Winner of Christopher Moore AND Congratulations!

It was a pretty cool weekend for some pretty cool writers!!

First:

This week's winner of the signed Christopher Moore's Bite Me, is the one and only PJ HOOVER!! Yay! Congrats PJ =) Shoot me an email with where you'd like the book mailed!

For anyone who doesn't know PJ--check out her blog. AND read her books!! They're great!

Second:

Derek Molata announced that he signed with Janet Reid! (aka the Query Shark... aka a super kick-ass agent)

I'm one of the lucky few who's had a chance to read some of his top secret work, and... um... it's pretty much ay-may-zing. *sticks out tongue at the rest of you*

What, that's not fair? FINE. Here's a link to the short story he wrote, recently published in Hub Magazine!  http://hubfiction.com/hub/Hub_113.pdf

Check out his blog too!
CONGRATULATIONS DEREK!!!!!

Third:

Elana Johnson FINALLY announced her book deal! Holy cow, she'd been holding out on us since FEBRUARY. Apparently, the girl's a fabulous secret keeper ;-)

Make sure you hop over to her blog to congratulate her!  CONGRATULATIONS ELANA!!!!!



Happy Monday!!

♥ me

Friday Funny: Prank Call FTW!

You've had a long week. You deserve to laugh.

 It's time for the Babbling Flow's Friday Funny!!

Prank Call Edition

OH, and don't forget! Anyone who comments and leaves a link to another funny video, for future Friday Funny use, will be automatically entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Christopher Moore's Bite Me!

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win. I'll announce the winner on Monday!


Happy friday!

♥ me

Parents: You Tell Me... Punishment Through Books?

When I was younger, I used to get in trouble for reading long after my parents told me to turn my light off and go to bed. All. The. Time. Seriously, my dad often came in and took the light from my room, ha ha. (Joke was on him, though, I had a stash of flashlights!) I'd also frequently get in trouble for reading instead of doing my homework--which just meant I'd have to do my homework at the kitchen table where my parents could see me. Fine, no big deal. I get it.

But the other day, on one of my pretty much weekly trips to Borders, I walked into the store behind two parents. The father was complaining. He said (verbatim): "I can't believe you're buying her a book. After the way she's been acting, she doesn't deserve one."

The mom looked at him, said "you're right", and they turned around and left!! My jaw was left somewhere near my knees. I just can't see withholding books as punishment for a child. Or, for that matter, ever thinking a kid doesn't deserve a book.

Okay, okay--and maybe there were extenuating circumstances. Maybe the child in question has tons of books. Maybe money was tight and a new book was hard to afford, especially if she'd been acting up (though they drove off in a shiny BMW, so I don't think that was the case). Maybe... I don't know, I can't really think of anything else... I mean, I could see using a book as incentive to reward good behavior. But would there ever be a reason to keep a book from your child as punishment?

I'm not a parent, so I really don't know the answer to that. Obviously, I'm inclined to think if your kid likes to read, you should be happy about it--and not deny their love of reading to make a point about something else. (Unless maybe they're sent straight to bed without being allowed to read for a night here or there... And that's a BIG maybe.)

What's your take?

Friday Funny Winner of Christopher Moore

Every Friday this month brings a chance to win a signed copy of Christopher Moore's Bite Me! Thanks to everyone who participated last Friday! We have a WINNER!

Medeia Sharif

Send me an email with your mailing address! Congratulations!

To everyone else: Don't worry! You have another chance this Friday =)

♥ me

Friday Funny

Okay, so this is a repost of my first Friday Funny ever (a couple months ago). Even though some of you have already seen these videos... they are WORTH watching again. Both of them!  (Honestly, I'm only reposting this because I was looking through past Friday Funnies for inspiration, but I still don't think there's anything out there that can top these!)

You need about 12 minutes to fit them both in, but it's Friday--so, give yourself the time to laugh. You deserve it =)

First, an 80s video in allllllll it's splendor.  Really funny. Like, ridiculously funny.



And now, the "literal" version of the same video. DO NOT SKIP THIS. If you're not in tears from laughing so hard while watching this... I'm not sure we can be friends anymore.


I hope you enjoyed!  Happy weekend :)

OH, and don't forget! Anyone who comments and leaves a link to another funny video, for future Friday Funny use, will be automatically entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of Christopher Moore's Bite Me!

Make sure I have a way to contact you if you win. I'll announce the winner on Monday!

♥ Sara

A Very Vampire May Giveaway (SIGNED Twilight included!!!)

It's May. It's a GOOD month. Warm weather. Almost pool season. Tans. Spring/summer wardrobe (especially summer dresses, woohoo!) As a girl who lo-o-oves sunshine, I wanted to celebrate! And how better to do that than with YOU guys?

So today, I'm announcing my:

There's EVEN a no strings attached TWIST! 

#1 SIGNED Twilight! 

(and 4 Keepsake Journals in a Collectible Tin)

Hardcover, authentic signature... The whole shebang! 

#2 SIGNED Anne Rice: The Vampire Armand

Hardcover, first edition--The sixth novel in The Vampire Chronicles.
However, from what I've heard because I haven't read it) graphic nature, winners for this must be 18 or older. (Not that I don't think someone younger can handle it, but I'm not a parent and under 18 means not an adult, legally.)

#3 SIGNED Charlaine Harris: 

Dead Until Dark, Living Dead in Dallas, Club Dead

The first three in her Sookie Stackhouse series--you know, the ones the show True Blood is based off of!! (ALL three are signed!)

#4 SIGNED Christopher Moore: 

Bloodsucking Fiends, You Suck (A Love Story), Bite Me

His Vampire Trilogy! ALL three are signed! (If you haven't read Christopher Moore before, there's a great article about this trilogy here.)

#5 Bram Stoker's Dracula

AND The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead

Unsigned, unfortunately. But still fun!

And now for the rules, dun dun DUNNN.

Sike. They're EASY!

All you have to do to enter is be a follower and tell me how to contact you on the entry form (link is below).  OH and make sure to rank your preferences for the packages!

Also, US and Canada residents only. Sorry.

Want to increase your chances to win? Lots of ways to do that (though none are required to enter)...

+1 facebook friend me, baby!
+1 follow me on twitter
+2 tweet the contest (make sure to include @saramcclung, so I can track!)
+2 send me some new blog friends
+3 post a link to the contest in your sidebar
+5 write a post about the contest

The contest runs from May 10-June 2nd. Winners will be announced June 3rd!

To enter, fill out this form!

I have extra SIGNED copies of Christopher Moore's Bite Me. So every Friday, for the next three Fridays (May 14, 21, and 28) whoever comments on my Friday Funny post--and leaves me a link to another funny video that I can use in a future post--will be automatically entered to win a copy!

I'll give one away a week, just make sure I know how to get in touch with you! (OH, and if you win one of these, it won't impact your chances to win in the big contest.)


Hmmm... I think that's it! Did I leave anything out?


OH, PS. Just because she's pictured, Piper (one of my beautiful kitties) is NOT included in any of the packages! #sorrytoburstyourbubble

♥ me

No Friday Funny--Do the Write Thing Instead!

No Friday Funny today... Just a reminder to Do the Write Thing for Nashville! There are some seriously amazing auctions up!! And over $5000 has already been raised!!

Let's push it farther.

♥ me

Do the Write Thing

In case you hadn't heard, there's some serious stuff going on in Nashville.

On May 1^st and 2^nd, Nashville, Tennessee received a record amount of rain—nearly 13.5 inches.  By May 3^rd, huge portions of our city were under water, including the The Grand Ole Opry, Opryland, The Nashville Symphony Hall, the downtown area, and countless homes.  Families, many of whom did not have flood insurance, have lost everything.  One of the hydro plants is flooded, which means we’re running short on water.  Many lives have been extinguished and more bodies are being recovered each day.* 

As a community of writers, thanks to Myra McEntire, Amanda Morgan, and Victoria Schwab, we have an opportunity to band together and make a difference.

And we SHOULD.

Here's the deal: The three awesome, aforementioned ladies are setting up daily auctions to raise money for Nashville--and everything up for bidding has SOMETHING cool to do with the writing community! You'll have the opportunity to bid on critiques and swag and more. Each auction will have 12-15 items. The first one starts today at 9 am CST! So go and bid and do some good (and get cool stuff as a nice little perk)!

Do the Write Thing for Nashville!!

*I pulled the information from the Do the Write Thing for Nashville Blog

♥ me

How do YOU work your chapters?

So, I'm curious about how other writers work with their chapters. If you wouldn't mind, take a second and answer my two quick polls!

Do you save chapters individually or all in one document?

Do you send chapters to CPs for feedback as you finish them, or do you wait until the WIP is complete to send the entire thing?

What works best for you, and why?

♥ me

Book Recommendations

Need book suggestions? Well, today's your lucky day!

Elana Johnson's hosting this super cool blogosphere event where 60 bloggers are making book recommendations on their blogs--find the full list of participating bloggers here: http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/p/recommended-reads.html!!

Hope you all had fabulous weekends... I'm off to check out some of the recommended reads!

Oh, btw--tomorrow we vote on my Deal with the Universe... Today's your last chance to weigh in!

♥ me