Camp NaNoWriMo or Bust!

April seems like another good month for a fast draft! Whether you're officially involved with NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo, I invite you to sign up for my short daily writing inspirations, delivered straight to your inbox through the month of April.

You can sign up here.

My apologies for anyone who was looking for some camaraderie through March Madness. This year has been a little crazy, and I wasn't able to get it in gear in time. But I hope you'll think about joining me through an April writing challenge.

Here's the link again to sign up!

If you're a reader and not so much a writer, I invite you to join my reading group over at DeniseJaden.com. Very soon I will be announcing a very special launch contest for my new Living Out Loud series, launching in April.

Until next time, happy reading and writing!

Check out this AWESOME #YA #Giveaway!

I'm part of this giveaway for $100 Amazon Gift Card (who couldn't use one of those?!) and a popular YA novel, Rebel of the Sands. Click on the picture below to take you to the contest!

#YA #Fantasy #Giveaway – Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card plus a copy of Rebel of the Sands!

Enter to win a copy of Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton AND a $100 Amazon gift card!

By submitting to this giveaway you condone to signing up for Megan Linski’s VIP List, The YA Fan Club mailing list, and the mailing lists of Arwen Paris, Danielle Burrows, Jo Ho, Katie Lynn French, Beth Hammond, Kristin D. Van Risseghem, Wendy Wilson, Elle Scott, Denise Jaden, and Daphne James Huff.

Britannia Beach Book Trailer!

I had a chance to read an early version of this series, and I absolutely love it! The first book is out July 1st, but here's a little teaser...

Summer Reading List for YA Contemporary Fans

Every time I walk into a library lately, I'm seeing summer reading lists and challenges posted. While I love these, one little thing that bugs me is that so many of them contain the same books--most often current bestsellers. I admit, bestsellers are bestsellers for a reason. They struck a chord with a large number of readers. But being a non-bestselling author myself, I'm going to offer up a reading list of a few lesser-known but wonderful young adult contemporary books, as those are the bulk of what I write and read. In no particular order... Fun rom-coms to thrilling thrillers and everything in between...

Kiss Kill Vanish by Jessica Martinez:

One moment, she was wrapped in Emilio’s arms, melting into his kiss. The next, she was witnessing the unthinkable: a murder in cold blood, ordered by her father and carried out by her boyfriend. When Emilio pulled the trigger, Valentina disappeared. She made a split-second decision to shed her identity and flee her life of privilege, leaving the glittering parties and sultry nightlife of Miami far behind.

She doesn’t know how to explain to herself what she saw. All she knows now is that nothing she believed about her family, her heart, or Emilio’s love, was real.

She can change her name and deny her past, but Valentina can’t run from the truth. The lines between right and wrong, and trust and betrayal, will be blurred beyond recognition as she untangles the deceptions of the two men she once loved and races to find her own truth. 


My Soon-To-Be Sex Life by Judith Tewes:

Charlie is down to her absolute. Total. Last. Resort.

Despite a thoroughly comprehensive list of potential cherry poppers, er…suitors, and careful plotting, Charlie is three weeks into her devirginization campaign, still untouched, and getting desperate. In the movie of her life, this aspiring screenwriter is giving herself a PG, for please, get some.

Her project goes into freeze frame when her mom checks herself into rehab and packs Charlie off to live with her estranged, or just plain strange, grandfather, Monty. How is she supposed to get a date when she has to go pick up his Depends?

Enter Eric, a hot rehab grad on the road to redemption, and the only one who can make Charlie rethink her strategy. The more she gets to know him, the more convinced she becomes that is the one, and not just another to add to the list of people who will abandon her.

In this hilarious and heartbreaking story of one girl’s detoured road to womanhood, Charlie’s list develops a life of its own – right when she realizes there’s so much more to lose. 

The Edge of Falling by Rebecca Serle:

Growing up in privileged, Manhattan social circles, Caggie’s life should be perfect, and it almost was until the day that her younger sister drowned when Caggie was supposed to be watching her. Stricken by grief, Caggie pulls away from her friends and family, only to have everyone misinterpret a crucial moment when she supposedly saves a fellow classmate from suicide. Now she’s famous for something she didn’t do and everyone lauds her as a hero. But inside she still blames herself for the death of her sister and continues to pull away from everything in her life, best friend and perfect boyfriend included. Then Caggie meets Astor, the new boy at school, about whom rumours are swirling and known facts are few. In Astor she finds someone who just might understand her pain, because he has an inner pain of his own. But the more Caggie pulls away from her former life to be with Astor, the more she realises that his pain might be darker, and deeper, than anything she’s ever felt. His pain might be enough to end his life…and Caggie’s as well. 

Alice in Wonderland High by Rachel Shane:

Sixteen-year-old Alice suppresses her need for rebellion after a petition to start a farmer’s market receives more snickers than signatures. That is until Whitney Lapin, a girl who speaks in cryptic riddles and spends her free time turning abandoned warehouses into beautiful gardens, leads her on a rabbit trail into the underground–aka secret society–of Wonderland High. Curiouser and curiouser.

Even though Whitney’s group of teenage environmental vigilantes operates on the wrong side of the law, Alice has never felt more free to be herself. Soon she stomps on her good girl image by completing a series of environmental pranks to impress them: flooding the school and disguising a pig as a baby in order to smuggle it out of a testing facility. But the group refuses to help with the farmer’s market or reveal their hidden agenda. She wants to trust them, and she especially wants to trust (or maybe kiss) Chester Katz, a boy with a killer smile, a penchant for disappearing, and a secret that will really turn Alice‘s world backwards. When one group member tries to frame Alice for all the pranks, she must figure out their secret before she ends up in front of a jury that’s screaming, “Off with her head!”


Anywhere but Here by Tanya Lloyd Kyi:

Cole’s small town is a trap he’s determined to escape in this fresh and moving debut novel that balances loss with humor.

Ever since his mom died, Cole just feels stuck. His dad acts like a stranger, and Lauren, his picture-perfect girlfriend of two years, doesn’t understand him anymore. He can’t ditch his dad, so Cole breaks up with Lauren. She doesn’t take the news very well, and Cole’s best friend won’t get off his case about it.

Now more than ever, Cole wants to graduate and leave his small, suffocating town. And everything is going according to plan—until Cole discovers the one secret that could keep him there…forever.

 Following Chelsea by Shari Green:
Walking in the footsteps of a dead girl isn't easy... 

After her social life flatlines, seventeen-year-old Anna Richards wants nothing more than to lie low at her new school. But it seems Anna looks an awful lot like Chelsea, the sweet and popular girl who recently died, and Anna finds herself stepping into the void created by Chelsea's absence. 

Anna is determined to make the awkward situation work in her favor, because Chelsea didn't just leave a spot open with the in-crowd; she also left a gorgeous—and now available—boyfriend. But it turns out that following Chelsea might be a lot more complicated than Anna expected.


#16thingsithoughtweretrue by Janet Gurtler:

Heart attacks happen to other people #thingsIthoughtweretrue

When Morgan's mom gets sick, it's hard not to panic. Without her mother, she would have no one—until she finds out the dad who walked out on her as a baby isn't as far away as she thought...

Adam is a stuck-up, uptight jerk #thingsIthoughtweretrue

Now that they have a summer job together, Morgan's getting to know the real Adam, and he's actually pretty sweet...in a nerdy-hot kind of way. He even offers to go with her to find her dad. Road trip, anyone?

5000 Twitter followers are all the friends I need #thingsIthoughtweretrue

With Adam in the back seat, a hyper chatterbox named Amy behind the wheel, and plenty of Cheetos to fuel their trip, Morgan feels ready for anything. She's not expecting a flat tire, a missed ferry, a fake girlfriend...and that these two people she barely knew before the summer started will become the people she can't imagine living without. 

Dangerous Girls by Abigail Haas:

It's Spring Break of senior year. Anna, her boyfriend Tate, her best friend Elise, and a few other close friends are off to a debaucherous trip to Aruba that promises to be the time of their lives. But when Elise is found brutally murdered, Anna finds herself trapped in a country not her own, fighting against vile and contemptuous accusations.

As Anna sets out to find her friend's killer; she discovers hard truths about her friendships, the slippery nature of truth, and the ache of young love.

As she awaits the judge's decree, it becomes clear that everyone around her thinks she is not just guilty, but dangerous. When the truth comes out, it is more shocking than one could ever imagine... 

This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales:


Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, This Song Will Save Your Life is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together. 


The Almost Truth by Eileen Cook:


Teen con artist Sadie might be over her head. To escape her backwards small town, delusional mom, jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised, she also must leave Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time, until her mother wipes out her savings.

Brendan helps devise ultimate con. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax, and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, she suddenly has more than just money to lose. 

OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu:


When Bea meets Beck, she knows instantly that he’s her kind of crazy. Sweet, strong, kinda-messed-up Beck understands her like no one else can. He makes her feel almost normal. He makes her feel like she could fall in love again.

But despite her feelings for Beck, Bea can’t stop thinking about someone else: a guy who is gorgeous and magnetic... and has no idea Bea even exists. But Bea knows a lot about him. She spends a lot of time watching him. She has a journal full of notes. Some might even say she’s obsessed.

Bea tells herself she’s got it all under control. But this isn’t a choice, it’s a compulsion. The truth is, she’s breaking down...and she might end up breaking her own heart. 

The Handler by D.R. Graham:


He promised he would never be an outlaw . . .

While searching for the member of an outlaw motorcycle gang who murdered his dad, Cain Allen is offered a boatload of cash to "handle" the stunning teen popstar Lincoln Todd. Although he doesn't need the headache of a high-maintenance celebrity, getting out of town will help him keep a low profile until he testifies against the other two killers.

Touring Europe with Lincoln proves to be more complicated than Cain anticipated, and despite his efforts, the line between their personal and professional lives blurs. She’s sweet, smart, and totally unpredictable. And he loves it.

But Lincoln’s association with Cain puts her in more danger than anyone could have imagined. When he joins forces with the Noir et Bleu Motorcycle Club to protect her, Cain discovers the lengths he's willing to go, and the person he's willing to become to protect the people he loves…


I tried to keep this list to 10, but it was impossible. (In fact, I'm going to post this quickly, so I'm not tempted to just keep adding and adding...)

I'd love to hear if you've read any of the above and what you've thought of them, and also, what's on your summer reading list?

My Crazy Life!

I just got back from a very last-minute whirlwind vacation. You see, my husband had to attend a seminar in LA, and we decided we could make it a road trip for the same price as his flight. So the three of us, plus my mom, hopped in the car and drove pretty much straight through from just outside Vancouver, Canada to LA.

We're not as young as we used to be. That's the first thing our aching backs and knees told us. But all in all, we did have a great time. We started with The Joker strapped to the front of our car...

When we were a lot younger, my husband and I made the same trip with a Barbie strapped to the front of our vehicle. When my son heard this little tidbit, he came up with this idea.

Both my son and I braved California Screamin', which is a huge feat for us, since neither of us are daredevils...

And I got to share my favorite ride, Space Mountain, with my husband and son, who both ended up loving it. (This was a great point of contention early in our marriage, actually, when my husband was terrorized by his first experience on this ride.)

We got home just in time for me to teach at a homeschool co-op I'm a part of, only to have to turn around that afternoon and head back to Seattle for my husband to judge a bodybuilding competition. Oh, and did I mention I have an anthology releasing this Friday...

And half an hour before we left for California, I spilled tea on my laptop and had to leave it at home in a box of rice! But it turned out that unplugging was a great thing for me. I feel tired, yes, but at the same time more relaxed and centered. I highly recommend unplugging from technology for a time (hopefully by choice and not by tea mishap!)

Anyway, this is just a quick post to let you know why I have been so absent as of late. My life has been a bit crazy, but I'm back and excited to share our Alice in Wonderland inspired anthology with you. Stay tuned for an awesome contest to celebrate its release!

MARCH MADNESS is Here! Day 1: Set Your Goals!

If you’ve been looking for a challenge to get your writing into gear, you’ve come to the right place! Through the month of March we will be cheering each other on to meet challenging goals with our writing, reading, blogging, or illustrating.

Basically, anyone who wants to challenge themselves regarding books and win prizes for it!

Today is goal-setting day! 

(But if you don't make it here on the first day, not to worry.
Feel free to add your writing goals here any time during the month of March).

March Madness officially begins today, March 1st, and this is how it works.

1. Set a goal here (anything writing, reading, blogging, or otherwise book related). It can be as small and simple of a goal as turning off your Internet while you write, or finishing reading a book you've been trying to get through during the month of March. Or it can be as large as writing or revising an entire book.

2. Check in daily through the month of March at our designated check-in points. Let us know how you're doing with your goal. Share your victories and struggles. Encourage others. The key is support and camaraderie.

3. We give you prizes just for stopping by and letting us know how you're doing, and for encouraging others!

Sounds easy and fun, right?! The following will be the check-in points for the month of March. Check in as often as you can, as we will be announcing prize winners throughout the month on all of the different blogs, but we're writing too, so we don't have time to chase around anyone who has won.

We plan to have check-in posts up and running by 9AM PST (noon EST) each day.
Mondays –  Check in with Kim Baccellia -  http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com/
Tuesdays – Check in with Shari Green – http://www.sharigreen.com
Wednesdays – Check in with Mary Ann Scott - http://thebrokentree.blogspot.com
Thursdays – Check in with Carol Garvin - http://careann.wordpress.com
Fridays –  Check in with Tonette – http://www.tonettedelaluna.com

Saturdays – Check in with Dawn Ius - http://www.dawnius.com/blog

Sundays –  Check in with Denise Jaden – http://denisejaden.blogspot.com

The prizes! We have some truly awesome prizes up for grabs this year! I'll start by giving away a prize to one person who comments below with their goals within the next 24 hours!

Here are the prizes that are up for grabs (these are in no particular order and have been donated by my generous co-hosts for this event!) I've added in brackets where we are able to mail each prize:

A critique of your first five pages - (courtesy of Denise’s agent Michelle Humphrey – INT’L)

A handmade bracelet - (courtesy of Mary Ann Scott – INT'L)

A surprise book on the craft of writing (courtesy of Dawn Ius – US/CAN)

An audiobook of Writing With a Heavy Heart  - (courtesy of Denise Jaden – INT’L)

A FULL Manuscript Critique! (courtesy of Tonette de la Luna - INT'L)

A Writing-on-the-go Writer’s Kit – (courtesy of Carol Garvin – US/CAN ONLY)

Book of Choice (to $20 Cdn) from Book Depository (courtesy of Shari Green - INT’L)

A swag pack from Anne and Henry and Falling For Alice - (notebook, charms, bookmarks – Courtesy of Dawn Ius – US/CAN)

A surprise box of YA Fiction - (courtesy of Denise Jaden – US only)

A package of fiction books, including KI, SPIRITED, and possibly an ANNE & HENRY ARC – (courtesy of Dawn Ius – US/CAN)

A beautiful Van Gogh Sunflowers Canvas Cuff Bracelet (courtesy of Kelly Calabrese - US Only)

Some popular high-demand advance copies of YA fiction – Choose one or two from the following selection (courtesy of Kim Baccelia – US/CAN)

Isn't that quite the ARSENAL of prizes?! Wow, thank you to all of our awesome hosts!!

(Also, check back, because in the past I have had March Madness participants so eager about their progress  or about the great camaraderie that they have offered additional prizes during the month!)

Why do we do this, you may ask. Well, I can only answer for myself. First of all, people who set tangible goals and stay accountable with them are as much as 90% more likely to achieve those goals. And I REALLY want to achieve my goals this March. Secondly, I love the camaraderie. This business makes writers feel lonely enough, so any chance I have to feel like I'm not in all of this alone, I'll take it! I love NaNoWriMo each year, but this group is a little more personal. We get to know each other and care about how we're doing on our projects and in our lives. And if one check-in a day is not enough camaraderie for you, we also hang out on Twitter under the hashtag #WIPMadness, so please join in on the conversations there as well.

As for this year's goals, I'd like to draft a book that I outlined over a year ago. I haven't even looked back at this outline for months, so I'm still unsure of how it will hold up, but I'm jumping in with both feet anyway! 

How about you? What are your goals for this March? Have you done this challenge with us before, and if so, how has it worked out for you? I'd love to hear!

Don't forget to leave your goal(s) in the comments below, and head on over to check in with Kim Baccellia -  http://kimbacceliasweblogfantasy.blogspot.com/  tomorrow! Remember, the more you check-in and encourage others, the better chance you have of winning some of the above awesome prizes! And if you set your goal within the next twenty-four hours in the comments below, you have a good chance at winning one right away!

ONWARD, Fearless Writers!

Out Today: Remember by Eileen Cook!

Eileen is thrilled to announce that her book REMEMBER hits shelves February 24, 2015.


About the Book: A thrilling tale about what a girl will do to get back a memory she lost…or remove what she wants to forget. Harper is used to her family being hounded by protestors. Her father runs the company that trademarked the “Memtex” procedure to wipe away sad memories, and plenty of people think it shouldn’t be legal. Then a new demonstrator crosses her path, Neil, who’s as persistent as he is hot. Not that Harper’s noticing, since she already has a boyfriend. When Harper suffers a loss, she’s shocked her father won’t allow her to get the treatment, so she finds a way to get it without his approval. Soon afterward, she’s plagued with strange symptoms, including hallucinations of a woman who is somehow both a stranger, yet incredibly familiar. Harper begins to wonder if she is delusional, or if these are somehow memories. Together with Neil, who insists he has his own reasons for needing answers about the real dangers of Memtex, Harper begins her search for the truth. What she finds could uproot all she’s ever believed about her life…

 “Compelling combination of twisty mystery and realistic romance." (Cat Patrick, author of FORGOTTEN and JUST LIKE FATE)

Interview with Eileen:
Where did the idea for Remember come from?
 I’d read an article about some scientific experiments being done with memory. The scientists were looking for a way to reduce the difficulty war veterans have with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It occurred to me if people could get rid of very traumatic memories, there would also be a market for people who wanted to get rid of all sorts of memories. I began to wonder what types of things might go wrong once you begin messing around with someone’s memory. It can be relatively easy to confuse what is a real memory from what someone might tell you happened. What if something you were sure was true, suddenly seemed to be uncertain, possibly a lie? Once all these questions were swirling around in my head I knew I had a book- all I had to do is write it!

If the Memtex procedure existed is there any memory you would like to forget?
I think everyone has some memories they would like to forget, but even the difficult ones have shaped who I am so I’d have to hang on to them.

Tell us a behind the scenes story about writing the book.
I decided that I wanted the main character to ride horses competitively- a subject I know nothing about. I was lucky enough to have two close friends who grew up riding and were able to share all sorts of details and were willing to read early drafts to make sure I had things correct. Now I know more about saddles than I ever expected.

What are you working on now?
It’s a thriller that involves Italy, a possible murder and two best friends who may be enemies. There’s nothing better than writing a book that includes a research trip to Rome, Venice and Tuscany. I ate my weight in pasta, took thousands of pictures and wrote pages and pages of notes.

Link to contest info: http://www.eileencook.com/blog/?p=4590 

Heartbreakers Blog Tour!

From quality self-published and small presses to traditional publishers, debut novels to bestsellers, we’re offering access to amazing contemporary young adult and new adult fiction authors. This February, fourteen writers will embark on a heart-stopping blog tour that will hook readers up with great reads and cool SWAG.

Grand Prize GIVEAWAY: one lucky winner will receive a free Kindle, as well as a $20 Amazon gift card. That's a ton of heartbreaking reads... ;)

Who can resist a heartbreaker?

2015 TOUR ROSTER

Participating Authors: 

Eileen Cook: Remember (Simon Pulse, 2015)

D.G. Driver: Passing Notes (Fire and Ice, 2015)

Laurie J. Edwards: writing as Erin Johnson. Grace and the Guiltless: Wanted Series (Curious Fox, 2014)

Janet Gurtler: The Truth About Us (Sourcebooks Fire, 2015)
Sara Hantz: Will The Real Abi Saunders Please Stand Up (Entangled Teen, 2014)
Brenda Hiatt: Starfall (Dolphin Star Press, 2015)
Denise Jaden: Foreign Exchange (Evernight Teen, 2014)
Jen McConnel: Her Secret Inheritance (Bloomsbury Spark, 2014)
Judith Tewes: My Soon to be Sex Life (Bloomsbury Spark, 2014)
Ashley Poston: The Sound of Us (Bloomsbury Spark, 2014)
Dawn Ius: Anne and Henry (Simon Pulse, 2015)
Shari Green: Following Chelsea (Evernight Teen, 2014)
Vanessa Barneveld: This is Your Afterlife (Bloomsbury Spark, 2014)
LS Murphy: Reaper (J Taylor Publishing, 2013), Pixelated (Bloomsbury Spark, 2015)

Participating Bloggers:

Reading is My Treasure
YA Yeah! Yeah!
A Glass of Wine (Where I'm featured on Monday!)
Little Library Muse
Jennzah.dot.net (Where I'm featured on Wednesday!)
Tales of Yesterday
The Reader Bee (Where I'm featured on Tuesday!)
Words of Mystery

THE GIVEAWAY!

Click Here to be taken to the awesome Rafflecopter Giveaway, and enter to win a Kindle AND a $20 Gift Card!