Tag: YA books

25 Days of Debs: day 1 Jessica Verday

I’m celebrating the release of The First Time by highlighting all the Debs and “the first time” that brought us together: our debut novels.

Following the theme of firsts, I’m starting with Jessica Verday, who acted as publisher for this anthology. I can’t imagine the anthology coming together as it did without her efforts–she coordinated the cover art, the editing, did all the behind the scenes work at Amazon and Barnes and Noble (no easy task, that). If anyone deserves to go first, she does.

Not only that, but she’s a New York Times bestselling author.

Jessica’s Firsts:

Anthology story: Once Burned, Twice Shy.

First line:

The worst thing about boys that you rescue are the excuses.

2009 Debut: The Hollow (Book 1 in the Hollow Trilogy)

Most recent: The Hidden (Book 3 of the Hollow Trilogy)

More about Jessica: Catch up with Jessica on her blog.

Remember, The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook.

The First Time now available!

The First Time, the e-anthology from 25 of the 2009 Debs is out and available for download for Nook and Kindle.

You never forget your first…

In THE FIRST TIME, 25 young adult authors contribute 25 stories all about firsts: first loves, first kisses, first zombie slayings, and more.

Featuring New York Times bestselling authors Carrie Ryan and Jessica Verday, plus a host of others. From humor to horror, and everything in between, these stories will make you laugh, cry, cheer, (and maybe even scream) as you experience something brand new from the authors that you love.

Contributing authors: Cyn Balog, Lauren Bjorkman, Leigh Brescia, Jennifer Brown, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Janet Gurtler, Teri Hall, Cheryl Renee Herbsman, Stacey Jay, Heidi R. Kling, C. Lee McKenzie, Saundra Mitchell, Jenny Moss, Jackson Pearce, Shani Petroff, Carrie Ryan, Sydney Salter, Kurtis Scaletta, Jon Skovron, Kristina Springer, Rhonda Stapleton, Charity Tahmaseb, Jessica Verday, J. A. Yang, and Lara Zielin

The First Time is available for Kindle and Nook. Don’t have a Kindle or a Nook? Don’t let that stop you. You can download Kindle apps (for your PC, your phone, etc.) and Nook apps as well.

View from the revision cave

So, I’m revising again. Because I like to. Everyone needs a hobby. This is mine.

One of the first things I did was to list out the scenes in each chapter, essentially an outline, using the method from Cheryl Klein’s Second Sight book (I’m essentially doing the exercises listed here, along with some from another book).

Here’s what I discovered:

  • Wow. There’s a lot of crap in this book. I’m not sure I’m actually the one who put it there.
  • Why is there a chapter with only one scene?
  • Why is there one with seven?

To be fair, the very first thing I did was strip out the self-contained subplot for revamping and revision. So that lone scene in its own chapter wasn’t always quite so lonely. That fat chapter hoarding seven scenes? No clue. It’s like that reality TV show about hoarders, only in manuscript format.

I’m doing a lot of work with structure. Because that self-contained subplot? It’s in diary format, which is why it’s so easy to pull from the story. Weaving it back in? Yeah. Not so much.

I think I’m going to need that T-shirt.

Review: Women Heroes of World War II

Women Heroes of World War II: 26 stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue
By Kathryn J. Atwood
Publisher: Chicago Review Press

Summary from Amazon:

Noor Inayat Khan was the first female radio operator sent into occupied France and transferred crucial messages. Johtje Vos, a Dutch housewife, hid Jews in her home and repeatedly outsmarted the Gestapo. Law student Hannie Schaft became involved in the most dangerous resistance work–sabotage, weapons transference, and assassinations.

In these pages, young readers will meet these and many other similarly courageous women and girls who risked their lives to help defeat the Nazis.

Twenty-six engaging and suspense-filled stories unfold from across Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Great Britain, and the United States, providing an inspiring reminder of women and girls’ refusal to sit on the sidelines around the world and throughout history.

An overview of World War II and summaries of each country’s entrance and involvement in the war provide a framework for better understanding each woman’s unique circumstances, and resources for further learning follow each profile. Women Heroes of World War II is an invaluable addition to any student’s or history buff’s bookshelf.

This is a terrific volume of stories, all centering around women during World War II, in the European theater. The book is classified as juvenile or YA nonfiction, but I found it very engaging. The prose is straightforward and accessible. I really think the book would work for middle grade on up. Take note, those doing projects on WWII–your search starts here. The bibliography is extensive.

If you’re a World War II buff, the overview of the war and each country’s involvement won’t tell you anything new. However, either as a reminder or as new information, these summaries help illustrate each woman’s circumstances and challenges during the war. Plus, there’s a glossary at the back of the book as well.

If there’s a downside to this volume it’s that each woman only gets a few pages of text. Since the book is only 272 pages, that’s to be expected. At the end of each segment, the author includes a list of additional resources on each woman, including memoirs, biographies, movies, and more. Plus, as I mentioned, there’s an extensive bibliography at the end of the book.

Engaging, easy to read, informative? Yes, yes, and yes. I recommend Women Heroes of World War II for both the budding and established history buff.

Taking (summer) stock

I haven’t been writing in my blog–uh, yeah, clearly–and I miss it. I really do. I have been writing. A lot, I think. When school started for the kids (right after Labor Day this week), I took stock of my summer. Just what did I do on my summer “vacation”?

Starting with Memorial Day and ending with Labor Day, I did the following:

  • Second draft of a middle grade novel I’m calling Speechless. ~ 42,000 words. This is the “that which does not kill you makes you stronger” draft.
  • Second/revised draft of my short story (The Trouble with Firsts) for the Debs anthology The First Time. Started at 7,800 and ended up just under 6,000 words. Cutting 1,700 seems like an arduous task, but once I focused on the story, it was relatively easy. I had a lot of things in there that would’ve been fine for a novel. Short story? Not so much.
  • Revised/edited Dating on the Dork side with Darcy for our agent. 83,000 words. Y’all can just keep your fingers crossed for us, okay?
  • Third draft of Speechless, which is the “draft other people can read and it won’t injure them” draft. 43,000 words (oh, I added to it!).

Bonus items:

  • Took a class on metaphors and did all the assignments. I’m so freaking proud of myself.
  • Read a terrific manuscript by my friend Joy Hensley and got to celebrate (virtually) her agent call/representation. Can you squee via email? Yes, yes you can.
  • Mentoring another writer via one of the RWA chapters I belong to.

Oh, and I bought these awesome boots:

Okay, so the boots don’t = writing progress. Still. I think the potential is there for writing awesome things while wearing these boots.

So. How was your summer?

War Through the Generations: Two Girls of Gettysburg review

Okay, so I read this book back in January and it’s now … August. Yes, it’s about time I finish this review. My tardiness has nothing to do with the book. Much of what I read stayed with me: a sign of an enjoyable and meaningful book.

From the back cover:

Lizzie and Rosanna are cousins who share a friendship that should last forever. But when the Civil War breaks out, they find themselves on opposite sides. Lizzie joins the cause of the Union as her brother and father fight for freedom. Rosanna is swept up in the passions of the old South–and her love for a young Confederate officer.

Torn apart by their alliances and separated from each other, Lizzie and Rosanna are tested by love, tragedy, and the sacrifices they must make to survive. It will take one of the war’s bloodiest battles–at Gettysburg–to bring them together again, forever changed.

Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein unfolds slowly. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, although at nearly 400 words, it might put off some readers. My advice? Keep going. It’s worth it.

Lizzie is a prickly narrator at first, defensive and insecure at times. Her cousin Rosanna is flighty and superficial. One thing I enjoyed about the story is how the author stayed true to the girls’ core personalities, yet showed how they changed and grew during the course of the story.

The historical detail is excellent and accessible for those new to reading about the Civil War. While we do see and hear about many battles, we also get a good feel for what life was like for those not in either the Union or Confederate Army. But there’s plenty of that as well. Not just battles, but the aftermath, and conditions the soldiers (and those who cared for them) lived in.

One thing that struck me was how one became a nurse. Rosanna is literally handed a basin of water and cloth and told to get busy. For Rosanna, this is a trial by fire, most definitely. And at first, she is only there because of her young Confederate officer. As the story unfolds, it turns out that this may be her calling.

Likewise, Lizzy has to put her dreams of further schooling on hold to run the family business. At first resentful, she soon takes to business, if not necessarily the family one.

And as the title and summary imply, the do meet again in Gettysburg and maybe they get to witness President Lincoln’s famous address.

There’s a lot to like in Two Girls of Gettysburg. It’s a great place to start if you’re unsure about Civil War era fiction.

WWW Wednesday: the long and the short of it

Cover of "Metaphors We Live By"
Cover of Metaphors We Live By

It’s WWW Wednesday, as hosted by Should be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you recently finish reading?
  • What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

In the car: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray and read by Libba. How can one woman be so talented? The audio version is wonderful. Great production values and Libba is incredible. So. Funny.  I’m lucky I haven’t driven off the road. Highly recommended.

On the Kindle: A Clash of Kings (Book Two in A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R. R. Martin. This is a very long book.  Plus, I totally need to get myself a second middle initial.

On the nightstand: Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson For a writing class I’m taking, although strictly speaking, this is not a writing text.

What did you recently finish reading?

A Game of Thrones (Book One in A Song of Ice and Fire) by George R. R. Martin. This is also a very long book. I read, and read, and read, and my Kindle % goes up by maybe 1%. Still, it’s some good summer reading.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Uh, the next George R. R. Martin book in the series. That would be the logical conclusion. I also want to read The Liar Society by Lisa Roecker and Laura Roecker. As one Amazon reviewer billed it: It’s like Nancy Drew, but cooler, sassier, and funnier. I always wanted to be a girl detective.

And … speaking of reading: the Long and the Short of It review site is having their four-year anniversary celebration this week. As part of that, they’re doing a retrospective on “firsts.” On Monday, Marianne warned me that there was a surprise in my future (or rather, for my Wednesday).

Guess what? Their very first short story happened to be one of mine. Shall we step back to those halcyon days of 2007–before Geek Girl was even published, never mind sold–and take a road trip out to SoCal?  Don’t forget the toilet paper.

Teaser Tuesday: Second Sight

Teaser Tuesday and the rules are simple:

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Let’s try a writing book this week, shall we?

It’s as Richard Peck says: “A good YA novel ends not with happily ever after, but at a new beginning, with the sense of a lot of life yet to be lived.”

From Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults, by Cheryl B. Klein, pages 217 – 218.

Oh, I love that. It gets it just right, I think. When we did our blog tour for Geek Girl, Darcy and I would often refer to the “hopefully ever after.” But I think this is better.

And it’s not really a spoiler, since Second Sight is a book of essays, so you don’t need to read in order if you don’t want to. Cheryl also has a lot of excellent information online for YA and children’s writers. Check out her blog and her website.

Title and cover reveal: The First Time, the 2009 Debs anthology

It’s here! Isn’t it gorgeous?

The release date is scheduled for October of this year. My story is (tentatively) titled The Trouble With Firsts. It’s about first dates, prom, and humiliation. Not necessarily in that order.

I’m so very excited about this anthology and so in love with this cover, I think I want to go steady with it.

Geek Girl makes a list!

Our editor emailed us the other day to let us know that The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading was nominated for the 2012 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults list, which is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) of the American Library Association. Geek Girl is nominated in the Get Your Geek On category (appropriately enough).

Be sure to click through and check out all the books on the list. It could keep you reading all summer long. Plus, other 2009 Debs are keeping us company, such as Jennifer Hubbard (The Secret Year) and Jennifer Brown (Hate List).