G.P. Ching's Blog, page 15

Weaving Destiny is here and so is your chance to win an eReader!!!

Weaving Destiny is finally here!  I'm celebrating by giving away your choice of basic Kindle or Nook**.  Entering is easy!  Just fill in the quick quiz below. Stuck? You can find ALL of the answers in the following five reviews of The Soulkeepers (or guess :)).  For every correct answer or place you've shared the news, I'll give you an entry into the giveaway! This giveaway will run from September 10th - September 26th.





The Bookish BabesFiktshunThat Bookish GirlWord SpelunkingLife on the Muskoka River



**Choice of either (1)Nook or (1)Kindle and is limited to those models priced $139 USD or less.  Contest is open to all US and International entrants who are able to order their kindles or nooks on-line from BN.com, Amazon.com, or Amazon UK, however this giveaway is limited to $139 USD and will not include shipping (US shipping is free for these devices). If you are under 18, you may enter only with your parent's permission. Entrants will be assigned a unique range of numbers based on their correct answers and date of entry. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. One entry per person.<p>;</p>

Weaving Destiny Available Now!!!

Weaving Destiny, the second book in The Soulkeepers Series, is now available from these retailers!



Amazon

Amazon Paperback

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Should I Be Worried?

My family and I visited Navy Pier, Chicago this weekend.  That's us on the anchor.  My hubby was there too, but he's taking the picture. We had a great time and if you are ever in the area, I highly recommend a visit.



But that's not what this post is about.  This post is about my youngest, the one at the bottom of the anchor.  See, we were window shopping along the way and my family was instantly drawn to this little shop that sold, um, voodoo dolls.



They weren't REAL voodoo dolls.  They're called VooDoo friends.  You buy them and clip them on to your bag or cell phone or whatever.



So, my husband buys me this cute little white one.  It's called cupid and it helps you show someone you care.



Guess which one my youngest picked?  The Prince of Darkness!



It says it helps the user with EVIL plans.  Wouldn't you know it...she got in trouble later that day and I caught her pointing this thing at me.



Should I be worried?  I think this one might get "lost" in the wash.

PSST -Weaving Destiny is coming and you could win an eReader

PSST!  Exciting news blogosphere surfers!  As part of my launch of Weaving Destiny later this month, I'll be giving away the winner's choice of basic model Nook or Kindle!  So, if you know someone who wants or needs an ereader, make sure to spread the word.  Meet me back here the week of September 12th for details.





Meanwhile, I'm putting the finishing touches on an exciting blog tour, filled to the brim with reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways.  I'm so excited to be bringing this  novel to you. (Enough that I've already started working on Book 3!)





And, have you seen the trailer?

Oprah, Weaving Destiny, and My Hair (Not in that order)

[image error] I've been hair-color challenged lately.  For years I've colored my hair a pale blond to match the shade it was in High School.  But lately I've been experimenting, because (1) I can, and (2) change is good for you.  I've been thinking of trying RED.  Like "a sunset after a bomb went off" red (that's a Trueblood reference for those of you who don't watch).



I know you're thinking, how could that plan possibly go wrong? But currently my color is less than stellar and I'm not feeling particularly photo worthy.



[image error] Anyway, a couple of days ago, I saw this little ad on Facebook about the Oprah Winfrey Network.  You could enter to win a free journal.  I'm a writer so journals have a high value in my life, thus I clicked. I was taken to a page where I could set up a profile for myself that included a section called a "Dream Board".  I was intrigued by the social media aspect of the site, so, I filled it out.  But when it came time to upload my photo, I decided to use the cover of Weaving Destiny rather than an old photo, since a new photo was sooooo not happening.



I was totally floored when I received this email:



After reading through the links, I can only guess that somehow the cover infringes on their solicitation policy, although that's hard for me to buy into.  Nevertheless, I now have an old photo on my Oprah profile.  

I don't see myself visiting OWN on a regular basis.  I'm healthy, unviolated, and have good relationships with my parents, my kids, AND my husband.  I do sometimes check out the recipes and book recommendations and, of course, I'll enter to win the giveaways. :) But I think I'll keep my comments and my dreams to myself. Because if I can't use my cover as my profile pic, then I'm guessing wallpapering my Dream Board with Soulkeepers' images isn't going to fly either. I guess when they say "Dream Board" they mean unrequited and obscure dreams, not the I'm-getting-it-done-and-making-it-happen type.

If all this talk about Oprah has left you squeeing with fan girl enthusiasm, visit http://www.oprah.com/own. You can make your OWN profile and even enter to win a chance to meet the big O.  And if you happen to comment in the books section that the best deal in Young Adult fiction is The Soulkeepers Series, well, I had nothing to do with that.

The Weaving Destiny Playlist

When I write, I always have a playlist that gets my creative energy flowing.  These songs will forever remind me of Weaving Destiny.  If you are interested, here they are in a spiffy new YouTube playlist. Some of them are very dark because, well, my books deal with Lucifer, fallen angels, and eeeeeeviiiil. So here is my disclaimer.



Caution: These videos contain explicit lyrics and disturbing and nightmarish images that could and probably will scar you for life.  If you're not comfortable with art that pushes the envelope, don't watch. 





Otherwise, enjoy the ride. Bwahahahahahaha!

Cutting the Cord

I sent out several eBook advanced review copies (ARCs) of Weaving Destiny today. I would have liked to read through the manuscript again from start to finish.  But the time has come to cut the cord.



The book has been read, critiqued, and edited by over half a dozen people.  Consistently, they've liked it as well or better than The Soulkeepers. Still, I found it next to impossible to let go.  I was tempted to keep my manuscript safe and warm on my desk where it couldn't be poked or analyzed by reviewers.



Well, I didn't REALLY want that.  A book is written to be read.  So, I helped my baby book onto the bus, hoping that these first experiences with the big bad world would help it to grow into the novel it was meant to be.



It's hard to move on. I loved writing Weaving Destiny. But other babies are waiting to be born.



Do you feel the same way about your writing?  Do you obsess over making your manuscript perfect when you know it's time to move on?

Spread the Word: Weaving Destiny & Sept. Book Event

I'm pleased to announce that Weaving Destiny will launch Thursday, September 15, 2011.  If you haven't read The Soulkeepers yet, now would be a great time! *hint* If you can answer some trivia questions about book one, you'll be able to increase your chances of winning the prize packs.



Also, I would love to meet you at my first Weaving Destiny event:



September 10, 2011 1-4 pm

Aurora Public Library Local Author Fair

Eola Community Center

555 S.  Eola Rd.

Aurora, IL

Why is the blonde always mean?

Have you seen Mean Girls? I caught a part of it this weekend.  It's one of my favorite movies.  Tina Fey is an absolute genius. But one of the things that bothers me about the movie is the stereotype that blondes are mean.  It's not just Mean Girls.  Young Adult literature is filled with blonde characters that are heartless, cruel, and by some illogical twist of fate, also popular.



So here's my blonde anonymous confession. *stands up* My name is G. P. Ching.  I was a natural blonde in High School and I was a nerd.  I was not popular.  I was not mean. I was, however, wicked smart and opinionated.



Guess I didn't fit the mold, huh?



Here are some other stereotypes that I find comical in YA literature.



1. The heavy girl is always sweet.

 BAH!  I knew lots of heavy girls who were really mean and made it their life's mission to tear down anyone they felt was better than them.



2. The minority is the outcast.

Uhm...Our class president was a minority and my school was 98% white.



3. Attractive girls are cheerleaders.

Not so.  Today, the athletes that make the cheer squad are the ones who can tumble, have rhythm, and lead the crowd.  Last I heard, beauty wasn't on the scorecard.



4. Asians are brilliant.

Well, this one is mostly true. LOL!



So why do you think these cliches persist?  Which ones make you laugh? Are there ones I haven't mentioned that are your personal pet peeves?

Personalized autographs: Not just for paperbacks anymore!

When I first heard about Kindlegraph, I was skeptical.  I mean, the website is seriously lacking in the info department.  It has the feel of something a college kid slapped up as part of an extra credit project.  Still, the lure of having this option available to my readers led me to add The Soulkeepers.



The author interface was a great start.  My only complaint is you can't adjust the size or layout of your message.  My first time, I learned the hard way that less is more.  You get about ten words of text and then your message is running into your signature.



As far as signatures go, I've heard some other authors complain that they would like to use their actual signature and can't.  Kindlegraph gives you the option of signing with your mouse or choosing from a variety of prefabricated signatures of your name.  Those who have tried the mouse signature say it's worthless. It just so happened that a prefab version matched my signature almost exactly, so I chose that route.



After I did my part, I was wary of advertising the service.  Would it be difficult or impractical for readers to use?  Lucky for me, my first request came from a Facebook friend with a kindle.  I'm happy to say that she reported back to me that the process is very easy and the results are great.  Kindlegraph sends the signature on a separate page  to the readers kindle.



So, if you are a reader with a kindle and a copy of The Soulkeepers, feel free to request your personalized signature.  And if you are an author considering this service, give it a try.  It really is a terrific way to make the electronic book reading experience a bit more personal.