HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE by Editor Martha Mihalick

A Fine Romance « Martha Mihalick

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Want to write romance?
Heed Martha's view.

I posted this in Feb 15, 2010 but I just reread Matha's post and it really is fantastic.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

May your 2012 be filled with a bounty of good health, happiness, friendship and love.

YA ROMANTIC COMEDIES--BRING 'EM ON! READ A SAMPLE OF WHAT I LOVE

I love romantic comedies and am in search to rep more authors who can write them.

Not goofy, silly chic-lit with no underlying heart/intelligence/soul but full-fleshed, make me laugh/cry/yearn/scream ROMANTIC COMEDIES. Contemporary, mystery, paranormal, historical, scifi, ROMANTIC COMEDIES...doesn't matter---it is about characters--soul-searching, groin-yearning, heart thumping, heart breaking, fast paced, laugh out loud, cry out loud, make me want to be your character ROMANCE!

BUT---of course who I rep comes down to subjective taste...so what type of voice/writing/characters do I love? Read the 1st chapter  of Robin Mellom's  DITCHED pubbing from Hyperion-Disney on Jan 10th and find out what I think will be one of the best YA romantic comedies of 2012.

What People Are Saying

Zany comedy dominates this romp through the prom night from Hell... The author displays a well-developed touch for the absurd... For readers with a funny bone that needs a tingle, this should hit the spot.  ~Kirkus

It's like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, and Sixteen Candles all rolled into one...four outrageous friends bond in an unlikely way...and an ending that will blow you away. This book is brilliant.  ~myguiltyobsession.blogspot

In this fast, fun ride you will alternate between laughing, groaning, gasping in horror, and shaking your fist, and then back to laughing again. Read this book, friends. You will plow through it and enjoy every minute of it.  ~karlaellenbach-lastword.blogspot

Think John Hughes on paper. This is one of my favorite reads of the year...[it's] Pretty in Pink meets The Hangover meets Say Anything. DITCHED must be added to your "I must read this" pile. It is worth every single page.  ~bookemadventures.blogspot

Did you click on Read the 1st chapter  of Robin Mellom's  DITCHED and read it? What'cha think?

MY PLOT SUCKS! IT'S CONFUSING. BORING. MEANDERING....

Thank you Debbie Ridpath Ohi....you are amazing! 

Hey readers, click the link below to read not only Debbie's review but her roundup of what others say about this must have writing book, plus browse her blog for lots of other fab Book Review Comics.

Book Review Comic: The Plot Whisperer, by Martha Alderson (plus plotting tips & some plot cartoons)

STARRED KIRKUS review for GIRL MEETS BOY

CONGRATS to Kelly Milner Halls and all the contributors to GIRL MEETS BOY for your KIRKUS STAR!

Here's Kirkus' review:
This conceptually unique collection of short-story pairings by a constellation of teen-literature stars explores a variety of relationship types as the respective male and female involved in each one experience them.

In the first, a witty teen seeking to stop cheating on his girlfriends is drawn into a messy sexual relationship with a troubled (but hot) girl who is an abuse survivor. In another, a likable, tough girl muscles in on a bully who is harassing the object of her crush. In the third, a gay 17-year-old agrees to an in-person meeting with an online-chat buddy in a tale both sad and sweet. Two separate stories examine the strain felt by couples of different ethnic backgrounds as they struggle with prejudice and familial expectations. Finally, a boy re-encounters someone with whom he’s long been enamored, only to discover she’s undergone a transformation. Common themes—that are less about gender-based perceptions than they are about teens struggling to be seen and loved for who they truly are—knit these stories together. Each of the authors excels at creating vibrant, sympathetic, honest characters with voices that will appeal to older teens, male and female alike.

A superb offering—and therefore a shame that its cover design of a boy and girl in a clinch makes it look like a run-of-the mill romance, which may limit its appeal. (Short stories. 14 & up)

 CONGRATS to Joseph Bruchac, Chris Cruther, Terry Davis , Rebecca Fjelland Davis, Kelly Milner Halls, James Howe, Cynthia Leitich Smith, Randy Powell, Sara Ryan, Terry Trueman, Rita Williams-Garcia, Ellen Wittlinger and to editor Kelli Chipponeri at Chronicle!

OPEN TO QUERIES with NEW EMAIL + AUTORESPONDER

YOU SPOKE, I LISTENED...

To receive an auto-responder that lets you know I received your query, please send your query plus the first 10 pages of your manuscript pasted into the body of your email to: QueryJillCorcoran@gmail.com

I am OPEN to queries and look forward to reading your work. I do not use interns and read every query myself so rest assured I will be reading your query and pages. I respond to every query.

I represent Children's Books: Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade and Young Adult authors. No adult fiction or non-fiction, kid non-fiction or high fantasy, no poetry, screenplays, or plays.

To find out what I am looking for click on the SUBMISSIONS tab at the top of the blog.

"RIVETING" KIRKUS REVIEW of SHERRY SHAHAN'S ICE ISLAND

Congrats to Sherry Shahan and her editor Michelle Poploff!!

ICE ISLAND by Sherry Shahan (RANDOM HOUSE, 2012).

Riveting and atmospheric, this is a tale of teenage Tatum, who becomes lost and separated from her friend on an Alaskan island with only a team of dogs, a few supplies and her instincts to keep her alive. Thirteen-year-old Tatum's dream is to run the Iditarod. She and her mother travel from Nome, Alaska, to a remote, frozen island for her mother's job. There, Tatum meets Cole, a boy who shares her obsession with dog mushing. One morning, they head out with two dog teams for a practice run with Tatum’s beloved husky, Bandit, leading her sled. In vivid, crisp prose, the story accelerates as they veer off course and are enveloped in a blinding storm. Cole and Tatum rely on their training and resourcefulness as they face hunger and below-freezing temperatures. One particularly hair-raising event finds them on a frozen river surrounded by cracking ice. Tatum must eventually leave Cole behind and venture on for help alone. With time running out, Tatum has only her courage and her loving trust of the dogs to keep her from succumbing to the harsh elements and her fear. Told a fast-paced third-person, this survival adventure creates an almost otherworldly experience within a treacherous and bracingly beautiful landscape. As a race for survival, this is also an exhilarating sprint through the pages. (author’s note, glossary) (Adventure. 9-13)