Intertwined Sweepstakes

I could really use the $10,000. Who doesn't really.

In My Mail Box (3)

Trying to buy books for school and found these great reads:
The first three books in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians Series: The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
No Plot? No Problem! A Low-stress, High-velocity Guide to Writing A Novel in 30 Days by Chris Baty
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (Niece needed it for school)
Skill Builders Pre~Algebra 5-8
How To write Haiku And Other Short Poems by Paul Janeczko

Savvy

Savvy
By Ingrid Law

The Beaumont family aren't super heroes, but the abilities they possess is only something you'd read in a comic book. On the thirteenth birthday most of them acquire their savvy. Over the years Mibs has been able to witness her brothers receive the savvy to create hurricanes and electricity. Now it's finally her turn. She hopes to get something amazing. Before her birthday her father gets into a terrible accident and can not wake up. What at first was a wish to receive a great savvy becomes a quest to save her Poppa. By breaking some rules she learns things about herself, growing up, and others that she never thought to know and may be the difference from saving her Poppa.

It is very good. At a certain point I started to get really wrapped up in the story. From that point on it was splendid. Absolutely fun. This is a very enjoyable read, I'm sure anyone of any age can appreciate. I've never been on a road trip until now. Found myself getting a little caught up. Most everyone has some savvy; after reading I felt more special somehow.

Suzanne Young Interview

This past week has been very exciting. It is my pleasure to post my first interview with Suzanne Young, author of The Naughty List (set to be released February 4, 2010), the first in the Naught List Series. My love for series is well known; this series is especially special. It's original and from what I hear fun and really good.

1. Most authors feel they’ve always had a knack for writing. Do you think you fall into this category?

I’ve always liked to write. Not sure if I ever felt that I was great at it, but I’ve always loved dialog. So, even back in my really awful 7^th grade short stories starring my friends, the dialog was totally believable! The Pillsbury Dough Boy… not so much.

2. Do you throw yourself into your writing first, or do you have to think a lot through before hand?

Um… I don’t usually think. I just write until my fingers are numb and my husband has to have an intervention to make sure I eat. But really, I love to fast draft, then I usually go back when I’m done to add the layers.

3. I read in an interview at /- La Femme Readers -/, that you had a vision of ninja cheerleaders. Does this mean the girls in the SOS literally kick butt, or is that against the rules?

Well, the girls in The Naughty List are there for investigative purposes only. But… it wouldn’t be right if there weren’t at least one catfight, right?

4. Speaking of the rules, could we go into a little more detail on them. Or is that one of the things that could possibly spoil our future reading pleasure?

In the book there is the SOS Charter, but there are definitely rules to spying on cheating boyfriends. For example, never be spotted at the scene of the cheat. Or better yet, never hookup with a suspect!

5. Just to clarify, the Society of Smitten Kittens, only consist of females? If so, what happens if one of them cheats? Is their punishment similar to what their male counterparts receive?

SOS doesn’t exact justice but only confirms suspected cheaters. The society is made of the cheer squad, which unfortunately doesn’t have any male members. But now you’ve given me a great idea…

6. Please tell us five things you love about your job. And one you really detest.

Things I love:

1. I work in my pajamas.

2. I can work from anywhere, as long as I have my laptop.

3. When I write a story I live in that world. And sometimes, it’s a really fun place to be.

4. I meet some really cool and creative people.

5. I get to write for teens—and that’s pretty dang awesome.

Things I don’t love:

Having patience, because the publishing world? Not exactly fast-paced.

7. How do you feel about people snooping?

Personally? Sheesh… I’m not sure I should answer it either way! If I say I understand because I myself have been guilty of it, people might start looking for all my ex-boyfriends and ask them about me. And if I say I think it’s horrible and insecure, I’d be dissing my cheerleaders. So… I’ll say, “Trust your gut.”

8. Recently, I’ve noticed that some authors make playlists during the process of writing their books. What did you do to help stimulate those creative juices?

I sometimes make playlists. I haven’t really done any lately, but that’s because my children are home and their yelling is enough music for my ears. Kidding. I actually love to check into a hotel for two days when I’m about halfway through a book to clear my head and work in private. I get huge chunks of writing done in that time.

Thanks so much for this interview! These were great questions!

Suz

First Interview will be with Suzanne Young

I first heard about Suzanne Young at /- La Femme Readers-/. Her first novel in The Naught List Series, The Naughty List, seems to be much more different than what I've been hearing of and digesting recently. That's my own fault, because I read pretty much the same things all the time. I need to branch out.

What I've been waiting for for the past six months, beside Catching Fire, is a good, fun read. I want to read something that excites me. It's not that I haven't been excited, though that isn't saying much. Practically every time I come across a book that's new to me and has an awesome cover or intriguing synopsis, I get excited.

I'm not a huge fan of The Naughty List's cover, but I'm willing to believe that it is not a reflection of the content of the story. I usually say the opposite. Sometimes I feel that publishers, or whoever is responsible for the cover art, make their selections based on how good they believe the story is, or if they wish to make a quick sale. Synopsises can be very misleading. That's why I don't really trust them. They make practically every book sound amazing. Sure, the same can be said for book covers, but I'm still sticking to my theory.

If you made it this far, I promise I will not be taking the shine off of Suzanne. Hope that it all goes well.

To find out more about Suzanne and The Naughty List:

http://suzanne-young.blogspot.com/
http://www.authorsnow.com/smitten-kittens-by-suzanne-young/

1st Waiting on Wednesday

Tessa Crimson: Cheerleader by Day, Spy by Night

As leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), Tessa’s mission is twofold: pep preservation and relationship salvation. That’s right, Tessa is a head cheerleader whose night job is catching cheating boyfriends in the act! Thank goodness her own relationship with Aiden is strawberry-smoothie purrfect—except for the fact that she’s been concealing her nocturnal habits for, oh, two years.

Aiden suspects something’s up, and his patience is wearing thin. But in the meantime, Tessa’s far too busy to deal with her own romantic roadblocks. The Naughty List is at maximum capacity; because so far, every single suspect on it is 100% guilty.

When sultry Chloe Ferril transfers to Washington High, things only become more catastrophic. Tessa knows this predatory vixen won’t stop hunting Aiden until her claws are planted firmly in his backside…

But Tessa’s in for an even bigger shock when Aiden’s name shows up on The Naughty List, and she’s finally forced to confront the unthinkable: is her own boyfriend just as naughty as all the rest?

This cover was very confusing at first. I’ve read that authors don’t have much say on the cover. So I can't blame Suzanne. The teens seem to be enjoying themselves. So I take it, that’s not Tessa. And the blinds are supposed to illustrate what happens behind closed doors, maybe. Then there's all that lingerie. Oh, he's definitely cheating. I really want to read this book. It's different and seems like it'll be a lot of fun. Fun is what I'm after.

By the way, be on the look out. I've booked my first interview. Suzanne, has kindly agreed to it. I hope you all come by.

Note: If my source is correct, Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Got a livejournal account today

I initially got it so I'd be able to comment on the 10ers blog. It has the potential to be my new obsession. Next thing you know, I'll have a Facebook and MySpace. What's happened to me?

Here's a little of what I posted on my profile there:

A good dreamer, that's not a very good doer. That's the best way to describe me. It's rare that I stick to commitments. I never really try at anything. Guess that makes me lazy. I'm not really trying to work on that, though. Books, Hulu, the World Wide Web, potatoes, and sweets are making me fat. On second thought, it's my inability to commit to an exercise regimen and eat right that's doing it.

What will I do next?