In addition to a fantasy-filled #BookRave, featuring DAUGHTER OF THE BURNING CITY by Amanda Foody, and OBSIDIAN AND STARS by Julie Eshbaugh, I'll be posting a Q&A with author and YouTube sensation, Kim Chance, as well as interviews with William C. Morris award winner, Stephanie Kuehn, and sci-fi and fantasy author, Mary Fan! Be sure to check out my upcoming posts this August for giveaway information, writing tips, and more! To learn more about specific titles, click on the links below and add them to your Goodreads list now! Wednesday, August 2 — Author & Vlogger, Kim Chance, talks about her 2018 debut & what you need to know about freelance editing Thursday, August 10 — Stephanie Kuehn and

​​ Brighton Walsh is a writer of romance and New Adult, and is multi-published with Berkley, St. Martin’s Press, and Carina Press. Her work has earned her many starred reviews, and in 2015, Caged in Winter was named one of the top 10 best romances of 2015 and one of the 101 best romances of the past decade! Be sure to check out all of Brighton's books on Goodreads and visit her author website at ww.brightonwalsh.com. Hi, Brighton, and congrats on your fourth time mentoring in Pitch Wars! Publishing is subjective, but what (in your opinion) do all the stand-out entries have in common? Thank you! I can’t wait to dive into the subs this year. As for the stand-out entries from past years, no one

​​ Susan Gray Foster is mentoring for the second year in a row. In addition to writing YA, Susan is a teacher, a songwriter, and she also offers book coaching and editing services through Author Accelerator. You can find out more about her on her author website at susangrayfoster.wordpress.com. Hi, Susan! This is your second time mentoring Pitch Wars. Publishing is subjective, but what (in your opinion) do the stand-out entries have in common? Both the query and the opening chapter give a clear sense of the protagonist and the type of story, and make the reader care and want to read on. (Sorry, this is one of those deceptively simple non-answers, but it’s the truth!) What part of the writing

​​ Today I have author Amanda Foody on the blog! Her debut novel, Daughter of the Burning City, was released yesterday and it's been racking up praise from such notable authors as Tamora Pierce and Roshani Chokshi. Described as "a darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires", The Daughter of the Burning City definitely sounds like an unforgettable read! And now, here's my chat with Amanda. Hi, Amanda, and congrats on your debut! Can you tell us a little bit about Daughter of the Burning City and the inspiration behind it? I started writing Daughter for a Writing Children’s Literat

​​ Kerbie Addis is co-mentoring for the second year in a row alongside Mónica Bustamante Wagner (this will be Mónica's SIXTH time mentoring!). Mónica is a YA/NA writer living in Chile, and Kerbie is an intern at a NYC literary agency. Kerbie also has a bachelor’s in English and a minor in Latin and is studying in the master’s program at Texas Woman’s University to become a librarian. And now for the Q&A! Hi, Kerbie, and welcome! This is your second time mentoring alongside Mónica Bustamante Wagner. Can you tell us a little bit about the pros of co-mentoring and how you balance feedback? I can answer this both as a co-mentor and as a mentee with co-mentors. The pros are obviously that Mónica

​​ Cindy Baldwin is co-mentoring this year along with Amanda Rawson Hill. They're both writers of Middle Grade, and they're super eager to find the next mentee to add to their tribe. Be sure to check out this great post written by Cory Leonardo (one of their past mentees!) on why you should sub to Cindy and Amanda: Why You Should Submit to #TeamMascaraTracks: A Recommendation from Cory Leonardo. And now for the Q&A! Hi, Cindy! This is your second time mentoring alongside Amanda Rawson Hill. Can you tell us a little bit about the pros of co-mentoring and how you balance feedback? I am a big fan of co-mentoring, as long as you’ve got the right co-mentor! It’s really nice to be able to have som

​​ Michael Mammy is co-mentoring for the second year in a row alongside Dan Koboldt. Michael is a teacher and former soldier. He writes Science Fiction, and sometimes fantasy, usually revolving around military characters. His blog at michaelmammy.com is both funny and insightful. A must read for any writer! In addition to being the author of The Rogue Retrieval, and The Island Deception, Dan Koboldt is the founder of #SFFpit, and he's a research scientist working in the field of genetics. He's co-authored over 70 publications in Nature, JAMA, and The New England Journal of Medicine, and other journals. Dan also maintains a blog at MassGenomics, where he writes about his work and next-generat

​​ J.R. Yates is a second-time mentor, co-mentoring alongside Kelly Siskind. She is a member of the Alexandra Writers’ Centre, and RWA, and in addition to writing, she works as a pediatric speech language pathologist. Kelly Siskind is a 2015 Golden Heart® Finalist, and her books include: CHASING CRAZY, MY PERFECT MISTAKE, A FINE MESS, HOOKED ON TROUBLE. You can check them all out on Goodreads here. And now for the Q&A! Hi, J.R.! This is your second time mentoring Pitch Wars. Publishing is subjective, but what (in your opinion) do the stand-out entries have in common? Great question. Anything with a fresh concept, something I’ve never seen, or those that have terrific conflict, where you read

​​ Kelli Newby is co-mentoring for the first time alongside Mary Ann Marlowe. In addition to writing, Kelli is an English Professor, teaching composition, dramatic lit, fantasy lit, and fantasy writing. This year marks Mary Ann Marlowe's third time mentoring Pitch Wars (she was also a mentee in 2014!). Her debut novel, SOME KIND OF MAGIC released to great reviews earlier this year, and her second book, A CRAZY KIND OF LOVE, will be out in December. And now for the Q&A! Hi, Kelli, and welcome! As a playwright and a novelist, how do you decide which story ideas are meant for the theatre and which are better as books? What genre I write in has more to do with the situation rather than the idea.

​​ In addition to being a Pitch Wars mentor for 2017, Julia Nobel is a 2016 mentee who writes primarily middle grade mystery. Her debut, The Order of Black Hollow Lane, was picked up by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky and is set for release in spring of 2019. She also offers craft-based webinars through her website at julianobel.com. Hi, Julia, and welcome! As a writer of Middle Grade mysteries, do you have any tips for cultivating an authentic MG voice? That’s such a great question! The MG voice can be so elusive and difficult to cultivate. But I absolutely believe that writing with great voice is a skill that can be learned. I’m actually teaching a webinar on voice through Pitch Wars later in the

​​ Tara Creel is co-mentoring for the first time alongside third-time-mentor, Jenna Lehne (who mentored Tara last year!). As a 2016 mentee, Tara writes primarily in the picture book and middle grade categories. She also offers editorial services for writers, through Write On Editing, crafts book reviews for The Deseret News, and to top if off, she's an editor for Month9Books, Tantrum Division. Jenna Lehne writes spooky YA/MG, and can be found blogging at The Midnight Society. Her books include: SECOND HAND LACE, and the fun and quirky anthology, A PIZZA MY HEART. And now to the Q&A! Hi, Tara, and welcome! In addition to writing YA, MG, and picture books, you’re an editor for Month9Books, you

Heads up to all the writers out there! Are you looking for a query critique, or a critique of your first 5 pages? Then please check out the #KindWriters contest happening on Twitter this Wednesday and Thursday, July 19-20. #KindWriters is the brainchild of author, Tamara Girardi. Writers can use the hashtag to tweet about a random act of kindness they have committed, and in turn, they can earn a chance (or chances!) to win either a query critique or a critique of their first 5 pages (document must be double spaced). And even more than that—a small act of kindness just might change someone's day for the better. :) Check out Tamara's guest post below! It details all the info you need to know a

​​ Hey, ravers! The July #BookRave giveaway is live! Check out the Rafflecopter below and GET RAVING for your chance to win one of three prizes. This month we're featuring Emily Bain Murphy's mysterious and magical debut, THE DISAPPEARANCES, as well as a sexy book bundle from Molly E. Lee that includes: EDGE OF CHAOS and EDGE OF BLISS. Or you could win a $10 Amazon gift card! For more about our authors, and to see who's already raving about their books, click on this post: Get Raving for #BookRave in July! ENTER THE #BookRave GIVEAWAY HERE! Winners must respond within 24 hours to claim their prize. ​The window for the #BookRave giveaway closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday, July 14th,

​​ Pardon the squeeing, but today I have author Emily Bain Murphy on the blog! Her debut novel has already been racking up rave reviews. Described by Kirkus as “delightfully whimsical and unsettling . . . a story bursting with color and originality”, The Disappearances has been named a Bookish Must Read YA Book of the Summer, and a Barnes & Noble Teen Most Anticipated Book of the Second Half of 2017. And it's definitely sitting at the top of my TBR! Click here to read the first two chapters posted by HMH Teen. And now, here's my chat with Emily! Hi, Emily! Congrats on your debut, The Disappearances ! Can you tell us a little about the story and what inspired it? Thank you! The Disappearances

​​ Hey, ravers! Our first #BookRave was a great success and it's all thanks to you! We appreciated every tweet and re-post, as every share meant a chance for another reader to get involved and write more reviews for the books and authors they love. For the July #BookRave, we're excited to be featuring Emily Bain Murphy's gorgeous debut, THE DISAPPEARANCES, and a super sexy book bundle from Molly E. Lee including: EDGE OF CHAOS and EDGE OF BLISS. Or you could win a $10 Amazon gift card! See what people are already saying about our fabulous featured books: Emily Bain Murphy grew up in Indiana, Hong Kong, and Tokyo, and has also called Massachusetts and Connecticut home.She loves books, Japanes

It's almost time to set off the fireworks and I have some super exciting things planned for July! In addition to the July #BookRave (featuring THE DISAPPEARANCES, EDGE OF CHAOS, AND EDGE OF BLISS), I'll be posting interviews with incredible debut YA authors, Emily Bain Murphy and Amanda Foody, as well as a series of Q&A's with 2017 Pitch Wars mentors! Check out the upcoming posts for giveaway information, writing tips, and some of the mentors talking about the #amwriting life and what they're looking for in a mentee. To learn more about specific titles, click on the links below and add them to your Goodreads list now! Thursday, July 6 — Emily Bain Murphy and THE DISAPPEARANCES Wednesday, J