When the Sunshine is Calling

I don't know how the weather is where you live, but in Southern California we've had a real treat this week and should continue into the weekend. It has been sunny, blue skies and in the high 70's to low 80's F. The birds are singing and the air smells fresh. The trees and flowers are blooming, especially with all of the rain we've had recently (my allergies aren't very happy about this one). Spring is definitely in the air.

That's great, but how do I concentrate and motivate myself to write when the outside is calling my name? That has been the issue. Here are a few ways to keep your mind on your work, and not on what you could be doing in the great outdoors.

1. Reward yourself. Whether you weakness is swimming, hiking, taking your dog out for a walk or even washing your car, give yourself a goal and if you hit it, do something you love outside. A break is a health way to get a new view of your WIP.
   
2. Write outside. Take your laptop, Alphasmart or even a notebook and pen outside for some rays (just don't forget the suntan lotion and in some cases, the bug spray).
3. Research. Is there a place your book takes place that you can research while enjoying the outdoors? Walk the neighborhood your fictitious characters live or maybe your neighborhood. You never know where you will get ideas.
   
4. Observation. I know we've all done it. Sitting at the next table listening to a group of teens talk about their problems, or watching them walk through the mall. Instead of finding a local teen hideout that's inside, take it outside. Try to find a cafe or restaurant that has outdoor seating. Or a local hangout for teens like a skate park that you can pull up a bench and take a few notes. If you live near the beach, that is a perfect place to people watch.

How do you find a way to work when the sunshine is calling?

Books I'm Excited to Read 2

I thought I would share the list of books I can't wait to read that are on my
TBR list. What books are you looking forward to reading?


Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver- (In stores now)

(From bn.com) What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High, from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12 should be just another day in her charmed life.

Instead, it turns out to be her last.

Fortunately, she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan- (In stores now)

(From bn.com) Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse. But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing. One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.



The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting- (Released March 16th)

(From www.kimberlyderting.com) Violet strained to see into the lake below. Multihued light seemed to be radiating up from beneath the water, centered among the reeds, and then diffusing outward as it reached the surface. Violet had never seen anything like it, and she knew that the spectrum of light was defying its very nature by behaving in that way.

It could be only one thing.

There was something dead down there.



The Line by Teri Hall- (Now in stores)

(From bn.com) An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It's said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel's dad died in the last war. It's a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott- (Released March 16th)

(From www.elizabethwrites.com) Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like you best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Knowing When It's Time to Take a Break

For NaNoWrimo 2009, I worked on a fantasy novel I had been kicking around for a few months. I thought I was ready for it. I had my rough synopsis, lore and characters all set. I played around with 1st person and then 3rd, finally deciding 3rd was the best way to go for the story, despite not feeling comfortable with it at the time. I powered through Nano, completing it several days before November 30th. Throughout the month, I didn't have time to really go back and focus on what I was writing. I would quickly look over the last few pages I wrote the day before to get the vibe of where I left off and then would write to get the story and the words down.

As I've mentioned before on the blog, it wasn't the first time I completed NaNoWrimo, and hopefully it won't be the last. In previous years, I was sparked by my marathon of writing, usually picking back up and a hurried pace again in January (how can you not take December off with the holidays after working that hard the month before?) This year was different. I found myself not caring to continue. I was so close to the finish of my first draft, but put it down. I still love the story, but can't figure out where I want to go with it. Instead of working through the issues, I just stopped writing...for two months.

I loved the story and wanted it to work to the point that I let it suck my creativity and passion for writing. I was afraid to go back to it, so I just stopped writing. I now realize that it's okay to put that story aside and work on something else. Sometimes the best medicine is to just take a break and focus attention on a new project. The story will always be there when I'm ready to pick it back up. Despite learning this the hard way, I am now happy to report that I am working on something else that I'm excited about.

How do you work through difficult writing periods?

Teachers are the real rockstars!

A big shout out to my hubbie, Shawn, and teacher buds, Jo, and Kelsey, who helped me develop my writer workshops for the Young Writer's Conference in Sherwood Park on February 27th. I would have been a big old bust without you. ;0

The kids were AMAZING. So keen/clever/cool. I could see bits of my tween/teen self in all of them. I would have loved that kind of experience as a kid. Getting to meet authors, artists - workshopping and asking questions. The whole day was food for my writer soul. I forgot to bring my camera. If I come across some pics of the conference, I'll post them later.

I have to give a big shout out to teachers...damn, you work hard for the money! I did two, 90min workshops and spent about 12 hours creating my presentation: from powerpoint slides to criteria, working the piece to peer evaluations...it was all work, work work.

But then I got to sign autographs for 30mins (370+ students in a gym with authors/illustrators). There I was with Marty Chan, Sigmund Brouwer, Mary Woodbury, Gord Steinke, David Poulsen, Patricia MacQuarrie, Rita Feutl...and more Alberta authors/illustrators. We felt like kings and really all we did was teach a few classes.

Teachers need an autographing tent at the end of EACH DAY - you guys are freaking ROCKSTARS!

YAedge Feature Author: Amy Reed

We welcome another amazing guest to YAedge, Amy Reed, author of Beautiful. For those of you who love contemporary YA, be sure to pick this one up. It's beautifully written (no pun intended) and will pull at your heart. It's pretty gut-wrenching, but the rough situations are handled so bravely by the main character, Cassie.

The blurb:

When Cassie moves from the tiny town where she has always lived to a suburb of Seattle, she is determined to leave her boring, good-girl existence behind. This is Cassie's chance to stop being invisible and become the kind of girl who's worth noticing.

Stepping into her new identity turns out to be easier than Cassie could have ever imagined...one moment, one choice, will change everything.

Cassie's new existence both thrills and terrifies her. Swept into a world of illicit parties and social landmines, she sheds her virginity, embraces the numbness she feels from the drugs, and floats through it all, knowing that she is now called beautiful. She ignores the dangers of her fast-paced life?but she can't sidestep the secrets and the cruelty.

Cassie is trapped in a swift downward spiral tinged with violence and abuse, and no one—not even the one person she thought she could trust—can help her now.

Here we go with the questions:

First off, Cassie's "voice" was amazing. You did a great job with emotion through everything Cassie had to deal with coming to a new school and reinventing herself. Did you have a hard time getting into her head?

Thanks so much! I wouldn't say that it was hard getting into Cassie's head. For good or for bad, I think I've always kept the memories of my childhood and teen years very accessible and raw, so it wasn't hard for me to channel all that confusion and fear and desperation into Cassie. But I will say that it was incredibly painful at times. I remember feeling just devastated and drained after writing certain scenes. Sometimes I couldn't stop crying. When I got to the final chapter, I pretty much wrote the whole thing straight through, and I was weeping the whole time.

Cassie and the cast of Beautiful, for the most part, are in 7th or 9th grade. How did you decide how old (or young) she would be, given the heavy topics of the story?

I don't know that I put a whole lot of thought into the decision. I was in seventh grade when I experienced similar things, and a lot of my friends were in ninth grade, so it just seemed natural to make everyone that age. I've mentioned in other interviews that I actually didn't initially write Beautiful for a teen audience in mind. It found it's way into YA after it was written, and I'm so happy it did. But I think if I knew I was writing for teens at the time, I would have made Cassie a couple years older. Not that I regret her age or think I made the wrong decision, but I think it would be a little less painful for readers if they could think of her as a little bit older.

I read on your bio that you changed school a ton growing up. Did that help in writing Cassie's character as the new girl in school?

Yes, absolutely. Being the new kid became part of my identity like some people consider themselves jocks or brains. I never felt like I completely fit in; I was always trying to catch up to people who had been there longer. I remember feeling so lost and scared, like everybody was judging me. It was a very lonely time. I had friends, but it was hard to get really close because somewhere inside knew I was going to leave soon. All of that pain definitely went into Cassie.

Did you always want to write teen fiction and if so, why?

I didn't really know there was such a thing as teen fiction until after I wrote Beautiful. But throughout my life, the books I loved have tended to be about young characters. I've been writing since I was thirteen, and all my work has either been autobiographical or about teen characters. So even though I didn't know the name for it, yes, I think I've wanted to write teen fiction for a long time. In my opinion, teens are really the most compelling characters. Their feelings are so raw and honest. As an adult (sort of), I think I can get away with saying that we're usually full of crap.

What's next on the writing front? Any new project you can tell us about?

I'm a couple chapters away from finishing the first draft of my next YA novel, tentatively titled The Walls. It's the story of five teen's experience in a drug and alcohol treatment center. If you liked Beautiful, you're definitely going to like this one.

_____

Thanks for hanging with us and we wish you many readers. Check out Amy's website for additional info about Amy and Beautiful.

A Prequel to Under My Skin

Writing a prequel or out-take scene can help to solidify your character's motivation, can give you the source of character quirks, past secrets, lost loves...there're loads of benefits to jotting them down and I recommened giving them a go. But it's hard to make them stand alone - to not be one big insider joke. ;) Here's a prequel scene to Under My Skin that I'm working on to share with bloggers for my March blog tour. Hopefully it's a fun read. Poor Eryn is stressed enough for all of us...but doesn't she look cool?! (I so adore Val Cox, the illustrator who worked on UMS!)

The Beginning of the End

I’d expected things to be different after my parent’s funeral. Burying people you loved, even if the coffins were empty, had a tendency to do that to a person. But sinking my teeth into the soft flesh of the restraining hand of a Hunter Council representative seemed a little harsh, even for me.

I was barely aware of the man’s scream of agony as the metallic tang of his blood rushed down my throat, awakening my wolven instincts—bringing me back to reality. I released him and rounded on his boss, Sebastian Rhys, who despite a few wrinkles and greying temples, looked formidable in his funerary suit and tie.

“Eryn, sweetie, was that really necessary?” he asked, unimpressed. He folded his arms across his chest. The material of his black suit coat strained at the shoulders as his muscles flexed. Obviously the aging hunter hadn’t slacked off when it came to his training.

“Sebastian, you and your goon here snatched me away from my parents’ funeral. I haven’t seen you in years, and then you start in with the we-must-speak-in-private-or-it’s-your-life drama.” I glared at the man who had run my father out of the Council. “What did you expect? A hug?”

The Council rep I’d bitten snorted, then pulled a black satin handkerchief from his suit pocket, and wrapped his bleeding hand. For a second too long, I stared at the blood on his skin and clinked my teeth together against the urge to bite him again. I fought for control. After my parents disappeared, I could only scrounge up a few days supply of the drug that stifled my wolven side. I’d been taking half doses to drag out the inevitable. But already life felt….odd.

To distract myself, I sliced my gaze around the narrow room. Who would have thought the perfect locale for an interrogation would be tucked away in the basement of the funeral home? Weird how the Hunter Council always managed to find creepy little nooks like this when they wanted to lay down the law. A chemical smell lingered, infused into the walls, burning my nose hairs. Preservative. I shuddered at the thought.

“I wanted to tell you how sorry I am about your parents, how devastated the Council was when we heard about their disappearance.” Sebastian’s studied me with watchful eyes.

“And you couldn’t do that upstairs?” I let the rage build. Anger was so much better than tears.

"That part, yes.” Sebastian shrugged. “But there’s more.”

With the Council—there was always more. I couldn’t even muster up an angst-filled roll of my eyes thanks to the dull ache in my sockets. I’d been crying, of course, I had, but in the privacy of my bedroom where no one could see.

Sebastian gestured to his goon, who then reached into his suit coat and withdrew a large envelope.

“Open it,” Sebastian ordered.

My pulse throbbed in my thumbs as I held the paper. I had a really bad feeling about this.

I turned the envelope, opened the clasp, and reached in to pull out an eight-by-ten glossy photograph of a cute new-but-made-to-look-old Victorian home set on a neatly manicured lawn.

I gave a shocked laugh. “What? Are you into real estate now?” I offered the photo and envelope back to him. “I gotta tell ya, strong-arm tactics aren’t the best way to make a sale. Plus. Hello? I already have a house.”

Sebastian and his goon exchanged a look.

“You don’t recognize it?” Sebastian asked, holding up the photo.

I looked again. “No. Why? Should I?”

“It’s your uncle’s home.”

“Uncle Marcus?” I squinted at the photo, my eyes throbbing in the low lighting. “Oh, yeah, right.” I barely remembered our one and only family visit to my father’s younger brother. I glanced up at Sebastian, that bad feeling sinking into something very near dread. “So?”

“So. You’re moving there. Tomorrow. It’s all arranged.”

“Are you out of your mind?” I yelled and, as I did, the door behind us was savagely ripped from the doorframe.

“Eryn, why do you hide in such a place?” Nikko, my father’s second in command, held the door in his meaty hands, his stocky, broad form filling the doorframe. “Always the people are asking for you.” He tilted his head, assessing me, his full lips pursed. “You must come.” His Slovakian accent was thicker than usual.

A sudden lash of guilt whipped my hide. Minutes ago, as I accepted the condolences of a sea of people, I’d wondered…why had my parents gone missing? Why not my father’s second in command?

The Slovak set the door down. His classically handsome face hardened when spotted Sebastian. Nikko pointed an angry finger as he spoke. “I should have known this trickery about you. We had a deal. You were to stay away until after funeral.”

“Wait a minute.” I held up a hand, shooting Nikko a killing glance. “You knew about this?” I stalked toward my father’s best friend and confidante. “About them wanting to relocate me?”

“I knew,” he said. “It was their idea to have funeral. To make pretend.” He looked at me with pleading eyes. “Little One, is for your own good. Sebastian will find out the truth. Isn’t that what you want?” He crossed the distance to place his strong hands on my shoulders. I swatted them away, then missed the reassurance they had brought.

“He’s right, Eryn,” Sebastian said. “We have unlimited resources. We can discover exactly what occurred, why your parents were never found.” His expression darkened. “But to do that, we need you safely out of the way. Your uncle is the perfect choice. He lives in a remote area with zero paranorm activity. Until we figure things out, you’re vulnerable, you could be a target.” Harsh lines formed at the corners of his mouth. “You have to admit. Your father made many enemies—both human and paranorm.”

I glared at him. “And you were one of them.”

Sebastian slowly shook his head. “That’s not true. I mentored Liam. He was my prized hunter…”

“Until he met my mother,” I supplied. “Until they had me.” Didn’t this whole mess come down to my existence? The blending of wolven and human—or human with any paranorm broke sacred laws. My life had likely caused my parents’ deaths. Small slashes of guilt and pain were cutting into the I’m-fine-leave-me-alone façade I’d worked so hard to maintain.

As if sensing my sudden weakness, Nikko placed a heavy arm around my shoulders. This time I leaned into his solid strength.

“Sadly, that’s correct,” Sebastian said. “My hands were tied after your parents’ married and you were born. I had to let Liam go.” He gave a tight smile. “But I helped when I could. The Council wanted you all dead. I fought for you then, as I fight for you now. I swear to you, Eryn.” His eyes bored into mine. “I will uncover the truth. If you let me.”

“What do I have to do?” I asked.

“Nothing. Not a thing. Just lay low and avoid drawing attention to yourself. If you can do that, I can start my investigation.” Sebastian strode to the gaping exit; his goon followed. “Think about it, Eryn, but decide soon. We’ve booked your flight. We’ll wait in our car.” Sebastian glanced around. “Funeral homes depress me.”

Then he was gone.

“Oh my God, Nikko,” I pulled away from the big Slovak. The stinking walls, the pounding in my head had me pacing the small room like a caged beast. “What do I do?”

“The Council has disbanded your father’s crew,” Nikko shrugged apologetically. “I can do nothing without them. Sebastian has the power. He can help.”

“I’ve been trained to hunt. I could track down whoever did this.” I clung to the idea I could avenge my parents myself.

“No,” Nikko’s voice was firm. “You’ve trained, yes. You’ve been on hunts. But never alone, never without the expertise of the crew.” Nikko tugged at his tie impatiently, looking uncomfortable in his suit.

I stared down at the floor. In a soft voice, I whispered, “What about my drugs? There’s nothing left.”

Nikko wagged a finger. “Don’t despair. The drugs will take time to leave your system. It may be months before you notice anything…if at all.”

“I wish.” I sighed. “There’ve been changes already.” I dragged my gaze up to meet his serious, sad face. Horror flooded into my system… If my father had been right, quitting the drugs cold turkey could prove disastrous. They might have caused mutations and that, combined with my mother’s wolven genes, could be lethal—for anyone who stood in my way. “What if I start to turn and I can’t control it?”

“You will,” Nikko said simply. “You will have to.”

I took a deep breath and tumbled into the beginning of the end.


Mom and I stood in the clearing, a fine mist of fog hovered a foot off the ground, snaking through the tall grasses. The damp ground smelled fresh and inviting. A gentle breeze brought the savoury scents of the forest to us. One scent stood out above the others. In synchronism we turned our heads. A deer pranced at the edge of the woods.

Shooting me a mischievous glance, Mom raised her arms, embracing the change. Her elegant form shimmered before me. Her hair whipped around in a wind of paranorm making. Energy crackled in the air. An instant later a sleek black wolf stood in my mother’s place.

The change took me then too.

Together we charged through the grass. Black wolf and grey wolf. Mother and daughter. Wolven.

The deer bolted.

We separated, flanking the panicked creature. In wolf form the complications of my human life slipped away. No more questions, just the thrill of the hunt. I was strong.

Invincible.

A different scent lit the air. Ignoring the black wolf’s sharp cry, I darted after the more intense lure.

A snarl. A lunge. A bite.

I feasted as if I’d never had a fresh kill before.

“Eryn, what have you done?” Mom, returned to her human form, stared down at me, horrified. Her beautiful porcelain skin paled to a chalky white, her delicate features twisted into a grimace. The revulsion in her eyes gutted me as if she’d swiped a claw across my belly.

I glanced down at the earth. At the bloodstained shoe that remained. A human. I had attacked a human. My stomach rolled.

“Help me!” I tried to scream, but in wolf form I couldn’t sound out the words.

Mom backed away, shaking her head.

I ran to her, not fast enough to reach her side.

She slipped into the mist.

Leaving me and the beast that had slipped over me like a second skin.

Weeks later, in small town Redgrave, I woke on a strangled sob. My teeth throbbed in my mouth. The coppery taste of blood lingered. The hum of an old-fashioned slide projector brought me back to the present.

Someone had flicked on the lights.

“That was must have been some daydream,” Mrs. Stantial said over the snickers of the entire art history class. “Are you alright, Eryn?”

I stared blankly into her concerned, I-bet-this-kid-needs-therapy eyes and let out a jerky breath.

“Oh, I’m just peachy.”

Why I Read and Love YA

Since owning my Barnes and Noble nook, I've gotten a lot of questions about it. One of the many questions coming from my co-workers is "what type of books do you read?" My usually answer is "just about anything," because I will read any story that can hold my attention. I don't care what category it's shelved in at the store or online. I just need a compelling story of some sort.

A lot of times my answer is enough and they just walk away after asking a few more ebook/nook related questions. Then there are the people that don't take the "anything" answer to heart. They want to know what I've read recently and why I read so much. People who don't read on a regular basis never seem to understand where I can find the time for two books a week. I find the time, reading at any free moment I have a book beside me. It's what I like to do, so I find the time.

My normal response is I read a lot of Young Adult books or books for teens. They look at me like I'm from another planet. Mind you, out of 48 employees, only 4 (including myself) are girls and all 48 (okay, minus a few who just make video games because it's what they can do talent-wise) are video game nerds. Reading is foreign to them and Young Adult books don't even exist. Most have heard of Twilight and of course Harry Potter (and a few have read HP of course), but their knowledge doesn't go beyond those two series.

I've tried to put my love of YA books into words for them, but it's very hard. How do you explain awesomeness to someone who doesn't speak the language of awesome? I wish I could force each and everyone of them to read a few of my favorite Young Adult authors and books without judging the stories before they open to page one.

Beyond the amazing community of YA authors, their books are even more awesome than they are (if that's even possible). I think that adult fiction (and don't get my wrong, I still read my fair share of adult fiction) has boundaries that authors are afraid to break. In YA fiction, there are no such broundaries. Take Ellen Hopkins books as an example. Not only is her subject matters serious (sex, drugs, prostitution, cutting, etc) but written in beautiful poetry. How many books of this nature would get onto the New York Times bestsellers list in the adult category? Not many, unless Oprah was pushing it, in my opinion.

I feel like young adult characters are richer, deeper than most adult characters. I don't know if it's because teens wear their emotions on their sleeves and as adults we're taught to be stoic or if YA authors just put more time and heart into building a character that teens can feel for and relate to. I've also come to realize, due to most YA books being shorter (or generally YA books average less words), the authors don't have a chance to be wordy and long winded. They have to get to the point, choosing each word carefully. There aren't too many teen books that I've read where I've thought it could have been chopped in half and still have told the same story. Unfortunately, I find that in a lot of adult books I've read recently. Take out 10,000-20,000 words or more and the book(s) would be more cohesive.

Anyway, enough of my rambling about why I love YA books. I want to know why YOU love teen books?