I've recently developed a little bit of a crush on Kiera Cass, author of The Selection. I fell in love with her cover first, which features a redhead in a beautiful gown and this tagline: "35 girls. 1 crown. The competition of a lifetime." I adored it for about three months before I was able to save up the money to purchase the book, and it was worth every penny.
The Selection is dystopian meets The Bachelor meets the Queen Esther story*. A fun combination, right? It ended up being both frightening and indulgent. The book is about a girl named America; the only girl in the nation who doesn't want to be drafted into the reality show to win Prince Maxon's heart. But what if the opportunity provides her with a life and a purpose greater than she could've imagined? What if the royal family and the country need someone just like her?
Cass' world is compelling and deeply layered with the history and societal structure of her Illea (America's country). America is a girl you can genuinely like and root for. And both Aspen and Prince Maxon have dream-worthy qualities. I happen to be a Maxon girl myself--his desire to do the right thing and his treatment of America as a lady won my heart. Sure, America may have tons of chemistry with Aspen, but that respect Maxon has for her? It makes me swoon.
Okay, stopping. This post is about Kiera not her characters :)
After voraciously reading The Selection in one night, I hopped online to see when book two comes out. (It's a trilogy like most YAs). What I found was one of the most delightful author sites I've looked at. There aren't cutesy graphics or flashy extras, just one really fun lady. When I read her bio, my first thought was "She talks like me and Erynn, we could totally be BFF." She's also really cute. She has great musical taste. And she's down-to-earth and completely approachable.
Also, The Selection has been picked up as a CW pilot. How cool is that?
Kiera was in Winston-Salem last weekend for the Bookmarks Festival. I had planned to go, meet her, and get her to sign my book, but alas, my own writing goals got in the way, and I was majorly bummed. I do, however, plan to stalk . . . I mean, meet her sometime this fall. Even if I have to make a trip to Charleston in November for YAllfest. I'm not above it; that's how cool I think she is.
Suffice it to say that I could go on and on. Instead, I'll just link you to her website and let you decide :)
*Full disclosure: this is my own description. I have no idea whether Cass intended the Queen Esther allusions or whether I'm just reading them into the book.
Showing posts with label YA Crush. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA Crush. Show all posts
Friday, September 14
Wednesday, August 22
A 360 Degree Makeover
If you are reading this post by e-mail or via a blog reader, you won't have noticed, but Relentlessly Pursued has a whole new look. In fact, Relentlessly Pursued's been retired. It's a bittersweet change, but one that's been coming for over a year now.
With the change comes additional content, a new design, tagline, and web address (don't worry, subscribers, nothing should affect you). Every piece of the site is streamlined for your reading ease, I hope.
Why the change? Well, I just can't contain my YA love any more, and I'm hoping to connect with other YA readers and authors, especially those awesome dystopian ones. I'll continue to post my devotional journey thoughts from time to time and any writing updates I may have, but I'll also be incorporating more YA Crush posts (to build up that Websites to Visit tab and to introduce you to my favorite YA authors and books). Add in a feature on dystopian lit and a series on heroes, and I couldn't be more excited!
Speaking of, the new tagline for my fiction is Everyone Wants A Hero. I've always been a fan of heroes, super or otherwise, and if you ask me to choose between pulling for the steady good guy and the tortured bad boy, and I'm going to pick the good guy 98% of the time. While I hope the heroes in my fiction are both good and realistically flawed, I've never been known to put down a book or shut off a movie because the hero was "too good." Something inside me—and, therefore, in my fiction—identifies with the timeless good vs. evil battle. Sometimes I wish someone would swoop in and rescue me.
I don't think I'm the only one.
There's an inherent longing in each of us to be rescued from something. Every now and then, we all want a hero. Or, we want to be one.
The good news is — we have a Hero.
And He can make us heroes as well.
This is no fairy tale. Welcome to reality.
With the change comes additional content, a new design, tagline, and web address (don't worry, subscribers, nothing should affect you). Every piece of the site is streamlined for your reading ease, I hope.
Why the change? Well, I just can't contain my YA love any more, and I'm hoping to connect with other YA readers and authors, especially those awesome dystopian ones. I'll continue to post my devotional journey thoughts from time to time and any writing updates I may have, but I'll also be incorporating more YA Crush posts (to build up that Websites to Visit tab and to introduce you to my favorite YA authors and books). Add in a feature on dystopian lit and a series on heroes, and I couldn't be more excited!
Speaking of, the new tagline for my fiction is Everyone Wants A Hero. I've always been a fan of heroes, super or otherwise, and if you ask me to choose between pulling for the steady good guy and the tortured bad boy, and I'm going to pick the good guy 98% of the time. While I hope the heroes in my fiction are both good and realistically flawed, I've never been known to put down a book or shut off a movie because the hero was "too good." Something inside me—and, therefore, in my fiction—identifies with the timeless good vs. evil battle. Sometimes I wish someone would swoop in and rescue me.
I don't think I'm the only one.
There's an inherent longing in each of us to be rescued from something. Every now and then, we all want a hero. Or, we want to be one.
The good news is — we have a Hero.
And He can make us heroes as well.
This is no fairy tale. Welcome to reality.
Thursday, August 2
YA Site Crush: Go Teen Writers
Last month, I facilitated my first teen writers' workshop. Seven boys and I hunkered down to talk about our favorite books, plot, character, and their very unique novel and comic ideas. From paranormal fantasy to anime to post-apocalyptic fiction, we covered it all.
In preparation for the afternoon, I scoured the web for writer resources for teens and stumbled upon Go Teen Writers. I'm so glad I did; GTW has quickly become one of my go-to resources. Stephanie Morrill, Jill Williamson, Rachel Coker, and Roseanna M. White (all published authors) do a fantastic job of providing plotting, editing, and publishing information for teen writers. They also host contests for writers under twenty-one each year.
If you're a teen writer (or an adult writing YA), you won't regret subscribing. Posts about finding a literary agent, writing sticky situations, creating book proposals, and avoiding writer burnout were all published this week alone.
No pressure, but what are you waiting for? Check Go Teen Writers out!
In preparation for the afternoon, I scoured the web for writer resources for teens and stumbled upon Go Teen Writers. I'm so glad I did; GTW has quickly become one of my go-to resources. Stephanie Morrill, Jill Williamson, Rachel Coker, and Roseanna M. White (all published authors) do a fantastic job of providing plotting, editing, and publishing information for teen writers. They also host contests for writers under twenty-one each year.
If you're a teen writer (or an adult writing YA), you won't regret subscribing. Posts about finding a literary agent, writing sticky situations, creating book proposals, and avoiding writer burnout were all published this week alone.
No pressure, but what are you waiting for? Check Go Teen Writers out!
Tuesday, July 24
YA Crush
If you were on the interwebs circa 2004, you're familiar with the Teen Girl Squad phrase, "I have a crush on every boy." Well, I have a crush on most everything YA. When I walk into a Barnes & Noble, I head straight for the YA section to see what's new. I have Demi Lovato, Taylor Swift, and the Jonas Brothers on my iPod. I paid money to see High School Musical 3 in the theater, and I've been known to curl up and watch the Disney Channel on my sick days.
(Some judge this behavior, but I prefer to categorize it under quirky and market research :)
So, beginning next week, I'll be sharing my YA love with you through three new features: YA Author Crush, YA Book Crush, and YA Site Crush. These won't be just any recommendations; only the things I truly rave about will make the cut.
Coincidentally enough, NPR is showing their own YA love this week with their Best-Ever Teen Novels poll. Several of my newest loves like Matched and the Gallagher Girls series made the list. While beloved favorites such as the Christy Miller Series and the Chronicles of Narnia were robbed. I'm trying to decide if I should start a petition.
Just kidding :)
What about you? What's your favorite YA? Did it make the list? Did you vote?
Update (8/7/2012): Voting is complete. You can view the Top 100 list here.
(Some judge this behavior, but I prefer to categorize it under quirky and market research :)
So, beginning next week, I'll be sharing my YA love with you through three new features: YA Author Crush, YA Book Crush, and YA Site Crush. These won't be just any recommendations; only the things I truly rave about will make the cut.
Coincidentally enough, NPR is showing their own YA love this week with their Best-Ever Teen Novels poll. Several of my newest loves like Matched and the Gallagher Girls series made the list. While beloved favorites such as the Christy Miller Series and the Chronicles of Narnia were robbed. I'm trying to decide if I should start a petition.
Just kidding :)
What about you? What's your favorite YA? Did it make the list? Did you vote?
Update (8/7/2012): Voting is complete. You can view the Top 100 list here.
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