Helping Goadingthepen

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but goadingthepen put a call for help on her blog. she entered Maggie's contest and needs help winning. You can check out her blog post for more information.

All you have to do is copy and paste everything from below here onto your blog! Then go to Maggie's blog and tell her you did it. Don't forget to mention goadingthepen sent you!

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human…until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace forever.

Pre-Order Shiver Here:

http://www.amazon.com/Shiver-Maggie-Stiefvater/dp/0545123267/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1241744679&sr=1-2

Posting because of

goadingthepen

The Slush Pile contest

The Slush Pile is a new blog, and to launch the blog, there is a contest. I know slushy_one from another blog, and have promised to keep his/her identity secret.

The contest sounds pretty cool so I entered (plus Slushy gives a great critique). You can get your first 250 words critiqued by Slushy and other posters on the site, and you have the chance to win a slushy_one critique of your first chapter . . . plus a $25 gift card to Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.

I know how you all love contests so go to  The Slush Pile for details.

And to help launch the site and contest, I got permission from slushy_one to have a promotional contest of my own.

All you have to do is help spread the word by posting a link to Slushy's contest on your blog. Leave a comment below with a link to your post promoting the contest and your automatically entered!

I'll put all entries in a hat and draw the winner on May 11th. What can you win? I'm offering a $25 gift card to your choice of either Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com . . . 'cause I know you people love to buy books! I mean, who doesn't?

 

Write on!

Silver Phoenix Contest

What could be better than a contest? Well, how about a completely AWESOME contest? The wonderful Cindy Pon is having a contest to celebrate the upcoming release (May 1st) of her debut novel:

 

And what can you win? Oh, my friends, you DON'T want to miss this!

First of all, you could win one of Cindy's original framed brush paintings! If you have not seen Cindy's brush painting, go here. I am blessed enough to own one of her amazingly beautiful paintings (Peach Blossoms).

But that's not all! Though it's hard to top a painting, Cindy is also offering a signed copy of her novel along with the painting. That's right, you get them BOTH!

But she's not done yet . . . nope, there's even more! In case you win and are crazy enough not to want one of her paintings, she's offering a $100 gift card to a bookstore of your choice with a signed copy of her novel.

And she may give away more than one painting/gift card prize depending on number of entries!

So, what do you have to do? Well, she is fantastic enough to offer you SEVERAL opportunities to earn a "raffle" ticket. There are too many to list here so please don't hesitate to click on the link and visit Cindy's blog.

And while you're clicking around, why not go check out the book trailer Madison did for "Silver Phoenix" . . . go on, get clicking!

 

Write on!

Win a book!

Want a chance to win?

Of course you do! head on over to Marybeth Kelsey's blog to find out how to win! It's really easy to enter. What are you waiting for?

Write on.

Cheerios Stories Posted

If you want to read the first prize winning stories in the Cheerios contest, go here. I still can't believe they chose mine . . . and after you read it, you all may  not believe it either. ;-)

 

Write on.

Novel Novel Review

It's that time again. Here's a quick reminder of my rating system

A+--I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this book. In most cases, I passed it on to my teen.

A--I enjoyed this book and I might pass it on to my teen.

B--I liked this book, but probably won't pass it on to my teen.

C--I thought it was okay, but I won't pass it on to my teen.

D--I didn't like this book, and won't allow my teen to read it.

F--I hope I never have to go here. =D

I will give reasons for my rating in my review, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. If you find your book here, don't panic if I rate it below an A. These are my personal preferences and I'm only one small person in a large market. =D

Okay, now here we go.

This is not my usual genre (you all know I'm more of a Fantasy reader/writer), but I have to tell you, I've very much enjoyed stepping outside my comfort zone. This novel is brilliant!

WINNIE'S WAR by Jenny Moss

Rating: A+

Category: Historical Fiction

Age Recommendation: 9+

During the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, Winnie struggles to keep her family and friends safe. But how can she fight something she can't see?

In this time of illness, Winnie learns tough lessons about life, death, and a mother and grandmother she never fully understood.

WINNIE'S WAR kept me reading as I suffered with and cheered Winnie on. With such likeable and relatable characters, Moss pulled me effortlessly into Coward Creek Texas in the fall of 1918. I emotionally connected with Winnie and grew with her as she lived through a terrible time in history.

Through her beautiful prose, Moss brings this little known epidemic out of the past and shares the poignant story of Winnie's life. I will definitely recommend this book to others (including a few history teachers I know), and I look forward to reading future books by Jenny Moss.

 

If you haven't read WINNIE'S WAR, go . . . read . . . enjoy. I have a feeling this won't be the last time I pick up this novel.

Write on!

Critique Group openings

Hello all!
Works in Progress (WIP) critique group is accepting new member applications. We are a group of intermediate to advanced writers committed to helping each other reach our publication goals and improve our writing one critique at a time. We prefer MG, YA, but accept some PB authors.

Here's a bit about our set-up:

Two members per month submit one chapter or equivalent (no more than 5000 words) the first week of the month (assigned schedule) via email. Members are given two weeks to complete the month's critiques (remember, there are only two) and on the fourth week, the members have an open discussion about the month's critiques (so we can all learn). We do provide for emergency submissions (for agent/editor revisions, contest entries, etc.).

If you're interested in joining, please send a brief bio about yourself (including writing experience) and a sample of your writing (no more than 500 words) to worksinprogress at officeliveusers dot com.

Write on.