I'm pleased to welcome GCC sister Jessi Kirby to the blog today to celebrate the impending release of her new book, IN HONOR. (May 8.)Jessi's a wife, mom, English teacher and former librarian, beach bum, runner, and lover of contemporary YA, strong coffee, and dark chocolate. Her previous book, MOONGLASS, came out last year to rave reviews (including this one from Sarah Dessen: "I couldn't put this book down. Kirby's voice is fresh and wise, all at once. An incredible first novel.") !
IN HONOR is earning similar praise. Here's what Sarah Ockler had to say about it: "A beautiful, engaging journey with heart, humor, and just a pinch of Texas sass. Hands down my favorite contemporary of the year." Lauren Barnholdt adds, "An amazing novel about first kisses, last goodbyes, and what it means to finally let go. I absolutely loved it." Here's the official blurb:
Honor receives her brother’s last letter from Iraq three days after learning that he died, and opens it the day his fellow Marines lay the flag over his casket. Its contents are a complete shock: concert tickets to see Kyra Kelly, her favorite pop star and Finn's celebrity crush. In his letter, he jokingly charged Honor with the task of telling Kyra Kelly that he was in love with her.
Grief-stricken and determined to grant Finn's last request, she rushes to leave immediately. But she only gets as far as the driveway before running into Rusty, Finn's best friend since third grade and his polar opposite. She hasn't seen him in ages, thanks to a falling out between the two guys, but Rusty is much the same as Honor remembers him: arrogant, stubborn. . . and ruggedly good looking. Neither one is what the other would ever look for in a road trip partner, but the two of them set off together, on a voyage that makes sense only because it doesn’t. Along the way, they find small and sometimes surprising ways to ease their shared loss and honor Finn--but when shocking truths are revealed at the end of the road, will either of them be able to cope with the consequences?
You can find more about Jessi and IN HONOR on her website, on her S&S author page, on her facebook page, and by following her on twitter.
Sarah's advice for writers: "This might sound silly, but one valuable tip I learned this time around was that nothing says you HAVE to write the entire story in chronological order. I kept getting stuck on transitional-type scenes, so I let myself write all the ones I was most looking forward to first, then went back and connected them all, and it was great!"
This week's link roundup:
Great review of LIGHTS, CAMERA, CASSIDY: CELEBRITY in Publisher's Weekly (PW) Yay!
Speaking of, Great CASSIDY sweepstakes for kids this month @ (Lipsmacker Lounge)
Beautiful "Group Hug" post in lieu of Writer's Butt* this week (Ginger Calem)
On living with a writer (Rachelle Gardner)
The Do's and Don'ts of Writer Conferences (The Knight Agency Blog)
10 Greatest Movies about Writers/Writing (Pop Matters)
8 Tips to Get the Most Out of Attending a Writers' Conference (Word Count)
5 Ways to Build Suspense Like a Master (The Other Side of the Story)
5 Pockets of Writing Time You Never Knew You Had (DIY MFA)
2 Tests That Can Help You Sort Through Feedback (Jody Hedlund)
2 Types of Key Question (The Science of Story)
On Noir and Genre Pigeon Holing (Beyond the Margins)
The Importance of the Right Title (Write it Sideways)
A Roundup of Advice about "The End" (Writer Unboxed)
On Writing a Quirky Historical Novel (Cynsations)
Revising vs Rewriting (Genreality)
Diversity in Storytelling (Writing and Rambling)
Interview with agent Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown (MiG Writers)
Interview with agent Marie Lamba of Jennifer DiChiara (MiG Writers)
Interview with Andrea Cascardi of Transatlantic (MiG Writers)
Interview with Jeff Ourvan with Jennifer Lyons (MiG Writers) << live on Friday
Interview with agent Becky Vinter of Fine Print (Janet Reid)
Donald Maass on premise development, part II (Writer Unboxed) (Part I here)
What Makes a Book Sell? (Jill Corcoran Books)
On Processing Criticism (Beyond the Margins)
Why Floundering is Good (TimeIdeas)
The Real Beginning (Kidlit)
Working Past Wordiness for Fresher Writing (Write it Sideways)
Every Writer Gets Rejected (Nathan Bransford)
Why Fiction is Good for You (The Boston Globe)
Power Words Save the Day (Seeing Creative)
GET IT DONE (Genreality)
Get Ahead of the Curveball (Janet Reid)
Report on Agent Panel at Desert Dreams Conference (Genreality)
Rock Your Writing With Checklists (Wordplay)
* Great news! Ginger will be taking #Writer'sButt on the road, joining the faculty at the Surrey International Writer's Conference (where I will be!) in October. Even more reason to come party with us!
Now go add IN HONOR to your reading list, and WRITE!
