May We Tell You Something About...Our AWESOME Contest Winners??

Reading Song of the Day: "Because I'm Awesome" by the Dollyrots


Throughout May (every now and then), we will be participating in the Blog Me MAYbe blogfest, which you can learn more about here.  

Photo taken from:Gimme The Scoop

As promised, we're here to announce the winners of the contest. First of all, thanks to those who took the time to enter and win one of TWO SIGNED copies of Jaime Reed's Burning Emerald, the third book in the Cambion Chronicles. If you want to know more about Jaime check out last week's contest post and an interview we did with her back in August here.


Okay, without further adieu, we are going to tell you about someone else! More precisely, TWO someone elses (yes we totally made that up). What are we going to tell you??? Well, here'e something....

JESS and MELANIE are now both winners of signed copies 

of

 Burning Emerald!

Photo Taken from VaBeachQuilter

Ladies, we will be in touch with more details soon!!! Congrats!


And for the rest of your lovelies, just to throw the question out there (and hopefully we'll get a few responses) what kinds of contests do you all prefer?  A contest where you just comment, one that involves a form (with extra points for Twitter etc.), OR one with a creative writing assignment? Also, do you like to win free signed novels, writing utensils, candy/other edible goodies, etc? 


Thanks and your responses are greatly appreciated!

MAY We Tell You Something About...Jaime Reed (and a CONTEST!)!!

Reading Song of the Day: "People Are Strange" by The Doors

So we've been rather absent to our lovely blog. Instead of giving you a LONG boring list of excuses, we decided to treat you all with a CONTEST!

We're giving away TWO copies of Jaime Reed's Burning Emerald, Book Two of The Cambion Chronicles. If you haven't checked out Living Violet (Book One)--umm, what are you waiting for?

Taken from dearteenme.com

As a special treat, Jaime wrote about a real life supernatural occurrence in her quaint town:

Strange Encounter by Jaime Reed




I can say that I’m a bit like the character, Sam in the respect that nothing much happens in my quiet town. With little to do, the imagination runs wild and we dream of cool stuff happening and if lucky, make a career of writing about it.


Williamsburg, VA is rich with history and everyone has at least one ghost story to share. Some of those stories have been passed down and have become a test of courage to explore on a dare. I personally don’t believe in ghosts, and I’ve never had any encounters of the paranormal except one.


When I was seventeen, a friend of mine whose father had died took me to the grave site to pay her respects. I agreed, under the assumption that this visitation would occur in the daytime, not at twelve o’clock at night. This made less sense at seventeen than it does now, but there I was, riding shotgun in her car, trekking through the more rural areas of Virginia with no streetlights or cell phone.


When we finally got to the cemetery, she kept the headlights on in the car so we could see our way through the maze of graves. She lit some candles and knelt in front of her father’s headstone. While I kept a look out for police and creepy groundskeepers, I noticed her talking to the grave. Not just a simple prayer or some fond farewell, but a full-on conversation, answering questions only she could hear and nodding her head in confirmation. Suffice to say I was thoroughly freaked out and was ready to leave. She lingered a few more minutes before we walked back to the car.


When I asked her who she was talking to, she just shrugged and said her dad. As she pulled out of the parking spot, the headlights hit the cemetery, outlining trees, grave stones and surrounding buildings. Then the lights fell on something black and almost flat against the scenery. This dark silhouette took the shape of a man and stood directly behind a headstone, the same one my friend was kneeling in front of moments ago. It didn’t move, but things that stand still can be just as frightening as things that don’t. The car turned and the headlights swept away from the grave toward the road leading out of the cemetery. Though I couldn’t see the shape any more or was even sure if what I saw had eyes, I knew beyond all logic that it was watching us leave.


I never told my friend what I saw nor did I ever return to the cemetery. It doesn’t take much to spook me, but that event was sufficient to where I now avoid cemeteries at all costs. And I sure as hell would never go there at night. Some people run toward the bazaar and crave the excitement that comes with the unexplained, but I’d rather write about it in the safety of my home…with the lights on.

 
Spooky stuff, Jaime!
 
On to the contest...all you have to do is leave your name and email address in the comments. That's it. We'll pick one winner at random.
 
BUT--
 
We'll choose ANOTHER winner if you leave a comment with your own real life, spooky tale. The comment that creeps us out the most wins the other copy. Oh, yeah, AND BOTH COPIES WILL BE SIGNED!!! You have until Tuesday May 22nd at MIDNIGHT EST!
 
Again, TWO winners. Spooky comments. Let's do this! :) 

Contest Winners AND An Interview with My Agent: Jennie Goloboy

Winning Song of the Day: "Jenny From the Block" by Jennifer Lopez

First off, thanks to all of you who entered the contest and who took the time to follow us on Tumblr and subscribe to our YouTube channel. We hope more of you will take part in our social media take-over later. In the mean time, we have some winners to announce!

So, that's grammatically incorrect, because we have more than one, but you get the idea!!!

1. Leslie Wright!!!!

2. Melanie Conklin!!!!

3. Rachel Searles!!!!

Contact us at cuzwewrite@gmail.com and rank the prizes from one to three. Here are the prizes once more: Jennie's query critique, Dawn Frederick's query critique, or the ten dollar gift card. We will reward you all in the order that receive the e-mails.

In the mean time, why not learn a little more about my agent, Jennie Goloboy of Red Sofa Literary?

You are a newer agent, when did you start and what made you want to become a literary agent? (How many clients would you consider your "max" and where are you on that list right now?)

People who've known me for a long time say I'm a natural matchmaker, and that is what drew me to being an agent-- the idea that this writer and that editor should know each other, and I can help by introducing
them! Currently, I am growing my client list, but I do know I plan to keep the list small so each of my authors gets special attention.

What kind of projects do you usually look for/gravitate toward?
Right now my practice centers on YA and MG novels and science fiction and fantasy for adults. Beyond that, first of all, I have to love your protagonist and care what happens to him or her. I love funny books (Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, and Fay Weldon are current favorites). I love fantasy with a realistic feel-- either because it's set in the real world, or because the world and its characters are fully imagined and credible. Romance is always a plus, as long as the romance doesn't solve all the protagonist's problems (especially in YA). And as a historian, I appreciate historical settings!

I also love it when my authors already have an audience ready and eager to read their books when they are published-- for example, by starting a popular blog and running exciting contests...

(Tee hee, Oh Jennie :D) 

When do you usually stop reading a query or sample pages?
I stop reading queries if I can tell that the book is not something I'd represent (like a thriller or a memoir). I skim queries if I think I've seen the idea before, in case the author has promising credentials or an unusual twist on the idea. Currently I'm seeing a lot of novels about girls who have prophetic dreams and girls who
either are or are dating the grim reaper.

If I like the query, I generally let it sit for a while, and if it still looks good at a second glance, I will request the first three chapters. (I don't ask for a synopsis-- I like to be surprised.) I always read all three chapters. If I like them, I will ask for the full manuscript, which I will also read in full.

In general, if I've asked for it, I'll read it.

How do you network with editors and other industry professionals with your office being located in Minnesota?

I have the benefit of Dawn's years of experience in the industry and great track record. Beyond that, I love conferences! I'll be speaking at three this year, one at the Loft Literary Center in late April (https://www.loft.org/classes-at-the-loft-literary-center/writing-conferences), one at the DFW Writer's Conference (www.dfwwritersconference.org), and one at the Florida Writers Association
(http://www.floridawriters.net/Home_Page.html). I also plan to be at Worldcon again this year, as well as a couple of history conferences.

You are a writer as well. How do you balance your time between writing your own material and helping your clients get published?

Coffee. I also try to keep a daily schedule: Monday is for sorting through the mail, Tuesday and Thursday are for client needs, Wednesday and Friday for my own writing. Of course, if there's an urgent issue
from one of my clients, I get to it right away!

As a writer, what advice would you give to others still working to get published?
This shouldn't be a lonely business! Once you've written that book, you'll need beta readers. You'll need people to show you the next steps, and you'll need people to help you commiserate and celebrate.
Go out and find some writer buddies!

Do you have any recommendations for writers on how to build their platform?
It's not enough to write a great book, you also have to know the kind of book you're writing, so it can find its proper audience. At Red Sofa, we're big fans of Christina Katz's Get Known Before the Book Deal, which has some great exercises to help you define yourself as a writer, and to publicize your work using social media.

What is your favorite book/author right now? What is your favorite book/author of all time?
Wow, that's a hard question! The best book I read recently-- the most creative, immersive, moving and satisfying-- was Lauren Beukes's Zoo City. Probably the book I think about most frequently is actually a
history book: Richard Bushman's The Refinement of America. But when I want to reread a book, it's usually one of Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork books, of which Thud! is my very favorite.

Random Questions!

Me and Pam are scared-y cats. We're scared of clowns, mermaids, centaurs, and people on stilts... What freaks you out the most?

Mayonnaise. And yet, oddly enough, I love chicken salad, and I'm willing to make some to get it.

If it's your last day on earth, what would you eat (all we think about is food)?

I'd head down to the North End in Boston and get pizza and an arancine from Galleria Umberto, followed by Italian rum cake from Modern Pastry (all I think about is food, too!).

"The Voice" or "American Idol"?
I've run out of time for most TV, but I always watch Mad Men, to see how Don's messed up his life this week.

What would you do for a klondike bar?
For a Klondike bar? Not much. For a Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake bar? I'm embarrassed to say...

Thanks so much, Jennie!

And again, thanks to all of you who entered the contest (and even those of you who were THINKING about entering). If you want to query Jennie, find out more about her here:

Jennie's Facebook
Jennie's Twitter
Jennie on Querytracker.net

We're Back...and in FULL EFFECT!

Social Networking Song of the Day: "LOL :)" by Trey Songz

You read that title right. We're here and ready to stomp all over social media.  Not only are we back and ready to take the interwebz by storm, but we also are ready to hold another contest! I mean, we did cross 300 followers a while back.

We're no contest virgins, but this time we wanted to offer a prize that's a little different--we are going to give out, TWO, count them, TWO query critiques! Wanna know more??? Watch the following video:

Yep, you heard us right (that is if you could understand my words through all of my mumbling). My agent, Jennie Goloboy, and the owner of Red Sofa Literary Agency, Dawn Frederick, are BOTH willing to critique two query letters. Pretty awesome, right?

And if that's not enough, we are going to throw one more prize in there--just for kicks. This isn't mentioned in the video, but for those of you who are already agented, how would you like a TEN DOLLAR gift card to Barnes & Noble. We just keep making your life better, huh? All you have to do is fill out the form below and show us a lil' love on our social media takeover scheme. Not hard. At all. Oh, and make sure you enter before Sunday March 18th, 8 PM EST!

'Kay? Thanks, bye!

Someone's WINNING...And What's to Come

Reading Song of the Day: "All I Do Is Win" by DJ Kahled Ft. T-Pain

We're on the third day of our two week winter break from the day jobs. WOO HOO!!! We're planning to read, write, read some more, write a little more, and then well, read some more. What else are a couple writers gonna do while they have an extended break?

Notice that blogging was not included...yeah, this week we're not gonna blog. BUT next week, we're returning with some fun end of the year type stuff. We're joining Katy Upperman and pals Jessica Love, Tracey Neithercott, Alison Miller for the CLASS OF 2011: YA SUPERLATIVES BLOGFEST!

If you're interested in joining the Blogfest, here's a little information from Ms. Upperman's blog:

The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest is a fun and interactive way to highlight and share your favorite YA novels, covers, characters, and story elements. The Class of 2011: YA Superlatives Blogfest will span four days, beginning Tuesday, December 27th and culminating Friday, December 30th.

The rules for participating are simple:

1. Add your name to the Google form below.
2. Select books/characters that apply to the superlative topics for each day of the blogfest. Feel free to give explanations for your choices. You can go into as much detail as you like!
3. Schedule your posts to go live on the days indicated.
4. Add a link to your post on Jessica’s, Tracey’s, Alison’s, or my blog.
5. Take a few moments to hop around and check out the superlatives of other participants each day.

If you want more info and are interested in signing up, go to either of the blogs mentioned above, or click on the link for the CLASS OF 2011: YA SUPERLATIVES BLOGFEST!

Okay, now to the order of business we need to take care of: The winner of our pre-order for Jaime Reed's debut Living Violet. Without further delay, our winner is:

ATHENA FRANCO!!!

Congratulations!! Send an e-mail to cuzwewrite@gmail.com with your mailing address and we'll order your book ASAP!

Happy Holidays, all! See ya next week!!

Our Thanks, a Winner, and a Turkey!

**This was supposed to be posted this morning...yeah, Thanksgiving day Fail...sorry, peeps**

Celebrating Song of the Day: "Thank Me Now" by Drake

It's Turkey Day AKA Thanksgiving & we hope that you all are enjoying yourselves :) We just have some quick business to take care of, then we are off to begin our food comas!

Remember that contest we had in celebration of finishing the 2011 Debut Author Challenge? Well, we have us a winner! Congrats to:

MEREDITH!!!!!!!

You have a $15 Amazon e-gift card to be thankful for today. Send us an email to: cuzwewrite@gmail.com from the address that you want your card sent to & we shall get it to you ASAP. The rest of our lovely followers- we are thankful for you. Please enjoy this turkey on our behalf:

Debut Author Challenge # 11: The Near Witch...And Yep, A Giveaway!!!!

Reading Song of the Day: "Witchy Woman" by The Eagles

And the countdown commences...we are now TWO books away from being finished with the Debut Author Challenge 2011. It's been so much fun, too--I think we might have to check out 2012 :)

This time, I've read Victoria Schwab's The Near Witch. Here is what Goodreads wants to tell ya:

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children. If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company. And there are no strangers in the town of Near.
These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.
The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

If that's not enough to make you wanna read it, then maybe this will help:

The Top Four Things You Need to Know About The Near Witch:

1. Lexi is strong but not too rough: She can hunt and track b/c her father taught her how, she knows if you want to get a tough boy off your back just kick him in the family jewels, and she will do anything to protect her family. But she also is soft enough to open her heart to a stranger. She embodies the perfect balance of a female protag.

2. The town of Near comes alive: Schwab is a BEAUTIFUL writer. There is not one character, one house, one branch that doesn't pop out of the pages. When you're reading this novel you'll find yourself immersed in the moor, the wind, and the entire town of Near.

3. The characters are all distinct: There are no stereotypes in Near. Even witch sisters who might appear to be alike have their distinct ways of speaking and their own mannerisms. The children of Near have their own quirks, too. There is no way that you'll get any of the townspeople confused--not even the three old men who serve on The Council.

4. The plots are twistier than a pretzel: As the Goodreads plot suggests, The Near Witch is part fairy tale. The story of witches and children goes back to Hansel and Gretel, but this book ain't your normal fairy tale. You'll find yourself going "wha...?" or "wait, but I thought this was happening..." Even when you think you know what's coming--you don't.

You wanna win this book, don't cha? Well...keep reading and find out how!

If you like...

Books: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce, Ash by Malinda Lo, or The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare... then you'll like The Near Witch.

Movies: The Brothers Grimm, Beastly, or Red Riding Hood ...then you'll like The Near Witch.

Okay, so you want to win a gently used copy of The Near Witch?? Well, all you have to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address, be a follower of this blog, and live in the U.S. (sorry but we're writers/educators which equals broke!) by Tuesday September 27th, 2011 at midnight EST. We'll announce the winner Thursday September 29th :) Hope you all enter!

Oh...and we have a winner to announce, don't we??? The winner of our last giveaway, Carrie Harris' Bad Taste in Boys , is...

Georgia Summers!!!

YAY!!! Look out for an e-mail from us today :D

Another Contest: Micro Synopsis with John Cusick

Paying it Forward Song of the Day: "The Contest" -From Sweeney Todd.


We are HERE! Finally, we've made it to LA for SCBWI 2011-- woo hoo!!!! And to top things off, there's an awesome contest going on :)

YAtopia is so, so generous. They are having yet another contest with an agent at their blog. You can click here for the real deets, but I'll give you a quick overview.


The contest is for writers to submit a Micro Synopsis of their work to John Cusick of Scott Treimel NY. What exactly does that mean? Well, you have to summarize your completed manuscript in three sentences. In the three sentences include the set-up, the story, and the ending. And guess what? You can enter more than one manuscript! Yep, if you have two or three, or more completed manuscripts you can submit them all! All you have to do is be a follower of YAtopia's blog and pass the word along about the contest.

Soooo...what ya waiting for? You have until August 11th to enter. GO!

OH! And we have a winner to announce :) The lucky person receiving their own copy of Ashes, Ashes by Jo Treggiari is.....

Aimee Renee!!!!

Look out for an e-mail from us lata, Aimee :)

Contest Alert: Elevator Pitch Agent Bree Ogden!!!

Paying it Forward Song of the Day: "Love In An Elevator" by Aerosmith

My lovely cuz/sis found another AWESOME contest today and brought it to my attention. Since I remain on the hunt for an agent she directed it my way. The awesome peeps at YAtopia are offering ANOTHER chance for unknown writers to get their work out there!

They are allowing us to enter a pitch to THE Bree Ogden from Martin Literary Management!

The last time I entered, I got a request to query from the agent (Ammi Joan Paquette--who does not accept unsolicited queries), so entering this time could lead to more!

All you have to do is:

A.) Creat a blog post, Tweet, or update status your status on Facebook about this fantabulous contest!

B.) Leave your name, e-mail address, manuscript title and word count, genre, and elevator pitch.
C.) Hold your breath and wait!

You have until July 13th, so click here to enter and learn more about this contest. DON'T MISS IT--or do miss it. Hell, that gives me a better chance ;)

While We Were Away...Plus ANOTHER Contest!

Revising Song of the Day: "Back Down South" by Kings of Leon

Hey, all! Fancy meeting you here...where have we been this past week, you ask?
*Working on MFA requirements (still doing that a little...)
*Revising our YA WIPs and completed manuscripts.
*Attending an awesome SCBWI Novel Retreat in Shenandoah National Park!!!

The last item on the list was probably the most fun and informative and we would love to share that experience with you. After traveling on a train, a bus, and then a taxi cab,we FINALLY arrived in Shenandoah National Park Friday June 10th. We went to our room which looked like this on the outside:

And the view looked like this:

And this is what sunset looked like:

Oh, and this is us posing with the awesome bear at Big Meadows Lodge (cuz we were in bear country!):
Then we proceeded to have dinner and after that was our FIRST (out of four) sessions with the amazing, super intelligent, uber literary, spectacular Cheryl Klein from Arthur A. Levine Books (an imprint of Scholastic). In the first session Ms. Klein gave us general ideas about what we'd be discussing later in the weekend, and probably gave one of the coolest pieces of advice ever. Ms. Klein told us how she has her clients write a letter to her when it's time for revisions. In the letter, Ms. Klein tells her clients to answer the following questions:

What were you trying to do with this book?

What's the story or your vision?

What's the book about?

What do you love most? (Characters, scenes, lines etc.)

What do you suspect needs the most work?

That was just one of the major highlights from the retreat. The rest of the weekend was full of peer reviews (with problem scenes and first page critiques) and insight on revising novels from Cheryl Klein. Ms. Klein gave sessions on character, plot, and voice with specific outlines, questions to ask, and exercises to complete in order to make your novel better. Most of her talk is featured in her writing resource: Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults

We stood in a line like this to get our books signed:

Now...there was a limited number of these excellent books, and essentially me and Pam are one person. So...we decided to get one signed for us:

And then get the other signed for one of YOU!!!!

Okay, since we just finished a big contest (winner will be announced Wednesday June 22nd) this one will be easy. To win all you have to do is be a follower of the blog and comment on this post with your e-mail address. Simple, right??

We hope that you all will enter because Ms. Klein's book is a priceless tool that we guarantee will only make your novel better. Good luck! You have until Wednesday(June 22nd) at Midnight EST to enter.

In the mean time, do you have any revising tricks you'd like to share??

Friday Fives: Light Reading...And a CONTEST!

Reading Song of the Day: "Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake

It's that time again...the freakin' weekend! And once again, me and Pam are traveling. This time we're headed to Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia for what is sure to be an ah-may-zing SCBWI novel retreat. But we couldn't leave without participating in Pam's group blog Paper Hangover's Friday Fives.

Also, we have a few announcements to make...so make sure you don't leave until you get to the end!

This week's Friday Fives is:

What are the Five Best Summer Reads?

Here is our list in no particular order:


1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: We have raved about this book here and here. I don't think there's more we can say-- except the book is fun, light, and absolutely clever. A must read for the summer!




2. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare: Okay, so this may not be "light" reading, but the summer is a great time to get caught up on the series. There are 4 books out already and more to come. If you want to be a part of the craze for the next book in the series, then use the summer to read what you've missed thus far.


3. The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa: I brought these books for Pam for her birthday b/c she is working on a fairies book and she wanted to see what else is out there. She's going to use the summer to get caught up on the series so she can be ready for the next book.

4. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: Pam bought me the first book for my birthday b/c I told her I wanted to start reading them. I am now hooked! I'll be using the summer to read ALL of the books and hopefully start watching the movies as well.

5. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz: Pam read Gone, Gone, Gone and RAVED. So, we figured Invincible Summer must be just as good, if not better. Plus, you can't go wrong with the word "summer" in the title!

Okay...now it's time for some announcements!

Announcement # 1: We are going on a blogging hiatus. Fear not, loyal followers! We shall return in ONE WEEK- June 20th, 2011. So, you have to go one week w/out us...don't celebrate too much.

Announcement # 2: This one is much more EXCITING! We are giving away TWO books to celebrate our one year blogging anniversary (as of 5/31/2011--Pam and I have been blogging together for one WHOLE year!) AND to celebrate all of the awesomeness that we experienced at Weekend of Awesome. Because we want to celebrate that joyous occasion we will give away two books that we learned about from our new real life friends :)


Book # 1: Notes From the Blender by Brendan Halpin and Trish Cook. You can read what Goodreads has to say about this novel here. We got to do a Skype chat with Brendan during WOA (thanks to Erinn) and he is so funny and witty. Those elements are sure to show up in his novel and we KNOW you will enjoy it! But, wait...there's more! This book will be signed by Brendan Halpin himself!




Book # 2: Fill-in-the-Blank Plotting by Linda George: The link will take you to the Goodreads page where you can learn more. But this book was introduced to us by Alicia during WOA and it is AWESOME! It'll help you to plot your novel based on the Hero's journey and the Three- Act structure.

Enter to win by filling in the form below. Easy peasy!

Now that that's over with...we'd love to know what books you all are looking forward to reading this summer!

Black Fox Lit Mag Update...And a Contest!

Writing Song of the Day: "Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones

We're nearing the end of this week...and almost the end of May (WOW- can you believe it??) and we wanted to update you all on our progress with Black Fox Literary Magazine--the venture we are entering with our sis, Racquel.

First--The first issue is set to be released this summer. We NEED you all to submit, submit, submit! You can submit short stories, poetry, and flash fiction to be published in the very first issue of the Black Fox Lit Mag.

First B--Annnd, you can enter our fiction and cover art contests. Click here to read more about the contests. Also, we will feature poems weekly on our website.

For more info on how and what to submit, click here!

Second--We are holding a Twitter contest since Black Fox Lit has reached 100 followers. This contest is running throughout the entire month of May (you have a little under two weeks left!). To make things easier we have created a google form for your use in entering the contest. If you would like to enter through Facebook click here. Or you can just fill out the form below.

We will give away three prize packs which include a Black Fox t-shirt, pen, notebook, and a print copy of our first issue! Thanks for your support!

A Juggling Act...and a Winner!

Juggling Song of the Day: "Get Busy" by Sean Paul

So...I have a TON of things I need to do:

1. Finish my thesis by the end of May.

2. Work on more revisions for Wants.

3. Work on revisions for Project J so that I can send it out to betas (and then to my lovely agent).

4. Read Hannah Moskowitz's Gone, Gone, Gone so that I can mail it to the next reader on the ARC tour (I've started it...and it's BRILLIANT thus far).

5. Prepare material for my Weekend of Awesome writing trip (which I can't WAIT for, by the way).

6. Prepare material for my SCBWI novel retreat, which takes place the following weekend after WOA.

7. Start working on scheduling for next school year.

8. Breathe.

So, why am I blogging instead of tackling any of the above items? Well, to whine to my lovely followers, of course. Oh, and to announce the winner of Crystal Allen's How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy. Without further ado...

The winner is:

KO!!!!!!

Congrats, KO! Expect an email from us shortly. Oh, and any advice on how I can tackle this To Do List would be greatly appreciated. :)

Debut Author Challenge #6: How Lamar's Bad Prank...and a Giveaway!

Reading Song of the Day: "The Joke" by Lifehouse

This installment of our 2011 Debut Author Challenge features our first MG title--as well as the first MG book I've read in a very, very, long time. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Crystal Allen's How Lamar's bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy. Please pause on the cuteness of that title.

Here's what Goodreads has to say:

Thirteen-year-old Lamar Washington is the maddest, baddest, most spectacular bowler ever at Striker's Bowling Paradise. But while Lamar's a whiz at rolling strikes, he always strikes out with girls. And Lamar's brother, Xavier the Basketball Savior, is no help. Xavier earns trophy after trophy on the basketball court and soaks up all of Dad's attention, leaving no room in the house for Lamar's problems.

So Lamar starts hustling at the local alley with bad boy Billy Jenks. When one of their schemes goes awry, Lamar ends up ruining his brother's shot at college and wreaking havoc on every relationship in his life. Can Lamar figure out how to mend his broken ties, no matter what the cost?

From debut author Crystal Allen comes an unforgettable, laugh-out-loud story of one boy's struggle to win his family's admiration and get the girl of his dreams, all while playing the sport he loves.

In all honesty, I smiled pretty much the whole time while I read this. So that's why it's easy to come up with:

The Top Four Things You Need to Know about Lamar:

1. It Has Diversity. This is the first novel I've read in forever that featured an African-American narrator. Granted, this is partially my fault, but it was still refreshing to read a different perspective on the whole "coming of age" thing. Plus, Lamar wasn't your stereotypical black teenager. He went to church every Sunday, he did really well in school, and his dad always made sure he looked presentable and not "ghetto." Did I mention this was refreshing?

2. The Voice Was Sooo Authentic. I'll admit it--I fell in love with Lamar. He was that perfect balance between cocky and insecure. Crystal Allen also made sure that the teens sounded like, well, teens. The jargon she used in this novel was what I hear in the halls of my school everyday--but I can still see kids reading this years from now and still understanding the slang.

3. Hilarity Ensued. I haven't laughed this much from a book in a LONG time. I really wasn't expecting to be this amused since I thought the humor might be "beneath" me. But just reading about Lamar's attempt at getting a girlfriend and his proclamation of being the "King of Striker's" had me guffawing pretty much throughout the book.

4. But it Also Had Heart. Sure, it had his laugh out loud moments, but Ms. Allen also made sure to tug at the readers' heart strings. Lamar deals with the death of one of his parents, and just witnessing how his family tries to keep it together had me reaching for the tissue box.

People always want to know how to get reluctant boy readers to pick up a book. My response: let them read Lamar.

If you like...

Books: Holes by Louis Sachar, The Cottonmouth Club by Lance Marcum, Heck: Where the Bad Kids Go by Dale E. Basye...then you'll like Lamar

Movies: Baby Boy, Stand By Me, The Wood...then you'll like Lamar

But wait--there's more! I hearted this book SO MUCH, that we now want to give YOU a copy. Just leave a comment below with your email address by Wednesday, May 18th at midnight, EST. That's it--just leave a comment and email address. We'll announce winners Thursday, May 19th. Good luck! :)

A Few Announcements

Helping Song of the Day: "Help!" by The Beatles

We interrupt your weekly Road Trip Wednesday to bring you some important news:

1. The amazing Kate Hart is joining forces with other writers for Help Write Now. This is a writing auction to assist with storm relief in the South. Several writers, agents, and other publishing industry insiders will be donating their services. Quita and I have also joined a few of our writer buddies for a pretty awesome critique pack. Please stop by and see how you can help.

2. You may have noticed on our sidebar a cute icon for Black Fox Literary Magazine. Quita and I are co-founders and co-editors, along with our sister from another mister, Racquel Henry. Our very first issue will be this summer--woo hoo (if you can't tell, we're uber excited)! We're still looking for submissions and interviews for our website, as well as for the actual magazine. For submissions, click here. If you're a writer (published OR aspiring) that is interested in being interviewed, please email us at cuzwewrite@gmail.com.

2b. Black Fox Lit has also surpassed 100 followers on Twitter, so we're having a contest! We're giving away T-shirts, pens, notebooks, and a print copy of our first issue! Click here for details. Oh, and don't forget follow @blackfox on Twitter. :)

Shwew, lots of news! Speaking of which, we're in dire need of good news--big or small. Anything you have to share?? :)

You Win Some...And You Win Some

"Winning" Song of the Day: "Right In Two" by Tool

First of all, sorry for the Charlie Sheen quote--it had to be done. Secondly, are you ready for some winners from our TWO HUNDRED followers contest???

We had TWO prize packs up for grabs for TWO winners.

Two...it's such a nice number. Why don't we take a moment to admire some unique two's:

Wow...the number 2- spelled out!

A snaky two...

Elmo says "hi" from his two...

Two people hanging out on a two...

A balloon filled two...

Have you had enough two's??? Hope not b/c we still have to announce our TWO winners! Without further delay...

The Winner of the Reading Prize Pack is...

VIVIEN!!!!

The Winner of the Writer's Prize Pack is...

ERINBERRY!!!!

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered. And don't worry, you know we'll have more contests for you later!!! Winners, check your e-mails for further insturctions :D

WAIT! Before you go. We have a favor to ask. We've noticed that a few of our bloggy pals have been requesting questions from their followers. We would like to do the same. Ask us ANYTHING! How do we start writing new WIPs, how do we like to drink our coffee, how do we manage to not kill one another every day...whatever! We'll collect the questions and answer them next Monday, April 4th, 2011! We look forward to your questions!

RTW: Won't You Be My Neighbor?

Reading Song of the Day: "Neighbors Know My Name" by Trey Songz

One more 'gin it's time to road trip with our pals over at YA Highway. This week's prompt:

Which book character would you like most as a next door neighbor?

This couldn't BE any more fun! Pam and I already want to live all up in the books that we read. I can't tell you how many time we turn to each other while reading a book and say, "Man, I wish these people were real!" Sad, but true. And I know that all of you out there agree with us. Okay, without further adieu, here are our answers!

Pam's Choice:

Simon from Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments series. Yeah yeah, I know. Jace is the hawt one--the bad boy. And I have to admit that I swoon along with the rest of the world whenever he comes on the page. But his golden locks and witty banter can only get him so far. If he had some cute retort every time I walked to the mailbox, I may want to start pulling my hair out. I'll take Clary's loyal best friend, thank you very much. Why? Didn't I just mention he was loyal? Aside from that, he has the same self-deprecating sense of humor as me, and we could stay up most nights listening to cheesy rock music and coming up with names for his band. Even though most of the world has vampire-fatigue, this is one bloodsucker that I'm not tossing aside. BTW, could City of Fallen Angels come out like, tomorrow please??

Quita's Choice:

This was really hard for me, considering that I read a lot of cryptic books with mean characters...but after some thinking I came up with a good choice. I would want to live next door to Seth from Lisa and Laura Roecker's The Liar Society. Not only b/c this AWESOME book is fresh in my mind, but because Seth is so uber SA-WEET. He always looked out for Kate, even when she was being less than nice to him. We could spend our time looking into conspiracies and doing one of my favorite activities... eating! I can always count on him to bring some snacks while we peruse the web for the latest government cover up.


Tell us, what book character would you want to be your neighbor?

A Few Announcements:

1.) Thanks to EVERYONE who contributed their first lines to our First Lines Critiques (Day 1-click here, Day 2- click here, Day 3- click here) that we held last week. Thanks for being so brave and allowing your fellow writers to share their opinions. A BIG thank you to, all of you who not only contributed lines, but also commented on the other first lines provided. Although the number of comments were not through the roof--there was some good quality critiquing occurring and we hope that the authors got some feedback that they can work with.

2.) Did you see we're having a contest???!!! Well, we are! Click here to enter. You have until Saturday (March 26th, 2011) at midnight EST to enter.

200 Followers? I Smell a Contest!

Celebrating Song of the Day: "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ EZ Rock

We've been very, very busy, dear followers. So busy we didn't take time to stop and smell the flowers--AKA, pause to notice we now have OVER 200 FOLLOWERS!!

Time for a dance break:

Man, we have some sweet, sweet moves.

Anywho...we figured this occasion shouldn't go unnoticed, so we've decided to have a small contest!

Here's the deal: since we're celebrating 200 followers, we'll have 2 winners that'll each win 2 prizes.

First, the Readers Prize Pack:

Second, the Writers Prize Pack:

*Please Note: Moleskin and pens may not look just like the pictures, but they'll be just as awesome!

What do you have to do? Just fill out the form below! You have until Saturday, March 26 at midnight, EST to enter. We'll announce the winners next Monday! Good luck--and thanks for following!

ALERT: An Agent Wants YOU!

Paying it Forward Song of the Day: "You" by Breaking Benjamin

My lovely cuz/sis found an AWESOME contest this past week and brought it to my attention. Since I remain on the hunt for an agent she directed it my way. The awesome peeps at YAtopia are offering a chance for unknown writers to get their work out there!

They are allowing us to enter a pitch to THE Ammi-Joan Paquette who does not accept unsolicited material. Talk about a once in a life time opportunity! All you have to do is:


A.) Creat a blog post, Tweet, or update status your status on Facebook about this fantabulous contest!

B.) Leave your name, e-mail address, title, two sentence pitch, and first line of your manuscript in the comments of their blog.

C.) Hold your breath and wait!

Click here to enter and learn more about this contest. DON'T MISS IT--or do miss it. Hell, that gives me a better chance ;)

YA Blogosphere Lovefest: We LUVS Abby!!! (Plus our Contest Winner)

Speading the Love Song of the Day: "Valentine's Day" by Linkin Park

We signed up to join in the YA Blogosphere Lovefest hosted by Kate Hart, Kristin Miller, Sarah Enni, and Tahereh Mafi. The lovefest scheduled to occur today, the lovey dovey-iest of all days. Valentine's Day. Would you like to know the history of how this day began? No? Good, cuz we don't feel like telling you. We would much rather get right into loving on our chosen YA Writing Valentine.

Who did we get???

Abby "The Tabby Catt" Stevens!!!

And why is she awesome???? See for youself...

How do we Love Abby? Let us Count the Ways...

She's creative and unique, always thinking on her feet

Prodigal Maggie is a story concept that can't be beat

She's loyal and loving to her fellow YA bloggers and writers

Giving out books and holding contests it seems like she never tires

Creating blogfests and buttons that are almost as cute as her smile

Amusing and entertaining her followers all the while

She loves Harry Potter like a fat kid loves snack cakes

She provides insight on publishing, letting us know what it takes

Abby stomps for the cause for our wounded and fallen soldiers

The girl is amazing, I thought we told ya?

Now that we've told ya how awesome Abby "The Tabby Catt" Stevens is, why don't you go and check her out for yourself? You can get to her blog by clicking here, and you can stalk her life(follow her) on Twitter by clicking here!

Happy Valentine's Day ALL! Do you have anyone you wanna give some love to, today?

Wait...are we forgetting something???

OH YEAH!!! The winner of our $35.00 cupcake gift card to Edibles Incredible Desserts is...

Valerie Ipson!!!

Congrats, Valerie! Make sure to check your email later today....