My First and Last Blog Post of 2015!

Y'all. I haven't blogged in a whole year. How did THAT happen?

Okay...I probably know how that happened.

2015 has been busy. One big reason? I signed a three book deal with Entangled Teen Crush!

The first book, PIECES OF YOU AND ME, will be out on March 14, 2016. It's about Chase and Rylee, two best friends who were inseparable until they were torn apart completely. Five years was long enough for both of them to change, but once they're reunited they discover that some things, like their feelings for each other, only changed for the better. But the threat of being torn apart again is very real, so they're faced with forgetting the risk and taking the fall.

The second book (title TBD) should be out in September-ish. It's about an upcoming professional hockey player/YouTube star and the girl who shouldn't fall in love with him. I'm having SO much fun working on this one!

And I suppose there will be a third book at some point!

When I wasn't writing, revising, and editing, I did some reading this year. Best read of 2015 has to go to EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING by Nicola Yoon. I loved the premise, the characters and, of course, the part. If you've read it, you know what I'm talking about. If you haven't read it, what are you waiting for?!

Other books I read and loved in 2015:

• EXTRAORDINARY MEANS by Robyn Schneider
• MY HEART AND OTHER BLACK HOLES by Jasmine Warga
• I'LL MEET YOU THERE by Heather Demetrios
• MORE HAPPY THAN NOT by Adam Silvera
• HOW TO WRITE A NOVEL by Nathan Bransford

Another cool thing that happened in 2015? I went to NYC for the first time! Kristi C. and I went for the Writer's Digest conference this summer and had a BLAST. We crammed a LOT of NYC into a short trip. Three days worth of conference sessions! Empire State Building! Central Park! Broadway! Times Square! Staten Island Ferry! Drinking a tiny bit too much wine and margaritas! Subway! Walking 8,472 miles!

Patricia P, me, and Kristi C., crammed like sardines on the subway but still smiling!

From the Empire State Building

Broadway!

It was definitely a trip I won't forget!

The other major thing that took up much of 2015 for me was my day job. I started working in a new position with my company in February, and I absolutely LOVE it. I get to talk about writing all day every day, and I get to train teachers on how to help their students write more and write better. Awesome, right?

Not only that, but I get to travel all over the beautiful state of North Carolina to do my job! All of these pictures were taken on business trips:

New Bern, NC

Asheville, NC

Greensboro, NC

2015 has been a pretty incredible year for me, and I hope it has been for you, too!

I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but maybe I will resolve to blog more in 2016 than I did in 2015, which shouldn't be hard to do!

Happy holidays! See you in 2016!

It's a Capital-B Book! (And a Capital-G Giveaway!)

Almost a year ago, my first book was published. The year since has been a blast. Sharing my work with the world for the first time, getting to talk to readers, and experiencing all the debut fun has been a dream come true!

But today, this year got even better because I came home to this:

That's right! Now I'm not just an author of a book, but an Author of a Book! One I can hold and thumb through the pages and sign for family and friends! (By the way, how awesome is Entangled Publishing for putting this "e-book only" book into print for me? Answer: Capital-A Awesome!)

Are you or is someone you know a contemporary young adult fan? Are you intrigued by the idea of a story about a guy who lives in a stranger's garage? Are you looking for a book that will make you think, make you laugh, and hopefully make you cry just a little?

Get your copy at Barnes and Noble.com or Amazon!

Or you can enter to win a copy through Rafflecopter here (US Only):


a Rafflecopter giveaway
Good luck, and thank you for stopping by!


When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen) are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley's trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate's recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.

Why I Ain't Even Mad at John Green

Today I saw this BuzzFeed post, which essentially implies that John Green’s “Okay? Okay.” was stolen from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

At first I was all like…

*GASP*

Because John Green is basically the god of YA authors. And plagiarism? Not cool.

But it only took about 0.4 seconds for me to change my tune.

I ain’t even mad at John Green.

Reason #1: “Okay” is a pretty common word. Have you thought about how many times you say it per day? (If you haven’t, you will today. You’re welcome.) It could be pure coincidence.

Reason #2: Eternal Sunshine… came out in 2004. From what I can tell, John Green came up with the idea for TFIOS in 2006. So is there a possibility that he saw the movie, unintentionally filed the “Okay?” tidbit in some back corner of his brain, and accidentally retrieved it while writing 2+ years later?

Yes. Absolutely.

How do I know? I’ve done the same thing.

See, I’m pretty particular about my characters’ names. I have to love them. And for whatever reason, I couldn’t come up with a name for the main character in my WIP. I tried out several, but none of them felt right.

Then one morning, it came to me. The perfect name: Skylar. Sky for short.

I slapped the name on top of my character worksheet in Scrivener, and started writing.

This perfect-name honeymoon lasted for about a week. Then I realized. The name Skylar?

Already been used.

By one of my friends.

In a book that I beta read.

A book that has the word “Sky” in the title.

A book that I loved.

Even though I’d only read the manuscript 16 months prior, and had talked about the book a ton since then, when it came to my WIP, I honestly did not make the connection to Blackfin Sky. It took a tweet from someone about the book for my “duh” moment to happen.

Maybe this is just John Green is having his own “duh” moment.

Everything we read, see on the screen, and hear on the radio becomes part of us. Maybe it’s a big part that we remember constantly. Maybe it’s a part so tiny we don’t remember it ever again. But maybe there’s a middle ground. Maybe there’s a part small enough that we forget about it for a while, but big enough to make a reappearance. Even years later. Even if we don’t realize it.

There’s a theory that there are no new stories, only new ways to tell them. That there’s a finite group of “things” that can be mashed together in different and beautiful ways, but can never increase in number. Maybe one of those “things” is a character name. Maybe one is “Okay? Okay.”

You know what? I bet Eternal Sunshine… has it’s own “thing.” Because its creators have read books and seen movies and listened to songs that became part of them, too.

Yes, plagiarism is wrong. But I’m proof that “duh” moments happen.

So I ain’t even mad at John Green.

I’m just short one main character name…

10 Truths...Publishing Your First Book

I realized last week that my most recent blog post was from 2013. Oops. The topic of said blog post was "my book is going to be published!" Since then, Where You'll Find Me has been published, and I've had ample time to reflect on the experience.

See, I thought I was prepared for publication. It was my dream. I'd worked at it for years. I was beyond excited. But looking back, I wasn't prepared at all. I'm not sure that a dream becoming reality is something you can be prepared for.

Things that I thought would happen did not happen, and things that I never in a million years thought would happen...did. Though everyone's experience is different and YMMV, I have a feeling a lot of what I went through is fairly universal.

Not all of what I'm about to share is bad. Not all of it is good. But all of it is 100% honest and true.

10 Truths about Publishing your First Book

1. The month before pub day kind of sucks. The list of last minute things to do was exciting, but endless: final proofs, blog tours, interviews, giveaways, etc. It left very little time for sleep, which was actually okay, because sleep was replaced by nerves. I'd sit straight up in bed at 1:47 a.m. in a cold sweat, thinking this is a horrible idea this book sucks it's not ready I'm not ready! But, of course, it was too late to back out. That month was also the time ARC reviews started rolling in...

2. The good reviews are better than gold. Wrapped in chocolate. With a puppy. At Disney World. The very first review of my book came through while I was home for the holidays. When I saw it on my phone, I was sitting in the passenger seat of my mom's car. She got all excited and asked me to read it out loud, but I only got half way through before I started crying happy tears. The fact that a complete stranger read and loved something I wrote pretty much made my life.

3. The bad reviews? Suck. I told myself I wouldn't read the negative reviews. But when those low-star reviews showed up, so did my curiosity. So I tried to prepare myself. I thought of everything anyone could hate about the book. I took a deep breath. I clicked a few links. And not only did they hate the 14 things I thought of, but they hated 32 other things that never crossed my mind, which was somehow so much worse!

The good news? Six months later, the sting of the negative reviews has faded, but the giddiness over positive reviews is still strong.

4. Pub day is AWESOME. The never-ending stream of tweets, texts, e-mails, and phone calls is overwhelming in the very best possible way. The writing community is incredibly supportive, and there aren't enough words for the gratitude I felt. Tip: Endless alerts all day = a dead phone battery. Have a charger on hand!

5. People react to the book in unpredictable ways.  One of my devout Catholic retired co-workers absolutely raved about the book, despite the characters' language, drinking, and questionable life choices. A friend who loves everything else she reads really didn't care for my book, and wasn't afraid to tell me so. One of my best friends didn't buy it or attempt to read it, but people like my cousin's cousin's cousin read it and told everyone they know about it. Totally unpredictable.

6. Friends and family are incredibly curious about sales. At least once a day, I was asked how the book was selling. Tip: The answer "I don't know yet" only encourages people to ask again the next time they see you. Go with something vague, like, "Pretty good, thanks for asking!" and then change the subject immediately to something like the weather or baseball.

7. Very cool, surreal things happen. Like the first time I was able so say I was an author, not just a writer. Like every time someone tweeted at me saying they loved the book. Like the time a high school student did her book report on my book and sent me pictures of it (!!!!!):

8. Requests for a sequel are inevitable. Despite the fact that my book was written as a stand-alone, I was constantly asked, "So, are you writing a sequel?" When I said no, the follow-up was always, "But I need to know what happens to Character X!" Tip: Have a ridiculous, sarcastic response prepared. For example: "Well, Character X has the baby, but it turns out to be a vampire who falls in love with Character Y, who really was a wizard the whole time!" Reactions are priceless, and questions about a sequel come to a screeching halt.

9. Publishing one book does not guarantee publication of a second book. This is one of the harshest truths. Just because I published a book did not mean that my agent said, "Yes, let's sub everything you write from here on out!" While on sub, no editor said, "Oh, you already have a book? That makes my decision to publish your next manuscript so much easier!"

Publishing is difficult. Rejection happens. The end.

10. Despite the ups and downs, it really is a dream come true. A couple of weeks ago, my friend and I were walking through the mall when she nudged me and said, "Hey, that's Miracle Face Lotion Guy!" I looked over, and she was right: it was like one of my characters had jumped off the page and into real life. But for just a second, I was confused. I've known Miracle Face Lotion Guy for years. Since my very first Garage Boy draft. But how did she know Miracle Face Lotion Guy? That's right. For a split second, I honestly forgot that my book had been published; that it's out in the world, and people like her have read it. Remembering that fact all over again?

Pretty much the greatest feeling ever.

Where You'll Find Me

So, I haven't blogged in a few months. Oops. But I have a good reason! I was busy editing my debut novel, WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME, coming to you January 7, 2014 from Entangled Teen! (Cue flailing. And also massive panic.)

For those of you who have known me for a while, WHERE YOU'LL FIND ME is the manuscript formerly known as GARAGE BOY. Here is the gorgeous cover and the description:

When Hanley Helton discovers a boy living in her garage, she knows she should kick him out. But Nate is too charming to be dangerous. He just needs a place to get away, which Hanley understands. Her own escape methods (vodka, black hair dye, and pretending the past didn't happen) are more traditional, but who is she to judge?

Nate doesn't tell her why he's in her garage, and she doesn't tell him what she's running from. Soon, Hanley's trading her late-night escapades for all-night conversations and stolen kisses. But when Nate's recognized as the missing teen from the news, Hanley isn't sure which is worse: that she's harboring a fugitive, or that she's in love with one.

This book started back in 2010, when I walked into a dark garage, sneezed, and thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be weird if a stranger in the garage said, 'Bless you?' Wouldn't it be weirder if the stranger was actually living in the garage? And wouldn't it be weirdest if the girl who discovers the stranger didn't kick him out, but fell in love with him instead?"

The answer to those questions was obviously "yes," and the story was born. I absolutely loved writing it, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | iTunes

The Four Types of Critiquers

For almost three years, I've been a member of a fabulous YA and MG critique group. During this time, I've given and received innumerable critiques. I've celebrated group members' book deals, publications, agent signings, and writing awards. I've said goodbye to old group members and waved hello to new ones.

The list of lessons I've learned from my critique partners is about two miles long, but near the top of the list is the fact that there are four types of critiquers:

1.  The Nit-Pickers - These are the critiquers who notice the "their" you used when you meant "there." Who identify the fact that a sentence on p. 17 contradicts a sentence on p.2. Who make sure your work shines on a sentence level. Their critiques usually look something like this:



2.  The Big-Picture See-ers - Though these critiquers are often light on the in-line comments and tracked changes, their notes address the "big ticket" concerns: plot, character motivation, pacing, etc. These notes are especially helpful in the early stages of the drafting process, because they can keep you from straying too far down a wrong path, or staying on a decent path when a far superior path is just off to the left. Their critiques might look a little like this:

3.  The Call-You-on-Your-BS-ers - Let's be honest. These critiquers aren't always the easiest to work with. At best, they force you to read their notes from behind your hands. At worst, they make you want to quit writing forever. Difficult as they may be, I suggest you find one of these critiquers and hold on tight. Because guess what? It's better for a CP to call you on BS than an editor. It's better for you to find out what's wrong with your work when you can fix it, not when you've already sent it to your dream agent. Thick skin and all that. Like this:

(That's a relatively small BS-calling. I've ditched entire stories based on CP feedback, and later realized that they were absolutely right!)

4.  The Lovers - Ah, The Lovers. The critiquers who pepper your pages with smiley faces and "LOL"s and excessive punctuation in the form of !!!!!!!!!! The ones who make you keep going. Who boost your spirits. Who make you doubt yourself a little bit less. They typically give you gems like this:

While most critiquers fall into one of these categories, some are a mix. Some are Lovers with certain pages or chapters, and Nit-Pickers elsewhere. Some are Big-Picture See-ers with a hint of Call-You-On-Your-BS.

When possible, I suggest you surround yourself with all four types of critiquers. All are beneficial in different ways and in different phases of the writing process. 

If all four types don't come together naturally for you? Tell your CPs how they can help! Need a little more Big-Picture Seeing and a little less Nit-Picking? Or vice versa? Ask for it! And always, always ask your CPs to call you on your BS. You'll be a better writer for it.

Are you the person doing the critiquing? Think about what your CP needs most of all at his or her stage of the writing process. Not sure? Ask! And don't shy away from calling BS, but also don't be afraid to love. Those pages you're critiquing contain a little piece of your CP's heart and soul, and there's always something to love. 

Always.

Taboo Breaking

Over the past few years, I've discovered that there are certain taboo topics for writers.

Some of those topics are obvious, like querying and being on submission.

But some of those topics are less obvious, like admitting to certain books or authors you enjoy.

I've always been a Nicholas Sparks fan. During high school, too much "Hamlet" and "Macbeth" drove me away from reading entirely. (Talk about taboo topics...yes, I did just admit that I don't like Shakespeare.)

But in college, I picked up "The Notebook" and haven't been without a book since. Nicholas Sparks re-introduced me to the love of reading. I'd never been ashamed of that fact until I saw multiple writers badmouthing his work on multiple occasions. Taboo, at least if you're a fan.

Another taboo topic? The number of years you've been writing or the number of manuscripts you've written.

Taboo breaker alert: I recently finished writing my sixth manuscript. That's right. Six.

There are some writers who are naturally gifted. Who get it right on the first try. I am not one of those writers. I didn't get it right on the first or second or even third try. It was my fourth manuscript that got a book deal. And there's absolutely zero guarantee that my fifth or sixth manuscripts will follow suit.

There are probably a hundred blog posts out there saying you shouldn't talk about your "failed" manuscripts.

(By the way, have you ever told a non-writer how many manuscripts you've written? It usually goes something like this...
Me: "I'm a writer!"
Non-writer: "Really? How many books have you written?"
Me: "Six!"
Non-writer: "Cool! Can I buy them all at Barnes and Noble?"
Me: "That's not how it... It doesn't just... No.")

But you know what?

I'm proud of that number.

It means I'm not a quitter.

It proves I have the capacity to learn and grow. (That first manuscript was really bad, y'all.)

It shows I'm a writer regardless of whether or not I'm an author.

So, yeah. I have a shelf full of signed Nicholas Sparks books, CliffsNotes for "King Lear," and a stack of trunk novels.

Does anyone want to talk religion or politics?