Cindy C. Bennett's Blog, page 66

Why I Love March

There are many reasons March is becoming my favorite month. Here are some of them:
March is the beginning of the end of winter, and the beginning of spring, which means soon it will be summer, and who doesn't love summer?In March of 1993 one of my four very favorite people in the world was born (for a hint, see this)In March(ish) of 2010 I took the online course that introduced me to my current invaluable critique partnersIn March of 2011 I signed my first contract with Cedar Fort for Geek GirlAlso in March of 2011 I sold more copies of Heart on a Chain than ever before, and felt like a real author for the first time :o)This month I have several reasons so far to love the month, and here they are:Being placed on Melissa Mosloski's blog  "Life's Little Moment's" list for Favorite Books of 2011A fantastic review from Jeanette Whitus of "Walking on Bookshelves" for Immortal MineAn amazing review from Catie Vargas of "Forbidden Passions" also for Immortal Mine (Have I mentioned how very much I love and appreciate book bloggers? Without you, I would never have sold a single book.)So far this month I've received over a dozen emails or messages from readers telling me how much they liked either Immortal Mine, Heart on a Chain, or Geek Girl. (Have I mentioned how much I adore my readers? Withouy you I would be nothing. You are all, seriously, the best ever!) I get the best emails and messages from my readers. One of my all-time favorite readers (Courtney) emailed to let me know she'd made me something and to be expecting my late Christmas gift from her (I haven't received it yet, but can hardly wait!)Is it any wonder that March is quickly moving up my list and will soon be taking the spot of my all-time favorite month? The Irish have nothing on one humble, grateful, lucky  YA author!




Melissa Mosloski

Emerald City

Today, Alicia K. Leppert stops by with her soon to be released novel Emerald City.

One city of 600,000 people.
One broken girl.
One mysterious boy.
One fateful night,
Two worlds collide.
Seattle, Washington. The sprawling, industrious city set in a blanket of pine. I have never known a day that wasn't spent inside this concrete jungle. It's my home, and for that I love it. But it's also the setting for the tragedy called my life, and so I loathe it.

I live alone in a cold, empty studio apartment. The tiny square room closely resembles a cell. That's my life: solitary confinement.

Here, in this desolate place that perfectly reflects my soul, my story begins.

My Review

It's a little bit difficult to review the book without giving away too much of the story, and I don't want to do that. I want readers of the book to discover the secrets as they read rather than from my review, so I'm going to try to give as thorough a review as possible without filling it with spoilers.

Emerald City is the story of Olivia, who lost her mother in the most tragic way a young girl possibly can. She wraps herself in her misery, isolated from humanity, barely existing from day to day. In a moment of desperation, she attempts to end her life. When she wakes, she is in the hospital, having been rescued by Jude, who claims to have seen her from his apartment across from hers. Soon, Jude is part of her life and as she heals, she falls for him. But Jude isn't what he seems. Jude and Olivia can never be together unless he's willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Olivia is a strong character. Though it seems she's weak in the beginning, it doesn't take long to discover that beneath her pain is someone who has a strong will to survive, no matter what is thrown her way. I admired that very much about her. Jude is painted in an enigmatic light so that you're not exactly sure what he is, though I had a pretty good idea early on. My knowing (or thinking I knew) what he is didn't take away from their journey or from understanding the impossibility of their situation.  I still enjoyed the journey.

This is definitely Olivia and Jude's story. There aren't a lot of secondary characters, and those that are there aren't given much definition. However, I didn't find that to be a distraction for me. I was more concerned with Olivia's growth and their story together than any secondary characters, so, again, it wasn't a big deal to me.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good, clean YA romance with some intrigue and a bit of... I was going to say paranormalcy, but I don't know if that's right. It has some mystery, maybe a slight bit of a gothic feel, contemporary with touches of paranormal. Kind of hard, I guess, to really pinpoint this book, and that's okay with me. I kind of like books that I can't quite label. My only complaint would be the ending was a little abrupt and didn't answer the Big Question that needs to be answered for Jude, but I guess I can live with that. :o)

There are some adult themes (suicide, for example) but they are dealt with realistically and without anything preachy, or graphic content that would be inappropriate for a teen. Emerald City shows a grittier side of life that is unfortunately some people's reality. Jude is charming, and Olivia is admirable. A definite recommend from me.

Below are links to more info about Alicia, the tour, and where you can get your hands on your own copy of Emerald City.



Alicia Leppert
Pre-order Emerald City on Amazon
Emerald City on Facebook
Alicia on Twitter
Emerald City on Goodreads




Alicia's publisher, Cedar Fort (who also happens to be my publisher for Geek Girl ) can be found at the following links:
Cedar Fort Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

A Shout Out!

Thanks to author Jolea M Harrison for spotlighting Immortal Mine on her blog today! Take a peek here.

Coming Soon: Vampires

A few months ago I ran across a post advertising a writing contest for vampire stories for Noble Young Adult. I read it and then immediately dismissed it. I mean, I don't write vampire stories, so it didn't seem to be for me. But the idea had stuck in my mind. And so, I tracked the post down again and reread it. And then thought, what the heck, the worst they can do is say no. Actually, the worst they could have done was to laugh in my face, but since it was all to be handled virtually, I figured I'd never hear the laughter.

Just for fun, I decided to write a story and enter it. Okay, it wasn't just for fun. I decided it would be a great way to stretch my imagination and creativity, to see if I could, as a writer, step outside my normal genre and write something vaguely interesting. Imagine my surprise when I opened the email and read they'd chosen my short story, Reluctance, as one of the winners to be included in the vampire anthology Young Immortals.

Moral of the story? Don't ever assume you can't do something without even trying. You never know just exactly what you may be capable of.

Reluctance is about a girl named Dahlia who moves to a new town. Working at the local hospital while attending college, she meets two guys: Jace and Cam. Both are as different as night and day. She sets her sights on Jace, but begins to fall for Cam. However, things aren't always what they seem - people aren't always what they seem. Who knew that a monster moved among them?

Below is the beautiful, amazing cover created by the talented CH Scarlett. As soon as I know a release date, I'll update you here.

Songs of Your Life

Wanna know what the top 20 hits were from the year you were born? Click on your birth year below. (Only works for those born between 1940-1999)  It's sort of a "Jukebox Time Machine" of music. Each of the years below connects to the best 20 hits of that year via a Jukebox. Click on a year, wait a few seconds, and a Jukebox will appear showing you 20 hits from that year to select from. You can play all 20 hits, or click on just those that you like. Enjoy the ride!  1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 1942 1952 1962 1972 1982 1992 1943 1953 1963 1973 1983 1993 1944 1954 1964 1974 1984 1994 1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 1946 1956 1966 1976 1986 1996 1947 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997 1948 1958 1968 1978 1988 1998 1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1999  

An Amazing Young Woman I'm Blessed With

Back in January, I celebrated my youngest daughters birthday with a post dedicated to her. Today, I celebrate the birth of my older daughter, Lindsay.

A couple of years before she was born, I was sitting in church and a few pews ahead was the cutest little girl with strawberry blond hair, pale skin, squinty eyes, and she was adorable. I was smitten. I so badly wanted a cute little girl like that for my own. So, I prayed for her. And, I got her.


Lindsay was born 19 years ago today. She had strawberry blond hair, pale skin, squinty eyes, a cute little cleft chin, and she was adorable. I was beyond smitten - still am, truth be told. She was a healthy baby, average weight and length. By her first birthday she was in the 10 percentile for height and weight and stayed there for most of her childhood. She was a tiny little thing, with charm enough for twelve babies. We used to say she was "working the room" anywhere we went because people were drawn to her, and she would completely charm them within seconds.

As she grew (slowly), she was always my little sensitive girl, the one who hated it when anyone showed any kind of contention. She absolutely adored her two big brothers. She would have done anything for them. When her baby sister came along two months shy of her second birthday, she became my little helper. She was such a good, mellow, happy child that I never had any problems with. She was so little, though, and her sister big for her age (she was in the 90 percentile), that everyone always thought they were twins. Of course I dressed them alike many times, so that probably contributed to the illusion.

Lindsay has been nothing but a joy to me. She hasn't been perfect, she's had her struggles as she navigated the muddy waters of teenagehood. But she has come out on top, working through her problems and becoming a grown-up version of that charming little girl. She's still small (not quite 5'1") and about as big around as a bean pole. She graduated with her Associates Degree a month before she graduated high school, and now attends the University of Utah, working towards her eventual Doctorate in Psychology so she can help teens who are going through the same types of problems she went through.

I can't tell you how much I enjoy hanging out with Lindsay. She and I have some great conversations. I love just spending time with her. She works as my assistant, and I don't ever have to worry about whether she's getting her work done. She's a hard worker, honest, with an abundance of integrity. All of my adult friends and acquaintances love her, which speaks volumes to me about her character.

I coveted her, I wished for her, I prayed for her, and I got so much more than I had even hoped for. I'm so grateful to God for giving me the gift of my beautiful daughter, Lindsay (who, by the way, is my cover model for Heart on a Chain). Happy birthday, baby!

New Cover
Old Cover

Gone Reading!

Today, I have a guest, Brad Wirz. Brad is the founder of GoneReading. He approached me and asked if I wouldn't mind allowing him to use my blog to tell everyone about his foundation. (The pics in this post are just a few of the super cute t-shirts they sale on their site.) After reading about GoneReading, and what they are trying to accomplish, I felt it was a worthy cause and I'm more than happy to hand the blog over to him for his message. So, without further adieu, here's Brad.
"Hello, my name is Brad Wirz and I'm the founder of a new philanthropic enterprise called GoneReading. We sell a unique collection of merchandise for book lovers like yourself, and use the profits to spread the magic of reading around the world. Here are my top five reason to check out www.GoneReading.com today:
1. GoneReading sells some wonderful merchandise that I know you're going to love. For example, check out our collection of book shirts.
2. Our collection of merchandise also includes cute book bookmarks, book journals, bookplates and book lights for e-readers and printed books. We're even starting to carry some awesome games about books!
3. We donate 100% of the after-tax profits to fund new reading libraries in the developing world. Check out our philanthropic mission.
4. We're just about to unveil a fundraising program to raise money for libraries and reading programs in the U.S! Stay tuned for more on that.
5. For the next 30 days you can earn 25% off any order at www.GoneReading.com (except our book ends) by using the code CINDYS25 at checkout.
Thank you so much for checking out our store, and many thanks to Cindy for helping us to spread the word.
Happy Reading!
Brad WirzFounder
Gone Reading International LLC

P.S. If any of you use Pinterest, you can help spread our story by "pinning" your favorite products from our store!"

50% Off is a GOOD Thing

From now until March 10, you can get Heart on a Chain and/or Immortal Mine at half price on Smashwords.

Just click on the links above (or below) and use code REW50.


Regularly $4.99     This week $2.50

                          Regularly $3.94   This week $1.97

Fast Food Junkie

I admit it: I'm a bit of a fast food junkie. Sometimes I just crave a Big Mac or Training Table cheese fries (if you don't live in Utah, you have no idea what you're missing). Plus, the convenience factor weighs heavily on the amount of money I personally spend on fast food. Sometimes we're running late, or we're in a hurry, or I'm just really lazy, that to be able to pull up to a window (I don't even have to get out of my car!), pay a few bucks, and have a hot, fully cooked meal handed to me is a little slice of heaven.

Calories-schmalories.

I will say I've been eating a whole lot less since I went gluten-free* as it's difficult to find something to eat at a fast food place that fits the bill. Many fast food places are now aware of allergens such as this, and will offer some options, including a lettuce burger (lettuce in place of the bun, which is actually quite good). McDonald's was the first to offer fries cooked in a dedicated fryer to prevent cross contamination. I think most food places now follow suit.

I ran across this interesting story from The Daily Meal which talks about the top grossing US fast food chains. I don't think anyone will be surprised by who falls at number 1 (yes, there are golden arches involved), but take a look at just how far ahead of the competition #1 is as far as yearly sales.

Do any of these surprise you? Are there any you thought would be on here that are not? Leave your thoughts below.

I wasn't surprised by Starbucks mostly because of the massive number of Starbuck's out there (one on every corner, right?). And it's true, they do have far more locations that the other places. But they still rake in a lot of dough!

FYI: The dollar amounts given are in billions of dollars.

Top Grossing Fast Food Places in America 9. KFC $4.7B



8. Pizza Hut $5.4B

7. Dunkin' Donuts $5.4B



6. Taco Bell $6.9B


5. Wendy's $7.9B

4. Starbucks $8B


3. Burger King $8.4B

2. Subway $10.6B



And the winner by about 3x the amount of gross sales to the next nearest competitor, and actually with more sales than the next 3 highest combined... (drum roll, please)

1. McDonald's $32.4B



So there you have it. Now you know where all of your hard earned billions are going each year!

*My daughter has Celiac, which requires her to eat gluten-free. I eat gluten-free simply in support of her, so she doesn't have to do it alone. You'd be how surprised at how easy, and yet how difficult, it is to eat gluten-free.

And the Winner Is...

Congrats to Jeannette Whitus! She wins the Paranormal Blog Hop Giveaway. She gets her choice of either a paper copy or an ecopy of Immortal Mine.

Thanks to everyone who entered! I hope you all had fun blog hopping and won some great prizes.