Denise Jaden's Blog, page 31
March 19, 2012
Blog Tour Stop: SECOND SKIN by Judith Graves
I'm excited to welcome one of my Class of 2k10-mates as she releases her second book. Judith Graves's novel SECOND SKIN, the sequel to UNDER MY SKIN, is out this week!
Description from GoodReads:
Second Skin is a sequel to Under My Skin. Did you know from the beginning of writing your first book what the second one would be about? How did the plotting of more than one book in a series work for you?
I originally outlined three books before starting to write Under My Skin, so I always knew I was writing a series. However, once I actually landed a publisher, the first book went through some extensive edits. Plot twists intended for Second Skin were pushed forward to crank up tension. This resulted in subsequent changes to book three, Skin of My Teeth. Of course, all the shuffling of action and infusion of conflict has made for better storytelling. Gotta love the ripple effect.
Under My Skin was the first book I'd written and as with most initial efforts, I was holding back. Keeping the big-ticket items of the plot a secret because I thought that was the way to hook a reader. I've since learned it's far better to toss the big plot guns out there as soon as possible and let the chaos ensue. You have to hook your reader much like gawkers at a crime scene – make it impossible for them to turn away.
Will there be any more books in the series?
There will be at least four books, the fourth is titled, The Hour of the Wolf. I have a fifth planned if it gets the green light.
Your first two novels have been paranormal YA. Do you plan to stick with this genre or branch out into others?
I love writing YA fiction and have delved into other genres: horror, steampunk, and edgy contemporary. I also write screenplays for television and film.
Anything you're working on right now you can tell us about?
In addition to the SKINNED series, I have a new steampunk ghosthunter series launching in 2014 with the first book, Strangeways Versus The Blood Brothers. The prequel story, Strangeways Versus The Wraith, which introduces the main character, Amelia Strangeways, appears in SPIRITED, an anthology of 13 ghost stories published by Leap Books and featuring other authors such as, Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Shannon Delany, Dawn Dalton, and more! Proceeds from SPIRITED go to 826 National, a literacy-based charity.
What did you read and write as a teen?
Would it surprise you if I said Victorian poetry, classics like Wuthering Heights, and the much loved Canadian favourite, Anne of Green Gables? Cause it was kind of a shock for me that I enjoyed period pieces, being that I also consumed as many horror, science-fiction and fantasy titles as I could – Ray Bradbury and Stephen King being stand outs. Yet this blend likely led to my fascination with steampunk – a genre that fuses science fiction / fantasy with alternate histories and its stories are usually set in a pseudo-Victorian world.
What's the last thing you read that you really loved?
I continue to read voraciously and chow down at least a book a week. Which means there are many titles to love and new authors to discover. Sometimes it's the not so new authors who really dazzle. As a horror/paranormal writer I felt I'd been neglecting a major part of my genre related education – I'd never read a single Clive Barker title. So I snagged a copy of Abarat and my world was rocked. What world building! What words! What fantastical adventures and quirky characters. I'd say I fell in love with that book and I'm working through the rest of the Books of Abarat series.
If people want to find out more about you and your books, where can they look?
I'm always sharing too much information on my website: judithgraves.com, or on Facebook / Twitter: @judithgraves. There's also the Strangeways sites: strangewaysnovels.com and Twitter: @AStrangeways
You'll want to stop by Judith's site during the blog tour, as there will be tons of fun and prizes. Congrats Judith!
Description from GoodReads:
Sequel to Under My Skin.Sounds intense, right?! And here's a short interview with Judith:
With FIENDS like Eryn…
Monsters. Bloodsuckers. The evil. The damned. Eryn McCain knows they exist— she's been hunting them since she was a child. At sixteen, she's ready to take on all comers. Being a shapeshifter gives her an advantage when it comes to her unusual part-time job. The hours suck and the pay is, well, non-existent, but bonuses like inhuman strength and night vision make tracking scary beasties a dream come true. Especially in a town like Redgrave.
When an ancient demon targets Redgrave High, Eryn and her crew of hunters must face their innermost fears to prevent the Harvest Moon Dance from becoming one serious Monster Mash. Loyalties are tested and temptations abound. With questions ever brewing, can Eryn share a future with the brooding, noble, human Alec—the hunter after her heart? Or will she succumb to her enemy's son, Wade, a seductive predator as bloodthirsty as she is?
What happens when you're both the beauty and the beast?
Second Skin is a sequel to Under My Skin. Did you know from the beginning of writing your first book what the second one would be about? How did the plotting of more than one book in a series work for you?
I originally outlined three books before starting to write Under My Skin, so I always knew I was writing a series. However, once I actually landed a publisher, the first book went through some extensive edits. Plot twists intended for Second Skin were pushed forward to crank up tension. This resulted in subsequent changes to book three, Skin of My Teeth. Of course, all the shuffling of action and infusion of conflict has made for better storytelling. Gotta love the ripple effect.
Under My Skin was the first book I'd written and as with most initial efforts, I was holding back. Keeping the big-ticket items of the plot a secret because I thought that was the way to hook a reader. I've since learned it's far better to toss the big plot guns out there as soon as possible and let the chaos ensue. You have to hook your reader much like gawkers at a crime scene – make it impossible for them to turn away.
Will there be any more books in the series?
There will be at least four books, the fourth is titled, The Hour of the Wolf. I have a fifth planned if it gets the green light.
Your first two novels have been paranormal YA. Do you plan to stick with this genre or branch out into others?
I love writing YA fiction and have delved into other genres: horror, steampunk, and edgy contemporary. I also write screenplays for television and film.
Anything you're working on right now you can tell us about?
In addition to the SKINNED series, I have a new steampunk ghosthunter series launching in 2014 with the first book, Strangeways Versus The Blood Brothers. The prequel story, Strangeways Versus The Wraith, which introduces the main character, Amelia Strangeways, appears in SPIRITED, an anthology of 13 ghost stories published by Leap Books and featuring other authors such as, Maria V. Snyder, Candace Havens, Shannon Delany, Dawn Dalton, and more! Proceeds from SPIRITED go to 826 National, a literacy-based charity.
What did you read and write as a teen?
Would it surprise you if I said Victorian poetry, classics like Wuthering Heights, and the much loved Canadian favourite, Anne of Green Gables? Cause it was kind of a shock for me that I enjoyed period pieces, being that I also consumed as many horror, science-fiction and fantasy titles as I could – Ray Bradbury and Stephen King being stand outs. Yet this blend likely led to my fascination with steampunk – a genre that fuses science fiction / fantasy with alternate histories and its stories are usually set in a pseudo-Victorian world.
What's the last thing you read that you really loved?
I continue to read voraciously and chow down at least a book a week. Which means there are many titles to love and new authors to discover. Sometimes it's the not so new authors who really dazzle. As a horror/paranormal writer I felt I'd been neglecting a major part of my genre related education – I'd never read a single Clive Barker title. So I snagged a copy of Abarat and my world was rocked. What world building! What words! What fantastical adventures and quirky characters. I'd say I fell in love with that book and I'm working through the rest of the Books of Abarat series.
If people want to find out more about you and your books, where can they look?
I'm always sharing too much information on my website: judithgraves.com, or on Facebook / Twitter: @judithgraves. There's also the Strangeways sites: strangewaysnovels.com and Twitter: @AStrangeways
You'll want to stop by Judith's site during the blog tour, as there will be tons of fun and prizes. Congrats Judith!
March 15, 2012
Artwork is Such an Honor!
The other night I had the pleasure of speaking to an absolutely wonderful group of writers in the Western Washington SCBWI group. My topic was With a Heavy Heart: Writing Grief in Fiction. It was a great night, and I will have plenty to share on the subject when I can get my notes together, but for now I just wanted to share something with you that was truly an honor for me.
There's something about bringing the arts together that warms my heart. With the first book I wrote (yet to be published) my best friend did a painting to go with the book. It meant so much to me, I can't even tell you (and I'll certainly share it, if I can ever get that book in shape enough to publish it!) With my launch of my first published novel, a good friend of mine wrote a song entitled Losing Faith to go with it. I've also had the opportunity to see fan-made trailers and recreated covers to go with Losing Faith. When my art inspires other art, I love it. All of it!
On Tuesday night I received a whole new honor at the SCBWI meeting. One of the organizers who is also a picture book author and illustrator, Dana Sullivan, made up a huge banner with a caricature of myself and the other presenter. It was in black and white at the event, but he just send me the color version which is EVEN MORE COOL! I just had to share it. Thanks so much, Dana!
[image error]
There's something about bringing the arts together that warms my heart. With the first book I wrote (yet to be published) my best friend did a painting to go with the book. It meant so much to me, I can't even tell you (and I'll certainly share it, if I can ever get that book in shape enough to publish it!) With my launch of my first published novel, a good friend of mine wrote a song entitled Losing Faith to go with it. I've also had the opportunity to see fan-made trailers and recreated covers to go with Losing Faith. When my art inspires other art, I love it. All of it!
On Tuesday night I received a whole new honor at the SCBWI meeting. One of the organizers who is also a picture book author and illustrator, Dana Sullivan, made up a huge banner with a caricature of myself and the other presenter. It was in black and white at the event, but he just send me the color version which is EVEN MORE COOL! I just had to share it. Thanks so much, Dana!
[image error]
March 13, 2012
March Madness Check-In Day 13 #wipmadness
We're almost at the two week mark, friends! This calls for some celebrating! (If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you know that almost anything is cause for celebration.)
I've been thrilled to see everybody's progress along the way. As for me, I'm still pushing through on what has proven to be a difficult work in progress. But I promised myself I would get to "The End" by the beginning of April. I have so appreciated all of your encouragement along the way. With this manuscript, you will surely see the March Madness crew in the acknowledgements!
I have a couple of prizes to give away to keep up the morale. Kim Baccelia has so wonderfully donated a couple of her ARC's to our group. They will go to two of you who have checked in during the last week. Drum roll, please....
EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington goes to...Cortney Pearson!!! and UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi goes to...Marie Andrews!!!
These particular prizes are only available for people with a U.S. mailing address (if you're a winner and you live somewhere else, contact me and we'll figure something else out). If you're one of the winners, please email your address to me at d (@) denisejaden (dot) com , and I'll pass it on to Kim. Thanks again for being so generous, Kim!!
I look forward to seeing how your progress is going, and don't forget to stop by Angelina's blog tomorrow for Day 14 of March Madness!
And if you're on Twitter, come and hang out with us all day long under the hashtag #wipmadness
I've been thrilled to see everybody's progress along the way. As for me, I'm still pushing through on what has proven to be a difficult work in progress. But I promised myself I would get to "The End" by the beginning of April. I have so appreciated all of your encouragement along the way. With this manuscript, you will surely see the March Madness crew in the acknowledgements!
I have a couple of prizes to give away to keep up the morale. Kim Baccelia has so wonderfully donated a couple of her ARC's to our group. They will go to two of you who have checked in during the last week. Drum roll, please....
EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington goes to...Cortney Pearson!!! and UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi goes to...Marie Andrews!!!
These particular prizes are only available for people with a U.S. mailing address (if you're a winner and you live somewhere else, contact me and we'll figure something else out). If you're one of the winners, please email your address to me at d (@) denisejaden (dot) com , and I'll pass it on to Kim. Thanks again for being so generous, Kim!!
I look forward to seeing how your progress is going, and don't forget to stop by Angelina's blog tomorrow for Day 14 of March Madness!
And if you're on Twitter, come and hang out with us all day long under the hashtag #wipmadness
March 10, 2012
NEVER ENOUGH Secrets - Hey, You Stole My Idea!
I cannot believe how fast time has been going lately. When you first sell a book, the one and a half to three years before publication feels like FOREVER! But just like last time, the last six months zoom by!
Today it is only four more months until NEVER ENOUGH hits the shelves! To celebrate, I'm here to share another secret about the book.
If you're a writer and you've written more than a couple of books, I would be surprised if you haven't come across a book that's so similar to yours that it makes you physically sick. It happens it all of us. It happened to me. With this book.
So I'm here to tell you, there is hope!
I started writing NEVER ENOUGH about seven years ago. At the time, it had a different title, but the basic premise was close to what it is now. It's about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family. The main character is a photographer. It's a story of grief and healing and finding your place in the world.
I finished the book, had it critiqued, revised it, sent it out to agents, the whole shebang. When it didn't get any bites, I went back to the drawing board, rewriting it pretty much from scratch. It still ended up being the same characters with the same basic premise though.
I queried again. Meanwhile I was writing LOSING FAITH and revising NEVER ENOUGH every time I received feedback from agents - and the feedback was getting more encouraging and specific. Finally I got an agent! Yayyyyy! And not only did she love LOSING FAITH and want to get it up for sale quickly, she loved the premise of NEVER ENOUGH. Double yayyyyy!! I was in the middle of another revision, so I said I'd forward it to her when it was done.
So, as you can see, by this time I had put A LOT of work into this manuscript. It had been written from scratch at least a couple of times, and had been revised more times than I could count on my fingers and toes. But the story and the characters were important to me. I believed in them. So I kept at it.
Finally I sent NEVER ENOUGH to my agent. While I was waiting for her feedback, my critique partner send me an email with something like "Um, have you seen this?" in the subject line. She proceeded to share with me a synopsis of a new book coming out. Guess what it was about? Two sisters and the eating disorder that was tearing their family apart. And, yes, the main character was a photographer, plus, as far as I could tell, many of the other themes matched up. It was SO similar, in fact, that my critique partner asked me if the author had ever critiqued for me. She hadn't, of course.
Oh, and did I mention that the author of this replica of my book was also a former soap opera star and therefore already had a platform as an author? Yeah, it wasn't going to just fade away.
So, yes, I got sick about it for a few weeks. I entered contests until I won an early copy of the book. The author signed a nice note in the front of the book for me, and was so friendly it made it difficult to be angry with her. But I had to be angry with somebody, didn't I? I mean, I had spent HUNDREDS of hours on this manuscript! And now I was just supposed to trash it?
No, I wasn't. As usual, my agent was able to talk me down from the ledge. She encouraged me to read the book first. Then we would talk about it. I did. The first thing I realized is that even though there were a lot of similarities, her book was intended for a younger audience. But also, no matter how similar a premise, my characters were just not her characters. Each set had their own depth.
And...as you know, this story has a happy ending. After taking some time to tweak the manuscript with the help of my agent, we were able to sell NEVER ENOUGH only a year after the other book came out! This story and these characters are still so very important to me, and I'm so glad I didn't give up when this (or other things) threatened to kill my enthusiasm for it.
I've heard from many a writer about the book that they had to shelve because of something too similar releasing (and breaking their heart), so I just wanted to share my experience to let you know there still is hope :-)
Today it is only four more months until NEVER ENOUGH hits the shelves! To celebrate, I'm here to share another secret about the book.
If you're a writer and you've written more than a couple of books, I would be surprised if you haven't come across a book that's so similar to yours that it makes you physically sick. It happens it all of us. It happened to me. With this book.
So I'm here to tell you, there is hope!
I started writing NEVER ENOUGH about seven years ago. At the time, it had a different title, but the basic premise was close to what it is now. It's about two sisters and the eating disorder that threatens to destroy their family. The main character is a photographer. It's a story of grief and healing and finding your place in the world.
I finished the book, had it critiqued, revised it, sent it out to agents, the whole shebang. When it didn't get any bites, I went back to the drawing board, rewriting it pretty much from scratch. It still ended up being the same characters with the same basic premise though.
I queried again. Meanwhile I was writing LOSING FAITH and revising NEVER ENOUGH every time I received feedback from agents - and the feedback was getting more encouraging and specific. Finally I got an agent! Yayyyyy! And not only did she love LOSING FAITH and want to get it up for sale quickly, she loved the premise of NEVER ENOUGH. Double yayyyyy!! I was in the middle of another revision, so I said I'd forward it to her when it was done.
So, as you can see, by this time I had put A LOT of work into this manuscript. It had been written from scratch at least a couple of times, and had been revised more times than I could count on my fingers and toes. But the story and the characters were important to me. I believed in them. So I kept at it.
Finally I sent NEVER ENOUGH to my agent. While I was waiting for her feedback, my critique partner send me an email with something like "Um, have you seen this?" in the subject line. She proceeded to share with me a synopsis of a new book coming out. Guess what it was about? Two sisters and the eating disorder that was tearing their family apart. And, yes, the main character was a photographer, plus, as far as I could tell, many of the other themes matched up. It was SO similar, in fact, that my critique partner asked me if the author had ever critiqued for me. She hadn't, of course.
Oh, and did I mention that the author of this replica of my book was also a former soap opera star and therefore already had a platform as an author? Yeah, it wasn't going to just fade away.
So, yes, I got sick about it for a few weeks. I entered contests until I won an early copy of the book. The author signed a nice note in the front of the book for me, and was so friendly it made it difficult to be angry with her. But I had to be angry with somebody, didn't I? I mean, I had spent HUNDREDS of hours on this manuscript! And now I was just supposed to trash it?
No, I wasn't. As usual, my agent was able to talk me down from the ledge. She encouraged me to read the book first. Then we would talk about it. I did. The first thing I realized is that even though there were a lot of similarities, her book was intended for a younger audience. But also, no matter how similar a premise, my characters were just not her characters. Each set had their own depth.
And...as you know, this story has a happy ending. After taking some time to tweak the manuscript with the help of my agent, we were able to sell NEVER ENOUGH only a year after the other book came out! This story and these characters are still so very important to me, and I'm so glad I didn't give up when this (or other things) threatened to kill my enthusiasm for it.
I've heard from many a writer about the book that they had to shelve because of something too similar releasing (and breaking their heart), so I just wanted to share my experience to let you know there still is hope :-)
March 7, 2012
World Read Aloud Day! @litworldsays
Celebrate the Power of Words and Stories and Take Action for Global Literacy with LitWorld
Worldwide at least 793 million people remain illiterate. Imagine a world where everyone can read... On March 7, 2012, LitWorld, a global literacy organization based in New York City, will be celebrating World Read Aloud Day. World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child's right to a safe education and access to books and technology. By raising our voices together on this day we show the world's children that we support their future: that they have the right to read, to write, and to share their words to change the world.
To learn more about LitWorld and to register to participate in World Read Aloud Day, please visit: http://litworld.org/wrad
Here are some sample Tweets about WRAD:
Join @litworldsays in celebrating World Read Aloud Day on March 7th! #readaloud http://ow.ly/8rXxv
Take Action for Global Literacy with @litworldsays on World Read Aloud Day on March 7th: http://ow.ly/8rXyE #readaloud
Celebrate the power of words with @litworldsays on March 7th for World Read Aloud Day: http://ow.ly/8rXzT #ReadAloudIn support of World Read Aloud Day, here's a clip of me reading the opening of my new novel, NEVER ENOUGH. I hope you'll support World Read Aloud Day - stop by their website, and read out loud to someone today!
Please join our Facebook Event:
facebook.com/events/301240826588459/
Make sure to follow LitWorld!
Facebook: facebook.com/litworld
Twitter: @litworldsays
Tumblr: litworld.tumblr.com
March 6, 2012
March Madness Check-In Day 6 #wipmadness
How has your first week been? Mine got off to a slow start, but I'm starting to find my rhythm in the story now.
Speaking of rhythm...how many of you listen to music when you write? I don't, actually. I find it distracting. However, I do find a lot of lyrics in songs extremely inspirational, both for getting my butt in gear to do the work and also for getting into my characters heads.
Today over on Twitter, not only will I be hanging out at our usual #wipmadness watering hole, but I'd also like to share some of my favorite song lyrics using the hashtag #favoritesonglyrics . I'd love to know if you have some favorites and what they are - and if you're not a Twitter fan, feel free to leave them below. (Note - I will not, I tell you, I will NOT be playing the song lyrics game until I've done my morning writing. I promise. Mostly.)
Also, I have some good news! Kim Baccellia, author of Earrings of Ixtumea, Crossed Out, and No Goddesses Allowed, as well as one of our March Madness mates, has donated a couple more awesome ARC's for two of you lucky people! EMBRACE by Jessica Shirvington and UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi! How cool is that! I'm going to give them away randomly to people who check-in during the next week (sorry, these particular prizes are for US mailing only. If you're international, don't let that deter you, though. There are still plenty of prizes you'll be eligible for.).
Don't forget to comment with your progress, and then head on over to Angelina Hansen's blog tomorrow to check in there. Hope everybody has a GREAT week two!!!
March 1, 2012
First March Madness Prize Draw! #wipmadness
If you haven't done it already, make sure to stop by Anne Hale's blog to check in with today's progress.
As promised, I'm giving a book away from my shelf today for one lucky person who put their goals in writing yesterday. As I give books away from my shelf throughout March, I won't be changing the picture below, but I will change the names of the books (and I'll add some choices as some are taken away). So if you're a winner, make sure you read the list below to choose, and then email me your choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com
Today's winner is...
Bethany R Smith!!
Go ahead a choose a book from below.
Also, we've had some more fabulous prizes donated for March Madness! Keep checking in, and I'll tell you more soon!
As promised, I'm giving a book away from my shelf today for one lucky person who put their goals in writing yesterday. As I give books away from my shelf throughout March, I won't be changing the picture below, but I will change the names of the books (and I'll add some choices as some are taken away). So if you're a winner, make sure you read the list below to choose, and then email me your choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com
Today's winner is...
Bethany R Smith!!
Go ahead a choose a book from below.
DESIGNATED FAT GIRL by Jennifer Joyner
A LOVE STORY STARING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND by Emily Horner
THE HOURGLASS DOOR by Lisa Mangum
VIRGIN TERRITORY by James Lecesne
THE DIVAS INDIA by Victoria Christopher Murray
THE DIVAS DIAMOND by Victoria Christopher Murray
I LIKE IT LIKE THAT by Cecily von Ziegesar
SIENNA SUMMER by Ann Chandler
JUNGLE CROSSING by Sydney Salter
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE AND DEATH by CK Kelly Martin
HUSH by Eishes Chayil
IN THE EYES OF ALISSA RILEY by Lisa Ponto
REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN by Stephanie Hale
HEARTS AT STAKE by Alyxandra Harvey
ALL UNQUIET THINGS by Anna Jarzab
SOUL SURFER by Bethany Hamilton
THE SWEETNESS OF SALT by Cecilia Galante
FASHIONISTA by Micol Ostow
GIMME A CALL by Sarah Mlynowski
THE TALE OF JULIET by Jhet Torcelino-van Ruyven
JULIET by Anne Fortier
COOL CACHE by Patricia Smiley
Also, we've had some more fabulous prizes donated for March Madness! Keep checking in, and I'll tell you more soon!
February 29, 2012
MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!!! #wipmadness
If you've been looking for a challenge to get your writing in gear, you've come to the right place! Through the month of March we will be cheering each other on to meet challenging goals with our writing.
Also, this year we've decided to open up the challenge to Readers, Bloggers, and Illustrators. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves regarding books and win prizes for it!
Today is goal-setting day! (But if you don't make it here on the first day, not to worry. Feel free to add your writing goals here any time during the month of March).
March Madness officially begins tomorrow, and this is how it will work.
Sounds easy and fun, right?! The following will be the check-in points for the month of March. We plan to have check-in posts up and running by 9AM PST (noon EST) each day.
Mondays – LS Taylor will host at http://lstaylor.blogspot.com/
Tuesdays – Denise Jaden will host at http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Wednesdays – Angelina Hansen will host at http://yascribe.blogspot.com/
Thursdays – Anne Hale will host at http://www.annehale.com/
Fridays – Deb Marshall will host at http://www.debamarshall.com/
Saturdays – Jaye Robin Brown will host at http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/
Sundays – Shari Green will host at http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/blog/
The prizes ! We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! If you've followed my blog, you know about My Bookshelf Giveaways. I'll be opening up one of my bookshelves for people to choose something from throughout the month, starting today! I'll be giving away a book from my shelves to one person who comments below with their goals within the next 24 hours!
Some other goodies that are up for grabs (these are in no particular order and have been donated by my generous co-hosts for this event!):
Isn't that quite the ARSENAL of prizes?! Wow, thank you all!!
AND…thank also to Anne Hale, we have a fabulous badge for this year's event. It's on the sidebar and also below, so go ahead and post it somewhere proudly and link it back to this post.
Here are my goals for the month of March: Get up half an hour earlier and write first thing each day. Turn off the Internet for morning writing. Re-write (from scratch) my WIP novel, FINDING HOPE. Yes, the entire thing.
Whew!
Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to http://www.annehale.com/ tomorrow for your first check-in! Remember, the more you check-in and encourage others, the better chance you have of winning some great prizes!
Now GO FORTH and be PRODUCTIVE!!!
Also, this year we've decided to open up the challenge to Readers, Bloggers, and Illustrators. Anyone who wants to challenge themselves regarding books and win prizes for it!
Today is goal-setting day! (But if you don't make it here on the first day, not to worry. Feel free to add your writing goals here any time during the month of March).
March Madness officially begins tomorrow, and this is how it will work.
1. You set a goal here (anything writing, reading, blogging, or otherwise book related). It can be as small and simple of a goal as turning off your Internet while you write during the month of March. Or it can be as large as writing or revising an entire book.
2. You check in daily through the month of March at our designated check-in points. Let us know how you're doing with your goal. Share your victories and struggles. Encourage others. The key is support and camaraderie.
3. We give you prizes just for stopping by and letting us know how you're doing, and for encouraging others!
Sounds easy and fun, right?! The following will be the check-in points for the month of March. We plan to have check-in posts up and running by 9AM PST (noon EST) each day.
Mondays – LS Taylor will host at http://lstaylor.blogspot.com/
Tuesdays – Denise Jaden will host at http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Wednesdays – Angelina Hansen will host at http://yascribe.blogspot.com/
Thursdays – Anne Hale will host at http://www.annehale.com/
Fridays – Deb Marshall will host at http://www.debamarshall.com/
Saturdays – Jaye Robin Brown will host at http://jayerobinbrown.blogspot.com/
Sundays – Shari Green will host at http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/blog/
The prizes ! We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! If you've followed my blog, you know about My Bookshelf Giveaways. I'll be opening up one of my bookshelves for people to choose something from throughout the month, starting today! I'll be giving away a book from my shelves to one person who comments below with their goals within the next 24 hours!
Some other goodies that are up for grabs (these are in no particular order and have been donated by my generous co-hosts for this event!):
First page critique by agent Katie Grimm from Don Congdon Associates
(Courtesy of Angelina Hansen)
Ten page critique by agent Michelle Humphrey from Martha Kaplan Agency (Courtesy of Denise Jaden)
Advance copy of ARTICLE FIVE by Kristen Simmons
(Courtesy of Jaye Robin Brown)
UNRAVELING ISOBEL by Eileen Cook
(Available to Canada/US only) (Courtesy of Shari Green)
Query and 10-page critique (Courtesy of Anne Hale)
Copyedit critique of 50 pages (Courtesy of Laura Taylor)
OUTLINING YOUR NOVEL by K.M. Weiland
(2 e-copies up for grabs!) (Courtesy of Deb Marshall)
DARWEN ARKWRIGHT AND THE PEREGRINE PACT by A.J. Hartley
(Courtesy of Laura Taylor)
Many bookshelf giveaways (Courtesy of Denise Jaden)
Isn't that quite the ARSENAL of prizes?! Wow, thank you all!!
AND…thank also to Anne Hale, we have a fabulous badge for this year's event. It's on the sidebar and also below, so go ahead and post it somewhere proudly and link it back to this post.
Here are my goals for the month of March: Get up half an hour earlier and write first thing each day. Turn off the Internet for morning writing. Re-write (from scratch) my WIP novel, FINDING HOPE. Yes, the entire thing.
Whew!
Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to http://www.annehale.com/ tomorrow for your first check-in! Remember, the more you check-in and encourage others, the better chance you have of winning some great prizes!
Now GO FORTH and be PRODUCTIVE!!!
February 27, 2012
Vancouver Public Library Event!
Hey Friends....a week from today, I'll be speaking on a panel at the Vancouver Public Library. Details are on the poster below. If you're in the area, I hope you'll stop by and say hi. I will have shiny new bookmarks...
February 23, 2012
Blog Tour Stop: IT'S A LITTLE HAYWIRE by Elle Strauss!
My good friend Elle Strauss is releasing her first middle grade book this week (If you haven't checked out her first YA, CLOCKWISE, you really should!) Read on to find out how you can read this book for absolutely FREE!
Here's the synopsis from GoodReads:Elle stopped by for a short interview:
Owen True is eleven and eleven twelfths and has been "exiled" to the small crazy town of Hayward, WA, aka Haywire, while his mother is on her honeymoon. All he has to whittle away the time is the company of Gramps, his black lab Daisy, and his Haywire friends, Mason and Mikala Sweet. They don't look so hot this year, in fact the whole town has gone to pot since the mill shut down.
Owen has his first encounter with a real life homeless man who ends up needing Owen's help in more ways than one. But how does a rich city kid help the small town's suffering citizens?
And what is Owen to make of the fog train and its scary, otherworldy occupants that appears out of thin air on the old tracks behind Gramps' house? Do they have the answer Owen is looking for?
Welcome! Can you tell me about your new book in 7 words or less.
friendship, homelessness, social issues, long lazy summers
What inspired the story?
It actually started years ago with a light dream where I heard a train whistle blowing, much like the ones I heard in my grandparents small town as a child. Except we weren't living near the tracks at that time. It made me ask the question why would someone hear a whistle when there aren't any trains?
Has the process of writing this story been any different from your previous books? Can you tell us about the process?
Yes, this is my first middle grade. The voice of the main character, Owen True, was inspired by letters my eldest son had written to my parents when he was ten. My father, like Gramps in the book, likes to break out into song. He helped me to compile Charlie True's song list. My daughter did the illustrations, so it was great to work in collaboration on a project with her in this way.
What made you decide to including illustrations?
Most middle grade books have them. It's a Little Haywire has been compared in tone to Because of Winn Dixie (which thrills me--love that book) and many of Kate DiCamillo's books did well with illustrations (yes, I'm a fangirl:)
How did you choose an illustrator?
Ha, ha. Well, I knew this girl and she owed me money. Just so happened she could draw. We bartered.
Do you have a playlist that goes with this book, and how did you choose the music?
My dad is a walking catalog of old tunes. When my parents were visiting over the holidays I made him tell me every time he thought of a new song. I made a list and picked the ones that worked.
Where can people find this book?
You can buy it here through Amazon www.ellestraussbooks.com
Can you tell us one thing you wish you'd known before self-publishing?
Probably that it takes up a lot more time than you think. You have to think of it like starting your own small business.
Do you intend to self-publish all your writing?
I don't know. I'm not opposed to traditional publishing, so I suppose if the right opportunity arose I'd consider it.
When can we expect another book from you? Anything you can tell us about that one?
My next book is the sequel to my YA time travel rom/com Clockwise, called CLOCKWISER in Apr/May. A companion novel will be available in June.
And remember how I told you at the beginning that you could read this book for free? It's only available free of charge today, so hurry over to Amazon to download your copy!
It's normally 2.99 but it will be FREE for Feb 22 and 23 only.
Elle Strauss writes Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction. She's a married mom of four, and lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, famous for beaches and vineyards. She's fond of Lindt's sea salt dark chocolate and hiking in good weather. Her Young Adult rom/com time-travel CLOCKWISE and contemporary/otherworldly Middle Grade IT'S A LITTLE HAYWIRE are now available on Amazon.
