BOOK BLITZ - YA AUTHOR RENDEZVOUS

Introducing YA Author Rendezvous – a group of independent Young Adult, Middle Grade and Children’s Book authors who have banded together to bring their stories to as wide an audience as possible. Visit them online and find some great reads!

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Today we’re featuring YA Author Rendezvous author, Bethany Wicker!

Favorite YAAR Supporting Characters

Everyone gets to know and fall in love with the MC, or Main Character. I, however, tend to fall for supporting characters. In our group YAAR, short for Young Adult Author Rendezvous, there are several great characters to choose from, but I’d like to talk about a few of my favorites.

We’ll start with Unexpected Alpha, by Bethany Wicker (yours truly.) I’m in love with Marie, the best friend of the MC. She provides comedic relief. I may be biased because she’s based off my best friend in real life, Mariah, but her bubbliness is hard to hate. She also becomes a badass werewolf when necessary.

Next up, The Institute Series by Kayla Howarth. I’m SO IN LOVE WITH DREW! Sorry, went a little fan girl. He betrays Allira in the beginning, but fights so hard to make things right throughout the series that Kayla made it had to not fall for him. Who doesn’t love a bad guy who tries to make things right in the end?

Then, there’s Joshua’s Island by Patrick Hodges. Who doesn’t love Kelsey? Sure, she gets her own novel in Ethan’s Secret, but before that she was a supporting character. She was so hardcore, stood up to the bullies, and stood for what’s right. She helps Joshua in so many ways to develop the courage he needs to stand up for himself.

The Awaken Series, by Michelle Bryan has several intriguing characters: Finn, Po, Tater, and my favorite, Jax. He’s SO ATTRACTIVE, hold on, need to shift away from fan girl mode. He comes to Tara’s aid when you least expect it and continues to help her on her journey. His snide comments are a bonus and there’s no instant love between them, which always ruins a good story.

Dawn of the Rebellion, by Michelle Lynn is up next with Drew. Yes, another Drew. I swear it isn’t the name! Drew’s originally Gabby’s boyfriend, but when she’s taken, Dawn and Drew set out to rescue her. Their relationship blossoms slowly and you see his true character come to life, and it’s very desirable. I’m not going to spoil anything but I cried at the end… read and see why.

Lastly, there’s Rise of the Shadow Seekers, by Korey Ward. My favorite of the trio is Nelson. I loved him from the moment he was introduced. He defended Alex from the bullies, but his looks scream otherwise. He’s broad and intimidating, but doesn’t use it for his own gain. Instead, he helps Alex in his quest and quickly becomes one of his first friends. A friend that anyone would want.

There are plenty characters out there that I didn’t have enough room to give credit to, but check them out in the YAAR library and be on the lookout for those enchanting supporting characters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bethany Wicker

Bethany Wicker resides in Louisiana and is a pediatric nurse who loves to read and write any chance she gets. Her sun conure, Apollo, green cheek conure, Rocket, and her two dogs, Jasper and Drake, usually keep her company while she writes, throwing in ideas of their own. She has a loving husband, Lucien, and an amazing family who support her passion for writing. Her inspiration comes from her friend Mariah and the support from her fellow authors from YA Author Rendezvous. She loves young adult fiction of all sorts and thanks God for giving her the strength to finish novels of her own. She is obsessed with Disney, Cherry Coke, and White Chocolate Mochas, especially from Starbucks. She also loves food and is always excited to try new things.

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Concepts Writers and Readers Must Know

The YA Author Rendezvous is a collective effort of 70+ talented and motivated authors.  We got our start through our founder, Patrick Hodges, who couldn’t find the group he needed on Facebook - one that caters to young adult, middle grade, and children's audiences and authors.  So he took up the cause wholeheartedly to create a group based on trust, kindness, and true friendship.  Together, we’ve established ourselves as a group that prides itself on honest to goodness great writing that engages and enlightens readers.

Whether you are a writer, a reader, or both, here are 3 concepts you must know:

1. Love.  Without admiration for your craft, you'll be stuck wondering why you bother.  If you want to share your work or your review of someone else's writing, you must find it worthwhile, and the first step is to know why it's important to you.  I love writing young adult fiction just as much as I love reading it.  My novel, 'Freshman Fourteen,' is an embodiment of all my favorite parts of the YA genre – love, friendship, teenage angst, and bull-headed conflict that always gets in the way.

2. Criticism.  Knowing how to understand and use critiques, positive or negative, will strengthen your craft.  The same is true with reading or reviewing.  Allowing others to disagree with your opinions will establish your opinions as increasingly credible.  That which you find praiseworthy in your writing or someone else's, somebody may disagree about.  This doesn't make it easier to deal with negative ratings about books you've written and books you want to read.  Negative reviews can be turn-offs, but as authors and readers, we must compel ourselves to see writing objectively.

3. Characters.  Make them shine for who they truly are, based on looks and personalities, and also on who they grow to be.  You may end up with characters you don't recognize, but these make for the best, most well-defined ones.  One of my favorite characters in 'Freshman Fourteen' was Mrs. Gribble. She started off as a secondary character, yet quickly morphed into a necessary nuisance.  And characters aren’t always people, but sometimes ideas or even inanimate objects!

Best of luck in all your future writing and reading endeavors – these concepts will help bring about a stronger, more purposeful focus.

Written by Beth Rodgers, an author, editor, and college English instructor who lives in Michigan with her husband, son, and soon-to-be new baby.  Her debut novel, 'Freshman Fourteen,' was released in October 2014.

For more YA Author Rendezvous Authors, 

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