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Friday, July 30, 2010

We have a winner!

Thanks to all who commented for a chance to win a signed copy of A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL by Kristin Walker!

I used the Random Name/Word Picker Fruit Machine at classtools.net to help me randomly select the winner from the entries I received.

The lucky winner is: Jami from YA Addict. Congratulations, Jami! I'm sure you will absolutely LOVE this book! I will be in touch through email to discuss the details.


To all you hopefuls who didn't win this time around, I will be holding another signed book giveaway on my blog in August. Please make sure to come back and enter for a chance to win! Below is a blurred picture of the cover of my next book giveaway. The first person who correctly recognizes it and leaves a comment below naming the book title and author will get an extra entry in the giveaway.

Here's a helpful hint: This book was released in May.






I'm also planning a top secret giveaway in August that you won't want to miss!!




August is going to be a fun-filled month! Stay tuned...

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Thursday, July 22, 2010

A Day in My Writing Life

Some of you may know that on every Thursday, a 2011 debut author from The Elevensies shares a blog post about a day in her (or his) writing life. Well, today is my day to share...so, I thought I'd post it here on my blog too. If you'd like to see my post over at the 11sies (which is pretty much the same thing as here), check it out HERE.


This is where the writing happens...

In all honesty, my day to day writing life varies like flavors of jelly beans. Some days I'm lucky to get a bunch of delicious tasting jelly beans. Other days, I'm stuck with the ones that taste like black licorice -- yuck. Since my writing life isn't always predictable (and is sometimes downright snooze-worthy), I thought I'd do something a little different with this post by taking the things that happen most frequently and creating a recipe from them. So, here it goes... hopefully it doesn't taste terrible.



(click picture to enlarge)


Amy's Recipe for A Day in The Writing Life

Ingredients:
1 computer
1 semi-comfortable chair
1 authorly behind
*Note* Chocolate consumption for extra authorly behind cushioning is recommended.

3 email accounts plus passwords
2 liters of waiting at room temperature
4 tablespoons of patience, separated
5 social networking site cubes (Blogger, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Myspace)
1 stick of melted internet stalking...er, I mean browsing
1 wise editor
1 medium rare manuscript
1 peeled work in progress (WIP)
Long to-do list
1 cup of good news (optional)
*Note* Any publishing/writerly progress is considered good news.


Cooking Directions:
Attach 1 authorly behind securely to semi-comfortable chair. Turn on computer to bake. Crack open email accounts with various passwords, read & respond. Pour 2 liters of waiting in a large pot, adding 1 tablespoon of patience at a time as needed; stir and let simmer. In a small bowl of procrastination, dissolve social networking site cubes into the melted stick of internet browsing, mix until well blended. In a separate bowl of quit stalling and get with the program, fully squeeze 1 wise editor for a flavorful marinade. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of wise editor marinade over medium rare manuscript in an 8.5 X 11 nonstick baking dish. Bake until well done. Meanwhile, slice off dead ends and bruises from peeled WIP, and drizzle left over editor marinade on top. Continue to shape and mold WIP until satisfied. All the while, cross off to-do list when appropriate to provide a slight sense of accomplishment. Finally, blend all ingredients together in a large casserole dish. Cook on high for 8-10 hours until crisp. Serve warm.

**For an extra sweet day in the writing life, sprinkle 1 cup of optional good news over the writing casserole before serving.**






My recent sweet good news was getting my first pass pages -- woohoo!


Finally, I shouldn't forget to add that my day in a writing life wouldn't be complete without my four furry, verbally challenged sous-chefs by my side:
















Clearly I've watched one too many episodes of Top Chef. Thanks for checking out a day in my writing life. Now I'm hungry.


*Disclaimer* No real editors were squeezed during the making of this day in the writing life.






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On a side note, if you'd like to win a fabulous SIGNED copy of Kristin Walker's A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL, don't forget to enter for a chance to win HERE. The winner will be announced on July 30th!

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Friday, July 16, 2010

An Interview & Signed Book Giveaway with Author Kristin Walker


I'm happy to welcome Kristin Walker, the awesome author of A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL, to my blog for an interview and signed book giveaway. Yes, that's right, I'm holding another giveaway contest where I'll be providing one lucky commenter with a signed copy of this fun and funny debut! As usual, entry details will follow the interview. But first, here's a summary of Kristin's book:

When a mandatory course forces Fiona to “try the knot” with super-jock Todd Harding, she’s convinced life couldn't get any worse. Until her crush is paired with her arch enemy (otherwise known as Todd’s obscenely hot, slightly sadistic girlfriend). But that’s nothing compared to her best friend’s fate – a year with the very goofy, very big Johnny Mercer.

A series of hilarious pranks leave Fiona wondering: is there something her “best friend” hasn’t told her? Could there be more to Johnny Mercer than an awesome music collection? And most intriguing, could Todd Harding have a heart beneath his pretty-boy exterior?




Can you sum up A Match Made in High School in one sentence?

High school seniors get paired up for a mandatory course in marriage education with disastrous and hilarious results.


What inspired you to write A Match Made in High School?

It just seemed like it could be a really funny premise. I was looking for a topic with a lot of potential for humor, and since the book was going to be the longest thing I'd written, I figured I should pick something I knew a bit about. Pretty much my whole life was raising kids, doing laundry, loading dishwashers, and being married. So I went with marriage. I didn't think too many teens would want to read about stain removal or crusty spatulas.


If you could be one character from your book for a day, which one would you be and why?

Great question! Hmm... Okay, this is totally shallow, but I'm going to say it anyway... Amanda. I've always wanted to be stunningly beautiful for a day. All I'd do is walk around being gorgeous. Isn't that dorky? Other than Amanda, I'd pick Sam because she's so alive and energized and completely genuine. Plus she has stains on her shirts, and that's pretty much me every day with my coffee.


Who would you have wanted to be paired with to "try the knot" when you were in high school?

Oh, you don't seriously think I'm going to answer that, do you? Ha! I'm sure I would've picked whomever I was dating at the time.


What has surprised you the most about the publishing industry?

Everyone knows everyone in publishing. It's a very close-knit industry. So if you're interested in getting into the publishing game, tread kindly and try not to burn any bridges.

The great part is that everyone I've encountered is super cool. For the most part, they're people I'd hang out with in real life. It's humbling to have so many brilliant, fun people discussing and putting effort into my work.


What's your best advice for aspiring writers wanting to be published?

Just keep writing! Never quit. Every word you write makes you a better writer, so just keep going. It's a long, often heartbreaking haul, but you'll get there.

Thanks so much for having me, Amy! I had a great time with your questions.


Thank YOU, Kristin, for stopping by my blog! If you'd like to learn more about Kristin and her book, please be sure to check out her WEBSITE, BLOG and GOODREADS page.


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A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL Signed Book Giveaway Entry Details:
1) You must be a follower of my blog for a chance to win.
2) You will be entered once by reading and commenting on this post.
3) You will also receive an extra entry for each online shout-out you give about this giveaway (tweet on twitter and/or blog about it). Be sure to leave links to your shout-out(s) in the comment section of this post.

***That means you have the chance to be entered up to three times in the random drawing, increasing your odds of winning. The lucky winner will be chosen at random from the entries I receive and will be announced on Friday, July 30th. Good luck!***

Ashley will receive an automatic extra entry for her correct guess from this blurred cover image post.

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Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Cool New Sites

As I wait for my own author site to make its debut (I promise, it's coming...), I'd love to share some other great new sites for your cyber stalking pleasure:


First, if you're a fellow writer/author, you'll want to check out the new book tour site called The Teen Book Scene, created by book blogging extraordinaires Kari (from A Good Addiction) and Kelsey (from The Book Scout). Not only are these girls awesome, they've mastered the art of online book tours and author promotion. If you're looking for a free way to help promote your (YA or MG) book, be sure to contact them to set up a tour!



In author news, Carrie Harris just launched her fantastically freaky WEBSITE. Check it out for yourself to get in on all the monster mania. If you sign up for her NEWSLETTER, you'll be entered for a chance to win an ARC of Bad Taste in Boys & a poster of the very cool homepage illustration... and who in their right mind wouldn't want a poster of a monster prom? That's prime dining room art right there.



But the author news doesn't stop there... Gae Polisner , another fellow 2k11er, also launched her fabulous AUTHOR SITE not too long ago. Check it out for the inside scoop on The Pull of Gravity (her 2011 YA debut) and her other writing endeavors.




Finally, have you ever wondered which famous writer your writing compares to? Take this fun QUIZ to find out. Word on the street is that it's had over 100,000 hits in a single day. Sounds like a lot of people are curious to see what their own writing stacks up to. And yes, I admit I took the quiz... several times. I got a different answer with each entry, ranging from Chuck Palahniuk to James Joyce. Not sure if that means the quiz isn't accurate or my writing has multiple personalities (or maybe both?), but it's a fun experiment nevertheless. If you try it, be sure to tell me which writer you get.



**Come back this Friday for an author interview & signed book giveaway with Kristin Walker**

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Friday, July 9, 2010

First Pass Pages

I just got the first pass pages (the unbound layout of the inside pages/text) of The Lipstick Laws! Woohoo! The proof is in the pictures:








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Thursday, July 1, 2010

Limbo... how low can you go?


So, I've been a little MIA lately... mainly because I'm in limbo. No, I'm not doing the "Limbo" as the above picture and title might suggest. As much as I wish those Stayin' Alive-esque 70s bell-bottoms and matching top were mine, alas, they're not. I'm in limbo. That's right, I'm waiting in the in-between. Waiting for what, you ask? Well, the word on the street is that my cover art is being tweaked. If you're crying out, "For the love of all things holy, WHY???"... you're not alone. I'm disappointed too, but apparently it's going to be very similar to my first cover. Which is good. This whole cover switch-up just goes to show that the publishing industry is filled with ups and downs and twists and turns. Just when you think you know where the ride is taking you, it veers off in a different direction. I'm just thankful that I'm tall enough to ride the publishing roller-coaster... and that I have a safety harness.


Anyway, I've been on hold waiting for my tweaked cover to both blog about and to launch my website to the world. Since I haven't gotten El Newcover yet, I decided that I can't hold off any longer; I must blog. So today, I thought I'd share another author's fantastic cover news. The super funny and fantastic Carrie Harris has just revealed her cover art for BAD TASTE IN BOYS (summer 2011) to the world. Check out its awesomeness on her blog HERE. Can we say ooh-la-la?!

In the meantime, I should have some book news or other fun stuff to share with you all soon! :)

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