Writing World: Festivus!

First thing's first...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I'm turning 21 for the 6th time today :) Turning 21 never gets old. I'll be staying in my pj's ALL day and forcing my husband to do baby-related things when he gets home (muahaha). Oh, and by "baby-related things" I don't mean what you think I mean! It's a tad embarrassing that the thing I wanted to do most on my birthday was put the cradle together and start planning the nursery. What can I say? My brain has been re-programmed to ALL THINGS BABY.

Second thing's second...Writing World. What have I been up to? Aside from re-reading/line editing Uprising, I've been making my way from one festival to the next. It's been awesome...but HOT! Preggers+heat = sucky. BUT...I have been having lots of fun despite the temp. It's hard not to have fun when signing books for fans. I'll never get over it. It's by far the best part about being an author.

Last weekend I attended the Big Orange Book Festival, and this Sunday (Sept. 30) I'm off to be a part of the OC Children's Book Festival. It's like Festivus around here I tell you! I'm actually REALLY excited about Sunday. Not only will I be signing books at the YA Authors Corner, but I'll be on the YA panel at 11am with some great authors!! AND...to top it all off, I get to hang out with two of my favorite author buddies, Sheri Fink and Bethany Lopez. Bonus!

What are you excited about this weekend in Writing World?

The Buzz: Cover Reveals - CANARY & STRENGTH

Hello bloggers!! Long time no see...or blog...I guess. So, yes, I'm giving myself the "world's worst blogger" award for last week's total of ZERO posts, lol. I'm a busy bee, and I'll tell you all about my writing world escapades on Wednesday.

Today I want to reveal the covers of two great books, CANARY and STRENGTH. I'm a little late to the game, but better late than never, right? I'm so excited for the authors of these books! Rachele Alpine, author of CANARY, and the hilariously funny and awesome Carrie Butler, author of STRENGTH, are two of my favorite blogger buds. Congrats guys!!

Here are their fantabulous covers :)

Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete. 

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. She knows she should speak out, but her dad tries to silence her in order to protect the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes. 

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period. 

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation--and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few minor setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety… 

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace's powerful, supernaturally-gifted family. 

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do--even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart. 

Vacation Time...again.

Yes...I'm vacationing like a retired person, but can you blame me? Baby is coming soon (and for those of you who don't know: IT'S A BOY!). I'm trying to get as much traveling done as possible before I'm thrust into a world of crying cuddly poopy diaper bliss. Thankfully Uprising (Children of the Gods #2) is done-ish. I'll be working on polishing the edges a bit while in Boston before one last line edit...February is on its way! I've also been working on Children of the Gods #3 lately. I haven't written more than 20 pages, but I'm outlining and brainstorming a lot. This third book is going to take a bit more planning than I'm used to...a lot has happened/will happen to Elyse and William. As I get farther along in the story, there is a ton to keep track of and tie together. It's intimidating, but I love the challenge. So...that's what I'll be doing in between day trips around Boston. Most of Uprising was written during my last trip to Boston, so I'm hoping I feel just as inspired. See you all back here on September 17th.

Over and out...

The Buzz: Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery

Happy Labor Day everyone! I hope you all are in your pj's like me :) First of all, I have to admit that I haven't been around much lately...no Twitter, Facebook, blogging...I've been in baby world, and in all honesty I'll probably be there for a while. I'm trying to get in some last minute traveling before I'm tied to the house. Next...off to Boston, MA on Friday :) Wooohooo! Watch out world, this pregnant lady is taking you on.

For today's buzz I wanted to post about a book that really sucked me in. It's called Anything But Ordinary by Lara Avery. Thanks to my awesome publisher I got a stack full of ARCs for my traveling this summer. This was one that I really loved. It will be out through Hyperion in 7 days (Sept. 11, 2012).

An inspiring, bittersweet love story about making every day count.

Bryce remembers it like it was yesterday. The scent of chlorine. The blinding crack and flash of pain. Blood in the water.

When she wakes up in the hospital, all Bryce can think of is her disastrous Olympic diving trial. But everything is different now. Bryce still feels seventeen, so how can her little sister be seventeen, too? Life went on without her while Bryce lay in a coma for five years. Her best friend and boyfriend have just graduated from college. Her parents barely speak. And everything she once dreamed of doing—winning a gold medal, traveling the world, falling in love—seems beyond her reach.

But Bryce has changed too, in seemingly impossible ways. She knows things she shouldn’t. Things that happened while she was asleep. Things that haven’t even happened yet. During one luminous summer, as she comes to understand that her dreams have changed forever, Bryce learns to see life for what it truly is: extraordinary.

What I really loved about the book is the writing style. It's written beautifully with lots of symbolism and the most amazing figurative language. I love when a book makes me think: "I want to write like this." I definitely thought that throughout this story. I was very impressed.

Now, I'm not going to lie. This is a sad book. You have to go in knowing that or you're going to be disappointed. I read the reviews before hand so I had an idea of what to expect toward the end. Personally, I think the author's choice to end the book the way she did was justified, and I understood it. Still...sad. I hope you pick it up and give it a chance. It has a slight paranormal angle to it, but nothing crazy. I wouldn't categorize the book as paranormal...maybe science fiction? Anyway, worth the read in my opinion (and I'm a tough critic).