There's good news and there's bad news

Bad news first (always).

Remember way back when Gayle Forman's "If I Stay" was published and I mentioned that I was upset about it because I'd had an idea for a book that was basically the same thing and she'd beat me to it?

Well. It happened again.

Sort of.

I give you: "Tempest."

While perusing Entertainment Weekly dot com, I came across this article.

This brand spanking new author Julie Cross has written a YA book with a time travel fantasy element. It's supposed to be full of excitement and danger and angst and drama and love story.

Guess what I have 21,000 words written of? Yep. Basically the same thing.

So that's the bad news.

The good news is this: Mine is better. (I really don't know this because all I've read is what's in that story, but based on that tiny bit of info, I say mine's better.)

Also good news: I'm not discouraged. I'm in fact encouraged because mine is different enough to be part of what could be a time travel trend and still be unique. I'm not super thrilled that now it's going to look like I'm riding coattails (assuming it gets any attention at all), but Dianna had a very good point -- this woman might have just made it easier for me to be paid attention to.

"If I Stay" was entirely too close to my idea for me to even develop it further. Maybe one day I can adapt my concept and try again. "Tempest" feels like something different. A launching pad? A gateway? I don't know for sure quite yet, but I'm going to stay positive and keep the thought that Julie Cross has done me an incredible favor and one day I'll have to thank her for it. :)

Also, in a moment of ego, can I just say that it's pretty cool that ideas I've come up with independently have been taken seriously by agents and publishers and a reading audience? I know I'm not the one having the success, but it feels like I'm on the right track. :)