YA Books- From the Page to the Big Screen

I posted yesterday at YA Stands about some fantastic YA books turned movies coming out in 2013. Check it out and let me know which ones you're most excited for! I'd love to hear from you.

Also, Isaac Marion is a babe. That is all.

Read my article at YA Stands (it's a lovely site full of YA goodness from people cooler than me.)

Happy reading,

My Next Big Thing: Bump in the Night

My Next Big Thing

I’ve been invited by the lovely Lauren Spieller to participate in My Next Best Thing! That said, I'm pumped to talk about my novel Bump in the Night.

1. What is the working title of your book?

Bump in the Night

2. Where did the idea for your book come from?

I've always been a huge fan of the macabre and of monsters. There's always been shows like Supernatural, etc where there are lots of men hunting down the things that go bump in the night... but where are the girls?! That's where the idea came from. That and years of reading Goosebumps.

3. What genre does your book fall under?

Bump in the Night is a YA urban fantasy novel with strong elements of horror.

4. What actors would you chose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I would love to see this on a big screen! This was actually pretty tough, but here's what I have:

Samantha- Ass-kicking, fearless protagonist
Troian Bellisario

Deacon- Love interest / Sheriff's son
Logan Lerman

Tyler- Deacon's best friend
David Henrie

Marcheline- Sam's best friend

Aimee Teegarden

Victoria- Sam's Mom

Reese Witherspoon

Eliza- Sam's Grandmother and Mentor

Maggie Smith

5. What is a one sentence synopsis of your manuscript?

16-year-old Samantha fights monsters as a Guardian of the Day, while trying to live her life as normal as possible and investigate her Grandmother's disappearance.

6. Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?

Agency. 

7. How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Bump in the Night was started in 2011 and finished during May 2012. I've been editing it ever since.

8. What other books would you compare this story to within the genre?

Bump in the Night is probably a cross between Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky and Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. I love both of these novels so so much! Also, Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs holds some similarities.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My love for writing strong female protagonists and my obsession with horror stories/monsters.

10.  What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?

I think there is something for everyone in Bump in the Night. There's a love story. A mystery. Monsters and fighting. There are normal growing pains. Loss. I love my story. But then again, don't all writers? I just hope someday, other people might love it too.

Thanks so much for stopping by to check out my novel! I'm passing the torch onto one of my favorite writerly people, and one of the best writers I know: Haylee Qualls.

If you have any questions about Bump in the Night, don't hesitate to ask!

Book Review- Going Underground by Susan Vaught

Going Underground by Susan Vaught
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read this book in one day, in a matter of a few hours. I attribute most of this to the exquisite story telling of this author Susan Vaught.

I must say that originally, I was beyond drawn to this story, because the macabre side of me loves anything involving graves, cemeteries, and boys who live or dwell in them. But I wasn't prepared for how good this novel actually turned out to be!

Vaught does an amazing job portraying the voice of a teenage boy. I fell in love with Del, the protagonist, easily. I also found it enjoyable the way she revealed much of the storyline. Del insists that he doesn’t want to tell the audience right away what he did that got him arrested, for fear of being judged by the audience, just like everyone else in his town judges him. But, as Del gains confidence in himself and his newfound love interest, we find out exactly what happened in a series of flashbacks and conversations.

Del is a teenage boy, obsessed with music, his bird Fred, and haunted by his past. In a digital age, one can’t help but relate to this story of living with the consequences of your actions, no matter how unprepared you may feel or how safe cyberspace may feel. This dark secret that Del keeps from the reader, webs the entire plot together, and threatens to come lose at the story’s climax.

I don’t want to spoil it for you, but trust me. You want to read this novel. It’s intriguing, it’s funny, it’s serious, and it’s well done.

I love you Del.


View all my reviews

YA Stands

It occurred to me tonight that I may have failed to mention that I'm now a contributor to YA Stands, an online blog dedicated to YA lit and writing.

In case you missed it, you can find my first post here on why it's so important to find the perfect name for characters.

Saturday was my second time posting, and it's about one of my favorite topics, BOYS! You can find that one here.

Have a lovely night everyone!

NPR Best Ever Teen Novels

Today I came across NPR books, Best Ever Teen Novels list. I'm quite pleased and agree with SO many of them. Like Stargirl, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, the Harry Potter series being number one, the Hush Hush saga, Something Wicked This Way Comes)... And on and on.

What do you think about the list?

http://www.npr.org/2012/08/07/157795366/your-favorites-100-best-ever-teen-novels

Bump in the Night. Also a contest!

I have always said that there are not enough stories about the following:

Girls kicking major ass

YA Horror

Monsters

Some type of combination of YA Horror with monsters and girls that kick ass 

Since there wasn't anything out there like this, I started writing it. I wrote and wrote and just finished it this month. It's called Bump in the Night and the synopsis can be found here.

However, to my excitement, I have come across two other excellent works with a somewhat similar concept. A darker story. Girls kicking ass. Monsters/ Supernatural. I haven't read Spookygirl yet, but I can't wait to! I have read Sweet Venom and cannot wait for the sequel!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

http://teralynnchilds.com/books/sweet-venom/

Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky

Read the pitch here

Also, Jill Baguchinksy is currently running a contest where you can get a copy of her ARC for Spookygirl, as it isn't out yet. You wont want to miss out! Also Jill is a debut author, which is even more exciting, as I love love love success stories and hope that one day I too can have my own. Great work Jill!

Contest!

Jill also has an awesome blog showing her journey to publication! Check it out here!

That said, what other darker YA stories are you into? Are there any ass kicking, monster, supernautral, or horror-esque novels that I am missing? Please, share your knowledge! I'm always looking for a good read.