Update!

I know, I know. It's been a while. Things in my world have as they always are--with periods of slowness and periods of activity. I've been in sort of a book slump lately finding I'm having a hard time falling in love with anything. I've started and stopped too many books to admit. And what's worse, sequels I've been waiting on have had a hard time keeping my interest as well. Crazy, right?! But I did complete THE WINNER'S CRIME the other day (the second of the series) so maybe things are starting to look up. And I've also managed to finish my first Sarah Dessen book, SAINT ANYTHING (don't hate me for not having read her until now!!) and I loved it! A couple of months ago I read DANGEROUS GIRLS by Abigail Haas and let me tell you, I was blown away! It totally shocked me and left me thinking about it long after the last page. 

Now I have to admit to something I'm sure many of you are guilty of--binge watching a show on Netflix. Years ago, when the show Prison Break was on air, I often heard great things about it. I wanted to watch it but had too many other shows I was watching, not to mention two young girls. Lately, I'd been seeing it listed as something I might like on Netflix so one day, as spring break started for my kiddos, I decided to just play the first episode and see if I liked it. Fast forward a week later and I was done with all four seasons and left DYING. That show was so good!! I mean literally it was heart-pumping episode after episode. My blood pressure (and stomach) were on the fritz the entire week :) And then I saw news that they're going to bring it back for 10 more episodes. What?! YESSSSSSS!! Binge watching a show, like reading a good book or book series back to back, can really leave you with a hangover. I'm still recovering from Prison Break and it's been two weeks!

As for my writing career, I've done a bit of a transition. My agent contacted me to let me know she was no longer going to be representing YA. As we were in a bit of an in-between period with my book and deciding what to do next, she suggested one of her other agents represent me. I agreed and am pleased to say that Rachel Burkot is now representing me. I'm very happy about this and know Rachel will be amazing.

Oh yeah, and I also finished another contemporary/realistic YA a few months ago. This one, along with all my other manuscripts, can be found to your right of your screen in the "My Writing" section of my blog. All my books are listed in the order I've written them.

Well that's all! Hope you, my readers, are doing well. Take care!

Book Review: Some Girls Are by Courtney Summers

Hey friends!

So recently YA author Courtney Summers started the hashtag #ToTheGirls. If you haven't checked it out yet, do so now. It was a HUGE movement and was even mentioned on the Today show! What it boiled down to was this: On April 14th people took to social media to tell girls across the world that they are seen, heard, and loved. They shared advice, offered encouragement, and told those who'd made a difference in their lives, thanks. It was AWESOME! 

Needless to say, I was inspired to read some of Courtney Summers' books. She writes dark, gritty YA stories that deal with topics such as rape, bullying, and grief. I headed to my local library and checked out SOME GIRLS ARE and FALL FOR ANYTHING. Her newest book ALL THE RAGE just came out and I can't wait to read it.

SOME GIRLS ARE is about a girl named Regina who is a part of the popular group at her small town high school. Regina's a follower, letting herself be led around and told what to do by the leader of her clique, Anna. And Anna is a bitch. She bullies people for no good reason other than that she can. 

Over the years, Regina and Anna and the others in their group have hurt and isolated several kids at their school, including the new boy Michael, the sweet girl, Liz, and the overweight girl, Kara. Kara is the girls who is always on the outside looking in, begging to be part of the in-crowd. She despises Regina more than anyone for always doing Anna's dirty work and never letting her hang out with them.

One night when Regina's boyfriend Josh throws one of his typical blowout parties, Regina is assigned to be designated driver. She spends the night taking care of Josh and wishing she too can be drunk so she can just get through another night of the same old shit. As it is, she already has a hard time eating because she hates herself so much for being too weak to stand up to Anna and too ashamed to apologize to the people she's wronged. 

When all her friends disappear for the night and Josh and Anna pass out, Anna's boyfriend, Donnie, forces himself onto Regina, trying to rape her. She manages to get away and ends up at Kara's house. Kara, who she doesn't like. Who doesn't like her back. But Kara is totally nice, offering kind words and hearing her out. Regina tells Kara what happened with Donnie and Kara convinces Regina to keep her mouth shut about it. It will just cause too many problems, Kara says. But then the next day at school, Regina learns that Kara told everyone she slept with Donnie. And just like that, Regina is out of the group and Kara is in. And the whole schools knows it. They revel in it--one of the mean girls finally getting exactly what she gave to everyone else. And Kara...well, she's finally gotten what she always wanted and she isn't about to let Regina off easy. And so the bullying begins.

Regina spends months being the brunt of everyone's joke, constantly humiliated and shoved around and harassed. The girls and guys will stop at nothing to make her pay for what Kara says she did--and all because Anna tells them to. 

No matter how she responds or what she says, Regina can't get them off her back. So she takes solace in hanging out with Michael, who doesn't like her because she bullied him on Anna's demands, but who miraculously takes pity on her and lets her sit with him at lunch. Meanwhile, Liz makes sure to let Regina know that this is how it feels to be on Anna's bad side. This is exactly what Anna and Regina did to Liz not so long ago, driving her to near suicide. And no apology Regina gives now will matter to Liz because it couldn't possibly be genuine. But Regina tries anyway.

As each day passes, the bullying gets worse and worse. Regina isn't the kind to just hunch her shoulders and let it happen though. She pushes back, serving up her own versions of revenge. But they're small hits compared to what her old friends serve up. 

And all the while, Regina and Michael get closer and start liking one another. It's tough because Michael is unsure of Regina and who she really is. Can he truly like someone who used to make his life hell? And Regina is doubtful that Michael could ever really like her if he knew how low she wanted to stoop to get her old friends back for what they've done. Things come to a startling head when the girls drive Regina to the outskirts of town and beat her up. Surprisingly, Liz comes to Regina's defense and threatens Anna with going to the principal and police for all that she's done. Anna gets scared and offers Regina a truce.

And that's where the story ends. Yeah, I kind of told you a lot of the details, but I couldn't help it. If you don't have time to read this book but you do have time to read my post, I want to get across to you how important the issue of bullying is and how so many people out there are doing really great things (whether that be to start a hashtag, write a book, or use their voices) to spread the word that bullying needs to be stopped. Bullying comes in so many forms and happens at younger and younger ages these days, especially now that we have phones and social media in the palms of our hands. They're just more tools to hurt each other with. 

I love how Summers isn't afraid to broach such tough topics. This plot constantly moves forward and her characters were very well drawn out. The details and dialogue were spot-on realistic. SOME GIRLS ARE does not have a nicely tied up, happy ending. Like what usually happens in real life, everything just sort of calms down. Also like in real life, the bad guys sometimes get away with being bad and the good guys don't always get justice. Maybe Regina wasn't the greatest girl (I mean we're all guilty of something bad at one time or another), but she didn't deserve what happened to her. 

I think it's time we ladies come together and stand united against being mean to each other. How can we expect equal and better treatment from men when we can't do the same for our fellow women? Let's keep in mind that we are all human, we all make mistakes, and we all deserve second chances and apologies. Being mean IS NOT cool! Talk to a grown up, girls. Tell them when you're being bullied. Use your voice to stand up for yourself and for others. Be friends with everyone, not just one small group. Apologize when you make a mistake. Encourage and lift up other girls up. When #GirlsUnite anything is possible :)

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to comment below.

Hey there!

Whew! This blog is dusty!

It's been a while since I've posted anything--I've been working on polishing DEFENSIVE GUN nice and pretty for my agent. It's funny how you read your MS a hundred times and every time you do, you find more ways to fix it. I hadn't looked at DG since a few months before I signed with Holloway Literary and I strongly believed it was as good as it was going to get. Fast forward to January of this year and I decide to give it one last read through and low and behold, I find all these great ways to make it even better and even added 2k in word count! Then, a few days after I send my agent an updated version, I get this crazy, wonderful idea to write two more books in the world of DG...companion novels I guess you could call them. I'm working on the first one right now--it's in its early stages so I don't want to say too much in case it doesn't pan out, but I'm having a great time writing it. And if it doesn't work out that's ok. It's still a great way for me to improve my craft.

As for reading, I've been doing some of that, too. I'm on book five in the OUTLANDER novels and I recently finished SOME BOYS by Patty Blount as well as an adult novel by Diane Chamberlain called THE SILENT SISTER. I just checked out KALAHARI by Jessica Khoury and I can't wait to dive into that! 

So, what's been going on with you, reader? Read anything good lately? 

I have an agent!!

So here it is--the post that every writer wants to write. The post that makes it all official, that makes all the hard work worth it. It's the one that says, "Yay! I wrote a book and someone likes it enough to fight for it so that it can go forth into the world for others to read and enjoy!" Well, here it is--my story:

The Short Version

For those of you who just want the basics, I recently signed with, and am now represented by, Holloway Literary. I'm super excited to be working with them and thrilled they loved DEFENSIVE GUN.

The Long Version (it's epic)

If you've been to my blog before or read my About page then you know how much I love to read. This probably isn't surprising since, duh, I'm a writer and in order to write and create, you kind of have to read. But I never really considered writing, being an author that is, as something I could do until about 7 years ago. 

I'd spent several years after college rarely picking up a book. I got married, started a full time job, and had my first kid all in the first year I was out of college. I was burnt out on reading and pretty much had forgotten the joy of reading for pleasure. Years of forced reading for education had done that to me. So when my sister repeatedly insisted I read this great series of books called TWILIGHT, I gave in and bought the books and tried them out. I was hooked! I read them all in like 3 days. Those books helped me re-discover my love for reading and what was more, they re-introduced me to YA. (I'm a former SWEET VALLEY HIGH addict). Soon after, I devoured everything in YA that even remotely interested me and after another conversation with my sister about an idea I had that I thought would make a great story (that idea evolved into my first MS, I AM CARAWAY) she said, "You know, you should try your hand at writing." 

And that my friends, is where it all began.

I spent about four months writing I AM CARAWAY and another couple of years learning my craft and revising and editing my MS. (That thing was a monster, clocking in at the end of the first draft at 157k words). I queried CARAWAY for about six months and in the meantime, wrote and polished DEFENSIVE GUN. 

**And that's what you really want to hear about, right? The book that got me the agent... 

ok, ok, here it is:

The idea for DEFENSIVE GUN came to me when I decided I wanted to write a contemporary YA. That was what all the agents and editors were looking for so that was the kind of book I wanted to write. It was a challenge for me because my ideas were always fantastical in nature so I had no idea how I would find an idea or write something contemporary. I knew I wanted my story to have a hook (like 13 REASONS WHY's cassette tapes) and to be intense, realistic, and emotional. Somehow the idea to tell the story of a girl who'd been kidnapped just popped into my head. 

I wanted the girl's story to be a reflection on what she'd been through and I wanted the hook, the way she reflected, to be a TV interview. I mean, we've all watched some sort of Barbara Walters-like interview at some point so that was the feeling I was going for. I wanted my MC Amanda to be the girl everyone felt like they knew just because they'd seen her on TV--like Elizabeth Smart, JonBenet Ramsey, Laci Peterson and countless other victims whose faces and stories took over the airwaves when they went missing. I wanted that attention to play into how Amanda was handling everything she'd been through now that she was back home. 

Through the course of the interview, Amanda relays the events leading up to, and all that happened during, the two years she was held prisoner. And in the meantime, she has to deal with having survived those things and being thrown back into not only her life, but the public eye as well. And I didn't want this to be just any kidnapping. I wanted Amanda to be the victim of an attempt at human trafficking. I also wanted her to be a fighter. I wanted her to fight for her life no matter what the cost. Here's my inspiration for that.

Finally, because kidnapping and human trafficking happen primarily to young adult women, it was a no-brainer for Amanda to be a teen. There really isn't a better place to tell her story than the YA universe. 

**side note** I've done tons of research on kidnapping. I also have some personal experience with it as well. In the past four years, two members of my husband's extended family in Mexico have been kidnapped and ransomed. One of them was returned and the other one was, unfortunately, ransomed and killed. So I REALLY wanted to do Amanda, and others like her, justice.

Amanda's story poured out of me. I wrote it in about a month and then spent several months revising it. Then I started querying. I got a lot of interest with DEFENSIVE GUN. I even had three R&Rs which I was really hopeful over and which made my MS even stronger. Those R&Rs eventually turned into complimentary passes with an invitation to submit future work. I was bummed; I'm not going to lie. The full requests and ultimate rejections kept coming in after that so I took a break from querying for a bit while I figured out what to do about DEFENSIVE GUN and while I decided what to write next. 

After a few months, I decided to give DEFENSIVE GUN one final go-round of queries. I saw a Writer's Digest tweet about Nikki and Holloway Literary and after combing through the website, I took the plunge and submitted. I was thrilled when my query and sample pages turned into a partial request and then a full request and then a request for a bio and inquiry about future works. I didn't want to get my hopes up so I sent what was requested and patiently waited. Then one day I was getting ready to leave work and decided to sneak a quick peek at my phone to see if I'd missed any texts or calls. I saw I had an email so I did a cursory screen pull-down to see who it was from. I saw Nikki's name and the word "pleased" and I about lost it! I opened the email and started grinning like a fool as I read her kind words over and over again. This was it! This was the moment I had been hoping for. 

I spent the next week emailing all the agents with my query and full and got a few more requests and some interest to represent me. In the end, I decided Nikki and Holloway Literary were the best fit for me. I am so happy to start the next phase of this journey and I can't wait to see where it all leads. Inspired by all the good feels, I started a new WIP that I am so excited about and wish I could spend day and night writing. (Which of course is impossible because unlike with my first two MSs, I now have a part-time job which makes finding the time to write soooo much harder than it was when I was a stay-at-home mom). Well, obviously there are other reasons I can't spend 24/7 writing, like adult responsibilities and you know, sleeping and eating.

There you have it--the very long and detailed version of my journey to get an agent. Now if you will bear with me for just a moment longer while I thank every person I can think of who in some way, either big or small, has helped me reach this moment. Yes, it reads like an Emmy win speech for what's probably a minor milestone in the grand scheme of things but I always like it when people say thank you to me so I am going to do the same for them. Most of these people don't know me and may only recognize me by my Twitter pic but I felt the need to name them nonetheless. Here it goes:

The Obvious

• God
• My parents who always bought me books to read
• My sister for always listening to me rave about the books I love, for always encouraging me, and for reading that monstrous first draft of CARAWAY
• My husband and kids for putting up with my face stuck in my laptop all the time
• My brother-in-law Chris Spisak--a fellow writer and an amazeballs director who will always talk shop with me and who inspires me with his creativity
• My CPs: Courtney Gilfillian (who Google chats with me about all things writing which I love), Susan Gray Foster, Laekan Kemp, and my new CP, Amabel Daniels (who I am sure will be reading my next WIP). These ladies helped make DG what it is today and for that I am grateful.

And a handful of writers I follow on Twitter whose contests, interviews, websites, and support of fellow writers, as well as their generous sharing of their own journeys, has helped me tremendously: 

Michelle Hauck, Krista Van Dolzer, Dee Romito, Missy LaRae, L.L. McKinney, Taryn Albright, Natalie Aguirre, Angelica R. Jackson, Casey McCormick, Amy Trueblood, Lindsey Sprague, Stacey O'Neale, Dahlia Adler, Monica B.W, and Brenda Drake.

Whew! Ok, you've made it to the end. I'll stop now :) Thanks you so much for reading all the way through. I can't wait to tell you more as this journey for me continues!

xoxo,

Christie

Outlander!! (A sort of book review)

**Let me just preface this by saying that these books are not YA books and while I have been keeping this blog strictly YA, I decided to break that rule just this once with this post. These are adult books with adult content so if you are alright with that and want to hear me gush about how much I love these books, then by all means, read on!

If you haven't read the books or started watching the show on Starz, you are missing out! This wonderful story written by Diana Gabaldon is epic and adventurous and soooo good! I watched the first episode when it aired and was immediately hooked and when I learned it was based on a series of books I jumped in my car and went to my library and checked out the first one, OUTLANDER. Holy smokes! I couldn't put that thing down! I fell in love with the characters and the story and Scotland (the majority of the setting) and dove right in to the second book and the third book and the fourth book...

Let's just say I have spent the past month and a half immersed in the world Gabaldon created (getting little else accomplished in my life) and I have no regrets! These books are long and chocked full of one adventure after another and I love how you get to live in Claire and Jamie's and all the other characters' worlds for so long before one book ends and the next begins. I will be truly bereft when I get to the last book and have to wait for the next one to be published. If you like history, beautiful, rich settings, fully drawn out and unique characters and epic love and even more epic journeys, then these books are for you!

Go get them now! :)

Oh, and comment away. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Several months ago I was on Twitter reading through people's tweets and I found a tweet from Julie Plec (the mastermind behind The Vampire Diaries, among other things). She tweeted that she had just read We Were Liars and it was so awesome and everyone needed to read it. Well, if Julie Plec says so then that's enough for me! Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I see that my library has finally ordered this book. I quickly put a hold on it to be the first to check it out when it came in. Well, that day was yesterday and holy crap! it was as good as everyone (and sooooo many people on Twitter and elsewhere) said it was. I started it at 11pm and stayed up 'til 2am to finish. Yup. It was that good.

We Were Liars is told from the first person perspective of one of four "Liars," Cadence Sinclair Eastman. Cadence starts by telling us she is, first and foremost, a Sinclair. This means she has money and is expected to act the way a Sinclair would act. She then tells us how that is, and basically, it's how you would imagine a old-money, rich family on the East coast would be expected to act. 

Every summer Cadence and her mother go to the family's private island near Martha's Vineyard. Cadence's two aunts and cousins also go, as do her grandparents, the Heads of the Sinclair family. The aunts spend their time fighting over money and belongings and real estate and Grandfather eggs them on, picking favorites and pitting them against one another. The cousins are constantly thrown into these fights, forced to plead to Grandfather to give THEIR family more than the others. Each family has their own house on the island and every summer Cadence's cousin Johnny brings his best friend, Gat, along with him to the island. As you would expect, Cadence falls in love with Gat and at some point before their fifteenth summer, Cadence, her other cousin Mirren, Gat, and Johnny all become the Liars. They don't keep in touch during the school year but every summer the magic of the island brings them all together and they are the best of friends. 

Early on in the book we learn that at some point during their fifteenth summer, Cadence had an accident on the island. She was found half submerged on the beach and it was deduced that she had taken a late night swim and hit her head on the rocks. She suffered a brain injury and spent some time in the hospital. Cadence doesn't remember everything from that summer, like the days leading up to or immediately following the accident. She suffers severe and excruciating headaches and fails the following school year. For her sixteenth summer, her dad takes her on a trip through Europe rather than letting her go back to the island. 

All Cadence wants is just to remember what happened to her. So, come seventeenth summer, that is what she is determined to find out. None of the Liars have ever responded to her emails or letters or mailed gifts and so she begs her mom to let her go to the island for the summer. Her mom finally relents, hoping Cadence will remember things on her own and start to heal. By the books end, Cadence has remembered everything that happened to her and the Liars that fifteenth summer--and what she learns will break your heart.

**I so, so loved this book! Cadence is such a likeable and relatable character. She loves deeply and feels strongly about everything. Her story is at times happy but also incredibly tragic. The Sinclair family is THAT family; that one we imagine every East-coast-rich, beautiful, mysterious family to be. The setting of the story was almost a character in itself and Lockhart did a beautiful job making it so with minimal description. This book has that great summer feel to it when you read it. I highly recommend it!

Thanks for reading! Feel free to comment below :)

Hi!

Sooooo... 

I guess I don't I don't really blog as much as I used to or even as much as I would like. Since the start of the new year, my life has been crazy busy! I started a new job (I work for my city at our rec center and I LOVE it!!) and we moved into our new house (which I also love but is impossible to keep clean because of it's size and the fact that my two kids are MESSY!). Now that summer is fully under way, just keeping the kids occupied and going to work are eating up all my time. I write when I can (I'm working on an old MS that I gave up on long ago and I'm falling in love with it all over again!) and I read only when something REALLY good comes out or is recommended. I used to read practically anything and everything that came my way but alas, those were the days of a stay-at-home mom who had a little more free time on her hands :)  

So, here's how things are looking for me:

I am still querying DEFENSIVE GUN. I know, STILL, you say? I think I am about ready to shelve it though. I'm still waiting to hear from some agents who have the full and a handful who have the query. I love this story but I just think it's time to move on.

I probably will only blog from now on with really good reviews of books and/or personal updates. I just can't seem to juggle it all...  ):

So thanks to all of you who stop by and read my posts! You are AWESOME!!

Pitch Slam!

Hey there! So I recently decided to jump back into the concert circuit with my Contemporary YA, Defensive Gun. I love contests and hadn't done one in a while and when I saw the deets for Pitch Slam I knew I had to enter. The aforementioned deets can be found here. Wish me luck!

Also, I'm hoping to get a book review or 2 up in the next week or so. I'd gone a while without reading because of lack of time and also because all the books I wanted to read weren't available yet at my library. So when they were available I dove right in and read like 3 or 4 books in a couple of weeks! Now to decide which to review...

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: The Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking

So I've wanted to read this series for a while now because a long time ago I heard about how Amanda Hocking had self-published these books and how they had done really well and their success is (partly) what led to her getting her books in print. My library almost always has these books checked out but I was finally able to get the first two and read them over the past couple of weeks. They're very much what you would expect from a YA paranormal series--awkward girl finds out she isn't really human but a princess; leaves home to learn about her real people; finds out bad people are after her; must decide how best to save herself and those she loves. Even though parts of the story were cliche and sometimes the dialogue wasn't very authentic, I still found myself enjoying the plot and pleased with the main character and her voice. And as soon as I read the final installment, I will update to reflect.

Switched: When Wendy was a child, her father died and not long later, her mother tried to killed her. Her and her brother Matt were sent to live with their aunt and Wendy spent the rest of her years being a loner constantly getting into trouble. She always felt out of place with her picky appetite, unruly hair, short temper, and pension for going shoeless. It isn't until the strange and good-looking Finn shows up at her school and tells her that she isn't really human that things start to make sense. Wendy is a Trylle changeling--a troll that was switched at birth with the human baby born to the mom that tried to kill her. Trouble is, Wendy's "mom" wasn't really crazy. She recognized that Wendy wasn't her baby, or even human, and that was why she tried to kill her. After an attack on Wendy's life by a warring Trylle faction, the Vittra, Finn takes Wendy to the Trylle community where Wendy's real mom, the Queen Elora, rules. Slowly Wendy learns about the Trylle way of life as well as Trylle history. Wendy and Finn's attraction for each other grows but since Finn is considered lower class, he refuses to act on it. Then one day an attack on the Trylle occurs. Lives are lost and Wendy learns that the Vittra aren't going to give up until they get her. Frustrated with her real mother's lack of warmth and love and Finn's distance as well as wanting to keep the Trylle safe, Wendy decides to leave the Trylle community and return to her brother Matt and her aunt. What happens after that is more than she can handle.

Torn: Wendy arrives back home but she didn't come alone. She brought Rhys--the human boy she was switched with at birth. As a human in the Trylle community, Rhys has always been treated like the lowest of the low. Wendy wants Rhys to meet Matt, his older brother and Rhys is ready for a change so he agrees to go with her. Well, sort of. Wendy has a unique Trylle gift called Persuasion so she may have had to convince him some (: Wendy introduces the two boys and begins the process of trying to explain to Matt why she left and who she is. Not long later the Vittra show up and the next thing Wendy knows she's waking up in a dungeon with Matt and Rhys. The Vittra took them. There Wendy meets Loki, a Vittra royal who introduces her to his King--Wendy's dad! Wendy learns she's the heir to two thrones and she needs to decide which kingdom she wants to rule. While her mom's kingdom isn't the greatest, it is better than her dad's. So with some surprising help from Loki (who seems like a prisoner himself) Wendy and Matt and Rhys are able to escape the King's palace. They go back to the Queen where Wendy demands answers to all the questions her mother has avoided answering. Not long later, Loki shows back up. The Queen uses her power to keep him prisoner in the palace but it weakens her to a point close to death. Wendy seeks out Loki  for answers and the two get to know each other and even share a kiss. The Queen recovers some after Loki is exchanged for a peace agreement but the Queen tells Wendy that it won't be long before she will be dead and Wendy will be queen. She has even arranged for Wendy to marry a Trylle royal, Tove. Torn over who to love and where to rule, Wendy has some big decisions to make.

Well, hopefully I can get my hands on the last book today and update you on what I thought real soon. Thanks for stopping by and reading!!

Life

*dusts blogger off*

Wow! It's been toooooooo long since I've posted! I don't know about you but I am ready for winter to be over already. All this cold weather has made me hibernate and procrastinate and here I am after a month (a month!) of no posts! Life for my family has been a mixture of changes and adjustments lately. As I've mentioned before, my husband and I have been having a house built. They started work on it in October and now (on Valentine's Day) it will finally be finished and we will be getting the keys!! Yay! We are super excited and our girls are happy too. They can't wait to have the entire upstairs to themselves and start making friends in our new neighborhood. 

Another thing that's been happening is (drum roll please) I GOT A JOB!! Yes, that's right. After 10 years of being a stay at home mom I have finally decided to go back to work and I completely lucked out with a job working for the city. The pay is amazing, the hours are nice and the benefits are wonderful. It's not hard work and I really enjoy my coworkers as well as the public I get to interact with each day. This change has gone pretty smoothly with my girls which is such a relief. I wasn't sure how they would handle me not being available all the time but they have exceeded my expectations. I am truly blessed and thrilled to be entering into this new chapter of my life. 

I just realized the other day that it's been a year since I started this blog and first got on Twitter. I can't believe it! Time sure does fly. My tiny steps into social media couldn't have gone better. I've had fun and made many wonderful connections over both this blog as well as through my followers. It's not a lie when people say the writing community is supportive and lovely-they truly are!

As for my writing, well that's a slow go. I've got a handful of fulls and queries and a couple of R&Rs out so I am constantly checking my email hoping for some good news. I got a rejection on one of my R&Rs today that was so lovely and helpful. I am tremendously grateful for that agent's feedback. Her suggestions and notes were well thought out and from the heart. I think once I hear back from more agents I will re-read DEFENSIVE GUN with fresh eyes and see how I can improve it. I believe in that story and want to give it all I possibly can so that others can hopefully one day read it. I'm also itching to start a new WIP so as soon as things slow down for us with my job and the move to the new house, I will be diving right in!

I haven't been doing much reading lately but I put like 5 books on hold at the library the other day and I can't wait to get them in an get lost in another writer's story. Reading brings me so much joy and with all this cold weather and the craziness of life, joy is just what I need!

Thanks for stopping by and reading!! Let me know what's going on with you in the comments below (:

In review: 2013

I've read a lot of writer blog posts these past few days recapping things they learned in 2013 and sharing their hopes for 2014. Their stories have inspired me to write my own post. I guess mine is more of a writer evolution that encompasses more than 2013 but the majority of it does lie in this past year. So, here I go.

I have always loved to read. Always. If you've read my 'about me' link it will give you an idea of just how much. As a kid my dad built me a system of shelves in my room to hold all my books and every time the shelves looked about to break, my mom took me to the library or bookstore to donate all my books and get more. I read and re-read anything that would take me on an adventure. 

Then high school came and with it AP English. I had to stop reading for pleasure and start reading for a grade. That was not fun. Not all the books were bad though and I discovered several of my favorite classics this way. Life became much more busy during this time and after school activities and friends filled my life. Before I knew it I was in college and reading so much stuff just to pass my classes that leisure reading didn't even sound interesting. College ended, I met my husband and we got married and pregnant and our daughter was born and suddenly I was too tired to do anything but breathe. 

At some point during that first year of my daughter's life my dad told me about the Left Behind books he'd read and how he owned them all and he'd let me borrow them if I was interest. I thought, why not? I tore through 12 (I think that's how many there were) books in a couple of months. (My daughter was a baby and not doing much but sleeping and I was a bored stay-at-home mom and my husband worked all the time so I had plenty of time to read). Those books re-inspired my love of reading and when I was done I wanted more books to read. But I didn't know what kind of books I liked anymore so I didn't know where to start. 

It was around this time that TWILIGHT came out. I remember visiting my sister and she WOULD NOT put the book down while I was there. She said I had to read it. Well, eventually I did. And that was where I found the genre I love. YA books! I tore through the Twilight saga and moved on to every YA book my sister recommended (she's a 7th grade English teacher so she has the 'in' on what's hot). I think I read about 400 YA books in jut under 4 years. I loved talking with my sister and dissecting everything I read right after I read it. At one point she said "you should write a book." And yes the fact that Stephenie Meyer was a stay-at-home mom did come into that conversation. The whole "if she can do it you can do it" was probably tossed around. 

I thought about it and figured I'd give it a try. One day I sat down at my computer (a lovely Dell Inspiron with a flip screen that I still use!) and started brainstorming ideas. Most were sci-fi or fantasy and I started one or two WIPs before I lost steam and moved on or stopped altogether. Eventually I got the idea for my first completed MS--I AM CARAWAY. It took me about 4, maybe 6 months to write and edit it. Then I started researching my craft and realized I knew very little about writing and editing. I spent the next two years off and on learning and revising and polishing. 

That brings me to January 2013. I was ready to enter the community of writing so I got on Twitter and Facebook and started this blog. In February I went to the Breathless Reads tour stop at Book People in Austin. There I saw Jessica Khoury, Marie Lu, Andrea Cremer and Brenna Yovanoff. I fangirled so hard that night! It was a blast and it cemented my belief that I had found my place in the world--with fellow writers and readers. 

In April I sent out my first round of queries for CARAWAY...and promptly got my first round of rejections. In May I entered my MS in The Writer's Voice contest hosted by the lovely Brenda Drake, Cupid's Literary Connection, Monica Bustamante-Wagner, and Krista Van Dolzer. I got past the rafflecopter but no one picked me for their team ): But I did get a lot of support and encouragement from other participants and writers and it was a lot of fun. And each of the aforementioned ladies' websites and tweets and blogs have been invaluable to my growth as a writer. I really can't stress this enough--I owe these ladies a lot!

I kept querying through the summer and even started a new MS. Like many of my earlier stories, I lost steam on that MS too. This loss of momentum along with my mounting rejections on CARAWAY made me start to wonder if maybe this whole 'getting a book published' thing wasn't in the cards for me. I knew writing would stay a part of my life forever because I love telling stories and blogging and reviewing books but I wasn't so sure I would ever see a book of my own out there for others to read. 

At late summer I got a lovely rejection from a sweet agent who was kind enough to tell me that while my writing was good, there just wasn't a market for my type of book. It was something I kind of already thought might be the case but I had held hope that faeries would be the next big thing, like vampires and werewolves. But I was wrong. Paranormal was on its way out unless it was GOOD. Same with fantasy. Well CARAWAY is a historical (a hard sell in YA) fantasy. Some might even say it's Paranormal because of the faeries. After 56 queries, 2 FR, 2 Partials and 14 CNR, I made the decision to shelve my much slaved over first MS and move on. 

Summer started to draw to a close and since my youngest daughter was about to start Kindergarten, I decided it was time I go back to work. I started looking for a job and also started working on something that would have a better chance of getting me an agent: a realistic/contemporary. I began DEFENSIVE GUN in July and wrote like a crazy person. Two months later I was ready to query. Fast, I know. I pitched it on #Pitmad and got 6 favorites! I think I'd only had like 2 or 3 favorites when I pitched CARAWAY for #Pitchmas in July (a last ditch effort since I'd pretty much already said goodbye to that MS). I was thrilled at the interest in DEFENSIVE GUN and immediately sent out my queries to those agents who'd favorited my pitch as well as a few other agents. 

In the meantime my husband and I decided we wanted a bigger house. We put in an offer on one in our neighborhood because we love it here but the owner wouldn't budge on his ridiculously high asking price. We decided to move on from that house and have a house built (we signed the papers to start the process on my birthday--not a fun way to celebrate, BTW). Life immediately got crazy after that with Thanksgiving and Christmas. And the waiting game on hearing back from agents continued. But I did finally get two interviews for jobs so that was exciting...and scary. Pretty soon it's going to be no more full time mommy for me!

I've had a lot of interest in DEFENSIVE GUN and even several R&Rs. I won't go much further into detail since I am still in the process with this one. The agent feedback I've been lucky to receive as well as feedback from CPs (side note: How About We CP is a wonderful resource if you're looking for a critique partner) helped me realize that DEFENSIVE GUN wasn't as good as it could be. I underwent A LOT of revisions and I think I am finally at a place where the story is at its best. I hope, anyway. But alas that's the life of a writer for ya--lot's of self doubt! 

That brings me to the new year!! I don't ever make resolutions but I do have some hopes for this year. I hope this move into our new home happens smoothly and is easy on our kids. I don't handle change in my life well so I'm a bit anxious. I hope I find a job that I enjoy and I hope I can manage working and writing and being a mom and a wife at the same time. I don't want my writing to fall last because most days I think it's the only thing that keeps me sane. And the big one: I hope I get an agent! If not with DEFENSIVE GUN than with another MS...which I need to get started on writing (: 

The past year has been amazing. I have wonderful friends and family who support me and make me laugh. My kids are awesome and surprise me and make me smile every day. I hope my love of reading spreads to them and I hope they read the things I write one day and are proud of mommy. The writing community is wonderful and I feel so blessed to be a small part of it. I know fear and envy and self doubt will always be with me. And from reading other writer's blogs, I've learned that it never really goes away. Just getting an agent or getting your book published and sold doesn't guarantee you happiness or another book sold, or a carefree, fulfilled, and rich life. 

But I still think it would be pretty cool!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my very lengthy post! I hope your 2013 was wonderful and your 2014 is even better. Feel free to comment below, check out my other posts, see my Goodreads page, and follow me on Twitter (@christiemurillo).

Personal Update

Hey readers! The holiday season is in full swing and I don't know about you but I have been busy! I think life got crazy for us back in early October and hasn't let up since. It was around that time that my husband and I decided we were ready for a bigger house. We tried to buy a house in our neighborhood (which I love) but the seller was asking too much and not accepting any lower offers. I was bummed because I really wanted the house but then my husband said "Why don't we build?" and I said, "Okay. Why not?" On my birthday, October 16th, we started the paperwork to build our new home. And ever since then life has been insane!

As for my writing well let's see. DEFENSIVE GUN did pretty well with agents. I got 1 PR and 7 FR, three of which led to R&Rs and two I am still waiting to hear about. I really liked the agent notes on those R&Rs and have been incorporating the changes into my MS for the past month or so. I think DEFENSIVE GUN is much better and I can't wait until it's perfect and I can resubmit and start querying again! I've come into four amazing critique partners over the past few months as well and their input has been invaluable. All in all, my writing is getting stronger and I am optimistic that this MS will be the one. And if not? Well, that's ok because I have some ideas brewing that I am really excited about too!

As for reading books....well, things have been a lot slower on that front than I am used to. I re-read the Hunger Games series because, why not? I LOVE those books and Collins' writing inspires me. I've been doing a lot of reading for my critique partners and have started a bunch of popular YA books from my TBR pile but I haven't finished any of them. I've also picked up several books I thought looked good only to realize I'd already read them!! I guess when you read about 3 books a month for over 4 years that's bound to happen, right? 

So that about catches you up! Hope all is going well for you, my reader. Keep reading, keep writing and have a happy holiday season!

Book Review: The Divergent Series: Divergent, Insurgent, and Allegiant

*dusts of blog*

Hey there readers! Today's book review is on a series I love (and it's also a NYT best selling series that's getting made into a movie!) 

I first started this series back in 2011 when book 1, DIVERGENT, was released. I can't remember if my sister suggested I read it or if I saw an early review of it on EW's Shelf Life but for whatever reason I decided to give it a go. I was hooked from the first sentence. Veronica Roth immediately takes readers into this dystopian world with her opening scene of our MC Beatrice looking into a mirror and getting her hair cut (something she's only allowed to do once a year). Right away I was interested. Why does Beatrice never get to look in a mirror? Why does she only get to do it once a year when she gets a hair cut? Those questions led me to keep reading and now, two years later, here I am having just finished ALLEGIANT and having SO MANY EMOTIONS! There's an indescribable feeling you get when you stick with a series and read each book as it's released. Two years is a long time to invest and when the payoff is as great as it is with the DIVERGENT series, it's well worth it. 

Beatrice is a remarkably relatable character whose arc over the three books is tremendous. She starts out as a regular girl who wants to please her parents but recognizes something in herself that wants more. In a very brave move for such a restricting world, she goes against what's expected of her and makes a decision that shapes the rest of her life. The world of DIVERGENT is expertly written and described with vivid imagery and realistic dialogue and relationships. Secondary character leave a lasting impact as well as drive the plot forward. The romantic relationship between Beatrice (Tris) and Tobias (Four) is one that feels real and sweet. It never tries to be more than it should and it always stays true to the type of romance that fits the world the characters live in as well as the situations they are put in. 

Let me tell you a little bit about that world and those situations... 

Where Tris lives is in a city that is divided into five factions: dauntless, candor, abnegation, amity, and erudite. Each faction represents a specific virtue--bravery, honesty, selflessness, peacefulness, and intelligence. Each child is raised in their parent's faction (you marry within a faction) but on their sixteenth birthday, the child takes a test that determines which faction best suites them. The child can either choose that faction or stick with the one they were raised in. Tris and her brother both leave their parent's faction with Tris choosing dauntless and Caleb choosing erudite. But Tris quickly learns a secret about herself--she's divergent, meaning she actually falls into more than one faction. The system considers divergents dangerous and has been killing them for years. Tris's discovery of this sets the stage for everything that follows in each book. Since divergents are somewhat easy to spot, Tris has to try extra hard to not only survive being a dauntless but also to hide her secret. Meanwhile, the leaders of the society are doing all they can to keep the faction system running smoothly while flushing out the divergents, something that causes tension and fear in a world where so many people won't stand up to authority. Tris and Four get caught up rebellion after rebellion where they loose people they love, are betrayed by people they thought they could trust, and are tested by those they are supposed to follow. In the end, Tris and Four learn why their society is the way it is and how it came to exist. And just when they think they are finally free of all the things and people that have tried to destroy them, one final decision made by Tris will change everything.  

**I can't recommend this series enough! Add these books to you to-read list immediately and get prepared for the first movie to arrive in theaters next year. I, for one, can't wait!1

Thanks for stopping by! 

Writing Tips: Critique Partners

Hey there readers! Life, as usual, is crazy in Casa Murillo and my blog has once again suffered for it. But I had a pretty interesting topic in mind for today that I wanted to write about so let's dive in!

Recently I posted an "ad," if you will, on the website howaboutwecp. This website is dedicated to making matches for writers in need of critique partners. I didn't hear anything back for a while and then this past weekend I received two emails asking if I was still interested in doing this. I was and I was thrilled! 

Let me just start by saying that when I posted that ad, I was soooooo nervous. I'd never critiqued anyone else's work before and never had anyone other than my sister read my own stories. Yes you read that right. Not even my husband has read my MSs! (he's not a reader AT ALL so I can't really trust his judgement anyway. But he WILL read them if/when I get published (;   ). 

As someone who researches EVERY aspect of writing and publishing, I know having critique partners is not only necessary but also invaluable to the creative and editing process. I was never against having critique partners but I was scared of putting myself out there. What if my writing sucked? For some reason it was just easier for me to edit to the best of my ability and send out queries. I standard 'no' from an agent was safer than detailed feedback from a critique partner. But then those 'nos' kept coming and eventually I wanted to know WHY?! What was I doing wrong?! Well, that's where those critique partners will come in handy. So after shelving my first MS (I'd had some interest but ultimately the market is too saturated with books with paranormal creatures and mine has faeries) I wrote another book, put my info up on howaboutwecp, and sent out my first batch of queries on my new MS. I've had some interest which is great but I really want this book to be 'the one' so I couldn't be happier that I now have two critique partners who can help me make this story the best it can be. 

My first critique partner sent her first chapter over this past weekend and I critiqued it and sent it back yesterday. I was nervous about this aspect of the story swapping process since I don't consider myself an expert on writing. But I do read A LOT so I ended up having more insight than I thought. Plus, I've always been pretty good at editing and with the added research and practice in editing I've gotten in my own writing endeavors, I was able to offer up a lot of tips in that area that were hopefully helpful. I really like her WIP and hope she lets me read some more (: And I'm excited to hear back from her and see what she thinks about my chapters too. My other new critique partner and I are going to be swapping MSs pretty soon as well and I can't tell you how excited I am for that!

Thanks for stopping by. Once this process really gets underway for me I will update you on how my critique partners and I are faring. See you soon!!






For me, writing is very personal. I often compare the feeling of talking about my stories and sharing them with others to what I imagine it would feel like to talk to strangers naked. I know, that's extreme, but letting someone inside your head is deeply intimate for me. It's something I know I need to overcome if I ever want to be a published author.

New Book Releases

Hi all! It's been a while, I know. Things at Casa Murillo have been crazy with the kiddos well into school, me polishing and querying my second novel AND looking for a part-time job, and my hubs and I trying to decide if we want to move. As a result, my blog has suffered and for that I am sorry ): Anywho, here is a list of some YA books just released that you might enjoy. 

Unbreakable (The Legion) by Kami Garcia
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12371862-unbreakable?from_search=true


Paranormal YA

Perfect Ruin (The Internment Chronicles) by Lauren DeStefano
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17339241-perfect-ruin?from_search=true


YA Fantasy

Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17297488-man-made-boy?from_search=true



YA retelling


*I saw Jon at the Austin Teen Book Festival and he was super cool! Definitely a boy book I would read!

Fault Line by Christa Desir
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13482832-fault-line?from_search=true

Contemporary YA

*I read an interview about this book and how it's about a girl who is sexually assaulted at a party. It's told from her boyfriend's perspective as he watches her spiral downward. Seems like a powerful story! And half the proceeds of book sales go to Voices and Faces Survivor Testimonial Workshop (how awesome is that?!)

The Enchanter Heir (The Heir Chronicles #4) by Cinda Williams Chima
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9409614-the-enchanter-heir?from_search=true

YA Fantasy

*I saw Cinda at Austin Teen Book Festival and she was sooo funny! My sister has read these books and highly recommends them!

Premeditated by Josin L. Mcquein
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13446537-premeditated?from_search=true


Contemporary YA

Just One Year (Just One Day #2) by Gayle Forman
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12842134-just-one-year?from_search=true


Contemporary YA

Bang (Visions #2) by Lisa McMann
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17039870-bang?from_search=true


Paranormal YA


*I saw Lisa at Austin Teen Book Festival and she was highly entertaining and very personable. I've read almost all of her books.






Whew! That's all for now. As always, this is not a comprehensive list of newly released books, just the ones I will probably read and thought you might enjoy. Feel free to comment below and let me know if you've read any of these and what you think (:

Book Review: Girl, Stolen by April Henry

I had this book on my to-read list for a while so when I finished my WIP a few weeks ago (a YA novel about a girl who was kidnapped), I thought maybe I should give this book a read and see if my novel could measure up to another YA novel with a similar topic. It was a quick read, only taking me about 3 hours. Our books didn't have much in common but I really enjoyed GIRL, STOLEN. Here's my review:

Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of her stepmom's SUV when something terrible happens--the car gets stolen. Legally blind and sick with pneumonia, Cheyenne begs the thief to just let her go. But Griffin can't do that. He needs to get a way quick and he can't risk letting this girl tell the cops anything that might identify him. Griffin takes Cheyenne to his house where his dad runs a chop shop with two other thugs. All Griffin wanted to do was impress his dad but now he's done the opposite. That is until they turn on the TV and see just who Cheyenne is. Her dad is the president of Nike. Now Griffin's dad wants to ransom her for a million dollars. As Griffin keeps Cheyenne safe and slowly gets to know her, he decides he wants to help her get away. But Cheyenne doesn't need his help--she manages to escape on her own. But can she get to safety before Griffin's dad and the other two thugs find her? And what will happen to Griffin? Will these two unlikely allies ever be able to have a normal life again?

**I love a good, short read that's high on emotion and pace. From the start of this story, that's exactly what I got. Cheyenne's voice was authentic and her fear was real. The drama kept me turning the pages and I really felt bad for the position both Griffin and Cheyenne were in. I liked how Cheyenne stayed strong and always looked out for herself first. Her blindness and sickness were well described and added an intensity to the story without taking anything away. The ending was hopeful which matched well with the overall tone. GIRL, STOLEN is a quick, intense read I fully recommend.

Thanks for stopping by! Feel free to comment below.

New Book Releases

Some exciting stuff this week! As always, Goodreads links and genre/category follow. Remember, this is not a complete list--just some of the ones I thought sounded interesting. Check them out:

3:59 by Gretchen McNeil
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15836516-3?from_search=true

YA Paranormal

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17347389-the-dream-thieves?from_search=true

YA Paranormal

Once We Were (The Hybrid Chronicles #2) by Kat Zhang
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16109664-once-we-were?from_search=true

YA Sci-Fi

Dead Girls Don't Lie by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17286807-dead-girls-don-t-lie?from_search=true

YA Mystery

Frozen (Heart of Dread #1) by Melissa de la Cruz and Michael Johnston
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15850937-frozen?from_search=true

YA Sci-Fi

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15777621-this-song-will-save-your-life?from_search=true

Contemporary YA

Tumble & Fall by Alexandra Coutts
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17332270-tumble-fall?from_search=true

YA Contemporary Romance







Some great choices, huh? I personally am excited for The Dream Thieves because I absolutely adore Maggie Stiefvater's writing and I loved the first book in this series, The Raven Boys. 

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think below (: