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!

Whispering Minds YA Giveaway: Want To Go Private?

Want To Go Private?

Day One of the Whispering Minds YA Giveaway

 

I've loved and hated this book since the moment I read it. Loved because Sarah Darer Littman is an amazing author whose characters pop off the page in an unforgettable way. And hated because those characters pop off the page so realistically that it breaks my heart. They truly are unforgettable.

 

I yelled at the stupidity of Abby's vulnerability the first third of the book, sobbed my way through the second third and sniffled pitifully to the end. Want to Go Private? is a grim reminder that not everyone is who they appear to be..

 



From the back cover: "When Abby meets Luke online, she can't believe her luck. He's nice. He's funny. He thinks she's pretty.... Abby knows she's not supposed to chat with random guys online. But Luke's not a stranger."

 

And here, my friends is where Want to Go Private? intersects with Whispering Minds in a terrifying way. Both Abby and Gemi get sucked into a world of falsehoods by the very cyber friends they trust.

 

If this sounds cautionary, it is. I am a firm believer that anybody who is a girl, loves a girl or knows a girl should read Want to Go Private? I also believe that those who care for the elderly or the mentally or physically vulnerable should read it. In this day and age where an avatar can be anyone and pretty words can ring true to those yearning for more, everyone should understand just how easy it is to become a victim. 

 

And so I give you Want to Go Private?.

 

Literally.

 

Day One's prize is a copy of Want to Go Private? by Sarah Darer Littman (along with a bit o' my authorly swag).

 

Want to win either of these prize packages, just follow the directions below. Interested in spreading the word on your blog? Shoot me an email and I'll send you a link. Any bloggers who post a link to this giveaway or my Goodreads giveaway will have their names entered into a separate drawing for a bonus gift.

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And don't forget to hop over to Goodreads for your chance to win one of ten free copies of Whispering Minds.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Whispering Minds

by A.T. O'Connor

Giveaway ends November 15, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Black Hellebore Book Review: October 21 Release

The wonderful thing about being a writer is meeting so many wonderful fellow scribes. Wonderful, fun, sweet and talented--like Nicole Zoltack, author of the upcoming paranormal romance, Black Hellebore, first in a new superhero romance trilogy - Heroes of Falledge

Besides being adorable, Nicole Zoltack loves to write fantasy/paranormal, romances, horror, historical, for adults and
young adults, novels, short stories, and flash pieces. She doesn't want to get boxed in by genre -- she might be claustrophobic! She's also an editor for MuseItUp Publishing and works as a
freelance editor.

When she isn't writing about girls wanting to be knights, talking unicorns, and zombies, she spends time with her loving family. She loves to ride horses (pretending they're unicorns, of
course!) and going to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire, dressed in period garb. Her favorite current TV show is The Walking Dead.

To learn more about Nicole and her work, visit her website at www.NicoleZoltack.com or her
blog at http://NicoleZoltack.blogspot.com.

To Learn More About Her Upcoming Novel, Read On...

Once a year for the past decade, Nicholas Adams returns to Falledge and leaves a black hellebore on his girlfriend's grave. While departing Falledge, he chases after a man sneaking into the laboratory and dies for his trouble. A witch brings him back to life, but Nicholas soon realizes he's not the same man. Turns out, magic combined with a black hellebore in his pocket changed
him into a kind of a super man.

His girlfriend's twin, Julianna Paige, is Falledge's deputy, struggling to solve several murders.
Nicholas, and his alter ego the Black Hellebore, helps her, even as she helps him move on and
even start to love again.

Unfortunately, Nicholas wasn't the only one changed in the laboratory explosion, and now there's
a supervillain bent on destroying Falledge, and killing the Black Hellebore. But falling in love
might prove more dangerous than any supervillain.

And Here's Where I Have To Be Honest...

I don't typically read romance novels or comic books. Before Iron Man came out, I had limited experience with villains and heroes and super powers born of unexpected events. However, thanks to my passel of boys, I fell in love with Tony Stark a few years back--an unexpected event that opened my mind to the realm of heroes, super heroes and dastardly villains.

Black Hellebore surprised and delighted me. Thanks to Miss Zoltack, I discovered that I enjoy this vast new world. Granted I have some things to get used to before I can fully appreciate the nuances of the genre, but I look forward to expanding my reading lists and continuing my journey into the unexpected.

If you're a fan of paranormal romance, super heroes, or are just looking for a new book to cuddle up with on a chilly fall day, pick up a copy of Black Hellebore on October 21!

More Books by Nicole Zoltack

Woman of Honor (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 1)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6370163-woman-of-honor

Knight of Glory (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 2)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7801193-knight-of-glory

Champion of Valor (Kingdom of Arnhem trilogy, book 3)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11150044-champion-of-valor

Whispering Minds Cover Reveal

Thanks to my fabulous designer, Whispering Minds now has a gorgeous cover.

What you can't see is the story within. So here's a little blurb to tide you over until November 1st.

By day, a terrifying blackness eats at Gemini Baker's memories. Her nights are filled with unsettling dreams.

After the death of her beloved granny, seventeen-year-old Gemi is left with parents more interested in gambling than paying the bills, a best guy friend who's looking for love at a time when she has none to give and a dark childhood secret that just might be the key to her sucky life.

During her search for answers, Gemi turns to her cyber friends for support and quickly learns that nobody is who they seem. Not her granny, her friends or even herself. As her blackouts increase in frequency, a threat on her life has Gemi on the run...if only she can remember long enough to keep herself alive.

Thanks for your support!

I gotz Swag

What do a text message, a water shortage, and a moth have in common?

Bingo! WHISPERING MINDS YA GIVE-AWAY.

I ordered some swag yesterday, but since most of it has my as-yet unveiled cover on it, I can't share pics. However, I can share what I'm going to do with it.

In less than two weeks, I will be hosting an epic give-away to followers of my blog. I won't make you tweet me, share me, friend me or any other stalkerly things--unless you want to do all those other stalkerly things from the comfort of the cybersphere--just to be entered in a chance to win PRIZES. Nope, all you'll have to do is sign up on my blog during the days of my EPIC YA Give-Away. That's it.

"But for what purpose?" you ask.

To potentially win a prize. Leading up to my release of WHISPERING MINDS, I will be giving out daily prizes for TEN days. Yep, that's ten chances to win. And win cool things. Multiple things. Not just one thing.

And not pictures of me and postcards of me and bookmarks of me and stickers of me. Those things just suck. (Truly, you did see the circa 80's graduation pic, right?) Nor will I gift you a t-shirt that is too small that will shrink even smaller because those are the only kind us starving artists can afford. I'm giving away USEFUL things. Things that have purpose besides making you queasy. Things you might actually need/want/like.

Things that tie into my novel--including five (yep, FIVE) of my favorite YA novels. Oooh, six if you count WHISPERING MINDS. But that's not it, because, remember, I gotz swag.

However, on the off-chance that you come back here during my give-away and find yourself utterly turned off by *cough* cool *cough* and interesting prizes, you can head over to GoodReads and enter a chance to win one of ten copies of WHISPERING MINDS. Or heck, enter them both.

*does the happy dance*
I gotz authorly swag!

P.S. If you follow me on twitter, facebook, goodreads or my blog, you can keep up to date on all the exciting events coming out this month--including the release of yet another talented writer into the fold. Hint, hint. She's going to hang with me here next Wednesday.

Personality Chameleons

Whispering Minds Sneak Peek Quote

Their mutual affection appeared sporadically, and only under favorable conditions. Namely, a bottle of booze and a good run at the casino.

 

Over the years, Gemini has witnessed the ups and downs of her parents' relationship. Yet every relationship is filled with peaks and valleys that can be largely dependent on circumstances and social settings.

We've all seen it, and it usually sucks:

• The football player who's nice right before homecoming.
• The pious girl friend who gets handsy at the movie theater.
• The best friend neighbor who ignores you in school.
• The shy nerd who swallows goldfish at all the parties.

But the question is, why do we change our behaviors based on certain circumstances, and is it even possible (or desirable) to be the same in every situation?

One of my favorite quotations goes something like this: To be a person of integrity, we have to be the same on the outside as we are on the inside.

Behaving in such a way that others see us the same way we see ourselves can be nearly impossible to achieve. In fact, I doubt many people even realize how far apart their view is compared to those around them.

Good, bad or indifferent, we are influenced internally and externally nearly every moment of every day. In that respect, it's to understand how chameleon-like we can be, constantly changing in response to the environment around us. Often in subtle ways, though sometimes as blatantly obvious as a margarita and a stacked poker hand.

In which ways do you change your behaviors based on those around you? Are there some circumstances where you feel more comfortable with yourself than in others? How does this affect your personal integrity?

For the record, I'm so glad I've already grown up. Learning these lessons was hard enough the first time around.

I'm a Person, Not a Plant

Yes, there is an actual face behind the words.

And since we haven't been formally introduced, let me start:

*My name is Alexandra Tys O'Connor, aka A.T. O'Connor. The shortened version fits better on book covers.
*I write YA and Romance.
*I love to garden, though I get neglectful at times. Designing beautiful outdoor spaces is always more appealing than maintaining them. Or maybe that's just my short attention span speaking.
*I've got four kids, two dogs and one husband--each of whom I love dearly.
*If you hold up your left hand in the shape of an L, I live in the corner of Minnesota where your thumb and finger meet. It's cold, windy and very flat, yet beautiful in its own right.
*I am a speech coach. Best extracurricular activity EVAH!
*I also help divorcing/separated parents work out custody issues and parenting time. Kids are my heart.
*My biggest pet peeve is adults who don't like teens on principle. Seriously, teens could be the most amazing people I've ever met. (Note to adults: most teens are only bratty if you're bratty first.)
*As a chronic procrastinator, I compete in NaNoWriMo every November. I always did my best work the night before a paper was due--Sorry Glencoe High School English department!
*Speaking of high school, looking at this picture made me realize that minus the cool eighties hair and a few wrinkles, my head shot doesn't look a whole lot different than my graduation picture a quarter of a century ago. Funny, because I'm wearing pink in both pics and I NEVER wear pink.
*My new favorite band is American Authors--go figure! They're a little alternative, but fun none-the-less. On November 1st when WHISPERING MINDS debuts, I'm going to crank "Best Day of My Life" and dance on the tables. And no, I won't be videotaping that.

So, enough about me.

Tell me a little about yourself: favorite books, favorite authors, favorite class, sports, extracurriculars, Besties, pets, movies.... I mean, I just showed you my hideous grad pic, so no need for shyness.

Forever and always~