Need My YA Fix!

I have this major procrastination thing go on when I get down to the last chapters of a book. I know I have to finish and I'm on a contractual deadline to write THE END, but I hate knowing that I have to let go ... and leave the characters behind in their world. Some characters are impossible to let go of. They stick and lurk somewhere inside me forever.

But the beauty of what I get to do everyday is write. I just finished my latest adult book - RECKONING FOR THE DEAD (Avon/HarperCollins, 2011), and I love this book. It's the 4th book in my Sweet Justice series and I love hanging out with the characters. But now that RECKONING is done, I have a YA book proposal due to Harlequin Teen, book #2 that they bought. And I can't wait to get at it.

I love my adult books because crime fiction is my comfort read, but I've found that writing YA novels makes me very happy. YA books are amazing. The only limitation to them is the author's own imagination. They stretch your mind and the brutally honest ones deal with important issues. And they can communicate amazing messages. The only thing I love better than writing YA is READING IT.

So if you have any recommendations for YA books that you've read and loved, please let me hear from you. I love dark, edgy YA, but I'm open to anything. If you love it, I want to hear about it. And please tell me why you liked it. My TBR pile is getting low.