Party with NICK DAWS!

Beam me up, Scotty! This party has gone galactic! Come party and win an autographed copy of Nick Daws', SciFi book. Everyone invited (except the Cabbage Face aliens from Nick's book)...so I should make it clear, everyone human is invited to party!

Anne is the winner from Friday and yes, you may have High Tide. You are the Haiku Champion. Congratulations! (email me, please)

Bonus: Anyone who has commented at least once before today and have NOT won a book, email me if you want one of my books - you are a winner now! Ya gotta play to win.


My impression of Nick Daws is influenced by the image of him being the GodFather moderator on MyWritersCircle.com writing forum. I was happily a member of the forum, just chatting away...and meeting several of the writers who were highlighted at this blog party. For some strange reason, Nick and his bevy of moderators voted for me as the replacement for the American moderator. (What were they thinking? I never did learn to split topic threads. Not to mention, the site crashed the day I became a moderator, honest! Ask Carrie.) Nick was always changing his picture, with a hat, without hat, sunglasses on & off...

I think of Nick as a non-fiction guru. Nick wrote Write Any Book In Under 28 Days, which I have heard is very good. I wrote the first draft of Kathryn's Beach in 21 days, so I know it can be done. I have a copy of Nick's Essential English For Authors, my first eBook experience. I printed it and have it in a binder. One of the things I like about that book is it has both UK English and American English rules and guides.

Come back later and click around on the links here: http://www.nickdaws.co.uk/

So when Nick asked to be in the blog party, he floored me when he said he has a brand new SicFi work, The Festival On Lyris Five. I have loved SciFi since the very first time Captain Kirk had his shirt ripped off or someone beamed somewhere. To be honest, I like all the science and the political morality statements made in SciFi. Too bad I can't win Nick's book!

Here is what Lulu.com has about The Festival On Lyris Five: Former Ten Stars combat pilot Rick Barrett is having a bad day. Not only is he jobless and broke, in a seedy spaceport bar he has just been forced into a winner-takes-all poker game with a homicidal cauliflower. Salvation is at hand in the shapely form of Irish redhead Julie Halloran, who has an unusual talent of her own. Julie has a proposition for Rick that could end his financial worries at a stroke, though it might also end up getting him killed. But is Julie keeping a few cards hidden herself? The Festival on Lyris Five is a fast-moving, hilarious, science-fiction novella, where nothing is quite what it seems. The story by UK author Nick Daws is beautifully complemented by Louise Tolentino's wry illustrations.

I read as much as I could on the link below. I want to know what is going on with that blond who is helping Rick play poker with the cabbage face alien to win his life. Check this out: http://www.freado.com/book/3619/The-Festival-on-Lyris-Five

SciFi party music!












Encounters of the Third Kind video was removed by YouTube.




Party Game: Name your favorite SciFi series, movie, or book and say what you liked best about it and talk about writing stuff while you can ask Nick questions. That is all you have to do to be eligible to win an autographed copy of Nick's The Festival On Lyris Five.

This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?) -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html
The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Weekend Intermission, encore...

Oh what a party! I'm looking forward to our fourth and final week of the blog party with mixed feelings. I admit that I'm tired and have planned a week of rest in the mountains with my friend of 35 years. Yet I am also having pre-separation anxiety. I think many of us have connected with each other more firmly than before, and in a different way than we had enjoyed until my one hundredth post.

I think how blessed I am to have met the kind of people who rally to a project, commit, and follow through. Some people have found the silliness off putting, but most have seen through it to the heart of what we could make of this truly non-event event.

You, guest writers and guest readers, are the people who inspire, celebrate, and contribute to life, even through what is simply a digital binary system that connects us. I don't think anything can stop you. I wish for you all your dreams come true, save one to give you something to always strive for.

www.212movie.com

Rest up, we are going to keep partying!

Weekend Intermission....

Wow What a Week! I keep thinking it doesn't get any better than this and each new day, it does. Three weeks straight of blog partying to win books. World wide too!

So far we partied in 56 countries: Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Canary Island, Chech Republic, Chile, Cote d’lvoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, England, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Peu, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Republic of Maldives, Romania, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, The Netherlands, The United States (USA), Turkey, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

It sort of makes me want to sing...



I love you

Party with NADINE LAMAN!

by Ivana Marić, Croatia, guest blogger

Party, Party, Party...can you believe we have been partying for three weeks? Let's keep celebrating and give away more autographed books today! Everyone, world wide is invited...EVERYONE! Want free books? Play the game and/or comment in the comment section.

Carrie is the winner of Joy and Joyce's book yesterday. Congratulations! (email me, please)


Nadine Laman and I have met two months ago, but in many ways it feels much longer than that. Incidentally or not, we met on my birthday.

I had to see what was all the buzz about Nadine Laman and Kathryn’s Beach on Filedby. Seeing the words dyslexia and writer at the same page—in the same sentence, was my WOW moment. We started chatting, and Nadine heard my whining about lack of new books in English in our bookstores as I was unable to make online purchases. Not two weeks later, Kathryn’s Beach arrived at my home.

As I just commenced into my education on the world of publishing, Nadine answered many of my questions, sometimes even those unstated, on her blog, First Draft. Nadine is a mentor and friend who takes notice when I’m not around and takes time to email me and asks if everything is fine.

I am reading Nadine's High Tide. Kathryn is one of the most believable characters out there. Nadine's writing style is compelling in the sense you get a peek into Kathryn's mind and heart, making her all the more believable-and enjoyable.

What I learned from Nadine is that there are no obstacles in pursuing your dream-and if they still get in your way, how to easily avoid them.

With this blog party, which is really a terrific idea, she introduced so many great authors and readers I feel blessed to have met. She brought us together to celebrate what we love and what is our mission-writing our stories. Nadine magnanimously put others under the spotlight for the past few weeks. Today, Nadine, the stage is yours! Come out, take a bow and enjoy all that jazz!

Original music by Nadine's youngest son when he was 14. Photos from Seal Beach, California, taken by Nadine and family...often with a disposable camera (or a 35mm Minolta).




Thanks, Ivana. That was very sweet. You did a better job than I would have. I'm not surprised after the review you wrote for Kathryn's Beach. http://willingtoseeless.blogspot.com/2009/08/now-real-tss.html

I think everyone must know by now that Kathryn's Beach began as a short story emailed to a friend, a chapter a night. The whole thing was planned about as well as this blog party five minutes before I said, "Party!" (The planning came after the announcement.) In the short story, I gave Kathryn a frail but resilient personality. After Terrie, my friend, insisted I write a novel, then a second (the third was my idea), I was stuck with the characteristics I had given Kathryn in the short story.

Kathryn's Beach is the story of Kathryn's return home to resolve the past that haunted her. After knocking the wind out of Kathryn toward the end of KB and having her dust herself off, High Tide gave her a few more bumps and busies and laughs. All of the struggles and triumphs came together so she could meet her biggest challenge yet in Storm Surge.

I would rather not give away spoilers, since I know most people at the BLOG PARTY have not read my books, otherwise, ask me anything about the books, the differences in writing a trilogy, or my well documented ability to jump off cliffs!

Party game: As we were thinking about a party game, Nadine mentioned she hated Haiku poetry. I’m not a fan of it either, so let’s turn it into our advantage and have fun. Write a Haiku in the form 5-7-5 syllables that has to have the words Nadine and Beach anywhere in it. If it doesn’t give you a brain hemorrhage, do more than one. It’s not so difficult once you give it a try! (Oh yeah, giving away autographed books!)


This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?) -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Party with JOY COLLINS, encore!

Welcome to the Blog Party Everyone! We are celebrating writing, reading, and each other! Join in and win an autographed book!

Glyn and Peggy are winners of Irene's book! Congratulations! It pays to play! (email me, please)


Joy Collins returns for an encore. As I said on 12th, Joy and I get together fairly often to talk shop. Like everyone else, we email, but getting together for lunch and showing each other proof books or whatever else adds a dimension to working as colleagues.

I asked Joy to return today to highlight team writing. Joy teamed with Joyce Norman to write Coming Together. I find it interesting that Joy and Joyce have never met. Maybe with the internet that is less unusual.

When Joy and I had lunch the weekend before the blog party one of the first things I ask was what was it like to team write. Her answer goes beyond team writing, it fits with working with an editor, a literary agent, a publisher, PR firm, just about anything in this industry. Joy said: 1) You have to get over the idea that every word is priceless and not worry about rewrites; 2) You have to check your ego at the door. Good stuff, Joy.

Coming Together is set in Brazil, the opening scene involves police kicking in a door, orphans, and the women who care for them.** (Got you hooked, didn't I?) The same thing happened to me.

Coming Together is a love story. A story of foreign intrigue. A story of the coming together of cultures, of passion, and, most of all, of unbelievable hope in the face of staggering odds. This is also a story of choices, hard choices, where life and death are constant reminders of making the wrong decisions. Lives are at stake when Daisy, Luis, and Isabella take on the Brazilian dictatorship in order to bring freedom and a future to those who matter most. It was written for the heart and spirit in all of us. You will not soon forget this book.

Joy in Arizona and Joyce in Alabama queried the ms and were accepted by a small publisher. When the contract terms were read, the two decided to create their own small press, Chalet Publishers, LLC. The books are printed in Arizona and Alabama, which has proven to work well for them. This book is only a month or two old, so it is practically hot off the press.

Party Game: In one line or two, make up what might happen in that scene I set above **. Joy is a pro at the blog party now, so ask her questions about team writing, about creating a small press, or ask her about Coming Together, today's prize.

This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?) -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Party with IRENE WATSON!

Party, Party, Par-ty. Party, Party, Par-ty. (Conga line) YES! This party is ALL about having fun with writers and winning autographed books. It is world wide, everyone is invited...EVERYONE!

Late in the day yesterday, Connie donated a second autographed book. Our winners are: Ta-Da! Nick and Andrew. Congratulations guys! That is sooooo cool to have men so interested in Breast Cancer. All us women think you two rock! (email me, please)


Irene Watson is an amazing woman. I found Irene years ago when I was doing my usual thing of really-really reading websites. I saw a link to ReaderViews.com, a book review company that Irene runs. In exploring at RV, I somehow came across the fact that Irene had written a memoir. Call me crazy - but reading and dyslexia are like oil and water - I had never read a memoir, so I bought Irene's book, The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference.

As the only surviving child of Ukrainian immigrant parents living in Canada, Sitting Swing tells the story of Irene's childhood and the far reaching effects it had on her as an adult.

Her website says: Irene Watson's pretentious life could go no further until she faced her own past. Her inspiring memoir begins at the end, in a recovery center, where she has gone to understand a childhood fraught with abuse, guilt, and uncertainty. http://irenewatson.com/

Later, when I was looking for a good review service for my books, I went back to ReaderViews.com. I had a question or something about the process and Irene answered it.

Over time, our friendship has been one of frank discussions about the publishing industry in general and the indie corner in particular. Irene is one of the industry's pros. I love our discussions, idea bouncing, and years long friendship. Irene has come in and provided services to indie writers that were once road blocks to our entrance into the arena of the publishing world.

Today, I'm switching her hat to the writer Irene. There is so much I want to ask about writing a memoir. I write faux memoirs, so I'm off the hook to get things right - I make them up. However, I'm sure Irene will gladly answer questions about the industry for writers and for readers who are curious about what the heck it is that we do. Plus I will take the liberty to plug that serious readers who want to be reviewers for Irene can contact her for details. irene@readerviews.com

Until I started writing Irene's day, I hadn't realized she has a new video for her second edition of The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference.

Check this out!



Party Game: Irene is giving away two autographed copies of Sitting Swing. To be eligible to win, the game is name the country your family immigrated from or you would like to immigrate to - make something up, if you don't have a real answer.

This is the place to party without worrying about typos in the comments (who cares?), so if English is a second language, comment anyway -- this is after all, only the FIRST DRAFT.

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html
The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Party with CONNIE E.CURRY!

One thing for sure, we KNOW how to party at this BLOG PARTY. I have to quote Roman, the winner of Glyn's book, "You are damn right that it pays to play, but believe me this is just the second time I won anything and it feels jolly good." There! You have it from a winner. The only way to win is to play.

The winners from yesterday are, drumroll - please! Kevin, Shadow Government by Ray Derby; The Little Hobbit, Ned Visits New York by Kip Cosson; Kate, The Desert Has No King, by Fred Baby Aguilar; Mary, The Bully Books by Rita Towes; and name withheld on Why Me? by Rita Towes. Congratulations to each of the winners, email me to arrange to collect your books. NEWS FLASH: Kip has donated a second autographed Ned Visits New York and that one goes to Pesky Kid. (Winners, please email me)


Connie E. Curry is one of the funniest people I know. Boy can she string a yarn. I hope some day all of you get to read her humorous piece on her son's health class assignment. As a mom of three boys, I held my breath as I read that piece, then the 'gotcha moment' at the end, did get me.

I hate to admit it, but I met Connie on Facebook (don't go look to friend me, I was there all of 6 weeks).

Connie wrote a thick book about her knock-down, drag-out, kick boxing win over breast cancer. She is one gutsy lady. A picture of her without hair fills the front cover of her book, Give Me Back My GLORY. The book ends with her picture with hair, the beautiful picture that is on her website. Go look, http://www.givemebackmyglory.com/

Connie is a freelance writer with a background as an emergency medical technician, EMT, the ambulance person who saves your life in an emergency. In four easy pages, Connie brings you from her childhood to the day she knew for certain she had breast cancer. Check this out, it is smooth, "Our innocent, sweet babies had grown into teens and, although born beautiful and healthy, they lacked angel wings."

When it comes to breast cancer, Connie is clear about straight talk - it's the only way to be. I have learned more about breast cancer than I've ever known, and I'm not even finished with her book. I had no idea that after a mastectomy, part of the reconstructive surgery involved tattooing 'pigment' for the new nipple area. Makes perfect sense, I just never thought about it.

Connie's Give Me Back My GLORY makes it okay to be scared, to be brave, to fight for your glory. She includes photos of her journey to glory in her book.

Each day since my very first chemo, I would feel my hair and tug on it, looking for signs of it falling out. When I bathed, I would check the drain as the water washed away, always looking for clumps of hair.

A book this well written doesn't just come out of nowhere, so I ask Connie to share more about her day job.

I won the National James Thurber Humor writing contest with my short story called, "Homework Assignment." My first story was for a magazine called, Women With Wheels. I took on a huge job, rebuilding my 1974 VW Bug. It is a beautiful car and I spent more on my chrome wheels than I ever spent on jewelry. I truly did a lot of the labor on it. I still drive it and love it.

I also write for my local paper. My column is, "Our Neighbors" and it is about ordinary residents here with big stories."Everyone has a interesting story," I've said numerous times. About 5 yrs. ago, I went into our local paper office and asked to speak to the publisher. We'd never met and I had not a lot of writing under my belt (although I have sold many stories to various magazines which has not been included on my web page, yet). Anyway, I boldly walked in, introduced myself and being so outspoken, I said, "You know, our paper needs more. Subscribers do not want to read about a farmer in Iowa, or a story about someone they don't know. They love stories about people right here in Delaware. There are so many interesting people here. Let me write stories about them." As simple as that, he gave me the job. The stories are on my web page. I love meeting people and truly enjoy their unique stories. I get calls from people all the time that want me to write their story. I feel so honored.

I also write for the local Habitat for Humanity which is my way of giving since I never climb on roofs and pound nails on the homes they build for low income people.

Here is Connie's kid!


Party Game: Write a title of a story about a made person in Connie's home town for her column. (It won't really be published, this is just a game.) Also ask Connie any questions about breast cancer. Let the games begin to win an autographed copy of Give Me Back My Glory.

Irene Watson is here tomorrow!

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html
The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Party to the Max: Five winners today!

Today launches the THIRD week of the awesome-est BLOG PARTY for readers and writers! I am so thrilled all my friends are meeting each other and having such a good time. Today we are giving a way SIX BOOKS from FOUR authors!

Peggy (USA) won Carolyn's book last Friday! Congratulations! (email me, please)

Several of my good friend are not able to party with us, but they are here in spirit and they are donating autographed books for me to give away. I have the best friends in the whole world!

Ray Derby has been a long time friend. If you want to be dazzled by a bio, go look here: http://rayderby.com/bio.html I am, without a doubt, Ray's biggest fan. He writes books about government conspiracies with the voice of authority. Any of his books could easily be made into a movie that would rival Three Days of the Condor, Spy Games, or any other conspiracy movie you can name. His titles are Shadow Government, Bradley's Ghost, and Clouds of Deception. Look here for details: http://rayderby.com/index.html Each of these books are incredible stories and his voice is distinctively that of a master storyteller. Ray will give one of his books today.

Next on today's line up is Frederiko "Fred Baby" Aguilar. Fred is 100% character. He and my hubby lit up Las Vegas one weekend. (I don't want to know the details!) Fred comes from my home town (Southern California area) and even wrote a murder on Seal Beach, the same beach in my trilogy. The Desert Has No King is a true mafia-style story of the young desert city of sin and gambling - Las Vegas, Nevada. It is a God Father story of the west and how much of the story is fiction, I can't say for sure. Learn more here: http://www.thedeserthasnoking.com/index.html

Turning to the lighter side of life is Kip Cosson. Kip is a New York City designer of children's clothes. He took his characters from the front of his clothes into a book a couple of years ago. I was the first person to order his book! Yep, I have the first autographed copy of Ned Visits New York. Ned Penguin hops on an ice burg to go to NYC to visit his pen pal, Meece Mouse. The two mates visit all the best spots in New York City. This is a toddler age book, the pictures drawn by Kip are vivid and fun. Coming this fall will be Kip's second book, Ned & Meece The Wheels of New York. Each page of the story will be written in 6 languages. You bet, I'm going to be first in line to get this book too. Kip sends his regrets and said something about a honeymoon, so I let him off this hook for the blog party. http://kipkids.com/AboutKipPage.htm

And the lady of the day is Rita Y. Toews from Canada. Rita writes award winning novels for adults, but she and I are on a campaign about Bullying. Bullying is a life long cycle. Both the bully and his/her target commence down a road that leads no where good: Broken relationships, poor social skills, failed employment, inadequate parenting skills...the solution is to break the cycle. The Bully: A Discussion and Activity Story is for grade school children. The perfect companion to The Bully is Bullying: A Parent's Primer. (These two books will be given away together.) And for teens, Why Me? (an eBook). Please learn more about these books here: http://www.thebullybook.com/ Bookmark this page. If you ever know of a person who is being bullied, come here and buy the book for them. That will be your contribution to their life and a better tomorrow.

Party Game: On your FIRST comment of the day, include which book you would like to win. There will be 5 winners today. Here are your choices:
1) one of Ray Derby's books, Shadow Government, or Bradley's Ghost, or Clouds of Deception. Pick one.
2) Fred Baby's The Desert Has No King
3) Kip Cosson's Ned Visits New York
4) Rita Toews Bully (for children) and Bullying (for parents) - both books come as one gift, for you or someone you know. Why Me? I'd like to go to a teen or be for a teen you know.

You have lots of choices, do your homework and post your choice in the comment section.

Coming up tomorrow is Connie E. Curry! Yea!

**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com

Weekend Intermission...

Keep dreaming your dreams. Celebrate with abandon when they come true.

There will be five winners on Monday!

Weekend Intermission...

Wow! What a party! You are the best-est ever! We have set all kinds of records with this blog party and that wasn't even the point. What was the point? Simply to get together for my 100th blog post and celebrate each other, writing, reading, life in general.

We are at the halfway point and still have lots of partying to go. To launch our second half of the most awesome-est (yeah, I really am a writer) blog party for readers and writers, we are starting off on Monday with four books to give away - FOUR winners on Monday!

Mushy Alert: I know this stuff makes some people uncomfortable -- they tell me. Nonetheless, life is short and I don't think we can express appreciation or affection one time too many.

Thank you to the guests who have come to the blog party, sometimes repeatedly. Thank you to those who have invited their friends. Thank you to all our friends and families who have visited 'our' day and not known how to participate, you are the wind beneath our sails. And to my writer friends, thank you for doing this, I know it is time consuming. I'm glad you've enjoyed it. I am having the time of my life, thank you all.

The nice thing about this party is you can revisit any day, like a time machine! The winner of Carolyn Howard-Johnson's book will be announced on Monday. Have a good weekend. Please play this song below that I posted for YOU. You know who you are. Yes, you - you're the one.



**If you need help navigating blogger, here are some basic instructions: http://nadinelaman.blogspot.com/2009/08/just-few-basics.html

The comment section is below this line. Click on the word "comments." That's where you can leave a note. eMail me if you have trouble with this...NadineLaman(at)aol.com