Watching Willow Watts Web Splash

Today I'm participating in Talli Roland's "Watching Willow Watts" Web Splash. To help celebrate Talli's latest release, Watching Willow Watts, I'm posting about the person I'd most like to be. I've chosen Randy Grimm, the founder of Stray Rescue of St. Louis.

I have a huge heart for animals, which is why Randy Grimm is so important to me. He's dedicated his life to helping the stray animals in the St. Louis area. His shelter doesn't just accept the animals brought to their door - they go out into the city and bring these starving, injured, sick, forgotten animals in. They rehabilitate them - give them love and care and time - and then they find loving homes for them.

photo credit: Stray Rescue website, http://strayrescue.org/node/37

I've chosen Randy Grimm because he isn't someone who just talks about what he believes in, he lives it. He makes a difference in the world. He is the kind of person I want to be. Thank you for all you do, Randy!

Here's information on Watching Willow Watts:
For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.
Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.
But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/nIygHP

Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/riMpmH

And here is a link to the other participants:
http://talliroland.blogspot.com/p/watching-willow-watts-launch-sept-14.html

If you could be anyone in the world, who would it be?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go hug my dog. :)

Don't Miss...

Don't miss all the contests going on out there in the blogosphere right now!

Nisa at Wordplay, Swordplay is celebrating 200 followers. She's giving away a color Nook, Christine Fonseca's Emotional Intensity complete with book swag, and a subscription to Danyelle Leafty's serial novel, The Fairy Godmother Dilemma. Hurry over to Nisa's blog and enter before the 15th!

Theresa Milstein at Theresa's Tales of Teaching Tribulations and Typing Teen Texts (formerly known as Substitute Teacher's Saga) is celebrating her blogiversary and her new job, among other things. She's giving away 4 books. Enter Theresa's contest before September 27!

Also, Talli Roland is celebrating her upcoming release, Watching Willow Watts, with an online "If I could be anyone, I'd be..." party. You can join in the fun by signing up on Talli's blog, then posting about the person you'd most like to be. But hurry, the party is tomorrow, September 14!

Whew, there's a lot going on. And now, just because my good buddy Lenny over at Lenny's World asked, I'll share a few more photos of our California trip. Thanks to everyone who visited and commented - we had such a fantastic time, and I'm so jealous of all the people who said they've lived in that area. Someday... (((deep sigh))).

The top photo is the view of San Francisco from the ferry to Alcatatraz, the second is Alcatatraz, the third is a photo of the sea lions at Pier 39 in San Francisco, and I think the fourth is just a view of the countryside on our drive from San Francisco to Napa.

So, in the spirit of Talli's Willow Watts party, I'll ask you this: If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

Thanks and a Recommendation

Wow, you guys had some awesome suggestions for me and my kids to read. I wrote them all down and now I have a huge list to arm myself with at the library/bookstore. This should keep us busy for a long time! If anyone's interested in some great book ideas for their kids, please see the comments on my previous post.

Also, I finished Talli Roland's The Hating Game the other day, and I had to let you all know how much I loved it. As I've said before, I'm a fantasy girl through and through, so this book was my first ever venture into chick lit. I didn't know what to expect, but I really loved it! The characters are so real, I felt like I knew them. I was rooting the entire time for Mattie to get the guy (and to not let the bad guy get her!) It was a super fun read - I just love a book that makes me laugh out loud. Now I can't wait for Watching Willow Watts in November! Great job, Talli! And a special thanks to Laura Howard, who donated my copy of The Hating Game which I won on Talli's blog.

So, I'm working my way through my Bookrusher's 11 from 11 during 11 reading list (taking a short break right now to read Hex Hall so I can read its sequel, Demonglass - which is a 2011 release - next). Have you read any books published in 2011 so far this year? Which ones?

I hope you're all having a wonderful week!

Getting to Know J.C. Martin

As many of you know, I joined Rachael Harrie's Second Platform-Building Crusade a while back. The Crusade is an awesome way to support fellow bloggers. One blogger who's really gone out of her way to do that is the wondeful J.C. Martin. J.C. is quizzing several of the Crusaders (look for my quiz on her blog in April 19!), so I decided to turn the tables on J. C. and pose her own questions back to her.

When did you start writing?
I 've always been writing. When I was a kid, I drew and wrote comics for my younger brother called The Adventures of Buffy & Misty. The stars of the comics were our pet dogs at the time! English was my favourite subject at school, especially when we're asked to write essays or short stories. Now I was brought up in Malaysia, and although English was my co-first language, it wasn't for most of my friends, and I soon got a reputation as a budding writer--I even 'ghost-wrote' a couple of my friend's homework! ;)

I wrote my first novel at 14, by hand, in a notebook. I hated it, and gave it away to a friend who liked the story. I like to dream that once I'm a famous author, he'd have agem mine on his hands!

Writing sort of fell by the wayside when I started university and the years after, as I struggled to decide what I wanted to do with my life, from medical research to school teaching, to martial arts instructing. Then, I started writing fanfiction for a bit of fun, and realised just how much I missed it! I started writing seriously from last September, when I left my teaching job, and started submitting short stories to publishers.

What genres do you write?
Two of my WiPs are crime and suspense, but one of them have a paranormal twist to it. Most of my short stories have been horror, although I've tried writing literary pieces and one romance piece, and I have a couple of ideas for novels in the YA/fantasy/paranormal genres...I'm all over the shop, really!

Sum up your current WiP in 10 words or less.
For ORACLE: Serial murders based on Greek mythology leading up to Olympics.
For SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND: Serial killer stalks the labyrinthine tunnels of the London Underground.
For my as yet unnamed short story collection: A collection of horror stories about seemingly everyday objects.

What's your ultimate goal as a writer?
To see my book on bookshelves in stores.

How close are you to achieving this goal?
My short stories have been published by Pill Hill Press, Static Movement, IFWG Publishing and New Asian Writing. I'm working on publishing a short story collection with IFWG Publishing, but it'll be in eBook format. I'm also toying with self-publishing ORACLE, but again as an eBook. Until I complete SOUND OF THE UNDERGROUND and start querying, I'm nowhere near yet! :)

Any quirky writing habits?
I'm a terribly slow writer! Against all advice, I sit staring at the screen until I figure out the perfect phrase. I edit as I go, which hopefully means revisions will be easier...

Best writing snack?
Chocolate leaves my fingers sticky, but a jar of Nutella and a spoon--heaven!!

Mmm...Nutella and a spoon - sounds yummy. :) Thanks for stopping by, J.C., it was fun to learn more about you! And good luck with your writing. It sounds like you have a lot of exciting stuff going on!

In other news, my copy of The Hating Game, which was donated by Laura Howard and I won on Talli Roland's blog, arrived yesterday! I can't wait to get started - thanks Laura and Talli!

So how about you? Can you sum up your wip in 10 words or less? Try it, it's not easy!

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Books!

I've started working my way through my BooKrushers 11 from 11 during 11 reading list, and I'm really excited about my most recent arrivals!

I read to my kids before they go to bed. We're all fantasy fans, and we pretty much always read MG fantasy, but this time I suggested we try something different:

I'll tell you more about this soon, as I intend to review it when we're finished, but for now I'll just say "Bravo, Terry Lynn!" And if you haven't checked out her blog, you really should!

I've just finished The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting and am now reading Desires of the Dead from my BooKrushers list. These books have all the stuff I love best in my YA: romance, paranormal, and lots of suspense.

I recently received J'adore New York by Isabelle Lafleche from the awesome Talli Roland:

And Delirium by Lauren Oliver from the wonderful Becky Taylor:

Also on my BooKrushers list, Across the Universe by Beth Revis:

Update: I just won a copy of The Hating Game on Talli Roland's blog!!! I've been dying to read this one and just waiting for the publication date (today - 3/9!) to get my own copy. If by some chance you don't know Talli yet, be sure to stop by her blog and tell her congratulations!
So much to read, so little time. *sigh*

What are you reading?

I'll be taking a little unplugged break while my kids are on spring break. I'll be back in a couple of weeks. Have a great Tuesday, Everyone!