tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86307187891885976632024-03-13T07:14:11.264-04:00Writing and Stuff...about writing and other stuff...gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-49114044197575151432015-06-22T09:38:00.003-04:002015-06-22T09:38:44.577-04:00Announcing the Sensational Summer Pre-Order Giveaway!3 new YA contemporary novels + book swag + a chance to win a few ARCs of highly-anticipated YAs? Yes, please!<br />
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Join Jen Malone, L.S. Murphy, and myself as we celebrate the release of our books this summer, and offer you the chance to win all sorts of goodies! The giveaway runs from today through Monday, June 29th, so <a href="http://www.gailnall.com/sensational-summer-pre-order-giveaway.html" target="_blank">go check it out</a>!<br />
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-915308220125310952015-06-03T20:55:00.003-04:002015-06-03T20:55:32.848-04:00Win a signed copy of YOU'RE INVITED!Jen and I were interviewed on From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle Grade Authors! We talk about co-writing, how we came up with the idea for the book, and our own party-planning disasters. <a href="http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2015/06/26802/">Check out the interview here</a>, and don't forget to enter to win the book (signed by both Jen and me!).gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-87275088051942361252015-05-19T20:35:00.001-04:002015-05-19T20:35:33.837-04:00YOU'RE INVITED . . . out in the world!Today's the official launch day for YOU'RE INVITED! Join best friends Sadie, Lauren, Becca, and Vi as they start their very own party-planning company. Set in a small North Carolina beach town, the girls find that running your own business is a lot harder than they thought.<br />
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<a href="http://books.simonandschuster.com/Youre-Invited/Jen-Malone/mix/9781481431965">Click here</a> for links to buy the book!<br />
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-67556784285105119992015-05-08T12:35:00.003-04:002015-05-08T12:35:17.532-04:00Cover reveal for EXIT STAGE LEFTSuper excited today to share the cover for EXIT STAGE LEFT, my fun contemporary YA that'll be out on September 8th from Harper's EpicReads Impulse. It's already available for preorder, and it's only $1.99! <br />
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Now what you're really here for -- the cover! <a href="http://www.epicreads.com/blog/cover-reveal-exit-stage-left/">Click here to see it. </a>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-31956609477457571412015-05-01T09:24:00.003-04:002015-05-01T09:24:38.092-04:00New Website! And a giveaway!Hi and welcome to my blog! I have a brand-new website over at <a href="http://gailnall.com/">gailnall.com</a>, so hop on over there for more information on my books, upcoming appearances, school visits and workshops, and a bunch of other fun stuff! <br />
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I'll keep this blog and use it to update the latest happenings. It'll be linked to my new website to make it easier to access.<br />
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<b>LATEST NEWS:</b><br />
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Jen Malone and I are running a pre-order giveaway for YOU'RE INVITED! The book releases this month, and if you pre-order, we want to give you some exclusive stuff! Plus, there's a big grand prize drawing you can enter. <a href="http://www.gailnall.com/youre-invited-pre-order-giveaway.html">Check it out here</a>!gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-69852564088126043922015-04-14T14:18:00.003-04:002015-04-14T14:18:44.763-04:00We're giving away an ARC for YOU'RE INVITED!It's just over a month until YOU'RE INVITED releases! Jen and I are celebrating by offering our very last ARC for the book as a giveaway on Goodreads. So hop over there and enter!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23255017"><img alt="You're Invited by Jen Malone" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1428436422l/23255017.jpg" title="You're Invited by Jen Malone" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23255017">You're Invited</a>
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142495.Jen_Malone" style="text-decoration: none;">Jen Malone</a>
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Giveaway ends April 20, 2015.
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See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/134183" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/134183" type="text/javascript"></script>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-91369756868772318952015-04-06T11:09:00.004-04:002015-04-06T11:09:57.996-04:00Sneak peek at YOU'RE INVITED!Aladdin M!X has posted <a href="http://pages.simonandschuster.com/aladdinmix">an excerpt from YOU'RE INVITED</a>! Hop on over to meet the RSVP party-planning BFFs -- Sadie, Lauren, Vi, and Becca. There's also a fun, downloadable, party guide!<br />
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And watch for YOU'RE INVITED to hit shelves on May 19th!gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-75322508559524144272015-03-27T15:49:00.000-04:002015-03-27T15:49:05.223-04:00Book Trailer for YOU'RE INVITEDToday, Jen Malone and I unveiled the book trailer for YOU'RE INVITED! You can find it on Kidliterati, here: http://www.kidliterati.com/2015/03/trailer-reveal-for-youre-invited-by.html<br />
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I can't wait for this book to be in the world! At its heart, YOU'RE INVITED is about friendship. These four friends just happen to live in a quirky little beach town and start a business planning parties!<br />
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The book will be out on May 19th, from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster.gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-11862064394548957472015-03-04T20:02:00.001-05:002015-03-04T20:02:19.559-05:00Great review from Booklist!Booklist had some really nice things to say about BREAKING THE ICE:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Breaking the Ice.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Nall, Gail (Author)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;">Mar 2015. 320 p. Aladdin, hardcover, $16.99. (9781481419116).</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #141823; display: inline; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.3199996948242px;"><br />Twelve-year-old Kaitlin has dedicated her short life to figure skating and dreams of making the Olympic team. She is homeschooled by her equally obsessed mother and largely isolated from anything not directly related to her skating career. When the normally steady Kaitlin has a meltdown in reaction to her scores at a meet, yelling at the judges and knocking over an awards table, she is summarily dismissed from her club, dropped by her coach, and forced to join the skate club of last resort, Falton, sneeringly referred to as “fall down” by the other, more prestigious clubs in the area. Tasked by her new coach with finding the emotional depth missing from her technically proficient skating by performing to an intimidating tango piece instead of her usual Swan Lake, Kaitlin learns, with help from the new friends she makes at Falton, to trust herself and let go. Kaitlin is an appealing heroine, written sensitively by Nall. The backstage look at elite-level skating will hook young fans of the sport.</span>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-45036093522044542382015-02-16T16:47:00.002-05:002015-02-16T16:47:57.135-05:00New review!So excited to announce that BREAKING THE ICE got a great review in School Library Journal!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nall, </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Gail. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Breaking the Ice. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">320p. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">S. & S./Aladdin. Mar. 2015. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Tr </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;">$16.99. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">ISBN 9781481419116; </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">ebk. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">ISBN 9781481419130.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"><u></u><u></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">Gr 3-6</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">–There is nothing in the world that Kaitlin wants more than to be a championship figure skater. She trains hard and even begins homeschooling in order to realize this dream. But when Kaitlin throws a tantrum after her performance at a competition, she’s dropped by her coach and her prestigious club. When no one else will accept her, Kaitlin joins the Fallton Club as a last resort. Unfortunately, Fallton is known as the Fall Down Club, and Kaitlin doesn’t think that life can get any worse. She soon realizes that the skaters at Fallton are nice and she decides that things might not be that bad. Now her problem is learning a new routine in a very short time frame. Nall’s novel will appeal to a wide audience, whether readers are interested in figure skating or simply looking for a fun read. Kaitlin is a spunky protagonist and the secondary characters are mostly well developed, though one is a stereotypical mean girl whose cruel streak is neatly explained. Figure skating can be a catty environment, so depicting the members of the Fallton Club as encouraging and caring is a sound choice, showing readers that they can be competitive without being nasty. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">VERDICT</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;"> A good addition to any middle grade collection, but especially those lacking in female-centric sports stories.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; letter-spacing: -0.05pt;">–Paige Garrison, Aurora Central Public <span class="il">Library</span>, CO</span></div>
gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-89959793920450852512015-01-12T20:30:00.003-05:002015-01-12T20:30:57.191-05:00Big News + An Interview on the Sweet SixteensMy writer friend <a href="http://brooksbenjamin.com/">Brooks Benjamin</a> (whose debut MY SEVENTH GRADE LIFE IN TIGHTS comes out in 2016)<a href="http://thesweetsixteens.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/the-debut-club-an-interview-with-gail-nall-author-of-breaking-the-ice/"> interviewed me for the Sweet Sixteens blog</a>. I talk Better Than Ezra, my rusty old Camaro, and give advice to my sixteen-year-old self.<br />
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And the big news is that my young adult novel, EXIT STAGE LEFT, will be published later this year through HarperTeen Impulse!<br />
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-27372662827536090042015-01-07T06:53:00.003-05:002015-01-07T06:53:30.292-05:006 days until BREAKING THE ICE!Today I'm over on the Fearless Fifteeners' blog, answering questions about ogres and unicorns and my most embarrassing childhood memory. Check it out <a href="https://fearlessfifteeners.wordpress.com/2015/01/07/q-and-a-with-mg-author-gail-nall/">here</a>.<br />
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Also, I'm on the Debut Dish <a href="http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/2015/01/the-debut-dish-jenny-elliot-katie-van-ark-giveaway-and-gail-nall-giveaway/">here</a>. And you can win my very last ARC, which I've annotated with all kinds of fun notes.<br />
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6 days and counting...gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-6359528664989528412014-12-31T17:14:00.003-05:002014-12-31T17:14:29.266-05:00Launch Party for BREAKING THE ICE!If you're in Louisville, this is your official invitation to come on down for my launch party on Saturday, January 17th! It'll be at Carmichael's bookstore, starting at 4 p.m. I'll be reading a little from the book, and there might even be a few yummy things to eat.<br />
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Hope to see you there!<br />
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Details can be found here: http://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/event/gail-nall<br />
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-13119164100254009272014-12-11T06:00:00.000-05:002014-12-11T06:45:42.665-05:00Giveaway for BREAKING THE ICE swag!Happy Thursday, everyone! My writer friend <a href="http://www.ella-martin.com/">E.M. Caines</a> (who wrote a fun YA called <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22896451-will-the-real-prince-charming-please-stand-up">WILL THE REAL PRINCE CHARMING PLEASE STAND UP?</a>, which you should totally read if you haven't already) made me these adorable little mini-book ornaments:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoRMzYm9UFs/VIjt5a2-13I/AAAAAAAAARQ/G7wxQc3qOSU/s1600/ornament.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NoRMzYm9UFs/VIjt5a2-13I/AAAAAAAAARQ/G7wxQc3qOSU/s1600/ornament.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Isn't that the cutest thing ever? So, guess what... I have 20 of these ornaments that I would love to send out! To you, and your critique partner, and your middle grade reader, and your favorite teacher, and your local librarian, and well, pretty much everyone you know. I'll even write you a (teeny tiny) note inside and sign them! <br />
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Plus, I'm going to include a BREAKING THE ICE postcard and two bookmarks (one to keep, one to give away!).<br />
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So how do you enter this most awesome giveaway? Easy! You pre-order a copy of BREAKING THE ICE (either the print copy or the ebook), and then enter the Rafflecopter below.<br />
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If you win, you'll email me a screenshot (or forward the email pre-order confirmation) dated the day or you entered or earlier (so, yup, if you pre-ordered waaay back in August, you can enter!), and then I'll send you:<br />
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1) one super-cute, personalized and signed BTI ornament,<br />
2) two BTI bookmarks, and<br />
3) one BTI postcard<br />
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You can pre-order from any online or bricks-and-mortar store, but I'll throw in a plug here for my amazing local indie, <a href="http://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/book/9781481419116">Carmichael's</a>. If you pre-order from them, you can indicate in the comments that you want a signed and personalized copy.<br />
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That's it! I have 20 of these babies to give away, and I can't wait to send one to you! The giveaway will end on Monday, December 15th at 11:59 p.m. <b>US only, please!</b><br />
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<a class="rcptr" data-raflid="5912d5db1" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/5912d5db1/" id="rcwidget_yx7y0aam" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js"></script>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-64084416905476247812014-11-19T06:20:00.003-05:002014-11-19T06:21:32.220-05:00Cover reveal for Ronni Arno's RUBY REINVENTEDMy fellow MG Beta Reader and publisher sister, Ronni Arno, had her cover reveal yesterday! Here's the blurb for RUBY REINVENTED:<br />
<br /><i>When 12-year-old Ruby Miller learns that her BFF’s are only friends with her because of her famous parents, she finds a place far from celebrity-crazy Hollywood--a Maine boarding school.<br /><br />In her panic to distance herself from her star-studded folks, Ruby tells her new friends that she’s an orphan. She feels awful lying to her weird but wonderful roommate Summer (the first real friend Ruby has ever had), but not awful enough. In fact, now that nobody’s comparing her to her remarkable parents, Ruby can finally let her unique talents as a dress designer take center stage.<br /><br />But when Ruby finds herself connecting with a boy who really did lose his parents, she’s torn between who she is and who she’s pretending to be. And with Parent’s Weekend approaching, she must find a way to keep her secret... without losing her new best friend, the trust of her first crush, and the chance to shine as the designer of her own fashion show.</i><br /><br /> So cute, right?! The book will be out next year, but for now, <a href="http://www.kidliterati.com/2014/11/cover-reveal-ruby-reinvented-by-ronni.html">go check out the adorable cover and enter Ronni's giveaway on Kidliterati.</a>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-33166620077455564112014-11-13T12:37:00.000-05:002014-11-13T12:37:08.497-05:00Publishers Weekly Reviews BREAKING THE ICE!Publishers Weekly reviewed BREAKING THE ICE! I'm not gonna lie, this review made my entire week. :)<br />
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You can find it <a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/9781481419116">here</a>.gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-75726813240270038682014-11-05T12:17:00.000-05:002014-11-05T12:17:12.140-05:00ARC giveaway for BREAKING THE ICE!!If you're on Goodreads, be sure to enter the giveaway for a signed ARC of BREAKING THE ICE! But hurry, because the giveaway is only open for six days!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
</h2>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20662374"><img alt="Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1403101491l/20662374.jpg" title="Breaking the Ice by Gail Nall" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20662374">Breaking the Ice</a>
</h3>
<h4 style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0 0 10px; padding: 0;">
by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7801825.Gail_Nall" style="text-decoration: none;">Gail Nall</a>
</h4>
<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends November 11, 2014.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/113565" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
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<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/113565">Enter to win</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/113565" type="text/javascript"></script>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-13071498726129887682014-11-03T05:58:00.001-05:002014-11-03T05:59:21.811-05:00PitchWars 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time again! This is my second year as a mentor for Brenda Drake's PitchWars contest. In case you're unfamiliar with it (if so, where have you been??), it's a contest in which agented/published writers and industry professionals mentor up and coming writers. The mentors work with their mentees on revisions and pitches, and starting tomorrow, the mentees' entries will be posted on <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/">Brenda's blog</a> for agents to peruse and make requests!</div>
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In August and September, the mentors chose one mentee and one alternate to work with. My little inbox received 92 (!) submissions from fellow middle grade writers. I was humbled (and maybe a little overwhelmed), but I carefully read through each entry. I finally whittled the 92 down to 5. And from there, it was an almost excruciating choice to pick just two. I'm thrilled with the two writers I picked, and these past couple of months have been so much fun!</div>
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<i>I'd like you to meet:</i></div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/mgwritermhaynes">Marilee Haynes</a> - I chose Marilee as my mentee. Her manuscript, AMELIA FOOTE ROLLS ON, is a fun, contemporary, younger MG about a girl on a quest for a best friend. Marilee has been a dream to work with, and I'm so proud of the revised manuscript she now has to send to agents. She has two previously published MG books through a small press. I can't wait for her current manuscript to find a home with an agent. AMELIA just oozes voice and personality. I'm so happy I chose Marilee to mentor!</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/LaurieABryant">Laurie Bryant</a> - I picked Laurie as my alternate. Laurie's entry is entitled TOMBOYS, and is a historical set in 1930s America on a cross-country train journey. The main character is (you guessed it!) a tomboy, who meets her heroine on the train and must decide whether to follow her dream of becoming a professional athlete. It's well-written, exciting, and I love the way the historical details are so easily woven into the narrative. Laurie is a published playwright and a former college athlete. Laurie, too, has been great to work with, and I can't wait for her entry to go up in the Alternate's Showcase on Thursday (on <a href="http://www.writeforapples.com/">Dee Romito's blog</a>).</div>
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And that's all! See you in the PitchWars this week!<br />
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<i>(Okay, not quite all! Watch for a Goodreads giveaway for a signed ARC of BREAKING THE ICE, starting this Wednesday! I'll post here and on Twitter with a link when it goes up!)</i>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-89278316725984449072014-10-17T14:15:00.001-04:002014-10-17T14:15:55.374-04:00What's new....My favorite local indie bookstore, Carmichael's, will host my book launch party in January! But if you can't make it, you can <a href="http://www.carmichaelsbookstore.com/book/9781481419116">pre-order a copy of BREAKING THE ICE from them</a>. You can even ask that it be personalized and signed (note this in the comments section when you order)! It'll be like you never missed the party. ;)<br />
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In other great news, RSVP is now available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/RSVP-Jen-Malone/dp/148143196X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413569682&sr=8-2&keywords=gail+nall">pre-order on Amazon</a>!gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-72356044160148555052014-10-06T06:45:00.001-04:002014-10-06T20:28:46.915-04:00777 Meme...Not Quite ParadiseFellow MG Beta Reader, Kidliteratian, and SCBWI Midsouther <a href="http://brooksbenjamin.com/2014/10/05/sneak-peek-tales-of-a-teenage-scream-queen/">Brooks Benjamin</a> tagged me for the 777 meme!<br />
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What this is: Go to the seventh page of your WIP, count down seven lines, and post the next seven lines. (I'm gonna go with full sentences because that makes a lot more sense!)<br />
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So this is from Not Quite Paradise, which is about a girl who goes with her friend's family on a cruise vacation...except the ship isn't exactly your average cruise ship. It's more of a five year old's princess dream ship. But when the ship offers a free cruise to whoever can win a scavenger hunt contest, Ella convinces her BFF to join her team. Even if it is a floating palace of fluff, Ella needs to win this contest to give her family a much-needed break from life.<br />
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Not exactly the most exciting part of the book, but this is where Ella and her friend find out about the contest...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
"<i style="line-height: 200%;">Calling
all Little Highnesses!</i></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Ugh,” Riley
says.</div>
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<i>Are
you the most royal of them all?</i></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Enter
the Prince and Princess of the Ship Contest!</i></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Contest
will consist of five parts – one for each day of your fabulous
Little Highness cruise.</i></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>Please
come to the Palace Theater for more information at 9:00 a.m. on Day 2
of your cruise.</i></div>
<div align="CENTER" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>You
don’t want to miss this!"</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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If I can think of someone to tag, I'll come back and add to this. (aka: let me know if you want to be tagged!)</div>
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<i>Tagging:</i></div>
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<a href="http://sharewritingideas.blogspot.com/">Manju Howard</a></div>
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-66744874482630230542014-09-16T11:31:00.001-04:002014-10-17T14:16:07.259-04:00RSVP Cover Reveal!Today, Jen Malone and I unveiled the cover for RSVP! The book is due out in May 2015, and follows four twelve-year-old friends who form their own party-planning business in a small North Carolina beach town.<br />
<br />
This book was SO much fun to write, and I think the cover totally shows that. We were lucky to snag the cover designer, who answered some of our questions and shared original cover sketches. Check it all out <a href="http://www.kidliterati.com/2014/09/cover-reveal-for-upcoming-mg-series.html">here</a>.<br />
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You can add RSVP on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21861366-rsvp">Goodreads</a>, too, if you want! (We'll still love you even if you don't, though!)gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-78429891391840562582014-08-02T05:00:00.000-04:002014-08-09T21:25:32.346-04:00It's PitchWars time again! Read all about me here...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJivZW2POWA/U9i_Aq9t-vI/AAAAAAAAANI/4R4rR8Ylkaw/s1600/PW+logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hJivZW2POWA/U9i_Aq9t-vI/AAAAAAAAANI/4R4rR8Ylkaw/s1600/PW+logo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'm so excited!! It's PitchWars time!!!!!<br />
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Okay, I'll cool it with the exclamation points. For now, anyway.<br />
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I can't wait to get the best ever PitchWars mentee and alternate (you hear that, other MG mentors?)!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">So, why in the world would you want me as your PitchWars mentor when you can choose any of the other stellar MG mentors?</span></b> <br />
<br />
Well...<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keGyeNQh6e4/Uoq7vVferXI/AAAAAAAAAEc/a5zf4FP11Mw/s1600/cute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-keGyeNQh6e4/Uoq7vVferXI/AAAAAAAAAEc/a5zf4FP11Mw/s1600/cute.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/meffi/"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/meffi/</span></i></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Used under a Creative Commons License</span></i></div>
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1) Brag time: my mentee from last year's PitchWars, <a href="http://abbycooper.weebly.com/writing/i-have-an-agent">Abby Cooper</a>, just signed with agent Rebecca Sherman from Writers House!!<br />
<br />
2) I beta read like a madwoman. Honestly, I can't even remember how many manuscripts I've beta read. I'm a member of MG Beta Readers, an amazing talented group of writers, and together we run the <a href="http://www.kidliterati.com/" target="_blank">Kidliterati blog</a>. I'm also part of a semi-local MG and YA critique group. So, yeah. I beta read a lot. And no one's complained yet. I also tend to make random comments in your manuscript that may or may not make you laugh. (They make me laugh, anyway...)<br />
<br />
3) I can spot your typo from a mile away. I did time in grad school editing academic works for professors, and held the ever-so-enviable position of Articles Editor on my law school's scholarly journal. (Now watch me have a typo in this blog post...)<br />
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4) I LOVE middle grade! Really, I'm the oldest twelve-year-old in the world. I spend all my downtime at writing conferences watching the Disney Channel in my hotel room. (Seriously. I don't have cable at home, people!)<br />
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5) I'll focus not just on shining up those first few pages, but making sure your entire manuscript is agent-ready. I'm talking plot, character arcs, pacing, writing quirks - all that good stuff! I want to help you make your manuscript as perfect as possible.<br />
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6) I have chocolate! See:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxXDwoeUiqE/Uoq6ESzMsnI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/ot2EWD6JX7Y/s1600/chocolate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DxXDwoeUiqE/Uoq6ESzMsnI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/ot2EWD6JX7Y/s1600/chocolate.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cacaobug/"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/cacaobug/</span></i></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Used under a Creative Commons License</span></i></div>
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Okay, I'll get to the important stuff now. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What am I looking for?</b></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IbRjmdB0zc/Uoq-4LWkiLI/AAAAAAAAAEo/CUQXDnvZAi4/s1600/hamster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2IbRjmdB0zc/Uoq-4LWkiLI/AAAAAAAAAEo/CUQXDnvZAi4/s1600/hamster.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="right">
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nodivision/"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/nodivision/</span></i></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Used under a Creative Commons License</span></i></div>
<b>Hamster! Not on a boat, but whatever.</b></td></tr>
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Middle grade!! I read widely, and love all sorts of genres (including last year's speculative romantic hamsters on a boat....okay fine, I only mentioned that so I could keep the cute picture to the right). However, this year I'm <b>ONLY</b> looking for:<br />
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1) <b>Contemporary</b>. I write it. I love it. Funny, heart-wrenching, girl, boy, commercial, literary, all of it!<br />
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2) <b>Historical</b>. Any place, any time. I have a BA and a MA in history. I was the kid who dressed up as a Laura Ingalls-esque pioneer girl for three Halloweens in a row. 'Nuff said.<br />
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3) Twists on Contemporary and Historical. Meaning <b>magical realism, time travel, alternate history, historical fantasy, mystery</b>. Also, <b>ghost stories</b>, just because I feel like making an exception for ghost stories. If you're not sure whether your manuscript falls under this "twists" category, shoot me a <a href="https://twitter.com/gailecn">tweet</a> or leave a comment here, and ask. :)<br />
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4) <b>The funny stuff</b>. Ah, those books where I have to go find my asthma inhaler because I'm laughing so hard I can't breathe. Send me those (so long as they fall into categories 1-3).<br />
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5) <b>Voice</b>. A killer voice is one that grabs you on the first page and tosses you into the story so fast you can't even remember what it was you should be doing instead. (Again, categories 1-3 apply.)<br />
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6) Random things I love: characters who are passionate about something, sports, travel, performing arts, spooky stuff, mysteries, fish-out-of-water situations, how-the-other-half-lives stories, outdoorsy stuff, first crushes, friend stories, animal stories, smart kids. So long as they fall into categories 1-3. ;)<br />
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7) My favorite authors include: Meg Cabot (the voice...*swoon*), Janet Fox (lush, fabulously-written historicals), Veronica Roth (love her sparse style), Courtney Stevens (every sentence is perfect), Gennifer Choldenko (a lesson in how to make MG historical exciting, relatable, and completely un-teachy), and my fellow Aladdin M!X authors (fun, light, voice-y upper MG). This is just a snippet of my favorites, of course. But I hope it helps give you an idea of what I love. <br />
<br />
<i>***Please note: If I've read your work as a critique partner, or if you know me in real life, please apply to another mentor. I want to avoid any kind of bias, plus you already have me as a crit partner! :) If I've read your query or pages as a result of your winning a contest, you are welcome to apply to me as a mentor.***</i><br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Hey, wait, who am I?</span></b><br />
<br />
I'm a contemporary middle grade author, represented by Julia A. Weber. My MG debut, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20662374-breaking-the-ice">BREAKING THE ICE</a>, will be published on January 13, 2015 by Aladdin/Simon & Schuster. I'm also co-writing the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21861366-rsvp">RSVP</a> books with Jen Malone, the first of which will be out on May 19, 2015 from Aladdin/S&S. I'm a grant writer for a non-profit by day.<br />
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In the past, I've moonlighted as a personal injury attorney and a business attorney (one of these was better than the other), a somewhat friendly retail associate (I can fold a sweater like no one's business), that nice lady who answers the phones at your ophthalmologist's office (where I learned how to spell ophthalmologist and understand things like PRN and HBP), and an ice rink Jill-of-All-Trades (I could rent you skates and get you nachos at the same time). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AuHus79qEPw/UorAfPo4bdI/AAAAAAAAAE0/MR73Adez0u0/s1600/skate+rental.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AuHus79qEPw/UorAfPo4bdI/AAAAAAAAAE0/MR73Adez0u0/s1600/skate+rental.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of </span></i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lotterymonkey/"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.flickr.com/photos/lotterymonkey/</span></i></a><br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Used under a Creative Commons License</span></i><br />
<b>Ah, nothing like the aroma of hundreds of old, wet skates...</b></td></tr>
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I'm obsessed with travel, camping, figure skating, cats, spinach, and indie music that makes me cry. I have a two-year-old daughter who is the light of my life.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Questions for me?</span></b><br />
<br />
Ask in the comments, or <a href="http://www.twitter.com/gailecn">tweet me</a>! I love questions.<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How do you apply to be my mentee?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Go <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/07/meet-pitch-wars-agents-2/">here</a>.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Who are the PitchWars agents?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Go <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/07/meet-pitch-wars-agents-2/">here</a>.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Yeah, I'm great and all, but who are the other PitchWars mentors?</span></b><br />
<br />
<div id="preview-31Jul2014e" style="border: 2px solid #bbb; color: #bbbbbb; text-align: center;">
<b>Mister Linky's Magical Widgets -- Easy-Linky widget will appear right here!</b><br />
This preview will disappear when the widget is displayed on your site.<br />
If this widget does not appear, <a href="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/links.php?owner=brenleedrake&postid=31Jul2014e">click here</a> to display it.</div>
<script src="http://www.blenza.com/linkies/easylink.php?owner=brenleedrake&postid=31Jul2014e" type="text/javascript"></script>gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-67580852339010071302014-07-30T06:18:00.002-04:002014-07-30T06:18:52.121-04:00ARCs are here!A box arrived from UPS yesterday evening, and it was full of pretty, shiny, gorgeous ARCs!<br />
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I kinda want to carry the box around with me and gaze lovingly upon them all day...gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-61644772220444449992014-07-18T12:55:00.001-04:002014-07-18T12:55:12.036-04:00Aladdin M!X, critiques, and an awesome blog postLast week, I <a href="http://pages.simonandschuster.com/aladdinmix/blog/bp/2014/07/five-tips-for-creating-the-best-project-ever-with-a-friend">guest-posted on the Aladdin M!X author blog</a> with 5 tips for kids who want to do a creative project with a friend. I had so much fun writing this, and drew most of it from my experience writing RSVP with <a href="http://www.jenmalonewrites.com/">Jen Malone</a>.<br />
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Today I critiqued a query and a first page for two Pitch Wars hopefuls on <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/07/july-workshop-pitch-wars-mentors-gail-nall-j-c-nelson/">Brenda Drake's blog.</a><br />
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Also, I ran into this <a href="http://misssnarksfirstvictim.blogspot.com/2014/07/friday-fricassee_18.html">blog post from Authoress</a>, talking about the dreaded, "What books do you have out?" question and how writing is not a hobby. I LOVE this post -- it's so spot-on. <br />
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<br />gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8630718789188597663.post-85184470952875405842014-07-08T09:09:00.001-04:002014-07-08T09:09:44.026-04:00Sporty Girl Books & a new release date!Today I'm on <a href="http://sportygirlbooks.blogspot.com/2014/07/interview-with-breaking-ice-author-gail.html">Sporty Girl Books</a>, talking skating and sporty girls! <br />
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And in other news, the release date for BREAKING THE ICE has been moved up -- to January 13th, 2015!gailecnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08004265486129312885noreply@blogger.com1