Ohioana Book Festival 2011 Recap

Festival Details click Here!

This past Saturday I was fortunate enough to attend the Ohioana Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio. Ohioana is a completely free gathering for lovers of books and showcases central Ohio's local authors. There was so much to do and to be honest with you it was just as good if not better than some of the conferences I've attended and actually paid for.

I can't even begin to rattle off all the individual seminars, because there was just so many. One of the main things I wanted to share with you guys is I met the Regional Advisor for the local chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators.

                                                   Click HERE to visit their national site!

There is a ton of advantages available to members of SCBWI. If you are serious about getting published in the children's market this is the professional society for you. They have annual conferences, local monthly meetings and networking opportunities. A great place to meet other people with the same interest as you.


The second thing I wanted to share with you all is the great books I discovered by authors right in my back yard. A couple of them I had reviewed their novels on READING, WRITING & WAITING, so it's always nice to put faces with books.

Erin McCahan, I Now Pronounce You Someone Else

Erin McCahan was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but moved to Columbus, Ohio when she was nearly five. She spent her best collegiate years at Hope College in Holland, Michigan and Capital University in Columbus, where she still lives.

Here Comes the Bride — If She Can Pass Chemistry.

Eighteen-year-old Bronwen Oliver has a secret: She's really Phoebe, the lost daughter of the loving Lilywhite family. That's the only way to explain her image-obsessed mother; a kind but distant stepfather; and a brother with a small personality complex. Bronwen knows she must have been switched at birth, and she can't wait to get away from her "family" for good.

Then she meets Jared Sondervan. He's sweet, funny, everything she wants — and he has the family Bronwen has always wanted too. She falls head over heels in love, and when he proposes marriage, she joyfully accepts. But is Jared truly what she needs? And if he's not, she has to ask: What would Phoebe Lilywhite do?

Author Website

Goodreads

I met Erin McCahan yesterday. She was super nice and remembered my book review!

Linda Gerber, Trance

Linda Gerber learned out of necessity to write on the go while living the expat life in Japan, where she served as the Regional Advisor for the Tokyo chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is the best-selling author of novels for teens and tweens. Her books have landed on such notable lists as the ALA Popular Paperbacks, Women’s Sports Foundation recommended reads, and Literacy Lab recommended reads. Her latest book, Trance, is a Junior Library Guild selection. Gerber currently lives and writes in Dublin, Ohio, blissfully ignoring her husband, four kids, and one very naughty puppy.

Ashlyn Greenfield has always known when bad things are going to happen. Each time that familiar tingling at the back of her neck begins, she knows what's to come a trance. She's pulled in, blindsided, an unwilling witness to a horrible upcoming event. But she's never been able to stop it not even when the vision was of her mother's fatal car accident. When soulful Jake enters Ashlyn's life, she begins having trances about another car accident. And as her trances escalate, one thing becomes clear; it's up to her to save Jake from near-certain death.

Author Website

Gooreads

It was really cool to meet Linda because her blog actually quotes my review! That's proof that authors do read reviews guys! My review of Linda's book TRANCE.

Lisa Klein, Cate of the Lost Colony

A writer of historical fiction for young adults, Lisa Klein is a native of Peoria, Illinois. She received her BA from Marquette and her PhD in literature from Indiana University. Klein was an assistant professor of English at The Ohio State University for eight years, where her special discipline was Shakespeare and Renaissance culture. Klein lives in Columbus.

Lady Catherine is one of Queen Elizabeth's favorite court maidens-until her forbidden romance with Sir Walter Ralegh is discovered. In a bitter twist of irony, the jealous queen banishes Cate to Ralegh's colony of Roanoke, in the New World. Ralegh pledges to come for Cate, but as the months stretch out, Cate begins to doubt his promise and his love. Instead it is Manteo, a Croatoan Indian, whom the colonists-and Cate-increasingly turn to. Yet just as Cate's longings for England and Ralegh fade and she discovers a new love in Manteo, Ralegh will finally set sail for the New World. Seamlessly weaving together fact with fiction, Lisa Klein's newest historical drama is an engrossing tale of adventure and forbidden love-kindled by one of the most famous mysteries in American history: the fate of the settlers at Roanoke, who disappeared without a trace forty years before the Pilgrims would set foot in Plymouth.

I had seen this book on several blogs and even discussed it with a girl in my critique group, but I had no idea the author was local! Can't wait to read this one. YA needs more historicals!

Website

Goodreads

Kristina McBride, The Tension of Opposites

Kristina McBride, a former high-school English teacher and yearbook advisor, wrote The Tension of Opposites in response to the safe return of a child who was kidnapped while riding his bike to a friend’s house. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two young children. This is her first novel.

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.


For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? Ho...moreIt’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.


For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?


And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.


A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

“Tense! The constant push and pull of friendship, pain, love, and jealousy is beautifully drawn. A definite must read.” – Jay Asher, author of the New York Times bestseller Thirteen Reasons Why

Author Website

Goodreads

I'm really excited to read this one! Reminds me of the Elizabeth Smart story.
 
 
Happy Reading!!!
 
ANNIE

20 Awesome YA Book Trailers

A good book trailer to me is like watching a trailer for a movie. It gets me hooked into the story and makes me excited about it. I love book trailers. Maybe that's because I'm a very visual person *shrug*, who knows, but I think there are others out there like me because more books are coming out with trailers as a part of promotional campaign. Here's a few awesome book trailers I want to share with you all. Some are so well done. I can tell the author/publisher spent some major time to make them so kick ass. While you're here watch a few. Who knows, one may catch your eye.





1. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles



2. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting



3. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick



4. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton



5. Matched by Ally Condie



6. ANGELFIRE by Courtney Allison Moulton



7. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain



8. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain




9. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa



10. INTERTWINED by Gena Showalter



11. Torment by Lauren Kate



12. The Chemical Garden Trilogy - Wither Trailer



13. Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter



14. Lure by Stephaine Jenkins



15. Across the Universe



16. The Replacement



17. The Eternal Ones



18. Beautiful Creatures



19. Paranormalcy



20. Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough




Any you guys want to share??

Writing/Reading YA: Obsessed Since 2007

Okay, so there have been times when I didn't leave my house in like a day or two, simply because I was absorbed in writing or reading. My husband thinks I've become completely mental, because I really only become a full-fledged writing/reading book nerd back in 2007. Before I became a writing hermit, I was a shopper, a mover, an always on the goer, now all my free time and energy is put into the literary world. My husband, poor guy, can't fathom this "unnatural" obsession with "imaginary" people, and to be honest, before I became addicted I couldn't either.

I was such a bad kid in school. I liked to skip class (missed 32 days my senior year. Yeah, I know. Shhhhhh Don't tell. That's our secret.)  I copied my homework, and I NEVER read a full book. I was a cliff notes kind of girl when I couldn't get one of the smart people to just tell me what the book was about.Yes, I was one of those annoying people who would say things like, "Why read? I'll just wait for the movie to come out." *gasp* The horror. I know.

What caused the change you might ask. Well, I have nieces that are teens (No I'm not that old, my parents are and so are my siblings. I was an oopise baby.) and we pal around a lot. When I took my niece, Kim, to buy her 14th Birthday present in 2007 I nearly fell over at the mall when she told me she wanted a book. I was like, "OMG WHY?!?!?! I'm offering to buy you clothes and you want a book. Who are you? You can't be related to me!" But she rolled her eyes and dragged me into Waldons Bookstore. I followed with no clue my life was about to forever change.

She looked around, while I was bored out of my skull, until she found the book she wanted. ECLIPSE. It was expensive, near thirty bucks if I remember correctly, and thick.



2006 (Near the time of the Story)
Standing: Kim, Annie, Tasha
Bottom: Alicia



Needless to say, because I love her, I bought it for her. On the way home she was telling me about the story and about how YA books are for teenagers. I didn't even know books had subsections. LOL She told me about all the books she already had at home and I showed a little interest  just to appease her. When we got to her house she shoved four books in my hands and made me promise to read them. I'm pretty sure I crossed my fingers behind my back when I told her I would.

That same night my husband and I was going out to a comedy club with a group of friends. While I waited on everyone to come over, I picked up one of the books that had stared at me from my coffee table for the past twenty minutes. It was MARKED by PC Cast. Before I knew it was 20 pages in and my friends had arrived. I asked my husband if I could take the book, and he was like WTF, why? I didn't realize that was the start of an obsession. One that is still going strong in 2011 with the YA genre.

From then on, I've read every YA book I could get my hands on, and after I went through a couple hundred I had the urge to try my own hand at writing. I'll be honest my first novels were practice ones. I surprised myself that I even finished the things. LOL But now, after three years of solid learning about the publishing world, my writing is finally coming together. It clicks now a little more. I kinda feel like I might have a small clue of what I'm doing now. But I didn't get to this point on my own. When I got serious about writing I started with finding other people who wrote YA for their guidance, and then, I moved on to find an actual critique group that I meet with twice a month (FICTION FLURRY) here in Ohio. 

My point is, if you are new to the YA world. Welcome. The people in this genre are super cool. Most are warm and welcoming and are very supportive of each other. Whether your a reader or a writer, YA can inspire you. Hell, look at me. It made me a die hard reader and it inspired me to try and contribute my own stories to share with readers.

I wanna hear from you guys! What is it about YA that hooked you? How long have you been addicted? Shout out we'd love to hear from you.

Happy Read and Writing!

For YA Book Reviews: Reading, Writing and Waiting

Showing Love to Your Fellow Writers

All the fine ladies here at GOT YA are writers and we've all been on the publishing roller coaster. Some, like Veronica Roth and Kathleen Peacock, have their sparkly new book deals and are just a few months from taking the Young Adult world by storm, and others are still searching for that perfect agent/writer magical bond to happen. So all of us here can sympathize with the ups and downs of this whole publishing thing and know how hard it is to get that precious manuscript turned into a book sitting on a Barnes&Noble book shelf. Writing becomes an obsession, and don't just think once you've got your deal it'll go away, because it won't. When your book gets to the point where the marketing department at the publishing house decides to send out those coveted shiny UNCORRECTED ADVANCED COPIES (ARCs) out to reviewers, you'll be setting your Google alert buttons. I promise you that.

How do I know that? Simple. I'm a book blogger and you wouldn't believe how many authors contact me after I post a review of their work. Yes, I'm one of those people who read ARCs and post for the world to see exactly what I thought about your book. Just yesterday, my Google alerts brought to my attention one author posted my review and a link back to me on her website. So you never know who's reading your blog.

Now, I know you are probably wondering: Okay, yeah, so what, Annie. How does this apply to a beginning writer like me? Well, my friend let me tell you. Everywhere you look, there is a blog post, article or something posted about "Building a Platform" for writers at every level in their writing career. Book blogging is an excellent way to keep the posts coming on your personal blog and reach other people in the writing community who share your taste in genres and writing styles. The only thing is, when you are a writer blogging about books, you have to not only make sure you post a truthful opinion, but make sure you do it in a respectful way. Am I saying RAVE about every single book you read? No, not at all. What I am saying is you never know about the future. Someone's book you are simply SLAMMING on your blog today may be in the same publishing house/literary agency as you some day, and what do you think they'll say about your book when they are approached to write a blurb/recommendation? Awkward, right? LOL Yeah, I think so too.

So here's my advice: Blog a lot, read a lot, write a lot and you can't go wrong. Try to find not only negatives in a book, but positives too. Remember, every book you read is somebody's baby. Do you want somebody to call your baby ugly? Nope, me neither, so don't forget to show some love to your fellow writers while making your splash in the publishing world.