A Shift in Perspective

Rather than a word count goal this year, I decided to challenge myself to something more than a number.

My writing challenge for 2016  - 3rd person point of view.

Since discovering the deadly combination of Harlequin books and the public library in my teens, I have probably read thousands of romance novels. As a YA author, I've also read hundreds of YA books. One of the biggest differences I see in YA romance and adult romance is perspective.

As a romance reader, I don't like 1st person perspective. I want to head hop, to see events and other characters, feel emotions, understand motivations from different characters' perspectives. I've only read a handful of adult romances with 1st person points of view and I can't say those books have touched me the same way 3rd person does.

Up until 10 years ago when I started reading YA, I'd never read a romance in 1st person. Yet YA is almost exclusively first person (exceptions apply, though I can't think of many at the moment). When I began writing YA, I immediately fell into the habit of 1st person. All of my YA novels are in 1st. I feel comfortable in it. There is so much freedom in delving into the mind of one character so deeply that you barely have to concentrate when writing. Even as I began working on a YA novel with alternating 1st person view points, I enjoyed getting to know my characters so deeply.

Right now, I'm working on two adult romances. Both are in 3rd person. Until I started writing them, I'd never considered how hard it would be to control head hopping. Part of this stems from the older style of romance writing that I'm used to as a reader. I've read countless books in which POV switches between multiple characters in a chapter. I've seen it done.

But as a writer, I can't do it.

Books have changed. Readers have changed. There are expectations.

So, I am writing in 3rd person and alternating chapters or creating scene breaks when I move into a new head. Occasionally, I find my characters become all knowing, but it's a quick fix on my end and it helps keep me on my toes. In 1st person, it's easy to make the character 3 dimensional, and give the illusion of 3D to the other characters. In 3rd person, every character I head hop into needs to have a depth greater than they'd need in 1st. And the more I write in 3rd person, the more I realize how much I love it.

Challenge accepted. 

Sneak Peek into #EDGE ~ Into You by Riley J. Ford

The #EDGE boxed set is coming soon and is now available for preorder! Here's a sneak peak into the first book in the collection!

Into You by Riley J. Ford

What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch...

She can only read people's thoughts when she's kissing them.

When a member of the track team is murdered, Winter has an opportunity to use her special ability to find the killer. Trouble is, kissing everyone on the track team isn't such a good idea when you have a new boyfriend. Talk about complications!

Should Winter persevere using her secret power to catch the murderer still in their midst, even if it means risking her relationship with her one true love?

Check out a preview of Into You by Riley J. Ford:

Meet Author Riley J. Ford

Riley J. Ford is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling Author. She has had tremendous success with her books, reaching #6 on the NEW YORK TIMES bestsellers list and #9 on the USA TODAY bestsellers list within her first two years of publication. She made the USA TODAY bestsellers list again in September of 2014 and November 2015.

Riley writes romantic comedies, humor, romance, mystery, and contemporary fiction. Fast-paced plots, humor, and steamy scenes are her specialty. Her books are available in e-book formats, paperbacks, audio books, and in foreign languages.

Riley is a UCLA graduate with a degree in English. She was a teacher for many years before becoming an author. She resides in California and enjoys reading, dancing, sunrises, and spending time with her family. When she's not writing, you can find her at her children's sports activities or running off to the beach for a morning swim.

Sign up for Riley J. Ford's new-release list on her website to be notified of new releases: www.rileyjford.com

EDGE: A Young Adult / New Adult Paranormal Collection

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Review ~ The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave
by Rick Yancey

Published: May 2013

Review:
With the movie version coming out soon, I figured I needed to read the book first. I'm glad I did, though I have a feeling the movie won't entirely capture what I loved about the book.

Honestly, there is nothing new to the concept Yancey brigs to life. It's a mix of Invasion of the Body Snatchers and The Host. Yet, he still managed to capture my interest. I loved that we had two story lines going on that at first seem connected only by the the aliens, but actually are connected in more ways.

There were a some twists that the reader sees coming long before Cassie or Zombie ever pick up on. This left me shaking my head, wondering how they could be so blind. Yet in their situations where they are desperate for something to hold onto, to give them hope, it was understandable that they force their doubts away.

While there is a bit of a romance aspect to the book, I would definitely say this book would appeal to a wide range of readers.

Countdown Deals to Check Out 1/27

So, I thought I'd share a few Young Adult Countdown Deals I found while browsing Amazon. At the time of this post, each of the books were reduced to 99cents, but if you decide to purchase please confirm the current price as they are Countdown Deals and the price will be going back up.

Please note, these are not recommendations although the books do have good reviews and ratings.




If you've read any of these books, feel free to post your thoughts or links to reviews in the comments section!
:)

Review ~ Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
by Elizabeth Gilbert
Published: September 22, 2015



Review:
Big Magic was an impulse buy for me. I'm not big on reading personal growth or self-help books. But over the holiday season, I was working at a bookstore and Big Magic was one of our Door Buster sales. I'd never read anything by Gilbert before, and decided to give it a try.

Big Magic is about embracing the creativity that is around and within each of us. Gilbert encourages her readers to open themselves up to creativity and accept that inspiration is not always explainable. We have to be open to inspiration, while realizing that inspiration is fickle. Use it or lose it.

Perhaps the best piece of advice I got out of this book was to become great at half-assing it. Sounds a bit odd? Well, as someone who will spend hours rewriting the same paragraph it made sense to me. Her point here is that creating something that's good is better than never creating something that's great. 

Gilbert has an engaging voice, and I enjoyed reading the personal anecdotes she added in. There were points where I skimmed, simply because I got the point before she'd finished explaining it, but overall this was a great read and I'd recommend it for anyone who is looking at how to tap into their creativity.

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