Guest Post: Rebel Nation by Shaunta Grimes (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Welcome to the Rebel Nation blog tour. This is a series I can't wait to start. I have heard great things so far. I just need to get my hands in the book, lol. I hope you guys enjoy the guest post below and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end.

Title: REBEL NATION
Author: Shaunta Grimes
Publisher: Berkeley Trade
Pub. Date: July 1, 2014
Pages: 320
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult
Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Summary
Sixteen years ago, a plague wiped out nearly all of humanity. The Company’s vaccine stopped the virus’s spread, but society was irrevocably changed. Those remaining live behind impenetrable city walls, taking daily doses of virus suppressant and relying on The Company for continued protection. They don’t realize that everything they’ve been told is a lie…

Clover Donovan didn’t set out to start a revolution—quiet, autistic, and brilliant, she’s always followed the rules. But that was before they forced her into service for the Time Mariners. Before they condemned her brother to death, compelling him to flee the city to survive. Before she discovered terrifying secrets about The Company.

Clover and the Freaks, her ragtag resistance group, are doing their best to spread the rebellion and stay under The Company’s radar. But when their hideout is discovered, they are forced, once again, to run. Only this time, The Company has special plans for Clover, plans that could risk her life and stop the uprising in its tracks…

 

The 5 Things Every Writer Should Know
by Shaunta Grimes

1.            Patience is one of the most important attributes a writer can cultivate. There is so much waiting in publishing. It took me two years to write and edit Viral Nation, another three months to find an agent, two more months before it went on submission to publishers, two months for a publisher to offer to buy it, and then another 15 months before it was released. That's three years and eight months. For one book. Patience is key.

2.            There is a lot of rejection involved in publishing, even under the best circumstances. A tough skin is an absolute must. Even if several agents offer to represent your book, you'll probably have ten rejections for each offer. Even if your agent sells your book to a publisher, you're likely to have several heartbreaking rejections in the mix. I was still getting rejections on my agent query letters months after my book sold! Learn to accept that rejection happens to every single writer, and that it isn't a reflection of your ability or talent. Writing and reading are so subjective. Not only are they reliant on taste, in publishing they're reliant on the market as well.

3.            Read a lot. Please, read as much as you can. Read books in the genre you want to write in. Read books in other genres that you think might strengthen your writing. Read like a writer—pay attention to what works and figure out why it works. Also pay attention to what doesn't work and why. If you want to stop reading halfway through a book, don't just put the book down. Think about what's boring you, what's making the book's middle sag, and figure out how to make sure your work doesn't do the same thing. Keep a stack of books in the bathroom, by your bed, keep one in your purse, listen to audio books while you workout or during your commute. There is time to read, no matter how busy you are.

4.            Writing is a learned skill. It isn't something that you're born with. Writers get better with practice. They get better when they have feedback from readers. They get better when they read good books with an eye toward what makes them good. Being a storyteller might be something that's a little more difficult to cultivate, but the actual act of writing is something you can learn to be good at. Every time you learn something new, go back and use your new skill in your work. Pick a story to be your Master Class, the story that you flex your writing muscles on every time you learn something new.

5.            Build a writing community. Find other writers in your area or online. Go to writers conferences. Take some classes. Writers are often pretty introverted, but meeting other writers is really important. It's nice to know you're not alone. It's good to have someone to bounce ideas off of. One thing I love about writers conferences is that they are an opportunity to see that real.

Author Bio
Shaunta Grimes has worked as a substitute teacher, a newspaper reporter, a drug court counselor, and a vintage clothing seller. No matter which direction she strays, however, she always comes back to storytelling. She lives in Reno with her family, where she writes, teaches, and perpetually studies at the University of Nevada. Viral Nation is her debut traditionally-published novel.

How to Connect with Shaunta: Twitter|Facebook|Blog|Newsletter

This is a Tour Wide Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

 

6/30/2014- Buried Under Books- Review

6/30/2014- Bookhounds YA- Guest Post

7/1/2014- The Demon Librarian- Review

7/1/2014- Library of the Seen- Interview

7/2/2014- Crystal in Bookland- Review

7/2/2014- the Windy Pages- Guest Post

7/3/2014- My Dear Bibliophage- Review

7/3/2014- The Book Monsters- Interview

7/4/2014- Books, Bones & Buffy - Review

7/4/2014- Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance- Guest Post