First Post of 2011!

Happy (Belated) New Year!

I don't know about you, but I gave up making long lists of resolutions long ago. I have only one biggie this year, and I hope you can help me achieve it.

For me, 2011 is going to be a year of positive affirmation. No negativity. No dwelling on things I can't change or worrying about things I have no control over. It's going to be the year of doing. A year of tackling big projects because I CAN. Who's with me?

Part of this resolution is to add a writers' feature to my blog (which should have started yesterday, but I am already behind! But... no looking back, only forward!) Starting next week, we'll have a Writing Tip Tuesday to help pass along the positivity. Some of the tips will be from me, but a lot will come from other authors whose expertise, to me, is gold.

Also, I'll try to highlight as many debut authors as I can again this year. Watch the Freebie Fridays and Tip Tuesdays for a whole slate of fabulous new authors in 2011.

You'll notice a lot more MG authors in the mix this year as I prepare for my MG series, CASSIDY ON CAMERA to make its debut next year.

AND finally - come back tomorrow and Friday for our 2011 kickoff DOUBLE FREEBIES!

Tomorrow I'll be celebrating the release of the mass market bindup of the DEATH BY BIKINI MYSTERIES - all three books in one great volume!

And Friday, don't miss the interview and giveaway with GCC sister Eileen Cook to celebrate the release of her new book, THE EDUCATION OF HAILEY KENDRICK.

Good stuff coming! Stay tuned!

The Top 8 of '08 and Resolutions

Canadian author and good friend KC Dyer invited me to join her Top 8 in 2008 year-end blogfest at leftwriter this week. We were supposed to come up with our top 8 picks for 2008. Picks of what, you might ask? Well, she left that up to us. It was tough deciding what to list, but I finally decided on my Top 8 New-to-me Discoveries in 2008.

1. Blog parties. Love them! I hosted a couple to celebrate my last two book releases and have participated in many more. They're a great way to connect, share the love, meet new people and have fun. And you don't even have to get out of your pajamas to party!

2. Scrivener. I'm a Mac user, but I had never thought of using this software until this year when I heard from other authors how much they love it. Perfect for organizing and laying out the story.

3. The Mentalist. My sister Trish introduced me to the series just this fall. I quickly caught up with season 1 online. Smart, funny, and Simon Baker = awesomeness.

4. Twitter. Microblogging on Twitter is highly addictive. But it's also a great way to keep up with other readers, reviewers, librarians, authors and other interesting people. Plus Twitter automatically updates my facebook status, so it's doubly effective.

5. Scotland. I've always felt a tug in my heart for Scotland since part of my ancestry is Scottish (we hail from the clan Colquhoun) but I hadn't expected the awe that came over me when we visited for the first time this summer. When we drove up into the highlands, it was like coming home. Alba gu Bràth!

6. Maggot Milkshakes. In preparation for my gig as the visiting author at our science center's CSI exhibit, I learned all sorts of gross but cool applications for forensic science in criminal investigations. And I got the chance to take my newfound knowledge on the road by offering Forensics in Fiction presentations for school visits.

7. Obama in my backyard. President elect Barack Obama visited our local high school on the campaign trail and we got to see history in the making on our own football field!

8. Ypulse. Geared at marketing for youth, their newsletter has interesting articles and insights from teen contributors. My kids might not think so, but I feel like I'm more in the know by keeping up with the trends.


And, just in time for the New Year, I was tagged by Dominique from The Book Vault to share at least three of my New Year's Resolutions. So here goes:

1. Enjoy the ride!
I tend to worry a lot and I hereby resolve to relax and look for joy instead.
2. Stop procrastinating!
One of the reasons I worry so much is because I procrastinate until small things become critical. Hint: this is not smart.
3. Reconnect.
This year has been crazy. Good crazy, but busy crazy. I've lost track of friends, family and myself. I resolve to give myself at least fifteen minutes a day (which doesn't sound like a lot, but believe me, it's way more than I'm getting now) to stop, reflect and reach out if needed.

So... as part of that reaching out, I tag Jen McAndrews, Nicole Maggi, Ginger Calem, Barb Aschliman and Julie O'Connell.

Have a happy and safe New Year's Eve, everyone! Don't forget to stop by the blog tomorrow for a surprise and Friday for an interview with Carrie Jones!