Tuesday, September 10, 2013

2013 Debut Authors Bash: A Few Words from A.G. Howard and a Giveaway


Dear Followers,
I was so excited that I got picked to host someone who I feel had the best debut novel of 2013, A.G. Howard.  You can read my review of the first book in her series, Splintered, HERE.  I was lucky enough to get an ARC of it and read it back in December before it was published.  So now of course, the wait for it for me is even longer!  Now, I am such a huge fan of this book that at the end of the post I am sponsoring a giveaway of it.  That's right, anyone that lives where The Book Depository ships is eligible to win a copy of this awesome debut book.  First I'll share a bit about the author from her website, and then I'll let you see the post she sent for me to share with you.  After you fill out the Rafflecopter, I've listed the dates of the other stops below that so you can go check out some more awesome debut authors!

About A.G. Howard

Anita Grace Howard lives in the Texas panhandle, and is most at home weaving the melancholy and macabre into settings and scenes, twisting the expected into the unexpected. She’s inspired by all things flawed, utilizing the complex loveliness of human conditions and raw emotions to give her characters life, then turning their world upside down so the reader’s blood will race.

Married and mother of two teens (as well as surrogate mom to two Labrador retrievers), Anita divides her days between spending time with her family and plodding along or plotting on her next book.

When she’s not writing, Anita enjoys rollerblading, biking, snow skiing, gardening, and family vacations that at any given time might include an impromptu side trip to an 18th century graveyard or a condemned schoolhouse for photo ops.

Be sure to drop by her Twitter or Face Book Author Page and say "Hi." She's always up for meeting new friends!

In the Absence of Words…

A typical work week for me is sitting in front of the computer for 8 to 10 hours a day, no weekends off (with small breaks in between to chauffeur kids around, make meals, or do laundry and occasionally but rarely housework--ha!). The majority of this time, I'm either writing words on my latest project or an interview, fixing words for my editor, or exchanging words (fun and amicable ones, of course) online via social media.

So much time spent with text can be mind-numbing. And sometimes I need a break from all the letters of the alphabet running tangents through my head. One of my favorite escapes is music. Even better if I can find music that tells a story ... because at my heart I'm a storyteller, and that's something I never tire of.

So, for any of you who've been slaving over sentences and scenes or even just typing up things for your boss or your business, I offer this hiatus via a beautiful heartbreaking story set in a post-apocalyptic setting, told only through song and computer animation. A feast for the ears and eyes, and an escape for the weary mind.

Enjoy.

Note: I am not the creator of this video. I found it on Youtube and fell madly in love. It's actually a clip from a short movie that has words spoken throughout. Here's the link for anyone interested in watching the original.


Thank you for indulging my tribute to the muse of music, and have a lovely week. :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

September 1st
YaReads - Geoffrey Girard
Swoony Boys Podcast - Jane Nickerson
Kristi's Book Readery - Page Morgan
September 2nd
Book Bandit - Laura Lam
The Word Mineur - Mindee Arnett
My Friends Are Fiction - Samantha Shannon
September 3rd
Nose Graze - Jessica Verdi
Between Printed Pages - L. M. Augustine
You've Been Blogged! - Jody Casella
September 4th
Skye's Scribblings - Kasie West
Lose Time Reading - Emily Murdoch
The Eater of Books - Kelsey Sutton
September 5th
Book. Blog. Bake - Lauren Miller
Bookend 2 Bookend - Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
Musings of a Blogder - Heather Reid
September 6th
Magical Manuscripts - Shaunta Grimes
The Reading Vixens - Sarah Ashley Jones
September 7th
Books for Birds - April Genevieve Tucholke
Book Blather - Romily Bernard
September 8th
Inspiring Insomnia - Stephanie Kuehn
September 9th
Kissed by Ink - Ellen Oh
Sleeps on Tables - J.R. Johansson
Always YA at Heart - Amanda Sun
September 10th
Lisa Loves Lit - A.G. Howard
whYAnot Reviews - Liz Fichera
Samantha Clark - Claire M. Caterer
September 11th
Rampant Readers - Leah Miller
Emily's Crammed Bookshelf - T. Michael Martin
September 12th
The Book Beacon - Christina Mercer
September 13th
Read & Reviewed - Lindsay Ribar
Paranormal Book Club - Kit Grindstaff
September 14th
Paranormal Reads - Elsie Chapman
Bibliophilia, Please - Helen Douglas
September 15th
The Book Cellar - Erin Bowman
Fantasy Book Addict - Miriam Forster
September 16th
Pond Across the Pond - Laurie Crompton
YaReads - Debra Driza
September 17th
Teen Librarian Toolbox - Mindy McGinnis
Le'Book Squirrel - Kimberly Ann Miller
September 18th
Rachel Reads - Errica Lorraine Scheidt
Kentucky Geek Girl - Holly Smale
September 19th
Turning Pages - Amy Butler Greenfield
September 20th
Synchronized Reading - J.L Spelbring
Reading is My Treasure - Kristin Halbrook
A&C Book Junkies - Carey Corp
September 21st
Playing Jokers - Lenore Appelhans
Lizzie's Dark Fiction - Elizabeth May
September 22nd
Little Bookwork Reviews - Jennifer Iacopelli
September 23rd
Moosubi Reviews - Megan Shepherd
Little Miss Trainwreck - Julianna Scott
September 24th
Fictionators - Emma Trevayne
September 25th
Breath of Books - Steven dos Santos
Jennzah - Chelsea Pitcher
September 26th
Nightly Reading - Liz Coley
Pandora's Books - Kelly A. Barson
September 27th
Forever 17 Books - Amie Kaufman
My Bookopolis - Jamie Blair
September 28th
Nick's Book Blog - Jennifer McGowan
September 29th
Ex Libris - Mindy Raf
September 30th
YaReads - J.J. Howard
Fiction Freak - Kate Karyus Quinn