I'm Not Here...

... I'm taking a day off posting today for the bank holiday.

Have a wonderful Monday everybody! 

It's Friday!

The lovely Emily White had some awesome news on Wednesday... her book ELEMENTAL is being published by Spencer Hill Press. Check out the news here.

It's a long weekend here in the UK. I'll be doing some writing, reading, and catching up on some blog commenting (*crosses fingers that Blogger isn't being a diva*). What are you up to this weekend? 

It's Wednesday, Wednesday, Gotta Get Down on Wednesday...

I got nothing today except to say head over to Operation Awesome where the awesome Jessica Bell is guest posting.

Until Friday, I leave you with a lolcat:

Monday, Monday

I'm excited this week. Why?


1) The awesome Jessica Bell will guest posting over on Operation Awesome on Wednesday. Her fantastic poetry collection, TWISTED VELVET CHAINS, is available now from here. 


2) Tangled is released here in the UK today. I think I'm the only person who hasn't seen the movie yet. Can't. Wait. 


3) Afterglow book reviews are gearing up for an epic summer contest. The prize? BOOKS!


Here are the goodies up for grabs:


Now is the time for running by Michael Williams

Lost Saint by Bree Despain – ARC

The Gift by James Patterson – ARC

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare – UK Copy

The Marbury Lens – ARC

Prophecy of Days by Christy Raedeke

The Sweetest Thing by Christina Mandelski – SIGNED COPY

Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn’t have) by Sarah Mlynowski – ARC

Vanish by Sophie Jordan – ARC & SIGNED COPY

What Happened to Good-bye by Sarah Dessen – PERSONALIZED SIGNED COPY

*NOTE – For the personalized copy of the Sarah Dessen novel it will be shipped later than the others. She is in Houston on June 17^th but will be mailed directly after the signing.

Every copy is up for grabs! That means on June 10th when the contest results are announced there will be NINE winners!

So how do you win?

First you will need to be in the US. I apologize for all of those who live out of the country. We will have a giveaway courtesy of The Book Depository in the coming months that I’ll make sure is international!

FOLLOW US AND COMMENT.

Official contest dates: May 23^rd thru June 10^th


So those are my updates. How are you? 

Doctor Who Shows What Rejection Feels Like...

The waiting is over. An email sits in your inbox holding a thousand promises:

You open it and read:

Was that a rejection? You read it again:

And the sadness rains down on you:

The hurt kicks in:

But you don't quit.

Rejection is part of the process.

No. You send out the next query:

Because next time it might be something that makes you do this:

Never give up.

Happy Friday.

Never Give Up. Never Surrender.

"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."

                                                                                        Octavia Butler

Also, I'm blogging over at Operation Awesome today about trends. 

Island of ideas

In the middle of the ocean is an island. 

From above the island doesn't look like much. You probably wouldn't catch some celebrity sunning themselves while on a break from their box-office success. But, to me, the island is the best place in the world. 

Why?

Did you see the monkey? No? Look closer. You just missed it jumping from that tree. What tree? The big jungle over there to the left. Darn. Now the elephant's blocking my view. Hang on, I'll move around it. 

That's better.

If you squint (are you squinting?) you can see the golden temple in the distance. That's where the protagonist will have to go to find the treasure. But you know the villain will try to get there first.

Can you see the villain yet? I'm sure he's lurking around here somewhere. I can see his henchman behind that tent. What tent? The one on the beach. Did I mention the beach?

Why am I talking about imaginary islands? Because ideas are like an undiscovered island. There are hundreds of them, thousands, floating in the ocean of creativity. They might not look much from above, but your island can be whatever you want it to be.

You just have to look close enough. 

Normal Service Is Resumed

Finally Blogger has stopped being a diva!

Today I'm just going to say please hop over to Operation Awesome. Why? We have an interview with the uber-awesome Lindsey Leavitt. Lindsey is author of the Princess For Hire series and Sean Griswold's Head.

Finally, I have some funnies to end the week:

Have a wonderful weekend.

*Blinks* Where Am I?

Also, I'm blogging over on Operation Awesome today.

I'm Reading a book.

You're reading. You've gotten to that point in the book where the stakes are hold-your-breath-punch-you-in-the-nose fantastic and someone talks to you....

\
Thanks to Medeia Sharif for introducing me to the funny!

Happy Monday.

I'm Not Here

Apologies for my unscheduled blog absence this week. All is good in my little corner of the blog, but I've gotten deep in some edits.

I've been like this:

Image: Hyperbole and a Half 

And this:

 Image: Hyperbole and a Half

Drinking lots of this:

But now I'm like this:

I shall return on Monday.

So, how was your week?

I Spy a Mystery Agent Contest

The contest is now closed. A huge thanks to all who entered. We've got more Mystery Agent Contests to come though.


Today is the start of another Operation Awesome Mystery Agent Contest. Yep, another agent of brilliance is ready to take your pitched. 

Here are the details:

1. 25 word pitch.

2. Adult fiction or YA, any genre but our Mystery Agent is especially interested in mysteries, thrillers, paranormals, romances and suspense.

3. 50 entries will be accepted.

4. Three finalists will get to submit 30 pages. From those 3 finalists, a grand prize winner will be selected to submit their FULL MANUSCRIPT!

5. Since the grand prize is a full manuscript submission, please (pretty please) only pitch COMPLETED AND POLISHED novels. 

The contest will go live at 8am EST.

Good luck!!!!