The YA Plunge

My first--and last--love will always be fantasy. That said, I've decided to delve into the world of YA. At first you couldn't drag me kicking and screaming--I can really kick--into that genre. I'd never read it, refused to write it, and had a billion misconceptions regarding it. Then I went to the Maui Writer's Retreat and Conference last year, where I met two outstanding new YA writers. They assured me that I was totally misguided in my beliefs about the genre. After reading the work they had brought to the retreat I was astounded. Adventure, romance, intrigue, it was all there. YA deals with more adult themes than it ever did before, but in a tasteful way. I'm no longer against the idea of writing YA and I've begun to read quite a bit of it. In fact, I finished my first YA novel, edited & revised it and have begun submitting it. Guess I'm converted (as my friend says). My friends' books debut this summer. If you enjoy dark fantasy and a very original twist on an old theme, you'll love them. Check them out on the sidebar under my favorite blogs.