Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fiction. Show all posts

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Announcing the Fall 2018 YA Scavenger Hunt Teams!

Fall YASH - (Young Adult Scavenger Hunt
BOOKS BOOKS AND MORE BOOKS!!! Have you taken part in this amazing event before? If you haven't you're in for a massive treat! And if you have then you already know how amazing this is! Like, better-than-chocolate amazing....okay okay, almost better than chocolate, lol. 

Here are your fall, 2018 teams for the event! Seriously, check out these amazing books!!! Which team are you the most excited about? Let me know in the comments below.

REMEMBER, the YA Scavenger Hunt begins October 2nd and ends on October 7th.

Never joined the hunt before? It’s so easy! Come back and start RIGHT HERE on October 2nd, or on the YA Scavenger Hunt website the day of the hunt (http://www.yash.rocks) and then you hop from blog to blog completing one team at a time, adding up secret numbers as you go.

When you’ve finished one entire team, you enter the total of all the numbers you found for that team on the rafflecopter on the YASH (YA Scavenger Hunt)  website to try for the grand prize which is one book from every author on that team. You can stop there, or try for every team on the hunt. Annnd, there are loads of giveaways since most authors do their own as well.

So mark your calendars & set your alarms...The hunt begins soon! xo


TEAM BLUE

AMALIE HOWARD–AMBER R. DUELL–BRENDA DRAKE–COURTNEY BRANDT–DARLENE P. CAMPOS–DOROTHY DREYER–EMIL SHER–EVA POHLER–FONDA LEE–GINA CIOCCA–GINGER SCOTT–J. KELLER FORD–JESSIKA FLECK–KRISTIN SMITH–L. E. DELANO–MICHELLE BACON–ROXANNE LAMBIE–SL BEAUMONT–TIANA SMITH–TOBIE EASTON


TEAM GOLD

A.M. ROSE–ADDIE THORLEY–ANNIE SULLIVAN–COLLEEN HOUCK–COLLEEN OAKES–EMILY SKUTSKIE–HEATHER MCKENZIE–JACOB DEVLIN–K.M. ROBINSON–KAT ROSS–KATHY MACMILLAN–L.H. NICOLE–LEAH & KATE ROOPER–LISA MANTERFIELD–MARGO KELLY–ROSALYN EVES–SARA FUJIMURA–SHAILA PATEL–SHONNA SLAYTON–TERA LYNN CHILDS


TEAM GREEN

ALICE REEDS–BETSY CORNWELL–GINA DAMICO–H. M. GOODEN–JESSICA BRODY–JOSHUA DAVID BELLIN–JULIE REECE–KATE BRAUNING–KATIE FRENCH–KELLY DEVOS–LM PRESTON–MEG KASSEL–MELANIE HOOYENGA–MELISSA CHAMBERS–MICHELE BARROW-BELISLE–MICHELLE REYNOSO–MINDY MCGINNIS–NATASHA SINEL–PATRICIA B. TIGHE–SHANNON KLARE


TEAM ORANGE

ABIGAIL JOHNSON–CASSANDRA MORGAN–CECILY WOLFE–CORINNE O’FLYNN–DANA MELE–GK DEROSA–J. ANDERSEN–JENNIFER DIGIOVANNI–JULIA EMBER–JULIE MOFFETT–KATY UPPERMAN–LIVIA BLACKBURNE–LORI M. LEE–LYDIA KANG–LYSSA CHIAVARI–MARSHA BLACK–PAIGE LAVOIE–T. RAE MITCHELL–T.L. SHIVELY–TORI RIGBY


TEAM PINK

AMY MCNULTY–ANN AGUIRRE–CHAD R. ODOM–CHEYANNE YOUNG–DAWN IUS–DAX VARLEY–JAMIE BLAKE–JOLENE PERRY–KENZIE HART–KRISTI HELVIG–MAGGIE ANN MARTIN–MARTINA BOONE–MAY FREIGHTER–OLIVIA WILDENSTEIN–PATTY BLOUNT–PINTIP DUNN–SCARLETT KOI–STACIE RAMEY–TAYLOR FENNER–YVONNE CARDER


TEAM PURPLE

A.G. HOWARD–C. J. REDWINE–CARLY ANNE WEST–CHANDA STAFFORD–CHELSEA PITCHER–CHRISTY SLOAT–DEBBIE MANBER KUPFER–ERIC LINDSTROM–JC WELKER–JESSICA RUDDICK–JULIA DAY–JULIE ESHBAUGH–KRISTY CENTENO–MACKENZIE FLOHR–MADELINE DYER–MELINDA R. CORDELL–OLIVIA HINEBAUGH–S.A. LARSEN–SHANNON A THOMPSON–STEVIE RAE CAUSEY


TEAM RED

ABBY J. REED–AMY FELLNER DOMINY–AUSTIN ASLAN–BRENDAN REICHS–CAITLIN SANGSTER–CHRISTINA JUNE–CM MCCOY–ERIN CASHMAN–F.M. BOUGHAN–JENNIFER BRODY–JM SULLIVAN–LISA MAXWELL–MARGOT HARRISON–MARY AMATO–MARY CROCKETT–PAULA STOKES–SARA B. LARSON–SUZANNE VAN ROOYEN–WENDY HIGGINS–YVONNE VENTRESCA



 Hope you're as exited as I am!!! See you October 2nd!!

xo
Michele








Monday, May 30, 2016

Cannes Film Festival, Book Clubs and Chocolate


I had to share this video with you in case you haven't had the chance to see it yet. Why? Because it was the single most exciting thing to happen so far this month. I mean, when the producer who's optioned your book to be made into a motion picture, gives you a shout-out during the Cannes festival...that's bound to elevate the heart rate a little, right?!

Was it the most exciting thing to happen with my writing career to date, you ask? Not really. "But it's a MOVIE DEAL," I hear you shouting and madly waving your arms. "What could be more exciting than that?" It's a hard one to top, I'll give you that.


My favorite moment of being an author so far?  Wow, tough question. There have been a million heart-stopping fabulous moments in this journey so far from my first book contract to seeing the cover art, to selling the film rights. And I know there will be a ton more to come. But nothing quite compares to sitting at a table in the back of my favourite bookstore, with a group of amazing young women who chose Fire & Ice for their book club selection.


Listening to the passion and excitement about the characters...characters I created, characters I lived and breathed and thought I understood inside out. Then coming to realize from their unfiltered, tell-it-like-it-is, two hour plus steady stream of thoughts, opinions and feelings, that they had lived and breathed those characters also.  They proved with the clear conviction and authority that only girls who are consumed by a story can convey, that they quite probably knew those characters even better than I did. They most certainly loved, hated and were as equally invested in how their stories unfolded as I was.

Now that moment, was incredibly surreal.

...Plus, there was chocolate! For those of you just tuning in...I adore chocolate.


The only thing that could possibly top that would be eating chocolate at a teen book club....in Scotland, or Ireland....while filming Fire & Ice....and writing the next installment in the saga that's proving to be much longer than the originally planned trilogy! ;)  Now that will really get my heart racing!

Hope your days, months, weeks and years are filled with things that make your heart beat a little faster!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Reasons to Dance in the Rain



It's raining.

Again.

Another dull and dreary wet wet day. Another chance for the grass and trees to take another step closer to green and further from white (remember all of that snow!?) So what is it about rainy days that makes them feel so blah sometimes? Maybe its perspective. I find that if I let my mood be swayed by the passing clouds and color of the sky, its easy to fall into a state of ennui... feeling melancholic or even lethargic. Which is fine some of the time... I'm all in favour of chill-days. But in spring when we have more rainy days than sunny ones, well there has to be an out or I'd never get anything accomplished. My solution; I've decided to look for all of the wonderful things about rain, and then look for all of the wonderful things about what I do, and then all of the things I love about my life, and before long I'm on a whole different path and feeling a sense of gratitude for the fresh April showers. That was exactly what I did this morning as I drew the curtains to greet a pale grey sky. And low and behold, as I sipped my latte and counted my blessings, the skies began to clear.... coincidence?? ;).



Then I clicked open my email to discover more to brighten my day. My novel Fire & Ice has been nominated for a RONE Award by InD'Tale Magazine!!! It made it to the final voting round to be presented during the RNC in Las Vegas this summer!


So exciting! Any excuse to get dolled up and attend a formal awards banquet... I'm so there! And of course I'm super grateful to everyone who votes and who loves Fire & Ice!




I wonder what other surprises today has in store. Have you looked for them yet? I highly recommend it.

The rain has stopped. The skies are clearing. The trees look happier and so am I. And now, I can share their enthusiasm and let it inspire me back into productivity with the final round of edits for BITTERSWEET, book 2 of Fire & Ice. I just added a scene where Adrius and Lorelei dance in the rain... super romantic.



And while I'm not the most patient person in the world, I've been holding on to some extra exciting news... have to hold it for a little while longer I'm afraid, but I promise to reveal jut as soon as I get the green light!

Have an inspired day today and if you get the chance, remember to dance in the rain! Or at least find reasons to! ;)


Monday, January 27, 2014

Shaking the January Blues

Christmas is wonderful.

January... not so much.

For me it's typically a time to get cozy and hibernate, doing lots of writing and sculpting and whatever other creative pursuits catch my attention. While finished off the edits for Bittersweet (I know, I've been promising its release for ages it seems, and it it is coming soon, honest) and revising an New Adult series called Daring Magic, I've been looking and watching for little things that come along to brighten the winter blahs. Tons of snow and super cold, that's been our winter so far. Short of a trip south, I've had to get creative with the things that bring me joy and add a little sunshine. Here are a few things I've stumbled upon along the way:

Receiving a shipment of my book in paperback: Very exciting!



The first person I've seen holding a paperback version of my book Fire & Ice. Sooo exciting to get that photo!

An awesome fan video for Fire & Ice made by the incredible Natasha Vahora who also helps manage my Facebook fan page! :)




Okay, what else... well there's the collaboration with a company exploring the possibility of producing a toy line with my doll sculptures.... very exciting!

And some other potentially SUPER-exciting news, that I can't share with the world just yet. ;)

Winning a contest to submit my latest manuscript to Entangled Publishing! Whoot whoot!



Rocking a new hair style that everyone compliments me on. :) Love that!

Hiring a personal assistant to help take care of some of the social media tasks for me. Someone to manage my Facebook street team... Golden! Thanks so much Sheri Vidal from Author Accomplice!


Somedays its as simple as having my hubby or son surprise me with a latte in the mornings.

Or receiving a lovely note or positive review from a satisfied reader.

I guess the point is that there are little gifts to make us smile all around if we're willing to look for them. So now it's your turn... tell me, what are you looking for to brighten your day or that makes you smile? No winter blues to deal with, all the better... you get to find things just for the sheer delight of it! 

I guarantee that by the mere act of looking, you're sure to find!

Here's to shaking the January blues.

Happy hunting everyone!
xo




Sunday, July 21, 2013

FIRE & ICE on the Amazon.ca BEST SELLER LIST!


WOW! I'm beyond excited and have to share my news... I just discovered that my debut novel FIRE & ICE is on the Amazon.ca BEST SELLER list! It's #24 in the romance fantasy genre for Kindle and #27 for the same genre under books! How does it get better than that?

Going to celebrate with something chocolate! Thank you everyone and have a great day!

Cheers!

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Wanna Be A Savvy Author - Check Out Savvy's Workshop Line Up for July 1st


I'm always on the lookout for things to share, and this one has been right under my nose all along. Savvy Authors. Looking for phenomenal writing classes, workshops and intensives, then look no further. I've taken countless classes with Savvy Authors and I cannot begin to explain how much it has grown and improved my writing. The instructors are worth their weight in gold and there is something informative and inspiring for the beginning and seasoned author alike. Definitely worth checking out if you're passionate about writing or becoming a published author. If you've ever asked what would it take, you may find some answers here!

Savvy Authors - Check Out Savvy's Workshop Line Up for July 1st

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Do You See What Eye See?

Life, I believe is about imagery. Everywhere we turn our senses are flooded with sensory input... sounds, smells, feeling, touch, and most powerfully for me, sights. I've recently come to realize how much of life I see through my inner eye, the one that sees what cannot be seen. When I'm reading or writing, the scenes play out like a movie, in full technicolor in my mind's eye, filling in details written or unwritten, as I image them to be. What I find amazing is that vision is so personal and so different for each and every person experiencing it through their own inner eyes. What they see may not resemble what I see at all; a sort of disconnected, separate vantage point from where we see the inner and outer world.



And yet, when an artist is called upon to capture something as illusive as a description, I'm often blown away by how much of the inner eye vision must actually have been shared. This was the experience I had working with the cover designer for my book, Fire & Ice. Amanda Matthews is an artist I'd never met nor spoken to, appointed by Astraea Press to design the cover for my novel. I must admit I was more than apprehensive, and being so visual, I worried and wondered, how on earth I could convey the essence of my story to someone else in a way that will give them all they need to know to successfully create a visual. A visual I really didn't fully have in my mind, which was likely a good thing. I was willing to let myself be open to the possibilities, but in secret I was preparing for the worst.

I provided a few scant detail about my story and the main characters within it and someone was supposed to create something as important as a cover from just that alone? Well, eventually there was an email from the artist, in which she detailed why she made the design choice she made. I carefully read and reread every word before going to view the image she had designed for my book cover. My baby. Every hair stood on end and I held my breath as I opened the file. And as I saw the image I nearly dropped the laptop for wanting to jump up and down.

It was amazing! Simply breathtaking! There was no one else at home that I could share it with. I immediately called my mother who as it turned out couldn't see it because of computer troubles. So I was alone, staring at the incredible image created by someone else far away that felt as though she had plucked it from my mind's eye, without my knowledge it was in there. But in truth it came from within her mind's eye, her vision so powerfully and poignantly matched my own. And so I was reminded of the many many reasons I believe, that in some small way we must on some level be a little connected to one another. Inner eye to inner eye.

Stay tuned for the big cover reveal within the next few days! The ebook version of FIRE & ICE goes on sale the first week of July.

Want to contact Amanda Matthews? Check out her site here: http://amdesignstudios.net/

Monday, August 16, 2010

Fun Writing Advice


I love this little video.....wonderful words of inspiration for anyone who, like me, loves writing, from those who have been there...set to music...Enjoy! I'm off to write now!