How to use this Page

1. MG Alien Twitter Pitches  Okay, MG authors, Leap Books Seek and I are looking for your Twitter pitch for middle grade alien books. Tweet me @kellyhashway with your MG alien pitch. If I'm interested, I'll reply with where to send sample pages. I'll be taking pitches today through Friday.
2. Drafting  I'm attempting to draft a book between edits—well, I should say around edits because I'm still editing. Last Friday, I managed to get in 10,000 words and it felt amazing!
3. Branding?  You know that draft I just mentioned? Well, it's an adult thriller. Apparently, I'm refusing to let Kelly Hashway be branded as a YA paranormal author. I can't help but write the stories that come to me, no matter what they are.
4. Reading  I spend a lot of time reading. Between the books I edit for clients and the submissions for Seek, I read constantly. Of course that means I don't get to read a lot of new releases though. I'm going to attempt to change that. Wish me luck—and a few extra hours in my day.
5. YA Fest  I attended YA Fest on Saturday and got to spend some time with readers and fellow authors. I had a great time. Here are some pictures from the event. 

   My table. (I signed the Touch of Death trilogy, The Monster Within duology, and Our Little Secret.)

   
   

   Lisa Amowitz, Martina Boone, and me

   
   

   The very awesome Brooke Watts DelVecchio and me

1. Construction  *Sigh* I knew this was going to be bad, but ugh. I can't wait until July is over so this construction will be finished. Still no roof, which means lots of rain damage. :(
2. July  How is it almost July already? I mean seriously? Where did June go?
3. Editing  Amidst the craziness in my house, I'm editing for clients this week. It's keeping me sane.
4. Books heading to production  I recently had three titles to proofread and get ready for production. So exciting!
5. Touch of Death Series  Last week, Stalked by Death became a #1 best seller in Teen & Young Adult Greek and Roman Myths, and Touch of Death was the #3 best seller in the same category! Needless to say, I was thrilled! Thank you to all who bought copies.

1. YA Fest  I'll be at YA Fest this Saturday (April 19th) signing copies of Touch of Death, Stalked by Death, and Face of Death. I'll also have plenty of SWAG including bookmarks, zombie limb candy, and buttons. I'm excited.
2. Revisions  I'm currently revising three of my novels all on deadlines ranging from tomorrow to May 15th. I love revising. It's when I really get attached to my characters.
3. Client edits  I'm also editing for clients. I have several edits scheduled through this month and May, which always makes me happy.
4. Spring pictures  I'm working at my daughter's school on Wednesday for spring pictures. It's always fun to see the kids dressed up.
5. Happy Holidays!  I wish you all a very happy Easter and Passover. 

1. Touch of Death and Stalked by Death Chosen as Best Books in 2013!  I'm ecstatic that both Touch of Death and Stalked by Death made blog lists for best books in 2013. Touch of Death was chosen as Best Paranormal by Patrice Caldwell over on Whimsically Yours, and Stalked by Death was chosen as Best YA by Sherry Ficklin over on Curvy Writer!
2. Free Monthly Newsletter  My free monthly newsletter goes out this evening. If you aren't signed up but would like to receive one, click here.
3. #SHP2014 Twitter Chat  Thank you to everyone who came out for the Spencer Hill Press Twitter chat last Thursday night. The chat was crazy fast and so much fun. Lots of ARCs were given away, including two of The Monster Within.
4. Snow  I'm kind of done with snow this season. Seriously, been there, done that. I'm ready for spring.
5. 2014 Goals  I've got my goals for this year all set. I'll be posting them on Wednesday.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. 5 Dollar Sundresses!  Okay, Five Below has sundresses for $5 and they are seriously cute. I bought two over the weekend. What a deal! I would have bought more but that's all they had in my size.
2. Stalked by Death Stickers  I got some awesome Stalked by Death stickers for the upcoming release! Yay!
3. Reading at the Book Expo  I'm excited because I was asked to do a reading at the Book Expo (in Stroudsburg, PA) next month. Not sure which book they want me to read yet, but I know it's one of my picture books since the afternoon readings are all for young children.
4. Editing  I have a lengthy client edit to do this week. Wish me luck. My daughter's having a hard time understanding Mom needs to work.
5. German Shepherd Hound Mix  Last June we got a puppy, and we knew she was a German Shepherd mix. We just figured out that she's part hound, and now her sad, droopy eyes, burrowing habits, and her deep bark that carries all make sense. So, she's our little German Shephound. Yes, I just made that up. ;)

With the release of Stalked by Death just under two months away, I thought I'd talk about writing sequels. I also happen to be writing another sequel at the moment, so this is perfect timing.

Sequels are tricky because while you are writing within a series, most publishers want the books to stand on their own. I'm terribly guilty of picking up book two in a series before book one. It happens a lot, so I understand this. The hard part for the author is to make sure you are giving the information needed without info dumping. The best way to make sure is by telling what's needed when it's needed. No one wants to open a book to an entire chapter of recap. One, it's insulting to your reader. Two, it's just plain boring.

The good part about writing a sequel is that you already know the characters really well. It makes them easier to write about. I love getting to delve deeper into the lives of characters I love, and I find the words just come to me.

So that's my two cents on sequels. And I have a giveaway for you. I have a Stalked by Death SWAG pack for one lucky winner. Due to postage costs, I'm going to limit this one to US and Canada. Don't worry though. I'll have more international giveaways soon. Use the rafflecopter form to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What are your thoughts on writing sequels?

*On another note, Advantage: Heartbreak is only $0.99 for a limited time! Find it on Amazon or B&N.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Last week of school  My daughter's last day is Thursday. I can't believe she's going to be a first grader soon.
2. Free Monthly Newsletter  With the excitement of BEA, I forgot to send out my monthly newsletter last Monday. It will go out at 5pm EST today. If you aren't signed up yet but would like to receive one, click here.
3. Advantage: Heartbreak  I'll be posting a teaser this Wednesday for my second novella in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series. Check back for it.
4. Melinda's Museum Magic  My newest picture book is here! You can find Melinda's Museum Magic for sale on Amazon. 
   
5. Stalked by Death teaser  I made a teaser video for Stalked by Death. Check it out. 

I'm not posting a Monday Mishmash because the one thing on my mind is BEA! I don't even know where to start because BEA blew me away. First, I have amazing publishers. Everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) from both houses was absolutely sweet and personable. I'm going to explain things with some photos for you too. :)

I met some really awesome Spencer Hill Press people, like:

Me with Kate Kaynak, owner of Spencer Hill Press Yes, it's blurry, but I swear it's because Kate is so busy she never stands still. ;)

Timothy Miller signing his book Awoken for me!

Me with Sherry Ficklin, author of Extracted

Me with Tyler Jolley, Author of Extracted with Sherry Ficklin

Dan Cohen with me at my signing for Stalked by Death

Rich Storrs (A.K.A. "The Closer") with me at my signing

Me with Trisha Wooldridge, my editor for the Touch of Death series

Lisa Amowitz, Kimberly Miller, Michelle Pickett, Jennifer Allis Provost, me, and Dorothy Dreyer (the Scene13 girls)

My signing was surreal. When I showed up after my author breakfast (which was also extremely cool) I had a line of people waiting for me. I sort of stared in disbelief for a while. I wish I took a picture of the line. The awesome ladies at Swoony Boys Podcast showed up with a gift for me, which was so sweet of them. Also, Donna from School Library Journal came to get Stalked by Death. She introduced herself and I profusely thanked her for the great review she did for Touch of Death in the March issue of SLJ. She took a picture with me and said she'd review Stalked by Death, too. I got a little choked up over that.

George Klutz, fellow ICL member, came to see me

Me with Brooke DelVecchio, who was awesome enough to get Stalked by Death on Friday and come back with her copy of Touch of Death on Saturday to have me sign it. :)

And my Month9Books family was there too!

Heather Reid (author of Pretty Dark Nothing) and me

Me getting a signed copy of Gabriel Stone from Shannon Duffy

Georgia McBride (owner of Month9Books) and me

Dorothy Dreyer (author of My Sister's Reaper), Lisa Basso (author of A Shimmer of Angels), and me

And here are some other awesome people:

Lauren Hammond (my agent) and me

LM Preston, Lauren Hammond, me, and Lisa Amowitz

And here's my view as I sadly exited the building. I'm already counting down to next year. I will definitely be back.

Since it's Monday, please let me know what's on your mind.

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Scholastic Book Fair  I'm working the Scholastic Book Fair at my daughter's school again this week. Even though I just placed an online order, I'm sure I'll be buying more books.
2. Cricket's Drive Around Town  This weekend I got the color illustrations for my upcoming picture book and they blew my mind. This book is going to be so adorable!
3. Into the Fire  I just sent my edits off to my editor this past weekend for Into the Fire, which is coming in January 2014 through Month9Books. And I updated my FB author page so the gorgeous cover is on there. :)
4. Stalked by Death ARC  My Stalked by Death ARC arrived on Saturday! Squee! I thought I wasn't getting it until BEA, so I'm really excited to get to hold my pretty book!
5. Advantage: Heartbreak  Less than 10 days until the release of Advantage: Heartbreak, novella #2 in the Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak series. Yay!

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.  

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

Happy Monday! Here's my mishmash of thoughts:

1. Easter  We had a great weekend dying eggs, visiting with family, having eggs hunts, and seeing the Easter Bunny at the roller rink. Hope you enjoyed the holiday as well.
2. Stalked by Death  Book 2 in the Touch of Death trilogy releases August 13, and Barnes and Noble has it up for pre-order for only $6.59! Also, my SWAG is arriving tomorrow, and I can't wait!
3. The Monster Within  My April 2014 release through Spencer Hill Press is one of my favorites. I just finished copy edits on it, and I'm waiting to see my cover. Yay!
4. Face of Death  I'll be editing the 3rd and final book in the Touch of Death series this week. I'm excited but a little sad, too.
5. Free Monthly Newsletter  It's the first Monday in April, which means my newsletter will go out at 5pm (EST) this evening. If you aren't already signed up to receive it, you can do so here.

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.

Before I think about my goals for 2013, I want to take a minute to recap the positive things about 2012. (No need to relive the negative, right?) First, let me say that at the end of 2011, I didn't think 2012 would ever top it. 2011 was the year I found my agent, my first picture book came out, and I got my first book deal with Spencer Hill Press. I thought 2012 would never compare. Boy was I wrong. So here I go!

• I signed another two-book deal with Spencer Hill Press for The Monster Within and The Darkness Within (releasing in 2014).
• I signed a four-book deal with Month9Books for my debut middle grade series, Curse of the Granville Fortune (releasing in 2016).
• I signed a three-book deal with Month9Books for my Birth of the Phoenix Series. (The first book, Into the Fire, releases spring 2014.)
• I sold my three-book novella series Game. Set. Match. Heartbreak. to Swoon Romance. (The first book Love All releases 1/8/13.)
• I held Touch of Death in my hands and cried. Here's video evidence.
• Touch of Death released on ebook on December 23.
• I signed on many new editing clients.
• I started editing for another book publisher.
• I got a new puppy.
• I survived my daughter starting all-day kindergarten. (This might have been the toughest goal I achieved.)
• I had my one-year blogiversary and met some amazing online friends.
• I started reviewing over on YA Bound.

No Monday Mishmash today because it's exactly 3 months until the paperback release of Touch of Death, and that means I'm giving away an ARC!

Happy Monday! My mishmash will be short because I'm participating in Sheri Larsen's big giveaway to celebrate her signing on with Paula Munier of Talcott Notch Literary.

1. New schedule  I thought I'd have all the time in the world when my daughter started kindergarten, but I fill those 6 hours so quickly. I actually need more time.
2. Full cover of Stalked by Death  If you didn't see the picture I posted on FB, here the full cover with Jodi holding Medusa's locket. My editor had the locket made for the cover. How awesome is that?

Happy Monday! Along with my mishmash of thoughts, I received the Very Inspiring Blogger Award from Medeia Sharif. Thanks, Medeia! So here's a shortened mishmash and my blog award:

1. Stalked by Death cover reveal  The cover of Stalked by Death will be revealed this Friday! I'm really excited because it's soooooo gorgeous. Seriously, guys, it's amazing.
2. Kindergarten  Grrr. I'm not happy with my daughter's school at all. I have to go in tomorrow and find out why I haven't received any information (like the fact that I was supposed to send snack in everyday).
3. Free Monthly Newsletter  It's that time again. My newsletter goes out this evening. If you aren't signed up to receive it, you can do so here.
4. Very Inspiring Blogger Award Again, thank you, Medeia. She's an amazing writer and blogger, so if you don't already follow her, you should do that now.

1. I have an extra rib on the left side.
2. I've never dyed my hair... yet.
3. I'm extremely protective of my family.
4. I struggle with anemia.
5. My love of writing goes so far that I'd call it an addiction.
6. I love playing with Monster High dolls just as much as my daughter. ;)
7. Paranormal is my favorite genre. (I kind of think you all suspected that already.)