Jaime Reed's Blog, page 5

INTERVIEW with Jay Kristoff

Hey guys! Here's another interview from fellow Apocalypsies member, Jay Kristoff author of STORMDANCER and—OMG, prepared to get your mind blown! Griffins and samurais and robots, Oh MY! He's better off explaining it, so take it away, Jay.

Here's the official pitch for STORMDANCER:
The Shima Isles are verging on the brink of environmental collapse; decimated by clockwork mechanization and toxic pollution. Befriending the last griffin alive on the islands, sixteen-year-old Yukiko pits herself...

YA Girl Hit-List

While preparing my "Dear Teen Me" letter for Miranda Kenneally, this inherent need to vent came upon me. Like most nostalgic adults, I read YA to escape the mundane routine of bills, idiot bosses, and grown-up responsibilities in general. When my means of escape starts to piss me off that's when I whip out the machete. So let's get this massacre underway. Let me introduce you to three chicks that get on my nerves, though I'm pretty sure you've met them already in some form or fashion.

The...

INTERVIEW with Claire Legrand

This week on Inside the Writer's Notebook, I had the pleasure of interviewing author and fellow Apocalypsies member, Claire Legrand. Her Middle Grade fantasy, THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, (Simon & Schuster BFYR, Fall 2012) puts the "grim" in Brothers Grimm and reveals why social services should pay closer attention to orphanages. Intrigued? Good. Let's jump right in!!



Give us the dish about your book. What is it about your story that makes it stand out?
My debut is a middle grade...

Inside the Writer's Notebook

For the month of September I'm interviewing fellow members of the fabulous group The Apocalypsies , new YA authors such as myself whose books will debut in 2012. Starting the lineup is Elizabeth Norris. Her YA fantasy UNRAVELING (Balzer+Bray April 2012) is an action-packed thriller that explores the secrets of life and death, fate, and the end of the world as we know it.
Intrigued? So am I. Let's pick her brain!
So tell us a bit about your book. What is it about your story that makes it stand...

Living Violet Revealed!!

Hey guys,Good News! The wait is over! Well, some of it anyway. I recently received the sample book jacket for LIVING VIOLET. My book now has an actual cover! A COVER, y'all!! On top of that, it's available for pre-order. Yay!
I'm super excited to see all the work and effort come to fruition. It's surreal—kinda like an outer body, this-isn't-really-happening-to-me, thing. This high is going to get worse as the release date draws closer.

I do have mixed feelings about the cover art. I've never...

My Writing Routine

Yesterday, on one of those rare occasions when my sister takes interest in writing career, she asked me about my routine. This was an interesting question because I wasn't sure if I have one. So I logged what I did for the next 24 hours to see if there was a pattern. This is what I got.

        11am:       Wake up
        11:30am:  Eat, check email, and stalk people on Twitter
        12pm:       Hit the gym and run errands
        3pm:         Eat again and write 2,000 words for new manuscript

Gettin' Freaky with YA

Once again, this post was inspired by someone spitting nonsense in my ear. I've allowed a few of my betas to read BURNING EMERALD, the follow up book to LIVING VIOLET, and I've gotten great feedback. However, I keep getting the same question involving the sex life of my underage protagonist. I've got friends calling me in the middle of the night asking when Samara and Caleb will finally bone. These are grown women foaming at the mouth, pondering the Big Bang.
I'm surrounded by perverts...

What the ****happened to Jaime?

This is just a brief update to let you guys know that I haven't died, been kidnapped, sold in a human trafficking ring, or disappeared inside a spacecraft that resembles a blue telephone booth. I'm fine, but very busy preparing my book series for public consumption. Things are going slow, but well. I just finished the second installment...

Rent-A-Plot: Recycled Soaps

[image error] Those who have read my work can agree that twists and "oh shit" moments appear frequently, and I fear the childhood brainwashing of daytime soaps is the culprit. For as far as I can remember, I've had some badly scripted melodrama playing in the background from noon to 3 pm. I blame my mother. Babysitters were too expensive.

Lately, I've be...