Merrie Destefano's Blog, page 10
May 19, 2011
Why you should procrastinate just long enough to watch this video on .... wait for it ... procrastination
Why should you watch this video?
1. It's funny.
2. It's cute.
3. He mentions chocolate chip cookies and we all know I love cookies.
4. He has a great accent.
5. You might actually be able to stop procrastinating. Maybe.
May 16, 2011
Evidence that the Avon Dusk Til Dark Party rocked!
Here you can see snippets and interviews from the lavish and wonderful Dusk Til Dark party hosted by Avon at the recent Romantic Times Convention in L.A. Interviewed authors included Sophie Jordan, Pamela Palmer, Kimberly Derting, Tera Lynn Childs, Joss Ware, Kelly Armstrong, Jamie Rush and Syrie James.
And, believe it or not, I'm in the video too. There's a short clip at the beginning (don't blink!) where all the attending authors are standing in front of a backdrop. I'm the shortest person (as always!) and I'm right in the middle.
One of the coolest things about the video is that you get hear from the readers who were attending the 2011 Romantic Times Convention too. It's awesome to hear how much they were enjoying the convention and this event.
May 9, 2011
Upcoming books I'm excited about
There are a slew of really cool YA books on the horizon and I can't wait to read them all. Some I haven't even seen covers for yet, but that doesn't stop me from drooling.
Here are my picks of New Things To Come:
1. A new series by debut author, Heather Burch, published by Zondervan. The first in the series is scheduled for release in Feb., 2012 (ouch, that's a long wait for me) and the main characters are half-human, half-angel teenagers. First in the series is titled, PURE, followed by DARK and RISEN.
2. Starcrossed, debut novel by Josephine Angelina, published by Harper Teen. The first in a series of three novels releases on May 31 and here's a blurb from the Dark Faerie Tales blog:
"In Starcrossed, which brings Greek tragedy to high school, a shy Nantucket teenager named Helen Hamilton attempts to kill the most attractive boy on the island, Lucas Delos, in front of her entire class. The incident proves more than a bit inconvenient for Helen, who's already concerned that she's going insane–whenever she's sees Lucas (or any of his family members) the image of three crying women appear to her."
3. Last, but certainly not least, is The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (already one of my fave authors). Published by Margaret K. McElderry (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), this book is scheduled for release on November 15, 2011 (ouch, another long wait for me). Here's a blurb from the author's website about this book:
"In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret."
Meanwhile, I'm trying to distract myself by reading some other fantastic books on my TBR pile:
1. The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett
2. Graveminder by Melissa Marr
3. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
5. Light Boxes by Shane Jones
Here are my picks of New Things To Come:
1. A new series by debut author, Heather Burch, published by Zondervan. The first in the series is scheduled for release in Feb., 2012 (ouch, that's a long wait for me) and the main characters are half-human, half-angel teenagers. First in the series is titled, PURE, followed by DARK and RISEN.
2. Starcrossed, debut novel by Josephine Angelina, published by Harper Teen. The first in a series of three novels releases on May 31 and here's a blurb from the Dark Faerie Tales blog:
"In Starcrossed, which brings Greek tragedy to high school, a shy Nantucket teenager named Helen Hamilton attempts to kill the most attractive boy on the island, Lucas Delos, in front of her entire class. The incident proves more than a bit inconvenient for Helen, who's already concerned that she's going insane–whenever she's sees Lucas (or any of his family members) the image of three crying women appear to her."
3. Last, but certainly not least, is The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (already one of my fave authors). Published by Margaret K. McElderry (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), this book is scheduled for release on November 15, 2011 (ouch, another long wait for me). Here's a blurb from the author's website about this book:
"In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret."
Meanwhile, I'm trying to distract myself by reading some other fantastic books on my TBR pile:
1. The Company Man by Robert Jackson Bennett
2. Graveminder by Melissa Marr
3. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
4. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
5. Light Boxes by Shane Jones
May 6, 2011
Two very nice reviews of AFTERLIFE, both posted this week
I am continually amazed and blessed by how wonderful the blogging community has treated me and my debut novel, AFTERLIFE. I mean, if you think about, they don't have to post reviews. They could just read books and that would actually be very cool all by itself. But this group of awesome people reads books and then they post their reviews online. They go out of their way to let other people know when they come across a book they love.
I really like that. A lot.
So, I wanted to share two incredible reviews that AFTERLIFE received online this week.
The first was posted on May 4, on the Literary Escapism blog and was written by Casey. You can read the review HERE. And here's a snippet of what Casey said about the book:
"No matter what you believe in, Afterlife will make you think about what is going to happen to you after you die. It will make you think about what immortality would be like. It will make you think. Period. (It probably will make you want to hug everyone in your family, or maybe that's just me.)"
The second review was posted on May 5, on Sapphyria's Book Blog by Sapphyria. She gave AFTERLIFE 5 out of 5 stars (Yay!) and you can read the entire review HERE. A snippet of her review is below:
"There are so many twists, turns, and happenings that you don't expect but make total sense. When it was all said and done, I found this book to be a great read…I give this book a 5/5. I can't wait to get her next novel FEAST."
Thanks again to the folks over at Literary Escapism and Sapphyria's Book Blog for posting their reviews and for loving books! You all get five out of five stars in my book.
I really like that. A lot.
So, I wanted to share two incredible reviews that AFTERLIFE received online this week.
The first was posted on May 4, on the Literary Escapism blog and was written by Casey. You can read the review HERE. And here's a snippet of what Casey said about the book:
"No matter what you believe in, Afterlife will make you think about what is going to happen to you after you die. It will make you think about what immortality would be like. It will make you think. Period. (It probably will make you want to hug everyone in your family, or maybe that's just me.)"
The second review was posted on May 5, on Sapphyria's Book Blog by Sapphyria. She gave AFTERLIFE 5 out of 5 stars (Yay!) and you can read the entire review HERE. A snippet of her review is below:
"There are so many twists, turns, and happenings that you don't expect but make total sense. When it was all said and done, I found this book to be a great read…I give this book a 5/5. I can't wait to get her next novel FEAST."
Thanks again to the folks over at Literary Escapism and Sapphyria's Book Blog for posting their reviews and for loving books! You all get five out of five stars in my book.
May 3, 2011
RT Tote Bag Winner
Hi, everyone! Thanks for your patience. I got slightly distracted by the conference I went to this past weekend. And forgot that I had a CONTEST GOING ON.
Argh.
So, in case anyone besides me forgot, the giveaway is this lovely totebag from the recent Romantic Times convention, signed by 12 amazing authors. And the WINNER is.....
[drum roll, please]
JESSICA!!! Yay, congrats, Jessica!!
I already have your e-mail address and I will contact you shortly to get your shipping information. Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest!!
Argh.
So, in case anyone besides me forgot, the giveaway is this lovely totebag from the recent Romantic Times convention, signed by 12 amazing authors. And the WINNER is.....
[drum roll, please]
JESSICA!!! Yay, congrats, Jessica!!
I already have your e-mail address and I will contact you shortly to get your shipping information. Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest!!
Because sometimes you just have to laugh
Cute--no, this is beyond cute--adorable video of a "talking" dog. But all dogs talk, right? Well, this talking dog is the best one ever. And besides that, sometimes you just need to smile.
April 29, 2011
Reason Number Five Why I Will Probably Never Run For Office
This is besides the whole public speaking thing, which I think is kinda mandatory.
Reason Number Five Why I Will Probably Never Run For Office:
[drum roll, please]
I keep forgetting to ask people to vote. For me.
I Smell Sheep is having a very cool contest/award ceremony called the First Annual Boogity Boo Awards. And the grand prize is BEYOND cool. They will be donating a sheep (in the winning author's name) to a needy family. This is being done through World Vision, a non-profit organization that does some amazing things.
So, please VOTE. You don't have to vote for me. But this is for a very good cause. And it's fun. And you should really check out I Smell Sheep, because it's one of the most fun blogs out there!
Reason Number Five Why I Will Probably Never Run For Office:
[drum roll, please]
I keep forgetting to ask people to vote. For me.
I Smell Sheep is having a very cool contest/award ceremony called the First Annual Boogity Boo Awards. And the grand prize is BEYOND cool. They will be donating a sheep (in the winning author's name) to a needy family. This is being done through World Vision, a non-profit organization that does some amazing things.
So, please VOTE. You don't have to vote for me. But this is for a very good cause. And it's fun. And you should really check out I Smell Sheep, because it's one of the most fun blogs out there!
April 28, 2011
Dinah Eng's Amazing Adventures at RT or How I ended up in an article with Melissa Marr and Pamela Palmer
Dinah Eng, a freelance columnist in Los Angeles, wrote an amazing article for Scrippsnews that got posted yesterday. Titled, "Romance novels feature paranormal twist," Eng's article discusses her recent trip to the Romantic Times Convention 2011 in Los Angeles, and most specifically, the Avon Paranormal Party. She interviewed three authors that attended the Avon Dusk To Dark event, Melissa Marr, Pamela Palmer, and believe it not, me.
SQUEEEE. I know. I was trying to play the part of the journalist and tell this story all professional, but it's really hard when someone writes an article that includes ME alongside amazing authors like Melissa Marr and Pamela Palmer.
Okay. Deep breath. Now, back to my "professional" voice...
Here are some quotes from the article:
"All my books are based in folklore that have been popular for centuries. I come from an Irish and Scottish family, and grew up hearing about faeries, ghosts, vampires and things that go bump in the night." [Melissa Marr speaking.]
"In society, we want our men to be kind and civilized, but in fantasy, it's fun to think of a man who's not civilized and can be tamed by love," [Pamela] Palmer says. "I used to be an IBM engineer, so I've got a very logical, analytical mind that can think through the story. But I've always had an imagination and story to tell."
And here's a part about me [pardon me, my SQUEEE is coming back!]:
Another popular aspect of the paranormal romance genre can be categorized as urban fantasy. Merrie Destefano likes to write a combination of fantasy, romance, mystery, and science fiction. Her second novel, "Feast: Harvest of Dreams" debuts June 28, is a story with new monsters.
The characters in the book are a cross between faeries and vampires, and harvest people's dreams. The idea came to Destefano one night when she was unable to sleep.
"I thought, okay, I can't sleep... what if there were other creatures who can't sleep?" Destefano says. "What would they be doing? The main character's in the midst of the hunt. She's slightly enchanted, and not horrified, by what she sees. She's a survivor. I like strong women, and women are allowed to have roles in which they win in urban fantasy."
---------------------------
So very cool. Really.
And Dinah Eng ends the article with this lovely line:
"Romance novels always have a happy ending."
And this author, who loves to include romance in every story, would have to say, "I heartily agree! I love happy endings!!"
SQUEEEE. I know. I was trying to play the part of the journalist and tell this story all professional, but it's really hard when someone writes an article that includes ME alongside amazing authors like Melissa Marr and Pamela Palmer.
Okay. Deep breath. Now, back to my "professional" voice...
Here are some quotes from the article:
"All my books are based in folklore that have been popular for centuries. I come from an Irish and Scottish family, and grew up hearing about faeries, ghosts, vampires and things that go bump in the night." [Melissa Marr speaking.]
"In society, we want our men to be kind and civilized, but in fantasy, it's fun to think of a man who's not civilized and can be tamed by love," [Pamela] Palmer says. "I used to be an IBM engineer, so I've got a very logical, analytical mind that can think through the story. But I've always had an imagination and story to tell."
And here's a part about me [pardon me, my SQUEEE is coming back!]:
Another popular aspect of the paranormal romance genre can be categorized as urban fantasy. Merrie Destefano likes to write a combination of fantasy, romance, mystery, and science fiction. Her second novel, "Feast: Harvest of Dreams" debuts June 28, is a story with new monsters.
The characters in the book are a cross between faeries and vampires, and harvest people's dreams. The idea came to Destefano one night when she was unable to sleep.
"I thought, okay, I can't sleep... what if there were other creatures who can't sleep?" Destefano says. "What would they be doing? The main character's in the midst of the hunt. She's slightly enchanted, and not horrified, by what she sees. She's a survivor. I like strong women, and women are allowed to have roles in which they win in urban fantasy."
---------------------------
So very cool. Really.
And Dinah Eng ends the article with this lovely line:
"Romance novels always have a happy ending."
And this author, who loves to include romance in every story, would have to say, "I heartily agree! I love happy endings!!"
April 27, 2011
Contest winners, upcoming events and MORE
I wanted to let you all know about some fun things going on now and in the near future:
CONTESTS ON THIS BLOG::
WIDGET CONTEST WINNERS:
Congrats to Renee, Katie, Cath, Natasha, and Patricia! You all won a signed cover flat of FEAST. Yay!! Please note, I will need all of you to send me a quick e-mail with your mailing address and let me know if you want the cover flat signed to you. (If you already have one, this flat could make a fun giveaway on your blog!) My e-mail is: merriedestefano [at] yahoo [dot] com. And thank you ALL for helping to share the love for my next novel, FEAST. You all rock!!
SIGNED RT SWAG GIVEAWAY
You still have time to enter this contest, where the prize is a book bag that I got at the Romantic Times Convention in Los Angeles. This beauty has been signed by 12 authors including: Kimberly Derting, Melissa Marr, Rachel Vincent, Carrie Ryan, Kami Garcia and MORE. I am dearly in love with this totebag and hope that it goes to a good home! Contest ends Sunday, April 30, and the winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, May 1.
VIRTUAL FEAST DESSERT-TO-DIE-FOR
There's still time to enter your fave dessert in the Virtual Feast Dessert Contest. Last date for entry is May 20. Prizes and rules included in this LINK.
CONTEST ON ANOTHER BLOG:
RED HOT BOOKS:
Again, a hearty thank you and round of applause to the folks over at Red Hot Books for doing an AFTERLIFE giveaway. And congrats to the winner, Judy!
REAL LIVE EVENTS:
OCCWF Writer's Conference:
April 29-30: This Friday and Saturday I will be speaking at the OCCWF Writer's Conference in Irvine, California. On Friday evening I'll be doing a panel with all the other speakers. Saturday I will be teaching a class on Backstory: The Secret Reason Why Readers Might Love or Hate Your Novel. I'm really excited and look forward to meeting all the people who will be attending the conference!
Ladies' Guilty Pleasures Book Club
June 17: I will be discussing AFTERLIFE and FEAST with this amazing group of ladies. I've been told that I will be the first urban fantasy author to visit their book club, so that is way cool!
ONLINE EVENTS:
May 12: Interview and AFTERLIFE giveaway at Bookmark Your Thoughts.
June 15: Interview at My Bookish Ways.
June 28: FEAST RELEASE DAY!!! WOO HOO!!
June 27 & 28: Review of FEAST and interview with moi at the ever-incredible I Smell Sheep blog. We will be doing a giveaway there to celebrate the release of FEAST.
June 28: Launch Party Extravaganza at Bitten By Books. We will be doing a giveaway to celebrate the release of FEAST.
June 29: Guest post by moi at the delightful Book Faery blog. Again, a fun giveaway in honor of the birth of FEAST.
There will be many more online and live events to celebrate the release of my second novel, FEAST. I will let you know what they are and when they will be as soon as I have more details!!
Meanwhile, Happy Reading!
CONTESTS ON THIS BLOG::
WIDGET CONTEST WINNERS:
Congrats to Renee, Katie, Cath, Natasha, and Patricia! You all won a signed cover flat of FEAST. Yay!! Please note, I will need all of you to send me a quick e-mail with your mailing address and let me know if you want the cover flat signed to you. (If you already have one, this flat could make a fun giveaway on your blog!) My e-mail is: merriedestefano [at] yahoo [dot] com. And thank you ALL for helping to share the love for my next novel, FEAST. You all rock!!
SIGNED RT SWAG GIVEAWAY
You still have time to enter this contest, where the prize is a book bag that I got at the Romantic Times Convention in Los Angeles. This beauty has been signed by 12 authors including: Kimberly Derting, Melissa Marr, Rachel Vincent, Carrie Ryan, Kami Garcia and MORE. I am dearly in love with this totebag and hope that it goes to a good home! Contest ends Sunday, April 30, and the winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, May 1.
VIRTUAL FEAST DESSERT-TO-DIE-FOR
There's still time to enter your fave dessert in the Virtual Feast Dessert Contest. Last date for entry is May 20. Prizes and rules included in this LINK.
CONTEST ON ANOTHER BLOG:
RED HOT BOOKS:
Again, a hearty thank you and round of applause to the folks over at Red Hot Books for doing an AFTERLIFE giveaway. And congrats to the winner, Judy!
REAL LIVE EVENTS:
OCCWF Writer's Conference:
April 29-30: This Friday and Saturday I will be speaking at the OCCWF Writer's Conference in Irvine, California. On Friday evening I'll be doing a panel with all the other speakers. Saturday I will be teaching a class on Backstory: The Secret Reason Why Readers Might Love or Hate Your Novel. I'm really excited and look forward to meeting all the people who will be attending the conference!
Ladies' Guilty Pleasures Book Club
June 17: I will be discussing AFTERLIFE and FEAST with this amazing group of ladies. I've been told that I will be the first urban fantasy author to visit their book club, so that is way cool!
ONLINE EVENTS:
May 12: Interview and AFTERLIFE giveaway at Bookmark Your Thoughts.
June 15: Interview at My Bookish Ways.
June 28: FEAST RELEASE DAY!!! WOO HOO!!
June 27 & 28: Review of FEAST and interview with moi at the ever-incredible I Smell Sheep blog. We will be doing a giveaway there to celebrate the release of FEAST.
June 28: Launch Party Extravaganza at Bitten By Books. We will be doing a giveaway to celebrate the release of FEAST.
June 29: Guest post by moi at the delightful Book Faery blog. Again, a fun giveaway in honor of the birth of FEAST.
There will be many more online and live events to celebrate the release of my second novel, FEAST. I will let you know what they are and when they will be as soon as I have more details!!
Meanwhile, Happy Reading!
April 26, 2011
You CAN create a Keynote presentation with an iPad
This Saturday I'll be teaching a class on backstory at the OCCWF writer's conference. Of course, I'm still fine-tuning my speech and organizing all the points I'll be discussing. But one way cool thing that I recently discovered is that I should be able to do a Power Point presentation using my iPad.
!!!!
Suffice to say, I'm just really in love with my iPad. I don't have another laptop, so this puppy has to do everything I need and more.
I just finished up my presentation using a program called Keynote. I downloaded it from iTunes and had to purchase two copies, one for my desktop computer ($20.) and one for my iPad ($10.) A total of $30 for a program isn't that bad. Apparently Power Point doesn't work on an iPad, or I might have used that instead.
I had two sessions at the local Apple store, both one-on-one, and they really gave me all the info I needed. Which, again, was cool.
Of course, the rest of the world runs on PCs, so I had to get a special, snazzy adapter that will connect my iPad to the projector where I'm going to be speaking. But the way I see it, once I conquer this Dragon, I will be one step closer to being Dungeon Mistress.
So, the final word on all of this is: Yes, Virginia, you can do a presentation using an iPad.
