Spencer Hill Press Author, Kelly Hashway

In case you missed yesterday's post about getting ready for the year of my dreams, here's a short recap: 

I'm showing some love to my fellow Spencer Hill Press authors

What that means is I'm going to bombard you with everything you could ever want to know about them so you can follow them, tweet them, fall in love with them (no stalkers please), whatever you want. And in no particular order I start with the newest addition to the SHP family...

Kelly Hashway! Yay! *round of applause*

From her Author Page:

Kelly Hashway is a former language arts teacher who now works as a full-time writer, freelance editor, and mother to an adorable little girl. In addition to writing YA novels, Kelly writes middle grade books, picture books, and short stories. When she’s not writing or digging her way out from under her enormous To Be Read pile, she’s running and playing with her daughter. She resides in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and two pets. 

She is represented by Lauren Hammond of ADA Management. 


From Publisher's Marketplace:


"Kelly Hashway's TOUCH OF DEATH, about a teenage girl born under the thirteenth sign of the zodiac with a kiss that kills and a touch that can bring the dead back to life, pitched as Shatter Me meets The Walking Dead, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in January 2013, by Lauren Hammond at ADA Management Group."~Publisher's Marketplace


You can (AND SHOULD) find her at these various locations:


Blog
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Getting Ready for the Year of My Dreams

One of the best years of my life is about to take place. I have been waiting for this year since I was five. It's right up there with the year I married my husband and the years my children were born.

You see, I grew up with many different dreams. I wanted to be a paleontologist, a storm chaser, a politician, the empress of the universe, but the one dream that actually stuck was the one where I wanted to be a writer. In the early years, I dreamed of being the youngest author ever published, but my goal was too whimsical and not based in the reality of hard work. For one, I'd never finished a story I started. I have many journals on my bookcase with half-written stories (some of them only a few pages long). So after I turned 18, I realized that dream would never be realized. But I had a new dream, and that was to be serious about my writing.

In 2008, I finished my first book. I had started it in 2002. It was the first book I told myself I would absolutely finish no matter what. And I did. It took six years, but I did it. I hit a milestone then. I became a new writer. I was still very naive and queried that recently completed novel before I'd even finished transferring it from journal to computer. And editing hadn't even occurred to me by that point in my career. I googled query letter formats and found a spectacularly bad example (which I thought was good) and followed its guidelines to a "T."

After a few months and many rejections, I put that novel away and started a new one. I named it Aurumenas and it was about a girl who could manipulate the elements. I finished that novel in one year. And it was crap. Shortly after that point I discovered Young Adult fiction and morphed into a new writer for the second time. I finally knew consciously what my mind had known subconsciously for several years now. I was a YA writer posing as one who writes Adult. I completely rewrote Aurumenas in three months and gave it a new name: ELEMENTAL. I found an amazing beta who has become one of my greatest friends and I learned the art of taking criticism.

This year, just last Spring, I decided to self-publish ELEMENTAL. During that time, all of my blogger friends poured in with their support. I was shocked and overwhelmed at the amount of time and effort others were willing to give to help me sell my book. One woman in particular reached out to help in any way I could possibly need. I still have the notes I took from that long phone conversation we had. From how to get the most out of Amazon to which websites to send my book for review. And she, a published author, offered to read my book and blurb it. After formatting ELEMENTAL to the best of my ability, I sent it to her. Two days later, she emailed me back and said Spencer Hill Press wanted to make an offer. Just thinking about it now makes me want to cry for joy.

I owe so much to Kate Kaynak and Spencer Hill Press for making this dream come true. So, in preparation of the year of my dreams, I'm going to share some love for all my fellow SHP authors over the next couple weeks. They don't know I'm doing this so sshhhh! :P And by "sshhhh," I mean tell everyone!

Starting tomorrow, look for my posts on all the wonderfulness coming out of Spencer Hill Press. You won't want to miss it. Trust me. :)

Have a Merry Christmas!!

Christmas is just a couple days away! I hope you all have a great Holiday!

Enjoy one of my favorite funny Christmas songs:

Story Time

During the 300 Follower and Elemental has a Sequel Giveaway, I received one (yes, ONE!) story. Today, I am going to post it for your pleasure.

The author is Elizabeth of ReadWriteReview--YA Style. At thirteen, she already shows an AMAZING amount of writerly talent. Please go visit her blog (which she shares with Leslie, another very talented teenager). And while you're visiting, you should go ahead and follow. I'll wait.

...

...

...

Back yet? Excellent.

Enjoy!

Tanya looked down towards her feet, “Sorry, Mr. Nelson, it won’t happen again.”

She made sure her hair was covering most of her face and wiped away a few tears.

“It had better not. Next time I see you sneak into the school at five in the morning with a can of spray-paint, you’re going to get a lot worse punishment than community service. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

With that, he turned around and walked towards his classroom. 

Tanya glanced up again at the graffiti on the lockers. Not only did she have to do community service, but she also had to clean it off completely. Life sucks.

She didn’t know what had gotten into her—she wasn’t the type of girl that would normally do something like that, and yet there she was. It had really been something that had grown over time, turning into something so consuming that it was practically impossible to get out of. So she just let it grow, and grow, and grow.

Tanya picked up her rag from the bucket of water and soap and started scrubbing.

But when she was halfway finished, she ran into a problem. The bucket was empty, and she didn’t know how to get more water.

Ugh. She thought, Not this. Could this day gett any worse? I need water!

And then and there, the strangest thing occurred. To her astonishment, water was pouring out her fingernails.

Then, when the bucket was nearly full, she willed it to stop—and it did.

For a moment, she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think.

What just. . .wh. . .what just happened to me?

Mr. Nelson’s voice brought her back to attention, “Are you ok, Tanya?”

Tanya looked up from the cracks in the floor, “Yeah, sir.”

“Do you need some more water for your bucket?”

“No. . .I think I’ll be good for a while.” She gulped, I hope.

Tanya doubled her previous speed, attempting to get out early enough to see if any of it was for real. 

***

She  completely bypassed my parents, both of whom were giving Tanya very disappointed gazes that screamed the classic, “We need to have a serious talk. Like, now.” 

She didn’t even turn around--just walked straight to her room.

She got out a bucket and held her hands over it.

Water. Come out!  It came.

More water. More. . .more. . .More!!!

Soon, the bucket was half full.

Less water. Less. . .less. . .stop.

Tanya was filled with amazement. She didn’t even think something like that was possible. At least not for her, anyway.  

***

Tanya found it immensely amusing.

She had always been terrible at fishing, and watching her grandfather try to figure out how she suddenly became a pro was very fun—even enough to make her laugh, something she hadn’t done in forever.

It was simple—not only could she command water to come out of her hands, but she had also been practicing making currents in pools, which she then applied to the pond they fished in. She simply made the fish swim towards her hook, and then reeled it in.

Tanya glanced over at their piles, hers being over twice the size of her grandfathers, “Grandpa, can we go back to our tents and cook one of these for dinner? I’m hungry.”

He smirked, “As long as it’s one of yours.”

“Agreed.”

They walked back to their camp site, which was only a small walk away.

Grandpa  prepared the fish for cooking, and then turned to Tanya, “I’ll start the fire if you grab the pan and 

butter.”

Tanya went into her tent and grabbed the necessary things, but Grandpa was still getting the fire ready when she came out.

Then she saw it.

Grandpa bent over by the wood and held his hands out towards it, and flames suddenly jumped off of his finger- tips, setting the wood ablaze in seconds.

He looked up and saw Tanya staring at him with an astounded gaze, but Tanya was the first to speak, “Y. . .you. . .you can do it too?”

“It depends on what you consider ‘it’. . .But, yes. . .I can control the element of fire.”

Tanya held out her hands and allowed the water to come down and feed the dirt, “Water,” she was startled to see that her grandfather didn’t look the least bit surprised, “How?”

Grandpa smiled grimly, “It’s a long story.”

“Tell me.”

Then Fix It, Dear Henry, Dear Henry, Dear Henry.

I'm really hoping all of you know the song that goes...

There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza, dear Liza. There's a hole in my bucket, dear Liza, a hole!

Because if you don't...well...this post might not make that much sense. But I'll try anyway! :)

So let's say you DO know the song. If that's the case, you know how Henry keeps giving excuse after excuse to  his wife about how he can't fix his bucket. Every solution she comes up with, he has an excuse. So by the end of the song, he still has a holey bucket and a very frustrated wife.

Whenever I'm staring at my computer screen, scanning my latest completed first draft, I have that song going through my head.

On the one hand, I've got this voice that's saying there are holes! Ghastly holes! We cannot move forward with all of these holes! And on the other hand, I have another voice saying, well fix them!

Obviously, Henry was overwhelmed. Though Liza gave him very good solutions to his problem, he felt his excuses were equally valid. Eventually, I imagine, he gave up on his bucket altogether. Maybe he even bought a new, shiny bucket that was absolutely perfect. This bucket was better than any other bucket he'd ever used! But eventually, that new, shiny bucket also starts to lose it's luster, and Henry's right back where he started, giving up on a bucket that just needed a little attention.

So which one do you listen to? Is Henry telling you to give up? Is he giving one brilliant excuse after another as to why your novel is just not fixable?

Maybe you think you suck. 

Maybe you think you're too old.

Or your novel is too long.

Or too short.

Or too stupid.

Or is Liza telling you how to fix it? Is she screaming at you to not give up? Is she telling you there is a way?

I certainly hope so because I know how you feel. I've been there before. Actually, that's not right. Let me rephrase. 

I'm ALWAYS there. 

I'm always doubting. I'm always letting Henry tell me I'm not good enough, that my books are "unfixable." But I'm not really writing this post to get your sympathy. I've come to terms with my "Henry" voice and realized that despite everything I do or accomplish, he'll always be there. And that's okay.

But I am writing this post to encourage you.

Henry is wrong. His points may be valid, but he is wrong. He gave up on something because he didn't think he could fix it, or because he thought the attempt would be too hard.

I've heard so many stories of writers who were about to shelve a book they were querying when they got a request for a full from an agent. Instead of shelving that book, they made the changes they knew needed to be made and sent the new, fixed version to the agent and got "the call." 

They'd almost let Henry have his way. Thank goodness they didn't.

Are you letting Henry have his way? Have you given up on a book that you know is good at its heart, but just needs some help (whether major or minor)?

Tell him to mind his own business, and then get to work! You can get it done. It may be hard or overwhelming, but it's possible. Don't give up.

Just fix it.*

*ooh! This should be my new theme! Screw you, Nike! I've got a better one! Hehehehe!

The Winner of Elemental has a Sequel Giveaway Announced!

You guys are amazing! Thank you so much for making this giveaway as awesome as it could be!

There were 102 entries total and random.org chose...

...

...

...

...

#67!

Gianna!!

Congratulations, Gianna! I'll be sending you an email by the end of the day!

Thanks again to everyone for participating! And remember that if you'd like Elemental swag, you can always check out the Swag! Stuff! Free! page up above. Also, I have LOTS of t-shirts, so I will definitely be doing more giveaways over the next few months. Some will be done here, others will be done on twitter and the Elemental fb fanpage, so keep a lookout! 

Last Day For Giveaway

Today's the last day to enter for a chance to win swag, fire-related goodies, and a locket that is very important in Elemental!

If you haven't already done so, check out the giveaway, and good luck!

Oh, and as an added bonus, there will be a special message in the locket for the winner (which is also important in Elemental). What are you still doing here? Get to entering!

I'm a Sprinter. How About You?

Why yes, that is exactly how I look when I run, throbbing muscles and all :)

One of my least favorite things to do is run. I really hate it. With a passion. In fact, it's one of the primary reasons I decided not to extend my career in the military. I just couldn't stand the running portion of the PT tests. Situps? Pushups? Bring 'em on! I could do them all day. But run? My stomach is twisting just thinking about it.

Two miles of pure hell.

Except for the last hundred yards. I loved that stretch. Why? you ask. Because I'd sprint the rest of it. And I LOVE to sprint.

Ironic, I know. But I'm not a long distance runner. I'm a sprinter. I love the rush of wind against my heated cheeks, the way my body works like a perfect, well-oiled machine. When I'm sprinting, I have perfect form. When I'm running, I look like a flopping rag doll, and I'm usually gasping for air. 

And you know what else I loved about the last hundred yards? There were always a group of soldiers there to cheer me on. During the rest of it, I was always on my own with no one to push me forward but me. 

And believe it or not, I hate first draft writing. When I look at the sheer length of what is before me, I become overwhelmed and discouraged. This is why I have to break it up into manageable lengths. If I don't, I'll end up walking through it all, like I was often tempted to do during a PT run.

But just the other night, a friend of mine and I did a word sprint. And boy did I love it! One hour of writing abandon. And just like how my body performs when I sprint the last hundred yards, my brain pushed all those words out with precision. Over 1,600 of them!

At the end of the hour, my friend and I congratulated each other and joked around. It was fun! It was just like the encouragement I'd get at the end of my sprint in the military. 

So yes, I'm a sprinter. How about you?

You still have time to enter my 300 follower and Elemental has a sequel giveaway! There's swag and a gorgeous, one-of-a-kind locket that looks shockingly similar to a locket in Elemental!

Also, please help me out with the Goodreads debut authors of 2012 list. I was so close to hitting the top five last week, but plummeted to #10 in just a few short days. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could vote for me. Thanks in advance!

An Interview with Jessica Bell, Author of String Bridge

Today, I'm very pleased to announce, I'll be interviewing Jessica Bell, author of recently released String Bridge! Please join me in welcoming her! And also, please stop by her blog and pay her a visit.


Let's get started!

So, Jessica, for anyone who didn't see my review yesterday, could you tell us a bit about yourself and your debut novel, String Bridge?

String Bridge:

Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits …

I wrote this book because I wanted break into the women's fiction market and steer it away from the stereotypically glorified woman that is most commonly portrayed today and replace with pure honesty instead. Not every woman in this world lives without regret, knows exactly what they want, and has the courage to put every essence of their being into achieving their dreams. Not every woman is inspirational to others. Not every woman can leave their comfort zone to better their future. But, so what? Does that mean a less strong-minded woman doesn't have an interesting story to tell? Definitely not.

Can I just say that this was EXACTLY why I loved String Bridge so much! I felt like Melody was real and I could completely relate to her.

Me:

I grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. I spent much of my childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. I currently live in Athens, Greece and work as a freelance writer/editor for Hellenic American Union, Cengage Learning, Pearson Education, Education First and Signature Manuscripts. I have published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found on my website. Additionally, I have written various English textbook materials and am also a singer/songwriter/guitarist.

In September, 2012, I will be running The Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. The workshops are designed for both aspiring and established writers and used primarily as a playground for sharing a passion in an inspiring environment.

Did you always want to go with a small press?  What's your favorite part of working with Lucky Press?

Not in the beginning. I think like every aspiring author the dream is to get an agent and hit the bestseller list, yeah? But that’s not always realistic in today’s publishing climate. I soon realized that my style of writing better suited a small press and decided to start submitting to those. Lucky Press is perfect for me and has been amazing. My favorite part about working with them is most definitely the bond we’ve developed. They are more than my publisher, they are my friend.

If you could pick one line or one paragraph out of your whole novel to share with everyone, what would it be?

“I’m not sure I’m ready to wipe my skin dry; to drown myself in a new ocean, where my desire for fleeing this emotional cage hides like a mermaid ambivalent about growing legs.”

Wow. That is gorgeous writing.

What's your favorite thing about your MC, Melody?  Least favorite (if any)?

Favorite: that she is only human

Least favorite: that she is only human … J

Why did you pick her story to write?

Even though music doesn’t define me as much as writing does, it is still a big part of my life. And the idea for the book came about when I was thinking about a time in my life when music was all I ever wanted to breathe. Even though my priorities had changed, I still wanted to write about the power music has over someone who is so passionate about it. But I think music could be replaced by any sort of passion in String Bridge, because basically the story is about needing something more than you need yourself.

Is there any more you wish you could have told, but didn't?

Nope, nothing. But I still wake up in the middle of the night wishing I could change nit-picky things!

What draws you to the genre you write in?

I love playing around with different words and sounds and seeing how differently they roll off my tongue. Literary fiction is just like singing without a melody. It’s writing to a tempo.

Are you working on anything we can read in the future?

Yes! My second novel, Bitter Like Orange Peel, is about a twenty-five year old Australian archaeology undergraduate named Kit, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the conclusion that meeting her father, Roger, will make some sense of her life, despite him being worth the rotting orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least that’s what she’s been conditioned to think of him by the three women in her life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed professional archaeologist, with a slight case of nymphomania, who fled to America after a divorce to become a waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her feelings with medical jargon, and who named her daughter after intravenous. Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so, discovers he is not the only rotten fruit.

My third novel, Muted, is set in Arles, France, in a totalitarian society where it is illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing without accompanying instruments. Concetta, a famous Italian a cappella singer from before “the change,” breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope with living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories from her hometown, Milan. But Concetta's suicide attempt is cut short as someone grabs her by the throat and pulls her to the surface. Is it the busking harpist, who encouraged her to feel music through vibration, acting as saviour? Or a street warden on the prowl for another offender to detain? From this moment, the reader will discover how Concetta came to be in this position, and what will happen to her after the suicide attempt.

Muted will explore a variety of themes such as overcoming loss, coping with mental illness and disability, dealing with discrimination, loss of freedom, inhibited self-expression, motivation to succeed, escaping oppression, expression through art and music, self-sacrifice, channelling the thoughts of the deceased, and challenging moral views and values.

Those sound great! I can't wait to read them!

Now for some fun questions:

You're trapped on a deserted island.  Which of your characters would you bring to keep you company, and why?

Tessa. Because she has her whole life ahead of her and she might have more motivation to get us off it! Hehehe …

Melody can only eat one meal for the rest of her life.  What does she choose?

Oh gosh, I think I came across a similar question elsewhere and found it really hard to answer because I never actually thought about what her favorite food was … Um … probably Greek Salad. Simple, tasty and nutritious.

And finally...

Is there anything about Greek music that Melody likes?

Probably the way in which it makes her want to belly dance when she’s had too much wine.

Ahahaha! Love it! Thanks again for stopping by, Jessica! 

And for all of you who would like to learn more about Jessica and her novel, String Bridge, here are some links for you to check out:

blog 

facebook

twitter

String Bridge website 

Jessica's website

goodreads page.

String Bridge, by Jessica Bell

From the website:


"Greek cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician, Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece. Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage—and the person she used to be. However, the obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that awaits, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfilment in the wrong place."













About the Author:

Jessica Bell is a literary women's fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter who grew up in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide.

Jessica has also published a book of poetry called Twisted Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in various anthologies and literary magazines can be found on her website.

What I thought about String Bridge:

Okay, so I think everyone should know by now that literary women's fiction is not my typical genre of choice. It's almost as far from YA sci-fi as you can get. But when it came to reading Jessica Bell's String Bridge, none of that mattered.

It's one of those books you take to bed with you, and when you wake up in the middle of the night, you're still thinking about the last line you read. And I'll admit there have been a few books I've read throughout my life that have touched me so deeply, gotten so under my skin, that I've had to remind myself I wasn't the MC. That those things weren't happening to me. String Bridge was one of them.

I cried at parts, I laughed at others. And I fell in love with Melody.

I would absolutely, 100%, give this book five stars. Aka, what are you still doing here? Go and buy this book now!!!

And because I like to make things convenient for you, dear readers, here's where you can buy it:

ebook:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Paperback:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

And please tweet or share this post to help Jessica spread the word about her book! Thanks!

Day 9 of NaNoWriMo

All you participants should have at least 15,000 words written by the end of the day.

Are you going to reach it?

If not, don't freak out. It's really not the end of the world, and if you don't "win" NaNoWriMo, it doesn't mean you've failed. It might mean you weren't prepared for it, though.

There's a lot of different advice out there for completing this month of word vomiting, so I'm not going to bore you by repeating it all. For one, this is only my second year participating (and admittedly, I'm cheating this year because I'm just finishing something I'd already started--Yes, you can throw your pitchforks and flaming torches at me). So, I'm not an expert by any means. And two, a lot of that advice is just plain bad. Like, not using contractions? What's the point of that? Okay sure, if you're not really hoping to send this book to agents or editors some day, go ahead. Use those little tricks that will add minimally to your word count. But if you ARE planning to submit your work, don't make your life harder.

It is possible to come away with a decent first draft in a month.

Let me repeat that.

It is possible to come away with a decent first draft in a month.


There are arguments to the contrary, although I don't understand them. Professional writers complete first drafts in a month or two all the time, but because they don't do it during NaNoWriMo, it's taken seriously. Whatever.

The problem isn't going into NaNoWriMo with the goal of writing a book in a month. The problem is going into NaNoWriMo with the goal of writing 50,000 words in a month, even if they're all bad. And let's face it, 50,000 words is overwhelming. Really, REALLY overwhelming. And it's way too tempting to just start putting down whatever you can think of to get to the end of that goal.

And really, going from beginning to end can be overwhelming, too. So don't do it. Instead, read Story Structure--Demystified, by Larry Brooks. Reading this book has literally changed the way I approach writing the first draft. Instead of writing beginning to end, I write beginning to first Plot Point, first PP to first Pinch Point, first Pinch Point to Midpoint, Midpoint to second Pinch Point, second Pinch Point to second Plot Point, second Plot Point to end. It looks like a lot, but each of those sections is only a few thousand words long (ranging from 7,000-15,000--depending on the projected length of your novel). And when you're done, you have a first draft that looks like this:

Got it from here

Instead of this:

And yes, I still consider myself a pantser. I may have all those points generally figured out, but I let the story shape itself to get to them. So no arguments from all of you who say you can't outline. It's not outlining. It's preparing the story.

Have you noticed that in the second picture there's some green and purple, and that the blue and red don't even touch each other? Some serious editing is required to get that one to even begin to resemble the final product. Because you can't get that to this:

Got it from here, too.

The first one is at least on it's way there. A first draft that has a complete story in mind with connecting parts just needs a little more fine tuning to finish. The lines need only some embellishment, some more connective tissue.

So if you're freaking out because you think you need to vomit out words to be successful this month, calm down and remember what you're really doing is writing a story. Embrace it. Enjoy it. Let the life of your characters be the goal, not the numbers.

So, with all that in mind, how are you guys doing with your writing? Are you in love with the story yet? 

Don't forget to check out my 300 Followers and Elemental has a Sequel Giveaway!!! There are prizes! Glorious prizes!

300 Follower and Elemental has a Sequel Giveaway!

Yes, I am combining two wonderful events into one amazing giveaway!

If you haven't been following along or if you're new to the blog, well, two very awesome things have happened recently!

I hit 300 followers!

and

I've signed with Spencer Hill Press to publish the sequel to my soon-to-be released debut novel, ELEMENTAL! The title of the sequel is FAE.

I am absolutely in love with the title and I wish I could tell you guys just how PERFECT it is.

Just trust me on this. It's perfect.

So in celebration of these two momentous events, I'm having a giveaway! (In case you couldn't tell already)

The prizes are:

A swag bag of splendiferous Elemental goodies! Including a signed Elemental t-shirt, a signed Elemental poster, an Elemental pen, and fire-related treasures that will remain a surprise.

AND

This locket!

I did a lot of searching and this locket CLOSELY resembles a very important piece of jewelry in Elemental. And it's totally one of a kind. I kind of wish I could keep it for myself. :o

To win, all you have to do is comment and spread the word! But wait!

There are other ways to get entries! 

Comment* = 1 entry

Blog, tweet, share on FB about this contest* = 1 entry each (aka if you do all three, you get three entries, etc.)

Old Follower =2 entries

New follower = 1 entry

Like Elemental's FB fanpage = 1 entry (new!)

Put Elemental on your to-read list on Goodreads = 1 entry

Vote for Elemental on Goodreads' 2012 Debut Authors list = 2 entries

And my favorite entry (one I hope everyone does):

Write a short story (under 1000 words) with this prompt: You're going about your normal day when something happens and you discover you have power over one of the elements = 10 entries

All short stories will be posted on this blog, so I really hope you do it! I'd love to see what everyone comes up with!

You have from now until November 28th to participate! I might even give a special prize to the person with my favorite short story. *Hint, hint*  ;)

Good luck! 

And please mention in your comment which things you are doing and add up the entries for me. Thanks!

(for those of you who tweet about this, please include #faegiveaway with the tweet so I can keep track of it)

*mandatory to be entered into the giveaway

Announcement of Elemental Proportions

:)

The second book in the series has been titled!!!

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FAE

Here's the Publisher's Marketplace announcement:

Emily White's FAE, the sequel to ELEMENTAL, the story of a girl who may save the world... or destroy it, to Kate Kaynak at Spencer Hill Press, in a nice deal, for publication in 2012 (World English).

YAY!!!  And in celebration of such a momentous event, I'll be posting a giveaway on Friday! I just got some great swag in the mail from SHP, so this is a giveaway you want to participate in! 

It's Halloween!!

But you probably knew that already. And if you didn't, well...I don't know what to tell you...

To the rest of you,

Happy Halloween!!

If you have kiddos, you're lucky because you get to eat their candy. If you don't have kiddos, you're still lucky because you probably bought candy and you can snack on it all night. It's a wonderful time of the year.

So last Friday, Gorgeous and I went to the local theater for their haunted house. It's one of those old theaters with a balcony and box seating, so turning it into a haunted theater wasn't that difficult. The actors did a really great job, but I felt bad because I laughed all the way through it. For one, despite the fact the actors were hidden very well, I still managed to find them and I stared at them the whole time waiting for them to do their thing. Also, as anyone who read my scary story knows, I've been through some real stuff. The fake kind doesn't scare me anymore. Sorry, actors.

Gorgeous, on the other hand, did get surprised a few times. The zombie hidden between the seats was his favorite.

The best part of the evening, though, was when we stepped into the lobby and a bunch of people in costume started dancing to Thriller right outside the doors.

I didn't even think of taking a picture until a few seconds before the end, and then I ran out with my camera in hand. This was the best I could get because they literally finished two seconds after I took this.

We then drove to a farm where they have a haunted hayride every year, but after waiting in line for about fifteen minutes, and then noticing in the distance (beyond the labyrinth you have to walk through) another group of people waiting by a bonfire, we decided we were way too cold to be waiting all night to be pulled through the woods by a tractor.

So we left to pick up the kids and go home. It was a short night, but very fun.

Tonight, I'll be taking the kids out around the neighborhood with my sisters and their kids. My two little guys will be going as Carlisle and Edward Cullen (and I'll be Rosalie because...well...I'm gorgeous, duh! Hehehe! :P). There will be pictures later in the week.

Are any of you doing anything special for Halloween? Any haunted houses?

Oh, and because it just seems wrong to NOT include this, here's some info on WNY's most famous haunted house:

The Van Horn Mansion

Also, a video:




And my favorite part from one of my favorite shows ever:

Ghost Facers from Supernatural (no, I cannot actually put it on here, but you should definitely click the link. It's worth it)

Have a great Halloween, everyone!