Christmas Countdown Interview

I was asked to participate in three holiday blog events this year. Today I'm happy to be over at Fragments of Life blogspot for a Christmas Countdown Interview. Find out what I do to prepare for the holiday, why I write for teens & other fun stuff. There is also a Lipstick Laws giveaway (signed final copy & swag) with this post that is open internationally & ends on January 3...so be sure to check it out & enter!



If you haven't checked out my other holiday blog events/giveaways yet, you can link to them here:

Badass Bookie's 2011 Debutante Event
My Spotlights: Day 3 & Day 4
Giveaway
Signed Lipstick Laws ARC & swag
Open Internationally
Ends December 31

Author Holiday Extravaganza
My Spotlight: Sneaky Holiday Tradition post
Giveaway
Lipstick Laws preorder & swag
Open Internationally
Ends December 29

(Today's Blog Event) Christmas Countdown: 13 Books to Gift & Giveaway!
My Spotlight: Day 5
Giveaway
Signed final copy of The Lipstick Laws & swag (winner will receive the prize in March or April)
Open Internationally
Ends January 3

Revision Makeovers

Manuscript revision can be a tricky thing to explain and an even trickier thing to master. There are so many types of revision styles, and very few writers go about revising the same way. What works for some won't work for others...much like perms...and skinny jeans. Along this same hair/clothing line of thought, I like to compare the revision process to a makeover. After all, everyone likes a nice makeover, right? To give you an idea of my take on the spectrum of revision styles, I've detailed the various revision makeover types below:

Al Natural: These writers do very little to their manuscripts to make them fabulous. Their first drafts come out pretty close to the finished product. Plain and simple, these writers are misfits. They're lucky and talented misfits, but misfits nonetheless.

Tweeze as You Please: Grooming their manuscripts continuously is what this type is known for. These writers spend lots of time plucking, prodding, tweaking and brushing up trouble spots throughout their first draft writing process. Naysayers may call this writing vanity, but many would say it's proper manuscript hygiene.

Touch Up & Go: This type of writer leaves his/her manuscript in sweatpants until the day of the publishing ball. The touch up & go writer will miraculously transform his/her manuscript like Cinderella right before sending it off to meet Prince (or Princess) Charming (more commonly known as an agent or editor).

Clever Concealers: These writers are afflicted with manuscript acne (plot holes, character flaws, grammar blemishes, etc.). But have no fear; not all manuscript zits leave scars! A clever concealer will find ingenious ways to hide and/or get rid of said acne with various writerly techniques....some cleansing....and maybe a little acne cream.

Nip/Tuck & Beyond: Nipping and tucking is more common than most would think. Some writers will deny that their manuscript has had this type of work done. After all, if it's a good nip/tuck revision, you may not even notice that a manuscript has had character lifts, plot implants, and bad grammar liposuction... but the bad nip/tucks can be spotted from miles away. Trust me!

Complete Reconstructive Surgery: This is the most invasive and painful form of revision makeover, and the finished product often resembles very little of the first draft. Recovery can be long, tedious and excruciating. This type of makeover may include, but isn't limited to: slicing the setting, dicing dialogue, cutting characters, and ripping up and rewriting some, most, or (heaven forbid) ALL of the manuscript. This type of revision makeover can lead to hair pulling, bursts of hysterics, crossed eyes, and delusional thoughts of quitting entirely. Pain medication in the form of lots of chocolate is typically required.


For the record, I confess that I've tried and survived all of the various revision types above. However, I tend to be a combo of the tweeze as you please and nip/tuck types the most. That's right, I'm not afraid to admit that I've given my manuscripts character lifts and plot implants. Are you?

So what manuscript revision makeover type are you?

Spooky-Good Writing Contest Winners

Okay, so I'm posting this way later in the day (er, night) than I intended to, but the truth is that I had a REALLLLLY hard time deciding on the winners -- all of the entries to my Spooky-Good Writing Contest were awesome! Thanks to everyone who participated. Since it was tough to pick just two winners, I've decided to give everyone who entered this contest two extra entries in my next multi-prize giveaway/contest, because you all deserve something for your creativity. I'll be sure to post a reminder about the extra entries when the time comes. Stay tuned!

Now for the winners, I have several favorites... but I decided to go with the two that really grabbed my attention and left me intrigued about the characters and plots the most. Without further ado, here are my picks:

Winner of the writing pack

Paige Garrison
Panic set in as I stumbled through the dark, following the eerie beam of moonlight guiding me through the graveyard; I hadn't expected to be haunted by some dead teenaged girl who just so happened to be the Grim Reaper.

This entry left me dying to know more about the teenage Grim Reaper and the MC she's haunting! Love it!

Winner of the publishing pack:

T. Knowley
True evil rose above the victim on a dark cold October night, the terror it had caused in the now lifeless corpse was just the beginning of what was to come.

This sentence chilled me to the bone! It's beyond creepy and packed with mystery. It's definitely an attention grabber!





Congrats to the winners! I will be in touch shortly about your prizes. And thanks again to everyone who participated. You're all very talented; keep up the fab writing!

Spooky-Good Writing Contest & Giveaway! Calling all Writers!

Spooky-good writing + spooky-good fun = spooky-good writing prizes!

I've held a bunch of signed book giveaways for readers on my blog, but I think it's about time to hold a contest/giveaway for fellow writers. October is the perfect month to hold such a writing contest; not only is it a spookerific time for fun contests, it's also right before NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) starts, which I know a lot of writers in the blogosphere participate in. I will be giving away two prize packs that are sure to help your writing!



*Please read entire post & entry instructions before entering!*

So here are the Spooky-Good Writing Contest details:
To enter, you must create a fantastic first line of a potential book using at least FOUR out of these 30+ frightfully fabulous words:

*All words can be modified to plural, past tense, adjective, adverb, verb or noun forms when appropriate*
Blood
Bite
Cold
Terrifying (can be modified to terror or terrorize)
Witch
Pumpkin (can be modified to jack-o'-lantern)
Ghost
Skeleton (can be modified to bones)
October
Trick
Treat (can be modified to candy)
Midnight
Moon
Monster
Mask
Ghoul
Dead (can be modified to corpse)
Dark
Grave (can be modified to graveyard or gravestone)
Evil
Boo
Haunt
Demon (can be modified to devil)
Murder
Panic
Shiver
Scream
Victim
Nightmare
Knife

Even though this is a Halloween contest, your first line entry DOES NOT have to be scary and/or intended for a horror novel; in fact, the more creative and surprising you are with the words, the better. Your first line could be funny, mysterious, intriguing, creepy, adventurous, informative, romantic, fun, etc. It can be the first line for any age group and book genre, just remember to make it PG (or PG-13). Also, make sure to create a line that will leave me dying to read the rest of the story... and even better, will make you want to WRITE the rest of the story!

And now for the prize details:

I have purchased four reference/writing books that have helped me a lot with my own writing and publication process to give away as prizes (all books are brand new!). These prizes will be broken up into two prize packs (2 books each); one is a writing prize pack, and the other is a publishing prize pack. The two best first line entries will win ONE of the following packages:

Writing Prize Pack

Wild Ink: How to Write Fiction for Young Adults by Victoria Henley - Filled with great writing tips, info & helpful interviews from successful editors, agents & authors! It's a wonderful reference!
And
Revision & Self Editing by James Scott Bell - THE BEST BOOK on revision that I've read!!! This book is a self-editing lifesaver!


Publishing Prize Pack

Formatting and Submitting Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino - Provides detailed information and visual examples for submitting your manuscripts(s) correctly and professionally in various genres and types of writing (including but not limited to: children's, nonfiction, magazine articles, scripts, poetry, etc).
AND
Be Your Own Literary Agent: An Insider's Guide to Getting Your Book Published by Richard Curtis - Will teach you the ins and outs of the publishing world & book contracts!!! This book is a must-read for anyone who hopes to be published, whether you plan on having an agent or not.

*IMPORTANT*Please indicate which ONE prize pack you'd like your first line(s) entered for in your comment!!! Each participant can only be entered to win ONE of the two prize packs.*

Special Spooky Surprise
Each prize pack will also include one of my GOOD GOURD Halloween cards being sold by Hallmark now!


***************************************************************

Complete Contest Entry Details Breakdown
- You must follow my blog to enter.

- Enter once by creating a first line for a potential book using four out of the long list of words listed above.

- Indicate which ONE prize pack you'd like to win in your contest entry (writing package or publishing package).

- You can create and enter more than one first line to increase your chances of winning your chosen prize pack by doing any or all of the following:
*Tweet about this contest - +1 extra first line entry
*Blog about this contest - +1 extra first line entry
*Vote for The Lipstick Laws on any goodreads list that you have NOT already voted on found HERE. - +1 extra first line entry for each vote (up to +3).

- Please leave links to your online shout-outs/votes in your comment

If you do all of the above, you can enter up to SIX creative first lines to be considered for the prize pack you want to win.

***************************************************************

This contest is open to international participants. The two winners will be chosen and announced on Tuesday, October 26. Good luck and happy writing!

A Day in My Writing Life

Some of you may know that on every Thursday, a 2011 debut author from The Elevensies shares a blog post about a day in her (or his) writing life. Well, today is my day to share...so, I thought I'd post it here on my blog too. If you'd like to see my post over at the 11sies (which is pretty much the same thing as here), check it out HERE.


This is where the writing happens...
In all honesty, my day to day writing life varies like flavors of jelly beans. Some days I'm lucky to get a bunch of delicious tasting jelly beans. Other days, I'm stuck with the ones that taste like black licorice -- yuck. Since my writing life isn't always predictable (and is sometimes downright snooze-worthy), I thought I'd do something a little different with this post by taking the things that happen most frequently and creating a recipe from them. So, here it goes... hopefully it doesn't taste terrible.



(click picture to enlarge)

Amy's Recipe for A Day in The Writing Life

Ingredients:
1 computer
1 semi-comfortable chair
1 authorly behind
*Note* Chocolate consumption for extra authorly behind cushioning is recommended.
3 email accounts plus passwords
2 liters of waiting at room temperature
4 tablespoons of patience, separated
5 social networking site cubes (Blogger, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Myspace)
1 stick of melted internet stalking...er, I mean browsing
1 wise editor
1 medium rare manuscript
1 peeled work in progress (WIP)
Long to-do list
1 cup of good news (optional)
*Note* Any publishing/writerly progress is considered good news.

Cooking Directions:
Attach 1 authorly behind securely to semi-comfortable chair. Turn on computer to bake. Crack open email accounts with various passwords, read & respond. Pour 2 liters of waiting in a large pot, adding 1 tablespoon of patience at a time as needed; stir and let simmer. In a small bowl of procrastination, dissolve social networking site cubes into the melted stick of internet browsing, mix until well blended. In a separate bowl of quit stalling and get with the program, fully squeeze 1 wise editor for a flavorful marinade. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of wise editor marinade over medium rare manuscript in an 8.5 X 11 nonstick baking dish. Bake until well done. Meanwhile, slice off dead ends and bruises from peeled WIP, and drizzle left over editor marinade on top. Continue to shape and mold WIP until satisfied. All the while, cross off to-do list when appropriate to provide a slight sense of accomplishment. Finally, blend all ingredients together in a large casserole dish. Cook on high for 8-10 hours until crisp. Serve warm.

**For an extra sweet day in the writing life, sprinkle 1 cup of optional good news over the writing casserole before serving.**






My recent sweet good news was getting my first pass pages -- woohoo!


Finally, I shouldn't forget to add that my day in a writing life wouldn't be complete without my four furry, verbally challenged sous-chefs by my side:
















Clearly I've watched one too many episodes of Top Chef. Thanks for checking out a day in my writing life. Now I'm hungry.


*Disclaimer* No real editors were squeezed during the making of this day in the writing life.






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On a side note, if you'd like to win a fabulous SIGNED copy of Kristin Walker's A MATCH MADE IN HIGH SCHOOL, don't forget to enter for a chance to win HERE. The winner will be announced on July 30th!

Thank You for a Week of Inspiration!

I hope the past five days of interviews inspired, entertained and/or encouraged you to chase your own dreams. If you haven't already, please remember to read some or all of the other inspirational interviews on these blogs:

Elana Johnson
Carrie Harris - Read my interview on Carrie's blog here.
Lisa & Laura Roecker
Kathy McCullough
Beth Revis
Kirsten Hubbard
Leah Clifford
Kim Harrington
Tiffany Schmidt
Susan Adrian
Dawn Metcalf
Suzette Saxton & Bethany Wiggins
Victoria Schwab
Gretchen McNeil

Thanks again to Kathy McCullough, Sara Bennett Wealer, Bettina Restrepo, Gae Polisner and Denise Jaden for letting me interview you all on my blog! And thank YOU (the reader) for taking the time to read the interviews.

Finally, I'd like to leave you with several inspirational quotes that I think are relevent to the long and winding road to publication:

Every artist was first an amateur. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

The journey is the reward. ~Chinese Proverb

If you can dream it, you can do it. ~Walt Disney

Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. ~Henry Ford


*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*

An Interview With Denise Jaden

Today, I'm closing this wonderful week of inspirational interviews with debut author Denise Jaden. Her young adult novel, Losing Faith, will be available this fall.


Tell us about your book.
Losing Faith is due out September 7, 2010 from Simon Pulse/Simon & Schuster. After Brie’s sister, Faith, dies in a mysterious accident, Brie uncovers her sister’s role in a dark and twisted religious cult…a cult that now wants Brie as a member.


Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication?
The road to finding an agent was definitely an arduous one for me. I queried three different novels over several years and now have enough rejections (yes, I kept them!) to easily wallpaper a room. I always kept about five queries out with agents and replaced those (or reworked my query and book) as rejections rolled in. At the time, I was also submitting short stories to magazines, and though I don’t believe you can ever actually become immune to rejection, it certainly became easier for me because of the regularity of it. The first offer I received for representation is still the moment I consider the most rewarding of my career so far. It was the first time I felt truly validated as a writer, the first time an industry professional used the “L” word about my writing. I still have her message saved on my answering machine.


Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
I think anyone who seriously pursues publication will feel like giving up from time to time. It’s a hard business! And to be honest, I did give up on the idea of getting published several times. What made me continue to write, and eventually submit again, was learning to fall back into love with words and sentences, characters and stories. I believe that this process of embracing the creative side and temporarily forgetting the business side is what helps breathe life into my stories. I’m in a better mood when I write and express my creativity every day, and what I always have to do is come back to the writing for the sake of writing. Publication is a secondary goal for me, and I won’t regret any of my writing, even the pieces that will never see the light of day.


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Losing Faith and your publication journey, Denise!

To find out more about Denise and her book, check out the links below:
Denise Jaden's website
Denise Jaden's blog
LOSING FAITH on Goodreads

Don't forget to read the other inspirational author interviews going on this week at the blog links located here.

An Interview With Gae Polisner

Today, the inspiration continues from this interview with debut author Gae Polisner. Her young adult novel, The Pull of Gravity, will be available in 2011.


Tell us about your book.
The Pull of Gravity is my first YA novel. It’s about two kids who go on a brief road trip to keep a promise to a dying friend and maybe fall in love and learn a little bit about Steinbeck in the process. It’s slated to be released spring 2011, by Farrar Straus & Giroux, Books for Young Readers. I love the kids in it – Nick & Jaycee – they’re really funny and real together. And a piece of trivia, the title comes from a Yoda quote that appears in the book, but you’ll have to read it to know where and why.


Can you tell us a little about your road to publication?
It took me about six years of shopping my first manuscript, a piece of women’s fiction called The Jetty to get agented. You heard me, six years! The Jetty got some great editorial feedback (and was a Top Semifinalist in the first Amazon Breakthrough Novel Contest), but never got published. In the meantime, I wrote The Pull of Gravity and another women’s fiction novel. Gravity got picked up first (a deal, finally, eight years after I set out to get one!), but I still have huge hopes for my women’s fiction. And, fyi, the editor who ultimately fell in love with and bought The Pull of Gravity came my way through a stroke of pure luck (not my agent). These days, I believe getting published almost always takes some luck, plus the talent to back it up when it comes your way.


Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
Not really. I’m a lawyer, a mother, a wife. I’ve been around a long while. And I knew I wanted this more than anything. In my many years on this planet, I’ve learned I’ll pretty much accomplish anything I want to, as long as I keep trying. So, the only option was to keep trying.
And, see, voila!


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about The Pull of Gravity and your publication journey, Gae!

For more information about Gae and her book, check out the links below:
Gae Polisner's blog
Gae Polisner's Facebook Fan Page

Also, don't forget to read the other inspirational author interviews going on this week at the blog links located here.

An Interview With Bettina Restrepo

Today, I'm continuing this week of inspirational interviews with author Bettina Restrepo. Her young adult debut, Illegal, will be available in 2011.


Tell us about your book.
Illegal is the story of Nora, a Mexican immigrant who crosses the border illegally to find her missing father in Houston. We are all immigrants, so this story just isn’t about one nationality looking for family in a Texas town. It’s about how we love and survive.

I started Illegal in 2002, and it was accepted by Katherine Tegen Books, Harper Collins, in April 2009. Illegal will be in stores in January 2011. Nine years.


Can you tell us a little about your path to publication?
Illegal was the book that taught me how to write, because I had to write it over and over again. My main character, Nora, began her “life” as a nine year old searching for a lost book. She grew into a 14 year old searching for her missing father across the border in Texas. This happened through revision. Lots of it.

Illegal was also rejected by twelve publishing houses (including Harper Collins in 2004) and over thirty literary agents during its pre-acceptance life – and I am grateful. The book wasn’t ready and had not found its proper home. I NEEDED the no (although each time it hurt). Now, I know have the best book I could write.

When I was first starting out, Cynthia Leitich Smith told me, “You don’t want to be published fast. You want to be published well.” It is my mantra today – because I am impatient.

While I was working on the book, I did lots of other things; magazine articles for children and adults, a monthly column for a glossy under different names, fired an agent, found another agent, published a picture book, quit my “paying” job to be a mommy, became a mom to a learning difference child, and read thousands of books. It helped that all of my eggs were not in one basket. When one egg broke, I didn’t feel like the entire henhouse was coming down. Today, I feel like a juggler of eggs.

How did I find my agent?
The first time – a conference. We didn’t work out- which sometimes happens.
The second time - a query letter.

After my first agent and I parted ways, I knew that I wanted someone with an editorial eye and a nurturing spirit.

I researched a long list and was received many full manuscript requests – but I wanted someone who was looking at me as a career writer, not just a quick sell. That person became my forever agent - Blair Hewes, of Dunham Literary.


Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
Yep. I convince myself that I am an utter failure and tie myself into knots. After a considerable amount of self torture, I look back at what I have accomplished in one year, three years, nine years. I re-read the rejections letters. I re-read some of my terrible stories. I realize that I have matured. I savor the fact that skills I wished for years ago are now turning into my writer muscles. Feel the pain and then decide it won’t kill you. Take a nap, walk outside, pet the dog…. Then start again.

Then, occasionally, I pick up an application from Starbucks. Just. In. Case.

My advice to writers:
Your story does not have to be on a bookshelf to have meaning. Write for the craft and the art of the story well told.

This is a picture of Bettina's "little man" saying, "Put down the manuscript and PLAY!"

Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Illegal and your publication journey, Bettina!

For more information about Bettina and her book, check out the links below:
Bettina Restrepo's website
More about ILLEGAL

Also, don't forget to read the other inspirational author interviews going on this week at the blog links located here.

An Interview with Sara Bennett Wealer

Today, I'm continuing this week of inspirational interviews with debut author Sara Bennett Wealer. Her young adult novel, Rival, will be available in 2011.


Tell us about your Book.
RIVAL is a high-stakes duet between two seniors--once friends, now enemies--who are preparing to go up against each other in a major singing competition. To Brooke, winning means escaping the in-crowd for life as a professional musician. Kathryn, meanwhile, sees victory as the key to a much-needed college scholarship. As the big day nears, each girl must face her fears about the future, her scars from the past, and the fact that the person she hates most might just be the best friend she ever had.

RIVAL will be released in Jan/Feb 2011 by HarperTeen.


Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication?
When I started querying agents (for a book I wrote before RIVAL), I actually landed the first one I ever contacted. But it turned out we weren't the right fit, which proves what everybody always says about taking your time and making sure you partner with the agent who's right for you. I know that folks who feel stuck in the query trenches right now are reading that going, "Easy for you to say! You're agented and have a book deal!" I know how it feels to be so desperate you think you'll take anybody who comes along with an offer, because my second agent search took a lot longer than the first one did. But I still ended up turning a couple of agents down because I'd learned my lesson the first time. When I finally hooked up with Holly (Root at Waxman Literary), I'd done my research and knew she'd be a great advocate for my work, and I was right!


Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
I felt like giving up several times! Even after I'd landed an agent. Because getting a good agent doesn't automatically mean you'll get a book deal. Holly and I did a lot of work to get me to this point, and there were never any guarantees that all of the revisions and submissons were going to lead anywhere in the end. The urge to give up was even worse during those long, dark days when I was checking my email every half hour and either getting rejections or no responses, all the while struggling to keep myself motivated to write something new. When you're working toward publication, you have tons of opportunities to walk away. You're the one who sets your schedule (work on the book tonight or watch Dancing with the Stars?) and let's face it - if you let the dream fizzle out, nobody else really cares. You're only letting yourself down. So you have to talk yourself into continuing to move forward. In my case, I figured I'd come too far to give up. I believed in my books and in myself as a writer, and I'd read enough in my genre to know my work could stand up to most of what was out there. I tell people it's like banging your head against a brick wall. You get to a certain point where the next blow could be the one that knocks it down, so you tell yourself you're either going to end up with brain damage or you're going to make it to the other side. But either way, you are NOT going to stop.


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Rival and your publication journey, Sara!

For more information about Sara and her book, check out the links below:
Sara Bennett Wealer's website
Sara Bennett Wealer's blog
RIVAL on Goodreads

Also, don't forget to read the other inspirational author interviews going on this week at the blog links located here.

An Interview with Kathy McCullough

I'm beginning this week of inspirational interviews with debut author Kathy McCullough. Her young adult novel, Delaney Collins, F.G., will be available in 2011.


Tell us about your book.
The book is called “Delaney Collins, F.G.” and it’s being published in November of 2011 by Random House/Delacorte. It’s the story of a teenage girl who discovers that her estranged father is a fairy godmother – and that she’s destined to become one as well.


Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publication?
I began as a screenwriter and went to film school at Columbia University in New York City. After many years in Hollywood, working a little as a screenwriter (mostly in TV) and a lot reading other people’s scripts and books for different film production companies, I decided to try writing a novel. I’ve always loved young adult and middle-grade fiction, and I was reading a lot of popular kids books for companies like Walden Media, which spurred me on further. I signed up for a children’s writing class with author Karen D’Arc, and the first thing she told us to do was to join the SCBWI, which I did. I attended their conferences, which were always inspiring, and after a lot of stops and starts on various stories, I finally forced myself to finish something – and then I rewrote it about 8,347 times. But, as they say, the 8,347th time is the charm, and I landed agents and they sent it out – and it sold!


Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? Why didn't you?
I constantly despair while I’m working on something new that I’ve lost any talent I ever had, and that what I’m writing is a stupid idea, badly written. But I’ve never really seriously considered doing anything else, because I don’t want to. I’ve learned to live on very little money for the long stretches of time that “starving artists” often experience, because it’s more important to me to have time to write than to buy a new car, for example. (Proof: I drive a used 1990 Honda Civic – but mostly I take the bus...in Los Angeles!) As many writers have said before me: no one who does this is sane. You write because you have to. If you could possibly do anything else, you would. So that’s the short answer: I’m insane.


Thanks so much for stopping by my blog and telling us about Delaney Collins, F.G. and your publication journey, Kathy!

For more information about Kathy and her book, check out the links below:
Kathy McCullough's website
Kathy McCullough's blog
The website of Delaney Collins, F.G.

Also, don't forget to read the other inspirational author interviews going on this week at the blog links located here.

A Week of Inspirational Interviews

This week, I'll be interviewing five fabulous writers and debut authors who have successfully traveled down the long and bumpy road toward publication. I'm spotlighting one of them every day this week to hopefully inspire, entertain and/or encourage you to chase your dreams.

My Interview Schedule:
Monday - Kathy McCullough
Tuesday - Sara Bennett Wealer
Wednesday - Bettina Restrepo
Thursday - Gae Polisner
Friday - Denise Jaden

Just when you thought this week couldn't get any better, it does! The best part of this interview bonanza is that I'm not alone in spreading this positive beam of writerly light. Check out these other blogs (links below) each day this week for more inspirational interviews from writers who have book deals or agents, or both.

Elana Johnson
Carrie Harris - I will be interviewed on Carrie's blog on Tuesday.
Lisa & Laura Roecker
Kathy McCullough
Beth Revis
Kirsten Hubbard
Leah Clifford
Kim Harrington
Tiffany Schmidt
Susan Adrian
Dawn Metcalf
Suzette Saxton & Bethany Wiggins
Victoria Schwab
Gretchen McNeil

Join us for a week of 65+ success stories and remember to dream big!

*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*

Liar Liar Pants on Fire and Other Randomness

I was honored to receive the creative writer (AKA - bold faced liar) blog award from Medeia Sharif, a fellow writer and debut author. Her YA debut, THE BESTEST RAMADAN EVER, is being published by Flux in 2011. Check out her fabulous blog here.



I was so excited to get this award because I've been secretly wanting to play the truth/lies game that goes along with it. The point of the game is to list six lies and one truth, and then you (yes, I'm talking to you) have to guess which one is the true statement. PS: I am a horrible liar in person...but maybe on paper (or blog background) I can be slick-von-trickster.

Which one is my truth?

1) I'm allergic to chocolate, but love it so much that I'll deal with the hives in order to eat it.

2) I own a show dog who has won two state championships.

3) I was spat on by a llama when I was five.

4) I had an eyebrow ring when I was 18, and now I have trouble plucking that eyebrow without sneezing.

5) I graduated high school a year early...but then I took the five year plan to graduate college... so it evened out in the end.

6) I've never flown on a plane and never plan to if I can avoid it.

7) I lived in Chicago for a few years and had the pleasure of meeting Oprah.

Please-oh-please play along by leaving me a comment with your best guess. Check back in a few days for the truth and nothing but the truth!

In other randomness, I handed in my acks 'n ded (acknowledgements and dedication) for my book after re-writing them 937 times - hooray! I decided to go with the less is more concept to avoid being too long winded. Because of this, my hair straightening iron will be very upset that I left her out... therefore I'm acknowledging her here: Dear Chi Straightening Iron, thank you for straightening my hair with such precision. Without you, my hair would be frizzy and unmanageable...and how would I be able to write in that condition? The short answer is, I wouldn't.



Finally, in honor of St. Patty's Day tomorrow and my partial Irish heritage, I'd like to leave you with two of my favorite Irish sayings:

A blessing for the hopeful:


And a curse for the bitter:



May the luck o' the Irish be with you! :)


*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*

Surviving a Case of Acks 'N Ded

There comes a harrowing time in every debut author's life where s/he gets a case of acks 'n ded. Don't let the 'n fool you; a case of acks 'n ded is not innocent and delicious like mac 'n cheese. Acks 'n ded can fester if left uncontrolled... much like a rash. In fact, a case of acks 'n ded can compromise (if not take over) other parts of your life if it's not handled with care.

For example, you could easily get acks 'n ded McCrazy hair from trying to pull your acks 'n ded out of your brain. Worse yet, pull-your-hair-out McBald head is a follow-up symptom to McCrazy hair.

You could also become a serial tree murderer by slaying through mounds of paper during your acks 'n ded condition...

Not to mention, acks 'n ded insanity can ensue if it becomes too much to bear...

And if all this isn't bad enough, it's possible to come down with acks 'n ded amnesia... where you forget those closest to you at the most pivotal point of your acks 'n ded treatment.

Wait... what? You're allergic to random acronyms? What the heck is acks 'n ded, you ask?

It's the acknowledgements and dedication page that authors must write for their books. It's the one stop shop to thank the people, super heroes, or llamas (hey, whatever floats your boat...I'm not judging) who helped you along your way to publication.

The process of writing your acknowledgements and dedication page can be tricky. You don't want to be known as a long-winded loon, thanking everyone down to Luigi the tomato wrangler at your local grocery store (unless tomato wrangling is the basis of your story, of course). On the other hand, you don't want to forget to thank those most responsible for your success due to acks 'n ded amnesia.

I am currently dealing with a case of acks 'n ded... and I'm happy to announce that I'm almost finished with treatment.

Now it's your turn to spill the acks 'n ded beans. Have you dealt with an acks 'n ded condition? If so, how did you handle it? If not, who would you acknowledge and/or dedicate your book to if you were dealing with a case of acks 'n ded right now?

*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*

Friday Flashback - The Writing Bug

Friday Flashback will be a randomly recurring blog post where I will flashback to various times in my life. Today I'm flashing back to when I began writing...


I surrendered to the writing bug back when I was a wee-little-one way before the era of TiVo, reality shows, and Britney Spears shaving her head. After reading A LIGHT IN THE ATTIC by Shel Silverstein fifty million times, I became addicted to writing funny poetry in first grade. I progressed to writing longer, more dramatic works in second grade when I penned a tear-jerker about a boy who was saved from quicksand by his pet donkey. No joke. Apparently it wasn't worth saving though because I can't find it. So, although I'd like to share the donkey/quicksand story, I've found the next best thing to share for my first Friday Flashback post: THE CAT WHO WORE GLASSES, by the second grade version of myself.

*Click on each page for a larger view*


Rising action...


Climax and falling action...


Surprise climax #2 (mean girl twist), falling action and conclusion...




Nelly (the "mean girl" cat in this story) is a bit like Britney Taylor in my book, THE LIPSTICK LAWS. Of course, Britney's not a cat nor does she break someone's glasses...but she's mean and she has manicured finger-claws. Case closed.

Happy Friday!


*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*

Guest Blog Post

I've written a guest blog post titled "Séance Your Inner Teen" about writing a teen voice on my friend and fellow debut YA author, Randy Russell's blog. If you'd like to check it out, here is a direct link: http://ghostfolk.blogspot.com/2010/02/writing-teen-voice-amy-holder.html

Randy's debut young adult novel, DEAD SCHOOL, will be published by HarperTeen in 2011. He is a master of writing stories that spook and I plan to host him on my blog for a future post about writing scary stories. Stay tuned...

*Best Wishes & Lipstick Kisses*