Honestly YA: Six authors, One love.

Is There an Always?

2012-03-04T19:13:00.013-05:00

I have this weird memory problem. For months on end I forget my television subscription includes Showtime. (I also periodically think I DO get Cinemax. I blame this confusion on “free channel weekends.” ) So I was a pretty happy camper the other day when I took a chance and clicked on one of the Showtime channels and learned I really do get that channel! And the movie I wanted to see enough to take the chance?
“Gross Pointe Blank”

If you’ve never seen it (and I don’t know why you wouldn’t have. john Cusack is sorta timeless), the movie is about Martin Blank, a professional hitman returning to a Detroit suburb to take care of a little business and attend his 10-year high school reunion. Except it’s not really the reunion that keeps him lingering in town and putting off doing the job. It’s his high school sweetheart, Debi Newberry (played by Minnie Driver).

As the story goes, Martin left Grosse Pointe on prom night-- before prom began, in fact -- without so much as a phone call to warn his girlfriend Debi he wouldn’t be escorting her to the Biggest High School Dance Ever. After she spent seven hundred dollars on a dress, and everything.

(this is how I picture Debi on prom night)

Talk about broken-hearted! Oh, my God. Poor Debi! Stood up on prom night. Could you imagine?

This is probably the point where you expect me to say not only can I imagine it, I lived it.

Well, no. I didn’t. For me, it was just about as opposite as you can get. I attended my prom without dumping or drama and have lived and loved long enough to wonder why anyone ever thought powder blue tuxedos were a good idea. My date was my boyfriend of a year, and we were both certain we would be spending the rest of our lives together, and we weren’t the only ones. Just like Martin and Debi, everyone knew we were together, everyone thought we always would be.

That was June. By August, when really taking control of our lives wasn’t a far off concept but was something that was truly happening, it became evident we would not always be together. We wanted different things from life, it turned out, and had different ideas on the path ahead. And probably - though I cringe to admit this - we both had some growing up to do. Or, perhaps more accurately, we had more life experience to gain, more time to develop into individuals before committing to be a lifelong pair.

And so I can’t help but wonder. What if Martin didn’t freak out and join the Army and stand up Debi on prom night? What if he stayed, and they stayed together past graduation? stayed together as they started college?

Me? I doubt they would have made it. Clearly Martin had some Serious Issues to work through, and I’m not sure Debi would have been strong enough to stand by him through whatever breakdown he was headed for. But when we meet her at the opening of “Grosse Pointe Blank,” we have no doubt she has developed the strength. She’s become an independent, self-sufficient woman who can more than handle Martin’s sudden reappearance in her life.

(Debi all grown up and ready to kick ass)

So while Debi thought she lost her teen love, he was really only sorta…misplaced. Sure, for a lot of folks teen love lost is love gone. But not for everyone. Somewhere out there, there are more couples like Martin and Debi (though likely without as many guns), more couples who planned to attend prom as the first big step to their life together.

I hope they all live happily ever after.

So here’s your question:

If you’re currently in school, do you know any couples you think will grow old together? Or do you think they’re doomed?
If you’re no longer in school, do you know any couples that dated during school, split up and then reconnected?

{Credit: The dress in photo two is an Alex London design - as is the gown on the cover of 'Shatter Me' by Tahereh Mafi. The website is Alex London Fashion House if you want to swoon over more gorgeous dresses}

Welcome Wednesday Guest Post: Terry Spear asks, "What Do You Do When Another “Girl” Wants Your Guy?"

2012-02-29T06:00:00.005-05:00

Once Bitten, 1985 - A vampire Countess needs to drink the blood of a virgin in order to keep her eternal beauty. It seems that all is hopeless, until she bumps into Mark Kendall.

“The Countess has a problem. She is a 400 year old vampire who will cease to look young unless she is able to feed on a virgin three times before Halloween, a week away. She sends Sebastian, her servant and all of her lesser vampires out to find one. Finding a virgin is difficult in Los Angeles. Mark has a problem. He wants to 'do it' with Robin in the worst way, but she wants to wait. Jamie and Russ, Mark's goofy friends convince him to go to a Hollywood pick up spot where Mark meets the Countess, on the prowl. Robin's not going to understand.” ~Written by John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>

I loved this movie where Robin wants to wait to have relations with her first boyfriend, and poor Mark Kendall is dying to give up being a virgin. It shows strength of character on both their parts. Then here comes a vampire with an even bigger problem. She has to have a virgin to feed off so she can remain eternally young. It’s pretty difficult to say no to such an offer. Especially when the woman is willing and her powers of seduction due to her vampiric charms are so persuasive. What can a guy do? But drift away from his true love and give into a false one.

But Robin sees the woman for what she is…an ancient predator that only wants to use her boyfriend and throw him away. Or maybe keep him for her own. But he won’t be his own person ever again.

That’s the thing with teenage love, to learn to trust and respect and compromise. If her values are such that she wants to wait, if he truly loves her, he will respect her and wait.

Have you ever heard of: pick your battles?

When the issues are just not that important: where to eat, what to do on Saturday, who to see…then compromise, or don’t make it an issue.

But if it’s something that is at the core of the person’s belief system, for an instance, he doesn’t drink, either because of religious beliefs or maybe alcoholism in the family, so he doesn’t want to attend parties where there’s a lot of alcohol being served, then it’s time for his needs to be considered.

A lot of times it has to do with motivation. If he or she has a really good cause for feeling the way he or she does, maybe there’s a reason the girlfriend or boyfriend should give weight to their decisions.

Which all goes back to trusting and respecting each other.

If the person doesn’t respect their friend’s concerns when they have a legitimate reason for feeling the way they do, then perhaps the relationship isn’t right for them. In other words, if it’s something that they can’t deal with, she loves to drink with her friends and he abhors the idea, then the differences in their value systems might not be something they can ever overcome.

Mark wants his needs met in the worst way. But Robin wants to wait because it’s really important to her. In the end, if he gives up the ancient vampire sucker and sticks it out with the girlfriend that truly means something to him, their relationship will endure. But what if the only way to save him is to give up her beliefs? Well, that shows true love.

Finding the one that is right for you is the key. No one should feel they have to do what someone else wants in a relationship just to hang onto that relationship. It should be a mutually loving bond filled with trust, respect and compromise (when the compromise is for things that are just too unimportant to make issue with).

Terry Spear/Terry Lee Wilde, The Dark Fae, where the fae rule…

You can learn more about Terry at her website, or follow her on Facebook and on Twitter. And you can learn about her awesome books on Goodreads.

Thanks so much for visiting with us, Terry. This is such a great post and a wonderful life lesson, too! I know I learned this the hard way myself as a teen.

So what about you, gentle readers? Did you ever comprise on your own beliefs to get or maintain a relationship? As Dr. Phil would say, "How'd that work out for you?"

2012-02-27T05:30:00.000-05:00

The Tale of the Evil Cheerbot and theMeddling Math Teacher

Once upon a time,there was a naïve teen girl who mourned the fact that she’d never had aboyfriend. In fact, she began to wonder what was wrong with her that in all herseventeen years she hadn’t been in love. Sadly, when she did find love, theexperience was so painful that it left her afraid to give her heart ever again…

My first relationship lasted for all of four months. Rob was a tennisplayer, tall, athletic and painfully shy. Honestly, I can’t remember how westarted dating considering I was quite the introvert in those days. It may havehad something to do with me being one of ten spectators at several of his tennismatches, but I can’t be sure. ;-)

In any case, he asked me out and we fell into couple-modealmost immediately. He’d walk me to my classes, write me love notes (no textingor emailing in those days, my dears), go to movies, and make out in his parents’basement. For those few glorious weeks, I reveled in walking through the hallsof the school, holding hands with my guy, my heart blooming with the knowledgethat I was no longer alone.

But just when I was becoming comfortable in my newfoundromance, tragedy struck.

Unbeknownst to me, my loving boyfriend—along with everyother male in the school—had a crush on the head cheerleader, Alisha. What Rob didn’t know was thatAlisha and I had a history.

Sophomore year our lockers were side by side.This was unfortunate due to Alisha’s locker being the designated hang-out forthe entire cheerleading squad. I received more than one tardy slip, becausedespite my polite requests to get to my locker, the cheer-squad refused toacknowledge my existence. Finding Alisha alone one morning, I confronted herabout my lack of access to said locker. After she consented to speak to me, sheexplained that she was not at fault because I was “nothing at our school”. Lovely,aye?

For the next three years, she made snarky comments about myfashion choices, my hair, my friends, and would giggle and point when I walkedby. I ignored her. Until she went a step too far.

One afternoon, my geometry teacher (who was also the Tenniscoach) pulled me aside and told me he and Alisha were playing a “joke” on Rob.He asked me to keep it to myself, so I wouldn’t spoil the fun. The jokeconsisted of Alisha writing my boyfriend a love note and slipping it into hislocker. Mr. Math Teacher thought it would be a hilarious prank to make Robthink the head cheerleader wanted to go out with him. But we all know whyAlisha played along with this little deception—to mess with me.

That's me with the wide, naive smile.

And it worked. After I gave Mr. Math Teacher a piece of my mind,Rob and I had a huge fight. I accused him of wanting to be with Alisha insteadof me. He reassured me his crush on Alisha was old news and I was the only girlhe wanted…yada, yada, yada. We stayed together a few more weeks and then hedumped me on prom night.

After that stellar experience, I dated a lot of guys, but never got serious with anyone. Not even incollege. But then I met the love of my life, my Prince Charming. I smile as I’mtyping this, because he didn’t put up with any of my commitment-phobic BS, andfor that I’ll be eternally grateful.

Yep, I got my fairytale ending after all.

What about you? Was your first relationship full of hearts and rainbowsor evil cheerbots and meddling math teachers?

Lorie

Welcome Wednesday: Christine Fonseca's Take on Lessons from Teen Love

2012-02-22T06:00:00.002-05:00

Aw Yes, Teen love. ..

I remember it well. The maddening, sickening, soul-crushing love that seems to only happen in the throes of adolescence. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED falling in love as a teen, despite the heartache that also followed.

It was in my senior year. I met him at club (yes, an underage dance club). And man, could he DANCE. We were from two different schools, two different worlds. And we were in love.

It hit hard and it hit fast for us. It was all-consuming and relentless. Every moment of every day I thought of him, imagining a future together.

We saw each other every weekend, went to the prom, and just "knew" we would spend an eternity together.

And then I went away to college. 3000 miles away. We saw each other whenever I came home, talked for hours on the phone. But it wasn't enough.

The spring of my freshman year, we broke up. He said it was too hard watching me leave. Too hard having me gone.

I was crushed.

We found our way back to each other a year later. But that didn't last either. My future had moved on, I had forged a new road. One without him.

I fell in love again a year or so later. It was just as intense. Just as complete. I thought I would marry him. But, like my first love, it proved to be just as temporary.

Eventually I met the man I would later marry, and the love I felt for him - that same maddening, soul-crushing, all-consuming love - would settle into something more permanent. 20+ years permanent.

Now, I look back on my first love, on that type of love in general, with fondness. I write about it in every story, remembering how it felt to feel with such intensity. It's so raw, so intense, so complete. And yet, it is oh so transitory too. I am convinced that such love is not meant to last. But the love that develops in its wake is more, somehow. Better.

If we can only get there...

School psychologist by day, critically acclaimed YA and nonfiction author by night, Christine Fonseca believes that writing is a great way to explore humanity. Her debut YA Gothic series, The Requiem Series, including DIES IRAE and LACRIMOSA, examines the role of redemption, sacrifice and love. Her nonfiction titles include 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS and EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS.

When she’s not writing or spending time with her family, she can be sipping too many skinny vanilla lattes at her favorite coffee house or playing around on Facebook and Twitter. Catch her daily thoughts about writing and life on her blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Christine! This post brought back a lot of intense memories. So what about you, gentle readers? Did you fall hard as a teen and experience the same "maddening, soul-crushing, all-consuming" love Christine is talking about? What happened? Was it happily ever after, or a stepping stone on the way to a bigger and better relationship?

Little ditty ‘bout Jack & Diane…or in this case, Becky & Tommy

2012-02-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

Confession time. I’ve been dreading our current topic, "Teen Lover, Where are Youuuu?"

Why, you ask?

Because I have no firsthand experience with teen love or teen lovers.

Now, if the topic had been “Angsty, John Hughes-worthy, Unrequited Crushes” or “Wild, Stupid Stuff I did in High School” I’d be golden. But teen love, huh, that’s a toughie.

Becky & Tommy had matching hair.

The closest thing I have to draw from is the love life of my best friend. Rebecca and I were BFFs in junior and senior high. In tenth grade, she started dating Tommy. They quickly became serious and were together until the ratbastard dumped her just after prom. During their 2+ year relationship, I hung out with them on a regular basis, but I also spent a lot of time branching out, so I wouldn’t just be a third wheel. Thinking about Becky and Tommy made me ask myself, if I could go back and do things differently, would I?

I think every girl wants the Jake Ryan experience—that A-MA-ZING high school romance that makes you feel special and gives you intimate knowledge of what it is to love and be loved. So, were there times I was a teensy bit jealous of what my best friend had? Of course.

Yes, Becky had Tommy—a make out partner and guaranteed date every weekend—but I kissed a handful of boys, hung out with several groups of friends, did community college theatre, cut class for Chinese food and Broadway shows in the city, and spent too many mornings hung-over. Would I be the same person without those formative experiences?

Becky graduated with a broken heart and I graduated never having had a real boyfriend. But I wouldn’t trade my loser life for teen love. I like my angst and knowing what it’s like to be on the outside looking in. It’s who I am. And eventually my Jake Ryan found me...but that's a post for another time.

Now dear readers, let’s play the game of life. There’s a fork in the road, do you chose the serious high school boyfriend path or the serious life experience single path? And why?

Happy President’s Day!

Carey

Welcome Wednesday: Trish Milburn's Take on Lessons from Teen Love

2012-02-15T06:00:00.004-05:00

Today we welcome made-of-awesome adult and YA writer, Trish Milburn to the Welcome Wednesday spot. Our theme is "Teen Lover, Where are Youuuu?" and we're talking about the lessons we learned from teen love. Take it away, Trish...

The Love You Least Expect

There’s something very powerful about falling in love in your teens. Even if it doesn’t end up being the forever kind of love, and it often isn’t, it certainly feels like that at the time. I think that’s why I still really love teen-centric stories, whether they’re books, TV shows or movies. You get to see and experience vicariously that intensity of first love all over again.

Interestingly, my two favorite kinds of teen romance stories are the “opposites attract” and “best friends fall in love” storylines. They suck me in every time.

One of my favorite opposites-attract stories is the movie 10 Things I Hate About You with Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger. Here you have the story of the super-smart but snarky Kat Stratford falling for the bad boy Patrick Verona. And even though Patrick is initially paid to get Kat to go out with him so her younger sister can date, he finds there’s a lot more to Kat than her thorny exterior. He starts falling for her, so it’s even more devastating for them both when Kat finds out the truth. Thankfully, they work it out in the end, but the movie shows the importance of not lying to the person you like and not assuming your true love can’t possibly someone way different than you.

Another movie that falls into this category is The Prince and Me, again with Julia Stiles, this time starring opposite Luke Mably. It’s actually a mixture of the opposites attract and friends falling in love types of stories. Julia plays Paige, a farmer’s daughter and pre-med student in Wisconsin who is very serious about her studies. Luke plays Eddie, another college student who is actually a prince in hiding and seemingly only interested in girls and having a good time. They initially become friends, but it blossoms into something more. Again, a lie comes between them when Paige discovers Eddie is a prince. Can you get more opposite than a girl who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and the Prince of Denmark?

A new show that I’m currently enjoying is Jane by Design. Jane is a teenage girl who, through a case of mistaken identity, ends up living a double life as a smart high school student and an assistant to a bigwig in the fashion world. While she has potential love interests in the hot jock at school and the playboy designer at work, I’m really hoping that toward the end of the show’s run she realizes that the perfect guy for her is actually her best friend, Billy. He is the best friend ever, helping her conceal her double life any way he can, listening when she needs to vent, giving her a shoulder to cry on during the hard times. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that he’s cute. I personally think the strongest love stories are the ones that start with friendship, so I suspect/hope that Jane and Billy are destined for each other.

Trish Milburn’s first book in the new Coven trilogy, White Witch, will be available soon from Bell Bridge Books. It’s the story of Jax Pherson, a dark witch on the run from her coven because she wants nothing more than to live a normal life as a normal teenage girl. Trish previously published two YA titles under the name Tricia Mills, Heartbreak River and Winter Longing.

You can learn more about Trish by visiting her website, checking her out on Facebook, and on Twitter.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Trish! I must admit I loved me some Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate about You and Julia Stiles is great in everything she does.

Okay, now it's your turn, gentle readers. Are you a fan of either of these types of romances? What is it about them that you think makes them work so well?

Teen lover...where are you?

2012-02-13T05:51:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday, everyone! It's Melissa, and I have the pleasure of introducing our next topic: what we've learned from our experiences with teenage love.

But first I want to thank you for all the congratulations and sweet comments left in response to Friday's post. I feel very loved. And don't forget you still have until February 17th to win a copy of DEVIL'S KISS. (By the way, I've finished reading, and it's a-maaaa-zing.) So scroll down to this post and leave your email addy among the comments. Good luck!

Okay, now back to the topic of...

Ah, l'amour. Of all my teenage experiences, first love is probably what I miss the least, because it was hella painful. Who doesn't remember the ache of unrequited affections? And even if the boy of your dreams loved you back, it was bound to end--usually with the whole school looking on, chattering excitedly about who dumped who. (Or at least that's how it felt.) Then after the breakup, there was the pressure to snag another date before he did, so as not to look like a giant loooooser. Yeah, like I said, I don't miss that.

As I'd mentioned in a previous post, I was a late bloomer. Thanks to a rigidly religious upbringing, I wasn't allowed to start dating until I was sixteen. So my first boyfriend, Derek, was also my first love, my first kiss, my first heartbreak, and most importantly, my guinea pig.

Poor Derek. I had NO clue how to communicate with the boy. The feelings I had for him were so overwhelming and scary that no matter how many times I rehearsed the words, I could never manage to shake them off my tongue while in his presence. Seriously, we barely spoke. He talked, I listened, and we kissed a lot. A whole lot. And when conflict arose between us, (usually in the form of another girl), I responded by breaking up with him instead of initiating dialogue.

Over the course of the school year, we probably broke up and reconciled five times. It was nutters. After eight or nine months of on-again, off-again lovin', we split for good and he quickly wound up with another girl...one who wasn't afraid to talk to him. Though I never let it show, it killed me to watch them together, and it took years before I could honestly say I didn't care about him anymore. (sniffle, sniffle)

So, what did I learn from my first experience with love? Losing Derek to a chattier woman taught me not to be a Wussy McFraidypants. To speak up! To air my grievances and ask for what I want! It was a lesson that served me well, though it took several years and a little trial and error to find my voice.

You'll be happy to know that I have zero problems asserting myself in a relationship now. Just ask my husband, who thinks I'm bossy. I may have drifted a bit too far in the other direction, but that's okay. Because people who ask for what they want are more likely to get what they want, and Melissa Landers is a doormat no more!

Now it's your turn. What lessons did you learn from your first love?

Melissa's big news...and another GIVEAWAY!

2012-02-10T06:00:00.003-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! It's Melissa, and I have wonderful news to share.

If you read this interview with agent Nicole Resciniti last week, you know she sold my YA sci-fi. At the time, we weren't able to disclose the deets, but now that the deal's been posted on Publisher's Marketplace, I'm free to tell you ALIENATED has sold to Disney Hyperion in a two-book deal!

Isn't that awesome? Woohoo! I told you Nicole's a superhero.

If you'd like to read more, I posted in greater detail on my blog, The Unrepentant Escapist. While you're over there, feel free to give me a "follow" as I'm going to start giving away Hyperion titles to celebrate my 2013 debut! I'm going to kick off the first giveaway right now on Honestly YA, but each one afterwards will happen on The Escapist.

If you'd like to win a copy of Sarwat Chadda's DEVIL'S KISS, just follow these simple instructions:

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com). I promise not to use your email for any purpose other than contacting you if you win.

3. Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to US residents. By participating, you agree to the rules set forth on our contest disclaimer page.

4. That's it! The contest closes next Friday, February 17th, at 5pm EST. At that time, I'll assign each comment a number and use random.org to choose the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose another winner, and so on.

Thanks for letting me share my wonderful news with you, and best of luck!

~Melissa

PS: I'm about halfway through DEVIL'S KISS, and it's an action-packed page turner. I can't put it down!!!

Welcome Wednesday: Erica O'Rourke's High School Regret

2012-02-07T17:19:00.013-05:00

There’s a fabulous song by the Austin/Chicago band Poi Dog Pondering that I was a huge fan of during high school, and to be honest, my enthusiasm for it hasn’t dimmed a whit in the intervening years. “Thanksgiving” is about the idea that you should be grateful for your past mistakes, because the bad decisions and regrettable incidents are what brought you to the place you are now.

“Would our paths cross if every great loss had turned out our gain?
Would our paths cross if the pain it had cost us was paid in vain?”

My teenage years were certainly a plethora of mistakes, from school to friends to guys. Some were annoying or inconvenient, and some were substantial and mind-bogglingly bad. But every single one of them set me on a specific path, and that path has led me here: married to a wonderful man, mother to three beautiful girls, rich in friends and family, and a published author. If that sounds too perky to be real, rest assured I have challenges and troubles. But they’re minor in the grand scheme of things. By and large, I’m incredibly fortunate to be living this life, and I have watched Back to the Future too many times to wish any part of my past away.

That being said, I do have one regret. And in true writerly fashion, I force Mo, the heroine of The Torn Trilogy, to face it in every book. It’s the decision to act or retreat. To choose what is safe and familiar over what is frightening and unknown. I don’t regret the things I did in high school; I regret not doing more. Not taking chances. It was always easier to play it safe – to not speak up for what was right, to not tell the boy I had a crush on how I felt, to not try out for the school play – than it was to take a big risk and put myself out there. Looking back, I wish I’d risked spectacular failure more often.

By design, Mo is a character who is happiest when she is observing. She was happy to let her best friend take the spotlight while she looked on. And when Verity dies, Mo is faced with two paths: to grieve her friend and continue her safe, sheltered existence or to risk everything – her life and her future and her heart – to find out the truth. At every turn, she has to make that decision again. Sometimes the gamble pays off, and she learns something crucial or enjoys a moment of victory. Sometimes she pays a terrible, terrible cost. But each time Mo takes a chance, she learns more about who she is and what she’s made of. It’s a difficult lesson, but an essential one.

I wish I’d known earlier that I would regret the things I didn’t do far, far more than the things I did. What’s a chance you wish you had taken, way back when?

Erica O’Rourke is the award-winning author of TORN and TANGLED,both available now. The conclusion to The Torn Trilogy, BOUND, will be published this summer. She lives outside of Chicago, where she drinks too much coffee and takes too few naps. To learn more, follow her on Twitter: @Erica_ORourke or visit her blog: www.ericaorourke.typepad.com

GIVEAWAY ALERT: As a special treat, Erica is giving away a copy of TORN and a copy of TANGLED to one lucky follower. How awesome is that? So how can you win?

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com).

3. Due to the prohibitive cost of international shipping, prize winners who are not US residents will receive electronic versions of the giveaway book. By participating, you agree to the rules set forth on the contest disclaimer page.

4. That's it! The contest closes Friday, February 10th, at midnight EST. At that time, we'll assign each comment a number and use random.org to choose the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, we'll choose another winner, and so on.
Good luck!

I was a Teenage Gutless Wonder

2012-02-06T05:00:00.011-05:00

Here we are, at the end of another topic cycle. I'll admit it, I was a gutless wonder. It's my High School Regret.

First let me clarify—I’m not talking about a general lack of guts, or what some people would call boldness or chutzpah. Because in many ways, I had that in spades. For example, I could get up in front of a theatre full of people and sing and act my heart out. I wasn’t afraid to speak up in class, make friends or date boys. The types of guts I’m talking about are kind that give you the strength to assert yourself; the fortitude to know your own mind and desires, and stick up for yourself when it counts. I didn’t have that. Not for a good many years.

Babyface McShortstuff was adorable. Blond, freckle-faced and be-spectacled, he made me smile the first time I met him. I was in the tenth grade, he the ninth. Witty, mischievous and cool, he wasn’t embarrassed to be in chorus, vocal jazz, and the drama club. And he made me laugh. We’d get together each week with a few other friends to watch Moonlighting and I secretly swore we were the real life (and much younger) version of David and Maddie. Because we bickered and teased each other just like they did. And we were secretly in love.

Sounds awesome, right? We must have dated and had a sweet teen romance. Yeah, not so much. And it was all my fault. The problem: he was shorter than me. By a lot. And that’s saying something because I’m vertically challenged myself—just five-foot-two. Anyway, my parents were vicious in their jabs about how short and immature he was. Surely I wouldn’t waste my time on such a little idiot, right? I was far too grown-up for him and, really, why would I want to be with such a tiny boy? I could do better with someone else. Preferably someone taller. Because no girl wants to be the Cher who looks down at her Sonny.

If my parents thought this, surely the rest of the school would too, right? Doubtful, but I let myself believe it anyway. Overwhelmed with fear about dating an infantile pipsqueak, I shoved my feelings for him deep down into my gut and swallowed them. Over and over again. Because Babyface and I shared this revolving cycle of on-again, off-again hots for two years. Imagine my surprise when he waltzed into school on the first day of his junior year—my senior year—having experienced the growth spurt that had eluded him for so long. He was six feet tall. And gorgeous. And it was too late for me. Because there were a ton of other girls who wanted him now and I didn’t stand up for him—or myself—when it mattered.

It took me a while and a whole lot of growing up (figuratively, not literally) to finally learn to be decisive and assert myself. Part of that is the natural maturation process I’m sure. But I did learn. Only a few years later I met my future husband and despite my parents’ reservations about getting serious so young, I forged ahead with what my heart told me was right. I’m happy to say we’ll celebrate our twentieth anniversary this summer.

I try to keep these and other life lessons in mind when I write. In Conjure, the first book in The Hoodoo Apprentice series debuting October 2012, the heroine, Emma Guthrie starts off shy and introverted, afraid to stake a claim on the hero, Cooper Beaumont, even though she’s been crushing on him for a year. But things change when they unearth a cursed pirate treasure and an ancient Gullah hex threatens the people she loves the most. To save them, Emma finds her voice and discovers untapped strength, and maybe even a little romance, with the much taller Cooper.

~Lea

Lea Nolan can be found at her website, on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. She is represented by the astonishingly fantastic Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

So what about you, gentle readers? Did you ever regret letting something as dumb as a guy's height keep you from pursuing true-for-now love? What potential "faults" did you find in your own Babyface McShortstuff? Throw me a bone, people, I hope I'm not the only one to be such a dummy!

Agent Interview: Nicole Resciniti of the Seymour Agency

2012-02-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday, gentle readers! Melissa here, and I'm thrilled to share an interview with my literary agent, Nicole Resciniti, (who also reps Lea, Lorie, and Carey.)

Working with Nicole has been a dream, and I can't recommend her highly enough. When I signed with her, I had two completed manuscripts under my belt...and she sold them both. If that's not enough to convince you she's a superhero, she's also a master brainstormer, a Mensa member, a top-notch editor, and a genuinely wonderful human being. I feel very blessed to have found Nicole, and I'm thankful she took the time to answer my questions today.

Enjoy, and I hope this is helpful.

1. We keep hearing how crowded the YA market is. How can aspiring YA authors ensure their work stands out from the masses?

YA is becoming increasingly more crowded. Seasoned adult authors are trying their hand at the younger market and more and more aspiring authors want to write in this genre. What does this mean for you? It means you need to seriously stand out from everyone else. Don’t do something that has been done before. Don’t chase trends (by the time they’re identified, they’ve passed). Don’t try to emulate someone else. Keep it fun and fresh. Tighten your writing as much as possible so that your voice pops off the page.

What do I mean by voice, that illusive, undefinable quality that we’re all looking for? Well, it’s easier to show by example than to explain. For sake of clarity, your “voice” is your unique way of telling a story. It is a reflection of YOU. Your thoughts, beliefs, background. It conveys a tone (dark, humorous, sarcastic, light). It is a calling card of sorts, because it identifies you as an author.

For those of you reading this blog, let me tell you something about Melissa Landers, one of the contributors. She has a FANTASTIC voice. I’m not saying that to blow sunshine into any nether regions. It’s a fact. It’s the reason I signed her as quickly as my little fingers could dial her number. It’s also the reason why she’s now writing for two NY publishing houses. Here’s the excerpt from her YA. This is literally the paragraph that told me ‘I want this! I will sell this!’ and I did, to Disney. Here’s a little peek at ALIENATED, coming from Disney Hyperion in 2013:

Winning. Cara Sweeny had made it her business, and business was good. Honor Society president? Check. Young leader award? Check. Debate champion, two years running? Double check. And when the much-coveted title of valedictorian had eluded her, she’d found a way to snag that, too.
Over the summer, she’d staged an academic ambush of such epic proportions, Midtown High’s geek-elite were still chewing their pencils in shock. Sneaky as a senator, she’d retaken Honors Calculus, raised her grade from 92 to 100, and usurped Marcus Toole as valedictorian. Her stealth attack had caught him with his Hanes down, and unless her grades tanked this year—which was so not going to happen—the sulking loser had no chance of reclaiming his title.

I mean, how awesome is that? I get a clear picture of this character, how she thinks, a little taste of her personality and attitude. And it’s fun. I found myself smiling as I read. That is a big secret of hooking an editor/agent—cause a visceral reaction. If we laugh/cry/shudder/smile/become afraid, you have physically made us FEEL something, and that means we’re totally immersed in your manuscript. Look at your opening chapter. Is the writing tight? Does your voice pop off the page? Do you make the reader FEEL?

2. What are some traits you look for in an “ideal” client? How do you know when the agent-client partnership is a good fit?

I’m married to my clients. It’s a polygamous relationship, but I love them all and talk to them frequently. We discuss ways to market/edit/promote their projects. As in a good marriage, communication is the key. As an agent, I am invested in my authors and their projects. I’m not looking for one-and-done. I want to build a career alongside my authors. A good fit is someone who is equally committed to succeeding. This business requires a lot of time, effort, and dedication.

3. Speaking of ideal traits, I’d crossed a few agents off my ‘to-query’ list after reading their mean-spirited tweets. Compassion and professionalism are important to me. What other traits do you think writers should keep in mind when deciding who to query?

I’m glad you mentioned the mean-spirited tweets. All authors should be very careful about what they tweet/blog/say online. The internet is vast and you never know who is reading. Editors WILL check the blogs/tweets/facebook of an author they are considering. I do too. If someone is unprofessional, I prefer not to work with them.

When querying, an author should look for an agent who shares their ideals, who represents the kind of book they write, and someone who will be a true advocate of their work. In this very saturated market, you need someone who will fight for your projects.

4. Is there anything on your current wish list? Anything you’re not interested in seeing at this time?

I am actively looking for more YA/MG and more romance. I would LOVE to find more UF/sci-fi/fantasy—with a fresh premise. I can’t say there is anything that I don’t want to see because if the voice is really great, I’ll consider it.

5. As an agent, you probably deal with more rejection than anyone. Do you have any tips on helping writers thicken their skins when faced with the dreaded, “Thanks, but no thanks”?

I DO get a lot of rejections. A whole lot. Remember, it only takes one offer, and what doesn’t sit well with one editor, another might love. This is a very subjective industry. When receiving a rejection, reflect on the ways that you can improve your manuscript. If you’re in the querying stages and you aren’t getting any requests, then you need to rethink your query letter. If you’re querying and receiving requests for the partials/fulls but no offers from an agent/editor, then you’ll want to look at the novel again and evaluate the possible pitfalls that are holding you back. Most aspiring authors simply make the mistake of sending out something prematurely. Try to wait until the book is polished and the best it can be before submitting. If you don’t belong to a critique group, you need to join one. Above all, keep writing. With each book, with every new page you type, your craft will improve. NEVER give up. With enough hard work, every author can make their publishing dream a reality.

Another big thank you to Nicole for answering my questions. You can find out more about Nicole at the Seymour Agency's website and also on querytracker.

I TURNED HIM DOWN...

2012-02-01T05:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn’t believe the words coming out of his mouth. For three and a half years, I’d had a secret crush on this boy, and now he was asking me out.

We’d been recess buddies throughout Middle School. Every afternoon we’d walk around the playground making jokes about Ross Perot, Liz Taylor and “The National Enquire.” His braces made him spit when he talked. I wore my bangs pushed up in a way that only lasted until third period before gravity won the battle over hairspray.

We weren’t exactly social elite.

But now, we were in high school. The rules changed over the summer. And he was sitting in front of me, turned around in his desk, asking me to go with him to the Christmas Dance.

Me, the chubby girl whose glasses took up half her face, was being asked out by the only boy I’d hoped would.

I turned him down.

I don’t remember what I said—recently my mother reminded me that I made an excuse about not being able to afford a nice dress—but I do remember the look on his face as he turned back around in his seat, embarrassed, never to turn around again.

That was almost 20 years ago. Today my reasons sound so pale, so hollow but it all felt so real then. I had two sisters, all practically the same age, and going out with a boy was uncharted territory for any of us. If I went first, I foresaw a future of endless, relentless, jealous teasing. Not the jovial kind that makes you red in the face but leaves you feeling loved. This was the epic, teenage girl “I hate you” kind that puts you in tight-fisted tears, heaving from the gut in a bathroom stall. The fear of it was so powerful that my refusal and the accompanying lie were out of my mouth before I could stuff them back in.

As soon as I said no I wished he’d ask me again so I could change my answer. But he never did. Not just that day; my playground pal never spoke to me again.

As an adolescent, I regretted losing my best friend. As an adult, I regret more that I had hurt him.

I don’t know if the truth would have made him feel any better than the lie. But I do know that he deserved the truth. And the full truth that I’d loved him secretly for years...?

Well, doesn’t every fourteen-year old deserve to know that someone loves you for who you are, awkward braces and all?

Bea and Ben from The Dreamer

These days I favor honesty to a fault. Sometimes it makes people uncomfortable. We’re so used to living in a society of little white lies that little white truths can feel abrasive.

But they can be oh so liberating, as well.

People look at what I’ve accomplished and have their own expectations of what that means. But when they ask me questions about my success, I tell the truth. And they don’t always like it.

I had those same starry-eyed, rosy-cheeked misconceptions before I was published. And if only someone had told me the truth up front, I could have avoided a lot of heartache. But we all want to look successful and work hard to keep those fragile parts of us secret. Those parts that dream too big, want too deep, fear too hard are often the best parts of us, but are the parts we work hardest to conceal.

It wasn’t until I became a professional myself that other professionals began to speak candidly to me about their circumstances. We were all having similar experiences. But no one was honest with me until I was already “in the club.”

It was some comfort to me then to know I wasn’t alone. But it would’ve been a lifesaver to know before.

Today, I’ve been accused of being overly bleak when I talk about making a living as a writer. Sure, there’s the overnight success story—the American Idol tale. It’s certainly the better story. It’s the one people want to tell. The one they want to hear. The one they make movies about.

But it’s not the story that most of us live. It certainly hasn’t been my life. So if you want to hear from me, saddle up, cowgirl, because I’ve had to cross a few deserts to get where I’m at.

I don’t know if the truth will make aspiring authors feel any better than the lie. But I do know that they deserve the truth. Yes, it’s brutal. It’s exasperating. It’s exhausting. It’s unforgiving, unkind, but utterly, undeniably... alive.

And the full truth is...? I love my life as a writer, awkward braces and all.

Reader Question: What secret, hidden, vulnerable parts of you have you been reluctant to share? How can being honest about those things improve your writing? Can you put any of that into a character to make them more real and relatable to your readers?

Author Bio: Lora Innes’s romantic, time-travel adventure comic about the Revolutionary War, The Dreamer (IDW Publishing), has been nominated for three Harvey Awards, a CYBILS Award, and is the recipient of the S.P.A.C.E. Prize. The Dreamer Volume 1 is now in its second printing, and Volume 2 was released in November 2011. You can read the comic online at www.thedreamercomic.com where it updates twice weekly.

In addition to The Dreamer, Innes co-hosts the Paper Wings Podcast, an educational show for aspiring comic creators. www.paperwingspodcast.com

Currently she is writing and producing three graphic novel tie-ins for the upcoming Civil War television mini-series, To Appomattox, starring Rob Lowe, Will Patton, William Peterson, and Richard Dreyfuss. The first of Innes’s books will release in conjunction with the show’s airing, spring of 2013. http://www.toappomattox.com/Home.html

What's Eating Kim MacCarron?

2012-01-30T08:04:00.003-05:00

My only real regret is letting embarrassment about family situations rule my teen years. Granted, those are the years to suffer silently or roll your eyes when someone in your family embarrasses you, but I still regret letting the little things become so darn big.

My mom was always a bit…um…different than the other moms. She marched to the beat of a different drummer. Hell, she was in whole separate parade! I appreciate that more now as an adult, but I didn’t so much when I was a teenager.

One time during our annual vacation to a lodge in Ontario, Canada, I was playing tennis with other girls my age and a few of the moms when all of a sudden one girl said, “Who is THAT?” I turned around and saw this woman stomping up through the beautifully manicured grounds with a huge tackle box clutched in her hand, fishing lures hanging off her battered hat and her face beet-red from spending the whole day in the sun. Classic Marsha. My mom.

My heart slid to my toes, my pulse raced ten times faster, and, in answer to this girl’s question—a girl I never saw again after that two-week vacation—I…shrugged and looked away. Yes. I pretended that I didn’t know my own mother. I was mortified as only a teenage girl could be. But, no, it gets worse. My mom veered off course and headed our way, and I wished with every fiber of my being that she wouldn’t see me. She came right over to the fence separating us and told me to head back to our cottage and get ready for dinner. I numbly nodded my head, aware of the horrified looks of those girls and their mothers.

I always assumed the looks were directed at my mother and her get-up. Did I forget to mention the scruffy cut-off jean shorts and the dirty tennis shoes, with laces completely dragging behind the shoes? Well, add those details in. But, looking back to that day as an adult, I often wonder if they were more horrified that I would pretend to not know my own mother. What kind of girl DOES that?

I wish I could have a do-over for that day. When that girl whose name I can’t even recall asked her question, I wish I would have turned around and smiled and waved happily to my mom. I wish I had said, “Oh, that’s my mom! She loves to fish! As a matter of fact, last summer here at the lodge she caught the biggest fish of the entire season!”

Because when it really comes down to it, my mom deserved a better daughter than the one she had that day. And, heck, I’ll admit it, many other days as well. She has always stood beside me, proud to be my mom. And I slunk away one too many times. I don’t do that anymore, but I regret the times that I did.

Family embarrassment is a big part of practically any teen’s life. We’re embarrassed if our dad is fat or thin, a drinker or one who wears his pants two inches too short. We’re embarrassed if our mom is fat or messy or geeky looking or one who tries to act and dress like our friends. Everything is an embarrassment at that tender age.

Remember What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? How the family had to deal with embarrassing situations like an obese mom and a mentally-challenged younger brother? Or Andie in Pretty in Pink when she doesn’t want Blane to see where she lives? Or poor little Daniel LaRusso in the original Karate Kid when he has to help push his mom’s car past his girlfriend’s mansion, with her disapproving parents looking on.

We all suffer embarrassments. It’s part of growing up. But, I wish so much that I wouldn’t have let it affect me as much as I did. When it comes right down to it, our friends will come and go. Our boyfriends or girlfriends will do the same. But our family stays with us forever, for better or worse, for richer or poorer. Those are the ones who truly stick with us.

After I let go of my embarrassment about my mom, I realized that my friends all adored her. Sometimes they would call the house to talk to my mom because they couldn’t talk to their own moms. My mom never judges people. She keeps an open mind. She accepts—even embraces—the differences that divide most people.

She was the person I confided in for my whole entire life. She was the first person I called in my college dorm hallway when I lost my virginity. I don’t have a secret that my mom doesn’t know. And I love that! I hope that my kids will feel the same way about me. I’ll probably embarrass the hell out of them through the years. But, as long as they feel that open communication, I’m fine with having them slink away when their friends are on the scene.

So, tell me. Let it out. When did someone in your family do something that embarrassed you to the extreme?

WELCOME WEDNESDAY: Sandy DeLisle's High School Regret

2012-01-25T06:00:00.038-05:00

Regrets? I’ve Had a Few…

By Sandy DeLisle

In high school, instead of following my theatrical and musical interests, I followed boys. To be more specific, it was two boys: Bill and John. I attached myself to first one and then the other, and boy, I never looked back. Until now.

When given the opportunity to write a guest blog about high school regrets, I knew immediately I had to write about the missed opportunity to become the next Pat Benatar. That’s what my fellow classmates, the Bannockburn School graduating class of 1981, predicted for me in eighth grade anyway. And, given that I had snagged the lead in our school musical that year and was subsequently asked to be the lead singer in a local band, it may not have been completely unfounded. Though, if I am honest with myself, I never could quite belt out the high notes like my favorite female musical icon, so that prediction was most likely not going to happen. However, that hasn’t stopped me from singing “Hit Me with Your Best Shot” at every karaoke bar I have encountered between 1988 and now.

Even if I wasn’t going to be the next female rock star, I could have at least had fun being a part of my high school musicals or show choir. But, for some ridiculous reason I did not audition for one play or chorus my entire four years of high school! Oh, how I wish I had had High School Musical or Glee to inspire me back then. The musical renderings of Gabriella or Rachel might have pulled me out of my hormone induced stupor. Or, at the very least I might have realized that you could get hot boys like Zac Effron to pay attention to you if you could carry a tune. Unfortunately, though, during my time, people like me were known as theater geeks and being a geek back then didn’t carry with it the cool factor that it does today.

So, what does a person do when she realizes she totally missed out on many wonderful high school experiences? If I were Marty McFly from Back to the Future, I would simply hop in my DeLorean, punch in 1985 and totally rock the Deerfield High School audition for The Pirates of Penzance. Since I can’t do that, I do what all good parents do: Nag their children not to make the same mistakes they made.

Beyond that, my books tend to have underlying themes related to the importance of pursuing your dreams and being open to new possibilities. For example, in my e-Book, PURE ENOUGH, when Katherine, the protagonist, transfers to a new high school, she has the ability to reinvent herself, but instead, she hesitates, afraid to try anything outside of her comfort zone. Her love interest, Aidan, is a hot theater geek (why didn’t I find one of those when I was in high school?) and persuades her to audition for the school play. Katherine makes the play, and as a result, learns a lot about who she is in the process.

But, back to my future…as it turns out, I don’t need a DeLorean to alter my past mistakes. Twenty-five years after graduating, I landed a walk-on role in my alma mater’s high school musical. All it took was outbidding another frustrated theater geek at a local fundraiser. For seventy-five dollars, I have secured the opportunity to walk across the high school stage in front of an audience. Even if the director doesn’t give me a single line to speak, I won’t care. I am thrilled that the curtain has not closed on my high school theatrical debut. Sometimes life gives you a do-over and when it comes, you better seize it. I don’t think I could have written a better ending myself.

This is me with the boy I eventually married. I am still working on getting him to sing show tunes with me.

~Sandy

Sandy, thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your High School Regret. And for the adorable picture of you and your hubby! I'm sure he's much cuter than either Bill and John ever were!

***GIVE AWAY ALERT!*** The first person to follow Sandy's blog here will receive a free e-copy of her book PURE ENOUGH. How awesome is that?

Now it’s your turn, awesome readers…If you could pay $75 to experience something you missed in high school, what would it be?

...but then again, too few to mention

2012-01-23T08:28:00.006-05:00

For weeks I've been stumped by the idea of high school regrets, because as far as I can figure, I only have one and I've already blogged here about it (not standing up for my best friend when I had the chance). But that's it.

Before you roll your eyes and click away, let me clarify. I'm sure if I examined my past long enough I would find things I wish weren't part of my past, things like coral lipstick, rosary-bead necklaces, and clogs. (For the record, I never regretted leg warmers. It gets cold here. Leg warmers were A Good Thing.) But those don't really stand up as things that affect the person you become, and for me, that's what a regret is: something with a lasting effect on your life.

So what do I have to talk about? how oddly disturbing it is not to have regrets. Because it says something about the person I was in high school. No surprise, I was horribly shy. I was the book-loving girl who spent her free periods in the art studio. I had a core group of good friends and very few acquaintances. The school bus terrified me. I was too much of a wimp to ever do anything I might regret later ...

And I sorta regret that.

Don't get me wrong. I don't regret not being this chick:

Truly, I do have some perspective.

But I do regret not being this girl:

No, not Anna Paquin. The other one. I regret not being the girl who was willing to take a chance. Not being the one who had the guts to step out of her shell -- or allow someone else to help her with those steps. Or ask for help in the first place.
Straight through high school, through much of my life in fact, I let fear rule me. I was afraid of not being cool, afraid of being mocked, afraid of doing something "wrong" or "bad". Afraid of failing. So I never tried. I never took chances. I never risked. I played it safe, and boring, and silent, and slunk through high school (virtually) unscathed.

Now this little voice in the back of my mind is asking "and that's a bad thing? to never fail? to never be the object of ridicule?" Well, okay, nobody wants to be mocked. But the thing is, never having those experiences? I never learned how to recover from them. I never learned how to laugh off an insult - and each one stings to this day. I never learned how to recover from being stabbed in the back -- and that holds me back from close friendships now. And it took me a really long time to learn how to stand up for myself.

So. That's why I regret not having regrets, why I regret not being brave enough to... fill in the blank with a legal activity *s*. I regret not having a fuller life... and not understanding the errors of coral lipstick until much, much later.

And now the question goes to you. What color lipstick... no, I'm kidding. The question is, have you ever had a time in your life when you were too afraid to take a chance? Was avoiding the situation the right choice, or do you regret missing out? And hey! Keep it clean and legal!

This post is a buzzkill.

2012-01-16T06:00:00.006-05:00

Hey, everyone. It's Melissa, the resident lighthearted wiseass. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer. Trust me. I hate reading dark-n-angsty tales of woe, so I wouldn't ordinarily subject you to one of mine. But this month’s topic is “regrets,” and I couldn’t post on the subject without addressing my teenage pregnancy. Well, I could, but Lorie stole my other main regret, which is allowing fear of rejection to rule my teenage years.

So I’m gonna lay something heavy at your feet. Womp woooooomp.

Before I begin, let me make it clear that I don’t regret my oldest child. She’s a blessing to me in a thousand different ways, and even when I was struggling to make it to class, pinching pennies to afford day care, eating Ramen noodles and dried beans, living in a trailer the size of a shoebox, and wearing my cousin’s hand-me-downs, I never regretted my daughter.

But, oh, how I regret the timing.

Let’s back up a bit. I was a late bloomer in high school Thanks to a rigidly-religious upbringing, I wasn’t allowed to date until after my sixteenth birthday. You know that song Sweet Sixteen and Never Been Kissed? Sadly, that was me. And while I did start dating—and kissing—I held on to my V-Card with a white-knuckled Kung Fu Grip. I wasn’t ready for sex in high school. Actually, that’s an understatement. Sex scared the ever-loving shiz out of me.

But then I went to college and fell in love. Strike that. I didn’t just fall in love—I toppled off a ten-story building and face-planted into love. And those emotions somehow plundered my intelligence. In an instant, I lost 100 IQ points. His opinions became my own. I let him do my thinking for me. I even let him convince me to vote for Ross Perot! (In my defense, Ross did have some pretty impressive pie charts.)

More importantly, I let him convince me we didn't need to use a condom. He said he couldn't get me pregnant.

One month later, I was staring at two pink lines that said he was wrong and I was an idiot.

That’s when my freedom ended, precisely two semesters after it began. I got married (at age 19), gave birth to a daughter, and spent the next few years living in abject poverty—seriously, I sold my plasma for gas money—while doing my best to graduate on time. And my marriage? Let’s just say it wasn’t a happy one. Despite what songwriters tell us, love isn’t enough to make it work.

But it’s not the poverty and heartbreak that fuel my regrets. It’s the loss of my freedom. I missed out on the Selfish Years of my twenties, that magical window to travel, explore my interests, and just be young and irresponsible. And because I started over in my thirties (two sons with a new husband), I’ll never be free. Well, maybe when the baby moves out, but who knows if I’ll live to see that day. Again, I don’t regret the children, just the timing.

I crave those Selfish Years. Hard. And my biggest regret is that I cheated myself out of them.

Okay, enough of my regrets. Now it’s your turn. Did you cheat yourself out of anything during your youth, and do you miss it now?

2012-01-13T05:30:00.001-05:00

Fab Friday Giveaway!

Happy Friday YA readers! Today I'm excited to give away this fabulous, hardcover edition of the New York Times best selling novel, CROSSED by Ally Condie.

So how can you win? It's easy-peasy, lemon squeezy! You must:

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com) I promise not to use your email for any nefarious purpose, such as framing you for murder or adding you to a newsletter.

3. Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to US residents. By participating, you agree to the rules set forth on our contest disclaimer page.

4. That's it! The contest closes Monday, January 16th, at 5pm EST. At that time, I'll assign each comment a number and use random.org to choose the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose another winner, and so on.

Feel free to share the news with your friends...just know it won't earn you extra entries. We're all about keepin' it simple here at Honestly YA.

Good luck!

Lorie

Interview with YA author Eileen Cook...and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-11T05:06:00.000-05:00

Melissa here! I'm thrilled to welcome Eileen Cook to Honestly YA for our very first author interview. Eileen has a brand-new book out from Simon Pulse, (UNRAVELING ISOBEL), and I'm giving away my copy to one lucky reader. Just follow the simple instructions following the interview. Good luck!

About our guest: Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at http://www.eileencook.com/. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

Melissa: Welcome to Honestly YA, Eileen! Tell us a little about your teen years. Were you the outgoing cheer captain? The lovable band geek? The student council president with dreams of world domination?

Eileen: Technically, there would be two answers to this question: my view of myself and how I suspect everyone else saw me. I thought I was a bit of an edgy drama geek. I wore what I saw as sort of funky unique style and entirely too much eyeliner. I listened to The Smiths and The Cure and had heated discussions about Apartheid. Alas, in reality I suspect I was one of those people that others thought was a bit quirky and quiet.

Melissa: Which fictional character did you most identify with in high school?

Eileen: I was absolutely convinced that The Breakfast Club was the best movie of all time. I secretly wanted to be Molly Ringwald.

See? That's Eileen, kickin' it Molly Ringwald style!

Melissa: What inspired you to write for teens?

Eileen: I love reading YA fiction so there is no surprise for me that I also wanted to write it. Teens are in the process of figuring out who they are and what they want from life. I love that intensity and passion. Things matter more at that age. I also think YA readers are willing to push boundaries. They’re interested in reading a wide variety of things. They push me to be a better writer, by wanting better and better books.

Melissa: What’s the most rewarding part of your job as an author? The most frustrating part?

Eileen: I love the process of writing. There are few things more fun than unearthing a story idea that is really exciting and getting to dive into it every day. Although I tend to outline my books before starting, there are still plenty of things that I discover as I write. It’s like an archeological dig without having to leave home. Also, hearing from readers who liked the book is magical.

For me, the most frustrating part of being a writer is the amount that is out of my control. There are so many great books out there, but it can be hard to get your book in front of readers. As the author you can’t control a lot of the marketing or timelines. I try and remind myself to focus on the writing where at least I do have control.

Melissa: Tell us about the main character in your new release. Would you have wanted him/her for a best friend in high school?

Eileen: I love Isobel. She’s a bit quirky (we have that in common.) She’s not popular, but she’s not unpopular either. She loves art, values friendships, and is funny. I think what I admire most is her courage. It isn’t that she isn’t afraid. There’s plenty to be afraid of, she thinks she might be seeing ghosts, her step-dad may be trying to get rid of her, and then there’s the fact she may be going crazy. Despite being afraid, she faces things. To me that is real bravery, being scared, but doing the right thing anyway.

Melissa: Where can readers stalk—er, follow—you?

Eileen: I spend entirely too much time on Twitter: Eileenwriter

I have a blog on my website: http://www.eileencook.com/

And since I still haven’t spent enough time online, I’m also on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EileenCook.author

Melissa: Thanks for stopping by, and congratulations on your newest release!

Now for the fun part. I'm giving away one hardcover copy of UNRAVELING ISOBEL. What’s the book about, you ask? Read on…

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

So how can you win?

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com).

3. Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to US residents. By participating, you agree to the rules set forth on our contest disclaimer page.

4. That's it! The contest closes tomorrow, Thursday, January 12th, at 5pm EST. At that time, I'll assign each comment a number and use random.org to choose the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose another winner, and so on.

Good luck!

Freak by Design

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-05:00

I have always been drawn toward the freaks of the world. I’m not talking JoJo the circus sideshow boy, but the revolutionaries, the iconoclasts, those rebels who fly their freak flag by conscious choice. I am still afflicted with awe-like admiration for those who dare to stand out as an extension of their unflappable individuality.

ABC Family's Jane By Design, 2012 (they had me at mohawk - or is that more of a fashionhawk?) and Pretty in Pink,1986. Freaks still provide important messages about being yourself.

One of my biggest regrets from high school is that I was too self-conscious to explore my inner freak. I never wanted to fit in, but I was terrified of standing out. So, I remained invisible, timidly ogling those green-haired, mohawked, chain-wearing gods and goddesses of nonconformity from afar.

From time to time, in high school and even in college, I attempted to be like everyone else. I’d don the popular labels, flip up my collars and go forth into the world…only to feel like it was October 31^st. I wanted kelly-green Chucks, rips and holes, plaids, chains and piercings. The kicker is my mom was as lenient a single parent as a kid could hope for—so the only thing standing in my way was me. I was a coward.

Perhaps that’s why I still harbor undying, quasi-unnatural gratitude toward John Hughes. Mr. Hughes celebrated the freaks by design. Through movies, he told us it was okay to swim against the masses. His characters made us feel valued and important. More importantly, there was no conformity among his freaks; each character was unique and superior.

"You see us as you want to see us, in the simplest terms and the most convenient definitions."
But John saw more...
As a writer, I draw a lot of inspiration from the John Hughes Universe creating characters that are individual, vibrant and always left of center.

These days, I don’t let anyone else dictate who I am or who I’m not. I fly my inner freak flag proudly. But I regret not exploring who I wanted to be and getting to know that girl earlier in life. Maybe if I had, I’d have learned sooner what Mr. Hughes knew: that true individuality comes from that unique and superior spark within the soul that, while hidden at times, cannot be extinguished.

So unfurl that freak flag and wave it proudly!

Carey

Over The Rhine - "Happy With Myself"

YOUR TURN: Did you have a strong sense of self in high school? If you could go back, what is one thing you would do differently?

Fab Friday PLUS Giveaway!!

2012-01-06T08:37:00.006-05:00

Following our own Carey Corp's courageous lead, I've taken the plunge!

Okay, maybe that's not the best metaphor for this one. Hmm... must rethink that. Until then, I hope you'll help me celebrate the release of my first time-travel adventure!

Maybe you want to know a bit about it? What, the title doesn't say it all? All right, I'll expand on the theme. Take two high school freshmen, boys, both members of the History Club -- one eager, one reluctant, total opposites. On the club's trip to a Centennial Exhibition of RMS Titanic artifacts, the boys tumble through time, landing on the decks of the great ship. But hey, these boys know their history. They know what's coming. They know the ship, and hundreds of its passengers, will be at the bottom of the ocean within days. With no way back "home" to the future, Kade and Simon - unlikely allies - need to find a way to change fate of the ship, or risk losing their lives.

I had a TON of fun writing this book and exploring the ship through Kade's eyes. And with the 100th Anniversary of the sinking of Titanic coming up this April, I'm happy to be able to share this story now. In face, I'm sooooo happy, I'm giving away two -- yes, TWO!! -- electronic copies of the book. You know what that means, don't you??? The giveaway is open to overseas...which also might be a bad choice of words, but I'll go with it.

Here's the giveaway rules/requirements/etc. To be eligible for the giveaway you must:

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com) I promise not to use your name or email to sign you up for travel on ocean-liners or any other purpose outside of choosing winners.

3. Understand that by participating, you agree to the rules set forth on our contest disclaimer page.

Contest closes midnight on January 7. So please, please enter! Help me celebrate this exciting step on my publishing journey!

WELCOME WEDNESDAY: Rene Pace's High School Regret

2012-01-04T03:16:00.002-05:00

High school is filled with things to try and my one piece of advice to teenagers is don’t be shy—try them. When I was in high school I really wanted to join the yearbook and photography class which was offered at lunch so it would have worked for me, but someone made the comment only the nerds do stuff like that. Back then image mattered and no way did I want to be seen as a nerd. Truthfully, I was a nerd. For fun in high school I read science journals at home and wrote poetry. And even back then smart guys were the ones I found cute and sexy. Yes, later in life I married my own math nerd. But I so wanted to take these courses without “really taking it” that I used to hang around in the hall when the other kids were working on yearbook stuff and when I finally got the courage to go into the dark room I loved it.

My other huge regret is that I never once tried out for a sports team. I loved to run but was too shy to try out for track. Looking back I think it was more the fear of being seen as a jock that made me fear trying out for a team. That and failure. I wish guidance counselors talked to high school kids about the benefits of trying new things. I know I certainly would have tried a lot more things but I was so fearful of not fitting in that in the end the only person I hurt was myself. And the funny thing was that I ran 5km every second night, and because seeing a girl running in my community was such a novelty, I learned how to avoid oncoming pickup trucks so I just know I would have been good at track.

Good thing when I left high school and went on to university I started to try everything.

Renee Pace is a young adult writer who likes to tackle real teen issues in her nitty gritty series. Mother of four children she calls Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada home. She loves coffee, living near the Atlantic Ocean and believes strongly in volunteerism. She is a member of Romance Writers of American, Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada, the Society of Children Writers and Illustrators, and the Nova Scotia Writers’ Federation. To find out more about Renee’s Off Limits, and her earlier release, Off Leash please visit http://www.reneepace.com/

Great post Renee! Thanks so much for stopping by Honestly YA. Off Limits is next up on my Kindle and I can't wait to read it.

Your turn: Did you miss out on any clubs, sports or other activities in high school? What would you have joined if you could have a do over?

***NEWS FLASH*** Renee will give away an e-copy of Off Limits and Off Leash!!! Leave a comment and your e-mail to register to win one of these great books. How easy is that????

2012-01-02T04:30:00.000-05:00

The Nine Lives of Lorie Langdon

Have you ever noticed there are no do-over’s in life?

One of my favorite TV shows in recent years was The NineLives of Chloe King. I use past tense because, to my disappointment, theshow was canceled after one season. But in case you haven’t seen the show orread the books, the basic concept is that Chloe wakes up on her sixteenthbirthday with cat-like superpowers and nine lives.

That’s right, NINE do-overs! And not the lame kind, either.Chloe doesn’t have to fear death. She can take any risk without paying theultimate price. But even with this superhuman ability, she still has regrets.

Looking back at my high school years, my regrets are vast. Butperhaps not on the level of Miss King, who kisses a boy for the first time andinadvertently kills him, or chooses the sorta cute boy with the caterpillareyebrows over the blonde Adonis with superpowers and a melting British accent. But painful all the same.

Alek or Brian. Was there ever any choice?

In third grade, I entered the district talent show at myenormous inner-city school. I dressed up like Dorothy and sang my heart out. Iwon second place. It was the most amazing feeling when the audience jumped totheir feet with cheers and applause. The next year, I auditioned for the schoolproduction of Annie. But my sweet rendition of Tomorrow couldn’t compete with another little girl with a biggervoice, and everyone in my fourth-grade class made sure I knew it. But I didn’tlet that defeat keep me down for long. The next year, I scored the lead in SnowWhite and the Seven Dwarfs.

The summer after my seventh grade year, we moved. Andsomewhere on that twenty-minute drive from the city to the suburbs, I lostit—my ability to take risks. I worked hard at blending in with the masses,until my sophomore year when I saw an open audition call for The Sound ofMusic. I’d been singing those songs with my Mom since I could talk, and I’ddreamed of being Liesl almost as long.

For weeks, I practiced SixteenGoing on Seventeen in front of my mirror in anticipation of the big day. Ishowed up and sat watching the auditions, my confidence sinkinga little more with each one. Until I was one of the only people left in the vastauditorium. When the drama teacher made last call and looked me in the eye, Igot up and walked out.

I never went to another audition. Even though I was prettysure I could’ve at least landed a walk-on or chorus part, I couldn’t risk themtelling me I wasn’t good enough for a lead role. Like an infectious disease,this new fear of rejection spread to every part of my life, until I became soclosed off and fearful that just walking into the school cafeteria gave meheart-palpitations.

Many years later, a frightening illness made me realize ourtime on this earth is limited and that there are things far worse than a littlerejection. So, I put on my big girl panties and jumped into the writing worldwithout a net.

"I don't need easy. I just need possible."

These days, I eat risk for breakfast, lunch and dinner, witha double helping of rejection on the side. And instead of walking away, I facemy fears head on and let them motivate me to stand up against seeminglyimpossible odds and never give up. UnlikeChloe King, I’ve only got one life to live, and I’m not going to waste it onfear or regrets.

Lorie

Now it's your turn:

Are you a risk taker? What would you dodifferently if you had nine lives?

2011-12-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us atHonestly YA!

Our regular blog posts will return Monday, January 2^nd.

Fab Friday Giveaway!

2011-12-23T07:29:00.001-05:00

Melissa here, wishing you a happy Friday and announcing Honestly YA's very first giveaway! Today's prize: a gorgeous, hardcover copy of Haven, by Kristi Cook. (I loved this book, and I can't wait to read the sequel, Mirage, when it comes out in June.)

So how can you win? It's easy-peasy, lemon squeezy! You must:

1. Be a follower of this blog. (Click the blue button on the upper right-hand side of the page that says "Join this site.")

2. Leave a comment to this post and include your contact information. (yourname (at) email (dot) com) I promise not to use your email for any nefarious purpose, such as framing you for murder or adding you to a newsletter.

3. Due to the high cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to US residents. By participating, you agree to the rules set forth on our contest disclaimer page.

4. That's it! The contest closes tomorrow, Saturday, December 24th, at 5pm EST. At that time, I'll assign each comment a number and use random.org to choose the winner. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, I'll choose another winner, and so on.

Feel free to share the news with your friends...just know it won't earn you extra entries. We're all about keepin' it simple here at Honestly YA.

Okay, go!

WELCOME WEDNESDAY: Alicia McCalla's High School Hell: Interracial Romance Ending in Tragedy

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002-05:00

It's my pleasure to introduce Alicia McCalla to this week's Welcome Wednesday Post. Alicia writes fantasy, futuristic and paranormal stories in color. Take it away, Alicia...

My First Interracial Romance Ended in Tragedy:

A SciFi Writer Discusses the Interracial Relationship in her Novel

When I was in high school, I had my first experience with an interracial romance. Sadly, it ended in embarrassment and violence. I often think back on the experience and wonder what I might have done differently. For sure, I realize that I was unknowingly involved in a love triangle. I’d just broken up with my African-American boyfriend. I thought that the relationship was over. In some ways, my interracial romance was a rebound but it gave me a sense of comfort.

These two guys were polar opposites. My former boyfriend had been a football playing jock who dumped me because he wanted to “play the field.” I simply didn’t fit his mold. I was “too” intellectual. The other was a deep intellectual who engaged in discussions about Jean Paul Sartre and existentialism. He was a poet who spiked his hair with gel and wore black because he mourned the world. Our conversations were spiritual, inviting, and soulful.

The relationship ended abruptly when the football player beat the living daylights out of my poet. The beating was violent, cruel, and demeaning.

It was so bad that people who witnessed it refused to speak to me again. They despised me. They felt I should’ve known better. I was embarrassed and crushed.

When it was all over, I went to my poet to console him but he shrank away from my touch. He didn’t look at me. He quietly told me that our relationship was over. My heart sank.

I left him to find the football player. When I found him, I asked him “why” when he’d already told me that he didn’t want me. His answer was plain. “I couldn’t lose you to a white boy.”

In my upper YA novel, Breaking Free, I have an interracial relationship between XJ and Brandon. There is a love triangle. Things get messy in my novels. For one, Brandon has to deal with his stalker ex-girlfriend who happens to be his same race but is the perfect mate designation type. Brandon cares deeply for XJ and despises his ex-girlfriend, but in their genetically-enhanced world, the relationship between XJ and Brandon is illegal. This relationship may not be able to survive.

Breaking Free tackles issues that deal with race, class, and gender. In fact, the series is filled with real controversial issues, just like in life.

Alicia McCalla is a native Detroiter who currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. She works as a school librarian and enjoys spending time with her husband and son.

Visit www.aliciamccalla.com to sign-up for e-updates and sneak peeks about her upcoming novel, Breaking Free.

Thanks so much, Alicia. This post was both wonderful and powerful. I can only image how horrible you felt when your wounded poet rejected you.

Okay readers, now it's time for your input. Alicia would like to know if others have experienced an interracial relationship that had similar challenges. She's interested in knowing your stories and how you handled them.

The Tyranny of Conformity

2011-12-19T03:22:00.003-05:00

Okay, I'll admit it. This post on High School Hell had me panicked. Because you see, I was lucky. Generally my high school experience was pretty decent. I don't have any of the obvious stories of being bullied, hazed or slushied in the face.

No Slushies were sacrificed during
my high school experience.

For sure, those memories would be truly horrific to revisit, and I'd never wish them on anyone, but let's face it, they'd make a killer blog post.

Instead, my lack of Big Hellish Moments has had me thinking about the more nuanced ways that high school was a demonic experience. And honestly, I don't like what I've remembered.

This is me in my senior year. Cute huh? I'm really rockin' the 80s asymmetrical wedge cut, aren't I? And here's me with my friend, Doug in our Class Actors photo from our year book. Aside from being a major thespian, I was also a classically trained singer and could belt out an Italian aria or a Barbra Streisand tune on command. Basically I was the original Lea Michele, just a little less annoying. And I had friends, got good grades and occasionally had a boyfriend. Sounds pretty great, huh?

Yeah, in hindsight, I'd say so, too. But oddly enough, despite these major accomplishments, I was pretty insecure. No matter what, I didn't think I was pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough or popular enough to compete with the big kids. There was always an unrelenting drive to be better, cooler than I was. And that led me to do some pretty uncool things. Like sometimes I dumped a friend in favor of hanging out with more upwardly social kids, jerks who never really accepted me anyway. Probably because I wasn't being true to myself, and they saw me for the fraud that I was.

All this introspection got me thinking about the messages teens get from popular culture and what drives this insidious insecurity and aspiration to be something we're not. For the record, I know there are plenty of books, movies and television shows that explicitly drive home the point that--girls especially--should be happy in their own skin and just be themselves. Those notwithstanding, insecurity still grips teens and shakes their self esteem, driving them to succumb to peer pressure and conform to other people's idea of what's cool. So where do these notions come from?

We've all seen movies where the popular girl takes a dorky loser under her wing and gives her a make over. Once she's "beautiful" she fits in with the popular crowd, gets the guy and lives happily ever after.

Remember Clueless? Alicia Silverstone's character, Cher Horowitz adopts the "tragically unhip"Tai Fraser, steers her away from the stakeboarding slacker she likes and teaches her the mysteries of popularity. We root for Tai as she climbs the social ladder and in fact, surpasses her teacher, relegating Cher from queen bee to a mere member of the popular court.

Too cool for school.

Tai goes from Tragically Unhip to...

And who could forget what the Pink ladies do to Olivia Newton John's Sandy in Grease? Sandy starts out the perfect goody-two-shoes square. After a brief summer fling, John Travolta's Danny Zuko, the coolest, leatherest wearing guy in school, has broken her heart. Once school starts, they can't be together because he's a bad boy and she's...well, definitely not a bad girl. At least until the pink ladies pierce her ears, teach her to smoke and squeeze her into some spandex pants.

Then it's all, "You're the One that I Want" do wop do watty waah and everyone's happy. Well, everyone but poor pregnant, unwed Rizzo, but that's another story.

These movies are undoubtedly entertaining, but I can't help but wonder how much they contribute to lowering teens' self esteem. Sure, they're fun and make us root for the underdog, but at what cost? The only way the underdog becomes the top dog is by changing who she fundamentally is and "climbing up" the social ladder. Who does she leave behind in favor of her new "friends"? Are Cher and the Pink Ladies worth it? Unfortunately it took me way too long to decide they weren't.

In my book, THE HOODOO APPRENTICE, my heroine, Emma isn't a popular girl. In fact, beside her secret crush, Cooper Beaumont, and brother, Jack, she doesn't have many friends. Shy and artistic, she spends a lot of time on her own, sketching nature. Her unusual familiarity with herbs and plants is one reason the old Gullah root worker takes her on as an apprentice when Jack is stricken with a wicked flesh-eating curse. If Emma hadn't been true to herself, and instead given up her unique talents to join some dumb group of populars in school, she wouldn't have the skills she'd need to help save her brother. I for one am glad she didn't. I'm sure Jack appreciates it too.

~Lea

Lea Nolan can be found at her website, on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. She is represented by the astonishingly fantastic Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

So what do you think? How does popular culture shape teens' perspectives on themselves and their self esteem? Did kids at your schools relentlessly strive to climb the social ladder? What did conformity cost them?

FABULOUS FRIDAY: Lea's 3 Book Deal and The Season's Reading Blog Hop and Giveaway!

2011-12-16T12:06:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Fabulous Fridays, a new feature on Honestly YA where we shamelessly jump for joy over our own phenomenally great news and offer fantastic freebies to our lovely readers. This week I'm stealing the spotlight because I've got a whopper to share with you all. Are you ready?

Um, for your safety maybe you should take a step back because I'm 'bout to get loud up in here... Ahem:

I MADE MY FIRST SALE!!!

That's right, baby! I'm beyond thrilled to announce that THE HOODOO APPRENTICE, a story featuring an 18th-century hidden pirate treasure, a wicked flesh eating curse, soul-snatching and Gullah Hoodoo magic has been acquired by Entangled Publishing as their first middle grade/young adult crossover.

And I didn't just sell one book. No, I sold THREE!!! So now I've got a whole lot of pages to fill with Emma and Cooper's adventures in the South Carolina lowcountry, along with a mess of supernatural demons to vanquish. I can't wait!

So, how does one celebrate such great news? Why with a super fantastic give away, of course! But this one isn't just from me. Along with Carey Corp, another of Honestly YA's brilliant writers, I'm pleased to be a participant in the Seasons of Reading Holiday Blog Hop.

Click HERE for the Blog Hop's Main Page

This blog hop was put together by our friend Jo Ramsey and features 14 authors discussing favorite books they either gave or received as gifts, 14 prizes AND 14 book donations to local libraries or school. Since my book isn't on the shelves yet, I'm giving away a FREE $10 Amazon gift certificate. Other writers are giving away free copies of their books.

All you need to do is visit our individual author pages from the main blog hop page, follow the entry rules and leave a comment. How easy is that? And guess what? Entries are low so you've got a great chance at winning!

And because Jo's so kind, she's given each of us a special spotlight on her blog. Here's my spotlight; and here's Carey's spotlight. Check us out.

So help me celebrate the holidays and *squee!* my first sale by entering. I hope you win. Seriously, I gotta give this Amazon gift card to someone, why not you?

~Lea

Check me out on Facebook, website and on Twitter.

Welcome Wednesday Guest, PJ Sharon - BFFs: the good, the bad, and the lessons learned

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Do you remember how many times your mother told you that you needed “better friends?” Well, at least mine did—countless times. She seemed to have this view of me that I should know better than to hang out with anyone who wasn’t a straight A student, didn’t come from a two-parent “normal” family, or otherwise address her like Eddie Haskell with “You look lovely today, Mrs. Cleaver.” Not surprisingly, those “perfectly nice” friends were the ones who had the

most issues. They were also the cliquey kind of “fair weather” friends that I had no desire to be associated with—no matter what status they held in the high school food chain.

What my mother didn’t understand was that the friends I chose were friends because they weren’t trying so hard to be perfect and fit in. They were real, they were genuine, and they made me feel like I belonged. Now I won’t pretend that they didn’t often lead me down some precarious roads, but they were the kinds of friends who stuck by me and wouldn’t ditch me when times got tough. I learned a lot from them—both good and bad—and I think they learned a lot from me.

When I created BFF’s for Penny, my character in ON THIN ICE, I wanted to show both sides of the friend fence. We have sweet, innocent Katie on the one hand, and troublemaking, seventeen-going-on-thirty Sami, on the other hand. Both girls have their issues and it’s clear that neither has a perfect life no matter what it looks like on the outside, but what strikes you throughout the story is how the three girls stick together and support each other in spite of their differences. The lesson learned is that friendship is not so much about what we share in common but that we share the common bond of love and loyalty.

Since I was fortunate enough to have some BFF’s from grade school right through high school, I can tell you that my mother was both right and wrong about them. Maybe my home girls didn’t catapult me into the sphere of Ivy League colleges, but I also didn’t end up a streetwalking hussy as my mother feared. The girls I hung out with were as different from me and from each other as girls could possibly be. I think it was our differences that attracted us to each other as much as anything we had in common. We balanced each other out. What I did learn from the friends I chose was loyalty, honesty, and acceptance. Lessons I’m sure every mother would like her daughter to learn. For better or worse, the lessons we learn from our friends will be lessons we take with us through life. So quit biting your nails, moms, and as my smooth-talking young adult son once said, “You did a good job raising me, Mom. Trust that I can make good decisions.”

Okay, readers, what did you learn from your BFF’s?

PJ Sharon is author of several independently published, contemporary young adult novels, including HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES. Her stories have garnered several contest finals, including two awards for ON THIN ICE, and a place in the prestigious Valley Forge Romance writer’s contest for SAVAGE CINDERELLA.

Writing romantic fiction for the past six years, and following her destiny to write Extraordinary stories of an average teenage life, PJ is mother to two grown sons and lives with her husband and her dog in the Berkshire Hills of Western MA.

ON THIN ICE is about a 17yo figure skater dealing with her mother’s cancer while trying to live up to the expectations of her family. Penny has to face issues like anorexia, a teenage pregnancy, and family secrets that threaten to change her life forever. The story is a complex, richly woven tale that deals with the consequences of hiding the truth of who we are, and making sacrifices for the ones we love. Leave a comment for a chance to win a digital copy. Standard contest disclaimer applies.

What Do Adults Know About Teen Friendships?!

2011-12-12T10:15:00.000-05:00

What Do Adults Know About Teen Friendships?!

I’ll answer that question in two small words. A lot.

Don’t forget. We lived through it already. We survived that time, and, if we’re willing to talk about it, teens should take advantage.

One exercise in junior high school helped me a lot, and I’d like to share this experience. I went to a small Christian school, and in eighth grade I got mixed up with a girl who might not have been a great friend. Apparently, it was obvious to adults, but I was clueless.

I don’t remember the lesson that day. I just remember the exercise itself and the aftermath. We were talking about peer pressure, and Mrs. S asked for two volunteers. Lots of kids threw their hands in the air, but she picked Kerri and me. We came forward and she had me stand on a desk. She told me to try my hardest to pull Kerri up with me. Try as I might, it wouldn’t happen. It was too difficult.

Then, Mrs. S asked Kerri to bring me down to her level, and, with one small jerk on my arm, she pulled me right off that desk.

We all laughed and giggled and thought it was a fun exercise. Then I told my mom the story, and she stared at me. She began asking questions about my friend. What kind of person is she? How does she act around boys? How does she dress? I was confused. What could that possibly have to do with the exercise that day?

Kerri was the friend I kind of envied for her edginess. Her parents made her wear pleated skirts to school, so first thing in the morning, she changed into her tight pants in the girls’ bathroom and flaunted her body around the eighth grade. She boasted of smoking. She batted her eyes at the boys. I was in awe. In truth, she might not have been a terrific choice for a friend. I know that now.

But, it took that one exercise for my mom to point this out to me. Mrs. S was trying to show me something. I may have missed it, but my mom didn’t. And my mom was a pretty quick study.

Now, as a mom myself, I try to steer my kids away from the frenemies and the kids who aren’t a good influence. Unfortunately, there will be many of them. The important thing is to avoid them. At all costs.

If adults are willing to share their personal stories, listen. My mom once told me how this one popular girl started asking her group of friends to come over to my mom’s house, and how my mom (not a popular girl) bent over backwards to be a part of that crowd. Finally one girl approached my mom and quietly told her that these new “friends” were stealing my mom’s records and putting them under their sweaters every time.

It hurts to hear the truth, but it’s better than not hearing it. We’ve all been hurt by people pretending to be friends, but if somebody has a reason for warning you away from a certain person, listen.

Unfortunately, growing up doesn’t mean you won’t still run into these types of situations. I used to trust too early and too much. Now, I evaluate. I listen. I don’t tell people secrets unless I know they can be trusted.

More than anybody, I trust my mom. I trust her judgment. When she told me someone couldn’t be trusted, I listened. Nine times out of ten, she was right. She was right even a year ago about a “friend” of mine.

I hope my children listen to me the way I did to my mom. I hope they trust me. I hope they appreciate the stories I have to tell about my experiences and my mom’s experiences. And I pray that they meet wonderful friends who will help them through their lives.

Life is too short not to have wonderful, trustworthy friends.

At any age. At every age.

When have you been disappointed by a friendship?

~Kim

Nikki DeLoach's Carefrontation to 15-Year-Old Self, #AWKWARD

2011-12-12T07:06:00.002-05:00

Hi All,

Kim let me jump in this week with a very special followup to my Thanksgiving post HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE LIFE, IS AWKWARD.

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of the MTV show AWKWARD. Imagine my surprise when actress phemon, Nikki DeLoach, reached out to me on Facebook.

Nikki DeLoach: Hi! I checked out your blog and I LOVE it! How fun! Thank you so much for your support of the show. It really means so much, and I will definitely complete the carefrontation to myself.

Carey: *jaw drops*

What Nikki shared with me is too good-too wise and empowering-not to pass along to others...

Nikki DeLoach: Dear 15 year old self,
Here is a list of things that someone (thanks loved ones) told me and other things that no one told me (thanks loved ones)...

1. Life is too short. Laugh a lot! Don't sweat the small stuff, and don't want to grow up faster than life wants you to.

2. Stand up for yourself and those who can't stand up for themselves. You will look back one day and be really proud of yourself.

3. Dump that boyfriend who you think is the one but who treats you like you are one of many. Puh-lease. You deserve better and when you are older, you will find it.

4. Forgive your parents. Love your parents. Be patient with your parents. Most of the time, they are doing the best they can. And they just want what's best for you.

5. Study hard. Work hard. People who live very fulfilling lives are those who understand that you have to give a care. So care.

6. Treasure your friends. Be a good friend.

7. Be yourself. Be who you are. Even if you think that "who you are" will not be accepted in the cool crowd, be yourself. You are perfectly wonderful just as you are.

8. No matter how hard they try, don't let your mom and nana convince you that a perm looks good. It doesn't. (*This is definitely an amendment to rule number 4 where I say your parents just want what is best for you. In this case, they don't know what is best and I have the pictures to prove it).

9. Be kind. Treat people the way you would want to be treated. The Golden Rule is golden for a reason. Always solid advice (Thanks Dad).

10. Pretty is as pretty does. Outer beauty is just a reflection of your inner beauty. (Thanks Mom!)

11. Life is an extension of high school. Start loving yourself today. You are worth it.
12. Stand up for yourself and those who can't stand up for themselves. You will look back one day and be really proud of yourself.

(In case you missed Kim's post WHAT DO ADULTS KNOW ABOUT TEEN FRIENDSHIPS?!)

WELCOME WEDNESDAY GUEST POST: Cat Kalen's High School Hell

2011-12-07T06:00:00.002-05:00

Back in high school I was a happy go lucky science student who got along well with both classmates and teachers, well with the exception of one teacher, that is. In grade 12 I had an English teacher who had a total dislike for science students. One day in the middle of class he held my paper up and pointed at me. I knew in an instant nothing good could come from that. He told me in front of the entire class that “I write like someone from behind the lunch counter at Woolworths talked.” Yeah, he actually said that. He also said some other things but that’s a topic for another day.

Now, I might have considered myself a science student at the time, but I always liked to make up big elaborate stories to entertain my friends. Of course, they preferred to think I was a big fat liar, rather than a story teller. I was also an avid reader but I certainly didn’t see myself growing up to be a writer. But a few years later, after deciding a science degree wasn’t for me, I switched degrees and decided I wanted to write books. In the back of my mind, however, I always remembered what that teacher said to me. Regardless, I wasn’t about to let it stifle or stop me. In fact, it pushed me to succeed all that much more.

I wanted to prove him wrong.

I worked hard, learned the craft, wrote every day, joined critique groups, went to conferences, and did what I had to in order to succeed. What I didn’t do is let anyone tell me I couldn’t.

When I sat down to pen my first Young Adult Novel PRIDE’S RUN, I knew I wanted to create a heroine who was strong. A survivor. I gave her a problem, a big one, and despite what anyone said to her, I knew she was going to do whatever was necessary in order to achieve her mission.

When I think about strong heroines, I think about the teen movies I like to watch. I love to see the heroines take charge; love to see them do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals.

I remember watching Sixteen Candles a few years back with my daughter, and while I truly loved the movie I kept thinking why doesn’t she just come out and tell her parents it’s her birthday. Why is she playing the victim!! I hate when people play the victim.

During a movie marathon weekend my daughter and I also watched the movies She’s the Man, House Bunny and Legally Blonde. In She’s the Man, the heroine wanted to play soccer so she pretended to be her brother, dressed as a guy and worked her butt off until she made the team. I loved that!

Now I know you’re all thinking House Bunny and Legally blonde had bimbos for heroines but think about it. They were strong, they were survivors and they both did what they had to in order to achieve success, no matter how they defined that success. You have to give them credit for that!

Cat Kalen is a multi published author in the romance genre under two pen names, Cat is a wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend. She loves dogs, sunny weather, anything chocolate (she never says no to a brownie) pizza and watermelon. She has two teenagers who keep her busy with their never ending activities, and a husband who is convinced he can turn her into a mixed martial arts fan. Cat can never find balance in her life, is always trying to find time to go to the gym, can never keep up with emails, Facebook or Twitter and tries to write page-turning books that her readers will love. A maritime native and former financial officer, Cat has lived all over Canada but has finally settled down in her childhood hometown with her family.

Seventeen year old Pride is a tracker-a werewolf with a hunger for blood. Taught to trick and to lure, she is the perfect killing machine.

To purchase your own copy of PRIDE'S RUN, click HERE.

Thanks, Cat for such a great post! Pride sounds like a fierce heroine.

Cat has graciously offered to give one free copy to a randomly selected commenter. Follow the Honestly YA blog and leave your comment below for a chance to win. Standard contest disclaimer applies.

Now it's your turn: What are some of your favourite books or movies that showcase strong heroines?

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-05:00

Am I Going to Prom, or to Hell?

No, this post isn’t about prom, but it is about ...the hells of high school. Honestly, I had a hard time narrowing my post to one topic, because looking back, high school was the worst, most miserable time of my life. (Think HEATHERS, minus the cute boy with a sexy voice and all the murder.)

So, in analyzing my high school years through the 20/20 lens of retrospect, I came to the conclusion that it all boils down to identity—or lack thereof. I’m no psychologist, but I would venture to guess the lens through which we view ourselves guides every aspect of our lives. As adults, most of us take for granted that we know exactly who we are, and conversely, who we are not. For example, my current identity stems from my faith, my roles of wife, mother, daughter and friend, and of course, writer. But I also know my own limitations, so I’m fairly certain I’ll never climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, or teach ballroom dancing, or be a contestant on Project Runway.

But in those hellish years of high school, where insecurity, zits and raging hormones rule, most of us drifted from one group to another, seeking that one thing to make us feel unique and valued. To complicate matters, this is also when we pull away, with every ounce of our strength, from our families, as if we’d rather die than admit we have parents.

Me with Drama Club in NYC

In high school, I was friendly with everyone, but didn’t fit anywhere. My core group of friends were all in The Drama Club, but since I was too shy to audition for any of the school plays, only volunteering for various crew jobs like make-up and costumes, I was never fully accepted as one of them. My other friends were a group of popular girls, who seemed to accept me at face value, until I dared to invite the drama geeks to hang out with us. Of course, my Cure-listening, poetry-reading drama friends could not fathom why I would ever want to spend time with superficial fashion plates. I tried my best to be Switzerland, but instead, ended up lost.

Dance with 'popular' friends

I envied people like my good friend Ann, who found her identity in academic achievement and wanted to be a doctor since she was a fetus. (BTW, she became our class salutatorian and is now a successful pediatrician – Go Ann! J) Or my buddy Brian who caught the acting bug our junior year and spent his every waking hour in pursuit of his dream. (He lives in NYC and does commercials and off-Broadway productions—you rock, Brian!) Or my husband, who cruised through the entirety of his teen years safely ensconced in the same tight-knit group of friends he’d had since elementary school. (I’m pretty sure this is why he’s so well grounded today—love you, Tom!)

And then there were the girls who found their self-worth in boys. Cruising from relationship to relationship, they were never alone for more than 24-hours. It always mystified me how this occurred, when I couldn’t even score a date to homecoming! Maybe because I wasted all my time pining after a certain rapping football player in a Santa-suit (see my September 12^th blog for that humiliating story).

But I think my hellish high school experience had a purpose. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d have such a passion for writing novels that empower teen girls. Specifically, stories that provide hope that there is life beyond the impenetrable doors of high school. And that afterlife is amazing!

So how about you? Did you have a strong sense of identity in high school? What defines who you are now?

Lorie

WELCOME WEDNESDAY GUEST POST: Renee Pace's Being Poor in High School Sucks

2011-11-30T05:00:00.002-05:00

(Carey here. I am so happy to welcome ya author Renee Pace to Honestly YA. Although she lives far away from where I grew up, her universal topic is close to my heart.)

High school is hell. If you think it’s not, just remember that at no other time in your life will you feel like all eyes are watching you. Everyone observes your behavior—your parents, the teachers and even your BFFs. And just when you think it can’t get worse it will. Trust me, I know that from personal experience it will.

My book Off Leash highlights poverty. I did this because in my small fishing community there were hard times. Did that matter to me? You bet. Hard times meant going without. Trying to get through high school on second-hand clothing from your cousin’s closet from two years ago? Whenever I saw her she always made a point of saying I looked good in her clothes. She lied. I didn’t look good in them. Out-dated and with my five foot-four frame compared to her five-nine model-thin body, the clothes made me look strange. My mother never cut the hem off the pants. She always tacked them up, just in case I had a growth spurt. That never happened. Sweaters became my strategy through high school. If I put a sweater on over one of her shirts I’d be okay, but the minute that bulky sweater came off I was overly conscious of my flat chest. She filled out the shirts and I definitely didn’t. To say I hated gym class would be an understatement. I think gym teachers live to embarrass teenagers. I was so self-conscious back then I resorted to changing in the washrooms.

What was worse than gym? Ah, you guessed it—the cafeteria. I always brown bagged it. Not because I didn’t have food but my food was usually the same—some type of homemade stew. You might think my parents were trying to be health conscious, try again. Homemade stew usually made from some type of wild creature my father hunted (think rabbit, deer and bears here) could get you through a lot of school days but it was embarrassing as hell. I always got teased. When it became clear I was soon going to be nicknamed the “soup lady” I stopped taking lunch.

I lived off coffee in high school and waited until I got home to eat. Like Jay in my book I pretended I was full and all was okay. I started working when I was 16 at my local drug store and to me it was the best thing ever. That first pay cheque I got I went into the cafeteria line and ordered French fries with gravy. Still to this day I can remember how they tasted—hot, slightly mushy and omg great.

Today as an adult I know those memories seem silly but whenever I see anyone from my high school days, which thankfully doesn’t happen a lot, I cringe. I’m 42 now but in their eyes I always feel like that awkward self-conscious teen, and that totally sucks.

Renee Pace is a young adult writer who likes to tackle real teen issues in her nitty gritty series. Mother of four children she calls Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada home. She loves coffee, living near the Atlantic Ocean and believes strongly in volunteerism. She is a member of Romance Writers of American, Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada, the Society of Children Writers and Illustrators, and the Nova Scotia Writers’ Federation. To find out more about Renee Off Leash, or her December release Off Limits please visit http://www.reneepace.com/

Great post Renee! Thanks so much for stopping by Honestly YA. Off Leash is is at the top of my TBR pile and I can't wait to read. Today, Renee will be giving away one digital copy of Off Leash. Follow the Honestly YA blog and leave your comment below for a chance to win. Standard contest disclaimer applies.

Your turn: Was poverty a noticeable issue in your school? If so what side of the tracks/median income did you fall on?

Makin' Up Is Hard To Do!

2011-11-28T06:51:00.000-05:00

Melissa & Heather, circa 1989

When Jennifer introduced the topic of best friends, I knew I’d be telling you about my bestie, Heather. That’s a no-brainer. What I didn’t know was specifically what I’d tell you. We go way back, people. I’ve got more than twenty years of material to choose from! Do I share the tale of our epic—and semi-nude—adventures backpacking through Italy and Greece? Nah. Who wants to see topless photos of eighteen-year-old girls? Perverts, that’s who. And our readers aren’t perverts.

So, instead, I decided to tie in the topic of friendship with something every writer (and BFF) knows well—and that’s conflict.

All friends fight. I maintain you’re a freak of nature if you don’t. But many years ago, Heather and I quarreled over something stupid, and we didn’t speak for nearly three years afterwards. Yeah, you heard that right. Three years. I’ll woman up and claim responsibility—it was my fault.

I’d been dating Heather’s older brother, and when the relationship ended and she sent me an email asking why, I lost my shit and got defensive. I told her it was none of her business, or something equally rude and un-BFF-like. She did the logical thing and backed off, and then it began: The Silence.

Nothing suffocates friendship like The Silence. Because each day you don’t speak, the “what if’s” grow louder, planting doubts in your mind like, What if I reach out and she snubs me? What if she hates me now? And after years have gone by, What if it’s awkward between us? What if we can’t get it back?

I was an emotional wussy, choosing silence instead of growing a pair and apologizing. But luckily for me, Heather’s got some serious brass berries. One day, she sent me an email, basically saying, “Look. I don’t remember why we’re fighting, but this is stupid, and I miss you.” I snatched that olive branch with both hands and never looked back.

Now we’re like this again ::crosses fingers:: separated by time zones, not conflict. In fact, my husband complains that Heather and I sound like a pair of lovers when we post Miss you! or Love you! on each other’s Facebook pages. We stay in touch and get together once a year, usually each spring, for a BFF getaway. Speaking of which, I could use that vacation right about now!

Posing with our anatomically-correct snow couple. (1990)

As for my writing, I’ve noticed themes of fractured friendships in both my books. In OUTWORLDERS, my YA sci-fi, the main character and her best friend don’t speak for months. And when they finally make up, they’re quickly separated again…by galaxies. In my adult romance, the main character is reunited with her best friend after a ten-year rift…and that best friend happens to be her super-sexy first love!

(I should probably disclose that my BFF is super-sexy, but I don’t swing that way. Love ‘ya, Heather!)

Melissa & Heather, circa 2009

Now it’s your turn! Tell me about a time you fought with a good friend. Or better yet, tell me how you reconnected with one!

WELCOME WEDNESDAY GUEST POST: Jo Ramsey's High School Hell

2011-11-23T06:00:00.012-05:00

When Lea Nolan invited me to guest post here and told me that the topic was “high school hells,” my first thought was, “Wow…I can definitely talk about that.”

Not that I want to. I don’t think anyone should have to go through hell, in high school or otherwise. Unfortunately, it happens. When I was in high school, I was the kid who was bullied by the kids who were bullied. Lowest in the pecking order. Beginning in kindergarten, every day that I went to school I was teased, picked on, or bullied in one way or another. I was what you might call an easy target.

Most days that I went to school, I didn’t want to be there. I perfected the art of playing sick so I could either stay home or be sent home. When all else failed, I hid in the school library. I did have a handful of friends, but they were far outnumbered by the bullies. Added to that, I was very shy and afraid to talk to most people, and I think that contributed to my being bullied. After graduation, a few people told me that they had wanted to be my friend but thought I was “stuck up” because I didn’t talk to anyone.

One of my clearest memories of high school is wanting to slam a cheerleader against her locker—preferably many times—after she shouted at me, “Hey, elephant girl, why don’t you learn how to walk?” I’m not normally a violent person, and I didn’t actually touch her, or even respond, but that day I really, really wanted to do something. I was a senior then, and after twelve years I’d had it. I was sick and tired of being treated like crap.

Come on, you know you want to punch them too.

Nothing changed after that day. No one knew how close I’d come to actual physical violence. But I did start forcing myself not to care what people said about me. I was almost finished high school, and I would go on to do things that the kids who put me down wouldn’t be able to believe. I didn’t have to live my life based on their snippy little comments and insults. After all, they were only putting me down to make themselves feel better, and that was kind of sad for them.

Of course, I’m far from the only one who’s ever been through hell in high school. Pretty much every teen movie ever made deals with one kind of hell or another, from Emilio Estevez’s character in The Breakfast Club bragging about duct-taping a kid’s buttocks together to the over-the-top but not completely unrealistic sniping and bullying in Mean Girls.

Lets see if he likes having his butt taped together.

There are so many books that deal with kids being teased or bullied, or having friends turn on them or stab them in the back, that I can’t even think of any to name (too many titles rushing through my brain). High school, with hundreds or even a couple thousand kids crammed into one building, is a fertile ground for conflicts of all kinds to occur.

The Plastics...ruling the school one insult at a time.

When my editor at Featherweight Press started working on my new novel Cluing In, one of the comments he made to me was, “All this happens to one person? I don’t remember this much drama at my high school.” My response was, “You’re lucky, then.”

The “drama” that Jamey Mandel, the main character in Cluing In, experiences is little compared to what some of my high school friends, and some of the high school students I’ve worked with, have dealt with in real life. Jamey has things pretty good for the most part. There are a few students at his high school that he doesn’t get along with, but most of the time he avoids them and they avoid him. The biggest problem in his life at the beginning of the book is that his girlfriend Tina is pressuring him to have sex. Jamey’s parents were only eighteen when he was born, and his father had moved out of state by the time Jamey’s mother learned she was pregnant, so she raised him alone for the first five years of his life. He has good reasons to want to wait for having sex.

After he breaks up with Tina, things get worse. She starts dating one of the guys Jamey doesn’t get along with. Then the rumors start. Rumors, unfortunately, are a big part of high school life (at least in the high schools I’ve been in), and Jamey’s school is no exception. Rumors go around about him being a virgin, which isn’t so bad since it’s true, but that isn’t something he wanted everyone to know about.

Rumors also go around that Tina’s pregnant by her new boyfriend, and that he’s dumped her because of it. And that’s also true.

Not being able to take the entire school knowing about her pregnancy, and not wanting to risk them finding out that she’s terminated it, Tina takes her own life. Some of the school blames Jamey, who entirely blames himself since Tina had come to him for help and he’d turned her away. Other students blame Tina’s new boyfriend, to the point of calling him a murderer, and the only thing that keeps him from taking the same way out as Tina is some quick thinking by Jamey.

High school can definitely be hell. Especially if you’re the target of bullying or rumors. Fortunately, it can also be a support system, as Jamey finds out.

Cluing In is available from Featherweight Press and from third-party retailers. To find out more about Jo Ramsey and her books, please visit www.joramsey.com.

Great post, Jo! Thanks so much for stopping by Honestly YA. CLUING IN looks like a fantastic book. So how about you, gentle readers? Did you weather any bullying in high school? Evil rumors? Ever land a punch in retaliation, or just wish you had? Unload in the comments section below.

HIGH SCHOOL, LIKE LIFE, IS AWKWARD.

2011-11-21T05:00:00.000-05:00

I am “that girl.”

You know, that girl that got pooped on by a seagull on her way to the cafeteria. That girl who fell on her a** in a mud puddle in the quad. That girl who made out w/Kevin-the-player behind the gym. That girl who got drunk and slept in a bush at her HS reunion (wait, scratch that last one).

It’s a tricky existence…navigating the hell that is high school, where being invisible is as bad as standing out and so much effort is expended trying to fit in without conforming. Sometimes the real hell of high school is living with yourself. Not some world-wise, grown-up, quasi-superhero, kick-ass version of yourself, but the wimpy, head-in-the-sand, freak-a** version who cares entirely more about the outside than the inside. The version that spends entirely too much time hiding and angsting over what people think about you—people you don’t even like!

Maybe that’s why MTV’s AWKWARD rocked me like a hurricane, because I understood Jenna Hamilton, the show’s “that girl,” on a cellular level.

One of the things I love most about AWKWARD. is Jenna Hamilton’s carefrontation letter. The anonymous letter is brutal in its honesty, so much so, that it is impossible to believe the author is anything other than a frenemy. Jenna’s carefrontation says things like:

· number 1: Stop being a p**** (think kitty slang)

· number 2: Your instincts suck. Second guess them.

· number 3: The only people more pathetic then you are your friends. Drop the dead weight.

· number 4: When you're pretty, you're happy. And clearly you're not happy.

· number 5: Pull your head out of your a** and stand out.

· number 6: Nobody likes the pitiful. Stop being such a drag.

· number 7: You have to be cruel to be kind.

One of the questions AWKWARD. made me ask is if I were to write a carefrontation to my fifteen-year-old self, what would I say? After a couple weeks of thought, here’s what I came up with.

Dear Carey,

In ten years all this mundane, angsty adolescent bullsh** will matter about as much as something you scraped off your shoe. So stop the Emo crap and grow a pair!!!

· number 1: Life will always suck. Find the joy in each day.

· number 2: Stop waiting for someone to rescue you. Rescue yourself!

· number 3: Sometimes being liked is not as important as being feared. Connect with your inner BIATCH.

· number 4: Screw what your simple-minded peers think. Do what makes you happy.

· number 5: Invest emotionally in your besties not your frenemies. In ten years, you won’t give a sh** about your enemies but your friends will still matter.

· number 6: When warranted, throw a punch. Some jerkwads deserve it.

· number 7: Always stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. It might be uncomfortable in the short term but you’ll like yourself a whole lot more in the long run.

· number 8: Don’t try to hide, or conform, or blend; Stop worrying about standing out or fitting in; No one will give a sh** whether you were invisible or popular. Figure out who you are and be that person. Own your life!

WOW! If I could only invent time travel, go back and stage an intervention for myself... Unfortunately, I'm not Stephen Hawking or H.G. Wells (I don't even srite science fiction). Fortunately, thanks to AWKWARD. creator Lauren Iungerich, I realize just how far I've come since my pathetic teen years.

Other things to love about AWKWARD. (The part where I shamelessly plug one of my fav new shows.)

· The music

· The über-talented cast

o Ashley Rickards as Jenna Hamilton

o The hotties Matty and Jake played by fatabulous Beau Mirchoff and Brett Davern

o The nemesis – the lovely Molly Tarlov gives a wonderfully layered and complex performance as Queen Biatch Sadie

· o The bestie – Jillian Rose Reed is hilarious as Tamara

· o The mom – Nikki Deloach’s performance can be described in one word “free-boobing”

· o The guidance counselor - Desi Lydic’s Valerie is often ditzy, always radiant

For the full 411 read the glowing NYTimes article High School, That Hilarious Minefield

Now that I've turned you on to AWKWARD. ("You're welcome.") it's YOUR TURN:

What would you put in a carefrontation letter to your fifteen-year-old self?

Carey Corp is the author of THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN and a new short story THE WAY LIFE WAS FOREVER.

Finding the Frog in BFs and BFFs

2011-11-14T09:03:00.013-05:00

High school can bring about all kinds of hell, and put all kinds of pressures on friendships. This latest topic looks at either, or both. Since I shared a hellish high school memory last month, I'm taking the friendship angle to kick off the topic... although, my high school memory was also about friendship. Hmm... All right, just stick with me )

My first serious, long-term boyfriend – okay, my first boyfriend, period – was an “all in” kind of guy. He was totally into the cowboy thing (which in retrospect is hilarious given we lived in the shadow of Manhattan) and totally devoted to me. I don’t say that to be vain, just to set the stage.

Our very first date we doubled with Cowboy’s best friend, Flyboy, and his girlfriend (unlike Cowboy, Flyboy really was a small craft pilot). Flyboy and I got along fine…for a while. Little by little, though, as time progressed, Cowboy spent more and more time with me and less and less time with Flyboy. For those of you who’ve been in this situation, you know what this makes me (or, err, you). The girlfriend who comes between two best guy friends is an interloper at best, a royal bitch at worst.

I was a royal bitch. Whenever Flyboy and I found ourselves in one another’s company, he sneered at me and I cowered. Honest to donkeys I had no idea what I was doing to deserve the hostility treatment…until, as was inevitable, I broke up with Cowboy (cos omg he was totally suffocating me!) and Cowboy moved on to another girl, and Flyboy once again got left in the dust…or the clouds, I suppose.

In time, Flyboy had the grace to apologize for treating me the way he did, confessing that he thought I had put some constraint on Cowboy that prevented the guys from hanging together. While Cowboy faded off into the sunset for both of us, Flyboy and I went on to become truly good friends, and I swore to myself I would never let a guy come between me and my best friend, ever. I saw what it could do to friendships, and I didn't want it happening to mine. And it never did.

So how about you princes and princesses out there? Ever been pushed aside for a frog? Ever been the one doing the pushing? How did it turn out? Share your experiences in the comments -- I've got to go hit facebook to see if I can't find Flyboy.... *vbg*

I Need A Hero! Or, the origin of the YA male species.

2011-11-07T06:00:00.015-05:00

For the last several weeks, we’ve been talking about how inspiration from our youth shapes our fiction today. I hate to be the contrarian, but I’m here to argue the opposite: how the lack of inspiration from way back when affects what I write now. There, I said it. There’s no turning back. You've got no choice but to ease into your deskchair and hear me out.

First to be clear, I’m not busting on the children’s and young adult cannon of my youth. Those books are wonderful. They provided an amazing escape from a not always happy childhood. Magical, transportive and sometimes empowering, they were my quiet port in a sometimes very turbulent storm.

But in hindsight, I recognize they lack one essential element: Well rounded, squeal-worthy, romantic heros. The kind of guys who populate today's YA literature and who teen readers probably take for granted. These days, you can dream about Edward, Jacob, Damen, Gale, Peeta and Jace, to name a few. It wasn’t always thus, young readers. You don’t know how lucky you are.

Like Bonnie Tyler, I need a hero,
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light.

Don’t believe me? Let’s peruse my childhood and adolescent bibliography and consider some standout heroes:

Ned Nickerson is Nancy Drew's "special friend" or boyfriend, depending on the story and the edition you read. That's him on the cover of The Mystery of the Fire Dragon in the blue suit, next to the culturally insensitive depiction of an Asian man. Ned doesn't show up often in Nancy's amateur sleuthing adventures, but when he does, he frequently rescues her from a life-threatening situation; occasionally she does the same for him. Ned's a great student, an all-around jock, and he sells insurance during the summer. I don't know about you, but nothing says sexy like the title "part-time insurance salesman." Nancy and Ned go on a lot of dates and sometimes travel together to foreign countries, but nothing ever happens between them. No hand holding. Not even a furtive, chaste kiss. Sad face for Nancy.

But all is not lost. Through the wonders of television, in the late 1970's Nancy Drew Mysteries show, Nancy finally got some off of Rick Springfield--Rick Springfield, people!--in the one and only episode he played Ned. Look at him over there. How cute is he? I bet it only took one kiss from Nancy to forget all about Jessie's Girl.

We can't talk about Nancy Drew without considering her crime-fighting brothers in arms, the Hardy Boys. In case you can't remember, here's how you tell them apart: Frank is the one with dark hair; Joe is blond. Frank's the thinker; Joe's more "impulsive" which I'm guessing is another way of saying "dumb" since they're a year apart but they're both in the same grade. These straight-laced guys know how to rock a pull-over sweater, but when it comes to the ladies, they're not exactly players. The two girls who sometimes help them solve mysteries--Callie and Iola--are their platonic girlfriends.

The Hardy's got a much needed boost to the sexy factor when they moved to television. Seventies icons Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy (David Cassidy's super cutie brother) took on the roles of Frank and Joe, surging Teen Beat sales and teenage girls' hearts. And they pulled off the big collar look with panache. Take a gander at those disco-era hunks. Who wouldn't want to run their fingers through that glorious feathered hair?

Hobbits. Um, well, Bilbo found Smaug's treasure and Frodo saved Middle-earth, but would you want to snuggle up with one of these Shire-dwelling mini-men with oversized, hairy feet? Yeah, me neither.

With reading choices slim, I turned to VC Andrews Flowers in the Attic and its sequels. Dark, creepy and intense, these books yanked me by the neck and never let go. But I never connected with their "hero", Chris Dollanganger, the eldest of four children whose mother and grandmother lock them in an attic for years and eventually poison them with arsenic. Granted, this horrid childhood is likely to mess a guy up, but Chris takes it to a new level. Brilliant, blond and beautiful, he's also a sister-rapist who becomes so obsessed with Cathy he eventually convinces her to live together as a common law couple. Icky ick ick.

Michael Wagner is the hero in Forever. I love me some Judy Blume. With sprinkles and a cherry on top. So you can imagine how exhilarated I was to learn, at the tender age of eleven, that Ms. Judy had written a book about *sex* which included detailed sexy times on the page. My friend Kim and I forged a note from her mom giving us permission to take it out of the local library and immediately scanned the pages for some boom chicka wow wow. We found it, but those scenes were sparse. Surrounding them was a whole lot of blah blah blah about feelings, being ready, and getting on the pill. Blech. Okay, that’s what I thought as an eleven year old. Now, as a mother of three, I’m like, “Hell ya, Judy, sing it!” Michael is a mother's dream. And that’s the point. He's is a wonderful, respectful, thoughtful and deliberate guy, the perfect character to share a respectful, thoughtful and deliberate first time with. But that’s not what I was looking for as a reader. I wanted him to excite me too, make me fall in love with him. I didn’t.

So, what's a girl to do when she can't find a hero? Write her own. I've tried to create heroes who are well rounded, complex guys who also happen to be romantic and super, duper hot. Hey, why not create a perfect package?

In my book, The Hoodoo Apprentice, Cooper Beaumont is the sole heir to his family's vast fortune, but he's not a rich douchebag. Instead, largely due to his tragic past, he's kind and compassionate, plus he's got bulging biceps and an awesome six pack. His best friend, Emma Guthrie has secretly loved him for a year but is too afraid to act on her feelings lest it impact their friendship. But Cooper's got some secret feelings of his own, which he longs to share with her. With the help of a little Gullah hoodoo magic spell, he finally finds the nerve. Happy faces for both Emma and Cooper.

~Lea

Lea Nolan can be found at her website, on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads. She is represented by the astonishingly fantastic Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency.

So what about you, blog readers? Who are the heroes you remember reading back in the day? Which of today's heroes get your heart pumping? Do you agree there's a difference between the heroes of yesteryear and the ones featured in today's novels? I can't wait to hear what you think!

Girlfriends Rule, Boyfriends Drool…right?

2011-10-31T09:04:00.002-04:00

Friendship continues to inspire me today just as much as it did when I was younger, and I know it shapes everything I write. Mostly because I think it’s that important!

I agree with Melissa that teens today have it so much better when it comes to reading material. I love the fact that they don’t have to read up or read down but can find any book in their age range that fits a need.

YA does dominate the bookshelves. But what I wish teen girls today had are books that encourage real friendships—deep friendships that would never end in a figurative knife in the back.

I have to admit that I’ve always been jealous of the boy friendships depicted in movies and books. Look at The Outsiders.

“We’re all we have left. We ought to be able to stick together against everything. If we don’t have each other, we don’t have anything.”

Even though the story doesn’t have a complete happily-ever-after ending, I was so touched and moved by those friendships. And Stand By Me. Same thing. All that fist bumping and having each other’s backs? Jealous once again.

"I never had any friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve."

Then I realized my jealousy was because there aren’t that many girl movies out there like that. We have Mean Girls. We have Gossip Girl. The Clique. We have a bunch of movies and shows where girls stab each other in the back every other minute while pretending to be the best of friends. Don’t girls get sick of seeing that? Aren’t they better than that? Don’t they deserve the movies where girls see each other through the hard times together?

That idea is what inspires me to write YA books where there are strong friendships among girls.

I remember my grandmother telling me that boys would come and go, but friendships are the relationships that last. And she was so right. I hated when friends would ditch you on the weekend at the last minute because a guy entered the picture. I never did that. I was more likely to ditch the guy if a friend invited me for a sleepover. Because I remembered those words, and I took them to heart.

Girls today have so many possibilities. They’re endless. They live in a world where women can become anything they aspire to be—including President. They live in a world where they can make as much, or even more, than men. Yet despite the advances made for the feminism movement, we’ve still not taught our daughters the true value of friendship. That it’s the one thing that will see them through tough times—through heartbreaks, through family troubles, through basic life issues.

You take the good, you take the bad…

Like the Facts of Life. Remember that one? Maybe I’m dating myself here, but I sure do. There was some type of lesson to be learned during the show, and it was clear. It’s not that I expect my daughters or teen girls to get a morality lesson in every show they watch, but, come on! Give them something more! I see bratty girls being catty, talking on their cell phones and acting…well, a bit…let’s face it… bitchy.

Recently, I was talking to a friend who made me feel very sad when she admitted that she thinks these shows are completely realistic—that girls are “just like that.” I wonder how it works. Do girls stab each other in the back and act bitchy because that’s just the way we grow up or are the more popular programs showcasing this kind of behavior and they think it’s the right way for girls to act to each other?

Walnut Grove’s resident “Mean Girl”

Back when I watched television shows, Nellie Oleson in Walnut Grove was about the meanest girl you could possibly imagine, and everyone loved to hate her. But the difference back then was that the viewers knew they were supposed to hate her. She was mean! She was snobby! She looked down her nose at Laura’s little house on the prairie. She treated Laura Ingalls like crap! Nowadays, so many characters act in a similar way, and that’s “just the way girls are.” I don’t believe it! And neither should teen girls. Being mean and snobby are NOT good characteristics. And they shouldn’t look up to girls who act like that—whether there’s canned laughter in the background of the show or not. It’s still not funny to be mean—no matter what.

What movies, sitcoms and/or books do you think shows girls in a group of friends where they all have each other’s backs and help each other through difficult times? I remember feeling like this was reflected at the slumber party in Grease—a bunch of girls getting together, bonding over girlie stuff until I realized they were bonding by making fun of Sandy while she was sick in the bathroom after trying desperately to fit in.

“Look at me, I’m Sandra Dee!”

I love to write books where there are strong female friendships because I think that’s a major area overlooked in YA. I definitely believe in girl power and true friendships, but girls shouldn't have to search for them. They should just be there.

Besides Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girl Series, can anyone think of books that have a group of girls who are friends that don’t stab each other in the back every other chapter? Or in the case of television, every single show? Where are the positive friendship models?

What was your favorite show, movie or book about girls being stronger together than by themselves? And if you have to think hard to find a couple, what does that say?

Here’s to girls! Because if we can harness all that emotion, all that love and all that loyalty and give it to our friends…watch out! Because girls really will rule the world. Then the boys can drool. J

"Men kick friendship around like a football, but it doesn't seem to crack. Women treat it like glass and it goes to pieces."

- Anne Morrow Lindbergh

~Kim

Following the Yellow Brick Road

2011-10-24T05:30:00.001-04:00

Continuing the theme of what influenced our writing from childhood, I’d like to make a confession: I am, and always have been, a 100% certified head-in-the-clouds Dreamer. Just ask my Dad. But how did I get this way? Are some people born with the propensity to believe idealistic notions? Or did we find our rose-colored glasses somewhere on that proverbial yellow brick road of life? I would propose the stories we subscribe to as a child, greatly influence who we become and what we write.

Like many of you, my childhood was less than ideal. So, stories that swept me away to a different time and place became somewhat of an obsession. First, it was the Disney Fairytales.

My Royal Hottie

Every one of those princesses overcame evil step-parents, wicked queens and manipulative sea monsters with courage and aplomb to find their Happily Ever After and win the heart of their chosen royal hottie—with not so much as a hair out of place!

I didn't think that was too much to ask from life.

It’s no surprise that from the time I could dress myself, I was running around in princess dresses and tiaras. Some may have seen this and thought, “What a cute little thing,” but in my mind, I was fighting dragons.

When I was a little older, my attention turned to stories of escapism: THE WIZARD OF OZ, WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, and THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. I devoured the films, and locked myself in my room to comb through the books searching for clues to how I might find these enchanted lands.

But all those hours of research, of wishing and praying to fly over the rainbow, left me feeling defeated and alone. Every one of those characters ended up right back where they started, anyway. My rose-colored glasses began to grow dim.

That’s when I began to create my own stories…for my Barbie dolls. They were epic tales that would take days, and multiple set and wardrobe changes, to act out. The Barbie townhouse became everything from a witch’s lair to a secret spy headquarters. My room, draped with colorful fabrics and Barbie shoes, transformed into whatever world I could dream up.

I kept reading, of course. Filling my ravenous hunger for stories with S.E. Hinton, Judy Blume, and any novel I could smuggle off my mom’s bookshelf. Eventually the princess dresses and Barbie dolls were packed away, but I never stopped believing in my heart that who I could become was only limited by my imagination.

So, did I find a utopian land or grow up to be a warrior princess?

No, my darlings, but I do write about them. J

Now it’s your turn! What stories did you subscribe to as a child that shape who you’ve become and what you write?

Lorie

“Get away from her you (bleep)”

2011-10-16T22:31:00.008-04:00

Or, wait. Are we allowed to say “bitch” on this blog? Probably. But seems wrong somehow in a title – which, in actuality, hints at the root of my problem. Fundamentally, I’m timid. I not only don’t like confrontation, I actively avoid it. In the years between high school and today, I’ve acquired enough inner strength (confidence? Chutzpah?) to be able to stand up for myself, my family, my friends. That ability…it was a long time coming.

So now we do that thing where we roll back the mythical hands of time and the scenery blurs and some wacky creepy music plays and then the scene is set. I am younger by an unnamable amount of years, and I sit in the never-ending hell of high school. (I’m not going to tell you what my uniform looks like. Nothing I could say would make you understand how hideous that polyester monstrosity was.) It’s only homeroom, so there’s a whole day of horror looming on the horizon. Two rows over, my best friend has her head bent over a notebook, but she looks up as THEY walk up to her and surround her desk.

You know these girls. They’re in every high school. Every middle school. I’m pretty sure they form their hair-flipping, pinched-lipping, evil-oozing cliques in the nursery, shortly after birth. In this flashback, they’ve made it to high school and they’re surrounding my best friend’s desk and sniping at her. From where I sit I can’t hear what they’re saying. Their faces are pink with anger, their lips tight with righteousness and they’ve slammed a stage script on my best friend’s desk. I might have closed my eyes in dread.

My best friend was – and is – a seriously funny girl. She’s got a way of looking at the world that’s slightly skewed and screamingly insightful all at the same time, and her play-by-play of life is a master class in humor. Let’s just say she honed her rapier wit early in life – say, high school. Much of that honing took place in the margins of that script. Many of the screamingly insightful and bitingly funny comments pertained to the very nursery-pact bitches circling her desk, offended that someone should see past their perfect, Chanel appearances to the ugliness below. No, I couldn’t hear what they said. And I am humiliated to admit I sat rooted in my chair, hoping they didn’t notice me, because I was not as strong as my friend was. I could not withstand such an attack. But this one time, neither could she. She fled the room in tears.

And I sat. While my heart beat, and my palms sweat and my mouth went dry. I sat.

Now, &%^@ years later, and for all the years and days in between, I’ve regretted that moment. I’ve been haunted by my inability to stand up and defend my friend. The memory is torturously vivid; my regret a scar that will never fade.

So while I know a lot of writers whose fiction reflects the things they did do in their teen years, mine reflects what I didn’t. And, in good Hollywood therapeutic fashion, I overcompensate. My heroines are brave and don’t back down. They stand up for what they believe in – they have things they believe in! And they never, ever, ever let anyone hurt their friends.

Never.

Maybe in writing these characters I’ve gained the strength I lacked. Maybe I gained the strength and then created characters. I don't know. What I do know, is that now? you hurt one of my friends? I'm going all Ripley on your ass. Count on it.

And now that I've confessed that, it is, of course, time to share. No doubt you've always been able to stand up for yourself or your friends, but even so, there's got to be a moment -- serious or funny -- that'd you'd like to have back. one episode you'd like to either erase from the books or get a do-over on. Or maybe you just want to do something like this:

Peppy, you're my best friend, then and now. I don't know if you even remember that day, but clearly I won't forget it. I'm sorry for not being there for you then, but know I am here for you now and in all the days to come ~Jen.

Okay blog readers. Have at it:

Revenge is a dish best served with corn nuts

2011-10-10T06:54:00.001-04:00

Let’s face it, high school is hell. Continuing on the topic of how inspiration from our youth still shapes the fiction we write today, I’m going to talk about payback.

My high school experience was less than ideal. Some jerkwad in a letterman’s jacket nicknamed me Mega Moo and it stuck. I used to come home from school and tearfully dream up ways to get back at kids who made my life hell for three years. One of the things I love about the movie HEATHERS (besides the awesome one-liners) is their exploitation of high school revenge. Come on, haven’t we all thought it?

The beauty of being an author is I can take my retribution in a socially sanctioned, hugely satisfying way. I get to create worlds where the outcasts rise above, and the petty populars get what they deserve. And while my protagonists are largely fiction, all of the less-than-nice characters that torment them are very personal. That’s right people, I’ve been keeping a list.

THE LIST

· The jock in high school that called me Mega Moo

· The mean girls who invited me to their sixth grade slumber party so they could torture me with pranks all night.

· The pity date my HS BFF’s BF brought along for me, who referred to me as ugly.

· The boy in college who called me to “confess” his feelings while his whole dorm floor listened in on the joke via speakerphone.

· College boy’s evil roommate who called me pretending to be suicidal while his whole dorm floor listened in on the joke via speakerphone. (Yes this prank went on for a while in various forms.)

· The biotch manager who made my life a living hell all the while acting like her doo doo didn’t stink.

· Biotch manager number two (what is it with women managers?)

· The instructor who belittled me in front of a room full of people.

· Recent additions that may or may not be related to the writing industry.

I’m not attempting a complete character assassination. I don’t want to be sued or blackballed. And it’s not necessary. A trait or mannerism, a name, a description—like voodoo I incorporate an element of the person who’s wronged me into the character. It symbolic and cathartic.

For me, reading DEAR BULLY has reinforced how we tend to carry our tormentors around with us and the importance of letting go. With the release of THE HALO CHRONICLES: THE GUARDIAN I’ve been able to cross a couple of people off my list. Some may call it revenge, but I call it therapy.

Corn nuts, anyone?

Now it's your turn: How do you let go of those who've tormented you?

Carey Corp lives in the greater Cincinnati area with her loveable yet out-of-control family. She wrote her first book, a brilliant retelling of Star Wars, at the prodigious age of seven. Since then, her love affair of reinvention has continued to run amuck. Writing both literary fiction and stories for young adults, she begins each morning consuming copious amounts of coffee while weaving stories that capture her exhaustive imagination. She harbors a voracious passion (in no constant order) for mohawks, Italy, musical theater, chocolate, and Jane Austen.

Carey’s debut novel for teens, The Halo Chronicles: The Guardian, was a 2010 RWA Golden Heart finalist for best young adult fiction. It is available in print and eBook. She blogs, tweets, and “friends.”

For more information, visit her at careycorp.com.

Peeta envy, or why I'm a jealous old fogey.

2011-10-03T07:27:00.002-04:00

Now that we’ve shared those cringe-worthy teenage rites of passage, I get to kick off our next topic: how inspiration from our youth still shapes the fiction we write today. And since every decent writer is also an avid reader, I’m going to discuss the maturity level of what I read as a teen.

Kids today. They don’t know how good they’ve got it, what with their newfangled smarty-phones and their computers and their iPods and shit. Don’t even get me started on the internet—wish I’d had Professor Google at my fingertips to help me find the answers to those pesky US Government questions.

Okay, I jest. I don’t really envy the absence of technology in my youth, but I’ll tell you what teens today have that I would have given my left boob for a couple decades ago: a plethora of modern upper YA titles.

For real, teens, do you know how lucky you are? I strolled through Barnes & Noble last week and realized the YA section dominated the store, rows upon rows of dark, sexy covers promising enough mystical, romantic adventures to provide a decade of escapism. YA existed back in my day, but it hadn’t blossomed yet, and teen readers like myself had two basic choices: read up or read down.

I chose up. Way up. At thirteen, I started reading JRR Tolkien, Stephen King, and *gasp* Jackie Collins. I can distinctly remember huddling around a copy of Hollywood Wives with my prepubescent friends, giggling and groaning “Ewwwww!” during a rather graphic oral sex scene. Okay, so maybe I wasn’t mature enough for adult romance at the time, but there was no Edward Cullen or Jacob Black, no Etienne St Claire, no Gale, and certainly no buff-n-sensitive, flour-sack-tossing Peeta. If a girl wanted some fictional lovin’, she didn’t have many options.

So I spent my teen years reading bodice rippers, and I graduated to Cosmopolitan magazine while most of my friends were still reading Sassy. (Is that still in print?) You could say I gave myself the kind of education they don’t provide in health class.

So what does that have to do with my writing? Well, it probably won’t shock you to hear I write racy romance (under the pen name Macy Beckett). While my YA is more age-appropriate, it’s definitely for upper teens, and during revisions, my agent suggested I…ahem…tone it down a little. Oopsie. Old habits and all that jazz.

Anyway, I wish I’d had teen protagonists like Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen to keep me young a little longer. What was my hurry, anyway? Growing up is overrated.

Now it's your turn: What did you read during your upper teen years? If you’re still a teen, what are you reading right now?