Emily Bleeker's Blog, page 2

An Interview With My Kids

What happens when you have four young kids and you write a novel that they can’t read?? They get lots of wild ideas about what the story is about! So, I sat my kids down and asked them a few questions about WRECKAGE to see what they *think* happen inside the cover they’ve become so familiar with.

Let me know what you think about their answers!

Launch Party recap!

Thank you to everyone who came to the launch party on Saturday and thank you to everyone who was there in spirit. If you couldn’t come or if you were there but would like to reminisce, then this post is for you!! Everybody remembers this little beauty: I arrived at The Book Bridge at noon with my sister who flew in from Utah, along with writer friend Jimmy Cearlock, who came all the way up from Springfield. Author, Mallory Crow, also came in early from Michigan to help and attend. (Have I mentioned how lucky I am to have such wonderful friends and family?) We spent a few hours setting up, rearranging and preparing for the party.

Display at The Book Bridge

Before I dive into the actual party, I just need to say that The Book Bridge was the BEST host. Pam Weiss, founder of the organization, was there for us every step of the way. She is such an inspiring lady. It was a pleasure to spend a day in this special place that brings books to kids in crisis. Okay, back to the party!! Lots of good friends pitched in and helped create this fabulous spread of tropical food: Can you tell we went with a theme?? Too bad Lillian and Dave didn’t have this kind of food available on their island. We also had a lot of generous donations for the charity raffle benefiting The Book Bridge.

 

Donors included:

Authors-

Matthew Cox- www.matthewcoxbooks.com

J.S. Hazzard- www.jshazzard.com

Aften Szymanski- aftenbrookszymanski.blogspot.com

Vicki L. Weavil- vickilempweavil.com

Vendors-

Becka Nieder- www.beckasbootcamp.com

Knot Your Stich Crafts- www.facebook.com/knotyourstitch

Slightly Off Center Salon- http://slightlyoffcentersalon.com/

To Bead or Knot 2 Bead- www.tobead.biz

Body by Bill (Bill Kelley)- www.bodybybill.com

Lauri Gruber (Pampered Chef)-http://www.pamperedchef.com/pws/familyfavorite

Artist-

Mary Rose Lila- www.facebook.com/mary.lila.7315

Jamie Stokes Johnson- www.facebook.com/jaimestokesjohnson

Pam Schoessow- www.etsy.com/shop/bluepumpkinstudio

Laura Romig- lauralynnromig@hotmail.com

I also had the opportunity to sign books and learn how to spell lots of different names.

And read a few pages throughout the night.

One of my favorite parts of the night was the photo booth! These are some of my favorite pictures from the night.

When it was all said and done, we collected a lot of books for The Book Bridge, received some great donations and had a wonderful time.

Thank you to all who came and all who helped! It was such a special and memorable night.

Contest Winners!!

Congrats to our contest winners!

Thank you to everyone who entered. I had a lot of fun looking through all of your photos.

Our two winners are Theresa B. won a signed copy of Wreckage (audio or physical copy) and Caroline R. won a $25 Amazon gift card.

Theresa

Caroline

 Congrats ladies! Keep on reading and keep your eye out for more contests and giveaways. And don’t forget, if you live in Chicagoland, Saturday is the in person BOOK LAUNCH PARTY! So, if you want chances to win more awesome prizes, snag a signed book, eat some seriously yummy snacks or to take a fancy picture in our island themed photo book– come on out!

If you are NOT in Chicagoland, no problem. You can TOTALLY live vicariously! Take a peek at the festivities here on my website or on Facebook and Twitter.

See you on Saturday!!

WRECKAGE– Official Launch!! **CONTEST**

Today is the official launch of WRECKAGE! To celebrate I’m having a **CONTEST** that will run from Sunday, March 1st- Wednesday, March 4th. You can win a $25 Amazon gift card, signed copy of WRECKAGE or an audio version of the book (which is way cool,btw)

TO ENTER:

If you are one of the thousands who downloaded a pre-released ebook of WRECKAGE—

1-Take a picture with your Kindle

2-Post it on your FB page or Twitter feed

3- Make sure to link me in your post!

I know! I KNOW the picture is backwards. Working on fixing it! :)

If you are waiting for your paper copy or are clicking “order” right now–

1-Take a picture of either your order confirmation (crop out all your personal info please) or a picture with the book when it arrives!

2-Post it on your FB page or Twitter Feed

3- Link me in your post!

BOOM! Entered. Good luck everyone!

THE END(ings)

My sister is one of those people who reads spoilers. She always takes a sneak peek at the end of the book or reads a blog about the whole plot of a TV series before deciding if she’ll watch it on Netflix. I am NOT one of those people. I want to guess at the ending of anything I’m reading/watching/obsessing about. I want to talk about possible outcomes and character choices. I want to dream out what I’d do with these characters if they were mine. Then, I love finding out what really happens in the story and say “AH HA!” if I was right or “duh!!” if I was wrong. Or, “I liked my ending better,” if disappointed.

This is what makes books FUN and what makes me reread the same book over and over and over again (which my husband still can’t understand).

Here is the thing with endings, I guess it goes for the whole book but I feel it most in endings. How you feel about them is very personal. Whether I close the book and sigh, “ah, that was awesome” or “NO! How did it end like that?!” to me it doesn’t matter. As long as a book makes me feel something more than– “Thank HEAVENS that is finally over,” then the author has done his/her job. Because, if I care enough to have any strong emotion then I’ve connected with the story and characters.

Take the end of Gone With the Wind. This is one of my favorite books ever. I first read it when I was twenty-years-old and other than a few slow spots in the beginning I couldn’t put the seriously thick novel down. It was also the first time I crazy-girl sobbed because of a book (Bonnie!!!!). I hated Scarlett with a passion and the end of the book REALLY bothered me. I mean I put 1,037 pages of my time and then…no pay off? For real?

I knew there was no sequel so I read up on Margaret Mitchell’s life, read one of her earlier works which was published posthumously and attempted to read and watch the “sequel” written many many years later by a modern author. None of these attempts quelled my frustration at that original ending.

Fast forward fourteen years. I’d read and reread my favorite parts of the book hundreds of times but I’d never sat down and reread the book from page 1 to 1,037. Every word. So I did. About a year ago I read Gone With the Wind as a real live grown-up and it was an interesting experience.

This is the same edition of GWTW I own from a 1937 reprinting. LOVE IT!

1. I still couldn’t put it down. I just wanted any reason to get back to reading even though I knew the whole story by heart.

2. Realized the book is kinda racist…probably pretty realistic of the viewpoints of the people from that time and place but also pretty stink’n racist.

3. I disliked Scarlett less this time around and Melanie a little more. I realized that Ashley is kind of a wussy jerk and Rhett is a totally flawed “hero.” But I LOVED how real these people were. Flawed, horrible and at times pretty racist/misogynistic, but real.

4. Still sobbed like a baby at…you know…that part…**sniff**

5. I loved the ending. Oh my gosh, it was PERFECT. If you haven’t read the book/watched the movie/been alive in the past 70 years then I don’t want to spoil it for you BUT I suddenly had this new perspective on the whole story. This ending, though depressing, was SO like real life. Scarlett realizing what she really wanted only to find out that it was too late to get it. Anyway…could write a whole paper on the stuff I realized when I closed the back cover of that book but suffice it to say, it was much more satisfying the second time around.

That experience showed me that feelings about books and characters and even endings change as we change. And not just a little, a whole lot! I’m excited to pull this book out again in a few years and reread it with fresh eyes. I wonder what new bit will strike me then.

This is why, in my opinion, books are more universal than movies. You cast the characters and you interpret the story through the lens of your own personal experiences. Also why you can go into a book club or classroom and discuss a good book for hours on end.

So maybe pick up a book you read ten or twenty years ago and give it a go. I bet you’ll have a whole new experience and maybe find a new favorite ending.

Which book has your favorite ending? Let me know in the comments :)

WRECKAGE Launch Party–one month away!

You are all invited to the Launch Party/Charity Raffle for WRECKAGE! The party will be an open house on Saturday, March 7th at The Book Bridge. Come anytime between 4:00-8:00pm and grab an island themed snack, enter our raffle (with the donation of new/like new children’s/YA books or 1$), take in one of the hourly readings and get yourself a signed copy of WRECKAGE.

 

All donations benefit The Book Bridge and organization that brings books to children in crisis situations. To learn more about this amazing organization, please visit: http://thebookbridge.com

If you need more information about the party or would like to contribute a raffle item, please contact me at: emilybleekerauthor@gmail.com

Can’t wait to see you there!

WRECKAGE hits #1 and check out my first interview!

Five days into WRECKAGE’s pre-release I’ve had some really fun moments. Just seeing my book up live was the first one. You work on that book for so long and so hard that sometimes release day seems like it will never come. It did come and it was awesome!

Reading my first review was another fun moment. And then reading about a million more. I honestly just want to kiss ever single reviewer, even the less than positive ones.

I’ve also been blown away by the support of my family, friends and readers and new fans.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to snap this picture of WRECKAGE hanging out with her book buddies, GIRL ON A TRAIN and TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD. That was pretty dang cool.

Sorry- it’s a screen shot so not the best quality

And today, I had the opportunity to see WRECKAGE at #1. I love how many people are getting the opportunity to read this story.

So thank you to all! I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to post an image like this. I cannot express my gratitude enough to everyone who’s helped me get so far.

 

Speaking of awesome and supportive people, I had my first interview this week. J.S. Hazzard, author of the BLOODSTONE CHRONICLES, invited me onto her blog for a chat. If you’d like to know more about WRECKAGE and it’s path to publication, click on the link below to take a look at our discussion!

Emily Bleeker’s author interview on jshazzard.com

 

 

 

Kindle First

I’m happy (thrilled, ecstatic, over-the-moon) to announce that WRECKAGE had been selected to be pre-released a month early as a Kindle First book in the US and UK. Only four books have this opportunity and I’m very excited that WRECKAGE is one of them! 

This is how it works. There are four books and readers can pick TWO (this month). If you are a Prime member it is FREE. Yup. Free. Now don’t worry, even if you aren’t a Prime member you can get the book for 1.99. A total deal.

Right now WRECKAGE is up at #2 in the paid Kindle store (I know, right?) and I couldn’t be prouder. Before WRECKAGE’s release my agent and I had a quick phone chat. During that conversation she gave me some great advice. She said, “Just sit back and enjoy the next few weeks. You’ll never release your first book ever again. This is special.” She was so right. This debut is something I’ll never experience again. So, I’m taking her advice, sitting back (well, I barely ever get to SIT with all these kids around but you know what I mean) and enjoying this exciting ride. I hope you all will join me!

If you haven’t gotten your FREE or discounted copy of WRECKAGE, just click on the link below and take advantage of this great promotion. If you’ve already had a chance to read it then let me know what you thought!

Oh, and by the way, dear reader, thanks for taking this ride with me. It’s way more fun with all of you here!

 

My Treasure Box!

It was sunny outside today, which is rare in Chicagoland for this time of year, so I let my kids play outside for a little while after school. Four little kids stuck inside for weeks on end is not always a recipe for happiness in the home so it was a much needed break to breath some fresh air and run around.

My little people like to play in front of our house in the middle of the cul-de-sac with their friends and the traffic is just sparse enough to make it fairly safe. Today, while the kids played and I took in deep breaths of chilly but blissfully fresh air, the UPS truck came rumbling down the street. It is a familiar sound that usually causes the kids to run to a curb and the moms to shout out warnings but today when I heard that truck, my heart kept. I knew something inside that truck was for me.

Can you read the fine print?

The UPS guy handed me the package and as soon as I read “Author Copies, Print Books” my heart started to flutter. My kids were COVERED in snow and they all wanted to help me open the box so I had to do a little crowd control before yanking off the tape. When I finally got the box open, I just stared at the books for a few seconds before touching them. As I flipped through the pages and familiar words and phrases stared back at me, I could feel the tears building in my eyes. Yes folks, that’s right, I cried. They were definitely happy tears but for a second I just stood there staring at the book in awe.

By this point my kids were done waiting. I let them pass one around and (gently) look through the pages. I said “be careful” so many times that my 10 year old said, “Who did you think we are, the Hulk?”

Since the book is not really appropriate for children, but my kids were desperate to hear some of it, I let them flip through and pick one page (per kid) for me to read out loud. What a fun way to become reacquainted with a story I’ve spent so much time with.

Sunday marks one month till WRECKAGE officially meets the world. I can’t wait until all of you have the opportunity to hold this little beauty in your hands. Let the countdown begin!!

 

WRECKAGE Launch Party- Save the Date

March is approaching quickly and I am busy planning a fantastic launch party for WRECKAGE. I’ve decided to pair the launch with a fundraiser for a FANTASTIC and inspiring organization: The Book Bridge (thebookbridge.com):

The Book Bridge is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.

“Our mission is to support, motivate and inspire children in crisis situations to read through individualized access to books and other materials geared toward increasing literacy skills while also providing them with a healthy emotional outlet to stress.

We serve youth up to age 18 who are in physical, economical, emotional, or mental health crisis situations. They have little or no access to books of their interest and reading abilities.”

I’m sure you can see why I am SO excited to partner with this great organization. Right now I’m in the process of collecting some awesome raffles and getting all the plans together but I wanted to make sure you all saved the date so you can come celebrate WRECKAGE’s release and support The Book Bridge at the same time.

Launch party(PDF)

Besides the actual party we will also be holding a raffle to benefit The Book Bridge. You can purchase raffle tickets for a dollar or receive one ticket per new/like new book donated to The Book Bridge. When donating please take a moment to double check what items they are able to accept: thebookbridge.com/donations

I can’t wait to celebrate with you all and to help provide children with the books they deserve. And don’t worry, if you don’t live in Illinois I will be running a virtual launch party as well!

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and on this blog for regular updates!

As a side note- if you have a raffle item you’d like to donate to support this fundraiser please email me at emilybleekerauthor@gmal.com