Denise Jaden's Blog, page 46
February 28, 2011
MARCH MADNESS IS HERE!!!
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.
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 (Mon.-Fri.) at our 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 , come right on back here to visit yours truly - http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Tuesdays , my fab critique partner, Shana Silver, will host the check-in - http://www.shana-silver.com
Wednesdays , my good writer friend, Angelina Hansen, who lives closer to me than any other writer will host - http://yascribe.blogspot.com
Thursdays , another good writer friend and conference buddy, Shari Green, will host - http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/blog
Fridays , we'll show you that boys write too! I know, hard to believe, but true. Craig is also an awesome crit partner of mine! - http://www.craigpirrall.com/craig/craigs-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 two 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 checks in here 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-bloggers for this event!):
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! A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
And we MAY still add more prizes along the way!
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. Finish my revision of FINDING HOPE (I'm about 10 chapters in right now) and send it off to critique partners. Write a synopsis for the book. Complete my next revision for my editor on APPETITE FOR BEAUTY.
Whew!
Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to http://www.shana-silver.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!
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 (Mon.-Fri.) at our 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 , come right on back here to visit yours truly - http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Tuesdays , my fab critique partner, Shana Silver, will host the check-in - http://www.shana-silver.com
Wednesdays , my good writer friend, Angelina Hansen, who lives closer to me than any other writer will host - http://yascribe.blogspot.com
Thursdays , another good writer friend and conference buddy, Shari Green, will host - http://sharigreen.wordpress.com/blog
Fridays , we'll show you that boys write too! I know, hard to believe, but true. Craig is also an awesome crit partner of mine! - http://www.craigpirrall.com/craig/craigs-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 two 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 checks in here 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-bloggers for this event!):
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! A copy of DELIRIUM (ARC) by Lauren Oliver! (Canada/US only)
And we MAY still add more prizes along the way!
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. Finish my revision of FINDING HOPE (I'm about 10 chapters in right now) and send it off to critique partners. Write a synopsis for the book. Complete my next revision for my editor on APPETITE FOR BEAUTY.
Whew!
Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to http://www.shana-silver.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!
February 25, 2011
Friday Four!
1. If you haven't heard about March Madness yet, check out this post, because the Big Bad Goal-Setting day is coming your way this Monday! Why is it Big? Because it will take over your entire life, your friends and family won't even remember who you are!
Just kidding!
Because setting a goal is a huge accomplishment all on its own! And it doesn't actually have to be huge in the life-consuming sense. It could be as simple as "I'll turn off the Internet while I write for the month of March!" *Denise scurries to jot that down in her goal list.* Now why is it Bad, you ask? It's only bad in the ultra-coolest sense of the word! Trust me, you'll want to be back here on Monday, it's where all the really cool kids will be! Annnnd, I'll give away a pick of books from my bookshelves for one person who checks in with their goals within the first 24 hours (starting Monday morning).
What's on the shelves, you ask? Have a little look...
2. For a couple of years now I've been devouring books as quickly as I can possibly read them. But you know what I've noticed recently? The slower I read a book, the more I seem to remember it. I just recently finished a book that took me over five months to read. Honestly, I didn't really enjoy a good majority of the book, but I pushed myself to persevere because I wanted to read it for personal reasons. But upon reaching the end, I'm AMAZED at how much of the book stands out in my memory now. I'm thinking of a new strategy for the next couple of months. It'll be difficult, because there is SO MUCH that I want to read. But I'm going to choose my books carefully and read them really, really slowly - like a chapter or two a night at most - and I'll see if they're more memorable than all the others I've whipped through so far this year.
3. I'm off to teach my teen class more about novel-writing today. Sorry I didn't get a writing post up this week, but today's topic is Introduction to Characters, and we'll be having a lot of fun picking names for the characters in our new novels. We'll be talking about how multiple names with the same first letters can get confusing, and how different spellings of a name can seem to give a character a whole new feeling/personality. Hopefully next week I'll have time to share a few more thoughts on what we did and how it went!
4. As most of you have probably heard, we said goodbye to a friend from our YA community this week. LK Madigan (aka Lisa Wolfson) passed away on Wednesday morning. To be honest, my heart was so heavy about this that I just didn't feel like blogging on the subject. But I did go around and read other blogs and tributes, and what was truly wonderful and amazing was just how many lives Lisa touched. The hardest thing for her, I think, was leaving her husband and thirteen-year-old son. A trust has been set up in her son's name. You can donate by sending a check made out to the Nathan Wolfson Trust to:
Becker Capital Management, Inc.
Attn: Sharon Gueck/John Becker
1211 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2185
Portland, OR 97204
I hope you'll spend your weekend treasuring your life and being able to spend time with the people you love, as I will.
Just kidding!
Because setting a goal is a huge accomplishment all on its own! And it doesn't actually have to be huge in the life-consuming sense. It could be as simple as "I'll turn off the Internet while I write for the month of March!" *Denise scurries to jot that down in her goal list.* Now why is it Bad, you ask? It's only bad in the ultra-coolest sense of the word! Trust me, you'll want to be back here on Monday, it's where all the really cool kids will be! Annnnd, I'll give away a pick of books from my bookshelves for one person who checks in with their goals within the first 24 hours (starting Monday morning).
What's on the shelves, you ask? Have a little look...
2. For a couple of years now I've been devouring books as quickly as I can possibly read them. But you know what I've noticed recently? The slower I read a book, the more I seem to remember it. I just recently finished a book that took me over five months to read. Honestly, I didn't really enjoy a good majority of the book, but I pushed myself to persevere because I wanted to read it for personal reasons. But upon reaching the end, I'm AMAZED at how much of the book stands out in my memory now. I'm thinking of a new strategy for the next couple of months. It'll be difficult, because there is SO MUCH that I want to read. But I'm going to choose my books carefully and read them really, really slowly - like a chapter or two a night at most - and I'll see if they're more memorable than all the others I've whipped through so far this year.
3. I'm off to teach my teen class more about novel-writing today. Sorry I didn't get a writing post up this week, but today's topic is Introduction to Characters, and we'll be having a lot of fun picking names for the characters in our new novels. We'll be talking about how multiple names with the same first letters can get confusing, and how different spellings of a name can seem to give a character a whole new feeling/personality. Hopefully next week I'll have time to share a few more thoughts on what we did and how it went!
4. As most of you have probably heard, we said goodbye to a friend from our YA community this week. LK Madigan (aka Lisa Wolfson) passed away on Wednesday morning. To be honest, my heart was so heavy about this that I just didn't feel like blogging on the subject. But I did go around and read other blogs and tributes, and what was truly wonderful and amazing was just how many lives Lisa touched. The hardest thing for her, I think, was leaving her husband and thirteen-year-old son. A trust has been set up in her son's name. You can donate by sending a check made out to the Nathan Wolfson Trust to:
Becker Capital Management, Inc.
Attn: Sharon Gueck/John Becker
1211 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2185
Portland, OR 97204
I hope you'll spend your weekend treasuring your life and being able to spend time with the people you love, as I will.
February 22, 2011
March Madness Writing, Reading, and Blogging Challenge!
It's almost March and time for an Almost-Nano Challenge! If you have a writing project you're ready to start, or a work in progress you're ready to finish, come and join the fun. Accountability is our main aim and the more support we have, the easier it will be to sail on through the month of March, bouncing along on each others successes.
Annnnnd...this year I'm thinking of opening March Madness up to readers who want to challenge themselves to read more, bloggers who want to challenge themselves to blog more, and illustrators who want to challenge themselves to illustrate more! Basically, anything to do with books!
And did I mention there will be PRIZES? Prizes will not be awarded based on how much you write, read, draw, or blog, but simply on how involved you are in the Big Accountability Plan. There will be five check-in points per week (Monday-Friday). Each time you check in and record your progress, your name will be entered in a draw for some great prizes, including some high-demand ARC's, books, gift cards, and even critiques! And not only that, but the more you encourage others along the way (in the comments) the more times your name will go into the hat!
Spread the word, and check out http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html this coming Monday, February 28th, to put your goals officially in writing and find out the locations of the check-in points. If you're ready to get serious, don't do it alone…Get serious with us!
I'll tell you my "official" goals for this March next Monday, but for now, I'd just like to share a little about my goals from last year's March Madness. Here is what I put in writing last year:
I'm gung-ho to do some serious damage on my work in progress. The book I've decided to work on is an older book of mine called APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. I've been reading through several versions and picking out all the plot points that I think work to build the characters and/or the story, and arranging them in what I hope will be an order that works. It's been difficult figuring out how exactly to fit this into a month-long goal schedule, but as of now, these are the things I'm planning.
1. To finish polishing a chapter per day if the chapter involves mostly rehashing writing from older drafts.
2. To finish a chapter over three days if it involves mostly new writing.
3. (and this is my only set-in-stone goal) Finish this revision and send off to a critique partner or two by March 31st.
I'm thrilled to let you know that not only did I accomplish my goals for March Madness last year, but I also sold APPETITE FOR BEAUTY to Simon Pulse this past September!!!
That's just a little something to encourage you that goal-setting and hard work DOES pay off.
Please spread the word about this Challenge. There will be lots to win throughout the month and the more support we have, the better all of our goals will go this month! Let me just show you a little peek at some of the books I'll be letting you choose from, but believe me there will be many more prizes yet to come!
Don't forget, spread the word, and I'll see you back here next Monday!
Annnnnd...this year I'm thinking of opening March Madness up to readers who want to challenge themselves to read more, bloggers who want to challenge themselves to blog more, and illustrators who want to challenge themselves to illustrate more! Basically, anything to do with books!
And did I mention there will be PRIZES? Prizes will not be awarded based on how much you write, read, draw, or blog, but simply on how involved you are in the Big Accountability Plan. There will be five check-in points per week (Monday-Friday). Each time you check in and record your progress, your name will be entered in a draw for some great prizes, including some high-demand ARC's, books, gift cards, and even critiques! And not only that, but the more you encourage others along the way (in the comments) the more times your name will go into the hat!
Spread the word, and check out http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html this coming Monday, February 28th, to put your goals officially in writing and find out the locations of the check-in points. If you're ready to get serious, don't do it alone…Get serious with us!
I'll tell you my "official" goals for this March next Monday, but for now, I'd just like to share a little about my goals from last year's March Madness. Here is what I put in writing last year:
I'm gung-ho to do some serious damage on my work in progress. The book I've decided to work on is an older book of mine called APPETITE FOR BEAUTY. I've been reading through several versions and picking out all the plot points that I think work to build the characters and/or the story, and arranging them in what I hope will be an order that works. It's been difficult figuring out how exactly to fit this into a month-long goal schedule, but as of now, these are the things I'm planning.
1. To finish polishing a chapter per day if the chapter involves mostly rehashing writing from older drafts.
2. To finish a chapter over three days if it involves mostly new writing.
3. (and this is my only set-in-stone goal) Finish this revision and send off to a critique partner or two by March 31st.
I'm thrilled to let you know that not only did I accomplish my goals for March Madness last year, but I also sold APPETITE FOR BEAUTY to Simon Pulse this past September!!!
That's just a little something to encourage you that goal-setting and hard work DOES pay off.
Please spread the word about this Challenge. There will be lots to win throughout the month and the more support we have, the better all of our goals will go this month! Let me just show you a little peek at some of the books I'll be letting you choose from, but believe me there will be many more prizes yet to come!
Don't forget, spread the word, and I'll see you back here next Monday!
February 21, 2011
How Are Those New Years Resolutions?
To be honest, I don't set resolutions, or at least I haven't in a few years. But I do set goals each year...and then, well, I promptly forget about them.
So if you're anything like me, perhaps you've gotten a bit off track and will appreciate this reminder to rethink what you want from this year. Several of my goals for the year revolve around writing. I'm a little behind on those ones. One of my goals revolves around getting in shape. I'm really, REALLY behind on that one!
But listen, it's only FEBRUARY! We can still do something about these goals! Or if you haven't set goals yet this year, it's absolutely not too late. Did you know that people who set out achievable goals in writing are 95-97% more likely to achieve them than those who don't? Let's do something to really catapult our lives forward in 2011! Who's with me?
I'll be doing my little part to help, both myself and anyone else who wants to set and achieve some goals. Later in the week I'll be back with more details on March Madness. So start thinking about what goals you'd like to set, both for the month of March and for the rest of the year. Then keep an eye right here on the blog to find out how you can put it in writing and make yourself accountable!
So if you're anything like me, perhaps you've gotten a bit off track and will appreciate this reminder to rethink what you want from this year. Several of my goals for the year revolve around writing. I'm a little behind on those ones. One of my goals revolves around getting in shape. I'm really, REALLY behind on that one!
But listen, it's only FEBRUARY! We can still do something about these goals! Or if you haven't set goals yet this year, it's absolutely not too late. Did you know that people who set out achievable goals in writing are 95-97% more likely to achieve them than those who don't? Let's do something to really catapult our lives forward in 2011! Who's with me?
I'll be doing my little part to help, both myself and anyone else who wants to set and achieve some goals. Later in the week I'll be back with more details on March Madness. So start thinking about what goals you'd like to set, both for the month of March and for the rest of the year. Then keep an eye right here on the blog to find out how you can put it in writing and make yourself accountable!
My Bookshelf Giveaway Winner!
I have one winner from this week's My Bookshelf Giveaway:
A LOVE STORY STARRING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND goes to Lisa_Gibson!
Congratulations, Lisa! Email me your address at d(at)denisejaden (dot) com and I'll get it out in the mail to you as soon as I can.
And believe me, I still have lots of books to give away! Keep watching the blog for other opportunities, coming soon!
A LOVE STORY STARRING MY DEAD BEST FRIEND goes to Lisa_Gibson!
Congratulations, Lisa! Email me your address at d(at)denisejaden (dot) com and I'll get it out in the mail to you as soon as I can.
And believe me, I still have lots of books to give away! Keep watching the blog for other opportunities, coming soon!
February 18, 2011
Friday Four!
1. Taxes.
2. I hate them.
3. Barely finding time to write, and they're sucking time from every other part of my life too.
4. I'll be back soon in better spirits.
If you're interested, I'll leave you with a fabulously informative vlog from Jackson Pearce about how books are stocked:
2. I hate them.
3. Barely finding time to write, and they're sucking time from every other part of my life too.
4. I'll be back soon in better spirits.
If you're interested, I'll leave you with a fabulously informative vlog from Jackson Pearce about how books are stocked:
February 16, 2011
Lovable and Admirable Characters
Back when I was a struggling writer (as opposed to now, when it just comes oh-so-easily *note sarcasm*) trying to make my inroad into the world of publishing, I used to enter a lot of writing contests. Not to win. No, seriously. The first one I entered with the aim of winning, but after the enormous bout of depression that followed, I changed my tune. I entered to get feedback that I knew I could count on as honest and impartial. I get this from my critique partners, too, but sometimes I talk through my plots so much with them that I don't know for sure if they're seeing my writing with fresh enough eyes. So I look for fresher ones.
I'm rambling. This was not at all my point. I've gotten a variety of feedback from contests, but there is one stellar little nugget of wisdom that's stuck with me beyond everything else. The judge who gave me this little bit of enlightenment also told me who she got it from, but I've searched far and wide and I can no longer find it. So this bit of writing advice needs to be attributed to somebody other than me, and if any of you know who's wisdom it is, please tell me so I can give this person a thousand kisses to their feet. Because it's been a wonderful tool for my writing arsenal.
This was the advice: Main characters should be at least two out of the following five to be engaging and lovable:
1. Extremely smart
2. Extremely talented
3. Extremely funny
4. A victim of extremely difficult circumstances (notice how this, on its own, is not enough)
5. A superhero (includes "saving the cat")
This was so life-changing (or at least writing-life-changing) that I've never forgotten it. To be honest, I'm not sure that I can write a character that's extremely anything yet, because I'm not extremely smart, funny, talented, a huge victim, or a superhero. But it gives me something to strive for. And I like that.
What got me thinking about this is the book I'm reading right now, REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. The MC, Andi, is brilliant, and I just noticed how I was immediately drawn to her. (She;'s also extremely talented AND a victim of her horrible circumstances). Also, I recently watched THE SOCIAL NETWORK and had the same reaction. This one, of course, was based in reality, but I have an enormous amount of respect for writers who can write such beautifully brilliant dialogue. Of all the above character traits, I think "smart" is the one I would most love to be able to write. Or maybe funny. But heck, I need two of them, so why not go for both?!
I'm curious what you think of this writing advice. Consider some of your favorite characters. Do they fit the bill? And if you disagree, what do you think it is that most makes you love characters?
I'm rambling. This was not at all my point. I've gotten a variety of feedback from contests, but there is one stellar little nugget of wisdom that's stuck with me beyond everything else. The judge who gave me this little bit of enlightenment also told me who she got it from, but I've searched far and wide and I can no longer find it. So this bit of writing advice needs to be attributed to somebody other than me, and if any of you know who's wisdom it is, please tell me so I can give this person a thousand kisses to their feet. Because it's been a wonderful tool for my writing arsenal.
This was the advice: Main characters should be at least two out of the following five to be engaging and lovable:
1. Extremely smart
2. Extremely talented3. Extremely funny
4. A victim of extremely difficult circumstances (notice how this, on its own, is not enough)
5. A superhero (includes "saving the cat")
This was so life-changing (or at least writing-life-changing) that I've never forgotten it. To be honest, I'm not sure that I can write a character that's extremely anything yet, because I'm not extremely smart, funny, talented, a huge victim, or a superhero. But it gives me something to strive for. And I like that.
What got me thinking about this is the book I'm reading right now, REVOLUTION by Jennifer Donnelly. The MC, Andi, is brilliant, and I just noticed how I was immediately drawn to her. (She;'s also extremely talented AND a victim of her horrible circumstances). Also, I recently watched THE SOCIAL NETWORK and had the same reaction. This one, of course, was based in reality, but I have an enormous amount of respect for writers who can write such beautifully brilliant dialogue. Of all the above character traits, I think "smart" is the one I would most love to be able to write. Or maybe funny. But heck, I need two of them, so why not go for both?!
I'm curious what you think of this writing advice. Consider some of your favorite characters. Do they fit the bill? And if you disagree, what do you think it is that most makes you love characters?
February 15, 2011
Teen Author Tuesday Presents Sara Bennett-Wealer and RIVAL!
Today I'm excited to welcome another Elevensie AND a fellow Contemps member, Sara Bennett-Wealer.Sara's debut novel, RIVAL, releases Feb. 15, 2011 (Today!) from HarperTeen. It is Contemporary YA, for ages 12 and up.
Welcome, Sara! Boy, it feels like I've been waiting to see this book hit the shelves forever--I can't imagine how long it seems to you! Tell me about your book in seven words or less, Sara.
Music, competition, rivalry, best friends, now enemies
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
I love Matt because he's the kind of friend everybody should have: loyal, funny, sweet and a blast to have around.
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself, Sara?
I'm a very lucky person who's blessed to make her living doing something she loves.
What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I've been surprised at how little changes! You still get rejections. You still have stress. But you also make amazing friends, and there's nothing like connecting with a reader who really *gets* your story. You have no idea how good that will feel until it happens to you!
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Don't wait for inspiration--just sit your butt down and write. It's OK if it sucks; that's what revision is for!
Great advice! 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?
I wouldn't have to say much to reveal the concept for my new book, and since I don't want to spoil it, I'll stay mum!
That seems a little unfair, but okay. I get it. But I still want to know! What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I wrote a lot of papers, since I took AP English classes. I wrote a lot of fiction in grade school, actually, then quit during my teen years. I didn't start writing fiction again until I was in my 20s.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard. I got to read it as a crit partner, and thought it was the most charming concept. Mandy did a great job with that story! Right now I'm reading MATCHED by Allie Condie. I wouldn't say I love it because it is creeping me out, but I do love how well it's creeping me out!
I loved YOU WISH too! And MATCHED is in my TBR pile. If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Sara, where should they look?
Website: www.sarabennettwealer.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/sbennettwealerBlog: http://sbennettwealer.livejournal.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/sarabennettwealerRIVAL Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Rival/140616459301752
Great! Thanks so much for stopping by, Sara, and all the very best with your debut!
Welcome, Sara! Boy, it feels like I've been waiting to see this book hit the shelves forever--I can't imagine how long it seems to you! Tell me about your book in seven words or less, Sara.
Music, competition, rivalry, best friends, now enemies
Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?
I love Matt because he's the kind of friend everybody should have: loyal, funny, sweet and a blast to have around.
Can you tell my readers a little bit more about yourself, Sara?
I'm a very lucky person who's blessed to make her living doing something she loves.
What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?
I've been surprised at how little changes! You still get rejections. You still have stress. But you also make amazing friends, and there's nothing like connecting with a reader who really *gets* your story. You have no idea how good that will feel until it happens to you!
What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?
Don't wait for inspiration--just sit your butt down and write. It's OK if it sucks; that's what revision is for!
Great advice! 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?
I wouldn't have to say much to reveal the concept for my new book, and since I don't want to spoil it, I'll stay mum!
That seems a little unfair, but okay. I get it. But I still want to know! What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?
I wrote a lot of papers, since I took AP English classes. I wrote a lot of fiction in grade school, actually, then quit during my teen years. I didn't start writing fiction again until I was in my 20s.
What's the last book you read that you really loved?
YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard. I got to read it as a crit partner, and thought it was the most charming concept. Mandy did a great job with that story! Right now I'm reading MATCHED by Allie Condie. I wouldn't say I love it because it is creeping me out, but I do love how well it's creeping me out!
I loved YOU WISH too! And MATCHED is in my TBR pile. If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, Sara, where should they look?
Website: www.sarabennettwealer.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/sbennettwealerBlog: http://sbennettwealer.livejournal.com/Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/sarabennettwealerRIVAL Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Rival/140616459301752
Great! Thanks so much for stopping by, Sara, and all the very best with your debut!
February 14, 2011
My Bookshelf Giveaway!
Happy Valentine's Day, friends! I'm happy to have my valentine home again today, as he's been out of town the last week.
Because I'm feeling extra lovey-dovey, I'm going to give another THREE books away from my bookshelf.
And the winners are...
IF ONLY YOU KNEW goes to Christitheteenlibrarian!HOTLANTA goest to Liana!THE KID TABLE goes to Jacinda (The Reading Housewives)
Congratulations!! Please send me your mailing address at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com as soon as you can!
I'm going to do one more week of clearing right now (mailing is getting expensive!) and then I'm going to add a whole bunch of new awesome books and save them to give away during March Madness.
For any of you who don't know, March Madness is a writing challenge through the month of March, kind of like NaNoWriMo, but without all the rules. The idea is camaraderie...helping each other along in our self-imposed goals. Keep your eye on my blog as we get closer for more details. Writers of all sorts, beginners to advanced are welcome! If you're looking for a little writing motivation and want to win some great prizes, this is the place you'll want to be during March!
Now onto my last bookshelf! Just tell me in the comments which book you'd like to win (some may be ARC's, some may be signed, most are in great condition, but there may be a few that show some wear). This contest is open for US mailing only (by the way, we will have some great INTERNATIONAL prizes during March Madness, including books of your choice and critiques!).
Choose away! And good luck!!!
Click on the above photo to see better, or here are a couple of closer up shots:
Because I'm feeling extra lovey-dovey, I'm going to give another THREE books away from my bookshelf.
And the winners are...
IF ONLY YOU KNEW goes to Christitheteenlibrarian!HOTLANTA goest to Liana!THE KID TABLE goes to Jacinda (The Reading Housewives)
Congratulations!! Please send me your mailing address at d (at) denisejaden (dot) com as soon as you can!
I'm going to do one more week of clearing right now (mailing is getting expensive!) and then I'm going to add a whole bunch of new awesome books and save them to give away during March Madness.
For any of you who don't know, March Madness is a writing challenge through the month of March, kind of like NaNoWriMo, but without all the rules. The idea is camaraderie...helping each other along in our self-imposed goals. Keep your eye on my blog as we get closer for more details. Writers of all sorts, beginners to advanced are welcome! If you're looking for a little writing motivation and want to win some great prizes, this is the place you'll want to be during March!
Now onto my last bookshelf! Just tell me in the comments which book you'd like to win (some may be ARC's, some may be signed, most are in great condition, but there may be a few that show some wear). This contest is open for US mailing only (by the way, we will have some great INTERNATIONAL prizes during March Madness, including books of your choice and critiques!).
Choose away! And good luck!!!
Click on the above photo to see better, or here are a couple of closer up shots:
February 11, 2011
Friday Four!
1. Apparently I cannot walk into a bookstore and come out empty-handed. I tried. But these are books I've been wanting for a while and I'm very, very excited about them:
2. Maggie Stiefvater once did a post detailing how much she'd spent on books one year. Since I'm in the middle of trying to get my taxes organized, I was tempted to do the same. But then I thought...what if my husband caught sight of the number? Surely I'd be cut off! Then again, he doesn't read my blog.
3. I have a really difficult time formatting pictures in Blogger, and an even worse time getting them aligned in LiveJournal. If anyone knows this Great Secret To Life, please enlighten me. You'd think it would be easy to stick pictures beside each other, or insert them here and there among text. And it probably is. I'm showing my stupidity, aren't I?
4. We're dog-sitting this week while my parents are out of town. My son is thoroughly enjoying the company and I'm back to rethinking about the possibility of getting our own puppy. What do you think? Should we get a puppy?
I'm off to teach teens at the homeschool co-op for the day. I'm teaching novel writing, and helping with a class on web design. Hopefully the web design teacher won't notice how technically dense I am.
P.S. That was really five items, I know, but I didn't number the fifth one, hoping that no one would notice. Then I decided, since I've already called myself daft twice in this post, you probably don't need another reason to think of me that way.
Teddy and Sushi
2. Maggie Stiefvater once did a post detailing how much she'd spent on books one year. Since I'm in the middle of trying to get my taxes organized, I was tempted to do the same. But then I thought...what if my husband caught sight of the number? Surely I'd be cut off! Then again, he doesn't read my blog.
3. I have a really difficult time formatting pictures in Blogger, and an even worse time getting them aligned in LiveJournal. If anyone knows this Great Secret To Life, please enlighten me. You'd think it would be easy to stick pictures beside each other, or insert them here and there among text. And it probably is. I'm showing my stupidity, aren't I?4. We're dog-sitting this week while my parents are out of town. My son is thoroughly enjoying the company and I'm back to rethinking about the possibility of getting our own puppy. What do you think? Should we get a puppy?
I'm off to teach teens at the homeschool co-op for the day. I'm teaching novel writing, and helping with a class on web design. Hopefully the web design teacher won't notice how technically dense I am.
P.S. That was really five items, I know, but I didn't number the fifth one, hoping that no one would notice. Then I decided, since I've already called myself daft twice in this post, you probably don't need another reason to think of me that way.
Teddy and Sushi
