• Young Adult Fiction

    YA Novels: Hooked in Five Sentences or Less

    It’s late at night. You’ve just finished a book on your e-reader and are dying for something new to read. But how much time will you give a sample chapter to lure you in? For me personally, I’ve found that new late-night reads need to hook me in five sentences or less, that way I can sink my teeth into them right away I’ve chosen three excerpts from books I’ve loved that have ‘hooked me in five sentences or less‘. I’ll tell you why they appealed to me as a READERS and what we can take away as WRITERS. From The Selection by Kiera Cass When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic. She had already decided that all our problems were solved, gone forever. The big hitch in her plan brilliant plan was me. AS A READER: I’m loving the title, and the fact that there is a mysterious letter. I love mail! I also immediately like this girl. AS A WRITER: Right away we are hearing the MC’s voice and already know of a conflict brewing. From…

  • Writing Journey

    Take Three…

    vampires in the story could transform into animals. This inspired me to write a novel about a young shape-shifter on a quest. I called it Ravyn’s Quest. I began typing the story on my tiny Mac Classic. I actually made 3/4 of the way through the manuscript before I realized I didn’t know how the story would end. I sent my character on this treacherous journey only to realize I didn’t know what she was going to do when she got to where she was going. I always thought in the back of my mind, some day I’ll finish it. And I did take it back out last year. I started over, from the very beginning. This time I’d make sure there were actually characters in the book and…

  • Book Reviews,  Children's Books

    Fairies on the brain: A book review and book trailer

    It’s no secret that I’m a little obsessed with fantasy books. One of my favorite types of fantasy characters to read about are fairies. Give me evil fairies, quirky fairies, invisible fairies, or MC’s that are part fairy (like Sookie Stackhouse) and I am instantly intrigued. My latest read was Justine Larbelstier’s How to Ditch Your Fairy. This book fulfilled my fairy craving and thensome! It is a quick read, centered around a teen girl who is trying to ditch her parking fairy in lieu of something better — like the clothes-shopping fairy her best friend has. I love how Larbelstier’s pulls you into a world where fairies exist (or…

  • Inspiration

    A story reborn…

    Out of the ashes rose a phoenix…wait scratch that, a raven. When I was thirteen years old I began my love affair with dark, paranormal fiction (back then I think the whole section of the bookstore I was drawn to was simply called “Horror.” One of my favorites was Of Saints and Shadows by Christopher Golden. Some of the vampires in the story could transform into animals. This inspired me to write a novel about a young shape-shifter on a quest. I called it Ravyn’s Quest. I began typing the story on my tiny Mac Classic. I actually made 3/4 of the way through the manuscript before I realized I didn’t…