Heather McCorkle - The Tour of Secrets

If you've been following Heather's Blog Tour, then you know the drill. :) Scroll down to find out the next secret about Heather.  If you've just stumbled upon this page, then Welcome!  You must check this out!

I am so excited to be apart of Heather McCorkle's Tour of Secrets blog tour for her debut novel The Secret of Spruce Knoll. She's running a fabulous contest to kick off her new release due out on August 15. Heather will also be having a live chat on YA BOUND scheduled for August 30 with a seperate give away as well.

Heather’s official bio:

I am an author of young adult fantasy, in all its many sub-genres. Helping other writers and supporting fabulous authors is my passion. When I’m not writing or surfing my social networking sites, I can be found on the slopes, the hiking trails, or on horseback. As a native Oregonian, I enjoy the outdoors almost as much as the worlds I create on the pages. No need to travel to the Great Northwest though, you can find me here, on my blog four days a week, and Monday night’s on Twitter where I co-moderate the #WritersRoad chat with my good friend TS Tate.

Heather’s debut novel is a young adult urban fantasy. Don't you just love this cover!!

The Blurb:

Following the tragic death of her parents, Eren Donovan moves to Spruce Knoll to live with her aunt. Little does Eren know the entire town of Spruce Knoll is filled with “channelers”~a magical group of people who immigrated to the small Colorado town when they were driven out of their own lands.


Channelers are tied to the fate of the world. As the world slowly dies, so do they~and they alone have the power to stop the destruction of Earth. Now, Eren learns she not only lives among them, but she is one. When she meets local boy Aiden, his charm convinces her that being a channeler may not be all bad.

I can’t wait to read this book!!!  I already know I'm going to have to fight off my two teenage daughters to be first. LOL Isn't that a rule? Mom's get first dibs in everything, right?

Secret Time!



Tell us Heather, do you have an interesting writing quirk?   Like a favorite shirt, or slippers you wear to boost that creative spark?  Maybe it's music or lighting a candle? 


I do have an interesting writing secret. Whenever I'm stuck (I don't want to say the foul words writer's block. It's like Voldemort, if you say it, you may bring it on...) there is one thing that almost always works. I take a shower. No seriously! I have no idea why it works but it does. My very best writing ideas, plot breakthroughs, character developments, all come to me when I'm in the shower. 




Here's what you can win by entering the contest:

1st place:

*$50 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble (or the Book Depository if you're over seas).

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

*Special swag bag

2nd place:

*Swag bag filled with:

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

* Spoiled by Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan

*Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

*Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

* A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

3rd place:

*Autographed copy of The Secret Of Spruce Knoll

*Swag bag

The Rules: You can just be a follower of Heather's Odyssey and leave a comment on her post saying you'd like to enter to win. But if you want extra points/entries here's how you can get them:

+1 for being a follower of Heather's Odyssey and commenting. (Must follow for the contest.)

+1 for each blog participating in the giveaway that you follow and comment on.

+2 for adding The Secret Of Spruce Knoll to your To-Read shelf on Goodreads or Shelfari.

+3 for tweeting or posting on Facebook about the giveway.

+4 for Blogging about The Secret Of Spruce Knoll giveaway.

+5 for placing a link on the sidebar of your blog about the giveaway.

To enter this great contest click here: HeatherMcCorkle.blogspot.com
The contest ends August 31!

Wishing everyone the best of luck!

Thanks so much Heather! Hope tons of readers discover your wonderful book! :)

Come Sail Away With Me!

You'll Be Very Glad You Did! :)

From Jennifer Bray-Weber's Website

Sail into a world of fearless pirates and spirited women, where clashing swords, superstition, and fickle seas are as plentiful as the rum. Danger lurks in every port. Betrayal is rampant. And there is always the Devil to pay.

Discover the pirate captains who seek fortune and the lasses who steer them into uncharted waters of the heart. Having lost all, these pirates honor a brotherhood creed to take all that they may, including the women who taunt them.

Hoist the sails. Adventure awaits those who chance Romancing The Pirate.

The Blurb:

Lianna Whitney, who was gently bred but must now empty slop buckets and fight off randy seaman in a port tavern, unexpectedly comes into possession of a golden medallion. When the man who left it with her is immediately murdered by soldiers of the Royal Navy, she's afraid to admit she has it. Unsure who to trust, she's caught up in crossfire between a navy officer and a pirate captain, who, realizing she possesses the object he's been paid to find, whisks her away to his ship.


Captain Zane Fox is not interested in the mystical healing powers the medallion is said to hold, even though the legends claim it can bring a dying man back to life. He only plans to procure the medallion, drop the chit off at the next port where she'll be safe, and collect the money he was promised. However, as Zane and Lianna fend off the growing dangers of his occupation and attempt to outrun the Royal Navy, the two are also fighting the attraction they feel for one another. Lianna wants nothing to do with a pirate, opting instead for her new found independence, and he certainly has no use for another anchor - this one around his neck - regardless of how fetching she is. But when they are captured, Zane must choose between recovering the medallion or saving Lianna from the noose. And soon, it becomes clear to him that the medallion is not the only treasure worth risking his life for.

**I don't read many Historical Romance's much less ones with Pirates running about. But I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next one in the series Jennifer has planned. You'll love and root for her characters and think about them long after reading that last page!

 Get your copy today!

Amazon      Barnes & Noble      Smashwords

2011 Lone Star Writers Conference

Northwest Houston Romance Writers
Annual Writer's Conference

**Looking for a great conference?
Check out http://www.nwhrwa.com/!

 DATE: 
October 15, 2011

WHERE:
Houston Marriot North at Greenspoint

255 N Sam Houston Parkway East

Houston, Texas 77060


CONFERENCE FEE: $125.00
Registration began August 1, 2011.

Keynote Speaker:

INSTRUCTOR BIO

Alexandra Sokoloff is a screenwriter who has sold original suspense and thriller scripts and adapted novels for numerous Hollywood studios, for producers such as Michael Bay, Laura Ziskin, David Heyman, and Neal Moritz. Her adaptation of Sabine Deitmer's psychological thriller COLD KISSES was filmed in Germany. Alex is the author of the supernatural thrillers THE HARROWING, THE PRICE, THE UNSEEN, and BOOK OF SHADOWS, and a new paranormal romance, THE SHIFTERS. She is also the author of SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (AND SCREENWRITERS!), a workbook based on her internationally acclaimed blog and workshops. She is a Thriller Award winner and a Bram Stoker and Anthony Award nominee.

Alex has served on the Board of Directors of the WGAw, the screenwriters' union, and the board of Mystery Writers of America, and is the founder of WriterAction.com, an online community and resource center of 2000+ professional screenwriters. In her spare time (!)she performs with Heather Graham's Slush Pile Players, and dances every chance she gets.

Visit her website at: http://www.alexandrasokoloff.com/

And her blog on Screenwriting Tricks for Authors at http://www.screenwritingtricks.com/


WORKSHOP:


SCREENWRITING TRICKS FOR AUTHORS (and Screenwriters!)

Are you finally committed to writing that novel but have no idea how to get started? Or are you a published author - but know you need some plotting help to move your books and career up to that next level?

Screenwriting is a compressed and dynamic storytelling form and the techniques of screenwriting are easily adaptable to novel writing. You can jump-start your plot and bring your characters and scenes vibrantly alive on the page - by watching your favorite movies and learning from the storytelling tricks of great filmmakers.

In this workshop, based on award-winning author/screenwriter Alexandra Sokoloff’s internationally acclaimed Screenwriting Tricks For Authors blog and workbook, you'll learn how to use techniques of film writing such as:

- the High Concept Premise
- the Three-Act, Eight-Sequence Structure
- the Storyboard Grid
- the Index Card Method of Plotting
- as well as tricks of film pacing and suspense, character arc and drive, visual storytelling, and building image systems - to structure and color your novel for maximum emotional impact, unbearable suspense and riveting pacing, no matter what genre you're writing in.

You'll start to create your own personalized workbook of genre tricks based on your favorite books and movies and tailored to your own brand of storytelling, and a collage book to build visual image systems. And the emphasis on premise is invaluable for crafting that all-important query and pitch.

In this rapidly changing world of publishing, more and more agents and editors are looking for novels that have the pacing, emotional excitement, and big, unique, "high concept" premises of Hollywood movies (and the potential for that movie or TV sale!).

Whether you're just starting to develop a book or script, or rewriting for maximum impact, this workshop will introduce you to an easy, effective and fun process to help you make your book or script the best it can be.

Throw in an Awesome Agent and Editor line-up and you really don't want to miss this one! ;)
For Registration and more info click here:  www.nwhrwa.com/conference.htm