Young Adult

Two LGBT YA Books at Amazon’s 4-for-3 Promotion

I was browsing through Amazon’s 4-for-3 Promotion category the other day and found two young adult LGBT books.  Maybe there’s more than two, but I stopped after finding the second one since I only needed two to complete my foursome.

They aren’t new, just new to me, and I’m excited to read them.

Their covers caught my interest and it wasn’t until I read the descriptions that I realized they involved gay characters. That was like icing on the cake. 🙂

 

Peter by Kate Walker has such a hot cover there’s no way I was going to skip checking it out.  A motorcycle and a dirty boy viewed from behind? Oh yeah.  I’m always on the look out for male POV young adults books anyway.  A boy protagonist with a crush on his brother’s friend?  *clicks Add to Cart*

Pressured by his peers and society to conform to the stereotyped macho image, fifteen-year-old Peter feels both confused and repelled. His confusion and his horror increase when he finds himself attracted to his brother’s best friend, David, who is gay. Here is a daring, exceptionally honest novel about sexuality and the need to be true to oneself. Peter shares his every muddle and perception with us, and his candor just might help us find our own way.

 

Hero by Perry Moore caught my eye with its Superman-esque image.  I’ve got a thing for heroes.  A gay superhero who is hiding both of his identities? It’s like the book was written for me!  Now if there happens to be a scene in which he has to save the hot guy he’s secretly attracted to, I might just die while reading.  *clicks*

The last thing in the world Thom Creed wants is to add to his dad, Hal’s, pain, so he keeps secrets. Like that he has special powers. And that he’s been asked to join the League–the very organization of superheroes that spurned his father. The most painful secret of all is one Thom can barely face himself: he’s gay.

But becoming a member of the League opens up a new world for Thom. There, he connects with a misfit group of aspiring heroes, including Scarlett, who can control fire but not her anger; Typhoid Larry, who can make anyone sick with his touch; and Ruth, a wise old broad who can see the future. Like Thom, these heroes have things to hide, but they will have to learn to trust one another when they uncover a deadly conspiracy within the League.

To survive, Thom will face challenges he never imagine. To find happiness, he’ll have to come to terms with his father’s past and discover the kind of hero he really wants to be.

 

How about you?  Read any young adult LGBT books lately?  Have you read Peter or Hero?

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I DID IT!

My crappy first draft

Yes, I did just shout that.

A couple weeks ago, I mentioned Candace Haven’s Fast Draft class.  Well, I did sign up for it, figuring at worst case it’d be a $20 donation to the instructor.  That’s so cheap for a writing class; it was worth the risk.

I’m so glad I did.

Because… (can I shout again?)

I DID IT!

I now have a 40,500-word first draft of my young adult novel that did not exist prior to May 14.  I’m taking a couple days off before starting in on the revisions (of which there will be tons, but that’s okay!).

What I really love is that I was able to do it without too much of a disruption to my family.  Okay, my daughter watched more TV in the last two weeks than she should have, and I only did the basics around the house, but I didn’t have to hide myself away, exist on 2 hours of sleep a night, or anything crazy like that.

I was amazed at how fast the words flowed once I got into the right mind set.  I hit 800+ words in 30 minutes several times, and even over 1000 words in 30 minutes a few times!  That is unheard of for me.

If you are a writer who struggles with the ol’ internal editor (that nagging voice that makes you re-write every sentence three times before you move on), give Fast Draft a try.  I didn’t think it’d work for me, but it did!  Candace says she does them several times a year.  Her next one is already scheduled to start July 7.  For only $20, what have you got to lose, considering you could have a complete first draft done at the end of 14 days?

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I’m Probably a Little Crazy…

I’ve signed up for two online writing classes and I’m considering a third.  This may be a little crazy, but ultimately I think all three can help.

The first two are on Margie Lawson’s website (and there’s still time to sign up!):

The Art of Developing Great Conflict taught by  Sharon Mignerey

77 Secrets to Writing Young Adult Fiction That Sells! taught by Tiffany Lawson Inman

Each is only $30 for the whole month.  The first lesson and assignment for the Conflict class have been posted and it looks like it’s going to be great!  I can’t wait for the first lesson for the YA class.

The third class will confirm I am indeed crazy, if I do sign up for it.  It’s Candace Haven’s Fast Draft and Revision Hell and it starts May 14 (so, again, plenty of time to still sign up!).

From what I can tell, the idea behind it is to write 5,000 words a day for two weeks.  I have to really push myself to write that much in a week, between two kids, my husband’s schedule, and my own perfectionism.  But that’s why I want to take the class: to learn how to get past my internal editor and just get the words out fast and fix later.

How about you? Have you taken any classes at Margie Lawson’s website?  Have you done Candace Haven’s Fast Draft?

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