OH NO SHE DIDN'T! Someone already wrote my book!

YOU WROTE A HORSE BOOK TOO!???

I had a writer email yesterday. It was a very nice email, just reaching out and saying hello. The writer has a manuscript in process that happens to be about rats. The writer admitted they had a bit of a start when someone directed them to my series, THE NIGHTSHADE CHRONICLES, thinking maybe I had beat them to the punch and it would hurt their chances of becoming published, but after looking at my excerpt, etc, the writer soon realized there was no need to worry. Our books were quite different.

Long story short, has this ever happened to you? Have you been in the middle of a manuscript only to discover there is a new book out there--already on the shelves--quite similar to yours?

Well, if it has, don't freak out.
I REPEAT: DON'T FREAK OUT!

It happens, but it's not the end of the world. In fact, it may actually help you. And by and large, if you actually read the book, you'd probably find out it was very, very different from your own. So keep writing your book! Never write for the market or for what you think might sell. Write for you. That's the surest way to get published.

xoxo -- Hilary

What Are Your Writer Pet Peeves???

These do not inspire my bunny picture book at all.

On Facebook today, I posted how I can't stand justified text. I know that it's used for most print media and I understand why it's used...I just don't like how it looks on a word document--anyway MAJOR pet peeve of mine. I compare it to people who don't like their food touching--you know--peas touching your potatoes and now you refuse to eat either.

So what bugs you in terms of writing? It can be anything! Formatting do's & don'ts, grammar issues, maybe something you discovered about writing or publishing that made you scratch your head and not in a good way. You get the idea. And if you don't have a writing peeve, feel free to rant about anything else. Like the guy at Starbucks who talks purposefully loud on his cell phone so everyone within a mile radius can hear his fantastic weekend plans! Please, shut it already! Ha, ha! ;)

It's dish the dirt Friday, so start dishing! ;)

Writer Cat (and I) say HAPPY EASTER!!!! 


xoxo -- Hilary

Winner of the Great Book Giveaway is...

Sarah Woodard

Hooray for Sarah!

Sarah loves to read as though it is breathing. She is a junior in high school and lives in Washington! Her blog, Sarah's Random Musings, is all about books, both middle-grade and YA! I highly suggest you give her a follow! She is a veteran book reviewer and one of her favorite movies is Sixteen Candles, so how could you not love this girl?!

Thanks to everyone who entered! I love hearing about everyone's favorite books. It's so nice to know books can be life changing! ;)

The Great Book Giveaway!! Win TEN Awesome Books!

Okay, my private stash of books is overflowing, so I'd thought I'd throw a contest, giving away a bunch of snazzy new books (both middle-grade and YA) to one lucky winner! And yes, I will ship overseas for this!

To enter to win: All you have to do is follow my blog (if you don't already) and leave a comment naming a book--any book--that changed your life!

The winner, randomly chosen, will win ten, yes, TEN AWESOME BOOKS!  I'll be sending the winner a signed hardcover of NIGHTSHADE CITY, but if you already have it, please let me know and I can choose another random winner for that!

Contest ends this Sunday, so please be sure to spread the word!

So, here is the list of the winner's TEN book booty:
I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT, Adam Selzer (Paperback - SIGNED)

NIGHTSHADE CITY, Hilary Wagner (Hardcover - SIGNED)

THE GUARDIAN OF THE GATE, Michelle Zinc (ARC)

THE LIAR SOCIETY, Lisa & Laura Roecker (ARC)

BREAKAWAY, Andrea Montalbano (ARC)

TIME RIDERS, Alex Scarrow (ARC)

MONKEY SEE, MONKEY ZOO, Erin Soderberg (ARC)

STRINGS ATTACHED, Judy Blundell, (ARC)

THE KISSING GAME, Aidan Chambers (ARC)

THE DEADLIES, Kathryn Lasky (ARC)

xoxo -- Hilary

Nancy Gallt Agency Hooray! 2011 CBC List!

Hooray!

I want to say "HOORAY" to Marietta Zacker and Nancy Gallt for having such an awesome list of 2011 CBC picks! They work tirelessly (not to mention put up with me), so I'm so happy they have such a nice list of best books! Please check out the list of books below if you're interested in some good reads or want to get to know the agency better--they have picks in every age range. And yes, that one about the rats is pretty awesome--you know I had to add that. ;) Click the link below for the complete 2011 picks!

The Children's Book Committee of the Bank Street College of Education announced the 2011 Best Children's Books of the Year 

• BIG RED LOLLIPOP illustrated by Sophie Blackall
• PECAN PIE BABY illustrated by Sophie Blackall
• PRINCESS SAYS GOODNIGHT by Naomi Howland
• IVY'S EVER AFTER by Dawn Lairamore 
• NIGHTSHADE CITY by Hilary Wagner
• WILDWING by Emily Whitman 
• THIEF EYES by Janni Lee Simner 
• EMPTY by Suzanne Weyn

xoxo -- Hilary