Author Ednah Walters Blog Tour Giveaway

Are you following the Runes Blog Tour? You should be. Author Ednah Walters is giving away all kinds of awesome stuff, so be sure to check it out. Here's a link to the giveaway post on her blog. And here's the rafflecopter entry form.

Happy Book Birthday: How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend by Allyson Valentine

Here's a book every gal should invest in: How (Not) to Find a Boyfriend by Allyson Valentine. It launches today and it sounds awesome!

Sophomore Nora Fulbright is the most talented and popular new cheerleader on the Riverbend High cheer squad. Never mind that she used to be queen of the nerds—a chess prodigy who answered every question first, aced every test and repelled friends at every turn—because this year, Nora is determined to fully transition from social pupa to full blown butterfly, even if it means dumbing down her entire schedule. But when funny, sweet and very cute Adam moves to town and steals Nora’s heart with his untra-smarts and illegally cute dimple, Nora has a problem. How can she prove to him that she’s not a complete airhead?

 

Nora devises a seemingly simple plan to barter her way into Adam’s classes that involves her classmates, friends—and her older brother Phil’s award-winning AP history paper. But soon, Nora can barely keep track of her trades, and struggles to stay in control of her image.

In the end, the only thing that can save Nora is a chess tournament—that she has to compete in wearing her cheerleading uniform. Can she prove to everyone that she can be both a butterfly and a nerd?

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Interview with Dorothy Dreyer!

Okay, I have been dying to do this since Dorothy asked me to join her as a contributor to this blog. So, forgive me if I use one too many exclamation points and randomly jump into caps. Today I get to interview one talented author: my crit partner, pub sister, and friend, DOROTHY DREYER!!

I can't really say welcome, since this is your blog, so how about I just jump right in. Tell us a little about yourself, Dorothy, and your publishing journey.

I'm a Philipine-born American living in Germany with my husband and two teens. I enjoy reading, writing, movies, takeout, chocolate, and spending time with my family and friends. I tend to sing and crochet as well.

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but it wasn't until about five years ago that I became serious about it. Probably the age thing. I figured I better get one of my dreams realized before I got too old. I'd written three books before My Sister's Reaper, but they didn't quite make the cut in the eyes of agents. Luckily, the wonderful Georgia McBride found my little story and helped me put it out in the world.

I'm so glad Georgia McBride found you! My Sister's Reaper deserves a place on the shelves. It's a fantastic story, filled with humor, heart, and a touch of horror. Tell us a bit about the story.

My Sister's Reaper is a young adult urban fantasy/paranormal/horror about a girl who accidentally brings her sister back to life, which peeves off a Reaper who is determined to claim the soul he believes belongs to him.

Creepy. In My Sister's Reaper, you take witches and faeries, turn them upside down and force them to have babies (literally). The result is the Vila, a half-breed race of witch-fairies with the power to influence things like fire, water, air... and death. What was your inspiration? Where did you come up with your unique ideas?

In the very beginning, I was toying with the idea of witches. In particular, I imagined a girl who didn't know she was a witch but had the power to control things. Somehow, the idea of faeries came into play, and I created a mash-up. I hadn't seen the mix before and decided to run with it. I'm not sure where my ideas come from, but the voices in my head tell me not to worry about it too much. ;)

Many writers face challenges throughout their journey to publication (insecurity, rejection, integrating real life with writing). What challenges have you faced? How did you conquer them?

I think writers are naturally insecure. The funny thing is, we probably have to have the thickest skin ever just to get by in the publishing industry. I'm constantly doubting myself, wondering when someone's going to call me out and say, "Hey, what makes you think you belong here doing this writing gig?" At those times, I just have to force myself to hold my head up and believe in myself. Even just a little.

At the moment, my biggest challenge is time. I do try to manage my time between work, family, and writing. Oh, and sleep—whatever that is. What would be really great (besides becoming a full-time writer) is to have four extra hours in a day: two to write without interruption, and two to catch a nap.

Time is always lacking! I started a campaign, a few months ago, to add three hours to each day. I keep hoping the Powers That Be will take me seriously someday.  Now, on to the fun questions I bet you've been dying to answer since you started this blog:

What must you have close by when you write?

Quiet. There can be faint noises in the background, like my kids watching TV or playing video games, but I can't concentrate if there's too much noise. That's why I don't write to music, even though I love music.

What is the strangest thing you've Googled?

It's not really strange, but I'm sure it would get me on some watch list. It was whether or not a living person would sink or float if they were thrown into a lake unconscious.

He-he... If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Mind control. Having two teens is reason enough, believe me. But it would come in handy when there are long lines in the grocery store, or if I was stuck behind an extremely slow driver, or if I really wanted hubby to make dinner, or if I needed an extra day off of work or a raise.

Oh, I have two teens of my own. I know. Use the following words in a sentence: trellis, ginger, oven

The pixie flitted around the rose trellis, making her way to the open window, toward the inviting smell of gingerbread cookies toasting in the oven.

Yum! Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm...

working, helping with homework, or avoiding housework.

Who would you like to thank for supporting you during your journey to publication?

My husband and kids, most of all, for their support and excitement. My extended family, for being so encouraging. All my wonderful friends for cheering me on. You (Beth) and Sarah Howell for helping me shape my stories. And Georgia McBride and the Month9Books family for being so awesome.

It's been my pleasure!

My Sister's Reaper is out NOW!!! in e-book form and will be in print June 18th! Congratulations, Dorothy! I am over the moon with excitement for you!

My Sister's Reaper Blog Tour Schedule

Today marks the beginning of the blog tour for MY SISTER'S REAPER. Here's a run down of the blog tour stops. Be sure to stop by Heather's blog to see today's post, and be sure to leave me some comments. One lucky random commenter—who comments on a blog tour post throughout the entire tour—will win a signed paperback from me! I will enter all comment names in a roster and pick the winner from random.org. Open internationally!

June 10
Heather L Reid
http://www.heatherlreid.com/?p=730

June 11
Samantha Verant
http://thefrogandaprincess.blogspot.com/
Shannon Lori-Ann Duffy
http://1fantasyfairy.blogspot.com/

June 12
Elizabeth Holloway
http://we-do-write.blogspot.com
Dear Teen Me
http://dearteenme.com/

June 13
Lisa M Basso
http://lisa-basso.blogspot.com/

June 14
R.R. Smythe/Blame it on the Muse
http://blameitonthemuse.com/

June 16
Rachel Schieffelbein
http://rachelmarybean-writingonthewall.blogspot.com/

June17
A Dream Within A Dream
http://adreamwithindream.blogspot.com/
Jen McConnel
http://jennifermcconnel.wordpress.com/

June 18
I Read Indie
http://twimom101bookblog.blogspot.com/

June 19
Reading Lark
http://readinglark.blogspot.com/
Vanessa Barger
http://www.vanessabarger.com/

June 20
The Selkie Reads Stories
http://selkiereadsstories.blogspot.de/
Nicola Marsh
http://www.nicolamarsh.blogspot.com/

June 21
SA Larsen Books
http://writersally.blogspot.com/
Vicki Weavil
http://vickilempweavil.com/

June 22 
Young Readers
http://youngreadersathome.blogspot.com/

June 23 
Cornucopia Of Reviews
http://cornucopiaofreviews.blogspot.com/

June 24 
Proserpine Craving
http://proserpinecravedfor.blogspot.com/

June 25 
Insatiable Readers
http://insatiablereaders.blogspot.com/

June 26 
Nayu's Reading Corner
http://nayusreadingcorner.blogspot.com/

June 27 
Kayla's Reads And Reviews
http://kaylasreadsandreviews.blogspot.com/

June 28 
TeamNerd Reviews
http://teamnerdreviews.blogspot.com/

Remember, leave comments whenever you can and automatically be entered in the raffle for a signed paperback!

Review: The Unbelievers by Julie Affleck

Julie Affleck's mid-grade supernatural thriller, The Unbelievers, flows relentlessly and as swiftly as the river that features in the heart of her tale. When Leigh and her close-knit group of friends decide to go to lunch one frigid winter day, they get swept up in the current of a curse that has plagued their island community for over 65 years: a curse which threatens to untie more than the bonds of friendship, but the bonds of life.

Although dealing with topics which may be a little heavy for younger readers: suicide, kidnapping, murder, rape, madness, The Unbelievers is clearly aimed at younger readers. Affleck demonstrates a keen understanding of social dynamics as well as the importance of doing the hard work necessary to maintain friendships. Underlying the entire story, the themes of courage, initiative, modern skepticism, youthful imagination, and the strength of love to warp or heal combine to forge a memorable story.

For me, The Unbelievers coaxed memories from my own childhood of the things my friends and I would find in the woods, and the tales we'd tell each other, reinventing our concrete world into something more deliciously frightening and powerful. I could relate to the tale's unfolding as well as the familiar tools to which Leigh and her friends turned. I appreciated the telling, and I know my younger self would have enjoyed it even more.

For a chance to win one of two paperback copies of The Unbelievers, check out our interview with Julie Affleck, which includes a giveaway.

The Unbelievers can be purchased on Amazon

Introducing Our Reviewer

Elizabeth and I love reading YA books. And we review them when we can. But it's that pesky "when" factor that always trips us up. In addition to keeping up with our writing deadlines, we've both got to practice good time management to handle our jobs, our families, and this blog. Don't get me wrong, we love it. But we often get requests to do reviews, and that's a little hard for us to fit in sometimes. So we've decided to take on a reviewer to join the blog.

And we found a great one!

We'd like to introduce you all to Sandra Fenton. She'll be reviewing YA books for us: some from blog tours and some of our own choosing. We asked Sandra what she likes about YA, and here's what she had to say:

I never really thought about why I like YA before. Thank you for reminding me of how it started.

When I was eleven, I was at The Library with my father. I'd been there before a few times, but not often. It was three stories of winding stacks, locked meeting rooms, looming machines and unpredictable stair cases. I'd never spent much time outside the children's section, but I had a mission that day. Oceanography: find all the books. I had a report to give, after all.

Predictably, I got lost, and that was a good thing. I discovered an entire section devoted to music, a section devoted to film, and on the main floor, tucked into a corner of the children's library, something I'd never heard of. Young Adult.

What was this section that didn't belong in any region of my literary schema? I sunk down behind the end of a bookshelf, so as not to be seen by the librarian, and pulled a slender volume off the shelf. Faery Flag, by Jane Yolen. I opened the book and started to read it, only to find one of the most wonderful groupings of short stories I'd ever found, all meaningful and fanciful.

I was hooked, from that moment forward. Here was this genre in which anything was possible, and even in the most dire of situations, there was an underlying optimism. This was an area where the fiction didn't treat me like a baby, rather it expected I could take some serious scrapes along with the main character, and opened up an entire world in which young people could resolve their own problems and be better for it than if they'd just asked mom and dad to solve it for them.

Now that I'm an adult, I still love those qualities, and moreover I like being able to dig in to a good YA novel, then talk to my 14 year old daughter about it. I love that it's something we can share and that she's always open to discussing. For some reason, my attempts to draw her into deep conversations about gardening haven't yet been successful. I have to rely on my 4 year old son's interest for those conversations.

When I'm not reading or in the garden, I'm probably sewing (rag dolls, sock monkeys, steampunk couture), designing fabric, at rehearsal (I sing), or writing.

Interview with Julie Affleck plus Giveaway

Chins up, everyone. Friday always seems far away, but it's just around the corner, I swear! Let's move things along more quickly by enjoying an interview with author Julie Affleck.

Welcome to We Do Write, Julie. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Thanks for having me! A little about me. I am 'mostly' a stay-at-home Mom (last year I started waitressing in the summer because there is no chance of writing with so many kids around. It's my break!). I have been married to Robbie for almost twenty years and we have four children. Two boys, aged 16 and 13(almost!), nope, not thinking about drivers' licenses, and two girls, aged 11 and 6. That's my life. My kids and family. I have four brothers and six sisters, my husband has nine siblings, so we're used to noise. It kind of follows me around. Or maybe I cause it. I've never thought about it like that.......

Wow, big family! How long have you been writing?

I have been writing for close to ten years, taking online or correspondence writing courses, workshops when I got a chance. But it was probably about five years ago before I actually let anyone (even family!) read anything I'd written.

Tell us about UNBELIEVERS. What’s the story about?

Unexplained deaths have occurred in the tiny village of Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island, for more than half a century. Every five years, to be exact, the river claims a victim. This year, thirteen year old Leigh Kennedy and her friends are destined to die. Can Leigh find out why this has been happening in time to escape their fate?

How did the idea of the story come to you?

I live close to a river where there has been drownings over the years. There was a 'what if' kind of moment, and the story happened. With a lot of work!

Sounds spooky. Do you have a critique group/partner or beta readers, or do you self-edit?

I do a lot of editing myself until I can't see the words anymore. Then I have as many people as I can read it to find more mistakes. I know teachers (my sister, a friend) who are extremely good at finding
mistakes. And I finally joined a writing group, and when we resume again in September, I will have new writers who can edit/critique for me, and I can't wait for that! Love my group! I love being critiqued because it only makes me better. I am not too attached to my writing to let go of mistakes.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I am definitely a plotter. I find it so much easier to write. I do a rough outline first, then a chapter outline. When I'm writing, anything can happen in the story and I find myself adding a chapter or
two in addition to my outline, but I love that! I get back to my outline because I knew where I was going so I'm never lost. I find myself finishing what I've started because of my outlines. I still
have a few manuscripts laying around unfinished from the times when I was a pantser.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you?

The hardest part of writing is finding the time. Because I am a stay-at-home Mom, I was always picking up after the kids, waiting on them hand and foot, spoiling them. Sad but true. I'm paying for it now. No amount of growling fixes it. No, they're really not that bad. But there is always laundry, dishes, cleaning, kids running around. So I take what time I can find and run and hide.

I'm with you on the time issue. What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing?

Peace and quiet. Oh wait - that never happens. I don't really 'need' anything except my pen and paper. I can't type first, gotta write it out.

If you could have any super power, what would it be?

Love this question! So many possibilities....I pick a super-fast picker-upper/cleaner! And I mean super quick! As in clean my entire house spotless in fifteen minutes or less! Oh, the time I could have. To write - hey, I could do more than write! I could watch television..........read a book............have a three hour bath.......Could I have that power please? Just for a day? Anyone to help with that?!

Let me know if you find someone to help with that. ;) What's the weirdest thing you've googled?

The weirdest thing I've googled would be natural poisons and how they affect the body, nervous systems, all that fun stuff. I'm not actually planning to kill my husband, seriously I'm not, but I wanted to research that for a character that wanted to kill their spouse and not get caught or make it look accidental, not sure how that will happen yet.

Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence:
unbelievable, vacant, and celebration.

The vacant house looked haunted, and it was unbelievable that anyone would ever think to have a celebration in such a filthy dump.

Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

doing laundry!

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

Oh, the people I could thank! Thank you for the opportunity to be on your blog! I thank Megan for all her work on this book tour! I thank my sister Tina who always types my manuscripts for me. I'd still be typing the first short story now. I might be on the last page - nah, probably not. That's how slow a typer(typist?) I am.Thank you, Faith, for giving me confidence to let other people read what I write. I thank all my sisters and family (Mom!) for always supporting me! And my hard-working husband, who works too many hours so I can write. And even my kids - my daughter who made my facebook page because I am sooo computer-savvy (NOT!) and helps 'edit' my books, and the other kids who stay out of my way if they can see I'm 'really into a good part' of my writing!And thanks to anyone who reads my books and can find something nice to say! It helps because some writers are shy.......

And finally, where can people find you and your books online.

I'm on all of the Amazon sites, Amazon.com,Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.es, Amazon.fr, Amazon.it, Amazon.co.jp, Amazon.com.br, and Kobo.com. (The Unbelievers will be available on Kobo after July, because I enrolled it in KDP select for three months.)
I have a blog I write (foolishness!) on. What I'm working on, what I should/want to be doing in my writing career. My goal is to post once a month so I don't overload myself or scare me away with another deadline. It is http://julieaffleck.blogspot.ca/
My author facebook page(brand new with the help of my eleven year old daughter!) https://www.facebook.com/JulieAffleckTheAmazing. If anyone knows how to get rid of 'the Amazing' part that would be great! I didn't know it was there until I copied and pasted for this! Hey -
maybe my daughter did it and it means I am a good Mom! Something for me to think about next time I'm growling about the mess in her room.

Giveaway

2 paperbacks of Unbelievers by Julia Affleck
International
Ends 16th June 2013
a Rafflecopter giveaway