I’m Tessa and I write fiction for teens, tweens, and almost tweens. This blog is sometimes hacked by Tiana and Stacey, thirteen-year-old fraternal twins who appear in one of my tween novels.

Stacey: Um, we don’t simply “appear” in one of Writer Tessa’s tween novels. We star in it.

Tiana: And we’re not mean hackers. We hack for the benefit of all. We ( Read more... )

If you have a completed MG manuscript and want to try to win feedback from an agent on the first 10 pages, check out this contest:http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/

A lot of writing conferences let writers sign up for a critique or pitch session with an agent or editor. There’s usually an extra fee for those sessions and they tend to fill up fast so when a writer finds out she got a coveted spot, her first emotion is usually excitement, happiness, the OMG-this-is-the-first-step-to-me-becoming-the-next-JK- ( Read more... )

1. I didn’t sleep last night because I didn’t want to miss a minute of the Royal Wedding coverage (and that’s really saying something because my entire life I’ve hated actually going to weddings). Anyway, I started watching live coverage from London at 2 a.m. eastern time but before that I watched an internet clip showing Prince William (and ( Read more... )

OMG! I’m in the same city as my celebrity crush @AndyBaldwin #cardcarryingmemberofthestalkerazzi ( Read more... )

No, I’m not just blogging about the YA Mafia because I want people who google “mafia” to check out my blog. Really, if I was just trying to attract new followers, I’d make gratuitous references to Justin Bieber who most of my future MG readers are probably smitten with or Jimmer Fredette who some of my future tween readers are crushing on as we ( Read more... )

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, here’s my list of guys from books I wished were my boyfriend ( Read more... )

Stacey: It should be illegal for Writer Tessa to dance ( Read more... )

I loved puzzles when I was a kid. Apparently my nursery school teacher remarked to my mom that four-year-old me always did puzzles while other kids drew pictures, played with toys, and raced around the room yelling at the top of their lungs ( Read more... )