Karen Harrington's SURE SIGNS OF CRAZY, a coming-of-age story in which a precicious 12-year-old writes letters to Atticus Finch for help understanding her mentally ill mother, her first real crush, and life in her small Texas town, all in the course of one momentous summer, to Alvina Ling and Bethany Strout at Little, Brown for publication in Spring 2013, by Julia Kenny at Markson Thoma (World.)
And now back to our original post :D
I've been clearing out the bookshelf a little this week, and along with that, we had a lovely giveaway from Cinda Williams Chima. Which means, I have a couple of winners to announce, and a couple of amazing ARCs to give away.
WINNERS:
Cinda Williams Chima's THE GRAY WOLF THRONE (A Seven Realms Novel) goes to: Vivien
Kelly Keaton's DARKNESS BECOMES HER goes to: Melissa at Mel's Books & Info
NEW ARC GIVEAWAY
Both these books are so good, I'm torn. I want to keep them, but at the same time, I want to spread the word about them. I'll pick two winners at random from those who comment on Today's post by next Wednesday, 9/7/11. (Sorry, U.S. and Canadian residents only!)
Han Nolan's PREGNANT PAUSE
A thought-provoking and courageous new novel by National Book Award winner Han Nolan.
Nobody gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant sixteenyear-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s summer camp for overweight kids. Despite her initial reluctance to help out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created.
Nobody gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant sixteenyear-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s summer camp for overweight kids. Despite her initial reluctance to help out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created.

This Week's Round-Up
After the Sale
- How to Host a Video Book Club Visit [GalleyCat]
- By the Time A Self-Published Author Hits it Big, Do They Really Need a Publisher? [Nathan Bransford, Author]
- THE EMERALD TABLET Gets a New Cover! [ROOTS IN MYTH] And it's gorgeous!
- September 2011 YA Releases [Mundie Moms]
- Tantalizing Future YA Releases + The Hunger Games Teaser Trailer! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/]
- SHATTER ME Book Jackets!!! [Grab a Pen] Beautiful jacket of Shatter Me. (Psst. Have you ordered yet? I've got my copy on reserve!)
- Upcoming Releases: September 2011 [The Bookologist]
- Toughest Creatures - guest post from Daniel Arenson [Amanda Hocking's Blog] Love this post!
- Blog Tour/ Book Review- The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann [Mundie Moms] Amazing! 5 stars.
- Book Review: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley [Mundie Moms] 4 Stars!
- Book Review: notes from an ACCIDENTAL BAND GEEK [Mundie Moms]
- Cover Reveal for CLOCKWISE! [Denise Jaden] Looks (and sounds) like a fun read.
- TESSA GRATTON INTERVIEW AND BOOK GIVEAWAY [Literary Rambles] Excellent interview.
- Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma [Frenetic Reader] An intense & worthwhile read that will shock & horrify.
- Robin Mellom's BUSTED to Disney-Hyperion! [Jill Corcoran Books] Huge congrats, @RobinMellom! WOOT!
- Congratulations Cassie! [Mundie Moms] @CassieClare, @GayleForman, @RachelCohn & other Inky Awards Noms!
- The NYT Children's Series List [Pub Rants] Congrats Simone Elkeles and Kristen Nelson!
- Creativity & Productivity: Rethinking my social media and blogging habits [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] YA! WOOT! SA nom? And you were worried!
- A 2011 ABC Best Books for Children Catalog Title List Preview | Bookselling This Week [news.bookweb.org]
- Bookanista Review: Flyaway, by Lucy Christopher--AND A SIGNED ARC GIVEAWAY!!!! [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Enter by 9/4.
- BOOKANISTAS: Book Reviews without Plot Spoilers - GUESS & WIN!!! [Writer on the Side]
- 100 Book Reading Challenge: September [Writer Musings] Win GLOW or THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS. Enter by 9/30.
- First Lines Contest Voting [YA Highway] Go join the fun!!!!
- Guest Post & Giveaway: Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter by 9/19.
- Guest Post: Gary Paulsen on Writing About Boys - Giveaway of Liar, Liar and Flat Broke [Cynsations]
- Making Characters Multi-Dimensional [The Character Therapist]
- Language and a Writer’s Responsibility [.W.I.P. It]
- Writing Distinct Character Voices [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Do your hobos sound like your professors?
- Scene Writing Tips - Part 2 [*Lynnette Labelle* @Chatterbox Chitchat] More tips for stronger scenes
- Critique Connection and Webinar [Kidlit.com] Don't miss this craft intensive for MG/YA from @Kid_Lit
- How Do Superpowers Affect Your Characters’ Perspectives and Worldviews? [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels]
- Why the Human Element Is All-Important to a Story’s Beginning [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors]
- 10 things NOT to do when building characters [Julie Musil]
- It’s All About The Timing- Pacing Your Novel Correctly [Falling Leaflets]
- 101 of the Best Fiction Writing Tips, Part III [Write It Sideways] More great advice and resources.
- Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey [* Roni Loren - Fiction Groupie *]
- Keeping our Characters Real [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG]
- Challenge: Describe The Senses [Writer Musings] Love this writing exercise.
- What is Your Character Willing to Die For? [The Character Therapist]
- Conflict & Characterization: Lessons from an Old Anime [QueryTracker.net]
- Physical Descriptions Put Readers in Your Place [Daily Writing Tips]
- Character Trait Entry: Eccentric [The Bookshelf Muse]
- Organizing Your Writing: Three Author Pals Share Their Approaches (with Guest Bloggers Jay Lake and J.A. Pitts), Part 1 [GENREALITY]
- Why Bad Decisions Make Good Stories--A Cure for Writer's Block [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book]
- Can you split your novel into four equal parts? [Nail Your Novel]
- Progressions Make the Story Worse and Worse–and That’s Good [Fiction Notes]
- How Food Can Fortify Your Fantasy — LIA KEYES [www.liakeyes.com]
- Muse, Rant, Rave: The Week of the Writer Guest Post: “Top 10 Tips of Writing I Learned from Studying JK Rowling” [muserantrave.blogspot.com] Truly excellent post.
- The Power of Deadlines [Cheryl's Musings] A pain? Or a tool to boost focus & productivity?
- A strange instant way to enhance your creativity [Time to Write] Quick, think of a brilliant writer!
- In which I reveal that I'm a dream crusher... [Shannon Whitney Messenger] LOVE this post. Go Shannon!
- Successful Character Traits of Writers, Part I [GENREALITY]
- Holding On While Searching for Success [QueryTracker.net] Lovely post.
- Tuesday Ten: Tips for the Time-Strapped Writer [Cheryl's Musings]
- Putting Together the Puzzle: Judy Blume and the Writing Process [Ingrid's Notes] Incredible session at SCBWI-LA!
- 1 Secret Trick to Becoming a Genius Writer in One Day [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] FABULOUS post!
- 25 Famous Authors With Learning Disabilities [www.publetariat.com] Love this post SOOO much! :D
- BIRTH Your Darlings [christina lee] Five excellent tips for improving your ms.
- Is Your Writing Cup Half Empty Or Half Full? [Paranormal Point of View] Look deeper. Love this post!
- Not in the Mood to Write? Write According to Your Mood [Mystery Writing is Murder]
- Account For Your Time! [Ingrid's Notes] Reclaim your creativity.
- When does it start to feel real? [Jo Knowles] This. Is. Beautiful.
- WFMAD Day 29 – Slaying Demons of Doubt [Mad Woman in the Forest] I adore this post!
- Maya Angelou missed the whole 'carved in stone' part [Jacket Copy] Edited quote set in MLK memorial.
- How To Succeed [A Newbie's Guide to Publishing] According to @JoeKonrath it's mostly luck. What do you think?
- The birth of a Twitter trend: #replacebooktitleswithbacon [Jacket Copy]
- New Hunger Games website: What district are you in? [Buffy's write zone]
- Literature IQ: Test Your Knowledge with These Quizzes [PWxyz]
- Top Ten Reasons to Become a Writer [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Laugh out loud truth.
- Revision - It's the Little Things [Paranormal Point of View] Great tip!
- 3 Factors That Influence How Much Editing a Book Gets [Author, Jody Hedlund]
- Writing to Read Aloud [Mystery Writing is Murder] Great tips from @elizabethscraig
- Novel Revision: 4 Goals to Polish Your Story [Fiction Notes]
- The warning signs of defending the status quo [Seth's Blog] Read this.
- Deadly Sin of Writing #6–Drifting in the Doldrums [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Excellent post!
- On the Internet There Is No Such Thing as a Brand. There Is Only You [Nathan Bransford, Author]
- Writing on the Ether [Jane Friedman] (Love this new feature!)
- The Writer’s Platform-Building Campaign Begins! [Cheryl's Musings]
- How Much to Share Online [Rachelle Gardner]
- Blog Flog Time!!! - The Use of Public Forums [Babbles from Scott Eagan]
- 3 Things That Come First Before You Tackle Social Media [Writer Unboxed]
- Writers’ Blogs: 5 Essentials for Engaging Your Readers [Writers in the Sky E-zine]
- http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/08/amazons-new-author-feature-launches-and-changes-just-a-bit-what-a-book-is-all-about/ [www.niemanlab.org]
- Agent Spotlight: Rubin Pfeffer [Literary Rambles]
- Pitch versus query [Janet Reid, Literary Agent]
- Make Your Submissions Impressive [Babbles from Scott Eagan]
- Limitations of Common Knowledge [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Addressing specialized information in your query.
- How to Write a Great Query Letter by Noah Lukeman - Reviewed [The Blood-Red Pencil]
- My Agent Romance [Writer Unboxed] You don't need an agent (you need the RIGHT agent).
- Jill Corcoran's Submission Guidelines + What I am looking for [Jill Corcoran Books]
- How AIDA can help you with writing a book, a query letter, and pitching [Time to Write]
- It’s the little things – #color-me-annoyed [Behler Blog] Awful queries.
After the Sale
- How to Host a Video Book Club Visit [GalleyCat]
- By the Time A Self-Published Author Hits it Big, Do They Really Need a Publisher? [Nathan Bransford, Author]
- THE EMERALD TABLET Gets a New Cover! [ROOTS IN MYTH] And it's gorgeous!
- September 2011 YA Releases [Mundie Moms]
- Tantalizing Future YA Releases + The Hunger Games Teaser Trailer! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/]
SHATTER ME Book
Jackets!!! [Grab a Pen] Beautiful
jacket of Shatter Me. (Psst. Have you ordered yet? I've got my copy on reserve!)- Upcoming Releases: September 2011 [The Bookologist]
- Toughest Creatures - guest post from Daniel Arenson [Amanda Hocking's Blog] Love this post!
- Blog Tour/ Book Review- The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann [Mundie Moms] Amazing! 5 stars.
- Book Review: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley [Mundie Moms] 4 Stars!
- Book Review: notes from an ACCIDENTAL BAND GEEK [Mundie Moms]
- Cover Reveal for CLOCKWISE! [Denise Jaden] Looks (and sounds) like a fun read.
- TESSA GRATTON INTERVIEW AND BOOK GIVEAWAY [Literary Rambles] Excellent interview.
- Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma [Frenetic Reader] An intense & worthwhile read that will shock & horrify.
- Robin Mellom's BUSTED to Disney-Hyperion! [Jill Corcoran Books] Huge congrats, @RobinMellom! WOOT!
- Congratulations Cassie! [Mundie Moms] @CassieClare, @GayleForman, @RachelCohn & other Inky Awards Noms!
- The NYT Children's Series List [Pub Rants] Congrats Simone Elkeles and Kristen Nelson!
- Creativity & Productivity: Rethinking my social media and blogging habits [Inkygirl.com: Daily Diversions For Writers - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi] YA! WOOT! SA nom? And you were worried!
- A 2011 ABC Best Books for Children Catalog Title List Preview | Bookselling This Week [news.bookweb.org]
- Bookanista Review: Flyaway, by Lucy Christopher--AND A SIGNED ARC GIVEAWAY!!!! [Shannon Whitney Messenger] Enter by 9/4.
- BOOKANISTAS: Book Reviews without Plot Spoilers - GUESS & WIN!!! [Writer on the Side]
- 100 Book Reading Challenge: September [Writer Musings] Win GLOW or THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS. Enter by 9/30.
- First Lines Contest Voting [YA Highway] Go join the fun!!!!
- Guest Post & Giveaway: Dark Beauty by Taryn Browning [Confessions of a Bookaholic] Enter by 9/19.
- Guest Post: Gary Paulsen on Writing About Boys - Giveaway of Liar, Liar and Flat Broke [Cynsations]
- Making Characters Multi-Dimensional [The Character Therapist]
- Language and a Writer’s Responsibility [.W.I.P. It]
- Writing Distinct Character Voices [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Do your hobos sound like your professors?
- Scene Writing Tips - Part 2 [*Lynnette Labelle* @Chatterbox Chitchat] More tips for stronger scenes
- Critique Connection and Webinar [Kidlit.com] Don't miss this craft intensive for MG/YA from @Kid_Lit
- How Do Superpowers Affect Your Characters’ Perspectives and Worldviews? [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels]
- Why the Human Element Is All-Important to a Story’s Beginning [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors]
- 10 things NOT to do when building characters [Julie Musil]
- It’s All About The Timing- Pacing Your Novel Correctly [Falling Leaflets]
- 101 of the Best Fiction Writing Tips, Part III [Write It Sideways] More great advice and resources.
- Creating Strong Female Characters by Sierra Godfrey [* Roni Loren - Fiction Groupie *]
- Keeping our Characters Real [Author Marketing Experts, Inc. » BLOG]
- Challenge: Describe The Senses [Writer Musings] Love this writing exercise.
- What is Your Character Willing to Die For? [The Character Therapist]
- Conflict & Characterization: Lessons from an Old Anime [QueryTracker.net]
- Physical Descriptions Put Readers in Your Place [Daily Writing Tips]
- Character Trait Entry: Eccentric [The Bookshelf Muse]
- Organizing Your Writing: Three Author Pals Share Their Approaches (with Guest Bloggers Jay Lake and J.A. Pitts), Part 1 [GENREALITY]
- Why Bad Decisions Make Good Stories--A Cure for Writer's Block [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book]
- Can you split your novel into four equal parts? [Nail Your Novel]
- Progressions Make the Story Worse and Worse–and That’s Good [Fiction Notes]
- How Food Can Fortify Your Fantasy — LIA KEYES [www.liakeyes.com]
- Muse, Rant, Rave: The Week of the Writer Guest Post: “Top 10 Tips of Writing I Learned from Studying JK Rowling” [muserantrave.blogspot.com] Truly excellent post.
- The Power of Deadlines [Cheryl's Musings] A pain? Or a tool to boost focus & productivity?
- A strange instant way to enhance your creativity [Time to Write] Quick, think of a brilliant writer!
- In which I reveal that I'm a dream crusher... [Shannon Whitney Messenger] LOVE this post. Go Shannon!
- Successful Character Traits of Writers, Part I [GENREALITY]
- Holding On While Searching for Success [QueryTracker.net] Lovely post.
- Tuesday Ten: Tips for the Time-Strapped Writer [Cheryl's Musings]
- Putting Together the Puzzle: Judy Blume and the Writing Process [Ingrid's Notes] Incredible session at SCBWI-LA!
- 1 Secret Trick to Becoming a Genius Writer in One Day [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] FABULOUS post!
- 25 Famous Authors With Learning Disabilities [www.publetariat.com] Love this post SOOO much! :D
- BIRTH Your Darlings [christina lee] Five excellent tips for improving your ms.
- Is Your Writing Cup Half Empty Or Half Full? [Paranormal Point of View] Look deeper. Love this post!
- Not in the Mood to Write? Write According to Your Mood [Mystery Writing is Murder]
- Account For Your Time! [Ingrid's Notes] Reclaim your creativity.
- When does it start to feel real? [Jo Knowles] This. Is. Beautiful.
- WFMAD Day 29 – Slaying Demons of Doubt [Mad Woman in the Forest] I adore this post!
- Maya Angelou missed the whole 'carved in stone' part [Jacket Copy] Edited quote set in MLK memorial.
- How To Succeed [A Newbie's Guide to Publishing] According to @JoeKonrath it's mostly luck. What do you think?
- The birth of a Twitter trend: #replacebooktitleswithbacon [Jacket Copy]
- New Hunger Games website: What district are you in? [Buffy's write zone]
- Literature IQ: Test Your Knowledge with These Quizzes [PWxyz]
- Top Ten Reasons to Become a Writer [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Laugh out loud truth.
- Revision - It's the Little Things [Paranormal Point of View] Great tip!
- 3 Factors That Influence How Much Editing a Book Gets [Author, Jody Hedlund]
- Writing to Read Aloud [Mystery Writing is Murder] Great tips from @elizabethscraig
- Novel Revision: 4 Goals to Polish Your Story [Fiction Notes]
- The warning signs of defending the status quo [Seth's Blog] Read this.
- Deadly Sin of Writing #6–Drifting in the Doldrums [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Excellent post!
- On the Internet There Is No Such Thing as a Brand. There Is Only You [Nathan Bransford, Author]
- Writing on the Ether [Jane Friedman] (Love this new feature!)
- The Writer’s Platform-Building Campaign Begins! [Cheryl's Musings]
- How Much to Share Online [Rachelle Gardner]
- Blog Flog Time!!! - The Use of Public Forums [Babbles from Scott Eagan]
- 3 Things That Come First Before You Tackle Social Media [Writer Unboxed]
- Writers’ Blogs: 5 Essentials for Engaging Your Readers [Writers in the Sky E-zine]
- http://www.niemanlab.org/2011/08/amazons-new-author-feature-launches-and-changes-just-a-bit-what-a-book-is-all-about/ [www.niemanlab.org]
- Agent Spotlight: Rubin Pfeffer [Literary Rambles]
- Pitch versus query [Janet Reid, Literary Agent]
- Make Your Submissions Impressive [Babbles from Scott Eagan]
- Limitations of Common Knowledge [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Addressing specialized information in your query.
- How to Write a Great Query Letter by Noah Lukeman - Reviewed [The Blood-Red Pencil]
- My Agent Romance [Writer Unboxed] You don't need an agent (you need the RIGHT agent).
- Jill Corcoran's Submission Guidelines + What I am looking for [Jill Corcoran Books]
- How AIDA can help you with writing a book, a query letter, and pitching [Time to Write]
- It’s the little things – #color-me-annoyed [Behler Blog] Awful queries.
oooh great giveaways!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners, especially Vivian. I can't wait to read Cinda's book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking Literary Rambles this week and sharing all these awesome links.
What a fantastic list of links!! Thank you. The giveaway is pretty great, too. Enjoy your long weekend. ;D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link to "Writing Distinct Character Voices"! It's a good thing I decided to watch this blog just a few days ago since I probably wouldn't have caught that.
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited to get my hands on Wintertown. Ever since I saw the cover - it's just brilliant!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the winners and thanks for the links :-)
Han Nolan's book sounds fascinating!
ReplyDeleteWhat an amazing collection of links. Must spend more time with it.
Good thing it's a 3-day weekend so I can dive into all the great articles!
ReplyDeleteSuper huge congratulations to Karen Harrington. That's amazing!
ReplyDeleteThanks Martina & Marissa for the great list of links, and thanks for the mention. Have a great weekend!
Huge thank you for including VMFA grad JoAnn Early Macken's article on "How Food can Fortify Your Fantasy"!
ReplyDeleteHehe, loved that Twitter "just for smiles" link where they replaced a word from a title of a book with the word "bacon." Very amusing.
ReplyDeleteAnd congrats to Karen!!!! Way to go!
Thanks again! And congrats to Karen!
ReplyDeleteVivien
deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com
Whoa, it's going to take a while to get through all those links! And thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteerica
Oh my goodness, I want to read Wintertown so badly! I'd love to read either of those books, actually.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't heard of either of these books before your post, but thanks for the heads up. They both look great!
ReplyDeleteOoh, so many links! And so helpful as well! (extemter at hotmail dot com)
ReplyDeleteLove the links and the heads up about two more great books.
ReplyDelete