if it's Tuesday, it must be link day! Oh, and there's some LIBBA BRAY arcs too :-)

Great post over at Writer Unboxed about the hardest part of being a writer -- "The hardest part of being a writer (IMHO) is not coming up with ideas, or hitting your word count, or breathing life into your characters. It's trusting yourself. Believing in yourself. Being yourself, and being okay with that."

Agent Rachelle Gardner on Writing vs. Publishing, Having to Give Bad News, and Will Your First Novel Be Published?

The rest of that fab series from How Publishing Really Works: Getting Published Is Not Enough, part two and part three--both those who want to be published and those who are published should really take a look at these excellent posts.

Salon's Laura Miller interviews famed editor Robert Gottlieb--"Your job...is to be in sympathy with what the writer is doing and to try to help her or him make it better of what it is, not to make it into something else. Because that way there will be tears."

Agent Jennifer Laughran on swearing in young adult novels -- all I have to say about this one is YES!!

Revisit Wrier Unboxed for a story of writing what you are terrified to write

From Dear Author, a really fascinating look at how one author gets her ideas and her publishing journey -- I have a hard time writing about how I write, but I love reading about how other people do it!

So, you have this story. You've been plugging away at it, but it's just--well, it's just not working. Never fear, The Intern is here with a handy guide to breaking up with your story

The Intern also has ten reasons why you should rewrite that scene

From Story Tellers Unplugged, a post about the importance of holding on to your words--I admit I don't keep copies of my books (but my parents do)--but I do keep copies of every single draft I've done for every book I've written. And I keep not one, not two, but three backups. Trust me, once you lose one file, you become paranoid. (Although perhaps not as much as me :-)

Over at Genreality, What Are Your Reading Boundaries?

A post that had me nodding vigorously in agreement: A Different Take On Following The Writing Dream

So, it turns out that form rejections can be your friend

The always awesome Tess Gerritsen on the latest non-fiction writer (Greg Mortenson) who turned out to be a liar and on why this seems to be happening so often in Writers Who Lie--"And every time the truth is finally revealed, readers are outraged, publishers duck their heads in embarrassment, and everyone asks, "How could this happen?"

It happens because we want to believe uplifting stories of people who rise above their traumatic pasts. It happens because publishers don't have the resources to check the facts. It happens because the writers are talented enough to create a reality that seems like truth. These writers are such darn good liars that we can't help but believe them."

Agent Kristin Nelson on the art of requesting blurbs

Now, some food for thought: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies or Chocolate Revel Bars? If could pick, I'd pick both!

Finally, my subject line did not lie--I have two ARCs of Libba Bray's upcoming Beauty Queens to give away!

For your chance to win you need to tell me what's the one book you know you'll be buying this May no matter what by this Friday, May 6th at midnight EST. (And yes, this contest is open internationally!) (And no, you don't have to say my book, either--I'm aware that there's some pretty great books coming out this month)