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Monday, June 30, 2014

ILIMA TODD & REMAKE

Guys, get ready for some gushing, because this book has my heart.

I was its first reader, and I know I won't be the last. I cannot wait to hold this beauty in my hands on October 14th. I met Ilima at my first writer's conference back in 2011 and we've been good friends and critique partners ever since. We've come a long way since Louise Plummer's class! Ilima's the one who introduced me to Firefly, and for that alone, I'll be forever grateful. But more than that, she's taught me how to be a better mother, a better friend, and a better person.

This book success couldn't have happened to a better person and I have been privileged to watch her go through her steps to published author. When I grow up, I want to be just like her:)

Not only does the story rock and did I see smoking hot Kai walking down the street in the marine town where I used to live, but I have thought about Nine, her journey, and how much her story means to all of us since reading it in its early stages. Nine lives in a futuristic society where children are raised in batches and on their 17th birthdays choose everything from whether they'll be male or female, to the color of their skin, their name, and their life profession. It's a big deal, especially when they don't have all the facts. I won't give away everything, so you can soak up all the goodness on your own, but here is Ilima holding this week's Publisher's Weekly magazine with her book cover on the front. How incredible is that for a cover reveal?
And here's a close up of the book cover. Her husband designed it and Shadow Mountain liked it so much, they only modified it a bit. Isn't the font perfect for the subject matter?
From Goodreads:
Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously. But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision
and worries about her upcoming Remake Day her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is
pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?


Links to the awesome
Ilima Todd
Goodreads
You can pre-order below
Amazon
B&N
Indiebound

Friday, June 27, 2014

Currently…Friday

Currently…

1. Thinking about how weird it is to be all alone in my house. My husband took this kids to grandma's for the weekend. I've never had the house to myself like this. It feels like I'm breaking a law and at the same time it feels freeing. I can do anything or nothing at all. Scary.

2. Enjoying: THE THICKETY by J. A. White. My 10 yo son recommended it to me. He said, "Mom, even you would love this one." My smart son has me figured out. I won't read a lot of his MG favorites, but this one is right up my alley. 

From Goodreads: When Kara Westfall was six years old, her mother was convicted of the worst of all crimes: witchcraft. 

The villagers live in fear of the Thickety and the terrible creatures that live there. But when an unusual bird lures Kara into the forbidden forest, she discovers a strange book with unspeakable powers. A book that might have belonged to her mother.

And that is just the beginning of the story.

The Thickety: A Path Begins is the start of a thrilling and spellbinding tale about a girl, the Thickety, and the power of magic.

3. Feeling: Sleepy, but then it is 9:41pm and I'm an early riser.

4. Wearing: Yoga clothes from the class I taught tonight. I should be honest though, even if I hadn't taught tonight I'd probably be in yoga pants. They're my favorite even when I'm not pregnant.

5. Needing: To finish revisions on my WIP, dang it, and get it out to some betas. Anybody willing to swap MSs?

6.Wanting: This house, horses included.

7. Listening: To silence. It's so rare. I mean I can here the katydids outside. I should really stay up later than my kids every once and a while so I can experience this phenomena more often.

8. Making: A baby and this blog post

9. Eating: A Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cup

10: Drinking: Red Raspberry Pregnancy Tea. Mix in some honey and it's pure heaven. (recipe here in case you're interested)

Want to list your own Currently? Let me know in the comments or add a link to your post and I'll check it out. 

Monday, June 16, 2014

COVER REVEAL: Will the Real Prince Charming Please Stand Up?

My lovely and talented agent sister, writing as Ella Martin, has the most gorgeous cover for her modern fairy tale retelling with a twist. And you don't have to wait long for this beauty to be available because
Will The Real Prince Charming Please Stand UP? is coming July 1st from Astrea Press

The Blurb: If only fairy tales warned “happily ever after” only happens with the right guy...

15-year-old Bianca learns the hard way when she falls for Dante, the hottest guy in her class, who turns out to be anything but charming. And it doesn’t help that Tim, a long-time crush and her brother’s best friend, still makes her head fuzzy. Bianca has to ask: WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP?

The Cover:

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And now all the pretty. I am in love with Bianca's yellow dress. Now if only I could convince my prince charming to play dress up with me. Do they have proms for thirty something year olds?


GIVEAWAY TIME: Because WTRPCPSU is being released as on ebook, one winner will have the choice of receiving a new Kindle 6" ereader or a new Kobo Touch! Now that's a giveaway I can get behind.

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Ella Martin is a prep school survivor and a Southern California native. She writes books about spunky teenagers who are way cooler than she ever was, and she totally believes in love and happy endings. She likes sunny places and is terrified of snowy winters, so she now lives in Florida with her husband and son.
Blog: www.ella-martin.com
Twitter: @westgateprep
Facebook: www. facebook.com/AuthorEllaMartin
Tumblr: www.westgateprep.tumblr.com

Thursday, June 12, 2014

Day in the Life

This was me, two days ago.

I got to bed early the night before and crossed my fingers I'll wake before 6 am (alarms stress me out)
5:49 am rolled out of bed
5:50-5:59 am checked email, fb, and pintrest on my phone
6:00 am sat on my bean bag to write
7:49 am freak out because I lost track of time. Wake sleeping husband and all three kiddos. School starts at 8:30.
It's a cold cereal breakfast, but they were fed, dressed, with teeth and hair mostly brushed, and lunches ready by 8:18.
8:20 am waved to kids and husband
8:21 am hit the shower
8:49 am 2 yo woke up
8:50 am get him breakfast while responding to emails for two blogs I contribute to
9:30 am wrote a few notes about a new story idea
9:40 am start the wheat grinder and put in a movie for 2 yo
10:00 am to 12:00 pm sanded picnic benches, took frequent breaks to make bread, check on my little guy, and hydrate. Boy was it it hot and humid already.
12:01 pm lunch (leftovers for me, yogurt, granola, and half a sandwich for my boy)
12:30 while bread rose, I made a pan of monkey bread and started a load of wash
1:00 pm put 2 yo to bed and started this post.

After that it was picking kids up from school, horseback riding lessons for the 6yo, feeding the crowd, Webelos for my 10yo and me helping the girls at my church (YW 12-18) to make candy grams for the dad's for Father's Day. Yup, life just keeps on coming.

And writing is one of the things that helps me get through it all.

All my days are a little bit different, but this is a pretty good representation. Today I woke up before 5 and joined #5amwritersclub on twitter for the first time in months. I've missed these guys. If you're an early riser I recommend joining them.




Are your days like mine? How do you find time to write?

Happy happenings in my writing world:

I fell in love with a new blog, The YA Club and begged them to let me be a part. (not kidding, either) I join their writing team next month, but you can check them out and swoon over their blog design and incredible posts already up in the first 12 days here.

My agent sister, Gail Nall, revealed her super cute cover for her MG, Breaking the Ice. See it here.

Sporty Girl Books is celebrating being ONE with a big giveaway. You can enter below or check out our year in review and giveaways here (on site) or rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

As I revise VOICES, my current WIP, I am using Susan Dennard's revising method. You can check out her super helpful posts here. It's not quite as magic as the handy edit button below, but almost.