group. Go to workshops if you can. Know that if you're serious about getting published, you're going to be rejected, probably multiple times. But it's all part of the journey. Remember this: all authors started exactly where you are right now. The difference between a published author and just a writer is that the published author never gave up.

DB: Now those should be every writer’s words to live by! You’re Awesome Julie, thanks so much for hanging with us today!

JK: Thanks so much for the interview! 

DB: Didn’t I tell you she is just great! I can’t wait to read Iron Knight! I’m telling you if you haven’t started the Iron Fey Series yet…YOU NEED TO! You will fall in loveJ

Just a little update on my situation. We are moved in. It is a crazy mess, but at least I am no longer crazyJ We, however, didn’t get to go on our long awaited vacation because of the hub’s work. Oh well, it happens, maybe it is better this wayJ We still plan to get away for the weekend though. I’m pumped about that. I hope you all have a fab weekend too!

Join me back here Monday because I am doing another interview, this time with author SB Niccum. She is kicking off her blog tour with me and I couldn’t be happier! Her book Veiled is out, she’s awesome, her book is awesome...yup that sums her up…AWESOME! Hope to see you MondayJ

Until then…

Keep writing. Keep learning.

You know what? I've got nothing for you today. Nada. Seriously.

I told you things would get crazy with my move and naturally self fulfilling prophecy has prophesied.

My move that should take a day is taking a stinkin' week. Still not done. So much more to go. Help has run dry, a truck is nowhere to be found and we are supposed to be leaving for our vacation tomorrow. So what I can give you is this...

Friday will be better. I promise! My Firsts Fridays will be back up in full swing with New York Times best selling author Julie Kagawa. I will be moved and if all goes well...on vacation!

YIPEE!!!

Filtering

The blogfest is yesterdays news now. I've learned gobs upon gobs of information and as I stare at my current WIP I can't help but wonder, should I filter my new found knowledge?

I met a wonderful buddy--well, I met tons, but one is particular--during the blogfest, and she brought up a very good point about the wealth of knowledge we receive from other awe inspiring writers and what to do with that information. Should we take everything and apply it, just some or none at all. And how do we choose?

Is it possible to be open minded to change and grow in your writing, yet stay true to yourself, your characters, your story and your process?

I am very curious to know what you all think and how you deal with filtering the information you get from blogfests, critique groups and everything else there is out there to learn about writing in general?

***

In other news I can't wait until Friday because I have the most spectacular guest visiting! New York Times best selling author JULIE KAGAWA of the Iron Fey series is joining us to share the goods on her writing process and some tidbits about her new book IRON KNIGHT due out in October. You do not want to miss it!

Another little thing I should probably mention just in case you notice I am completely off my block for the next week or so... I am moving. Packing and moving, then leaving for vacation this Thursday until Tuesday, coming home and getting kids ready for school. You know how it is. CRAZY! And crazy times means crazy me so forgive me if I say something and sound completely off my rocker...it is what it is:) 

Until next time...

Keep writing. Keep learning.

Novel Contest Winners and a THANK YOU!!!

It brings me great joy as well as sadness to write this post. I'm thrilled because we have our winners for the Novel Contest and we have an extra treat as far as the contest goes, so I'm as giddy as giddy gets over that.

But with ups, there must be downs...or something like that. My downer is that this post will close out our month long Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest. I have met a load of fantastic, creative minds. I've learned a crap-load from you all (first and foremost, not to double space after a period--who knew?) and what can I say? I'm sad.

I can also say this was so much fun I am definitely thinking about making it an annual little venture. What do you think?

Okay, okay, enough blabbering from me. I know you finalists want to know who won so here we go.

Monica B.W. has picked her winner and it is....

AN Villasante

BookEnd

Congrats Alexandra! You have won a 10 page critique from Monica. I will get you her info to get in touch. Enjoy! Your writing is awesome clearly:)

Now on to Kathleen Rushall's pick...or shall we say picks. Yep, that's right. She said she had a VERY hard time picking a winner. So hard in fact that she struggled most of Thursday over it. Finally she settled on two and eventually one, but asked if I minded giving her the info of another lucky finalist so she could request a partial. Didn't I say you might want to have some finished work for this contest?

With that being said, Kathleen's winner is...

C. Lind a.k.a. LINDY

Bound

Lindy, you have won a query and 30 page critique from Kathleen!!! How cool is that? No doubt about it, top notch girl!

And our surprise runner up is...

Lisa Chickos

The Mermaid Gene

Lisa, I suppose you'd better look forward to an email from Kathleen in your inbox:)

I swear I feel like a proud mom or something. You all are wonderful! Thanks so much for being a part of all the fun. It wouldn't have been the same without you.

Congrats to ALL our winners throughout the four weeks!

I guess there's only one thing left to say.

Until next time...

Keep learning. Keep writing.

Kathleen Rushall Interview Part 2 and Novel Contest Finalists!

UPDATE!!!
We have our 10 finalists!! It was another HARD decision. I had 7 judges this time and we still had a huge tie so I had to call in the big dogs themselves for the tie breaker. Kathleen and Monica picked the final three. Thanks to everyone who entered, it has been an absolute blast blogfesting with you all! Please come back Friday and see who the winners are and wait no longer...
See all the finalists and their submissions after Kathleen's interview below!

We have had another list of AMAZING entries for the 200 Word Limit Novel Contest. Seriously! Even with 6 judges we still had some intense ties that have to be figured our. So while we are waiting on some finalizing of the votes for the week 4 blogfest novel contest, I am going to share with you the second part of Kathleen Rushall's interview. Kathleen is an agent with Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and will also be picking a winner, along with agented writer Monica B.W., out of today's finalists.


She is open for submissions, so read about her, and if she sounds like a good fit for you, check out her submission guidelines over at Marsal Lyon.

If you'd like to read part 1 go here.

And now I give you part 2...

DB: In your opinion does it help a writer to have a platform and if so how?  Ex: bigger book deal, well known publishing house. 

KR: For nonfiction, absolutely: it’s actually a must. For nonfiction authors, I would say that your book should be looked at as an accessory to your platform, something you’d like to accompany your talks, seminars, program, etc., and not the other way around. However, for a fiction author, this is not the case. Although, an author who has some concept of how to market her/himself is always nice. Getting published for fiction vs. nonfiction are different games.

DB: Fiction writers, it sounds like your call on the platform. I think I'll stick with it since its so much fun:)

For those unpublished authors, is it important to have a college degree in writing or someone in the industry backing your manuscript? 

It can definitely help to have these, but no, I don’t think it’s a necessity. I do think it’s key for fiction authors to join an organization or community like Society of Children’s Book Writers (SCBWI), Romance Writers of America (RWA), AbsoluteWrite, or a writing or critique group of some kind. I look at this as your education in publishing, and it’s more important than any degree. Seeing that an author is a member of a group like this tells me that he/she is serious and knowledgeable, not just about writing, but also the market, expectations, and the process of getting published.

DB: SCBWI, check. I love that group! 

Your agency is based out of CA.  I am interested to know what your take is on the opinion that a writer is best served if his agent is based out of New York. 

This is one of the things I find so interesting about this job. A good agent can provide excellent representation from anywhere in the country (provided that we have the internet and boatloads of coffee, of course). Yes, it’s key to travel to NYC occasionally and to have frequent, quality contact with editors (phone, travel, email), wherever they’re located. The location of the agent shouldn’t be one of the most important factors in the agent quest. Plus, a bonus to having a southern California agent is that many of us have good connections with film agents in L.A. not to mention that if you come visit, I can take you out to authentic Mexican food. :D

 DB: I'm all about both of those!

After signing a writer how is your work relationship?  Do you consider yourself an editorial type agent?

Yes! Each manuscript is different, and requires different levels of edits, but there are always revisions. One of my favorite parts of my job is brainstorming with my authors. Honestly, I think the days when fiction agents didn’t need to be editorial have passed. Editors are looking for a project to be polished and sparkly by the time it reaches their desk, now more than ever.

DB: I think all the authors wanting agents are falling in love Kathleen:) 

This question is geared toward those readers who love blog writing contests…      

Kathleen, you are going to be helping me out in a fun submission contest for my blogorama this summer.  Could a ‘first 200 word contest’ like this spark your interest enough to ask for a partial or full ms from the writer?  

Absolutely. Especially with so many authors on Twitter, many people are used to whipping up short but enticing quips, and have mastered the 200 word pitch. It’s an ADD age and I think people are living up to that challenge! I’m really looking forward to seeing what’s out there.

DB: There are some good ones in this blogfest for sure!

I would love to pick your brain some more but since we have met the ten question limit for my blog I’d like to put the ball in your court.  Are there any parting words of advice you would like to leave with writers trying to break out in the industry? 

Well, the four P’s of publishing are important: practice, perseverance, patience, and perspiration. But don’t forget about the missing ‘P’ – play! Writing should be fun: don’t lose sight of why you chose this, why you love this. This will shine through in your manuscript and your pitch…and enthusiasm is catching.

DB: Kathleen you are awesome! Thanks so much for doing this interview and helping out in this blogfest. 

WINNERS

AN Villasante

BookEnd

YA Fantasy

I: The Farm

Chapter 1

     It’s early, before dawn, but at the bakery everyone’s been up for hours. I stand where I always stand, down the alley in back, opposite her window and out of sight. I want to see her before she can see me, before I go in and buy the morning bread and a cinnamon knot for Story. Story got another tooth last night and needs something to gnaw on while I finish whittling her teething ring. But the bakery isn’t open yet and I need to see Jane first, get over her loveliness before talking to her. I don’t want to sound like a stunt-brained QR, or worse, like a little kid. 

     Right on time, Jane pushes the window out on its hinge and rests her chin on her hands. She always looks up, never down to where I am. I think maybe she’s looking at the last of the night stars as they fade, but she could just as easily be looking at the early morning clouds, judging the weather.

     Jane is smart. She knows things about the stars and the 

weather and the world that I don’t know. Though she’s the baker’s daughter now, before she came to BookEnd she was something else.

Andrea Mack

Title: The Grand Chef's Apprentice

Genre: Middle grade, dystopian

 

With her hand tight on her gathering bag, Maya slipped out of the forest to a grassy place beside the city wall and took a deep sniff. She caught a spicy-sweet scent, a mixture of herbs, honey, and something else. What was it? If only she could go inside for a taste. She took another breath, but the breeze changed, filling her nose with the sour stench of rot. Huldi! She was supposed to be scrounging. Darting back into the trees, she raced for the Heap. She couldn’t be late. Since she’d turned thirteen, scavenging trash was her job.

When she reached the edge of the Heap, the doors in the stone wall across the sludge were still closed. She’d made it. Still watching the doors, Maya crept in the shadow of a tall shrub. A fly buzzed around her head, but she didn’t let go of her bag. She wasn’t about to let a thief take advantage of her small size.

The ground trembled as the doors clanged open. The trash machine rolled out, its giant black wheels grinding on the rusty track as it brought the enormous metal bin outside the city walls. Around Maya, people edged closer, ready to pounce.

Angela Cothran

Title: THE ALABASTER REFUGEE

 

Genre: YA Adventure/Romance

Jocelyn lay flat—her stomach pressed to the earth and the chill from the ground seeped into her skin. Was it the cold or the fear making her skin rise in angry goose bumps?

 I’m trapped!  She swallowed her panic in breathless gulps. From under the overgrown bush, she could see the path straight ahead. It’s too late. I didn’t get far enough. With guards chasing her, Jocelyn had two options—run or hide.

She chose the latter.

Now she waited.

The ruthless pursuit moved closer to her with each shallow breath. Jocelyn reached her hand to her neck and let her fist close around a broken locket—its jagged face cut into her flesh. I’m still alive, the pain reminded her. She willed herself to remain still, fighting her every screaming instinct to—Run! Run! Run!

          The earth throbbed as boots hit the ground in a chaotic cadence.

          They’re here! Jocelyn’s body stiffened.

          Around the guard’s torches, the night air cracked and popped with loud complaints. She could hear them disturbing the dense vegetation bordering the well-worn trail—moving in efficient calculated patterns.

          “Any sign?” A guard bellowed.

          “Not yet, Sir.”

          “Keep looking. She can’t have gone far.”

Christine Danek

Title: Lingering Souls

Genre: Young Adult science fiction

The little brown pill bottle that sits on the counter is the best birthday present I could ever give myself. It sits next to the bottles of my mom’s vodka. The bottles seem so sleek and elegant compared to the stumpy, pill bottle, yet they look like a compatible pair.

Sweat drips down the center of my back. The July heat wave is becoming unbearable. Since the air conditioner died, the windows are wide open. Not that it helps in air as thick as mud; in fact it’s only letting more in. I’d rather them closed so maybe I can suffocate by accident instead of a self inflicted death, but my decision is made.

            A white moth flutters around the light on the fan above me. Every time the moth hits the light, an annoying ping interrupts the silence.  My conscious has played tricks on me all day, controlling my motions and decisions. Gazing around the room everything takes on a yellow haze. I glance down through blurry tears. The edges of a picture I’ve been holding for hours seem fuzzy and worn. Just like me. Nothing’s clear and all signs point to exiting my existence.

My cell buzzes. I ignore it. Don’t want to talk to anyone.

Lindy

Title: Bound
Genre: YA Paranormal Fantasy

I see the note right away, perched on top of an avalanche of textbooks and binders that threaten to tumble out when I open the door. Delivered in the same fashion as the ones before it—slipped through the thin grate at the top of my locker. Also, like the others, the cruel words inside fail to match its unassuming pink envelope.

Do us all a favor and kill yourself.

The scent of Abby’s favorite perfume rolls off the page, thick and sweet, nauseating.  This time my old ‘friend’ hasn’t bothered to disguise her handwriting. I look down the hall to find her staring my way, face bright with anticipation. She’s at her locker with her latest best friend, Maddy, by her side. When our eyes make contact she grins, and then leans to whisper in Maddy’s ear. Maddy quickly looks in my direction, expressionless.

I notice they're dressed for tonight's game. With that same vindictive smile in place, Abby fiddles with the captain's pin she has hooked to her red and gray cheerleading uniform. The same pin I used to wear till I returned it to Coach last October, walking away from that part of my life.

Lisa Chickos

THE MERMAID GENE

YA Urban Fantasy

The dolphin twists sideways in my arms.  Eyeing me through one widened, gleaming black eye, she opens her blowhole and gurgles.  Her voice sounds breathless and weak, and the tips of her flukes feel hot against my fingertips.

 “What are you waiting for, Kai?  Tighten up on her, or she’s gonna bolt.”  My father’s warning booms from a nearby research vessel as I struggle for footing in the tea-stained waters of Tampa Bay.  “Do it quick; she’s baiting you.”  

 The concern in his voice sends a fresh wave of anxiety grinding through me, and I wrinkle my nose in protest as I realize the truth of his words.  Growing up watching him perform countless catch-and-release medical exams just like this one, I know researchers only have four, maybe five seconds to restrain a bottlenose dolphin before it fights back and escapes capture.

 Wrapped around this animal’s tail, I should follow protocol by pulling her flukes into my chest and bracing myself for her inevitable thrashing in the shallows.  Instead, I find myself lost in her plaintive, lucid eye contact.  Her pupils, shrunk into tiny circles in the sunlight, roll back and forth as she cranes her head, and a shallow scar splits the silvery bulge of her forehead.

***

Lora Rivera

DARK METTLE

YA Thriller & Urban Fantasy

Ava flattened her body against a wall, peering sideways into the vaulted living room beyond. It was gray and desolate, just like all the other rooms -- empty but for the shift of air and streak of chalky dust slowly resettling over the concrete floor.

 A snake of ash-brown hair had come loose from her braid. It tickled the back of her neck and she fought the urge to scratch. Soon now. Melissa Carter was doing far better than Ava had expected or even hoped. True, she didn't think her foster sister would need ninja stealth skills as a rule. But just in case . . . Just in case Ava wasn’t there someday . . .

 You can do this, Mel. She held her breath and heard nothing but a dull wind gust against loose shingles. Her muscles tightened. Then she slinked like a shadow through the stale gloom.

 With roof and walls but no electricity, the abandoned house was dark even at late afternoon. She slowed near one of the far windows that was only partially boarded up by plywood. Here. Treacherously, her fingers leapt for the switchblade she usually kept in her back pocket.

Lori M Lee

Title: Soul Without a Boy
Genre: YA urban fantasy

On his thirteenth lap around the block, London Howell spotted the monster watching him. It was crouched against the wooden post of a neighbor's mailbox, little more than a shadow with large-knuckled fingers that raked at empty air.

London stifled a groan. Sprinting through his neighborhood at midnight was annoying enough without an unwanted audience. He stopped to catch his breath beneath a lamppost, his hand braced against the cool iron.

The monster across the street moved, shifting on spindly legs that trembled like branches in a storm. Its eyes glowed in the dim evening.

London had learned that if he ignored them hard enough, eventually, they went away. Didn't help his doubts about his sanity, but at least it had worked. But they'd been showing up more frequently in recent weeks, and the watching thing was new. Pretending something wasn't there was a lot harder when it was staring at him.

 His mobile vibrated in his back pocket and, with a glance at the screen, he picked up.

 "You sound like a goat on the rack," Amun said in greeting.

 "How," London asked between breaths, "do you know what a tortured goat sounds like?"

PK Hezro

X Dare & The Keys to Nin

MG sci-fi / fantasy

I’d take video games over real life any day.

The reason is simple: at age thirteen I’ve learned a lot about people, and even more about girls. Like how, even if they look bad, you’re supposed to say they look good; and how they whisper a lot and like to keep secrets. I know, because my entire life revolves around the girls in my family. Video games are less complicated, and when it comes down to a challenge between a game or my mom, I know I can beat the game.

“Oh, it’s so cute!” Mom says, grinning down at Veronica and making the little lines around her eyes smile too. 

I let out an annoyed sigh—the kind that says I’m losing my patience. Clothes shopping with my mom and little sister is ranked right up there with taking all day exams and doing chores for no allowance. Mom’s been fussing over Veronica for the last hour. Like she doesn’t have enough clothes already.

Veronica beams, looking up from her wheelchair. She holds a bubblegum pink dress up, hiding her long blonde pig tails. Her eyes are twice their size through her bifocal glasses. “Can we get it, Mom?”

Robin Weeks

Title: GEAS

Genre: YA Fantasy

Brina knew better than to go out in public looking less than her questionable best.

She knew it, but figured hurrying home for her mother’s birthday party deserved a special endowment of luck. She didn’t even grow to human size first. Instead, she left her purse and car keys with her best friend Moira and launched herself out the palace window into the sweltering air of San Antonio, Texas.

The first flash came from her left and, like an idiot, she twisted toward it. Which is how the photographer’s zoom lens caught her: eyes opened wide, long braid slicked back from her face with her own sweat, and limbs sticking out at startled angles from her workout tank and short-shorts. All of it glowing softly brown in the dusk.

As a special bonus, the magazine’s cover photo had captured the moment her four bright white wings froze in shock, sending her plummeting a few feet downward. The resulting portrait could have been entitled “Freak, Falling” but instead the headline proclaimed: “Human-Pixie Hybrids: The Last American Taboo.” That worked, too.

Naturally, the cover was taped to her locker first thing Tuesday morning. It hadn’t been torn carefully, and a jagged gash ripped halfway through Brina’s right wing. 

GUTGAA: Week 4 Novel Critique/Contest!

Hey guys and gals!

You've asked your questions, set your creative juices on fire and tweaked your queries. What else is left to gear up for an agent, but delving into the heart of the matter?

The final week has finally arrived and we're going out with a bang! Come join us for the First 200 Word Novel Critique and Contest.

Here are the rules:

1)Post the first 200 words (please finish the sentence even if it is past 200 words) of your novel or picture book on your blog. (Any genre can join in the initial crit hop but only young adult, middle grade and picture book can be a part of the final contest. This is because agent Kathleen Rushall, who is also one of the judges of this contest is only looking for those types of books. So sorry everyone else.)

2)Once you post, sign up with the link of your post on the linky below.

3)Hop around other participants blogs and give them helpful advice on their first 200 words.

4)If you have a completed young adult, middle grade or picture book manuscript by Tuesday 3PM ET please email me the first 200 words at deanabarnhart@gmail.com for a shot at the contest. (This can be pasted into the body of the email. It doesn't have to be an attachment.
NOTE: When I say completed this is strictly a guideline. It is up to you whether or not you really do this. Just remember that Kathleen is an agent and if she loves your work she may very well ask for more from you.
5)The format for entries should look like this:

Your name

Title of book

Genre

First 200 words....

6)Eight judges will choose 10 finalists by Wednesday 7/27/11

7)Agent Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency will first pick her winner, then writer with an agent, Monica B.W. will pick hers.

8)The winners will be chosen by Friday 7/29/11.

PRIZES

Kathleen's winner will win a query and first 30 page critique from her, 
Monica's winner will win a first 10 page critique from her.

To get your excitement bubbling, here is part 1 of an interview I did with Kathleen a few weeks back (I will post a brand new part 2 Wednesday), and HERE is the interview I did with Monica.

So let's get this party started...and ended shall we?!

GUTGAA Query Winner! + Final week around the corner

What a whirlwind of a week! I can't tell you how much I've learned from all the participants in this weeks festivities. Seriously, I loath writing queries and being able to read so many good ones really gives me hope.
I have said it before and I will say it again, I truly wanted to pass everyone through. I have grown to love my blogfesters and it killed me to have to only give ten names to Lora...well fourteen and she picked the last one.

Anyhoo, that isn't what you really came here for so let's get on with it shall we. Lora has whittled the ten finalists down to one and the WINNER IS.....

LISA CHICKOS

Query for The Mermaid Gene

For a refresher on her query:

Dear Agent:

An arctic mermaid is the last thing seventeen year-old Kai Murphy expects to glimpse when she joins a beluga whale research team in Alaska.

An aspiring scientist, Kai dismisses Anchorage’s mermaid myths until the late-night sighting of a silvery, speckled tail threatens her convictions. Teamed up with flirtatious twin deckhands Noah and Aidan Fischer, she decides to investigate.

Turns out a mermaid sighting isn’t her research team’s only mystery. There are also secret closets filled with hunting rifles, blood-filled plastic bins and shadowy beluga poachers haunting the inlet’s icy waters.

As Kai searches for answers and begins falling for Noah, she realizes even he isn’t above suspicion. The fate of her team, her belugas and the mysterious creature in the inlet just may rest in her hands.

THE MERMAID GENE is a YA urban fantasy novel, complete at 98,000 words. I have worked as a zookeeper and educator at many facilities, including the Alaska Zoo of Anchorage, and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks & Aquariums published my article “The Dangers of Human Interactions with Marine Mammals” in its 2007 Ocean Literacy and Marine Mammals: An Easy Reference Guide. This experience sets THE MERMAID GENE apart and allows me to take readers behind-the-scenes into the thrilling and often-misunderstood world of beluga whale research.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Me

Here is how Lora did her whittling:

10 total points were possible, and I awarded half, quarter, and three-quarters points in categories that were so-so, a hair off, or nearly there.

Categories:

1. Muscular prose (tightness on the sentence level)  

2. Overall flow

3. Clear MC throughout

4. Clear stakes

5. Logic of plot points as revealed through query

6. Voice and voice consistency

7. Compelling plot

8. Professional bio/closing

9. Info-dump

10. Length (adhering to the 250 ideal / 300 max standard)

 Lisa, congrats! You've won your choice of a query critique or a first five page critique from Lora herself!

And congrats to everyone else here is what Lora had to say about them all:

 

Whew. SOOO hard. BTW, on the scale, nobody scored lower than a 7, and final three-way tie was broken by a quarter of a point. Great job, everybody!

***

The fun doesn't stop yet people! We have one more week and the best has totally been saved for last. Agent Kathleen Rushall of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency and the ultra-talented, already hooked an agent, Monica B.W. are teaming up to help out with our final week of the Gearin' Up to Get an Agent Blogfest by picking the winners of the first 200 words novel competition. Two winners will be chosen and this contest is open only to young adult, middle grade and picture book submissions as that is what Kathleen is on the prowl for. Sorry to everyone else.

Beginning Sunday evening I will put up the sign-up list along with some extra tidbits. If you haven't gotten your name on the master GUTGAA list, go here and get to it. You will be in the presence of awesomeness. I hope to see you there!

Until then...

Keep learning. Keep writing.