Liz Czukas

That's Y'Amore Blogfest 2012

2012-02-11T06:00:00.000-06:00

Happy early Valentine's Day! This year, I'm delighted to be celebrating with the lovely ladies of Oasis for YA for their Second Annual That's Y'Amore Blogfest. Once again, the ladies have invited anyone who wants in to post 250 swoon-worthy words from their Young Adult Works-in-Progress.

If you're starting here, welcome! I'm flattered! *bats eyes* When you're done, head on back to the Oasis to keep going on the blogfest.

Last year, I semi-cheated by putting up 250 words from a completed work because I hadn't gotten to any swoon-worthy parts in my WIP. This year, I'm delighted to share a selection from my actual work in progress!

She stands with her face turned up to the sky,smiling in wonder as she's dusted with snow. “This is amazing.” Her hair is the color of maple leaves in fall and sugared with fat,white flakes. There is snow on herhat, her coat, her green mittens, her eyelashes. She blinks, and one fluffy flake dances away. Her smile falters when she finallylooks at me. “I guess this isn'tthat exciting for you.”

“No, it's-- You're...” The words are caught in my throat. I want to tell her she looks beautiful, sparkling with snowand pink-cheeked. I want to sayshe's the loveliest thing I've ever seen. That she's like everything good about Christmas and none of thestress. That she makes me feellike I might burst with bliss. “You'rebeautiful.”

“So are you.” She smiles.

We kiss and warmth rushes through me like afreight train. I wrap my armsaround her, loving the way she leans into me so far I know I'm the only thingkeeping her from falling. Windblows snow around my bare head, but I'm on fire from within so I don't feelcold anymore. Her minty taste iscooler than ever in the crisp chill of the night.

This. This is the reason we get up in the morning and do the things that wedo. Because every day there's achance someone will want to kiss you in the snow and make the worldamazing. Make your body workovertime, remembering how to fill the tiniest capiliaries with hot blood, andstirring the remote corners of your brain with electricity. There's the chance you might rememberwhy you want to stay alive for as long as possible. Because every day, you might get a kiss from a beautifulgirl who glows in moonlight and covers your ears with her mittened hands tokeep them warm when neither of you want to stop kissing in a empty parking lotthat looks as magical as a snow globe under the right conditions. These conditions. This girl. This snow. These kisses.

RENEGADE Cover Love!

2012-01-31T22:31:00.002-06:00

Earlier this week, my amazing critique partner and one of my best friend, J.A. Souders finally got to share her cover with the world! Her book, RENEGADE doesn't come out with Tor until later this year, so the cover and the synopsis will just have to hold you over until then.

Don't worry though, it'll be totally worth the wait. I've already read the next book in the series (Ha ha! You're green with envy, aren't you?), and I can tell you guys you are definitely going to want to get your hands on this book.

So, without further ado, I bring you, the gorgeous cover for RENEGADE!

And here's the rest of the info:

Since the age of three, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Winters has trained to be Daughter of the People in the underwater utopia known as Elysium. Selected from hundreds of children for her ideal genes, all her life she's believed that everything is perfect. Her world. Her people. The law.

But when Gavin Hunter, a Surface Dweller, accidentally stumbles into Elysium's secluded little world, Evelyn comes to a startling realization: Everything she knows is a lie.

Her memories have been altered.

Her mind and body aren't under her own control. And the person she knows as Mother is a monster.

Together with Gavin she plans her escape, only to learn that her own mind is a ticking time bomb...and Mother has one last secret that will destroy them all.

And here's Jessie!

Isn't she cute?

J.A. Souders was born in the heartland with an overactive imagination and an over abundance of curiosity that was always getting her into trouble. She first began writing at the age of 13, when she moved to Florida and not only befriended the monsters under the bed, but created worlds for them to play together.

Because she never grew up, she decided she’d put her imaginary friends to work and started writing. She still lives in the land of sunshine and palm trees with her husband and their two children and is an active member of the RWA, YARWA, SFWA, and SCBWI.

She is represented by Natalie Lakosil of the Bradford Literary Agency. Her debut book, RENEGADE, surfaces Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.

Stalk her all over the place if you want the skinny on pre-ordering, ARC giveaways, and generalized fun!

My Own Personal Book Awards

2011-12-30T18:52:00.000-06:00

I've read some spectacular books this year. So spectacular in fact, that I couldn't resist giving out a few awards in some categories of my very own creating.

There are five books in each category, and I swear to you, they could really go in any order, and their ranking here does not reflect anything but the order I found them on my reading list. Looking at them now, I'm pleased to see what a diverse list this is. My taste usually runs to the Contemporary side, but it just goes to show you never know what's going to rock your world.

So without further ado, I give you...

My Five Favorite Reads of 2011

1. The Name of the Star

Maureen Johnson

Johnson hit this one out of the park. (You can see my full review on Goodreads) I was a little nervous how it would play, since she's one of my favorite contemporary writers. But I am here to tell you, this is now my gold standard for what paranormal must be. The characters still had all the layers and humanity of a contemporary, and their experience with the ghost world fit right in. Fast-paced and compelling. I can't wait for the next one!

2. Divergent

Veronica Roth

The moment I finished this book, I ran to my mom's house and told her she had to put down whatever else she was reading and start it. She finished the next day. This book is straight up addicting from the get-go. It's intense, fascinating, and so unexpected. Everything you think you know about dystopian will be turned on its head. Is INSURGENT out yet?!

3. Chime

Franny Billingsley

I read this book only after reading Mandy Hubbard's blog post about what editors were looking for. When asked, more editors said they wished they'd edited CHIME than any other book. For that reason, and in spite of the cover and the jacket flap, I read it. Oh. My. God. It was NOTHING like I expected. It was brilliant and painful and so different from anything else I've read. I couldn't put it down. If you don't believe me about any other book, please go get CHIME as soon as you possibly can.

4. I Capture the Castle

Dodie Smith

My friend Johnny recommended this book to me. It's older--written in the 1940s, and first published in 1949. Strangely enough, the author is also the author of ONE HUNDRED AND ONE DALMATIONS. This book is pure magic. Bizarre, and hilarious, and romantic, and wonderful. I can't recommend it highly enough. Another one I forced my mother to read as soon as I finished.

5. Putting Makeup on Dead People

Jen Violi

I was excited about this book based solely on the title. Violi delivered an amazingly layered story that pulled me in from the start and made me want to stay longer in her world. It was quirky, and unexpected, and tapped themes I haven't seen handled so delicately in YA. Intricate as lace. You should definitely put it on your to-read list.

The Five Books That Made Me Feel

Like a Hack As a Writer in 2011

3. Chime

Franny Billingsley

Billingsley's story is a master class in world building. The language, the voice, the characters, the setting, the structural devices...there was nothing here that didn't work for me. It was like being miniaturized and settled comfortably in an old-fashioned music box, watching wide-eyed while the mechanisms did their magic. I could die happy if I ever wrote something half this good.

2. Ashes

Ilsa J. Bick

Holy action movie on paper, Batman! This one left me breathless. It was particularly harrowing to read for me since it was set so close to where I live. Bick even referred to local restaurants by name. I loved the realism, and the believability of this awful future. She even gave explanations for her character's survival skills that rang so true I didn't question her for a moment. Amazing.

3. My Invented Life

Lauren Bjorkman

Bjorkman's use of language left my mind spinning. This book was actually challenging to read at times because of the stream-of-consciousness style (though that's not even really the right description). I felt like I was never given a full hand in a high-stakes poker game. I'm not sure I loved this book, but it certainly gave me a lot to think about. YA is NOT dumbed down, and this book is proof.

4. Imaginary Girls

Nova Ren Suma

I have rarely loved to hate a character as much as I hated Ruby in IMAGINARY GIRLS. Suma created a David Lynch-like atmosphere in this book where I never felt like I had both feet on solid ground. This was another one of those books where I was never sure if I was enjoying it or not, but I couldn't help admiring Suma's skill. Characters, voice, setting...everything wove together. And I love that some mysteries were never fully explained. (But I still hate Ruby.)

5. The Replacement

Brenna Yavanoff

Wow, this book gripped me from the first page. It was like reading a book set in a Tim Burton movie. Like others on this list, I never felt completely at home in this world, but it was so rich and believable I couldn't help turning pages. Only the ending let me down in any way. I'd still highly recommend it.

My Five Favorite Female Characters for 2011

1. Cassandra from I Capture the Castle

Dodie Smith

I really don't know how to put words to my adoration for Cassandra. She's totally of her own time, yet delightfully madcap and modern. I could easily imagine a teenager from today having the same kind of adventures Cassandra and her family went through. She's a complete delight, and you will never regret reading her story.

2. Ruby Oliver from Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver

e. lockhart

Ruby has been one of my favorites since I read the first installment in her series a couple years ago. She's funny, and smart, and self-centered, and confused, and good-hearted, and quirky without wearing it like a badge of honor, and her footnotes just make me want to be her best friend. Sometimes, I wanted to strangle Ruby for being so stupid, but all her decisions were so human and relatable, in the end I still wanted to hug her.

3. Clio from Girl at Sea

Maureen Johnson

Clio is everything I love about Maureen Johnson's writing. She's smart, unsure of herself, wise beyond her years, but somehow naive. Best of all, she was dropped into the middle of a story that screams out to be made into an action/comedy, like, now. Are you listening, Hollywood? Clio's observations of her world, and the other characters were laugh-out-loud funny. Yay for girls in action roles!

4. Rory in The Name of the Star

Maureen Johnson

And oh look, another Maureen Johnson character! Feel free to take the reasons above and apply them to Rory. Her near-death experience by humiliating choking episode, love of processed cheese-food-product, and willingness to use her paranormal abilities to get her homework done make Rory a character you can absolutely get behind. Trust me, you'll love her.

5. Donna from Putting Makeup on Dead People

Jen Violi

Donna is definitely the quiet one on this list. I loved her introspection, and the way she dedicated herself to her interests, whatever they were and however outside the norm. She made me root for her so hard, right from the beginning. She reminds me of a friend of mine, so of course I want to climb inside the pages and squeeze her to bits.

My Five Favorite Male Characters for 2011

1. Roger from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour

Morgan Matson

Roger is fun, and self-assured, but totally broken at the same time. I loved the way he didn't question Amy's fear of driving, and went along with every strange twist in their journey. I also loved the restraint he showed, and of course, his awesome taste in music (By the way, if you search some of the songs on his playlist on YouTube, you'll find a ton of the others suggested in the side bar. How cool is that?).

2. Eldric from Chime

Franny Billingsley

Eldric was like a small sun dragged down to earth. I could just picture him vibrating with energy and bubbling with laughter. I loved his bad boy side, and his humor, and the way he "played" with Briony when she needed him to. Such an amazing, rich character.

3. Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door

Stephanie Perkins

Cricket was unique and weird, and adorable. I am a sucker for a smart boy, and Cricket fit that bill to a T. I loved the way he dove into anything that came up, from pie-making, to pizza box sliding. A great, romantic lead that would have any girl with a thing for nerdboys swooning. Loved him.

4. Tobin from "The Cheertastic Christmas Miracle"

Let It Snow

Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle

Tobin is everything I like about John Green's writing. Funny and sarcastic without delving into snarky, full of joy at the wonderment of life, and not even completely embarrassed about it. Totally willing to dive straight into a bad plan and ride it out, no matter what. Green writes about the kind of kids I knew in high school, and Tobin was no exception. A lovable delight.

5. Shakespeare Shapiro from Spanking Shakespeare

Jake Wizner

Rarely have I read a character who could pull off self-pity as successfully as Shakespeare. He made me care about what happened to him, even though he saw himself as a victim of circumstance. Hilariously honest and self-depricating to a fault. I loved his relationship with his parents, and the way he was so utterly inept with the girls in his life. Hilarious and adorable. Hidorable.

Best Love Stories of 2011

1. Tris & Four from Divergent

Veronica Roth

Oh, the understated sexual tension! Oh, the forbidden aspect of the student-teacher attraction! Oh, I am so going to kick Veronica Roth's ass if anything bad happens to Four, I swear to God!

2. Briony & Eldric from Chime

Franny Billingsley

Mmmmm, animal magnetism in a repressive historical time period! Eldric and Briony simmer together and you just want them to finally let it happen! So good. Romantic without being sappy, obstacles you can actually believe, only a little bit wanting to clock one of them over the head with something heavy and scream, "Can't you see he/she loves you?! AG!!" So so so so good.

3. Anna & Will from Sixteenth Summer

Michelle Dalton

This book is everything sweet and wonderful about that first real love. All that wrapped up in a spectacular oceanside setting that made me want to move to Georgia. And if you know me at all, that is REALLY saying something. Love how this one ended. And I won't spoil it for you, so there.

4. Mia & Adam from Where She Went

Gayle Forman

Adam and Mia have made my heart ache since IF I STAY. I was going buggy for most of this book, so desperate was I to know everything would work out okay. Amazing character development from the first book, and I bought every word of it. It will fill you with longing and ennui, but in a good way.

5. Lola & Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door

Stephanie Perkins

Okay, who doesn't love Stephanie Perkins? If you haven't read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS you have obviously got to get your priorities straightened out. I didn't love Lola as much as I loved Anna (the characters, not the book), but still the romance was so honest and realistic I couldn't help putting this book on my list. Plus...Cricket. I mean, yum, right? As much as I wanted to thump Lola over her head with a book a few times, I suppose it would have been dishonest of her to see the light too soon, right? Even when that light is Cricket. If you love romance, this is the one for you, trust me.

So, there you have it! For more Year-End goodness, may I recommend checking out YAHighway?

Leave your favorites in the comments! My To-Read list can never be long enough.

- Liz

Booklist 2011

2011-12-26T21:56:00.000-06:00

Book List 2011

BOOKS I READ
1. Inexcusable - Chris Lynch
2. Twenty Boy Summer - Sarah Ockler
3. Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles
4. The Brief History of the Dead - Kevin Brockmeier
5. Prom - Laurie Halse Anderson
6. Leadership and Self-Deception - The Arbinger Institute
7. The Bermudez Triangle - Maureen Johnson
8. Oblivion Road - Alex McAulay
9. Book of A Thousand Days - Shannon Hale
10. Dramarama - e. lockhart
11. Rampant - Diana Peterfreunde
12. Invincible Summer - Hannah Moskowitz
13. The Replacement - Brenna Yavanoff
14. Ten Miles Past Normal - Frances O'Roark Dowell
15. Wither - Lauren DeStefano
16. Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen
17. The Last Little Blue Envelope - Maureen Johnson
18. Bumped - Megan McCafferty
19. Stay - Deb Caletti
20. Sharks & Boys - Kristen Tracy
21. Putting Makeup on Dead People - Jen Violi
22. The Summer of Firsts & Lasts - Terra Elan McVoy
23. Wrapped - Jennifer Bradbury
24. Where She Went - Gayle Forman
25. Sixteenth Summer - Michelle Dalton
26. The Day Before - Lisa Schroeder
27. Viola in Reel Life - Adriana Trigiani
28. I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith
29. The Murder of Bindy Mackenzie - Jaclyn Moriarty
30. Chime - Franny Billingsley
31. Some Girls Are - Courtney Summers
32. Smokin' Seventeen - Janet Evanovich
33. Save the Cat! Goes to the Movies - Blake Snyder
34. Girl at Sea - Maureen Johnson
35. Ghosts of Ashbury High - Jaclyn Moriarty
36. Singing the Dogstar Blues - Alison Goodman
37. Feed - M.T. Anderson
38. The Lost Crown - Sarah Miller
39. How to Ruin a Summer Vacation - Simone Elkeles
40. Unfamiliar Fishes - Sarah Vowell
41. Heart-Shaped Box - Joe Hill
42. The Day Before - Lisa Schroeder
43. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - Rachel Cohn & David Leviathan
44. The Dark Days of Hamburger Halpin - Josh Berk
45. 24 Girls in 7 Days - Alex Bradley
46. You Wish - Mandy Hubbard
47. Slam - Nick Hornby
48. Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots - Abby McDonald
49. Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys - Kate Brian
50. The Not-So-Star-Spangled Life of Sunita Sen - Mitali Perkins
51. The Treasure Map of Boys: Noel, Jackson, Finn, Hutch, Gideon--and me, Ruby Oliver - e.lockhart
52. Real Live Boyfriends: Yes. Boyfriends, Plural. If My Life Weren't Complicated I Wouldn't Be Ruby Oliver - e. lockhart
53. Let It Snow - Maureen Johnson, John Green, Lauren Myracle
54. Trapped - Michael Northrop
55. The Name of the Star - Maureen Johnson
56. Imaginary Girls - Nova Ren Suma
57. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
58. Something Like Fate - Suzanne Colasanti
59. My Invented Life - Lauren Bjorkman
60. Slumming - Kristen D. Randle
61. Flipped - Wendelin Van Draanen
62. My Life, The Theater, and Other Tragedies - Allen Zadoff
63. The Dashwood Sisters' Secrets of Love - Rosie Rushton
64. The Liar Society - Lisa & Laura Roecker
65. Sisterhood Everlasting - Anne Brashares
66. Divergent - Veronica Roth
67. Lola and the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
68. Delirium - Lauren Oliver
69. Ashes - Isla J. Bick
70. Twenty Somewhere - Kristan Hoffman
71. Amy & Roger's Epic Detour - Morgan Matson
72. Explosive Eighteen - Janet Evanovich
73. A & L Do Summer - Jan Blazanin
74. Spanking Shakespeare - Jack Wizner
75. Seth Baumgartner's Love Manifesto - Eric Luper
76. Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John
77. The Running Dream - Wendelin Van Draanen
78. Ten Things We Did That We Probably Shouldn't Have - Sarah Mlynowski

BOOKS I READ TO/WITH MY SON
1. Curious George Feeds the Animals - Margaret & H.A. Rey
2. Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendik
3. Skippyjon Jones - Judy Schachner
4. Guess How Much I Love You? - Sam McBratney
5. Sixes & Sevens - John Yeoman
6. I Love You, Daddy - Jillian Harker
7. Much Bigger Than Martin - Steven Kellogg
8. The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
9. You Can Do It, Sam! - Amy Hest
10. A Present for Toot - Holly Hobbie
11. The Cat in the Hat Comes Back - Dr. Seuss
12. Super Sid the Silly Sausage Dog - Sam Lloyd
13. The Tomato Patch - William Wondriska
14. The Snowy Day - Ezra Jack Keats
15. And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street - Dr. Seuss
16. Peter Rabbit's Easter - Frederick Warne
17. Toot & Puddle You Are My Sunshine - Holly Hobbie
18. Peter Rabbit's Happy Easter - Grace MacCarone
19. The Napping House - Audrey Wood
20. Here Comes the Crocodile - Kathryn White
21. Begin at the Beginning - Amy Schwartz
22. On the Moon - Anna Milbourne
23. Love From Uncle Clyde - Nancy Winslow Parker
24. Toot & Puddle The One and Only - Holly Hobbie
25. Toot & Puddle Charming Opal - Holly Hobbie
26. Toot & Puddle Top of the World - Holly Hobbie
27. Toot & Puddle Wish You Were Here - Holly Hobbie
28. Toot & Puddle The New Friend - Holly Hobbie
29. In the Night Kitchen - Maurice Sendak
30. McElligot's Pool - Dr. Seuss
31. The 500 Hats of Bartholemew Cubbins - Dr. Seuss
32. Peter's Chair - Ezra Jack Keats
33. Pet Show! - Ezra Jack Keats
34. So Sleepy Story - Uri Schulevitz
35. Elizabeth - Leisl Moak Skorpen
36. Lyle and Humus - Jane Breskin Zalben
37. But No Elephants - Jerry Smath
38. Apt. 3 - Ezra Jack Keats
39. What's a Wise Bird Like You Doing In a Silly Tale Like This? - Uri Schulevitz
40. The Secret Room - Uri Schulevitz
41. Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book - Dr. Seuss
42. A is for Arr: A Pirate Alphabet - Laura Purdie Salas
43. The Sun, The Wind, and the Rain - Lisa Westberg Peters
44. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus - Mo Willems
45. The Poky Little Puppy - Janette Sebring Lowrey
46. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late - Mo Willems
47. Leonardo the Terrible Monster - Mo Willems
48. Hi, Cat! - Ezra Jack Keats
49. Goggles! - Ezra Jack Keats
50. Herbert Fieldmouse: Secret Agent - Kevin O'Malley
51. Best Friends - K.T. Hao
52. The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit - Christopher Wormell
53. I Stink! - Kate & Jim McMullan
54. I'm Mighty! - Kate & Jim McMullan
55. Chicken Says "Cluck!" - Judyann Ackerman Grant
56. Dora Saves the Game - Quinlan B. Lee
57. The Monster at the End of this Book - Jon Stone
58. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed - Mo Willems
59. There Is a Bird on Your Head - Mo Willems
60. If You Take a Mouse to School - Laura Numeroff
61. Froggy's Sleepover - Jonathan London
62. Ready, Freddy! Halloween 'Fraidy Cat - Abby Klein
63. The Wizard - Jack Prelutsky
64. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy - Mo Willems
65. Don't You Feel Well, Sam? - Amy Hest
66. The Pigeon Finds a Hotdog - Mo Willems
67. Me on the Map - Joan Sweeny
68. Knufflebunny: A Cautionary Tale - Mo Willems
69. Miss Hunnicutt's Hat - Jeff Brumbeau
70. Hattie the Bad - Jane Devlin
71. Tacky and the Winter Games - Helen Lester
72. Maya & Miguel: My Twin Sister - Eric & Crystal Velasquez
73. Ready, Freddy! Homework Hassels - Abby Klein
74. Ready, Freddy! Going Batty - Abby Klein
75. I Broke My Trunk! - Mo Willems
76. Watch Me Throw the Ball - Mo Willems
77. Are You Ready to Play Outside? - Mo Willems
78. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Numeroff
79. If You Give a Cat a Cupcake - Laura Numeroff
80. Froggy Eats Out - Jonathan London
81. Froggy Goes to Bed - Jonathan London
82. "Eat!" Cried Little Pig - Jonathan London
83. Ready, Freddy! Thanksgiving Turkey Trouble - Abby Klein
84. Ready, Freddy! Tooth Trouble - Abby Klein
85. Ready, Freddy! The One Hundredth Day of School - Abby Klein
86. Ready, Freddy! Ready, Set, Snow! - Abby Klein
87. Froggy Plays Soccer - Jonathan London
88. Elephants Cannot Dance - Mo Willems
89. Can I Play, Too? - Mo Willems
90. I Love My New Toy! - Mo Willems
91. Ready, Freddy! The Pumpkin Elf Mystery - Abby Klein
92. Ready, Freddy! Stop that Hamster! - Abby Klein
93. Ready, Freddy! Talent Show Scaredy-Pants - Abby Klein
94. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! - Mo Willems
95. Happy Pig Day! - Mo Willems
96. Today I Will Fly! - Mo Willems
97. Froggy Plays in the Band - Jonathan London
98. Froggy's Day with Dad - Jonathan London
99. Mac & Tab - Karen Smith
100. Ready, Freddy! Don't Sit on My Lunch - Abby Klein
101. Ready, Freddy! A Very Crazy Christmas - Abby Klein
102. The Spirit of Christmas - Nancy Tiller
103. Press Here - Herve Tullet
104. Froggy Learns to Swim - Jonathan London
105. Froggy's Best Christmas Ever - Jonathan London

Wherein I Explain My Hibernation

2011-09-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

So, I haven't been here.

You may have noticed.

Here's the thing: I got a job! A for real, paying job as a writer! I'm now the Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss Guide for About.com.

"What?" I hear you ask.

Well, it turns out About.com hires independent writers to be the official writer and coordinator of each of their topics. I applied for the job on something of a whim at the end of 2010, and after many months got the opportunity to "try-out" for the job in their training boot camp. At the end of boot camp, the job was mine!

The good news is, it's great work, it's a topic near and dear to my heart after caring for women during pregnancy loss for almost ten years as a nurse, and I am actually GETTING PAID TO WRITE!

(Here's where I take a moment to brag and tell you that About.com is a New York Times company, so my paychecks come from the New York Times. See?)

The bad news is, it's kind of a lot of work right now. I'm still learning the ropes and until I find my feet, I'm afraid my blog is going to be even more neglected than usual.

I've considered closing it down altogether, actually, but I didn't want to lose touch with you lovely followers. And--*throws salt over shoulder* *knocks on wood*--I really hope I've got some exciting news to share with you guys soon.

So, for now, consider my a hibernatin' bear. Thanks for sticking around as much as you have. You will still find me rambling on Twitter, and posting nonsense to my Tumblog. Oh! And I'm on Google+ now, too, if you're so inclined to stalk me pandimensionally.

Here's hoping I've got some good news to fill this space with soon!

Cheers,
Liz

On Tumbling for Tumblr

2011-06-27T08:00:00.001-05:00

I've fallen in love with Tumblr. Do you guys know about this thing?

In case you don't, it's another blogging platform (*looks around, shifty-eyed, for the Blogger Re-education Enforcement Agents*). But here's the thing with Tumblr: You can put up ANYTHING. It's got built-in functions to make posting text, pictures, videos, quotes, links, chats, and audio as easy as clicking a couple of buttons. You can e-mail things directly to your Tumblog without even logging into the thing.

And there are lots--I mean lots--of amazing Tumblogs to check out and follow. There are Tumblogs with themes, like one I could weep over on a daily basis called Eat Sleep Breathe Dance, or the fascinating I Love Charts. Others are whatever strikes a person's fancy, like The Monica Bird.

I've fallen for the ease of use, the amazing things to find and share around the Interwebz. I love the search feature on the Dashboard, where you can type in any old thing and find someone, somewhere, who has posted something about it.

So, now I want to know: Who else Tumbles?

You can find mine here, where I post about writing, funny stuff, beautiful stuff, my cousin and his rockin' accordian, and other fascinatin' rhythms. Check it out. And if you haven't tried Tumblr, might I suggest you put on your big girl panties and dive in? It's not at all scary if you just take the first step off the diving board.

- Liz

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Oh my stars I owe you guys a real blog, but until I can get my act together, I have to have to have to send you over to Kristen Lamb's blog. She takes on the Star Wars prequels and schools us all in the art of story telling. One of those posts that made me want to stand in my desk chair fist-pumping and shouting "YES! That! Exactly that!"

And excerpt to get you running to read the rest:

Mistake #2 Heroes are not babies, and bad guys are not whiners.
OMG…I wanted to SLAP Anakin Skywalker. If the end goal was to make Anakin into DARTH VADER the greatest bad guy EVER…then no whining. Scene after scene of Obi-Wan just doesn’t take me seriously got old really quickly.
Yes, as writers it is a great goal to have flawed heroes, because perfect characters lack depth. But, I feel there are certain character attributes that will alienate fans. Whining is one of those.

See? You totally want to read the rest, don't you? What are you waiting for?

- Liz

Link-A-Palooza

2011-05-30T07:00:00.004-05:00

Happy Memorial Day, Blogiverse!

I've again returned from an arduous journey tramping through the wilds of the Internet Jungle, collecting rare specimens to display here in my own little corner of the world. I bring you...Link-a-Palooza!

First, in case you missed it, agent Mandy Hubbard took herself a little trip to New York and had a sit-down with dozens of editors. What did she ask them? The same question we'd all like to ask them: What are you looking for? And then she went and put it all in the Epic Post on YA/MG Trends. Read, memorize, and go forth informed. But remember--DON'T CHASE TRENDS. This is just to help you know where to market your current projects. Chasing trends will only end in heartbreak.

Next, agent Natalie Fischer (a.k.a. Princess Unicorn CEO) has some great revision suggestions with even more links to other revision posts on her blog. Read it and weep. Then do what she says even though you want to cry, because she's right.

The Intern continues to impress me with her thoughtful posts from the safety of anonymity. Her Thoughts on Universals will make you think long and hard about what you're writing. And you will be grateful.

If you don't already know Hannah Moskowitz, you obviously haven't been reading my blog very long. But even if you're old pals with Hannah, you should read her post on creating the playlist for her latest book, Invincible Summer. She has a particular fondness for covers in her book playlists and I found the greatest site for finding those amazing covers that just may inspire a new scene, book, or who knows what. The Site of Awesomeness Covered in Awesome-Sauce is Cover Me where you can find the most unusual covers you'll ever here. Just be warned: You may lose a lot of hours to browsing this site.

And finally, your moment of zen. Watch it to the end. Trust me.

On the Awesomeness of J.A. Souders

2011-05-23T07:00:00.004-05:00

This weekend, I got the only news I can think of that might excite me more than getting a publishing contract of my very own:

My awesome crit partner, best-friend-I-never-met, future-superstar, natural redhead, and all-around cool person Jessica Souders sold her amazing book RENEGADE to Tor Teen!!!

Seriously, I could not be more excited for her if she was chosen to be the Princess of Florida (that's a thing, right?). And I could not be more excited that soon all you people are going to get to read her story. This thing is going to blow your mind.

Here's the announcement from Publisher's Marketplace:

Jessica Souders's RENEGADE, about a female assassin in an underwater Utopia who realizes her memories have been altered and her mind and body aren't under her own control, to Melissa Frain at Tor, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Natalie Fischer at Bradford Literary Agency (World English). Translation:
taryn.fagerness@gmail.com

Are you in? You're so in.

So now, your job is to go fan up. Trust me, you're going to want in on this when this story hits the shelves. You're going to want in on it early so you can make like a hispter and say you totally heard about it before anyone else.

Go to her website, follow her blog, follow her on Twitter, and Like the RENEGADE fanpage at Facebook. Got it? Great!

How was your weekend?

- Liz

Road Trip Wednesday: Who Should Narrate the Audio Book?

2011-05-11T10:31:00.000-05:00

I am an audiobook nerd. I love them, and I always have. They remind me of the very act of roadtripping, because my family and I used to listen to them on our long drives down to Florida for Spring Break (when you're coming from Wisconsin, that's a LONG LONG drive).

Now, with the wonder that is Audible.com, audiobooks fill my iPod just as much as music does. Though, I must confess, my listening has dropped off considerably since I don't have a work commute anymore.

There are some books I actually prefer to hear rather than read. The Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, for example. Her books are short and pure candy goodness. So, I like to prolong the enjoyment by listening to the amazing Lorelei King read them to me.

In YA, one of my favorite audiobook experiences was HOW I PAID FOR COLLEGE and its sequel ATTACK OF THE THEATER PEOPLE by Mark Acito. The reader, Jeff Woodman (who, by the way, also reads John Green's books), not only created distinctive voices for each character, he sang all of the song references. He sang them beautifully. Reading the book would just not have been the same, because although I know these songs, hearing them in my head is just not the same. If you haven't read these books, you really should consider taking a listen. Pure joy.

So over at YA Highway today, the Road Trip Wednesday topic is Audiobooks, and who should read them. I'd give a vital organ to have Jeff Woodman read one of my books, but if I had to pick a dream combination of reader and already-published novel, I think I'd go with Jodi Foster reading THE HUNGER GAMES. I'd love her to use that soft West Virginia twang she hinted at in SILENCE OF THE LAMBS to bring life to Katniss. What a dream come true!

Now get over to the Highway and check out everyone else's suggestions!

- Liz

________________________________________________________________________

Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

To participate, just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments at YA Highway.

2011-05-09T07:00:00.003-05:00

PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE by Jen Violi

Summary: (from the publisher)

In the spring of her senior year, Donna Parisi finds new life in an unexpected place: a coffin.

Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna has gone through the motions of living: her friendships are empty, she’s clueless about what to do after high school graduation, and her grief keeps her isolated, cut off even from the one parent she has left. That is until she’s standing in front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers’ Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna realizes what might just give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe who she really wants to be is a mortician.

This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was possible. She befriends a charismatic new student, Liz, notices a boy, Charlie, and realizes that maybe he's been noticing her, too, and finds herself trying things she hadn’t dreamed of trying before. By taking risks, Donna comes into her own, diving into her mortuary studies with a passion and skill she didn’t know she had in her. And she finally understands that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love.

Jen Violi’s heartfelt and funny debut novel is a story of transformation—how one girl learns to grieve and say goodbye, turn loss into a gift, and let herself be exceptional...at loving, applying lipstick to corpses, and finding life in the wake of death.

Due out: May 24, 2011 Click here to preorder from Barnes & Noble.

My thoughts:

The title of this book had me at hello. The jacket flap sealed the deal. The reading made me full of long and joy and delight.

From page one, I climbed into Donna's back pocket and was totally wrapped up in her journey though this book. I haven't rooted so hard for a character in a long time. I just wanted everything to be all right for her. She makes some great decisions, some terrible ones, but they all seemed really necessary at the time.

I loved the naked honesty of the narrative, and Donna's views of other people throughout. She's very observant, even though she's stand-offish. I even enjoyed the impact of Catholicism on the book, which I did not expect. Normally, I'm not taken with religious characters. But here, Donna's faith and relationship with religion were an integral part of her journey without defining her or constraining her. Violi played her hand beautifully here.

The secondary characters in this book, especially Liz, were as real as Donna herself, and I really enjoyed how Violi kept them from being stereotypes. Yes, Liz was the independent, free spirit, but she was not predictable. Yes, her sister, Linnie, was the angsty goth type, but she turned out to be more open-minded at the end than almost anyone.
There were so many delightful things about this book, I could wax poetic for pages. But I'd rather you just read the book and experience it for yourself. You won't regret it.

Recommended for:

I am officially putting this on the must-read Contemporary YA list for 2011. If you liked Emily Horner's A LOVE STORY STARRING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND, if you like Laurie Halse Anderson's style, if you still have a soft spot for Vada Sultenfuss from the movie My Girl--you'll like this book.

As always, let me know what you think if you read it!

- Liz

Book Recommendation: Bumped by Megan McCafferty

2011-05-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

BUMPED by Megan McCafferty

Summary: (from the publisher)

When a virus makes everyone over the age of eighteen infertile, would-be parents are forced to pay teen girls to conceive and give birth to their children, making teens the most prized members of society.

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and had never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Until now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend Zen, who is way too short for the job.

Harmony has spent her whole life in religious Goodside, preparing to be a wife and mother. She believes her calling is to bring Melody back to Goodside and convince her that “pregging” for profit is a sin. But Harmony has secrets of her own that she is running from.

When Melody is finally matched with the world-famous, genetically flawless Jondoe, both girls’ lives are changed forever. A case of mistaken identity takes them on a journey neither could have ever imagined, one that makes Melody and Harmony realize they have so much more than just DNA in common. .

Order the hardcover from Barnes & Noble.

Get your Kindle edition here.

My thoughts:
The jacket flap does not do this book justice. Since I read it, I've tried to describe it to a number of people. Over and over I come back to this: It's like a really disturbing sci-fi, maybe The Matrix, but narrated by Cher from Clueless. I know...but trust me.

The pregnancy-dominated slang was hard to take at first, kind of hard to understand, but once I decided to just let it in and wait for answers later, I really started to enjoy it. I couldn't believe how many slang terms McCafferty could come up with! The language did so much for the world-building, I can't imagine the book without it.

While the plot should have been far-fetched to the point of intolerance--I mean, identical twins separated at birth? Come on--but McCafferty made it work. It all made sense in the weird world of Melody and Harmony. The characters at first read more like caricatures than real people, but ultimately that felt like the point.

The whole purpose of the novel, I believe, was to hold a mirror up to the extremes of our culture and add a whopping dose of Miracle Grow and about 25 years to mature them. Harmony represents the extreme of religious devotion, with an obsession for purity, salvation and conversion. Melody represents the extreme of consumerism, with an obsession for status, micro-celebrity and commodity. The duel pictures McCafferty creates are not so extreme they seem impossible, or even so very distant.

Give the world a progressive virus that causes infertility, and I could easily see this happening. Way too easily. And that discomfort is exactly the point. Making pregnancy trendy? Um, we're already halfway there. But as another reviewer pointed out, McCafferty managed to deliver (ha ha, pardon the pun) this biting warning against such a society without being completely anti-sex. You'd think the two would go hand-in-hand, but instead she managed to send a lot of positive messages about sexuality, and especially being in charge of your own.

Can't complain about that! At least, I can't.

I'm not too surprised this book isn't getting the credit it deserves. It's more satire than entertainment. But if you are someone who reads for more than just escapism, I think you'll find something to like in here.

Recommended for:
Have you seen the movie Idiocracy? If not, maybe check that out. If you like it, you'll like BUMPED. Also, the movie Heathers. I apologize for all the movie references, but sometimes they're just easier.

Has anyone else read this yet?

- Liz

Book Recommendation: Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

2011-05-02T07:00:00.002-05:00

WRAPPED by Jennifer Bradbury

Summary (from the publisher):
Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

Due out: May 24, 2011

Click here to get a copy from Barnes & Noble.

Click here for the Kindle edition from Amazon.

My Thoughts:
I got this book from GalleyGrab, and I didn't know what to expect. To be honest, the cover art did not give me much hope. While it is beautiful as a piece of art, it really seemed more in line with the kind of covers I'm seeing on Middle Grade books right now. More graphic novel than traditional fiction. I thought the voice would be younger than it turned out to be.

Really, on all front, this book surprised me! After reading the jacket flap, I was expected paranormal. Instead, it was a delightful historical mystery and I completely enjoyed it. Agnes is an infectious main character--exactly what you want from a Victorian heroine: a little too smart for her own good, totally constrained by her society, and willing to tiptoe outside those social norms when adventure is at stake. The pace was just right, and kept me turning pages. I felt really immersed in Agnes's world, without too much explanation that would ruin the voice.

Bradbury struck just the right balance between historical accuracy and creative license. I wanted to believe everything she told me, and her storytelling made that possible.

I won't ruin this for you all with spoilers, but if you have ever loved the Victorian era, you need to read this book. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking of Anne Perry's Pitt series, which I devoured in younger days. Agnes brought me back there, with a nice sprucing up for today's reader in the YA genre.

There had better be more where this came from, Jennifer Bradbury! More Agnes!

Recommended For:
Anyone who likes Historical Mysteries, especially Victorians. Anyone who ever wanted to be Indiana Jones (like me!). Anyone who liked Amy Adams's character in Sherlock Homes.

Let me know if you like it!

- Liz

Road Trip Wednesday with YA Highway

2011-04-27T11:06:00.001-05:00

This morning, I'm diving into the weekly blog carnival hosted by YA Highway. For this week's Road Trip Wednesday, the ladies of the Highway want to know: If your WIP was a song, what would it be?

For my latest project, there is a full-on playlist, but this is the one song that really sums up the whole story: Bon Jovi's (You Want to) Make a Memory.

LYRICS:

Hello again, it's you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killin' time
Tryin' to solve life's mysteries

How's your life? It's been a while
God it's good to see you smile
I see you reachin' for your keys
Lookin' for a reason not to leave

If you don't know if you should stay
If you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be

You wanna make a memory?

I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had
It's bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringin' I don't wanna ask

If you go now, I'll understand
If you stay, hey, I got a plan

You wanna make a memory?
You wanna steal a piece of time?
You can sing the melody to me
And I could write a couple lines
You wanna make a memory?

If you don't know if you should stay
And you don't say what's on your mind
Baby just breathe
There's nowhere else tonight we should be
We should be

You wanna make a memory?
You wanna steal a piece of time?
You can sing the melody to me
And I can write a couple lines

You wanna make a memory?
You wanna make a memory?

Now, follow the link above to the YA Highway and enjoy the song stylings of all the other Road Trippers this week.

Do you have a WIP theme song?

- Liz

Book Recommendation: Stay by Deb Caletti

2011-04-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

STAY by Deb Caletti

Summary: (from the publisher)

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough....

Click here to order a copy of your very own from Barnes & Noble.

My thoughts:

I had the privilege of reviewing a galley of this book, and I could not have been luckier. This book is amazing. A bit slow to start but after ten pages or so I was in so deep I didn't want to put it down.

The story reads as if it is really Clara telling her story. Her voice is impeccable, and smart, even when she's making decisions that drive you crazy. I liked the very adult language and the relatable imagery. I'm not normally one for a lot of poetic language, but Caletti's imagery and introspection were so real, so...right, I found myself wishing she'd explain the world to me.

Clara and Christian's relationship is all too recognizable, and such an important and underexplored area in Young Adult literature. Despite the poisonous nature of the relationship, I found myself 100% in Clara's corner. I could understand every step she took deeper into the dangerous waters of Christian.

The subplot between Clara and her father, while not inconsequential by any means, didn't distract from the main story. I wanted to know how both threads wove together in the end.

An atmospheric story of love, loss, coping, growing up and forgiveness. Read it in the rain, and probably not by yourself. There are moment of genuine creep-out intertwined with moments of genuine joy. One of the best contemporary YA novels I've ever read. I'll be catching up on Caletti's back catalogue post-haste.

Recommended for:

Anyone who loves contemporary YA. Anyone who has been in, or been friends with someone who has been in one of those poisonous relationships.

If you read and enjoyed, Jandy Nelson's THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE, Sarah Ockler's TWENTY BOY SUMMER, Gayle Forman's IF I STAY, or Kirsten Smith's THE GEOGRAPHY OF GIRLHOOD, you will devour this book.

Come back and tell me what you think when you're done, okay?

- Liz

The Intern: a frightful confession

2011-04-20T18:15:00.000-05:00

If you are not already following The Intern on her blog, you should go do it right now.

If you are not already following @internspills on Twitter, you are missing out.

Go read this, and feel better.

The Intern: a frightful confession: "INTERN has a frightful confession to make, and here it is: When one of INTERN’s writer-friends publishes a beautifully-crafted short story,..."

Where I Make You All Jealous

2011-04-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I'm not normally one to brag, but I had to share what I got in the mail.

It even had pretty packaging!

I've wanted to read this book since I turned the last page of IF I STAY

SQUEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, Gayle!!!

The links:

Get your own copy of Where She Went

Read If I Stay, first, ya heathen!

Visit the delightful Gayle Forman at her website.

Stalk, er, follow her on Twitter. You never know when she'll give away another book!

*Loses all interest in finishing blog, due to reading awesome book featured**

- Liz

From the Depths of The Slog

2011-04-13T07:00:00.005-05:00

I had a lovely conversation over the weekend with some fellow writers. One of them mentioned a blog post she'd read about the Four Stages of Writing Development. We didn't have computer access at the time, so I wasn't sure I'd ever find the meme in question. But as is so often the case when I find myself wont of something, I give out my battle cry, "To the Google!"

And my trust search engine steed once again led me straight to my quarry.

Mary Carroll Moore's blog was the home to this particular tidbit, which she calls "Unconscious Competence." I implore you to read the whole article right now. I'll wait. You know I'm good at waiting for you people.

Ah, you're done? Excellent.

This is the part that spoke to me:

This isn't a fun stage, even though it turns out better writing than any of the other stages so far. It's what my MFA teachers used to call the "slog." We slog through the writing now, not really lifted up by it, not really energized. But, at the end, we have something pretty darn good.

I am Atreyu, and my first draft is the Swamps of Sadness

These days, I find myself deep in Stage 3. Slogging my way through a first draft and wishing like hell it was my third. But still, the words come...sometimes only 100 at a time, but they come. And if you add enough 100's together, you eventually find 70,000, right? And then you're not so deep in the morass any more.

Falcor, a.k.a. Unconscious Competence

Stage Four, I'm coming for you.

- Liz

Book Recommendation: The Last Little Blue Envelope

2011-04-04T07:00:00.008-05:00

THE LAST LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPE by Maureen Johnson

Summary: (from the publisher)

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack—and the last little blue envelope inside—she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure—one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Due out: April 26, 2011 Click here to preorder from Barnes & Noble.

UPDATE: Right now, you can preorder (in Kindle format) the first book in Ginny's story, THIRTEEN LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES for FREE. That's right--FREE. Maureen Johnson is giving it away from April 12-26, 2011. Other formats will be available starting the 12th of April. Don't miss out--FREE BOOK, PEOPLE!!

My thoughts:
It was pure pleasure to go back to Ginny's world, and the ride was just as dizzying and wonderful this time. I really enjoyed the character development in Ginny. She greeted this journey with so much more confidence. She was really the kind of girl you wish you could be in high school. It was also interesting to the see the changes in Keith. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, so I'll leave it at this: English boys are still sexy.

If anything, the descriptions were even better this time around. As rich as Ginny's experience was the first time she traveled through Europe, this one made me feel like I was really there with her. And I want to go to the Coo Coo Clock. Like now.

At the end of the book, all I wanted to do was be fifteen years younger, with a disposable income and a zany treasure hunt of my own. Definitely the kind of book that reminds me why I read and write YA.

Recommended for:
Anyone who likes contemporary YA, but you absolutely must read the first book first. You'll want to know all of Ginny's story before you dive into this one, and the wait will be totally worth it.

If you haven't read any of Maureen Johnson's books, you're definitely missing out. Don't let her girly covers deceive you. She has all the depth and honesty you could want from a YA writer, and then for added lovability, she's the best Twitter personality I know. Go follow her. No, seriously. Go.

So, how'd I do for my VERY FIRST BOOK REVIEW (on my blog)?

- Liz

In Which I Collect the Wisdom of the Interwebz...

2011-03-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

...just for you, my faithful readers.

There's been a lot of good stuff in the blogosphere lately. Or, maybe I've just been procrastinating too much, but the fact remains that I have entirely too many windows minimized on my desktop for too long now, and the time has come to disseminate the goods to you fine people.

First, Dawn Rae Miller's love/hate letter to her Kindle made me laugh.

Next, Roni Loren puts the smackdown on the stigma against romance novels. And I laughed again.

Then, Chazley Dotson compares revisions to building a Lego castle in a cave. And it was true.

Finally, John Scalzi slays me again with his Electronic Publishing Bingo Card. So I laughed some more.

And now, your moment of zen:

(Background: This is a real Bollywood movie, but the subtitles are buffalax's interpretation of what English words the original Hindi sounds like--not the translation. Hilarity ensues.)

Happy Monday!

- Liz

On The Mystery of Voice

2011-03-23T07:00:00.001-05:00

As we all know, "voice" is one of the most powerful elements in fiction. A strong, compelling voice will snare a reader instantly and will keep them through the duration of your novel. A voice can make up for a myriad of trouble spots in a story. (Not that you should try to write a story with problems, but you know what I'm saying.)

So, what is it? And how do you get it right?

There are a kajillion blog posts out there about voice, though I still think Megan Rebekah did it best. But I just found a visual example.

And that's about the time my brain exploded.

If you haven't seen the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, this probably won't mean anything to you. (Also--why haven't you seen it? Are you kidding me?)

For those of you who have, just imagine if the whole story had been told in this voice:

The creator, Joseph Brett, says this of his video: "My aim was to make it look more like an indie coming of age film; perhaps the kind of film Sofia Coppola or Godard might make."

He didn't create anything new. He didn't manufacture moments from the movie--this story is there in John Hughe's classic. He just used a new "voice" to show us another side of Ferris Bueller.

What do you guys think?

- Liz

Open Letters

2011-03-14T06:00:00.001-05:00

Dear Daylight Savings,

Welcome back! I'm so thrilled to see you again! Please don't go anywhere ever again!

Ecstatically,
Me

Dear Husband,

I'm quite certain snoring would be an extenuating circumstance at my trial. Just food for thought.

Love,

Dear Allergies,

I get it. You're here. I'm giving you all the goodies--the nose spray, the eyedrops, the humidifier. How do you keep coming up with new ways to torture me?

Go Away Please,
Me

Dear Powers-That-Be-Who-Shall-Remain-Nameless,

Ball's in your court, people. Just saying.

Patiently,
Me

In Which I Reveal My Weirdest Writing Trick

2011-03-11T05:00:00.004-06:00

One of the tips I have heard in about a zillion places as a writer is to vary your sentence structure. And that's a great piece of advice. But if you're blazing through the first draft, you might not be thinking about whether or not you led with the subject in every sentence on a page.

So, here's my simple trick:

I try to make sure neighboring paragraphs all start with different letters of the alphabet. I actually like all the paragraphs in any group of 5 to start with different letters. (Yes, I know, it's anal.)

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not aiming for all 26 letters to appear on every page. And sometimes I can't avoid using the same letter multiple times, especially in dialogue. But, it's a good goal, and it's kept me on my toes as I write.

When I'm really feeling inventive, I try to do it within long paragraphs as well. It's so much easier to look at one letter than the structure of each sentence. And I do so love to do things the easy way.

Any more lazy girl tricks for me?

- Liz

About "Real" Superpowers

2011-03-08T06:00:00.000-06:00

Even though I'd love to be an all-around empowered kind of girl, like Superman (as I've blogged about before), I know it's not possible. But I still believe that everyone has a superpower or two. They're just not the kind that comic books are made of.

My superpower is memorizing. Not so much the useful stuff, but the trivial. In particular--song lyrics. They stick like glue. Songs from my childhood. My mom's childhood. Hell, my grandfather's childhood. If I've heard it, I've still got it. My son has come to rely on me to have all of the songs from his favorite shows and movies memorized. He gets irritated when I don't. He also gets irritated when I can't recite his bedtime books from memory. I'm getting close, but my God, give a girl a chance. It's the entire bibliography of Dr. Seuss just for starters. (Current challenge: The Lorax.)

If I were an X-Man, my name would be Memorasma. Or maybe Recall.

My husband, on the other hand, has a different superpower. You know when you're watching a show and you think "Hey, isn't that that guy from that thing?" or "Man, she looks familiar." My husband actually knows who that is. Almost without fail. He can even recognize people who were child actors. Just last week we saw an episode of the show Raising Hope (never saw it before) and he said, of one of the main female characters, "She was the daughter from Parenthood."

All I could do was blink at him.

A quick search at IMDb.com confirmed his diagnosis, and also informed us that the movie came out in 1989. How the hell did he recognize her 22 years later? I don't know.

So as long as you're not real determined to save the world, superpowers can be found without much trouble.

What's yours?

- Liz

On Celebrating and Braggery

2011-02-28T06:00:00.001-06:00

I finally got my act together and joined my local chapter of the RWA (What up, WisRWA Milwaukee Chapter?!) And to my complete luck, our first meeting featured a talk by the delightful Isabel Sharpe, and she shared a piece of advice that has stuck with me for over a week. (To be fair, she heard it from someone else, but I am not a notetaker, so this is as close as you're going to get to an honest attribution).

"Always allow people to be happier for you than you are for yourself."

It took me a minute to digest, and I'll be happy to wait if you need to take a moment yourself. No, really...go ahead. I'll be here.

Back? Okay. So what does it mean? Well, there are two interpretations. The first is simple: be humble.

The second is more complex, but I think more applicable when the average person is suffering from the all-too-human urge to be less-than-humble. And here it is:

Do not be so happy for yourself that you become a bore.

As writers, we suffer from an overabundance of rejection. So those moments of approval can be precious. Hell, they can be balm to a ravaged soul depending on how long you've been at this. How can you not want to celebrate, right? Don't worry, you should. You absolutely should. Got an agent? Congratulations! Tell me the story! I love agent stories! Sold your manuscript? Amazing! Where? When is it coming out? I'm doing virtual cartwheels for you! Won the cover lottery? Color me jealous and give me the damn link already so I can drool appropriately!

But then, you need to calm yourself a bit. Don't crow. Don't tell us about every full manuscript request. Don't have a party for yourself every week on your blog after your book sells.

Let others do it for you. Because they will.

Now of course, this doesn't mean you should only mention it once and never speak of it again like it's some shameful part of your past. You need to promote yourself, of course. But that's a matter of timing, frequency and tone, at least in my humble opinion.

And there are some really delightful writers out there who are pulling off this perfect balance of self-promotion and humility. In fact, I'll give you a list of some of my favorite examples. You can check out their blogs and see what I mean:

Kiersten White - the humblest, most lovable New York Times Bestseller. Ever.

Stephanie Perkins - Steph works gobsmacked like nobody else. She got the love from John Green for God's sake. And you still want to squeeze her and bask in her glory.

Hannah Moskowitz - Hannah is the most earth-bound wunderkind you'll ever encounter. And she rocks her good news with charming swagger.

So if you can't be guided by my misattributed quote above, ask yourself: What would Kiersten/Stephanie/Hannah do?

Who are some of your on-line humility heroes?

- Liz

Regarding Valentine's Day and BlogFests

2011-02-11T06:00:00.001-06:00

A happy Friday to you all! Today, for the first time, I'm participating in a BlogFest. This one comes to us courtesy of the lovely ladies at Oasis for YA. And it's just the right thing to celebrate Valentine's Day. Every participant is putting a delicious 250-word morsel of swoony goodness from their YA Works-in-Progress.

Please go check out all the other participants' contributions. It's like a box of chocolates, only calorie-free and even more of an aphrodisiac.

I have to confess to a slight cheat here: this excerpt is from a completed work, but I haven't gotten to any swoon-worthy parts in any of my WIPs. Still--enjoy!

He rested his hand on my leg, tracing a circle around my kneecap with one finger. My skin was so cold from the walk home I could barely feel him touching me. The beer may have contributed to the numbness, for that matter. I concentrated on his hand until I could feel every cell that connected us. Nearly hypnotized, I raised my head and looked at him.

He leaned in and kissed me.

Matt was the third person I’d kissed since my sophomore year of high school. It felt so strange, and so exciting. A shiver ran through my back, and a giggle escaped my throat.

“What’s so funny?” he asked.

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop.”

He kissed me again, and my mouth twitched toward a smile again.

“What?” he pulled back.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry.” I tried to sober my face, but the giggles bubbled up again.

“You’re crazy,” Matt said with a smile. I clapped a hand over my mouth, snickering. “You wanna stop?” he offered.

“No,” I said immediately.

“Then shut up,” he teased in a low voice, making the insult sound sexy.

I let myself smile through the next kiss, but I managed to keep the nervous laughter at bay.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Yeah. Good.”

“Good.” He flashed a smile of his own at me, but it was brief. He had better things to do with his mouth.

We kissed for a long time, easing closer and closer. When Matt put his arms around me, he bumped into the wings of my costume. I pulled back and slid my arms out of the straps. Swinging the wings off, I smacked Matt in the head with one.

He flinched. “This must be why angels and devils don’t mix.”

I laughed. “It’s totally the wings,” I agreed.

On Getting MY AGENT

2011-02-07T08:24:00.000-06:00

**Many apologies to any of you who already came to this half-finished meme which posted automatically without my knowledge! I would never be such a jerk, I swear it!

Writers love How I Got My Agent stories as much as 20-somethings love proposal stories. And far be it from me to keep you all in suspense, so here is my story.

I started querying my latest project back on November 1, 2010 (I was hoping to slip into a lighter querying period while NaNoWriMo was going on). I started small, with 5 or so queries, and tried ever so hard to be patient. The responses were good! Of course, I got the expected rejections, but I was also getting requests. I was sending out partial and fulls with every appendage crossed and checking my email like I was getting paid by the 'Refresh.'

Finally, on a Friday in January, I got The E-mail. It was from a lovely agent who wanted to schedule a phone call with me for the following Tuesday. I read it, closed it, went back to what I was doing for a few minutes, came back, read it again and went on like that until I'd read the message about 4 times. Then, I was finally able to respond (with minimum exclamation points, I might add) and we set up a call for the following week.

I spent the weekend tied in knots trying to tell myself it could be a revise & resubmit call, but knowing in my heart it wasn't. We talked, and it went well. Very well, in fact. I was excited and dizzy when I got off the phone.

Like a good little writer who spends all her time reading blogs and Twitter, I knew my next move was to notify everyone who still had a manuscript. There were nine notifications in all, and they all promised to get back to me by my one week deadline (I couldn't stomach waiting for two. I would have imploded). A couple of them made me promise not to accept an offer before they could respond. And one, it turned out, had already read my partial just days before and was waiting for her second reader to finish it before asking for the full. She wanted the full ASAP.

On Friday of that week, I got my second call (from the agent who had read the partial and asked for the full). She'd stayed up to an ungodly hour finishing my manuscript and her second reader did the same the next day. Although my heart was slightly lower than my throat this time, I was still as nervous as they come as we talked. It was another great call, and that meant I had a very tough decision to make. I also had a few days to go until my deadline.

The day of my deadline was actually one of the best days I've had as a writer. Because although most of the remaining agents decided to step aside, they sent me some of the most complimentary and encouraging rejections I've ever received.

Ultimately, I had to base my decision on gut instinct. Who "got" my work better? Who had a more compelling vision of my future career as a writer? Who had more confidence she could sell my project?

It wasn't easy. Both agents who offered representation were great. The decision was a matter of degrees, and a certainly "feeling" I got during out phone call. Sending a message to the other agent declining her offer was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do.

So, it pleases me something fierce to announce that I have signed with Laura Bradford of The Bradford Literary Agency. Laura is amazing! (And you should totally follow her on Twitter if you don't already). She's funny, excited about my work and ready to dig into the submission process as soon as we can get everything ready. I am so happy to be working with her I could just burst!

Please wish me luck as I head into the next phase of my writing life!

- Liz

Regarding Inspiration and Sara Zarr

2011-02-03T16:17:00.000-06:00

Although I wasn't at the conference, I fell in love with Candy Gourlay's notes from Sara Zarr's keynote speech at SCBWI NYC last week.

Read it, be inspired.

Notes from the Slushpile: NYC 2011: Sara Zarr gives the speech that she wanted to hear: "Bits and Pieces"

- Liz

P.S. Who wants to hear about how I got my agent? Next post, maybe?

On the sticky subject of book reviewing

2011-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

Last night, I noticed a few comments on Twitter that were part of a larger #querychat. I don't know how it came up, or what the other commenters had to say, but literary agent Jill Corcoran made her case for not reviewing books on-line.

She discourages her clients from reviewing books on their blogs (I don't know about Goodreads) because she believes it serves no purpose except as a possible liability. Namely, if you don't like a book and you review it badly, and your book goes on sub to the publisher of that book, and the editor happens across your blog, what are they going to think about taking you on as a new writer?

It's a fair point.

And now it's got me wondering. Should I be posting reviews on Goodreads? Anywhere? A while back, I turned myself in knots over posting a negative review of a book anonymously. I know what goes into writing a book. Crawling through the slushpile of countless agents. Refining, refining, refining your manuscript. Clawing your way onto the desk of an editor. Getting the attention of a reader from the shelves of a bookstore or library. The odds are incredible. So, who am I, really, to say whether a book was good or not?

Certainly I'm entitled to my opinion. Even the most popular books/movies/songs/fashions/what have you don't resonate with everyone. But does it matter if I share that opinion?

I'm not going to digress into a tirade about the Internet making everyone feel entitled, blah blah blah. I'm blogging for God's sake, that would be nothing but flinging stones from the front porch of my glass house.

But it does make me wonder...

In the end, what is the benefit of posting book reviews?

- Liz

In which I count on others to do my job for me...

2011-01-18T06:00:00.001-06:00

My brain is soup.

I've come across many wonderful blog entries this week, so I'm just going to give you a round up. A Link-A-Palooza, if you will.

Hope you find something you didn't see before. Enjoy!

Melanie Benjamin is a frequent and wonderful contributor to The Huffington Post, and she has written two wonderful and thought-provoking entries recently that you should definitely make note of.

First, a discussion of book tours, and why new authors might want to avoid them.

Second, a humor look at the deals we as writers make with the universe if only...

Kate Messner wrote a poem on the occasion of the ALA Award announcements last week. It was meant to comfort friends who did not get the awards they hoped for, but it spoke to me as an unpublished writer who keeps on trying. THIS is why I write.

Then Lisa Schroeder reminded me that no matter where you are in the publishing spectrum, there is always someone doing better, and it's best to say "Oh Well."

The incomparable Victoria Strauss weighs in on the infamous First One Publishing contest, and helpfully rounds up all the other blog memes out that did their own weighing in when this cluster $@%& hit the Interwebz. Please--don't enter.

And finally, I've been in contact with a charming gentleman by the name of Johnny Dale this week. If you haven't heard of him, he is the author of The Darling Budds, which is a serialized novel posted on his very ownest website (which is gorgeous, by the way). He's amassing it into an e-book that he's "straight-up giving away." It's a boarding school, lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-bitchy book that actually breaks through those stereotypes to explore something real. Check it out.

Anyone else have some goodies to share?

- Liz

In which I discuss new beginnings of many types

2011-01-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

Happy 2011!

Where have I been for the last 10 days? Well, purging my house and cleaning like a house cleaning mad thing on mad house cleaning tablets. Seriously, it's awesome in here.

Which is good, because I'm about to start working from home. How do you like them apples? I like 'em just fine, especially with a little caramel to dip them in. It's a good news, bad news thing--as these things so often are--because the reason I'm about to start working from home is I went ahead and lost my not-at-home job. (Such a weird expression, like my job slipped out of my pocket on my way home, or I'll turn it up next time I pull of the sofa cushions). But I digress...

The query hunt has been fruitful these last few weeks. I'm running at about a 30% request rate for all the replies I've gotten thus far, and that my friends, is nothing to sneeze at. (And speaking of weird expressions, do people sneeze at things they disdain in real life?) I'm really hopeful that this is going to be THE ONE that lands me an agent. We'll see, won't we?

The red ones make it look
like the tub is bleeding, too,
which is fun!

The other night I was in the shower when an idea struck me like a bolt from the blue, as these things so often do in the shower. So now I have a new tip for you from one writer to another: If you do not have children, or your children are grown, you should STILL have bath markers in your shower, because you can make notes all over the wall while your brain is full of suds and steam and all other good things shower-related. Then you can take pictures of them with your trust iPhone and never worry you'll forget what came to you in the shower again. So there you go.

Finally, I would like to pimp four blogs to you.

1. My friend Jane is new to the writing world, finding her way and feeling a bit of a fool for not knowing what to do with this on-line world of writerliness. Feel free to stop by and give her some newbie lovin'.

2. This is the story of someone in my family's death and subsequent illegal burial. I will be no more specific. And don't worry, it happened a long time ago, so I'm not looking for sympathy. Quite frankly, it's HIGH-larious.

3. Speaking of HIGH-larious. Hyperbole and a Half's latest blog is a story I could so picture happening in my family, specifically to my son, in fact, that I had to share it.

4. My critique group, the erstwhile Inkslingers, have started a new project--tiny little writing prompts that we're all going to answer in a very tiny way every few weeks. It's a casual affair, but I'd love you all to play along! Everyone is welcome. See the rules, written by yours truly, to join us.

How's by you, blog followers and casual readers? Anyone else got some new beginnings to share for this cold January night?

- Liz

Booklist 2010

2010-12-31T12:51:00.001-06:00

This is the first year that I've kept track of all the books I've read for a year. Turns out, I average a book a week. Not bad! I also decided to keep track of all the books I read to my son at bedtime because, heck--I'm reading them, right? Plus, I like the idea of knowing what he's reading. Turns out, he outpaced me, and he's only 3 years old. Hmm. A future voracious reader, methinks.

My List
1. The Key to the Golden Firebird - Maureen Johnson

2. The Gate House - Nelson DeMille

3. Devilisih - Maureen Johnson

4. Interior Desecrations - James Lileks

5. Practical Demonkeeping - Christopher Moore

6. Names My Sisters Call Me - Megan Crane

7. Break - Hannah Moskowitz

8. Going Bovine - Libba Bray

9. Under the Dome - Stephen King

10. Speak - Laurie Halse Anderson

11. Looking for Alaska - John Green

12. Art Geeks & Prom Queens - Alyson Noel

13. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

14. Sizzling Sixteen - Janet Evanovich

15. Dirty Little Secrets - Cynthia Omololu

16. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

17. Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

18. Conversations with the Fat Girl - Liza Palmer

19. My Life As A Doormat - Rene Gutteridge

20. Struts and Frets - Jon Skovron

21. The Sky Is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson

22. The Lion - Nelson DeMille
23. Rules of Attraction - Bret Easton Ellis*
24. English as a Second Language - Megan Crane
25. Magic Under Glass - Jaclyn Dolamore
26. Stray - Rachel Vincent
27. Kissing Kate - Lauren Myracle
28. Just Listen - Sarah Dessen
29. Suite Scarlett - Maureen Johnson
30. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
31. The Charm School - Nelson DeMille
32. A Love Story: Starring My Dead Best Friend - Emily Horner
33. How to Say Goodbye in Robot - Natalie Stadisford
34. Castration Celebration - Jake Wizner
35. If I Stay - Gayle Formann
36. Mommy Knows Worst - James Lileks
37. Paranormalcy - Kiersten White
38. The Boyfriend List: 15 Guys, 11 Shrink Appointments, 4 Ceramic Frogs, and Me, Ruby Oliver - e. lockhart
39. Jellicoe Road - Melina Marchetta
40. Paper Towns - John Green
41. The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - e. lockhart
42. Bloodthirsty - Flynn Meany
43. The Boy Book (a study of habits and behaviors, plus techniques for taming them) - e. lockhart
44. Feeling Sorry for Celia - Jaclyn Moriarty
45. Vegan Virgin Valentine - Carolyn Mackler
46. Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature - Robin Brande
47. What My Mother Doesn't Know - Sonya Sones
48. So Yesterday - Scott Westerfeld
49. If We Kiss - Rachel Vail
50. Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins
51. Liar - Justine Larbalastier
52. The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty

53. Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins (this one is out of order)

*couldn't finish it because I hated every character in the entire book and felt no sympathy for any of them

My Son's List
1. Harold and the Purple Crayon - Crockett Johnson
2. Harold's Fairy Tale - Crockett Johnson
3. Harold's ABC - Crockett Johnson
4. Harold's Trip to the Sky - Crockett Johnson
5. Harold at the North Pole - Crockett Johnson
6. Harold and the Purple Crayon: Race Car - Liza Baker
7. Harold and the Purple Crayon: Under the Sea - Crockett Johnson
8. Harold and the Purple Crayon: Dinosaur Days - Liza Baker
9. Blue's Perfect Present - Kitty Fross
10. Blue's Sharing Surprise - Tish Rabe
11. Where is Polka Dots? - Samantha Berger
12. Oh, The Places You'll Go - Dr. Seuss
13. The Cat in the Hat - Dr. Seuss
14. Fox in Socks - Dr. Seuss
15. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Dr. Seuss
16. Happy Birthday to You - Dr. Seuss
17. Hop on Pop - Dr. Seuss
18. Thidwick the Big Hearted Moose - Dr. Seuss
19. Toot & Puddle: Let It Snow - Holly Hobbie
20. Olivia - Ian Falconer
21. One Monday Morning - Uri Schulevitz
22. Snow - Uri Schulevitz
23. Curious George Rides a Bike - H.A. Rey
24. Cuddle! - Beth Shoshan
25. The Big Tidy Up - Norah Smaridge
26. The Sneeches and Other Stories - Dr. Seuss
27. I Went Walking - Sue Williams
28. Goodnight Gorilla - Peggy Rathman
29. There's a Wocket in My Pocket - Dr. Seuss
30. My First Halloween - Tomie dePaola
31. Morris's Disappearing Bag - Rosemary Wells
32. Noisy Nora - Rosemary Wells
33. Bedtime for Francis - Russell Hoban
34. How the Sun Was Brought Back to the Sky - Mirra Ginsburg
35. Green Eggs and Ham - Dr. Seuss
36. Dr. Seuss's ABC - Dr. Seuss
37. The Poky Little Puppy - Janet Sebring Lowrey
38. Mess Monsters - Beth Shoshan
39. Mess Monsters in the Garden - Beth Shoshan
40. Mess Monsters at Christmas - Beth Shoshan
41. The Going to Bed Book - Sandra Boynton
42. Doggies - Sandra Boynton
43. Pajama Time! - Sandra Boynton
44. Your Personal Penguin - Sandra Boynton
45. Underwear Do's and Don'ts - Todd Parr
46. The Potty Book - For Boys - Alyssa Satin Capucilli
47. Toot and Puddle - Holly Hobbie
48. Toot and Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas - Holly Hobbie
49. Curious George's Christmas Countdown - Tish Rabe
50. Olivia: Snow Day - Farrah McDoogle
51. Curious George and the Puppies
52. Curious George Visits the Aquarium
53. Curious George Visits a Chocolate Factory
54. Curious George at the Toy Story
55. Curious George Makes Pancakes
56. Curious George's Dinosaur Discovery

Overall, this was a great year of reading. I found some wonderful stories out there. Can't wait to get my hands on some more debuts for 2011!

Happy Reading!

- Liz

Lessons from the Trenches: Practical Query Tips

2010-12-14T14:21:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Getty Images.

Sure, you can find endless blog posts from Agents, Publishers, Writers both Published and Unpublished on how to query. What makes a good query letter? How do I know which agents to query? What not to do with your query letter. It's all been covered. Maybe someday I'll amass you all a nice omnibus list of great query resources.

But, as I have recently become a querying machine, I have a few more practical tips. Things you might not think of when you're starting out writing your letters. Things that will make your life easier.

THINGS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY

1. Create a Draft Query: No matter what e-mail program you use (I use G-mail) there should be a place to save a draft. Put your query letter in that spot without anyone in the To: field. Why? Because e-mail programs sometimes do some quirky formatting stuff, and if you get it all right the first time, you can copy and paste it into a new message whenever you're ready.

2. File Names: Save your completed manuscript with a properly formatted cover page (in Word 97/2000 format, please--a.k.a. .doc NEVER EVER EVER .docx). In the header, put your e-mail address on the left side. On the right side of the header put TITLE / PAGE NUMBER. I personally put my last name on the right side as well, but to each his own. Just make sure you've got contact information available all the time. Name the file LastName_ManuscriptTitle_Full Manuscript

3. Other Essential Files: From the completed manuscript, create a new document for each of the following:

The first 3 chapters
The first chapter
The first 50 pages
The first 5 pages
The first 10 pages

4. The E-mail Ready Format: When you've got your first chapter (or 10 pages, 3 chapters, whatever you've got the ambition for) saved. Save it as a new document. Select all, right click and use Paragraph to single space it. Then, go through the WHOLE thing and put an extra return after every paragraph. You absolutely must do this manually, even through Paragraph lets you do it the easy way. Why? Because then you can just copy and paste it into the body of an e-mail without making your recipient go blind at the massive block of text.

5. Memorize This: If you've saved a longer portion in the E-mail Ready format, memorize where your 1, 3, 5, and 10 page breaks are.

6. Get the Greeting Right: When you create a new message for your query, CHANGE THE NAME IN THE SALUTATION TO THE PERSON YOU ARE SENDING IT TO BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE.

7. Join QueryTracker: The free version will do you just fine unless you start juggling a lot of projects. Create a list of agents and keep it updated. Do your fellow QTers a favor and put in a new comment when you get results from a query.

8. Check For Yourself: When you use QueryTracker, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS go to the agency's actual website and double check the submission guidelines. Follow those. Even if they're not up-to-date, you can't be faulted for following an agent's own guidelines.

9. Be A Google Genius: While on QueryTracker, each agent page has a list of links to the left. Click on the Google link. But don't stop there. Change your search to include "agent interview" and probably get rid of the agency name in the search. Why? Agents don't always stay at the same agency, or agency's merge, change names, etc. Their personalities and tastes don't really change though. There's gold in them thar interviews.

10. Save It All for Later: Create a folder in your e-mail program for Query-related messages. Whenever you get one--even form rejections--save them to this folder. Why? Because if you are querying the same agent in the future, you can look back and see what kind of personalization you wrote the first time. You can see if you got a form rejection or personalized rejection. If you got something personalized, you might be able to mention it in the future. You never know what might be useful.

Will these tips help you get an agent? Not if your story's not ready. Not if you're chasing a dead trend (and believe me, I know all about that one). Not if you query the wrong agents for your book. But, they will help you be professional, efficient and avoid being a #pubtip on Twitter.

Does anyone else have a great querying tip? Share it in the comments.

- Liz

The World's Worst Blogger

2010-12-13T10:13:00.000-06:00

I've been a querying machine lately. It seems like all I do is research agents, write letters and save small segments of my books in every imaginable page length, document type and font size.

In the midst of all that querying, I read a lot of agent blogs, submission guidelines, FAQs, Writers' Resources and the like. A lot of them talk about what kind of on-line presence they like writers to have. Most of them mention a blog.

Some are kind enough to tell you what they don't like to see in a blog. Namely: infrequent posting.

Uh...yeah.

Being the insecure little unpub'd writer that I am, I--of course--interpret this to mean: "Liz, you don't post enough on your blog, and even if I were interested in offering you representation, one little google search would have me thinking otherwise, because here you are NOT POSTING ON YOUR BLOG."

True.

So, now I wonder--is having a bad blog worse than having no blog? And if so, what do I do now?

I'll tell you one thing--this place needs a cosmetic overhaul. I've got blog ennui. It's ugly here and recent attempts to snapify it up have resulted in making it uglier. It's like I got an ugly house and covered it in a coat of builder's white. Blech.

New Year's Resolution perhaps? Perhaps.

What do you guys think: Is a bad blog worse than no blog?

- Liz

I Am Thankful For... (Writer's Edition)

2010-11-24T06:00:00.006-06:00

1. My family

2. My friends

3. The fact that my mind remains

intact even while my body is being insane

4. Good books

5. The ability to read them

6. The fact that my high school

required me to learn touch-typing

7. My laptop

8. The wonderful people I have met

through blogging and Twitter

9. My crit group, The Inkslingers

10. My amazing, incomparable beta readers

What are you thankful for?

- Liz

Interview and Contest Announcement

2010-11-15T09:40:00.000-06:00

My very good friend, amazing critique partner, and soon-to-be bigshot published author J.A. Souders did an interview with one of her favorite authors, Rachel Vincent at The Oasis for YA blog. Go, read a great interview, leave a secret in the comments and get a chance to win the first book in Rachel's Soul Screamers series. What could be easier?

Click here: Interview with Rachel Vincent

Happy Monday!

- Liz

What I Did On My Blogger Vacation

2010-11-08T08:38:00.001-06:00

I've been gone from here. A lot. As usual, no small part of it has to do with me being an infrequent blogger. But for once, I have a decent reason, too.

In October, I accidentally did my own personal NaNoWriMo.

See, I was plodding along through a decent project that I like, and I'm still fond of, but it just wasn't coming easily. Meanwhile, I was struck with inspiration in one of those bolt-from-the-blue moments.

I have an older project that has made the querying rounds with lots of requests, lots of positive feedback, but no offers. A lot of "great writing, not enough of a hook," "love your characters, love your dialogue, but this plot isn't original enough to be a debut." Which was really hard at the time, because I love those characters, too, and I felt like they weren't getting a fair shake (from their story, not from the agents).

Now, over a year later, I finally had my Aha! moment: I was telling the story from the wrong character's perspective. The idea stayed with me, and all but stalled progress on my other work-in-progress.

"I'll just write a few pages to get the basic premise down," I thought. "Get that first scene out of my head so I can concentrate on the other one."

Twenty-two days and 74,000 words later, it was done.

And it feels right. My wonderful crit partners have already given me the thumbs up and the first 50 pages have been through the ringer in my crit group. If I had a Magic 8 Ball, it would be reading 'All Signs Point to Yes.'

It doesn't feel like a first draft, or even a second, third or fourth. It feels like the final edits on the story I told a long time ago. I guess it just took a year, a leave of absence from work, and that final spark to give me the chance to absorb all the input I got on the query trail last time.

So, I'm not doing NaNo this year. I need a break! My wonderful friend Ryan made me my very own certificate though, for doing my personal NaNo a month early. It's at the top of this post. Pretty awesome right?

Fingers crossed, people! And for those of you doing NaNo--It can be done. Trust me!

- Liz

Lessons From the Weekend

2010-10-18T08:43:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, I went to a wedding. It was a lovely affair, peopled by friends from college. Lots of fun had by all.

In the course of the evening, I talked to a friend who, when I asked what he was doing now, replied, "Writing, teaching and traveling." I was struck by his priorities, but first asked about his teaching. Then, I bucked up and asked about his writing. He is a screenwriter in L.A. who has an agent, and is currently making the rounds at studios, trying to sell one of his projects.

I decided to take his example and be bold. I told him about my own writing, my search for an agent, and the poor market for my kind of stories right now. We talked shop for a while, discussing crit partners and sharing your work and the fact that "writing is rewriting."

He told me in L.A. lots of people say they are writers just because they have an idea. They've never put a word on paper. I've heard a lot about this on the Interwebz--that the distinguishing feature of writers is that they write. But this was the first time I ran into someone who had experience with it firsthand.

I consider myself lucky to be surrounded by such an active community of writers, on Twitter, on my blog and in my critique group. And I wanted to give all of you props for getting out that and doing it everyday. Writers write, my friends, and you guys do that.

Write on.

- Liz

Link-a-Palooza

2010-10-06T06:00:00.002-05:00

It's been a while, so I thought I'd give you all a round-up of some of the great stuff I've stumbled onto through Twitter and my own procrastinating. Them interwebs is the greatest thing to EVAH happen to procrastination.

Blogs to read:

Ten Commandments for Working with Your Agent from Steven Laub's blog.

250 Chances from the Storyflip blog. A fine piece on the importance of the first 250 words of your story, and how to screw it up.

No Exceptions from the Aspiring Mama blog, in which Pauline Campos reminds us to keep going even after our delicate little egos have been given the reality smackdown.

Soulless Turns One in which Gail Carriger gives you the blow-by-blow of real life after you make a sale. Fascinating, detailed and invaluable for those of us who obsess about what happens next.

Websites to check out:

BookSwim turns out to be the Netflix of reading, and I don't know how I'm just learning about it's existence. For a very reasonable rate, you can get all kinds of booky goodness delivered to your door, read at your leisure, and return books in pre-paid envelopes. Sounds like a great Christmas gift for the book nerds in your life.

In related news, I also just learned you can enter to win free ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of books from GoodReads. Like, for free. All you have to do is be a member, and if you're not a member, you should be. No easier way to store the ol' To-Read list. And now that they have an iPhone app, you'll never get to the library or bookstore without your list again.

Video Goodness:

The Dictionary of Jack: Literally in which Jack discusses the abuses of the word literally in the English language.

And speaking of abusing language--here's Hank Green's STOP EMBARRASSING YOURSELF on the vlogbrother's vlog. If you haven't already discovered the wonder of the vlogbrothers, now would be a great time to start!

And then, for a dose of fun: Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake do A History of Rap backed up by The Roots and just plain tickle the hell out of me. Go enjoy! (You'll want speakers)

Find anything good lately? Share it in the comments!

- Liz

More About Me Monday - Stupid Human Tricks Edition

2010-10-04T09:19:00.000-05:00

I found an article about things that most people can't do, no matter how hard they try. (This is the article, if you're interested.) I've heard these called Stupid Human Tricks, and I think it's because people look so stupid trying to do the things they can't. Those who can only look marginally stupid. Or really cool, in the case of my number one stupid human trick.

So here's my list of Stupid Tricks:

1. Raise one eyebrow. Only the left, but I'm darn good at it.

2. Licking my own elbow. I practically get a tongue cramp doing it, but I can do it.

3. Rolling my tongue. Much to my non-rolling husband's dismay.

4. Sneeze with my eyes open. I've only done it while driving and it's not pleasant.

5. Tickle myself. On occasion, only along my ribs. Very embarrassing if done in front of someone else.

6. Touch my elbow to my opposite shoulder.

7. While lying on my back, rest on my knees on my shoulders. I can actually put them on the bed beside me, under my arms.

8. Pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. And the reverse, actually.

What's your stupid human trick?

- Liz

And the Winners Are...

2010-10-01T10:04:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my contest. Since everyone had a great idea about a way to share these challenged books with at least one other person, everyone who entered had a chance to win.

I assigned everyone a number and used a randomizer to choose my three winners. They are:

1st prize: Crystal

2nd prize: Stephanie S. Kuehn

3rd prize: Kristan

Congratulations, ladies!

I'll be contacting each winner by e-mail (hopefully I can reach you all!). Crystal gets first choice of the three books, then Stephanie, and Kristan gets whatever is left.

Hope you all enjoyed this contest! At the end of the year, I may hold another one to give away some of the great books I've read this year. Stay tuned!

- Liz

Book Giveaway Contest UPDATE

2010-09-29T09:04:00.000-05:00

In light of a rather spectacular lack of interest in the contest so far, I'm going to suspend choosing winners until Friday (October 2, 2010 for those of you more date-minded folks). There's still plenty of time to enter!

See yesterday's post for full details, and to enter in the comments.

Rule refresher:

1. To enter, become a follower on the blog, and make a comment on this blog entry. Bonus points if you Tweet or Facebook about it. Just tell me in your comment.

Here's the twist: In the comments, please tell me if you plan to share this banned book with anyone. You could lend to a friend, donate to your library, leave it in the dressing room at a clothing store--the possibilities are endless. Be creative, and be sure to tell me about it.
You can still win, even if you plan to keep the book. Just lend it to a friend, okay?

2. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I will use go through the entries to look for the best ideas (Hey, it's my blog, I get to be the judge.) The top five will go into a randomizer and the winner will be notified.

3. Wednesday's winner gets to choose from the three books available, Thursday's chooses from the remaining two, and Friday's gets whatever is left.

4. Oh, and I'm not rich, so let's restrict winners to the U.S. and Canada, please!

Spread the word and win a book!

- Liz

Losing My Contest Virginity

2010-09-28T09:44:00.001-05:00

In Honor of Banned Books Week (September 25, 2010-October 2, 2010) I am holding my very first blog contest! Are you shivering with anticipation or what?

Let's get down to the nitty-gritty.

I have three (count them, 3!) banned or challenged books to give away this week, but it only takes one entry to win.

The prizes:

SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson

Well, we should all know why this one was challenged. If not, please see either of my blog posts (here and here) relating to the recent controversy.

LOOKING FOR ALASKA by John Green

Challenged in 2008 for sexually explicit situations. I've also heard complaints about the teenage characters' use of "bad" language, cigarettes and alcohol.

DEENIE by Judy Blume

Challenged in 2004 and 2005 for passages that deal frankly with masturbation.

(Note: My copy is NOT new. It's got the cover seen to the left and was already old when I obtained it lo those many years ago. Original copyright 1972)

The rules:
1. To enter, become a follower on the blog, and make a comment on this blog entry. Bonus points if you Tweet or Facebook about it. Just tell me in your comment.

Here's the twist: In the comments, please tell me if you plan to share this banned book with anyone. You could lend to a friend, donate to your library, leave it in the dressing room at a clothing store--the possibilities are endless. Be creative, and be sure to tell me about it.

You can still win, even if you plan to keep the book. Just lend it to a friend, okay?

2. On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, I will use go through the entries to look for the best ideas (Hey, it's my blog, I get to be the judge.) The top five will go into a randomizer and the winner will be notified.

3. Wednesday's winner gets to choose from the three books available, Thursday's chooses from the remaining two, and Friday's gets whatever is left.

4. Oh, and I'm not rich, so let's restrict winners to the U.S. and Canada, please!

Easy, right?

So, tweet it, blog it, Facebook it--spread the word. Books for free. All you need is a mailing address and some creativity.

Have fun. Even if you don't enter, please read a challenged book this week. It's good for the soul.

- Liz

And the People who #speakloudly better than me...

2010-09-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Melanie at Reclusive Bibliophile has taken on the impressive task of collecting all of the responses to the attack on Break. You'll find her list, full of lovely, talented people who made a lot more sense in their responses than I did. In particular, I'd draw your attention to Myra McEntire, who brings the pain to Mr. Scroggins as one of his fellow Christians in such a dreamy way she almost makes me want to join her church.

Here's the list. Read, get loud.

- Liz

#SpeakLoudly for SPEAK

2010-09-19T10:22:00.000-05:00

This morning, I woke to find Laurie Halse Anderson posting on Twitter about an attack on her book, SPEAK. Please go here to read her blog about it. It's got my blood boiling, so I had to do what I can.

The man in question, Dr. Wesley Scoggins, is a associate professor of management at Missouri State University. In his letter to the editor, he derides all manner of things, but the thrust of his argument is that public schools should not expose children to inappropriate sexual material. On it's face, it's not a bad argument, but it's the things he's opposed to that have my hackles up.

He wants Kurt Vonnegut's SLAUGHTERHOUSE FIVE banned as well (and according to the editor's note at the end, it has been), which is a topic I can't even handle right now. Vonnegut? VONNEGUT?! Are you KIDDING me? But I'll leave that self-evident and focus on Anderson's work.

SPEAK is a beautifully written, honest, often funny, often heartbreaking story of a 15 year-old girl who is universally hated at her high school because she called the cops during an end-of-summer party, thereby ruining everyone's fun. The narrator, Melinda, take the bulk of the book to reveal that she called the police not because she's a consummate party pooper, but because she was raped at the party. Melinda is paralyzed with fear and finds herself unable to tell anyone what happened to her. It takes her an entire year to find the courage while she suffers through depression, withdrawl and social isolation.

SPEAK has helped hundreds, probably thousands, of young women and men find the courage to speak out about their own experiences with sexual assault. It's an important work that tells teenagers the truth. It is NOT as, Scoggins suggests, soft-core pornography.

I'm sickened at the thought that his protests will be met with anything but dismissal. Rape happens. It happens to Christians, too, Mr. Scoggins. And it won't go away if we don't talk about it.

Do what you can to fight those who would stop you from reading what you want to read. If a book offends you, you don't have to read it. But I don't think it's anyone's right to decide what's available to everyone else.

*Dismounting soapbox.*

Thanks.

- Liz

My Not-So-Secret Shame

2010-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Remember this?

Well, that's me watching the replay of the Glee finale last night.

But here's why it's so weird: I'm not all that invested in the characters on the show. Don't get me wrong--I enjoy the show. The characters are not without their charm. But the reason I watch it is for the singing.

I. Love. Choirs.

And they make me cry. Almost without fail.

I used to be able to control it. I used to be in a choir, for God's sake. A Swing Choir. Which is a lot like a Show Choir or a Glee Club. At the time, I would have fought you to the death for saying it was the same. We wore no sequins! We sang jazz standards! We were acapella or accompanied by only one piano! Our choreography didn't suck! But, really, it was Show Choir. And I used to be able to sing all those songs without bawling.

As the years have passed, I have slowly become afflicted with a need to cry whenever I hear beautiful choral music. In fact, I see my own Swing Choir about once a year at a Christmas performance, and I spend the whole time glassy-eyed and quivery-lipped. It's pathetic.

I cry in the car all during the Christmas season. I cry virtually every episode of Glee. I cannot explain it.

But I do have greater sympathy for that pathetic little Sanjaya fan than I did at the time.

Does Glee make you cry?

- Liz

Open Letters

2010-09-10T08:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Friday,

Thursday was not forthcoming with the sleep. You're going to have to make do with caffeine and sugar. Starting tonight, we're going on a sleep hygiene diet--promise.

Zzzzzz,
Me

Dear Fall,

I think you know that you and I haven't exactly been friends in the past. I hate the cold, and really it's all you have to offer. Your pollen and mold, while I'm sure delightful in an Earth-renewing kind of way, make my eyes itch and my nose drip. I appreciate the earlier sunsets a little, because my son is much more willing to go to bed when it's dark, but if we could somehow negotiate for a permanent 8:00pm set time, that would be great. Also, if you want to put a cap on the cold weather in the 60-something range, I would be willing to reconsider my position on you as an all-around harbinger of suck to come.

With Hope,
Me

Dear WIP,

Let's pick up the pace. We've done a lot more than this in a lot less time before. You're just embarrassing me. I'll bring the chocolate chip cookies and the fingers, you bring the work ethic.

Love,
Me

Dear Zit on my Forehead,

Can we be done now?

Thanks,
Me

Twitter Is...

2010-09-08T06:00:00.022-05:00

a C.B. radio

a bathroom wall

a confessional

an ad hoc psychiatrist

the hive mind

the lazy man's research tool

a note passed in class

the margins of your notebook

a waiting room

a news channel

a suggestion box

the complaint department

a whisper in the dark

a giggle in Church

the echo off a canyon wall

a booster club

addicting

What did I miss?

- Liz

Weekend Roundup

2010-09-06T08:23:00.000-05:00

I spent too long trying to
figure out if the two pics were
the same girl.

I was pleasantly surprised by Rachel Hawkins's Hex Hall. I'm not an enormous paranormal fan, so I was expecting to find it acceptable, but not much more. Instead, the voice made me drool with envy. And the plot, while somewhat predictable, threw me a few twists that made me appreciate Hawkins's skill. All in all, a big thumbs up and I'm looking forward to Demonglass.

My pathetic blogging efforts continue to be sporadic. I have a great plan for a blog, but I can't find the video I need on-line, so it's not coming quickly. Grr.

Bender. HA!

Yesterday's "Futurama" marathon made me so freakin' happy it was a little pathetic. Personally, I think it's the funniest cartoon on television--and yes, that includes "The Simpsons," "Family Guy," and "South Park."

My work on Chronic (still hate that title) is starting to pick up a bit. Working on Chapter 8 right now, of an anticipated 24, so a third of the way done, I guess! How crazy is that? It does, however, mean I am just about to enter the dreaded Middle of the Book (cue suspenseful chord progression--duh-duh, DUHN!) so prepare for me to hate everything about it and think I'm a big fat hack.

On the query front, things are quiet. Unfortunately, no news is not usually good news in the agenting world. Especially when some of the agents in question are "No response means 'No'" people. Right now, I've only got one lonely partial out in the world, but you just never know which one is going to be The One, right? Right? Hello? Is this thing on?

J.A. Souders - who will probably want to
kill me for putting her picture here

My friend J.A. Souders is having a big ol' contest over at her blog. She's giving away all kinds of goodies, from books to manuscript critiques and all you have to do is follow her blog. Easy, peasy! So go do it.

So, how was your weekend?

- Liz

Check Out My Fancy Cover!

2010-08-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to work with the astonishingly talented Wilette Youkey on a for-fun cover for my project, The Sorbet Guy.

Check it out!!

So cute, right?!

Wilette is fabulous to work with, quick and obviously wicked good at what she does. She asked me questions about what my characters look like, any important symbols in the book, and for examples of book covers that I like.

What we ended up with was this chalkboard-based motif that tickles me no end.

If you want to see more of Wilette's amazing work, or see about using her services for a cover of your own, please check out her website. You won't regret it.

I'm gonna go gaze at my cover and smile goofily for a while.

- Liz

Author Bios, or One More Annoying Thing To Do Before You Get Published

2010-08-18T15:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the lovely C.A. Marshall wrote an excellent blog about author bios. That's the little blurb about the author at the end of the book. For those of you who don't know, the authors write those themselves. It's all part of the package that an agent sends out to editors when you are "out on sub." (A place I'd dearly like to be.)

Yeah, that's right, after you've already tied yourself in knots over condensing your magnum opus into a two paragraph tease for your query, after you've suffered the slings and arrows of making a three-hundred page epic into a three-page synopsis that somehow manages to retain all the wit and wonder of your manuscript all while telling the cut-and-dry beginning middle and end of your story, you now have to talk about yourself in the third person. And be interesting.

Good luck with that, right?

As is so often the case, this is a topic that seems to be swirling around the blogosphere of late. Literary agent Natalie Fischer inaugurated her blog with a post that had a great tip about writing the dreaded Bio. To whit:

Bio:

(name) lives in (state) with her (husband/cat/parrot). An avid writer, she spends her days (job), and

contributes to (blog/magazine/newspaper). (Title) was a (second/first/third) place winner in the (contest).

(name) is currently hard at work on her next project, (wip).

Okay, so maybe that doesn't seem so hard. But some of my favorite author bios have some sparkle. Who doesn't want sparkle? (Damn you, Twilight for ruining that word for me.)

Cassandra's blog contains some really excellent examples of bios from books she's enjoyed. I added one of my favorites in her comments section, so I won't bother you all with rewriting that.

I figured I would try my hand at this bio business. You know, better be prepared for the inevitable, right? (Dig me and my power of positive thinking.) So here we go.

Simple version:

Liz Czukas lives in Wisconsin with her husband, son and cat. The Sorbet Guy is her first novel. An avid writer, she spends her days as a nurse and her nights hard at work on her next project, Chronic.

*THUD* (That was the sound of me putting myself to sleep and hitting my head on the desk.)

Vampire-free Sparkle Version:

Liz Czukas lives outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin with her husband, son and the world's loudest, fattest cat. The Sorbet Guy is her first novel. During the day, she maintains her secret identity as a labor & delivery nurse. At night, she spends all of her time writing, using the Internet to turn her brain to a well-informed soup and devouring as much pop culture as she can get her hands on. Liz is hard at work on her next project, Chronic, due out from [fill in publisher here] in 2013. She loves visitors at www.lizczukas.com, but makes no promises about refreshments.

So which one do you like better?

If any of you writer types want to share your bio in the comments, please do! Maybe we can all help each other be sparkly sparkle sparks. *Yurp!* I think I just made myself throw up in my mouth a little.

- Liz

Testing, Testing...Is this Thing On?

2010-08-16T15:54:00.000-05:00

Me for the last month

So how do you account for a near-month absence? I have no idea. I've put myself in a kind of suspended animation in late. There are happenings in my life I could blame, but what it boils down to is the same--I simply haven't been blogging. I don't know all of the reasons why, and I don't know if I'll be keeping up in the future any better than I have in the past three weeks.

For now, I'll give you all some updates, if you're interested.

1. Still at work on my new work-in-progress, which is still titled Chronic, much to my dismay.

2. Still waiting to hear from a whole lotta agents on my most recent batch of queries.

3. I've been reading like a fiend lately, and I would highly recommend all of these to people:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson, and English As A Second Language by Megan Crane.

4. Next week, Mockingjay comes out, and I'm so excited I might pee a little.

5. My son started preschool last week (just a two week summer session before the real thing in fall) and it was heartbreaking, and exhilarating. The handful of hours to myself each week stretch out before me like the most delicious buffet you've ever seen.

I'd love to promise that I'll be around more, but I just can't. My own laziness knows no bounds. In the meantime, know that I appreciate every one of you that comes to read, whether or not I know about it.

So what have you all been up to?

- Liz

Like Hats Upon Your Crazy Heads

2010-07-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

I recently developed a raging writer crush on Jandy Nelson (whose novel The Sky Is Everywhere should be at the top of your to-read list). On her website, she features several quotes she loves. This one grabbed me by both shoulders and hauled me up to the stratosphere.

So today, all I want to do is share it with you. Please enjoy.

“To sum it all up, if you want to write, if you want to create, you must be the most sublime fool that God ever turned out and sent rambling. You must write every single day of your life. You must write dreadful dumb books and glorious books, and let them wrestle in beautiful fights inside your head, vulgar one moment, brilliant the next. You must lurk in libraries and climb the stacks like ladders to sniff books like perfume and wear books like hats upon your crazy heads. I wish for you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon you. May you live with hysteria, and out of it make fine stories—science fiction or otherwise. Which means, may you be in love every day for the next 20,000 days. And out of that love, remake a world.”

–Ray Bradbury

Are you feeling deliciously mad now?

- Liz

Vacation Round-Up

2010-07-17T08:46:00.003-05:00

(I'm totally waving at you from the beach)

Things I Did Right

1. Stopped at Walgreen's to get some "I know he'll eat this" stuff for the three-year-old on the way to the hotel.

2. Packed the perfect amount of toys and managed to bring them all home in almost the same condition.

3. Didn't overpack my own clothes for once.

Things I Did Wrong

1. Got sunburned, but only on my left shoulder.

2. Didn't drink enough water because I'm a cheapskate who wouldn't pay $4 for a bottle of Fiji water, thank you very much.

3. Shouted the word Pornography! in a ballroom full of my husband's business colleagues. (I had a good reason, I swear)

Things I Learned

1. My three-year-old is a better traveler than I would have given him credit for.

2. The contents of an adult stomach can fit neatly into a disposable kid's cup in an emergency.

3. There is NOTHING GOOD in walking distance from the Ritz-Carlton in Manalapan, Florida.

Obligatory Weird Vacation Occurrences

1. Met a reality-TV star.

2. Tripped over a highway in the ocean.

3. Landed at an airport with no radar.

It's good to be home.

How was your week?

- Liz