Book Dreaming

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

2012-01-27T00:00:00.008-07:00

Welcome to another fun blog hop!! This time it's . . .

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

Like all of I Am A Reader's hops, this one is HUGE--over 250 participating blogs--which means an amazing number of opportunities to win. Again. Participating blogs are all featuring young adult book giveaways.

The window of time to enter is from January 27th - January 31st. You can find the linky at either of the hosting blogs. It is too long to post here.

My Giveaway:

Good reads Blurb:

For years scandal has rocked Rosewood, Pennsylvania—and high school seniors Aria, Emily, Hanna, and Spencer have always been at the center of the drama. They’ve lost friends, been targeted by a ruthless stalker named A, and narrowly escaped death. And it’s not over yet.

Aria’s love life is on the fritz. Emily’s exploring her wild side. Hanna’s kissing the enemy. And someone from Spencer’s past—someone she never thought she’d see again—is back to haunt her.

But none of that compares to what happened last spring break. It’s their darkest secret yet and guess who found out? Now A is determined to make them pay for their crime, and the only thing scarier than A is the fear that maybe, just maybe, they deserve what’s coming to them.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Be a follower of my blog
2. Leave a comment + email address
3. Tweet or FB or something to spread the word (let me know)

GOOD LUCK!!

The Paper Doorway

2012-01-26T08:32:00.001-07:00

Early in December I did my first post for Project Middle Grade Mayhem. I thought posting it over here would be fun, because so few people are aware of Dean Koontz's children's books. So . . . enjoy!

One sure thing about kids is that whatever age they are, they want to be older. The "big" kids are always so strong, so fast, so smart, so cool . . . I remember when my son was in third grade and had a high school reading buddy. His buddy was his hero--just because he was *gasp* a high schooler.

When people think of Dean Koontz, they do NOT instantly think children's author. They think of adult horror and suspense, and rightfully so. However, that is not the only hat he wears these days. Believe it or not, he is also a picture book author and children's poet.

His picture books, SANTA'S TWIN and ROBOT SANTA: THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF SANTA'S TWIN are a huge hit with my high school students and my middle grade son. As you can tell, they're a bit twisted, and MG kids usually love anything twisted.

In addition to his Santa PBs, he also has a couple of picture books about his dog, Trixie: I, TRIXIE, WHO IS DOG and TRIXIE AND JINX. Both are adorable.

The most middle grade friendly of his children's books is THE PAPER DOORWAY: FUNNY VERSE AND NOTHING WORSE, a collection of poetry reminiscent of Shel Silverstein.

Poems like "The Monstrous Broccoli Excuse," "Boogeyman," "Frankenbunny" and "You Get the Pickle You Asked for" will be instant hits with most middle grade readers. And they get the added bonus of being able to say they read Dean Koontz!

James Patterson, John Grisham, and many others have also begun writing books for children.

Can you think of any other well-known adult genre writers

who have crossed into the children's market?

Passion Fuel

2012-01-24T11:01:00.000-07:00

"Acknowledgment and celebration are essential to fueling passion, making people feel valid and valuable, and giving the team a real sense of progress that makes it all worthwhile."

~ Dwight Frindt

And THAT, my friends, is what makes our blogging community so dang great!

Today,

acknowledge and celebrate

someone else!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Ten Rules for Living With My Sister

2012-01-23T08:27:00.004-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Ten Rules for Living with My Sister

by Ann M. Martin

Goodreads Blurb:

Pearl’s older sister Lexie is in eighth grade and has a boyfriend. Pearl’s only boyfriend is the family’s crabby cat, Bitey. Lexie is popular. Pearl is not, mostly because of the embarrassing Three Bad Things that happened in school and which no one has forgotten. Everything Pearl does seems to drive Lexie crazy. On top of that, their grandfather is moving into their family’s apartment and taking over Pearl’s room. How will these sisters share without driving one another crazy?

Pearl is good at making lists of rules, but sometimes, life doesn’t play by the rules!

This is the perfect book for sisters. In classic Ann Martin style, the story addresses issues of family, friendship, aging grandparents and dealing with what life gives you. While not original in theme, I think themes like this are timeless, so it doesn't matter. Middle grade girls will both enjoy and learn from this story.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn
Gina Carey

Happy Monday!

Being a Beginner

2012-01-20T09:12:00.000-07:00

"You can learn new things at any time in your life if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually learn to like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you."

~ Barbara Sher

So many of us had to start from the beginning when we embarked on our writing journeys: learning to blog, learning to write well or better, learning to find a critique partner or two or ten, learning to query and to edit and to edit better . . . and always, always, learning to be more patient.

Being a beginner opens the door to the possibility of great things to come. If we are too afraid to begin, we'll never know what it feels like on the other side of our dreams.

When have you been willing to be a beginner

in order to chase a dream?

Dreaming of Books Hop WINNER

2012-01-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

The winner of my Dreaming of Books

Giveaway Hop

and a Pre-Order of

THE HUMMING ROOM

by Ellen Potter is . . .

CHEY from The Hollow Cupboards

Congratulations! You'll be receiving an email from me shortly.

Fractured Light Blog Tour + Cinder Winner

2012-01-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

First, according to the ever reliable Random.Org,

the lucky winner of my CINDER ARC is . . .

Drumroll Please . . .

Bookish in a Box!

*****************************************************************

And now, FRACTURED LIGHT

by Rachel McClellan

Expected publication: February 8th, 2012

Goodreads Blurb:

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

This story held me from beginning to end. I loved the main character, Llona--her light abilities are unusual and fascinating. The storyline and pacing flowed well for me, and the ending was totally satisfying. I'm ready for the next in the series without feeling like she left me hanging. Plus, the mystery, tension, and romance blend perfectly to make it a winner. I recommend it!! :-)

Author Blog: http://www.blackbirdinmywindow.blogspot.com/

Author Website: http://www.rachelmcclellan.com/

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRachelMcClellan

Publisher Blog http://www.cedarfortbooks.com/

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - How to Make a Golem

2012-01-16T04:00:00.003-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

How to Make a Golem and Terrify People

by Alette J. Willis

Goodreads Blurb:

"You think you're a fairy godmother or something?" I asked. "Or something," Michael agreed. Edda is tired of her nickname, 'Mouse', and wants to be braver. But when her house is burgled on her twelfth birthday, Edda is more afraid than ever. That is until new boy Michael Scot starts school. There's something peculiar -- and very annoying -- about know-it-all Michael. He claims to be a great alchemist who can help Edda overcome her fears by teaching her to build a golem. But surely they can't bring a giant mud monster to life? Can they?

Winner of the Kelpies Prize 2011.

What a cute story! I requested a copy of this book on NetGalley, mainly because it's middle grade and has a catchy theme. I am SO GLAD I did.

I enjoyed the voice of this book from the get-go. The characters were alive, the storyline was perfectly paced--with the PERFECT amount of spine tingles and creepiness thrown in--and the ending worked perfectly. I read it easily in one day, and the longer I sat reading it, the more curious my kids became. It is now in the hands of my 9-year-old son. *grins*

I wholeheartedly recommend this one. It was an absolute pleasure!

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn
Gina Carey

Happy Monday!

New Kindle Fire Tips and Tricks Book

2012-01-15T11:29:00.002-07:00

A fabulous new resource for those of you with the Kindle Fire

Product Description

There are Kindle Fire guides for people who need to know where the power button is, and then there are Kindle Fire guides for people who are ready to start having fun! Get the scoop on all the exciting discoveries since the Fire’s release, as we give you step-by-step instructions on how to do things that you won’t find anywhere else. (Rooting is not covered)

In over 30 articles and over 17,000 words, this guide featuring the best of the Kindle Fire Department blog includes such topics as…

Extending Battery Life
Optimizing the Silk Browser
Setting up Gmail
Parental Controls and Preventing Unintentional Purchases
Sending FREE Texts from the Fire
Sideloading Apps
Addressing Volume Control Problems
Sending Documents to the Fire
Using Cell Phone Chargers with the Fire
Managing Screen Brightness
Syncing iTunes
Streaming Videos from Your PC
Finding FREE Apps
Playing Apps on Windows
Using a Microphone with the Fire

And many more!

The Kindle Fire Department blog is one of the most useful resource sites I've ever stumbled upon. I make multiple visits each day to check the FREE android app and Kindle book deals of the day, as well as tips and tricks and other price deals.

The Fire Department is currently giving away a free Fire, for those of you who may still be considering the possibility. You already know how much I LOVE mine! Hop over and enter HERE. The contest ends on Tuesday the 17th.

And for those of you who have already purchased a Fire, go HERE for the Compendium and discover how to make the most of your Fire's potential.

I can tell you that the info in this collection is AWESOME! I love Gadget, and these tips have never steered me wrong. Love, love, LOVE!! :-)

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

2012-01-13T04:00:00.038-07:00

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

and Martha's Bookshelf

Like all of I Am A Reader's hops, this one is HUGE--over 200 participating blogs--which means an amazing number of opportunities to win. Again. Participating blogs are all featuring reading, writing, or blogging related giveaways.

The window of time to enter is from January 13th - January 18th. You can find the linky at either of the hosting blogs. It is too long to post here.

*************************************

MY Middle Grade GIVEAWAY:

**PRE-ORDER**

The Humming Room

by Ellen Potter

Expected publication: February 28th 2012

by Feiwel & Friends

*************************************

Because I don't like it when contests take forever to enter, just . . .

Follow me
leave a comment w/ email addy
Tweet (button at bottom of post)

Winner announced January 19th.

Good luck!

Cinder ARC Giveaway

2012-01-12T08:23:00.002-07:00

Goodreads Blurb:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I enjoyed this book. It's one of the most original fairytale re-takes I've read, yet it definitely has the Cinderella flavor. I love it that she's a mechanic--a greasy, disheveled mechanic. And the best mechanic in the land! It's perfect. I also love the mix of humanity, cyborg, robot, and Lunar peoples.

I had a hard time deciding whether to give this a 4 or 5 star rating. Ultimately, I went with 4 stars because while it was a great read, it wasn't UN-PUT-DOWN-ABLE for me until the last 150 pages or so. Then . . .whoa! It all gets crazy intense. And leaves us dying for book two!

This one is well worth the time!

And now . . . the giveaway!

To be entered to win, you must:

be a follower of this blog
leave a comment by midnight on Monday, Jan. 16th
provide an email address so that I can contact you if you win
Int'l entries welcome

I will announce the winner next Tuesday.

Good luck!

Create-A-Story

2012-01-11T04:00:00.022-07:00

STORYWORLD

Create-A-Story Kit

Amazon Description:

Age Level: 9 - Adult | Grade Level: 4 - Adult | Series: Storyworld

An ingenious toolkit for the imagination, designed to inspire storytellers of all ages.

Welcome to StoryWorld, a box containing forty cards that suggest a myriad of characters, places, and objects that you can use to create your own story. Pick a handful of cards and use their pictures and words as inspiration. You can tell a new story every time the box is opened. Discover more ideas about how to use the cards in THE STORYTELLING BOOK, packed with tips and ideas for creating your story, games to play with the cards, and a sample story written using the cards.

I first learned about these cards a couple of years ago from Charmaine at Wagging Tales. I ordered them for my high school classroom, and they are truly awesome. The myriad of ways in which these cards can be applied creatively to our writing is virtually limitless.

If you are looking for writing warm-ups or story starters or idea generators or character traits or ANYTHING, really . . . these are for you. They can definitely help jump-start you out of any funk or writer's block. For all of us--whether pleasure writers, aspiring authors, or multi-published--I highly recommend giving these a try!

Happy Book Birthday!!

2012-01-10T09:45:00.001-07:00

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y . . .

Happy Book Birthday

A MILLION SUNS

and

Beth Revis

Hop over to Beth's Blog to join
the Virtual Launch Party!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - May B. + Guest Post

2012-01-09T08:16:00.013-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

May B.

by Caroline Starr Rose

Goodreads Blurb:

I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.

May B. is written in verse--truly beautiful verse, full of imagery and emotion. I loved every word of it! May is such a lovable character, and we experience every hardship, every uncertainty, right along with her. You MUST read this one. I promise.

MAY B. will be released TOMORROW!!

Caroline wrote a guest post for us about her author journey. Enjoy!

Fourteen Years, Hundreds of Rejections, Eleven Books, and One Sale

Fourteen years ago this December, I started writing in earnest. I’d always heard you needed to have some magazine pieces published before writing a book, so I wrote an article and mailed it in.

I never heard back.

By the following summer, I figured I had nothing to lose and everything to learn by working on a book of my own. After two whole weeks of research (!), I wrote a mid-grade historical about the Oregon Trail, a terribly sappy, confusing thing that nevertheless taught me a lot. I sent it out into the world, starting a pattern I’d continue for years: writing, revising, submitting, and starting something new. In that time, I wrote three more novels and seven picture books and collected hundreds of rejections.

Everyday I’d wait for the mailman, anticipating word that someone, somewhere had connected with something I’d written. Some rejections came weeks after submitting; others took over a year to find their way back to me. Somehow, I held onto the belief that the next editor or next idea would be the one.

It was only after I got serious about finding an agent in the fall of 2009 that things started to happen. Within four months, my agent sold my very non-commercial, non-flashy literary historical at auction. This little book has so far earned a starred review from Kirkus and has been selected as a title for the Junior Library Guild.

Those years of submitting on my own weren’t wasted. I learned how to write, develop my craft, and stick it out. May B.’s January release will mark a lot of things for me, the most amazing being the realization I’ve taken on (and accomplished!) a task that for years seemed insurmountable.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn
Gina Carey

Happy Monday!

Project Mayhem

2012-01-06T04:00:00.002-07:00

Today, I'm posting over at the awesome

PROJECT MIDDLE GRADE MAYHEM blog.

Please come visit me there

so I don't feel lonely!

Tension and Conflict

2012-01-05T04:00:00.007-07:00

"Our instinct as human beings is to provide answers, to ease tension. As writers our job is the opposite, to create tension and not dispel it immediately."

~ Sol Stein

"Plot conflict is not conflict merely in a character's mind or soul, while he sits at home. A plot conflict has to be expressed in action. The more struggle a story involves, the better the plot."

~ Ayn Rand

It took me a few years to fully embrace the "kill your darlings" (or at least make them miserable) philosophy. Once I did, once I really amped it up and layered on more action and misery, then I finally got my agent. But it took me 3 freaking years to really do it--even though I knew I should. I never did it enough. MORE is BETTER.

So . . . how miserable are your characters?
Are you being too nice?

Some "Boy Book" Guarantees

2012-01-04T09:04:00.001-07:00

When searching for great boy books,

don't forget these no-fail classics!

Ripley's Believe It or Not!

Goodreads Blurb:

Offers a feast of bizarre facts, features and freaks to enthrall and entertain. This title includes the pink dolphin, the girl no bigger than her schoolbag, and the island of lost dolls. It helps you gasp at true tales about vampires, the Ripley's waxwork gallery, and the feats of sword swallowers past and present.

Guinness Book of World Records

Goodreads Blurb:

It's an Olympic year, and to celebrate, the latest incarnation of the world's biggest selling annual unveils its most thrilling edition yet with a dynamic new "widescreen" design, thousands of new and classic records, never-before-seen photos and an exciting selection of new topics and features.

Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary

Goodreads Blurb:

The subtitle of this Star Wars reference guide from DK Publishing, "The Ultimate Guide to Characters and Creatures from the Entire Star Wars Saga," says it all. Bringing together all four titles from the Visual Dictionary series (Episode I-III and the Trilogy) in one gigantic volume, this resource contains every tidbit of information that any Star Wars fan will ever want to know about the six motion pictures -- from the color of Chewbacca's eyes to the eating habits of Jar Jar Binks!

My son spends hours and hours with these books--they just never seem to get old.

Good to Be Back

2012-01-03T08:37:00.007-07:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

I enjoyed every moment of my time with the three kiddos, but it's back to business here on the blog. Today, a reminder not to miss the incredible deals going on right now from HarperTeen:

EPIC DEALS: 10 EBOOKS FOR $10.

From 12/20/11 to 1/30/12,
10 incredible HarperTeen ebooks

will be on sale for $0.99 each!

* The titles, authors, and ISBNs are: *

~ Unearthly	Cynthia Hand
~ Vesper	Jeff Sampson
~ Hereafter	Tara Hudson
~ Bumped	Megan McCafferty
~ Unidentified	Rae Mariz
~ Poison Diaries, The	Maryrose Wood
~ Entwined	Heather Dixon
~ Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)	Sarah Mylkowski
~ Withering Tights	Louise Rennison
~ Lucky	Rachel Vail

You can visit either Amazon or Barnes and Noble to purchase these great deals! To find out more about hot Harper deals and titles, giveaways, and goodies, click HERE to visit the Epic Deals Facebook page!

Christmas Break

2011-12-21T04:00:00.002-07:00

UPDATE:
If they get 100 new fans on the Bancroft Press Facebook page
(www.facebook.com/bancroft.press),
they’ll reveal the title of the second book of the
Atomic Weight of Secrets trilogy!!
Please go "like" them!

I'm taking the holiday off to spend quality time with my family.

Have a wonderful Christmas, everyone. I'll be back on January 2nd.

HarperTeen Holiday Book Deal

2011-12-20T08:38:00.000-07:00

EPIC DEALS: 10 EBOOKS FOR $10.

From 12/20/11 to 1/30/12,
10 incredible HarperTeen ebooks

will be on sale for $0.99 each!

* The titles, authors, and ISBNs are: *

~ Unearthly	Cynthia Hand
~ Vesper	Jeff Sampson
~ Hereafter	Tara Hudson
~ Bumped	Megan McCafferty
~ Unidentified	Rae Mariz
~ Poison Diaries, The	Maryrose Wood
~ Entwined	Heather Dixon
~ Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)	Sarah Mylkowski
~ Withering Tights	Louise Rennison
~ Lucky	Rachel Vail

Happy Holidays!
Happy Reading!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - I Survived

2011-12-19T09:14:00.000-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

I Survived Series

by Lauren Tarshis

This series is a huge hit with middle graders, especially boys. As a bonus, the stories are non-fiction, which is an often overlooked and under-appreciated genre for younger readers.

At the school book fair this year, I let my son choose only one book (too close to Christmas), and he chose Shark Attack of 1916. He already has The Titanic one and is begging for more books in this series.

I highly recommend these ones, folks!!

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn

Happy Monday!

Deja Vu Blogfest

2011-12-16T04:00:00.003-07:00

DEJA VU BLOGFEST

hosted by

D.L. Hammons @ Cruising Altitude

Today is a day for Deja Vu, for re-living some of our favorite posts of the past. Choosing ONE post was not an easy task. In fact, it took me HOURS to narrow it down to five, and another hour from there. Ugh! Hopefully, I chose a post you'll think was worth it.

From February, 2010:

RUNAWAY TREE

You all know by now how much I enjoy writing lessons by Barry Lane. I've realized I'm not alone in this - you seem to enjoy them as much as I do. So, here's one of my favorite Barry Lane lessons, taken from After The End:

"If I were to tell you that the maple tree outside there on the playground just said to itself, 'I'm sick of being a tree. I think I want to be a person now,' and if I told you that maple tree got up and is now sprinting down Interstate 89, what would you say?"

We would all say No Way! Not possible. Right? Barry Lane agrees that the initial response would be that trees don't run. So...

"OK, OK. But what if I said, 'The maple tree decided it didn't want to be a tree anymore and is running down Route 89 and there is a little boy named Seth chasing after it and a blue Chevy Cavalier wagon. And it just stepped on my 1979 Toyota Liftback, crushing the box of Twix candy bars I was saving to bring to class tomorrow.' What if I were to say, 'There is a cat up in the tree, and the fire department is chasing after it, and that cat is howling like a wolf on the highest branch, and the principal, Mrs. Stewart, has lassoed it with an orange extension cord and tied it to the bumper of bus number ten.' If I could tell you enough details, so that you begin to imagine something exact and real about this runaway tree, you might, you just might, go to the window and look. That's What writers do. They make you go to the window and look."

According to Barry Lane, we should think of the details of our writing as walls, not as wallpaper. Details are not decoration. They are part of a story's bones.

Details are the best tools a writer has to bring writing into focus and find deeper meaning. Barry Lane says they should not be ends in themselves but should serve to bring to light the writer's larger vision.

How do you view the function of details?

Sail

2011-12-15T04:00:00.011-07:00

"To reach a port, we must sail -

sail, not tie at anchor - sail, not drift."

~ Franklin Roosevelt

To achieve OUR goals we must write.

Not stare at the screen for hours "thinking" (please say I'm not the only one who does that).

Not check Twitter and FB every 10 minutes for new messages.

Not put it off until tomorrow . . .

WRITE.

Winners Are People Like You

2011-12-14T04:00:00.027-07:00

Winners Are People Like You
Nancye Sims
(inspirational poet)

Winners take chances Like everyone else, they fear failing,
but they refuse to let fear control them.

Winners don’t give up. When life gets rough, they hang in
until the going gets better.

Winners are flexible. They realize there is more than one
way and are willing to try others.

Winners know they are not perfect. They respect their
weaknesses while making the most of their strengths.

Winners fall but they don’t stay down. They stubbornly refuse
to let a fall keep them from climbing.

Winners don’t blame fate for their failures, nor luck for their successes.

Winners accept responsibility for their lives.

Winners are positive thinkers who see good in all things.
From the ordinary, they make the extraordinary.

Winners believe in the path they have chosen even when it
is hard, even when others can’t see where they are going.

Winners are patient. They know a goal is only worthy
as the effort that is required to achieve it.

Winners are people who believe in themselves.
They make this world a better place to be.

Be a winner!!

I Am Me

2011-12-13T04:00:00.003-07:00

"I am somebody. I am me. I like being me. And I need nobody to make me somebody."

~ Louis L'Amour

(source)

In the crazy world of publishing, it's easy to fall into the mindset that we NEED an agent to validate who we are as writers. Then we NEED a publisher to validate our stories. Then we NEED sales to validate our publishing success. Then we NEED a second book to validate that the first book wasn't a fluke. And so on and so on . . .

THAT'S NOT TRUE. Those things are all wonderful and are all part of the journey we are trying to take, but they do not make us somebodies.

I am a somebody every time my husband tells me he loves me. I am a somebody when I hug my kids and tuck them in at night and watch their Christmas programs or athletic activities. I am a somebody when I help my students become better readers and writers. I am a somebody in a hundred different ways each day. Because I AM ME.

When your heart starts to doubt,

what makes you feel like a somebody?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Tales of a Sugar Hero

2011-12-12T04:00:00.007-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Tales of a Sugar Hero

by Michael Dahl

Goodreads Blurb:

On her eleventh birthday, Halo Nightly receives a mysterious collection of candy jars from her Aunt Pandora. The sweet treats inside fuel her with the powers of fire, water, earth, and air! As the worlds newest sugar hero, Halo must defeat the evil sour-villains who threaten to rid the world of fun and flavor!

This is a darling book, and it definitely hits the mark with its intended audience. My daughter absolutely loves it! She reads it over and over. In fact, whenever we go out and she gets bored, she asks for my kindle so she can read it some more. The illustrations are fantastic, the story is fun, and the message is a good one. I highly recommend this for young readers everywhere.

*** ALSO . . . I'm making my debut over at PROJECT MIDDLE GRADE MAYHEM today. Please stop by and say hello.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn

Happy Monday!

Persistence in Practice

2011-12-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

"Forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice."

~Octavia Butler

I am working to embrace this philosophy right now. My re-writes were flowing freely, my CP and agent were loving them, and then . . . nothing. I hit a wall. And my CP was on vacation when I hit it. I just kind of shut down, ya know? Two weeks and not ONE new word.

So, it's time to just write. Period. I can't give myself permission to live in this bubble of denial any longer. Waiting for inspiration has not moved me forward. Maybe getting back in the habit of punching the keys will.

How do you break through those brick walls when you write?

The Kindle Fire

2011-12-07T04:00:00.014-07:00

I'm in love with my Kindle Fire,

and here's why . . .

Thanks to the combination of landing an agent and the upcoming Christmas season, I was able to sweet-talk my hubby into getting me a Kindle Fire. And I love it! I know not everyone has an eReader and many are still apprehensive about them (it took me a long time to cross that line, too), but the Fire is really something fun.

Aside from the amazingly inexpensive $199 price, I love that it's in color.We are all pretty addicted to book covers, and seeing my favorites in color is awesome! Also, I no longer need a portable reading light at night because I can switch to a black background with white font. Then, voila! No problem.

My kids love playing Android Apps like Angry Birds and Plants vs. Zombies on it. My 9 yo even uses it to practice his math facts--I downloaded some free math games and flash card apps, and now he loves to practice.

I use my Fire to check my email, Twitter, and FB accounts. I use it as a family planner/calendar. I watch Dr. Who and Lost on it. I can use it as a GPS, a calculator, a travel planner, an alarm clock, an MP3 player, a movie player, and a gaming device. AND MORE.

*****

For anyone who has a Fire (or gets one), the KINDLE FIRE DEPARTMENT BLOG is a gold mine of information. I think it's a DAILY must-read. The Fire Department provides links to Amazon's daily FREE kindle books and daily FREE Android Apps.

Even better, the Fire Department Blog provides tips and tricks to help make your Kindle run better: How to set up an external speaker system; How to use the Cloud Drive memory to maximum effect; How to sync your fire with your desktop apps . . . Plus, if you have a question, they will try to find the answer for you. I am addicted to the info on this blog!!

A recent tidbit from the Fire Dept. was a link to this article, which you might find interesting:

* An awesome article called The Goldilocks tablet: Why Amazon’s 7-inch Kindle Fire is ‘just right’

If you are considering whether or not to purchase the Kindle Fire,

I say go for it!

I really LOVE mine!

Gateways

2011-12-06T04:00:00.050-07:00

"Nothing is predestined. The obstacles of your past can become the gateways that lead to new beginnings."

~ Ralph Blum

If there is one thing we learn as writers, it's that nothing is guaranteed in the book world. More than anything else, we have to hold onto hope with both hands. Never let it go. A setback today may be the stepping stone that leads us forward tomorrow.

So many writers have shared stories of heartbreak and success with us over the years. SO MANY: Elana Johnson's 180+ rejections before finding an agent smart enough to sign her; Beth Revis wrote TEN novels over TEN years before her ACROSS THE UNIVERSE success. It goes on and on . . .

If you want to be inspired, to feel hopeful, to believe in the impossible, read the following stories.

* Caroline Starr Rose's joy...then disappointment...then joy again story HERE and HERE and HERE

* Natalie Whipple wrote this post HERE and now has a novel being published by HARPER TEEN in 2013!!

* Katie Ganshert's long wait HERE

* Karen Amanda Hooper's story, HERE

* Shelli Johannes-Wells's story HERE

These are only a few of the many stories out there, but they never fail to make my heart smile and soar with new hope.

What helps keep your hope alive?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Cabin Fever + Giveaway

2011-12-05T04:00:00.020-07:00

***UPDATE***

WINNER: Brenda Demko!!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever

by Jeff Kinney

Blurb:

Greg Heffley is in big trouble. School property has been damaged, and Greg is the prime suspect. But the crazy thing is, he’s innocent. Or at least sort of.

The authorities are closing in, but when a surprise blizzard hits, the Heffley family is trapped indoors. Greg knows that when the snow melts he’s going to have to face the music, but could any punishment be worse than being stuck inside with your family for the holidays?

My 4th grade son read the entire book the night I brought it home, and my 2nd grade daughter devoured it the next day. We all know these books sell themselves, so I don't need to convince you of their greatness. I would like to give away a copy to one lucky commenter, though. But NOT my copy! He he.

Simply follow my blog and leave a comment by the end of the day Wednesday. I'll announce the winner on Thursday's post.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist
G.S. Prendergast @ Angelhorn

Happy Monday!

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Hop

2011-12-02T04:00:00.008-07:00

***UPDATE***

WINNER: CD MEETENS!!

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

and Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy

Like all of I Am A Reader's hops, this one is HUGE, which means an amazing number of opportunities to win--again. Participating blogs are all featuring book related giveaways.

The window of time to enter is from December 2nd - December 6th. You can find the linky at either of the hosting blogs. It is too long to post here.

MY GIVEAWAY:

One winner will get to choose an ebook or print copy

of the brand new release,

TANGLED TIDES.

Trust me: you REALLY want this book!!

Because I don't like it when contests take forever to enter, just . . follow me

leave a comment

and if you want to hit the tweet button below, that's good too (but not required)!

A Taste

2011-12-01T10:14:00.005-07:00

Here are some of Amazon's December sale titles for Kindle.

All are $3.99 or less!

Also, one of my favorite writing gurus, Ralph Fletcher,

is doing a holiday promotion of

SIGNED BOOKS

on his website (www.ralphfletcher.com)

Carving Angels Blog Tour + Giveaway

2011-11-30T04:00:00.013-07:00

***UPDATE***

WINNER: Diane Estrella!!

~~~~~~~

Carving Angels Blog Tour

Diane Stringham Tolley

Goodreads Blurb:

Papa Adam, the North Pole's oldest elf and Santa's former chief carver, has given up. Blind, frail, and feeling useless, he counts the minutes in every day as he waits to die -- until his youngest granddaughter challenges him to carve again. Together they prove that the most beautiful creations can come from the most unlikely sources and with the right love and encouragement, anything is possible.

Guest Post: The Story Behind the Story

Carving Angels - Behind the Wood Shavings

I love a background story.
Just as I love the secondary characters in a movie.
Each adds . . . substance.
And, let's face it, the lead story and the lead characters have all been done to death. The world is looking for something fresh and new.
But who says that fresh and new can't be siphoned off of the old and overdone?
Carving Angels came from just such an idea.
I was looking at a picture of Santa Claus, riding in his famous sleigh.
Pulled by his equally famous reindeer.
And the thought struck me - 'Huh. I wonder where he got his sleigh?' It is such an integral part of the whole 'Santa' story, but no one has ever explained where it came from.
Did he mail order it?
The number of stamps alone would be mind-boggling.
Visit 'Sleighs R Us' on one of his weekend getaways to New York or places south?
Possible, but doubtful. For one thing, I've never seen a 'Sleighs R Us' store.
Even in Edmonton.
I sincerely doubt that one could find a Sears or Costco at the North Pole.
The only other solutions seemed to be either union-made (elves), or non-union 'constructed in someone's shop' (also elves).
Bingo.
I had my premise.

Santa's sleigh was constructed by elves.
Or more particularly, by an elf.
A very gifted elf.
But what kind of gifts?
A metal worker/welder?
I'm sure they have them in abundance at the North Pole. After all, who else could construct the plethora of things metal that appear under our tree on Christmas morning?
Okay, that's one possibility.
Computer whiz.
Handy, especially when it came to interior bells and whistles.
But, let's face it, a virtual sleigh, though it might look good on the silver screen, really couldn't pass muster when it came to actually carrying the big guy and serving as a repository for the all-important toys and gifts.
Computer whizzes - out.
Wait. What about a wood carver?
We're talking about a night spent in an open sleigh in sub-zero temperatures.
Okay, yes, I know that many of Santa's deliveries are to tropical and sub-tropical locales, but we should plan for the frozen-est, rather than the warm-est, right?
Moving on . . .
Hmm. Wood vs. metal.
Wood is so much warmer than metal.
Anyone who has done the all important/stupid frozen metal-tongue test (and I'm not saying I have) knows that wood, even when frozen solid, simply does not have the sticking power of super-cooled metal.
A definite plus for the wood argument.
Let's go with that.
So. A wood-carving elf.

Now, how can we make him (or her) special.
And at the same time make his (all right, I've decided he's a guy) accomplishment just a bit . . . tougher. Harder to imagine.
Or believe.
We'll give him a handicap.
Something to overcome.
Something that will make his achievement that much more astounding.
Age?
Good.
Infirmity?
Better.
Blind?
Perfect.
And we'll drag in his tiny little granddaughter because she is so sweet and cute and because she is equally handicapped by age.
And because we need someone to help on the rare occasions when our carver actually needs to 'see'.
So now, all we need is a bit of background: A former career as Santa's chief carver, followed by ten years of despair.

And the story is set.
Carving Angels is born.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Just in time for the Christmas season, Diane Tolley's lovely and deeply touching Carving Angels was released by Cedar Fort Publishing. I loved this story. The bond between Amy and her grandfather is wonderful, and the fact that he is one of Santa's elves doesn't hurt either.

I recommend reading this one together as a family. It's full of love, hope, friendship, determination, and the joy of Christmas. I felt the emotional tug on my heart from the very first chapter. This is an absolutely beautiful Christmas story.

Cedar Fort has generously offered to give away one copy of Carving Angels. Their giveaway policy is that giveaways are open to International entries, and if someone outside North America wins, they'll send them an ebook, inside North America they'll send them a hard copy, unless the winner would prefer an ebook.

Just leave a comment and be a follower to enter. Winner announced on Friday.

Does your family have an annual must-read Christmas story?

Steer by the Stars

2011-11-29T08:25:00.005-07:00

"There is no satisfactory explanation of style, no infallible guide to good writing, no assurance that a person who thinks clearly will be able to write clearly, no key that unlocks the door, no inflexible rules by which the young writer may steer his course. He will often find himself steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion."

~ E. B. White


So true.

If you want to see how to play with the rules we writers do have, read SHATTER ME, by Tahereh Mafi. Wow . . . that girl can write! And she does it while following her own rules. Delicious, every word.

In The Underneath, Kathi Appelt does the same thing with equally delicious results.

Are you willing to write by your own rules?

Or do you play it safe?

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Girls Got Game

2011-11-28T08:18:00.001-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Girls Got Game

Edited by Sue Macy

Goodreads Blurb:

Millions of girls are now running, swinging bats and shooting hoops. Here's the first young readers' anthology of new fiction that tells their stories.

"Girls Got Game features a new breed of heroines who are not afraid to sweat. Young athletes will see themselves in these stories; their mothers will wish they'd had books like this when they were growing up."
--Sue Macy

Sue Macy, author of three popular nonfiction books on women in sports, has gathered the best fiction writers and poets to describe the in-the-moment experiences of the millions of girls who are now competing. Here's the first anthology to describe being on the field the way girls are enjoying it today -- as a regular part of their lives that is allowing them to compete, to excel, to feel their own power and potential, and to face defeat and emerge stronger for the next contest. From basketball to soccer, tetherball to swimming to horseback riding, Girls Got Game breaks new ground. This all-star lineup of authors and poets includes Virginia Euwer Wolff, Jacqueline Woodson, and Sue Macy herself in her fictional debut, creating a book that is a great read, as well as an affirmation of what girls are doing every day.

Last week I reviewed GUYS WRITE FOR GUYS READ, so I thought a collection for girls would be appropriate this week. GIRLS GOT GAME is a popular collection of writing about girls in sports--18 stories and poems by a variety of authors.

If you know reluctant girl readers or female sport lovers, this is a great book. It's a quick and easy read, filled to bursting with friendship, family, romance, and sports, sports, sports!

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist

Happy Monday!

Thanksgiving Holiday Break

2011-11-23T04:00:00.006-07:00

I'll be back on Monday with a Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post! Until then, have a wonderful week.

Untraceable Blog Tour + Guest Post

2011-11-22T04:00:00.024-07:00

Untraceable

Shelli Johannes-Wells

Today, I am honored to host Shelli from Market My Words and her awesome book tour. I have read Untraceable, and it's good, people. I gave it 4/5 stars!

Shelli was kind enough to write a guest post for us, chronicling her rocky road to this dream moment. How she and her fantastic agent worked so hard. How and why she and her agent parted ways. How Untraceable came to be published. It's quite a tale and very worth the time to read it. I promise.

Shelli's Author Journey

It’s been a long road for me. And indie publishing was not the easiest decision or the easy way out. It is actually the faster way to publish but an uphill battle. Between the stigma and the work – doing everything on your own with no support. That is hard.

When I got an agent 2 years – I had already had two books go to Acquisitions, only to fall through at the last minute. It always seemed like I was up against one other book for the slot. If I had a dime for how many times I’ve heard – “it’s down to you and another book, but we can only take one.” It was hard always coming in 2^nd. And 2^nd is not even bad – it’s the silver medal, the top 2. But for me – it was a curse.

When I signed with a top agent from a top agency – I thought everything was downhill from there. I actually remember saying to someone – “now that I have an agent - it’s a matter of who will buy it and for how much.” HA! (This is where you laugh at me) Was I a sucker (a little too overconfident.) or what?

I didn’t know then that getting an agent is a small part of the overall battle. I would still have to get a publisher, sell well, and then get another book out and sold.

When I was with my agent, my 3rd book went to acquisitions at a couple of houses. I still have not seen a book like my tween story. Over three loooonnnnggg rounds – I completed 2 or 3 noncontractual revisions, went to several editorial meetings, and a few acquisition meetings. After a year of back and forth, ups and downs, and to be honest – compromises on my part in changing the book - the book ended up not selling. Needless to say - I was devastated – and so was my agent– but she was supportive and encouraged me to move on to my YA book (which is the book she actually picked me up on - Untraceable).

After 6 months of revisions, Untraceable went out on submission. This time to only a handful of houses. It was considered at one house - but once again – fell through. The feedback was mostly around this: “We don’t know if a tough girl survival thriller will do well unless it has a dystopic environment like the Hunger Games. What? I could not understand if people loved the book, and the characters, and the writing -why a tough girl in the real world – in today’s world – would not get a chance.

My agent was equally surprised and frustrated – I think at this point she didn’t know how to get me to the next level. I think because she couldn’t understand WHY I wasn’t already there.

We had a tough conversation about Untraceable. She talked to me about moving on to another book. But I felt there was life in Untraceable and didn’t want to give up.She said if I wanted to continue on with it – she wanted me to get a fresh perspective because she wasn’t sure what wasn’t working. I decided I wasn’t ready to give up on Untraceable so we decided to part.

That time was one of the hardest parts of this whole process. You see, I loved my agent and thought she was awesome. WE worked well together, we had the same sense of humor, and she pushed me.

I just loved my book more and felt it deserved a full shot.

Something broke in me during that time. I lost my love for writing. I lost my faith that I would ever get published. I contacted a few agents I knew about taking me on - but none of them were willing to touch Untraceable because it had gone out on a round and wasn’t their project. I guess Untraceable was “too tainted”. They all loved my WIP and told me to come back when that book was done.

At this point, I had written 4 books that had all gone to acquisitions and I was in the same place I was years before.

Meanwhile, I’d hear authors complaining about how they had no marketing, upset because they didn’t like their cover, horrified that they weren’t getting any support from their publisher, and terrified they weren’t going to sell again. A few authors were dumped by their agents even after they sold and I even had some author friends upset b/c they were told marketing was going to handle everything for them - only to end up doing nothing which hurt their book sales.

Something broke in me during the summer when I realized that there was always going to be someone holding me back. And I am not one to hang my dreams on someone else. I never have been that person.

My husband and I sat down and talked about all the things publishers do for authors. With my business and marketing background combined with finding the right distribution, I realized there was nothing holding me back. I could do everything myself. The book was done and had been edited by a well-known editor. Making the book was easy for me and marketing stuff is one of my strengths. I know who to contact and where and how and why – it’s one thing – besides writing - I do well.

So I decided to try it out and see. I had nothing to lose right? I mean, Untraceable was already dead in the water as far as the traditional process was concerned I had nothing to lose.

My pride got in the way for a while. I was worried about what everyone would think. Honestly – that ego thing held me back for an additional 6 months or this book would have been out in the summer. I finally just decided to go for it. Put it all out there. And if I fail, I fail and I’ll pick up and go on – like I have done with other things I’ve failed out. It would not break me.

Now, as I have embarked on this journey. I realize I have done the right thing for myself - for now. The book I put out will be 150% mine. My cover concept, my copy, my characters uncompromised, and my heart, soul, blood, sweat, fears, and tears.

My book is like me on a platter.

I have loved the process but it’s been harder than I expected. I will say I do have an advantage b/c I don’t have to pay people to layout my book or my marketing materials. I do have a solid platform and solid relationships and people have stepped up to support me. I also know where to go and what to look for in marketing. I know what sells books and what doesn’t. I’ve been in marketing my whole life. I’m not saying I know everything because I definitely don’t. But when I don’t’ know something - I am not afraid to dig around and find out how to do it. I have a good instinct for marketing. And I think that helps me find my way through this muddled process.

So is indie publishing for everyone? NO! I love doing marketing and reaching out to people. It does not intimidate me. But I have spent the last 2 months preparing everything myself. Making my own decisions and mistakes. I am not afraid of mistakes. I’m more afraid of not knowing when I make one than actually making them. If you don’t like to market your books, if you don’t like to reach out to people and get rejected, or if you just want to write - this might be a much harder journey.

I have not given up on traditional publishing; I respect the industry, love all the people, and would love to take that journey someday.

For now, I’m interested to see if me – a total underdog – can make it on my own. And if I don’t, at least I will know that I put out the best book I could in every way – from design to plot to character. That I am happy about everything I have done and would not change a thing.

At least, I will know I did it on my own, my way, with no regrets.

Contact information:

Author newsletter - http://blogspot.us1.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=114def4ad4e805b98ea071bff&id=68312804dc

Email: shelli@srjohannes.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/srjohannes

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SRJohannes/249888602550

Personal Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/srjohannes

Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5235537.S_R_Johannes

Book Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12731861-untraceable

Blog: http://faeriality.blogspot.com/

Gratitude Giveaways Blog Hop

2011-11-17T03:00:00.007-07:00

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

and All-Consuming Books

This hop is HUGE, which means an amazing number of opportunities to win. Participating blogs are all featuring book related giveaways.

The window of time to enter is from November 17th - November 27th. You can find the linky at either of the hosting blogs. It is seriously TOO HUGE to post here.

MY GIVEAWAY:

An ARC of Shatter Me

by Tahereh Mafi

You know you want that!

This is meant to be all about thanking our followers, so I wanted to make it something worth winning, something to show just how much I love you all... my ARC of Shatter Me, by Tahereh Mafi. Now that's A LOT of love, people!

How to enter:

Be a follower of my blog and leave a comment on this post by Nov. 27th with an email so I can contact you. That's it!

Now go check out the list of

over 300

other participating blogs at:

I Am a Reader Not a Writer

All-Consuming Books

Good Luck!!!

Launch into Chaos and I Will Follow

2011-11-16T04:00:00.003-07:00

"The maker of a sentence launches out into the infinite and builds a road into Chaos and old Night, and is followed by those who hear him with something of wild, creative delight."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

(source: Linda Oaks)

I have read four books in the past week, all written by online blog friends. Let me tell you, I have read them with wild delight!

Become by Ali Cross

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Untraceable by Shelli Johannes

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

DO. NOT. MISS. THESE.

Plus, some good news: a special promotion: Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton is $2.99 for the e-book - an even better price than the paperback- for the next two weeks through Amazon, Apple, B&N and Google. Check out my review of this awesome book HERE.

Done O'Clock or Half-Past Through?

2011-11-15T04:00:00.012-07:00

"The time of day I do not tell,
As some do, by the clock,
Or by the distant chiming bells
Set on some steeple rock,
But by the progress that I see
In what I have to do.
It's either Done O'Clock to me,
Or only Half-Past Through."

~ John Kendrick Bangs

For all my NaNoing writer friends!

And for the rest of us:

meeting deadlines,

racing revisions,

hurrying to critique,

and

wishing for "The End"

P.S. I just finished reading TANGLED TIDES, and O-M-G was it good! Sooooo freaking good!!!!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Guys Write For Guys Read

2011-11-14T08:11:00.014-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Guys Write For Guys Read

Edited by Jon Scieszka

Goodreads Blurb:

What is a typical guy moment, anyhow? Daniel Pinkwater remembers thedisappointment of meeting his Lone Star Ranger hero up close and personal. Gordon Korman relishes the goofy ultra violence of the old Looney Tunes cartoons. Stephen King realizes that having your two hundred- pound babysitter fart on your five-year-old head prepares you for any literary criticism. And that's just a sampling from Guys Write for Guys Read, a fast-paced, high energy collection of short works: stories, essays, columns, cartoons, anecdotes, and artwork by today's most popular writers and illustrators.

Guys Write features work from Brian Jacques, Jerry Spinelli, Chris Crutcher, Mo Willems, Chris Van Allsburg, Matt Groening, Neil Gaiman, the editors and columnists from Sports Illustrated,The Onion and Esquire magazines, and more. Selected by voters at the Guys Read Web site and compiled by Jon Scieszka, this wide-ranging collection of authors and illustrators shows that guys do read . . . and will read more if given things they enjoy reading.

This is a wonderful resource for reluctant boy readers. The selections and amazing variety of popular author voices will hook them. Voracious readers will recognize and enjoy the all-star line-up of both authors and works. I have two copies in my classroom (purchased myself) and they are well-loved.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty
Mary @ Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
The Accidental Novelist

Happy Monday!

String Bridge Chart Rush

2011-11-11T04:00:00.010-07:00

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

All you have to do is purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and then email the receipt to:

jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com

She will then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

* To purchase the paperback:
Amazon USA

* To purchase the eBook:
Amazon USA
Amazon UK

* To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you are
not familiar with String Bridge,
check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page, yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel … String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion
Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her
next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell

Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/

Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com

Calling All Bloggers . . .

2011-11-09T04:00:00.091-07:00

Okay, folks, I need your help!

In October, when I went to see James Dashner, I met a young author--Jenna Gustafson. She's only 15 years old!! This girl really impressed me--a lot. She began a story as a class assignment in 7th grade, then decided to turn it into a book.

She wrote, revised, researched the process, found Tate Publishing . . . they accepted her story, assigned her an editor and an illustrator, and she revised some more. Now, she has a book. What she doesn't have is any help or experience with marketing. And that's where we come in.

Goodreads Blurb:

There's only one hope for Fort Smoky to survive. After a devastating fire ravages the homes of Fort Smoky, it's up to young Ben Clearwater and his sister and friends to help the residents and get to Fort Futureland to save the people before the harsh, cold winter sets in. To get there, they will have to trek through unknown mountains, relying on Running Wind's compass and Big Jim's maps of the land while struggling against the harsh forces of Mother Nature.

Fort Futureland is a place of new and interesting contraptions, like cars and computers, the four children have never seen, and they are captivated. But the children soon uncover a sinister plot to destroy their beloved Fort Smoky. Will they be able to stop the evil leaders of Fort Futureland? Will they ever make it home? Will they be heroes for Saving Fort Smoky?

* Jenna Gustafson lives happily in Montana with her parents and brother. While she has won local short story contests, this is her first book. She hopes to inspire other children to chase their dreams and understand that they are never too young to accomplish something.

SAVING FORT SMOKY is a cute story. While the writing is not as mature or polished as we might be used to, my second grade daughter really enjoyed it. Kids don't care as much as we do, and the younger ones are Jenna's audience.

******

I would like us to help Jenna promote her book. She is willing to offer giveaways and signed swag as part of your posts. You don't even have to do a review--just a post to help spread the word. Link to SAVING FORT SMOKY on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads. Link to Jenna's author page. Anything is welcomed and appreciated.

If you are willing to do a post for Jenna or are interested in interviewing her for a post, please let me know, either in the comments or via email.

******

She's a wonderful girl. At only fifteen, she has managed to make her dreams a reality. She's a Goodreads author!! What an inspiration to other young writers out there. Let's help her get the word out!

So, who wants to help me?!

My Wish for You Today

2011-11-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.”

~ unknown

Today, my heart is full of good wishes for all you . . .

my support system

my cheering section

my motivation providers

my friends

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - 39 Clues

2011-11-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

39 Clues: Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Blurb:

Instead of 39 steps, billionaire Grace Cahill left her heirs 39 clues scattered around the world. At the end of this circuitous trail are the answers to a great family mystery, but Amy and Dan must decide whether any prize can be more important than the rescue of their missing parents. The beginning of an enthralling ten-book arc.

I know many of you are probable already familiar with these books, but I had to plug them in case some of you have been missing out. They are too good to miss.

I used this book as a read-aloud for part of a mystery unit I've been doing in a couple of my classes. The kids and I had so much fun! I love Rick Riordan's sense of humor, and my students begged me to read book 2, too.

Each book in the series has a different author, but they are all big names in MG literature, like Gordan Korman and Patrick Carmen. And they are all full of adventure, suspense, and MG humor. The brother and sister team make them equally appealing to boys and girls. These books are perfect MG reads!

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty

Happy Monday!

We Have a Winner!

2011-11-04T04:00:00.005-06:00

According to Random.Org,

the oh-so-VERY-lucky winner of Ali Cross's YA novel BECOME is . . .

aka

Meredith

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Ali Cross Blog Tour of BECOME + GIVEAWAY

2011-11-03T07:33:00.001-06:00

BECOME

by Ali Cross

Goodreads Blurb:

Sixteen-year old Desolation Black wants nothing more than to stay in Hell where it’s cold and lonely and totally predictable. Instead, she’s sent back to Earth where she must face the evil she despises and the good she always feared.

When Desi is forced to embrace her inner demon, she assumes her choice has been made—that she has no hope of being anything other than what her father, Lucifer, has created her to be. What she doesn’t count on, is finding a reason to change—something she’s never had before—a friend.

This book is every bit as awesome as its cover! Wow, wow, wow!! I absolutely LOVED this story. Ali did a fantastic job with characterization, which is especially impressive considering how many key players there are. Desi is alive--she lives and breathes on the pages. And Michael?? Let's just say, I want one! He is *sigh* perfect.

I have NO IDEA how this book slipped through the fingers of the supposed experts, because it should have been scooped up in a heartbeat. I would rank this story up there with Angel Fire and Paranormalcy. It's THAT good!!

Ali has generously agreed to give away

one paperback copy of BECOME.

How to enter:

+1 for following my blog

+1 for leaving a comment w/ email

+1 for following ALI'S BLOG

+1 for adding Ali as a friend on Goodreads

+10 for purchasing a copy of Become and emailing me the receipt

+1 for adding up your points in the comments

This is a 5 star read! Don't miss it!!

Open Minds Virtual Launch Party

2011-11-01T04:00:00.022-06:00

Virtual Launch Blog Tour

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn

Guest Post

The Writer’s Journey -

Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part One)

by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds

(Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)

I’ve talked about my decision to self-publish my paranormal/SF young adult novel Open Minds (you can read the whole post here), but in short I made a calculated career decision to self-publish for three reasons:

1) Publisher interest in paranormal is waning, even though paranormal YA novels are still burning up the charts

2) Price control

3) Writing investment diversification

(Plus I have to admit to a certain desire to try the shiny new gadget of self-publishing.)

My Logic Brain loves those three reasons, and they are truly the decision points that made me take the leap into self-publishing.

But finding the courage to make the leap was a whole different story. The theme of my writer’s journey to date has really been about overcoming fear, and that journey has taught me many lessons.

Fear of Sharing My Work

All good stories start at the beginning. For me, the beginning was December of 2008, when I decided to write fiction for the first time since I was a high school student passing serialized stories as furtive notes to my friends in class. But as an adult, I was terrified to share my work. It took me two months and a very encouraging phone call from my brother before I was willing to post my first stabs at writing online. For real people to actually read. The horrors! I quickly realized that in spite of the horrid quality of my craft, people didn’t care. They wanted to read the story. I also learned that having readers rocked my socks.

Lesson #1: Story matters more than craft and readers matter most of all.

Fear of Being Serious about Creative Work

Once the writing bug bit me, I was completely entranced. It was like discovering a new addiction, only more so. Writing had tapped into a creative side of me that had been dormant for many years, jolting my Creative Brain to life and sending it on a headlong rush of delirious creative work. I’m not saying the work was good, but my heavens, there was a lot of it.

I wrote day and night. My husband wondered what had happened to me. But I couldn’t stop; didn’t want to stop. I wanted to do this writing thing full-time, forever. I had a serious identity crisis for a while: how could someone with a Ph.D. in Engineering even consider writing as a career? I had always planned to go back to work in engineering, and now I was going to be a children’s writer?? I wrestled long and hard with that decision, but Creative Brain—once unleashed—was a force to be reckoned with.

Once again, my brother (the writer) came to my aid and said with no sarcasm that I had a moral obligation to write. That people who are capable of creating original work have an obligation to the world to do so. I completely thought he was joking. He wasn’t. It took me a long time before I finally understood what he meant. In fact, my understanding of that simple statement continues to evolve (my brother should run for Dalai Lama, in case the Dalai decides to make it an elected position).

Lesson #2: Creative work is as valuable in the world as “practical” work.

Fear of Publishing

Once I took the leap to being serious about writing, I started a novel with the intent of trying to get it published (this was Clone Runners). I got all serious about plotting and craft. I read agent and writer’s blogs. I started my own blog. And I continued to write like crazy. I entered that phase where you learn enough to know how much you REALLY don’t know. It was painful and long and arduous. And exhilarating and amazing. And mostly terrifying.

I was getting close to querying my middle grade science fiction story and was half-way through the first draft of Open Minds, when the unthinkable happened: someone (my publisher Omnific) wanted me to submit the first real novel I had written, Life, Liberty, and Pursuit (a teen love story). What? That wasn’t part of the plan, at all. I was going to be a SF writer, primarily MG, not a romance writer for young adults. And did I really want to take the risk of publishing with a small publisher? I had read all the blogs that said to be wary of small publishers, especially NEW small publishers (I was Omnfic’s 9th title).

I hurriedly revised and polished this novel I had never intended to publish, submitted it, and before too long they were offering me a contract. Meanwhile, I consulted my Mission Statement (#GeekAlert), the one that I had created for my writing career, and this popped out at me:

To create a body of work ... that reaches a large number of young readers, to provide the greatest impact on young lives.

This was what I really wanted: to connect with readers. To have readers, I needed to put work out where they could buy it. I decided to take the leap and publish Life, Liberty, and Pursuit.

Lesson #3: You can’t reach readers if you don’t publish.

These lessons were just the start of finding my Writerly Path. Read on to Part Two to see the rest of the journey (and see the full story below).

*****************************************************

When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn is available in e-book (Amazon US (also UK, France and Germany), Barnes & Noble, Smashwords) and print (Amazon, Createspace, also autographed copies available from the author).

The Story of Open Minds (linked posts)

Ch 1: Where Ideas Come From: A Mind Reading World

Ch 2: A Study in Voice, or Silencing Your Inner Critic

Ch 3: I'm finished! Oh wait. Maybe not.

Ch 4: Write First, Then Outline - Wait, That's Backwards?

Ch 5: Why My Critique Partners Are Smarter Than Me

Ch 6: Facing Revisions When It Feels Like Being on the Rack

Ch 7: How to Know When to Query

Ch 8: A Writer’s Journey - Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part One)

Ch 9: Owning the Writerly Path - Deciding to Self-Publish Open Minds (Part Two)

Epilogue: Finding Time to Write the Sequel

*************************************************

PRIZES!

Susan Kaye Quinn is giving away an Open Books/Open Minds t-shirt, mug, and some fun wristbands to celebrate the Virtual Launch Party of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy)! (Check out the prizes here.)

Three ways to enter (you can have multiple entries):

1) Leave a comment here or at the Virtual Launch Party post

2) Tweet (with tag #keepingOPENMINDS)

Example: When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. #keepingOPENMINDS @susankayequinn #SF #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds

Example: Celebrate the launch of OPEN MINDS by @susankayequinn #keepingOPENMINDS #SciFi #paranormal #YA avail NOW http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds

3) Facebook (tag @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn)

Example: Celebrate the launch of paranormal/SF novel OPEN MINDS by @AuthorSusanKayeQuinn for a chance to win Open Books/Open Minds prizes! http://bit.ly/SKQOpenMinds

There's a lot of partying go on today!

Follow the links and join in the celebrating!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday - Bone

2011-10-31T04:00:00.008-06:00

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Shannon Whitney Messenger decided it was time to give middle grade stories the attention they deserve, and "Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays" was born.

Bone (graphic novel series)

by Jeff Smith

Goodreads Blurb:

After being run out of Boneville, the three Bone cousins, Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, are separated and lost in a vast uncharted desert.
One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures...
Humor, mystery, and adventure are spun together in this action-packed, side-splitting saga. Everyone who has ever left home for the first time only to find that the world outside is strange and overwhelming will love Bone.

These books are a huge hit with almost all readers ages 7 and up. My second grade daughter LOVES them. My high school students dove for them when I brought a few to class (I had to make a sign-up sheet). They're surprisingly popular, and I love it that they are such kid friendly graphic novels. I believe much of the appeal is in the odd but fun illustrations and humor. The reviews on Goodreads are very positive, too.

** Others who can be counted on for MMGM: **

Joanne Fritz @ My Brain on Books
Ben Langhinrchs @ My Comfy Chair
Sherrie Petersen @ Write About Now
Brooke Favero @ Somewhere in the Middle
Myrna Foster @ Night Writer
Ally Beecher @ Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson @ Novel and Nouveau
Deb Marshall @ Just Deb!
Anita Laydon Miller's Middle Grade Blog
Michael G-G @ Middle Grade Mafioso
Natalie Aguirre @ Literary Rambles
Ms. Yingling @ Ms. Yingling Reads
Jennifer Rumberger
Pam Torres @ So I'm Fifty

Happy Monday!

Wise Words

2011-10-28T08:47:00.000-06:00

All of us have bad luck and good luck. The man who persists through the bad luck - who keeps right on going - is the man who is there when the good luck comes - and is ready to receive it.

~ Robert Collier

With the number of contests going on throughout the blogosphere this week, I thought a few words about luck would be appropriate. Remember that luck doesn't apply only to things like winning, though. Sometimes, we make our luck through stubborn persistence!

Happy Friday!

Contest Update

2011-10-26T10:22:00.003-06:00

I have two AWESOME contests going on this week

that you don't want to miss!

* The Spooktacular Giveaway Hop *

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

and The Diary of a Bookworm

AND

* My agent celebration with *

TWO SIGNED James Dashner ARCS

The Scorch trials and The Death Cure

Click on the links to enter!

A Thank You + Celebration Giveaway!

2011-10-25T04:00:00.003-06:00

THANK YOU!!!!

Last Wednesday I shared the big news that I have an agent! If you missed it, you can read about it HERE. Then, you blew me away! The support from all of you was overwhelming: comments and tweets and FB tags and emails. THANK YOU!!!

And as if that wasn't wonderful enough, Thursday was *sigh* amazing. Long-time followers of my blog know that I am a MAJOR fan-girl of James Dashner. Major. I mean, how could I not be? It's James Dashner!!

Well, I spent most of the day with him on Thursday at the Montana State Reading Conference. I booked him for it...two years ago. It was a long wait. It was worth it!

He is even more awesome in person than in my imagination. So awesome that I can't keep him to myself, so to say thanks for all the blog love, I'm going to give away my TWO SIGNED ARCS!!

The Scorch Trials & The Death Cure

Because this is all about saying thank you,

all you have to do to enter is
be a follower of my blog.

I'll announce the winner on Saturday.

THANK YOU SO MUCH
FOR CELEBRATING WITH ME!!

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

2011-10-24T04:00:00.044-06:00

Hosted by: I Am a Reader Not a Writer

and The Diary of a Bookworm

This hop is HUGE! I can't believe the number of participating blogs, which means an amazing number of opportunities to win. Participating blogs are all featuring book related giveaways. The window of time to enter is from October 24th - October 31st. You can find the linky at either of the hosting blogs. It is seriously TOO HUGE to post here.

My Giveaway:

A pre-order copy of INHERITANCE

Expected publication: November 8th 2011 by Random House

How to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog
2. Leave a comment on this post by Oct. 31
3. Include an email with your comment

Now go check out the list of

over 400

other participating blogs at:

I Am a Reader Not a Writer

The Diary of a Bookworm

Good Luck!!!