Bree Despain's Epic Contest

Bree Despain wrote the amazing book, The Dark Divine.

I know you've seen this beautiful cover in the bookstores. It is a great cover, isn't it? I read this book in a heartbeat and loved the characters and the plot. She is an wonderful author and does such an inspiring job keeping in touch with her fan base. If you haven't read The Dark Divine, what are you waiting for? Go and get it. Now!

Besides the fact that she has this fantastic book, she now has her book trailer up. It's a teaser, so go ahead and watch it before you buy the book (yes, I give you permission) because it will make you want to read it even that much more.



If this all wasn't enough, then her ridiculously enormous contest she is running right now might get your attention. You could win up to 11 books (yes, you heard that right, 11) and even an iPad. What? I know you are going to want to check it out. All you have to do to enter is spread the word about her contest.

Go forth, spread the word, and let's win some books!! :)

Barry Lyga Rocks!!!

Carolina Valdez at Carol's Prints has been holding this fabulous contest Barry Lyga Rocks!!! Part of the contest is to write a letter to the awesomely awesome author himself, Barry Lyga.  Make sure to check out the other letters-to-the-author here.

::I'm starting to feel nervous:: *sweaty palms* Okay, here goes nothing.*deep breath*

Dear Mr. Barry Lyga, (It feels so informal, but since I'm not on Barr-man status with you, I shall call you by your full name)

I first heard of you at the DFW Writer's conference and was super excited to read a book of yours. Well, between work. writing, 3 maniac kids, and life I hadn't gotten a chance to get around to it (Goth Girl Rising had been sitting on my shelf for months). Anyway, when I heard about Carolina's contest, I figured that it would be a good time to read it.

I put down a couple of other books that I was trudging through to finish and picked up Goth Girl Rising and finished it in less than 24 hours. That is saying something huge about your book! You grabbed my attention with amazing writing, true, real-life characters, and a realistic plot.

And I do have to say you stepped into a mentally unstable 16 year old girl's role quite easily. Should I be worried about you? I think I should. Just a little. Kyra's history and life story leave her in an extremely vulnerable state during some of the most most impressionable times of a teenage girl's life. You do such an honest representation of her that I truly felt as if I knew Kyra. I felt for her and wanted to be there for her.

Kyra has a depth to her that I loved. She is a typical teenage girl in the fact that she thinks she knows what she wants, feels, cares about only to be utterly confused in certain times and start having reverse thinking on those topics. Even though she comes across as one who could care less about what others think, we get so close to her to see that even a person who appears that way truly does care on the inside.

Beyond the on-the-spot character portrayal, the writing craft and creativeness kept the story moving at an unreal fast pace. I loved how you switched between present, to past, to chat sessions, to poetry, to playing out scenes in comic book panels. I have one word for that: genius.

Out of all the ways that you wrote, I have to say that the piece of poetry that threads itself throughout the book, revealing itself in entirety only near the end was amazing. It kept me wanting to know what was going to happen. What she was going to do. What she was going to say. And then when the poem does end, it is nothing like what I expected. As a reader, there couldn't have been a better way to have done it. I applaud that well thought out idea.

Now that I've finished one of your books, I have all of the rest of your books on my TBR pile. I love discovering new authors that are able to keep my interest and keep the book in my hands until it is finished. I can't wait to start another book of yours. Actually, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I win the contest that Carolina is holding, so that then I can have 2 more books of yours! :)

Sincerely,
Tiffany Neal AKA Your #1 Fan (Um, I had to do that-it's what my 4th graders do)

Phew. *wipes sweat from brow* Why do I get sweaty palms when I'm writing to an author? It's not like I'm meeting them face to face. Maybe writing is more stressful because that's what I want to be when I grow up and the author may look at my writing and say: NO! You will never be a published author! You can't write worth a damn.
Whatever the case is, I'm glad I got to share a great book by an amazing author. Check out his website which features his other books and blog here!

I Got Nothin'...

So since Eclipse released this week I thought I'd share one of the most hi-larious vids I've found covering Twilight. My favorite part: What I like to call The Kristen Stewart "No" Hospital Scene. Very spot on. Enjoy and Happy Friday.

The Twilight Before Christmas from Electric Spoofaloo on Take180.com

Sah-Weeet

This whole No-Goal-Setting thing is all sorts of awesomesauce. That is, if you noticed (or even care) this is blog post #3, three days in a row. Whoa. Epic.

Aaaaand, I've been on a Super-Critting streak (record breaking - just ask Tina, Kristen, and Melissa) AND most importantly, I've been writing. Like, writing real words that are worth keeping around.
No more goals for me, NOPE, never again. So, please remind me of this when I get a wild hair up my rear end that tells me to make goals and I'm stupid enough to post them for the whole world to see and laugh at! :)

On to the real reason I'm posting. I was thinking earlier today (I know...that's a big one) about how close I am to the query stage of my MG ms, Post-It Bandits. Woot! I love the story, the characters, well, everything about it.

My concern: If I (by some crazy sort of luck) get this sucker an agent, will I then be an MG writer? Do I need to stick to that genre, that age? Because honestly, I love YA just as much, if not more than MG. Don't get me wrong, I love middle grade because I feel like that is the age to hook a reader and make them life long readers. It's also the age that I teach, and I love the idea of my students one day getting to read my very own book.

But my first ms was a Paranormal YA and I'm also in the process of writing a YA Dystopian and mapping out a co-authored YA Realistic Thriller with my oh-so-awesome critter, Kristen.

Can I be a MG writer and a YA one? What are your thoughts on this? And are any of you writers/lovers of more than one genre?

(Wow. It's good to be back!)

And, for those of you interested in the animal also known as a monkey-pig from my Bickering Blogfest post yesterday, I will leave you today with two equally disturbing pictures of one:

Bickering Blogfest

Kristen over at Take It As It Comes is holding a Blog Fest...a BICKERING one, yesssssssss. :) Let's get to it, and make sure you check out the other blogfesters here!

Here is a scene from Post-It Bandits. Hope you enjoy.

***

“Come on Cam, you’re not still worried about Bree and the Brainless Apes, are you?” Jordan rolled her eyes and gave him a look that said: pathetic.

Cam relaxed his shoulders that had been creeping up to his ears and tried to look nonchalant, but his acting skills were pitiful. It didn’t even take her a minute to bust out her nonsense meter and figure out that he was more worried today than he was yesterday. Thinking about something disturbing nonstop could do crazy weird things to a person — it could make them even more paranoid than normal.

“Are you for real? I mean, seriously, who cares about what Bree Meyers thinks anyway?”

Everyone in the world except for you. “I don’t really care — it’s just embarrassing. Is it possible for you to even try to understand? Even if I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, the rest of Jackson Middle School seems to think so — besides you and Bryan. And you don’t really count, Jordan, because number one, you’re my friend and number two, you’re a glitch in the system.”

Bryan chimed in, “Well, I for one am glad that you don’t care what they think. Let’s get real here. You’d never be allowed into their group even if the aliens come down from Planet Zorcon today and declared you their king.” He laughed, complete with a snort at the end.

“Huh?”

“You know, the aliens that are about to take over the world.”

Cam and Jordan both rolled their eyes.

Bryan, unaffected by their total disregard, gathered his face together and made googly eyes and kissing noises. “Plus, I’d hate for you to change, because I wuv you just the way you are.” His voice raised a couple octaves – not that it had to go up much because he sounded like a girl half the time as it was.

Jordan snickered.

Cam glared at him. “You look like a monkey pig when you do that. It’s fitting. You should do it more often.”

“What the heck’s a monkey pig? Is that even an actual animal?”

“Yeah. Mr. Baker showed us a slideshow of the weirdest looking animals the other day.”

“Ah. Cool.”

“Wait. Why am I making small talk? I’m irritated with you. And you.” Cam moved his glare over to Jordan.

Bryan lifted up his nose to look like a demented pig. “It must be because this monkey pig face is irresistible.”

When Cam didn’t laugh or break his stride, Bryan continued, “Whatever. Be angry all you want. Like I care.”

Easy There, Girl.

Hi. My name is Tiffany and I'm a compulsive over-achiever and goal setter.

Hi Tiffany.

*insert nervous smile*

You see, all of my lofty goals were just that. Lofty. And so much was on my plate...and...and...
*breaks down in sobs*

It's okay. Let it all out. We are here to support you. Tell us how you really feel.

*quiet sniffles; wipes tears from eyes* It's just that when I make huge goals and don't succeed, I feel worse off than if I hadn't set goals in the first place.

*heads nod in agreement (or support - or for fear that the crazy sobbing over-achiever might hurt them if they don't)*

~~~

Blah. Blah. Blah. Whatever.

So basically, I realized that setting ridiculously high goals for yourself is not a good idea. Because when you fail (miserably, at that) it really, really, really sucks. Did I mention really?

I've made new (obtainable) goals for myself. They aren't able to be posted either, because they aren't daily goals. Some days are rougher than others. Some days my children make me wonder what type of species they are and why God granted them with the highest, screechiest voices in the world. Some days my kids fight from the moment they roll out of bed. Some days I don't feel like writing. (GASP!)

I had to remind myself that this is my summer. I work all school year to get to this point and it is ridiculous that I am stressing myself out even more than I do during the school year.

So, some days I will:

Not get out of my PJs

Spend 5 hours at the pool working on my tan

Play with my kids

Read a book

Which in turn, will let the words flow easier. Anyone else a chronic and compulsive overachiever that punishes themself for not meeting goals? Come on. You're a writer. Admit it. :)

Drumroll Please...

I have officially survived:

• The last week of school
• Taking and PASSING my 4-8 certification test
• 4th Grade Awards Ceremony
• Working on a Saturday
• Our first dance rehearsal and recital

And today officially begins the first day of summer! Woot! Besides a few maintenance type things around the house (AKA clean-the-house-that-has-been-neglected-for-weeks) and of course playing stay-at-home mommy for the next couple months, I am back to writing full time and with goals.

I figured that since I've been such a slacker in my favorite area of life, I should post goals for you all to hold me accountable to:

• Write a minimum of 1,000 words a day toward my WIPs
• Go back to DFW Writer's Workshop ASAP
• Get critiques back to critter buddies in a timely manner (24-48 hours)
• Start working on new WIP with Kristen
• Blog 3 times a week
• Read AND comment on at least 10 blogs/day
• Join the world of Twitter again

Lofty goals, eh? Yeah, well, maybe so, but I am determined. And when I get determined, things get done. Like, maybe a novel or two. Or winning tug-of-war? Because this is me when I'm determined:

WHAT?!? I like to win. There's nothing wrong with a little determination. You know, besides a burst neck vein. Pft. Like you've never looked like that before. Ahem, well, whatever.

I'm glad to be back! I'll leave you with a pic of K1 (who totally rocked all 3 dances) & K2 (who was the cutest dancing poodle EVER) and their epic weekend!