Posts Tagged ‘YA’

What’s on my iPod : Opposite Direction by Union of Knives

I always intended to post a playlist for my novel BROKEN, eventually even breaking it down into characters’ personal songs. When my book is published, the actual chapter titles will be bits of songs, most of which were on my very first playlist.

Author Gwen Hayes turned me on to iLike. It’s a great little site where you can create playlists and share. (HERE’S Gwen’s website and playlist for her new YA Paranormal.) So I created the first list of songs that motivated this story.

This is a love story between an angel (of musical inspiration) and a teenage girl – music has been very important to the development of these characters and this story…..

So a brief explanation of some of my choices. Right off the bat, I knew that I would be listening to the Foo Fighters – a.) they’re my favorite band, b.) I always imagined Caleb sounding and playing a little like Dave Grohl. The second group that was on the repeat loop was Evanescence. I LOVE Amy Lee’s voice, and thier haunting lyrics and melodies felt right for the story and for Sarah’s voice.

I needed songs that either captured the bottled-up feelings of my characters, or an explosive action sequence, or lighter comic scenes.

I chose to listen to the Lost Boys soundtrack for the final battle sequence, layered with 3 Doors Downs “Not My Time.” I also listened to early 80’s bands like the Cult, the Smiths, and the Church when writing the developing romance scenes between Sarah and Caleb. I also needed some classical music and Beethoven and Mozart felt most natural.

So here’s my playlist for your listening pleasure. And please support the artists on the list; they’re awesome.

What’s on my iTunes : Kick by INXS

Recently agented YA author, JA Souders is hosting a fabulous Secret Agent Contest. It’s too late to enter this one, but I’m sure she’ll have more.
Check out the entries and give some great feedback. Mine’s in there
Check out her beautiful site HERE. The entries are on her blog page, HERE.

And just ot get you motivated….a little picture of my favorite vampire……and my visual inspiration for my character….

              It’s my favorite day of the month!

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published
books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t
have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to
share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday
site! or click on the banner above.

April’s excerpt is from a WIP that I started a few years ago. It started as a paranormal adult romance, but recently, it’s turned into a YA paranormal.  I hope you  enjoy it.

*****

          Callie never believed in magic.

          Even as a child, she lived and breathed the cold, hard facts of science. Her philosophy was if she could touch, taste, see or feel it then it was real to her. She didn’t deal in the abstract of art and literature, but the objective and theoretical of science. Under any normal circumstance, she would have never agreed to be subjected to the flights of fancy her best friend Mattie was prone to. But the circumstances were out of the ordinary. Callie just caught Alec, her super-hot captain of the baseball team boyfriend, cheating on her. Mattie had insisted on girls’ night complete with a sneak trip to her mother’s liquor cabinet.

          A box of half-eaten pizza, provided by June, littered the dining room table, forgotten for the moment. They had moved to the living room to dance wildly to Lady Gaga and steal more nips of the Grand Marnier.

          Callie flounced in an overstuffed leather chair. She’d picked at her food and took larger sips of the nostril burning liqueur. Tonight, her heart wasn’t in the fun, and the way she felt, it might not ever be again. Hanging out was supposed to take her mind off Alec; it only perpetuated her misery. She couldn’t bring herself to tell Mattie what she had discovered Friday night. She knew if she mentioned catching Alec in bed with Lizzie during the Halloween party, well, the focus of discussion would be about poor Callie. She kept the information to herself, and it had festered all weekend long, putting a damper on her spirits. Not that they weren’t all ready soggy with heartache.

          The front door burst open, and Harriet Kildare blustered in, carried on the whipping wind. The door banged several times as Mattie attempted to shut it. Harriet reminded Callie of Dorothy in the middle of a tornado, and she stifled a grin. Harriet wore glasses and her hair pulled in ponytail, making the sixteen year old look more than fifty years older and constantly frazzled. Tonight, her hair was at extreme odds and had managed to capture a few twigs and leaves. June rushed over and took Harriet’s fuzzy red scarf and old army jacket. Harriet was the epitome of eclectic. She even talked sometimes like she was a fifty year old woman. Callie gave a weak smile and then returned to the pages of the magazine she flipped.

            “What took you so long?”  Mattie asked as she took Harriet’s coat and threw it over the arm of the sofa.

            “Have you eaten? There’s still plenty of pizza left.”  June scrunched her face at the site of the cold pepperoni and cheese. 

            “I’ve no time to eat. And this is what took so long.”  Harriet pulled an ancient, leather bound volume from the knapsack slung across her chest.

            “What is that?”

            Intrigued, Callie sat up. The silver embossing that slithered across the book flashed in her eyes. She had never seen such artistry, and the way the silver caught the light made it appear like mercury slipped across the binding.

            Harriet beamed with pride. “What girl’s night would be complete without this!”

            “But what is it?” June stood over Harriet’s shoulder and tried to read. “What kind of writing is that? I’m only in third year French, and that’s not French.”

            Harriet snapped the book closed and a poof a dust escaped.  She stepped away from the other two girls and stood before the fire as it cast an eerie glow.

            “Not yet, my deary. First we must prepare the room for what I have planned.”

****

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers

Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and
be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

Having Fun With Building Your Characters’ Paranormal World.

What’s on my iPad (that’s right I got one!) : Everlong by the Foo Fighters

          I’ve been so busy the past month with revisions on my requested manuscript that I haven’t been able to post. So today, I thought I would throw up my experience with world building since I’ve done quite a bit for BROKEN and REDD and because there’s a boon in paranormal both romance and young adult.

          When I decided that my first YA novel would involve a hero that was an angel, my mind went to work recollecting all the mythos, movies, and books I’d read. And the majority of what I pulled from came from movies, perhaps because the characteristics were more secular and that’s what I wanted.

          So when you first set out to create your own characters’ world, pull from what you already know. I think it’s easier to start there for two reasons : you’re already familiar with it, and more than likely it’s ingrained in your chosen markets’ heads (the readers of paranormal)

          When I started writing BROKEN, there were very few novels with angels as protagonists (now it’s a growing trend). And as writer, I wanted to steer clear of those novels as not to be influenced in my own world building. With say vampires, the lore is pretty much well established – it’s hard to escape it. But that’s not to say that as a writer you can’t get creative. In fact, agents and editors are looking for the more ingenious worlds because, sad to say, they are seeing TONS of vampire stories.

          As you sit down to put to your world on paper, write down those preconceived myths. For instance, with BROKEN, I knew a little about The Fallen (angels that fell when Lucifer did, ect) and the general assumption is that Fallen angels have been stripped of their wings. But my hero, Caleb, had his wings. The second scene I ever wrote was the hero revealing those wings to the heroine. And I also knew how he kept those wings hidden (no spoilers :>) So with that idea I had the first part of my world created, and had to come up with a reason that an angel would be in hiding on earth if he wasn’t one of the Fallen. So I created a new distinction among the angels called Renegades. They are hunted, and most likely if they are caught by Heaven they’ll be stripped of their wings, and if caught by Hell, they’ll burn in eternal damnation. <— more world building there. 

        So, the next step is write down a list of what is all ready out there. Then take those ingrained concepts and twist them to your benefit. The first prime example, from two VERY popular vampire series TWILIGHT and THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, is the sunlight myth. Both Smith and Myer had to creatively get around the traditional myth of sunlight burning a vampire/ staying out of the sunlight/ only coming out at night but still get their high school age vampires in to high school. I actually prefer LJ Smith’s version. She uses rings with a special gemstone that Damon and Stefan wear. And on the TV show I love looking for new characters to see if they are wearing some piece of jewelry to give them away. Of course, Myer went out in left field, creating an anomaly where vampires sparkled in the sunlight. Still what a creative way to twist around a well conceived vampire myth and make it her own. It sold – gazillions! Another myth that both authors twisted to fit their worlds was the blood drinking. This is one of those myths that just can’t be fooled with too much. The whole point of a vampire is that is what he does – drinks human blood. The idea of vegetarian vampires, hillarious, actually worked – first for Smith because Stefan feeds only on animals while his brother Damon is more the monster and feeds on humans. And Myer took this concept and expanded it, making the Cullen family outcasts among all vampires for their odd eating practice. Even Charlaine Harris took a spin, her vampires drink synthetic blood that just like the real thing.

         Enough about vampires. But once you have plucked the myths and concepts to create your world, twisted them, used them, abused them for your benefit. Now it’s time to test those new theories.

         What I discovered while revising BROKEN is that my world kept shifting slightly. As I learned more about my characters, I found that they revealed things to me that had to be fit together a little bit differently. And then I had to create the other half of the spectrum, the world of demons. In essence, I was still adding to my world up until the day I sent my revised manuscript off.

          Finally, several thoughts. Always remember no matter what, this is your world that you created. If your vampires live off syrup, so be it. Just remember that part of creating your world is providing the back up evidence to support the why and how. Second, take notes, lots of notes. And research. You’d be amazed if I told you that a large chunk of my world, some of the terms and how the heirarchy works, came from a Role Playing Game. I was lucky I found it, but I learned a lesson. Always bookmark, jot down, copy and paste the info to a Word doc, because you may not find the site again. But you can find some very interesting ideas in the most random places. Never rule out anything.

So to summarize :

1) start a list of what you already know about your world, the myths, legends you already know

2) research those myths, legends, ect and take notes. Be sure to keep a hard copy or favorite the sites you visit for later reference.

3) take those theories and twist them for your benefit to create a new and exciting world

4) write and listen to what your characters tell you, as they will reveal things you had no idea about

Well my side bar is getting full. I’m moving old mini-posts here.

1-11-10 : I bought two more ebooks! Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick and a PC Cast vampire book. Details later. But I am liking Hush, Hush.

1-2-10 : Almost finished with The Lightning Thief, and then tearing into The Sea Monsters. I bought Fallen by Lauren Kate, and while it’s intriguing, I find it much darker than I like my YA. I plan to finish it after my Olympian romp!

12-20-09 : I got a Sony eReader!!! I love it!! Right now I have two things on there. I have Inez Kelley’s Jinxed ebook, and Steve Berry’s latest about Napoleon’s treasure. I plan to keep adding titles!

Today, I bought Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief. I got it as Christmas present for my 9 year old nephew, but I’m having book envy. I want to read it before the movie comes out.
I became addicted to the CW’s new show Vampire Diaries. So, I had to pick up LJ Smith’s series. I’m in the middle of the third book now. But I also have the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer to read.

What’s on my iPod : Red Morning Light by The Kings of Leon

Well, I thought this might a good time to blog about my own personal journey to publication. The basics are the same : write a manuscript from start to finish, edit, revise, and repeat. Then write a hook and query/pitch and begin to query agents. Along the way thicken your skin, either with some tough (But great) critique partners, and getready for hte rejections. You’re going get them. Don’t take it personal, becuase it’s not. It’s business. An agent may not like your story, that doesn’t mean it’s bad. What it means is its just not in their particular taste.

So where I’m at right now. I’m in the querying process and the revising and tightening process. It means I’m querying, and not everyone all at once, but a few agents at a time. As I query I’m tightening my manuscript. This is also the time when I read everything I can get my hands on, and not just in my genre (YA paranormal) but everything, including craft books.

This really is a slow process, so I’m also working on my next manuscript, not as diligently as I did my first. And I’m networking - connecting with fellow writers and agents and editors. The internet has really brought the publishing community out of an elite status and into a more homegrown, grassroots movement. Well at least I like to think so.

What’s on my iPod : Everybody by AutoVaughn

That’s right, it’s another contest. The wonderful Chuck Sambuchino is hosting a contest (several actually) over at his website Guide to Literay Agents. It’s a chocked-full-of-info site, so I’m adding it to the blogroll.

For information on the third contest, that runs until March 14th, can be found HERE.

This time they are looking for urban fantasy and paranormal romance, both adult and teen.

Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, an agent with Nancy Coffey Literary, is the judge – COOL!

What’s on my iPod : Blue Monday by New Order

It’s the third Monday in January, and you know what that means….Excerpt Monday!!

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just a writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

I thought I would continue with last months excerpt…so here’s more of Caleb and Sarah from the second book in the BROKEN series, RENEGADE.

          I just nodded open-mouthed as his shoulders twitched and the two snowy, white wings trembled in the silent forest. He scooped me up with a devilish smile.

          “You’re not saying anything?” he questioned as his blue eyes danced in the light.

          I grimaced. “What do you want me to say? You know I don’t like it when you use your powers? Is that what you’re looking for?”

          His laughter reverberated off the trees, and a patch of snow slipped from the closest pine branch and plopped at his feet. Before I could raise a stronger protest, we lifted off the ground and sailed through the trees. Seconds later, a pond the size of Madison Square Gardens shimmered through the tree branches, and we landed at the edge.

          Az and Rade sat on a fallen log, along the shore, and put on skates. They both looked up at our approach.

          Gaelin perched on the edge, and his sneaker clad foot tapped the ice. “The water’s not completely frozen.”

          Caleb lowered me on the log beside Rade, who elbowed me a little too hard. Then Caleb leaned down, his jet-black hair dangling over his eyes, and placed the duffel bag at my feet.

          “Well do your thing,” he said to Gaelin.

          I focused on Gaelin as he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. My mouth naturally dropped as he blew over the water. All across the pond, the water sizzled and cracked, freezing all the way through to the bottom.

          Caleb’s head snapped up. “Can you skate?”

          My eyes floated back to his. “Yes, but I’ve never played hockey before.”

          He chuckled, pulling out a smaller pair of skates. “If you can stand up in ice skates, then you can play hockey.”

          “Doesn’t it require pushing a little black thing across the ice?”

          At the age of ten, my mother enrolled me in ice skating lessons. I took them for two years before dropping that for art classes. I could do a mean pirouette on the ice, but as for shooting a puck into a goal, that was a different story.

          “Since when do angels play hockey?” I narrowed my eyes at Caleb.

          As Rade skated across the ice, he called out over his shoulder, “Since Wayne Gretzky!”

          I laughed. “Hmm, I see. I think you guys have too much time on your hands.”

          “We have to do something to keep out of trouble,” Az said pulling on the long laces.

          “Trouble?”  I slipped my foot into the skate, twisting the laces around my fist and yanking hard.

           “We’re fallen, Sarah,” Gaelin replied as he stood and wobbled for the ice. “We have the tendency to make mischief. Caleb keeps our souls out of trouble.”

          I glanced at Caleb. “Your idea?”

          He bobbed his head with a half cocked grin. “Somebody’s got to keep their noses clean.”

          “And angel hockey’s how you do it? That and the band, I take it?”

          “Yep.”  He finished tying his skates and jumped for the ice.

          I shook my head, hiding a smile. I pulled on the other skate and began the tightening ritual over again. When I stood, I immediately stumbled because of the soft ground. Caleb skated back to the edge of the pond and extended his hand. I took it and stepped onto the ice. Gliding across the frozen pond happened to be the most wonderful sensation - like flying with frigid air blowing across your face and between your fingers, legs and arms. It’d been a long time since I skated, but after a few unsteady bobbles, I got my confidence and swirled around and whipped backwards a few times.

***

This month’s links:

Don’t forget to come back on the first Monday of February for New Release Monday.  See what’s coming out and enter to win a free basket of New Releases.

So, to kick it off, your hosts:

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)

and

Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

Joining us this week:

Stephanie Draven, Fantasy with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Danie Ford, Contemporary YA (PG 13)
Babette James, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Cynthia Justlin, Thriller with Romantic Elements (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary Romantic Elements (PG 13)
R. F. Long, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Shawntelle Madsion, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, Science Fiction/ Fantasy (PG13)

Kendal Corbitt, Erotica Contemporary (R)
KB Alan, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Jeanne St. James, Interracial Menage Erotic Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Michelle Picard, Paranormal/Fantasy (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Danielle Yockman, Historical Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy (NC17)
Angeleque Ford, Contemporary, Interracial, Erotic Romance (NC 17)
Elise Logan, Contemporary Romance (NC17)

Check it out! It’s a contest for YA and MG writers to enter their first 500 words of their COMPLETED manuscript.

Here’s the link : Kidlit Contest
 

or you can go here to read the official rules to enter.

What’s on my iPod – Curse of the Black Pearl from Pirates of the Caribbean Soundtrack

 
Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

Today is my favorite day of the month! It’s Excerpt Monday again. I can’t believe that is number 8 for me. For this month’s excerpt, I thought I might put up part of a scene from the second book in the BROKEN series called RENEGADE. This is still a work in progress.

          “Where are we going?” I asked as bubbles of giddiness popped in my stomach.

           He paused on the other line, but I could hear the smile. “Surprise, but dress warm.”

           “Okay.” I didn’t press him further because I knew he wouldn’t give in anyway.

          I rummaged through my closet, having even less warm clothes than I did summer outfits. What I did have was layers, and that’s the best I could do to dress warmly.

          The SLK whipped into Pembry’s fire lane promptly at nine am Saturday morning. The dorm and surrounding campus still slumbered in alcohol induced hangovers, study crazed lethargy and just plain too friggin’ early laziness. I pushed on the double doors when the Mercedes glided to a stop. He stepped out dressed in a black Under Armor long sleeve shirt and a thick Northface jacket. Unzipped and hanging open despite the freezing temperature, it wasn’t like he needed any of it anyway. The sun crested on the horizon, and though it would be bright, it would provide little warmth. When he noticed my multi-layers of long sleeve shirts under the pea-coat, he laughed at my bundled state of immobility as he opened the door for me.

           “So, where are we going?” I asked again.

            The ignition purred to life, emitting a wave of white smoke behind, and he put the car in drive.

           He looked over with a sparkle to his sapphire blue eyes. “One of my favorite places to go when it gets cold.”

          “That doesn’t help,” I said. He was definitely tight lipped about this surprise.

           We drove through Wenham and hit the highway north toward the forest and state park. Snowfall still covered the park’s one lane road, and Caleb was forced to slow his speed to a crawl. He twisted his hands on the steering wheel, agitated. Despite his excellent driving, the German performance sports car slid every now and then. He turned off the main drive, and we continued a few more yards until Az’s Range Rover appeared through the snow laced pines. He pulled the Mercedes into the shadow of the bulky SUV and killed the motor. He raced around to open my door before my hand even brushed the handle. Sometimes, I loved that he did that, and sometimes, I felt more independent and wanted to open my own door. He just smirked, and I covered my face with my hands. Did he always have to know what I was feeling?

              From the trunk, Caleb yanked out a large black canvas duffel bag and slung it over his shoulder. His hand reached in and pulled out two sticks – hockey stick – then handed them to me.

             “You carry these. We walk from here.”

            I shrugged and followed him to the tree line and inch thick snow covered trail. Footprints already stamped out a path, and I attempted to stay in the packed snow so my feet didn’t get wet and freeze.

           Disappearing into the cover of pines and maples, we walked a good mile before the tracks in the snow stopped. He dropped the bag and proceeded to remove his jacket and shirt. My breath caught in my throat at the sudden exposure of that lean taught chest. I’d seen it before, but glistening in the filtered sunlight, the sight sent ripples of electricity through me. With a wicked grin, he draped the coat over my shoulders and placed the shirt in my hand.

           “We fly from here.”

~~~

So, to kick it off, your hosts:

Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

and

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)

Joining us this week:

Danie Ford, Womens Fiction (PG13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG13)
Jeannie Lin, Contemporary (PG13)
RF Long, Fantasy Sword and Sorcery (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Christa McHugh, Paranormal Romance (PG13)
Debbie Mumford, Fantasy (PG13)
Jo Lynne Valerie, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)

Kendal Ashby, Erotic Contemporary (R)
KB Alan, Erotic Paranormal Romance (R)
Penny Dune, Romantic Suspense (R)
Inez Kelley, Contemporary Romance (R)
Jeannete Murray, RomCom (R)
Christa Page, Regency Paranormal (R)
Michelle Picard, Paranormal (R)
Jeanne St James, Erotic Rom M/M (R)
Danielle Yockman, Historical Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Fantasy (NC17)
Emily Ryan Davis, Erotic Contemporary Romance (NC17)
Ella Drake, Erotic SciFi Romance (NC17)
Angeleque Ford, Erotic Contemporary Romance (NC17)
Jamal W Hankins, Dark Fiction/Fantasy (NC17)
Bryl R Tyne, Transgender M/M (NC17)