I am so excited to finally be able to reveal to you all the cover for If It Rains, my upcoming novel from Tyndale House Publishers, releasing July 6, 2021! In Oklahoma, 1935, lives are determined by the dust.Fourteen-year-old Kathryn, born with a clubfoot, is separated from her family while traveling to a surgeon who … Continue reading ‘If It Rains’ Cover Reveal!
publishing
A Little Bit of News
There's no new #historyfriday post today because today I finally get to tell you about some non-history related news! I am excited to share that my debut novel, If It Rains, will be released in Summer 2021 by Tyndale House Publishers! In case you're not an avid reader of Publisher's Weekly, here's the blurb released earlier this week: I … Continue reading A Little Bit of News
How I (finally) Got My Agent
I never thought I'd be able to write one of these posts. Four years, three manuscripts, hundreds of rejections...and today I can finally announce to the world that I am now represented by Natalie Grazian of Martin Literary Management. The road to this moment was long and twisty and not as much fun as I … Continue reading How I (finally) Got My Agent
Livin’ On A Prayer
Well, I've done it. I've officially put another manuscript baby out into the world by submitting my first batch of queries. I've talked a lot about querying on this blog, about the pitfalls, the anxiety, the pain, and trying to stay positive throughout the whole heart-shattering process. But, can I be honest with you for … Continue reading Livin’ On A Prayer
Why Querying in The Worst…And The Best
I have been in the query trenches for a long time. A loooooong time. I started querying my first manuscript in 2014, my second in 2016, and will probably start querying my third here in 2018. Looking back over my manuscripts, I can see from one to the next how I've improved as a writer … Continue reading Why Querying in The Worst…And The Best
You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
Yesterday, in the span of one hour, I received a full request and a form rejection. Same query. Same sample pages. Different agents. If that's not a lesson in just how subjective this business really is, then I don't know what is. Two different agents can read the exact same thing at darn-near the exact … Continue reading You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling
End of Year Musings
I started out 2017 with two major goals in mind: 1. This was the year I'd get an agent. 2. This was the year I'd get published. With only 10 days left in the year, I think it's safe to say that I have failed. I gave up querying my first manuscript pretty early in … Continue reading End of Year Musings
It’s Author Mentor Match Time!
I'm so excited to announce the return of Author Mentor Match! Author Mentor Match is a program designed for unagented YA and MG writers. You can submit an application to be paired with mentor, who will help you edit your manuscript and guide you through the complicated, tricky publishing process. Those are the bare bones … Continue reading It’s Author Mentor Match Time!
Everyone’s a Critic
Let's talk about critiques. Critiques are a necessary evil in the writing business. As much as some of us would like to believe it, writing cannot be done in a bubble. Authors are too close to their own work to be able to catch the little--or sometimes big--issues in their story, whether it be grammar, … Continue reading Everyone’s a Critic
A Note on Professionalism
So I log onto Twitter this morning, very innocently looking to read-up on the latest book-ish news from my book-ish friends, and I was instantly assaulted by news of assaults. Not physical assaults, no, but post after post referenced threats made against contest mentors or agents. I. Was. Floored. Is this really a thing? How … Continue reading A Note on Professionalism