Current status (9/8/10): I am currently working The Enforcers, a sequel to The Executioners. It's been slow going, though, so far, even though I have the entire thing outlined. Darn work, sucking up all my time. Anyway, I'm about 50,000 words in, which I have a feeling is about halfway. But I'm not going to start posting until I've gone through it again, which is counter to what I usually do (post as I write). I just have a feeling I may have to go back and tweak, despite my outline. So, please, have patience! It'll come, eventually. :D

Executioners rewrite (1/3/10): I recently did a rewrite of The Executioners. Most of the story is intact; it's mainly little things, rewordings and such. But there are at least three major changes, one being the very end (it's still fundamentally the same, but I changed some dialogue, and I like it much better now). Anyway, I just went through and saved all the new text, though I left the original author's notes for fun (it may take a bit for the new ones to register; you'll know it's new if the author's note has moved to the bottom of the page. If it's at the top, try refreshing). :P If you read the story before and liked it, I'd love if you at a minimum glanced at the new ending and let me know what you think. :)

NaNoWriMo 2010: I'm totally doing this again! /eng/user/516562. I've got a plot idea, and I plan to spend October working it into an outline. I did win last year, but the story that resulted from winging it is a pathetic mess (that I'll eventually fix up and post. eventually.), so this year I'm trying the organized route. Unfortunately, spending October planning for this means less time to work on the above-mentioned Enforcers. Oh, to have limitless time! :D

About The Prize: I apologize to anyone who wants me to continue this story. I've left it up on the site because I can't rule out that I won't ever go back to it, and I like having it there as sort of a guilty reminder. I'm rather fond of it. Unfortunately, if I ever start it up again, I have a feeling I'd have to rework it a bit to get it up to my six-years-later standards. That's not likely to happen anytime soon, as I have other projects in mind. So if you're wanting more now, I'm sorry. But, it is possible that someday I'll finish it.

LiveJournal: I haven't really done anything with it for a while, but I'd like to get back into it. Find me on LiveJournal as brandogirl. Most of my posts are locked to friends only, but if you add me as a friend and send me a message telling me who you are, I'll add you. :)

My favorites: I like to write in the YA genre, but I also like to read it. Some of my favorites that you simply must read: The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins; The Mortal Instruments trilogy by Cassandra Clare; the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead; the Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine; the Uglies books by Scott Westerfeld (also enjoyed his Midnighters books). Also, going a little old-school, anything by L.J. Smith (except maybe her new Vampire Diaries book; I was iffy about that one) and Richie Tankersley Cusick. There are many more, but those are my absolute favorite, and they certainly influence me in my own writing.

About me: I graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Nebraska, and I'm now working as a newspaper copy editor/page designer/video game reviewer. My hometown is in Indiana.

When I write, I generally do it in the "Young Adult" genre, which has always been more fun and personal to me than any other. As far as subgenre, I'm all over the place. Sometimes it's horror/suspense, sometimes it's fantasy or comedy, or straight romance. It all depends on my mood.