YA Indie Carnival

27.1.12

I'm afraid I'm a bad carni this week (Bad Carni, Bad... I'm slapping my hands!). For personal reasons I haven't been able to write this week's Ya Indie Carnival post, which should have been an interview with a villain, but I still want you to head on over to all my wonderful Carni pals and check out their amazing posts:

Click here for more Indie News:


Check out my fellow Carnis:
1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self

YA Indie Carnival: What reading teaches me as a writer

20.1.12

I think reading is crucial for anyone wanting to write for a living. We can all learn from other writers. For example, I know I've mentioned it before, but last year I had a fellow author read my first book, Raven. She picked up a few things that could do with improving and also made a few suggestions as to how I could make the story better as a whole. I made notes and made some alterations.
And then, a few months later, she asked me to return the favour and so I read her book. I have to say I was totally blown away. Suddenly, all those things she had talked about seemed to make perfect sense. I could see exactly what she had been trying to tell me (sometimes it's difficult to put these things into words). I felt like I'd had the perfect English Literature lesson. It wouldn't have made as much sense to me if I'd not read her book and seen where I was going wrong and where she was going so right. Her writing is simply amazing, her descriptive passages awe inspiring and her imagination wonderful. But then I believe that all us writers have wonderful imaginations. We wouldn't be writers if not.
Over the past few months I've read quite a lot of books, mainly ebooks by self published authors and I do believe that I've learned so much from each and every one of them. It has also strengthened my belief in myself as a writer and that is incredibly important.
Oh, and if you're wondering, the name of that author is Michelle Isenhoff and the book, The Quill Pen.

Click here for more Indie News:


Check out my fellow Carnis:
1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self

Unfurl Blog Tour with Cidney Swanson

17.1.12



Five Q&A’s with The Ripple's Samantha Ruiz

Sam, what one place in the world would you most like to visit and why?
One? Seriously? Just one? Umm, okay. If I could only pick one I think it would be London. For one thing, I could read all the signs and talk to everyone. Also, I think it would be really cool to get British copies of the Harry Potter books. And I want to eat a scone with some tea and figure out what the heck a crumpet is. I don’t know if I want to eat one, though, until I find out what it is. I would like to visit whatever kind of memorial there is to Diana, Princess of Wales. Her sons lost her close to when I lost my mom.

What’s your favorite place you’ve been so far in your life? Is it in France?
Well, the castle of Chenonceau was pretty magical, but there’s actually something higher on my list of beautiful places. Yosemite National Park. If you ever get the chance to go there, run-don’t-walk!!! I visited Yosemite about a bazillion times when I was little, but it never ceased to amaze me how majestic that place is. If you can only see one part of Yosemite, it should be the valley. But if you get a chance, be sure to drive up both sides of it. (Crane Flat to Tenaya Lake to the top of Yosemite Falls on one side/Chinquapin to Glacier Point with a stop at Washburn Point on the other side.) And hike a trail or two.

Why is Will Baker perfect for you?
I’m blushing. Seriously. Umm, well, he just is. He’s gorgeous, at least to me. His eyes are this dark brown that I could seriously drown in. Also, he kind of gets the whole thing about my mom and how losing her changed everything and how time passes but you don’t ever really, truly get past that loss. In some ways. Also, he’s a great running partner!

What’s one thing you Know For Sure?
Oh, good one. Okay, here goes. If you are a loner or even a lonely person, it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you and it needs to be fixed. I mean, maybe you do need to find someone to talk to like a teacher or librarian or your coach (someone you trust), but you shouldn’t feel like being alone makes you wrong or says anything about you. Also, middle school sucks. But you will get past it into better stuff. Actually, high school can kind of suck too. But if I got through middle school, hey, I can get through this too!

What’s one more thing you Know For Sure?
Love is more powerful than hatred. Kindness is stronger than cruelty. I know it doesn’t always look like those things are true, but I know this. For Sure.

Cidney Swanson is the author of The Ripple Series, of which Samantha Ruiz is the main character. If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a Kindle set of the trilogy, please enter below...
For more information about Cidney and her books, visit:
http://cidneyswanson.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/cidneyswanson
http://twitter.com/#!/cidneyswanson
http://www.amazon.com/Cidney-Swanson/e/B005344OTQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/cidney-swanson?keyword=cidney+swanson&store=allproducts
http://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=cidney+swanson
http://www.goodreads.com/search?query=cidney+swanson
http://www.librarything.com/author/swansoncidney


I did it! I got it chopped off!

16.1.12

It was the big day on Friday 13th, and I had my hair chopped off for charity! Yep, it's all gone... and it feels so weird!  Washing it feels even weirder... I hardly need any shampoo and it dries super fast... FAB (I always hated having to blow dry my hair in the winter).
My husband won't leave me alone ;) .... I think he feels like he has a new wife. But that's enough of that! Can you tell that I love it?! lol
I raised over 600 euros in the process, which is totally awesome. The money was raised in aid of Make a Wish Foundation which grants the wishes of seriously ill children all over the world. Plus, the hair that was chopped off is on its way to The Little Princess Trust in England, which makes wigs for children who are very ill and have lost their hair. For more information about both charities, visit Make a Wish and Little Princess Trust.
So, what do you think?
BEFORE

PREPARING FOR THE CHOP

THE FIRST CUT...

TAH DAH..... my new cut!

YA Indie Carnival: Book(s) I'm grateful for

13.1.12

It's another new year (where is the time going??) and more exciting times for us Indie Authors. I just love being a writer and one of the things I particularly love is being a part of the YA Indie Carnival, where I have gotten to meet some truly awesome fellow indies. But enough of that... like I said, its a new year and we've got some fab new subjects to write about.
Today we're talking about the books we're grateful for. Well, I'm grateful for ALL books to be honest, but that would make for a rather long post so I have to choose just one that has helped me along the way.
Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale is one which had a powerful effect on me when I first read it during college while I was studying for my A Levels. After reading so many classics like Pride & Prejudice and Jane Eyre, it was a breath of fresh air to read something modern, for a start. But the whole premise of the book just shook me, you know? It strengthened my fondness for Dystopian reads, but it also inspired me.
If you haven't read this book, here is the description from Amazon for you:
In the world of the near future, who will control women's bodies?
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable.
Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now....
Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.

Click here for more Indie News:


To find out more books that have effected us, check out my fellow Carnis:
1. Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series
2. Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3. Heather Self

What I'm up to!

10.1.12

I've not been much of a blogger lately... and I do have reasons, of course. I'm not just lazy (well, sometimes that too!). But I'm busy writing my next novel, which is Part 3 (and the final part) in The Raven Saga. I have to get my first final draft finished for February so I'm busily getting all the words down at the moment. It's going well so far, fingers crossed. The imagination is active and the words are flowing! Hopefully it will continue that way.
The other thing that is on my mind at the moment is the Make a Wish Foundation. An awesome charity that grants the wishes of seriously ill children all over the world. Every time I watch videos about these kids, I cry. I become a bit of a emotional wreck actually. It always amazes me how strong these kids are.
Anyway, I'm doing what I can for them by chopping off my hair for the charity. So far I've raised just short of $400, but I'd love to get that figure over $500.
The big chop is this Friday 13th (yikes!) and actually I'm quite excited about it. My husband tells me that my hair is wearing me at the moment, probably because I've mentally already lost it, so it's just getting in the way now. And if I hate the result, then it'll grow back so I'm pretty chilled about it.
I'm also donating my hair to the Little Princess Trust in the UK, which makes wigs for sick children.
If you have a few dollars / euros / pounds to spare for these amazing children, it would be AWESOME if you could make a small donation. Every little counts, so if you can help, then please visit this page:
http://www.crowdrise.com/SuzyTurner-ChopitOffforCharity/fundraiser/SuzyTurner
THANK YOU!!!
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