Do you have a copy of Open Minds? Post a picture of the cover (be creative!) on my FB page to win this: $10 B&N Gift Card + Open Books, Open Minds Wrist Band (pencil not included) to keep … or to give away for the Holidays Giveaway open until December 20th! Are you subscribed to my author newsletter? If YES: Look for… Read More
Writers Must Write First
When I announced I was participating in National Novel Writing Month the same month I was launching my book, several people commented that they were impressed (and were probably thinking, boy is she crazy). It was a bit crazy, but I am so glad that I did it! (Yes, I met the 50k mark, although I’m certainly not done drafting Closed… Read More
Questions Answered
Throughout the launch of Open Minds, I got a lot of positive feedback about the book, but also about the launch itself. On Friday, I asked if my loyal blog readers had any questions for me, and they came up with some great ones! Here are the answers … Laura Pauling asks: “Me me! I have a question. What surprised you… Read More
Questions For Me?
The tour is coming to a close. As I mentioned in my interview with Sherrie Petersen, I think next time I will trim up the Book Tour (same number of stops, but over a shorter time frame). The tour was targeted at reaching new readers, not the faithful (wonderful, awesome) readers of my blog, who had already partied hard with… Read More
Book Bloggers Are Made of Awesome
I’ve long appreciated the importance of Book Bloggers – their reviews help readers find books that they love and help writers spread the word about their works. With the rise of self-publishing, I think Anne R. Allen (in interviewing Danielle from There’s A Book) gets it right: Book Bloggers can serve as a new kind of gate-keeper. When I set… Read More
NaNo-ing through the Blog Tour
Is it me, or is National Novel Writing Month attracting a lot of high-profile people this year? I mean, Nathan Bransford is doing it, and so is John Green (via Ava Jae)! Has it suddenly become “cool” to NaNo in a way that it wasn’t in previous years? Has Water for Elephants (originally a NaNo novel) lent credibility, or is… Read More
Dark C.A.R.M.A.
The Open Minds blog tour rolls on, but I want to bring another book launch to your attention! Dark C.A.R.M.A. I’m excited for the Dark C.A.R.M.A. ladies (C.K. Bryant, Ali Cross, RaShelle Workman) kicking off their collective Launch Party today! These ladies are YA authors who have banded their resources together to launch their books, a trend that is gaining… Read More
Blog Tour: Writing For an Audience, and Building a World
The Blog Tour continueth, with more guest posts and sundries … WEDNESDAY, November 9th Book Lovers Inc. Today, I am guest posting on Book Lovers Inc: “Writing For an Audience” in which I talk about the coolness of writing a sequel while people are reading the first book (yes, writing and promoting at the same time is not just a… Read More
Blog Tour: When Paranormal Doesn’t Mean Creatures, and How I Cheat at Research
The Open Minds Book Blog Tour continues apace, with lots of goodies queued up for your sampling pleasure. SUNDAY, November 6th Letters Inside Out (YA Book Reviews) Yesterday, Amanda at Letters Inside Out posted her review of Open Minds. “Open Minds is the type of book that keeps you guessing and makes you wonder just what you’d do in the same… Read More
Open Minds Blog Tour
I’m reposting the details of the Blog Tour today, with updated info about the contest timelines. In short, there’s lots of chances to win an e-book (and in some cases paper) copy of Open Minds during the Blog Tour, so be sure to stop by and enter. Summary of Giveaways this week: Word Spelunking Book Blogger E-Book Giveaway, open until… Read More
In Which The Blogosphere Rocks My World
OMGOSH YOU GUYS!! I am so deeply touched by all the outpouring of love, support, and downright awesomeness across the blogosphere for Open Minds’ Virtual Launch party!! Over 100 tweets, over 250 blog comments (and they keep coming), fistfuls of FB postings … I’m completely overwelmed by the support of all the Party Hosts and Party Hoppers and just plain… Read More
Open Minds Virtual Launch Party!
Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly… Read More
Open Minds Sneak Peek (Virtual Launch Party Nov. 1st!)
The Virtual Launch Party is almost here! Once you’ve trick-or-treated and packed away that Star Trek Godzilla Ghostbusters costume, stop by on November 1st for some virtual confetti and a whole lot of fun! With over 40 Party Hosts joining the celebration, you’ll find: Posts about #keepingOPENMINDS (brightening the blogosphere with stories of tolerance making the world a better place) Reviews… Read More
On Being a Writer
***************************************************************************** WINNERS!! Winners of the 2 copies of paper ARCs of Open Minds are …. Sharon Mayhew and Vic Caswell!! Thank you to everyone who subscribed and sent their well wishes for the book! ***************************************************************************** picture credit Writing centers me. Amid the flurry of activity that comes with releasing a book, I’m still writing. Not because I love it (I… Read More
Open Minds Paper ARC GIVEAWAY
*******CONTEST OFFICIALLY CLOSED*********** Less than two weeks to the release of Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) on November 1st! When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving… Read More
Investing in Your Writing Career, or Why I Decided to Self-Publish Open Minds
Thank you to everyone for the tremendous support and enthusiasm about my post announcing my young adult paranormal/SF novel Open Minds (releases Nov. 1st! Yay!). The love of the blogosphere left me a little choked up on Monday. You guys are THE BEST! (If you missed the post, please pop over to join us for the Virtual Launch Party!) This is my first… Read More
My New YA/SF Novel: Open Minds
Coming 11-1-11 …. Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep. Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best… Read More
Reading It Out Loud
“Say it. Out Loud.” –Edward Cullen, pale, ice cold, and slightly belligerent boyfriend. Do you read your manuscripts aloud? Lately, as part of the ninth circle of hell revision process, I’ve been reading each chapter aloud as a final pass-check before I move on to revising the next chapter (and the next, and the next. Good Lord, what demon possessed… Read More
Awesome Art and YAlitchat
Last month, I entered my query in a contest over at YAlitchat to win a query critique (for the top 10 queries by popular vote) or a full submission to Little Brown (for the top query as judged by agents and editors). Thanks to my lovely blog followers and friends, my query for OPEN MINDS made it to the Top… Read More