Today's the day! I'm seventeen and, as promised, I'm hosting a giveaway. There are two prizes up for grabs, both of which I acquired at YAK Fest 2014.
#1: A Signed Book
THE PIRATE'S WISH by Cassandra Rose Clarke
After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach.
Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.
Christina from Christina Reads YA was kind enough to write a short review of the book for me. If the summary hasn't quite sold you, perhaps her opinion will.
"Cassandra Rose Clarke does a fantastic job at incorporating various fantasy and fairy tale elements while keeping her novel action-packed and full of humor and heart in this sequel to THE ASSASSIN'S CURSE.
"A new character, in the form of a talking manticore, is a lot of fun and propels the plot into unexpected territory. Not only do we get to see Ananna grow a lot because of the leadership position she's forced to assume, but we also get to see a lot more of the world as she and her crew journey to break the curse and more of her soft side as she and Naji learn to open up to one another. Getting slight hints about other places that Clarke has created also makes me eager to read and explore more about the world--and makes me sad to learn that there are no more novels in this series. However, I also thought that Clarke had done a great job keeping this plot confined to a duology, and thus not trying to stretch things too thin. Basically she's done the best of both things: managing her plot well while adding in enough about the world to make me curious for more.
"In the end, I'm disappointed that there are not more light, swashbuckling fantasy adventure series like this. If I had one complaint about THE PIRATE'S WISH, it'd be that I wanted more: more characters, more adventure, more of everything--and certainly that's not a bad complaint at all, huh?"
#2: A Swag Package
See for yourself:
Now, that you've seen the goodies, just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. This is a U.S. only giveaway. Good luck!
The weekend before last I traveled to Ft. Worth, TX to attend the Young Adult Keller Book Festival. Last time I attended, I posted a blow-by-blow account of the experience that spanned four posts. I am not going to be that detailed this go 'round, but I would still like to give you a run-down of the day.
This post will be organized by time frames. Below is the schedule for the event.
10:00 - 10:45
I actually made it to the keynote this year! We (my grandparents, Lizzie, and I) stayed the night in Ft. Worth on Friday to be sure of it. All of the authors were introduced and asked their greatest fear. Afterward, Neal Shusterman gave a speech about the events in his life that led him to tell stories. My grandparents then left.
10:55 - 11:45
For the first session, I chose Reality Bites. This panel featured contemporary writers. They discussed their books and talked about what inspired them. Then they answered some "lightning round" questions such as "What is your biggest pet peeve?".
11:45 - 12:45
Lizzie and I met back up with my grandparents for lunch. We drove to a nearby Sonic to eat.
Upon getting dropped back at the festival, I decided to visit the table where The Book Carriage was selling books by the attending authors. To my dismay, I found many of the books I had hoped to purchase were sold out. I ended up purchasing only two items: FAULT LINE by C. Desir and EVERFOUND by Neal Shusterman.
12:45 - 1:35
During this time slot, I decided to visit the Escape Hatch, a place the authors on break came to intermingle with guests. They handed out (signed!) swag, answered questions, and took silly pictures. I really enjoyed participating and came away with lots of cool (signed!) stuff. Megan Shepherd also signed my copy of THE MADMAN'S DAUGHTER.
After I left the Escape Hatch, I stopped at the The Book Carriage table again and bought a copy of DREADLOCKS by Neal Shusterman.
1:45 - 2:35
Our next stop was Colin Gilbert's workshop Escape With a Poem, which we also attended during YAK Fest 2012. I was a little disappointed this year. The session was not nearly as interactive or fun as the previous one. We were supposed to draw inspiration from art then free write. I feel like I sat doing nothing for an hour. On the plus side, Colin remembered me!
2:45 - 3:35
We walked down the hallway to the Council for Post-Apocalyptic Survival panel. Again, the authors talked about their books. They also supplied interesting survival tips and explained how they worldbuild. These panelists also answered a set of "lighting round" questions.
3:35 - 5:00
At last, it was time for the book signing.
My grandparents had returned while Lizzie and I were in the last session. Upon reuniting, I found that my grandmother had purchased A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHTMARE by Kody Keplinger and TESLA'S ATTIC by Neal Shusterman for me. She had also managed to find a copy of THE DOLLHOUSE ASYLUM by Mary Gray, a book I had wanted earlier. My grandfather also bought WINGER by Andrew Smith for Lizzie.
We put my grandfather in charge of keeping our place in Neal Shusterman's (looong) line, then raced to get all of our other books signed. The lines moved quickly and we were soon able to relieve my grandfather. When we reached the author's table, my grandmother slid in and took a picture of Lizzie and me with Neal.
I left the festival happy and satisfied. Below are pictures of the other eight signatures I acquired.
One last thing before you go. While I was at YAK Fest, I picked up a few extra things. That, plus the fact that tomorrow is my birthday, means I'm hosting a giveaway! Stop back by tomorrow to enter.
As Michael put it to me, "Hey, it's 2014. Stop being lazy and post something."
So here I am!
I guess I should start with NaNoWriMo: I didn't win. My final word count was 30,155. However, as I state on my newly updated NaNoWriMo profile, there are no regrets involved. Of course, I would have loved to have reached 50k and completed a first draft, but my reason for falling short of my goal was, I believe, a good one. Either way, I now have a pretty substantial beginning to a new story.
Nothing major has happened since then, but I have a lot of big events coming up.
This Saturday, I will be attending the third annual YAK Fest. For those who don't know, YAK Fest is short for Young Adult Keller Book Festival. I attended the festival the year before last and had a great time (read about it here, here, here, and here). I'm hoping to obtain a couple extra signed books to giveaway for my birthday on February 4th.
On February 15th, I'm going to Tulsa to audition for the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute (read about my prior experiences with the Institute here). Between now and then, I have to work on the needed portfolio. I don't have many written-in-the-past-year short works to draw from besides my NaPoWriMo poems. Hence, the next few weeks will be dedicated to writing short stories. As I choose to add and write new pieces, I may post them on Figment as I did last year (here and here).
In between those two things, there's my Solo and Ensemble competition for choir. Since I decided to enter a solo, I have to practice that as well as my ensemble. I'm also a part of ANNIE, the musical we're doing at school. I have rehearsal almost every day until the end of February.
On top of all that, the AP life is about to hit me hard. Between Chemistry and English Language and Composition (side note: in this class, we are going to write haikus about whales for a contest soon), the Saturday sessions, mock tests, and homework might kill me. I'm also taking AP U.S. History, but, said nicely, my teacher isn't really up to par.
Soooo, in conclusion, I'm going to be busy.
Topics For Next Post: 1) my lack of New Year's Resolutions and 2) projects I'll be working on
Over the past few months I have mentioned here or there in comments that I would be going to my first author signing soon. Ellen Hopkins would be coming within three hours of me. On Saturday, January 16th, I went to meet her at the Young Adult Keller (YAK) Book Festival.
BUSINESS CARDS
My business card.
During the signing period of the festival, my mother bought my sister a T-shirt. While she was doing this, she told the shirt vendor about my flash fiction pieces in Campaigner Challenges 2011 (you may have noticed she does this a lot). The saleswoman was a teacher and wanted to know if I would like to speak to her class about writing. She asked if I had a business card. I didn't, but you can bet my mom made sure I got some as soon as possible.
We used Staples. You go online and choose one of their templates. You type in your information. If you don't like the font color, size, style, or simply the placement of the words, change it. When you're happy, you place your order and the cards are delivered to the nearest Staples location.
SCHOOL SPEAKING
As mentioned above, while at the festival a teacher asked if I would speak to her class. I don't really know how I feel about this. On one hand, it would be great exposure and marketing. On the other, what am I even marketing? I don't have a book published. I'm just a girl with a blog. What would I even talk about? How would I even speak?
If given the opportunity, should I speak to this teacher's class?
COLIN GILBERT (again)
Lizzie's copy of The Mattress Parlor plus note.
As mentioned in Part 3, by the time Alisha went to buy her copy of Colin Gilbert's The Mattress Parlor he had sold out. She ordered one as did Lizzie (though she never paid). Recently, those books came in, along with a free CD of his poetry (which I will eventually steal from Lizzie, shh).
Does anyone else find it hilarious that he thinks Lizzie is the writer?
I hope you've had a fun time reading about my experience at the Young Adult Keller Book Festival. How was your first author signing? What do you think of the authors I have mentioned throughout the series?
[Note: Part 3 is chronological within itself, but is not when compared to Part 2.]
Over the past few months I have mentioned here or there in comments that I would be going to my first author signing soon. Ellen Hopkins would be coming within three hours of me. On Saturday, January 16th, I went to meet her at the Young Adult Keller (YAK) Book Festival.
LUNCH
"I" is for "Indians."
After the first panel, it was time for lunch. They had food at the event, but we ended up at McDonald's (my father later informed me there was a Chick-fil-A a block in the other direction -.-). After eating, my parents and sister dropped us off and went to visit one of my father's friends.
We arrived a little early for the second panel, so lounged around in the school's cafeteria. There was live entertainment, courtesy of a few (I assumed) students and they announced some of the door prize winners. While sitting there, we made the glorious discovery you see to your left. We assumed Indians were the high school's mascot.
Finally, it was time. We decided to split up. Alisha and Jess went to the Slam Poetry Session. Lizzie and I proceeded to the Speculative Fiction Panel.
THE SPECULATIVE FICTION PANEL
Back row from left: Random, Random, Me, Lizzie
Five authors (Samantha Cook, Krissi Dallas, Jeff Hirsch, Cory Putman Oakes, and J. M. Richardson) took part in this panel. Once again a moderator asked questions, then opened the Q&A afterward.
The authors had question after question shot at them: Did you write when they you were young? Ms. Dallas told of reading over her old journals. If you could choose, what world, what book, would you live in? Everyone agreed that The Eleventh Plague (Mr. Hirsch's book) was at the bottom of the list. How did you come up with your title? Who did your cover art? What is your favorite word? The panelists answered everything with honesty and a touch of humor.
When it was over, Lizzie and I checked on Alisha and Jess. Their session wasn't over yet so we headed to the station where they sold the books (courtesy of The Book Carriage). After much deliberation, I bought You by Charles Benoit and Girl Meets Boy edited by Kelly Milner Halls who also contributed. About this time, we noticed people exiting the Slam Poetry Session and headed that way.
THE SLAM POETRY SESSION
Now, while the Poetry Session had sounded interesting, the program informed us actual poetry writing was involved and neither I nor Lizzie was really in the mood. However, when we went to collect Jess and Alisha, they convinced us to stay (turns out you didn't have to write). I am so unbelievably glad they did.
Colin Gilbert, the performance poet, was alone and, while there was a moderator, she was simply there to oversee the session. He performed a few poems (I've posted a video of one below) and recited a couple of his haikus. Here's my favorite (I don't think I got it exactly right. I'm missing a syllable.):
She always said love was like flying so he pushed her off a cliff
He also showed us a trick to write quick, random poems. You never really know what you'll end up with, and what kind of ideas will come of it. It doesn't work well for me, but it might for you.
Think of five or six nouns. Set them to the side.
Pick a general category (ie. animals) and come up with five or six nouns that fall under it.
Match verbs to the second group of nouns.
Now take those verbs and attach them to the first group of nouns.
Jess did several variations of one of these poems until she got the following. She says it's about me (she calls me her majestic pony because of my hair).
Scary laughs take chills to my back Then randomly behind me comes a thwack I turn and what to see? But my majestic pony looking at me. She gumms our shoulders Sometimes bites I'd save her from a boulder
Besides all this, Colin said a couple things that struck me. He told us we will get rejected. Nothing new in that. But then, he stated that he liked rejections, enjoyed getting them. I have never heard a writer of any kind say that, even though that's how I felt about my first rejection and how I feel when I think of future ones. The second thing?Everyone is a great writer until they reach the age of eight. Eight is when they start teaching you the boundaries of sentence structure, paragraphs, punctuation. And though I love those things, there was a simple beauty in that.
THE (first part of the) BOOK SIGNING
My favorite out of all seven.
We headed back to the cafeteria for the signing. The area where we sat previously was actually a sort of pit, closed in by a stage, a hallway, the area where theirfood was served, and another section that might have held tables for eating on a normal day. The tables sitting there on Saturday were for signing.
Though the authors hadn't arrived yet, people were already lining up. Jess and I left Lizzie and Alisha in the pit and went to join them. At first, we were going to get in Ellen Hopkins' line, but because it looped and other lines cut through it, it was very confusing and we couldn't find the end (hey, we're both blondes). We decided to start with the shortest line and work our way to the longest.
While everyone was waiting, they announced more door prize winners. And Lizzie won! Since Colin's line was right by the stairs, I left Jess and rushed to see what she got. She had chosen from the prizes a "bound object" called This Is Not a Book. I had just enough time to jump back in line before the authors showed up.
Colin was selling his book (The Mattress Parlor) at his table. I paid for mine and he signed it: "For a Brooklynn so great she got an extra "N." I loved this because everyone is always spelling my name wrong. Jess got her copy and we headed over to the next line.
Ms. Halls signed Girl Meets Boy and told me to enjoy.
Alisha came up to buy her copy of Colin's book and found that he had run out. He took her money, her address, and promised to send her one. We got in line for Charles Benoit. About this time, Jess wandered off (after leaving me with the two books I wanted Ms.Hopkins to sign, which later turned to four), and Lizzie showed up with my sister in tow, saying my mother had told her to watch her while she went to the restroom.
Mr. Benoit signed You, implementing the title into his signature, as he asked us what school we attended. We told him and moved on to the great adventure of finding the end of the Ellen Hopkins line, where my mother found us.
DINNER THEN HOME
We got out of there around five and headed home, stopping in Decatur, Texas for dinner. We ate at a small Chinese buffet (I swear without them my family would starve). Unfortunately, about then, my sister, who had just recovered from a stomach bug, informed us that she thought she was going to throw up. And she did (don't worry she made it to the bathroom). The plus side to that is she no longer likes McDonald's.
We then drove the rest of the way home, all five of us kids half comatose. At my house, my friends gathered their things and my mom dropped Alisha at her grandmother's and Lizzie and Jess at Lizzie's townhouse. I cleaned up the living room where we'd slept, took care of a few things, and headed to sleep, tired but happy.
More On Colin Gilbert, Girl Meets Boy, and You:
Colin Gilbert
Tackling tough issues with a positive message, Colin Gilbert has established one of the most versatile performance poetry careers in the United States. The ninth-ranked performance poet in the world in 2009, Colin has performed at almost 400 universities, poetry venues and private engagements, including The Ballpark in Arlington (home of the Texas Rangers), music and film festivals, events for the Dallas Cowboys and even a few prisons (voluntarily, of course!). His high-energy poetry has even made its way into the modern dance programs and advertising campaigns.
Offstage, Colin's writing can be found in dozens of literary journals, magazines and anthologies. He is the current Editor of Lamplighter Review and recipient of multiple honors, including the Hughes, Diop, Knight Literary Award, Colin's new, full-length poetry book, The Mattress Parlor, is currently available from Scribble Fire Press.
Learn more about him and his work at www.wix.com/colingilbert/home.
Girl Meets Boy edited by Kelly Milner Halls
What do guys and girls really think? Twelve of the most dynamic and engaging YA authors writing today team up for this one-of-a-kind collection of "he said/she said" stories-he tells it from the guy's point of view, she tells it from the girl's. These are stories of love and heartbreak. There's the good-looking jock who falls for a dangerous girl, and the flipside, the toxic girl who never learned to be loved; the basketball star and the artistic (and shorter) boy she never knew she wanted; the gay boy looking for love online and the girl who could help make it happen. Each story in this unforgettable collection teaches us that relationships are complicated-because there are two sides to every story. -Goodreads
You by Charles Benoit
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.
You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?
There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?
You is the riveting story of fifteen-year-old Kyle and the small choices he does and doesn't make that lead to his own destruction. -Goodreads
[Note: Part 2 is chronological within itself, but is not when compared to Part 3.]
Over the past few months I have mentioned here or there in comments that I would be going to my first author signing soon. Ellen Hopkins would be coming within three hours of me. On Saturday, January 16th, I went to meet her at the Young Adult Keller (YAK) Book Festival.
THE REALISTIC FICTION PANEL
A little late, we found the lecture hall where the Realistic Fiction session was being held and took our seats (after a slight scuffle over who was going to go in first). The five authors were sitting at a table in the front discussing swear words.
From left to right: Charles Benoit, Beth Fehlbaum, Kelly Milner Halls, Ellen Hopkins, and Lori Aurelia Williams
Mr. Benoit said that he did not use curse words in order to reach a wider audience (ie. Catholic schools). Someone, I believe Ms. Fehlbaum, spoke of a reviewer who counted the number of cuss words (77, including "crap") in her book. Ms. Hopkins expressed her opinion that swear words, especially the word "fuck," should be used only when needed, not to give a shock factor. She used an example from her novel Crank, where the main character says "Fuck you" to her mother. She remembered saying that to her own mom and how emotional it had been.
After the moderator (who sat next to Ms. Williams) asked a few more questions, the Q&A was opened to the audience. While I didn't have any questions myself, Jess did ("Do you think of your readers as you write?"). My mother was also very excited and interactive, asking not only questions on publishing (which I should have appreciated more) but for the authors of books that the panelists recommended. She even took notes.
THE BOOK SIGNING
Lizzie, my sister, and myself waiting in line for Ellen Hopkins.
We got in line around four o'clock. If you'll look at the picture to your left, you can see us, right there at the end (and surprisingly, very in the center, seeing as the YAK fest photographer randomly snapped this). And don't we just look close to the front! But you see those people behind us, and the people behind them? Yeah, they're all standing in the same line.
But I waited. Through a curve.
And a normal sized line.
And a curve.
And a normal sized line.
When we got to the front of the line, my mom showed Ms. Hopkins the copy of Campaigner Challenges 2011 she has on her Kindle (hence the first signature). Ms. Hopkins then asked me what I write. I think I muttered something along the lines of "Um, uh, a lot of things?" Luckily, my mother stepped in to save me.
Was it worth it? The three hour drive, the argument with my mother (again, I should have been more appreciative, I blame morning brain), the almost-hour in line, the embarrassment of freezing when talking to one of my favorite authors? I think it was.
Myself and Ellen Hopkins
More On Ellen Hopkins:
Ellen Hopkins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Crank, Burned, Impulse, Glass, Identical, Tricks, Fallout, Perfect, and Triangles. Her novels are praised by teens and adults alike and she has been called the "bestselling living poet in the country" by mediabistro.com. She lives with her family in Carson City, Nevada. Learn more about her and her books at ellenhopkins.com.
Over the past few months I have mentioned here or there in comments that I would be going to my first author signing soon. Ellen Hopkins would be coming within three hours of me. On Saturday, January 16th, I went to meet her at the Young Adult Keller (YAK) Book Festival.
THE NIGHT BEFORE
On Friday, after going to Quizbowl practice, I went home, bringing two of my friends with me (hereafter referred to as Lizzie and Alisha). We proceeded to the grocery store for snacks and dinner ingredients and then home, upon which we munched on those snacks and made those ingredients into a dinner. A few hours later (at which time I was growing anxious because she was supposed to have been there soon after we got home), another of my friends (hereafter referred to as Jess) arrived.
The night was then spent on doing makeup and hair (or in my case, just hair), experimenting for the next day. Amidst all the laughing and girly chit-chat, we managed to drag out the pull-out bed and blankets and I got all nine of Ellen Hopkins' books into a backpack. We went to bed later than we should have seeing as we had to get up at seven.
THE MORNING OF
This is what I wore.
In the morning we all stumbled out of bed, our eyelids drooping down past our chins, got dressed, and climbed into the car, books, snacks, and makeup box in tow. I started out in the middle bench seat, but got bumped to the front (my mother has to sit next to you when she's doing up your face) where I took a nice doze for about an hour. And, even after I got bumped back, I continued to do so on and off for the next two as well.
Upon reaching the high school where the event was being held, my father and sister headed inside in search of a restroom and us girls stayed in the car to finish up makeup (of which I gave in and took just a tad), joking about how big of a deal we were making this out to be and freaking when Jess set off the car alarm. We finally made it inside around eleven or so, registered, signed up for door prizes (except for my mother we discovered later), and picked up our programs.
I was disappointed to see that we had both missed the Key Note and Ellen Hopkins as a speaker, but our pamphlets informed us that it was time to pick a session and she was listed under the Realistic Fiction panel...
