First of all, the winner of the signed hardcover of WHEN THE BUTTERFLIES CAME is: Akoss! Thanks to everyone who entered! Kimberley also sent me some beautiful bookmarks, so if you didn’t win but would like one of those, let me know. And on to today’s MMGM. I’ve had MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE by…
endings
MMGM: THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE by Christopher Healy
Happy Memorial Day! Today I’m featuring THE HERO’S GUIDE TO STORMING THE CASTLE, the sequel to one of my favorite middle grade reads of 2012. If you haven’t read THE HERO’S GUIDE TO SAVING YOUR KINGDOM, I highly recommend you do, and definitely before this one. Here’s the description: Prince Liam. Prince Frederic. Prince Duncan….
MMGM: PLASTIC POLLY by Jenny Lundquist
It’s only been three weeks since my last MMGM post, and I’m back! Plus I have a few other middle grade books I just picked up, so I should be participating for several weeks. Some of you may recall that Jenny Lundquist’s debut book, SEEING CINDERELLA, was my favorite MG read of 2012. So of…
Without CPs and Betas, I’d Never Get Past the Slushpile
This morning I finished up revisions from my second round of readers and sent my work-in-progress off to a third round. I’m always amazed at the things I miss when I’m editing my own work, and I came to a definite conclusion. If I didn’t use critique partners and beta readers, my manuscripts would never…
YA Review and Giveaway: THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab
Remember when I said there was another author at the event with Ally Carter? Well, it was Victoria Schwab, and although I’d heard of her, I’m not sure I would have picked up a copy of THE ARCHIVED anytime soon without the event. So, a note to authors: events work! And I’m so glad. I…
YA Review: LET THE SKY FALL by Shannon Messenger
I should have known I would love this book. After all, KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES made my top 5 middle grade reads of 2012, but I confess the description for LET THE SKY FALL sounded like something I’d heard before. I was so wrong, and I think that’s part of Shannon Messenger’s charm. She…
SCARLET, A Perfect Follow-Up to CINDER
Those of you who have been following me for a while might recall that my favorite young adult book of 2012 was CINDER by Marissa Meyer. The day after I posted my review of CINDER last fall, I discovered Marissa Meyer was coming to town as part of the Fierce Reads Tour and I got…
YA Review: SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY
I’m excited to be writing my first YA review of the year. I picked up SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY mainly because I’d read so many helpful blog posts by Susan Dennard. I wanted to support her book since I’ve learned from what she shares online, so … good marketing strategy on her part! But, even…
YA Series Recommendation: MATCHED by Ally Condie
I picked up MATCHED shortly after it came out in 2010 and loved it. So when Ally Condie made a stop in St. Louis on her CROSSED tour last fall, I had to go see her. It was my first author event, and I loved hearing about her inspiration for each book. These books are…
MMGM: THE END OF INFINITY
First of all, thanks to everyone who participated in my giveaway last week for a signed copy of Shannon Messenger’s KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES. The winner is: Orchid (@HauntedOrchid) It was so much fun doing a giveaway. I don’t plan to do one every week, but I will throw them in every once in…
MMGM: KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES with a giveaway!
Like everyone else who participates in MMGM, I anxiously awaited the release of MMGM founder Shannon Messenger’s debut novel, KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES. I’m thrilled to say that it met all of my expectations and then some. And because I want to give back to Shannon the way she gives back to all of…
Endings: How Much Can You Leave Hanging?
As I’m working on revisions for my current WIP, I’ve been musing over a question that’s occurred to me before: As an unagented, unpublished author, how much can I leave hanging at the end of my manuscript if I have ideas for a series? Unfortunately, I think the answer is: not much. When I wrote…
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