This post was originally published over at long and short reviews here:

What happened over my summer vacation? My young adult novel,Persephone, was published by Musa Publishing. Fitting, since I spent last summer editing it and querying my manuscript, and the summer before writing it.

My writing life is ruled by summers. Sure I work on my books during the year, but mostly in 5,000 word revisions with my writers group every other week. Hardly intensive writing. But I’m a graduate student. Now that the fall semester is starting, writing takes a back seat to reading.

But during the summer I can write when, where and what I want to, and for the last few summers I’ve visited the Underworld and met the gods. My summer vacations are full of myths and legends.

I like the Greek gods. For the moment, Hades is my favorite. But they all had such strong personalities. There was so much drama in Greek myths. It translates into a young adult novel very well. Obviously I’m not the only one to think so. Greek mythology is having its heyday in young adult literature. I sometimes wonder if in hundreds and thousands of years people will find these modern day takes on mythology and think that we never stopped believing in them. Will historians read these books and think the gods simply evolved with the times?

I don’t just write all summer. I read a lot too. But the books aren’t exactly what I read for grad school. This summer I’ve been reading the Immortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clair.

My favorite books have always had some supernatural elements but more importantly they’ve always been young adult. Young adult books tend to have better plot lines and stronger character development. Even between books by the same authors. I love Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, but her young adult Darkest Powers series was much better to me. I don’t know if it’s just a matter of having less length to get everything in, so there’s less filler, or if it’s just that there’s more tension. An adult rarely has parents to contend with so there’s less sneaking around.

Whatever the reason, thanks to reading and writing young adult books my summers are filled with fun. I’m already counting down the days until my next summer vacation.

It’s going to be a long school year.