I’ve finished yet another draft of my work-in-progress, and it has me thinking in embroidery metaphors. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know I like to cross-stitch. I once posted about how I wished I had a pattern to follow, and then followed up with an ironic post about having to…
YA Review: THE BURNING SKY by Sherry Thomas
As a writer, I get a lot of books recommended to me during the critique process for various reasons. Sometimes it’s because the author uses a similar technique, others for a similar premise or plot point. Discovering new authors is a great side benefit of the critique process. I’m not sure I would have heard…
MMGM Review & Giveaway: EYE OF THE STORM by Kate Messner
I promised that the next time I had an MMGM it would include a giveaway, so here we go. It’s another one of my Scholastic Warehouse Sale finds–EYE OF THE STORM by Kate Messner! In the not-too-distant future, huge tornadoes and monster storms are a part of everyday life. Sent to spend the summer in…
When Authors Experiment with Time
I like it when authors get creative–whether it’s with format or time. When done well, it can really heighten tension to jump outside a linear story. And yet, sometimes it goes wrong. A while ago, I had a rather frustrating reading experience, and I’ve since read a couple of other books with non-linear timelines that…
Only You Can Fix Your Manuscript
I’ve touched on this before, but there’s a reason our stories are our own. And there’s a reason they get royally screwed up if we take every single suggestion a critique partner, beta reader, agent or even an editor gives us–because no one else can write our story. Of course I’ve always known this, but…
YA Review: EPIC FAIL by Claire LaZebnik
I always like to give a shout-out to authors when their marketing efforts get me to read their books. I read a blog post by Claire LaZebnik, and the blurb for her current young adult book–which my library didn’t yet have–led me to a previous one, which they did. Once I saw that EPIC FAIL…
YA Review: STRANGE AND EVER AFTER by Susan Dennard
A few weeks ago I entered Susan Dennard’s giveaway for an ARC of the final book in her SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY series, STRANGE AND EVER AFTER. Imagine my glee when she notified me that I won! The book doesn’t come out until July, so I’m thrilled to be able to feature it here before…
MMGM: A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd
Happy Memorial Day to my fellow Americans! I am spending the day at Six Flags with my family but didn’t want to miss out on posting an MMGM. Today’s review is on a title that kept jumping out at me, much as words do in the story itself :). So many people were recommending A…
A Call for a Few Good Readers
Hello, lovely readers! I’ve never done this before on the blog, but I’m at the point in my writing journey where I don’t want to leave any stone unturned before I send out a manuscript. I’ve been through 2 1/2 rounds of critiques (I had one person read the first 90 pages before the first…
THE HERO’S GUIDE TO BEING AN OUTLAW & A Few Other Books You Should Read
Hi there! I am deep in revisions, so I don’t have time for a full review today, but since Shannon Messenger listed my blog as usually having an MMGM, I didn’t want to leave any visitors hanging. So, instead I’m going to give a few recommendations for books I enjoyed but didn’t have time to…
YA Review: TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han
I’m saving up my middle grade reviews for when Shannon Messenger returns in a couple of weeks with MMGM, so today I have another young adult review. As soon as I read the description for TO ALL THE BOYS I’VE LOVED BEFORE by Jenny Han, I knew I had to read it! LARA JEAN keeps…
How I Tackle Revisions: Synthesizing Feedback
Yesterday I received comments from the last of my second round readers (thanks, ladies!). I’m itching to jump right in and start revising, but I am forcing myself to take a few days to think through it all and figure out a plan of attack before I dig in. I’ve posted on patience before (here,…
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