Abbi Glines's Blog, page 50
June 19, 2011
The Era That Changed the World...or at least mine.
I woke up this morning and studied the book lying beside me. I'd fallen asleep reading Order of the Phoenix. I am on a quest to reread all the Harry Potter books (thanks to Karly Kirkpatrick's challenge) before the midnight viewing of Deathly Hallows Part Two. The closer we get to the end of an era, I get more emotional. I've always had a "Harry Potter" movie to look forward to. The thought of that ending is a little hard to deal with. Yes, I am aware I have issues. This past October my family and I took our annual trip to Disney World. However, for the first time ever I drove off Disney property and took my family to another park. What could possibly drag me away?!?!?! The chance to walk through Hogwarts and drink Butter Beer, that's what!
When Islands of Adventure opened I sprinted to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Heck, I didn't even look back and check on my kids. I knew their Dad would keep up with them in the mad rush. He was prepared for my insanity. He'd been living with it since I picked up the Sorcerers Stone years ago. Even with my Olympic worthy sprint I still wasn't the first one to hit Diagon Alley that morning. I reached back for my son's hand (he was the only one as excited as me to be there and had kept up with me easily) and we jumped in the line at Ollivander's Wand Shop. The park had been opened for only five minutes but the line for the wand maker was already an hour long. We did not care! We had a mission on our hands! When we were close enough to the door that we knew we'd be in the next group of twenty people allowed inside, I reached in my back pack and pulled out my son's Gryffindor robe. I remember saying, "trust me, put this on." He didn't question me. He quickly put it on. He had already been wearing a short sleeved white button up shirt with his Gryffindor tie. The doors opened and we were ushered into a wand shop that was identical to the movie. Mr. Ollivander had his back to us and slowly turned to gaze over the room of people. His eyes stopped once they reached my son. I was silently cheering for my forethought to bring his robe. When he said "Ah yes. Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon." My eyes got so full of tears I had to wipe them away before I made a fool of myself! (Note for those of you who don't know. When you visit Universal's 'Ollivander's Wand Shop' they only pick one person out of the twenty they allow in at a time to experience "having the wand choose them") My son was called to the counter and he killed a pot of flowers with a wand, he caught some things on fire with a wand, he sent wand boxes flying out of the shelves with a wand then finally when Mr. Ollivander placed the right wand in his hand his blond hair flew back and a glowing light surrounded him. I will tell you at this point I had tears streaming down my face.
Even though the wand that chose him happened to be a Slytherin wand, my son kept it. He wanted the one that chose him. It was a moment I will never forget. The words and imagination of J.K. Rowling have made such an impact on so many lives. Harry Potter put the love of reading into my sports minded son. The kid who lives for football season and basketball season also curls up in his room and reads 800 page books. If I had to pick a hero then J.K. Rowling would, hands down, be my hero!
When Islands of Adventure opened I sprinted to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Heck, I didn't even look back and check on my kids. I knew their Dad would keep up with them in the mad rush. He was prepared for my insanity. He'd been living with it since I picked up the Sorcerers Stone years ago. Even with my Olympic worthy sprint I still wasn't the first one to hit Diagon Alley that morning. I reached back for my son's hand (he was the only one as excited as me to be there and had kept up with me easily) and we jumped in the line at Ollivander's Wand Shop. The park had been opened for only five minutes but the line for the wand maker was already an hour long. We did not care! We had a mission on our hands! When we were close enough to the door that we knew we'd be in the next group of twenty people allowed inside, I reached in my back pack and pulled out my son's Gryffindor robe. I remember saying, "trust me, put this on." He didn't question me. He quickly put it on. He had already been wearing a short sleeved white button up shirt with his Gryffindor tie. The doors opened and we were ushered into a wand shop that was identical to the movie. Mr. Ollivander had his back to us and slowly turned to gaze over the room of people. His eyes stopped once they reached my son. I was silently cheering for my forethought to bring his robe. When he said "Ah yes. Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon." My eyes got so full of tears I had to wipe them away before I made a fool of myself! (Note for those of you who don't know. When you visit Universal's 'Ollivander's Wand Shop' they only pick one person out of the twenty they allow in at a time to experience "having the wand choose them") My son was called to the counter and he killed a pot of flowers with a wand, he caught some things on fire with a wand, he sent wand boxes flying out of the shelves with a wand then finally when Mr. Ollivander placed the right wand in his hand his blond hair flew back and a glowing light surrounded him. I will tell you at this point I had tears streaming down my face.
Even though the wand that chose him happened to be a Slytherin wand, my son kept it. He wanted the one that chose him. It was a moment I will never forget. The words and imagination of J.K. Rowling have made such an impact on so many lives. Harry Potter put the love of reading into my sports minded son. The kid who lives for football season and basketball season also curls up in his room and reads 800 page books. If I had to pick a hero then J.K. Rowling would, hands down, be my hero!
June 18, 2011
YA Bound
I was going to blog today but the uber cool Trisha Wolfe, author of The Crystal Pendulum, had me guest blog on her YA Bound blog. Soooo.. go check it out instead :)
June 16, 2011
Words on Success from Coach Nick Saban
As I am sure you have guessed by now, I love writing and reading. However, there is another love that ranks right up there with those two I don't share that often in my "writer networking" world. I am a DIE HARD BAMA FAN. It's true. The obnoxious kind. When I was a little girl I didn't go fishing with my daddy. I watched Alabama football. I learned to scream at the television and throw things across the room from my daddy (who I hope doesn't read this blog and find out I am sharing with the world his bad football watching habits). I also learned that being a Bama fan is something to be proud of. I promise this has something to do with writing. Hang in there. I am almost through gushing about my team :)
Anyway, yesterday I went to Bryant Denny Stadium (for those of you non-football fans this is the University of Alabama's football stadium) to pick up my son from Nick Saban's ( Alabama's head football coach) football camp. The sun was beaming down with NO clouds in sight and the temp was a lovely 100 degrees. Gotta love the south. The smoldering heat was taking away from my excitement of seeing my son on the field. Then Coach Saban walked out onto the field. A thousand little boys gathered around him and took a knee with their helmet in their hand. Then he talked to them. I realize he was talking about football and their future. However, I got something else out of his words. I actually jotted down the things he began to tell them because I realized they applied to me as a writer. "The media has you accustomed to instant gratification. Success doesn't work that way." "You have to set a goal and then have a plan to accomplish it." "Be responsible for your own determination." "Success isn't possible without hard work. You have to be positive in what you are trying to accomplish"All of those things applied to me. They apply to everyone. For a writer they really hit home. Success isn't instant. Besides if you didn't have to work hard to accomplish your dreams and you were given instant gratification it wouldn't be as sweet. The song my girls listened to over and over again about a year ago was "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. I loved the words of it. Because truly it's all about the climb. When you're at the top looking back at the journey will be so very sweet. 
Anyway, yesterday I went to Bryant Denny Stadium (for those of you non-football fans this is the University of Alabama's football stadium) to pick up my son from Nick Saban's ( Alabama's head football coach) football camp. The sun was beaming down with NO clouds in sight and the temp was a lovely 100 degrees. Gotta love the south. The smoldering heat was taking away from my excitement of seeing my son on the field. Then Coach Saban walked out onto the field. A thousand little boys gathered around him and took a knee with their helmet in their hand. Then he talked to them. I realize he was talking about football and their future. However, I got something else out of his words. I actually jotted down the things he began to tell them because I realized they applied to me as a writer. "The media has you accustomed to instant gratification. Success doesn't work that way." "You have to set a goal and then have a plan to accomplish it." "Be responsible for your own determination." "Success isn't possible without hard work. You have to be positive in what you are trying to accomplish"All of those things applied to me. They apply to everyone. For a writer they really hit home. Success isn't instant. Besides if you didn't have to work hard to accomplish your dreams and you were given instant gratification it wouldn't be as sweet. The song my girls listened to over and over again about a year ago was "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. I loved the words of it. Because truly it's all about the climb. When you're at the top looking back at the journey will be so very sweet.
June 15, 2011
I've been Tagged!
Tagged!I've been tagged! Thanks to Katie from Katie on Fiction, who I might add gave me the fabulous idea to give away a Barnes & Noble gift card. Go check out her website FAST because after just a few more followers her B&N card is being given away. This tag is a sort of getting-to-know-you tag. So here we go...
1- Do you think you're hot?
LOL! NO! Not by a long shot.
2- Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using at the moment.
um....it is of my three kids so not real comfortable doing this one. 3- When was the last time you ate chicken?
Last night on a buffalo chicken pizza before taking the kids to a movie.
4-The song(s) you listened to recently.
Trace Adkins- "Just Fishing"Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow- "Picture"Those are the only two I can remember. I've been in the car for four hours.
5-What were you thinking about as you were doing this?
The fact I really need to work on my current manuscript. I've been out of town.
6-Do you have nicknames? What are they?
Abbi is a nickname. My real name is Abigail. "Mom" and "H-O-N-E-Y" (note: the last one is used when I have spent too much money on books)
7-Tag 6 blogger friends Carly Jayne: A new blogger I have recently started following on Twitter. She reviews YA books! Check her out.Sarah Gilman: Check out her blog and her new book SIMPLY THRILLINGJessica Sorensen: Author of The Fallen Star series. Check out her blog for more info!Writing Jewels: YA writer on the road to getting published. Marilyn Almodóv: YA writer on the road to getting published. Kasie West: Her debut novel PIVOT POINT is being released by Harper Teen in 2012
1- Do you think you're hot?
LOL! NO! Not by a long shot.
2- Upload a picture or wallpaper you are using at the moment.
um....it is of my three kids so not real comfortable doing this one. 3- When was the last time you ate chicken?
Last night on a buffalo chicken pizza before taking the kids to a movie.
4-The song(s) you listened to recently.
Trace Adkins- "Just Fishing"Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow- "Picture"Those are the only two I can remember. I've been in the car for four hours.
5-What were you thinking about as you were doing this?
The fact I really need to work on my current manuscript. I've been out of town.
6-Do you have nicknames? What are they?
Abbi is a nickname. My real name is Abigail. "Mom" and "H-O-N-E-Y" (note: the last one is used when I have spent too much money on books)
7-Tag 6 blogger friends Carly Jayne: A new blogger I have recently started following on Twitter. She reviews YA books! Check her out.Sarah Gilman: Check out her blog and her new book SIMPLY THRILLINGJessica Sorensen: Author of The Fallen Star series. Check out her blog for more info!Writing Jewels: YA writer on the road to getting published. Marilyn Almodóv: YA writer on the road to getting published. Kasie West: Her debut novel PIVOT POINT is being released by Harper Teen in 2012
June 14, 2011
An Excerpt from: Breathe
An Excerpt from: BreatheCopyright © 2011 Abbi GlinesAll rights reserved, Wild Child Publishing.
Once back in the kitchen, Marcus sat down his tray. "Okay, this is sticky. You're supposed to take him his plate, and since his mother has left, I have no reason to return. I could go in your place, which would be the best idea, but I am afraid it will anger him. He has noticed you, which I knew would be pretty unavoidable, but I'd hoped since he is famous, he wouldn't pay attention to another pretty face." Marcus sighed and leaned his hip against the table and crossed his long legs. "I am leaving this up to you."
"Me?"
"What do you want to do, Sadie? It isn't about your job; it is about mine. If you don't go back, I could lose mine for taking your spot. I think he has already picked up on my protecting you. If you go or not, your job is secure...for now."
I sighed and reached for the tray holding the dessert. I wouldn't jeopardize someone else's job to help myself out. "I'll do it."
Without another word, I headed back down the hall all by myself.
Once I entered, steel blue eyes met mine and he smiled. "Ah, so he did let you come alone. I wondered if I would be seeing him instead."
I didn't want to smile at his comment but I did. I sat his dessert down in front of him and took my place.
"Do you speak?" he asked.
"Yes." Marcus had spoken for me all night.
"We don't normally have young female employees. How did you get through Mary?"
"I am mature for my age."
He only nodded and took a bite of some sort of chocolate cake with more chocolate oozing out of the inside. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked back at me. I turned to stare out the window at the waves crashing against the shore.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen." I hoped my simple reply would end his interrogation.
"How did you know I lived here?"
His question caught me off guard and I met his gaze. "It is hard to miss the photos of you as I dust and mop."
He frowned. "You applied for this job not knowing I lived here?"
I realized he assumed a fan squeezed through the cracks of his security and he wanted to know how I did it.
"My mother has been cleaning here for two months. However, her pregnancy has progressed and she sent me in her place. I proved my worth, and Ms. Mary kept me. My being here has nothing to do with you, sir, but has everything to do with the fact I want to eat and pay the rent." I knew I sounded annoyed, but I was annoyed, and I couldn't help it.
He nodded and stood up. "I am sorry. When I saw you, and you were young and well...attractive, I thought the only reason someone like you would be working here would be to get close to me. I deal with females quite a bit, and my assuming you were working here to get near me wasn't fair. Please forgive me."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt this job slipping out of my hands, but I would not cry. "I understand," I managed to get out.
A boyish smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded his head toward the door. "I guess I should have figured you were taken by the possessiveness of the other server tonight. I stared at you more than I should have, but I kept waiting for you to ask for my autograph or slip your number to me on a napkin."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
He shrugged. "Those things are a way of life for me. I just expect it."
I smiled back at him this time. He wasn't as bad as I'd made him out to be.
He wasn't about to fire me.
"I am here to do my job, sir, and nothing more."
"Do me a favor and don't call me 'sir.' I am just two years older than you."
I took the plate, careful not to touch his hands, and stepped back. "Okay," I replied, hoping I could leave.
"So, is he your boyfriend?"
He caught me off guard with his question, and I halted in my tracks.
"Who? Marcus?"
A crooked grin appeared on his face. He was hard not to stare at. "If Marcus is the guy who seemed quite determined to make sure you made no mistakes tonight, then yes."
"No, he is…he is a friend." It was strange saying those words. I'd never called anyone a friend in my life.
Jax smiled and leaned down to whisper close to my ear. "I hope someday soon you will consider me a friend as well. I don't have very many of those."
My face grew hot, and my skin tingled at his nearness. His warm breath on my skin made it hard to form words. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on his comment and not swooning at his feet like some crazy lunatic. "I only have one," I blurted out like an idiot.
Jax frowned. "I find that hard to believe"
I shrugged. "I don't have time for friends."
Jax stepped forward, opened the door for me, and smiled. "Well, I hope we can find some time in your busy schedule because I happen to be in need of a friend myself…. Someone who doesn't care who I am…. Someone who doesn't laugh at my jokes when they're not funny. If I'm not mistaken, you could care less about the fact I am on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine this month, and on the bedroom walls of every teenage girl in America."
His comment seemed to ease my momentary lapse of common sense from his nearness, and I shook my head. "Not every teenage girl in America. You have never been on my walls. So, I guess you're right, I don't care." I walked away, leaving him standing behind me.
BUY IT NOW
Once back in the kitchen, Marcus sat down his tray. "Okay, this is sticky. You're supposed to take him his plate, and since his mother has left, I have no reason to return. I could go in your place, which would be the best idea, but I am afraid it will anger him. He has noticed you, which I knew would be pretty unavoidable, but I'd hoped since he is famous, he wouldn't pay attention to another pretty face." Marcus sighed and leaned his hip against the table and crossed his long legs. "I am leaving this up to you."
"Me?"
"What do you want to do, Sadie? It isn't about your job; it is about mine. If you don't go back, I could lose mine for taking your spot. I think he has already picked up on my protecting you. If you go or not, your job is secure...for now."
I sighed and reached for the tray holding the dessert. I wouldn't jeopardize someone else's job to help myself out. "I'll do it."
Without another word, I headed back down the hall all by myself.
Once I entered, steel blue eyes met mine and he smiled. "Ah, so he did let you come alone. I wondered if I would be seeing him instead."
I didn't want to smile at his comment but I did. I sat his dessert down in front of him and took my place.
"Do you speak?" he asked.
"Yes." Marcus had spoken for me all night.
"We don't normally have young female employees. How did you get through Mary?"
"I am mature for my age."
He only nodded and took a bite of some sort of chocolate cake with more chocolate oozing out of the inside. After he chewed and swallowed, he looked back at me. I turned to stare out the window at the waves crashing against the shore.
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen." I hoped my simple reply would end his interrogation.
"How did you know I lived here?"
His question caught me off guard and I met his gaze. "It is hard to miss the photos of you as I dust and mop."
He frowned. "You applied for this job not knowing I lived here?"
I realized he assumed a fan squeezed through the cracks of his security and he wanted to know how I did it.
"My mother has been cleaning here for two months. However, her pregnancy has progressed and she sent me in her place. I proved my worth, and Ms. Mary kept me. My being here has nothing to do with you, sir, but has everything to do with the fact I want to eat and pay the rent." I knew I sounded annoyed, but I was annoyed, and I couldn't help it.
He nodded and stood up. "I am sorry. When I saw you, and you were young and well...attractive, I thought the only reason someone like you would be working here would be to get close to me. I deal with females quite a bit, and my assuming you were working here to get near me wasn't fair. Please forgive me."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. I felt this job slipping out of my hands, but I would not cry. "I understand," I managed to get out.
A boyish smile tugged at his lips, and he nodded his head toward the door. "I guess I should have figured you were taken by the possessiveness of the other server tonight. I stared at you more than I should have, but I kept waiting for you to ask for my autograph or slip your number to me on a napkin."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise.
He shrugged. "Those things are a way of life for me. I just expect it."
I smiled back at him this time. He wasn't as bad as I'd made him out to be.
He wasn't about to fire me.
"I am here to do my job, sir, and nothing more."
"Do me a favor and don't call me 'sir.' I am just two years older than you."
I took the plate, careful not to touch his hands, and stepped back. "Okay," I replied, hoping I could leave.
"So, is he your boyfriend?"
He caught me off guard with his question, and I halted in my tracks.
"Who? Marcus?"
A crooked grin appeared on his face. He was hard not to stare at. "If Marcus is the guy who seemed quite determined to make sure you made no mistakes tonight, then yes."
"No, he is…he is a friend." It was strange saying those words. I'd never called anyone a friend in my life.
Jax smiled and leaned down to whisper close to my ear. "I hope someday soon you will consider me a friend as well. I don't have very many of those."
My face grew hot, and my skin tingled at his nearness. His warm breath on my skin made it hard to form words. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on his comment and not swooning at his feet like some crazy lunatic. "I only have one," I blurted out like an idiot.
Jax frowned. "I find that hard to believe"
I shrugged. "I don't have time for friends."
Jax stepped forward, opened the door for me, and smiled. "Well, I hope we can find some time in your busy schedule because I happen to be in need of a friend myself…. Someone who doesn't care who I am…. Someone who doesn't laugh at my jokes when they're not funny. If I'm not mistaken, you could care less about the fact I am on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine this month, and on the bedroom walls of every teenage girl in America."
His comment seemed to ease my momentary lapse of common sense from his nearness, and I shook my head. "Not every teenage girl in America. You have never been on my walls. So, I guess you're right, I don't care." I walked away, leaving him standing behind me.
BUY IT NOW
June 13, 2011
Writing Quirks
I just recently answered some questions for someone I am doing a guest blog for this month. She asked me things I hadn't really thought about before. The question that had me looking more closely at my weirdness was the one concerning my writing quirks. I happen to suck on Twizzlers when writing. It's weird but I do it. Not the red ones but the tropical flavored pack. I can do some serious damage to a bag of Twizzlers on an #amwriting day. I don't even know when and where this quirk happened. It just did. What's your writing quirk? Do you even have one? 
June 10, 2011
BARNES & NOBLE $25 GIFT CARD GIVEAWAY
My favorite gift on Earth is a Barnes and Noble gift card. I dream about them...lust over them...drool over them...buy them when my husband isn't looking. It's an addiction I can't control. Now, I'm going to share the love and give a $25 B&N gift card away! While you're racking up on your summer library, you can add BREATHE to the shelf ;)LET THE SUMMER READING FUN BEGIN......All you have to do to enter is:Follow my blog (gets your name in the hat 1x. My current followers who enter will get this entry automatically)Follow me on Twitter (gets your name in the hat 1x. My current followers who enter will get this entry automatically )Retweet this contest (gets your name in the hat 1x for every retweet)
You can get your name in the hat an unlimited amount of times. Once you do one or all of the above comment on this blog and let me know. I'll keep tabs on the retweets myself. Ends on June 30 at 11:59 pm. Winner announced on July 1.
June 9, 2011
Great Review on BREATHE! Cover for Existence!
This has been an insane week. First I packed up and headed for kids camp with my three children where I fell violently ill with a stomach virus. Not so much fun. However, the last half of the week has redeemed itself. First off BREATHE received a great review from one of my favorite YA review blogs "I HEART YA BOOKS" . Please go check it out.
Second up is the cover for my next YA novel, EXISTENCE. "Death" looks perfect on the cover. More on EXISTENCE coming soon.
June 3, 2011
Another Giveaway!
One of the blogs I follow is having a fiction giveaway! Check out the link below to enter. KATIEONFICTION
May 31, 2011
Breathe Summer Giveaway
Tomorrow is JUNE 1 Hooray!!! In honor of sand, surf, and summer romance I am giving away the Kindle edition of BREATHE to two people. To enter just comment on this post. I will then randomly choose the two winners from those who leave comments. Winners will be announced on June 2. Happy Summer!
