Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Writer's Wednesday: Where in the World are Crit Partners?


On my own blog Monday I wrote about how awesome my crit partners are and how it's essential to have a good working relationship with your crit partners because they tend to do much more than just critique your work. 

Well, throughout yesterday, I got a few emails and a comment on the post asking me where I found my CPs and is there anywhere I recommend going for them.  And it got me thinking that it might be worthwhile to do a post about that. I know when I was looking for CPs, I was at a loss to where to find one.  So, I hope you'll bear with me with this post.

First some upfront caveats, I'm sure there are many, many other options than the ones I'm going to be listing, but I've personally used each and everyone of these websites and had good experiences with them, so that's why I'm mentioning them.  As with all things personal, your mileage may vary. 

Tred carefully with finding new partners.  Make sure you're a good fit and be very explicit of what you're looking for.  Also, it's a good idea to find out how thick your skin is and what kind of crit you're ready for.  In the beginning, my skin was really thin and the tiniest bit of criticism hurt, but I gritted my teeth and now i'm fairly certain I can take a harsh crit.  Although, I will admit, I've had crits recently that have made me cry.  So, know your tolerance level.

Okay, that being said, lets get into the good stuff. The list of websites I used to find my own crit partners.

Absolutewrite.com--This is an excellent place for learning the ropes about all sides of publishing including finding beta readers and crit partners.  They're also great for researching agents/publishers and everything in between.  They DO have a place to "show your work," but make sure you're ready for all kinds of critiques.  I have found that while they're intentions are in the right place and most have great advice, they tend to be a bit harsh in their crits. 

YaLitchat--a lot of you already know about this website, but for those of you who don't. it's a website designed specifically for writers of YA. They have a wide range of members there. From newbies to NYT best-selling authors, agents, and editors.  They're a great resource for finding writing friends and CPs, (which is where I found all the lovely ladies on this blog.  :) ) and they have places to help perfect query letters and synopsis', not to mention the first few pages of your MS.  They also have actual teens willing to read and give feedback, among many, many more things. I'm still finding my way around there, but even with only the free membership you get a lot of great things.


Verla Kay's blueboards--It's similar to absolutewrite, but stricter on what is allowed there and what's not.  Which is excellent, IMHO, because you won't run into some of the train wrecks that can take place on the AW boards.  But this, like yalitchat is only for children's books writers. The people here are again from all aspects of writing.  From newbies, to NYT bestsellers, agents, editors, and everyone in between.  And EVERYONE is awesomely nice.  You really coudln't find a greater group of people. 


And lastly, weBook.  Now I know this is a display site, so there are more caveats with this one than the others.  I got a really great reaction to the parts of stories I had placed here when I was first starting and so in that regard, it was really great for me because I needed the boost to my self-esteem.  I also found my best friend and first CP who showed me the ropes of writing. I found a lot of great writers there actually, but they've made some changes to things since I left after getting my agent. And I don't agree with a lot of them. There is something there called agent-in-box. I HIGHLY recommend NOT using that service if you're querying. There's no need.  Everything you'd be paying them to do, you can do for free on your own.  Also, if you do place some of your work online, be careful.  There are a lot of things that can go wrong with that, so just keep that in mind.

Okay, this post has gotten a bit long, so I'll end here, but feel free to leave me any questions you have in the comments.  I'll be more than happy to answer them.  And if I get a lot of the same questions, I'll probably do a post on it, so please feel free to ask me anything.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

TBR Tuesday with Kelley York and HUSHED

I had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of Kelley York's HUSHED from Entangled Publishing, and let me tell you, if you like dark, upper YA, you do NOT want to miss this debut. (You can read my review here.)

He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's 
death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide ---

Now that you're pumped to read the novel, we have the honor of posting a short author interview with Kelley York.  We're so pleased she was able to stop by and answer a few questions.

 Hi, Kelley. Thank you for joining us today at the Oasis.  We know you must be slammed with all the pre-launch publicity, so we want to keep your interview short and sweet. Cut right to the chase, as it were.  Just like your opening.  Let me start by saying that this opening grabbed my attention and never let go.  Without giving away any spoilers, how did you decided you wanted to start with such a gritty scene?  Were you worried that readers would dislike your MC, Archer, by picking a starting point that portrayed him in a less-than-flattering light?



At the time, I didn't think about it. Later I did contemplate starting elsewhere. At one point, I tried reconstructing the second chapter to make it into my first, hinting at events from chapter one. Ultimately, though, I wanted people to see Archer in action at the start of the story. I thought if readers sympathized with him right away, then seeing that side of him later would be jarring. 
As writers ourselves, we are always curious about where other authors come up with their ideas.  How did the idea for HUSHED come about?
It all started with Archer! I never think of plots first. Or, should I say, I never finish anything that started as a plot idea! I do better creating characters and letting them tell me their stories. So I had the idea for Archer, then Vivian, then Evan...and I put them all together and let the chaos ensue.
I really admired that while HUSHED isn't an "issue" novel, the MC has to come to terms with his sexuality.  Did you set out to try to write a novel that would portray this decision in such a positive light, or was it just a natural part of the story that had to be told?
Completely natural. I never wanted HUSHED to be a coming-out story, because Archer—much like me when I was a teenager—doesn't have any problems realizing he's attracted to someone of the same sex. Honestly, he's more surprised he's attracted to anyone other than Vivian. 
What's the one thing you want readers to take away after reading HUSHED?
I really, really wanted to write something different. If nothing else, I'd like people to walk away from HUSHED (whether they loved it or hated it) thinking 'I haven't read anything quite like that before.'
We're also looking for advice to share with aspiring writers. What's your best tip for developing three-dimensional characters (like Archer, Evan and Vivian)?
Question everything! Anytime your character does or thinks something, ask yourself why. Why are they shy, selfish, clumsy, oblivious? Why do they have the quirks they do? Why and how did they build the relationships in their life? It doesn't have to be information you include in your story, but keep it in mind when you write. Knowing every motivation of your characters opens up a lot of new doors as to what you can do with them. 
BONUS QUESTION:  You're stranded on a desert Oasis and you can only have one other author there with you. Who would you pick and why?
Oh, oh! John Lennon wrote books, so can I choose him?! ...Granted, he's dead, so I'd be stuck there with an urn, but..
So there you have it.  Be sure to check out HUSHED on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  
Author Bio:

Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides
with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she
does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a
fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky
or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to
pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real
unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.

Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres
from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers,
paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character
development takes center stage.

Kelley's website: http://www.kelley-york.com/blog

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful What???

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day than to think about all we are grateful for?? And here, on Oasis for YA, we have lots of reasons to give thanks.



  1. We share a joint love for Young Adult literature, which, I believe, can change the world.
  2. We welcomed a new Oasis Sister this year, Larissa!
  3. The publishing world is ever-changing, giving us more say in our futures.
  4. Collectively, we belong to YAlitchat-the most amazing YA writing community.
  5. Each of the Oasis Sisters has gained ground in the writing/publishing/marketing/platform world.
  • Jessie just celebrated her release of DESTINED!
  • Jessica is fast at edits for her book deal!
  • AE is out on sub with eleven publishers!
  • Nikki is hard at work on her stories and has material out with agents!
  • Larissa is working on her stories and is as much a ray of encouragement as ever!
  • And me, one of my short stories was just published in a collection of short stories. (Yeah, in a real book!) I have material out with agents and am hearing positive responses.
Mostly, we are thankful for YOU, our devoted followers. Thank you for choosing to follow us and join in on YA discussions, as well as sharing our love and journeys in the publishing world.

The Oasis Sisters

Now, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving Day?

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

WRITER WEDNESDAY: Writing UP Your Characters


I have a total pet peeve. (Actually, I have several, but this one pertains to reading ... and writing) ... It's when authors dumb down their characters.

Now, I'm not talking about your teen main character. We've all heard that you should talk "up" to your readers and that teens are very intelligent beings.

I'm talking about the little siblings (or the best friend's younger siblings). There's nothing I despise more than the description of a five-year-old running around with a lollipop, sticky hands touching every surface as they shout out "poop."

While that may happen every once in a great while, it's a rarity. My four-year-old asks extremely detailed and thought-provoking questions. "Mom, have those mountains been there millions of years?" My nine-year-old has been doing theater for several years and knows more about Mamma Mia than I do.

And most teens don't look at their siblings like they're complete idiots. The older sister may be annoyed, or embarrassed, of her younger brother ... but she's also normally very proud of him.

I know there's a fine line of making a younger child seem too intelligent, but at the very least, opt for interesting. Give her a hobby (most five year-olds I know are already playing sports or are learning a musical instrument). Have him obsessed with a topic (dinosaurs, trains, geography, or pop trivia).

And yes, your siblings can fight. That's a given. Just don't make it over a six-year-old spilling Kool-Aid on your main character's white dress :)

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

TBR Tuesday: Clockwork Prince

This one is kind of a no-brainer, but when I went looking for upcoming releases to spotlight, it jumped out at me.

CLOCKWORK PRINCE!!!  Yay!



It comes out December 6, and I cannot wait.

Here's the description:

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.


Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?


As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.


I have ADORED every one of Cassandra Clare's books, and I cannot wait to read more about Tessa, Will, and Jem.  Plus, check out Cassie's website for information about MULTIPLE special extras in different exclusive editions of the book. (B&N, Book Depository, and Walmart all have different exclusives! Wow!)

So, are you excited for Clockwork Prince?  Which do you like better: The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices?

P.S. If you haven't read any Cassie Clare (OMG what's wrong with you?!), go out RIGHT NOW and start with City of Bones.  You can thank me later.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Happy Book Birthday, DESTINED!

 Today I am SO SUPER excited to have the honor of wishing our fabulous Oasis sister, Jessie Harrell a happy book birthday!  (*also, I have the feeling it’s her REAL birthday, too! So happy double birthdays!)

I know I speak for all of us here at the Oasis when I say we are so excited and happy and proud of you, Jessie!  It’s been an honor and a privilege to get to work with you and know you and to be able to count you as one of my friends!  To many more birthdays AND books! Slainte and Go N-Eiri An T-Adh Leat (cheers and good luck)!

HUGS from all of us!  For you AND the fabulous DESTINED.

And now onto the juicy stuff because Jessie has some awesome stuff happening in conjunction with her release. 
The absolutely GORGEOUS cover.



When Psyche receives a prophecy gone horribly wrong, she learns that even the most beautiful girl in Greece can have a hideous future. Her fate? Fall in love with the one creature even the gods fear.

As she feels herself slipping closer into the arms of the prophecy, Psyche must choose between the terrifyingly tender touch she feels almost powerless to resist and the one constant she's come to expect out of life: you cannot escape what is destined.

Destined is a fresh and heart-achingly romantic retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth from debut novelist, Jessie Harrell.

And as far as juicy things go, Good Choice Reading is hosting a blog tour that has a TON of giveaways and Jessie will be having another awesome giveaway on her personal blog today as well, so don't forget to go check those out.

You can find the fab Jessie Harrel in various places around the interwebs. :) Here, of course.  And her website, blog, twitter, and facebook.  Don’t forget to add DESTINED to goodreads and order it at Amazon.

This is an awesome story, all. You're not going to want to miss it.  :D

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Self-Publishing 102: Creating a Captivating Cover

Welcome to another addition of Writer's Wednesday.  A number of you seemed to enjoy my self-pub tips on the last go around, so I thought I'd share the nuts and bolts with you about creating a captivating cover. 
I cannot emphasis enough that you do not want to skimp on your cover. This is the single-biggest marketing investment you will make in yourself.  Unfortunately, if your cover looks unprofessional, readers will tend to assume that what's inside isn't any better.

Let me also point out that if you intend to publish paperback (or hard bound) copies of your novel, you have a lot more work cut out for you.  Just making the front cover is relatively easy compared to creating a whole cover (including the spine and back).  If you, like me, are not tech savvy, you will find you are entirely dependent on your cover designer to get the details right.  Which means -- do your homework and pick someone you want to work with.

But for now, let's just start with the front cover and the artwork or photography that will grace it.  Basically, you have three options: (1) use your own photo/art (un-comissioned); (2) buy stock photos/art; (3) commission photos/art.

Using your own photograph can yield good results if you or your designer have the skills to manipulate the photo well.  The first example that comes to mind is book one in Willow Cross's Dark Gifts series.  The girl on the cover is Willow's daughter and her neighbor was cover artist.  If you can get lucky enough to have a free model and designer, go for it!

The next option -- to which most of us will be relegated -- is using stock photography and art.  Here's my biggest concern about stock photography: anyone else can buy the same picture and use it on their cover.  You'd think with the millions of images out there (check out iStockPhoto.com for example), that this wouldn't be a big concern.  Unfortunately, it is.  Just check out these examples if you don't believe me.
 This this is problem is limited to Indie authors?  Think again. This one shocked me when I saw it recently.  While the dress and hair color had been changed, the girl is obviously the same in both photos.

The way I got around this with Destined was to look for art on DeviantArt.com.  The image I fell in love with was not for sale (meaning it wasn't a stock image), but I contacted the artist to see if she'd be willing to sell me the rights to use it.  She was not only flattered, but sold me rights at stock price.  This is not always going to happen.  Some artists won't want to sell; some will want exorbitant prices.  But the bottom line is, you won't know if you don't ask.  So what's the harm?

Finally, you can commission the cover art.  That means either hiring an artist to digitally paint your cover or hiring a photographer to shoot a model and then manipulate the image into a cover.  Here are some really stunning examples by Indie authors.
 The most important benefit of spending this extra money is that no one will have a cover like yours.  Plus, you get to pick every last detail.  No worries about manipulating polka dots off pillows and making a dress look less modern (see my example above).

Don't forget when designing your cover that you will oftentimes need to pay for the right to commercially use the font you select (see dafont.com), but your cover artist should already own the digital brushes or be able to purchase them economically.

Finally, for your spine and back cover, how you format will depend on who you decide to use to print your books. I used Lightning Source and Create Space and both have different formats and templates.  So yes, my designer had to put the full cover together twice (although, since I'm not tech savvy, I have no idea how much work this actually was).  You're also going to need to know your final page count because that determines the width of your spine.  Just some things to keep in mind.

Regardless of which route you take to create your cover, I recommend combing Amazon and Goodreads for covers that you love.  Once you have an idea of what you like, it will make the process of selecting art/photography and a feel for your book that much easier.  Just for fun, here are some of the covers that had me drooling when we created the Destined cover.  Can you tell??


 Have any questions or tips ? Please share!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

TBR TUESDAY: A Million Suns by Beth Revis

When I read the first chapter of Across the Universe online all those months ago, I was hooked. Then I read Across the Universe, and was awed and amazed, and the sci-fi nerd girl in me was squealing around on imaginary jetpacks. Well, y'all A Million Suns is due to release in January, and it's probably my most anticipated up coming book.

Look at the cover. How can you NOT love that, covet that, want to stroke the screen and coo to it? *le sigh*

Read this from the author's website:
Godspeed was once fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos. It’s been three months. In that time, Amy has learned to hide who she is. Elder is trying to be the leader he’s always wanted to be. But as the ship gets more and more out of control, only one thing is certain: They have to get off the ship.
*SQUEE* (the squeal is mine)

Also from the author's blog:
When Elder learns harrowing news about the space ship Godspeed, he and Amy must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, all the while dealing with the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart. It all boils down to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

Sadly I can't find a book trailer yet. If I'd found It, I'm sure I would've watched it a half dozen times.

If you haven't Across the Universe yet, what are you waiting for?! There is a trailer for that book, and I'm adding it here to entice you to pick up ATU if you haven't already:




Thursday, November 10, 2011

Whoseywhatsit Thursday: Writing Prompt!

We were supposed to do critiques today but Jenny K hasn't emailed me her piece. Jenny, if you're out there, I sent you an email!!

So instead, we're going to do a writing prompt.

The holiday season is almost here, so everyone is gearing up for travel. And that's our prompt this time. With a twist. If you normally write Male POV, switch it to Female. If you normally write Female POV, switch it to Male!

You have up to 250 words to get your character traveling - develop a flashback, write a poem, try something new, whatever you want. Post those words below and then comment on at least one other person's writing. (You don't need to necessarily critique it, this isn't polished writing people!)

Ready. Set. Go!

(And here's mine ...)

Trent stared out the window, the expanse of blue outside the window making him cringe. Growing up in the middle of Tennessee, he hadn't spent much time near an ocean.

Shit, he hadn't spent any time near an ocean.

And yet, here he was. Eyes narrowed, trying to find an end to the damn thing. Because he needed a goal, something to focus on. Even an island would suffice. Maybe Cuba? The Caribbean? But who was he joking.

He couldn't even swim.

His mother slowed the rental car to a halt outside of some military issue gates. A guard stepped over, glared at their IDs and then at the two passengers. With a grunt, he motioned them forward.

Dick.

“It’s not too late, honey,” his mom said, her accent warm and heavy. “If you’re nervous, you don’t need to go.”

Trent shook his head. It had been too late for far too long. This was his escape. His way out of rural life, away from an asshole coach of a father, and away from his obsessive ex-girlfriend.

Nothing like traveling thousands of miles just to escape.

Image Source

Wednesday, November 09, 2011

Writer Wednesday: Echoes

I'm finishing up a revision. *sigh*

And I know you all know what I'm talking about.  But strangely, the last thing I fixed was the most difficult.

I have an echo problem. (Echo problem. Echo problem.) LOL.

Really, I'm sure almost all writers have them.  Anyway, I have a couple I'm working on, but one in particular that was troublesome was STOMACH.

Yes. Stomach.

I know, right?  WHY?  Well, I think it's mostly because that's where I feel many emotions the strongest.  And I do use a lot of other things, but apparently STOMACH stands out the most. *sigh*

So, to fix it, I did a search for the word stomach in my manuscript, and changed a lot of them.  And to come up with a different way to get the same effect, I went to The Bookshelf Muse's Emotion Thesaurus.

If you weren't aware of it, you need to check it out.  Angela Ackerman has amassed a treasure trove of different ways to show numerous emotions (and settings and personality traits, too!). 

The nice thing is, now that my STOMACH issue has made itself so annoying, I will probably be more aware of it and it won't be such a big issue in my next manuscript.  Of course, something else will just take its place.

Like the word just.  *sigh*

And sighing. o.O

What are your echoes?  And how do you go about fixing them?

Tuesday, November 08, 2011

TBR Tuesday: The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers

I just heard of this one last week and it caught my attention right away.  Not sure what that says about me... but the point is, I WANT THIS BOOK.

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers
By: Lynn Weingarten
Book B-day: December 27, 2011
Publisher: HaperTeen
Pages: 352

When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants. 

Fans of Lauren Myracle, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Meg Cabot will love this tale of breakups, friendship, new crushes, and magic. Told with wit and charm, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is sure to be one of this winter’s most irresistible reads!



Here's hoping for some Amazon gift cards for Christmas so I can download this one on my Kindle right away.

Thursday, November 03, 2011

Whoseywhatsit Thursday: Crit Style


It's yet another Whoseywhatsit Thursday: Crit Style!  Our third, in fact. This is so exciting.

As with our others, we're looking for writers looking for critiques.  This month we're letting it be "winner's choice."  So, let's hear it, what do you have that you want to be critted?

Please keep it within reason, within the YA genre, and within a reasonable length. (Say no more than 500 or so words, but feel free to talk to us if what you want critted is a bit longer.)

Anyone interested in having their work critted by the Oasis Sisters please leave a comment below. Random.org will choose the lucky recipient, who will be notified via email. So please make sure to leave your email addresses in the comment section!

Wednesday, November 02, 2011

WRITER WEDNESDAY: Plot Vehicles


The video is a bit of auditory candy. I mean, come on, Bo Bice's soulful, smokey blues voice is a treat any time, right? Even if it has little to nothing to do with this post... *cheezy grin*

Okay, so what are we talking about today? Plot vehicles. I'm sure there may be another industry term for these, but to me a trope used to push a plot forward is a vehicle. They are plot points, or happenings in a story that when boiled down to it's simplest essence appear in many stories. Now don't fret, I've heard said there are only 7 original stories and everything else is just new packaging. Also heard there's a fairly simple formula for any romance, regardless of paranormal, contemporary, dystopian... Basically, a romance distills to: boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. (Or boy/boy, girl/girl if that's your kind of story)

Dead parent/s: This usually sends the Main Character into a new environment where they find themselves/their true love and usually a lot of trouble.
Siblings: The MC finds out somewhere along the way their nemesis or love interest is actually their sibling.
Son/Daughter of the Big Bad Guy: The MC discovers they are the offspring of the big villain.
Misunderstanding: The MC and BF/GF have a misunderstanding that leads to that all important 'time apart' part of the story where they pine for each other.
Dead sibling/Significant Other: The MC lost someone, usually as part of backstory, and that loss haunts them, shaping their choices, or preventing them from finding love, etc, till they get past it.
Paranormal and Human relationship: The MC or their love interest is either paranormal, or human, and their Significant Other is the other. (built in tension of bridging the gap between them, loving despite their "issue)
Amnesia: probably one of my least favorite plot vehicles. The MC can't remember why they are the way they are, or who they are, or blah blah blah.
Kidnapping: Puts the MC in danger, exposes them to a new environment. The MC's often learn to rely on themselves and escape, or are saved by their Significant Other.
There's actually a chat going on tonight about this plot vehicle with two of Egmont's authors and you're all invited to join Beth Kephart (author of YOU ARE MY ONLY) and Kristina McBride author of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES) as they talk about kidnapping in YA literature, their books, and much much more. And bring questions! www.egmontusa.com/authorchat/

Have any other Plot Vehicles? Please share!

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

TBR Tuesday: OPEN MINDS - Happy Release Day!!

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of reading the query letter for this story on YAlitchat. I remember being blown away. So when I heard that Susan Kaye Quinn decided to self-publishing it, taking the story's circulation in her hands, I couldn't wait to chat with her about. And I'm leaving out how excited I've been to get my hands on it!

But the wait is over!

Please join me in wishing a Happy Book Birthday to OPEN MINDS (the first in the Mindjack Trilogy) and Susan Kaye Quinn! Today is release day!

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.


Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can't read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can't be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf's mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she's dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

Susan's book is available in e-book form at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords, and in print through Amazon and Createspace. ALSO, check out her website for the book - Mindjack Trilogy. It's awesome!

I'm fortunate enough to be a part of the OPEN MINDS book blog tour. If you'd like to know more--and trust me, you want be sorry--head over to MY POST and see what else Susan has to say about a world of mindreaders.
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