Category: Young Adult (Page 1 of 27)

The 10-Year, 230-Rejection Journey of the YA Thriller BLACK BUTTERFLY

April 24, 2024 / Katie L. Carroll / 0 Comments

Surprise! My YA thriller BLACK BUTTERFLY, book one in the Spy Agents series, comes out May 21 and is available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org.

Check out this gorgeous cover by BetiBup33 Design Studio. This was my first time using a premade cover for a book, and I’m really pleased with the result. The designer was open to the small customization of adding in the butterfly mask over the face. It’s the same butterfly image that is part of the chapter headers inside the book.

Sometimes, you see an image and know it’s got the right vibe for the book, and that’s what happened here.

It may seem sudden that BLACK BUTTERFLY releases in less than a month because I haven’t really talked about it much, but this book was a long time coming. I started writing it back in 2014 (nope, not a typo…it’s really been 10 years!). Originally, I sought to have it traditionally published. There was quite a bit of interest from agents and a few editors, and it won a couple of contests. In the end though, it earned over 230 rejections (again, not a typo!) and never landed an agent or a publishing contract.

I shelved it for awhile, but I never gave up on it. Even though it’s quite dark with a terrorist attacks, violence, and torture, it was oddly fun to write. The main character, who has many aliases (we’ll stick with calling her Black Butterfly to avoid any spoilers), is an amnesiac and finds out she’s a government spy. She also discovers that she might not the hero of the story but the villain!

The story is told in 1st-person present tense, which is a very close point-of-view to work in. It was a really interesting writing challenge to make her an unreliable narrator, but (hopefully) the reader doesn’t end up feeling cheated by her keeping secrets. Anyway, the story and the character kept sticking around in my head, refusing to be ignored.

@katielcarrollauthor
Black Butterfly is the first book in the Spy Agents series! It’s a YA thriller with an unreliable narrator, hero or villain trope, conspiracy theories, and dystopian vibes. #dystopian #yabooktok #blackbutterfly #booksyoushouldread #thrillerbooks #spythriller #unreliablenarrator #yabooks #fastpacedbooks #dystopianbooks #spyagents
♬ dont look so concerned – bonnie ⛧

Fast forward to last year, and I started getting serious about writing a sequel with the thought that maybe I’d self-publish the series. Despite the many, many rejections of the first book, I have always believed in it. Coming across the cover image that fit the story so perfectly, I knew that I had to make BLACK BUTTERFLY a real book…not just a manuscript wallowing away on my computer.

I got the proof copy of the book the other day, and it’s so exciting that BLACK BUTTERFLY is going to finally be available to readers! Here’s a little about the book:

Is she the hero or the villain?

Black Butterfly wakes to a country devastated by terrorist attacks, supposedly at the hands of the Chinese government. She remembers nothing of her personal life—not even her name. All she knows is that she was in New York City on the day of the attacks. Though, she soon discovers she has an unsettling repertoire of violent talents.

Elijah and his found family of off-gridders from upstate New York take in Black Butterfly and mend her wounds. With nowhere else to go, she joins them as they head to a rally in Washington D.C. The eclectic group begins to feel like the family she can’t remember—or never had.

An encounter with Luca, a spy for a shadowy government agency, confirms Black Butterfly’s worst suspicions about who she was in the life she can’t remember. As more memories surface, Black Butterfly heads to the agency’s headquarters to find out who’s behind the terrorist attacks. It’s unclear whether she intends to reveal the truth or go back to her villainous way. And it’s more than her life she’s putting at risk.

Pre-order the paperback Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Bookshop.org. The ebook is up for pre-order on Amazon and will be available on Kindle Unlimited.

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman Should Not Be Banned From Middle School Libraries

February 28, 2024 / Katie L. Carroll

Yesterday, I read the article “Milford schools reviewing popular ‘Heartstopper’ books after fielding parents complaints” and learned that parents were challenging the inclusion of these books in middle school libraries. The initial challenge was denied and the books were kept in the libraries, but parents appealed that decision and a more intense review is being conducted by the administration. A final decision has not been made on the fate of these books in middle school libraries.

I wrote a letter to share my views on the book challenge, which I’ve shared with the superintendent, school board members, local media, and across my social media pages. I think it’s important that parents and authors who are against book bans share their voices. Here is my letter:

As a parent of three children, including a middle school student, that attend Milford Public Schools and an award-winning author of children’s book, I do not think that the young adult graphic novel series “Heartstopper” by Alice Oseman should be banned from Milford middle schools.

The bestselling books series is about two boys, ages 14 and 16 in the first book, in England who meet at school and fall in love. The books have also been adapted into an Emmy award-winning Netflix series.

One of the parents challenging the book series said, “We would never ask for a book to be banned.” Yet this parent has requested that the books be pulled from middle school libraries.

According to the American Library Association, a book challenge “is an attempt to remove or restrict materials, based upon the objections of a person or group” and “a banning is the removal of those materials.” A book ban is exactly what this parent is calling for.

The objections to the book include the use of curse words, the use of slurs to bully a gay student, and discussions of mental health, eating disorders, and puberty. I have read these books and they deal with all of these topics in the context of a beautiful story of love and friendship that centers LGBTQ+ characters. I have recommended these books to my middle schooler.

Books are a safe way for children and teens to approach difficult topics, like bullying and mental health. The MPS guidelines say, “Library collections are curated with the goal of stimulating growth in critical thought and enhancing the overall educational program.” Library media specialists work with the district to provide books that “represent diverse points of view…to enable all patrons a safe space with which to view themselves as well as to elevate empathy for others.” This is exactly what the “Heartstopper” books do.

Though the characters in the “Heartstopper” books may be slightly older than middle schoolers, it is common for kids to read about older characters. Middle schoolers read the “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins where the main character is 16 in the first book. In language arts class this year, my middle schooler read “The Compound” by S. A. Bodeen, which also features a 16-year-old main character. These books also deal with difficult topics like war, nuclear attacks, and surviving in a violent world.

Every parent has a right to take a book out of their own child’s hands. What a parent doesn’t have is the right to take a book out of every child’s hands. It would be a disservice to students to remove the “Heartstopper” books from middle school libraries. I am asking Dr. Cutaia not to ban these books and allow my middle schooler to have access to these books at the school library.
Katie L. Carroll

Young Adult Literature Should 100% Be For Teens

February 15, 2024 / Katie L. Carroll

Do I agree with the article called “YA Isn’t Just for Young Adults”? Absolutely not. Young adult literature (or what is commonly shortened to YA) is 100% for teens. (We’ll get into whether a teen is a young adult in minute.) Does that mean adults can’t read YA? Also, no. Does that mean teens can’t read things other than YA? Again, no.

I’m not presuming to tell anyone what they can or can’t read. What I’m saying is that young adult literature should be written for teens. Period. We don’t need to age YA up because some adults read it and wish that it had more mature content. Adults have their own huge category of books already. Romance novels alone are a billion-dollar industry.

I recently expressed this sentiment in a TikTok video. The text of the video reads, “YA books are made for teens. No one’s stopping adults from reading them. They should still be for teens. Let’s stop trying to make YA for adults, and let’s stop labeling books YA if they’re not for teens.” It sparked quite the debate, which I’m happy about.

Let’s talk about what YA books are, who they should be for, and what’s appropriate content for a YA book!

@katielcarrollauthor
I don’t understand the confusion about YA books #yabooktok #youngadult #yabooks #yaliterature #booktok #booktakes #yaauthor #yaauthorsoftiktok #yareader #yareadsb
♬ sonido original – Verito🌺

One of the most frequent comments on the video pointed out how it’s weird to call books for teens “young adult” because young adult people are ages 18 to mid-20s and teens are ages 13 to 18. I get that, so I created a follow-up video to explain the industry term of “young adult,” which was coined in the 1960s.

While I think debating about whether it’s an appropriate term is a related issue, it’s not the main one. The fact is “young adult” is a widely used term that has been around for a very long time and has always meant books for teens. And everyone–the publishers, authors, editors, and booksellers–in the children’s publishing industry (because YA falls into the bigger category of children’s books) knows this.

But what’s happening in recent years is that people in the YA publishing industry– like YA author who penned the article positing that YA isn’t just for young adults–have been pushing the YA category into older and older content. This means that many new YA books have characters that are 16 and older and content that is more appropriate for older teens and adults.

Why is this happening? Starting in the early 2000s, YA saw huge growth with the rise of worldwide bestsellers like Twilight by Stephenie Meyer and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The first books in both those series released in 2008 and spawned popular movie franchises. In short, YA books became big money.

Then in 2012, a study by Bowker Market Research revealed that 55% of YA books were purchased by adults 18 and over with the largest chunk of those adults being between the ages of 30 and 44. The YA publishing industry realized that there was a huge market of adults buying YA…thus began the trend of moving the YA market into older and older territory.

Another issue with the label of “young adult” is that it’s being used on books that are actually adult books. This seems to happen most often in fantasy books written by women (patriarchy at play here). Two examples being a A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Full disclosure, I haven’t read either of these books, but it’s clear that both of them contain spicy sex scenes, meaning scenes that are meant to be titillating. Spicy sex scenes do not belong in YA.

I’m not saying sex and sex-related topics don’t have a place in some YA books. I wrote a whole post called “Why I Included Abortion in My Young Adult Fantasy Novel” back in 2020, which is about my book Elixir Saved. But labeling books YA when they have sexually explicit content is a disservice to all readers, and it continues to muddy the waters on what YA is.

Young adult books can have all manner of edgier content like gore, violence, and sex. After all, YA is an age category, not a genre, so it contains most book genres, like mystery, thriller, fantasy & sci-fi, and romance. The key is to always keep the core audience of teens in mind when considering what content is appropriate. Also, it’s key to understand that YA is range. What is appropriate for a 13-year-old reader varies greatly from what’s appropriate for an 18-year-old one.

Why is it a problem that YA is skewing older? There is clearly a market for YA books that have more mature content and there’s profit to be gained. But at what cost?

We’re leaving a lot of teen readers behind. Where are the books for the 13-15 year-old readers? Where are the books for older teens that don’t want mature content? What will happen to the book industry in the future if we fail teen readers now? Who’s going to buy YA then?

Teens of all ages deserve books that are written for them. And not just a handful of books. They deserve a wide variety of books and a wide number of books in all kinds of genres. Teens need books that are specifically written for them at all stages of maturity.

Adults have plenty of books to read that are written specifically for them. Adults are guests in the YA space. And those of us who make YA books need to remember that.

Middle Grade Pirate and Fairy Tale Book Giveaway

October 31, 2023 / Katie L. Carroll

Happy Halloween! These days you’ll mostly find me over on TikTok where I’ve been posting a lot about Witch Test. Though October is a great time of year to read my upper middle grade/lower YA Mean Girls meets The Craft book about overcoming bullying by finding your inner strength (or witch in Liza’s case!), don’t let that stop you from reading it as we move into November.

@katielcarrollauthor
Make Witch Test your next witchy read! #witchyreads #witchtest #thecraft #nancydowns #wearetheweirdosmister #spookybooks #yabooks #halloweenreads #booktokrecs #yabookrecs
♬ We are the wirdos – KILLER QUEEN

In other middle grade news, Pirate Island is part of a 6-book middle grade giveaway. Today is the last day, so make sure to get those entries in by 6:00 p.m. (ET).

How do you feel swashbuckling adventures and fairytale retellings? Do you love them both?

Well, then I’ve got a giveaway for you! I’ve partnered with five other authors to give you a massive middle-grade paperback giveaway. There will be ONE book bundle winner of 6 signed paperbacks (US only)⁠ from these amazing authors:
@amieborst
@masonbellauthor
@hopefullhappenings ⁠
⁠@katielcarrollauthor
@katfarrow.loreweaver
@r.v.bowmanfantasyauthor

Giveaway is now open until October 31, 6 pm EST. Winners will be selected October 31 after 6 pm and the winner will be announced on November 1st. Must be 18 years or older to enter. The paperback bundle is available to US only. (Full rules are on the giveaway link.)

If you want all the latest news from me and bonus perks like two free short stories and a 10% discount on signed books through the end of the year, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter! Preview the latest one here.

When Write What You Know Isn’t Autobiographical

September 8, 2023 / Katie L. Carroll

Most writers, and probably many readers, have heard the phrase “write what you know.” There are a lot of different ways to interpret that, but a common one is to write emotional truths into your stories. So pulling from emotions you’ve experienced and infusing that into the work. Using your own life as inspiration.

But unless you’re writing an autobiography or a memoir, you’re generally not writing about your actual life. This can be a tricky line to navigate when using your own life as inspiration, especially if you’re pulling from emotional truths that are painful.

I used this quote from Hamlet to make the book trailer for ONLY DARK EDGES because it so perfectly encapsulates the main character’s state of mind in the beginning of the book.

This was true for me when I was writing my YA novel ONLY DARK EDGES. I was writing about a teen who was dealing with the death of her sister, and though I was pulling from my own experience of losing my sister, I wasn’t writing about my own grief. The emotional core of the character was similar to my own, but they were not the same, and our experiences were definitely not the same. I will admit that it was a hard book to write, and it was hard to separate my grief from the main character’s.

This was one of the reasons why I chose to make it a very loose retelling of William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Having the framework and themes of the play in mind helped give me some emotional distance from the writing. It kept me from getting too bogged down in my own emotions, so I could actually get the book written. In particular, I found it interesting exploring the themes of madness and indecision from Hamlet and incorporating that into my book.

Check out the playlist I created for ONLY DARK EDGES and my TikTok videos about the book.

Hamlet meets Six Feet Under in this YA psychological thriller that is both heart-pounding and heart-wrenching.

Delta’s spent the summer navigating the treacherous waters of losing her older sister, Gemma. Determined to brave junior year of high school without her sister, Delta finds solace in the arms of a new girlfriend. But grief takes a twisted turn when Gemma’s tortured ghost appears with a dire warning.

Beware the storm.

Plagued by the haunting suspicion that Gemma’s death involved foul play, Delta is plunged into a downward spiral of grief and paranoia. No one can be trusted—not her girlfriend, their friends, or her sister’s once-loyal boyfriend. Not even Delta’s own mind.

With a hurricane bearing down, two tempests collide at the abandoned Sea Glass Lodge. Accusations fly. Secrets unravel. And everyone is a target of the storm.

Buy signed copies on the Purchase Books page or find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, and Smashwords.