Whoa... Where'd the week go??

Anyone else feeling this way?

I'm training two people at the day job. They are both very nice, very talented men, but training takes A LOT of work. So I haven't had time for lunch all week. (Yes, that's right. For someone like me who loves her three square meals and a little down time to do something writerly... that's torture. haha.)

Not to mention Jen and I finished our collab project!!! Can I get a whoot, whoot?!?! Just a run through from Jen and a run through from myself and then it will be off to betaland!!

And there was Sharon's contest where a slightly older manuscript, FRACTION OF STONE, got a request for a three chapter submission. I love that story and it just felt right for this particular press. It was great to bring it back out of the vault. (Thanks Sharon and Krystal!)

I also worked on the current solo WIP, THE CRICKET PROJECT, which is getting some touch-ups after four lovely betas have done a read through.

Then there was two softball games, trivia night, hanging out with my Lil' Sister Payge and a soccer game.

So yeah, this week has been awesome. Crazy. But awesome.

And the weekend should be just as fun. Going to a wedding!!! AND have a softball tournament.


To start off the weekend, I was given The Booker award by Katie over at The Fiction Diaries (what an awesome blog name, eh?)

The rules are simple, which is good because I can't handle complicated right now...
This award is for book bloggers only. To receive this award the blog must be at least 50% about books (reading or writing is okay)
Along with receiving this award, you must also share your top five favorite books you have ever read. (More than five is okay)
You must give this award to 5-10 other lucky book blogs you adore.

Now, I am not a 'favorites' type of person so I will just list some really good books I've read recently.

1. Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent was better. There was more Four :))

2. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

3. Across the Universe and A Million Suns by Beth Revis

4. The Darkest Power Series by Kelley Armstrong

5. Pillars of the Earth and World Without End by Ken Folliet

Whew, that was tough. Now I'm supposed to pass this on to five other bloggers. Because I hate picking I will use the 'lame' method of just choosing the last five people who commented :). That way I don't feel bad and no one else should either.

Deana Barnhart

Shiela Calderón Blankemeier

Theresa Paolo

Emily R. King

Jessica K. McKendry

So what does your weekend look like? Lots of fun things planned? Has the week just flown by?

Wilde's Fire Editor-Judged Contest Entry

Happy Friday everyone!

In light of Sharon Bayliss selling her debut novel, The Charge, to Curiosity Quills Press as well as the release of Wilde's Fire by Krystal Wade, Sharon is holding a contest and the winner(s) receive a full request from Curiosity Quills!

To enter you must go here and sign up on the linky. Post your query and the first 500 words of your finished manuscript and then jump around and read the other entries.

So here we go! I present FRACTION OF STONE. YA Fantasy.

Dear Ms. Wade,

There is only one among the Tarmack nation with the ability to wield magic, eighteen-year-old Rydan Gale. He lives like a prince, cherished for his talent to bend the fabric of the universe to his will. In the war against the Liasam, he is their ultimate weapon.

                 

The Liasam have their own source of magic, but Akara’s mastery of her power is rudimentary at best. With a brilliant display of fire-rain Rydan’s side wins the war and Akara is sentenced to death. If there’s only one life taken after the slaughter on the battlefield, Rydan can live with that. Until he discovers the girl has the same symbol as he, tattooed on the back of her neck. Rydan must decide whether to betray his people and save the girl, or let Akara leave the world in a burning inferno.

For if she dies, the mystery of the tattoo and answers to a past shrouded in deceit go with her.

                                                    

FRACTION OF STONE is YA Fantasy told in alternating POV, complete at 72,000 words. Readers who relished in the lyrical writing of Laini Taylor’s DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE and immersed themselves in the contrasting world views of June and Day in Marie Lu’s LEGEND will find themselves drawn to this tale. 

FRACTION OF STONE: First 500 Words

            The chains around her wrists jingled, echoing off the stone walls, a cheery sound out of place. If she closed her eyes and moved her arms again it would be as if she were listening to a wind chime, twittering in the breeze. But the cold metal was not a wind chime. It was a tether, a leash, holding her captive in the belly of her city.

            She moved her hand along the wall, her room, where she slept, she ate. The drugs suspending her in a state with no emotion, a state she was so used to it felt more real than normal. A respite.

            The cell swayed and whirled, like a small boat in the ocean. Light through the only window danced on her bracelets, teased of life. Something she’d never had. Her existence wasn’t hers.

            Scraping of the heavy wooden door down the hall caused her head to rise, searching for the person among the sea of swirling colors. Her handler’s eyes spun around his face, weaving between his nose and ears, dipping into the scar which sliced through his sneer.

            “It is time again, girl. Your people need you.”

            His large hand wrapped around her thin arm, yanking her to her feet, catching her as she nearly collapsed. Through the haze she could tell she wasn’t ready, the exhaustion still too great. But they would force her to fight anyway.

            She was only aware of the increasing light and the rising temperature as they ascended the spiral staircase and emerged into the palace. A grand and exquisite place, pure white on every wall and fixture. Chandeliers dipped from the ceiling. Pillars holding up walls so perfect, a scratch or blemish would catch the eye of anyone walking through.

           The people in the hall cowered and moved away, their angelic faces and white, silk robes disappearing behind doors. Her grey, woolen attire a giveaway she didn’t belong, wasn’t welcomed in their presence. The man corralled her down the hallway and out of the palace, chaining her wrists to the metal bars in the window of the awaiting carriage.

            She didn’t resist as he poured the liquid down her throat. It was an almost immediate transformation and the exhaustion increased tenfold. She was fully aware, fully herself and completely drained of hope or fervor.

            Not a warrior to carry the fate of the war.

            Draylan, her handler, held out a glass of water, no look of pity on his worn and aged face. They were at war, no one was pitied. Everyone did what had to be done to survive.

            Akara muttered her thanks as she accepted the drink, finally able to remember something as simple as her name now that the drugs were removed from her system. The cool water did not offer relief as it coursed through her insides. The fever and sizzling on her skin was not from dehydration. It was from being used, a tool to fight for a people who called her slave.

Many Thanks!

 Thank you to McKenzie McCann for the Kreativ Award and to Tara for the Kreativ and Versatile Award. I really appreciate it! Please click on their names to visit these lady's blogs! Trust me, you don't want to miss the Fairy Tale Tara wrote with all her awardees included. SO funny.

According to the rules of the award I'm supposed to answer questions and bestow this award on others. I don't mind sharing things about myself, but I DON'T LIKE choosing only a few people to receive the awards because you're all so awesome. So feel free to take these newly designed awards Tara created for yourself!

Questions:

What is your favorite song/singer?
I don't have many favorite anythings. If I would have to pick one I guess it would have to be Evanescence. Can't get enough of them right now.

What is your favorite dessert?
Again, I can only pick one? Haha. I love any type of warm dessert with ice cream. Yummy! And cheesecake. And chocolate. And. And. And. :)

What ticks you off?
Hmmm, not really anything. I don't get mad easily. But it does irk me when people talk about what they want to do or dream about what they wish they could do, but don't do anything to try and achieve it. Just go for it. If it doesn't work out, at least you tried.

When you're upset what do you do?
Again, don't really get upset often. But if I'm feeling stressed or what not, music always helps.
 
Which is/was your favorite pet?
Man, lots of favorite questions... haha. My current pup, Sasha is the bestest. A close second is my guinea pig, Oreo. :)

Which do you prefer black or white?
Okay, for this one I'm not picking. Totally depends on the mood.

What is your biggest fear?
Haha. I don't really have any major

What is your attitude mostly?
Optimistic. All the way baby ;)

What is perfection?
Striving to be the best I can be every day. (Whoa... that's kinda deep. haha :))

What is your guilty pleasure?
Ummm, I don't know, haha. I don't watch almost any TV or movies. (I know, I know, so sad.) I read a lot of YA, but also read many other types and genres. I guess I'll have to think on this one.

Thanks again for the awards Tara and McKenzie!!! Have a great day everyone!

Want to Win Something? I Thought So!

Hey all!

Today my post is up at Falling for Fiction, that other blog I'm a part of. If you comment you have a chance to win a book. Sounds like a good deal, no?

Just click here to head on over. See you there!

Memories for Us and Them

My parents have spent the last three weeks in Hawaii. (Collective, 'oh, poor them' :)) Because of this, and the incredible amount of rain we got during their first two weeks of vacation, I've had to mow their lawn twice. (My sister did it once.)

Our lawn mower was a little bigger than this one.

They still live in the same house I grew up in, and growing up I was the one usually charged with mowing the lawn. With two acres, it took about three hours. I didn't mind it though. Put on my bathing suit and headphones and I was set for the three hour chore.

Now at the time, there weren't MP3 players. There was just the radio (or my CD player but those things always skipped when you were on the lawnmower.) As I was mowing the lawn this past week I realized that many of the songs on my iPod were the same as those I listened to on the radio when I was younger and mowing the lawn.

There's something about doing the same chore, with the same weather, looking at the same scenery, with the same songs as accompaniment, that just takes you back. As the 90's and early 00's songs rolled on through my iPod I could distinctly recall other places I'd been during those songs (School dances, softball games, long drives for vacation, hanging out with friends). It's amazing how much one can recall with just the slight trigger.

Of course I relate this to writing. I think it's powerful when an author uses the seemingly smallest, insignificant events to have a character recall something about their past. It's a great way to learn more about the character and feels natural, because we all do it. Memories are a powerful thing. They've stood the test of time.

As I'm doing revisions on one story and finishing up the first draft of another, I'm trying to make a conscious effort to let my characters remember the past. Even if I don't write it down, my characters are three dimensional when I know about their past because it motivates what they do now and what they want for the future.

What triggers memories for you? Smells, sounds, places, people? Have you had a moment like this recently? Do your characters recall their past?

Time to Mix it Up!

Once upon a time there was a writer who thought she was pretty good at this whole writing thing.

That was until she found her first critique partner. After reading her CP's work she thought, 'Oh my gosh! She's going to think I'm HORRIBLE!'

And when the writer got the critique back....

She didn't. The CP didn't think the writer was horrible. She thought the green, new, very naive writer, had A LOT of work to do, but she pointed the writer in the right direction. Showed her websites to visit and suggested books to read.

And the writer thought 'how the heck did I EVER think I could do this without her?' (THANK YOU THERESA!!!)

And so the writer set out into the blogosphere to find other talented writers to help lift her writing abilities. (Enter seven other amazing writer's names here.)

Pretty neat story, eh?

Well guess what? Over at Falling for Fiction - the group blog I am a part of - we're having a Critique Partner/Beta Mixer this Thursday! So whether you're just starting out and need someone to read your first draft of your first story, OR if you're at the point where you're a 'seasoned' writer venturing into a new genre and you're hoping to add another CP which writes in said new genre, this will be the place for you!

So stop on by, Thursday May 17th. Hopefully you'll find someone to add to your writing story.

The Winners of the Oh Those High School Dances Blog Hop are...

This is the first blog hop I've ever hosted and you guys, it was INCREDIBLE. I had SO much fun. Major props to my co-host Emily for being so on top of things and just plain awesome. I hope you all had as much fun as we did.

What I didn't realize was picking the winners would be SO hard!

So, I closed my eyes and picked.

KIDDING. Kidding. I have my first place choices and then a whole slew of honorable mentions. So without further ado:

Best Dressed Honorable Mentions 
(in no particular order and if you click on their names you can go to their entries):

Jenny Morris - Totally sexy dress. I emailed her right after I read her post and asked if she still had it. I would go on a liquid diet to fit in that dress. Alas, she no longer has said dress. Which is fine, because I'd be miserable on a liquid diet.
Amy L. Sonnichsen - I thought this dress was stunning. Something I would totally wear.
Samantha May - Another beautiful dress on another beautiful lady. Loved the bobby-pin story too. Can totally relate.
Jess Stork - She frickin' made that dress, people! I mean, wow. Major props girl.
Hope Roberson - I LOVED getting to see every one of her dances. Everything from jeans and shorts to a hot pink dress that I'd really like to wear.
Jamie McHenry - As the only male participate he rocks with just that alone. BUT he was also Prince Charming in his church play. Not to mention he made his date sick by driving too fast...haha

Winner of Best Dressed: Suzi!!! - This is for a few reasons. First, I actually wore something a lot like this dress at a recent band gig of mine. (Though it was much shorter... haha). Second, her daughter is just as adorable as she is in the dress!


Funniest Story Honorable Mentions
(in no particular order and if you click on their names you can go to their entries):

Angela Cothran - I can totally relate to wearing a dress that was so tight I couldn't breathe. Or laugh. And I am always laughing, as I was while reading her story.
Theresa Paolo - She left her steady boyfriend (who was 22) on the dance floor by himself because she didn't like dancing and he was trying to make her. The funniest part? The only time Theresa is on the video of her high school prom is the moment she left him standing there.
Leigh Covington - Her date to prom got arrested! Enough said :)
Kate Coursey - I want to jump in these pictures and join this group of beautiful and fun ladies. ALSO, one of her friends spilled a whole bowl of soup in her lap! And... a zipper on the front of her dress. All I'm gonna say...

Winner of Funniest Story: Jaycee!!! - I was laughing through this whole story, even though at the time I'm sure none of this was funny. Everything from totally wrong hairdo, to poodle hair, to nails breaking to forgetting to put deodorant on. SO FUNNY!



Cutest Couple Honorable Mentions
(in no particular order and if you click on their names you can go to their entries):


Cassie Mae - I've heard a good bit about Cassie's hubby. It was nice to hear more and to see an incredibly adorable pic of the two of them!
Shelly Brown - The last picture of them is SO cute! You can totally see how smitten they are.

Winner of Cutest Couple: J.A. Bennett!!! - First, I want a U-haul as a party bus. That idea is awesome. But seriously, the picture at the end of this post, is SO good. 


Again, hard to choose. Thanks to everyone for participating! Because you were all willing to share these pictures and stories with us, I will give each and every one of you a query critique should you want one. Just email me at kger215(at)gmail(dot)com.


AND... my co-host, the lovely Emily R. King, has her three winners chosen as well! So go here to pop on over and see who won!


To my winners, Suzi, Jaycee and J.A. Bennett, you three get a choice of a three chapter critique or a book of your choice (under $10).


Thanks again to everyone for participating!!!

Analyzing The Writer's Voice

For those of you DYING to know who Emily and I picked for the prizes in the 'Oh Those High School Dances Blog Hop', we will post those on Monday. If you haven't made it through all the entries, you should and you can go here to find them. They are SO great. Thanks to everyone for participating!

Many of you either participated in The Voice contest (there were 200 entrants) or are aware of it. The amazing coaches are Krista from Mother. Write. (Repeat),  Cupid from Cupid's Literary Connection, Brenda Drake from Brenda Drake Writes, and Monica B.W. from Love YA. There teams are essentially chosen by now which of course leaves 40 writers absolutely thrilled and 160 writers going... 'oh darn.'

I'm one of the 'oh darns'.

And, like many of the 'oh darns' do, I questioned why I didn't get chosen. I, like many of the 'oh darns', thought my idea was original, the first 250 words engaging, that the coaches would scoop it up and beg to have it on their team.

But, obviously, that didn't happen.

There are many reasons us 'oh darns' weren't chosen. Perhaps the query wasn't good enough. Maybe the 250 words were just 'meh'. Maybe these are four people in the HUGE writely world and our story just didn't connect with them.

For those who don't know, I am an engineer by day. I deal a lot with statistics and I thought it would be fascinating calculate the percentages of age groups and genres entered vs the ones that were picked. Because I'm totally a nerd like that :)

So, here is the analysis (out of 200 entered):

Percentage of age groups entered: MG = 13%, YA = 70%, Adult = 17%
Percentage of age groups chosen: MG = 13%, YA = 74%, Adult = 13%

MG genres entered: Fantasy = 59%, Contemporary = 33%, Science Fiction = 8%
MG genres chosen: Fantasy = 60%, Contemporary = 40%

YA genres entered: Fantasy = 46%, Contemporary = 19%, Science Fiction= 10%, Paranormal = 10%, Dystopian = 6%, Thriller = 4%, Speculative = 2%, Historical = 1%, Steampunk = 1%, Horror = 1%
YA genres chosen: Fantasy = 36%, Contemporary = 36%, Dystopian = 7%, Thriller = 6%, Science Fiction = 6%, Historical = 3%, Paranormal = 3%, Speculative = 3%


Adult genres entered: Fantasy = 46%, Science Fiction = 30%, Romance = 19%, Paranormal = 9%
Adult genres chosen: Science Fiction = 60%, Fantasy = 20%, Paranormal = 20%



So there you have it. Again, there are too many variables for why the coaches choose what they do but I still think its interesting to analyze. I guess the thing that stuck out to me the most was that only 19% of YA entries were Contemporary but 36% of those chosen were YA Contemp. Either the contemporary writers are just amazing (which, lets face it, is probably the case. Shout out to all the contemporary writer peeps!) AND/OR the coaches have a tender place in their hearts for YA Contemp.

I wish I could have helped the YA Science Fiction genre... we were 10% of the entries but only 6% of us were chosen...

Anything in the numbers you find interesting?

I want to give another HUGE thank you to the four coaches that are hosting this contest. It is a fantastic way to get our work out there and to constantly work on improving. I seriously can't wait to see how the contest progresses.

Oh Those High School Dances Blog Hop

The day has arrived!!!

You all have NO IDEA how excited I am for today. I've been getting so many emails about how excited many of you are and how funny this trip down memory lane has been. (Or for some of you, the trip isn't very far. As in, you're still attending said dances.) I'm thrilled we have such an array of ages participating. Can't wait to see all the pictures and stories!

I'm going to make my story short so you can check out that list of blogs on the bottom. :)

That's me with Andy for my Junior year Homecoming. (Nice suit, eh? haha) He and I went to the same grade school, but different high schools. Actually, EVERYONE in my grade school went to the same high school except me. So when I attended their dances (which was many) I knew a ton of people there.

I believe we were dating at the time. Poor guy. He was the only guy I dated in high school and I think it lasted less than two months because I was a horrible girl. And by that I mean I didn't play the 'girl' role very well at all. I wore sweat pants every day to school. Hair in a pony tail. No makeup. Surprisingly there were a few guys who for some crazy reason I can't fathom liked me. And I liked them, just as friends. I was too selfish at the time to make time for anyone else when it came to a relationship. So for those I said 'no' to, they should consider themselves lucky. Haha

I remember for my senior prom I was sitting in German class waiting for it to start. I leaned over to the guy next to me, Carey, and asked, 'Do you have a date to prom?'. He said he didn't. I said, 'If we both don't have dates a week before do you want to go together?'

Guess what. We went together :) Haha.

So high school dances were not romantic for me by any means. Dressing up was okay and I don't particularly like dancing. But hanging out with my classmates, my friends. That's what made them so awesome.

And now, I'm off to check out all your crazy pics and stories!!! I seriously can't wait.

It's almost here!!!!

You guys! Get those pictures ready. Clear the fog off your memory. There's only one day left before:

It's going to be super fun and yes, there will be prizes. Six prizes to be exact.

Here are the rules for participation:
1. Post pictures of your high school dances. (Make sure you tell us which one is you if they're group pictures.)
2. Share with us your funniest high school dance story.
3. That's it!

You do not need to be a follower of our blogs, but we'd appreciate it if you were.

There are three categories to win prizes, and Emily and I will both choose a winner.

The three categories are:
1. Best Dressed
2. Funniest Dance Story
3. Cutest Couple

What can you win? A choice between a three chapter critique or whatever book you desire ($10 or less).

So dig through your photo albums and scan in your pictures. This is going to be a crazy fun blog hop!

Dust if Off Blog Hop - What I Learned from My Shelved Manuscript

Another big THANK YOU to Theresa and Cortney for holding this Blog Hop. It was great to revisit my first MS. I haven't opened it for at least six months so it was nice to give it another peak.

This last day of the blog hop is to reflect on what we learned from our shelved MS.

Oh man. I've learned A LOT.


I started my first manuscript THE CHILDREN OF INAOS: SACRIFICE the summer of 2009 and typed 'the end' the summer of 2011. Two years for the ms. Granted, I wasn't very serious about it. It was just something I did for fun. When the voices got too loud and the only way to quiet them was to continue writing.

In the summer of 2011, after I typed 'the end' and read it through from beginning to end for the first time, I realized I might actually have some resemblance of talent for this writing thing. So I asked myself, 'How tough is it to get a book published?'

Well, silly self, REALLY hard. :)

While my first manuscript garnered a few requests, nothing exciting happened with it. However, many exciting things happened BECAUSE of it.

1) I found my first CP. Theresa Paolo. One of the co-hosts of this blog hop. She read my first work (poor girl :)) and yet managed to find enough good in it to convince me I could do this. That I wanted to do this. To be a writer.

2) So I started a blog. Because that's what writers do. :) And thanks to all of Theresa's advice I found people to follow. Other writers who were going through the same thing I was and blogs that gave advice in how to navigate this world.

3) Thanks to all the new blogs I followed I found many other CPs. Leigh, Cassie, Jen, Hope, Jade, Angie. All of their critiques have even further helped me believe I can do this. Someday, I can do this.

What did my first manuscript teach be about the craft of writing? (I'll limit it to three for your sake, but just know there was MUCH more I learned :))

1) I have to write the first draft in less time. Since I typed 'the end' for SACRIFICE, in the summer of last year, I have completed four more manuscripts, each of which took me anywhere from two to three weeks to complete. For me, writing the first draft quickly, no matter how bad the actual writing is, is key. I am able to easier recall what I've written. Make sure its more cohesive. I'm a panster so I have no idea where the story is headed so to keep writing, no editing, no thinking about what's been written, works really well for me. Plus, then I can get on with editing, which I find equally as exciting :)

2) Show vs. Tell. I did not know about this 'rule' when I was writing SACRIFICE. The excerpt you read in the last post had a good bit of showing in it, and that is all thanks to Theresa :)

3) Write your pitch and/or query right away (Know what's out there). I think this is VERY important for a writer trying to sell there first work. It is SUPER hard to land that agent. They see hundreds of queries in a given time period. What makes your story stand out from the others? What is the hook? If you can't create a good pitch, or place a convincing hook within that query, it will be difficult to get someone to represent, no matter how great the writing is. (It took me four manuscripts to better realize this one.)

SACRIFICE is a great story and thanks to all I've learned, I could probably get the writing to where it needs to be. The characters are wonderful and I really love the setting I've created. Unfortunately, it just isn't different enough to stand out from the crowd of other queries. IMO.

So yeah. That's a very brief snapshot of what I learned from my first MS. The list would have to take up a week of blogposts to list all the things of learned since then :)

What have you learned on this writing journey? 

Dust it Off Blog Hop - The Excerpt

Welcome back to the Dust it Off Blog Hop, hosted by Theresa and Cortney! This is such a brilliant idea ladies. Thanks so much for doing this!

In case you missed the first post, I will re-post the two sentence pitch which, thanks to so many of your lovely comments, I am starting to believe isn't as bad as I thought it was. :) haha. So thank you!

Children of Inaos: Sacrifice

When fourteen-year-old Ava Shore is framed for the murder of the King, she flees to the most dangerous part of the country where a feared gang offers her their protection. But when the life of a friend from the past is threatened, Ava is forced out of hiding, not only to save her friend, but to reveal the secrets only she knows.

In the excerpt you're about to read, Ava has been with the aforementioned gang for a while now, and kinda has a thing for one of its members, Lock. There's a large bounty on her head and the leader of the rival gang, Turk, is desperate to cash in on it. He and his thugs corner Lock and Ava in an alley and a fight breaks out.

         Over Lock’s shoulder she saw two men getting up. There wasn’t any time left. They were going to get Lock. She kicked back as hard as she could, planting her heel directly into Turk’s shin. His grasp around her torso lessened and she delivered an elbow to his stomach. Lock flew to her side and punched him in the face sending him flying to the ground. The other men stopped their pursuit as the knife landed by Ava’s foot. She reached down without thinking and picked it up, kneeling beside Turk, holding it centimeters from his face.

His eyes were wide with horror. No doubt he could see the hate Ava felt as she trembled over him.

She was going to do it. She was going to run the knife through his heart. No more would he terrify her. He would never hurt Lock again.

Lock didn’t say anything as he stood over them watching.

Ava raised the knife. Things would be easier with him gone. One less person to worry about. One less reason to hide in the shadows.

But this wasn’t her. She wasn’t a killer. She wasn’t one of them. If she did this it would make things easier, but better? Ava shook her head and lowered the knife slightly. What should she do?

Survival of the fittest, right?

Ava raised the knife high above her head and stared into those terrified eyes. She plunged the knife down.

Into the dirt. Barely missing Turk’s right ear. Turk let out a sigh of utter relief and released his tensed muscles.

For a few seconds she remained hunched over Turk’s body trying to catch her breath. She wasn’t going to lose herself. No matter what others did to her she had to remain true to herself.

The Writer's Voice - The Cricket Project by Kelley Lynn

If you're looking for my first entry for the Dust it Off Blog Hop you can find it here.

Wow, I was literally shaking as I frantically refreshed my browser to try and get into The Writer's Voice competition hosted by Cupid of Cupid’s Literary Connection, Brenda Drake of Brenda Drake Writes, Monica B.W. of Love YA, and Krista Van Dolzer of Mother. Write. (Repeat.).

Thanks to all of you for doing this!


Query: THE CRICKET PROJECT (YA Science Fiction)

Sixteen year old Lyra Altair, a genius by every measure, is thoroughly perplexed. Stars don’t fall out of the sky and they most certainly don’t just disappear. But Spica, of the constellation Virgo, is gone.

Lyra approaches her father, lead astronomer for Space Exploration and Discovery (SEAD) but her questions go unanswered and that is unacceptable. Sneaking into his place of employment, Lyra discovers the StarCatcher, a machine which captures stars and uses their energy to grant any wish desired. Those within the perimeter of the SEAD building at the time of the wish are the only people who know the world has been altered.

AIDS ceases to exist and a natural disaster is averted. But when a terrorist group attacks, the United States’ government has little patience left. They want to use the StarCatcher to force countries housing radicals to become US territories, allowing them to root out the terrorists and bring the planet one step closer to world peace.

Lyra’s had her world changed without her consent and is horrified countries will lose their sovereignty via a wish upon a star. She pleads with her dad, but he pushes it off as the government’s problem. His interests lie in science. With no other option, Lyra turns to the electronic genius of her best friend, Darren, putting both his freedom and her own on the line.

They must reveal The Cricket Project and let the world decide what wishes are worth the price of a star.

THE CRICKET PROJECT is a 72,000 word, YA Science Fiction. Readers who enjoyed the debate of peace vs. discord in Beth Revis’ ACROSS THE UNIVERSE will find an equal compelling struggle in this book. They will also enjoy witnessing the world through Lyra’s analytical mind, similar to the theatrical lens of Chloe Saunders in Kelley Armstrong’s DARKEST POWERS SERIES.


First 250 words

            “Okay, so maybe it wasn’t the best interview in the history of interviews. But give yourself a break, Lyra. It was your first one,” Darren tries to assure me, raising his head of thick, black hair from the telescope. I let him go first because I’m too busy wallowing in my pathetic attempt at an interview after our high school Academic Decathlon competition. Which now, thanks to the nightly news, just played for all of Arizona to see.

            “I looked like a total nerd. A loser. Self absorbed. I worked really hard.” I repeat the words from my interview in a mocking tone, tucking my hands into my flannel shirt.

            Darren shrugs, not bothering to look up from the scope. “You are a nerd.” His dark brown, almost black eyes meet mine. “But you’re not a loser.”

            I give him a fake pout and twirl my hair, not bothering to stop the annoying habit. A few pieces are stuck in my fingers after I’m done and I discard the strawberry blonde strands out the window of the tree house.

            Darren cocks his head and comes to sit next to me. “If everyone knew you like I do, they’d know you’re not self absorbed…most of the time.”

            A small smile spreads across my face. It’s an automatic reaction to Darren’s. He punches me lightly on the shoulder. “You work really hard and expect a lot from yourself and others. Most people don’t live up to your expectations. We leave you disappointed.” 

Dust it Off Blog Hop!!! The Pitch

It's HERE!!

The Dust it Off Blog Hop, hosted by the lovely ladies, Theresa Paolo and Cortney Pearson!!

In case you haven't heard, here is the idea:

We've all had those manuscripts that we poured our heart into, fell in love with the characters and still think of them at random, but unfortunately had to shelf. Now it's time for a little spring cleaning. Take out those manuscripts and Dust It Off!

The first day, May 3rd: We want you to post a 1-2 sentence pitch (Great way to practice pitches) about the shelved WIP.

The second day, May 5th: Post your favorite excerpt (300-350 words)

The third day, May 7th: Post what you learned from this WIP. You become a stronger, more rounded writer which each manuscript and we want to know what this particular work taught you.

A pitch, eh? How... fun? haha. :)

I think one of the many problems with my first manuscript, CHILDREN OF INAOS: SACRIFICE, is it is nearly impossible to put it into a one or two sentence pitch. But, those are the rules, and we know that in the wonderful world of finding an agent, a pitch is usually necessary... so here we go!

Children of Inaos: Sacrifice

When fourteen-year-old Ava Shore is framed for the murder of the King, she flees to the most dangerous part of the country where a feared gang offers her their protection. But when the life of a friend from the past is threatened, Ava is forced out of hiding, not only to save her friend, but to reveal the secrets only she knows. 

See the problem here? How generic is this story? Haha! 

I think the story does have many good aspects to it but since it was my first story, there just isn't enough hook in order to catch the eye of an agent or publisher.

But gosh is it fun revisiting it. :) The writing isn't too terrible :)