Aubrey Mace

Love is in the air...

2010-06-22T14:19:00.000-07:00

I never thought in a million years that it would happen to me. Honestly, I just didn't think I was that kind of girl.

Yet suddenly birds are singing, the sun is shining... the world is a happier place in general. I've turned into one of those people who drive everyone crazy with their need to endlessly gush about the new love in their life. And as irritating as it is, it's out of my control. I am powerless in the wake of these overwhelming emotions.

I find myself thinking about the object of my affection when we're apart and counting the minutes until we can be together again. I never knew that I could love anything this much. In fact, just talking about it makes me a little teary.

I can't imagine how I ever lived without...

my Nook.

(That's right, folks-- don't underestimate the bond between a girl and her e-reader.)

Blog? What blog?

2010-06-08T11:38:00.001-07:00

Thanks for everyone who commented on my last entry, which was, by my calculations, about six months ago. It seems that I may have jumped the gun with my summer post, since we're just barely getting above sixty. In fact, I hesitate to say anything even now for fear we'll be plunged back into winter again.

Besides suffering from an almost crippling fear that we might never see the sun again, I've also been diagnosed with a severe case of blog amnesia. I can't even claim laziness. It's like I completely forgot that I ever had a blog. I was having a chat with a friend of mine the other day that went a little something like this:

(friend) "So, you were doing so great keeping up with your blog for a while and now it's like you've fallen off the face of the earth. What's your excuse this time?"

(me) "I don't know what you're talking about."

(friend) "You know-- your blog? The one you're constantly neglecting?"

(me) "Hmmm. Doesn't ring a bell."

(friend) "Remember, you made a New Year's Resolution to update it on a regular basis?"

(me) "Now I know you're making this up because I don't make New Year's Resolutions. You must be thinking of someone else."

(friend) "Why would I make something like this up?"

(me) "I don't know. But I'm sure that if I had a blog, I would know about it."

(friend) "You're starting to freak me out! Just admit that you didn't feel like blogging!"

(me) "I admit nothing."

(friend) "I think there might be something seriously wrong with you."

(me) "Remind me why we're friends again?"

So today I succumbed to the temptation of Googling myself and, long story short, I stumbled onto this blog. You can imagine my embarassment.

What is the protocol when apologizing to a friend for denying the existence of your blog? Should I send a card? A cake? A kidney?

We're having a heat wave!

2010-05-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was beautiful-- the first eighty degree day this year. I went outside and read in the sun for about fifteen minutes... because that's how long it takes for my lily white skin to start getting crispy. After that, I reclined in the shade of the swing on the deck with my SPF 85+... because yes, some of us can get burnt even in the shade. I love the sun, but it doesn't love me. :(

So I started thinking about everything that I'm looking forward to this summer. Here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order):

1) Otter Pops
2) New gloves for weeding (Hey, I like to weed. I know-- I'm weird.)
3) Tomato sandwiches with tomatoes from the garden
4) Mowing the lawn (Again, weird.)
5) Pina Colada Slurpees
6) Watching my nieces play in the sprinklers
7) Corn on the cob
8) Reading Dandelion Wine outside on a blanket... in the shade
9) Kool Aid
10) Going to Wheeler Farm to feed the ducks
11) Capri pants
12) Watermelon
13) Fireworks
14) Homemade ice cream
15) Pedicures and flip flops
16) Barbequing
17) Not losing the daylight until 8:30 or 9:00

I just realized that roughly half of the things on my list are food-related. Oh dear.

I'd love to hear some of the things you look forward to most about summer. :)

Imprints review

2010-05-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Rachel Ann Nunes is blazing a trail.

With her new book, Imprints, she is filling a hole in the LDS market-- paranormal romance.

Here's the blurb:

Sometimes what you can't see means everything.

A young woman is missing. In desperation, her parents turn to Autumn Rain for help. Autumn reads imprints- emotions mysteriously left behind on certain treasured objects. But will this ability enrich her life or destroy it?

Autumn isn't sure- her life has become far from normal- but for people whose loved ones are missing, her talent might mean the difference between life and death. Even the infuriating Detective Martin has asked for Autumn's help, though at times she feels more like a suspect than a consultant. Too often Autumn finds herself retreating to her antiques shop and the company of her best friend, Jake Ryan, to avoid notice.

But soon more than one woman is missing, and Autumn teams up with private eye Ethan McConnell to investigate their disappearance. Ethan's attraction to her is a pleasant change from Jake's frustrating offers of friendship, but once Autumn takes that first step, she sets in motion a series of events that risk not only her own life but the lives of those she cares most about.

I love this genre, and there's a reason Imprints is currently the #3 Fiction Bestseller for Deseret Book. It has an intriging plot, a main character with some unique quirks, a love triangle, suspense, danger, and just enough romance to make things interesting. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I had a definite favorite in the contest for Autumn's affections, and the ending didn't disappoint. (But it DID end just as things were starting to get good. Sequel, please!)

I'm sure that Deseret Book took a chance on publishing in this genre, even with an author as well respected as Rachel Ann Nunes. But I'm thrilled to have this option in the LDS market, and I'm hoping that it is a success so that she (and others who are interested) can continue to have a safe outlet for paranormal romance.

Winner of THE MARK!

2010-05-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

According to our friends at www.random.org, the winner of the copy of The Mark by M.R. Bunderson is...

Fenwick Family :)

Congratulations-- email me with your address and I'll get your copy in the mail!

In other news, this dreary weather we've been having must be stopped.

It's MAY now. I'm putting my foot down.

(Okay, I realize that today is an exception, but I'm stuck inside at work and the weather forecast this morning said more rain Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so I think I'm justified in complaining.) If I don't start seeing the sun on a semi-regular basis, I'm afraid I might just stop getting out of bed entirely.

Check in later this week for a review on Imprints by Rachel Ann Nunes.*

*Unless the weather refuses to cooperate and I take to my bed indefinitely. I have no Internet access on my laptop, so if the blog suddenly fades away, you'll know why. ;)

The Mark review/giveaway

2010-04-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

You may remember me mentioning The Mark, a very fun book that I got to write an endorsement for a couple of months ago. It is the first book of author M.R. Bunderson, and when she asked me to participate on her blog tour, I was thrilled to help her get the word out.

Here's the blurb:

It's a secret that's been hiding in plain sight. Tori's just your average teenager, or so she's always thought. But one day she discovers that what seemed like an ordinary birthmark on her wrist is really a set of tiny strange-looking symbols. And when Tori meets others with the same mark, they soon realize they'll need to work together to save their real homeland, an ancient culture that's been hidden for centuries. Now Tori and her friends must find their way home, master their new found powers, and save the land they are destined to rule. Filled with fantasy, suspense, and romance, The Mark is a spellbinding thrill ride you won't want to put down.

I liked the mystery part of The Mark, where Tori and her new friends try to figure out where their similar birthmarks came from and what they might mean. Science was never my best subject, but the explanation behind it seemed reasonable enough to me. And I also thought the pacing of the suspense was great, keeping me wondering about the outcome almost until the last page.

But the best part for me was the romance. I don't want to give too much away, but Eric and Tori have a very interesting and different kind of relationship. It was nice to see them work through some of the obstacles to their being a couple, and I was definitely rooting for them to end up together. By the end, many of the loose ends were tied up, but there was still plenty of material for a satisfying sequel. (Hint, hint. Please, Marilyn!)

I have a copy of The Mark to give away, and I was going to set up something spectacular. But then I had a flashback to the contest with Sarah last week... and I thought that I'd really better keep it simple. So here it is-- leave a comment if you're interested in winning the copy. Every person gets one entry. Contest closes at midnight on Saturday, May 1st, and the winner will be posted on the following Monday. Even I can't screw that up. Probably.

For more information on The Mark or to follow Marilyn on Twitter, go here:

http://www.mrbunderson.blogspot.com/

Good luck, y'all, and happy commenting!

P.S. The only bad thing about the LDStorymakers Conference is that it comes but once a year. It was such fun seeing old friends and making new ones, and I even cut down the time I spent cowering in the bathroom. In fact, next year I may be REALLY courageous and vacate the stall entirely! Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this event a success. If you're interesting in writing at all, you really should start saving now for next year. And the Whitney Awards were unbelievable. I can't say enough good things about the enormously talented people I got to rub shoulders with for the evening. Congratulations to all the winners!

Due to technical difficulties beyond our control...

2010-04-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

You're all going to laugh about this. Really hard.

I hope.

Sarah and I had a tiny miscommunication, thus proving how sarcasm doesn't always transfer well through email. She was kidding when she said that #3 was the right answer, and when I told her how jealous I was that she was going to potentially have her name on the side of a building, she thought that I was just being my usual sarcastic self, which proves one of two things: 1) You can't always tell someone's tone from an email, or 2) I'm really overusing the sarcasm on a daily basis. So she was waiting me to email her for the real answer, and I was perfectly content with the answer I already had because Sarah is one of the most awesome people I know. Sarah M. Eden High School seemed like it was definitely within the realms of possibility. Add to that the fact that I am notoriously guillible and, well, you get the picture. Chaos ensued.

Anyway, I will still be giving away a copy to Taffy, since I already announced that she was the winner. And since we got our wires crossed, Sarah has generously agreed to donate a copy for another winner who picked the correct answer. Thanks to the virtual folks at random.org for providing the name of our other winner, Sweet Victorya! If you'll email me your address, I'll get your copy in the mail as well.

Sorry for all the confusion-- I will double check my stories in the future. It really does have an amusing side to it...

Are you laughing yet?

We're great friends, Sarah and I, but apparently we need to work on our communication skills. Also, I was thinking that maybe if we all signed a petition and sent it to her high school, they might consider renaming the school after her! How cool would that be? :)

2010-04-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much everyone for coming to play at my blog last week. You guys made it easy for me to choose the winner because only ONE of you picked the right answer...

Congratulations, Taffy! You chose #3, which focused on Sarah's popularity and the possibility of her having her high school renamed in her honor...because she's cool like that. :) Email me with your address and I'll get your copy in the mail! aubreymace@yahoo.com

If you didn't win, come back next week for the chance to win a copy of The Mark, a YA novel by a great new author, M. R. Bunderson. I was lucky enough to preview it before it was released, and it's awesome!

In other news, I'm very excited that LDStorymakers is finally almost here, and I'm hoping to see lots of you folks there. My goal this year is to be less shy and self-conscious, which is pretty much my goal in any social situation/event I attend. One of these days I'll figure out how to be more charming and less wallflowerish. Any advice you guys might have on how to accomplish that would be much appreciated!

My friend Sarah, who is ever so much more interesting than I am

2010-04-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Sarah Eden has recently released a new book, Courting Miss Lancaster.

This was a BIG event for me.

After I read Seeking Persephone, I started buying Sarah's other books on Amazon as fast as I could afford to... until they were suddenly unavailable. Hopefully (fingers crossed) they will eventually be re-released so I can snatch up the ones I'm missing. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have something new to read from her.

I waited as patiently as I could for her big launch party, which I almost didn't make it to because I have a disease called TLS, or Terminally Lost Syndrome. (For those of you unfamiliar with the symptoms, TLS is characterized by sudden feelings of confusion and hopelessness coinciding with travel outside your 10-15 mile comfort bubble. It is also marked by periods of fervent prayer alternating with bouts of mild cursing.)

Anyway, I digress. The point that I was trying to get to was that because of my self-imposed Whitney reading and various other situations that popped up, I had to set it aside for almost a whole month before I actually got to read it. For a naturally impatient person, I think that this showed a remarkable amount of restraint on my part.

When I finally had the chance to dive in, let me assure you that it was worth the wait. Sarah is the modern-day master of Regency romance. (Those of you who had the chance to read Seeking Persephone know what I'm talking about. In fact, as a side item, Sarah is giving away a mystery item on her blog this month-- unless I am mistaken, I think it's a copy of Seeking Persephone. You definitely don't want to miss this opportunity, since this is the ONLY place you can currently find a copy. Go here and enter! http://www.sarahmeden.com/ )

I love this genre, but it's getting harder and harder to find a Regency romance that isn't, how shall we say, rather smutty. I know that I never have to worry about this with her books; I can count on her for the heart-pounding romance without having to frantically flip through something I'd rather not see.

So... I picked up an extra copy of Courting Miss Lancaster, and if you're willing to play my little game, it could be yours! Sarah has been kind enough to provide us with three rather interesting and little-known facts about herself, only one of which is true. And since she has a very vivid imagination, it might be slightly tricky to pick the right one. Everyone gets one guess, and the winner gets the signed copy of Courting Miss Lancaster. If more than one person picks the correct answer, our lovely friends at random.org will make the final decision. The contest will close on Saturday, April 17th at midnight, and the winner will be announced on the following Monday.

Here are your choices:

Extra-special glimpse into Sarah's life #1:
When I was five, I invented a new game: Roller-skate golf. In our backyard we had a big ol' concrete slab that doubled as a basketball court and a tether ball court. In the middle of this bit of suburban heaven was a hold into which the tether ball pole was inserted. Being the wise girl I was, I put two and two together. Before long I had my roller skates on, a stick from one of our citrus trees and all the ping pong balls from the ping pong table. I am still a crack shot on a putting green.

Extra-special glimpse into Sarah's life #2:
Apparently having a kid in the front of the class whose legs swing incessantly because they don't reach the ground is excessively annoying. I was that kid.
My sixth grade teacher was a riot--just about the funniest guy ever. He liked to give me a hard time about being small and I liked to give him a hard time about being old. He officially won the ongoing battle, however, the day I arrived at school and my chair had been replaced by one he'd taken from the kindergarten classroom. I sat in it all day, without a hint of annoyance. I think that really took the wind out of his sails. By the next day, I had my real chair back.

Extra-special glimpse into Sarah's life #3:
I was EXTREMELY popular in High School. I had so many friends, I often had to hold a raffle to determine who would have the pleasure of sitting by me at lunch. Freshman, blinded by the glow of my amazingness, regularly followed me to calculus and physics just for the opportunity to be near me. There has been talk in recent years, in fact there was talk while I was a student, of renaming the school in my honor.

Okay, time to put on your thinking caps and start guessing! (Hmmm. Maybe they should be guessing caps instead.) Good luck to everyone!

*Also, Rachel Ann Nunes has a new paranormal novel out called Imprints that I am really excited to read. She's having a contest on her blog starting April 15th to spread the word about it, and she's giving away a $50 gift certificate to the bookstore of your choice. Make sure you stop by and enter! http://www.rachelannnunes.blogspot.com/

The Agony of Defeat

2010-04-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

*Disclaimer* I'm not feeling quite as jolly as I was the first time I composed this post-- before the Blogger malfunctioned and ATE IT. Any snark contained in this post is a result of the aforementioned glitch and is purely unintentional. Thank you for your patience.

So, the Whitney votes are due tomorrow at midnight, and despite my best efforts there is no way I'm going to buzz through five more books before tomorrow. I'm a fast reader, but I'm not THAT fast. The good news is that I'll be able to finish #25 so I can vote in every category except one... and Best Book of the Year. It's been so much fun getting a chance to read the nominees, and I read some awesome stuff that I might not have picked up otherwise. I wanted to give a shout out to the nominated authors-- the quality of the novels that LDS authors are putting out just gets better every year, and I am awed by your work and honored to be numbered among you.

Stop by my blog for some fun stuff in the coming weeks, including giveaways of new novels from authors like Sarah Eden and M.R. Bunderson. Trust me-- you do not want to miss these books!

Also, Rachael Renee Anderson (author of Divinely Designed) is doing a giveaway on her blog in April for some great books, one of which happens to be My Fairy Grandmother. So hop on over there and start counting jellybeans! http://www.rachaelreneeanderson.blogspot.com/

Happy Easter, all!

Why does it always rain on me? (and other Friday wisdom)

2010-03-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

I was contemplaing making this a regular event on my blog--who couldn't use more wisdom, right? But then I realized that inspiration (for me, at least) doesn't really arrive in a regularly scheduled slot. So here it is for what it's worth... and you probably won't see it again for a while.

I decided this morning to start a campaign-- no more snow after the first day of spring. I'd like to know how many of you I could count on for signatures if I sent around a petition. Which got me thinking...

See, I have this lovely large wall of windows in the office where I work that overlook the mountains/industrial Murray. When I arrived this morning it was dark and gloomy, and the minute I made it through the door it started snowing like crazy. I guess I should have been grateful that I made it inside before the blizzard started, but it was hard to find the bright side when it looked like I might need snowshoes to make it to my car tonight.

But twenty minutes later the snow had stopped, and the sun was trying to shine through the clouds. (Which are, granted, still a bit gloomy.) But it wasn't nearly as bad as I imagined. It wasn't one of the signs of the Apocalypse. It wasn't the three feet of slush I was dreading.

If I was a Disney character, I'd probably be Eeyore. At least 75% of the things I stress about never even happen. But when I was little, I wanted to be Pollyanna. Every time I watched that movie, I'd decide I was going to play the Glad Game. For a while, I'd be really successful. "What? A rock in my shoe? Well, I could be glad because I have FEET!" But it didn't take long before I'd slack off-- something relatively minor would knock me off my perch of gratitude and I was back where I started.

I think sometimes I need a reminder that life isn't nearly as dire as I'm expecting it to be, and I'd save myself a lot of unnecessary anguish if I'd brighten my outlook just a tad. I'm working on planning for the sun and moaning about the three feet of slush IF AND ONLY IF it is currently soaking into my shoes. I'm going to focus on worrying about the things I have some control over and letting the rest go.

Aaaannnd it's starting to snow again. Sigh. But maybe I'll be good at snowshoeing!

P.S. Current books read: 22 :) But... only one week to go. :(

Four words...

2010-03-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

New.
Moon.
Release.
Tonight.

I know-- I'm such a geek. But I make no apologies.

Oh, and if you haven't seen the trailer for Eclipse yet, go here. www.stepheniemeyer.com

And if you're a geek like me, I hope to see you at Walmart tonight!

P.S. Whitney update! Current books read: 19
(Um, it's been a busy week. I guess I should be at home reading instead of out gallavanting at Walmart at midnight with a million screaming teens at least a decade younger than I am. Maybe if I pretend I went out for something responsible like vitamins and just happened to be there for the release...?)

Book signing/Whitney update

2010-03-12T08:46:00.000-08:00

I know this is short notice, but I've been out of town and my blog is one of the things that got neglected. (Big surprise, right?)

Three of my FAVORITE authors will be signing books tonight at the Deseret Book in Orem from 6-8 pm. If you're in the area, you should definitely check it out! Sarah Eden, Annette Lyon and Julie Coulter Bellon all have new books coming out this month and I'm so excited! Julie also has a very cool charity called Water for Warriors-- she's collecting beverage items to be distributed to the military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan. Go here for more information. http://juliebellon.com/

And without further adieu... the Whitney update. (I know you've been biting your fingernails with anticipation.)

Current books read: 17

So, I may have been just a tad bit optimistic when I said I was confident that I was going to be able to get through all the nominees. *ducks head in shame* It seems that I failed to factor in things like unexpected projects and vacation and... sleep. But I'm still forging ahead and I'm going to give it my best shot!

Whitney update- Week 2

2010-02-26T11:00:00.000-08:00

It's been a good week-- very productive. I wanted to pat myself on the back or reward myself with chocolate until I realized how far I still have to go. Still...

Current books read: 12

I'm pretty sure that if I can keep up this pace, I'm going to finish. YAY! But I don't want to be counting my chickens before they're hatched... or pages before they're read. Anyway, I'm SO excited with the stuff that I've read so far. It's going to be pretty hard to choose when it's time to vote.

Here's an interesting article about some excellent books that WEREN'T nominated.
http://segullah.org/book-review/whitney-2010-nominees/ I can think of a few books that I loved that I really wanted to make it that weren't there either.

Also, here's an awesome giveaway on my pal Sue's blog that you won't want to miss!
http://borrowedlight.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway-compaq-cq10-mini-netbook.html

Wanna see something REALLY scary?

2010-02-23T14:16:00.001-08:00

Does anyone remember the episode of Friends where Joey and Rachel are telling each other about their favorite books? Joey says that his favorite book is The Shining and Rachel says that hers is Little Women, and they decide that they're going to trade. Joey warns her that The Shining can get pretty intense, so if she starts to get scared she should just do what he does; put the book in the freezer for a while.

I just read a book that was incredibly well-written.

Compelling characters, check.
Gripping plot, check.
Believable dialogue, check.

I really, really liked it-- couldn't put it down. But I have to say that 75% of the time I was reading it, I was horrified. Because it was that disturbing; not in a gory way, because that's not my thing, but disturbing in a way that twists things that you thought you understood and forces you to look at them differently. I seriously considered putting it in the freezer for a bit, but I kept reading because I was mesmerized. It stayed with me even when I was finished, haunting me. But in a good way... I think.

I love books like this-- books that you have to stretch a little to wrap your brain around. Books that make such a powerful impression on you that you find yourself recommending them to everyone you know. Of course, this can occasionally backfire. I told one of my work friends that she simply MUST read Hunger Games. I walked by her desk one day to find her with her nose buried in it, and she was CRYING. I felt like a terrible person. She said that she really liked the story but that parts of it were just too much. So I have to be sensitive to the fact that we all have different levels of what we can cope with.

So, I'm curious. What books do you love because they made a lasting (and sometimes disturbing) impression on you? Which books do you have to put in the freezer?

Whitney reading update

2010-02-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

Forced reading. (That's an oxymoron, by the way.)

Greetings! I am coming to you live from where I work, a.k.a the only other place I'll be going until I finish my self-imposed Whitney reading. It sounds like torture, doesn't it?

Riiight.

Can I just say how nice it is to actually have a reason to look forward to February now? It's always been my least favorite month, but as of recently, there's been a silver lining. Now it comes complete with permission to gorge myself on books I've been meaning to read but haven't managed to fit into my schedule yet. It's like a shiny present; infinitely better than a box of Valentine's Day chocolates.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to vote in all the categories, but there might be one teeny, tiny snag.

I'm significantly behind. Last year I had a much bigger head start when the list of nominees came out. Still, I'm going to make a SERIOUS effort. I'd love to vote for Best Book of the Year, but that means I'd have to finish all thirty books before April 3rd. It's a worthy goal, but perhaps not a very realistic one.

So, I thought I'd give you the occasional report on how it's going... as long as you promise not to laugh too hard if I fall short. Plus, it's an excuse to blog!

Here goes...

Current tally: eight books read. (And yes, that includes mine.)

Comments? Encouragement? Raucous laughter?

Has the keyboard always been this loud?

2010-02-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

I'm skipping the blog today. The computer screen is blinding me with it's unnatural brightness, and my fingers are sluggish. In fact, the darn keys seem to have switched places overnight.

I'm afraid it might be ice cream poisoning. Does anyone know of a good cure for a Ben and Jerry's hangover?

And now, a rare glimpse at the...past?

2010-02-12T08:31:00.000-08:00

Remember that TV show about the guy who got tomorrow's paper a day early? I've decided that perhaps my blog could be a bit of a novelty as well. Except I'm not going to dabble in fortunes or predicting the future-- I'm going to boldly go where no blogger has gone before and reveal...

(drumroll please)

The past.

I know what you're thinking. Anyone can report the past, right? But it's still quite a challenge for some of us because I guess I forgot to mention something rather important this week. With all that whining I was doing about having nothing interesting to blog about, I missed the perfect opportunity.

Santa Maybe was nominated for a Whitney Award in the romance category!

See, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops last Friday, but I made myself wait so that I could perform this most important task of making sure that everyone was firmly grounded in the past. For a full list of the Whitney nominees for 2009, go here. http://www.whitneyawards.com/2009finalists.html There are some incredibly awesome books just waiting to be discovered!

Oh, and by the way, if you drive a Toyota, you might want to be careful because apparently there's some sort of problem with the brakes. Updates will be provided when they are no longer useful.

The Mark and a blog contest

2010-02-07T13:23:00.000-08:00

Something really cool happened to me recently. I was lucky enough to get to read an upcoming release from a new author at Cedar Fort and invited to write a endorsement for the cover. The book is called The Mark by M.R. Bunderson, and I really enjoyed it-- YA romance and suspense and an otherworldly twist all wrapped into one. The release date is March 8th, but if you want to get a sneak peek, you can read the first chapter and synopsis here. www.marilynbunderson.com/books/the-mark

By the way, I got to meet Marilyn at Authorpalooza yesterday, and she was so down-to-earth and nice. I'm really excited for her and I hope she has as much fun with her first book release as I did with mine!

Which brings us to the second part of the blog-- the contest. Marilyn Bunderson is having a series of giveaways to celebrate the release of The Mark that you don't want to miss. Right now, she's giving away a copy of My Fairy Grandmother. So if you want a chance to win, go here. www.mrbunderson.blogspot.com And make sure to check her blog for some other really cool books she's giving away.

That's all for now. Congratulations, Marilyn! :)

Authorpalooza!

2010-02-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

I will be signing books at Authorpalooza on Saturday, February 6th at the Sandy Barnes & Noble from 1-4 PM! (Thank heavens because I was having a really hard time coming up with something to blog about, so this was about to be the shortest New Year's Resolution ever.) For more information about all the cool authors who will be signing, go here. http://ldsauthorevents.blogspot.com/

Oh, and a surprising blog from an agent about what's hot right now in the publishing world...

Amish fiction. Really?

http://ow.ly/13bPi

My New Year's Resolution

2010-02-01T13:26:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize that it's February 1st, not January 1st. I'm a little behind this year.

Can anyone guess what it is?

Hmmm, that might be kind of fun, actually. I think I'll give a mystery prize to the person who guesses what my belated resolution is. If no one guesses it right, I'll start giving hints. In fact, I'll give you a little hint right now: given my past history, this resolution probably won't last very long, despite my good intentions.

Guess away-- I promise I won't be offended. :)

Book review: Second Chances

2010-01-08T07:54:00.000-08:00

Must begin with apologies to Linda Chadwick, who kindly gave me a copy of her book, Second Chances, to review two MONTHS ago. Unfortunately, between NaNoWriMo and the holidays, life sort of pounded me into the ground and I'm just now beginning to resurface. So thank you, Linda, for your patience!

Cover blurb:

He slowly sat down in the porch swing. Even though it was not raining, he thought he could hear the rain falling softly from a darkened sky. He imagined Barbara sitting beside him, a sweet smile on her beautiful face and her silky brown hair blowing in the breeze.Suddenly, the front door opened, and a small, elderly woman stepped out onto the porch.

"Can I help you?" she asked abruptly. Embarrassed, Larry jumped out of the swing. "I . . . I used to live in this house . . . I was . . . reminiscing . . ." he tried to explain. He quickly came to his senses. "I'm sorry to have bothered you. I'll be going now."

Still grieving over the loss of his wife, forty-one-year-old Larry Porter is facing challenges that no father should ever have to face. Almost overnight he becomes both father and mother to his three children, and they aren't having anything to do with him. A former workaholic, he now regrets being an absentee parent, but doesn't know how to make amends. Soon, Larry comes to understand that his children are more important to him than anything else. He must change the path they are on or lose them forever.

This tender and thought-provoking story will bring you face-to-face with the realities of losing a loved one. It will touch your heart, lift your spirit, and inspire you to tackle your own challenges with determination and hope.

Linda does a great job with characterization. It was easy for me to picture Larry and his children, and to sympathize fully with the different sense of loss that each feels for their newly deceased wife and mother. I found it very interesting to see how each character dealt with that loss in different ways. Although Barbara had already passed on when the book begins, she is an important character with a solid presence throughout the story, if only in the memories of her family. I thought that it was fascinating to see how Larry develops from a workaholic father who knew very little about his children to the glue that holds the family together. He struggles with a crisis of faith and kids who have a difficult time putting their trust in him and manages to persevere through hard times. Things definitely get worse before they get better, so be prepared for a rough ride-- the second half of the novel deals primarily with Chris, the son who suffers a brutal attack and becomes inadvertantly addicted to prescription pain medication.

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but by the end of the book, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel as the family begin to rediscover their faith and love for each other. I read an interview that Linda gave where she said that her next novel is a humorous romance, and I'm excited to see how she deals with the lighter side of life.

Random observations

2009-12-29T08:22:00.000-08:00

Just so you know, this is one of those posts where I don't really have anything super urgent to say, but I know that the longer I go without blogging, the more likely it is that I will slide into permanent blog inactivity. That being said, here's a few things I'm liking lately:

1) I'm not really a huge white chocolate fan, but I've been eating those Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses at an alarming rate. It's a good thing they only stock them seasonally.

2) Has anyone besides me ever seen Monarch of the Glen? It's sort of a Scottish soap opera that used to be on the local public television station. It's kind of cheesy but in an endearing way, and with their accents, I could probably listen to them read the phone book and not get bored.

3) Just finished The Maze Runner and it was awesome! If you like Ender's Game, don't miss this one. My only complaint is having to wait for the next book in the series to be released.

4) Speaking of good books, the next book in the Hashbrown Winters series is out; Hashbrown Winters and the Mashimoto Madness. If you haven't had a chance to check out the first one, you should-- it was imaginative and hilarious. I can't wait to pick up my copy of the next one.

5) Sarah Eden moved to Utah. Need I say more?

6) Getting really close to finishing the pudding novel.

7) The last season of LOST starts February 2nd!

Well, that's it really. I'll try to come up with something a little more earth-shattering next time. Happy New Year, everybody! :)

What happens when you go Christmas shopping by yourself late at night...

2009-12-18T08:11:00.000-08:00

Am embarrassed to say that I mistakenly got in what I thought was a really long check out line at Old Navy... behind a couple of mannequins strategically grouped at the front of the store.

Just one of those proud moments in my life.

Is drool bad for my keyboard?

2009-12-09T13:33:00.000-08:00

Running a little behind today. Having dental work done really takes it out of me. Now, I have to say that I have an EXCELLENT dentist who is really great about humoring me because he knows what a wuss I am. Still, as nice as he is, I'd rather see him in the grocery store, you know? But there are four words that make going to the dentist almost bearable.

I. Want. The. Gas.

I've figured out that if I get the nitrous when I'm having work done, it's a lot easier for all involved parties. It makes me forget that my first impulse is to bite and ask questions later. In fact, if I get enough in my system, I find that I don't much care what's happening to me anymore. I want them to calculate how much it will take to put me in a coma and then back it off just a smidge. My favorite part is when I get out to my car, forget that I currently have no control over my face, and reach for my water bottle. It's like a really crappy magic trick; water's in, aaaaaand it's out again. Now, that's classy.

As soon as I left, I went through the drive-thru window at the bank, and I kept trying to smile at the teller, who responded by giving me an alarmed look. Like, I know it's really none of my business, but do you really think it's safe for you to be driving while you're having a stroke?!?

Long story short, I survived the dentist this morning, and I can almost smile again without bystanders running to call an ambulance.

And now, the winners! (If you're one of the few that managed to hang with me through the dentist story, I really hope one of you won.)

Yay for Marcia, who won a copy of Santa Maybe, and hoorah for Anna, the winner of a copy of Stolen Christmas! Marcia, if you'll email me with an address, I'll get your book in the mail this weekend. And Anna, get in touch with Sarah. Thanks to everyone who entered-- I know that you were all hoping for a book and not just the warm feeling inside reserved for commenters, but we really do appreciate you!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think the numbness has retreated enough that I could eat something without risking the partial loss of my tongue.

A quick announcement

2009-12-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

I will be signing copies of Santa Maybe at the Orem Barnes and Noble LDS Author Event this Saturday, Dec 5th from 2-4 P.M. Even if you already have a copy of Santa Maybe, I'd still love for you to stop by and say hi, and there will be plenty of other cool authors there too-- definitely worth the drive. For more about the event, go here. http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2626

And if you haven't entered The Great Holiday Giveaway yet, make sure you comment on both blogs (mine and Sarah's) to increase your chances of winning. You have no excuse for not entering, since (hint hint) all you have to do is look at the other comments to find the answer. The work has already been done for you by those pioneering early commenters. It's the ultimate open book test.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Here it is, as promised...

2009-12-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

All of you
Out in Book-ville
Really should know...

These two gals
Both have books
That just scream "Ho, Ho, Ho!"

Wondering what to get your friends and family this Christmas season? Never fear. Aubrey and Sarah are going to save your Christmas one gift at a time.

"Santa Maybe" by Aubrey Mace and "Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season" featuring Sarah M. Eden's short story "Stolen Christmas" would make PERFECT holiday gifts!

And, in honor of the Season, we are hosting a double giveaway! Two prizes, two winners, two ways to enter.

To get in on the action, simply answer the following questions in the comment section of the specified blog:

At Aubrey's blog: Which famous author will Sarah impersonate in the much talked about contraband catalog scheme?

At Sarah's blog: What present did Aubrey decide she wanted in the "Santa Baby" game?

PSSSTTT!! The answers to both questions can be found in Aubrey's I Need Friends Interview found HERE.

The contest is open until Tuesday, December 8th. Enter for your chance to win!

Happy Holidays.

NaNoWriMo finish line!!!

2009-11-30T10:54:00.000-08:00

Crossed over into 50,000+ word territory Saturday night/very early Sunday morning! The story isn't quite finished yet, but I had a good day yesterday and I'm almost at 54,000 words. I'm really curious to see exactly what I've got when I finish and I can go back and read it straight through, since it's had zero editing. Could be scary.

But it was a lot of fun and a great experience and I FINISHED! Even if the writing is crap, the fact that I did it is still amazing to me because I'm not a fast writer. It truly is an experiment of just focusing on spitting out lots of words that hopefully develop into a story somewhere along the way.

So... would I recommend NaNoWriMo to anyone who was undecided this year? Heck yes! And may I offer one piece of advice as a seasoned veteran? (ha ha) Tell everyone you know that you're doing it. Tell your family, (like they wouldn't notice when they don't see you for a month, right?) tell your friends, blog/Facebook/Twitter about it, brag to checkout person at the grocery store. Because when you hit the wall at 18,000 words, you're a lot less likely to punk out since EVERYONE YOU KNOW keeps asking how it's going. Unless you want to admit crushing defeat to your entire social network, you will finish.

So, there it is. Tune in tomorrow for info on a super cool Christmas giveaway you won't want to miss!

NaNoWriMo update #2- The Downhill Slide

2009-11-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

I crossed the 40,000 word mark last night. (And yes, it's still about pudding.)

I'm having a really good time with this book, although I highly doubt it's going to be anything that anyone will want to publish. Who knows-- maybe once it goes through some major editing, it might be marketable. But maybe that wasn't the point. **Epiphany alert** Maybe this book was meant to help me remember that writing is supposed to be FUN.

Went into the Sandy Barnes & Noble this weekend and actually found Santa Maybe out on a New Fiction table-- I almost had a heart attack! It was a major milestone for me, and I'm sure that there were several customers wondering why I was doing the Snoopy happy dance in the middle of the store. I'm lucky they didn't call security and have me taken down with a tranquilizer gun.

Gearing up for cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Nothing like spending two days cooking a meal that will be devoured in thirty minutes or less, right? Seriously, couldn't the NaNoWriMo people have picked a less hectic month? How about February or March?

Also, watch for more info next week on a giveaway that I am co-hosting with the lovely Sarah Eden! We're still working out the specifics, but with the two of us involved, it should be nothing short of spectacular. (Or at least mildly entertaining.) She has a short story included in the new book Stolen Christmas, a collection of stories from the LDS Publisher blog, and I can't wait to get my copy. Hopefully, you'll win one in our contest, but if you just can't wait, go here.

https://www.createspace.com/Customer/EStore.do?id=3410673

Hopefully, I'll be blogging again between now and the 30th, but with Thanksgiving and the deadline for NaNoWriMo looming, I can't guarantee anything. I might get too caught up making a thousand pies. Okay, six pies, but seriously. It's been scientifically proven that if you're going to make six pies, you might as well make a thousand. Or maybe it was six pies feels like a thousand? I forget. There was some kind of mathematical equation involved. But just to be on the safe side, everyone have a very happy holiday and if you're doing NaNoWriMo and you want to maintain that tentative hold on your sanity, just order your pies this year, okay? :)

Book review-- "The Ball's in Her Court"

2009-11-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

First of all, can I just say how nice Heather Justesen is?

I finally met her (after much emailing) at a booksigning we did at Barnes and Noble a couple of weeks ago, and she was such a down-to-earth, genuinely sweet person...with a new novel that you romance fans should definitely put on your to-read list.

Here's the blurb:

She's got a great job, a loving group of family and friends and basketball skills like you wouldn't believe, but Denise DeWalt's life is far from perfect, and she's about to come face-to-face with a past she hoped to leave behind forever.

Twenty-six-year-old Denise thinks she's come to terms with her childhood in the foster care system, but when her old nightmares return, Denise realizes that she must deal with her past once and for all if she ever wants to move on to a brighter future with Rich, the only man who can see past her former life. As Denise's search moves her closer and closer to the one person she hoped she'd never have to face again, she begins to realize that her future depends on just one person-- herself.

This emotional and inspirational love story proves that life is full of unexpected twists and turns-- especially when it comes to facing your demons, fighting for love, and finding happiness for the future.

Just so you know, this is not a romance for people who want the course of love to run smoothly. (But if there wasn't a little conflict and heartache getting our main characters together, really, what fun would that be?) Denise has survived what can only be described as a miserable childhood. She has made a life for herself, but it isn't hard to see that she's broken. Enter Rich. :)

I found myself rooting for Denise and Rich, struggling to succeed in what seemed like an impossible relationship. And Rich definitely qualifies for the Hall of Fame in the category of Persistent, Caring Boyfriend-- watching him pursue Denise despite her hangups and reservations gave me hope that there might actually be such a man in existence. My only complaint was the mystery surrounding Denise's roommate, Lily, which was never fully explained. But when I met Heather, she reassured me that all would be revealed in her new book, Rebound, which is due to be released next summer.

So, if you like a little meat to your romance, give this one a try!

If you want to learn more about Heather or watch her book trailer, check out her website: www.heatherjustesen.com

*I agreed to be on Heather's blog tour, and she kindly provided me with a copy of her book to review, which did not influence my review in any way. 'Nuff said.

NaNoWriMo update (very short and amusing)

2009-11-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

I had a blinding realization yesterday while trying to meet my nightly NaNoWriMo quota. But before I let you in on my very humorous secret, let me give you a short overview.

16,335 words so far, which is awesome except I've gone COMPLETELY off the reservation. Don't know how it happened, but I guess that's what I get for writing without an outline. I was seriously considering bagging the whole thing except it's too late to start something new and, despite my better judgment, I can't help being curious about what's going to happen next.

I may, in fact, be writing a book about pudding.

Saturday is a special day :)

2009-11-06T10:49:00.000-08:00

Saturday is going to be awesome, almost more fun than any one person has a right to expect out of life. It's a day I've been anticipating for YEARS.

Did I mention that I'm very excited for this signing? Well, I'm excited for every signing, but this one is a little different. This is my first signing at the Sandy Barnes and Noble (10180 S State St.). What is so special about this particular Barnes and Noble, you might ask?

This is not just any Barnes and Noble-- it's MY Barnes and Noble. Every writer/reader has a bookstore that's theirs, and this one is mine. It's the place where I went at least once a week and discovered treasures; new authors and books that would become hugely important in shaping me into the person I am today. It's the store where I went to dream, to find the place where my hypothetical book would be on the shelf one day, and it's also the place I went when I felt discouraged and bitter, just sure that the day would never come when I would hold a book with my name on the cover. In short, it's the place where I grew up and became a writer. No matter where I end up in the world, it will always be MY bookstore.

So I hope you'll stop by if you have a minute. I'm signing with Heather Justesen (The Ball's in Her Court), Linda Chadwick (Second Chances), and Ronda Hinrichsen (Missing) from 2-4 p.m. There will be a drawing for prizes and, just in case you didn't get enough sugar on Halloween, there will also be chocolate. :) Believe me when I say that I will be over the moon to see your happy, smiling faces.

Also, here is another review for Santa Maybe. Love you long time, Alison!

http://alisonpalmer.blogspot.com/2009/11/santa-maybe-by-aubrey-mace.html

NaNoWriMo... or the Beginning of the End?

2009-11-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to do NaNoWriMo at the last minute... on Halloween. When you've eaten your Recommended Yearly Allowance of sugar in one day and you're so buzzed that you really shouldn't make any important decisions or operate heavy machinery. I think that maybe there should be a three-day waiting period when you sign up for it-- you know, like buying a hand gun? I've never done it before. I've never even heard of it before this year, and then suddenly, it's ALL I've heard about nonstop for the last month. In retrospect, I think maybe I ended up doing it because of peer pressure.

(whine) But, Mom, everybody's doing it!

Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea, but I can't help wondering if it isn't tempting fate a little. There's nothing like committing to write 50,000 words in the next month to guarantee that every other area of your life is going to suddenly require some major renovations.

But I am excited. Hopeful. Giddy, in fact.

I wrote 3,200 words yesterday, which is more than I've written in the last seven months combined. Granted, there is no plot and I have no idea where it's going, but I'm putting words on a page again, dangit!

So, right now I'm not focused on writing the great American novel. I'm not even writing a mediocre novel. My goal is to finish. To keep putting more and more words on the page every day, even if it is total and utter crap.

Oh, and here are a couple of great reviews for Santa Maybe. Thanks to everybody! :)

www.jewelsbestgems.blogspot.com/.../to-thine-own-self-be-true.html

www.tristipinkston.blogspot.com/.../book-review-santa-maybe-by-aubrey-mace.html -

http://scripturemom.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-santa-maybe.html

http://heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-reiview-santa-maybe-by-aubrey-mace.html

Hallelujah!

2009-10-29T20:22:00.000-07:00

Deseret Book has copies of Santa Maybe! I have seen them. With my own eyes.

Disclaimer: The Deseret Book on Fort Union in Midvale has some. As much as I wanted to, I didn't jump in the car and set off to check every store in Utah, so I can't vouch for the others...yet.

Better get over there and pick one up before my mom buys them all. ;)

Got a key lime pie on the way home to celebrate. Now, I'm off to do my penance on the treadmill. I hope my leopard Halloween costume will still fit-- don't want to scare the children!

Happy Friday, and a Merry Halloween to all! May your trick or treat buckets be filled with a delicious variety of name brand chocolate with nary a circus peanut to be found.

The package is in the open.

2009-10-26T11:49:00.000-07:00

Santa Maybe is now in stock to order from www.barnesandnoble.com! Amazon should be getting their copies anyday. Ditto Deseret Book. Haven't heard about Seagull yet. And of course, there's always the www.cedarfort.com website.

By the way, I'll be doing a book signing with Heather Justesen, Ronda Hinrichsen, and Linda Chadwick soon! We'll be at the Sandy Barnes and Noble on Saturday, November 7th from 2-4 PM. Should be lots of fun! Linda and I met at a signing at the Seagull Book in Logan, and I'm looking forward to meeting Heather and Ronda. We'd love for you to stop by if you happen to be in the neighborhood. I'm particularly excited for this signing because it's the first one I won't have to drive for days to get to. It's literally five blocks from my house-- yay!

To weep or not to weep...

2009-10-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

I was in Seagull Book last night looking for Santa Maybe and saw Spare Change on the bargain table.

For $3.99. Horrors.

It's even in the catalogue this month, next to Shannon Guymon's Soul Searching, which is a great book and also $3.99 right now. So at least it was in good company-- I suppose that's something.

I knew this day would come, but I still couldn't decide whether to wail uncontrollably while frantically hugging a stack of my sharply discounted novels or be happy that more people would be able to afford to read it.

I decided to take the middle ground. I blinked back my tears, patted the copy on the top of the pile sympathetically, and promptly headed to Krispy Kreme. Fortunately, the HOT DOUGHNUTS NOW light was on, so at least the night ended well.

Second chance!

2009-10-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

Since I never heard back from one of our winners, I drew another name for the other copy of Santa Maybe.

Congratulations, kimiko! If you'll email me with your address, (aubreymace@yahoo.com) I'll send you a copy soon!

Also, I'm reading a book right now that is SO GOOD that I have to mention it-- The Angel's Game, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. I'm about halfway through and I'm having trouble putting it down to do those everyday things like eating, sleeping... going to work. But at the same time, I don't want to read it too quickly because I know that it will be one of those books that I'm truly sad when it's finished. So I'm torn between wanting to find out what happens and trying to drag it out a bit longer. It's beautifully written, and I have absolutely no idea how it will end. I think that's the ultimate definition of a great book. :)

Who's up for an adventure?

2009-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

For anyone who lives in the Salt Lake area, here's another chance to score yourself a copy of Santa Maybe! But it takes a little effort on your part-- sort of like a treasure hunt. :)

I'll be releasing a copy of Santa Maybe through Bookcrossing, which is a lot of fun if you've never tried it before. Basically, you go to their website, www.bookcrossing.com, and register books before leaving them in places for strangers to find. They call it "releasing books into the wild", a description whose mental picture never fails to make me giggle. Ideally, people will read them and make journal entries at Bookcrossing before continuing the whole cycle again. It's the great circle of life... only with books! I've left copies of each of my own books (and also some others that I liked but knew I would never read again) with varying degrees of success, But it always makes me so giddy, knowing that my books are off on their own adventures. So if you feel like going on a book hunt, go check out the website and find out where I'll be placing the copy tomorrow!

Also, a quick note-- I still haven't heard from candibaby with an address. If I haven't gotten a response by Monday, October 19th, I'll draw another name for the second copy of Santa Maybe.

And the award(s) go to...

2009-10-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

Sorry-- not trying to drive you all crazy with suspense! Just having a busy morning; typical Friday.

I'm always in awe of people who do giveaways on their blog and have a website randomly generate their winners. Unfortunately, I'm just not on that technological level, so my winners were chosen the old-fashioned way-- drawn out of a hat by someone who had to walk uphill in the snow both ways just to perform the service. :)

So, without further adieu, the winners are candibaby and Kelly O!

Congratulations to you both! If you'll email me at aubrey.mace@imail.org with your address, I'll get your signed copies of Santa Maybe in the mail soon.

Thanks everyone for all your good news-- it cheered me up! I wish I had enough copies to send one to everybody who entered. (Sarah, I'm dying to know what you wanted your inscription to be!) And welcome to everyone who came over from Melanie's blog! I hope you'll visit again, even though I'm nowhere near as witty and prolific as she is. :)

If you're looking for something good to read this weekend, go pick up Catching Fire. I didn't think I could like it as much as Hunger Games, but surprisingly, I think it was even better. And if you haven't read Hunger Games yet, you're missing out! Get thee to a bookstore immediately!

Happy Friday, and Happy Reading!

Ahem. I stand corrected.

2009-10-05T15:20:00.000-07:00

Wow. I didn't know I even had fifteen friends, much less fifteen friends who read this blog! I think that I might have to show my gratitude by giving away TWO copies of Santa Maybe instead!

There's still plenty of time to enter if you haven't yet, and you definitely should because now you have an even better chance of winning. Yay! Just leave a comment telling me something good that happened to you today and I'll throw your name into the pot for the drawing on Thursday night.

Thanks everybody-- you made my day. :)

It's here. We have it now.

2009-10-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

Finally got my copies of Santa Maybe on Tuesday, and I had every intention of updating my blog that very night, but life's been a little nonstop crazy for the past few days. It's funny, but I've been thinking the book was coming any day now for so long that when it finally did, it was just the teeniest bit, well, dare I say... anticlimactic.

Maybe I'm just having a hard time trying to get hyped about Christmas in October. Anyway, I was thinking that I needed to do something to crank up the excitement level, and what fosters more good will and hoopla in general than a giveaway, right?

So, I'm giving away one brand new crisp copy, straight out of the box. All you have to do to be entered to win is leave a comment on this post about one good thing that happened to you today. Having had a somewhat miserable day myself, I felt I needed to be reminded that there are still nice things happening in the world. Yes, it's all about me tonight. :)

I will be drawing the name of the winner next Thursday at exactly 8:05 PM and the lucky person will be announced at this very location some time on Friday. (At which point I promise to be a good deal cheerier.) Don't miss this chance to get your free copy. If you are one of the five or so intelligent people who read this blog, you know that small numbers = odds definitely in your favor. It's easier than shooting fish in a barrel!

A quick FYI

2009-09-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

If you should find yourself in Logan on Saturday, stop by the Seagull Book and say hello! I'll be signing at their Celebrating Sisterhood event from 10am-12pm. Unless there is a Christmas miracle, I'm guessing I'll be signing copies of My Fairy Grandmother. :)

Hopefully, I'll have some good news about Santa Maybe next week!

Writer's block really makes you question everything.

2009-09-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, that probably sounds a bit overdramatic. I've been afflicted with this particular ailment, to some degree, with each book I've written. It's a stumbling block, and I usually just try to work on something else until the feeling passes.

But this is no stumbling block. I'm looking down into the chasm of six solid months now, gaping like a...... crap, I can't even come up with a good gaping metaphor! I'm 130ish pages into my current novel and I have it all sketched out. I know the beginning, middle, and ending, but I can't even look at it anymore. I'll admit at first it was kind of nice to have an excuse to just watch a movie or read a book, but lately I've been starting to panic. In fact, I'm making my way through the grief cycle backwards-- I started at acceptance and I'm quickly moving into the depression/bargaining/anger phases.

And fear. I think anyone who writes can sympathize with that fear; when you stare at the blank paper/screen and wonder bleakly if you'll EVER WRITE ANYTHING AGAIN. (And if you're the writer who doesn't get it, who fills page after page effortlessly and has never had so much as an off day, my better self is very happy for you. But let's not talk for a while, 'kay?)

So eventually you start to think, if I can't write anymore, what am I? Who am I? Which is just silly. Writing is a huge part of me, but it's still just a part. There's so much more to life than that. Still, when you reach that six month point, you're starting to feel so picked on that everything just seems more dire than it really is.

On the other hand... it could always be worse. Today I looked up writer's block on Wikipedia and found Henry Roth, an author whose first novel was published in 1934.

Enter writer's block.

His second novel made it's debut in, wait for it... 1994.

SIXTY YEARS!

Suddenly six months isn't looking so bad. :)

In which the gun has officially been jumped

2009-09-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

After a slight panic attack today, picturing boxes of my books slung unopened in the corner of some stranger's garage, I decided that I'd waited as long as I could. So I emailed someone at my publisher to see if they could track my books and see whose garage they ended up in.

Fortunately, the answer is not as complicated as the garage scenario.

Apparently there was some confusion and I was given the date the books were being shipped from the printer to the publisher, not the publisher to me. So... they're still a couple of weeks out.

Patience, grasshopper. Patience, grasshopper. (It's my new mantra.)

It could be worse. At least I won't be arrested for being caught prowling around my neighbor's garages at night.

The Waiting is the Hardest Part

2009-09-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

This post is in reponse to a comment from Karen, who continually urges me to be a better, more frequent blogger. :)

In my last post, she asked what my reaction was when the first copies of Santa Maybe arrived at my house.

The world may never know.

I talked to someone from Cedar Fort on the day they shipped. Can't remember what day it was exactly-- seems like it was months ago, but most likely it was last week some time. So I've been mentally calculating when I expect THE BOX to appear on my doorstep.

I was convinced THE BOX would be waiting for me when I got home from work on Tuesday.

It wasn't.

So I knew for sure that it would arrive on Wednesday, which is my day off, and wouldn't that be great fun to be here for the big moment?

Imagine my surprise when I peeked out the door for the 386th time that day to find... no box.

For some reason, I had a really good feeling about Thursday when I woke up. Surely it would come Thursday. Turns out the good feeling was nothing more than a misdirected vibe about an unbelievable parking space I ended up with at work.

Still no box. Not even a hint of a box.

Ditto Friday.

Holding out great hopes for tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, Karen, I'm just the opposite when my book arrives. Not only do I have to read it, but I have to read it IMMEDIATELY so that I can find the inevitable typo that I missed. I want to be the first to know so that when someone says, "I hate to tell you this, but on page 34..." I'll be prepared.

My new Friday Friend :)

2009-09-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

I was invited by the fabulous Sarah Eden to be a guest on her "I Need Friends Friday" blog. Go check it out tomorrow if you have a minute-- I think you will agree that she is HILARIOUS! And not only does she have a great sense of humor, she also taught me how to put this button on my blog. And it takes a lot of patience to teach me computer stuff. Seriously, if it's technology related, trained chimps pick things up faster. Aside from being a brilliant author, she is also a very talented artist. If nothing else, you should at least go see my personalized, signed portrait! It's definitely going on the wall of my office. (Well, it would... if I had an office.)

Thanks again, Sarah-- you're the best! And Happy Friday everybody!

Drumroll please...

2009-08-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

The cover for Santa Maybe is up on Amazon!!! If you're curious or excited or just bored and looking for something to kill a few minutes, go check it out! After all, Christmas is only four months away! (ducking to avoid those of you who are throwing things)

I guess it's almost time to start camping out, waiting for the UPS guy to show up with that REALLY special box... :) Maybe not quite yet. After a week or so, living out of a tent in the front yard starts to lose some of the original appeal.

Go, me!

2009-08-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am blogging for the SECOND time this week-- not because I really have anything to say, but just to prove that it's possible. :)

Next time, I'll post something earth shattering! Watch out for it!

Aubrey's been a bad, bad blogger :(

2009-08-17T10:41:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling guilty about not updating my blog lately, and then I felt even worse when I logged on and read Karen's comment on my last post about how I am (generally and sadly) absent from blogging world. I really am sorry... it's not because I don't care! It doesn't seem to matter how good my intentions are at keeping my blog up to date. Other things just get in the way. I've said it before, and I'll say it again-- I'm a crap blogger.

That said, I really will TRY to do better. Really, you should thank me for not posting more often and boring you to tears. My life simply isn't riveting enough to post every day. But I should think I could come up with something maybe once a week. :)

The Barnes and Noble Authorpalooza booksigning was lots of fun. I got to sit and visit with two very cool authors from Cedar Fort-- Frank Cole and Jillayne Clements. The employees at Barnes and Noble were super friendly. AND I got to have my copy of The Hourglass Door signed; two birds, one stone!

Also, I just got my cover for Santa Maybe and it looks great. Kudos to Jen Boss, who designed my cover this time around. Santa Maybe is being printed as we speak, and it should be available from Cedar Fort mid-September-ish. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Happy Friday :)

2009-07-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

Two bits of good news:

1) Just found out that Walmart is carrying My Fairy Grandmother, which is very cool. Someone I work with told me yesterday that they saw it there, but I half thought she was joking. (Not because she's a cruel person-- I just don't expect good things to happen to me.) Then I got an email from Cedar Fort telling me that they'd placed the book in Walmart, which for any normal person would be proof enough, but I still didn't believe it until I saw it tonight with my own eyes. Had to stifle the urge to stand in the middle of the aisle blocking traffic, telling everyone that it was MY book. I thought that impulse would lessen after Spare Change, but so far, I still want to shout it from the rooftops. I also wanted to sneak through the store, placing copies in unattended carts, but I managed to control myself.

2) I'll be doing a booksigning at the Orem Barnes and Noble on Tuesday, August 11th from 8-10 PM. If you're out late and you're in the area, I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd stop by so it looks like I have friends. :)

Sweetwater Writers Conference and Congrats Melanie!

2009-05-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

Cedar Fort is hosting the Sweetwater Writers Conference on Saturday, June 6th from 9-5 PM. I attended their 6-7-8 Conference last year, and the speakers were great. Spare Change was barely out then, so it was so fun to meet and learn from so many other authors. I also met one of my critique partners there, Melanie Jacobson, who actually just found out today that her novel has been accepted for publication! Yay, Melanie! She is an amazing writer and I am so excited for her. I can't wait to see her book on the shelf. I'm certain she'll be blogging about it soon-- if you're interested, go to www.readandwritestuff.blogspot.com. In fact, go there even if you're not interested because her blog is hilarious.

So, to sum up, this is an excellent opportunity for anyone who is interested in improving their writing or networking or maybe even finding an awesome critique partner! :) It's just a really cool way to spend a Saturday. I'm bummed that I don't get to go this year because I have a conflict that weekend.

For more information on the Sweetwater Writers Conference, go to www.cedarfort.com.

I almost forgot...

2009-04-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

I will be doing my FIRST EVER book signing at Women's Conference. I'll be at the BYU Bookstore on Friday, May 1st from 1:30-3:30. So if you happen to be around, I'd love to see you!

Yes, all four of you who read this blog.

And if that isn't enough to convince you...

There will be chocolate. :)

My amazing weekend!

2009-04-28T19:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I attended the LDStorymakers Conference, and it was awesome! I'm kind of a shy girl, especially in large social situations where I don't know anyone. I tend to shut down and pretend to be invisible. But once I quit hiding in the bathroom, I met some really cool people and went to some great classes. And I got the chance to spend some time with one of my critique partners, Melanie. Check out her alternatively touching and hilarious blog at www.readandwritestuff.blogspot.com. (Tried to link, but I'm fairly certain it didn't work. It's pathetic how technologically challenged I am. ) Anyway, it was so much fun to spend the day with her-- she was kind enough to hang with me so that I didn't look friendless. :) I can't wait until her book is published and I can say proudly, "I know that girl!"

I also got to meet Sarah Eden, an amazing writer who I was betting on to win for Best Romance...and who was kind enough to very sincerely congratulate me when I won instead. If you haven't read Seeking Persephone, you must check it out! If you like Jane Austen, you will love her gorgeous Regency romances! You can find her at www.sarahmeden.com.

I met lots of other authors and bloggers who I am in awe of, but I don't want to go off on a name-dropping tangent: raging anxiety + hero worship = faulty memory. I know that someone will inevitably be forgotten. The only regret I had was that I didn't get a chance to meet EVERYONE- there just wasn't enough time. Next year, I'm definitely going for both days. And if I cut back on the time I spent hiding, that should help as well.

The Whitney Awards were that night, and I have to say that the whole thing had a rather dreamlike quality. When I arrived, I wasn't worried about losing my balance and breaking my neck in my heels or having to make a speech because I'd read the other books that were nominated with mine and I knew that I'd be happy cheering for any one of them when THEY won. I felt so lucky just to be nominated with a group of such talented authors that to actually win was so far beyond my expectations. But I DID, and it was incredible! No matter what else I write, I will always remember that moment and how it was wonderful and terrifying at the same time.

And I even managed to stay upright in my heels. :)

Where you can find the new book...so far :)

2009-03-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Just an FYI-- some people have been telling me that they're having a hard time finding My Fairy Grandmother on the Cedar Fort website. If you go to the old website, www.cedarfort.com, click on the bar at the top of the screen that says, "Test drive our new site". This will take you to the new Cedar Fort beta website where you can buy the book. And if your internet explorer isn't new enough to support the website, you can also get the book on Amazon. I haven't heard for sure which stores will be carrying it yet, but it took a few weeks last time for them to start appearing on the shelves.

Thanks everybody! Be sure to let me know what you think-- I really hope you enjoy it!

It's HERE!!!

2009-03-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

My copies of My Fairy Grandmother arrived yesterday, and I had to stop myself from jumping up and down and hugging the UPS guy. :) I haven't have a chance to flip through it yet, but the cover is gorgeous. You can pre-order it on Amazon and it should be available on the Cedar Fort website any day now-- www.cedarfort.com

VERY exciting news!

2009-02-13T10:47:00.000-08:00

Just found out this week that Spare Change has been nominated for a Whitney Award in two categories-- romance and best book by a new author. I am thrilled and surprised and mostly humbled, all at the same time! I am very honored to be included in this group of authors I admire so much.

Valentine's Day Book Giveaway

2009-02-02T14:44:00.000-08:00

Brittany Mangus is sponsoring a book giveaway for Valentine's Day on her blog. So, if you're interested in a drawing for some awesome FREE books, head on over there and enter! And check out her book, Prepare Now for the Temple. It is written specifically for young women, but definitely appropriate for any girl who has questions about what she needs to do to prepare for this sacred experience.

www.authorbee.blogspot.com

Also, I just got some excellent news from Cedar Fort. My next book, My Fairy Grandmother, is due to be released in March. I've seen the cover, and it's perfect. They have also accepted my Christmas comedy/romance novel for publication during the 2009 holiday season! It's going to be a busy year, but I'm really looking forward to it!

2008-12-29T11:26:00.000-08:00

Finally working on my new book a bit. I had the idea about four months ago and I've been trying to figure out how to get it started, but it's giving me fits. I've finished about thirty pages and I'm still not sure it's going to take off, but I'm going to keep at it a while longer and see what happens.

I had a very nice email from someone named Vani, but there was no email address for me to get back to her. So Vani, if you happen to see this, send me your email address and I'd be happy to answer your questions! Thanks!

It's Official...

2008-11-25T14:18:00.000-08:00

I am a terrible blogger. I knew I would be, even from the beginning.

I think the main problem is, my life just isn't that interesting. But I did have some news about the next book. It was originally slated for release in November, but they've changed the date to March. So hopefully, the four people who occasionally check this blog to humor me will look for it then. :) I will post more info about it once I find out more specific details.

I'm a big slacker

2008-07-15T15:14:00.000-07:00

Haven't been on this blog forever, for various and assorted reasons, one being that no one ever came here besides me. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that I had not one, but TWO comments! Congratulations to Craftygoodness and Tyler and Thais, the only people who have documented proof that they've actually been here! :) Thank you for your comments- I was actually really excited to see my book on the SL County Library page, and thank you Thais, for going the extra mile and rating my book on Goodreads.

Got the good news that my second book has been picked up by my publisher! It is going to be marketed in the middle grade genre, but I hope that adults will enjoy it as well. If all goes according to plan, it should be on the shelf in November or December. I'll post more about it when it gets a little closer.

Firsts

2008-06-12T13:51:00.000-07:00

Finally got to see my book on the shelf in Barnes and Noble. It's something that I've dreamed about for so many years now that I had to keep pinching myself to make sure I was awake. I'm kind of a shy person, but it's funny how suddenly you want to tell everyone you see about your book!

Finally gave in and read the Twilight series. I've been putting it off because I had so much writing to do and I knew that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. They are amazing; I loved the characters and the conflicts, and of course, the vampires. Can't wait for the fourth one to come out in August. But now, I've got work to do- I've got to get back to work on my own stuff! :)

Weekend of endless rewrites

2008-06-02T11:33:00.000-07:00

Really been slacking off on this blogging business. Spent the beautiful weekend inside, trying to get my rewrites finished so that I could get them sent back. I made occasional forays into the sunshine, but since I burn just thinking about going outside, it's probably for the best. Unfortunately, I like the sun but it doesn't like me.

I had to take a break from the book I've been working on to fiddle with the rewrites for the previous one. I'm to the point with the current book that I just want it to be finished, and given the fact that I'm only halfway through, I might have to put it away for a while until I get interested in it again.

2008-05-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Was supposed to help my mom put in the garden yesterday, but it rained all day. Ended up babysitting my niece instead- she's darling, but she's hit her terrible twos a bit early. She's only been walking for a couple of weeks, but it seems to have enhanced her already independent nature. Anyway, she loves to watch QUBO, and I always end up with one of the theme songs stuck in my brain for days- today, it's Theodore Tugboat. :)

Had one of the patients from my office call today and tell me that she really liked Spare Change. She is the first patient who's read it and given me her opinion. Since the book is about a girl who works in an office like mine, I was curious to see what the patients would think about it. I'm really glad she enjoyed it.

Something to think about

2008-05-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

I watched a memorial through the lunchroom window at the hospital where I work today. They have it once a year, as a chance for staff and family members of patients who have died to have a chance to gather and mourn together. I watched curiously from the third floor as I ate my microwave lunch. When the short service was over, people tied ribbons on the surrounding trees and hugged each other. It's easy to forget how short and uncertain life is, and working here has taught me to be glad for every day that I have.

On another work-related note, if you want to read an interesting blog, go to www.npr.org/blogs/mycancer. It's easy to think that you're having a bad day until you read about someone who is fighting just to make it to the next one.

2008-05-19T14:03:00.000-07:00

Monday again already- the weekends are gone almost before they start.

Worked in the garden on Saturday- it was so nice to see the sun. In fact, it was almost a little too warm, but that's Utah for you. We go straight from 50 degrees to 90 in one day!

Still plugging away at my rewrites, but I feel like I'm making some progress. Spare Change seems to be selling fairly well also, although I still have trouble believing it. Not that I didn't think really believe in it as a book, because I do, but there are just so many excellent books out there. I never have enough time to read all the books I'm interested in, and I'm so grateful for the people who have taken the time to read mine. I have been very richly blessed.

My day off

2008-05-14T08:52:00.001-07:00

Wednesday is my day off, and I love it! There's something so nice about having a day off in the middle of the week. I usually watch my niece for half the day and try to get some writing done the other half.

Got my first review on www.goodreads.com. It's so exciting to think that people I don't know are reading my book! I'm sure that people who know me will say they like it because they feel like they have to. But when a stranger likes it, that's awesome. :)

Good night

2008-05-13T07:42:00.000-07:00

Had a bit of a breakthrough with the rewrites last night. It was the same with my first book. When I hear about everything that needs to be changed, I always think it's impossible. I just know that there's no way to fix it, and I fight it for a while, but then something just clicks. Once I get started, it's easier to see the end goal. I think it's mostly about change and how threatened I am by it. Even positive changes in my life are difficult for me to process because I am such a creature of habit.

Anyway, I'm starting to look forward to working with it again, which is a good sign. Before last night, every time I sat down to look at it I ended up playing endless games of spider solitaire instead...my favorite form of procrastination. :)

FYI

2008-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just wanted everyone to know that my book, Spare Change, will be available soon at Barnes and Noble and Borders! You can find it currently at Deseret Book and Seagull Book, and also at www.cedarfort.com

Monday already

2008-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

Didn't get a whole lot of writing done this weekend because one by one, my family all started to get the flu. I felt a little guilty, having been the one who had it first and passed it on to them, so I spent most of the weekend playing nursemaid.

Having a hard time getting started with my rewrites. Usually I find that after I look at it long enough, something just clicks. Once I get an idea about where to start, the rest of it usually falls into place without too much trouble. Hopefully this week, I'll have some extra time to start looking at it seriously.

Started watching The Golden Compass yesterday, but only got about forty five minutes into it before I gave up. Maybe it's one of those movies where you have to read the book first, but I was pretty lost.

Busy Saturday

2008-05-10T17:17:00.000-07:00

All kinds of things going on today. Got up this morning and worked in the yard for a while before going to pick up my Mother's Day presents for my mom and sister. (I'm not really a slacker- the spa where I got the gift certificates is just downtown, and today was the only day I could get there.)

Also bought groceries for dinner tomorrow, but got home to discover that Mom has the flu, so dinner is probably off.

I'm finally going to try to get some writing done now, but if tonight is anything like the rest of the day, I can't make any guarantees.

My first blog!

2008-05-09T14:52:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Still trying to get this whole blog thing figured out. I know enough about the Internet to spend money, but blogging is a foreign concept. I'm sure it is one of those things that get easier with experience. :)

I'm really glad it's Friday- only two hours of work to go before the weekend! Hopefully, I will have some time this weekend to work on the rewrites of my current project. It's hard to know where to start when there is so much that needs to be changed!