#Pitchwars Mentee Bio

Okay, okay, fine. I will do a bio. Jeesh.

My name is Erin and I am a writer. A good one. I'm okay with saying that now.

I am a good writer.

I like my stories heavy, thought-provoking and  tear-inducing, with a liberal dash of snark and humor.

I am newer to writing fiction. I haven't written stories since I was five, like some of my Writerly friends. I've been telling stories since then, though. I've often thought that I would love to be a professional storyteller, except, I am a tiny bit introverted in real life. And by tiny, I mean I'm basically a hermit. If I wasn't married to an handsome outdoorsman and the mother of two insanely active children, I would likely never leave my home. (Not even for groceries. Like, Amazon does that now, don't they? I fully support the Amazon drone if it means I no longer need to go to Kroger.)

So I started writing down my stories so that I could actually share them with my loved ones. Most particularly, I wanted to create a character that my daughter and niece could admire. The self-awareness of Elizabeth Bennet with the cool head of Anne Elliot. The pluckiness of Becky Bloomwood tempered by the down-to-earth sarcasm of, well, every smart teenaged girl I've ever met. I didn't care what she looked like and I didn't care where she came from. As long as she could kick Bella Swan's ass and hang with Hermione and Ginny, I was good.

I read everything. Literally everything. I started with Judy Blume, Beverly Cleary, THE BABYSITTERS CLUB and ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN. In high school, I bounced between Jane Austen, Christopher Pike and Patricia Cornwell. In college, I found HARRY POTTER. While my children were being born, I discovered TWILIGHT and THE HUNGER GAMES and sprinkled those in between my favorite chick lits— anything with pink on the cover and had the likeability of Sophia Kinsella's SHOPAHOLIC series. Prairie Romances? Yes, please. Stephen King. Okay, sure. Piers Anthony? Since I was a baby, practically. Which is weird, I know. Michael Crighton. Tom Clancy. Meg Cabot. Jane Green.

Since I've written INDIGENOUS, I've discovered the world of YA SFF and I am in love. The LUNAR CHRONICLES haunt my dreams. Rae Carson's GIRL OF FIRE AND THRONES series consumed my life to the point that I don't think I ate for four days while I read. Henry Neff is a genius. Pick up his books RIGHT NOW. Cinda Williams Chima and Melina Marchetta transport me and its amazing. I run to an audio version of PERCY JACKSON and THE HEROES OF OLYMPUS. Rick Riordan has gotten me through training for two half marathons and more road trips than I can count.

INDIGENOUS is my first book and is the lead-in to an almost complete trilogy. It's about genetics and ethics and a group of dear, gifted teenagers led by a sarcastic half-native American telepath named Charlie. I did not set out to write a SF. It just happened, people! I had a slight GATTACA obsession in high school and the ethical questions behind genetic manipulation and designer babies would. not. let. go. My baby brother is genius scientist. So, idly, I asked him a few questions about "what ifs" and it turned into a YA series. I think he still shakes his head that I took his science and made a fictional universe out of it. Incidentally, I also get lots of late night texts that say "That's not really a thing, Erin. Sorry."

I did the math last night and realized I've been half-way querying INDIGENOUS for almost 9 months. As I've been querying, I've been editing. DON'T DO THIS. Believe me. There is little worse in this process than a random email seven months later from a respected agent that has your original query and pages attached with a resounding NO. How embarrassing. Seriously.

Oh yeah, and I'm not patient. Obvi.

Likes:

My kids (they are hilarious and at 4 and 6 already are fluent in sarcasm and badassery)

My husband. We're one of those sick couples that met as teenagers and still make each other laugh. I know. Sorry. He's not a reader, but is my number one fan which is seriously incredible.

Black olives, marshmallows, cashew cream ice cream, banana peppers, guacamole and probably anything at Chipotle. If it was an apocalyptic scenario and all I had left were napkins from Chipotle, I'd probably be fine.

Running. Slowly. Alone. When it is twenty degrees out and dark. If it's just snowed, all the better. God, there is nothing more peaceful than a night run in the snow.

Teen Movies. I was a pre-teen to teen in the era of EMPIRE RECORDS, CLUELESS, CAN'T HARDLY WAIT and TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, so to me, those are perfection. But I love them all from the beach movies of the 60's to The Brat Pack, to THE DUFF.

Grunge music. If it brings to mind greasy, stringy hair and a thrift store sweater, it speaks to me—whispers sweet nothings into my ear.

Jesus. This is a biggie for me. I might get on my soap box here, so excuse me. I LOVE JESUS. I do. I just don't think he wants me to hate everyone else. Sorry. I touch on faith in my books, but they aren't anything a traditional "Christian" publisher would probably like. My characters cuss, they drink, they talk about sex (and some have it, though they don't tell me details). Some of them also have faith in God. I do not believe these things are mutually exclusive. Like ever.

Dislikes: hypocrisy, social injustices (I was a sociology major in college, with a history minor- Damn The Man), tomatoes, mushrooms, sports (unless they are the Olympics), waking up from a too-long nap, wimpy heroines, gore, bullies, judgmental people of any faith system, grocery shopping and douchecanoes that get too much media attention (ie:Donald Trump)

Okay. You've made it to the end. If you are a fellow Writerly, come by my twitter and introduce yourself. I adore talking shop and want nothing more than to see all of my talented friends' names on a book shelf someday.

If you are a Mentor with #pitchwars, "Hi." Thanks for reading. I will work my ass off for you if chosen, and will respect the hell out of you either way because this business is hard and if we don't stick together, it's damn near impossible. :)

Erin out.

Fighting Fear to do Incredible Things

http://www.faithit.com/because-sometimes-you-just-need-see-people-doing-awesome-things-remember-youre-still-freakin-alive/

 

 

The most adventurous thing I've ever done is cliff jump while in college. It was probably only about 15 or 20 feet, but it was in the dark and the name of the jump area was "Dead River Falls". So, I mean, that sounds pretty terrifying.

And it super was. I almost puked, standing there at the edge. I am one of those "panic attack in a ferris wheel" kind of Afraid of Heights people. In fact, step stools make me nervous. So fifteen feet might as well be a thousand.

 

I will admit freely however, that the rush of adrenaline and adventure was pretty amazing. I can see how people can dig it. This video makes my belly hurt, but I had a beaming smile the entire time I watched.

 

People who fight fear with courage are my heroes.

 

Happy Monday!



Feeling beautiful...

http://www.faithit.com/this-brave-beautiful-girl-felt-super-ugly-magical-bald-princess-walked-through-door/

 

Can I just tell you that my four year girl looked at this article with me today and all she had to say was "They are both so beautiful." She didn't even notice that they were bald.

 Or if she did, it didn't matter one bit to her. How about that? Happy Friday!!!

Beyond the Call of Duty

http://www.cnn.com/videos/justice/2015/01/22/dnt-telemarketer-alerts-police-assault.klas

If you watched the Super Bowl this past Sunday, then chances are good that you heard this commercial about domestic violence. In our home, there was silence each and every time it played. Which was a lot, because we streamed the game. Even more astounding is that the script is real life. A former 911 dispatcher posted the conversation on reddit a while back because he thought it was a clever way to cry for help in a horrendous situation.

This morning I found another case that felt similar. It isn't clear if the woman who was being abused meant to answer her phone... I doubt it because it was in her back pocket and she was clearly fighting for her life. The important thing is that the strangers heard what was going on and sought help for her from hundreds of miles away. They refused to hang up. They recorded the attack. They are speaking out on her behalf.

Even just the snippets I heard terrified me.

Let's plaster this man's face all over the damn place and let's give credit to the brave telemarketers for taking action. And I am going to say a prayer of thanks to God.

Nothing Holding Her Back

http://buzzflare.com/this-teen-runs-the-fastestbut-her-coach-always-needs-to-catch-her-at-the-finish-line/


Whoa.

Just whoa.

Incredible.

Highlighting Children and Poverty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC1XFl1OxT0

This is a bit of a different kind of post for me. I can't really say that there is a specific hero here, except I do adore Jennifer Garner as a mom and I appreciate that she is behind this project. Celebrities, by just putting their name on something important, can really raise awareness. I love when they take advantage of that.

I was surprised to find that Ann Arbor actually has a large homeless population. Not a day goes by that I don't see someone on one of street corners asking for handouts. What really gets me however, is the sheer number of homeless families. Kids living in their cars with their unemployed parents. There was a large movement earlier this past August to make sure that if nothing else, these kiddos were being enrolled for school, where they would get education and be fed. But that is just the start. Can you imagine coming home exhausted from school only to sit in a cramped, chilly car with your family?  We live in a small apartment but at least my son can hide away in his room until dinner time if he's over tired. He's warm, safe and his belly is full. We can take him to the doctor when he's feeling ill. We can toss him in the shower when he's starting to get stinky. :)

It's heartbreaking. I've started to attempt to increase awareness in my kids. It would be easy to hide the poverty, but it's not an US and THEM kind of a deal, to me. Afterall, a lot of us are just a job away from the streets, ourselves. Sure, there is horrendous poverty all over the world. And it is super easy to tell ourselves that we are just too removed to do anything. Something to consider, however, is taking a real look around your community. Do a google search of homeless shelters. Call a church and ask if they've been approached by homeless seeing assistance. I guarantee your eyes will be opened.

If you do nothing else, maybe watch this documentary. I plan to. I watched Half the Sky a year ago and it completely opened my eyes (I think it is on Netflix, still). I assure you this will be the same.

And... I would love feed back on the ways you choose to teach your children about the world and poverty, as I am always learning!

Uptown Funk

http://youtu.be/0EUEg7kd6Cg

Of course, it's always inspirational when teachers take the time to engage their students and do something extraordinary.... but I am really just posting this because it's fun.

After The Sickness invaded my household this week, I like fun.

Happy Thursday, everyone.

Pain Demands to Be Felt (and shared)

http://news.yahoo.com/father-colorado-shooting-victim-finds-solace-officer-051827986.html




The police officer who held his daughter as she died reminds him that someone else is out there remembering his little girl as time passes.

I think it is one of the most basic human needs: to know that you are not alone in your grief.

When I had my miscarriage several years back, I didn't want to talk to anyone about it. I made my husband call around to our family. I emailed our friends. That was it. I wanted to just pretend it had never happened, except that it had and you can't actually avoid pain and keep your sanity.

As my fellow John Green fans would say: "Pain demands to be felt."

I received three responses that I remember to this day. One friend said she was sorry and asked to come over. Another said she was hurting for us and asked if we would meet she and her family for dinner so we would get out of the house.

The final sent me one line in response.

I am crying with you.

All three were moms. All three knew what I needed most was to not feel alone, even if that was what I thought I wanted.

To this day, I still think of the power of those words: I am crying with you. I use them. Frequently.

That is essentially what this officer has done for this father. He showed him that he wasn't alone in his grief. That someone else out there was hurting for him. With him.

Bravery in the Face of Bullying

http://www.faithit.com/this-quiet-kid-sick-being-nobody-watch-what-did-literally-change-everything/

 

 

I get pretty fired up about bullying stories. I don't think there is a person alive who hasn't been bullied to some extent, whether it be as a child in school or as an adult in the work place. It happens. And it sucks. I wrote a post on it a few years ago on my personal blog after a former classmate died. The memories it dredged up in my fellow classmates were insane and utterly heartbreaking.  

 

This video popped up on my feed yesterday and it really struck a chord. There are all sorts of kinds of bravery. Off the top of my head, the first kind I always think of is that of a soldier. Putting your life on the line for others is The Ultimate to me in bravery. So, police officers, firemen (and women), paramedics, doctors in war torn countries... all of them. Brave. Wonderful. I am so thankful for them every day.

 

But this is a different sort of bravery. This kid was being bullied. They said it was after his father died, but it doesn't really matter what caused it. In my experience, bullying needs no justification. The important thing is that he was and instead of ducking out to another school, or shrinking away to just finish his school year out in peace or deciding to homeschool (all viable options, in my opinion), he put himself out there as a servant to his fellow classmates, Earning Their Respect.

 

Watch. Learn. Admire his bravery.

 

 

Sharing MLK, Jr.'s Message All Year Long

So my family was home yesterday, in honor of this man ^^^^. I took the time to explain Dr. King's message to my five year old and was beyond grateful that he found it difficult to understand how anyone could hate based on color. Or appearance. Or anything. To him, it was unthinkable.

I love that. I pray he stays that way. It reminds me of the time a few weeks ago when my husband and I were watching some reality TV show or something, and he asked us "what are those fiery things hanging out of their mouths?"

Cigarettes. Love. That. He. Didn't. Know.

(And after hearing about them, he was again baffled- kids are awesome.)

Anyway, yesterday, social media was full of MLK messages. Today, it's over for another year. But this morning, I found this little video on my fb feed. To me, this guy is spreading the message and love of Dr. King. Very sweet video. Very kind man. Very inspirational.

Share the love, folks.

http://wgntv.com/2015/01/19/vacuum-salesman-invited-to-birthday-for-a-child-with-autism-moves-room-to-tears/

His Clean Water Mission

http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/12/world/haiti-earthquake-anniversary-la-source/index.html



Sweet merciful heaven, this one made me weep. Firstly, at the unbridled joy of the children rushing the fresh water flowing out of the new pipes and then again when Josue said that he felt like he hadn't yet done enough.

As I sit here with my pink water bottle full and clean in my warm home ran on electricity, it is difficult not to feel completely humbled by the will and love of that man.

Many thanks to my girl, Kelly, for sharing this story with me so that I could share it with all of you.

What He Didn't Do

I am sure this one will be everywhere today... and in watching the video, it maybe doesn't seem like much. In fact, as I considered it for my blog, I actually had the thought, "Hm, I mean, yeah, I guess. Is that it?"

And two seconds later I wanted to smack myself. Because he seriously could have done NOTHING. He could have sat there and pretended he didn't know what was going on.

But he didn't.

So today, my hero story isn't so much about what he did do. It's about what he didn't do. He didn't sit back and let the man die.

And that makes all the difference. The Husband and I have talked about that. I've shared these stories with him (since he refuses most social media sites that don't have pictures of hunting dogs or fishing stories) and we've talked about how most of these hinge around that moment of "do I take action or just sit and see how this plays out?"

This blog is filled with people who didn't wait and see.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-arrest-florida-teen-helps-save-officers-life/?ftag=YHF4eb9d17

For the Sake of Kindness

http://www.faithit.com/two-boys-both-suffer-rare-genetic-disorder-they-found-each-other-nick-of-time/



This may be my favorite story thus far. Honestly. I have loved doing this project. Every single one of these inspirational stories has encouraged me and blessed me beyond belief. This one, though, is a step above.

Jono Lancaster was born with a rare genetic disorder called Treacher Collins Syndrome. It affects the facial bones and tissues and not only does it change your appearance, but it also causes difficulties with breathing, hearing and sight.

Jono was abandoned by his parents at birth. He was teased and rejected over and over in his life. He was given the option to have surgeries to correct his disfiguration several years back, but he declined. He talks in this article about how he had wished when he was growing up that he would know just one other person who looked as he did.

He says "this is how God made me" and now he has made it his life's mission to travel around and meet the others in the world who are affected with this disorder. He is a hero to these young kids and an encouragement to their parents and families.

And he is a hero and encouragement to me. How many would make the choice he made? I ask myself this every day, as it is a basic theme in my novel. Are we made the way we are for a Purpose? A reason? If medical science can fix us, should we allow it? I think it is a very personal decision. And I think it is a very brave thing to say "this is how God made me and this is how I chose to remain for the sake of Purpose. For the sake of making the world a more loving place."

Jono Lancaster is a Hero.

Doing His Part to Restore Sight to the Needy

So I know you will be shocked to read this, but seriously Monday mornings are the worst for finding good news stories. Especially after something as big as the Golden Globes apparently. The internet is chock-full of stories about this celebrity's "bored face" and that celebrity's "ugly dress", but nothing positive that I could find. Not to mention ALL the stories were in one way or another judging the females...

BUT that is for another blog and another day, I suppose. Let's just say I'm annoyed.

That being said, I DID eventually find a story for you all and it's a good one. This young man was one of CNN's featured heroes in 2013. His name is Yash Gupta and he collects glasses for kids in need. When the article was written, he had collected 9500 pairs of glasses. How about that? Pretty amazing, if you ask me. Way more amazing than a discussion of what Jennifer Lopez wore last night.

Just saying.

Anyways, here is the video clip: http://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2013/09/05/cnnheroes-gupta.cnn

And here is the website if you want to help. He takes donations of used glasses (duh, how easy is that? I have like three pairs of old glasses sitting in my closet right now) and also can send you a box to set up for free at your local optometrist.

http://sightlearning.com/

Happy Monday, everyone. Let's make a difference today.

Eight Year-Old Wows on the Piano

http://news.yahoo.com/eight-year-old-pianist-dazzles-with-chopin-recital-at-train-station-195739288.html

Jay Lewington, age 8 in this clip, has never taken a piano lesson, but rather learned to play watching videos on YouTube.

That's all. Something sweet and lighthearted and amazing for your Friday morning... It's been a pretty heavy week.

Bravery in the face of terror

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWkdmLH7xdE

 

 



 

 



I don't know what the Paris gunmen hoped to accomplish with their actions yesterday. I don't think they counted on it backfiring (pun intended) like this, however.

I am writer, so of course I subscribe to the notion of power in the Almighty Pen. History has proven time and again that there is something very dangerous about a person who has prodigious skill with words. And these guys just awoke a beast in the heart of every artist in the world.

I shall eagerly await the outcome over the next days, weeks, months and years. It takes an insane amount of bravery to fight terror with laughter. It takes an insane amount of cowardice to face laughter with terror.

Je suis Charlie.

These Little Guys Have It Right...

http://abc7chicago.com/society/video-young-boys-asked-to-slap-little-girl-in-social-experiment/462246/

I have nothing to add to this video. I think it speaks for itself.

Except, for real, I cried.

Homeless Teen Graduates HS On His Own

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32iaLFbnS3U

 

 

There are many stories to be found of inspiring young people taking their futures into their own hands. This is just one. But something about the smile in this kid's eyes when he chants "6:30, 6:30, 6:30!" just got me. It's like you can almost feel that that particular moment of when he was going to walk across the stage to receive his diploma was all he could think about those years he was living day to day.

 

He could have quit. He could have dropped out or gotten his GED or sold drugs or anything, really, except what he did.

 

But he chose to fight for his life, instead. An article I read said that he planned to attend college the following fall. I hope it worked out for him.

Nothing ventured...

Sometimes super human will is the most amazing gift of all. Lately I have been facing my own inner demons of self doubt... never in my life have I ever strived for something I wasn't certain I would achieve. I have always, ALWAYS played it safe. I have been beyond fortunate to have the blessings I do. A loving and hilarious husband, two smart, healthy and quirky kids, a warm roof over my head, food in my belly... thankfully God has taken care of me.

But I never tried for anything that I was really passionate about if it wasn't a sure thing... I dropped out of JV pommie tryouts when I wasn't picking up the choreography fast enough for my comfort. I ran home the first day of Cross Country practice because it was hard. I never showed after the first week of swimming in HS because I hadn't swam competitively before and was nervous.

Of course, those are all examples from high school. I've probably grown since then, but maybe not. I haven't taken the GRE or gone on to grad school or applied for any super challenging careers. I've been busy, of course, with my personal life. Having babies and raising a family IS a job, don't get me wrong. But until this year, well, I guess last year, I never put myself out there. I have always carried my love for the written word and my characters in my back pocket. Held close and dear and not to be shared (except with my sister). Partly because I wasn't ready, but also because I wasn't READY.

No one wants to hear criticism. No one likes to hear that they aren't as good as they hope they are. Just last night I had a mini panic attack thinking of putting my book up on Amazon and allowing people who don't know me to comment and rate it.

But there comes a time in your life that you just have to face it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Which brings me to my video for the day: Misty Copeland, the most beautiful dancer in the universe. She is also the first black dancer to be made a soloist with the ABC and looks completely wrong by all traditional ballet standards (of which there are many). But there she is, her giant portrait out in front of the MET. Wow.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2014/12/18/ballerina-misty-copeland-makes-history/

Think of the risk she took. Think of the courage it took to put herself out there again and again and again. KNOWING she had the talent deep within her, but also not being sure that others would allow her to showcase it. Goodness. Makes my little amazon venture seem pretty simple, doesn't it?

Happy Monday, all. Let's all scare the bejeezus out of ourselves today.