Just in Time for Summer: The Girl Guide is OUT!

Great writer-friend Christine Fonesca writes amazing fiction (see her Requiem series, which I loved), but she's also an educational psychologist, who writes super-helpful nonfiction books as well!

Her new book, The Girl Guide, is perfect for parents of girls approaching the middle school years. 

I know I can't wait to get my copy. Here's the scoop:

The Girl Guide is all about finding yourself and your unique voice in the world. And what better time to start on that journey than summer! 

On Amazon

Summer is a great time for renewal. The days are long, the weather, perfect, and the vibe – magical. So, as you’re taking a break from school or work, catching up with friends and family, and venturing out for a special vacation, why not add a little “inner” journey to your adventures and spend part of the summer discovering the “real” you?

Journeying inwards, like any trip, requires a map, some supplies, and an adventurous spirit. Fortunately, these things are easily acquired. A journal can become an ideal map to the inner you. Use it as you spend a little time each day reflecting on your dreams and hopes. Take stock of what you’ve accomplished so far, and plan where you’d like to go in the future. Then, once you have a good sense of your inner dreams and desires, make a plan for the future. Add new experiences, read different books, complete projects you’ve previous abandoned. In doing these things you can begin to cultivate your own authenticity.

And don’t forget to pack an adventurous spirit as you journey inwards. Embrace the you that lives within. You may be surprised the “you” you can get to know this summer.

Reviews:

"The Girl Guide is a game-changer and should be in every girl's backpack." ~ Ali Cross, author of the Desolation series

"The perfect remedy for a world obsessed with airbrushed perfection. A must read for every girl who has ever wondered what it means to be strong. Girls who can find beauty and strength within should be--and can be--the new normal, and The Girls' Guide is there to show the way." ~ Danyelle Leafty, author of The Fairy Godmother Dilemma series

"It's easy to understand, professional and relevant without being preachy, and really delves into the situations and emotions that girls out there are experiencing...I highly recommend this book."

~ Michelle McLean, author of Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers (Career Press 2011) and To Trust a Thief (Entangled Scandalous 2013)

"It's like an older sister and a mom rolled into one helpful book, all with the intent of helping me discover the best "me" there is. Definitely something I'd recommend to girls who are feeling lost...or just overwhelmed"

~ Shayna, High School Junior

"The Girl Guide is an easy-to-read, profound book that allows teenagers to understand it's the world that is different, not the teenager. I'm picky about the type of books that I introduce to my kids and I must say, this is one of the superior ones." - A Reader's Refuge

"For those parents, librarians, teachers and counselors who have teens that are struggling to find their own identity, or even that enjoy getting to know themselves better. Definitely a delicious pick!!" - Novel Nutritious

Finding your unique voice in a noisy world can be hard—very hard. But not if you have a great guide! TheGirl Guide: Finding Your Place in a Mixed-Up World is a must-read for girls in grades 6–8 as they enter the tumultuous world of adolescence. Packed with fun worksheets and quizzes, as well as stories from older girls and women, The Girl Guide covers everything a teenage girl needs to know on the journey toward her own identity. Proven strategies for dealing with stress management, confronting relational aggression, being safe online, navigating the changing mother-daughter relationship, and more make this the ultimate guide for any girl to get through the teen years and discover her unique point of view in the world.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Book Depository | Prufrock Press | Target

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Last week of school for us, so I'm pushing it to make deadlines--Have a super week, reader- and writer-friends~ 

Why I Hate Writing & FOUND

(Y'all realize ^ ^ ^ that's me being intentionally provocative, right?) I know, what??? 

Here's the deal, and I'll keep it short. I love being a writer. I couldn't do anything else, and it's all I've done professionally for almost 20 years.

But it wasn't until 2009 that I started writing novels.

When I did that, it was a lot like when I went from being a full-time professional, career gal in a bustling, busy office surrounded by fast-moving people... 

...to being a full-time, professional Mom, in a quiet home, alone with a beautiful little baby girl who didn't smile at me for three months.

(If they smile before three months, it's gas. Read the book, people. #nerdmom)

Flower says, "What, I'm
not lively enough for you?"

Writing novels is awesome! I love it! And it is looonely.

Spoiler Alert: I'm a pretty social person.

In the past, I've had jobs in public relations and marketing. I was a journalist, which requires you to talk to people...

Writing novels is not like that. And some of you like it that way!

But what about the rest of us?

Well, it helps to get connected, of course. I'm not intimidated about reaching out to other writers (I blame my past work experience), but even for me, that isn't always successful.

For one, writers need to write.

Social media and writers' groups are FAB, but to do this job (write novels), one has to be alone for a good amount of time. And writers don't always coordinate their schedules with each other. (Read: never.)

Some writers are grumpy, mole-type people, who really don't want to make friends. I get that. Sometimes I feel like a grumpy mole-type person, too! And I hate to say it, but outside the group here, I've bumped into some writers... who aren't very nice for whatever reason.

I'm a Cancerian, and I'm sure writer-friend Tami Hart Johnson (link) can tell you better than me why that makes me scamper back into my shell quicker than... something really fast.

Luckily, none of you guys are like that. ((hugs))

So I'm just thinking out loud over here, coming off a new book release. It's quiet. And I actually have promos to do for the publicity blitz coming...

Y'all know I've joined a few writer's groups, The Indelibles (who are fantastic!), Indies Ignite (who are up and coming!), and most recently YA Confidential (who are hilariously helpful!).

We'll see if I can balance this. And of course, YOU, my bloggy reader- and writer-friends, supporting each other since Feb. 2010.

I guess, what do you guys think? And if anybody's looking for a group or if there's a group that needs a member(s), you can put it in the comments. I encourage you to team up! Don't be scared off by grumps or meanies. We've got to have friends in this tough business.

I'm so thankful for mine~

Now what's this FOUND?

From Stacey Wallace Benefiel, the author of the Zellie Wells trilogy, comes a New Adult trilogy set in the Society world.

Penny Black hasn’t had it easy. Just about everything you’d expect to happen to a harassed foster-kid turned junkie has happened to Penny. 

Add in the mysterious power to rewind time, conducting events around her, and it’s a wonder she held up on the streets for so many years. 

Now, at seventeen, the New Society has found her. Finally, Penny is where she belongs. But that doesn’t stop the visions, or the need to protect the victims shown to her.

*The Penny Black trilogy is a companion to the Zellie Wells trilogy and not a continuation of the series. (It's set 18 years in the future with a new cast of characters.)

*Due to language and sexuality, FOUND is recommended for older teens. (Most of the characters are out of high school and preparing for college.)

Purchase links:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Kobo | Smashwords

Coming soon to the Apple iBook store and in paperback!

Haven't read the Zellie Wells trilogy yet? Pick up all three novels together for $6.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and iTunes. Or get the first novel, Glimpse, for FREE at all ebook retailers.

And have a great week-end, reader- and writer-friends! <3

Happy INDIE-giving!

Happy Monday before Thanksgiving, bloggy friends!

I hope everyone is enjoying this holiday week, spending time with family, reflecting on the good things in our lives. I'm in the "gret stete" of Louisiana visiting with family and friends--some I haven't seen in two years (!). Good times.

I'm also taking part in the Indelibles' "Indie-Giving" event (link). It's a blogfest where we GIVE BACK to you, our friends and readers.

Indie-giving!

It's a way to say THANK YOU for the encouragement, for buying our books, and for being awesome supporters. I know I wouldn't be here without you guys.

Part of the event is to give away something. It can be anything from a piece of advice to a book to something else.

I actually started my give-away a few days early! On Friday I dropped the price of my new book ROUGE (link) to $1.99 for the week, AND for everyone who buys a copy and/or leaves a review or does any number of little things, you're entered to win three prizes from fun, New Orleans-themed swag or Amazon gift cards to iTunes gift cards!

Here's the link to my giveaway (link)!

It runs for the week, so hop over and check it out! And THANK YOU again for being so awesome.

As for advice, the best I've heard came from Anne Rice. She posted a video message on her Facebook page a while back to writers in which she said, "Writers write."

Basically, her point was no matter what, if you're a writer, just keep writing.

Coming Dec. 11, 2012

Maybe your books won't hit right away. Maybe the book you never expected to hit will--and she referenced Interview with the Vampire.

I would add, Find good critique partners who are also writers. Other writers are uniquely qualified and give the best advice and encouragement.

Finally, fellow Indelible Chelsea Fine (link) is revealing the cover for her third and final installment in the Archers of Avalon books (link) today!

Here's the synopsis for AVOW:

Scarlet remembers. Everything. Her past lives, Tristan, Gabriel, Nate: she remembers it all--including how to get to the Fountain of Youth. But time is running out.

Heather and Gabriel have been kidnapped by Raven, while the curse that has plagued Scarlet and Tristan for centuries has shifted, putting the star-crossed lovers in more danger than ever before. Water from the Fountain of Youth is the only thing that can save Scarlet and her loved ones. But the water comes at a price.

With lives--and hearts--at stake, Scarlet leads her friends on a dangerous journey to the Fountain of Youth. Where eternal life is possible, but death is certain.

Sounds cool,  yes? Check out Chelsea's other books here (link).

Happy Thanksgiving, friends! Have a super week~ <3