Monday, December 17, 2012

The Great Spencer Hill Press Holiday Cheer Giveaway Winners



Happy Monday!

And what better way to start off a Monday than with winners of the Spencer Hill Press Holiday Cheer Away Giveaway.

I want to thank each and everyone of you for participating and going around and meeting the talented Spencer Hill Press authors and family.

I also want to thank the Spencer Hill family for all the uber awesome stuff they donated. 

Maybe it was you!  If you would like to know, look below!

Grandprize Winner!!
Brooke Watts DelVecchio

Grats Brooke!

Second Prize Winner!!
Sabrii Somerhalder

Grats Sabrii!!

Third Prize Winner!!
Antonia Calina

Grats Sabrii!!!

The three winners will be getting an email from me today. Or, if you like, you can email me!

Grats to all! And thanks once again for participating!

Happy Holidays!


 


Sunday, December 2, 2012

The Great Spencer Hill Press Holiday Cheer Giveaway!




Yep! Another awesome contest hosted by the Spencer Hill Press family.  And you get to participate and win absolutely fabulous prize bags full of awesome stuff. Here's a peek at what you can get: books, critiques, giftcards, jewelry, swag, plus more!!

I feel lucky to be a part of a wonderful group of talented people. I could list all their names with descriptions of how awesome they are but, instead, I'm just going to provide the link and you can check it out yourself. If you've visited my blog before it has already been established I'm lazy. There now you know. 

The link---> Spencer Hill Press Awesomeness

See the banner above? Our very own talented Lisa Amowitz did that for us. She's pretty awesome. Not only is she a crafty storyteller, but she is also a graphic designer and illustrator. You can check more out about her here.

I also want to thank all the Spencer Hill Press family for their donations and spreading the word! For making this spectacular giveaway possible. Hugs and kisses to each and everyone of you. 

Back to the contest:

We are giving away three awesome prize bags to three very lucky people. Just in time for the holiday season, too. Our present to you.



GRAND PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway Bag (Not everything is in pic)



Books:
TOUCH OF DEATH
One Spencer Hill Press book (winner's choice--can include soon to be release selections)

Jewelery:
Bracelet
TOUCH OF DEATH Handcrafted Pendant- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
Handcrafted Necklace and Earrings
So Many Books, So Little Time Necklace

Giftcards:
$20 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (Winner's Choice)
$15 Starbucks
Two $10 Amazon

Critiques:
First Chapter Critique-Mary Gray
First Chapter Critique-Rhys A Jones
Query Letter Critique-Trisha Wolfe

Cool Stuff:
GUARDIAN T-shirt
BETRAYED Fridge Magnet
Flashlight
Ornaments
Holiday Towel and Potholder
Candy- nom nom nom

Swag:
BREAKING GLASS Handcrafted Bookmark
FINN FINNEGAN Handcrafted Charmed Bookmark- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
PERFECTION
TOUCH OF DEATH
FINN FINNEGAN
BETRAYED
ANGELINA'S SECRET
COPPER GIRL
OTHER TREE
PODs

SECOND PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway Bag (not everything is in pic)




Books:
ANGELINA'S SECRET - 1st edition signed copy

Jewelery:
Bracelet
TOUCH OF DEATH Handcrafted Pendant- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
Earrings

Giftcards:
$10 Amazon or Barnes and Nobel (Winner's Choice)
$15 Starbucks
$10 Amazon

Critiques:
First Chapter Critique-Trisha Wolfe
First Chapter Critique (2500 Words Max)-Elizabeth Langston
Query Letter Critique-Kimberly Ann Miller

Cool Stuff:
BETRAYED Fridge Magnet
Flashlight
Ornaments
Holiday Towel and Potholder
Candy- NOM NOM NOM

Swag:
FINN FINNEGAN Handcrafted Charmed Bookmark- www.stainedglasscreationsandbeyond.com
PERFECTION
TOUCH OF DEATH
FINN FINNEGAN
BETRAYED
ANGELINA'S SECRET
COPPER GIRL
OTHER TREE
PODs

THIRD PRIZE Holiday Cheer Away Holiday Giveaway
Critiques:
First five pages--Sarah Guillory
First 250 word-DK Mok
Either query or first 250 word critique (your choice)--Michelle Pickett

Please note: The giveaway is from Dec. 3rd to Dec. 16
                    Open to US and Canadian Residents only. Sorry to all our international friends.
                    




a Rafflecopter giveaway





Monday, November 12, 2012

And The Winner Is....

Happy Monday!

I know I'm a day late, but I do have the winner for my book trailer contest. Yep, I surely do.

It is....

Tammy Middleton!!!!!

Grats Tammy!

And thank you all for stopping by and participating.

Also in the works, just in time for the gift giving season, something big (and when I say big, I mean huge) brewing.

So, keep a lookout. Especially right about December 1st.

Thanks all! Have a great day!

Monday, November 5, 2012

PERFECTION Book Trailer

Today of all days is a wonderful time to premier PERFECTION's book trailer. 

Exactly six months from today PERFECTION will be released. I honestly still can't believe it.

Of course, I'm having a contest, too. I love contests--see below for the details.

When I go back and think about the wonderful transformation PERFECTION has gone through, I'm still astounded.  I can remember the very first time I sat at my computer and typed the first words, The year is 2012... Those word are long gone now, along with many others.

What a journey PERFECTION has gone through.

Because of the wonderful people of Spencer Hill Press: Kate Kaynak, Vikki Ciaffone, Alex Bennet, Rich Storrs, and all of the other awe-inspiring editors, and my wonderful beta readers, PERFECTION will soon be in print. I could never repay or begin to chip away at the mountain of gratitude I owe them.

Also, a very special thanks to Kate for the wonderful work she did to make the trailer. And to my awesome friend, Marc Miller, who donated his musical talent. Here's a link to Marc's facebook page. He just rocks.

I heart them all.

Without further ado, PERFECTION's trailer. I hope you enjoy.




I would love if you would take a moment to visit my Goodreads page and author page If you would like, there are places where you can vote for PERFECTION along with any of your other favorites on Goodreads. You can find them on the Goodreads' link I provided. All you have to do is scroll down a little.

Now for the rules of the contest:
1) Be a follower of my blog.
2) Add PERFECTION to your Goodreads' wishlist.
3) Like my author page. Remember to add to interests list. Or you can just friend me on facebook.
4) Leave a comment about what you liked or did not like about the trailer.
5) Leave in the comment section the best way to contact you.  You know, because you might win.
6) Leave in the comment section all the things you did. Each one gives you an additional entry.

That's it. Nothing hard at all. The prize will be a $10 gift-card to Barnes and Noble or Amazon (your choice). Winner will be announced November 11, 2012. 

Thanks so much for visiting.

Oh, and I mustn't forget, be sure to check out my sister blog, Oasis for YA, where I've been adopted. Great posts, contests, and writer(ly) information from wonderful and talented authors. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

My First Post Over On Oasis for YA

Morning!

I'm excited to share with you my first post over at Oasis for YA. I really hope you go check it out and let me know what you think.

Here's the link, Oasis for YA. It will take you right over there.

Also, coming soon here, within the next week or so, is something pretty cool.

Be sure to check back!

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you over at the Oasis' blog. 

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Exciting News

Good Morning!!!

I'm ever so excited to become an actually part of my extended family over at the Oasis for YA blog.

I'd like to thank my wonderful sisters for having me.  So, thank you: Larissa Hardesty, Jessie Harrell, Nikki Katz, Sheri Larsen, J.A. Souders, and A.E. Rought.  :)

Over the last couple of years, I've had the pleasure of beta-reading for these talented authors, interviewing them, hosting contests with them--and even some of their agents.

And NOW, I'm going to be an active member of their blog. So, you can catch me there and here. :)

Over at the Oasis for YA blogs, the girls are very active, bringing you contests, query critiques, contests, book reveals, raising awareness for causes, and talking about writing in general. Oh, and did I mention contests?

Lots of great information for readers and writers, alike!!!

So, if you hadn't the pleasure of meeting the wonderful, talented girls over at Oasis for YA, be sure to stop by and tell them hi. :)  And to add some brownie points for me, tell them I sent you.

By the way, being the great blog host I am, I even provided you the link. It's here -->>Oasis for YA!

Always thinking about my readers. Have to make it easy.

Enjoy visiting the blog!!

Sunday, September 30, 2012

THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER OF THE SPENCER HILL PRESS SUMMER BLOG RUN

This is it. The Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run is finished, and I'm pooped. It's been a great run with visits from awesome authors, not to mention the great prizes.

Thank you all for stopping by and leaving comments.

So, here we are, the grand prize announcement. By the way, my hand is stiff from writing all the names down.

*swishes pieces of paper around in the magic hat of names*

The second prize winner of a $10 Amazon GC is....

karla @ bookaddict

Woot! Grats Karla.

And now for the Grand Prize winner of the $100 GC...

*drum roll and trumpets blaring*

Sarah Negovetich

WOOHOO!!!!

Grats Sarah!!!

Thanks again to everyone for all the fun. Now I'm taking a break.  :)


Monday, September 24, 2012

THE SPENCER HILL PRESS SUMMER BLOG RUN GRAND FINALE

I had a lot of fun hosting the blog run for all the authors at Spencer Hill Press. It was a long run with lots of great prizes.

Now, to top it all off, all the authors and I are giving away a Grand Prize of ....

*drum roll*

$100 gift card from either B&N or Amazon gift card (your choice). 

Second place prize is a $10 gift card from Amazon.

Just in time for Christmas, because nothing says I love you than a present of books...for yourself.

Here are the directions...

First, if you are a previous commenter on any of the other blog posts during The Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run, you don't have to do anything. You are already entered.

But, if you have not entered previously, don't fret, we have a way for you to enter, too. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below.

That's it. Easy peasy.

The contest starts now, and ends Saturday. The winner will be announced Sunday, September 30th. 

If you have any questions, please leave in comments, and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

   a Rafflecopter giveaway


Please note: I am using the Rafflecopter for you to enter; I will not be using it to pick the winner. The reason is because of all the people who have previously entered by commenting on a blog post during the summer run.

Thanks for participating. 

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Winner of Mary Gray's Goodies

Hi,

I want to thank each and everyone of you for commenting and participating in The Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run. I've learned so much about all the awesome authors, and a little about the readers, too. It was rather quite fun.

I, also, want to send a special thanks to all the authors, who participated. Especially for letting me pick their brains with a jillion (of course, that is an exaggeration) questions.

So...

*swishes names around in magic hat of tricks*

The winner of the final prize is...drum roll please, 

*rat-a-tat-tat*  <--that's my drum roll

Elizabeth Prats!!!!

Grats Elizabeth. Thank you so much for commenting. And thank you, Mary, for the prize.

Now, some more awesome news....

The authors of Spencer Hill Press who participated in the run and I want to extend a GRAND PRIZE of $100 GC from either B&N or Amazon (you get to choose).  Pretty awesome addition to the wonderful prizes each had donated already.

AND, just in time for Christmas--um...you know, to buy presents for yourself.

More about the grand prize will be posted tomorrow, so be sure to come back then.

Monday, September 17, 2012

The Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run Finale--Mary Gray



The SPENCER HILL PRESS SUMMER BLOG RUN is coming to a close and gearing up toward the grand-prize, which is an extremely generous B&N Gift Card from all of the Spencer Hill Press authors, who have participated. 
More information for the grand prize will be on Monday, September 24th.

I am ever so pleased for my last author of the run to be, Mary Gray. 
Not to be confused with Mary Gary (it’s so painful when people do that!)



Once again, because I am thinking of my readers, I am providing all the links for you. Go checkout Mary on her webpage, Goodreads, and twitter. 
And the website is brand new with an integrated blog, and I finally got the Goodreads librarians to clear out all the extra books I had supposedly written. I’ve only written one book!

Mary, also, has a brand-spanking new facebook page, so please go over there and give her a like. 

Mary's debut novel, THE DOLLHOUSE ASYLUM, won't be released until Oct. 2013. I'm sure that seems like a lifetime from now, but we are going to give you a little bit here to keep her novel on your mind until release date.
What’s more, the cover will be released the week of October 8th of THIS year, so only a few weeks until I can share something!

The title of your debut sounds really creepy.  I like that. A lot! 
Thank you! I owe the brilliance to my awesome editor, Danielle Ellison, and her former roommate, Nate. It used to be called my fragility but we wanted the title to be something more concrete, while still relaying the connotation of fragile and creepy. It is a creepy read. J

Thank you so much for visiting and helping me wrap up the Spencer Hill Summer Blog Run, Mary.
And thank you so much for having me! I haven’t been interviewed in such a very long time!

*laser-beam show with the Trans Siberian Orchestra playing kickbutt music*
 Mary considers pitching a few aerials, but decides that probably wouldn’t be a good idea.

Throughout the different stages of life, share with us your favorite books.
Child: TEN LITTLE MONKEYS JUMPING ON THE BED (My mom used to always act that one out)
Middle grade: THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF CHARLOTTE DOYLE by Avi
Young adult: THE SNEECHES by Dr. Seuss (I used to perform that one over and over in competition)
Adult: Neal Shusterman’s UNWIND, Carrie Ryan’s THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH, R.L. LaFever’s GRAVE MERCY, and Lucy Christopher’s STOLEN.

What book is on your nightstand, now?
AMAROK by Angela J. Townsend. A twitter buddy said she loved it so I can’t wait!

I'm reading that one, too, right now. YAY for Angela!

What author inspired you most?
Stephanie Meyer. It seems to be the popular thing to belittle her writing and her books, but it was only after reading her stories that I started writing my own. I always loved writing and English in school, but she showed me what it was like to get swept up in another world again.

Who is your number-one fan, and how does he/she support you?
My little sister. She always reads whatever I need her to look at and always has so many kind words. She gets what I’m trying to do—she’s not a writer herself, but we love all the same movies and books.

When did your love for writing sprout and why?
We were living in Virginia and I really wanted to move to Texas. My husband I were fighting about it constantly, and when I could see that we weren’t going to move anytime soon, I started writing in the afternoons and evenings when the kids were down. It helped me keep my mind off the fact that I wanted to move to Texas and I soon saw how fun it was to get swept up in my own worlds.

Can you tell us a bit about the first story you ever wrote?
It was called THE ETHOS and was actually picked up by a small press, though I halted the editing process when I could see that I didn’t want it to be my debut (it needed too much work, and I didn’t think my editor and I were a good fit). But it was about the descendants of Aristotle and how they embodied his ethos, logos, and pathos (ethics, logic, and persuasion) and used these persuasive tactics as super powers.

I see you're a stay-at-home mom, one of the hardest jobs in the world (I speak from experience). Do your children inspire your characters in your books.
I did have a character based off my daughter but ended up having to take her out in editing, but eventually I’m sure one will stick!

What steps do you take when writing?
My best writing takes place when I’m all alone and everything is quiet. I love to write in my car when there’s no internet access (when the weather cooperates) or else the library in a private study room. Sometimes I listen to music, but lately, not so much. I also work in spurts where I’ll read, read, read, or watch lots and lots of shows on Netflix, and then the writing bug will hit and I’ll do nothing but write.

How do you form your characters from thought to actually entities living within your words?
It’s been a very long process for me getting to know my characters. At first, they’re actually quite trite. But one idea at a time comes along and I’m able to see that side of their personality. At least, that’s how DOLLHOUSE has been (my characters were easier for me to see in my first book). But now they leap from the page and I owe a huge thanks to my editor for helping it happen. She had me do these character exercises where I had a day in the life of each character and identified aspects of their personalities (i.e. greatest weakness, what they want) and it helped so much. I will always use this process for future books.

Tell us a little about your world building.
I do best with one foot in the world and one out. (That’s why I always loved paranormal books.) For THE DOLLHOUSE ASYLUM though, my fantasy is mostly made up by the fear and otherworldly environment of an ordinary subdivision in the middle of nowhere. Lots and lots of fear. But for this story, I’ve learned to draw pictures of the scenes to help with the setting, and think about the props in the scenes like a play. This is something my editor has also helped me to do. I’m usually a directionless person, so the drawing bit helps. A lot.

Tell us some other hobbies you enjoy while not clacking away on a keyboard or running after kids.
Right now I’m obsessed with the show Supernatural (I get so much inspiration from TV shows and books). I also enjoy baking, basketball, and spending time with my husband, but honestly, since my kids are all so little I get very little time for myself, so I use the majority of that time immersed in other worlds.

Do you have a favorite recipe you would like to share with us?
Chicken and Dumplings (EASY crockpot recipe great for the fall)

1 lb. frozen chicken tenders
2 cans cream of chicken soup
¼ cup water
¼ cup onion
½ cup diced carrots
1 can Pillsbury biscuits

Dump everything but the biscuits in the crockpot and cook on high 3-5 hrs. Add the biscuits 30 min. before eating. Enjoy! (I love this recipe because it’s like a comfort food—so warm—but so easy when you have such little time.)

First thing to pop into your head….
Chocolate or vanilla? 
CHOCOLATE
Vamps or werewolves or zombies?
Depends on the story. I love them all. I love the vampires in Vampire Diaries and the werewolves in Supernatural, and I absolutely fell in love with the zombies in THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH.
Shorts or slacks?
SHORTS! I live in Texas, after all!
Cupcakes or cookies?
If I make them, cookies. If Georgetown Cupcake makes them, cupcakes.
Hugh Jackman or Zac Efron?
Hugh Jackman! I love beardy men.

Um..Yep....



Most embarrassing moment in your life? (Unfortunately for you, you have to make this extremely good since you are the one closing the blog run...mua ha ha  *curls mustache with finger tips*)
When I eight months pregnant, I ran into the bathroom in Walmart once. But as I was taking care of business, I looked down to see this hairy foot. At first, I couldn’t makes sense of it. Why was there so much hair? And then I realized it was a man’s foot and I could just feel the tendrils of crimson running down my cheeks as I bolted past the five or so men outside the stall. It was only then that I noticed the urinals and realized there had only been two stalls.

Tell us a little about The Dollhouse Asylum:

This is the Publishers Marketplace listing:
Mary Gray’s THE DOLLHOUSE ASYLUM, in which a group of teenagers are granted asylum from the apocalypse–and then assigned new identities as famous, tragic literary couples and forced to reenact their stories… or die, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, for publication in October 2013, by Kat Salazar at Larsen/Pomada Literary Agents (World English).

Where did the idea come from?
Again, I was living in Virginia at the time and kept dreaming of moving to Texas, and all I kept seeing was this terrified girl trapped in this perfect subdivision in the middle of nowhere. The love interest/villain had always been there, too (her captor, if you will). I knew she both loved and feared him and I wanted to explore their world.

How did you form the complexity of the plot?
Larry Brooks’ Story Structure helped A LOT. I also attended David Farland’s Professional Novel Writers Workshop before writing the plot that got me my agent (formerly, Kat Salazar). But the plotting has changed a fair amount as I’ve worked with Danielle to bring out the romance further (which is always good!) and better flesh out the relationship between my main character and the antagonist.

What do you like most about writing young adult?
It just resonates with me! I love how the young adult age is on the brink of everything. They’re not married yet (usually) and are in the throng of so many choices and yet so many things are holding them back (or so they feel). Like parents are usually a thorn in a young adult’s side. The choices they make then impact the rest of their lives and I feel like the young adult genre in literature is so vibrant and embraces trying new things. The emotions are so raw and real and I love the emphasis on romance. I need romance in my books. I love how young adults are so smart—they’re pretty much on par with adults (sometimes smarter!) and yet everything they feel is so intense, even heightened. I live to relive that when I write.

The Dollhouse Asylum blurb:
I’m not supposed to share that yet! But it will be available October 13th along with the cover, so just a few weeks!

Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation ... .
Without going into too many specifics, allow me to just share why this story is so important to me. So many women are in love with someone that is so bad for them. This story is in large part for these women. For them to see that the emotions are very real, that the trauma isn’t all in your head, that it tears your heart out to figure it out.

Be sure to check out more information with the cover reveal and blurb during October on Mary's website! Here's the link, again.

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Mary is kind enough to give away...
A $25 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble—winner’s pick.

Just two things to enter:

1)  You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow
2)  Since all the authors have shared an embarrassing moment, I thought it would be fun if the readers shared one of theirs.  Bwahaha!

Contest ends Saturday, Sept. 22nd.
Winners will be announced Sunday, Sept. 23rd.

Oh, and don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by.  Please leave Mary a comment thanking her for her time and for the ultra-cool prize.