Win Two YAs! (or I'm Not Above Bribing Readers for Reviews)

Tip of the Day: Get ready for WriteOnCon 2014, the free online kidlit writing conference August 26-27. I'm excited to check out the buzz again this year!

I want to start with a huge THANK YOU to all A2A readers who have read BLACKOUT or DESERTED! I am so grateful for the support and excited to work on book #3, which I never thought I'd say. (Me? A trilogy?)  I plan on releasing an unrelated YA contemporary novel this winter, and then Jenny and Zak's story in August 2015.

To celebrate other summer 2014 YA novel releases, I want to give away two of them that I loved:

 

THE FOURTH WISH by Lindsay Ribar is the sequel to THE ART OF WISHING but it also stands on its own. Why did I love it? Because Margo loves Oliver, a genie, regardless of the exterior form he takes. Margo is a positive, uplifting character who is fun to follow through her own transformation.

THE BRIDGE FROM ME TO YOU by Lisa Schroeder is by our very own former A2A contributor! Why did I love it? Because the love story is sweet and non-angsty, and the dual povs from both Lauren and Colby are expressive and connected, but also unique.

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a review on Amazon or B&N for BLACKOUT, DESERTED, or both, and leave the link to the review in the comments! You'll get one entry for each review you write and post below (for a total of 4 possible entries). Enter in the Rafflecopter below between 8/18-9/18. Sorry, open to U.S. mailing addresses only.

For links to the books on Amazon and B&N, go to www.DeenaLipomi.com.

Happy Second-Half-of-August!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DESERTED Book Trailer (or Watch it for the Music & Pics)

Tip of the Day: BLACKOUT is on sale for .99 for two more hours...and DESERTED is officially on sale for $2.99.

Today is the official release date for DESERTED, the YA ebook sequel to BLACKOUT!

In honor of its release, I have created a book trailer with the help of my sister Andrea Lipomi (she took the Vegas photos -- follow her on FaceBook/instagram @feetishspa for more of her pics), and to my husband John Viviani (he wrote the music and produced the video -- follow Blue Falcon on FB for more new tunes https://www.facebook.com/bluefalconmusic).

Thanks to all my readers, friends, and family for the continued support!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Kids Are Reading (or Go On, Blame the Kids*)

*With apologies to Pink Floyd

Tip of the Day: BLACKOUT is still on sale for .99 through the end of July at Amazon and B&N!

I feel like every other week I hear about a news story or opinion piece saying that kids don't read anymore. Well, I can say from working at my library this summer, I don't see it so I won't believe it! :)

So far for our Summer Reading Program we have approximately 1,000 kids and teens (ages birth through 17) registered, and our circulation desk has had a check out line every day.

What books are the kids asking for? The ones that stand out as having multiple requests in the past few weeks are:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Bigger Than a Bread Box by Laurel Snyder
The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne
Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin
Who Was/Who Is biographies

What books are the kids and teens in your life clamoring for?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

BLACKOUT is ON SALE! (or 66% Off Now!)

Tip of the Day: Join BookBub for daily ebook deals emailed directly to you!

In anticipation of the upcoming official release of DESERTED, BLACKOUT is on sale for just $.99 for a limited time on Amazon and B&N!

Read about bro and sis Leo and Jenny's NY and PA adventures in book #1 before being whisked off to Las Vegas in book #2....

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

DESERTED Is Coming! (or BLACKOUT #2 Is in the Pipeline!)

Tip of the Day: Make sure to check out your local library's Summer Reading events for all ages! Participating helps boost library use statistics, which get reported to the state and help with funding -- plus they are fun and free!

On August 1, DESERTED, the sequel to BLACKOUT, will be available wherever ebooks are sold!

Want some hints on what it's about?

Las Vegas 

 Fremont St., Las Vegas

  Downtown Las Vegas

 Love

The desert

Environmental extremists

And here's the official blurb:

The desert can be dangerous...especially when you've been deserted.

Seventeen-year-old Kara is done spying on people for her father, the wealthy and morally corrupt businessman Dr. Ellison. Last summer, when her father’s project literally blew up, she fell hard for one of his victims: Leo, the hot musician who made her question her family’s rules. Now Leo’s clear across the country, and Kara’s ready to reinvent herself in Las Vegas.

Of course her father has to mess up that plan, too. He claims a rogue environmental group wants him dead because of his latest alternative energy business venture, and that he needs Kara back on his payroll as the only one he can fully trust. With nowhere else to turn, Kara sends Leo a distressed text message – just before she’s kidnapped, a bargaining chip of the vigilantes who are determined to end her father’s moneymaking plans.

Leo is battling the pains of his last run-in with Dr. Ellison but he wastes no time hopping a plane to Vegas to rescue Kara. As he struggles to find her, the pair tries to learn all they can about the project Dr. Ellison is directing in the hopes of using the information to free Kara. Because if there’s one thing they’ve learned from Dr. Ellison, it’s that no risk is too big when it comes to fame and fortune, life and death.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

*Photo's by Andrea Lipomi of Feetish Spa Parlor, Las Vegas

Two Months Later (or I Ain't Missing You At All*)

*with apologies to John Waite

Tip of the Day: Mark your calendar for the Greater Rochester Teen Book Fest on May 16, 2015 -- there are already 8 authors confirmed to be here in the ROC!

For anyone who knows the song "Missing You" by John Waite, it should be clear that I AM missing Author2Author even though it's been two months since I last posted! Where has the time gone? Well, I guess into the following things:

1. Greater Rochester Teen Book Fest! How could I not have had an amazing time volunteering at this event on May 17? Look at all the YA authors who showed up to talk to over 3,000 teens?

(Photo from Greater Rochester Teen Book Fest)

I myself saw over 200 teens in the Debut Author Panel starring Tess Sharpe, Michelle Madow, Cristin Terrill, and Amber Lough. Those ladies were amazing and you should definitely read their books!

 2. Writing, writing, writing! I am loving my Book Nook gig for Genesee Valley Parent Magazine, as well as my VOYA Reviews. My MG novel will be ready for my agent in the next month, and I finished my YA sequel to BLACKOUT. It is called DESERTED and is due out as an ebook on August 1 and it takes place in Las Vegas. Here's the blurb:

Seventeen-year-old Kara is done spying on people for her father, the wealthy and morally corrupt businessman Dr. Ellison. Last summer, when her father’s project literally blew up, she fell hard for one of his victims: Leo, the hot musician who made her question her family’s rules. Now Leo’s clear across the country, and Kara’s ready to reinvent herself in Las Vegas. 

Of course her father has to mess up that plan, too. He claims a rogue environmental group wants him dead because of his latest alternative energy business venture, and that he needs Kara back on his payroll as the only one he can fully trust. With nowhere else to turn, Kara sends Leo a distressed text message – just before she’s kidnapped, a bargaining chip of the vigilantes who are determined to end her father’s moneymaking plans.

Leo is battling the pains of his last run-in with Dr. Ellison but he wastes no time hopping a plane to Vegas to rescue Kara. As he struggles to find her, the pair tries to learn all they can about the project Dr. Ellison is directing in the hopes of using the information to free Kara. Because if there’s one thing they’ve learned from Dr. Ellison, it’s that no risk is too big when it comes to fame and fortune, life and death.

 3. Reading, reading, reading! I am up to 79 books read this year, not including anything younger than MG novels which I just don't have time to record. I did YA book talks for Rochester area teachers, which is always fun and feeds my desire to talk about YA novels and non-fiction for an hour to a captive audience.

4. I slightly redesigned my website but it needs a lot more work...I am just not a good web designer. It is a WIP for sure, but for now it at least contains needed information and reconciles my Viviani and Lipomi names and the librarian and writing work I do under each.


I promise not to wait two months until I blog again! What is everyone else up to?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Getting Into the Writing Zone (or For the Love of Music)

Tip of the Day: Scrivener, the Must Have Digital Writing Tool, is on sale for only $20 for a limited time through AppSumo! I just bought my copy and can't wait to use the Save the Cat outline + Scrivener to write my next MG novel; I'm sure the novel will practically write itself.

I have committed myself to e-pubbing DESERTED, the sequel to BLACKOUT, on August 1 -- if not before! In order to make this deadline, I need to finish writing it, get crit partner feedback, get it copyedited, send it for formatting, and upload it in just four short months.

Can I do it?

Of course I can!

What do I need to do to make it happen?

Write like there is no tomorrow!

Or at least write like there is no internet/Candy Crush/distractions.

It's not like writing DESERTED isn't fun -- it totally is! It takes place in Las Vegas and involves rogue environmental groups and secret chemical experiments to harness natural energy. I get to call on both my sister and brother for their Vegas and chemist expertise.

Still, like many people with 21st century technology at our disposal, it's easy to get -- oh, wait, it's my turn on Words With Friends. I'll be right back.

Oh, right.

What helps me tally up my word count is going to the library (not where I work; that would be the opposite of productive writing time) or Panera, plugging in my earbuds and pumping up the tunes, and cranking on the keyboard for 2-4 hours. Not only does the location make me stay on task (since I'm not on my couch getting too comfy), but the music helps, too.

How does the music help? I'm not sure exactly, but last month I went to an author talk by Heather Terrell and she said what helps her switch her brain from mom/household chores mode to writer mode is playing the same music that she's been writing to all along. She couldn't remember where she'd heard that the musical association worked like that, but once she said it, something clicked for me:

THAT'S why I keep listening to the Twilight Soundtrack!

Ahem.

To be fair, I alternate it with the rest of the saga's music, plus Hunger Games, Catching Fire, and The Great Gatsby. For some reason, albums with various artists work for me, as do those with a YA flavor when I'm writing contemporary YA fiction.

The other night I needed to get some writing done, and the library wasn't open and I didn't want to leave the warmth of my living room to head to Panera, and my mind was already wandering to Things Other Than Writing. So I decided to give the music association theory a shot. I queued up my Stephenie Meyer inspired iTunes tracks...and finished my outline in 2 hours while sitting on the couch!

I won't give up my library/cafe writing zone, but I do feel like I have another option that can work fairly well when I'm at home.

What helps trick your brain into being Writing Ready?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

That Obligatory 2013 Recap Post (or Writing Related Reality Check)

Tip of the Day: Want to see a author/businessman's trailblazing predictions for 2014? Check out J. A. Konrath's 12/28/13 blog post. Wild and crazy, or spot-on? Time will tell!

Welcome, readers, to 2014!

I thought I'd go back and update my post from about one year ago on my goals for 2013, but, um, I guess I never did one. So, starting from scratch, and so I have something to ruminate over at this time, here are the fab readerly/writerly/librariany things that happened in the past 12 months:

1. I read 180 books! To see my faves, check out my LiveJournal post here.

2. I attended the NYC SCBWI Conference with three other ROC ladies and had a great, inspirational, fun time.
3. I wrote a fast draft of a new MG novel, and mostly rewrote the second draft.
4. I launched my website www.DeenaLipomi.com.
5. I self-e-pubbed my YA novel, BLACKOUT -- and people actually bought and read it! (THANK YOU!) (Of note: I've been writing fiction seriously for 9 years, and this is the first time I've made any money from it and am so glad I took the epub plunge.)

6. My husband created a book trailer for BLACKOUT with original music and it rocks.
7. I wrote more of the BLACKOUT sequel.
8. Teen Book Fest volunteering. Need I say more?
9. I signed with a fab agent after she read my MG novel -- which is still on submission...fingers crossed! She totally helped me nail the revisions and I am hopeful that an editor will fall in love with Joanie and Anna in 2014.
10. I met up in Dublin, OH with Tina, Em, and Kate for a writing/gossiping retreat.
11. I was offered and accepted a gig writing kidlit reviews for Genesee Valley Parent Magazine; they should go live in print starting next month! (Of note: this is my third review gig, but the first in which I will be paid in actual dollars! I am moving up in the world! :-D)
12. My husband bought me a MacBook Pro to replace my dear but failing Dell laptop that has been with me for the past five years. Man, is this machine slick!
13. I did YA Best Book presentations for Rochester BOCES and Wayne County/Finger Lakes Library Leadership Academy -- and got to see Steve Sheinkin do a keynote speech at the latter! Cool guy.
14. I got a YALSA grant for Teen Read Week and hosted A. S. King for the Fourth Annual Greater Rochester Teen Read. It was an amazing week!
15. I bought an iPhone and downloaded Candy Crush. Oh, wait, that's actually an anti-writing device....

Am I forgetting anything? Probably, but that's OK. It's been a busy year and I look forward to 2014. Thanks to all my friends, family, and colleagues who have helped make it great!

Writing things I plan to do in the coming 12 months:
A. Polish my next MG novel (hint: tween library volunteers + Native American artifacts!) and get to my agent for thoughts.
B. Finish writing and revising DESERTED, the BLACKOUT sequel, and epub it.
C. Read through two YA mss, run by my agent, and either prepare them to sub or epub.
D. Start rewrite of new MG novel, a rewrite of an old YA (hint: haunted cottage in the Adirondacks + Ouija Board + water wraith)
E. Anything that an editor asks me to do if they want to buy my MG (!). Just putting it out there for the universe! :)

Phew! Can I do it? Maybe with the new MacBook Pro I can!

And less Candy Crush....

Happy New Year!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Super Easy Weekend Giveaway! (or Enter Here for a Chance to BLACKOUT!)

Tip of the Day: Will you be in the Rochester, NY area on Friday, October 4? If so, make sure to check out Blue Falcon's EP CD Release Party! (Yes, they are one of Leo's favorite bands in BLACKOUT.) If you don't live in the area, just go to the link and check out their music. Their rock groove with witty lyrics promises to entertain.

Curious about BLACKOUT but don't have the extra cash, or B&N or Amazon or iTunes account?

Well now is your chance to enter to win a free copy in the format of your choice! (Even PDF if you want to read it on your computer.)

Just comment on this post between NOW AND MONDAY, SEPT. 16 AT 9PM EST saying you would like to enter to win (leave an email address or link of how to contact you). With the power of the Random Number Generator, I'll select a winner who can let me know which file type they would like to read.

That's it! Super easy, super quick.

Feel free to spread the word to anyone else you think may be interested.

And if you need a reminder as to what BLACKOUT is about:

When 17-year-old musician Leo and his 15-year-old scientist sister Jenny wake up in a ditch with pains in their hands, they wonder what happened on their drive home from their father’s house in rural Pennsylvania. Their only memory of the past twelve hours is of bright lights flashing through their windshield. Then the blackout.

Leo is content to chalk up the missing memories and throbbing hands to a concussion and nerve damage, but Jenny won’t let it go. Soon the siblings uncover clues that they stumbled upon a dangerous and illegal alternative energy project in the Appalachians – and that their father is involved. If they don’t discover the truth, Leo’s burning hands will destroy his music career before it begins, and Jenny will never know if her father is the mentor she's always trusted or a mad scientist who will stop at nothing for the success of his work. Not even if it means sacrificing his own children.

Available for $2.99 wherever ebooks are sold.



Thanks again for everyone's support!

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Why I Now Like Book Trailers (or Video Killed the YA Book Star*)

*with apologies to The Buggles

Tip of the Day: Trader Joe's Dark Chocolate Covered Mini Pretzles are dangerously delish. (9 servings per bag? How about 4?)

As A2A readers undoubetly know, a few years ago book trailers for YA and MG novels started becoming more popular. Many discussion cropped up on if they were worth having.

Personally, I watch trailers that:

a. get a lot of buzz,
b. are by authors I know, or
c. are for books I'm planning on buying/reading anyway.

In other words, I have never been swayed to buy/read a novel because of the trailer even though I have been entertained by them.

One of the first trailers I remember thinking was cool was this one for Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUi3Ap2ga1U
But because it has actors and spoken dialog, it feels more like a movie trailer than one for a novel.

A recent favorite is this amazing animated trailer for THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL by Soman Chainani:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqnU3ZqvL1k
It is also very cinematic, and way too expensive for a novice like me to ever do.

When I decided to self epub BLACKOUT, I didn't originally plan to produce a book trailer. But my husband was writing new tracks for his band Blue Falcon around the time I was formatting my novel and I thought it would be cool if he created original music for a trailer. Once he agreed, I was excited!

While I enjoy some of the cinematic book trailers out there, I wanted mine to be more in line with the experience of reading a book. I also knew I needed it to be about 45-60 seconds long. I watched Lisa Schroeder's trailer for THE DAY BEFORE for inspiration as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBnbubgIMJA

I love the filming that Lisa did for her trailer, but that is more work than I wanted to put into it so I went with the photo that was used for the cover as a backdrop for the whole thing. The rest was my husband using the limited options on iMovie.

But honestly the best part of having a book trailer? I can hock my wares by giving people an experience -- a free taste of music and atmosphere for BLACKOUT -- instead of just a link where they can buy my book. As someone who is not into self-promotion, it makes talking about my novel a lot easier.

I don't expect my trailer to be the one that transforms people like me into those who buy books based on them. But if the music and atmosphere at least entertains those who click on the YouTube link for 60 seconds, I've done my job.



What are your thoughts of book trailers as a viewer or as an author?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Time to BLACKOUT (or Release Day is Here!)

Tip of the Day: Verla Kay's Blue Board is so amazing that it is merging with the SCBWI message boards! Go Verla and BBers!

Four days early, my YA novel BLACKOUT is out in the world*!

It is only $2.99 (what a deal!) through the following retailers:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

 

Also, my super talented husband wrote original music and put together this awesome book trailer. I love it!

For a reminder on why I decided to self e-pub BLACKOUT, here's my blog post from April.

Thanks to all the A2A Misses and critique partners past and present who helped bring this book to life!

If anyone has any questions on the e-pubbing process from a first timer, feel free to ask them here. And if they are beyond my ability to answer, I will forward them to the epub master, Megg. :)

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

*Except for through slooow iTunes and delayed Kobo.

Things Are Happening (or "Is It Really Happening?")

*with apologies to Marky Mark and M. Night Shyamalan

Tip of the Day: Another reminder that WriteOnCon is happening August 13-14. Don't miss this free online kidlit writing conference! Thanks, WriteOnCon team!

Readers! Things are Happening!

Wanna know what? OK. Keep reading.

1. You may remember that in April I decided to self-epub my YA novel, BLACKOUT. This plan is moving forward and I am set to release my first novel on August 1st! It will be available through Amazon, B&N, iBooks, and Smashwords. Here is the cover, designed by the talented Shana Norris.

 

I love the artwork and can't wait for it to be out in the world! I plan to epub the sequel, DESERTED, in 2014 and can already picture the companion cover.

 

2. To go along with my book release, I have a website. I've owned www.DeenaLipomi.com for years. I mean, I had to reserve it early since I could tell people would be fighting over that domain name one day. Now it is finally live! The site still needs some embelishments, but you can learn more about BLACKOUT there.

3. Four out of five of the A2A Misses are meeting up later this month for gossip and writing and let's face it, more gossip! We invited Megg, but since she just closed on a new house, she can't make it but we'll send her love from Ohio. This will be the first time that Tina and Em are meeting Kate. This will be a fun union and reunion.

4. I have some good buzz on the agent front and hope to be able to make something official later this month! This had made me want to spend days revising my next MG novel and dive into another idea. Writing mojo is kicking in!

What summer writerly things are happening for you?

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing

Learning From Lost (or The Power of the Cliffhanger)

Tip of the Day: Sweet potatoes make delicious, healthy baked fries! Cut into strips, bake at 450 for 10 minutes; flip and cook for 10 minutes more. Dip in BBQ sauce. YUM!

Prior to August of this year, I had never seen an episode of the TV show LOST. I know, I know, I'm way behind the times. I'm caught up through season 2 now though so give me some credit. (But nobody tell me what happens!)

What I've noticed by watching these first 50 episodes is:

1. the cliffhanger episode endings leave me clamoring for more.
2. the better written episodes make those that are weaker stand out so I know which episodes I can skip over.
3. well-developed character motivations and backstories make me like those with whom I did not previously sympathize.
4. it is frustrating to the viewer when the characters don't ask the right questions for the sake of secret-keeping.

So when I read through my thriller again with a look towards epubbing it next year, I am going to make sure:

1. most of the chapter endings are on action-oriented or "big reveal" type cliffhangers.
2. every chapter is written to its fullest potential so they don't seem weak compared to those around them.
3. each character is intriguing and more and more likable -- even the "bad guys" -- as the story goes on and their motivations/backstories are revealed.
4. the characters are smart and don't hide information from the reader without reason.

Thank you, LOST, for making me think about story writing in a different way, and with a clear model that works.

Deena, Miss Subbing for Pubbing