SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

I’ve got a lovely, lovely shipment of BOOKS from Random House sitting in my office, so it’s time to do a special giveaway! Yay. I love Random House packages.

The giveaway books are all releases from last last week, and I’ve listed them at the bottom of the post here.

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

I also want to start posting a thought for the week, just something I read that had a profound impact. It could be a quote, or an idea, or a writing tip. This week, I’m going to do two.

First, here’s a quote from a Robin LaFevers post at Writers Unboxed:

Second, I loved Paula Morris’ idea of reading a short story every day. I neglect short stories, and they are brilliant exercises for the reading mind as well as the writing mind. So I think I’m going to try to steal that idea from Paula. I already try to read something writing-related every day. I can squeeze this in, right? There’s that spare 24 minutes at 3:14 am that I’m not using for anything but sleep.

What About You?

What about you? Have you read anything special this week, come across any great tips, had any break throughs or revelations in your writing or WIP? Share it with us in the comments and I’ll give you a bonus entry for the giveaway.

Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend! 🙂

THIS WEEK FOR WRITERS

Books and Giveaways

NEW RELEASE DATE- HOW I LOST YOU!! from Janet Gurtler- YA Addict

Giveaway: THE SECRET OF ELLA AND MICAH by Jessica… from The Story Siren

35 Bookplates Belonging To Famous People from BuzzFeed – Latest

Birthday Giveaway #3: Anne Eliot

Giveaway: The Madman’s Daughter! from Lia Keyes: The Scribbler

New Releases 3/23/13-3/29/13 plus Giveaway of IMPOSTER… from Adventures in YA Pub

This is what I mean when I say “vivid writing” from Janet Reid, Literary Agent

Character Bucket List: Kelly Hashway and Jodi Marshall… from Adventures in YA Pub

My book cover reveal … and my teams’ pick for #PitchMadness! from Brenda Drake

Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers from Stacked

Blog Tour: Ten Tiny Breaths by K. A. Tucker + Giveaway from The Bookish Type

Interview with Pab Sungenis PLUS Giveaway from We Do Write

PW Picks: The Best New Books for the Week of March… from PublishersWeekly

17 & Gone by Nova Ren Suma from Stacked

Happy Book Birthday + Interview with Kelley Lynn from We Do Write

All For One Giveaway from Writers by the Shore

Contest for The Last Keeper’s Daughter! from Writers by the Shore

Free Books by Philip Roth’s Favorite Authors from GalleyCat

READ THE NEXT CHAPTER of SIEGE AND STORM? from LEIGH BARDUGO

Necromancing the Stone with Lish McBride from The Enchanted Inkpot

Interview with Jody Jensen Shaffer and giveaway of… from Literary Rambles

#TheEndisHere! A Huge GONE SERIES Giveaway! from Reading Teen

TOTW: “I’m not crying – it’s just been raining on… from The Enchanted Inkpot

Interview with Barbara Morgenroth PLUS Giveaway from We Do Write

[Teaser Tuesday, Cover Reveal & Giveaway] THE AVERY… from Reading Teen

Giveaway: Unraveled by S.X. Bradley from Cynsations

16 Things About a Kiss – Giveaway! from Supernatural Underground

Link Up Your Reviews & Give@way’s! from Candace’s Book Blog

Short Story Saturday: Destroy Me (Shatter Me #1.5)… from Katie’s Book Blog

Character Bucket List: Tracy Deebs and Pandora from… from Adventures in YA Pub

New Releases 3/16-3/23 plus 4 Giveaways, including… from Adventures in YA Pub

Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie – review from The Guardian

2013 #YAMM Second Round Voting! from Katie’s Book Blog

Deadweather and Sunrise — Review and Giveaway from The Write Stuff

Being Humble is for Suckers (and a giveaway) from Lisa and Laura Write

[Cover Reveal & Giveaway] EYES OF EMBER by Rebecca… from Reading Teen

So You Want to Read YA?: Guest Post by Rae Carson… from Stacked

An Industry Insider Becomes an Ebook Convert from Pub(lishing) Crawl

MINDEE ARNETT AND THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR GIVEAWAY from Literary Rambles

Characterize: A Reflection from WORD for Teens

Inspiration

Luck Happens- 5 Ways to Make it Happen Better from Scene 13ers

Why You Should Be Excited About Failure and Rejection from The Write Practice

Focusing on the Writing First from Mystery Writing is Murder

“writing is a job like any other” and other angry… from real actual hilary

The Thing About Rejection from The Daily Dahlia

A Typical Writing Day from YA Muses

A Job or a Hobby? from YA Highway

Fighting writing resistance from Jenna Avery

A Writer’s Comic from Writers Write Creative Blog

Writer’s Block: Overcome It By Following The Map from Write to Done

My Writing Journey (Part 1) from Author, Jody Hedlund

The beauty of short stories from Supernatural Underground

The J word from Writers by the Shore

The Magic of Short Stories from fcmalby

Talent Isn’t Fixed and Other Mindsets That Lead to… from 99U

Don’t Live In the Sting from 99U

Getting Past the First Chapter from Writing on the Wall

It’s Half-Past “You Should Quit Writing” O’Clock from terribleminds: chuck wendig

Dori and the Legendary First Draft from There And Draft Again

Are You (Subconsciously) Afraid of Success? from 99U

WOW Wednesday: Lauren Bjorkman on Getting Published… from Adventures in YA Publishing

Writing & Publishing: Does Age Matter? from Writability

Five ways to keep up your motivation from QueryTracker Blog

What Makes One A Writer from Blood-Red Pencil

How Being Tired Can Make You a Better Writer from Kristen Lamb’s Blog

5 quick (positive) reality checks for writers from Andrew Jack Writing

The Best Writing Tip Ever: Write First! from Lia Keyes: The Scribbler

Finding the Right Agent from The League of Extraordinary Writers

Hacks for Hacks: Top 5 Affectations Every Writer Should… from Writer Unboxed

The Importance of Positive Self-Talk for Writers from The Write Practice

It is ALL writing from YA Highway

On Writing And The Fear Of Judgment from The Creative Penn

10 Writing Exercises to Break You Out of Your Creative… from BookBaby Blog

Essay: Straight Through the Heart from NYT > Books

Goals for You and for Your Characters from Plot Whisperer for Writers and Readers

Find Your Voice, Find Your Power from Robin LaFevers at Writer Unboxed 

Reader Question: How to write action with a marooned… from Go Into The Story

Storyteller’s Rulebook #173: Know How to Dog Whistle from Cockeyed Caravan

Grammar-Checking Software Is Soft on Grammar Errors from Daily Writing Tips

The Importance of Backups & A Disaster Recovery Plan from The Indelibles

Scrivener~What I Think Part I from Writer’s Alley

Good Versus Well from Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Bett

My New Favorite Plotting Tool from YA Stands

5 Writing Tips from Blake Bailey from The Passive Voice – Latest Updates

How Humor Can Make You a Better Writer from Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors

the auto mechanic and the cello: when writing advice… from real actual hilary

Diversity 101: The Trappings of Difference from CBC Diversity

Tell The Reader Why Part 2 from MOODY WRITING

Writing Tip Of The Week from Pub Rants

Got First Person POV? Writing Tip Of The Week from Pub Rants

Storyteller’s Rulebook #173: Beware of Instant Conflict! from Cockeyed Caravan

How Verbs Become Adjectives from Daily Writing Tips

8 Ways to Add Layers of Depth to Your Scenes from The Kill Zone

The Fantasy Language Problem – Part One from Fantasy Faction

SHE READ …HE READ from Writing In The Crosshairs

How to Name Your Characters from The Write Practice

Writers are to Readers as Cats are to Dogs from Words from the Woods

2013 Critique Partner Love Connection from The World According to Maggie

Are You Being Served? A Recipe for a Great Critique… from emmaddryden

My Writing Space & Advice from a Fish from Write Me A World

Brainstorming: Tips For Getting More Out Of “What… from Writers In The Storm Blog

A 12-Step Checklist for Writing A “Sexy” Synopsis from Writers In The Storm Blog

Editing: How Do You Know When You’re Finished? from Writability

Improve Your Novel’s Tension from Linda Clare’s Writer’s Tips

Argo: What We Can Learn From Film About Not Overwriting from fcmalby

RUE: Resist the Urge to Explain from Linda Clare’s Writer’s Tips

How to Spot Your Weaknesses as a Writer from Mythic Scribes

How Game of Thrones Improved My Writing Game: What… from Writers On The Move

5 Ways To Add Sparkle To Your Writing from Write to Done

Writerly Uses for Excel – Part 3 from Writers In The Storm Blog

The Almighty Edit from Writing on the Wall

Listen Up ~ Classic Advice from Tess Gerritsen from Novel Rocket

Writing – Finding the Right Critique Group from Writers On The Move

Easy Steps to First-pass Revision from Linda Clare’s Writer’s Tips

Tell The Reader Why from MOODY WRITING

DO YOU USE SYMBOLISM IN YOUR FICTION? from Writing In The Crosshairs

Progressive Book Club: Save the Cat from .W.I.P. It

The Quest for the Best Word Ever from Daily Writing Tips

Literary Birthday – 20 March – Lois Lowry from Writers Write Creative Blog

Engaging the Heart: Poetic Tools for Writing Emotion… from Ingrid’s Notes

Passive Sh-massive from WOW! Women On Writing Blog

Pretend to be a Dungeon Master and Level Up Your Storytelling from Fantasy Faction

What Does Our Backlist Say About Us? from Dryden Books

Publishing Excerpts from Your Book to Build Audience from How to Plan… a Book

A Spring Thank You from WITS: Promo Made Easy… from Writers In The Storm Blog

Finding the Perfect Writing Organization from Writers in the Storm

Thursdays with Amanda: Available Now! My Book on Building… from Chip MacGregor

How to Write an Author Bio When You’ve Never Been Published from Quips and Tips

How to Connect with Readers Using Wattpad from Lindsay Buroker

7 Blogging Mistakes that Can Stop Your Blog Growth from aphorisms and poetry

How To Add Floating LikeUs Sharing Buttons To Blogger… from aphorisms and poetry

Building your backlist (and living with it forever) from Seth’s Blog

What Should an Author Website Include? from Jami Gold, Paranormal Author

Book Promotion Advice from Popular Indie Fantasy Author… from Lindsay Buroker

Blogging: What I Wish I Knew When I Started from Heidi Cohen

5 Facts Prove Visual Content Is A Guaranteed Winner! from Heidi Cohen

Blogging Success: How to Change Your Luck from Heidi Cohen

3 Critical Things that Make Your Guest Posts Rock from Write to Done

7 Actionable Social Media Tactics To Rock Your Marketing… from Heidi Cohen

How to Set Up Google Authorship (and Why You Really… from Nick’s Writing Blog

HOLD THE DATES! #LA13SCBWI IS AUGUST 2-5, 2013 from The SCBWI Blog

HOW TO GET A MILLION HITS ON YOUR BLOG from Writing In The Crosshairs

The Benefits of Running a Goodreads Ad from Publetariat: For People Who Publish!

Getting A Book Deal And Launching A Bestselling Non-Fiction… from The Creative Penn

The Effective News Release from AuthorCulture

9 Steps To Organize Your Social Media For Success from Heidi Cohen

Giving Back from The Lucky 13s

How To Add a ‘Send to Kindle’ Button on Your Site from GalleyCat

Recipe for the MILA 2.0 Book Launch! from The League of Extraordinary Writers

Tips for a Successful Book Launch from Literary Rambles

Switching from Blogger to WordPress from Jami Gold

On My Writerly Bookshelf: Creating Your Writer Platform from Stina Lindenblatt

How can I get exposure for my book? from Chip MacGregor .com

To Blog Or Not To Blog, That Is Jane Friedman’s Question from Karen Woodward

Organizations to Join If You Write YA from YA Stands

10 Winning Indie Marketing Strategies from The Passive Voice – Latest Updates

Do Not Misunderstand Kickstarter from terribleminds: chuck wendig

Book Categories & Sassy Surveys! from The Indelibles

The Writer’s Author Rank Cheat Sheet from Copyblogger

Additional Roundups and Resources

• Cynsational News & Giveaways  from Cynsations
• The Week in Writing: My Favorite Posts & Tips 3/22/13 from Kami Garcia
• Field Trip Fridays from YA Highway
• Friday Roundups from Write Line Blog
• Publishing Pulse from QueryTracker Blog
• Friday Faves from Beyond The Margins
• Twitterific from Elizabeth S. Craig
• News You Can Use from Justine Dell–official blog
• Agent Advice from Twitter from @JS_Lawson
• Publishing News of the Week from Foreword Literary

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

Promises to Keep
by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

The compendium of creations (SingleEarth, the Bruja guilds, the Midnight empire) intertwine in an exciting, unsettling plot featuring happenings both accidental and deliberate that will forever change the alternate landscape inhabited by vampires, Tristes, shapeshifters et al. It all begins with a wrong turn and a crashed party, and from there it’s an epic clash of elements and the promise of more chaos still to come. At the center of the storm is Jay, a young vampire hunter that no one would ever have predicted might be earth’s best bet to thwart the rise of a vampire-controlled slave empire called Midnight. Teens will find themselves drawn to Jay, who struggles to prove his worth even while he has his own fears that those who have written him off may be right to do so.

Purchase Promises to Keep at Amazon
Purchase Promises to Keep at IndieBound
View Promises to Keep on Goodreads

Scowler
by Daniel Kraus
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

Imagine your father is a monster. Would that mean there are monsters inside you, too? Nineteen-year-old Ry Burke, his mother, and little sister scrape by for a living on their dying family farm. Ry wishes for anything to distract him from the grim memories of his father’s physical and emotional abuse. Then a meteorite falls from the sky, bringing with it not only a fragment from another world but also the arrival of a ruthless man intent on destroying the entire family. Soon Ry is forced to defend himself by resurrecting a trio of imaginary childhood protectors: kindly Mr. Furrington, wise Jesus, and the bloodthirsty Scowler.

Purchase Scowler at Amazon
Purchase Scowler at IndieBound
View Scowler on Goodreads

Starstruck
by Rachel Shukert
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

“Wit, pluck, darkness, pitch perfect period details, juicy twists, and big heart. This book is one to savor.”–Anna Godbersen, New York Times bestselling author of the Luxe and Bright Young Things series

A golden age of glam . . .

Every week they arrive in Los Angeles–beautiful and talented young hopefuls who dream of becoming stars. It’s all Margaret Frobisher has ever wanted—and when she’s discovered by a powerful agent, she can barely believe her luck. She’s more than ready to escape her snobby private school and conservative Pasadena family for a chance to light up the silver screen.

The competition is fierce at Olympus Studios and Margaret—now Margo—is chasing her Hollywood dreams alongside girls like Gabby Preston, who at 16 is already a grizzled show-biz veteran caught between the studio and the ravenous ambition of her ruthless mother, and sultry Amanda Farraday, who seems to have it all–ambition, glamour . . . and dirty secrets. Missing from the pack is Diana Chesterfield, the beautiful actress who mysteriously disappeared, and there are whispers that Diana’s boyfriend—Margo’s new co-star—may have had something to do with it. Margo quickly learns that fame comes with a price, and that nothing is what it seems.

Set in Old Hollywood, Starstruck follows the lives of three teen girls as they live, love, and claw their way to the top in a world where being a star is all that matters.

Purchase Starstruck at Amazon
Purchase Starstruck at IndieBound
View Starstruck on Goodreads

Strands of Bronze and Gold
by Jane Nickerson
Hardcover
Knopf Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . .

When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi.

Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world.

Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.

Purchase Strands of Bronze and Gold at Amazon
Purchase Strands of Bronze and Gold at IndieBound
View Strands of Bronze and Gold on Goodreads

Heart of Glass
by Sasha Gould
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

In a society of liars, who do you trust?
It is 1585 in Venice, and three months have passed since Laura della Scala solved her sister’s murder after joining the Segreta, a powerful society of women who trade protection for secrets. Now Laura is engaged to her true love, Roberto, and she has never been happier. But the night Laura is sent on her first important mission for the Segreta, Roberto is found with the body of a dead woman in his room. Halim, an irresistibly handsome Turkish prince on a diplomatic visit to the city, identifies the woman as his sister and insists that Roberto be executed for her murder, or the Ottoman Empire will attack Venice. Laura is desperate to save both her city and her fiancé. But as the evidence against Roberto builds and Laura finds herself increasingly drawn to Halim, she begins to wonder whether everything Roberto told her was a lie. What Laura discovers is a conspiracy that involves nearly everyone she knows.

Purchase Heart of Glass at Amazon
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View Heart of Glass on Goodreads

Deep Betrayal
by Anne Greenwood Brown
Hardcover
Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Released 3/12/2013

Once you dive into Deep Betrayal, the sequel to Lies Beneath, you won’t come up for air!
It’s been thirty days, two hours, and seventeen minutes since Calder left Lily standing on the shores of Lake Superior. Not that she’s counting. And when Calder does return, it’s not quite the reunion Lily hoped for. Especially after she lets her father in on a huge secret: he, like Calder, is a merman. Obsessed with his new identity, Lily’s dad monopolizes Calder’s time as the two of them spend every day in the water, leaving Lily behind.

Then dead bodies start washing ashore. Calder blames his mermaid sisters, but Lily fears her father has embraced the merman’s natural need to kill. As the body count grows, everyone is pointing fingers. Lily doesn’t know what to believe—only that whoever’s responsible is sure to strike again. . . .

Purchase Deep Betrayal at Amazon
Purchase Deep Betrayal at IndieBound
View Deep Betrayal on Goodreads