One Million Pageview Giveaway (Part II)!

So as promised, today kicks off PART II of the celebration here at Writability with yet another giveaway! And this time, it's for READERS.

That's right, today we're giving away seventeen books that'll go to sixteen winners! Some are e-books, some are signed paperbacks and many are available internationally, so there's a little something for everyone. :) 

As you may have guessed, this is another long post, so I'm just going to cut to the chase and start the giveaway of awesomeness.


Amy McNulty

Amy McNulty is a YA author whose debut novel, NOBODY’S GODDESS (Book 1 in THE NEVER
VEIL SERIES), releases in 2015 from Month9Books. She's also a daily streaming reviewer for Anime News Network and a freelance writer and editor.

However! Amy is actually giving away Melissa Giorgio's YA Paranormal THE SIGHT SEER (Kindle). 


"Gabi Harkins likes to think she’s a pretty normal sixteen-year-old. She goes to school, suffers though an awful part-time job, and deals with a bratty younger sister. But when a potential shoplifter morphs into a monster right in front of her, Gabi realizes her life is far from normal—especially when that monster follows her home and ends up battling a boy wielding a sword in her backyard. 
The boy, Rafe Fitzgerald, is a member of Silver Moon, an organization devoted to eradicating demons before they kill humans. If this little bit of news isn’t earth-shattering enough, Rafe reveals that he needs Gabi’s help. As strong as Rafe is, he does not possess
the Sight—a rare ability that allows a hunter to See through a demon’s glamour, enabling them to strike before the demon does. But guess who does? 
While Gabi is reluctant to face another demon, she knows she owes Rafe big time for saving her. Together, they’re thrown headfirst into heart-stopping situations as they battle newer and more frightening demons. When she starts to fall for Rafe, Gabi knows her normal life is gone forever." (Goodreads)

Vicki Leigh

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.

Vicki is an editor with Curiosity Quills Press and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency. You can find her at her website or on TwitterFacebookGoodreadsYouTubePinterestGoogle+, and Instagram.

Vicki is giving away a signed paperback (if in US) or e-book (if International) copy of her YA Paranormal debut CATCH ME WHEN I FALL!

"Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop. 
Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him. 
A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality." (Goodreads)

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Emma Adams

Emma spent her childhood creating imaginary worlds to compensate for a disappointingly average reality, so it was probably inevitable that she ended up writing bizarre, fantastical stories. She was born in Birmingham, UK, which she fled at the first opportunity to study English Literature at Lancaster University. In her three years at Lancaster, she hiked up mountains, skydived in Australia, and endured a traumatic episode involving a swarm of bees in the Costa Rican jungle. She also entertained her creative writing group and baffled her tutors by submitting strange fantasy tales featuring dragons and supernatural monsters to workshops. These included her first publication, a rather bleak dystopian piece, and a disturbing story about a homicidal duck (which she hopes will never see the light of day).

Now a reluctant graduate, Emma refuses to settle down and be normal. When not embarking on wild excursions, she edits and proofreads novels for various publishing houses and reads an insane number of books. At the age of 21, she signed a publishing contract with Curiosity Quills Press for the first book in her creepy urban fantasy Darkworld series. DARKNESS WATCHING was published in October 2013, the first in a five-book series. She also writes adult crossover urban fantasy and quirky novels for younger readers.

Emma is giving away an epub, mobi or PDF copy of her Upper YA Urban Fantasy DARKNESS WATCHING!
"Eighteen-year-old Ashlyn is one interview away from her future when she first sees the demons.  
She thinks she's losing her mind, but the truth is far more frightening: she can see into the Darkworld, the home of spirits– and the darkness is staring back.  
Desperate to escape the demons, Ash accepts a place at a university in the small town of Blackstone, in the middle of nowhere - little knowing that it isn't coincidence that led her there but the pull of the Venantium, the sorcerers who maintain the barrier keeping demons from crossing from the Darkworld into our own world.  
All-night parties, new friendships and a life without rules or limits are all part of the package of student life - but demons still stalk Ash, and their interest in her has attracted the attention of every sorcerer in the area. Ash is soon caught between her new life and a group of other students with a connection to the Darkworld, who could offer the answers she's looking for. The demons want something from her, and someone is determined to kill her before she can find out what it is.  
In a world where darkness lurks beneath the surface, not everyone is what they appear to be..." (Goodreads)

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Dahlia Adler

Dahlia Adler is an Assistant Editor of Mathematics by day, a Copy Editor by night, and an author The Daily DahliaYA Misfits, and Barnes & Noble, or on Twitter as @MissDahlELama.
and blogger of YA and NA at every spare moment in between. She lives in New York City with her husband and their overstuffed bookshelves, and she would really like a macaron right now. You can find her at

Dahlia is giving away a signed paperback of her Contemporary YA Romance BEHIND THE SCENES (US only)!
"High school senior Ally Duncan's best friend may be the Vanessa Park - star of TV's hottest new teen drama - but Ally's not interested in following in her BFF's Hollywood footsteps. In fact, the only thing Ally’s ever really wanted is to go to Columbia and study abroad in Paris. But when her father's mounting medical bills threaten to stop her dream in its tracks, Ally nabs a position as Van's on-set assistant to get the cash she needs. 
Spending the extra time with Van turns out to be fun, and getting to know her sexy co-star Liam is an added bonus. But when the actors’ publicist arranges for Van and Liam to “date” for the tabloids just after he and Ally share their first kiss, Ally will have to decide exactly what role she's capable of playing in their world of make believe. If she can't play by Hollywood's rules, she may lose her best friend, her dream future, and her first shot at love." (Goodreads)

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Charlie N. Holmberg

Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie N. Holmberg was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters who also
have boy names. In addition to writing fantasy novels, she is also a freelance editor. She graduated from BYU, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and hopes to one day own a dog. She currently lives with her family in Utah.

Charlie is giving away a signed paperback copy of her YA/crossover Fantasy THE PAPER MAGICIAN with a bookmark (US only)!

"Ceony Twill arrives at the cottage of Magician Emery Thane with a broken heart. Having graduated at the top of her class from the Tagis Praff School for the Magically Inclined, Ceony is assigned an apprenticeship in paper magic despite her dreams of bespelling metal. And once she’s bonded to paper, that will be her only magic…forever. 
Yet the spells Ceony learns under the strange yet kind Thane turn out to be more marvelous than she could have ever imagined—animating paper creatures, bringing stories to life via ghostly images, even reading fortunes. But as she discovers these wonders, Ceony also learns of the extraordinary dangers of forbidden magic. 
An Excisioner—a practitioner of dark, flesh magic—invades the cottage and rips Thane’s heart from his chest. To save her teacher’s life, Ceony must face the evil magician and embark on an unbelievable adventure that will take her into the chambers of Thane’s still-beating heart—and reveal the very soul of the man." (Goodreads)
Ann M. Noser

Growing up an only child, I learned to entertain myself. During summer vacations, my greatest form of exercise consisted of turning the pages of a book. Now I’m all grown up, and full of stories half-written in my head. I have to write them down so I can find out what happens next.

Ann is giving away TWO e-copies of her NA Urban Fantasy novel HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS!
"When Mike drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters. Haunted by nightmares, she turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, Emma lights candles, draws a pentacle, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her. As she escapes, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. Instead of raising Mike, Emma uses witchcraft to assist other victims stolen back from death. But her powers may not protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims." (Goodreads
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Rebecca Paula

It began with a boy who survived a plane crash in the wilderness.
I discovered my love of writing during a fifth grade writing assignment for Hatchet. After that, I knew I wanted to be a writer.

Always the hopeless romantic, I write late Victorian and Edwardian historical romances as well as contemporary New Adult romances.

I am a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), as well as the New Hampshire chapter (NHRWA) and the New England chapter (NECRWA). I contribute regularly to the Modern Belles of History blog, a site dedicated to writing, reading, and researching 20th century women’s historical fiction.

When I’m not writing, I’m most likely reading or daydreaming about my next travel adventure. I live in New Hampshire with my husband and our cat, Bella.

Becka is giving away an e-book copy of her NA Romance EVERLY AFTER (International)!

"All truths burn bright and clear. I’m still waiting in the dark. 
Everly Monteith has traded her life of glitter, parties, and self-destruction for waitressing at a Parisian cafĂ©. She’s put the tragedy that sent her across the Atlantic in the past—until her toxic ex shows up and sends her reeling once more. Her fresh start begins slipping away until a smug British war correspondent crashes her party. But falling for Beckett means letting down her guard, something that might pull them both into the dark. 
There are beautiful lies in this world, and it takes me being chased through a hallway at a rave to decide this girl is one of them. But even the most beautiful lies aren’t worth chasing. 
Twenty-five-year-old Beckett Reid is forced into sabbatical after being kidnapped on assignment in Afghanistan. Back in Paris, he locks himself away to work on a novel, focused on saving his budding journalism career. But when he meets an enigmatic American heiress, his plans are quickly neglected. Everly is the perfect replacement for dangerous war zones, even if she does leave glitter on everything he owns. Reckless and wild, she runs through life making more mistakes than anyone he’s met, but Beckett is determined to fight for her, even if he must face the messy truth that he must fight for himself first." (Goodreads
Jennifer Blackwood

Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and New Adult author. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s binging on Veronica Mars episodes and white cheddar popcorn. Her debut novel, UNETHICAL, is out now from Entangled Embrace.

Website: www.jenniferblackwood.com
Twitter: @jen_blackwood
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferBlackwood

Jennifer is giving away an e-book copy of her NA debut UNETHICAL (International)!
"Two years ago, the medical world was shaken by scandal, and Payton Daniels's family was at the center of it. The second she graduated, Payton left everything behind―her high school sweetheart, her family, and the controversy surrounding her mother's death—and hid within the anonymity of college. But Payton’s ex, Blake Hiller, hasn't forgiven her for leaving, and when he enrolls in the same medical ethics class, she panics. She can’t run the risk of him telling everyone who she really is.  
As if being at the same university isn’t enough, both Blake and Payton land the same internship. Forced together, their passion for each other reignites, but when Payton is asked to testify in her father’s high-profile trial, she must choose between risking her acceptance into medical school to help her father, and losing every connection to her past—including the only guy she’s ever loved." (Goodreads)
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K.K. Hendin

KK Hendin's real life ambition is to become a pink fluffy unicorn who dances with rainbows. But the schooling for that is all sorts of complicated, so until that gets sorted out, she'll just write. Preferably things with angst and love. And things that require chocolate. 

She's the author of NA contemporaries HEART BREATHS, ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG, and the TWELVE BEATS IN A BAR series. She spends way too much time on Twitter, and rambles on occasion over at www.kkhendinwrites.blogspot.com.

KK is giving away a paperback (if in US) or e-book (if International) copy of her NA Contemporary Romance COME BACK TO TEXAS!
"Hayley and Nate had the perfect love story before life crashed through it. Now, three years, one deployment, and a few YouTube videos later, everything's about to change." (Goodreads)

Cait Spivey

Cait Spivey is a speculative fiction writer, author of the paranormal novella series, "The Web." In projects, she is a freelance editor, on staff for Curiosity Quills Press and REUTS Publications, as well as a managing member of Bear and Black Dog Editing, LLC. She is currently assistant to Saritza Hernandez of Corvisiero Literary Agency, and a lover of all things Whovian, Whedonite, Austenian, and chocolate.
addition to working on these and many other

Cait is giving away e-book copies of her Paranormal novellas I SEE THE WEB and A SINGLE THREAD (International)!

I SEE THE WEB:
"Seventeen-year-old Erin has a lot to look forward to, even if it suddenly seems like everywhere she turns there’s a spider staring at her. She’s finally out to her friends and family, surprising exactly no one. When Dawn, the love of her tender teenage dreams, corners her in the library, a whole new world opens up to Erin. From here on out, it’s all make-out sessions with her beautiful girlfriend in rooms stacked high with books.
Until the spiders start whispering. 
Turns out the spiders aren't just stalking her for kicks. They need her to be their voice, their vessel, whatever that means. But their timing is crap, because there's no way Erin is giving up her human life just when things are starting to get amazing. Too bad the spiders just won't quit. Like it or not, Erin will have to choose, and it won't be nearly as easy as she thinks." (Goodreads
A SINGLE THREAD:
"It’s been two weeks since Morgan Fletcher’s little sister, Erin, disappeared before his eyes in a flurry of spidersilk and blood. Probability says she’s dead; but when Erin comes to him in a dream, Morgan’s eyes are opened to a level of reality where probability doesn’t mean jack. His sister sees the web of time, and she’s got news for him: trouble is coming. 
A cryptic riddle and flashing images of the future are all Morgan has to go on in order to save a mystery boy from a gruesome death. That’s if he even believes what’s happened to Erin. Is her spider-whisperer persona for real, or has his grief at losing her caused him to totally crack? 
With a life at stake, Morgan isn’t taking any chances. Madness or no madness, he has to solve Erin’s riddle before it’s too late." (Goodreads)

Iain Broome

Iain Broome is the author of the novel, A is for Angelica. He grew up in a small town in Derbyshire
and lives in Sheffield with his wife and identical twin boys. A graduate of Sheffield Hallam's MA Writing programme, Iain has edited literary magazines, co-run a successful monthly spoken word event and currently maintains a popular website and podcast about writing, reading and publishing.

Iain is giving away a signed paperback of his Literary/Contemporary novel A IS FOR ANGELICA (International!). 
"Gordon Kingdom struggles with the fate of his seriously-ill wife while patiently observing and methodically recording the lives of those around him: his neighbours. He has files on them all, including Don Donald (best friend and petty thief), Annie Carnaffan (lives next door, throws footballs over the fence), and Benny (the boy who paints with his eyes closed). 
Then there's Angelica, the new girl (42) on the street, with her multi-coloured toenails and her filthy temper. It's when she arrives that Gordon's world of half-truths really begins to unravel. Faced with a series of unexpected events and a faltering conscience, he's left with an impossible decision. 
Because in the banality of everyday life, what would you do if the unthinkable happened?" (Goodreads)
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Michelle Hauck

Michelle Hauck lives in the bustling metropolis of northern Indiana with her hubby and two teenagers. Besides working with special needs children by day, she writes all sorts of fantasy, giving her imagination free range. She is a co-host of the yearly query contests Query Kombat, Nightmare on Query Street, New Agent, PitchSlam, and Sun versus Snow. Her epic fantasy, Kindar's Cure, was published by Divertir Publishing. She’s represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary.

Michelle is giving away a paperback (if in US) or e-book (if International) copy of her High Fantasy debut, KINDAR'S CURE!

"Princess Kindar of Anost dreams of playing the hero and succeeding to her mother’s throne. But dreams are for fools. Reality involves two healthy sisters and a wasting disease of suffocating cough that’s killing her by inches. When her elder sister is murdered, the blame falls on Kindar, putting her head on the chopping block. 
No one who survives eighteen years of choke lung lacks determination. A novice wizard, Maladonis Bin, approaches with a vision—a cure in a barren land of volcanic fumes. As choices go, a charming bootlicker that trips over his own feet isn’t the best option, but beggars can’t be choosers. Kindar escapes with Mal and several longtime attendants only to have her eyes opened that her country faces dark times.  
Her mother’s decision to close the prosperous mines spurs poverty and joblessness, inciting rebellion and opening Anost to foreign invasion. As Mal urges her toward a cure that will prove his visions, suddenly, an ally turns traitor, delivering Kindar to a rebel army, who have their own plans for a sickly princess. 
With the killer poised to strike again, the rebels bearing down, and the country falling apart, she must weigh her personal hunt for a cure against saving her people." (Goodreads)
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Rachel Lacey

Rachel Lacey lives in North Carolina, with her husband, son, and their own rescued pup. She
volunteers her spare time with Carolina Boxer Rescue and truly has a passion for helping our furry friends. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America as well as her local Heart of Carolina RWA chapter.

Rachel is giving away a signed paperback (if in US) or e-book (if International) copy of her Contemporary Romance UNLEASHED!
"Cara Medlen has a serious case of animal attraction. And it's not because of all the foster dogs she's rescued. She's got it bad for her incredibly sexy neighbor. Her one rule: Don't get attached. It's served her well with the dogs she's given to good homes and the children she's nannied. Yet the temptation of Matt's sexy smile might just convince her that some rules are made to be broken. 
Matt Dumont doesn't need his skills as a private investigator to detect disaster on the horizon. Cara is everything he thought he'd never find-gorgeous, funny, and caring. But there's no way he can start a relationship just as he's about to move to another state. Talk about bad timing. As their attraction sizzles too hot to deny, they'll have to make a decision: forget the consequences and let loose, or forget each other and let go..." (Goodreads)
Finally! I don't have a book of mine available to give you guys, so I've decided to give away three excellent NA novels that I really enjoyed reading.

First up, an e-copy of Sarah Harian's NA Sci-Fi THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE (International)!
"Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice. 
If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent. 
Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random. 
She doesn’t plan on making friends. 
She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either." (Goodreads

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Second, an e-copy of Ashley Poston's super adorable NA Contemporary Romance THE SOUND OF US (International)!
"America's favorite pop band, Roman Holiday, is done, dead, and so totally last year. For eighteen-year-old rockoholic Junie Baltimore, this is music to her ears. But when she discovers their sexy ex-lead singer hiding out on the boardwalk, her summer vacation becomes the cover story of the year. 
She's willing to keep him a secret, but when a sleazy paparazzo offers her the cash she needs to save the bar her father left behind, could she sell out for the chance to save her future? Who is she kidding? That's a no-brainer...but she never planned on falling head over heels for the lead singer." (Goodreads)


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And last, but certainly not least, an e-copy of Megan Erickson's NA Contemporary Romance debut MAKE IT COUNT (International)!
"Kat Caruso wishes her brain had a return policy, or at least a complaint hot-line. The defective organ is constantly distracted, terrible at statistics, and absolutely flooded with inappropriate thoughts about her boyfriend’s gorgeous best friend, Alec…who just so happens to be her brand new math tutor. Who knew nerd was so hot? 
Kat usually goes through tutors like she does boyfriends—both always seem to bail when they realize how hopeless she is. It’s safer for her heart to keep everyone at arm’s reach. But Alec is always stepping just a little too close. 
Alec Stone should not be fantasizing about Kat. She’s adorable, unbelievably witty, and completely off limits. He’d never stab his best friend in the back… 
But when secrets are revealed, the lines of loyalty are blurred. To make it count, Alec must learn messy human emotions can’t be solved like a trigonometry function. And Kat has to trust Alec may be the first guy to want her for who she is, and not in spite of it." (Goodreads)

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So that's it! Go forth an enter away! And thank you all for your super incredible support! 

Vlog: How to Survive NaNoWriMo Week 2

It's week TWO of NaNoWriMo! And I've got some tips to help you get one week closer to your NaNo goal of awesomeness. :)


RELATED VLOGS: 

Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? 

Twitter-sized bite: 
It's NaNoWriMo week 2 & @Ava_Jae has some tips to help you get one week closer to your goal! (Click to tweet)

One Million Pageview Giveaway (Part I)!

So some of you may have seen on last week's post (and Twitter and Facebook before that) that Writability has officially reached 1,000,000 pageviews! Which is SO EXCITING.

Really guys, this is such a hugenormous milestone and I can't begin to tell you how happy and grateful I am to all of you, because it wouldn't have happened without your wonderful support.

And so I want to give back. With the biggest giveaway Writability has ever had.

In fact, this giveaway is SO big that I had to split it into TWO giveaways! And today is part one.

Today's giveaway is for WRITERS, because Giveaway Part I is allll about the critiques. We've got everything from a query critique to a full manuscript critique up for grabs (fifteen critiques for fifteen winners in all!), so make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom (hint: the largest critiques are at the bottom of the page)!

(NOTE: Part II which is for READERS (aka: win ALL THE BOOKS) is now live!)

Jennifer Blackwood

Jennifer Blackwood is an English teacher and New Adult author. Blackwood has been an editorial intern for two publishers and has mentored writers in Pitch Wars. She lives in Oregon with her husband, son, and poorly behaved black lab puppy. When she isn’t writing, teaching, or editing, she’s binging on Veronica Mars episodes and white cheddar popcorn. Her debut novel, UNETHICAL, is out now with Entangled Embrace.
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Vicki Leigh

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.

Vicki is an editor with Curiosity Quills Press and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency. You can find her at her website or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, YouTube, Pinterest, Google+, and Instagram.
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Riki Cleveland

Riki has a long-standing love affair with all things books and writing. She indulged her love for all things literary with a degree in English Literature from Arizona State University and is currently studying at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.

Riki is an intern with Entangled Publishing and a member of SCBWI. She authors the blog Refreshingly Riki where the discussion is lively and no book goes unloved. She is the first-place recipient of the Arizona Authors Association Literary Contest and has been published on the virtual pages of MySportsArena.com and the actual print pages of the State Press. You can visit her at http://missriki.com and follow her on Twitter (@missriki).
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Rae Chang

Rae Chang is an author, freelance editor, and assistant to @BrendaDrake, the author of LIBRARY JUMPERS. When she's not doing all of that, she's a composer, food blogger, nerd, cooking instructor, youth mentor, and school speaker.
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KT Hanna


K.T. Hanna is an Australian expat who lives in Kansas (long story), with her husband, baby girl, two corgis and a cat.

She’s a binge writer, who edits ruthlessly. Dictionaries are her nemesis as singular words inspire plot bunnies for science fiction, fantasy and horror in the MG, YA and adult categories.

She is represented by Bree Ogden of D4EOLiterary Agency.
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Cait Spivey

Cait Spivey is a speculative fiction writer, author of the paranormal novella series, "The Web." In addition to working on these and many other projects, she is a freelance editor, on staff for Curiosity Quills Press and REUTS Publications, as well as a managing member of Bear and Black Dog Editing, LLC. She is currently assistant to Saritza Hernandez of Corvisiero Literary Agency, and a lover of all things Whovian, Whedonite, Austenian, and chocolate.
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Kate Brauning

Kate is an author of young adult fiction. She earned her B.A. in English literature, then went on to teach high school English, and intern with a publishing house and a literary agency. She now edits adult and YA fiction for Entangled Publishing. She’s represented by Carlie Webber of CK Webber Associates, with her debut YA suspense HOW WE FALL releasing November 2014 from Merit Press, F+W Media. Kate loves high concept suspense, speculative or contemporary, and fresh, quirky contemporary stories. Diversity, messy relationships, and clever, voicey writing will catch her eye. Regardless of genre, she loves fast-paced character-driven stories that make her think and carry her into the pages. She can be found on Twitter at @KateBrauning or on her website at www.katebrauning.com.

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Ava Jae (me!)

Ava Jae is a YA and NA writer, an Assistant Editor at Entangled Publishing, and is represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency. Her YA Sci-Fi debut, BEYOND THE RED, is releasing March 2016 from Sky Pony Press. When she’s not writing about kissing, superpowers, explosions, and aliens, you can find her with her nose buried in a book, nerding out over the latest X-Men news, or hanging out on her blog, Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, Goodreads, or YouTube channel.
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Kisa Whipkey

Kisa Whipkey is a dark fantasy author, a martial arts demo team expert, and a complete sucker for Cadbury Mini-eggs. She's also the Editorial Director for YA/NA publisher, REUTS Publications. She developed a passion for storytelling at a young age and has pursued that love through animation, writing, video game design, and demo teams, until finally finding her home in editing. She believes in good storytelling, regardless of medium, and applauds anything featuring a snarky lead character, a complicated narrative structure, and brilliant/uncommon analogies. Currently, she lives in the soggy Pacific Northwest with her husband and plethora of electronics.

Her personal blog -- featuring sarcastic commentary on all things storytelling -- is located at www.kisawhipkey.com. Or connect with her via Twitter: @kisawhipkey. And, of course, to learn more about REUTS Publications, please visit www.reuts.com.
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Naomi Hughes

Naomi is a freelance editor with a passion for potential, and loves to help make stories into the best possible versions of themselves. She has served as a mentor in several online writing/pitching contests over the last few years, including Pitch Wars, Query Kombat, and Nightmare on Query Street. She writes quirky kidlit (mostly about unicorn riders) and is agented by Louise Fury of the Bent Agency. She's also an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing.
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Nicole Tone

Nicole is a MFA in Creative Writing student at Chatham University and an Editorial Intern with REUTS Publications. She currently lives in Chandler, Arizona, where she tries to find time to enjoy sunshine everyday when she's not writing, working, or running off to Seattle. 
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How to Build an Online Platform: Blogging

Photo credit: Magnet 4 Marketing dot Net on Flickr
So way back in July I started this how to build an online platform series (focusing on Twitter) then sort of left you guys hanging? My bad. The series is back!

Today’s focus is the blog! Because I just hit a special milestone (*EHEM* so maybe check out Writability next week? JUST SAYING). So yay!
Blogger birthday: May 2011 (3.5 years, as of this writing). 
Followers/subscribers: Roughly 1.1k (according to feedburner, as of this writing). 
Total pageviews: +1,000,000!!! *squee* 
Time spent weekly: Roughly 3-4 hours ish.

Tips: 

  • Post consistently. So in three and a half years, I’ve yet to miss a post. I’m not saying this to be braggy, I’m saying this because posting consistently? It’s important if you want to build a blog following.

    I’ve already written a whole post about why posting consistently is so important, so I’m not going to get into the nitty gritty again. But the main benefit to bloggers is by posting consistently, you’re allowing your readers to get into the habit of checking/visiting your blog on a regular basis. Whether that’s weekly, bi-weekly, several times a week or monthly is up to you, but no matter what, consistency is key. 

  • Figure out what you want your blog to be about early on and stay within that realm. While having a blog where you post about anything and everything under the sun can be fun, it's much harder to find an audience if you don't pinpoint a particular interest to target. 

  • Ask a question after your posts to encourage discussion. Case in point: 95% of my blog posts. :) 

  • Answer your comments. You won’t always get comments. In fact, there will often be long stretches where you barely get any comments at all. (FWIW, this is something that STILL happens to me, three and a half years later). But when you do get comments, I think it’s really important for bloggers to make a point of answering them. Yes, all of them. (Or nearly all of them, at least).

    Why? To me, it’s common courtesy—your readers have taken the time to read your post and respond in some way, and by answering their comments, you’re telling them you appreciate their time and reciprocated with their own. I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that on the posts where I answer comments quickly, I tend to get more comments—readers like to see that the blogger is taking the time to interact with the community.

    As an added bonus, I’ve had some really awesome discussions happen in the comments of my posts—and those would’nt have happened if I hadn’t answered the comments to begin with. 

  • Share your posts elsewhere. I habitually share every one of my blog posts on Twitter, tumblr and Facebook, because that’s where I’m most active. Pinterest is another good one, but I’m not very consistent with Pinterest so I tend to let other awesome people pin my stuff for me. (People are nice).

    But basically, if you’re on a social media site that allows for link or text sharing, then I highly recommend you take the time to share your posts. Just don’t get spammy about it (as in, posting about it twelve times in the same day). 

  • Make it easy for others to share. As in those lovely Twitter-sized bites below (directions on how to create those here). Or the sharing buttons below that. But the point is, the easier you make it for people to share, the more likely they are to do it. 

  • Comment on other people’s blogs (especially at first). This is something, that sadly, I haven’t had very much time for as of late. But at the beginning, one of the number one ways I found new blogs, connected with other bloggers, and found new readers was by commenting on blogs with topics similar to mine. This is especially helpful at first when you don’t have a lot of readers and you want to find people with similar interests, but one caveat: do NOT include a link to your blog at the bottom of your comment. That’s considered spammy and kind of rude. Instead, people will find your blog by clicking your name (because you usually have to include a link to your website (aka: your blog) in order to leave a comment). 

  • It’s okay to stop. Thankfully, this isn’t something I’ve had to (or wanted to) do. I love running Writability, and even though it’s time consuming, it’s something that I intend to continue to do for as long as I can.

    But that being said, if you’re a blogger and you find that you’re no longer enjoying it, or it’s taking way too much time and becoming a burden, then it’s okay to stop. Really. The last thing you want is to dread writing your posts, because then it’ll become an emotional drain and quite frankly, your readers will likely notice. 

Do you run a blog? What tips do you have for new (or even established!) bloggers? 

Twitter-sized bites: 
Looking to build a blogging platform? @Ava_Jae shares her experience and a few tips. (Click to tweet
"Consistency is key," and other blogger platform building tips from @Ava_Jae. (Click to tweet)

The New Adult Speculative Fiction Landscape

I've got a super special post for you guys, today! My CP and New Adult author of awesome, Caitlin Sinead, has agreed not only to share the super awesome cover reveal of her debut NA novel HEARTSICK, but she's sharing some super interesting thoughts on NA Spec Fic as well!

Take it away, Caitlin! 

When I began writing HEARTSICK in the late spring of 2013, the New Adult landscape was still shifting (as it is now!) and it wasn’t clear if speculative stories would work well in the category. But I was optimistic. I loved the idea of writing YA-style speculative stories with older characters and more mature themes.  So I was going to write it, gosh darn it!

When I began querying HEARTSICK in the fall, I got much more pushback on Quinn’s age (from agents who didn’t feel comfortable pitching New Adult but didn’t think the book fit well within the adult category either) than I did on the speculative elements. And when I did get an agent and we went out on submission, only one editor flatly turned it down because it wasn’t a pure (i.e., non speculative) contemporary romance.

Meanwhile, more and more speculative NA has been surfacing and doing well. To the point that NA Alley recently wrote a blog post entitled “New Adult Speculative Fiction is here to Stay.”  However, I find it interesting that they don’t necessarily see the current NA audience as being receptive to speculative NA. Instead, they mention that, “readers of speculative fiction are already out there, and most of them don't realize that New Adult can satisfy their fantastical cravings as well.” The blog goes on to add, “it’s not about pushing spec fic on readers who love contemporary, it’s about targeting our own readers.”

I agree with the idea that there may be a large audience out there just ready for NA speculative. But have we, as a writing/publishing community, actually reached them? Is the common perception that much of NA is contemporary romance inaccurate?

I dug into the stats on Amazon to see if I could find some answers and had way too much fun playing in excel with graphs. I won’t bore you with all of my graphical creations, but I thought the comparison between YA and NA and general fiction might be interesting.


Now, before I get into my analysis *cleans glasses while pausing to look intelligent,* it’s important to note multiple caveats:

  • Before you say, “Caitlin, those percentages don’t add up,” let me explain. I searched for ALL the “Young Adult” books on amazon. ALL of them! Then, I searched for ALL the “Young Adult Paranormal.” I then used that to get the percentage of YA books that are tagged as YA paranormal. 
  • “Contemporary romance” doesn’t preclude speculative elements. HEARTSICK has the “contemporary romance” label. And that’s great! 
  • I’m a little dubious that only 12% of NAs are contemporary romance, so this likely gets into issues of how things are tagged.
  • To get the general numbers, I based them against a search for “fiction.” (When I tried searching for “adult” books a lot of NSFW stuff came up…heh). So, I think this worked! But, I suppose it’s possible a lot of fiction isn’t ever tagged with the generic “fiction.” 

Still, even with all those caveats I think this data gives us an idea of what currently makes up NA, and it’s still very heavily leaning to contemporary romance with paranormal books being the only speculative books in the category with more representation than YA and general fiction.

The scenario gets even less optimistic for popular New Adult books. When I checked last week, in the top 100 Romance > New Adult and College there were only eight speculative books. In the top 100 Women’s Fiction > New Adult and College there were only two. Two! None of these were in the top 20. (It’s important to note that Amazon also has a Fantasy > New Adult and College category as well, where, obviously, 100 percent at speculative. They do not have an NA category under Science Fiction).

So, has that NA speculative audience really been found? As an optimist, I believe they’re out there, but we’ve only really pierced the surface. Perhaps, right now, we’re seeing the dark blue part of the venn diagram (I told you I had fun with charts!) below. Those readers who love NA contemporary romances AND also speculative fiction. And that dark blue area has been encouraging and fueling the NA speculative stories. Now we just need to figure out how to get to the rest of the “speculative readers” circle. Hopefully, with each NA speculative release, we reach even more readers.

Completely Made-Up Venn Diagram


Wasn't that great? I love the venn diagrams and I think Caitlin's perspective on New Adult SpecFic is totally fascinating. But the fun isn't over yet because as I said before, Caitlin has been gracious enough not only to share the blurb and an excerpt from HEARTSICK, but we're revealing the cover, too! Woot! 

Here we go: 

Blurb: 
Quinn is looking forward to her senior year. She has big plans to hang out with her best friend Mandy, flirt with cute boy-genius Rashid, party at her favorite dive bar, and figure out what she’s going to do after graduation with her not-so-useful art major degree.  But that is before she meets Luke, a hot townie who moves back home to help take care of his dying sister. And it is before the weird epidemic that starts sweeping campus in which people’s eyes mysteriously turn purple.  Is it an odd side effect from a new party drug? Is it a rogue bacteria that was developed in a campus lab? Whatever it is, tensions are heating up as the town starts blaming the university, and the student religious group is convinced that it’s the mark of the devil. Quinn and Luke are caught in the middle, especially when Quinn learns that Luke isn’t just a happy-go-lucky, redneck boy-next-door—he is a detective—a fact that triggers Quinn’s phobia of guns and memories of her deceased uncle.  In spite of herself and her desire to remain unattached and independent, Quinn finds herself falling for him.  But when town and gown relations heat up even further, and Quinn’s friend Danny mysteriously falls to his death, Quinn vows to discover the truth behind the epidemic.  As she searches for the people responsible, she realizes that sometimes to gain your independence, you have to be willing to give a little bit of it up.
Excerpt: 

“Did you go to college?”  
His jaw is tight. “Yes.” 
“Do you think I could guess your major?” I ask.  
“Probably not,” he says. 
I don’t like that I don’t even get a hint at what he did before or what he studied. I shrug, start on my second hotdog and then lean back, really aiming for a glint in my eye, if that’s possible to control. I’ll make this a game. “Well, do you think you can guess mine?” 
He smiles. “Do I get something if I guess right?” 
I hop up onto a stool and let the tip of my toe brush against his knee. When I make contact, he starts, before leaning in. “What do you want?” 
“I want a lot of things…” He stares at me. “But for now, I’d settle for a second date.” 
“Okay, if you can guess my major, on the first try—” I emphasize that bit with a pointed finger, “—then I’ll reluctantly agree to go out with you again.” 
“I don’t like the reluctant part, but I’ll take what I can get. Now, let’s see…” He rubs his chin as though he’s an old-timey detective. He’s ready to pace back and forth across the room with a pipe and a deerstalker hat. “You like photography.” 
Shit, he does know that. I start to hum the Jeopardy! theme song. Maybe if time is running out he’ll be more likely to guess quickly and get it wrong? Do I want him to get it wrong? 
“Okay, I got it.” He rubs his hands together. “You’re an art major.” His cheeks swell with the weight of his smile.  
“You got that just because I take pictures?” I rub my forehead.  
“I know more than that.” 
“Someone told you,” I say. “If this bet was rigged, it doesn’t count.” 
He jerks back and shakes his head, frowning. “No, I wouldn’t do that,” he says. “I noticed you had some pottery on your coffee table, with initials on it, a Q. B.?” 
I nod. He’s talking about the bowl I made last year. Initials usually go on the bottom, but I painted them big and proud in the middle. And the bowl is empty. Mandy and I haven’t decided what to put in it. We narrowed it down to fake fruit (lame), M&M’S (which we would devour) or Micro Machines. Clearly, we’re leaning toward Micro Machines. 
Luke takes my hand. I think he’s trying to convey his earnestness, his respectability and seriousness of not tricking me into a bet. The pads of my fingers brush against his rough palms and I suppress a sigh. His thumb runs along my pointer finger, sliding to the fingernail. “You also have paint under your nails.” His victorious, smug smile is in full bloom.  
I pull my hand away, embarrassed. “Yeah, it’s hard to get all the paint off.” 
“I’m sure,” he says.

And here's the gorgeous cover!


I love this cover and as someone who has read the book, I can tell you the book is just as excellent (and also the cover fits so well aggghhh). 

You can add HEARTSICK to your Goodreads TBR shelves right here!

And here are the other links: 
Caitlin Sinead is represented by Andrea Somberg at Harvey Klinger, Inc. and her debut novel, Heartsick, will be published by Carina Press in 2015. Her writing has earned accolades from Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery MagazineGlimmer Train, and Writers & Artists, and her stories have appeared in multiple publications, including The AlarmistThe Binnacle, CrunchableJersey Devil Pressand Northern Virginia Magazine. She earned a master's degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University.

Twitter-sized bites: 
Check out the cover reveal for @CaitlinSineadJ's debut HEARTSICK + her thoughts on NA SpecFic on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)  
Have we found the NA SpecFic audience? @CaitlinSineadJ shares her thoughts + her debut's cover reveal! (Click to tweet

Vlog: How to Survive NaNoWriMo Week 1

It's the first week of NaNoWriMo and if you're participating, you might be having some FEELS. But not to worry, I'm sharing some thoughts on how to survive the first week.



RELATED LINK:


Are you participating in NaNoWriMo this year? 

Also, there are EXCITING THINGS coming to Writability veryyyy soon! Keep an eye out! :)

Twitter-sized bite: 
Are you NaNoWriMo-ing? @Ava_Jae shares some thoughts on how to survive NaNoWriMo week 1. (Click to tweet)

10 Promises to Myself (as a Writer)

Photo credit: Send me adrift. on Flickr
  1. I will treat my writing like a job (because even long before I get my first paycheck, it is). 
  2. I will act like a professional online, while speaking to those in the publishing industry, and whenever I’m in a space as a writer. 
  3. I will read. In my genre and category, out of my genre and category, debut authors, new (to me) authors, authors whose every book I’ve read, books with nice covers, books with ugly covers and most importantly, I will never ever be ashamed of anything I enjoyed reading. 
  4. I will always push myself and strive to improve my writing. 
  5. I will consider all feedback I get on my writing before deciding whether or not to make suggested changes. 
  6. I will veg out and not write when I need a break (and I won’t feel guilty about it). 
  7. I will say no to friends and family when I need time to write (and I won't feel guilty about it).
  8. I will write horrible first drafts (and be proud of them). 
  9. I will be patient. With myself. With others. With the very slow process that is publishing. 
  10. I will listen to my beta readers, my critique partners, my agent, my editor, and anyone else working on my book, and I will remember they want what’s best for my book and me. I will also remember they have a perspective I can’t have on my own, and their opinions are valid even when I disagree.

What writing-related promises have you (or will you) make to yourself?

Twitter-sized bite: 
.@Ava_Jae shares 10 writing-related promises she's made to herself. What writing promises do you keep yourself to? (Click to tweet)
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