Showing posts with label library. Show all posts
Showing posts with label library. Show all posts

Upcoming Event on August 5th

I'm joining some local authors at a library event and hope you'll stop by! I'll have copies of Crow's Rest, Capturing The Castle, and some Preston Castle prints for sale.

I participated in a panel of fantasy authors over the weekend, and you may want to check out some resources on the urban fantasy genre that I posted on Operation Awesome today.

Also, if you weren't able to come see the panel in person, I've uploaded a video of it. We had some issues with our backup battery failing, so we didn't quite film the entire thing, but there are some gems in it! This video unfortunately lost some video resolution, so I'll post a highlights reel later. (Update: the highlights reel has been added below the full video)

Since it may be hard to recognize us on sight, the panel is (L to R): Moderator Jen Garrett, Author Christina Mercer, Author Angelica R. Jackson, Author Jessica Taylor, Author Heather Marie.



And if you can't quite commit to that 1-hour-plus video, here's the highlights reel

Upcoming Panel Appearance

Save the date for my premiere as part of a panel of fantasy writers! And...the book trailer for Crow's Rest will be making its debut at the panel! It's happening at the Placerville branch of the El Dorado County Library:

Fantasy Authors Unveil Writing Secrets Placerville Library
Saturday, Jan. 3, 1:00 pm

Are you a fan of the world of fantasy in all its many forms, spectrums and realms? Are you an aspiring author looking for advice from those who have come before, those who have battled in the trenches of book publishing and emerged victorious? Join our four published authors as they answer ALL of your questions about writing the fantasy genre and share with you their writing journeys.

OUR AUTHORS:

Urban Fantasy: Angelica R. Jackson – In keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, Angelica R. Jackson has far too many interests to list here. She has an obsession with creating more writing nooks in the home she shares with her husband and two corpulent cats in California's Gold Country. Fortunately, the writing nooks serve for reading and cat cuddling too. Other pastimes include cooking for food allergies (not necessarily by choice, but she’s come to terms with it), photography, and volunteering at a local no-kill cat sanctuary. @angelicarjaxon

Magical Realism: Jessica Taylor - A young adult novelist who adores sleepy southern settings, unrequited love, and characters who sneak out late at night. After earning Bachelor’s degrees in English and communication studies, she decided to go all out and get her law degree too. She soon realized her one true love had always been writing young adult fiction. She lives in Northern California with a sweet-yet-spoiled dog and many teetering towers of books. Her young adult magical realism debut, Wandering Wild, is slated for fall 2015 release from Egmont USA. @JessicaTaylorYa

High Fantasy: Christina Mercer - An award-winning author of fiction for children and young adults. Honored titles include Tween Fantasy Arrow of the Mist and its sequel Arms of Anu, and Young Adult Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance Honey Queen. She is also an accountant and certified herbalist, enjoying life in the foothills of Northern California with her husband, two sons, a pack of large dogs, and about 100,000 honey bees. For about her and her writing visit www.christinamercer.com @cwritebuzz

Dark Paranormal: Heather Marie - She spends the majority of her time at home reading. Before she followed her dreams of becoming a writer, Heather worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for several years. Although she enjoyed the artistic aspect of it all, nothing quite quenched her creative side like the telling of a good story. When the day had come for her to make a choice, she left behind her promising career to start another, and never looked back. @HeatherMarieYA Sponsored by Friends of the Library.

Thanks so much to Jen Garrett and The Writer's Bloc writing group for inviting us, and hope to see you all there!

P.S. Myu publicist is getting together a mini-blog tour for the book trailer (after Jan 3), so if you'd like to participate let me know, and I'll forward your info to my publicist.




My Name is Angelica, and I'm a YA Addict

Author Beth Revis made good use of her event schedule this summer by scoring signed copies of books by some of her favorite fellow YA authors. And what's more, she's opened up a contest to give away an entire library of said books!


I must admit that I'm a fanatical convert to young adult books. I'd always read them here and there, but at this point I rarely even go into the adult fiction section at a library or bookstore. And even my e-book purchases are about 85% YA, and 15% other (nonfiction and adult fiction).

I do love that YA is full of firsts, and this jaded middle-aged woman can experience them all over again. But I think what keeps me going back to YA the most is the pacing. I've always had a low tolerance for literary fiction because I always felt like I was waiting for something to happen.

YA authors definitely do not have that luxury--if it doesn't hook a teen, they put it down. And interestingly, as a teen I was pretty stubborn about always finishing books. I might start skimming, but I would always want to see how it ends.

It's only as an adult, with more demands on my time plus a greater understanding of what I look for in a book, that I will now set books aside without finishing them. And reading YA has helped me with pacing my own books as well, even if they're not intended for a YA audience.

What about you? What makes you keep coming back to YA?