Books That Made Me Want to Write

Thank you all for being so supportive, I’ll definitely have more next week on my submission journey. Until then, I wanted to share some of the books that made me want to be a writer.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis – This is one of the first chapter books I ever read. I actually ended up reading it once a week for my entire third grade year. I was so intrigued by that world, and actually also adored The Magician’s Nephew one of the more overlooked Narnia books that tells the story of Narnia’s creation. This book gave me my love of reading.

Sabriel by Garth Nix – Whenever I think about this book, I get goose bumps. The world and the characters are so vivid, it makes you think of them as real. The idea of different levels of death and someone being able to control spirits through bells…how did Nix think this up? This book made me realize what I could achieve with my overactive imagination.

The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer – I made myself read this book a chapter a day, not wanting it to end. The pacing is perfect. There is such a sense of place, Farmer meshes modern day Africa with a futuristic world. This book made me think of putting old ideas with new ones, folklore with the future.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – I read this book in fifth grade…a little young for the subject matter, but I fell immediately in love. Although I was just a girl, and didn’t understand all the gender issues at the time, it spoke to me. The world Atwood created was so bleak, so dark, but I could just imagine our country going that route. This book made me understand the importance of believability, even in dystopian fiction.

Those are a few of the books that made me want to write…what about you guys?

Submission Update – I Got an Offer!

After a week of In the After being on submission, I’ve received a pre-empt offer. I am absolutely stunned. I’ll go into more details when everything is settled. I think I’m in shock right now. I’ll post more as soon as I regain my composure. J

Oh, and the giveaway winner is….M PAX! I’ll be emailing you shortly for your address. Congrats!

Books I Love – Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search—and the stranger—will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all.

I put off reading this book for a while, maybe because I wasn’t all that impressed with the cover (as much as I hate to admit this, I do judge a book by its cover.) I was glad I finally read it though, because I was completely blown away.

You really feel for Tamsin and her lack of “talent.” She lives in her older sister’s shadow…and their relationship is spot on. I’m an older sister and I saw a bit of my sister in Tamsin, just generally how a younger sister acts towards her older sister i.e. bratty. (Sorry Nyssa, you know I love you.) But Tamsin’s feelings are understandable, as her sister is one of the most talented witches in their family, while Tamsin has no talent at all.

I also liked the way the love story progressed, though I spent a bit of time thinking the love interest was her cousin as she calls his mom, aunt. (It is explained that they call any adult witch aunt or uncle.) The romance isn’t a love at first explosion of hormones, but rather a slower, get to know each other through a shared adventure romance.

I won’t give away the plot twist, but it’s very interesting, as are the connections MacCullough makes as her characters travel through time in order to save their family. Definitely a good read. I can’t wait for the sequel, Always a Witch which comes out August 1^st.

See you Wednesday when I announce the winner of my Across the Universe giveaway.

Submission Update

On Tuesday my agent gave her pitch and after two full days, 12 publishers have requested to read my manuscript. It’s so strange, knowing that professionals in the publishing world actually have a copy of In the After and are considering it for publication.

It can take months for a publisher to make a decision, but I’m really hopeful. There seems to be a good response to the idea, and I’m extremely confident in the edits I did (with my agent’s suggestions) so the writing should hold up. Just don’t uncross those fingers yet, guys.

Back Monday with a book I love…unless I have better news to share. J

First Giveaway Ever!

In honor of my book going on submission, my birthday last week, and just hoping for some good karma, I’m doing my first giveaway. I was lucky enough to win a copy of Beth Revis’ book Across the Universe. I also got a copy for my b-day, so I figured I’d pass one on to you.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

You all pretty much know the drill. You must be a follower and have a US address (sorry Euro-peeps). If you want to enter, comment below with either your email or blog address. If you want a double chance to win, mention the giveaway on your blog and leave that link in your comment. I’ll make sure you’re entered twice.

This giveaway closes Tuesday, March 15^th at midnight and I’ll pick a winner at random to be announced on Wednesday, March 16^th. Um…did I leave anything out?

Good luck guys!

Fingers Crossed!

Tomorrow I will officially be on submission! That’s my big announcement. I started writing In the After last year just after my birthday, so it’s been almost exactly one year. The whole process has been amazing. It took me six months to write, two months to self-edit, one month to query, and three months to edit for my agent. Whoowee. Now we just have to sell the thing.

Submitting to publishers is a lot like finding an agent, except I won’t be the one in control, even though I’ll still be the one waiting. Here are a couple of things I’ll do so I don’t freak out.

1)      Finish writing a YA historical novel I’ve recently started. It takes place during the civil war, so I’m really going to dig into the research.

2)      Eat lots of sugar. Sugar helps you stay calm, right?

3)      Read, read, read. Nothing helps me relax like reading.

4)      Try not to email my agent every hour asking her what’s up with various publishers.

5)      Be positive. I’m usually quite the cynic, but I’m going to remain hopeful and send out good thoughts. I know, I know, the formerly cynical me would call myself a dork…feel free.

What about you guys? How do you deal with the stress that is waiting to hear back on a query/submission to a publisher?

Books I Love – Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

Rigg is well trained at keeping secrets. Only his father knows the truth about Rigg's strange talent for seeing the paths of people's pasts. But when his father dies, Rigg is stunned to learn just how many secrets Father had kept from him--secrets about Rigg's own past, his identity, and his destiny. And when Rigg discovers that he has the power not only to see the past, but also to change it, his future suddenly becomes anything but certain.

Rigg’s birthright sets him on a path that leaves him caught between two factions, one that wants him crowned and one that wants him dead. He will be forced to question everything he thinks he knows, choose who to trust, and push the limits of his talent…or forfeit control of his destiny.

Even though I loved this book, I have to admit that it’s not for everyone. First of all, it’s really long. There’s also a lot of explanation in the form of characters hypothesizing about time travel, origins of their planet’s biosphere, and other random sci-fi topics. The blurb doesn’t really do this book credit…yes, Rigg’s own path is the main plot point of the story, but there is also a secondary story (told in short scenes at the beginning of each chapter) that gives Pathfinder incredible depth.

If you’re a sci-fi geek (guilty) then you’ll be interested in Card’s take on time travel. He contends that if you see a future version of yourself who tells you not to pick a fight, then after you follow your future self’s advice, you don’t have to go back in time and warn yourself. You’ve changed your future and there’s no need to do what you already did in an alternate reality. Umm…yeah, a little confusing but a good read. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Also, if anyone wants to check out an aspiring author interview I did, you can find it here on Brad Jaeger's blog.

See you Monday with an announcement. I know, that sounds very ominous, but I'm just trying to build suspense J