GUTGAA, Fact or Fiction, a Few Contests and a Giveaway!

Today, I'm participating in two blog hops: Deana Barnhart's Meet and Greet for GUTGAA and Melodie Wright and Emily King's What I Did Last Summer Fact or Fiction Blog Hop. After that, I have a few contests worth mentioning and my own giveaway for Liz Norris's Unraveling.

The only thing that could make this post any more fun is if sometime today I can hook three more followers to get 200 followers. That would be kind of cool. ;)

GUTGAA Meet and Greet:
For this, Deana asked a series of questions for us to answer on our blogs this morning. (If you don't have an agent, I highly recommend checking out this six week mania of workshops and contests that she's worked so hard to put together.)

Where do you write?
The best spot in my house for me to zone out is my bedroom. I typically sit cross legged on my bed and write there. 

Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down, and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
Feel free to stop reading this response right now, because I'm about to be totally honest. A huge jug of water, a bottle of IBProfin, and a breast pump. Sorry - I just had my second son three weeks ago. Those three items about some up my day to day life right now.

Favorite time to write?
Nap time. And any other time I can squeeze in during the day.

Drink of choice while writing?
Water. Lots and lots and lots of water. Of course lately I've been on a huge Sprite Zero kick.

When writing, do you listen to music or do you write in complete silence?
Complete silence. I need it to concentrate. However, when I'm brainstorming, usually in the car on the way to and from work, I have a writing mix I must listen to. 

What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
My inspiration for my manuscript is wrapped up in its theme: that everyone has both a good side and a bad side to them. Wonderful people have horrible, ugly sides to them and detestable people have beautiful sides to them. This is something I experience teaching 7th grade English on a daily basis. 

What I Did Last Summer: Fact or Fiction? 
The point of this hop is to write two stories one of which is true and one of which is made up. The story should be about something that happened one summer. It doesn't have to be this past summer. Then, participants will hop around and vote "fact" or "fiction" in the comments section for coveted prizes.

First, my disclaimer: I have always sucked at this game. Part of that is due to the fact that I’m not the crazy, cool adventurous type. I have nothing in my bag of tricks that is so mind blowing I could fool you all into thinking that it’s made up. Because of it, I’ve toiled over what I could possibly write for this. What I realized is that while I’m not outrageously unpredictable, I am a statistical anomaly.

Statistical Anomaly Post #1: Fact or Fiction?

Back in my twenties, weddings were the greatest way to spend a weekend night out. Free food, free drinks, and plenty of beautiful single people dressed up and on the prowl – kind of like college all over again. During that time of my life when there seemed to be a wedding every month, I met a handful of lovely looking men. Sadly, though I’m sure many of them were true gems, nothing ever came of those “relationships.” The drunken haze would clear and Prince Charming would turn into a total douchebag. Or, Man of the Evening would live in one state; I would live twenty states away. While I actually did try to make a couple of them work, those promising happily-ever-afters never lasted. (Let me assure you these encounters were totally innocent. Remember when I said I’m not the crazy, cool, adventurous type? That part is complete fact.)

When my best friend got married, however, I met my exception. On the night of her rehearsal, the bridesmaids and groomsmen met for the first time. I couldn’t stop looking at one groomsman with dark hair and dark eyes. Luckily, he didn’t stop looking at me. (And that group was full of beautiful single people. Seriously. One of the bridesmaids was a pageant queen – talk about hard to compete with.) But, for whatever reason, be it fate, gut instinct, or love at first sight, we sought each other out. Despite the fact we lived several states apart, we left the weekend festivities with emails exchanged and the promise of “if you’re ever in town.” Eight months, a couple dozens visits and several hundred emails and phone calls later, I quit my job, sold my condo, and moved to Chicago to be near family, friends, and the hot groomsman I’d met at my best friend’s wedding. Two years after that, I married the hot groomsman. And six years, two kids and one dog after that, I find myself more madly in love with the hot groomsman than ever.

 

What makes this a statistical anomaly? Not the love at first sight part, or defeating the long-distance relationship part, but the fact that we met at a wedding. Less than 3% of all married couples result from people who meet at weddings making me one reason I am a statistical anomaly.





Last, but not least, a few CONTESTS worth mentioning! I promise my lists will be extensive again once I start getting just a bit more sleep at night. Baby Boy #2 and I are working on that. ;)

Brenda Drake is hosting Pitch Madness. The last submission window opens Sept 4. Brenda Drake will also be hosting The Teenage Nitpick - 10 first page critiques. Sign ups start Sept 17. 

Writer's Digest is sponsoring a YA fiction contest for manuscripts of 4,000 words or less. $500 cash prize and promotion in an upcoming Writer's Digest issue among other prizes. Deadline is Sept 14.

Chuck Sambuchino is hosting another "Dear Lucky Agent" contest for mysteries - adult or YA. Deadline is Sept 15. 

Cupid's Literary Connection is hosting "Come and Get It," a contest with several judges and agents. Two submission windows on Sept 4 and Sept 7.

Finally, go HERE for my interview with the fabulous Liz Norris and a chance to win UNRAVELING! Giveaway ends Sept 20.