I blog about books

"B" is for BOOKS. (And apparently for lame blog posts, because I didn't get this done earlier and I don't have anything to offer now).

Love a book today.

"A" Blog Post

Okay, despite the fact that I have about 28 other things going on in my life right now, I have jumped on a bandwagon...actually it's an A to Z bandwagon wherein I join more than a thousand other bloggers in a "'fest" to blog for 26 days in April using a different letter of the alphabet each day as some sort of theme letter.

As in, this is crazy, EH? (A)

No, it's not an April Fool's sort of thing, though that does start with an A. Check back tomorrow to see what I say B-related and you'll find out I'm serious about doing this, though I may get bogged down around about LMNOP. We'll see.

The whole point of it, they tell me, is to inspire the habit of blogging on a regular basis and to increase followers. Click on the A to Z button on my sidebar and it will take you to a list of other bloggers on the blogfest bandwagon.

Also, I don't know if this cheese guy is participating, but his posts are hilarious. Scroll down to the one where he lists his recent Facebook statuses. (Is that the plural of status?) I promise you'll laugh out loud.

http://www.theblogocheese.blogspot.com/

I wish I had something to read...

They always say, "Read in your genre," meaning whatever it is you're writing, then you'd better read copious amounts of that same kind of book, so you can be up on the hip-happening stuff that's current today.

I've been reading a lot of YA stuff, but I finally realized I've been off in sub-genre-land. I've been reading paranormal, dystopian, fantasy which all are now young adult sub-genres. I'm writing YA Contemporary. You know, real life stuff. No Vampires--sparkly or otherwise. No Werewolves who take off their shirts every other second--wait, that's the movie version (that's what I've heard anyway). Not even any Shapeshifters ala Kiersten White.

Hopefully, I haven't lost you, but there really were novels written before Twilight's Edward came on the scene. Stories about real (fake) people who live in real (fake) worlds. That's what I'm writing.

I went to the library to find those kinds of books and just stared at the shelves, stymied as to what to choose. I had printed a list, but none of the books on the list were there. It seemed like every one I picked up contained fantasy elements or over-the-top teen angst or other unmentionables that I have no interest in reading.

I did the only thing I could do...grabbed all the Janette Rallison's I could find that I don't already own and off I went.

If you have any other reading suggestions IN MY GENRE, please share. And hurry before gruesome creatures from the underworld start cropping up at Ideal High. [reference to my novel]

(And yes, I know Janette has those Fairy Godmother novels, but most of what she writes seems to be the real (fake) world stuff. And BTW, I'm really enjoying Just One Wish.)

A WRITER'S FAVORITE KIND OF CONTEST!

YAtopia is sponsoring an awesome contest on their blog.

You can actually win the chance to submit

your manuscript to an agent.

It's definitely the opportunity to get an agent to read your hook.

Seriously.

Click here...

YATOPIA

But hurry. They are only taking 150 entries.

But wait...I put 3 yrs of my life into that manuscript...

The literary agent and staff after they read my manuscript...

In lieu of actual blogging, something you may relate to...

"Pitch"-er Perfect

Okay, of course, my pitch at the writers conference was not perfect, but look at the sweater I wore. Perfect. Better than any collar shirt, right?

And the (amazing, exciting, unbelievable, scary!) good news is that the agent said YES, she wants to see my story!!!

I thought I would come out of the pitch after receiving her card into my sweaty little palm screaming and jumping up and down, but no. I just felt like I had made one very small step in a very long process. Then I went to my room to call my husband and had a short happy cry. Apparently, I felt more like crying than jumping up and down.

The agent had one recommendation for me--a change that would make my story more marketable. She asked if I would change the accident that takes place before the story opens. Right now it is a car accident, but she wisely said that car accidents in teen fiction are overdone and any other type of accident would make it stand out as unique.

I'm open to suggestions...

+takes place in early June

+in the middle of the night

+in West Texas

+young people die

That is all.