The Voices of YA Tag + the Goodreads Tag

Hullo, Dragons! *basks in the glory of summer* *sighs* Isn't it just wonderful to finally have free time?

Today, I have a couple tags to share with you. The first is the Voices of YA Tag, from Audrey Caylin! *waves* Thanks for the tag, Audrey! And thanks to Caitlyn at Quills & Coffee for creating it!

THE RULES

• Thank the person who tagged you
• Link to the original creator
• Answer the ten questions
• Tag at least two other YA writers/bloggers*

*Since I'm doing two of these puppies, today, consider it a free-for-all! If you want to do the tag, then go right ahead and do it. 😁

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WRITERS

1. What draws you to YA?

I've never been very big on children's books. And though I do fall in love with the occasional middle-grade novel (*coughs* Harry Potter and Percy Jackson & the Olympians!!!!), I've always loved the enthusiasm and originality of YA fiction.

2. Describe your writing process. Do you like outlines and structure, or seeing where the story takes you?

When I was younger, I was always a pantser. Over the past year or so, however, I've discovered a newfound desire for outlining. (You can read my post on that here. There's also another method I've found a love for, which you can read about here.)

3. How long have you been writing? Where are you in your journey?

Since before I could spell (which made non-verbal storytelling rather complicated). 😉 When I was twelve, I read Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl, which led me to discover (*drumroll*)... the blogging world! Thus, I was sucked in and found myself immersed in stories. Ever since then, I've been taking things somewhat seriously. 😜 I'm hoping to publish my first book sometime next year.

4. What do you need to write? Coffee? Music?

Silence -- and music! Talking nearby always throws me off, which is why I'm not a write-in-all-the-coffee-shops writer. But if I have the ability to control what I'm listening to (thank you, Spotify!), and maybe a mug of hot cocoa or a glass or sparkling cider nearby, then I'm all set. 😀

5. If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer (other than "don't give up"), what would it be?

This is a bit of advice I gleaned one of my favorite authors, Ivy Rose, offered in an interview I did with her last July:

Don't forget Who you are writing for. It's easy to get discouraged when people don't like your writing, but that's just it. They're people. You don't want to serve people, you want to serve God. Write for Him, and ignore what other people say. It just doesn't matter.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BOOKS

6. What book still has you reeling from its plot twist? (No spoilers, please!)

Hmm... I haven't read too many books with major plot twists as of late, but I remember Robin Hardy's Latter Annals of Lystra was stocked full with them. There were several late-night exclamations made while I was reading them. 😉

7. What books are you most anticipating, this year?

EXILES!!!! Oh my word, I need more of Jaye L. Knight's Ilyon Chronicles!!!! *sobs, because waiting*

Also Unraveling by Sara Ella. I wasn't a huge fan of Unblemished, but Sara Ella's gorgeous writing style and my rooting for #TeamKy is enough to keep me going.

8. In your opinion, which YA book/series has the most unique premise?

The Out of Time trilogy by Nadine Brandes (note that I've only read book one, so no spoilers, please!). Nadine totally knocked the dystopian genre out of the park; A Time to Die was completely different than I expected. And I loved it. 😍

9. What is your all-time favorite quote from YA literature?

Gaaah, I can't choose! So here's a lovely quote from one of my favorites -- A Dream Not Imagined by Shantelle Mary Hannu:

God... will You write my love story? Will You write my life story? I just don't believe I can do it on my own. My heart will shatter into a million pieces long before I get it right.

10. What book do you most hope will have a movie adaptation?

Oh, I think I see a typo, there. I think you meant books. 😛

Ahem.

• Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
• A Branch of Silver, a Branch of Gold by Anne Elisabeth Stengl
• The Wulver's Rose by Hayden Wand
• The Ilyon Chronicles by Jaye L. Knight
• The Healer's Apprentice by Melanie Dickerson
• The Annals of Lystra by Robin Hardy
• The Latter Annals of Lystra by Robin Hardy
• Valiant Hearts by Dina L. Sleiman

~

And now, for the Goodreads tag! Thanks to Kellyn Roth for tagging me!

THE RULES

• Thank the person who tagged you
• Answer the questions
• Tag at least three people*

*I'm going to play hooky on this one, too. 🙂

THE QUESTIONS

1. What was the last book you marked as "read?"

Coiled by H.L. Burke, which happens to be coming out in five days!

2. What are you currently reading?

The Reluctant Godfather by Allison Tebo.

3. What was the last book you marked as "to read?"

Little Red Riding Hood by Allison Tebo.

4. Do you use the star system?

Of course! Unless I mark a book as DNF, that is.

5. Are you doing the 2017 reading challenge?

Naturally! I'm already 68% done! (Thank you, short stories and articles I had to read for school! ...JK. I'm not that grateful.)

6. Do you have a wishlist?

They're all one my wishlist, dearie. 😉

7. Who are your favorite authors?

Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Ivy Rose, Hayden Wand, Bridget Zinn, J.K. Rowling, Rick Riordan, Shantelle Mary Hannu, Gail Carson Levine, and Melanie Dickerson.

8. Have you joined any groups?

*clears throat* Twenty-four. I'm only active in three or four of them, though. *blushes*

9. How many Goodreads shelves do you have?

Not including the traditional shelves ("read," "currently reading," and "to read")... sixty-two. #noregrets 😐

~

Thank you again for the fun tags, girls! Any of you Dragons want to participate in them? Go right ahead!

How many Goodreads shelves do you have? Is there a plot twist you're still recovering from?

❤,