Happy Holidays!!

I'm off to my hometown to celebrate the season with my family. Tons of exciting stuff like a birthday, an anniversary, and of course the big day. :) 

I'll be back in January with an interview with the amazing PJ Hoover, JaNoWriMo, giveaways, and an exciting new series release. :) 

Home for the Holidays: On June 7th, high school softball pitcher, Ashley Runion was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with leukemia. Over six months later, Ashley has endured countless medical procedures, chemotherapy, and spent 165 days in the hospital battling the disease. She is truly an amazing inspiration and I just found out through her site, she's strong enough to spend the holidays at home with her family! Way to go, Ashley! :)  

Have a jolly holiday, everyone! 

Pretty Tough Tuesday

Need a last minute gift for a sporty chick? Check out today's Pretty Tough blog, Last Minute Gift List: Sporty Bags. :) 

Have a jolly day, everyone! :) 

Yay for YA JANUARY GIVEAWAY

Happy 2009 and Happy Birthday to Elvis! :) Two weeks after Christmas, Elvis Presley and I celebrate our birthdays. I absolutely love birthdays, but sharing my birthday with the King of Rock and Roll kind of sucks. When I was a little girl, I had to endure countless hours of Elvis movies, music, and dedications. Sorry, Elvis, I do like your song "Can't Help Falling in Love" even though I prefer the U2 version and a few late sixties tunes, but your movies.. Not so much... :) 

To celebrate the first month of the year, I have some amazing books to giveaway, including this month's South Jersey Mom Magazine's Chick Lit Pick and a brand new hot off the press special autographed copy.  

Lauren Barnholdt is one of my absolute fave authors, so I have to part with and giveaway one of her books to share the love. Her first book, Reality Chick, hooked me, like she always does, from page one and I nonstop read the entire book during one summer day. This one is a fun, can't miss novel. 

January's South Jersey Mom Magazine's Chick Lit Pick is Jennifer Lee Carrell's international bestseller, Interred With Their Bones which is an action packed literary adventure. Filled with detailed description and edge of your seat prose, this book will sure to please reader's looking for an intellectual escape. 

Last, but certainly not least, my fellow author and friend, Jessica Burkhart debuts her first book from the Canterwood Crest Series, Take the Reins, this month. I cannot wait to get my hands on this series. I love reading books by authors who show some serious sparkle for their subject. And Jessica is an equestrian fanatic. She's giving away one signed copy of Take the Reins and a postcard. 

To enter to win Reality Chick, Interred With Their Bones, and a signed copy of Take the Reins, this month's question is: Who shares your birthday? If you're not sure who celebrates your big day with you, click here. 

Besides Elvis, David Bowie shares my birthday. Too bad I can't sing. But, the interesting birthday sharer in the family is my hubby who celebrates with Adolf Hitler. Yikes. :)

Here are the contest rules: 

1. To enter to win the above mentioned two books and autographed copy of Take the Reins, leave a comment telling me who shares your big day. 

2. The contest ends at midnight on January 31st, 2009. The winner will be posted on February 1st, 2009. A family member or friend will pick the winner (including my dog at times). 

3. The contest is open to everyone. Don't be shy my writer friends. 

4. If you post the contest on MySpace, Facebook, or your blog, you automatically receive two entries. 

Good luck, everyone! :)   

Yay For YA HOLIDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER

The winner of LET IT SNOW, I WANNA BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE, and the TWILIGHT poster is...

RYLIE!!!!!

A big thank you to everyone who entered and posted about the contest. I loved reading each and every festive comment.  Recently, my daughter is getting into games. So this month, we made a card for each comment (two if you posted) and she choose Rylie bright and early this morning. Check out the Yay for YA January Giveaway posted today and have a jolly holiday! :) 

Barbies and Bestsellers

It's been a long, long time. But, now we're reunited. Finally. Barbie, I missed you. 

Yes, I know I turned my back to you after my BFF discovered my stash shoved underneath my bed after a seventh grade basketball game. But, seriously, it was time. Now we're together again after Kaci caught the fever and thankfully begged for Barbies for her birthday. And, wow! The twenty-first century Barbie is so much better. Diamond castles, gorgeous outfits, and even a soccer coach Barbie. Amazing. 

Why did I love Barbies so much? I loved creating stories, settings, and characters. Barbies were the beginning of my writing career. So many Friday nights I spent memorizing DALLAS so I could run back into my room and recreate the Pam and Bobby scenes. Then, during the day, I would do the same thing with soaps. Okay, it was blatant plagiarism, but it was the beginning of plotting. And, I always knew I needed a Ken, Barbie, mean Ken, and mean Barbie. Hence, the beginning of character development. :) 

However, Barbie and I do have one unresolved issue. What's the deal? How come I didn't grow up to look like you? 

Did you play with Barbies? If not, what did you play with obsessively? For the moms and dads out there, what toy do you secretly enjoy playing with? :)  

SCREWBALL News: We're gearing up for the release of CHANGE UP, the sequel to SCREWBALL. In the meantime, SCREWBALL is the number one bestseller at the Pretty Tough shop. Yay! Thanks, readers. :) 

Pretty Tough Tuesday: I'm over at Pretty Tough today blogging about my trip to Texas. :) 

Have a jolly day, everyone! :)  

I Won NaNoWriMo! (Kind of)

I finished NaNoWriMo! However, I have a confession. I did write the 59,000 words, revised the entire new novel, and sent it to my agent on Sunday night. So, it counts, right? But, I began writing my book on October 15th and finished 25,000 words before November 1st because I really wanted to win and I knew holiday hoopla and my teaching job would get in the way. I feel like a fake. Here's the question: Am I still a NaNoWriMo winner? Or am I turning into one of those annoying athletic has beens who has to win at everything? I felt so guilty on Sunday, I never claimed my prize. :( 

The amazing Meg Cabot says, "It's a challenge, not a competition." And I promise next year, I will adopt this mantra and refrain from this behavior. :)

Other embarrassing Thanksgiving examples of my compulsive competitive nature: 

1. Tumbling over a bush and grass staining my best jeans the day before Thanksgiving to score on a breakaway against my hubby and dad. My eight year old niece and I won the family backyard soccer game by one goal. Girl Power. :)

2. Instead of letting my adorable four-year-old niece win a Memory game on Thanksgiving, I beat her. She accused me of cheating and said I took an extra turn. I definitely won fair and square. :) 

I seriously need competition rehab or something. :) 

Are you competitive? Do you have to win? 

Speaking of winning, thanks Alea! I won her Novel Adventure Giveaway. Check out her site for amazing giveaways and fun posts. :) 

Pretty Tough Tuesday: After a short break to write my new novel, I'll be back blogging for Pretty Tough next Tuesday! :)