Tag: YA books

Weekly writing check-in: the one with the cover reveal

Keeping QuietSo, yesterday, if you noticed, was the cover reveal for The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet. But I’ll add it in here, just in case you missed it.

The scheduled release date is June 24, 2014, so stay tuned. It will be available in e-format and print, and so far it’s been a grand adventure pulling this all together.

In other news I got another new story submitted, which made up for the three that were rejected. I also pulled a story from a market that had it for a very, very long time. It was, in theory, short-listed. But since this particular market has had long stretches of silence, I thought it better to pull it and do something else with it.

Plus, the editor at Fantasy Scroll Magazine asked me to do an author interview that will run in the issue with the story I sold them last week.

Writing Work:

  • Lots of proofing, lots of typo catching, lots of “What on earth is wrong with my spine?” (the book’s spine that is, not my own)

Submissions:

  • A (K)night in the Royal Arms (new story!)

Rejections:

  • Five to Freedom
  • What Little Remains
  • The Perfect Canvas

Acceptances:

Publications:

  • None

Cover reveal: The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet

Coming June 2014

Sometimes staying silent is the biggest lie of all.

Keeping QuietSophomore Jolia does the one thing no one expects from the girl who has perfected the art of keeping quiet.

She joins the speech team.

Jolia can’t confess the real reason–not to her best friend, her new teammates, or even to crush-worthy rival Sam who offers to coach her in secret.

Keeping quiet might be the easy way out, but when what Jolia doesn’t say starts to hurt those around her, it might just cost her a best friend, her spot on the team, and even Sam.

But she isn’t the only one with a secret. It’s going to take words–her words–to make things right.

If only Jolia can find them.

Today is the cover reveal for The Fine Art of Keeping Quiet, publication date June 24, 2014. Want an email when it’s released? Sign up for my email newsletter.

Or just keep your eye on various online stores. The book will be available in print and electronic format.

Weekly writing check-in: the one with some time

Sucker Literary Magazine Vol 3

This week I had time on my hands, so to speak. My YA speculative fiction novelette (that’s a mouthful) Just a Matter of Time was published in Sucker Literary Magazine Volume 3.

And speaking of time, I figured it was about time I send out some submissions this month.  I feel better now that my submission tracker is plumped up. I also have a great deal of orange in there as well (which means I’ve been waiting–for a while–on several stories).

The funny thing about not submitting on a weekly basis? You start to second guess yourself and your stories. As long as the story is appropriate for the market (for instance, don’t send your sweet romance to a market that only takes dark horror) and submitted the way they like, the editor is the best judge of what he/she wants.

Writing Work:

  • The Time After ~6,113 words

Submissions:

  • Doreen’s Muse
  • Abandonment Issues
  • Five to Freedom
  • What Little Remains

Rejections:

  • Five to Freedom

Acceptances:

  • None

Publications:

Sucker Literary Magazine Volume 3 release day!

ItSucker Literary Magazine Vol 3‘s here! It’s here! Today is the day Sucker Literary Magazine launches volume 3!

Are we excited? Why, yes. Yes, we are. It’s packed full of young adult stories, including my paranormal YA novelette: Just a Matter of Time.

So, now what? Well, check out the Kindle version, or pick up the paperback.

You can enter to win a copy of the paperback over at GoodReads.

You can also sit back and enjoy the trailer.

Sucker Literary Magazine: Cover Reveal for Volume 3!

Today’s the day! Sucker Literary Magazine is revealing the cover for volume 3! This happens to be the edition that includes my YA paranormal novelette Just a Matter of Time.

What is a novelette, you ask. Well, you see, when a novel and novella love each other very much … no, really, it’s just a long short story.

Now, without further ado, I give you the gorgeous cover:

Sucker Literary Magazine Vol 3

Sucker Literary is a platform for established and emerging, hugely intelligent writers who have the grit and talent to create compelling, authentic young adult literature that both adults and teens can enjoy.

We are a literary enterprise dedicated to showcasing and promoting undiscovered and established writers who write for young adults (this is not to be mistaken for young adult writers). We are not affiliated with any writer’s organization or program and welcome writers at any stage of their writing career/ journey.

Now, for a little bit on what’s inside:

Bullied and alone, Ainsley seeks refuge in the arms of a strange boy. Time is slipping away for overachieving Sadie Lin, but reigniting an old flame might help. Scarred by a pressuring ex, Alexandra finally faces the rain. “Pasty and chubby” Charlotte makes a public play for the “Tan and Smooth” king. The beautiful girl in the black, lacy push-up bra says that it’s time for Brenn to stop lying . . . at least to herself. A halfway house is no home for Dawn—or is it? How will Dana survive knowing everyone at school thinks she’s a monster, when they just may be right? JJ and her crush finally get a moment alone—at his girlfriend’s hottest party of the year. Sixteen-year old Sarah prepares for her first day of school by chaining up her Mamí in her bedroom. Alyssa’s life is a well-rehearsed ballet until a tragedy sends her hurtling towards a fall. Loving a boy is as simple as chemistry . . . unless that boy is an unstable element.

Eleven stories that delve into the depths of our experience—driven by fierce and untouched love that makes us seek, lose, fear, desire, long, reflect, survive, steal, protect, fall, and confess.

Founding Editor:

Contributors:

Write 1/Sub 1 check in: week 9, the one with the even weirder prom date

Week 9! I worked on a longer story this week. (Novelette? Novella? Only time and word count will tell.) I was a little worried because I knew I couldn’t finish it during the week, but still needed my write 1. But Friday afternoon, while I was driving home in rush hour traffic, an idea hit me (kind of felt like that, too).

I made it home with the idea still in my head, jotted down what I needed to, and then wrote it up yesterday. This is how The Short, Sweet Life of My Invisible Prom Date was born. It includes the line:

Now, it probably doesn’t surprise you that there isn’t a patron saint of prom.

Writing:

  • The Short, Sweet Life of My Invisible Prom Date, ~ 1,600 words
  • Untitled something-or-other, ~ 3,000 words, in progress
  • Breaking the Unwritten Rules in Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction assignment: 250 words class assignment

Rejections:

None this week. However, my submission tracker tells me I should be getting some soon. 

Submissions:

  • The Life Expectancy of Fireflies AKA the neck tattoo story. I’m not sure about this one, or its pretentious title, so I tossed it into a flash fiction contest. We’ll see what happens. 

Acceptances:

  • None

Published:

Do you hear what I hear?

Oh, you guys, you guys. You will not believe what I just discovered this morning, quite by accident (because sometimes, that’s how publishing works):

The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading

That’s the audio version of The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading! Geek Girl! In audio! You can take her on your commute, download her to your Kindle–and who wouldn’t want to do that?

I listened to the sample and think they chose an excellent narrator. And then I listened to the very start on my Kindle and they totally said my last name correctly. (Three cheers for Audible!) It sounds so awesome to hear “… by Charity Tahmaseb and Darcy Vance.” I’ve listened to so many audio books that to have one is just amazing.

Looking back: Writing in 2012

iStock_000002528747XSmallIt’s the end of the year (or almost) so, of course, I simply must look back on writing in 2012. All the cool kids are doing it.

Anyway, my key word for 2012 was growth. I wanted to try a few new things with my writing and untie myself from the notion that I could only do just one thing.

I think I succeeded.

First, I mixed it up with some classes. I took:

  • A poetry class
  • Writing in the flow (the Robert Olen Butler method) class
  • Flash fiction/flash memoir class

I ended up writing more than forty poems (not necessarily good poems, mind you). In March, I surprised myself by writing a piece of flash fiction that simply tumbled out of me one morning, sparked by a poem I’d read.

And I thought to myself: Why am I not doing more of this? I like this!

I liked it so much, I ended up writing seven more stories (complete drafts) and have several others in the “stewing” stage.

Than first piece of flash fiction I wrote back in March? The Secret Life of Sleeping Beauty, which ended up:

In the big, surprising, out-of-the-blue sort of news this year, Darcy and I sold audio rights to Audible.com for The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading. And now you know everything I do about that. If/when the audio book is produced, I’ll be sure to let you know.

I finished off the year with The Southeast Review’s 30-day writer’s regimen. At first, I was reluctant. Writing? During the holidays? Actually, it kept me writing during the holidays. I missed a prompt here and there, but I wrote something for nearly all of them. According to the website, it looks like they’re launching all new material in February 2013. Mark your calendars! I highly recommend this. I had a blast doing it.

And that’s my writing year. I think it was a good one.

Virtually yours

I forgot all about this very cool site, Authorgraph, until I received a request for an e-book autograph* this morning, which was a very nice post-Christmas type of present to get.

I have two books up on Authorgraph, The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading and The Trouble with Firsts. Click on through to the site and request an e-autograph or two. Or ten. Or more!

Get a free Authorgraph from Charity Tahmaseb

*While writing this post, I had one of those moments where a word totally loses its meaning and I had to look it up to make sure it was a real word. Today’s unreal word is autograph. I’m still not sure it means what I think it means.

It’s Unidentified Funny Objects anthology launch day

ufocover5001Today’s the day! Unidentified Funny Objects anthology is out in this world! Haven’t ordered your copy yet? No? That’s okay. Hop on over to the UFO Publishing landing page and grab a paperback or an e-book. The Kindle version is also live on Amazon.

Need to know more? Watch the video below or read the latest review in Tangent by Colleen Chen. Look at the nice thing she had to say about The Secret Life of Sleeping Beauty:

This is a well-written modernized version of the fairy tale. It’s really short, so there’s not much to it, but it leaves a pleasant aftertaste and I would definitely have liked to read more of the princess’ adventures.

Sleeping Beauty is short (under 1,000 words). I wrote it as flash fiction and the reason I submitted it was the editor mentioned he was specifically looking for more flash for the anthology. So that’s how she ended up in there.

If you buy a copy, I hope you enjoy the stories!