Sara Celi's Blog: A Writing State of Mind, page 7

May Day Giveaway!

I love the month of May!

It’s one of my favorite times of the year. Spring is here, the flowers are in bloom, and it’s finally not cold any more!

To celebrate, I decided that this year, I want to run a fun giveaway! And I decided to give away a “Keep Calm and Save Fostino” swag bag– some of the official gear for The Undesirable!

I have one myself, and trust me, they are pretty awesome. To enter, all you have to do is click here: a Rafflecopter giveaway. That page will give you instructions to “like” my Facebook fan page, and then you are entered!

Someone has to win! Might as well be you!

Books and Authors to Know

Did you know there are almost 4 million books for sale in the Amazon store? Yep. That many. And every day, there are more and more books out by indie authors. I don’t know about you, but I love that. It means that more than ever, the power is in the hands of authors and readers.

And that’s a good thing. A very good thing.

With that in mind, I thought I’d share three books you might want to check out. All are on my Kindle right now, and I just finished the first one. These are authors you might not know about, but should. Happy reading!

1. Someone I Used to Know: I just finished this debut novel by Blakney Francis last week and published my thoughts in an Amazon review you can read here. Here’s the synopsis from Amazon: “Adley Adair’s ex-boyfriend did more than just write an international bestseller about their failed relationship. He exposed all her dirty little secrets to the world, and locked all her demons into print, masquerading it as a love story. Three years removed from the relationship that changed her life, Adley is just a college student who wants nothing more than to forget the whole thing ever happened, but when the studio making Cam’s book into a movie makes her an offer she can’t refuse, Adley finds herself back on a plane to California and the life she thought she’d left behind. Now, she’s not just dealing with the only man she’s ever loved, but also the Australian movie star who refuses to let her hide from a past that she can’t change.”

2. Descension: OOklahoma author BC Burgess has recently become a friend, and I cannot wait to read this. It’s on my “Must Read Now” list, and I think you should have it on yours, too. Here is the synopsis for this book: “A Magical Journey of Epic Romance. After three years caring for her dying mother, Layla Callaway learns she was adopted under unusual circumstances. Following a cryptic message to seek her birth family in Oregon, Layla uproots her life to find out the truth about her past. And herself. Quin’s natural charisma is attractive to plenty of women, but he longs for the one he’s been dreaming of his entire life. When that day arrives, not only is he breathless, he’s confronted with the challenge of a lifetime – an innate need to keep her safe and forever by his side.Through manipulation and dark magic, Agro uses the powers of others to elevate his supremacy and wealth. When he discovers Layla didn’t die at birth, he sets out to find and possess her. Stretching from coast to coast and teeming with loathed villains and beloved heroes, The Mystic Series is rich with emotion, magic and intrigue. Whether the reader is laughing, crying or falling in love, they’ll find themselves invested in Layla’s fate through the rich dialogue and emotionally driven characters that weave the web of this fiery tale.”

3. Pink Slips and Glass Slippers. I stumbled on this book today, and I can’t wait to read it either. Here’s the Amazon synopsis for J.P. Hansen’s latest: Brooke Hart was beautiful, smart, and groomed from birth to deal with adversity.
Her widowed father did his best to raise his baby girl to be a strong-minded business woman. Then she found Tanner. Just when her world seemed perfect, everything turned upside down. Following Tanner’s tragic death, Brooke joins a start-up company that is developing a cure for the disease that killed the love of her life. Just before the treatment is ready to market, the company is gobbled up by a giant conglomerate. She moves to the acquiring company as its youngest VP and becomes enamored with CEO Chase Allman—only to be betrayed by him. Brooke rebounds again and sets out on a personal journey to discover what will truly make her happy. Sparks fly when she and Chase cross paths again in an unlikely way. Now, they need each other to find an abducted child and save thousands of people.

LOCAL-ized Eating

My lunch

I’m a foodie at heart. I love a good, hearty meal.

And I like to think I have some taste (just a little). At the very least, I’m adventurous.

One of the places I’ve been meaning to try is a spot in Norman, OK called  LOCAL. I’ve stalked the Facebook page for this pace a few months now, and I’ve always heard good things.

Recently, I had a chance to see for myself.

I met a friend for a quick-lunch there on a Saturday.  She’s a student at OU, so it wasn’t hard to  convince her.  We set at time, and stuck too it. And I have to say that LOCAL met my expectations, and then exceeded them.

It’s a surprisingly large restaurant, with a wide hostess area, small shop, and long hallway to large back dining room. The owners have really gotten creative with the space, which would have been daunting to some considering the fact that the restaurant occupies a corner spot of a shopping mall. The decor inside is very inviting, so I could see how this would be a place to grab a drink or a bite with friends on a weekend.

As for the food, it’s very tasty. I had a vegetarian pita and ice tea, topped off with a little chocolate, flour less cake.

All in all, LOCAL is a spot to try the next time you are in Norman!

Sweet Valley Memories

For whatever reason, this weekend had me remembering some of  my favorite books as a kid.

Now, let me just say I was a voracious reader. I had to have a book at all times, and I plowed through the school library and then the community library with abandon. My parents spent more money on books for me than they did on clothes. On long trips, I had have a stack of books as we made the long drive to wherever we were going.

Mom and dad never minded, though. They figured as long as I was reading, I wasn’t doing other things they would have disliked–like getting into trouble or playing video games.

The books provided a huge escape for me, and they look me all over the world. I loved it.

And one of the world’s I loved the most was that of Sweet Valley. In fact, I blame that series for my later obsession with all things Los Angeles (it’s my favorite US city, and don’t try to change my mind about that because you can’t). I met California through these books, or at least what I thought was California–a world of glamorous teens who spent their time getting into trouble, swapping boyfriends, shopping at the mall, winning contests, gossiping, and learing life lessons the hard way. It was addicting. And I still remember how much I loved those books. I doubt I’ll ever forget it. And when someone in the neighborhood got the Sweet Valley High board game, I was so jealous. The Babysitter’s Club board game didn’t really compare (though I loved that book series, too).

With that in mind, no blog post is complete without a look at my three favorite characters, and why:

Bruce Patman: Can we say rich hottie? This snobby guy treated girls horribly throughout the series, and often was the villain in some way or another, but he still had my heart. There’s something about dark, brooding, broken men. I always have a soft spot for them.

Jessica Wakefield: She wasn’t always nice, and was often selfish and self-centered, but she was by far the more interesting twin. She could manipulate anyone, and that made the stories that involved her page turners. She was also the glamorous one. What’s not to love?

Lila Fowler: Regina George has nothing on this girl. When Lila Fowler showed up, you know things were about to get interesting. She had everything–wealth, access, beauty, and brains. But she also had nothing. It made for a nice contrast.

What as your favorite book series as a kid?

Spring Dresses to Fall For

Spring Dresses to Fall For by sara-gouedy-celi featuring red valentino

Dolce Gabbana striped dress

matchesfashion.com

Red valentino

$635 - harveynichols.com

Teal dress

$170 - 20thcenturyfoxy.com

Striped dress

$120 - phase-eight.co.uk

FELICITY & COCO High/Low Hem Jersey Tank Dress (Nordstrom Exclusive) |…

nordstrom.com




I love spring for so many reasons. Spring fashion is just one of them. Here is a quick look at a few of the spring styles I am falling for in 2013! I already own the green dress. Can’t wait to shop for others. Which styles to you love?

The First Draft of THE RESISTANCE is Finished!

Yes! It is!

Just a few minutes ago, I finished it! Fifty chapters and thousands of words later, THE RESISTANCE is done!

Well, the first draft!

WHEW!

I can’t believe it. It feels great. It’s been a tough book to write, with just as many twists, turns, and tense moments as THE UNDESIRABLE. It’s messy. It needs its share of revisions. It’s got a long way to go before it is ready for public consumption. I am a huge believer in the edit process, and I am so ready to get started.

But in the meantime, it’s here!

And now that the first draft is done, I have an announcement to make.

You won’t have to wait until 2014 to read the second part of this story. Oh no. I won’t do that to you. Instead… you’ll get this book in November!

You read that right. THE RESISTANCE will be on Amazon November 19th, 2013. Mark it down. Get ready. It will be here before you know it! A cover reveal and teasers are coming soon. I promise!

In the meantime, if you haven’t read it, get a copy of THE UNDESIRABLE right here.

Happy Reading!

Keep Calm and Save Fostino at The Undesirable Series Shop!

American vintage

$58 - welikefashion.com

Milly full skirt

my-wardrobe.com

Keep Calm and Save Fostino Bags from Zazzle.com

zazzle.com

Keep Calm and Save Fostino Water Bottle from Zazzle.com

zazzle.com

Do you love the characters and the story of The Undesirable? Can’t wait for the next story in the series?

I get it, I know. I’m in the middle of working on it, and I can hardly wait to finish it myself. It’s like the characters have taken hold of my body and all I want to do is write the story until my fingers fall off my hands.

Luckily, there’s a way to show your love! The Undesirable series has a Zazzle shop full of awesome gear! You may have seen some of it floating around. Bags, hats, necklaces, iPhone cases, Kindle skins, plates, dart boards and more are all up for purchase.

And more is coming! Check it out!

Meanwhile, I promise I’m writing and working on this series every day. Look for some amazing news about The Resistance in the next few weeks!

Tasty Treats at Chefs’ Feast

Everyone knows I love a good, swanky party with lots of great food and drinks. A good night out in a great dress is one of the pleasures in life. I’ll never shy away from the opportunity.

And that’s why I love going to the annual Chef’s Feast Fundraiser benefiting the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. This year, the event theme was “Tune in to Fight Hunger”. In other words, a TV theme. Right up my alley.

Courtney Francisco, Latasha Givens and I took a long lunch break  in between stories at KFOR last Thursday and made an appearance. And yes, friends, the 2013 Chefs’ Feast didn’t disappoint my palate, or my eyes. As we walked around the banquet hall at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, we tasted treats from all over the Oklahoma City’s best restaurants. You name it, the chef was there. And at Chefs’ Feast, the whole night is a sort of competition. Restaurants want to be the best– so they bring out the best.

This year, that meant treats that played off the classic TV shows of TV. We loved it. So did our stomachs! 

And, how did the fundraiser do? Well, I am glad to say the even raised over $115,000 for the food bank! Now that’s something to really sink your teeth into!

Forever A Bluebird

Visiting with some of the journalism and broadcasting students at HHS

Recently, I had a chance to visit my old high school, Highlands High School, and meet with some of the students there.

Honestly, this was really fun.

When I graduated in 2000, I decided I wasn’t going back. I had bigger things to do— a life to live, and a world beyond Ft. Thomas, KY that I couldn’t wait to explore. I thought the last time I walked out the front door of that school would be the last time I ever darkened the door.  High school hadn’t been the best years of my life  (isn’t that the same for most people?). I needed get away. And so, I was never going back.

Never say never.

The new Highlands High School is pretty awesome. The entire school went through a renovation a couple of years back, and now the facility is top-notch (when I was there, the building didn’t have air conditioning). A TV station, black box theater, chefs in the lunchroom, brand new lockers, wider hallways, cleaner classrooms, a 21st century library, and centralized art room are just a few of the things I noticed on my visit. Truly, the students there are pretty lucky. I hope they know it.

I also go such a warm welcome from the teachers and students. I was there as the guest of Chuck Keller, one of the school’s English teachers. During the editing process for THE UNDESIRABLE, he graciously gave the book a late read. He gave me a lot of great feedback, and it helped the strengthen the story. Talking to some of his freshman students about writing was the least I could do.

Anyway, it was an awesome morning for me, and I really enjoyed it. Here’s the finally admitting–I am forever a bluebird (the school mascot).

Surprise!

Just because I feel like it, THE UNDESIRABLE is FREE right now on Amazon.

Yep,  you read that one right.

Free!

The promotion started today at midnight PST and ends on March 21st at 11:59PM PST. So, now is your time to go ahead and get a copy! If you like a gripping story of adversity, maturity, love and triumph all wrapped up into a teenage coming of age story, then this book is for you.

And if you’re not sure, maybe now is the time to try it out. What have you got to lose? The book regularly sells for $2.99, so you’re getting a deal. Free is free, right?

What are you waiting for?