Mar. 3, 2009 - Editseditseditsedits

I'm totally engaged in edits right now for TRIPLE FAULT (CC #4). Yes, book four. I almost can't comprehend that sentence.

Interesting things I've noticed about this round of edits:

I manage to eliminate favorite words from my writing. Then, I come up with new ones. :) In CHASING BLUE, I was obsessed with "grinned." It was everywhere. In TRIPLE FAULT, I'd finally manged to ditch "grinned," but I tossed in two new words--"so" and "sooo." They *might* appear thousands of times. Okay, okay, not thousands, but enough to cause me to smack myself in the forehead when I reread my edited manuscript.

Chapter titles are so (Ack! The "s" word again!) one of the most difficult and most fun things to write. I heart them.

I might have to go back and read my own books to refresh my memory on certain events. Is that lame? I feel as if I should remember the things that happen in my own books! :D

Writing mean girl lines is my fave part and it's easy. That might say something about me...

And, finally, never stuff your edit letter with your precious handwritten notes to self in a cabinet and forget where it is. You might panic, tear up the house and then want to stab yourself in the eye with a pink pen when you recover the letter hours later.

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Dec. 9, 2008 - Book video for TAKE THE REINS (Canterwood Crest)

Hi, everyone!

I'm so excited to share the book video for TAKE THE REINS! :)

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Jun. 16, 2008 - How people find me online

I've been reading how people have been finding me online and just thought I'd share some. They're a mix of odd and funny.

So, we've got these via SiteMeter:

Top 10 literary cities (I don't live in one)
Sarah Joy Brown on Facebook (I did blog about that...)
Sneak peaks at the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic (note the "a")
The Jessica Website (I'm thinking they're looking for Alba, Biel or Simpson)
Weinheimer dog pics (Huh???)
Obsessed with Twilight (Oh, so true)
Greenbrier, TN (my old home city)
Girly books releasing in July 2008 (What's a girly book?)
Red Hills Horse Trials 2009 (I'm so there!)

If you have a StatCounter or SiteMeter, how do people find you besides your name or book title?
Mood:

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May. 12, 2008 - Blogged at Teen Fiction Cafe

I blogged at Teen Fiction Cafe today. :)

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May. 12, 2008 -

I blogged at Teen Fiction Cafe today. :)

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Apr. 23, 2008 - Miley Cyrus to pen memoir

Yahoo! has a headline from yesterday that Miley Cyrus is writing a memoir. Okay, okay, she's only 15 but she probably has quite a lot to tell. Maybe. I'm guessing.

Disney-Hyperion is publishing the book and it will release in spring 2009.

I'm neutral on the topic, I guess. It'll be interesting to see if she's an even bigger star in 2009 or if she has faded like many of the young stars. (Um, Hillary Duff, where are you?)

I haven't read many memoirs. After the James Frey debacle, I did start to look at them in a different way. But I also don't want to skip a genre just because one guy screwed up.

Would you ever write a memoir? I'd love to years from now. I've published lots of personal experience essays and I'm glad I've logged the big moments from my life in print. I'll always have that and it's almost like a public diary of sorts. Over the summer and fall, when I'm in between books, I'll be working on querying more magazines with personal experience pieces and hope I can keep sharing bits and pieces of the different things I've been through with others. :)

So, would you read the Miley memoir? Or would the wondering if it's mostly ghost-written bother you? Read the article here.

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Mar. 31, 2008 - Go Carrie Jones!

This week is going to be busy! I’ve got lots of editing to do and I’m working away.

I reallllly wanted to do ScriptFrenzy (it starts April 1), but I just do not have time this year. I’ll have to make my own ScriptFrenzy month later. Is anyone participating? Lots of people on the blue boards are excited. :)

Tomorrow, a new video will be posted, so check back for that. And no, it’s not a video clue for the super-secret surprise. But it’s coming. Soon.

Yesterday, I played with Blog Talk Radio (it’s really supposed to be used as a radio call-in show, but I use it for podcasting) and made my first entry. I talked over my introductory beginning (oops!) and in the intro that I taped weeks ago, I said the podcasts would start later in the summer than what I said in the live bit that I taped yesterday. So, please excuse my mistakes and I’ll be sure to make the next one better! :)

On Friday, Class of 2k8 member and fellow Floridian Debbie Reed Fischer will be here.

Today’s my mom’s birthday. Happy birthday, Mom! I love you!

Finally, GO CARRIE JONES! Carrie’s making a run for office—how inspiring and cool is that? Find out all about it: http://www.voteforcarriejones.com. You go, Carrie! :)

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Mar. 25, 2008 - Diary of a Debut Author Promo Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdL-GnEiaI

Enjoy my first video explaining Diary of a Debut Author!

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Mar. 22, 2008 - Easter Egg Pictures

Every year, my family and I still dye Easter eggs for fun. The eggs on top are hardboiled and the eggs in the second picture are blown out eggs we made 10 years ago and have managed to keep from breaking that long. That's quite a feat if you knew my family moved often.

I watched Martha Stewart for a bit on Friday to see if I could replicate any of her Easter egg tricks. But no. She made lace Easter eggs. No spare lace in my house. :)

So, if you celebrate it, Happy Easter!

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Mar. 19, 2008 - Rock the Drop!

Linda Gerber brought this to my attention:

Operation Teen Book Drop.

YALSA and readergirlz are asking YA authors to donate a copy of their book to a local library, teen center, school or other place where the book will be passed around.

This is an effort to raise awareness for April 17, 2008—Support Teen Literature Day. YALSA and readergirlz have already coordinated 10,000 publisher-donated books to be given to top pediatric hospitals across the country. That’s amazing, guys!

I’m putting out the call to YA authors and people with books to donate. Give! Go the Website, print out the bookplate and donate away—whether it’s a book with your name on it or not.

I’ve got my mailing address on my Website and if you’d like to get your book into the hand of a Florida teen through the library, put your bookplate inside and send me a copy.

As I’ve mentioned before, Florida’s library budgets were just DRASTICALLY cut and my library which serves hundreds of thousands of patrons is now only open five days a week and hours have been slashed. They are also on a budget for purchasing new items and if you’re a YA author or someone with a large bookshelf, consider donating. I’ve got some of the loveliest librarians around and I know they’d appreciate it.

For more information, visit here for the details. http://www.readergirlz.com/tbd.html

Rock the drop!!

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Mar. 18, 2008 - 6 random things

I was tagged by Book~Adorer to do six unimportant things about myself. So, here we go.

1. If you're watching TV with me, I have to hold the remote. This is non-negotiable. :)

2. I've never been to Starbucks. Gasp, I know! I just cannot pay that much for a coffee!

3. I'm addicted to my blog and Website StatCounter. I check them every day.

4. I failed my first college essay. Miserably, I might add.

5. My math skills suck. They're embarrassingly bad!

6. I think I'm getting addicted to video blogging. :)

Anyone else who wants to play is tagged! Comment here!

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Mar. 13, 2008 - Final Harry Potter Film Cut in Half

Well, I was going to blog about something going on with my library today, but I read this from Variety and had to post about it instead.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, the film, is going to be released in TWO parts. The first half comes out in November 2010 (can we think that far ahead?!) and the second part will drop May 2011. Whoa. I'm very, very excited about that since I was already sad that HPDH would be the last film. Even thought they're really "one" it still feels like two.

What do you think about this? I'm guessing people will go see both films in crazy numbers and this will introduce a whole new generation of kids to the Potter books. Whatever gets kids to read--go for it.:)

Read the full article here:
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117982303.html?categoryid=10&cs=1

Comment here!

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Mar. 11, 2008 - Whatcha reading now?

Just a reminder--Kat, I need your name and address by tomorrow morning for the SA Harazin giveaway! E-mail it to me. Thanks!

What is everyone reading right now? I just finished FRENEMIES (ARC) by Alexa Young. Such a fun, good book! Before that, I read Sara Zarr's SWEETHEARTS. If Sara published a book a month, I'd get each one. :)

I'm getting ready to read THE FICTION CLASS, an adult novel, and then I have to see what's next in my pile.

Share your current read! Head over here to comment!

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Mar. 10, 2008 - Winners and misc

We’ve got 2 winners of BLOOD BROTHERS! Kat and

lilrongal, you’ve both won a signed copy of BLOOD BROTHERS! You’ve got 48 hours to e-mail me your name and address or I’ll have to pick other winners. Thank you to S.A. Harazin for stopping by and if you didn’t win a copy, go get one!

 

 So, yesterday, I decided to take a bit of a break before I dive into a new set of edits. It’s been almost three months since I lost my cat and I finally feel as if I can like another cat again. The sweet girl in the above pictures hangs out in my fenced in back yard sometimes. I always offer her cat food and treats, but she’s often too full to eat. Yep, she lives at a neighbor’s house down the street, but she wanders over for attention. Yesterday, I brought out the secret weapon guaranteed to make any cat fall in love with she who possesses said weapon. C-a-t-n-i-p. It doesn’t work on some cats, or kittens, but man, did little gray girl (we’re calling her “GG.”) love it! There was rolling, purring, yowling and even playful nipping. I forgot that she wasn’t “my” cat, forgot about my loss and enjoyed petting and playing with her. She’s a sweetie.

Enough about cats, right? I know, I know. Another one of those cat crazy clichéd writers. (But I’ve never had a one-eyed cat like Meg Cabot…)  

This week is going to be busy. Red Hills (yes, I’ll shut up about it after this weekend) starts on Friday, but we’re expected to get a monster storm. Yeah, my town actually made it on World News Tonight on ABC on Saturday because we had tornadoes. Multiple ones. A house a few streets down was destroyed and a couple of people died. It happened around 7:30am and the sky was that awful, eerie yellow color. My family and I got REALLY lucky because the worst devastation was only 10 minutes away.

Anyway, before Red Hills, I’ve got tons of editing to do. Red Hills will be a nice treat at the end of the week. Look for video blogging from RH. (Stay away storms! Grr.)

On Friday, before I leave for the horse trials, I’ll be posting an interview with Cherry Cheva. She’s giving away a signed copy of SHE’S SO MONEY and a Family Guy t-shirt.

Winners, e-mail me at jessica [@] jessicaburkhart [dot] come with your name and address so S.A. can ship your prize.

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Mar. 7, 2008 - Author Visit: S.A. Harazin

Please welcome author S.A. Harazin! Her novel, BLOOD BROTHERS, has been nominated for an Edgar. It's also an ALA Quick Pick.

Summary:

Without his job at the hospital, Clay would be lost. The hard work, the struggles of the patients, the drama in the ER—they make his days seem worth something and give focus to his dream of someday becoming a doctor. Clay can’t afford to go away to college like the rest of his class, but what other seventeen-year old has delivered a baby or helped to save a life?

Still, Clay wishes his life could be more like his best friend’s. Joey has it all—a great family, a good college waiting for him at the end of the summer, money, a car. Clay has to bike everywhere, and the miles are starting to wear him down.

But Joey’s bright future shatters one day when he overdoses at a party. Now he’s clinging to life at the hospital where Clay works—and Clay may be blamed for his condition. Clay will do whatever he can to find out what happened at the party, and to help Joey recover. But to survive this ordeal, Clay must draw on a strength he never knew he had.

Here we go:

What was the moment when you KNEW you had to write this story?

I am not sure there was one moment. Many years ago I took care of a kid in the intensive care unit, and during that time I was thinking, this is something I won’t ever forget. Over time, a story grew from that incident, and then one day I decided to write it. I first wrote Blood Brothers as a short story from the viewpoint of a nurse. This story was published in a literary journal. Later I decided I had to write the story from the viewpoint of someone who was not merely an observer.

Are you a disciplined writer or do you write when you feel like it?

I am a little of both, I think. I goof off a lot.

What’s your favorite thing about being a young adult author?

I love getting mail from teens and listening to them. I have never met a teen who is not interesting.

Share a couple of your non-writing hobbies.

I like to sew and play video games. Role playing games are my favorites.

You were a member of the Class of 2k7. How did you like being part of the Class?

I love being a part of 2K7. We’ve helped each other and provided support and advice.

If someone came up to you and said, “I’ve tried a thousand times to get an agent, but I can’t!” what advice would you give him/her?

Have someone who is good at queries read your query. Get your manuscript critiqued or have a professional critique. Join SCBWI. Read the posts on Verla Kay’s message board. It isn’t easy for most people. Don’t be afraid of rewriting or starting over. Keep trying.

What are some of your favorite young adult novels?

There are too many to list. I’ve recently read “The Adoration of Jenna Fox” by Mary Pearson and “Night Road” by A.M. Jenkins and both were terrific.

What are your current projects?

I only work on one project at a time.

I am working on a young adult novel about a teen with a genetic defect. He learns about life from a dog, a girl, and a killer. I plan to rewrite another wip in the near future. It is about a boy and his doctor. I don’t usually say a lot about my wip—I tend to loose steam if I talk about something too much. It’s a little like letting the air out of a balloon.

Bio:

S. A. Harazin lives in Georgia with her husband. She has two kids attending college and one about to start. She worked in a hospital as a teen and became a registered nurse. Much of Blood Brothers is loosely based on real life experience.

Website: www.saharazin.com

BLOOD BROTHERS on Amazon.

Ms. Harazin is generously giving away two signed copies of BLOOD BROTHERS. To enter, leave a comment (on one or as many of the 3 blogs as you like) on Blogger, LiveJournal or Homeschool Blogger to enter. You have until Sunday at 9pm EST to get your entry in. Two winners will be drawn at random. Good luck!

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Mar. 6, 2008 - Glad to be here!

Well, I just learned about Homeschoolblogger after reading an old issue of The Old Schoolhouse.

Here's a bit about me:

Jessica Burkhart, born in 1987, is the author of over 90 magazine articles for teen publications including Girls’ Life and Guideposts Sweet 16. Jessica had four books under contract by the time she was twenty. She graduated from her homeschool high school in 2005, started college at sixteen and graduated from Florida State University in 2007 with a BA in English. Jess was an active equestrian for many years and when she's not writing, she is volunteering with Shriners Hospital for Children or The Humane Society. Her forthcoming debut middle grade novel TAKE THE REINS (CANTERWOOD CREST), follows an eighth grader from her tiny hometown to a boarding school where she competes with the equestrian elite. TAKE THE REINS hits shelves in spring 2009. This is the first book in her series for Aladdin MIX. Jess blogs for Teen Fiction Cafe. Visit her Website for more!

My main blog is here, but I'll be cross-posting from my usual blog to here almost daily.

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