A quick NIL Linkapalooza :)

Sorry I've been absent lately. It's been the end-of-summer-back-to-school crazies.:) But today, a post!

I thought I'd give you a quick round-up of NIL links floating around the web.:)

1. Crazies. :)

Wasn't I just talking about crazies...? Thought so. :) Well, speaking of crazies (and chasing them!) Amy Trueblood had me over at her blog, Chasing the Crazies, to chat yesterday about NIL. If you have a minute, pop over to Amy's Writer Odyssey Wednesday post to read about where NIL was born, my love of alt music, and other writerly stuff.:)

2. A Top Ten List!

My sweet friend Natalie Whipple guest posted on the Hot Key Books blog and shared her Top Ten Sci-fi reads...and NIL was on her list!!!!! Natalie's shout-out blew me away, because the company she included me in is hands-down amazing. Books like DUNE, THE GIVER, PIVOT POINT and more are also on the list--which are some of my faves too. Natalie's a talented author in her own right--check out her debut YA novel, TRANSPARENT if you haven't done so already.:)

3. Tunes

If you missed it, you can check out NIL's playlist on the All The Write Notes blog.

4. Cover love

Mac Teen Books did a Winter '14 Cover Reveal Roundup. So fun to see NIL with its publisher siblings! :)

5. Cover Reveal

Icey Books hosted NIL's cover reveal.  I'm so grateful to Hafsah for doing such a terrific job, and I LOVED reading all the comments! I'm a *little* bit in love with my cover myself.:)

Last but not least, several bloggers have picked NIL as their Waiting on Wednesday pick, and I'm SO grateful. I'm so excited for y'all to read NIL, and the fact that people are waiting for it's release makes me crazy happy. Book bloggers amaze me in all the best ways.:)

And the craziest thought today?

NIL comes out in 187 days.

AHHHHHHH! I can't wait for y'all to read it!!!

I leave you with this...which is how I feel when every time I see my cover and think about March 4, 2014.:)

xoxo

Friday Five Linkapalooza!

Happy Friday, y'all!

For today's Friday Five, I'm doing a quick blog-post-shout-out to my faves of the week.

5. On craft.

Killer post on how to add tension during revisions by talented (and sweet!) author Janice Hardy. This post is so awesome that I'm bookmarking it.

4. On books.

More interview goodness about YA debuts dropping in 2013 and more 2014 MG/YA book love to come! If you haven't checked out One Four Kid Lit yet, it's definitely worth a visit.

3. On music.

Who says music isn't educational?! A fun post by the cool music writer Jennifer Carney. On a related note, the All The Write Notes blog is up and running, and you still have time to enter and win a CD by The Rural Alberta Advantage. So pop over and enter; you've got time. :)

2. Just because it's hysterical and I don't want you to miss it. :)

Ok, so this post by the hilarious Tracey Neithercott had been up for a few weeks, but thanks to living in a cave full of NIL edits and tortilla chips, I didn't discover it until this week. :) And oh my land, IT'S HYSTERICAL. Tracey tells a story in YA book covers, and it's classic. YOU HAVE TO READ IT. And as a bonus, you might even discover a book to add to your TBR list. Tracey, you rock.

1. In which I leave Number One up to you.:)

Do you have a favorite post of the week? Let me know what I missed.:)

Until then, here's my favorite track of the week:

Mother Mother's Simply Simple. Enjoy! :)

Linkapalooza!

Lately I've read several blog posts where I found myself thinking "Yes! Exactly!" Or "Wow... I always wondered that." Or "Oh-Holy-Cow I had no clue." Posts so amazing/useful/timely I wanted to make sure you didn't miss them. :)

So here's my Monday Linkapalooza:

First up: Ally Carter's A Letter to Baby Author Me (circa 2004).
Brilliant advice for baby authors. I LOVE THIS POST. A must-read IMO. Read it here if you missed it.

Next: Megan Shepherd's Attitude Makes the Writer.
Megan starts the post with this quote: "The more I think about it, the more I think writing success comes from the right attitude, not talent." Her post is raw and and introspective and eloquently written, and inspires you to "keep moving forward." Did you read it? No? Oh, you're in luck! It's right here!

And then: Justine Larbalestier's Becoming a Brand Versus Writing What You Want to Write.
"You do not have to stick to writing the same kinds of books to have a successful writing career." Don't you want to read more? Go here. 

Don't miss:  Natalie Whipple's The Truth About Teens Buying Books.
Natalie's got a 13yo sister and she's got the scoop. I loved this post, because it's handy and REAL. WHY do teens buy books? The number 2 reason? Word of mouth. The number one reason? Go here to find out. :)

Last but not least: Roni Loren's Bloggers Beware: You CAN Get Sued for Using Pics on Your Blog.
Do you blog? Use pics? Then this post is A MUST READ. Run. Go here now.

And that's it y'all! Happy linkapalooza! :)

Do you have a must read post for me? Leave it in the comments below. :) *offers Oreos in return*