Thanks!

Thank you, everyone, who came by my blogoversary party. One of my selfish goals was to meet more people and I am so glad to have met some new bloggers and writers.

Those of you who've won: I'll be making a trip to the post office later this week. I hope you'll enjoy the books, and if you feel so inclined, let the authors know. The few times I've dropped authors a note about how I've enjoyed their books, they seemed happy to get the positive feedback.

Christine: you won yesterday's contest, a copy of Cynthia Lord's Rules.

I'll throw in an extra quote:
"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not-yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you deserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists.. it is real.. it is possible.. it's yours."
— Ayn Rand

Let your fire burn, let your hero thrive, and go get 'em!

Free! Book! Contest! Last day!

This week has been fun. Thanks so much to everyone who's dropped by. The blog has been many things to me but the mostly, it's introduced me to a wonderful community. So thanks.

The contest yesterday was won by Corey! Just kidding. She's so sweet to feel bad for winning more than one book so I won't embarrass her any further. The REAL winner is Purple Clover! She wins two Newberry Honor/Winner books: The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson and Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes.

The quote today is by Mark Twain:
Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

The contest today:
You can either tell me which of the quotes I posted this week is your favorite, or share one of yours. Thanks.

Thanks for coming to my party!

Two more contests and free books

My time at the conference did what it was supposed to do: get me back into my chair to write, write, and write some more. So a very short post today.

Quote for the day:

"sometimes you don't need a goal in life, you don't need to know the big picture. you just need to know what you're going to do next!"
— Sophie Kinsella (The Undomestic Goddess)

I don't know exactly how I will get my book to where it needs to go, but I do know what I am going to do next: write one more scene, than another, and another.

Contest for today:
What is your next step for your writing? Finish so many words? Get your queries out? Finish your first draft? Revise so many pages? Let me know!

Home from conference

Corey: you won yesterday's contest, which includes the book from Friday and yesterday. The books are: Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse, a novel in free verse, in honor of Poetry Friday, and The No-No Boys by Teresa Funke, the second book in the series of Home-Front Heroes. Enjoy!


Ah, Sunday, ideally a day of rest. I am home from the conference, enjoying a bit of quietness and rest. Today's quote:

"Learning to let go should be learned before learning to get. Life should be touched, not strangled. You’ve got to relax, let it happen at times, and at others move forward with it."
— Ray Bradbury

Today's contest: tell me your favorite way to unwind/de-stress/re-charge/rest, preferably something that doesn't require going to a spa.

Hi from the PIkes Peak Writers Conference

Greetings from Colorado Springs, where the Pikes Peak Writers Conference is in full swing. The sessions so far have been really helpful. Last year, I arrived at the conference and dove into a Read and Critique Xtreme session (stand up to read one page, out loud, to be critiqued on the spot. In other words, the stuff of nightmares.) I am smarter this year and chose a much gentler critique session called 1-2-3: one page, two minutes, three panelists. The important thing was that someone else read my piece so I could retain my anonymity.

So, the quote for the day. Since I am here at the conference, the quote today will relate to community.

"Sometimes our flame goes out, but is blown again into instant flame by an encounter with another human being."
— Albert Schweitzer

And the contest is this: please visit one of the blogs on my blogroll and those of the kind people who follow this blog. This is an awesome community, filled with talented and generous people. Please go leave a comment if something strikes you, and then let me know whose blogs you visited and you will be entered into the drawing.

Speaking of the contest, I forgot to mention that the book Sherrie won yesterday was What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau, whose books are filled with tenderness and lyricism and beautiful relationships. She has quite a few books coming out soon. Find out more at her website.

Still speaking of contest: since nobody entered the contest yesterday, the winner of today's contest will get TWO books.

Good luck!

Poetry Day!

I am heading to the Pikes Peak Writers Conference later this morning, the prize for winning the short story category of the Pikes Peak Writers Contest. I am looking forward to seeing people I met last year as well as those I know from blogosphere.

So then, to the contests! The contest yesterday was won by Corey! She wins a copy of Dodger and Me by Jordan Sonnenblick, an urban teacher and novelist and whose writing, especially in Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pies, made me laugh while crying.

(For those interested in the state of education in this country, I found a video of him speaking from his experiences as a teacher. The subject can become political and heated very quickly and since this is not a political blog, I won't be hosting debates on the subject. Thanks for being understanding.)

And Sherrie, you've won the movie contest! The Margaret line is from a Emma Thompson- Kenneth Branaugh flick from the early nineties, Dead Again. I was hoping someone would include "party on, Garth!" which is, of course, from Wayne's World. :)

Corey and Sherrie, send me email with your addresses. Thanks.

Because of Poetry Friday, the quote today is a poem:

Roads Go Ever On

Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone,
And under mountains in the moon.

Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.

The Road goes ever on and on
Out from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone.
Let others follow, if they can!
Let them a journety new begin.
But I at last with weary feet
Will turn towards the lighted inn,
My evening-rest and sleep to meet."
J.R.R. Tolkien

For more poetry, check out the roundup at Under The Covers.

Today's contest: in honor of Poetry Friday and National Poetry Month, please read/write/recite/sing/memorize/listen to a poem, then tell me what you've done by leaving a comment. If you compose a poem and want to share it, that would be fantabulous.

Day Two

The winner of the first contest held yesterday is: Rebecca!

She will receive one of my favorite middle grade novels, Emma Jean Lazarus Fell Out of A Tree by Lauren Tarshis. Rebecca, please send me a message on facebook or send me an email.

Enjoy.

The quote for today is:

"Maybe everyone can live beyond what they're capable of."
— Markus Zusak (I Am the Messenger)

The contest for today is:

What was your favorite book / author when you were in elementary school?

Again, if you wish to expand on your answers, please do. I am always interested in the "whys."

Since nobody tried to guess the movie quotes from yesterday, I'll include that for today as well. So, if you know the movies, please leave a comment.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday. It's so cool to "meet" other book lovers and read their blogs. *wave* Hi, blogospere friends!

(Incidentally, the Blogger spellcheck thinks "blogosphere" should be "bloodsucker.") There, there's the silly party chatter.

Let the party begin

Welcome to my party! Remember, it lasts all week, so please come back again and often.

photo by jek in the box at Flikr

Everyday this week, I will post a quote that resonates with me in my writing journey. I'll start off today with:

If you only reach one person with your art, you will have succeeded.

---my mother.

I am sure this idea is not original to my mother, but when she said it to me in my first year in music school as I lamented the fact that only very few people came to the lunch-hour recital series that I performed in, it made a huge impact. My focus has shifted from music to writing, but the thought is still very much relevant.

And now the contest. Some rules:

1. You may enter every day, but only once a day.
2. Because I am a poor unpublished writer, I am limiting the contestants to those who live in the continental US so I don't go broke with postage.
3. I want my parents and children to read this blog so it is rated G.
   
4. Some days I may run two contests and if you fulfill the requirements for both contests, your name will be entered in both.
5. Limit yourselves to two drinks at the party (note the poor unpublished author info above.)
6. Any other rules I realize later that I need. (How's that for covering all my bases?)

Let the games begin!

photo by M3Li55@

Quick, give me a famous movie line.

Show me the money!

If you build it, they will come.

I'm not being ignored, am I?

The station is now the ultimate power in the universe.

I'd never hurt you, Margaret.

You talkin' to me?

Most people can spout off line after line of movie quotes. (Incidentally, the person who identifies all the movie quotes will be entered into a different book giveaway, and you may enter both contests if you wish.)

So, the contest is:

Quick, give me a memorable line from a book, any book, and remember to keep it G-rated. Tell me the book title, and if you choose, why that line is the first one that popped into your head.

Leave your answers in the comments section and make sure you leave me a way to contact you electronically.

Party on, Garth.