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Bring the YA2U Book Tour to Orlando!

Jan 2, 2013 | , | 4 Comments

Have you ever wished that a big YA book tour would make a stop in your hometown?  

Well, I have and here’s the chance to make my wish to come true! YA2U is a program that features five award-winning and best-selling authors who are holding a contest to see what city they should visit in an exclusive tour stop!

 

The authors are collecting votes from January 1 to February 15, and any city in the continental US or any Canadian city that has an international airport can win an exclusive visit from all five authors, including an author panel and book signing! Entering is super easy–and if you help spread the word about the contest, you can also enter win a signed copy of all of their books (TEN signed books in total!)–and the book contest is open internationally!


The authors in the program are:

And they want to have an event in your home town! To participate, just got to the YA2U website and let them know what city you want them to come to. And while you’re there, help spread the word about the contest and you can be entered to win all of their books–TEN signed books in total! 

Here’s why the YA2U Team should come to MY hometown! 

1. Orlando is has everything: Disney, Universal, Sea World.
2. Orlando is centrally located. It’s like smack middle of the state. People can come from everywhere.
3. Often, Florida often gets overlooked on book tours.
4. Great weather year round.
5. Beaches– Your choice, gulf or Atlantic- on either side. 
6. The shopping– Malls and outlets. It’s a shopper’s paradise.
7. We’ve got a great Barnes & Noble by University of Central Florida.

 

Why should the YA2U Team come to your hometown? Why not join in the fun today and share with others about this program and your hometown. The more votes your town gets, the closer you are to having your very own personal tour stop! Vote for YOUR town here!


And if you help spread the word, you can also participate in the book giveaway. Tell them that you learned about YA2Ufrom me and we both get extra entries in the contest! 

A Lucky 2013!

Jan 1, 2013 | , , , | 7 Comments

It’s here! 2013. The year my YA, GILDED, will launch into the world. I’m beyond excited. I don’t even know how to tell you other than pages and pages of exclamation marks which would be annoying and you’d never want to visit my blog or read my book again. So I won’t succumb you to that.

Instead, I’m excited to tell you that the The Lucky 13ers are celebrating 2013 by having an awesome contest to kick off the new year. And I’m participating. One lucky winner will win a giant swag pack from 20 debut authors! Check it out here.

Or you can head over to the MiGs where we’re talking about our writing goals. I’ve a long list that I’m hoping to acheive. Wish me luck.

And if you get a chance, you can vote for GILDED on any of these Listopias over on Goodreads.

So what are you most excited about for 2013? It’s going to be a lucky year and I’m wishing you all the luck that this upcoming years has to hold.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Dec 24, 2012 | | 2 Comments

First of all, thank you to everyone who supported the Publishing Hearts for Connecticut. They were able to raise $5,500 for those families and victims of the Sandy Hook incident. It really showed that there is hope and goodness in the hearts of people.

Check out my blog post over at the MiG’s on what to ask if you get that agent call.

I will be taking a short break from blogging to enjoy the holidays (and get some writing projects finished too!).

And then it’s 2013!!!! I’m super excited about this year because this is my pub year!

This time of year can be extremely busy and hectic but I’m hoping you’ll find peace and joy through it all.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Publishing Hearts Connecticut

Dec 18, 2012 | , | 2 Comments

This past week has been a tough time for our nation with those who we lost in Connecticut. As an elementary teacher myself, the incidents that occured really hit home for me.

I am so thankful for the Publishing Hearts Connecticut that has formed this week. This is a fundraiser in the publishing industry to benefit families and victims of the Connecticut Sandy Hook Shooting. All donations will be made directly to the Newtown Connecticut Youth and Family Services. 
 
I am honored to be able to donate a query and a 25-page manuscript critique for this event. Follow this link to make a bid.

I strongly urge you to support this need either through promoting the event on Facebook or Twitter, or bid on one of the many items being offered.

Author Skype Visits

Dec 6, 2012 | | 8 Comments

Not long ago, I had my first Author Skype Visit. It was so much fun and I would definitely do it again. My previous school that I taught at, Seoul Foreign School in Seoul, Korea, has a program where they take a week off from studies and explore other cultures or areas of expertise.

One of the programs is a writing course where students learn about how to write as well as tour and write around Seoul. My presentation kicked off their week and I hope inspired them in their writing.

How I did it:
1. First I set up a Skype account for me as an author. This was separate from my personal account.
2. I emailed the school my account details as well as an agenda of our visit and handouts for the students to use throughout their week of writing.
3. About 30 minutes before the visit, I set up my area where my computer was. I even had ‘props’ to show the students an insider’s view on how I write and what I do.
4. Once we were connected, I introduced myself and gave them a background of my writing experiences and what my upcoming book was about.
5. Their teacher had the student’s prepare questions to ask me. This was really fun because it gave me a chance to go into more details on how I work as a writer.
6. At the end of our time, I promised them bookmarks once they were designed. If I were to already have my book out, I would’ve emailed the class bookmarks and personalized autographed bookplates for each student.

Things to keep aware of:

1. Skype might blink out and you get disconnected. Don’t panic. Just decide ahead of time who is going to call who to get reconnected.
2. I had some time lags on my end. Stay calm and and ask the student’s to repeat their question.
3. In my situation, I couldn’t see the whole class at one time, only when the students came up to the camera in groups. I felt like I was talking to the wall so I had to ‘imagine’ a whole class in front of me.
4. Remember to smile and speak clearly.


Great links on Skype you should check out:

Have you ever participated in a skype visit as an author or audience? What was your experience like?

Using a Plot Grid

Dec 3, 2012 | , , , , | 8 Comments

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned pulling out my plot grid when I was revising a manuscript and promised to talk more about that later. Now that NaNo is finished and many of you have a very rough draft in place, it’s key to pull out or create a plot grid.

Why have a plot grid?

1. Plotting– Gives you a bird’s eye view of the structure of your plot.

I’m a sucker for a good plot. Especially one that’s unpredictable. Of course, creating an unpredictable plot is another whole blog post for another day.

2. Character Appearances– Allows you to see how often and which one of your characters appear throughout the book.

3. Setting– Where is your story taking place? Are you switching up your setting? To me nothing is more boring than bouncing your characters between the school cafeteria and home. Please don’t do that. At least for my sake.

So, you’re probably wondering what a plot grid looks like and how to put it together. Click here for the word document that I use. If you have a mystery plot, check this plot grid out.

You can also watch my vlog on how to make a bigger version of this. Personally, I need both.

So what do you find is helpful to making sure your plot flows, doesn’t lag, and isn’t filled with holes?

Review and Giveaway of SANCTUM

Nov 29, 2012 | , , , | 12 Comments

I have been excited to review for you SANCTUM by Sarah Fine. Honestly, I wasn’t sure how Fine would deal with the issue of suicide, which is ultimately what this book was about. But she creates characters and a world that are both intriguing and so real that I was sucked in from the get-go.

The Blurb from Amazon:

“My plan: Get into the city. Get Nadia. Find a way out. Simple.”  A week ago, seventeen-year-old Lela Santos’s best friend, Nadia, killed herself. Today, thanks to a farewell ritual gone awry, Lela is standing in paradise, looking upon a vast gated city in the distance – hell. No one willingly walks through the Suicide Gates, into a place smothered in darkness and infested with depraved creatures.

But Lela isn’t just anyone – she’s determined to save her best friend’s soul, even if it means sacrificing her eternal afterlife.

What I love about this book: There really is so much to love about Fine’s writing. She brings a unique twist on Heaven and Hell, which allows readers to look at the tough issue of suicide and rape in a different light. Her characters are real people. Nadia ,who is bogged down in the pressures of our society to be perfect. Lela, the “bad girl” who struggles to get her life on track despite no support from home. And yet despite these girls differences, how much they need each other to survive.

What makes this book unique: The concept of this book blew me away. Fine created a whole new world to set her story in, including characters such as Mazikins (demons). This allowed her to deal with issues teens face today by taking readers away from their own world and reliving those same conflicts in a fantasy setting.

Why you should read it: The romance, oh the romance. Malachi is hot, hot, hot. Do I need to say more?

My favorite line: “Either you’re a Mazikin, and I will destroy you, or you are ready to go before the Judge and get out of this city.”


Stalk Sarah Fine on her website or Twitter.

I’m also giving away my ARC to one person who comments below. Giveaway open to North American residents. Ends Dec. 9th.

GILDED is on Goodreads!

Nov 28, 2012 | , | 8 Comments


GILDED is now on Goodreads. My emotions are all jumbled up right now. Excitement. Scared. Freaking out (this is REALLY happening!). And so so happy. My dream is coming true.

I’d love you forever if you’d add GILDED to your Goodreads “read list”. Click here to find it.

Many of you have been reading my blog since I started this journey as a writer. Thank you for cheering me on and being totally amazing

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