1k-a-day Grand Prize Giveaway!

Since the first of July, Tracy and I have mentioned there will be one final large giveaway for 1k-a-day! Today is the day we finally announce what is included! The prize consists of two parts, because we are each including items. The winner will be receiving it in two packages since Tracy and I live in different areas (and heck, even different countries!)

To be entered to win, all you had to do is participate and comment during the month of July! We will be selecting the winner Tuesday (tomorrow), so please check back then to see if you won! Good luck everyone!

If you ask me, there is some awesome stuff here. Some of it is swag from YA authors, a signed copy of Tracy's book (which, IMO is amazing!), YA books and swag from Comic Con! Oh, and a little amigurumi crochet cupcake made by me!

Here is a breakdown of items included in the prize packs:



















From Tracy:

- signed copy of UMS
- Class of 2k10 bookmark
- UMS postcard
- UMS character card
- UMS ribbon and cross bookmark - based on Eryn's necklace






















From Tami:

-Beautiful Darkness bracelet
-Twilight-themed playing cards
-A Dexter (the TV Show) pin and lanyard
- Losing Faith by Denise Jaden bookmark
-How it ends by Laura Wiess
-The China Garden by Liz Berry
-Tattoo by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
-An amigurumi crochet cupcake (not shown. Winner can pick the color of "icing" if you want since I will have to specially make this item.)

1k-a-day Final Friday Giveaway

I know that I mentioned I would be giving the Friday book away on Sunday, but my router had other ideas. Our internet connection hated me, so today is the day! Sorry for the delay. The final Friday giveaway book is an ARC of Immortal by Gillian Shields! Below is the synposis from bn.com:

Welcome to Wyldcliffe, the place that haunts my present, my past, and my future.

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn from her home near the sea to become the newest scholarship student, strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave her drowning in loneliness.

Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a mysterious and attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian blaze with each secret meeting, she begins to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl—a girl who is so eerily like Evie she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. As the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astounding truth about Sebastian, and her own incredible fate.

I used a random generated number site, listing each person in no particular order who posted their word count at least once. This week's winner of is:

lostinbelieving (Alison)!!!!!!!!

Congrats! Please email me at YAedge at yahoo dot com with your address and I'll mail it off.

Later today I will be posting a list of items (with pictures) included in the huge grand prize for 1k-a-day! Check back for that and tomorrow I'll be drawing the winner. Good luck!

1k-a-day Final Word Counts and Thoughts

Day 31 word count: 588
SS final word count: 63 187
LI final word count: n/a
WS final word count: n/a
Untitled 1: 1551
Untitled 2: 2002
Skin of My Teeth: 1343

Tracy's 1k-a-day overall word count: I wrote 27 772 words for SS and the other untitled stories and bit for SOMT brought me up to 32 668. I'm glad that overall I made the word count, but if you factor in my cocky expectations (was going for 3k - 1k per project) I didn't do well. I'm not going to dwell on it though, I did write 30k in a month. Nice! I have a few weeks left before it's back to school, hopefully I'll continue to plug away at 1k.

It's bizarre - all the stuff life throws at you when you're doing a timed goal activity like this - our cat getting ill, power outages, gardening adventures, etc. But it's all part of the writing gig - finding a balance between the real world and the worlds we create.

I hope everyone was inspired by our challenge! Enjoy the giveaways. ;)


Day 31 word count: 2,670

Parlor final word count: 37,033

WD final word count:
Dream final word count: 2,212

Tami's 1k-a-day overall word count: 39,245

I have to say, this was my most successful 1k-a-day! I had a great time this month writing with everyone, and I hope you did, too. Thanks for participating and I hope those who won books (or will) enjoy them! I'll be sending out the batch of books/prizes this coming week.

I took this 1k-a-day from a different standpoint then I did the previous. Before, I was working with new ideas, writing 1st drafts which I love. This past month, I was in 2nd draft mode which isn't a favorite of mine. I struggle with the second draft because it's all about trying to see what you did wrong in the first. By the time you're done with the 2nd or 3rd draft, it's down to polishing and taking crit partners' comments to heart. I don't mind that, but the 2nd draft....ew. 1k-a-day helped me plod through. Trust me, I'm grateful for the guilt I felt when I didn't write or hit the 1,000 mark each day. It was great motivation to see all of your word counts, even on the days that you struggled along with me. It's amazing what a little push publishing your word count on a blog each day can do for you. I'm also amazing what writing each day can do for creativity. I was able to work through a few plot points that I didn't know how to solve and came up with my next book idea. I definitely can't complain.

Just because the month of July has now passed us by, that doesn't mean you can't continue to try and achieve 1,000 words each day. Even if you don't hit 1k, sitting down and writing even a sentence can do wonders for a story. It maybe the best or worst sentence you have ever written, but it's words to the end goal.

My favorite art teacher told me many times, You must keep going, even if your drawings are crappy because for every 100 drawings, you will produce one amazing piece of art. All the pain of the 100 is worth it for the one. I think the same thing can be said for writing. You have to get the crappy words/paragraphs/pages/drafts out before finding the gem.

So, join me in continuing the adventure of 1k-a-day. I will not be publishing my word count every day for the month of August, but trust me, I will be writing every day to hit my end goal.

I also want to thank my partner in crime, Tracy, for slogging through the month. I know we both had our ups and downs, but have a lot to show for it. I look forward to the month of August, more writing and starting to critique again.

For those of you not familiar with our normal blog format, please come back and check it out. We have new posts every Monday and Friday (sometimes Wednesdays as well) where we talk about all things writing and teen fiction.

1k-a-day Day 31

Day 30 word count: 0
SS current word count:
LI current word count:

WS current word count: Zippo on the word count for me yesterday. Our 18 year old kitty, Vegas, has been going through a rough patch and we were on "death watch". Sigh. We're taking her back to vet today to see what's up with our little diva.

Here's hoping everyone gets writing on this last day of 1k!

Day 30 word count: 1,382

Parlor current word count: 34,363

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

Wow, today is the last day of 1k-a-day. The time flew by! Be sure to try to hit those word counts hard today for one last push. Everyone did so awesome, be sure to take Sunday off and not think about writing! You deserve it. I know I'll be relaxing.

Since today is the last day, I have extended the deadline for the last Friday book giveaway. I will be announcing the winner tomorrow, instead of today. If you haven't posted your word count for the week, please do so to be entered.

As I mentioned a few days ago, we have one final HUGE prize to give away. On Monday we will be announcing what is included in the prize and Tuesday we will announce the winner! If you have participated at all in 1k-a-day and have commented on a post throughout the month, you will be entered to win!

Also look for our final post with the 1k-a-day end word counts and some thoughts on how the month progressed.

Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Day 30

Day 29 word count: 1551
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:
Untitled: 1551

I needed a break from SS yesterday and so I just sat at my laptop and wrote whatever came to mind. To do so can be a dangerous thing. Writing is a form of therapy after all.

With summer here and us spending time at the beach, I've been having these flashbacks to the days when my father was healthy and strong, and used to take us out to the lake to swim all day, and burn burgers on an open fire. My dad is originally from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. When he was a kid, he swam every day, rain or shine. We've been in Alberta forever. Here we have seas of canola fields. I know he made do with our leach-dodging, muddy-bottom lake swims, but it would have been wonderful for him to get to the sea one last time before Alzheimer’s really started to do some damage. Anyway...the bit I wrote starts like this...

"Lightning flashed where sky and water met in a black line across the horizon. I saw your mouth moving, but your laughter never reached me. It travelled with the wind, skimmed the white caps and was lost. You waved, then dove under one last time. I shivered on the shore. Waiting. Towel around my shoulders, my damp hair hanging in crisp strands. I wanted to go home, but you had just arrived."

Anyway. Re-reading it today is tough. It's raining this morning, maybe I'll head to the lake, Dad. Wish you could join me.

Day 29 word count: 4,288

Parlor current word count: 32, 981

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

I had a great day yesterday, which felt good since we're down to only two days left of 1k-a-day counting today. I edited and rewrote 1 1/2 chapters, one of those chapters pretty hefty. Things are going well, and the new character traits I've added turning 1k-a-day are weaving in nicely. I'm also proud that I have hit above 31k (which would end 1k-a-day) before the last day.

Today we will be giving away more books! Be sure to post your word count if you have yet for the week. Plus, in the first few days of August, Tracy and I will be revealing what is included in the large final prize pack that includes a signed book, ARCs, swag and more! Every person who has posted during 1k-a-day as a participant will be eligible to win.

Also, for the previous winners, I have waited to go to the post office at the end of 1k-a-day. I will inform you all when I send out the books.

Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Day 29

Day 28 word count: 1343
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

SOMT - 1343

We're down to the wire with 1k! Exciting stuff. ;) I wrote a scene for Second Skin and then realized I HAD to save it for the third book, Skin of My Teeth. It's now in a file with a bunch of notes, bits of scenes, bits of dialogue, etc - I have no idea how many words I actually have for that book. I'm still plotting through the SS ender. I want to end on a cliffhanger, but give enough resolution that the novel can stand alone. Sooooo tough to do. Enjoy the last few days and the giveaways!

Day 28 word count: 878

Parlor current word count: 28,693

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

I didn't hit 1k yesterday, but I got a LOT done. I edited/rewrote 2 chapters and also had a slight character development change. Overall, I'm not super happy with the two chapters, but I think they improved. I'm moving on tomorrow with a few more chapters, and will return to the two I did today when I start on draft 3. It was a good day, I felt confident in my writing and also found a new coffee/tea/gelato place which was friendly and homey. They even have rocking chairs! Too awesome.

Great giveaways by Tracy yesterday! Congrats to the winner. :) Look for more giveaways as 1k-a-day comes to an end in the new few days. Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Day 28

Day 27 word count: 1446
SS current word count: 62 599
LI current word count:
WS current word count:


Somehow I worked in my 1k amidst watching several movies and weeding in the garden (although I swore never again after last week - but those weeds haunt me!).


I hope to stay focused on writing today, although after watching The Runaways last night, I just might end up calling a few friends to jam. My bass has been lonely. ;)


Day 27 word count: 0


Parlor current word count: 27,815


WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

Okay, so I was bad yesterday and didn't write but I did do some research, does that count? I also had a lovely time with my friend I met online. The last few days I plan to hit the word count pretty hard, so we'll see where I get. I love 1k-a-day because it makes me feel guilty when I write. Yesterday was one of those days. I hope to finish re-writing a few more chapters before the month is through.

Can't wait to see what ARC Tracy is giving away today!! Good luck to everyone who enters.

1k-a-day Day 27

Day 26 word count: 2007
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

I spent all of yesterday working on catchy back blurbs for Second Skin. Even though my editor may choose something completely different - I needed to work on the pitch anyway. I compiled all the versions into a single Word doc and whoa, that was some word count. ;) Some of the lines I created are pretty cool and might get worked into SS. But did I actually write for SS? Nope.

Today I will.

Giving away a freebie book tomorrow - an ARC I think you'll be excited about!

Day 26 word count: 1,423

Parlor current word count: 27,815

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

Words did not come easy yesterday. I had to force them out through the throbbing in my mouth and foot. That being said, the dentist trip went as good as hoped when you're getting two fillings. I was able to spend some time crocheting and watching a movie (Did you hear about the Morgans? which was an okay movie. Didn't love it, and the writing kinda sucked but it was entertaining enough) which was a nice break from struggling to write.

Today I meet a friend from the internet that I've been talking to for some time. We're planning to go have coffee and crochet (yes, I am that big of a dork), so I hope to get my words in before that so I don't feel stressed that I'm not writing.

Wow, I can't believe we only have 3 more days after today. Did July just fly by for everyone or was it just me? I believe tomorrow Tracy will be giving away a book, so be sure to stick around and find out how to enter to win! Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Day 26

Day 25 word count: 0
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

Ugh - epic fail on writing yesterday. I didn't even plot. Sigh. Was obsessing over drafts of the Second Skin cover - that's right, the cover is in the works and so are two teaser trailers. :) Kinda lights a fire under your butt to finish the book, let me tell ya.

Tami - hope the dentist goes well. Think of a happy place...


Day 25 word count: 899

Parlor current word count: 26,392

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

Wow did I have a weird weekend. Saturday I went to the eye doctor as I mentioned and then my husband got sick. We spent the night at the ER (he's okay) and didn't get much sleep. Yesterday we took it easy, just running errands and such. I got a lot of reading time in, which is awesome. I was finishing up laundry, when I didn't realize there was a small crowbar sitting on top of the dryer. I went to empty the lint trap, which caused the crowbar to fall on my almost barefoot (I had on flip flops). Now I'm hobbling around, wondering if a small bone could be broken. Not fun. The crowbar instantly left a dent/bruise. Today I go to the dentist (in about 10 minutes actually) to get a cavity filled. My life is FULL OF FUN! I hope to get some time in writing today but frankly, I just feel like vegging on the couch reading and watching movies. We'll see how it goes once I get back from the dentist.

I hope everyone has a great day! It's the start of the last week of 1k-a-day. We have a ton of prizes/books to give away to make sure to stick around. You owe it to yourself!

1k-a-day Day 25

Day 24 word count: 0
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

I started strong yesterday, plotting and plotting. I'm sure I hit 1k, but I wrote in my coil notebook and, frankly, it's a mess. Crossed out sections and arrows and stuff in the margins. Hopefully I'll be able to turn my scribbles into something meaningful today. Good luck!

Day 24 word count: 1,575

Parlor current word count: 25,493

WD current word count:
Dream current word count: 2,212

Yesterday was a nice recovery day from Comic Con. We got up early and headed over to the eye doctor before have a great breakfast at one of our favorite morning restaurants. Then it was off to the park so Milo, our Corgi, could run around and get some of the energy he's been balling up this past week. The afternoon came, and I was ready to write. I love when I don't have to force myself to sit down to hit 1k, but actually enjoy open my computer and digging into the story. Overall, the rewriting is going well, and I have yet to have to touch my other WIP. I think getting a new idea during the month helped me pull away from Parlor for a day or so. I came back refreshed and actually solved a few problems I was having with character relation! I love when my brain does work behind the scenes.

We have a big week for giveaways! Be sure to stick around for the final days of 1k-a-day!

1k-a-day Day 24

Day 22 word count: 1209

SS current word count:

LI current word count: 1209

WS current word count:

Well I seem to have come to an impass with SS. Or maybe it's a fork in the road. Anyway, it could end two completely different ways. I didn't want to decide just yet, so I wrote for one of my other projects yesterday instead. Nothing like avoidance, eh?

Part of me wants to write two different endings and then pick the one that has the most umph...hmmm....perhaps I'll plot them out today to see what develops.

Remember 1k-a-day (and an apple) keeps the loonybin doctors at bay. ;)

Day 22 word count: 0

Parlor current word count:

WD current word count:

Unfortunately I was unable to write yesterday. Comic Con took over (and I had a blast) but a small headache turned into a migraine. Never fun. The last thing I wanted to do was write. I could barely see!

We're starting the last week of 1k-a-day. Amazing how quickly a month can fly by. Don't forget, we'll be giving away the normal Friday book this week, but I believe we'll also be giving away one on Wednesday! At the end of the month, Tracy and I are putting together a large prize pack to one of the participatant as well. When it gets closer, we will be announcing what's included! The prize pack will consist of books (even signed or ARCs), swag and more!

1k-a-day Day 23

Day 22 word count: 1042
SS current word count: 62 599
LI current word count:
WS current word count:


I worked my 1k in amongst a lot of reading time. I finished Shannon Delany's 13 to Life. Shannon is a fellow Class of 2k10 author and she writes about werewolves. How fun! I had the honour of meeting her during our 2k10 NYC / BEA tour in May. She's not only a great author, she's one heck of an organizer and all round fire cracker. ;) I also picked up my copy of Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and will start on it today. I adored Shiver (the first in the series) and can't wait to sink back into the dreamy Sam and Grace world. If you haven't seen the trailers or experienced the music Maggie makes - go here now!


Now, I know some authors who specifically avoid reading titles within their genre for fear of being influenced - a valid point. But I'm the opposite. Here I am working on my next werewolf story and the were / shifter genre is what I'm keen to read. I admire how other authors tackle the tough parts of writing shifters - you can only use the words "snort" or "growl" so many times. I become aware of what is cliché and how to twist those clichés within my own story. Plus, I'm reading books I'd be fawning over even if I wasn't a writer. I just love these tales.


Day 22 word count: 4,612
Parlor current word count: 23,918
WD current word count:

Despite starting late in the day, I got a lot done yesterday as you can see! Not every single word in that count was new, but it seemed like I touched each whether I moved it, rewrote, deleted or added to it all. It was actually one chapter that was long and a lot of info is crammed into. I'm glad I got it finished and I'm happy with it (or semi-happy) so I can not worry about it tomorrow while at Comic Con.

I hope everyone has a great day! Don't forget to post your word count. I will be posting the book up for grabs later today/tonight! Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Day 22

Day 21 word count: 1000
SS current word count: 61 557
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

I was so close to 1k yesterday but ended on some weird number like 997 or something, so I added a few "blabla"s at the end of my last sentence to get 1k even. How's that for a number fixation? By the end of July I'll be using charcoal from our firepit to scribble "1k" all over my office walls in a thousand languages (including Sanskrit) and babbling about it being the new number of the beast. Ha! See, this is why I write fiction, so I can explore my madness without going...you know...full-on mad. In theory.

Did I have a point here? Ummm....not really. Anywho - have a great Thursday and may it be numerically advantageous to us all.

Day 21 word count: not sure!
Parlor current word count:
WD current word count:

So, I'm back in San Diego! Man did I drive a lot yesterday. About 45 minutes to the signing, then a little over an hour back (yay rush hour traffic!) and then it took me about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get home from LA. That being said, it was worth it! I had such a great time at the Ally Carter/Melissa De La Cruz signing. Both girls were fabulous! They each talked for a few minutes to start off and then did a pretty long question and answer session. Everyone was able to get in questions (there was about 60 people there which is pretty good considering they did a signing just down the freeway the night before) and the answers were awesome. After that part was done, they signed. I love stores (especially indie stores like Vromans! If you're ever in the LA/Pasadena area, please do yourself a favor and visit them. They are the largest and oldest Indie book store in Southern California and have a great staff and AWESOME YA section.) that let you bring books from home to get signed. They were great about it and I was able to get the first Gallagher Girls book signed, the new one, the 3rd one, Heist Society and Ally's 1st book (not YA) all personalized. It was great because her first book, Cheating with Solitaire is out of print so she was just a little surprised to see it! Both girls took the time to talk to each person they signed for, amazing! Ally Carter's books are one of the reasons I started reading/writing YA, so it meant a lot to me. Thanks Ally!

Wow, that was long. Can you tell I'm STILL excited about it!? Oh, I also bought Lies by Michael Grant. I have yet to still read Hunger (the second in the Gone trilogy), but I couldn't pass it up as it was signed from when he was there a few weeks ago. I also got up the courage (I'm really shy in person) to say hi and introduce myself to Kami Garcia (co-author of Beautiful Creatures/Beautiful Darkness) which was nice. She's awesome. :)

So, back to the real world and writing. Yesterday I was able to do a little editing, but not much adding to the word count, which is why I have no idea how many words I wrote. In the end, I was happy with what I got accomplished because I was able to tweak the first 4 chapters again (seriously, will I ever move on?)

As far as today, I'm going to try to get a bit of writing in because tomorrow is Comic Con here in San Diego! I'll be going to the Beautiful Creatures/Beautiful Darkness signing, as well as trying to pick up free swag from a bunch of booths around. I'll give my full report on Saturday.

I hope everyone is having a great week. Tomorrow we'll announce which book is up for grabs this week. Don't forget to post your word count at least once to be entered.

Happy writing!

1k-a-day Day 21

Day 20 word count: 1507
SS current word count: 61 557
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

I was happy with my word count yesterday. I think the hail storm inspired me. Nothing like Nature's fury to help with a battle scene. Huddled in the house with two freaked out dogs, the thunder did sound like mortar rounds going off - as close to trench warfare as I want to get.

Hopefully Tami will be able to log in today. Okay....I'm off to write....good luck peeps!






Day 20 word count: 250
Parlor current word count:
WD current word count:

So I only wrote 250 words, but with traveling and being in LA, at least it's something. I hope to write some today but don't have much hope. We'll be heading to Pasadena early for lunch and then the signing at 4. Can't wait! Will tell you all about it tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a great writing day! Maybe I'll have some swag to give away after tonight!

1k-a-day Day 20

Day 19 word count: 0
SS current word count:
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

Yesterday I deliberately avoided the computer as I was still recovering from my garden weeding misadventures. I managed to jot down some notes to expand upon today, but didn't count them. Have a blast on your trip, Tami! On your recommendation, I bought one of Ally Carter's books and will dive into it soon.

Good luck everyone! 1k or bust!

Day 19 word count: 1,000
Parlor current word count: 19.306
WD current word count:
The Dream book: 2,212

Okay, so I didn't write exactly 1,000 words yesterday, but it's hard to tell how many I have. It was around 1,800 but some of those were from research I read on mythology I was looking into for the new book idea I have, so to be fair I just said 1k. :) My day was odd yesterday because I tried to do all my house choirs in the morning before the heat was too much to handle. I got a ton done in the morning, but not much in the afternoon. I wanted to go to the library to do some more research, but it was closed. Stupid budget cuts! So, instead I went home and found a few sites online that helped me with my research.

Tomorrow's post might be a little late for me, but we'll see. I'm heading to Los Angeles today for the Ally Carter signing at one of my all time favorite book stores, Vromans. The signing is at 4pm on Wednesday, but I've decided to go a day early and visit with my family. Hopefully I'll get some writing done and will be able to tackle my check in post on my mom's computer (she still has dial up, so wish me luck).

1k-a-day Day 19

Day 18 word count: 497
SS current word count: 60 050
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

I was halfway through my 1k when the sunshine got to me. I ended up weeding the garden (our potatoes, lettuce and cucumbers are doing great!), getting the plastic kid pool out for the dogs and watching their antics most of the afternoon. Then - of course - I had a mean case of sunstroke. Cause, why would I wear a hat? Why would I hydrate with water? It's been so long since we had a cloudless, sunny day, I apparently forgot the basics. My evening was spent nursing a headache, watching episodes of Reaper (season 1) and laying on the couch.

Anywho - I plan to stay inside today and write. Good luck to us all on this fine Monday morning!


Day 18 word count: 1,212
Parlor current word count: 19,306
The dream book: 1,212
WD current word count:

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I woke up on Sunday morning with a dream so vivid it felt as if I had lived it. I told my husband about it right away and the first thing he said, "I think you have your next book." As if I needed another one! So, I used my 1k on Sunday for writing my dream down. I still have a bit to go, because while I wrote, I got more ideas but it's a start. We then spent the evening at On the Border for happy hour, drinking margaritas and talking over the story ideas again. I forgot how fun a new story can be! I'm really excited about it, and hope it makes me want to finish Parlor even faster. We'll see where the dream leads me, but right now it leads me to my 1k-a-day. Don't you love when that happens?

1k-a-day Day 18

Day 17 word count: 2447
SS current word count: 59 553
LI current word count:

WS current word count:

I smoked through my 1k and continued onward. I really thought I was going to make 3k, but alas, Reaper season 1 caused a distraction. And then we went to see Inception (which for some reason - seriously not Freudian, I have 3 fur kids and that is IT! - I keep wanting to call Conception...lol...) Other than painting a few panels on our fence, there is nothing in my way of aiming for 3k today.

Congrats to Mary! Graceling looks like a wonderful read.

Day 17 word count: 0
Parlor current word count: 19,306
WD current word count:

I feel shame. :( I didn't write yesterday because it was too hot and we had to cram in a bunch of stuff before wasting away in the heat (it was over 100 degrees today and we don't have A/C). Not a good excuse, but that's all I've got. It's only the second day of writing nothing for 1k-a-day so not too shabby. That being said, I need to hit it hard tomorrow. I have a busy week coming up where it will be hard to find time to write.

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and congrats again to Mary. We will be giving away more books next week, so stick with us. There are a bunch of great ones still on the giveaway list that Tracy and I need to purge from our collection so we can make room for new books!

1k-a-day Friday Giveaway Winner 3

As I posted yesterday and through the contest, we're giving a book away to a random winner each Friday. All you have to do is post your word count once throughout the week to be entered.

This week's book is Graceling by Kristin Cashore. Here is the description again:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

I used a random generated number site, listing each person in no particular order who posted their word count at least once. This week's winner of Graceling is:

Mary Brebner!!!!!!!!

Congrats Mary! Please email me at YAedge at yahoo dot com with your address and I'll mail it off.

For those who didn't win this week, don't worry. We still have tons of books to give away! Thanks again to all who participated in week 2 of 1k-a-day!

1k-a-day Day 17

Day 16 word count: 1152
SS current word count: 57 106
LI current word count:
WS current word count:

Getting in my 1k was the only good thing about yesterday.

Wednesday night, we'd seen the trucks drive into town - you know the ones with giant-sized tea cups, carousel horses and mini donut signs. The summer fair was rolling into town for a handful of days. We knew we had to work a visit into our pressing summer schedule of second breakfasts and trips to the beach.

Then it rained. And rained.

Friday afternoon the sun was shining and so we made for the fair. But it wasn't at the usual parking lot (that's right, it's one of those mall parking lot fairs - only we have just one teeny mall, so it sets up in a lot beside the high school). It wasn't at any other parking lot in town.

They left us. No mini donuts, no tea cup rides. At least 1k was there for me. *sniffle*

Okay, rant over, I've come to terms their defection. Following Tami's lead, here are a few YA titles I've recently finished and highly recommend: White Cat by Holly Black, Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce, Hold Me Closer Necromancer (read an ARC of this from BEA - buy it when it's released - October 2010) and Shift by Rachel Vincent (next book in the series is also available in Oct 2010. AND so is The Crossroads Blog Tour I'm organizing. October is going to be one kickass month!).


Day 16 word count: 1,493
Parlor current word count: 19,306
WD current word count:

Yesterday was a decent day. I spent time at the pool with my sister and nieces which was nice. I was able to get in some writing beforehand. The great thing about the day was my brain worked out a few problems with my WIP. There were parts of the story and characters that were nagging at me to solve. They just didn't feel right in their current state. Don't you love when everything just clicks? I still have a lot of work to do (and a lot more rewriting because of it) but overall I think the story will be better because of it.

I thought I'd share a few books I've enjoyed lately. I've been trying to get through a bunch of books on my TBR list. The list just keeps on growing and I was unable to read a lot the first half of the year. Now that I'm off work, I hope to fix that! Of course, I mentioned Graceling in yesterday's giveaway post. I loved it so much that I am about to start the sequel, Fire. I also finished The Iron King this week. It seems I'm on a fantasy kick! I was unsure about The Iron King at first, but once I got into it, I loved it. It's a fun summer read and would recommend both book highly.

Any books (YA or other) that you'd like to recommend?

I'll announce the winner of the week 3 giveaway shortly! Good luck everyone!

1k-a-day Friday Giveaway 3

This week's 1k-a-day book up for grabs is Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I've owned this book for awhile and got it because of all the buzz about it. I'm not a huge fan of hard-core fantasy, but finally, the book called to me. Thank god it did! I can't describe how much I loved this book. I sped through it and as soon as I did, I wanted the sequel. I hurried to my library's ebook website and checked it out right away. I'm reading it now! The characters pop out at you, the world feels like one I could travel to. If you haven't read this book, it's a must. Maybe you'll be the lucky winner! Below is the synopsis taken from bn.com:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

To enter, comment in this post, or any post from last Friday leaving your word count by 9pm PDT today. Please remember, you must reside in the US/Canada to win the weekly prizes due to the cost of international shipping. The final contest for 1k-a-day, the prize pack will be opened to all participates. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section of this post.

I will be announcing the winner some time tomorrow via the blog and Twitter. Thanks everyone and good luck!


AND, I promised to announce the winner of the surprise book giveaway. I had my husband pick a number from 1-3 (three people entered to win) and let my husband pick a number. He picked #3!

Sarah Olutola is the winner!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats Sarah! Please email me at YAedge at yahoo dot com with your address and I'll mail it off ASAP.