12 Days of Christmas!

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12 Days of Christmas - Blog Hop and Giveaway!

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Hey, guys! The fabulous Sarah Belliston has asked me to participate in her 12 Days of Christmas - Blog Hop and Giveaway. I represent Day Six. (As in, ♫ Six Geese A-Laying! ♫) Here's the deal:

- Entries will be open for two weeks. (Nov. 28 - Dec. 12)
- Starting December 13th, a winner will be chosen for each day.

Image by madmcmojo

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Day Six Prize:

♫ On the sixth day of Christmas, Carrie gave to thee... six, first chapter critiques! ♫

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That's right! If your entry is (randomly) chosen, you will win a first chapter critique from six different writers: Peggy Eddleman, Jessie Humphries, Erin Summerill, Connie Barnett Dowell, Katie Dodge, and me!

Good luck! ♥

Operation GLITTER

First, you'll probably want to read the explanation here. ;)

Okay, guys. Here you go. A "vlog" documenting my demographics study at the Breaking Dawn premiere. It was all in good fun, I promise. I have nothing but respect for people who create and support things they're passionate about. :)

P.S. In case you're wondering, I left the video unlisted on Youtube, because I'm not looking to share this outside of the blogosphere. (Trolls non gratae. Know what I mean? *grins*) There are many things I'll take a public stand on. This is not one of them. Just take it for what it is: fun and learning. ♥

Decisions: Page Twelve

In a brick-and-mortar store, how do you decide whether or not you're going to buy a book? Do you check the back cover? Read the inside flap? Glance over the first few pages?

Growing up, I became accustomed to my sister's method. She'd take in the cover with an accessing eye, then dive straight in at page twelve. Why page twelve, you ask? She said it was far enough in that you'd get the gist and writing style, but not so far that you'd spoil any of the story.

You know the funny thing? When I sent her my MS to read, I gave page twelve a little extra attention. ;)

So, how do you gauge whether or not you're going to buy a book? Which part do you skim/read?

Have a great week, guys! ♥

P.S. Why yes. The closest book to my phone was The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter. Of course it had to be the one with a "bad word" near the corner. *grins*

Writing Stars

We've all heard of rock stars and movie stars, but what about writing stars?
(No, I don't mean the authors who wake up in a trashed hotel rooms with flammable breath.) 

The real writing stars, in my eyes, are the ones who take the time to acknowledge and appreciate the force behind their success: the readers. Sure, you can become famous by writing hit novels, but you're not a writing star until you show some humility. You have to be personable, take the time to listen, and be grateful for the support you receive.
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Want a couple examples of writing stars?

• Janet Evanovich - This woman practically lives on the NYTBSL, yet, when I e-mailed her a digital painting a few years back, you know what happened? Her daughter, Alex, responded right away by thanking me and put my painting up as a news feature on Janet's website! How cool is that?
  
  
• Virginia Smith - On the other end of the spectrum, we have an author whose work I read by chance. (It was one of those free e-books on Sony's Reader site.) Normally freebies don't float my boat, quality-wise, but this one stood out. I e-mailed her my praise, and you know what? She replied the same day! That left an impression on me. Her genre isn't one that I typically follow, but I'll probably keep an eye out for her books now--just because of that.

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I guess what I'm trying to say is, no matter where you are in your publishing journey, don't forget to be a person first and a writer second. Then, and only then, will you have what it takes to become a true writing star. 

So, who are your writing stars? If you've had a good experience with one, we'd love to know. :) 

Have a great week, guys! ♥