Earlier this week, I hinted about unveiling my book trailer soon... It's already up on YouTube and my facebook page, but today is the day for its unveiling on my blog! Yay! The amazingly talented Madison at M2 Productions created this short teaser trailer for The Lipstick Laws. And she'll be creating a longer TLL trailer with more plot info closer to my release date in 2011.
Please get some popcorn to munch on, get comfy... and go ahead and watch this teaser 50 times in a row like I did - lol. Better yet, if you love it, please spread the love by posting a comment on the trailer's YouTube page HERE.
So....what do you think? I'd love some feedback!! :)
*Don't forget to read and comment on Swati Avasthi's interview below for a chance to win a signed copy of SPLIT!*
Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction Interview with Swati Avasthi, Author of SPLIT! Plus a Signed Book Giveaway!
Today, I'm welcoming Swati Avasthi (the fantastic author of the must-read book SPLIT) to my blog for an interview and signed book giveaway. But this isn't your typical author interview and giveaway... because Swati is also sharing the details of her upcoming book blog tour and charity auction for Domestic Violence Awareness Month starting on October 1st. Please help support the cause by reading the important info discussed in this interview, and checking out the blog tour and auction event (button links to tour & auction follow this interview). If you decide to bid on any of the auction items, you'll be helping a very important cause.
*Signed book giveaway entry details to follow this interview*
Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming blog tour and charity auction? Of course. Thanks for asking!
To honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, I'm combining a blog tour for my debut novel, Split, with a fundraiser for Family Violence Prevention Fund. I'll be on twenty-six blogs with guests posts, a contest, an animated scene, a photo essay, cut scenes, and a, 8G pink nano ipod prize. Kari Olson from Teen Book Scene, coordinated the tour and you can see where I'll be at: http://theteenbookscene.weebly.com/split-details.html. Or my blog at www.swatiavasthi.blogspot.com, for that matter. For every comment, I'll donate $1/comment with a goal and cap of $250. If I receive 250 comments, I’ll double my donation.
But that's just the start. Even better, more than 40 agents, editors and authors have generously donated cool stuff for an online auction. Nathan Bransford donated a query critique, Sara Zarr donated a 25 page manuscript critique, etc, etc. We have memberships to YALITCHAT.ORG and Children's Literature Network, a wide array of different types of critiques, personalized signed books from wonderful authors, and even some items donated by other artists, including photographer John Magruder and graphic designer/author Amy Holder (a name you might recognize). All donations should be ready to bid on on October 1st. Follow the tour, get stuff you want, and help out a great cause all at once.
Why is the cause against domestic violence close to your heart? I coordinated a domestic violence legal clinic for three years and, in that time, listened to thousands of victims. It was inspiring to watch people with so much courage leave their abuser and get an order of protection, facing down the devil they didn't know and reject the devil. It was also heart-breaking. The experience left me asking a lot of questions about the nature of love and violence and of what it would mean to grow up with abuse as a regular occurrence.
What inspired you to write SPLIT? Once a woman came in with her two kids. While she was telling me about the abuse, I interrupted her and asked her if she wanted an intern to look after her kids. She said, "No, they seen it anyway." That was one of the hardest moments in the clinic for me because I was angry at her, instead of being angry with the man who was beating her. I knew better than to victim blame, but I found it hard to reconcile how she did nothing to protect her kids with my sympathy for her. I understood, intellectually, that if she couldn't protect herself, then she couldn't protect her kids and that it was the abuser's fault, not hers. But it took the writing of Split for me to accept that emotionally.
Although SPLIT is a fiction novel, Jace's situation is all too familiar to many individuals dealing with domestic violence in real life. How can people get involved to help domestic violence victims and/or survivors? If you think you might be experiencing abuse, it's worth talking to someone. There are a number of organization that can help. For teens, call the National Teen Dating Abuse Help 866-331-9474. Or, the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-SAFE, or at www.ndvh.org who can direct you to local resources. But do remember that what you do on your computer can be tracked, so be sure to connect from a safe place.
What's something you hope readers will take with them upon finishing SPLIT? That there is a life after abuse and, even though recovery is long, it is possible because we are defined by what we do, not by what has been done to us.
Thank you so much for this amazing interview and the details about your upcoming blog tour and charity auction, Swati! Is there anything else you'd like to add before we go? Thanks so much for having me. Good luck with your book! I'm excited to read it. Also, thanks so much for your donation to the Before the Split Blog Tour and Charity Auction.
You're very welcome, Swati! And thanks for including me in your auction! If you'd like more info about Swati and her must-read book, please check out her WEBSITE and BLOG. If you'd like to order SPLIT today, here is the Amazon Link.
Watch the very cool trailer for SPLIT:
Also, be sure to check out Swati's blog tour and charity auction! The button links are below. There are some great items to bid on, and remember, you'll be helping an important cause:
Button link to go to the blog tour schedule:
Button link to go to the charity auction site for the event:
And don't forget to comment at the various blog tour stops! Your comment(s) will add to the amount Swati donates to the Family Violence Prevention Fund!!!
******************************************************* SPLIT Signed Book Giveaway Entry Details: 1) Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of SPLIT. 2) You will receive an extra entry to win the signed copy of SPLIT with each online shout-out you give about this giveaway (tweet on twitter, facebook status, and/or blog about it). Be sure to leave links to your shout-out(s) in the comment section of this post. 3) Help spread the word and support the cause by adding Swati's Blog Tour Schedule and Charity Auction links to your blog for an additional two extra entries to win the signed copy of SPLIT. Remember to let me know where I can find the links in your comment.
*Sorry, this giveaway is open to USA and Canada residents only*
The winner of the signed copy of SPLIT will be randomly selected and announced on October 7th here on my blog. Good luck! *******************************************************
Hi everyone! Okay, I confess... I've been a bad, bad blogger recently. I've been MIA from the blogosphere since mid-month... and I have plenty of reasons why, but I won't bog you down with those. What I will do, however, is let you know that I have lots of fun stuff planned for October. YAY!
For now, here's a catch-up list of news, updates, and stuff to watch for:
Some Book Updates: I've been working on Lipstick Laws swag -- I'm talking bookmarks, stickers, magnets, postcards, and other fun stuff that will translate into TLL swag bags galore!
Also, The teaser trailer for The Lipstick Laws is DONE - woohoo! I'll be unveiling it soon...stay tuned!
Blog News: I'll be posting an extra special author interview and signed book giveaway with Swati Avasthi tomorrow. Her book SPLIT deals with the issue of domestic violence. October is domestic violence awareness month, and Swati has set up a charity auction (which I'm donating to) and book blog tour to help the cause. I'd love for you all to check out the details tomorrow here on my blog!
In other blog giveaway news, I'm planning a fun October contest/giveaway that writers won't want to miss out on!
Random Amy News: If you don't already know, I'm also a freelance artist and have been published in the greeting card market by Hallmark and Oatmeal Studios. My Hallmark Halloween card is in Hallmark stores and other stores that sell Hallmark cards now! Make sure to look for it... Better yet, if you find it, take a picture of it at the store (or at home if you buy it) and send it to me here: amy@amyholder.com. This will call for a TLL swag bag in return.
Other Random News: I'm very excited because I just found out that J.K. Rowling is being interviewed on Oprah this Friday. I'm a huge fan and can't wait for this!
And I also can't wait for November because of THIS:
That's all for now! Please come back tomorrow for my important blog post with Swati Avasthi!
Thanks to all who joined me to celebrate Denise Jaden's book release, and for commenting to enter for a chance to win a signed copy of LOSING FAITH (donated by Denise herself)! Remember, if you commented on the launch celebration post below, even if you aren't selected to win this signed copy, you'll still have a chance to win the grand prize(s) on Denise's blog. She'll start announcing the winners of the grand prizes by Friday between 8 - 9 AM (PST)!
Now for the signed copy winner... I used the Random Name/Word Picker Fruit Machine at classtools.net to help me randomly select the winner from the entries I received. The lucky winner is: Jenny N.! Congratulations, Jenny! I will be in touch to discuss the details soon.
Be sure to come back for my next contest/giveaway in October, which I'm planning especially for writers! :)
Also, if you are a YA or MG author debuting in 2011, and you'd be interested in joining a great group of fellow debut authors to promote and market your book with, please email me directly to find out about the Class of 2k11. Membership is closing soon!
I went out of town for Labor Day weekend through part of last week, and to my surprise, I returned to no internet, phone or cable at my house -- BOO! I'm very happy that I was able to set up Denise Jaden's book launch blog tour celebration (below) to post automatically. Which, by the way, if you haven't entered to win a signed copy of her fabulous debut LOSING FAITH yet, please CLICK HERE to enter (the winner will be announced this Wednesday).
Anyhow, the internet glitches have been fixed, but I've gotten a little behind on keeping up with blogs and emails during my unexpected internet hiatus... so if you've emailed me and haven't received a response yet, or if you're wondering why I haven't stopped by your blog in a while, just know that I'm not ignoring you on purpose. I'm hoping to catch up on blogs and emails this week.
Now for some fun book news!!! Last week, I received my second pass of The Lipstick Laws. Originally, I wasn't going to be privy to the second pass pages, but because I made some significant changes in the first pass (I hacked a character from the plot), my editor thought I should review the changes in this second pass. The good news is I like the new changes translated to paper. The bad news is there are now a few minor mistakes that will not be corrected before the ARCs go out. So if you receive an ARC for review, you'll notice a couple sentence mistakes here and there... but that's what makes the uncorrected ARCs so special, right?
Check out some sneak peek second pass pictures:
Isn't the two page spread cool?
There's one more thing I'd like to mention before I go. The Class of 2k11 (which I'm a member and Vice President of) is closing membership this week. The 15th is the last day that we will be accepting new member applications. If you're a YA or MG author debuting in 2011, and you'd like more info about the group and/or you'd like to fill out an application, please contact me at amyholderbooks@yahoo.com.
Losing Faith Launch Blog Tour Celebration: Interview & Signed Book Giveaway with Author Denise Jaden
Today, I'm happy to welcome Denise Jaden back to my blog (CLICK HERE for Denise's first appearance) as a part of her book launch blog tour celebration for LOSING FAITH. Just when I thought Denise couldn't get more awesome, she offered to donate a signed copy of her book to one lucky commenter. So now she isn't just sitting at the very top of the awesomesauce totem pole, she's hovering over it. Not only will you have a chance to win a signed copy of her amazing book by commenting below (details to follow the interview), you'll also be entered to win more celebratory prizes that she's giving away on her own blog. In fact, every time you comment at one of LOSING FAITH's blog tour stops (including this one), you'll be entered to win lots of fabulous prizes. To check out all the prize goodies in question, CLICK HERE.
But enough about prizes, because now it's time to learn more about Denise and LOSING FAITH:
What inspired you to write LOSING FAITH?
When I was sixteen, I lost a close friend in a car accident. After her death, I learned so much about her that I hadn’t known before from her parents and friends. I think that was the nugget that started the story of a girl losing her sister, and discovering her sister’s secrets after her death.
Which character do you relate to the most and why?
I think I relate most to my main character, Brie. She has a real determination and tenacity that I think comes from me. And, like her, I was a little bit rebellious as a teen. Okay, sometimes I still am J.
What was your reaction to your gorgeous cover art?
To be honest, the first look at my very white cover art on the white background of my computer screen was not love at first sight. But I printed it off, and once I could see it the way it was meant to be viewed, I immediately fell in love. It has so much going on in it, much of which many might not even notice. But I love that! And the butterflies are my favorite.
Do the butterflies on the cover have any relevance to the book's content?
Okay, another moment of full disclosure here. Like I said, I really love the butterflies, but really, I think they were only added as a hopeful image. And there is a hopefulness to LOSING FAITH that goes well with this, especially with the black butterflies, since the book has some darker themes. But after seeing my cover art, I did add one very small paragraph about butterflies to a scene in the graveyard and asked my editor if we could add it in. I doubt anyone will even notice it, but I really wanted just a very slight reference to the butterflies in the text.
What's one thing you hope readers will take with them upon finishing LOSING FAITH?
I hope readers will feel a renewed sense of inner strength and a confidence to look for answers life’s big questions for themselves.
What's your best advice for aspiring writers wanting to be published?
Read a lot, write a lot. Don’t compare your experience to others’ as it really is apples and oranges, even with the same agent or publishing house. Write for yourself first. Sorry, I guess that’s a mishmash of many pieces of advice.
Thanks so much for the awesome interview, Denise! And thanks for letting me participate in the LOSING FAITH online book launch party!! For more information about Denise, please check out her WEBSITE & BLOG.
******************************************************* LOSING FAITH Signed Book Giveaway & Grand Prize Entry Details: 1) Comment below for a chance to win a signed copy of LOSING FAITH. 2) Your comment will also enter you in the drawing to win one of Denise's grand prize packages (for full details on the grand prize giveaways and links to the other blog tour stops, go to Denise's blog). 3) You will receive an extra entry to win the signed copy of LOSING FAITH with each online shout-out you give about this giveaway and/or Denise's blog tour (tweet on twitter, facebook status, and/or blog about it). Be sure to leave links to your shout-out(s) in the comment section of this post.
*Sorry, this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only*
The winner of the signed copy of LOSING FAITH will be randomly selected and announced on September 15th here on my blog. Good luck! *******************************************************
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge dog lover... always have been, always will be. So I feel compelled to share this incredible video of an amazing dog who has more rhythm than Shakira on steroids. I predict a spot on Dancing With the Stars is in this dog's future... not sure if she'd be the star or the pro dancer, watch and decide for yourself. :)
I'm usually impressed when my dog gives me a high five... but after watching this, I think we need to step up our act.
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
I'm the author of THE LIPSTICK LAWS, a young adult novel published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 4, 2011. I'm repped by Sarah Davies of Greenhouse Literary Agency.
