new posts in all blogs
Viewing Blog: Kelly Polark, Most Recent at Top
Results 26 - 50 of 403
Statistics for Kelly Polark
Number of Readers that added this blog to their MyJacketFlap: 8
Hope all of you are enjoying summer between thunderstorms!
Last night I toyed with iMovie and created this trailer for my middle grade novel,
ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK!
Let me know what you think!
The ebook is now on sale at $2.99! You can purchase the ebook or paperback online at amazon, barnesandnoble and kobo!
You rock!
Today I have YA author, S.R. Johannes, to help us with marketing! Read on for some amazing tips to get your book seen! You can buy Shelli's third installment in the Nature of Grace series, UNSTOPPABLE, on amazon.com. Visit Shelli at her website, her Facebook page, and follow her on Twitter!
Thanks for the great info, Shelli!
How marketing and writing go together.
Every writer loves to write. But not every writer loves the business side of publishing.
These days it's important to know all aspects of the business (marketing, sales, taxes etc) - especially if you decide to indie publish at any point.
First, it's important to understand the basics of marketing. You need a web site, you need some form of social media, and you will want to start an email list. But this is all online marketing.
You need more than that and this is where it can get overwhelming.
But if you think of "marketing" in a different way, maybe it can be fun. Think of marketing as networking with your target audience - AKA our readers.
Basically, marketing your book is about
finding your audiences and just
letting them know about your book, about the themes in your book. Marketing is about connecting to your readers. And that's why we write! You first need to understand your writing, the genre, and all the secondary topics your book addresses - directly and indirectly.
All YA have similar audiences at a high level - teachers, librarians, teens, parents, and bookstore owners. But you can't stop there. If you want your writing to touch people, you have to focus on the next level of readers. For example - My Nature of Grace series is for young adults and it is a thriller. But it also touches on animal conservation, nature, going green, survival, outdoors, and the region surrounding the Smoky Mountains. These are all possible targets for me to consider. Here's what you need to do to break it down into smaller chunks.
Once you have targeted the audiences listed above, then do this:
• List out the topics/themes your book covers.
• Pick the most dominant theme
• List out what 3-5 audiences would want to read it.
• Find out where they hang out most (forums, ezines, festivals etc)
• Document who to contact
• Then figure out how to contact them
Hope this helps you realize that marketing can be fun especially if you break it down into smaller chunks. It's about connecting to your readers on a more personal level.
Well, hello, peoples!
Do you love middle grade novels as much as me? Yeah?
I've got two new fun middle grade novels to share with you.
Have you ever wished upon a star? When you were little, have you ever wished that your brother or sister was never born? Check out this clever story by Sherrie Petersen about just that!
It's WISH YOU WEREN'T! You can purchase it here and
click here to have a chance to win an ebook!
Also, another pal, Samantha Verant just shared her cover of her upcoming middle grade novel, KING OF THE MUTANTS. Looks crazy cool, right? You can win an
ebook and gift card here!
And speaking of middle grades, you can have a chance to win a copy of ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK
on Goodreads! If you want to read it, you can click that, too!
The first chapter of RNRPWB is now on
here on Wattpad. If you are curious about it, give it a quick read!
And not only do I love middle grade novels, but of course Young Adult books are on my Kindle and nightstand as well.
Here are some cool new YA releases!
If you loved Suzanne Casamento's FINGERPRINTS, the companion novel was just released!!
Also, just in time for prom season, check out Laura Pauling's PROM IMPOSSIBLE!
Happy reading, and thanks again for all of your wonderful support!
YOU ROCK!
Happy Monday, people!
Thank you to
Blog Tours by Elana, we have the last stops of my
ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK blog tour! RNRPWB is now available in
paperback! Woot!
Please stop by these wonderful ladies' blogs this week!
SHERRIE PETERSEN - Today Sherrie has
GUESS THE MUSICIAN PART TWO! Guess which bands I got to hang with plus win an ITunes gift card!
Sherrie just released her debut middle grade novel,
WISH YOU WEREN'T. You can purchase it
here!
ELANA JOHNSON - Last stop is
Elana's tomorrow! Check out what she has to say about ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK!
Elana's novel in verse, ELEVATED, has been getting rave reviews! It's only 99 cents for a few more days!
Buy it here!
Both of these books are on my Kindle, and I can't wait to read them!
Have an amazing week, everyone! Thank you so much for all of your wonderful comments and support for my new middle grade novel! YOU ROCK!
WORLD BOOK NIGHT
Today is
World Book Night. I applied to be a book giver again, and I was thrilled to be accepted! Today I get to hand out 20 copies of HOOT to reluctant readers. Yep, just give them away. What an amazing way to promote literacy! This is the box of awesome that I picked up at Johnsburg Public Library last week. So I will be handing these babies out at different places after school.
READING ROCKS!
ROCK PRINCESS ON TOUR
Check out these tour stops this week!
ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES is now available in paperback! You can purchase it
here!
Thanks so much for your support, guys! You rock!
Thanks to
Blog Tours by Elana, I have an awesome line up for you the next few weeks!
Here is this week's rockin' tour dates.
MONDAY:
Check out
Sher A. Hart's blog today for a review of ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK!
WEDNESDAY:
On April 16, stop by the
Observation Desk with Katie and play GUESS THE BAND!
SATURDAY:
Come visit the
Bookworm For Kids blog and read their review!
Thank you to everyone for your support! Paperback will be out at the end of this week! :)
READING ROCKS!
Happy book birthday to me!
My debut middle grade novel releases today!
ROCK 'N' ROLL PRINCESSES WEAR BLACK
Music class and recess totally rock, but being teased in school and ignored at home totally stinks. Stefani Lucas is a rockin’ sixth grader who loves music and dresses like a mini hipster in all black, but there's one thing cramping her style - her lame baby brother who manages to hog all the attention from her parents. When classmates tease her about her clothes and even double dare her to (gasp!) wear another color, Stef decides a minor makeover may be in order. Can Stef change for others and still stay true to herself?
You can buy the ebook on
Amazon and
Kobo right now.
Paperback will be available mid-April!
Thank you all for your wonderful support! I love this writing community so much! I sincerely could not have done this without your sharing great information, critiques, your comments, tweets, posts.
YOU ROCK!
Looky! It's me and an Oscar winner!!!!!
Yes, I stayed up to watch the entire Oscars last night. I have to say it was more entertaining than other years. Here are my Oscars Musings...not in order this year of watching it. These are afterthoughts!
1. I heart Ellen. LOVE her. She cracks me up and everyone else, too. I hope she hosts next year. She had me literally laughing out loud throughout the night.
2. Here's the super selfie that broke Twitter!
3. Lupita Nyong'o looked classy and lovely as usual. Her vibrant, beautiful dresses have been the highlight of every award show this season. Her speech was amazing, too.
4. Performances by P!NK and U2? Love it!
5. PIZZA!!!!! And of course Jennifer Lawrence is chowing down! Glad to see a Hollywood actress not take herself too seriously.
6. Um. Was John Travolta's wig on too tight? Wouldn't you make sure that you knew how to pronounce someone's name before introducing her??? By the way, @ has about 5k followers on Twitter! Ha!
7. Stunning dresses this year. My favorites were Lupita's flowing light blue dress, and I thought Jennifer Garner's silver flapper dress was really fun and cute! Charlize Theron looked gorgeous as usual, too.
6. Jared. Jared. Jared. Yes, he should cut those long, luscious locks. But so happy he won. I adored how he thanked his mom so eloquently and also thought of others less fortunate in his speech. Handsome and multi-talented (you all know he's lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars, don't you?? My photo above was taken before a concert). If you haven't seen him in
Requiem For a Dream, another great performance in that movie.
6. Alright. Alright. Alright. Absolutely thrilled for Matthew McConaughey. He has been my fave since he was Jake Brigance in
A Time to Kill in the 90's. He is amazing on
True Detective on HBO - only one more episode! His speech was thoughtful and so very quirky like Matthew. Sooooo incredibly handsome, that man. But one thing is for sure.
McConaughey's gonna get older, and that Oscar is gonna stay the saaaame age.Here's me and Matty. (okay, okay, okay. This one may or may not have been photoshopped...)
So, I'm pretty darn excited, because my ABC picture book, ROCKABET, and my celebrity book recommendation site, BOOK RECS OF THE ROCK AND FAMOUS, were both featured in a cute little segment on WGN Morning News yesterday! (My mother in law messaged me the photo above.)
If you don't watch Chicago's WGN Morning News (you can watch a
live stream here), you need to. The news team is so funny! I start every weekday morning with it on. They seriously crack me up.
You can view the news clip here:
http://morningnews.wgntv.com/2014/02/26/rockabet-teaches-children-history-of-classic-rock-and-abcs/Thank you, WGN. ROCKABET can be purchased
here!
Check out
BOOK RECS OF THE ROCK AND FAMOUS here. This week I have an actress from
Once Upon A Time.
Also, thank you to all the fabulous people that have shared their expertise at
IndieReCon this week. What a wonderful resource for writers.
Hope you all have an awesome weekend. READING ROCKS!
I played around with iMovie yesterday and made this!
You can purchase a paperback or hardcover ROCKABET book here! :)
This past Friday I visited one of my favorite bookstores, Anderson's Bookshop, to see our fabulous blogger friend, Lydia Kang! She was there for her booksigning with
Rachel Caine, author of the Morganville Vampire series. Before the signing, the ladies spoke of their writing journey and fun anecdotes about the life of an author. I was so excited to not only meet Lydia in person, but get her debut YA novel, CONTROL (signed, of course)! Lydia was as lovely and amazing in person as she is online. If you haven't visited her informative and entertaining blog,
check it out here. You can buy
CONTROL here.
If by chance you have been hibernating, here's the Amazon blurb of CONTROL:
Set in 2150 -- in a world of automatic cars, nightclubs with auditory ecstasy drugs, and guys with four arms -- this is about the human genetic "mistakes" that society wants to forget, and the way that outcasts can turn out to be heroes.
When their overprotective father is killed in a terrible accident, Zel and her younger sister, Dylia, are lost in grief. But it's not until strangers appear, using bizarre sensory weapons, that the life they had is truly eviscerated. Zel ends up in a safe house for teens that aren't like any she's ever seen -- teens who, by law, shouldn't even exist. One of them -- an angry tattooed boy haunted by tragedy -- can help Zel reunite with her sister.
But only if she is willing to lose him.Have a great week, all!
Have you heard of Anansi the spider? I hadn't until I bought
ANANSI AND COMPANY by my blogger buddy, Bish Denham. Anansi is a tricky little guy. He can be bold, he can be clever, he can even trick a tiger!
ANANSI AND COMPANY is a fun collection of retold Jamaican tales with Anansi as the star. I'm so glad that I met Anansi and read about his clever adventures. Not only is this collection an entertaining read at home, but I can also see this collection being used in classrooms while studying fables or folklore from various countries.
I give
ANANSI AND COMPANY 8 out of 8 spider legs! :)
Congratulations to Bish on her fabulous collection! Cute illustrations, too!
About Anansi and Company How do you escape a hungry tiger? Why do ram-goats smell? What happens if you get too greedy? In this collection of ten retold Jamaican stories, Anansi the spider tricks, sings, and dances his way into and out of trouble. But who is Anansi? It was the Ashanti of West Africa who brought the spider into the Caribbean. He clung tight to the web he wove in the minds of those who had been captured, surviving not only the harrowing passage across the Atlantic Ocean, but hundreds of years of slavery. As a trickster, Anansi has both good and bad traits, which makes him very human. Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses. When he wins he dances and sings for joy. When he loses, he shakes it off and keeps on living, a lesson for us all.
About the AuthorBish Denham, whose mother's side of the family has been in the Caribbean for over hundred years, was raised in the U. S. Virgin Islands. She still has lots of family living there and visits them regularly. She says, "Growing up in the islands was like living inside a history book. Columbus named them, Sir Francis Drake sailed through the area, and Alexander Hamilton was raised on St. Croix. Pirates plied the waters and hundred of years of slavery left its indelible mark. It was within this atmosphere of magic and wonder that I grew up. My hope is pass some of that magic and wonder on to my readers."
You can learn more about Bish by visiting her blog:
Random Thoughts:
http://bish-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/ She can also be found on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bish-Denham-Author-Page/553261998061448?bookmark_t=page Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BishDenham Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6439315.Bish_Denham
Yes, it's that time again. Time for actors and actresses to get gussied up, down a few cocktails, and pat each other on the back with a faketastic smile. The amazing Amy Poehler and Tina Fey served as the beautiful and funny hosts of the glamorous evening, and that is always a plus. Though they should have been featured more on the show.
For a complete list of last night's winners, check
here (who do I look like, Billy Bush?).
And my usual
RANDOM THOUGHTS WHILE WATCHING THE GOLDEN GLOBES
1. Amy and Tina look amazing! Fave zinger in opening act: "Gravity- It's the story of how George Clooney would rather float away into space and die than spend one more minute with a woman his own age."
2. Of course. JLaw wins! She's soooo breathless! And so darn cute.
3. Is Jacqueline Bisset really so shocked or on something???
4. Paula Patton is gorgeous, but what the H is draped over her shoulder?!
5. U2 wins for "Ordinary Love" from the Mandela film. Music icons for sure. U is for U2 in that cool picture book,
ROCKABET, too!
6. Olivia Wilde has the cutest baby bump ever.
7. Not just a pretty face or amazing rock frontman - Jared Leto wins!
8. Ha ha! Amy plants a big one on Bono! And wins!
9. Uma Thurman just may get my pick as Best Look of the Night. Uma or Tina Fey.
10. Does Leo DiCaprio have a dip in his lower lip??? (as in tobacco????)
11. Alright, alright, alright! Matthew McConaughey wins! I've adored him since A Time to Kill. What a handsome, laid back, quirky son of a gun. Just keep livin', man.
Did you watch the Golden Globes? What did you think?
is so last year.
But a good one! I started working full days in Early Childhood this year. First time working a full school day since I had kids. It's so wonderful to see a child grow and learn so much in one year. Two picture books were released (
ROCKABET and
HOLD THE MUSTARD!). Thank you so much for your support! We took fun family vacations to Wisconsin, Grand Canyon, Vegas, Utah and Arizona. And three of my three children are currently playing on basketball teams (my favorite sport to watch!). So it was a busy year!
So busy I only read 14 books (but enjoyed them!).Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Duff by Kody Keplinger
Make It Morning by Jody Bainter
Tenth of December by George Saunders
The Truth About Letting Go by LTMAlligators Overhead by C. Lee McKenzieLife of PiSafe HavenSharp Objects by Gillian FlynnDragonfly by Leigh T. MooreFingerprints by Suzanne CasamentoAll of You Christina LeeIndiestructable Edited by Jessica BellUndertow by Leigh T. MooreI watched these movies (as you can tell, comedies are my favorite). Ted
Escape from Planet Earth
Life of Pi
The Hobbit
Monsters University
Man of Steel
One Direction: This Is Us (twice!)
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Dumb and Dumber
This Is The End
GrownUps
GrownUps 2
Catching Fire
R.I.P.D.
And went to these concerts (as you can tell, Papa Roach is my favorite).Papa Roach/Stone Sour/Otherwise
Maroon 5/Neon Trees/Owl City
30 Seconds to Mars
Papa Roach/Otherwise
Daughtry/Three Doors Down
Lita Ford/Dokken/Winger/Sebastian Bach/Ratt (see Kip Winger below!)
Papa Roach/Shinedown
P!NK/New Politics
Daughtry
Bought these new albums (all awesome but 2 faves are Buckcherry & Mike Sanchez).
What were your favorite books, movies and music in 2013?
I'm a ketchup loving girl. I put ketchup and only ketchup on everything. Fries. Burgers. Hashbrowns. Tater tots. Liver sausage sandwiches. Even hot dogs. This Chicagoland girl does not put mustard on her hot dog, only ketchup!
I'm like Spencer in my newest book, HOLD THE MUSTARD! Ketchup on his dogs. But my story actually is not about Spencer. It's about Maddie the Mustard. She's sad because the kids always choose Cam and Bam over her in the fridge. (Cam and Bam would be the ketchup and strawberry jam, don'tcha know.) Will Spencer ever choose Maddie over Cam the Ketchup? Will someone ever throw out the expired milk? Will someone please pick up some orange juice at the store? You will find out about Spencer's choice (very unlike Sophie's choice) if you read my book!
Where can you find out about my book you ask? (And thank you for asking!)
HOLD THE MUSTARD! is my latest digital picture book from Meegenius! Remember, BIG SISTER, BABY BROTHER? I have another book from the same company, and it is released today! Hurray!How can you buy this story about talking condiments? You can preview or purchase it HERE! Hot diggety dog!You can buy
Meegenius books individually or subscribe to their new subscription service. Picture books on the go on your computer, iPhone, iPad, and other electronic devices. The app is FREE!
Here's more about Meegenius books which are
beautifully illustrated e-books with enhanced features such as professional narration and word highlighting that promote reading comprehension skills. The "Read it Myself" option also allows children to read "Big Sister, Baby Brother" and "Hold the Mustard!" as traditional books. MeeGenius books add a whole new dimension to story time and are perfect for children from birth to 8 years old. MeeGenius books are also a great help for people of any age learning English as a second language.So...what do you put on your hot dog???
Hello, friends. It's an exciting week in blogland. This week is the Writers Helping Writers Amazing Race and a ROCKABET giveaway!
Those amazing ladies Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers (formerly The Bookshelf Muse) have added two more books to their Descriptive Thesaurus Collection: The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes and The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws. To celebrate, they are hosting a race, and not just any old race, either. It's the...
Writing is hard, isn't it? Create the perfect hook. Make your first page compelling. Craft an amazing 25 word pitch. Knock out a query that will blow an agent's mind. On and on it goes.
And sometimes, well, you just wish someone would help.
WISH NO MORE!
From
October 21st until
October 27th, Writers Helping Writers is posting an
OPEN CALL for writers. You can fill out a form, requesting help with
critiques, book visibility, social media sharing, blog diagnostics, advice and more. An army of
Amazing Racers are standing by
(ME INCLUDED!) waiting to help with your submissions. How many people can we help in a week? Let's find out! Did I mention there are
Celebrity Racers too--amazing authors and editors who know their way around a first page. Maybe one of them will pick
your submission to help with!
Each day this week, there's an AMAZING giveaway, too. So stop in at Angela & Becca’s new Writers Helping Writers website and find out how to take advantage of this awesome, unique, pay-it-forward event for writers. See you there, baby!PLUS A ROCKABET GIVEAWAY!
To celebrate writers helping other writers, I want to
give away a signed paperback copy of my ABC's of rock picture book,
ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION to a lucky commenter! If you want to win, write
READING ROCKS! in the comments! :) That's it! I will choose a winner this weekend!
And the winner is JEMI! Congrats, Jemi!!!! :)
Last Monday I had my book launch for my new ABC picture book of rock, ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION! My local library was kind enough to host me and allowed me to use their party room for the festivities. I had refreshments, crafts, bookmarks, temporary tattoos, a reading, and a book signing that awesome evening. Over 100 people attended which made me so overwhelmed with gratitude. So wonderful for others to take time out in their busy schedule to celebrate with me! Even some of my former students stopped by! Here are a few photos (mostly taken by my dad) of the evening!
Thank you all for your wonderful support and nice words about my book!
I read Rockabet to the crowd!
Some of the wonderful people who attended.
Bookmarks, business cards, temporary tattoos!
Signing books next to my accountant.
I wanted everyone's autograph!
It was a fabulous night!
and in select bookstores.
Today I'm playing band manager to celebrate the release of my ABC's of rock 'n' roll picture book,
ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION. You know I love my rock bands. If I could choose any band members from any bands to form the best band ever, these would be my rockin' picks:
Band Name: Indecision (also the name of a band in my upcoming middle grade novel!)
First Gig: Red Rocks (I have never been there!! I'd love to see a concert there!)
So, like I said, I LOVE rock. I figured these musicians are pretty busy and probably should swap out gig by gig so they can still play in their other awesome band. So I have multiple choices, yo. (And yes, these are all my photos taken at concerts (except for Grohl) :) .)
LEAD VOCALSLead vocalist #1: Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach - one of the most energetic frontmen I have ever seen! This man can ROCK!
Lead vocalist #2: Gerard Way formerly of My Chemical Romance - Love, love, love his voice.
Lead vocalist #3: Josh Todd of Buckcherry - He dances with his shirt off while he sings. Nuff said.
Okay, one more lead vocalist: Jared Leto of 30 Seconds to Mars - Energetic, blue eyes, smooth vocals.
LEAD GUITARLead guitarist #1: Mark Tremonti of Creed/Alter Bridge/Tremonti - Awesome variety of guitar riffs. He's in three bands plus mine! He is a wanted man!
Lead guitarist #2: Synyster Gates of Avenged Sevenfold - My favorite intro guitar riff of all time is "Unholy Confessions" by A7X. This man can shred. And he's kinda cute.
Lead guitarist #3: Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins - He's a Chicago guy who is mega-talented.
BASS GUITARBass guitarist #1- Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue/Sixx: A.M - Love his lyrics, his looks, and he's in two of my fave bands!
Bass guitarist #2 - Matt Brady of New Medicine - Beautiful brown eyes with a beautiful heart (he spent the last year in Ghana!).
Bass guitarist #3 - John Taylor of Duran Duran - Play the #*&!-ing bass, John! More pop than rock, but Duran Duran was the first band I ever loved.
DRUMSDave Grohl of Nirvana/Foo Fighters - it's Dave freaking Grohl, people!
Who would you choose for your supergroup and why?Here's a
band name generator to create your killer band name!
Some very kind people are helping me celebrate the release by sharing who they would choose to be in their ultimate band in a ROCKABET BAND MANAGER post! Go check 'em out! Thank you!
Theresa Milstein ,
Lydia Kang ,
Shelli Johannes ,
Candyland ,
Bish Denham ,
Samantha Verant , and
Leigh T. Moore.
ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION can currently be purchased online at
Amazon or at select bookstores. Hardcover books will be available at various online retailers and stores in October.
Kelly Polark is also the author of
BIG SISTER, BABY BROTHER and the upcoming HOLD THE MUSTARD! from Meegenius. Come visit her on
Facebook and
Twitter! Check out her
website and celebrity book recommendation site,
Book Recs of the Rock and Famous.
READING ROCKS!
Woo hoo! The day is here! My picture book ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION is available!
The first draft of ROCKABET was written about five years ago. I had a mixture of classic and current artists featured in the book. At a local SCBWI meeting and on a WriteOnCon messageboard, some suggested I stick with either current or classic musicians. This was fabulous advice, and that is what I did! My first edition of the book is classic, and I hope to publish a current edition of ROCKABET one day! My fabulous illustrator,
Kelli Ann Little, helped make this book come to life. I adore her illustrations of the musicians.
ROCKABET: CLASSIC EDITION celebrates my favorite genre of music, good ole rock 'n' roll. It combines my passion for music and reading. The book promotes the arts and classic rock bands, reading, and learning the ABC's.
Some very kind people are helping me celebrate the release by sharing who they would choose to be in their ultimate band in a ROCKABET BAND MANAGER post! Go check 'em out! Thank you!
Monday:
Theresa Milstein and
Sharon MayhewTuesday:
Lydia KangWednesday:
Shelli Johannes and
CandylandThursday:
Bish DenhamFriday:
Samantha VerantLeigh T. Moore has a post for you this week, too. I will share my Band Manager picks on Thursday!
Here is my book! You can purchase the paperback HERE! Hardcover will be available next month!
Thank you to all of you fabulous friends, family, and critique pals who have been my cheerleader and support system!
YOU ROCK!
Yes. Yes, I do.
I have seen so many great tweets and posts about my friends in blogland that I wanted to share their new (or upcoming) books with you!
Check these out!
NEW-ISH RELEASES
Laura Pauling can write one exciting thriller. This YA time travel novel came out last month! You can purchase it
here!
Jimmy's other books feature vampires, but
his newest is a paranormal with ghosts. Cool cover!
I read Suzanne's YA
Fingerprints on vacation in August. True to life characters.
Have you read Myra's awesome
Hourglass series?
Infinityglass , the third novel in the series, released last month!
If you are in blogland and don't know
Alex, you need to check out his blog! He's the blog ninja, people!
Cassastorm is his third installment of his
Cassastar series. You can buy it in paperback or ebook form
here and other online stores!
Christina's debut NA novel released this week, too! I hear it is hot AND sweet! Looking forward to reading it!
UPCOMING BOOKS
You all know that I adore
LTM's books. This latest in the
Dragonfly series releases October 3!
Is this cover bluetiful or what? Our favorite doctor/author
Lydia's debut YA novel arrives December 26!
Those super helpful ladies, Angela and Becca have done it again! Look forward to other helpful books, The Positive and Negative Trait Thesaurus next month!
Fellow Illinois author Susan Kaye Quinn is blogging her upcoming book
Indie Author Survival Guide. Check out her amazing, instructive posts!
And have you seen the super cute cover reveal from
Bish?
Lastly, a super shout out to
Samantha Verant who sold her memoir,
Seven Letters From Paris. It is amazing. Sam is so funny, genuine, and this is such a wonderful story about second chances.
These are a peek at some amazing people and their books. There are more out there, and I hope I didn't miss any wonderful friends who have books recently out. If I did, I'd be happy to add them to this post!
HAVE YOU HEARD? READING ROCKS!
I'm in puppy love! Our family adopted a puppy from a rescue a few weeks ago. We are not sure what kind she is as her mom was pregnant when they found her. The mom is maybe a beagle/terrier/shepherd-y mix; dad is unknown (maybe a black lab?). We have no idea if she will be 25 pounds or 60 pounds. It will be a surprise!
When we were on vacation over the summer, we visited Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Utah.
Best Friends houses hundreds of dogs, cats, horses, and other animals on their beautiful sanctuary in Angel Canyon. We toured the sanctuary, and got to meet some of the adorable animals. It's so important to adopt from a shelter or rescue instead of buying a pet at a pet store! We were so ready to adopt when we returned from our trip.
Our beloved 16 year old miniature pinscher, Goofy, died in June, and my other rescue dog, Daisy, just adored her. We wanted to get Daisy another friend, and luckily Daisy loves Lily! They snuggle and play. Lily is a little lovergirl, and she is really a wonderful addition to our family. You can't help but smile when you have a puppy in the house!
What has you smiling this week?
This is it! This is the cover of my upcoming picture book titled, ROCKABET, that comes out in September. Does it rock or what?!
Rockabet: Classic Edition is an ABC picture book of rock 'n' roll. The book introduces classic rock bands in catchy couplets. The illustrations depict the bands as chibis, which are childlike versions of characters. The book is illustrated by Kelli Little. More of her amazing artwork can be seen at her Facebook page,
Catching Dreams Illustration. I just love it!
Speaking of Facebook pages, I just created an author page for myself and I'd love if you would hop on over and "Like" it! Here is the link:
Author Kelly Polark. As you know, I love rock music and this book brings together two of my passions: promoting literacy and promoting good ole rock 'n' roll! I have another Meegenius book coming out this fall, and I will post a sneak peek of an illustration on my Facebook page next week. Thanks for stopping by the blog and liking my author page. Your support means so much!!
Now back to ROCKABET. Can you guess which band I chose for the letter A?
I rarely post movie reviews. Heck, I rarely watch movies! But the hubby and I took the kids to see
Man of Steel on Father's Day. The theater was packed!
Here are my random thoughts on this blockbuster movie (no spoilers!).
1. Hello, Alaskan King Abs! (you'll get this when you see it)
2. This movie may be the loudest I've heard in a long time (maybe because we were in third row?).
3. Am I the only person who kept thinking that General Zod looked an awful lot like the lead singer of 3 Doors Down? I half expected him to burst into song and sing "
Kryptonite" to Superman. (Remember that song? "If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?") Here are two photos for you to compare.
4. Speaking of 3 Doors Down's "Kryptonite," I'd like to see a resurgence of that song and "
Superman's Dead" by Our Lady Peace on the radio stations. Get on that radio stations!
Man of Steel is huge right now! Good tunes.
5. Clark has Russell Crowe as Superman's real dad and Kevin Costner as his adopted dad. Dang!
6. I love how Diane Lane looks so real in this movie. And still pretty.
7. Also absolutely loved Amy Adams as Lois Lane. Attention males: intelligence, confidence, and loyalty are sexy to Superman. The Man of Steel.
8. I have a taste for pancakes. (again, you will have to see this to understand this one :)
9. I teared up in one scene in the movie. I'm not saying which one as not to spoil...
10. What? The "S" isn't for Superman?!
11. Henry Cavill as Superman reminded me a little bit of USA volleyball player
Matt Anderson. Though without the chin dimple and 9 inches shorter (and Cavill is 6'1"!).
12. After a character remarks to her colleague about Superman, "I think he's hot," a woman behind me said loudly, "Really hot." I may have silently agreed with her.
13. Wow. Clark puts on a pair of eyeglasses and no one recognizes him? C'mon! Hannah Montana had a better disguise than that!
14. My 8 year old son asked me what me favorite scene in the movie was. So I told him the truth. "The scene where his shirt is off."
Those are my random thoughts. Do I recommend the movie? Yes. Very entertaining. The only two flaws were the Zod/Superman fight scene was a little long and not enough shirtless scenes.
Did you see the movie? Will you see it?
GIVE ME AN L! GIVE ME A T! GIVE ME AN M!
There is a reason I'm a huge cheerleader for Leigh T. Moore and her novels. It's because I truly, sincerely, ALWAYS enjoy them. Her newest YA novel, Dragonfly, had me sucked me in again, and I read it in two days. Part of it was because I was picturing a young Julian McMahon (anyone remember Nip/Tuck?) as Julian. Part of it was the peek into the lives of the rich and maybe not so perfect. But mostly it's Leigh's gift of writing a story that makes you care about the characters because they are so darn real and creating twists and turns to make every chapter a page turner.
Read below to find out how you can purchase this amazing book. Book Two will be here before you know it!
***Release Week Special! Dragonfly is only 99 cents June 6-8!1... 2... 3... One Click (link)!!!***
The Romance Bookie “Gossip Girl meets VC Andrews in this contemporary family saga. Love, lies, and betrayal become the new normal when Anna enters the world of Jack and Lucy Kyser.” –Magan Vernon, international bestselling author of The Only Exception by Leigh Talbert Moore
Three bad things I learned this year:-People you trust lie, even parents. -That hot guy, the one who’s totally into you, he might not be the one. -Things are not always how they appear. Three good things I learned this year:-Best friends are always there for you, even when they’re far away. -That other hot guy, the one who remembers your birthday, he just might be the one. -Oh, and things are not always how they appear. Anna Sanders expected an anonymous (and uneventful) senior year until she crossed paths with rich-and-sexy Jack Kyser and his twin sister Lucy. Pulling Anna into their extravagant lifestyle on the Gulf Coast, Lucy pushed Anna outside her comfort zone, and Jack showed her feelings she’d never experienced... Until he mysteriously withdrew. Anna turned to her internship at the city paper and to her old attraction for Julian, a handsome local artist and rising star, for distraction. But both led to her discovery of a decades-old secret closely guarded by the twins’ distant, single father. A secret that could permanently change all their lives.
Be watching for Undertow, Book 2 in the Dragonfly series, coming July 18!
Leigh Talbert Moore is the author of the popular young adult romantic comedy
The Truth About Faking, its companion
The Truth About Letting Go, and the mature YA/new adult romantic suspense novel
Rouge, a Quarter Finalist in the 2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award.
Connect online:
My school year has ended!
This year I worked as a teaching assistant in Early Childhood at my kids' school district. Before I had my three children, I taught third grade and a third/fourth grade multiage for six years. Last year I worked in kindergarten, and this year in the three and four year old classroom. I had never taught children this young (besides my own of course), so the first few weeks were a learning experience. Of course I grew to love teaching this age group very much. It's so amazing to see the students grow throughout the school year. And of course they are absolutely adorable!
Here are some of the fun projects from the classroom this spring!
Ocean Fun!
Feed the Shark!
(I made this for choice time.)
Tonight my own 8th grader graduates, and I will be teary. I'm so proud of him. He's excelled in school as well as in athletics, and he's such a funny, responsible kid. My younger two have school until Friday so I hope I get some writing and extra projects done before my home is absolute(wonderful) summertime chaos!
Have a great week, everyone! What are you looking forward to this summer?
View Next 25 Posts
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
She's adorable!
Her paws aren't huge, so I don't think she'll be a big dog.
What a cutie!! So glad they get along well :)
Alex- I don't think she'll be too big. But it is funny how we just don't know!
Jemi- Thanks! I'm so thankful that my other dog adores her!
Lily is so cute. We adopted our puppy from the Humane Society in April and I'm totally in love with her too.
adorable!
Just what I needed today--puppy pics!! How cute is she?? Enjoy!
Ah yes... I can smell that puppy love coming right through the computer screen. Sweet!
Natalie- That is so awesome. Dogs are so loving and loyal!
Lola- Thanks! She is!
Jill- Thank you! She's a ray of sunshine!
Bish- Ha! Can you smell that puppy breath, too? :)
Congrats on your new puppy! Dogs really become part of the family, don't they? I'm sorry about Goofy, but I'm glad your old dog has a new buddy. Enjoy, and keep smiling that beautiful smile! :)
Lily is such a little darling!
Sorry to hear Goofy is no longer with you. They rip out a peace of our heart when they leave us.
And what has me smiling this week? People like you who clearly love animals! Good on you for adopting from a shelter.
Oh, and give Lily a snuggle from me!
aw, Lily is gorgeous!
OMG! She's blooming beautiful! And a great reminder of what wonderful LOVIES shelters have to offer.
Adorable!
She's adorable! Congrats!!
This post was today's smile! I'm huge advocate for adopting rescues. All mine are. I don't think I can remember a time, I didn't have at least two pups in the house. They fill the days with sweet surprises. (Hugs)Indigo
This comment has been removed by the author.
That picture of you and Lily makes me smile.
Awwww! So precious! I'm glad you found a new baby.
Oh, the expression on her face is so sweet.
For the love of cute puppies! So adorable!
Awww...love puppies. Would have a houseful if my husband would let me. We own 2 dogs and 2 cats.
I'm so sorry about Goofy. So glad you were able to find another friend for Daisy. The new puppy is so sweet.
Oh my goodness. She's adorable!
what a cute pooch!
Nice Site I Am Impresed
World Largest Mp3 Collection......Sites
songspk
Boss songspk
songspk
Boss songspk
mp3 download
Fresher Requirtment
OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm in love.
Aw! How's Lily doing?
She's adorable!