Five Reasons Why YA

Mermaid's Secret by Michael Parkes

Show of hands, how many of you adult readers enjoy YA (Young Adult) books?

STATS

It surprised me to learn that over 55% of YA readers are over eighteen. Of that 55%, most are actually over thirty. There are good reasons for this, which I'll get to in a moment, but to start, you might like to watch a brief history of how the YA genre got started.

Epic Reads - A Brief History of Young Adult Books

Why Adults Love YA

#1 Rapid Pace

YA books are page turners. The genre is know for high readability, the unputdownable quality that keeps readers engaged, pages flying.

#2 Quality Control

YA books tend to have rigorous editing. Most published are immersive stories with powerful characters and plots. The personal, and global stakes are high, themes deep and complex.

#3 Addressing  Issues

No matter if the YA is contemporary, fiction, Dystopia, SF, Fantasy or Romance, you can bet the author won't shy away from issues of life, death, sex, drugs, gender, bullying, self-worth, suicide, rape, physical and mental health. For the most part, these topics are handled honestly, without judgment or ulterior motives (preaching).

#4 Emotions switched on

Most YA have some elements of romance, or awareness of feelings. The language tends to be visceral, allowing readers to feel what the characters are experiencing. Less "He felt scared," and more, "His heart pounded ..." Frequently, YA is written in the first person making the connection to the main character more intimate.

#5 Pushing the Edge

YA books can bend the rules of genre, formatting and POV (point of view). We see them embracing genre-crossovers like contemporary fantasy, SF thrillers, SF Fantasy, LGBT Historical, you name it. There are also YA books coming out in verse, diaries, social media instant messaging. I'm reading a YA series right now with multiple point of view characters. The main protagonist is in the first person: "I woke up with a knife to my throat." All other POVs are in the third person: "He waited for the right moment to speak."

There are other perks to YA, including the price. Most YA books are priced below their Adult fiction cousins.

How about you? Are you reading YA for any of the above reasons, or perhaps ones outside the box.

Is it something you feel a little awkward about in public, or is that stigma finally dead? With the number of adults reading YA, I certainly hope so!

xxxKim

Kim Falconer's latest release is out now - The Blood in the Beginning - and Ava Sykes Novel.

Learn more about Kim on Facebook and chat with her on Twitter. Check out her pen name, @a.k.wilder on Instagram, or visit AKWilder on FB and website.

Kim also runs GoodVibeAstrology.com where she teaches the law of attraction and astrology. 

Kim posts here at the Supernatural Underground on the 16th of every month, hosts Save the Day Writer's Community on FB and posts a daily astrology weather report on Facebook. 

Intro & Drawing for a Tablet

***** Winner of the HP Slate 7 Tablet is Tiffany! *****

Hi, everyone! I'm DB Ayers, an award-winning, internationally multi-published fantasy and thriller author using a pseudonym for my first effort in the Young Adult genre. That's my clever disguise, to the left. I've joined the Supernatural Underground team and the first thing I want to say is that I'm in terrific company here!

I'm trying something new and thrilling with my YA venture. I'm inviting you in from the beginning, when the Aftermath trilogy is still a gleam in the eye of the author. Share my journey through submission via my agent to NY publishers, the contract I'm hoping for, and publication to put the first book of the trilogy, Yesterday, in your hands!

Learn a little about the characters, story, and world ahead of time, and share my ups and downs during this exciting/stressful time. Follow along with the progress of this series from its birth to bestsellerdom (a girl can dream, right?) with the inside scoop! I'm really excited about this concept. I hope you'll get to know me and Aftermath!

Here's the pitch for Aftermath:
Sixteen-year-old Anna Hart flees a deadly situation in a failing human colony on the planet Silva. Using her empathic ability and her skills with an ancient weapon, she struggles through danger and betrayal, searching for a place where love and hope can thrive.

I'll be offering prizes at milestones as a way for me to involve you in my intermediate celebrations. I've already shared with followers of the Hart Beat Blog revising the proposal with my agent and getting the go ahead from her for submission to editors, and actual submission day. Now I'm in a waiting game, sharing my thoughts and some writing tips on the blog.

My current giveaway is an HP Slate 7 tablet. Entries end June 30, 2013. Don't wait! You can enter at the Prize tab on my blog.

Kindly leave a comment below - What do you think of the concept of Aftermath? Are you a fan of YA science fiction?

Please help me spread the word!
Website: http://dbayers.com
Blog: http://dbayershartbeat.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dbayers01
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AyersDB
Hugs ♥,

Up Close and Personal

$50 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

Getting to know the author behind the book has always helped me appreciate the book more as a reader. That's one of the things we do on Supernatural Underground - invite you to get up close and personal with us. We'll let you in on how we feel about our characters and our stories, and why we love the genres we write in: urban fantasy, paranormal romance, fantasy, and sci-fi for adults and teens. I really feel strongly about this because that writer-reader bond is what keeps me going. When Deliverance won an award, I could hardly wait until my posting date, the 28th of the month, came around so I could share it with you.

When my cat Snickers photobombed a promo shoot, it was a fun example of what we do besides tuck our noses into the computer and write. I had a series of backlist books written as Shirley Kennett that were made available as audio and ebooks, and let all of you know how happy I was to see these books get a new life.

When my character Maliha sent me a signed postcard, I thought it would be perfect for SU, and here it is.

It's good to know my character "has my back!" If nothing else, I can count on her. :-)

I've come across an author writing a YA sci-fi trilogy who is taking this concept of creating bonds with readers a step further by starting way before the book hits the shelves. DB Ayers is currently polishing her book proposal, after which her agent will submit it to NY publishers. Her blog will be like a diary of birthing the books, including information about the characters and the stories as they're being written. Look for excerpts, the ups and downs of the process, and prizes! OMG, prizes! At every milestone or just for no reason at all, she'll be giving away the goodies. Launching the blog is a milestone; a $50 Amazon Gift Certificate is up for grabs. Click on the graphic to the right and then on the PRIZES tab to enter.

You may wonder why DB Ayers is getting a mention here, other than the fact that I like to promote other authors. I'll leave that to your imagination. *wink, wink* But if you figure it out, it's our little secret, okay? Hop over and help this "new" author get her social media engines revved and maybe win some $$.

So, are you a fan of YA sci-fi? What are you reading now, or what's you're favorite book?

Until next time,
Dakota Banks

An Interview with Merrie Destefano

Although we all know Merrie Destefano as a fellow Supernatural Underground author, I am still thrilled to be able to interview her today and ask a few indepth questions about her writing, particularly her new YA novel, Fathom.

And regardless of Merrie being a  fellow Supernatural Undergrounder, I am going to do a formal introduction, because the whole point of an interview, after all, is to get to know the author, as well as her work, a little better. So without further ado...
.

Introducing Merrie Destefano

.

 Merrie Destefano left a 9-to-5 desk job as a magazine editor to become a full-time novelist and freelance editor. Her first novel, Afterlife: The Resurrection Chronicles, is an urban fantasy published by HarperCollins/Eos, and her second novel, Feast: Harvest of Dreams released on June 28, 2011. With twenty years’ experience in publishing, her background includes editor of Victorian Homes magazine and founding editor of Cottages & Bungalows magazine. Born in the Midwest, she currently lives in Southern California with her husband, two German shepherds and a Siamese cat.

In addition to this interview, you may find out more on Merrie’s website: http://www.merriedestefano.com/
.
.

Interview:  Merrie Destefano and Fathom

 .

Helen: Merrie, you have had two adult paranormal novels published previously. What drew you to YA with Fathom?

Merrie:  It’s hard to say exactly how it happened. When I was working on Feast, one of the characters really surprised me and she ended up having her own strong subplot. That character was Elspeth, Ash’s half-breed teenage daughter. I quickly realized how much depth there was to work with when writing a young adult character. I’d also been reading young adult novels for several years and had fallen in love with them.

Somewhere in the process of writing Feast, I took a short break to write the first chapter of Fathom.  The idea for that book came to me unexpectedly, which is actually common. My story ideas come when I least expect them, usually when I’m in the midst of another project. I guess I’d have to say that I was deeply influenced by the books that I have been reading and continue to read, which often fall into the young adult genre.

Helen: What do you see as the primary differences between writing YA and adult fiction, particularly in the paranormal genre?

Merrie:  For me, the main difference between writing YA and adult fiction is the fact that YA has so many built-in universal themes. All of us remember what it’s like to be a teenager, to feel like you’re not quite pretty enough or talented enough, to feel insecure. When you factor in the paranormal genre, you get the opportunity to introduce magic into the story—which when you think about it has a lot of parallels to being a teenager. There’s so much discovery going on during that part of your life. Plus, writing for the young adult market allows you to write almost anything you want; there are no barriers, there are no stories that are too strange or too weird or too unbelievable.

Helen: Kira, the heroine in Fathom, has a traumatic family past that spills over into other aspects of her life. How important do you feel it is that paranormal fiction is realistic in terms of the characters' everyday lives?

Merrie: I think it’s extremely important. It’s one of the key elements in making the world believable. Yes, there are paranormal or magical elements going on, so the rest of the world has to resonate with the reader. You have to give the reader a jumping off point, a place where he or she can say, “Wow, I know what that feels like.” Once you’ve got your reader in a point of agreement with what’s happening in the story, then you can take the story a step further, then you can add in the magical elements.

For example, in Fathom, an important part of Kira's story is that she is a loner, partly because of her family’s past, and as a result she has to deal with issues such as bullying at school. I wanted the book to have a contemporary feel to it, one that more readers would be able to relate to. But it wasn’t just about setting a realistic background, it was also about Kira's character and giving her the strength to deal with the paranormal occurrences as they develop. We all need the strength to make it from one day to the next and I wanted Kira to demonstrate what that looked like.

Helen: What makes a great paranormal read for you, whether YA or adult—what are the "must have" elements?

Merrie:  First of all, the writing has to be really good. I have a hard time connecting with a book that’s poorly written. Beyond that, I need to be able to connect with the main character in some way. A good example of a writer who was able to do that is found in Jeff Lindsay's book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter—it takes really good character development and writing ability to get me to the place where I can identify with a serial killer.

I also have to want to take “this particular journey.”  For me, it’s mainly about reading a story that will take me someplace I’ve never been before. I love reading about things/creatures that would never exist in our world—like fairies and zombies and Selkies—mainly because I believe there is so much more to our world than we can actually see. I’m not saying these things are real, but the imagination behind them brings them to life—and it gives us an idea of things that could exist. I love seeing how far the imagination can take us. I grew up reading fairy tales and books about people who lived on other planets, so I suppose it’s only natural that I would want to write similar stories.

Helen: Since the paranormal beings in Fathom are selkies, did you find it easy translating their associated Celtic mythology into a contemporary North American context?

Merrie:  LOL. I admit it wasn’t easy at first. But I really like adding a bit of mythology to my stories, because it gives the reader a point of reference, an almost subconscious agreement that this is true. I believe that both folk tales and legends have been told and retold so many times, that it’s almost like they’re written on our skin. We might not believe them at first, but when we hear them we still have a point of reference that can then lead us to a second point of believability.

Regarding Fathom, I originally wanted to set the story near the Mississippi River, but I couldn’t get the Selkie legends to work. Then I tried to get the legends to work with the Great Lakes region. But that didn’t work either. I had just finished writing Feast, which is set in the southern California mountains. Part of that book was so easy for me to write, because I live in Southern California and I didn’t have to do as much research as I would if the story had been set in another part of the country. So, I decided to try the story on the coast of California, in an area near Carmel and Big Sur. I had already decided that I was going to change the Selkie legends somewhat, and those changes fit in perfectly with my new setting.

Helen: Merrie, you've been having some fun with independent publishing lately—besides Fathom, can you tell me about some of the other projects you have on the go?

Merrie: I love the collaborative aspect to traditional publishing, but occasionally I also love to write my own stories my way and of course the whole digital book revolution and the POD process make it so much easier to try a range of approaches. As well as Fathom, I have a young adult post-apocalyptic story called The Plague Carrier and a collection of short stories called Waiting for Midnight for sale now on Amazon. I’m also hoping to self-publish a novella called Cursed soon—it’s a short prequel to my novel, Feast: Harvest of Dreams. But whether it's one of my independent or traditional projects, I've always wanted my work to be the best it could possibly be, and strive for that in my writing.

Thank you so much, Helen, for doing this interview! I really appreciate it and it was fun!

Helen: Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Merrie. I've had a lot of fun, too, and enjoyed finding out more of the background to Fathom and about your other projects.
.

To Find Out More About Fathom:

Merrie has a great website and you can check out an excerpt from Fathom, here.

To purchase, you can go to Barnes & Noble, here, or Amazon, here.
.

—

.

About the Interviewer:

Helen Lowe is a novelist, poet, interviewer, and a 2012 Ursula Bethell Writer-in-Residence at the University of Canterbury. The Gathering of the Lost, the second novel in her The Wall of Night series, was published in April, and she has recently won the Gemmell Morningstar Award 2012 for the first-in-series, The Heir of Night. Helen posts every day on her Helen Lowe on Anything, Really blog, on the first of every month here on the Supernatural Underground, and occasionally on SF Signal. You can also follow her on Twitter: @helenl0we

Coming Up on 1 November: An Interview with Merrie Destefano

 .

Just a heads up that on 1 November I'll be featuring an interview with fellow Supernatural Underground author, Merrie Destefano – primarily talking her YA paranormal Fathom, but also generally chatting about her experience as an author and the paranormal genre.

Fun stuff, so I hope you'll check out the goodness an maybe and join in the conversation with a comment. Merrie and I would love to have you on board! :)

––

Halloween Giveaway

In the meantime, just a reminder re our all-out Supernatural Underground Halloween giveaway of 24 books by Harper Collins authors affiliated with the blog – if you haven't already signed up for this then it's not too late: just click here to join in via the rafflecopter. 

––
.

YA Giveaway

If you like giveaways and YA, I'm running a giveaway for three great YA novels on my blog this week: Rae Carsons Fire and Thorns, Kristen Cashore's Bitterblue, and Tamora Pierce's Beka Cooper: Mastiff.

I run giveaways like these from time to time when a few good books come my way and all you have to do is post a comment to enter – just click here.

(PS It's international.)

––

Otherwise, see you all again on the 1st for my interview with Merrie Destefano! :)

The Hot Supernatural Guys of YA - 8 for 8

Since it’s February and Valentine's days is on the horizon I thought I’d take a look at the eight most swoon worthy supernatural guys by catagory, in YA at the moment.

 

Vampires

In vampires we had many contenders. Whether you like your vampires sparkly, gruesome or brooding, we’ve got a vampire that fits the bill. While I’m Team Edward all the way and secretly flying the Bill Compton flag; I’m leaning towards hotness and twisted inner turmoil of the super cute Damon from The Vampire Diaries. Rarrr.

Werewolves

I must admit, I’m not really into wolves. I don’t really see the appeal of hairy dudes that morph into big doggies, but if I was forced to choose one, I guess I’d put up with dog breath from the gorgeous Alcide from the Sookie Stackhouse Series - aka Joe Manganiello from True Blood. Oh dear lordy that man is delish.

Angels

There are so many to choose from with all the angel books doing the rounds at the moment, but the one that always springs to mind first is Daniel from the Fallen Series by Lauren Kate. Oh my gosh… such angst.

 

Zombies

Admittedly, there aren’t that many contenders in the hot zombie guy category, though there are more and more zombie books hitting the shelves lately.  The first adorable zombie to come to mind is the super cute in a I’m-not-sure-what’s-happening-I’m-devoted-to-you-Frankenstein kind of way is Danny from Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey. He totally made me cry, just like Frankenstein did.

Fey (AKA Fairies, but Fay sounds a bit sexier don’t you think?)

I’m a sucker for a bad fairy. And they don’t get much worse than Reth from Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy. He’s a nasty piece of work, but there’s always an underlying feeling of misunderstood good intentions. I’ve my fingers crossed that he’ll come good in the third book the series, Endlessly.

Greek God Types

Again, there are a fair few to choose from in this category with books like The Goddess Test, Abandon, and the fabulous, Starcrossed. But the one that jumps out for me is the uber gorgeous Aiden from Half-Blood, by Jennifer L Armentrout. Oh be still my beating heart.

Wizards

I haven’t come across many hot guy witch types, but if I’m forced to pick one, I’ll have to dip into the murky divide between MG and YA and go for Severus Snape. From Harry Potter.  Maybe he’s an odd choice, but there's a certain hotness to his unrequited love and he’s just so broken. 

Demons

There’s a new demon on the block and his name is Kaidan. He’s bad to the bone, his job is to lead others astray, and yet… ahhh we see that golden spot of softness hidden away. Eeek! You can read all about the delicious Kaidan in the up and coming YA novel, Sweet Evil, by Wendy Higgins.

I’d LOVE to know who your favorite hot supernatural guys are. Let me know in the comments.

Have a gorgeous Valentine's Day!

All the best and talk soon.

Leigh

giveaway winners and diversity tour

hello undies!!

do forgive me that i had to close the
contest early as i realized i'll be leaving
on the diversity tour this week and wanted
to be able to mail out the book prizes before
then. thank you so much for the tremendous
response! in the end, i'm giving away NINE
sets of Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix
and the books are headed to NC, Ontario, WI,
LA, GA and Portugal, from responses so far!

the winners:

sharon s.
yzhabella
lori lee
shanna clemens
a. j.
lauren
mairead
minhchieu
mikabooks

i've contacted all winners as best i can
but please email me your mailing address
if you haven't responded! pon.cindy@gmail.com





as for the diversity tour, it's something that
malinda lo (Ash and Huntress) and i spearheaded
together when we realized both our asian inspired
fantasy YA novels were going to be released within
a week of each other. we decided to celebrate diversity
in young adult books (which is inclusive of people
of color and lgbt protagonists) and invited other
authors to join us at each stop. if you're near the
san francisco, austin, chicago, boston or new york
city areas, do stop by! it's going to be an amazing tour.

for full details, check out http://diversityinya.com.

i can't wait--it's my first official book tour. wish me luck! =D

San Francisco, California

Saturday, May 7 at 3 p.m.
San Francisco Public Library (Main Library)
Latino-Hispanic Room
100 Larkin St.
San Francisco, CA 94102

Highlighting Asian American YA books with authors Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, Gene Luen Yang, and J.A. Yang.

Austin, Texas

Monday, May 9 at 7:30 p.m.
BookPeople
603 N. Lamar
Austin TX 78703

With authors Bethany Hegedus, Malinda Lo, Guadalupe Garcia McCall, Cindy Pon, Dia Reeves, and Jo Whittemore, and moderated by Varian Johnson.

Chicago, Illinois

Tuesday, May 10 from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.
Barbara’s Books
1218 South Halsted Street
Chicago, IL 60607

With authors Malinda Lo, Claudia Guadalupe Martinez, Nnedi Okorafor, and Cindy Pon.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m.
Cambridge Public Library (Main Library)
Lecture Hall
449 Broadway
Cambridge, MA 02138

With authors Holly Black, Sarah Rees Brennan, Deva Fagan, Malinda Lo, Cindy Pon, and Francisco X. Stork, and moderated by Roger Sutton.

New York, New York

Friday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m.
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center
208 West 13th Street
New York, NY 10011

Highlighting LGBT YA books with authors Cris Beam, David Levithan, Malinda Lo, and Jacqueline Woodson.

Saturday, May 14 at 1 p.m.
Books of Wonder
18 West 18th Street
New York, NY 10011

With authors Matt de la Peña, Malinda Lo, Kekla Magoon, Neesha Meminger, Cindy Pon, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Rita Williams-Garcia, Jacqueline Woodson and moderated by Cheryl Klein.

there's a hole in my head!

why you ask? because my sequel, Fury of the Phoenix,
is releasing THIS month, in 21 days to be exact.
i'm so excited, yet a little overwhelmed
by everything that needs to be done before, after
and the rest of this year. i'm being an ambitious
author you see, and have quite a few signings and
major conventions set up. so exciting! but a little
intimidating, while trying to be a mother to a 6
and 7 year old at the same time!

since it's Fury release month, it also means i'm
in full on self-promotion mode. self-promotion
can be challenging. and what i've learned in my
brief time as a published author is this:
only do what you enjoy doing when it comes
to publicity.

because really, life is too short. if you don't like
blogging, don't blog. if you don't like twitter,
don't tweet!! i happen to love social networking,
(i met my husband online after all, back in 1994,
when there was barely an "online") and dressing
up in silly costumes like chun li at comic con.

exhibit A:

(it was awesome. i actually knew what it felt
like to be almost-famous. they were calling my
name! and how cute is this little bub clinging to
me? too cute!! lots of parents were chun li fans!)

i also love to spend money on pretty trailers.
this is the one for Fury of the Phoenix, and i hope
you enjoy it!

exhibit B:



and finally, thanks to all 61 of you who
entered to win a copy of Silver Phoenix in
paper back. the winners are:

valia lind
beverly
debra s

i've sent an email to all three winners.
congratulations, i hope you enjoy the read!!

cindy on twitter
cindypon.com

Silver Phoenix Paperback Giveaway!

on the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning.

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.
...

hi undies!
it's my turn to ramble here at the
underground and i've exciting news!
Silver Phoenix has released in paperback
and should be available at your local barnes
and noble and hopefully some indies as well.
last week, i found out i was fortunate enough
to be included as cassandra clare's favorite reads
(among some fantastic YA company!) so many of
my paperbacks are featured on end caps at bn.

fyi, these end caps are prime real estate
space usually saved for big time authors, so
to be placed thus is a real thrill!

so in celebration of all this happy news, i'm giving
away copies of Silver Phoenix! how many i give will
depend on how many entries i receive. =) i will give
one paperback for every 20 individual participants.
so if we get 68 entries, i will give away three books, so
on and so forth.

to enter, simply comment.
if you take the time to tweet, fb, blog and
link to this giveaway, you will receive (+3) entries,
increasing your chances to win. simply comment
with a link to your post, twitter, etc. this giveaway
will run through until my next post on 3/8, when
i'll announce the winners. this is open internationally!

good luck, undies!!

give cheer not cooties

the winner of a signed hardcopy of Silver
Phoenix was the last to comment: moonsanity!
congratulations! thanks to everyone who
participated and happy hoildays!!

hello s'grounders! okay, i'm a big fan
of nicknames and that's the best i can
come up with. or undies? haha! what do
you think?

it's been a long while since my last post.
copyedits for my sequel, Fury of the Phoenix
got in the way of my last month's post. but
that is sent off, all i need to work on now
are my brush painting chapter decorations and
my acknowledgment page--always fun and a
little nerve wracking.

especially for debut authors, there's an urge
to thank everyone from your kindergarten teacher
to her mom and pet poodle. seriously. i personally
had the feeling like i had to thank *everyone* lest
i never get the chance again!

other than that, i had a stupendous time
at ALAN conference--which is a fantastic one
for anyone who is a fan of young adult literature.

i was on a panel with cinda williams chima (The Demon King,
The Exiled Queen, The Dragon Heir, etc) and sarwat chadda
(The Devil's Kiss, Dark Goddess) and both were so lovely
and fun to chat with. i also happen to be fans of their books
and recommend them highly.

other than this spot of glamorous author's life
i've been battling cooties for the past two months.
colds, coughs, sore throats, antibiotics and now,
stomach flu. ah the joys of motherhood. =) this
time of year is certainly challenging. and thus, my
blog title--give cheer not cooties!

i'd like to spread the happiness by giving away
a signed hardcover of Silver Phoenix.


on the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. she can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. she must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. and then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

this contest is open world wide!
all you have to do is answer the following
question: Silver Phoenix will whisk you to a world
inspired by ancient china. what country have you
always wanted to visit but have not had a chance to?

leave your answer in the comments to enter!
i'll choose a winner randomly on wednesday
12/15 and announce the winner at the top of
this post. good luck, undies! (yes, i've settled on
that nickname for you guys. =)

give cheer not cooties!

Why YA?

One of the questions I’m often asked is: Why do you write Young Adult?

My smart-assed answer is: Because I’m immature for my age. But, seriously, that’s not it. I mean, not that I’m not immature, it’s just not the real reason I love writing for teens.

When I first started out, I wrote a full-on adult horror novel called ONE OF THEM. It was graphic, filled with steamy sex, filthy language, and heavy on the gore. Cuz that’s how I roll.

(Okay, yeah, there’s my immaturity showing again!)

But here’s the thing about YA, what draws me to the genre in general: I love remembering what it was like to be a teen. How raw every emotion felt, how they always seemed to simmer just beneath the surface, how mixed up each emotion was until they were impossible to tell apart: love, hate, humiliation, joy, anger, jealousy. When everything you experienced was new and how that very moment was the single most important moment of your entire life. There were so many out-of-control emotions packed into every “first” you experienced. Your first crush, your first date, your first kiss. Your first heartache.

I get to see and experience these things everyday with my own kids, watching them pass through these tough and wonderful stages just as I did. My oldest daughter’s first real break-up nearly broke my heart. Taking my son to get his driver’s license…well, let’s just say my heart might not be broken, but it’s definitely lodged in my throat. He, on the other hand, is practically quivering with excitement for this monumental first!

As adults, we’ve lived, we’ve experienced, and now we’re, what…jaded? Cynical? And even if we’re not jaded, we sometimes forget how quickly that rush of butterflies could jam us up, making coherent speech impossible…sometimes making us forget our own names. But try, just for a moment, to remember the feelings behind them—those butterflies—think about that anticipatory breath right before that first kiss, when your eyes locked and you realized: This might be it! This is really going to happen!!!

In YA I get to write about these moments, in all their shiny newness, their raw intensity and jumbled emotions.

Because I remember my first kiss, the feel of his lips against mine, his hands awkwardly trying to find a place on my hips. And don’t try to tell me you don’t remember yours…I bet you even remember his name!