GYDO: Sara B. Larson

Sara B. Larson, Author of Defy

Thanks for having me, Nikki! I'm really excited to be a part of your blog! 

I struggled with trying to decide what to write about for a while after I was asked to contribute to this. I started posts and threw them out. Got ideas and bagged them....until I was going through some of my old blog posts and ran across this one, from July 2012--one year ago. (If you follow my blog and have already read this, I apologize. Bear with me!) 

I am an Author

This post was kind of scary to write, and I'm still not sure I should post it. I don't often open up about the struggles I'm going through on my blog. I try to keep it upbeat, fun, positive and all that jazz. But let's face the truth: this business can be really hard.

So, here it is. I have a confession to make. Sometimes (okay, a lot of times) I am very self-deprecating. I tend to deal with disappointments with sarcasm. Am I breaking apart inside? Am I crushed, upset, hurting? Well, let's make a joke at my own expense, get everyone to laugh. Deflect the real pain that's there.

It's probably not a great way to deal with things.

I am surrounded by authors. Amazing, talented, successful authors. I am really good friends with a lot of them, and I have the incredible good fortune of being CPs/beta readers with or for many of them (which means I get to read their insanely good books long before they hit a shelf). I am so lucky and I love them all. It truly is a blessing to have so many blow-your-mind talented friends. This may seem like a tangent, but bear with me for a minute.

The problem is that I haven't reached that point yet--I don't have a book deal, I don't have a book on a shelf, so I don't feel legit. Sometimes, I let my own self-doubt and worry and insecurity lead me to tell myself that I don't really belong. That I'm not a "real author yet."

I make a joke out of it, but it's to cover up my embarrassment, my shame that I've been working tirelessly at this for six years and still don't have a book deal. I have a sweet, wonderfully talented friend who was querying with me back in the fall of 2009. I'd already been in the query trenches for quite some time (okay, a couple of years) and this was her first foray back into them for a long time. (She'd been published by a smaller, local publisher and was seeking national representation for her new book.) Well, here we are years later and her entire trilogy is going to be published this November, and I still don't even have a publishing deal. I often feel like a failure. I've come SO close. Like, seriously, you can't believe how close... but in the end, nothing has worked out yet.

I am still not published. And so I joke and say that I'm not a real author yet. That I don't really belong, but maybe someday... maybe.

Well, guess what? I AM a real author. I've written books. I've actually written a LOT of books. And someday they will be published. Maybe not all of them, but at least some. And I have more books yet to be written. I write every day. I will continue to write, because whether or not I get a book deal this year, or in five years, or never--writing is part of me. There are some really bad days when I say I wish I could just quit. But no matter how bad it gets, or how much I wish I could quit, I can't because writing won't quit me.

Writing is part of me. It's more than just something I love to do, it's something I have to do.

So, I am an author. And hopefully someday you will be able to see my name on a shelf. But if not, I will still be an author, because no matter what happens, I won't ever stop writing. 

Why did I pick that post to dredge up? Because reading that now, with my debut novel DEFY coming out in January, almost brought me to tears. Guys, it's been a loooong road. But I am SO grateful that I never quit, even when it got hard. And trust me, it got really hard. Over and over again.

I often get asked for the biggest piece of advice to aspiring authors, and honestly, there are so many different things I could say or write about, but above all else, the most important advice I could ever offer anyone is this: DON'T GIVE UP. I am living proof that if you refuse to give up, no matter what, you WILL make it. If I'd given up the day I wrote that post, I can't even imagine the regret I would be living with. And I obviously wouldn't be here now. I finished DEFY the next month (in August), and look at where I am now. My book is finally going to be on a shelf. I can hardly believe it. 

Keep writing, keep trying, keep going. And remember, if you have written a book, if you're pursuing being published, YOU are an author, too. And someday, your book will be on a shelf. Don't give up,and it'll happen. I promise. 

Defy Blurb
A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.
The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

Author Bio

Sara B. Larson wrote her first book in second grade about a woman who had a premature baby, complete with a "to scale" drawing of the baby's size—while her mom was pregnant. To say she was a bit precocious is putting it lightly. Now that she's an adult, she writes books for teens that have magic and romance and kick-butt girls (and very few premature babies). She lives in Utah with her husband, two young sons and baby girl. She writes during naptime and the hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." On occasion you will find her hiding in a bubble bath with a book and some Swedish Fish.

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GYDO: Christa Desir

Christa Desir, Author of Fault Line

So I used to do this thing on my blog where I’d interview authors and get them to answer a bunch of James Lipton-type questions. Then I sort of gave it up because I’m not the best blogger and the consistency of it was a bit exhausting. But I thought maybe today for Nikki’s blog, I would bring it back and answer some of the questions myself. Thanks, Nikki, for having me! And thanks everyone else for indulging me.

1. What is your favorite word? Simplicity. There’s something linguistically beautiful about this word, but also, it’s sort of what I strive for in life (and fail miserably at!)
2. What is your least favorite word? Moisture. Because it’s just gross. I don’t even let anyone in my house say it (or any variation of it). We eat damp cakes. We put lotion on our skin. No one uses the M word.
3. What turns your current MC on? Direct girls. No bullshitters. Long legs. Honesty.
4. What turns your current MC off? Secrets and lies. Head games.
5. What sound do you love? My kids laughing.
6. What sound do you hate? My kids arguing.
7. What is your favorite YA quirk? I like unconventional characters who are deeply flawed. I like when girls eat in books. I like when kisses are awkward.
8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt? I’ve had about a hundred jobs, so this is a tough one. But I’d like to be the director of a summer camp.
9. What profession would you never want to attempt? Anything involving flying. (Pilot, flight attendant, astronaut, etc)
10. What would you like to most be remembered for? My activism.

Thank you so much again, Nikki. And thanks to everyone who has pre-ordered Fault Line. It means so much to me!

Fault Line Blurb
Ben could date anyone he wants, but he only has eyes for the new girl — sarcastic free-spirit, Ani. Luckily for Ben, Ani wants him too. She’s everything Ben could ever imagine. Everything he could ever want.
But that all changes after the party. The one Ben misses. The one Ani goes to alone.
Now Ani isn’t the girl she used to be, and Ben can’t sort out the truth from the lies. What really happened, and who is to blame?
Ben wants to help her, but she refuses to be helped. The more she pushes Ben away, the more he wonders if there’s anything he can do to save the girl he loves.

Author Bio

Christa Desir writes contemporary fiction for young adults. She lives with her husband, three small children, and overly enthusiastic dog outside of Chicago. She has volunteered as a rape victim activist for over ten years, including providing direct service as an advocate in hospital ERs. She also works as an editor. Visit her at www.christadesir.com

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GYDO: Elizabeth May

Elizabeth May, Author of The Falconer

When I tell people a little about THE FALCONER, it often tends toward a bit of an awkward conversation that goes something like this:

Me: Well, it’s set in Scotland in 1844 and is about a young debutante from a wealthy family who hunts and kills faeries.

Other Person: O__O Faeries?

Me: Faeries.

OP: Like Tinkerbell.

Me: No. Not like Tinkerbell. Really.

OP: But why does she kill them?

Me: Because they are evil creatures who snatch people off the street and kill them.

OP: O_________O Oh. Okay.

Lately, I’m under the impression that the fae have had a lot of great PR since Peter Pan. Faeries in movies and books are sexy, mysterious, trickster-like figures – which isn’t necessarily wrong, but is only half the picture.

In legend, those sexy, mysterious, trickster-like figures used their wiles to lure people. Into the sea to drown. Onto a road at night to drain their victims of blood. They stole children. They seduced men and women into the mounds for what seemed like a few hours . . . only, hundreds of years had gone by. They went off in packs on wild horses and hunted people down like deer.

The number of different defences against faeries that exist in lore are a sign of how feared they once were. People wore iron for protection, or sacred symbols (the cross), holy water, bread or salt, bells, St. Johns Wort, or daisies. People walking alone at night turned their clothes inside out to avoid the fae, and if chased, they leaped across running water. Iron horseshoes were sometimes hung in various places around the house. Iron was occasionally put near sleeping babies to protect them from being snatched from their cradles.

Milk was put out in wee bowls to appease the fae. Honey, too. Sometimes jewellery, or clothing, or other shiny objects.

The fact remains that the fae were considered temperamental creatures. When they became intimate with a human, that affection was often upset by the fact that once the faery left, no other human relationship would ever compare. Humans wasted from a faery’s affection. But heaven forbid a human turn down one of the fae, because they are quick to anger, and quick to kill.

I conceived of and wrote THE FALCONER based on these Scottish myths and legends about the fae. I wrote them the way that I had always learned about them: as creatures to be feared. The fae in THE FALCONER are, thus, not gentle creatures. They are not romantic. They are conquerors. Predators. A warring society that finds value and strength in a slaughter.

Thus, there is one important rule that exists in Scottish lore and in THE FALCONER: never, ever trust the fae.

The Falconer Blurb
Edinburgh, Scotland, 1844
Lady Aileana Kameron, the only daughter of the Marquess of Douglas, was destined for a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events – right up until a faery killed her mother.
Now it’s the 1844 winter season and Aileana slaughters faeries in secret, in between the endless round of parties, tea and balls. Armed with modified percussion pistols and explosives, she sheds her aristocratic facade every night to go hunting. She’s determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother, and to destroy any who prey on humans in the city’s many dark alleyways.
But the balance between high society and her private war is a delicate one, and as the fae infiltrate the ballroom and Aileana’s father returns home, she has decisions to make. How much is she willing to lose – and just how far will Aileana go for revenge?

Author Bio

Elizabeth May was born in California, where she lived during her formative years before moving to Scotland. She has a BA from Marlboro College in Vermont, and is currently working on her PhD at the University of St Andrews.  When she isn’t writing or doing academics, she can be found with a camera in hand; her photography has been published in an array of book covers and magazines.

She currently resides in Edinburgh, Scotland, with her fiancé, Mr May. THE FALCONER is her début novel, and will be published in September 2013 in the UK, and May 2014 in the US.

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GYDO: Mindy McGinnis

Mindy McGinnis, Author of Not a Drop to Drink

There are two different reactions to telling someone you write for a living. They are:

1) Wow. I'd love to sit at home all day and get paid to make stuff up.

2) OMG. That's amazing. How do you DO that? I can't even write two pages!!

The truth is somewhere in between, nestled snugly between the impossible and the improbable. Yes, it is incredibly hard to put word after word in a sensible,

aesthetically pleasing manner over 60,000 times (or over 100,00 times, depending on your word count). But I have to admit that I totally have days where I sit

down in front of the laptop and say to myself, "Dude. You get paid to tell stories about things that never happened to people that don't exist. That is soooo cool."

But - I have to actually sit down and DO IT first.

Welcome to every writer's worst enemy - themselves. 

Procrastination is the the monster under my bed, and he's got nasty sharp teeth. Actually that's a lie - those teeth aren't sharp at all. They're very small and have rounded edges. They don't slash into me, they grind me down over the course of the day and tell me I need to do the dishes, mow the yard, take a shower (Ok, that one is important), read, watch TV or (gasp) take a nap. Those teeth wear at my motivation and tell me it's OK, I can add to the word count tomorrow when the dishes are done and yard is mowed and I don't smell bad anymore.

And I can, technically. But what about that little spark of motivation that is unique to today? The one that might fire a scene in my pantster brain that won't have a chance to exist tomorrow, because tomorrow's spark of motivation is it's own individual flame, one that wants to do something else entirely and completely neglects yesterday's inspiration?

I remind myself of this every time I think about that nap - even if it's well-deserved. My non-events happening to people that don't exist might ACTUALLY never happen if I don't make use of the synapse that is firing today, right now, in this moment. I'm not perfect - I cave to the temptation of my nap, or a longer shower than usual fairly often. And there's a little scene that dies every time I do.

So yes, there is that space in between the amazingly easy job of getting paid to write, and the impossible task of ACTUALLY doing it. I reside somewhere in there, dodging some responsibilities while accepting others, and performing CPR on yesterday's ideas when I indulge myself in a little procrastination.

Not a Drop to Drink Blurb

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water. 
Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.
Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.
But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

Author Bio

Mindy McGinnis is an assistant YA librarian who lives in Ohio and cans her own food. She graduated from Otterbein University magna cum laude with a BA in English Literature and Religion. Mindy has a pond in her back yard but has never shot anyone, as her morals tend to cloud her vision.

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GYDO: Amanda Sun

Amanda Sun, Author of Ink

Tomo’s Tips on Controlling the Ink

Domo. I’m here to save your life. You’ve heard about the moving drawings, haven’t you? That what I sketch becomes real? Only there’s something darker that seeps into the sketches, and if you aren’t careful, it’ll take your life—or someone else’s.

You think the worst part of puberty is zits? Just wait until your drawings try to kill you. In case this starts happening to you, here are my tips for surviving being marked by the ink. No, not surviving…prolonging your life. I’m not sure there’s an escape for any of us.

Don’t use Calligraphy Ink

If you’re in Calligraphy Club, drop out now. Throw out all bottles of ink, cartridge pens, sumi-e brushes and inkstones. You might as well open a vein if you’re going to let the demons out to play. You think you can control it—you’re wrong. You won’ t last a minute when the ink takes over. Your drawings will attack before you even know what’s happening. Stick to pen ink, or pencil.

Mess up your Drawings

When you write kanji with radicals that flick to the side, draw shortened edges. Your teachers will probably give you crap for bad handwriting, but I can live with that. Better than being eaten alive by a mouth of sketched teeth.

You think I’m joking. I’m not. Scratch out every drawing that starts to move on the page. Chain it to the page with X’s, or scribble it into a cage of ink. Ink drawings can’t be killed, but they can be contained.

Don’t Stop Drawing

At this point you’re thinking you’re clever, right? If it’s so dangerous, just avoid it. But you can’t. You’ll draw in your sleep. You’re going to have to write exams at school. What are you going to do then?

Anyway, if you stop drawing, you block the ink like a dam on a river. And that dam’s going to burst, and the consequences will be messy. Keep drawing—you’re only hope is to learn how to control it.

You can’t stop the ink. You can only try to keep others safe from it. You can only buy time.

Don’t Sleep In

Ah, the nightmares. They’re part of the package. If you’ve had them, you know what I’m talking about. Otherwise, they’re better left unsaid. I don’t want to invoke those kind of things in the daylight.

You’ll try to avoid sleep, but that could kill you too. Never mind how I know. Sleep as much as you have to, and no more. Sometimes my heart’s beating so fast when I wake up—if you sleep in, you might not wake up.

Don’t Let Others In

Avoid friendship. Avoid attention. Wear long sleeves and wristbands to cover the scars. They can’t know—even if your friends beg you to spill your secret, they don’t know what they’re asking. Showing them could kill them if you lose control.

If you have some control—don’t trust anyone. People are easily corrupted. I know I sound cynical, but I have my reasons. You’d be jaded too if you lived with this ability.

Being marked by the ink is lonely. But it’s better than hurting others.

Except…it’s too much sometimes. Katie showed me that. So, I take this back. Keep your circle of friends small, but…some people will be there for you. You’ll know when you’ve found one of the special ones.

That’s all I the wisdom I can impart. If you are marked like me, then I’m sorry. You know none of this advice will do much to help you. The best advice? Just survive.

Ganbatte ne. Good luck.

Ink Blurb
On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.
Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.
Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

Author Bio

Amanda Sun is the author of The Paper Gods, a YA Paranormal series set in Japan. The first book, INK, is a USA Today Top 10 YA Summer choice, an Indigo Top Teen Pick of 2013, a Junior Library Guild selection and a Summer 2013 Indie Kids' Next List selection. She has also been published in the Aurora-nominated Tesseracts Fifteen by EDGE Fiction and in Playthings of the Gods by Drollerie Press. She currently lives in Toronto, where she keeps busy knitting companion cubes, gaming, and making elaborate cosplays.

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GYDO: Miriam Forster

Miriam Forster, Author of City of a Thousand

Hello, wonderful reader-type people!

I was going to do some sort of light hearted guest post about my book, maybe a character sketch or a playlist or something. But when I sat down to write it, I found myself writing something entirely different.

That happens to me a lot. And sometimes? Sometimes it’s really discouraging.

Let me explain. As I write this, I’m working on the second Bhinian Empire book. It’s longer than the first one, and much more involved. I’m doing things I’ve never done before. A lot of time this past year I’ve felt over my head.  And I get that horrid, sour little voice in the back of my mind. Maybe you know that voice? The one that says. “You’re not skilled enough.” “You’re not experienced enough.” “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” When nothing sounds the same in our heads as it does on the page, when nothing is clicking right, that little voice is right there to tell us we’re not qualified.

“Go away,” the voice says. “Come back later when you’re better.”

I hate that voice. It’s a stupid voice. And it doesn’t just happen to writers. It happens to artists, dancers, speakers, anyone who’s had a passion. Because our passions don’t always line up with our experience level. What we love is sometimes so much bigger than what we can do with it. And it’s easy to get discouraged and give up.

But for me at least, I’ve learned it’s important not to listen. Because the story/art/whatever that you want to make right now, that’s today’s story. It’s not tomorrow’s story. Tomorrow, you’ll have a new story, one that will stretch you just as much.

Because creating things that are hard is how growth happens. That’s how we learn and get better.  

And so I’m writing this post, because I’ve been thinking a lot about art and passions and skill and how all those things intersect.  And I think we, all of us, should make what we’re passionate about now, for today. Don’t wait for some fabled time when you’re “better” Let your art be messy and not as good as you wanted it to be. Let your passions show up on the page like an awkward baby gazelle, with skinny little legs and a tendency to stagger around and fall down. (Also that analogy came out way stranger than I intended. It happens.)

Tell today’s story today.

City of a Thousand Dolls Blurb
An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.
Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.
Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life.

Author Bio

Miriam Forster learned to read at the age of five, wrote her first story at the age of seven and has been playing with words ever since. CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS, her debut novel, will be coming from HarperTeen on February 5th, 2013.

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