Feb 22 2013

Ninja Captain’s Cover Reveal and the REAL Olga Worontzoff

When our head ninja captain of the IWSG asked his army of minions to reveal his latest cover, of course I jumped at the chance! Alex does sooo much for everyone in the writing community, and I’ll never be able to do enough to pay it forward! But here is a small token of my appreciation for everything Alex . . . .

CassaStorm by Alex J. Cavanaugh

http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/

A storm gathers across the galaxy…

Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, his only struggles are occasional rogue pirate raids and endless government bureaucracies. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.

After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, shaking Bassan to the core and threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.

Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could be on its way back. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…

Release date: September 17, 2013

Science Fiction – Space Opera/Adventure

Print ISBN 9781939844002

E-book ISBN 9781939844019

*Isn’t it super cool! I can’t WAIT to get my copy this September:-)

And now, I have another special Friday treat for you. If you’ve read my bio, you might recall that like my main character in 18 Things, I have grandmothers named Gay and another named Olga Worontzoff. Thankfully, I’m not named after them like my MC, lol! Anywho, my mom visited my GG (A.K.A. Olga Worontzoff) this past week in New Jersey and delivered my signed copy to her!

She’s a youthful ninety-five year old, and she phoned me to say I added years to her life with this honor & she’s gonna be on the Smuckers Jar at 100 for sure (that’s my daughters’ goal for her, HA!). Isn’t that great?! She’s inspired me so much . . . I’ll have to share her real life romance story on my blog some day, but for now I’m just gonna frame this picture and keep it on my desk:-)

Enjoy your weekend!! Any special plans? I’m off to my annual local Southwest Florida Romance Writers conference. I’ll blog about what I learned on Pk Hrezo’s blog on Monday! In the meantime, if you’re on Facebook this weekend, I’d really appreciate a ‘Like‘ on my Author Page! Thanks peeps<3

Feb 13 2013

A Valentine Treat with Marisa Cleveland and the 18 Things Tour Continues to Sweep the Blog Nation;-)

HaPPy*Valentine’s* Eve!!! And oooh boy, do I have the perfect gift for you!!! A book, of course . . . would you expect anything different from me?

Today marks the release of the Debut Novella for Marisa Cleveland, a very sweet kindred spirit who I met through my Southwest Florida Romance Writer’s Group. She is now a recovering high school teacher turned writer and agent extraordinaire, and she was kind enough to read my manuscript for 18 Things soooo many times that it made her head spin faster than if she’d starred in The Exorcist.

Here’s the scoop:

Marisa Cleveland’s novella, The Valentine Challenge, debuted from Entangled Publishing! Join the celebration by visiting participating blogs and commenting the answer to this question: In your opinion, what’s the sexiest part of a man?

Between now and February 28th, Marisa’s super secret judges will browse the blogs and choose up to three winners to receive Valentine goodies!

No purchase necessary, but a Like on Amazon is always appreciated!

Title: The Valentine Challenge
Author: Marisa Cleveland

Publisher: Entangled Publishing (Flirt)

Genre: Contemporary Romance Novella

Book Description:

When Stacey Bradford’s hot boss convinces his company’s board to close her best friend’s flower shop – days before Valentine’s Day! – Stacey declares war.

Intrigued by Stacey’s devotion to her friend, the hearts and flowers holiday, and belief in true love, Marsh issues a challenge – prove love exists or deliver the closing documents to her friend herself.

Stacey never could resist a challenge, but when Marsh makes Valentine’s Day the deadline for their deal, Stacey must decide how far she’s willing to go…for love.

Author Bio

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. Perhaps because she married her best friend, her adult romance novels focus on playfully naughty relationships developed through friendship and family-oriented values. She loves to connect with writers and readers.

Author Links

Website and blog: www.marisacleveland.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/marisacleveland

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marisacleveland00

Super Amazing Participating Blogs:

http://amandaflower.wordpress.com/

http://amielouellen.com/

http://www.bethvrabel.com/

http://katemeader.com/blog/

http://www.kateserine.com/blog/

https://jamieayres.com/

http://www.jenjdanna.com/

http://www.jennysulpizio.com/

http://nocturnalreadings.blogspot.com/

http://lynnetteaustin.blogspot.com/

http://www.sarahgagnon.com/

http://sonyaweiss.com/

http://tonyakuper.blogspot.com/

*WHat R U wAItiNG fOR?! What do you find sexiest in a man? *cough cough, please keep it PG-13 since I write for young adults*

Oh, and incase you missed it, here’s my guest post on Talynn’s Ink in the Book blog about my sweet first kiss and my inspiration for writing love stories.

And today, I’m visiting England on Rebecca Bradley’s blog, where she asks me this question: How Do I Fit It All In? You can comment on either blog through Friday for a chance to win a copy of 18 Things:-)

Well, I’m off to help lead Youth Group. Hope you had a very happy Over-the-Hump Day! Mine was full of many firsts: TV interview on The Morning Blend, Library Event, then my first Author School visit with some 8th graders who were one HUGE batch of Awesomesauce. I’ll tell ya allll about it later.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY<3

Feb 11 2013

Champion In The Darkness and 18 Things Blog Tour Continues . . . .

First things first . . . I’d like to give a shout out for my author buddy, Tyrean Martinson, and the first release in her brand new YA Christian fantasy trilogy (how CoOl is that?!), Champion in the Darkness – The Champion Trilogy, now available on Amazon for only $3.99! What a deal!!!

Clara is younger than most trainees, but she is ready to hold a Sword Master’s blade. While visions and ancient prophecies stand in her way, they also offer a destiny unlike any other. Clara is aided by a haunted mentor, Stelia, whose knowledge of their enemy Kalidess is both a bane and a blessing. As evil threatens their land, Clara and Stelia must find the strength to overcome the darkness!

DOESN’T THAT SOUND A*W*E*S*O*M*E?!?!

And in other news–my 18 Things blog tour continues. Here are the stops since the last time I posted, in case you missed the links on Twitter or Facebook!

Joylene Butler decided to post her own 18 Things despite missing the blogfest. I say, better late than never!

Sharon Sant had me answer this question: Why I Love YA

The Autumn Review was nice enough to give me a shout-out and post an excerpt (Have I ever mentioned that book bloggers are my heroes?!)

And today I’m kicking back with an interview with my main characters, Olga and Nate, on Nancy S. Thompson’s blog

*Only 8 more stops to go! Now, how is this affecting my sales? Hard to tell . . . it’s 188,098 in rank for paperback on Amazon and 59,815 in rank for the Kindle. So, could be loads better, but it also could be worse!

Thanks for all your support! I’ll see you around the blogosphere this week, and don’t forget to check out Tyrean’s new release *throws confetti*

Jan 30 2013

Writing Paranormal: Do You Believe What You Write?

Hi, ya’ll!

It’s been a whirlwind week since my debut novel, 18 Things, released last Thursday. Terrifying and thrilling all at once! I’ll go into more details on next Wednesday’s post for the IWSG.

But today, I’m guest blogging at Gwen Gardner’s site, a wonderful YA Fiction Author and half of the Indies 4 Hire business. The topic is Writing Paranormal: Do You Believe What You Write? My post focuses on angels, and I share my personal encounter with one when I was eleven years old.

This is just one of 18 blogs I’m stopping by during my six week blog tour! Here are some others in case you missed it:

Stop 1: Ciara Knight’s blog (1/21) My Mash-Up of YA Awesomeness guest post

Stop 2: Laura Jordan’s blog (1/22) My School Visit Outline

Stop 3: Krystal Wade’s blog (1/24) *This is my wonderful, steadfast editor who talked me off the edge a time or two* I answer the question: What part of me is in Olga?

Stop 4: Alex Cavanaugh’s blog (1/25) My super shout-out from the Head Ninja Master!

Stop 5: Ayden Morgan’s blog (1/28) 10 Rues for Creating Bucket Lists

If you’ve read the book, created your bucket lists, and acknowledged the vast empty hole in your heart that is exactly Jamie Ayres shaped, I hope you’ll recommend it to others and share your thoughts about 18 Things on Amazon, Goodreads, or Barnes & Noble *which you’ll find yourself wanting to do—Jedi Mind tricks were included in your purchase, so I left you no choice* The sales have stayed in the top 100 books on Amazon in one category or another (and those categories are a hoot!), until today *wipes tear* So now it’s up to word of mouth to push it forward.

I’m really BLOWN AWAY by your support. Kimberly at Art of Infiltration shared twenty-two books she enjoyed reading last year (or wanted to read this year) with her seventh grade class. She said the kids were excited about three books – Possession by Elana Johnson, CassaStar by Alex Cavanaugh, and 18 Things!!! WOWIE, WOW, WOW!!! Kimberly, can you see my HUGE grin all the way from Florida?

Well, I hope to see your beautiful faces around the blogosphere during the 18 Things tour! And if you have a book coming out, please let me know. I’ll gladly return the favor and be your biggest cheerleader! I’m really good at those high kicks;-)

Jan 24 2013

18 THINGS IS HERE!!!

Jennifer Eaton reminded me that in all my excitement for release day, I neglected to post a new blog. I updated last week’s post, but forgot that wouldn’t send out new notifications to my followers! DOH! *smacks forehead*

So . . . Amazon Kindle links are live to purchase 18 Things! And for print! Or for your Nook. Yay–Happy Book Birthday to me:-) Thanks for your support! I also did a guest post on my editor’s blog today!

Here is a sample tweet for all your busy peeps who like to copy and paste:

18 Things by Jamie Ayres now available!! If you like YA love stories that inspire and are geek friendly, check it out: http://www.amazon.com/18-Things-ebook/dp/B00B53VJ38/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359069761&sr=8-1&keywords=18+things+by+jamie+ayres …

Even if you’re not buying, please hit the “Like” button under the title on Amazon to give it a boost! You can also add it to your Goodreads.

I hope you enjoy 18 Things if you do check it out and will recommend 18 Things to others. If you don’t love it, please feel free to share your thoughts with me through email. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I want the sequel, 18 Truths, to be even better:-)

I will update this post with the full tour info ASAP, and here is the post for the blogfest incase you’re still hopping away or looking to claim your prize. I had 50 people participate, and I have 18 stops booked for the blog tour, which goes through the end of February *squeeee*

Cheers and Happy Reading~Jamie

Jan 14 2013

WHat ARe yOUr 18 THiNGs? Blogfest (kinda) Signup! Not just for bloggers anymore!

Amazon links are live to purchase 18 Things! Yay–Thanks for your support!

Update: This just in! Tyrean, Laila, Penny, and Tonja Drecker are my Thursday and Friday winners! Pk Hrezo and Sharon Bayliss are Saturday’s winners! Danielle Bailey and Carrie-Anne are Sunday’s winners! Tangent Shell and Lynn Lovegreen are Monday’s winners! Darlene Steelman and L.G. Keltner are Tuesday’s winners! Julie Myers and Vicki Trask are Wednesday’s winners! Stephen Tremps, Morgan Katz, Kirsten, and Lencre are Release Day Winners!

YAHOO! You helped bring 18 Things to a place of influence today–#3 in paranormal fantasy hot releases, #9 in Coming of Age hot releases, and #36 overall!!!

Winners, just use the contact button above ^ and tell me which one of the fabulous 18 prizes you’d like:-) If it’s crossed out, that prize is taken (duh! LOL) and Congrats!!!

18 Things releases in ten days. Can you believe it? You may have to pinch me! It’s been 7 months since I signed my contract, and it really is scary how time flies! But we’re back from our FREE Disney cruise (yes, feel free to slap me out of jealousy), and feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready to do this thang!

So, I have a one week blogfest planned with lots of giveaways and then blog tour posts planned from January 21st through the end of February! (Full tour info to come, and contest giveaways list is at the bottom of this post.)

Beginning January 17th until release day, January 24th–I’ll be hosting the What Are Your 18 Things Blogfest. This is something anyone, anywhere can participate in.

All you have to do is blog about things on your bucket list. If you don’t have a bucket list, you should, and now is the perfect time to start! If you’re not sure what a bucket list is (blasphemy!), it’s something completely personal that each person should do (IMHO). It’s a great reminder that gives an extra boost to live life to the fullest and keep us looking forward, even when life wants to drag us down sometimes. Finish a marathon? Read the top 100 books? I’m looking for fun, heart-pumping, poignant, or inspirational things that you want to want to do, or maybe already crossed off your list. And it doesn’t have to be 18 Things . . . it can be anywhere from 1-18 things (I just needed my title to get out there. Marketing trolls said so!)

Anyone who posts their 18 Things between January 17th-24th can enter to win a number of prizes, including:

*$10 Amazon card from Lindsey Loucks

*~~$10 Starbucks gift card from Marisa Cleveland~~

*Signed paperback copy of 18 Things, donated by Marisa Clevleland

*~~Contemporary Thriller Book, Dead Witness, from Joylene Nowell Butler~~

*~~YA Urban Fantasy book, Reaper’s Novice, from Cecilia Robert (2 copies to give away)~~

*a set of bookmarks, also from Cecilia

*First page critique from Nancy S. Thompson

*ebook copy of Nancy S. Thompson’s contemporary thriller book, The Mistaken

*First page critique from Tonya Kuper, agent intern for The Seymour Agency

*~~Krystal Wade’s signed copy of Wilde’s Fire~~

*~~Jessa Russo’s ebook of her YA Paranormal Romance novel, Ever~~

*First page or query critique from PK Hrezo

*~~An 18 page document on Inspirational Tips and Advice for Creative Writing by Taylnn (A.K.A. Ink in the Book)~~

*~~A set of inspirational bookmarks (donated by moi)~~

*an ebook copy of 18 Things

*~~First page, query, or synopsis (up to 3 pages) critique from Jamie Ayres~~

*~~Critique of first 20 pages of W.I.P. from Jamie Ayres~~

Yes, there are 18 terrific prizes! This is just my way of saying THANK YOU to all you wonderful peeps out there:-) I will use RANDOM.ORG to pick 2 winners each day (4 winners on January 24th–release day!), and winners, you get to choose your prize. So, early bird gets the worm, my friends!

I can’t wait to visit each blog and read your “18 Things.”

Now to the (Kinda) part of this post: Don’t blog? Put the cover of 18 Things or the bucket badge ^ from above up on your FB wall and post your bucket list item under the photo, or pin it on Pinterest with your bucket list item in the comments, or tweet one of your 18 Things. Use the words “18 Things” somewhere to go with the picture and link back to this blog wherever you decide to post. All non-blog entries will still be available for the awesome prizes! Just remember to link to me so I know you participated!!

Bloggers, sign up NOW for the blogfest in the LinkyTool below (and make sure you grab the 18 Things badge to put on your blog). Let’s get this party started!

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

Jan 9 2013

18 THiNGs bOOk bomb!!!

Hi Everyone,

The release date for 18 Things is almost here! You guys have already helped me soooo much over the past 2 1/2 years, but I can’t stop my quest for world domination now;-) Especially with the Little Blue Lady from Jennifer Eaton’s blog trying to stop me! Sooo . . . On January 24th we’re going to try and push 18 Things to the top of Amazon—and I need your help!

This book has a message that obviously, I think, teens (or anyone over the age of 12) need to hear. Many would say an inspirational young adult book put out by a small publisher isn’t supposed to do well. So . . . wouldn’t it be cool to drive 18 Things to the top on January 24^th? Will you join me in being part of a grassroots success story? I don’t have the money or resources to rely on slick marketing or targeted ad campaigns— instead my sales have to be driven by ordinary people like you spreading the word in your circles of influence. Here’s how it works: Every book on Amazon.com has what’s called a “Sales Rank” which is updated hourly. Because these rankings update every hour a book can drop quickly out of sight—or come soaring to the front. The Book Bomb will coordinate hundreds (maybe thousands) of people ordering 18 Things on the same day (January 24th) instead of sales being spread out over months, and raising it to a place where tens of thousands of new people will see it.

The book bomb is a great chance to get a copy for yourself (plus one to give away) at a great price—and help get the book in front of thousands of new people—all at the same time! Now, you might be asking yourself these questions:

Why Amazon?

Small Publisher: Since I signed with a small publisher, 18 Things won’t be sitting on bookshelves across America. It may be stocked at a few local bookstores in Lee County and in Grand Haven at best. Amazon.com is the easiest way to order 18 Things from wherever you happen to be on January 24^th, whether it’s an ebook for $7.99 or a paperback for $12.99.

Why 2 copies?

Free Shipping on Paperbacks: If you order two or more copies you get free shipping because your grand total will be over $25. Just make sure you click on the Free Super-Saving Shipping option at Checkout

Who would you give your extra copies away to?

Local Library/School/Youth Groups: Order an extra copy to donate to your local library, school, or someone in your church youth group. Did you know that 80% of book sales happen via word-of-mouth? This would help create some great buzz!
Birthday Present: Yes, Christmas has past, but I’m sure there’s a young adult in your life with a birthday coming up (maybe even their 18^th birthday!)
Graduation: Looking for a graduation gift for the young adults in your life (whether it is high school, middle school, or even college)? Order 18 Things! It may not be for another 3-4 months, but that doesn’t mean you can’t order it on January 24^th!
Friends can order together: Maybe you can’t think of anyone to give your extra copies to. But remember, when you spend $25 or more on Amazon, you get free shipping! So order with a buddy!

In addition, I know many of you have asked when you can get your autographed copy. If you’d like your own copy autographed but don’t live in my area, email me through my website at jamieayres.com and I’ll send you an autographed sticker you can place inside your book! Or, can I just say Southwest Florida makes a great vacation spot, so come on down and I’ll sign it in personJ

Finally, please do not feel obligated to participate. It would be easy (and understandable) for you to view this as very self-serving on my part. After all, I’m the author and I’m asking you to buy copies of my book! But being self-serving is not my intention. I’m only asking that if you already planned on buying my book, please do it on release day verses another day. My motivation for the book bomb is the same one that drove me to write the book: to inspire others. Think back to your own young adult days of reading, even if it was you as a very young adult, a long, long time ago in a galaxy far away.

I can testify that stories made me a better person growing up. I’ve always lived in two worlds. One is the world where I actually live, and the other is where I took up residence in Narnia and Hogwarts, sailed the raft with Huck and Jim, laughed at the absurdities of life with Yossarian, ate green eggs and ham with Sam I Am, solved mysteries with Nancy Drew, wept over injustices with Scout Finch, craved romance with Miss Elizabeth Bennet, and learned about being a good friend and a good writer from a spider named Charlotte. These characters made me believe in a world where I could go anywhere and be anything I wanted to be. Why do I love to read stories? Because I love to know I’m not alone, I want someone to understand me, they remind me of my past, they instill in me a sense of pride in my fellow citizens of the world, they give me a new perspective, they make me laugh and entertain me, and sometimes they make me feel emotions I wish I had in my everyday life. But they always challenge me to become like the characters in the books that inspire me. They challenge me to get out of my hiding place and step out in faith, and to not give up so easily. That’s the heart of 18 Things, and my whole trilogy, and I want to share it.

Do you want to share it too? Do you have any tips on how to plan for success? Do you plan on buying 18 Things on January 24th? Help spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, or on your website or blog? Let me know in the comments so I can give you a HUGE virtual hug:-) Two weeks until the Amazon links go live on release day! We don’t have much time!

Your Excited and Extremely Grateful Blogger Friend,

Jamie Ayres

P.S. Stop by next Wednesday for the dets on “What’s Your 18 Things?” blogfest! A TON of giveaways, including books, giftcards, bookmarks, and critiques!! My way of giving back to all you wonderful peeps~Love you guys!!

Dec 19 2012

Introducing A Fabulous Scribbler of YA Fantasy Tales

J. (Jenny) Keller Ford is a quirky mother of four, grand-mother and scribbler of young adult fantasy tales. She has an insatiable appetite for magic, dragons, knights and faeries, and tries to weave at least one into every story she conceives. Her muse follows her everywhere and talks incessantly, feeding her ideas for stories 24/7.

When she’s not torturing her characters mercilessly, J. Keller enjoys living in sunny Florida, listening to smooth jazz, collecting seashells, swimming, bowling, riding roller coasters and reading. Her most loyal fans (beside her family) consist of two Australian Shepherds, a mixed-breed hippy dog, and a precocious orange cat, all of whom believe J. Keller is their slave. She thinks they might be right.

Tell us about what you write.

I write YA fantasy, mostly, though I do stray into the fantasy New Adult genre. I love fantasy because I enjoy the freedom the genre provides. I can make up any kind of world I want, create my own rules, laws, limitations, settings, and no one can say it can’t happen like that. Sure there are some standards like unicorns and gnomes and dragons, werewolves, vampires, pixies, etc. As an author, though, I can elaborate or change any of the standard ideas, so long as I can make the audience suspend belief. I mean, whoever heard of glittering vampires but Stephanie Meyer did it with her Twilight series and her fans didn’t mind at all that Edward glittered, appeared in photographs, and didn’t sleep in a coffin.

Can you give us a sneak peek into your typical day?

My day starts pretty early. I’m up with my youngest son at 6:00 a.m. He’s a senior in high school and it’s our quiet time together to chat before he heads off for school. After he leaves and I get back from my 30-minute walk, I hop in the shower, get some coffee and food in me, then sit down at the computer. As I’m currently (and desperately) looking for a job, I hit up all the job sites as well as send e-mails to all the employment agencies I’ve signed with. I spend about 2 – 3 hours popping out resumes and job networking before I settle into a day of writing. And yes, I write every day. Hours upon hours I tap away at my keyboard on any one of the multiple projects I have going. I exercise throughout the day to keep my mind active. I make dinner almost every night. Sadly, I don’t have much of a life outside of walking or riding my bike (a lack of money tends to put a damper on other activities). My hubby is disabled so I tend to write and read all day. When my sons are up to it, we’ll play games like Taboo, Scrabble, Backgammon, Othello, or Pictionary, but they are usually off in their own world as a teen and 20ish year old should be. I usually go to bed around midnight.

What’s your favorite craft book? Favorite fiction book?

I have several excellent books I keep around me all the time. I would be lost with my dictionary and massive thesaurus, but I also have The Copy-editor’s Handbook, Writing Fiction, by Janet Burroway, and Characters & Viewpoint, a Writer’s Digest book. I need to get the 2013 copy of Writer’s Market. It’s a MUST HAVE for every writer.

As for a favorite fiction book? Lordy, you might as well ask me to pick a favorite star in the sky. There are so many I love. I have to say the ones I cling to the most are usually fantasy-related in some way, Young Adult, and the story sucks me in like metal to a magnet.

Describe your personality in 5 words or less.

Loving, faithful, stubborn, prideful, passionate

Tell us anything fun about yourself, related or unrelated to writing.

I LOVE collecting seashells. I could spend hours searching the sand for that ‘perfect’ shell. When I say perfect, I don’t mean without flaws, but it has to have character. Sometimes I look for color. Other times I look for unusual. Sometimes I look for broken. My favorite shells are olives. I love their polished shine from being tumbled in the surf and they always appear as if they have hieroglyphics written on them. I would love to travel around the globe to different beaches and collect seashells. Right now I have Ziploc bags full of all kinds of shells and when the mood strikes me, I make things out of them (picture frames, jewelry boxes, mirror frames, etc.) and give them away. I love making gifts for people from my personal collection of hand-picked shells.

Peeps can stalk Jenny here:

Links to where they can purchase Make Believe

amazon.com, Barnes&Noble, ARe, Books on Board, diesel books, eBookMall, eBookPie, gohastings.com

Blurb about The Amulet of Ormisez, my story in Make Believe:

The Amulet of Ormisez by J. Keller FordThere is only one way to save Elton Fletcher’s brother from an insanity-ridden death.After years away from home, fighting for his people, Elton returns to discover his only sibling, Cayden, possessed by greed and malice, and responsible for malicious, unthinkable deeds. Cayden, though, isn’t the only one afflicted by the Amulet of Ormisez, and Elton finds himself in yet another battle, where the price of failure could be his own life.

*Don’t you just LOVE that cover? Okay, so have you purchased Make Believe yet? Read it? If not, it makes a wonderful Christmas gift . . . just saying:-) It’s sitting on my Kindle right now and I can’t wait to read it over Christmas Break . . . only 2 more days. Thank God! The same alien who sucked out my students brains this week stole mine as well ~Cheers!

Nov 25 2012

WHat ARe yOU wAItiNG fOR? EvERyTHing You wantED For CHristmas is Here!!

One month until Christmas . . . have you started your shopping yet? I’ve gotten very little gifts so far due to working on my final edits for 18 Things (which I just sent to my editor, so keeping fingers crossed), but before I head out to the mall, I wanted to let you all in on a few blog hops and giveaways that are sure to get you into the holiday spirit! You can thank me later;-)

Don’t wait for Santa to stuff your stockings because Dawna Raver and Courtney Young want to stuff your e-reader full of amazing titles! There is no need to wait in line or fight a crazy crowd for this HOT deal.

Also, it’s week three of Krystal Wade’s Wildest Moments Tour/Blogfest, and as promised, she has another very special giveaway planned. Plus, it’s not too late to sign up for a last-minute entry!!

Also, here’s an agent pitch contest you DO NOT WANT TO MISS! Check it out at Brenda Drake’s site (I was her 1,000th follower today–how awesomesauce is that?! And she writes under the influence of coffee like me–LOVE!)

Plus, who doesn’t want to be interviewed by David Spade and showered with presents by Ms. Claus? I’m in-how about you? Click here for the dets.

And last but not least, have you ever attended a Christmas party where you bump into the person who was always there for you during the last year? And you thank them for being such a Rock Star, or in this case, Head Ninja Master, right? Welcome to the “Cheers, Cavanaugh BlogFest.”

Thanks to all the wonderful elves who put these events together! Now, you don’t want people to nickname you the Grinch this Christmas season, do you? Well, then tell me: Which one are you signing up for? ALL of them?

Nov 14 2012

My Wildest Moment

Krystal Wade is hosting the Wildest Moments Blogfest in honor of the release of her latest novel, Wilde’s Meadow. This is something anyone, anywhere can participate in.

All you have to do is blog about a time you did something wild, something life changing. Jumped from a perfectly good airplane? Quit your job to write full-time? I’m looking for fun, heart-pumping, or inspirational stories that you have experienced. “Wilde” things you’ve completed on your quest to grow up or move on. Anyone who posts their Wildest Moments between November 12th-23rd can enter to win a Kindle FIRE ($199), Kindle Fire Skins, or a $15 Amazon Gift Card.

Well, this blogfest really caused me to think . . . something I try not to do too much of. Hmm, should I blog about almost drowning myself in a septic tank (nah, played out–who hasn’t done that before, am I right or am I right? Oh, no one? Okay, moving on!), meeting my husband (first day of h.s.–only time I literally heard a voice in my head & it said & I quote, “You are going to marry that boy some day” WHAT?!), the misadventures with my sweetmates my freshman year of college (during which I unknowingly joined a cult), having a baby at 20 when I was a full-time college student (yep, didn’t plan that one but yep, I’d also been married since 18 so stop judging me. Oh, now you are judging me & calling me stupid for getting married so young. It’s okay, I still love you;-), totaling my car in a wreck on Dec. 11, 2007 resulting in my first ambulance ride and ER visit (I love me some ribs, but not when they’re mine & they’re broken), being a contestant on The Love & Marriage Show on our Royal Caribbean 7-night cruise (I think our friends, Luke & Cheri Thomas, hired government spies to erase the memory of our answers–TMI!), running a marathon (post-race tip: CHECK BEHIND YOU BEFORE YOU LAUNCH A SNOT ROCKET!!!), traveling around Ireland for 2 weeks performing street skits as part of a college missions trip (and discovering why the Irish don’t celebrate St. Patrick’s Day–b/c they don’t need an excuse to get drunk like that EVERY DAY!), or even becoming a writer (and finally discovering an up-side to being a pathological liar).

All those things have helped form me into the wild chick I am today (which you’ve probably concluded is a rambling doofus by now), but I’d say the wildest thing I ever decided to do is become a teacher. I always had the desire to teach and write, but after I stayed at a orphange in Jamaica the summer after my freshman year in college, I knew I had to change my major to education. It was calling me. In the past 12 years since I started educating the youth of America, I’ve become all too familiar with AIP’s, IEP’s, PDP’s, PMP’s, RTI’s, ESE, ESL, SLD, ADD, ADHD, OCD, ODD . . . is your head spinning yet? I know mine is! It’s hard to keep up with everything I need to do for each student, individualizing their education when there’s such a limited amount of time in our day. We call it the constipated curriculum because they just keep piling on more and more! Pretty soon we’ll have our own TV show, “Teachers Gone Wild.” But we won’t be topless. We will be in a bunch of padded rooms where all the shiny objects are safely hidden away, sniffing glue bottles and new Expo markers;-)

I’m Miss Viola Swamp–the meanest substitute in the world! With my co-worker, and one of my biggest cheerleaders:-)

How about you? What’s your wildest moment? Which one would you say is more wild: becoming a teacher or becoming a writer?? Don’t forget to sign up for Krystal’s blogfest!