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Showing posts from January, 2020

30+ Awesome YA Shifter Novels

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If you're visiting this post, chances are you love shifter novels!  Want to know a secret? Me too! Who wouldn't want to fly like a bird? Destroy buildings like a dragon? Or run like a wolf? It makes sense that we're captivated by stories where human beings hold the ability to transform into animals.  Personally, I find shifters to be super sexy. I also love reading about shifter characters using their abilities to protect the people that they love. It's no coincidence that my debut novel,  Half-Blood Mage , stars Kieren, a reluctant dragon hunter, who is cursed to become the very creature that he hates: a dragon.  In this novel, Kieren's whole story arc involves him trying to get rid of his curse... but what if his curse was actually a blessing in disguise? To celebrate the launch of my debut novel, I asked other readers to list their favorite YA shifter novels. Here's what they suggested: 30+ Awesome YA Shifter N

5 Easy Ways to Beat Writer's Block

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If you're a writer, you've probably experienced this countless times: You stare at a sheet of paper and nothing happens. No words. Nothing. You get a drink of water, go to the bathroom, grab a snack (if you're me, preferably salami) and then you come back. And still nothing. I get you. I've been there. And that's why today I wanted to share these 5 super easy techniques to combat Writer's Block. How to Kick Writer's Block to the Curb (5 easy ways that you can implement today!) 1. Allow Yourself to Write Crap I'm being serious. Let go of the expectation that you're going to write something amazing and just write something really crappy. You heard me. Set an alarm for 15 minutes and let your mind wander and your fingers type.  Write a bunch of crap. Just write. Don't worry about grammar. Don't check email. Don't peek at Facebook. Don't get a snack. Don't scratch that itch behind your ear. (Well, maybe do th

Reflections on my Half-Blood Mage Cover + Diversity in YA fantasy Novels

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My debut novel,  Half-Blood Mage  is finally out!  To celebrate, I thought I'd give you a sneak peek into some of the decisions I made along the way... especially the decisions regarding Lia's race and my cover design.  Should Lia be Asian? Honestly, I debated whether to make Lia Asian at all. Her "Asian-ess" (in this case, I imagined her to be half-Taiwanese, half-Caucasian) doesn't really have anything to do with her story. She doesn't speak another language. I don't really bring up her multiracial upbringing that often. And her mixed-background isn't super important to her story arc. Lia could honestly look like anyone. Or have any background. The only key feature she needed to have was heterochromia.  But here's the reason why I made Lia Asian: I'm Asian. My parents are originally from Taiwan. And I married an Asian man. So I've experienced life through a very Asian American perspective.  Su