EEEEEEEE!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!!

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY, SHANNON MESSENGER!!

YOU GUYS.

KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES COMES OUT TODAY!!

CAN YOU FEEL THE ENERGY OF MY HAPPY DANCING ALL THE WAY OVER THERE???

I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED THE REST OF THE WORLD GETS TO DISCOVER THIS AMAZING STORY. 

BUT.

BUT.

DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT STEALING KEEFE FROM ME. 

YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. 

THE ONLY PERSON WHO GETS TO SHARE KEEFE WITH ME IS SARAH WYLIE. SHANNON'S OTHER CP. THE COOLER SARAH. BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAND IT TO HER, SHE CAME UP WITH THE TEAM KEEFE CONCEPT. 

BUT OTHERWISE?

HANDS OFF, MOFOS. 

AND SPEAKING OF SARAH, WE'RE TEAMING UP IN ANOTHER WAY, TOO! WE'RE GIVING AWAY THREE COPIES OF KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES.

DUDES. YOU WANT THIS BOOK. 

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER SOPHIE FOSTER AND HER NEW (FREAKING AWESOME) WORLD. 

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER FITZ AND KEEFE AND DEX AND BIANA, HER NEW (FREAKING AWESOME) FRIENDS.

YOU WANT TO DISCOVER THE BLACK SWAN. 

OR . . . DO YOU?

DUN DUN DUNNNNNN.

THIS MIDDLE GRADE NOVEL IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT FOR MIDDLE GRADERS! EVEN RELUCTANT READERS WILL FALL FOR THIS STORY, JUST YOU WATCH.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE? 

THIS BOOK WILL REACH ANYONE OF ANY AGE. I'M 31 AND THIS BOOK IS ONE OF MY FAVORITES OF ALL TIMES. YES, I'M SHANNON'S CP, BUT I SWEAR, I'M SAYING THAT COMPLETELY UNBIASED. 

I WILL READ THIS BOOK AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR FOREVER. 

FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A FREE COPY OF KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, ENTER HERE!!
  Rafflecopter giveaway !!

IF YOU WANT AN EXTRA POINT, SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

THAT'S IT. 

GIVEAWAY IS OPEN FOR A WEEK! SO MAKE SURE TO ENTER BY NEXT MONDAY, OCTOBER, 8TH. (AND IT'S OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!)

PS. I'M SURE THERE ARE TONS OF CELEBRATIONS FOR KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES ALL OVER THE BLOGOSPHERE FOR SHANNON TODAY! DEFINITELY CHECK OUT SARAH AND ELANA'S POSTS, TOO!!

Dear Shannon, 

I am so thrilled that today is finally here. The moment you've waited for, and worked so hard for. The release of your first novel! I'm so bummed I can't be there to celebrate with you today, stupid opposite coasts, and all. But I'll see you in a few short weeks, and we'll celebrate then. And for today, just know I'm grinning ear-to-ear, all the way to the store to buy my own, finalized copy of Keeper!  

Enjoy today. I wish you all the success in the world--you certainly deserve it. 

Love,

Sara

♥S 

Book Rec! THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab (ARC Giveaway)

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. 
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Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
j
Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall. 
j
In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption. 

Let me just start by saying, I loved Victoria's first YA, The Near Witch. A lot. So I had high expectations going into this one . . .

She did not disappoint.

The Archived has flavors of The Adjustment Bureau (but way darker) and a few from Inception--but at the same time, it's very unique. The world in the book is built seamlessly--and creepily, I might add. There's the Outer, which is the world as we know it, and then the Archive, a place where Histories (aka bodies) are kept, storing the memories of the lives they once lived. But between them, are the Narrows, a buffer between the worlds.

"Close your eyes and picture this: a dark alley, just wide enough for you to spread your arms and skim the rough stone walls on either side with your fingers. You look up and see . . . nothing, just the walls running up and up and up into black. The only light comes from the doors that line the walls, their outlines giving off a faint glow, their keyholes letting in beams of light that show like threads in the dusty air. It is enough light to see by, but not enough to see well." (ARC of The Archived, page 14)

Those, my friends, are the Narrows. And they freaked me the freak out.

The main character, MacKenzie--Mac--is hardcore enough to complete her tasks (which, in case you didn't read the description, are to stop the Histories--so, you know, the bodies of the dead--from waking up and getting out of the Narrows) (creepy, right?) but also vulnerable enough (over the loss of her brother, and the way she feels about her family, and how she reacts to/forms relationships with other characters in the story) so that I could really connect with her while I read.

The Archived isn't scheduled to come out until January 2013, but I couldn't wait that long to share it with you! So I'm giving away my ARC.

To enter:

• Follow my blog
• Spread the word about the giveaway (Tweet/facebook/blog/sidebar/whatever you want to do. 1 point for each! 2 for a blog post about it.) 
• Leave a comment telling me the following three things: 
• How many points you have, with links to the ways you spread the word 
• A promise to promote what you loved about the ARC if you win it 
• Your email address for if you win
• That's IT!

This giveaway ends Friday, August 17th, and is open internationally!

♥S

CHANNING TATUM, Plus: Karen, Katy, Literary Rambles . . .

MAY I TELL YOU ABOUT CHANNING TATUM???

So this happened:

And then I became really popular with retweeters for a day. It was fun.

I mean, I know it's a small thing. One little retweet.

But, um, Channing Tatum tweeting me?

Made me giddy. 

I've loved him since Step Up and see every movie he's in.

(I don't even care if it was his marketing people or whatever either. In my mind? Me and Channing had a conversation twitter moment that will last forever.)

Next up? Ryan Gosling. I now have faith that it could happen. And maybe Adam Levine. And Jared Leto.

Okay, and even cooler news?

Karen Hooper's book, Grasping at Eternity, comes out tomorrow!

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories. 


Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life. 


Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her. 

 I've already posted about this novel, but you guys. Please, please get it and fall in love the way I did. You can thank me after you've stayed up way too late to finish the story, okay?

Find Grasping at Eternity on Amazon or Barnes and Noble!


And in other news, there are some cool books and ARCs up for grabs in contests!!

Three ARCs of Shannon Messenger's Keeper of the Lost Cities at her blog. (Trust me. You want one of these babies. Bad.)

A SIGNED copy of The Disenchantments at Katy Upperman's blog!

Lola and the Boy Next Door also at Katy Upperman's blog!

Torn at Literary Rambles!











And my own giveaway here for Monstrous Beauty, The Raft, and Wake!

Are there other giveaways I'm missing? If so, leave them in the comments for other people to see!

Happy Thursday.

♥S

Do you want these ARCs??

We're moving! Woohoo!

But between packing and getting everything in order and set up, my reading (and revising, sigh) time is being almost completely consumed.

I'm worried I won't have time to promote these ARCs the way I'd like to before they come out. So I'm dropping the responsibility on YOU.

Out September 4th

Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama. Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.

Out August 21st

The Raft by S. A. Bodeen. Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Out August 7

Wake by Amanda Hocking. Lose yourself in the magic of Watersong, an unforgettable new series about two sisters who nearly lose their lives - and their loves - when they fall under the spell of three beautiful but deadly sirens.


First in a four-book paranormal romance YA series from bestselling author, Amanda Hocking.



Let's make this simple. Here's how it's going to work:

To enter:

• Follow my blog
• Spread the word about the giveaway (Tweet/facebook/blog/sidebar/whatever you want to do. 1 point for each! 2 for a blog post about it.)
• Leave a comment telling me the following four things:
• Which ARC you'd like to win
• How many points you have, with links to the ways you spread the word
• A promise to promote what you loved about the ARC if you win it
• The country you're from--one winner is guaranteed to be from someplace other than the US! 
• That's IT. 

This giveaway ends Wednesday, June 13.

♥S

ARC Giveaway!!

You guys! I have some awesome ARCs--and I NEED you to take them from me.

No, seriously. Here's the thing: These ARCs are sequels or companions to books I haven't read.  And I thought I'd have time to read the first books and then the ARCs, but then I got sucked into my WIP (omg I'm almost done!!) and haven't had that time.

These ARCs need love!! Because that's the point of ARCs--getting them out there early and letting people spread the word about them. And I'm failing at that. Which is where YOU come in!

Take these off my hands--and promise to spread the word about the things you loved. Please.

I have:

The Calling by Kelley Armstrong (Darkness Rising 2)

Balthazar by Claudia Gray (An Evernight novel)

Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler (An addition to the Riders of the Apocalypse series)

Eve of Destruction by Patrick Carman (Dark Eden 2)

HOW it works:

1. Follow Babbling Flow!
2. +1 extra entry per way in which you spread the word about the giveaway. (Tweet/blog/fb/whatevs--just make sure you leave links in the comments!)
3. TELL ME how many entries you have!
4. TELL ME your top two picks! (Everyone will be entered for their top two picks.)

Aaaand that's it.

Oh. Contest is open internationally--and it closes March 2nd. Winners will be randomly selected.

BOOM.

Good luck!!

AND we're giving away the following 7 ARCs 

at YA Confidential.

(Click HERE for all the details!)

~S

Celebratory ARC Giveaway!!

You guys. Can you just give me a moment to fangirl about how PROUD I am of my friends?

Let's recap here, shall we? (And be sure to read, because the ARCs I'm giving away at the end of this post are purely in celebration of these four girls!!)

1. Karen Hooper's book, Tangled Tides, is coming out SO SOON!

Yara Jones doesn't believe in sea monsters--until she becomes one. 

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of rivaling merfolk and selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they battle over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

2. Shannon Messenger just announced her BOOK DEAL for Keeper of the Lost Cities!!

Keeper of the Lost Cities, is scheduled for fall 2012. In Cities, a 12-year-old girl who can read minds, and is something of a social outcast, discovers the reason she has her abilities when she meets a mysterious boy.

3. CJ Redwine's amazing book, Defiance, was announced a while back, but STILL.

A YA fantasy in which an independent girl sets out to rescue her father from the Wasteland outside their cloistered city and in the process finds danger, heartbreak, and a new romance with her father's apprentice.

4. MG Buehrlen runs the YABooksCentral website. 

YABC is similar to Goodreads (better IMO), but it's just for YA book lovers!! First started in 1998, the site recently had a complete design overhaul--so you should DEFINITELY check out the fabulous community!! Seriously, it's one of my new faves. Oh--and each review you submit enters you into a monthly drawing for a YABC totebag full of books from their ARC stash.  

Pretty awesome, right? 

And to celebrate their successes, I'm giving THESE babies away!

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Tempest by Julie Cross
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

If, by some chance, you haven't heard of one of these, click on the title in the description and you'll go to the Goodreads description. 

Okay. So. Pretty much the same deal as always. You don't have to do anything, other than sign up and rank the books in order of what you want to win the most. 

BUT if you want higher odds?

There are tons of things you can do. They're all laid out in the entry form. The ones you might be most interested in are:

• Extra entries for adding Karen, Shannon, and CJ's books on Goodreads! (And take it from someone who knows--you WANT to read these as soon as they come out. Promise!) 
• Extra entries for joining YABooksCentral and friending ME!

Giveaway is open international and closes Friday, October 28. 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

And good luck!!

xoxo

Yep, It's Another ARC Giveaway!

Clearly, I'm super excited about our new YA blog, YA Confidential! So to celebrate, I'm having an ARC giveaway!

BUT. Before I tell you what I'm giving away, I should tell you that we're also having an ARC giveaway at YA Confidential. 

AND at YA Confidential there are agent critiques being offered as well!!

So, hop over there too, because you could win:

• A query critique from agent Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown, LTD
• A five-page critique from agent Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates
• ARC: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
• ARC: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
• ARC: Legend by Marie Lu
• ARC: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
• Finished copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

CLICK HERE for the YA Confidential Giveaway

And now, onto MY personal celebratory giveaway! 

LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTIES UP FOR GRABS!!

(Titles link to Goodreads descriptions.)

Eve by Anna Carey

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Tris & Izzie SIGNED by Mette Ivie Harrison

Everybody Sees the Ants SIGNED by Printz honoree A. S. King

Variant by Robison Wells

So, basically, it's the same deal as usual.

The contest

• is open internationally
• is easy to enter
• all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)
• has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
• closes September 30th

All I ask, is that if you win you find a way to spread the word about anything and everything you liked about the ARC. 

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

And good luck!

xo

MOAR ARCs!!

Let's get it started in here.

And the bass giveaways keep running, running

And running, running . . . *

(In case you haven't noticed, I like to give my giveaways theme songs. Today is all about the Black Eyed Peas, obvi.)

See? I told you not to be disappointed if you didn't win anything in my last giveaway. Because I have SO MANY MOAR goodies for you guys :)

This giveaway features some pretty, pretty, lovely ARCs:

ARC: Shut Out, by Kody Keplinger
ARC: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin
ARC: Ashes, by Ilsa Bick (SIGNED)
ARC: After Obsession, by Carrie Jones & Steven Wedel
ARC: The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch

Told ya!

(All the titles link to their Goodreads descriptions.)

Some of these I've read (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Ashes . . . and holy guac they are freaking AWESOME. My reviews are forthcoming.) And some of these I'll be reading at the beach. (Winners may find some sand in the cracks.)

So, basically, it's the same deal as usual.

The contest

• is open internationally
• is easy to enter
• all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)
• has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
• closes August 19th

All I ask, is that if you win you find a way to spread the word about anything and everything you liked about the ARC. 

Deal?

Deal.

*nods*

Good luck!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

EPIC Signed ARC Giveaway

Every time I think about this giveaway, I get that Pitbull song stuck in my head. You know the one . . .

I know you want me*. 

You know I want cha.

*Clearly, the "me" in this situation isn't ME me, but the ARCs. They're singing to you, babies. SINGING.

ARC: The Name of the Star (SIGNED by Maureen Johnson)
ARC: Lola and the Boy Next Door (by Stephanie Perkins)
ARC: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (SIGNED by Laini Taylor)
ARC: Every You, Every Me (SIGNED by David Levithan)
ARC: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (By Rae Carson)

And now, are you singing for them too???

(If, by some weird chance, you haven't heard of one of these, click on the title for its Goodreads description.) 

See, here's the thing: I know how badly some of you wanted to be at ALA this year. So I made it my goal to nab some of the absolute best ARCs available, and then spread the joy with you. And this, my friends, is just the beginning!

Watch for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks--starting with Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns. (I just finished it, and ZOMGWTFBBQ* it's amazing.)

The deal is this . . .

The contest

• is open internationally
• is easy to enter 
• all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)
• has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
• closes August 5th

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

GOOD LUCK, LOVIES!!

*For the record, I've never used the expression zomgwtfbbq in my life. That's how good Rae's book is.

A Need So Beautiful (SIGNED) ARC Giveaway!

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Suzanne Young's A Need So Beautiful back at the end of January. And I've been waaaaaiting til closer to the release date to review it. And now that day is finally here! (Um, my review--not the release date. Which is June 21st. But, see? That's coming up, too!)

(In case you couldn't tell from the title) I'm giving away my signed ARC. It's a hard thing to part with, but I enjoyed the book so much, I'll be purchasing a hard copy as soon as it comes out. Details for how to win are at the bottom of my review!

(In case you need it) Goodreads blurb:

(Charlotte) is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger. 

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely. 

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

My thoughts:

I'm a fan of Suzanne's Naughty List series, so I was nervous because A Need So Beautiful sounded so different. (Well, it also sounded AWESOME, but still.) As it turns out, I had absolutely no reason to be nervous. Yes, this book is way different, but it's also way way way good. I'll definitely be reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it.

(In case you can't tell . . .) The premise is super original. I haven't read anything like this in recent memory. I wanted to take my time reading the book, because I didn't want it to end--but I couldn't put it down.

The title fits so perfectly. What Charlotte does--her need--really is beautiful. It actually makes me want to go out of my way and help other people more than I do. (Yeah, and okay, I can't tell by looking at someone that their unborn baby is sick, like Charlotte can . . . but I CAN be more considerate, and less self-serving, which is a goal of mine.)

A Need So Beautiful is different from a lot of other YAs out there for two reason: 1) Charlotte starts the book off already knowing that she's different/paranormal and 2) she's already dating the love interest. Don't get me wrong, I love books that take me along the discovery / falling in love path--and this book doesn't disappoint! It's just in a different way. In a clever way. In a more . . . in depth way. Speaking of love: Harlin is Charlotte's boyfriend, and he is the PERFECT kind of bad boy with a good heart. He's rough around the edges, sure, but not once did I get mad at Charlotte for dating him. And that can be kind of rare, for me, with the bad boys in books.

Another thing that sets A Need So Beautiful apart is that while it is definitely paranormal, it doesn't hold back in the slightest from more contemporary-type character troubles. I loved that the secondary characters face very real issues--the same ones that some of today's teenagers face. The same ones that end up getting pushed to the back burner in a lot of the other YA paranormals out there. Suzanne fits them in organically and without overcrowding the plot.

So, clearly, I recommend this book. You should get yourself a copy as soon as you can. Which might be sooner than you think if you enter my giveaway :) And about that:

Here's how to enter: Leave a comment with your email address. 

Yup. That's it.

You *can* earn extra points, of course. Tweet (1), Facebook (1), Follow my blog (1), Blog about this (3). If you earn extra by tweeting/blogging/etc, leave links in your comment--AND tell me how many points you have :)

But none of that is required.  

The ONE thing I ask is that if you win, you'll spread the word about all the amazing things about A Need So Beautiful.  

The giveaway closes on Friday, June 10th. 

Good luck!! xoxo

Interview with Amy Holder, and a GIVEAWAY

So, in yesterday's post, I recommended Amy Holder's The Lipstick Laws. And today, Amy stopped by for an interview! (Because she's just awesome like that . . .)

This is Amy. You can also find her:
BLOG
TWITTER
WEBSITE

Oh, and she's ALSO awesome because she sent me a BUNCH of swag to giveaway to y'all! And I'm throwing in a copy of The Lipstick Laws for one of you, too! (Find out how to win at the bottom of the post.) 

Don't forget. I've got enough for FOUR winners!

Without further ado . . . (I'm in black, Amy in orange. I think you would have figured it out. But still. Doesn't Amy look amazeballs in orange?)

* * * * * * * * * * *

Amy! Thanks for stopping by today :) Let’s start with my one of my favorite things about The Lipstick Laws… The humor!! April, your main character, had me cracking up from the very first sentence all the way to the end. How did you keep the funny going throughout the entire novel?      

Thank you so much!  That is the best compliment you could give me about my book!  Truth is, I’m not a super serious person, so I typically like to keep things light and fun.  When April’s character came to me, it was a very quirky, self-deprecating, sarcastic take on teen angst… so her voice plus my avoidance of most things serious seemed to meld well.  I love to laugh and I wanted to have fun writing this book, so it’s great to know that it came across throughout the story. 

Oh, it totes came across! Now . . . Fact One: You studied psychology and sociology in college. (That’s right, I stalked you enough to figure these things out. taptaptap Hear those rocks hitting your window? *waves*) Fact Two: You nailed the popularity mindset and teenage interactions in The Lipstick Laws. Coincidence? I think not… No, seriously—you tell me: was it a coincidence, or did your background help you write the story?     

Wow!  Thank you again! Your compliments are seriously helping my inferiority complex. Are you for hire?  To answer your question, I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior and am naturally a people watcher.  This is what led me to study psychology and sociology in college.  I also think this innate interest helps me build characters and their interactions, because I believe writers have to be good observers.  This, paired with the fact that I never fully grew up helped me get in a teen mindset while writing this book…in fact, I’m still sort of stuck in it.  

YES! I never fully grew up either. Maybe that's why we get along so well. A large portion of my blog readers are aspiring writers. And you’ve made it—so share! Let us live vicariously through you :) What’s been the best part of your journey so far? What’s been the hardest? Any tips for those of us (*clears throat* … *points at self*) working toward that dream of publication? And, of course, what is your writing process?    

The best part of my journey so far was the feeling of achievement, adrenaline, joy, and validation that I felt from getting “THE CALL” (or in my case it was an email) from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt wanting to publish THE LIPSTICK LAWS.  I will never forget how amazing that moment was!  Seeing my book in a bookstore, getting my agent, and receiving television interest from a producer that I admire have all been huge highlights as well! 

The hardest part so far has been dealing with the bad along with the good. I’ve quickly found out that my book isn’t going to please everyone, naysayers love naysaying, most writers experience disappointments (minor or major) in the industry at some point or another, and there isn’t always enough chocolate to get through tough revisions.  Granted, the good far outweighs the bad… but this industry is filled with ups and downs and you need thick skin to be able to bounce back from the downs. 

My tips are to practice your writing craft daily, read the genre you want to write, study the publishing market, never give up, and network your tail off (the more people you know in the industry, the better your chances will be to get a personal referral). I also think it’s important to be careful not to stifle your own writing by comparing it to other writers’ successes or failures.  Always avoid a creative comparison coma by celebrating the uniqueness of your individual writing style and journey.  

My writing process can vary depending on what I’m working on… but I usually expand an idea spark for a story by asking what-if questions.  Once I’ve brainstormed most of the plot, I’ll create a loose outline that keeps me on track, but still allows for ad-lib surprises and story growth.  I usually edit as I write, which will add time onto writing the first draft, but it spares me a lot of the pull-your-hair-out-revision-headache later on. Once I’m done with my rough draft, I’ll put it away for a bit and come back to it with fresh editorial eyes to revise.  When I feel it’s complete and clean, I’ll celebrate like crazy!  This usually involves chocolate, high-caloric drinks, indulging my reality show addiction, and dancing the robot in a hula skirt.  Clearly I know how to party. 

You dance the robot? In a hula skirt? Ummmm. I MUST SEE VIDEO PROOF. Seriously, send me some! Or better yet, we should have a hula skirt-wearing robot dance off. What do you say?

*crickets*

What? You don't want to go up against my mad robot skillz? 

SIKE. You'd totally win... Soooo anyhoo, let’s chat books—four questions in one! Ready? Set? GO! What are you currently reading? What’s been your favorite book to read so far this year? What’s your favorite book of all-time? What book are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out?

1) MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert

2) I can’t choose!  I have so many friends debuting this year, and all of their books are amazing!

3) Series: HARRY POTTER, Classic: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

4) I’m really excited to read POPULAR by Alissa Grosso.  It comes out this month (May)!

Congratulations on an outstanding debut novel! What’s next for Author Amy Holder? Anything you can share with your fans? (If they’re anything like me, they’ll be lined up waiting anxiously for your next book. I’ll be the one shoving my way to the front of the line . . .)   

Thank you! I’m hoping to write more books in various genres and age groups, but right now I’m working on another humorous contemporary YA novel with a bit of a paranormal twist.  I’m also thinking about a Lipstick Laws sequel…but that isn’t set in stone yet.  Another exciting thing that’s happened recently is that my TV rights for THE LIPSTICK LAWS have been optioned, so I’m keeping my fingers, toes, eyes, elbows and hair crossed hoping it will go to production. In the meantime, it’s tricky to write with all of these crossables crossed.

Dude. TELEVISION RIGHTS. So. Awesome. Can we have a viewing party at your place when it first airs?? What? I do too know where you live. Remember the window tapping from earlier? 

QUICK! The fate of the WORLD* * * depends on your answers to my final red-hot questions!

Would you rather give up your Chi straightener or never eat grape pie again??? (I mean, as a Chi girl myself, I know which one I’d choose. Just sayin’.) I’m with you on this one!  I would give up grapes altogether if they came in between me and my CHI! 

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?  I’m a huge animal lover & have adopted four fabulous pets…but I always wish I could help millions more.  My superpower would be to have superhuman abilities to rescue as many animals in need as possible.  This would require flying, super strength, mind control over animal mistreaters, telepathy with animals, Cesar Millan’s training abilities, and a continuous stream of money to create stellar animal sanctuaries. Yes, I have found a way to sneak several superpowers in one; I’m crafty like that. (You are seriously a girl after my own heart.)

Best grunge musician, alive or dead? This question is slightly evil seeing how I was (and may still be) clinically obsessed with grunge music. I’ll say Chris Cornell from Soundgarden… but Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain can’t go without being mentioned. See, you made me cheat by asking this question – shame on you!

What’s the best thing about the month of May? Well, the expected answer is flowers, but I’ll say Book Expo America. (You'll be at BEA? I'm so jealous. And now even more sad that I'm missing it. Sigh.)

What’s the first thing you see in this inkblot? I see a circus clown with a cocktail shaker on his head and two abnormally shaped birds perched on both sides of his face looking at each other.  Perhaps this is part of the circus clown’s act, or he just likes to go about town balancing a cocktail shaker and birds on his face. Hey, we all have our quirks; I’m not judging him…or the birds for that matter. 

Er… does this inkblot translation mean I’m crazy… or a strange bird-watching clown woman?  Hmmm…on second thought, I don’t think I want to know that answer. 

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're a strange bird-watching clown woman ;-) But it's cool. Because I love bird watching. And clowns. Okay, not really. Clowns scare me. But YOU don't. Because you're awesome.

Seriously, thanks so much for stopping by! Come back anytime. 

Now for my bloggie friends: Amy sent me enough swaggliciousness to send out FOUR packages!! So, if you want to enter to win some swag, all you have to do is leave a comment with your email address! And one commenter will win a copy of The Lipstick Laws!

One point for leaving a comment, two if you tweet about this! (Let me know if you've tweeted in the comment you leave . . .)

The giveaway will close on Friday at midnight. I'll announce the winners over the weekend.

xoxo

* * *Okay, the fate of the WORLD didn't really depend in the answers, but still. Isn’t it more fun this way?

We Interrupt Regularly Scheduled Programming...

To announce that

Carolina Valdez Miller has signed with an agent!!

*tosses confetti*

*jumps up and down*

*gets dizzy*

*keeps jumping anyway*

Carol signed with Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates. (Vickie, fyi, has a fabulous blog found at: http://navigatingtheslushpile.blogspot.com//)

If you browse the Andrea Hurst website, you'll see that they represent brilliant, emerging authors who have something important to say.

And that description fits Carol to a flipping T!

No wonder Vickie wants to represent her :)

Make sure hop over to Carol's blog and congratulate her on this WELL DESERVED step in her career!

I'm giving away some treats in celebration! (So are a TON of other people--it's a Blog Party--read through the rest of my post to find out who and what!)

In honor of Carol's ability to write such wonderful paranormal stories, I'm giving away:

• A SIGNED copy of The Dark Divine, by Bree Despain
• A SIGNED copy of Raised by Wolves, by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

AND because Carol writes such gripping plots, I'm giving away something that might help you follow in her footsteps:

• A copy of Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure

Because this is such a HUGE deal--I'm going to make this a HUGE win: this giveaway is winner take all!!

Want to win? 

You must be a follower of both my and Carol's blogs. You get an extra point if you follow everyone else who's giving something away in honor of Carol's big news. So let me know if you have one or two points in a comment on this post--and that's it! You're entered :) 

The giveaway starts today at 10am and ends on April 1st (winners announced April 4).

But, dude, my giveaway is NOTHING compared to some of the other things up for grabs!

First of all, Carol's giving away:

• A first page critique from her literary agent, Vickie Motter 
• A KINDLE!
• A signed copy of Escaping into the Open: the Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg
• A Signed Hardback of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
• A signed Hardback of Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

As if that's not enough, all these people are giving things away in celebration too!

Heather's Odyssey

Critique Sisters Corner

J. Koyanagi

Simon Larter

LK Gardner-Griffie

Lola Sharp

Elizabeth Davis

Tracey Neithercott

Kristen Yard  

Christine Fonseca

Jonathon Arntson

Eisely Jacobs
Denise Grover Swank

So go congratulate Carol! Check out everyone else's giveaways! Good luck :)

And: CONGRATULATIONS CAROL!