Kelly Oram's Blog, page 12
November 25, 2014
Cinder & Ella THE MOVIE!
Say "Movie" for me and win!
Raise your hand if you just read the title to this blog post and squealed a little. That excitement you just felt could happen for real. I need you all to be my fairy godmothers and help me make some Hollywood magic happen. All you have to do is say "movie" for me.
Now there's a way for fans to make their book-to-movie desires known. It's called the IF List. IfList is a website dedicated to telling Hollywood what stories we want made into movies and who we want to star as our favorite characters. I just read today that Colleen Hoover's Ugly Love is now in development thanks to her IfList campaign. (Congrats, Colleen!!! I'm so excited!) Well, guys, if she can do it, we can do it too! I get comments all the time about you guys wanting a Cinder & Ella movie, so lets make it happen!
10 Reasons why Hollywood should make Cinder & Ella into a movie:
1. Hello... Brian Oliver! (Duh.)
2. Because the book is awesome sauce.
3. Because Cinderella retellings rock!
4. Because we want to hear Brian Oliver ask us to say "car" for him.
5. Because we want to hear Ella say it for him.
6. Because I'm feeling a little left out.
The Fault In Our Stars: Movie, If I Stay: Movie, Cinder & Ella: ....???? It needs a movie!7. Because Cinderella movies make lots of money!
Proof = Disney's Cinderella (And it's bazillion sequels) Not to mention merchandising!
Warner Bros' A Cinderella Story (And's its two sequels)
Fox's Ever After
And tons of other retellings that I'll let you look up on your own.
8. Because Fairy Tales are so in right now! ( Malificent, Snow White and the Huntsman, Ever After High, Once Upon A Time...even the upcoming Cinderella movie!)
9. Because YA Novel adaptations are so in right now! The Hunger Games, the Giver, If I Stay, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, The Fault In our Stars, the DUFF, Divergent, like ever Nicholas Sparks novel ever written...just to name a few. Seriously, like half the movies released in the last few years were YA adaptations. What's one more?
10. Because the fans want it, and they're about to say so!
Here's the part where you can win. :) As an incentive to get this campaign started, I'm giving away 2 signed copies of Cinder & Ella, (International) with swag if you join the IfList and vote for Cinder & Ella. To enter the giveaway you have to create an IfList profile and become a Cinder & Ella supporter. (You can do this in 2 seconds by logging in with Facebook if you have it.)
Here's the link to the Cinder & Ella campaign on IfList: (click the picture.)
While you're there, be sure to add your suggestions for the cast! Have fun with it, be active, be vocal, tell your friends to get in on the fun. Lets make our own Cinderella story and get the book on screen! We can totally do it you guys! Also, bonus entries on the giveaway for "supporting" my other books listed on IfList. :)a Rafflecopter giveaway
Other ways you can say movie for me:
1. Buy the bookNothing entices movie makers like sales numbers and rankings.
2. Tell your friends
Voices are louder when there are more of them. Make some noise and then encourage your friends to join the campaign. Like and Share the Cinder & Ella Movie Facebook Page, post comments, tweets, quotes from the book, pics of your dream cast... be loud!
3. Bug the major movie studios!
Tweet them, stalk them on Facebook, and #SayMovieForMe! Here's a list of some of the biggest movie studios just to get you started. :D
Warner Bros Studios Twitter: @wbpictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/warnerbrosent
20th Century Fox Studios
Twitter: @20thcenturyfox
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FoxMovies
Walt Disney Studios
Twitter: @DisneyPictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaltDisneyStudios
Sony Pictures Studios
Twitter: @SonyPictures
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SonyPictures
Universal Studios
Twitter: @UniversalPics
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/universalstudiosentertainment
Paramount Studios
Twitter: @ParamountPics
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Paramount
Dreamworks Studios
Twitter: @DW_Studios
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DreamWorksStudios
New Line Cinema
Twitter: @NewLine_Cinema
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/newlinecinemacorp
MGM Studios
Twitter: @MGM_Studios
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mgm
November 2, 2014
WIN a Kindle Fire 6 and check out some amazing stories for FREE!
I've joined forces with some of the best young adult contemporary romance authors, and our sample bundle is now free all over the place. Woot! I am honored to be in such amazing company and I hope you'll check out all of their work.
Download for free on:
Amazon * iTunes * GooglePlay * Scribd * Kobo
Included in this sampler are excerpts from eight of today’s best young adult contemporary romance authors. Whether you’re looking for heart-pounding moments, a few laughs or deeper, issue-based reads, we think you’ll find your next favorite books (and book boyfriends!) from among these samples. Love Firsts includes the opening chapters of:
Taking the Reins by Katrina AbbottInvestigating the Hottie by Juli AlexanderStalk Me by Jillian DoddAdventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda HarrisCinder & Ella by Kelly OramSecret Girlfriend by Bria QuinlanWaiting on the Sidelines by Ginger ScottThe Academy – Introductions by C. L. Stone
We're also hosting a giveaway for those that download the sampler. Win a Kindle Fire 6!! Awesome, right? There's some trivia involved to enter, so make sure you download the sampler. :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Download for free on:
Amazon * iTunes * GooglePlay * Scribd * Kobo
Included in this sampler are excerpts from eight of today’s best young adult contemporary romance authors. Whether you’re looking for heart-pounding moments, a few laughs or deeper, issue-based reads, we think you’ll find your next favorite books (and book boyfriends!) from among these samples. Love Firsts includes the opening chapters of:
Taking the Reins by Katrina AbbottInvestigating the Hottie by Juli AlexanderStalk Me by Jillian DoddAdventures in Funeral Crashing by Milda HarrisCinder & Ella by Kelly OramSecret Girlfriend by Bria QuinlanWaiting on the Sidelines by Ginger ScottThe Academy – Introductions by C. L. Stone
We're also hosting a giveaway for those that download the sampler. Win a Kindle Fire 6!! Awesome, right? There's some trivia involved to enter, so make sure you download the sampler. :)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
com/load.jscom/load.js
October 26, 2014
2014 YA Contemporary Scavenger Hunt (author interview and giveaway)
Hey everyone! I have a fun post for you today. I was lucky enough to be invited to join the 1st annual 2014 YA contemporary scavenger hunt hosted by The Book Belles and Katie's Book Blog.
As part of the scavenger hunt I have the privilege of hosting a wonderful author and highlighting her awesome book. I haven't had the chance to read this one yet, but it sounds fantastic! So, please welcome to my blog, author Rachel DeWoskin and her YA contemporary BLIND.
When your life as you know it is taken from you, how do you go on?
Imagine this: You are fourteen, watching the fireworks at a 4th of July party, when a rocket backfires into the crowd and strikes your eyes, leaving you blind. In that instant, your life is changed forever. How do you face a future in which all your expectations must be different? You will never see the face of your newborn sister, never learn to drive. Will you ever have a job or fall in love? This is Emma’s story. The drama is in her manysmall victories as she returns to high school in her home town and struggles to define herself and make sense of her life, determined not to be dismissed as a PBK – Poor Blind Kid. This heartfelt and heart wrenching story takes you on Emma’s journey and leaves you with a new understanding of the challenges to be faced when life deals a devastating blow.
Buy the book!Amazon * B&N
Interview with Rachel:
Blind's central focus surrounds Emma, who suddenly loses her vision in an accident. What research did you do in order to write about this topic?
I began to imagine and write Blind when my two little girls and I read the children’s bookThe Black Book of Colors every night for a year. I was both terrified and inspired by that shiny, embossed wonder, full of images you can feel rather than see. The more we touched those pages, the more I wondered what it would be like to be able to see and then lose that ability. Would my memories stay visual? Would my senses cross so that I could taste, smell and hear colors? What would language look and feel like, and how would I read, think and make meaning of the world? What if one of my daughters lost her vision? We would read with our fingers and voices, take in books, each other, and everything around us in an utterly changed way. The stakes would be astronomical. What if feeling became our way of seeing?
I wrote Emma Sasha Silver’s story so I could try to feel my way through someone else’s experience, my favorite part of both reading and writing. Emma is the heroine I wanted for my daughters, a complicated and 3-D girl who ultimately manages to be a warrior when faced with staggeringly painful circumstances. Like so many teenagers I know, she is tenacious, scrappy, funny, and difficult. She is resilient not only because she musters up her own courage, but also because the girls around her are kind. Emma’s friends, sisters, and parents are like mine: flawed but loving, trying to be their best selves even in the worst possible moments. They are no saints in Blind, but girls take care of each other when it matters most. Because for me, that experience is true and urgent.
In order to dream Emma up, I spent last year studying Braille, going to “beep ball” games and eating ice cream with blind teenagers, trying on glasses, tripping over white canes, and learning basic geometry with a teacher who taught me to feel shapes on a magnetic board. I talked to blind girls who told me they always wear nude bras, so the colors won’t show through, no matter what tee-shirt they might accidentally choose. I felt clothing labels Braille-d onto little squares cut from milk jugs, learned to tell a blue eye-liner (one rainbow loom band around the top) from a red lip-liner (two bands). I got how and why blind girls like to wear make-up. I was reminded that kids are kids no matter what their particular challenges, everyone working on the same universal projects: to figure out who we are and how to engage in the world in meaningful ways. Blind is for all those kids, and for my daughters, an exploration of what we need in order to stay on the opposite side of loneliness: each other, curiosity, love, empathy, and books.
Writing Blind let me do what I want my girls – and all girls – to get to do as many times as they can, all their lives. To close my eyes and open my imagination to the fantastic possibilities of a new way to look at—and see—the world.
How long did it take you to write Blind?
Three years, during which I both researched (learned Braille, hung out with people who know more about blindness and adolescence than I do) and wrote.
Was it easier or harder to write Blind than your previous novels?
Each book presents its own set of inspirations and struggles. I wanted, writing Blind, to inhabit as fully as possible the experiences of being fifteen, being blind, and being in a giant family of sisters, so that required both a lot of research and a lot of dreaming/imagining. But that work is what I most love to do, and I’ve had (and gotten, really) to do it for each of my books.
What do you like to do when you're not reading or writing?
I like to hang out with my little girls and my husband and my parents, dancing, painting, watching movies, baking cupcakes, stapling printer paper books together, cutting out snowflakes, model-magic-ing, flying to China. I like to teach my students at The University of Chicago, to read and think about their work. I like to swim, climb, run, and to move around the world (we spend part of every year in Beijing, and another part on the Salmon River in California). I love transition, culture shock, languages that don’t belong to me, my family, and the feeling of being able to fly and land anywhere.
Quick Questions:
Contemporary or Historical Fiction? Historical.
Beach or Mountains? Beach.
E-Book or Physical? Both, please.
Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt? Ice cream. Unless it's at one of those frozen yoghurt places where there's a giant salad bar of candy, in which case I love it.
Rafflecopter Give Away of Blind (a physical book and an audio book!): [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rachel DeWoskin is the author of Foreign Babes in Beijing, a memoir about her inadvertent notoriety as the star of a Chinese soap opera, and a novel, Repeat After Me. She lives in New York City and Beijing and is at work on her fourth book, Statutory. [image error] [image error] [image error]
Connect with Rachel: Website * Amazon * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook
Head on over to Eileen Cook for the next stop on the hunt!
As part of the scavenger hunt I have the privilege of hosting a wonderful author and highlighting her awesome book. I haven't had the chance to read this one yet, but it sounds fantastic! So, please welcome to my blog, author Rachel DeWoskin and her YA contemporary BLIND.
When your life as you know it is taken from you, how do you go on?Imagine this: You are fourteen, watching the fireworks at a 4th of July party, when a rocket backfires into the crowd and strikes your eyes, leaving you blind. In that instant, your life is changed forever. How do you face a future in which all your expectations must be different? You will never see the face of your newborn sister, never learn to drive. Will you ever have a job or fall in love? This is Emma’s story. The drama is in her manysmall victories as she returns to high school in her home town and struggles to define herself and make sense of her life, determined not to be dismissed as a PBK – Poor Blind Kid. This heartfelt and heart wrenching story takes you on Emma’s journey and leaves you with a new understanding of the challenges to be faced when life deals a devastating blow.
Buy the book!Amazon * B&N
Interview with Rachel:
Blind's central focus surrounds Emma, who suddenly loses her vision in an accident. What research did you do in order to write about this topic?
I began to imagine and write Blind when my two little girls and I read the children’s bookThe Black Book of Colors every night for a year. I was both terrified and inspired by that shiny, embossed wonder, full of images you can feel rather than see. The more we touched those pages, the more I wondered what it would be like to be able to see and then lose that ability. Would my memories stay visual? Would my senses cross so that I could taste, smell and hear colors? What would language look and feel like, and how would I read, think and make meaning of the world? What if one of my daughters lost her vision? We would read with our fingers and voices, take in books, each other, and everything around us in an utterly changed way. The stakes would be astronomical. What if feeling became our way of seeing?
I wrote Emma Sasha Silver’s story so I could try to feel my way through someone else’s experience, my favorite part of both reading and writing. Emma is the heroine I wanted for my daughters, a complicated and 3-D girl who ultimately manages to be a warrior when faced with staggeringly painful circumstances. Like so many teenagers I know, she is tenacious, scrappy, funny, and difficult. She is resilient not only because she musters up her own courage, but also because the girls around her are kind. Emma’s friends, sisters, and parents are like mine: flawed but loving, trying to be their best selves even in the worst possible moments. They are no saints in Blind, but girls take care of each other when it matters most. Because for me, that experience is true and urgent.
In order to dream Emma up, I spent last year studying Braille, going to “beep ball” games and eating ice cream with blind teenagers, trying on glasses, tripping over white canes, and learning basic geometry with a teacher who taught me to feel shapes on a magnetic board. I talked to blind girls who told me they always wear nude bras, so the colors won’t show through, no matter what tee-shirt they might accidentally choose. I felt clothing labels Braille-d onto little squares cut from milk jugs, learned to tell a blue eye-liner (one rainbow loom band around the top) from a red lip-liner (two bands). I got how and why blind girls like to wear make-up. I was reminded that kids are kids no matter what their particular challenges, everyone working on the same universal projects: to figure out who we are and how to engage in the world in meaningful ways. Blind is for all those kids, and for my daughters, an exploration of what we need in order to stay on the opposite side of loneliness: each other, curiosity, love, empathy, and books.
Writing Blind let me do what I want my girls – and all girls – to get to do as many times as they can, all their lives. To close my eyes and open my imagination to the fantastic possibilities of a new way to look at—and see—the world.
How long did it take you to write Blind?
Three years, during which I both researched (learned Braille, hung out with people who know more about blindness and adolescence than I do) and wrote.
Was it easier or harder to write Blind than your previous novels?
Each book presents its own set of inspirations and struggles. I wanted, writing Blind, to inhabit as fully as possible the experiences of being fifteen, being blind, and being in a giant family of sisters, so that required both a lot of research and a lot of dreaming/imagining. But that work is what I most love to do, and I’ve had (and gotten, really) to do it for each of my books.
What do you like to do when you're not reading or writing?
I like to hang out with my little girls and my husband and my parents, dancing, painting, watching movies, baking cupcakes, stapling printer paper books together, cutting out snowflakes, model-magic-ing, flying to China. I like to teach my students at The University of Chicago, to read and think about their work. I like to swim, climb, run, and to move around the world (we spend part of every year in Beijing, and another part on the Salmon River in California). I love transition, culture shock, languages that don’t belong to me, my family, and the feeling of being able to fly and land anywhere.
Quick Questions:
Contemporary or Historical Fiction? Historical.
Beach or Mountains? Beach.
E-Book or Physical? Both, please.
Ice Cream or Frozen Yogurt? Ice cream. Unless it's at one of those frozen yoghurt places where there's a giant salad bar of candy, in which case I love it.
Rafflecopter Give Away of Blind (a physical book and an audio book!): [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rachel DeWoskin is the author of Foreign Babes in Beijing, a memoir about her inadvertent notoriety as the star of a Chinese soap opera, and a novel, Repeat After Me. She lives in New York City and Beijing and is at work on her fourth book, Statutory. [image error] [image error] [image error]
Connect with Rachel: Website * Amazon * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook
Head on over to Eileen Cook for the next stop on the hunt! October 2, 2014
I had a ball! (literally and figuratively)
Hey everyone! Yesterday was the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball, and though I was completely exhausted by the end, I had a great time! Since not everyone could go, I thought it would be fun to sort of recap the night.
First of all, I was nearly late for my own party. I had to pick up my kids from school and I cut it a little too close. Then I got stopped by a train on the way. I burst through the door to my house at exactly 3pm and then promptly neglected my children for the rest of the night. (It's a good thing their dad was home.)
The evening started with a walk down the red carpet. We had the fashion show of the century! Everyone looked fabulous!
This was my dress...
And Julie was the winner of our fashion contest with this beautiful gown...
Brian and Kyle both arrived in style as well. Brian is a big boy and was able to dress himself...
while Kyle needed a little bit of Val's help. First he tried to come wearing this...
But Val made him change into this...
Thanks Val! Sorry Kyle, but green crushed velvet only gets a man so far, you know?
Author Cassie Mae received an honorable mention when she made a selfless sacrifice to not show up her date by looking too hot.
Where was Val on this one? ;)
After the red carpet the guests were announced at the door, and the list was long and distinguished! I dare even the Oscars to have such a star stuttered event! The amazing, beautiful, scrumptious, talented, shiver-inducing Santiago Cabrera was kind enough to escort me. Lucky ME! I fell in love with him when he played Lancelot on Merlin, and he made it a permanent love on his show The Musketeers. Be still my beating heart! And also, he happens to be half Chilean just like Ella!
Some others among the guest list included Chase Crawford, Clive Owen, Henry Cavill, Ian Somerhalder, Channing Tatum Matt Bomer, George Clooney, Logan Lerman, Cris Pine, Theo James, Chris Evans, Captain Hook, Daemon Black, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Knightly, Paul Rudd and many others. Even Toothless flew in from Berk! I think Jensen Ackles won for escorting the most women! He had like six dates! Brittany won our contest for best fantasy date, though, when she showed up with Sam Heughan - the handsome built Scotsman playing Jamie on Outlander!
The ladies helping me judge the competition had a hard time deciding on only one winner for this competition, but in the end the sexy shirtless man in the kilt with the hot foreign accent won out! Never underestimate the power of the kilt!
From there things got crazy and the rest of the night became a blur. There were authors chatting everywhere and it seemed like every time I blinked there was another giveaway happening!
There was dancing...
There was cake...
and then there wasn't cake...
Author Marissa Meyer showed off her sexy feet...
which caused Author Cindi Madsen to confess to an addiction...
while Author Anne Eliot had panic attacks... (curse those time zones!)
don't worry, Anne is doing better. (We fed her chocolate. It cures all.)
That was exciting, but the real party stopper of the night was when Kyle crashed the ball, making a fashionably late entrance after hijacking my Facebook page.
which caused most of the ladies present to swoon...
unfortunately, with Kyle and Brian's history/rivalry, the night only went downhill from there with more than a few classic moments such as these...
It's called maturity, boys. Honestly!
BUT we managed to save the evening by having an awesome fan art contest, which I will post a separate blog about later, and a truckload of winners!
of course, then I ruined it by attempting to read to you...
...and I gave a long-winded, boring speech. :)
And that was about it! Hope you enjoyed the ball, whether you were there in person or experiencing it second hand through this very long, picture-heavy blog post! Thanks everyone! Enjoy the new book!!!
First of all, I was nearly late for my own party. I had to pick up my kids from school and I cut it a little too close. Then I got stopped by a train on the way. I burst through the door to my house at exactly 3pm and then promptly neglected my children for the rest of the night. (It's a good thing their dad was home.)
The evening started with a walk down the red carpet. We had the fashion show of the century! Everyone looked fabulous!
This was my dress...
And Julie was the winner of our fashion contest with this beautiful gown...
Brian and Kyle both arrived in style as well. Brian is a big boy and was able to dress himself...
while Kyle needed a little bit of Val's help. First he tried to come wearing this...
But Val made him change into this...
Thanks Val! Sorry Kyle, but green crushed velvet only gets a man so far, you know?
Author Cassie Mae received an honorable mention when she made a selfless sacrifice to not show up her date by looking too hot.
Where was Val on this one? ;)
After the red carpet the guests were announced at the door, and the list was long and distinguished! I dare even the Oscars to have such a star stuttered event! The amazing, beautiful, scrumptious, talented, shiver-inducing Santiago Cabrera was kind enough to escort me. Lucky ME! I fell in love with him when he played Lancelot on Merlin, and he made it a permanent love on his show The Musketeers. Be still my beating heart! And also, he happens to be half Chilean just like Ella!
Some others among the guest list included Chase Crawford, Clive Owen, Henry Cavill, Ian Somerhalder, Channing Tatum Matt Bomer, George Clooney, Logan Lerman, Cris Pine, Theo James, Chris Evans, Captain Hook, Daemon Black, Sherlock Holmes, Mr. Knightly, Paul Rudd and many others. Even Toothless flew in from Berk! I think Jensen Ackles won for escorting the most women! He had like six dates! Brittany won our contest for best fantasy date, though, when she showed up with Sam Heughan - the handsome built Scotsman playing Jamie on Outlander!
The ladies helping me judge the competition had a hard time deciding on only one winner for this competition, but in the end the sexy shirtless man in the kilt with the hot foreign accent won out! Never underestimate the power of the kilt!
From there things got crazy and the rest of the night became a blur. There were authors chatting everywhere and it seemed like every time I blinked there was another giveaway happening!
There was dancing...
There was cake...
and then there wasn't cake...
Author Marissa Meyer showed off her sexy feet...
which caused Author Cindi Madsen to confess to an addiction...
while Author Anne Eliot had panic attacks... (curse those time zones!)
don't worry, Anne is doing better. (We fed her chocolate. It cures all.)
That was exciting, but the real party stopper of the night was when Kyle crashed the ball, making a fashionably late entrance after hijacking my Facebook page.
which caused most of the ladies present to swoon...
unfortunately, with Kyle and Brian's history/rivalry, the night only went downhill from there with more than a few classic moments such as these...
It's called maturity, boys. Honestly!
BUT we managed to save the evening by having an awesome fan art contest, which I will post a separate blog about later, and a truckload of winners!
of course, then I ruined it by attempting to read to you...
...and I gave a long-winded, boring speech. :)
And that was about it! Hope you enjoyed the ball, whether you were there in person or experiencing it second hand through this very long, picture-heavy blog post! Thanks everyone! Enjoy the new book!!!
Old V is for Virgin interview with the Girls With Glasses
Hey guys! So I was going to add my read-along video to my extras page (which I will do in a moment) but then I came across these and decided to add them as well. :)
Thanks to the lovely Summer and Brooke for having me on the Girls With Glasses show!
Thanks to the lovely Summer and Brooke for having me on the Girls With Glasses show!
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Arent Brooke and Summer so adorable?Click the picture to check out there website and see what they're all about!
October 1, 2014
Happy Book Birthday Cinder & Ella!! Blog tour kick off and giveaway.
It's finally here!! Woohoo! Download the ebook today at it's release day discounted price of $2.99!
Now Available in paperback and ebook on
Amazon * Barnes&Noble
Help me celebrate the release and kick off the official blog tour at the
Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball!
Games, giveaways, author chats and more!
And the fun continues all month long!Follow the tour...
10 – 1 – Facebook party10 – 2 – The Chiq Blog – Excerpt a Rafflecopter giveaway
Now Available in paperback and ebook onAmazon * Barnes&Noble
Help me celebrate the release and kick off the official blog tour at the
Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball!
Games, giveaways, author chats and more!
And the fun continues all month long!Follow the tour...
10 – 1 – Facebook party10 – 2 – The Chiq Blog – Excerpt a Rafflecopter giveaway
September 27, 2014
Jamie 3 on hiatus
To answer all the questions about the Jamie 3 release date, there isn't one right now, and I don't know when that's going to change. I am so sorry, but I'm having problems with the third Jamie book. I love the story, I love the characters, and I know how it all ends. But in the beginning, there were several different ways that the story could play out and I wasn't sure which way was the best. I started with one outline, got about 130 pages written and decided it wasn't working, so I went back to the beginning and tried the next idea... To make a long frustrating story short, I am now on the 8th draft of the book. I have written close to SEVEN HUNDRED PAGES, and I am still only 170 pages into the book. The good news is, I finally, after much trial and error, found a version of the story that I am happy with, and that I think works the best. The bad news is that in this process, I have completely psyched myself out and have stressed so much over it that I'm having a difficult time finishing the book. I've lost my confidence in it.
I feel absolutely terrible, that I've made people wait for this book. I never imagined I'd have this problem because when I wrote Jamie 2, I already had the outline for Jamie three done. I figured it would be like all the other books I've written, and take me maybe 3 months to have a first draft written, but sometimes the plain and simple truth is: what you have planned doesn't always work once you get into it. The original plan I had for Jamie 3 wasn't working. It wasn't good. I could have just finished it anyway and then published it so that people wouldn't have to wait for it. But I felt that was unacceptable. I love Jamie, and I know how much my fans love it. I don't want to mess it up. I don't want to let people down. I want to get it right. I have read way too many series' where I get to the final book and am completely disappointed. I really, really don't want to do that with my own book. I have worked too long and too hard on this series to sell myself short and put something out that I don't fully believe in. And believe me, you guys don't want that from me either. I promise you would rather wait and get a book that you're happy with, than have me rush a release and let you down with the ending of a story that's taken years to get to the end of.
I have been working hard on Jamie 3--stressing over it and agonizing over it for months. I have been losing sleep over it, and have been giving myself migraines over it. This is not writers block. It's some kind of mental, emotional thing. I'm stressed to the max over it, and now it's affecting all of my writing too. I have been having anxiety attacks when I sit down to write because I am so stressed and feel so much pressure. So, as much as I hate to do this, and hate disappoint people, I need to do what is best for me. I need to write Jamie 3 on my own timeframe, and if that includes shelving the project for a few months--or years if that's what it takes--then so be it. I am sorry. I apologize. For now, Jamie 3 is on hiatus. I haven't given up on it completely yet, but I am going to put it aside. I am going to concentrate on finishing my other series' and works in progress, and hope that in taking some time away from it, and clearing some of the other things off my plate, I'll be able to stop stressing so much and find my heart for Jamie again, and feel better about my writing.
To all of you who have sent lovely, nice, encouraging emails concerning Jamie 3, thank you. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I hope this can at least answer your questions on the matter. I appreciate your patience, understanding, support, and love for these books. It's for you guys, (and for myself too) that I don't want to abandon this project. I will continue to try my best to not let you guys down.
I feel absolutely terrible, that I've made people wait for this book. I never imagined I'd have this problem because when I wrote Jamie 2, I already had the outline for Jamie three done. I figured it would be like all the other books I've written, and take me maybe 3 months to have a first draft written, but sometimes the plain and simple truth is: what you have planned doesn't always work once you get into it. The original plan I had for Jamie 3 wasn't working. It wasn't good. I could have just finished it anyway and then published it so that people wouldn't have to wait for it. But I felt that was unacceptable. I love Jamie, and I know how much my fans love it. I don't want to mess it up. I don't want to let people down. I want to get it right. I have read way too many series' where I get to the final book and am completely disappointed. I really, really don't want to do that with my own book. I have worked too long and too hard on this series to sell myself short and put something out that I don't fully believe in. And believe me, you guys don't want that from me either. I promise you would rather wait and get a book that you're happy with, than have me rush a release and let you down with the ending of a story that's taken years to get to the end of.
I have been working hard on Jamie 3--stressing over it and agonizing over it for months. I have been losing sleep over it, and have been giving myself migraines over it. This is not writers block. It's some kind of mental, emotional thing. I'm stressed to the max over it, and now it's affecting all of my writing too. I have been having anxiety attacks when I sit down to write because I am so stressed and feel so much pressure. So, as much as I hate to do this, and hate disappoint people, I need to do what is best for me. I need to write Jamie 3 on my own timeframe, and if that includes shelving the project for a few months--or years if that's what it takes--then so be it. I am sorry. I apologize. For now, Jamie 3 is on hiatus. I haven't given up on it completely yet, but I am going to put it aside. I am going to concentrate on finishing my other series' and works in progress, and hope that in taking some time away from it, and clearing some of the other things off my plate, I'll be able to stop stressing so much and find my heart for Jamie again, and feel better about my writing.
To all of you who have sent lovely, nice, encouraging emails concerning Jamie 3, thank you. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I hope this can at least answer your questions on the matter. I appreciate your patience, understanding, support, and love for these books. It's for you guys, (and for myself too) that I don't want to abandon this project. I will continue to try my best to not let you guys down.
Dear immature and irate fan,
To answer your question about the Jamie 3 release date, there isn't one right now. And, to be honest, I am
this close
to putting the book on indefinite hiatus because I am SO FREAKING TIRED OF THE HATE MAIL. I'm tired of putting so much thought, stress, and hard work into a project that I am literally losing sleep and giving myself migraines over, only to keep receiving nasty emails full of people swearing at me, calling me names, demanding things from me, saying I owe them, telling me I suck because I am releasing other books before Jamie 3, and saying they're not going to buy any of my other books again unless I release Jamie 3 first. Well, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but your nasty letters are not having the outcome you're hoping for. In fact, all the pressure and hurt your letters cause are making things worse and will only delay the book that much longer. I am so fed up that for the first time since I began this project I am considering pulling Jamie 2 from publication and never releasing Jamie 3. I am one more nasty comment away from scraping the book entirely.
I understand that when I decided to put my work out there for the public I was opening myself up to negative feedback, bad reviews, and the idiocy of people who like to hurt others just because they can. I am a pro at taking it. There are plenty of people that don't like my work. That doesn't bother me in the least. I know that you can't please everyone. I know that not every book is the right book for every reader. I get it. I'm fine with it. I even embrace bloggers and fans giving their honest reviews even if their feelings are negative. I live for constructive criticism. Love it. And I know how to ignore rants from people who simply like to be snarky. That's totally whatever. But at the same time, I am still a person. I still have feelings. And I need to really love my job to be able to take the bad with the good. I need to not stress myself out so much, and not make myself sick because I'm trying to please my fans, or trying to live up to that impossible standard of writing a book that everyone will love. Unfortunately, right now, that's not happening.
I'm having problems with the third Jamie book. I love the story, I love the characters, and I know how it all ends. But in the beginning, there were several different ways that the story could play out and I wasn't sure which way was the best. I started with one outline, got about 130 pages written and decided it wasn't working, so I went back to the beginning and tried the next idea... To make a long frustrating story short, I am now on the 8th draft of the book. I have written close to SEVEN HUNDRED PAGES, and I am still only 170 pages into the book. The good news is, I finally, after much trial and error, found a version of the story that I am happy with, and that I think works the best. The bad news is that in this process, I have completely psyched myself out and have stressed so much over it that I'm having a difficult time finishing the book. I've lost my confidence in it and I've also taken so long that people are getting impatient. I get emails daily asking about the release of the book. A lot of those emails are beyond sweet, (Which I thank you for.) but a lot of inqueries are not so nice.
I feel awful, absolutely terrible, that I've made people wait for this book. I never imagined I'd have this problem because when I wrote Jamie 2, I already had the outline for Jamie three done. I figured it would be like all the other books I've written, and take me maybe 3 months to have a first draft written, but sometimes the plain and simple truth is: what you have planned doesn't always work once you get into it. The original plan I had for Jamie 3 wasn't working. It wasn't good. I could have just finished it anyway and then published it so that people wouldn't have to wait for it. But I felt that was unacceptable. I love Jamie, and I know how much my fans love it. I don't want to mess it up. I don't want to let people down. I want to get it right. I have read way too many series' where I get to the final book and am completely disappointed. I really, really don't want to do that with my own book. I have worked too long and too hard on this series to sell myself short and put something out that I don't fully believe in. And believe me, you guys don't want that from me either. Wouldn't you rather wait and get a book that you're happy with, than have me rush a release and you're let down with the ending of a story that's taken years to get to the end of?
I have been working hard on Jamie 3--stressing over it and agonizing over it for months. I have been losing sleep over it, and have been giving myself migraines over it. This is not writers block. It's some kind of mental, emotional thing, and all of the pressure I get daily from my fans--especially the particularly nasty letters like the one that prompted me to write this blog post--only makes it worse. It has to stop. I can't keep doing this to myself. It's affecting all of my writing now and not just Jamie 3. I have been having anxiety attacks when I sit down to write because I am so stressed and feel so much pressure. So, as much as I hate to do this, and hate disappoint people, I need to do what is best for me. I need to write Jamie 3 on my own timeframe, and if that includes shelving the project for a few months--or years if that's what it takes--then so be it. I am sorry. I apologize. For now, Jamie 3 is on hiatus. I haven't given up on it completely yet, but I am going to put it aside. I am going to concentrate on finishing my other series' and works in progress, and hope that in taking some time away from it, and clearing some of the other things off my plate, I'll be able to stop stressing so much and find my heart for Jamie again, and feel better about my writing.
I appreciate your understanding on this and, if you can't deal with that, then I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do for you no matter how many nasty, hurtful emails you send.
To all of you who have sent lovely, nice, encouraging emails concerning Jamie 3, thank you. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I hope this can at least answer your questions on the matter. I appreciate your patience, understanding, support, and love for these books. It's for you guys, (and for myself too) that I don't want to abandon this project. I will continue to try my best to not let you guys down.
Sincerely,
A stressed-out writer
Kelly
I understand that when I decided to put my work out there for the public I was opening myself up to negative feedback, bad reviews, and the idiocy of people who like to hurt others just because they can. I am a pro at taking it. There are plenty of people that don't like my work. That doesn't bother me in the least. I know that you can't please everyone. I know that not every book is the right book for every reader. I get it. I'm fine with it. I even embrace bloggers and fans giving their honest reviews even if their feelings are negative. I live for constructive criticism. Love it. And I know how to ignore rants from people who simply like to be snarky. That's totally whatever. But at the same time, I am still a person. I still have feelings. And I need to really love my job to be able to take the bad with the good. I need to not stress myself out so much, and not make myself sick because I'm trying to please my fans, or trying to live up to that impossible standard of writing a book that everyone will love. Unfortunately, right now, that's not happening.
I'm having problems with the third Jamie book. I love the story, I love the characters, and I know how it all ends. But in the beginning, there were several different ways that the story could play out and I wasn't sure which way was the best. I started with one outline, got about 130 pages written and decided it wasn't working, so I went back to the beginning and tried the next idea... To make a long frustrating story short, I am now on the 8th draft of the book. I have written close to SEVEN HUNDRED PAGES, and I am still only 170 pages into the book. The good news is, I finally, after much trial and error, found a version of the story that I am happy with, and that I think works the best. The bad news is that in this process, I have completely psyched myself out and have stressed so much over it that I'm having a difficult time finishing the book. I've lost my confidence in it and I've also taken so long that people are getting impatient. I get emails daily asking about the release of the book. A lot of those emails are beyond sweet, (Which I thank you for.) but a lot of inqueries are not so nice.
I feel awful, absolutely terrible, that I've made people wait for this book. I never imagined I'd have this problem because when I wrote Jamie 2, I already had the outline for Jamie three done. I figured it would be like all the other books I've written, and take me maybe 3 months to have a first draft written, but sometimes the plain and simple truth is: what you have planned doesn't always work once you get into it. The original plan I had for Jamie 3 wasn't working. It wasn't good. I could have just finished it anyway and then published it so that people wouldn't have to wait for it. But I felt that was unacceptable. I love Jamie, and I know how much my fans love it. I don't want to mess it up. I don't want to let people down. I want to get it right. I have read way too many series' where I get to the final book and am completely disappointed. I really, really don't want to do that with my own book. I have worked too long and too hard on this series to sell myself short and put something out that I don't fully believe in. And believe me, you guys don't want that from me either. Wouldn't you rather wait and get a book that you're happy with, than have me rush a release and you're let down with the ending of a story that's taken years to get to the end of?
I have been working hard on Jamie 3--stressing over it and agonizing over it for months. I have been losing sleep over it, and have been giving myself migraines over it. This is not writers block. It's some kind of mental, emotional thing, and all of the pressure I get daily from my fans--especially the particularly nasty letters like the one that prompted me to write this blog post--only makes it worse. It has to stop. I can't keep doing this to myself. It's affecting all of my writing now and not just Jamie 3. I have been having anxiety attacks when I sit down to write because I am so stressed and feel so much pressure. So, as much as I hate to do this, and hate disappoint people, I need to do what is best for me. I need to write Jamie 3 on my own timeframe, and if that includes shelving the project for a few months--or years if that's what it takes--then so be it. I am sorry. I apologize. For now, Jamie 3 is on hiatus. I haven't given up on it completely yet, but I am going to put it aside. I am going to concentrate on finishing my other series' and works in progress, and hope that in taking some time away from it, and clearing some of the other things off my plate, I'll be able to stop stressing so much and find my heart for Jamie again, and feel better about my writing.
I appreciate your understanding on this and, if you can't deal with that, then I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can do for you no matter how many nasty, hurtful emails you send.
To all of you who have sent lovely, nice, encouraging emails concerning Jamie 3, thank you. I'm sorry for the bad news, but I hope this can at least answer your questions on the matter. I appreciate your patience, understanding, support, and love for these books. It's for you guys, (and for myself too) that I don't want to abandon this project. I will continue to try my best to not let you guys down.
Sincerely,
A stressed-out writer
Kelly
September 19, 2014
Win the Ultimate V is for Virgin Gift Pack! (Kelly Oram fan art contest)
Enter the Kelly Oram Fan Art Contest and winThe Ultimate V is for Virgin Gift PackIncludes: signed copy of V is for Virginsigned copy of A is for Abstinencesigned V is for Virgin postersigned A is for Abstinence poster5x7 Kyle Hamilton photo (Signed by Kyle)V is for Virgin necklaceA is for Abstinence Braceletsigned bookmarks
*contest is international* ends Oct. 1st*
Awesome giveaway, right? Well, that's because you have to work for this one.To Win: Enter the Kelly Oram Fan Art Contest by sending in your best fan art!
What's a ball without a king presiding? Remember when you guys voted Kyle Hamilton as king of the Book Boyfriends during this year's Battle of the Book Boyfriends? How could you NOT remember this...
Well, as your reigning King, Kyle will be attending Cinder & Ella's Book Release Ball. And King Kyle expects his loyal subjects to lay gifts at his feet! In return for your wonderful gifts, you will be entered to win Kyle's Ultimate V is for Virgin Gift Pack.
HOW IT WORKS:
The Kelly Oram Fan Art Contest is officially part of the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball. King Kyle will show up at the Ball and post a thread about the contest. Then you guys post the links or pictures of whatever you've created in the comments of the thread. I'll pick one of my favorite entires as the winner at the end of the ball.
If you can't make it to the ball, maybe you don't have Facebook, or you live on the other side of the world and will have a hard time getting there in the right hours... (I'm sad for you and you will be missed!) have no fear, you can still enter the fan art contest by emailing me your entries ahead of time to kellyoramwrites@gmail.com with the subject: Fan Art Contest. I will accept entries via email from now up until half an hour before the winner is announced. (I'll give a last call in the contest thread and then have myself and a couple friends help me to pick the winner.)
This contest is open internationally and will end at the end of the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball October 1st.
You may enter as many times as you like by entering as many different creations as you have the time/energy to create.
This is a KELLY ORAM fan contest. Though Kyle Hamilton is hosting it, you don't have to use V is for Virgin. You can chose any of my books or characters or even me as the subject of your creation. Here are some possible ideas to get you started but if you can think of something not on this list, by all means go for it. The sky's the limit!
*draw a picture of your favorite KO character/scene/book cover*create a photo teaser using your favorite KO quote*write a poem about your favorite character/book/or even about Kelly herself*write a song a la Kyle Hamilton style*draw a comic strip of your favorite KO scene (or maybe a Chelsea's Angel comic!)*write a KO fan fiction story*create your own Virgin Val jewelry and post a pic of it*make a KO themed t-shirt and take a selfie of you wearing it*decorate a cake with a KO theme*make a KO fan video and post it on youtube*make a KO book trailer/teaser video*make a collage of KO quotes*dress up as Chelsea's Angel and post a pic. (This would also rule for Halloween!)*post a video or blog post about your ultimate dream cast for your favorite KO book.*get together with your friends and act out a scene from your favorite KO book, film it and post it on youtube.
The possibilities are endless! I LOVE creativity, and I want to see yours! Have fun and good luck!!
*contest is international* ends Oct. 1st*Awesome giveaway, right? Well, that's because you have to work for this one.To Win: Enter the Kelly Oram Fan Art Contest by sending in your best fan art!
What's a ball without a king presiding? Remember when you guys voted Kyle Hamilton as king of the Book Boyfriends during this year's Battle of the Book Boyfriends? How could you NOT remember this...
Well, as your reigning King, Kyle will be attending Cinder & Ella's Book Release Ball. And King Kyle expects his loyal subjects to lay gifts at his feet! In return for your wonderful gifts, you will be entered to win Kyle's Ultimate V is for Virgin Gift Pack.
HOW IT WORKS:
The Kelly Oram Fan Art Contest is officially part of the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball. King Kyle will show up at the Ball and post a thread about the contest. Then you guys post the links or pictures of whatever you've created in the comments of the thread. I'll pick one of my favorite entires as the winner at the end of the ball.
If you can't make it to the ball, maybe you don't have Facebook, or you live on the other side of the world and will have a hard time getting there in the right hours... (I'm sad for you and you will be missed!) have no fear, you can still enter the fan art contest by emailing me your entries ahead of time to kellyoramwrites@gmail.com with the subject: Fan Art Contest. I will accept entries via email from now up until half an hour before the winner is announced. (I'll give a last call in the contest thread and then have myself and a couple friends help me to pick the winner.)
This contest is open internationally and will end at the end of the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball October 1st.
You may enter as many times as you like by entering as many different creations as you have the time/energy to create.
This is a KELLY ORAM fan contest. Though Kyle Hamilton is hosting it, you don't have to use V is for Virgin. You can chose any of my books or characters or even me as the subject of your creation. Here are some possible ideas to get you started but if you can think of something not on this list, by all means go for it. The sky's the limit!
*draw a picture of your favorite KO character/scene/book cover*create a photo teaser using your favorite KO quote*write a poem about your favorite character/book/or even about Kelly herself*write a song a la Kyle Hamilton style*draw a comic strip of your favorite KO scene (or maybe a Chelsea's Angel comic!)*write a KO fan fiction story*create your own Virgin Val jewelry and post a pic of it*make a KO themed t-shirt and take a selfie of you wearing it*decorate a cake with a KO theme*make a KO fan video and post it on youtube*make a KO book trailer/teaser video*make a collage of KO quotes*dress up as Chelsea's Angel and post a pic. (This would also rule for Halloween!)*post a video or blog post about your ultimate dream cast for your favorite KO book.*get together with your friends and act out a scene from your favorite KO book, film it and post it on youtube.
The possibilities are endless! I LOVE creativity, and I want to see yours! Have fun and good luck!!
Win a Cinder & Ella gift pack!
Woohoo, it's time to give stuff away!
Enter to win this Cinder & Ella Gift Pack (now through October 1st)Includes: Signed copy of Cinder & Ella two signed signed postersand bookmarks
*Giveaway is international*
Enter in two easy steps: 1. Click this link --> Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball2. Click "join" on the event page
Attend a ball and leave with a prince! This giveaway is exclusive to the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball attendees. I've put a LOT of time and effort into the release party for my new book Cinder & Ella. I've got all kinds of games/contests and over a dozen giveaways happening that day, and I have eight of my TOTALLY AMAZING author friends stopping by to join in the fun. I really would love a great turnout, so as an incentive/thank-you for you to attend the Ball and partaking of all the awesomeness, I'm giving away a Cinder& Ella gift pack.
To Enter: All you have to do is join the event on Facebook. On the morning of the ball I will choose one winner from the list of people marked as "going."
Enter to win this Cinder & Ella Gift Pack (now through October 1st)Includes: Signed copy of Cinder & Ella two signed signed postersand bookmarks
*Giveaway is international*Enter in two easy steps: 1. Click this link --> Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball2. Click "join" on the event page
Attend a ball and leave with a prince! This giveaway is exclusive to the Cinder & Ella Book Release Ball attendees. I've put a LOT of time and effort into the release party for my new book Cinder & Ella. I've got all kinds of games/contests and over a dozen giveaways happening that day, and I have eight of my TOTALLY AMAZING author friends stopping by to join in the fun. I really would love a great turnout, so as an incentive/thank-you for you to attend the Ball and partaking of all the awesomeness, I'm giving away a Cinder& Ella gift pack.
To Enter: All you have to do is join the event on Facebook. On the morning of the ball I will choose one winner from the list of people marked as "going."
