Another small snippet from Dormant. I am coming up on the end, so next week might be the last bit from this one! Enjoy!

Thanks for reading!

Or in other words, why my agent rocks day!!

Over here they have put together a compilation from bunches of authors who posted about their agents today. Thanks for the hard work ladies!!

My agent, Ethan Ellenberg of the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency, is fantastic.

I knew going into the whole agent hunting thing that I wanted, no needed, an agent who would guide my writing. One who would help me to be a better writer. There are some agents out there who offer no editorial feedback and that is great for their clients. It works for them. I would be a total basket case if any book I wrote went out on sub with no revising!

Throughout the last year I have learned SO much, written two more books and we have talked about what needs to be done to make them great. My writing career is in his hands and I trust that he wants me to succeed as much as I want to.

This isn’t a fast business by any shot. It’s a slow grueling process that can test your resolve and try to break you, but with the right people in your corner, you can succeed. And that’s why I think that my agent is one of the best! I will get there one day, I know it, especially with his help along the way! He pushes me to write better with every idea I have. One of these days the next book will be the one.

So I just want to say thanks to Ethan, my fabulous agent, on agent appreciation day!

1. What are the three best books you’ve read this year?

Oh gawd, this is tough. I read constantly, and am forever saying “this is the best book ever” after each one. I’ll try though.

Shiver – I JUST finished this one and I can say, it’s one of the best books I’ve read. It was also the first dueling first person books too! Everything about it was just fabulous. The tone, the pacing, the characters. It keeps you guessing right up to the end. Sam is one of the best heroes eva!

The ENTIRE Mortal Instruments series – See how I snuck that in as one book, hehe. Technically, it’s one story, just split up into three books. Okay, okay, so I broke the rules a little. I adored this series. Absolutely could not put them down. I read all three books in ONE weekend. Cassandra Clare can spin a story and make you ache for the characters (Okay, so I ached for Jace a little more than the rest, )

Wicked Lovely – Melissa Marr is a goddess. I would have chosen all three in the series, but I already cheated once. Her faery world is amazing, I love the characters and the love triangle playing out. Totally rooting for Seth by the way!

Honorable mentions that were .0001 away from the list.

Holly Black – Tithe, Valiant and Ironside.
Aprilynne Pike - Wings
Alison Noel – The Immortal Series
Christopher Golden – Poison Ink (Thrilling, terrifying and awesome!)
Christopher Golden – Souless (OMG, the ultimate zombie book)

2. If you could meet one author living or dead, who would it be?

This is tough because I am so not a fangirl. I have talked (On line) with Cassandra Clare and Alison Noel when they did a workshop on a board I talk on. (I also “met” fellow Mainer Carrie Jones who wrote Need among other things) The problem with meeting someone you idolize is that they can let you down. I’d rather stay in my own little world where my favorite authors are who I think they are. Call it naive I guess.

3. What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Radiant Shadows! (Book four from Melissa Marr in case anyone lives under a rock! LOL) Not sure when it’s coming out but Crescendo is on my “cannot wait” list too. Other than that, I pretty much just go to the bookstore, browse until a cover catches my eye and buy one (Or ten) new books to read. It’s a sickness I think! LOL

Hop on over to YA Highway and tell us what your favorite books are, who you’d love to meet and what books you’re looking forward to reading next year!

This bit is from the part of Dormant’s I’m editing right now. I removed a line that would give away a plot twist, otherwise, standard disclaimer applies. Raw and unpolished.

Tears drip down over my cheeks, mixing with the bile. The pain churns in my gut, twisting and tearing at me until I feel less than human. When it becomes too much, I throw back my head and scream.

The Dormant’s, excited by this raw emotion, crowd around me, fighting to take some of it for themselves.

All of them, every single one had to have been a person. It has to be why there were more and more. Even after we killed so many.

My stomach lurches again. Oh God, we killed them. What if they were someone I had known? A neighbor? A teacher?

The low moan of despair escapes from between my lips and I curl up into a ball. Let them kill me. I can’t do it anymore. Not knowing what I know.

A searing pain radiates from my scalp. James is lifting me by my hair, dragging me towards the far door. My feet scramble on the floor, trying to find purchase to get away from him. His hisses of warning make the Dormants around us claw at the floor, and they retreat to watch me with hunger in their eyes.

Max hasn’t said a word. He just stares at me through eyes that don’t really see me. I want to scream, I’m sorry, but the words die on my tongue. He won’t care. It’s over.

“James, there’s still time to stop this madness,” Gran says as we walk past her.

He stops. Hope flits inside me. Maybe he will let me go. If he cares at all about me, maybe he will do the right thing. He looks straight into Gran’s eyes and smiles.

“Bring two dozen hostages to the cave. Everyone else is fair game. Including her.”

It takes a moment to realize he has just given an order to the Dormants around us.

Permission to kill everyone.

I yank on my arm, desperate to free myself. To help Gran. To try and save Max and Devon. James holds me like I am nothing more than a mad kitten. As he drags me out the door I hear the snarls of pure glee.

The very last thing I see is Max and Gran watching me before they are lost in a writhing sea of blackness.