Word of the Year

Happy New Year guys! I can't believe it is already another year. I don't know about you, but I'm so excited about 2012.

Most of you know me pretty well and that I'm very goal driven. It's a great thing if I want to get a job done, but it can borderline on being a bit obsessive. Like writing a particular number of words a day or reading a book a day or jogging so many miles.

In the past I've made up my goals and they have helped me keep focused on what I want for myself and my career. For instance, if you check out this post, it had my goals for last year.

I am happy to report I accomplished everything on my list! I even snagged an amazing agent too! Actually, he's beyond amazing and I'm so lucky to have him representing me.

Thinking about this upcoming year, I'm going to go a different route. I'm focusing my goals on a specific word and then revolve all my goals around that word.

So my word for this year is STRENGTHEN. How will I strengthen myself as a writer?

1. Read- focusing on diversifying my reading choices and going beyond my standby favorites
2. Attend conferences- building my craft and networking
3. Finish revising my current WIP and transforming it into a book that's even better than anything I've ever written yet.
4. Write another book (grin)- but for this one I'd like to try a genre that I haven't written in yet. I'm excited about this one too!

I want to challenge you to make up your goals as well. But as you make the list, remember to make sure that these goals are within YOUR control. I have my secret wish list too (sorry, not sharing that one!), but those are wishes that I have no control over and for goals, I believe that they need to be attainable by you.

So, if you were to choose a word for your year, what would it be?

Pictures from Skinny Bodybuilding.

A Floridian Christmas

Merry Christmas from sunny Florida! We've been spending the last week swimming, playing in the sand, orange picking, riding bikes and playing soccer in the yard. And of course, we went to Disney World! It's the perfect weather to be outside having fun. Snow is nice, but there's nothing quite like a Floridian Christmas.

This holiday will be the first in over 10 years that we won't be traveling. I have to admit that I'm kind of excited to be hanging out with family, reading my stacks of books (yes, STACKS!) and getting lots of good writing in too.

How about you? What are your holiday plans?

Don't forget to enter my 9 Book Giveaway! My gift to you all. There's still time until the New Year.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday filled with fun, rest and peace.

Congratulations to Carmella Van Vleet!

Carmella Van Vleet, one of my writing partners over at The MiGs, just signed with Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency! Check out her post on The MiGs where she talks about THE CALL and wish her a congratulations!

Yahoo!

9 Book Giveaway!

This contest is for all of my followers as a thank you for being so supportive and just plain awesome this year.

Here's what I'm giving away:

Middle Grade Fantasy pack: THE CURSE OF THE DEADMAN'S FOREST, MUSEUM OF THIEVES, AND THE IMMORTALS.

Middle Grade Girl's pack: THE KIND OF FRIENDS WE USED TO BE, BEEZUS AND ROMANA, LUCY AND THE GREEN MAN

Young Adult books (each for individual winners):

I AM NUMBER FOUR by Picctus Lore

MATCHED by Ally Condie

UNTRACEABLE by Shelli Johannas

Yes, that's 9 books in total! Remember that this contest is open to followers only. Fill in the form below with your name and the book or book pack you want to win. One extra point will be given if you tweet or blog about the contest!

Deadline: Dec 31st

Winners of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Contest Announced

First of all, thank you to everyone who entered the contest for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! What fun.

And now for the winners. I used random.org to choose the three lucky winners.

They are.....

The 2 paperbacks of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE go to:

Tricia-wa and Chrystal

The preorder of  A MILLION SUNS goes to:

EM Alexander

Congratulations guys!

Email me your address at farley dot christinal at gmail dot com

And for all of you who didn't win, don't worry. Because tomorrow I'm announcing another big giveaway with lots and lots of books to celebrate finishing my first draft of my current project. 

My Four Stages of Revision

The other day someone asked me how many times I revise my novels. I had to laugh because I tend to lose track around draft 8.

Then she went on to ask me what my revision process involved. Now for that, I have four distinct stages I take my novels through. Each of those stages takes time and I might have to repeat all 4 stages after my critique partners review the project.

Basically, the four stages are:

1. First draft (where I just write the story down)- This is the stage I just finished. And believe me, the novel is a complete disaster. I liken it to a tsunami. I suppose it's because I'm the kind of writer who needs to lay it all down and then sift through the rubble. And I like to write this draft as fast as possible while I'm in my character's head.


2. Plot development draft- This is where I work the kinks out of the plot and weave the disjointed events so my readers get their "ah ha" moments. I think of this stage as a giant puzzle.


3. Character development draft- In this draft I focus on fine tuning my characters. This is where I bring them to life and hone out their internal and external conflicts.


4. World building and making all those words look pretty draft- I'm a sucker for pretty language. Not too much that it distracts from the story, but enough that it captures the mood and atmosphere of the world I'm building. This is the draft where I have to focus on details.

5. Grammar and spelling (groan)- yep, I hate spelling. I know I'm a teacher and I've got spell check but I still hate it.
 
But the most important part of all is... the chocolate. That's the key to everything. *smile*
 
How about you? What part of the revision process do you really focus on?

First Draft is FINISHED!!!!!

I did it! I finished the first draft of my current project. Thank you very much NaNo!

I'm so so so relieved. If you were to ask me last July if I would even have written this book, I would have told you NO WAY. It's beyond me. Too hard to write. Too different than what I've written before.

But then one of my crit partners said a very interesting thing after I told her my reasons. She said, "Then you need to write it."

So I did.

Wow. Now, I don't know if it will sell. I don't even know if my agent is going to like it! But that doesn't matter right now. Because I wrote a book that I needed to write and I was able to grow as a writer.

As a teacher, I'm continually pushing my students to step out of their comfort zones saying things like, "You can write five sentences, okay, let's make it 8." Or I might say, "You can write 8 sentences, let's spice it up with adjectives."

I pushed hard this past month using NaNo as my excuse. I wrote 35,000 words in November which was probably one of my busiest months ever (like as in my-entire-life ever). It made me realize how important time management was and how critical goal setting can be.

But it doesn't stop there. I still have a long ways to go before I'm ready to send it off.

I opened the document today after giving myself a couple of days 'off' and groaned. The first chapter sucks. The last chapter is horrendous. My only consolation is the middle is pretty intense and at least I'm feeling good about that.

I've made a plan of action (yes, I'm a sucker for deadlines- I know, I'm weird) and I feel empowered now. I'll blog more on that later this week.

And YES! As promised, I'll be giving away BOOKS to celebrate. More on those details later in the week too.

So for those of you who did NaNo, how did your progress go? And if you didn't, what do you do to motivate yourself?

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Giveaway!

Today I want to celebrate the paperback release of Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! I've known Beth for a long time now and not only is she a fantastic writer who isn't afraid to delve into deep issues, but she's been a great friend to me over the years. She was such a support to me when I moved from Korea to the States and dealing with the adjustments. Beth truly is a beautiful person. It's evident in how she treats people and the heart she has for her readers. I can only say wonderful things about her.
If you haven't heard about her awesome science fiction set in space, here's a little blurb:

A murder mystery in space…

Romance set in the future…

Dystopian with a fresh twist…

Thought provoking and introspective…

Action-packed page turner…

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, written by Beth Revis, takes the reader on an adventure set in a spaceship bound for a new planet. Seventeen year-old Amy, frozen with her parents to be part of the group to land on this new planet, wakes up 50 years too early. And it’s not a computer glitch. It was done on purpose. As Amy deals with the culture shock of being on a spaceship with very different rules, she also is on the hunt to discover who is unplugging—and killing—the frozens. Because her parents might be next.

 

I know. It's full of awesomeness. And I'm giving away two paperback copies! But that's not all. Because January 10, 2012, the sequel, A MILLION SUNS, will be released. So I will be giving away a preordered hardcopy too! And I think it's even better than ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. Ohhhhh!!!!!

Comment below to enter. You can get 1 extra point if you recommend the book to your local librarian, 1 extra point if you tweet the contest, and 1 extra point if you blog about the contest.



The three winners will be announced on Dec. 11th!
Good luck!

So Thankful for My Crit Partners

I have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. But this year I am thankful for my writing partners.

The longer I write and the longer these girls have been a part of my life, the more I appreciate them. They have been with me through hard times in my writing career when I wanted to give up, to the successes along the way and have been there celebrating with me. They have pushed me (and still are!) to be a better writer. To think about where I've come from to now, I can only see my writing continue to grow.

And it's because of them.

I don't think they really know how much they mean to me, but I hope they can see a glimpse of the truth in my heart of hearts when I say:

I HEART YOU GUYS!

Two Cool Chicks- Beth Revis and Casey McCormick

My Face-to-Face Group- Larissa Hardesty and Jessica Souders

The MiGs - Andrea Mack, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, Carmella Van Vleet, Susan Laidlaw, Kate Fall 

Making Progress

Hey guys! *waving* Yes! I'm still alive. I know some of you have been worried about me. :-) This has been my most busiest month (EVER!) as I predicted and I can't even believe I was crazy enough to sign up for NANO.

BUT I'm so excited. I've been writing. A lot. Every morning dragging myself out of bed, gulping down coffee, and writing 1ks before I race out the door to school. Then every night after I tuck in my adorable and endless energy machines (my boys) into bed, I'm back at work, typing away.

This project has been difficult for me to write as I mentioned before because I'm trying out some new styles. And even though I plotted the novel, the characters seem to have a whole different agenda going on. They really have caused havoc to my outline. So I threw the outline out last night and came up with a whole different ending.

It's hard. Sometimes I think it's impossible. And even though I haven't made it to the end yet, already I'm loving the results. The outcome is worth it.

Now speaking of great results, you MUST head over to Jessica Souders' blog. She's celebrating her book contract for RENEGADE and having a blow out contest. She's giving away a writer's pack and a reader's pack. RENEGADE is a book you have to read. Between the creepy underwater setting, a kick-butt heroine and Gavin who is all hotness, you don't want to miss out. 

So head over and win something awesome!

NaNo Project

I've never done NaNoWriMo in the past because November is one of my busiest months of the year. My busiest is actually August and September with school starting. And then it's November. But this year, I'm so determined to get my current writing project done. I'm half way through and I think NaNo can push me over the edge.

On top of doing NaNo, I'm going to be giving out prizes at the end of the month to celebrate my success! (If you're an Orange County public school teacher, I know you're laughing over that one right now).

So after I pass my 25% mark, I'll be giving away a book, then at the 50% mark, then the 75% mark. If I make it to the 100% mark, I'll give away 5 books total. So we'll see what happens by Dec. 1st and how many books I'll be giving away to my amazing blogger buddies!

You can check my side bar on the right to see how I'm progressing. Yeah, right now I'm at the big fat ZERO mark.

I probably won't be posting much since I'll be writing my butt off. But if you get a chance, send me good wishes, cyber chocolate and coffee. I'll need them. 

Happy Diwali!

One of my students brought me a bag of yummy treat this morning, happily telling me, "Happy New Year!"

My student is Indian and his family celebrates the Festival of Lights holiday by handing out presents and treats to friends and family members.

The Diwali holiday received it's name because it's literal translation is "row of lamps". People light small clay lamps with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil. Firecrackers are often sent off to drive away evil spirits.


So wishing you all a Happy Diwali!

Made Me Smile

Today when I came home from work and opened my mailbox, I discovered my contributor copy of FUN FOR KIDZ magazine. I had totally forgotten I'd even wrote those articles for that issue! Thinking back, my oldest wasn't reading when I wrote them three years ago. So it was an unexpected surprise to find him sitting on the couch, reading the magazine and learning from something that I wrote.

It made me smile.

Last week I had a friend I'd met in Korea (she's now working in the Netherlands) come visit me. We had thought her trip wouldn't work out but in the end it did! The next thing I knew, she was flying out to Orlando to visit! We had a blast together catching up and riding all the roller coasters at Disney.

Another unexpected surprise.

Then tonight, I kind of had a big breakthrough on my current writing project. I'm trying out some new things with this book and it's kind of scary and overwhelming, but at the same time I'm learning so much from the process. And I love creating a new and fresh story.

So how about you? What brings a smile to your face today?

Overcome the Impossible

So I'm knee deep in my current WIP and depending on the day, I'll tell you a totally different story about how I feel about it.

An except from my writing journal over the past few days:

Sunday- This plot is too difficult to write. Too many characters and they all have their own agenda. Need to ditch the story.

Monday- Forget what I said yesterday, I LOVE this book. It's amazing. It's brilliant. It's my best writing EVER!!!!!!!!!!

Tuesday am- What was I thinking? This is all crap, crap, crap.

Tuesday pm- (after rereading supposed horrible last scene) So maybe this is workable. Give me about 257 more drafts and kill off a few characters, I might be able to pull this baby off. 

Sound familiar?

We all have that internal critic telling us how horrible our writing is. (Okay so maybe YOU don't, but I sure do) But if you ask me, that's really not such a bad thing. Because that critic is what makes me a stronger writer.

The important component is balance. It's being able to identify my weaknesses while at the same time believing in the beauty of my story.

Overcoming the impossible takes one word at a time, one revision at a time. Until that book is sitting on the bookshelf in its shiny new cover waiting, dying to be read.

That Secret Place

One of my favorite songs is "Sail Away" by Enya. I can totally picture myself jumping on board a random sailboat and slipping away into the sunset, my hair flying behind me like the movies.

Okay, so that's totally cheesy, but sometimes I do have that urge to get away and escape. Do you ever feel this way? Like when the kids are throwing fits over their homework, or when I get too many emails from work, or when the cats have shattered my favorite bowl from Bali, or when FIRE ANTS invade my house.

That's one of the things I love about writing. I can find that escape in my stories. After I put the boys to bed, I slip away to the front room, curl up on the couch with a million pillows, laptop tucked into my lap, and I start typing away. All the problems vanish and it's just me and my own little world. I call it my Secret Place.

Tonight I told my youngest it was time to start working on his homework. He said, "Maybe later, Mommy. Right now I'm taking a break and relaxing in Bora Bora."

I laughed so hard. I couldn't deny that Bora Bora sounded perfect right about then.

Sometimes we as writers need to have that Secret Place where no one can find us and we can escape.

Do any of you have a Secret Place, too?

Fun Stuff

Here's a picture of one of my favorite Korean treats. It's got chocolate inside!

For many of you, the weather is getting cooler right now. Not here in Florida. But then I love the heat so bring it on!

When not teaching, I've been fast drafting my latest WIP which I'm so excited about. That and fighting FIRE ANTS. Yes, they have invaded our house! I have war wounds to prove it.

It was Chusok holiday for Koreans from Sept. 11-13 (for you Canadians and Americans, think the Korean version of Thanksgiving). So happy Chusok everyone! Here's a great article about Chusok (or Chuseok, depending on how you want to translate it) from Korea Legal.org. Or check out this past post on my own Chusok experience.

My sister's wedding pictures were posted on her photographer's blog and I HAD to share the blog link with you because they are just perfection. Her photographer, Abby Liga, is amazing. And Julianne, my sister, looks gorgeous. You have to look at these pictures!

Kelly Polark has recently started up this great blog called Book Recs of the Rock and Famous to promote literacy. Go check it out too! 

Obsessed with the Hwarang Warriors

I'm a history fan. I totally love the stuff. Documentaries are almost as enjoyable as watching Jane Austen movies. In high school, I used to read my history books for fun. So when I moved to Korea, I was totally entralled with Korean history and especially the Hwarang Warriors.

I did a blog post on it a while back after visiting a museum in Seoul and interestingly it's one of my most popular posts.

There's a lot of really cool things about the Hwarang warriors:

1. They inspired the Japanese to create what we now know as the Samurai warriors.

2. They practiced a martial art form that evolved into what's taekwondo today.

3. They were known to be able to kick a man off a moving horse.

4. The first Hwa Rang Do were females.
5. They followed many of the same ethic codes as the European knights did.

But the thing that sums it all up the best are the pictures. There's something very romantic about the age of Asian chivalry.

Revision Is This Part II

This is in continuation from my last post on revision, Revision Is This. You didn't think I'd leave you dying on the path, did you?

My legs ache from the steep incline and I can barely put one foot in front of the other. I stagger to the top of the peak and let the wind brush a cool breeze against my cheeks. The air smells sweet like honeysuckle. A valley spreads below me in a patchwork quilt, and I realize it’s filled with tulips, daisies and tiny white flowers.

And there, just in the distance, stands the finish line, its crimson flags whipping against an icy blue sky.


Energy bursts through me and I take off in a sprint down the hill. The wind pushes against me now, tearing at my clothes, but I’m so caught up in my downward momentum that I don’t care. I’m practically flying.


I hit level ground. It’s rocky and weeds twist their way over the path, but my eyes focus on the finish line. Fire burns my lungs, a searing pain. It spreads through my whole body and yet I’ve never felt more alive than I do right now.
 And then I cross the finish line. I lift my arms in victory, and I scream and shout. Someone presses a thin, cold disc into my sweaty hand.

My medal.

The blisters are forgotten, the cuts and bruises have vanished, and the doubts have been left in the dust because I’ve finished the race.

And nothing can take that victory from me.I’ve nearly made it. I’m almost there!

Revision Is This

I’ve run 10 miles. My legs are jelly. Blisters rub against the soles of my sneakers. Sweat drips down my face, burning my eyes, and my shirt is drenched.



I stumble and I fall to the ground, scraping my knees and palms against the concrete. I know I need to get up. I know the end is near. But I can’t. I’m tired, I think dully as I stare at the blood cutting its way to my knee’s surface.


And then I see her. My coach, strutting over to me, her eyes lit with fire.


“What are you doing?” she yells. “Get up! Don’t give up now that you’re almost there!”


I stare up at her. She looks a whole lot like me, except she’s got muscular legs and arms and her ponytail bobs with just as much enthusiasm as her words. She’s even holding a timer and a clipboard with a list of goals and aspirations.


Then another person, who also has a strange resemblance to me, rushes over. She’s wearing soft pink pajamas and hooked in the crook of her arm hangs a wicker basket filled with books and sweets.


“Leave her alone!” Pink PJ girl tells my coach. “Running is the most ridiculous pastime. And she’s not even good at it. Look at her!” Then to me, “Forget this nonsense. What you need to do is forget about running and relax with a good book, a comfortable pillow and some chocolate.”


Pink PJ girl has a point. I do need rest. And at times this run has felt pointless. Sometimes I wonder if I’m going in useless circles or even the right direction. I look down at my aching body and my bloody knees. I sure don’t look like a runner. More like I’ve been through combat. Besides, her proposal sounds tempting. Especially since she’s holding out to me a copy of Hunger Games and Pride and Prejudice along with a bag of dark chocolate.


But then my coach says, “You were destined to run. The time to rest is coming. But first you must finish the race!”


Her words fill me with hope and somehow I stagger to standing, groaning as my muscles cramp up. I push away Pink PJ girl’s soft pillow and sweet chocolate and I start running. Because my coach is right. This is what I was meant to do.


Run.


And nothing is going to stop me from reaching the finish line.

(Okay, so I'm being slightly dramatic *grin*. But do you ever feel like this? And for more specific ways on what I've been doing in my revisions this last summer, click over to the MiGs blog where I blogged about it)

Winners!

Oh wow guys. Things have been insanely busy for me. I'm not sure if I've actually ever been this busy, or at least in a very long time. Last week was the first week of school, my sister got married and I finished my revisions. Busy, busy times.

BUT now things have seemed to slow down and I plan on...sleeping. Ha! Okay, maybe not ALL the time. But more of it. Defintely.

And I've got WINNERS to announce for my celebration contest!

Angelina Hansen is the winner of GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo

Tina Jones-Jovanovic is the winner of WHAT WILL YOU BE, SARA MEE? by Kate Aver Avraham 

Congrats guys!

Korea's Got the Coolest Stuff

A friend of mine sent me this link and I was like: "A virtual grocery store? Brilliant!"

But the thing is, if anyone can do it, Korea can. They are so technologically advanced and service orientated, it's totally expected.

Basically, it's a shopping experience catered for those too busy to shop. Tesco (similar to the American version of Walmart) has created a virtual supermarket in a subway station. While waiting for your train to arrive, why not get your grocery shopping done in the meantime?

I know, it's a busy mom's dream come true.

First, browse through the products on the wall. Then scan the bar code of the item you want with your cell phone. And viola! A basket of your goods will be delivered directly to your apartment!

See? It's cool. Very cool.  

Christine Fonseca Interviews Me

Hey guys! I've had the honor of being interviewed by Christine Fonseca over at her blog: Opening the Door to New Worlds.

Christine is a school psychologist by day and lover of books by night. So she began to blend the two together and wrote parenting and advice books for kids that delve into the often turbulent world of emotional intensity and giftedness. In addition to writing books related to giftedness, she writes contemporary, fantasy, romance, and gothic novels for teens.

Please stop by here and say 'hi'!

Party Time!

Oh my gosh guys. You are absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for all of your kind words and congratulations. It was totally a Christmas-in-July-day. Each of your messages were like little presents. You guys ROCK!

And now it's time to PARTY!

For starters, we need music. If you ever get a chance to see the Nanta show, I highly recommend it! These drummers are amazing.



A party is never a party without food. Today's party choices are:

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake (my family's favorite)

Black Magic Cake (Divine!)

Chocolate Cover Strawberries

GAMES! Look to your right at the side bar. Be sure to vote for your favorite type of chocolate!

And most importantly: CONTEST TIME!

As many of your know, I lived and taught at an international school in Seoul, Korea for the last 8 years. While there, I fell in love with the country and its people. So I wrote a book about my experiences.

So as you can imagine, I'm a fan of Korean-based literature. To celebrate, I'm giving away three Korean-based books in three different genres: picture book, middle grade, and young adult.

Here they are:

WHAT WILL YOU BE, SARA MEE?

About the Book:

Will she be an artist? A cook? A writer?

Sara Mee is turning one, and her family and friends gather for her tol, or first-birthday celebration. Food and presents abound, but most exciting of all is the traditional Korean prophecy game, called the toljabee, which predicts what Sara Mee will be when she grows up.

ARCHER'S QUEST by Linda Sue Park
About the Book:

Twelve-year-old Kevin, a Korean American math whiz, is shocked beyond belief when a young man, complete with bow and arrows, crash lands in his bedroom. And that's just the beginning. The man, called Skillful Archer, claims to be a legendary ruler from ancient Korea. While Kevin tries explaining contemporary life to the man he nicknames Archie, the young ruler teaches Kevin about focusing his thoughts in an attempt to help him return to his kingdom.  
 

GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo

How to Make Your Korean Parents Happy
1. Get a perfect score on the SATs.
2. Attend Korean church every week, no matter what.
3. Don't talk to boys. (They will distract you from your studies.)
4. Get into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth, Columbia, Brown, Penn, MIT, Stanford, University of California at Berkeley, Smith/Mount Holyoke/Bryn Mawr/Wellesley. Then get into Harvard or Yale Law School and/or Harvard or Yale Medical School.
5. Become a Korean doctor. When all else fails, marry a Korean doctor.

Aren't these fantastic books? You know you want them! Fill out the form below and mark which book you prefer. I will choose one winner from each category.

Contest ends Aug. 13th.

AGENTED!!!!!!

There are the everyday moments, the ones you never notice.

Then there are the awful ones that wet your pillow with tears.

There are the moments that fill you with precious memories.

And there are moments you LIVE for.

I've just had a LIVE FOR moment!

*SCREAMING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

Yeah, I'm totally freaking, flipping out. And dancing around the house.

Because I can now say I have an AGENT!!!!!!

I am totally thrilled to announce that I've signed with Jeff Ourvan from the Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency. Not only is he amazingly cool and knowledgeable, but he loves my work.
SQUEEEEEEEE!

Here's me freaking out:

Thankfully I calmed down so I could sign the contract:

And here I am with the smile that's glued to my face:

There are some people that I MUST thank because they have been a huge part of all of this and are full of pure awesomeness:

My hubby- You never doubted.
Julianne, my sister and muse- So many late night phone calls listening and solving my 'issues'. You always believed in me.
Beth Revis- You were there when I first started writing (dear Lord, poor you), and you've been my cheerleader and great friend through all of this. And yes, your critiques are always spot on. 
Casey McCormick- You never let me give up even when I wanted to. Thank you for reading those awful drafts and never allowing me to write less than my absolute best. There are no words for how awesome you are.
Ellen Oh- My Korean expert! Thank you for dropping everything to read my story in the midst of your own awesomeness book deals.

THE MIGS:
Andrea Mack- You always have such great insights and find those details that I miss.
Debbie Ridpath Ohi- For those critiques that made me think about everything in a new light. 
Carmella Van Vleet- My taekwondo expert who inspired me to join a do-jang.

Susan Laidlaw- For keeping me true to my YA voice.

Kate Fall- For all those encouragements. How I needed those.

I truly believe that a writer's journey shouldn't be alone. It's about discovering, pushing yourself to new levels and more importantly telling a beautiful story that will touch lives. I couldn't do it without them. And I know my writing is that much richer because of them. *I heart you guys!*

Please pop back here on Monday because I'm going to celebrate with a PARTY on my blog! With book prizes, games, dancing and lots and lots of chocolate.

Hints of My News!

I can't say much so I'm just going to share some pictures with you.

Kyongju Palace

 The Samjokoh Amulet

The Haechi

 The Tiger of Shinshi