tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31694056370777409922024-03-13T07:49:43.441-04:00Valerie Cole Reads* YA Writer * Blogger * Hair Icon *
"You're into geeky book girl crap, but I love and support your geeky book girl crap." --My Geeky Guitar Guy Husband
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.comBlogger228125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-6558319835900401932017-05-27T14:34:00.000-04:002017-05-27T14:34:37.789-04:00Writers Like Us - Cath CrowleyI have more than a handful of Aussie YA writers who I love, but none more so than Cath Crowley. If you are just hearing about her, check out her YA contemp <i>Graffiti Moon</i> while you're waiting for her next book, <i>Words in Deep Blue</i> to come out next week.<br />
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<i>Words in Deep Blue</i> is a swoony, heartbreaking contemporary about teens in a bookstore, secret notes left in books, their love for each other, and the love they have for stories. I give it five heart emojis and five more book emojis. ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ ♥️ + 📖 📖 📖 📖 📖<br />
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You can find more information on Cath here at her <a href="https://www.cathcrowleyauthor.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/CathCrowley" target="_blank">@CathCrowley</a>. Her answers below in <b>bold.</b><br />
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Like these interviews? You can check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, Becky Albertalli, Courtney Stevens, and many, many others.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cath on Writing</span><br />
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<li>I've written <b>ten</b> books, and <b>seven</b> have seen the light of day.</li>
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<li>My favorite type of setting to write is <b>one that’s not obviously beautiful – industrial and bleak, bright lights in a dark sky. </b></li>
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<li>No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with s<b>tructure – I can hear characters talking, I can see a bookstore, I can see letters in books, but I can’t see when the scene is happening. It’s lucky I have brilliant editors. </b></li>
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<li>A typical comment from my critique partner is <b>“I’d do a check on how many times you’ve used that same word...”</b></li>
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<li>The book I wished I wrote is <b>We Were Liars by E. Lockhart. In fact, anything by E. Lockhart.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cath on Getting Published</span></div>
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<li>When I was querying, I felt <b>so impatient, so desperate to hear news. I checked my email obsessively. </b></li>
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<li>The biggest mistake I ever made querying was <b>being impatient. </b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my agent is <b>she’s incredibly smart, and incredibly supportive – win or lose she’s on my side regardless. </b></li>
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<li>While my book was out on submission, I was <b>certain it wouldn’t sell. When I got "The Call," my first thought was how should I celebrate? (You have to celebrate the wins, no matter how big or how small).</b></li>
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<li>When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace <b>I didn’t see my book sale – but I imagine I would have smiled. </b></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">Cath on Life Outside Writing</span></span><br />
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<li>If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be <b>an archivist or a librarian or, a bookseller. </b></li>
</ul>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>losing the people I love. </b></li>
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<li>My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is <b>Bill Nighy. For a while there it was Ray Bradbury. </b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>read all day in bed.</b><div class="MsoNormal">
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<i>Cath Crowley is a young adult fiction author based in Melbourne, Australia. She was born in 1971 in rural Victoria. Crowley's books include The Gracie Faltrain Trilogy, Chasing Charlie Duskin and Graffiti Moon. She is currently a freelance writer and part time teacher. Her work has been published in Australia and internationally.</i></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-31969124528571364942017-02-06T06:00:00.000-05:002017-02-06T06:00:07.969-05:00Agents Like Us - Saba SulaimanAnother Agents Like Us and today it's all about Saba Sulaiman from Talcott Notch Literary Services.<br />
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Saba has just reopened to queries and is seeking a whole lotta awesomeness: up-market, literary and commercial fiction, romance, psychological thrillers, memoir, young adult, middle grade, and nonfiction humor. Check out more about her tastes and guidelines <a href="http://sabasulaiman.com/#/home" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=agentsaba%20%23MSWL&src=typd" target="_blank">here</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/agentsaba" target="_blank">@AgentSaba.</a> Her answers are below in bold.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AXMHLq6avg/WJbUsyOziPI/AAAAAAAAClQ/dS2VnY9hmlM8Y_03rOcFvK-uNJ2sP2M6gCLcB/s1600/Saba%2BSulaiman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1AXMHLq6avg/WJbUsyOziPI/AAAAAAAAClQ/dS2VnY9hmlM8Y_03rOcFvK-uNJ2sP2M6gCLcB/s320/Saba%2BSulaiman.png" width="223" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Saba on Agenting</span><br />
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<li>When writers query me, I really wish <b>they would do their research and make sure I’m acquiring the kind of book they’ve written.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is ... <b>I’m going to cheat and include three: 1) reading critically for a living 2) making my clients’ dreams come true, and 3) having independence and flexibility.</b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story <b>are compelling, multidimensional, characters with quirks and vulnerabilities, complex relationships, and gray morality.</b></li>
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<li>Whenever I make a book deal, I<b> feel happy, relieved, and motivated to make more!</b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>fully-developed non-stereotypical marginalized main characters with agency and personality </b>in the slush. Bonus points if they’re POC.</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saba On Clients</span></div>
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<li>My ideal client would <b>be</b> <b>honest, kind, and have a great work ethic (because talent is a given, right?).</b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>that they’re all honest, kind, and have a great work ethic (aside from being incredibly talented!).</b></li>
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<li>What I want most for any client is <b>their happiness and contentment, in whatever forms they may take.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Saba On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd probably be <b>in academia, harboring not-so-secret hopes of being a professional singer.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite (non-client) books are <b>most recently (because there are WAY too many otherwise) I loved INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN by Thannha Lai (MG in verse), THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne (romance), and ALL THE UGLY AND WONDERFUL THINGS by Bryn Greenwood (adult literary).</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>my safety and that of other marginalized people.</b></li>
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<li>My secret boyfriend is <b>...only one? c’mon — I rotate between Idris Elba, Rahul Khanna, and Fawad Khan. </b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>should probably nap but instead I eat an obscene amount of cake in bed and catch up on Bollywood gossip.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite drink is <b>a vanilla milkshake.</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="text-align: center;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out </span><a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" style="text-align: center;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="text-align: center;">.</span></span></b></div>
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Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-20466355594978090462017-01-09T06:00:00.000-05:002017-01-09T10:11:24.376-05:00Agents Like Us - Lauren SpiellerIt's been a while since we've had an awesome agent interview on the blog. Today, I'm so happy to have Lauren Spieller with TriadaUS Literary Agency here--and she has some agent secrets to share.<br />
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Lauren is seeking Middle Grade and Young Adult fiction, as well as select Adult fiction and non-fiction. Whatever the age category or genre, Lauren is passionate about finding diverse and underrepresented voices.You can learn more about Lauren's tastes and guidelines <a href="http://www.triadaus.com/agents.html" target="_blank">here</a> and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/laurenspieller" target="_blank">@LaurenSpieller.</a> Her answers are below in bold.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lauren on Agenting</span><br />
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<li>When writers query me, I really wish they would <b>research me first, and make sure I'm a good fit for their work.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is <b>advocating for authors!</b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story is <b>a great voice.</b></li>
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<li>Whenever I make a book deal, I <b>celebrate with cocktails!</b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>diverse Middle Grade</b> in the slush.</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lauren On Clients</span></div>
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<li>My ideal client would be <b>hard working, well-read, and dedicated to craft.</b></li>
<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>their passion and work ethic. Oh, and their gorgeous books!</b></li>
<li>What I want most for any client is <b>creative fulfillment.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lauren On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd probably be <b>a writer. Which I already am! ;)</b></li>
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<li>My favorite (non-client) book is <b>Dumplin'. For now. Ask me again in ten minutes.</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>grammatical errors in a tweet.</b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>dance in my living room. Sometimes I do it when people are around, too.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite drink is <b>Ramos Gin Fizz.</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-444166381284381702016-09-08T06:00:00.000-04:002016-09-08T06:00:00.143-04:00Writers Like Us - Becky AlbertalliSo <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2m3Nxh_k2/" target="_blank">because of this news,</a> this blog series totally got away from me--but I'm back and ready to push the series to 50 interviews. Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.<br />
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This week, Becky Albertalli stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of the hilariously swoony Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda and the forthcoming The Upside of Unrequited<i>.</i> You can find her tweeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/beckyalbertalli" target="_blank">@BeckyAlbertalli</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Becky on Writing</span><br />
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<li>I've written <b>two</b> books, and <b>1.5</b> have seen the light of day <b>(second one is floating around in bound manuscript form, but it will be released in April of 2017!).</b></li>
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<li>My favorite type of scene/character/setting to write: <b>flirty scenes, first kisses, and drunk Simon Spier.</b></li>
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<li>No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with <b>overusing words – and the specific words change, depending on the character’s voice! My editor always has a few things she wants me to clean up in find/replace. </b></li>
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<li>A typical comment from my critique partner is<b>, “I think it would be okay for this to wrap up less neatly.”</b></li>
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<li>The book I wished I wrote is<b> HOUSE OF ORANGE by Lianne Oelke (coming in 2017!)</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Becky on Getting Published</span></div>
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<li>When I was querying, I felt <b>like I was seventeen. So much yearning and nervousness and hoping to hear from someone.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li>The biggest mistake I ever made querying was <b>nudging agents with an offer over Thanksgiving week. It couldn’t be avoided, and it worked out perfectly, but I feel guilty that there were agents reading during that time!</b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my agent is <b>how easy he is to talk to, and how excited he gets about even the little victories for my books.</b></li>
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<li>While my book was out on submission, I <b>did not actually expect it to sell. Brooks (agent) sold it in five days. </b></li>
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<li>When I got "The Call," my first thought was <b>that I need to convince Brooks Sherman that I’m about 75% less awkward than I am in real life.</b></li>
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<li>When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I <b>took a screenshot and sent it to my mom.</b></li>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">Becky on Life Outside Writing</span></span><br />
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<li>If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be <b>a psychologist (I actually am a nonpracticing licensed clinical psychologist).</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>bees.</b></li>
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<li>My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is <b>Jim from the Office (but only in an alternate universe where I’m Pam, because I cannot break up my OTP).</b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>wear pajamas all day. Sometimes when everyone is around, I wear pajamas all day, too.</b></li>
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<i>Becky Albertalli is a clinical psychologist who has had the privilege of conducting therapy with dozens of smart, weird, irresistible teenagers. She also served for seven years as co-leader of a support group for gender nonconforming children in Washington, DC. These days, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons, and writes very nerdy contemporary young adult fiction. </i></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-55637752493240302592016-09-06T06:00:00.000-04:002016-09-06T06:00:02.246-04:00Writers Like Us - Cynthia HandSo <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BI2m3Nxh_k2/" target="_blank">because of this news,</a> this blog series totally got away from me--but I'm back and ready to push the series to 50 interviews. Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.<br />
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This week, Cynthia Hand stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of the <i>Unearthly Series</i> (aka the best angel fantasy ever), the tear-jerking <i>The Last Time We Say Goodbye,</i> and the co-author of hilarious <i>My Lady Jane.</i> You can find her tweeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/CynthiaHand?lang=en" target="_blank">@CynthiaHand</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cynthia on Writing</span><br />
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<li>I've written <b>six and a half books,</b> and <b>six</b> have seen the light of day.</li>
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<li>My favorite type of character to write is <b>a conflicted villain.</b></li>
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<li>No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with <b>pacing. Almost all of my books require an overhaul from first draft to last, just to get the pacing right.</b></li>
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<li>A typical comment from my critique partner is <b>"where's the rest?"</b></li>
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<li>The book I wished I wrote is<b> The Knife of Never Letting Go, by Patrick Ness, or The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cynthia on Getting Published</span><br />
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<li>When I was querying, I felt, <b>well, I never technically queried. I got my agent when a few agents contacted me about a literary short story I published while I was in grad school.</b></li>
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<li>The biggest mistake I ever made querying was <b>um, see above, but I have never been any good at writing the darned query letter. I'd rather write a novel than a query letter for a novel.</b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my agent is <b>all the different hats she wears with me. Sometimes she's my friend. Sometimes my fierce defender. My financial advisor. My cheerleader. My editor.</b></li>
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<li>While my book was out on submission, I <b>ate a lot of chocolate.</b></li>
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<li>When I got "The Call," my first thought was <b>that I must be dreaming--the whole thing was very surreal.</b></li>
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<li>When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I<b> cheered. The day I sold my first novel I went to a Barnes and Noble, ordered a caramel frappachino, looked at the YA bookshelves, and cried with utter happiness.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Cynthia on Life Outside Writing </span><ul>
<li>If I weren't a writer, I'd <b>probably</b> <b>be a very bored office assistant or a literature professor.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>elevators getting stuck.</b></li>
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<li>My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is <b>Jamie from the Outlander series.</b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>make myself a batch of homemade fudge, which is a real treat since no one in my family likes it but me.</b></li>
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<i><br />Cynthia Hand is the New York Times bestselling author of several books for teens, including the UNEARTHLY trilogy, the contemporary novel THE LAST TIME WE SAY GOODBYE, and the new historical comedy, MY LADY JANE. Before turning to writing for young adults, she studied literary fiction and earned both an M.F.A. and a Ph.D. in fiction writing. She currently resides in Boise, Idaho, where she teaches creative writing at Boise State University.</i></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-46938583991459178112016-05-24T06:00:00.000-04:002016-05-24T06:00:03.919-04:00Writers Like Us - Courtney C StevensWriters Like Us is alllllmost at 50 author interviews, and I've been lining up a stellar line up of inspiring and fun writers to count us down. You can check out all the interviews <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>, which include advice and insights from Sara Zarr, A.S. King, and many, many others.<br />
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This week, Courtney C Stevens stops by to share her writing, publishing, and life advice. She's the author of Faking Normal, The Blue-Haired Boy, and The Lies About Truth. You can find her tweeting at <a href="https://twitter.com/Quartland" target="_blank">@Quartland</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold.</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Courtney on Writing</span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mlgT9JWyEiY/V0MtR_yeJ8I/AAAAAAAACfw/lo7lxc97d9EcK_nAmIkG6WIU3fb-4DEsgCLcB/s1600/Lies-About-Truth-HC-C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mlgT9JWyEiY/V0MtR_yeJ8I/AAAAAAAACfw/lo7lxc97d9EcK_nAmIkG6WIU3fb-4DEsgCLcB/s400/Lies-About-Truth-HC-C.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>I've written <b>eight point seven </b>books, and <b>four point five</b> have seen the light of day.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>My favorite type character to write is<b> someone who feels real and unreal at the same time.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with <b>sleeping. No, seriously, I still have trouble with everything. The more I write and know, the harder it gets, because I want to level up.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A typical comment from my critique partner is<b> here’s a link to the difference between farther and further.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The book I wished I wrote is <b>the one I’m working on now.</b></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">Courtney on Getting Published</span><br />
<ul>
<li>When I was querying, I felt <b>like maybe I should just take pictures of baby hedgehogs.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The biggest mistake I ever made querying was <b>trying to squash hope to protect myself. Many artists are scared to hope. I’m scared not to.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>What I love most about my agent is <b>she’s aware of how my personal life affects my artistry.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>While my book was out on submission, I <b>worked my day job and wrote the next book. I had a really keen sense that if it happened, it happened. If it didn’t, I'd write my way to where I wanted to be with the next thing.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>When I got "The Call," my first thought was <b>I still have to do my day job tonight. How am I going to do my job tonight? I need to call my mom.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, I<b> went to my local librarian and thanked her.</b></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">Courtney on Life Outside Writing</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li>If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be <b>an FBI agent. </b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>losing my hearing.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>My secret girlfriend/boyfriend is <b>if I told you, well, you see the problem here. </b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>drive fast on country roads and listen to music and look for places that no one else sees. (I also consider trespassing when there is an old silo with vines crawling up the sides, because … how awesome are those things?)</b></li>
</ul>
<i><b><br /></b>Courtney C. Stevens grew up in Kentucky and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She is an adjunct professor and a former youth minister. Her other skills include playing hide-and-seek, climbing trees, and being an Olympic torch bearer. She is also the author of Faking Normal, which Kirkus Reviews called “a story that resonates” and Publishers Weekly called a “rich debut,” as well as the e-novella The Blue-Haired Boy, and the recently released The Lies About Truth.</i></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-56794280352635633052016-05-20T11:24:00.001-04:002016-05-20T11:24:33.089-04:00Writers Like Us - Darcy WoodsI don't know about you, but I'm ready for another round of Writers Like Us. This series started in January of 2013 and has included over 41 authors so far. I'm so excited Darcy Woods is number 42 and will kick off this new round of interviews. You can check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Writers%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Darcy Woods' Summer of Supernovas is out on shelves now and I just <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2016/04/for-your-tbr-pile-summer-of-supernovas.html" target="_blank">adored it to pieces</a>. If you're looking for a fun, swoony romance to kick off your beach reading, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26109094-summer-of-supernovas" target="_blank">pick this one up</a>. In the meantime, let's learn a little about Darcy...<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Darcy on Writing</span><br />
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<ul>
<li>I've written<b> 2.5 books (I rewrote my first ms from page one, hence the .5 for recycled premise)</b>, and so far <b>one</b> has seen the light of day. <b>But technically not till May 10th!</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>My favorite type of scene to write is <b>forbidden first kiss scenes with toe-curling tension.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>No matter how long I've been writing, I still have issues with <b>commas. I've been known to drop them randomly like f-bombs. My brain is not equipped for grammar-ing. </b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>A typical comment from my critique partner is <b>"*snorts*" "But why?????" ":)"</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The book I wished I wrote is <b>Jandy Nelson's The Sky is Everywhere for ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS. #genius</b></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;">Darcy on Getting Published</span><br />
<ul>
<li><div>
When I was querying, I felt like <b>Houdini challenging people to punch me in the stomach. There were times it was absolutely grueling and hurt like hell. But you have to believe in yourself MORE than the pain of rejection. I've been cumulatively rejected almost 200 times. This does not make me a special flower. But it makes me tenacious, a necessary attribute from every author. </b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div>
The biggest mistake I ever made querying was <b>not being myself. When I queried my first ms, I was soooooo nervous! And I'm quite sure I used pompous phrases like "esteemed cadre of authors." Which I would NEVER EVER EVER use in real life. Not even if you held my feet to smoldering flames. I was just so afraid to be me. The irony, of course, is that YOU is precisely what they want to see. </b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div>
What I love most about my agent is <b>her tireless belief in me. During my rocky submission process, Catherine Drayton's certainty was unfailing. Unrelenting. You cannot put a price tag on that kind of loyalty. It is everything when the chips are down.</b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div>
While my book was out on sub I <b>got carpal tunnel refreshing my email. Grew ulcers. Drank wine and ate lots of French fries--often all of these were simultaneously.</b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div>
When I got "The Call," <b>my first thought was this is a joke. We'd already had a couple offers fall through, so I couldn't quite wrap my gray matter around it actually happening. Then when I finally realized my agent wasn't kidding, I did this weird, hysterical laugh-cry thing. And she said, "Darcy, you're going to be a published author!" I wept like a babe.</b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div>
When I saw my book sale in Publishers Marketplace, <b>I exploded like a supernova. I think every one of my atoms lit up like sparklers. It was an unforgettable moment.</b></div>
</li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;">Darcy on Life Outside Writing</span></span><ul>
<li>If I weren't a writer, I'd probably be <b>a Professional Closet and Refrigerator Feng Shui-er. So let's hope authoring pans out. ;)</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>seaweed. Oh, I'll happily eat it, but do NOT ask me to swim where I can touch it.</b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>My secret boyfriend is <b>Captain Jack Sparrow. Maybe it's odd to adore a man who wears more eyeliner than me, but I don't care. </b></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>sing Broadway show tunes to my cats. I also tell my plants they're doing a great job making oxygen.</b></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<i>Young adult author Darcy Woods had three big loves in grade school: Reading, writing, and pizza day. Some things never change. She lives in Michigan with her madly supportive husband, two tuxedo cats (who overdress for everything) and a closet full of neatly organized shoes. Once upon a time, she served in a US Army aviation unit and threw live grenades. Now she throws words.<br /><br />Darcy’s Golden Heart®-winning debut YA romance, SUMMER OF SUPERNOVAS, comes out from Random House/Crown May 10, 2016.</i>Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-81606891972720234832016-05-15T00:09:00.000-04:002016-05-15T00:09:21.503-04:00Writerly Rants - Shelving ProjectsTonight, I took the manuscript I've been working on for the last year and shelved it.<br />
>50K words; two drafts.<br />
An idea I was so excited about nine months ago deflated.<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Jrh9VuCD0Y/Vzf2LB4HWEI/AAAAAAAACfg/DLF7EOLjdJwcMmqKtcq2wyU8O0T1nMIqACLcB/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-15%2Bat%2B12.07.33%2BAM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7Jrh9VuCD0Y/Vzf2LB4HWEI/AAAAAAAACfg/DLF7EOLjdJwcMmqKtcq2wyU8O0T1nMIqACLcB/s320/Screen%2BShot%2B2016-05-15%2Bat%2B12.07.33%2BAM.png" width="317" /></a>Promises of a finish line and a delivery date to my agent cancelled.<br />
I threw my hands up in defeat.<br />
<br />
I had no choice, you see. I've been sitting here in front of my computer for weeks staring and agonizing because I didn't recognize this lumpy story I had in front of me. It was just a pile of words and scenes and characters. And there was this thread of story--there was a lot of WHATs going on, but no WHYs.<br />
<br />
Why was this happening?<br />
Why would this character react this way?<br />
Why would it go down THIS way rather than THAT way?<br />
And most importantly, what am I trying to say with this story?<br />
<br />
I have this problem. I want people to read my work and weigh in, because who doesn't love to hear feedback? But this story didn't incubate long enough. I didn't let it rest and stand back and let myself re-examine it. I didn't give myself the time to throw my all into it. To work until the late hours of night, writing feverishly. Or replay scenes over and over in my head, perfecting each and every line of dialogue. Instead, I wrote it like a shot in the dark. Throwing spaghetti at the wall. Hoping something stuck. Then too many fingerprints got all over it.<br />
<br />
Don't get me wrong: I'm totally grateful for the time and effort people take in reading and critiquing my work. But if it happens too soon in the process, it derails me. Instead of finding the road that leads to the story, I'm taking some back way that someone else took this one time. The journey to finding a story is different for every person and every story, and we have to go our own ways at our own speeds. <br />
<br />
So I'm sitting here with something shelved. As in, not trashed, but waiting for the dust to clear. Because, at some point, I'll grasp for the right sound and shape and it will be there for me. The story that wants to be told. That feels right and not forced. That is true to my vision. And it won't involve Band-Aid plotting or Frankensteined scenes.<br />
<br />
I'll work on something new, and let this project rest. Give it space and time. Until that moment when I have a thought, "I wonder if I did this..." And then the process starts anew and a new story is born. Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-55378268486203664382016-04-25T12:47:00.000-04:002016-04-25T12:47:38.421-04:00April Check In <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />What I'm Writing</span></div>
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Writing the second draft of my book, a new YA thriller. I enrolled in an online class to help brush up on a few things (also to give myself steady deadlines to meet), and I'm really glad I'm workshopping this book. It's a bit strange, but most of my more-stranger ideas tend to do well when they go out to editors. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'm Reading</span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pkzypsQrZWk/Vx5H_LkvGYI/AAAAAAAACfE/bAJGUc9oW88zEMV9xBnA0Kb50xlH90BhgCLcB/s1600/Smoke%2Band%2BBone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pkzypsQrZWk/Vx5H_LkvGYI/AAAAAAAACfE/bAJGUc9oW88zEMV9xBnA0Kb50xlH90BhgCLcB/s200/Smoke%2Band%2BBone.jpg" width="129" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-syaQjxi86Os/Vx5H_OGMgnI/AAAAAAAACe8/3rDsa5KiFUgtcy_iPNfbNDPwnpuLRNWaACLcB/s1600/After%2BI%2BDo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-syaQjxi86Os/Vx5H_OGMgnI/AAAAAAAACe8/3rDsa5KiFUgtcy_iPNfbNDPwnpuLRNWaACLcB/s200/After%2BI%2BDo.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>
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I'm finally getting to read Daughter of Smoke and Bone after everyone I've ever encountered has raved of this book. I'm, like, 40% of the way through and am NOT disappointed!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'm Listening To</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hoQkaTm0ayw/Vx5H_TuAlmI/AAAAAAAACfI/WID1ljFGTaw6_7hWCN-4dgY_MKKQijmvwCKgB/s1600/bombastic-bonnie-mckee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hoQkaTm0ayw/Vx5H_TuAlmI/AAAAAAAACfI/WID1ljFGTaw6_7hWCN-4dgY_MKKQijmvwCKgB/s200/bombastic-bonnie-mckee.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQAKxQkx-Zs/Vx5H_CITFnI/AAAAAAAACfA/PD9aHimlbM4WUt4PpNCVDBFsmxwGyyZIQCKgB/s1600/CryBabyArtwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xQAKxQkx-Zs/Vx5H_CITFnI/AAAAAAAACfA/PD9aHimlbM4WUt4PpNCVDBFsmxwGyyZIQCKgB/s200/CryBabyArtwork.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In a super pop mood this week!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I've Been Up To</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Puppy wrangling and writing--mostly with Lucy at my feet. Hopefully with the weather warming up, I'll get a chance to do more than just work!</span></span><br />
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A photo posted by Valerie Cole ❤️ (@valeriecoleya) on <time datetime="2016-04-19T01:14:59+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 18, 2016 at 6:14pm PDT</time></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times";">Getting into trouble! Mostly because she's starting to get comfortable and feels at home, which makes me happy. This morning she discovered how to unroll the toilet paper--what a fun game (for her)!</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BEOONW-oTD3/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Do you think Lauren will understand when I tell her the puppy ate my plot?</a></div>
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A photo posted by Valerie Cole ❤️ (@valeriecoleya) on <time datetime="2016-04-15T13:15:21+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Apr 15, 2016 at 6:15am PDT</time></div>
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Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-70813780997145458332016-04-21T22:18:00.000-04:002016-04-21T22:18:48.995-04:00For Your TBR Pile - Summer of Supernovas<i>Summer of Supernovas</i><br />
by Darcy Woods<br />
Crown BFYR / Penguin Random House<br />
Published May 10, 2016<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The Characters</span></b></div>
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<b>WILAMENA (WIL) </b>is a fun and spunky girl who has a closet full of vintage dresses and a heart she wears on her sleeve. She's mapped out her romantic future by the stars. <br /><br /><b>GRANT </b>is the guitar playing, duct-taped shoe wearing brother with a tattooed sleeve and a lime green car. <br /><br /><b>SETH </b>is the more buttoned-up brother who knows all the right things to say. He'll take you up in a hot air balloon and make you swoon. <br /><br />When astrology determines your best match for romance, Wilamena is sure she knows which brother is right for her. While Seth wines and dines her, Wilamena continues to bump into Grant at every turn. Does she stay the course of the stars or does she pave her own path? <div>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">For Readers Who</b></div>
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<li><span style="text-align: center;">Are looking for a super-swoony, light-hearted romance</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center;">Loved Stephanie Perkins' <i>Anna and the French Kiss</i> / <i>Isla and the Happily Ever After</i></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: center;">Knows their Pisces from their Capricorns</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What I Loved</b></span></div>
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That Darcy Woods writes such fun characters, witty dialogue, and soft-hearted relationships. Not only were the boys fun to read, but Wil's relationship with her Grams was so wonderful. It reminded me a lot of the closeness I had with my own Grandmother. </div>
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Wil's friendships with boys, as well as girls, is really refreshing. She mingles well with all the characters, not just focusing on the boy de jour. My favorite non-romantic character was Mannie, the drummer in Grant's band. He was overly flirtatious and comically charming. </div>
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Plus, this book won <i>The Golden Heart Award </i>from RWA (Romance Writers of America) in 2013!</div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-54923750601634298592016-04-07T22:19:00.001-04:002016-04-07T22:19:02.445-04:00Mid-Spring Check In <div style="text-align: left;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'm Writing</span></div>
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Right now, trying to figure out my story is like throwing spaghetti at the wall and watching it all slide down...</div>
— Valerie Cole (@ValerieColeYA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ValerieColeYA/status/717745142367698944">April 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Yeah, writing is hard. I won't lie, sometimes I'm convinced none of my writing sticks and I'm running out of noodles.<br />
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I have a pretty solid first draft of a new young adult manuscript. I've been trying to tackle more commercial plotlines. Things that could be considered thrillers or high-concept. My brain is so good at emotional story arcs, but when I have to figure out how a resolution works out or raise stakes, I fizzle out.<br />
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The good news is that I had a couple of really great critiques come in and set me back on track--hopefully in the right direction. I'm sitting here in front of a blank cork board with a stack of Post-its and I'm ready to replot my entire book.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'm Reading</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I'm Listening To</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What I've Been Up To</span></div>
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Pretty much 99% of what I say now:<br />
What are you eating?<br />
Ah-ah-ah!<br />
Oh my god! <br />
On the pad! On the pad!<br />
Noooo!<br />
No bites!<br />
Omg so cute<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/newpuppy?src=hash">#newpuppy</a></div>
— Valerie Cole (@ValerieColeYA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ValerieColeYA/status/717529435235303424">April 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Well, this little monster has been keeping me on my toes for the last week. Meet Lucy, our new puppy! We brought her home last Tuesday and my life has been full of: puppy wrangling, accident cleaning, ah-ah-ahing, and attempting to look away for oooooone second to work. It's impossible. That face makes it all worth it, though.<br />
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BDivNc8oTNS/" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Lucy is home!</a></div>
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A photo posted by Valerie Cole ❤️ (@valeriecoleya) on <time datetime="2016-03-29T15:57:08+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Mar 29, 2016 at 8:57am PDT</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><br />Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-31817411082391897062016-01-20T22:26:00.000-05:002016-01-20T22:26:26.444-05:00January 2016 Check In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, hello! </div>
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This month is almost over and I'm finally sitting down for a check in. Personally, I'm thankful for this impending snowstorm of doom that is about to rain down on us. There's been so much to do this month and I'm ready for a weekend of eating soup and binge watching Grey's Anatomy.</div>
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What have I been up to, you ask?</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EmizQNd69k/VqBNuliZS8I/AAAAAAAACck/JkCIVSKw-c4/s1600/Project%2BBlue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1EmizQNd69k/VqBNuliZS8I/AAAAAAAACck/JkCIVSKw-c4/s200/Project%2BBlue.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />1) Well, Project Blue--my newest manuscript. My seventh, to be exact. And, there's something I've learned from working on multiple projects: each one will feel different. Like, really different. There's some that have taken everything in me to write. Two manuscripts ago, I had to set up any type of reward system I could just to get one word down on the page at a time. It made me wonder if I even <i>liked</i> writing sometimes. But Project Blue isn't like that. It makes me giddy and excited. I love everything about it--even the hard parts. </div>
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I've been doing a lot of writing and researching and re-writing, and am hoping to have a killer first draft soon. I'm so excited to share it and have my peeps read it (and of course poke holes in it so it resembles Swiss cheese). </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LW2U_dmvTXo/VqBNNCtTmCI/AAAAAAAACcc/g9snVrY-v2I/s1600/The-History-Of-Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LW2U_dmvTXo/VqBNNCtTmCI/AAAAAAAACcc/g9snVrY-v2I/s200/The-History-Of-Love.jpg" width="133" /></a>2) I also decided to scale back on giving myself so many expectations this year. One big one was how many books was I going to read. I read a lot, and I participated in GoodReads' Reading Challenge like it was my own Olympics. I can't manage to track how many calories I eat daily, but I can log every single page I've ever read in my GoodReads app. This year I decided to bail out. I'm going to read, but not be so focused on <i>that</i> number. And, also DNF books if I want or just read the parts I want. You know, read like an un-obsessed person might.</div>
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What am I reading now? The History of Love--a book that was recommended to me six years ago and has been at the top of my TBR list since!</div>
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3) Also, puppies. We lost our sweet Nelly girl last month, right before Christmas and I have to be honest, my heart is still broken. The other day I was out running errands and I found myself Google Mapping the nearest puppy shop and drove straight there. I got my fill of puppy kisses, but realized just how much work going from an extremely chill senior dog to an over-active brand new puppy is going to be. Not that I'm not up for the task, but Shannon and I still need some time to prepare and get ready. Meanwhile, I can't promise not to be that crazy lady who shows up in Pet Shops just to pick up puppies and talk about my heartbreak.</div>
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Until next month, friends. Bunker down from the snow and godspeed!</div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-83314553140815861692016-01-08T20:48:00.000-05:002016-01-08T20:48:57.660-05:00Agents Like Us - Melissa Sarver WhiteToday's a double agent interview day! Melissa Sarver White from Folio Literary Management stops by to chat agenting secrets, clients, and life with us.<br />
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She is looking for YA and MG of all kinds and a wide range of adult Non-Fiction (narrative, memoir, business, health & wellness, cookbooks and food writing). You can learn more about Melissa's tastes and guidelines <a href="http://www.foliolit.com/MelissaWhite" target="_blank">here</a> and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/mjsarver" target="_blank">@mjsarver. </a>Her answers are below in <b>bold</b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Melissa on Agenting</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHEDOi_kEB4/VpBeh-b-9iI/AAAAAAAACb0/SYjox9hGSN4/s1600/Literary-Agent-Melissa-Sarver-White-Folio-Query.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LHEDOi_kEB4/VpBeh-b-9iI/AAAAAAAACb0/SYjox9hGSN4/s1600/Literary-Agent-Melissa-Sarver-White-Folio-Query.jpeg" /></a></span></div>
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<li>When writers query me, I really wish <b>they didn’t assume I want to read their work and instead write something dynamic that makes me stop everything and want to dive in. Also, be professional! This is a business – we are not friends. And please follow my submission guidelines and do a bit of research to make sure I represent the genre you are writing.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is <b>sharing good news with authors, whether it be an offer for their project, a great review, that they’ve landed on a bestseller list, anything! This business tends to kick people around so I relish the times I can deliver happy news.</b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story is <b>unique voice that I haven’t heard before, interesting setting, clever conceit, well-formed relationships, tightly paced story with payoff. I really hate when I get into a story with good writing and characters but feel like it’s not really going anywhere. I’m left with that “so what?” feeling. </b></li>
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<li>Whenever I make a book deal, I <b>... I don’t have a ritual to celebrate each book deal – some are big and some are small. But closing a deal is always very gratifying.</b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>tightly paced stories, high concept YA, literary MG, mysteries in YA and MG </b>in the slush.</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Melissa On Clients</span></div>
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<li>My ideal client would be<b> someone who is always open to revision. That, in my opinion, is the difference between getting a book deal and not. And someone who trusts that I am always looking out for his/her best interest.</b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>I’ve been working with many of my authors for many years and it’s exciting to see them grow and change as writers and expand their audiences with each book. </b></li>
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<li>What I want most for any client is<b> well, beyond their book getting the attention it deserves and finding an audience, I want them to be able to build a career as a writer. That won’t mean for most of them to be able to live solely off of their book money; but to be able to write and continue to see their books published and their audience grow over time, that’s the goal.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Melissa On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd probably be ... <b>if you asked my 25-year-old self, I would probably say journalist! But now I enjoy working with and representing journalists much more than the idea of being one. I’d probably do something like college admissions if I weren’t an agent. </b></li>
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<li>My favorite (non-client) book is <b>a recent pick would be SALVAGE THE BONES; so raw and beautiful. It wrecked me in the best of ways and stayed with me long after I finished reading. All time favorites include A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN and THE HANDMAID’S TALE.</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>drowning. I can swim and I enjoy water, but the idea of drowning is terrifying.</b></li>
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<li>My secret boyfriend is <b>a tie between Idris Elba and U2’s The Edge.</b></li>
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<li>I have a total girlcrush on <b>Ruth Wilson (have you seen The Affair? Love, love it, and her…)</b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>do dance routines to music like I would have done when I was younger. They aren’t pretty but I just can’t help myself after 20+ years of dance classes.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite drink is <b>beer. Usually a Hefeweizen.</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-49717551410016471032016-01-08T19:45:00.000-05:002016-01-09T12:54:42.008-05:00Agents Like Us - Heather FlahertyThis week Heather Flaherty from The Bent Agency stops by to chat agenting secrets, clients, and life with us.<br />
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She is looking for young adult (contemporary and horror), middle grade (contemporary and historical), adult (thrillers and commercial women's fiction), as well as nonfiction. You can learn more about Heather <a href="http://www.thebentagency.com/agent_heather_flaherty.php" target="_blank">here</a>, find her submission guidelines <a href="http://www.thebentagency.com/submission.php" target="_blank">there</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/HeddaFlaherty" target="_blank">@HeddaFlaherty</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold</b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Heather on Agenting</span><br />
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is <b>... everything. It’s a fantastic job. You get to bridge both the creative side with the market side of publishing. You get to push out books that should get out there, whether it’s because they are wanted, or teach the right lessons, or offer new perspective, or are just truly gorgeous. And my clients’ amaze me everyday with their work. Helping their words get to readers is beyond exciting.</b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story is <b>voice, voice, and more voice. Full, real characters immediately pull me into any story, whether it’s a quiet story or a loud one.</b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>variety, quirkiness, innovation… (I know, so helpful.)<span style="background-color: white; color: #14a0c2; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #14a0c2; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span>in the slush.</li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Heather On Clients</span></div>
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<li>My ideal client would be <b>all of my current clients. Hard-workers who are willing to try, writers I can be VERY honest with, and people who enjoy a chuckle.</b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>all of the above! Though some do more chuckling than others…</b></li>
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<li>What I want most for any client is <b>the right home for their future as an author.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Heather On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd probably be <b>a large animal vet. (I know right? Weird.)</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>not doing everything I want to do ever.</b></li>
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<li>I have a total girlcrush on <b>Allie Bosch, Amy Schumer, and Angelina Jolie. </b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>wear extremely ripped jeans. (And not just sometimes. All the time)</b></li>
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<li>My favorite drink is<b> rye.</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-5408989493064554912015-12-15T23:01:00.000-05:002015-12-15T23:21:17.953-05:00December Check In<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">Heyo! I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday season. There's nothing more exciting than all the frenzy and finality December can bring. </span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">I had a wonderful Thanksgiving at home in Baltimore with my family. Not only did I spend lots of time with my favorite cousin, Sara and her new husband, but we threw her a baby shower (in which I </span><a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/12/i-promised-you-blog-post.html" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank">promised her a blog mention</a><span style="text-align: left;">). Our cousin Crystal made all the food, which included bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, meatballs cooked in grape jelly (is this a Maryland thing or does everyone make this?) and a pretty epic cake. </span><br />
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My reading has slowed down considerably, only because things have been so busy. However, if you're looking for something new to pick up, consider:</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25657130-all-american-boys" target="_blank">ALL AMERICAN BOYS</a>, by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Keily. A duel-narrative of two American teenagers--one white and one black--and how police brutality affects their lives.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25111114-the-boston-girl" target="_blank">THE BOSTON GIRL</a>, by Anita Diamant. Follows the life of a young woman born in 1900 to Jewish immigrants in Boston and touches on pieces of history I hadn't read much about before: World War I, the flu of 1918, and the Minnesota orphan train.</div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17185496-the-sacred-lies-of-minnow-bly" target="_blank">THE SACRED LIES OF MINNOW BLY</a>, by Stephanie Oakes. A story about a girl who escapes from her Kevinian cult at the price of both her hands. </div>
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Lastly, and most sadly, we lost our sweet pup this month. Nelly was my trusted cocker spaniel for the last fourteen years. I've owned her my entire adult life and she's spent many nights sleeping under my desk while I wrote stories and blog posts and query letters. To be honest, I'm not sure what to do with the hole she's left by my side. While I figure it out, I hope this year brings a bit of peace and some healing. And I hope it brings you joy and love.<br />
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Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-86921916104339383782015-12-09T06:00:00.000-05:002015-12-09T06:00:12.304-05:00Agents Like Us - Caitie FlumThis week Caitie Flum from Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency stops by to chat agenting secrets, clients, and life with us.<br />
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She is looking for commercial and up market fiction, middle grade, young adult, and new adult, as well as nonfiction. You can learn more about Caitie <a href="http://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/staff/caitie-flum.html" target="_blank">here</a>, find her submission guidelines <a href="http://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/submissions/caitie-flum.html" target="_blank">there</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/caitief" target="_blank">@CaitieF</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold</b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Caitie on Agenting</span><br />
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<li>When writers query me, I really wish <b>that authors would would follow my guidelines. About a third do not. I also really wish authors would have someone read their query who does not know their book at all. Sometimes it is confusing and the author or their beta reader is too close to it. Make sure it makes sense!</b></li>
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is <b>authors! I love authors, that is why I do this. I love working with authors, fighting for authors, and having that partnership. </b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story is <b>a voice I adore. If I don't like the voice enough, I can't be the champion for it.</b></li>
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<li>Whenever I make a book deal, I <b>make sure the author celebrates and is properly excited. I also have some champagne. </b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>mysteries</b> in the slush<b> for all age groups. A good mystery is timeless.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Caitie On Clients</span><br />
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<li>My ideal client would be <b>someone who wants to be a long-term writer, someone who will grow and improve with every book. </b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>they are enormously talented, incredibly kind, work really hard, and are just the loveliest people ever. </b></li>
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<li>What I want most for any client is<b> whatever is best for them, whether that is a print deal, digital, or some combination. I want them to be happy and feel supported and to know that I have their back. I want them to have the career that they want and will do everything in my power to make it happen.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Caitie On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd<b> probably be working somewhere else in publishing or maybe in a library? I can't imagine doing anything else. </b></li>
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<li>My favorite (non-client) book is<b> I just finished ILLUMINAE by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman (had to change the billing since Jay is always second because of the alphabet) and it was AMAZING. Best book I read this year. It could easily move into the running for top 5 oo 10 favorite books of all time.</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>I can't do heights when there is a chance of falling. I love tall roller coasters and flying, but I had high seats at a stadium Taylor Swift concert and had to exchange them because I started shaking.</b></li>
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<li>My secret boyfriend is <b>Chris Hardwick because he is so nerdy and cute. I know that is a really weird answer!</b></li>
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<li>I have a total girlcrush on <b>Viola Davis. Have you WATCHED How To Get Away With Murder? The woman is brilliant and beautiful.</b></li>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>sing along to Hamilton. Sometimes I even rap REALLY badly.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite drink is <b>Moscato wine. I love all wine, but that is my favorite!</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-75822946599590836802015-12-07T13:34:00.001-05:002015-12-07T13:34:40.287-05:00I Promised You A Blog Post<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;">I promised you a blog post</span></div>
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But all I can do is stare at a blank screen</div>
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Struggling to write</div>
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The one thing I'm good at</div>
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The one thing I've always been able to do</div>
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So I'll try to say it in a new way</div>
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Words aligned into neat little lines</div>
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Freestyle it from my heart</div>
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Even though my thoughts knot and snarl</div>
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With one click of a button</div>
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I sent a Pack-and-Play to your doorstep</div>
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And it will never feel like enough</div>
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To say that I'm happy for you</div>
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And sorry</div>
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For all the times I've been selfish and cruel</div>
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Or just confusing</div>
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And thankful for</div>
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And all the times you've picked up the phone</div>
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Pretended like nothing was wrong</div>
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My first friend</div>
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My first best friend</div>
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You are a new person now</div>
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Your belly round </div>
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(but not <i>that</i> round)</div>
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A new girl inside</div>
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For our tribe of strong and fragile women</div>
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A new partner at your side</div>
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Who makes you laugh</div>
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In a way I've never heard you laugh before</div>
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The kind of laugh that means you're truly happy</div>
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I promise you a blog post</div>
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As I play the role of court jester</div>
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Clutching a paper plate and a plastic cup</div>
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Everyone laughs as we shower you with gift cards</div>
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Cringe at chocolate bars melted inside diapers</div>
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Cut cakes made of pink fondant</div>
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Ooo and aww in all the right places</div>
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Tiny clothes with cupcake covered behinds</div>
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None say Future Feminist</div>
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Like I know how you will raise a daughter to be</div>
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She will have </div>
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The best of both worlds</div>
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Southern sweetness</div>
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Northern nerve</div>
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Just like you</div>
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In just 4 months </div>
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You will be a mother</div>
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A role that seems so adult</div>
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When did we become adults?</div>
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I still think of us as two heads</div>
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In a sea of family</div>
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One blonde and one brunette</div>
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Always together</div>
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I write this late at night</div>
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When I know you'll be sleeping</div>
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Being the responsible one</div>
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While I stay up</div>
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The dreamer and star counter</div>
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Because I promised you a blog post</div>
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Even though you deserve so much more</div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-8896805344880850762015-11-15T21:46:00.001-05:002015-11-15T21:49:57.161-05:00In Search Of YA Books for Women's Shelter - An UpdateLast month I <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/10/in-search-of-ya-books-for-womens-shelter.html" target="_blank">posted a blog</a> asking for book donations for a local women's shelter in my area. To be honest, I've never tried any type of fundraising or asked for donations online--so I'm so excited to say it was a big success!<br />
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The request was pretty simple: when I had dropped off a sizable donation of books to the shelter, the director asked if I had Twilight or Harry Potter. The residents had mentioned wanting to read those titles specifically. I'm excited to say we were able to deliver 3 copies of Twilight, as well as the rest of the series, and books 1, 2, 5, and 7 of Harry Potter. In addition, we were able to give a few other commercial titles: If I Stay, Water For Elephants, The Vampire Diaries, and The Secret Life of Bees.<br />
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I have to thank Maria Entenmen, Briana and Krysta at <a href="https://pagesunbound.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Pages Unbound</a>, and the Upper Dublin Public Library for all their help in rounding up all the books, and thank you to everyone who helped spread the word on Twitter and Facebook. The shelter was so thankful to receive these. I'll be keeping in touch with the women's shelter and continuing to round up book donations for them.Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-30299273189121967162015-11-09T06:00:00.000-05:002015-11-09T06:00:00.474-05:00Agents Like Us - Jennifer UnterAfter a year hiatus, I'm so excited to bring back my blog series, Agents Like Us! And here to help kick things off is Jennifer Unter from The Unter Agency.<br />
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She is looking for fiction and general nonfiction, with a particular interest in memoir, food/cooking, nature/environment, biography, pop culture, travel/adventure, true crime, politics and health/fitness as well as all kid lit (picture books, middle grade, and young adult projects). You can find her submission guidelines <a href="http://www.theunteragency.com/submit.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferUnter" target="_blank">@JenniferUnter</a>. Her answers are below in <b>bold</b>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer on Agenting</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pgnhhIRmgAg/Vj6BRuNZF3I/AAAAAAAACXY/lWaWxL-NHuY/s1600/Jennifer-Unter-literary%2Bagent-query.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pgnhhIRmgAg/Vj6BRuNZF3I/AAAAAAAACXY/lWaWxL-NHuY/s1600/Jennifer-Unter-literary%2Bagent-query.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<li>When writers query me, I really wish <b>they would do their homework. I’m not a “Sir”, I don’t do a lot of genre fiction and I’m more inclined to ask for something if I see that they know what I have agented in the past.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite part about being an agent is <b>the excitement of the day-to-day work. Every day I have something new to do, whether it’s meeting new clients, poring over a contract or talking to the publicity team at a publishing house with an author for their new book. I feel like I get to do many jobs at once!</b></li>
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<li>Rules and trends aside, what I really look for in a story is <b>something that moves me. I love an emotional tale. Anything that makes me cry, if done well, is usually something I’ll take on.</b></li>
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<li>Whenever I make a book deal, I <b>get very excited for the author. Their work is going to go out into the world, and that’s the reason why I do what I do.</b></li>
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<li>I really wish I saw more <b>books for the “in between middle grade and YA” in the slush. There aren’t enough of those books being published.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer On Clients</span><br />
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<li>My ideal client would be <b>someone with whom I share a sensibility and connection. Also someone who is willing to do the work to get their book to the best possible place before going to a publisher. </b></li>
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<li>What I love most about my current clientele is <b>their willingness to get out there and push for their book. Writers have to be their own best publicists and it’s sometimes difficult for them to do, but they all do it.</b></li>
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<li>What I want most for any client is <b>to feel that their work is being taken seriously and that they have a support system in their publisher and in me.</b></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Jennifer On Life</span><br />
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<li>If I weren't an agent, I'd probably be <b>an environmentalist of some sort or farmer.</b></li>
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<li>My favorite (non-client) book is <b>anything by Michel Faber.</b></li>
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<li>Secretly, I'm terrified of <b>being buried alive!</b></li>
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<li>My secret boyfriend is <b>Mark Wahlberg.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li>I have a total girlcrush on <b>Cindy Sherman.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li>Sometimes, when no one is around, I <b>do yoga or take a nap.</b></li>
</ul>
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<li>My favorite drink is <b>rose.</b></li>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Want to see more Agent Interviews? Check them all out <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/search/label/Agents%20Like%20Us" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></b></div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-17618014167369232132015-10-20T12:58:00.000-04:002015-10-20T12:58:15.460-04:00October Check In 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, hello!<br />
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I waited to write up my October check in post this month because things were so busy. I've been writing (of course), but trying to figure out the best way to make this "full-time writing thing" work best for me.<br />
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It's helped a lot to listen to <a href="http://firstdraftwithsarahenni.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Sarah Enni's First Drafts</a> podcast and get a feel for what other writers do to make the daily demands of creativity work for them. For me, I'm finding, it's different almost every day. When I have a deadline (either self-imposed or agent-assigned), I can buckle down and work, but those other days when I'm free to just create? It's hard.<br />
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Over the summer, I wrote a 22-page outline for my next book. It covers everything plot-related, and some character arcs, which is great. But, I've been struggling with these two main characters of mine and trying to figure out who they really are--especially this one named Miles. Sure, you can give a character a name and a sassy attitude and just go with it, but underneath it all you need to know who they really are. Miles wasn't talking to me. I tried to give him a backstory, but it felt so generic. After all, how many I've-known-him-since-kindergarden stories are already out there? I wanted more from this character, and he refused to tell me.<br />
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Sometimes when I get stuck like this, when the character won't come to me, I go out into the world and find them. Yesterday, I was at the gym and Miles walked right by and jumped on the treadmill in front of me. In fifteen minutes I had him all figured out, and realized how much I love this exercise in character development. Because when you can see the person right in front of you, and can observe how they carry themselves, how they look around at the world, it's easier to figure out what their hang ups are and their place in the story. So, if you try this method, let me know how it works for you!<br />
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In things I've been reading, check out Aaron Hartzler's What We Saw! I was so impressed by his writing and the strong message this one carries about rape culture, especially in small town, high schools where everyone wants to look away.<br />
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Wolf by Wolf is also very exciting and so different--especially if you're into reimagined WWII stories (with motorcycles and wolves!). Fans of The Scorpio Races would like this one.<br />
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Faking Normal was my favorite contemporary this month. I have a huge writer crush on Courtney Stevens.<br />
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That's it for me this month. It's time to get back to writing. :)<br />
<br />Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-87121069104410354722015-10-13T15:20:00.000-04:002015-10-20T21:28:32.101-04:00In Search Of YA Books for Women's Shelter<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUkTv9SMnZU/Vh1U4E-LsBI/AAAAAAAACVo/QLtY5tXY7Fw/s1600/Wanted-Twilight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hUkTv9SMnZU/Vh1U4E-LsBI/AAAAAAAACVo/QLtY5tXY7Fw/s320/Wanted-Twilight.jpg" width="243" /></a>This morning, I donated a ton of books to my local women's shelter. I gave a lot of romance, historical romance, young adult and commercial fiction, and the residents and staff were so excited to get it! Before, they only had text books to read.<br />
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While I was there, I was so touched by the friendly staff and how eager they were to fill their empty shelf with books. One of the residents had a special request--she wants to read Twilight.<br />
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When I checked in with the director, she said her residents have been asking for the Twilight and Harry Potter series.<br />
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Blog readers, can I ask for your help? I'd really love to collect and donate the following books for this women's shelter. They are a non-profit shelter for homeless, pregnant women and their newborn. I was told the residents love to read, especially while they are nursing.<br />
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Here's what I need (number of copies is indicated in parenthesis)*:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqdVotO2n4Y/Vh1U4ORZWfI/AAAAAAAACVk/LZvjROSp6WE/s1600/Wanted-Harry-Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pqdVotO2n4Y/Vh1U4ORZWfI/AAAAAAAACVk/LZvjROSp6WE/s320/Wanted-Harry-Potter.jpg" width="320" /></a><i>From the Twilight Series</i><br />
Twilight <span style="color: red;">(1)</span><br />
<strike><span style="color: red;">New Moon (0)</span></strike><br />
Eclipse (1)<br />
Breaking Dawn (1)<br />
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<i>From the Harry Potter Series </i><br />
<strike><span style="color: red;">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (0)</span></strike><br />
<strike><span style="color: red;">Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (0)</span></strike><br />
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1)<br />
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (1)<br />
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (1)<br />
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (1)<br />
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (1)<br />
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<i>From the Divergent Series</i></div>
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Divergent (1)</div>
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Insurgent (1)</div>
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Allegiant (1)<br />
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<i>From the Hunger Games Series</i></div>
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<strike><span style="color: red;">The Hunger Games (0)</span></strike></div>
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<strike><span style="color: red;">Catching Fire (0)</span></strike></div>
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<strike><span style="color: red;">Mockingjay (0)</span></strike><br />
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Please help me spread the word and if anyone has a book or two to donate, please contact me via Twitter (@ValerieColeYA) or email (ValerieFM at gmail dot com).<br />
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*As donations come in, I will update the numbers above. </div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-26815417498989648372015-10-06T12:47:00.000-04:002015-10-06T13:27:38.285-04:00Celebrating 10 Years of Twilight -- With GifsThe news of a new Twilight novel exploded on Twitter this morning and there were so many discussions of what it meant for Stephenie Myer, the fandom, and of course YA writers.<br />
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And, of course, the first thing I remembered was the rise of Twihards, the excitement around each new book release and the movies--AND THE GIFS AND MEMES, you guys. THE GIFS AND MEMES WERE EVERYTHING.</div>
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In fact, deep in my Dropbox I have a little folder of them from 2006-2009 that I saved because they were so funny. I sorted through them this morning (I had a lot of Britney pre-meltdown and Rock of Love gifs too so don't judge me) reliving all my memories of the Twilight fandom. And now I'd like to share them with you.*</div>
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Here we go...</div>
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Okay, let's get it out of the way: Edward sparkled. We all know. And the memes and gifs were fantastic.</div>
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And no one really understood our fandom...<br />
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But we all knew...</div>
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And protected it like it was the special sparkly flower it was...</div>
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Because HOW adorable was RPatz? He was our heartthrob who could look like this on screen...<br />
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But in real life he was like this...<br />
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Move aside, Jennifer Lawrence. Robert and Kristen were the real media fail darlings (I used to have a gif of Kristen dropping her MTV Movie Award but lost it).<br />
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And his hair! Remember RPatz hair?? We were so obsessed with it!<br />
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RPatz rolled with his crew of vampires and we were onboard for the ride.<br />
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Pop quiz! What was the true answer to this question??<br />
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Here's a hint. And, congrats if you got his fandom joke!</div>
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And when the movie news started to slowly leak, we were so insanely excited. I remember gasping and flailing at this tease from ET.</div>
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And screamed when I saw this clip "HE ALMOST TOUCHED HER!!! HE'S COLD!!!"</div>
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So cold. </div>
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And if anyone ever gave me crap for loving Twilight, I pulled out this gif.</div>
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And I went to Burger King for the first time since I was ten just for this beauty.</div>
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Let's not forget the special flower that was Jacob, who tried so hard to win our affections. Really, all he had to do was cut that damn hair and take his shirt off.<br />
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But we all knew the real love was between Edward and Bella.<br />
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Speaking of Bella, she was extremely mature in her romantic pursuits.<br />
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Even if she did fall for this guy.<br />
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But he was protective.</div>
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And sensitive.</div>
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And damn cool.<br />
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And could save you from a flying van and leap over a truck with a single bound.<br />
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So, YAY for Twilight! YAY for Stephenie Myer! YAY for the fans. If you'll excuse me, I need to run to the bookstore to buy my copy of Life and Death now.<br />
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*Guys, gifs and memes are not my own. Thank you to whomever created them. You are the true blessings of the Internet.</div>
Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-38446718850178012582015-09-13T22:17:00.002-04:002015-09-13T22:20:44.873-04:00What I've Been Reading - September 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last month, I finally finished my <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/05/currently-reading-may-2015.html" target="_blank">Summer Reading Challenge</a>, which focused on reading books that had been gathering dust on my shelves. During that time, there were so many ARCs and recommendations for books I could not WAIT to read.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between by Jennifer E Smith</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_14IzxypPs/VfYXLvOFtuI/AAAAAAAACNo/zpbZBao3J6Y/s1600/Hello%2BGoodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_14IzxypPs/VfYXLvOFtuI/AAAAAAAACNo/zpbZBao3J6Y/s320/Hello%2BGoodbye.jpg" width="212" /></a>I love Jennifer E Smith, and even had the <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2013/07/writers-like-us-jennifer-e-smith.html" target="_blank">awesome privilege to interview her</a> on my blog. I admire her writing style, which is 3rd person, present tense--an extremely hard combo to write in! Her stories are always fun and swooney. Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between follows the last night Clare and Aidan have together before they leave for college. Jennifer did such an excellent job capturing the last minute doubts and nerves before leaving for college, while also showing the strains the college process can take on families and friends, as well as the teen. I finished this book with a heavy heart and a goofy smile. I'd love to put this in the hands of every graduating high school senior. Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between is out now.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Shadow Queen by C. J. Redwine</span></div>
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What I was not expecting was for this to be such a high-energy, thrilling story. Lorelai was a brave and fearless main character, who took on her evil stepmother's magic with the powerful force of her own.<br />
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What really made this book exciting was Kole, a reluctant king who needs help in protecting his half-dragon, half-human kingdom from ogres. I loved the descriptions of his two hearts (one human and one dragon), and how one overpowered the other. <br />
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I'm excited for this series, which is several retellings that stand alone. The Shadow Queen comes out in February 2016.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios</span><br />
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I'll Meet You There combined some of my favorite things: a wounded Marine, a feisty girl, a lower-middle class setting, and blue collared jobs.<br />
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I'm not sure what there is to say that most haven't already. It's become a favorite with many readers in my circle, so I'm late to the party with this one. It came out in February 2015.<br />
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Una LaMache is one of my favorite authors. I loved Like No Other, and was super excited about <i>Don't Fail Me Now, </i>which is about two teens who live in Maryland (my home state) and go searching for their dying father.</div>
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Also highly recommended has been <i>A Million Miles Away, </i>which is an Alloy-developed romance about a twin girl stepping into her deceased sister's shoes when her sister's boyfriend comes home from Afghanistan. </div>
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Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-24014365557452437322015-09-06T20:53:00.001-04:002015-09-06T20:58:04.791-04:00For Your TBR Pile - The Nightmares! Series<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw7J9-u4TbM/VezfslQgmGI/AAAAAAAACNI/ouhn5nj4BZo/s1600/Jason-Segel-Nightmares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aw7J9-u4TbM/VezfslQgmGI/AAAAAAAACNI/ouhn5nj4BZo/s320/Jason-Segel-Nightmares.jpg" width="212" /></a><i>Nightmares! </i>and <i>Nightmares! The Sleepwalker Tonic</i><br />
by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller<br />
Random House<br />
Published September 8, 2015<br />
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Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller's <i>Nightmares! </i>series has been on my TBR pile ever since it debuted last year. I was super excited when Random House asked me to review the sequel, The Sleepwalker Tonic. I fell in love with this series. Charlie Laird is a fantastic protagonist for both kids and adults.<br />
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In <i>Nightmares! </i>we meet Charlie after his mother has died and his father has remarried and moved them into his stepmother's purple mansion down the street. Charlie is sure his new stepmother is probably a witch, and battles terrible nightmares with her every night. Refusing to sleep, he's cranky with his Captain America-loving little brother, Jack and finds extra trouble for himself at school.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvkwZCbxmNs/VezfsnNBSxI/AAAAAAAACNM/3XQTkpsiXcI/s1600/Jason-Segel-Nightmares-SWT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CvkwZCbxmNs/VezfsnNBSxI/AAAAAAAACNM/3XQTkpsiXcI/s320/Jason-Segel-Nightmares-SWT.jpg" width="206" /></a>After crossing over into a portal into the nightmare world, Charlie faces his fears with the help from his friends (both human and not-so human).<br />
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<i>Nightmares! - The Sleepwalker Tonic</i> is a fantastic sequel to the world Segel and Miller have built. When sleepwalking zombies take over the neighboring town, Charlie knows where he can find the culprits.<br />
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What is awesome about this series is how easily the talents of Segel and Miller come together to create a powerhouse writing team. The characters are fun, quirky, and hilariously developed. The story has a lot of heart that will appeal to both kids and parents. This is a great series to read aloud.<br />
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Bonus: if you get the audio book, Jason Segel reads and has a variety of fantastic voices. Along with his involvement in the Muppets movies, the Nightmares! series shows that Segel knows how to develop awesome stories for children and parents alike. I'm excited to see what he'll continue to do in this space.<br />
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<br />Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3169405637077740992.post-83169216574468569932015-09-03T22:05:00.000-04:002015-09-03T22:09:30.102-04:00September 2015 Check InHello, hello!<br />
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Wow--I can't believe this summer is completely over. It started in such a strange space for me. I left my job in advertising to concentrate on writing. I was really frazzled and scared and completely freaked out to take such a huge risk. Now I feel much more settled and am really proud to have a lot of new accomplishments under my belt. </div>
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My writing is going well. I finished a manuscript that I'm really proud of and started a new one last month. I took an entire month to outline and brainstorm--something I don't typically do. Usually, I start a new WIP by diving in headfirst and not really worrying about things like PLOT or STRUCTURE. This time, though, I put in the time and have something really, really solid. If I can manage to write 1-2 chapters a day, I can finish a first draft in 3 weeks. I have no idea if that's actually going to happen, but it's a really great position to be in.<br />
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I've been chronicalling some fun stories this summer. You can find them here:<br />
<a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/08/my-birthday.html" target="_blank">The Birthday When I Almost Died</a><br />
<a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/08/pro-tip-for-when-your-car-goes-chunka.html" target="_blank">How I Got Stranded In The VA Mountains</a><br />
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And there was also Pitch Wars! Stephanie Scott and I picked an awesome contemporary YA written by Jenn Kompos. I'm so excited to sink my editing teeth into this MS and help make it awesome for the agent round.<br />
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I've been reading everything and anything I could get my hands on. In <a href="http://valeriefm80.blogspot.com/2015/05/currently-reading-may-2015.html" target="_blank">May</a> I started a Summer Reading Challenge and picked 11 books that had been collecting dust on my shelf for way too long. I ended up reading 29 books total this summer. A few ARCs popped up for review and I strayed a bit from my list at times. </div>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6271702-valerie-cole">Valerie</a> has
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I'm still going to yoga about 2-3 times a week and I absolutely love how it helps me clear my head. I've always been a hater of all things exercise and have been anti-movement of any kind. Yoga helps me feel strong and centered. I wish I'd found it a long time ago.
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And, of course, I'm still super into Big Brother. I'm completely Team Johnny Mac and absolutely hate almost everybody else left in the house. This season has been really fun and the cast members have been really vicious and brutal. Can Vanessa just leave already? She's such a villain and her crazy switch makes me super nervous. I miss Meg and James and Jason--all the good ones got voted out. *sigh*<br />
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Fall is going to be double awesome. I can't wait to get my basic on and start picking apples and wearing Uggs again. See you in October!<br />
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Valerie Colehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07513182712732966085noreply@blogger.com2