Professor Author and a BOOK GIVEAWAY!

One of the many perks of living in Az, besides the 70 degree winters, is the number of incredible authors who call Az home. Yes, that includes uber-famous Stephanie Myers.

But there's so much more to Az Authors!

There's NYT best-seller Lisa McMann (WAKE trilogy, THE UNWANTEDS reviewed here), Robin Brande (FAT CAT, PARALLELOGRAM Series reviewed here and here), Amy Fellner Dominy (OyMG reviewed here), and James Owens (THE CHRONICLES OF THE IMAGINARIUM GEOGRAPHICA series, DRAWING OUT THE DRAGONS) just to name a few.

So what that Az has the coolest authors? So... local authors are the best resource for fine tuning the craft of writing. And they are most generous in sharing their knowledge and experience with low cost or even free writing workshops.

A few weekends back, I attended a dialogue workshop by the hilarious and talented Tom Leveen. He is an Arizona native and author of the young adult novels PARTY (2010) and ZERO (April 2012). His third novel, MUSTARDSEED (Spring 2013) began as a NaNoWriMo project (yay!). Check him out on his website www.tomleveen.com.

In honor of this wonderful Professor Author, I am giving away a hard back copy of his 2010 debut novel PARTY. This edgy, honest teen tale, told from the viewpoints of eleven different characters, will be a great warm up for his next book - ZERO. Simply leave a comment and you're entered. Entries will end Sunday 2/5 (Is it February already?!) at midnight MST with the winner announced Monday 2/6 morning. Get on board! Tweet, facebook, or blog about the giveaway (just tell me in your comment) and I'll give you an extra entry for each one. I'm just cool like that.

Research your local authors and independent book stores. Chances are you'll find a writer's workshop near you. The experience will be priceless!

Happy writing and ¡Buen Provecho!

Libros Libres - FREE BOOKS!

In honor of reaching 2000 followers (no, not me, I wish!), the most awesome Literary Rambles blog is giving away books at their Literary Rambles: 2000 Follower Awesome Giveaway. There are 18 fabulous MG and YA reads to choose from. All you need to do is become a follower and leave a comment by midnight on January 28th.

While you're entering, be sure to check out their Agent Spotlight. I've researched all over the web for literary agents and never have I come across so much information in one place! It's one-stop shopping for representation. If you're ready to query (we'll talk more about that next week), this is a blog you should follow.

Go, enter, and find an agent who's dying to read your book.

Good luck y ¡Buen Provecho!

Writing Lessons, Diet Lessons

¡Bienvenidos más! Más as in more. As in more of me. 10+ pounds of glorious holiday eating. Ay caray. Time to eat better.

So what does holiday weight gain and dieting have to do with writing? Lots, as it turns out.

Holiday pounds are nothing new, especially in my "lard and love" Hispanic kitchen, and neither is the attempt to shed them. What has changed since I started writing, is my attitude toward this most loathsome of chores.

Now I can start knowing that I CAN lose weight, I CAN eat better. Partly because I've done it before, but more so because I wrote 50,000 words in thirty days.

What?!

Let me explain. In November, I participated in, and completed, NaNoWriMo where all us writer types try to write 50,000 words in 30 days. There was a time when I believed that writing that many words that fast was impossible. At least for me. That was something other writers, better writers, did. Not me.

I'm not saying this is how a better writer writes, only that I thought it was outside my abilities to do the same.

I've never been so happy to be so wrong.

So, if I can reach the monumental goal of writing a whole book in a single month, you bet I can lose the 10+ holiday pounds. It took a few weeks of bad eating to put it on, it'll take at least as long (ok, longer) to lose. But if I can do one, I can do another. And so can you.

Pick a goal, something you never thought you could do. Whether it's writing a whole book or just one killer sentence, commit to it, really commit to it, and watch magic happen.

Oh, and the best part about completing NaNo other than the life changing confidence? I brought back my were-jaguars :)

Happy writing y (not so much) ¡Buen Provecho!

My Gift to You

In case you haven't seen it yet... ENJOY!

This holiday season, enjoy yourself, your family, and most importantly, your food for after the First, we diet! See you next year!

Merry Christmas y ¡Buen Provecho!

El fantástico book two: CAUGHT IN THE PARALLEL by Robin Brande

Oh, you lucky, lucky reader! Due to my need to fill up my word tank, I have another fantastic book to recommend. A sequel to my gushy review (yes, I'm a gusher) from last week's INTO THE PARALLEL. I present to you the equally lovable book two in the Parallelogram series: CAUGHT IN THE PARALLEL by the always wonderful and much anticipated Robin Brande. If you haven't finished book one yet, you may want to skip the following description to avoid spoiling some cliff-hanging surprises.

SPOILER ALERT: From robinbrande.com: In a desperate move to save her parallel self from certain death, high school science genius Audie Masters managed to bend the laws of physics. But now she’s trapped in the wrong universe, with no sign that her scheme to save her alternate self, the famous teenage explorer and adventurer Halli Markham, actually worked.Until she can sort out the physics of what went wrong, Audie has to pretend to be Halli–and fool everyone from Halli’s parents to the guy who’s in love with her. And meanwhile there’s her own life Audie would like to reclaim, including Daniel, the only one who knows the truth about who she really is. Is Halli still alive? If so, where is she? And can Audie ever find her way back to her own universe, her own family–her own life?


ALERT END. Whew! Now you may read on for a spoiler-free review.


When reading a series, you oft times expect book two to be the weakest. Not with Robin Brande at the helm. Book two is every bit as brilliant as the first one! Smarter, more romantic and fantastical, and new, just as authentic teen characters as before.  Ms. Brande displays her world building chops by taking us to another dimension, all while showing how this new world and what is happening in it is all technically possible through real quantum physics. I was so invested in the story and characters from the first book, that I hit the ground running with this one, starting it at 8pm Friday night and finishing by 11am Saturday morning. The story never slows, but propels you further into a new world full of questions and betrayals - you never know who to trust. Since Audie doesn't know what's going on, neither do we, so we get to experience that most wonderful aspect of reading - the joy of discovery. And Ms. Brande serves it up expertly, delivering new discoveries and newer, more perplexing questions, setting us deliciously up for book three. I cannot wait!!


The e-book edition is available now for $4.99 from Smashwords (which supports all e-book and PDF formats), Kindle, and Nook. The paperback edition will be out shortly. You can even visit robinbrande.com for an excerpt. But I say skip it and go right for the whole book - you won't want to stop reading.


Wishing you happy reading this Christmas season, and as always, ¡Buen Provecho!

¡El Libro Más Fantástico! INTO THE PARALLEL by Robin Brande

Every time Robin Brande comes out with a new book, my heart jumps. I love her writing; it's like wrapping yourself in a soft blanket on a chilly night - warm and comforting. So with great pleasure, I introduce you to INTO THE PARALLEL, book one of her new Parallelogram series. And what a great kickoff it is!

From robinbrande.com: High school senior and amateur physicist Audie Masters has discovered what no other physicist has been able to prove: that parallel universes do exist, and there is a way to journey into them. She also discovers something else: a parallel version of herself, living the kind of life Audie never could have imagined for herself. Now Audie is living that life, too, full of adventure, romance, and reality-bending science. It’s all more than she could have hoped for–until something goes wrong.

As usual, Robin Brande's spot-on teen voice rings true and pulls you back to those wonderful, confusing and arduous times. Her characters leap off the page and into your heart. Audie's whip-smart comments and heart-felt honesty left me in tears more than once. And smart only begins to describe not only the main character, but also the writing. The science used here is grounded in real quantum physics and related in a way even I could understand. I felt my IQ rise from page one: after reading, I understood more of the jokes on the Big Bang theory. The romance is clever, never condescending, and had me falling in love right along with Audie. The only negative - having to wait for the next book to satisfy this cliffhanger of an ending. And I mean that in the best way possible. I simply cannot sing enough praises for this wonderfully imaginative, smart, and exciting YA novel. This will make a perfect gift for that beautiful, smart girl in your life. Even better - for you!

INTO THE PARALLEL is available as an e-book for $4.99 from Smashwords (supports Kindle, ePub, and other formats), Kindle, and Nook, and as a paperback for $13.98.

More than ever, happy reading and ¡Buen Provecho!

Research and Replenish

NaNoWriMo has left me a wordless hunchback with carpel tunnel syndrome. Since I have depleted both my fortitude and willingness to summon words this week (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!), let me direct you back to Miss Snark's Bakers Dozen Auction. Bidding has closed, but you can still get an eye-full of what agents are looking for; an easy way to research which agents will be a good fit for your work. Chances are your genre is represented, from YA to adult, fantasy/scifi to literary. Go see what grabs an agent's bids and attention.


As for me, I will replenish this week by drinking from my most favoritest word-fountain of all time: Lord of the Rings.


In regards to whether or not I reached my NaNo goal:

Happy writing and ¡Buen Provecho!