Waking Up In a Cold Sweat

143

That's how many emails I still have to get through...

Kill me now, please.

Okay, so in further news! Since I missed Monday due to Memorial Day (Yes, I'd been out celebrating with my family--I have to, otherwise the day just makes me depressed*), I'm not going to be doing a food post today.

There are some things coming up that I wanted to share with everyone

1. I'm going to BEA! I'll be at booth #4447, signing copies of Elemental, on June 6th from 10:00-11:00. If you're going, please stop by and say hello!

2. The wonderful Kendra Saunders at Spencer Hill Press has organized a day of Elemental love on June 1st.  If you haven't read Elemental yet and you want to, or you have read it and you haven't reviewed it, or you just want to share some love in other ways, this Friday is the day to do it. We're asking that everyone who's interested will talk about Elemental in some way, shape, or form on June 1st. Review it on amazon, B&N, goodreads, whatever's your favorite place. And if you haven't read it yet, the kindle and nook versions are only $5.99!!

I'll also be doing a live video chat that night at 8:00pm (EST) for anyone who wants to talk about the book, just talk to me in general, anything at all!

3. While waiting on edits for FAE, I've been working on a couple other projects. One is a paranormal romance and the other is a Pride and Prejudice meets magic realism type story. I'll be working on the pitches and queries for the next few days and would love to share them with all of you on Friday. Hopefully you could give me some feedback?? 

4. That's it!! Nothing new and exciting has been going on with me (other than the three things I already mentioned) How about you guys??

*And no, I'm not talking badly about soldiers or anything. I am one. I fought in a war. I married a man I met during a deployment. I love soldiers. That's the problem. I've lost battle buddies. I feel connected to every soldier who's ever lived and fought for this country. 

Closed Hearts, by Susan Kaye Quinn is Out Today!!!

Hi, dear readers! Today's a special day, so I'm taking a break from talking about food. :) A writerly friend of mine is celebrating the release of her sequel, Closed Hearts (part of the Mindjack Trilogy)! So, I'll be sharing all the lovely tidbits on that.

Food for your brains, that's what it is! :)

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Book Two of the Mindjack Trilogy

When you control minds, only your heart can be used against you.

Eight months ago, Kira Moore revealed to the mindreading world that mindjackers like herself were hidden in their midst. Now she wonders if telling the truth was the right choice after all. As wild rumors spread, a powerful anti-jacker politician capitalizes on mindreaders’ fears and strips jackers of their rights. While some jackers flee to Jackertown—a slum rife with jackworkers who trade mind control favors for cash—Kira and her family hide from the readers who fear her and jackers who hate her. But when a jacker Clan member makes Kira’s boyfriend Raf collapse in her arms, Kira is forced to save the people she loves by facing the thing she fears most: FBI agent Kestrel and his experimental torture chamber for jackers. Now available! $2.99 Ebook at Amazon (and Amazon UK) and Barnes and Noble Request a Kindlegraph Paper copies available at Amazon or get signed copies from the author

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds,  Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

CLICK HERE to join the Virtual Party for Closed Hearts

(including bonus content for the Mindjack Trilogy and writerly guest posts) 

and/or 

ENTER TO WIN prizes below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Which I Humiliate Myself Through Dancing

I've really been procrastinating on this because well...this is embarrassing. I can't believe I'm actually showing you this.

But! Since you guys DID help me get onto a top 100 list in Amazon (three, actually!!!), I have to fulfill my side of the agreement.

So, enjoy! :o

Edit: Okay, so I'm trying to upload the video, but it's saying that there is an error. HOWEVER! I have been able to upload it onto facebook.

Here's the link to my page to enjoy it (you'll find it on my timeline):

https://www.facebook.com/authoremilytwhite

So, now, enjoy!

OH! Also! I forgot to mention! My publisher gave me some VERY good news last week. I'll share it all with you as soon as possible. :)

Getting Rid of Our Fat Bottoms

Let's face it. Eating healthy is hard. It's way too easy to grab a bag of chips while sitting at your desk than to get up and make something for yourself.

However! Eating healthy can be yummy!

Doesn't this picture give you a heart attack just looking at it??

Last week, I was in the mood for fish and chips. But let's face it, the normal version of fish and chips is greasy and loaded with gluten.

Yeah...not so healthy.

But! You can make it healthy just like I did. That's the fun thing about cooking. You can take your favorite meals and make them work for your diet.

Now, obviously I wasn't about to dip a piece of fish in breading or flour-filled beer batter. Instead, I took some salmon out of my freezer, thawed it, and sprinkled some salt and pepper on it before sauteing it on the stove in a little bit of olive oil. I like to use a cast iron skillet in my cooking because it's the best non-stick you're ever going to find, PLUS it infuses iron into your food.

For the chips, I merely cut up some sweet potatoes into french fries and baked them in the oven at 425 degrees with a little bit of olive oil for 35 minutes. I turned them over halfway through the cooking time. After I pulled them out of the oven, I sprinkled them with a little bit of salt.

And there it is! A healthy version of fish and chips!

My kids loved it and I will definitely be making it again.

Do you guys ever turn your favorite foods into a healthier version?

Edit: Also, there are a few winners from the ShareAthon Giveaway who haven't contacted me yet. If you entered, be sure to check!

Five Winners Announced!

I must keep this brief today because I have a deadline coming upon me (*cough* tomorrow *cough*). And I'm kind of devoting all day to writing. I'm still working on emails and replying to you guys (by the way, your ideas from Friday were awesome!).

But I have winners to announce!!! Five lucky winners have won five signed copies to share with a friend!

Via Random.org, the winners are:

20...
Larissa H.

30...
Alicia M.

46...
Avie S.

66...
jay

52...
London J.


Congratulations, everyone! Please email me at emilywhite_1112(at)yahoo(dot)com with your address (or your friend's address) so I can mail them out!

Moving Forward After A Debut Release

For those interested:


FAE, #2 in the Elemental Trilogy, is now up on Goodreads!

Big things are happening over the next few weeks (and hopefully months).

1. I'm going to BEA in NYC next month! AND I'll be signing copies of Elemental at the Spencer Hill Press booth (#4447) from 10:00-11:00am on June 6th!

2. Vic Caswell of Sketcher Girl Studios and I have a new project! The first Pod People podcast will be out next Friday (the 18th)! Be sure to follow the blog and/or like our new facebook fan page! We'll be talking about all things YA, including but not limited to YA boys, girls, self-publishing, everything! It's going to be great fun. You do NOT want to miss it.

3. Ideas?

I'm thinking of applying to some conventions and setting up local book signings. Thoughts and/or other ideas? I have to admit, I'm kind of at a loss. I've spent so many years just trying to get published, that now I can't figure out the next step.

I need your help!! What sorts of things have you seen authors do that you really liked?

Getting Back to Business With Food!

I am still chipping away at my inbox, so for anyone who may be thinking, "What? She hasn't replied to me yet??" I swear I'm getting there. Slowly. But I'm getting there. 


The A to Z Challenge was amazing! It forced me to blog everyday when, really, the lazykin monster had started to rear its ugly head. I've met plenty of very cool, very witty bloggers.

But, it made me completely forget that Wednesdays used to be devoted to food!

My old followers know this about me, but I have plenty of new followers (welcome, by the way! sit back with a cup of tea and enjoy some very yummy food!) who do not yet know I am gluten intolerant.

I do not have a full-fledged allergy*, but I am intolerant to all things wheat. Also, I love cooking from scratch and preparing very healthy meals. My philosophy is that if it's real food that comes from nature, it's automatically better for you than what comes from a lab and/or factory. And to be honest, the writing life is not conducive to a fit, healthy body. We sit all day at our computers, maybe getting up once or twice to go to the bathroom. This isn't good for the waistline. Let's help our bodies out by eating healthy, nutrient rich foods!

So! On my quest to find yummy gluten free meals that don't take a lot of money to prepare (because, let's face it, all the gluten free flours and everything else you need to mimic the effects of gluten on food are expensive), I've resorted to a lot of Asian food.

Now, I've always loved Asian food (all varieties), so it's been really easy to find meals that I and my family would enjoy. Here's one I recently made:

Peanut Butter Noodles (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons hot chile paste (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, honey, chili paste, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add noodles, and toss to coat. Garnish with green onions and peanuts.

Enjoy!!

*Because I'm not actually allergic to wheat, I am still able to consume products with trace amounts (such as spices and other such foods that use wheat as preservatives). Therefore, many of my recipes will not specifically say gluten free soy sauce (for e.g.) or wheat free spices. 

A Moment of Thanks

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a great weekend.

I want to take a moment today to say thank you to everyone who has offered any type of support over the past few months, and especially over the past week.

Many of you had me on your blog, you put my countdown widget on your websites, you tweeted, you shared on facebook, you told a friend, you bought a copy of my book, you gave your congratulations in the comments.

None of you had to do any of that. You could have ignored me completely, let me feel like I was talking to myself. But you didn't and that's because you are amazing. I have cherished every comment, every moment I've had to get to know you all so much better.

I've been feeling so overwhelmed (the good, warm and fuzzy overwhelmed) this past year since I first announced that I'd signed with Spencer Hill Press. I knew I'd made friends since starting this blog, but I had no idea just how amazing those friends were. I think a lot of us have gotten so much closer since this all began. And I am so grateful for that.

For those of you I'm just starting to get to know, I am so excited for that.

So thank you, again, to everyone. I am SOOOOO amazed you've stuck with me and offered me all this help and support. If any of you ever need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. I'm looking forward to promoting many books I just KNOW will be published.

Have a great Monday, everyone!!

Book Blasts and a Chance to Win $100--Authors, listen up

So quite a few of you have asked me about this book blast thing going on that I've mentioned on twitter and Facebook. Why I never thought to mention it here, I have no idea. Honestly, I think my brain has fried in places this week.

Well, let me give you a little recap of events first. You know how I keep saying I'm the luckiest person in the world? Well, I have to tell you, it's really true. A couple months ago, SHP was invited onto i swim for oceans for a week long event of interviews and giveaways. Well, since this was such a big deal, I decided to go big with my personal giveaway.

Well, it turns out I actually ended up being the big winner. The gal who won my giveaway was none other than Inspired Kathy of I Am A Reader, Not A Writer. When she asked me to do an interview and giveaway on her blog (which I of course said yes because I never say no to interviews) and I saw she had 7300+ followers, I almost peed myself. Yeah, I was definitely the big winner.

I truly, absolutely, 100% have been surrounded by THE MOST supportive people ever. Shortly after the interview, Kathy announced she wanted to perform a bit of an experiment. A book blast experiment. I volunteered immediately and Kathy said yes to accepting me as her guinea pig (again, luckiest person sitting right here).

The book blast is a week long blogosphere inundation of all things your book. Bloggers volunteer to post on the very same day with the very same information about you (the author) and your book, along with a giveaway (the giveaway is what lasts a week and the prize is provided by the author). And it is HUGE.

Let me give you some stats:

Tuesday morning, I woke up to 92 brand new emails (I average about 10/night). The influx of new emails hasn't stopped. I honestly can't keep up.

On Monday, I had 397 followers on this blog, a little over 200 followers on twitter, almost 300 likes on the Elemental facebook fan page, 2100+ "to reads" on goodreads, and was number 16 in the goodreads 2012 debut authors list.

Today, with 4 days left to the book blast and giveaway, I have 687 followers on this blog, 767 followers on twitter, 830 likes on the Elemental facebook fan page, 2,476 "to reads" on goodreads, and I'm #5 on the goodreads 2012 debut authors list. Not to mention all the hundreds of new followers on pinterest and new friends I have on goodreads. Yay! I love new friends!

None of this is to toot my own horn. This is all about Kathy because her book blast is what did all of this. She is amazing. And I'd have to say her experiment is a HUGE success. If you're an author and you need exposure, you NEED to do this. Now, I'm super lucky, so I got to do this for free as her guinea pig (I still can't believe that!), but in the future, I do believe she will be charging for this service. But it's worth it.

Let me give you another bit of info:

This book blast happened on Elemental's release date and is going on through the first week of release. VERY important.

Here's the shocker that will probably make you pee your pants, too. :P

With four days left, the giveaway that's going along with the book blast has already seen 44,624 entries.

Fourty-four THOUSAND. Yes. That's what I said.

Authors, listen up. You need to do this. Check out her blog, read more about the book blast, but seriously SERIOUSLY consider doing this.

And if you'd like a chance to win $100, check out the giveaway! There are only 4 days left! 

Also, the Elemental ShareAthon Giveaway is still going on. Enter for your chance to win one of FIVE signed copies of Elemental for a friend!

Elemental Has Broken Amazon

This week has been fantastic so far! Thanks to everyone for all your support and congrats and spreading the news. Seriously, this is sooooo amazing and it's thanks to all of you.

Here's the scoop so far:

Elemental has overwhelmed Amazon. LOL!

There's been some issues with paperback orders on the site (And I firmly believe it's because you guys are AWESOME), but the kindle version is still available!

But if you just absolutely MUST have a lovely, paper in-your-hands copy, you can order one directly off the Spencer Hill Press website.

UPDATE: I just checked out Amazon and paperback copies are again available! I'd highly suggest you DON'T purchase the one that's going for $888. I'm pretty sure that's not a good site. I don't know that for sure, but anything over $12 or $15 is ridiculous. And just remember that if anything like this happens again, the book is always available on the SHP website. Thanks for your patience!!

Also!

Some great things have been happening! Elemental hit the top 100 list in kindle sales in three different categories in the first day! And it's still going strong!

Wow.

Just wow.

You guys awe me. I don't even know what to say to all that. You've left me speechless.

But you know what this means, right? I'll definitely be dancing at the end of the ShareAthon Giveaway (which you should enter if you haven't already. I'm giving away 5 signed copies of Elemental for you to share with your friends!)

If we get to the top 10 I'll do my famous lawn mower dance in the video!!! And the sprinkler!!

Also!!

I've hit the top 5 in the Goodreads 2012 Debut Authors list!!!!!! Which means I have to keep my promise of an amazing giveaway!! Boy, it's just non-stop partying over here. I love it!!

Thank you, again, to everyone! Please continue to spread the word to friends, family, online. I really, REALLY appreciate it. You, dear readers, are a-ma-zing. True story. :)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Elemental ShareAthon Giveaway!

Today is the day!!!! Elemental has landed!!

You guys have NO idea how excited I am. I have literally been dancing pretty much non-stop. And don't you worry, I have NOT forgotten my promise to post a video of me dancing.

But here's the deal:

You want to see the hilarity that is my dancing? You need to share the giveaway! Help me make this the greatest giveaway ever! Help me get on the Amazon Top 100 list and I will post a video of my dancing.

Oh man, I can't believe I'm promising this. It's so humiliating. Oh the elbows. I make Elaine look good.

So if you want to see the dancing that makes THAT look good, keep reading.

I am giving away 5 signed copies of my debut novel, Elemental! But this is the ShareAthon Giveaway! You need to share the copy you win with a friend!

Or you can donate it to your local library...

Or school...

Or pass it around at work...

Whatever you can think of! But it needs to be shared.

There's only one mandatory task for winning a copy to share with friends. You need to buy a copy for yourself first!

If you've already done so, you're completely and 100% eligible to click the little option below and get the +5 points.

Good luck! And help me spread the word about Elemental's birthday!!!