December Mystery Agent Contest: Details Galore!!!

So. Remember our Mystery Agent contests? Well, this Saturday, December 1st, they're back! I'm here to share all the deets on what our M.A. is looking for. That way, those of you still on the agent hunt can see whether you should participate in the contest or not. 

Okay. Let's do this.

Our Mystery Agent wants manuscripts for the following audiences:

Middle Grade 

Young Adult

Our Mystery Agent is looking for:

Contemporary YA 

(if it explores social issues, even better)

Historical fantasy 

(fiction set in another country, time, place, and it can either be real or imagined)

Smart Middle Grade adventures

YA Romance

Books that challenge the reader intellectually and emotionally

Nonfiction 

(books that explore social issues relevant to women of all ages)

Our Mystery Agent isn't looking for:

Paranormal "creature" YA

(no werewolves, vampires, shapeshifters, selkies, or mermaids)

Books narrated by animals/centered on human-animal bond

And here's a list of published books our Mystery Agent loves (to give you an idea of what to submit):

Ask The Passengers by A.S. King

The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M. T. Anderson

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Remember: the contest is for one-line pitches only. Get those babies ready by Saturday, and you could win a FULL manuscript request!!

Happy Monday! 

Boys In YA: Houston, Do We Have A Problem?

So. Last week provided some interesting articles around the Web. I'm here to share two of them: 

1) Sarah Mesle's article in the Los Angeles Review of Books, where she discusses "the problem" with manhood in YA, and how some of today's bestselling novels differ from those of the 19th century in this regard.

2) film critic Michael Carelli's article in the Chicago Sun-Times' website, which details his unfortunate experience of working with an editor who refused to publish reviews of films with strong female leads, and who sent him an email explaining why Snow White and the Huntsman was "moral garbage" and "fuzzy feminist thinking."

Naturally, both these articles got me fired up. But I'm more interested in hearing what you have to say, specifically when it comes to the following questions: 

Which book (MG/YA/Adult) has dealt with the topic of manhood in a way that you found awesome? Why did you find it awesome? 

Happy Monday!  

BREAKING DAWN PART 2: On The Final Twilight Movie And Closure

 

You may or may not have heard about this indie project called THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, which comes out on November 15th. It's just this obscure, limited release film with some unknown actors. The studio distributing it isn't expecting ginormous box office numbers at all. Like, not even close.

Oh, and these dudes? I don't squee at the sight of them.

 

Nope.

Not squeeing.

*squees*

*coughs*

Okay, okay. This post might as well be titled Lies I Tell Myself. 

I'm not huge on Stephenie Meyer's books (except for the Volturi. Me likes the Volturi. *hugs the Volturi*), BUT I do like watching the movie versions because: 1) Robert Pattinson; 2) Taylor Lautner. Yes, I shall see these two actors in other movies, but probably never in the same movie ever again. That, more than anything else, gives me the sadsies--I think these two gentledudes are rather good at hating each other and fighting over a human dudette. Which is what I believe most TWILIGHT fans seem to enjoy most, along with Bella and Edward's relationship.

But alas, the end is nigh. I'm already coping by watching interviews with both actors (score if they're in the same interview together). This is my attempt at closure, but I know for sure it'll be achieved the minute the end credits roll and I walk out of the movie theater. I shall raise an imaginary glass of lemonade and yell "FAREWELL, MY DARLING DEARS!" at the screen. Because obviously.

So I ask y'all this: if you're looking forward to THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN PART 2, what are you struggling with most in terms of closure? Bella/Edward? Jacob/Reneesme? The Cullens? My beloved Volturis? All of it? Let me know in the comments! 

Happy Monday! :)