Someone's WINNING...And What's to Come

Reading Song of the Day: "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Kahled Ft. T-Pain

We're on the third day of our two week winter break from the day jobs. WOO HOO!!! We're planning to read, write, read some more, write a little more, and then well, read some more. What else are a couple writers gonna do while they have an extended break?

Notice that blogging was not included...yeah, this week we're not gonna blog. BUT next week, we're returning with some fun end of the year type stuff. We're joining Katy Upperman and pals Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller for the CLASS OF 2011: YA SUPERLATIVES BLOGFEST!

If you're interested in joining the Blogfest, here's a little information from Ms. Upperman's blog:

The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest is a fun and interactive way to highlight and share your favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest will span four days, beginning Tuesday, December 27th and culminating Friday, December 30th.

The rules for participating are simple:

1. Add your name to the Google form below.
2. Select books/characters that apply to the superlative topics for each day of the blogfest. Feel free to give explanations for your choices. You can go into as much detail as you like!
3. Schedule your posts to go live on the days indicated.
4. Add a link to your post on Jessica’s, Tracey’s, Alison’s, or my blog.
5. Take a few moments to hop around and check out the superlatives of other participants each day.

If you want more info and are interested in signing up, go to either of the blogs mentioned above, or click on the link for the CLASS OF 2011: YA SUPERLATIVES BLOGFEST!

Okay, now to the order of business we need to take care of: The winner of our pre-order for Jaime Reed's debut Living Violet. Without further delay, our winner is:

ATHENA FRANCO!!!

Congratulations!! Send an e-mail to cuzwewrite@gmail.com with your mailing address and we'll order your book ASAP!

Happy Holidays, all! See ya next week!!

Gchat Review: Living Violet by Jaime Reed...AND a CONTEST

Reading Song of the Day: "Violet Hill" by Coldplay

So, I was fortunate enough to win an ARC of Jaime Reed's debut paranormal novel: Living Violet (The Cambion Chronicles # 1). EEEK! Me and Pam were so excited to read this novel, and we must say it did not disappoint! We took turns reading the ARC and finished it in about a week and a half. BOTH of us read this ONE copy in no more than TEN days. That's a testament to how engaging the story was.

Here is what Goodreads has to say:

He's persuasive, charming, and way too mysterious. And for Samara Marshall, her co-worker is everything she wants most--and everything she most fears. . .

Samara Marshall is determined to make the summer before her senior year the best ever. Her plan: enjoy downtime with friends and work to save up cash for her dream car. Summer romance is not on her to-do list, but uncovering the truth about her flirtatious co-worker, Caleb Baker, is. From the peculiar glow to his eyes to the unfortunate events that befall the girls who pine after him, Samara is the only one to sense danger behind his smile.

But Caleb's secrets are drawing Samara into a world where the laws of attraction are a means of survival. And as a sinister power closes in on those she loves, Samara must take a risk that will change her life forever. . .or consume it.

Sounds like good stuff, right? We know!

This time around with the DAC we're doing things a little differently. We have two separate lists, which you can check out here. However, some of the books show up on both our lists. For those books, Pam and I are going to "chat" and then share our discussion about the book with you all--because we know you're just DYING to know what we think.

So, without further adieu here was the chat we had about Reed's Living Violet:

Did you read that, right? YEP! We're giving away a copy of Jaime Reed's debut novel Living Violet. What do you have to do to enter? You MUST be a follower of our blog, a US resident, and leave a comment on this post by MIDNIGHT on Tuesday December 20th, 2011. We will choose one winner at random and pre-order a copy of Living Violet for you. Need something to talk about in the comments??? Well, tell us your favorite baked good. That should be fun!

**DISCLAIMER: We did not have this chat in front of the Statue of Liberty. Instead, we used Gchat. We know, not very glamorous :D The picture is from our trip to NY last year.**

12 Days of Revision: A Christmas Carol!

Carolling Song of the Day: Check out the one below!

We've bought all our Christmas presents, put up our tree, and are about to begin our holiday break from the day jobs. Needless to say, we're feeling a little festive. So we decided to share a little carol that only writers can appreciate:

The 12 Days of Revision!!
(Sung to the melody of...well, you know)

On the twelfth day of revisions, my beta gave to me...

12 packs of Post-Its

11 sugar comas

10 songs for musing

9 friends assuring

8 hours "Scrivening"

7 authors tweeting

6 coffees brewing

5 A-HA MOMENTS!!!

4 colored pens

3 synonyms

2 fingerless gloves

And a port-a-ble PC!!!!!!

So, did I leave anything out fellow writers? Please leave your thoughts below. Oh, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

What Agents Want: To Be Taken to a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Querying Song of the Day: "So Far Away" by Crossfade

What Agents Want is a series in which we will research what trends/topics agents are looking for right now. We'll give you information on the trend/topic and the agent that is looking for this specific type of project. The better to query with, my dears.

If you're like me, when you hear science fiction you automatically think aliens, space ships, Star Trek, and Star Wars. I need to educate myself, and in the mean time--why not educate the few of you who also aren't aware of the Sci-Fi (or "sf" to true science fiction lovers) genre just like me??

A lot of agents have been adding science fiction to their wish list. So, those of you who have already been wise to the genre and have written that fascinating science fiction novel, you're on the right track! The rest of us??? Read on, you might already be working on a sf novel and not even realize it.

So, what the heck is science fiction?

Science Fiction is not a new genre by any means. However, it is becoming highly sought after in Young Adult fiction. So, what is it?

The SF Site describes it as: "A genre that extrapolates from current scientific trends. The technology of a science fiction story may be either the driving force of the story or merely the setting for a drama, but all science fiction tends to predict or define the future."

In laymen terms, a good science fiction novel should have the following elements:

* Technology

* Futuristic elements OR

* Predictions for what may occur in the future

* Explores What If questions

* Usually a new or exciting reality is the background

There are various subgenres and overlapping genres that lie within the realm of science fiction. These include: speculative fiction, dystopian, utopian, apocalyptic, time travel/warp, alternate and parallel universes, and cyberpunk amongst other things.

To learn more about the genre check out these sites:

The SF Site

Introduction to the Science Fiction Genre

Illiterarty.com/ Science Fiction

What books can I read for research?

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Uglies (Uglies Series) by Scott Westerfield

Girl Parts by John M. Cusick

Finally, tell me about one of the awesome agents in search of this galaxy:

Amy Boggs joined Donald Maas Literary Agency in 2009. She keeps a twitter account where she shares how much she loves science fiction YA. Amy Boggs is looking for novels (not just science fiction--she wants other genres as well) that include diverse characters--not just in terms of race, but religion, gender, sexuality, and disability as well.

If you are thinking of querying Ms. Boggs check out the sites below:

QueryTracker.Net: Amy Boggs

Amy Boggs Twitter

Donald Mass Website

Donald Mass Publishers Marketplace Page

**DISCLAIMER** We are BY NO MEANS telling anyone to follow trends or to try and hurry to write novels based on these features. This is for people who have written, or have been thinking about writing, on the topic presented.

Were you thinking about writing a science fiction novel before reading this post? Or better yet, have you already started a WIP in this genre???

RTW: What Would You Do For a Klon...err, Book Contract

Desperate Song of the Day: "The Distance" by Cake

It's Wednesday. Two days until the weekend, and another chance to join the lovely ladies of YA Highway for Road Trip Wednesday. This week they ask:

How far would you go to get published?

Ooh, good question! One that actually had us doing this:

You see, we've wanted to be published authors since the very first time we could grip a pencil. We already know how we'd celebrate when we FINALLY see one of our names in the "Deals" section of Publishers Marketplace (and if you know anything about us, you'd know it has something to do with food).

So far, the only thing that we've both done is make revisions based on agents' suggestions. However, we'd never change anything we wouldn't feel comfortable about. For example, if for some reason we were asked to change a character's race or sexuality, our response would be a resounding NO! We've been very lucky that we haven't had to make those decisions thus far.

As far as genre hopping, I'd be lying if I said we haven't *considered* it. I mean, we SEE what sells--and we both have written manuscripts that were outside of our contemporary comfort zone. But I think our writing really shines when we're true to ourselves. If we wrote something just to fit to a trend, the passion wouldn't be there--which means that nobody else would want to read it anyway.

So yeah, I don't think I completely answered this question. Just know that if Quita and I get lucky enough to get published one day, we'd be able to say that we kept our self-respect.

What about you all? Would you do anything "crazy" just to see your name on a book spine?

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Revising Song of the Day: "The Space Between" by the Dave Matthews Band

So, something interesting happened this past weekend--

ME: I don't feel like revising my thesis.

QUITA: Me neither.

ME: (thinks) Hey--I never read my NaNo WIP from last year.

QUITA: Hmm, me neither.

ME: Want to do that?

QUITA: (shrugs) Whatever.

And so that's what we did. To read about me and Quita's NaNo 2010 novels, you can click here. Or, if you're lazy like me, I'll save you the extra click--I wrote about fairies, and she wrote about genies. You see, we wanted to write outside of our comfort zones, so we both decided to write supernatural YA stories. And you know what we found out?

They weren't THAT awful.

Of course, they're by no means perfect either. It's just that while we were writing them, we both whined about getting words on that paper. We both declared that they had to be the worst things that we've written. Ever. But as I read through my first draft, I found myself laughing at parts that were meant to be funny. I found myself flipping the page to see what will happen next.

So what does that mean?

Just what pretty much everyone else has confirmed. Time away from your WIPs is absolutely crucial. You need to be able to see your writing with a fresh pair of eyes. My first step in revising is: Read your story for personal enjoyment. Pretend that this is a story that you've chosen from a bookshelf, sit back, and just read it like you're a fan.

Now what? Well, I do what I do before I review any other book. I look at what works and what doesn't work. I think about the characters: do they sound the same? Are they all needed? What are their motivations? I consider the plot and whether or not the story builds to a worthy climax, and if it results in a satisfactory ending.

So yeah, I think Quita and I both plan on revising these babies now. And I can't speak for Quita, but this revision might just be for me. I won't worry about submissions and whether or not there's room in the marketplace for my little fairy story. And sometimes, when you're writing just for fun, the work really shines through.

What about you all? Have you fallen in love with a project again that you haven't read in forever?

One More Time With Feeling: Debut Author Challenge 2012

Reading Song of the Day: "One More Time With Feeling" by Regina Spektor

Soooo, we just rejoiced from finishing the 2011 Debut Author Challenge last week. Yet, we're ready to get back into it again. That's right, The Story Siren is doing it again in 2012, and of course, we're on board. You wanna participate, too? There's only a few rules. Like to hear them? Here they go:

1.) Read and review at least twelve middle grade and young adult novels by January 31st, 2013.

2.) Review the books on your blog or using sites like Goodreads.com or Amazon.

3.) The book you read MUST be the author's FIRST middle grade or young adult debut novel in the year 2012.

For more information on the rules and to sign up, click here. The Story Siren will tell you all about it :D

This time, we're doing things a little differently. We're going to have OUR OWN SEPARATE LISTS *gasp*. Some books we BOTH want to read, so you'll see them twice, but overall--we're branching out and completing the challenge double time!

We'll EACH read at least twelve new books from the peeps who have been dubbed "The Apocolpysies". These are the lucky folks who are debuting as an author next year. And we couldn't be more excited for them!!! We also couldn't be more excited to read some of these outstanding novels. With that being said, here are the lists of books that we plan to read for the 2012 Debut Author Challenge:

Pams's List:

1.) Cinder by Marissa Meyer-- January 3rd, 2012

2.) Living Violet by Jaime Reed-- January 2012

3.) Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom--January 10th, 2012

4.) Black Boy, White School by Brian F. Walker--January 3rd, 2012

5.) Cracked by KM Walton-January 3rd, 2012

6.) Blood Born by Jamie Manning- April 24th, 2012

7.) What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen-- May 1st, 2012

8.) When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle--May 1st, 2012

9.) The Other Life by Susan Winnacker- May 1st, 2012

10.) Something Like Normal by Trish Doller--June 19th, 2012

11.) The Classroom by Robin Mellom--June 19th, 2012

12.) All These Lives by Sarah Wylie--June 5th, 2012

13.) If I Lie by Corrine Jackson-- September 4th, 2012

14.) Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza- Fall 2012

15.) Butter by Erin Lange--Fall 2012

16.) What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang--Fall 2012

17.) Through to You by Emily Hainsworth- November 20th, 2012

Quita's List:

1.) The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark--January 31st, 2012

2.) Living Violet by Jaime Reed- January 2012

3.) The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth- February 7th, 2012

4.) The Nightmare Factory by Lucy Jones--Spring 2012

5.) Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould--March 13th, 2012

6.) Storybound by Marissa Burt--April 3rd, 2012

7.) Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves- April 8th, 2012

8.) Blood Born by Jamie Manning- April 24th, 2012

9.) What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen-- May 1st, 2012

10.) Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock- May 8th, 2012

11.) Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard--July 24th, 2012

12.) Between You and Me by Marisa Calin--August 7th, 2011

13.) The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin--August 21st, 2012

14.) Venom by Fiona Paul--October 30th, 2012

15.) What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang--Fall 2012

16.) Breathe by Sarah Crossan--Fall 2012

17.) Pivot Point by Kasie West--December 2012

That's it! We sooooo can't wait to start reading these books!!! We may read more or change our list as the year goes along. We shall see! In the meantime, are YOU going to participate? If so, which books are you really looking forward to reading??