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Today's Youth Advisory Board post is from Chelsea Swiggett, one of our newest members (look for the official announcement on Ypulse next week!) and a Twilight fan who was among the masses that took over theaters at midnight last night. As always,... Read the rest of this post

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Gaskell, Elizabeth. 1848. Mary Barton. Penguin English Library. 488 pages.

There are some fields near Manchester, well known to the inhabitants as 'Green Heys Fields,' through which runs a public footpath to a little village about two miles distant. In spite of these fields being flat and low, nay, in spite of the want of wood (the great and usual recommendation of level tracts of land), there is a charm about them which strikes even the inhabitant of a mountainous district, who sees and feels the effect of contrast in these common-place but thoroughly rural fields, with the busy, bustling manufacturing town, he left but half an hour ago.

Jem Wilson has always only loved Mary Barton. He may not be rich. He may not live in a grand house. But his heart and soul have belonged to Mary Barton. And there's nothing he wouldn't do for the love of his life. Even if he feels that love is unrequited.

On the day he proposed, Mary Barton refused him thoroughly. And, to poor Jem, it seemed rather cruel, heartless, and final. He dramatically declares:

'And is this the end of all my hopes and fears? the end of my life, I may say, for it is the end of all worth living for!' His agitation rose and carried him into passion. 'Mary! you'll hear, may be, of me as a drunkard, and may be as a thief, and may be as a murderer. Remember! when all are speaking ill of me, you will have no right to blame me, for it's your cruelty that will have made me what I feel I shall become.' (175)

But even though he'll never have Mary as his wife, when Mary's aunt, Esther, asks him to watch out for her, to take care of her, he can't quite refuse. You see, Esther fears for Mary. Fears that Mary Barton is in love with a dangerous man, a rich man who is out to seduce her. His rival's name is Harry Carson. And he seems to have it all. But his luck is about to run out.

Mary Barton was Elizabeth Gaskell's first novel. And it's so much more than a suspenseful love story. (Despite my description, this one is told mainly through the eyes of Mary Barton. Though at times it is told from other perspectives. John Barton, Mary's father, plays a large role in this one.) It's a novel about social class and economics. Of the haves and the have-nots. The Bartons and the Wilsons and almost everyone else of note in the novel are living at the poverty level. Below it more like it. Death from starvation, death by disease, these are very real concerns. Life isn't easy or pretty. It's one hardship after another after another. (It's enough to get you down and keep you down.) John Barton takes these losses poorly. He becomes angry and bitter. He blames the rich for all his problems. Is his anger justified? You be the judge!

One of the strengths of the novel is characterization. We meet Mary Barton, her family, her friends, her community. We meet so many different characters. Characters that are so easy to care about. (For example, Job Legh, Margaret Jennings, and Will Wilson. I particularly enjoyed Job!) All her characters have depth and substance. It's a very human book. The novel is also rich in detail and is very atmospheric.

What I wasn't expecting--and you may not be expecting either--was how rich this one was spiritually. It has some definite spiritual tones and by the end especially its rich spiritual significance really stands out. Something you don't find in just any classic.

I'm happy to be a part of the Elizabeth Gaskell blog tour. To see the rest of the bloggers on tour, visit The Classics Circuit! This was not my first time reading Elizabeth Gaskell. I've also read and reviewed Wives and Daughters and Cranford.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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ABOUT BLACK IS FOR BEGINNNINGS:

The BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series that put a spell on more than half a million readers continues – in graphic novel format! Prophetic nightmares. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey Brown knows that being a hereditary witch isn’t all it's cracked up to be.

All she really wants to do is work things out with Jacob and figure out what to do with the rest of her life. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS reveals the never-before-seen backstory - and what lies ahead - for the young, spellcasting lovers.

BLACK continues the harrowing adventures of Stacey and Jacob in the wake of Jacob's brush with death. Ever since he lost his memory, Jacob hasn't been able to remember Stacey - his own soul mate. He leaves Massachusetts, returning to his childhood home in Colorado, hoping to jog his memory. What he remembers is Kira, his ex-girlfriend. As Jacob works to piece together his past, will there be room for Stacey in his future?

REVIEWS:

"The half-million readers of Laurie Faria Stolarz’s paranormal mystery series will be happy with this shift to graphic style, offering as it does the pleasure of putting faces on characters, its visualized eeriness and vibrant displays of emotion...The graphic style allows Stolarz to distill the story while simultaneously dropping hints about Stacey and Jacob’s supernatural talents, luring new readers to the series." - Kirkus Reviews

"Taking Stolarz’s Blue Is for Nightmares series into the graphic-novel realm is a bold idea, and it pays off in this morbidly entertaining and surprisingly romantic page-turner." - Booklist

“This scary and romantic story, with its larger-than-life emotions and darkly twisting plot, lends itself well to the graphic novel format. The teenage characters, their dialogue, and their interactions are well imagined and ably captured. And when you are not enjoying the great dialogue or fantastic artwork, it is fun to pore over the little details…BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS serves both to draw new teen readers to the series and to supply existing fans with interesting additional background and never-before-seen details. A winning formula!” – TeenReads

ABOUT DEADLY LITTLE LIES

Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, a new boy at school who had a very mysterious gift – psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry and experiencing strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow been transferred to her.

Ben returns to school, but he remains aloof, and Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events uncovers secrets from Ben’s past – and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who – before it's too late.

View the Book Trailer for Deadly Little Secret here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of several popular young adult novels, including Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Project 17, Bleed, and the bestselling BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series, which has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Stolarz's titles have been part of the Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list, the Top Ten Teen Pick list, and YALSA's Popular Paperback list, all through the American Library Association. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, visit Laurie's website at www.lauriestolarz.com

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Just released in paperback are two literary gems from P.F. Kluge: Gone Tomorrow and Biggest Elvis. A longtime writer-in-residence at Kenyon College in Ohio, Kluge has written seven acclaimed and beloved novels. He also works as a journalist, writing for magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Rolling Stone, Smithsonian, Islands, Playboy, and Reader's Digest. And we're thrilled that Overlook will be publishing a new novel by P.F. Kluge, A Call From New Jersey, in September 2010.

Here's what Kluge says about Biggest Elvis, originally published in 1995, and now back in a print with the one of our coolest covers ever!

"What began as one Philippines-based novel, then another, became a trilogy with Biggest Elvis. In this case, journalism led to fiction. I visited the mammoth U.S. Naval base at Subic Bay twice, once on assignment for Rolling Stone magazine, once for Playboy. The place was unforgettable: a neon wilderness, a sexual vanity fair, a high water mark of American military and cultural power. There was more there than a pair of magazine articles could accommodate. Then my friend Lazarus Salii (see The Edge of Paradise) told me of a trio of singers who had come to Palau and been stranded there, broke. The three men were an Elvis Presley show, each incarnating a stage of the king’s life. The idea of three Elvis’s knocking around the world was appealing to me. A novel—which ought to be a movie—was born. It had music, sex, romance, politics, exotic locations. It was an American Year of Living Dangerously. Of all my books, this was the most fun to write. Every day, the question from manuscript to author was: what kind of fun are we going to have today? I think it shows.”

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Kicking off this year's Bookreporter.com Holiday Blog is Beverly Barton, whose latest novel, SILENT KILLER, was recently spotlighted in our Romantic Suspense feature. Below, she discusses one of her most favorite childhood stories and shares how she came to own two equally beloved copies of the timeless fairy tale.


I’m one of those lucky (or depending on your point of view, unlucky) people born at Christmastime, so over the years, many birthday and Christmas presents have been combined into one gift. The year that I turned six, my paternal grandfather gave me an illustrated copy of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and I honestly don’t remember if the book was one of my birthday presents or one of my Christmas presents. But I do know that this fairy tale about the power of love to transform a beast into a prince became my all-time favorite story, and it opened the world of romance to my young heart and impressionable mind.

Born into a family of storytellers who had the ability to enhance the most mundane aspects of life and turn them into high drama, I quiet easily adopted the theme of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST as my romantic mantra. Unconditional love for another person having the ability to perform a miracle seemed like the perfect romantic formula. From childhood, I have believed that there is no power greater than the power of love --- all types of love, from parental love to wedded bliss, from loving friendships to love of God and country. And when I began writing romance novels, this fairy tale from my childhood formed the basis for many of my bad boy/good girl stories that ended with that essential happily ever after.

Although slightly tattered from much use and the pages yellow with age, that treasured copy of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST given to me so many years ago is still in my possession. It resides in a place of honor on a corner bookcase in my home office, alongside another copy of the book, printed and released the same year as the copy my grandfather gave me. And the interesting tale of how I came to own a second copy is a story of a son’s and daughter’s love for their mother and a son’s determined search for “the perfect gift.” Everyone close to me knows about my favorite fairy tale, knows how much I treasure that book, and knows about the very special relationship I shared with my grandfather. My children have delighted me, surprised me, and brought me to happy tears with numerous thoughtful gifts over the years, but none as absolutely perfect as the second copy of my beloved fairy tale. Two identical Christmas gifts, given decades apart, the first given to a granddaughter, the second given to a mother.

Both copies of this book are important to me, each a gift of love. One from a grandfather I adored and the other from the son and daughter I love unconditionally. The love my grandfather gave me --- which included a book about the power of love --- I gave to my children and they returned that love to me and passed it to their own children, continuing the never-ending circle of love within our family.

-- Beverly Barton


Check back tomorrow as Joshua Gaylord reminisces about how an adolescent crush taught him the importance of having blind trust in unreadable masterpieces.

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Kicking off this year's Bookreporter.com Holiday Blog is Beverly Barton, whose latest novel, SILENT KILLER, was recently spotlighted in our Romantic Suspense feature. Below, she discusses one of her most favorite childhood stories and shares how she came to own two equally beloved copies of the timeless fairy tale.


I’m one of those lucky (or depending on your point of view, unlucky) people born at Christmastime, so over the years, many birthday and Christmas presents have been combined into one gift. The year that I turned six, my paternal grandfather gave me an illustrated copy of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and I honestly don’t remember if the book was one of my birthday presents or one of my Christmas presents. But I do know that this fairy tale about the power of love to transform a beast into a prince became my all-time favorite story, and it opened the world of romance to my young heart and impressionable mind.

Born into a family of storytellers who had the ability to enhance the most mundane aspects of life and turn them into high drama, I quiet easily adopted the theme of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST as my romantic mantra. Unconditional love for another person having the ability to perform a miracle seemed like the perfect romantic formula. From childhood, I have believed that there is no power greater than the power of love --- all types of love, from parental love to wedded bliss, from loving friendships to love of God and country. And when I began writing romance novels, this fairy tale from my childhood formed the basis for many of my bad boy/good girl stories that ended with that essential happily ever after.

Although slightly tattered from much use and the pages yellow with age, that treasured copy of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST given to me so many years ago is still in my possession. It resides in a place of honor on a corner bookcase in my home office, alongside another copy of the book, printed and released the same year as the copy my grandfather gave me. And the interesting tale of how I came to own a second copy is a story of a son’s and daughter’s love for their mother and a son’s determined search for “the perfect gift.” Everyone close to me knows about my favorite fairy tale, knows how much I treasure that book, and knows about the very special relationship I shared with my grandfather. My children have delighted me, surprised me, and brought me to happy tears with numerous thoughtful gifts over the years, but none as absolutely perfect as the second copy of my beloved fairy tale. Two identical Christmas gifts, given decades apart, the first given to a granddaughter, the second given to a mother.

Both copies of this book are important to me, each a gift of love. One from a grandfather I adored and the other from the son and daughter I love unconditionally. The love my grandfather gave me --- which included a book about the power of love --- I gave to my children and they returned that love to me and passed it to their own children, continuing the never-ending circle of love within our family.

-- Beverly Barton


Check back tomorrow as Joshua Gaylord reminisces about how an adolescent crush taught him the importance of having blind trust in unreadable masterpieces.

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Gownley, J.  (2006).  Amelia Rules!  What Makes You Happy.  Harrisburg, PA:  Renaissance Press.

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Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo, author of Jane Austen Ruined My Life.
Review by Me, Emily.

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It took me a long time to get over my expectations for this story. You see, I am a firm Victoria Hanley fan. I discovered Seer and the Sword when I was a teenager, caught by Trina Schart Hyman's stunning cover. I loved Hanley's rich and romantic world. I'm not talking about love-romantic, but romantic in the sense of visionary, idealistic, and to quote the dictionary, "marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious or idealized." I love the way she can blend relationships and a little love-romance into her stories without it dominating the whole plot, as so many YA novels seem to do. (No, I'm not talking about Twilight. I'm talking about how the majority of YA fiction is focused on romantic relationships. It irritated me when I was a teenager and it irritates me now). Anyways.

I was soooo excited when I heard she had a new story coming out! One for tweens! But it's taking me some time to sort out how I feel about it. First, the story seemed completely different than anything she'd written or what I'd expected. It's non-stop action with minimal character development. A young fairy, Zaria, is shocked to discover there is something very unique about her. Suddenly, everything completely changes and she's battling spells she doesn't understand, enemies she can't find, and even her own friends. Her unique powers help her free the world of TirFeyne from an evil villain and she learns a startling secret at the very end. I know that's not a very good plot summary, but I don't want to spoil it.

At first, I didn't like it. It's divided into very short chapters, each one prefaced by a lengthy excerpt from a history of TirFeyne. Some of the excerpts are as long as the chapters! All the fairies have names derived from jewels and every time I thought I had figured out how their world worked, another part of it showed up. Their system of magic was based on complicated mathematical calculations (well, complicated to me!) and involved an odd and seemingly cliched trope of magical-education fantasies, those with more magic despise those without. The nasty human Zaria encounters is unbelievably horrible.

But then I thought about it a little more. And you know what? It works. It really, really does. The action grabs the reader, pulling you along until suddenly you realize "I know these characters!" Every new facet of the world is a like a marvelous surprise. The drama, the confusion, the exaggeration, it all perfectly fits the characters of the twelve-year-old fairies, suddenly encountering completely new circumstances and power they have no idea how to handle. Even the jewel names, which seem to have bugged quite a few readers, fit into Hanley's strangely beautiful world, a world both barren and vibrant. I want to know what happens next!

This book is not going to please fans of YA faerie novels. It's probably not going to work for those who want only the quasi-high fantasy adventure of Hanley's previous stories. But this book is perfect, absolutely perfect, for that in-between stage. Tweens who love romantic and thrilling fantasy but aren't ready for the more edgy YA titles will fall in love with Hanley's elaborately imagined and tensely plotted story.

This is the absolutely flawless recommendation for the vast squadrons of little girls (and boys!) who are huge fans of Rainbow Magic but want to move on to something more challenging. Victoria Hanley has a massive and ready-made audience waiting for her newest creation; all we need to do is put it in their hands!

Title: Violet Wings
Author: Victoria Hanley
Source: ARC from ALA, donated to summer reading program

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Queries Wanted for Upcoming Novel & Short Story Writer's Market...

Besides CWIM, there are a few million other exciting things I work on in the WD Community. One of them is editing Novel & Short Story Writer's Market, CWIM's sister publication solely for fiction writers.

I'm currently planning the lineup for the 2011 edition, and I'm looking for queries for articles and interviews for NSSWM. The articles are broken up into these categories:

• The Writing Life
• Craft & Technique
• Getting Published
• For Mystery Writers
• For Romance Writers
• For Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Writers

I'm most in need of material for the genre sections, but open to queries for all. I've also go a few spots to fill in our annual "Premier Voices" feature for which we interview debut fiction writers, so if you're a first-time novelist, I'd love to hear from you as well.

If you'd be interested in writing for me, email me at alice.pope@fwmedia.com with your ideas.

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As All Romance eBooks celebrates its third anniversary, the company has released some impressive statistics--mapping out a booming future for this side of publishing.

The digital romance book company launched with just 18 publishers and 2000 titles. Now, between the company's Omnilit and All Romance eBooks sites, they count more than 3000 and 250,000 titles. In addition, the company recently partnered with the Aldiko eBook reader, bringing more titles to Android smartphones.

In an interview, All Romance eBooks founder Lori James explained her marketing strategy: "We knew the bigger challenge was going to be attracting the print romance reader and young female internet users in general who we believed were ripe for becoming romance eBook readers. Since this was a new concept, we tried many things in the beginning. In addition to a vast array of web-based advertising, we've done everything from trade shows to developing commercials for movie theaters and spots on television."

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

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Yesterday, Harlequin announced their new Harlequin Horizons program, a joint venture with Author Solutions, “the world’s leading self-publisher.” Basically, you can now pay to have your unpublished romance novel published by Harlequin...Horizons. The reaction from authors, both aspiring and those published by Harlequin, has been fairly negative.

What seems to concern published authors the most is that this new venture actually uses the Harlequin name, and that associating Harlequin with self-publishing will hurt the brand. I’m not sure how legitimate this is, only because those self-published books aren’t going to be popping up at B&N or Borders any time soon. The Harlequin brand will still mean something to buyers. And as they’ve said, the books will have their own HH branding.

My personal concern, and one that is shared by unpublished authors, is about what seems like a conflict of interest. Are we moving to a place where authors will have to pay to play? In the follow-up FAQ to their original announcement, they say, “All standard/form/template rejection letters will include a short note about Harlequin Horizons as a self-publishing option for the aspiring author.” And in the first announcement, they describe Horizons as, “an innovative and original approach to discovering new authors to add to our traditional publishing programs.” It’s hard to say exactly how all of this will work until they start operating, but I’m very wary of this idea.

How do you feel about this? Is this just the future of publishing that we all have to deal with?


-Michael

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Welcome to the Book Blog Tour of Dark Stranger: Book One of the Vampire Book Club by Susan Sizemore!
Summary:
Dark Stranger: Book One of the Vampire Book Club is set in a future world populated by a variety of intelligent species that originate from and inhabit different planets at a time when interplanetary travel is a reality. Descendants of man from planet Terra co-exist with various "suprahumans" that include werewolves and vampires. There are many other species as well and the different life forms trade, forge alliances and compete with each other. On the one side is the Byzant Empire (the "Empire") which has a royal family that originated from Terra. The most powerful enemy of the Byzant Empire are the Hajim.

In the course of a diplomatic mission on behalf of the Byzant Empire, Zoe Pappas and her bodyguard are caught in the middle of a surprise attack. Aside from being highly skilled and with expensive and rare technological implants, Zoe Pappas is somehow of great significance. While she is able to escape the attack, Zoe is among the prisoners brought to a Hajim underground outpost.

Zoe spars with the head of the human delegation, General Raven, but they quickly read each others' strengths and work together. General Raven's main goal is to protect the humans and help them survive captivity. Zoe wants to form alliances with the other captive species and nations and arrange an escape. While they work together to smooth volatile relations with the other captives and deal with Hajim, their mutual attraction spills over. Both Zoe and General Raven hold deep secrets. Will they trust each other and combat the increasing demands of the Hajim?

Review:
Dark Stranger: Book One of the Vampire Book Club is my first exposure to Susan Sizemore and her Prime novels. I thoroughly enjoyed it! The world that she created with the peaceful coexistence of the different intergalactic species reminded me of Star Trek in a good way. The Byzant Empire with its commitment to equality and fairness was not too different from the Federation. The main characters of Zoe Pappas and General Raven, the suprahumans (vampires and werewolves), and the romance took this book away from the Star Trek model.

In Zoe Pappas, Susan Sizemore created a strong, sympathetic and interesting action lead. I was engrossed in the book and very much look forward to the next in the series.

I highly recommend Dark Stranger to anyone looking for fun escapist fiction with fantasy, science fiction and romance.
Publisher: Pocket Star (October 27, 2009), 384 pages.
Review copy provided by the publisher.

Thanks so much Sarah and Pocket Books for this review opportunity!

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Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift—pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own

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Grange, Amanda. 2008. Colonel Brandon's Diary. Penguin. 295 pages.

I thought the holidays would never arrive, but I am on my way home at last.

I'm not the biggest fan of Sense and Sensibility. (Though I'd rate it higher than Emma and Mansfield Park.) But I really loved Amanda Grange's Colonel Brandon's Diary. I really loved Colonel Brandon. It was such a relief after reading the oh-so-disappointing Willoughby's Return. But finally here was Colonel Brandon as lovable and as right as he should be.

This one begins decades before Sense & Sensibility. The year is 1778 and the focus is on Colonel Brandon's first love, his first attachment, to a young woman, the ward of his father, Eliza, a woman forced into marriage against her will, a marriage to Colonel Brandon's worthless (though older) brother. We follow Brandon through the years until finally he gets a second chance at love, true love when he meets the Dashwood sisters.

For the most part, I think this one works really really well. There were a few scenes now and then that I thought the book lost a little perspective. Where I questioned Colonel Brandon's perspective. A couple of places where I'm not sure he would really have an insider's behind-the-scenes view of what was going on. But for the most part, I thought it was just about perfect.

I couldn't put this one down. I just loved reading it. I definitely recommend it.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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The Fruit of Her Hands: The Story of Shira of Ashkenaz by Michelle Cameron is the story of a Jewish girl, daughter of a Rabbi, growing up in 13th century Europe. It starts off as a typical historical romance: feisty protagonist who wants to break away from societal expectations and community tradition meets handsome stranger, etc.However, this novel is not a romance—it is a love story. Yes, Shira

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I’m often asked what my dream client would be, I think, primarily, from those hoping that when they do get an agent they can do nothing but make the agent happy. Well, just like all of you have different visions of what your dream agent would be and do for you, I think all agents have different visions of what a dream client would be.

I think there’s no doubt that there are probably some attributes about my dream client that have changed over the years, probably even since the time I first started writing these types of posts for the blog. That will be no different for you as an author. What you envision your dream agent to be like now, as an unpublished author, will change as your career changes. Those of you who have had agents and are back in the search again probably have very different criteria for what you’re looking for than you did the first time around. Those of you still with agents probably find that the criteria you had when you first signed with your agent had none of the things that you are (hopefully) thankful she does for you now.

Before I get into what I want out of a dream client, let’s clear up a little about what I don’t care about or expect. I don’t expect a client to be perfect and I don’t expect her to be a lemming. In other words, I don’t want her to blindly follow my lead and agree to everything I say. I don’t want her to yes me to death or hide when things go wrong for fear that I might get angry. In other words, the very first thing I want from my dream client is a feeling of freedom to be as open and honest as need be. When it’s wonderful, fantastic news I want to hear you squeal over the phone; when it’s the last thing you want to hear and you’re not sure you can take another round of revisions, I want you to call and vent and scream and let your frustrations out; and when you just need to spend time talking about revisions, ideas, concerns, or career goals I really want to be as involved as you want me. In other words, I want an open line of communication.

In exchange I want you to want honesty from me. I don’t want to feel like I have to couch my opinions when you ask for them. If you want my honest thoughts on your next book I’m going to give them, whether or not you want to hear them. If you want my honest thoughts on the direction you see your career going I want you to be able to hear what I have to say and not just listen and ignore later. Most important, though, my dream client will respect my professional opinion. It doesn’t always mean we’ll see eye-to-eye of course, but hopefully you’ve hired me because you’ll trust me to guide you and tell you the truth.

The last thing that popped into my head when I thought about the dream client, and I think one of the things authors should expect from dream agents as well, is the need for flexibility. Publishing is not a straight line and it’s not a circle either. It’s a series of bumps and bruises, hills and valleys, and for an author to really succeed she needs to have flexibility. She needs to be ready to shift her goals and change directions, sometimes with the market and sometimes because publishers and readers decide it for us. I’ve seen mystery authors become romance authors and romance authors become fantasy authors. I’m sure for many it wasn’t where they saw themselves, but it was where life led them, and because of the ability to be flexible and follow a new path they’ve been able to achieve the success they wanted, just not in the way they expected.

I don’t think there’s any set list of who the dream client is or what she’s like, there’s no such thing as perfection. What we can do to make a relationship work is be honest, communicate, and be the best we can be.

Jessica

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Children's
R.J. Anderson/FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (Fantasy, HarperCollins Children's, age 10+, April): A fierce young faery fights to save her dying people while concealing her forbidden love for a human.

Rebecca Barnhouse / THE BOOK OF THE MAIDSERVANT (middle grade historical fiction, Random House, October): A medieval pilgrimage to Rome. Difficulty! Danger! Abandonment! Love? "A compelling read."--Horn Book

Nancy Coffelt/Big, Bigger, Biggest (Picture Book, Henry Holt, April 2009): A bright read-aloud introducing children to the wide world of synonyms.

Emily Ecton / NIGHT OF THE LIVING LAWN ORNAMENTS (Middle Grade adventure, Aladdin Books, March 2009). When lawn ornaments and knickknacks start coming to life, two kids and a dog must stop them from destroying downtown.

Jacqui Robbins/Two of a Kind (Picture book, Atheneum, July): Mean Girls for the playground set

Pamela S. Turner/The Frog Scientist (Nonfiction children's book, Houghton Mifflin, August): Describes how Tyrone Hayes studies the effects of pesticides on frogs. 4 reviews, 4 stars.

Pamela S. Turner/Prowling the Seas: Exploring the Hidden World of Ocean Predators (Nonfiction children's book, Walker, October): Follows the travels of a sea turtle, white shark, bluefin tuna, and two seabirds given high-tech tags by scientists.

YA
Nancy Coffelt/Listen (YA, Westside Books, October 2009): Two boys, running from their pasts, are thrown to together when a baby in town goes missing.

Lyn Miller-Lachmann/Gringolandia (YA Historical, Curbstone Press, 2009): "...international politics, the consequences of torture, complex family dynamics, and first loves"--Horn Book

Hannah Moskowitz/BREAK (Contemporary YA, Simon Pulse, August): With his dysfunctional family falling apart around him, Jonah goes on a mission to break every bone in his body.

Aprilynne Pike/WINGS (YA, HarperTeen, May): Everything changes when fifteen-year-old Laurel learns she's a fairy.

Cindy Pon/SILVER PHOENIX: BEYOND THE KINDGOM OF XIA (YA, Greenwillow, April): fantasy inspired by ancient China; named in top ten fantasy/sci fi novels for youth in 2009 by ALA's Booklist.

Maggie Stiefvater/SHIVER (YA, Scholastic, August). Bittersweet love story about a boy who becomes a wolf each winter. Involves metaphors, werewolves, and kissing.

Fiction
KS Augustin / GUARDING HIS BODY (Contemporary romance / Total-E-Bound /
November 2009): A female martial artist guards a very male, very delectable
body.

TJ Bennett/THE PROMISE (Historical Romance, Medallion Press, May 2009): A mercenary must convince an unwilling widow to marry him in order to keep a promise to a dying friend.

Elizabeth Spann Craig/Pretty Is as Pretty Dies (Cozy Mystery, Midnight Ink,
August 2009): A feisty octogenarian sleuth tracks down a killer in a small Southern town.

Susan Helene Gottfried/ ShapeShifter: The Demo Tapes: Year 2 (mainstream story anthology/Lulu/September) The Trevolution continues!

Maureen Lipinski/A BUMP IN THE ROAD (Commercial Women's Fiction, St. Martin's, June): A newly married couple must make the transition from beer bottles to baby bottles after an unexpected pregnancy.


Annette Lyon/TOWER OF STRENGTH (Historical Fiction, Covenant Communications, March): Being widowed at eighteen was hard; a mother at nineteen was harder; learning to love again—too much to ask.

Marie Mutsuki Mockett/PICKING BONES FROM ASH (Fiction, Graywolf, October): Three generations of women intersect in Japan and California.

Stuart Neville/THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST (US)/THE TWELVE (UK) (Thriller, Harvill/Soho, July/October): An ex-IRA hitman roams Belfast seeking revenge for his own victims.

Briane Pagel/ECLIPSE (Sci-fi, Lulu.com): "Claudius wanted to be the first to reach the stars, and maybe he was... or maybe things went murderously wrong."

Lydia Sharp (and 21 others; Alva J. Roberts, editor) / SHADOWS & LIGHT: TALES OF LOST KINGDOMS (Fantasy, Pill Hill Press, September)

S. W. Vaughn/HUNTED (Urban fantasy, Lyrical Press, June 2009): A young woman discovers that angels are real, her father may have been one, and some of them are trying to kill her.

Jaye Wells/RED-HEADED STEPCHILD (Urban Fantasy, Orbit, April): A mixed blood assassin struggles to prevent a war brewing between the mage and vampire races.

Nonfiction
Helen Couchman, introductory essay by Dr Anthony Gorman/Mrs. West's Hats (art, Soloshow Publishing, November 09): Mrs. West (1909-1993) was my grandmother and this work is prompted by my memories of her.

David Dvorkin/BUSINESS SECRETS FROM THE STARS (Satire/humor, Norilana Books, April): A book of inane business aphorisms from an invented interstellar tycoon endangers its author when dangerous people take it seriously.

Charles Allen Gramlich/WRITE WITH FIRE (Nonfiction/Writing related, Borgo Press, July 2009): "Both beginning and advanced writers will benefit from this straightforward look at the art of creating publishable fiction" --Robert Reginald

Marsha Moore/24 HOURS LONDON (Non-fiction travel guide, Prospera Publishing, November 2009): Top tips for what's happening any moment in time from London's only hour-by-hour guide.

Hannah Faith Notess/JESUS GIRLS: TRUE TALES OF GROWING UP FEMALE AND EVANGELICAL (Creative Nonfiction, Cascade Books, September): Stories “by experienced women writers from diverse evangelical Christian backgrounds; the tales are honest, approachable and revealing.” –Publishers Weekly

Bruce Pollock/ By the Time We Got to Woodstock: The Great Rock and Roll Revolution of 1969 (Music History, Backbeat Books, September): A caustic and humorous look at 1969, a defining year in the life and death of the counter culture.

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I adore Laurie Faria Stolarz. She is soooooooo nice and really kind and cool, so I was psyched to post a couple interview questions with her here on my blog. Excuse me while I go all fan girl.
Here she is looking cute.

My Quickie Interview with Laurie.

What captivates you?
A really good movie, really good trash TV.

Do you have any super sekrit phobias?
I can’t watch scary movies, does that count? I also can’t go into any spooky “haunted” houses, or walk alone at night.

Would you ever fall in love with a werewolf?
No, I prefer my men human. Unless of course he looked exactly like John Cusack or Jude Law.

Tell me the goofiest thing you've ever done, or the bravest.
I once broke into a mini-golf course at night, climbing over a 10-foot chain link fence, and hurtling up a mountain of plastic waterfalls to have my picture taken with a giant pink dinosaur. I was pledging a sorority when I did this (wink, wink).

BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS is a companion book to the BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series. When my editor approached me with the idea of writing a graphic novel, I was very intrigued because it gave me the opportunity to not only try something new, but to really picture the book as a movie. I have a background in screenwriting and wrote BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS in screenplay format, adding in ideas for illustrations and sidebars. It was an absolute thrill to write – to have the opportunity to work with an illustrator, and to see my work come to life in this way. BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS does not take the place of a regular prose novel in the series. It is a companion piece, complimenting the entire series as a whole. It picks up where RED IS FOR REMEMBRANCE left off, and also shows some fan-favorite scenes from the entire series.

DEADLY LITTLE LIES is the sequel to DEADLY LITTLE SECRET, (the first book in the TOUCH series). I’m really excited about it, because I think it has even more suspense, romance, and twists than the first book. It starts up a few months after Ben’s departure at the end of DEADLY LITTLE SECRET. Camelia’s spent those months researching everything she can find on psychometry (the ability to sense things through touch). See the full description below.

I’m launching the release of DEADLY LITTLE LIES with a really exciting contest; be sure to check out the details below. Also below, you’ll find Stacey Brown’s courage sachet spell, Camelia’s favorite psychometry links, and some tips Camelia has to develop your own psychometric powers. I’m also including some random facts about me.

Lastly, the paperback of DEADLY LITTLE SECRET is out as well. For a limited time Barnes & Noble is offering an exclusive edition that has bonus excerpts from Ben’s secret blog.

Many thanks again for this opportunity to chat!

All best,

Laurie Stolarz

www.lauriestolarz.com

ABOUT BLACK IS FOR BEGINNNINGS:

The BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series that put a spell on more than half a million readers continues – in graphic novel format! Prophetic nightmares. Near-brushes with death. Killers pursuing her and her friends. Stacey Brown knows that being a hereditary witch isn’t all it's cracked up to be.

All she really wants to do is work things out with Jacob and figure out what to do with the rest of her life. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS reveals the never-before-seen backstory - and what lies ahead - for the young, spellcasting lovers.

BLACK continues the harrowing adventures of Stacey and Jacob in the wake of Jacob's brush with death. Ever since he lost his memory, Jacob hasn't been able to remember Stacey - his own soul mate. He leaves Massachusetts, returning to his childhood home in Colorado, hoping to jog his memory. What he remembers is Kira, his ex-girlfriend. As Jacob works to piece together his past, will there be room for Stacey in his future?

REVIEWS:

"The half-million readers of Laurie Faria Stolarz’s paranormal mystery series will be happy with this shift to graphic style, offering as it does the pleasure of putting faces on characters, its visualized eeriness and vibrant displays of emotion...The graphic style allows Stolarz to distill the story while simultaneously dropping hints about Stacey and Jacob’s supernatural talents, luring new readers to the series." - Kirkus Reviews

"Taking Stolarz’s Blue Is for Nightmares series into the graphic-novel realm is a bold idea, and it pays off in this morbidly entertaining and surprisingly romantic page-turner." - Booklist

“This scary and romantic story, with its larger-than-life emotions and darkly twisting plot, lends itself well to the graphic novel format. The teenage characters, their dialogue, and their interactions are well imagined and ably captured. And when you are not enjoying the great dialogue or fantastic artwork, it is fun to pore over the little details…BLACK IS FOR BEGINNINGS serves both to draw new teen readers to the series and to supply existing fans with interesting additional background and never-before-seen details. A winning formula!” – TeenReads

ABOUT DEADLY LITTLE LIES

Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, a new boy at school who had a very mysterious gift – psychometry, the ability to sense the future through touch. But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry and experiencing strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow been transferred to her.

Ben returns to school, but he remains aloof, and Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Camelia makes the painful decision to let him go and move on. Adam, the hot new guy at Knead, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't. But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events uncovers secrets from Ben’s past – and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it's up to Camelia to figure out who – before it's too late.

View the Book Trailer for Deadly Little Secret: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fzMpVMy2fQ

TOUCH SERIES CONTEST

You will need to read a copy of DEADLY LITTLE LIES to enter this contest. The grand prize winner of the contest will have a minor character in DEADLY LITTLE GAME, the third book in the TOUCH series named after him or her. OFFICIAL RULES for this contest are listed on my website, under NEWS: WWW.LAURIESTOLARZ.COM/NEWS.html.

Stacey Brown's Courage Sachet

Purpose: To help conquer your biggest fears.

Ingredients: swatch of cheesecloth, dried thyme, small piece of paper, black ball-point pen, piece of string.
1. On the piece of paper, using the black ball-point pen, write whatever it is you fear.
2. Fold this paper up, as tight as you can get it, imagining your fear becoming smaller and weaker with each crease.
3. Lay the cheesecloth open in front of you and drop the folded paper ball into the middle. 4. Sprinkle the dried thyme atop it.
5. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and tie closed with the piece of string.
6. Hold the sachet and repeat the following chant three times: I fear you now but not for long for with my courage you will be gone.
7. Keep this courage sachet with you whenever you need to remind yourself that you are much stronger than your fears.

For more spells, go here: http://www.llewellyn.com/spell.php

Camelia’s Favorite Links About Psychometry:

http://paranormal.about.com/cs/espinformation/a/aa063003.htm

http://freespace.virgin.net/russel.steward/psychome.htm

http://www.powerful-psychic-reading.com/psychometry.html

Directions on how to bring your own psychometric senses to fruition
1. Make yourself comfortable in a place that feels “sacred” to you. For some it’s outside, surrounded by nature; for others it’s a favorite chair or surrounded by candles; for me, it’s wherever I’m doing pottery.
2. Close your eyes and concentrate on your breath, letting go of any stray or nervous thoughts.
3. Now, take an object in your hand. A good idea is to have someone give you something they’ve owned for a long time, i.e. a favorite bracelet or a set of keys.
4. Close your eyes again and concentrate on this object. Be aware of any thoughts or feelings that come about as a result of holding this object. Talk those ideas through, even if they seem silly or insignificant, but never make information up.

Remember, this takes practice and a bit of experimenting. The goal is to begin tuning in to your own inner awareness and your ability of perception. What works for me is saying a question aloud in my head, and then sculpting out the answer – using my power of touch in a creative and organic way.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Laurie Faria Stolarz is the author of several popular young adult novels, including Deadly Little Secret, Deadly Little Lies, Project 17, Bleed, and the bestselling BLUE IS FOR NIGHTMARES series, which has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. Stolarz's titles have been part of the Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers list, the Top Ten Teen Pick list, and YALSA's Popular Paperback list, all through the American Library Association. Born and raised in Salem, Massachusetts, Stolarz attended Merrimack College and received an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston. For more information, visit Laurie's website at www.lauriestolarz.com.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
1. I love what I do, and feel very grateful to be able to have this as a career.

2. I love dark chocolate, Starbucks coffee, Bertucci’s cheeseless pizza, popcorn, and Indian food (though not necessarily in one meal).

3. I watch an embarrassing amount of reality TV (it’s research after all).

4. I’m very deadline driven, giving myself weekly deadlines and agendas, so that everything gets done on time.

5. I have a background in marketing and French.

6. My first job was as a piano teacher (I was 9). I’ve also been a waitress, a supermarket cashier, worked in a ceramics studio, worked as a tour guide for international exchange students, been a teacher, a script reader, an editor, and written obituaries for a newspaper.

7. I’m a vegetarian. If I were to try my hand at a different career, it would be holistic nutritionist.

8. I love yoga, dance/aerobics classes, cooking, tennis, and power walks.

9. I often shop online, fill my basket, and then empty it all out. Does anyone else do this?

10. My readers mean the world to me.

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Title: Kitty Kitty
Author: Michele Jaffe
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: 2008
Genre: YA
Main Themes: Mystery, Murder, Italy, Family, Love, Friendship
Pages: 307
Plot (from Booklist):
Poor Jas. “Dadzilla” has whisked her to Venice (Italy), where she’ll spend her senior year without her California pals. Her solution: be Model Daughter, so Dad will let her go home. Unfortunately, Jas can’t stay away from a mystery. This time it’s the death of a girl in her Italian class. Police rule suicide; Jas disagrees. When her friends pay a visit (surprise!), the mystery gains momentum, and Jas finds herself running around in a squirrel costume trying to catch a killer. Readers unacquainted with the first book will need time to get used to the high-octane characters and frenetic patter, which occasionally spins out of control; and except for a few appearances, forget cats. What works best is the over-the-top, laugh-out-loud silliness between Jas and her protective entourage, and Jas’ own wildly colorful personality, which, along with her insatiable curiosity, suffers from the usual teen insecurities about clothes, parents, and boys.

Michele Jaffe's books totally rock my socks off! I don't know how she comes up with such great plot lines and hilarious dialogue, I just hope she never stops!

Kitty Kitty is the the continuation of Jas' story that began in Jaffe's first YA novel, Bad Kitty. While readers will most likely be able to follow Jas' story if they begin with Kitty Kitty, I recommend reading Bad Kitty first. Not only will you have a better idea of who the characters are and how they came to be in Venice, you'll also laugh your head off.

One of my favorite things about reading Jaffe's YA novels is the fact that when I'm reading, I constantly feel the need to find someone to read passages aloud to! These books are so funny that I must share them!

There isn't a lot of YA mystery out there - which is another reason to pick up Jaffe's books. She is a seasoned mystery author, as she writes adult romantic mysteries as well. I've read her adult novels and was pleasantly surprised to see that she wrote YA as well. The YA novels are completely different than the adult novels, but just as good: Jaffe's diverse writing talent astounds me!

Those of you who have read Bad Kitty will be happy to see all your favorite characters return for Kitty Kitty. Those of you who haven't read Bad Kitty... hurry up and read it: there are some characters you need to meet!

Ratings (Out of 10):
Plot: 10
Characters: 10
Writing: 10
Romance: 10
Originality: 10
Total: 50/50 (A!)

I can't imagine someone not laughing while reading Bad Kitty and Kitty Kitty - so if you need a laugh and are in the mood for a good book, be sure to check out Michele Jaffe's YA novels!

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STATUS: Who can get work done when there is so much Harlequin gossip flying around?

What’s playing on the iPod right now? EDGE OF SEVENTEEN by Stevie Nicks

Then today can’t even compare. I think Harlequin has just gotten the smack down.

I have not confirmed this rumor yet, but a fellow agent just emailed me to say that RWA revoked Harlequin’s recognized publisher status. Uh… that means no Harlequin author can enter the RITAs.

Let me tell you, the emails are flying fast and furious among the agents.

And RWA just sent out this announcement:

RWA Alert: RWA Responds to Harlequin Horizons

Dear Members:
Romance Writers of America was informed of the new venture between Harlequin Enterprises and ASI Solutions to form Harlequin Horizons, a vanity/subsidy press. Many of you have asked the organization to state its position regarding this new development. As a matter of policy, we do not endorse any publisher’s business model. Our mission is the advancement of the professional interests of career-focused romance writers.

One of your member benefits is the annual National Conference. RWA allocates select conference resources to non-subsidy/non-vanity presses that meet the eligibility requirements to obtain those resources. Eligible publishers are provided free meeting space for book signings, are given the opportunity to hold editor appointments, and are allowed to offer spotlights on their programs.

With the launch of Harlequin Horizons, Harlequin Enterprises no longer meets the requirements to be eligible for RWA-provided conference resources. This does not mean that Harlequin Enterprises cannot attend the conference. Like all non-eligible publishers, they are welcome to attend. However, as a non-eligible publisher, they would fund their own conference fees and they would not be provided with conference resources by RWA to publicize or promote the company or its imprints.

Sometimes the wind of change comes swiftly and unexpectedly, leaving an unsettled feeling. RWA takes its role as advocate for its members seriously. The Board is working diligently to address the impact of recent developments on all of RWA's members.

We invite you to attend the annual conference on July 28 - 31, 2010 in Nashville, TN, as we celebrate 30 years of success with keynote speaker Nora Roberts, special luncheon speaker Jayne Ann Krentz, librarian speaker Sherrilyn Kenyon, and awards ceremony emcee Sabrina Jeffries. Please refer to the RWA Web site for conference registration information in late January 2010.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Gaylord Opryland!

Michelle Monkou
RWA President
RWA Alert is a publication of Romance Writers of America®,

I have to wonder. Did Harlequin not think there would be a strong response? I'll keep you posted if I hear anything more!

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Harlequin, the romance publisher famous for starting the careers of such household names as Nora Roberts and Tess Gerritsen, has teamed up with Author Solutions to create a self-publishing imprint. Harlequin Horizons, the new author subsidized imprint is one of the first in what could be a trend of major publishing houses seeking alternative methods for turning a profit. These new imprints would offer print on demand printing, typesetting, jacket design and basic levels of editing for a fee.

While I’m sure there are many authors who will jump at the chance of having their books printed with an imprint that is closely related to a major publishing house, there are both advantages and disadvantages to going the self-publishing route. The success stories of self-published authors may push many aspiring novelists to take this route, however, it is a very difficult and time-consuming journey. It is a journey that needs to be planned out fully and properly executed in order to give yourself a chance at mainstream potential (hiring an editor for a thorough, complex editing of manuscript, a publicist to help in media placement and review coverage, and acquiring distribution).

We will have to wait and see if more publishing houses follow suit and what kind of attention this results in for the writers involved.

       

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