Tess Hilmo's Blog, page 10
July 3, 2011
Free Stuff!
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I can't believe I'm announcing the two month count down till the release of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE.
A very long twenty months ago, I got the call it had sold ... Sept 2011 seemed eons away (is that how you spell eons? eeons?)
But here we are...so close.
And to celebrate, I'm giving tons of cool free stuff to you .. my blogging co-horts.
Whats up for grabs this month?
An advance ordered copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE
a $15 Amazon gift card to buy that book you've been dying to read
a Life is Good baseball cap
some cool Life is Good stickers
and some bookmarks and candy that go along with the novel.
Maybe you're saying...cool, Tess - but how do I enter?
easy!
Just be a follower on this blog and leave a comment. I will choose a random winner next Sunday night and post it on Monday.
Question for you: What book might you get with your Amazon gift card should you win? What have you been itching to read (well, besides my novel ..hee hee)?
I can't believe I'm announcing the two month count down till the release of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE.
A very long twenty months ago, I got the call it had sold ... Sept 2011 seemed eons away (is that how you spell eons? eeons?)
But here we are...so close.
And to celebrate, I'm giving tons of cool free stuff to you .. my blogging co-horts.
Whats up for grabs this month?
An advance ordered copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE
a $15 Amazon gift card to buy that book you've been dying to read
a Life is Good baseball cap
some cool Life is Good stickers and some bookmarks and candy that go along with the novel.
Maybe you're saying...cool, Tess - but how do I enter?
easy!
Just be a follower on this blog and leave a comment. I will choose a random winner next Sunday night and post it on Monday.
Question for you: What book might you get with your Amazon gift card should you win? What have you been itching to read (well, besides my novel ..hee hee)?
June 26, 2011
Your Intuitive Heart
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I Knew It!!!
How many times have you said that to yourself? When your intuition was screaming at you, but you reasoned your way out of it? When you've given up on something too soon or not soon enough?
As writers, we are highly intuitive.
I want to challenge all of us to set aside some quiet time this week to clear our minds and listen.
Button the lips of that internal critic
Take note of your thoughts and then take action
If you are prompted to call a friend - do it. If you are prompted to spend more time here or there -- make it happen. If you are inspired in the direction of your writing - act upon that inspiration.
The more we act upon our intuitions, the stronger our intuitive hearts will become.*Tell me: How do you cultivate your intuition?????*all photos courtesy of flickr.com*
I Knew It!!!
How many times have you said that to yourself? When your intuition was screaming at you, but you reasoned your way out of it? When you've given up on something too soon or not soon enough?
As writers, we are highly intuitive.
I want to challenge all of us to set aside some quiet time this week to clear our minds and listen.
Button the lips of that internal critic
Take note of your thoughts and then take action
If you are prompted to call a friend - do it. If you are prompted to spend more time here or there -- make it happen. If you are inspired in the direction of your writing - act upon that inspiration.
The more we act upon our intuitions, the stronger our intuitive hearts will become.*Tell me: How do you cultivate your intuition?????*all photos courtesy of flickr.com*
June 19, 2011
Who Are You Really?
Not to long ago I attended a local authors event and started chatting about names...interestingly enough, a good number of people there were using names different from their given names. It got me thinking... should I have used a pen name? no - I am too vain. I want my old friends to know that I finally did get that book published. Ten years later, but still! Here are some fun pen and real names that might surprise you: Agatha Christie (Mousetrap/Murder on the Orient Express) : Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller - she also wrote romance novels under the name Mary Westmacott J.K. Rowling (do I even have to say Harry Potter here?): The "K" is made up....she has no middle name and it does not stand for anything George Eliot (Silas Marner): Mary Ann Evans - yup, this novel was written by a woman who used a man's name to garner some respect back in the day.George Orwell (Big Brother/1984): Eric Arthur Blair and on the acting side... Cary Grant: Archibald Leach Rita Hayworth: Margarita Carmen Cansino Tina Turner: Anna Mae Bullock and the kicker for me... John Wayne: Marion Morrison - okay, this one you can't blame. Marion the gun slinger doesn't quite have the ring required to send the bad guys running. Questions: Any others you know of? Do you have a pen name? Considered it? If you were to go with one - what would it be?
June 7, 2011
June's Winner Announced
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed your 'life is good' comments on my last contest post.
Summer, good health, marriages, kiddos, pets...all things to celebrate. Each day is a gift. It is our choice how we use it.
so...as promised, I put all your names in a hat (including FB and twitterly pals) and this is what I drew...
Domey Malasarn! Email me at tess(at)tesshilmo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll get your prize pack off in the mail. It includes a Life is Good brand cap, two Life is Good stickers, some candy, a $15 Amazon gift certificate and a pre ordered copy of With A Name Like Love (which will come after its release).
Life is so good...I get to attend my friend Elana Johnson's release for her novel POSSESSION tomorrow at our local indie - looking forward to that celebration. She has worked hard, is a great gal and I want to throw on a party had and jig in her honor (I hope there will be hats and jigging).
Summer, good health, marriages, kiddos, pets...all things to celebrate. Each day is a gift. It is our choice how we use it.
so...as promised, I put all your names in a hat (including FB and twitterly pals) and this is what I drew...
Domey Malasarn! Email me at tess(at)tesshilmo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll get your prize pack off in the mail. It includes a Life is Good brand cap, two Life is Good stickers, some candy, a $15 Amazon gift certificate and a pre ordered copy of With A Name Like Love (which will come after its release).
Life is so good...I get to attend my friend Elana Johnson's release for her novel POSSESSION tomorrow at our local indie - looking forward to that celebration. She has worked hard, is a great gal and I want to throw on a party had and jig in her honor (I hope there will be hats and jigging).
June 1, 2011
Another Winner and More Free Stuff!
The winner of May's LIFE IS GOOD Campaign is ......
going to get a Life is Good brand baseball cap....
two cool Life is Good stickers...
a pre order of my upcoming novel, WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE....
fun novel swag like bookmarks and Sees candies.
Who? Who? Who?
Mary Aalgaard!
Congratulations, Mary. Please email me at tess (at) tesshilmo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll get the prize pack in the mail right away.
Stop! Don't touch that mouse.... Another fab prize pack is up for grabs starting right now.
Just leave a comment on this post telling me why life is good for you...it can be anything at all. Extra entries for posting or tweeting about the campaign (let me know if you do) and extra entries for all my facebook pals as well.
I'll let this one run through Monday night and will announce June's winner on TUESDAY 6/7.
June's Prize Pack is even bigger! It includes: $15 Amazon gift card, Life is Good swag (cap, stickers) a pre order of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE (Sept 27 release), bookmarks and candy!
Tell me...how IS life treating you?
going to get a Life is Good brand baseball cap....
two cool Life is Good stickers...
a pre order of my upcoming novel, WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE....
fun novel swag like bookmarks and Sees candies.
Who? Who? Who?
Mary Aalgaard!
Congratulations, Mary. Please email me at tess (at) tesshilmo (dot) com with your mailing address and I'll get the prize pack in the mail right away.
Stop! Don't touch that mouse.... Another fab prize pack is up for grabs starting right now.
Just leave a comment on this post telling me why life is good for you...it can be anything at all. Extra entries for posting or tweeting about the campaign (let me know if you do) and extra entries for all my facebook pals as well.
I'll let this one run through Monday night and will announce June's winner on TUESDAY 6/7.
June's Prize Pack is even bigger! It includes: $15 Amazon gift card, Life is Good swag (cap, stickers) a pre order of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE (Sept 27 release), bookmarks and candy!
Tell me...how IS life treating you?
May 31, 2011
Winner! Winner!
The winner of my I Heart Indies Give Away of Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is....
Superpaige!
I numbered the comments and used random.org to find the winner.
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: 6 Result: 1
Powered by RANDOM.ORG
Congrats...and, tune in Thursday for the announcement of my Life is Good winner for May and the kick off of June's campaign and give away.
Free stuff galore!
May 30, 2011
I Heart Indies -- Give Away!
How much do we love our indie book stores? SO MUCH!
In fact, a bunch of blogs are celebrating indies today with cool give aways...books bought at our local indie stores! My amazingly supportive indie is THE KINGS ENGLISH..
why do I love them? They go to great lengths to support local authors. Have an event in Timbuktu? No sweat - they'll be there. Need just the perfect gift for that picky reader? Easy - their recommendation is spot on perfect.
So - in honor of them and their amazingness, I am giving away that fabulous book I reviewed in my last post (and that I just happen to buy at The Kinks English) -- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.
This is not a light read but it is beautifully written, compelling and important. When you finish the book, you will have learned so much. You will feel heartbroken and hopeful all at the same time. You will want to pass the book on to a dear friend (and I hope you do!)
How to enter? Just leave a comment telling me which indie you like or which one you've been dying to visit. THEN link over to Lisa and Laura's blog for more links and enter to win there as well. I'll draw a winner at random tomorrow evening and post the result for this specific book here.
Lots of love being shared!!
In fact, a bunch of blogs are celebrating indies today with cool give aways...books bought at our local indie stores! My amazingly supportive indie is THE KINGS ENGLISH..
why do I love them? They go to great lengths to support local authors. Have an event in Timbuktu? No sweat - they'll be there. Need just the perfect gift for that picky reader? Easy - their recommendation is spot on perfect.
So - in honor of them and their amazingness, I am giving away that fabulous book I reviewed in my last post (and that I just happen to buy at The Kinks English) -- Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.
This is not a light read but it is beautifully written, compelling and important. When you finish the book, you will have learned so much. You will feel heartbroken and hopeful all at the same time. You will want to pass the book on to a dear friend (and I hope you do!)
How to enter? Just leave a comment telling me which indie you like or which one you've been dying to visit. THEN link over to Lisa and Laura's blog for more links and enter to win there as well. I'll draw a winner at random tomorrow evening and post the result for this specific book here.
Lots of love being shared!!
May 25, 2011
Inspired
Art inspires art. I was reminded of this yesterday.
My sweetie and I attended the U2 360 concert and it was amazing! Yes, the music is great. Yes, the set and atmosphere were super charged. But what made it inspiring?
The humanity.
U2 uses their celebrity for good. Agree or disagree with their politics, you can't deny that they use every tool in their box to share their message.
We raised our hands for the refugees in Burma and heard clips from Gandhi and shouted in celebration for the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International.
It was moving.
And...it came on the heels of finishing this really spectacular debut novel...
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I can't tell you what an important read this is. It's poignant and heart breaking and inspiring...
it, too, is full of humanity.
Tell me, what inspires you?
My sweetie and I attended the U2 360 concert and it was amazing! Yes, the music is great. Yes, the set and atmosphere were super charged. But what made it inspiring?
The humanity.
U2 uses their celebrity for good. Agree or disagree with their politics, you can't deny that they use every tool in their box to share their message.
We raised our hands for the refugees in Burma and heard clips from Gandhi and shouted in celebration for the 50th anniversary of Amnesty International.
It was moving.
And...it came on the heels of finishing this really spectacular debut novel...
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. I can't tell you what an important read this is. It's poignant and heart breaking and inspiring...
it, too, is full of humanity.
Tell me, what inspires you?
May 15, 2011
My Problem Explained
Jack Handy cracks me up. By chance, I have been struggling with a bank robbery plot element in my current work in progress. I've decided to drop it because I just can't figure out a way to make it believable (for a 12 and 13 year old set of characters).
Then I came across this bit of brilliance in The New Yorker..it is by Jack Handy (of SNL fame) and it pretty much summed up my novel issues. NOTE that the original is much longer and I shortened it for this post.
THE PLAN by Jack Handy
The plan isn't foolproof. For it to work, certain things must happen:
Then I came across this bit of brilliance in The New Yorker..it is by Jack Handy (of SNL fame) and it pretty much summed up my novel issues. NOTE that the original is much longer and I shortened it for this post.
THE PLAN by Jack Handy
The plan isn't foolproof. For it to work, certain things must happen:
—The door to the vault must have accidentally been left open by the cleaning woman.
—The guard must bend over to tie his shoes and somehow he gets all the shoelaces tied together. He can't get them apart, so he takes out his gun and shoots all his bullets at the knot. But he misses. Then he just lies down on the floor and goes to sleep.
—Most of the customers in the bank must happen to be wearing Nixon masks, so when we come in wearing our Nixon masks it doesn't alarm anyone.
—There must be an empty parking space right out in front. If it has a meter, there must be time left on it, because our outfits don't have pockets for change.
—The monkeys must grab the bags of money and not just shriek and go running all over the place, like they did in the practice run.
—The security cameras must be the early, old-timey kind that don't actually take pictures.
—When the big clock in the lobby strikes two, everyone must stop and stare at it for at least ten minutes.
—If somebody runs out of the bank and yells, "Help! The bank is being robbed!," he must be a neighborhood crazy person who people just laugh at.
—Any fingerprints we leave must be erased by the monkeys.
—When we exit the bank, there must be a parade going by, so our getaway car, which is decorated to look like a float, can blend right in.
—During the parade, our car must not win a prize for best float, because then we'll have to have our picture taken with the award.
—At the rendezvous point, there must be an empty parking space with a meter that takes hundred-dollar bills.
—The robbery is blamed on the monkeys. ♦
Question: Do you ever go this far in your writing -- trying mightily to make something work when, really, it just needs to go -- or am I the only one?
May 8, 2011
The Quitting Place
*
Every so often on our journey in life, we find ourselves in The Quitting Place.
Most think it to be a damp, dreary room...but it is not.
The Quitting Place has cushy carpets and sink in couches. There are trays of your favorite snacks and bubbly drinks. It's a perfect 72 degrees.
When you stand inside The Quitting Place and look out the large, plate glass windows, you see the path you were on. It's twisted and bumpy. It's long and cold and barren in spots. It is almost entirely uphill.
And in this moment, you have a choice.
You can sink into the couches of The Quitting Place and close your eyes ... or you can leave that comfort and get back on the path.
Guess which person will reach their destination?
*
Every so often on our journey in life, we find ourselves in The Quitting Place.
Most think it to be a damp, dreary room...but it is not.
The Quitting Place has cushy carpets and sink in couches. There are trays of your favorite snacks and bubbly drinks. It's a perfect 72 degrees.
When you stand inside The Quitting Place and look out the large, plate glass windows, you see the path you were on. It's twisted and bumpy. It's long and cold and barren in spots. It is almost entirely uphill.
And in this moment, you have a choice.
You can sink into the couches of The Quitting Place and close your eyes ... or you can leave that comfort and get back on the path.
Guess which person will reach their destination?
*
