Tess Hilmo's Blog, page 11
May 5, 2011
Easy Peasy Free Give Away!
Pop over to the Class of 2k11 for a comment only free giveaway today only. We are giving away a copy of Amy Holders The Lipstick Laws that recently sold TV rights to the producers of The Office and Ugly Betty...NO JOKING!
Doesn't that make you curious about this book?
Doesn't that make you curious about this book?
April 30, 2011
Life is Good: Awesome Give Away #1
Life is good!
Only FIVE short months until With A Name Like Love is released! To celebrate, I am launching a Life is Good Campaign.
Celebrate how good life is and win cool prize packs each month that will include:
a Life is Good hat...this one says "when it rains, it shines" on the front and "life is good" on the back. It is adorable beyond belief. (I have a variety of hats...men/women and different styles. The winner will get to choose which one they get in their prize pack!)
two different Life is Good stickers to keep or share with friends...spread the good vibes!
Bookmarks! Candy! (sees suckers w/ hearts and frogs..both featured in the novel)
and last but not least....
An advance order for the book itself!! As you know, I didn't get many ARC's (though my thoughtful editor did send an extra for good ole mom) so I am giving away advance ordered copies...you'll have to wait for this portion of the prize pack but it'll come in September - guaranteed!
I know what you're saying....How do I enter??
There are four easy ways!
One Entry: be a follower of this blog and comment on this post sharing one way Life is Good for you
Second Entry: blog about something positive this month...highlight a mentor or spotlight a great book or post a picture of your adorable kitty cat.
Title your post "Life is Good: My Kitty (or whatever)"
THEN link this post and ask others to share in the Life is Good Campaign....let's get the whole bloggosphere writing "life is good" posts :D (don't forget to come back and let me know you posted something so I can give you that extra entry).
Third Entry: Twitter! Talk about the campaign..about how life is good...about anything positive. (again, don't forget to tell me if you do this...it's all on your honor)
Fourth Entry: Join me on the With A Name Like Love Facebook page (I'm so sad and lonely over there)...click here and be my friend.
You have all month and, at the end of the month, I'll tally up the entries and put everyone into a random drawing.
I am so blessed by your friendship, support, advice, kindness....life is definitely good!
The first one of these awesome prize packs is up for grabs starting today so...tell me...how is life good for you?
Only FIVE short months until With A Name Like Love is released! To celebrate, I am launching a Life is Good Campaign.
Celebrate how good life is and win cool prize packs each month that will include:
a Life is Good hat...this one says "when it rains, it shines" on the front and "life is good" on the back. It is adorable beyond belief. (I have a variety of hats...men/women and different styles. The winner will get to choose which one they get in their prize pack!) two different Life is Good stickers to keep or share with friends...spread the good vibes!
Bookmarks! Candy! (sees suckers w/ hearts and frogs..both featured in the novel)
and last but not least....
An advance order for the book itself!! As you know, I didn't get many ARC's (though my thoughtful editor did send an extra for good ole mom) so I am giving away advance ordered copies...you'll have to wait for this portion of the prize pack but it'll come in September - guaranteed!
I know what you're saying....How do I enter??
There are four easy ways!
One Entry: be a follower of this blog and comment on this post sharing one way Life is Good for you
Second Entry: blog about something positive this month...highlight a mentor or spotlight a great book or post a picture of your adorable kitty cat.
Title your post "Life is Good: My Kitty (or whatever)"
THEN link this post and ask others to share in the Life is Good Campaign....let's get the whole bloggosphere writing "life is good" posts :D (don't forget to come back and let me know you posted something so I can give you that extra entry).
Third Entry: Twitter! Talk about the campaign..about how life is good...about anything positive. (again, don't forget to tell me if you do this...it's all on your honor)
Fourth Entry: Join me on the With A Name Like Love Facebook page (I'm so sad and lonely over there)...click here and be my friend.
You have all month and, at the end of the month, I'll tally up the entries and put everyone into a random drawing.
I am so blessed by your friendship, support, advice, kindness....life is definitely good!
The first one of these awesome prize packs is up for grabs starting today so...tell me...how is life good for you?
April 25, 2011
How a Novel Cover is Made
Ever wonder what goes into creating a novel cover?
I do all the time! Here is a sneak peek. It shows a speed version of Graphic Design Artist Lauren Panepito making the cover for author Gail Carriger BLAMELESS.
It is super interesting and really worth your two minutes. Notice how she has to remove the Eiffle Tower at the end when they realized it didn't exist at the time of the book!
The question I have is ... with the growth of e readers (which do not sport covers)...is this a disappearing art? What are your thoughts on that?
I do all the time! Here is a sneak peek. It shows a speed version of Graphic Design Artist Lauren Panepito making the cover for author Gail Carriger BLAMELESS.
It is super interesting and really worth your two minutes. Notice how she has to remove the Eiffle Tower at the end when they realized it didn't exist at the time of the book!
The question I have is ... with the growth of e readers (which do not sport covers)...is this a disappearing art? What are your thoughts on that?
April 17, 2011
Stepping Aside
My darling grandma passed this weekend. I'm going out of state to pay my respects....be back next week.
She was spunky and smart and had a FACEBOOK account of all things (at 88 years old) to keep up with the great grandkids....what a gal.
Here's a joke she told me fairly recently (she liked her jokes!)
Two airheads sitting on a park bench in Kansas.
One says to the other, "Which do you think is closer -- Florida or the moon?"
"Helllllooooo," says the second, "Can you SEE Florida?!"
She was spunky and smart and had a FACEBOOK account of all things (at 88 years old) to keep up with the great grandkids....what a gal.
Here's a joke she told me fairly recently (she liked her jokes!)
Two airheads sitting on a park bench in Kansas.
One says to the other, "Which do you think is closer -- Florida or the moon?"
"Helllllooooo," says the second, "Can you SEE Florida?!"
April 10, 2011
I Loved This Book
I bought this book a year or so ago and somehow it ended up on my library shelf without me actually reading it.
I corrected that this past week and all I can say is
wow
this is a beautiful story.
well written, heart wrenching, character driven... everything I love about literature.
Tell me...have you read this novel?
April 5, 2011
Can You Handle the Truth?
A few years back, I had an opportunity to have a critique by a pretty experienced (and retired) editor. I was unrepresented, unsold and sure she was going to grab my manuscript and do a jig on the table whilst naming off a list of her friends in the industry she would be sending it to.
Instead, she looked at me thoughtfully and said, "I just don't know why anyone would care."
Meaning...there was nothing to compel her to read.
She noted the writing was nice...that the "rules" were being followed for story and character development. But it was still lacking something.
It hurt to hear but it was a pivotal moment in my writing life.
In that moment, I had a choice.
I could feel deflated and whine about what a mean critique it was and crawl under my bed and call all my writerly friends and eventually decide she didn't know what she was talking about
OR
I could listen to that little voice inside of me that said, "she is right". I could lean forward and ask her how to fix it, I could believe that she knew faaaarrr more than I ever would about what makes a book salable.
I chose to listen. I put aside my pride and stayed up all night revising (we were at a conference and I had a follow up meeting w/ her). I tore apart the first chapter. I did exactly what she suggested, while still being true to myself as a writer.
Here is what I'm saying: her honesty was an amazing gift.
She was not being unkind, she was trying to HELP me. It was a step I needed to take that would later prepare me for receiving edit requests from my agent and editor.
I would have missed an important lesson if I wouldn't have taken what she had to say to heart.
So...on this long and sometimes bumpy road to publication and hopeful more publication here is my question for all of us:
Can we handle the truth?
Instead, she looked at me thoughtfully and said, "I just don't know why anyone would care."
Meaning...there was nothing to compel her to read.
She noted the writing was nice...that the "rules" were being followed for story and character development. But it was still lacking something.
It hurt to hear but it was a pivotal moment in my writing life.
In that moment, I had a choice.
I could feel deflated and whine about what a mean critique it was and crawl under my bed and call all my writerly friends and eventually decide she didn't know what she was talking about
OR
I could listen to that little voice inside of me that said, "she is right". I could lean forward and ask her how to fix it, I could believe that she knew faaaarrr more than I ever would about what makes a book salable.
I chose to listen. I put aside my pride and stayed up all night revising (we were at a conference and I had a follow up meeting w/ her). I tore apart the first chapter. I did exactly what she suggested, while still being true to myself as a writer.
Here is what I'm saying: her honesty was an amazing gift.
She was not being unkind, she was trying to HELP me. It was a step I needed to take that would later prepare me for receiving edit requests from my agent and editor.
I would have missed an important lesson if I wouldn't have taken what she had to say to heart.
So...on this long and sometimes bumpy road to publication and hopeful more publication here is my question for all of us:
Can we handle the truth?
March 29, 2011
Two is Such a Lonely Number
My Arcs came!* I didnt' know they were my ARC's because it was just a teency, tiny, little envelope.
When I opened it up, this is what I saw....
Two.
And, since I owe two to the CLASS of 2k11's collective swag pot, that leaves me a whopping zero. Well, I've decided to keep one for myself and only give one to the Class of 2k11 (plus a regular book when the time comes).
Still...zero for contests. zero for sharing with cool bloggers. even zero for my own mother!
Sometimes it's sad to be the bottom rung on the ladder. I mean, you're glad to be in the game...for sure...but two ARCs? *headplant to palm*
Not to worry, though...I've decided to loosen the purse strings and run all my contests with pre-ordered books....so, swag will be there..you'll just have to wait for the delivery.
It all leaves me feeling a bit melancholy. Happy for the novel coming...happy for ARCs at all....but sad at the number.
*ARC is an advanced reading copy for reviewers...also called bound galleys.
Question: what shall I tell my mother?
When I opened it up, this is what I saw....
Two.
And, since I owe two to the CLASS of 2k11's collective swag pot, that leaves me a whopping zero. Well, I've decided to keep one for myself and only give one to the Class of 2k11 (plus a regular book when the time comes).
Still...zero for contests. zero for sharing with cool bloggers. even zero for my own mother!
Sometimes it's sad to be the bottom rung on the ladder. I mean, you're glad to be in the game...for sure...but two ARCs? *headplant to palm*
Not to worry, though...I've decided to loosen the purse strings and run all my contests with pre-ordered books....so, swag will be there..you'll just have to wait for the delivery.
It all leaves me feeling a bit melancholy. Happy for the novel coming...happy for ARCs at all....but sad at the number.
*ARC is an advanced reading copy for reviewers...also called bound galleys.
Question: what shall I tell my mother?
Two is Such a Sad Number
My Arcs came!* I didnt' know they were my ARC's because it was just a teency, tiny, little envelope.
When I opened it up, this is what I saw....
Two.
And, since I owe two to the CLASS of 2k11's collective swag pot, that leaves me a whopping zero. Well, I've decided to keep one for myself and only give one to the Class of 2k11 (plus a regular book when the time comes).
Still...zero for contests. zero for sharing with cool bloggers. even zero for my own mother!
Sometimes it's sad to be the bottom rung on the ladder. I mean, you're glad to be in the game...for sure...but two ARCs? *headplant to palm*
Not to worry, though...I've decided to loosen the purse strings and run all my contests with pre-ordered books....so, swag will be there..you'll just have to wait for the delivery.
It all leaves me feeling a bit melancholy. Happy for the novel coming...happy for ARCs at all....but sad at the number.
*ARC is an advanced reading copy for reviewers...also called bound galleys.
Question: what shall I tell my mother?
When I opened it up, this is what I saw....
Two.
And, since I owe two to the CLASS of 2k11's collective swag pot, that leaves me a whopping zero. Well, I've decided to keep one for myself and only give one to the Class of 2k11 (plus a regular book when the time comes).
Still...zero for contests. zero for sharing with cool bloggers. even zero for my own mother!
Sometimes it's sad to be the bottom rung on the ladder. I mean, you're glad to be in the game...for sure...but two ARCs? *headplant to palm*
Not to worry, though...I've decided to loosen the purse strings and run all my contests with pre-ordered books....so, swag will be there..you'll just have to wait for the delivery.
It all leaves me feeling a bit melancholy. Happy for the novel coming...happy for ARCs at all....but sad at the number.
*ARC is an advanced reading copy for reviewers...also called bound galleys.
Question: what shall I tell my mother?
March 26, 2011
Festival of Colors!
Today was the Hare Krishna Holi Festival of Colors...a celebration of spring! Here is part of our group "before". I'm in the black hat.
Here is a fantastic shot of "during"....you are looking at people throwing colored chalk in the air. There was music, food, dancing...ah, what a morning. That is my oldest daughter w/ the orange shirt and arm extended.
And here's a quick "after" shot
Happy, happy spring!!!!!
Here is a fantastic shot of "during"....you are looking at people throwing colored chalk in the air. There was music, food, dancing...ah, what a morning. That is my oldest daughter w/ the orange shirt and arm extended.
And here's a quick "after" shot
Happy, happy spring!!!!!
March 20, 2011
Three Things
One: I took your good advice and stepped away from my WIP (work in progress) this past week. It helped. I now know what is bugging me. Don't have a clue on how to fix it yet...but at least I know what the problem is.
Two: I got both a Facebook page for my novel up and running as well as my author website. I go back and forth between being excited and feeling super dumb about having these things (do people even care?). I've linked them on my sidebar as well as w/in this post.
Three: a giggle for you!
Two: I got both a Facebook page for my novel up and running as well as my author website. I go back and forth between being excited and feeling super dumb about having these things (do people even care?). I've linked them on my sidebar as well as w/in this post.
Three: a giggle for you!
How many mystery writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
Two. One to screw it almost all the way in, and the other to give it a surprising twist at the end.
