YA Author Club

This Friday? Writer/Reviewer BLOCK BUSTERS

2012-02-28T16:04:00.001-08:00

What do you do when you're, ah...BLOCKED! When you've written your characters into a corner, or maybe a black hole, and they can't get out? What do you do when you stare at that blinking cursor in the middle of the night? How do you bust your blocks? #doesthatsoundwrong Join us this Friday when the carnis talk about what they do. Tell us what you do! We'd LOVE to know. Hope to see you on Friday!

This Friday? Name That Tune!

2012-02-22T10:12:00.005-08:00

This Friday it's all about the songs that inspire writers/reviewers in the dead of winter. Stop on by the carnival this week with your musical muse!

This Friday We Kiss & Tell!

2012-02-16T06:58:00.000-08:00

But...don't tell our characters. I mean, if they knew, well...they might just start keeping these scenes to themselves. And we wouldn't want that! We love this stuff, and will be thrilled if you decide to leave a comment this week to kiss and tell along with us.

SOME LIKE IT HOT!

2012-02-10T02:23:00.000-08:00

Today at the YA Indie Carnival we're featuring steamy excerpts! So, if you like it HOT, you'll love it here over the next few Fridays!

This Friday! To trailer or not to trailer?

2012-02-02T23:14:00.000-08:00

See what the carnis have to say about book trailers this week. Are they worth it? Why bother? What's the fuss all about? How do you make one? Grab a cotton candy and and join in the discussion!

This Friday's post: Interview with a Villain!

2012-01-26T22:43:00.000-08:00

This Friday 1/27 we all post our interviews with a Villain! Forget the good, it's all about the bad & the ugly this week. Go grab a cup of coffee and let us know your favorite villains.

What reading teaches us as a writers/reviewers

2012-01-19T20:48:00.000-08:00

This week the carnis talk about reading and writing and reviewing. We'd love to hear how your reading influences your writing. Stop by the carnis and let us know!

Book's we're grateful for!

2012-01-11T09:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome back to the carnival! We've spruced up the grassy field and strung up a new tent for the carnival [yes, we've headed South/West for the Winter]. We love the new tent preferring purple-and-white stripes to our old dreary, predictable red-and-white, don’t you? And there’s a few new acts too. Be sure to meet Lucy, our elephant and the new, some say cocky, contortionists roaming around. The knife sharpeners have been hard at work and, between friends, we'd advise you to steer clear of the throwers for a while. THEY ARE HAVING WAY TOO MUCH FUN.

This week's post? Books we're grateful for and why! We're looking forward to hearing what books you're grateful for. Swing by this Friday and join in on the conversation:) Besides, coming to the carnival this Friday the 13th is a great way to get over FRIGGATRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA!

What's under the Big Top in 2012?

2012-01-06T16:18:00.000-08:00

Here's what the YA Indie Carnival will be up to starting NEXT WEEK! We can't wait to see you under the Big Top next Friday:)

1/13 Book(s) I'm grateful for and why!

1/20 What reading teaches me as a writer/reviewer

1/27 Interview with a Villain

2/3 To trailer or not to trailer

2/10 SOME LIKE IT HOT! Steamy excerpts

2/17 KISS & TELL: Kissing scenes

2/24 NAME THAT TUNE: songs that inspire writers/reviewers in the dead of winter

3/2 Writer/Reviewer BLOCK BUSTERS

3/9 FOUR SEASONS: what season do we tend to write/review

3/16 LUCK O' THE IRISH! Lucky excerpts

3/23 HUNGER GAMES: DISTRICT INDIE -- characters from books we've written or read that would be the ultimate competitors in the HUNGER GAMES and why.

3/30 SPRING BREAK: Favorite Spring Break scenes

4/6 Carnis laying on a beach [no post]

4/13 Friday the 13th

4/20 LOL! Yeah, that. 4/20 scenes. They go to 11.

4/27 Writing/Reviewing sequels

5/4 WIP : 1 paragraph from our WIP or current read.

HAPPY 2012 from the Carnis:)

2012-01-03T10:10:00.001-08:00

We are cleaning up our acts here at the carnival. Doing a little tent mending and much needed sharpening of swords. Getting our animals fed and tending to some great new acts for 2012! While we are on a little carnival break until Jan 13th, you can still keep up with us on the What's New Page. Carni's never really do take a break. We'll be posting our new topics for 2012 at the end of the week, so get set for another fun-filled year of stories and giveaways and just plain fun. We are dying to know how you spent your holidays. Leave us a note if you feel like sharing. We'll see you here on Friday, Jan. 13th. *Mwah*

Indie Resolutions!

2011-12-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

This Friday at the Carnival we're posting our Indie Resolutions. What have we learned from our mad musings this year? What worked? What didn't? Is chocolate the only thing that keeps us going? What about workouts? Is there time for anything other than our characters? Comment with your resolutions this Friday!

SECRET SANTA GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!

2011-12-23T08:00:00.001-08:00

CONGRATULATIONS VANESSA ERIC, this year's YA Indie Carnival Secret Santa Giveaway Grand Prize Winner! You've won a sleigh-full of ebooks! Happy Holidays to our readers:) And stay tuned for next week's Indie Resolution posts! AND THE BEST PART? The giveaways keep going until 2012 with carnis Bryna Butler, Lexus Luke & Rachel Coles! [because they completely ROCK] So visit their sites for daily giveaways until the New Year!

Here are the books Vanessa won!

Sixteen-year-old Sydlynn Hayle is the daughter of a powerful witch and a demon lord of the seventh plane. The trouble is, she just wants to be ordinary. Syd struggles to survive the minefield of her new high school while being torn between her attraction to football hero Brad Peters and the darkly mysterious Quaid Moromond. When her coven comes under attack, Syd is forced to face the fact only her power can save her family’s magic.

Author: Patti Larsen

Allison La Crosse's world is in a tailspin. After learning she has the power to cure the dying with her touch (a lethal curse when wielded), she is viciously attacked. More unsettling than the violence is the identity of her assailant. Devin turns out to be the first person she ever saved and her mother's killer. When her soul met Devin's an unimaginable bond was formed. Now, Allison must save Devin from his twin brother's control or kill them both. If she fails, she'll lose Clark and Brody forever.

Author: T. R. Graves

A huge fan of Jane Austen, Danielle hopes to find her own Mr. Darcy when she leaves Colorado to attend art school in London. Of course she knows it's silly to wish for that, naive even. But she's met enough males who lacked respect for women, a growing trend it seemed. And at nineteen...well.... However, on only her second night there she gets lost and is threatened by a stalker who proves to be immune to her martial arts training. Before she is completely overpowered, she is then saved by Ethan Deveroux.

While Danielle does find the romance she seeks in Ethan, he's no Mr. Darcy. Her hero is held by a spell which fractures their chance at a happy ending. During the day Ethan is closer to mortal than immortal and can date her like any other man. Yet, as the sun sets, the powerful magic of an ancient curse returns and the evil of that spell is revealed. When that magic begins, Danielle's fairytale romance ends because Ethan Deveroux is a vampire.

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Author: Cheri Schmidt

Along with Christian, the earl of the castle she haunts, Tessa tries to discover who she is and break the spell holding her in a prison of death. They never imagined the curse keeping them apart is the only thing protecting her, until it's too late.

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Author: Cheri Schmidt

Why do zombies come back, if it's not a virus or a curse? Is there an organism that could really take over the world with a single bite? What were the plagues of Egypt really like? Could artificial intelligence crop up in places we don't think about? Many humans love the taste of good beer, and love its other effects. What about other animals, and how might it affect their behavior? Into The Ruins is an anthology about world-changing events, small or large, subtle or wide-ranging.

Author: Rachel Coles

Ever wonder who the people you meet on a paradise vacation are what they seem? Ever imagine that Valentine's Day could be cursed, literally? What would it be like to be turned into a vampire and find that you couldn’t leave your old life behind, even if you wanted to? What about karma? If bad things we do could come back to haunt us, what about the good things? Did you ever wonder what inspired certain statues or pictures of art, or what pieces of the artists soul, went into their creations? This collection of short stories explores vengeance, closure, justice and other possibilities from beyond the grave.

Author: Rachel Coles

Liv, Laith, Brayan and Meena are back with a mission and a militia for justice. The four human Oracles join forces with their spirit counter parts in Arcadia to form The Guardians of Souls. Shy has fled to Los Angeles to escape the consequences of Melissa and Jesse’s deaths and Hala, the Great Spirit, has reason to believe he is not alone. Neither the Spirits in Arcadia or the NYPD in New York City has turned up any trace of Shy since his disappearance after the tragic events played out on Valentine’s Day.
Liv and her companions of spirit find themselves torn between the human world and Arcadia once more. Their duty as human Oracles continuously interferes and threatens the stability and safety of their friendships and romantic lives.

Get ready for all hell to break loose as Liv and her friends set out on a quest to hunt down Shy and finish him for good. This time the Spirit World means business when they find Shy playing up to his usual tricks. The odds are against Shy this time around but this may not pan out to be such a lucky break for the human Oracles. Could it be that Shy isn’t their worst enemy after all?
Is Earth once again safe from the perils of Daevas and Aengels? Are Liv’s human friends safe or will they be baited and harmed again?
Only the Spirits know…

Author: Amy Maurer Jones

Magic bones. Telepathy. Murder. A fifteen year old girl finds out that everything she believed in was untrue. Her parents' murder was not random. The Ute Indian myth that she was adopted into could very possibly be real. And her mind, well, it's developing abilities she never thought possible. With a modern-day Indian brave and a best friend at her side, Wray Sky faces danger, mysticism and love.

Author: Lexus Luke

Teens are disappearing in a small river town in southern Ohio as Keira Ryan begins her freshman year. Kidnappings aside, her worries mount as she crushes on an older guy, her best friend starts dating a spoiled cheerleader, and the parents that abandoned her at birth arrive at her doorstep. And, oh yeah, she’s a tooth fairy destined to kick some butt and bring about the end of a royal line of vicious, blood-sucking tyrants.

Over the years, humans have pieced together sightings and assumptions to create the myth of the tooth fairy. As it turns out, they were pretty much wrong.

Author: Bryna Butler

Keira Ryan has moved on. It’s the start of her sophomore year at Valley View High School. This means big changes like a new guardian mentor, taking (and passing) her driver’s test, dating her best friend, and figuring out how to stop the new Empress Gammen and her reign of terror. Will she survive it all or will she fall victim to the whispering evil that surrounds her?

Author: Bryna Butler

When fear’s as blind as love, how far would you go to find your own happily ever after? One mistake will change Ginny’s life forever. One answer will set her free. Ginny fights to untangle her big, fat, lie-of-a-life on an enchanted road trip to Winnemucca, where she believes all her answers lie. To solve the riddle of her past, she must outrun everyone who wants a piece of her future–including a man determined to see she never has one.

Genre: YA Coming of age, magical realism

Author: Laura A.H. Elliott

Lonely for human companionship, Jack returns home every year. He checks on his brother, walks through his childhood home, but he can’t let anyone see him because Jack is a vampire. Now, ten years after being turned Jack’s wish comes true. He’s mortal again. Now he can live a normal life. Or so he thinks. Destiny has other plans for him. The head werewolf is teaching English at the high school, the girl Jack is crushing on is a hunter, and his brother can’t make up his mind if he should welcome Jack home or stake him through the heart to be on the safe side.

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Author: K. C. Blake

Not all romances are fairytales. The von Strassenbergs' saga begins in 1877, when Katherine Demure, brimming over with discontentment, is swept into the arms of the mysterious Viktor von Strassenberg who is newly arrived from Europe with dark rumors preceding him. Hoping to find love and adventure, she instead becomes the centerpiece of a mystery that will take generations to unravel.

The responsibility falls into the hands of her granddaughter, five times removed, who has no inkling as to the origins of her strange name or the reason she has no connection to her family. All that changes and begins to unravel when she makes the mistake of being found.

Author: Gwenn Wright

Like most seventeen year olds, Ridley Heller thought she had her future all planned out. What she wanted most in life was to get out of small town Harker. Her only goal was to keep her mouth shut and her grades high so she could win a cheerleading scholarship to Stanford. But that was before she met Bo.

In Ridley's wildest dreams, she could never have planned for someone like Bo, for a love so intense it left her breathless. No human girl could.A haunting stranger that watched her from afar, Bo stole Ridley's heart from the moment she laid eyes on him. But he has secrets. Bo's a vampire. Both his past and his present are a danger to Ridley, but the biggest threat is not her blood; it's her heart. He's feeding a thirst for revenge that will cost him his life, and it may already be too late. The more darkness Ridley uncovers, the more she realizes that her life will never be the same-with or without Bo. Can she sacrifice her future and her heart for someone who has a death wish?

Author: M. Leighton

Gemma Hart never knows when her father is going to whisk her back in time. Her toes start tingling and she has a few minutes to find a secret haven where she can disintegrate and appear in another time and place. While “across the line,” her training and skills are put to the test as she completes a mission that will change history for the lucky few her father has selected.

Gemma's parents are adamant that secrecy is paramount to her family’s safety. If people knew what they were capable of, they could be "used and abused", as her mother always says. Afraid she might accidentally utter the truth and break the ancient oath of her people, Gemma spends her school days as a loner. Only one thing can throw her sheltered life askew... Harrison Granger.

Harrison never expected to talk to the strange Hart girl, but after a brief encounter he can't stop thinking about her. He begins a campaign to chisel away her icy veneer and is met with unexpected consequences. As he slowly wins this girl over, he enters a surreal world that has him fighting to keep his newfound love and his life.

Author: Melissa Pearl

On her 15th birthday, December Moon discovers she is the descendant of a family of witches, kept in the dark her entire life in an effort to protect her. But when Lilly, her best friend, finds herself in danger from one of the world's most evil vampires, December will do everything in her power to stop him. December Moon is a fantasy novel for children and young adults set in BC, Canada.

Author: Suzy Turner

Life sucks for orphans Callum Tate and Harper Bailey.

Kicked out of their foster homes because they suffer the 'eighteen disease' with nothing but a hundred dollar check from the government and a pat on the back, they're forced to rely on a system that failed them miserably.

So they sit. They sit inside Social Services, waiting for their social workers to call their names and offer them the miracle they know will never come but they sit anyway because they have nowhere else to go, no other options on their very literal and figurative empty plates.

But as they sit, they notice the other. Although captivated, they each come to the conclusion that life is complicated enough without throwing in a boiling tension that can't ever be acted upon because they're both too busy thinking about where their next meal will come from but when their names are called and both are placed on a year long waiting list for permanent housing, suddenly relying on each other seems like a very viable plan B.

And, oh, how lovely Plan B's can be.

Well, except for the psycho from Harper's past that haunts her and, oh, yeah, there's the little issue that neither of them knows they're in love with the other.

Needless to say, Callum & Harper's life just got a bit more complicated.

“One day, you and I are gonna’ wake up and be alright. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow but one day. One day. I promise you.” - Callum Tate

Author: Fisher Amelie

What happens when you are stalked by Death? You fall in love with him of course. Pagan Moore doesn’t cheat Death, instead, she falls in love with him.

Seventeen year old Pagan Moore, has seen souls her entire life. Once she realized the strangers she often saw walking through walls were not visible to anyone else, she started ignoring them. If she didn’t let them know she could see them, they left her alone. Until she steps out of her car on the first day of school and sees an incredibly sexy guy lounging on a picnic table, watching her with an amused smirk on his face. Problem is, she knows he's dead. Not only does he not go away, when she ignores him he does something none of the others have ever done; he speaks. Pagan is fascinated by the soul. What Pagan doesn’t realize is that her appointed time to die is drawing near and the wickedly beautiful soul she is falling in love with is not a soul. He is Death and he is about to break all the rules.

Author: Abbi Glines

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love. Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments. The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

Author: Cidney Swanson

Reid Alexander's life is an open book. His Hollywood celebrity means that everything he does plays out in the public eye. Every relationship, every error in judgment is analyzed by strangers. His latest mistake totaled his car, destroyed a house and landed him in the hospital. Now his PR team is working overtime to salvage his image. One thing is clear—this is one predicament he won’t escape without paying for it.

Dori Cantrell is a genuine humanitarian—the outward opposite of everything Reid is about. When his DUI plea bargain lands him under her community service supervision, she proves unimpressed with his status and indifferent to his proximity, and he soon wants nothing more than to knock her off of her pedestal and prove she's human.

Counting the days until his month of service is over, Dori struggles to ignore his wicked magnetic pull while shocking him with her ability to see past his celebrity and challenging him to see his own wasted potential. But Dori has secrets of her own, safely locked away until one night turns her entire world upside down. Suddenly their only hope for connection and redemption hinges on one choice: whether or not to have faith in each other.

Author: Tammara Webber

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

Author: P.T. Michelle

Secret Santa Giveaway Is Over....Winner announced Friday Dec. 23!

2011-12-11T09:16:00.001-08:00

TO ENTER THE SECRET SANTA GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY: just FOLLOW THIS BLOG YA Author Club & COMMENT on any participating carni’s site, links below, telling us why you’ve been naughty or nice this year. Each carni will have individual giveaways too so be sure to visit all the carnis to win as many books as possible!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED 12/23/2011, Noon Pacific on http://yaauthorclub.blogspot.com! GOOD LUCK! Here's what you could win in the GRAND PRIZE!

Author: Patti Larsen

Author: T. R. Graves

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Author: Cheri Schmidt

It's the Victorian era in England, but Tessa is from the medieval past. She awakens within a castle she has never seen before. Knowledge of her name also evades her. However, even worse than not knowing who or where she is, she cannot recall how she died or why she is dressed as a bride.

Along with Christian, the earl of the castle she haunts, Tessa tries to discover who she is and break the spell holding her in a prison of death. They never imagined the curse keeping them apart is the only thing protecting her, until it's too late.
Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

Author: Cheri Schmidt

Author: Rachel Coles

Author: Amy Maurer Jones

Author: Lexus Luke

Author: Bryna Butler

Genre: YA Coming of age, magical realism

Author: Laura A.H. Elliott

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Author: K. C. Blake

Author: Gwenn Wright

Author: M. Leighton

Author: Melissa Pearl

Cover Love: Designs & Designers

2011-12-07T00:24:00.001-08:00

This week we scoop all things YA Indie Covers. What designs we like, what we think works. Weigh in with your favorite covers and designers!

Fiction Pie: Recipes for plotting our stories

2011-11-29T17:42:00.001-08:00

This Friday at the Carnival we're posting recipes for plot. What favorite ingredient spices up the stories that keep you up on long winter nights?

Gobble! Gobble! A Thanksgiving Story

2011-11-22T20:23:00.001-08:00

This week at the YA Indie Carnival, our posts are about Thanksgiving. Some will post excerpts set at Thanksgiving, some might contain a pie or two, or turkeys. Some of us will post Thanksgiving memories or stories. Take a ride with the carnis and share your favorite Thanksgiving stories. This Friday we are giving thanks for you, for running away to the carnival with us. Every Friday. All Day. All YA.

The Rise of YA Fantasy!

2011-11-17T20:06:00.001-08:00

This week at the YA Indie Carnival, our posts are about the rise of YA Fantasy. Take a ride with a the carnis to find out their take on YA fantasy and be sure to post your thoughts on where the market is and how it we got here. Thanks for running away to the carnival with us. Every Friday. All Day. All YA. We'd like to welcome new carni's T.G Ayer and Melissa Pearl. And now, we are 25!

Happy 11/11/11!

2011-11-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

This week on the YA Indie Carnival we are all posting "11 reasons why..." Should be a great grab bag of inspiration and insight. Hope you enjoy the carnival this Veterans Day.

YA Indie Carnival: Emo-awesomeness from High School

2011-11-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

This week we all post snippets from stories we wrote in high school. Come check out what we were writing once upon a time and post your own high school awesomeness!

2011-10-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

BOO! BE AFRAID: Best Indie reads for Halloween! Hope you get a good scare:)

Halloween Memories!

2011-10-21T10:37:00.001-07:00

This week at the carnival take a ride with us as we spin tales about special childhood Halloweens. Join in with your own tales. Let us know what spooked you as a kid. And the best part? No calories!

Authors Love Their Fans

2011-10-15T06:10:00.000-07:00

The Young Adult Authors Carnival theme this week is on Fan Love. Visit each of our authors for their experiences with their fans.

Our Favorite Characters to Write

2011-10-08T09:07:00.001-07:00

This week, the YAA Club talks about their favorite characters. You'll find links to club members on the sidebar.

Welcome to the YA Author Club

2011-10-08T08:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the YA Indie Blog Carnival!

We’ve got a bunch of exciting topics lined up for the next few weeks on the who, what’s, where’s and why’s of Indie publishing as well as links to a bunch of fabulous Indie authors that you should definitely check out. If you own an e-reader of some sort, you are probably at least slightly familiar with the world of Indie publishing, but if not…allow me to introduce you.

Indie authors are those who have chosen to publish their written works independently of a traditional publisher or agent. The authors own their own works, set their own prices, and are responsible for all the management or out-sourcing on the back end such as promotions, networking, web and cover design, editing, formatting and listing their books, tracking their sales, etc. It’s really a revolutionary idea that’s taken off in recent years, especially with the advent of the e-book. Being an author isn’t such an unreachable goal nowadays, because with the right combo of the above, you can make your dreams of being published a reality.

So how does this work?

Every Friday, each author/blogger will be discussing the following Indie topics on their individual blogs. You can get to know them, their books and their experiences with Indie publishing.

So what are we going to talk about?