Whispering Minds YA Giveaway: Technology Pack

USB Drive, Sweet Swag and Cutting Floor Scenes

Whispering Minds 10 Day Giveaway: Day Two

 

I remember playing the stick version of Oregon Trail in middle school on giant computers the size of my stove. Portable music came from your mouth until the advent of the Walkman, and movies were watched only once--in the movie theater with no potty breaks or quick trips to the concession stand for popcorn refills lest we missed the good part. Letters had to be written, addressed, stamped and mailed, not tweeted. It took forever to capture that perfect pic as we waited to finish out the roll of film, drop it off at the corner mart and wait some more while the photos were developed--only to rip open the package and discover everyone had their eyes closed or their heads turned. Or, you know, that goofy grin.

Life was very different before the explosion of CDs. DVDs, ipods, ipads, Gameboys and cell phones. We experienced the moment in the moment, with our full attention given to every passing second because there was no pause button.

And friends were real, not just avatars on a computer screen.

If we didn't physically see them or talk to them on the bunchy-corded phone, they did not exist. Kids from the next town over remained kids from the next town over--to be seen at sporting events a handful of times each year. Pen pals took a ton of work and our best friendships from summer camp typically waned as the months passed.

Yet, there was a certain amount of truth in our relationships. People were real. You built tree houses with them, kicked the can with them, spilled your secrets to them and made pancakes for breakfast the next morning. With them.

Technology has changed that. Casual acquaintances are friended and followed. Information that was
reserved for special people has become common knowledge--dumped into the vast pool of cyber space for anyone to access if they are determined or savvy enough.

Sarah Darer Littman highlights this in her novel, Want to Go Private?.

While the answer to her title question should almost always be a resounding no, our perception of friendship has evolved to the point where the answer is often an easy "yes".

In Whispering Minds, Gemi also learns the terrifying truth that a friendly avatar on a computer screen does not a friend make.

So without further ado, I give you prize number two: a USB flash drive and some yummy swag.

"What's so yummy about swag?" you ask.

Granny's Homemade Chai Tea~ tested by my awesome, real life friends.


You haven't met Granny yet, but she brews a delicious cup of vanilla chai for Gemi. She's brewed some up for you as well. Each day of the giveaway, winners will receive a sample of her tea as part of their prize packet.

However, in case you're not a tea drinker, I've sweetened the deal by downloading a cut chapter from Whispering Minds onto your USB stick.

Prize Recap:

1. Day One: A copy of Want to Go Private? and a sampling of Granny's delicious chai.
2. Day Two: A 2 gig USB Drive with a sizzling cut chapter from Whispering Minds--and tea.

To be eligible for these--and future prizes--enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*special thanks to my mom, Mary Jo, Judy and Jamie for slurping tea with me!

Teen Tuesday: Instant Gratification

Instant. Gratification.

Sounds amazing, right?

Instantly you're happy and satisfied and filled with warm fuzzies. Instantly your itch is scratched, and you get what you want RIGHT NOW. Without a moment's hesitation, your wishes and desires are fulfilled.

Want a soda? Great, here's two. Want a piece of triple chocolate cheesecake with truffles on top? Why not the whole thing? Chubby butt? No problem, we've got diet pills. Think Top Choice Grade A Boy is cute? No prob. Just make yourself available.

No prob. Really, it's not. Because if you want something, why shouldn't you have it?

Actually, there are two problems with this mindset:

1. It feels so dang good to be instantly satisfied. The high from it is nearly addictive and does nothing to train our bodies and our brains to work for results. Instead, we simply go in for another high.
2. Secondly, the consequences. And Lord, can they pile up.

At sixteen, my daughter already has a handful of friends adventuring into parenthood. Sure that one night of creating the baby was heavenly, but the long term effects are catastrophic. I don't think I need to mention diapers, midnight feedings, two-year-old temper tantrums, teething, potty training, back-talking, learning to read, homework, rule-breaking, groundings and teenage drama for you to get that one night of pleasure can equal an insurmountable amount of time, effort and money. None of which teens have a whole lot of.

But let's not forget about that friend of my friend who shared a romantic evening with Top Choice Grade A boy and brought home a life-long case of genital warts? Life-long. As in she had to tell her fiance before they got married that she would be bringing ugly little friends to bed with them--'til death do they part.

Or that classmate of mine who indulged in a few drinks too many and has been in a wheelchair for the past twenty years? I'm sure his euphoria died the minute his truck struck an electrical pole.

Oh, the pitfalls of instant gratification are many, and trying to avoid them all sounds like a dull and boring life. But, I'm here to testify that it's not. Really. Because if you play it safe--not stupid--you can find those warm fuzzies you crave so much.

"How?" you might ask.

By knowing what you're craving.

Do you want the cute boy to like you, or do you just want everyone to think the cute boy likes you? Because if Cute Boy actually liked you, he'd respect you and wouldn't want you to do something to make yourself look sleazy and skanky. Sure he might want his own instant gratification, but if the long-term craving is different than a quick romp, he'll settle for a cold shower and time spent with you.

If you simply want to feel popular by adding another notch on Cute Boy's bed post then expect some of those unpleasant consequences we talked about earlier. And one we didn't--nobody respects a promiscuous girl. Not even the promiscuous girl herself.

Do you want to drink yourself stupid, or do you want to feel comfortable and cool at the party? Like you actually fit in? Because these are two completely different cravings, and each should be handled differently.

Just an FYI, drinking yourself stupid will only feel good for about 35 minutes. After that, you're just stupid. You'll trip over carpet fuzz and probably puke on the cute boy you're trying to impress. And at the end of the night you'll reek, look like a raccoon from h#ll with your eyeliner dripping down your cheeks and will miss out on all the good things happening around you. Namely the other sober people who just want to hang out and have fun. They do exist.

If you want to feel comfortable hanging with a large group of kids, find the right group of kids. Find the kids who like the things you like. I guarantee you'll be surprised at the number of teens who don't actually want to drink or smoke or act like morons. They're out there. Probably debating if they should drink to fit in, just like you are doing right now.

So, do yourself a favor and take that first step. Reach out to someone you have something in common with. Forge a friendship where instant gratification comes from being with a true friend and all the goofy inside secrets you share. My oldest son and his friends hung out in our living room playing piano, strumming guitar and singing. Sounds quirky, I know, but that's what made them happy. Smart happy, not stupid happy.

If you can do that, you'll have more warm fuzzies than you know what to do with--and no icky surprises that may haunt your life forever.

What kinds of things do you like to do? What quirks or passions do you love about yourself and would like to share with others? Name at least one person (in your mind) you admire for NOT doing all the dumb stuff to fit in.

Just once this week, think before you act. And next week, do it twice!

Alexandra Tys~

Feel-Good Friday: Of Clothes Lines and Shooting Stars

Every romantic relationship has a first kiss, and each one should feel magical. My favorite first kiss occurred on a dark night that can only happen in the country with few lights to wash away the stars. I was in my room on the second floor of our old farmhouse when I heard a thunk against my window. And another.

I snuck down the stairs so as not to wake my dad and opened the front door to the slightly intoxicated and very hot high school boy I'd been flirting with for years. After much coaxing on his behalf, we settled in under the clothes line on the side of the house. As our conversation meandered to whatever high school kids talk about, he leaned into me, until his arm pressed against my shoulder.

An electric jolt shot through my body, but all I could think about was his hands. We'd driven to basketball games together, and always, I'd watched his hands on the steering wheel. They were strong hands even back then. Capable of shifting gears without so much as a hitch in his sports car. Perpetually tan to match his naturally dark complexion. Drumming on his dashboard in perfect time to the music. Any music, but mostly The Cars.

He grabbed my leg and pointed into the night withhis other hand. "Did you see that?"

I hadn't. The only thing I saw was him. The only thing I felt was the burn of my bare thigh under his fingers.

"It was a shooting star. I've never seen one before." His husky voice filled the summer evening with awe. It filled me with something else all together.

No sooner had I told him it was lucky to wish on a shooting star than another light streaked across the sky. With experienced ease, his lips found mine. He tasted of cheap beer--something I can't drink, or even smell, to this day without thinking of him.

As we broke apart, his friends--who I didn't know had tagged along--burst around the side of the house and caught the clothesline right across their necks. The force of it threw them backwards onto the ground. In an instant, our new-found passion erupted into rolling laughter.

While my last first kiss wasn't filled with fireworks, it was a moment never before experienced and one never to be duplicated. That's the magic of the first kiss. No matter how many times you smooch after that, you'll never, ever be able to replicate the experience.

Thank, God. Because if those yahoos were still hanging around our house at night, I'd be a little worried!

Do you remember your first-first kiss, or was there another one far more important along the way? If you could do it all over again, what would you change about the most important kiss your of your life? And if you've yet to experience this magical moment, what do you envision to be the perfect setting, the perfect guy, the perfect kiss?

Spill it all on First Kiss Friday.