Logline Tips–And a Call to Action!
Call to action first: Elizabeth Norris's UNRAVELING (featured last week) was placed in the children's section of Barnes and Noble (instead of YA). Please go to your local B and N and ask that this be rectified immediately (don't bash B and N--just…
Release of UNRAVELING, and Twitter Giveaway!
Last month I featured UNRAVELING from Liz Norris, and am happy to report it finally debuted yesterday!In celebration, I will be conducting a Twitter giveaway for a free copy of UNRAVELING, and autographed bookmarks for the runners up.Here's…
365 Days of the Query: Finding Time to Actually Query!
While I'm getting used to the new Blogger look (thanks, Google), I'm thinking about how we start out with the best intentions only to find out that nothing pans out as expected.For example, before I started querying, I intended to send out about…
A BLUE SO DARK and PLAYING HURT by Holly Schindler
Holly Schindler is the author of the brand new YA novel PLAYING HURT. I was originally just going to feature PLAYING HURT, but Holly's first novel, A BLUE SO DARK, had such a compelling premise that I wanted to highlight it as well. A BLUE…
In which I attempt a Query Shark-like chomp….
For those who don't know about Query Shark, I highly recommend it (especially the archives!) if you want to buck up your query. It provides immensely useful insight into what makes a query work and why.In a contest I entered (run by the Query…
CLOCKWISER, by Elle Strauss
Last November, I featured CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss. For those eager for the next book in the series, CLOCKWISER is now available in ebook format through the following sales links:Clockwiser on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/CLOCKWISER-Book-2-Clockwise-ebook/dp/B007QGQDN4on…
Descriptors: Do they enhance, overwhelm, or fall flat?
I've been thinking about descriptors lately, both when writing queries and polishing my manuscripts. Sometimes, descriptors can be just the thing to make your manuscript or query stand out. But they have to be used carefully. Too many can…
WICKED AS THEY COME, by Delilah S. Dawson
This week's feature is WICKED AS THEY COME, a delightful mixture of paranormal, steampunk, and romance. I received an ARC for review, and I can't put it down!Here's the synopsis, from Goodreads:Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather…
365 Days of the Query: What is Your Inciting Event?
Kristin Nelson, head agent at Nelson Literary Agency, has a great blog series about writing a good query pitch. In it, she mentions what she calls the "plot catalyst," or, "the main event that triggers the story." Every good pitch has a plot…
TANGLED TIDES, by Karen Hooper
This week's feature is TANGLED TIDES, by Karen Hooper. Karen is also one of the co-founders of the YA Confidential blog. Here's the premise of TANGLED TIDES, from Goodreads:Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.…