Cheers to Bad Ass Writers: Blog Hop and Give Away

Every writer has a reason to write what they write. When someone asks me what I write and I tell them I write Young Adult books, I get a strange reaction. The same sort of look I get when people find out I’m a grandmother. It’s a look of astonishment, curiosity and confusion. They don’t say they think it’s silly that I write for teens, but it shows. Some even cough-chuckle under their breath. Rude.

And that is why I’ve decided to take it to the blog, to share why I write. Also, I would love to know why you write in your genre or why you read what you read. 

What I write:

I write older YA Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal, Dystopian and I just started my first ever attempt at mild Horror (Not the gruesome kind, the GOTCHA kind *insert evil laugh*).

Why I write YA.

Without subjecting you to the ghastly details of my youth, I’ll simply say, “I’ve been through some stuff.” 

So much so, that when I was in LA last August with some other literary-type-junkies at the SCBWI conference (see here for that story) and I was opening up to Lindsay Cummings (amazing writer! Be sure to check her out) about just a few of the things I’ve had to overcome/survive – being the incredible young author with more wisdom than her years would suggest – she [Lindsay] told me I should write a book about my life.

YIKES!

I’m not sure I’m ready to be so… exposed …to the world yet.

But by the same token, that is essentially why I write what I do. The characters might have different names and personalities. The hurtles might be different, but every bit of pain, love, heartache, paranoia or “aha” awakening that I write into my characters, is part of me. Part of my past, pieces of my path that have built up my life and landed me where I am. Some are parts I keep locked up tightly, the ones I choose not to dwell on or let them hurt me anymore. And from that dark and lonesome place are born my heroines. The girls I wish I’d been or even tried to be when I was young and facing more things than any one person should. The girls who could save the day and kick some serious ass while doing it, girls who are smart, brave, tough and stand up for others too. Girls with bad attitudes but good intentions who grow with each mistake and never, never, stop trying. 

I’m rewriting my youth the way I think it should have gone. I’m writing for the girls who are living that same hell right now. I want them to know they are strong and that there is a hero in them too. So they know, someday, life will get better and they won’t always live in pain or fear. 

With every word, comes love. 

Romance is a huge part of my books too. Love is healing; even dreaming of love can lessen the inner wounds and scars we carry. It is my hope that by inspiring this feeling, that all girls – whether an adult with a hurt girl still struggling inside, or the young girl who is trying to find her voice right now – will find their strength to believe and fight. 

I sneak these bits of me onto the pages wherever I can. Because I am living proof that girls are tough, that we’re survivors and even though today we may not look like much, someday we will fight back and in a big way.

This month’s Give Away is about – Inspiration.

Holiday Blog Hop and Give Away

Here’s the Hop…

 

Click Here 

A big thanks to Reviews by Molly and Romancing the Book for hosting the Blog Hop!

 …Or stick around for the Give Away.

I’m giving away (up to, 1 set per person) 5 sets of four Twilight Journals in matching tins.

Yep, you read that right. 5 sets of these!

Winners are chosen at random.

To enter:

1. You must be a blog follower (new or old, I love you all).
2. Leave your email address.
3. Tweet, Facebook or Blog this Give Away AND post the link here.

Contest runs until Midnight December 25^th Happy Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza all rolled into the same fraction of a second – YES! – I planned it like that.

Happy Blog Hopping and don’t forget to enter…

I reciprocate blog love.