Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 121
December 7, 2011
YA is...
Well, all of the YA manuscripts I've written have proven this statement to be true. Now there may be a book out there somewhere that doesn't have kissing, but for the most part YA does equal kissing. Teens have crushes. They have the crazy, all-consuming first loves. So, yes, there's kissing.
Today, I thought it would be fun to come up with some other things that YA novels must have. (Besides kissing.) So I'm asking you to finish this thought:
YA is...
*If you're interested, I have a guest post up on Write Spell about writing outside your comfort zone.
Cover Reveal: Santa Bunny
I'm very excited to reveal the cover of my upcoming picture book, SANTA BUNNY. This is a Christmas/Easter crossover story inspired by my daughter who loves Santa and the Easter Bunny equally.
Since it's a crossover, I've decided to release it in time for Easter instead of Christmas. The story does focus on the Easter Bunny more than Santa, so it seemed appropriate to do it this way.
I'll post a synopsis and the trailer when it gets closer to the release date, but for now, enjoy the cover:
December 5, 2011
Monday Mishmash 12/5/11
Half-blood I'm loving this book. I have it on my Kindle right now and I'm enjoying it so much I'm reading it slowly. I don't want it to end.Amazon gift card My husband got an Amazon gift card, and it's taking all my restraint not to steal it when he's not looking. Major revisions I finished a major revision on my YA manuscript. I added a subplot which had to be woven throughout. Wow, that was a lot of work and it added 18K to the project, but I'm glad I did it.Fireseed One I'll be part of Catherine Stine's book launch later this month, so look for a post on December 21 to learn more about the new YA release.My birthday Thursday is my birthday and I got a new treadmill. Yes, it arrived early. And yes, I wanted one. I run 4-5 times a week and I ran my old one into the ground. Plus, I read on the treadmill and this one has a book holder!That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
*My free monthly newsletter goes out today, so if you aren't signed up and you'd like to receive it, click here.
Monday Mishmash 12/5/11
It's Monday again. Here's what's on my mind today:
Half-blood I'm loving this book. I have it on my Kindle right now and I'm enjoying it so much I'm reading it slowly. I don't want it to end.Amazon gift card My husband got an Amazon gift card, and it's taking all my restraint not to steal it when he's not looking.Major revisions I finished a major revision on my YA manuscript. I added a subplot which had to be woven throughout. Wow, that was a lot of work and it added 18K to the project, but I'm glad I did it.Fireseed One I'll be part of Catherine Stine's book launch later this month, so look for a post on December 21 on my YA & MG blog to learn more about the new YA release and for a giveaway.My birthday Thursday is my birthday and I got a new treadmill. Yes, it arrived early. And yes, I wanted one. I run 4-5 times a week and I ran my old one into the ground. Plus, I read on the treadmill and this one has a book holder!
That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
December 2, 2011
Open Minds by Susan Kay Quinn
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can't read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can't be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf's mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she's dragged deep into a hidden underworld of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.
My thoughts:
Kira thinks her life can't get worse since she's a zero. She can't read minds, and that makes her almost invisible. But when an intimate moment with Raf triggers a change in her brain, Kira discovers she's not a zero after all. She's a jacker. Yet her new ability doesn't exactly make her like everyone else. Now Kira has a whole new set of problems, ones that will make her a target.
From the very first page, the writing jumped out at me. It was obvious that Quinn had this book professionally edited and put a lot of time into choosing the perfect words to put the reader in Kira's mind. And the concept of the story intrigued me right away. I mean a world where people can read each other's minds means you can't have secrets, right? Maybe not. At lease not for Kira. But Kira's ability doesn't make her power crazy or force her dominance over everyone else. She remains very human--or maybe I should say humane--and the choices she makes easily had me cheering her on.
I give this book five stars for grabbing my attention and not letting go. I will definitely read the next book in The Mindjack Trilogy.
Just for fun: Could you live in a world where people could hear your every thought?
Book Signing at Panera Bread
I will be at Panera Bread in Stroudsburg, PA tomorrow, Saturday, December 3rd from 2-4pm. I will be signing copies of all three of my picture books:
900 Shoppes at Stroud
Stroudsburg, PA
MAY THE BEST DOG WIN
MAY THE BEST DOG WIN COLORING BOOK EDITION
THE PURRFECT PUPPY
Also Heather DeRobertis, the illustrator of THE PURRFECT PUPPY will be there to cosign. She is bringing her ABC book, CREEPY CRYPT OF ABC, too.
I hope to see you there!
November 30, 2011
A Tale of Two Sites
This is it. Welcome to my young adult and middle grade blog. I will be blogging from here every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. While I'll still have my other site, I won't be blogging from there as often. I will only be blogging about children's writing related topics and books over there and YA & MG writing and books here.
You'll notice a lot of changes to the children's site, and this site will continue to grow as my career hopefully grows. *crosses fingers* But you can expect book reviews, tips on writing for YA & MG audiences, and of course my Monday Mishmash.
To kick off the YA topic, what YA book are you reading right now?
A Tale of Two Sites
It's official. I've split my website in two. Why? Because this site was quickly becoming about my children's picture books and short stories for readers 12 and under. Now that I have an agent and am actively seeking publication for my young adult and middle grade novels, I thought it was time to have a place just for them.
And that place can be found here. I will be blogging from my young adult and middle grade author site every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. And the topics will include everything related to writing and reading books for this age group.
Here at this site, which is now strictly for my children's books and short stories, I will not be blogging as often. And the topics will only pertain to writing and reading books for kids 12 and under. I will continue posting information about my picture books here and helpful tips for writers of this age group, so don't think the site is going away. It's not.
So I hope you'll check out my new YA & MG author site, and feel free to let me know what you think about the split I've made.
November 28, 2011
Monday Mishmash 11/28/11
Book signing I have a signing this Saturday from 2-4pm at Panera Bread in Stroudsburg, PA. I'll be signing all three of my picture books.Long weekends I got a lot of reading done over the long weekend. I finished two books and started two more. That's a good weekend in my book. (Oh, bad pun!)Two websites I felt funny having one website for such an array of books, so I decided to break my publications in two. One site for children's picture books and short stories and one site for YA and MG books. More on this on Wednesday.A huge To-Do List Ugh. My daily planner is full. I can't seem to keep up lately, mostly because I choose writing over the other things on my list.Revisions I'm revising a manuscript that has sat for months. It's amazing what that much time away will do. I definitely have fresh eyes on it.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
Monday Mishmash 11/28
Happy Monday! Here's what 's on my mind today:
Book signing I have a signing this Saturday from 2-4pm at Panera Bread in Stroudsburg, PA. I'll be signing all three of my picture books.Long weekends I got a lot of reading done over the long weekend. I finished two books and started two more. That's a good weekend in my book. (Oh, bad pun!)Two websites I felt funny having one website for such an array of books, so I decided to break my publications in two. One site for children's picture books and short stories and one site for YA and MG books. More on this on Wednesday.A huge To-Do List Ugh. My daily planner is full. I can't seem to keep up lately, mostly because I choose writing over the other things on my list. ;) Revisions I'm revising a manuscript that has sat for months. It's amazing what that much time away will do. I definitely have fresh eyes on it.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?
