Michelle McLean's Blog, page 51
October 18, 2010
Monday RunDown
Well, it's Monday morning and I'm fighting off a cold...and have every intention of going back to bed as soon as I hit Publish on this post :D So, since my brain is a haze of nothingness at the moment, I thought I'd do a rundown of some important things coming up.
1. Don't forget to head to the Operation Awesome Blog and become a follower for a chance to win 10 of my gently loved books and possibly a $20 gift certificate! Be sure to leave a comment on the post from yesterday either here or at OA. We are already up to 11 new followers which means I'm giving away at least 2 books so far.
2. Since my book release date is creeping ever closer (eep!) annnnd since it comes right after the holidays, I decided I should probably start getting my epic celebrations organized. If you'd be interested in hosting me on my blog tour, please email me at authormichellemclean(at)yahoo(dot)com. I will have swag items and signed copies of books to giveaway along with the interview, guest post, review, or whatever you'd like to do with me :)
3. Vote on the poll listed on the sidebar ---> I want to get an idea of what kinds of prize swag everyone would like to win. We are going to have some fun people, F.U.N.! :D
4. Has anybody read any good books lately? I am actually going to make my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge this year (woohooo!) I read more than 52 books last year, but since I reread four or five very long series, I couldn't count those. I'm reading Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero right now and then I'm heading to the bookstore, so I need some suggestions! :D
And now, I must crash :) Have a happy Monday everyone!
1. Don't forget to head to the Operation Awesome Blog and become a follower for a chance to win 10 of my gently loved books and possibly a $20 gift certificate! Be sure to leave a comment on the post from yesterday either here or at OA. We are already up to 11 new followers which means I'm giving away at least 2 books so far.
2. Since my book release date is creeping ever closer (eep!) annnnd since it comes right after the holidays, I decided I should probably start getting my epic celebrations organized. If you'd be interested in hosting me on my blog tour, please email me at authormichellemclean(at)yahoo(dot)com. I will have swag items and signed copies of books to giveaway along with the interview, guest post, review, or whatever you'd like to do with me :)
3. Vote on the poll listed on the sidebar ---> I want to get an idea of what kinds of prize swag everyone would like to win. We are going to have some fun people, F.U.N.! :D
4. Has anybody read any good books lately? I am actually going to make my 52 Books in 52 Weeks challenge this year (woohooo!) I read more than 52 books last year, but since I reread four or five very long series, I couldn't count those. I'm reading Rick Riordan's The Lost Hero right now and then I'm heading to the bookstore, so I need some suggestions! :D
And now, I must crash :) Have a happy Monday everyone!
October 17, 2010
Operation Awesome Celebration Contest!
Today is my very first day posting over at the Operation Awesome blog. Come over and say hi!!! :) I can't tell you how excited I am to join this awesome bunch of ladies. So to celebrate, I thought I'd do a little giveaway :)
I'd love for all my wonderful readers here to get to know my new crit and blogging buddies, and according to my husband my bookshelves are in serious danger of collapsing, and we have no room for another one, sooooo, here's what I've come up with:
For every 5 new followers we get at the Operation Awesome Blog, I will give away 1 book. Starting right now, 7am PST going till 11:59pm on Sat the 24th. If we get more than 50 new followers, (because I don't know if I can bear to give away more than 10 books LOL), I'll throw in a $20 gift certificate to the online book retailer of your choice (B&N/Borders/Amazon).
To Enter:
1. Be or become a follower at Operation Awesome .
2. Give me a shout out in the comments on this post or my post at Operation Awesome.
That's it! :)
Be sure to hang out and take a look around! This is a very talented bunch of writers with a lot of good advice to share - including a live chat on queries coming up on October 28th with the fabulous Elana Johnson :) So head on over and check us out! :)
*The contest is open to international entries but if an international contestant is chosen as the winner, I will add $10 to the gift certificate instead of sending the books.
I'd love for all my wonderful readers here to get to know my new crit and blogging buddies, and according to my husband my bookshelves are in serious danger of collapsing, and we have no room for another one, sooooo, here's what I've come up with:
For every 5 new followers we get at the Operation Awesome Blog, I will give away 1 book. Starting right now, 7am PST going till 11:59pm on Sat the 24th. If we get more than 50 new followers, (because I don't know if I can bear to give away more than 10 books LOL), I'll throw in a $20 gift certificate to the online book retailer of your choice (B&N/Borders/Amazon).
To Enter:
1. Be or become a follower at Operation Awesome .
2. Give me a shout out in the comments on this post or my post at Operation Awesome.
That's it! :)
Be sure to hang out and take a look around! This is a very talented bunch of writers with a lot of good advice to share - including a live chat on queries coming up on October 28th with the fabulous Elana Johnson :) So head on over and check us out! :)
*The contest is open to international entries but if an international contestant is chosen as the winner, I will add $10 to the gift certificate instead of sending the books.
October 15, 2010
Review of Christine Fonseca's Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students
Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students is a wonderful tool for anyone trying to understand these incredible kids. Christine debunks a lot of the myths associated with gifted children, including assumptions that children with disabilities can't be gifted, that gifted kids never fail, and most importantly in my opinion, the belief that gifted kids don't need help to get through school. Christine's book goes through what it means to be gifted and why that goes hand in hand with being emotionally intense. In addition to tackling assumptions about giftedness, she talks about mislabeling, incorrect diagnosis and shares wonderful information on how to cope with the special needs of gifted children.
She shares strategies and illustrates situations and techniques with hypothetical case studies and includes an entire section on how parents and educators can coach these amazing children. The book is full of easy-to-understand tip sheets and includes additional resource suggestions.
The best thing about this book – you don't have to have a PhD in psychology to understand it. It's straight forward and uncomplicated, giving the reader all the tools they need in a way anyone can understand. I would whole heartedly recommend this book for any parent or teacher of a gifted child.
And now for the really fun stuff - Christine is giving away an EPIC prize. One lucky winner will receive all this:
An awesome t-shirt, sticky notes, bookmarks, magazines, notepads, and a SIGNED copy of her book!
To enter, all you have to do is comment on this post or on one of the other incredible reviews being posted around the blogosphere today (check out Christine's blog for links).
Christine will draw a random winner from all commenters throughout the blog tour AND the reviews. Contest ends Sunday at midnight, and she will announce the winner on Monday, 10/18.
Good luck to everyone!
To purchase this book, visit Prufrock Press. Amazon, B&N, and Borders are all back-ordered at the moment, but you can check out my Must Read Books tab at the top of the page for links to those retailers.
October 14, 2010
Blog Chain - My Favorite Mistake
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This round's topic was chosen by the lovely Laura who wanted to know:
Regarding your writing career, what's the best mistake you've ever made and why?
Well, as most of the other awesome people in our chain have mentioned, I've made them all, some of them repeatedly. However, despite the sometimes spectacular mistakes I make, I think the worst one (which turned into the best) was when I quit. Now, in my defense, life had thrown me a huge curve ball. My daughter was born two months early and spent the first seven weeks of her life in the hospital - which was 45 minutes away from where we lived (if there was no traffic). My husband was working 90 + hours a week at the time and we also had a two year old that needed my attention.
So, I definitely had cause to take a nice long break. But I let that break drag on for two years. I had a novel that I was a few chapters from finishing. It was my first book, and when I started it, I was totally in love with it. I couldn't wait for my son's nap time every day so I could dive back in.
Over those two years, I thought about it often, wanted to get back to it, and then found an excuse not to. Eventually, I sat down and finished it...in just a few weeks. And I was hooked again. Have been ever since. And I'll never make that mistake again. Writing gives me something I just can't get from any other aspect of my life. It lets me escape into another world. I can exercise my brain, challenge my abilities, indulge in my love of learning and creating and reading and so many other things.
I've met incredible people, some of whom are now my closest friends. And I've become ME. Before, I was my husband's wife, my children's mother, my parents' daughter. I had degrees, I had jobs, and hobbies and friends. But I didn't know who I was yet. I was still searching for what I wanted to be when I grew up :)
When I started that first book, I got a taste of it. I got a glimpse of the person I could be, of the life I could have. And then I let other things get in the way. Important things, yes. Unavoidable things, of course. But I let it go on too long. I talked myself into believing that everything and everyone else was more important. And you know, sometimes they are. And that's okay.
But I will never make the mistake of letting YEARS go by without writing again. It's too much a part of me now. I am glad I made the mistake of giving up - because now I know what's at stake and I'll never do it again :)
What about you? What is your best mistake?
Be sure to check out the awesome Eric's answer before mine and stop by the always fabulous Kat's blog tomorrow to find out what his best mistake is.
This round's topic was chosen by the lovely Laura who wanted to know:
Regarding your writing career, what's the best mistake you've ever made and why?
Well, as most of the other awesome people in our chain have mentioned, I've made them all, some of them repeatedly. However, despite the sometimes spectacular mistakes I make, I think the worst one (which turned into the best) was when I quit. Now, in my defense, life had thrown me a huge curve ball. My daughter was born two months early and spent the first seven weeks of her life in the hospital - which was 45 minutes away from where we lived (if there was no traffic). My husband was working 90 + hours a week at the time and we also had a two year old that needed my attention.
So, I definitely had cause to take a nice long break. But I let that break drag on for two years. I had a novel that I was a few chapters from finishing. It was my first book, and when I started it, I was totally in love with it. I couldn't wait for my son's nap time every day so I could dive back in.
Over those two years, I thought about it often, wanted to get back to it, and then found an excuse not to. Eventually, I sat down and finished it...in just a few weeks. And I was hooked again. Have been ever since. And I'll never make that mistake again. Writing gives me something I just can't get from any other aspect of my life. It lets me escape into another world. I can exercise my brain, challenge my abilities, indulge in my love of learning and creating and reading and so many other things.
I've met incredible people, some of whom are now my closest friends. And I've become ME. Before, I was my husband's wife, my children's mother, my parents' daughter. I had degrees, I had jobs, and hobbies and friends. But I didn't know who I was yet. I was still searching for what I wanted to be when I grew up :)
When I started that first book, I got a taste of it. I got a glimpse of the person I could be, of the life I could have. And then I let other things get in the way. Important things, yes. Unavoidable things, of course. But I let it go on too long. I talked myself into believing that everything and everyone else was more important. And you know, sometimes they are. And that's okay.
But I will never make the mistake of letting YEARS go by without writing again. It's too much a part of me now. I am glad I made the mistake of giving up - because now I know what's at stake and I'll never do it again :)
What about you? What is your best mistake?
Be sure to check out the awesome Eric's answer before mine and stop by the always fabulous Kat's blog tomorrow to find out what his best mistake is.
October 13, 2010
Despised Character Lovers Anonymous
I mentioned on Monday that I'd revisit the whole "I like Bella" can of worms I cracked open. So, here we go.
*ahem* My name is Michelle McLean and I like the character of Bella from the Twilight series.
Now, let me clarify - I didn't like everything she did. Yes, I frequently wanted to slap her, and yes sometimes I rolled my eye so hard I went crossed eyed. Do I think she was a compelling character who changed and learned and grew and developed throughout the series. Not necessarily. Do I realize that writers as a community tend to despise her? Yeah, I do.
So why do I like her?
Because I WAS her. I was the sorta clutzy girl that fell over walking out her own door. I was the girl that fell so head over heels in love that my world literally STOPPED every time my heart was broken. I lived and breathed for the love of my life (cause every single one of them was my soul mate, naturally). I always fell fast and hard and nose dived when things ended.
As I grew up, I learned to handle things differently. I didn't really figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life until I was near 30, and I continue to learn and grow, as one does as they get older.
But Bella was only 17 turning 18....and she became a vampire at 18. At 18, I experienced EVERYTHING in extremes. The way Bella acted around Edward, the way she behaved when he left, the whole triangle drama with Jacob and Edward...I could soooo see myself reacting EXACTLY as she did.
I grew out of it....but at 18...yeah, I was Bella.
So, do any of you like, love, or at least relate to a character that the writing world at large hates? Do you force a laugh and mutter an "oh yeah, yeah, I feel the same way" when that character is reamed and secretly think "oh I so DON'T!"?
Come on, you can tell me...I won't laugh, I promise ;-)
*ahem* My name is Michelle McLean and I like the character of Bella from the Twilight series.
Now, let me clarify - I didn't like everything she did. Yes, I frequently wanted to slap her, and yes sometimes I rolled my eye so hard I went crossed eyed. Do I think she was a compelling character who changed and learned and grew and developed throughout the series. Not necessarily. Do I realize that writers as a community tend to despise her? Yeah, I do.
So why do I like her?
Because I WAS her. I was the sorta clutzy girl that fell over walking out her own door. I was the girl that fell so head over heels in love that my world literally STOPPED every time my heart was broken. I lived and breathed for the love of my life (cause every single one of them was my soul mate, naturally). I always fell fast and hard and nose dived when things ended.
As I grew up, I learned to handle things differently. I didn't really figure out who I was and what I wanted out of life until I was near 30, and I continue to learn and grow, as one does as they get older.
But Bella was only 17 turning 18....and she became a vampire at 18. At 18, I experienced EVERYTHING in extremes. The way Bella acted around Edward, the way she behaved when he left, the whole triangle drama with Jacob and Edward...I could soooo see myself reacting EXACTLY as she did.
I grew out of it....but at 18...yeah, I was Bella.
So, do any of you like, love, or at least relate to a character that the writing world at large hates? Do you force a laugh and mutter an "oh yeah, yeah, I feel the same way" when that character is reamed and secretly think "oh I so DON'T!"?
Come on, you can tell me...I won't laugh, I promise ;-)
October 12, 2010
A Shout Out or Two...or Three :D
Okay, three day weekends just really throw me off schedule LOL We'll return to our regularly scheduled posts starting tomorrow. For today, I'd like to do a few quick shout outs.
1. Happy Birthday to my awesome stepson, Matt! He is the big 2-0, officially no longer a teenager :D
2. Christine Fonseca's blog tour is still going strong. If you are looking for more opportunities to win a copy of her book, head to her blog for a list of ongoing contests. And stay tuned for Friday - it is going to be a day of epic reviews with even more awesome prizes!!!
3. I am very pleased to announce that I have joined the fabulous ladies over at Operation Awesome! I will be blogging there on Sundays, so be sure to head over and check us out :)
1. Happy Birthday to my awesome stepson, Matt! He is the big 2-0, officially no longer a teenager :D
2. Christine Fonseca's blog tour is still going strong. If you are looking for more opportunities to win a copy of her book, head to her blog for a list of ongoing contests. And stay tuned for Friday - it is going to be a day of epic reviews with even more awesome prizes!!!
3. I am very pleased to announce that I have joined the fabulous ladies over at Operation Awesome! I will be blogging there on Sundays, so be sure to head over and check us out :)
October 11, 2010
Does A Name Really Matter?
I know this has been discussed around the Webs before, but an incident with my son this weekend brought it to mind again. I was making lunch (grilled cheese sandwiches..can you guess where this is going?)
Me: "Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Son: "Nooooo."
Me: "Well, your sister and I are having one. What do you want then?"
Son: "A boy cheese sandwich."
Nothing I did, no explanation I gave, not even a cooking demonstration while making them would convince my son that there were no boy or girl cheese sandwiches, just GRILLED.
Finally, I said, "here's your boy cheese sandwich" and he promptly scarfed it down. The content of the sandwich didn't matter to him at all - it's what I called it that made it edible.
So it got me wondering....
How important is a name to you? Does the title of a book or the name of a character, or even the name of a creature or other item in a story make or break it for you?
There have been a few instances where I hated the name of the character (Bella from Twilight is a prime example - though I did like her as a character...more on that later this week (I realize I'm in a huge minority on this one)) :D
But it didn't put me off the story. There have been instances where the name of a character or the title of a book have bugged me to the point where it pulled me out of the story or made me not pick the book up until peer pressure forced me to cave.
Has this ever happened to you? Does a name really matter that much?
Me: "Would you like a grilled cheese sandwich?"
Son: "Nooooo."
Me: "Well, your sister and I are having one. What do you want then?"
Son: "A boy cheese sandwich."
Nothing I did, no explanation I gave, not even a cooking demonstration while making them would convince my son that there were no boy or girl cheese sandwiches, just GRILLED.
Finally, I said, "here's your boy cheese sandwich" and he promptly scarfed it down. The content of the sandwich didn't matter to him at all - it's what I called it that made it edible.
So it got me wondering....
How important is a name to you? Does the title of a book or the name of a character, or even the name of a creature or other item in a story make or break it for you?
There have been a few instances where I hated the name of the character (Bella from Twilight is a prime example - though I did like her as a character...more on that later this week (I realize I'm in a huge minority on this one)) :D
But it didn't put me off the story. There have been instances where the name of a character or the title of a book have bugged me to the point where it pulled me out of the story or made me not pick the book up until peer pressure forced me to cave.
Has this ever happened to you? Does a name really matter that much?
October 9, 2010
Contest Winners!!!
First of all, I know many of you have had a hard time finding Christine's book for purchase. That's because it SOLD OUT it's first printing :D However, the publisher now has it available again, so if you are looking for it, go to Prufrock Press. Amazon is reporting a delay of 3-5 weeks as are most of the other online retailers.
Now, on to our winners!!!!
The winner of the signed copy of Christine Fonseca's Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students goes to......
Hardygirl!
Congratulations!!!
Annnd SURPRISE! Since I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and since I have my own shiny new copy of this book....I'm going to give the ARC to a second winner who is.........
Kim!
The winner of K.M. Weiland's CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration is.......
L. Diane Wolfe!
Congratulations!!!!
If the three of you will please email your addresses at authormichellemclean(at)yahoo(dot)com, I'll get your prizes sent out.
For more chances to win, visit the authors' blogs and websites - their blog tours are still in process and there are more contests to be found! (For Christine click HERE, for Katie click HERE)
Thanks for participating everyone, and a huge thanks and congratulations to Christine and Katie!!!
Now, on to our winners!!!!
The winner of the signed copy of Christine Fonseca's Emotional Intensity in Gifted Students goes to......
Hardygirl!
Congratulations!!!
Annnd SURPRISE! Since I was lucky enough to receive an ARC and since I have my own shiny new copy of this book....I'm going to give the ARC to a second winner who is.........
Kim!
The winner of K.M. Weiland's CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration is.......
L. Diane Wolfe!
Congratulations!!!!
If the three of you will please email your addresses at authormichellemclean(at)yahoo(dot)com, I'll get your prizes sent out.
For more chances to win, visit the authors' blogs and websites - their blog tours are still in process and there are more contests to be found! (For Christine click HERE, for Katie click HERE)
Thanks for participating everyone, and a huge thanks and congratulations to Christine and Katie!!!
October 8, 2010
Friday Funnies Inspired by KM Weiland
Writer's block is a luxury most people with deadline don't have.~Diane Ackerman
"You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club." - Jack London
(I know I've put this on here before, just Jackson just cracks me up) :D
CLICK HERE TO BUY THE CD
K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration.Find her at her website and blog.
For a chance to win a copy of the CD, comment on any post this week. One point per comment (one per day). Entries accepted through tonight, winner announced tomorrow!
October 7, 2010
Quote Thursday with K.M. Weiland
The first thing I do when I hit a speed bump in a story is to start asking questions. The reporter's old standby "5 W's" (Who, What, Where, Why, When) come in plenty handy for novelists too, particularly "Why?" and "What if?" Keep asking long enough, and, eventually, you'll find the answers.~K.M. Weiland
For a chance to win this CD, comment on any post this week. 1 point for each comment (one point per day). Entries taken through Friday and winner announced on Saturday!
CLICK HERE TO BUY CD
K.M. Weiland writes historical and speculative fiction from her home in the sandhills of western Nebraska. She enjoys mentoring other authors through her writing tips, editing services, workshops, and her recently released instructional CD Conquering Writer's Block and Summoning Inspiration.
Find her at her website and blog.
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