Book Review: JUST FLIRT

JUST FLIRT by Laura Bowers

Dee Barton loves to flirt. It’s fun, and she’s good at it. Flirting makes everyone involved, flirter and flirtee, feel good. And a  little fun is exactly what Dee needs in order to forget her sorrows. It’s been a rough fifteen months, with her father dying, her ex-boyfriend dating Sabrina Owens, and the financial strain on the family campground she and her mother are trying to keep up. A little harmless flirting seems to be just what the doctor ordered. But when a blog called the Superflirt Chronicles puts her in the middle of a devastating lawsuit, she’ll have to team up with her biggest enemy, Sabrina, to make things right.

Bowers weaves an intricate story of fun and flirty summer days, riddled with miscommunications and misconceptions that are sure to keep the readers guessing. Touching on tough issues like grief, abuse and deception in a real and fully approachable way, this book is a fun and lighthearted, "summer beach read" with plenty of substance to carry through to the rest of the year.

Disclaimer: I've gotten to know Laura Bowers through my local chapter of SCBWI, and she's an amazing person as well as an amazing writer. But I don't think I'm biased in my review. Read the book and judge for yourself. You won't be sorry you did. :)

Woo Hoo!

As I promised yesterday, I spent today tackling Challenge #3 from the SCBWI MD/DE/WV blog: As the Eraser Burns. This challenge was another "easy" one that turned out to be not quite so easy. (Are you noticing a trend here? I'm starting to suspect there might be a reason my dear, sweet hubby always accuses me of making everything more complicated than it needs to be.)

The challenge was to take a moment to give yourself a "Woo Hoo!" for all of the things, both big and small, that you've accomplished recently. Too often, when we're doing well, we only focus forward on the next big hurdle. "I'll stop and celebrate after..." But we never stop to celebrate. Once we clear the hurdle, we're looking forward to the next one, and then the next... and the only time we ever stop to look back at what we have done is when we stumble and fall. Then, we only look back and see what we should have done better.

That's the idea behind this week's challenge. We were supposed to take some time to make a list of everything we have done - all of our recent accomplishments - and then take a little bit of time to stop and celebrate. Simple, right?

I set aside the whole day for this challenge!

First, the list:

In the past month, I have:
  * Written a new first draft of a middle grade novel - in 72 hours!
  * Done a full revision on my young adult novel... then sent it to a friend for critique... then started another revision
  * Revised one of  my picture book manuscripts... submitted it to my critique group... had a brilliant brainstorming session with the critique group, where they totally helped me fix my flat ending... revised the manuscript again and sent it back to the group for more feedback
  * Figured out how to add comments and a search feature to my author website... and figured out how to link my blog and my author website together!
  * Developed two new patterns for the Recycle Knit book I'm writing (pictures of the finished products to be posted soon - probably early next week, but maybe sooner)
  * More consistently updated my website and blog
  * Signed up to attend the regional SCBWI conference next month

... and that's just my writing accomplishments! On top of all that, I have:
  * Knitted 2 tote bags, several necklaces, four bracelets and a hat from recycled plastic bags
  * Made 3 wooden decorative signs as end-of-the-year teacher gifts for my daughter's favorite teachers
  * Coordinated all of the medical paperwork/appointments I need to do before we can get clearance for our next assignment
  * Chaperoned an all-day (6am to 10pm) field trip to the Eastern Regional Music Festival with my daughter
  * Attended end-of-year awards assemblies / picnics for all four children (2 of which happened in the middle of my 72-hour middle grade madness challenge!)
  * Volunteered to serve goodies at the elementary school 5th grade farewell
  * Started sorting through things to get ready for our move

... and that doesn't include all of the every day accomplishments, like making dinner, folding laundry and playing referee when the kids are at each other's throats.

I've accomplished A LOT!!

Woo Hoo!!!!

To celebrate, I set aside most of the day today to relax. I went to the Temple this morning (I try to go once a week - it really helps to rejuvenate me and give me the strength I need to get through the busy days), and I planned to spend the afternoon baking bread with my daughters before settling down to watch a movie with the family.

It was a great plan.

Unfortunately, I was running late this morning, so I didn't get to the Temple as early as I'd planned. This set my schedule back a bit, but I wasn't concerned. Still plenty of time to get in lots of relaxing - and I enjoy my time at the Temple so much that I really don't mind when it takes longer than I plan.

But then I got stuck in traffic (all 4 lanes of highway completely closed for some reason for more than an hour) on the way home, and by the time I got through the mess, there was no time for baking bread. And I was planning on using the bread for sandwiches to eat for dinner while we relaxed together with a movie!

I was tempted to grumble and complain and grump about the kink in my plans.... And, yeah, I admit it... I gave into temptation. I grumbled quite a bit before I realized this is NOT what Challenge #3 was all about! The point was to have fun and acknowledge the things I've done, not to have some perfectly coordinated moment I could brag about later!

So, we made whole wheat waffles (with the homemade mix I threw together on Sunday afternoon) instead of bread, and we still had yummy chicken sandwiches for dinner while we watched "Pure Country" - one of my favorite movies from when I was in high school.

Woo Hoo!!

(And one more Woo Hoo! for the fact that I am now ALL CAUGHT UP on the pre-conference challenges. Now, I'm ready to tackle challenge #4 when they post it tomorrow!)

My Favorite Books: Why Do I Love Them?

As promised, tonight I am tackling Conference Challenge #2 from the SCBWI MD/DE/WV blog. The challenge?
"I want you to make a list of all your favorite children’s books throughout the years: When you were a kid, when you were in middle school, as a teenager, and as an adult.
Then ask yourself. Why do I love this book?...How can I use these elements to improve my current work-in-progress?"

It seems like a fairly easy challenge, but I've been putting it off and kind of dreading it for nearly two weeks now. Because choosing favorite books is like choosing a favorite food. I can't do either one. Sometimes, I'm in the mood for something sweet and soft. Sometimes, I want something a little bit salty. Sometimes, I really need something that has a kick to it. My favorites have always changed from moment to moment, depending on my mood. So to truly pick my favorite books throughout the years, I would have to list 75% of all the books I've ever read.

But of course, I can't list them all. Once again, I'm grateful for the wisdom of the blog administrators who advised: "Set your timer for thirty minutes, dig deep with this one, and have fun!" The timer is set. For the next thirty minutes, I'll walk you through my life in books, and we'll see where it takes us. :)

My very first favorite book was THE FIRE CAT by Esther Averill. I loved this book so much that I wanted to read it constantly! Of course, at four years old, I couldn't read yet. So I would bring it to my big sister and beg her to read it to me - sometimes 7 or 8 (or more) times in a row!! She got tired of it really quickly, and she started skipping words on the page to make the story go faster. Unfortunately, I had the book memorized by this time, and I called her on it every single time she tried to skip a word. So finally, she simply taught me how to read so that I could read the book to myself!

Why did I love this book so much? Pickles, the fire cat, was a character I could identify with. He was a cat that was destined for greatness... but he was a little bit awkward and felt like he didn't quite belong, and sometimes, he made wrong choices, because he didn't know what else to do with himself.  But his friends didn't give up on him, and eventually, he learned to channel his energies into something good.

When I was in 5th or 6th grade, I loved DAPHNE'S BOOK by Mary Downing Hahn. I wanted to be a writer, and I was thrilled to find a book about someone my own age who was a writer too. But even more than that, I felt Jessica's struggle as she tried to be a friend to Daphne, but worried about what the other kids in class might say about her. Jessica wanted to be someone great, but she didn't know how to get there. And so she made choices that hurt her friend. Once again, I connected with an awkward character who wanted to be more than she felt she was capable of. I cried when she chose to shut Daphne out, and I rejoiced when she got a second chance to try to fix her mistakes. Because it's a middle grade book, and not an early reader, the story is more complex than THE FIRE CAT. Things aren't so simple in this book. Not everything turns out perfectly and happily ever after in the end. But once again, a flawed and awkward main character chooses to embrace the greatness she has within.

As I got older, I loved (and still love) ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll and THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN by Mark Twain. I loved A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L'Engle and THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster. I adored WORD CHANGER by ?? and NIGHTFALL by Isaac Asimov (actually, I'm not sure if that last one is considered children's literature, so maybe I'm cheating...) And one of my newest favorites is SPECTRAL by Shannon Duffy. (You can read my review here.)

I could list hundreds of books... but my thirty minutes are up. Suffice it to say, I've realized that there is one common thread that binds together all of my favorite books over the years. I'm drawn to books with characters who have a seed of greatness within them, even though they may not see it themselves at first. I love characters who are flawed and awkward, who want to do Big Things but fumble and stumble and mess everything up because they don't know how to be the person they want to be. I love to step into their stories and cheer them on as they find the courage to make the hard choices... to become the great people they were destined to be. But I wouldn't love them so much if they were perfect. They are the loveable geeks, the misunderstood and quiet folks that others might overlook, the characters that might someday grow up to be powerful, influential people. But not yet.

Now, I just need to make sure my characters are adorkable, and not simply awkward. As a former adorkable character, I'm ready to take on that challenge!

It's All a Matter of Perspective

It's been a crazy, busy few weeks, but I promised myself that I would do it, so I'm finally playing catch-up on the Conference Challenges issued by the MD/WV/DE chapter of SCBWI. I tackled Challenge #1 last week, but I'm just getting around to blogging about it. (I plan to do Challenge #2 today and #3 tomorrow, so I can be caught up before #4 is posted on Wednesday.)

The first of 8 weekly challenges given to prepare us for our upcoming regional conference was to think about the way a change in perspective alters the voice of the story. We were given the challenge to tell three classic fairy tales, each from a different point of view from the original story. (A 30-minute time limit for writing each retelling kept me from overthinking.)

I will probably post the other two stories later in the month, but for now, please enjoy my retelling of "The Princess and the Pea" from the pea's perspective.

Almost everyone knows the story of the Princess and the Pea. At least, almost everyone knows the story about the shallow, spoiled prince and his domineering, stuck-up mother. Chances are, you already know all about how the pretty, little diva who calls herself a princess “proved” it by feeling a tiny, little pea through a thick pile of mattresses.

But come on, people! The story is called the princess and the PEA, for goodness’ sake! Let’s give credit where credit is due, already! I mean, if it wasn’t for me, that little diva wouldn’t even be a part of the fairy tale.

It all started when Prince Lazybones decided he wanted to get married. Of course, he declared that he could only marry the most beautiful girl in the world, because that’s the kind of thing that princes do.

Queen Bea couldn’t wait to start planning a royal wedding. It would be the perfect excuse to throw a huge party with flowers and balloons and fancy dishes, to which she would only invite the Most Important People. Because everyone knows that the best parties always have a long list of people who are NOT invited, who can watch from a distance, green with envy, wishing they could be a part of the in crowd.

But the more the Queen planned for the ultimate party, the more she worried. She’d noticed a growing trend in fairy tales, where common, but beautiful girls were winning the hearts of princes everywhere, completely messing up the purity of the royal bloodlines. She couldn’t risk allowing Prince Lazybones to marry a commoner. Why, what would her friends think?

So she came up with a great plan. She put me, a tiny, little, insignificant pea, on the frame of the giant bed in the guest chambers and piled dozens of mattresses on top of me. Then, she invited the princesses, one at a time, to spend the night at the castle, in the guest bed.

I was just supposed to lie there, like a lump, all night long. The princess who guessed I was there would prove she was sensitive enough to win Prince Lazybones.

Well, do you know how hard it is to get comfortable when you’re squished underneath a stack of heavy mattresses, topped with princesses who aren’t always as dainty as they look? By the twelfth night, I couldn’t take it any longer. I started rolling around, trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep in.

I guess my tossing and turning woke up the diva, because the next morning, she announced that she’d had the worst night of sleep ever. She said that she couldn’t get comfortable, because it felt like there was something in her bed.

And that’s how I made the diva Princess a star.

(Return to my list of "just for fun" stories)

Book Review: Little Kitchen: 40 Delicious and Simple Things That Children Can Really Make

With the kids home from school for the summer, you might be looking for a way to keep them busy. LITTLE KITCHEN: 40 DELICIOUS AND SIMPLE THINGS THAT CHILDREN CAN REALLY MAKE by Sabrina Parrini is a perfect cookbook for summertime, when things are a little less rushed and you have more time to experiment together in the kitchen.

Parrini has compiled a collection of delicious recipes for real food, not just simple snacks constructed from ready-made items, as most cookbooks for children have.  Inside, you’ll find recipes for minestrone, potato croquettes, meatballs, crunchy chicken fingers, perfect potato gnocchi, sticky rosewater dumplings, mini chocolate soufflés, shortbreads, and more.  The recipes are truly delicious, and children learn real cooking skills with real ingredients.  Parrini also includes 2 introductory letters, one written to the children and one to parents, as well as a “safety first” section and a rundown of the kind of ingredients and equipment needed for the recipes in the book.  (I recommend you read these introductory letters with your child, as they contain great advice for using the book. Don't be tempted to skip the introduction and move straight to the recipes.)

The recipes were well-written, with clear instructions that the child could easily follow.  The potentially dangerous steps in each recipe are flagged with the phrase “Ask a grown-up” to remind young children and parents alike of the importance of adult supervision.   This is not, however, a beginner’s cookbook.  While nothing is too difficult for a child to handle (with appropriate adult help), the recipes aren’t necessarily what I would call “simple.”  Parrini warns, in her introductory letter to parents, that you should “plan to cook when you have plenty of time,” and she isn’t joking.  Most of these recipes take at least an hour to prepare, in addition to cooking time, so cooking with children takes patience.  (This is what makes it an ideal cookbook for summer time. We tried a few recipes on school nights, and it made for late nights and grumpy mornings, but in the summertime, you don't have such time constraints!)

The time commitment for these recipes is much more than most cooking-with-kids cookbooks. However, in the end, the kids learn real skills in the kitchen and are better prepared to tackle real recipes on their own as they grow. It's a great way to learn together and a great activity to fill those summer days when kids say "I'm bored. I have nothing to do."

I Won! (Even Though I Lost)

As you know, last week, I participated in the May Mid-Grade Madness challenge, to write a 20,000-word Middle Grade novel within 72 hours. I completed the manuscript with 38 minutes to spare before my official 72 hours were up. A full first draft of a novel, start to finish, with an actual plot and developed characters and everything. The only problem? I still didn't know whether or not I actually "won" the challenge. I write my first drafts in pencil, so I wouldn't know until I finished typing up my pages if I actually wrote 20,000 words or more. I'd taken time out on Wednesday evening/Thursday morning to type up my pages from the first two days, so I knew I had only about 7,300 words left to write on Thursday... And I'd written more pages on Thursday than I had written on Tuesday or Wednesday, so I was cautiously optimistic. Actually, I was pretty sure I had gone over the required word count, but just in case I hadn't, I started tallying up all of the OTHER things I accomplished during my 72 hours of writing time.

Yes, as always, I had some added challenges thrown into my 72 hours. My original plan, to avoid all other distractions so that I could concentrate solely on the challenge, fell to pieces when my medical clearance interview (scheduled for 9:30 am on Tuesday - 13 hours into my challenge) stretched out to gobble up approximately 5 hours of my time, rather than the 45 minutes I had allotted. Then, my 2nd grade daughter came home to tell me that her end-of-the-year picnic/fun day for school was scheduled from noon to three on Thursday (when I should be finishing up my manuscript)... and then, my 4th grade daughter informed me that her end-of-the-year picnic/fun day was on Wednesday, from noon to three. And I promised my sweet, super-supportive husband that I would not let this challenge cultivate unhealthy habits, so he was really good about telling me to turn off the lights at 10:30 each night (and for once, I was actually really good at listening to him!)

Then, of course, there was the time I had to take to allow the contractor to come take measurements for the new door/windows we'll be installing in the house before the move... and there was the exciting field trip my 7th grade daughter wanted to tell me about when she came home from school... and the video of her latest music competition that she brought home and we had to watch together with the family right away... and there was a crisis when everyone realized that Mommy really meant it when she said she wasn't planning to cook dinner, and no one had planned a menu for Tuesday night (or Wednesday night or Thursday night), so they had to come find me for suggestions...

As I started typing up my final pages, I told myself repeatedly that, just in case I didn't make it, I had plenty of valid reasons why not!

Since I typed the pages from the final day AFTER the 72 hours were finished, I decided it would be cheating to type up my story in my normal way. Usually, I write the draft in pencil, and then, as I type up the pages, I add in a word here, a sentence there... the ideas that hit me after I had already filled the page and didn't have any more room in the margins to squeeze in an extra thought. That way, by the time I type up my first draft, it's not quite at the second draft stage, but more than a first draft - we'll call it draft #1 1/2. But adding to the word count after the 72 hours would be cheating, right? I wasn't sure, so I played it safe. I changed the color of my text (so I'd know where I still had to go back and add the thoughts I'd missed on the page) and typed only the words that were actually written on the page (with the exception of a few spots where I'd written in my own special form of "shorthand" for phrases and thoughts that are common enough to me that I can write a few letters to symbolize the actual words that are supposed to be in the manuscript). And when I was all finished typing....

I was about 500 words short of my 20,000-word goal!! Tears! Devastation! Heartbreak! All of that work, for nothing!!

But wait! It wasn't for nothing!!!

I proved to myself that I could write a full first draft in a three-day period - WITHOUT sacrificing my number one priority: time with my family. And no, technically I didn't win the challenge. I didn't make it to 20,000 words. But I got awfully close, and if I had taken the time to work ONLY on my story during that 72 hours, I would have done it. If I hadn't taken the time to eat dinner with my family, to go to the end-of-the-year picnics (though I admit, I didn't stay for the entire time either day), to watch the video with my daughter... If I hadn't taken the time to take care of the essential items that popped up on the before-we-move checklist... I would have had time to type up those last pages before the 72 hours expired, and I could have added in the extra words as I typed.

But if I had managed to take those extra hours, I would have missed calling my husband's Nana for her birthday. I would have missed the smile on my daughter's face when she saw me walk onto the playground for her picnic. I would have lost, even though I won.

I made the right choice.

I Am Insane

Update: I've completed the May Mid-Grade Madness challenge!! Actually, since I write my first drafts by hand and I haven't finished typing up my pages yet, I'm not 100% sure that I made the goal of 20,000 words in the 72 hours. But I finished my story, and with a little over 18 pages left to type up, I have a word count so far of 15,042. Averaging 250 words per page, I'd come out just under my goal, but so far, I'm averaging about 300 words per page, so maybe... :)

Just in case there was any doubt, I thought I'd put your minds at ease. Yes, I am completely insane.

Not only am I preparing for a move across the country in just a few short weeks (including tons of paperwork/interviews/massive amounts of red tape so that I can get medical clearance before my husband gets his official orders so we can start scheduling things like movers and housing at the next base), but I'm busy with all of the kids' end-of-the-school-year activities. I also agreed to make two of my recycled plastic knitted bags for my primary care doctor's nurses and I've promised several friends and family members that we'll get together for fun stuff before we move away. So I'm a pretty busy lady these days. No time for any extra time commitments. I have enough to do, thank you very much.

But, yeah. I'm insane.

Starting tonight, and for the next 72 hours, I will be participating in the May Mid-Grade Madness challenge from my local SCBWI chapter - to write a 20,000-word middle grade novel in only 72 hours. I've also promised that I will also participate in each of the eight challenges leading up to our next regional conference. And I'm still working on making the rounds in the Query Roundtable event, to comment on all of the entries. (I'll try to finish commenting on those entries this afternoon, before I start my 72-hour challenge.)

Do I have time for all of this? Probably not. Am I planning to scale back and let some of these extra challenges/writing activities go? Nope!

I'm a writer. It's in my blood. And by definition, that means I'm a little bit crazy. And I have to write. Even when it's a crazy time commitment and I have other things that I "should" be doing instead. My story pencils are calling my name, and I am compelled to answer them.

However, I will be letting all of the "non-essentials" go by the wayside this week. I won't be checking my email, twitter or facebook accounts. I won't be sitting in front of the television. I'm not cooking or cleaning. Laundry and dishes can wait. (My daughter made me promise I will stop to eat. - She even offered to pack a lunch each morning to put next to my writing chair so I won't have to stop mid-day for food. Only for a short dinner with the family each evening.)

Rest assured, on Thursday evening, when my 72 hours for the Mid-Grade Madness challenge have expired, I will take a break and check in online before I start playing catch-up on the conference challenges. I'll see you all on the other side! :)

Query Roundtable

This week, I'm excited to participate in the Query Roundtable event through Rachel Horwitz's blog. I've updated and revised my query (and my manuscript too, by the way) after the valuable feedback I received from those participating in The Writer's Voice competition, and I can't wait to hear your feedback on my new, improved query. Thanks so much for looking!


Title: KISSING FROGS

Genre: YA Contemporary

Word Count: 53,007

Alaina Andersen used to dream of growing up to be a princess, not the girl with the biggest boobs at Southbrook High. But other than her good grades, she’s afraid her DD-cup bra is the only thing anyone notices about her. Alaina has never been kissed, she’s never had a boyfriend, and she’s never even been out on a real date. Most boys are only interested in one thing, but Alaina is holding out for true romance.
 

She’s pretty sure that Shane Crawford is the perfect boy she’s been waiting for. Not only is he gorgeous, he’s sweet and sensitive, and he doesn’t gawk at her chest when he talks to her. Alaina believes that if she could win Shane’s heart, she could finally be recognized as more than just the sum of her parts. With the perfect boyfriend at her side, she might even discover where she belongs. But when Shane kisses her, then asks her to pretend nothing happened, she begins to think that nice guys only exist in the fairy tales she used to believe in. Picking up the pieces of her shattered fantasy, Alaina discovers that Prince Charming and perfect, magical kisses, aren’t the key to finding her own “Happily Ever After.”

Book Review: FIRST DESCENT by Pam Withers

FIRST DESCENT by Pam Withers

Rex Scruggs feels more at home out on the river with his kayak than anywhere else.  He’s grown up in the shadow of his famous grandfather, Malcolm Scruggs, who was well-known for being the first to conquer several South American rivers.  Rex dreams of making a name for himself and carrying on his grandfather’s legacy by being the first to paddle down El Furioso, the one river Malcolm never completed.  The river proves itself to be a formidable opponent, but the class V rapids aren’t the greatest danger Rex will face.  As he grows close to Myriam Calambás, the native girl who agreed to be his guide on the river and who dreams of becoming a reporter so that she can tell the world about her families’ struggles, Rex gets caught up in the political struggle that she and the other indígenas face every day.  Struggling to maintain their independence and neutrality in the middle of a struggle between the paramilitaries and the guerillas who want to claim the land for their own use, Myriam’s people face daily threats to their lives, and Rex is soon caught in the middle of a war he didn’t ask to fight. 

Withers tells spine-tingling, adrenaline-pumping, action-packed story of finding your place in the world, even against impossible odds.  I wasn't sure about this book when I picked it up. Action/adventure books aren't usually my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised. Rex and Myriam are such strong characters that I felt like I was living the story with them, and I couldn't put it down!

Taming the Green-Eyed Monster

So, as you know, I've entered The Writer's Voice competition, and I'm so thrilled for the chance to compete against some amazingly talented writers in this contest. I've had a bit of positive initial feedback on my entry, but as the hours pass and I see more and more of the available 40 slots filling up with requests on the other entries, I have to admit I've felt more than one twinge of jealousy.

I realized that this was a perfect time to remind myself of the message from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's address in the most recent General Conference for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon church).

Elder Holland said: "envy is a mistake that just keeps on giving. Obviously we suffer a little when some misfortune‍ befalls us,‍ but envy requires us to suffer all good fortune‍ that befalls everyone‍ we know! What a bright prospect that is—downing another quart of pickle juice every time anyone around you has a happy moment! To say nothing of the chagrin in the end, when we find that God really is both just and merciful, giving to all who stand with Him “all that he hath,”²‍ as the scripture says. So lesson number one from the Lord’s vineyard: coveting, pouting, or tearing others down does not‍ elevate your‍ standing, nor does demeaning someone else improve your self-image. So be kind, and be grateful that God is kind. It is a happy way to live."

Of course, he's 100% right. Whether or not I get selected to work with one of these amazingly talented coaches, I've learned so much simply from the process of getting my submission ready for the contest. There's no need to down a quart of pickle juice simply because I wasn't the first one picked for a team (of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't still be thrilled to get a comment saying I've been picked)!! :)

I'm so grateful for the love and support I've felt from my fellow contestants, and that's what really matters, in the end, isn't it? Thank you all for this amazing opportunity! You're the best!

(If you would like to hear the full talk by Elder Holland, I'm including the video here:)

Writer's Voice

The Writers Voice competition, run by the AMAZING Brenda Drake, Monica B.W., Krista Van Dolzer & Cupid, is inspired by the TV show "The Voice." I'm contestant #88. If I'm lucky, one of these brilliant ladies will choose me for her team, and with her help, I'll be able to polish my submission until it gleams and have a chance to be seen by 8 awesome agents! Wish me luck!!

Title: KISSING FROGS
Entry #88
Genre: YA Contemporary
Word Count: 52,071

Query:

Seventeen-year-old Alaina Andersen is waiting for her white knight to ride up and sweep her off her feet with the perfect, magical kiss. She desperately wants to be the princess, even though she feels like a frog, compared to the perfect, popular girls who used to be her friends. When Shane Crawford, the most gorgeous boy in school, shows interest in her, Alaina thinks she’s finally found her fairy tale, but the kiss is a disaster and happily ever after is nowhere in sight.

In true fairy godmother style, Alaina’s friend, Kendra, offers to help her become the perfect “princess.” But Alaina’s best guy friend doesn’t want her to change, and her sister doesn’t trust Kendra.  When Shane comes back, begging for another chance to win her heart, and the “mean girls” turn out to be true friends, Alaina wonders if Kendra might be more wicked witch than fairy godmother after all.

KISSING FROGS is Young Adult contemporary novel, complete at 52,000 words.

First 250:
I’m not exactly the fairy-tale princess type. Flowers don’t bloom at my feet, and birds don’t follow me around, singing happy little songs. I’m seventeen years old, and I’ve never even been out on a real date. So when my best guy friend, Jarod, pretends to be in love with me, it’s kind of fun to play along.

“Hi gorgeous, how was your day?” Jarod, met me at my classroom door and took my books.

“Typical Tuesday. Pretty boring. You?”

I sat on the wobbly old desk Mr. Finn kept outside his classroom, careful to avoid the pile of graded homework assignments stacked in the corner.

Jarod twirled the combination and yanked my locker open. “Well, I’m talking to you. I’d say it’s been a great day.” He wiggled his eyebrows and winked.

He dropped his backpack on the bottom shelf and handed my flute to me. Turning back to my locker, he tore down the list Kendra had taped to the inside of the door.

“How many times do I have to get rid of this?” he demanded.

I shrugged. “Kendra says…”

“Kendra’s evil.” He tore the paper in half. “Why do you believe her lies? You do not have a big nose!”

I pulled the ponytail holder out of my hair and bent my head, letting my curls fall down to hide my nose. “Kendra’s trying to help me become a better person,” I mumbled. “I can’t improve myself if I don’t know where I need work.”

Confidence and Creativity

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you forget to remember that you can't do it. 

Luckily, I have lots of friends and family members who forget about my limitations on a regular basis, and I've discovered many hidden talents as I've worked to accomplish the things that my loved ones simply assume I already know how to do.

Need a custom-made hat in the shape of a U2 spy plane? 

Someone to fix your leaking toilet or install a new ceiling fan in your bedroom? 

Your favorite earrings broke and you need someone to fix them for you? 

Your daughter has egg allergies.  She feels left out at Christmas time when all of her friends are decorating sugar cookies, and you wish someone would invent an eggless sugar cookie recipe? 

School starts in two days, and you just found out that the dividers for the stalls in the newly remodeled pre-K bathroom won't be in until next week.  You need a temporary solution in place by tomorrow?

No problem.  "I bet Veronica can do that for us.  She's good at figuring things out."

Sometimes, it's a little overwhelming, the way everyone simply assumes that I already know how to fix whatever problem they're facing.  And I've thrown my share of temper tantrums as I stomp around, complaining to anyone who will listen, about the mile-long list of tasks I have on my over-full plate.  Because, really, my time is valuable, after all.  I can't really afford to take time to do all of these things!

And yet, I'm grateful for the challenges.  I've learned so many valuable skills - things I never would have even attempted, if someone hadn't simply assumed that I already knew how to do it.

What super secret skills are you hiding from yourself?

Book Review: SPECTRAL

SPECTRAL by Shannon Duffy is amazing!!! It totally deserves 5 stars!!!! (If I gave out stars for my reviews, which, you know, I don't...)

Honestly, I read this book as a favor for a friend (the amazing Brenda Drake - if you haven't been reading her blog, you should!) and I was a little bit hesitant when I picked it up. I usually read YA contemporary novels, and I haven't been too impressed with the paranormal trend in YA lit. (I wasn't a huge fan of the TWILIGHT saga, and I'm probably the only person in the world who doesn't have any desire to read HARRY POTTER), so I wasn't sure if this book was for me. I began to read with a healthy dose of skepticism, determined simply to find a few good things to say about a book I was sure I wouldn't love.

But by the middle of the first chapter, I was hooked. I put my daughter on dinner duty and decided laundry could wait until I finished reading. This book was simply too good to put down! I've never been so happy to be so wrong!


Growing up in the witness protection program, Jewel has always lived on the fringes. Close friends are out of the question, as she never knows how soon she'll be moving again. But when she moves to Pomona Park, Florida, things start looking up. Not only does she find a true and fast friend in cute, bubbly Taylor, but she is immediately drawn to ultra-hot, super-sweet jock, Chase, who seems to really like her too. Jewel finally feels like a normal teenager.

But Jewel can't stop thinking about Roman, the super sexy bad boy, who may have all the answers she's been looking for, and the key to saving her life - if she can really trust that he isn't the enemy!
Take the magic and drama of the Twilight saga, weave in the romance of star-crossed lovers like Romeo and Juliet and sprinkle on a healthy dose of "Who do you think you are?" to get a book that will keep you turning pages until the very end!

I fell in love with Chase the first time Jewel saw him outside the ice cream parlor, and I rooted for him to win her heart... but Roman was a seriously yummy distraction. What if he was really THE ONE? As Jewel struggles to discover the secrets of her family and who she really is, each boy plays a crucial role.

Forget the whole Team Edward / Team Jacob debate. Are you Team Roman or Team Chase?

What Inspires You?

Sometimes, I can be pretty fearless. I don't even think twice when it comes to putting on a silly costume and even posting pictures online for the whole world to see. I've gone cliff diving and swimming in the ocean. I've even told my kids the stories of my life's most embarrassing moments. But as you know, when it comes to my writing, I have a tendency to channel George McFly, from Back to the Future.

*I had a clip here of George McFly, explaining why he never lets anyone read his stories, because he fears rejection... but I couldn't figure out how to get it to play without tons of advertisements popping up, & if it annoys me, I'm betting it annoys you too, so I deleted it.*

I write my stories... then I send them to my critique partners and revise and repeat. But when it comes to sending my completed manuscripts out to the professionals - agents and editors who have the power to reject me - I can't help wondering: "What if they don't like them? What if they tell me I'm no good?"

Sometimes, that fear is strong enough to make me want to put down my story pencils, close my notebooks and find a less terrifying job - something like snake wrangling or shark documentarian. At times like this, I have to find ways to keep myself moving forward.

I have a few silly tricks that I fall back on when I need a confidence boost. First, I go back and read the twitter feed of @GoslingLitAgent. His corny, cliched romantic comedy-type encouragement makes me smile and gives me the shot of confidence I need to write my next query letter.

I did a happy dance around my room when he responded to one of my tweets - mentioning me by name!! - back in February. (I took a screen shot and made it into my desktop image on my laptop!)

. @vbartles Hey Girl, you got that courage and that's all you need.
— Ryan Gosling (@GoslingLitAgent) February 2, 2012

I don't know who is really behind this account, and although I sometimes entertain myself with playing the guessing game, I honestly don't want to know who @GoslingLitAgent is in real life. The power here is in not knowing. I can read his tweets and tell myself: There is an agent out there who will feel this passionate about my book. She/He is out there somewhere, waiting for my query to arrive, and I can't give up until I find that agent.

Next, I play some encouraging music. Nick Jonas' rendition of Michael Buble's hit "Haven't Met You Yet" (as seen on the NBC TV show "Smash") makes me feel all giddy and excited about my mystery agent.

Ironically, I've loved this song for years, but it wasn't until I heard Nick Jonas sing it on "Smash" that I heard the lyrics as a reflection of my search for the perfect literary agent. Maybe it's because the TV show is about a group of artists struggling to find a voice... Or maybe it's because it was another song by Nick Jonas that inspired me several years ago to sharpen my very first story pencil and start writing. Either way, I often play this song on repeat, listening to it for hours while I work through a tricky revision or gather the nerve to send out a query letter.

Two weeks ago, I added another song to my routine: "One Thing" by One Direction. Because someday, I'll find the agent who reads my manuscript and says "You've got that one thing!"


If that doesn't work, I go back to read the personalized, encouraging rejection letters I've received so far. And I remember the horribly devastating rejection I received after the first contest I entered. Realizing that I've received praise and condemnation for the same story gives me hope. When agents and editors say that this business is highly subjective, they aren't kidding! I can't give up simply because I haven't met my manuscript's soul mate yet!

So what are the silly tricks you employ to keep your courage up? What inspires you to face your greatest fear? When all else fails, surround yourself with good friends who tell you you're amazing :)

p.s. Sorry about the commercials in the videos. If anyone knows how to take the advertisements off (without bending any rules or anything), I'd love to know!

Book Review: THE APOTHECARY

The Apothecary by Maile Meloy

When Janie Scott’s Hollywood scriptwriter parents fall under scrutiny during the McCarthy trials of the early 1950’s, the family moves from Hollywood to London to escape persecution from the U.S. federal marshalls.  Janie feels awkward and out-of-place until she meets Benjamin, the son of the local apothecary, who dreams of becoming a spy.  When the apothecary suddenly disappears, Benjamin’s spy games start to feel too real.  Janie and Benjamin must discover the truth and find a way to rescue his father, using the information they find in the ancient book the apothecary asked them to keep safe.  They discover that magic and science are closely related, allies might be found in the least likely of places, and sometimes taking the impossible path is the only option. 

Carefully weaving elements of mystery and intrigue, magic and fantasy into the tapestry of a very real historical setting, Meloy tells a captivating story about having the courage to do the right thing, even when it seems impossible. 

The first few chapters were a little slow as Meloy set the stage for the story, but by the end of chapter six, I couldn’t put the book down.  If you enjoy historical fiction with a twist of magic, this book is for you.

I'm Amity - What Faction are You?

I love a book that makes me think.  One that asks questions that make me ponder long after I’ve finished the last chapter.  A book that makes me wonder: what would I choose? Who do I want to be? DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth is one of those books.
I have to admit, I was hesitant to pick it up.  I loved HUNGER GAMES by Susanne Collins, I devoured MATCHED by Ally Condie, and I enjoyed UGLIES by Scott Westerfeld… but as my close friends and family can tell you, I’m the kind of gal who likes to focus on the rainbows and bubbles of life.  I can only handle so much dystopia before I go screaming for something bubbly and pretty!

For months, I passed DIVERGENT on the shelves of my local bookstore and the library.  I was tempted to pick it up, simply because anything written by someone named Veronica already has a giant plus going for it (right?)… but I didn’t want to immerse myself in yet another “look at how horrible society will be in the not-so-distant future” series.  So I left it on the shelf.  I didn’t even pick it up to skim the first page.

Until, a couple weeks ago, I started seeing people tweeting about the upcoming sequel, INSURGENT.  People were choosing their “factions” and joining teams, and I wondered what the hype was all about.  So just for kicks and giggles, I did a google search to figure out what all of these “factions” were.

In Roth’s dystopian world, society has divided into 5 factions, each determined to make the world a better place by embracing one specific value.  Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent).  I immediately knew that I would choose Amity.  From the Amity Faction News blog, I found this definition.  “The Amity faction values peace and friendship. Artistic, creative, and musical, this faction focuses on peacekeeping, harmony, and farming.”  Other than the fact that I can kill a plant just by looking at it (serious black thumb) and would never survive as a farmer, this defines me.  So I declared myself a part of Team Amity and joined the hype for the upcoming release of INSURGENT, promising to write a blog post all about why I chose the Amity faction.

But wait!  I still hadn’t read DIVERGENT! I realized that, even though I wasn’t trying to join the Candor faction, I wasn’t comfortable with promoting a book (or series) I honestly knew nothing about.  So I scoured my local library… but every copy was checked out, and the waiting list was long.  I could go buy the book, but did I really want another dystopian novel on my library shelves?  I decided I’d rather wait a few days to see if I could find a copy.

Finally, this weekend, I got a notice in my email that the library had a copy of DIVERGENT on hold for me.  I picked it up and read the first five chapters.  But when I set it down for a second, my daughter immediately picked it up and didn’t want to give it back. I had to buy a copy so that we could read it at the same time!

As I followed Tris on her journey of self-discovery, I found myself questioning my faction choice. Would I have been happier in Candor? Erudite? Dauntless? Abnegation? I don’t think I’m the only initiate to wonder if I chose the right faction for me.  I watched Tris and her friends go through similar struggles as they tried to make sense of this new phase in their lives….

But I’m happy to report that, at the end of the day, I’m proud to be a part of the Amity faction. It’s truly where I belong. And besides, Four thinks I’m beautiful J

(If you don't know what that all means, go read the book! I promise you'll love it!)

What Easter Means to Me

Easter is one of my favorite holidays.  I love the flowers and the cute stuffed bunnies, and chocolate eggs, of course, but that's not what makes this day so special.  Because this day is about so much more than bunnies and baskets, chocolate and candy...

I wanted to write an eloquent and inspiring message about what Easter means to me, but the atoning sacrifice of Christ is so awe-inspiring, I find it difficult to put my feelings into words.  Instead, I thought I'd share with you one of my favorite Easter messages from Jeffrey R. Holland, an Apostle of Jesus Christ and one of the General Authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormon church).

This is what Easter means to me.

My New Author Website!

Yay!

I'm so excited to announce my shiny new author website!  I'm still uploading content to a few of the pages, but it's so beautiful, I couldn't wait to share!!

Take a look and tell me what you think!

The address is super easy to remember - http://vbartles.com

Book Review: THE LIST

 Every year, right before homecoming, a list with eight names is posted all over school.  Two girls are chosen from each class: the prettiest and the ugliest girls at Mount Washington high school.  Each year, the girls of Mount Washington High hope that they might be the lucky one chosen as “prettiest” and worry that they might be singled out as “ugliest.”  No one knows who is behind the list, or how the girls are chosen, but everyone knows that the labels, once applied, will change the lives and status of these eight girls forever. 

More and more, young women in our society are faced with the message that who they are and what they are worth depends upon the clothes they wear, the trends they follow and the size or shape of their bodies.  But the old adage that "beauty is only skin deep" is a complete and total lie. True beauty doesn't exist on the surface.  It really is what's inside that counts.

In THE LIST (available April 1, 2012), Siobhan Vivian explores the dangers of applying superficial labels to people, even when the labels are the kind we usually think of as "positive." THE LIST follows this year’s eight girls through the homecoming week, and as we witness their reactions and follow their interactions with their classmates, we can see that the labels we give each other don’t really mean anything at all.  Being known as “prettiest” may be more of a curse than a blessing, and the “ugliest” girl might be truly beautiful.  Every girl who has ever felt the pressures of trying to fit in, every girl who has struggled with the Disney Princess mentality, every one who has ever wondered why she has to be sexy to be worthwhile, will find herself in the pages of this book.  It should be required reading for every 7-12th grade girl (and anyone who knows a teenage girl)!

Disclaimer: Because my 11-year-old daughter always asks about language, when books are recommended to her, I will warn you that one of the characters in THE LIST uses coarse language fairly frequently, in the chapters from her point of view.  I personally prefer books without the profanity, but the story of this book was so well-written that I felt comfortable recommending it to my daughter anyway, knowing that it would open important topics of discussion between us.

Thinking Again

Update: As promised, I've tackled Challenge #7 on the As the Eraser Burns blog, and I've updated my "About Me" page. - One more challenge to go!!

Here we are, beginning week seven of the eight-week pre-conference challenge on the SCBWI MD/DE/WV blog... and I've finally completed Challenge #6.

This challenge, to write a complete story (title, beginning, middle, end) with no more than 200 words (actually, they gave us a grace window - we could go up to 221 words), wasn't as scary as past challenges have been... yet it took me a week to pick up my story pencil and get started.

What was holding me back? A variety of factors, actually.  In this past week, I've worked on polishing my pitch for my finished manuscript, tackled the scenes I've been avoiding on my work in progress draft, put together an arrangement of knitted/crocheted flowers for a friend (my deep water jogging instructor at the local Y) who recently had open heart surgery (no, I didn't knit all of the flowers myself, all but 2 were created by the others in our knitting group, but I did create the stems out of a recycled pool noodle!)...

I had lots of excuses for procrastinating on this challenge, and they were all good excuses.  But a good excuse is still just an excuse.

Really, it all came down to one simple fact: To me, a 200-word story says one thing - Picture Book.

Now, I have lots of ideas for picture books.  I've written a couple, and they're in varying stages of revision.  Most of my ideas are still simmering, not quite ready to put to paper.  I could pull one of those out for this challenge...  However, I promised myself, at the beginning of this challenge series, that I would hold myself accountable by posting my challenges either on this blog or in the comments area of the original challenge post.  And if I post one of my favorite, fun picture books, I'd be shooting myself in the foot in regard to publishing that book. 

So I spent the week brainstorming, trying to come up with a story idea that I didn't care about enough to make it worth trying to publish. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that I couldn't make myself care enough to actually write any of the story ideas I came up with! 

Finally, last night, I realized that I was crippling myself with my preconceived notions. The challenge didn't specify a picture book. I could write to any age range!  So I pulled out two of the supporting characters from my YA novel and wrote one of their essential scenes (one that is crucial to the backstory of the novel, but doesn't actually belong in the pages of the novel)!  Coming in at 203 words, I give you...

The Breakup

Kendra threw her phone across the room.  Jarod cringed as it smashed against the wall next to his head.

“Don’t be mad, Ken. We both know it’s not working.”

Kendra glared. “She’ll never love you. You’re fooling yourself.”

“This isn’t about Laina. You and I don’t belong together.”

“You know she slept with Scott, right? Last weekend, she got drunk and threw herself at him. Your perfect little angel isn’t as sweet and innocent as you think she is.”

Jarod grabbed his jacket and stood up.  “You’re poisonous. You can’t stand to think someone else might have something you don’t, and you destroy anyone who lets you get close.” He shrugged and stepped outside. “I don’t know why Laina puts up with you, but I’m done.”

Kendra slammed the door and collapsed on the couch.  Alaina was going to win again.

She picked up her phone and snapped the case back together. She punched in a number, taking a few deep breaths to compose herself.

“Alaina?” she purred, “I wanted you to be the first to know I broke up with Jarod. I finally told him I could never be with someone who spreads vicious, false rumors about my best friend.”

Now, on to Challenge #7: the Author Bio.  This one is much scarier than even the illustrating challenge, because I know how to write about fictional people, but what do I say about myself???

I made a commitment, though. Watch for my "About Me" page to be updated soon!

(Return to my list of "just for fun" stories)