NanoUhOh! PBPick ME!

Hello, friends! I've come up for a breath to say HEY and ask HOW THE HEY ARE YA?

NANO
For you crazy NaNoWriMo peeps, how was your month? (One more day!) I started out strong, but fizzled out as work and family obligations increased. Jon and I didn't finish our story, but I did get more writing than I would have if I didn't challenge myself with Nano. I think I'm like the turtle in the race. Slow and steady. I'm just not a fast and furious writer. My projects get done, but it may take a little while longer! (Unless I have a true deadline, then I can do it! Go figure.)

How did you do? I noticed that some of you made your 50,000 words, so big congrats to Jemi, Elana, and Lola! If you finished, tell me in the comments so I can congratulate you! (Tina, I know you were almost there!) That is a HUGE accomplishment!

To those of you not doing Nano, how was your month?

MEEGENIUS AUTHOR CHALLENGE

I am participating in the Meegenius Author Challenge. I'm very excited about my manuscript titled, "The First Time I Saw My Baby." I do need your help though. I need lots of LIKES on my entry to be considered a finalist. I would love my book to be published into a Meegenius picture book app.
Would you kindly follow the link to my page and press LIKE (only if you like it, of course)? THANK YOU! I very much appreciate it! I can't do it without you! Voting ends mid December.

CLICK HERE to vote for my story. :)


Lastly, I have the beautiful Angie Harmon at Book Recs of the Rock & Famous today. She tells me her fave books and what her three girls are reading!

Have a fabulous week!

Untraceable tour: The Beats of Writing

Today is the second stop in the Untraceable blog tour! I am thrilled to be one of the first to read the YA thriller by Shelli Johannes-Wells. As you probably know, Shelli is the master marketer at the popular blog "Market My Words."

I give you unequivocal assurance that this book is a must read! My unbiased brief review is below.

Untraceable is unbelievably good. It's unbearable when the main character Grace's dad goes missing and totally unfair that the case might be closed. Grace's unadulterated love of nature is evident throughout the novel. The chemistry Grace has with another male character is undeniable. Yet, there's another boy who undoubtedly has her attention, too. There are plenty of unalienable characters that you will grow to despise them. The many twists and turns will keep you unhinged til the end. This book captured my undivided attention, and I read it in two days.

Untraceable comes out in 2 weeks!

Since you all know I love my tunes, I asked Shelli to share a little about her musical interests.

The Beats of Writing

1. What song can't you get out of your head this week?

I still have "Forget You" in my head. I don’t know why I still can't lose that song. It’s just fun to sing, and my kids love it.

2. What is your favorite band? (or bands)

Yikes. I love so many bands and songs. It really depends on my mood. This month, I love Coldplay, Adele, Rachel Yamagata, Jack Johnson.

3. What is the last concert you went to?

Oh gosh, I know the first. It was Dolly Parton's and Kenny Roger's Islands in the Stream tour. My mom took me with her. The last concert I went to was Black Eyes Peas and Pussycat Dolls. Or was it Rod Stewart? I did go to a KISS concert in an outdoor theatre - that was a fun experience. A little scary too.

4. Do you write to music? If so what types of songs do you listen to.

Once I plot out a story and know what is happening. Yes, I write to a scene. I have a different song for each chapter that puts me in the mood. For example, in Untraceable, the first scene is a chase scene in the woods. I listened to Muse’s "Time is Running Out." My character’s name is Grace so when I sit down to write I always play U2's "Grace." The lyrics are so perfect for my book.

5. If your life had a soundtrack, what would be your main song?

I actually posted about this along time ago, because my life is a soundtrack. (See post here.)
Right now? "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley. No seriously – the songs that really touch me that I always go back to when I need to straighten out are "Live like We’re Dying" from Kris Allen, "Glitter in the Air" by Pink, or "Fix You" by Coldplay.

Great choices! Things are "Crazy" now I'm sure, and I hope you have some CRAZY awesome sales! Thank you, Shelli, for rockin' this interview!

Please visit Shelli at her blog or on Twitter. Also, check out her out at Goodreads!
You can sign up for Shelli's newsletter here. Anyone who is signed up for the newsletter will get a discount for the first 24 hours the books is released!
Untraceable will be available on November 29 in paperback and ebook at Amazon, B&N, iTunes, and other sellers.

Sssshhhhh. I'm Nanoing.

Yes. I'm diving into NanoWriMo for the very first time. (That's National Novel Writing Month for the non-writers.) I'm a little frightened, but a lot excited about it. Jon and I are bending the rules a little to fit our needs. But that's okay, because we are going to finish our novel this month. Yes, I said it. We are FINISHING it. I won't be writing 50,000 words this month, but I will be writing a whole heck of a lot and accomplish something more important to me. So there. I'm going to kick some Nano butt!

Are you doing Nanowrimo this year? WHO'S WITH ME??!

If so, here are a few links for some great tips for a successful Nano month of November.

Gearing Up for Nano (which I guess you should have done last month, but it's still helpful!)

Nano Prep Tips Lola Style (okay, so use these tips to prep you for week two and to help you carve time for Nano; it's good stuff!)

Planning Your Novel's Beginning (Because we are in the first week of Nano!)

Nano for the New and Insane Author Lazette Gifford's FREE ebook ! (Ha! Love the title!)

21 Tips for NanoWriMo Success or Any 30 Day Project

Due to the furious nature of Nano, I will not be posting much at this blog in November (though look for a cool post on Nov. 15). Please, please, please visit my other blog, Book Recs of the Rock & Famous instead of here this month. I'm trying to gain more followers there. And you might find a great book that a rocker or cool celebrity recommended!

Thank you, and good luck to us all!