Writers Like Us - Jennifer E Smith

I am *SO* excited to have Jennifer E. Smith here today. I met her earlier this spring when she was on book tour with Sara Zarr, Barry Lyga, and Elizabeth LaBan and picked up her book THIS IS WHAT HAPPY LOOKS LIKE. I thought the premise sounded great, but when I read it, it blew away all my expectations. I have her other book, THE STATISTICAL PROBABILITY OF LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT on deck to read next.

Her answers are below in bold. Let us know what makes Jennifer like you in the comments.

Jennifer on Writing

• I've written 8 1/2 books, and 6 have seen the light of day.

• My favorite type of scene to write is the first chapter.

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with plotting.

• A typical comment from my critique partner is to go deeper with my characters.

• The book I wished I wrote is Wonder by RJ Palacio.

Jennifer on Getting Published

• If my agent really knew how crazy I was, she would find out that I juggle sometimes when I have writer's block.

• When I was querying, I felt hopeful and nervous. But mostly nervous.

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was being too hasty and sending to agents who might not have been the best fit. (There's a reason I write fiction; research has never been my strong suit!)

• The craziest thought I've ever had while writing is that this mess of words I'm putting together might just possibly potentially hopefully maybe be kind of sort of good. (Crazy, right?)

• When I got "The Call" my first thought was "Holy cow."

• When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I just sat there blinking at it with the stupidest grin on my face, because that was the first time it truly felt real.

Jennifer on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be an editor. (Which I am, too.) (What can I say? I love books!)

• Secretly, I'm terrified of dentists.

• My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is John Krasinski.

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I sing to my dog.

Writers Like Us - Kristin Halbrook

As soon as I finished NOBODY BUT US, Kristin Halbrook went to the top of my list of authors to ask to participate in Writers Like Us. Her book is amazing--a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. And that ending. Ugh, that ending killed me in all the good ways. If you haven't picked this one up, please do! It was by far one of my favorites of 2013.

Her answers are below in bold. Let us know what makes Kristin like you in the comments.

Kristin on Writing

• I've written many! books, and 1, so far, has seen the light of day (the second comes out winter 2015).

• My favorite type of scenes to write are the ones that make me feel hard--make me cry, make me swoon, take me back to a meaningful place I've been so I feel like I'm there again.

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with worldbuilding. It's something I continually work to improve. I tend to be sparse and don't always provide enough info.

• A typical comment from my critique partner is the pacing at the beginning is kind of slow. Something else I still work on.

• The book I wished I wrote is HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff. I love the prose and the voice. And the characters.

Kristin on Getting Published

• If my agent really knew how crazy I was, she would find out . . . hmm. I think they already know I'm a bit crazy? I don't hide it very well.

• When I was querying, I felt rejected. Frustrated. Hopeful. Fierce.

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was sending out a ms that wasn't ready. I think this is really common.

• The craziest thought I've ever had while writing and being published is I love this and I'm going to keep doing it no matter how hard it is.

• When I got "The Call," my first thought was this is what a dream realized feels like.

• When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I clapped like a drunk seal and squee'd.

Kristin on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably run a food truck. Or a bakery. Or a food truck bakery.

• Secretly, I'm terrified of ghosties and goblins. Like, REALLY scared. Weeks of sleepless nights kind of scared. Which is why I don't watch horror films.

• My secret boyfriend is James McAvoy. Luckily, we're both married to people we adore. In fact, the way he loves and respects his family is one of the things I admire most about him.

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I gorge on warm chocolate chip cookies and ice cream for dinner. Preferably while watching Dirty Dancing. Sometimes I do that when people ARE around, too.

For Your TBR Pile - Taste Test

Taste Test by Kelly Fiore

When it will be published: August 27th

From GoodReads: If you can grill it, smoke it, or fry it, Nora Henderson knows all about it. She’s been basting baby back ribs and pulling pork at her father’s barbeque joint since she was tall enough to reach the counter. When she’s accepted to Taste Test, a reality-television teen cooking competition, Nora can’t wait to leave her humble hometown behind, even if it means saying good-bye to her dad and her best friend, Billy. Once she’s on set, run-ins with her high-society roommate and the maddeningly handsome—not to mention talented—son of a famous chef, Christian Van Lorten, mean Nora must work even harder to prove herself. But as mysterious accidents plague the kitchen arena, protecting her heart from one annoyingly charming fellow contestant in particular becomes the least of her concerns. Someone is conducting real-life eliminations, and if Nora doesn’t figure out who, she could be next to get chopped for good.

What I liked most: I loved the premise. I haven't seen many books about characters involved in the filming of a reality show (with the exception of Carolyn Parkhurst's Lost and Found so if you know of any, tell me in the comments!). So when I saw that Taste Test was about teens competing in a cooking-based reality show and had a nice mix of competition and romance, I was sold. I really liked reading about the friendships and rivalries that went on behind the scenes from the show. I also really liked reading each character's motivations for being there and competing (for some, it was not about the cash prize at the end). The characters were unique and rounded out an interesting cast.

Why you should have it in your TBR pile: If you're looking for a story that combines backstabbing, romance, and food, this is your book. I did feel like the relationships and rivalries drove the story rather than the food competition, but it was a really fun read and perfect for fans of Top Chef or Chopped.

The one scene I'm dying for you to read: The contestant interviews at the end of each chapter were really intense and sometimes funny. The characters were under so much scrutiny, it was really interesting to read how they would crack under the show's questioning.

Writers Like Us - Hilary T Smith

A few weeks ago, I posted my review for WILD AWAKE which I loved (oh, Skunk. You love bison, you!). So I was super excited when Hilary T Smith agreed to participate in Writers Like Us. WILD AWAKE is out now!

Her answers are below in bold. Let us know what makes Hilary like you in the comments.

Hilary on Writing

• I've written 4 manuscripts, and 2 have seen the light of day (if you count a nonfiction book that was published in 2010).

• My favorite type of scene/character/setting to write is:
• Scenes where everything is both breaking apart and coming together. 
• Characters whose experience of reality is intense and peculiar.
• Settings I can picture precisely—so far, this means I write stories set in cities in which I have lived, although I look forward to creating a completely imaginary setting some day.

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with structure. My drafts always start out quite wonky, and it takes INFINITE revision to pull all the pieces together.

• A typical comment from my critique partner is "the writing is beautiful but why do these 22 subplots not resolve?"

• The book I wished I wrote is The Edge of the Alphabet, by Janet Frame.

Hilary on Getting Published

• If my agent really knew how crazy I was, she would find out that my feelings about whatever manuscript I'm working on swing from despair to elation not weekly or monthly, but hourly.

• When I was querying, I felt like my boyfriend was so overconfident that everything would work out for me that I had to be over-serious and pessimistic to make up for it.

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was allowing myself to get stressed at all.

• The craziest thought I've ever had while being published is "this is a mistake, I should have waited ten years until I was a better writer before publishing a novel" (is this a crazy thought or a sane one? I'm still not sure!)

• When I got "The Call," my first thought was relief that the "on sub" part was over, followed by paranoia that the deal would fall through.

Hilary on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be a musician. I studied piano for 18 years, and am now beginning lessons in north Indian music.

• Secretly, I'm terrified of never finding a home. I've been a drifter for several years, and yearn to find a place I really belong.

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I talk to plants and mushrooms. Nothing too strange, I just say hello and tell them how pretty they are.

Writers Like Us - Melissa Landers

I was so excited when Melissa Landers, author of ALIENATED, emailed to say she would do Writers Like Us! I just started reading her book, but it is so fantastic. Intersteller exchange student program + cute alien boy living in the room next door + intergalactic social tension = me not being able to read fast enough. Put this one at the very top of your TBR list. It comes out in February by Disney Hyperion.

Her answers are below in bold. Let us know what makes Melissa like you in the comments.

Melissa on Writing

• I've written 6 books, and 6 have seen (or will see) the light of day by early 2014.

• My favorite type of scene to write is smoochy-smoochy, sweet lovin' scenes! 

• No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with self confidence. 

• A typical comment from my critique partner is "Can you flesh this out a little?" (I tend to underwrite.)

• The book I wished I wrote is Harry Potter.

Melissa on Getting Published

• If my agent and editors really knew how crazy I was, they would find out...psh, nothing! I don't hide my crazy very well. They already know I'm neurotic!

• When I was querying, I felt strangely excited. I got a little thrill each time I clicked "send" on a new query. It was addictive. 

• The biggest mistake I ever made querying was over-querying. (See above. I was excited!)

• The craziest thought I've ever had while being published is "I can easily write in two genres--all it takes is good time management skills." (Bwahaha! I'm keeping a foot in two genres, but there's NOTHING easy about it!) 

• When I got "The Call," my first thought was "HOLY SH*T!" followed by "If I died right now, I would die happy."

• When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I took a screen shot and saved it as my desktop background for over a month.

Melissa on Life Outside Writing

• If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be a really cranky teacher.

• Secretly, I'm terrified of cockroaches, especially the horrible flying kind from south Texas.

• My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is Joe Manganiello. (Shhh...don't tell my husband.)

• Sometimes, when no one is around, I put in my earbuds, lock myself in the bedroom, and dance like a fool.

For Your TBR Pile - The Infinite Moment of Us

The Infinite Moment of Us by Lauren Myracle

When it will be published: August 20, 2013

From GoodReads: For as long as she can remember, Wren Gray’s goal has been to please her parents. But as high school graduation nears, so does an uncomfortable realization: Pleasing her parents once overlapped with pleasing herself, but now . . . not so much. Wren needs to honor her own desires, but how can she if she doesn’t even know what they are?Charlie Parker, on the other hand, is painfully aware of his heart’s desire. A gentle boy with a troubled past, Charlie has loved Wren since the day he first saw her. But a girl like Wren would never fall for a guy like Charlie—at least not the sort of guy Charlie believes himself to be.
And yet certain things are written in the stars. And in the summer after high school, Wren and Charlie’s souls will collide. But souls are complicated, as are the bodies that house them . . .

What I liked most: I'll admit it--the cover got me on this one. I've had Lauren's SHINE in my TBR pile for quite a long time and I really wanted to read one of her stories. I'd also been looking for a good contemporary YA romance for a while. Romances are hard to latch onto because so many things have to work: you have to care about the couple, the author has to work hard to create a plot that follows the formula (girl and boy meet, girl and boy fall in love, something rips them apart, couple finds a way to reunite or not) but still flips the story on its ear so it's fresh and new. The Infinite Moment of Us was reminiscent of Judy Blume's FOREVER. It brought up a lot of the conflicting feelings that are typical of teen romance, and it addresses the different ways you can love and care for another person.

Why you should have it in your TBR pile: I have to agree with a lot of reviews coming in on this one--I think this is going to be an important book. Although the story is simple (boy meets girl...), there are so many strands of complexity in how the characters' feelings are woven together. This book tackles faith and trust, sex and intimacy, and loyalty and shame in so many ways. It's hard to put it all together in a review, so I suppose I'll have to sum it up as: I wish this had been a book I read when I was 16. It would have helped in so many ways.

The one scene I'm dying for you to read: As much as I loved Wren and Charlie, the scenes where Charlie is with his (sorta) ex-girlfriend Starrla broke my heart more. Maybe it's because we don't humanize the wrong side of the tracks girl as much as we do the boys. We're easy to write them off as trailer park trash or slutty mean girls. As much as I wanted to root for Wren and Charlie, it was much more heartbreaking to see Starrla struggle with what she wanted vs. what she thought she deserved.