What's the right/write solution?

I just finished working with a young horse that had issues being ridden away from home. She was a pleasure to work with, good mind and really very brave. Her issues weren't separation anxiety or even leaving the comfort of home. It was more that it gets boring doing the same thing over and over. A smart horse starts thinking that if they have to do it over and over, they must be doing something wrong and starts looking for alternatives.

All it really took was changing her bridle to something that wouldn't encourage her to rear, good timing to keep her pointed the right way and to keep things interesting and rewarding (yummy, dry weeds) out on the trail.

Every horse needs a different approach. If a trainer says they have a sure-fire recipe or that they won't let a horse advance until they are perfect at something else, s/he isn't really listening to the horse.

Just like giving the same cue to 100 writers--they will all come up with a completely different story, all valid, all interesting. Everyone has a different approach to writing, editing and marketing. None right or wrong, except for the individual. We must all keep our minds open to find what works for us.

Check out below or on my sidebar for an amazing givewaway of over 50 YA books by Beth Revis.

Here's my contribution what I love about YA.

I'm thankful that YA books exist as a category, giving those who are passionate about reading AND writing about wonderful, strong characters a medium for thinking and feeling. When I grew up, YA books weren't called YA, but they were the books I read over and over. I'm way past my teenage years now, but I still love YA. I love tapping into the me I was then - and the me I still am.

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So excited - I'll be on pins and needles til December 12! I submitted my entry to three awesome potential coaches for PitchWars. Here's hoping I get picked. Either way, I'm thrilled that my Fantasy story Elemental Fire is complete and I'll get some feedback and am on my way to querying.

Critique/book giveaway

Author Kristi Helvig is celebrating her 1000th blog follower with a giveaway! Query, first pages or a book. Check it out - http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/c6915c1/

Road Trip Wednesday - Best book in July

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic is: What was the best book you read in July?

This one is easy for me. I finally got to read The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. Wow. I expected to love the book because I enjoyed Shiver and love horses. But this book was just amazing. The interactions between Puck and Sean were heart wrenching and my emotional investment grew steadily through the book. I so desperately wanted both of them to win, but knew that there was no way for the ending to avoid a tragedy on some level. I literally wrung my hands  while reading the last few chapters. This book is a perfect example of slowly building tension and connection with both the characters and the events.

On a related note, I am currently reading Outlander - Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon, a portal fantasy set in 1700's Scotland. The legend of the Waterhorse, which The Scorpio Races is based upon, is told around a campfire. And I just got to a chapter titled The Waterhorse, so I am looking forward to learning more about this legend that I'd never heard of before Maggie's book.

Don't you love it when things in life tie together like that?

Kindle, books and ARC givaways! Oh My!

Visit YA Highway to enter a marvelous giveaway to celebrate their 3 year anniversary!

RTW: What movie improved on the book?

My choice is ALL THE PRETTY HORSES, by Cormac McCarthy. I actually can't say if the entire book is not as good because I haven't made it past page 10. I cannot read it, no matter how hard I try. There are no quotation marks! I may not be the biggest fan of experimental writing, but that type of experimentation just fails on me. There are also some incredibly long sentences. One is 13 lines long! By the time I've forced myself to read every word, I forgot the first 5 lines and couldn't tell you the noun or verb.
The movie was great, though. Lots of imagery, powerful characters and a fascinating time in Mexico/US history.