Denise Jaden's Blog, page 44
April 3, 2011
MARCH MADNESS Prizes - Day 3
I have not heard from yesterday's winner , so here are the prizes that are still up for grabs:
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our third winner is...Joy!!!
Congratulations to you! You will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable).
I'll see the rest of you back here tomorrow!
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our third winner is...Joy!!!
Congratulations to you! You will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable).
I'll see the rest of you back here tomorrow!
April 2, 2011
MARCH MADNESS Prizes - Day 2
Kiperoo chose the 50-page critique, so here are the prizes that are still up for grabs:
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our second winner is...Jennifer Pickrell!!!Congratulations to you! You will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable). Tomorrow, I'll be right back here drawing another name, and I'll draw one each day until the prizes are gone. Remember, you don't have to have completed your goal to win prizes - the prize winners will be chosen randomly from those who have checked in during the month of March. As the days go on, there will be less prizes to choose from, but if you stop by and see you've won, you will get your pick of what's left. I thought this would be better than having people possibly win prizes they didn't really want.So come back tomorrow and find out who our next winner is! Unfortunately, I don't have time to email winners, so if you don't stop by, you might miss out. And I really, REALLY wouldn't want that!
Thanks again, everybody, for joining in on MARCH MADNESS!
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our second winner is...Jennifer Pickrell!!!Congratulations to you! You will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable). Tomorrow, I'll be right back here drawing another name, and I'll draw one each day until the prizes are gone. Remember, you don't have to have completed your goal to win prizes - the prize winners will be chosen randomly from those who have checked in during the month of March. As the days go on, there will be less prizes to choose from, but if you stop by and see you've won, you will get your pick of what's left. I thought this would be better than having people possibly win prizes they didn't really want.So come back tomorrow and find out who our next winner is! Unfortunately, I don't have time to email winners, so if you don't stop by, you might miss out. And I really, REALLY wouldn't want that!
Thanks again, everybody, for joining in on MARCH MADNESS!
April 1, 2011
MARCH MADNESS: The Prizes!!!
We made it! If you haven't done it yet, let out a little wahoo for yourselves (or a big one, or a happy dance - who cares if the neighbors are watching!) And whether you actually met your goals or not, you must celebrate, because I guarantee you got more accomplished by checking in with us than you would have on your own. I celebrated last night with some yummy homemade guacamole. So, so good!
I also noticed that many of your goals centered around working on queries or querying agents. I just wanted to add a little note here about how much I absolutely adore my agent, Michelle Humphrey at ICM. If you haven't queried here yet, and if she reps what you write, I highly recommend her. If you decide to query her, make sure to mention that you are a follower of my blog. (There's an interview HERE on the Class of 2k10 blog with her contact info and what she's looking for.)
Now, back to business. We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! Each of our check-in hosts has generously donated to this prize fest, so even if you don't win, please say thank you in the comments to Shana, Angelina, Shari, and Craig. And also to Joan for the custom-made bookmark she has donated.
Here are the prizes that are up for grabs:
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A fifty-page manuscript critique! (again, open to international winners!)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our first winner is...(drum roll, please)...Kiperoo!!!Congratulations to you! Well-deserved! So here's the way it will work: Our first winner will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable). Tomorrow, I'll be right back here drawing another name, and I'll draw one each day until the prizes are gone. Remember, you don't have to have completed your goal to win prizes - the prize winners will be chosen randomly from those who have checked in during the month of March. As the days go on, there will be less prizes to choose from, but if you stop by and see you've won, you will get your pick of what's left. I thought this would be better than having people possibly win prizes they didn't really want.So come back tomorrow and find out who our next winner is! Unfortunately, I don't have time to email winners, so if you don't stop by, you might miss out. And I really, REALLY wouldn't want that!
Thanks again, everybody, for joining in on MARCH MADNESS! I had a blast!
I also noticed that many of your goals centered around working on queries or querying agents. I just wanted to add a little note here about how much I absolutely adore my agent, Michelle Humphrey at ICM. If you haven't queried here yet, and if she reps what you write, I highly recommend her. If you decide to query her, make sure to mention that you are a follower of my blog. (There's an interview HERE on the Class of 2k10 blog with her contact info and what she's looking for.)
Now, back to business. We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! Each of our check-in hosts has generously donated to this prize fest, so even if you don't win, please say thank you in the comments to Shana, Angelina, Shari, and Craig. And also to Joan for the custom-made bookmark she has donated.
Here are the prizes that are up for grabs:
A book of your choice (up to $15) from The Book Depository! (for international winners, as long as they ship to your country)
An ARC of REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly! (US only)
A fifty-page manuscript critique! (again, open to international winners!)
A hardcover copy of RADIANT SHADOWS by Melissa Marr!(US only)
An ARC of THE EXILED QUEEN by Cinda Williams Chima (US only)
A $20 Barnes & Noble gift card! (International if you're able to use it)
A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
A custom-made bookmark, courtesy of Joan Stradling (International)
Our first winner is...(drum roll, please)...Kiperoo!!!Congratulations to you! Well-deserved! So here's the way it will work: Our first winner will have approximately 24 hours to pick a favorite prize from above and email me the choice at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com , along with a mailing address (if applicable). Tomorrow, I'll be right back here drawing another name, and I'll draw one each day until the prizes are gone. Remember, you don't have to have completed your goal to win prizes - the prize winners will be chosen randomly from those who have checked in during the month of March. As the days go on, there will be less prizes to choose from, but if you stop by and see you've won, you will get your pick of what's left. I thought this would be better than having people possibly win prizes they didn't really want.So come back tomorrow and find out who our next winner is! Unfortunately, I don't have time to email winners, so if you don't stop by, you might miss out. And I really, REALLY wouldn't want that!
Thanks again, everybody, for joining in on MARCH MADNESS! I had a blast!
March 29, 2011
Teen Author Tuesday Presents Angie Smibert and MEMENTO NORA!
I'm excited to welcome another Class of 2k11 author to the blog! Angie Smibert's debut novel, MEMENTO NORA, releases April 1, 2011 from Marshall Cavendish. It is science fiction, YA, for ages 13 and up.
Welcome Angie! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
near-future science fiction dystopian "thriller" (for lack of a better term)
Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
Winter Nomura. She's a manic artist who builds a kinetic sculpture garden in her backyard. She was fun to create, and she would probably be fascinating to hang out with in real life.
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself?
I was born in Blacksburg, a once sleepy college town in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I grew up thinking I wanted to be a veterinarian; organic chemistry had other ideas. But I always had stories in my head. Eventually, after a few degrees and few cool jobs—including a 10-year stint at NASA's Kennedy Space Center—I wrote some of those stories down. I've published many short stories, for both adults and teens. Memento Nora is my first novel.
What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I've been extraordinarily lucky. I sold Memento Nora after attending a regional SCBWI conference. One of the great things about those conferences is that editors and agents typically allow attendees to submit directly to them for a short time. I sent the manuscript to three of the editors there, one of them being Marilyn Brigham at Marshall Cavendish. And, she eventually bought it.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Go to SCBWI conferences. (See #5). Oh, and if an editor asks you if you'd be willing to revise and resubmit, do it!
Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
On top of all the promotional stuff, I'm working on the sequel to Memento Nora.
What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
In high school, I was on the school newspaper and in honors English, but I didn't write any fiction. For some reason, it never occurred to me as a teen to write stories.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Right now, I'm reading the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's especially good as an audiobook since Death is the one telling the story.
Yes, I loved that one too! If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where
should they look?
My website: www.angiesmibert.com
My book website: www. mementonora.com
My Facebook: www.facebook.com/asmibert, www.facebook.com/MementoNora,
My Twitter: www.twitter.com/amsmibert,
I blog every Thursday at the League of Extraordinary Writers: leaguewriters.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for visiting today, Angie, and all the very best with your debut!
Welcome Angie! Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less?
near-future science fiction dystopian "thriller" (for lack of a better term)
Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
Winter Nomura. She's a manic artist who builds a kinetic sculpture garden in her backyard. She was fun to create, and she would probably be fascinating to hang out with in real life.
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself?
I was born in Blacksburg, a once sleepy college town in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I grew up thinking I wanted to be a veterinarian; organic chemistry had other ideas. But I always had stories in my head. Eventually, after a few degrees and few cool jobs—including a 10-year stint at NASA's Kennedy Space Center—I wrote some of those stories down. I've published many short stories, for both adults and teens. Memento Nora is my first novel.
What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I've been extraordinarily lucky. I sold Memento Nora after attending a regional SCBWI conference. One of the great things about those conferences is that editors and agents typically allow attendees to submit directly to them for a short time. I sent the manuscript to three of the editors there, one of them being Marilyn Brigham at Marshall Cavendish. And, she eventually bought it.
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Go to SCBWI conferences. (See #5). Oh, and if an editor asks you if you'd be willing to revise and resubmit, do it!
Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?
On top of all the promotional stuff, I'm working on the sequel to Memento Nora.
What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
In high school, I was on the school newspaper and in honors English, but I didn't write any fiction. For some reason, it never occurred to me as a teen to write stories.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
Right now, I'm reading the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It's especially good as an audiobook since Death is the one telling the story.
Yes, I loved that one too! If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where
should they look?
My website: www.angiesmibert.com
My book website: www. mementonora.com
My Facebook: www.facebook.com/asmibert, www.facebook.com/MementoNora,
My Twitter: www.twitter.com/amsmibert,
I blog every Thursday at the League of Extraordinary Writers: leaguewriters.blogspot.com
Thanks so much for visiting today, Angie, and all the very best with your debut!
March 28, 2011
MARCH MADNESS Check-In Day 28!
Whew! We're in the last week, folks! Is it just me, or did that go by crazy-fast?
I've read on a Twitter that a couple of your have already met or surpassed your goals!!! Huge congratulations to you and I hope you are celebrating really, really well!!
I think one of the main themes of this year's MARCH MADNESS has been changing goals. I seem to read about that several times at each check in. And because I like jumping on bandwagons...I guess I'm changing my goals too! I think the important thing is to realize when your goals NEED changing. And mine definitely do.
Even though we're only three days away from the end, I know I won't reach my original goals, even if I pulled all-nighters. And I would imagine my writing would be much poorer if I did that! So I've reset goals as far as restructuring and outlining and I plan to be ready to launch into revision mode by April the first. So those of you who were asking if we can continue? You bet! Right here each Monday!
My other goal was to complete a revision of a different work in progress, but that went by the wayside when I got some agent feedback and realized I needed to revamp my outline. For now, by the end of the month, I'm hoping to have my synopsis and first three chapters ready on that one.
I'm so glad we're continuing, because otherwise I would totally miss you guys!!! It's been wonderful hanging out with you through the month of March.
Whether or not you continue on with us into April, if you've been involved with MARCH MADNESS, you'll want to stop by here on April 1st. I promise I won't play any April Fools Day tricks on you, but there will be other fun stuff to talk about, including some great prizes and how we're planning to give them away. I'm trying to work it out so people get their choice of prizes and aren't stuck with something they don't want.
Speaking of prizes...here's one last winner from My Bookshelf Giveaway! And the winner is...
Serenissima!
Congratulations! Pick a book from one of the below two pictures, (and yes, I snuck a copy of LOSING FAITH in there this week), send me your choice along with your mailing address to d (at) denisejaden (dot) com and I'll get it out to you as soon as I can!!
So I don't have much else inspiring for you today, except GO GO GO!!! We're in the last stretch! Push yourself and see how much you can accomplish in the next three days! Sprint to the finish line, everybody!
And don't forget to stop by Shana's blog tomorrow!
I've read on a Twitter that a couple of your have already met or surpassed your goals!!! Huge congratulations to you and I hope you are celebrating really, really well!!
I think one of the main themes of this year's MARCH MADNESS has been changing goals. I seem to read about that several times at each check in. And because I like jumping on bandwagons...I guess I'm changing my goals too! I think the important thing is to realize when your goals NEED changing. And mine definitely do.
Even though we're only three days away from the end, I know I won't reach my original goals, even if I pulled all-nighters. And I would imagine my writing would be much poorer if I did that! So I've reset goals as far as restructuring and outlining and I plan to be ready to launch into revision mode by April the first. So those of you who were asking if we can continue? You bet! Right here each Monday!
My other goal was to complete a revision of a different work in progress, but that went by the wayside when I got some agent feedback and realized I needed to revamp my outline. For now, by the end of the month, I'm hoping to have my synopsis and first three chapters ready on that one.
I'm so glad we're continuing, because otherwise I would totally miss you guys!!! It's been wonderful hanging out with you through the month of March.
Whether or not you continue on with us into April, if you've been involved with MARCH MADNESS, you'll want to stop by here on April 1st. I promise I won't play any April Fools Day tricks on you, but there will be other fun stuff to talk about, including some great prizes and how we're planning to give them away. I'm trying to work it out so people get their choice of prizes and aren't stuck with something they don't want.
Speaking of prizes...here's one last winner from My Bookshelf Giveaway! And the winner is...
Serenissima!
Congratulations! Pick a book from one of the below two pictures, (and yes, I snuck a copy of LOSING FAITH in there this week), send me your choice along with your mailing address to d (at) denisejaden (dot) com and I'll get it out to you as soon as I can!!
So I don't have much else inspiring for you today, except GO GO GO!!! We're in the last stretch! Push yourself and see how much you can accomplish in the next three days! Sprint to the finish line, everybody!
And don't forget to stop by Shana's blog tomorrow!
March 25, 2011
Friday Four!
1. I got another editorial letter for book two, formerly known as APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. Yes, the title needs to change. The team at Simon Pulse felt it sounded too adult, and so we're looking for something else. I've been racking my brain and I'd love suggestions, but I honestly don't have the time or brain power to come up with a proper synopsis. Here's my best attempt: it's a sister story, told by the awkward younger sister, living in the shadow of her almost-perfect older sister and watching her struggle with a severe eating disorder. It also involves photography. And drama/set design. And a boy. Yes, let's not forget the boy! His name is Marcus and I love him. Just sayin'.
So I know that's probably not enough to go on to give me title suggestions, but if anything does jump to mind, I'd love to hear it. And if you've ever read an early version of this book and have any suggestions, of course I'd love to hear those too!
2. Aside from that, the editorial letter has a few other huge changes, including restructuring the first 80 pages and some other big stuff. My revision due date is April 18th, so if you don't hear from me as much as usual, please don't take it personally :-).
3. March Madness is almost over! I can't believe how fast it has gone! I'm really excited by all the great progress I've seen and I hope to get going on drawing prizes, possibly as soon as April 1st. Oh, and many of my comrades wanted to keep in touch and keep up on their projects through April (I sure need to!) so we're going to continue to check in and update each other on our progress right here on Mondays through April. Even if you didn't participate in March Madness, feel free to join in on the fun any time! We'd love to have you!
4. Also, it's probably pretty late to mention this, but we have a hashtag on Twitter. #marchmadness got bombarded by basketball and then other book-related contests, then #bookmadness got taken over as well. So we've settled on #wipmadness. You'll find us chatting under that hashtag from time to time about our progress.
Sorry this Friday Four was very writing-focused, but honestly, that's about all that's going on in my mind at the moment! I hope you all have a great weekend! See you back for March Madness Check-In on Monday!! (And if you haven't checked in today yet, head on over to Craig's blog.)
So I know that's probably not enough to go on to give me title suggestions, but if anything does jump to mind, I'd love to hear it. And if you've ever read an early version of this book and have any suggestions, of course I'd love to hear those too!
2. Aside from that, the editorial letter has a few other huge changes, including restructuring the first 80 pages and some other big stuff. My revision due date is April 18th, so if you don't hear from me as much as usual, please don't take it personally :-).
3. March Madness is almost over! I can't believe how fast it has gone! I'm really excited by all the great progress I've seen and I hope to get going on drawing prizes, possibly as soon as April 1st. Oh, and many of my comrades wanted to keep in touch and keep up on their projects through April (I sure need to!) so we're going to continue to check in and update each other on our progress right here on Mondays through April. Even if you didn't participate in March Madness, feel free to join in on the fun any time! We'd love to have you!
4. Also, it's probably pretty late to mention this, but we have a hashtag on Twitter. #marchmadness got bombarded by basketball and then other book-related contests, then #bookmadness got taken over as well. So we've settled on #wipmadness. You'll find us chatting under that hashtag from time to time about our progress.
Sorry this Friday Four was very writing-focused, but honestly, that's about all that's going on in my mind at the moment! I hope you all have a great weekend! See you back for March Madness Check-In on Monday!! (And if you haven't checked in today yet, head on over to Craig's blog.)
March 23, 2011
Would You Rather Wednesday: Goals
In light of March Madness, I thought I'd direct our game toward the area of goals this week.
Remember, the only rule here is you're not allowed to say either or neither. You must pick one! I'll be back later with my own answers. Have fun!!
1. Would you rather...set too-lofty goals and fall short or set too-meager goals and surpass them?
2. Would you rather...keep your goals private with low-pressure, telling only one or two people, or share them with the whole world, thereby adding strong accountability and humiliation factor?
3. Would you rather...set three goals for the year and achieve them all, or set twenty goals for the year and achieve five of them?
Remember, the only rule here is you're not allowed to say either or neither. You must pick one! I'll be back later with my own answers. Have fun!!
1. Would you rather...set too-lofty goals and fall short or set too-meager goals and surpass them?
2. Would you rather...keep your goals private with low-pressure, telling only one or two people, or share them with the whole world, thereby adding strong accountability and humiliation factor?
3. Would you rather...set three goals for the year and achieve them all, or set twenty goals for the year and achieve five of them?
March 22, 2011
Auction For Japan and a Special Honor!
Write Hope has put together an auction to support the relief efforts in Japan. They have gathered kidlit items including signed books and critiques to auction off. Yesterday a signed copy of LOSING FAITH was offered, and I believe that auction will be up for 72 hours. The book will be provided and signed by yours truly, and I'd be happy to sign it to you directly if you win. If you were thinking of buying some new books anyway, please check out the auction for some other great choices of books and let your money go to a good cause.
Since I've been seeing info about this all around the Internet, and because there is now an official listing, I think it's fine for me to announce the following...
LOSING FAITH is a finalist for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards! This is an award voted on by SCBWI members in each region, and I'm very thankful that many people in my region (Canada, Mexico, Central & South America) felt that my book deserved this honor. I'm thrilled to see my name among the awesome list of finalists!
If you're a SCBWI member, make sure to stop by the SCBWI website and vote for a finalist in your region.
Here's the full listing if you're interested, and congrats to many of my writer friends --Eileen Cook, Irene Latham, Sydney Salter, Holly Cupala, Christina Diaz Gonzales, Jandy Nelson, Jessica Leader, Matthew Kirby, Kimberly Little, Tammi Saurer-- to name a few, who are also on the list!
Since I've been seeing info about this all around the Internet, and because there is now an official listing, I think it's fine for me to announce the following...
LOSING FAITH is a finalist for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards! This is an award voted on by SCBWI members in each region, and I'm very thankful that many people in my region (Canada, Mexico, Central & South America) felt that my book deserved this honor. I'm thrilled to see my name among the awesome list of finalists!
If you're a SCBWI member, make sure to stop by the SCBWI website and vote for a finalist in your region.
Here's the full listing if you're interested, and congrats to many of my writer friends --Eileen Cook, Irene Latham, Sydney Salter, Holly Cupala, Christina Diaz Gonzales, Jandy Nelson, Jessica Leader, Matthew Kirby, Kimberly Little, Tammi Saurer-- to name a few, who are also on the list!
March 21, 2011
MARCH MADNESS Check-In Day 21!
Week Three! You know what that means, don't you? It means that if you're still here, you WILL succeed in making it until the end! It's also a known fact that March Madness participants who make it until the third week are 97% more likely to succeed with their goals. (It's also a known fact that 72% of statistics are made up on the spot.)
Anyway, I'm thrilled at how many of you are still here! I think almost all of us have had challenging days (or even weeks) since the beginning of March, but the difference between us and the rest of the world is that we've come back to try again. Perseverance. It's an essential quality for success.
My husband often quotes Batman (during his training) to our seven year old son:
Husband: Bruce, why do we fall down?
Son: So we can learn to pick ourselves back up again.
You, all of you, have learned to pick yourselves back up again. So congratulations for that! Many people just give up when faced with a little bit of adversity. While we here are all rockin March Madness! Great to have you along for the journey!!!
I've drawn another random winner to pick a book from my shelves! This week, the winner is...
Jeni Bell!!!
Congratulations, Jeni! Please pick something from my shelves below (I've added a few new ones this week!) and email your choice, along with your address to d (at) denisejaden (dot) com
Don't forget to log your progress below and head over to Shana Silver's blog to check-in tomorrow!
Anyway, I'm thrilled at how many of you are still here! I think almost all of us have had challenging days (or even weeks) since the beginning of March, but the difference between us and the rest of the world is that we've come back to try again. Perseverance. It's an essential quality for success.
My husband often quotes Batman (during his training) to our seven year old son:
Husband: Bruce, why do we fall down?
Son: So we can learn to pick ourselves back up again.
You, all of you, have learned to pick yourselves back up again. So congratulations for that! Many people just give up when faced with a little bit of adversity. While we here are all rockin March Madness! Great to have you along for the journey!!!
I've drawn another random winner to pick a book from my shelves! This week, the winner is...
Jeni Bell!!!
Congratulations, Jeni! Please pick something from my shelves below (I've added a few new ones this week!) and email your choice, along with your address to d (at) denisejaden (dot) com
Don't forget to log your progress below and head over to Shana Silver's blog to check-in tomorrow!
March 18, 2011
Friday Four!
1.The March Madness Check-in is up at Craig's blog this morning. Please keep Craig and his family in your prayers, as he's in Japan and things have been looking ugly over there. Also, Craig has some information posted of how you can help through The Red Cross if you're able to.
2.Thanks so much to everyone for your encouragement on my Before/After Publication post the other day. It's always nice to remember how much we all have in common.
3. Remember when I mentioned I was organizing my taxes (and how much I hated it?) Yeah, well, my dear, sweet husband came along this week and said, "Oh. Yeah. I forgot to give you all this stuff." I'm not sure I can express on a blog post exactly how I feel about suddenly having to dive back into the murky, suffocating ocean of our tax life.
4. Two little pieces of good news this week: I sent my agent my proposal for FINDING HOPE, a companion novel to LOSING FAITH, and she really likes it! She loves the voice and thinks the story arc works. She has a few notes, so now I'm awaiting those.
Also, LOSING FAITH is in a foreign rights catalog to be shopped in Bologna this month! Even better, my book is on the first page!! If you're interested, you can check it out here.
And, okay, I have one more piece of good news, but I'm not sure if I'm actually allowed to share it yet. But...if you're a member of SCBWI, you may be able to figure it out...
How about you? Any news this week? Anything exciting happening this weekend?
2.Thanks so much to everyone for your encouragement on my Before/After Publication post the other day. It's always nice to remember how much we all have in common.
3. Remember when I mentioned I was organizing my taxes (and how much I hated it?) Yeah, well, my dear, sweet husband came along this week and said, "Oh. Yeah. I forgot to give you all this stuff." I'm not sure I can express on a blog post exactly how I feel about suddenly having to dive back into the murky, suffocating ocean of our tax life.
4. Two little pieces of good news this week: I sent my agent my proposal for FINDING HOPE, a companion novel to LOSING FAITH, and she really likes it! She loves the voice and thinks the story arc works. She has a few notes, so now I'm awaiting those.
Also, LOSING FAITH is in a foreign rights catalog to be shopped in Bologna this month! Even better, my book is on the first page!! If you're interested, you can check it out here.
And, okay, I have one more piece of good news, but I'm not sure if I'm actually allowed to share it yet. But...if you're a member of SCBWI, you may be able to figure it out...
How about you? Any news this week? Anything exciting happening this weekend?
