STUCK IN A GOOD BOOK GIVEAWAY HOP REMINDER
For those of you who don't look for my posts to post at midnight, I want to remind you of my STUCK IN A GOOD BOOK Giveaway Hop. I've got lots of great choices. You can find the post HERE.
STUCK IN A GOOD BOOK GIVEAWAY HOP
Today I’m thrilled to be part of the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Stuck in Books. This is my opportunity to spotlight fantastic books and to say thanks to you all for being awesome followers.
I’ve picked books I’ve either loved or am dying to read. I hope you like the choices. Click on the book title to read a blurb from Goodreads.
SCARLET
SCORCHED
SIEGE AND STORM
THE BURNING SKY
ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
ALLIGIANT Pre-Order
THE BITTER KINGDOM
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT
THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT
THE DREAM THIEVES
DARK TRIUMPH
THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN
To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment telling me what book you want by September 25th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome as long as you live where The Book Depository ships for free.
Here’s what’s coming up:
On Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.
Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.
The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.
Thursday that week I’m interviewing Meagan Spooner as part of her SKYLARK blog tour. This is the second book in her Skylark dystopian series. I can’t wait to read this and have Meagan share with us all. And there will be a giveaway too.
The following Monday I’m interviewing debut author Mindy McGinnis and giving away an ARC of her YA post-apocalyptic story NOT A DROP TO DRINK about a world with little water. I loved that this was a really character driven story that had a contemporary feel to it.
And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.
Hope to see you on Monday!
And here's the rest of the awesome blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop:
Thurber House 2014 Children's Writer-In-Residence
Thurber House is now accepting applications for the 2014 Thurber House Children's Writer-In-Residence, a four week paid residency at Thurber House for a published author of books for middle grade and/or young adult.
Details are as follows.
Thurber House Facts and Guidelines for Children’s Writer-in-Residence
This unique residency has been in existence since 2001, offering an opportunity for writers to have time to work on their writing in a fully furnished apartment, in the historic home of author and humorist, James Thurber. The residency is available in the summer (any four weeks between June and August) so that the resident can also participate in the community by teaching at our Summer Writing Camp.
The deadline for submissions for the 2014 residency is Friday, November 1, 2013.
Qualifications: Candidates must have at least one children’s or Young Adult’s book published by a traditional trade publishing house, but no more than five and one new children’s/YA book under contract. Must have experience teaching/working with children in an educational setting.
Program: This is a 4-week residency during June, July, or August 2014. The specific time period is negotiated with the selected author. During the stay, the resident will teach writing-based activities to middle grade children for eight to ten hours per week in a variety of community settings, including the Thurber House Summer Writing Camp.
Past Thurber Residents: Deborah Wiles (2001), Kathryn Hewitt (02), Natasha Tarpley (03), Laurie Miller Hornik (04), Shelley Pearsall (05), Sam Swope (06), Lisa Yee (07), Alan Silberberg (08), Hope Anita Smith (09, Keith McGowan (10), Alan Gratz (11), Donna Gephart (12), Jane Kelley (13).
Stipend: $4,000
Housing: A furnished, two-bedroom apartment is provided on the third floor of Thurber House, the boyhood home in Columbus, Ohio of James Thurber. All utilities except telephone are included. Internet access is available. Furnishings include all basic household items. No allowance is offered for travel or moving expenses; employment benefits are not provided.
Deadline for receipt of application materials is November 1, 2013. Fill out the application form and send it along with a letter of interest, your curriculum vita, and a copy of your most recent book to CWIR program, Thurber House, 77 Jefferson Ave., Columbus OH 43215. Since the residency includes teaching, evidence addressing this skill is encouraged in the materials. Description of works-in-progress is also advised. The screening committee will carefully consider each application, and those who are not selected for further review will be notified as early as possible. After interviewing select candidates, a decision will be announced by early January 2014.
If you have any questions, please contact Meg Brown at megbrown(at)thurberhouse(dot)org.
Thurber House Website
Thurber House Twitter
Thurber House Facebook
Thurber House Wikipedia
Good luck to all who apply!
Details are as follows.
This unique residency has been in existence since 2001, offering an opportunity for writers to have time to work on their writing in a fully furnished apartment, in the historic home of author and humorist, James Thurber. The residency is available in the summer (any four weeks between June and August) so that the resident can also participate in the community by teaching at our Summer Writing Camp.
The deadline for submissions for the 2014 residency is Friday, November 1, 2013.
Qualifications: Candidates must have at least one children’s or Young Adult’s book published by a traditional trade publishing house, but no more than five and one new children’s/YA book under contract. Must have experience teaching/working with children in an educational setting.
Program: This is a 4-week residency during June, July, or August 2014. The specific time period is negotiated with the selected author. During the stay, the resident will teach writing-based activities to middle grade children for eight to ten hours per week in a variety of community settings, including the Thurber House Summer Writing Camp.
Past Thurber Residents: Deborah Wiles (2001), Kathryn Hewitt (02), Natasha Tarpley (03), Laurie Miller Hornik (04), Shelley Pearsall (05), Sam Swope (06), Lisa Yee (07), Alan Silberberg (08), Hope Anita Smith (09, Keith McGowan (10), Alan Gratz (11), Donna Gephart (12), Jane Kelley (13).
Stipend: $4,000
Housing: A furnished, two-bedroom apartment is provided on the third floor of Thurber House, the boyhood home in Columbus, Ohio of James Thurber. All utilities except telephone are included. Internet access is available. Furnishings include all basic household items. No allowance is offered for travel or moving expenses; employment benefits are not provided.
Deadline for receipt of application materials is November 1, 2013. Fill out the application form and send it along with a letter of interest, your curriculum vita, and a copy of your most recent book to CWIR program, Thurber House, 77 Jefferson Ave., Columbus OH 43215. Since the residency includes teaching, evidence addressing this skill is encouraged in the materials. Description of works-in-progress is also advised. The screening committee will carefully consider each application, and those who are not selected for further review will be notified as early as possible. After interviewing select candidates, a decision will be announced by early January 2014.
If you have any questions, please contact Meg Brown at megbrown(at)thurberhouse(dot)org.
Thurber House Website
Thurber House Twitter
Thurber House Facebook
Thurber House Wikipedia
Good luck to all who apply!
CHRISTINA LEE INTERVIEW AND ALL OF YOU GIVEAWAY
Today I’m thrilled to help Christina Lee, one of my blogger friends and follower, here to celebrate the release of her new adult contemporary romance, ALL OF YOU, which released yesterday. As you know, I don’t really feature new adult, but it is a new, exciting genre that I want to support, especially if it’s being written by our followers.
This is one of my first new adult books and I don’t read many romances. I really enjoyed reading about Avery and Bennett, who are in their 20’s and dealing with more adult contemporary issues than you might find in YA. Both are great characters with a lot of depth and issues that they bring to their developing relationship. And Christina did a really good job with the romance and intimate scenes. One of the things I really liked was how the characters were all so compelling and had deep back stories that they brought to the story.
Here’s a description from Goodreads:
Avery has just met her hot upstairs neighbor. He's irresistible. Tattooed. And a virgin.
Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.
When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.
Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.
So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.
Hi Christina. Happy Debut!
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
Thanks for having me Natalie, and for reading my book! Well, I’ve always written poems and kept journals. But it wasn’t until I became a local newspaper columnist about five years ago that something clicked. I realized that while writing non-fiction for the newspaper was a wonderful experience, what I truly wanted to do was write fiction. To create imaginary worlds and compelling characters. So in 2008, I wrote my first full length novel that I now realize would have been considered upper YA or possibly NA.
2. That’s awesome that you’d already been writing for newspapers. What drew you to write new adult and where did you get the idea for your story?
My first foray into New Adult was last year with the book EASY, by Tammara Webber. That book straddled YA and NA, as did SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller. Something clicked inside my head and I began devouring every New Adult and Adult contemporary romance I could get my hands on. There are different tropes in novels and I had just gotten finished reading several romances that featured virgin females and alpha type males. I batted around the idea of what a story might look like if that trope were reversed and the details of the book hit me so hard that I wrote the whole thing in record time. I could not stop writing. I love it when that happens.
3. I’ve heard great thinks about EASY. And it’s awesome how you turned the romance story roles around in ALL OF YOU. You did a fantastic post about the new adult genre for WriteOnCon (You can read the post HERE- http://writeoncon.com/08/13/4352/) where you talk about how getting the voice right is critical for a new adult story. Share a bit about what you mean by this and how you nailed the voice so well for Avery and Bennett.
Freshman year in college is not that far of a leap from senior year in high school. But there is definitely
a separate set of conflicts when you become an independent adult for the first time in your life. I had written young adult novels for the better part of five years and had that voice nailed pretty well. Writing contemporary New Adult was similar but freeing in many ways because the characters are liberated from family, social, and age constrictions. Generally speaking, they are free to live life however they choose to, as long as they figure out a way to pay the bills, if that makes sense. I remember those years of my life very well. So the voice just came natural to me.
4. You’re right that the ages are that different, but the worlds are very different for kids from senior year high school and college. (Please don’t remind of this as my daughter will be going away to college in two years.)
I want to talk about the romance in ALL OF YOU. There are some pretty explicit sexual scenes but they weren’t all about the sex. It was also about the emotions Avery and Bennett were experiencing. What challenges did you face in writing these scenes and what tips do you have for the rest of us?
It is first and foremost about the emotions and what physical responses the characters have to those powerful feelings. I thought back to my favorite sexually charged scenes in novels and also remembered what falling in love felt like in my younger years. And then I honed in on those visceral emotions to write my scenes.
5. I really liked how you focused on the emotions in those scenes so much. Share a bit about Avery and her character development. Did you draw on your own or anyone else’s experiences in creating her?
I’ve worked in the mental health field for a large portion of my adult life, have come in contact with many broken people and saw how differently each person coped with what life threw at them. Without going into great detail, Avery is a mishmash of a couple of people I’ve known in the past. She’s goal oriented and very driven, even in her sex life. She wants to remain in control at all times and she’s determined to keep it that way, despite feeling unfulfilled at times. It took Bennett to come along and show her a different side of life.
6. That must be helpful to draw on people you’ve known. Your agent is Sara Megibow. She’d be my dream agent. Share how she became your agent and your road to publication.
I had parted ways amicably with my last agent beginning of this year, had several YA’s written and one brand new NA. At that time, there were only a handful of agents accepting NA queries and I decided to give that story a good shot.
It all happened very fast. Sara read my partial, requested my full and then made the offer within a week’s time. It was the same with my road to publication. I went on submission with my NA novel and had several offers later that week. It felt very surreal.
7. Wow! That’s such an awesome road to agent and publication story. How are you planning to market you book and reaching out to new adult readers?
I’ve met many wonderful New Adult and Romance authors on-line as well as very generous books bloggers who are eager and avid readers. Essentially, I’m a contemporary romance author who happens to write in the New Adult category. I have a great blog tour happening this month, some future signings lined up, and can only hope that readers will buy and enjoy my book. That’s all you can do, really. Reach out to readers and form relationships (as opposed to constantly spamming about your book). Throw in a little luck and hope for the best.
8. Looking forward to seeing how your blog tour goes and the blogs hosting you. What are you working on now?
I’m awaiting edits from my Penguin editor for book two, which is a companion novel to ALL OF YOU. It’s called BEFORE YOU BREAK, releases in February, and tells the story of one the secondary characters from book one.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Christina. You can find Christina at:
Blog
Twitter
Facebook author page
Christina generously offered an e-book of ALL OF YOU for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on September 28th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.
Here’s what’s coming up:
On Friday I’m doing the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices-many new books--for you to pick from.
Next Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.
Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.
The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.
Thursday that week I’m interviewing Meagan Spooner as part of her SKYLARK blog tour. This is the second book in her Skylark dystopian series. I can’t wait to read this and have Meagan share with us all. And there will be a giveaway too.
The following Monday I’m interviewing debut author Mindy McGinnis and giving away an ARC of her YA post-apocalyptic story NOT A DROP TO DRINK about a world with little water. I loved that this was a really character driven story that had a contemporary feel to it.
And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.
Hope to see you on Friday!
This is one of my first new adult books and I don’t read many romances. I really enjoyed reading about Avery and Bennett, who are in their 20’s and dealing with more adult contemporary issues than you might find in YA. Both are great characters with a lot of depth and issues that they bring to their developing relationship. And Christina did a really good job with the romance and intimate scenes. One of the things I really liked was how the characters were all so compelling and had deep back stories that they brought to the story.
Here’s a description from Goodreads:
Nursing student Avery Michaels wants nothing to do with dating—she's perfectly happy single. Privy to too many of her mother's bad decisions and even worse taste in boyfriends, all Avery can handle is a string of uncomplicated hookups whenever the mood strikes.
When she meets smoking hot tattoo artist Bennett, she wants him—for just one night. But he won't accept a no-strings-attached arrangement. He lives by a straight-laced code of values based on his own troubled upbringing.
Bennett sees something special in Avery and he wants more from her. Way more. As Avery wrestles with her emotions for Bennett, danger and tragedy force them to open up to each other. And Avery must face the terrifying realization that she wants more from him, too.
So she needs to make a choice—let Bennett go or finally let him in.
Hi Christina. Happy Debut!
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
Thanks for having me Natalie, and for reading my book! Well, I’ve always written poems and kept journals. But it wasn’t until I became a local newspaper columnist about five years ago that something clicked. I realized that while writing non-fiction for the newspaper was a wonderful experience, what I truly wanted to do was write fiction. To create imaginary worlds and compelling characters. So in 2008, I wrote my first full length novel that I now realize would have been considered upper YA or possibly NA.
2. That’s awesome that you’d already been writing for newspapers. What drew you to write new adult and where did you get the idea for your story?
My first foray into New Adult was last year with the book EASY, by Tammara Webber. That book straddled YA and NA, as did SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller. Something clicked inside my head and I began devouring every New Adult and Adult contemporary romance I could get my hands on. There are different tropes in novels and I had just gotten finished reading several romances that featured virgin females and alpha type males. I batted around the idea of what a story might look like if that trope were reversed and the details of the book hit me so hard that I wrote the whole thing in record time. I could not stop writing. I love it when that happens.
3. I’ve heard great thinks about EASY. And it’s awesome how you turned the romance story roles around in ALL OF YOU. You did a fantastic post about the new adult genre for WriteOnCon (You can read the post HERE- http://writeoncon.com/08/13/4352/) where you talk about how getting the voice right is critical for a new adult story. Share a bit about what you mean by this and how you nailed the voice so well for Avery and Bennett.
Freshman year in college is not that far of a leap from senior year in high school. But there is definitely
4. You’re right that the ages are that different, but the worlds are very different for kids from senior year high school and college. (Please don’t remind of this as my daughter will be going away to college in two years.)
I want to talk about the romance in ALL OF YOU. There are some pretty explicit sexual scenes but they weren’t all about the sex. It was also about the emotions Avery and Bennett were experiencing. What challenges did you face in writing these scenes and what tips do you have for the rest of us?
It is first and foremost about the emotions and what physical responses the characters have to those powerful feelings. I thought back to my favorite sexually charged scenes in novels and also remembered what falling in love felt like in my younger years. And then I honed in on those visceral emotions to write my scenes.
5. I really liked how you focused on the emotions in those scenes so much. Share a bit about Avery and her character development. Did you draw on your own or anyone else’s experiences in creating her?
I’ve worked in the mental health field for a large portion of my adult life, have come in contact with many broken people and saw how differently each person coped with what life threw at them. Without going into great detail, Avery is a mishmash of a couple of people I’ve known in the past. She’s goal oriented and very driven, even in her sex life. She wants to remain in control at all times and she’s determined to keep it that way, despite feeling unfulfilled at times. It took Bennett to come along and show her a different side of life.
6. That must be helpful to draw on people you’ve known. Your agent is Sara Megibow. She’d be my dream agent. Share how she became your agent and your road to publication.
I had parted ways amicably with my last agent beginning of this year, had several YA’s written and one brand new NA. At that time, there were only a handful of agents accepting NA queries and I decided to give that story a good shot.
It all happened very fast. Sara read my partial, requested my full and then made the offer within a week’s time. It was the same with my road to publication. I went on submission with my NA novel and had several offers later that week. It felt very surreal.
7. Wow! That’s such an awesome road to agent and publication story. How are you planning to market you book and reaching out to new adult readers?
I’ve met many wonderful New Adult and Romance authors on-line as well as very generous books bloggers who are eager and avid readers. Essentially, I’m a contemporary romance author who happens to write in the New Adult category. I have a great blog tour happening this month, some future signings lined up, and can only hope that readers will buy and enjoy my book. That’s all you can do, really. Reach out to readers and form relationships (as opposed to constantly spamming about your book). Throw in a little luck and hope for the best.
8. Looking forward to seeing how your blog tour goes and the blogs hosting you. What are you working on now?
I’m awaiting edits from my Penguin editor for book two, which is a companion novel to ALL OF YOU. It’s called BEFORE YOU BREAK, releases in February, and tells the story of one the secondary characters from book one.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Christina. You can find Christina at:
Blog
Facebook author page
Christina generously offered an e-book of ALL OF YOU for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on September 28th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.
Here’s what’s coming up:
On Friday I’m doing the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices-many new books--for you to pick from.
Next Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.
Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.
The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.
Thursday that week I’m interviewing Meagan Spooner as part of her SKYLARK blog tour. This is the second book in her Skylark dystopian series. I can’t wait to read this and have Meagan share with us all. And there will be a giveaway too.
The following Monday I’m interviewing debut author Mindy McGinnis and giving away an ARC of her YA post-apocalyptic story NOT A DROP TO DRINK about a world with little water. I loved that this was a really character driven story that had a contemporary feel to it.
And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.
Hope to see you on Friday!
TIP TUESDAY #171 SANDY CARLSON ON SCHOOL VISITS AND THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED GIVEAWAY
Tip Tuesday features writers' tips on craft, research, querying, blogging, marketing, inspiration, and more. If you'd like to send in a tip, please e-mail me at agentspotlight(at)gmail(dot)com.
Natalie here. Today I’ve got a fantastic tip by Sandy Carlson on school visits. Details about the giveaway with be at the end of the post.
So here’s Sandy.
Having been a teacher of kids in K-5 for many years, I was never worried about doing school visits for my historical fiction, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED, published last March. I love history. I love teaching. I love being around kids. I am a kid. (Just don’t look at my photo.)
I’m aware that in these days and times the author (both traditionally- and self-published) ends up doing most of the marketing and promotions for the book herself. I’m a writer. I’m a teacher. So what did I know about this whole new field of marketing, etc.? Nothing! I seriously needed a plan.
Sandy’s School Visits Plan:
First, for about three months prior to publication, I went cross-eyed reading nothing but about school visits and marketing and publicizing and doing promos.
Second, I planned what to wear during my school visit outfit. Since I wrote a historical novel, my clothing ought to be historic-looking. It would also make me stand out from the everyday adult teacher. More research.
Third, I attended author visits of writer friends at different schools, taking copious notes. (As both a teacher and a writer, I’d already attended over 30 author visits before this time, but needed to keep fresh.)
Fourth, I contacted teachers I knew in town (all five), and offered them free classroom or school visits. I figured I had to get my name (and story) out there, plus, it would give me experience for the future.
Fifth, I looked up educational standards or common core for my target ages and I set up eight distinct sessions from which teachers could choose for their visit (e.g., the Victorian/Pioneer age, revisions, plot, character, etc.). I also asked the teachers what they themselves wanted to see in an author visit. As a former teacher who’d weekly made up lesson plans, I adapted each visit to each teacher expectations or requests. The first month my book was published, I’d visited with eighteen classrooms, K-4, with more elementary school and middle school classes planned for later in the spring.
Sixth, I handed out evaluation sheets to the teachers with a SASE so I could see, in their opinions, what worked or didn’t.
Seventh, via email, I contacted principals and media specialists in schools around the area in which the story takes place, and researched other locations where the story would be of particular interest for future contacts.
The hardest part of all this was getting over my shy self, and boldly telling others about my book, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED! The rest has been pure fun!
Bio: Sandy is a former teacher and present author and speaker. Her latest book is yet another historical fiction titled TALES OF THE LOST SCHOONER about sailing around Michigan’s Mitt in 1854. (Yay! She gets to wear her hoop skirt some more.)
Here’s a blurb about THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED from Goodreads:
Act of man or act of God? Just how many homes and friends does a kid have to lose in twelve years?
Driven from his neighborhood during the Chicago fire of 1871, Adrian and his parents move to the Michigan wilderness where his father lands a job at the sawmill. The town is called Singapore - as if a name could make a tiny spit of a town into a great seaport.
Adrian finds it difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Back in Chaicago, it was easy to keep his hobby a secret, even from his father. But in this small town, will people discover who the true knitter of the family is? Only his best friend, big R.T., keeps Adrian level, even though R.T. does have that habit of speaking in animal dialects.
Then, just as Adrian starts to feel that Singapore is his home, he discovers the moving sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore are slowly burying his town. He tries to stop it, but how can he fight both man and nature?
Sandy has generously offered a print copy of THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED to U.S. residents and an e-book to International residents. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on September 28th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.
Tomorrow I’m interviewing one of our followers, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.
Hope to see you tomorrow!
Natalie here. Today I’ve got a fantastic tip by Sandy Carlson on school visits. Details about the giveaway with be at the end of the post.
So here’s Sandy.
AUTHOR SCHOOL VISITS BY A FORMER TEACHER
I’m aware that in these days and times the author (both traditionally- and self-published) ends up doing most of the marketing and promotions for the book herself. I’m a writer. I’m a teacher. So what did I know about this whole new field of marketing, etc.? Nothing! I seriously needed a plan.
Sandy’s School Visits Plan:
First, for about three months prior to publication, I went cross-eyed reading nothing but about school visits and marketing and publicizing and doing promos.
Second, I planned what to wear during my school visit outfit. Since I wrote a historical novel, my clothing ought to be historic-looking. It would also make me stand out from the everyday adult teacher. More research.
Third, I attended author visits of writer friends at different schools, taking copious notes. (As both a teacher and a writer, I’d already attended over 30 author visits before this time, but needed to keep fresh.)
Fourth, I contacted teachers I knew in town (all five), and offered them free classroom or school visits. I figured I had to get my name (and story) out there, plus, it would give me experience for the future.
Fifth, I looked up educational standards or common core for my target ages and I set up eight distinct sessions from which teachers could choose for their visit (e.g., the Victorian/Pioneer age, revisions, plot, character, etc.). I also asked the teachers what they themselves wanted to see in an author visit. As a former teacher who’d weekly made up lesson plans, I adapted each visit to each teacher expectations or requests. The first month my book was published, I’d visited with eighteen classrooms, K-4, with more elementary school and middle school classes planned for later in the spring.
Sixth, I handed out evaluation sheets to the teachers with a SASE so I could see, in their opinions, what worked or didn’t.
Seventh, via email, I contacted principals and media specialists in schools around the area in which the story takes place, and researched other locations where the story would be of particular interest for future contacts.
The hardest part of all this was getting over my shy self, and boldly telling others about my book, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED! The rest has been pure fun!
Bio: Sandy is a former teacher and present author and speaker. Her latest book is yet another historical fiction titled TALES OF THE LOST SCHOONER about sailing around Michigan’s Mitt in 1854. (Yay! She gets to wear her hoop skirt some more.)
Here’s a blurb about THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED from Goodreads:
Act of man or act of God? Just how many homes and friends does a kid have to lose in twelve years?
Adrian finds it difficult to adjust to his new surroundings. Back in Chaicago, it was easy to keep his hobby a secret, even from his father. But in this small town, will people discover who the true knitter of the family is? Only his best friend, big R.T., keeps Adrian level, even though R.T. does have that habit of speaking in animal dialects.
Then, just as Adrian starts to feel that Singapore is his home, he discovers the moving sand dunes along the Lake Michigan shore are slowly burying his town. He tries to stop it, but how can he fight both man and nature?
Sandy has generously offered a print copy of THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED to U.S. residents and an e-book to International residents. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by midnight on September 28th. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome.
Tomorrow I’m interviewing one of our followers, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.
Hope to see you tomorrow!
ALEX CAVANAUGH INTERVIEW ON SUCCESSFUL BLOGGING AND CASSAFIRE AND CASSASTORM GIVEAWAY
Happy Monday Everyone! I'm happy to say that my daughter and I have survived the first two weeks of getting up at 4:45 am pretty well.
And in case you missed it last week, I joined Twitter! Follow me @NatalieIAguirre and I'll follow you back.
Before we get to my fantastic interview, I want to announce the winner of the September is for Sequels giveaway. We had 196 entries. Woo Hoo!
The winner is Mimi Smith who chose SCARLETT.
Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.
Today I’m thrilled to have Alex Cavanaugh here to help celebrate the release of CASSASTORM, the final book in his sci-fi series, which releases tomorrow. Alex is very well known in the blogging community as a great supportive friend. He regularly has 150 or more people commenting on all of his blog posts. He’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and a co-host of the A-Z Challenge. If you aren’t already following his blog, I highly recommend that you start following it HERE. And you’ll meet lots of enthusiastic bloggers through his group of friends. I know I have.
I don’t spotlight adult books, but really wanted to spotlight Alex’s book and have him share tips on how to make our blogs successful. I’ll be honest. I was nervous picking up CASSASTORM to read because I haven’t read an adult book in almost ten years and was worried I don’t like them anymore. And I wasn’t sure I would understand enough of the story since I haven’t read the first two books. I’m happy to say that I was totally engrossed in the story within the first few pages. Alex did a great job bringing the reader up to speed on what’s been happening. And I loved that the story was told from the points of view of Byron, the main character, his wife Athee, and his ten year-old son Bassan. Being a children’s writer and reader, I especially loved the parts written from Bassan’s POV. This was a fast-paced story with high stakes and danger. It was fascinating learning about the planet Byron and his family live on and then seeing more of the universe Alex created. This was a book I couldn’t put down. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I think you’d enjoy reading this.
Here’s a blurb abut CASSASTORM:
“With a talent for worldbuilding and a compelling cast of characters,
Alex J. Cavanaugh combines high powered space battles and the challenges of
family dynamics to provide readers a space opera with heart.”
- Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries
"Cavanaugh makes world building on the galactic scale look easy. The stakes affect the entire known universe and yet Cavanaugh makes it intensely personal for our hero. The final installment of this series will break your heart and put it back together."
- Charity Bradford, science fantasy author of The Magic Wakes
“Cavanaugh creates such an unforgettable world, and these characters will stay with you long after their story is over.”
- Cassie Mae, author of Friday Night Alibi and How to Date a Nerd
Hi Alex. Thanks so much for joining us. And Happy Release Day tomorrow!
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and work in web design and graphics, I’m experienced in technical editing, and I worked with an adult literacy program for several years. I’m also a musician and play guitar in a band. Online I’m the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
I wrote some when I was younger, but I didn’t pick it up again until almost thirty years later when I found an old manuscript in a drawer. After a complete rewrite, many query letters to publishers, it became my first published novel, CassaStar.
2. That's awesome that you used to write and picked it up again. And I'd love to work with a literacy program some day. For those of us who haven’t read this series, tell us about it.
The series follows Byron, a very talented pilot who prefers his privacy. The first book follows him
through training and into war, learning what it means to be a friend along the way. CassaFire jumps twenty years ahead and finds him faced with training a woman pilot while delving into ancient alien ruins. CassaStorm also jumps ahead twenty years and finds Byron fighting not only for his young son, but for all the known races.
3. I know when you wrote CASSASTAR, you didn’t plan to write a trilogy. What were some of the challenges in continuing the story and how did you overcome them?
I think jumping ahead in time helped. It gave each book a fresh start. CassaFire was loosely based on a
short story I wrote as a teen, and I just expanded on the storyline. CassaStorm was the biggest challenge, as everything came from scratch. But it provided the opportunity to tie all of the books together and conclude the series.
4. That was an incredibly unique way to do it. And really keeps the story fresh.
So I want to focus our interview on blogging advice. I know from following your blog that you started your blog when you signed your book publishing contract and your publisher told you that you needed to start a blog. Share how you started your blog and what helped it to grow too where it is today. What are some of your key recommendations for having a thriving blog with lots of visitors?
The first few months, I had no idea what I was doing. I started following and commenting, focusing on science fiction sites, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. It wasn’t until the very first A to Z Challenge that I began to gain momentum – I went from thirty to over eighty followers in one month. After that I found my groove by blogging about what I enjoy and featuring others.
I think the four things that matter most are involvement, support, leadership, and consistency. Blogging is a community, and you have to be willing to give back. You can’t focus on yourself or be negative, either. You want to be that person others flock to because of your genuine nature.
5. So true you have to be consistent and be supportive. How many blogs do you follow and how much time do you spend reading blogs every day. Tell the truth because I see you on many blogs I follow before I get there.
I’m just quick on the draw! I have around 2000 followers and I visit an average of a hundred blogs a day. (Far more on Mondays and double that on IWSG post days.) I spend anywhere from three to six hours a day online. While that might blow some people away, I do have the advantage of visiting blogs during the day from work. (Does my job rock or what?) But I do devote time in the evenings and on weekends. Basically, I’ve just made a lot of friends.
6. Wow! That's a lot of time reading blogs. You're so lucky you can do that from work. That would help SO much to follow more bloggers if I could at work. But I spend a lot of time on it too, which is why I think I have a good following. For those of us who can’t spend as much time following blogs as you do because of other obligations, what advice do you have for increasing on blog followings and being good blogger friends?
Focus on a core group of blogger friends. Visit those people as often as possible and the rest when you have extra time. It’s more important to have a small group of friends devoted to you than a mass of people who could care less. And the best way to increase your following is to follow and comment on other blogs, get involved in the community through blogfests and events, and give back at every opportunity.
7. Great advice. And as a follow up, in another interview, Alex recommended for those of us who can't devote as much time to blogging to follow a core group of about 30 bloggers regularly to be a good friend and develop a following. And he's mentioned a key to having a good following: follow your followers back, especially the ones that visit you all the time. I so agree with this. I'm trying to do this as much as I can, even if I just follow some of the less frequent followers on the days they stop by.
Here’s a problem I struggle with how to handle sometimes and I’m guessing other people do to. I start following someone, often who has few followers, and they don’t follow back. Also I’ve noticed over the three years I’ve been blogging that some followers stop following and/or disappear from blogging. Do you have these issues ever and how do you handle them? Do you stop following people? When?
People come and go, and new bloggers don’t know the etiquette of interacting or returning follows. I have so many followers now that I don’t seek out many new ones, although I return follows if I can locate a blog. If I follow a blogger and a week or two passes with no interaction or reciprocation on his part, I will unfollow. I’d rather focus my efforts on those who want to be friends.
8. I hate to unfollow people, but I think your rule of thumb is a good one I plan to start following. Since the fall 2012, I’ve noticed a lot of aspiring author fatigue with blogging and discussions on whether or not people should continue blogging. In fact, I’ve saved at least 10 links to posts on this topic, including one you did last year. We saw a drop here in comments (though I’m not complaining because we do get lots of comments on popular interviews) and page views last fall. The good thing was that I made a lot of new blogger friends, many from your circle of friends, as a result and have really been focusing on following my regular followers.
But have you noticed this trend at all and where do you think blogging fits in an author’s social network platform?
There seem to be less people following new blogs, but there are always new bloggers to replace those who quit. I think it’s still viable for authors. My blog is also my website, so it doubles as an author site and a social network. Some authors do really well on Twitter, and some on Facebook. I think it’s all about finding what works best for the individual - what works best for each of us to spread the news and reach our audience.
9. I've found that to be true too--that there are new bloggers to become friends with when others disappear. Though it still makes me sad when people I like just disappear. Do you have any other advice that we haven’t already discussed?
Just get involved in this community at every opportunity. Blogging is about making friends. Find your groove and your theme and have fun. If it’s not fun, you’ll burn out and quit.
10. I know you’re debating whether to continue writing or focus on your other creative outlet, music. Have you made any decisions on that?
I’ve focused on my music more this year, but I haven’t made a final decision. I have an outline for another space opera, so who knows? But I’m not leaving the blogging world anytime soon, that’s for sure!
Thanks so much for sharing all your advice, Alex. Good luck with your book release. Here's purchasing info for CASSASTORM and Alex's links below:
Available September 17, 2013
$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera
Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019
$4.99 EBook available in all formats
Find CassaStorm:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Goodreads
Book trailer
Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.
Website
Twitter
Goodreads
So Alex's publisher Dancing Lemur Press has generously provided an ARC of CASSAFIRE (I won this through Goodreads First Reads) and CASSASTORM for a giveaway. There will be two winners. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by September 28th. Please let me know where you are in the series and I'll try to match the winners with the books, though there is no guarantee. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome though I'll only pick one international winner at most due to postage costs.
I'd love if you'd also share your questions, your experiences blogging, and any advice to share with the rest of us.
Here's what's coming up:
Tomorrow I've got a fantastic Tuesday tip on school visits by author Sandy Carlson and a giveaway of her historical fiction story, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED.
On Wednesday I’m interviewing another follower, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.
On Friday I’m doing the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices for you to pick from.
Next Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.
Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.
The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.
And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.
Hope to see you tomorrow!
And in case you missed it last week, I joined Twitter! Follow me @NatalieIAguirre and I'll follow you back.
Before we get to my fantastic interview, I want to announce the winner of the September is for Sequels giveaway. We had 196 entries. Woo Hoo!
The winner is Mimi Smith who chose SCARLETT.
Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.
Today I’m thrilled to have Alex Cavanaugh here to help celebrate the release of CASSASTORM, the final book in his sci-fi series, which releases tomorrow. Alex is very well known in the blogging community as a great supportive friend. He regularly has 150 or more people commenting on all of his blog posts. He’s the founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group and a co-host of the A-Z Challenge. If you aren’t already following his blog, I highly recommend that you start following it HERE. And you’ll meet lots of enthusiastic bloggers through his group of friends. I know I have.
I don’t spotlight adult books, but really wanted to spotlight Alex’s book and have him share tips on how to make our blogs successful. I’ll be honest. I was nervous picking up CASSASTORM to read because I haven’t read an adult book in almost ten years and was worried I don’t like them anymore. And I wasn’t sure I would understand enough of the story since I haven’t read the first two books. I’m happy to say that I was totally engrossed in the story within the first few pages. Alex did a great job bringing the reader up to speed on what’s been happening. And I loved that the story was told from the points of view of Byron, the main character, his wife Athee, and his ten year-old son Bassan. Being a children’s writer and reader, I especially loved the parts written from Bassan’s POV. This was a fast-paced story with high stakes and danger. It was fascinating learning about the planet Byron and his family live on and then seeing more of the universe Alex created. This was a book I couldn’t put down. Even if you haven’t read the rest of the series, I think you’d enjoy reading this.
Here’s a blurb abut CASSASTORM:
From the Amazon Best Selling
Series!
A storm gathers across the
galaxy…
Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days
of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet,
Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the
Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another
battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races
triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s
mind.
Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might
signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost
destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble,
Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in
the middle…
- Elizabeth S. Craig, author of the Southern Quilting and Myrtle Clover mysteries
"Cavanaugh makes world building on the galactic scale look easy. The stakes affect the entire known universe and yet Cavanaugh makes it intensely personal for our hero. The final installment of this series will break your heart and put it back together."
- Charity Bradford, science fantasy author of The Magic Wakes
“Cavanaugh creates such an unforgettable world, and these characters will stay with you long after their story is over.”
- Cassie Mae, author of Friday Night Alibi and How to Date a Nerd
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and work in web design and graphics, I’m experienced in technical editing, and I worked with an adult literacy program for several years. I’m also a musician and play guitar in a band. Online I’m the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group.
I wrote some when I was younger, but I didn’t pick it up again until almost thirty years later when I found an old manuscript in a drawer. After a complete rewrite, many query letters to publishers, it became my first published novel, CassaStar.
2. That's awesome that you used to write and picked it up again. And I'd love to work with a literacy program some day. For those of us who haven’t read this series, tell us about it.
The series follows Byron, a very talented pilot who prefers his privacy. The first book follows him
3. I know when you wrote CASSASTAR, you didn’t plan to write a trilogy. What were some of the challenges in continuing the story and how did you overcome them?
I think jumping ahead in time helped. It gave each book a fresh start. CassaFire was loosely based on a
4. That was an incredibly unique way to do it. And really keeps the story fresh.
So I want to focus our interview on blogging advice. I know from following your blog that you started your blog when you signed your book publishing contract and your publisher told you that you needed to start a blog. Share how you started your blog and what helped it to grow too where it is today. What are some of your key recommendations for having a thriving blog with lots of visitors?
The first few months, I had no idea what I was doing. I started following and commenting, focusing on science fiction sites, but I wasn’t getting anywhere. It wasn’t until the very first A to Z Challenge that I began to gain momentum – I went from thirty to over eighty followers in one month. After that I found my groove by blogging about what I enjoy and featuring others.
I think the four things that matter most are involvement, support, leadership, and consistency. Blogging is a community, and you have to be willing to give back. You can’t focus on yourself or be negative, either. You want to be that person others flock to because of your genuine nature.
5. So true you have to be consistent and be supportive. How many blogs do you follow and how much time do you spend reading blogs every day. Tell the truth because I see you on many blogs I follow before I get there.
I’m just quick on the draw! I have around 2000 followers and I visit an average of a hundred blogs a day. (Far more on Mondays and double that on IWSG post days.) I spend anywhere from three to six hours a day online. While that might blow some people away, I do have the advantage of visiting blogs during the day from work. (Does my job rock or what?) But I do devote time in the evenings and on weekends. Basically, I’ve just made a lot of friends.
6. Wow! That's a lot of time reading blogs. You're so lucky you can do that from work. That would help SO much to follow more bloggers if I could at work. But I spend a lot of time on it too, which is why I think I have a good following. For those of us who can’t spend as much time following blogs as you do because of other obligations, what advice do you have for increasing on blog followings and being good blogger friends?
Focus on a core group of blogger friends. Visit those people as often as possible and the rest when you have extra time. It’s more important to have a small group of friends devoted to you than a mass of people who could care less. And the best way to increase your following is to follow and comment on other blogs, get involved in the community through blogfests and events, and give back at every opportunity.
7. Great advice. And as a follow up, in another interview, Alex recommended for those of us who can't devote as much time to blogging to follow a core group of about 30 bloggers regularly to be a good friend and develop a following. And he's mentioned a key to having a good following: follow your followers back, especially the ones that visit you all the time. I so agree with this. I'm trying to do this as much as I can, even if I just follow some of the less frequent followers on the days they stop by.
Here’s a problem I struggle with how to handle sometimes and I’m guessing other people do to. I start following someone, often who has few followers, and they don’t follow back. Also I’ve noticed over the three years I’ve been blogging that some followers stop following and/or disappear from blogging. Do you have these issues ever and how do you handle them? Do you stop following people? When?
8. I hate to unfollow people, but I think your rule of thumb is a good one I plan to start following. Since the fall 2012, I’ve noticed a lot of aspiring author fatigue with blogging and discussions on whether or not people should continue blogging. In fact, I’ve saved at least 10 links to posts on this topic, including one you did last year. We saw a drop here in comments (though I’m not complaining because we do get lots of comments on popular interviews) and page views last fall. The good thing was that I made a lot of new blogger friends, many from your circle of friends, as a result and have really been focusing on following my regular followers.
But have you noticed this trend at all and where do you think blogging fits in an author’s social network platform?
There seem to be less people following new blogs, but there are always new bloggers to replace those who quit. I think it’s still viable for authors. My blog is also my website, so it doubles as an author site and a social network. Some authors do really well on Twitter, and some on Facebook. I think it’s all about finding what works best for the individual - what works best for each of us to spread the news and reach our audience.
9. I've found that to be true too--that there are new bloggers to become friends with when others disappear. Though it still makes me sad when people I like just disappear. Do you have any other advice that we haven’t already discussed?
Just get involved in this community at every opportunity. Blogging is about making friends. Find your groove and your theme and have fun. If it’s not fun, you’ll burn out and quit.
10. I know you’re debating whether to continue writing or focus on your other creative outlet, music. Have you made any decisions on that?
I’ve focused on my music more this year, but I haven’t made a final decision. I have an outline for another space opera, so who knows? But I’m not leaving the blogging world anytime soon, that’s for sure!
Thanks so much for sharing all your advice, Alex. Good luck with your book release. Here's purchasing info for CASSASTORM and Alex's links below:
Available September 17, 2013
$16.95 USA, 6x9 Trade paperback, 268 pages, Dancing Lemur Press, L.L.C.
Science fiction/adventure and science fiction/space opera
Print ISBN 9781939844002 eBook ISBN 9781939844019
$4.99 EBook available in all formats
Find CassaStorm:
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Amazon Kindle
Goodreads
Book trailer
Alex J. Cavanaugh has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and works in web design and graphics. He is experienced in technical editing and worked with an adult literacy program for several years. A fan of all things science fiction, his interests range from books and movies to music and games. Online he is the Ninja Captain and founder of the Insecure Writer’s Support Group. The author of the Amazon bestsellers, CassaStar and CassaFire, he lives in the Carolinas with his wife.
Website
Goodreads
So Alex's publisher Dancing Lemur Press has generously provided an ARC of CASSAFIRE (I won this through Goodreads First Reads) and CASSASTORM for a giveaway. There will be two winners. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment by September 28th. Please let me know where you are in the series and I'll try to match the winners with the books, though there is no guarantee. I’ll announce the winner on September 30th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome though I'll only pick one international winner at most due to postage costs.
I'd love if you'd also share your questions, your experiences blogging, and any advice to share with the rest of us.
Here's what's coming up:
Tomorrow I've got a fantastic Tuesday tip on school visits by author Sandy Carlson and a giveaway of her historical fiction story, THE TOWN THAT DISAPPEARED.
On Wednesday I’m interviewing another follower, debut author Christina Lee, and giving away an e-book of her new fantastic adult novel, ALL OF YOU, a contemporary romantic story with great characters.
On Friday I’m doing the Stuck In A Good Book Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices for you to pick from.
Next Monday I’m interviewing debut author Peggy Eddleman and giving away an ARC of SKY JUMPERS, her fantastic upper grade middle grade post- apocalyptic story. I haven’t seen any post-apocalyptic middle grade stories and I really enjoyed reading about Hope, a girl who thinks she has no talents because she’s not good at inventing like everyone else in her small town.
Next Wednesday I’m interviewing Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson and giving away a copy of STARBOUNDERS, a MG sci-fi adventure story that sounds like it’ll really appeal to boys as well as girls.
The following Monday I’m interviewing a sixth grader in a writing club for my ASK THE EXPERT series and giving away a copy of THE DREAM THIEVES and ORLEANS.
And don't forget our Tuesday Tips and Casey's Thursday agent spotlights.
Hope to see you tomorrow!
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