ShaNo Update & The Attic of Sand and Secrets

Last Monday, I posted about my intentions with ShaNoShoStoWriEdSubMo for this year. Of those goals, I wrote one flash fiction piece and started one short story that isn't yet finished. While I'd like to be making more progress, I've at least started!

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Today, I'm welcoming Medeia Sharif, whose new middle grade novel, The Attic of Sand and Secrets, releases this month. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway at the end of this post! If you haven't visited Medeia's blog before, you can find the link below. She does great brief book reviews, and I've found quite a few books to add to my TBR pile via her reviews. 

THE ATTIC OF SAND AND SECRETS 
by Medeia Sharif

Amazon | Featherweight | OmniLit

Vendor links will be updated on Medeia’s site.

Middle Grade Historical and Fantasy, Featherweight Press, November 2014

Lily, a learning disabled girl, attempts to unravel the mystery of her abducted mother using supernatural clues from an ancient stranger, even when it means posing a danger to herself.

Learning-disabled Lily desires to prove herself, although her mind freezes when presented with big problems - such as her mother's abduction. With a French father and Egyptian mother, Lily worries that her mother hid her ethnicity from her French in-laws. However, there's something deeper going on. Lily finds a way into an attic that's normally locked and encounters a mysterious, moonlit Egyptian night world. There she finds Khadijah, an ancient stranger who guides her to finding clues about her mother's whereabouts. Lily becomes a sleuth in both the real world and magical desert, endangering herself as she gets closer to the kidnapper.

The book takes place in 1976. Every host for this book blast is going to post one fun fact for that year. For some of you, this will bring back memories. For younger blog readers, you'll learn something new.

My Fun Fact: Frampton Comes Alive!, a double album, was released.

Find Medeia – Multi-published YA and MG Author

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thank you for stopping by on your blog tour, Medeia! And good luck with your book tour and release.

What do you guys think of the cover? Lovely, isn't it? Have you seen Medeia around the blogosphere? How are you doing with NaNo or your own personal goals this month?

May you find your Muse.

Celebrate YA

Beth Revis is having the most amazing giveaway I've ever seen.  She's giving away nearly 50 signed YA books to one lucky winner.  There are numerous ways to get entries, including a blog post about why you love YA.

Guess what this post is about?

First, here are the books she's giving away:

You can also click on her name in the opening paragraph to view her post about this and see a precise listing of the books.  If your eyes don't pop out of your head...well...what's up???

Why do I love YA?

Story lines that aren't realistic with adults can be explored in YA.  Adventures that take me back to my teen years, to my dreams and wishes, to the things I wanted to do or imagined might someday be possible, are all things you can read in YA.

YA covers all genres and sometimes breaks rules that aren't being broken in adult novels.  It also "tends" to be less focused on sex and more focused on romance and those first flirtations, the possibilities of "when" and "if."  These are feelings we've all experiences, questions we've asked ourselves in the past.  Some regret the decisions they've made, others don't, but we have made them, and it's an experience we share.

Many fantastic authors have written YA novels, created stories that had no other outlet.  Authors I've never heard of, as well as authors I've read in the adult genres.  Sometimes it seems as if they've found voices they didn't have when writing adult novels, and that is refreshing.

Why do I love YA?

Because there are great YA stories, ones that suck me in, take me on adventures, sometimes even help me relive my teen years.

Why do I love YA?

It rocks.

Why do you read YA?  Are you as blown away by this giveaway as I am?  There's still today to enter!

May you find your Muse.

[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Gold in Them Thar Hills! Plus Links & YA Question

It's Wednesday again, and I did, in fact, get to go out for a drive to see the gorgeous aspens in all their fiery fall splendor.  Unfortunately, you have to pardon the haze in the background, as we still have smoke from the various fires around the northwest.  I hope for the end of fire season very soon, and hope everyone near the fires stays safe and gets relief soon.

Before I get to the photos, I'd like to put out a couple questions for discussion.  I've been added to a panel at the Author Fest on Friday, where we'll be discussing why YA is not just for young adults, but also enjoyable for adults.  I will be posting a few questions on this topic at the end, in the hopes of getting some feedback on why you enjoy YA, no matter your age.  I've never been on a panel before, and I'd like to have plenty of discussion points should we not get enough questions to fill the 45 minutes.

On to the aspens!  I thought about making this a two-parter since there were so many photos, but decided not to.  Hope you don't mind!

You should be able to click on them to make them bigger, if you'd like.

Now for the helpful links:

Blog Hops/Fests:

The Did I Notice Your Book Blog Fest, sponsored by Ciara Knight and Alex J. Cavanaugh, will occur on October 17.  I really like the idea behind this one, as it has to do with unexpectedly featuring another blogger's book to get the word out for them without them knowing ahead of time.

E.J. Wesley of The Open Vein is having the Bury the Hatchet Blog Fest.  You can participate any time between September 21 and October 19 by blogging about someone or something you'd like to bury a hatchet in.  There will be prizes, including a Nook Simple Touch E-Reader.

The Something Wicked This Way Comes Blog Hop and Giveaway, hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and Babbling About Books, will be occurring throughout the month of October.  Every day host blogs will blog about paranormal and terrifying creatures, and every day those host blogs will giveaway a Halloween/horror related book.  Awesome undertaking!

Carrie Ann, of Carrie Ann's Blog Hops, has several ongoing blog hops throughout the year.  Her closest one will take place October 19-22: The Alpha Male Blog Hop.  The exact blog hop is a mystery, but it has to do with discussing why we love an alpha male.  Sounds steamy.

Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer is hosting the Fraterfest Read-A-Thon in honor of Rhiannon Frater and ghoulies that go bump in the night.  Between October 5 and October 8, set a goal of scary books you'll read and discuss what you've achieved.

Spooktoberfest, put on by Bouquest of Books and Entertaining Interests, will take place October 26 through October 29.  This is a spooky flash fiction fest, which requires 5 mandatory words to be in your piece.  Winners' pieces will be posted on Halloween, and they will receive a jumbo bag of the candy of their choice.  Mmmm.

The Ghosts and the Girls Who Love Them Blog Hop and Giveaway has already started, but you have until September 30 to sign up and participate.  This is a flash fiction hop with a fun grand prize winner.

Brenda Drake Writes is hosting the Elevator Pitch Blog Fest/Contest October 15-19.  Post a video of your elevator pitch to an agent.  Winners will be viewed by agents.

Giveaways:

Jeremy, of Retro Zombie fame, is having a giveaway when he reaches 500 followers.  Show him some love and you could win some great prizes!

Contests:

The South Wales Short Story Competition is ongoing and free to enter.  Deadline is November 9.  Open to unpublished UK writers.  Winners will be published in an anthology.

WOW-Women on Writing- is hosting a flash fiction contest.  Current deadline is November 30.  Entry fee is $10.  Optional critique available for an additional fee.  Cash prizes.

Miss Snark's First Victim is hosting the Annual Baker's Dozen Agent Auction.  You enter your piece, a specific number are chosen, and they are then placed on the auction block for a collection of agents to bid on.  There is a $10 entry fee.

Submissions Accepted:

Bibliophilic Blather is seeking submissions of horror/Halloween related flash fiction pieces for Fright Fest 2012.  Submit by September 30.  Winning pieces will appear on Flash Fiction Fridays.


Other:

The Muse Online Writers Conference is a free online conference being held in the first part of October.  I looked over the classes and there are some really interesting ones.  There are also pitch appointments, though it may be too late to sign up for those.

Pikes Peak Writers is accepting proposals for workshop classes for the 2013 Pikes Peak Writers Conference.  Find the submission form here.


That's all for today, folks!

Any links to share?  Do you have aspens?  Are trees turning in your area yet?  Do you read and enjoy YA?  Why about YA speaks to you?  What sets it apart from adult fiction for you?  Any favorite YA authors/books?

May you find your Muse.