Bookish Things Are Happening!

Wow, you guys. It has been a LOOOONG time since I blogged about bookish happenings. I'm here to fix that with some good news.

Since it's been a while, here's a quick recap of what's happened/happening with my newest YA novels:

In November 2015, I announced that I had sold a YA contemporary called BUSTED to Annette Pollert-Morgan at Sourcebooks.

Since the pub date (now confirmed as 1-2-18) was pretty far out, not much happened for quite some time. But now?

Now things are happening!!! Like what, you ask?

Like the COVER REVEAL (eeeep!) that will take place on 5/25 (one week from today!), at YABooksCentral.com.

But you don't have to wait for reveal day if you'd like to reserve your copy. BUSTED is already available for pre-order on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495119460&sr=8-1&keywords=busted+by+gina+ciocca and you can also add it to your Goodreads shelves.

You might also remember that when I announced my book deal for LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE, (LYM, BTW, just got picked up as an audio book that will be available in July. You can pre-order it here.) I noted that it was a 2-book contract. The second book was slated to come out in 2016, but holy crap, did the sophomore curse hit me with a vengeance.

I spent way too much time rewriting a manuscript that just wasn't working. Then my editor left. I was assigned a new one, and we got on the phone to have a chat. She told me the manuscript I'd been toiling over would either have to be rewritten (again), or scrapped. I knew I didn't have it in me to keep forcing a square peg into a round hole. So I came up with a brand-new concept, one that I, and everyone at Pulse, felt good about. Pub date got moved out to 2017 because, well, I had a whole new novel to draft.

Dreaming up the concept proved to be the easy part. Getting the damn thing written was another story. I hired a babysitter so I'd at least have the *time* to write, but the finished product turned out to be 81,000-words of HOT MESS. Luckily, my editor saw hope in that steaming pile of poo, but the pub date was moved out again, this time to 2018.

I didn't talk much about this book, because I was starting to think it would never really happen. But after two rounds of intense editing and re-writing, I handed in a draft that I was proud of. I had a feeling I'd finally gotten it right. After forty-one torturous days of waiting, I found out that my editor agreed.

And that's when I promptly added this to my online profiles:

Not only is A KISS IN THE DARK going to be a real book that will go on sale 3/06/18, but on 5/29, YABooksCentral will be revealing its absolutely freaking gorgeous cover.

Hope to see you there!

That about sums it up for bookish updates. What good news do you have to share?

On The "Why" of the 2017 Women's Marches

January 21st, 2017: The day women on every continent gathered in record numbers to march in protest of Donald Trump's election.

Photo credit: PoliticUSA

Photo Credit: M.B. Paul

I never thought so many people would question the validity and necessity of these marches. But if my Twitter and Facebook feeds are any indication, people are still woefully unaware that a) Women are still being discriminated against, assaulted, raped, defined by their looks, screwed out of their rightful pay, and generally demeaned on a daily basis and that b) Just because you know plenty of women who live decent lives does not mean you get to bury your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine.

I want to talk about this post shared by my cousin on FB: 

It should go without saying that if someone hasn't granted you permission to touch her, you keep your f***ing hands to yourself. And judging by the responses to her post, it's a concept that most people claim to understand.

Because, you see, the responses were ones of shock and outrage and disgust. Which is appropriate. But also kind of puzzling to me, considering that many of the people who responded this way had also voted for Donald Trump. Who, as most of us will never forget, famously said this:

So my cousin confesses to being groped, and the people who know her respond with anger and indignation. They didn't witness the incident, but no one (as of yet) assumed that she wasn't being truthful. No one accused her of having a score to settle with this person. No one asked what she'd been wearing, or if she'd been drinking, or other idiotic questions that presume she somehow brought the unwanted attention on herself, since a man can't be expected to know right from wrong.

And those are the appropriate reactions.

But when Donald Trump, a known misogynist who was once quoted as saying, "Women, you gotta treat 'em like shit," is accused of rape, sexual harassment, and assault of multiple women, these same people, and many, MANY others were quick to dismiss these women as:
- liars
- scam artists
- gold diggers
- attention seekers
- whores
- figments of "leftist trash" imaginations

It's that last one that bothers me most. That people are more comfortable dismissing an accusation of rape by a 13-year-old girl as propaganda, because by erasing her, they are erasing any guilt they might have in voting for him.

And that's when memes like this start appearing on Facebook:

Why do so few people seem to know that in 1990, well before the election, Trump's first wife, Ivana, also accused of him raping her, but then modified the statement as part of the divorce settlement? Or that Trump's lawyer's response was, "You can't rape your spouse?" Or that in 13 states, this is actually a true statement?

More important, why are so few people willing to rally around victims of sexual assault? Why does it have to happen to YOUR mother, sister, daughter, niece, friend, etc., before it's an outrage... or even before it's the truth?

If women have to wait until they're part of your inner circle before you're willing to show support and solidarity, then there's no hope for justice.

But we wonder why the accusers don't come forward right away.

Wake up, people. Women are not carrying mace or taking self-defense classes for protection against one another. We're not constantly looking over our shoulders or guarding our drinks because we're afraid of what another woman might do to us.

And so, to the people who acted horrified and incensed over my cousin's harassment, and to those who would be outraged and incensed if it happened to one of your own, BUT AWARDED YOUR VOTE TO A MAN WHO ADMITTED DOING TO OTHER WOMEN WHAT HAD BEEN DONE TO HER, these women marched against your hypocrisy.

Your Facebook comments say, He had no right.
Your support of Donald Trump says, He had every right.

This. This is why women (and children and men) marched.

Photo credit: N. Natalino

Because, as this article so eloquently points out, women are still not equal to men.

Photo credit: K. Broderick

Because every right we take for granted was given to us by women who fought their asses off for it, including the right to vote. And even so, we still live in a country that worships rich white men. Where they are not only excused, but rewarded for behaving like scum bags. Where they can mock the disabled, monger fear against entire races and religions, publicly call women fat, ugly, pigs, dogs, bimbos, pieces of ass, etc., and it's not even close to a deal breaker. Where people find it easier to blame victims than stand behind them.

Because people who claim to care about the women in their lives see the things that Donald Trump has said and done and still refuse to say HE HAD NO RIGHT, HE HAS NO RIGHT, HE WILL NEVER HAVE THE RIGHT.

These women marched in order to say it for you. You're welcome.

Photo Credit: P. Osborn

Photo credit: P. Osborn

"BUT!" some will say. "Donald Trump is a Christian man, fighting for the rights of unborn babies!"

How anyone believes that a man who referred to breastfeeding as "disgusting," and children as "an inconvenience to employers" really gives a shit about the "rights" of unborn babies is beyond me.

Let's pretend for a minute that he does. Let's also stop pretending that all unplanned pregnancies are results of willful, irresponsible, consensual acts of debauchery.

Let's instead say that one of these men, who, like Trump, believes women are theirs for the taking, rapes your (insert daughter, niece, sister, wife, friend, here). And it results in her becoming pregnant.

How do you tell a female you claim to love, a female who's probably grown up hearing that she needs to respect her body, that it's her obligation to carry and bear a constant physical reminder of the day someone else disrespected it? That allowing her body to heal from the attack she never asked for (no matter what anyone else says), is secondary to the "rights" of the cluster of cells growing inside it? That she's supposed to see this as a gift? A "miracle?" What if she's a minor? What if he infected her with a sexually transmitted disease, that can potentially be passed down to the fetus? What if she's already married, with other children? How does she explain to them that they need to live with a daily memento of why women like their mom need to be scared ALL. THE. TIME?

These women marched because the only person with the right to make that call is the person in that situation. And it's sure as hell never going to be Donald Trump, or any other man in Congress, who will never walk one step in a woman's shoes.

Photo Credit: NYMag

So for those of you fist-pumping over Trump's determination to de-fund "baby killing" establishments like Planned Parenthood, here's a newsflash: Some PP facilities don't even perform abortions.

But they *will* perform cancer screenings, pap smears, and other life-saving procedures for women who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Like my best friend, who was sent to Planned Parenthood when the emergency room brushed off her abdominal pain as menstrual upon finding out she did not have health insurance. It was PP that performed an ultrasound and sent her back to the ER. Her "menstrual problems?" Turned out to be a blood clot the size of a quarter in her abdomen.

And so, these women are marching because they understand that Planned Parenthood is in the business of saving lives, not ending them.

Photo Credit: Twitter

There are so many other reasons that these women gathered to march. And despite popular belief, not one of those reasons is because women want Donald Trump to fail as president.

I haven't seen a single picture of a woman holding a sign that says, "FAIL, MOTHERF***ER!" And that's because women want the exact opposite. We want him to prove that he cares about us. We want him to prove that we've been heard. We want him to acknowledge that we're people, not objects - no matter what our race, or religion, or sexual orientation. Regardless of disability or how we look, what color our skin is, or how we govern our bodies.

These women marched because they *don't* want Donald Trump to fail us. They want him to make up for all the ways in which he already has.

Photo credit: I.M. Calovine

Kickass Queries Series! #13 - Greg Andree

Happy Autumn, everyone!

With the new season comes a new installment of the Kickass Queries Series, this time featuring Greg Andree and his query for INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM, which nabbed him representation from Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates.

THE QUERY:

Dear Ms. Flum,

I am seeking representation for my contemporary YA novel THE INCONCEIVABLE SCOTT WISDOM. I’m querying you because when tweeting about Supergirl, John Oliver, and other topics I can see your sense of story, politics, and humor are very similar to mine. I think you’ll particularly like Izzy Kim, one of my main characters. She’s smart, funny, and always calls people on their nonsense.  I hope you’ll see yourself as a good fit for this project.

 Scott Fischer is the chosen one. He will take on the mantle of Wisdom and . . . write an advice column.

Words of Wisdom has been a part of Prince Henry High School’s newspaper for over one hundred years, and for unknown reasons Scott has been chosen to carry on the tradition. He isn’t the best writer, student, or anything else, but he's determined to breathe new life into this assignment. Though how can Scott give other people advice when his own life is so broken?

Yura "Izzy" Kim is a force of chaos who inserts herself into Scott’s life. She is a feminist that loves to play with surrealism in her art. She has plans within plans for Wisdom, Scott, and the school that will be an artistic masterpiece.

Oh yeah, and Dennis, the guy from homeroom? He's formed a cult based on Scott's Words of Wisdom, and Principal Lewis is not a fan.

While writing his column and trying to maintain a secret identity Scott stumbles into friendships, trouble, and cosmic contemplations on the meanings of life, love, tattoos, and why some people can’t bring themselves to take down decorations from holidays long past.

Can Scott find a way to fix what’s broken inside of him, or will he lose everything to the grief that fractured his family?

THE INCONCEIVABLE SCOTT WISDOM is 83k words, and feels like a collision of A.S. King’s Everybody Sees the Ants, E. Lockhart’s The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and the classic teen rebellion movie Pump Up The Volume. It plays with ideas of how art and words can create meaning out of chaos, be misinterpreted, or remain inconceivable to people who don't share your experiences.

I have a BA in Literature, an MA in writing, and teach 8^th graders about all that fun stuff. Working with teenagers is a constant reminder of how awkward, horrible, fun, and overwhelming their lives can be, which keeps my writing reality-based, and mostly nostalgia free.

I appreciate your time and consideration.

THE INTERVIEW

GMC: How many manuscripts did you query before signing with your agent?

GA: I’d written five manuscripts and queried two before writing INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM and signing with Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates. One was weirdly experimental that told the evolution of a world religion that formed on the foundation of an advice column after the column’s writer mysteriously vanished. The body of the book was the advice column itself, and I showed the evolution of the religion’s traditions, sects, and such in footnotes and scholarly essays. I thought it was brilliant. It was not brilliant. Agents didn’t’ know what to make of it, never mind how to place it. It deserved every rejection in the universe and more, but it was my first “book” and without it I never could have written the manuscript that connected me with my agent. Each epic failure in writing was a step closer to me learning how to write a solid book. Not one of those manuscripts was a waste of time. They were lessons in concept, story, and character, but most importantly each was an exercise in how to actually finish a manuscript.

GMC: How long did it take to write your query, and what things/steps do you think were most important to make it agent-ready?

GA: While I was doing my final revision before querying I wrote and rewrote my query letter at least ten times. Added a detail, cut a line, changed the wording of something to make it click. When it was done I tightened it up by cutting a quarter of the word count. Once I had the description of the story I switched focus to the agents I knew I’d be submitting to. Every night for a week I’d write a personalized opening for each query. In each I explained why I chose that agent to query, specifics about my story that connected to their #MSWL, their clients I read, or something they tweeted about a book or movie that made me think they’d like my manuscript. Sometimes I’d spend an hour trying to craft that perfect personalized line. I wanted them to understand I thought deeply about querying them. I wasn’t just throwing this into the crowd and hoping for the best.

GMC: Tell us about your query style – do you approach your entire list of prospectives at once, or query in small batches and revise in between?

GA: Over a week, as I perfected each personalized query I’d send them out. Two days after I sent the first few I got requests from two agents to read my full, and over the next two weeks I got requests for five more. Ten days after Caitie Flum requested my full manuscript she emailed to set up a phone call. Terrifying, right?

GMC: Now the fun part – what was “the call” like? How did you know your agent was the right person to represent your project?

GA: Caitie was kind and insightful about my manuscript. She also said it wasn’t ready, and told me all the reasons why. That was painful. She asked for a rewrite/resubmit on the first thirty pages with the changes she thought it needed. I knew it was a kind of test to see if I could take a critique, and build on her ideas, but it also made me see that the opening of my ms wasn’t as strong as the middle and end. I took a couple of weeks, re-read, took notes, made the changes she wanted, and she was right. She was totally right. When I talked to her a few days later she offered representation. She saw my story, understood it, and knew how it could be more. That’s when I knew she was the right agent for me.

GMC: If you could give one piece of advice to authors seeking publication, what would it be?

GA: So many things in publishing are beyond your control, so control the things you can. Write the best book you can, then rewrite, revise, and make it better. Don’t set artificial deadlines. Take the time you need. And when you’re ready take as much care in querying agents as you did writing your book. You’re finding someone you can trust with your writing career, a partner in all things literary, don’t just throw your manuscript into the crowd.

Excellent advice! Thanks so much for sharing this part of your publishing journey with us, Greg, and best of luck finding the right home for INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM. 
If you'd like to learn more about Greg Andree, you can find him on Twitter (@GregAndree71) or on his website (www.AndreeInstitute.com). 

Kickass Queries Series! # 12 - Emily R. King

It's baaaaaaaaack!!!

I know it's been a very long time since I've been active on this blog, and for an almost equally long time, I've wanted to change that. As a result, I've decided to bring back the Kickass Queries Series installments, wherein authors share the query that nabbed them their agents. It's fun, it's useful, and y'all seemed to really appreciate the last go-round, so it felt like the perfect way to ease back into the blogosphere.

Here today to kick off the brand new series is Emily R. King, who not only scored representation with Marlene Stringer at Stringer Literary Agency, but also recently sold her book to Skyscape for Publication in 2017:

 CONGRATULATIONS, EMILY!!!

Curious to know how Emily went about pitching her book? Well, you're in luck. Because not only has she shared the query, but she's also answered a few questions to help those who want to follow in her footsteps. Let's start with the query:

Pitch for YA fantasy, THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN:

Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and history of fevers it won’t be her.

She is mistaken.   

                                  

The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.

When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.

Pitch for YA fantasy, THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN:

Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple

looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.

She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and

history of fevers it won’t be her.

She is mistaken.

The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert

palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old

rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this

competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of

her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.

When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a

warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and

killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the

love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen

WOW, am I right? And here's what Emily had to say about her querying process:

G: How many manuscripts did you query prior to signing with your agent/publisher?

ERK: I queried four manuscripts before signing with my first agent; I signed with my second agent after querying one manuscript; and I was on submission with two manuscripts before signing with my publisher.

G: How long did it take to write your query/pitch, and what things/steps do you think were most important to make it agent/editor/contest-ready?

ERK: I suggest that writers compose their pitch before they draft. A pitch is a snapshot of the premise. The more specific yet concise a pitch is the stronger the manuscript will be. This is why I write the pitch before or while drafting. Catching a weak spot in my pitch has prevented larger revisions in my manuscript later. Also, writing a pitch while drafting helps fine-tune your story before your brain is bogged down by unnecessary details. After your manuscript is written, it can be a monumental task to condense thousands of words into an enticing 250-word pitch. In the drafting stage, the story isn’t as ingrained in your mind. You can more easily filter through what’s necessary and what’s clutter. 

G: Tell us about your query style – do you approach your entire list of prospectives at once, or query in small batches and revise in between?

ERK: First: Research, research, research! Utilize websites, social media, and your writer/author friends. Follow agents and editors on social media and introduce yourself to them at writer conferences. Visit literary agency/agent websites. Know who is currently open to submissions, what their guidelines are, and their feedback style. Write down everything you learn and form lists of ten or so agents. When your manuscript is ready, send the first ten queries. After a few requests/passes, send another ten queries. Query in small batches so that if you receive feedback for revisions you haven’t botched your opportunity with every agent in the land. Most agents are amenable to revisions, but only if they request them.

A query is your one shot to make a good first impression. So have a finished manuscript, study the agents you query, and be ready with another story to work on. Don’t wait for good fortune to come your way. Write. This will be hard, especially when you’re tempted to check your email constantly, but writing is the only true cure for querying anxiety. 

G: Now the fun part – what was “the call” like? How did you know your agent/editor was the right person to represent/publish your project?

ERK: Querying is like dating. Don’t look for a girlfriend/boyfriend, look for a spouse. For many reasons these agent/client partnerships, although well-intended, don’t always work out. Suffice to say, a year after signing with my first agent, we amicably parted ways. I reentered the query trenches with a manuscript no editor or agent had seen. Within a week, I got an offer from an agent who shared the same vision for my career. I had found my match.

This story has a happy ending, but some writers are still looking for theirs. I’ve been approached by writers who are unhappy with their agent, but terrified to “start over.” No writer should stay in a stagnant business partnership, risking their career because they’re afraid of querying again. To those of you in this situation—have every confidence in your writing. An agent offered you representation before and it can happen again!

G: If you could give one piece of advice to authors seeking publication, what would it be?

ERK: No matter where you are in your career, you are not alone. Every writer experiences rejection, disappointment, frustration, and makes missteps. If you love to write— and I mean LOVE—you will find a way to achieve your publishing goals.

Thank you, Emily, for your fantastic advice. I know I can't wait to see THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN on shelves (and anyone who feels the same can click the book's title and add it to their Goodreads shelf). Best of luck and thanks again for sharing your query! 

Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple

looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.

She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and

history of fevers it won’t be her.

She is mistaken.

The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert

palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old

rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this

competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of

her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.

When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a

warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and

killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the

love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.

Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple

looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived.

She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and

history of fevers it won’t be her.

She is mistaken.

The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert

palace. But before she’s to wed him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old

rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her throne. In this

competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace is found while in the company of

her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden to love.

When Kali’s fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a

warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah Tarek—and

killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the

love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.