Breathless Reads Tour: RJ Julia's

I've been hearing so much about the Breathless Read Books, so I was super excited to see some of the author at RJ Julia's - an independent bookstore that great the most amazing authors.

Waiting for the authors to arrive!

The Authors:
Jessica Spotswood - Born Wicked
Elizabeth Richards - Black City
Beth Revis - Shades of Earth
Fiona Paul - Venom
Morgan Rhodes - Falling Kingdoms

 What I Learned from the Q&A:

Why Write YA:
JS: Gone with the Wind made her want to be a writers. YA books are the ones that stayed with her growing up - the ones she read over and over again for comfort. It was a natural fit.

ER: YA is all about firsts!

BR: YA is the beating heart of literature where teens have a passion for life and aren't jaded.

FP: In YA you can mix genres and readers love it

MR: It's a time for self discover and learning what rules are made to be broken.

When did you know you wanted to write?
JS: Started writing at a young age, Gone with the Wind knock offs with strong girl characters - with horses and Yankee boys.

ER: Influenced by J.K. Rowling

BR: Knew she always wanted to write

FP: Wanted to be a lot of things - but found herself reviewing books, the majority were YA - which influenced her to start writing

MR: Read adventure series by Enid Blyton and made up her own stories about the chracters.

What to you do to combat writer's block:
JS: If the character has made a wrong choice, she goes back to the last right choice and rewrites from that point forward. Also she gives herself Care Bear stickers when she reaches a certain goal (I Love this idea!)

ER: Doesn't write in chronological order - but works backwards from a fun scene.

BR: Blows up something or kills off a character

FP: Outlines the book like crazy beforehand - she always writes two books at the same time. When she's stuck on one, she changes books.

MR: Outlines the book prior to writing. If she gets stuck, she eats ice cream.

Tips for Writers:
JS: Write a book for you that you can write - don't be afraid to write for fun and not for publication

BR: Don't give up (Across the Universe was her 11th novel) and write fearlessly

FP: Read! Also don't get discouraged by criticism.

MR: Trust your gut and find your own twist on an idea.

Books I've Read and Reviewed: 
Venom
Falling Kingdoms

Not on the East Coast Tour...but still Breathless Reads
Origin
Prodigy (halfway through so far - review coming soon)