Suze Reese's Blog, page 5

Extranormal New Cover Reveal! Wahoo!

At long last Extranormal is ready to reveal its brand new cover!

I don't know how many books get a new cover after the first has been announced but before its release. I suspect quite a few, but not enough for it to be the norm. Especially when the first cover was beautiful enough to cause a stir. Which, I think, is why I'm feeling especially anxious.

I have received great feedback on Extranormal's original cover. It is even on several GoodReads lists just for the cover. It is stunning, eye-catching, and sets just the right tone for a paranormal romance. Sadly, what it isn't is original. And while the (other) cover that makes it not original is fine for what it is, the tone isn't right for Extranormal. Instead of saying 'mysterious aliens in trouble' it says 'hunka hunka burning love'. Which is fine if your book is about hunka hunka burning love. And while Extranormal is a romance, it's not that kind of romance, if you know what I mean.

Those who have read it will tell you that Extranormal has a unique voice and a unique story line. And I believe it totally deserves a unique cover.

I don't know if any of you have ever shown up to a party wearing an outfit that you think is drop-dead gorgeous (or reasonably flattering), and you're all confident and smiling and waving and chatting--until someone else comes in wearing the same outfit. Except they've accessorized with chunky wooden beads and a big wide belt that accentuates things it shouldn't and they're wearing boots when you think it calls for flats. And all of a sudden your own outfit feels wrong, and you start tugging at it anxiously and shifting in your seat instead of smiling and flirting and giggling and all those good things you were doing a minute before.

Okay, so maybe that's never happened exactly that way, but I bet you can relate. And that's how I was feeling with my old cover.

But now I am feeling super, super lucky to have Eve Ventrue design this new cover that will never be anything but the intriguing and beautiful cover for Extranormal, the paranormal romance. She worked crazy hard on it with her crazy amazing skills, and I'm thrilled.

I am expecting some folks to like the original cover better. And that's okay. But I do hope that most will love the new one so much they'll quickly forget the other.

If this cover could speak, it would right now strut across the red carpet with its perfectly-coiffed hair and pouty lips and designer evening gown, then pause, standing tall and jutting out its perfectly-toned leg and whisper demurely: "Don't hate me because I am beautiful."

Fortunately it can't speak. But it can show itself off:



There she is! Amazing, don't you think? Beautiful mysterious Mira, full of angst and worry, torn between two worlds, with abilities that could either save her or kill her...one little picture says it all.

I'm off now to change her up on the blog, Facebook, GoodReads, etc. What a day...maybe I'll go have a brownie and put my feet up first.

Oh, and if you have a blog, feel free to spread the news!

I Heart YA #8: Lovin' Our Heartthrobs

Welcome to the 8th weekly I HEART YA Blog Carnival! I HEART YA is a Blog Carnival for readers, writers, and lovers of young adult fiction. Every Tuesday there will be a blogging prompt that celebrates my favorite reading genre --YA fiction. Bloggers are invited to write their own take on the topic and post a link in the comment section, or if you prefer just put your thoughts in the comments. Either way, if you own a blog, grab the button to show your pride, and add your link to the list below. If you're not sure what to do, go to the I HEART YA tab for more details. 


Okay, let me just say that I DO realize Davy Jones is not a young adult fictional character. I ALSO realize that most young readers don't even know who he is AND that admitting he was my heartthrob dates me to some time just after the dinosaurs. But I couldn't resist starting a blog about heartthrobs so soon after Davy's death without giving my very first heartthrob a nod. Davy, the littlest Monkey, (as in the Monkeys, not literal monkeys)debuted on the big black and white television while I was barely past potty training, which means he was my heartthrob before I even knew there was such a thing.

So with that nod to Davy, (and with apologies to Sarah Belliston who covered this topic last week) let's ask the question: Who's your heartthrob? (I should also say that I realize the subject is very similar to last week's, but this time we're talking about the boys that our female protagonists fall for, which is a different group from our male protagonists--though they all can be delectable.)

And since this carnival is about young adult fiction and not early boy bands, I'll give a nod to some of them too. First, let me say that I'm not a fan of love triangles. When it comes to Peeta vs. Gale or Edward vs. Jacob, I have a hard time rooting for either one, since as long as they have any redeeming qualities, I think they deserve to be with somebody who is fully committed to them, not some flaky girl whose head is turned by every little compliment or sparkling smile. I also don't have a type. Sometimes I love the nerds. Sometimes the bad boys. Sometimes the gentleman. Sometimes I even like the ones that are full of themselves, as long as they have other like-able qualities.

So without pitting the poor guys against one another: I am a Peeta fan, though only slightly more than Gale. Can't say I was wild about either Edward or Jacob. I have a soft spot for Jace Wayland from the Immortal series. Sure, he's a bit full of himself. But he's dedicated and compassionate to the people who count and made huge strides when it comes to self-improvement projects. I'm also going to go out a limb and list Neville Longbottom. Best geek ever, IMHO. Besides Davy, of course. I'll always hold a special place in my heart for him.

Okay, so what about you? Who are your heartthrobs?





And don't forget: 1. Add your link to the linkytool (Only once is necessary. Links will be removed after two months of not participating.) 2. Add your link to the comment section so we know you participated this week. 3. Grab the button if you haven't already. 4. Check out the other blog posts. Ready...set...go!

How To Design An Incredible Book Cover

There are plenty of great tutorials out there. This isn't one of them. Not that it won't be great. Or that it won't be a tutorial. It'll just be written more for the person who's interested in covers than the person who wants to design one. But anybody's welcome to read it.

Step One: Find an awesome and talented graphic designer.
Step Two: Hire her.
Step Three: Tell her all about your book and what kinds of things you imagine for the cover.
Step Four: Wait. This is actually the hardest part. I do not recommend my method of waiting, which involves checking one's email every few minutes. Especially since the wait can last for weeks. You can only imagine how hard it is to stay on task, any task, when checking one's email every few minutes. You would not believe the dishes that have gone unwashed and trash cans unemptied, and the words unwritten in the name of checking my email. I would recommend limiting email checking to no more than hourly, if at all possible.
Step Five: Receive a rough sketch. Two actually. These will literally just be a couple of lines that loosely form an image. You might not know what to think. But the artist will use the words 'trust me', so you will. She will want to know which sketch to go with, and you might tell her that you're not sure but your daughters have an opinion. If you do that, she might gently scold you and remind you that it's your cover. Don't make that mistake again. Form an opinion.
Step Six: Wait. This one happens a lot.
Step Seven: Receive an email with incredible art work and say 'wow'. Read plans for the next stage. Give thumbs up.
Step Eight: Wait. Yep, told you.
Step Nine: Receive an email with eye candy. Say 'wow' again. This time, however, the artist will have questions about how to make it 'your' cover. What things do you want to see? Answer those questions as best you can.
Step Ten: Don't even have to tell you, do I?
Step Eleven: Receive another email. This time, it is clear that the artist is now trying to figure out what you, the author, wants instead of running with her own God-given talent. Instead of 'wow', you might say 'hmmm'.
Steps Twelve through, what?, Twenty? Twenty two?: Study image. Try to figure out what kept you from saying 'wow'. Maybe send it out to friends and get their opinions. But remember that it's yours that matters most. Pass emails back and forth with artist with more suggestions and more changes. It's called collaborating. If you're lucky the artist will be kind and polite and claim that she loves collaborating. Eventually you will open an email that will make you say 'YES! Wowzers!'.

And that is how you design an incredible cover.

I'm pleased to announce that after a whole bunch of sweat, tears, and email checking; I'll be revealing my new "YES!" "WOW!" "HOLY COW!" cover for ExtraNormal next Thursday! Totally worth the wait!

I HEART YA #7: Dishing Up Male Protagonists

Welcome to the 7th weekly I HEART YA Blog Carnival! I HEART YA is a Blog Carnival for readers, writers, and lovers of young adult fiction. Every Tuesday there will be a blogging prompt that celebrates my favorite reading genre --YA fiction. Bloggers are invited to write their own take on the topic and post a link in the comment section, or if you prefer just put your thoughts in the comments. Either way, if you own a blog, grab the button to show your pride, and add your link to the list below. If you're not sure what to do, go to the I HEART YA tab for more details. 


I have to admit that I had a hard time with this week's topics. Not that there aren't plenty of fun male characters in YA fiction. But honestly they're mostly the love interests or backup players (ie. Team Edward, Team Jacob, Team Peeta, etc.) and I promised we'd do protagonists, which means they've got to be the main character, not the heartthrob. (So in case you're wondering about next week's topic...Go Team!) But for today, I want to look at ya books that have males as the main character. 


So as I began looking at lists and thinking about the books I've read, it became pretty obvious that there are a lot more female protagonists than male in ya fiction. I'm not absolutely sure why, but I'm betting it has something to do with the ratio of female to male authors. 


I didn't think that would be a problem for this carnival, there are still plenty of books to choose from. But here's where I had a big "ah-ha" moment. While there are plenty of books with male protagonists that I love, I can't say that I'm wild about many of the protagonists. 


There is, of course, Harry Potter. And I dare say there aren't a lot of folks that don't love Harry. 


But after that it gets harder for me. I enjoyed the Fablehaven books by Brandon Mull, (though there are two protagonists that share equal billing, a girl and a boy), I found Seth a little annoying. I recently finished Variant, by Robison Wells, and while I really enjoyed the book, I realized there wasn't much characterization to Benson. He was a good guy, and I did cheer him on, I just didn't feel like I got to know him very well. Same with James Dashner's Maze. 


In fact, I had to go all the way to Lois Lowry's The Giver to think of another male protagonist that I really loved. And guess what it has in common with Potter? They're both written by women. Hmmm...I think I might be on to something,   

I do get that men who write about boys are going to worry more about action than feelings, and I'm okay with that as long as they tell a good story. But if anybody asks, here's what I want in my male protagonists, whether they're created by a woman or a man: I want them humble. I want them smart. I want them compassionate. Mostly I want them interesting. I want to get to know them with all their foibles and insecurities and still love them and cheer for them.

There's a fabulous list of male protagonists by Realm of Words, if you need a little brain nudge. (I ALWAYS need a brain nudge).

Okay, so what about you? Are there enough male protagonists, and how do you like them?





And don't forget: 1. Add your link to the linkytool (Only once is necessary. Links will be removed after two months of not participating.) 2. Add your link to the comment section so we know you participated this week. 3. Grab the button if you haven't already. 4. Check out the other blog posts. Ready...set...go!

The Trouble With Technology

As an author of contemporary fiction, I'm having a heck of a time keeping up with technology. It's not that I don't know what's out there, or how to use it. (Well, okay, I admit I don't know how to use most of it.) The problem is in deciding how much of it my characters should be using.

I commented on another blog a couple weeks back that when I started writing ExtraNormal, my characters were flipping their phones open, which was accurate for the time. Just a couple years later only the geek kids flip their phones open (or so my kids tell me). But where does it stop? By the next book will they need to be face timing? Skyping on their phones? Or will that be blase and dated in a couple years? What about iPads, iPods, or iAnything? Should folks carry them around? Will it sound lame if they do, or if they don't?

It's details like that than can pull a reader of the story and make them think about the fact that the story isn't real. That someone was sitting at a desk trying to decide whether have their character's talk on a flip phone or face time on an iPod. It's also enough to make your head spin.

I'd love it if some other writers, or even readers, sounded in on how to make technology (or lack of technology) flow in a contemporary story.

I HEART YA #6: Female Protagonists, Tough or Over Easy?

Welcome to the 5th weekly I HEART YA Blog Carnival! I HEART YA is a Blog Carnival for readers, writers, and lovers of young adult fiction. Every Tuesday there will be a blogging prompt that celebrates my favorite reading genre --YA fiction. Bloggers are invited to write their own take on the topic and post a link in the comment section, or if you prefer just put your thoughts in the comments. Either way, if you own a blog, grab the button to show your pride, and add your link to the list below. If you're not sure what to do, go to the I HEART YA tab for more details. 


I have to say that I love the story of Princess Bride. I say story, because I'm an equal fan of both the movie and the book. If you've only experienced one or the other I suggest you correct that situation. And soon.


I love Wesley. Oh the things I could say about Wesley. (Like how my mom, (you know, the cute little 90-year-old?) said that she couldn't ever enjoy a movie where the hero is prettier than the heroine. She cracks me up.) 


Anyway, I'm also a fan of Buttercup, the heroine who's not quite as pretty as her hero. I love the way she reacts to crisis, like in the scene pictured above, in the fire swamp, battling R.O.U.S.'s. Her approach can be summed up in three words, "Help me Wesley!" She does pick up up a large stick, but does nothing with it. 


However, my pleasure at the "Help me Wesley!" approach is strictly limited to the parody of Princess Bride. Everywhere else, I want my female protagonists to have a little fight in them. Not that I don't like to see them rescued now and them. Or that I expect them to run around lifting weights and packing heat. But I do like them to be well-rounded with good brains, good morals, and a little gumption. 


If I had to choose a favorite, I'd probably go with Hermione from Harry Potter. Brainy, tough, brave--yet humble, shy, and a geek. I love the scene (I can never manage to keep the books straight, let alone the scenes, so you'll just have to trust me that it's one of the later ones) where Harry is about to leave in order to keep his friends safe, and Ron wants to follow, but he insists they wait for Hermione. Then he sheepishly admits that they wouldn't be anywhere without her, but insists they don't tell her. And that's the truth. Harry Potter would be half a book long if it weren't for Hermione.


Second choice goes to Matilda from Roald Dahl. A little unorthodox of a choice I know. And she might even be middle grade. But she's still one of my favorites. Yes, the story is silly, but I admire the spunky little thing too much to not mention her.


Of course, Katniss from Hunger Games also gets top billing when it comes to tough female protags. Not only does she jump at the chance to save her little sister, but she's forced to make impossible moral decisions in a world that has lost its moral compass, and yet never backs down from taking the high road.


Finally, a little lesser known heroine is Katsa from Kristen Cashore's Graceling. Born with a power that only forces her into slavery, Katsa uses her smarts to slowly turn things around not just for her but her entire society. 


Okay, those are some of my favorite female protagonists. I like them smart, spunky and brave; sprinkled with a dash of humility. What about you? How do you take your female protagonists?




And don't forget: 1. Add your link to the linkytool (Only once is necessary. Links will be removed after two months of not participating.) 2. Add your link to the comment section so we know you participated this week. 3. Grab the button if you haven't already. 4. Check out the other blog posts. Ready...set...go!

Do Indie Authors Deserve More Respect?

Earlier this week, while preparing for Tuesday's I HEART YA Blog Carnival, I was dismayed to see that my list of exciting, upcoming 2012 YA releases did not include many indie authors. There have been predictions that 2012 would be the year of the indie author. And maybe it will be. Or maybe Amanda Hocking and and John Locke are anomalies whose success won't be repeated.

Are readers becoming more discriminating with their dollars? Do they expect a fully-edited manuscript even if they only pay a buck? One can hope so. There are some authors out there who tout the lack of a need for editing indie books. I've even heard it said that editing means nothing more than removing an author's voice. I won't make that an exact quote, but I will say I think that it is pure rubbish.

Let me make this perfectly clear: I believe every manuscript deserves to be edited, and no author can edit their own manuscript. The author already knows what happens next, or what the main character is thinking. There is just no way they can see the flaws of their own story. And you can quote me on that.

IndieAuthors.com recently gave four reasons for Indie Authors not getting respect. I suggest reading the full article, but I'll make a quick summary:

Reason #1: Bad editing. See above.


Reason #2: Quantity over quality.  Boy is that a problem. The search engines will find you if you have more than one title. Solution? Blow through titles and get them out there. Mega-millions will follow. Just ask Amanda. Problem is, not many of us mere mortals have the ability to put out quality work in a matter of months. Even if we could develop and write a story, it takes time for beta-readers, editors, and formatting. Quality takes time. Always has. Always will.


Reason #3: Lack of Gatekeepers. This is often a sore-spot for indie authors. Agents and publishers have traditionally been the gatekeepers of good books. Now it is readers and reviewers, which is as it should be. The problem is that indie authors aren't always the best judge of when their book is ready. And there's nothing readers or reviewers can do if a book is put on the market too soon. A published book with more potential than polish is a sad thing.


Reason #4: Crappy Covers. I saw some beautiful indie covers last year, and I'm counting on seeing more this year. But since we do judge books by their covers, that's something every indie should take to heart if they want to be taken seriously.

It will be interesting to see where 2012 takes the new world of publishing. Personally I'm cheering for the indies--especially the ones that are polished and prepared.

What do you think? Have indies flooded the market, or are the best rising to the top?

I HEART YA #5: Juicy Debuts in 2012!

Welcome to the 5th weekly I HEART YA Blog Carnival! (And Happy HEART Day!) I HEART YA is a Blog Carnival for readers, writers, and lovers of young adult fiction. Every Tuesday there will be a blogging prompt that celebrates my favorite reading genre --YA fiction. Bloggers are invited to write their own take on the topic and post a link in the comment section, or if you prefer just put your thoughts in the comments. Either way, if you own a blog, grab the button to show your pride, and add your link to the list below. If you're not sure what to do, go to the I HEART YA tab for more details. 


Last week we looked at 2011 debut authors--which was even more fun than I expected, though my to-read list is getting out of control. It only seems fair to look forward this time (or maybe back if your reading list is more current than mine) and give a shout out to debut authors for 2012. 


I have to say upfront that I realize I'm one of them, so while I hope you're all excited as I am for the release of ExtraNormal, I'll bow out from the running for the sake of today's carnival. (Besides, I'm just a week or so away from my big cover reveal, so I'm holding back on promotions until then.) (But I am so danged excited!)


Becoming calm again...


Last week the criteria was 2011 books that deserve a spotlight for their quality. Since the vast majority of 2012 debuts haven't debuted yet, I'm just going to make the criteria 2012 debuts that sound the most juicy from their back cover blurbs, titles and covers. 


And here's where another thing I have to say upfront. While I appear totally calm (or at least the letters I'm typing on the screen appear calm) I am totally freaking out. You see, I had intended to include at least one indie author in my list, hopefully more. But what heck? I can't find any! Where are you guys? I'm assuming I'm just a little high on peanut M&Ms or something and hence can't see or think clearly, but as I go through the list of upcoming debuts that excite me, I'm only finding big publishing houses. This has me more than slightly perturbed.


So I guess I'm gonna put three out there, but I'm really counting on SOMEONE finding a treasure-trove of indies making a triumphant debut! In the meantime, here are three that have me salivating:



The Treachery of Beautiful Thingsby Ruth Frances Long Back cover blurb: "The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own."Holy Canoli - I can't even add to that. I'm there. Absolutely draws me in.
The Selection by Kiera Cass Back Cover Blurb: "For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. 
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined."  Accchhh! Seriously, that blurb could say: "gibbety bibbety goober nose" and I'd still want to buy the book! 



Amelia Anne is Dead and Goneby Kat Rosenfield Back cover blurb: "On the night of Becca's high school graduation, the discovery of an unidentified dead girl left to bleed out on the side of a dirt road sends the town—and Becca—into a tailspin. Becca has always longed to break free from her small home town, but as the violence of the outside world creeps into her backyard, she withdraws and retreats inward, paralyzed for the first time in her life." 


There's nothing really flashy about this cover or blurb, but I think that's why I like it. A good old-fashioned mystery with plenty of intrigue.


So what about you? What are you excited about in 2012? Any indies we should know about? 


If you need help, here's a link to GoodRead's 2012 debut list.




And don't forget: 1. Add your link to the linkytool (Only once is necessary. Links will be removed after two months of not participating.) 2. Add your link to the comment section so we know you participated this week. 3. Grab the button if you haven't already. 4. Check out the other blog posts. Ready...set...go!

Taking Control of my Imaginary Friends

Since work on ExtraNormal is on hold while I wait on Eve's magical fingers to complete the cover, I've decided to shift gears for a while and get started on Book Two.

I've never written a book two before, and I'm kind of excited. Mostly because I already know all the main characters. I'm counting on that meaning we don't have to spend as much time on introductions as we have in past novels.

When I started out as a young starry-eyed novelist, I opened a blank Word document (actually I can't even swear it was Word, might have been WordPress, but that's too painful to even think about so we'll move on.) Anyway, I opened a blank word processing document and started typing. I had the story mostly planned out in my head. At least I knew how I wanted it to start and end. The stuff in the middle was kind of vague. But I figured I'd worry about details when I got to them.

I typed along merrily, making up events and characters and such, until I started getting feedback like "I'm not buying that he would do that. Why would he do that?" And I'd want to say, "Cause I made it him do it. I created him!" But apparently that doesn't make for good story telling.

So then I'd have to go back and figure out if I should make my character do something different, or if I should change something in the story so that it would be logical to do what I want him to do.

Let me tell you, either way means a bunch of re-writing. You would not believe how many changes need to be made in a manuscript to change a main character's entire personality. So I've gotten smarter (that's what we're supposed to do, right?) with each manuscript, and planned more from the beginning. Though still not enough to not require major overhauls as I go along.

My biggest problem with outlining (besides the fact that it's tedious and boring) is that I tend to plot out what I want to have happen, but not how each character is going to feel about each event. (Otherwise known as their "motivations" and "reactions" but I'm not being technical here.)

So as an example, I can have a scene where my main character is almost kidnapped followed by her going on a hot date, cause that how it worked in my outline. But really? What girl is going to go on a date just after someone tries to grab her on the street? Even if he is a hottie? Okay, maybe she'd go, but she'd be a wreck and all crying and blowing her nose.

I know it sounds stupid, but when you're just outlining one scene after another, it can happen, believe me.

Sometimes my problem is with a character I didn't realize was going to be in a scene until I write it.

For instance, there's a scene in ExtraNormal where two main characters have a big fight. It's a great scene, and Mira is all angry and up-in-your face with the guy she hates. And the guy she hates is all haughty and snobby and you just want to punch him. I loved the scene. It was perfect.

And then I realized that Mira's dad was watching. He just happened to be there from the scene before and I hadn't given him any reason to leave. I also realized that he hadn't been given enough info to understand that fight, and that he would interpret it entirely wrong. So I wrote that in. Which totally rocked Mira's world, and changed the story--for the better. And here's a funny bit of trivia: when Mira is slapping her forehead going "I never even thought of that," about what her dad says, she's mimicking me. Because I hadn't thought of it until that moment either. And it was all good. In fact, it was one of my favorite parts of writing the story. It just would have been nice if I'd thought of it earlier.

So this time I'm trying something new, and I'm super excited. Instead of a basic spreadsheet like I've used before for the outline, I've decided to try story-writing software. There are lots of them out there and I can't pretend to know enough comment on any of them. Except that I chose this one called StoryBook. And while it has lots of nifty features, honestly the one that put it over the top for me was this little flow chart:



Isn't that adorable? I read through the tutorial yesterday and learned that as you write your scenes you list who is where in the scene and what tools they have and what they're feeling at the moment. And then you can pick any moment in time in your story and learn that while Professor Plum is in the parlor with the rope feeling scared, Misses Peacock is in the library with the candlestick and she's mad! Awesome! 
Now I won't have any of my imaginary friends sneaking into scenes feeling all giddy when the mood is dark, or being all mean and selfish when they've been totally nice before. 
Of course the tool is only as good as the person using it, and I tend to rush off without using my tools. But we'll see. I'm gonna try it. Right now it feels like a video game, so I'm hoping that will help me stick with it.
I'm curious to know what outlining (or imaginary friend taming) tools other authors have used, and if they've found them successful. 
And hopefully by next week I'll have some news on that cover!

I HEART YA #4: Spotlight on 2011 Debut Authors

Welcome to the 4th weekly I HEART YA Blog Carnival! I HEART YA is a Blog Carnival for readers, writers, and lovers of young adult fiction. Every Tuesday there will be a blogging prompt that celebrates my favorite reading genre --YA fiction. Bloggers are invited to write their own take on the topic and post a link in the comment section, or if you prefer just put your thoughts in the comments. Either way, if you own a blog, grab the button to show your pride, and add your link to the list below. If you're not sure what to do, go to the I HEART YA tab for more details. 


Before 2012 gets away from us (is it February already?) I want to do a spotlight on 2011 faves, specifically 2011 debut authors. There are plenty of them, and my hat goes off to them all. Yet, while I don't want to name any names, it's possible that sometimes an author is so relieved and excited to have finally completed their work that they just want to get it out there--even though it's possible that the work could still use a little fine tuning. Just saying it could happen that way. At least that's what I hear from some of my friends.


Which means that I get extra happy when an author has taken the time to do a really good job. Which is why I like the idea of promoting those authors that have paid their dues and learned the art of writing and put out great stuff. 


So after careful consideration I decided to give a shout out to my friend C.K. Bryant, author of Bound. 




Christine has seriously paid her dues when it comes to writing. She even had a contract under her belt. But when things fell through she decided to go indie. And her debut novel Bound is wonderful--pulls you in right from the start with a unique story line, great writing, and even great editing. Definitely one of my top picks for 2011. 


So what about you? Which 2011 debut author do you think deserves a spotlight? 




And don't forget: 1. Add your link to the linkytool (Only once is necessary. Links will be removed after two months of not participating.) 2. Add your link to the comment section so we know you participated this week. 3. Grab the button if you haven't already. 4. Check out the other blog posts. Ready...set...go!