Crystal Collier's Blog, page 27

News Letter Crazies

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER and receive virtual cheese!Do it....NOW!!!!!!!!

And now to our regular Monday stuff...
In order to be truly successful in life, you have to be bold, right? You have to take chances, makes mistakes, and learn from experience. 
I tend to lean toward the cautious end of the spectrum. I've always carefully researched my decisions, planned the way they'd be carried out, and agonized over exactly how they should come together until they're done. My husband's company, on the other hand, jumps in before they have their heads together. They are very successful because they're so foolhardy--cleaning up the messes afterward. 
As I've observed the differences, I decided it's best to go down the middle--plan, but jump as well. Yes, wrap that bungee cord around your ankle and dive! 
So...I've launched my newsletter. It will be going out once a month to once a quarter and will offer freebies, promos, a listing of upcoming giveaways (Writerly Wednesday features) and cheese, of course. Sign up now and receive the first 3 chapters of MOONLESS--and if you've already read it (because you're an ARC reader,) sign up and receive the CUT PROLOGUE. Oooooh!
What about you? Do you jump in, or do you spend forever testing the water's temperature? 

Writerly Wednesday: Win Heirs of War

Friendlies! It's that time again.

Writerly Wednesdays here are dedicated to readers and writers. If you've published anything for Young Adults, check out the tab up there.

And now, it's time to announce the winner of Andrew Leon's Shadow Spinner collection. He shared with us two truths and one lie. Those who guessed correctly were entered into a random drawing for the win. 

The options were: 


1. Andrew likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches.2. He once mistook a rabbit pellet for chocolate and didn't realize the mistake until it was in his mouth.3. The closest he's ever been to drunk (actually tipsy) was from drinking Welch's grape juice.
The lie is: 
#2, this actually happened to one of his friends, not to him. 
Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is: 
...DRUM ROLL...
Kathryn White!!
Congrats, Kathryn! 
And now for this week's special feature...
Seventeen-year-old Zelene doesn't believe in magic or prophecies. When she's told she is part of the prophecy foretelling five powerful girls bringing peace to the war-torn worlds, she scoffs. The idea of other dimensions layered on top of the world she lives in is almost as ludicrous as the idea that she might be able to save them. After she is attacked by magic-wielding assassins, she finds she can't argue with reality.

As their enemies strike, the girls are taken back to their world and discover the ties binding them together. Rhaya has always had an uncanny knack for reading people, but can’t seem to unravel the mystery tying her to Isauria, the new friend she bonded with instantly. For years, Isauria has been dreaming of Terrena, a girl living her life on the run in a magical world ripped apart by the tragedies of war, completely unaware that she is psychically linked to the world she was born in.

Zelene views them all with a distrustful eye, familial bonds or no, and can think of a place or two she’d like to shove the crown she supposedly inherited. When she learns that her long-lost twin Ariana has been captured by the rebels, Zelene’s attitude changes. She doesn’t know how she is supposed to go against an army of magic-wielding rebels when her own ability to manipulate the elements is still locked within her. But can she trust the elders to rescue Ariana when it seems their medieval politics are what brought about the war in the first place? With all that is at stake, the answer becomes clear to Zelene.

Screw the worlds. She’s getting her sister back.
You can pick up the book HERE.

Shall we meet the author? 

Mara Valderran has been coming up with stories pretty almost since she could talk, often commandeering her brother's G.I. Joes to play out her fictional tales alongside her Barbies. Once she hit adolescence and realized playing with dolls wasn't cool anymore, she started putting her ideas to paper. And she hasn’t stopped since.

Mara is more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She lives in the south with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or spending time at her favorite local coffee shop.
Her favorite cheese is White American and she loves to eat it on turkey burgers cooked by her husband while watching something like Stargate or Doctor Who. You can find her on her website. 

Mara gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an ebook of the Heirs of War. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, October 1st at 1 p.m. to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on October 2nd to view the winner!
TRUTH OR LIE
1. If she could go back in time, she would meet Audrey Hepburn.
2. There's something weird growing in the back of her car.
3. Her name is actually Mara Valerran.
Okay human lie detectors, which is the lie? 
(And if that wasn't awesome enough, you have a second chance to win:)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow Fest! With Cheese

It's been a while since I participated in any kind of blog hop. How about you? The magnanimous Melissa Maygrove has put together this wonderful little hop--to get to know new people AND win prizes! (Yay! We likes prizes!) It's not too late to sign up and play along. Check it out HERE. 
And now, on to the fest... 
Blog button designed by Carrie Butler

Name: Crystal Collier *waves a wedge of cheese* 
Fiction or nonfiction? FICTION
What genres do you write? Young Adult in sub genres of anything fantasy (historical, paranormal, speculative, urban, epic, romance, & horror), and light sci-fi. I periodically dabble in Middle Grade, and Adult.  
Are you published? Check out the sidebar, baby. Yah! (The countdown is on.)
Do you do anything in addition to writing? I'm an orchestral/vocal composer and performer. In a past life I worked for a video/audio production studio and now freelance--when I feel like it. On an unrelated note, I'm also an educator. (Home school all the way!)
Where can people connect with you?
Blog: You're lookin' at it! I post Mondays with uplifting/motivational thoughts, Writerly Wednesdays (check out the tab above) with the Truth or Lie game and BOOK GIVEAWAYS, and Funny Fridays.  Twitter: @crystalcollier1Facebook: Author Crystal CollierGoogle+  LinkedIn  Pinterest Tumblr
Author pages: Goodreads Amazon B&N: Coming Soon Smashwords
Is there anything else you’d like us to know? Cheese makes the world go round, and here's a wedge for you. ; )

Chocolate VS Cheese

SOMEONE (who will remain unnamed) argued with me last month that chocolate is the solution to all our problems, not cheese. I completely disagree, but anonymous friend, this one goes out to you: 

Okay, bear with me here.

Chocolate is the "salad" of the food world. Yay, chocolate. *spinning a finger in a circle*

But the moon is made of cheese, and the moon is round, like a filet mignon. Therefore, where chocolate is salad, cheese is steak.

And I like steak a TON more than salad. ; )

Shadow Spinner Giveaway

Friendlies! Writerly Wednesday is here!

Writerly Wednesdays here are dedicated to writers and readers. If you've published anything for Young Adults, check out the tab up there.

And now, it's time to announce the winner of a $25 giftcard from Kelley Hicken at Scribbleweed.com. Be sure to check out her writing challenge, and join the fun! Kelley shared with us two truths and one lie. Those who guessed correctly were entered into a random drawing for the win. 

The options were: 

1. Kelley got her worst scar while building a geodesic dome home in the mountains.2. Her nickname in elementary was "Rapunzel" because she had ridiculously long hair.3. She got fired from her first job because she called in sick within the first 30 days.
The lie is: 
#2, Kelley did not actually have long hair in elementary, though she desperately wished she had. 
Way to guess those of you who got it right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is: 
...DRUM ROLL...
Melanie Crouse!!
Congrats, Melanie! 
And now for this weeks special feature...
Tiberius has always thought of himself as a normal 10-year-old boy. Maybe he's a little smarter than everyone else, but that's still normal. He's scared of shadows, but everyone's scared of something, right? His mother's completely paranoid and called the cops the one time, just one time, he went over to a friend's house after school, but, still, he's normal even if his mother is not. At least, that's what he thinks until the day his mother finally decides to tell him about his father, and she tells him things that convince him that one of them is crazy, and he's pretty sure it's not him. That is until the Man with No Eyes shows up and his father falls out of the sky.
You can find the book HERE. 
Shall we meet the author? 

Andrew Leon has often been told that he does things the wrong way. For instance, he could walk before he could crawl. His parents were also informed that he went about reading the wrong way. Already reading before kindergarten, he went on to delve into texts about dinosaurs and astronomy by 1st grade as opposed to picture books like the other kids his age. Aside from wanting to know all he could about dinosaurs, the pictures of them were more fascinating than anything other than "The Monster at the End of This Book." At least one school counselor labeled him as "delayed" because of this. Of course, this happened at the same time he was winning the school reading contest.
His favorite cheese is brie and he prefers to eat it on sourdough bread with jam--something spicy (like chipotle). You can find him hanging out on his blog. 

Andrew gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win an ecopy of the Shadow Spinner Collection. Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, September 24th at 1 p.m. to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on September 25th to view the winner!
TRUTH OR LIE
1. Andrew likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches.2. He once mistook a rabbit pellet for chocolate and didn't realize the mistake until it was in his mouth.3. The closest he's ever been to drunk (actually tipsy) was from drinking Welch's grape juice.
Okay human lie detectors, which is the lie? 

Random Facts

So I skipped Funny Friday? Did you notice?

Well I did it on purpose. Yup. I wasn't just being lazy.

Actually I was saving the funny for a very special day. See, today is my very wonderful New Yorker's birthday, and since he's the funniest person I know, I thought I'd share him with you.

Meet Random.
Yes, that's his name, and yes, he's aptly named. It was inspiration. He is a joy, and the most mischievous thing I've ever met. He has to know exactly how things work, and once he's decided he must have or do something, not even a wild pack of hyenas can stop him. He's broken our LCD TV, two leather recliners, my fridge door, and more dishes than a care to count. If he didn't make me laugh so often, he might not be breathing.

Without further ado, let's bring on the funny, eh?

Random Sayings:
"Remember when three used to be my favorite color?"

"Dad, did you know honey is really bee barf?"

"If I see an evil dirty, I'll punch it in the face by cleaning."

"Well, I think I have the candy fever."

"Mom, when I grow up my job is going to be a Math Ninja." --And he meant literally someone who fights math equations.

Dad says, "What do you boys want for lunch?"
Older brother says, "Peace of mind."
Random perks up. "You want to eat a piece of brain?!?"

"Zombies are my favorite monster because they can't swear."

Dad said something about not performing science experiments without Mom's supervision. Random's jaw dropped. "Mom has super vision?!?"

"Mom, Dad, when I was upstairs I tripped on nature. Yup, I tripped on air. Or maybe a shadow."

He hands his dad a torn up piece of construction paper. "Dad, I made this for you. It's a zombie hippo." After a confused look from his father, he says nonchalantly, "I made it artistically."


And to wrap it all up nicely... "Mom, you're my BMF: best mother forever."

Kids are the best.

9/11 Memorial: Learning From Tragedy, and Giveaway

Friendlies! Writerly Wednesday is here!

Writerly Wednesdays here are dedicated to writers and readers. If you've published anything for Young Adults, check out the tab up there.

And now, it's time to announce the winner of a Screwing up Time coffee mug AND coupon for a copy of the book on Smashwords. Remember, C.M. Keller also promised a coupon to anyone who guessed right, so... 

The options were: 

1. C.M. was a member of the ICSA women's sailing team that took first place for the season.2. She has ridden a sea turtle.3. She worked her way through college doing chromosome analysis.
This week was a HARD one, but the lie is: 
#1, She was actually asked to be part of a sailing team, but only because they were very desperate. It didn't end up fitting into her schedule. 
Way to guess Liz, Laurel, Tammy and Patti! You are officially human lie detectors. (C.M. Keller will be contacting you shortly with your coupon.) And the GRAND PRIZE winner is: 
...DRUM ROLL...
LIZ!!
Congrats, Liz! 
And now, it's been a long time since I've had a guest blogger here, but it's a special day so please welcome Kelley Hicken. She's an amazing writer who's kicking off a new critique forum with regular writing challenges, Scribbleweed.com. She has generously offered a $25 Amazon card (!!!) to the winner of today's Truth or Lie game. That's like, a boatload of books! 
But first, let's remove our hats, lower our flags, and take a moment to remember.

Learning from Tragedy
Image courtesy of Kelley HickenSeptember 11, 2001 is perhaps the most influential date in the modern history of our country. The residual effect on our economy, politics and psychology of our citizens are still felt twelve years later. 
We can’t go back. 
We won’t forget.
When we watched the second plane hit the World Trade Center, it confirmed our fear. This is no accident. We are under attack. We saw the fires, the jumpers, the towers falling, lives lost, dreams destroyed, and we asked the same question echoed around the world.
“Why?”

Time gives us the distance to see the events of 9/11 from a different perspective. We are no longer characters in the story, but readers with a big-picture view. From this vantage point, it is easier to extract meaning and knowledge. From here, we have the opportunity to use real-life tragedies to strengthen our character.

Crisis reveals character. Consider why ordinary people helped the injured out of the building and then went back into the smoke and flames to find others. We act on instinct in these situations and show the coward or hero we’ve already become.
Identical beliefs can influence opposite actions. Securing a place in heaven is what motivated the suicide bombers to kill. Perhaps the same belief inspiredsome of our NYC heroes to save lives. They were all convinced they were doing the right thing. Be careful what you choose to believe, especially about yourself.

Fear is the opposite of freedom. These ordinary people didn’t wait for a more qualified hero to come. They fought as if the outcome depended on their efforts alone. What would happen if we all stopped imposing limits on our possibilities in response to fear? I have a hunch we would all be a bit more admirable, like the heroes we remember today.

Thanks, Kelley, for that beautiful tribute. And now, to lighten the mood a little, let me officially introduce you: 
Kelley Hicken is a YA fantasy novelist from the beautiful Pacific Northwest and creator of the brand-spankin’ new writer’s website, www.scribbleweed.com. She is currently in the "somebody kill me" editing process of her debut novel, The Halcyon. When she isn't banging her head on her keyboard she is most likely spending time with her family, hiking in a forest, or killing a plant in the garden.
Her favorite cheese (this week) is mozzarella. She may or may not eat a fistful every time she shreds it for family pizza night.
TRUTH OR LIE
1. Kelley got her worst scar while building a geodesic dome home in the mountains.2. Her nickname in elementary was "Rapunzel" because she had ridiculously long hair.3. She got fired from her first job because she called in sick within the first 30 days.
Okay human lie detectors, which is the lie? 

Deep Thoughts for a Monday

I'm a parent. Are you? I remember being a teen like it was yesterday. No kidding. I don't think I've aged a day past sixteen (although my kids will attest otherwise), and I'm never, NEVER growing up.

Anyhow, I was listening to a speaker yesterday about the importance of teen girls and the relationships they have with their mothers. Essentially, they said teenage girls need their mother's more during the time between 12 and 18 than any other time in their lives, and that should be a mother's serious focus. It kind of reminded me of this:



And especially this:



What kind of relationship do you/did you have with your parents as a teen? What would you do differently if you could go back? 

How to Read a Book

In case you swipe physical pages, this is for you! 



So friendlies which is it for you? The tech world for reading, or killing trees? (Kidding. Kidding. Yes, I really am kidding.)

Writerly Wednesday: Screwing up Time and a Winner

Friendlies! Writerly Wednesday is here!

Writerly Wednesdays here are dedicated to writers and readers. If you've published anything for Young Adults, check out the tab up there.

And now, it's time to announce the winner of a 5 page edit from Bethany at A Little Red, Inc. Those who participated in the Truth and Lie game will remember the options: 

1. Bethany tore her ACL watching a Steelers game. On her couch.2. Bethany has been bitten on the hand by a flamingo.3. She learned to drive stick on the dirt roads of a little place called Hell Hole Swamp.
And, the lie is: 
#2, Bethany was not bitten by a flamingo, but by a toucan. 
Way to go those of you who guessed right! You are officially human lie detectors. And the winner is: 
...DRUM ROLL...

Emily R. King
Congrats, Emily! And now for today's amazing feature: 
Mark Montgomery is a slacker content with his life. He's a senior at New Haven Prep, has a great friend, and after graduation he'll get a brand new sports car from his parents, assuming he stays out of trouble. 

Then, she comes into his life--Miranda with her I-just-escaped-from-a-Renaissance-Fair clothing. Only, she hasn't. She's come from Bodiam Castle in the Middle Ages and demands a secret ingredient and a book of recipes for traveling through the treacherous colors of time. Although Mark has never even heard of either before, he must find them, or Miranda will die. To save her, Mark must break into a psych hospital to visit his grandfather who once tried to kill him, pass through the colors of time, take on a medieval alchemist, prevent Miranda's marriage to a two-timing baron, and keep it all hidden from his parents. The sports car is definitely in trouble.

Find the book on Amazon HERE for only $0.99 now!

Shall we meet the author? 

C. M. Keller is an award winning novelist and the author of SCREWING UP TIME and SCREWING UP BABYLON. She loves old movies and poison rings. In her spare time, she searches for that elusive unicorn horn. Currently, she's hard at work on her next YA novel, the third book in Mark and Miranda's story. You can visit her author blog  HERE. She also blogs about family life HERE.

Her favorite cheese is Apricot Stilton, and you might find her eating it in bed while watching a great movie (think Inceptionor How to Steal a Million).

And now for the fun! *rubbing hands*

C.M. gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win a Screwing Up Time coffee mug. Eek! How cool is that? Because of postage costs, this only extends to US participants. HOWEVER, you are still welcome to play, even if you are outside the US. You have until Tuesday, September 10th at 1 p.m. to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on September 11th to view the winner!

AND as an added bonus, anyone who guesses the lie correctly will receive a Smashwords coupon for a free copy of Screwing Up Time.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. C.M. was a member of the ICSA women's sailing team that took first place for the season.2. She has ridden a sea turtle.3. She worked her way through college doing chromosome analysis.
Okay human lie detectors, which is the lie?