BLURB PLAYING HURT

In of the start of the blog tour hosted through Teen Book Scene, and in honor of the impending official release of PLAYING HURT (which is March 8…the book is actually in stock at Amazon right now, though!), I’m putting out a call for blurbs!

I was so, so, thrilled and honored by the fabulous blurbs I received from you all for A BLUE SO DARK (so much so, I decided to build a new page on my website called “Praise” to show them all off), I had to repeat the process for PLAYING HURT!

The link will stay live (I’ll be putting it on the sidebar, just as I’ve kept the call for BLUE blurbs on the sidebar), but I’m so excited, I wanted to start spreading word now…

As soon as you gobble PLAYING HURT, you can blurb it here! Thanks in advance…can’t wait to read ‘em!

READY, SET, GO: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF PLAYING HURT

I so loved the Local Leg of the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour! I got a chance to stop at all my fantastic local bloggers’ blogs...and I got to chat a bit with the incredible Sarah Ockler...what a trip.


And now that I’ve made all five stops, the contest is officially underway—you can now enter to win a signed copy of PLAYING HURT!

The entire tour is recapped below. Make your own stops to each post. While you’re there, leave comments and link to your favorite post(s) from Twitter, Facebook, etc. Then fill out this form; he (or she) who racks up the most links and comments will win a signed copy of PLAYING HURT—this is the first giveaway signed copy of my second novel!

Local Leg:

GreenBeanTeenQueen,
The Juniper Breeze,
One Sparkling Star,
Another Book Junkie,
Sarah Ockler.

You can enter to win here. The contest will officially close March 5!

SARAH OCKLER: COOLEST, THICKEST-SKINNED AUTHOR (AND PLAYING HURT LOCALS #5)

We all say it, as authors. Jokingly, of course: how we’d love to get a book banned. Under the header of “No Publicity is Bad Publicity,” we talk about how our sales would spike. We’d get to be notorious (which is every bit as good, if not better, than just plain famous).

Until, of course, it actually happens. Or—someone attempts to make it happen. As Sarah Ockler knows.

Yes, oh, yes, those of you in the Missouri area know I’m talking about the great Scroggins debacle. The attempt of one narrow-minded individual to ban the books of two incredible YA authors (Laurie Halse Anderson, whom I greatly admire, was also in his quest to ban).

No author can stand idly by, quietly, and just be glad they missed the bullet when the subject of banning rears its head. Because the bare truth is, we could all be banned. Every single one of us with a book in print. If you can type it, it can be twisted, taken out of context, misinterpreted and misrepresented.

I love and admire Sarah for exhibiting such grace during such a difficult time. To show our continued support, we ought to all order a copy of TWENTY BOY SUMMER and FIXING DELILAH now—even if we already own a copy. Buy one for a girl you love. Introduce her to a woman to admire.

…I’m thrilled to wrap up my Local Leg of the PLAYING HURT Blog Tour at Sarah’s blog. (You can get over to Sarah's blog, leave a comment, post links, and officially start filling out the contest entry form for the PLAYING HURT signed-copy contest)...I stand with the vast majority of my fellow Missourians when I say I do not support book banning, as I relate in the post which also appears today on Sarah’s blog:

Barefoot in the Bible Belt

Wull, gaaaw-lee, shore is a might cold ‘round these here parts. It’s Feb’rary, after all. Where’m I gon’ get a little heat? Think I’ll jes’ burn these here books. Ain’t nothin’ but a bunch ‘a smut in ‘em, anyhowse.

Come on—that’s the picture you get, isn’t it? All I have to say is “Midwest” or “Ozarks,” and you get that image: a barefoot hillbilly who’s never used a be-verb correctly in his entire life.

And as soon as I think of that stereotype, I get a full-body cringe.

I’m a lifer myself—born and raised in Springfield, Missouri. And when the Scroggins debacle ensued in the fall of 2010, and the works of Sarah Ockler and Laurie Halse Anderson were unfairly targeted in one man’s narrow-minded banning attempt, all I could think was, “Here we go again.”

But I’m not talking about banning—not entirely. I’m also talking about that ridiculous, awful, barefoot hillbilly stereotype. Because in addition to attacking the work of two incredible young adult authors, I feared Scroggins’s complaint was also about to add to the unfair stereotyping of Missouri.

In the months since the story broke, the headline continues to pop up here and there in the blogosphere. And just as I feared, instead of identifying Scroggins as the source of the banning attempt…Yep, you guessed it—the headlines or quotes or discussions that pop up indicate MISSOURI wants to ban books. MISSOURI stands for censorship.

Actually, the majority of us don’t.

I could go blue in the face pointing to a myriad of dry facts proving my point. I could talk about the slew of local bloggers who put up posts expressing disdain for Scroggins’ attempt. I could talk about the fact that MSU students convened to protest book banning.

…But more important than these overt, published examples of fellow Ozarkers’ disgust over book banning is that which can’t be quoted or measured or recorded. It’s the open-mindedness that has lived in the blood of so many Ozarkers for generations. A traits that stands in direct opposition to the goals of Wesley Scroggins.

Just as much as I feel the work of my fellow YA authors was completely miscategorized, I also feel that much of my own Missouri’s opinions have been unfairly categorized. And just as an author’s work can’t be judged by lifting a stray line out of context, neither should an entire region be judged by one man—or even one school district—that attempts to pull a book from library shelves.

To me, Missouri has always been a place of strength—and, yes, of open-mindedness. A place that I’m proud to call my home—and to showcase in my writing…

ANOTHER BOOK JUNKIE: PLAYING HURT LOCAL #4

The love for the locals continues with Amanda at Another Book Junkie! Today, I’m offering a list of Springfield faves.

Funny but true: You don’t know how acclimated you get to the tastes of a particular region until you leave. When my old college friends come back into town, they all have their own favorite haunts where they insist we do our catching up.

If I were to leave this area for an extended period of time, I know I’d miss my Mexican Villa. Two beef enchiladas and a Coke. Now, that’s livin’…

Be sure to head on over to Amanda’s blog, comment and link for the PLAYING HURT signed-copy contest!

Favorite Things About Springfield

Having lived in Springfield, Missouri my entire life, I’ve racked up a lifetime worth of favorites…

Do you think our cashew chicken is nationwide fame worthy?

Do I. In fact, I specifically requested Lucy’s Cashew Chicken for my last birthday dinner.

Where was your favorite place to hang out as a teenager?

The mall. Back when the mall had movie theaters—and record stores—and an arcade! If I could find an 80’s-vintage mall, I STILL think it’d be a good time…

Have you ever visited Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield?

Oh, yes. Field trips in school, Civil War reenactments…I’d have to say I personally prefer it to, say, The Nature Center.

Do you support any local sports teams?

I’m funny about sports—I get involved in individual players, rather than teams. Got to be a Greinke fan when he played for the Royals…Now that he’s been traded, it looks like I’m going to be following the Brewers.

Are the Fantastic Cavers really that “fantastic”?

In the picture taken of me at Fantastic Caverns, I have my new Cabbage Patch doll with me (oh, how that dates me)…It’s been a long time, but I do remember thinking it was cool.

What towns in the area are you particularly fond of?

I have family ties to the Fair Grove area…there’s a town near Fair Grove—tiny little thing—called Bassville. My great grandmother’s first husband was a Bass. I swear, if it happened in the Ozarks, I’m tied to it somehow…

Favorite thing to do in Branson?

Honestly, I haven’t had a vacation since the summer of 1999. And the only complete day off I’ve taken since ’01 was May 1, 2010—A BLUE SO DARK’s release date. I’m dying to take a weekend—rent a cabin on the lake. I’m hoping to get there this summer. Fingers crossed.

Any particular restaurants in the area that you would recommend?

Mexican Villa. Two beef enchiladas and a Coke. I think I could write a sonnet about Mexican Villa beef enchiladas, actually.

If someone were to come to Springfield, MO for one day only, what specific Springfield attraction would you recommend?

Our skies. It’s a simple answer, but I swear, we have the most beautiful skies in the Ozarks…

What’s your favorite thing about Springfield, Missouri?

In short? It’s home. You know that feeling you get when you’ve been away from your house for a while? That it’s-so-good-to-be-back feeling? How fantastic it feels to sleep in your own bed after you’ve been gone? That’s Springfield for me.

ONE SPARKLING STAR: PLAYING HURT LOCAL #3

…As promised, stop #3 in the tour features yet another fabulous local blogger and writer, Sam at One Sparkling Star! (Don’t forget those comments and links to win the author-signed copy!)

How the Ozarks Inspire My Writing

Did you ever try to study in a section of your school that’s really high traffic? Say, maybe a student convocation center? The kind of place where you feel completely self-conscious? Or did you ever grab a chair in the library in order to catch up on those last few chapters of Bio reading, at the same time hoping you’d accidentally “bump into” your crush, who just happens to work in the library after school? Ever try to do your math homework on the bus, while dreading the fact that you’re going home because you had a horrendous fight with your parents or sibling over breakfast that morning?

Yeah. Doesn’t work, does it? If your mind is occupied, the words in the textbook in front of you blur, don’t they?

Let me ask you something else: Have you ever tried to write a term paper in a room without any heat? Have you ever tried to read a novel for English sitting in the rain? Have you ever tried doing a science experiment wearing a lab coat so small that it cinched you in like a corset, and you couldn’t breathe?

Now you’re shaking your head. “That’s dumb,” you’re saying. “I’d never try to do that.”

And the reason you’d never try it is because it’d be impossible. Nobody can work when they’re uncomfortable. Nobody.

Writing’s a lot like schoolwork, in that it takes an inordinate amount of mental alertness and focus. And with any mental task, you have to be comfortable to be productive. Period.

Comfort, in my book, can be either physical or mental. The physical stuff’s fairly easy to remedy, most times. Too cold? Put on another pair of socks. Hungry? Grab a granola bar. The mental comfort is a bit trickier to obtain. Going back to my original examples, when your mind is elsewhere—on what others might think of you, or your crush, or a previous fight—you can’t focus on the task at hand. If you’re plagued by chronic worries, you’re not comfortable—and worry really isn’t something you can just turn off.

But for me, the Ozarks really are comfortable. The Ozarks give me peace of mind and peace of being…Stuff you can’t easily obtain just anywhere. Springfield’s like that old pair of favorite jeans you always gravitate toward. My mind is quiet here, so I get to work full-bore…and that’s why, for me, the Ozarks can be such a fantastic place to write in.

THE JUNIPER BREEZE: PLAYING HURT LOCAL #2

I really envy teen bloggers. Writers just seemed so distant when I was a teen. I can’t tell you how many times I labored over a fan letter and got—well—a whole lotta nothin’, frankly.

While I didn’t get to be part of the blogosphere as a teen, at least I get to be part of it with some incredible teens…fellow writer and Missourian Maggie at The Juniper Breeze, for example.

Maggie and Sam (One Sparkling Star—stay tuned for tomorrow’s post) have just been incredible…It was a joy to see their faces at all my Springfield-based author events when A BLUE SO DARK was released…

I’m including my guest post for The Juniper Breeze below, but don’t forget to comment and link to Maggie’s blog for a chance to win a copy of PLAYING HURT!

My Missouri Roots

My roots in Missouri run deep—six generations deep. My great-great-great grandparents were some of the first settlers in Southwest Missouri. A family cemetery exists not far from Springfield, where many of my Civil-War-era relatives are buried.

While my parents both grew up in the Kansas City area, I am myself a lifelong Springfieldian. Born and raised on Cashew Chicken and Tent Theater. Attended SMSU for undergrad and grad school. (It will always be SMS to me, no matter how many years away we are from the official name change). Bottom line? I’m Springfield through-and-through.

It wasn’t really by design that I’ve lived here forever. But as far as my writing is concerned, I’m glad I have…

In some respects, a book needs to be universal. In order for readers to fall in love with your main character, they need to “get” your main character. She (or he) needs to be somebody that your readers feel like they could walk out of their front door and run into. You don’t really want to craft a character who would only make sense in one geographical location…
But—you do want your work to have a sense of place, a local color. Place, in short, is more than just a two-dimensional backdrop.

Take THE BLUE BISTRO, by Elin Hilderbrand. Okay, so that’s not YA, but it is a romance, like PLAYING HURT. That book has such a vibrant, breathing sense of place that I’d argue the location (Nantucket, and more specifically, the bistro located in Nantucket) is actually one of the main characters. When the bistro closed toward the end of the novel, I found myself mourning more than I did when the restaurant’s owner, Fee, died. I can’t imagine that book taking place in another area of the country—just wouldn’t have worked.

I’ve lived here so long, I find Missouri (or, by extension, the Ozarks) becoming a part of my work without a conscious effort on my part. And I don’t mean I can toss in a few names of intersecting streets to give it “authenticity.” Local color isn’t something that can be achieved with proper nouns.

If you’ve lived in a certain area long enough, local color becomes part of your characters. In PLAYING HURT, when Chelsea and her family leave Missouri and head to Minnesota for vacation, I think they take Missouri with them: I see it in Brandon’s refusal to let his sister be dishonest about her relationship with Clint. I see it in Chelsea’s refusal to let the object of her desire slide by. In my debut, A BLUE SO DARK, I see the Ozarks in Aura’s straightforward, blunt style of narration. The Ozarks I know is full of (emotionally and physically) strong people. And I love building novels around that kind of character…

PLAYING HURT: THE LOCALS!

It's here! It's here! The first leg of my PLAYING HURT Blog Tour.

I’m thrilled to kick this leg off with GreenBeanTeenQueen, who just happens to also be my local teen librarian. (I just heard that collective sigh of envy out there…)

I adore Sarah; we all know how lucky I am to have her in town.

I’m cross-posting our interview below in full; be sure to comment and link to the post at GreenBeanTeenQueen for a chance to win the very first signed copy of PLAYING HURT. (Check out the entry form here.)

…And be sure to follow along at GreenBeanTeenQueen, if you haven’t already. Sarah’s incredible.

What’s the best thing about Missouri?

I’m a lifelong, sixth generation Missouri resident. So when you ask me what I love about Missouri, I feel as though you’ve asked me what I like most about my favorite room in my childhood home. Missouri’s just mine, in the same way my family is mine. The sweet, the rugged, the frigid, the sweltering, all of it—it’s mine.

What myths of Southwest Missouri would you like to prove wrong?

The thing is, you never do know who you’re talking to. That old guy in a pair of overalls at the convenience store in some no-stoplight town in the middle of nowhere has probably had more life experiences, been more places, done more, seen more, understands far more than any of us could ever expect…probably lived far more life than any of us ever will.

In some respects, I kind of think Missouri gets seen as that old guy in a pair of overalls. But if anybody’d stop to really get to know Missouri, they’d find out there’s a lot going on underneath those Carhartts.

In A BLUE SO DARK, Aura lives in Springfield. In PLAYING HURT, the characters are in Minnesota. Was it hard to change locations for the setting?

Not so much. The older I get, the more I enjoy my time outside. When I think of my most frequented haunts right now, many of them are outdoors: riverbanks and lakesides. When I’ve been cooped up writing too long, I don’t usually want to go to an indoor public area—restaurant, movies, etc. I usually want to get outside. In my passages about Minnesota, I was able to express my love of fresh air and wildflowers, quiet lakes and sunshine.

What’s the best thing about being a writer? And what’s the worst (or hardest)?

The best is seeing my lifelong dream coming to fruition. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was little. But it’s been a long, rough, winding road…

Basically, after getting my master’s from MSU, I devoted myself full-time to my writing. Took seven and a half years to get to the first acceptance at Flux books. Sticking with a dream even when the dream is beating you up is beyond rough—so I’d have to say the waiting and the rejection and the incredible amount of time it took to just get started was the hardest part. But getting my writing career off the ground is an incredible feeling.

Seriously, what is the deal with Cashew Chicken?

Ahhh, Cashew Chicken. Sprinfield’s own faux Chinese Food. I grew up on the stuff—and have a special love for it. I even requested it for my last birthday dinner! There’s just something so homey about it. It’s the ultimate comfort food for me…the food of my youth that I still love.

BOOKLIST REVIEW: PLAYING HURT

The first print review is in for PLAYING HURT! (In short? Bloggers aren’t the only ones loving this book…)

Booklist claims readers will enjoy every detail of Chelsea and Clint’s passionate romance!

An excerpt: “With no slick, happily-ever-after ending, this novel will capture teens with the characts’ guilt, anger, and especially, the intensity of the young people’s connection.”
—Booklist

WHERE TO BUY AUTHOR SWAG

Before I sold my debut, A BLUE SO DARK, I thought swag and promo items were necessities of bands, not authors.

Yeah. I did. Stop laughing.

We all know the benefits of author swag, but figuring out where to obtain bookmarks, buttons, bookplates, posters, etc., can sometimes be a daunting process (especially for the not-quite-so-techie among us).

For those of you who have not yet visited Ninth Moon, you need to get over there pronto. Laron’s promotional items are reasonably priced and so beautifully, tastefully designed. Ninth Moon also offers additional graphic design services to spruce up your website / blog / social networking pages.

Ninth Moon has quickly become one of my all-time favorite sites for authors; I’m sure I’m one of many, many authors who’s bookmarked the site.

PLAYING HURT BLOG TOUR: THE LOCALS

…Now that I’ve got you all psyched up for the PLAYING HURT Tour, courtesy of Teen Book Scene, I’ve got another exciting announcement:

I’m launching a leg of my own PLAYING HURT Tour, which will take place the week before the Teen Scene tour!

Four bloggers from my own Missouri home base will be participating:

GreenBeanTeenQueen: Feb. 21
The Juniper Breeze: Feb. 22
One Sparkling Star: Feb 23
Another Book Junkie: Feb. 24

...as will fellow YA author, Sarah Ockler: Feb. 25 (Sarah's latest, FIXING DELILAH, is now available).

Get ready and revved for the tour, because a prize will be given at the end of the week.

A prize, you say? Yup, so get out there and post comments, tweet about the tour, post links to the posts from your own blog or Facebook page, because she (or he) who racks up the most comments, tweets, and links, will win the very first signed giveaway copy of PLAYING HURT!

(Though I ask you wait until the end of the tour to enter for the giveaway, you can go ahead and view it here.)

Good luck and thanks in advance to my Locals!

WRITING: THE WAITING GAME

Whether you’ve published ten books or are waiting to snag that first publishing deal, if you’ve ever submitted anything, you know writing is a waiting game.

You wait…and often wait…and wait…for response from an agent or editor after you send off that query. You wait for the thumbs-up to announce book deals or glowing reviews. You wait. You wait.

Right now, I’m waiting for the official release of my second novel, PLAYING HURT. The video below allows you a glimpse into my life as I await that release date…

All you writers out there: What are you waiting on? And how are you passing the time?

TEEN BOOK SCENE: THE PLAYING HURT TOUR

For those of you who might not be aware, Kari, the uber cool blogger at A Good Addiction, also runs a book tour site at The Teen Book Scene...

And I was so incredibly thrilled and flattered when she contacted me last fall about a tour for PLAYING HURT!

The tour will feature author interviews, guest posts, as well as character interviews, and giveaways of swag and signed copies of both PLAYING HURT and A BLUE SO DARK!

...You'll also get four—count 'em—four sneak peeks into PLAYING HURT.

The tour begins at the end of February, and will run throughout March. You can find the complete list of stops here.


Said it 1,895,097,954 times, I'll say it again: I don't know where I'd be without my incredible bloggers. Seriously.

ROMANCE WEEK: MY FIRST VLOG INTERVIEW

Haaaaaappy Valentine’s Day (a couple of days early)! With a romance about to release, needless to say, I’m knee-deep in candy hearts this year.

(Which is why I had to include one my brother’s pics as a Valentine to all my fantastic followers…)

…I’m also thrilled to be participating in Romance Week, an event hosted by Snowdrop Dreams of Books and Knit, Purl, Stitch…Read and Cook!

I’ve been itching to post this, my first vlog interview…And I’m excited to reveal a sneak-peek-ish little tidbit about PLAYING HURT.

As I explain in the video below, PLAYING HURT initially featured only one narrator. The story was, throughout the first few drafts, only told from Chelsea’s POV.

After selling A BLUE SO DARK, though, I had an epiphany about what was missing from PLAYING HURT…and an enormous part of that something was Clint.

It wasn’t the easiest revision in the world, bringing Clint in (my first male protagonist)! In fact, it was like writing a completely new book. I had to work on Clint’s own voice, his backstory…

But that just goes to show you what revision can bring, when you don’t shy away from the challenge…I can’t imagine PLAYING HURT without Clint’s voice in it…

NOVEL ANECDOTES ON THE KINDLE

Yes, you can now read my blog, Novel Anecdotes, on the Kindle!

This is an absolutely exciting new venture…in many ways. Because I’m offering Novel Anecdotes on the Kindle, I’m also going to be upping the ante as far as blog content is concerned. I’ll be posting two to five days a week, on developments in my own career, and on the books being released by my own fantastic fellow authors. I’ll also be offering tons of writing tips to keep you productive and growing as an artist, as well as practical tips on the business—whether you’re trying to break in and snag your first deal, or are looking to grow your readership. The ongoing conversation will explode here at Novel Anecdotes, as I’ll be featuring interviews with authors and publishing enthusiasts and highlighting new bloggers who continue to add to this incredible, incredible community.

…I’m committed to my vlog posts (to add to the content here on the web), but each vlog post will also include substantial supplemental text, to keep Kindle subscribers entertained and in-the-know.

So get in on the fun! Subscribe to Novel Anecdotes on the Kindle…

BREAKING IN: IS AN AGENT A MUST?

Truth time: I did permanent damage to my right foot trying to squeeze my toe into the tiny crack in the door of the publishing world. Took seven and a half years of full-time effort to get to that first publishing contract, after all.

…But how did I snag that deal? How did I manage to see my book on store shelves? Was it through the tireless efforts of an agent? Do you have to have an agent to get that toe in the door?

Okay—here’s the deal. When I got my master’s, in the spring of ’01, I decided to throw myself into my writing full-bore. I had no other job than to write and submit (thanks to financial support from my family). And write and submit I did…

Back then, the advice I was reading was that you really didn’t need to try for an agent until you’d published a novel…so my initial submissions were to editors only.

Over time, my rejections stopped being form letters and became long-winded explanations as to why my submitted novel was not quite ready to be published. Editors were inviting me to resubmit after revisions took place.

…As the years went by, the going advice to writers trying to break in was that you shouldn’t seek an agent unless you’d written a novel—far different advice than I’d read after first graduating.

Still, though, I was getting so close to publication with those editors—I could practically taste it!—that I continued submitting straight to them. And resubmitting. And submitting again.

…Around the beginning of 2008, I decided to take the leap and start submitting to agents as well. (I wondered if a push from an agent wouldn’t be the special-something that finally did seal a deal.)

But I didn’t quit submitting to editors, either. I sold A BLUE SO DARK myself, to Flux, in early 2009 (I also sold PLAYING HURT to Flux shortly thereafter).

And under the heading of, “When Your Luck Changes, Man, Does It Change,” I also signed with an agent in 2009. She sold my first middle grade to Dial (to be released in ’12).

Do I adore my agent? YES. 100%. But my debut novel proves that it’s still absolutely possible to sell a novel on your own. The thing is, the path to publication is as unique as the novel you write. No one can really tell you how to find the right path to publication, because your novel will have its own journey. That’s the gritch and the beauty of it.

…So the worst thing I think a burgeoning writer can do is explore only one avenue, one path to publication. Try anything and everything. The only thing that’s certain when you’re attempting to snag your first deal is that you never know where that first deal will come from.


…Today’s post comes from a question courtesy of Kate Higgins.

CALLING ALL QUESTIONS FOR BREAKING IN

As a supplement to my Writing Tips Blog Series, I'm going to be putting up additional posts for an ongoing series I'm going to refer to simply as Breaking In, which will focus more on the business aspects of publishing (as opposed to craft)...

I have a feeling the two series might intersect occasionally...But I think that might also make things really interesting...

Okay. Here's how it works: You shoot me questions. (In the comment box to this post, or, if you'd prefer to send questions privately, email them to writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com. You can remain anonymous, if you'd like, or allow me to link back to your own blog...) To answer, I'll write a post. As an author with one book on the shelf, one about to release, and yet another in development, I can provide personal experience tidbits...But I also won't hesitate to ask my fellow authors for input as well...

Basically, as I was starting out (and as the rejection slips started to pile up), I was just certain there was a trick to getting in...And I desperately wished that I'd had someone to tell me the straight skinny. The beautiful thing about this blogging community is that burgeoning writers in no way have to feel isolated in their attempts to break in...

So shoot me a question! I can't wait to start in on the first post...

FIRST POST AT YA OUTSIDE THE LINES

Yes, oh, yes, my first post has just gone live at YA Outside the Lines. You'd better head right on over (and watch a clip from my favorite movie of all time)...

WRITING TIP #1: FOR DRAFTING

I've gotten so many requests for writing tips over at YouTube that I've launched a new blog series! This marks the first of many vlog writing tips I'll be posting...

Today's trick has helped get me through the drafting process like no other...

FOLLOW FRIDAY #3

I couldn't let the latest Follow Friday go by...This week's question? "What book are you currently pushing?"

Let's see...

Need I say more?

(New followers, be sure to comment, and I'll head on over to your own blog...)

INTERVIEW AT ASSORTMENTS…

Manisha at Assortments… just posted a fantastic new interview…Head right on over to find out who I think is on the cover of A BLUE SO DARK (Grace or Aura), the craziest thing I’ve ever done, and why I jumped from schizophrenia in my debut to a love story in my second novel…

Also, Manisha’s a relatively new blogger. She dreams of writing a book someday and meeting several authors in person. Show Manisha some blogger love by commenting and following along (as I have)!