THE 777 CHALLENGE

Tegan Wren tagged me to share seven lines from the seventh page of a work in progress. I choose to 1) be a little generous with my required "seven lines" and 2) use my most recently finished book entitled AN OCCASIONALLY GRIM FAIRY TALE.

This scene takes place between two sisters, Anna and Maria, tending to the garden.

"Look at you!" Anna gasped. "You've ruined another dress! Mother will have a fit!"

"Don't I know it! Oh, bother, there's no point." Maria stopped fussing with her dress. Instead she focused on the sparse arbor vitae. She approached the bush, closing her eyes, breathing deeply, and brushing her open hands slowly back and forth across the branches.

The bush stirred, as if with a slight breeze. Each injured branch quivered gently as fresh greenery appeared on the tips, filling up the gaps within minutes.

"Be careful, Maria." Anna glanced around. "What if someone sees you?"

"Who would see me? There's no one out here but us."

"I hope you're right. You know what they say about us in town."

Maria snorted. "You worry too much, Anna. What could they possibly say? That it's a pity to see a noble family reduced to selling berries to get by? That it must be magic we can grow anything in here with our fence in shambles and a broken gate?"

Anna smiled. "At least that much is true."

Now I'll tag 7 other authors to play this game:
Kristin D. Van Risseghem
Matthew Cox
Andrew Buckley
Jessica Gunn
Courtney Sloan
Katie Hamstead Teller
N. N. Light


Okay, ladies and gentlemen, now PAY UP!

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS

Today I'm going to do something different.

I'm going to write down the list of what I SHOULD be doing,
and then I'll be honest about what I'm really doing instead.

What I should be doing:
1) Researching for Book 2 in the New Order series, entitled Dead Girl Fighting.
2) Writing Book 2, the final book in the New Order series.

Here's a sneak preview of the cover reveal for Dead Girl Running coming soon:

3) Researching for Book 3 in the Under the Blood Moon series, entitled How to Destroy Dead Guys.
4) Writing Book 3, the final book in the Under the Blood Moon series.

What I'm doing instead:
1) Reading Serena (which is haunting, BTW). (I wrote my Wednesdays update on Monday, and I happened to finish the book last night----------WOW! Very dramatic and the perfect ending.)
2) Training and raising funds for Team in Training MN chapter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, in remembrance of my father.

Please visit my FUNDRAISING WEBSITE. (As of this moment, together we've raised $400, which is 16% of my $2,500 goal and a fabulous start for the first week.)

My cute Mom and Dad.

3) Working on marketing for my upcoming release, Dead Girl Running.
4) Dreaming up (and starting preliminary research) for a totally different book, a stand alone and (hopefully) be a successful form of therapy for me to deal with my mother's continuing decline from Alzheimer's Disease.

More on my mom:
When cleaning through my old piano music, I found a copy of Memory (ironic title, I am well aware) from the musical Cats, which was my mother's favorite song for me to play so I brought it to the nursing home. I think she liked it, but sometimes it's hard to tell. She did hold my hand for a moment, which is a lot more than she's done in a very long time.

5) Running, running, and running. 

This weekend, I "paced" a 1/2 marathon for the first time. This means I carried a sign (which knocked me in the face and sent my hat flying at one point--very professional pacer performance on my part, I'm sure) for 2 hours and 20 minutes and used a Garmin watch and my handwritten pace chart to attempt to run about 10:40 minutes per mile for 13.1 miles.

Does all that Math spin your head? 

Actually, it was really fun and I look forward to doing it again soon.

This is a great group of people, my fellow pacers.

Here's some other cool people--my fellow authors waiting on 2016 (#WO2016):

1. Suzanne Van Rooyen
2. Emma L. Adams
3. Jessica Gunn
4. Courtney Sloan
5. Pat Esden

DIVERGING CADENCE BLOG TOUR

About Diverging Cadence:

When Cadence Anderson woke to find her husband and infant daughter had been killed, she thought her life was over. Instead, she was offered a second chance and sent back in time to do it all again.

She’s made the most of this opportunity, repairing her relationship with the best friend she lost the first time, avoiding the romantic mistakes she made originally, and even bringing her family closer together. But she’s also done something she wasn’t planning on—she’s fallen in love with someone other than her future husband.

Stepping onto a plane and flying across country to attend university is the hardest decision she’s had to make. But unless she follows through with it, her future with Austin might never happen. And what becomes of her beautiful baby if she stays with James, the man she was never supposed to love?

The only thing she knows for certain is that she has to see Austin again, and she’s intent on reliving that part of her previous life exactly like she did the first time. Even if that means she has to lie to James to do it. Because, deep down, she can’t quite bring herself to let him go.

Now, past and future are about to collide, and Cadence has to make her final choice—follow the uncertain path of a life with James, or the one she came back to save . . . with Austin.

In this emotional conclusion to the story that began in Deceptive Cadence, relationships will be tested, identities revealed, and the past will overshadow the future, putting the finishing touches on an unforgettable tale of courage, sacrifice, and, above all, love.

Get Diverging Cadence from Amazon or other retailers today!

About Katie Hamstead:

Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dogs.

She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as an Acquisitions Editor to help support her family. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

Find Katie Hamstead on twitter, facebook, and her website.

HELP FIGHT BLOOD CANCERS WITH TEAM IN TRAINING

Have you lost anyone to cancer? My father, Jerry Anderson, fought chronic lymphocytic leukemia for many years before he passed away six years ago this October.

After a 3 year hiatus, I'm back with Team In Training - MN Chapter in an effort to raise funds to fight the types of blood cancers that weakened my father.

My fundraising goals:
1) To raise $2,500 to fight cancer
2) To finish the 50k at Surf the Murf on October 24th, 2015
3) To donate 25% of the proceeds of my next book, also released in October of this year, to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society


MEMORIES OF A GREAT FATHER

Dad Cheating on Mom’s Diets by Eating at Dairy Queen on the Way Home from Work and then Mom Complaining that Dad was losing more Weight than She Was (Ann’s memory)

“If you could sleep through class and still get an ‘A’ like Jerry Anderson, I’d let you sleep too…” (a college professor)

Spilling a Full Glass of Water on Dolores on their First Date on a Really Cold Winter Night

Wearing Hair Grease on his Honeymoon with Dolores and Attracting a Large Number of Insects to his Head

Taking my Hand to Help me Cross the Street as a small Child and Taking me Down with Him as he Fell (Ann’s memory)

Grandma Pernot’s Old Yellow Mansion where Dad rented an Apartment by Campus

Reading Little House on the Prairie Books to Me before Bed (Ann’s memory)

Working Out Physics Problems on Restaurant Paper Napkins

His One Beer a Year Rule

“That’s for the birds” (Jerry-ism)

“Cards or Bed” (Jerry’s Grandma to the kids)

Coffee (Jerry’s primary fluid intake)

“Wasn’t Worth a Hill of Beans” (Jerry-ism)

Me Taking my Father Pants Shopping and Him Expanding his Gut with Air in an Effort to make Everything Look Too Tight (Ann’s memory)

Jerry Failing his Military Physical Exam and Being Told to get Out of the Pool “Before he Drowned”  (when swimming was the one thing that Dad thought he wouldn’t embarrass himself doing)

Hardware Stores, Pocket Protectors, Old Blue Striped Sweatshirt, Crossword Puzzles, Picture Puzzles, Band Concerts, Mini Van, Ping-Pong, Quadratic Formula, E=mc²  V=IR, Ice Cream, Hot Chocolate, Graham Crackers, Mechanical Pencils, Slide Projector, Tape Measure, Tool Bench, Volt Meter, UWEC Physics Department, State Parks, Popcorn, Yatzee, Rack-O, chess, Chinese checkers, Red-checkered shirts, Colorado Mountains, Ceylon, MN, Duct Tape, The Sound of Music, Lawrence Welk Show, “Doggie Melon”, Full Moon, Tinkering in The Basement, Fall Colors, Christmas Lights, Ave Maria 

***To contribute and really make a difference, visit my FUNDRAISING PAGE.***

#WRITING WEDNESDAYS

I'm very very very

happy to report that I finished editing my fairy tale saga.

It's already been submitted and now

I'M FREE.

My illustrious plans include reading Serena

and every other book on my towering TBR pile.

#Pit2Pub, the fun twitter pitch party
that I co-host along with my cousin
is now to be a biannual event!
(Click HERE for more info.)

Also,

I've given up on Tumblr.

(I really do suck at it)

On a more positive note,

I signed up to be the 2:20 pacer

at the local Healthy Human Race 1/2 Marathon.

Wish me luck!

#AUTHOR INTERVIEW with VICKI LEIGH

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH VICKI LEIGH, author of Catch Me When I Fall

and the upcoming Find Me If You Dare

NOW FOR MY QUESTIONS:


Q) Do you own a cat? The Black Cat Blog wants proof (a picture).
I do not. I have a puppy, though!
Ann: Gotta love a cute puppy! :)

​
Q) WORST life advice you ever received.
I actually don't know. lol

Q) BEST life advice you ever received.
The best things in life are the ones worth working for.

Q) Please share a picture of your favorite shoes.
I don't own them, but...
Ann: Even though I'd surely plunge to my death in these shoes, I can appreciate them.

Q) What's your favorite Disney film? (We are watching Maleficent right now.)
Tangled!
Ann: A most excellent choice!

Q) You recently went back to school. How do you manage to balance school, writing, and "real life?"
What is "real life?" ;) For real, though, I just prioritize everything. Whatever is due the soonest, or is most important, comes first. Then I just do as much as I can every day. It feels like there's never a time to relax, but I'm terrible at relaxing, anyway. :)
Ann: I'm not real great at relaxing, either. There's always so much to do...

Q) Has working as an editor made it more difficult for you to enjoy a good book when reading for "fun?"
Actually, yes. I find I've become hyper-aware of things in books, and a book I might've loved pre-editor-job, I don't enjoy as much now. That said, I can now especially appreciate a brilliant book.
Ann: I should've asked for examples here, darn it!

Q) Tell me about Rome. ALL ABOUT ROME. I want details, baby.
Rome is awesome. Amazing food, really hot guys, and so much history. It's beautiful there, and standing in the Coliseum gave me chills.

Q) What event would you call your breakthrough as an author?
To be quite honest, I have yet to feel like I've broken out in the industry. I'm still pretty unknown. But it was really awesome when someone who I didn't know had read and loved my book and came up to me at a conference half-way across the country to tell me so. :)

Q) What do you know now that you wish you knew much earlier on as an author?
How to write! haha All kidding aside, with each book you write, your strengths as an author grow. If I tried to re-write CATCH ME WHEN I FALL with all I've learned since then, it would be a completely different book. I do wish, though, I would've understood the publishing industry a little better (I just simply hadn't done enough research).

Q) What's the best marketing advice you can give other authors?
Pinpoint the social media outlets that target your specific audience and figure out ways to reach them while always being yourself. People can spot a phony—or someone simply trying to sell their books, rather than connect with readers—from a thousand miles away.

Q) Name 5 books you wish you'd written (and not just for the money and fame).
HARRY POTTER series. THE SCORPIO RACES. LOOKING FOR ALASKA. THE WRATH AND THE DAWN. GRISHA trilogy.

Q) List 5 books you loved as a child.
THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. EVERWORLD series. LIONESS QUARTET. THE PRINCESS DIARIES. HARRY POTTER.
Ann: I love these last two questions. They help build my TBR pile.

Q) If you were to be executed tomorrow, what would you choose as a meal for your last supper?

Chicken strips and fries. :)

AUTHOR BIO

Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes. She’s a previous acquisitions editor for Curiosity Quills Press, currently a full-time criminology student, and her YA debut, Catch Me When I Fall, released October 23, 2014.

You can find her at her website or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, YouTube, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Instagram.