Monday, December 10, 2012

A GOLDEN Giveaway!

Happy Holidays!
 
Christmas is near, and we all know that one of the greatest pleasures of the season is to give.  It's been quite a while since I've given anything away here on ye old blog, and I just so happen to have one of these hanging around.  Though I thought it looked pretty, it's not actually not on my tree.  Husband and kiddos vetoed that idea, which means I'll be giving it away to one lucky winner out there.  
 
 
It's a jacket proof for the hardcover of GOLDEN, and boy is it beautiful and shiny.  I actually had to turn the flash off to get a good shot because the light reflects off the foil just like the sunburst in the photo.
 
  I've signed it and handwritten my own GOLDEN playlist on the inside, and I would love to give it away along with...
 
A Special, bound-manuscript edition of GOLDEN
 
(The official ARCs will be out in January, so you can think of this as an advanced Advance Reader Copy)
 
We gave these away at NCTE in Las Vegas last month, and I have one extra that will go to one winner, along with the jacket proof.
 
All you have to do for a chance to win is:
 
Leave a comment here 
 
If you'd like to gather some extra entries, you can do so by:
 
Tweeting the giveaway (+1)
 
Sharing it on Facebook (+1)
 
Including a link to the giveaway on your blog (+1)
 
Please leave your entry total and the links in your comment.  I'm willing to work on the honor system if you are. 
 
This giveaway will stay open until 12pm PST on December 23rd, and I will post the winner bright and early on Christmas Eve. 
 
 
I hope this finds you all happy, healthy, and enjoying the holiday season,
 
 
Merry Christmas!
 
xoxo,
 
Jessi
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, December 9, 2012

GCC Presents...Eileen Cook and THE ALMOST TRUTH

The Girlfriends’ Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors which I’ve recently had the great honor to join. Check these posts for the latest releases!
It's been a while since the last GCC post, and today I'm so happy to welcome Eileen Cook to the blog to talk about writing and her latest release, THE ALMOST TRUTH, which was released on December 4th.

 
From the author of Unraveling Isobel and The Education of Hailey Kendrick, a smart, romantic novel about a teenage con artist who might be in over her head.

Sadie can’t wait to get away from her backwards small town, her delusional mom, her jailbird dad, and the tiny trailer where she was raised…even though leaving those things behind also means leaving Brendan. Sadie wants a better life, and she has been working steadily toward it, one con at a time.

 But when Sadie’s mother wipes out Sadie’s savings, her escape plan is suddenly gone. She needs to come up with a lot of cash—and fast—or she’ll be stuck in this town forever.

 With Brendan’s help, she devises a plan—the ultimate con—to get the money. But the more lies Sadie spins, the more she starts falling for her own hoax…and perhaps for the wrong boy. Sadie wanted to change her life, but she wasn't prepared to have it flipped upside down by her own deception. With her future at stake and her heart on the line, suddenly it seems like she has a lot more than just money to lose....
 
Praise for Eileen Cook’s books
".. enormously appealing and great company throughout this breezy read.....the highest quality—like a gourmet truffle. Cook has whipped up a real treat." - Kirkus Starred Review
 "Thrilling and creepy, super sexy, and so very hilarious." - Lisa McMann, bestselling author of the Wake trilogy
 "Sassy and sly and sweet all at the same time, this book made me laugh out loud." - Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead
 
About Eileen Cook   
Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in eight different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.  Her previous release, Unraveling Isobel came out in Jan 2012.
 
 You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com.  Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.
 
And now for some in-depth, hard-hitting writing questions...
 
Do you have a pre-game writing warm-up? Something you do before you write to help get you in the right frame of mind?
I’m a complete tea junkie. I almost always make a cup before sitting down to write. My favorites are from David’s Teas. (www.davidstea.com) They are beyond tasty.

 Is there a time of day you like to write best?

I want to be one of those people who wakes up early and writes like crazy, but mornings are not my time. I tend to get the best writing done in the afternoon.

 Where do you write most often? Do you have a picture you wouldn’t mind sharing of your writing space?
I have an office that is the old sun porch off of our house. I write either there or on the sofa in our living room. If I spend too long in my office my dogs whine because they want to sit on the sofa with me. They want me to believe that it’s because they love me, but I think the truth is that I am their giant hot water bottle. They love me for heat.
 


 What things do you always have on hand when writing? Special pens, notepads, snacks…
A cup of a tea, my Mac Airbook and my dogs. I am an office supply junkie so I love any excuse to buy pens, Post it Notes, or those Moleskin blank notebooks.

 How do you stay focused when writing?
For me I need to get started. Once I start writing I feel as if I fall into the story and it seems easy to keep going (and difficult to remember things like making dinner or walking the dog). If I haven’t begun writing for the day I seem to be able to come up with a million excuses of why I can’t.

 What is your worst writing distraction/procrastination tool?
The Internet. I am constantly amazed at my ability to spend huge amounts of time looking at cute dog and kitten pictures. My current favorite is Dog Shaming. www.dogshaming.com

 Describe your perfect writing day:
The perfect writing day would mean writing in a house near the ocean. There’s something about water that I love. I’d write during the day without a single beating my head on the desk moment, and spend the evening reading by the fire.


Eileen, thank you so much for stopping by!  And I think you need to come visit me one day. :)