Deirdre Riordan Hall's Blog, page 15

Self Love

I recently had the honor to share my thoughts on self love in a vlog for Glitter Magazine as part of their #SelfLove campaign. 
When I watched the video did I cringe? Did I say, "Ew, my voice sounds so weird recorded." Did I judge and doubt and think not so loving thoughts? 
Yes. Yes. Yes. 
But that's not what self love is about. That's not what I'm about. 
I may be "old school" but I haven't had too many opportunities to see myself recorded, to watch my own mannerisms, inflections, and goofiness. I tend to shy away from the camera. 
But...
When I said, "Every time I look in the mirror I smile at the person I see in the reflection," I'm being honest. "Self love is about me being true to myself." That's the truth. 
But the noise that I heard in my mind when I first watched the video wasn't loving, it was rude and inconsiderate. It was harsh and deceptive. It wanted me to feel small and crawl into a cave. That's fear and defeat. And it's just noise. I can choose to listen to it or not. 


I choose or not. I'm glittery and sparkly. I'm beautiful and flawed. I'm a real person with a little further to go along the self love spectrum, but I'm getting there, one smile, one video, one act of self love at a time. 
Find out more and join Glitter Magazine's #selflove campaign here.

YA Scavenger Hunt

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! 
My name is Deirdre Riordan Hall & I'm the author of the forthcoming novel, Sugar. I'm your host for this stop on the YA Scavenger Hunt and am on the GOLD TEAM. Yesterday I surfed with a seal (Hey, little fella, the waves are good, huh?) Today I dug into a plate of nachos with my favorite, salsa & guacamole...and tomorrow I have plans to tackle a book or two on my TBR. Oh, and you should know, I love dogs. Cats too, my writing sidekick would be very upset if I left him out. 


So, what is the YA Scavenger Hunt? 
This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt on my team! 
But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours! That's from noon PST 4/2- noon PST 4/5! 





How do I play? 
Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are SIX contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all. I am a part of the GOLD TEAM--but there is also a red team, a blue team, an orange team, a red team, and an indie team for a chance to win a whole different set of signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.
How does the YA Scavenger Hunt work?
Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the GOLD TEAM, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 
Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by Sunday, April 5th at noon Pacific time. (Here's a time calculator to find out when that is.) Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.


Okay, ready to get to the fun stuff? Here we go! 




I'm hosting Suzanne Van Rooyan for the YA Scavenger Hunt! 

Suzanne is a tattooed storyteller from South Africa. She currently lives in Sweden and is busy making friends with the ghosts of her Viking ancestors. Although she has a Master’s degree in music, Suzanne prefers conjuring strange worlds and creating quirky characters. When she grows up, she wants to be an elf – until then, she spends her time (when not writing) wall climbing, buying far too many books, and entertaining her shiba inu, Lego.
Suzanne also wrote a novel called  
I HEART ROBOT
***
An awkward teen violinist falls for the boy who finally gets her and her passion for music, except he’s an android, and there’s a war brewing between robots and humans in a futuristic Scandinavia.
Check out more HERE. 




***


Sixteen-year-old Tyri wants to be a musician and wants to be with someone who won’t belittle her musical aspirations.


Q-I-99 aka ‘Quinn’ lives in a scrap metal sanctuary with other rogue droids. While some use violence to make their voices heard, demanding equal rights for AI enhanced robots, Quinn just wants a moment on stage with his violin to show the humans that androids like him have more to offer than their processing power.

Tyri and Quinn’s worlds collide when they’re accepted by the Baldur Junior Philharmonic Orchestra. As the rift between robots and humans deepens, Tyri and Quinn’s love of music brings them closer together, making Tyri question where her loyalties lie and Quinn question his place in the world. With the city on the brink of civil war, Tyri and Quinn make a shocking discovery that turns their world inside out. Will their passion for music be enough to hold them together while everything else crumbles down around them, or will the truth of who they are tear them apart?

Visit Suzanne on Twitter and Facebook.
And now for the super awesome exclusive content from 
I Heart Robot: 
____
♪Take Note♪A blog dedicated to Skandian music and musicians

Musicians are no longer taking center stage the way they did fifty or even thirty years ago. Our world today is focused on the practical, and dare I say it, the mundane. But some young people are fighting back and reclaiming the arts for a new generation, but not in the way you might expect.
For those of you who think classical music is so two centuries ago, think again! The Baldur Junior Philharmonic Orchestra, lead by the indomitable Maestro Ahlgren, has been limping along for the past ten years, struggling to find funding and fill seats at concerts. But all that is about to change since Ahlgren snagged a performance at this year's Independence Day Gala. Given our Prime Minister's sympathy for the arts, Ahlgren and her orchestra of talented teens is about to take Skandia by storm!
I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with two of the violinists, Quinn Soarsen and Tyri Matzen, and here's what they had to say.
Do you think music is still relevant in Skandia given the more utilitarian attitude of the public?
Quinn: Of course! Music will always be relevant. It's one of the defining characteristics of humanity, this need to express emotion in a highly artistic way. Going back to ancient times, music has been ubiquitous. I think Skandians risk losing a huge part of their culture and even their humanity by ignoring music.
Tyri, you don't look so sure.
Tyri: I love music. Music is my life, but it's hard, you know, since people really consider it useful. Most people don't see music the way we do. They don't feel it, like they've forgotten what real music is all about, and just tune into all this computer-generated techno rubbish. Art music has become kind of like a dead language or something.
Interesting comparison. So what first drew you to classical music, or should I say art music?
Quinn: From day one my own... my own parents loved it and they made me play violin from the moment I could hold a bow.
Tyri: Honestly, I think Quinn was born with a bow in his hands.
(Tyri glances at Quinn and blushes – I think there might be more than a mutual love of music between these two.)
Quinn: Not quite. But I've been playing all my life. There's something transcendent about this type of music. Some ineffable power that speaks directly to the heart.
(What an intense young man. His silver eyes are even more captivating. No wonder Miss Matzen can't stop sneaking glances at him.)
Tyri: I agree. When I first listened to Beethoven, I started crying just because there was this... immensity to the music. Well, immensity, yes, but that's not the word I'm looking for. Gravity maybe? It's profound and more profound than anything a machine could ever generate, that's for sure.
(Quinn looks at Tyri as if she socked him between the eyes).
Quinn, you don't agree?
Quinn: I think some androids might have the capabilities to compose.
Tyri: Oh, I meant like randomly generated tones from a computer program, not an android. But even so, unless an android has some pretty sophisticated emotion mods, I doubt they'd be able to compose on a human level.
(The two regard each other and Quinn looks like he wants to say more, but he bites his tongue and slumps back in his chair. Considering the current robot situation, this is a topic I'd rather steer the conversation away from).
You're both violinists and I hear you two are auditioning for the solo part. Who do you think will get it?
(They share shy smiles and Quinn runs a hand through his hair).
Tyri: Hard to say. Quinn has amazing technique. Like, it's inhuman how fast he can play, but...
Quinn: But Tyri has an innate musicality I can only aspire to.
Tyri: I think Quinn will get it though.
(More shared smiles, and blushing glances from Tyri. These two are adorable!)
Perhaps you could play a duet one day?
Quinn: I think that would be wonderful.
Tyri: I'd love that too.
(They share a meaningful look that makes me feel like I'm intruding on their moment.)
So what are your plans for the future? Are you going to go pro?
Tyri: If I can. I really want to study at the Royal Academy once I've finished high school. I know getting in will be tough, but that's my goal.
And what about you, Quinn? (He's suddenly gone very quiet)
Quinn: I'd like to make a difference. I'd like the opportunity to show the world the true power of music and maybe change a the Skandian mindset about music and more.


Sadly, we had to leave the conversation there as Quinn and Tyri needed to get to rehearsal. If you would like to support Tyri and Quinn, please click here. Although the soloist is still to be chosen for the gala, their program features pieces by Berlioz and Dvorak. Who knows what the future holds for these two young musicians, but as long as Tyri, Quinn, and others like them continue to practice hard and dream big, that future is looking very bright indeed!






And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a signed book by me, Deirdre Riordan Hall and a bunch of other amazing authors including Suzanne and I Heart Robot! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 108. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the GOLD TEAM and you'll have the secret code to enter for the grand prize!


Wait, before you go, enter to win a second prize drawing for a chance to win an advance reader copy of SUGAR and some sweet swag! 



Good luck! 
*This drawing is only open to residents of the US. Sorry international readers! 
The main YA Scavenger Hunt is open internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

CONTINUE THE SCAVENGER HUNT...
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author! The one and only Holly Bodger! And remember, you're on TEAM GOLD right now :) 

Leave a comment  below sharing your progress, the books you're hoping to win, or just to say hi!

P.S. Thank you for stopping by, participating & supporting authors! If you'd like to get your friends in on the fun, share on TWITTER Tweet #YASH and  FACEBOOK! Cheers!

Stifled Release

Today we're celebrating the release of STIFLED, book two in the SUMMONED series by USA Today Bestselling author, Rainy Kaye. A dark twist on genie folklore, SUMMONED follows a reluctant criminal as he unravels the mystery of the paranormal bond controlling him. In STIFLED, Dimitri trails an elusive jinn and finds himself in the middle of a community keeping dark secrets. The SUMMONED series is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. 
  Scroll down to pick up your copy of STIFLED, get SUMMONED for free for a limited time, and enter to win a $10 Amazon gift card.   
Dimitri would like nothing more than to live a low-key life in Naples, Italy. His girlfriend, Syd, has other plans. After three months of researching, she is positive she has found a jinn on a killing spree in San Diego, California. Since Syd gave Dimitri the one thing he thought was out of reach, he feels obligated to use his ill-gained talents for her cause. A few hours back in the US proves that Dimitri and Syd didn't quite make the clean escape they had thought. As they trail the elusive jinn, someone else trails them. What should have been a simple trip to confirm once and for all if the jinn are living among humans, instead reveals a community keeping dark secrets. Unfortunately for Dim, the only way out is in. Get your copy here! 
  Haven't read book one yet? No problem! It's currently FREE on Amazon.   


Twenty-three year old Dimitri has to do what he is told—literally. Controlled by a paranormal bond, he is forced to use his wits to fulfill unlimited deadly wishes made by multimillionaire Karl Walker. Dimitri has no idea how his family line became trapped in the genie bond. He just knows resisting has never ended well. When he meets Syd—assertive, sexy, intelligent Syd—he becomes determined to make her his own. Except Karl has ensured Dimitri can’t tell anyone about the bond, and Syd isn’t the type to tolerate secrets. Then Karl starts sending him away on back-to-back wishes. Unable to balance love and lies, Dimitri sets out to uncover Karl’s ultimate plan and put it to an end. But doing so forces him to confront the one wish he never saw coming—the wish that will destroy him.    
 


Rainy Kaye is an aspiring overlord. In the mean time, she blogs at RainyoftheDark and writes paranormal novels from her lair somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. She is represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA. Someone told her she's a USA Today Bestselling author. She thought there would be cake.       a Rafflecopter giveaway

Who's Ready for the YA Scavenger Hunt?

I'm so happy to introduce to you the Spring 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt Authors! There are eight excellent teams this season. I'm on #TeamGold! 
The Scavenger Hunt runs from April 2nd-April 5th beginning and ending at noon Pacific time on those days.
If you've never been a part of the hunt before you should give it a try. It's similar to a blog hop, introducing you to new YA authors and books along the way. There are tons of prizes including a grand prize for each team. If you win one of the grand prizes you will get a book from each author on that team! Dudes, that's a lot of books!
For more information and to make sure you get hunt updates, sign up for news on the #YASH website. Check out their Twitter, Facebook, or come back here to get started. 

Not only will I be hiding an exclusive never-before-revealed sneak peek of SUGAR for your reading pleasure, but I'll be giving away an advance reader copy of Sugar and a few other goodies too. This is in addition to the prizes mentioned above. 
You don't want to miss out on this fabulous and fun event, but play fast because the hunt is only live for 3 days. 
And now, here are the teams! (Hint: If you click on the image you can get a close up.) I'm on Team Gold!
   

THE HUNT BEGINS 4/2/15! So check back here or the YA Scavenger Hunt page to get started. 
I hope you are all as excited as I am! I want to extend an extra big thank you to the organizers of this event; there's some sophisticated planning involved special thanks to Tera Lynn Childs & Colleen Houck! You rock!

Comment below if you plan to participate in the YA Scavenger Hunt 2015~

Follow Your Bliss Box Set Giveaway!

The writing and publishing journey has been quite an adventure! I put a bit of my heart into each of the six Follow your Bliss books. And I have to say, I felt like a proud mom each time I sent a completed novel out into the world. I definitely shed some tears, waving lovingly from the edge of the sidewalk. (Go little one, you'll do wonderfully...I love you!) But those tears tugged at the corner of my lips and lifted them into a smile. The writing and release process is painful, joyous, frustrating, delightful, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

 And I plan to do it again, this coming June with my debut Young Adult novel, Sugar, from Skyscape Publishing.

But in the meantime, here we are again, publication day! Only this time, the arrangement is a little different: all 6 Follow your Bliss books are now available in the complete series box set! I'm getting a bit misty. (Please pass a tissue.)

If you haven't read the series, here's your chance to get all six books for a great deal! (Plus! There's access to bonus bliss material: Through the Jungle!)

...And here's the cover for the Follow your Bliss series!



Hooray!
As a thank you for your support, enter the giveaway below to win some fun Follow your Bliss swag including a To the Sea tote, necklace, and In the Desert pin, necklace, and some other goodies. 




Please enter here and good luck!
Sorry, US only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow your Bliss Box Set

It's been just over one year since I began the publication journey, and I'm pleased to share—six books later—I am releasing the entire Follow your Bliss series, in one complete collection. 

To the Sea, Surfaced, In the Desert, Mirrored, On the Mountain, and Kindled have all been revised for reissue in the Follow your Bliss Box set, available Tuesday, March 17. 

Here's a sneak peek of the cover:





As a special bonus for all your Follow your Bliss readers, I've added a novelette to cap off the series. It takes readers into the lives of Kira & Ian, Brighton & Alex, and Baskia & Trace BEFORE their lives were forever changed by taking hold of possibility and saying, "Okay, let's do this." 
Then, join each of the characters as they gear up for a memorable event, AFTER they overcame obstacles to find freedom and love in their lives. 

It's a prequel-sequel thingy, totally bliss-filled, and it's FREE! Get your copy and get a jump start on delving into the messy, chaotic, adventurous, turbulent, romantic, dramatic, world of bliss!



Here are three ways to get your FREE copy of Through the Jungle. We're operating on the honor system here and I know you're good for it :) 
1. Pre-order/buy the Follow your Bliss Boxset, a HUGE savings for all six books in the series. It contains: 3 full length novels + 3 companion novellas = hours and hours of reading bliss! Then, please send me an email, a tweet, or leave a comment on my blog letting me know, and I'll send your copy of Through the Jungle.
2. Sign up for my eNewsletter and be the first to know about news, updates, and all the juicy upcoming release info! You'll see the directions on the signup.
3. Follow your bliss. That's right, whether you want to become a writer, an artist, a musician, a bagpiper, a food blogger, a sea shell collector, start following your dreams today. Jot down story ideas, sketch an outline, pick up your guitar or pipes, whip up something drool-worthy in the kitchen; in other words, take those first step toward doing what your soul calls you toward and makes you smile from the inside out. Oh and if you opt for this one, let me know what you're doing down there in the comments. 
Thank you readers for helping me on the path toward my bliss: authorhood! I genuinely appreciate every word you read and as a away of saying thanks, I hope you enjoy Through the Jungle! 

Also, if you want to round out your Follow your Bliss collection with paperback copies, they're all revised and updated for reissue, at a reduced price, and available here:

To the Sea
Surfaced
In the Desert
Mirrored
On the Mountain
Kindled

Please check back next week for the 
Follow your Bliss release!

10 Things [I Mostly] Can't Live Without

Feeling listy and grateful today. These are a few (10) of my favorite things (also people, animals, places...You get the idea.) I've excluded the obvious: family, friends, shelter, food & water because, well.



1. Salt water. Preferably at the ocean on a sunny day. And surfing. I caught the stoke later in life, and it hasn't left. 

2. Green foods. Kale. Salad. Spinach. Apples. Yum. Smoothies. 

3. Furry animals. Dogs and cats, but I am a sucker for bunnies, elephants (I know, no fur, but still. Owls fit this bill too and wild turkeys.) 

4. Sunshine.

5. Yoga. I am forever a student and a teacher too. Moving with the breath is one of the best things to recenter, ground, and bring me back to connecting with myself, others, and the planet. 

6. Writing. I just love it. Reading too, but writing fiction is like the nougat center, the cherry on top, the Pièce de résistance. I delight in it, pour my creativity onto the page, and lose track of time. For all the rejected queries, lost contests, negative constructive feedback, there have been epiphanies, zone moments, sheer joy, exponential learning, connection with other writers, and the deep knowledge that this is my thing. Hands down.  

7. Travel. Get me on a train, to the coast, mountains, European cities, Canada. Oh how I love those maple leaves, I'm talking to you Montreal. I'll take history, hiking, enormous waves, urban, rural, the frontier, a well trodden path. Travel reminds me how big the world is and at the same time my itty-bitty place in it. 

8. The little things: not having to change the toilet roll, dinner prepared when I get home, a bill that was sent in error (no payment required at this time- yay!), a sharpened pencil, or better, a mechanical pencil, not making any trash, playdough, hugs, kelp, when friends send photos—new or old, the smell of scotchtape and wrapping paper, a sneeze that doesn't get stuck, not having to wear shoes, and... 

9. The sunset. No, the sunrise. I can't decide. Mostly the sunrise, I think. It's the experience of it. The way light and shadow play. The warmth and the...

10. Hope. 

On the Mountain Playlist

The following are the songs that inspired me while typing, revising, and editing On the Mountain during the frigid winter last year...the chilly temps may have influenced my selections a bit, having been in my writing cave on an actual glacier mountain and all. Although the story is pure fiction, you can bet your frozen toes the depiction of storms, snow, and gusty wind is torn from the pages of real life. *Shudders.*

Keep warm my friends! Spring isn't far off...okay, if you live above the 37th parallel it is, but if you cozy up by the woodstove with Baskia and Trace, you're sure to warm up.
Enjoy!

Spread Some Indie Love Blog Hop & Giveaway

To celebrate Valentine's Day and the release of Sweet Indulgence (click for more details on each of the books and authors) we're hosting a giveaway! Sweet Indulgence is a clean steam, new adult fiction box set and we're offering a copy of the collection along with some sweet book swag! 

And if that isn't sweet enough, we're also participating in B00k r3vi3ws Blog Hop! Thank you Debdatta for hosting and supporting indie authors! Check out her blog for all the bookish indulgences to keep you warm this Valentine's day. What's a blog hop? Keep reading...



If you have a bestie who'd LOVE a copy of some clean steam, sweet and salty, and lyrical fiction. Or if you just can't wait to find out if you win, Sweet Indulgence is available for 
Kindle and Nook 
for only .99¢ You can't beat that. (See what I did there? I never said I'm not a nerd.)




...And did you hear? We're donating 100% of the proceeds of the sale of this collection to the American Heart Association. So your purchase goes to a cause you can feel good about... 

Here are the author prize packs showing you what else you could win:
Amy Evans


Cassandra Giovanni

Nikki Godwin Deirdre Riordan Hall Molli Moran

Enter here!
 Apologies, US onlya Rafflecopter giveaway

And if you're looking to spoil yourself this Valentine's Day join the blog hop below. It's a list of  fantastic websites/blogs who are spreading the indie love. You can read reviews of indie books and have the chance to win more prizes!

Also, please share your favorite Valentine's reads in the comments.

'); Best of luck and Happy Valentine's Day!

In the Desert on Wattpad

I was recently contacted by Wattpad, the social media site for writers and readers. Yes, I was appropriately flattered. In fact, I have a dance for such occasions. No, you may not see it. *Note, never let the glow of kindness go unnoticed. They asked if I'd be interested in having In the Desert included on their Featured List. Everything suddenly got all shiny and sunny-like.

Would I? You mean, get my fun, sassy, and smart new adult novel into the hands of more readers? Why yes, yes I would! Queue glitter and confetti please and thank you! 

(Also, check out this recent 5 STAR review from a top-notch blogger who calls it like it is so I had to, you know, see what she said and you should too, if you need convincing that In the Desert is the shizz.)

Back? Okay, so in case you're wondering, In the Desert is a rock and roll road trip taking Brighton Holmes and an unexpected passenger cross country, collecting states in an effort to find a place called home. She's not in fact collecting commemorative spoons or shot glasses for the sole purpose of collecting dust on her bookshelf. (Okay, maybe some shot glasses are involved.) 

Our intrepid and fiery red head, along with the bad boy musician she picks up along the way leave nothing but overturned furniture and wreckage in their wake. Dun, dun, dun. Chaos ensues, but it's a wildly fun ride I recommend you take from the comfort of your favorite spot on the couch. Plus, it's FREE, in it's entirety, on Wattpad, right now. 


If you're already a Wattpad member let's connect. My user name is @DeirdreSpark...If you're not, get your booty there! Pronto. I mean, it's super cool so you should check it out.
The thing I love about Wattpad is it's totally DIY, meaning writers are getting mighty creative about how they post their work. And there are some fun features like casting and dedications. There are loads of books, in every conceivable genre, notably 1D fan-fic, short stories, and opportunities to gush and gab about all things literary. Go on, check it out!