TOUGH LUCK Winner!

Thanks everyone for your comments on the interview with Catherine Winn.

One person said they were interested in the book and left their email address. So I have gifted a copy of TOUGH LUCK to:

Ann Best. Congrats, Ann! I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

I still have two copies to give away and I'm happy to do so (via Amazon) to the first two people that tell me they'd like a copy. I just need an email address and it's yours!

Happy Reading and Writing!

Kimberly

Author Interview - Catherine Winn and Book Giveaway!

I'm very excited to have Catherine Winn as my first author interview. Catherine is the author of TOUGH LUCK, a fantastic young adult mystery that I hated to see end!

Here is a little more about Catherine:

Catherine A. Winn is a former elementary teacher living in Texas. After graduation with a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education, she taught art for seven years then went back for her elementary endorsement. For the next twenty-seven years she taught third grade using art and her own stories to enrich all subjects. Being an avid reader of mysteries since childhood, she has found that genre to be her main interest. Tough Luck is her first published novel and is presently working on a spine tingling thriller for teens.

Here is a summary of the book:

Against her will, Annie is sent to Wentworth Academy for the summer where her roomate becomes the target of a vicious stalker. When the meanest girl in school tags her as Attacker Annie, she sets out to clear her name, but it may be the biggest mistake of her life.


Now onto the interview!

First, I have some typical questions everyone likes to know. :)

1. When did you know you wanted to be an author?

I always wanted to be a writer but I also wanted to be an artist. Drawing, painting, printmaking took up my early years and my degree was in art education and later I went for my elementary endorsement. I used art and writing to enrich my teaching, but I kept putting off getting serious about writing for that proverbial someday. Then one day I was retired and I decided that if I didn’t want to be in a nursing home one day full of regrets for not even trying it, then I better get started. I joined SCBWI and started writing, learning, and honing my craft. Wow, I wound up loving everything about writing. I’m having the time of my life!

2. What type of books do you read? Did any books or authors influence your writing?


I read almost all genres but my love is the mystery, suspense, thriller novels. Too many authors to list here but back in the seventies, Phyllis Whitney was my favorite author. I inhaled her novels. Back then I wanted to grow up and write like her.

3. TOUGH LUCK is a fantastic mystery with some unexpected twists and turns! How did you get the idea to write it?

I wanted to write a mystery/thriller set at a boarding school. I had no idea what the mystery would be when I started researching. I couldn’t believe that there are so many different types of boarding school programs and schools designed for individual wants and needs. When I saw that there were summer academic programs I thought that would be perfect for a summer mystery. And teachers are out for the summer, too…what if… and TOUGH LUCK was born.

4. How long did it take you to write TOUGH LUCK?

I completed the rough draft in four months. I put it away for a couple of months. Then it took another six months to revise, revise, and revise some more.

5. What was your favorite part to write and why?

Annie’s snooping scenes. I love it when she snuck out to go on her adventures, she was very clever about getting out, and then unexpected things would happen. I liked her surprise at the hospital.

6. What was the hardest to write and why?

When Mindy was captured. I struggled between wanting to show the true character of the antagonist but I didn’t like hurting a child—even in fiction.


Now for some fun random questions

7. Do you have any special writing quirks or writing rituals?

At home, I talk out loud, working out conversations as if I were the characters. I do that so often that when I go for a walk outdoors or the grocery store I have to remember not to talk to myself. :)

Now when I see someone else mumbling to themselves I think, “Ah, a fellow writer.”

8. If you could go on a trip anywhere in the world (or universe) where would it be and why?

I would love to travel to England to tour the manor homes, villages, and castles just to soak up the atmosphere.

9. Finally, do you have any super secret info that you can share about any upcoming books?

I wish I did, but right now I’m polishing up a YA thriller for future submissions.

Thank you, Cathie for your time and the wonderful interview. For more information about Cathie, please visit her blog, The Writing Room. For more information on her book, TOUGH LUCK, check out this link to Amazon, or this one to Barnes & Noble.

Now for the book giveaway portion of this interview. I'd like to give away 3 copies of TOUGH LUCK to 3 random commenters. These will be Kindle versions gifted via email through Amazon. (if I can find my Barnes & Noble login, I may be able to offer the Nook version). I think on Amazon you can also download to your computer - at least I have that option available to me.

If you're interested in the books please let me know in the comments. Don't forget to leave your email address! I'll do the drawing (with my son as usual) and announce the winners on January 28th, so anyone can enter until then.

Happy Reading!
Kimberly

Winner - Writer's Digest Gift Certificate!

Before I get on with announcing the winner, I want to let everyone know that there's more chances to win stuff tomorrow! I will be posting an author interview (my very first) where you can win a copy of the author's book! I'll have 3 books to giveaway!

Okay, so now onto winner news. :)

First of all, thanks to everyone for entering and for your comments if you didn't. I picked the winner like I always do - write everyone's name down and number it and then have my son do the honors by picking a number.

So without further delay the winner is...

Mim!

Congratulations! Mim! I think you will enjoy any of the Webinar's you choose to attend.

Please leave me your email address so that I can use that to send you the gift certificate!


Kimberly

Contest! Would Attending a Webinar w/ Agents and a Critique Interest You?

I'm having my 2nd Annual Writer's Digest gift certificate giveaway contest! You could win a $100 Writer's Digest Gift Certificate!

See the post below, or click this link here to access the post.


Kimberly

Contest! Would Attending a Webinar w/ Agent Lori Perkins & Louise Fury Interest You?

Many of you know that I enjoy attending the Writer's Digest Webinars. So once again, I'd like to have a contest to give away a Writer's Digest gift certificate ($100) so YOU can attend a Webinar if you win! You don't even have to attend this Webinar, you can use it to attend a different Webinar if you want. Or buy books or apply toward a class. Use it however you like!

Here is information about this Webinar:

Jan. 19 - 1 pm Eastern - How to Find and Work with an Agent in the 21st Century
Speakers: Lori Perkins and Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Agency AND there is a query letter critique if you attend!


There are several other Webinars coming up too! Another one with Mary Kole as well. (Feb. 9th)

For more details about Writer's Digest Live Webinars, check out this link.
http://www.writersdigestshop.com/category/live-webinars?r=wdsitenavlivewebinars

Here are the rules to enter:

1. Must be a follower of this blog.
2. Post a comment that you want to enter this contest.
2. If you Blog about it, I'll add 2 additional entries for you, just let me know in the comments when you've posted about the contest.

That's it!

The contest ends at 9 pm Eastern on Monday, January 16th! One randomly selected winner will be announced on Tuesday, the 17th.

Help!

Hey all,

I'm having problems commenting again on some of the blogs. Jess, if you come by, yours was one of them. The whole page freezes up as soon as I click the comment link to comment.

Does anyone have any ideas for me to try? I wasn't having problems a few days ago. It seems like something has changed but I haven't changed anything on my computer!

Thanks in advance for any advice anyone can offer!

Kimberly

You're Weird

Not sure why this came to me today, but once someone asked me if I had an overactive imagination. I know that I do, always have - it's the writer in me. But, the way this person asked me, in a very condescending tone like it was shameful, a peculiarity, or some disturbing character flaw, really bothered me.

So I said no, I didn't have an overactive imagination and I smiled it off.

I've regretted it ever since. Because I'm actually proud that I have this overactive imagination. So I just wanted to say to people I knew would understand, that I will never apologize for it again.


Kimberly