The Winner Is….

MELANIE SIMMONS!!!  Congratulations Melanie! 
Alright now the fun part for you Melanie, you can either tell me a MASS MARKET PAPERBACK book that you want ($7.99 or under) and I will go to my local bookstore BAM (books-a-million) and buy the book.  I will then mail you the book with the address you give me through email or GOODREADS messages. 
-or-
You can pick from these books I’ve selected from my own library (my bookshelf):   

• Nightseer – Laurell K. Hamilton
• Death of a Darklord – Laurell K Hamilton
• Dark Lover – J.R. Ward
• A Rush of Wings – Adrian Phoenix
• Ill Wind – Rachel Caine
• Storm Front – Jim Butcher
• Fantasy Lover – Sherrilyn Kenyon

All the above (^) books are first of their perspective series and/or are stand alone novels.  Either way you choose to pick a book is fine.  :D
Thanks to everyone who participated, and I hope you all will continue to stop by regularly to check for new contests, book reviews and interviews with authors. 
The first interview will be with local GOODREADS author, D.B. Pacini.  I don’t know when exactly her interview will be on but I’ll be sure to post to let everyone know.
Also, if you’ve won NaNoWriMo please comment this blog post and let me know, I want to make sure to congratulate you all and maybe have short bios about everyone who won. 
Again, Congrats to Melanie and thanks to everyone for participating!  Happy Writing!!!
-KgB

My First Blog Contest!

Over on GOODREADS I said I was going to hold a contest on my blog.  In many of the groups I said I was going to wait till I reached 50 followers, but then a little birdie (by the name of Rita) told me that waiting would not be smart.  So she then gave me the idea to just hold the contest and once the contests, interviews, and reviews become a more regular thing…the people(followers) will follow. 

Her logic made perfect sense, so you have Rita to thank for this blog contest being held now!

SO ON TO THE CONTEST!!!!

This is how this contest will work:  For 24 hours, starting from when I press the  publish button to exactly that time on Saturday, I will be accepting names to be submitted to win a free Mass Market Paperback from BAM (Books-A-Million, my local bookstore) or a single book from a list of books from my own personal library.  Enticed? 

Another bonus is that I will also pay for Shipping and Handling for said book. 

Okay here is the only thing you, my current readers and followers, have to do: spread the word.  No lie.  That is all.  Sound pretty good? 

Why have a contest?  Because if I hold a contest and it is a success and we have lots of entries and people start coming to my blog more frequently THAN authors will start seeing that my blog is read and listened to and they will POSSIBLY donate one or two of their newest or upcoming book for me to use in my contests.  (Hey, everyone needs to have goals for there endeavors.)

I know that the ^ scenario is very far off but I can’t do it without starting my projects (the contests, interviews and reviews) and I can’t do it without you all.  So is everyone in? 

Just leave your name in a comment in the next 24 hours, and you will be eligible for the prize.  Its not an extravagant prize but it is a free book, who doesn’t like a free book? 

Alright let the contest begin!!! 

P.S. – the winner will be chosen at random using an randomizer.  I will then contact the winner via GOODREADS, blogger, or some other way in order to get their email so I can get their address and receive their free book. 

-KgB

 

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Well its that glorious time of year again when it is perfectly alright to be a complete and utter fat ass!  I’m so excited!  Right now I can smell my mom’s turkey baking in the over, the sweet potatoes sizzling as they heat up, green bean casserole sizzling in our second oven.  No pies yet to smell, Wendy is bring those.

I LOVE Thanksgiving, it is hands down my favorite holiday.  And thanks to the great climate of Alabama, we have a beautiful day to go along with it!  I mean its still like 50-some-odd-degrees but the sun is shining so I’m all set. 

Woke up this morning to the sound of a vacuum, everyone knows if people are coming over you HAVE to clean your house to the ninth-degree.  It wasn’t so bad though, our new puppy Chloe slept through most of the ruckus so we got done fairly quickly. 

Speaking of Chloe, we got a new puppy!  She is too cute :D   

The pound told us that she was 7 weeks old when we got her but apparently the person who dropped the liter she was in off lied because our doctor told us she is only 4 1/2 – 5 weeks old.  They gave us some puppy milk, I didn’t even know they did that, to feed her so by next week she’ll be on water.  We’ve been feeding her her puppy food and she just gobbles it up.  She is only 2 lbs, its ridiculous how small she is!  She falls asleep on my neck ALL the time, we think its because she can hear and feel our pulse so its comforting for her or something.  That and she’s a puppy and she wants to cuddle and make a puppy pile :D  Though its always on our neck so the pulse thing is probably more accurate :D. 

We think she is a Black Lab-Chow Chow mix, which is apparently VERY popular.  She was obviously black lab but her face is Chow Chow and she has a purple tongue so it fits :D Either way she is going to be a gorgeous little dog!  Biased?  Me? Never. 

Well, in writing news, I stayed up till about midnight last night in order to write my section for the collective story I’m working on with a group of people from GOODREADS.   Its really interesting and I can’t wait to see where it goes.  I hope the group isn’t mad with my section I kind of went off on a tangent because I didn’t know what do with the characters in the scene…so I wrote a couple scenes featuring the bad guy, but I think it turned out well, we’ll see what everyone says, I’ll keep you posted.

As for NaNoWriMo, I failed…miserably.  For some reason the NaNo people believed November was a good month for writing, who in there right mind thinks that?  How about October?  That way your in the middle of the semester and not the end. November teachers begin rushing their classes because they realize they’re behind.  Oh well, maybe next year.  Though I decided I am just going to try and treat every month like a NaNoWriMo, because that way maybe I could FINALLY finish a manuscript.  I’m focusing hard on Alori now, I MUST get that done.  I have the next five chapters outlined so I should soar through those.  Wish me luck!!!

Well that is all for now!  Happy Thanksgiving, for all my international friends…you should have a Thanksgiving just find a reason in your country and a date that coincides and pig out on that day EVERY year :D 

Happy Writing, Reading, and Eating!!!

KgB

P.S. – Don’t forget to check out the Princess and The Frog, its Disney and a history making movie, go see it :D

Veteran’s Day and NaNoWriMo

Happy Veteran’s Day everyone!!!  As a military kid, I love this holiday because 1. I got off from school (always have) and 2. military discounts at every store from Books-A-Million to Target.  However, though this holiday is normally a lot of fun, or just a veg-out kind of today, today my car died and from noon-6 PM my day was consumed by tow trucks, bills, and weird car noises and symbols on the dashboard screen. 

On a happier note, I got 2000 words for NaNo today.  It isn’t alot since that only brings my word count to 10000, which is seriously far behind but I have an edge of having the ENTIRE week of Thanksgiving off, so I’m really banking on that.  I’ll catch up, got to stay positive right?

School has been hectic as hell, with tests and lab practicals galore it seems like I never have a dull moment in my life.  Than you throw in a job, with 3 shifts a week, extra-curricular things like MUN, and community service/volunteering…their are only so many hours in the day. 

-the above has A LOT to do with my lack of word count on NaNoWriMo. 

Starting tomorrow I’m bringing my laptop to school, in order to gross my word count and maybe even blog a little more than I usually do.  I also have some interviews with authors coming up.  Robert Hamilton and D.B. Pacini, so keep your eyes open for that. 

So to all my fellow NaNoers, HAPPY WRITING!!!  And again, HAPPY VETERAN’S DAY!

September Short Story Contest Winner!!!

Yes I know October is almost over BUT our September winner must still be recognized!  As a prize for winning the short story contest in September, Marley was asked a few questions on how she felt about winning and her writing life. 

So without further delay, or dilly-dallying on my part, here is the Winner of the September 2009 Short Story Contest, Marley!

1. Congrats on your recent contest win! How did you feel when you found out the good news?

I was very excited to be chosen out of a group of very talented writers.

2. How did you become interested in writing?

I don't even remember when I first started writing. I just remember being little and having paper, pens, and a lot to say. Once I got older, I had a lot of spare time, and writing was a nice way to fill it.

3. What is your writing routine like?

I have no focus whatsoever, so I don’t write everyday, which is probably a bad thing. But, I try to keep note of what my word counts are. Usually writing for me just happens when I get an idea.

4. How do you deal with writers block?

If I am stuck when I'm writing a longer story, I'll ask my friend to help move it along. And I am willing to do the same for her. Sometimes I can't seem to think of anything, and it is best to just drop something and move on.

5. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I'm more likely to have favorite books then favorite authors, but I do like Marcus Zusak, Ned Vizzini, E.R Frank, Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson and Heather O'Neil.

6. What is your biggest advice to other young writers?

You should write whatever you feel like writing, don't let somebody try to steer the direction toward a different genre or plot. If it isn't entertaining you, it probably won't entertain anyone else. Do your best to hook them and drag them to the finish.

7. What are you working on now?

Right now I am working on poems and thinking about the story I am going to be trying to complete for National Novel Writing Month.

Thanks Marley so much for taking the time to answer my questions!  We hope to see more of your writing in the future! 

Alright so the first interviews are up on both blogs now!  So everyone keep trudging along for the October 2009 contest!  We have some talented writers in our group, come showcase that talent!

Happy Writing!

KgB

Disney World and Blue Moon Press

Well Happy Late Labor Day Everyone :D  I just finished my homework and for the first time in a LONG time, I have time to blog.  I have to say, I’m excited.

Well just to update everyone on my last blog, I won 3rd place in the Blue Moon Literary Review contest, and my story Banishment will be published in the fall issue of the review.  I won a $25 prize, its not a lot but hey its like getting paid for my writing.  My copies of the review and my check should arrive some time this week.  I’m waiting to see my published work before writing anything else.  I’m going to use the momentum/adrenaline boost to hopefully persevere through a whole novel :D 

Reading wise I have been SWAMPED!!!  I swear August is like ‘book release month’.  From Blood Promise to Catching Fire, I’ve been hitting all genres in both the Adult and Youth areas of literature.  I won’t go into detail, but you get the idea.  Though I will say, if you haven’t read the HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY, or the 2 books that are out, than you are missing out.  THE HUNGER GAMES by SUZANNE COLLINS, is amazing and the sequel CATCHING FIRE is better if you can believe it! 

Also, the Study and Glass Series by Maria V. Snyder.  The Glass series is her latest series and the newest book, SEA GLASS, just came out is, as was to be expected, amazing!  There’s two authors for you all to go find and love, I promise you both those things will happen, especially the latter.

Now my Labor Day Vacation to DISNEY WORLD :D

I don’t care how old you are, Disney World NEVER gets old!!!  The first day we were there we just hung out at the pool all day, drinking.  Yes my parents bought me alcohol and I drank.  Double whiskey sours, margaritas, beer…mhmm it was a good day. 

We stayed at the Port Orleans Resort: French Quarter, it was very nice and authentic, you actually felt like you were in French Quarter New Orleans.  Of course, if Disney does something they go all out so I don’t know why I was surprised.

The night of the first day my sister, Ashley, drove down from GSU, Georgia Southern University, and we headed over to EPCOT for its after hours special.  And we hit all the rides that were open and all the usual stops but the new attraction SOARIN, was awesome!!  You ‘soared’ over California, which is a GORGEOUS state by the way, and, no lie, you actually felt like you were flying over Cali.  It might sound stupid but it was awesome and I totally recommend it if you guys ever get down to Disney.  By Midnight, EPCOT was kicking everyone out and we headed back to the hotel, we were EXHAUSTED. 

Not much to say except we had reserved TWO ROOMS so comfort was to a maximum since we all had our own beds :D.  I slept like a baby…just saying.

Well I’ll leave it at that for now and I’ll recap DAY 2 of my Disney trip tomorrow :D 

P.S. – As a special treat I’ll be interviewing author/songwriter/mentor D.B. Pacini on an up-coming blog.  So spread the word.  More information will be given as I get closer to posting/doing the interview. 

Hope everyone has a good night! 

-KgB

Last “Real” Day of Summer

Okay well I’m officially chronically depressed.  I got my schedule for the school year and do you want to know what it looks like?!?!

Anatomy, AP History, AP Chem, Pre-Cal….WTF!?!!?  I might actually die, or kill myself…one of those two out comes is going to happen.  I don’t even want to worry about second semester yet..I just want to get this one out of the way first…with my job, and writing projects…its going to be a brutal year.

I need to go to counselor and talk to her so that I don’t die. 

Anyways in Writing news, I almost got the group project under way which is really exciting.  Its taken me TWO WEEKS to get everyone to join in and were finally picking a genre I couldn’t be more happy.

Sadly I haven’t heard back from the Blue Moon Literary magazine so I don’t know if my story won the contest or not, cross your fingers for me :D 

Reading…I’ve been doing A LOT of that.  Acheron, Devil May Cry, Thorn Queen.  I’m not going to review all of ‘em I’m just going to say they were all amazing! 

Acheron though, if you haven’t read the Dark Hunter Series DON’T read Acheron out of order…you need to really experience it, tis very epic.

Well thats all for now I gotta head to the school :D