All Good Things...

The contest at Sisters in Scribe was a huge success! And tons of fun! Sara Megibow is fantastic. We closed entries at 11:59pm on Saturday, and by Tuesday she had picked her top three winners. Stop by the blog to see who won!

This week NYC has seen some fantastic weather! Sunny and 70 degrees. FINALLY! I got my climbing rose bush and my clematis transplanted, I planted a bunch of herbs, including one of my favorite smells--lavender, my lilac trees are in full bloom, and I got a few hours out in the sun with a book. And now it's cold and rainy for the next four days. *sigh*

I've read two awesome books this week: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready. Both are fantastic! I'm trying to get into a contemporary right now and I'm finding I have to force myself on this one. But I've heard so many great reviews, I am willing to give it a chance. You read anything good lately?

So why all this free time, you ask? Shouldn't she be revising?

I should! But I think an important part of revising is distancing yourself from your manuscript. I've busted my hump over rewriting the entire last half of my WIP (again) and now it's time for some space. I've sent him home with Krist and Valerie for the time being. I trust he is in good hands. This is not the first time my crit partners have read this manuscript, but this is the first time I've actually missed it when I'm not working on it. I'm taking this as a very good sign.

Must Have Books of 2011

Like my Sisters in Scribe, Kristi and Valerie, I've set a reading plan/goal for 2011. My goal, is to read the books I already have before purchasing new ones. Except those must-have books that are coming out this year.

There are still a lot I must have from last year, like SLICE OF CHERRY! How I missed that release date is beyond me. But I plan on hitting up the bookstore on Friday night so that's covered. Yeah, outside of the plan BUT that book came out in 2010 and I had planned to buy it before I made the new year plan, so it's okay. Hush.

I honestly haven't paid much attention to a whole lot of the 2011 new releases, not because I don't want to, I've just been that busy. Some that I am aware of and must have are:

THE DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES by Carrie Ryan

FOREVER by Maggie Stiefvater

*Secret Novel* by Maggie Stiefvater

*no cover image*

BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton

BAD TASTE IN BOYS by Carrie Harris (and you guys should be ready for that one too--we *might* have something special over at SIS when it comes out.)

POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

THE NEAR WITCH by Victoria Schwab

HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire

*no cover image*

CORSETS AND CLOCKWORK by Various (includes a short by Dia Reeves)

And I'm just going to stop there because this list is really long.

What are some of your must-have books for 2011? Share so I can make said list even longer. Mwauahahahaha! (That's an evil laugh.)

Come Chat with Me!

Hello!

I won't be blogging much, or probably at all, until after Labor Day, so I wanted to give you all a head's up and let you know that on Tuesday August 31st at 6:30pm EST, I will be chatting with Barry Eva on his Blog Talk Radio show, A Book and Chat (Or Across the Pond).

I'll be speaking with Barry via telephone, but there is also a live chat program where you can chat among other listeners, or ask a question. I won't be on my computer, unfortunately, (I might die from this) but I'm sure Barry will relay any questions to me. If you don't have access to the internet for whatever reason, but you still want to listen, just call (347) 237-5398 at 6:30pm EST. There is an option to speak, or just to sit and listen where nobody will hear you.

I should warn you, I do not have a voice that was made for radio and I am super nervous. I don't even like speaking on the phone. Sad to say, the internet has become my major social outlet. *sigh* But Barry is British, so he's fun to listen to and a great host! :-)

I will have some news (possibly the first official news) on a new literary venture I've been fortunate enough to partake in, so make sure you tune in!

Assuming someone actually listens and I'm not talking to the e-crickets. Which might not be a bad thing.

Happy Weekend!

Contest: Win a book and/or Critique!

Weronika Janczuk, talented writer and publishing intern with Flux, is hosting yet another amazing contest opportunity!

From Weronika's Blog:

Thanks to my 500+ wonderful followers on Twitter, I can hold my first promised book giveaway. As aforementioned on Twitter as well, as soon as blog followers hit 200 I shall host another party.

I'm going to start small and go bigger with later giveaways.

(In the meantime, there is also an ongoing query and first ten pages critique opportunity- for everyone who enters!)

Deadline: Friday, 12:00pm EST

Prize #1

- Preorder for YA author Kiersten White's PARANOLMACY (HarperTeen/September 2010)

- Order of any book of winner's choice (reasonably priced) from Amazon

- Critique of First 50 Pages (Negotiable for Winners Without Pages)

- Blog Interview (You Visit Me!)

Prize #2

- Preorder for YA author Kiersten White's PARANOLMACY (HarperTeen/September 2010)
- Critique of First 50 Pages (Negotiable for Winners Without Pages)

- Blog Interview (You Visit Me!)

Prize #3

- Critique of First 50 Pages (Negotiable for Winners Without Pages)

Prize #4

- Critique of First 50 Pages (Negotiable for Winners Without Pages)

There will be more celebration and variety come 200 blog followers, so join up if you haven't already.

YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday

Yes, I know it is Thursday, but I am behind thanks to the awesomeness that was BLOOD PROMISE. I used all my spare time yesterday to read it.

The YA Highway, a blog comprised of several YA authors, is hosting a "Blog Carnival". They post the questions and you/we answer them on our own blogs and then link back to them via the comments section. So here I go:

1) What are the three best books you've read this year?

SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater, WINTERGIRLS by Laurie Halse Anderson, BLOOD PROMISE by Richelle Mead (whew, that was hard!)

2) If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be?

Charlaine Harris. I've met a number of authors already, but in the very beginning of my writing venture, Harris probably had the most influence on me with her Sookie Stackhouse novels.

3) What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Right now, I'd have to say SPIRIT BOUND by Richelle Mead because I just finished reading the 4th book in the Vampire Academy, BLOOD PROMISE, and I can not wait to see how it ends.