Heidi Ayarbe's Blog, page 8

A Book A Day ... Remiss? ACK!

Okay, okay, okay ...
Yes. There are people with children and jobs who are writers who actually manage to maintain their blogs. These people are SUPERHUMANS. (They are!) And they make the rest of us mere mortals look BAD ..
Alas, I couldn't end the year with a meager blog presence without shouting out for those books I totally adore.

Yes. It's December 3rd. So today, I'm giving you THREE novels. (Quit your bellyaching ... I've already humbled myself and accepted my mere mortal, totally incapable of maintaining a regular blog presence in 2012 status) ... Nevertheless, there are books out there worth shouting and screaming for, and I'm going to give you my book-a-day in December.

Today, I tip my hat to John Steinbeck. No, not the East of Eden, Grapes of Wrath, wrenching, humanity is the scab of the earth Steinbeck. (Okay, admittedly, I'm not a fan of his earlier work.) Nope. I barely made it through the aforementioned novels. (Don't tell any of my English teachers). Today, I'm giving out love to three of my favorite reads (all from JS): Cannery Row, The Wayward Bus, and The Pearl.

What I love about Steinbeck is not only his precision of words and the rich way he creates characters you WISH you could meet, but also his in-depth look into humanity. Cannery Row and The Wayward Bus are, quite simply, delightful. Funny, witty, insightful novels that make you want to drink beer milkshakes (almost) and embrace quirkiness. The Pearl, on the other hand, isn't a light read but one of the most touching, heartbreaking stories about greed and the dark power of wealth. (It would suit Wallstreet and that 1% to think about that!)

So, I'm back from the shadows. (Boy, it sounds like I'm a superhero when, in reality, I'm just a mom who hasn't slept through the night in over nine months now. That kind of stuff can wear you down!)

Happy Reading. Remember your Indy bookstores and local places to buy books! And your library!



“It has always seemed strange to me...The things we admire in men, kindness and generosity, openness, honesty, understanding and feeling, are the concomitants of failure in our system. And those traits we detest, sharpness, greed, acquisitiveness, meanness, egotism and self-interest, are the traits of success. And while men admire the quality of the first they love the produce of the second.”  (John Steinbeck, Cannery Row)
 

WANTED BLOG TOUR ... Inside the Mind of SuperAgent Stephen Barbara

Okay.
Let's admit it. We always want to know what agents are thinking. It feels like they're the gatekeepers to this crazy business ... the mysterious masterminds behind those magical words: You've got an offer!
Stephen Barbara has been my agent for six years now. And he truly is phenomenal. Suzanne Morgan Williams and I always think we should buy "Stephen Barbara" fan shirts. (She's repped by him as well). Since I signed with him, his list of clients has grown including Lauren Oliver (Yep THE Lauren Oliver), Todd Strasser, the hilarious Jack Ferraiolo and more. So, stop by Cindy Thomas's blog and find out what is Stephen's favorite part of his job, who he wishes he repped, and WHY he signed me as a client. (I kinda liked that question because I never dared ask!) AND ... win books! Signed. By me!

Stop by.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WANTED + MAJOR MAJOR GIVEAWAY

Today's the day!!
I could get all gushy and go on about it ... but let's cut to the chase: the prizes!!
Stop by: Reading Angel and get to know Josh to win SWAG and something from the anti-bullshit division! Trust me, you'll want to win this one. ;-)

And TODAY ... is mega-prize giveaway time! Big time. As in books, books, books galore plus some pretty cool Colombian goods! At One Book At a Time I got a little confused and thought I had to do THREE tens lists. Well, I was supposed to choose but ended up doing all three. More work, more prizes. You can win a signed copy of WANTED, SWAG, a signed copy of one of my other novels, Colombian coffee ... and more!

Hey. It's a birthday. It's time to celebrate.
Stop by and THANK YOU TEEN BOOK SCENE for this ultra-cool tour we're doing!

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED ... GIVEAWAY and REVIEWS

It's not like I didn't warn you. You knew you'd be bombarded by this stuff!! ;-)
Anyway, today WANTED's tour takes us to Britta's house at I Like These Books  where I rave about Colombia and my life here.
Stop by and win Colombian coffee and SWAG! AND ... learn a little about the magical world where I live!

Reviews posted this week include two for WANTED and one for FREEZE FRAME! Two good ones, one pretty blah, but it's part of the deal. Gotta post the good with the blah.
Girls in the Stacks
Sassyreads
365 Days of Reading

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED ... Giveaway and SWAG

Hello!
Today we're at Jen's ... What's on the Bookshelf where I give Jen and her readers one-word associations ... everything from boobs to Chevy Chase! Stop by and get an inside look at where my mind wanders ... AND WIN ! SWAG and a signed copy of COMPROMISED.
Can't beat that!
Good luck!!

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED ... and GIVEAWAY and REVIEW

I missed a day and Tara G already has 30 people vying for COMPULSION and COMPROMISED! Stop by the Hobbitsies  and win!
Also, The Hopeless Bibliophile has a review up of WANTED ... one that really gave me goosebumps!
The promotion of WANTED continues!
Huzzah!

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED!! (AND GIVEAWAY)

Today you'll have the chance to meet Josh Ellison -- he who brings Michal into the world of betting and robbing and LIVING ... some might say. He's charming, wealthy, handsome "enough" and incredibly determined.
Stop by Paper Dreams , get to know Josh, and win SWAG -- signed book plates, book marks, and Colombian surprises!!

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED!! (AND GIVEAWAY)

Like I said, it's WANTED time.
So, without further ado, I'll send you over to Izzy at My Words Ate Me where you can win SWAG and a signed copy of COMPULSION.  I liked this post because I got to make a top ten list about any topic I wanted. And, though tempted, I didn't do it on the top ten reasons why I think it's appalling that there are no Cheerios in Colombia.
Stop by! See what my top ten is about and win, win, win! (It's all about the goods, right?)

COUNTDOWN TO WANTED!! (AND GIVEAWAY)

It's that time of year again. Yep. Shameless self promotion. But I would never do such a thing without a slew of prizes.
So we're now counting down to WANTED's release on May 1st! And some lucky winner will get signed book plates, bookmarks, post cards and Colombian surprises in a super SWAG pack if they stop by Ivy Reads.
Get to know Michal, my main character and what she's like!

*All prizes will be mailed out in July  when I return to the States with said Colombian surprises ...

What were the odds ... WANTED trailer premiere ...

And signed copy of WANTED ...

 "Ayarbe does not shrink from the gritty, depressing reality of twenty-first-century American race and class issues, or from the uncertainty as to how the future will unfold. Despite her own insecurities, Michal emerges as a clear voice in an important conversation. With just enough romance and a fair amount of suspense, this realistic story prompts dialogue about a difficult topic." -- VOYA
 


 

WANTED trailer opening in blogs near you! The red carpet has rolled out on   Teen Writers Bloc, Christine Johnson Books, Why A, and head up North to Canada for Pippa's Ponderings (A Kiwi gone Canadian!). We said WORLD premiere and won't disappoint.
What do you think? Did you enter to win??