PitchWars Mentee Bio: Just Your Typical Lifter-Upper

Hi! If you're here, you've probably been biting your nails, refreshing your inbox, and stalking Twitter feed for #PitchWars! Mentors and fellow mentees, let me tell you what I'm all about.

• I, Jenna Klein, am a bubbly, lift-you-up-at-all-costs person. If you jump into my arms and you're twice my weight, I'll probably make a face similar to the one in the picture, but I will try my darndest to keep you up for five seconds. I find that walking around with a smile on your face can make or break someone else's day, and it makes me feel awesome! I teach, so if you see me in the halls, you will see me grinning because I'm happy to see you, even if my arms are full of butcher paper and I've been holding my bladder for three periods because they're back to back (I've stopped doing this, by the way. High school students are understanding when you talk about bathroom breaks. They want you to remember that convo later when they ask you if they can go.) (P.S. Love my students' style!)
•  I adore grammar like the common citizen adores puppies. I'm one of those annoying people who gets pleasure from correcting punctuation errors. This comes in handy for critiquing purposes. Commas are practical and dashes are beautiful. I never correct anyone speaking to me. I don't even always think to myself, "She just said 'I' when 'me' was appropriate." On an airplane, that's the first question people ask when I reveal my job as an English teacher. I'm not correcting your grammar as we speak, but I will think you're rude if you make me straddle your lap to get to the toilet (has happened, quite embarrassing. At least she was female and got up the second time around).
  
• The military and my family occupy approximately half each of my heart. My dad retired from the Air Force after 22 years. My mom got us through each move and expertly aced the role of military spouse (spouses serve as well!). My little brother (in the first picture) is a Navy nukes engineer. My father-in-law is retired Navy; my mother-in-law, active duty at the Pentagon. I work for the DOD school system in Puerto Rico, which caters to military children. People who protest anything troops-related boggle my mind. I try to excuse naive behavior the first time it happens. If you want to piss me off, don't freeze at 5 PM for the retiring of the flags on base or do say something ignorant about our soldiers. Also, we might have an issue if you don't shed at least one tear at Lee Greenwood's "Proud to be an American."
  
  
  
• Traveling rocks, and I feel beyond blessed to be able to see exotic lands (thanks, in great part, to Lasik eye surgery). I've lived in Missouri, Italy, England, Japan, Texas, and Oklahoma. You can decide which ones fall under the above mentioned "exotic" category. My husband and I are cruise fanatics (OMG, the food!). Ireland is my goal; we're working on a trip at Christmas!
  
  
   We'll be staying in a bed and breakfast thanks to the appeal of the one in Leap Year!

Favorite things:

• Going to the gym with my husband
• Purple shirts
• Nachos topped with all kinds of goodness
• Spider monkeys
• YA books (Maggie Stiefvater, Tahereh Mafi, Sarah Ockler, and Sara Zarr are among my heroes!)
• Calligraphy
• Fruity adult beverages (some concoction of orange and pineapple juice mixed with coconut rum and splashed with grenadine or cherry flavor...turns out brown, but my taste buds go crazy!)
• Inspiring teenagers
• The smell of grass after it rains
• Dexter
• Reviewing submissions for the Belle Reve Literary Journal.

Why I'd Make an Amazing Mentee:
I'm not huge on bragging on myself, but I am a hard worker.

• For four years I was sponsor and editor of my school's 500+ page yearbook. 
• I (just yesterday) oversaw and helped implement a new school-wide writing assessment. 
• I'm co-writing curriculum for a new Honors English/history course for this year that will be adopted by other schools in the district. 
• I sent out my first flash fiction pieces this summer and got 2 out of the 3 published!
• My critique group pushes me (shout out to the OKC Plotholes!). We are HARD on each other. The kind of brutal honesty that could make a person go home and cry at night. But I don't. I just fix what doesn't work. 
• I make time to write. I love my job, but I've been doing it for seven years. I don't need as much time for lesson planning as I used to. This means that after-school time is spent writing and revising (and sometimes binge-watching Netflix with the hubby).
• I'm organized. These bulleted lists aren't just for show!
• And finally, I don't use parentheses in my writing. Don't let this post fool you!

Why I'd Appreciate a Mentor:

• I value experience.
• I love talking writing with anyone who'll look my way, but bouncing ideas and books faves around with a passionate cohort is my dream come true.
• I know my manuscript's not perfect, but I believe in it. 
• My characters WANT YOU (cue Uncle Sam poster) to guide them on their journey.

So there you have it. That's me. I'm nervous for the results on September 3. I'm up late stalking tweets from the mentors rummaging through their slush piles. But I wouldn't trade sleep for this experience.

To all the mentees out there, I'd love to get to know you. Everyone brings a different talent to the table. It makes me insanely tingly to read your writing. Let's face it-- that writing's infused with your experiences, opinions, and a unique style. Bring on the chills!

Good luck, everyone!

To view other mentees' profiles, hop around our blogs!

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Did Not Finish

I was going to write a review of Elizabeth May's steampunk fairy-flavored fantasy, The Falconer, but I just don't feel motivated. It wasn't great. It wasn't bad, so I have no ax to (hopefully) humorously grind (do I get more points for splitting an infinitive twice?). It's not one I'll be recommending far and wide, so, meh. Instead I'd like to write a bit about the dreaded DNF.

I've found myself bailing on books more and more often lately. Two recent books that I bailed on were Gilded and The Queen of the Tearling, both of which I had been waiting excitedly to read. Just a little way through both though, I jumped ship. 

There are plenty of people who, having started a book, are committed until the bitter end. I used to feel that way, but a former supervisor once pointed out that life is just too short. If you're 50 pages into a book and just aren't into it, why keep forcing yourself to read? I've taken this advice to heart. I have plenty of time wasting going on in my life (oh tumblr, who let me join you), I don't need to spend additional time slogging through unenjoyable fiction.

Additionally, at any given time I have at least 100 books on my To Read shelf on Goodreads, plus dozens of things at home that I would love to have read, but never manage to make time for. I'm very proud of my mythology/folklore/occult library, but how many of those books have I actually read cover to cover? Sadly few.

So how can you tell when you've got a DNF on your hands? If you've barely started and the language seems clunky, or if the tropes are piling up, or if the dialogue is grating on your nerves, it's probably safe to say you won't be enjoying the rest of your reading experience, at least not enough to justify forging ahead. As the saying goes, "If you’re gonna bail, bail early. This applies to relationships, college classes, and sledding." Should it apply to books? Can you really tell in just a few chapters if a book isn't your cup of tea? I think so.  Unless you've gotten recommendations from friends with similar reading tastes, or have heard that it picks up later, I'd say don't bother.

While I no longer feel obscurely guilty for not finishing a book, it's still disappointing, especially when it's one I was looking forward to. At the same time, it can feel surprisingly liberating to start pruning back on one's reading commitments. It leaves me the time and freedom to keep crossing things off my To Read list, finally get around to enjoying a classic or something that's been sitting on my shelf for too long, or even to reread an old favorite. So sorry, tired dystopias, forced love triangles, whiny protagonists, drawn out trilogies and overcomplicated world-building, but I have other things to read.

How about you? Once you start a book do you cling on like grim death, or do you ruthlessly cut ties? Any notable DNFs? What would it take for you to shut the book and say "nope"?

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What's on My Holdlist?

ALL THE THINGS.So many things. Here are a few of them. I won't be putting in the full summaries for all of these, just a bit about why I'm excited to get my hands on them.

House of Ivy & Sorrow by Natalie Whipple

Witches. Curses. Secrets stretching back generations. Probably a shadowy and explorable rundown house. YES. Gothic witchy YA fiction (done right) is my jam. It's worked well for Unspoken, The Raven Boys, and Dark Companion, although I think it failed in The Madman's Daughter, and failed spectacularly in Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

I'll admit it, I'm a little hesitant about this one. Can we even talk about it without touching on the extreme Merida vibes of this cover? Brave much? (I'm a child of the 90s, what do you want from me). This has some very cool elements- alternate19th century Edinburgh, a war between humans and fae, a potential kickass redheaded heroine... But I'm just not sure. We'll see.

Gilded by Christina Farley

Again, here is so much potential but also a lot of places it could stumble. I'm beyond tired of the "kid finds out they're related to deities" plotlines but this is a Korean American kid! And she'll get to explore a mythology that's been sadly absent from YA lit. But.... her love interest is described in the blurb as "irresistible and charming." To borrow another 90s catchphrase, gag me with a spoon. I'm holding out hope that it's just a marketing ploy. Ideally I'd like to come for the mythos and stay for the romance, but I'll settle for just not running screaming from the romance.

Unwrapped Sky by Rjurik Davidson

I've been lusting after this one since seeing a cover reveal on Tor, and I was lucky enough to win a galley from them. Unfortunately, it's been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. I really am interested to read it though, and I'm hoping it might fill some of the holes Daughter of Smoke and Bone and Catherynne M. Valente have left in my heart.

The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen

This one should be interesting. There's been a lot of buzz about it on Goodreads, and also a lot of 5 and 1 star reviews. Hm. The elevator pitch sounds like it's "The Hunger Games meets Game of Thrones," which could be awesome or just awesomely terrible. I think it'll hang on how the protagonist is written and how much (or if) she develops. Fantasy-meets-court intrigue is often a great genre, but it seems a little shaky in YA books sometimes, with the fabulous exception of Sherwood Smith's Crown & Court Duel duology.

Salt & Storm by Kendall Kulper

Just look at this description and tell me it's not begging to be a windy beach read on an overcast day. Ideally in a ramshackle cottage/lighthouse:

Sixteen-year-old Avery Roe wants only to take her rightful place as the witch of Prince Island, making the charms that keep the island's whalers safe at sea, but her mother has forced her into a magic-free world of proper manners and respectability. When Avery dreams she's to be murdered, she knows time is running out to unlock her magic and save herself.

 Jackaby by William Ritter

I'm trying (and failing) not to be too excited about this book that seems to take all my favorite aspects of Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who, and Supernatural, plus the odd gothic romance, and put them through a blender. Please be good pleasebegoodpleasebegoodpleasebegood.

“Miss Rook, I am not an occultist,” Jackaby said. “I have a gift that allows me to see truth where others see the illusion--and there are many illusions. All the world’s a stage, as they say, and I seem to have the only seat in the house with a view behind the curtain.” PLEASE BE GOOD.

Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

Fabulous cover. Author whom I love dearly, except when I don't. (Actually, I seem to have liked that book more when I read it than I do now, so, take from that what you will.) Another island setting with dark magics and mysterious happenings and damn, I'm really kind of sad I'm not going to the beach this year. At least I'll be there in spirit.




And there you have it, folks. These are some of the books I'll be reading and reviewing in the next few weeks. What have you been reading?

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Cover Reveal: In the Rearview

Fans of Fiction is pleased to participate in a cover reveal blog tour for author Maria Ann Green.

Her book, In the Rearview, is one of the exciting new YA contemporaries that will be out August 19th. We love the cover, especially the font of the title. After you read the blurb, I think you'll agree that the cover model is a perfect fit for Meagan.

What's in store for you? A giveaway package will be announced on August 15th with instructions on how to be entered (and what you could win). 
Stop by Maria's blog or her website for more info.

 

 

Title: In the Rearview

Author: Maria Ann Green

Genre: YA Contemporary 

Release Date: August 19th

Main Character: Meagan

Book Tag Line: Heartbreak, Healing, Hope

Unique Features: The story is told through poems, journal entries, and narrative scenes.

Plot: When Meagan’s secret is found out, and she realizes there is no way to outrun her habit of cutting, she tries to work through it, and her depression, before she cuts too deep, making a mistake that can never be undone.

Meagan's problems aren't like every other adolescent's no matter how much she wishes they could be. Hers are worse. They've pulled her down into the depths of a depression that is anything but normal. She begins her pattern of self-harm as her depression threatens to drown her. She starts with one cut that leads to the next, and the next. After starting, it's apparent that there's no stopping, and Meagan spirals into a dark and cruel world she doesn't understand. Meagan cuts to feel better, but that comfort doesn't last long enough, and soon life is worse than it ever was before.

While learning to quit cutting Meagan faces life-altering obstacles and grows up in the process. IN THE REARVIEW is a story of pain, loss, confusion, and hope told through Meagan’s poems, journal entries, and a splash of narrative.

About the author: Maria Green currently lives in Minnesota, despite its bitter winters, with her husband. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in English. When she isn’t writing, Maria loves to read with a cup of strong coffee or a glass of sweet wine, craft, and spend time with her family. This is her first published novel. 

 

"And so she wrote..."

 

Good luck with your release, Maria!

 

 

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Let's Get Caught Up, Shall We?

So I'm a few dozen books into 2014, but here are some highlights to get us back on the same page (get it? you get it).*

Ashen Winter by Mike Mullin

After blazing through the excellent Ashfall last year, I was itching to get my hands on its sequel, which did not disappoint. Alex made it through his first harrowing adventures through midwest America following the eruption of a supervolcano, but the challenges he faces in this novel make even that terrorscape look like a walk in the park. A few corrupt government officials and the odd group of violent thieves pale in comparison to roving gangs of cannibalistic gangbangers, and that's in addition to the brutal weather and constant challenges of living in a perpetual, ash-cloud winter. These books are intense but realistic, brutal but not without hope. I highly recommend this series to fans of The Walking Dead, but even if you don't have the stomach (sorry) for that series, check these out if you enjoy survival fiction in general.

Across a Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund


After a steady onslaught of gritty dystopian fiction, this lighter and more romantic take on classic romances with a sci-fi twist is a tonic. I really enjoyed For Darkness Shows the Stars, a reimagining of Persuasion, and for this outing we're headed to a Hawaii-like setting ("New Pacifica") for a twist on The Scarlet Pimpernel. And yes, the book works perfectly well without having read the originals (I've read Persuasion, but not Pimpernel). For your fix of YA romance with beautiful gowns, without sacrificing compelling characters or a plot.

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud

Three teens team up to form their own paranormal detective/defense agency in a rambling mansion? With swords and sass and tea and toast and murder and a chronic lack of funds, but never of charm? Um, YES. Don't think too hard. Just read it. It's wonderful and scary and fun. For fans of SuperWhoLock (literally there's something for all of you here) and anyone getting into that spooky autumn mood already.

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

I feel like I've been let down by magic realism for teens before, but not this time. I'm not sure what to say about it, other than that I highly recommend it to fans of early Alice Hoffman who, like me, have had it with the crippling angst of her later books. That's not to say that this book is all airy lightness, there is hurt and pain and sadness to be sure, but there is also love and family and, yes, magic.

The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker

Speaking of magic realism with some heft! This book is gorgeous through and through, with two spectacularly well-realized leads (who may make you want to brush up on Good Omens). This is not a young adult novel per se, but with themes of discovering/developing oneself, finding community, and love in a variety of forms, this is a perfect crossover. History for the history buffs, an excellent sense of time/place (New York City/early 20th century), and a large cast of unique characters round out this fantastic title. Look for it again in my Top Ten list for the year. I can't see it being displaced from the top spots anytime soon.

(If these last two books appeal to you, you might also enjoy The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. My recent griping notwithstanding, I mostly liked it, and it hits a lot of the same historical/magical notes, also in turn of the century New York. See also The Diviners by Libba Bray) 

Sunrise by Mike Mullin

Remember when we talked about Ashen Winter? (I hope so, if not please seek medical attention soon, I'm very concerned about your health). Well, here's the final book in the sequel! I can't even touch the plot without spoiling things, but I will note that one of my favorite things in this series is the resourceful ways characters find to survive seemingly desperate situations, and to work towards a future when everything seems impossible. It's rare for me to commit to a series any more, but I'd be willing to read still more of this one.


And there we go! Stay tuned for a peek at my hold list, and some brand new reviews coming soon.

*Book puns.

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