Tier 2 Charity Anthology Writing Contest 

Closes February 29, 2012

Enter the Tier 2 Writing Contest of dark retellings of Mother Goose rhymes. Win a chance to have your short story featured in an anthology releasing in October alongside authors like Claudia Gray, Francisco Stork, Michelle Zink, Heidi R. Kling, Cyn Balog, Shannon Delany, Gretchen McNeill, Sarwat Chadda, Karen Mahoney and more! 

Learn more about the contest, and enter.

YALITCHAT.ORG NaNoWriMo Contest Winners

Congratulations to everyone who completed this year's National Novel Writing Month. We are pleased to announce this year's contest winners, with their final word counts!

1st Prize: 100,011 words
Winner of Kindle Fire with Pre-Loaded books from Jessie Harrell, Michelle Zink, Lauren Hammond, C. Lee McKenzie, Cyn Balog and more!
Adrianne Russell

2nd Prize: 83,018 words
$30 gift card to Kohls
Mari J Carpenter

3rd Prize: 79,919 words
DESTINED by Jessie Harrell and LIVING VIOLET by Jaime Reed.
Nicole Zoltack  

Pitch your novel via YALITCHAT.org. Submit your pitch or hook of no more than five sentences between January 13th and 15th to have agents Carlie Webber, Rachel Dugas and editor Leah Hultenschmidt of Sourcebooks Fire read and comment the following week!

Find our more about the Agent Pitch Slam on YALITCHAT.org.

News and Events at YALITCHAT.ORG

In addition to YALITCHAT events, we post partner events, workshops, conferences, book releases, and chats of interest to YA writers.  Check out the Events Tab on the homepage to see what's coming up both online and across the country.  Lots of great events have already been posted, and more are added each week.  

If you have an event you would like us to post, please contact Jessica Capelle at membership (a) yalitchat.org or via her YALITCHAT.ORG member page.

Meredith Kaffel of the Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency has joined the Submissions Mailbox Panel (formerly Agent Mailbox). She represents both children's and adult books, fiction and non-fiction, as well as various illustrators (including indie darlings Amy Martin and Lisa Hanawalt) who work across genres. On the adult side, Meredith seeks literary fiction, upmarket and smart/edgy women's fiction, narrative non-fiction (especially in the vein of popular science, food, aesthetics, music, popular business, love, feminism, architecture, film and place), history, cultural studies, pop culture/humor, and the occasional memoir. 

Her children's list ranges from quirky and especially illustrator-driven picture books to boy and girl middle grade to YA and edgier teen. Her children's list includes Nina Malkin (SWOON; SWEAR (Simon Pulse)), Lisa Ann Sandell (SONG OF THE SPARROW (Scholastic); A MAP OF THE KNOWN WORLD (Scholastic)) Anastasia Hopcus (SHADOW HILLS (Egmont)), Crickett Rumley (NEVER SIT DOWN IN A HOOPSKIRT (Egmont)), Cathleen Daly (FLIRT CLUB (Roaring Brook); PRUDENCE WANTS A PET (Roaring Brook)), Adam J.B. Lane (STOP THIEF! (Roaring Brook 2012), and more.

Meredith is a graduate of Yale University, where she received a B.A. in Renaissance Studies. She is a member of the AAR.

Twitter: @mere215
Further information: Writer's Digest: Agent Advice, Writer's Digest: Successful Queries: Meredith Kaffel and SHADOW HILLS,  Publisher's Weekly spotlight: FLIRT CLUB.

Rachel Harris's  YA Magical Realism/Romance, MY SUPER SWEET SIXTEENTH CENTURY, pitched as MTV's My Sweet Sixteen meets Ever After, about a teen who's reluctant in having her sweet sixteen broadcasted live from coast to coast in some extravagant bash and with a little gypsy magic winds up traveling back in time to Renaissance Italy to Stacy Cantor Abrams at Entangled in a two book deal by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group.

Lori M. Lee is now represented by Suzie Townsend of Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation.

Lea Nolan's first sale, THE HOODOO APPRENTICE in a three book deal to Entangled Publishing. This will be Entangled's first MG/YA crossover, with 18th century pirates, a wicked flesh eating curse, soul-snatching and Gullah Hoodoo magic.

Patty Blount in a two book deal with Sourcebooks Inc. The debut YA SEND comes out September 2012 with a second book following in 2013.

Michelle Schusterman's I HEART BAND, a new chapter-book series about a French-horn-playing girl and her middle-school friends as they experience all the fun and roller-coaster adventures, dramas and crushes of life as band geeks, to Sarah Fabiny and Jordan Hamessley at Grosset & Dunlap, in a four-book deal, for publication in Summer 2014, by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (World).

Hilary Smith's debut MIDNIGHT AT THE RADIO TEMPLE, about a teenage musician who uncovers a startling family secret that propels her into a summer of love, chaos, music, and madness, to Molly O'Neill at Katherine Tegen Books, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, by Laura Rennert at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (North America).

Turkish rights to Helen Douglas's EDEN, to Ozlar Tutem at Dogan Egmont, by Allison Hellegers at Rights People on behalf of Julia Churchill at Greenhouse Literary Agency.

Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner's WRECKED, pitched as Titanic in outer space, in which a wealthy teen socialite and a young war hero crash land on an uncharted planet after their flagship spaceliner goes down mid-voyage, forcing them to confront harsh conditions, otherworldly incidents, and their own mutual attraction, to Abby Ranger at Disney-Hyperion, in a significant deal, at auction, in a three-book deal, for publication in Summer 2013, by Josh Adams and Tracey Adams at Adams Literary ( World English).

Jamie Blair's debut LEAP OF FAITH, in which a 16-year-old girl flees home with her newborn sister, becoming a fugitive in order to escape an abusive parent and start a new life, to Alexandra Cooper at Simon & Schuster Children's, by Emmanuelle Morgen at Judith Ehrlich Literary Management (NA).

Kelly Hashway's TOUCH OF DEATH, about a teenage girl born under the thirteenth sign of the zodiac with a kiss that kills and a touch that can bring the dead back to life, pitched as Shatter Me meets The Walking Dead, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in January 2013, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group.

Lori Ann Duffy writing as Shannon Duffy's SPECTRAL, pitched as Witness meets The Secret Circle, about a teenage witch who doesn't know she's a witch and is in the witness protection, thinking she's on the run from the mob when actually she's on the run from much, much more, her existence, to Nicole Langan at Tribute Books, for publication in April 2012, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group. 

Book Releases - Now Available

Catherine Stine's FIRESEED ONE is available now. FIRESEED ONE is a YA futuristic thriller. The year is 2089. Temperate climate has replaced Arctic ice, and much of what is now the United States is a lethal Hotzone, cut off by an insurmountable border from its northern, luckier neighbors, Ocean and Land Dominion. It is rumored that roving Hotzone nomads will kill for a water pellet or a slice of insect loaf, and that the ZWC, a dangerous Hotzone activist group, has infiltrated the border to the northern Dominions.

Up in Ocean Dominion, all eighteen-year-old Varik Teitur wants is to party on Snowangel Island with his friend Audun and flirt with college girls he dreams of joining next year in his quest to become a doctor. Instead, he inherits a vast sea farm, following the death of his father, famous marine biologist Professor Teitur. Five weeks later, ZWC member Marisa Baron breaks into the farm's secret seed vault and a fellow activist poisons the farm's agar crops, the world's food source. In order to save the last agar seedlings Varik is forced to journey to the Hotzone in search of Fireseed, a plant his father supposedly developed with magical hybridization properties.

Varik takes Marisa along. Aside from being a terrorist, she's the daughter of Melvyn Baron, the biggest real estate mogul in Land Dominion, and the professor's old rival. Oddly, she knows lots about Fireseed, and what Hotzone land Professor Teitur bought to test the crop, before becoming embittered and trashing the project. No one except Varik knows whether Fireseed once existed off the drawing board. Might the refugees in Vegas-by-the-Sea have answers, or the bizarre Fireseed cult in the Chihuahua desert? Varik, the reluctant hero, must risk burning in the Hotzone, as his mother did, to save the ailing agar, and the world. Find out more on Catherine Stine's website or blog.

Shelli Wells, writing as S.R. Johannes' UNTRACEABLE, a new young adult wilderness thriller with a missing father, a kickbutt heroine, and of course - two hot boys. Grace grew up in the woods. When her forest ranger dad disappears on patrol, she fights town authorities, tribal officials, & nature to prove he's alive. Torn between a hot boy and cute ex, she heads into the wilderness to find her dad. Soon, Grace is caught in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. It will take more than a compass and motorcycle for this tough heroine to save all she loves.

THE FIRST TIME, an anthology of 25 short stories edited by C. Lee McKenzie, featuring stories by: Kristina Springer, Stacey Jay, Leigh Brescia, Shani Petroff, Heidi R. Kling, Jennifer Brown, Cheryl Reneé Herbsman, Jon Skovron, Charity Tahmaseb, Cyn Balog, Carrie Ryan, Lara Zielin, Jessica Verday, Lauren Bjorkman, Rhonda Stapleton, Jackson Pearce, J.A. Yang, Saundra Mitchell, Sydney Salter, Kurtis Scaletta, C. Lee McKenzie, Kirstin Cronn-Mills, Janet Gurtler, Teri Hall and Jenny Moss.

Lauren Baratz-Logsted's first romantic comedy for adults in over three years, THE BRO-MAGNET, is now available as an e-book.

Women have been known to lament, "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." For Johnny Smith, the problem is, "always a Best Man, never a groom." At age 33, housepainter Johnny has been Best Man eight times. The ultimate man's man, Johnny loves the Mets, the Jets, his weekly poker game, and the hula girl lamp that hangs over his basement pool table. Johnny has the instant affection of nearly every man he meets, but one thing he doesn't have is a woman to share his life with, and he wants that desperately. When Johnny meets District Attorney Helen Troy, he decides to renounce his bro-magnet ways in order to impress her. With the aid and advice of his friends and family, soon he's transforming his wardrobe, buying throw pillows. ditching the hula girl lamp, getting a cat and even changing his name to the more mature-sounding John. And through it all, he's pretending to have no interest in sports, which Helen claims to abhor. As things heat up with Helen, the questions arise: will Johnny get the girl? And if he's successful in that pursuit, who will he be now that he's no longer really himself? THE BRO-MAGNET is a rollicking comedic novel about what one man is willing to give up for the sake of love.

The first 30 pages are available to read for free through Amazon.

January Releases

1/01--Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
1/03--Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala
1/03--Cracked by K.M. Walton
1/10--The Katerina Trilogy, Vol. I: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
1/10--A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis
1/17--Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
1/19--Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
1/24--Everneath by Brodi Ashton
1/24--The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
1/31--Destiny and Deception (13 to Life #4) by Shannon Delany

Deal news reported by Publishers Weekly. Visit www.publishersweekly.com.

Tier 2 Charity Anthology Writing Contest 

Enter the Tier 2 Writing Contest of dark retellings of Mother Goose rhymes. Win a chance to have your short story featured in an anthology releasing in October alongside authors like Claudia Gray, Francisco Stork, Michelle Zink, Heidi R. Kling, Cyn Balog, Shannon Delany, Gretchen McNeill, Sarwat Chadda, Karen Mahoney and more! 

Learn more about the contest, and enter.

Acquisitions Alley Live Chat 

Ever wonder what makes editors acquire certain books or series and not others? What's so special about a certain work--or why an editor would rather spend months revising a certain work versus another in order to get it into the market? Ask Annette Pollert, editor about her acquisition of CRACKED by Kate Walton and Kate--what the process was like from getting the call, the editorial letter, the relationship with the Annette, revisions, etc. Acquisitions Alley is your chance to get up close and personal with our members and their editors! Featuring: Simon Pulse editor, Annette Pollert and author of CRACKED, KM Walton. 

We will have two copies of CRACKED to give away during the chat to participating Tier II members ONLY.

Find out more about January's Acquisitions Alley.

January 4 - "Writing Cross-Culturally" with special guests Stacy Whitman of Tu Books & Karen Sandler author of Tankborn

January 11 - How to maximize publicity and work the PR machine. With special guests: publicist @suegreenbergpr and author @CoryPutmanOakes

January 18 - Plagiarism

January 25 - 2K12 Debut Author chat. Guests: TBA

February 1 - Trends. What are the current trends in YA and should you follow suit?

February 8 - Celebrate Valentine's Day early and chat with the authors of WHY WE BROKE UP. 

YALITCHAT.org is celebrating the release of Michelle Zink's new novel A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS with an exciting giveaway this month.

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance... 

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world's past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel. 

To find out more and how to win visit Michelle Zink's website for contest details.

EDUCATION GRANT

Available for Teachers and Librarians who are members of YALITCHAT.ORG. Educators join YALITCHAT.ORG's Tier 2 membership for $25/annually though it is NOT necessary to do so in order to qualify for the EDUCATION GRANT. 

Apply for a grant for use on classroom supplies, technology purchase, author visit, etc. Grants available in amounts of $50.00 per member. Five available per membership year. NB: Educators (regardless of membership level) qualify for FREE classroom supplies at beginning of each semester. Join our EDUCATORS group for more info. 

HARDSHIP GRANT*

Want to expand your horizons and connect with others in the industry but just don't have the funds? YALITCHAT offers TWO types of Hardship Grants and is available to individuals who desire to join YALITCHAT, SCBWI, RWA, RWAYA and other related organizations but need help doing so. 

YALITCHAT Membership Grant 

Covers the cost of a full year's membership in YALITCHAT.ORG or $30.00 per grantee.
There are 5 grants available for the 2011-2011 Membership year (July-July).
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $150 (5 GRANTS).

YALITCHAT.ORG OTO Hardship Grant*

Covers the cost to JOIN any Other Trade Organization in disbursements of $25 per grantee.

There are 4 available for the 2011-2012 membership year (July-July). You MUST be a Tier II member of YALITCHAT.ORG in order to qualify for this grant. 

BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $100 (4 GRANTS).

MARKETING SUPPORT GRANT*

 Are you a newly published author in need of marketing support materials for a new release? How about an author about to head on tour in need of giveaways and promo items? Do you need to purchase more ARCs from your publisher to get exposure for your book? Need money to get that new website off the ground? We can help.

As of January 2012 we have given away $600 in grants towards supporting published members in promoting their books! 

The 2012/2013 grant season opens in July. There will be five grants available or $100 per person/grantee. Grants are available to Tier II members only.

BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $0 

QUICK LEARNING GRANT*

Up to $50 toward any learning initiative such as a webinar, online course, conference, etc. You must be already registered for said initiative and have already paid in full. Must be writing or publishing industry related.
$250.00 USD year available total and $50 per grantee.
BALANCE AVAILABLE FOR 2011-2012 MEMBERSHIP YEAR: $200 (4 GRANTS).

Want to learn more about grants or need an application? Please send an email to grants at yalitchat (dot) org.

*Available to Tier 2 Members ONLY!