A year ago today I started this blog. In that year I have  gotten an agent, seen one book published, sold two others, finished another, met a million cool people including some of my favorite authors, demolished half a house, spent a ton of money, earned considerably less, cried a lot, laughed a lot, written … More IT’S MY BLOGIVERSARY!!!

I’m a Reader Not a Writer had a great giveaway this last week.  I had so much fun participating. Thanks everyone for entering and supporting YA fiction and bloggers. Onto the winner: I had 69 entries in this giveaway and since I didn’t use a giveaway widget I needed a way to choose my winner. Luckily … More YOUNG ADULT GIVEAWAY HOP – SKINNY by Donna Cooner – WINNER!

UPDATE: click here for another giveaway! I’m a Reader Not a Writer is hosting a giveaway hop this month and I thought I’d join in the fun by giving away an ARC of SKINNYby Donna Cooner. Here’s the details from Goodreads: Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives … More YOUNG ADULT GIVEAWAY HOP – SKINNY by Donna Cooner

Ever read a book that makes you want to give up writing because you know you’ll never write anything even half as good? PERSONAL EFFECTS, the debut novel by E. M. Kokie is such a book. After his older brother dies in Iraq, Matt makes a discovery that rocks his beliefs about strength, bravery, and … More Best Book in July – PERSONAL EFFECTS BY E. M. Kokie

When I was teaching screenwriting at the University of Sydney there were a few things that came up, reliably, with every class. For example, it got so I would give a prize to the first person who mentioned Fellini or Bergman, with bonus points going to the person who mentioned them both in one sentence. … More Road Trip Wednesday – BOOKS vs MOVIES: The Revenge of the Writer

My body arrived back from ALA12 two days ago but I think my mind has only just joined it. What an amazing experience. I’m kind of glad my first ALA was as a lurking nobody rather than a signing author with commitments and expectations because I’m sure I would have lost my mind somewhere in … More ALA12 – White Canadian Broad Gets Schooled

Much has been written about YA covers and the ubiquitous “white girl/impractical dress/floaty hair” theme. I’ve personally taken umbrage at the “dead girl” (with or without impractical dress/floaty hair. Although, if you’re dead a dress can’t really be impractical can it? But I digress). Quite apart from the racial discussion (which is no small thing. I’m starting to … More COVER STORY – Graphic/Iconic Covers

Over at  The Green Bathtub  Amy L. Sonnichsen is hosting a crazy-fun blog hop wherein we all go back to our teenage journals and share some embarrassing poetry, prose or other silliness. Lord but there’s a lot to be embarrassed about in my high school journal and very little to be proud of, but I AM … More My So Called Teenage Life Blog Hop (rated R for language)