News

News and Happenings of GILDED!

Jan 18, 2014 | , , , | 8 Comments

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There has been so much going on with GILDED lately that I wanted to give you an update on all the cool stuff happening.

By the way, don’t you love that header? It’s so cool! It was designed by Amber over at Me, My Shelf and I for my Facebook page. You can see how it looks if you head over to Facebook. I just want to stare at it all day.

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The debut group that I’m a part of, the OneFour KidLit, was in Publishers Weekly! I was so honored to be interviewed and pictured in the article. You can read all about how a bunch of us dared each other to write as much as possible in 30 minutes. It sounds like a crazy thing to do, but guys, I finished another book because of it. And this new book, I’m so in love with. I hope someday you’ll be able to read it.

Have you added GILDED to your Goodreads list yet? I hope so! And as an extra bonus my publisher is giving away 20 copes of GILDED on Goodreads! Go here and enter. I hope you win!

logo1I was interviewed by the YA Interrobang here along with so many other stellar upcoming debut YA authors. Check it out!

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My cover reveal contest is still running. Head over to the YA Books Central to see it and enter to win a Kindle Paperwhite donated by my publisher.

And speaking of my cover, I wrote a post about what each part of the cover represents here at The Book YArd. I also wrote a post about the whole process of the cover from conception to the final product over at The OneFours. Finally, on the MiG Writers, I wrote some cool facts about the cover here.

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Speaking of the MiGs, Debbie Ridpath Ohi put together a really cool post about all of the MiG books here. And she created this cool picture that shows off all of our books. She’s so amazing, isn’t she?

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I’m also now part of a group of YA authors who are debuting in 2014 called The Book YArd. It’s a smaller, more intimate group of the OneFours where we share about our journey in creative ways. You can watch the video I made of all of us here and see our resolution post here:

 

Now you see why things have been crazy for me lately, but I’ve got more news!

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I’m super excited to share that I’ve been accepted to speak at the UCF book festival. If you live in Central Florida, I hope you will come and stop by.

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I’ve also been invited to the Riverdale High School Literacy Festival. This school is FIRED up about literacy and has invited 8 authors to come speak and be a part of a huge festival in their football stadium. It’s going to be so amazing.

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My bookmarks and postcards designed by Amber at My Shelf and I arrived this week and I’ve been putting my boys to work at sending these out to libraries. My boys have experienced this whole process with me and it’s fun to have them helping me. They really have gotten into it.

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And the crazy thing is, I’ve got a bunch more amazing things to share with you THIS upcoming week. Finally I get to spill my news with you!

Thank you all of being so supportive throughout this journey of GILDED’s publication. It’s been so fun sharing it all with you.

The Countdown to GILDED’s Release!

Jan 16, 2014 | | 3 Comments

March 1st is going to be a big party here on this blog. I’ve got some awesome things planned for the day, including giveaways and special guests. I hope you all can come!

GILDED Has a Cover!!!!!

Jan 12, 2014 | | 4 Comments

I’m literally jumping up and down so excited about sharing my cover with you that it’s becoming quite hard to type. Guys. I love this cover. So much.

I’m so thankful to Katrina Damkoehler who is the cover designer for GILDED and pulled in all the elements of this cover to make it perfect. Here is a picture of the two of us:

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I also must do a shout out to my editor, Miriam Juskowicz, because she worked with Katrina to make sure the cover was a true representation of the book.

Finally, to Cliff Nielsen. He’s the artist who drew the beautiful samjoko (mythological 3-legged crow) that you see on the cover. I have to admit that when I heard Cliff Nielsen was drawing the samjoko I almost had a heart attack. I love his work and, wow, to think he worked on my cover. (!!!!!!!!)

While my family was at Epcot, I created a video for you where I talk about all the elements that this cover has and how they relate to the book. I actually wasn’t planning on making a video that day. Especially since I had just rode Tower of Terror, Rockin’ Roller Coaster, and Mission to Mars, but between the gardens and the architecture, I couldn’t resist.

 

I’m a tease, aren’t I because I’m not sharing the cover on this post. You will have to head over to YA Books Central for the official cover reveal. And guess what? My publisher has donated a Kindle Paperwhite as a giveaway. I’m also giving out a silk Korean bag for the Paperwhite and a mini swag bag with a hairpin, bookmark, dragon charm, stickers. All of this fun stuff is from Namdaemun (a traditional market) in Seoul, Korea.

Happy New Year!

Jan 1, 2014 | | 4 Comments

 

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2014 is finally here. This is my debut year and believe me, I’m planning on enjoying every moment of it because an author only gets to debut once!

On Dec 31, authors tweeted with hashtag #NYE14Reads all the books they are most excited to read and are anticipating. Check out the hashtag to discover new 2014 books!

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And today, the Lucky 13s are having a HUGE Facebook page giveaway called the Lucky 13s New Year Bash. 43 authors are participating! Like my Facebook page and you can enter to win an audio book of GILDED. Details are here.

I’m also part of a group of 14 debut YA authors called The Book YArd. We’re are sharing our debut experiences on the blog and Twitter. In this post you can read my New Year’s Resolution. To find out more about The Book YArd writers, watch this video here where we tell a little about who we are.

I also joined up with the YA Rebels and other YA authors sharing about our New Year’s Resolutions. Watch that video here!new year photo: New Year vuurwerk178.gif

I’ve got some exciting things planned for you guys this year. Check out my video where I share all my thoughts for 2014:

 

Wow. It’s already gearing up to be an amazing year!

Happy New Year!

News News News!

Dec 27, 2013 | | 4 Comments

Happy Holidays everyone! There has been such a great month. I feel so incredibly blessed and excited about everything that has happened this year and what’s in store for 2014. And let me tell you, 2014 is going to ROCK!

I got a very special gift from Santa that I’m hoping to share with you soon. Can you guess what it is?

My hubby also gave me a really cool gift. It’s a license plate! Check it out:

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AND, if you haven’t heard yet, GILDED received another blurb! This one is from Jessica Khoury, author of ORIGIN and upcoming VITRO. Here it is:

“Farley brings South Korea’s fascinating culture and mythology into vivid detail in this shining debut, and Jae is a compelling heroine. An exotic, thrilling read, GILDED had me utterly entranced!” 

                        ~from Jessica Khoury, author of ORIGIN and VITRO

Isn’t that just amazing? I still get chills when I read that. If you haven’t read ORIGIN, you need to. It’s brilliantly written. I can’t wait to get my hands on VITRO, the companion novel.

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Also, I got to see the final jacket and PDF version of GILDED. It looks beautiful! The cover reveal for GILDED is set up for Jan. 7th on YA Books Central. I even filmed a video at Epcot explaining the elements on the cover. I hope you’ll stop by and check it out. Skyscape is throwing in a huge giveaway to celebrate the reveal, too!

March is going to be a busy month for me! Check out where I’ll be signing at and visiting here or go to the News page on my website.

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I was thrilled to be interviewed by YA Reads here on the 2014 Debut Author Introductions.

And if you’re interested in being a part of GILDED’s Book Launch Blog Tour hosted by Elana Johnson, head over here and fill out the form. I’d love for you to be a part of what is happening with GILDED.

There’s lots more awesomeness to share with you, hopefully soon!

I Survived NaNoWriMonth!

Dec 2, 2013 | , | 11 Comments

I’ve emerged from my writer’s cave!

With a hello, a wave and the lowdown of my NaNo 2013 month. Did I reach 50k, you ask?

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No, I didn’t. In fact, I didn’t even come close! I wrote 33k, but in spite of not reaching the NaNo goal, I’m still super stoked about my word count, and I’m having so much fun writing this new book. Plus, it was a great excuse to ingest lots of caffine!

 

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It does mean that I’ll be going into December needing to write as much or perhaps more than November. So there will be no relaxing for me this holiday season. BUT lots more Starbucks!

If you’re curious about what I’ve been up to the last month, you can watch my video showing all the small clips that I made throughout the month.

 

Did you do NaNo? How did it go for you?

Tips for Getting Ready for NaNoWriMo

Oct 28, 2013 | | 7 Comments

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It’s that time of the year guys- National Novel Writers Month! The goal is to write 50k in one month. Sounds pretty crazy. Well, it is crazy. There’s no doubt about that. That’s why it’s a challenge and definitely not for the weak and weary. *grin*

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 I like to participate each year. I never get 50k written. I teach full time and work a seasonal job as well. Plus I happen to be a mom! So yeah, 50k is tough. But I do try to write 30k. It’s a very doable goal. It means I must write 1k a day. Sometimes I write more a day and sometimes I don’t write at all (like on my birthday and Thanksgiving).

I’ve written a number of books during NaNo including GILDED. There’s something motivating knowing there are thousands of others typing away at their stories with you.

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But writing a novel is more than just sitting down at your computer. If you’ve been reading my blog a while, you know that the magic behind writing a book is actually the REVISION process.

Tips:

1. Click here for a video of tips that I use to prep for NaNo.

2. I also use a plot grid to guide me. Think of it as a road map. Detours are totally allowed.

3. I don’t edit while I fast draft. I just listen to my characters, dive into my world and WRITE. The book will be a WRECK. Some sentences won’t make sense. There will be plot holes and unbelievable characters.

But. Afterwards, I reemerge into the real world and I realize that I’ve written a book! This is what my friends and family tell me:

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It’s a starting point. And I’m always amazed how it’s actually a lot better than I think it will be. And that’s kind of crazy and wild and awesome.

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 How about you? Are you doing NaNoWriMo this year?

I’m So Proud!

Oct 25, 2013 | , , , , | 7 Comments

Can I just say it’s so amazing to be a part of a group of author who are breaking new ground as writers? My critique partners from the MiG Writers who have stood by me through tough times and helped me grow as a writer continue to have incredible successes!

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A big shout out to Debbie Ridpath Ohi who just sold two more picture books. She’ll be writing and illustrating SAM AND EVA (title might change), which will be published in Fall 2016. A second picture book, yet to be written and illustrated, will be published in 2017. This will make 9 books coming out in the next 4 years for her. NINE people. Tell me that isn’t amazing? And she totally deserves it. Not only are her illustrations captivating but they carry a sense of magic and wonder with them.

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I am also thrilled to announce that Carmella Van Vleet’s ELIZA BING IS (NOT) A BIG FAT QUITTER has been selected for the Junior Library Guild! This is a big honor and it will give her book the audience it deserves. Eliza is such a real and fascinating character. You never know what she’ll do next!

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And finally, Susan Laidlaw’s latest book, THE VOICE IN MY HEAD, has a release date for Mar. 11, 2014! This book will take you on an unexpected adventure. Warning: You won’t be able to put it down!

Now tell me this all isn’t awesome? Because it is!!!!

FREE Writing Feedback During the WHW Amazing Race!

Oct 23, 2013 | | 0 Comments

Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers (formerly The Bookshelf Muse) have added two more books to their Descriptive Thesaurus Collection: The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes and The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws. To celebrate, they are hosting a race, and not just any old race, either. It’s the…

 

Writing is hard, isn’t it? Create the perfect hook. Make your first page compelling. Craft an amazing 25 word pitch. Knock out a query that will blow an agent’s mind. On and on it goes. And sometimes, well, you just wish someone would help.

WISH NO MORE!

From October 21st until October 27th, Writers Helping Writers is posting an OPEN CALL for writers. You can fill out a form, requesting help with critiques, book visibility, social media sharing, blog diagnostics, advice and more.

An army of Amazing Racers are standing by (ME INCLUDED!) waiting to help with your submissions. How many people can we help in a week? Let’s find out! Did I mention there are Celebrity Racers too–amazing authors and editors who know their way around a first page. Maybe one of them will pick your submission to help with!

Each day this week, there’s an AMAZING giveaway, too. So stop in at Angela & Becca’s new Writers Helping Writers website and find out how to take advantage of this unique, pay-it-forward event for writers. I’ll see you there! 

Florida Authors Help Build Literacy!

Oct 21, 2013 | , | 3 Comments

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I am so excited about this new endeavor that a team of Florida-based young adult authors are doing and I’m a part of. We’ve created a Facebook page for teens, media specialists, librarians, teachers, and anyone who loves literacy to keep tabs on all of our:

·         New books

·         Events

·         Contests

·         Workshops

Our goal is to reach out to our readers and support our community in any way that we can in order to get our communities and schools excited about reading, writing, and YA literature.

Our Hot YA Reads Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/HotYAReads.

A big shout out to Hafsah at IceyBooks for creating our stunning logo. Not only did she nail the concept we wanted to portray, but she was quick and helpful.

I hope you’ll check us out and be a supporter with us in promoting literacy, not only in Florida, but around the world.

The Authors of Hot YA Reads

Vivi Barnes (Entangled)-  www.vivibarnes.com

Heather Burch (Blink)-  http://heatherburchbooks.com

Erica Cameron (Spencer Hill Press)-  http://byericacameron.com

Lucienne Diver (Flux)-  http://www.luciennediver.com

Trish Doller (Bloomsbury)- http://trishdoller.com

Karen Amanda Hooper (Rhemalda Publishing) –  http://www.KarenAmandaHooper.com

Kristen Simmons (Tor)-  http://www.kristensimmonsbooks.com

Christina Farley (Skyscape)-  http://www.christinafarley.com

Lauren Gibaldi (HarperTeen)-  http://laurengibaldi.com

Madeleine Kuderick (Harper Collins)-  http://www.madeleinekuderick.com

Jessica Martinez (Simone Pulse)- http:// jessicamartinez.com

Lynne Matson (Henry Holt and Co.) –  http://lynnematson.blogspot.com

Meredith McCardle (Skyscape)-  http://meredithmccardle.com

Sarah Nicolas- www.sarahnicolas.com

Lisa Ann O’Kane (Strange Chemistry)-  http://lisaannokane.com

Amy Christine Parker (Random House Childrens)- http:// www.amychristineparker.com

Jenny Torres Sanchez (Running Press Kids )- http:// jennytorressanchez.com

J.A. Souders (Tor)- http://jasouders.com/

Jenn Marie Thorne (Dial/Penguin)

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