Things to Come

On Friday, July 10 at the We Love YA blog, some of my fellow YA finalists in the 2009 Golden Heart Awards are popping by to talk about their nominated manuscripts. Leave a comment over at We Love YA for your chance to win a copy of HEARTBREAK RIVER, by 2007 GH winner Tricia Mills (aka Trish Milburn). Trish had the happy task of ringing each of us back in March to tell us we had finaled.

One of my dear critique partners, Stephanie Kuehnert, is gearing up for this month's release of her sophomore book, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. In this powerful story, the main character, Kara struggles to find a way to cope when her family breaks down and friendships go awry. Steph has a very personal story to tell about what inspired her to write the book here.

And in other news...
One of my other dear CPs, Anna Campbell, features in the Sunday Telegraph's Sunday Magazine supplement today. The article talks about how romance novels are back in fashion and that the women who write them aren't stereotypical, champagne-swilling, bon-bon-eating, feather-boa-wearing hacks. (Although, I'm partial to champagne and chocolate, so the cliche is not far off in my case.) They're smart, savvy, and enthralling millions of readers. Overall, it's a nice article that acknowledges the good work of our nation's internationally bestselling romance authors.

Harlequin Teen

It's always good to hear about new YA imprints popping into the market. The latest one that's generating a bit of chatter is the upcoming Harlequin Teen line. Senior Editor Natashya Wilson is currently acquiring. She considers both agented and unagented submissions. Forearmed is forewarned, so I've gathered up a few links relating to the line, which launches this August with Rachel Vincent's paranormal MY SOUL TO TAKE.

• Harlequin Teen trade website.
An official site for readers is due to go live in July. (Thanks for the heads-up, Natashya!)

• Writing guidelines.


• Isabel Swift's interview with Natashya Wilson.


• Novelist Inc's article on why Harlequin has set up a YA line.


• Plans afoot for the line.


• Harlequin's Teen Panel, where readers between the ages of 13 and 17 can discuss what they're reading and stories they'd like to see published.


• Publishers Weekly article.


• Naysayers? We'll see if they're right after the line has had time to establish itself.

In other news...
There's still heaps of time to comment at We Love YA and win a copy of Dee White's absorbing new YA, LETTERS TO LEONARDO.

Happenings

Join me on Sunday, June 28 at my other blog home, We Love YA, when Walker Books author Dee White drops by as part of her cybertour.

In Dee's latest YA, LETTERS TO LEONARDO, fifteen-year-old Matt dreams of being an artist, just like his late mother. But when his supposedly dead mum sends him a birthday card, Matt’s life becomes as complicated as a Pollock painting. He finds solace in writing to the only person who could possibly understand what he's going through - Leonardo da Vinci.

Dee's got a spooky story for us to kick off our dream theme this week. Be sure to comment at We Love YA for your chance to win a copy of LETTERS TO LEONARDO.


In other news, my fab critique partner, Stephanie Kuehnert, is just weeks away from launching her second novel for MTV Books, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA. It’s an intense read about a bunch of kids whose stories resemble a ballad. The choruses echo mistakes they make again and again, while in the verses they try to make sense of it all. In July, I'll be guest blogging at Steph's place, and you could win new music and a T-shirt from one of my fave bands. Please check back for an exact date.

RIP

News Fix

When I uploaded this unofficial and perhaps illegal Blogger template, I lost all my favourite publishing and author links. One day I'll get round to putting them back up again, but for now, check out author Tricia Mills's regular YA news and reviews column over at Romance Novel TV. Click here to get your news fix.

Accidents Will Happen

A TV production crew for a series about paramedics recently did a shoot in and around my office building. We watched a ground-shaking explosion with real flames, extras stumbling along with fake blood streaming into their eyes, and stuntmen leaping off rooftops.

Which brings me to unplanned, unrehearsed stunts - those that occur in everyday life. For anybody who's tumbled down a set of stairs, you are not alone. I've done it, and so has this poor model in the video. Note the inauspicious number stamped on her briefcase.



Have you ever performed unplanned stunt work, and were you glad it wasn't televised?

12 Small Steps for Mankind

My lovely friend Murray is travelling throughout North America right now. He spotted this sign in Las Vegas:

All For a Good Cause

NYT bestselling author Brenda Novak is hosting her annual Online Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research. My late stepmother suffered diabetes, so Brenda's legendary auction is close to my heart.

How does it work? Well, it's a bit like any other online auction. You pick out a tantalising item, place a bid, and if you're the highest bidder by the closing date, the item's yours. Categories are geared toward both readers and writers.

My agent, Robin Rue of Writers House, is giving away an evaluation of a book proposal - with a one-week response time - to the highest bidder. Read all the details here.

Robin's uber assistant, Beth Miller, also has a crit on offer. I owe Beth so much. She plucked my query from the inbox of an agent who'd left the agency, and passed my work on to Robin. Now she reads draft after draft of my manuscripts and always has sage advice. Love her to bits, I do.

From Historical author Anna Campbell, one of my fabulous CPs and a double-RITA finalist, you could win a detailed critique of a partial ms. Now, Anna has really helped me come a loooong way as a writer since we met in 2002. I know she'll modestly deny this, but she's responsible for taking me from first-round contest flunkee to Golden Heart finalist. Place your bid now!

Author Mari Mancusi (of BOYS THAT BITE fame) is offering a 30-page YA manuscript critique. Check her out her auction page here.

You can also bid for appraisals from senior editors at major publishers, autographed books, a one-night stay at Nora Roberts's new Maryland inn (which her publicist told me about at last year's San Fran conference!) - items on offer are mind-boggling.

Happy bidding!

The New Three 'R's: Reading, Writing and Recession

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that reading is a "low-cost escape from the recession." People are being more careful about spending, they're less extravagant, and thankfully they're rediscovering relatively cheap entertainment in the form of books.

What are people reading to take their minds off the new three 'R's? A fourth 'R', actually. An interesting article popped up in the New York Times on how, in this economic climate, romance novels are outselling other genres.

Vampire books are not dead--at least in Australia. Stephenie Meyer alone seems to be propping up sales.

Do you have any clever ideas on low-cost or no-cost entertainment to keep your mind off the global financial crisis? Has the GFC influenced your buying decisions?

Oh, and a HUGE shout out to my CP and good friend Stephanie Kuehnert, whose first book, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, has been nominated in the YA category of OKRWA's National Reader's Choice Awards! Well deserved, I might say! Good luck, Steph!

Retail Therapy

In case you haven't heard me moaning on Facebook and Twitter, I am sick with an annoying cold. I've spent the last couple of days seeking treatment at UK-based online bookseller The Book Depository. They may not yet have the range my other haunt has, but they do offer FREE DELIVERY anywhere in the world and I'm told their service is quick.

So I added inches to my YA TBR pile with HEARTBREAK RIVER by Tricia Mills, INVISIBLE TOUCH by Kelly Parra (who recently signed a film option for her first book, GRAFFITI GIRL), WHAT WOULD EMMA DO? by Eileen Cook and MISS MATCH by Wendy Toliver.

This is in addition to the books I bought at bricks'n'mortar stores during the contagious phase of my cold - TANTALIZE by Cynthia Leitch Smith and POLAR BOY by Sandy Fussell.

I really have to hold back now, 'cause the commenters over at the We Love YA blog gave me a ton of recommendations and I want to read them all.

Which books have you bought lately? Are you actively buying books to keep the sellers and authors in business?