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I put down roots in the Haute this weekend. We’ve finally had a sustained break from all the rain and hopefully there will be no more morning frost so I got vegetables and herbs planted in my garden.

There are a couple of pieces of land close to campus that have been divided into plots for community members to grow crops each summer. Sounds nice, huh? Well, it gets even better! There are tool sheds on the grounds with gardening implements and wheel barrows. Leaf mulch and horse manure mulch is available and area farmers provide inexpensive straw to help the soil retain moisture. This wonderful deal isn’t free. There are dates by which certain progress must be made and a portion of the harvest must be donated to the local food agency. Nope, nothing is free, but this comes awfully close!

My sister drives over from Indy and we’re farming together. We’ve planted cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes (too many!), sweet and hot peppers, cucumbers, turnip greens, okra, sage, dill, fennel, basil and catnip. While the herbs will be a welcome part of the harvest, they’re also strategically placed in the garden to ward off pests.

I’ll be balancing my time at the garden with the time needed to finish the few dozen books I have to finish for BFYA which will be at ALA in a few short weeks. I won’t do much there other than committee meetings and catching up with people I’ve probably never met before. If you’re going to be there, please let me know!

I do plan to see Kathy aka The Brain Lair and I’ll congratulate her in person for being named her local Teacher of the Year. This is an awesome accomplishment for any educator but, especially for media specialists/school librarians who most people don’t recognize as such. From the article, from knowing all the great things Kathy does, I know she’s more than deserved this award!

I never give a second thought about what I share here. I find information I enjoy and I look forward to sharing it. When it comes to the give-a-way on Anali’s First Amendment, I have had second thoughts. I so want to win one of those prizes that I hate to limit my chances! But I will, not only for the sake of my readers but also to help draw more support to The Arc.

Anali’s First Amendment is hosting the All Aboard the Arc annual fund raiser to benefit The Arc of Massachusetts, which serves men, women and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The blog has much more information about the Arc and ways you can donate to support this worthy cause. To help bring attention, there’s a giveaway and it ends Monday 20 May.

• Firehouse Subs gift cards
• Greyston Baker brownies
• The Greyston Bakery Cookbook

Author Meg Medina (Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass) also recently blogged about one of her passions, Partners in Print, an organization which supports literacy development mostly for ENL students. In the post, Medina provides unique insights into what it’s like being bilingual.

I have a co-worker from Congo who often tells me what a disadvantage she has because she’s not a native English speaker. (I’m smiling because she often reads these posts.) She’s lived here some 40 odd years, but still translates in her mind. One wouldn’t know this because she never misses a beat, no matter it be a technical cataloging question or a casual conversation filled with U.S. idioms.

Most native born Americans only speak one language like me and will have a difficult time understanding the difficulties these adults and these students, face. I am so amazed by their linguistic abilities, that I don’t see the problems. Thanks to Medina’s post, I understand more.

Don’t miss artist Jimmy Liao  (The sound of color )in the Gallery on the PaperTigers website.

Have you looked at Google+Hangouts yet? Again I say: Google concerns me. I was listening to a piece about Google on NPR this past week about their new voice search. The story also mentioned Google Travel which will read information from peoples’ photos to help plan vacations. They’ll look at both faces and places to determine your ultimate spot. One more way for them to collect data. No, I’ll not be using an Android, Google Chrome or Google Glass. I want to think I’m making you work for my information.

I don’t watch Scandal; I’m an Elementary girl. I think it’s interesting that while Kerry Washington, an African American woman, can be promoted for her sexuality, Lucy Lui, an Asian American woman, cannot. Neither can Sandra Oh who preceeds Scandal in Grey’s Anatomy. Read Lucy Lui on this topic :” I kind of got pushed out of both categories. It’s a very strange place to be. You’re not Asian enough and then you’re not American enough, so it gets really frustrating.” MORE

If you have time to up your professional reading this summer, don’t miss Voya’s 5 Foot Bookshelf: Essential Books for Professionals Who Serve Teens.

I’m so glad to be getting my hands in the soil! So thankful to be growing my own food and for the people I’m meeting in the process. I’ve found one more thing to help fill my summers days, but there’s always time for the things we want to do!

 

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

Steve Jobs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Sunday Reads Tagged: garden, giveaways, google, meg medina

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Remember that giveaway? If you haven't seen it in the comments of the last post...Deserae McGlothen, you won the giveaway! Yay! Would you please email me soon (or leave some other way for me to contact you in the comments), so I can send you a copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Writers? Thanks!

If I don't hear anything by Wednesday night, I'm going to have to pick another winner. So please reply! :)

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Hey all I’m 50 today! It’s freaking crazy How did I get here…in the middle of things? “One day at a time,” my hubby said. LOL! Yes, that’s true. And now that I’m here, in the middle of things, I realize I have to get my butt in gear and do a lot of things I want to but haven’t. I’m going to make time this year to cross a bunch of things off my list I’m starting today by doing two BIG things I’ve always wanted to do #squeeee. More about that later! But, today, what better to way to celebrate then to read about some great authors and their books and one thing on their bucket list! So exciting to have these fabulous, talented authors celebrate with me today! So, pour a tasty beverage and join in the fun!

Save 50% on this great book & enter the giveaway at the bottom of the post!

“I want to take my dad to Ireland. We need to explore our roots.” – Author Amy Harmon

(Details on how to enter at the end of this post!)

(Can we call it something else? Got any good ideas of what to call this list? Maybe a Dream Come True List? Or, Gotta Get it Done List?)

Here’s what’s up for grabs on this BUCKET LIST GIVEAWAY & the authors share what’s on their list too Enjoy!

“I want to see at least 2 of the seven wonders of the world.” – Author, Quinn Loftis 

enter to win her book:

The last few days have been the darkest of Sally’s life. After experiencing the joy of finding her mate, she now suffers the pain of losing everything she holds dear. Both the Romanian and Serbian packs have been captured, ripping Sally’s soul mate away from her almost as soon as she had found him. Her best friend and the emotional glue that usually holds Sally together, Jacque Pierce, lies writhing in a restless coma, having been put down by Desdemona’s dark magic. Jennifer Adams, the unshakable one, has revealed to her friends and her mate that she is pregnant, but the Fates have marked her unborn baby for death. Though she rails against the darkness, deep inside Jen knows that Decebel’s baby must die as payment for her own life, and the knowledge is tearing her soul to pieces. Cypher, King of the Warlocks, has claimed Jacque’s mother as his mate and agreed to help Desdemona open a door that would release a horde of demons from beyond the Veil….

“I want to design & build an off the grid house” - Stacey Wallace Bienefel

He stole her lipstick…and her heart.

Twenty-year-old Dani Walker can’t believe her luck when she’s paired up with the gorgeous Liam Garrett as her Acting I scene partner – or when he ends up in her bed. Being a Plain Jane with a mouth on her hasn’t exactly served Dani well in the guy department. In fact, she’s had nothing but one night stands. Still, she lets go of her insecurities and falls for Liam, despite feeling like he’s holding something back.

When Dani finally discovers Liam’s secret, she must learn the true meaning of accepting the ones we love for who they are, or risk losing the best thing that’s ever happened to her.

BONUS MATERIAL: Excerpt of TOUCHING MELODY by RaShelle Workman

I want to spend a week in Greece! - Adriane Boyd

Twenty -five year old Coraline Renfro is in mourning. She and her long time boyfriend, Blake Parrish, have broken up and Cora hasn’t been dealing with it well. She’s shut herself off from the world around her, and buried herself in her work. Tired of being alone, Cora accepts a date from a colleague, and slowly begins to move on. When Blake comes calling again, will Cora take him back or will she show him how it feels to have a door slammed in his face and his hopes and dreams of a future with her dashed?

“I want to go to take a trip to Ireland” -Bethany Lopez

“I want to eat gelato in Italy” - Heather Self

Mary Anne Moore doesn’t know what she is. She can’t explain why she has lived so long. Or why she never gets sick. Or why the dreams she has come true. She has hidden herself as a lowly servant to the households of Dublin’s English elite for decades, until the night that changes her life. Now her sole purpose is the child she never expected to have. She will do anything in her power to keep the black-eyed monsters from discovering him and turning him into one of them. For Kieran Moore the dark is an ever-present parasite, waiting to devour his humanity. His mother’s love and the girl in his dreams has kept it at bay for years, but the more time that passes—the longer he has to wait for her—the more it grows. When tragedy strikes, it is all he can do to keep from being consumed by the darkness that infects him. He must continue to hold on to the hope of peace her presence will bring him, because it’s not just his fate on the line, but that of the entire world.

“Travel with my parents back to England so my Mum can see her homeland one more time. Will break my heart but it will help hers.” -Carol Kunz

I’m so excited to be a part of Laura Elliot’s Birthday celebration on her blog. She wants me to talk about  my Bucket List. For those that don’t know my story, I’ve already accomplished #1 on my list. Three years ago Adam, my son, came to me and told me we were going to write a book together. He knew I’ve always wanted to write a book and to date we have written three, The Childe and Dark Days, the first two books in The Childe Series and The Modified, the first book in The Biotics Trilogy. So #1 on my bucket list has definitely been taken care of!

“I want to be able to write full time” -Adam Kunz

I’m so happy to be on Laura’s blog today. My Bucket List, I can’t believe I need one at my age but my mom told me Laura requested it and I will do anything for Laura. (**Laura here….see we should really call it something other than a bucket list, right?** )

Kenley Grayson is all too familiar with these questions.

After Earth is thrust into its first intergalactic war with an unknown race called the Bringers, our military forces begin to suffer heavy losses. Desperate for a solution, the Allied Federation issues a worldwide draft for every able seventeen year old to enlist. As Kenley turns seventeen, she finds herself thrown into the very war that took her older brother’s life.

This year’s draft is a little different than in the past though. A new program, known as the Magnus Project, has been introduced, and only the best and brightest qualify. Kenley is amongst a select few whom are chosen to join this elite group of soldiers, and as a part of this project, undergoes a modification procedure that leaves her and her peers endowed with powers beyond their wildest dreams.

As Earth continues in its struggle against the Bringers, Kenley is transported to a high-tech training facility, the Magnus Academy, to prepare for the major battle that lies ahead. It’s here that she meets the California heartthrob, and son of a legendary war hero, Landon Shaw. As unexpected feelings toward Landon begin to develop, Kenley wonders if this is the right time or place for romance to bloom, especially when those feelings start to interfere with her training.

With the weight of the world on her shoulders, Kenley is constantly reminded of how important she and the rest of the Magnus cadets are to the fate of humanity. She is one of the Modified, Earth’s last line of defense against utter destruction.

“My dream just came true, No Attachments placed in the top ten on Amazon!”

Ashton Garrison walked away from a privileged life in order to hide from the one thing she’s not willing to face. She knows she left behind a trail of pain, but in the long run, her betrayal will hurt less than the truth. She now has one goal: Live life to the fullest with no regrets and no attachments. She has high hopes that a move to new surroundings will provide the escape she desires, but what Ashton doesn’t count on is how fate always seems to find a way to screw up any good plan. Sometimes, when love comes knocking, the pull is too strong not to answer. Suddenly, what she thought she wanted to escape from is what Ashton now wants more than anything.

Nathan Lockton has one mission: find his target and complete the task he was hired to do—no attachments and no emotion necessary. He’s done it over and over again. What he thought was a typical lost-and-found job has turned into a life examining moment as Nathan is forced to deal with something he has always ignored–his feelings. Now faced with a decision, Nathan must choose to either follow his heart or complete the job.

Love can come when you least expect it. The question is: If the odds are stacked against you, how far are you willing to go for the one you love?

SO…you want to win ALL these fabulous books? Of course you do! It’s easy Just comment on this post with one thing from your bucket list! And you’re entered! I’m even throwing in a copy of  Transfer Student & Shadow Slayer:D 

Now the BIG REVEAL? What have I wanted to do for nearly 50 years that I haven’t done yet? Well, as you read this, I’m sailing the Caribbean and have anchored in The Bahamas. Hubby and I have been married for 27 years and whenever we’d get a little extra cash, we always said….Great, now we can go to The Bahamas. Well…not so much. With kids, jobs, ya’ know the story. It never happened…UNTIL TODAY! Woot! So I’m crossing off two things. A cruise. And a trip to The Bahamas. So, if you don’t hear from me for a while…you’ll know I’ve been captured by pirates, or something like that! Hee-Hee!

But you’ve made my biggest dream come true by reading and sharing my stories. It’s my dream to be a novelist. Thanks so much for making my dream come true and for all of your support. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.

So…what’ on your bucket list, my friend? MAY ALL YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE!!!!!

GOOD LUCK! THE BUCKET LIST GIVEAWAY IS OPEN UNTIL 12 PM MAY, 26th PST! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY. 

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by Mary Holland. Sylvan Dell, 2013. (Review copy). This charming book is packed with gorgeous close-up photographs of a fox kit in his first summer. Holland is a nature photographer and environmental educator doing a fine job of introducing children and adults to the secret lives of foxes . You may think there are no foxes living near you, but if you are in the Northern Hemisphere you might be

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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. BEA  I'll be signing copies of Stalked by Death at the SHP booth (#2567) on Friday, May 31 from 9:30-10:30am. If you're there, come see me!
2. Field Day  I helped out with field day at my daughter's school last Friday. She had a blast, and I loved getting to see her with all her friends.
3. My dying Kindle  I had one good week where my Kindle worked great and now the big black bar is showing up across my screen again. :(
4. Editing  I'm editing again all week. :)
5. Runes Trailer and Giveaway!  I'm participating in the trailer reveal for Ednah Walter's YA paranormal, Runes.  

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Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running literacy initiative in the country. Each year, books for young people and the joy of reading are feted for a full week with author and illustrator appearances, storytelling, parties, and other book-related events at schools, libraries, bookstores, museums, and homes from coast to coast!

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Gabrielle Douglas
Raising the Bar

Monday May 06, 2013 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
The Americana at Brand
210 Americana Way
Glendale, CA 91210
event page | purchase from bn.com

Special Instructions
This will be a wristbanded event. Wristbands will be distributed with purchase of Raising the Bar starting on May 6 at 9:00 am. She will not be signing any other memorabilia.

About the author

Gabrielle Douglas is a two-time Olympic gold medalist. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she made history, becoming the first US gymnast to take home a team and an individual gold medal in the same Olympics. 

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So I don't know if you know this about me, but I love gymnastics. I don't follow it as closely nowadays (the drama gets to me--ick, drama!) as I used to when I was 12 and still trying to do cartwheels in the back yard. However, I still admire and aspire to the kind of discipline and dedication that gymnasts  (like my cousin Tash, who is a member of the cheer team Team Pilipinas Coed) need to keep their minds and bodies in shape.

I'll be giving away a signed copy of Gabby's book to a lucky winner in the US or Canada. Good luck!

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Hey everyone!

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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. The Other Marlowe Girl  My buddy Beth Fred's second book in The Marlowe Girls series is out! Get it here.

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SORRY FOR THE DELAY!

Geesh, I am full of apologies lately. I’m so far behind in everything, which might not surprise you if you read my Emu’s Debuts post about “balance” being overrated. Being a mother, an author, managing my book launch and Multiple Sclerosis…phew. Wanna be an intern? Inquire within. Better terms and conditions than Kramerica Industries!

First I’d like to THANK YOU for backing my friend Ryan Hipp’s Kickstarter project, LITTLE STEPS. Ryan has exceeded his goal with more than a week to go. HIPP HIPP HOORAY!

Next, here are the winners from the past two giveaways! (Selected with the help of Random.org.)

WATCH YOUR TONGUE, CECILY BEASLEY by Lane Fredrickson:

Tina M. Cho!

NUGGET AND FANG PRIZE PACK from Tammi Sauer:

Laura Dineen!

CONGRATULATIONS! Watch for an email from me.

And that’s all folks. But stay tuned—lots of book reviews coming soon, including a rare “poisonous” foray into YA fiction! I’ll also be walking you through what it takes to plan a book launch, which today includes getting quotes for COOKIES. Sweet!

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Last month I took part in the Hilary McKay blog tour with an interview focused on her Lulu books. It was such a fun interview - we got to have a fascinating conversation about how she worked with illustrator Patricia Lamont to portray her character Lulu. The publisher, Albert Whitman & Co sponsored the tour and promised to give away copies of the Lulu books to two lucky commentors on my

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I have two passes to StoryFUSION!!!  They can be used on Friday, April 19th OR Saturday, April 20th to hear Antonio Sacre - who is every bit as much fun to hear as he is to see!  Honest.  If you want these tickets, comment below.

You totally want to see this guy!  Honestly!

I also have the COMPLETE hardbound works of Tom Angleberger, including  Art2-D2's Guide to Folding and Doodling.    However, I am giving these away at my Book Review session at the Kutztown University Children's Literature Conference ONLY.  That's this Saturday, April 13th, at Kutztown University. So, sign up NOW!  You will not only get a chance to win awesome books, you will also hear presentations by these great authors: Suzanne Fisher-Staples, illustrator Christopher Soentpiet and Janet Wong.  Amazing.

I have to go read more books.  Good luck.

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Happy release day to my writer friend Faith Sullivan. I met Faith a little while back and through our blogs and Twitter, I've discovered that she's a great person and a great writer. Her first book Heartbeat released in February and I devoured it. Today, I hope you'll help me congratulate Faith on the release of her second book, Unexpected.

To celebrate, Faith is offering a giveaway for a $25 Amazon gift card, and yes, it's open internationally because Faith is that awesome! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below:

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And before you go, don't forget to leave a comment to congratulate Faith. :)

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YOU GUYS! So, I don't do that many blog tours, because they can be work. But occasionally I do, usually for an author I'm already a huge fan of.

The good people at Albert Whitman approached me for this one and it said I could interview the author. I COULD INTERVIEW HILARY MCKAY. Fortunately, they asked over email, and not in person, so they didn't see my stunned stammering followed by my ecstatic happy dance.

Then it took me FOREVER to come up with questions, because all I really wanted to ask was "what's your secret to being totally awesome?" and "Is Saffy real, and if so, can I be her second-best friend (after Sarah)?"

Luckily (for you), I pulled it together. I reviewed McKay's latest, the Lulu books, yesterday.

Questions about Lulu:

Lulu is known for animals. At the beginning of Lulu and the Dog from the Sea, she has "two guinea pigs, four rabbits, one parrot, one hamster, a lot of goldfish, and a rather old dog named Sam." She's also not your only character to have a backyard menagerie (the Cassons, for instance). How many pets do you have? What animal have you always wanted as a pet, but are unable to have?

At the moment I have only one cat and a lot of goldfish. I am looking out for a puppy but it has to be the right one. In the past, especially when my children were younger, we have had rabbits (several) hamsters (three) guinea pigs (two) dogs (two) hedgehog (one) tortoise (one). As a child I longed for a donkey, but I have got over this now.

What is Lulu's dream pet? Where would Lulu's parents draw the line at what she could adopt, even if she did clean up after it?

Well, Lulu isn't silly! I think she would probably like all sorts of wild and interesting animals in her life, but perhaps not as pets. Maybe she will end up working in conservation. She is very interested in animal welfare.

I think her parents might draw the line at snakes. In a later book in the series a snake is mentioned and her mother is not enchanted.

In the illustrations, Lulu is a person of color, even though this is never mentioned in the text. How did you convey this factor to your editor and illustrator?

I said "Let's make Lulu black." And they said, "Yes okay." So we did.

Will we see more of Lulu?

I hope so! There are six books out here and I have two more to write.

Questions about your work in general:

You've written for a wide variety of ages, from picture books to YA. What's your favorite age-range to write for? How hard is it to switch between age-ranges?

My favourite age range is the 10+ books, when you can be a bit more self indulgent with jokes and descriptions and hope the reader hangs on with you. I think books for younger readers are much harder- you need an equally strong plot and characters, but you have fewer words to achieve your end. Illustrations help. Priscilla Lamont's Lulu illustrations have been a wonderful asset to the stories.

Which one of your characters is your favorite? Whose voice refuses to leave your head?

I don't have a favourite character- or at least not a perennial favourite. There are some that I have become very fond of. Lulu is one (and Mellie is another). I have a grumpy young lad in my latest book who has stolen my heart at the moment!

English-English and American-English are not the same, which can cause issues for Americans, especially new readers. The Lulu books have been 'translated' into American. How much of your work in general gets this treatment? How do you feel about it?

I should say that at least three quarters of my work eventually makes its way across the water. The translations are minimal, and I rarely find them difficult. We have a lot of American culture over here, don't forget; films and tv and music, perhaps more than goes back the other way, so the American editions feel quite familiar. (I wonder a lot more about the translations into languages I have no hope of reading! Chinese, Korean, Arabic- I look at the pretty writing and hope for the best!) Also, I was brought up on American children's literature- everything from Alcott onwards. Laura Ingalls, Eleanor Estes, LM Montgomery (okay, Canadian there), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and lots more. Ursula le Guin. So in some ways I feel quite at home.

How do I feel about it? Thrilled. Enchanted. Privileged.

Questions about you:

If you could go back and talk to yourself when you were Lulu's age, what would say?

Things were not good for various small reasons when I was Lulu's age. I would say, 'It'll be all right in the end.'

What are you currently reading?

Sara Wheeler The Magnetic North

What are you currently watching?

Grey light across the valley. I wish Spring would come!

What are you currently listening to?

Nothing. I can hear a blackbird singing, far away traffic, my daughters flute, and the washing machine.

Thank you so much for stopping by!

Tomorrow, Hilary McKay will be at Bring on the Books. You can see her full tour schedule here. I especially want to highlight her excellent post about libraries that appeared earlier in the week on GreenBeanTeenQueen.

Want to win a signed copy of a Lulu book for your very own? (The answer is OF COURSE I DO, JENNIE!) Fill out the form below and I'll pick a winner next weekend!

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Links to Amazon are an affiliate link. You can help support Biblio File by purchasing any item (not just the one linked to!) through these links. Read my full disclosure statement.

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Today I am giving away up to $20 worth of books from bookdepository.com, which means this giveaway is open internationally! :) You can even put in a pre-order for a book you want that's coming up soon.



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I am very excited today to be part of the Hilary McKay Blog Tour! Today she is stopping by for an interview focused mainly on her books Lulu and the Duck in the Park and Lulu and the Dog by the Sea. These two endearing early chapter books are a delight to read. I will be giving away copies to two lucky commentors on today's post, so make sure you stick around and put in your two cents at the

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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Drafting  I'm between edits right now, which means I'm drafting like a mad woman. It feels amazing to be writing a new book. 
2. Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Winner  Congrats to Natasha for winning the giveaway. Natasha, I'm mailing your hard cover copy of The Last Little Blue Envelope this morning.
3. Easter  Anyone else feel like Easter crept up too quickly? I'm not ready.
4. Cleaning  After the past two weeks of crazy editing deadlines, my house is looking... Um, let's just say I'm hoping no one drops by for a few days while I get things in order again.
5. The Monster Within  The cover of my April 2014 YA paranormal The Monster Within (Spencer Hill Press) is currently being designed by the very talented Lisa Amowitz. I'm so excited to see it.

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Category: Picture book
Keywords: Cats, neighbors, friends, compassion
Format: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Source: Finished copy for review

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It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.


Sophronia Temminnick at 14 is a great trial more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners -- and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Her poor mother, desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady, enrolls the lively tomboy in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage -- in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.

Giveaway Rules:

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Remember to check out the other giveaways!

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Category: Young adult mystery/suspense
Keywords: Murder, schizophrenia, color-blindness, family
Format: Hardcover, Kindle
Source: ARC for review



Synopsis:

They say first love never dies...

From critically acclaimed author Kate Ellison comes a heartbreaking mystery of mental illness, unspoken love, and murder. When sixteen-year-old artist Olivia Tithe is visited by the ghost of her first love, Lucas Stern, it’s only through scattered images and notes left behind that she can unravel the mystery of his death. 

There’s a catch: Olivia has gone colorblind, and there’s a good chance she’s losing her mind completely—just like her mother did. How else to explain seeing (and falling in love all over again with) someone who isn’t really there?

With the murder trial looming just nine days away, Olivia must follow her heart to the truth, no matter how painful. It’s the only way she can save herself.

Review:

Kate Ellison lets spots of color and light shine through Notes from Ghost Town's bleak and dreary premise. The main story revolves around the murder of Olivia's best friend, whom her unstable mother admits to killing. Ellison touches on all the nuances of love: kindness, friendship, family, first love, and even love turned to hate, to make this a moody and tender read. The settings sometimes seem contrived, missing flavor and making Miami seem like just any other locality, but enough of the characters and their occasionally surprising interactions are relatable enough to keep you reading.

Some readers might find Olivia's brattiness intolerable, but I felt invested enough in her heartbreak to want to know what really happened to Stern. I liked how she interacts with her soon-to-be step-sister, despite really hating the fact that her dad is remarrying so soon after divorcing her mother. I was hugely annoyed whenever she took unnecessary risks or behaved like a spoiled child, but I think it was mostly because I was starting to like her and wanted her to succeed, to heal, and to change for the better.

It's hard to articulate what I felt about this book. It's not so much that I enjoyed reading it as that I wanted everything to turn out ok, and so I kept turning pages. Fans of fast-paced mysteries should go look for another book: this one is slow, misty, and contemplative. I think this would make a great mostly-black-and-white movie.

If you like this book, you will probably also like:

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Visit www.kateellison.com and follow the author on Facebook.

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You can enter to win both Notes from Ghost Town and The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison. Just use the Rafflecopter widget below. US/Canada only; I will randomly choose a winner after March 6. Thanks so much to Egmont for sponsoring the giveaway.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US & Canada only.
2. We are not responsible for items lost in the mail.
3. One set of entries per household, please.
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. 

Good luck!

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I'm so happy with the way it turned out that I'm doing a giveaway!

The winner gets to choose one of these possible prizes:

• A complete print set of the Timber Wolves trilogy OR
• A Timber Wolves shirt OR
• A Timber Wolves tote bag OR
• A Timber Wolves 8"x8" art print and all 4 Tammy Blackwell eBooks.

1. Open to US only.
2. We are not responsible for items lost in the mail.
3. One set of entries per household, please.
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. 

Good luck!

Which prize would you choose if you won? Tell me what and why in the comments!

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Kindle Daily Deal!  Touch of Death was selected to be the Kindle Daily Deal today! I'm beyond excited. For today ONLY you can get Touch of Death on Kindle for $1.99! Yes, I said $1.99! Squee!
2. School Library Journal  Touch of Death got a great review in the March issue of the School Library Journal. :)
3. Happy birthday to my dad!  Today is my dad's birthday. If you're reading this, happy birthday, Dad!
4. Drafting put on hold  I've had to put my WIP on hold for the time being. I have client edits and edits on my own books to get through, and unless I give up sleep completely, I just can't draft a new book right now. :(
5. Giveaway  I'm participating in the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop on Friday. My post will actually go up on Thursday since they like them up early, so check back for a giveaway for some great books.

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The very fabulous Text Publishing are giving away a $150 Dangerfield voucher to celebrate the release of All This Could End!

All you have to do is tweet to them (@textpublishing) - 'what's the worst thing your mum has ever made you do?'

I get to judge the entries! How very exciting. So humour is appreciated. (And I'm sure if you don't have a mum in your life a mother-figure is just fine.)

The competition ends at 5pm AEST today (March 14th), so you have to get in quick. (And it's open to just Australian and New Zealand residents.)

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ebook of Love All by Kelly Hashway


ebook of Spectral by Shannon Duffy


ebook of Purgatory Reign by LM Preston


Simply fill out the rafflecopter below to enter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to check out the other stops in the hop.

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Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop  If you are looking for the Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop, click here. The giveaway runs until the 22nd.
2. Thank you!  Last Monday Touch of Death was the Daily Kindle Deal, and I was blown away at how many people downloaded it. I can't thank you all enough. It was an incredible day, so thank you for making it so special.
3. Stalked by Death  Final edits are finished. August 13 is just around the corner, and I'm SO excited to share this book with you. Poor Jodi is up against some really tough odds in this book.
4. Editing  I have three client edits lined up for the rest of this month and one already set for the beginning of April. I'm going to be busy. :)
5. Love All  The reviews are coming in for Love All and I'm so pleased! This book is special to me because I was in a similar love triangle in high school. So while the events in the book are fictional, the emotions are very much my own.

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