A Blogversation: YA Romance by Lynn Lovegreen

Unlike genres, young adult (YA) is a category or age range. The main characters are teens, roughly 12-18 years old. You can find YA contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, mystery, and many other genres. I write YA historical fiction set in Alaska, and there’s always at least a thread of romance in there. YA romance is a perennial favorite. Why not—who can resist the first kiss, the high school date, all the heady experiences of teenage romance?

 

Some young adult novels focus on the love story and can be called true or straight YA romance. For example, Chris Cannon’s Boyfriend Chronicles series starts with Blackmail Boyfriend (http://www.chriscannonauthor.com/book-store/):

Sometimes, blackmail is the only weapon a girl has…

Haley Patterson has had a crush on golden boy Bryce Colton for ages. But when she hears a rumor that he hooked up with her she gives him a choice: be her boyfriend for a month to show other guys that she’s dateable—despite her overprotective and very intimidating brothers—or deal with the angry, cage-fighting boyfriend of the girl he actually did hook up with.

Bryce didn’t know the other Haley even had a boyfriend. He was just trying to get his ex off his back. And now, not only is he being blackmailed, he's being blackmailed by an honor student. His new “girlfriend” has two three-legged dogs, her father mows grass at the country club, and she's…well, difficult. And different.

Can something so fake turn into something real?

 

 

 

Pintip Dunn’s upcoming Dating Makes Perfect (http://www.pintipdunn.com/dating-makes-perfect) is another good example:

The Tech sisters don’t date in high school. Not because they’re not asked. Not because they’re not interested. Not even because no one can pronounce their long, Thai last name—hence the shortened, awkward moniker. But simply because they’re not allowed.

Until now.

In a move that other Asian American girls know all too well, six months after the older Tech twins got to college, their parents asked, “Why aren’t you engaged yet?” The sisters retaliated by vowing that they won’t marry for ten (maybe even twenty!) years, not until they’ve had lots of the dating practice that they didn’t get in high school.

In a shocking war on the status quo, her parents now insist that their youngest daughter, Orrawin (aka “Winnie”), must practice fake dating in high school. Under their watchful eyes, of course—and organized based on their favorite rom-coms. ’Cause that won’t end in disaster.

The first candidate? The son of their longtime friends, Mat Songsomboon—arrogant, infuriating, and way too good-looking. Winnie’s known him since they were toddlers throwing sticky rice balls at each other. And her parents love him.

If only he weren’t her sworn enemy.

 

Others integrate romance into the plot, like Sherry Thomas’ The Magnolia Sword: A Ballad of Mulan(https://www.sherrythomas.com/the-magnolia-sword-a-ballad-of-mulan.php):

CHINA, 484 A.D.

A Warrior in Disguise
All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel.

Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man.

A War for a Dynasty
Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling--the royal duke's son, who is also the handsomest man she's ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late.

Inspired by wuxia martial-arts dramas as well as the centuries-old ballad of Mulan, The Magnolia Sword is perfect for fans of Renee Ahdieh, Marie Lu, or Kristin Cashore--a thrilling, romantic, and sharp-edged novel that lives up to its beloved heroine. 

 

 

Let’s talk! What do you prefer, straight up YA romance, or a young romance woven into the story? Or maybe you have a title or author to recommend?

The Twilight Witch by Diana McCollum

My wip (work in progress) is "The Twilight Witch". 

My story is about Opal, a witch by birth and a conservationist/biologist studying the Coywolf pack in Nova Scotia. She is an albino and rarely goes out in the day time. Her familiar is a white wolf named Bowie. She lives & works in the New Breton forest. The leader of the Coywolves is tragically killed & she begins to suspect dark magic is at work.

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beautiful albino women free picture

The love interest is a back country skier who gets caught in an avalanche and is rescued by Opal and Bowie. Unbeknownst to her he is cursed and to break the curse he has to complete a task for a warlock. That task is to find the witch, Opal, and bring her to the warlock.

 I watched a documentary on PBS tv a few years ago about a hybrid wolf/coyote breed, nicknamed a coywolf. It seems the wolves in Eastern Canada have traveled down to Nova Scotia and inter-bred with coyotes. I Googled, don't we all?, to find out more. (Check out the above links for more info).

In the mean time, the warlock is doing his own hybrid experiments on turkey vultures, and human DNA. He is also experimenting with the DNA of the coywolves. Will Opal be able to stop him?

What do we have? A) a heroine who is a witch, and who is working to protect the environment and study the coy wolves. B) a familiar who is a white wolf C) a hero who is cursed, and who will have to make a choice once he finds out Opal is the witch he is searching for. D) the warlock who is playing "God" trying to create a new creature.Here's an excerpt from the rough draft.

Draft 1: Twilight Witch                                       Chapter One

      

On a bright winter morning in January, conservationist Opal Willows snowshoed through the woods of the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia forest. Winter was her favorite season, the one she was born in. Cloudy days were her friend and less harsh to skin and eyes of an albino like her. Today though, the sun and snow were brilliant. Her witch’s familiar, white wolf Bowie leaped through the recent snowfall and sent glistening plumes of crystalline snow into the air. He stopped to roll in it now and again

Opal stopped at a large balsam fir and detached her trail camera from the trunk. She checked the information screen and grinned. More than one hundred photos had been taken overnight! She removed the video chip and inserted a new one, and then secured the cam once more to the tree. She was thrilled the cam had showed more than one hundred photos. Busy night in the forest. She smiled to herself. One never knows which way to turn the cam to get the most pictures. I hit the jackpot last night.

Bowie’s howl came from deep in the dark forest. “Bowie! Come!” She shaded her eyes from the harsh sun, straining to see through the dark Polaroid sunglasses she wore to protect her eyes.

Bowie bounded out of the dark woods. He sat down thirty feet from her and stared intently. Opal knew that look the wolf had found something out of the ordinary. He turned and loped back into the woods. She followed the great white wolf into the forest. She flipped her sunglasses up on top of her head, to see better in the shadowy woodlands. The snow crunched under her snowshoes as she followed Bowie. Ahead of him she saw a spread of crimson on the snow, Bart, the alpha coywolf from pack CW 10, lay dead. One treacherous bullet hole through his spine. He was one of her favorite study subjects. Opal unlatched her snowshoes and fell to her knees.

Opal sucked in a breath as sheer black fright swept through her. “No, no, no! Not Bart, not now.”

She pulled her hands free of the warmth of her artic mittens. Shocked to her core she unzipped her jacket and clasped the stone of her magic opal pendant in her left hand.

A lot is going on in this paranormal. I'm about 1/2 way through writing it.Do you enjoy paranormal stories? If yes, what is the title of a paranormal you've read and liked?

Stay safe and sane in these crazy times.

My Current WIP: A Tough Note to Crack by Lynn Lovegreen

This month, Genre-istas are sharing their current WIPs (Works In Progress). My current project is a YA historical mystery with romantic elements—a good example of how you can mix and match those subgenres!

The idea started with a question: What if Veronica Mars was a teen in in Anchorage, Alaska in 1941?⁠

Fifteen-year-old Peggy Jones is the perky, fearless queen bee of Anchorage High School’s freshman class of 1941. She has plans to become first flute in Orchestra, Honor Society member, and future crème de la crème of the territory of Alaska. When the new kid’s flute is stolen, she gets the blame, and has to nab the thief to clear her name. Life gets complicated when the shy boy she’s just noticed becomes a suspect, Peggy’s best friend thinks she’s taking over her student government campaign, and her mother is keeping a secret from her. What’s a girl to do but take a cue from Humphrey Bogart and solve mysteries to keep her dreams alive?

Here’s the beginning:

It started with Humphrey Bogart.

I was halfway through filing thirty slips of paper with locker assignments when the third-period bell rang. My mind drifted off to more interesting things. A thousand miles away from Anchorage High School and Alaska, I searched the docks of San Francisco with Humphrey Bogart in The Maltese Falcon. I saw the movie three times at the Empress Theatre, so I could picture the fog rolling in and Bogart’s handsome face half in shadow from the brim of his fedora. If only I could solve a mystery with him and gaze into those dreamy brown eyes. I sighed. I glanced around to make sure that nobody overheard me.

Then the new kid walked in. A tall drink of water with a slim build and dark, he had wavy hair you could run your fingers through. His argyle sweater had seen better days, with stretched out sleeves and a fraying strand of yarn hanging from his waist. Standing next to him was an elegant, petite lady wearing a stylish velvet hat.

“Good morning, may I help you?” I asked in my best office girl voice. Excited at meeting a new student—and a cute boy— before anybody else, I bounced up on the toes of my new saddle shoes. Thank goodness Mother got me into this class as an extra elective—her status as president of the Anchorage Women’s Club and her friendship with the registrar sure came in handy. It kept me in the know around here, and out of boring old gym class.

 The woman opened her mouth, but the kid spoke up first. “We just got into town.” From the way he had his hands shoved in his pockets, he probably didn’t want to move here four weeks into the school year.  I could help set things right. 

“That’s great! Welcome!” I gestured to the office, the walls hung with festive orange and black pennants, and our eagle mascot. “I’m Peggy Jones, freshman. Pleased to meet you.” I stuck out my hand and shook both of theirs heartily, pep club and welcoming committee rolled into one.

Writers, what is your latest WIP? Or if you’re a reader, what’s the more recent read you really enjoyed?

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for over fifty years. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering at her local library. Her young adult historical fiction is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Instagram.

A Writer's Voice

A writer's voice bubbles over with their feelings about their topic. Change those feelings and the voice used changes with it. Sometimes its as easy as making a decision. I recently heard one author say he had found himself using the word “seedy” to describe inner cities too often. He stopped and took the time to imagine how that would affect a reader living in an inner city. Now he makes certain to never use that or related words, and notes that consciously seeking better ways to describe city life has changed the way he writes.

Voice changes naturally when writers have a specific audience in mind. Think of your speaking voice. I bet it changes naturally depending on your audience, just like mine does. I can baby talk with the best of them when facing an infant or toddler. A teen or tween, an acquaintance or friend, coworker or boss, to a relative about the boss all require different voices. When I concentrate on who my listener is, I code switch without needing to consciously think about the change.

A writer's voice is the sum of the choices he or she makes while communicating information about a subject, and information about themselves, to a particular audience. Personality, attitudes, beliefs, and feelings about things, all being conveyed to a certain audience. Mainstream authors who want to write inclusively should first work to develop an inclusive Voice. It’s not enough to just want to write about diverse characters. An author must accurately see, hear and feel the world their diverse characters inhabit. If they can’t do that, their reader won’t be able to either.

Don't try to please everyone and end up with that voiceless "designed by committee" manuscript. Find that special audience member, and work to please him or her.

Now take a deep breath and let your voice flow.

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Well, given the locale of my third Clubmobile Girls novel, my heroine might more readily exclaim: “Cobras and Tigers and Elephants, oh my!”

Yes, we are headed to exotic and mystical India in my next WWII romance novel. Many readers won’t remember that Americans fought and died in India during WWII (or why), so I’m composing a prefatory note to set the stage. Trying to distill the high points into a succinct summary has impressed on me just how complex a situation my hero and heroine will face. Nationalist protests, riots and strikes roil the country during these waning days of the British Raj, famine results in suffering and starvation on a mass scale in large swathes of the country, intrigue abounds as the Indians, British, American, and Chinese jockey to advance their favored military and post-war strategic interests, guerrilla forces battle the enemy and the environment in the steamy jungles of Burma and northeast India, and Hump pilots making daily trips over the Himalayas in the worst airspace on earth face untold hazards to keep China supplied with vital food and military supplies.

My heroine is delighted and enthralled from the moment she catches sight of Bombay from the harbor. India is as far away from her small hometown in Missouri and her troubled past as it is possible to imagine. And while she initially focuses on the potential for adventure and a fresh start, she must all too quickly confront a myriad of challenges to her worldview of India and to her goals and plans.

By contrast, my hero wants nothing more than to escape India at the earliest possible opportunity. A son of American missionaries to Burma who attended boarding school in northwest India, he is anxious to return to America and his future in the ivy-covered halls of academia. He had, after all, already done his part for the war, flying combat missions with the Flying Tigers in the earliest months of the war. But escaping the lure of this labyrinthine land he had called home most of his life, not to mention a call of duty he is uniquely qualified to offer, proves difficult. The bright and brave young woman he cannot evict from his heart complicates things all the more.

            I would love to say that this more sequestered and slower paced life I’ve been leading has translated into huge daily word counts. Alas, that has not been the case. But I am nearing the end of my research process, have a good solid start in the early chapters, and have committed to start meeting that 1000-1500 word count daily goal again this week. I know I’m not the only author who has had difficulty with overall focus and productive habits in these challenging times. And the research required to corral the myriad competing potential plot points for this vast and complex setting has been an enormous undertaking. So that’s a long way of saying I am trying to give myself permission and space to let this story bloom gradually, rather than second-guessing whether I ought to have more to show for such an extended period of being largely housebound!  

I hope all of you continue to take care of yourself and your loved ones and stay in good spirits as we continue to adjust to a new normal.

You can learn more about me and my novels on my website, and you can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. 

You can purchase my first two Clubmobile Girls novels on Amazon.

It's Only the Beginning!

By: Marcia King-Gamble 

www.lovemarcia.com

Don’t do as I say, although somehow, it’s worked for me. By this I mean don’t start a project and then never finish it unless you have to.  The panster in me, makes this a recurring problem. Actually, not a problem, the way I see it, it’s an opportunity

What’s a panster?   A panster isn’t a plotter, that’s for sure. It’s a writer who lets things happen and writes what pops into her head until the plot comes together.  That means no extravagant plotting boards, charts, or Excel spreadsheets. No meticulous note taking about what has to happen before pen makes contact with paper, or fingers connect with keyboard.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with plotting out the details of your story. It’s just not my personality and so not right for me.  Panstering is how I roll, and what works for me.

What I’ve learned from being in the writing business twenty plus years is you spend three to four months writing and perfecting a book, (I write fast,) only to submit and not hear back for six months to a year. Sometimes it’s taken two years to get feedback.  By then I could have sold that manuscript to someone else or published it myself. This was especially annoying back in the day when multiple submissions were frowned on. You submitted, then prayed and hoped you’d hear back soon. After a year or so, you received the dreaded rejection. Here is one that became an actual book.

Because of this annoying factor, I learned to write many stories consisting of just three chapters.  These chapters I polished to perfection and sent out to editors. My justification for doing this is that by the time the editor got back to me, I would have written the book. Frankly, this process has saved me a lot of wasted time and anguish. Often if the editor really liked the book, they worked with me to deliver in a couple of months. If the three chapters were rejected, then I had a work still in progress and I would refine the manuscript in my spare time.

The upside is endless manuscripts that have beginnings and no endings. This means I always have something at the ready should a publisher start a new line or look for something specific. A manuscript in the developmental stage also allows me to make easy adjustments.

Recently, I brushed off a manuscript started about five years ago and eliminated all the sex scenes. This particular publisher wanted a sweet story line. That was a heck of a lot easier to do since I was only four or five chapters in. Had I written the entire book; it would have been an enormous rewrite.

Another plus is having something ready to present on the fly. In traditional publishing, the standard question is, “what else are you working on?” What I’ve also found, is if I leave a manuscript and come back to it months later, I come at it with a fresh eye. The plot may take a completely different twist, or a concept I have been struggling with suddenly jells. 

There was one story that I knew something was off but couldn’t put a finger on it. Years later I realized the conflict needed a tweak. There just wasn’t enough there for the reader to root for either of my characters. Then it clicked. Back to writing 101. Two dogs fighting over one bone. I came up with something relevant that would matter to my character and to my readers. So, yes deepen the plot.  

 The long-winded answer, when anyone asks me what I’m working on, is many things. I’m a good multi-tasker, and I bore quickly, so alternating between stories keeps me motivated and fresh.

 On the burner now is another H. E. Caldwell story. So far there have been two. First there was Elle’s story in By Design.  And now my latest release, Cyndy’s story in By Heart. My other work in progress is tentatively titled Dr. in the House. This one’s   about a plus-size model, who just wallows in the attention she’s getting. Her love interest, however, shies away from publicity of any kind. Now that’s a problem.  This is a rags to riches story.

What I am currently working on is a story of an internet friendship, forged because of loss. The women are brought together in person when once again tragedy hits.

Before I wrap things up, one last question, which do you find to be the more compelling opening hook?  

A/ Eboni with an i was trouble on steroids. She was exactly the kind of trouble he didn’t need.

B/ “If there’s a doctor onboard, please ring your call button.”

 

As you can see, this summer I am working hard to better my hooks. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Stay Safe and be Happy!

 

Here's the perfect beach read. 14 short stories  and it comes with a free companion cocktail book you can download here: https://www.amazon.com/Cocktails-Last-Chance-Beach-Reeves-ebook/dp/B08DR4K3YX

 

Find Marcia King-Gamble Online

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Romance writer, Marcia King-Gamble originally hails from a sunny Caribbean island where the sky and ocean are the same mesmerizing shade of blue. This travel industry executive and current world traveler has spent most of life in the United States. A National Bestselling author, Marcia has penned over 34 books and 8 novellas. Her free time is spent at the gym, traveling to exotic locales, caring for her animal family, and trying to keep sane.

It's not too late to enter this week's drawing to win this prize:  Just sign up for my mailing  list, here.https://www.facebook.com/Marcia-King-Gamble-12364168212/app/141428856257/ or purchase By Heart https://www.amazon.com/Heart-H-Caldwells-Book-ebook/dp/B08CRC78W1/ or Last Chance Beach: Summer's End https://www.amazon.com/Last-Chance-Beach-Summers-End-ebook/dp/B08CV3GN3R/