May B winner

Little late getting this post out due to the skate skiing conditions across the lake. SPECTACULAR! What a day.

and so,

Winner of the ARC of Caroline Starr Rose's May B is ...


Susan Fields

YAAAAYYY   *Kermit arms waving

Random photo from here so there's something to look at in this post.

Thank you to everyone who entered.

Giveaway May B

Lots of buzz lately over Caroline Starr Rose's brilliant novel in verse MAY B. 

My five star review on goodreads.

I'd like to help celebrate by offering an ARC giveaway. Randomly selected. Just leave a comment here before Feb. 4 and you will be entered to win.

Please include your email if it isn't linked to blogger!

Winner announced Feb. 5


Speaking of survival stories - has anyone seen the new release, The Grey, with Liam Neesen?  Besides being full of annoying Hollywood-ized untruths about wolves, it's a great adventure. Leave a comment, I'd love to chat about it.

May B a good day

HUGE congrats to my debut author buddy Caroline. At long last, her book comes out today!!

MAY B by Caroline Starr Rose

I watch the wagon
until I see nothing on the open plain.
For the first time ever,
I am alone.

Starred Review from Kirkus
Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly
Junior Library Guild Selection
Amazon Best Book of the Month for kids Selection



Also out today, another debut author buddy,

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

What a good day for books!

Story Siren 2011

What a year of reading! I completed my Goodreads reading challenge with 81 books! And 36 were debut's which also completes my Story Siren debut challenge.

I'm so thankful for being part of the amazing group The Elevensies. When I needed to share good news, or bad, they were there to talk me down. We supported and learned from each other, and I've made friends that will hopefully remain for my writing career.

A bonus of doing the debut challenge was it introduced me to books in genre's that I wouldn't normally read.

I've learned:

• Dead people? - very very cool to read about! Especially if they are dressed in, you know... blood.
• Ramadan? Yiddish? - I'm embarrassed to confess, I didn't really know much. But so glad to learn.
• God Stones? - yeah, I'm a new and frothing fan of fantasy! Woo!
• 1941 in the Soviet Union? - reading Ruta's masterpiece rocked me to the core. It changed me.

Here's my 2011 debut list

1. The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (MG)
2. Warped by Maurissa Guibord (YA)
3. Vesper by Jeff Sampson (YA)
4. XVI by Julia Karr (YA)
5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (YA)
6. Head Games by Keri Mikulski (YA)
7. Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner (YA)
8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (YA)
9. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (YA)
10. So Shelly by Ty Roth (YA)
11. Haven by Kristi Cook (YA)
12. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (YA)
13. Clarity by Kim Harrington (YA)
14. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won Him a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Chrystal Allen (MG)
15. Illegal by Bettina Restrepo (YA)
16. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA)
17. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (YA)
18. The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow (MG)
19. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy (YA)
20. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (YA)
21. Memento Nora by Angie Smibert (YA)
22. Divergent by Veronica Roth (YA)
23. Possession by Elana Johnson (YA)
24. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (YA)
25. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sherif (YA)
26. Dead Rules by Randy Russell (YA)
27. Wither by Lauren DeStafano (YA)
28. Vanished by Sheela Chari (MG)
29. End of the Line by Angela Cerrito (YA)
30. Popular by Alissa Grosso (YA)
31. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (YA)
32. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (YA)
33. With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo (MG)
34. My Very Unfairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski (MG)
35. Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough (YA)
36. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (YA)

Can't wait to get started on 2012!

Did you do this challenge? Which books rocked your world?

ICE DOGS announcement

photo credit www.sleddogcentral.com

Today I finally get to spill the beans and tell you my exciting news.

I've been waiting impatiently to be able to share, but now that the day is here, I'm actually a bit lost for words.

Here's someone else's words.
Deals from Publisher's Marketplace:

Children's: Young Adult
Terry Lynn Johnson's ICE DOGS, in which a 15-year old dogsled racer and sled dog owner loses her way on a routine daytime outing with her dogs; with food gone and temperatures dropping, her survival and that of her dogs and the mysterious boy she meets in the woods, is up to her, to Ann Rider at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in Winter 2013, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (world). caryn@andreabrownlit.com


My novel will be a real hardcover book in two years!!!

I cannot even begin to tell you how good this feels. My dream of being published with a big publisher has come true!! And I owe much to my amazing agent Caryn Wiseman of Andrea Brown Lit Agency.

also,

A GIGANTIC and GRATEFUL shout out to my long-suffering crit partner PAUL GRECI

who read the manuscript about 608 times without complaint.
He is beyond awesome. He is also a spectacular, uber talented writer.


Really, a writer's most important tool is her critique partners. I also have to thank

Sue Kay Quinn
Kendare Blake
Medeia Sharif
Cynthia Chapman Willis

also my good friend, and not even a writer Jackie White  who keeps me grounded with her honesty.

I also owe a debt to the good friends I have made this year at the ELEVENSIES

See the village of support I have? I am one lucky writer! And now, thanks to my support team, I am soon to be a Houghton Mifflin Harcourt author.

Giving thanks and announcing winners

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I have much to be thankful for:

my man
my job
my dogs
my home
my health
my family
my ability to smell when the milk is about to turn. It's a gift really.

and the most recent huge thing I'm thankful for, I can't talk about yet. Please stay tuned.



Now, on to the winners of my recent Elevensie Celebration Giveaway:

Winner of the YA package is Lucy D'Andrea

Winner of the MG package is Irene Latham

Winner of the MIXED BAG package is Angel Cruz

So, what do you have to be thankful for today?

End of Summer Elevensies Giveaway

It's that time again, where I celebrate my good fortune of getting published by giving away books! 

I'm sharing the FABULOUSNESS that is the 2011 debut author group THE ELEVENSIES.  (seriously, go check out all the amazing books. I can't believe I know these writers)


This time I'm going completely nuts giving away books in BULK. There are three packages up for grabs - some are bonus books. All you have to do is tell me which collection of books you'd like. I know, I know, the choice is TOO HARD! But life is full of choices, as all the protags in these stories demonstrate. You will just have to pick.


rules:

• fill out the form (make sure you fill out your email, dudes! You are hard to track down.)
• no need to follow (but I'd love if you did)
• ends October 10, 2011 (which is Thanksgiving, Canada style)

On to the books:

THE ECLECTIC ELEVENSIES YOUNG ADULT COLLECTION:

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy
The End of the Line by Angela Cerrito
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Popular by Alissa Grosso
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (signed copy!)

(yes, Jay Asher is not an Elevensie, but it's a pretty awesome book)



THE MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE COLLECTION:

*Vanished by Sheela Chari 
*With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Cannon Slayton (signed copy!)
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

*Elevensie
BONUS: included in this package you get stickers and bookmarks of the upcoming middle grade novel

 MAY B by Caroline Starr Rose

Caroline is a peach of a lady (wait, not peach. She deserves more than a cliche. I don't even like biting into one of those - too much fuzz. It should be something really yummy like watermelon. Yeah, Caroline is a seedless watermelon) I can't wait for January 2012 when this novel in verse to comes out!




THE MIXED BAG OF MERMAIDS, MONSTERS, AND OTHER WONDERFULLY WEIRD THINGS COLLECTION:

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Seven Tears into the Sea by Teri Farley (signed copy!)
Unwind by Neil Shusterman
Ingo by Helen Dunmore
Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings by Helene Boudreau



Please fill out the form here

edit: hey, I forgot to ask for your blog addy. If you have one, stick it on there so I can visit. Or comment on the post!

Great recent reads

As you can see by the photos I've been posting, I've had a busy summer. But now that I'm home, I'm back to reading every spare moment. Here's a quick review of some great books:

DEAD RULES by Randy Russell

LOVE this book!Complex characters where no one is as they first seem. And loved the crazy humour - real left-field things that had me laughing out loud. Kept me surprised, entertained and frustrated throughout. 

Possession by Elana Johnson

Very creative! A whole new world for the reader to enjoy. Action junkies take note. And features a hard-core female mc.







Divergent by Veronica Roth
 
 

 
A wild, wild ride! Brilliant. Every page had tension. AMAZING READ!








BLOOD MAGIC by Tessa Gratton
 

Loved the romance bits of this story. Such great characters! Mystery, romance, magic and suspense all wrapped together. Creepy and addictive. I read this a while ago, but it has stuck in my head. A good sign!







Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sherif

Great characters here. Especially Grandpa! I love to read books where I learn something new, and I must confess to not really knowing what Ramadan was. Funny and touching and brought me back to highschool and all the drama and problems of those tender years. Medeia is a contemporary Judy Blume!








Merle's Door: lessons from a free-thinking dog by Ted Kerasote (non-fiction)

Okay, as far as dog books go - this is a MUST READ! I feel changed.

Black Star Bright Dawn. by Scott O'Dell

Scott O'Dell. Need I say more? Great stuff here, of course. I bow down.

Watch for my next ELEVENSIES giveaway this fall where some of these books and more will be up for grabs.
What great books have you read recently?

Giveaway Winners

It's time to announce the winners of the epic ELEVENSIES DEBUT BOOK GIVEAWAY!! This has been my most popular contest with over 100 entries!!!

And WOW! Hello to all my new followers! Thank you for helping me break 300!  How awesome of you to join us. Hope you don't mind blackflies because we are in the thick of them here at the moment. But relief is found out in the kayaks, so expect more expedition photos soon.

On to the winners.

Winner of OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy is

Amanda of Read a book a day

Winner of Clarity by Kim Harrington is


Krystal of Stellar Book Blog

Winner of Moonglass by Jessi Kirby is


Brittany Gale

Winner of Memento Nora by Angie Smibert is


Christie H.

Winner of The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder is


Joli of Actin Up With Books

Winner of The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow is


Tiffany Fallick








Congrats to all the winners. If you didn't win, stick around because we'll do this again with another batch of ELEVENSIE DEBUT's next season.

Another round of Elevensies book giveaway

I'm joining a blog hop for the Splash into Summer book giveaway. Hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. There are almost 300 blogs participating, so click on some linkage.

This contest will be posted for one week. SIX Winners announced on June 1, 2011

Now, onto the BOOKS!! All books by my fabulous debut author group THE ELEVENSIES. Go check us out. Great reads for everyone.

My Mini Reviews:

OyMG by Amy Dominy
One of my favourite reads of the year. LOVED these characters, especially Ellie. What a fantastic role model. Amy Fellner Dominy is a master of naturally flowing dialogue. Made me want to stand up and fist pump. Now I have a sudden urge to make matzo ball soup. Oy.

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
GORGEOUS! Not only is the cover stunningly beautiful, but the writing is as well. Almost every page I found myself saying, "isn't that true!" I had to keep reading to see what Anna would do next. Smart and quiet in all the right places.

Clarity by Kim Harrington
Loved the setting! Loved the main character's witty thoughts. Loved the mystery, suspense, romance, ALL of it!

Memento Nora by Angie Smibert
A fascinating and scary look at the future. Slick and fast paced dystopian. Confession: I have a slight crush on Micah.

Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow
hilariously creative ways to be evil - Zachary Ruthless and his henchman are super fun.

The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder
A light and fun read. The voice of the protagonist grabbed me right away. HILARIOUS!




Rules:

1. Fill out the form HERE. And tell me which book you most desire.
2. I would love it if you clicked my follow button, but not required.
3. I would love it if you checked out my own book DOGSLED DREAMS, but not required.

Confession

I feel the need to confess something a little decadent. Today, I had the WHOLE day to write. And I wrote a total of ONE paragraph. I then spent the rest of the day shopping for books on line.

Shameful. Shameful. Shameful!

In my defense - it was raining outside and I'm about to go canoe camping for three days. I just didn't feel like getting wet. Oh, wait, that's not much of a defense for not writing.

Anyway.


now a little grin creeps across my face as I show what I bought....

I also bought several more on my KOBO reader!

Lots of Elevensies love here. I LOVE my fantastic group of debut authors!!!  I've also just finished reading a few more fabulous Elevensies which will all be featured in my next installment of  ELEVENSIES GIVEAWAYS. Stay tuned.

The Windup Girl was a must after reading SHIP BREAKER. Words cannot describe how much I loved that book!

And I know, it's about time I read Black Star, Bright Dawn. Especially considering Scot O'Dell is one of my favourite authors. To be honest, I've been a little shy to read it, but I was feeling brave today.

Okay, so anyone else have an uncontrollable book purchasing problem? Help me out here.

Good books and a writing conference

random photo from last summer because I've started counting down days till kayak season

Each year around this time I start hearing about amazing writing conferences, and writers getting together and partying and having FUN and I get a little jealous. Well, I've just signed up for the SCBWI Canada East conference in Niagra Falls, Ontario. The price is amazing and I've never been to Niagra Falls. I'm so excited!

Is anyone else going? I'd love to hear from you!

I'm hoping this will inspire me again to do more writing. I have been on a hiatus, but doing lots of READING. I'd like to recommend some fabulous books:

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. 

Ever read a book that changes you?
This book did for me, and blew my mind with brilliant writing. Such an important story and Ruta tells it beautifully with characters that are so memorable, they feel like family. I was mesmerized from page one. And have I mentioned the WRITING? This author can WRITE! 

Illegal by Bettina Restrepo.

A story of struggle and desperate times, but somehow written with a feeling of hope. I'm left with a deep gratitude for all that I have. Beautifully written.

How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Crystal Allen.

Such a delightful read! Lamar is charming and vulnerable and tough and sensitive and hilarious. Crystal managed to make me laugh, then cry, sometimes on the same page. Loved it.

Insanely Mega Elevensies Debut Giveaway

My debut DOGSLED DREAMS, has been out for six weeks. I'm grateful to those who have helped spread the word or took the time to review it on Goodreads, blogs, or at Amazon sites. I'm also feeling blessed to be receiving amazing emails from readers that touch my heart. YOU are definitely the best part of being an author!

I want to give back.

So. Up for grabs

HAVEN by Kristi Cook
SO SHELLY by Ty Roth
RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer
UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand
THE IRON WITCH by Karen Mahoney
HEAD GAMES by Keri Mikulski



DEBUT BOOKS FROM THE ELEVENSIES



I feel guilty that other ELEVENSIE DEBUT books I've purchased are on my beloved KOBO reader. Sadly, I've just discovered the one downside of my ereader, and that is I can't share the fabulous books from it.

But seriously, you need to read:

WARPED by Maurissa Guilbord

VESPER by Jeff Sampson

XVI by Julia Karr

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON by Dannette

To make up for these missing books, I'm going to also giveaway the following

PERILOUS by Tamara Hart Heiner

DOG GONE by Cynthia Chapman Willis

A TRUE AND FAITHFUL NARRATIVE by Katherine Sturtevant

Rules:

Not many rules. I just want to try to get these great books into the hands of readers. NINE winners!

1. Please fill out your preferences in the entry form. I'll look at the entries and try to match you with your book choice. If more than one person wants one title, I'll do a random draw for that title.

2. You don't have to be a follower, or have read my own book, DOGSLED DREAMS, but it would be lovely if you did!

3. Please tweet, blog, or facebook about this contest. Again, not necessary, but nice.

4. Open to Canadian and US residents. Closes March 18.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER


EDIT NOTE: Like a norbert, I accidentally left a "sample question" on the end of the entry form, and I just wanted to say I'm loving the random comments I'm getting on there. You guys are so creative!
Write whatever you want in there or leave blank.

Elevensies Library Book Feast

Breaking News:

You’re invited to the Elevensies Book Feast (All You Can Read)!

The Elevensies are a group of 2011 debut authors writing YA and MG books. We're offering librarians the chance to stock their shelves with the latest fiction for teen and tween readers, plus give young patrons the chance to win prize packages with tons of titles they’ll love!

What’s the Scoop?

We’re hosting a year-long giveaway, broken into three seasons. Each season offers books by debut authors that you AND your teen and tween patrons can win. We’ve got a cool poster advertising the giveaway, and random drawings take place at the end of each season.

Check out the BOOKFEAST website for details on how to enter and download the poster!

Here's what's on the menu:

Each season, we’ll offer a selection of books grouped into the following packages or “platters:”

For SPRING:

Blue Plate Special: Contemporary and historical teen fiction that keeps it real

 Fusion Fare: Feast on fantasy, paranormal and dystopian teen fiction

Middle Grade Sampler: Dig in to debuts just for tweens, ages 8-12

Check out the WEBSITE for more details on how you can win!

I've already read some of these books and I can tell you they are AMAZING!



Note: Also, please check out Ink Spells today for a fantastic review of Dogsled Dreams!

Debut author challenge

Though I didn't quite finish the 100 book reading challenge last year, (read 76 books) I did enjoy keeping track of the books I read. All the books I've read in 2011 will be on my Goodreads page.This is the place for debut's from the fabulous list of authors at THE ELEVENSIES, I thought I'd join The Story Siren challenge!


1. The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (MG)
2. Warped by Maurissa Guibord (YA)
3. Vesper by Jeff Sampson (YA)
4. XVI by Julia Karr (YA)
5. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (YA)
6. Head Games by Keri Mikulski (YA)
7. Perilous by Tamara Hart Heiner (YA)
8. Across the Universe by Beth Revis (YA)
9. Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (YA)
10. So Shelly by Ty Roth (YA)
11. Haven by Kristi Cook (YA)
12. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney (YA)
13. Clarity by Kim Harrington (YA)
14. How Lamar's Bad Prank Won Him a Bubba-Sized Trophy by Chrystal Allen (MG)
15. Illegal by Bettina Restrepo (YA)
16. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (YA)
17. The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder (YA)
18. The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless by Allan Woodrow (MG)
19. OyMG by Amy Fellner Dominy (YA)
20. Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (YA)
21. Memento Nora by Angie Smibert (YA)
22. Divergent by Veronica Roth (YA)
23. Possession by Elana Johnson (YA)
24. Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton (YA)
25. Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sherif (YA)
26. Dead Rules by Randy Russell (YA)
27. Wither by Lauren DeStafano (YA)
28. Vanished by Sheela Chari (MG)
29. End of the Line by Angela Cerrito (YA)
30. Popular by Alissa Grosso (YA)
31. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab (YA)
32. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (YA)
33. With a Name Like Love by Tess Hilmo (MG)
34. My Very Unfairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski (MG)
35. Don't Expect Magic by Kathy McCullough (YA)
36. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (YA)

Middle Grade authors

Here's a few fabulous middle grade authors with debut books coming out in 2011. They're fellow Elevensies members and from the look of their new websites, their books are going to be fantastic! Check them out

Caroline Starr Rose just unveiled her new website for her novel, MAY B. It's a historical survival story! In verse! How she does that is a mystery to me. But I know I can't wait until September.

Allan Woodrow has a hillarious website. Seriously, go see what his typical book signing looks like. This series will be a riot. The Rotten Adventures of ZACHARY RUTHLESS is available now for pre order.

Ask an Elevensie!

Over on the debut author site the ELEVENSIES, is a new feature. Every Tuesday, a new question will be picked from our readers and any of the 80 + authors on the site will respond with answers!

This week - WHAT DO YOU WISH SOMEONE WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING?

Go see what some of the Elevensies have to say! Check it out here.

The Elevensies Cover Love

Lately there has been a lot of excitement over at my group of fellow authors The Elevensies. Covers are coming fast and furious in preparation for 2011 debut. I heart ALL of these covers. So delicious. Here's some that are ready for love:

 Julia Karr - XVI, spring 2011

Sara Bennett Wealer - Rival, February 2011

Carrie Harris - Bad Taste in Boys, July 2011

Amy Holder - The Lipstick Laws, Spring 2011

Kirsten Hubbard - Like Mandarin, Spring 2011

Ruta Sepetys - Between Shades of Gray, Mach 2011

Danette Vigilante - The Trouble with a Half Moon, January 2011

Ty Roth - So Shelly, February 2011

Crystal Allen - How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trohpy, Spring 2011

Lisa Desrochers - Personal Demons, SEPTEMBER 2010. That's in TWO MONTHS! Book two, Original Sin, due out in 2011.



And Randy Russell doesn't have a cover yet for Dead Rules, but he's got this awesome trailer.