► FEATURED AUTHOR: YISELIS COY

Yiselis Coy is an aspiring 16-year-old author. You can learn more about her works in progress at spyacademybooks.blogspot.com.

1. Tell us about your novels and your current word counts.

► Assassins is part of a series called The Assassination Organization, and it takes place more than a hundred years in the future. It is based on the adventures of Alya Storm and her group of rogue Assassins as she tries to save society. My word count at the end of YearNoWriMad 2012 was 31,066. 

► Gabriel Spade is part of a series titled The Gabriel Spade Saga, and it takes place in present day. It is based on the adventures of Gabriel Spade and her attempt to stop a war, keep the guy she likes, and find out who she really is. My word count at the end of YearNoWriMad 2012 was 58,819. 

2. Would you have come this far without YearNoWriMad? If not, what aspect(s) of YearNoWriMad drove you to get 'er done?

If not for YearNoWriMad, I probably wouldn't have had as much inspiration to reach my word count goals. I still don't manage to reach all of my goals, but I try! YearNoWriMad inspired me to create a cover for my book as well. YearNoWriMad also makes me feel as if I'm actually doing something author-like (besides sitting at home and typing on my laptop). 

3. What aspect of YearNoWriMad did you find most rewarding?

The most rewarding aspect of YearNoWriMad is having a community with other authors who are also struggling to get their novel done on time, plus the sense of accomplishment that comes with doing something awesome. Like performing in a dance concert, acing a test everyone else fails--that kind of thing. 

4. What are your word count goals for 2013? 

My word count goals for 2013 are 50,000+ on both Hearts and Spades (the sequel to Gabriel Spade) and Spy Academy: Behind Enemy Lines, which was the first book I ever started writing.