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Contests:
2015 Catherine award, Toronto RWA
SUNSET SUMMER, First Place Winner
Runner-up: Golden Ticket Round
ALTERATIONS, Finalist: Young Adult category
2014 Molly award, Heart of Denver RWA
ALTERATIONS, First Place Winner: Young Adult
Finalist: Unsinkable Heroine
2014 Golden Opportunity, Indiana RWA
SUNSET SUMMER, Second Place Winner: Young Adult
2012 Lone Star Contest, Northwest Houston RWA
THE ASTRONAUT'S DAUGHTER, First Place Winner: Young Adult
What I Do:
Write and read Young Adult fiction. I also binge-watch TV and am addicted to a dance fitness class called WERQ. I'm a Midwest girl at heart, having grown up in Michigan, and now live in greater Chicago with my tech-of-all-trades husband. I love pretty #bookstagram accounts on Instagram and Pinterest just may be driving me broke. I would love to one day create my ultimate fan costume of Leia's snowsuit from The Empire Strikes Back (among another dozen cosplay ideas).
What I Love To Read:
Heartfelt contemporary YA: Gayle Forman, Sara Zarr, Jenny Han, Miranda Kenneally, Jessi Kirby, Rainbow Rowell, Morgan Matson, Huntley Fitzpatrick, Katie McGarry, and Kristen Hubbard.
More favorites:
John Green: Paper Towns, Rick Yancey: The Fifth Wave, Jacqueline Woodson: Brown Girl Dreaming, Jen Mathieu: The Truth About Alice, Erica O'Rourke: Torn series, Elizabeth Wein: Code Name Verity, Jennifer Donnelly: Revolution, Laini Taylor: Shadow of Smoke and Bone, Scott Westerfeld, Peeps, Uglies series.
My absolute favorite YA book is Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. It's brilliant. Other favorites include The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The Bell Jar, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice,
I also read contemporary romance: Kristan Higgins, Bria Quinlin, Jill Shalvis, Molly O'Keefe, urban fantasy: Darynda Jones, AJ Larrieu, general fiction from Sarah Addison Allen to Jodi Picoult to Christopher Moore to book club type books, and memoirs. Occasionally I yearn for a really dense non-fiction book about wars. I don't know why, but I do.
Blogging:
The YA Buccaneers
Writing with the Mentors
Insecure Writers Support Group Monthly Blog Hop
Writer Mentoring:
Adventures in YA Publishing currently a permanent mentor for the 1st 5 pages workshop
Pitch Wars mentor 2014, 2015
More Writing on the Web:
10 Lessons Learned From Attending RWA National Conference on YABuccaneers
Outlander review chats on TheStake.org
Downton Abbey season 5 recaps on TheStake.org
Three Times a Charm post on author Kai Strand's blog
Baker's Dozen Agent Success Story on Miss Snark's First Victim blog
Heck YA, Diversity! A Whole New World on Forever Young Adult
Where I Buy Books:
Anderson's Books A true gem that I love supporting. I've seen and met so many great authors through their events!
I'm addicted to my public library, and I read on a NOOK e-reader.
Professional Affiliations:
The Sweet Sixteens: 2016 Young Adult and Middle Grade Debut Authors
Romance Writers of America
YARWA the Young Adult chapter of RWA. Serving as VP of Communications for a second term, 2015-2016
Windy City RWA Social Media Maven and member of the Program Committee. I also lead a YA/New Adult critique group
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