Dec 4 2013

IWSG: Running On Empty

“Please don’t run out, please don’t run out,” I prayed silently as my old Plymouth Neon sputtered down the dark road.

I was on my way to pick up Dan from work at Blockbuster (yeah, this is back when he was my boyfriend. Holy crap–we’ve been married 15 years now!) I’d seen a movie with my girlfriends and unexpectedly had to take someone home. As usual, I was running on empty. Even though money was tight on waitressing tips from Perkins, it wasn’t that I didn’t have cash. I simply never left myself enough time to stop for gas while rushing around town. And I’d gotten cocky. I’d seen the needle just past empty and made it enough times not to be.

But not on this night. I pulled into the church parking lot off the side of the road, cursing my lack of faith. And because this was before the age of cellulars, I ran to the nearest gas station . . . about two miles away. The nice man inside let me use the phone to call Blockbuster, but it was past midnight on Friday. They’d already locked up, not answering any more calls, and Dan stood in the parking lot waiting for me, assuring his coworkers I’d arrive any minute now as they left one by one.

Old habits die hard. I sometimes do the same thing with my writing. In November, I participated in NaNo for the first time ever.

And boy, did I start out running at top speed, barely slowing down enough to say more than a few words to my family. I’d get up late each morning, exhausted from my 2a.m. sprint from the night before, rush headlong into the day teaching middle school, write all evening, and repeat the cycle . . . for ten days. Yeah, ten. Perhaps you recall this Twitter update from me:

Jamie M Ayres ‏@jamiemayres 10 Nov

Haven’t done a #NaNoWriMo update in a while b/c I’ve been, ya know, writing, hahaha! Up to 27,960 words total. How’s everyone else doing?!

Yeah, you read that right. 27, 960 words in just 10 days? You were all thinking I was some rock star, thinking, “She’s got this, right?”

Wrong.

Want to know my final word count for the month?

30, 968

I left no time for other things, putting myself at risk of running on empty again, being stranded in the dark, far away from my husband.

So, what’s the answer? National Novel Writing Month isn’t for me. I need balance. And in the end, even though I didn’t finish the race before they took the clock down, I still count myself a winner. I still have 30,000+ words I wouldn’t have had before. That’s 30,968 words to the last novel in my trilogy, 18 Thoughts. And with 18 Truths being released next month, I’m confident I won’t have to wait a freakin’ year in-between book releases next time. Go me!

I’d love to know your thoughts! What do you do to keep your tanks full? Are you running on empty? Is it time for a fill-up? The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is the perfect pit stop!

Dec 2 2013

Cyber Monday Blowout!

The holidays are in full swing – which means it’s time to start shopping! For the first time EVER, Curiosity Quills Press is offering deals on the biggest online shopping day of the year. On Monday, December 2nd (and extending through December 3rd), prepare for savings you’ve never dreamed of.

Now is the time to add some of our best-selling titles to your bookshelves for jaw-dropping, heart-stopping, world-rocking low prices. You can read the best in science-fiction, horror, mystery, fantasy and paranormal fiction by authors like A.K. Morgen, Aidan James, A.W. Exley, James Wymore, Katie Hamstead, and of course, Jamie Ayres for only 99 cents!

Here’s the link for 18 THINGS . . . it’s rocking the top 100 today in the Coming of Age category, but I’d love to see it in the top 50, or 20, or 10 (then it really would feel like Christmas)! Why not be a secret elf & gift someone an early Christmas present to their Kindle?!

P.S. You don’t need to own a Kindle . . . you can download the app onto your phone, iPad, laptop . . . for free!

P.S.S. I’ll see you Wednesday for my regular scheduled programing with Insecure Writer’s Support Group!

P.S.S.S. You should check out my friend’s Fairy Tales Out Loud podcast. His new comic fantasy novel STILTSKIN arrives in just 7 days! The unique world and writings of Andrew Buckley are highly entertaining!

Nov 27 2013

Books I’m Most Thankful For This Year

Thanksgiving is tomorrow! How’d that happen?

I LOVE seeing all the ‘what I’m thankful for’ blog posts. But ya’ll know how I like to put my own spin on things, so I picked out the books I was most thankful for this year for my Thanksgiving post because books make me happy–duh! 🙂 I picked out several novels across different genres . . . and because I also LOVE quotes, I picked out a few to go along with each pick.

The Book Thief: Historical Fiction

“I have hated words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.”

“It kills me sometimes, how people die.”

“Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day.”

The Power of a Positive Mom: Nonfiction

“Focus on the hope in each person and every situation. God has not left you.”

“God allows certain unplanned adventures in our lives for reasons we may never know. He also provides the help we need to make it through.”

“Your kids are reading a book every day. Now wait a minute, you may be thinking, My kids aren’t even reading age yet. Or, My kids don’t like to read that much. Let me assure you, your kids are reading a book every day. The title is Life’s Living Lessons and you are the author. Our children are watching our actions and hearing our words every day. They are learning how to act and how to live as they read us. You are possibly the most influential book they will ever read.”

Clockwork Princess: Paranormal/Fantasy

“Sometimes one must choose whether to be kind or honorable,” he said. “Sometimes one cannot be both.”

“Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die -”
She put her hand against his chest, just over his heart, and felt its beat against her palm, a unique time signature that was all its own. “I only wish you would not speak of dying,” she said. “But even for that, yes, I know how you are with your words, and, Will- I love all of them. Every word you say. The silly ones, the mad ones, the beautiful ones, and the ones that are only for me. I love them, and I love you.”

“Gabriel’s green eyes sought Will. “It was demon pox, wasn’t it? You know all about it, don’t you? Aren’t you some sort of expert?”
“Well, you needn’t act as if I invented it,” said Will.”

Through the Ever Night: Dystopian

“Love was like the waves in the sea, gentle and good sometimes, rough and terrible at others, but that it was endless and stronger than the sky and earth and everything in between.”

“We lose and lose, but we’re still here. Shaking in place, afraid of doing something. I’m tired of settling for this because I don’t know if something better exists. It has to. What point is there otherwise? I can do something about it now. And I will.”

“Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.”

Firefly Lane: Women’s Fiction

“That was the thing about best friends. Like sisters and mothers, they could piss you off and make you cry and break your heart, but in the end, when the chips were down, they were there, making you laugh even in your darkest hours. ”

“Thoughts – even fears – were airy things, formless until you made them solid with your voice and once given that weight, they could crush you.”

“Of course you can fall in love. You just have to let yourself. They don’t call it falling for nothing.”

Turtle in Paradise: Children’s Literature

“Everyone thinks children are sweet as Necco Wafers, but I’ve lived long enough to know the truth: kids are rotten. The only difference between grown-ups and kids is that grown-ups go to jail for murder. Kids get away with it.”

“Almost dying is awfully easy. It’s the living that’s hard.”

18 Things: Contemporary Coming of Age

*It may seem strange to pick my own book, but 1) I AM STRANGE! 2) It’s the one I’m most thankful for (outside of the Bible) because it reminds me of how far God has brought me to arrive at this place.

“Some days my grief only hurt a little, like being electrocuted by a tiny spark when plugging in something. Other days, my sorrow used a jackhammer to excavate my heart.”

“I can’t believe I spent most of high school stereotyping you as a simple-minded, snobby, backstabbing cheerleader.” Tammy took one last drag, then stomped out her cigarette on the ground. “Girl, neither can I. I mean I only stole your prom date, threatened to light you on fire, and slapped you in the face.”

“Dr. Judy crossed her arms over her chest. ‘There are no do-overs in life once you’re dead. All your friends have that YOLO saying backward. It should be YODO because really, you live ever day, but . . . You Only Die Once.’ I looked at Nate. A grim expression twisted his mouth and I wondered if he was thinking what I thought. Where’s the candid camera, because this had to be a joke.”

*What books are you thankful for having read this year? Oh, you don’t all have to point to 18 Things at once 😉 HAPPY THANKSGIVING . . . or as it’s come to be known this year, The New Black Friday. Personally, I don’t know what all the fuss is about. Dollar Tree is just up the street and keeps their prices at $1 allll year-long–right, kids?! Gobble, gobble!

Nov 13 2013

Help Me With My Blurb, PLEEEAAAASSSSE!!

Many of you doing NaNoWriMo know that writing 50,000 words isn’t easy . . . but guess what’s harder? Summing up your novel in ten sentences or less! Now if you’re smarter than me (and I’m not too proud to admit that most of you are), you’ve already written the blurb before you began writing. Well, not only have I not done that for the book I’m writing in November (my third book in the 18 Things Trilogy), but I haven’t even perfected the blurb for the second book, even though 18 Truths comes out at the end of January! Eeep!

So with 2 1/2 months before my book birthday, my publisher asked me for the blurb to put it up on Goodreads so people can add it to their TBR shelf (well, hopefully they will). Which led me to go hide in a corner and ask, “Oh, was I supposed to have that finalized already?” Oops!

Which really translated to . . . I haven’t even written the blurb AT ALL YET! So I sat down October 30th, before Halloween and this whole national write a novel in a month stuff began, and I wrote my blurb. But I haven’t had time to perfect the darn thing. I know it’s toooo long, but I can’t figure out what to cut, so I’m asking ya’ll to wield your literary swords and help me cut this down a bit. I’d truly appreciate any feedback. Here it goes:

Olga Gay Worontzoff ended her senior year as an eighteen-year-old girl totally in love with Nate, her new boyfriend, and about to attend the university of her dreams. Then her therapist delivered the mind-blowing news that changed everything.

Now she’s spending her summer in the weird subculture of the Underworld, where there’s charmingly witty and powerful angels, along with some characteristically problematic demons. But the strength of Olga and Nate’s own personal demons are the greatest of all. Nate’s still grappling with the destruction he left behind and Olga’s haunted by the memory of Conner, the best friend and secret crush she was unable to save during a freak accident. Olga’s one hundred percent convinced Conner is somewhere in the Underworld. Driven by a mixture of guilt and curiosity, she sets out to unlock the secrets her therapist has kept hidden so she can have her second chance at rescuing her first love.

But Nate wants nothing to do with Olga’s hidden agenda. He has other things on his mind, mainly Grace. She’s their first assignment as joint spirit guides and Olga’s feeling a little hurt and—ahem—jealous. His mysterious nature has Olga questioning everything she ever believed about him and now she must decide whether to stick to their plan, or follow her heart. Unfortunately, she makes a series of mistakes that threatens everyone she has come in contact with and unknowingly plants herself in a center of events much larger than she ever imagined.

Lying is unbearable, betrayal is inevitable, and choosing between which path to take is impossible.

Only one thing is for certain: the truths that are uncovered during her journey will leave no one untouched.

*What do you think?

Oct 9 2013

Hope of the Pharaoh

I’m so glad I agreed to review this book! In full disclosure, Katie Hamstead is my publishing sister at Curiosity Quills, although not someone I’ve come to know through the blogosphere yet (but I hope to!).

So, Hamstead started right in the action. The story begins with Naomi, a Jew, who offers herself instead of her sisters to be taken as the Pharaoh’s concubine. From there, the plot unfolds. Danger, desire, decision . . . KIYA (the new name Naomi is forced to take) has it all! And it was nice to read about another young heroine with moral standards who stuck to her guns, no matter what the cost, in order to protect those around her.

The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the villain, Nefertiti . . . she was too unlikable for my taste. I like to have the bad guy, or girl, to have at least one redeeming quality, and I didn’t see one in this evil queen.

Just FYI, I don’t typically pick up historical novels . . . but I know some people complained about the historical accuracy of this book. Well, I’m no History-Nazi. To me, obsessing over history details (especially ones that can’t be proven) take the magic out of a book . . . kind of like when you become an author and it ruins the magic of writing (because when I finally signed my publishing contract, being chained to my laptop for fifteen hours a day and not even making enough money to keep a child in Africa alive for the month wasn’t what I pictured in my mind . . . but that’s a rant for another time). Ooh, squirrel! Now where was I? Oh yeah–I don’t like to sweat the small stuff. If you’ve ever read a book published by CQ, you know that we’re often into breaking a rule or two . . . or four hundred seventy-two 🙂 And that our authors are prone to rants 🙂 Anyway, I get enough of that educational crap at the school where I teach. HA!

The real crux of the matter was . . . did this book entertain me? YESSS!

Maybe the dialogue wasn’t always convincing for the time. Doesn’t change the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed reading Kiya’s voice. The novel was beautifully written, with the combo of dialogue and narrative woven effortlessly within the story, compelling me to turn the page well past my bedtime! I really can’t wait for the sequel!! Bravo, Katie!!!

So click on the link to Purchase Book 1, Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh.

Synopsis: When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.

And I have a special treat for you . . . the cover reveal for book #2:

Blurb: Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.

With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.

While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.

You can stalk Hamstead at these fine establishments:

Twitter – https://twitter.com/KatieTeller1

FB page – https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Hamsteads-Stories/247238178656484

Blog – http://kjhstories.blogspot.com/

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18169048-kiya

*So, what are you reading this week? Whatever it is, please consider leaving a review when you’re done . . . and thanks to everyone who volunteered last week to review either 18 Things or 18 Truths. I’ll contact you shortly 🙂

Sep 4 2013

My Bipolar IWSG Post . . .Nah, I don’t need no stinkin’ encouragement this month! Oh, wait! Who’s that knocking on my door at this hour? My good old friend REJECTION!

Uh-oh! Guess what day it is? Huh? Anybody? Oh, come on! I know you can hear me! It’s . . . Happy*Over*The*Hump*Day! Are you happier than a camel on Wednesday, because I am . . . or I was until an hour ago . . . but more on that in a moment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWBhP0EQ1lA

The first Wednesday of every month is also officially known as Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Our mission via Head Ninja Captain Alex J. Cavanaugh: Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer.

This past month I was feeling pretty encouraged with all the feedback I received from four of my Beta/CP’s over the sequel to 18 Things, 18 Truths (if you’ve read book one, I put a sneak preview up top ^ for book two, so go check it out and tell me what you think, if you’re so inclined). Here’s what some of them had to say in their email comments:

Beta Reader #1: “JAMIE! What are you doing to me! I already finished 18 Truths!!!! I got to read it all day long…best day ever! I have so many thoughts swirling through my brain about it, but I just want to say this…..I’m dying here! If I had book three, I would pick it up this instant and start reading! The ending was absolutely perfect! It made my “Nooo” moment in 18 Things all okay …. I just wanted to say another great read. And seriously, just as soon as you get book three done I’ll happily beta read for you again. You wrapped the second book up so well, in addition to leaving us hanging just enough that I’m salivating for the final book!!!!! You know I want you to send it JUST as soon as you write The End! I can’t wait to read it!!! ”

Beta Reader #2: “Truth: I LOVED 18 TRUTHS! 🙂 Now, I have to be honest with you, because A.) I consider you much more than “just” a writing friend, and B.) I really love your writing. 18 THINGS blew me away. The story was such an emotional journey for me, and I’m assuming anyone else who’s ever picked it up shares those feelings. My heart was wholly invested in Olga and the rest of the cast from the very first page. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel that immense connection with 18 TRUTHS until I’d read a good chunk into it. So, what I think happened, is that some of the deep emotional connection we had to Olga in the first book, was lost in this second book. I think that in 18 THINGS, you concentrated on Olga’s emotional and spiritual journey, but you focused more on the story as a whole in 18
TRUTHS. . . 18 THINGS was powerful and profound . . . 18 TRUTHS was just a really good book. I guess I was missing that emotional and
spiritual journey aspect a little bit. But I am just one person, and my thoughts might be one among a million opposite perspectives, so take what you will, or don’t. 🙂 You truly have a gift, and I am so happy to be able to read such God-centered stories because at times, I really need the reminder.”

Beta Reader #3: “Brilliant! That’s all I have to say, love. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. My comments are very, very few. Take them or leave them. Thank you for letting me be a part of this incredible read. This was an un-put-downable book, filled with twists and turns and while I was hoping for the ending you gave us, I didn’t really think you’d go there. I am thrilled you did. I love the way you weaved the stories, linking them all together in unexpected ways. The complicated relationships between the characters were expertly told with just the right about of passion, sizzle, and pure love. I have chosen my one and only for Olga, but I will gladly wait until book three to find out if my wishes come true or if God has other plans. Beautifully told story, strong characters, well-thought out plot, expertly written. A true storyteller. Bravo.”

My other beta reader also sung praises for 18 Truths, but she’s totally old school and printed out my entire novel and left comments all over it, and I’m too lazy to hunt through my pages and retype comments at this late hour (anyone else usually still up around 1:30am?). I always take the path of least resistance (A.K.A. letting my computer do most of the work), so I’m in awe of her ways!

So anyhoo, I was thinking I may not need any of that encouragement stuff this month, until I read an email tonight from Curiosity Quills, my publisher, that said Barnes and Noble turned down their pitch to stock 18 Things in stores nationwide 😦

Hear that sound? That was the SOUND OF MY HOPES AND DREAMS BEING CRUSHED!!! Anyone else ever feel like they can’t be too happy over something because bad news is just around the corner? *raises hand* Truth is, there are sooo many events in our lives which we have no control. It’s all up to chance, luck, and timing. However, we do have control over whether we press on or give up. The secret of survival is in fact trusting in God’s perfect timing for our lives (yup, you may recognize a line like that in 18 Things). I can sit here and question and whine about why other novels got chosen over mine, or I can trust in God’s plan for my life. Maybe he’s taking me in a different direction . . .maybe the whole nation isn’t ready 18 Things yet . . . maybe my writing just isn’t good enough. All I know is I’ve had the longing to be an author from a very young age, and I believe with my whole heart that it was divine inspiration.

So yeah, I got knocked down tonight, a dramatic power-bomb slam that put my lights out for a good hour while I cried on the couch. Then I blew my nose, took a deep breath, and remembered that it’s all in God’s hands, not mine. Even in this small room, sitting still, I am moving closer to the plan he has for me by holding onto faith.

Anyway, before I go, I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout-out to another fellow author in need of some help. My dear friend, Jessa Russo, re-launched her debut novel this week. If you haven’t read Ever yet, you seriously need to! And stop by Jessa’s website because she’s giving away some totally A*W*E*S*O*M*E prize packs!

What about you? Do you find it hard to surrender things to the universe? How do you find your peace when things don’t go your way? Have you ever had a setback that ended up being a blessing in disguise? I could still use some encouragement after all . . . . ❤ Jamie

~xoxo

Aug 13 2013

If My Life Were A Book . . . Confessions of A Failure

This past week held two big milestones for me–my 15th wedding anniversary with my Prince Charming and my new adventure into the world of “Middle School Teacher.”

My Classroom

This afternoon I skipped (yes, skipped–I do that sometimes just to scare the students) down the hall to obtain a large sheet of white butcher paper so I could start my “Character Traits” poster with my classes. As I walked back to class, I started thinking (and yes, smoke did blow out of my ears), if I was the main protagonist in a book, what kind of character traits would my students, and better yet, my own family, write down for me?

I’d like to say my list would look like this: loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled, compassionate, forgiving, grateful, honest, helpful, well-mannered . . . or anything halfway close to my own protagonist in 18 Things. The best time to catch me displaying some of these traits are after a few cups of coffee in the morning 🙂

Reality probably looks more like this: frazzled, frustrated, angry, busy, grumbling, bi-polar, worried, brutally honest (to the point of being insensitive to others), oversensitive (when comments are directed toward me), a “yes person” (most can see that “YES” sticker plastered across my forehead from a mile away which is why I get roped into too many activities). This Jamie appears after working all day without chocolate because she’s trying to be a healthy role model for her students and is therefore now suffering massive sugar withdrawals.

Not a pretty picture, aye? I’d say that’s more of the “home” Jamie than the “Mrs. Ayres” at school. If I acted like my real self at school, I’d probably get fired! Luckily, my family hasn’t figured out a way to get rid of me yet.

It’s not like I want to be this way. So it’s funny when I opened up my book to do my bible study tonight and read the words of Paul in the book of Romans, chapter seven: “For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it . . . What a wretched man I am!”

Yep. Luckily I believe in a very forgiving God who gave me a very patient husband 🙂

Our wedding kiss *don’t everyone aww at once*

My faith has taken me through 15 years of marriage with two beautiful daughters and no doubt will take me through my years as middle school teacher!

At the end of my Bible study today, I had to write a description of a good role model. I simply wrote this:

Someone who always loves. Without love, actions are empty. A role model’s criterion for their actions isn’t based on what they like best, but what’s best for those around them.

While I’m on the subject of love, Ima gonna break down dat definition for ya like it’s 1990 and it’s Hammertime at my middle school dance:

Love isn’t a feeling *Gulp* I don’t think I could ever “fall out of love” with my husband. Instead, love is a decision to meet the needs of others before yourself. It’s not a natural inclination past those first days of marital bliss. Love is something we must choose to live every day.

Now, as a writer of love inspired stories and a teacher, I’m an expert on definitions, so there’s no need to confer with Webster *steps down off pedestal*

I’m taping my role model definition to my bathroom mirror as a reminder of the type of person I should be each day, not just on the days when I feel like it and not just at work. There’s a quote by Erma Bumbeck that goes, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything that you gave me.”

Or as Master Yoda puts it: “Do or do not. There is no try.” Talk is cheap. Words without action=failure. When I look back at the chapters of my life, I want my traits to resemble the characters in the books that inspire me.

What’s your definition of a good role model? (Lord help us if anyone says Justin Bieber, lol. Thankfully, I don’t think any of my middle school Language Arts students have found my blog yet! *looks around with crazy eyes*

Until next week, Live~Laugh~Love!

Jul 22 2013

#SizzlingSummerEvent Hosted by YA Bound Book Tours Giving Away Two, that’s right, TWO Loaded Kindle Fires!!

Giveaway for Kindle YA. Notice the really pretty one in the bottom left-hand corner?

Are you interested in winning one of these Kindle Fires? Wellll, read on 🙂

Giveaway for Kindle NA

Maybe you saw this tweet from me yesterday: Wondering if runnin topless across a field with #18things across my chest in red lipstick is good marketing idea? Maybe there r easier ways?

As many of you know, one of the biggest issues authors face is promotion. It takes money to market, and not all of us have extra income to spend *put your hands in the air & wave them around if you’re a teacher like me*

Thanks to Trisha Wolfe and Dawna Raver’s brilliance, we formed a top-secret organization *busts out super-maniacal laugh and rub hands together evilly* in an effort to allow a group of authors to pull their resources and come up with a HUGE giveaway to promote each and every ~~babe~~ talent *slaps hand & whispers don’t give away the secret!*

So it’s with great pleasure I announce the Sizzling Summer Giveaway event hosted by YA Bound Book Tours featuring 50 authors!

This giveaway event will take place this week, July 22nd to July 27th. Book ~~Superheroes~~ Bloggers from all over the country are hosting a promo post provided by an author (excerpt, dream cast, playlist, character interview, etc.) and rafflecopter giveaway code for 2 Kindle Fire HD’s pre-loaded with some of the author’s books.

Today, I’m hosted on The Eater of Books with a post about my top 10 rules for creating bucket lists. Later in the week, I’ll also be hosted by Once Upon A Dream Books and Fiction in Fiction in Fiction, but I’m not sure which day since this is a blast event, which means they can post any they chose.

You can check out the blogs during the week, or you can follow on Twitter with hashtag ‪#‎SizzlingSummerEvent.

Are you going to check out the blogs? Good! Give yourself a smiley sticker and prepare to win so you can squander your money on more e-Books . . . who needs food anyway? 🙂

Jul 18 2013

It’s A Small World Afterall . . . My Love/Hate Relationship

I’m sure we’ve all heard the expression, “It’s a small world after all.” Love the ride at Disney (ADD side note: funniest description I’ve ever read of this ride is in the opening pages of Going Bovine by Libba Bray. Do yourself a favor & click on the link to read the free preview on Amazon, and prepare to really ROTFLMAO!) . . . where was I? Oh yeah, love the ride, not a big fan of the saying. Ever since the invention of the Internet, this world just keeps getting smaller and smaller, to the point where I am afraid for the kind of world my 13yo and 9yo daughters are growing up in.

I miss when my kids were small, and when I was too, lol.

I’m frightened enough that when I took my English 6-12 certification exam a couple of weeks ago (in preparation to teach middle school Language Arts, and you should read the awesome story about that if you haven’t!), and I had to write a persuasive essay about an invention I wish would’ve never been invented, I wrote about social media sites.WARNING: If you’re my 13yo daughter reading this now (b/c she occasionally cares enough to see what her old mom is up to), you may want to melt me with that laser look you’re so good at when I’m done with this blog post. So get it ready now. And remember Mom loves you.

It drives me nuts to see my daughter’s iPod Touch attached to her hand . . . to the point where she challenged herself to a 5 day detox and couldn’t last 24 hours. I walk into a house to pick her up from a party and instead of everybody talking, they’re texting the person next to them on the friggin’ couch! They constantly ask, “How many Instagram followers do you have?” to the point it becomes bullying because if you don’t have at least 1,000 followers then you’re not cool. (Just made said daughter take down her account because she let too many strangers ‘follow’ her). Her ‘boy’ friends inhale violent video games through Xbox Live into the wee hours of the night. Her girlfriends think life can be encapsulated in a 140 character Twitter message or Facebook status update. BUT THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION! To the point where we run into one of her friends outside of school at a Shrek the Musical Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre performance tonight, and they don’t even know how to properly SAY hello to each other.

You see, my daughter lost her iPod Touch three weeks ago, so she couldn’t text it, email it, tag her in a FB status, post a duck face with her friend on Instagram, ect . . . . and by the way, these past three weeks have been HEAVEN without that little Apple. Dreading officially getting her a cell phone before school starts up again, but we’ll need to because of the logistics of my job change Note: this will be her first cell, and I’m proud of that. When I taught 3rd grade this past year, the majority of my class had cell phones and a FB account . . . at 8 years old. Yeah, and we wonder why we have such an ADD problem in this country now. Oooh, squirrel!

But here’s the LOVE part. Yanno that Shrek show I mentioned? I got to meet a publishing sister/blogger buddy all the way from Ohio there tonight. Why? B/c when hubs and I were trying to win the tickets through a, wait for it . . . YEP–Facebook contest, Tara Tyler saw it and said she’d be attending the show. I asked, do you mean in your area or are you visiting on vacation? She answered she was vacationing in Florida and did I live near there? Um, heck yeah! And this is the 4th blogger buddy I’ve had the pleasure of meeting in person due to social media. Well, I wouldn’t have any blogger buddies without social media, would I?

Tara Tyler and me 🙂

The other part I love? As a debut author, I could probably expect to sell 100 books to my friends and family without social media. But the social media frenzy caused my reach to multiply that by 10 so far, and it keeps growing. For the past 3 weeks, 18 Things has trended in the top 100 for Coming of Age fiction on Amazon, ranging anywhere from the 30’s to 100. Why? I haven’t done any real promoting since March. I’m guessing all those people who came across my debut novel through the What Are Your 18 Things bloghop and then the 6 week book blog tour have finally gotten around to reading and recommending it (the book came out in January). That’s the power of word of mouth, and it starts with social media sites, and most importantly, it’s all FREE!

In the end, I love connecting with fabulous people like you and the thought of a couple million people potentially reading my book. But on the flip side, I hate all the murderers and child molesters that potentially could be looking at my daughters on one of those sites too. It’s a win-lose situation, but I know social media isn’t going anywhere, and I must adapt or die . . . which happens to be one of my favorite quotes from the movie, Moneyball. If you’ve never seen this inspirational true story, make some time to watch it!

What are your thoughts? Do you LOVE social media, or do you love to hate it? Have you meet any blogger buddies in real life yet? Oh, and don’t forget to check out Tara Tyler’s new novel, Pop Travel, a sci-fi noir, cat and mouse game where the hard-boiled detective is chased across the world, “popping” with teleportation, which has a deadly flaw he is determined to expose. How cooool does that sound?!

Jamie Ayres

Novelist of YA Coming of Age Love Stories with a Paranormal Twist

Tag Archives: Coming of Age Fiction