Cyndi Tefft's Blog, page 12

So You Wanna Win a Book?

[image error] There are oodles of opportunities for you to win a copy of Between right now, so I thought I'd be a sweetie ('cuz I'm nice that way) and collect them all in one place for your clicking and entering pleasure.

You're welcome! *grin*

Enter to win a print copy from Paper Cut Reviews (part of the Feast of Screams) through November 1.

A print copy is up for grabs at vvb32's blog. Contest ends November 13.

Unabridged Bookshelf is giving away five ebooks of Between (ends October 31).

Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads is going to have a giveaway starting soon, so I'll post that link once it starts.

Good luck!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yep, it's my birthday today! Woohoo! Let's celebrate!

*tosses confetti*

*hands out kazoos*

*pins the tail on Adam Levine*

*takes a sip of champagne*

*cranks the tunes*

I told my hubby that I love my birthday because it's the one day a year when it's all about ME. He said, "The ONE day???"

LOL- He knows me too well.

I asked my son this morning how old he thought I was. He said "29" and I didn't correct him. So, from the mouth of babes, I am officially 29 today.

Hey, no snickering, you in the back!

:)

Piracy Sucks!

In less than 24 hours, my book has popped up on FIVE sites for illegal download. Worse, two of the sites plagiarized my dear friend Jaime's review along with the posting. Jaime is spitting mad and so am I.

Between is practically free as it is! The ebook only costs 99 cents. Who doesn't have that? I've had bloggers email me and request a free review copy, which I willingly give. So if a person doesn't have a buck and is desperate for the book, there are ways to get a copy without stealing.

And I'm not the only one. Jennifer Armentrout, the author of the upcoming Half Blood, was recently plagued by illegal postings of her book as well.

So what can we do about it?

We've emailed the sites to ask that the pirated copies be removed, but Jennifer called them gremlins that multiply at night, and I have to agree with her. My Twitter friend Trina M. Lee told me that her books have been pirated for years and that even if a site agreed to take the posting down, it would pop up again a few weeks later.

Jaime is fighting back. And so am I.


Okay, so maybe I can't stop the books from being posted illegally. People who wish to do evil will find a way. So we choose to counter that with good.

Jaime is hosting a contest on her blog where she's going to buy and give away a copy of Between. Go and show your support! HappyTwilighter made a Piracy Sucks twibbon to add to your Twitter avatar. HeyItsFishy is making a Piracy Sucks banner. What The Cat Read has already posted about this. Larissa's Bookish Life is the awesome talent behind the icon above. Add it to your blog!

Figure out how you can be part of the movement to speak out against piracy.

For me, I will give a free ecopy of Between to EVERY SINGLE PERSON who blogs about this and comments back here with the link.

This isn't about me and my book. It's obviously not about money, since the book is dang near free already.

This is about stealing that which should be a gift. When an author pours her heart onto the page in order to make you laugh, cry, and fall in love, it is a gift. From her to you. It's a special time capsule of hours spent when you were swept up in another world and just for a little while, were able to set aside the trials of this world. Don't steal the gift. It won't mean as much to you in the end, I promise.

Go and spread the message that Piracy Sucks and come back here to let me know you have. Be sure to leave your email so I can send you the free copy.

Because above all else, I want to share the gift of Between with you. From my heart to yours.

Pen Fatale Tour Pics!

[image error] I met a fabulous lady on Twitter today and she mentioned that a group of YA authors were doing a signing at Barnes & Noble in my area. So skip forward a handful of hours and not only did I get to meet the authors (and get signed books), but I got to meet my new Twitter friend, too. What a great night!
[image error]
The Pen Fatale Tour made its very last stop in Seattle and I was fortunate enough to attend. Alyson Noel, Jessica Brody, Mary Pearson and Gabrielle Zevin (L-R) were out promoting their new books. While Alyson was definitely the most well-known of the group (and most of the questions were addressed to her), all four ladies were personable and engaged the audience beautifully.

One girl up front asked Mary Pearson how she got the idea to put thoughts in a black box (the premise of her novel,  The Fox Inheritance ). Mary responded that she'd done some research and that scientists currently believe that in about 25 years, they'll be able to scan our brains and download the information to a computer so we can have conversations with ourselves. Jessica Brody piped up and asked if her computer brain would be able to tell her where she left her car keys, since she has difficulties with that. :)

Alyson shared that she finds writing inspiration from events in her life, that she's been through some tough times: lost 3 people in her family within a short period and almost lost her husband to leukemia. Mary spoke of her daughter's cancer and how that played a role in the stories she came up with to work through the emotions. Gabrielle lightened the mood by recounting a story about a vicious chihuahua trying to attack her and her pug outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the inspiration for her novel, All These Things I've Done .

I had the chance to ask Jessica about the Ah-Mazing book trailers she's done for The Karma Club and My Life Undecided , which are more like movie trailers than book trailers. She said that she has friends in the film industry who've helped her out and that they take months to do, but that they are a labor of love. When I talked with her one-on-one during the signing, I told her I'd love to have her do a book trailer for Between .

*dreams of casting a hot guy in a kilt as Aiden*

*swoons*

All in all, it was a fabulous night. An inquisitive and attentive crowd, and some lovely women encouraging young readers (and writers). What's not to love?

Safe travels home from your tour, ladies!

And super big thanks to my new Twitter friend, @seibslikefeebs!

Seattle Sounders Fan-tastic

I went to my first Seattle Sounders game last night and had an absolute blast! That's not me in the picture, but I felt like it. The energy in the crowd was out of this world: jumping, chanting, cheering, singing... it never stopped.

The Sounders didn't win the game, but it scarcely mattered since it was really all about the fans. I snapped a little video with my phone, which doesn't do the crowd justice, but might give you a taste of the intensity.

Sheer. Awesomesauce!

The Fan Gallery Has Begun!

I wanted to put together an homage to the awesome people who've read Between, so be sure to check out the Fan Gallery page of the blog. If you've got a copy of Between, snap a picture of you with the book and email it to me at cynditefft -at- gmail -dot- com. I'd love to add your photo to the page! :)

Q&A with Jody Hedlund and Giveaway!

I am honored to have the lovely Jody Hedlund on the blog today, talking about her new novel The Doctor's Lady which just came out on September 1st. See giveaway deets at the end!

Priscilla White knows she'll never be a wife or mother and feels God's call to the mission field in India. Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field.Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.

When did you start writing The Doctor's Lady and how long did it take you?I started writing the first draft of the The Doctor's Lady last January (of 2010). I spent approximately 5 months writing it, doing about 5000 words a week. I had to take a few weeks off during those months to do some in-house editing on The Preacher's Bride. But overall, the first draft of The Doctor's Lady went fairly quickly.

Was there anything notably different in writing this book than your first?
I always fall madly in love with my books during the first draft stage. It's not until after I finish and start the editing that I begin to fall out of love. And that was true of The Doctor's Lady the same as all of the other books I'd written previously.
However, The Doctor's Lady was the first book I'd written under a contract with a publisher. They gave me initial input into the book. But even with approval of my synopsis and their guidance for the story development, when I turned the finished manuscript in to my editors, they didn't like some of the aspects of how I shaped the story.
I ended up having to spend a couple of months doing some major rewriting of the book which was very difficult. But their input and feedback has hopefully made the book into something my readers will enjoy.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers out there, particularly about the Christian fiction market?My first piece of advice for aspiring writers is to make sure they're actively pursuing growth in their writing skills through reading fiction how-to books like Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell or Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maass. I can't tell you how important writing craft books have been to my own personal growth as a writer. Over the years, I've read countless books and then practiced what I've learned. Without all of the study and practice, I wouldn't be where I'm at today. Writing a captivating and well-told story is the foundation of a promising writing career.

My second piece of advice for aspiring writers, particularly those interested in Christian fiction, is to familiarize themselves with the industry. Study the various publishers and their websites, become familiar with authors and their styles, get to know agents and their clients. A great place to get more information about Christian agents and publishers is on the American Christian Fiction Writer's (ACFW) website. They have a list of agents and editors who will be attending their annual conference and what kinds of projects they are specifically looking for.
If you could buy land anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?I'd definitely buy a plotof land on a mountain and build a log cabin (fully equipped with all modern conveniences, of course!). And then I'd use it as a place where I could retreat for peaceful writing sometimes! It would also be an ideal place for hosting writing getaways with writer friends. So does anyone have any mountaintop real estate they'd like to sell to me? *wink*

What's one article of clothing you probably should throw out, but won't?
I have a floral print dress that I made for my honeymoon. Not only does the dress hold wonderful memories, but it was also incredibly difficult and painstaking for me to make (since I don't really know how to sew well!). I can't make myself throw it out, even though I haven't worn it in nearly twenty years, and likely will never wear it again!

Jody Hedlund is an award-winning historical romance novelist and author of the best-selling book, The Preacher's Bride. She received a bachelor's degree from Taylor University and a master's from the University of Wisconsin, both in Social Work. Currently she makes her home in Michigan with her husband and five busy children.


Enter to win a signed paperback copy of The Doctor's Lady by leaving a comment (and your email address) below. US mailing addresses only. A winner will be drawn September 30th. Good luck!

Sitting By Yourself on the Bus (aka Growing Pains)

My son started kindergarten this year. When I asked him how his day went today, a shadow passed over his face and his eyes glistened. He blinked, pushing down the emotion.

"I rode the bus by myself," he said in a small voice.

"What do you mean? Don't you usually sit with your other two friends? Were they gone today?"

"No, they were there. They didn't sit with me. I had to sit by myself."

Yep, that sound you heard was a mom's heart breaking, mostly because I know there's nothing I can do to fix it. No Band-Aid can fix the hurt that comes with being rejected. No ice pack can heal the pain of friends turning away from you.

I can't even offer him a promise that things will get better, that kids will grow up and learn the error of their ways. It still happens to adults. Not as often, sure, but it hurts just as much when it does.

We all want to belong, to be loved, to be accepted. I want to wrap my arms around him and keep him safe from the pain of the world. But I can't.

All I can do is love him, pray for him, and pray for his friends, too. And lead by example so that maybe he won't make the same mistakes.

A Tribute to My Fans! {{HUGS}}

You want to know the best thing about writing Between? Connecting with readers who love the book (and Aiden!) like I do. *insert enormous group hug here* Dang, I love you guys!

In honor of these fabulous like-minded peeps, I'm going to create a Fan Gallery page on my blog.

Snap a picture of your beautiful self with the book and email it to me at cynditefft at gmail dot com and I'll include your photo in the page. Feel free to be creative!

If you don't have a copy of the book yet, you can order a personalized copy from me (see upper right corner of this page). I'm so excited to see pics of all of you! *hug*

YA Indie Carnival Winner!

Holy buckets of awesome, Batman! I am just full of winners today, aren't I?

Last week, the YA Indie Carnival threw a giveaway bash and today, I get to announce the winner of an ebook of Between :

Paige Bradish
Woohoo! Congrats, Paige!

If you didn't win a copy of Between as part of the YA Indie Carnival or the YA Scramble, never fear! There are more opportunities for you to win!

Reading away the days (ends 9/23)

Goodreads (ends 9/30)
Inky Fresh Press (giveaway starts next week)