Muse on Strike?

How do you get a striking muse to get back to work? See my tips over at YA Authors You've Never Heard Of.

Looking Ahead to 2012

I think this is going to be a good year. I've got three projects in various stages that I'm working on.

The first is Reality Ali. I'm in edits on that for a publication date sometime this spring. I'm very excited about this story finally making it's way into the world. Ali is a story that went through more edits and variations than I can count and she deserves her day in the sun. I'll be talking about this story a lot in the months ahead.

Next is Emily's Song. This is the story that I'm currently shopping around, so hopefully the year will bring good news for this time travel story.

And finally, I'm in early revisions on a new story - working title Once Upon a Princess. This was this year's NaNoWriMo story and now it's time to whip it into shape. Early revisions are exciting, because although the basics of the story are in place, there is still so much possibility to work with.

I'm looking forward to a great writing year.

How about anyone else? What are your hopes, dreams, plans?

A New Year a New Start

The year has turned. The calendar has changed. It's a time for looking back and reflecting and looking ahead and planning.

This year I have something big to look forward to. My second book, Reality Ali, will be coming out with Zumaya Publications this spring.

Look for more information as the year unfolds.

Happy New Year!

Poetry Friday - Snow White

It's been awhile since I've posted for Poetry Friday, but my 14 year old daughter recently presented me with a couple of new poems, so I thought I'd share one of them. This is Snow White. You think you know the story, right? Well, here's another take.

Snow White

by KRM

Her body,

Wax in a coffin

Her smiles, her charm

Hardened into the frowns of

Death

I wanted to reach out and touch

My childhood friend

My sweet Bianca

My Snow

But her Guardians

Squat, squinty old

Men

Wouldn't let me.

Her hands are clasped

Over her heart,

An apple

Blood-red, ripe is

Clutched in them

Over her stopped heart

As I turn away, I notice

That

And that

There's a bite in the apple.

A Guardian with

A long beard and circular

Glasses

Growls at me that it's decoration.

A bite?

I ask

He harrumphs and won't

Speak more.

Bianca's gone.

Who cares about

A stupid apple?

My heart is heavy

As I walk back to my

Steed

Ready to go home

Home without my

Bianca

But something pulls me back

I pause

I can't leave;

Not yet

I can't leave

Bianca here

Alone

With these crones

I'll take her body with me

I'll stand vigil

With her

I won't leave her

No

Not yet.

I tell the Guardians

And the look sort of

Shocked

I plead to caress her

Skin one last time

Before I stand vigil

Over my best friend.

Reluctant

Wary

They open the coffin

A lid of glass

In my mind

I think of Bianca

As free

She can escape

With me

Now

I touch her

Afraid at first

And then,

(I don't know what I'm

Doing)

I lean over and kiss her

Like she never let me

In real life

If she were

Alive,

She'd kill...

Her eyes blink open

She screams against my kiss

She pushes me away

Xavier!

She cries my name

What the hell

Are you doing?

My princess.

She's back

And I don't know

How I did it.

The Poetry Friday Round up is by Julie Larios at The Drift Record. Stop by for great poems.

Talking about Required Reading

Does being forced to read classics make students smarter, or does it just annoy them? Join the conversation over at YA Authors You've Never Heard Of.

Are We Writing For the Typical Teen?

And should we be?

Just who is the 'typical' teen anyway?

My take on this over at YA Authors You've Never Heard Of.

Pop Culture and Contemporary Stories

I'm blogging about pop culture over at YA Authors You've Never Heard Of today. Stop by and join the conversation.