Querying: I Walk the Line

I follow a number of literary agents on Twitter. I enjoy the funny (and sometimes biting) #querytip and #pubtip tweets that say charming things like "Don't come to my office and demand to see me!" or "Do NOT mail your query and first chapter to my home address!". It's insane how many writers a) query before they're ready; b) have no sense of standard timelines; c) refuse to read query guidelines; or d) resort to measures that are stalkerish in nature.

Querying is a tough gig, and when I first began I fell into category A - querying before I was ready. I learned very quickly that my MS and my query letter were not fit for public consumption. I took a step back, went through more revisions, and sent my query to anyone I knew who would read it. But I can proudly say I never stalked an agent (at least I didn't think so).

My process for selecting the agents I wanted to query looked like this:

1. Go to querytracker and screen agents who rep my genre.
2. View agent profiles.
3. Visit agent websites, blogs, and twitter accounts to get a feel for how they operate as an agent and to verify they are accepting queries and looking for the kind of story I wrote.
4. If I liked what I saw, I then ran a google search for interviews they'd done to learn more about them.

This is where I stopped. I found that this was all it took for me to make a decision one way or the other. And though I felt that my thorough research process was necessary, it still seemed a little creepy. Is there a distinct line in researching potential agents that moves past comprehensive into invasive?

I think there is such a line, but where it lies on the spectrum is different for each person. Generally, I feel that people have a right to privacy. If someone writes a guest blog post or gives an interview, that's the kind of thing they want found and want read. I don't think they want some random stranger searching through images to try and glean some personal fact that can be woven into a query.

Maybe it is a tough line to walk. I want to come across as someone thoughtful who isn't just query bombing, but I don't want to seem like I've spent a little too much time on my research. Hopefully, my future agent will find my attention to detail endearing instead of weird.

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

I read too much YA. I've recently discovered that I can download audiobooks from the library to satisfy my need for instant gratification and the result has been a marathon of YA. In the last two weeks, I've listened to If I Stay, Where She Went, Cinder, and The Selection. I've got Matched by Ally Condie up right now and I think it's time for a break. But that's my problem, not yours.

The Selection by Kiera Cass is a YA mash up of a number of popular genres with themes that feel very "of the season". If I were to describe the book in a single sentence it would be: The Hunger Games (minus the Capitol) meets The Bachelor (if the bachelor was a prince). Yup, that's pretty much it.

In the ruins of what was once the United States, now stands the country of Illéa. Its society is defined by its caste system - each family operates within the same caste and their children are born into a number which determines their place in society and their future occupation. The story follows the tragically-named America Singer as she enter into the selection - a process that young women participate in for a chance to marry her country's prince. She uses the selection as a way to escape a broken heart, courtesy of her ex-boyfriend's pride, and as a means to better her poor family's circumstances. Our America is a five, the caste of artists, which is pretty low on the Illéa totem pole. But, if she married Prince Maxon, her whole family will be elevated to ones and have a life they couldn't ever have dreamed of.

Confused and brokenhearted, America strikes a deal with the prince to befriend him in exchange for removing herself from the running while remaining in the palace (and securing the stipend sent to her family in her absence). As America glides through the "dates" and endure the pettiness of the other contestants, she discovers her feelings for the sweet, sheltered boy. If dealing with her own teenage torment wasn't enough, the entire process is filmed and televised for the whole country.

Set against the backdrop of an interestingly structured world and the rumblings of war, The Selection was a good, though somewhat formulaic, read.  I enjoyed the premise and the story, but wasn't as engaged as I hoped to be with the characters and the dialogue. Also, I'm not sure who started this weird naming convention in YA dystopian books, but it needs to stop. Characters should not be named America or Aspen. Just no. Stop it.

The Selection is the first of a series. Book #2, The Elite, is due out in 2013.

Educate yourself on the topic in this post:

• The Selection by Kiera Cass: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection

Book Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carlson is the first in the Fire and Thorns series. First, why does it seem like being a part of a series is a prerequisite for publishing these days? I love series books, but I'd love a really good stand-alone YA novel even more right now.

Elisa, Princess of Orovalle, is, in her own words, fat and unremarkable. Though she has been marked by for greatness, she doesn't have the confidence in herself to really believe she will make an impact on her world as is expected of the bearer of the Godstone. The mystical Godstone is bestowed upon one person a century; this person carries a bright jewel in their navel that becomes a part of them - thrumming when the bearer prays or warning them of danger with ice shooting through their veins. Many bearers of the Godstone never accomplished anything of note before they died, others have been praised in the history books as great heroes completing their "Act of Service".

At 16, Elisa is married off to the beautiful king of Joya D'Arena. She learns early on that her king, while handsome, is not the kind of ruler who could lead his country through the impending war with a neighboring, godless nation. Elisa relies on her faith and wit to see her safely through her first weeks in the unfamiliar court. As Elisa finds her footing, she begins to learn more about her Godstone, things that were kept from her by those she loved most, and discovers more about the role she may play in defeating her nation's enemies and saving its people.

When Elisa is kidnapped by rebel bandits, she's introduced to life on the front lines. Her notions of war in the not-too-distant future become her immediate reality. She also finds herself falling for one of her kidnappers, the charismatic and kind Humberto. Her new life in the remote desert teaches her self-reliance, strengthens her faith, and cements the idea that her life will serve a greater purpose.

Generally, I liked this book. The magic element was different from what I usually find in YA fantasy with its overt religious tones. More than once I found myself asking if this was a Christian fiction novel, but it never bothered me. I enjoyed the transformation of Elisa's character to a strong, independent woman worthy to be a queen to the people she'd grown to love. However, I never understood why she was the self-hating mess we met in the first chapter. I feel that Carlson could have focused more attention on how Elisa had come to be what she was.

When the plot moved to the kidnapping stage, I almost quit. I wasn't invested in Elisa and was irritated that she was moved so quickly from her new life before I had my fill of court intrigue. I'm glad I stuck it out because her story became more interesting with every chapter. The quasi-romance between Elisa and Humberto never felt central to the story. It's not clear whether Carlson did this on purpose to keep us focused on Elisa's journey of faith or because it wasn't well executed. When the dreaded L-word comes up, I better be clamoring for it or else it feels forced. This felt forced.

Despite a number of typical YA plot twists, there were a couple near the end that caught me off guard, which I appreciated. (Sometimes I like to be wrong about where I think a story will go. Keeps me on my toes!)

The second book in the series (sigh) is due out this month. I'll add it to my list, but I'm not in a rush to get my hands on the next installment. Take that for what it's worth.

Educate yourself on the topic in this post:

• The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carlson: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10429092-the-girl-of-fire-and-thorns

Fixation Friday: John Green Poster

This will be a short one.

John Green (aforementioned object of my most serious nerdcrush), just posted this poster to his tumblr account.

I love it for several reasons:

• Word art is kind of my thing. I think this is a symptom of my marketing brain seeping into the rest of my consciousness. Cool things people do with words and interesting typography is fascinating to me. I mentally collect neat things like this and physically collect cool direct mail pieces. It's an odd fetish.
• I love the message. John Green is a nerd and figurehead of the nerdfighteria community. Being a nerd is nothing to be ashamed of and I love this empowering message. Don't ever let anyone make you feel bad about something you love and how excited you are about it. People love to shit on other people's happiness and it isn't cool. Making others feel bad isn't cool. I'm a nerd and I own it.

Happy Friday! DFTBA!

Fall Fever

Some people have spring fever when the sun starts to shine longer, the temperature rises, and everything is blooming. Me? I have fall fever. I love budding trees and green grass as much as the next girl, but spring has nothing on the crisp air and autumn colors that roll in each September. So, in honor of my favorite season, here are my top fall faves.

1. Pumpkin. Spice. Latte. Need I say more? Yes, probably so. PSL (that's the abbreviation the baristas at *bucks write on your cup) are God's gift to the world for surviving another miserably hot summer. It's like the coffee gurus distilled everything quintessentially fall - the warm, burnt orange colors, the spice that seems to scent the air, the lick of heat that touches your face when you cuddle up in front of the fire - and placed it in one (unbelievably good) cup. It's fall's famous decadence and I do a dance each year when it's released. (This means I danced on Monday of this week.)
2. Pumpkin patches. Last year, my family took my son to his first-ever pumpkin patch. It melts my heart each time I think about it. He was so adorable nestled in a mound of pumpkins laughing away while I snapped a thousand photos. He's a bit older now and able to participate more in the fun activities for kids. I can't wait to take him out again this year.
3. The colors. I live in Colorado where there are many, many aspen trees. They grow like weeds. Not even kidding. You plant one and you'll have three more the next year. While sometimes bothersome, the aspens are beautiful. One of my favorite fall pastimes is to drive up to the mountains (normally in mid-September) to see the colors. Every shade of gold imaginable adorns the mountainsides where aspens dominate the landscape. When the wind blows through them, it looks like a vast gold sea. It's incredible.
4. Back to school. This may sound weird (and if you're reading this you probably have come to accept and expect my weirdness), but I love the back-to-school hype. This may be because I am no longer in school, though I don't think so. When I was a kid, shopping for school supplies was this oddly comforting ritual. I loved all the folders, notebooks, pens, and backpacks. I always watch the commercials touting back-to-school sales with interest. This time of the year was especially great when I was an undergrad. Football games and tailgate parties stand out in my memory as some of my favorite college moments along with the promise of a fresh school year each fall brought.
5. Oktoberfest. Beer is good. Celebrations honoring beer and beer-loving cultures are even better. I'm a big beer fan and am fortunate to live in a place with excellent microbrews. There are like four consecutive weeks from September to October in CO that hold different Oktoberfest celebrations. They are a great four weeks.

Hope everyone is enjoying September so far. May you have PSL wishes and apple pie dreams!

Book Review: Ready Player One

So this is only a kind of quasi-review and more of an endorsement of the audiobook version. 

I finished Ready Player One (hardcover version) by Ernest Cline last fall. I was totally smitten with the book and loved finding a great YA read from a male perspective - and not just any male, a geeky boy narrator! Ready Player One has picked up some steam throughout 2012 and I have enjoyed seeing all the positive reviews and general gushing. Recently, I found out that the audiobook is narrated by Will Wheaton.

If you live under a rock and don't know who Will Wheaton is, stop right now and go Netflix every season of The Big Bang Theory. Will makes many cameo appearances as "himself" on the show. (Like stars who turned up on Entourage were "themselves" in that they weren't playing the part of anyone else, they were just their own asshole alter egos.) One of RPO's many charming qualities is the glorification of all things 1980's, and as Mr. Wheaton played boy genius Wesley Crusher on Star Trek: The Next Generation, he is mentioned in the novel. I can't tell you how delightful it is to have a self-proclaimed geek narrate a book about a geek in which he is mentioned. It's like the ultimate nerd trifecta!

Ready Player One is set in a tragic future where the energy crisis and economic recession has led to collapse of modern society. Many people spend the majority of their free time in a Massively Multiplayer Online Game called the OASIS. The OASIS is a brilliant virtual reality developed by computer genius and eccentric James Halliday. At the time of his death, Halliday had no heir and left his vast fortune and controlling stock in Gregarious Simulation Systems (the company that runs the OASIS) to the person who could find his Easter Egg (in gaming an easter egg is a hidden message generally left by the game's creator). The hunt for Halliday's Easter Egg took over the world, but five years after his death no new progress has been made. Until Wade Watts uncovers the first of three keys in the challenge. The book follows Wade's rise to super stardom and his quest to find the other two keys and unlock Halliday's Easter Egg.

Filled with endearing 80's pop culture references, Ready Player One takes the reader on an amazing journey through the mind bending world of the OASIS where anything is possible. It hits the mark with themes like user privacy and is an interesting treatise on how we, as a society, are changing the way we communicate, conduct business, and live our lives online. I can't say that I've ever read anything like it and loved the character development and Cline's worldbuilding. The amount of information relayed in the first chapters is a tad overwhelming, but I hungrily devoured all the details (as already stated, I'm a detail glutton).

I encourage anyone looking for something different in the YA genre to read this book and then go pick up the audio version because Will Wheaton crushes it (get it? It's funny because Will Wheaton was Wesley Crusher! Yuck, yuck, yuck).

Educate yourself on the topic in this post:

• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9969571-ready-player-one

Fixation Friday: Sam Clafilin as Finnick Odair

Fangirl or not, no one is free from the clutches of Hunger Games mania. The internet was a-Twitter on Wednesday with the news that Catching Fire favorite Finnick Odair has been cast. Drum roll please...Lionsgate announced that Snow White and the Huntsman star Sam Claflin is to join Katniss and Peeta in the much-anticipated second film adaptation of Suzanne Collins' best-selling series. (Wah wah waaaaah).

Not to be hating on the newly-minted franchise star, but come on, Lionsgate! You're killing me! To fully understand the heinous nature of this crime against the Hunger Games fandom, let's review the facts we know about one Mr. Finnick "Want Some Sugar" Odair.

1) He is drop dead gorgeous.

Cute? Sure. Unbelievably beautiful? Meh.

2) He is alluring in the same way a Venus Flytrap is - beautiful and dangerous.

3) He is a bronzed sun god from District 4 (where everyone fishes and sunbathes for a living).

4) To win his games, at the tender age of 14 thankyouverymuch, he wielded a trident. A trident, people. Nothing says bad ass like kicking butt and taking names in the dreaded arena with a friggin' trident.

I've been praising the casting decisions thus far for Catching Fire (Philip Seymour Hoffman as Plutarch Heavensbee? Inspired!), but I'm not overly enthused about this one. While I enjoyed Claflin in his role in the last Pirates of the Caribbean jaunt, I saw nothing to convince me that Claflin is up to the challenge on embodying a character many readers have proclaimed to be their favorite.

I will admit that, as a fan of the book series, I was weary of many of the actors cast for The Hunger Games – except Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket because Elizabeth Banks, as an actress, makes everything better. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how effortlessly each of the actors embraced their roles and won me over. I’m hoping this latest addition to the franchise will have me eating my words next fall. Until then, I can only speculate and stalk the photos that are bound to be leaked from the set.