Lorie Ann Grover's Blog, page 28
October 24, 2014
October 20, 2014
October 14, 2014
October 8, 2014
October 7, 2014
#redthumbreminder and HIT
So, it isn’t really texting if you are just reading a text…while driving, right? I confess I’ve been pulled to my cell to take a peek at the incoming message while I’m behind the wheel. Or I’m sitting at a red light. There’s time, isn’t there, to check the screen and see who it is, at least? Yet, with the upcoming publication of my next novel Hit , I’ve been struck by how even checking a text is dangerous behind the wheel.
As I did research for the launch of my book, I bumped against #redthumbreminder. Steve Babcock’s simple, yet innovative solution to text safety is awesome. Embraced across the country, men and women are painting one thumbnail red to remind themselves not to text while driving. It worked for Steve, and he was able to break the habit. It can certainly work for you and me.
In Hit , Haddings isn’t texting when he takes his eyes off the road. He’s only reading a text—ironically from his mother, he finds out. That simple look away from the street, the letting go of the wheel to pocket the phone results in a life-changing accident for him and Sarah, his victim. Inspired by a true story of my daughter’s best friend being struck in a crosswalk on the way to school, Hit rolls out what might happen in the blink of an eye, in the timing of one checked text.
But what about that red light look? Certainly that’s safe. We aren’t even moving. Yet, how often do we read our phone, get drawn in, and think we can tap the text through before the light changes? But the light always changes, and we’re texting and driving before we realize it.
As school is in full swing, and the roads are full of kids and teens returning to campuses across the country, let’s commit to not texting and driving. You and I. We won’t even read those incoming texts, while driving or sitting at red lights. Whoever is texting us can wait. They can wait until we arrive safely.
So, grab a red bottle of nail polish and remind yourself of your decision. And when friends ask, “Hey, why the red thumb?” Tell them about #redthumbreminder and how you’ve broken the habit and maybe avoided a near hit.
Hit
by Lorie Ann GroverBlink YA Books, October, 2014
October 5, 2014
October 2, 2014
Fall YA Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to the YA Scavenger Hunt, everyone! I'm your host for this leg of the look. My name is Lorie Ann Grover, and I write YA novels (and board books. :~)
I'm six feet tall.I was a member of the Miami Ballet Company.I've written 3 novels in verse,1 fantasy novel,and 1 contemporary in prose. Are you ready to see exclusive content on all the participants' sites? How about a chance to win the grand prize: a signed copy from each of the Orange Team members? QuestionsIf you’d like to find out more about the scavenger hunt, see links to all the authors participating, see the full list of prizes, or if you get lost along the way, go to YA Scavenger Hut. Puzzle DirectionsBelow, I've listed my favorite number in ORANGE. Collect the authors' favorite numbers from all of the Orange Team, add them correctly, and fill out the entire entry form to qualify for the grand prize. Be sure to include your contact info! Everyone around the world can play. If you are under 18, get permission to enter. You must submit your entry by October 5th, at noon Pacific. Alrighty then...I'm super psyched to host ALEXANDRA MONIR!
As I celebrate 50 years this past month, I realize her debut novel was released when she was half my age! Here's a bit of bio for you: <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}</style></span></span></span><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span data-sheets-userformat="[null,null,515,[null,0],[null,2,16370588],null,null,null,null,null,null,null,0]" data-sheets-value="[null,2,"Alexandra Monir is an author and recording artist in her twenties. SUSPICION is her third novel published by Random House. Her debut was the popular time-travel romance, TIMELESS, followed by the 2013 sequel, TIMEKEEPER. Alexandra currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is at work on her 4th Random House novel, while also composing and recording original music. Her music can be found on iTunes, and you can visit her website at www.alexandramonir.com. Follow Alexandra @TimelessAlex."]" style="color: purple;">Alexandra Monir is an author and recording artist in her twenties. SUSPICION is her third novel published by Random House. Her debut was the popular time-travel romance, TIMELESS, followed by the 2013 sequel, TIMEKEEPER. Alexandra currently resides in Los Angeles, where she is at work on her 4th Random House novel, while also composing and recording original music. Her music can be found on iTunes, and you can visit her website at www.alexandramonir.com. Follow Alexandra @TimelessAlex.</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Here's what folks are saying about SUSPICION and a quick synopsis:<br /><br /></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If Alfred Hitchcock had directed Downton Abbey, the result would have been this book. Alexandra Monir takes us on a gripping, nonstop thrill ride with just the right amount of supernatural and an ending that you definitely won't suspect. I devoured it in one sitting."<br /> --Jessica Brody, bestselling author of the Unremembered trilogy<br /><br />"Take The Princess Diaries and add magic, murder and mystery, and you've got SUSPICION. A delightful read!"<br /> —Amy Plum, author of the of the international bestselling Die For Me series<br /> <br /> “There’s something hidden in the maze.” Seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford has never forgotten the last words her father said to her, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.<br /> <br />For seven years, images of her parents’ death have haunted Imogen’s dreams. In an effort to escape the past, she leaves Rockford Manor and moves to New York City with her new guardians. But some attachments prove impossible to shake—including her love for her handsome neighbor Sebastian Stanhope.</span> </span></span></span><br /><span style="color: purple;"></span><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then a life-altering letter arrives that forces Imogen to return to the manor in England, where she quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind Rockford’s aristocratic exterior. At their center is Imogen herself—and Sebastian, the boy she never stopped loving.<br /><br />Combining spine-tingling mystery, romance, and unforgettable characters, Suspicion is an action-packed thrill ride.</span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: purple;"></span><br /><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: white; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 20px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: purple;"></span></span><br /><span style="color: black;">How about an <strong>exclusive sneak peek</strong>? Here you go!</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">I toss and turn in bed that night, Lucia’s face coming to mind every time I drift off to sleep. When I close my eyes, I see her as she was at age twelve—but her beautiful face is marred with blood. The dark red spills from her eyelids onto her cheeks; it streaks her hair crimson. I’m desperate to get away from the terrifying sight, and yet I am frozen in place. </span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"> <em>“How could you let this happen to me?”</em> she sobs, shaking her pale arms toward me. <em>“How could you let me turn into this?”</em> </span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">My eyes snap open just before she gets close enough to touch me. I’m back home in New York—and she is gone. But the weight of my guilt is heavier than before. I should have been there for her, and instead…I am taking her place. </span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">“Forgive me, Lucia,” I whisper into the darkness. </span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br /><span style="color: #274e13;"> I lie there for hours, not sleeping or moving—but remembering the two little girls who used to play together, sharing secrets and sleepovers in the Rockford boathouse. I know that when morning comes, I’ll be forced to grow up fast. And sure enough, as daylight breaks, the two little girls from my memory vanish with the moon.</span><br /><br />Totally ready to purchase SUSPICION? Click <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/suspi... style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Check out </span><a href="http://www.alexandramonir.com/"&... style="font-family: inherit;">Alexandra's website</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> as well. You have to hear her song recordings for her books!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope you've enjoyed your stop at On Point. I have two more personal give-away possibilities for you. I'm heading out on </span><a href="http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com/p/... style="font-family: inherit;">Hit-and-Run: the Gratitude Tour</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Click through the rafflecopter, liking my <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorloriea... Author Page</a> and leaving a comment of gratitude below with the hashtag #hitwithgratitude. Something like: <span style="color: orange;">I'm thankful for fantastic readers of YA! #hitwithgratitude</span> When the scavenger hunt ends, someone will win <strong>signed copies of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Firstborn-Novel... and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hit-Lorie-Ann-G... and signed bookmarks</strong>.</span><br /><br /><a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rc-f49e53bd1" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com//w... /><br />If you'd take a sec to support my <a href="http://thndr.it/1BIYoN1">Thun... for the release of my next novel HIT on October 7th, that would be most awesome, too! I need 100 people to sign up before then, and I'll award a random participant a <strong>signed ARC of HIT and a signed poster</strong> if I reach the goal. Feel free to share the link. Thank you!<br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">On to the next step in the YA Scavenger Hunt! I'm happy to point you to </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.alyndenrolland.blogspot.co.... Lynden Rolland</a></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. Best to you in the contests and happy reading!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a class="twitter-hashtag-button" data-related="bethrevis" data-size="large" data-url="http://YAScavengerHunt.blogspot.com" href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?butt... style="font-family: inherit;">Tweet #YASH</span></a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="http://lorieanngrover.blogspot.com//p...
September 20, 2014
YA Scavenger Hunt Teams!
Hello Everyone!
It's nearly time for the YA Scavenger Hunt! We have less than two weeks before it begins. I hope you have plenty of time for this one because there are 6 YASH teams, which means more prizes, news, and fun for readers!
TEAM RED INCLUDES:
TEAM GOLD INCLUDES:
TEAM GREEN INCLUDES:
TEAM ORANGE INCLUDES:
TEAM INDIE INCLUDES:
TEAM BLUE INCLUDES:
There are so many books! The YA Scavenger Hunt begins at noon pacific time on Thursday, October 2nd and runs through Sunday, October 5th. That means to get through the entire hunt you'll need to go through 1.5 teams per day! Leave a comment below to tell me which team you are the most interested in checking out!
I'm so happy to be on Team Orange, right next to my Blink buddy, Lisa Bergren! More soon...
It's nearly time for the YA Scavenger Hunt! We have less than two weeks before it begins. I hope you have plenty of time for this one because there are 6 YASH teams, which means more prizes, news, and fun for readers!
TEAM RED INCLUDES:
TEAM GOLD INCLUDES:
TEAM GREEN INCLUDES:
TEAM ORANGE INCLUDES:
TEAM INDIE INCLUDES:
TEAM BLUE INCLUDES:
There are so many books! The YA Scavenger Hunt begins at noon pacific time on Thursday, October 2nd and runs through Sunday, October 5th. That means to get through the entire hunt you'll need to go through 1.5 teams per day! Leave a comment below to tell me which team you are the most interested in checking out!
I'm so happy to be on Team Orange, right next to my Blink buddy, Lisa Bergren! More soon...
