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Hi! I’ve got loads of Thrice interviews coming up in 2014 to introduce you to some fabulous 2014 debuts. But before we start — why are they called Thrice interviews? The original titles for the Cahill Witch Chronicles were THRICE BLESSED, THRICE CURSED, and THRICE FATED. I have a tattoo with the word thrice, which is partly to remind me how joyful writing that first book was, back when it was just mine, and partly because I like threes. Cate Cahill is the oldest of three sisters, as am I. My birthday is May 3; my anniversary is Sept 30. So when I was trying to come up with a fun theme for these interviews, there was only one natural choice… Today we’re celebrating Lydia Kang’s debut, CONTROL, which came out one month ago today! They say:  An unputdownable thriller for fans of UGLIES. When a crash kills their father and leaves... Read More

Eep! Time for my first weekly check-in post. These are honestly just to keep me accountable, and I realize they are probably really really boring to anyone else. Sorry! But if you’re reading this, I invite you to weigh in with how you’re doing with your New Year’s resolutions or goals so far! Writing: I had planned to start working last week, but I got a monster cold and instead spent several days feeling miserable and doing precious little that was productive. Today I did revise the first chapter of my new YA proposal, though! I spent some time reading it aloud, which I found very helpful, and talking to The Playwright about the kind of mood/tone I’m trying to set. (boo for not being further along – but I am really happy with that one chapter!) Reading: I read and loved Veronica Rossi’s UNDER THE NEVER SKY novella BROOKE. It made... Read More

Marissa Meyer – fabulous author, friend, and my kindred spirit in list-making — posted her writing plan for 2014 this morning and looked at her business plan for 2013. I remembered that I’d written one last year, too. So…how did I do?  celebrate & promote BORN WICKED paperback release (Jan 3)  (done!) draft & revise (…and revise & revise) CAHILL BOOK 3 (done! My original goal to have a draft by February was wildly optimistic – it took until the end of April. However, I think it was the best first draft I’ve ever written; revisions were comparatively really light.) celebrate and promote STAR CURSED (June 18) (done, to the best of my ability? My father-in-law passed away on the day the book released, so I was obviously preoccupied with family matters.) submit proposal for potential option book  (sort of done? I’m revising the proposal right now with some great notes... Read More

Here are my top 10: 1. OUT OF THE EASY by Ruta Sepetys. Josie’s the daughter of a prostitute in 1950s New Orleans. She dreams of going to college back East –  but the murder of a tourist threatens to keep her in the tawdry world of mobsters and madams she’s grown up in. The French Quarter setting is incredibly vivid, and Josie’s yearning for a better life will resonate with anyone who’s ever had a big, seemingly impossible dream. 2. THE LUCY VARIATIONS by Sara Zarr: About a 16 year old pianist, Lucy, who gave up her brilliant career and hasn’t played since walking offstage in the midst of a competition 18 months ago – and what happens when her brother’s new piano teacher, Will, sparks her realization that she misses music. The relationship between Lucy and Will is…complex, and the characters all feel so deeply true, never reduced to caricature. The book... Read More

First – thank you so much to everyone who read and shared my Learning Year post. It got over 5000 hits in 2 days, which is an awful lot for this little blog. I was overwhelmed – in a nice way! – by the number of tweets, Facebook comments, blog comments, and private messages and emails from writers at every stage of their careers. To me, this indicates a real need for more transparency about the ups AND downs, successes AND struggles, of the writing and publishing life. It can be really difficult to make yourself so vulnerable – hey, internet, here are my innards! – but for me it was very worth it. I feel much lighter and less alone. Thank you all for that. And if you are ever feeling alone in it, but don’t want to post publicly – my inbox is always open for other writers.... Read More