Cheer for Your Team

I'm not very good at the preschool athletic mentality. 
1.  Every kid is not the Most Valuable Player.
2.  Each game should have a winner and a loser.

That's life. 

Don't get me wrong. Winning isn't everything, but losing doesn't mean hanging up your sneakers, either.  When you fall, brush yourself off, quit your crying, and get back in the game. It's important to always do your personal best because your only real competition is yourself.

I was a cheerleader--the kind that believed more in the job than the uniform.  I disdain the "spirit leaders" who leave when rain or sleet falls from the sky. If the team can still play, then they can still cheer.

12th grade: front and center in a parka in the pouring rain

After a few adult beverages, I'm willing to dance my high school's fight song.

Go Bulldogs!

 

Last month,  I put my dormant cheer skills to use and cheered myself on through my own special version of March Madness.

Here are the rules: If a writing opportunity presented itself, I must enter the competition.

Even if I doubted my abilities--especially so--I must take action. With failure comes wisdom. With wisdom comes success.

Want to know how the brackets turned out?

I submitted my essays to two Listen to Your Mother shows.  Instead of submitting to one show, I embraced March Madness and submitted to two.

Two! Two! We want two!

And, well, you know how that turned out. Read about it here and here.

Gooooo team!

Then, I tried Brenda Drake's agent contest.  My cheerleader was still asleep when I dragged myself out of bed to submit early in the morning.  Right before I pushed send on my carefully written entry of my novel's first 250 words and 35-word pitch, I doubted myself.  I changed the pitch.

I did not make the next round.

That's all right. That's okay. We're gonna win another day!

Then another opportunity presented itself. Mini Vaughn, one of the slush zombies for the contest, volunteered to critique the pitches on her blog Dirty Silly Things.  I thought, "Oh my. I can't put myself out there and face rejection again. It's so public. She even says something about spanking us and making it hurt."  *Blushes* 

My cheerleader gave me a high-kick in the butt.  

Be aggressive! B-E Aggressive! B-E- A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E! Be aggressive! B-E aggressive!

Because she was an obnoxiously perky, insistent little inner cheerleader, I not only sent the rejected logline, but I also submitted the one I'd planned to send. If I was going to get a smackdown, I might as well really feel the pain, right?

The critique wasn't painful at all. She thought the original pitch was "fantastic." Lesson learned.  My biggest opponent is self-doubt. 

Defense! (clap, clap) Defense! (clap, clap)

Over the month, I had a couple of contest triumphs and forfeited one opportunity. The point is that I put myself in the game.

I'm gearing up for submitting my freshly revised novel to agents. I've listened to agents who seemed excited about the story but rejected it. I've rewritten the novel and improved my game. 

First (clap) and ten! Go! Fight! Win!

Why compete? Because someone has to win.  Why can't it be me?  Or you?

  Dribble it! Pass it! (clap) We want a basket!

Have you stepped outside your comfort zone lately? What would you like to achieve?  

Go for it!

Listen to your personal cheerleader and take the challenge. Let me know what it is.

I'm already waggling my spirit fingers for you.

Who keeps you up at night?

Oh, Jane.  You did it again.

I remember our first time.

Mr. Darcy and I stayed up all night and watched the sun rise together.  My husband woke up once, told me I was crazy, and went back to sleep.

Others are also guilty of my sleep deprivation, too.

But Jane...you get me almost every time.


It's not just your books. It's also the movie adaptations.

Most recently, I watched Emma, the miniseries with Johnny Lee Miller as Mr. Knightley.

Sigh.


Mr. Knightley and I did not watch the sun rise, but we did flip the calendar since I watched the entire miniseries after the kids and my hubby were in bed.


I could say I regret those nights Jane took from me.


But I don't.


What about you?  What authors/stories/movies/characters have you willingly skipped sleep for?

The Next Big Thing: Lucky Charm

Have you heard about The Next Big Thing? It's a blog hop where authors post about their work and you get to be in-the-know for "the next big thing."

Welcome to my turn!

What is the working title of your book?
Lucky Charm

Where did the idea come from for the book?
It started with the idea that any institution left to man will become tainted by man. No matter how pure the ideals are that created it, people can make it dark and dirty. Different cultures and rituals fascinate me, so I wanted to take a society of hybrids and see if it was worth salvaging.

The cool factor of Oklahoma City is a well kept secret, so it seemed a good place to headquarter an ancient secret society.  Features like underground tunnels and the fact that Oklahoma is one of the few places in the world where rose rocks are found are all due to my society. *ahem* True story.;)

I wanted a girl to meet this world on her terms even when everyone else had other expectations.  Abi learns one thing stronger than magic is fate. The only thing stronger than fate is attitude. 

What genre does your book come under?
young adult fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

 Zachary Quintos is the evil Mr. Voth.

 

Taylor Swift isn't young enough or short enough to be Abi, but I like this image.

I've always envisioned Isla Fisher as Abi's mom.

Abi's Pals
Naya Rivera's sensuality is the right one for Jade.

.

The bubbly Lauren Alaina is the right vibe for the sugary-sweet, down-home Belle.

 

Abi's Love Interests

Jacob Artist would make a good Moses with just a few modifications.

Of course, so would Taylor Lautner.  

Chace Crawford is too old to be Zac and too young to be his dad, but he's the right type.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Most people would believe that being part leprechaun means you lead a charmed life, but when Abi Sparks discovers she's part of a secret, world-wide organization intent on breeding its youth to create magical hybrids, there's nothing lucky about it.

Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency?
Giving final touches before querying agents.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
Ha!  That's an interesting question since I wrote the book 3/4 of the way three different times. Depending on your math--2-5 years? I originally wanted to try my hand at adult characters, but I felt the call of young adult literature again. Everything that mattered happened to them in high school. It's motivational for me to know what their lives might be like ten years later if certain issues about their world aren't resolved. After querying agents, I think only one or two said, "No, thank you" without reading pages. The other four requested manuscripts. And each one decided it wasn't for him or her. Since then, I've revised A LOT and switched it from third-person, past tense to first-person, present. Next time an agent requests a full manuscript, I'm hoping he or she will say, "Where have you been all my life?!"

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Paranormalcy meets Matched.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?
When I wrote Glamour,  I wanted to kill the fairies, but felt like it wasn't the nice thing to do.

I yearned to write a book that is as true as I know how to be--regardless of whether or not it is nice. With a couple of characters, I had to turn off my filter and just let them go. It was such fun!

Speaking of fun... Thanks to Sonia Gensler for tagging me in this blog hop.

I hope you hop over and see what Dee Dee Chumley's next big thing is.

Next Friday, check out picture book author and "celestial wizard" Wayne Harris-Wyrick, as well as novelists Christine Denise Jarmola and Jennifer McMurrain.

Thanks for reading about Lucky Charm.

Writer's Wednesday: Literary Boyfriends

Long before I wanted a real boyfriend, I juggled several from literature. And what's better than a literary boyfriend? A literary love triangle!

No matter who the main character chooses, I always choose one similar to my first love: Rhett Butler from Gone With the Wind.  That other guy Ashley Wilkes? Ew! Rhett may have been no "gentleman," but at least he stood up for what he believed and fought for it. My eleven-year-old brain read between the lines and wanted Ashley to stop being such a wimp about life and man up already.

How about you? Who are your favorite literary boyfriends?

To get the conversation started, let's talk about famous young adult titles that are already movies or will be soon.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Edward vs. Jacob
No contest! Edward is just too polished (like cold marble, I know)--and whiny--for my tastes. (Get it? Vampire pun there.) I prefer the warmth and personality of Jacob. He's a fighter.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
 Prince Maxon vs. Aspen
This one throws a wrench in the whole bad boy thing.  I prefer Maxon over Aspen.  Is it because he's a prince? Nope. I think it's because he really wants what is best for her, is willing to stand up to his father for his own beliefs, and doesn't whine about circumstances.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Peta vs. Gale
It's always been you, Gale.  Always. You're a rebel. A fighter.  Peeta...okay, in the book, you are not the wimp the movie makes you. You are your own kind of hero. You know how to use your brain and teach me, I mean Katniss, a thing or two. You save the heroine a few times yourself. Without you, she wouldn't have survived. But, Peeta, I'd rather be friends. Let's have dinner. You bring the bread.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Four vs. ???
So, there's no love triangle here, but I still wanted to mention my most recent literary boyfriend. 

Who is your literary boyfriend?  Do you prefer books with love triangles or not?

Writers Wednesday: Kid Lit Community Auction

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Kate Messner organized the KidLit community and created an online auction to benefit the Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Whether you are a children's literature fan, an aspiring author, or a published author, there's something available at this auction that might interest you.

Check it out.

Donate.

Do good.

Writer's Wednesday: Rowling Risks the Wrath of Muggles

Ouch. Some reviews of JK Rowling's new book The Casual Vacancy are downright painful.

C'mon, folks!

You weren't really expecting a grown up Harry Potter, were you? I mean, there are very few books that have rocked the world in the way the occupants of Hogwarts did, and there have been about a kajillion writers trying. Give her a break.

Granted, the premise of the new novel does not interest me. However, I will buy--and probably read--the book for one reason:

I applaud Rowling for writing something else. She could have pulled a Margaret Mitchell or Harper Lee--hiding from public life and not producing another published work. She could have left the world wondering if she could write anything else. She doesn't need the money. She could be a one-hit (I know it was a series, but it's one story) wonder, but she didn't rest on her laurels. 

Go, you, J.K. Rowling!  I look forward to seeing what you come up with next. 

Writer's Wednesday: Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven Host Christmas in July Contest

Have you heard about the Christmas in July contest? Young adult authors Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven gave this gift to their writing peers.

I didn't even get them socks.

Here are the details:

Writers with complete manuscripts submitted a query and their first 500 words in the hopes that one of the ten agents participating in the contest will say, "I must have this book. Send me your masterpiece."

This contest is a wonderful opportunity. Seriously...they trended on Twitter on the day of submissions.

Wait...contest deadline...It's over?  Why should you care?

In the voyeuristic vein of Query Shark and Miss Snark (may her blog rest in peace), you can watch this contest unfold. Witness the next best seller in infancy.  It's like So You Think You Can Dance for writers.

Sort of.

Michelle Krys and Ruth Lauren Steven played agents and trudged through over 300 entries to select their 15 faves and post them on their blogs.

That means, dear writer friend, that you get to look at real queries and opening pages that caught their attention. Plus, you get to watch how it plays out and witness what catches the agents' attention.

Pretty cool, right? Yep. Christmas in July.

Check out what's under the tree!

Click here to see Ruth Lauren Steven's picks.

Click here to see Michelle Krys's picks.

I know the perfect gift in return. Buy their books! 

Merry Christmas in July!

Inklings Retreat 2012

L-R: Dee Dee Chumley, Kelly Bristow, Sonia Gensler, Lisa Marotta, Martha Bryant

Fellow Inkling Lisa Marotta led our 2012 summer Inklings retreat by guiding us through a series of exercises designed to help us identify our own passions, how those passions appear in our writing, and how we can nurture an audience and develop a relationship with others by letting them get to know our passions.  

Sonia, Lisa, and Martha during a session

I learned A LOT.

The weather felt like fall, so we didn't get to swim. Mostly we had workshops, critiqued pieces, and took walks.

Appreciating the scenery during a walk with Lisa and Dee Dee. (Photo courtesy of Sonia Gensler)

Since the focus was on "platform," we thought we'd build one for Lisa.  Okay, I STRONGLY encouraged the others to do it, but it gets the point across, right? Note: I am not bossy. I just have good ideas.:)

Lisa on platform

Glamour was about fairies.  Lucky Charm, the novel I just completed, has fantasy creatures in it, too. I accept that unicorns don't exist, but I still believe in the fairy tale. Perhaps that's why I love how our group wears tiaras at conferences--and at the lake.

If you can't play princess with your friends, then I don't want to grow up.

Inklings lake tiaras

Lisa Marotta conducted the weekend workshops in such a way that when it was over, I announced, "I would pay a lot of money for this experience."

So...other authors, take note and contact her! You won't be sorry.

Magic Monday: Mermaids are Real?!

The Little Mermaid is one of my all-time favorite movies.  Confession: my favorite sing-in-the-shower-song is Part of That World.

 
When I heard about the mermaid "documentary," I was a tad excited.


Read here.
See pictures here.  And here.

Yes, I wrote a book about fairies. Some may think I'm one of those people who have rooms decorated completely in unicorn themes. I don't. 

Although...this lovely picture hangs on a wall.

Wouldn't you like to think that maybe, just maybe,  a real mer-girl like Ariel wants to find herself and break free from what's expected?

I don't know about you, but I like to believe in the possibility of fairy tales.

Writer's Wednesday: What words should be censored in children's literature?

I love agent/editor panels at conferences. They offer the opportunity for authors to experience the flavor of agents' personalities.   The same questions are usually asked, and, if the session is mediated properly, it doesn't have to be entirely tedious. 

Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. had a fabulous group of agents this year who served on the panel. Louise Fury, Stephen Fraser, Jessica Sinsheimer, and Emmanuelle Morgan are all impressive and should be checked out if you're looking for both pleasant and hard-working agents.

In response to a certain question, I've heard many responses over the years.

• It depends on the publisher.
• It's fine if it fits the character.
• It's fine if it serves a purpose other than shock value.

The following question and answer may not be verbatim, but it's how I remember it.

And I like it this way.


Are four-letter words unacceptable in children's literature?

Stephen Fraser's reply:
Only one. HATE.

Click here for an interview with Stephen Fraser as well as a photo of his spiffy, trademark bow tie. 

Magic Monday: Lucky Charm

  I completed Lucky Charm, my second young adult novel a year and a half ago.  And I couldn't stop tweaking it. Granted, that whole morning sickness and giving birth thing was time consuming, but I wouldn't let go of the manuscript.

Until now.

The cosmos spoke to me.

My novel has two key images--rose rocks and shamrocks.

Yesterday, my family helped my grandmother clean out her garage. Not knowing a thing about my novel, she gave me this:

Afterward, we went to the lake. My son and I were walking along when he said, "Mom! I have to show you something." He claimed he'd seen a roly-poly and pointed at the ground.  Right beside his imaginary crustacean was this:

Okay, Universe. I'm listening.

OWFI 2012

This weekend was my big birthday party. Other people know it as the annual conference for Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc.  

Potato.
Potawto.

Writers are such a friendly bunch most conferences are enjoyable. However, this year was special. Most of the speakers were (sing this next word) outstanding. Not only did I pitch stellar agents I've been cyber stalking for well over a year (Louise Fury and Jessica Sinsheimer), but also the sessions were great.  My friend Lela Davidson infotained us about social media. She's kind of a guru. I'll post some of what I learned over the next few weeks.

For now, please check out my friend Lisa's blog for an excellent summation of the weekend.

Who is that, you ask? That's me with my checks and certificates--and wearing the Inklings celebratory tiara.  I was especially thrilled with my first place win of my young adult short story. It's my next book idea!

Our entire table did well. You may remember me writing about Dee Dee Chumley's Beyond the Farthest Star. Don't take my word for it being a great book...it won Best Juvenile Book of 2011.  The fact that I missed her win and Lela win Best Nonfiction Book of 2011 for Blacklisted by the PTA because I took a badly timed bathroom break need not be mentioned again.

If you've not attended OWFI, mark it on your calendar. It's always the first weekend of May. See you there!

Writer's Wednesday: Follow Your Passion

My husband and I are passionate. When you've been together as long as we have, life can get pretty dull.  Not for us. We always have something new and exciting to bring to the table.

He loves riding.
I love writing.
We're passionate.

Always my biggest supporter, he encourages me to take my work to the next level.   He challenges me when I wimp out in my storytelling just as he does when I do it in life. He's a competitor and wants me to be as well. He wants me to be the best I can be.

Let's be honest. He wants a Maserati, but I know I'm not JK Rowling even if he hasn't accepted that fact.

He's not a professional rider, but his determination is unmatched. He rides every day--and is pretty cranky if he misses a ride.  If he didn't get time during the day, he'll wait until the kids go to bed and ride until midnight. Last summer, 3AM rides were a regular occurrence. Nothing gets in his way because he loves riding and wants to be better. 

He started the season with a 50 mile bike tour in Oklahoma City at the Redbud last weekend. (He considers this a short ride. I would consider it hell on wheels.) We arrived in town just as a tornado hit Norman, OK.  Wind advisories were announced. However, he didn't waiver and finished those miles in about 2 hours.

I should take a page from his book. (Er, mile from his ride?) With his perseverance any writer would succeed--no matter the obstacles.

Even if I don't get that Maserati, I'll know I did my personal best while having fun. And that's worth a lot.

But I wouldn't say no to a Pulitzer.

Hunger Games Heels

Don't think I wouldn't wear them.

 Check them out here!

And the winner of Beyond the Farthest Star is...

...The Resident Heretic. Congratulations!

Please email me your mailing address at brandiatbrandibarnett.com.

Thanks for entering. Be sure and check back soon and often.

Living a Pinteresting Life

Today's Pinteresting Life segment is in honor of Dee Dee's book Beyond the Farthest Star.


For anyone planning a Beyond the Farthest Star event, check out our Novel Idea party and add these star-studded ideas, too. Simply click on the pictures to get to original source.


Who doesn't love a cascade of stars?

 Have a signature cocktail and call it The Doty in (dis)honor of a cocktail sipping mom in the book with the same name.

If you bought a bunch of Christmas lights on deep discount after the holiday just begging to be used, here's your answer.

I can't find original source, so if you have it, let me know!

March Madness Inklings Book Giveaway: Beyond the Farthest Star

Sometimes a girl needs a guardian angel.

This week's giveaway is Dee Dee Chumley's Beyond the Farthest Star.

If you'd like to win a copy, simply make a comment on this entry (so I can keep track). If you'd like two entries, follow my blog and leave a comment. Contest ends Sunday. Winner will be announced next Wednesday.

Once I've read a book, I always have questions. Here are a few Dee Dee answered for me. 

Dee Dee,  how did you come up with the idea for this book? 

I once read you're not supposed to say you got an idea for a book from a dream, but that's where I got the idea. Hey, it worked for Stephenie Meyer! 

What books do you recommend for people who are interested in guardian angels? 

Not all the books I read were Christian-based, but I tried to use only information that wasn't contradictory to Christian beliefs. However, the book is not meant to be a theological treatise on angels and I did apply some artistic license. For what I feel are the most accurate, Christian-based explanations of angels, I would recommend Angels Among Us by Ron Rhodes and Angels by Billy Graham.

What other research did you do?
For such an apparently simple little book, it actually took quite a bit of research. I read several books on angels and also did online research and reading on steroid use and dating violence. In addition, I did research on cars and trucks and even on bicycles!

What has been the most surprising part of your publication journey? 

I think it would be actually getting published! Beyond the Farthest Star was the first novel I ever wrote, and after sending it to about fifteen agents or publishers, I stored it away as a good learning experience and moved on to my next project. Then when I least expected it, I learned (thanks to you!) of a Christian publishing company in California that was accepting new material. I took the chance and submitted my manuscript and hooray! they accepted it.    

What is the part of the writing process you enjoy most? The actual writing! I've always been a kind of a nerd this way. I love taking an idea and experimenting with how many ways it can be expressed and discovering the absolute best way. I love finding the perfect rhythm. And in creative writing, I love coming up with the descriptions--the imagery and metaphors. I haven't perfected the process by any means, but I think it's great fun to think of original ways to get the reader to see, hear, or feel something. 

As a former English teacher, you taught lots of rules.  Since you are now a professional writer, do you break any of those rules? What's the rule you'll never break? 

Ha! You must have been talking to some of my former students! Actually, in his book On Writing, Stephen King offers good advice about grammar rules. He says learn them so you'll know why you're breaking them. There's a huge difference between breaking rules to achieve the effect you want and breaking them because you don't know any better. The first situation makes you look creative; the second makes you look stupid.   

A rule I'd never break? Well, I would never intentionally break a spelling rule...unless it was to acquire a certain effect. For example, in my newest novel, I have a sign written by a shadetree mechanic and instructing customers to Honk for Survice. I really do know how to spell service! Also, it confuses me to read a book in which the author saw no need for quotation marks. So I'd never break that one.

Did you write with a particular audience in mind? 

I began this book while I was still teaching, so I thought teens would be my best audience since I had a connection there. (Also, I didn't want to write explicit sex scenes and thought I could get away with it in YA literature! Ha!) What has come as a surprise to me, though, is that I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from women of all ages. Of course, many of these are my friends, and so I'm thinking, they have to say something nice. But many of them have gone beyond what I feel is the appropriate "friend" response. I think, regardless of age, most women can remember and identify with many of the situations both Darcy and Tiffin face in the novel. Not everything changes with time.  

What do you want people to think or feel when they finish reading your book? 

Regardless of their age, I want them to walk away with the same message Mike gave Darcy: Always remember who you are and Whose you are. This statement has been used time again but I don't think it's cliche. It's an important message that God lays claim to each and every one of us and as His children we are of immeasurable worth. 

In your book, they talk about going "beyond the farthest star."  If you could go anywhere, where would it be? To visit? Any tropical island that hasn't been overrun with tourists! I'm a beach bum at heart. How did I end up in landlocked Oklahoma?

Hmmm.... a beach. Sounds like the perfect place to kick back and read a copy of Dee Dee Chumley's debut novel Beyond the Farthest Star.

And the winner of The Revenant is...

I used random.org to select this week's winner, and it is... Lisa Mc!

Congratulations! Please contact me with information regarding how you would like the book sent.

Thanks for entering. Be sure and check back soon and often.

March Madness Inklings Book Giveaway: The Revenant

This week's giveaway is Sonia Gensler's debut novel The Revenant. 

It is a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award. Hooray for Sonia!

This young adult paranormal is set in the late 19th century at a real Cherokee girl's school right here in Oklahoma. It is now known as Seminary Hall at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah.

Read below for a little chat Sonia and I had recently.

Congratulations on being a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award.  The setting of your book in the Cherokee Seminary is unique.  The Revenant truly could not happen against any other backdrop.  What is it about the place that spoke to you? 

Thank you, Brandi! This is fun to talk about because it involves you. (Note: I did not ask this question for her to mention me, but...I'll take the attention.) I'd always wanted to write a book set in a girls' boarding school. Boarding school settings offer potential for drama and conflict in any era, but I was particularly drawn to the mid to late 19th century because it was during this time that educators finally started taking female intellectual capacity seriously.

But no particular setting or school called out to me until YOU gave me a tour of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

When you (and your mom) pointed out Seminary Hall and told me it used to be a school for Cherokee girls, I knew I had to set a story there. I'd always thought of 19th century Indian schools as oppressive institutions where agents of the church or government forced students to assimilate. This school, on the contrary, was funded and operated by the Cherokee Tribe. To me, that was very exciting, and I had to know more. My research gave rise to the plot of THE REVENANT.

And though this is more superficial, I have to say that the Seminary building itself absolutely captivated me. I love Victorian architecture and this building seemed particularly Gothic and imposing. It really just begged me to write a story! How lucky was I that the history of the building turned out to be so fascinating?

What is it about ghost stories that makes you want to write them? Did you set out to be a writer of ghost stories?

I actually didn't set out to be a writer of ghost stories. In fact, spooky/ghostly things used to scare the crap out of me. (Aren't I eloquent?) At some point during the last decade, however, I began to appreciate the story value of hauntings. Actually, it turned into an obsession. I don't particularly like films or books in which ghosts jump out of corners -- cheap scares like that annoy me. What I love is the idea of an emotion or action so powerful and/or transgressive that it transcends death, lingering in a place or clinging to a particular person. I also like the idea of there being people who are especially sensitive to these remnants or echoes. Great stuff for stories!

What part of the writing process do you enjoy most? Least?

This is an easy one. I love researching and planning a novel. Outlining is great fun for me because everything is shiny and brimming with potential at that stage. I actively dislike the drafting process because of the disconnect between my shiny fantasy of what the novel should be and what actually appears on the page. But I've given myself permission to write very rough first drafts. Things can always be smoothed out during the revision process. 

Did you write with a particular audience in mind? If so, please describe.

Honestly, I write for the teen reader inside me. Of course I want to write something that's sufficiently marketable, and that is appropriate and appealing for today's teens, but I'm writing the sorts of stories I'd like to see on the YA shelves in bookstores and libraries -- gothic tales full of mystery, dark secrets, forbidden romance and struggles for independence.

What book are your recommending to others right now?

My favorite YA novel of 2011 was Franny Billingsley's CHIME. I read it months and months ago, but it's still on my mind -- such a gorgeously written book with a very unique sister relationship and an amazing love interest for the heroine. If you want to read a more detailed slobberfest over this novel, please read my Book End Babes review! :) 

Isn't she fabulous? Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Sonia!

To win your very own autographed copy, simply...
1. comment on this entry.

If you'd like TWO entries, then...

1.  follow my blog. (Click that little follow button at the top of the page and follow the instructions.)

2.  comment on this entry.

Contest will end on Sunday at midnight. Winner will be announced on Wednesday--as well as a new contest.

And the winner of Glamour is...

Congratulations to Jennifer Laws!

Please email me your mailing address at brandiatbrandibarnett.com and the way you want your copy of Glamour signed.
 
Thanks to those who visited my blog and entered the contest.  I noticed a LOT more people visited than entered, so I'm changing the entry rules for the next contest. Be sure and enter to win!