Introducing LUCKY ME by Cindy Callaghan!

I wanted to wish a happy release day to my friend and fellow writer Cindy Callaghan's.  Her newest tween book LUCKY ME is now available everywhere.  It already got a stellar early review from School Library Journal.

You can check out all the cool 411 from Cindy Callaghan on her website  www.cindycallaghan.com.


From School Library Journal
Gr 4–8—Middle-schooler Meghan McGlinchey, third daughter in a large, Irish-American family is extremely superstitious. Upon receiving a chain letter in the mail from an Irish relative, she plans to respond quickly so as not to break the chain. In the interest of getting the letter's promised good luck to begin for her even faster, Meghan emails it to the next recipients rather than the mandated way. After a day filled with one calamity after another, she realizes the error of her ways and, with the help of her friend Carissa, she discovers a way to neutralize her bad luck. A family trip to Ireland ensues, complete with a stay at a genuine, if decaying, castle, plenty of unlucky mishaps, and a host of adventures populated with quirky characters. By novel's end, Meghan is able to see that events first thought of as unlucky may have had a silver lining after all. This humorous novel has elements of mystery, sibling drama, Irish history and geography, and a bit of light tween romance. Readers will want to stick around to see if Meghan's luck takes a turn for the better.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY

Guest Post on a New Writing Program by Cindy Callaghan

Since I've been thinking a lot about writing instruction books with my new one coming out next week, I've invited Cindy Callaghan, author of Just Add Magic, to stop by and tell me about a new writing program she's been putting together. Take it away, Cindy!

 

Do you have an idea for a book, but you don’t know how to start? 

Check out Your Words on Paper^TM, new interactive on-line writing program for beginners.

Thanks for the invite to guest blog on your site.  I’m excited to tell everyone about my new on-line program Your Words on Paper^TM.  They might be wondering why I created this program.  Well, I was the type to read with my kids and think, “I can do this.”  Soon it became, “I want to do this.”  Write, that is. 

Maybe you know the feeling…a tingling sensation of what could be when someone mentions writing a book? Or maybe a pang of melancholy? You have a great idea for a book…it’s just waiting to burst out of you, right? You feel compelled to write it, but…you don’t. Maybe you’ve drafted a paragraph or even a chapter, but most of your words are still locked inside, gathering dust, or worse, buried under mounds of cobwebs in your head. I understand. That was me. With three young children, a husband, pets, a full-time career, and little writing experience, how could I take on a project so huge? And learning the ins-and-outs of publishing? No way!

Fast forward several years, after studying lots of writing books, taking classes, attending conferences and workshops, I have a book on the market, one on the way, and several more in the works. 

People ask me all the time: “How’d you do it?” or they say, “I wish I could write, but I just don’t have the talent or the time.” So, I created the Your Words on Paper^TM interactive online workshop to help you get rid of the cobwebs and get to writing. I learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes, before getting published.  The YWOP^TM program is my writing process that I personally walk people through in a fun, easy-to-follow step-by-step system that helps them jump you over the learning curve.

My goal is to help people get their awesome idea onto paper so they can achieve the results they want.

I hope your readers will join me for the YWOP^TM program.  They can register at www.cindycallaghan.com/writers.

All you need is a little ‘can do’ attitude and a computer (or a pen and paper or typewriter, if you still do things the hard way.)  Go to www.cindycallaghan/writers.com to get for more information about the program.  

Denise, people who read your blog, can get a 25% discount if they use the discount code “Writer.”  

Teen Author Tuesday Presents Cindy Callaghan and Just Add Magic Giveaway!

Read to the bottom to find out how you can win a copy of Cindy Callaghan's JUST ADD MAGIC!

Today I get the pleasure of welcoming another fellow Tenner, Cindy Callaghan! Cindy's debut novel, JUST ADD MAGIC was just released on October 10th from Simon & Schuster’s Aladdin Mix. It's middle-grade fiction, for ages 8-13.

Welcome, Cindy. Can you tell me about your book in seven words or less.

Cookbooks, annoying little brothers, mean girls, good friends, magic!, soccer, chili, recipes, cute boys…Sorry, eight words, but I couldn’t leave out the cute boys.

Sounds great! Other than your main character, who's a favorite character of yours in your debut novel and why?

Darbie is a wonderful secondary character who upon first-glimpse is the most immature of her gang because she is mis-matched, clumsy, hungry, ignorant to boys, and just plain silly. But, the more I got to know her and the more I think about her, I actually think she is the most self-confident. She doesn’t have to put on “shows” for anyone. She just likes being herself!

Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?

I could talk about myself all day…I won’t, but I’m just saying. First I am a mom. Being with my kids is and the most important thing to me. Luckily they like my writing, so it’s a great second-job (I say “second” job because I have a regular corporate job too) because they can be involved in it, and they really enjoy it. I am also the busiest person in the world. I have to be extremely well-organized and multi-task a lot to get everything done. And because I am so frantically busy most of the time, I am also the sleepiest person you’ll ever meet. I can sleep anywhere, anytime. 

What's been the most surprising thing about your path to publication so far?

How much everyone cares about it. I’m touched by how interested people are in by writing and publication. People have so many questions and they’re so excited. Everyone is willing to help from friends delivering bookmarks to another jazzing up my school presentation for me. 

What's one piece of writing advice you would give to aspiring authors?

On this I quote the great Greco-Roman philosopher, Nike. JUST DO IT!

Are you swept up with promotion for your debut book right now or can you give us a sentence or two about something new you're working on?

Promotion has been huge, you’re right. But, I am excited about my newest project: THE HAUNTING OF SYDNEY MCKENZIE. Like JUST ADD MAGIC, it’s a middle-grade fiction. In seven words, it’s California-Delaware, spooky, hot-chocolate, ghosts, not-fitting-in, Ouija-boards, and cute boys. I’d love to say more, but I don’t want to jinx anything. 

Gotta have them cute boys! It sounds great, Cindy. What did you write when you were a teen? Did you journal? Write poetry? Write overly literary or emotional stories? Or avoid writing altogether?

All of the above.

What's the last book you read that you really loved?
I loved Lindsay Leavitt’s Princess For Hire.

If readers want to find out more about you and your writing, where should they look?

My website: www.cindycallaghan.com

Thanks so much for visiting today, Cindy, and all the very best with your debut novel!

And for my readers, since I'm so enamored by Cindy's abundance of cute boys in her novels, let's do this... if you'd like to win a copy of JUST ADD MAGIC tell me the name and book of one swoon-worthy cute fictional boy. Open to U.S. and Canada only, ages 13 and older.

Good luck!