Queries, Chat, OA and Elana J!

Okay, I'm double duty today. hee hee. (Sorry, had a FRIENDS flashback then with double doodie. haha)

Anyway, enough about that, here's the awesome news.

Hate them or love them, we all have to write query letters. I know, I know, I get those days where I'd rather write another 70k MS than sit down and slog out 250 words about my plot. But we must.

Like those L'Oreal adverts, you know your MS is worth it.

So put down the pen. Step away from the synopsis and come chat with us.

Yep, Operation Awesome is having a query chat on Thursday the 28th of October at 9pm (EST)/2pm (CT).
We'll be taking how to/what not to do, the things you MUST include and everything inbetween. Oh heck, it's just a huge query chat. And that's not all. Did I mention we have a special guest? Yes, joining us is the query goddess herself, Elana Johnson.

And we want you! That's right, come chat with Elana and the Operation Awesome gals.

As always I'll prepare virtual cookies, but we have other prizes as well. There will be a few copies of Elana's awesome query ebook (which will get you a handy-dandy free crit with purchase).  And Elana has generously offered 3 query critiques as extra prizes.

Can you say frawesome?

Okay, I really need to lay off the cookies.

So, join us on over at OA on the 28th and lets talk queries.

To NaNo Or Not To NaNo?

I've been hearing a lot of talk about the mythical beast called NaNoWriMo.

To see this strange creature in its natural habitat is new to me -- yes, I am a NaNo virgin.

The idea I could ever write 50k in a month was a major WTFlip moment...until the wip came along and the whole 1k a day extravaganza. I said if I got the wip done by the end of October, then I'd take part in NaNo. So, now I'm nearing completion with wip (8k to go. WOOT), I think I need to keep my word.

Plus, I love a challenge.

So tell me...anyone got any NaNo tips for me? Anyone want to buddy me and hold my trembling little hand if I take the plunge?

Come on...share the NaNo advice. I need to pick your brains. :)

Oh, and before I go...tomorrow there is a special Operation Awesome event announcement. Squee is not the word.

And on Thursday I will be posting the interview with the lovely Lisa Desrochers, I mean Luc Cain. And you know how testy demons can get. :)

Interview Alert. Interview Alert.

Oh, here I am. Yes, I'm back after a rather weird few days where my poor little blog baby went unloved and abandoned. Sorry blog baby, I was with the wip baby.

Okay, it wasn't just the wip. I had another friend's birthday, an evil cold, and (like I mentioned) the wip that stole me away. Yes, even with a cold, my word rampage continues. I was also arranging some awesome things for here and over at Operation Awesome.

So. Excited.

So today you don't want to hang out with me. Nope. Nope. Nope. Why? Because Amparo, Katrina and I have joined forces to interview some awesome debut and published authors, and we're chatting with some of their MC's! So head across to Amparo's blog and check out the interview with Bianca from THE DUFF by Kody Keplinger.

Oh, and later this week we'll have the sexy demon from hell, Luc (from Personal Demons by the fantastic Lisa Desrocher's) on this very blog. Woot. Squee. Yay.

P.S. Don't forget the All White For Twilight contest is still rocking over on Operation Awesome until 12pm (BST) on the 31st of October. Click here to find out how to enter.

Yawns, Rests and Links and Contests.

Sorry if I'm a little yawny, but I was up late after the Operation Awesome chat and I think my body still needs to catch up. For anyone who couldn't join us, we missed you! But I'm sure we'll have another one. :)

So with my brain in less gear than usual, I'm taking a day off. Not off blogging all together, you can still find my cookies and smiles over on Operation Awesome today. I'll also be reading the post delights around the blogosphere and working on my wip.

I'll also be getting my agent list ready to query my completed MS some time in the future. So I'm heading off to visit Katie (a.k.a Creepy Query Girl) for her agent hunt tips.

I'm also writing my entry for the awesome Horror at Hannah's contest.

Then remind myself I still need to enter Justine Dell's 250 follower contest.

And I'm dancing with happiness at Jessica (a.k.a The Alliterative Allomorph) who has some awesome news.

And sending congrats to the lovely Jen from Unedited on her 3 year wedding anniversary.

Oh yeah, and before I forget. If you'd like the chance to win a UK limited edition set of white Twilight Saga books (sent by my fair hand -- I may also slip in some chocolate!) then pop over to Operation Awesome and enter the All White For Twilight contest. Entries close Midnight (BST) on the 31st of October.

Yeah, I guess my break didn't really last long there. :)

Happy Wednesday everyone.

Awesome Chat

Today Kristal, one of my Operation Awesome CP's, has taken over my blog to announce this:

AWESOME CHAT:


Today, from 5-6pm EST, come join the Operation Awesome girls in the OA Writing Lab (password: awesome) for some tantalizing discussion about magical limitations in your writing. The OA bloggers LOVE their magical story elements. In fact, I think every single one of us is writing a sparkly-magical story right now, so we have lots of opinions/tips/thoughts about how to do it convincingly, and we'd love to hear yours as well.

Door prizes include:

Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard

Voice of Crow by Jeri Smith-Ready
 
Torment by Lauren Kate (UK edition)
 
So, if you are free between 5-6 tonight, please feel free to come say hi. I'll do my best to be as sparkling and witty as I can (even though it will be 9pm BST). I'll be the one in the corner with the cookies. :)

1k A Day Challenge: UPDATE

So the 1k a day challenge from Operation Awesome officially started on the 1st of October, and that means today is an update day.

Verdict: The weekend was writetastic. I got some major wordage down (7k), and welcomed the books 'Halo' by Alexandra Adornetto and 'Revolution' by Jennifer Donnelly into my bookshelf family.

So I'm happy.

But now for fun to kick start Monday.

It's October so it means it's time for QUERYPOLITAN. And this month there's signed Shiver books up for grabs.

Next there is an awesome excerpt from Alex. J. Cavanaugh's book CassaStar. And I'm super excited to have Alex's book trailer on the blog later this month!

And the query goddess herself, Elana Johnson is talking about why she wrote Possession. Unfortunately she doesn't mention me as one of the reasons. ;)

Finally, I missed this due to friend's birthday celebrations on Friday, but huge congrats to Lisa Roecker who gave birth to the gorgeous Benjamin. Check out the cutie here.

So, how was your weekend?

Contest Alert

Apologies for yesterday's blog silence. The cake decorating took longer than I thought...photos to follow though. Promise.

I have some exciting news. Not only is today the day Hilary Wagner's fantastic book NIGHTSHADE CITY is released, but it's also the start of a new contest on Operation Awesome.

What's that? Well let's just say being British finally paid off!

I've hijacked Katrina's blog day to launch the epic TWI-Contest.

YOU can win one of two sets of limited edition Twilight Saga books only avaliable in the UK/Ireland -- the one's with the white covers!

Here, take a sneek peak:

Seriously, what are you waiting for? Check it out.

Happy Friday everyone. :)