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Book Club Update

ByRachel August 25, 2009 0 Comments
So, I'm getting the feeling that most of you didn't have time to get and/or read MELTING STONES before this week. LOL. Holly Pants gets the prize for the first book club comment, though. :) Here's what I think we'll do. Next time, I was going to post discussion starters for the next quarter of the book. Since we didn't really discuss the first quarter this week, we'll leave the first quarter and...

MELTING STONES: Week 1

ByRachel August 23, 2009 2 Comments
Up and Writing Book Club MELTING STONES, Week 1: Chapters 1-6 (p 1-85) Welcome to Up and Writing's first book club meeting. Let's jump right in, shall we? I'll start the conversation off with a few thoughts: First, I'd just like to say I really enjoyed this book. The first six chapters are enough to let the reader know that this won't be a run-of-the-mill YA fantasy. We've got a teen...

One Step At A Time

ByRachel August 21, 2009 2 Comments
Working to become an author is no easy challenge, and discouragement looms ever on the horizon. There's so much to remember and do. You pour your heart, soul and energy into the book until you think there's nothing left to give. Then you discover the world of querying, just as complex and trial/error as the writing process. You know that the actual publication and marketing will probably kick...

Dark Conflict in YA Books

ByRachel August 19, 2009 2 Comments
I've noticed a trend in young adult literature that I don't remember being the case when I was a teen. While browsing popular YA fiction web sites, I keep running across books about the darker "hot topics" of today's culture--teen molestation by older men, self-mutilation, suicide, etc. Is it just me, or were YA books a bit less grim ten years ago? (And yes, it has been ten years since I was in...