WHO R U REALLY? by Margo Kelly in Paperback!

Nearly a year has passed since WHO R U REALLY? by Margo Kelly came out in hardback, and now, Merit Press (the YA imprint of F+W Media) is publishing a paperback version of the young adult thriller! Its official release date is September 4, 2015, and to celebrate, we’re giving away FIVE signed paperback copies! For a chance to win one, simply follow the steps below in the Rafflecopter.

About the book:

When Thea discovers a new role-playing game online, she falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends. Ripped from a true-life story, Who R U Really? will scare you as Thea’s life spins out of her control.

Read Who R U Really?

Amazon |Barnes & Noble | Rediscovered Books

Here are a few of the exciting things that have happened since WHO R U REALLY? debuted as a hardback:

Won 1^st Place in the YA Category for the Idaho Author Award

The Department of Homeland Security took notice:

DHS invited Margo to partner with the STOP. THINK. CONNECT. campaign, which is the global cyber security awareness campaign to help people stay safer and more secure online.

Librarians have applauded the story:

“This book is sure to spark a dialogue between parents and teens as well as tell an appealing cautionary tale to a younger audience and would be a good addition to any middle school, high school, or public library.” The Idaho Librarian

“With all the different trending social media out there, this book is intriguing because the story centers around a naive yet strong-willed girl who falls into the trap of an internet predator. … You will definitely want to read this book to find out what happens!” The Dallas Public Library

Praise for Who R U Really?:

"This tense thriller offers useful lessons." --The Horn Book Guide

"Based on actual events, the story should be required reading for all teens." --VOYA Magazine

"Kelly shows us just how terrifying, dangerous and unknown the world of online gaming can be--especially for a young teen.... The book is well-written and the story believable and engaging...I strongly recommend this book." --The Idaho Statesman

Now time for the give away!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:

Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, Margo is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her debut novel, published by Merit Press. The Department of Homeland Security has partnered with Margo to promote online safety. Margo welcomes opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs. For more information, visit her website: www.margokelly.net

Find Margo Kelly

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

Friday updates, plus some tips on keeping track of your cast

Hi everyone!

My newest work-in-progess, a YA realistic romance, is off to my agent. Fingers crossed she likes the changes I made. To keep myself busy I've been playing around with a few ideas. All of which are still in the planning stage. More to come on that once I settled into a good flow with one them.

Writers, if you need help keeping track of your characters and their unique traits, hop over to Uncommon YA. I shared a few tips that work for me.

Hope you're enjoying August! Thanks for stopping by.

Is it a new month already?! #IWSG

Hi everyone! 

Wow! It's hard to believe that another month has past. I was absent from the blog-sphere last month, and I do apologies. Because of busy schedules, I've been using the little free time I have to work on my novels. I'm hoping to catch up with my cyber friends this month.

The good things about today being the first Wednesday of the month, I have an excuse to take a break from everything to say hi to my followers and to visit my friends' blogs. My insecurity is just that I'm not sure when everything in my life will level out and I'll be able to go back to a calm, normal schedule. But, as my mom would say, this too shall pass. Man, I hope she's right!

Keeping writing and reading! And have a wonderful August!

Thanks to Alex and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group. 

Being hard on your characters, #IWSG

Hi everyone! 

It's time to share our thoughts, insecurities, and encouraging words. Thanks to Alex and our co-hosts for keeping IWSG going. For those who aren't familiar with Insecure Writer's Support Group, just follow the link. It's a wonderful group. 

I've been fine-tuning my YA realistic fiction based on feedback from my agent. One of her concerns was that I was too hard on one of my characters. That got me thinking, can a writer be too hard on a character? Well, obviously we can. Really, if you follow the advice given in workshops about thinking of the worst thing that could happen to your character and making that happen, you are going to put your characters through hell. But I understood where my agent was coming from and I value her opinion, so I asked myself if in this particular case, on the one item that she pointed out, does easing up my character change the outcome of the book. It doesn't. He's still a teen who prefers not to take risks with his or his family's future that decides to want it all. So far I'm happy with the changes I've made. 

Have you ever been too hard on a character? Do you believe there's such a thing?