Midnight Sisters Shops Local!

I know you've heard it. Print books are dying out.

It's not encouraging to those of us who want to sell books to hear that buyers aren't buying. Or if they are buying, they're buying eBooks for under $1.

My crazy family. I can't take them anywhere...

Well, my dears, here's the truth. My author events in bookstores have always been successful. I don't make enough to move out of my two-bedroom condo or quit my day job, but I do make enough to keep writing. 

And occasionally pay for a pedicure. Or a green polka dot dress.

When your book launch is at a retro dress shop...

I've had a blast promoting my books in local shops this year. Friends, family, and perfect strangers strolled in and snatched up copies of my newest release, Midnight Sisters. And many of them snagged Becoming Beauty as well.

Crazy friends. Oh how I love them.

How does that happen if print books are a dying breed? Here's what I've seen:

• Local shops run by individuals who understand local culture and stock their shelves accordingly will be successful.
• Authors who carefully plan public events, put in the leg work (i.e. traditional and online promotion), and genuinely connect with potential readers will also be successful.

Trust me, simply showing up with a smile and 900 copies of your newest novel will not be enough. There needs to be a solid plan in place. Chat with shop owners and librarians, build good rapport, borrow tips and techniques from other writers, and get busy promoting on your end.

And yes, please take your smile and pile of books. You're going to need those.

Like any author, I've had several nominally successful author events too. Instead of becoming discouraged, I choose to learn from those experiences.

• Did I fail to promoted the event sufficiently? 
• Did I fail to include effective strategies that have worked before?
• Is my sales pitch (i.e. book blurb) enough to hook potential readers?
• Did I make some valuable connections that I can use later on?
• Did I leave a good impression with my host?

As a second-time author, I've been much better at playing to my strengths this time around. For me, that includes playing to the local crowd and being warm, friendly, and visible. Let me tell you, it's exhausting, but so much fun!

That's what we do, isn't it? Take the awesome, learn from the not-so-awesome, and keep on improving. So writerly and non-writerly friends, go forth and conquer!

Then come back and tell me how it went.

Ladybug's Garden {Book Review}

The fact that I teach kindergarten and have done so for the past decade means everyone assumes I write children's books. 

It does make sense. I'm sort of an expert. But it takes a certain something to write an appealing children's book and I am far too obsessed with big words to attempt it.

However, I still follow a number of children's authors and illustrators on Twitter because I fully appreciate what they do. So, when I was invited to participate in Ladybug's Garden Blog Tour, I came right on board! Ladybug's Garden is a sweet story that touches on the importance of attending to the needs of others. Since we've been discussing community helpers in my classroom lately, I introduced Ladybug's Garden to my kindergartners.

Kindergartners' Response to Ladybug's Garden:
Out of the fifteen children, twelve enjoyed the story and three were unsure if they liked it. (BTW all three were boys. All the girls present liked Ladybug's Garden.) After reading the book, we discussed what they liked or did not like about the story and how they felt about the illustrations.

Me: What did you like about the story?
Boy: Well, ladybug helped bee and snail. It made me feel happy.
Boy: They made it up the hill. That made me happy.
Girl: She made everyone help. I like that they made her a party.

Me: What did you not like about the story?
Boy: The snail was going slow. He couldn't deliver so much.

Me: What did you think about the illustrations?
Girl: I liked all of them.

Overall, it was a very positive response from the Schofields' intended audience. Ladybug's Garden is especially appealing to girls. They appreciated both the story, the illustration, and the fact that it was written and illustrated by younger authors. I believe that when I add it to our classroom library, students will choose to reread it. 

My Response:
Initially, I didn't fall in love with Ladybug's Garden. but when I shared it with children, I enjoyed the rhythmic flow and bright illustrations much more. I think this would be a wonderful story to share with the youngsters in your life. As an adult, I would probably rate it as 3.5 stars.

Ladybug's Garden Coverart

About the Book:

When Ladybug receives an invitation to a picnic, she prepares a basket of treats to share and sets off into the garden. On her way, Ladybug notices several bugs in need. She happily stops to help them, but worries she won’t make it in time. When Ladybug finally reaches the picnic, she discovers a sweet surprise! Watch the trailer for Ladybug's Garden for more details!

Annabella & Sofia Schofield

About the Authors:

Anabella and Sofia Schofield are sixteen-year-old twin sisters and best friends. When asked in preschool what they wanted to be when they grew up, both responded, “A ladybug!” Their goals have changed, but they’re happy to be writing about a ladybug now! Ladybug’s Garden began as a project the authors wrote and illustrated at age thirteen. In their spare time, Anabella and Sofia enjoy reading, writing, watching movies, photography, music, and art.

Ladybug's Garden is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

See what everyone is saying about Ladybug's Garden! 

Ladybug’s Garden Blog Tour Schedule:

February 8: Mom Read It

February 9: Beach Bound Books

February 10: Book Review Mama

February 11: I Heart Reading {Pre-launch Party}

February 12: TheReader’s Salon

Books Direct {Review & Giveaway}

Pop’s Blog {Author Interview}

February 13: Little Fox Reads {Author Interview}

February 14: Life with A

SolaFide Publishing Blog

February 15: Katie’s Clean Book Collection

February 16: Cranial Hiccups

Two Heartbeats

February 17: Sarah Boucher

February 18: The Resistance

Launched: Take Two

Book Launches are the whipped chocolate ganache atop a carefully assembled cake.

Because seriously, what kind of nutjob skips the frosting?

Becoming Beauty's Book Launch was a blast! Even though I self-published Midnight Sisters, I still wanted to give it the coming out it deserved. So on Saturday, January 21, 2017 Endless Indulgence Retro Wear hosted Midnight Sisters' Book Launch Party.

And it was a party!

It all began with a good set up. Here are the basics I make sure are present at my events:

• An appropriate venue.
• Invitations and events set up via social media that are easy to share and promote. No matter how good the venue is (and mine was awesome) it won't matter if no one knows about it.
• Giveaways or other special incentives for your guests. (I've done giveaways, coloring contests and guessing games, depending on my audience.)

My philosophy is to keep things as professional and fun as possible. Put on your fancy shoes, your best author grin, and get to work! 

And custom cupcakes never hurt! Thanks again to Nicole's Cupcake Corner for helping us fend off low blood sugar! And thanks to everyone who participated, visited, nabbed a cupcake, entered the giveaway, bought a book, and kept me giggling all afternoon.

The Writing Retreat

This spring I came to my beloved Writing Group with a plan. I wanted a Summer Writing Retreat.

My thought process was something like:

Ooh, it's going to be amazing! There will be time to work all the kinks out of my manuscript and interact with some of my favorite people! 

Can you tell I've never been to one of these before?

Sometimes it's best to create your own plan instead of following someone's tried and true method. (Plus tried and true sounds boring, while my plan centered around writing, playing, good food, a bit of shopping, and laughter. Lots of laughter.)

So, the ladies and I reserved a hotel near Park City, UT and began to plan. I'm mid-edit on Book Two and my goal was to make it much closer to the end. And hey, getting in several quiet hours of writing was very productive.

To my way of thinking, there have to be some givens in holding/attending a Writing Retreat:

Come to work. Bring your project(s) and have a personal goal in mind. (In case you're wondering, my goal was to make progress on my WIP and not to make everyone crazy.) If you don't think you can engage that long, have a back up plan like blogging, editing, world building, character development, etc.

Be prepared for distractions. My lovely friend Jo Ann Schneider informed me early on that she'd be bringing earplugs. She knows me way too well...but hey, I was quiet and well-behaved for so long! (For the Chatty Patties like me, bring earbuds so you can block out the other humans in the room you desperately need to chat up. For example, I edited to Glee on Netflix for two days.)

Leave time for fun. This may not seem important when you're on a business trip, but when you hit your goal--whether it's a time goal or a word count--you need to hit the town, hit the restaurant, or hey, hit the sack. I don't know about you, but I need a brain break after a long day of intense focusing.

If the above picture doesn't express how well our weekend went, I don't know what will. We had an amazing time! It may not have been the most productive I've ever been--traveling all over for several weeks takes a toll--but I'm proud of the work I did. It's set me firmly on the path to polishing up Book Two for publishing later this year. And we're already thinking of what we want to do next year.

Bear Lake for Writing Retreat 2017, anyone? Don't forget to pack your swimsuits and be ready for a Raspberry Shake break. Because that's totally happening.

* * *

What are your thoughts? What type of Writing Retreats have you attended? Thanks for dropping by!

Humor & Inspiration in Writing: British Book Invasion

Heidi Jo Doxey:
The Girl with All the Answers

Remember the kerfuffle with the Humor & Inspiration posts a couple of weeks ago when the guest posts ran out? Well now, my dear readers, I'm overrun with awesome content, both of the humorous and inspiring variety. So, what does that mean for you? There are many more super cool authors, writers, and bloggers coming your way! 

Speaking of super cool authors, meet Heidi Jo Doxey. She's another Cedar Fort author like yours truly. But instead of wrestling kindergartners as a teacher, she's wrestles words as an editor and avid blogger. Heidi has a warm personality, a delightful sense of humor, and she too adores British culture (though to my knowledge, Heidi's never claimed an intimate relationship with the BBC). But enough from me, enjoy reading about Heidi's love for literature!

* * *

Anyone who’s read my blog knows that it’s a question-and-answer format. I ask myself a question and then I answer it. So here’s my question for today:

What kinds of humor do you like in the books you read and write?

Hands down, my favorite contemporary humor writer is Louise Rennison. If you’ve never heard of her, she’s amazing. Look her up. Seriously. She wrote this series about a girl named Georgia Nicholson, which is basically a teenage version of Bridget Jones’s Diary, and it never fails to make me laugh out loud. Anytime I’m feeling gloomy, I can pick up any book in that series and be giggling within five minutes. The humor in those books is just zany. Georgia is hilarious and her family is insane. It’s so much fun.

That series became a major inspiration for me when I began writing The Jane Journals a few years ago. In case you haven’t heard of it (likely) The Jane Journals is a modern retelling of Jane Austen’s major works. Austen herself was quite funny in writing and has obviously been a big inspiration to me as well. Lately I’ve been working on revising the second book in my series, and it’s made me realize how often I like to use irony as a comic device. I love it when the reader knows something that the character doesn’t and it makes the character’s antics all the more funny. Austen was wonderful at pulling this off, and it makes her books all the more fun to try to modernize.

Another favorite of mine is P.G. Wodehouse. He’s a master when it comes to satire, and his characters are hilariously fun. Random aside: I once had a little tuxedo cat that I named Jeeves, after Wodehouse’s famed manservant. I loved that cat. So cute!

As I’m writing this, I’m realizing all my favorite comedic writers are British, which doesn’t really surprise me. I may be stereotyping here, but Brits tend to have a dry humor which works so well when you can pull it off in writing. I’m also a big fan of sarcasm and wittiness in writing and in real life. 

Speaking of witty Brits, I think the last person I’ll mention is Oscar Wilde. I seriously LOVE his society plays. If I’d been alive back in the day, I would’ve been an Oscar Wilde groupie or something. It’s almost a shame he was born when he was because I think he would be a really successful screenwriter if he were alive now. Though I’m not sure modern society would be as much fun for him to mock as Victorian England must’ve been.

Oh, gosh, guys. Books are fun, especially the funny ones. I could go on and on about them, but as Wilde once said, “Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go.” I’m not convinced I’m the former, which means it’s probably time for me to see myself out. Happy reading!

* * *

Heidi Jo Doxey grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area where she started reading Jane Austen in seventh grade. She currently lives in Utah, where she works as an editor. When she’s not reading, writing, or blogging, she enjoys hiking, traveling, and daydreaming about her future life in a tiny house.

You can visit Heidi online at Girl With All The Answers and PrimaryHelper.

The first book in The Jane Journals series, Liam Darcy, I Loathe You is currently available online at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BooksandThings, BooksaMillion, Walmart, and in bookstores nationwide.

* * *

I love a girl who loves British books and is inspired by British writers. I'm just such a girl myself!  Thanks for stopping in at Twisted Fairytale central, Miss Heidi, and for leaving us with a bit of your sunshine and some books to add to our TBR lists.(BTW I started listening to the Georgia Nicolson books and I'm dying!) Carry on, lovely lady!

Revisit the other writers in the Humor & Inspiration Features: 

Lydia Thomas: No, I Won't Write Your Memoirs 

Prairie Wife in Heels: The Idyllic Country Life 

Anne Goodwin: When Words Behave Like Toddlers 

Terry Tyler: Art Inspires Life

Kaley Tallman: Abandoning the Comfort Zone

Carol J. Hedges: So You've Published a Book...

Allison Maruska: Four Steps Away From the Cliff
Colleen M. Story: Writers with Personality
Tamara Copley: The Magic of Humor

Sarah E. Boucher: Beating the Blaaahs

Jenniffer Wardell: All the Best Jokes

Food for Thought: Comfort Books

DISCLAIMER: The following is the dramatization (emphasis on the DRAMA) of a kindergarten teacher's bad day. Any similarity to real events and/or obnoxious children is thoroughly coincidental. Almost probably.

* * *

The urge to cram my fingers in my ears is overwhelming. The students are gone, but their nonsense rings in my head.

Bicker, bicker.

It wasn't me!

Pencils drum on the table. Thump, thump, thump, thump!

My pencil is broken! (That ggggrrkkk is my teeth grinding. I despise sharpening pencils.)

Cough, cough. Aaaaachoooo! A hand claps over a face. Wide eyes silently scream, I need a tissue!

Another day in Kindergartenland. Another squirt of hand-sanitizer pools in my palm. Die, germs, die! I glance at the clock, gauging how long until I can escape the four walls that are squeezing the air from my lungs and the rational thoughts from my brain.

Ten minutes!

Ten minutes until pajama pants, whatever chocolate is left in the cupboard (probably those fat chocolate chips that will never make it into cookies), a fluffy blanket tucked up to my chin, and That Book.

I wander about the classroom, straightening table caddies and retrieving the odd crayon, my mind already on other issues. Why did I leave off just as Anne met Royal Gardiner? No matter how tall, handsome, and gentlemanly Roy might be, he's no Gilbert Blythe. You're not fooling anyone Miss Shirley. I snag a gum wrapper off the floor and scowl. How could one woman misunderstand her own feelings so badly? (And where in the world did they get gum?)

Gilbert, good. Gum, bad.

I throw my jacket over my arm. My keys jangle in the lock. My mind is already eighty-five percent lost to Anne of the Island. (The other fifteen percent is reserved for wondering where the gum is now.)

And yes, I always read the ending twice. (Incidentally, I almost never look at the underside of my tables. It's just not worth the mental anguish.)

When the world is so loud and obnoxious that it squeezes your mind with its insistence, running away is the only option. Disappearing into a favorite book on a weeknight is like sampling an exotic chocolate. Utterly delicious.

Comfort reads. This is mine. Here are a few of yours:

• Persuasion, Jane Austen
• Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Anne Frank
• Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
• Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, Melissa Bank
• Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
• Various Romances by Trisha Ashley
• Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson
• Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
• The List, Melanie Jacobson

I'd love to hear about your favorite stories and how they help to calm, energize, inspire you. Leave me a comment!

Also, all the book titles are linked to the best Amazon deals I could find. So, stock up on the chocolate and get cozy! Comfort reads are just a click away. (Or in my case, a bookshelf away.)

Full-Time, Part-Time, Indie, or Traditional

We all have issues, like problems with our health, self-image, employment, and relationships. But writers have their own special set of  issues. Two subjects that fascinate and infuriate writers everywhere are Traditional vs Indie Publishing and Full-time vs Part-time writing. As I've made my way in the writing world, I've seen some pretty heated discussions about each of the issues. Recently I interviewed author Jo Ann Schneider, who just released her third book Fractured Memories, and I grilled her on both subjects. Plus we had really good pizza.

Me: I've only gone down the traditional publishing path, but while I waited for that acceptance letter to come, I wondered what my next step would be if it didn't come. I thought about my indie author friends and considered the difference in income from self-publishing and receiving royalties from a publishing house, managing marketing campaigns, taking care of editing, and the amount of control writers have over the publishing process. 

In the end, I was grateful Cedar Fort gave me a chance and helped me through the editing and publishing process. That choice worked for me at the time. But Jo, you’ve gone down both avenues. I'd love to hear your thoughts on Self-publishing vs. Traditional publishing? Are the any drawbacks or major annoyances you want to share?

Jo: I’ve now gone through one small press, one serial into a book press online, and one that I published myself.

I do have to say that having someone send me all of the files with the book cover, and the different e-formats of the book, and the bookmark designs, and all that jazz is awesome. 4 weeks before I released Fractured Memories (my indie book) my cover designer copped out on me, so I had to scramble to find a new cover artist. In the end I think I found a group I can work with for almost everything, but it was a huge pain. At one point I was literally waiting for a cover—everything else was finished and ready to go. So not having to worry about that is nice. Plus formatting e-books is a pain. Luckily I have a computer savvy hubby who did most of it for me.

I like being able to control my price point on my indie book. And I make more money per book than on my more traditionally published books.They’re just on-line, not in the book stores, so that’s a conundrum.  However, if you look at the stats, Amazon sells a lot more books that a brick and mortar bookstore.

The part I really loved about Indie publishing is that when my book was ready, I got to release it. I didn’t have to wait for a year and a half before the publisher actually got it out. That delay is really annoying. The release date for New Sight got pushed back twice before it finally got published. That’s not a unique problem, it happens all the time in the publishing world. It’s frustrating.

I always tell people to do what feels right for them. I went traditional first, while a good friend of mine went indie. We’ve had different experiences and we’ve each learned from what the other has been through. There are pros and cons to both paths. If you’re wondering what to do as an author, go find others who have done it to talk to. They’ll tell you all about it.

Me: So interesting! In my experience, Cedar Fort handled cover art and publishing almost completely, editing was a collaborating process, and I had a larger role over marketing than I might have had with a larger publisher. I'm really grateful to have had such wonderful mentors to help me launch my my first novel. But maybe in the future when I'm a little more established as an author, I might take the self-publishing route.

The other thing we've discussed before is full-time vs part-time writing. As a single woman and a fledgling author, if I don't work full-time, I can't afford my condo. Or Netflix. Because of that, I consider my teaching career to be necessary to my writing career. There are perks to working 9 months out of the year and dedicating summer and school breaks to writing. It may not be ideal, but it works for me. Your position is completely different, Jo. If you had the choice, would you be a full-time writer or continue as a part-time writer? Give me the goods!

Jo: Ooh, good question. Not sure. Sometimes I think I get more accomplished as a writer if I don’t have unlimited time. I make it a priority and don’t mess around on the interweb or run errands all day. If time is short, I often get more accomplished.

That being said, if I could find the discipline to really buckle down and write, then I’d love to go full-time as an author. My dream is to be releasing two books a year, minimum. My books are longer (65k – 90k) so I can’t keep up with the authors that put a 40k book out every three months. I’m okay with that. I pretty much can’t write shorter novels. They just explode everywhere and end up as trilogies. Which means I could for sure use more writing time. I just need someone to crack the whip behind me and say, “Write, slave!” whenever I click on Facebook or YouTube.

Me: If I didn't have a day job (and I wasn't easily distracted by shiny objects and pretty handbags) I'd be all all over that whip, Jo! We could have side by side work areas and both get more writing done than we do now. However, I'm pretty sure that I could never be full-time writer. I like people too much to spend all of my free time in solitary confinement.

* * *

Such good food for thought, don't you think? I love powwowing with other authors and picking their brains about writer issues we all face. In the end, I don't think there's a right or wrong way answer about publishing or full-time writing. You have to develop a publishing plan and a writing schedule that work for you and meet your goals.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Traditional vs Self-Publishing and Full-time vs Part-time writing! Leave me a comment below!

If you'd like to learn more about Jo Ann Schneider, her books, and the other projects she has in the works, follow the link to her website, or click on the links below. Happy hunting!

Babes In Spyland 

(YA Fiction/Humor)

New Sight 

(YA SciFi/Fantasy)

Fractures Memories 

(YA Fiction/Distopian)

Three, Two, One...Launch!

The best thing about being an author is getting into the community & interacting with readers. And hey, that's just what Becoming Beauty and I did at the Becoming Beauty Book Launch at Barnes & Noble!

First off, you should all know that I am THE PARTY GIRL. No, I don't go clubbing every night or attend uber shmancy soirées in my tiara (wouldn't that be fun!), but when there's a get-together to be gotten together, I'm your girl! Basically, my launch was like your regular girls' night, game night, movie night, or family night, but with the volume turned up. (And by that I mean extra amounts of awesomeness.)

My saving grace was the collection of friends and family who rallied around me. Sweet Julie helped me hunt down all the fun do-dads and must-haves I required for the occasion. My friend Raylynn helped me set up the event and stayed by my side during the whole Book Launch...except when she was roaming around Barnes & Noble passing out bookmarks. How cool is that? And my family claimed a corner of the store and camped out for most of the event which made me look uber popular. You've gotta love them!

Other than my face aching from all the grinning, there were no negative aspects of the Book Launch. I loved having my family and friends around to keep me normal. (Okay, relatively normal.) And I'm especially grateful for the kind soul who went on a beverage run in the middle. She knows who she is! And, as far as numbers go, we did very well for a first-time author doing a first-time signing.

Need tips for your author event? Here's what I'd say to someone planning an event:

Rely on fabulous people. 
Ask for help when you need it. 
Don't let anyone tell you no...unless they have a better plan. 
Use social media--it's the best tool you have for getting the word out quickly. Facebook reminds them about events they've been invited to and does all the nagging for you!
Put on your happy face! You are your brand. Look happy about it.
Thanks to all who jumped in to make this a successful event! Here's a little something extra. Just for you.

For the giveaway, I asked the question “What is your favorite fairytale? Why?” And the answers were hilarious. The Top Four Favorite Fairytales are:

#1 Beauty and the Beast: When I met my husband, I thought he was a Beast, but I was wrong.

#2 Cinderella: She gets the life and love in the end that was meant for her before her father died.

#3 The Little Mermaid: I LOVE mermaids! (This was from a youngster!)

#4 Rapunzel: because...HAIR!

It was fun to peruse the entries afterward and see much people love fairytales. However, I regret to inform participants that Spider-Man is not actually a fairytale. So, so sorry about that.

I'd love to hear about your favorite fairytales! Leave me a comment below! 

Geek Chic

I've always been a geek.  In high school I felt at home with the drama/choir crowd, was scarily knowledgeable about musical theater, and burned through books like they were going out of style. Later, my wacky sense of humor, bizarre tastes, and growing lack of concern about what other people thought only made matters worse. It started with shows like Psych, Monk, Bones, and NCIS. Then, I discovered Glee, Harry Potter, and The Pirates of the Caribbean. I was just getting warmed up when I found the BBC and fell in love with Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Merlin, Robin Hood, and Sherlock. By that time I was completely enamored with the entire Marvel Universe and fully addicted to Netflix. It was too late to hide my fanaticism. My bookshelves, DVD collection, and crazy tee-shirts plainly declared my mania.

When I stumbled into the online fandoms and acquired a new vocabulary (fangirling, shipping, canon, etc.) I felt like I'd found the mother ship. And it turns out I can rock geek chic.

So, when I saw this title at Barnes and Noble, it was only a matter of time before I devoured it.  In Fangirl, Cath is embarking on the new and frightening world of college.  For a twin, it's a weird sensation to be delving into new experiences all on her own, so she pours all of her stresses, social anxieties, and pent up frustrations into her fanfiction. As well-followed fanfic writer Magicath, Cath's love for spinning new scenarios for her favorite characters and the magical world they inhabit opens the door for new friendships, life experiences, and, if she's lucky, romance.

Though this story may seem sweet and silly, Rainbow Rowell ties in plenty of reality to ground the tale. I enjoyed following Cath's journey from damaged girlhood to finding herself and learning what she is capable of.  A truly fun story, but word to the wise, Fangirl is a more mature read, featuring both adult themes and language.

However, for the clean read crew, let me introduce Geek Girl:

Jen Jones is a high school student who's been bounced from one foster home to another. Still suffering from the tragedies of her childhood, Jen has her eye on nothing more than the next party and the next high. Until Trevor catches her attention. A geek to the core, Trevor is the most attractive of his sci-fi obsessed posse. Jen bets her friends that she can turn him into a bad boy and is certain she'll succeed. But while coming to know him, like geek makeover flicks10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, and Drive Me Crazy, she is more altered by the experience than he is.  Facing her past seems like the hardest thing Jen will ever have do until Trevor discovers her secret and she faces losing the geeky boy she's fallen in love with.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of self-discovery.  Like Jen, I am certainly a Geek Girl at heart. Enjoy, my friends!  Both of these books are full of wonderfully written characters, fun adventures, and geeky goodness.  Find them at Amazon:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett

* * *

For more of my fangirl mania, check out Fanfiction & Fairtales, Embracing the Fangirl Within, The Con, and Embrace the Geek by fellow Geek Girl Raylynn. Thanks for stopping by!

Ann-with-an-E

About the time I hit middle school, my aunt and cousin gifted me with a thick volume. Beyond school assignments--most of which I can't remember--that was the first time someone handed me a book and told me I absolutely had to read it. Of course, the story I wanted to read most (Anne of the Island) wasn't included in the volume, but I've always been a stickler for doing things in the right way. So, I started at the beginning and made the acquaintance of Anne of Green Gables.

Something in this young girl--a short-tempered orphan who overuses big words and bumbles through life trying to find her place--resonated with me. While other girls were looking for grand romantic gestures, I daydreamed of a comradely friendship that would grow into love. Gilbert Blythe became my first book boyfriend. I've probably reread Anne of the Island twenty times and Anne's Book of Revelations twice that many times. No matter how I have changed over the years, L.M. Montgomery's series has always brought me comfort and hope.

Admittedly, it's probably Lucy Maud Montgomery's writing style that moves me as much as anything. She has a flare for blending humor and reality with dreamland. If there's ever a writer I'd like to meet, it would be her. 

Maud lost her mother to tuberculosis when she was still an infant and was left in the care of her grandparents. Her lonely childhood fueled her creative mind because, like Anne, she conjured up friends and imaginary worlds for company. After receiving her education, Maud worked as a teacher and wrote, wrote, wrote. Over the course of her career, she published 20 novels, 500 short stories, a book of poetry, and an autobiography.  Anne of Green Gables was the first book she published. In my opinion, she poured much of herself and her experiences in life and love into Anne.

Why do I love Anne and Maud so dearly? These women faced challenges, succeeded and failed, rallied and tried again, loved and lost, and kept going. We all need heroes (fictional and otherwise) to look up to and these two women are mine. If you have yet to be acquainted with either of them, take my recommendation and learn more now. And yes, do feel free to read Anne of the Island first.

My only question is where is my Gilbert? As my first book boyfriend, Gilbert holds the place of honor in my heart and has yet to be uprooted. He's wriggled his way into many of my stories (watch for his kindness, humor, and friendliness in a certain Becoming Beauty character) and even though his real-life counterpart has yet to make an appearance, my next hero-in-the-making, based on Rumpelstiltskin, is a mischievous tailor named Gil. A girl never forgets her first love.

To learn more about Ann, Gilbert, or Lucy Maud Montgomery, please head over to Goodreads or Wikipedia. The Anne books are available for free on Goodreads or for 99 cents for the entire series (and three bonus books) download it on Amazon Kindle.  You could start them today!

Want other recommendations? Try Where Life Takes You, Persuaded, Pass The Pepper, Tragically Flawed...Or Not, or Hope Grows In A...

Where Life Takes You

This week, it's my pleasure to introduce you to a lady who is not only a gifted author, but a lovely individual.  I became acquainted with Claudia Y. Burgoa on Twitter where as a newbie with only a few followers, I learned of her sweet and giving nature. Since then, I've had the chance to come to know Claudia better on Facebook and I can't say enough about what a wonderful person she is.

Born on the mystical day of October 30^th in the not so mystical lands of Mexico City, Claudia grew up with a childhood that resembled a caffeine-injected  soap opera. Seventeen years ago she ventured to the lands of her techie husband—a.k.a. the U.S.—with their offspring to start a new adventure.

She now lives in Colorado working as a CFO for a small IT company, managing her household filled with three confused dogs, said nerd husband, two daughters wrought with fandoms and a son who thinks he’s the boss of the house. To survive she works continually to find purpose for the voices flitting through her head, plus she consumes high quantities of chocolate to keep the last threads of sanity intact.

Claudia's Blog Tour and Giveaway are ongoing throughout August and I'm pleased to be a part of it!

For me, a great cover is the difference between a book I'm interested in and one that won't even make it off the shelf. The story of Claudia updating the cover of Where Life Takes You to better reflect the essence of the story was so intriguing that I chose Where Life Takes You to review and present to you. Here's my take:

Dealing with the affects of a childhood marked by parental neglect, violence, and extreme abuse, making it through day-to-day life is difficult enough for Rebecca Trent. But when she must re-establish contact with her mother, stepfather, and stepbrother who rejected and abandoned her years before, Becca must face the demons of her past. Only best friend and lifelong guardian angel Daniel Brightman provides the unfailing love, support, and protection Rebecca needs to help her find the truth about her family and the death of her stepsister and discover the path toward healing.

Claudia Burgoa weaves together the raw pain of a brutal past with hope for healing in this steamy and thoughtful romance. I appreciate Burgoa's ability to tell the story of a woman as damaged as Rebecca who finally learns her own worth as she begins to see herself through the eyes of those who truly love her.

Since the books I typically write and review are for young adults, let me remind you that Claudia writes adult books with themes that may not be suitable for all audiences.  Now that I've said that, here's more info on Claudia's other books and where you can find them. (The bargain hunter in me is dying to share the fact that they are all priced below $3 on Amazon Kindle. Check it out!)

Find Getting By at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

And Next To You, the sequel to Where Life Takes You, also available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below.  To get to know the beautiful and delightful Claudia better, connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, or on her website.   I promise you'll enjoy her as much as I do. Congratulations, Claudia!

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