7 Presenting the Top 10 for the May Pitch+250 Contest!

Congratulations to the top ten entries in the May contest. The entries are now posted below. These will all be moving on to the final round for judging by the team of agents, and will be receiving scoresheets from all the agents when judging is over. Jump in, congratulate the finalists, and learn by figuring out what makes these pieces special.

Accordian Girl - Sharon Edge Martin
Caretta, Caretta - Deborah Roucheleau
Earth to Earth - Amanda Leigh
Fighting Chance - Amy Trueblood
Hum of the Hills - Corrie Haluga
No Such Thing - Sarah Glenn Marsh
Rancho Tails - C. Ramirez
The Drink and the Wheel - Fonda Lee
The Good Demon - Ryan Hill
Whiff - Becky Swanberg

Note from Martina: Please note that we are sending scorecards to everyone who didn't make the final cut. Jan has them on her computer and has been going back over them to get those sent, but she lives about eight miles from Moore, Oklahoma. Obviously, there will be a little bit of a delay as a result of recent events there. Please give her a round of applause for coordinating all of this, and join us in keeping everyone in the path of the recent tornadoes in our thoughts and prayers!

Meanwhile, we can't say it enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you to all our amazing Round 2 judges!

Round 2 - Authors

 

Susan Dennard

Susan is a 28-year-old reader, writer, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (She really likes swoon-worthy rogues).
She lives in the Midwestern US with her French husband and Irish setter, and you can learn more about her crazy thoughts and crippling cookie-addiction on Twitter, Facebook, or Goodreads.
Susan's debut, Something Strange and Deadly, is now available from HarperTeen, and you will never believe how happy this makes her!

Follow Susan on Twitter
Susan's Website
Susan's Blog





Cynthia Leitich Smith

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times and Publishers Weekly best-selling author of the TANTALIZE series and FERAL series. Her award-winning books for younger children include JINGLE DANCER, INDIAN SHOES, RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (all HarperCollins) and HOLLER LOUDLY (Dutton).
Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ was listed as among the top two read by the children's/YA publishing community in the SCBWI "To Market" column.
Follow Cynthia on Twitter



Gretchen McNeil

Gretchen McNeil is an opera singer, writer and clown. Her YA horror POSSESS about a teen exorcist debuted with Balzer + Bray for HarperCollins in 2011. Her follow up TEN – YA horror/suspense about ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer – was released September 18, 2012, and her third novel 3:59 – sci fi doppelganger horror about two girls who are the same girl in parallel dimensions who decide to switch places – is scheduled for Fall 2013. Gretchen's new YA contemporary series Don't Get Mad (Revenge meets The Breakfast Club) about four very different girls who form a secret society where they get revenge on bullies and mean girls begins Fall 2014 with GET EVEN, followed by the sequel GET DIRTY in 2015, also with Balzer + Bray. Gretchen also contributed an essay to the Dear Teen Me anthology for Zest Books.
Gretchen is a former coloratura soprano, the voice of Mary on G4's Code Monkeys and she sings with the LA-based circus troupe Cirque Berzerk. Gretchen blogs with The Enchanted Inkpot and is a founding member of the vlog group the YARebels where she can be seen as "Monday." She is repped by Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown, Ltd.
Follow Gretchen on Twitter
Gretchen's Blog
Gretchen's Website



Talia Vance

Talia writes YA novels when she's not wrestling a giant Saint Bernard Puppy for the television remote. GOLD, the sequel to SILVER will be out September 8, 2013. SPIES AND PREJUDICE will be published by Egmont June 11, 2013.
Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes. She is a contributor at YA Muses.
Follow Talia on Twitter
Talia's Blog
Talia's Website



Janet Gurtler

Young Adult Author. Cranky before coffee intake. Books to date include, I'M NOT HER, IF I TELL, WHO I KISSED and HOW I LOST YOU! Janet is a board member of WGA and member of SCWBI, CANSCAIP. She eats too many carbs. She loves socks. Little kids crack her up but mean adults are on her naughty list.

Follow Janet on Twitter
Janet's Blog
Janet's Website

3 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Whiff

Name: Becky Swanberg
Title: Whiff
Genre: Young Adult


Pitch:

Macy Ames is a junior in high school and has a not-so-super-power: the ability to smell lies. When her mom is accused of a crime, introverted Macy must race to uncover the dusty truth, confront the man who is blackmailing her family, and do it all without falling for the bad guy's son. (Well, two out of three isn't so bad, right?)


1st 250:

I first smelled a lie on August 7, 2011. It was a common lie, though I didn't know it at the time. How could I.

My dad was later than usual and my mom was ticked. With a loud sigh, she clicked the TV off and moved to keep watch over the driveway. I heard the blinds rustle but I didn't look; this scene happened all the time. Our Friday night ritual included dad being late, mom steaming, and me in the recliner with a book.

Then the doorbell rang and everyone went off script.

I pretended not to hear the police. I kept my book open and the recliner up and the light shining like a spotlight in the black of the living room. First, I tried to breathe slowly; then I just tried to breathe.

She knelt by my chair, her face entering the circle of light, and said it was all over.

Maybe she didn’t say that, but that’s what I heard. “Life as we know it has ended, Macy. Welcome to your worst nightmare.”

She patted my arm and I didn’t pull away; both were proof of our shock. Then the first lie came, “Everything is going to be OK.”

She made that ridiculous statement and I looked up, more startled by the scent than her obvious delusion that OK was even an option for us. Her words brought a smell, or maybe the smell brought her words. Either way, a cloud of smoke met and hugged my face.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - The Good Demon

Name: Ryan Hill
Title: The Good Demon
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy


Pitch:

Six years ago, Bartholomew was sentenced to the seventh circle of hell because of a failed coup. When Lucifer suspends his punishment to find the Shard of Gabriel, a powerful relic that gives one the knowledge of God, he sees his chance for escape.

Bartholomew’s confidence is tested when he’s forced to partner with an angel. There’s nothing like a heavenly chaperone to drain the fun out of being a demon.

The search for the Shard leads the unlikely duo to go undercover at high school. There, Bartholomew experiences a hell unlike any other: life as a high school senior.


First 250 words:

The nerve.

One minute you’re in hell, minding your own business, getting your ass pummeled by every demonic being that fancied a go, and the next you’re shown the door and back on the ethereal plain without even the common decency of being escorted out by security. At least they could have warned me about the transfer first.

I opened my eyes. I was in a dark alley, completely naked. I coughed, emitting a small black cloud from my lungs. Every inch of my body felt like it’d been put through a meat grinder then nibbled on by a thousand cockroaches. My stomach was sick and heavy, much like it would be the day after eating Tex-Mex. Even my bones vibrated like a tuning fork. What was I doing back on Earth? Obviously someone had sent me here—you don’t suddenly get excused from a sentence in hell, even for a short frolic in the mortal world to stretch your legs. And especially not with a sentence like mine. I’d tried to take down Lucifer and failed. It took everything I had to keep them from adding an endless Highway to Heaven marathon to my punishment.

No, someone had struck a deal to get me out. But who? And for what?

Not even the chalk message on the brick wall provided a clue:

Bartholomew. Take the bag and clothes. Go home. More details to come.

That’s it. No name, no date, nothing. I didn’t even know the year.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - The Drink and the Wheel

Name: Fonda Lee
Title: The Drink and the Wheel
Genre: YA Fantasy

Pitch:

THE DRINK AND THE WHEEL, a young adult martial arts fantasy novel inspired by Chinese mythology and history, blends Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon with a relatable, contemporary voice. 16-year-old Mia Fletcher is nervous about returning to China for the first time since she was adopted as a baby. Spending six weeks on a student exchange trip with her popular, athletic older brother Liam turns out to be the least of her concerns when the two of them are drawn into the ancient, fantastical Realm of Longhan and charged with fulfilling a perilous oath handed down by an ancestral god.

1st 250:

It’s hard to believe I was born here.

Not here, as in this city park in Chongqing, across from Mr. and Mrs. Ding’s apartment building, but here, in this country, a place so different and far from home. I’m sure it’s a mercy that I can’t remember a thing about being abandoned on an orphanage doorstep, but I’ve often wondered why the first three destiny-shaping years of a person’s life are a total blank.

Maybe not a total blank. My old nightmare must come from somewhere.

It went away for years, but lately, two or three times a week, I’ve been waking up with my pulse thudding, my chest tight. Maybe this exchange trip has awoken whatever inner demons my parents spent thousands of dollars to subdue with therapists in my early childhood. Unease prickles my mind like Chongqing’s oppressive humidity on my skin.

I pull my feet up onto the edge of the park bench and rest my chin on my knees. Reflected early morning sunlight glances off metal and catches my eye. Swords, circling and thrusting, slowly and smoothly, blades trailing their brilliant plumage of red tassels. The tai chi adepts, in their white silk uniforms, move calmly and with graceful precision. Watching them is strangely and deeply soothing, like sitting by running water or listening to a familiar lullaby.

In a few days, I’ll be on a plane. Once I’m home, the dream will probably go away again. In the meantime, my subconscious can stuff it; I’m not going to let it ruin my last weekend here.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Rancho Tails

Name: C. Ramirez
Title: Rancho Tails
Genre: Middle Grade Animal Adventure

Pitch:

A chubby Dachshund makes waves on a new rancho with his machismo attitude and his desire to prove to everyone he is the best watchdog ever. Betrayed by his appetite for tamales and the girl who fed them to him, Vato lies his way into a big heap of trouble, blinding the lead watchdog and ultimately losing his best friend.

In his struggle to find truth behind the real meaning of friendship, courage, and family, Vato must undo the lies he told and save the rancho from a coyote attack before it is too late.


1st 250:

Vato had the girl cornered, but he was the one trapped worse than an opossum under a pitchfork. Inside a stall streaked with fresh paint, stood a girl holding a tamale. A whole tamale! His head buzzed. His stomach growled. Vato had never faced such a difficult choice. He could go find the vandal who had painted that mess like a good watchdog should, or watch the greasy tamale and hope the girl would share without kicking him first.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she crooned in a voice higher than a chacalaca. She flicked her braids off her shoulders and unwrapped the cornhusk with a shaky hand.

Is she lying? Vato wondered. Her friendly eyes and her hopeful smile told him she wasn’t. When he had found her in the barn moments before, she had one hand behind her back and a tamale in the other. He noticed her torn sneakers and felt a little better. It wouldn’t hurt as much if she kicked him with those shoes. Vato’s wary thoughts continued to fight with the delicious aroma teasing his nose and bullying his appetite.

He didn’t know who this girl was or what she was doing in the horse barn so late at night, but she was the nicest person he didn’t trust on the rancho so far. Not like everyone else. Since he and Patton had arrived earlier that day, they had treated him like roadkill.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - No Such Thing

Name: Sarah Glenn Marsh
Title: No Such Thing
Genre: YA Southern Gothic



Pitch:

Dare Cleaster hasn't believed in ghosts since she was a little girl. But on a sweaty summer night, the seventeen-year-old unintentionally wakes a sinister spirit that’s been dormant in the crumbling Waters residence for years, and it refuses to be ignored. Now Dare must figure out how to lay the ghost of Atheleen Waters to rest before she can add to the body count she began over a hundred and fifty years ago.

1st 250:

When I was little, I believed in everything. I thought aliens, Bigfoot, the Tooth Fairy, and even the cartoon mascots from cereal boxes were out in the world somewhere, driving cars and wearing suits to work like men I saw on TV.

I had a big imagination because I lived in a small town where most of the men I knew didn’t even own a suit.

The two men sharing a booth in the old café were as well-dressed as they came in Candor. Nothing too fancy, but at least they wore neatly pressed uniforms.

As I watched from behind the counter, wiping crumbs from the surface with my rag, the sheriff stared down at his untouched plate of bacon and eggs. He poked them with his fork as if expecting them to spring to life and attack him at any moment.

“Somethin’ wrong with your food, sir?” I said. My voice carried across the empty room. The sheriff and his deputy were pushing the limits of common courtesy by keeping us open past eleven-thirty on a Friday night.

“Huh?” Sheriff Thompson grunted, looking up.

I weaved between tables with practiced ease to reach their window-side booth in a flash. “Look. I know the bacon’s probably too crisp for most folks’ taste. But if you don’t want it, I’ll eat it. Mr. Forrester’d be happy to make you somethin’ else.”

I gave them a smile and tugged my apron down. It stopped several inches above my knees, but it was still longer than the skimpy cutoffs I’d worn to my shift.

2 May Pitch+250 Contest - Hum of the Hills

Name: Corrie Haluga
Title: HUM OF THE HILLS
Genre: YA Thriller

Pitch:

Seventeen-year-old Maya Diaz doesn’t care why she’s being paid to paint graffiti around a Los Angeles suburb. She doesn’t even care if her work is meant to provoke the US to sever their allegiance with Trans-European Union. All Maya cares about is making enough money to escape her smothering foster home. That is, until she and Roth, a trainee for Union law enforcement, discover a woman’s mutilated body. With only Roth to trust, Maya must decide whether to run with what little money she has, or help Roth discover the truth behind the murder...and why the Union is lying about it.


First 250:

It’s always harder hiding in a crowd. If the bodies don’t smother you, the paranoia will. Swarms of people litter the downtown streets, struggling past one another to the line of food trucks before they close at midnight. I push my bike between them, walking slowly with my head low and my hood tight around my face. I’ve been careful these last six months. I’m too close to finishing for something to go wrong now. My spray cans are wrapped in the satchel tucked in my bike basket. After nights of dodging sirens and sneaking home at dawn, tomorrow it’ll all be over.

A group of Union agents prowl between the outdoor booths, holding up weapons scanners at random over the consumers. Their orange and green armbands reflect out of the darkness of their mortar-colored uniforms. My stare latches onto the backs of the people in front of me. If the Union caught me, they’d view my paintings as anti-national graffiti. I’d be locked up somewhere, interrogated for information I don’t have. That should stop me or at least scare me. But it doesn’t.

The fall breeze whips off my hood, unveiling my short hair and bleached mohawk. Even as the slim red lights of the scanners beat slowly over my bike, I am focused. I don’t care what my paintings mean to anyone else. To me they are food and rest and water. To me, they are freedom. In this world, freedom is something worth hiding for.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Fighting Chance

Name: Amy Trueblood
Title: FIGHTING CHANCE
Genre: YA Thriller

Pitch:

After almost killing a boy in her California hometown, black belt Nica McDonald is shipped to the armpit of the South. Nica wants to stay under the radar, secretly take the GED, and blow the one stoplight town. But when she takes down a bully, and finds a dead body in the school bathroom, anonymity is impossible. Rumors swirl about Nica, and when the bully winds up dead, police focus on her. With Braeden , the boy she saved from a beat down, and fellow black belt, Garren, she must find the killer before he takes his next victim – her.

1st 250:

My scars were impossible to hide. The jagged marks carved deep in my knuckles glowed under the fluorescent lights in the convenience store.

I did everything I could to hide my hands. Slide them into my pockets. Lock them behind my back. I hated the white gouges between my fingers and slashed across my pale, freckled skin. Each mark was a small, taunting whisper, reminding me what I’d done.

I shoved the money across the counter while the owner gazed at me with pursed lips under a full white beard.

“You want a bag?” His lingering gaze focused on the thick, red line along my chin that took forty-two stitches to close.

I shook my head, hiding behind my dark hair and grabbed the carton, slipping it under my arm.

I’d been sent on an impossible mission – find soy milk in a tiny town surrounded by acres of dairy farms. My flighty stepmother, Annabelle, insisted we couldn’t survive without it — something about regular milk having growth hormones which destroyed our bodies. It was typical Annabelle. In her mind the entire planet was poisoning us. Personally, I thought it was a load of crap, but I didn’t argue because other than her granola-leanings, she was pretty cool.

The door chimed as I walked outside. The scent of bitter, day-old coffee lingered on the sleeves of my gray t-shirt. The parking lot was empty except for my ancient, silver Honda parked in the last space — a reluctant gift from my dad who didn’t have the time or patience to drive me around.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Earth to Earth

Name: Amanda Leigh
Title: Earth to Earth
Genre: New Adult Fantasy

Pitch:

Twenty-three year old Hailey moves to a new city to start over after a devastating tragedy. Things get complicated when she sees her boyfriend walking down the sidewalk at her new place, looking just like he did five years ago on the day he died. Her quest for the truth lands them in a dangerous game of cat and mouse that could kill them both...for good.


First 250:

The moment glass shatters is actually quite beautiful. The way the center splinters and spiders out before bursting into nothing. Not many people really get the chance to appreciate the magnificence because everything happens instantly. So quick that you blink and it’s already done. But when you’re convinced you’re about to die, the world tends to move in slow motion.

I don’t see whatever makes him jerk the wheel violently to the left. The smell of burnt rubber assaults my nose as my body slams hard against the restraint of the seat belt. The car spins and rockets towards the guardrail. As we plow through the hunk of metal, the car tilts as gravity jerks me to the earth.

I gaze over to the driver’s side, expecting to hear my boyfriend scream. A cry. Something. There is nothing but silence as he stares back at me, sporting a perfectly calm expression. No panic, no fear.

My head snaps forward as we hit the ground and roll. Once. Twice. The third time the glass of the windshield shatters, starting as the tiniest crack before imploding into a thousand tiny particles.

I hold my arms up to shield myself a moment before the impact knocks the wind out of me, leaving me gasping for air. I’m slipping away, surrendering to the darkness.

Dying. My body goes limp, numb to shield itself from the agony. A strange haze clouds my eyesight, but I’m convinced a dark shadow swoops down in front of me.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Caretta, Caretta

Name: Deborah Rocheleau
Title: Caretta, Caretta
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary


Pitch:

Beth Keepe, teen environmentalist, doesn’t go boating. Unless she’s upset. Unless she’s pregnant, considering an abortion, and terrified of telling her father. But when she hits a sea turtle with her boat, cracking its shell in two, she puts guilt on hold and vows to save the animal.

All she has to do is reopen the old turtle hospital. Simple. Until her estranged sister arrives on the scene, determined to change Beth’s mind about the pregnancy. Between guilt over the turtle and fear of hurting her father, Beth will face decisions that could save or destroy two lives.


First 250 words:

I never went boating just for the heck of it. At least, that’s what I told myself as my boat’s prow sliced the water, skimming over the frothing waves. After all the sea turtles I’d treated with Gramps, all the torn flippers and split shells from collisions with careless boaters, I swore I’d never put one in danger myself. But some days the best life philosophies and most sincere promises can’t keep you away from the ocean. Especially when it’s the only place your nagging sister won’t follow you.

So when my hull clunked against something hard in the water, the propeller hiccupping a beat, it knocked the bold thoughts right out of my head and out to sea.

I cut the motor, letting the boat coast to a stop in the water. Rushing to the stern, I leaned out the back and scanned the waves behind the slowing propeller. A mushroom of red blossomed below the surface, hovering a moment like a jellyfish before beginning to sink.

That did not just happen.

I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket, my finger hovering over George’s number, before remembering he was an hour away in Grace Port. Swallowing a lump, I scrolled down the list of contacts and speed-dialed Anna.

She answered in three seconds.

“Anna, meet me at the beach. By the old beach access.” I didn’t elaborate. Snapping the phone shut, I plunged into the water, shoes and all.

2 May Pitch+250 Finalist - Accordian Girl

Name: Sharon Edge Martin
Title: Accordion Girl
Genre: YA Novel in Verse

Pitch:

When her little brother, Ransom, runs away with an older man, Joie Maytubby leaves her old life behind—senior year of high school, preacher father, grief over Mama’s death, her piano—to find him. She may be too late to save the person she loves most, but can she find herself and her true beliefs in the alleys of downtown Tulsa?

1st 250:

(1)
Daylight
I’m out of here
Dad thinks I’m going to school early
To practice with the choir
Every liar starts somewhere

Can’t trust the school secretary
Not to call when I don’t show
By tardy bell
Dad has charmed her
And every other woman in Nashoba
Poor widower
He’ll be married
Just south of a year
Sooner wouldn’t be
Appropriate

Coward, afraid
to hitch, to be seen, of the dark

What business do I have out here?
Ransom is all the business
I need


(2)
Drag my school bag out the door
Haul what’s left of my heart with me

Think of Dad, alone in our little house
But don’t think long
Dad’s a survivor

I tell myself
Ransom is, too, but
Doubt speaks louder
Than hope


(3)
Ransom told me about his first boyfriend
When he was twelve. Jody.
He and Jody would walk through the cemetery
Holding hands
Ransom would come home smiling
But later, after he had time to think
He’d cry himself to sleep

He asked me if I thought he was crazy
To like boys “that way”
I told him, “No, I like boys that way, too.”

Jody and his parents left town
After someone carved an F on his forehead
F for fag

Ransom didn’t do much hand holding after that
He didn’t go out for sports
But he could sure talk cars
He started a lawn mower service
Took engines apart
And pieced them together again
Wore the grease under his fingernails
For protection

2 Hacking Away At Your Opening by Claire LaZebnick

When my agent agreed to represent my first novel, she told me that she had almost given up on it right at the start. Luckily for me, she kept going. But her very first note was that I had to change the first few pages, which she said were too slow. “Lose all of the set-up, start with the second chapter, plunge us right into the story,” she advised.

So I took a hatchet to the first chapter, hacking away at it until it was almost completely gone, salvaging just a few important bits, which I stuck in later. And I learned my lesson: the beginning of a novel has to grab the reader immediately, or she may well toss it aside. I had naively thought I needed to explain everything that was happening, but a touch of mystery is a good thing. Like in The Hunger Games: You may not know what the strange lottery is that everyone’s so worried about, but you’re intrigued and eager to find out.

An early draft of my YA novel Epic Fail began with a long explanation about how Elise and her sister had had to leave their old school on the east coast and enroll in a posh private school in Los Angeles. Remembering my agent’s advice as I sat down to rewrite it, I once again grabbed that trusty hatchet and cut most of the exposition, starting instead with the very immediate “The front office wasn’t as crazy as you’d expect on the first day of school” and placing Elise right in the throes of being the new kid. If readers wonder how she ended up there, great—they’ll keep reading to find out.

Setting the right tone immediately is so important. I made a mistake with the beginning of a different novel, not by being slow and boring, but by making my protagonist too unsympathetic. She’s about to take her dog on a walk when she gets an unexpected phone call that changes her plans, so she takes off the leash, apologizing to the dog. Some readers never forgave her for disappointing that dog and just couldn’t warm up to her after that; I learned that it’s important to have your main character be relatable and sympathetic right at the start. Save the bad behavior for later on, when the reader is already on her side and willing to forgive a few mistakes.

Of course, for sheer staying power, nothing beats a truly terrific first line. The really great ones stick in your head forever, like the opening of the classic Daphne DuMaurier novel Rebecca: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” You instantly think, Where’s Manderley and why isn’t she there if it’s the kind of place she dreams about? It’s so simple but so intriguing.

But, to me, nothing compares with the first few sentences of Albert Camus’ great existentialist novel The Stranger: “Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I can’t be sure.” How great is that? I mean, yeah, it’s awful, but it sets up the tone of the book (distant, almost inhuman), and raises so many questions in the reader’s mind, like what kind of person is so indifferent to his own mother’s death that he doesn’t even know the exact day she died?

And, just to balance out the chill of my Camus quote, I’m going to throw in a far warmer great opening: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” If you don’t recognize it, you need to read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice immediately. Austen puts her tongue firmly in her cheek with that beginning and sets the (lighthearted and brilliant) tone for what’s widely regarded as the greatest romantic novel of all time. And one, not coincidentally, that I paid homage to with Epic Fail.

About the Author

Claire LaZebnik has published two YA novels with HarperTeen: Epic Fail and The Trouble with Flirting, both loosely based on Jane Austen novels. Her third, The Last Best Kiss, will come out the summer of 2014. She has also written five novels for adults, including Same as It Never Was (which was turned into a movie for ABC Family, called Hello Sister, Goodbye Life), Knitting under the Influence, and The Smart One and the Pretty One. She’s the co-author of two nonfiction books about autism, Overcoming Autism and Growing up on the Spectrum, and has been published in The New York Times, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Self, and many other magazines and newspapers.

She lives in the Pacific Palisades with her husband Rob (who’s a co-executive producer on the animated show The Simpsons), her four kids, and too many pets to keep track of. Feel free to email her at cslazebnik {at}aol.com, or visit her author page on Facebook or her blog.

About the Book

Franny’s supposed to be working this summer, not flirting. But you can’t blame her when guys like Alex and Harry are around. . . .

Franny Pearson never dreamed she’d be attending the prestigious Mansfield Summer Theater Program. And she’s not, exactly. She’s working for her aunt, the resident costume designer. But sewing her fingers to the bone does give her an opportunity to spend time with her crush, Alex Braverman. If only he were as taken with the girl hemming his trousers as he is with his new leading lady.

When Harry Cartwright, a notorious flirt, shows more than a friendly interest in Franny, she figures it can’t hurt to have a little fun. But as their breezy romance grows more complicated, can Franny keep pretending that Harry is just a carefree fling? And why is Alex suddenly giving her those deep, meaningful looks? In this charming tale of mixed messages and romantic near-misses, one thing is clear: Flirting might be more trouble than Franny ever expected.

Buy The Trouble With Flirting on Amazon
Find The Trouble With Flirting on Goodreads

1 QOTW: How do you find new books to read?

Hey everyone! It’s Clara Kensie, back with a new Question of the Week! Pretty much the only thing writers love as much as writing is talking about writing. So each week here at Adventures in YA Publishing, I post a question for you to answer. The questions cover all topics important to writers: craft, career, writers’ life, reading and books. Together we’ll become better writers by sharing tips and discussing our habits and practices.

Question of the Week

May 19, 2013

What Is Your Go-to Source for Finding New Books to Read?

For most of us, our love of writing grew from our love of reading. Reading also makes us better writers. How do you find new books to read? Do you read the latest buzzed-about best seller? Do you use the “Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought” feature on Amazon? Do you follow a fantastic book review blog? Does your favorite book club choose your next read? Or do you browse the bookshelves and pick up what looks interesting?

photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/megantrace/6201381800/

My answer: I find a ton of new books and authors to read through RT Book Reviews magazine, Young Adult Books Central, the YA Scavenger Hunt, and my Goodreads friends’ recommendations. I also find a lot of new books by simply browsing the Listopia book lists on Goodreads. And of course, every Friday, Adventures in YA Publishing previews the next week's new YA releases. However, my main source for finding new books and authors is word-of-mouth, whether it’s in person or via social media.

YOUR TURN: What is your go-to source for finding new books/authors to read? (psst… if you love a particular book review blog, go ahead and give it a shout-out!)

1 This Week for Writers 5/18/13 - Pubtips, Writing Craft, Books, Giveaways, Industry News and More

Quote of the week:

It seems to me, this quote from teenlifequotes.com is the essence of story. Or at least my current story. Nice of them to nail my theme so precisely:

Writing Process:

A great meme YA Highway shared on tumblr shows my writing progress this week. 

Writing that Inspired Me:

"Question everything. Your love, your religion, your passion. If you don't have questions, you'll never find answers." ― Colleen Hoover, Slammed

Changes this week:

I really need to get back in shape. The lovely Lia Keyes wrote about converting to a standing desk, and I decided to give it a try. Because I'm cheap, I didn't go out and buy a new desk. I just stacked some of my fave craft books on a credenza in front of the window, and voila. Standing desk and extra sunshine.

If I were to get really crazy about this fitness thing, I could also try the new book workout:

Commencement and Life Moments

Tis the season for commencement and taking stock of achievement. All week, I've been bursting with pride, nursing fears, and offering encouragement. But I also love this quote from Susan Anthony:

“Sooner or later we all discover that the important moments in life are not the advertised ones, not the birthdays, the graduations, the weddings, not the great goals achieved. The real milestones are less prepossessing. They come to the door of memory unannounced, stray dogs that amble in, sniff around a bit and simply never leave. Our lives are measured by these.” ― Susan B. Anthony

More Great Links of the Week 

Tons of great stuff about writing and reading this week.  Click on the link to jump to the appropriate section or just scroll down.

Books and Giveaways
Inspiration and Smiles
Writing Craft
Story Elements
Story Structure
Getting Published
Networking and Promotion
Industry News and Trends
Other Roundups

Share Your Thoughts and Links

What have you read (or written) this week (books, blog posts, articles, thoughts, whatever) that struck a chord with you? Share your thoughts and links in the comments!

Happy reading and writing. Have a great weekend.

Martina


Books and Giveaways

• PW Review of How I Lost You! from Janet Gurtler- YA Addict
• PW Picks: The Best New Books for the Week of May 20,... from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• New Release THE BINDING STONE by Lisa Gail Green ...... from Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffee
• I'm giving away signed books ... check them out! from Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffe
• Haunted South Spring Blog Carnival Winners! from Adventures in YA Publishing
• Little women: children's literature's stand-in parents from Books news, reviews and author interviews | guar
• Sunshine Award + BOOK GIVEAWAY!! from Artzicarol Ramblings
• Cover Reveal: KINSLAYER by Jay Kristoff + Giveaway! from Latest blog entries
• Happy Book Birthday to THE GIRL GUIDE by Christine... from Writer on the Side
• Bookanistas Review: Truth or Dare by Jacqueline Green from Seanchai
• Character Bucket List: Nisha Arvi from CITY OF A THOUSAND... from Adventures in YA Publishing
• WRITING ON THE ETHER: Writers in the Inferno from Jane Friedman
• Tell us about TRUTH OR DARE and enter to win the book! from Confessions of a Bookaholic
• Review & Giveaway: Dare You To by Katie McGarry from Realm of Fiction
• Read J.K Rowling's Hand-Written Plan For "Harry Potter... from BuzzFeed - Latest
• Teens Review ‘Kindness for Weakness’, ‘Solstice’,... from School Library Journal
• Reviews by a Real Teen: Of Triton by Anna Banks from The Story Siren
• ONCE UPON A DARKNESS by Aria Kane ... cover reveal! from Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffee
• Waiting On...THE DREAM THIEVES by Maggie Steifvater from The Book Swarm
• The Rules by Stacey Kade: Review from Emily's Reading Room
• Blog Tour / Book Review: GOLDEN by Jessi Kirby from Mundie Moms
• 65 Books You Need To Read In Your 20s from BuzzFeed - Latest
• HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY – EYES EVER TO THE SKY!!!! from chasingthecrazies
• Books for Teens You Might Have Missed | YA Underground from School Library Journal
• Last Lines of Great Books: SPOILER ALERT! from BookBaby Blog
• Giveaway: Win Dark Days Tour Signed Books! from Latest blog entries
• Top Ten Books About Tough Subjects from Reading Angels
• Top Ten Books Dealing With Tough Subjects from Pure Imagination
• RELEASE DAY BLITZ & GIVEAWAY: UNTOUCHED by MELODY... from The Bookish Babe
• RELEASE DAY GIVEAWAY: UNTIL I BREAK by M. LEIGHTON from The Bookish Babe
• TWO Giveaways & InsomniaDare Report! from Friday the Thirteeners
• If you like books like these: historical fiction for... from Books news, reviews and author interviews | guar
• Tarot for Writers: Using Tarot to Find & Nurture Your... from Adventures in YA Publishing
• [Giveaway] SEPTEMBER GIRLS by Bennett Madison from Reading Teen
• The Big Move Giveaway! [27 Books] from Reading Teen
• [Blog Tour & Giveaway] SIRENS by Janet Fox from Reading Teen
• Tour: Guest Post - NO ATTACHMENTS by Tiffany King from Confessions of a Bookaholic
• Teens Review ‘Walking Dead’, ‘Lego City Undercover’,... from School Library Journal
• Giveaway to celebrate my good news from Cassandra Page
• Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers from Bookittyblog YA Book Reviews
• WIDE AWAKE by Shelly Crane Excerpt & Giveaway from The Autumn Review
• Wild Awake by Hilary T. Smith from A Blog about Nothing
• The Chocolate War: First Impressions from Stacked
• So You Want to Read YA?: Guest Post from Author Cecil... from Stacked
• BLOG TOUR, REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: FRIENDS & LOVERS TRILOGY... from The Bookish Babe
• Pick of the Day: A Corner of White from School Library Journal
• Wistful YA: Meet the Djinni Leela from THE BINDING... from Writer's Alley
• Humongous stupendous giveaway! from Laura Pauling
• KELLEY ARMSTRONG INTERVIEW AND LOKI’S WOLVES GIVEAWAY from Literary Rambles

Inspiration and Smiles

• Talk is Cheap—For Great Fiction Drive the Demons to... from Kristen Lamb's Blog
• Why We Still Need to Write, Even When We’re Scared from Copyblogger
• How to Get Things Done (A Flowchart) from 99U
• Just Say No from The Indelibles
• The Process, or Lack Thereof from Mystery Writing is Murder
• The Age of Transformation from Pub(lishing) Crawl
• Writer Body, Writer Heart, Writer Mind from This Is My Secret
• Ask Alex: Editorial Assistants from Pub(lishing) Crawl
• 17 Important Life Lessons From "The Princess Bride" from BuzzFeed - Latest
• How Success Raises the Stakes…in Our Life from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author
• parents of writers: a memo from real actual hilary
• The Artist Unleashed: FINDING A WRITING NICHE IN NATURE,... from The Alliterative Allomorph
• Where's the Magic? (There is No Magic.) by Amy McNamara from Adventures in YA Publishing
• The Transformative Power of Pain and Kindness from The Kindness Project
• "All those people who changed the world" from Janet Reid, Literary Agent
• Guest Post: Shirley Reva Vernick on Defining Success from Cynsations
• Screenwriting 101: Michael Werwie from Go Into The Story
• How winning a literary prize can change your life from The Book Deal: A Publishing Blog for Writers and
• The Value of Taking Your Time from From the Write Angle
• "Critics who treat ‘adult’ as a term of approval,... from LEIGH BARDUGO
• Are you a Tough Writer? from Time to Write
• How Dan Brown and other authors defeat writer's block from Books news, reviews and author interviews | guar
• 10 Life Lessons From Pokemon from BuzzFeed - Latest
• Announcing The Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer... from The Official SCBWI Blog
• Sh*t My Mom Said from Writer Unboxed
• The Lighter Side of Editing from Blood-Red Pencil
• Does Good News Make You Worry? from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author
• Find Your Passion Again And Follow It from Babbles from Scott Eagan
• How To Write Whether You Feel Like it Or Not from The Write Practice
• It is impossible to live without failing from The Passive Voice - Latest Updates
• Writers' Monday Alert: Get going with ginseng from Time to Write
• The Craft of Creative Writing from Stavros Halvatzis
• 2 Tricks for Breaking Writer’s Block in One Day from A. Victoria Mixon, Editor
• Putting Passion in the Pages from Live Write Thrive

Writing Craft

• When to trust the reader’s intuition – and when to... from Nail Your Novel
• Win a 100-Page Critique From Janice Hardy from The Other Side of the Story
• Physical Attribute Entry: Chest from The Bookshelf Muse
• Highlights from New England SCBWI from Anna Staniszewski
• Should Authors Read Their Own Reviews? from Rachelle Gardner
• A Powerful Storytelling Tool: Getting Readers to Fill... from Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
• 45 Synonyms for “Old” and “Old-Fashioned” from Daily Writing Tips
• 'The Old Editor Says' from Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Bett
• Writing, Editing, and the Power of Three--A Guest... from How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
• Using a Sense of Wonder in your writing from The League of Extraordinary Writers
• The Necessity of Fresh Eyes & Critique Partners from The Lucky 13s
• Tensiontrons & Quasicrystals (from the Archives) from YA Muses
• First Page Feedback: Alpha and Omega from Write Line Blog
• The biggest summer writing stumbling block from Jenna Avery
• Layering Conflict from Blood-Red Pencil
• Are You an Over-writer or an Under-writer? Revision... from WOW! Women On Writing Blog
• How Ian Fleming Turned James Bond Into A Bestseller from Write to Done
• Fact and Fiction: How to Weave Both Elements into... from fcmalby
• The complications of a writer's location & nationality... from The Alliterative Allomorph
• Writing exercises to keep you writing every day from YA Stands
• Flog a Pro: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter from Writer Unboxed
• Where do you get your ideas? from Magical Words
• Funding for Writers: How to Get a Grant from BookBaby Blog
• Left-Brain, Right-Brain, or No-Brain At All from Storyfix.com
• Telling Your Personal Story from Rachelle Gardner
• Pros and Cons of Treadmill Writing from Excuse Editor
• What If? A Method for Developing Ideas from Mystery Writing is Murder
• Answers to Questions About Tense from Daily Writing Tips
• On Finding Your (International) Voice from Publishing Perspectives
• Writing lessons learned from BRUISED from Julie Musil
• Must-Read Monday: Another Screenwriting Gem For Writers from Roni Loren, Author
• Synopsis Support Pt 2 from MOODY WRITING
• Using Nonverbal Communication to Wow Readers WEBINAR from The Bookshelf Muse
• Point of View Choices from Just Jemi
• 25 Things You Should Know About Outlining from terribleminds: chuck wendig
• 10 Functions of the Comma from Daily Writing Tips
• What is the Objective Correlative? from Ingrid's Notes
• Write what you know love from Pub(lishing) Crawl
• To Be Great, Strive to Be Ordinary from Jane Friedman
• Tarot for Writers: Using Tarot to Find & Nurture Your... from Adventures in YA Publishing
• A Cool Way to Outline Your Novel from YA Stands
• The Benefits of a Standing Desk from Lia Keyes: The Scribbler
• 3 ways the author temperament hinders our writing... from Nail Your Novel
• Physical Attributes Entry: Butts from The Bookshelf Muse
• Novel v. short story – is there a difference? from All Write - Fiction Advice
• 5 Ways Writing Short Stories Can Boost Your Writing... from The Creative Penn
• 17 Steps to a Reader-Grabbing Title from Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
• Top 10 Questions from New Writers: Answers to Your... from Anne R. Allen's Blog
• Studying Aristotle’s “Poetics” – Part 1: Structure... from Go Into The Story
• How to Build a Scene, Addendum: Do You Have a Surface... from Cockeyed Caravan
• Are you an overwriter or an underwriter? from WOW! Women on Writing

Story Elements

• How can I improve my dialogue? (A guest post) from Chip MacGregor .com
• What Is Your Take-Away - Thinking about theme in writing from Babbles from Scott Eagan
• Three Ways to Make Your Protagonist More Realistic... from The Write Practice
• Donald Maass Wisdom: Cultivate Reader Interest Through... from The Bookshelf Muse
• Books You Can’t Stop Thinking About: Part Two from Stina Lindenblatt
• What Is Your Take Away - Thinking about theme from Babbles from Scott Eagan
• Theme: What is It? And How Do We Develop One? from Author, Jody Hedlund
• Tip Tuesday #162 AND HOW TO BE ALMOST FAMOUS IN TEN... from Literary Rambles
• On Writing and Creativity: Who Are Our Characters? from Magical Words
• Keeping You in Suspense (from the Archive) from YA Muses
• Character Archetypes 101: The Rebel from The Character Therapist

Story Structure

• Three act structure in real life: Act 3 from Time to Write
• JUST ADD CONFLICT from YA Muses
• Are Your Bad Guys Dying in the Right Order? from Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors
• How to Write a Novel: Start with a Novel Outline from Writers On The Move
• 3 act structure in real life : Act 2 from Time to Write
• The 7 Basic Plots: Voyage and Return from The Write Practice
• How To Plot Your Fantasy Novel from There And Draft Again
• 11 Keys to Making a Novel a Page Turner from The Kill Zone
• Mystery vs. Suspense: The 8 Keys from The Indelibles
• 3 act structure in real life : Act I from Time to Write

Getting Published

• The Five Stages of Editorial Letters from Operation Awesome
• Think Like a Bookseller, part 1 - On Turns, and Returns from Jennifer Represents...
• So Why DID I Want to be an Agent? from Adventures in Agentland
• FIRST FIVE FRENZY with Annie Bomke of Annie Bomke... from chasingthecrazies
• Jessica Hill's Current Query Critiqued from The Quintessentially Questionable Query Experime
• Why I'm Paying Someone to Edit My Guide to Writing... from Nathan Bransford, Author
• Send Your Multimedia Story Ideas to Audubon from 10,000 Words
• How to Fire Your Agent-a post by Jenny from Bent on Books
• Don't Underestimate the Power of the Snail: paper... from From the Write Angle
• Should You Self-Publish? 15 Questions from Jane Friedman
• A Full Year Of Critiques - Brenda Novak Auction from Babbles from Scott Eagan
• Compare My Manuscript to a Famous Book—A Writer’s... from The Editor's Blog
• From a Finalist of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards... from Seeking the Write Life
• Judging A Book By Its Cover from YA Confidential
• How To Pitch A Self-Published Novel to A Publisher... from Blood-Red Pencil
• Six Core Issues Facing Writers Today from Writer Unboxed
• Storyville: Ten Ways to Evaluate Fiction Markets from LitReactor
• Two Contests for National Flash Fiction Day from Nick's Writing Blog
• Ask The Agent: 20 Insights Into a Successful Agent/Client... from LitReactor
• Literary Agent Misconceptions from Carly Watters, Literary Agent
• Twitter Pitch Party ... the details! from Brenda Drake . . . under the influence of coffe
• When Agents Wave the Red Flag from The Daily Dahlia
• Always Keep Your Options Open from Babbles from Scott Eagan
• Where To Find Cover Artists from Karen Woodward
• Nine Agents Tell Us What They're Looking For (Plus... from Adventures in YA Publishing
• Announcing the Top 25 for the May Pitch+250 Contest from Adventures in YA Publishing
• A New Feature on Operation Awesome: Query Critiques! from Operation Awesome
• Saying, “NO!” to an Editor from Fiction Notes
• Introducing Author Services from YA Author Elana Johnson

Networking and Promotion

• What Indie Authors Should Understand About Amazon’s...  from BookBaby Blog
• 7 Secrets to Writing Persuasive Back Cover Sales Copy from The Book Designer
• Guest Post: What Does a Book Publicist Really Do? from Nick's Writing Blog
• Conference Tips for BEA and Beyond! from The League of Extraordinary Writers
• Book Marketing Q&A: Jeff Yamaguchi Talks Advertising from Publishing Perspectives
• Writer Apps for Your Phone from The Kill Zone
• Seven Ideas for Crafting Creative Book Reviews from Author, Jody Hedlund
• A Love Letter (Of Sorts) from YA Highway
• Let’s Get Visible. Cracking The Amazon Algorithms... from The Creative Penn
• 3 Ways to Improve Your Website Design from Jane Friedman
• HOW TO PROMOTE AUTHORS AND BOOKS AND REQUIEM/DELIRIUM... from Literary Rambles
• How to Land a Guest Blogging Spot by Rochelle Melander from Amwriting Blog | Amwriting Blog
• The Annual Great YA Blogger Meet Up -- ALA 2013 from YA Highway
• The Reading Rules--Guest Post by Ariel Allison Lawhon... from Novel Matters
• 5 Reasons to Attend the Reaching Readers Book Marketing... from Publishing Perspectives
• Number of Publishers’ Branded Reader Communities Set... from Publishing Perspectives
• How to Price Your Book and eBook with Guy Kawasaki from Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG
• Guest Post: Sharron L. McElmeel on Creating an Author/Illustrator... from Cynsations
• How To Build Your Brand On Pinterest [Research] from Heidi Cohen
• How To Stream Tweets at Your Literary Event from GalleyCat
• The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/10/13 from Kami Garcia -- NYT Bestselling Author (The Beaut
• A Checklist of Basic Promotion Materials for Indie... from BookBaby Blog
• Everything You Need to Know About the Retweet from Writer Unboxed

Industry News and Trends

• The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/17/13 from Kami Garcia -- NYT Bestselling Author (The Beaut
• Cary Goldstein Joins Simon & Schuster as Executive... from GalleyCat
• Friday Roundup 5.17.13 from Write Line Blog
• Essay: Beautiful Creatures from NYT > Books
• Penguin, RH Merger Remains on Track from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• Discussion: Do Writers Need Social Media? from Writability
• 10 Biggest Book Adaptation Flops from PWxyz
• 2013 Innovations in Reading Winners: E-books in Developing... from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• Big Library Read Allows Millions of Library Patrons... from GalleyCat
• Indie Writers Can Now Get Their Books Into Bookstores from Karen Woodward
• Children's/YA Sales Rose 13% in 2012 from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• Children's Bookselling: An Expansion and an Addition... from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• In Pictures: The 2013 Children's Choice Book Awards from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• How Much Does Style Matter? from The Kill Zone
• Is this the end of fiction's genre wars? from Books news, reviews and author interviews | guar
• You CAN win the Kobayashi Maru. from Epiphany 2.0
• Is Interactive Fiction Finally Reaching Critical Mass? from Publishing Perspectives
• Trade Sales Rose 6.9% in 2012 from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• Children's Choice Awards Announced from PublishersWeekly.com News Articles
• Survey Says — eBooks Are Good for the Book Business from BookBaby Blog
• Direct sales and community building from Joe Wikert's Digital Content Strategies
• Innovation Taking the Publishing Business Beyond Borders from Publishing Perspectives
• Children reading more on screen than print, NLT finds from Bookseller news
• Ebooks Responsible for Nearly $1 Billion Growth in... from The Passive Voice - Latest Updates
• New Book Sharing Site Goes Live from GalleyCat
• Meet the Man Booker International prize finalists:... from Books news, reviews and author interviews | guar
• How We Read: Indie vs. Traditional from IndieReader :: the first and only source for new
• National Book Foundation Announces 2013 Innovations... from School Library Journal
• Google told to tidy up auto-complete from BBC News - Home
• The Surprising Origins Of 35 English Phrases from BuzzFeed - Latest
• Update: Word Cloud Logline Challenge – Winners Revealed! from Go Into The Story 
• Neil Gaiman Knocks It Out Of The Park On This Week's... from BuzzFeed - Latest
• Fanfiction: A Guilty Pleasure from YA Stands
• Readers Don’t Owe Authors from The Passive Voice - Latest Updates
• Edgar Award for CODE NAME VERITY from Huffington Post 
• Oxford Circus Tube Station Gets GREAT GATSBY Makeover from Radio Times

Other Roundups

• Cynsational News & Giveaways from Cynsations
• The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 5/17/13 from Kami Garcia
• Field Trip Friday: May 17, 2013 from YA Highway
• Twitterific 5/12/13 from Mystery Writing is Murder