Spread the Love Contest!

We're thrilled to (almost!) reach the 500-followers mark. So thrilled, we are throwing a mini-contest this week to spread the love. (We'll celebrate with a much bigger contest next month.)

What we're giving away:

Two first-five page critiques by two agented authors

We know it's been contest-a-palooza in the blogosphere lately, so this one's going to be EASY.

All you need to do to enter is be a follower and get one new person to follow our blog. That's it. Then leave a comment to let us know you'd like to be entered. (Extra entries will be given for bringing additional followers, Tweeting, etc., so let us know what you do.)

Contest ends Sunday the 28th, winners announced Monday. We won't be posting this week; instead we'll be getting caught up on our own stuff so we can devote time to the first fives of the winners.

Thanks for entering, and let us know if you have any questions!

Suzette and Bethany

Don't you love finding The One?

I love reading blogs. There, I said it. (Hubby would be appalled!) But I find inspiration like none other from my fellow in-the-trenches writers.

You'll notice from the date stamp that, thanks to a migraine/caffeine event, I am up in the wee hours of the morning. Here are two of the treasures I found:

First, laughing my you-know-what off to discover that Bethany's post was the inspiration for this hide-and-seek game on Winded Words. Jackee, you rock!

And then, pure unadulterated inspiration, found on one of my favorite blogs, Dancing Down Serendipity Street.

It's called Everywhere I Go by Lissie. This song ranks right up there with Sia's Breathe Me. Don't you love when you find the perfect song? What song has been The One for you?

Watch for a big announcement here on Monday!

~SUZETTE~

Fun Friday - Free Agenty Stuff

The Literati visited Bree Despain! You can click on the photo to enlarge - it seems there are two zombies amongst us! (And no, one of them is not me. I'm busy promoting the nudist colony, remember?) Bree is an absolute delight. You can visit her blog to read about the Twisted Valentines the Literati girls cooked up.

Great news! Author Barrie Summy has generously agreed to give a copy of her book, I So Don't Do Spooky, to the Literati gals for review. Thanks, Barrie! Be sure to check out Barrie's blog. She has an uber-interesting post about camping out in a hotel room in order to meet her deadline. UPDATE: The novel arrived today! In a lovely package from Random House.

You can win a signed ARC of Dark Divine plus a bunch of other goodies on Emily's Reading Room. (Super-easy to enter.) Emily is also a Literati mentor.

I found a most amazing plotting method that's easy as tic-tac-toe. Would love to know your thoughts on it. You can read about it over on the QTblog.

Check out the amazing contest Elana Johnson is holding with prizes galore - many of them from agents. Enter soon - the contest ends Monday.

Mark McVeigh of the McVeigh Agency is giving away a free 15 minute phone call to talk about anything publishing. All you need to do is get ten people to follow his blog.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Suzette

Junk

My daughter came home from a friend's house with an exquisite, homemade valentine box and asked, "Mom, why don't you have a drawer full of old scrapbooking junk? They always make cool art projects. I want to make stuff like this at home with you."

To which I replied, "It's because Mommy is a writer. All of my junk is stored up here." Taps forehead. "And that's where I like it because I take it with me wherever I go."

Daughter studies me with a frown. "What do you mean?"

"When I'm on the treadmill at the gym, my junk comes to life and it's like watching a movie while I exercise. Only, no one else can see it."

"Is that why you never hear me the first time I talk to you?"

............... long pause...............

"Did you say something, Sweetie?"

Daughter rolls eyes.

Is it just me, or are all writers' heads filled to the brim?

BTW, check out Cole's blog for a hilarious post about stalking your characters. And here is an awesome contest for those of you seeking an agent!

Real Life Meet-ups

Fifteen lovely writers came to a party at my house. Crazy fun. We played a word game where we wrote down a "what if" question about someone in the room. Someone else answered it. And then we read them aloud... but out of order.

This one made us laugh the hardest:

Q: What if Suzette worked at a nudist colony?

A: Then she'd be stuck doing promotional work for them for a whole year. And her hand would constantly be cramped from waving. But at least she'd get to wear that tiara she keeps under her pillow.

That's me, back row second from the right, sans tiara. (I'll have another party in April so Bethany can attend.) Here's everyone else, be sure to give them a follow:

Front row: Jen Wilkes, Ali Cross, Tess Hilmo, Natalie Whipple,
Back row:LT Elliot, Mary Campbell, Nichole Giles, Alaina Evans, Elana Johnson, Angie Lofthouse, Carolyn Vawdry, Lady Glamis/Michelle Argyle, me, Windy Aphayrath.
Not pictured: Kimberly Webb Reid

We were toasting Al Gore, for without his invention of the Internet, we would not have gathered.
What about you? Have you met anyone in RL through blogging? What was it like?

The Significance of a Significant's Opinion

The scene: I am standing in the kitchen with my baby on my hip, chopping onions for the dinner I am making ahead of time since I have cub scouts in the afternoon, while simultaneously cleaning the kitchen, drawing a food pyramid for afore mentioned scouts, entertaining crabby 3-year-old, and watching for 8-year-old to come home.

Me=Me. Jaime=Husband.

Me: Jaime, you seem a little miffed that I asked you to watch the kids for an hour so I could work on my writing.

Jaime: Shrug.

Me: Just out of curiosity, how do you see my writing?

Jaime: I'm glad you have something you enjoy doing, and that it gives you a sense of accomplishment.

Me: But it's more than that. I have the potential to be published. I have to treat it like a job.

Jaime: Shrug. When you start making money I'll see it differently.

Me: Biting my tongue. Waiting for fire to start flaming out of my nostrils. Deep breath. Another deep breath. Imagination overload--If only I had magic at my fingertips... I'd turn you into a toad!

Jaime: Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you have such a fulfilling hobby.

Me: Almost bite clean through my tongue. Pound the crap out of a chicken breast, kiss baby's forehead. You know, you're lucky you're still a good looking man. It's your only defense right now.

My dear Jaime

Husband of twelve years

So tell me, please! How does your significant other view your writing addiction?

Follow Friday

"LITERATI!!!"

I'm shouting from the rooftops, letting you all know about an awesome blog that belongs to the group of teen aspiring authors I mentor through an Outreach program. The teens review books (YA and some MG) and would love to have you follow them:

The Literati Read Blog

If you are a published YA or MG author, The Literati would love to review your book! Drop me a line if you are interested.

In the spirit of following, Bethany and I (and lots of our readers, I'm sure) would love to follow you! Give us your links and we'll head your way. You can find our links in the sidebar to the right of this post.

And speaking of links, be sure to check out the Publishing Pulse on the QTblog. There are links galore!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Contests on the Web

I had so much fun finding my own name when I won a contest on Tracy's A Blissful Life that I decided to dedicate a post to contests. They are easy to enter and a blast to win!

• Our sweet friend Diana Paz's Writing Roller Coasters (hurry, this one ends the 5th)
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• My uber-agent Suzie Townsend's Confession's of a Wandering Heart
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• My agent-mate Lisa DesRocher's Personal Demons
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• Kristi's contest at Sisters In Scribe ends the 4th, so hurry!
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• Comment on pitches over at Slushbusters. Thanks, Michelle!

• Jackee at Winded Words is giving away awesome gift baskets!
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• Vote for best true ghost stories on Portia Sisco's blog today (the 3rd) only!
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• Ann Elle Altman (cool name!) is having a fun and easy-to-enter contest.
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• Check out Crystal Roget's Bookmark for another listing of contests.
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• My dear friend Mary has a contest on Writer's Butt Does Not Apply to Me
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• Check the Publishing Pulse for a list of writing contests.
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• DL Hammonds is celebrating his 100th follower on Cruising Altitude.

Are you having a contest on your blog? I would love to add it to this list!

Addiction or Hobby?

Suzette: We should start writing books.
Me: Huh? What do you mean writing books?
S: I was watching this interview with the author of Holes. He said all it takes to write a novel is an hour a day and a year.
Me: Really? I've always wanted to write a book.
S: Me, too. So do you want to do it?
Me: Seriously?
S: Why not?
Me: Because I failed ninth grade English and didn't finish college?
S: So what. We might as well try it.
(This is where I stare at her, my mouth hanging open, wondering if she's gone crazy)
Me: Uh-duh. Sure. An hour a day. I can do that. (Insert internal groan)

One year later: Status: We had both written two manuscripts (45,000 to 120,000 words--yeah, I was a little long-winded back then!).
Two years later: Status: We had both written another manuscript (or two).
Seven years later: Status: I am working on my ninth manuscript. Suzette is working on her fifth.

Conclusion: Writing can become a long-term addiction. Beware!

So, are you addicted? How long have you been writing? And what in the world inspired you to try it?

Speaking of addictions, be sure to check out Diana Paz's blog, Writing Roller Coasters. She has a sweet contest going on right now!