Jenni Merritt's Blog, page 11

Back to the Books WINNER

The Hop is over.  The rafflecopter has chosen.  Did you win?This year's winner of my Back to the Books Giveaway Hop stop is... Congrats Cohlina!

I have emailed you.  You now have 72 hours to respond and claim your prize.  If I don't hear from you in that time, I will redraw the winner.  So don't wait!

And to all of you who did not win this time, hang in there.  I love seeing you all around my blog and hope you stick around for everything I have planned in the future.  (Such as the current Goodreads giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Prison Nation...)

HAPPY WRITING...and reading!

WIP Day - Off To School

I know this post is a day late, but for good reason.
Yesterday was a big day in my home.

My son started preschool!

*commence cheering*

I still can't believe my little man is in school, even if it is just preschool.  He is growing up much too fast!

All morning yesterday it was nonstop: "Mom, can I go to school now?" And the entire drive home from school was: "Mom, I want to go back!"

I will admit.  I got a bit choked up when I saw him running up to his school, Mario backpack strapped on and metal lunch box swinging.  And I was on pins and needles to see him at the end of the preschool day.  It was nice having him out of the home for a few hours.  But nothing beats having your kiddo nearby.

Things he had said he was most excited to learn: "Writing books like Mommy! Oh, and lunch."

When I asked him what he learned today: "Well, we ate lunch!"

At least one of the things got checked off his list.

Next year is Kindergarten.  Then off he goes, growing up much too fast.  For now, I am just going to let myself enjoy the fact that this morning all he wanted to do was cuddle with me in bed.  I love my little man!

With my little man. And yes, that is a Bazinga lunch box.
As for actual writing updates:

- PN is doing great! I will talk more about the actual Promo Weekend numbers in a future post.  But it was awesome!  Thank you so much to everyone who celebrated my birthday weekend with me.  And an even bigger thanks to those of you posting the awesome reviews and ratings, and the ones still buying a copy of my book even after it is free!  See my Kindle rankings right now?


- LJ is still plotting away.  I am getting more and more excited every day to begin work on this!  I even built a Pinterest board.  Yeah... I do that.

- Giveaways.  Have you entered the Back to the Books giveaway yet? How about the chance to win a SIGNED copy of PN through Goodreads?  Get on it!

That is about it for today.  Off I go to be mommy.  And of course try to snag moments in the day to write.  As always.  How is your day going?

HAPPY WRITING!

Back to the Books HOP

Welcome to the Back to the Books Giveaway HopHosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Buried in Books
I can hear the school bells ringing.  The pencils scratching.  And all those students groaning.
Yes, summer is over.  And we are all hitting the books again.

I know you will all be busy very soon with homework, assigned readings and essays.  If you aren't a student, maybe you are helping a kiddo out.  Or just sitting back and remembering the good old days of school time and childhood. Whoever you are, you deserve a break.

For my Hop stop, I couldn't choose a single book to give away.  It was too hard to choose!  So instead, I am going to giveaway the choice of:

$15 Amazon Giftcard

OR

$15 for The Book Despository 
(any book, as long as it isn't more than $15)

OR

A SIGNED paperback copy of my novel, Prison Nation
(This option is only for those State-side.)

To enter, just follow the prompts from the Rafflecopter below.
This Giveaway will end September 8th.

And don't forget to check out all of the other blogs part of this hop... HERE!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Birthday Promo

Today is my birthday!
And to celebrate my "big" 2-6, I want to give YOU all a present!

Starting today, and for three days only, Prison Nation will be available for FREE on Kindle.

That's right.  Free.
Happy Birthday to me from me.

This free Promo Weekend will go for three days, ending Sunday September 2nd.  On which my Goodreads giveaway for a SIGNED copy of Prison Nation will open.  I know, right?

Don't have a Kindle?  There's an app for that!  And it's free.  Along with a desktop version.  All free.

Let's see how awesome you all can make my birthday weekend, and get Prison Nation up in those free rankings!  Spread the word.  And the love.  And enjoy the read!

Get PRISON NATION here.
Happy Birthday to... Me!
With my Daddy on my Birthday 26 years ago. Plus one of my brothers.  Totally rocking the tighty whiteys.

WIP Day - Another Week Gone

Well Bloggers, another week has come and gone.
Can you believe summer is just about over?

Next week my oldest officially starts preschool.  We went out last night to get him his school supplies and some new clothes.  I have to admit: I was getting teary eyed.  As excited as I am for him to start school (along with letting me have that small break three days a week from at least one kiddo) I hate the idea of him growing up.  Such a mommy moment.

What did he tell me he the most excited about?
"I get to learn to write big books!"

Yes... he is my son.

As for the other kiddo.  My little two-year-old just showed me that not only does he know all his letters... but he also knows the sounds each letter makes.  Way to make your Mommy proud little one!

Have I mentioned what we read a little of each night before we go to bed?  Harry Potter.
That's right.  And they love it.
I am raising my own home of book fanatics.

Now, as for WIP updates.  Ideas are starting to flow for LJ.  Boy am I excited!  I cannot wait to finally start plucky out the words of that novel!  I am also dying to work more on ITB.  But with this photo backlog the way it is, who knows when I will find time open that file again before NaNoWriMo hits!  Being busy is... good.  Right?

Did I mention I candid shot a wedding this last weekend?  On the rooftop... of a library?  Oh my, it was gorgeous.  Sadly I didn't get time to explore the inside of the library.  But the couple was just so dang gorgeous that I didn't mind.  What a day!

Congratulations Jake and Relissa!
How's about some Giveaway updates?

Well, for one: Friday is my birthday.  The big 2-6.  (Woohoo!) To celebrate, I am hosting a three day FREE Kindle Promo weekend!  That means that for all of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday you can snag a Kindle copy of Prison Nation... for free!  Happy Birthday to Me!  Make sure to spread the word!

Kindle edition... RIGHT HERE!  Free this weekend only!
Now, for two:  Starting September 2nd, over on Goodreads I will open a giveaway for one SIGNED copy of Prison Nation.  If you are state-side and would love the chance to get a paperback copy of my novel, all signed and pretty, make sure to enter that one!  It will be open until December 1st.  The one year anniversary of Prison Nation being published!  Aw...

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Goodreads Book Giveaway Prison Nation by Jenni Merritt Giveaway ends December 01, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win
And, for three: I know, three?  Well, I am part of the Back to the Books Blog Hop.  Make sure to check my blog on September 1st for what I chose to give away!

*Phew!*
I must really like you guys or something.
And I have yet to dive into the swag I have collected.  Oh man...


That is about it for this week's update.  How is your week going?  What did you write?  Do share!

Happy Writing!

WIP Day - I'm Baaaaaaack

Hello there, blogging world!
I am back.  Miss me?

Man, it feels like it has been forever since I last rambled away on here.  This summer has been a crazy one.  Even though I am pretty much at my computer every single day, I have barely even had a minute to write anything.  And boy do I miss it!

I even wrote a letter to writing on my Tumblr.
Yup.

My photography this summer is going great.  This Saturday I am attending my third wedding of the summer.  I have done family sessions.  Portrait sessions.  And have even more sessions planned for the coming future.  It has pretty much swallowed me whole and won't let me go.  Not that I mind.  I love photography.  But I sure can tell you that I am looking forward to the winter months full of writing.

Here is a little peak at a shot I got at my second wedding of the summer.  Loving that veil!


Now, as for writing updates...
Like I said, my writing has been slow going this summer.  Along with my reading.  I can feel the wheels spinning again though.  I have been devouring books this last week, and brainstorming for LJ.  Let me tell you: I sure am excited to dive back into Millie's head!

In fact, I am so excited, I made a Goodreads page for LJ.  After seeing it listed there along PN, out for the reading world to find, I found myself itching more than ever to write this novel!  (Not to mention pressure, being as I have now officially promised it for 2013!)  You know you want to add it to your to-read pile.

My birthday is next Friday.  And I plan to celebrate by giving back.  How about two days of a PN Kindle free promo?  I think that sounds like a plan.  Happy Birthday to me!

And as for upcoming giveaways: Not only will I be participating in the Back to the Books giveaway hop, but I will also be giving away one signed copy of PN through Goodreads starting September 2nd.  Keep your eyes out!

Phew!
There are more updates in the work.  But they get to wait until later.
For now: If you aren't writing, get back to it!  


Happy Writing!

Book Review - Insurgent

Insurgent
by Veronica Roth

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)

One choice can transform you--or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves--and herself--while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable--and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

Why I Picked This Book:  Duh.  I devoured Divergent and needed more!

My Thoughts:
It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Divergent.  I was pretty much waiting on pins and needles for Insurgent to come out, and as soon as it showed up in my mail box I was tearing into it.

In Insurgent, the world is falling apart.  Factions are crumbling, secrets are being revealed, and all those friendships and loyalties we saw form in book one are being tested.  It picks up right where book one left off, then pulls you along into story twists you never saw coming.

While I did thoroughly enjoy Insurgent, there was something it was missing.  Maybe it was that Tris seemed to have lost a bit of the oomph that made her such a killer character in Divergent.  I can't blame her, really.  She is guilt ridden with what happened with Will.  Life is crazy.  But it felt like she had fallen a little too much into the "I am a horrible person" gutter.  I had a slightly harder time rooting for her because of that.  Come one Tris, you are dauntless.  Buck up!

Tris and Four's relationship hits some rocks as well.  While I love, love, love that they have a "real" relationship (as in everything isn't all peaches and cream) it got to the point a few times when I started to wonder why they were even fighting for each other.  There are a ton of secrets being kept, a ton of distrust.  You would think that after what they went through in book one, they would be chained to each other heart and soul.  Even while it did tick me off at times, I ended up loving it in the long run.  It was real.  And what is more real that utter confusion of the heart?

I think that is one thing I just love about Roth's writing.  It is real.  There is no perfect character, no perfect outcome.  You think everything is going great they suddenly it all hits the wall.  All of the characters are three dimensional, not the typical YA gray cardboard cutout we have all gotten used to.  You even end up feeling something for Peter.  Yes, Peter.  I know.

The plot is furthered with new characters, including long-lost mommy and a crazy Erudite leader.  It was great to learn more about why things happened the way they did in book one.  What happened to Four's mother.  Where that dang train is always going to.  What the Erudite are truly up to.

And let me tell you: Those smarty pants aren't always so smart.

Overall, I enjoyed Insurgent.  It lacked some of the irresistible pull Divergent had, but it was still an amazing read.  It seemed to serve as most trilogy second books do: As a stepping stone to the more-than-craved-for book three.  If you loved Divergent, make sure to pick this book up.  And keep your eyes out for book three in 2013!

My Rating: (4 out of 5 stars)

Be Fearless

Stopping by today to remind you all: Be fearless!  If this is something you love.  Something you know you could never live without.  Something that makes you tick, makes you YOU...  Keep going.  Fight for it.

"Be fearless. Simply pursue your goals without giving consideration to the obstacles that will arise; focus only on moving over, around, or through them to get to what you want - everything else is resistance. And any consideration you give to obstacles as anything other than things to get past is setting - and accepting - limitations on yourself, and your potential, and your purpose. Don't do it. Be fearless. You are your purpose, and purpose is invincible." - James A. Owen (The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica)

I remember when I was in middle school.  I would go over to James' studio on the island and he would show me how to make up a simple comic strip.  I am definitely not that kind of artist (I draw... but nothing worth showing off.  Ever.)  And obviously I never went after continuing my little comic strips.  Still, James took the time to let me use an art table and some pencils and act like I knew what I was doing.  It made an impact.  

I may not draw.  But those days of doodling led me to other art forms.  It helped me stick to my writing obsession.  Gave me the nudge to explore photography.  And look at what I do now.

I go after what makes me tick.  The comics never survived, but the lesson that someone taking a moment and believing in your doodles sure did last.  Thanks James!

Are you being fearless today?

Thought For The Day: NEVER QUIT

I know I am still missing.  And I miss you all.

Good news: I am getting stuff done!
Bad news: Well... I miss this blog!

I will be back soon.  I plan on it.  Don't leave me!  AND KEEP WRITING.
Until then, here's a thought for today

Terry Goodkind Attacks Pirates

I know pretty much all of us have at one time or another attained a pirated song/movie/book/donut.  I used to think nothing of it, declaring that it was ridiculous for us to constantly have to pay for something so simple as a two minute song.

Since self-publishing Prison Nation and diving head first into the writing (and photography) world, I find my view point has drastically changed.  I have found copies of Prison Nation on pirate sites.  And it ticks me off.  This is my baby.  Something I put my heart and soul and too much sweat into.  It is completely independent and the proceeds of it do not go to vacation homes or new cars.  They pay for groceries and my son's preschool.  How could someone ever think of pirating my book?

While I know I would never go to the lengths Mr. Goodkind did, I applaud his efforts.  
After openly calling the pirate out on Facebook, Goodkind went on to say:

"We feel we've accomplished what we set out to do here. We exposed someone that claimed to be a fan, a reader of books, had accessibility to the books, had every incentive to purchase and support them, but instead chose not only to disregard the work, the values within it, and our own personal pleas. In being transparent with everyone here about what it has taken to get this book delivered to readers and to enable this story to be told, piracy is an inevitable chapter of that tale still being written. [Josh] Press went to great lengths to make sure we heard his voice and saw his efforts, thus he has been introduced into the story here."

Yes, some things in life are free.  Many authors out there offer free promo periods of their novels.  Others keep their novels free, solely for the intent to share their art with the world.  But I feel it is important to support the artist.  Even if it is just a $2.99 e-book, that money you offer the artist is your way of saying "I appreciate what you did.  Thank you."  

Pirating is a sensitive, much argued issue in the internet world, and while I know some things are much easier to justify than others, I  feel that pirating a book is just plain rude.

I strongly encourage all of you readers out there: Don't pirate books.  Don't buy pirated copies.  Make a small difference, and support the art of the world.  Don't rip it off.


To read the full article about Terry Goodkind's Pirate attack,