Mar 6 2013

IWSG: Spread the Love

Did you know my debut novel, 18 Things, released on January 24th?! If you did, then my six-week blog tour was a success:-) If you missed my last post of the tour, you can check it out here. You know I LOVE lists, so it’s no surprise I wrapped things up with one! If you’re thinking about querying, you don’t want to miss it.

So what now? I probably should get to all that writing of an actual book that I neglected to write guest posts instead. But first, I want to share the love, baby! The heart of the IWSG is to share and encourage and I think these things fall under both, in addition to making you cry, but no worries . . . there’s a good laugh at the end if you stick around! *Thanks to Elodie for bringing Chad and Bridget to my attention*

First: Chad Morris

Chad is in a hospital, being there for his nine-year-old daughter as she recovers from surgery to remove a brain tumor. As the mother of a nine-year-old daughter myself, I can’t even imagine this. Obviously, he can’t promote his book release, but we can! We can give him the book launch he deserves. If you feel inclined, please mention his book on Twitter, Facebook, on your blog, on Pinterest, ect . . . .

Book Blurb for The Inventor’s Secret:

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don’t read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn’t around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.

Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.

Second: Bridget Zinn

Bridget’s debut novel, POISON, releases in a week. Sadly, Bridget died from cancer in May 2011. Being published was her dream, and her husband and friends would appreciate some love in helping her dream become reality. Her husband set up a website that talks about the ways you can help.

Book Blurb for Poison:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she’s the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom’s future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.
Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king’s army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she’s not alone. She’s armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can’t stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she’s certainly no damsel-in-distress—she’s the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

Third: Krystal Wade

Krystal is the one who turned my dream of publishing a book into reality. She keeps insane hours and answers every email I have in record time. She’s not editing books anymore so she can devote her time to writing, and right now you can “buy” the first book in her trilogy for FREE!!! But today is the last day of this promotion, so HURRY!!!

Book Blurb for Wilde’s Fire:

Katriona Wilde has never wondered what it would feel like to have everything she’s ever known and loved ripped away, but she is about to find out. When she inadvertently leads her sister and best friend through a portal into a world she’s dreamed of for six years, she finds herself faced with more than just the frightening creatures in front of her. Kate’s forced to accept a new truth: her entire life has been a lie, and those closest to her have betrayed her. What’s worse, she has no control over her new future, and it’s full of magic and horrors from which nightmares are made.

Will Kate discover and learn to control who she really is in time to save the ones she loves, or will all be lost?

*I think all of these stories sound pretty awesome, don’t you?

I’m looking forward to reading them with my twelve-year-old daughter.

Speaking of my first-born, she started a new blog with her four best friends this past weekend while they were having a slumber party. If you write middle grade, you’d be wise to give them a follow, and they’d be forever grateful in return!! Kaylee even wrote the first post about tips for surviving middle school! That post is the first thing that will have you laughing, or at least it did for me!

Staying with the topic of daughters, I must share this Father of the Bride video Ellen posted yesterday. No, it’s not a clip from the movie . . . and even though that flick is one of my favorites, I must say that this video tops it for me! Get ready for your second laugh!

*So how’d I do? Did I make you laugh or cry or both?

Feb 20 2013

Wacky Wednesday’s Miscellaneous Thoughts

I decided to have some more direction on my blog this year. Here’s what I’m thinking:

1st Wednesday of the month: IWSG

2nd Wednesday: Wacky Wednesday, where I post my miscellaneous thoughts (will probably focus more on faith and family, movies and music)

3rd Wednesday: Mash-up of Awesomeness (guest posts, interviews, cover reveals, blogfests announcements, etc . . . )

4th Wednesday: YA/NA Book Club–a review of the books I’ve read in the past month *anyone interested in reading the same book for March and posting about it? I’m thinking of Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans, but I’m open to suggestions!

Of course, I’ll always make an exception for my blogger buddies and post whenever they need me to do a cover reveal, ect . . . when it’s not a Wednesday. For instance, I’m revealing Alex Cavanaugh’s cover on Friday and Ciara Knight’s Escapement cover on Monday, so be sure to check back then. But I figured with this schedule, I’m fitting in a little bit of everything:-)

And just in case you missed it, here are the links for my 18 Things blog tour since the last time I posted:

Michelle Ziegler’s blog, where I shared about the time I almost drowned in a septic tank, and I’m not even shitting you right now!

Lindsey Loucks blog, where she asked me 18 fun questions, and I tried to give equally fun answers!

Jessa Russo’s blog, where I shared a deleted scene *paperback and ebook giveaway still up for grabs here!!*

And now for my random thoughts segment . . . .

On Valentine’s Day, my 9yo daughter gave me a list of “18 Things I Love About You.” She’s wanted her own blog for about a year now, but I told her she has to wait until she’s in middle school like her sister . . . so I thought she’d get a kick out of me publishing her list on here. And let’s face it, I only have 4 more years of her saying nice things about me, so I have to document this while I still can! Here’s her cute list (and I kept her spelling the same):

1. Nice

2. Funny

3. acts like a 9 year old kid *coincidentally, this is often my 12yo biggest complaint about me*

4. FUN

5. cool

6. everydays funier with you

7. good cook (hey, I never said all of this was true)

8. shouting out squril

9. prettey

10. sweet like candy

11. kindhearted

12. good friend

13. awesome

14. brave enough to kill spiders

15. careful, except when driving like Jeff Gordon *hindsight is 20/20–probably not a good idea to have my h.s. boyfriend teach me how to drive*

16. nice, small eyes *both my daughters have their dad’s eyes, which people are forever commenting on how big they are. You can watch this video to see for yourself–my daughters would be forever grateful since they really want to become YouTube sensations since their mean parents won’t let them become child actors*

17. great writer

18. And the last thing I love about you is that it wasn’t even hard to think of 18 Things that I love about you

*Awww! Did you have any sweet surprises this past week? What do you think about joining my YA/NA Monthly Online Book Club? Any book suggestions for me?!?

Feb 6 2013

IWSG–Do I Have the Magician’s Secret?

When my YA debut novel, 18 Things, released to instant best-seller status on Amazon on January 24th, many people emailed me asking what my secret was. Sure, my sales couldn’t rival those of Stephen King or anything, but as an unpublished nobody, the sales were pretty awesome! (Psst . . . here’s an insider tip you may not know. Have your buds buy your book AND also a bestseller of a similar sort (something huge like Stephen King) to get Amazon to recommend your book alongside theirs. Didn’t know this until after release day. DOH!)

Anyway, the answer is yesss, I do know magic . . . because I know all of YOU! The first important step I took to success? Immersing myself into the blogging community at the start of 2012. Now, I’ve had this blog since August 2010, but I didn’t give it the love and attention it needed until I made it my 2012 New Year’s resolutions (ha! sometimes those things do work!) So, I thought the Alex J. Cavanaugh’s IWSG was the perfect place to share my journey . . .

So, first thing’s first: I truly appreciate EVERY reader who bought my book, even the ones who hated it and gave it two stars. I appreciate you taking the time to give me honest feedback, and it’ll make me a better writer. I know I can’t please everyone, and honestly, my book won’t be for everyone. About that same time I took that leap into the blogging community is when I finally embraced that God had given me a gift besides teaching to empower young people. And the good news it, every teenager that I’ve heard from so far *fingers crossed* has absolutely loved it. They are my target audience, so if I’ve inspired them even a little, that’s my success. I could care less about best seller status . . . I only wanted that to push it to a place of influence to reach others. I took profit off the table a long time ago. Not that I wouldn’t like it. I’m a teacher by day, and Lord knows I could use some extra cash. But if that’s truly what I was after, I would’ve gotten a part-time job a long time ago. It would’ve been less work for way more money. But like teaching, writing is my PASSION. I take it very seriously that people are inviting me to entertain them every time they buy a book.

But let me say this to people asking me how I did it and assuming I’m quitting my day job soon because I’m rich: DO NOT assume that once you write a book and it trends in the top 100 on Amazon in a few categories that you will become rich and famous. Amazon is being stingy with my exact figures, and all I have is how many ebooks were bought on release day . . . somewhere between 120-150. So my cut is anywhere between $245-$340. I’ve already given that much away in charitable contributions. So nope, not in it for money! Still, not bad for one day’s sales, if only the trend would continue!! *BTW, if you didn’t know, which I didn’t, Amazon’s cut is a 30% commission. Here’s what I watched unfold with tears (of joy) on January 24th:

For one night, I was ahead of John Grisham. This blows my mind!

And I’m under James Patterson–my literary hero! Here’s hoping his success rubs off on my book:-)

And #3 in Hot Releases for Paranormal-now THAT is beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding.

Now, I was bummed my paperbacks weren’t available release day like they were supposed to be, because I spent a lot of time organizing this Book Bomb event on Facebook. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, check it out here. I have no clue how many paperbacks I’ve sold so far . . . hopefully another 150 since 313 had RSVP’d to my Book Bomb Event (the paperbacks became available the next day, Jan. 25th). But turns out, paperbacks are more of an advertising thing, not profit, especially with other physical retailers. So yeah, beginning to see why Amazon is so appealing to authors from a business side of things. Still, my goal is to get my books into the hands of READERS, so I’m not taking it off of B&N. But just Fyi, my print sales from B&N leaves me with about seventy-five cents per sale. Yes, I did say CENTS. After 3 1/2 years into this writing business, do you see now why I say it’d make more sense to just get a part-time job at the Outback restaurant or something if money is what I was after? (I say Outback b/c when my hubs worked there in 2005, he brought home more money than I did as a teacher that year!!)

But hey, seventy-five cents a copy is still better than the 3 years of rejections I had piling up. Every book bought is validation . . . every 4 or 5 star review is another validation . . . I’m on the right path. This is what God had in mind for me from the beginning:-) So what if I have no money? I’m rich in spirit, faith, love, family, & friends! You all are truly the magic!!!

But my realm of influence only spreads so far, since I’m not rich and famous. So you might be wondering what will I do now to get my sales up? Because of right now as I type this post, I’m #45, 681 in the Kindle store and #74, 434 for paperbacks on Amazon. Yep, not exactly trending in the top 100 anymore! Well, I feel like I’ve done my part. I did a bucket list blogfest the week leading up to release, with a giveaway of 18 donated prizes *thanks again, peeps!!!* That was helpful in spreading the word. Now I’m on a blog tour with 18 stops, which goes until the end of this month. Here are the most recent posts since last Wednesday’s blog, incase you missed the links around Twitter and my Author’s Facebook page:

Stop #6: Gwen Gardner’s blog: My guest post on writing paranormal: Do You Believe What You Write? I share my real-life story about a time I met an angel, so check it out!

Stop #7: Jennifer Eaton’s blog: Where the Little Blue Lady from outer space ~~interrogates~~ interviews me *highly amusing, IMHO*

Stop #8: Marcy Blesy’s blog: Interview focusing on a first time author’s perspective *Marcy interviewed me on HER release day for her new book, Confessions of a Corn Kid. She didn’t even tell me it was her release day until afterward–how’s that for selfless?!

Stop #9: Amy Kennedy’s blog: 18 Things You Should Know About Writing *things I WISH I would’ve known when starting out!*

9 down, 9 more to go! The other thing I did was sent out a press release. I only got 2 responses so far. Here’s an article from the Grand Haven Tribune. Grand Haven is the wonderful community where 18 Things is set. If you’ve never visited this small town during the summer, add it to your bucket list!

And soon I’ll be going on a local news show called The Morning Blend. What else? Hmm . . . my first local library event is next Wednesday, as well as my first school author visit! I’ll be a part of two book festivals coming up–one in March in the Fort Myers area and another in April in Orlando. I’ll be happy to blog my experiences afterward and tell you if I think it was worth the effort. In the meantime, I’m contacting YA book blog reviewers. Three have already agreed to read and review. I love these girls better than coffee and cakepops!! They provide an enormous service to us little authors, for the love of reading! LOVE it!

Sorry this post was longer than usual, but inquiring minds were asking me. Now I’ve probably crossed the line of TMI (as usual).

Do you have any strategies for magic that I left out?!

Have your read 18 Things yet?

One thing I will caution against is don’t read the whole book waiting for the paranormal. It’s only like 10% paranormal, and it has to do with the God aspect. I didn’t choose the categories on Amazon, and have no idea how those appear, but I was still extremely grateful to be trending in them. But if you only love reading purely paranormal books, then 18 Things isn’t for you. I think it’s still a decent book (although, some people would argue that point!), and if you felt cheated, the sequel is 90% paranormal to make up for it;-)

OH! One more thing before I return to working on my next book . . . my CQ partner in crime totally surprised me with this book trailer. I didn’t even ask anyone to do it, but she did because she is awesome. Seriously, if you look up awe*some in the dictionary, Courtney Worth Young’s picture is next to it, in all her HP Geek Glory:-) Enjoy!!!

Jan 2 2013

OH, CRAP! Insecure Writer’s New Year’s Post

HaPPy*2013*Awesome*People!!!

When I look back at my 2012 resolution, it was to get my YA novel, 18 Things, published.

But honestly? I never thought this day would come! Nooo, not because I’m wacky enough to believe Dec. 21st was going to be the end of the world (well, okay, some nights when I had way too much chocolate and a gallon of coffee, I might’ve listened to my brother’s entertaining conspiracy theories). But I’m talking about the day I finally announce the release date for my novel.

JANUARY 24TH!

Sure, I prayed for it, counted minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, 3 years off my calendar waiting for the day when I could finally call myself a published author. Now it’s here. And I know 13 is an ‘unlucky’ number, but I’ve got a feeling 2013 is gonna be a good year, a gOOd, GooD year (I always liked an underdog!).

BUT OH, CRAP! THAT’S JUST 22 DAYS AWAY!! AHH!

I’m so blessed I cringe at the thought of asking for anything from anyone. But another blogger reminded me today that God’s blessings aren’t limited and someone isn’t lacking because I’m not. So I’m putting this out to the universe . . . would any of you be interested in an interview, a guest post by me, a book review, or maybe just featuring my cover image, promotional blurb, and author bio on your site? Your interest and support really mean a lot to me. If you’d like to help, please let me know in the comments below, or email me through the Contact Me tab above^ (P.S. If you’re visiting for the first time and have no clue what 18 Things is about, you can also visit the About Me tab for the dets ^)

Getting my book out there is just a small part of what I hope to accomplish in 2013. I’d also love to be a blessing to other bloggers, so please know I will pay it forward. It may take me awhile to repay everyone, but I promise to do it sometime in 2013! And the first person I’m starting with is Sharon Bayliss, my publishing sister who hosted the contest on her blog that led my editor to my book. Today, Sharon is revealing the cover for her debut novel. Here it is *drumroll please*

Really draws you in, doesn’t it? Yes, we both have a fondness for blue and lightning, lol! Here’s the blurb . . . you’re gonna want to add this to your TBR list!

What if Texas never joined the United States, and instead became its own nation?

In The Charge that’s exactly what happened. In the 1830s, the Republic of Texas was taken over by a dictator with superhuman powers who named himself the first King of Texas. Eighty years later, the Texas Empire has fallen into ruin, but the story of the Texas royal dynasty is far from over.

College freshman Warren King wants nothing more than to enjoy a beer by the pool on his summer break…but that’s not what fate has in store for him. When Texas soldiers kidnap his little brother, he embarks into a still-wild West to save him. While fumbling through a search attempt in the lawless Texas Empire, he makes a discovery that changes his life forever. He and his brother are estranged members of the Texas royal family and the King wants them both dead. Now Warren must save his brother and choose whether or not to be King, follow a King, or die before he can retire his fake ID.

The Charge was a quarterfinalist for the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award and won a Publisher’s Weekly review:

“A solid cast of well-developed characters, including a “super-tall” royal Texan family, stars in this thrill ride of a novel teetering between sci-fi adventure and alternate historical epic…Easily shifting between characters’ perspectives, and relentless in its action, well-placed humor, and suspense, this manuscript is a delight.”

The Charge will be available in digital and print formats from Curiosity Quills Press on Texas Independence Day, 3/2/13. Go to www.facebook.com/thechargebook for updates.

So friends, what are your goals for 2013? Maybe read more YA books? (Hey, they have lots of inspiring heroes! I’m not just throwing this out there b/c I write YA novels. No, no, no, that would be self-serving. At least I didn’t suggest that one of your goals should be to read 18 Things *coughs*)

Ha! Whatever your thoughts are for 2013, don’t let unfinished goals from 2012 hold you back. A lot of times our dreams aren’t fulfilled not because of our performance, but because of timing. We don’t know the details of our lives, so we have to step out in faith. Have faith with me that 2013 will be a lucky year!

If you’d like to join the Insecure Writer’s Support Group with our head Ninja Captain, visit Alex J. Cavanaugh!

Oct 3 2012

18 Things Cover Reveal and IWSG

The day you’ve all been waiting for is here!!! Merry Christmas . . . I mean . . . Happy Halloween? Hahaha, that was my editor’s joke to me, the awesome Krystal Wade, because it sure feels like a holiday to us. We can finally share my cover for my YA paranormal, 18 Things . . .

And here’s the blurb incase you have no idea what that cover is supposed to represent:

Can eighteen things save a life?

Olga Gay Worontzoff thinks her biggest problems are an awful name (after her grandmothers of course) and not attending prom with Conner, her best friend and secret crush since kindergarten.

Then Conner is killed in a freak boating accident and Olga feels responsible. When she downs an entire bottle of pills to deal with the emotional pain, her parents force her into counseling. There, her therapist writes a prescription in the form of a life list titled 18 Things. Eighteen quests to complete the year of her eighteenth birthday.

Alls she has to do is fire-walk, try out for the cheerleading squad, break a world record, and err . . . go on her first date. Good thing Nate, a new hottie in town, enters her life with perfect timing. He brings the fun factor to her list and helps her discover the beauty and strength inside herself, then complicates things by falling in love with her.

Just as she’s finally embracing the joys of YOLO, her therapist reveals a big secret and Olga’s world is shaken. In the past year it took eighteen remarkable things to change a life, but nothing she believed about her mission is true.

Now she doesn’t just risk losing her true soul-mate forever, she risks losing her very soul.

*Squee* I’m so excited about this I’m about to squeeeee like a little piggy all over this page. Shout out to artist Michelle for doing an A*W*E*S*O*M*E job on my cover!! Of course all of this leads perfectly into the second part of my post for . . .

IWSG

I have a book coming out in roughly two months! TWO months! I should be excited, right? Right. So why do I feel terrified, ya’ll? To be honest, I kinda only dreamed of this dream happening. I never really expected to fulfill this one. I mean, I wasn’t giving up. Giving up writing is akin to giving up breathing. But still, I would’ve been content to just write and query and . . . hide. With publication, I can’t hide from those inevitable bad reviews. And I’m wondering what to do about that, because I seriously don’t have time to waste and worry about bad reviews.

So I’m thinking, should I even read the reviews at all? Do you think head ninja captain Alex J. Cavanaugh can scare the bad reviews away for me? It is, after all, his support group, and I’m pretty sure his skills are equal to or greater than Chuck Norris.

P.S. Shout out to my whole Curiosity Quills family for their support: Krystal Wade, Sharon Bayliss, Courtney Worth Young, Dawna Raver, Thea Gregory, Jade Hart, Lisa Moran Collicutt; as well as my friends Marisa Cleveland and Tonya Kuper for their help in revealing my cover! I’d link back to all of you, but WordPress isn’t cooperating tonight and making me angrier than a bird right now so I’m going to bed *sighs*

Sep 5 2012

Insecure Writers and Cover Reveal

It’s the first Wednesday of the month! DO you knOW WHat time it is? Alex Cavanaugh’s IWSG–Woot, woot! If you’d like to join our Insecure Writer’s Support Group, just follow the link:~)

So last week I shared pics of my fam’s trip to Star Wars Celebration VI in O-town and promised to share some insights this week.

Do you ever wonder why you do this? Why you research, plan and plot, write, revise, ect . . . over and over again, many times without seeing the fruits of your labor for a loooooooooooooong time (3 yrs for many;-) While I walked around the Orange County Convention Center, it hit me. Stories, good stories, make us feel emotions and experiences we wish we had in our everyday lives. Sometimes in a world where I feel like nobody is real anymore (just look at ‘reality TV’), I can delve into a book and live in the world of the characters for a few moments (okay, usually for a few hours, lol) and feel like all is right with the world again. Because these rock stars, I mean, authors, have such talent, it makes me believe in mankind and our purpose here. Some people meditate or take Pilates, I read & write. It’s my therapy (along with a steady diet of chocolate and coffee. I think my pen name should be “Caffeine Girl”).

There’s another reason why I write and you may or may not share my sentiments. Besides needing it as much as the air I breathe, I look at it as a calling, just like my teaching job. I realize not everyone believes in callings and I’m not trying to preach at ya. But I do believe we’re all born with God-given talents and I think writing is one of mine. If it was a money thing, I’d go out and get another job (and I wouldn’t be a teacher either for that matter). It’d be a LOT easier, let me tell you! But in life, we all have those, “Luke, I AM YOUR FATHER” moments.

Love my daughter's Darth Vader mask with Ahsoka shirt-we all have a little bit of angel and devil in us

Love my daughter’s Darth Vader mask with Ahsoka shirt-we all have a little bit of dark and light in us

If I can impart some wisdom from those moments that happen to me to somebody else through my novel, then I think that’s awesomesauce. Like I said, writing & reading are therapy to my soul. In life, I’m a complete mess. I may have the Coach purse to fool you into thinking that I have it all (it was a gift from my students last year, how cool is that), but trust me, people look at me walking down the school hallways and say, “Man, that Jamie Ayres is a complete mess! Look at her!” And I praise God for that, because He uses people like that to make a difference. So I write it into my characters, but the nice thing about that is I can make them shine on the pages by the time I’m done. Too bad it’s not that easy in real life. But nonetheless, our destinies aren’t thwarted by failures. George Lucas once said in an interview, “Even when Anakin became Darth Vader, he was still the chosen one.” So don’t give up on your stories if you’re feeling doubts and concerns over appearing foolish or weak. Darth Vader was still able to overthrow the emperor after the task seemed impossible all those years!

One more thing before I go, Krystal Wade’s cover reveal!

Isn’t it pretty? Doesn’t it just draw you in? Krystal’s a fellow Curiosity Quills author (not to mention the BEE–some of you get that, heeheehee). The last book in the trilogy is out in exactly 2 months *sQUee* Here’s the blurb:

Happy endings are hard to find, and even though Katriona is in the middle of a war with someone who’s already stolen more than she can replace, she aches for a positive future with her Draíochtans.

Armed with hope, confidence in her abilities, and a strange new gift from her mother, Kate ventures into the Darkness to defeat a fallen god.

Losses add up, and new obstacles rise to stand in the way. Is the one determined to bring Encardia light strong enough to keep fighting, or will all the sacrifices to stop those who seek domination be for nothing?

Well, until next Wednesday . . .

May the Force be with you:~)

Aug 1 2012

Buccaneer Blogfest and IWSG

*Scroll down if you’re here for IWSG, or read the first part too if you want to win some cool YA books*

Well, it’s been a nonstop joyride of swashbuckling fun this past month participating in the Buccaneer Blogfest. Many thanks to our charming rogue pirates Sharon Bayliss and Courtney Young. I know the last post is supposed to be on Friday but as a teacher, I’m back to school this week (hence, missing my post on Monday) and it’s just madness this time of year. Now I know I’ll have a blood debt to pay for this, so no worries, I’m giving away 5 books. Hosting a Rafflecopter or even adding a Google Friend Connect Widget seems super complicated on wordpress (anyone have tips they can share??) so instead I’ll use my trusty Mega Timer I utilize in my classroom. I’ll number the comments one through . . . well, however many people comment (you think we can beat my record of 55 comments from one post? Hmm, I wonder what Alex’s is? No doubt that’ll look pathetic next to his, lol), then I hit the random selector button and TA-DA! I’ll have 5 different winners and will announce them here next Wednesday as I return to my regular weekly schedule. Once I announce them, you’ll need to email me within 24 hrs and tell me which book you’d like. That means the early bird gets the worm . . . if someone else already emailed me and chose the book you wanted, you’ll have to pick your 2nd choice (sorry, Charlie!). Here are the books I’m giving away from my bookshelf (all YA paranormal/fantasy/science fiction and in great condition).

by Lisa McMann, even autographed!

by Amanda Hocking, the exemplar of self-publishing eBooks

by James A. Moore, twice nominated for Bram Stroker Award & writer for Marvel Comics

by Pam Bachorz, loved the FL setting & twisted ending

by Julia Karr, this one is my fav out of the five

Thanks to everyone who visited my blog during the month of July . . . somehow I reached the 1,000 followers mark during it *throws confetti* Quite a few from other countries too like Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Ireland! Yay:-) I’d love it if you gave me a follow before entering the contest, or visit the Follow Me button at the top of my site for other choices at stalking me;-)

Okay, now it’s time for Alex J. Cavanaugh’s IWSG! This is my first one since my pub deal (since I missed July’s posting).

According to the Ninja Master’s website, the Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Oh my gosh, soooo insecure about publishing my first novel, 18 Things, with Curiosity Quills Press soon! You know how they have the 7 Stages of Grief? I think writers go through something similar:

Step 1: Excitement–the OMG moment where someone FINALLY offers you a contract for publishment *squeal*

Step 2: Shock–your body goes numb & nothing going on around you registers

Step 3: Disbelief–nope, this can’t be for real. They made a mistake. They’ll be calling any minute now to retract their offer.

Step 4: Bargaining–Oh God, I’ll give anything for this to be real. I won’t yell at my husband anymore for never putting his dirty socks in the laundry basket. I’ll have more patience for my kids and students. I’ll walk the dog 3x a day. I’ll treat my body like a holy temple & won’t consume massive amounts of chocolate. Just please, please, please let this happen! (say allllllllll of this with your fingers & toes crossed in the prayer position)

Step 5: Guilt–how did I sign a contract before this totally AWESOME blogger buddy who writes waaayyy better than I do? That’s not fair!

Step 6: Acceptance–reality sets in & you remember everything happens for a reason & God has finally given you your shining moment

Step 7: Hope–that everyone (mostly) will fall in love with your novel when they read it and post rocking reviews

This quote I read sums it up nicely:

“A person who publishes a book appears willfully in public with his pants down.” – Edna St. Vincent Millay

*What about you, dear writers? Do you agree with my 7 stages? Have any stages to add? Comments make me smile:-)

~Cheers & Go Team USA!!! I have a major case of Olympics LOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!

Jamie Ayres

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

Tag Archives: IWSG