Kim Baccellia's Blog, page 14

Friday Five

1. This week son's been in soccer camp. The coaches are from the UK which is kinda cool. His coach is from Wales. The coach for 7-9 year olds is from Manchester, England. He's enjoying himself and I'm enjoying having some time to:

2. Do edits and write.




And of course enjoy a drink or treat!

3. But this morning need to go and have more blood work done for my thyroid. Any bets on how many times they have to prick me before they get any blood? Last time it was 6 times. Then they wonder why I drag my feet on getting these tests done.

4. Love Netgalley.com So far these past few weeks I've requested and been approved to read:

EVE:




Think The Handmaiden's Tale meets Lord of the Flies. I really loved the twists and turns in this YA dystopia. And the ending? Wow.

WOLF MARK:




This is an upcoming book with Tu Publishing, the imprint of Lee and Low and edited by Stacy Whitman. I'm loving this voice so far!

5. Wow, on last Monday's episode of TEEN WOLF. Totally didn't see that coming! Here's the preview for next weeks episode:




**Guilty pleasure:

Thinking I might just break down and get that multigrain bagel with butter at Starbucks which is 10 Weight Watcher points! Crazy, but true.

Friday Five

**Crossed posted in Blogger: http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/08/1.html

1. Yes, dear MIL is coming this Sunday at 3pm. I ended up getting a huge calendar to put on my refrigerador and filled it out with my schedule for next week. That way she can see I'm busy and she'll have to work around what I'm doing. **Let's see how this goes.

2. Been reading this:


Love the voice and the latest antics Evie gets into.

3. Also excited that I was able to get approved by Tu Publishing to review:

Under the Mesquite




This is a contemp YA told in free verse with a Latina protagonist. So far really loving this story!

4. TANKBORN



I've been hearing tons of great things about this dystopia.

5. And another Tu Publishing upcoming title:




This one sounds really fun. I read Greg's first book when it was nominated for a Cybils and our whole family loved it. I expect the same thing with his latest!

** Also was finally able to see SUCKER PUNCH:



My verdict: I thought this movie had a very interesting premise of a young girl who's stepfather puts her in an institition after she ends up accidently killing her younger sister when she tries to defend her from being abused. Then the weird stuff starts. I really got confused on what was real and what wasn't. Plus I agree with some who say, who would really rather dream of lap dancing for some rich fat old dudes as a way to escape being in the institition? I didn't get that. The Sci-Fi scenes were the best part of this movie and they were far and between. Just my opinion. The ending was very anti-climatic and I couldn't help but wonder why? Why start with one young girl's POV if this wasn't in fact her story?





***Guilty pleasure:

Going to Round Table for the lunch buffet:

Closing this account

Hi, everyone. This latest Live Journal problem plus the added commericals and spam has made me seriously think of closing this account and just using blogger.

I first came to Live Journal back in 2006? when I took a YA writing class with Lauren Barnholdt. But the recent issues and the mega hacking job has made me nervous to stay here. I will be posting at blogger:

http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com/

Let me know what you think. I still hope to show my journey as a YA author plus have reviews/interviews from others in this biz.

Halloween in July

Yay! Tomorrow night I'm going to be part of Halloween in July at #YALITCHAT:

Here's the twitter:

It's #HalloweeninJuly on tomorrow night's #yalitchat w/ special guests: @ixtumea @CynLeitichSmith @jasondhenderson

I'm going to be with some fab YA authors. I'm really excited. I'm so excited I'm thinking of throwing in some giveaways too.

Time of the chat?

9:00pm EST

See you all there!

Friday Five

1. Well, Mother in law is back in Utah. She extended her visit for three days meaning she was here for 2 weeks. The good news is we think she found something. The condo is close but not too close. So right now I have a break for a month.

2. I couldn't believe this:



This happened today. I tried to check CNN and even FOX for more news but nothing until later. Twitter though was posting links. This is terrible and so tragic. Apparently they killed teens on a youth camp retreat too. Sick. Prayers going out to the people of Norway.

3. I'm so behind on everything. Sigh. These last two weeks ended up helping mother in law too as she went out looking for a condo. She couldn't walk very far at all so I'm worried about her. So I've fallen behind on just about everything. Will get better, promise!

4. Doing edits with Liz Burton of Zumaya Publishing. Wow, she's amazing and really attacking each sentence. She's also using Google documents meaning she's right there with me when doing the edits. I've found this an interesting experience. Also know it'll make my YA fantasy NO GODDESSES ALLOWED stronger.

5. Ok, can't have a Friday five without books. I have been giving myself time to read this amazing upcoming book from Egmont. **Did I mention how much I LOVE this publisher?




This book has a Stephen King feel to it. It's a creepy, scary YA dystopia where all heck breaks loose after an electromagnetic wave hits Earth. The writing is great, so are the details that really intensify this story. Review coming soon!

Also have to say I'm really sad about the recent Borders news. I can't believe all of them are closing. Borders has been good to me as both an educator and as a writer. Will try to brave the crowds tomorrow to take part of the 40% off sale. Sad that so many will lose their jobs. Colleen Lindsay on Twitter has been posting links for employees who will be looking for jobs. Colleen is fab.

**Guilty pleasure:
Tomorrow getting a pedicure! Yay! Need a summery color. Plus, think I'll break down and get a mocha coconut Starbucks soy iced drink. So nommy. I don't have the whip cream but do have the coconut sprinkles and chocolate syrup drizzled on top.

Blogfest2011

Wow, thanks for all the entries! I'll be announcing the winners either later tonight or tomorrow.

Once again thanks for entering and being a part of Blogfest 2011!

Blogfest 2011

I'm really excited to be a part of this! Last year I had so much fun, so of course, I wanted to do this again!

What I'm giving away:

Some galleys I've reviewed for YA Books Central.

1. BEAUTY QUEENS by Libba Bray **One of my favorite YA authors

2.BUT I LOVE HIM by Amanda Grace **A haunting tale of girlfriend abuse told in an unique way

3. BETWEEN by Jessica Warman **An amazing paranormal.



**Also I will include in each prize some CROSSED OUT swag!




Rules:
The rules are quite simple.The giveaway is between 12:00 am EST on the 15th through 11:59 pm EST on the 17th. There are no stipulations as to the monetary value of this giveaway.

Leave a comment for me in the comment section, including which book you'd like.

Open to US and Canada. No P.O. boxes.
Don't forget about the prizes you can win at http://www.ajourneyofbooks.com/

You must go to the exclusive Tracking Site. Once there you can register with a valid email address (to be used solely for the purpose of contacting the winner). This site will allow you to track your progress through BlogFest 2011! You can log on from anywhere at any time and continue where you left off. The best part is that every blog that you visit and mark off through this tracking site will give you one entry into the the giveaways!

Also check out these sites for other chances to win:
1.http://www.simplystacie.net/
2.http://snarkymamma.blogspot.com/
3.http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/
4.http://spartanheartbyauthorkristinecheney.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-fest-july-15-17.html
5.http://starmetaloak.blogspot.com/

Friday Five

1. Still looking for condos for MIL. Really concerned as she can't walk far without being out of breath. She said this is because she's only been out of hospital a couple weeks. I'm not sure but this is proving to be a stressful week. Will be glad when Sunday comes.

2. Contest:

http://obscurekidlitauthorscontest.blogspot.com/2011/07/anniversary-giveaway-prize-pack-1.html

Check out this contest! I'm a part of it as I'm giving away a signed copy of CROSSED OUT and some swag.

3. I was featured here on Thursday:

http://booktoursandmore.blogspot.com/2011/07/zumaya-birthday-bash-with-guest-blogger.html

4. I'm really excited about this upcoming event:

http://www.austinscbwi.com/2011/07/07/halloween-in-july-twitter-chat-with-cyn-july-27/

**And I can't forget books now can I?

5. OVERBITE




I enjoyed the voice in this Meg Cabot story that has Meena working for church authorities on getting rid of vampires. I have to admit though I was kind of disappointed toward the end as I felt the ending was anticlimatic and I didn't buy who Meena ends up with. Still, the idea of flesh eating vampires was an intriguing twist. And hey, it's Meg Cabot, who I still love.

THE IRON KING



I've been wanting to read this books for a while and finally decided to read the first book. So far really enjoying it.

**Guilty pleasure:

Hoping to go to the opening of the Orange Co. Fair. Love funnel cake and other fun things. But kind of worried might not go as MIL might not be able to visit her friend. We'll see how it goes.
http://ocfair.com/2011/

Guest blogger PJ Hoover

I'm really excited to have YA author PJ Hoover as my guest blogger! I loved her book SOLSTICE which combines a dystopia with Greek mythology into one yummy mix.

Here's her bio:
BIO:
P. J. Hoover first fell in love with Greek mythology in sixth grade thanks to the book Mythology by Edith Hamilton. After a fifteen year bout as an electrical engineer designing computer chips for a living, P. J. decided to take her own stab at mythology and started writing books for kids and teens. P. J. is also a member of THE TEXAS SWEETHEARTS & SCOUNDRELS. When not writing, P. J. spends time with her husband and two kids and enjoys practicing Kung Fu, solving Rubik's cubes, and watching Star Trek. Her first novel for teens, Solstice, takes place in a Global Warming future and explores the parallel world of mythology beside our own. Her middle grade fantasy novels, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, and The Necropolis, chronicle the adventures of a boy who discovers he's part of two feuding worlds hidden beneath the sea.


Here's my YA Books Central review:
http://www.yabookscentral.com/yafiction/10306-solstice

I asked her to share something I totally loved about her book. The nommy guys.

SOLSTICE by P. J. HOOVER: TWO GUYS—A CHOICE WITH IMMORTAL CONSEQUENCES

Hi, Kim. Thanks so much for inviting me to guest blog over here! I'm thrilled to connect with new readers! For those who don't know, my debut young adult novel, SOLSTICE, was just released in May. SOLSTICE is what happens when MATCHED meets THE LIGHTNING THIEF and is largely set in a future where global warming is destroying the earth. But parallel to this dystopic, melting earth, there exists a world of mythology. And with this world of mythology comes gods.

There may be no character more fun to write than the Greek god, especially as a teenager. Let's look at the similarities.

• Greek gods are arrogant.
• Teenagers are arrogant.

• Greek gods are youthful and good looking.
• Teenagers are youthful and good looking.

• Greek gods have amazing intensity in romance.
• Teenagers have amazing intensity in romance.

Yes, the list could go on. But for the time, let's focus on the romance. As I think back to my teenage years, it was filled with some studying, lots of hanging out with my friends, and plenty of moving from one crush to the next, most of the time at the speed of light. Each crush had something special about him; maybe a special smile, a particularly nice cologne, an interest similar to mine (you know, like Star Trek, just as an example). And if this is how my teenage years were, why should those I write for my characters in SOLSTICE be any different?

Enter two Greek gods, both pining away for our main character Piper. I'll give you my thoughts on why each guy is the perfect one for her to choose.

Shayne:
• True romantic
• Amazing kisser
• Owns lots of land
• Can stop time

Reese:
• Smells irresistible
• Likes to break the rules
• Never would back down in a fight
• Can make any gal feel alive

Sure, neither guy is perfect. But you name for me one guy who is. Right, I didn't think so. Anyway, how is a girl like Piper supposed to choose? What makes Shayne the better choice over Reese? Or Reese the better choice over Shayne? And what about their pasts? How should Piper deal with the fact that even though she knows these guys now, they have skeletons in their closets she may not want to deal with? Oh, the troubles in life.

One of the most fun things about writing a book in a series is knowing that no matter what happens romantically in book one, it could all change in book two (and yes, that is supposed to be a spoiler, so enjoy!).

Thanks so much for reading, and may your summer be a sizzling one!

SOLSTICE is available as a $2.99 eBook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and iBooks. SOLSTICE will be released in paperback this summer.

Check out her website:
http://www.pjhoover.com

Link to Book Trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkWezTGdTkg

Link to publicity photos and book covers:
http://www.pjhoover.com/downloads.php

If you haven't read SOLSTICE yet, do. It's a great summer read!

Blogfest 2011

Stay tuned! I'm going to be a part of this amazing Blogfest! Still deciding on which galleys to give away!