My Trip to ALA11!!

Yes, that title is correct. This year I ventured out to my very first book convention, held in the historical and beautiful (though a bit smelly) New Orleans. The American Library Association (ALA) convention was actually several days long, but being the outsider that I am I had no clue it was happening until my friend @GReadsBooks mentioned it on Twitter.

Well, I went to researching, and discovered that it was being held just two short days away and only a couple hours drive from my house...I simply had to go, right? Yeah, I thought so too. So after some convincing from more Twitter friends (thanks @MandieBaxter and @cariblogs), I conned a coworker into making the trip with me, and at 6am on Saturday morning we were off!

The drive over was pretty quick. Google maps said 3 hours 12 minutes, but we actually made it in less than three, pulling up to the convention center just before 9am. We whipped into the parking lot and were only feet away from the entrance: SCORE! Or, so we thought.

Turns out that the convention center is GINORMOUS, and the ALA portion was in the very other end. So yeah, we had us some walking to do.

But just being inside the building and seeing all those other book lovers with bright red ALA bags hanging from their shoulders was exhilarating. It was like I had stepped out of the real world and into a place where everyone was like me. Awesome comes closest to describing it.

So when we finally made it down to where the convention was being held and purchased our Exhibit passes, we stepped through the double doors and into controlled chaos. Here is just a very tiny shot of one end of the massive hall:

If you turn in the other direction, it's about 10 times longer than that. Crazy, I tell you. Just crazy.

We had planned ahead as to which authors we wanted to meet, so right away we hopped into the line for Ilsa J. Bick, author of Ashes (which I'm reading right now and is awesome). She was super nice and conversated with each of us. She signed my book, but I don't have a pic to show you because I was too nervous to ask for one (hey, it was my first author signing...go easy on me!). But after that first foray, I was pumped for more!

We weren't there half an hour when someone said my name. I turned in shock and saw @cariblogs staring back at me! It was so great that she remembered my face and said hi. So we hung out with her, @StephPellegrin and @SW_Messenger for a while as we stood in line for THE Ellen Hopkins.

The line moved rather quickly, and soon we were mere feet from her. I purchased a copy of Crank (for only $10!) and was given a free copy of her two newest books, Perfect and Triangles. Before I knew it, it was my turn to meet the author...and yes, I was again nervous. Though this time, my friend Marj forced me to ask for a photo. Which I did. And which Ms. Hopkins was gracious enough to oblige:

This is her actually signing my books!

See how nice she was? (ignore the scary

looking man in the photo. Focus on Ms. Hopkins)

Well after that, I was ready to pull out all the stops. Marj and I separated from the Twitter bloggers (thanks ladies!) and set out to see all there was to see. And boy was there a lot. Books on top of books on top of books. It was amazing. And the best part? Most of them were being given out for FREE! How crazy is that?

Admittedly I didn't ask for many (I came away with 20 books, 3 of which I purchased), but it was cool just to be able to walk up to a booth and say "hey, do you have a copy of X?" and have it handed to you...awesome!

We also got to see THE Cassandra Clare, though the line for her to sign was SUPER LONG, so I snuck around to the front and snapped a quick photo:

Look...she smiled for me!!

We also got to meet Collen Houck, author of the Tiger's Curse series. She was so very nice and, when asked if I could take a photo with her, said "Sure!" and pulled me over!

Not sure why we seem to be looking in

opposite directions...hmm

We also met a couple of more authors (Leanna Renee Heiber, author of Darker Still, was awesome and hilarious and I could've listened to her all day) but didn't ask for photos for some reason. Oh well, I have the memories I suppose.

We had lunch at The Riverwalk and spent the afternoon flipping through hundreds of thousands of books before leaving. We made a quick pit stop by The French Quarter for beignets before making the drive home--which seemed to take much longer than it did going!

All in all, it was an amazing trip that I wished would have been far longer (like, days longer). I can't wait until the next convention, where I plan to stock up on photos and books!

Waiting on Wednesday: EVE

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week, I'm going dystopian again. And this one sounds so promising...but you don't have to take my word for it. Check it out and see for yourself.



EVE
By Anna Carey
Pub date 10/04/2011

product description from goodreads .com

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.


Doesn't that sound amazing? And that cover? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

And then they were running, the crowd boiling around, pushing her back and forth in a tug-of-war. Hands tore at her clothes, tangled in her hair.

~pg. 279, Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

It's Twilight Time!

Thanks to the amazing G over at GReads! (and a few of her awesome friends), I get to re-visit the book that got me off my tush and into writing: Twilight.

That's right, starting today GReads! is hosting a Twilight Re-Read Along, and you guys are more than welcome to join in! I've listed below the 5 questions posed by Ginger for us to contemplate while re-reading the first 5 chapters, but for all the details on this event, please go visit her website here.

And I do hope you'll all join in the fun and take a trip back to that tiny, rainy town filled with vampires!

Questions to Ponder:

1. Have you ever had to start over in a new place, like Bella did in Forks? This new place could be a school, job, or town... just something with a new setting. How easy or difficult was this for you?

2. Do you picture the actors from the movie as the characters in the book while you are reading?

3. What are your first thoughts on meeting Edward in Bella’s Biology class? At first he was annoyed by her presence, but then after a week away he returns & finds him self very interested in her. Do you think this helped or hindered the storyline?

4. Out of the secondary characters Bella meets at school, who is your favorite and why? (I am referring to the humans, not the vampires in this question)

5. There is a lot of dialogue between Edward and Bella in these first few chapters that I feel played a major role in developing their relationship. What are some of your favorite quotes? or moments?

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

Summer Love:

Where's your ideal place

to take a summer vacation

and get lost in a book?

I must give G some credit...she comes up with some great questions, right? So, where is my fave place to get lost in a book? Well that's an easy one...in a book! haha!

Nah, just foolin'. But honestly, there's no "special place" that I prefer when reading (except maybe my bed!). If I had to give an actual place, I would have to say the beach.

actual shot of Pensacola Beach, Florida

Even though I don't much care for it, the beach is a great place to escape life. I'm fortunate to live only a few minutes from the beach, and even though there are spots down here where the hordes of people frequent,

Another shot of Pcola Beach...busy, but not even peak season!

there are also tiny little spots of tranquil seclusion.

Also Pcola Beach. Doesn't that just call to you?

So finding a quiet place to plop a chair and umbrella and crack open a book is pretty easy. An expert blend of crashing waves, warmth, breeze, and shade...yeah, I could get lost in a book there. Or take a really great nap, whichever comes first!

And being on the beach during a sunset? Fuhgeddaboutit!

Pcola Beach at Sunset...beautiful.

What about you guys? Anyone else like falling into the pages of a great book while enjoying a beach view?

Just an FYI

Hey all, I don't really have a post set up for today, so I thought I'd let those of you interested know that my publisher, Pendrell Publishing, is now accepting requests for ARCs of my book, Blood Born.

Yes!

So, if you'd like one, please visit their website for information (they're also taking requests for Indelible and Eternal Starling, too).

And just in case you were wondering, my publisher is reading through the initial revisions I made, so I'm eagerly awaiting word on those so I can get back into editing. Then my plan is to get to work on Book 2!

Waiting on Wednesday: Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I've done something new to me: I've chosen the second book in a series that I haven't even read yet. Yeah, weird, I know. But yesterday I came across Book 1 in this series and immediately ordered it, so when it gets here I'll be tearing into it like a madman. And naturally I'm gonna want the second one! If you've never heard of this series before, I urge you to go check it out, read the first book, and get ready for...



Alex Van Helsing: Voice of the Undead
By Jason Henderson

product description from goodreads.com

Now that Alex is in the know about the deadly vampires that live—and hunt—clustered around his boarding school, everything is different. Putting his talents to use, Alex is training with the Polidorium to become a vampire hunter, just like his Van Helsing ancestors. Sure, he’s only fourteen, but c’mon, this runs in his blood.

Meanwhile, Alex’s arch-nemesis Elle, a vampire whose youthful appearance and blond hair disguise a vengeful rage, is out to get him before a powerful leader called “Ultravox” arrives on the scene. Ultravox specializes in assassinations, but who is he targeting? Dodging Elle’s attacks, Alex is on a mission to uncover Ultravox’s deadly plan before his friends and his school become collateral damage. There’s no time to report back; innocent lives hang in the balance, and it’s up to Alex to act now—or else.


Doesn't that sound so cool? I'm a vampire nerd, so I'm eager to read this one...come on July26th! 26th!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I cut my arm deeper, letting my blood mingle with Olathe's, slowly gaining control. She shuddered, her heels kicking the floor.

~ pg. 165, Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Monday Must Reads!...Spellbound!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads!This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

This week I've chosen a soon-to-be-released book, an exciting YA paranormal that I know is going to be a huge hit. Please, run to your goodreads TBR lists and add

Spellbound

By Cara Lynn Shultz

product description from goodreads.com

What's a girl to do when meeting The One means she's cursed to die a horrible death?

Life hasn't been easy on sixteen-year-old Emma Conner, so a new start in New York may be just the change she needs. But the posh Upper East Side prep school she has to attend? Not so much. Friendly faces are few and far between, except for one that she's irresistibly drawn to—Brendan Salinger, the guy with the rock-star good looks and the richest kid in school, who might just be her very own white knight.

But even when Brendan inexplicably turns cold, Emma can't stop staring. Ever since she laid eyes on him, strange things have been happening. Streetlamps go out wherever she walks, and Emma's been having the oddest dreams: visions of herself in past lives—visions that warn her to stay away from Brendan. Or else.

Sounds good, huh? I was fortunate enough to take part in the ARC tour for this one, so I've read it already. Trust me, you're gonna love it! And be sure to stop by next week when I host a Facebook/Gmail chat with the male lead from Spellbound, Brendan Salinger (and there may be a giveaway involved)!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

And I Quote:

What are some

of your favorite

book quotes?

As always, an excellent question. And one that isn't easy for me. As a reader, of course I have quotes that I love--pretty much from every book I read. But I don't write them down or lock them in my memory for later. I know, I'm a terrible person. But I'm gonna try to come up with some of my favorites for my friend G, so that makes up for it, right?

I'll start with one from the book that made me want to write. Enjoy:

"Your number was up the first time I met you." -Stephenie Meyer, Twilight



Here's a good one from a super-excellent series. If you haven't read it, you should:

"For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." -Jeri Smith-Ready, Shade






And lastly, one from my favorite book of all time. This masterpiece has several, but I like the simplistic depth of this one best:

"I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks." -Harper Lee, To Kill A Mockingbird

Giveaway Winners!!

First off, a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who Tweeted and Re-tweeted about my giveaway...you guys are the best!

Just a quick reminder of what the "rules" for this giveaway were: Be a follower (of the blog or Twitter) and Tweet/comment...that was it! And since some people told me that they didn't use Twitter (and some that don't use blogger but tweeted about the giveaway anyway), I made a tiny change. If you tweeted about the giveaway or commented on this post, you were in! That way, you don't have to feel bad about not having Twitter (or Blogger). Sound good?

And now, here are the winners of my Follower Appreciation Giveaway

1st place
$20 GC to Online Bookstore
@_POPE_!!


2nd place
$15 to Online Bookstore
Tracy H!!



3rd place
$10 to Online Bookstore
@ReadingWifeJac!!

CONGRATS to all the winners!! I'll get an email out to each of you soon! I so wish everyone could win, but alas...I have bills to pay! But please, stick around the old blog here, because I LOVE hosting giveaways!!

Waiting on Wednesday: Midnight Sun!

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

This week I've chosen a book that millions are waiting for...and one that most likely none of us will ever see. Confused yet? My WoW this week is...




Midnight Sun
By Stephenie Meyer
Pub Date UNKNOWN

product description from goodreads.com


Midnight Sun is the much anticipated retelling of Twilight from Edward Cullen's perspective. An unedited partial draft was illegally leaked onto the internet in 2008; consequently, author Stephenie Meyer put the project on indefinite hold.
Shortly afterward, she posted a letter to her fans on her website including a link to the entire partial draft of the book so that those who wanted to read it could do so legally and with her consent; see URL for more information:

http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/midnightsu...



I know I'm not alone in my plea to Stephenie to please finish writing this book so we all can have one last foray into the world of Twilight!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"Uh-huh." I pulled him to kiss me again. He rolled half atop me, crushing my right thigh. I curled my other leg around his to bring our bodies together.

~pg. 223, Shift by Jeri Smith-Ready

Monday Must Reads!...Shade!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads!This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

This week's selection is a definite Must Read. If you've never read this book, stop what you're doing and rush to the nearest bookstore/library/ebook loading site and get a copy RIGHT NOW. Yes, that's how great it is.

Shade

By Jeri Smith-ready

product description from goodreads.com

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart.

Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.

Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.

Well, sort of.

Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan's violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.

It doesn't help that Aura's new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.

As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart...and clues to the secret of the Shift.

I'm not going to post a review for fear of revealing things about this book. I'm just going to say that you Must Read Shade...now!

TGIF over at GReads!

The awesomeness that is Ginger (or G, as I like to call her) over at GReads! has created a great meme that is tons of fun. Each Friday, she poses a question for anyone to answer. Go check her out and join in!

This Friday's Question:

YA Saves:

How do you feel about

the "dark" books filling our

YA shelves today?

Such a great question, G! I am and always have been a firm believer in Freedom of Speech. If you feel passionately about something, by all means speak up and tell us about it. As long as what you say (or write) doesn't physically harm yourself or others--that's a bit too far I believe!

And as far as YA books go, every person above the age of twenty years old was once a teenager (if not, then please, disregard this post!). And every person is well aware of the troubles and peer pressure and stress that goes with being a teen, yes? Right. So, picking up a book that explores the world of said troubles and peer pressure and stress--in my opinion--is perfectly normal. Teens deal with sex and sexuality, drug use (or being involved with drugs whether directly or indirectly), teen suicide, rape, the list goes on and on and on (please see Ellen Hopkins...she's a genius when it comes to this "dark" area). So why not be a voice--or an outlet--for those teens to possibly discover a way out of that darkness? Why not put a book on the shelf that could perhaps save a teen's life because the main character in said book survived the unthinkable--so the teen reading it believes that he/she will, too?

In the words of Martha Stewart, It's A Good Thing.

It's Giveaway Time, Baby!

That's right, it's time for another giveaway. Why? Because you guys are awesome. A few days ago (okay, a week) I sent out a simple little tweet saying I was this close (imagine my fingers really close together) to having 400 blog followers and 1,000 Twitter followers. Well, you guys re-tweeted and re-tweeted and before I knew it I passed the mark! YAY!!

So, as promised, I'm hosting a giveaway. As a HUGE thank-you for your loyal support!

But what's the prize?

Well, how about some money? (I always love giving that away!)

Yes, I'm doing what works best...giving away cash!! All you have to do is make a comment on this post with a link to where you tweeted about this contest and you're in! You can tweet as many times as you like, but only one will count as your entry! AND IT'S INTERNATIONAL!! Your comment can be anything from "Thanks for the giveaway!" to "You're the best in the land!"...just make sure you include a link to your tweet about my giveaway and you're all set! Easy, peasy, right? Yeah, I thought so too.

And of course, you MUST be a follower of either my blog or Twitter, because this is a follower giveaway, after all! Make sure you leave a comment between now and next Wednesday June 15th by Noon, CST. Then on Thursday the 16th, I'll announce the winner! Oh, and the prizes are...


1st place will get a $20 gift card to their online bookstore of choice!

2nd place will get a $15 gift card to their online bookstore of choice!

3rd place will get a $10 gift card to their online bookstore of choice!



How great is that! So get busy tweeting and commenting, and good luck to you all!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

The lovely Jill (a fellow Alabamian!) over at Breaking the Spine created the Waiting on Wednesday meme for us bloggers to showcase books we're waiting on.

I love the premise behind this week's selection. It sounds so cool and mysterious...and that cover is awesome! So please, go check out my WoW pick...



The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer
By Michelle Hodkin
Pub Date 9/27/2011

product description from goodreads.com

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.

Love that description...sweet and to the point. Can't wait to pick this one up!

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!(make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I let myself fall into the abyss of the kiss, let it swallow all thoughts of the past and future. I heard nothing but the rush of blood in my ears, felt nothing but the warmth of Zachary's mouth, and in the total darkness I saw nothing but the images in my mind.

~pg. 210, Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

Monday Must Reads!...Intrinsical!!

Okay so if you happen to follow me here at writers write, right?, then you may have noticed that there is no Meet an Author Monday post today. That's because I neglected to contact an author last week to set up an interview for today. My apologies.

Now, I foresee this happening more in the future, so to offset my lack of organization I've come up with a replacement for those missed Mondays. Please say hello to Monday Must Reads!This little meme has been created for the sole purpose of showcasing books that I think you, well, Must Read (hence the title).

This week's must-read is from a friend of mine, so I'm pulling double duty by showcasing a book I think you would all like and helping a friend promote her work (yay me!). If you haven't already, please pick up a copy of

Intrinsical

By Lani Woodland

product description from goodreads.com

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

I'm not going to post a review for fear of revealing things about this book. I'm just going to say that you Must Read Intrinsical...now!