Tess Hilmo's Blog, page 9
September 25, 2011
Super Mega Awesome Launch Week Giveaway!
Someone pinch me because I feel like I'm dreaming....
can tomorrow really be launch day for With a Name Like Love?
Holy Moses! Nine years of conferences....three completed novels....four or five partially completed novels in addition to those three....two years since the contract was signed....
this journey is not for the impatient!
In celebration of the launch, I am having a super mega awesome giveaway!
What's up for grabs, you say?
Excellent question!
One prize for a blogging pal and one prize for a library or classroom (gifted in your name).
Important! Here is how it will work: I'll draw random names from the list of those who leave comments on this post. If you are pulled for the blogging pal prize - hooray! you get to keep the loot! If you are pulled for the library or classroom prize - I'll mail it to the library or classroom of your choice in your name. contest runs all week - prize winners will be drawn at random Saturday October 1st.
How fun is that?
Now for the prizes:
Blogging Pal Prize Pack: Signed copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE, bookmarks, a Life is Good brand hat and stickers and a $50.00 Amazon book gift certificate to load up on some fun fall reads.
Library/Classroom Prize Pack: again, if you win this, I will mail it to your favorite teacher or librarian in your name (they're gonna love you for that!) It includes: a signed copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE, bookmarks and three of my favorite middle grade debut books of the year to date: VANISHED by Sheela Chari, THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS by Carole Estby Dagg and SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O'Connor. All really wonderful reads and perfect for any classroom or library.
--sorry, the library/classroom pack will only be available in the United States due to shipping issues.
**I pondered asking for tweets or fb mentions for extra entries but sometimes that gets a little much so, if you feel like celebrating with me, please spread the fun news.
My heart is so tied to this dear novel and I sincerely want to give it a good push out there into the world. Every little bit of sharing the word helps!
Question: I've got kiddos homework, music lessons and a day job all taking up my Tuesday...what are some ideas for a quick and easy but still fun way to celebrate my launch day? I'm at a loss!
.
can tomorrow really be launch day for With a Name Like Love?
Holy Moses! Nine years of conferences....three completed novels....four or five partially completed novels in addition to those three....two years since the contract was signed....
this journey is not for the impatient!
In celebration of the launch, I am having a super mega awesome giveaway!
What's up for grabs, you say?
Excellent question!
One prize for a blogging pal and one prize for a library or classroom (gifted in your name).
Important! Here is how it will work: I'll draw random names from the list of those who leave comments on this post. If you are pulled for the blogging pal prize - hooray! you get to keep the loot! If you are pulled for the library or classroom prize - I'll mail it to the library or classroom of your choice in your name. contest runs all week - prize winners will be drawn at random Saturday October 1st.
How fun is that?
Now for the prizes:
Blogging Pal Prize Pack: Signed copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE, bookmarks, a Life is Good brand hat and stickers and a $50.00 Amazon book gift certificate to load up on some fun fall reads.
Library/Classroom Prize Pack: again, if you win this, I will mail it to your favorite teacher or librarian in your name (they're gonna love you for that!) It includes: a signed copy of WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE, bookmarks and three of my favorite middle grade debut books of the year to date: VANISHED by Sheela Chari, THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS by Carole Estby Dagg and SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O'Connor. All really wonderful reads and perfect for any classroom or library.
--sorry, the library/classroom pack will only be available in the United States due to shipping issues.
**I pondered asking for tweets or fb mentions for extra entries but sometimes that gets a little much so, if you feel like celebrating with me, please spread the fun news.
My heart is so tied to this dear novel and I sincerely want to give it a good push out there into the world. Every little bit of sharing the word helps!
Question: I've got kiddos homework, music lessons and a day job all taking up my Tuesday...what are some ideas for a quick and easy but still fun way to celebrate my launch day? I'm at a loss!
.
September 23, 2011
Free Book and Yummy Soup!
Hey all,
I'm featured over at the Pots and Pens blog today. They focus on writers who also love to cook and they have a super yummy chicken noodle soup recipe with homemade noodles featured.
PLUS a free, signed copy of With a Name Like Love that will go to one lucky commentor in a random drawing next week.
Quick! link over and look at those yummy noodles ... plus enter to win!
I'm featured over at the Pots and Pens blog today. They focus on writers who also love to cook and they have a super yummy chicken noodle soup recipe with homemade noodles featured.
PLUS a free, signed copy of With a Name Like Love that will go to one lucky commentor in a random drawing next week.
Quick! link over and look at those yummy noodles ... plus enter to win!
September 12, 2011
Why Do We Do This?!?!
I am a seasoned pro at what I call moving the goal.
It goes like this...
set a goal
work hard, stumble, get up and try again, work harder
meet the goal!!!
think, "wait, but if I had THIS or THAT then it would be perfect...after all she has THIS and he has THAT".
See?
If we always move the goal then we are never able to relax and enjoy all of the good things we have accomplished. It's the easiest thing in the world to do and a sure way to be miserable (trust me, I know).
If only I could get published, then if only I could get a certain review then if only the bookstores clammored after it (instead of ignoring it completely) then if only... if only.... if only...
I was mired in that this morning when a pal reminded me that I was moving the goal.
thanks, pal.
Tell me I'm not alone in my insanity...
It goes like this...
set a goal
work hard, stumble, get up and try again, work harder
meet the goal!!!
think, "wait, but if I had THIS or THAT then it would be perfect...after all she has THIS and he has THAT".
See?
If we always move the goal then we are never able to relax and enjoy all of the good things we have accomplished. It's the easiest thing in the world to do and a sure way to be miserable (trust me, I know).
If only I could get published, then if only I could get a certain review then if only the bookstores clammored after it (instead of ignoring it completely) then if only... if only.... if only...
I was mired in that this morning when a pal reminded me that I was moving the goal.
thanks, pal.
Tell me I'm not alone in my insanity...
September 9, 2011
Sharing the Middle Grade Love
Sometimes you need a book that will sweep you away and make you giggle.
I had that recently with fellow debut author, Anna Staniszewski's, MY VERY un-FAIRYTALE LIFE.
here is a snippit:
"You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies."
This little gem is quirky and clever and had me giggling all day.
and, sometimes, that is exactly what the doctor ordered.
August 30, 2011
Holy Cow!
I went into my senior-in-high-school-daughter's room to drop off a bit of laundry and noticed a white sheet of paper taped up on her wall.
It said....
I believe:
that it will take me a long time to become the person I want to be
that I can keep going long after I think I can't
that I either control my attitude or it controls me
that money is a lousy way to keep score
that my background and circumstances may influence who I am but I am responsible for who I become
sixteen years old, people!!!
holy cow, my jaw is still hanging open. I wonder how different my teen years might have been if I really understood and embraced these concepts.
Tell me: are there any other "I believe that"'s you would add to the list? Which strikes you as most poignant?.
It said....
I believe:
that it will take me a long time to become the person I want to be
that I can keep going long after I think I can't
that I either control my attitude or it controls me
that money is a lousy way to keep score
that my background and circumstances may influence who I am but I am responsible for who I become
sixteen years old, people!!!
holy cow, my jaw is still hanging open. I wonder how different my teen years might have been if I really understood and embraced these concepts.
Tell me: are there any other "I believe that"'s you would add to the list? Which strikes you as most poignant?.
August 22, 2011
Do You Remember?
7th grade starts today
new school, new friends, new tennis shoes that he tried mightily to scuff up so they wouldn't look too new
"you wanna look like you care but not like you tried" he said
ahhh....
good luck little guy.
Tell me: Do you remember your first day of Junior High?
new school, new friends, new tennis shoes that he tried mightily to scuff up so they wouldn't look too new
"you wanna look like you care but not like you tried" he said
ahhh....
good luck little guy.
Tell me: Do you remember your first day of Junior High?
August 16, 2011
Am I bugging you?
*
Okay, I swear not to bug you all with blabbering on and on about my upcoming release...
but, when you work at something for NINE YEARS and then someone actually reads your little story and says, "hey, that's not so bad"
it is a super cool feeling.
and you kind of want to share that joy with like minded pals.
so... guess what?
With a Name Like Love is an American Booksellers Association (think Indiebound) New Voices pick for 2011!!
We have a little joke in our family....we say, "But enough about me....what do you think about me?"
I really hope I'm not being that person.
Ben and Jerry's all around....I'm having Heath Bar Crunch...what shall I scoop for you?
Okay, I swear not to bug you all with blabbering on and on about my upcoming release...
but, when you work at something for NINE YEARS and then someone actually reads your little story and says, "hey, that's not so bad"
it is a super cool feeling.
and you kind of want to share that joy with like minded pals.
so... guess what?
With a Name Like Love is an American Booksellers Association (think Indiebound) New Voices pick for 2011!!
We have a little joke in our family....we say, "But enough about me....what do you think about me?"
I really hope I'm not being that person.
Ben and Jerry's all around....I'm having Heath Bar Crunch...what shall I scoop for you?
August 9, 2011
My Favorite Writer-ly Thing
.Here she is....my thesaurus.
My mom gave her to me when I was fifteen years old. That was twenty*cough*years ago.
Isn't she pretty?
Guess what? My word.doc thesaurus gives me 19 options for the word "remember".
This pretty little book gives me 86!
It is the only piece of writing gear I am sentimental about...
well, that and the chair I wrote With A Name Like Love in.
It was a looooong, arduous process and at the end this is what was left of my chair:
seriously.
Question: what are you sentimental about?
July 19, 2011
What's Your Problem?
Every main character needs two problems: one external and one internal
before you click off this post and say "duh!"
ask yourself ...
what is exactly the internal problem for your main character? Do you really know it? inside and out? does your main character know it (they may or may not)? how will that change over the course of your story?
I recently heard an interesting point that most writers THINK they know the internal problem of their main characters...but, in fact, struggle to voice it. Try it right now. Say it out loud...is it solid?
You see.... I tend to write very "together" characters. Sometimes too much so. That can be a problem.
On the flip side, a whiny, weak, overly impulsive character can also be a problem.
You may think that the "story" part of With A Name Like Love is the murder mystery. You may think it is about an itinerant preaching family.
Those are components, yes. But the spine of the story ... the main thrust ... is the internal problem of the main character, Ollie.
She wants a stable home. Can she ever convince her daddy to stay in one place? Or is that like asking a stream to sit and visit for a while...nature just won't allow it?
In my current WIP, I am struggling with this concept right now. I wrote the MC with a weak inner problem. I realize now that I have to go back, rethink it, beef it up.
Tell me: which comes easier for you - creating the inner problem or the outter struggle/issues of story? the internal journey of your character or the external world?
.
before you click off this post and say "duh!"
ask yourself ...
what is exactly the internal problem for your main character? Do you really know it? inside and out? does your main character know it (they may or may not)? how will that change over the course of your story?
I recently heard an interesting point that most writers THINK they know the internal problem of their main characters...but, in fact, struggle to voice it. Try it right now. Say it out loud...is it solid?
You see.... I tend to write very "together" characters. Sometimes too much so. That can be a problem.
On the flip side, a whiny, weak, overly impulsive character can also be a problem.
You may think that the "story" part of With A Name Like Love is the murder mystery. You may think it is about an itinerant preaching family.
Those are components, yes. But the spine of the story ... the main thrust ... is the internal problem of the main character, Ollie.
She wants a stable home. Can she ever convince her daddy to stay in one place? Or is that like asking a stream to sit and visit for a while...nature just won't allow it?
In my current WIP, I am struggling with this concept right now. I wrote the MC with a weak inner problem. I realize now that I have to go back, rethink it, beef it up.
Tell me: which comes easier for you - creating the inner problem or the outter struggle/issues of story? the internal journey of your character or the external world?
.
July 10, 2011
Wiener! Wiener! and some fun news
The winner of our July Countdown Give Away was determined by random.org
True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 22 Result: 5
MG HIGGINS!
MG...email me at tess(at)tesshilmo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll get the gifts flowing!
and some fun news..
Kirkus gave a starred review for With A Name Like Love!
Can I tell you .. I am so happy Ollie and her family are being well received by readers. It is a surreal and humbling and wonderful thing.
True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 22 Result: 5
MG HIGGINS!
MG...email me at tess(at)tesshilmo(dot)com with your mailing address and I'll get the gifts flowing!
and some fun news..
Kirkus gave a starred review for With A Name Like Love!
Can I tell you .. I am so happy Ollie and her family are being well received by readers. It is a surreal and humbling and wonderful thing.
