Contests

For writers with completed manuscripts:

March 1 - Mystery Agent on Operation Awesome

March 5 - Secret Agent on Miss Snark's First Victim

March 1-15 - Liz Norris Pay It Forward Writing Contest on Janet Reid's blog


For anyone:
 
Through March 3 - Win a copy of Balthazar by Claudia Gray
 
Through March 6 - Win a copy of Black City by Elizabeth Richards (lots of giveaways and great reviews on Presenting Lenore, so be sure to check out all the recent posts)
 
And the contest to win a copy of Insurgent (the sequel to Divergent) has ended, but check out the entry by finalist #8. :)

Incarnate

By Jodi Meadows

Loved this book, though when I first started it, it wasn't what I expected. Since I kept hearing about it in the context of all the dystopian novels coming out this year, I expected another of those. But Incarnate is much more fantasy than futuristic.

A few elements reminded me of Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown, one of my favorites. Fans of Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire should also enjoy this book.

This interview on Miss Snark's First Victim gives a bit more info about both Jodi Meadows and her debut novel.

Eliminate the Frame

A simple thing, but so important. Check out this post from Agent Mary Kole for a tip to tighten your writing and make it as strong as possible.