Tag Archives: Lee County Reading Council

Apr 6 2016

Carpe Diem!

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. . . One of my favorite quotes that I wrote at the front of my current journal. I’ve been given a lot of author opportunities as of late. There was my presentation about writing at the Lee County Reading Conference.

LCRC 2016

The third annual authors conference that I organized for my middle school, where I teach eighth grade English Language Arts. Here’s me with authors Kyle Prue, Jeff Strand, Liz Coley, Krystal Wade, Wendy Mills, Teshelle Combs, Erica Cameron, and Lisa Colozza Cocca.

GMS 3

Riverdale High School Literacy Festival. One of my favorite parts is doing the panel in the auditorium with the other authors. This year I got to promote 18 Thoughts!

RHS Lit 2016

A book signing at the largest independent bookstore in my county (check out the amazing book bridge–I want one in my house!). This is me with my editor and friend, Krystal Wade, who also happens to be an amazing author!

Krystal and me 2

And I have another author event at a middle school this Friday, followed by a visit to a book club who read 18 Things later this month!

I don’t mention this to brag, but to remind all of us how each day it’s up to us to look for new opportunities, and not to just further our careers. Every person I meet is an opportunity to uncover a new story, see a different perspective, discover a new friend.

Each place I go is an opportunity to try a new route, enjoy the scenery along the way, explore the surroundings, create adventure.

Each book, meal, conversation-Each Encounter–is an opportunity.

We’ve each been given our own unique talents and gifts to share with the world. Nothing makes me happier than shining my light and helping others to do the same. You never know what tomorrow may bring, so CARPE DIEM!!

~How have you seized the day lately?

This has been a post for the Insecure Writer’s Support Group, the brainchild of Head Ninja, Alex J. Cavanaugh. Feel free to join us the first Wednesday of every month! Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

IWSGHEADER

 

 

Feb 26 2015

In Memoriam, 18 TRUTHS just 99 cents today, & Other Updates

Whew! What a week! But before I tell you what I’ve been up to, I want to pay tribute to a very special lady who influenced me in a wonderful way. Many know that my main character in my trilogy, Olga Worontzoff, was named after my grandmother. She passed yesterday, but we rejoice. At 97, she had already buried a son & was ready to go & she went peacefully. As I do author school visits, I’ll be thinking of her as I discuss the fictional Olga, nowhere near as cool as the real one. R.I.P. GG.

My sisters & I with GG and G'pa . . . being silly (always)

My sisters & I with GG and G’pa . . . being silly (always)

I’m so glad she lived a long life, long enough to see herself immortalized in my trilogy, which thrilled her to no end. One of those books is 18 TRUTHS, the second book in my trilogy, which is just 99 CENTS on the Kindle in her honor. 18 Truths was dedicated to her & you’ll find this inscription at the front:

“For GG, the real Olga Worontzoff. You are one of a kind. I’m sorry I never learned to count in Russian, but I hope this makes up for it in some small way. xoxo”

99 cents is the lowest price I can make it. Today & tomorrow only –you can pick it up here  🙂  If you could spare a tweet or Facebook shout out, I’d appreciate it:

Retweet Link or cut & paste: 2/26 & 2/27 only, 18 TRUTHS!! “An achingly beautiful story of life, loss and hope.”

Facebook: Meet the fictional Olga Worontzoff to honor the real one. 18 Truths just 99 cents today & tomorrow only: http://www.amazon.com/18-Truths-So-Called-Afterlife-Book-ebook/dp/B00I34D1GU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1424927626&sr=8-1&keywords=18+truths

Thanks, friends. And now onto some happy news . . .

Friday night was a visit to a book club! It was bittersweet because they’ve hosted me every February for 18 Things, 18 Truths, and now 18 Thoughts. I told them I’d continue to crash their February meeting even if I didn’t have a book out 🙂

Sue Book Club

Saturday I was a presenter and vendor at the Lee County Reading Council Conference, where people not only showed up to my class, but I sold out of books . . . like all of them! Check out my fancy new banner below that my publisher sent me (does that make me legit now?!).

my banner

 

Then yesterday was the young adult author conference at my middle school. From left to right is Amy Christine Parker (Gated, Astray), Teshelle Combs (Core series, The System), Eliza Tilton (Broken Forest, Wicked Path), Me (in the SW dress & tights, duh!), Krista Rausin (Mystic), Vivi Barnes (Olivia Twisted, Paper & Plastic), Jeff Strand (I Have A Bad Feeling About This), Trish Doller (Where the Stars Still Shine), Lynne Matson (NIL), & Christina Farley (Gilded & Silvern).

GMSYAC

 

Today & tomorrow I’m at the Riverdale Literacy Festival, which includes a Barnes and Noble panel and signing with fourteen other YA Authors on Thursday night in Fort Myers. Thanks sooo much to Morgan and Fallon from Seeing Double In Neverland for putting this together!! Stop by if you’re local!

B&N Event revised

 

*What have you been up to this week???

 

 

 

 

 

Mar 17 2013

The Luck of the Irish Brings you 18 Things for 99 Cents (and much more!!!)

Not only does the Kindle e-book for 18 Things go on sale today for 99 cents, but it was just an overall AWESOME week to be an author! A new local bookstore opened up in my town, and I also got to participate in the Southwest Florida Reading Festival yesterday. I sat at a vendor’s table with my local Romance Writer’s group from 10-4pm and actually sold 17 books! I know that’s not breaking any records, but I’m always humbled anyone wants to read my book! Annnd, while I was there, I got invited by the Lee County Reading Council to be the guest author speaker at their End of Year banquet next month *squeeee*

Plus, people left me warm fuzzy messages this week after finishing 18 Things. On Twitter, Cheryl had this to say: “Just finished 18 Things. Way to reinforce my belief in God and life. It was much-needed. I feel whole again after reading your book.” Isn’t that the greatest DM ever?! Thanks for letting me share, Cheryl!

Also got this message on FB from a middle school Language Arts teacher: “I ordered one of your books from amazon and all my students want to read it at the same time. Just placed another order for several copies.” LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

And finally another FB message from a coworker: “Tomorrow we will be able to check off running a 5k – thank you Jamie Ayres for motivating me to finally do something about my bucket list!” WOW, can you see the HUGE smile on my face from where you are sitting?!?

If that doesn’t make you want to read 18 Things, then you just might be a broken person. Well, okay, I am too . . . that’s why I wrote 18 Things! So let’s get down to the Nitty-Gritty!

99 cent Lucky Book Sale

For the 99 cent sale, several of us at Curiosity Quills Press wanted to do some kind of shared giveaway on our blogs. The point of the giveaway is to call attention to the 99 cent sale and get people to spread the word (via rafflecopter). We figured it didn’t make much sense to give away our 99 cent ebooks, but we could all put in toward a Kindle Fire or Amazon gift card. Who wouldn’t be interested in that, right? WordPress doesn’t support rafflecopter *shakes fist in air* but you can enter the giveaway on Sharon Bayliss’s site! (The link should be live sometime soon–thanks for helping to spread the word!) Here’s the list of participating books:

18 Things by Jamie Ayres *Woot, wOOt!!*

Once Upon a Changeling by V.J. Chambers
Cappuccino Heaven by Michelle Wright
The Space Whiskey Death Chronicles by William Vtika
The Charge by Sharon Bayliss
Ever by Jessa Russo
Blow up the Roses by Randy Attwood
Theocracide by James Wymore
Fade by Ayden Morgan
The Green Man and Other Short Stories by Rand Lee
The Gathering Darkness by Lisa Collicutt
Sanity Vacuum by Thea Gregory
Legasea by Krystalyn Drown
The Devil You Know (Nick Englebrecht Trilogy Book 1) by K.H. Koehler
Death, the Devil, and the Goldfish by Andrew Buckley
Nefertiti’s Heart by AW Exley
Paradise Earth: Day Zero by Anthony Mathenia
Death by Chocolate by Johanna Pitcairn
Bone Wires by Michael Shean
Shadow of a Dead Star by Michael Shean
The Green Eyed Monster by Mike Robinson
The Prince of Earth by Mike Robinson
Danger in Cat World by Nina Post
One Ghost per Serving by Nina Post
The Last Condo Board of the Apocalypse by Nina Post
The Last Donut Shop of the Apocalypse by Nina Post
Wilde’s Fire (Darkness Falls Series Book 1) by Krystal Wade
Wilde’s Army (Darkness Falls Series Book 2) by Krystal Wade
World’s Burn Through (Chronicles of Nowhere Book 1) by Vicki Keire
Shadowed Ground (Chronicles of Nowhere Book 2) by Vicki Keire
Wet Dream by Rod Kierkegaard, Jr.
The God Particle by Rod Kierkegaard, Jr.
The Department of Magic by Rod Kierkegaard, Jr.
Christmas in the Morgue by Rod Kierkegaard, Jr.
Family Cursemas (The Megamillionaire Murders, Vol 1) by Rod Kierkegaard, Jr.
Dinosaur Jazz (Jurassic Club) by Michael Panush
El Mosaico, Vol. 1: Scarred Souls by Michael Panush
The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 1: American Nightmares by Michael Panush
The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 2: Cold Wars by Michael Panush
The Stein & Candle Detective Agency, Vol. 3: Red Reunion by Michael Panush

That’s a whole enchilada of awesome books!!! I’m hoping to see 18 Things trend in the top 100 in a few categories again and create some much-needed buzz, and would really appreciate it if you helped spread the word in your realm of influence!

Here’s an easy Tweet you can copy: The Luck of the Irish brings you the YA coming of age love story, 18 Things, for 99 cents! Happy St. Patricks’ Day #99cents #Kindle

Okay, before I go I just have to share my 9yo daughter’s funny relationship with Siri. She saved and saved for an iPod Touch 5 and finally bought it on Thursday. My hubs and I don’t have Smart phones, so this was her first introduction to Siri.  On Friday morning, I got out of the shower and heard Ashley talking to somebody. Me: Who are you talking to? Ash: Siri! Can you believe she’s never had pizza? I told her to try CiCi’s. Me: Um, you do know Siri is a computer, right? hahahahahaha! Then this morning hubs and I are talking and Ashley goes, “Shhh, I just asked Siri a question and she needs to concentrate!” LOL. And if you haven’t asked Siri who let the dogs out, Ashley highly recommends it! I do love how Siri is helping my kid with her speech problems. She has to speak clearly in order for Siri to understand her, which leads me to wrap up my St. Patrick’s Day announcement with this:

Siri St. Patrick's Day