My First Time...

Today, I’ll be attending the Wisconsin RWA conference. This is my first event, and it’s with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I’m going. Oh, and did I mention this will be my first book signing for Until Darkness Comes and my first agent pitch? Lots of firsts, and I guess that’s okay, someone’s gotta be the newbie, right? I’m not sure what to expect but maybe it’s better that way.

I look at where I am, where I was, and where I still need to go on my literary journey of success, and I’m reminded that we’re all at different places in our lives, and in our careers. I guess the most important thing is to enjoy the ride. J

I've been slaving over my Bonded in Exile pitch. I think in the last 2 days I've rewritten it at least twenty times. I decided to post it today, and would love your feedback. Here goes:

Bonded in Exile is a 143,000 word paranormal romance, about an exiled angel who accidentally becomes bloodbonded to his enemy, a female Nephilim. Silas must decide if saving her is worth risking his eternal life, because Emily is either his road to salvation, or the catalyst to unleashing hell on earth.

Emily has no idea what, or who, she really is and discovers her entire life had been nothing but a lie.

Silas wants nothing more then to go home to his world, and has been exiled to earth with his legion, hunting the wicked Nephilim for centuries. One is left, and she holds the power to send them home.

But not all the angels want go back, dissension is brewing, and a mutiny is inevitable. Silas has no choice but to bring the Nephilim under his protection to prevent her from falling into enemy hands. He struggles against his growing attraction to Emily that's getting stronger by the day. Emily's heart starts to soften toward the angel who makes her feel alive in ways she never imagined. She wants to help Silas and stop the evil threatening to take over the world, but in doing so, she'll be required to make the ultimate sacrifice and give up the angel who's captured her heart.

Have a great day! Wish me luck!!

Melynda Price

Celebrating the Release of Until Darkness Comes

                                                 Available April 1, 2012 from 5 Prince Publishing

A guardian angel… A forbidden love… Eternal consequences… 

    Olivia Norton was born with a gift—a gift heaven has sworn to protect, and hell is bound to destroy. Her perfect world is turned upside-down when two handsome strangers, Max and Liam, step into her life. Olivia soon discovers that her ‘Mr. Perfect’ is actually a perfect nightmare.

    The rules of engagement have changed and Liam, Olivia’s guardian angel, is forced to cross dimensional borders, or risk losing the woman he’s sworn to protect. Suddenly, thrust into a world unlike anything he’s never known, Liam isn’t prepared to come face to face with the young woman whose life he holds in his hands.

    But nothing is as it seems, and secrets abound that will ultimately force him to choose between two impossibilities. Max will stop at nothing to finish what he’s started, and Olivia is soon plunged into a battle between good and evil. Her very life hangs in the balance as two forces fight to win her heart.

I'm pleased to announce the upcoming release of my novel, Until Darkness Comes. This is the first book in my four-part Redemption series, and was written to appeal to readers that enjoy series such as Twilight, Hush, Hush, and Wicked Lovely. An excerpt is available on my website.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Melynda Price

What's Hot and What's Not

                    

I read a book a while ago by Donald Mass called "Writing The Breakout Novel". It was a great book with fantastic information, but he said something in it that surprised and really stuck with me. He said, (not verbatim) that it isn't marketing that makes a book a bestseller, it's word of mouth. I've often pondered this statement and, in a way, I can see how he's right. It appears certain books have won the lottery of popularity and become what seems like an overnight sensation. Are they good books? Absolutely. The best books I've ever read? No. For every hot, best seller, I can think of 4 others that are just as good but never got the notoriety they deserved. So what makes these books such a success?

Take the Twilight phenomenon. The book was published by a small publishing company and it was Stephanie Meyer's first book she'd ever written. She had a literary agent who sold her book to Little Brown.

Compare that book to the Shack. This book was also swept up in the fantastic read spot light. Millions of copies sold and this book was originally self-published.

Compare that to the newest and hottest read, everyone I know is toting a copy (my two kids each have their own so they wouldn't have to share), The Hunger Games. This book was published by a larger company, Scholastic Press.

Each of these books are vastly different than the other, from genre to publishing company. In fact, the only thing similar about them is the that they're over-whelmingly popular.

So what does this tell me? Two things: First, write a great book. Second, getting your novel swept up in the gotta-read-it frenzy is part luck, and just like Donald Mass says, word of mouth. So I guess there's hope for us all :)

I'd love to hear your thoughts on what it takes to write a national bestseller.

Have a great Saturday!

Melynda Price

It Only Takes One Yes!

                    

"It only takes one yes." This is the advice a fellow writer and good friend of mine told me once, and she's right. It does only take one "yes" to make your dreams come true. But its finding that "yes" that's the challenge sometimes. I enjoy hearing stories from other authors sharing how they got their big break, but as much as I enjoy hearing of their success, I just as much enjoy hearing about their failures. No, I'm not cruel and sadistic, although misery does love company, but I believe there is a lot to be learned in those rejections.

Rejection teaches us patience, and perseverance, while developing growth and character. It's easy to quit, easy to give up, but it takes strength and courage to repeatedly put yourself out there, hoping to catch that one "yes". You pray that your work will find its way into the right hands, of the right literary agent or publisher, who's in the right mood, at the right time.

It's taken me almost a year to find the right home for my novel, Until Darkness Comes, tentatively scheduled for release March 21, 2012. To the published, I'd love to hear your experiences breaking into the literary world. To the unpublished, I'd just like to remind you to never give up. It only takes one "yes" :)

Have a great week!

Melynda Price

Writing YA Today

"What is a chode?" I asked this question of my sixteen year old daughter, when I heard her and her friend laughing at the new nickname they'd given one of their male friends. When she told me, I was honestly surprised; mostly because she actually knew what a chode was, and then I felt another grey hair spring forth. Am I really that old?

Writing a YA series has been a great learning and growing experience, but it had also been very challenging to walk the line between what's appealing and relating to today's teens, while keeping them engaged without crossing over into adult. I've read many YA paranormal romance and some authors are much better at this than others. The way I see it, in this day and age, the YA audience could probably teach me a thing or two, so I'm not as worried about writing conservatively as I am about writing a great story, with real dialogue and real life issues.

My goal has always been that the YA audience will identify with my characters. They're not perfect--some of them curse, use alcohol and drugs, have premarital sex, and generally make many of the same mistakes our teens today make. But one message comes through strong in my paranormal romance Until Darkness Comes, and that's the power of love and forgiveness.

Hope you all have a great Saturday. I'd love to hear what you think about writing YA today :)

Melynda Price

I'm Not a Goody-Two-Shoes

Really. Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm about as far from that as they come. But I am a mom, and I was a teenage girl...several years ago. Again, I'm not raising my kids in a puritan-type household. We're pretty open and honest about most things. Keeping something secret or taboo, in my opinion, just makes a kid want it more. So, we don't do that.

So I have no intention of sheltering them from things in books, and we're already pretty open as far as movies go. (I have a no rated R rule with regard to the kids...it's more like a guideline since I know it's been broken...by my husband.) And I like books that portray teen life with a degree of realism (no matter how unreal they might be). That means dating, and sexuality, and cheating, and driving too fast, and drinking, and drugs, and all sorts of things. And I'm totally okay with all of that...as long as it serves a purpose.

I read a young adult novel by a friend recently (great book overall, I hope it gets picked up) that had the main character and the love interest having sex. In general, sex in YA doesn't bother me, but in this instance (much like the problem I had with Shiver, the sex didn't seem important to the characters or the plot. In both instances, I missed it initially when reading and had to go back to make sure they'd actually had sex. Glossing over the details is okay, but making it so unimportant that it can be easily missed or misinterpreted? In those cases, why is it there? People can fall in love without having sex, so it isn't by definition needed for the romantic plot/sub-plot. So why is it there if it doesn't have some effect on another point in the plot or on the characters involved? (Okay, the Gossip Girl ad may be a bad example. I'm not sure since I don't watch the show, but I thought it was hilarious that they're using quotes like that in their ads.)

An even worse offender for me is adding drugs and alcohol...just because. Yes, teens drink. Yes, some do drugs. No, I don't think having drinking and drugs in books will encourage teens who wouldn't otherwise imbibe to give it a try. However, if it does nothing for the characters and nothing for the plot...why add it? I'm reading an ARC of an upcoming dystopian. Not a bad book so far, but it's very hit-or-miss on this. There are (for lack of a better term) rave scenes. The scenes serve the purpose of connecting the main character with others she wouldn't meet or be able to talk to in her day-to-day life. Drinking and drugs make sense at a rave. No problem there. But later, there's a public fair (again, lack of a better word), and the adult beverages are flowing like water. *blink* Why? Everything that happened in that scene could have happened with the teens sober.

I see the same thing on TV for teens.

Vampire Diaries. Those people simply cannot have a get-together without drinking--and usually someone getting wasted to the point of stupidity. I'm okay with it most of the time--teen parties, blah blah blah. But all the time? That bumps it from realistic straight to you've-got-to-be-kidding-me. I'm sorry, but someone's parents in that town are not going to let their kids celebrate with drunken debauchery.

Look, I don't want every book and TV show out there to be squeaky clean. I just have this thing about balance. Most teens are not drunk all the time. Most teens (at least the ones I know) don't hop in bed with their boyfriend (or worse, their maybe-he-might-be-my-boyfriend-if-he-was-human-or-not-lying-to-me-all-the-time) as soon as the opportunity arises. Yes, some do. But unless that's part of their anti-hero persona, I really want it to be important to the plot. I want it to be necessary and (forgive me for this) mean something.

I don't know about you, but I chose my high school drinking times very carefully. And I made choices about if or when to sleep with a boy over the course of a long time. I didn't kiss him once and then strip, and neither did anyone else I knew (okay, except the school slut, but..hello...school slut). I remember losing my virginity. I remember my bad, drunken decisions. (And no, the two don't fall into the same category for me.) Is it too much to ask that fictional characters do the same?

What's So Great About Paranormal?

This is my first blog for Fabulously Young ePubs. My name is Melynda Price, and I am a lover of paranormal romance. It’s all I read; it’s all I write. Why paranormal? Because the possibilities are endless. It’s an amazing experience to dive into a world where the unseen is seen. The unreal suddenly becomes reality, and the rules and laws that bind us to this world no longer hold true.

The challenge in writing paranormal is finding the balance between “Wow” and “Oh, come on!” A good paranormal book will open the readers’ minds to a whole new world, and when it’s finished, they’ll sit back and think “What if…”

In a time when paranormal is so hot, it’s a challenge to write a story that sets your work, as an author, apart from the others. You’ve got your core group of YA paranormal bad-boys: The Vampires, Werewolves, Fey, and Fallen Angels. Putting a twist on these characters that hasn’t already been done can be quite a task. But again, that’s the beauty of paranormal—if you can dream it, they can do it.  

Unbelievably believable—that is what I strive for in my writing, and that is what I think Until Darkness Comes has to offer its readers. It’s a culmination of fiction with inflections of Biblical history  that weaves a tale of deception, temptation and romance.

I’m currently editing Shades of Darkness, the second book in my four-part Redemption series. Until Darkness Comes is currently under contract with Noble Romance.

A little about myself, I live in Northern Minnesota with my husband of seventeen years and two children, ages 16 and 10. With fall suddenly upon us, and winter quickly bearing down, I find myself looking forward to many snow-filled days where I can escape into a world where the impossible suddenly becomes possible and an amazing adventure is only a few keystrokes away.

Thanks for reading. I hope you have a fabulous Saturday!

Melynda Price 

Taking Chances: Love Triangles

Apologies for the tardiness of my post. I thought I had it up already :(

You know, when I started writing, I always thought love triangles were kind of silly. Sure a girl (or guy) might be lucky enough that two people are really into them at the same time, but in my experience when that happened there was usually an easy decision involved. It was pretty rare for two people to have an equal shot. And even though love triangles are common in both romance and YA, I don't always like to write them for one simple reason.

They're hard to get right.

For starters, you have to devote time and energy to both relationships. If you make it too easy for the reader to guess the "winner", you it means you aren't really best utilizing the trope. If you don't really have a "Team Stefan" versus "Team Damon" thing going on, why bother with it because odds are it won't really add anything to the story or the reader's experience. So, sometimes the romance is pretty straightforward for me. One couple. Period.

That doesn't mean I won't make things hard for them. And it doesn't mean I won't tear them apart for a while before they realize they should have been together all along, but in those instances, the reader will be the one yelling at the book, "No! He's no good for you!" They'll be in on things and understand that the couple who started together should be together.

But right now... I haz a love triangle.

I think I've given both characters enough time to make readers root for both of them, but I'm nervous about the whole thing. You see... it isn't a standard love triangle and it sure as hell doesn't get resolved the way most of them do. I've made jokes about it recently to my magical unicorns (aka--betas-of-awesome), but even they seem a little leery of this one.

Fortunately or unfortunately, it's the right story for this character--it's what she needs, on a lot of levels--so I doubt I'll change it.

Someone once told me that I'm not afraid to

take risks in my writing. Great compliment, but so very, very untrue. It terrifies me every stinking time. It's like being afraid of heights and trying to conquer the fear by zip-lining and bungee-jumping and sky-diving. Even if you love the adrenaline rush, there's that moment when you're standing on the edge, staring at the jump, and you don't feel even a twinge of excitement. Because in that instant (however brief), you're scared to death. That's how I feel whenever I do something in my work that pushes boundaries or isn't "mainstream" enough.

Problem is, when you're standing there, you only have two options: jump or go home. So far, I've always managed to jump.

I just always pray I don't die on my way down.

So, dear readers, tell me the truth. How do you feel about authors who take risks (small or big, differentiate if you like)?

Melynda Price Joins Fabulously Young ePubs

I'm very excited to be joining Fabulously Young ePubs. My blog will be the first Saturday of every month. I'm looking forward to blogging with all of you. I write YA paranormal romance. The first novel in my Redemption series, Until Darkness Comes, was recently contracted with Noble Romance. Currently awaiting a release date.

You can follow me on facebook or twitter or contact me at Melynda@Melyndaprice.com

Thanks and have a great day!

Melynda Price

Welcome to Hell House...

I didn't set out to write young adult. It happened purely by accident. After I'd published my first novel, a contemporary romance, the publisher sent out a submission call for "holidays gone wrong" short stories. I'm always up to a challenge, so I decided to wrack my brain and see what I could come up with. Almost immediately, my head was filled with every holiday fiasco I could fathom, and each scenario centered around a teenager. Characters filled my head with chatter, and Holiday Hell House was born.

There’s no place like Hell House for the holidays…
At least that’s what Danielle Stewart hopes for as the director of Hellsner Halfway House for Troubled Paranormal Teens. But all her plans come to an abrupt halt with the help of bickering teens, unannounced zombies, and a portal to hell, among other things. When the arguing leads to things quite literally going up in smoke, will Danielle find that her true calling lies elsewhere, or will the help of an unexpected angel show her the family she has longed for is right before her eyes?

That one small story opened up a new world for me. These characters screamed for my attention, demanding their stories be told. I'm typically more of a plotter when I write, but this time, I just seemed to be able to take a back seat while the characters drove their own stories.

Teenage fairy, Sora Starwind, was the first to demand her fair share of my time. Always honest, sometimes rude, Sora was banished from her people and wasn't too happy about it at all.


Sora Starwind just wants to have a normal life. Well, as normal as a banished teenage fairy living in a halfway house for paranormals can have. Squashing her magic mishaps is just part of the equation. Catching the eye of a certain hottie named Liam Crawford would be a plus, if she could only figure out how to not act like a complete dork around him. Then a surprise visit from her estranged mother brings an ultimatum that threatens to turn Sora’s world upside down. Unexpectedly faced with her past, Sora has to find the inner strength to deal with her banishment, but there’s more to her story than even she knows…

Sora came to life so brightly in my head, and her story kept surprising me at each and every turn. But then, Mr. Liam Crawford laid a secret of his own on her, and made her life even more complicated than it already was.


Teenage fairy, Sora Starwind, is finally making her way in the mortal world. The guy of her dreams, Liam Crawford, has asked her to his school’s Spring dance, and she finally feels, well, normal. Trouble is, Liam has a secret of his own that brings with it a whole new set of complications. Not only does Sora have to worry about Liam’s friends liking her, she also has to guard his secret, and deal with the school harlot that wants Liam for her own. Add a pair of obsessed paranormals that intend to unleash more chaos than just ruining her evening and Sora finds her newfound control stretched to the brink. Can she find more answers than questions this time, so that this first dance won’t also be her last?

I'm truly enjoying the ride this series is taking me on. There are so many stories to be told, I hope I can keep up with them! Zombies, fairies, shifters, ogres, imps - Hell House has them all! And I'm so excited to be able to share them with you!

--Christle Gray was born and raised in Ohio, but lives in Kentucky with her husband and one frisky black cat. She's a Gemini, which means she's of two minds about everything, and has more projects in progress than she can ever hope to complete in one lifetime. Her interests vary as widely as her opinions, and she's in no short supply of either. Just go ahead and ask. One of the many voices yammering on in her head is bound to answer.

Visit me on the web! www.christlegray.com

Ponies!!!!

Since this is my first post here I thought I’d do a sort of introduction. My name is Julie Campbell. I write under the name J.A. Campbell because there’s already a famous Julie Campbell – Trixie Belden books anyone? Sheesh, taking my name… the nerve.

I’m an author, rider, reader, animal lover. My bio says I live in Colorado with my three cats, my horse and my dog, which would be true, except that my horse actually lives about 15 minutes from my house, but it’s close enough for bio purposes.

Reading is a passion that has past beyond obsession. I read almost as much as I write, devouring books at a rate that makes my Kindle almost necessary now that I have one. Otherwise I predict my floor would collapse under the weight of piles of books within the next five years. I read fantasy, urban fantasy, science fiction, both adult and young adult. Every once in a while I delve into realms outside of my main reading habits, but it is rare.

Writing is also a passion that has gone beyond obsession. Even if I never got published I’d write. It’s become such an integral part of who I am. I’m very lucky to have recently earned the title of author. That’s such an amazing thing to me. I still giggle when I tell people I’m an author. Guess what, I write young adult and adult fantasy and urban fantasy. Bet you never would have guessed.

I love animals. I always have. I grew up with dogs and my own horde began with Tux, my male tuxedo cat. He claimed me as a kitten and paved the way for the other two cats that have come into my life over the last eight years. I’ve also had my horse for almost eight years. She’s one of the best things that has ever happened to me. Every little girl dreams of owning her own horse. (Well, not every little girl, but close!) How lucky am I that I get to live that dream? Sabaska, my Arabian mare, is my inspiration for many story ideas, and she’s the main character of my fantasy novel coming out later this year called Arabian Dreams. Yes, I love to write about animals. Kira is my year old Border Collie puppy and she has also inspired stories. Doc, my vampire-hunting dog, is based off of her. I do have stories without animals in them. Senior Year Bites doesn’t really have any animals. I mention a deer at one point, but that’s about it.

Anyway, that’s more than enough about me. Thanks for dropping in. Tell me, what sorts of books do you like to read? What are your favorites?

It's a 'Go!' for Launch

See you in the morning!
.
P.S. That's the Space Shuttle Discovery.