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Showing posts from December, 2011

Year in Short

Note: This is going to be an abbreviated Year in Short because I didn't do Week in Shorts all last semester. Looking back over the last year, I realized that so much has changed. My life now is so different from my life this time last year, in so many ways. In some ways its for the better and in others, it's not but it's been a very good -- if not crazy -- year. The writing and publishing world has also seen some major changes in the last year. E-books are growing in popularity and piracy is becoming an increasingly larger topic of conversation. We also saw the bankruptcy of Borders (I still can't drive past their empty storefronts). Rowling also contributed with the creation of Pottermore which I have to say is probably the best thing since Harry Potter itself. Writing: The truth about the Mary Sue How to dig out of the Pit of Despair When it's okay to quit Querying: Too many agents, not enough gin: the truth about multiple offer situations Still your itchy trigge

RTW: Best Books of the Year

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. This Week's Topic: What were your top five favorite books of 2011? This was a great year for books for me. I read 53 books this year and had a lot of trouble narrowing it down to five favorites. Here are my top five, in no particular order, and excluding those books that I read in previous years and reread this year. 1. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan I was a little late getting to this series. So far this is the only one that I've read but I have Demon's Covenant in my "Must Read Over Break" pile. It was a fantastic start to a trilogy and despite the fact that I had the largest plot twist spoiled for me, I absolutely loved it. 2. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson This is one

Week in Short

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Song of the Week: Holdin' Onto Heaven by Nickelback Must Read: 10 things authors should know about Twitter News: Barnes & Noble accidentally shipped out copies of The Fault in Our Stars Spanish novelist Lucia Etxbarria quits writing in protest of piracy Elana Johnson: Give yourself permission Janice Hardy: How kids' games can make revisions fun 3 tips for writing romance in YA by Kody Keplinger Laura: In defense of libraries Querytracker: Dissociative amnesia/fugue Romance University: Sara Megibow talks about the newbie mistakes she made as an agent Merry Christmas! I'll see you on Monday.

IF I LIE Cover Revealed!

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If I Lie by Corrine Jackson has a cover and an official release date! **drum roll** Isn't it beautiful?! I love the roughened edges and the black and white picture. Can't wait to have this one in my hands! Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in thei r small, military town. Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise. If I Lie debuts on August 28, 2012. For more information check out Corrine Jackson's website .

Clockwork Prince Review

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***WARNING: There will be spoilers from Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Angel in this review*** Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare #2 in Infernal Devices series 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

I'm Back!

Sorry about the long dry spell of posts everyone. College turned out to be a lot more of a time suck than I expected, but my first semester is officially over and I'm at home. Hopefully this means I'll have plenty of time and inspiration so I can start blogging again. I'm going to start by resuming Week in Short posts starting next week. For now, I'll probably continue posting three times a week and if I have enough inspiration I'll try to up it back to five times. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I'll see you on Monday!