88 Cups of Tea

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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Meg Cabot is one of the earliest pioneers of the YA genre. She is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of books for adults, teens, and tweens, selling over 25 million copies of her nearly 80 published books. “The Princess Diaries”, one of her most popular series she wrote, was adapted into two hit movies by Disney. Click here to go directly to Meg's shownotes page that has all of her recommended resources linked up!

In today’s episode, we dive right into how real-life events inspired Meg for her “Princess Diaries” book series and she walks us through her newest book, “The Boy Is Back”.

She shares tips on writing stories influenced by life events without offending family and friends, and why it’s necessary to surround yourself with readers and critique partners that are honest with you about your writing. I can’t wait for you to hear how Meg and her writing-friend hold each other accountable and push each other past writing blocks.

Meg also walks us through how to write unique character voices with a structure inspired by social media, and how reading multiple genres can strengthen your writing structure.

Happy listening!

Xo,

Yin

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“I kept working on different things until I finally found something that hit.” -Meg Cabot (click to tweet)

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• The real-life events that inspired “The Princess Diaries” series, “The Mediator” series, and the “Heather Wells” series
• Meg walks us through her newest book “The Boy Is Back”
• How reading multiple genres can strengthen your writing
• Why workshops are crucial in learning how to accept criticism and how to meet deadlines
• How to turn rejection into a tool that enhances your writing voice
• Why it’s necessary to surround yourself with readers and critique partners that are honest with you about your writing
• Tips on writing stories influenced by your own life events without offending family and friends
• How Meg created unique character voices with a structure inspired by social media
• How Meg and her writing-friend hold each other accountable and push each other past writing blocks

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Angie Thomas is the author of “The Hate U Give” which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. I'm so excited to have her on the show today! If you haven’t yet, make sure to grab a copy for yourself. I love this book. The movie is also currently in development and is being produced by Fox 2000 and Temple Hill, the same team that produced “The Fault in Our Stars” and the “Maze Runner” franchise. Click here to go directly to Angie's shownotes page that lists out the amazing resources she recommends. 

In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of raising diverse voices in the literary world. Angie walks us through the inspiration behind her novel and how music, hip hop, and Tupac played an influential role throughout her writing process.

Angie shares her experiences as a debut author and how creating an online presence will help you build genuine relationships within the writing community. For our craft-focused listeners, Angie shares advice on how to build strong characters for your stories, why research must be a priority to craft authentic diverse characters, and how to craft a successful query letter. Click here to say 'Hi' to Angie on Twitter!

You don’t want to miss out on this episode!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! 

PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. These specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

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I’m excited to share that we’re in the middle of setting up an online shop for 88 Cups of Tea! We’re working hard at making sure that whatever we offer will add tremendous value to your storytelling process. We’re also going to have some fun 88  Cups of Tea swag available in our online shop. But for now, we set up a temporary Paypal link for those of you who’d love to support our show and rock your 88 Cups of Tea swag. To grab your Limited Edition 88 Cups of Tea mug (signed by yours truly), click here! Thank you in advance for supporting our show!

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“Being disciplined but also not being hard on yourself and finding balance of the two is key to hitting your writing goals.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)

“If we want more diverse books, we need more diverse authors.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)

“It’s going to get overwhelming but knowing that there are people who’ve been through it and who survived it helps a whole lot.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)

“As long as you surround yourself and connect with people and reach out to people, you won’t be alone.” -Angie Thomas (click to tweet)

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Click here to go directly to Angie's shownotes page for more details and info about her episode, including a list of her recommended resources! 

We have Heidi Heilig on the show with us today!  Heidi is the author of the duology “The Girl From Everywhere” which was listed as a widely-loved and recommended book to read by NPR. The sequel to “The Ship Beyond Time” just released this week and was listed as one of the 35 most anticipated Young Adult novels of the year by Entertainment Weekly!

In today’s episode, we discuss the importance of reading and promoting the work of various authors to encourage diversity, and how to respectfully write about communities outside of your own experience.

Heidi shares the experience of her first heartbreak and how that inspired the themes of romance and time travel in “The Girl From Everywhere”. Further into our conversation, we also touch on mental health stigmas and what we can do to help break down the stereotypes.

For our craft-focused listeners, Heidi shares advice on how to improve your craft, how to find inspiration for your characters, and how to tie multiple historical elements together in your story. We also unpack Heidi’s experience with her editor and how an editor can bring out the best in your writing.

Thank you, Storyteller Tribe, for listening in! If you loved her episode, please let her know on Twitter by clicking here.

For the list of incredible resources mentioned in Heidi's episode, click here!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! 

PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. Those specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page!

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“No one can tell you what to write and what not to write because everyone is their own person.” -Heidi Heilig (Click to tweet)

“You don’t need an MFA to write a novel. You just need to read a lot and to have the will to practice and the time." -Heidi Heilig (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How to respectfully write about communities outside of your own experience(s)
• The importance of reading and promoting the work of others to encourage diversity
• How writing inclusively can help you avoid appropriation in your novel
• Heidi walks us through her first heartbreak that inspired the themes of romance and time travel in her writing
• How to find inspiration for your characters
• How we can help to remove mental health stigmas
• The inspiration behind Heidi’s "The Girl from Everywhere"
• How to tie multiple historical elements together in your story
• How an editor can bring out your best writing and help inspire ideas for your stories
• How to improve your craft

Lilliam Rivera is the debut author of "The Education of Margot Sanchez" and she was recently named a 2017 Face to Watch by the LA Times. Click here to go directly to Lilliam's shownotes page! 

In today’s episode proudly brought to you by VCFA's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, we dive right into the heartwarming inspiration that influenced Lilliam’s book and her experiences growing up in NY. For my craft-driven writers, you’re going to LOVE Lilliam’s advice and craft tips on building complex characters and how writing a character study will help you make decisions in your novel that are true to your character.

Lilliam walks us through writing emotionally heavy scenes, and how to capture universal ideas in your story while representing underappreciated voices.

We unpack Lilliam’s experience with the PEN Center Emerging Voices Fellowship and the kinds of resources it provides writers, and we go even further to discuss how writers can financially support their writing with grants and fellowships.

We also discuss how to write query letters and where to find writing mentors. Listeners, if you’re working on your own manuscripts or are approaching literary agents for representation, you especially do not want to miss Lilliam’s episode! 

Xo,

Yin

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“I don’t believe in writer’s block. I believe that there’s always something you write.” -Lilliam Rivera (click to tweet)

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• How Lilliam used writing to cope with her fears and anxieties growing up
• How to capture universal ideas in your story while representing underappreciated voices
• How to build complex characters
• How writing a character study will help you make decisions in your novel that are true to your character
• How to write emotionally heavy scenes with patience
• Why it’s crucial to surround yourself with a supportive writing circle
• How the deadlines from Lilliam’s journalism background helped her with novel-writing
• Methods for coping with rejection
• Financially support your writing with grants and fellowships
• Lilliam’s experience with the PEN Center Emerging Voices Fellowship and the resources it provides writers
• Where to find a writing mentor
• How to write a successful query letter

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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I’m thrilled to have Justina Ireland on the show today!  Justina is the author of Vengeance Bound and Promise of Shadows. You can find her on Twitter here and you can access her shownotes page with all of her recommended books and resources linked up here!

In today’s episode proudly brought to you by VCFA's MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, we discuss why it’s crucial for us to grow and change as people, and why it’s worthwhile to say the things that are most important to us and to share it with others so they know they’re not alone.

I’m really looking forward for you to hear our conversation about handling the overwhelm of the political climate and Justina’s advice on powerful and productive ways of decompressing.

Now, more than ever, we need more diversity in books and the media; Justina walks us through the important steps writers need to take to create diverse characters that break away from institutional stereotypes.

We dive into how to approach difficult scenes that are closest to our own feelings or experiences, and we unpack why it’s difficult to get through them in the first place, and how to conquer those specific scenes. Justina also walks us through manageable steps you can take to accomplish your writing goals, and the important criteria for your literary agent submission.

You don’t want to miss out on Justina’s valuable advice!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who would love our conversation? Please share this episode to help spread the word! 

PPS. If you enjoyed this episode, I’d really love your support in growing our community by subscribing to us on iTunes, and leaving a rating and review. Those specific steps help to increase our visibility on iTunes which really helps new listeners discover us. A huge heartfelt thank you for your time and support! You can click here to go directly to our iTunes page! 

https://www.patreon.com/88cupsoftea

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Joanna Volpe is a literary agent and the president of New Leaf Literary & Media, one of the hottest and most sought after management and representation firms today. Joanna discovers and helps to shape the careers of talented and successful authors like Veronica Roth. For those who've gone MIA for the past several years, Veronica is the author of the DIVERGENT series, also an extremely successful Hollywood Blockbuster trilogy that Joanna's firm helped to shepherd into the world. FYI: You'll hear all about those specific details in Joanna's episode!

Joanna and I dive right into the heart of why she's a literary agent and we dissect her leadership skills as an entrepreneurial badass. A special note to fellow writers, this episode is L-I-F-E. We discuss agent representation, what it takes to be the kind of author that stands out from the crowd, Joanna's ideal client, how she likes to creatively work with them, and crafting solid query letters (Joanna even shares examples of rare query letters that have made her fall head-over-heels).

Get ready for an episode that'll blow your mind!

XO,

Yin

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“You’ll never work at your best capacity if you’re constantly fighting against your weaknesses.” -Joanna Volpe [Click to tweet]

“Just keep writing. Get your butt in the seat and keep going.” -Joanna Volpe [Click to tweet]

“Keep reading. You’re not going to be able to be a good writer unless you know what good writing looks like.” -Joanna Volpe [Click to tweet]

“It gets me really excited for people to do things that excite them.” -Joanna Volpe [Click to tweet]

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New Leaf Literary & Media, Inc. is a non-traditional, full service management and representation firm that will be with authors and illustrators before and beyond the sale. A few of the writers and illustrators they represent: Veronica Roth, Leigh Bardugo, David J. Peterson, Margot Lee Shetterly, Kody Keplinger, Kara Thomas, Gabby Rivera, Soman Chainani, Melanie Conklin, Victoria Aveyard, and Elizabeth Rose Stanton. 

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• Joanna’s entrepreneurial journey building a strong foundation for New Leaf Literary & Media 

• How to lead your team to success by leaning into your strengths instead of fighting against your weaknesses

• How Joanna creates an inspiring, passionate, and soul-filling work environment for her team of loyal agents and staff

• What Joanna looks for in potential future clients

• Examples of query letters that immediately caught Joanna’s attention

• Why it’s crucial to craft a query letter that reaches the central conflict

• How Joanna works creatively with her clients

• Examples of long-term goals that Joanna’s ideal client would have

Joanna represents all brands of fiction from picture books to adult novels.  Her picture book taste is the most eclectic, ranging from sweet to fun to smart to quirky. For other fiction (both adult and children’s) she has an affinity for stories that have a darker element to them, whether they be horror, drama or comedy. She’s not the kind of reader that needs a romance in her novels, though she does appreciate a good one.

On the non-fiction side her tastes are much more specific.  For children she looks for topics that captivate kids: biographies, animal-related stories, all sciences and history, etc. Joanna also has an affinity for morbid, weird or offbeat topics. In her adult non-fiction tastes she tends toward all things geek-related, foodie books, travel books, and general pop-culture and pop-science.

Caroline Leavitt is a book critic, essayist, screenwriter, and an award-winning author of the Indie Next Pick "Cruel Beautiful World", and the New York Times Bestsellers "Is this Tomorrow" and "Pictures of You", as well as 8 other novels.

Click here to head over to her shownotes page for all of the incredibly helpful resources and books she recommends!

I met Caroline in her online creative writing class at UCLA’s Writers’ Program where she teaches step-by-step how to create story structure for a novel. Just like she does in her classes, Caroline bares her heart in today’s new episode, peeling back all the layers, generously exposing and sharing all that she has learned and experienced in life and in her writing career.

Caroline and I dive deep in our conversation about her intimate tie with loss and grief, and how she is able to push forward with strength and courage. This episode is the most emotionally powerful discussion we’ve had on the show to date.

Caroline also shares the haunting story that inspired her newest novel Cruel Beautiful World, how to find your confidence as a writer, and how to edit your manuscript. She walks us through creating strong characters by using character webs, and breaks down the function of a writer’s synopsis and how it can help jumpstart your novel.

We unpack what the ‘core question’ means, how it brings depth to your story and characters, and how to structure your novel around it. We also dive into Caroline’s advice on choosing the right writers’ group that will give you constructive feedback, along with her tips on finding a writing mentor through social media.

Today's episode is proudly brought to you by Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who’s struggling with loss and grief? Or anyone who’s curious about story structure? Please share this episode, it may really be of help! 

PPS. Looking for an intimate community for storytellers to check in about your writing and hang out with other writers? Want to submit questions for future guests on our show? Hang out with us in our new Facebook group by clicking here!

Please leave a review about the podcast by clicking here. Your honest feedback helps to shape the show. Thank you for your time and for helping with the ranking of the show when leaving a review and rating!

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“Your job is to just keep writing the story that haunts you & eventually it will find what you want it to find.” -Caroline Leavitt (click to tweet)

“You never know how much time you have, so you should do everything that you can.” -Caroline Leavitt (click to tweet)

“You just have to be patient and believe in yourself and things will happen.” -Caroline Leavitt (click to tweet)

“Never give up. You never know what’s going to happen.” -Caroline Leavitt (click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE

• Caroline walks us through the haunting story that inspired "Cruel Beautiful World"
• How to find your confidence as a writer
• How Caroline became a brave writer through teaching writing classes
• How to use character webs to create strong characters 
• How to structure your story around the ‘core question’
• Caroline breaks down the writer’s synopsis
• How a writer’s synopsis can help jumpstart your novel
• How loss connects us and makes us stronger
• Caroline advises actionable steps to edit your manuscript  
• How to choose a writers’ group that will give constructive feedback
• How to find a writing mentor on social media

Caroline Leavitt is the author of the Indie Next Pick "Cruel Beautiful World", and the New York Times Bestsellers "Is this Tomorrow" and "Pictures of You", as well as 8 other novels. A book critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe and People, and teaches writing online and privately.

"Cruel Beautiful World" has won raves from The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Tampa Bay Times, Real Simple, The Miami Herald, The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, The New York Times, New York Newsday, Marie Claire, Parade Magazine, Lit Hug, BBC.Com, Book Riot and more.

​Her ninth novel, "Pictures of You", went into three printings months before publication and is now in its fourth printing. A New York Times bestseller, it was also a Costco “Pennie’s Pick,” A San Francisco Chronicle Editor’s Choice “Lit Pick,” and was one of the top 20 books published so far in 2011, as named by BookPage. Pictures of You was also on the Best Books of 2011 lists from The San Francisco Chronicle, The Providence Journal, Bookmarks Magazine and Kirkus Reviews.

Her novel, "Is This Tomorrow" is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, a San Francisco Chronicle Lit Pick/Editor’s Choice, a Jewish Book Council Bookclub Pick, a WNBA National Great Group Reads, a May Indie Next Pick, A Best Book of 2013 from January magazine, on the longlist for the Maine Readers’ Choice Award, and the winner of an Audiofile Earphones Award.

Her many essays, stories, book reviews and articles have appeared in Salon, Psychology Today, The New York Times Sunday Book Review, The New York Times Modern Love, Publisher’s Weekly, People, Real Simple, New York Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and numerous anthologies. She won First Prize in Redbook Magazine’s Young Writers Contest for her short story, “Meeting Rozzy Halfway,” which grew into the novel. The recipient of a 1990 New York Foundation of the Arts Award for Fiction for "Into Thin Air", she was also a National Magazine Award nominee for personal essay, and she was awarded a 2005 honorable mention, Goldenberg Prize for Fiction from the Bellevue Literary Review, for “Breathe,” a portion of "Pictures of You". As a screenwriter, Caroline was a 2003 Nickelodeon Screenwriting Fellow Finalist, and is a recent first-round finalist in the Sundance Screenwriting Lab competition for her script of "Is This Tomorrow".

Known to be one of the greatest writers of our time, it’s an absolute honor to feature Jane Smiley on our show! Jane is the Pulitzer Prize winning author of A Thousand Acres, and numerous novels, most recently, The Last Hundred Yearstrilogy: Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age. 

She has written a novel in every literary genre; consciously choosing to change the style, tone, and setting for each one, and is celebrated for transitioning from one novel to the other with ease and grace. 

Jane walks us through her earliest memories of how she fell in love with writing, and shares the inspiration behind her first picture book Twenty Yawn.  We also explore the ideas of teaching in her series of books for middle-grade readers, The Horses of Oak Valley Ranch.

Jane walks us through how to jot down story ideas, how to write effective outlines for the story, and why it’s crucial to remain organized throughout it all.

We dive into the importance of writing workshops and exactly how it provides you with the support and help you need as a writer, why it’s incredibly important to be analytical versus critical, and how to effectively learn from critiques and feedback about your work.

For the recommended books and resources Jane mentions in her episode, click here!

Xo,

Yin

Jane's episode is proudly brought to you by Vermont College of Fine Arts.

PS. Do you know anyone who’d love to hear amazing writing advice from a legend? Please share this episode, it may really be of help! 

Please leave a review about the podcast by clicking here. Your honest feedback helps to shape the show. Thank you for your time and for helping with the ranking of the show when leaving a review and rating!

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If you’re looking for a safe-space to check in about your writing and hang out with other fellow writers, or submit your questions for upcoming guests on our show, along with sneak peeks of future episodes-- JOIN US!

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“If you ask any writer, most of what happened to them was a combination of effort and luck. You have to keep trying.” -Jane Smiley (click to tweet)

“The nature of children’s literature and YA literature is always about teaching.” -Jane Smiley (click to tweet)

“You have to do the best to be yourself.” -Jane Smiley (click to tweet)

“If someone’s criticizing your work, try to figure out what you can learn from that. Don’t be offended by it.” -Jane Smiley (click to tweet)

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• How Jane fell in love with writing
• The inspiration behind Jane’s picture book Twenty Yawn 
• How Jane explores the ideas of teaching in her series about horses
• Writing tips on how to jot down your story ideas throughout the day 
• How to create effective outlines for your story
• Why it’s important to stay organized as you create your story
• How to work with editors while staying true to your story
• How writing workshops provide you the support and help you need as a writer
• Why it’s crucial to be analytical instead of critical as a writer
• How to effectively learn from comments and feedback about your writing
• How to create your own luck in the publishing world through networking  

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Jane Smiley is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, and most recently, The Last Hundred Years trilogy (Some Luck, Early Warning, and Golden Age). She is also the author of five works of nonfiction and a series of books for young adults. A member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, she has also received the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. She lives in Northern California.

War and Peace by Leo Tolstory

The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Lee Hope

Iowa Writers’ Workshop

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13 Ways of Looking at the Novel by Jane Smiley

The Once and Future King by T.H. White

The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion by Ford Madox Ford  

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I’m thrilled to have New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu for this week's new episode! Marie is one of the most humble and gracious guests we’re honored to feature on the show. Before becoming a full-time writer, Marie worked in the video game industry for Disney Interactive Studios as a concept artist. She has since earned an incredible following of loyal readers from "The Young Elites" and "Legend" series.

In today's episode proudly brought to you by Vermont College of Fine Arts, Marie walks us through her experiences writing Midnight Star, the final book in The Young Elites trilogy, and why it was an intense challenge deciding how to wrap up Adelina Amouteru's story, the main character who met her downfall towards the darkside. Marie shares how music helped her channel the villain's voice and the different kinds of songs on her villain's playlist that allowed Marie to tap into a dark headspace, pushing her through difficult scenes.

We dive into world building and character development, writing with your internal editor switched off, and dealing with rejections and summoning the last bit of courage and strength to forge on with your writing. Marie also shares how to specifically shift your mindset to alleviate pressure when approaching the first draft.

This episode is especially for writers who'd appreciate writing tips on creating a complex villain, advice on writing the first draft of a novel, and how to find inspiration for your story. 

Xo,

Yin

PS. FOR A LIST OF ALL THE AWESOME RESOURCES MARIE MENTIONS IN HER EPISODE, CLICK HERE TO GO TO HER SHOWNOTES PAGE. 

PPS. Do you know anyone who’d love to hear amazing writing tips and inspirational personal stories from authors? Please share this episode, it may really be of help! 

Please leave a review about the podcast by clicking here. Your honest feedback helps to shape the show. Thank you for your time and for helping with the ranking of the show when leaving a review and rating!

We have #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning, author Alyson Noel on the show today! Alyson has published 23 novels including: The Immortals, The Riley Bloom, and The Soul Seekers series.

We get really up close and personal in today’s episode proudly brought to you by Vermont College of Fine Arts. Alyson shares her experiences struggling with grief and how she coped with it through writing.Alyson also shares how to push through difficult times when you’re feeling stuck.

We go into detail about how to create dynamic personalities for your characters,where to find inspiration for story ideas, and how to create a flexible writing outline to keep your progress on track.

This episode especially hits the spot if you’re coming across some challenges in your first draft. Fellow NaNoWrimo participants will definitely want to savor Alyson’s words of advice. We really dive deep into the topic of surviving the first draft, how to eliminate the pressure of perfection, and how to structure scenes so that you can avoid dead spots.

CLICK HERE TO GO DIRECTLY TO ALYSON'S SHOWNOTES FOR RESOURCES, BOOKS, AND MORE!

Xo,

Yin

PS. Do you know anyone who’d appreciate a big push through their first draft? Please share this episode, it may really be of help! 

Please leave a review about the podcast by clicking here. Your honest feedback helps to shape the show. Thank you for your time and for helping with the ranking of the show when leaving a review and rating!

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“You are okay and you are enough. Despite what other people may tell you, you are enough and you deserve to be here.”-Alyson Noël (Click to tweet)

“You need to actually live a life, if you want to write about people living a life.” -Alyson Noel (Click to tweet)

“It’s really important to take the leap.” -Alyson Noel (Click to tweet)

“That first draft is your opportunity to make a big ol’ mess, to use your delete key liberally.” -Alyson Noel (Click to tweet)

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WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM TODAY'S EPISODE: 

• Where to find inspiration for great story ideas for writing fiction
• How to break down boundaries to craft compelling characters
• How to create dynamic personalities in your characters
• Create a flexible outline to keep your writing process on track
• How traveling can inspire new ideas for your writing
• How to write the first draft of your novel without the pressure of perfection
• How to structure the scenes in your story to avoid dead spots in your writing
• How Alyson learns from the moments in life where she felt stuck to propel forward towards her dreams
• How to productively cope with rejection as a writer

Alyson Noël is the #1 New York Times best-selling, award-winning, author of 23 novels including: The Immortals, The Riley Bloom, and The Soul Seekers series.

With 9 New York Times bestsellers, and over 8 million copies in print, her books have been translated into 36 languages, sold in over 200 countries, and have made the New York Times, USA Today, LA Times, Publishers Weekly, Wall Street Journal, NCIBA, and Walmart Bestsellers lists, and have won numerous awards such as: the National Reader’s Choice Award, NYLA Book of Winter Award, NYPL Stuff for the Teenage, TeenReads Best Books of 2007, Reviewer’s Choice 2007 Top Ten, appeared on the CBS Early Show’s “Give the Gift of Reading” segment, and selected for Seventeen Magazine’s “Hot List” and Beach Book Club Pick.

Chosen as one of OC Metro magazine’s “20 Women to Watch,” she’s been nominated for the Orange County Business Journal’s “Women in Business Awards” as well as their “Excellence in Entrepreneurship” award. The dramatic rights for The Soul Seekers are optioned to Cheyenne Enterprises and Traziende films; the dramatic rights to Saving Zoë are optioned to actresses/producers Ellen Marano, Vanessa Marano (Switched at Birth), Laura Marano (Austin & Ally), with Jeffrey G. Hunt (Vampire Diaries, Gotham) directing; dramatic rights to The Immortals are optioned to Gil Adler (Valkyrie, Constantine) & Jason Rosenberg.

Her new YA series, Beautiful Idols, beginning with Unrivaled, had a global release in 17 languages and 200 countries on 05.10.16. Her new MG, Five Days of Famous,is set to debut 12.13.16.

Born and raised in Orange County, California, she’s lived in both Mykonos and Manhattan and is now settled back in Southern California.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder

The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know by Shawn Coyne and Steven Pressfield

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