Contest Circuit: July 30

I'm over at Falling For Fiction today with Hope Roberson, a very talented writer and friend. This is my first interview - ever. Lucky for me, Hope is both a gracious and fun host. Virtual smileys and/or high fives absolutely welcome and encouraged. *bites nails and smiles sheepishly* 

I'll be back on Wednesday for Insecure Writer's Support Group and on Thursday for a fabulous blogger interview with the lovely Amy Sonnichsen, of The Green Bathtub. Other than pure genius, find out just what inspired that blog name! ;)

Contests:

Krista Van Dolzer (Mother. Write. Repeat.), Authoress (Miss Snark's First Victim) and Brenda Drake (Brenda Drake Writes...under the influence of coffee) are hosting a phenomenal contest with the teens of Teen Eyes Editorial. Each of these bloggers will be having one of the three teens judge entries consisting of one sentence pitches/first 250, query letters and/or 35-word pitches. Each site will hold a different type of entry. Prizes include 20,000 word in-depth critiques and a $100 to an editorial service. Contest begins at 8:00a.m. on July 31.

Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency is hosting a contest for crime, thriller or mystery novels. Submit your first 8,000 words with a synopsis, an introductory letter, and a 250-word bio of your central character. The winner will receive offer of representation. Runners up will receive editorial feedback. Submissions must be exclusive. Contest ends July 31.

Operation Awesome is hosting their next Mystery Agent contest on August 1. This contest involves a one sentence pitch for your manuscript. 

NA Alley is hosting a pitch contest with Lauren Hammond for (NA) New Adult entries. Entries will include a brief summary (the meat of your query) and your first 250. Contest begins at 12:01 A.M. EST on Aug 8.

DL Hammons is hosting WRiTE CLUB. Anonymously submit any type of 500 word writing sample. Each week, for twelve weeks, two randomly selected samples will go head to head. Winners will be selected by readers via their votes. Victors will move on to the championship round. The winner of the final round will be picked by a panel of agents, editors, marketers, and published authors. DL Hammon's line up for this is phenomenal. Stop by his site to check it out! The first WRiTE begins July 30, but you can sign up after July 30.

Novel Novice is hosting a Steampunk genre mash-up contest. Combine any genre with Steampunk in 300 words to enter. Ends July 31. Winners receive a copy of INNOCENT DARKNESS by Suzanne Lazear.

WOW! Women on Writing is holding a Flash Fiction contest with guest judge, Literary Agent Marie Lamba. $10 entry fee with fun cash prizes. This contest has an open prompt. Deadline is August 31.

Unicorn Bell is hosting the School's In Query Contest. Submit your query for your complete manuscript. On Aug 13-17, they will host a Study Hall session. Aug 20-24 they will host a workshop session. Then on Aug 27-31, four editors will be judging them and asking for submissions. See post for more details.

Bloghops: 

Alex J Cavanaugh's Insecure Writer's Support Group is this Wednesday - the first Wednesday of every month. Not only are there over 230 blogs that participate (aka plenty of bloggers to meet and/or "all the cool kids do it"), but it's also incredibly validating - regardless of what stage you're at as a writer. 

Morgan Shamy, Leigh Covington, Mark Koopmans, and Cassie Mae are hosting "What If" Fairy Tale Madness Blogfest. Put a spin on your favorite fairy tale and rewrite a scene. This blogfest is filling up fast and will take place August 13-17.

Jeremy Bates is hosting Dog Days of Summer Blog Fest. Sign up on the linky, answer one of three prompts about your summer, and hop around to as many blogs as you can to make new friends (ideally while enjoying a backyard BBQ).

Deana Barnhart's Gearin' Up To Get An Agent Blog O Rama is quickly approaching. The month long party will start September 3. For one month, Deana will be focusing on one agent-grabbing element (platform building, learning the craft, the novel and queries) in an interactive way. She will be giving away plenty of critiques. The blogfest involves agents, authors and a whole host of other fun twists.

Giveaways:

Portable Magic's Katharina Brendel, an intern of Rhemalda Publishing, is giving away 3 paperback or ebooks and 3 critiques for the first 15-20% of your completed fiction MS! Contest runs through Aug 19.

Maji Bookshelf is hosting multiple giveaways. Enter to win one of twelve 2012 debuts (fabulous titles listed) or one of their other four ongoing giveaways for books/ARCs they've reviewed.

And once again, if you like giveaways, Candace's Book Blog and Pure Imagination offer a linky each week where bloggers link up their weekly reviews and giveaways. The idea is brilliant! AND this week currently showcases 84 different giveaways for various books. Stop by to check it out! 

Thanks Hope Roberson for passing this along!

Rules for the Magic 8 Ball Meme:1. Post the button and link to Jaycee deLorenzo (following would be nice, but not required). 

2.  Share an excerpt from your current WIP, perhaps something you're struggling with, are stuck on, or just can't "get right."  

3.  Ask a question about your excerpt.  It can be something easy such as "What do you think?" or something more in-depth, such as "Can you suggest a better way to word such-and-such," or "How can I make the emotions in this scene more realistic?"
                                                      
                                                      4.  Tag 8 people. 

While most of my scenes take place in the living world, I have a few scenes involving Afterlife. Here is one, where my MC, Mia is trying to redesign her Afterlife to fit her shifting mood. Her Afterlife starts at her grandfather's lake house and transforms to a nighttime city scape. Does this scene make sense? Does it offer strong enough imagery? Is it too much? Too little? Any feedback you all have would be great!


When I closed my eyes, the image came, and the world around me started to transform. I descended my grandfather’s dock as Oshkosh, Wisconsin disappeared behind me. The greenish blue of the lake darkened to a shadowy black. Like a shade being drawn, violet then midnight crept into the horizon. I walked steadily towards my grandfather’s house as it scattered into tiny sand particles caught in a windstorm. All around me, polished skyscrapers with silver windows rose like conquering giants from grass that shriveled back into a concrete sidewalk. The enormous rumbling should have been deafening, but just as the day turns to night, the transition was silent. The only sound amidst the chaos was the chiming of a rope against a flagpole until the last remnant of my grandfather’s dock broke apart and disappeared. When my new world settled, I was standing on my nighttime rooftop.

And now....

*shake shake shake*


The Magic 8 Ball RANDOMLY selects...


Cristina dos Santos
Lexa Cain
J.A. Bennett
Morgan Shamy
Julie Dao
Julie DeGuia
Amanda Olivieri
Kyra Lennon

Some of you I know well - some of you I don't know at all! I hope all of you have fun!!

Contest Circuit: July 23

Contests:
Miss Snark's First Victim is hosting a Secret Agent contest on July 23. Submissions are for the first 250 words of your manuscript. Submission windows are open from 9:00-11:00 AM EDT for the first 25 and 7:00-9:00PM EDT for the second 25. Submissions are asking for MG, YA and NA except for fantasy, paranormal, and romance.

Author Kat Murray is hosting a contest where she's giving away a chapter critique by her agent Emmanuelle Morgen. Go to her site, read the first chapter of her book and answer one of two questions she asks in the comments section. She'll be picking one winner on July 23, at 11:59PM EDT.

Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency is hosting a contest for crime, thriller or mystery novels. Submit your first 8,000 words with a synopsis, an introductory letter, and a 250-word bio of your central character. The winner will receive offer of representation. Runners up will receive editorial feedback. Submissions must be exclusive. Contest ends July 31.

Operation Awesome is hosting their next Mystery Agent contest on August 1. Contests usually involve a one sentence pitch or the first sentence of your manuscript. Look for details about this contest a few days prior to August 1.

Novel Novice is hosting a Steampunk genre mash-up contest. Combine any genre with Steampunk in 300 words to enter. Ends July 31. Winners receive a copy of INNOCENT DARKNESS by Suzanne Lazear.

WOW! Women on Writing is holding a Flash Fiction contest with guest judge, Literary Agent Marie Lamba. $10 entry fee with fun cash prizes. This contest has an open prompt. Deadline is August 31.

Unicorn Bell is hosting the School's In Query Contest. Submit your query for your complete manuscript. On Aug 13-17, they will host a Study Hall session. Aug 20-24 they will host a workshop session. Then on Aug 27-31, four editors will be judging them and asking for submissions. See post for more details.

Bloghops:

Morgan Shamy, Leigh Covington, Mark Koopmans, and Cassie Mae are hosting "What If" Fairy Tale Madness Blogfest. Put a spin on your favorite fairy tale and rewrite a scene. This blogfest is filling up fast and will take place August 13-17.

Deana Barnhart's Gearin' Up To Get An Agent Blog O Rama is quickly approaching. The month long party will start September 3. For one month, Deana will be focusing on one agent-grabbing element (platform building, learning the craft, the novel and queries) in an interactive way. She will be giving away plenty of critiques. The blogfest involves agents, authors and a whole host of other fun twists.

DL Hammons is hosting WRiTE CLUB. Anonymously submit any type of 500 word writing sample. Each week, for twelve weeks, two randomly selected samples will go head to head. Winners will be selected by readers via their votes. Victors will move on to the championship round. The winner of the final round will be picked by a panel of agents, editors, marketers, and published authors. DL Hammon's line up for this is phenomenal. Stop by his site to check it out! The first WRiTE begins July 30!

Giveaways:

This week Literary Rambles is giving away THE ROCK OF IVANORE (July 28), UNRAVELING (July 28), THE SELECTION (July 28) and SHADOW AND BONE (Aug 3). I've heard amazing things about all of these books! 

The Writing Nut is giving away copies of Alex J. Cavanaugh's CASSASTAR and CASSAFIRE for leaving a comment about why you'd like a copy of the book. Creativity is encouraged and could earn you extra entries. Ends July 31.

Last but not least, if you like giveaways, Candace's Book Blog and Pure Imagination offer a linky each week where bloggers link up their weekly reviews and giveaways. The idea is brilliant! AND this week currently showcases 84 different giveaways for various books. Stop by to check it out! 

Literary Circles: Blogger Interview with Hope Roberson!

Today I’m talking with Hope Roberson of Writing with Hope and Falling for Fiction. Hope is the mastermind behind the recent “Hookers and Hangers” Blogfest. She also co-hosted the bloghop “Is It Getting Hot in Here?” in February. On Falling for Fiction, Hope gives stellar interviews and book recs. On her own blog, she often discusses her own writing journey - both the humorous moments like her post “Squirrel” and vulnerable ones like her post “Revealing.” (It’s impossible to read her Squirrel post without laughing…and relating!) In addition to blogging and writing, Hope is a teacher and mom of two (one boy, one girl) who lives with her hubby in Washington. Stop by and check out her blogs!

Hope, can you tell us a little about the concepts behind your two blogs and what inspired them?
I started blogging last October after I finished writing My Protector and needed direction on the next steps toward publishing (ha ha). I had no idea what I was doing. I mostly researched things to help my writing (thus my writing links page and Best of the Best posts) and then joined in a few blog hops and IWSG, both helping guide my posts. 

Over on Falling For Fiction, we have a weekly schedule for posting different (hopefully) uplifting and helpful posts, so that one is a lot easier to know what to write about. J A lot of times, when I’m reading other people’s blogs or writing, ideas hit so I have a bunch of saved partial posts that I go to as a back up.

I love what you’ve written for your profile: “Trying to balance a family, a teaching job, writing, and my sanity.” You also describe a typical day of a mom/blogger/writer your “Squirrel” post (which if you haven’t noticed yet is one of my favorites). What’s your secret to balancing it all and maintaining your sanity?
I should change that, I’m beyond insane. J Some days are better than others where I can do a little bit of everything and accomplish a goal or two, but most of the time, I just run around like a chicken with my head cut off. I’m sort of spurtish, so I need to stay as organized as possible (I have an affinity for sticky notes). And if my goal for the day is to write, that’s all I let myself do. I can’t read or blog, because I need to keep myself from going online. Once I’m there, it’s trouble cause I’ll enter the blogosphere to find what everyone is up to and then someone will have this great link to a contest or a bloghop and then that person has a fantastic list for editing and then it’s lunch time and I need to get my son’s uniform washed and then I’m checking my email super quick and now I’ve squirreled again!

Hope - I feel like you've just described my typical day. I have no idea what I'd do without post-its! J

I read that you and your Falling for Fiction cohosts are all critique partners. How did you meet each other?
The great Cassie Mae! J I met her in my first writing contest last November and then she posted about wanting critique partners. I didn’t have any and was super nervous to volunteer since I had no idea what I was doing and she graciously accepted. A couple months later, another of her cps needed more readers so Cassie hooked us up. Then again, a couple months later Cassie connected her four cps in an email and craziness ensued. Somewhere in an email thread (probably titled Nutroll or Holy Poo) one of us threw out the idea of doing a group blog and FFF was a done deal. These girls are so much fun! And invaluable cps, brilliant writers, the best support, and all around fabulous friends.

As I briefly mentioned in your intro, you show a lot of versatility among your posts. How do you keep your posts fresh and engaging?
I think the more you reveal about yourself as a person and a writer, the more people respond because we’re all here to help and support each other. If there’s humor in there, it helps. If it’s short, that helps too. J Also, becoming part of IWSG has connected me new bloggers and gives me support/ideas from people I already blog with. Bloghops are great too.

Bloghops like Hookers and Hangers? I thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's posts for this bloghop! Talk about engaging!

What lessons have you learned from blogging? Good, bad and/or ugly?
That I’m a slower reader than I thought. I can only visit maybe ten people’s blogs and I’ve spent half my morning in the blogosphere, which is fun, but I’m learning I can only blog certain days of the week. Otherwise I’d only blog and never write or be a mom or any of that other important stuff. And I’m not great at pithy/witty comments so often times I read a post and go to respond, scrolling through the funny and interesting replies of others, and sit there staring at the little box not knowing what to say. The best lesson I’m learning is always visit the blogs of people who comment on mine. That’s my current blogging goal. Oh, and I have a smiley face addiction, having to go back and delete more than half. (I’ve already deleted 6 from my answers) J J J J J

Ha! I get so jealous of bloggers who are witty every time they comment! 

What is one of your favorite blogs? What makes it one of your favorites?
That's a hard one! Can I say Falling For Fiction? J Really, it depends on the day, depends on my mood. Most of the time, I try to get through my list of 25 favorites on my blog’s sidebar, but often times I’ll end up jumping somewhere from another blogger’s post. I’m all over the map and just like to read what everyone has to say.

Can you talk a little bit about a current project you are either promoting or working on?
I started a new WiP, Birds of a Feather, three weeks ago and am insanely lost in Pigeon’s world. She’s a potty mouth teenager sent to a school for troubled kids after she overdosed in an attempt to get her parents’ attention once her sister died. I don’t quite know how to pitch it yet, guess I need to work on that. I’ve written 30,000 words in three weeks and find it incredibly hard to stop. My kids tell me I need to be grounded from the computer J

Ha! I love that your kids have tried to ground you. J After reading some of your recent Hookers and Hangers, I'm already in love with Pigeon's stand out voice!

Thank you so much for stopping by Hope! It was an absolute pleasure getting to know you better! I look forward to following your writing journey and hearing more about Pigeon!

Hookers and Hangers: Part Two

First let me say I was blown away by so many hookers that I read through on Monday and Tuesday. This has been such a fun blogfest to participate in and follow.

Tomorrow, I'll be featuring a blogger interview with Falling For Fiction's Hope Roberson, the creative mastermind behind the Hooker and Hanger madness. Be sure to stop back to check her out!

Now for some Hangers! I thought these would be much easier. But as I went through them, I found that so many of them taken out of context weren't as cool as I'd hoped. I needed my clever reference half way through the chapter as a set up, or at the very least, the last paragraph. Take that as my warning/disclaimer...

Ch1: When I open my eyes again, I find myself back in my own Afterlife standing five hundred feet above a city and a million miles away from where this story begins.

Ch 14: From the tar-like shadows draping the corridor, he watches with supreme satisfaction the commotion he had caused.

Ch 30: “I’ll kill him, I swear, I’ll kill him,” was the only thought that raced through his mind, over and over again, as he left the building to find her.

Ch 32: The second I return, I see an extra set of footprints walking across my hillside, and I realize I am not alone.

Ch 33: Will stood, looked towards the direction of the fields, and took off in a full sprint towards them.

Ch 34: As he lies on the ground unwilling to get up, Gene pictures all the ways to commit cold-blooded murder, something for the first time in his life, he thinks he is actually capable of.

Ch 36: It was Claire who first noticed the gun pointed at Will’s head.

Ch 40: “I’m sorry,” I whisper knowing full well what Grace is about to do to him.

Ch 41: I try to say “I love you,” but I’m taken from him before I have that chance. 

Contest Circuit: July 16

Speaking of fun contests around the blogosphere, I'm participating today in the Hookers and Hangers Blogfest. Click HERE for my lovely hookers. If you'd like to participate, see details below.

On Thursday, I'll be sharing my interview with the fabulous Hope Roberson, the creative mastermind behind this fun blogfest! Stop back and check it out!

Contests:
Brenda Drake of Brenda Drake Writes is hosting a pitch contest with Entangled Publishing on July 16! Again, post your 35 word pitch. Brenda will accept the first 200 entries. Even if you don't get picked for a request, her planning partner Adrien-Luc Sanders will be critiquing ALL 200 pitches.

Savvy Authors hosts MULTIPLE pitch contests with fabulous agents. Agents in July's upcoming pitch contests include Jill Marsal of Marshal Lyon Literary, Laurie McLean of Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, Peter Knapp of Park Literary Group, Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You need to be a member to participate, but basic membership is free.

Miss Snark's First Victim is hosting a Secret Agent contest on July 23. Submissions are for the first 250 words of your manuscript. 

Operation Awesome is hosting their next Mystery Agent contest on August 1. Contests usually involve a one sentence pitch or first sentence of our MS. Look for details about this contest a few days prior to August 1. 

WOW! Women on Writing is holding a Flash Fiction contest with guest judge, Literary Agent Marie Lamba. $10 entry fee with fun cash prizes. This contest has an open prompt. Deadline is August 31.

Candilynn Fite hosts a Flash Fiction contest each month. Write 300 words based on a picture prompt she has posted. Deadline is June 20. Winner's received a copy of Catherine Stine's FIRESEED ONE.

Novel Novice is hosting a Steampunk genre mash-up contest. Combine any genre with Steampunk in 300 words to enter. Ends July 31. Winners receive a copy of INNOCENT DARKNESS by Suzanne Lazear.

Bloghops and Giveaways:
Falling For Fiction is hosting a Hookers and Hangers Bloghop. On July 16, you post your "Hookers" - aka the first sentence from a chapter. Then on July 18, you'll post your "Hangers" - the last line from a chapter. Winners will receive a 10 page critique!

Morgan Shamy from Inner Thoughts of a Redhead Writer is hosting "What If" Fairy Tale Madness Blogfest alongside Leigh Covington, Mark Koopmans, and Cassie Mae. Put a spin on your favorite fairy tale and rewrite a scene. This blogfest is filling up fast and will take place August 13-17.

Deana Barnhart's Gearin' Up To Get An Agent Blog O Rama is quickly approaching. The month long party will start September 3. Sign ups begin today, July 16. For one month, Deana will be focusing on one agent-grabbing element (platform building, learning the craft, the novel and queries) in an interactive way. She will be giving away plenty of critiques. I believe it also involves agents, authors and a whole host of other fun twists.

Gracielou is hosting a giveaway of MCV Egan's THE BRIDGES OF DEATH. Sign up with Rafflecopter to win a copy of the book or a $50 Amazon gift certificate. 

Hookers and Hangers Blogfest!

Today I'm participating in Falling For Fiction's Hookers and Hangers Blogfest. Thanks ladies for hosting such a fun contest! Now on to my lovely Hookers....

My "Hookers," aka first lines from some of my chapters, are from my recent manuscript, THE BEAUTY OF DESTRUCTION. For a little bit of background about my story, here's my one sentence pitch:

Mia, a fifteen year old amnesic dead girl gets stuck helping another lip-glossed and venomous teen prevent a vengeful school shooting, only to discover the real story behind her own murder.

Chapter 1: Any minute now, Valerie Wittier will wake up, and I’ll remind her of what she’s done.

Chapter 3: From the moment I opened my eyes, I knew exactly where I was and not to trust it.

Chapter 6: All I can see are images of their bodies lying there, looking like cast aside baby dolls.

Chapter 13: Rain falls in billowing sheets like a heavy curtain of tinsel.

Chapter 34: A triad of lines like a tiny bird foot creases the space between her brows.

Chapter 35: “He has a gun.” The breathless words came from her mouth, though she was sure they’d been someone else’s.

Chapter 36: My stomach is tight and twisted – a thick, knotted, nautical rope coiled inside me spreading through every inch of my torso.
 

Ticking Time Bomb

I am a ticking time bomb.

I've successfully made it to 35 weeks pregnant. *throws confetti* While I'd love this little one to get a few more good in utero weeks of growth, he's made it out of the danger zone period and I'm ecstatic. (I've mentioned before my last child was a 32 wk preemie) I spent the earlier part of this week in the hospital and dr's office having contractions. Since then - nothing. Most of you know, that could mean I'm going soon, or it could mean I'll be doing this for another five weeks.

Either way, I feel like I have a million and one things to do before then. I remember the walking-zombie-no-sleep with a newborn phase. I know I'll be worthless for a good month at least before any brain activity is restored and writing can begin again. Before I plunge full fledged into my kind-of-but-not-really-functioning state, I need to get some writing done! I have a shiny new idea rolling around my head that needs to be written down already. (Why is it so hard to start a new MS?) I need to query my old MS. AND I'm thrilled, thrilled, thrilled about my upcoming interviews with bloggers and authors. *rubs hands together* Who, oh, who could they be?

Anybody else feel the pressure to get writing done NOW? Anybody else putting it off as much as I am?

On a more playful note, I'm ready to pass on the Liebster Blog Award!! I was fortunate enough to have this passed onto me a few times in the past couple weeks by Julie Deguia, Emily Yu, and Lena Reve. Thank you ladies for thinking of me!

Since Julie gave it to me first, I'll be following her rules to pass it forward. Kind of. I'm also bending the rules and cheating a bit. Instead of 5 recipients, I've chosen 6. I know....such a rule breaker I am.... I've been using the phrase "What about it? I'm pregnant" quite a bit to get away with things....if you need me to use it here, I can. There's something about a 9mo pregnant woman that causes people not to argue with her. ;)

The 'rules' of the award are the following: 

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less.
5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

And here are the fabulous bloggers that deserve this award!

1. Rachel from Rachel Writes Things. Rachel's blog focuses on book reviews, her writing process and fun little tidbits in between. Rachel has a great sense of humor and is about as sweet as it gets. I've really enjoyed her posts!

2. Katie Conigliaro from The Fiction Diaries. Katie's blog focuses on critiques, book reviews, author spotlights and "The Writer in You Blog Hop," a weekly Saturday feature. I love Katie's creativity in her posts and ideas. 

3.  Courtney Young of This Will All Seem Silly One Day. Courtney is currently co-hosting the Buccaneer Blogfest (such a fun, creative idea!). Her posts discuss her writing process - she's currently editing her debut novel which will be published later this year - and Monday Madness, where she discusses book covers. 

4. Shane at Itching For Books. Shane gives stellar book reviews and author interviews. She both hosts and participates in blog tours for authors. The amount of books she reads is astounding! 

5. Suzie from My Not So Secret Writing Life. Suzie's posts include her own thoughts and tips on writing, interviews, and Friday Favorites, where she lists some of her favorite things. I also see her all over the blogosphere visiting other blogs as well.

6. Last, but certainly not least, Ink in the Book. She also gives fabulous interviews and has even created her own award that she calls "Inked." I love the creativity behind that! 

Congrats ladies! I've enjoyed following your blogs! 

Contest Circuit: So Many Contests, So Little Time

This week's list is so exciting, I had to post a little early. Several of these contests happen over the next couple days - including today. Make sure you hop over to these sites and take advantage of them!!

Contests:
Ruth Lauren Steven and Michelle Krys are hosting Christmas in July on July 9th with ten agents! On July 9th send in your query and first 500 in hopes that you'll be picked to be a finalist! Head over to either of their sites NOW and submit your entry!!

Writerly Rejects is hosting a 3-5 sentence pitch contest on July 9th. They will pick their 20 favorite pitches to send to Claire Anderson-Wheeler at Anderson Literary Management. Of them, Claire will choose one to receive a FULL MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUE!!

YAtopia is hosting a New Adult Pitch Contest judged by super-agent Sara Megibow and Managing Editor at Entangled Publishing, Heather Howland. Include your 35 word pitch on July 10 to win a request from these ladies!

Brenda Drake of Brenda Drake Writes is hosting a pitch contest with Entangled Publishing on July 16. Again, post your 35 word pitch. Brenda will accept the first 200 entries. Even if you don't get picked for a request, her planning partner Adrien-Luc Sanders will be critiquing ALL 200 pitches.

Savvy Authors hosts MULTIPLE pitch contests with fabulous agents. Agents in July's upcoming pitch contests include Jill Marsal of Marshal Lyon Literary, Laurie McLean of Larsen Pomada Literary Agency, Peter Knapp of Park Literary Group, Nicole Resciniti of The Seymour Agency. You need to be a member to participate, but basic membership is free.

KT Hanna is celebrating her one year Blogiversary with a critique contest featuring literary agent Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson Associates. Enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win. Contest ends July 10.

Deanna Romito from I Write For Apples is having a contest where you could win a first page critique or a query critique from Amanda Lewis of the Doe Coover Agency.

Writer's Digest is hosting a short story competition. Write about your best summer tales or fictional stories in 1,200 words or less. Winning stories will receive a $25 gift certificate to the Writer's Digest store and promotion on WritersDigest.com. Ends July 15.

Giveaways:
Elizabeth Norris, author of UNRAVELING (my newest book obsession - I can't stop thinking about it!), is giving away her favorite July read SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY by Suzanne Dennard. Ends July 20.

Courtney Vail at Gotta Have YA is giving away a $25 gift certificate and copies of Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER and LAMENT. Ends July 10.

Ingrid Paulson is giving away an ARC of her debut novel VALKYRIE RISING, which comes out in October 2012. Contest ends July 12.

Blog Hops:

Sharon Bayliss and Courtney Young are hosting the Buccaneer Blogfest, an event designed to help bloggers build their platform and create connections. This will run from July 9 - August 3 with three prompts per week.

Falling For Fiction is hosting a Hookers and Hangers Bloghop. On July 16, you post your "Hookers" - aka the first sentence from a chapter. Then on July 18, you'll post your "Hangers" - the last line from a chapter. Winners will receive a 10 page critique!

Literary Circles: Blogger Interview with Katie Mills!

Today I’m interviewing Katie Mills from her blog Creepy Query Girl. Katie’s posts are full of voice. Whether she’s blogging about her own writing journey, interviewing authors, or posing interesting questions to evoke discussion among her very devoted followers, her voice and personality are distinct and entertaining. She’s collected over twenty blogging awards in the time that she’s been blogging since April 2010 with her first post "Oh yes she did..." Katie lives in France with her husband and her three girls.

The title of your blog cracks me up. Can you tell us a bit about your blog’s concept and what inspired you to start blogging?

When I started querying my very first book, I started with the old fashioned method–Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook and sending out hard copies to British agents. But the more I researched, the more avenues I discovered: things like querytracker.net, online contests and writing conferences. And most of this information was found through blogs. Writer blogs, author blogs, agent blogs, editor blogs… First, I fell in love with the community. Then, I decided I needed to be a part of it.  But I didn’t want to force it. The blogs I loved most featured people being who they are and doing what they do. At the time, I was diving into the query pool head-first and writing and querying were taking up a lot of my daylight hours. I spent tons of time researching agents, sending queries and stalking my inbox. I’ve never been one of those girls you see on tv who scream and cry and faint when celebs are near– I’m not much of a ‘fangirl’. But agents had become this big, reverent phenomenon in my mind that made me get all squealy from the slightest interaction.  I started to feel, well…creepy :) So, the name of my blog just kind of fell into place. ‘The Agent’ has since lost a lot of its all-powerfulness in my eyes (thank God) but I think it happens to a lot of new writers when they first start querying.

With over a thousand followers, you have clearly built a strong lit community surrounding your blog. While I have my own opinions (strong, engaging voice and Friday Morning Follower’s Bloffee which I’m now addicted to like caffeine), what do you think has drawn people in and kept people coming back?

Thanks so much! I think what draws people in, at least in the beginning, is the platform. I’ve had a lot of new followers tell me they were intrigued by my blog name and liked the way my blog was set up. But I think if you want to draw people in, you have to be out there. You can’t just post every other day and sit back and expect others to visit and comment. Even the big-time publishing industry blogs lose hits if they stop interacting with the community. I try to visit and comment a little bit every day, even if it’s just hitting a few of my regulars. My facebook writing account consists of mostly blogging friends so I try and keep updated through that, too. I’m able to do more on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so those are the days I post and comment most.

I think what keeps people coming back is content. My blog has a theme (querying, writing, publishing industry and all that comes with it) and I try and stick to it. Most of the time :)  I also try and remain very ‘real’. I don’t sugar coat how hard this process is. I do often put a comedic spin on things because that’s just who I am. When I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, I usually cry first and laugh later while sharing the laughter with my followers if I can. Aspiring to be a published author can be so frustrating and there are so many ways to be brought down. But there’s also something empowering in never giving up, putting yourself back out there and trying harder and I try to remind myself (and my readers) of this whenever I can.

  

How does blogging affect your writing?

Blogging keeps me writing. It’s as simple as that. Throughout the ups and downs, rejection and writer’s block– the blog keeps me on my toes and pokes at my creativity all the time. Keeping updated about the industry, interacting with aspiring or published authors, making supportive friends, betas and crit partners, learning about the craft- all of it has kept me in the game. Without blogging, I don’t know if I’d still be here. So yeah, pretty important :)

What lessons have you learned from blogging? Good or bad?

Sometimes it’s good to take your muse by surprise. All of my posts are written on the fly and the improvisation keeps me on my toes.

You give what you get. A blog is one in a million and you get out of it what you put into it and into the community as a whole.

What is one of your favorite blogs? What makes it one of your favorites?

Oh God. I have so many favorites.  Maybe this happens for everyone, but when I first started blogging, I was lucky to fall into a fabulous group of new bloggers, most of which have made pretty big names for themselves around the blogosphere. We all kind of ‘grew up’ together blog-wise.  If you go back to some of my earliest posts and then see who commented today, you’ll see a few of the same people. It’s amazing some of the bonds we’ve formed.  There are too many favorites to name but I do have a ‘posse’ list on my side bar that features the blogs I interact with most.

Can you talk a little bit about a current project you are either promoting or working on and where you are in the process?

Oh dear. I wasn’t planning on talking about my current WIP for awhile because I feel like a crazy person for writing it. But basically this project poses the question of whether a person is born with talent or it’s nurtured into them. My sixteen-year-old protagonist accidently discovers that everyone in her life are actors playing a part. Armed only with a mysterious list of names and places, she runs away from home in hopes of discovering the truth about where she came from. Her search eventually brings her to Hollywood where she and her newfound allies suspect a big-time talent agency has been cloning well-known icons from the 1950’s and planting them in different locations around the United States in an experiment to see if their talent develops. I’m about 30k into it and I hope to have finished the first draft before summer’s end.

Thanks so much for having me Kimberly! Loved your questions!

Good luck with your WIP Katie! That's something I would absolutely pick up off the shelf to read. I hope I'm able to!

Stop by her blog, check her out, and keep your eye out for Friday Morning Follower's Bloffee!

Murder Mystery Blogfest: Part 2

For my IWSG post, go here.

For Part Two of Sharon Bayliss's Murder Mystery Blogfest, I've been given questions for suspect "Devon," a character from my own MS, about the murder of Lenny Glow.

Devon balances his chair back on its two hind legs. As the detectives walk in, Devon's lawyer tips the chair forward creating an awkward thud against the tile floor. Devon chuckles. His lawyer checks his Rolex watch.

“Kind of ironic,” Devon smirks. “Independence Day…being questioned for murder.” He takes a sip from his soda can and winks at the detectives.

Devon’s lawyer whispers something in his ear. Devon straightens his posture and folds his hands in his lap. His cocky grin reveals unnaturally white teeth.

The first detective begins, “From where I hear, you think you're quite the tough guy. Beating up other kids. Tell me son, where does all that anger come from?”

“Being 17?” Devon scoffs.

The second detective continues, “Maybe it's because the rumors about your mom are true and she brought a new "daddy" home every night?”

Devon’s lawyer smiles quietly and strokes his tie. “Gentlemen, I say we keep this professional. You both know you have no proof that my client is in anyway associated with Lenny Glow or his unfortunate death.”

The second detective swipes the can. “Then you won’t mind if we do a simple DNA test?”

“Show me the warrant and we’ll gladly cooperate.”

Devon taps his feet and nods towards his lawyer. “He’s good isn’t he? That’s gotta piss you off.”  

“Quiet,” his lawyer reprimands.

Devon’s wolfish grin spreads wide across his face. “C’mon, just a little?” he says to the detective who swiped his soda.

The detective leans across the table. “Know what would piss me off kid? Large Lenny – living it up without tossing a dime in your direction. That can't feel good, can it? Tell us, Devon, where were you the night your precious papa went to the hereafter?”

Devon shrugs his shoulders. “Doing my homework, sir, like the upstanding, hardworking student that I am.”

Devon’s lawyer stands, “Alright, we’re through here. If you have any serious questions for us, you know how to get a hold of me.”