Irene Latham's Blog, page 187

LAST CALL: CLASS OF 2K10 BOOK GIVEAWAY

Okay, this is it folks... the last giveaway of the year! Go to Class of 2k10 blog to win the following Class of 2k9 books:

WATERSMEET by Ellen Jensen Abbott
SHRINKING VIOLET by Danielle Joseph
CRASH INTO ME by Albert Borris
INITIATION by Susan Fine
GIVE UP THE GHOST by Megan Crewe
MY INVENTED LIFE by Lauren Bjorkman
NOTHING LIKE YOU by Lauren Strasnick
DREAMING ANASTASIA by Joy Preble

Good luck!!!

MAGIC HOUSE

You know those people they feature on tv every year -- the ones who suck up all the neighborhood electricity with all those twinkling Christmas lights, and we're all like, who has the time and energy to even turn all those lights on, much less set them up?

Well. Pat Weaver's house is like that on the INSIDE. And it's complete magic.

Seriously, you have never seen so many Santas or nativity sets from all corners of the globe. Pat's husband Ronnie said it's like moving twice a year, there's so...

UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL AGENT DAY

Fellow Tenner Kody Keplinger, who is all of 18 and just AMAZING, had the great idea to share the agent love today. And Lisa and Laura graciously volunteered to round up the posts.

I should confess right up front that in the beginning, I didn't really want an agent. I am a do-it-yourself kind of gal, and I sort of had this dream of getting discovered off the slush pile. So, for the longest, I subbed to editors and didn't give agents another thought.

But then I got impatient. And the stars li...

RANDOM BITS OF MADNESS

I'm not talking about those curly ribbons that won't curl or that cake I baked yesterday that didn't rise or even the traffic snarl I found myself caught in yesterday FOR THREE HOURS.

No, I'm talking about happy random and good madness.

Like the baby tea I am going to today with Rachel Hawkins (of the very cool covers) for about-to-bust Lindsey Leavitt, who is so cool and suave and amazing, she decided to have a baby for Christmas. And the meeting I have this morning at my son's new school. A...

WIN MORE BOOKS AT CLASS OF 2K10 GIVEAWAY!

Okay, book lovers... here's what available at the Class of 2k10 blog THIS week:

Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters by Sydney Salter
Freaked by J.T. Dutton
Haven by Beverly Patt
Road to Tater Hill by Edith M. Hemingway
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton
Operation Redwood by S. Terrell French

I'd like any of these in my stocking. Santa, are you listening??

Meanwhile, I am reading A SEASON OF GIFTS by Richard Peck. Oh, that Grandma Dowdel. Love her!! ...

LEAVING GEE'S BEND BOOK TRAILER

So I was lunching with Lindsey Leavitt one day, and we were talking about book trailers, about what works, what doesn't, and how to get one made for not too much money. And I had a brilliant idea to use a theme in the book -- "Mama always said..." and record kids giving their answers.

So I did that. For over one hundred kids. And it was so much fun to hear their answers!

Then I had to find someone willing to take on my project, as I don't know anything about making book trailers. (And no ...

SKATER POEM

For Poetry Friday, allow me to share with you a poem that has been with me all week. Have you ever had a moment like the one in the poem?

For other great poetry, roundup is at Wild Rose Reader.

Skater

She was all in black but for a yellow pony tail
that trailed from her cap, and bright blue gloves
that she held out wide, the feathery fingers spread,
as surely she stepped, click-clack, onto the frozen
top of the world. And there, with a clatter of blades,
she began to braid a loose path that broa...

Z IS FOR ZZZZZZ

COMPLETING the Author ABCs...

Get some sleep. That's all I'm saying. Your subconscious writing brain requires it. And your physical self requires it too. So don't get so caught up in your writing and related activities that you neglect your most basic needs.

Eat. Exercise. Play. Dream. Love. SLEEP.

CLASS OF 2K10 BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Meet the Class of 2k10!!

We're a group of fabulous debut authors who have banned together to help celebrate and market our books! (Not to be confused with the Tenners, another fabulous group I am also a member of, but which is a support group for debut authors, not a marketing cooperative.)

And since 2010 is mere days away now, we are making our entry with a Grad Party and Book Giveaway for our predecessors, the Class of 2k9.

Here's the books we'll be giving away this week:

Heart of a Shepherd b...

Y IS FOR YES

Continuing with the Author ABCs...

The most important word an author needs to sling around is YES.

When an agent says she needs a proposal for a sequel: YES

When an editor says she needs the revisions by next Monday, and it's late Friday afternoon, and you were planning to go on an overnight date with your husband: YES

When a library wants to book your program, but doesn't have the funding: YES

When a striving writer asks you to read their first draft, and you don't really have time, but you re...