Clara Kensie’s News and Celebration!

by Clara Kensie

Because we are helping Clara celebrate her amazing news today, we posted last week’s Pick & Mix winners on yesterdays post. Be sure to check it out here: http://childrenspublishing.blogspot.com/2013/08/seven-ya-book-giveaways-plus-new.html

Hey everyone! Clara Kensie here. Confession: I’ve been keeping a secret from you. I’ve kept some Very Exciting News to myself for over five months, when most people in my situation are able to share their Very Exciting News almost immediately. It was killing me, guys, not to tell you. But this week, I was finally given permission to shout it from the mountaintops. So here it is. Ready?

I have my very first book deal! Squeeee!

My super-romantic paranormal thriller RUN TO YOU will be published in February 2014, followed by the sequel in June 2014. I’m honored to be a Harlequin TEEN author, and proud to be part of their new, exclusive digital-first collection. Even more fantastic? Both books are three-part serials, with each episode releasing one week apart.

Clearly, this calls for a celebration.

To celebrate my book deal, and also that it’s part of the new digital-first collection, and also that I finally get to tell you about it, I am having a YA book giveaway! I have three prize packs to to give away (three prizes to celebrate my three-part serials, get it?).

PRIZE PACK #1:

TIGER’S CURSE by Colleen Houck

THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH by Carrie Ryan

BURNED, IMPULSE, and IDENTICAL by Ellen Hopkins

PRIZE PACK #2:

VAMPIRE ACADEMY, FROSTBITE (VA#2), and SHADOW KISS (VA#3) by Richelle Mead

COLD KISS by Amy Garvey (ARC)

THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong

PRIZE PACK #3:

THE SUMMER OF SKINNY DIPPING by Amanda Howells

THE SWEET, TERRIBLE, GLORIOUS YEAR… by Lisa Shanahan

THIS LULLABY by Sarah Dessen

HOW NOT TO MAKE A WISH by Mindy Flask

SONGS FOR A TEENAGE NOMAD by Kim Culbertson

You can collect entries in several different ways. Choose one or all:

Subscribe to my newsletter (3 entries)
Subscribe to my blog (2 entries)
Follow me on Twitter (2 entries)
Like my Facebook Author page (2 entries)
Leave a comment on this post (1 entry)

Next, complete the form below to submit your entries.

Note: I am cross-posting this giveaway on my own blog, and all entries get submitted to the same master database. There’s no need to enter twice.

Thanks, Adventures in YA Publishing, for hosting this giveaway for me, and thanks to all of YOU for celebrating with me!

Clara Kensie

RITA Award winning author of super-romantic thrillers and angsty dramas for young adults, & fun, flirty, feel-good romcoms for grown ups. Fueled by coffee and cookie dough.

Post © Clara Kensie and/or Adventures in YA Publishing. All rights reserved.

Posted: Aug 23, 2013

Category: Imported from AYAP

Tags: Young Adult Fiction

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← Previous: SEVEN YA Book Giveaways plus New Releases 8/23-8/30 Next: Announcing the Winner of the August Pitch+250 Contest →

The first slide is an animation of a science/magic room in a castle. A cartoon character of a mad-scientist looking man in in the foreground says: “Hello! Dr. Frankenstein here to say, Well Done on kid lit zombie week! I’m an expert at reviving the dead, and let me assure you, with a little spark, you can bring dead projects to life. Especially if you dig up parts from other dead things. I’ll even let you have a sneak peek at my laboratory’s store room to consider potential parts for your dead project. If you see something with a yellow glow, that means you should click it. Have fun!”

He points to the right side of the screen and a new scene slides in of a castle science/magic storage room. There are various cartoon Frankenstein body parts scattered around. Some of them have a yellow glow. If you click on them, the images below appear (I’ve added alt text to them, so I hope it works).

The Heart of your story is the main character. The protagonist is the beating core that truly brings your story to life. If your MC doesn't make kids (and their grown-ups) care within the first few pages, your story will flatline. </p>
<p>Your main character needs to be:<br />
• Relatable enough for kids to see themselves<br />
• Unique enough to stand out in the slush pile<br />
• Active enough to drive the story<br />
• Memorable enough to survive multiple readings at bedtime</p>
<p>Where do you find this amazing donor heart? It might be the very thing you loved so much about the manuscript you want to revive. It might be the younger sister from your shelved YA novel. Or maybe it’s the hilarious kid you blogged about meeting at a school visit. Find a character beating with potential and place it in the center of your story.<br />

The Brain of your story is the theme or central message. The theme is the big idea that controls everything else. Picture books are more than stories - they're tiny life lessons disguised with humor and heart.</p>
<p>But your theme needs to be:<br />
• Subtle enough not to trigger the dreaded "didactic" rejection<br />
• Clear enough for a four-year-old to grasp<br />
• Universal enough to speak to both kids and adults<br />
• Fresh enough to prevent agents and editors from responding with "Not another sharing/bedtime/first-day story!"</p>
<p>Check your other dead manuscripts to see if there is a recurring theme, something that really seems to be speaking to you. Find the bit of poetry you scribbled on the back of a receipt to see what theme inspired it. Reread the pep talk you texted your critique partner at 1am. Pick the theme that will drive your story, giving it purpose, direction, and deeper meaning.<br />

The Legs of your story is the plot. Not to be confused with a grave plot.🤪 The plot is what keeps everything upright and moving, as well as providing support for all the other elements. You have very few words to use in a picture book, so you need to do a lot with each plot point.</p>
<p>In general, your plot should:<br />
• Hook readers fast<br />
• Build tension that a child can follow<br />
• Create page turns that feel natural<br />
• Wrap up in a way that satisfies</p>
<p>You can borrow a plot twist (a leg) from one manuscript and the opening (the other leg) from a different manuscript. Consider if the subplot of the middle grade novel you trunked would work better as a picture book. Or maybe your Facebook post about a disastrous camping trip could become a story for kids. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other until you have your storyline.

The Arms of your story are the side characters.

The Torso of your story is the setting. Setting helps a story breathe and connects all the elements of the story. It isn't just where your story lives, it's what makes your story ALIVE. It's the difference between "this happened in a park" and "this happened in that park, the one with the twisty slide that burns your legs and the creaky swing that sounds like a baby crying.”</p>
<p>Your setting should:<br />
• Make your character's world feel real<br />
• Contain your story in a way that makes sense to young readers<br />
• Connect different scenes and moments organically<br />
• Give your illustrator enough room to add visual subplots</p>
<p>Half-finished manuscripts are a great place to dig up settings, since you worked out the place details before the plot petered out. Or maybe you had to cut a second fantastic location from your chapter book. You can also revisit the detailed caption from your Instagram carousel documenting your tour of that delish candy shop. Disinter a robust setting that can house all of your story's vital organs.

After you press the Click When Done circle button, the lights flash with the sound of electricity buzzing. Then the screen goes black and lightning zaps across the screen with the sound of thunder.

The screen then lights up to show the storage room, and all the Frankenstein pieces have been assembled into the whole monster. An upbeat song plays in the background. Then a speech bubble pops up with the words, “I’m alive! I’M ALIVE!” Then the screen goes to black.

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