tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74089107030685038502024-02-08T02:40:46.900-05:00Gina's Writer's BlogGina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.comBlogger244125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-86429549372211627982021-12-03T13:32:00.001-05:002021-12-03T13:33:33.461-05:00This isn't Goodbye it's Simply See You Later... Or is it?<p>Here we are on the brink of a new year. I'm not sure how 2021 went by so fast (seriously, I still haven't processed that 2020 is actually over) but I do have some goals in mind for 2022. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXYmRL8AmKNHqW6dq5H2zAA1Uky9sliTk1uQJgK29zzDXpZh_VcbqDEGP5sltW3clEFdbXAiRA_ulT2KvmG8fFvj9NyETJ5t4ENBoNmqC42o4QutxMbMoL5OEHM0R3kjaKZCXiG1J0RyiUNg46W8w_8hTlURbtWjHAptJWUF8TycZuCnfI_x3pziXb=s2048" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1428" data-original-width="2048" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXYmRL8AmKNHqW6dq5H2zAA1Uky9sliTk1uQJgK29zzDXpZh_VcbqDEGP5sltW3clEFdbXAiRA_ulT2KvmG8fFvj9NyETJ5t4ENBoNmqC42o4QutxMbMoL5OEHM0R3kjaKZCXiG1J0RyiUNg46W8w_8hTlURbtWjHAptJWUF8TycZuCnfI_x3pziXb=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My son enjoying the ocean on Jekyll Island in June during <br />a brief drop in Covid-19 numbers</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>First on the list? Start querying again.</p><p>It sounds easy enough. I'm no stranger to the process, I know the drill. I know rejection is part of that process.</p><p>And therein lies the problem.</p><p>In August of 2019 I wrote <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2019/08/on-walking-away-for-now.html" target="_blank">this post</a> about why I was walking away from writing for a while. To make a long story short, it had a lot to do with dishonesty/disinterest from my publishers, parting ways with my agent, and getting ghosted by more than half the agents who requested my manuscript SHADOW PARK during my last attempt at querying. </p><p>Since writing that post, I did a *major* rewrite to SHADOW PARK. And you know that feeling you get when you revise a manuscript, and it becomes clear that you gave the plot what it needed, and the story on the page is now exactly the story you set out to tell? </p><p>That's how I felt when I finished this revision. </p><p>With that much confidence in the rewrite, I should be positively vibrating with excitement to get out there and throw my hat back in the ring, right?</p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="480" src="https://giphy.com/embed/26hkhKd2Cp5WMWU1O" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/schittscreek-comedy-pop-tv-26hkhKd2Cp5WMWU1O">via GIPHY</a></p><p>Sure, there's a tiny part of my brain that's spewing all the right adages: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!" "You'll never know unless you try!" "The only way to fail is to stop trying!"</p><p>But then there's the logical voice in my head, piping up loud and clear to remind me, <b>"You've been down this road, and publishing was the truck that ran you over and kept driving."</b></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://giphy.com/embed/3ohs4C4Kq3nbzfzx7i" width="480"></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/adweek-commercial-whoops-3ohs4C4Kq3nbzfzx7i">via GIPHY</a></p><p>I just don't know if I can do it. </p><p>On Wednesday I was feeling nostalgic about my book BUSTED, as I usually do around this time of year, since it's set in November-December and takes place on a Christmas tree farm.</p><p>I decided, for the first time in a very long time, to try and give it a boost via a giveaway on Tik Tok. Yes, I have barely any followers there, but their algorithm has been kind to some of my other #booktok posts, so I gave it a whirl. And of course, shared it to my other social media accounts. Here's the video:</p><p><br /></p>
<blockquote cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@ginaciocca/video/7036815882563128622" class="tiktok-embed" data-video-id="7036815882563128622" style="max-width: 605px; min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@ginaciocca" target="_blank" title="@ginaciocca">@ginaciocca</a> <p>The winter book of my ❤ <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktok" target="_blank" title="booktok">##booktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yabooktok" target="_blank" title="yabooktok">##yabooktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/booktokchallenge" target="_blank" title="booktokchallenge">##booktokchallenge</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/giveaway" target="_blank" title="giveaway">##giveaway</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/authorsoftiktok" target="_blank" title="authorsoftiktok">##authorsoftiktok</a> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/amazonmusicjinglebelltok" target="_blank" title="amazonmusicjinglebelltok">##AmazonMusicJingleBellTok</a></p> <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/Christmas-Tree-Farm-6767480331030235137" target="_blank" title="♬ Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift">♬ Christmas Tree Farm - Taylor Swift</a></section></blockquote><p>I've learned not to expect much from any effort at book promo, but I'm always hopeful that my expectations will be exceeded. They weren't. Instead, my tip-toe back into author territory got a whopping two entries, and brought to the surface all the reasons I walked away in the first place: those ever-present feelings of not being enough. The constant wondering why no one cares. The beating myself up because it must be me, must be my fault if I can't make them care. Questioning my ability to write at all, because if no one else cares, then how can I claim that this is the thing I'm good at? </p><p><b>This is why every time I even think about sending a query, I freeze. </b>It's still so fresh in my mind: the waiting and waiting and waiting, the stopping of my heart when the reply finally pops up in my inbox. The dejection of rejection. The hopefulness of getting a request. The disappointment when it leads nowhere.</p><p>I honestly don't know if my self-esteem can take those hits again. It's one thing to love writing, but writers need their words to touch others. We need validation, we need an audience. We need people to care about our stories. We need ACCEPTANCE in an industry where the rejection is endless.</p><p>I put writing on the back burner because it was what my mental health needed at the time. But I don't feel "done." I still very much want to share my books with others. Especially SHADOW PARK, because I love it <i>so much</i>. I just don't know how to steel myself to inevitably having my words pushed back at me like an unwanted dinner plate, accompanied by a kind but insincere "No, thank you." I already know that feeling, and it nearly broke me once.</p><p>So how do I do this? How do I get the courage to start? How do I remind myself that rejection isn't personal, that it only takes one "Yes?" And then how do I keep pushing for that "yes" in a sea of "no?" How do I convince myself that I did this before and I can do it again? </p><p>Because I already know all of those things, and I'm still paralyzed.</p><p>In the post I linked to from August, I mentioned that the aggravation and disappointment I'd been through didn't feel worth it without a bright side to balance the scales. And maybe that's why I can't bring myself to take the first step.</p><p>Because when I ask, <i>Will it be worth it this time?</i> I have no way of knowing. And the answer to that question is the "Yes" I need the most.</p> <script async="" src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-63931436336768759022020-10-04T22:11:00.051-04:002020-10-16T15:10:55.637-04:00I Have a Question for Trump Supporters<p>...Several questions, actually.</p><p>As we all know, President Trump and First Lady Melania tested positive for Covid-19 late last week. "<a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/world/donald-trump-announces-on-twitter-that-he-and-wife-melania-tested-positive-for-covid-19">Out of an abundance of caution</a>," he was taken to Walter Reed Military Hospital for treatment of his "<a href="https://www.amny.com/coronavirus/white-house-says-trump-not-incapacitated-report-says-prez-has-mild-symptoms/" target="_blank">mild symptoms</a>."</p><p>Let's back up to March, when news of a virus that originated in China and was rapidly spreading around the world was all over main stream media. Americans were urged by the CDC and by NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci to exercise "an abundance of caution" to protect themselves, i.e. frequent handwashing, keeping a distance of 6 feet from others, and avoiding public places as much as possible.</p><p> But what was the Republican/conservative attitude back then? Here it is, summed up in one video:<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NAh4uS4f78o" width="560"></iframe> </p><p><b>For those who don't have time to watch the whole clip, let me provide a brief breakdown:</b></p><p><b>
Rush Limbaugh, February 28</b>: (0:18) "Corona virus is the common cold, folks."</p><p><b>Jeannine Pirro, March 7</b>: (0:52) "All the talk about corona virus being so much more deadly {than the flu} doesn't reflect reality."</p><p><b>Matt Schlapp, March 11</b>: (1:33) "It is very, very difficult to contract this virus."</p><p><b>KellyAnne Conway, March 6th</b>: (2:30) "It is being contained. Do you not think it's being contained?"</p><p><b>Donald Trump, February 26th: (2:40) "This is a flu. This is like the flu. It's going to disappear one day, it's like a miracle." </b></p><p>Note the dates on those quotes. Yes, the case numbers were still small at that point, and yes, Trump had already placed restrictions on traveling from China to the US, a decision I do commend him for (did you read that? I will give credit where credit is due). </p><p>Trump had no problem commending *himself* for this decision, either. On <b>January 22nd,</b> he said, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html">"We have it totally under control. It's one person coming in from China, it's going to be just fine."</a> </p><p>On <b>February 2nd</b>, he reiterated, "<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/travel/airlines-us-coronavirus-outbreak-travelers-china">We pretty much shut it down coming in from China</a>."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8s1oQXUDz6UQKwyvuNhK9fQ1HU4xIOlA95PXDHLbs0bBYWNrkmADAWPD1tetwNMaJIgLKr3QamD18Y1oTotgEs4LmVdpTlswv1xAlxFWMBCEp2Vgtd-SenHd9uOAf19ntCs6GRDmVG4w/s1944/Screenshot_20201010-171521_Chrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1944" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8s1oQXUDz6UQKwyvuNhK9fQ1HU4xIOlA95PXDHLbs0bBYWNrkmADAWPD1tetwNMaJIgLKr3QamD18Y1oTotgEs4LmVdpTlswv1xAlxFWMBCEp2Vgtd-SenHd9uOAf19ntCs6GRDmVG4w/s320/Screenshot_20201010-171521_Chrome.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>So positive was Trump in the success of his efforts that on <b>February 24th</b>, he tweeted this:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9vLzKmIcIEGxQK_NDNTwkjV902Uqv5t_ogIDe4zjRPPj40Hmo7bLfQ6GEDUVY1kKTa2iw5NCbNi8L2enSAV5ZeYhrM_24G8wl7K_ON5ymIrDiVEYxHX5nzfexIDDxzocI5HgcyrUUU/s359/Capture.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY9vLzKmIcIEGxQK_NDNTwkjV902Uqv5t_ogIDe4zjRPPj40Hmo7bLfQ6GEDUVY1kKTa2iw5NCbNi8L2enSAV5ZeYhrM_24G8wl7K_ON5ymIrDiVEYxHX5nzfexIDDxzocI5HgcyrUUU/s320/Capture.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>February 26th</b>, the same day the first known community-spread case was identified in California, Trump told the media, "<a href="https://youtu.be/qp3qLIo0ms0" target="_blank">When you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is gonna be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done</a>."</p><p>And yet. And yet.</p><p>This was said AFTER the Atlanta Journal Constitution ran <a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/close-200-georgia-residents-are-being-monitored-for-coronavirus/U343j1oHXVLPD6A2EvRO3I/" target="_blank">this article</a> on <b>February 12th</b> headlined "200 Georgia Residents Are Being Monitored for Corona Virus."</p><p>For the record, I live in Georgia. The state which, on August 19th, 2020 was reported as "<a href="https://www.ajc.com/news/white-house-says-georgia-now-leads-nation-in-rate-of-new-virus-cases/GXLTMDVSWJGO3EVVFAR7EJT7CA/?fbclid=IwAR2qBNVF-6uPbxBe9ILUm881nC3vrDvLMCuqE8paDm75KkaNgWh2UGs3kyU" target="_blank">lead{ing} the nation in the rate of new virus cases</a> with 216 cases per 100,000 people." </p><p>More on that later. Back to the first article, which states, "<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Nearly 200 Georgia residents are quarantined in their homes after returning from recent trips to China</b>, where a deadly new coronavirus has sickened more than 40,000 people."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Notice it does NOT read, "200 people are being detained in China for a mandatory 2-week quarantine." </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Nope. It says, "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Georgia authorities were avoiding using the word quarantine, saying instead that people are being isolated in their homes for 14 days, the illness’ incubation period." And further on: "</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Georgia health officials have been calling each traveler to discuss the required, 14-day period of staying home and stressed the importance of notifying authorities of any potential symptoms of the virus."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where was Trump when it was decided that TWO HUNDRED potentially exposed people should be allowed to repatriate in the same state, with nothing but a warning to complete an unenforced self-quarantine? How could he brag that cases would soon be down to zero with a) no proof whatsoever and b) no imposition of stricter quarantine on potentially exposed travelers? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">How is that "shut down," Mr. President? How is that "contained," Kellyanne Conway, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/latest-updates-trump-covid-19-results/2020/10/03/919821048/trump-campaign-manager-kellyanne-conway-are-latest-to-test-positive-for-coronavi" target="_blank">who is also now infected</a>? </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/first-cases-coronavirus-confirmed-georgia/4P22YK37OBF2ZIC5VY2YOX7KDE/?fbclid=IwAR2qEEfty1BZO3NgH6O5HFUgJ2ZEsmXHxxdehL9pJYy_JNXMbK3JV1qmeuc" target="_blank">Less than 3 weeks after the AJC article ran, the first two cases of corona virus were confirmed in Georgia on March 2nd.</a> In the county where I live. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">On <b>March 5th</b>, Trump tweeted this:</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g4FF_vBpXz6O3XPY7w3gUXCCLMH-PZulsAuiwKd2haHAmbxRYNpra9caRDu-KRJqkYI6B78z29ub7xwh0QA8HUbAQYC9ORzp1G9SklZUVjujLkifOlaAC5TyKI4SCAkBmFJadIM3gzs/s359/Capture2.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5g4FF_vBpXz6O3XPY7w3gUXCCLMH-PZulsAuiwKd2haHAmbxRYNpra9caRDu-KRJqkYI6B78z29ub7xwh0QA8HUbAQYC9ORzp1G9SklZUVjujLkifOlaAC5TyKI4SCAkBmFJadIM3gzs/s320/Capture2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">By this time, we were starting to learn more about the havoc the virus was wreaking in other countries. Horror stories were circulating on social media, like this </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">piece titled "</span><a href="https://www.truthorfiction.com/a-cry-from-italy-heart-of-coronavirus-outbreak-facebook-post/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">A Cry From Italy</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">" that detailed the nightmarish scenario of overwhelmed ICUs and doctors having to choose who lived and who died.</span><p></p><p><span face="-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 16.5px; font-style: italic;">"There are 2 reasons why Coronavirus has brought Italy to it’s knees. First it is a flu is devastating when people get really sick they need weeks of ICU – and, second, because of how fast and effectively it spreads. There is 2 week incubation period and many who have it never show symptoms."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">This post circulated on <b>March 11th</b> the very same day that conservative activist Matt Schlapp claimed the virus was "<a href="https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/schlapp-cpac-coronavirus-epidemic/2020/03/11/id/957884/" target="_blank">very, very difficult to contract</a>." It was also the same day that <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2020-03-11/coronavirus-is-10-times-more-lethal-than-seasonal-flu-fauci-says-video-k7nmuf45#:~:text=Coronavirus%20Is%2010%20Times%20Deadlier%20Than%20Seasonal%20Flu%2C,more%20lethal%20than%20the%20seasonal%20flu.%E2%80%9D%20%28Source%3A%20Bloomberg%29">Dr. Anthony Fauci stated the virus was "ten times more lethal than the seasonal flu</a>."</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">Stories were also emerging of <a href="https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/mar/11/donald-trump/donald-trumps-wrong-claim-anybody-can-get-tested-c/" target="_blank">how difficult it was to get tested for corona virus in the US</a>. Only those meeting certain criteria (recent travel, high-risk health conditions, severe symptoms) were being tested, and many times, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/opinions/couldnt-get-a-covid-19-test-auchter/index.html" target="_blank">not even then</a>. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;">But here's what our president had to say about testing on <b>March 6th:</b></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLnYzTXd2WIjo7QG18tN7KYioF3K2FuoM5_kD4j0nml0wDa4QBsntp5SnL_0ua_4ndvawrdXTT_GPcUsy98XKudZbTYGfP6QaTjM_3XzAuE7H1shyphenhyphenPjXjqn6Dtz_zAPD8kb01LPFJ4G0/s355/Capture3.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="127" data-original-width="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLnYzTXd2WIjo7QG18tN7KYioF3K2FuoM5_kD4j0nml0wDa4QBsntp5SnL_0ua_4ndvawrdXTT_GPcUsy98XKudZbTYGfP6QaTjM_3XzAuE7H1shyphenhyphenPjXjqn6Dtz_zAPD8kb01LPFJ4G0/s320/Capture3.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;">I could continue with a detailed timeline, but that information can be found <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/04/21/837348551/timeline-what-trump-has-said-and-done-about-the-coronavirus">here</a> and <a href="https://doggett.house.gov/media-center/blog-posts/timeline-trump-s-coronavirus-responses">here</a>. I think we all remember what happened at this point, even if not everyone remembers it the same way: local governments made decisions in regards to closing schools, many corporate men and women were sent home to work. Non-essential businesses closed, and several states issued shelter-in-place orders to limit people from traveling outside their communities.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREIxu0Xr7dEp4JLsnTu5wdzdWVi7Beb0Xs9nmL4JztOX4MdXovhE_usZMv7y9MdYAM4_w8mpyn3ZtqZbF3XBfIFllVjTUsAOmCVV-Dxad7bemaxOY-uAndolDspcUnD_B9caAzKdMp6s/s2048/NYC.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREIxu0Xr7dEp4JLsnTu5wdzdWVi7Beb0Xs9nmL4JztOX4MdXovhE_usZMv7y9MdYAM4_w8mpyn3ZtqZbF3XBfIFllVjTUsAOmCVV-Dxad7bemaxOY-uAndolDspcUnD_B9caAzKdMp6s/s320/NYC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">photo credit: voanews.com</div><br /><div><div>And still, by April, New York had become an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/22/nyregion/Coronavirus-new-York-epicenter.html" target="_blank">epicenter of the pandemic</a>, with more than 15,000 people testing positive. </div><div><br /></div><div>Author and former literary agent Nathan Bransford recounted his experience as a New York resident and Covid patient <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nathanbransford/posts/10163422151720058" target="_blank">here</a>, stating, "My building overlooks Brooklyn Hospital Center, and every afternoon I'd see them rolling body bags into the mobile refrigerated morgues outside. One day I just stopped counting after seeing 11..." </div><div><br /></div><div>Read that again. Body counts were so high they were being stored in MOBILE REFRIGERATED MORGUES. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTxdL6pRwIKy4rjiaDd6LpzQ2Dw7p427iDdRa-nqs3U8Y5mYDf9LMd-4Ej4RRFctPUyQwSoRYiH2A8KBN9mQUf-43SmkR0W25EOyY_VISS57T1yR_Mh0wW1YHp3E-pJecLHOLTyCMv3s/s275/Morgue+truck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTxdL6pRwIKy4rjiaDd6LpzQ2Dw7p427iDdRa-nqs3U8Y5mYDf9LMd-4Ej4RRFctPUyQwSoRYiH2A8KBN9mQUf-43SmkR0W25EOyY_VISS57T1yR_Mh0wW1YHp3E-pJecLHOLTyCMv3s/s0/Morgue+truck.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">photo credit: gothamist.com</div><br /><div>In Detroit, it was reported that <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/us/detroit-hospital-workers-sinai-grace-coronavirus/index.html" target="_blank">people were dying in ER hallways waiting for help in overwhelmed hospitals.</a> Similarly, <a href="https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2020/04/running-out-of-body-bags-people-dying-in-the-hallway-coronavirus-has-michigan-hospital-workers-at-a-breaking-point.html">Michigan hospitals reported running out of body bags and oxygen tanks</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>On <b>May 8th</b>, David Muir from Nightline News asked Trump about the lack of supplies.<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/siQdksR6uw4" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>Trump's response? "The last administration left us nothing." (This is a lie. <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/obama-team-left-pandemic-playbook-for-trump-administration-officials-confirm" target="_blank">Obama left behind an entire pandemic playbook</a>.) Trump claims, "We didn't have ventilators, we didn't have medical equipment, we didn't have testing." (How WOULD you have testing for a virus that didn't exist yet?)</div><div><br /></div><div>When Muir pointed out that we were now 3 years into Trump's presidency and asked what he'd done to restock the cupboards, Trump fumbled through a list of excuses, including having "a lot of things going on," and "a lot of people who refused to let the country be successful" because they were too busy distracting him with "hoaxes" like Russia and Ukraine and impeachment.</div><div><br /></div><div>As Trever Noah perfectly summed it up: "Trump spent 3 years <i>not</i> preparing for a pandemic because he was distracted by all the scandals <i>he</i> created."</div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><div><span style="background-color: white;">At this point, unsurprisingly, Americans were asked to take greater precautions than ever, including the </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/03/826219824/president-trump-says-cdc-now-recommends-americans-wear-cloth-masks-in-public" target="_blank">CDC recommending wearing masks in public. </a></div><div><br /></div><div>By now Trump had at least acknowledged that the virus was more serious than originally thought<b>, </b>but <b>here's what he had to say about wearing masks</b> (click the quote for video footage)<b>:</b></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/face-masks-recommended-trump-says-223143777.html" target="_blank">“The CDC is advising the use of non-medical cloth face covering as an additional voluntary public health measure. So it’s voluntary. You don’t have to do it. They suggested for a period of time. But this is voluntary. <b>I don’t think I’m going to be doing it</b>.”</a></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Once again leaving it up to local governments and businesses to be the bad guy, many of Trump's supporters were none too happy when certain places began requiring masks. I'm sure you remember how that went:</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP9UhGQqlPgl5zDFCNA-M7qfgMr7EIM9azVuFji92aWcuJ_eDiqh4YVvY4sKjDOFDs4sK0CnM1KW4gSouh-hVo0sP8DLZYiXR62w2LJM8jAGLym3M-5zUCId6NRIz6rcMDY2tqhiABzg/s1200/13948121_web1_NO-MASK-PROTEST-070820_es_001-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCP9UhGQqlPgl5zDFCNA-M7qfgMr7EIM9azVuFji92aWcuJ_eDiqh4YVvY4sKjDOFDs4sK0CnM1KW4gSouh-hVo0sP8DLZYiXR62w2LJM8jAGLym3M-5zUCId6NRIz6rcMDY2tqhiABzg/s320/13948121_web1_NO-MASK-PROTEST-070820_es_001-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCSK7_3ngeX9TxmQ3bLsoIQEZgPYL8VomQ6YzzRS2-yoZo3qtZBppolNry0J_0wBfRy-ekaD-KdM1JXUk2Z9C9fHIH42Ovj1TumbQWivSWrmAOmjGjzzJYdnTr3RhBRDvOyDaPgwQSZ0/s1200/https___cdn.cnn.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_200619123327-anti-lockdown-anti-mask-demonstrators-0515.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaCSK7_3ngeX9TxmQ3bLsoIQEZgPYL8VomQ6YzzRS2-yoZo3qtZBppolNry0J_0wBfRy-ekaD-KdM1JXUk2Z9C9fHIH42Ovj1TumbQWivSWrmAOmjGjzzJYdnTr3RhBRDvOyDaPgwQSZ0/s320/https___cdn.cnn.com_cnnnext_dam_assets_200619123327-anti-lockdown-anti-mask-demonstrators-0515.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEkxASz_GDIlKgA-nadNcvRPRhaAy0JXQeNpGjNEChH2EF9nTzEAxIWC0UmJefWKqX2wUlcEn7WykPGCg9r2etRTcI7sf1itYKld-rQBVsx1CgHwhP3uc7l8q0199dDSEFsnDZhVrstc/s810/leadOR602A0272-Edit.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="524" data-original-width="810" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUEkxASz_GDIlKgA-nadNcvRPRhaAy0JXQeNpGjNEChH2EF9nTzEAxIWC0UmJefWKqX2wUlcEn7WykPGCg9r2etRTcI7sf1itYKld-rQBVsx1CgHwhP3uc7l8q0199dDSEFsnDZhVrstc/s320/leadOR602A0272-Edit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2F4g1eBqiDt1o-sOi2rHmBXjGqYwu4xIUEBgK0jQPdrC4diPLcsMOnJwkDX_yQIXg3WjsDyKOEayGiGmlvPWDtqWSbA3Lrpuoh3a9W282UpirH7ej0eTdG1A6t3nWy3B0YLrYLF6ZSw/s1200/R5SREQPSU5EZJGLVNWOHHFATAU.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2F4g1eBqiDt1o-sOi2rHmBXjGqYwu4xIUEBgK0jQPdrC4diPLcsMOnJwkDX_yQIXg3WjsDyKOEayGiGmlvPWDtqWSbA3Lrpuoh3a9W282UpirH7ej0eTdG1A6t3nWy3B0YLrYLF6ZSw/s320/R5SREQPSU5EZJGLVNWOHHFATAU.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I am not the photographer of these pictures)</div><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Trump may have had a distaste for masks, but one thing he spoke very highly of is the drug hydroxychloroquine. He's seen in <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/healthcare/president-trump-taking-hydroxychloroquine-for-coronavirus-prevention" target="_blank">this video</a> saying that the drug was given to people in "extraordinarily bad condition, people who were dying," and out of 300 patients, not one was lost. Trump goes on to say that he is <a href="https://beatricedailysun.com/news/national/trump-says-he-s-preventatively-taking-hydroxychloroquine/video_eae38131-be81-5bd5-b5ef-933a7fb10557.html" target="_blank">preventatively taking the drug himself</a>, and in July he retweeted a much-shared-among-conservatives video of Dr. Stella Immanuel, in which she claims that hydroxychloroquine is Covid's "cure."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&p=cnn+dr+stella+immanuel#id=1&vid=dd85d6da115feb4680f22f58bf4692ed&action=click" target="_blank">Click here for video footage of Immanuel saying</a>, "This virus has a cure. It's called hydroxychloroquine, zinc, and Zithromax." She goes on to say, "Hello, you don't need masks. There is prevention, and there is a cure."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQX2Udx6WwDwcrsWYCcI7ILCutHJ6DHl1a_vF21ioD6RF6tw7dqWg9WR6SsWre2rcVVxBG1252x4T0B5sYl0Dp3C4pulrz3QPIZhsgSxAF7qLNrMkV6VKMmHl9z14us_oSI-VlUo3wEs/s1024/Screenshot-2020-07-28-at-09.10.23-1024x567.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQX2Udx6WwDwcrsWYCcI7ILCutHJ6DHl1a_vF21ioD6RF6tw7dqWg9WR6SsWre2rcVVxBG1252x4T0B5sYl0Dp3C4pulrz3QPIZhsgSxAF7qLNrMkV6VKMmHl9z14us_oSI-VlUo3wEs/s320/Screenshot-2020-07-28-at-09.10.23-1024x567.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">The video was later taken down, citing dangerous misinformation, but not before it was shared by both Trump and Trump Jr. to their collective millions of Twitter followers, an incredibly irresponsible move. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">There is a big difference between touting HCQ as an "effective treatment," and calling it a cure. In the same way that chemotherapy is oftentimes an "effective treatment" for cancer, it is in no way a cure. <b>Semantics matter when lives are at stake</b>. But conservatives claimed that removing the video was censorship, and further proof that Covid wasn't nearly as dangerous as others believed. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">In fact, raise your hand if you're Trump supporter who shared that video with a caption along the lines of, "Wake up, people!" Actually, you don't have to. I already know who many of you are. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XzTuonPLuSBCegDLBYPf1M4XCRmp6jKsWFbDU6BysHNfgvxU1x5Ju_nd4CljRYglDLxUP_NMq0cly5NG0_8Dw3qdcRTBbsXfvZPTpZ56_ASn3oOCYum7DpHMeVO3XLBkClFRPYJ2lts/s220/Hopper.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="220" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XzTuonPLuSBCegDLBYPf1M4XCRmp6jKsWFbDU6BysHNfgvxU1x5Ju_nd4CljRYglDLxUP_NMq0cly5NG0_8Dw3qdcRTBbsXfvZPTpZ56_ASn3oOCYum7DpHMeVO3XLBkClFRPYJ2lts/w320-h157/Hopper.gif" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;">Let's imagine that you or someone close to you lost a loved one to cancer, the same way <a href="https://people.com/theater/amanda-kloots-honors-nick-cordero-2-months-after-death/" target="_blank">Amanda Kloots</a> lost her husband <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-coronavirus-trump-hydroxychloroquine-doc-stella-immanuel-20201002-eat6v3p5xjh2plutrrmr6ttscu-story.html" target="_blank">Nick Cordero to Covid</a>-related complications. Then you go online and see some <a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-coronavirus-trump-hydroxychloroquine-doc-stella-immanuel-20201002-eat6v3p5xjh2plutrrmr6ttscu-story.html" target="_blank">quack doctor</a> standing on the steps of the Capitol, pontificating about how no one needs to be scared of cancer, because it has prevention and a cure, and that cure is called radiation and chemotherapy. NOW do you see how dangerous and grossly negligent it was for a) Immanuel to make these claims and b) Trump to call attention to them and thereby imply his support of them?</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">Fast forward to today. Trump has the virus. And suddenly the same people in my social media feeds who were demanding that others "FOCUS ON THE SURVIVORS!" or "WAKE UP!" are suddenly calling for kindness and compassion.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">To Trump's supporters, here is my question: <b>How have you not realized that YOU are the ones who need to wake up?</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;">In <b>September</b> it came to light that Trump <a href="https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/UfqkHyOLHIaR5LGmVwDWj6GBFlqWrh_0GnBz-HCtrpQWK58QW_fOGN5Nb1SG8t1rOu6Y4MBxXaQn-vhZcDZItasatC4?loadFrom=PastedDeeplink&ts=5.14" target="_blank">knowingly downplayed the virus</a>, as was revealed by his <b>FEBRUARY 7th</b> (remember he said, "This is like the flu" on <b>February 26th</b>??) interview with Bob Woodward: </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bob-woodward-rage-book-trump/2020/09/09/0368fe3c-efd2-11ea-b4bc-3a2098fc73d4_story.html" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white;">"You breathe the air and that's how it's passed. </span><span style="color: #2a2a2a;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And so that’s a very tricky one. That’s a very delicate one. It’s also more deadly than even your strenuous flus...</span></span><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: inherit;">This is deadly stuff,” the president repeated for emphasis.</span></a></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfoH4HHM_Rh0_LGJpJl0TFx-kh1dMb_xJmg5Dzsz-Nj8bET789rc5KuHKyy9nnYC2nuwUpiImCpO-rdMkFLvDBLIANZ4SsRXKsbgVYs2sb2yd2N6_yYFiGYVwdlsCcY9UGgwy1W2beiE/s1734/Screenshot_20201004-172017_Chrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1734" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpfoH4HHM_Rh0_LGJpJl0TFx-kh1dMb_xJmg5Dzsz-Nj8bET789rc5KuHKyy9nnYC2nuwUpiImCpO-rdMkFLvDBLIANZ4SsRXKsbgVYs2sb2yd2N6_yYFiGYVwdlsCcY9UGgwy1W2beiE/s320/Screenshot_20201004-172017_Chrome.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div><div>Yes, Bob Woodward should be considered a criminal for sitting on this information and waiting until 200,000 people had died from Covid to bring it to light. But you know what? <b>SO. SHOULD. TRUMP. </b></div><div><br /></div><div>He willfully put lives in danger by downplaying the seriousness of this virus. </div><div>He LIED about how contagious it is. </div><div>He praised himself for "shutting it down" at the source even as potentially exposed and infected people poured back into the country.</div><div>He stood by instead of overriding poor decisions by local governments when they reopened too soon -- in some cases, like Georgia, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/04/why-georgia-reopening-coronavirus-pandemic/610882/" target="_blank">before their shelter-in-place order had even finished</a>, or when they <a href="https://twitter.com/KeishaBottoms/status/1284836124821729281" target="_blank">sued the covid-positive mayor for trying to mandate masks</a>. </div><div>He <b>refused to lead by example when it came to wearing masks</b>.</div><div>He <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-retweets-threat-fire-fauci-2020-4" target="_blank">retweeted a call to fire Dr. Fauci</a> after Fauci criticized the US response to the pandemic and <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/14/whats-next-fauci/">no longer wanted Fauci's briefings</a> when the doctor would not back Trump's claims on the benefits of hydroxychloroquine.</div><div>He <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2020/07/15/trump-administration-orders-hospitals-not-send-covid-19-data-cdc/5441730002/" target="_blank">circumvented the CDC</a> and demanded hospitals send their Covid data directly to the Whitehouse. </div><div><a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/trump-threatens-to-cut-federal-aid-if-schools-dont-reopen">He threatened to cut funding for schools if they didn't reopen for in-person learning.</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>Now America has surpassed 200,000 deaths, a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/black-americans-death-rate-covid-19-coronavirus" target="_blank">disproportionate amount</a> of them <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/08/us/coronavirus-pandemic-race-impact-trnd/index.html" target="_blank">black and brown people</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>For those who will undoubtedly say <span style="font-family: courier;">But the CDC admitted only 6% were Covid deaths</span>: <a href="https://www.factcheck.org/2020/09/cdc-did-not-admit-only-6-of-recorded-deaths-from-covid-19/" target="_blank">No, they didn't</a>. If you don't want to read why that's false, here is a succinct explanation you can watch (click the link, the image is just a screen shot): </div><div><a href="https://img.ifunny.co/videos/33545e714bc003989ea7e73b277c92983271f40de31cecaef55046f7d1a715d5_1.mp4">https://img.ifunny.co/videos/33545e714bc003989ea7e73b277c92983271f40de31cecaef55046f7d1a715d5_1.mp4</a></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3_uucMxuweA4HIE-E5UJ5n56Y0vlkNxtHmTBRq-JUC67ONqST5T0GEBPYYughbfqV8SSPajjZeWjIbq6R1CxPZZhHHpfyJxysUtyruK_GBmtCaS4xm1gQTz5LNW_YnGUNLg2Qk8oCPk/s1864/Screenshot_20201004-185917_TikTok.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1864" data-original-width="1079" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih3_uucMxuweA4HIE-E5UJ5n56Y0vlkNxtHmTBRq-JUC67ONqST5T0GEBPYYughbfqV8SSPajjZeWjIbq6R1CxPZZhHHpfyJxysUtyruK_GBmtCaS4xm1gQTz5LNW_YnGUNLg2Qk8oCPk/s320/Screenshot_20201004-185917_TikTok.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>So, like I was saying. <b>200,000 deaths</b>, and <b>7.3 MILLION</b> confirmed cases in the United States alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>Trump is now one of those cases, despite taking the drug he never debunked as the "cure." And yet, he still got to the point of a positive test even while ingesting HCQ during the 2-week incubation period. Could that be because it's NOT. A FREAKING. CURE? And maybe he should have said as much, instead of tweeting a misleading video to all his followers, who then felt qualified to tell anyone who follows <i>them</i> on the internet to "wake up?"</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless, Trump has Covid. After thousands of Americans were <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-patient-experience-new-york-emergency-room-test-2020-4" target="_blank">turned away from hospitals</a> or <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/us/coronavirus-testing-challenges.html" target="_blank">denied tests</a> for not being sick enough, he -- a 74-year-old, overweight man who never would have been a priority in an overwhelmed hospital were he a civilian-- is getting the best care from the best doctors, in a 6-room hospital suite, paid for with <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/ny-times-trump-paid-750-045202437.html" target="_blank">tax dollars that he contributed nothing to</a>, as a PRECAUTION for MILD symptoms.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Just a reminder that we are paying for Trump’s healthcare as he gets COVID treatment. All while he doesn’t pay taxes. Yet, when 80% of Americans want to pay for their own healthcare through their own taxes, they’re called lazy freeloaders.</p>— Bernie Sanders ➐ (Berner Account) (@BernerSanders) <a href="https://twitter.com/BernerSanders/status/1312013783607328769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 2, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Meanwhile, in the same week, here's what's still happening to another elderly, average American who also exhibited Covid symptoms (shared with permission from the person who posted it):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD4io2Ojm82r0xcpW3GnYRzJZ23lDBd5M8Wki-qJ6YjhVR2Ev9q-cjPeCgyiNP7fTBQo_YmRIe7Q5p4BNO9uUHoN51VoW6dxjghBGnZMzA9cmGJn7EoDwDGyed9k8hccE2ep5r1ZZBqg/s1076/20201004_191235.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1076" data-original-width="1076" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYD4io2Ojm82r0xcpW3GnYRzJZ23lDBd5M8Wki-qJ6YjhVR2Ev9q-cjPeCgyiNP7fTBQo_YmRIe7Q5p4BNO9uUHoN51VoW6dxjghBGnZMzA9cmGJn7EoDwDGyed9k8hccE2ep5r1ZZBqg/s320/20201004_191235.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div><b>If you're reading this and you're not angered by any of it, or if you already knew all these things and you just don't care, my question for you is - WHY?</b> </div><div><i><b>Why</b> are you not angry that you were misled and lied to?</i> </div><div><b>Why</b> do you so willingly accept that rich elites should have immediate and free access to luxurious health care while others die on the floors of crowded ERs?</div><div><b>Why</b> does it not bother you that these people died from the same virus that those rich elites agreed was contained, harmless, and about to disappear? </div><div><b>Why</b> do you not care that those words were said with FULL KNOWLEDGE that they were false?</div><div><b>Why</b> doesn't it bother you that he threatened schools and teachers, knowing that this virus is most transmittable indoors, which meant the endangerment of children, too?</div><div><b>Why</b> haven't I seen ANY of you apologize for the false information that you yourselves spread?</div><div><b>Why</b> doesn't this make you wonder what else this man has lied about?</div><div><br /></div><div><b>And my final question - Why would you possibly want another four years of this?</b></div><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Note: NONE of these questions were <i>Why do you hate Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, or Hillary Clinton? </i>So if that's what you choose to answer, you've already missed the point.)</span></div><div><br /></div><div><p></p></div></div></div>Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-77515396323177548372019-08-27T21:15:00.002-04:002019-08-27T21:15:57.100-04:00BUSTED is $2.99 Across All E-Book Platforms!<br />
If you're looking for a fun, suspenseful teen spy romance, BUSTED is on sale for $2.99 across all e-book platforms until September 3, 2019!<br />
<br />
Go forth and get your $2.99 copy (that is SO CHEAP!) at any of the following:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca-ebook/dp/B0748MH4DP/">Amazon</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654308#/">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Gina_Ciocca_Busted?id=zk8uDwAAQBAJ">Google Play Books</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/busted-44">Kobo</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSc4xrpjSfG3jEdnhdfo4bpgOjBRu4WwapACm_kqz9u2oShcReL8i10ZZnWgydwbb44es5p8otkblq_O_hY9W_0BBRIor4pF4QjoHKGM2hTbD7-640LGeih3lrcA8UlTDetjMkyHKPMw/s1600/Busted05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="826" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHSc4xrpjSfG3jEdnhdfo4bpgOjBRu4WwapACm_kqz9u2oShcReL8i10ZZnWgydwbb44es5p8otkblq_O_hY9W_0BBRIor4pF4QjoHKGM2hTbD7-640LGeih3lrcA8UlTDetjMkyHKPMw/s400/Busted05.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Catching cheaters and liars is a lucrative hobby—until you fall for one of the suspects. Perfect for fans of Veronica Mars, this new novel from the author of Last Year's Mistake will steal your heart!</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;">Marisa never planned to be a snoop for hire. It wasn't like she wanted to catch her best friend's boyfriend making out with another girl. But as her reputation for sniffing out cheaters spreads all over school, Marisa finds herself the reluctant queen of busting two-timing boys.</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 6px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<i style="font-family: inherit;">And her next case? It's for ex-frenemy Kendall. She's convinced her boyfriend, TJ, has feelings for someone else and persuades Marissa to start spying on him. But the more Marisa gets to know sincere and artistic TJ, the more she starts to fall for him. Worse yet, the feelings seem to be mutual. Marisa knows she needs to give up her investigation—and the spoken-for guy who may just be the love of her life. Then she uncovers new secrets about Kendall and TJ, secrets that take "cheater" to a whole new level...</i></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-61715351342105053052019-08-22T12:33:00.114-04:002021-05-08T08:44:06.293-04:00On Walking Away (For Now)I wasn't going to write this post. It didn't feel necessary. After all, it's pretty easy to slip away from a party when hardly anyone noticed you were there. But then I wondered if maybe someone else out there is quietly reevaluating a lifelong dream (for the time being, anyway), and maybe they'd want to hear this.<br />
<br />
So, here it goes:<br />
<br />
I am not writing anymore.<br />
<br />
This is not a permanent thing, and I say that with a decent degree of confidence. Writing is something I've always done, since the moment I knew how to scrawl words in a notebook. But lately the joy that writing used to bring me has gone missing.<br />
<br />
It's not something that happened all at once. I didn't wake up one day and say, "Screw it, I don't want to do this." It's been a slow unraveling, with quite a few contributing factors.<br />
<br />
Last year I had <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/p/my-books.html" target="_blank">two books</a> release from two different publishers. To say it was a frustrating experience is an understatement. Nothing felt the way it did when <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2014/04/you-never-know-no-really-you-dont-my.html" target="_blank">LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a> came out in 2015. The excitement others showed for my debut was nowhere to be found, including from my publishers. I know this is normal - and I use that word very loosely, because debut culture is nonsense - but normal should be the last word to describe what I went through. Communication from my publishers was poor, honesty was not a priority. Or even an afterthought. There is so much more I could say here, but I'll leave it at this: I was devastated and disgusted by the time my books released, and unsurprisingly, both dropped off the radar immediately.<br />
<br />
It didn't help that I had two launch parties, one in Georgia, and one in my home state of Connecticut, and the number of people who bailed on me was almost comical. Almost, if it hadn't been so hurtful. It was becoming a theme that people who used to care, people who were supposed to care, didn't. And as hard as I tried to shake it off, it still got to me.<br />
<br />
In the midst of all this, I'd been revising a shelved manuscript that I truly loved. I'd shown it to my agent five years earlier, but this story was much darker than my debut, and not a book that fit neatly into a particular genre. He hadn't shared my enthusiasm for it the first time he read, so I'd put it away and forged ahead on other projects.<br />
<br />
I couldn't forget about that manuscript, though. And so, years later, knowing I had an option book with one of my publishers, I threw myself into revising SHADOW PARK. I added some ten-thousand words and rearranged the majority of what I'd already written.<br />
<br />
This time when I showed it to my agent, he was very complimentary. Far more so than he'd been after the first read, and I thought, <i>I got it right this time</i>. But then he made it pretty clear that he still wasn't confident about how it would hold up in the market, and thought my best bet for getting it published was as my option book.<br />
<br />
Well. Turns out it wasn't.<br />
<br />
My editor loved SHADOW PARK, but felt that with it's paranormal and psychological thriller aspects, it was too different from my three published contemporary romances. I, on the other hand, didn't see why that mattered. My published novels hadn't exactly set the world on fire. BUSTED had under 200 reviews on Goodreads at the time. Why was I only allowed to write novels in the same vein as the ones so few people had read? It made me want to pull my hair out. And so, after a 45-minute phone conversation with my editor, 15 minutes of which was spent curled up in a corner of my office trying to hear over my then-4-year-old yelling at the bottom of the stairs, I agreed to come up with a list of revisions that we could use as a springboard to make SP a book that worked for both of us.<br />
<br />
Less than 2 weeks after that, my editor announced she was leaving the company. <br />
<br />
In August of 2018, SHADOW PARK was given to someone else in-house to review. But when the weeks turned into months with no one getting back to my agent or me, we decided to withdraw the manuscript and move forward.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, my agent and I very different definitions of "move forward." I was adamant that I wanted to go on sub with SHADOW PARK. He felt that it was a job best left to another agent.<br />
<br />
And so, after seven years and three published books, I began 2019 unagented and down, but definitely not out. Not yet, anyway.<br />
<br />
After I'd finished revising SHADOW PARK, I started working on a new contemporary romance. I was really enjoying it, too. But then I got stuck.<br />
<br />
Every time I'd try to get the words flowing, a voice in the back of my mind would say, <i>If SHADOW PARK gets me an agent, no one is going to want this. They're going to want a manuscript more like the one they're signing me for. I'm wasting my time writing this. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>I couldn't shut the voice up, because I had already lived the experience. When I wrote and published a contemporary romance as my debut, that became all anyone wanted from me. "Wanted," and yet those books got almost no marketing and no publicity, even when I begged for boosts of my own blind efforts at both. <div><br /></div><div>What was the point? So, 20K words in, I stopped writing the contemporary romance. Instead I jotted down preliminary ideas for another book, one that made more sense as a follow-up to SP. Despite being pretty excited about it, looking back, I realize I was trying to stay one step ahead of everything that anyone else might want from me. And that is simply not possible. <br />
<br />
I also began querying SHADOW PARK, determined to prove that this book deserved a place on shelves. Between February 11th and March 31st, I queried 12 agents. And when 6 of the 12 requested the manuscript fairly quickly, I was confident that I was on the right track.<br />
<br />
This is where things get sticky. Sticki<i>er</i>, I guess.<br />
<br />
It's always been my preference to query in small batches, gauge the results, and revise either the query or the manuscript accordingly. With 6 requests from 12 queries, I knew the query letter was in good shape. But I also knew that if my requests turned into rejections, I'd want to revise the manuscript before sending more queries.<br />
<br />
And so I waited.<br />
<br />
Everyone knows that publishing moves at a snail's pace. Everyone also knows that it's useless to compare experiences, because no two are the same. But when I queried LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE, I had two offers of rep within 3 weeks of submitting the manuscript to the requesting agents. I thought there was a good chance that my track record would be at least *somewhat* similar.<br />
<br />
Not this time. 10 weeks later, I had only heard back from one agent: a very kind rejection.<br />
<br />
Now you'd think that in these 10 weeks, I would have been busying myself with SPs follow-up, the project I'd started outlining when I stopped writing my contemporary. You would be wrong.<br />
<br />
Not only did I now have my 5-year-old home for the summer, no family nearby to help out, and my husband spending inordinate hours at the office, I was also still stuck. I couldn't get a solid hold on my newest idea, could not work out the details to fill in the skeleton. I was stressing myself out, and beating myself up. Not only over the book, but over everything. I felt like I was doing a million things half-assed, both professionally and personally, because there was SO MUCH that needed my attention all the time. Spending hours trying to untangle the words knotted in my brain meant there was never enough time for bills and cooking and dishes and laundry and errands and parenting, and when I'd let those things go in order to concentrate on my writing, I only ended up with nothing to show for it.<br />
<br />
I found that I honestly didn't want to write. And so, as the silence in Queryland stretched on and my hope waned, I did everything <i>but</i> write. I even sat down and watched more than 20 minutes of TV for the first time in 6 years, which led to <a href="https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2019/07/what-i-loved-about-stranger-things-3.html">falling in love with Stranger Things</a>. I hadn't realized how badly I needed to just do nothing, and doing it felt great.<br />
<br />
What didn't feel so great?<br />
<br />
Being 16 weeks out with querying, and still only having one response.<br />
<br />
I couldn't believe that in four months, only *one* of six agents had gotten around to reading my manuscript. So, on June 10, I sent nudge emails to the two agents who'd had SHADOW PARK the longest.<br />
<br />
One sent a form rejection ten days later. The other ignored my email completely.<br />
<br />
And so, as of August 22nd, nearly TWENTY-EIGHT WEEKS after sending my first query, I am still waiting on answers from 3 of those 6 agents, two of whom have had the manuscript since February.<br />
<br />
By now, I'm assuming they're all passes. I'm assuming the manuscript needs more work, work that I haven't done yet in case I got feedback I could use as guidance. But here's the thing: I shouldn't have to assume. In almost any other industry, 28 weeks to give someone a yes or a no would be unacceptable. I, or anyone else, also shouldn't have to accept that sub-par treatment of smaller authors and their books is a publishing norm. Why is so much emphasis placed on a book's marketability when so few published books actually get sufficient marketing? None of it makes sense. And neither does stretching myself paper-thin knowing it will never be enough.<br />
<br />
And so, for now, I'm walking away from writing. I need to get back to a place where I can sit down and write simply because I want to. I enjoyed it once, and I want to enjoy it again. But in order to do that, I need to distance myself from everything that's ruined it for me. I have so much disgust and resentment weighing me down, and without a bright side to balance the scale, it just doesn't feel worth it to keep going.<br />
<br />
I won't feel this way forever. Creating stories is a part of who I am, and it's a part that I need to make whole and healthy again. I'm not there yet. But when I am, I hope that some changes have been made in the publishing world. I hope the list of things that authors just aren't supposed to talk about it isn't quite as long. And I hope to see you all on the other side.<br />
<br />
- Gina <br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-89561139615912270712019-07-28T14:46:00.000-04:002019-09-24T13:38:41.413-04:00Review: What I Loved About Stranger Things 3 (And What I Didn't)Hi there! It's been a while since I've blogged about books. It's been a while since I blogged, period.<br />
<br />
I wasn't going to write a review of a TV show, but then I realized this is my blog, and I can post about whatever I want. If I'm going to take the time to sit down and write about something, it might as well be something that makes me happy. Lately that's a fairly short list, with the show Stranger Things very close to the top.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">**Warning: MAJOR STRANGER THINGS SEASON 3 SPOILERS AHEAD (And some season 1 and 2 spoilers as well). IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED SEASON 3 AND DO NOT WANT IT SPOILED FOR YOU, STOP READING HERE.**</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n6aE3pVOvTWBLLU0PZMPHW5Eb3cZa6Khl-6VevGkIKxD59AtepAQ9Ho-Ko4o6qXx2_S_u6KjERTI4y01-qzTrQPZcKCJnQKe1S27p3kjjID87vFvyjYpzQiGdgwFY1h5Hro_A7rLyiQ/s1600/Stranger+Things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="166" data-original-width="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5n6aE3pVOvTWBLLU0PZMPHW5Eb3cZa6Khl-6VevGkIKxD59AtepAQ9Ho-Ko4o6qXx2_S_u6KjERTI4y01-qzTrQPZcKCJnQKe1S27p3kjjID87vFvyjYpzQiGdgwFY1h5Hro_A7rLyiQ/s1600/Stranger+Things.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My sister has been telling me to watch this show for ages. But alas, I was one of the last people on the planet to get Netflix, and I didn't actually heed her advice until May of this year, two months before season 3 was set to drop.<br />
<br />
And let me tell you, I fell SO HARD in love with everything about Stranger Things.<br />
<br />
Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers, the warrior mom who refuses to be dismissed or mocked when her missing son starts speaking to her through lights? Give that woman every award on the planet for her performance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL2BvVkCs3pbIJgCsOVIhhb_1qn78iqTX5imuqsh4DUjRjGl1NhlGP9Pgi_ST7PXbACC7jy6eJLq41d7SrC-D4ZsKquTb2oh0vJM-81iBOQ-31iCdloO-_vwl1jIWnPysTHNd_kZUA7s/s1600/tumblr_odqbj5fHTm1vu44pio1_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAL2BvVkCs3pbIJgCsOVIhhb_1qn78iqTX5imuqsh4DUjRjGl1NhlGP9Pgi_ST7PXbACC7jy6eJLq41d7SrC-D4ZsKquTb2oh0vJM-81iBOQ-31iCdloO-_vwl1jIWnPysTHNd_kZUA7s/s1600/tumblr_odqbj5fHTm1vu44pio1_400.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The pure, sweet relationship between Mike and Eleven? MY FREAKING HEART.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz0HDTpZ4goecDK2EZ_11qbFknIZ0ShoBibzvK1fhdrzg19pkmbWBtmRiedWOlWZmBwXqoBrgzBJnF6B0BqNyznccZzMs4Ruib2xQ2O6j-QzZ5yZzMHWFno-4EmXUoy8uA1q2IXAMdhE/s1600/MikeElevenKiss.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="500" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkz0HDTpZ4goecDK2EZ_11qbFknIZ0ShoBibzvK1fhdrzg19pkmbWBtmRiedWOlWZmBwXqoBrgzBJnF6B0BqNyznccZzMs4Ruib2xQ2O6j-QzZ5yZzMHWFno-4EmXUoy8uA1q2IXAMdhE/s320/MikeElevenKiss.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The unexpected father/daughter dynamic between El and Hopper? You bet your ass I burst into tears when I saw Jane Hopper written on that birth certificate.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ1FQ4FtNiotS9JBnf66R-hr4cSMDvEdXJDDpRbBnSQOtD5uCmUCC8OyrepuRKr9HZ5ijVsLldFz0RnUMOp-pc3SgOMUXP_eRePYQhohNfrsqFMQFSVUi4TuSeHmoDLaZB5y4X56s7Lg/s1600/HopperEl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="177" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQ1FQ4FtNiotS9JBnf66R-hr4cSMDvEdXJDDpRbBnSQOtD5uCmUCC8OyrepuRKr9HZ5ijVsLldFz0RnUMOp-pc3SgOMUXP_eRePYQhohNfrsqFMQFSVUi4TuSeHmoDLaZB5y4X56s7Lg/s1600/HopperEl.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwQq3Lz8kK7ANaBwzT1bzkOm4B-UHJGmxy04NO1xTc3EnA7SquBhgOGeZpBMvBBomWPlTednwWuHpCicOUA_Cq9XUgjhaFVhJtYSY-wmqAlS6fLN6TwmAUGVCJDH2PmjOByzJis7U83k/s1600/HopperAndEl.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="540" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwQq3Lz8kK7ANaBwzT1bzkOm4B-UHJGmxy04NO1xTc3EnA7SquBhgOGeZpBMvBBomWPlTednwWuHpCicOUA_Cq9XUgjhaFVhJtYSY-wmqAlS6fLN6TwmAUGVCJDH2PmjOByzJis7U83k/s320/HopperAndEl.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
I could go on, but I'll just say that after six years of watching almost no TV at all, I spent my son's last week of school glued to the couch, binge-watching two seasons of Stranger Things, feeling things I hadn't felt about a TV show since Smallville. I never wanted it to end. But, of course, it had to.<br />
<br />
Luckily the wait for more wouldn't be *too* long, since I'd been so late to the party to begin with. But when the season 3 teaser clips started to trickle in, I admit... I got nervous.<br />
<br />
I mean, Mrs. Wheeler lounging poolside, making eyes at Billy?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFbPcivr5gB5jzQFQwlEgHQkTgC5QdkQY87GwNvbHV2PSDyrBpc2gMGL9aOLus077vENtqAuKOzt96nDA_uBdFVc8nZRQ1mEP6bSj0PSqcGrgYN6aFRyGnnZoO9k4QL62WTvMKbrIlaw/s1600/Billy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="397" data-original-width="397" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFbPcivr5gB5jzQFQwlEgHQkTgC5QdkQY87GwNvbHV2PSDyrBpc2gMGL9aOLus077vENtqAuKOzt96nDA_uBdFVc8nZRQ1mEP6bSj0PSqcGrgYN6aFRyGnnZoO9k4QL62WTvMKbrIlaw/s320/Billy.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75ZEV-oL0yUhVfPlCv_WOI9JkPWIyjLrQsgMBQKs902mmcB2WnX2z7DmByU4FnIto_fX7B6Ntbo_m7cdXxq3xqIUHx54iUOYns6P8GNEi1eZUpzGFGGLraDk9jTiIq42iUprwYE1us5o/s1600/MrsWheeler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="158" data-original-width="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75ZEV-oL0yUhVfPlCv_WOI9JkPWIyjLrQsgMBQKs902mmcB2WnX2z7DmByU4FnIto_fX7B6Ntbo_m7cdXxq3xqIUHx54iUOYns6P8GNEi1eZUpzGFGGLraDk9jTiIq42iUprwYE1us5o/s1600/MrsWheeler.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm sorry, but that's a big bucket of NOPE. Dacre Montgomery may be 24 (and smokin' hot), but his character is supposed to be a recent high school graduate. It might have been funny and understandable when Mrs. Wheeler, fresh from reading a romance novel in the tub, got flustered by Billy's unexpected presence at her door, but hinting that something might actually happen between the two of them?<br />
<br />
GROSS. ILLEGAL. NOT COOL. Hard pass.<br />
<br />
And then I kept seeing/hearing the word "bigger" being used to describe the new season. Bigger budget, bigger monsters, bigger romances, bigger bromances. That word "bigger" worried me, too. Here's why:<br />
<br />
We've all seen shows that start off solid and well-written suddenly lose sight of what made them special when their popularity explodes. I didn't care about "bigger," and I didn't want that to be what the Duffer brothers cared about either. I started to fear that the things I loved about the show, the heart-melting relationships and the stories that had formed so organically in seasons one and two, would be played up to the point of being silly and played <i>out</i>.<br />
<br />
The anticipation was terrible. It was like having a huge crush on someone, being in that stage when they're so perfect, and just knowing that it can't be long until the flaws rear their ugly heads.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyMEk_bixunlk3eLw8Tnu4qw8amU4OIJc2P_mjgGjm8yOXN0Hn9bTvs3O0YIRLmuOcdyK9NanXbaGVmKeWu_abgAVrPOYHyknlAcOdr5_YFwj4BCnoCZSRORF2N9x5dKx1vrqhAfnzK4/s1600/MindFlayer.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="540" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyMEk_bixunlk3eLw8Tnu4qw8amU4OIJc2P_mjgGjm8yOXN0Hn9bTvs3O0YIRLmuOcdyK9NanXbaGVmKeWu_abgAVrPOYHyknlAcOdr5_YFwj4BCnoCZSRORF2N9x5dKx1vrqhAfnzK4/s320/MindFlayer.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So did they? Well.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUetDQjk1ZCzQuAA8Nywo3QdrscZqLS5NBoccjcnaSBiXa_iPiTUvz1HLwGENPAwoPPd0qHDCmZOju1eI76CXnkIhP-Zg0ykKdWrtGLbjXumHLAkhCrd1y2eoNx0OY4IRk_vKpo5YcdNo/s1600/Friends+Don%2527t+Lie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUetDQjk1ZCzQuAA8Nywo3QdrscZqLS5NBoccjcnaSBiXa_iPiTUvz1HLwGENPAwoPPd0qHDCmZOju1eI76CXnkIhP-Zg0ykKdWrtGLbjXumHLAkhCrd1y2eoNx0OY4IRk_vKpo5YcdNo/s320/Friends+Don%2527t+Lie.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Yes and no.<br />
<br />
Let me say this first about Season 3: On the whole, I loved it. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I gasped. I binged the whole damn thing in a day, even though I had a massive headache by episode five.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's what I loved:</span></b> </div>
<br />
- <b>Mike and Eleven</b><br />
These two. They have owned my heart since the moment El asked Mike if he'd be like her brother and Mike said hell to the no and kissed her. That's paraphrasing, obviously, but I drove an hour in traffic with a full bladder and a hungry five-year old just to get a glimpse of the room where that moment happened, so that should tell you how hard I ship them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5qjWjOe-nanYr_6A3scc6L4xzX5f1rps3mLC2PI4PA5o7MW18U5W1LPS1VYWCtM6w47EnHpRq5N59SpvnFoDw3aUAfF1LIZuQQLLfCOHC7f5Th457UGO6X8aaGhhqSqXBxLY4a28EXU/s1600/inCollage_20190629_151504943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5qjWjOe-nanYr_6A3scc6L4xzX5f1rps3mLC2PI4PA5o7MW18U5W1LPS1VYWCtM6w47EnHpRq5N59SpvnFoDw3aUAfF1LIZuQQLLfCOHC7f5Th457UGO6X8aaGhhqSqXBxLY4a28EXU/s320/inCollage_20190629_151504943.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*More pics from my stalking of Stranger Things sites at the end of this post*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Finally getting to watch these two together and happy, even if it was only briefly, was everything. And wow, did they step up their kissing game.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8cUUKn9mU0UFKDL8uXIABLRfOgkacXNdpZWCUcejxxMD8JA6WWX1Znnw5kR0Uexqq-0UpHPW6dG8WgEbAUaAz28Jk69govucHlUPGwcRMt7I9Sd_MaN2TeNV94GfjhhWE5_DMuSO_Sw/s1600/MikeElevenKiss2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="400" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG8cUUKn9mU0UFKDL8uXIABLRfOgkacXNdpZWCUcejxxMD8JA6WWX1Znnw5kR0Uexqq-0UpHPW6dG8WgEbAUaAz28Jk69govucHlUPGwcRMt7I9Sd_MaN2TeNV94GfjhhWE5_DMuSO_Sw/s320/MikeElevenKiss2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- Lucas</b><br />
Lucas has to be the most underrated member of the party. He consistently cracked me up in seasons 1 and 2, and season 3 was no different. Watching him bumble his way through his relationship with Max was gold, even if Max herself is not on my list of favorites. More on that later.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KanFW0ER7sOMQHTtKDZyNqxKq9_ewWX_yU_Fmn6k-78pmZrKOd9eWwk01TofaoREg7JDPjK9vDmZ8_nHN3GiRQev0naE1qNlh6BtYuXaeWt4Z4o0rTFZxRDkV_QZm-Jcrr5I2AfYJts/s1600/LucasMax.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="540" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KanFW0ER7sOMQHTtKDZyNqxKq9_ewWX_yU_Fmn6k-78pmZrKOd9eWwk01TofaoREg7JDPjK9vDmZ8_nHN3GiRQev0naE1qNlh6BtYuXaeWt4Z4o0rTFZxRDkV_QZm-Jcrr5I2AfYJts/s320/LucasMax.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>- Hopper putting Mike in his place</b><br />
I know a lot of people had a problem with Hopper's rage this season, and I'm one of them. I'll talk more about that in a minute, but how anyone doesn't think Mike wasn't a disrespectful little shit to Hopper in the opening episodes is beyond me. Teenage me would've been scared shitless of a big, loud, gun-carrying cop like Chief Hopper, but Mike flat-out mocks him when he's making a legit effort to speak calmly. And whispering in El's ear and laughing while Hopper is talking? Oh man did the parent in me want to smack him. So I admit, I very much enjoyed watching Hop explode once he lured Mike away from El. And the fact that he also referred to her as his daughter for the first time? Yes, I burst into tears.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs30mcAAyBqrFo3lPgjq-vvr1GpNZ3guJ484psv9ACNdge6WUTLh4ON_DVWZXl2PYt6mSlwgJoYuC7UZ7sZEfiLVVRxaNv5AbPeyCVxOJo9ZoduIQGrnvylje30kEdGvty5WF8T3BbK8/s1600/MikeHopper.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="208" data-original-width="500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYs30mcAAyBqrFo3lPgjq-vvr1GpNZ3guJ484psv9ACNdge6WUTLh4ON_DVWZXl2PYt6mSlwgJoYuC7UZ7sZEfiLVVRxaNv5AbPeyCVxOJo9ZoduIQGrnvylje30kEdGvty5WF8T3BbK8/s320/MikeHopper.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>-Mrs. Wheeler backing out on Billy</b><br />
For obvious reasons that I've already covered. Thank God they let this one die.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-usFZUFtanDnfODytXnwlIPBXab7bzRe4Q3CxZwjzIAcesPfwDCkzZc-X9Ji1tkXHslptnTqn2rNH9k_O94pYQ375uc6uEj4xZ0QX6a4x_CvWuy8-ORy69nCIJM9UN9ZNVtPDCz1OLQ/s1600/MrsWheeler2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="450" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM-usFZUFtanDnfODytXnwlIPBXab7bzRe4Q3CxZwjzIAcesPfwDCkzZc-X9Ji1tkXHslptnTqn2rNH9k_O94pYQ375uc6uEj4xZ0QX6a4x_CvWuy8-ORy69nCIJM9UN9ZNVtPDCz1OLQ/s320/MrsWheeler2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>- Mr. Clarke</b><br />
I freaking love Randy Havens as Mr. Clark. I hope they find a reason for him to open a curiosity door in every season, no matter how ridiculous it may be.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa1MSK54aeslEomoHbvDCKTR8PYW_RuVG_bY3Vbp2jj62im9FES2MJ_T3iEbf48pA-Ib6sMfVMfu4-B4S6ByfjASkR0M042tXTd79tgTflc0gEvUgL-WGn1mfTNm2YIz4kCB3ZwbUhPU/s1600/MrClarke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDa1MSK54aeslEomoHbvDCKTR8PYW_RuVG_bY3Vbp2jj62im9FES2MJ_T3iEbf48pA-Ib6sMfVMfu4-B4S6ByfjASkR0M042tXTd79tgTflc0gEvUgL-WGn1mfTNm2YIz4kCB3ZwbUhPU/s320/MrClarke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>- Will's Heartbreak</b><br />
It's not that I loved poor Will being tortured by the emotional abandonment from his friends, but I absolutely loved the believability of it. Noah Schnapp is so talented, and his portrayal of Will feeling lost and not being ready to grow up really struck a chord in me. I remember the pain of growing apart from friends, watching them become something I didn't recognize, and I thought this aspect of the story was done so well. If you're not crying when he's hugging Lucas in the finale, then congratulations, you have a heart of stone.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02-bKQTcANK7XrSIhRcuiqL_wDCimb94c0RJsIIXvPq-84RYR19RVBxhf4rz9XeFfex3kvXOXma7S1Cl-8-VO1YDrVqYGtlc6V3tg4Acq-75V5jYbj4IawC5qS_2wvy7J4385XVzjkh4/s1600/WillMike.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="547" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi02-bKQTcANK7XrSIhRcuiqL_wDCimb94c0RJsIIXvPq-84RYR19RVBxhf4rz9XeFfex3kvXOXma7S1Cl-8-VO1YDrVqYGtlc6V3tg4Acq-75V5jYbj4IawC5qS_2wvy7J4385XVzjkh4/s320/WillMike.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>- The Scoops Troop</b><br />
Maya Hawke is an A+ addition to the cast. Funny, witty, smart, taking none of Steve's shit. And Erica as a closet brainiac and queen of fearless sass is pure joy to watch, minus the ridiculous political speech. The Steve/Robin truth serum scenes were hilarious, and the fact that Steve responded to Robin confessing her crush on a girl by telling her said girl wasn't nearly good enough for her just made me love Steve even more. The four of them together were so much fun, even if their storyline was completely unbelievable I had a very had time believing that any of them would've actually escaped this season alive, for reasons I'll get to shortly.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK-8KbKkWDu_3hyPWhyphenhyphen2FLpHvRo1LJ0YCS0H-GU_PRy92lLFcb-Bkcsjsr05IaqroH1dg9QureREJZ3iriOR3TjVUARqc958CYBF8X6w3zPjSRwH7vzc2mv_eRvliJfavU-t3Hvacivs/s1600/Scoops+Troop.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="550" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKK-8KbKkWDu_3hyPWhyphenhyphen2FLpHvRo1LJ0YCS0H-GU_PRy92lLFcb-Bkcsjsr05IaqroH1dg9QureREJZ3iriOR3TjVUARqc958CYBF8X6w3zPjSRwH7vzc2mv_eRvliJfavU-t3Hvacivs/s320/Scoops+Troop.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
- <b>Dacre Montgomery performing his ass off as flayed Billy</b><br />
Seriously, this man was a master class in acting this season. Watching Billy get taken over by the mind flayer was chilling, and unexpectedly heartbreaking.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nfe2uI0ZsK0w60SlGBDbWf8bLAiGEdks_x5Tm4E7EvYNzA1r1sCl9cSEJX7j3wNfXKDULelVm2AgbrlHA8SFg86Jje4zwdR-df5LiE4TsFOZdaTbLtemW5Jif9DpuLT6tJT02VIZWd0/s1600/EvilBilly.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="400" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Nfe2uI0ZsK0w60SlGBDbWf8bLAiGEdks_x5Tm4E7EvYNzA1r1sCl9cSEJX7j3wNfXKDULelVm2AgbrlHA8SFg86Jje4zwdR-df5LiE4TsFOZdaTbLtemW5Jif9DpuLT6tJT02VIZWd0/s320/EvilBilly.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I *hated* Billy in season 2, and I didn't think I'd care if such an inherent dickface got fed to a demogorgon. But then Eleven reminds him of who he was BEFORE the dickface, and years of anger melt off him right before our eyes. We see a tiny glimpse of the Billy underneath it all, and then he stands up and sacrifices himself to the mind flayer in Eleven's place. It was the redemption we all deserved, and yes, I cried. The impact was made even more powerful by some of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B0OqM5-ArhP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link">Dacre's recent posts on Instagram</a>, about his struggles as an actor. I respect and admire him all the more for it. Rest in peace, Billy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T9w-jGGQXilaOju2GEJHZKr-wwGvlCFbujaIc156wIADJdxT0eWCKbqaAm6n2sUCOexcbi6f5SA0oJPvNv-9MGNzTrmtooTRWIi5cGc-xKnsKTyWa5ZapepAcwihuUtJf8u-tQ9Bbwg/s1600/Billy%2527s+Death.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="540" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8T9w-jGGQXilaOju2GEJHZKr-wwGvlCFbujaIc156wIADJdxT0eWCKbqaAm6n2sUCOexcbi6f5SA0oJPvNv-9MGNzTrmtooTRWIi5cGc-xKnsKTyWa5ZapepAcwihuUtJf8u-tQ9Bbwg/s320/Billy%2527s+Death.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- Mike accidentally admitting he's in love with Eleven</b><br />
I'm sorry, I have to come back to Mike here. He is just so good to El, always looking out for her, defending her, protecting her. I fully agreed with what he said about the others treating her like a machine, because it's always been a personal theory of mine that because she bleeds and sometimes collapses when she uses her powers, maybe they're somehow damaging her. It seems so odd to me that he's the only one fearful of how situations affect her, or at least the only one who vocalizes it. And when he says "I love her" in the middle of one of those vocalizations and his expression immediately turns to "Oh shit," it's just the most adorable, priceless, classically Mike moment, and I could watch it on repeat.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo5lyCkYCYoXicYlhaZ1RMKrbcgY8cPkNZ2ziUnUJ6UpCSb68MEYhSznloQ0yhHsR-V6PlXa6ZoZP34tGRZEV9kW5228e2Tf6o666UCq2ZbC_jsEtiqhVRxm53IilUDXK2KXuPgF_ooU/s1600/MikeILoveYou.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfo5lyCkYCYoXicYlhaZ1RMKrbcgY8cPkNZ2ziUnUJ6UpCSb68MEYhSznloQ0yhHsR-V6PlXa6ZoZP34tGRZEV9kW5228e2Tf6o666UCq2ZbC_jsEtiqhVRxm53IilUDXK2KXuPgF_ooU/s1600/MikeILoveYou.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- The Neverending Story Interlude</b><br />
I know a lot of people had a problem with this sequence, but oh my God, I am so not one of them. I LOVED it. Erica's face when Dustin started singing was the best thing ever, and it was the perfect reprieve from the nail-biting intensity of episode 8. It reminded me of a song and a movie I'd almost forgotten, but never will again. And yes, things might've turned out very differently if this moment hadn't happened, but nevertheless, I am so glad it did.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsTup0S1ijwYU-XQRdJuw_2mk753Vw4ULbxCYclWaIw1O7oEtJjtxHxU8WukHKKjgU-twGLk1wyeweHt6QlR-ppYi2XD5CBqoDBbRkifuyku86IiOhD4QhEmDAbG7YjXP4oL8iXVmaZk/s1600/Erica.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="540" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilsTup0S1ijwYU-XQRdJuw_2mk753Vw4ULbxCYclWaIw1O7oEtJjtxHxU8WukHKKjgU-twGLk1wyeweHt6QlR-ppYi2XD5CBqoDBbRkifuyku86IiOhD4QhEmDAbG7YjXP4oL8iXVmaZk/s320/Erica.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEeEBA6Ki69c1KvUxvoU-PJlCT2OWdmBoMshMQhJJrUlyBk7XiyadsNk8SgS5xPMUaxP6I31eJpJOUrlSqhbAnUw0YHHtIyWeQokGWk9uS5z_-sbEKCk5MLNzW-XgxnZqHjfRj5_V8Hg/s1600/DustinSuzie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="540" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEeEBA6Ki69c1KvUxvoU-PJlCT2OWdmBoMshMQhJJrUlyBk7XiyadsNk8SgS5xPMUaxP6I31eJpJOUrlSqhbAnUw0YHHtIyWeQokGWk9uS5z_-sbEKCk5MLNzW-XgxnZqHjfRj5_V8Hg/s320/DustinSuzie.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And now for the things I was <b>not</b> so excited about....<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Here's what I didn't love:</span></b></div>
<br />
<b>- Eleven getting a whole new wardrobe with no mention of how she paid for it</b><br />
Yes, the mall sequence with Max and Eleven was cute. But how does a girl who's been squirreled away in a cabin for two years and never had a job buy herself a whole new wardrobe, PLUS get glamour shots done? And if Max paid, where did *she* get the money? None of them work. It's a small detail, but there are SO many inconsistencies like this in season 3, and viewers are just expected to forgive them. But here's the thing: we're already willingly suspending our disbelief for the big stuff. When the little details don't add up, it's irritating. And even kind of insulting. If I've already agreed to believe that a bunch of rats can explode and meld together to form a giant monster, please don't also ask me to believe that clothes were free in 1985.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nXc9Gg0BOrjDekdV-jTIKHbF9VSQQBNqRwskiATAoxqGvZjuvGXRYu7Yp1O-CXKIuhm4AEaFWO2rVHxTLXwNDutiY6bsqXTZlvr4jj3d77mJK_c6fKu5zrGxikEPSWPvx-gB06e2jZI/s1600/ElMax.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="500" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nXc9Gg0BOrjDekdV-jTIKHbF9VSQQBNqRwskiATAoxqGvZjuvGXRYu7Yp1O-CXKIuhm4AEaFWO2rVHxTLXwNDutiY6bsqXTZlvr4jj3d77mJK_c6fKu5zrGxikEPSWPvx-gB06e2jZI/s320/ElMax.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ooV6bOQT04evBMoVgF8TArMXP4sYOJ0tz9G2ADkctouMjeKfaDYPSXO9qPJcbb-usboyCEPaDgnWmymb6YRibE8HLqn7-rHtMgPObuTCLNXsBkPrWc0eajB_ibvD9CiU4BkzuSnL1J8/s1600/MikeMoney.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="441" data-original-width="768" height="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ooV6bOQT04evBMoVgF8TArMXP4sYOJ0tz9G2ADkctouMjeKfaDYPSXO9qPJcbb-usboyCEPaDgnWmymb6YRibE8HLqn7-rHtMgPObuTCLNXsBkPrWc0eajB_ibvD9CiU4BkzuSnL1J8/s320/MikeMoney.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And yet, your girlfriend just got a whole new wardrobe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>-Mike's and Will's Hair</b><br />
The 80's may be famous for bad hair, but how does anyone look at Finn Wolfhard's beautiful curls and think, "Eh, let's turn it into a toadstool?" And I'm sorry but Noah's wig was just cruel and unusual punishment.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWaO2sz1oh_5VAOFdM1W14s7ZU4k3GFQPighFR-SFumBb2Iy0IPqPYLobkeYTQW-yXVJvvAxcjZMPo0UoKreaoSqTu1XcO6bDq4i6d3anVTx-3vanzOMqXNLfIhCpiBYOFenzm7RdJuA/s1600/MikeHair2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="540" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijWaO2sz1oh_5VAOFdM1W14s7ZU4k3GFQPighFR-SFumBb2Iy0IPqPYLobkeYTQW-yXVJvvAxcjZMPo0UoKreaoSqTu1XcO6bDq4i6d3anVTx-3vanzOMqXNLfIhCpiBYOFenzm7RdJuA/s320/MikeHair2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Z3AlSnGEQYPUVghZ-tQxyajvJugsPxt7re2cXkQwCm_AUPxCN0wkOQoCg8ygvYIQonE1lRM5uMo_YrLQqfIKkvUpSepzW7WqUmf2StdlkFynO9tg5OzErBzZUnJMcLR84AcqhUu2UU/s1600/WillHair.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="540" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid1Z3AlSnGEQYPUVghZ-tQxyajvJugsPxt7re2cXkQwCm_AUPxCN0wkOQoCg8ygvYIQonE1lRM5uMo_YrLQqfIKkvUpSepzW7WqUmf2StdlkFynO9tg5OzErBzZUnJMcLR84AcqhUu2UU/s320/WillHair.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>- Max</b><br />
Before anyone throws rocks at me, I didn't hate *everything* about the El/Max friendship. I liked that Max gave El a boost in confidence and the all-important speech about there being more to life than boys. But speaking of boys.... does she even like Lucas anymore? Because it was kind of hard to tell. She spends most of her time annoyed with him and we learn that she's dumped him FIVE times since they got together at the end of season 2. I'm pretty sure if I was being serial-dumped by someone, I'd tell them to take a hike, especially if I knew they were calling me stupid behind my back every five minutes. But even that didn't bother me as much as when she accused Mike of being possessive and controlling for worrying that El might get brain damage by overusing her powers. Max said brain damage wasn't a real thing, that Mike was making it up, which, <i>what?</i> Brain damage had definitely been identified as a real thing in the 80's, so she was either being very ignorant or very mean, or maybe a little of both. I know she was trying to be a champion for El's independence, but a lot of the time she came across as a know-it-all, and it really bugged me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsftNhGo44jkPjW_CvsxgSTjjBEDn9YAeadQ81yT3JrMNYePYf1Fc1a4wh0u3JytIeEKAYrR0IUQID9J76_H_9XsbDGOYguAFyg08g05LlnM0HX69r3_66K4LRozCR2iwWN7jiyMcy_ng/s1600/MaxShit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="540" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsftNhGo44jkPjW_CvsxgSTjjBEDn9YAeadQ81yT3JrMNYePYf1Fc1a4wh0u3JytIeEKAYrR0IUQID9J76_H_9XsbDGOYguAFyg08g05LlnM0HX69r3_66K4LRozCR2iwWN7jiyMcy_ng/s320/MaxShit.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- Ragey Hopper</b><br />
Part of the appeal of Hopper's character is his flaws. His life fell apart with the death of his daughter and he struggled with addiction and anger. He gets scared, he blows up, he realizes he's gone too far, and then the tough guy facade crumbles and he comes through with a heartfelt apology. At least that's been the pattern before now. In season three, the anger never quite seemed to ebb, and he spent so much of the season yelling at Joyce that I kind of wanted to slap him on her behalf.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepYJWTMM-jhvWSD19poGrti6asPICI7ZQlSUcuLrm_3H0NtMQDvRfw3dWlszFo6ApPcFU03PJ15kTKu_FdAST13rSknPO31ncwGbSsEz_GyJDo5nnLXs-H1FSk3ACs_VwBijbKvWRqWg/s1600/HopperYelling.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="268" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepYJWTMM-jhvWSD19poGrti6asPICI7ZQlSUcuLrm_3H0NtMQDvRfw3dWlszFo6ApPcFU03PJ15kTKu_FdAST13rSknPO31ncwGbSsEz_GyJDo5nnLXs-H1FSk3ACs_VwBijbKvWRqWg/s320/HopperYelling.gif" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">JOYCE! He's firing a machine gun at us! But<br />
don't worry, not one bullet will hit us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I was really hoping to see more of the father/daughter relationship with Hopper and Eleven in season 3, but he wastes all their time together hating on Mike. Yes, he more than redeems himself in the end with that devastating final look at Joyce and the letter to El that ripped my heart to shreds, but if Perpetually Angry Hopper was supposed to be funny, I wasn't laughing.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>- Joyce going slapstick</b><br />
To be clear, I am team Joyce 4eva. But season 3 Joyce was a shadow of the fierce, take-no-shit Joyce from seasons one and two. I fully understand that her obsession with her magnets losing their magnetism stemmed from a fear that Hawkins lab was once again up to no good. I get it. But having her pore over library books and then show up unannounced at Mr. Clarke's house for a tutorial was silly at best, even if I screamed with glee at Randy Havens' cameo.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzDVBeEZ5itvwL9JHO7Ft86WmKCNNAkU5NvOqfb0wqS_kYmQ_vQErNS5iCKn8yU8bFjkZ7Qx_rSOsX7tx72h6AV58h4dR-Qqvb-rTe6Ihrt1DOvy4jlPAm5S-PCVJvlUM75QxLcdwf-c/s1600/Joyce.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFzDVBeEZ5itvwL9JHO7Ft86WmKCNNAkU5NvOqfb0wqS_kYmQ_vQErNS5iCKn8yU8bFjkZ7Qx_rSOsX7tx72h6AV58h4dR-Qqvb-rTe6Ihrt1DOvy4jlPAm5S-PCVJvlUM75QxLcdwf-c/s1600/Joyce.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcoMsujtKvXjRYMnrjy1EOi8yvp2xm0LB4e0lyZeEE0PQwVv_XVxrGl9BLakCGIJUxNMAzO069gWUV2fZAlox0y0LQi1cN0LR-ny7QwKkjDjTrqkOs_ivbwoYd72XsMnmjaI48nTajYI/s1600/JoyceMagnets2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcoMsujtKvXjRYMnrjy1EOi8yvp2xm0LB4e0lyZeEE0PQwVv_XVxrGl9BLakCGIJUxNMAzO069gWUV2fZAlox0y0LQi1cN0LR-ny7QwKkjDjTrqkOs_ivbwoYd72XsMnmjaI48nTajYI/s1600/JoyceMagnets2.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My magnets are falling off my fridge, but my lipstick stays<br />
in place the entire season!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">I admit, it was nice to see her slightly less frazzled, and there were definitely moments when she had me laughing, but something was missing this season. Winona Ryder shines as mama bear, a role she didn't really get to play when the adults were separated from their kids for most of the episodes. Which leads me to my next point...</span></div>
<br />
<b>Why does no one except Joyce know/care where their kids are?</b><br />
Erica in the Russian bunker was hilarious, yes. Supposedly her parents thought she was sleeping at her friend Tina's house, and she mentioned the ass-whooping that awaited her and the others if she wasn't back in time for Uncle Jack's party... which she wasn't.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1h4kf4m9qn_meSJy-XvSx9udVsoUry-jVHAwRY46WCo532hOU6p6iQbc4dlxpzmGRcvr_V2t9rkXnfCFApVC5E6EhaFAcWMacvHl9pLNoieAROhN_qfL-eoj7dqUjUCFSJTj7TDzJVZQ/s1600/UncleJacksParty.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="269" data-original-width="540" height="159" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1h4kf4m9qn_meSJy-XvSx9udVsoUry-jVHAwRY46WCo532hOU6p6iQbc4dlxpzmGRcvr_V2t9rkXnfCFApVC5E6EhaFAcWMacvHl9pLNoieAROhN_qfL-eoj7dqUjUCFSJTj7TDzJVZQ/s320/UncleJacksParty.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So why was no one looking for her? Or Lucas, for that matter? Even when Joyce found Mrs. Wheeler at the carnival and asked where the kids were, Karen didn't have a clue. Hopper was more fired up about Mike being attached to El's face than the fact that another gate existed. And I know that parenting was far less helicopter-ish in the 80's, but these people live in a town where a child went missing and had his death faked by the same government lab that raided their middle school. You'd think the 'rents would keep closer tabs, but apparently it's all water under the bridge? Come on now.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eDl7uBLL1xCniLtDzSpZXmkz906CrLSNGQDo4rsWlRN61GXG6A6dRTk4FfGAkk2XZNggd7b1hR2KZO4G5PNgKM3RpMlVtZ6F25pR0bDm7qaoEo4K0_TsbFijdRV36Q0bMkLvUJnEnB4/s1600/JoyceChildren.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-eDl7uBLL1xCniLtDzSpZXmkz906CrLSNGQDo4rsWlRN61GXG6A6dRTk4FfGAkk2XZNggd7b1hR2KZO4G5PNgKM3RpMlVtZ6F25pR0bDm7qaoEo4K0_TsbFijdRV36Q0bMkLvUJnEnB4/s1600/JoyceChildren.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- Speaking of Russian bunkers... HOW WERE THERE NO SECURITY CAMERAS?</b><br />
Let me get this straight. The Russians built their lair beneath the Starcourt mall. They access it via a loading dock that doubles as a secret elevator, and is guarded by hulking men with automatic weapons. Said lair is outfitted with top-of-the-line technology in order to open a portal to another dimension, but the one expense the Russians spared was... security cameras? Because how else does the Scoops Troop wander the halls for - as Erica says - THREE HOURS without being spotted? They should've been captured and killed in minutes, but I guess we were supposed to be so wowed by the bunker itself as to not care about this detail? Well, I cared.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Db3n-bvxfgKJqrLYCPDfZJ8z2jid-0uI3NxZ-pxmKTIJQBse7ePXhnAZluHZ3KRbqsKExdixqoF-CJHJd1-OqvZXOeKzlfukPitqWkApu-5vtF8GAPiD8YiKcLBpTGwFLO-GsTLdTw/s1600/ScoopsTroop2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="400" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic3Db3n-bvxfgKJqrLYCPDfZJ8z2jid-0uI3NxZ-pxmKTIJQBse7ePXhnAZluHZ3KRbqsKExdixqoF-CJHJd1-OqvZXOeKzlfukPitqWkApu-5vtF8GAPiD8YiKcLBpTGwFLO-GsTLdTw/s320/ScoopsTroop2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Some Russian bunker sub-points that also annoyed me:<br />
<b> - Robin taught herself Russian in a day using nothing but a paperback dictionary and Dustin's Cerebro recording. She then cracked their top-secret code in a matter of minutes. I don't care if she claims her ears are geniuses, I don't buy this for a second. </b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNPoqd28AjJKQQS8SJ9fpi93s1S8_ufU-YzBKLGybh6Js6kTGyizTt12JsUwnniFu29pYwmicRRjhEVz7SC-9YZ1SZ7iXWckPBHFxaGTysbmVORPrYO4OPpvfch-hezUCXtGq0K-n9sM/s1600/RobinGenius.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTNPoqd28AjJKQQS8SJ9fpi93s1S8_ufU-YzBKLGybh6Js6kTGyizTt12JsUwnniFu29pYwmicRRjhEVz7SC-9YZ1SZ7iXWckPBHFxaGTysbmVORPrYO4OPpvfch-hezUCXtGq0K-n9sM/s1600/RobinGenius.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plus I can spend the night in a Russian<br />
bunker, puke my guts up, and, like Joyce,<br />
never have my lipstick come off</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>- Steve figured out that the Russian communication... which originated in the bunker BELOW ground... came from inside the Starcourt mall when he recognized the music from the Indiana Flyer horse.... which was inside the mall, above ground. Anyone else confused as to how the music traveled all that way?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMbaCUC41picqSJ4V20reUEM59OCs1-x7ctGcp4Cr8Ya_O6AZAFwT3hZCQUPuIKDYfzc6inzS81koxL88EXEBwy3ZgdgXLB3Z_hFiQMsBmUeHp1iNsoSaIRE_BjHI-SHAwelUyJQCxPU/s1600/Steve+Russians.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="260" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrMbaCUC41picqSJ4V20reUEM59OCs1-x7ctGcp4Cr8Ya_O6AZAFwT3hZCQUPuIKDYfzc6inzS81koxL88EXEBwy3ZgdgXLB3Z_hFiQMsBmUeHp1iNsoSaIRE_BjHI-SHAwelUyJQCxPU/s1600/Steve+Russians.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>- Hopper mowed down three Russian guards with a machine gun - <i>A MACHINE GUN</i>. And not only did no one hear/see it, but he, Joyce, and Murray then took the dead guys' uniforms and WORE THEM, even though they should've been soaked with blood and guts. But somehow weren't?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJa9LfHzUgD15gxs_8IA6cni03L5goXxTeswsaz2bE5UHvNevng4xZckz9rhOsW_xg-CVuwKk5L5BvEyaxG4jw_IurPO0Aor5an_NivEw5nxZy85TiW3zeOUSJjWJrxgxr9GJs7hOoKo/s1600/HopperBunker.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaJa9LfHzUgD15gxs_8IA6cni03L5goXxTeswsaz2bE5UHvNevng4xZckz9rhOsW_xg-CVuwKk5L5BvEyaxG4jw_IurPO0Aor5an_NivEw5nxZy85TiW3zeOUSJjWJrxgxr9GJs7hOoKo/s1600/HopperBunker.gif" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN93pU728ZNT2sc0vBygJgyGJmljR9gbcDRZWiF0q0owvQptmpQICPNvui0AsRth3Zg37IwY6vqQ1mhP02t8YWogtTF6xfb39WNlv6yz7yUJbYBlILTyL1fvtxfOvg1oTVrWlOv9XvnE/s1600/JoyceBunker.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAN93pU728ZNT2sc0vBygJgyGJmljR9gbcDRZWiF0q0owvQptmpQICPNvui0AsRth3Zg37IwY6vqQ1mhP02t8YWogtTF6xfb39WNlv6yz7yUJbYBlILTyL1fvtxfOvg1oTVrWlOv9XvnE/s1600/JoyceBunker.gif" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>- Erica got involved because she was the only one small enough to fit in the vents. So how did Murray manage to maneuver through them so easily? Different points of entry, yes, but weren't they still the same vents?</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKngBHDULDB1mNdkN9t_EJb2S8B82uQzfc1PHQRI_-zvWOpi5F8JSWyyWe-uKVd7-E6NE5Higm4xw4g36zabqaO_U1GasiFiJRAi2dSeJqxuo-3x7ULLX08G0qMvDeRA6jqsyhV-_GuuQ/s1600/EricaVents2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="540" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKngBHDULDB1mNdkN9t_EJb2S8B82uQzfc1PHQRI_-zvWOpi5F8JSWyyWe-uKVd7-E6NE5Higm4xw4g36zabqaO_U1GasiFiJRAi2dSeJqxuo-3x7ULLX08G0qMvDeRA6jqsyhV-_GuuQ/s320/EricaVents2.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2j6YdsQtq6I0kk24HrvfseubFRcDRP3lS8s3CjA1seuzkuwJJ0xbzg76tOQPQWrGXw0InFPLZcoDokMuj8BRmW5y-4ZeIhCSHOl5qvE0zAH__Q6Dqr3NMnMWzrGdOBVLvhh9ksVDkXY/s1600/20190728_123811.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="670" data-original-width="1600" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU2j6YdsQtq6I0kk24HrvfseubFRcDRP3lS8s3CjA1seuzkuwJJ0xbzg76tOQPQWrGXw0InFPLZcoDokMuj8BRmW5y-4ZeIhCSHOl5qvE0zAH__Q6Dqr3NMnMWzrGdOBVLvhh9ksVDkXY/s320/20190728_123811.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>Last but not least....</b><br />
<b>- Eleven losing everything</b><br />
Not cool, Duffer brothers. You did my girl so, so dirty this season. You took away her powers, her dad, and the only home she's ever known.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuosuWNJofBeVCjDlyHdlBer72is38JZbBGey26kRGLipWGcaL9dUeXy2ZBdmNR7XZvVEQ58JCcN75K_diwOKwzNPKUgoEAEL2JRBvMa7J5BRbCjeTLbf0hQtr8J-EfoY3kca-hixA8g/s1600/ElLosesEverything.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="540" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWuosuWNJofBeVCjDlyHdlBer72is38JZbBGey26kRGLipWGcaL9dUeXy2ZBdmNR7XZvVEQ58JCcN75K_diwOKwzNPKUgoEAEL2JRBvMa7J5BRbCjeTLbf0hQtr8J-EfoY3kca-hixA8g/s320/ElLosesEverything.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Is that really the mind flayer flashing across her forehead??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If season 4 doesn't give this sweet child back everything she lost, and I do mean EVERYTHING (Hopper is not dead, DO NOT TELL ME OTHERWISE), I will boycott everything you ever do. Pettiness is my superpower and there is no compromise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlPVC3Q12JcWWjLgRXyfTBJhalT4V9gNE0VLQ5RlLaCl9q43IK_1zR5Eu3TXLg-x7SYrsNi6SE1X0WtDG5UJePUiDrka7TBST8yJcR3LuwawMAkGOUnv4pIkti_u4u_Uvki9QD7j0xVE/s1600/HalfwayHappy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXlPVC3Q12JcWWjLgRXyfTBJhalT4V9gNE0VLQ5RlLaCl9q43IK_1zR5Eu3TXLg-x7SYrsNi6SE1X0WtDG5UJePUiDrka7TBST8yJcR3LuwawMAkGOUnv4pIkti_u4u_Uvki9QD7j0xVE/s1600/HalfwayHappy.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
In conclusion, I really did enjoy season 3. Everything I loved about seasons 1 and 2 was still there, even if a little muddled by attempts at "bigger" that didn't always hit the mark. I just hope that the Duffer brothers realize that bigger isn't always better, and worry more about consistency than flash in season 4. The incredible cast and the relationships between the characters are truly what make this show shine, and I will tune in forever as long as that light exists.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldeHhdwWxeA9Iv35-RVixk46y6EZMmmS0wSsIQ3trwLNIBAAEGz_Lw0Nlei5XY_jf23xIdgN9kW0A4cQqTZmcx4_0PWqEr2Q5GNBvRJs7ZnLlTRJrPShCbQOQTYRpv-eQm7xUQwJ77h0/s1600/HopperLight.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="540" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldeHhdwWxeA9Iv35-RVixk46y6EZMmmS0wSsIQ3trwLNIBAAEGz_Lw0Nlei5XY_jf23xIdgN9kW0A4cQqTZmcx4_0PWqEr2Q5GNBvRJs7ZnLlTRJrPShCbQOQTYRpv-eQm7xUQwJ77h0/s320/HopperLight.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><br /></b><span style="font-size: large;">
Meanwhile, here are the pics from my and my son's summer outings to a few ST filming sites:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Starcourt Mall</b></div>
This is in Duluth, GA about 30 minutes from my house. We visited twice, once in June and once in August, both times spur-of-the-moment. The first time we walked in as another production was being filmed for Netflix, a movie called Holidate that stars Emma Roberts. The whole mall was decorated for Christmas, and there were extras in winter clothes, despite it being 90 degrees outside and at least 500 degrees inside the mall.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgeF8aCqBPjpWR3dLnN-jmQ2p0sMOSwMB6be6XG5RCmMytQO7X1KCS8I1W2iNWyCfXg7OBThg0cHITVCXpmKkqk7a_kGh8zEBSlgAOOtVeg6U6Hm13BbvSKMFqCeboj_2buJsrNw9nZ8/s1600/20190618_153845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgeF8aCqBPjpWR3dLnN-jmQ2p0sMOSwMB6be6XG5RCmMytQO7X1KCS8I1W2iNWyCfXg7OBThg0cHITVCXpmKkqk7a_kGh8zEBSlgAOOtVeg6U6Hm13BbvSKMFqCeboj_2buJsrNw9nZ8/s400/20190618_153845.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2cPimYjT9ocWUrZfDQhkNDKXwNQjNEs72seP0LvQ7djX02RyMWlJo2rfGlsKBLFxfFVUvpVigAhpz-xPTTEq9C1U0JcH1qtkNfVTHlYfd8zEWcoWlaRtHNy5_bhJmi9GuKtA1ctyAJo/s1600/20190806_143539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1102" data-original-width="1600" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF2cPimYjT9ocWUrZfDQhkNDKXwNQjNEs72seP0LvQ7djX02RyMWlJo2rfGlsKBLFxfFVUvpVigAhpz-xPTTEq9C1U0JcH1qtkNfVTHlYfd8zEWcoWlaRtHNy5_bhJmi9GuKtA1ctyAJo/s400/20190806_143539.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the Starcourt set was behind partitions and had guards stationed at each end who wouldn't let us stop and stare, let alone take photos. So even though I had a great view of the mall through the gaps in the barriers, these were the best pictures I could get of the interior:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTx_inNT0oiU_xTjSH_EV7OaC8s1WThAH1mShSPz8as0JTp_rpJjVdiGu-7fqvcgqqf41Ss3dpeXw5tE7nyk13tKl81YrY6VW9Uk8vZsSpVRvRFGEawjrvLeqxQQr_69g_ucTyKholOE/s1600/20190618_150819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTx_inNT0oiU_xTjSH_EV7OaC8s1WThAH1mShSPz8as0JTp_rpJjVdiGu-7fqvcgqqf41Ss3dpeXw5tE7nyk13tKl81YrY6VW9Uk8vZsSpVRvRFGEawjrvLeqxQQr_69g_ucTyKholOE/s320/20190618_150819.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Damn right, we brought our Eleven doll)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEIJ8sFppMo10M1VLJEhi2WyZyOkTj3MHqnf1mAnediEkODxUBZD9WSRh-VsbMfKYs_gIXe4zYIEKblBALPbI_CDacPh__ctJExuW-7hm19HZnajrOTZov6fp_ZJBZ0dZPfvLQxUYTsM/s1600/20190618_151709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEIJ8sFppMo10M1VLJEhi2WyZyOkTj3MHqnf1mAnediEkODxUBZD9WSRh-VsbMfKYs_gIXe4zYIEKblBALPbI_CDacPh__ctJExuW-7hm19HZnajrOTZov6fp_ZJBZ0dZPfvLQxUYTsM/s400/20190618_151709.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
</blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXPld455THMypAb-HyH8xuJyv8_EX7ovGGiVCMvFgs10qMgi5wl_Krgex7Hgh6jEl7Z1ekm42DV3yIfqM2Fdb3x8WAswqb14-2kuCVXuiEGINha_jeP1pYFzk8lTW7S2desv8uw44yFo/s1600/inCollage_20190805_193703101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCXPld455THMypAb-HyH8xuJyv8_EX7ovGGiVCMvFgs10qMgi5wl_Krgex7Hgh6jEl7Z1ekm42DV3yIfqM2Fdb3x8WAswqb14-2kuCVXuiEGINha_jeP1pYFzk8lTW7S2desv8uw44yFo/s320/inCollage_20190805_193703101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdeT3wwJ2OCYIfRgq_FSNuTOLLmgCnb9PpREfFoQmQJWlrQWVX_T5M-fCVmmrsjz3IyF8Ma6ajaWFThXfXm0545hAoN15srp4MLRoo_e94SSWJW6ebKXzVcZ2ngedKzD2pUhzDoyCg4g/s1600/IMG_20190806_140537_222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="833" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjdeT3wwJ2OCYIfRgq_FSNuTOLLmgCnb9PpREfFoQmQJWlrQWVX_T5M-fCVmmrsjz3IyF8Ma6ajaWFThXfXm0545hAoN15srp4MLRoo_e94SSWJW6ebKXzVcZ2ngedKzD2pUhzDoyCg4g/s400/IMG_20190806_140537_222.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That first picture of my son was taken inside the Beauty Master Store, which can be seen here (top pic is mine, bottom pic courtesy of Finn Wolfhard's Instagram:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibux1dSE9264xnJSY4QGn3ClWemfWrs1akY5tVh1gQTCQAMaKhSkI8y_VheQjDJGZFZn3rZ_sJwGM9q001gVc2TdCH2sXQzJXU-_Hakqt_nuYKQHe_Dr5NrDxIRBzZ_ShY-LwfyN5AjYE/s1600/inCollage_20190805_133138345.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibux1dSE9264xnJSY4QGn3ClWemfWrs1akY5tVh1gQTCQAMaKhSkI8y_VheQjDJGZFZn3rZ_sJwGM9q001gVc2TdCH2sXQzJXU-_Hakqt_nuYKQHe_Dr5NrDxIRBzZ_ShY-LwfyN5AjYE/s320/inCollage_20190805_133138345.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The second time we visited, accordion doors still separated the Starcourt set from the Beauty Master store. But the view was no longer obstructed, and we could see they'd removed all the 80's storefronts and the collapsed pillars that had been there the first time:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb5A75K0Rxk3HT9GvmY3xlJuJd26QkGYuVP_dxvp2iUYqWI_MDwYfE178BbxJY3STSj_RKwCVYvSJ_nHlcuUHslHjh_imoP9J6BLSkQkdE2K0Vt0nJZkfWIgR2qrNowdNXPeRMzupCq4/s1600/inCollage_20190805_194734904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb5A75K0Rxk3HT9GvmY3xlJuJd26QkGYuVP_dxvp2iUYqWI_MDwYfE178BbxJY3STSj_RKwCVYvSJ_nHlcuUHslHjh_imoP9J6BLSkQkdE2K0Vt0nJZkfWIgR2qrNowdNXPeRMzupCq4/s400/inCollage_20190805_194734904.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pics on the right are mine, pics on the left are screen shots from You Tube</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>The Wheeler/Sinclair Houses</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next site we crossed off our list was the neighborhood where Mike and Lucas live. These are real homes, occupied by real families, so even though it was a quiet neighborhood that would've been perfect for a walk with my son, I didn't want to linger. I did get these pics of the Wheeler house and the Sinclair house, though:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_nMnO_g4-iKh0K2EnKbfWqGxZ5_lcBaej3BhXpI3XzDmFz_B_mBq_yt4AR69fySzwpBeyOnW2yyt4yU3vBLMnUiGlhT_RXFDJl5YemmP0DQzMMLgYyhq1asOhzjkoqThN_NHGUdn8oE/s1600/20190620_145726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_nMnO_g4-iKh0K2EnKbfWqGxZ5_lcBaej3BhXpI3XzDmFz_B_mBq_yt4AR69fySzwpBeyOnW2yyt4yU3vBLMnUiGlhT_RXFDJl5YemmP0DQzMMLgYyhq1asOhzjkoqThN_NHGUdn8oE/s320/20190620_145726.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOoAjrgqkm2phdrSo2r9f9-NtesYfJ61I6Mqf3uvTXo29wu08xQap0FGeYlPbfLqDO6KKjvjdYT1VfgjMHaBdVWvd8BMg-0zh-xLW5I12PgcKn3jpp-J8LUahGGu_U6YdPcxfIqAGjU4/s1600/20190620_145712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLOoAjrgqkm2phdrSo2r9f9-NtesYfJ61I6Mqf3uvTXo29wu08xQap0FGeYlPbfLqDO6KKjvjdYT1VfgjMHaBdVWvd8BMg-0zh-xLW5I12PgcKn3jpp-J8LUahGGu_U6YdPcxfIqAGjU4/s320/20190620_145712.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9sQJGB2VwbxkSkdcBKuOKXXAzcywWQGuQXgE5jcTmm-oYEHgGv4tEvQ_QIl6qFsUThmVkU1iiTfAa8dRGA9iHXqs3kKgZuMpCw8Eb1vwpous0Vde_2lpZXyoAZx2LG-9wx79W7TOApo/s1600/20190620_145939.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9sQJGB2VwbxkSkdcBKuOKXXAzcywWQGuQXgE5jcTmm-oYEHgGv4tEvQ_QIl6qFsUThmVkU1iiTfAa8dRGA9iHXqs3kKgZuMpCw8Eb1vwpous0Vde_2lpZXyoAZx2LG-9wx79W7TOApo/s320/20190620_145939.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ElqHEK-S7pQ" width="560"></iframe><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Hawkins Middle School</b></div>
Our last visit was to Hawkins Middle School, and despite hitting the worst traffic I've ever encountered and thereby having to make an unplanned pit stop, I think this one was my favorite. We were able to walk the grounds and see the spot where the boys spied on Max, the gym where the Snow Ball was held, and the room where Mike and El kissed for the first time (from the outside).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGwTC_jZF3lC-aULH7LCH5nFwDvZc3cnXkcDDOkY6_QX_M6MVhfwHhV1JiceVmI1P-CgwigJ8j69hc-tfsnn1r0gVxwXuwPL2aTXgby7LiGfdo-wDBgYOFFTmPcutbKY2D8TRLQuNOxs/s1600/20190625_140958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLGwTC_jZF3lC-aULH7LCH5nFwDvZc3cnXkcDDOkY6_QX_M6MVhfwHhV1JiceVmI1P-CgwigJ8j69hc-tfsnn1r0gVxwXuwPL2aTXgby7LiGfdo-wDBgYOFFTmPcutbKY2D8TRLQuNOxs/s400/20190625_140958.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgqyjzNDDYqU3TCJDQxcD_u3xlzcNtfH659hK_vwkHdRN0T2smU85PBiAThnlwDI_oU7d_nml4BUwbHnSgFTh1cCFxlaYat4_LpXOVzcNSaryMD01hgRuYB1t_rdlk6pkWc58dmk5Dp8/s1600/IMG_20190625_190406_368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="833" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgqyjzNDDYqU3TCJDQxcD_u3xlzcNtfH659hK_vwkHdRN0T2smU85PBiAThnlwDI_oU7d_nml4BUwbHnSgFTh1cCFxlaYat4_LpXOVzcNSaryMD01hgRuYB1t_rdlk6pkWc58dmk5Dp8/s320/IMG_20190625_190406_368.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw37-HVp-HSmH2OSn5yRrYIUbdJFktGLpZ1-2Nk8VIVQrjsoRXSLE3HGXto831QazeHl9eKFTjYwTqDf4A2vMyvVtPjgQenwilPfSMvvYGGLjzW7aBDB3ayH6ySvosPSOT1xtOUco98Hg/s1600/IMG_20190625_220543_806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw37-HVp-HSmH2OSn5yRrYIUbdJFktGLpZ1-2Nk8VIVQrjsoRXSLE3HGXto831QazeHl9eKFTjYwTqDf4A2vMyvVtPjgQenwilPfSMvvYGGLjzW7aBDB3ayH6ySvosPSOT1xtOUco98Hg/s320/IMG_20190625_220543_806.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tO_UNFY9xYX-dDh3dvG0yDYUbuLQ0bEn0LOiFpEbWbqhcHinkVG9zSVAW1AW_R_Wh-tsqKkF5NZ1GzYoRkUGHWA84F7RN97OAGD_QovjPZWVufZcD0msdCGqWO88qB3w8ZzhJTqbgBs/s1600/inCollage_20190625_213029085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tO_UNFY9xYX-dDh3dvG0yDYUbuLQ0bEn0LOiFpEbWbqhcHinkVG9zSVAW1AW_R_Wh-tsqKkF5NZ1GzYoRkUGHWA84F7RN97OAGD_QovjPZWVufZcD0msdCGqWO88qB3w8ZzhJTqbgBs/s320/inCollage_20190625_213029085.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Top pic is a screen shot from ST, bottom pic is mine)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxlC-1jOPvnsDngurW9b4povGcKJ0FS-RgobX0AntzmW0PtjUNZ9bbnhZfd_wQyKXvPzV4orV7pRYvvVC_qQIuGT3yWyPGs7od5G7K7c6DsB6m7MZU9lZMELL93T1u1KFec7GUao8yPE/s1600/inCollage_20190625_213315386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgxlC-1jOPvnsDngurW9b4povGcKJ0FS-RgobX0AntzmW0PtjUNZ9bbnhZfd_wQyKXvPzV4orV7pRYvvVC_qQIuGT3yWyPGs7od5G7K7c6DsB6m7MZU9lZMELL93T1u1KFec7GUao8yPE/s320/inCollage_20190625_213315386.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i1qZt0ZAOX8" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8riiQDtzeqE" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AQuWHI6s7is" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoZK2QZjlK0r_rwEG729LGb-QHAWEOzkmyYwiUjxAXLYbv0Mty3x6l7jNvRTNOTjpAjz1wWBueVeqQtCVJDSjM6wWzmLJPZuEA1ZAMrtKFLjzcDOVtxkFNm5jELtZY6dJiErN6_JVMVI/s1600/20190625_143709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghoZK2QZjlK0r_rwEG729LGb-QHAWEOzkmyYwiUjxAXLYbv0Mty3x6l7jNvRTNOTjpAjz1wWBueVeqQtCVJDSjM6wWzmLJPZuEA1ZAMrtKFLjzcDOVtxkFNm5jELtZY6dJiErN6_JVMVI/s320/20190625_143709.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXgzYRh_mg7Po7pZ4ZlsUZSSSXt_pWlmLZ7_-wGvPQWGqUPV94zM6Y_0hg_DAfx33Wo3fufjuUJLSuoRNrCZJAQyrTOF0u4TTL6iLjPz_s_n2rPqTPyVeKLf6Jh12nrigbjTugo24SPI/s1600/inCollage_20190629_151504943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlXgzYRh_mg7Po7pZ4ZlsUZSSSXt_pWlmLZ7_-wGvPQWGqUPV94zM6Y_0hg_DAfx33Wo3fufjuUJLSuoRNrCZJAQyrTOF0u4TTL6iLjPz_s_n2rPqTPyVeKLf6Jh12nrigbjTugo24SPI/s320/inCollage_20190629_151504943.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-47714114614562150342018-11-13T08:56:00.002-05:002018-11-13T11:19:01.554-05:00That Time I Met Clark Kent and Lex Luthor From Smallville<br />
Last summer I wrote a <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-long-road-to-sunday-night.html">long, emotional post</a> about how excited I was to finally have had the chance to see Lifehouse in concert.<br />
<br />
I talked about their music being the perfect soundtrack to my favorite show of all time, Smallville. I even wore a Smallville shirt to the concert, because I will always associate certain Lifehouse songs with the show.<br />
<br />
Well. On September 1st, 2018, I wore that shirt again. This time? To Dragon Con, where I FREAKING MET THE STARS OF SMALLVILLE, TOM WELLING AND MICHAEL ROSENBAUM! (And Aaron Ashmore too!)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss4jOVWeymt-w5qgOA8KZYuzSpb_tJPdxbZleb0TTBxRQDdc7Iar_1rw9bvgIa_Gtv-wvlV40UEP8nD6wjaEblEN4_DYuPhhjtrnTdIfvlfBXqv6YMOIkEQEN68-uSa73ooftboZZi7I/s1600/P-6AX-5MM-EFN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiss4jOVWeymt-w5qgOA8KZYuzSpb_tJPdxbZleb0TTBxRQDdc7Iar_1rw9bvgIa_Gtv-wvlV40UEP8nD6wjaEblEN4_DYuPhhjtrnTdIfvlfBXqv6YMOIkEQEN68-uSa73ooftboZZi7I/s400/P-6AX-5MM-EFN.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why yes, I did put this photo on the back of my Christmas card with the caption<br />
HOPE YOUR HOLIDAYS ARE SUPER. Why do you ask?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I honestly still can't believe this happened. It all started when a fellow Tom-fan sent me the link to an Instagram post announcing that Tom and Michael would be appearing at Dragon Con in September.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Here is actual footage of my reaction:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHwL6unGj1P_MdP4rSmQdncpsI8NLGH06LAQ5ee00G5mWSWoY15ObF6XeO2KY1bv-5Gash3hmvpjIt__1ljOWnBnYZ7-JY3pxYdUbQElLjLT9mo2VsclV9bLgfkZProTes2g6WK0FjiE/s1600/Kermit+Flail.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="450" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHwL6unGj1P_MdP4rSmQdncpsI8NLGH06LAQ5ee00G5mWSWoY15ObF6XeO2KY1bv-5Gash3hmvpjIt__1ljOWnBnYZ7-JY3pxYdUbQElLjLT9mo2VsclV9bLgfkZProTes2g6WK0FjiE/s320/Kermit+Flail.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After all, Dragon Con takes place in Atlanta, and I live in the suburbs of Atlanta. There was no way in hell I was going to let this opportunity pass me by. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My husband, on the other hand, even though he was a Smallville fan before I was, did not get as excited. He agreed to go only because he was worried about me making the trip alone. So I wasted no time buying our tickets. Or getting my son a Superman T-shirt to match his dad's.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugjzX_CPi3a9hME5weaBngP1PN7-35uq9VFnnvSF6PzO1eqNDanS2PWPLGAZzI9OTePeFp0nG6irXbJSLT1-cbVKOOwpBvfZDzLAmq2ugkSBRQ-Y-8IbSRv0mCksjdE2GopKkCZ2dH8Q/s1600/20180901_100630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiugjzX_CPi3a9hME5weaBngP1PN7-35uq9VFnnvSF6PzO1eqNDanS2PWPLGAZzI9OTePeFp0nG6irXbJSLT1-cbVKOOwpBvfZDzLAmq2ugkSBRQ-Y-8IbSRv0mCksjdE2GopKkCZ2dH8Q/s320/20180901_100630.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the MARTA. We were melting.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And can I just tell you what an absolutely amazing experience it was?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sure, the MARTA (<span style="background-color: white; color: #545454; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority)</span> was late and crowded and hot, but how often do you get to ride a train with people dressed in costumes, everything from Deadpool to Disney characters? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Yes, it was hot as hell outside, and the hair I'd spent an hour straightening the night before was frizzy and sticking to my sweaty neck by the time we stepped off the train, and my son managed to drip a melting chocolate popsicle all over his khaki-colored shorts before we even arrived at the con. We also missed the parade.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Didn't matter. We had. The best. Time.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We started off on the Kids' Track, at a Jedi Training for my son. He got to make his own light saber out of a foam noodle. Then he got to learn how to use it from the Star Wars character of his choice - he chose Rey. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK_rvrjxfltXHz51UCKA5o05wod07a8TLf3gbZd8e3D_iPYnEB9ejnVCXywlQS4hbnxZxa4JfLOOUwEMQ-hw3URKzWU3nIGTVqEDAuiCh2A930iy9GC_JwjT7Kcr8gT5bxHngEf_WsKQ/s1600/20180901_114904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK_rvrjxfltXHz51UCKA5o05wod07a8TLf3gbZd8e3D_iPYnEB9ejnVCXywlQS4hbnxZxa4JfLOOUwEMQ-hw3URKzWU3nIGTVqEDAuiCh2A930iy9GC_JwjT7Kcr8gT5bxHngEf_WsKQ/s320/20180901_114904.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From there we made our way over to the line for the Smallville: Reunion of Lost Choices panel. Don't ask me what the name of the panel meant; I don't have a clue. I just knew I was about to be in the same room with two actors I've admired for more than a decade. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Except upon entering the ballroom where the panel was held, an attendant looked at my little family, glanced around the room, and said, "There's three seats open right there." AND POINTED AT THE VERY FRONT ROW. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I almost fell the freak over. There was literally nothing but a few feet of carpet between me and the table where the actors from Smallville would be sitting. You guys, I could not. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCKgC3JC0w6ERtZI6x9PEPJ6aI9A8mwYJPF9VJtzDvKrXIO-McDJzo2ut0r7-SNtTvZ5SNoEUQdqb3ftUaqWXMAi7-2YXALMfAR3gUCcnI1x7Hu6Lq903nPLgo-hPef7Zkj7jz4MkyQQ/s1600/Dying.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCKgC3JC0w6ERtZI6x9PEPJ6aI9A8mwYJPF9VJtzDvKrXIO-McDJzo2ut0r7-SNtTvZ5SNoEUQdqb3ftUaqWXMAi7-2YXALMfAR3gUCcnI1x7Hu6Lq903nPLgo-hPef7Zkj7jz4MkyQQ/s1600/Dying.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The introductions started. Erica Cerra and Aaron Ashmore were brought out first. Then the moderator started Michael's introduction. And what happened?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/6d55SmvESW">https://t.co/6d55SmvESW</a></div>
— Gina Ciocca (@gmc511) <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511/status/1062078485299113985?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
OUT COMES TOM! He totally crashed Michael's intro, and I was thoroughly unprepared for the shock, as you can tell from my delighted shriek.<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lfsGegyMpRQ" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
Not to be outdone, Michael then made his entrance shirtless.<br />
<br />
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/CU4Uc5n3lG">https://t.co/CU4Uc5n3lG</a></div>
— Gina Ciocca (@gmc511) <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511/status/1062080483134185478?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2018</a></blockquote>
<br />
What followed was an hour of hilarity and adorableness. Like Michael sharing this story about one of the most memorable pranks played on set:<br />
<br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WnMrOTDmRhA" width="560"></iframe>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/EDLbwfOpaH">https://t.co/EDLbwfOpaH</a></div>
— Gina Ciocca (@gmc511) <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511/status/1062164468887633920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<br />
And Tom, relaying this embarrassing moment:<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a>
<br />
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a>
<br />
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUFSGgFvQL/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Gina Ciocca (@gmciocca)</a> on <time datetime="2018-09-04T18:15:01+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Sep 4, 2018 at 11:15am PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="und">
<a href="https://t.co/xSfBb7nYfY">https://t.co/xSfBb7nYfY</a></div>
— Gina Ciocca (@gmc511) <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511/status/1062164953568829440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2018</a> </blockquote>
<br />
Michael also talked about hating having to shave his head each day for his role as Lex. He said sometimes he'd get cut, he had to wear special makeup so the set lights wouldn't reflect off his head, and he was also self-conscious about his big occipital bone.<br />
<br />
He ran out into the audience trying to find someone who had a big bone at the back of their heads like his - and ended up finding it on my big-headed little boy.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KAeLxHW6K7pL3rIsjL2j6QQiOs4ePYsOu2vnuSz9OMrAyWNGgnhW5U7oE12NIGj6wciMFof2H7pFI5aSE_h0Q3PDJ0jxiT8w5y6-zMhpAAeMFy4GyRUi0YUgpo1mQAvYcXIpIs_Cr_Y/s1600/20180901_133433.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2KAeLxHW6K7pL3rIsjL2j6QQiOs4ePYsOu2vnuSz9OMrAyWNGgnhW5U7oE12NIGj6wciMFof2H7pFI5aSE_h0Q3PDJ0jxiT8w5y6-zMhpAAeMFy4GyRUi0YUgpo1mQAvYcXIpIs_Cr_Y/s320/20180901_133433.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My kid has no filter. I may have panicked a little<br />
in this moment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He also put the microphone in front of my son long enough for him to ask, "Are you Lex Luthor?" Michael laughed, and turning to Tom, said, "He called me Lex Luthor."<br />
<br />
But my favorite moment was one in which Tom unwittingly paraphrased a scene from my book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/">BUSTED</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEEYdL7JTGFFEqdttQy4gjmAkezZWwkP4Bvobt_iWSR3hc8ZYswiLAU84VkKMz3KCudNg1JUoxQvo_qqXtyuTKuuFpuRAsc0h9NLSe6EKM58WCnVjsq1s3pVyeY9cYTyLuj8xtoY-Ckg/s1600/Busted05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEEYdL7JTGFFEqdttQy4gjmAkezZWwkP4Bvobt_iWSR3hc8ZYswiLAU84VkKMz3KCudNg1JUoxQvo_qqXtyuTKuuFpuRAsc0h9NLSe6EKM58WCnVjsq1s3pVyeY9cYTyLuj8xtoY-Ckg/s320/Busted05.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
I may have mentioned one or a thousand times that each of my published novels contain at least one Superman reference each.<br />
<br />
Well, in BUSTED, there is a scene in which TJ explains to Marisa why purple is known as "the imperial color."<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (BTW, some of these images are taken from my Instagram stories, which can be seen under the highlight "DragonCon 2018" on my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gmciocca/">Instagram page</a>.)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmixmyAzfXS1mDd_hd6uIZwx3LLXUh3zD5dOUmwuea2NZ-5R2KlcXvCuforT7C4cN7QMzZorJnQImJaOCkwO6S2RJUI5e6UYCTfmyBCermzalAxrAvLF16Ev5sze98rbIm3y3ncVZapVA/s1600/ImperialColor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="833" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmixmyAzfXS1mDd_hd6uIZwx3LLXUh3zD5dOUmwuea2NZ-5R2KlcXvCuforT7C4cN7QMzZorJnQImJaOCkwO6S2RJUI5e6UYCTfmyBCermzalAxrAvLF16Ev5sze98rbIm3y3ncVZapVA/s400/ImperialColor.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
<br />
At one point in the panel, Tom Welling talked about how easy it was to dress for the part of Clark Kent - he either wore a red shirt and a blue jacket, or a blue shirt and a red jacket. To which Michael responded, "Why was I always in suits? And why did I wear so much purple?"<br />
<br />
So you can imagine the free fall of my jaw when Tom turns to Michael and proceeds to TJ-splain the reason that purple shirts might be symbolic on a rich, powerful man like Lex Luthor.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaIeSFjFvf1vNyzP6wloCIPHSW0xq4f8tTsr8wKzVLvuc8e0EQXLdltfLPEGxqlfe_DxD6Bnwl_aDIoR6X8As7eGw_DrKfaV3-3TQdwgm6vjpFy-K9YpnDr5ytWTxlO9ebaEz264fl7g/s1600/DragonCon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimaIeSFjFvf1vNyzP6wloCIPHSW0xq4f8tTsr8wKzVLvuc8e0EQXLdltfLPEGxqlfe_DxD6Bnwl_aDIoR6X8As7eGw_DrKfaV3-3TQdwgm6vjpFy-K9YpnDr5ytWTxlO9ebaEz264fl7g/s320/DragonCon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Not only had a character in my book said THE SAME THING....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GXzxuYvaATc3a_v0IQQjAdVXhgW2CwYdIu9lN2vwg2IesclvDadSrO2OZKp_VcGtPo_h5E5sGfEVcugdSvf0HzrSNRWajHwEYt_6Dr4u0a9imCy0ir0RDYl-N7sDQWAEx8-YsCF9IZY/s1600/ImperialColor2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2GXzxuYvaATc3a_v0IQQjAdVXhgW2CwYdIu9lN2vwg2IesclvDadSrO2OZKp_VcGtPo_h5E5sGfEVcugdSvf0HzrSNRWajHwEYt_6Dr4u0a9imCy0ir0RDYl-N7sDQWAEx8-YsCF9IZY/s320/ImperialColor2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
.... but he said it after the Lois Lane reference I'd slipped in 88 pages earlier....<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nZaLXApOpaztVDHVYOEZ_pLVO05sG9h302uc9XFIAqXkn2_bCkCLK1MOmTpBXw2h3Fo49Wa8cPVo7kRNGehHsLGJsdzmqE-to8lJOu6vTCRU3ptA2V3d2l1CRLYc6NGCPiMwN2z_gmE/s1600/LoisLaneBusted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nZaLXApOpaztVDHVYOEZ_pLVO05sG9h302uc9XFIAqXkn2_bCkCLK1MOmTpBXw2h3Fo49Wa8cPVo7kRNGehHsLGJsdzmqE-to8lJOu6vTCRU3ptA2V3d2l1CRLYc6NGCPiMwN2z_gmE/s320/LoisLaneBusted.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
... and he's the same character who has a loft in his barn, complete with a telescope, that is 100% a love note to Clark's loft in Smallville.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgaUvgWj9MRLK0AKC52d4VaTTB_rCqEFkp34qJBFJjgJDeEtniM92ViO2X0Ik95wlGdi1Mx-8_zbHUXtpWOrzUrWwvRyF6KLFeBvfMhwctjY3BJDOg46wXRyXrrpSBWE-JwHM7ap5Yd0/s1600/ClarksLoft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="487" data-original-width="720" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgaUvgWj9MRLK0AKC52d4VaTTB_rCqEFkp34qJBFJjgJDeEtniM92ViO2X0Ik95wlGdi1Mx-8_zbHUXtpWOrzUrWwvRyF6KLFeBvfMhwctjY3BJDOg46wXRyXrrpSBWE-JwHM7ap5Yd0/s400/ClarksLoft.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdShR7hXWUFHpM3FDlGo23xUHDu74H_f92YE-iJeVPbcN3xS4pWzEU0gI30f8OlIZ5tMl1J0zYFrvjT-OfKdieIJ_OMXnZ9BT_THVF4PQ6oNGwzl-m3nwedhbCnx2l_CVAkXExy5cROU/s1600/TJBarnBusted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSdShR7hXWUFHpM3FDlGo23xUHDu74H_f92YE-iJeVPbcN3xS4pWzEU0gI30f8OlIZ5tMl1J0zYFrvjT-OfKdieIJ_OMXnZ9BT_THVF4PQ6oNGwzl-m3nwedhbCnx2l_CVAkXExy5cROU/s400/TJBarnBusted.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So, my book containing Superman and Smallville references was referenced by my favorite Superman from Smallville. And that is how a panel at Dragon Con 2018 turned into my Inception moment. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xieUFgHIgXViWU8olM9Tyt_oJMYUc-zx30XDmLpkopBGCslXFYAHnC8xu-mAXfhqqx9De5OOhqRGuFAhpVWFBFlIuQVJuij5rkK2Ihs9znFd2YrRUwvuCdMDCWVpPCLVUgJhmJapw4s/s1600/MindBlown.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="420" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2xieUFgHIgXViWU8olM9Tyt_oJMYUc-zx30XDmLpkopBGCslXFYAHnC8xu-mAXfhqqx9De5OOhqRGuFAhpVWFBFlIuQVJuij5rkK2Ihs9znFd2YrRUwvuCdMDCWVpPCLVUgJhmJapw4s/s320/MindBlown.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
(Okay, maybe it's a stretch. Just let me have my moment.)<br />
<br />
Following the panel, we walked around for a bit, then got in line for the photo op I'd paid for ahead of time.<br />
<br />
Remember how I said my husband wasn't all that excited to go to Dragon Con?<br />
<br />
Well. When it was our turn to get in the photo booth with Michael, Tom, and Aaron, he said, "Here babe, this is your good side." And literally shoved me out of the way so he could stand next to Tom. I swear to God, I almost kicked him.<br />
<br />
The one chance I'd probably ever have to stand next to Tom Welling, and his giant hand is on MY HUSBAND'S shoulder.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2VmvI9kLomrTLMnrqeEANuriQt3910RpedVk7Vxe-3ompf7uekvw8xo1yGOHzbFf8A_Jb-38rH-h3LBJXF2WqixQbNUzjpDgJn5bDuAhO-fqjXHPw1f4ENOdPsaFlDE0bjSMB6ydEVA/s1600/P-6AX-5MM-EFN.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD2VmvI9kLomrTLMnrqeEANuriQt3910RpedVk7Vxe-3ompf7uekvw8xo1yGOHzbFf8A_Jb-38rH-h3LBJXF2WqixQbNUzjpDgJn5bDuAhO-fqjXHPw1f4ENOdPsaFlDE0bjSMB6ydEVA/s320/P-6AX-5MM-EFN.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Though if you look closely, you'll notice that my own hand is creepily resting on top of Michael's, which I swear I did not realize until my mother saw the photo and pointed it out afterward. I was actually trying my hardest NOT to touch anyone, in fear of being creepy, and thought my son's shoulder was my best bet for hand placement. <i>Oops</i>.<br />
<br />
Of course, my precautions went out the window when we were about to exit the booth, and I realized I hadn't gotten to say anything meaningful to Tom. As I said in my Instagram caption of our picture:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>I wish I had time to tell them how much Smallville meant to me. That I write novels because I hope to make other people feel the way their show made *me* feel. That I've slipped a Superman reference into all 3 of my published novels. That I wore this same shirt to a Lifehouse concert, thinking it was the closest I'd ever get to anything Smallville-related.</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: , "blinkmacsystemfont" , "segoe ui" , "roboto" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">I didn't get to say any of that. But as we started to leave, I turned back. I offered Tom my hand, and he obliged me a hand shake, despite the "no touching" rule. I looked him in the eye and told him thank you. And even though he had no idea just how many different things I was actually thanking him for, I am content that those words said it all.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">In short?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i>Best. Day. Ever. </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">(And my husband wants to go back again next year.)</span></span><br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-34929914930728611452018-10-24T21:49:00.003-04:002019-08-21T09:34:53.213-04:00Some Parenting RealnessAnyone who has read this blog knows I'm a big fan of transparency and honesty. I've shared my struggles with <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-which-i-talk-honestly-about.html">postpartum depression</a>, the <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/08/why-authors-dont-just-want-to-be.html">hardships of publishing</a>, etc., in the hope that my stories could help other people feel less alone on their darker days.<br />
<br />
Which is why I wanted to repost something here that I initially shared on Instagram. It's from a day when parenthood was simply kicking my ass. All I wanted was to crawl back into bed and stay there.<br />
Of course, that wasn't an option.<br />
<br />
Why am I sharing this? Because in a world in which social media is carefully curated to show only the highlights of a person's life, it's easy so easy to compare ourselves to others, and constantly come up short.<br />
<br />
But life his hard. Parenthood is hard. Some days kids are downright assholes. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we're assholes right back. We have moments when we wonder what the hell made us think we were qualified to rear a decent human being.<br />
<br />
A lot of the time, we are just <i>tired</i>.<br />
<br />
And on those days, it's nice to find someone who can relate. It's comforting to hear <i>I've been there too.</i><br />
<br />
Well. I have been there. On many, many an occasion. Here's one of them:<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style="background: #fff; border-radius: 3px; border: 0; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.5) , 0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: 99.375%;">
<div style="padding: 16px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;">
</div>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 19% 0;">
</div>
<div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"><svg height="50px" version="1.1" viewbox="0 0 60 60" width="50px" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g fill-rule="evenodd" fill="none" stroke-width="1" stroke="none"><g fill="#000000" transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></a></div>
<div style="padding-top: 8px;">
<div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">View this post on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
<div style="padding: 12.5% 0;">
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> </a><br />
<div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px;">
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(0px) translatey(7px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 14px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translatex(3px) translatey(1px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; transform: translatex(9px) translatey(-18px); width: 12.5px;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: 8px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;">
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-top: 2px solid transparent; height: 0; transform: translatex(16px) translatey(-4px) rotate(30deg); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
<div style="margin-left: auto;">
<div style="border-right: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; transform: translatey(16px); width: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12px; transform: translatey(-4px); width: 16px;">
</div>
<div style="border-left: 8px solid transparent; border-top: 8px solid #f4f4f4; height: 0; transform: translatey(-4px) translatex(8px); width: 0;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a>
<div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;">
</div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="background: #FFFFFF; line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank">
</a><br />
<div style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BkYVjiblEgu/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_medium=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Gina Ciocca (@gmciocca)</a> on <time datetime="2018-06-23T23:08:40+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Jun 23, 2018 at 4:08pm PDT</time></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I could write a cute caption that sounds like we're just outside enjoying an unusually mild summer day in GA, but I'm gonna be real for a minute: this kid is driving me nuts today.</i></span></span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I woke up at 6:15 a.m., still tired. All I wanted to do was go back to sleep. Except my son woke up at 6:30, so that didn't happen. My husband brought him into the living room (which is on the main level of the house, right around the corner from our bedroom) and put on a movie he'd DVR'd the night before. We climbed back into bed and tried to sneak in some more rest. Except that every time commercials came on, the little guy ran into our room asking us to fast forward for him, even though he knows how to do it himself. We asked him to get in bed with us and relax for a bit, because we were just so tired. He told us "I DON'T WANT TO."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">And thus the tone was set for the day ahead.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Today has been one of those days when no activity keeps him occupied longer than a few minutes, especially if it doesn't involve his father or me. I accidentally elbowed him in the head at least 3x while folding laundry, because that's how closely he's orbiting. Everything is an argument. If we can't stop what we're doing and entertain IMMEDIATELY, he purposely touches/does things he knows he's not supposed to just to get our attention.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">I thought I'd finally get a break by sending him outside with bubbles and sidewalk chalk. I really didn't want to, because it gets hot as a mofo in Georgia, and I didn't want to have to slather him in sunblock, or later bathe the sweaty, gross mess he would undoubtedly make of himself. So I made him promise to take his toys and stay on our patio, in the shade.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Except the minute I settled my exhausted self onto one of the couch cushions and pulled a blanket up over my shoulders, he opened the door yelling that he needed to go potty. And um, it was not just pee. Which meant I had to report for butt-wiping duty. Now, keep in mind that I'd asked him if he needed the potty 5 minutes earlier, and he told me no. So, the couch and I parted ways. In my son came, and then back out he went.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I should mention that I gave him a special Mr. Potato Head holder for his chalk so he could draw without turning his hands 50 different colors. Only he somehow found a way to use the holder to SHRED the chalk instead. Within minutes, his clothes, hands, feet, and our patio table were covered in chalk dust, AND he'd poured bubble soap in his hair. Which meant he was definitely going to need the bath I was too tired to give him. And guess what else? He had to go potty AGAIN. (And I had to carry him there, b/c white carpet + chalk feet = NO)</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Before and after I filmed this clip, he asked me for more bubble soap (even though the dish was full) no fewer than 16 times. When I refused for the 17th time to empty a 3rd bottle into the dish, he dunked his chalk in the soap and threw the chalk on the ground - but not before scribbling all over the table with it.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">In summary, I am tired. My husband is tired. We both really needed a break today, a break that never came. And while I may be able to focus on the cute again tomorrow, today bedtime can not come fast enough. I am fried.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Can anyone relate? Feel free to tell me about the times you thought parenting just might do you in. </span><br />
<script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-54212572102803878302018-06-24T17:40:00.002-04:002018-06-25T09:22:43.589-04:00Behind Every One of My Published Books is the Story of How it Almost Didn't Happen<br />
Hello, fellow lovers of YA!<br />
<br />
I never got around to writing a release day post for A KISS IN THE DARK back in March, so I promised myself I'd put something together when I finally had the chance, because this book definitely deserves it.<br />
<br />
In April, I flew back to my home state of Connecticut for a joint BUSTED/A KISS IN THE DARK launch party. What I told the crowd that night was this:<br />
<br />
<i>"Behind every one of my published books is the story of how it almost didn't happen."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGso73WCGb7M2h5UMS_TvF0Yh5IsIxWZ79d647W5Jp4TN4hVoULFmQxQWa7OWKFMhaZYJjjpOfMLXoecV1uRg4r9Eg4ZKiSolNKkuFa78VISR8-LdgDxj3uEFzNUshFJ9bZ91ihMPzqqQ/s1600/Gina+Ciocca+Book+Signing-2558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGso73WCGb7M2h5UMS_TvF0Yh5IsIxWZ79d647W5Jp4TN4hVoULFmQxQWa7OWKFMhaZYJjjpOfMLXoecV1uRg4r9Eg4ZKiSolNKkuFa78VISR8-LdgDxj3uEFzNUshFJ9bZ91ihMPzqqQ/s320/Gina+Ciocca+Book+Signing-2558.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Michael Lello</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i><br /></i>
<br />
Want proof? Read how LYM came to be published two years after going *off* submission <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2014/04/you-never-know-no-really-you-dont-my.html">here</a>, and get the details on BUSTED's 5-year journey to publication <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-story-behind-story-happy-release.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I've probably mentioned this before, but A KISS IN THE DARK was not supposed to be the second book in my 2-book contract with Simon Pulse. Book 2 was supposed to release in 2016, one year after <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Years-Mistake-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432249/">LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a> debuted. The story that originally got approved was a novella that I converted into a full-length novel. And that I should've just left alone, because no matter what I did to it, I hated it. So did my editor.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99-mbEOIB8NjGv_G2FIl6Ipf2_0Idv1kzbn8dd2ukqb_J5LTmx0QO7X2Y_cExvqoUQhVi417rjEo-NEUxTdVpB0PLj7v1Gl9zAnz5c0abcJ4A29QATYH_o_zDfQGm6hsHfT8Vqh-PFzw/s1600/Failure.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="382" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj99-mbEOIB8NjGv_G2FIl6Ipf2_0Idv1kzbn8dd2ukqb_J5LTmx0QO7X2Y_cExvqoUQhVi417rjEo-NEUxTdVpB0PLj7v1Gl9zAnz5c0abcJ4A29QATYH_o_zDfQGm6hsHfT8Vqh-PFzw/s320/Failure.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In the middle of rewrite #3 on this manuscript from hell, my editor left Pulse. I adored her, and I was devastated. It didn't help that I was weaning myself off antidepressants after a nasty battle with <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-which-i-talk-honestly-about.html">postpartum depression</a>. Just the thought of trying to scale the mountain of agony that was this novel without her exhausted me. Sure enough, when my new editor contacted me, the verdict was this: either rewrite the story again, or start fresh with a new idea.<br />
<br />
I was honestly relieved that someone had given me the option to walk away from this manuscript. That was how much I despised it. But now I had a whole new novel to write, so Book 2 was moved to 2017.<br />
<br />
Turns out thinking up a new concept was the easy part. The story was partially inspired by a Superbowl commercial. (Hint: Audi)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8pDHVDpFq7XHKaiwJsurjtTfkeTsGFso8vL930kj2CiMG5kqpyMzpB1D14p5VR6l9Tbpnn5OuRRQ3NnUtupFazz46P72zMDH7BqHCRoiTtGI2cN57cc2YXx5g4mzr08e9kZUALiHkxI/s1600/audi-superbowl-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="389" data-original-width="512" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8pDHVDpFq7XHKaiwJsurjtTfkeTsGFso8vL930kj2CiMG5kqpyMzpB1D14p5VR6l9Tbpnn5OuRRQ3NnUtupFazz46P72zMDH7BqHCRoiTtGI2cN57cc2YXx5g4mzr08e9kZUALiHkxI/s320/audi-superbowl-2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anyone else remember this???</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The other factor in the inspiration equation was a blackout...<span style="font-family: inherit;"> that also occurred during the Superbowl. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJya63mbCTiLaUbaV6kYtzPiTcqUntpjZmjFZr0rR0vt3VUdfQ9A_BMv0pMU6D1OBfVmBA-A9cE5VNCHzsoJVbk8F3i5mfrG4l763NqUfmsZF0AJwEz_FYM7KAAT5aQWng1cDRwmed58/s1600/superbowlblackout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1097" data-original-width="1600" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwJya63mbCTiLaUbaV6kYtzPiTcqUntpjZmjFZr0rR0vt3VUdfQ9A_BMv0pMU6D1OBfVmBA-A9cE5VNCHzsoJVbk8F3i5mfrG4l763NqUfmsZF0AJwEz_FYM7KAAT5aQWng1cDRwmed58/s320/superbowlblackout.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Superbowl XLVII (Photo found online)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All this football-related inspiration is pretty
ironic, considering how little I watch or know about sports. But the titular kiss
occurs during a football game, and the story includes flashback chapters that
tie the identity of the mystery kisser to a fire that nearly destroyed Macy Atwood's best friend’s house – and was also the final straw in destroying their
friendship. </span><br />
<br />
I go into more detail about the challenges of getting the earliest draft of KISS written <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/05/bookish-things-are-happening.html">here</a>, but the long and short of it is this:<br />
<br />
- The concept was approved on proposal, or a synopsis + 30 sample pages.<br />
<br />
- The first draft was an 81,000-word mess. I had to hire a babysitter just to get it written.<br />
<br />
- I'd written exactly what I'd detailed in the synopsis, and then got a 7-page edit letter from my editor asking me to rewrite the whole thing.<br />
<br />
- Two major rewrites followed, in which I deleted two characters and approximately 40,000 words that would be rewritten from the ground up.<br />
<br />
- Revisions were so intense that the pub date got moved once again - this time from 2017 to 2018.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-4LfqeXPuTxwe-J12GJK0O61BVjC4cIxp9m34J2MAfMfKoorMXK6baR0fqQxRpE97g1ogowMnJ3U1-JmXQ-uPU7kMex1jvQGbjYy7NUEL6uNR4i5h7XIyF-uW4RanNZVtola6F2ypSM/s1600/HereWeGoAgain.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb-4LfqeXPuTxwe-J12GJK0O61BVjC4cIxp9m34J2MAfMfKoorMXK6baR0fqQxRpE97g1ogowMnJ3U1-JmXQ-uPU7kMex1jvQGbjYy7NUEL6uNR4i5h7XIyF-uW4RanNZVtola6F2ypSM/s1600/HereWeGoAgain.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
I barely talked about this book publicly, because I honestly thought the pub date might be moved a third time, from 2018 to NEVER.<br />
<br />
Luckily, I was wrong. All those edits paid off, and A KISS IN THE DARK turned into something I was really proud of.<br />
On March 6, 2018, it became my 3rd published novel.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvruBx1KfH6j1dpDaQgMy4W9Fu2kgLlqXyz89x75UZzWFn2OUaqMI6tdD5Q5DBthD-iHZtI5vE_O1zEWCi3147lvsNlpoQQFW0hB56Nn2EaKhBOl5yhGBzx-8HeOTfXM-VvANbt7Ayjg/s1600/Gina+Ciocca+Book+Signing-2785.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvruBx1KfH6j1dpDaQgMy4W9Fu2kgLlqXyz89x75UZzWFn2OUaqMI6tdD5Q5DBthD-iHZtI5vE_O1zEWCi3147lvsNlpoQQFW0hB56Nn2EaKhBOl5yhGBzx-8HeOTfXM-VvANbt7Ayjg/s320/Gina+Ciocca+Book+Signing-2785.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Michael Lello</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
So there you have it, the story behind the story of A KISS IN THE DARK.<br />
<br />
If you bought the book, THANK YOU! If you'd like to, it's available on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Dark-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432265/">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kiss-in-the-dark-gina-ciocca/1126512161?ean=9781481432269#/">Barnes and Noble</a>, <a href="https://www.target.com/p/kiss-in-the-dark-by-gina-ciocca-hardcover/-/A-53147954">Target</a>, etc.<br />
<br />
If you reviewed the book, THANK YOU! Reviews are so important to a book's visibility, so if you're willing to leave a few lines ("there were words and I liked them" totally counts as a valid review) on Amazon or B and N 's website, I am truly grateful to you.<br />
<br />
And if you're an aspiring author who thinks it's never going to happen for you, I leave you with the words I've been saying since my first book got its second chance all those years ago: <i>You never know. No, really. You don't. </i><br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-28450755008987587002018-03-14T12:52:00.001-04:002018-03-14T12:53:37.933-04:00New Books, New Giveaways!<br />
Well, A KISS IN THE DARK officially became a published book 8 days ago, and I am finally getting the chance to sit down and write a blog post. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, KISS!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGcHu2QwVGI31C2LJ4HkgmaDRzk2cdZiW1Y-f9smyCHglZX6UohspdwXJD5B6n-WuNiEMHH4zMWts65-wW7fxwxpUcMdDJQ_QXhHAgeMrAHyvIUHmFUNtxT5SRciM5Eh58XlEqhqk_wc/s1600/20170918_115602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPGcHu2QwVGI31C2LJ4HkgmaDRzk2cdZiW1Y-f9smyCHglZX6UohspdwXJD5B6n-WuNiEMHH4zMWts65-wW7fxwxpUcMdDJQ_QXhHAgeMrAHyvIUHmFUNtxT5SRciM5Eh58XlEqhqk_wc/s320/20170918_115602.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm planning to write a separate post along the lines of the <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-story-behind-story-happy-release.html">Story Behind the Story piece I wrote for BUSTED</a>, because KISS has its own tale of how it almost didn't happen. But today, I'm going to concentrate on celebrating - and on giving away free books!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>So let's do this. Here's how to win free books (mine, or ALL the books I've blurbed!):</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwBgr50Dpde7p4YwlL8SDbrNDmLXOOCfTv4n5L73KUxqx00ryKM4OU-rOy3uvS54urGUVG_otQ3tV_iErhO51Z9WqMJ8aoIsyXx7KG7PLH2-91njZxPj5IccJOY0czaD9XlJ5pkOMor4/s1600/KISSReleaseDayGiveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKwBgr50Dpde7p4YwlL8SDbrNDmLXOOCfTv4n5L73KUxqx00ryKM4OU-rOy3uvS54urGUVG_otQ3tV_iErhO51Z9WqMJ8aoIsyXx7KG7PLH2-91njZxPj5IccJOY0czaD9XlJ5pkOMor4/s320/KISSReleaseDayGiveaway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I originally posted this on Release Day, but realized a few things shortly thereafter:<br />
1) The 3/13 cutoff was not enough time<br />
2) I didn't promote it enough and<br />
<span style="text-align: center;">3) There's no prize noted for reviewing A KISS IN THE DARK, or for reviewing both books. </span><br />
<b style="text-align: center;"><br /></b>
<b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">So here are the revised rules:</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1) <b>Leave a short review of BUSTED</b> <b>on Amazon or B & N</b> for the chance to win a signed hardcover of A KISS IN THE DARK. </span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">~ OR~</span></b></span></b></div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Leave a short review of A KISS IN THE DARK on Amazon or B & N</b> for the chance to win a signed paperback of BUSTED.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-family: inherit;">~ OR ~</b></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Leave a short review of **both** A KISS IN THE DARK ~and~ BUSTED on Amazon or B & N</b> for the chance to win ALL FOUR of the books I've blurbed:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iD4my1K4-jE5DIXPnW_aTEknaN_A-wGoHtsWJZN_FM66TZIhEqDjUru0y3hVHp0YEGu44j5FYdkFjaQfDQM6WXToLCfrXX2uoVEuhAdelN9i9k1knpcNbLglwSWeqRr3zPvL8uiEDTU/s1600/Blurbed+Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7iD4my1K4-jE5DIXPnW_aTEknaN_A-wGoHtsWJZN_FM66TZIhEqDjUru0y3hVHp0YEGu44j5FYdkFjaQfDQM6WXToLCfrXX2uoVEuhAdelN9i9k1knpcNbLglwSWeqRr3zPvL8uiEDTU/s320/Blurbed+Books.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28695429-how-to-make-out?from_search=true">HOW TO MAKE OUT by </a><a href="https://twitter.com/BriannaShrum">Brianna Shrum</a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35034369-love-songs-other-lies?from_search=true">LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/jessnpennington">Jessica Pennington</a> (Preorder. Release Date 4/24/18)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32711722-these-things-i-ve-done?ac=1&from_search=true">THESE THINGS I'VE DONE</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/RebeccaWritesYA">Rebecca Phillips</a><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35795898-the-impossibility-of-us?ac=1&from_search=true">THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF US</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/KatyUpperman">Katy Upperman</a> (Preorder. Release date July 31st) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2) Once your review is posted (one or two honest sentences is plenty), either leave the link in a comment on this post, or tweet it to <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511">gmc511</a>, or email it to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com, by 3/28</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3) Winners will be announced on 3/29. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Yes, international entries are okay. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Yes, the review can be cross-posted from your Goodreads account (no plagiarizing, obvs).</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And there you have it. Happy Reading and Reviewing!</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-53407459687618314272018-01-23T13:48:00.001-05:002018-02-16T20:02:50.974-05:00Preorder Incentives for A KISS IN THE DARK!<br />
I can not believe A KISS IN THE DARK's release day is only 6 weeks away!<br />
<br />
You may have seen my <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html">previous post</a> about the preorder incentive I'm running, but since <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492654299/">BUSTED</a>'s time as a preorder is up (HAPPY 3 WEEK BIRTHDAY, BUSTED!) I've decided to reiterate the giveaway details in a separate post dedicated to KISS.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNyqYr64kC9L1tOi6t8JdAdyfnJrWw5JivJEcCAzoJ26VYBIPSygY6l7qiQ2wGD-SNMkVAkmQqwVwItNkS0zwmb8FIMAEBtkriim59bz_duuatI7Q4vaJFNWbDfe3sq6-D7jRYsMme5I/s1600/20170918_115602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdNyqYr64kC9L1tOi6t8JdAdyfnJrWw5JivJEcCAzoJ26VYBIPSygY6l7qiQ2wGD-SNMkVAkmQqwVwItNkS0zwmb8FIMAEBtkriim59bz_duuatI7Q4vaJFNWbDfe3sq6-D7jRYsMme5I/s400/20170918_115602.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What? Doesn't everyone take their ARCs to locations from the story and do photo shoots?<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b style="text-align: center;">EVERYONE who preorders A KISS IN THE DARK and emails proof to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com by March 5, 2018 will receive swag:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkLGqIivqS5EMcApt08lKYo35TybNtY2b5m-DqF0TVHb9fLjKA55enSOCVS3RLakbLwleNbE8uxEzZm5D5AA_1LkvNvmwgBTQreMI6J3LsHR62gwz4z9-QZq0e1rO_fnmjUKw8KcEKsI/s1600/20171206_190602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="1600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbkLGqIivqS5EMcApt08lKYo35TybNtY2b5m-DqF0TVHb9fLjKA55enSOCVS3RLakbLwleNbE8uxEzZm5D5AA_1LkvNvmwgBTQreMI6J3LsHR62gwz4z9-QZq0e1rO_fnmjUKw8KcEKsI/s320/20171206_190602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>All entries will then go into a drawing for a GRAND PRIZE, the winner of which will be announced on release day - March 6, 2018.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>The grand prize pack includes:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2Cfv69tuUCJfIytJmWhqcg-_9lVUuXwr-it-6E7F0NGmRFbguN0-ypIG-oVv1EO4VcQZw9lKw0VgIMq5Xl5M9ImHE7yDxaPBAJWNS5LHhgvMyJaeCz8sOKii80UPIibegc1CL6AVII/s1600/KITD+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXw2Cfv69tuUCJfIytJmWhqcg-_9lVUuXwr-it-6E7F0NGmRFbguN0-ypIG-oVv1EO4VcQZw9lKw0VgIMq5Xl5M9ImHE7yDxaPBAJWNS5LHhgvMyJaeCz8sOKii80UPIibegc1CL6AVII/s400/KITD+Prize+Pack.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="background-color: white;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- A <b>custom notebook</b> sporting A KISS IN THE DARK's cover</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- swag</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- A <b>#nofilter compact mirror</b> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(a nod to the photography aspect of the story)</i><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- A <b>set of 5 Color Story lip glosses</b> (in honor of Macy's lip gloss-obsessed best friend, Meredith)</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- A <b>sunset lake journal</b> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(because Macy loves to snap sunset photos of the lake in her neighborhood)</i><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>chocolate footballs</b> (not pictured)</span><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- <b>Butter Rum Lifesavers</b> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(Macy's favorite candy, as we find out on page 53)</i><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A <b>4-inch Superman decal</b> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(in honor of Macy and Ben's favorite superhero)</i><br style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">- </i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b>Football face tattoos</b> </span><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">(because Macy is a former cheerleader, and "football is no joke in the South.")</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><i style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>So the steps are:</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>1)</b> Preorder from the site of your choice (including, but not limited to: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Dark-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432265/">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kiss-in-the-dark-gina-ciocca/1126512161?ean=9781481432269#/">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="https://www.target.com/p/kiss-in-the-dark-hardcover-gina-ciocca/-/A-53147954#lnk=sametab">Target</a>) </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>2)</b> Email me a screen shot of your order confirmation <i>(gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>3)</b> Sit back and wait for free stuff to arrive in your mailbox.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">That's literally it! And while you wait for your swag, you can <b>add KISS to your Goodreads shelf <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35238027-a-kiss-in-the-dark">here</a></b>. You can also <b>spread the word with these copy-and-paste-ready tweets</b>:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Get awesome book swag + the chance to win a grand prize! Preorder A KISS IN THE DARK by @gmc511! https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/preorder-incentives-for-kiss-in-dark.html</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><i>Preorder Incentive #Giveaway for @gmc511's A KISS IN THE DARK! Everyone gets swag + an entry for a grand prize. Details here: https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2018/01/preorder-incentives-for-kiss-in-dark.html</i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9aI9H3N7CBS_ZR-PrzlyoNOeHAVhZGkqv5MiHoKpo4fa8O47jOwSZUKeByKS_eKMSqkY2q2kB8cBgWDJEpYpza3GFMx9eLJo3QgPe-X0_npfJeny1aq6pKHzHYflWj-VWOCzytRM6CM/s1600/20170918_115503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9aI9H3N7CBS_ZR-PrzlyoNOeHAVhZGkqv5MiHoKpo4fa8O47jOwSZUKeByKS_eKMSqkY2q2kB8cBgWDJEpYpza3GFMx9eLJo3QgPe-X0_npfJeny1aq6pKHzHYflWj-VWOCzytRM6CM/s320/20170918_115503.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eyuMCvkZAlkGxy7-4qWsNO3NQdttjBXpW1ZZUjFHgxzUAvPbS1Zzbl8-FosuOQ-RzwoqlWfbUdFjlQSzI6YpMI2bFWCLCEXW9B6MxjQeQmUOETNfvj4Fg73QiU3KUZAkbeXBCL7j5Ng/s1600/20170918_115615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9eyuMCvkZAlkGxy7-4qWsNO3NQdttjBXpW1ZZUjFHgxzUAvPbS1Zzbl8-FosuOQ-RzwoqlWfbUdFjlQSzI6YpMI2bFWCLCEXW9B6MxjQeQmUOETNfvj4Fg73QiU3KUZAkbeXBCL7j5Ng/s320/20170918_115615.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-70383119445756896462018-01-02T00:30:00.000-05:002018-01-02T07:33:44.015-05:00The Story Behind the Story: Happy Release Day to BUSTED<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Today is the day! My 2nd book, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654292#/">BUSTED</a> is finally out in the world!</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjrFjVHg4apIEOXsuzz-58oiKz4oAN7fclA5DH_funIsJpcJFawb9CKfjq4InowZe_0KeVWY2tqdSaTKsFroCTE5b5J9vyEZJ-YY604JwluLItsrM9V71CAVEEpOU3vOz-uoRn4lbdrE/s1600/Busted05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="826" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjrFjVHg4apIEOXsuzz-58oiKz4oAN7fclA5DH_funIsJpcJFawb9CKfjq4InowZe_0KeVWY2tqdSaTKsFroCTE5b5J9vyEZJ-YY604JwluLItsrM9V71CAVEEpOU3vOz-uoRn4lbdrE/s320/Busted05.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_GiUS6jXmyfoHSZvT_9plcY7z2pz_PtWKQKKVsu87YKQ-04W71Zg5sL9oQXJTpYveYmkn6_ITZbiWk7TCYQQa5Ud6jPD7WD5nCruwJdpf_ilc-s4MSyMa1jb-4aOn7EP1sXG1ZqQle4/s1600/yippie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_GiUS6jXmyfoHSZvT_9plcY7z2pz_PtWKQKKVsu87YKQ-04W71Zg5sL9oQXJTpYveYmkn6_ITZbiWk7TCYQQa5Ud6jPD7WD5nCruwJdpf_ilc-s4MSyMa1jb-4aOn7EP1sXG1ZqQle4/s1600/yippie.gif" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
I love this book, y'all. I really love it. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that publication has been a loooong time coming. Those of you in the writing world know that almost nothing happens quickly here, and this book was no exception. Neither was my debut, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE.<br />
<br />
And even though the pub stories of BUSTED and LYM sort of intertwine, BUSTED has it's own unique path to publication, and it's one that I feel is worth sharing. So here goes:<br />
<br />
In early 2013, LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE had been on sub for about a year, and hopes for publication were dwindling. If you haven't read LYM's pub story, you <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2014/04/you-never-know-no-really-you-dont-my.html">can do so here</a>, but this is the abridged version: John (my agent) and I came very close to book deals with two different publishers, but those deals ultimately didn't pan out. The feedback that we seemed to keep getting was that LYM was "too quiet." Editors wanted something with a bigger "hook," and a bolder premise.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpRowrCbBd6bmtSYLt9MbMHimzLbjKww5YX1DgL1jlB0SSlA2XXsVcDz1yzr-1SBBp32XR_ONoZt_6H4PWtNtpbGo2iYYfYan_Y6I-HUhe8OXN4_pOH9Jy7glnD-bOW0kNolYt0LG5ok/s1600/More.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="209" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpRowrCbBd6bmtSYLt9MbMHimzLbjKww5YX1DgL1jlB0SSlA2XXsVcDz1yzr-1SBBp32XR_ONoZt_6H4PWtNtpbGo2iYYfYan_Y6I-HUhe8OXN4_pOH9Jy7glnD-bOW0kNolYt0LG5ok/s1600/More.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So, while I was devastated at the thought of LYM never making it to a bookshelf, I was determined to write a book that would.<br />
<br />
One morning, while driving to my job (I was living in Connecticut and working full time then), the hosts of the radio morning show I listened to on 106.1 were talking about a woman who suspected her boyfriend of cheating, and had hired a private investigator to catch him in the act. Instead, the PI and the boyfriend ended up falling for each other.<br />
<br />
I remember thinking, "If I could put a YA spin on THAT, no one would ever call it 'quiet.'"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeUwpXn_TfDWF2sfzo9tEEKwX6N-jf6iwGfF2c3eTDRCngllCvINcxM8V5keuP_g3Hw_6TIsq1P4HeMfNsY5wklGxa5EMbbb4P1SIHNyIOKzZUHS1ZBLHdWg46hg9BVJ3ewDJV3uOpZs/s1600/Busted+graphic+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQeUwpXn_TfDWF2sfzo9tEEKwX6N-jf6iwGfF2c3eTDRCngllCvINcxM8V5keuP_g3Hw_6TIsq1P4HeMfNsY5wklGxa5EMbbb4P1SIHNyIOKzZUHS1ZBLHdWg46hg9BVJ3ewDJV3uOpZs/s320/Busted+graphic+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The setting, the story, and the characters began to take shape inside my head. I started to get excited. And then I had a phone call with John to discuss the fate of LYM, and where to go next. I told him about a few ideas I was mulling over. I saved the concept of BUSTED for last. And when I explained it to him, he said, "Write that one."<br />
<br />
And so I did. Or I started to, anyway.<br />
<br />
In early November of 2012, we had accepted an offer from my husband's job to relocate from Connecticut to Georgia. And THEN, after saying, "It's probably never going to happen" following a 4-year struggle with infertility, <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2013/02/update-good-bad-and-ugly-but-at-least.html">I found out I was pregnant.</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-5F8YrUYgQ6_62aE2DT9yCMUZM9gt-U6poerfadRMH58MmhOOuE2DwJSNIxmysAAwz0fhN866qO3DxJZwnemryrKQjjIIEXD-2XFIG6QhXoxlAQNhZ82hY_oqPbIWKsRlyZeMXS8onw/s1600/Belly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD-5F8YrUYgQ6_62aE2DT9yCMUZM9gt-U6poerfadRMH58MmhOOuE2DwJSNIxmysAAwz0fhN866qO3DxJZwnemryrKQjjIIEXD-2XFIG6QhXoxlAQNhZ82hY_oqPbIWKsRlyZeMXS8onw/s320/Belly.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
Between the stress of the move and my brain's utter refusal to be creative while I was pregnant, progress on BUSTED stalled.<br />
<br />
We drove down to GA in June of 2013. I was 8 months pregnant, swollen, and exhausted. When my son was born, <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2013/11/in-which-i-talk-honestly-about.html">I sunk into a pit of rock-bottom postpartum depression</a>. I honestly thought I would never put words on the page again. I felt useless, worthless, and utterly hopeless.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7NupYy-9wtiZs6Y7n0MB1K_60-R6kdTUTk8KMs_Y95H7OL0leRoQu3TR-MrIm3YlbvkVQFn3hO9ooIyp7srdfPAQrI4_-L5xKyhQDssDzN5-Bx6s7AFNN6mTeF387UW-k2NjHQhDBcI/s1600/Failure.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="296" data-original-width="382" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7NupYy-9wtiZs6Y7n0MB1K_60-R6kdTUTk8KMs_Y95H7OL0leRoQu3TR-MrIm3YlbvkVQFn3hO9ooIyp7srdfPAQrI4_-L5xKyhQDssDzN5-Bx6s7AFNN6mTeF387UW-k2NjHQhDBcI/s320/Failure.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
My mother and sister came down to Georgia and got the ball rolling on my recovery. They helped me with my son, made phone calls to my insurance company on my behalf, and helped me do all the simple things that had become insurmountable tasks since I'd given birth. When they left, my mother-in-law flew down for two weeks.<br />
<br />
But the real change in me started to happen when my husband's aunt came to stay with us. As someone who struggled with depression herself, she had taken one look at me following the birth of my son, and knew that something was very wrong. She packed her bags and left her own husband and daughter in Connecticut so that she could live with us in Georgia for five whole weeks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWzPk6qD6ZurI4I87YdX2TP1hC-tDHOM8lnJTBmq4mbtuOTufU_Y-0Qqt0sX_gftjFZyO3dSjemP5AC7wTqsKJ06baBeKp-SgsgxuTggc5DJKeBBThJ9xRp55d-J-gAdq1ciqV_TUfLE/s1600/2013-09-20+05.19.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHWzPk6qD6ZurI4I87YdX2TP1hC-tDHOM8lnJTBmq4mbtuOTufU_Y-0Qqt0sX_gftjFZyO3dSjemP5AC7wTqsKJ06baBeKp-SgsgxuTggc5DJKeBBThJ9xRp55d-J-gAdq1ciqV_TUfLE/s320/2013-09-20+05.19.35.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I still get teary-eyed talking about this, because I am in awe that someone could be so selfless. When I'd get up for my son's 6 a.m. feeding, she'd take him and tell me to go back to sleep. During the day, she'd send me up to my office and tell me to write, insisting she had everything under control. And did she ever. She'd walk my fussy baby around the house, singing to him, rocking him, feeding him. She'd bring him outside and walk him around our neighborhood in the stroller. At night she'd make dinner, and I can't even count the number of times I'd go to fold laundry, only to find it already done.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Opndm5E66uMUPbEhYkgo6N5gW1rxnc_h0m2LqDtekF1d-W4SsM_gdqxwwOgwpyDM7gnLXsYUDJidrCmtHBfZXsm6j5pWvZLKrT5Zux2TWT8sbhUuvWFSsAg8BXKIiEv1IBLw0hGC66o/s1600/20180101_220748+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Opndm5E66uMUPbEhYkgo6N5gW1rxnc_h0m2LqDtekF1d-W4SsM_gdqxwwOgwpyDM7gnLXsYUDJidrCmtHBfZXsm6j5pWvZLKrT5Zux2TWT8sbhUuvWFSsAg8BXKIiEv1IBLw0hGC66o/s320/20180101_220748+%25282%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BUSTED's Dedication </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It felt so good to have someone treat my writing like it mattered. I don't think anyone else truly understood how much I needed to find that part of myself again, how I just didn't feel like <i>me</i> when I couldn't create. And with so many stressors off my plate, I was finally able to get back into the head space of Gina the Writer. My creative muscles were stiff and in need of a good stretch, but I sat down in front of my lap top, determined to finish BUSTED.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI10V9WaOAvhJudSsMIzMjsf3F9n_ETX4NUgmW6GwHI2uFkTZjaAdVIIciH569xHq1qzlUistglYy12G61UF5EaelziC428JUTQUcoqD18ls1NqQ7GfKwpzDWXSSyu5tqPIQdNbjyqohg/s1600/TypingG.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="500" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI10V9WaOAvhJudSsMIzMjsf3F9n_ETX4NUgmW6GwHI2uFkTZjaAdVIIciH569xHq1qzlUistglYy12G61UF5EaelziC428JUTQUcoqD18ls1NqQ7GfKwpzDWXSSyu5tqPIQdNbjyqohg/s320/TypingG.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't get to write THE END during the five weeks while my aunt was here. But I made a ton of progress, and that was good enough.<br />
<br />
By February of 2014, BUSTED was more or less done. And then I got the news that LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE was being resurrected for sub by Sara Sargent at Simon Pulse. Thirty-four days later, Pulse offered me a 2-book contract.<br />
<br />
With LYM back on the table for publication, BUSTED took a backseat yet again. I put it aside and focused my energy on revising LYM.<br />
<br />
In all honesty, I kind of assumed that BUSTED would be my book 2 in the two-book contract with Pulse. When all the hullabaloo of revising and promoting LYM died down, I submitted BUSTED to Pulse.<br />
<br />
And... they passed on it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry7WWZgIOT_sAA4ydm7pvgpC3w4cpLHz4JjVb8bsi3FiPp9nVTYPH01q-xeEh2ozVQCiG-qycQOcnjfLNWscetNS7DXl86WYPf-LwPqqX7aoRUz8eQ8YuO6gICXtYaPnws01T30izfZc/s1600/HomerInTheBush.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgry7WWZgIOT_sAA4ydm7pvgpC3w4cpLHz4JjVb8bsi3FiPp9nVTYPH01q-xeEh2ozVQCiG-qycQOcnjfLNWscetNS7DXl86WYPf-LwPqqX7aoRUz8eQ8YuO6gICXtYaPnws01T30izfZc/s320/HomerInTheBush.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Needless to say, I was disappointed. But I was determined that BUSTED would find a home somewhere, and I told John I wanted to go on submission with it. So he sent me an edit letter full of revision suggestions to implement first.<br />
<br />
And holy smokes, was this revision massive.<br />
<br />
Massive, but spot-on, as John's suggestions tend to be. So, I went back to the drawing board. By September of 2015, BUSTED was a brand-new and improved teen spy story, and it finally went on sub to editors.<br />
<br />
I'm going to be perfectly honest here - I had no faith that BUSTED would sell. The market seemed to be cooling on contemporary romance, and I was afraid we'd waited too long. Not to mention that after the two-year process that selling LYM had turned into, I certainly wasn't thinking that just one month after going out on sub, I'd get an email from John saying that Annette Pollert-Morgan at Sourcebooks had read and loved BUSTED, and wanted to have a phone conversation with me about it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8w99eeEmG6aKQzbg3Q4ABXx_diniZ30g1RoZUzAcMJ4gKpIeQmDz2uwU_ZsdJcnPZSr6C5YhMtlnlOYf-adMrnKYrap2_wzcQVdQ3rA54mdlk_ZKh674o6IkzvqSpRoObEkffR74z-U/s1600/waitwhat.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="100" data-original-width="200" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT8w99eeEmG6aKQzbg3Q4ABXx_diniZ30g1RoZUzAcMJ4gKpIeQmDz2uwU_ZsdJcnPZSr6C5YhMtlnlOYf-adMrnKYrap2_wzcQVdQ3rA54mdlk_ZKh674o6IkzvqSpRoObEkffR74z-U/s320/waitwhat.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
But that's exactly what happened. I set up a call with Annette for later that week. I loved her, and she loved my book. I knew that BUSTED had found a home.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypTOeOrrKYgOlCg8n4bZWNwjKjXyS9CcqhnLGrzhg9Ek-Afa1e6YR7g3IFIoB2T4cok2zrUqwcn2g_7ozbQaNUS1vnMMsF-udcIfW3xpOkkrYHj5Na-6_hgUQXbkg8U1EAIz3-spBitE/s1600/BustedPW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="593" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjypTOeOrrKYgOlCg8n4bZWNwjKjXyS9CcqhnLGrzhg9Ek-Afa1e6YR7g3IFIoB2T4cok2zrUqwcn2g_7ozbQaNUS1vnMMsF-udcIfW3xpOkkrYHj5Na-6_hgUQXbkg8U1EAIz3-spBitE/s400/BustedPW.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>And today, five years after this story's journey first began, it's finally where it belongs - on bookshelves, and in the hands of readers.</b> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ySFfbgfMs0WEDAlJ8gQHCLfhDaPHQVeKkD14S9p9KdfVwJccdKyn6-jOtLM32UkjU_cY6_B7r_h9P601vt1TyCQby8Kb3NFuFePukkb_flogFj7C25y_V6qdthbkjTjvpJgc4jO1-Gc/s1600/BUSTEDinBN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ySFfbgfMs0WEDAlJ8gQHCLfhDaPHQVeKkD14S9p9KdfVwJccdKyn6-jOtLM32UkjU_cY6_B7r_h9P601vt1TyCQby8Kb3NFuFePukkb_flogFj7C25y_V6qdthbkjTjvpJgc4jO1-Gc/s320/BUSTEDinBN.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDefRMrKM63Dxti_Ne9BVotaPFV71owPHG4G6Lir2jIEl-LYVPhDPoQHkGXn8y8QRljI5AWjOwYDTSMfbBv4UHXO0KQbk5LYJRZ1kFRw2a75ctZe0y_b9YIJdtcnGvxO2-jDoPwcSWIo/s1600/20171229_125814.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiDefRMrKM63Dxti_Ne9BVotaPFV71owPHG4G6Lir2jIEl-LYVPhDPoQHkGXn8y8QRljI5AWjOwYDTSMfbBv4UHXO0KQbk5LYJRZ1kFRw2a75ctZe0y_b9YIJdtcnGvxO2-jDoPwcSWIo/s320/20171229_125814.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First sighting of BUSTED in the wild, at Milford<br />
Barnes and Noble with my mom and son.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>If you'd like to support BUSTED today, here are ways to do so:</b> </span></div>
<br />
- <b>Leave a review on Amazon or Barnes and Noble</b>. The more reviews a book has, the greater its visibility on the site, so please consider sharing the love! This includes cross-posting reviews from Goodreads or your blog.<br />
<br />
- <b>Buy the book. </b>Reviews are fantastic, but authors need sales, too. BUSTED can be purchased from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/">Amazon</a>, <a href="https://www.target.com/p/busted-paperback-gina-ciocca/-/A-52683062#lnk=sametab">Target</a>, <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654292#/">Barnes and Noble</a>, and <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492654292">IndieBound</a>.<br />
***** <b>And if you purchase it today, I will accept it as a last-minute entry toward my preorder campaign</b>.***** You will receive swag, and your name will be entered in a drawing for a grand prize that will be announced TONIGHT. Details here: <a href="https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html">https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html</a><br />
<br />
- <b>Tweet/Instagram about the book</b>. Two easy, totally free ways to help an author out. Snap a pic of your copy of BUSTED, or a copy in the wild, tag me on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511">gmc511</a>) or Instagram (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gmciocca/">gmciocca</a>), and I will love you forever.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Don't have access to a copy? Post one of these ready-to-Insta images:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbpwRFbJjr2krLcrlVbWQ66PKcmStH9-x92pNUtlnydZ9xaGb7squb-gjBXWDTv7duDaVGd_H0ISPejfvisdg_B9Om9NFqIQ7suTlUCKqJgIkk1veYWQIzXtNc2OZSq0fMHi8aR-u8nw/s1600/Busted+graphic+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbpwRFbJjr2krLcrlVbWQ66PKcmStH9-x92pNUtlnydZ9xaGb7squb-gjBXWDTv7duDaVGd_H0ISPejfvisdg_B9Om9NFqIQ7suTlUCKqJgIkk1veYWQIzXtNc2OZSq0fMHi8aR-u8nw/s320/Busted+graphic+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsPtSDxqBTFZKDh38a5jntdQ2t0oztcadJmn30FRwwacbR1wd4Hw3NtzxPQ0nQTyOF2vUIe6xf7dM5Mtt-EmnXUORX8co6vo8_NPnr2qAniRoOFLIVgWJeAZxNkpw9PR4pRKHubmrrVs/s1600/Busted-graphic-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsPtSDxqBTFZKDh38a5jntdQ2t0oztcadJmn30FRwwacbR1wd4Hw3NtzxPQ0nQTyOF2vUIe6xf7dM5Mtt-EmnXUORX8co6vo8_NPnr2qAniRoOFLIVgWJeAZxNkpw9PR4pRKHubmrrVs/s1600/Busted-graphic-2.png" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Or, you can use these handy, ready-to-tweet blurbs:</b></div>
<br />
Happy book birthday to @gmc511's BUSTED! Pick up this "tale of mystery, deception, and romance like no other," out today from @SourcebooksFire! https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/<br />
<br />
Oh, snap! BUSTED is out in the world via @SourcebooksFire ! Order your copy today for the chance to win awesome swag and goodies from @gmc511! https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html<br />
<br />
Looking for a "funny, fast-paced novel" that "shines?" Pick up @gmc511's BUSTED, out today from @SourcebooksFire!<br />
https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/<br />
<br />
- <b>Ask your local library to carry the book. </b>This can usually be done online, no fuss, no muss. Every means of getting books into readers' hands helps.<br />
<br />
<b>- <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/everywhere-you-can-win-busted.html">Check out the blogs on BUSTED's blog tour, and enter the Rafflecopter giveaway</a></b><br />
<br />
Lastly, if you've already supported BUSTED in any of these ways, or are planning to, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for caring, thank you for allowing my little stories to be part of your life. You will never know how much this means to me.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyRAHp1G24hfAUwCCTRXSDfV9p2l-O6YgcVbt8lFOZS841-9qmNmX_vqbnDhGbQn92nQFX15aTgXFSVxSfYzdVrYvbE1HwkLN3HqhQCD0nFPNQx-8QFF-6iwsrOVpxHoT1iL0bbgVTJ4/s1600/I+love+you.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="354" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdyRAHp1G24hfAUwCCTRXSDfV9p2l-O6YgcVbt8lFOZS841-9qmNmX_vqbnDhGbQn92nQFX15aTgXFSVxSfYzdVrYvbE1HwkLN3HqhQCD0nFPNQx-8QFF-6iwsrOVpxHoT1iL0bbgVTJ4/s320/I+love+you.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-59675134134351894482017-12-29T17:16:00.000-05:002018-01-01T22:24:24.985-05:00Everywhere You Can Win BUSTED!<br />
So, as you may already know, my novel <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492654299/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1492654299&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">BUSTED</a> comes out on January 2nd - just FOUR DAYS from today!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3etPOc9O6qjXK1dA9scAli1PhNQz6-CPUCdpN-c5gEt7FrLHFz53GdyAhfqkN0nNJ683-lh6E7hU9nA5X-PAgm7suye3tv4ms2mrwjb4-j8RFbb_gjmAeHlzJUtOd85TNR77iv3_LV0/s1600/ExcitedMaggie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="170" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3etPOc9O6qjXK1dA9scAli1PhNQz6-CPUCdpN-c5gEt7FrLHFz53GdyAhfqkN0nNJ683-lh6E7hU9nA5X-PAgm7suye3tv4ms2mrwjb4-j8RFbb_gjmAeHlzJUtOd85TNR77iv3_LV0/s1600/ExcitedMaggie.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In honor of the big day, there are several sites you can visit for the chance to win a copy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted?from_search=true">BUSTED</a>, or BUSTED-related goodies, or excerpts from the book.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23qfnX84jnkJzGNqYotj2yitQi0LHgbRZJFUyn_wH1zdsZpS97e-Me58oMXrt-KdBclFXc4xwD0PSXqAa8eSo1UrHGseH4ddvhvtD0ZEMfkov_D23cgoQMNT8OLyNtNVoO9xr-R76f2M/s1600/Busted+graphic+3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23qfnX84jnkJzGNqYotj2yitQi0LHgbRZJFUyn_wH1zdsZpS97e-Me58oMXrt-KdBclFXc4xwD0PSXqAa8eSo1UrHGseH4ddvhvtD0ZEMfkov_D23cgoQMNT8OLyNtNVoO9xr-R76f2M/s320/Busted+graphic+3.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Which sites? Well, I'm glad you asked. It just so happens there is a BUSTED blog tour, and each stop has access to a Rafflecopter giveaway courtesy of <a href="https://twitter.com/SourcebooksFire">SourcebooksFire</a>:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bookish-delights.blogspot.com/2017/12/spotlight-blog-tour-busted-by-gina.html">Bookish Delights Blog</a> (Includes an excerpt from Chapter 5!)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://booksandmunches.wordpress.com/2017/12/28/review-busted/">Books and Munches Blog</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://snarky-yet-satisfying.com/spotlight-tour-busted-gina-ciocca/">Snarky Yet Satisfying Blog</a> (Includes an excerpt from Chapter 12!)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mrsleifs.com/2018/01/busted-by-gina-ciocca.html">Two Fangs About It Blog</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr26xJUI9Zt-wwRWGEzUiZps8xCCISm_22gx5HSJWTU2nGqDhpEb5MXby2Mf6wG34YtUsclSfKTxBj-5yUVHypLQU2qLDUElWB5moeActxNtLehPvOXx0eEsNz5unETI78Z7XX059MAXg/s1600/Busted+graphic+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr26xJUI9Zt-wwRWGEzUiZps8xCCISm_22gx5HSJWTU2nGqDhpEb5MXby2Mf6wG34YtUsclSfKTxBj-5yUVHypLQU2qLDUElWB5moeActxNtLehPvOXx0eEsNz5unETI78Z7XX059MAXg/s320/Busted+graphic+1.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
You can also enter to win one of 3 copies of BUSTED in <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/268369-busted">this Goodreads giveaway</a> until January 1st.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzO4VtFqlXurd_DtObIfvOvEJ2osVPLuM5n9lPaA0vUGcUCGJVmSHYUwluz2NiRbNbvRvzdnPLelX2wYApjJcH_Q0-V5CwujDsEnVGZuxfKDpG1VkhWGXRlegrlzXGz6doItqlXqpiT6w/s1600/Busted-graphic-2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzO4VtFqlXurd_DtObIfvOvEJ2osVPLuM5n9lPaA0vUGcUCGJVmSHYUwluz2NiRbNbvRvzdnPLelX2wYApjJcH_Q0-V5CwujDsEnVGZuxfKDpG1VkhWGXRlegrlzXGz6doItqlXqpiT6w/s1600/Busted-graphic-2.png" /></a></div>
<br />
And, of course, if you've preordered BUSTED or A KISS IN THE DARK, <b>I want to send you swag</b>, and <b>put you in a drawing for one of two themed prized packs</b>. <a href="https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html">Click here for details</a>.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, if you'd rather pick up your copy in the store, it's already on the shelf in Barnes and Noble! I signed some copies in the Milford, CT store today, and I'll be stalking -- er, signing -- some more at the Alpharetta store when I get back to Georgia.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA7UgHABqHo1M9W-hHDiCRak_oKRoZPZeNGK9i8d2dbtRM29v00Y0YdRxm-WKyLdl2VhgAlkVVHqCdLW-y410Hlgcw8zKksYu42n5S_iUqx1GZUKSzUO3F4DDb1oEO4kDjR7eNyUzaiw/s1600/BUSTEDinBN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIA7UgHABqHo1M9W-hHDiCRak_oKRoZPZeNGK9i8d2dbtRM29v00Y0YdRxm-WKyLdl2VhgAlkVVHqCdLW-y410Hlgcw8zKksYu42n5S_iUqx1GZUKSzUO3F4DDb1oEO4kDjR7eNyUzaiw/s320/BUSTEDinBN.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you spot it in the wild, please tweet a pic to me at gmc511. I love seeing them!<br />
<br />
Happy Reading!<br />
<br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-76127791612071130752017-12-04T06:30:00.000-05:002017-12-06T19:17:39.824-05:00Preorder Incentive Campaigns for BUSTED and A KISS IN THE DARK!<br />
I can not believe that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted?from_search=true">BUSTED</a> comes out 4 weeks from tomorrow(!!!), or that <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35238027-a-kiss-in-the-dark">A KISS IN THE DARK</a> will release just 9 weeks after that.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzj-aRT5ZZ6v6gwdb7mDLrxFEiSQ3WORXh6JXReIQ1avrp_Ila7P-zfV5hJ_o5Dxyc-Whgsrh0PkqXYTeGrcT7TXFCdTDxG5SPquSBozui1QiNddKhDy6cTGv4ejJRgUAVAv1aGI7biM/s1600/holycrap.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="280" data-original-width="500" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzj-aRT5ZZ6v6gwdb7mDLrxFEiSQ3WORXh6JXReIQ1avrp_Ila7P-zfV5hJ_o5Dxyc-Whgsrh0PkqXYTeGrcT7TXFCdTDxG5SPquSBozui1QiNddKhDy6cTGv4ejJRgUAVAv1aGI7biM/s320/holycrap.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm super excited about these stories, and I hope y'all are excited too. I know that when it comes to books, choices are vast and budgets are tight, and this is exactly why I've decided to do a preorder campaign for both novels. I chose a few super cute prizes that are significant to each book, and I'd love to see them in the hands of ravenous reader. So....<br />
<br />
<b>Here's how it works:</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">- <b>Everyone</b> who preorders* BUSTED <b>~OR~</b> A KISS IN THE DARK will receive swag (bookmarks, postcards, etc.)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAMXDBkRSgyHYCBLWjFWiLnP8sTASxzVK4K3Na5MN350Rxo0Oqm3pSRc48uf4ZDPmfOMzwn8OPyiJjKBKOVXAUyfkZiA9OfzYhAvwIMbBraawcyw2JzwU82e5CkC1S0wobet8bFyYrls/s1600/20171206_190602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="1600" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkAMXDBkRSgyHYCBLWjFWiLnP8sTASxzVK4K3Na5MN350Rxo0Oqm3pSRc48uf4ZDPmfOMzwn8OPyiJjKBKOVXAUyfkZiA9OfzYhAvwIMbBraawcyw2JzwU82e5CkC1S0wobet8bFyYrls/s320/20171206_190602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">- Everyone who preorders* BUSTED <b>~AND~</b> A KISS IN THE DARK will receive swag <b>PLUS</b> a paperback copy of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825486-last-year-s-mistake">LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a> <i>(if you already have LYM, you may choose a different YA paperback)</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">*and follows instructions for providing proof</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8Y8g0g1LZ8iR_I34Fs4fn5BMgYP_I38RHEPP1Yy8eYF7vllFQgBblAaMnXzXTdKSZ_YW2uBFtFfj-E1xPa-sFxbOlhlOjt7s6vF-5IED-p_wUGZLRLQGWldzpMfMAccu4sccpsER74Y/s1600/20171206_190736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8Y8g0g1LZ8iR_I34Fs4fn5BMgYP_I38RHEPP1Yy8eYF7vllFQgBblAaMnXzXTdKSZ_YW2uBFtFfj-E1xPa-sFxbOlhlOjt7s6vF-5IED-p_wUGZLRLQGWldzpMfMAccu4sccpsER74Y/s320/20171206_190736.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">- <b>All entries will go into a drawing for one of two grand prize packs</b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>BUSTED PRIZE PACK</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvNxoxPrlxTH70hi6HuLJQcyMVDlK7WNAVBMPHKAl_Q7zV07d8ODC61vBSY9DOW2IjNbo9wZHTPL55VWecSYkynBoSrKKVcS-0Bvgth6_hYxlqSsSMKy3AYRJsi01iqbFxqGT5uWqdQk/s1600/BUSTED+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggvNxoxPrlxTH70hi6HuLJQcyMVDlK7WNAVBMPHKAl_Q7zV07d8ODC61vBSY9DOW2IjNbo9wZHTPL55VWecSYkynBoSrKKVcS-0Bvgth6_hYxlqSsSMKy3AYRJsi01iqbFxqGT5uWqdQk/s400/BUSTED+Prize+Pack.jpg" width="341" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>This prize pack includes:</b><br />
- a custom notebook sporting BUSTED's cover<br />
- swag<br />
- Aztec hot chocolate mix<i> (in honor of the scene on page 90)</i><br />
- 50/50 double sided colored pencils <i>(a nod to Marisa's sketches)</i><br />
- A top secret spy kit that includes an invisible ink pen, rear-view spy glass, magnifying glass, fake mustache, and a notebook<br />
- A Magic Frosted Forest Yankee candle <i>(in honor of the tree farm where TJ works, which Marisa nicknames "Narnia")</i><br />
- "Oh snap" camera stickers<i> (see page 48 + the cover for why these are utterly perfect)</i><br />
- chocolate footballs<br />
- 10 Cherry Blossom Classic Camera charms (a nod to Marisa's love of making jewelry)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>A KISS IN THE DARK PRIZE PACK</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6L1N5q8M-a9sI2DmoE-5XlWiQlLPPMDK4pvvu9tj51VRAstgjAOuQcjJwbdBXi5eVoALAp_xPmR-J2TaMiOz0z6isMDMvGh8CHRrMfeyqg2yylCjEoR6pEtiWyfAP1bVRs_8CU8rcI4/s1600/KITD+Prize+Pack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1370" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-6L1N5q8M-a9sI2DmoE-5XlWiQlLPPMDK4pvvu9tj51VRAstgjAOuQcjJwbdBXi5eVoALAp_xPmR-J2TaMiOz0z6isMDMvGh8CHRrMfeyqg2yylCjEoR6pEtiWyfAP1bVRs_8CU8rcI4/s400/KITD+Prize+Pack.jpg" width="342" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<b>This prize pack includes:</b><br />
- A custom notebook sporting A KISS IN THE DARK's cover<br />
- swag<br />
- A #nofilter compact mirror <i>(a nod to the photography aspect of the story)</i><br />
- A set of 5 Color Story I <3 3="" glosses="" i="" lip="" nbsp="" pink="">(in honor of Macy's lip gloss-obsessed best friend, Meredith)</3><br />
- A sunset lake journal <i>(because Macy loves to snap sunset photos of the lake in her neighborhood)</i><br />
<i>- </i>chocolate footballs (not pictured)<br />
- Butter Rum Lifesavers <i>(Macy's favorite candy, as we find out on page 53)</i><br />
<i>- </i>A 4-inch Superman decal <i>(in honor of Macy and Ben's favorite superhero)</i><br />
<i>- </i>Football face tattoos <i>(because Macy is a former cheerleader, and "football is no joke in the South.")</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>How To Enter</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>1) Preorder one or both books from the site of your choice (See above for prize tiers)</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>- </b>BUSTED on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781492654292">Indiebound</a> / <a href="https://www.target.com/p/busted-paperback-gina-ciocca/-/A-52683062?clkid=456d815dNc29aaf26377e1e207beac1c2&lnm=81938&afid=Skimbit%20Ltd.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002#lnk=sametab">Target</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654292#/">Barnes and Noble</a> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
- KISS on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Dark-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432265/">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781481432269">Indiebound</a> / <a href="https://www.target.com/p/kiss-in-the-dark-hardcover-gina-ciocca/-/A-53147954#lnk=sametab">Target</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kiss-in-the-dark-gina-ciocca/1126512161?ean=9781481432269#/">Barnes and Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>2) Email proof of purchase to gina(dot)ciocca(at)yahoo(dot)com</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b> - Please include the address to which you would like your swag/prize shipped</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>3) Receive swag, become eligible to win a prize pack.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>4) That's literally it.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
**Winner of the BUSTED prize pack will be chosen on<b> January 1st. </b>All entrants will remain in the drawing for A KISS IN THE DARK's prize pack until the campaign ends on<b> March 5th, 2018.**</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>In the mean time, PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD about the contest! Here are some copy-and-paste-ready tweets for your sharing convenience:</b><br />
<br />
Get awesome book swag + the chance to win one of two prize packs! Preorder BUSTED and/or A KISS IN THE DARK by @gmc511! https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html<br />
<br />
Preorder Incentive #Giveaway for @gmc511's BUSTED and A KISS IN THE DARK! Everyone gets swag + an entry for 1 of 2 grand prizes. Details here: https://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2017/12/preorder-incentive-campaigns-for-busted.html </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>If there are any questions, feel free to leave them in the comments or find me on Twitter. Good luck!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9yLl6zqM1tRJD53A2M44wmkjC4bn4xeMETmYwDJCiEuBAbAfV21QJXqeJRLFKGmH8NFPxIGA9b9fjLQBk3ovVj53ayvvZsI5xOuHW3vRxmiUUOdR_gN773CiSi0IJnOPpQDdKi9x7hw/s1600/20171204_093514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz9yLl6zqM1tRJD53A2M44wmkjC4bn4xeMETmYwDJCiEuBAbAfV21QJXqeJRLFKGmH8NFPxIGA9b9fjLQBk3ovVj53ayvvZsI5xOuHW3vRxmiUUOdR_gN773CiSi0IJnOPpQDdKi9x7hw/s320/20171204_093514.jpg" width="240" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9DCkbYqIBwRlh4Sx9OxfoZZWCxb5IXJ82GfLSAShuj819bAwX2_uatVYhWsiIfcT1A_IusOfAcG7sI51lAgX59xbE7AbfXMOcKB9twM-mvBb4vIz3UPZiH89pjdip8FX0r_aiekQsYc/s1600/20171129_113954+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9DCkbYqIBwRlh4Sx9OxfoZZWCxb5IXJ82GfLSAShuj819bAwX2_uatVYhWsiIfcT1A_IusOfAcG7sI51lAgX59xbE7AbfXMOcKB9twM-mvBb4vIz3UPZiH89pjdip8FX0r_aiekQsYc/s320/20171129_113954+%25281%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdaPxGCc1NAAZCyMN5M4lge2btJzPp5IFQcBt0BtPDA6NQU7gbe0KJU_ZXhnckNXWFNjOzZ4VDbH4trJq2iFpEeddAC_a7A_iQRE7YGIo2qFX2vxXX42sOxh7t1N7L3rD8_h7jARAwQo/s1600/20171204_093547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJdaPxGCc1NAAZCyMN5M4lge2btJzPp5IFQcBt0BtPDA6NQU7gbe0KJU_ZXhnckNXWFNjOzZ4VDbH4trJq2iFpEeddAC_a7A_iQRE7YGIo2qFX2vxXX42sOxh7t1N7L3rD8_h7jARAwQo/s320/20171204_093547.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhni3f-ZrZzGaBhZ59kOkQKEUr2Wm9cgqM2siKL9o_lRrVOPxAHA9dKjdcn37Co_yPeOWsfjZ9s9hgj08bBdnkN36PVMeECkeelQCrYysSGLT3fMrQg0QZfPe_BOs6J8ub1VgfRnv8-J70/s1600/20171204_093612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhni3f-ZrZzGaBhZ59kOkQKEUr2Wm9cgqM2siKL9o_lRrVOPxAHA9dKjdcn37Co_yPeOWsfjZ9s9hgj08bBdnkN36PVMeECkeelQCrYysSGLT3fMrQg0QZfPe_BOs6J8ub1VgfRnv8-J70/s320/20171204_093612.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-25068114021429094702017-10-13T21:07:00.002-04:002017-10-13T21:07:30.345-04:00YA Scavenger Hunt Winners!<br />
Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the YA Scavenger Hunt!<br />
<br />
Winners, including the winners of my bonus giveaways, are listed here: <a href="http://www.yash.rocks/2017/10/fall-2017-yash-winner.html">http://www.yash.rocks/2017/10/fall-2017-yash-winner.html</a><br />
<br />
<b>If you didn't win, but still want a copy of BUSTED (Sourcebooks Fire, 1-2-18), you can:</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted">Add it to your Goodreads shelf</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492654299/ref=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_glide_bb_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1492654299&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Preorder it on Amazon</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654292">Preorder it at Barnes and Noble</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://www.target.com/p/busted-paperback-gina-ciocca/-/A-52683062?clkid=456d815dNc29aaf26377e1e207beac1c2&lnm=81938&afid=Skimbit%20Ltd.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002#lnk=sametab">Preorder it via Target</a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>And here are the links for A KISS IN THE DARK (Simon Pulse, 3-6-18):</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35238027-a-kiss-in-the-dark">Add it to your Goodreads shelf</a><br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1481432265/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sout?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sout-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1481432265&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2">Preorder it on Amazon</a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-kiss-in-the-dark-gina-ciocca/1126512161?ean=9781481432269">Preorder it at Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<br />
Stay tuned for more bookish giveaways in the very near future!Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-24886448821676565612017-08-24T15:35:00.001-04:002017-08-24T15:35:51.431-04:00The Long Road to Sunday Night<br />
I did something on Sunday that was six years in the making. I finally saw Lifehouse in concert, and it was freaking amazing.<br />
<br />
I know going to a concert isn't a big deal to most people. But when you love a band as much as I love Lifehouse, and when you've been trying to see said band in concert for six years, have TWICE had tickets to shows that were ultimately cancelled, and have been a fan for more than 15 years... well, it *is* a big deal.<br />
<br />
I remember hearing Hanging by a Moment for the first time in college, and loving it. I loved Jason Wade's gravelly voice. I loved the unique sound of their music. But I think what really made me fall into no-turning-back love with Lifehouse, <b>to the surprise of absolutely no one who knows anything about me</b>, is my association of their music with some of my favorite heart-melting moments on Smallville.<br />
<br />
<b>Like this one, which started a years-long obsession with the song Everything:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HcYZ93qVFhs" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Or this one, where Lifehouse actually appeared ON THE SHOW and I still cry watching Lana put her head on Clark's chest and the look of complete happiness on Clark's face because he is just so in love with her and SHUT UP I DON'T KNOW WHY IT AFFECTS ME LIKE THIS BUT IT DOES OKAY?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QZcU9PHvWT4" width="640"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br />
So, back in 2011, when I was living in Connecticut, Lifehouse was scheduled to play an outdoor concert at Old Mine Park, and I was ECSTATIC to score tickets.<br />
<br />
But then <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2011/09/that-bitch-irene.html">That Bitch Irene</a> came alone, damaged the venue, and the concert was canceled.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3Zpve26jH3tGumhpc-5YN7PL7pfnw52qkIUVieSWasXW_CyfjbJ19gcghvL8Q-2E6yHGd46sZNmilEhZ92ERZcM1TxdkrgqvrsJYYQE7X1jb2R7f16PzDmHR2j8PGpNaHru7rsZDNSA/s1600/Brown-Hair-Rapunzel-Devastated-Gif-In-Tangled.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif3Zpve26jH3tGumhpc-5YN7PL7pfnw52qkIUVieSWasXW_CyfjbJ19gcghvL8Q-2E6yHGd46sZNmilEhZ92ERZcM1TxdkrgqvrsJYYQE7X1jb2R7f16PzDmHR2j8PGpNaHru7rsZDNSA/s320/Brown-Hair-Rapunzel-Devastated-Gif-In-Tangled.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Fast forward through another couple of missed opportunities to 2015. I'm now living in Georgia, and my husband buys tickets to Lifehouse and Nickelback at the Verizon Amphitheater for my birthday. Except two months later, the show is cancelled on account of Chad Kroeger needing vocal surgery.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7P4dU0BMptWBWC_t50rZe8BLUZ8nT_7TItXFQePjtaDMZRWP_p-2r99083rXu1Z3GQ1jTshxolrT5lZ15-N1FkJISSY58Zzpcq0ZF3qP0ZSn-z6pFyEnCvZrbYtPrRSqOWEF2XVq-_w/s1600/No2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="145" data-original-width="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY7P4dU0BMptWBWC_t50rZe8BLUZ8nT_7TItXFQePjtaDMZRWP_p-2r99083rXu1Z3GQ1jTshxolrT5lZ15-N1FkJISSY58Zzpcq0ZF3qP0ZSn-z6pFyEnCvZrbYtPrRSqOWEF2XVq-_w/s1600/No2.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I was seriously starting to think the universe had it out for me, and it was never going to happen.<br />
<br />
But then, 2 years later, on April 21st, 2017, I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, and saw this:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Tickets for our show with <a href="https://twitter.com/switchfoot">@switchfoot</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/AtlBotanical">@AtlBotanical</a> on August 20 are now on sale!<a href="https://t.co/b4Lw03A3X6">https://t.co/b4Lw03A3X6</a> <a href="https://t.co/7DApFizxxb">pic.twitter.com/7DApFizxxb</a></div>
— Lifehouse (@lifehouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/lifehouse/status/855431758711574528">April 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
My immediate reaction was HOLY SHIT LIFEHOUSE IS COMING TO ATLANTA AGAIN AND I LIVE NEAR ATLANTA AND IT'S A SIGN AND OMG THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN OR I WILL DIE.<br />
<br />
Or, you know, something along those lines. At any rate, I texted a screenshot of the tweet to my husband and I'm pretty sure I included a not-so-subtle reminder that my birthday was less than a month away, and an even less subtle hint that these tickets were the ONLY gift I wanted.<br />
<br />
He got the hint, guys. My husband surprised me with the tickets for my birthday, and even took care of securing a babysitter for the night. I was beyond psyched.<br />
<br />
I was also a nervous wreck. After all, I had a history of getting thisclose to seeing Lifehouse concerts, only to have the universe pull one of these:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-Shhs0tbgj8tAsBfyFqboX3GGoDZQbC1a4AMJ9JLh76wrS8ZIXISoKF0U_oBnsofRLF1ybwIVOY9fqK5Dcz5lmzgmUlD4Us6mU0ttGeyTguRr9aggBZ2JGshs7VNQNHa1QGNJaZSC2I/s1600/FooledYou.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="432" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-Shhs0tbgj8tAsBfyFqboX3GGoDZQbC1a4AMJ9JLh76wrS8ZIXISoKF0U_oBnsofRLF1ybwIVOY9fqK5Dcz5lmzgmUlD4Us6mU0ttGeyTguRr9aggBZ2JGshs7VNQNHa1QGNJaZSC2I/s320/FooledYou.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I was terrified that my son would get sick, that the show would be cancelled again, that *I* would get sick... I angstily turned over hundreds of imaginary scenarios in my mind.<br />
<br />
But then the day came. The weather was beautiful. My son, my husband, and I were all healthy. The babysitter showed up. I left the house with a huge smile on my face.<br />
<br />
I was also wearing the Smallville shirt I'd bought specifically for the occasion.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGrWw9hVYzk72JzQMU-DQKnIPeFbM4cZXe3hZ6Fc5oxLIPSDGsIplSo1BOkedHt9AOvEG233pA1Q3F5mDd4YMWnRnEb9WiHEWJQ0jJsfziFuL18enqIBp2BD02jd1AHXhVqzLn6Cx1xo/s1600/LifehouseConcert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGrWw9hVYzk72JzQMU-DQKnIPeFbM4cZXe3hZ6Fc5oxLIPSDGsIplSo1BOkedHt9AOvEG233pA1Q3F5mDd4YMWnRnEb9WiHEWJQ0jJsfziFuL18enqIBp2BD02jd1AHXhVqzLn6Cx1xo/s400/LifehouseConcert.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And even though the smile didn't leave my face the entire night, there were two moments in particular when I thought I might just implode and drift off into the air as a euphoric wisp of Gina-shaped smoke.<br />
<br />
The first was when Switchfoot's (who took the stage first) front man, Jon Foreman (which, BTW, you freaking rocked, Jon, and you have a brand-new die-hard fan in me) started to play Dare You to Move. I was already psyched, because I love this song. But then.<br />
<br />
But then.<br />
<br />
This happened:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IhesDKFHjmA" width="640"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
JASON WADE JUST UP AND PERFORMED THE SHIT OUT OF THAT SONG.<br />
<br />
That voice! Just listen to that voice! How I didn't melt faster than a Popsicle in the sun is nothing short of a miracle. Maybe it's because I was too busy screaming my head off, which you can hear in the video.<br />
<br />
I've watched it about a hundred times since.<br />
<br />
So, you get the point that I was happy. But my husband started to get restless. Lifehouse didn't take the stage until 9:45, and he had told the babysitter we'd be home by 10:30. She, and he, both had to be at work the next morning. Not only that, we had a 30-minute drive back to our house, and the babysitter had a 30-minute drive home from our house. After only a few songs, he told me we needed to leave.<br />
<br />
"I'm not leaving," I said. "Not until I hear Everything."<br />
<br />
Of course, I had no idea if they'd actually play it. But I'd waited way too long to be at that concert, and I was not about to go out like that. So I stayed right where I was, and watched Lifehouse perform Halfway Gone.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VIUhl1KcgB0" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
When the song was over, my husband looked at me and said, "Babe, we REALLY need to go." So I begrudgingly gathered our stuff and started to weave through the crowd.<br />
<br />
And just as we reached the sidewalk surrounding the lawn where we'd been seated, Jason Wade asked, "So do you guys want to hear some older Lifehouse?"<br />
<br />
I froze in place. He started to play Broken. It's part of my "soundtrack" for Last Year's Mistake, and it's one of my favorites.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IY1SQtBsSGA" width="640"></iframe><br />
<br />
My husband dutifully waited for the song to finish. But just as it did, the notes melted into the familiar sounds of another song. THE song.<br />
<br />
Everything.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcwBK1FmVPVId82cWweIoLvz96IO3vVjxhqH1E9tGMGoi0iV0vz4MGSmK96QLvikeHWmgm7mbfJ91Ct3yh0rDnILrcTlNVQ88hKJzEAQfiamhnNZbdKFpC9R_W3eJoAcyMVuiP2d7_bk/s1600/HappyCry.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="498" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWcwBK1FmVPVId82cWweIoLvz96IO3vVjxhqH1E9tGMGoi0iV0vz4MGSmK96QLvikeHWmgm7mbfJ91Ct3yh0rDnILrcTlNVQ88hKJzEAQfiamhnNZbdKFpC9R_W3eJoAcyMVuiP2d7_bk/s320/HappyCry.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
And then my phone ran out of storage.<br />
<br />
I almost died. So I switched to taking a live Instagram video, thinking I'd figure out a way to save it later. (Which I did, via a bootleg recording with my husband's cell phone.) Here is the link:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/domenick.ciocca/videos/1478876965540722/">https://www.facebook.com/domenick.ciocca/videos/1478876965540722/</a><br />
<br />
And with that, my entire life was made, and I skipped out of the concert while singing along to Whatever It Takes. I happy-cried myself to sleep that night.<br />
<br />
I can't even explain what it is about Lifehouse's music that makes me so happy, but that's just it - it makes me happy. When you struggle with anxiety and depression, feeling happy can be a challenge. Even in moments when you know you *should* be happy, sometimes you're just not. But on Sunday night?<br />
<br />
I felt happier than I have in a very long time.<br />
<br />
It might sound dramatic, but hearing those songs that I've loved for so long, it was like a little piece of my soul had found its way home.<br />
<br />
It was a beautiful night that's become a beautiful memory, and I will cherish it forever.<br />
<br />
<b>Have you ever felt this way about something? Feel free to share!</b>Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-81031104962213896122017-08-10T12:16:00.000-04:002020-01-22T14:09:39.593-05:00Why Authors Don't "Just Want to be Published"As I was lying awake at 3:30 a.m. this morning, as I often do, I started thinking about a phrase that my husband sometimes utters to me when I get stressed out or disappointed about the goings-on in my writing career:<br />
<br />
<i>I thought you just wanted to be published.</i><br />
<br />
I cringe whenever he says this, but I also can't really fault him for his ignorance. He has a career in which the expectations of him and his work are fairly cut-and-dried. He gets a reliable, bi-weekly paycheck that hinges on his work being <i>done</i>, not on how well he was able to sell it.<br />
<br />
And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that people who've never walked in a writer's shoes have no concept of how much hard work and uncertainty are involved in the quest to make a living as a published author.<br />
<br />
After all, we:<br />
- write with no guarantee of publication<br />
- wait anywhere from months to years for contracts, and therefore advance money<br />
- get royalty statements only twice a year, and have no idea how much (if any) money we've made until the moment they arrive (and then immediately kiss 40% goodbye for taxes)<br />
- are responsible for a good chunk of our own marketing<br />
- are provided no health insurance<br />
- have no guarantee that current publications will lead to future publications<br />
- I could go on and on, but you get the point, so I'll stop there<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1PgXlo77YifY4NdI_7xF1gaPr0o2-GswJvR8y1R8e5AA7HmHvXtkstoHSUl-9-GlhL38-c8u_m5yrYiFYkR5Ald1PG4yayrbNGKvNF3UFwetooTw7yyvgEJfraLiNZRAqT9vWEtkz7E/s1600/HelpMeImPoor.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1PgXlo77YifY4NdI_7xF1gaPr0o2-GswJvR8y1R8e5AA7HmHvXtkstoHSUl-9-GlhL38-c8u_m5yrYiFYkR5Ald1PG4yayrbNGKvNF3UFwetooTw7yyvgEJfraLiNZRAqT9vWEtkz7E/s200/HelpMeImPoor.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
I suppose it makes sense that there are a lot of misconceptions about what happens when a person gets published, because a) it's not the most common job in the world and b) when it comes to books, many people are only familiar with whichever titles are in-your-face popular. Therefore, they assume that everyone who gets a book deal is automatically the next JK Rowling.<br />
<br />
Or, you know, they watched Sex and the City, and are under the impression that writing a weekly newspaper column affords you a Manhattan apartment and a never-ending supply of designer shoes. (Spoiler alert: <i>NOPE.</i>)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ziyvqxst4HDaUM2_9ndkHwuAg849HO2kRTuiw76ACK_mvZjScIjutrsqXihIe2mBHQ6M69vqa-CUoQfX0ZlXpztg_5NSGHc-nIyABbAQqpPgZ9DDWSnAFJxPeNRm-sUPKTKBkapqJ24/s1600/ShoppingGif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="500" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ziyvqxst4HDaUM2_9ndkHwuAg849HO2kRTuiw76ACK_mvZjScIjutrsqXihIe2mBHQ6M69vqa-CUoQfX0ZlXpztg_5NSGHc-nIyABbAQqpPgZ9DDWSnAFJxPeNRm-sUPKTKBkapqJ24/s320/ShoppingGif.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
I don't think most people realize that just "getting published" is not the end goal. Sure, when you're writing with no guarantee that anyone except your mom will ever read your work, and when you're facing rejection left and right, or when others get book deals on their first try after you've just shelved your third manuscript, there probably came a point where you ground your teeth and pulled at your hair and let out a primal,<br />
<br />
<i>"I just want to be published!"</i><br />
<br />
But the struggle doesn't end with publication. I know that when I first set out on my quest to get published, I had no idea that not all traditionally published books were treated equally. I honestly thought that titles on the NYT best seller list arrived there atop a wave of reader-generated love. Call it naivete, but here's the real story: when it comes to commercially successful books, in most cases, the winners are called before anyone has set foot out of the gate. Publishers decide in advance which titles they're putting their money behind, and the rest more or less fill space in the catalog. Now, that's not saying reader love and word of mouth can never elevate a novel off the midlist - sometimes they can. Nor is it saying that big marketing bucks always means big commercial success - sometimes it doesn't. The whole thing is a crapshoot.<br />
<br />
So for those confused about why just getting published might not be enough, let me clarify. You hear, <i>I just want to be published</i>.<br />
<br />
<b>What we mean is, <i>I want other people to love my stories as much as I do</i>.</b><br />
<br />
No author has ever used <i>I want to be published</i> as code for <i>I want my novel to be an indistinguishable drop in a vast ocean of books.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvj0pPe3V45OBuIETtWHRFQupSHzh1u6N2fGvA9azCL2k6-CxVBKqWdOY8bVsjl4WDhe7ntD_o3cDbt7XmKCccKkbaEeXFlRgBOTF2DQ7CI7p1RHxyW1XFIL_XZSUsSlTcugBNZew_PNk/s1600/NotHowThisWorks.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvj0pPe3V45OBuIETtWHRFQupSHzh1u6N2fGvA9azCL2k6-CxVBKqWdOY8bVsjl4WDhe7ntD_o3cDbt7XmKCccKkbaEeXFlRgBOTF2DQ7CI7p1RHxyW1XFIL_XZSUsSlTcugBNZew_PNk/s320/NotHowThisWorks.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Because honestly? Unless you are JK Rowling, that's how it can feel sometimes.<br />
<br />
You don't want to annoy people by talking constantly about your books, but you also need to make people aware of them. Unfortunately, self-promo usually feels a lot like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQA-JTpsiz2G2meCLkReEqGnDUbkKb6KPJMcJbtEm3FMGbsGzeHoKydv4Q9ZaJUyPArsP7PLuDsAvBNdx10WpS5wxvFg1ZEZaD2J0oeYZben4v7Tp92o8gmFqikg7s3DNWL_NKW8WNxU/s1600/ShoutIntoTheWind.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="150" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQA-JTpsiz2G2meCLkReEqGnDUbkKb6KPJMcJbtEm3FMGbsGzeHoKydv4Q9ZaJUyPArsP7PLuDsAvBNdx10WpS5wxvFg1ZEZaD2J0oeYZben4v7Tp92o8gmFqikg7s3DNWL_NKW8WNxU/s1600/ShoutIntoTheWind.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkRegl5z0qD6R5Rw1dTlTf7Ts248435jPrAumnWMGpwNm5zy5MZwu_UmtYDyPyMXSDyX_D0Kq3-y_CPGq0yoO9F42_fnvf15PBGQJamCPlWtM_YT1ccMZ40ibjwSthOc1XHavqTewUQE/s1600/NotListening.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="160" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkRegl5z0qD6R5Rw1dTlTf7Ts248435jPrAumnWMGpwNm5zy5MZwu_UmtYDyPyMXSDyX_D0Kq3-y_CPGq0yoO9F42_fnvf15PBGQJamCPlWtM_YT1ccMZ40ibjwSthOc1XHavqTewUQE/s320/NotListening.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, you just <i>can not make people care</i>. You worked your ass off writing, deleting, editing, rewriting, polishing, editing, copy editing, proofreading, promoting, promoting, and promoting some more, and yet, <b>you still feel stagnant</b>.<br />
<br />
You know that comparing yourself to other authors is the WORST thing you can possibly do, and yet you can't help but feel defective when they single-handedly tackle goals that feel so out of reach for you. Or when they're talking about how behind they are on their Twitter mentions, or apologizing for not being able to answer the fan mail that comes at them in droves while you check your inbox/mentions like<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5uG3E68_e5RXa9ihQyO-snZjc0jKBQ3mWhsQO6OwmKVqYodoH0cwk_R-EvN1rNs4Wrs8NWY6C5_5b6oL834JPX0iPj3V33BPcRynKea3BDbm87ClmgAJoCwX5SHIxZsuxsHP5wREo7w/s1600/anyonethere.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="174" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5uG3E68_e5RXa9ihQyO-snZjc0jKBQ3mWhsQO6OwmKVqYodoH0cwk_R-EvN1rNs4Wrs8NWY6C5_5b6oL834JPX0iPj3V33BPcRynKea3BDbm87ClmgAJoCwX5SHIxZsuxsHP5wREo7w/s320/anyonethere.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDRyFL_zDseEJDknZOm46IUGAduRPAewODSo_h5EJ6YnjDzuxjAeM69kfd9EfYlSoLH57GeQR_eZSBHiWnResrKh6lnoBu5IHYMHig8w8DXKJC4cHbXNgxGjVCanNibgetfHPVdA433s/s1600/hello.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="142" data-original-width="220" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDRyFL_zDseEJDknZOm46IUGAduRPAewODSo_h5EJ6YnjDzuxjAeM69kfd9EfYlSoLH57GeQR_eZSBHiWnResrKh6lnoBu5IHYMHig8w8DXKJC4cHbXNgxGjVCanNibgetfHPVdA433s/s320/hello.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So yes, even when you've ultimately succeeded *at* your goal, it can still be difficult to feel like you're succeeding *within* your goal. Especially when you're always wondering if your smaller successes will lead to bigger ones, or if every hurrah will be your last.<br />
<br />
For the non-writer types, let me break it down further.<br />
<br />
Let's say you've been pining for a vacation for a really long time. You try for quite a while to make it happen, but for whatever multitude of reasons, it doesn't. Then, at last, you book your dream vacation to **insert beautiful, exotic spot of your choice here** And you are <i>thrilled</i>.<br />
<br />
But when you finally get there, you're sick as a dog, the weather sucks, and the airline has lost your luggage. You have no idea when or if you'll ever make it back to this place again for a do-over.<br />
<br />
When you tell this to other people, they respond: <i>But I thought you just wanted to take a vacation?</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnIv-c46vFoYNXyPnLFTRA34VrNKMgPOTAVrF9zTvXID2Fdl-SC39RBONiotpVPSU1-5qqcCvyDfb3ZzAxIUk6qAt5MOA8V0Co0ocyalXS4fAbc8vXaAmTX-z42buyXbN17vFWkLBs9A/s1600/WTF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="228" data-original-width="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHnIv-c46vFoYNXyPnLFTRA34VrNKMgPOTAVrF9zTvXID2Fdl-SC39RBONiotpVPSU1-5qqcCvyDfb3ZzAxIUk6qAt5MOA8V0Co0ocyalXS4fAbc8vXaAmTX-z42buyXbN17vFWkLBs9A/s1600/WTF.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
See what I did there?<br />
<br />
And I'm not saying that the WHOLE vacation sucked, that there were zero redeeming moments.Or that being able to call yourself a published author sucks in any way, shape, or form. I'm saying that you can achieve your big-picture goal, and still have moments of disappointment or disenchantment.<br />
<br />
Authors don't "just want to be published." They want to <i>succeed</i> at being published. <br />
<br />
And while those moments of disenchantment can be brutal, they don't take away from the fact that you've done something kickass by just putting forth the effort. They don't change the fact that complete strangers fell in love with something you wrote, with a world you created entirely in your mind. Those awful, doubt-filled moments, no matter what your brain tells you, are not a harbinger of feeling like crap forever. And they sure as hell don't mean that you've blown your chance to do better.<br />
<br />
Because every day is a new chance.<br />
<br />
Because, really, you have already succeeded. Even if it doesn't always feel that way.<br />
<br />
Think about it. If people who aren't in the publishing "know" automatically equate you to JK Rowling just for getting a book deal, it's because they are IMPRESSED. You did something they could never do. And for that, they think you are the shit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ve_QpyeekJUVa1zm8J-mIRKvC-5xM5RDVCvY56DSTPixaisbiQGeu72JTmPMp6xTxpY71wETZJiUD_LDZ_FD4_6TdSeRpTmPYshXWmq9FoGPhXzSuTOIRItysB8yfWaPxC6l4HyCDi4/s1600/cooler+than+me.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="220" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Ve_QpyeekJUVa1zm8J-mIRKvC-5xM5RDVCvY56DSTPixaisbiQGeu72JTmPMp6xTxpY71wETZJiUD_LDZ_FD4_6TdSeRpTmPYshXWmq9FoGPhXzSuTOIRItysB8yfWaPxC6l4HyCDi4/s320/cooler+than+me.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And I think, honestly, that this - <b>"you've already succeeded"</b> - is what my husband actually means when he says, "I thought you just wanted to be published."<br />
<br />
So the next time you're frustrated and someone says this to you, be the published author in their life who helped them find a better way to say it. (Or let me do it for you.)<br />
<br />
Then, let them know exactly how they can help by directing them <a href="http://writershelpingwriters.net/2016/05/help-authors-something-post/">here</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dorie-clark/10-ways-to-help-your-favo_b_3252509.html">here</a>, and <a href="http://avajae.blogspot.com/2013/07/5-ways-to-support-your-favorite-authors.html">here</a>, and tell them to let everyone else and their mother know too.<br />
<br />
<b>And how is your publishing journey going today?</b><br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-6286573725126730002017-07-24T07:42:00.000-04:002017-07-24T07:42:35.494-04:00#MyYALife Giveaway!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Who wants to win some awesome 2018 ARCs/preorders?</span></i></div>
<br />
Well, Rachael Allen, Lauren Gibaldi, Jessica Pennington, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and myself have the perfect giveaway for you!<br />
<br />
<b>Today (July 24th) through July 27th</b>, you can enter our giveaway for the chance to win ARCs of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34227670-a-taxonomy-of-love?from_search=true">A TAXONOMY OF LOVE</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted?from_search=true">BUSTED</a>, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35034369-love-songs-other-lies?ac=1&from_search=true">LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES</a>, and <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30140964-this-tiny-perfect-world?ac=1&from_search=true">THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD</a>, plus a preorder of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30339479-you-ll-miss-me-when-i-m-gone?from_search=true">YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Here's how:</b><br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtkpFVw6S2efEC1ozp2pzLoPpjFYmpOuLc1x63pO0tKeGIs-XFRSC4SDhsEIOBd5YtvaT_sTt3bsyqNUdpuE5SWeq0d1_YwuvvjLzQ_Y7GZLUB5rHvrBppnSZBhqDmg7ClyLjk9h8Xrs/s1600/MyYALife2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtkpFVw6S2efEC1ozp2pzLoPpjFYmpOuLc1x63pO0tKeGIs-XFRSC4SDhsEIOBd5YtvaT_sTt3bsyqNUdpuE5SWeq0d1_YwuvvjLzQ_Y7GZLUB5rHvrBppnSZBhqDmg7ClyLjk9h8Xrs/s400/MyYALife2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>You can enter on Twitter or Instagram, or both. And since you'll need to follow us to qualify, here are the handles for everyone's Twitter/Instagram:</b><br />
<br />
<b>Rachael Allen</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/rachael_allen">rachael_allen</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rachael.stewartallen/">rachael.stewartallen</a><br />
<b>Gina Ciocca</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/gmc511">gmc511</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gmciocca/">gmciocca</a><br />
<b>Lauren Gibaldi</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/laurengibaldi">laurengibaldi</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/laurengibaldi">lgibaldi</a><br />
<b>Jessica Pennington</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/jessnpennington">jessnpennington</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jessicapennington/">jessicapennington </a><br />
<b>Rachel Lynn Solomon</b>: <a href="https://twitter.com/rlynn_solomon">rlynn_solomon</a> / <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rlynn_solomon/">rlynn_solomon</a><br />
<br />
<b>To enter on Twitter</b>, quote-RT the image from one of our accounts. Use the hashtag #MyYALife, and tell us a little bit about your life as a young adult, whether you're a young adult now, or uh... haven't been one in a while. It can be a few words, or a few sentences.<br />
<br />
For example, Lauren Gibaldi's #MyYALife entry might look something like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi39pqpiOJKN2C7GR_Fe_fz1c16G5fS18zBs6o_nSg6VG_jNkzYMwfgfT0HCwCw08eUfz4GgUhl_1-x_xLDjzkL-lVtHePiPGs_GnzAMByuOunpeaL-RYGYf8w5pseXG5gTSQe9R6jDng/s1600/MyYALifeExample.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="94" data-original-width="513" height="72" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi39pqpiOJKN2C7GR_Fe_fz1c16G5fS18zBs6o_nSg6VG_jNkzYMwfgfT0HCwCw08eUfz4GgUhl_1-x_xLDjzkL-lVtHePiPGs_GnzAMByuOunpeaL-RYGYf8w5pseXG5gTSQe9R6jDng/s400/MyYALifeExample.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you want to go into more detail, feel free! Here's how my #MyYALife might read: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3A9A_TitAYRCK9z8hn3T3iJOSz85YFo1iuTi0PKOrvyZyWE1OzfgLrbDt9dzQFxO1kIhAEK9rzBh5LlNP_4tSpPChvoN-FwOMa_Ft5e2u-EFsGvDXFjThElnAmYQjwhpBYky_yZDd_g/s1600/MyYaLifeExample2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="506" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip3A9A_TitAYRCK9z8hn3T3iJOSz85YFo1iuTi0PKOrvyZyWE1OzfgLrbDt9dzQFxO1kIhAEK9rzBh5LlNP_4tSpPChvoN-FwOMa_Ft5e2u-EFsGvDXFjThElnAmYQjwhpBYky_yZDd_g/s400/MyYaLifeExample2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<b>To enter on Instagram</b>, just repost the image with your snippet and #MyYALife. (Be sure to use the hashtag so we can find your entry!)<br />
<br />
<b>Winner will be announced on Friday, July 28th, and YES, it's international! Good luck, and can't wait to see your entries!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(PSA - In case you don't win, you can still guarantee that these books will land in your hot little hands by pre-ordering them. Here are some super-convenient links, in case you'd like to do just that:</span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>A TAXONOMY OF LOVE by Rachael Allen (January 9, 2018):</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Taxonomy-Love-Rachael-Allen/dp/1419725416/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500147042&sr=1-1&keywords=a+taxonomy+of+love">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-taxonomy-of-love-rachael-allen/1125674774?ean=9781419725418">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<b>BUSTED by Gina Ciocca (January 2, 2018)</b>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500147196&sr=1-3&keywords=gina+ciocca">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/busted-gina-ciocca/1126323323?ean=9781492654292">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<b>THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD</b> <b>by Lauren Gibaldi (February 27, 2018)</b>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/This-Perfect-World-Lauren-Gibaldi/dp/0062490079/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500147307&sr=1-1&keywords=this+tiny+perfect+world">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/this-tiny-perfect-world-lauren-gibaldi/1126314582?ean=9780062490070">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<b>LOVE SONGS AND OTHER LIES by Jessica Pennington (April 24, 2018)</b>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Songs-Other-Lies-Novel/dp/0765392275/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500147427&sr=1-1&keywords=love+songs+and+other+lies">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-songs-other-lies-jessica-pennington/1126272840?ean=9781427293855">Barnes and Noble </a><br />
<b>YOU'LL MISS ME WHEN I'M GONE</b> <b>by Rachel Lynn Solomon (January 2, 2018)</b>: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Youll-Miss-Me-When-Gone/dp/1481497731/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1500147535&sr=1-2&keywords=you%27ll+miss+me+when+i%27m+gone">Amazon</a> / <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/youll-miss-me-when-im-gone-rachel-lynn-solomon/1126512010?ean=9781481497732">Barnes and Noble</a><br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-40873449102782545112017-05-18T11:40:00.000-04:002017-05-18T21:07:32.678-04:00Bookish Things Are Happening!<br />
Wow, you guys. It has been a LOOOONG time since I blogged about bookish happenings. I'm here to fix that with some good news.<br />
<br />
Since it's been a while, here's a quick recap of what's happened/happening with my newest YA novels:<br />
<br />
In November 2015, <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html">I announced that I had sold a YA contemporary called BUSTED</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/annettepollert">Annette Pollert-Morgan</a> at Sourcebooks.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyldTaMvonZ7_1em91EerP5x7Z-e6noN3wPuFK4pl44-YfR2pXW9Edew5KXjzzhw9j-ZAcWmgq70Uog_YrxAaO182PCqtVkokrylMeEFnQUQI37uwSyZkosshNkgSdfByIrT4QOxsbik/s1600/BustedPW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyldTaMvonZ7_1em91EerP5x7Z-e6noN3wPuFK4pl44-YfR2pXW9Edew5KXjzzhw9j-ZAcWmgq70Uog_YrxAaO182PCqtVkokrylMeEFnQUQI37uwSyZkosshNkgSdfByIrT4QOxsbik/s400/BustedPW.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Since the pub date (now confirmed as 1-2-18) was pretty far out, not much happened for quite some time. But now?<br />
<br />
<i>Now things are happening!!! </i>Like what, you ask?<br />
<br />
Like the <b>COVER REVEAL</b> (eeeep!) that will take place on 5/25 (one week from today!), at <a href="http://yabookscentral.com/">YABooksCentral.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx7nSju7yd9o_ewPXPVrJDjnIwpkT89xxZGfTjaiku3Ye6LFmxwuSym0cehJtlW482Au7hZ5SkTe-iV1tGol3yBgeDN-R9oJ5jOlzknh7hHdv081qnz1Xx-cyQuqMxpqW2gldvPuHMzo/s1600/BustedCoverReveal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihx7nSju7yd9o_ewPXPVrJDjnIwpkT89xxZGfTjaiku3Ye6LFmxwuSym0cehJtlW482Au7hZ5SkTe-iV1tGol3yBgeDN-R9oJ5jOlzknh7hHdv081qnz1Xx-cyQuqMxpqW2gldvPuHMzo/s400/BustedCoverReveal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
But you don't have to wait for reveal day if you'd like to reserve your copy. <b>BUSTED is already available for pre-order on Amazon:</b> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495119460&sr=8-1&keywords=busted+by+gina+ciocca">https://www.amazon.com/Busted-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1492654299/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1495119460&sr=8-1&keywords=busted+by+gina+ciocca</a> <b>and you can also add it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted?from_search=true">Goodreads shelves</a></b>.<br />
<br />
You might also remember that when <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2014/04/you-never-know-no-really-you-dont-my.html">I announced my book deal for LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a>, (LYM, BTW, just got picked up as an audio book that will be available in July. You can pre-order it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Last-Years-Mistake-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1541458362/ref=tmm_abk_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1495121544&sr=8-1">here</a>.) I noted that it was a 2-book contract. The second book was slated to come out in 2016, but holy crap, did the sophomore curse hit me with a vengeance.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDY8zNzi-zZVdesanrsJ8SCeg0mJCQFZGw3bMZ3IKO22U0sbcfvFld8m35pS0QDSVAeVRhh7dPSSh7ZuN-QKy9wcsGsfzM7JCqG-elHQtryXXEQnYoFXx61uig3nzijlfJ7ItMS85ycM/s1600/Curse+Gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWDY8zNzi-zZVdesanrsJ8SCeg0mJCQFZGw3bMZ3IKO22U0sbcfvFld8m35pS0QDSVAeVRhh7dPSSh7ZuN-QKy9wcsGsfzM7JCqG-elHQtryXXEQnYoFXx61uig3nzijlfJ7ItMS85ycM/s320/Curse+Gif.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I spent way too much time rewriting a manuscript that just wasn't working. Then my editor left. I was assigned a new one, and we got on the phone to have a chat. She told me the manuscript I'd been toiling over would either have to be rewritten (again), or scrapped. I knew I didn't have it in me to keep forcing a square peg into a round hole. So I came up with a brand-new concept, one that I, and everyone at Pulse, felt good about. Pub date got moved out to 2017 because, well, I had a whole new novel to draft.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB8jWnxCzKWpjVJ86RKFDDSpyHhOIwO3FjmdRhAoAnCs0n671PAkoJKHieWkWsj-HpIarBHKFHQERUpk_qj_Qclb4YH5xdrGm0Lgp94OtvIr85Dtx7sXhsoYcfsqRLbniOHvIiORBITo/s1600/Nervous.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB8jWnxCzKWpjVJ86RKFDDSpyHhOIwO3FjmdRhAoAnCs0n671PAkoJKHieWkWsj-HpIarBHKFHQERUpk_qj_Qclb4YH5xdrGm0Lgp94OtvIr85Dtx7sXhsoYcfsqRLbniOHvIiORBITo/s1600/Nervous.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Dreaming up the concept proved to be the easy part. Getting the damn thing written was another story. I hired a babysitter so I'd at least have the *time* to write, but the finished product turned out to be 81,000-words of HOT MESS. Luckily, my editor saw hope in that steaming pile of poo, but the pub date was moved out again, this time to 2018.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-TSQGyCpy9HWXf-APbQSPhPIhL-J8oHczr2jv5d7U7HusTwFucpDTeX3E0gPSQf0cV7_2Mx_H4uHiI2P-UvP5jbUFK81WUBVYdcqSca3V63yesAyMpII2UpqfsevgUnqas1zdQx9jko/s1600/Brown-Hair-Rapunzel-Devastated-Gif-In-Tangled.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI-TSQGyCpy9HWXf-APbQSPhPIhL-J8oHczr2jv5d7U7HusTwFucpDTeX3E0gPSQf0cV7_2Mx_H4uHiI2P-UvP5jbUFK81WUBVYdcqSca3V63yesAyMpII2UpqfsevgUnqas1zdQx9jko/s320/Brown-Hair-Rapunzel-Devastated-Gif-In-Tangled.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't talk much about this book, because I was starting to think it would never really happen. But after two rounds of intense editing and re-writing, I handed in a draft that I was proud of. I had a feeling I'd finally gotten it right. After forty-one torturous days of waiting, I found out that my editor agreed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXFYQQ5pfmIU_aHgLkPJv6DlBqJcVZy2Pi_KTaQDvAi6QgZOYumS1S1gpIqe7wZOnNsWQqXAsPEXL_adYx5GtiBuEp4HIVPQRTbEgnnBQaAz8cvE41yJB0OmYZ4DTU2tR3UhJUT-WEgg/s1600/ExcitedMaggie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFXFYQQ5pfmIU_aHgLkPJv6DlBqJcVZy2Pi_KTaQDvAi6QgZOYumS1S1gpIqe7wZOnNsWQqXAsPEXL_adYx5GtiBuEp4HIVPQRTbEgnnBQaAz8cvE41yJB0OmYZ4DTU2tR3UhJUT-WEgg/s1600/ExcitedMaggie.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
And that's when I promptly added this to my online profiles:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs-XczLa2NR5qB2eg1ndTAuBN0Vl_VnPeSzr8Rt4bCqPpBAm5tfCxpBKQpLCgjVcQs_uzvnzRH2NWKeK61U6NkEI3b53CtHZb5i_JPsD5uHd9KcwcLqVjQqWDxOODFvvN0oUFJ9lQ_Z8/s1600/TwitterProfile.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJs-XczLa2NR5qB2eg1ndTAuBN0Vl_VnPeSzr8Rt4bCqPpBAm5tfCxpBKQpLCgjVcQs_uzvnzRH2NWKeK61U6NkEI3b53CtHZb5i_JPsD5uHd9KcwcLqVjQqWDxOODFvvN0oUFJ9lQ_Z8/s320/TwitterProfile.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Not only is A KISS IN THE DARK going to be a real book that will go on sale 3/06/18, but <b>on 5/29, YABooksCentral will be revealing its absolutely freaking gorgeous cover</b>. <br />
<br />
Hope to see you there!<br />
<br />
That about sums it up for bookish updates. What good news do you have to share?Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-31915897267066516592017-01-24T10:28:00.000-05:002017-01-27T10:43:48.743-05:00On The "Why" of the 2017 Women's Marches<br />
January 21st, 2017: The day women on every continent gathered in record numbers to march in protest of Donald Trump's election.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qZ1ieCpY8cyTGuOZtxsi1xWhIhpwoV0i24W0uWbd21-lIK1yf5sRA9lFxz7f_pJWzdITcqEnchkhMJpRCxIoadMwnwC37HKdd0u5jAUfStsxrBEV3OIGcfJVWBrDouxOVNjIsljCexc/s1600/womens-march-boston-701x386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4qZ1ieCpY8cyTGuOZtxsi1xWhIhpwoV0i24W0uWbd21-lIK1yf5sRA9lFxz7f_pJWzdITcqEnchkhMJpRCxIoadMwnwC37HKdd0u5jAUfStsxrBEV3OIGcfJVWBrDouxOVNjIsljCexc/s400/womens-march-boston-701x386.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: PoliticUSA</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpoqyEd29Rjc5hAPdsiv4nd6KKtIcSRu1B9L2ktwSKy132-xKntTvfgMir04v2hH97cf2_YbV_h7eFHoaWUyr0_PWno2TRUARcDXpS1E69S8_nOrGHW56WDzQNLGYmB4Uw1AoCUMxvhg/s1600/MBPWomensMarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpoqyEd29Rjc5hAPdsiv4nd6KKtIcSRu1B9L2ktwSKy132-xKntTvfgMir04v2hH97cf2_YbV_h7eFHoaWUyr0_PWno2TRUARcDXpS1E69S8_nOrGHW56WDzQNLGYmB4Uw1AoCUMxvhg/s400/MBPWomensMarch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: M.B. Paul</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I never thought so many people would question the validity and necessity of these marches. But if my Twitter and Facebook feeds are any indication, people are still woefully unaware that a) Women are still being discriminated against, assaulted, raped, defined by their looks, screwed out of their rightful pay, and generally demeaned on a daily basis and that b) Just because you know plenty of women who live decent lives does not mean you get to bury your head in the sand and pretend everything is fine.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>I want to talk about this post shared by my cousin on FB:</b> </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctZactcaGT33G00_4V5zHs9t0PTtmpGT2OxjIRmJQ3F0tSBdTnN_iNi-shHc75_pWu7xZapXmvtuXO5k3PsFT2tx_QmyQApfFWkKcb2VnjpwlqjBzM0LgSpEfHgZ_lwCAt-VdnEe0smM/s1600/Screenshot_20170124-093535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjctZactcaGT33G00_4V5zHs9t0PTtmpGT2OxjIRmJQ3F0tSBdTnN_iNi-shHc75_pWu7xZapXmvtuXO5k3PsFT2tx_QmyQApfFWkKcb2VnjpwlqjBzM0LgSpEfHgZ_lwCAt-VdnEe0smM/s400/Screenshot_20170124-093535.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>It should go without saying that if someone hasn't granted you permission to touch her, you keep your f***ing hands to yourself.</b> And judging by the responses to her post, it's a concept that most people claim to understand.<br />
<br />
Because, you see, the responses were ones of shock and outrage and disgust. Which is appropriate. But also kind of puzzling to me, considering that many of the people who responded this way had also voted for Donald Trump. Who, as most of us will never forget, famously said this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIeLF6hG5lFyt4V8NIsKBTJAuFYcn84OrweFAVwMrMAJPvJVrq9e1F50ZjanE-JHJJToWU5bxOldV5t1wFvhNxmQ8oCINkljqBmtCHm2E7ez9dQ46TthIL5H4kGm38SNVFF5JePiw1tw/s1600/DTrumpQuote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIeLF6hG5lFyt4V8NIsKBTJAuFYcn84OrweFAVwMrMAJPvJVrq9e1F50ZjanE-JHJJToWU5bxOldV5t1wFvhNxmQ8oCINkljqBmtCHm2E7ez9dQ46TthIL5H4kGm38SNVFF5JePiw1tw/s400/DTrumpQuote.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So my cousin confesses to being groped, and the people who know her respond with anger and indignation. They didn't witness the incident, but no one (as of yet) assumed that she wasn't being truthful. No one accused her of having a score to settle with this person. No one asked what she'd been wearing, or if she'd been drinking, or other idiotic questions that presume she somehow brought the unwanted attention on herself, since a man can't be expected to know right from wrong.<br />
<br />
<b>And those are the appropriate reactions.</b><br />
<br />
But when Donald Trump, a known misogynist who was once quoted as saying, "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/watch-women-read-the-sexist-garbage-donald-trump-has-really-truly-said_us_56e70b59e4b0b25c9182cfb0">Women, you gotta treat 'em like shit</a>," is <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/assault-allegations-donald-trump-recapped/">accused of rape, sexual harassment, and assault of multiple women</a>, these same people, and many, MANY others were quick to dismiss these women as:<br />
- liars<br />
- scam artists<br />
- gold diggers<br />
- attention seekers<br />
- whores<br />
- figments of "leftist trash" imaginations<br />
<br />
It's that last one that bothers me most. That people are more comfortable dismissing an accusation of rape by a 13-year-old girl as propaganda, because by erasing her, they are erasing any guilt they might have in voting for him.<br />
<br />
And that's when memes like this start appearing on Facebook:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7ipAEXlCVHOQvZg_EF4Dj1f9ZmKJbwDQNPflTlR0PeBJStLmB0Zz28TwDa5UwtVd9SthFctPnso_C0113oCVVXxU8iUISBESLpkpEf6viug8YgH2S4dsHrtE0B2GmhFAvIZZiF1AqYA/s1600/TrumpRape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz7ipAEXlCVHOQvZg_EF4Dj1f9ZmKJbwDQNPflTlR0PeBJStLmB0Zz28TwDa5UwtVd9SthFctPnso_C0113oCVVXxU8iUISBESLpkpEf6viug8YgH2S4dsHrtE0B2GmhFAvIZZiF1AqYA/s320/TrumpRape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Why do so few people seem to know that in 1990, well before the election, Trump's first wife, Ivana, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-ivana-trump-divorce-papers-battle-lawsuit-rape-allegation-marriage-settlement-private-a7294071.html">also accused of him raping her</a>, but then modified the statement as part of the divorce settlement? Or that Trump's lawyer's response was, "<a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/the-violence-of-donald-trump-w444012">You can't rape your spouse</a>?" Or that in <a href="http://www.vocativ.com/215942/these-13-states-still-make-exceptions-for-marital-rape/">13 states, this is actually a true statement</a>?<br />
<br />
More important, why are so few people willing to rally around victims of sexual assault? <b>Why does it have to happen to YOUR mother, sister, daughter, niece, friend, etc., before it's an outrage... or even before it's the truth?</b><br />
<br />
If women have to wait until they're part of your inner circle before you're willing to show support and solidarity, then there's no hope for justice.<br />
<br />
But we wonder why the accusers don't come forward right away.<br />
<br />
Wake up, people. Women are not carrying mace or taking self-defense classes for protection against one another. We're not constantly looking over our shoulders or guarding our drinks because we're afraid of what another woman might do to us.<br />
<br />
And so, to the people who acted horrified and incensed over my cousin's harassment, and to those who would be outraged and incensed if it happened to one of your own, <i>BUT AWARDED YOUR VOTE TO A MAN WHO ADMITTED DOING TO OTHER WOMEN WHAT HAD BEEN DONE TO HER</i>, <b>these women marched against your hypocrisy</b>.<br />
<br />
Your Facebook comments say, <i>He had no right</i>.<br />
Your support of Donald Trump says, <i>He had every right</i>.<br />
<br />
This. This is why women (and children and men) marched.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHENoeJTLqnu_JUeTCmd3A6XKsLWiQoPj5RNNdn1dUhJ5nkjVI3SJDuBAHnjfi4jzxzcSy6kO6YCDJpAnWB2rBqV9mZF3BvFMnSvD2Ds5fEWK7S65C21J31xtKREGyTMjXUm1Bm8Pzv4/s1600/WomensMarchNoella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHENoeJTLqnu_JUeTCmd3A6XKsLWiQoPj5RNNdn1dUhJ5nkjVI3SJDuBAHnjfi4jzxzcSy6kO6YCDJpAnWB2rBqV9mZF3BvFMnSvD2Ds5fEWK7S65C21J31xtKREGyTMjXUm1Bm8Pzv4/s400/WomensMarchNoella.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: N. Natalino</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Because, as <a href="https://medium.com/@dinachka82/about-your-poem-1f26a7585a6f#.b64v7287i">this article</a> so eloquently points out, women are still not equal to men.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpWr6jsYIzOxroDnIUCW7zEDXHzhOVConeQZWxVEM84B2fabnniYXjG_xu2LJM4pOw1cNIipEoMRmuku2COUDuVqnIDqTx5uiXrwM_fhW48OS4axes_X5dvoIJ0tRaFp_xVgAPeEyvi0/s1600/WomensMarchKelly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpWr6jsYIzOxroDnIUCW7zEDXHzhOVConeQZWxVEM84B2fabnniYXjG_xu2LJM4pOw1cNIipEoMRmuku2COUDuVqnIDqTx5uiXrwM_fhW48OS4axes_X5dvoIJ0tRaFp_xVgAPeEyvi0/s400/WomensMarchKelly.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: K. Broderick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Because every right we take for granted was given to us by women who fought their asses off for it, including the right to vote.</b> And even so, we still live in a country that worships rich white men. Where they are not only excused, but rewarded for behaving like scum bags. Where they can mock the disabled, monger fear against entire races and religions, publicly <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/08/08/losers-a-list-by-donald-trump/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.bcf41590e9c2">call women fat, ugly, pigs, </a><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/08/08/keeping-them-honest.cnn">dogs, bimbos, pieces of ass</a>, etc., and it's not even close to a deal breaker. Where people find it easier to blame victims than stand behind them.<br />
<br />
Because people who claim to care about the women in their lives see the things that Donald Trump has said and done and still refuse to say HE HAD NO RIGHT, HE HAS NO RIGHT, HE WILL NEVER HAVE THE RIGHT.<br />
<br />
<b>These women marched in order to say it for you. You're welcome.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cl9gsHTOtY1rXeQqlrtO-EdqmM6o2NuJwzeC3CVgUJ7v9N5zDvXmk-9Q88YNXS-99X8tlpuKlombDr-C44BK4AjO_LjRDkmb6kvahJV-sGW1MPu-7TToWAzBxBouU8niB4Qzhvm8ZoU/s1600/POWomensMarch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cl9gsHTOtY1rXeQqlrtO-EdqmM6o2NuJwzeC3CVgUJ7v9N5zDvXmk-9Q88YNXS-99X8tlpuKlombDr-C44BK4AjO_LjRDkmb6kvahJV-sGW1MPu-7TToWAzBxBouU8niB4Qzhvm8ZoU/s320/POWomensMarch2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: P. Osborn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdw1g6Q12aHTLK-OaCxWsbkRUbENF318ffMtJCvmRKc6lmXjSBZit1d5XgZpSvaz1RAfpsgtaXD1fLkD-2HS26HlSk_9Y461gi2hmwMl_fxZxSBXngj8DTYEPWKqdu6I8oXa5u0QmEbQ/s1600/POWomensMarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbdw1g6Q12aHTLK-OaCxWsbkRUbENF318ffMtJCvmRKc6lmXjSBZit1d5XgZpSvaz1RAfpsgtaXD1fLkD-2HS26HlSk_9Y461gi2hmwMl_fxZxSBXngj8DTYEPWKqdu6I8oXa5u0QmEbQ/s320/POWomensMarch.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: P. Osborn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"BUT!" some will say. "Donald Trump is a Christian man, fighting for the rights of unborn babies!"<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmcwnwkmV_Ba-oV5BScCpRLB9s1DBCHg8Q1VvsNQVUJ9SxKx5o0wy0DVen73xLWZ0g7y1My83K9cE-KSNcIDeO_gGV3T2D5nbINgn2j-TO8RUupQCn-OPl5l8ktiFEBNB6zX5Eo4uUNA/s1600/Ellen.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmcwnwkmV_Ba-oV5BScCpRLB9s1DBCHg8Q1VvsNQVUJ9SxKx5o0wy0DVen73xLWZ0g7y1My83K9cE-KSNcIDeO_gGV3T2D5nbINgn2j-TO8RUupQCn-OPl5l8ktiFEBNB6zX5Eo4uUNA/s320/Ellen.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
How anyone believes that a man who referred to breastfeeding as "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P9RCPinf5o">disgusting</a>," and children as "<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-2004-pregnancy-inconvenience-employers-n580366">an inconvenience to employers</a>" really gives a shit about the "rights" of unborn babies is beyond me.<br />
<br />
Let's pretend for a minute that he does. <b>Let's also <i>stop</i> pretending that all unplanned pregnancies are results of willful, irresponsible, <i>consensual</i> acts of debauchery.</b><br />
<br />
Let's instead say that one of these men, who, like Trump, believes women are theirs for the taking, rapes your (<i>insert daughter, niece, sister, wife, friend</i>, here). And it results in her becoming pregnant.<br />
<br />
How do you tell a female you claim to love, a female who's probably grown up hearing that she needs to respect her body, that it's her obligation to carry and bear a constant physical reminder of the day someone else <i>dis</i>respected it? That allowing her body to heal from the attack she never asked for (no matter what anyone else says), is secondary to the "rights" of the cluster of cells growing inside it? That she's supposed to see this as a gift? A "miracle?" What if she's a minor? What if he infected her with a sexually transmitted disease, that can potentially be passed down to the fetus? What if she's already married, with other children? How does she explain to them that they need to live with a daily memento of why women like their mom need to be scared ALL. THE. TIME?<br />
<br />
<b>These women marched because the only person with the right to make that call is the person in that situation.</b> And it's sure as hell never going to be Donald Trump, or any other man in Congress, who will never walk one step in a woman's shoes.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62oUTMfMFDSasokdZ-8TopclpWkHvFOsb1WXyWEJTMRVYMvAw1Ber_bkkQQSUJfc7p2eNf7-6FM81f_yxYg-UgefJ6K_DUydJom0mjQBngZuP09t4yrGmN9twIn09X6-IFN24JNAjb2s/s1600/WomensMarch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62oUTMfMFDSasokdZ-8TopclpWkHvFOsb1WXyWEJTMRVYMvAw1Ber_bkkQQSUJfc7p2eNf7-6FM81f_yxYg-UgefJ6K_DUydJom0mjQBngZuP09t4yrGmN9twIn09X6-IFN24JNAjb2s/s400/WomensMarch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: NYMag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So for those of you fist-pumping over Trump's determination to de-fund "baby killing" establishments like Planned Parenthood, here's a newsflash: <b>Some PP facilities don't even perform abortions.</b><br />
<br />
But they *will* perform cancer screenings, pap smears, and other life-saving procedures for women who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Like my best friend, who was sent to Planned Parenthood when the emergency room brushed off her abdominal pain as menstrual upon finding out she did not have health insurance. It was PP that performed an ultrasound and sent her back to the ER. Her "menstrual problems?" Turned out to be a blood clot the size of a quarter in her abdomen.<br />
<br />
<b>And so, these women are marching because they understand that <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_oUddaYx_w">Planned Parenthood is in the business of saving lives, not ending them</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9ukPikrXDSQMGOnqqfr6DYCPPIVZonlcQjmEuGxj8vLfVXotKixb5lLhmqGsyHlPnpNCUz0HSZEjOJpZ2XKCslNEEWSXSd9v95mLnELxcreB96kK5mmpMZWMsmqG_Zk7I26RQdE7pFo/s1600/PP.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn9ukPikrXDSQMGOnqqfr6DYCPPIVZonlcQjmEuGxj8vLfVXotKixb5lLhmqGsyHlPnpNCUz0HSZEjOJpZ2XKCslNEEWSXSd9v95mLnELxcreB96kK5mmpMZWMsmqG_Zk7I26RQdE7pFo/s320/PP.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvgijVMfiS4AyDQz2uZqJI0biJAAr8JZ9Axn15GgLynukKb5Cr6pn981TM49yqhFjDPcQxzZS5EyuR9I_8wmFfmiH7iudboHqwremAt8OLZQZJcliIene0NvHEJkyx3lVNqKZO3afGQM/s1600/WomensMarchGinny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvgijVMfiS4AyDQz2uZqJI0biJAAr8JZ9Axn15GgLynukKb5Cr6pn981TM49yqhFjDPcQxzZS5EyuR9I_8wmFfmiH7iudboHqwremAt8OLZQZJcliIene0NvHEJkyx3lVNqKZO3afGQM/s320/WomensMarchGinny.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Twitter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are so many other reasons that these women gathered to march. And despite popular belief, <b>not one of those reasons is because women want Donald Trump to fail as president.</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheVuyTyCZ8yOuo2_x7s-zP590JexozYqgCfboevxmuJGGcCNPb2SNHldRr75y6fBNxwBuFessoJX0mCnPF0zcBqxhyphenhyphenbbW-xnRRih2SRk8hUwVsKJCleoE4eODEFbCnpDVB-Mjc8qlKcE/s1600/TRumpFail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheVuyTyCZ8yOuo2_x7s-zP590JexozYqgCfboevxmuJGGcCNPb2SNHldRr75y6fBNxwBuFessoJX0mCnPF0zcBqxhyphenhyphenbbW-xnRRih2SRk8hUwVsKJCleoE4eODEFbCnpDVB-Mjc8qlKcE/s320/TRumpFail.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I haven't seen a single picture of a woman holding a sign that says, "FAIL, MOTHERF***ER!" And that's because women want the exact opposite. We want him to prove that he cares about us. We want him to prove that we've been heard. We want him to acknowledge that we're people, not objects - no matter what our race, or religion, or sexual orientation. Regardless of disability or how we look, what color our skin is, or how we govern our bodies.<br />
<br />
<b>These women marched because they *don't* want Donald Trump to fail us. They want him to make up for <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/donald-trump-sexism-tracker-every-offensive-comment-in-one-place/">all the ways in which he already has</a>.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeGy1E6Jp1MSC2lb7xiGAOfVktd4koRk33vSKWPMZhMtslmPlw-FkEc8L4kgXVMSeeijzFJta4OYTAIxfwIjcB-BOdStPAP4MWGy0OW2VXWpEkSMWhZIhGQOwQ_KObDSMeF_ZJPXiQt4/s1600/12105.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHeGy1E6Jp1MSC2lb7xiGAOfVktd4koRk33vSKWPMZhMtslmPlw-FkEc8L4kgXVMSeeijzFJta4OYTAIxfwIjcB-BOdStPAP4MWGy0OW2VXWpEkSMWhZIhGQOwQ_KObDSMeF_ZJPXiQt4/s320/12105.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: I.M. Calovine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-24243763417307213192016-09-27T11:29:00.000-04:002016-09-27T11:29:12.368-04:00Kickass Queries Series! #13 - Greg Andree<br />
Happy Autumn, everyone!<br />
<br />
With the new season comes a new installment of the Kickass Queries Series, this time featuring <a href="https://twitter.com/GregAndree71">Greg Andree</a> and his query for INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM, which nabbed him representation from <a href="https://twitter.com/caitief">Caitie Flum</a> at <a href="http://www.lizadawsonassociates.com/">Liza Dawson Associates</a>.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYvdbTR_V7R81SYNa-tiASVIsCx96z3dBgW1js2jW1h5oRli8oEvhLwqhlzjjL7LF_cy-PFbV3CQs__WA_-pY7-gy61XHmzBXJCoSNXTPxEfHNCaLRmkwddgwp1FmfAIpktTJ4-uLC3g/s1600/AndreeAuthorPhoto2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbYvdbTR_V7R81SYNa-tiASVIsCx96z3dBgW1js2jW1h5oRli8oEvhLwqhlzjjL7LF_cy-PFbV3CQs__WA_-pY7-gy61XHmzBXJCoSNXTPxEfHNCaLRmkwddgwp1FmfAIpktTJ4-uLC3g/s320/AndreeAuthorPhoto2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">THE QUERY:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Dear Ms.
Flum,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>I am seeking
representation for my contemporary YA novel THE INCONCEIVABLE SCOTT WISDOM. I’m
querying you because when tweeting about Supergirl, John Oliver, and other
topics I can see your sense of story, politics, and humor are very similar to
mine. I think you’ll particularly like Izzy Kim, one of my main characters.
She’s smart, funny, and always calls people on their nonsense. I hope you’ll see yourself as a good fit for
this project.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Scott
Fischer is the chosen one. He will take on the mantle of Wisdom and . . . write
an advice column.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Words
of Wisdom</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> has been a
part of Prince Henry High School’s newspaper for over one hundred years, and
for unknown reasons Scott has been chosen to carry on the tradition. He isn’t
the best writer, student, or anything else, but he's determined to breathe new
life into this assignment. Though how can Scott give other people advice when
his own life is so broken? <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Yura
"Izzy" Kim is a force of chaos who inserts herself into Scott’s life.
She is a feminist that loves to play with surrealism in her art. She has plans
within plans for Wisdom, Scott, and the school that will be an artistic
masterpiece. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Oh yeah, and
Dennis, the guy from homeroom? He's formed a cult based on Scott's Words of
Wisdom, and Principal Lewis is not a fan.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>While
writing his column and trying to maintain a secret identity Scott stumbles into
friendships, trouble, and cosmic contemplations on the meanings of life, love,
tattoos, and why some people can’t bring themselves to take down decorations
from holidays long past. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Can Scott
find a way to fix what’s broken inside of him, or will he lose everything to
the grief that fractured his family?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">THE INCONCEIVABLE SCOTT WISDOM </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">is 83k words, and feels like a
collision of A.S. King’s Everybody Sees
the Ants, E. Lockhart’s The
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, and the classic teen
rebellion movie Pump Up The Volume.
It plays with ideas of how art
and words can create meaning out of chaos, be misinterpreted, or remain
inconceivable to people who don't share your experiences. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>I have a BA
in Literature, an MA in writing, and teach 8<sup>th</sup> graders about all
that fun stuff. Working with teenagers is a constant reminder of how awkward, horrible,
fun, and overwhelming their lives can be, which keeps my writing reality-based,
and mostly nostalgia free.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>I appreciate your
time and consideration.</i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">THE INTERVIEW</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">GMC: How
many manuscripts did you query before signing with your agent?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>GA:</b> I’d written five manuscripts and queried two before writing
INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM and signing with Caitie Flum at Liza Dawson Associates. One
was weirdly experimental that told the evolution of a world religion that
formed on the foundation of an advice column after the column’s writer
mysteriously vanished. The body of the book was the advice column itself, and I
showed the evolution of the religion’s traditions, sects, and such in footnotes
and scholarly essays. I thought it was brilliant. It was not brilliant. Agents didn’t’
know what to make of it, never mind how to place it. It deserved every
rejection in the universe and more, but it was my first “book” and without it I
never could have written the manuscript that connected me with my agent. Each
epic failure in writing was a step closer to me learning how to write a solid
book. Not one of those manuscripts was a waste of time. They were lessons in
concept, story, and character, but most importantly each was an exercise in how
to actually finish a manuscript.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">GMC: How long did it take
to write your query, and what things/steps do you think were most
important to make it agent-ready?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>GA:</b> While I was doing my final revision before querying I wrote and rewrote
my query letter at least ten times. Added a detail, cut a line, changed the
wording of something to make it click. When it was done I tightened it up by
cutting a quarter of the word count. Once I had the description of the story I
switched focus to the agents I knew I’d be submitting to. Every night for a
week I’d write a personalized opening for each query. In each I explained why I
chose that agent to query, specifics about my story that connected to their
#MSWL, their clients I read, or something they tweeted about a book or movie
that made me think they’d like my manuscript. Sometimes I’d spend an hour
trying to craft that perfect personalized line. I wanted them to understand I
thought deeply about querying them. I wasn’t just throwing this into the crowd
and hoping for the best.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">GMC: Tell
us about your query style – do you approach your entire list of prospectives at
once, or query in small batches and revise in between?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>GA:</b> Over a week, as I perfected each personalized query I’d send them out.
Two days after I sent the first few I got requests from two agents to read my
full, and over the next two weeks I got requests for five more. Ten days after
Caitie Flum requested my full manuscript she emailed to set up a phone call.
Terrifying, right?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">GMC: Now the fun part –
what was “the call” like? How did you know your agent was the right
person to represent your project?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>GA:</b> Caitie was kind and insightful about my manuscript. She also said it
wasn’t ready, and told me all the reasons why. That was painful. She asked for
a rewrite/resubmit on the first thirty pages with the changes she thought it
needed. I knew it was a kind of test to see if I could take a critique, and
build on her ideas, but it also made me see that the opening of my ms wasn’t as
strong as the middle and end. I took a couple of weeks, re-read, took notes,
made the changes she wanted, and she was right. She was totally right. When I
talked to her a few days later she offered representation. She saw my story,
understood it, and knew how it could be more. That’s when I knew she was the
right agent for me.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">GMC: If
you could give one piece of advice to authors seeking publication, what would
it be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>GA:</b> So many things in publishing are beyond your control, so control the
things you can. Write the best book you can, then rewrite, revise, and make it
better. Don’t set artificial deadlines. Take the time you need. And when you’re
ready take as much care in querying agents as you did writing your book. You’re
finding someone you can trust with your writing career, a partner in all things
literary, don’t just throw your manuscript into the crowd.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Excellent advice! Thanks so much for sharing this part of your publishing journey with us, Greg, and best of luck finding the right home for INCONCEIVABLE WISDOM. </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>If you'd like to learn more about Greg Andree, you can find him on Twitter (<a href="https://twitter.com/GregAndree71">@GregAndree71</a>) or on his website (</b></span><a href="http://www.andreeinstitute.com/">www.AndreeInstitute.com</a>). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-87355620244700376332016-07-12T09:00:00.000-04:002016-07-12T09:00:24.309-04:00Kickass Queries Series! # 12 - Emily R. KingIt's baaaaaaaaack!!!<br />
<br />
I know it's been a very long time since I've been active on this blog, and for an almost equally long time, I've wanted to change that. As a result, I've decided to bring back the Kickass Queries Series installments, wherein authors share the query that nabbed them their agents. It's fun, it's useful, and y'all seemed to really appreciate the last go-round, so it felt like the perfect way to ease back into the blogosphere.<br />
<br />
Here today to kick off the brand new series is <a href="https://twitter.com/Emily_R_King">Emily R. King</a>, who not only scored representation with <a href="https://twitter.com/MarleneStringer">Marlene Stringer</a> at <a href="http://www.stringerlit.com/">Stringer Literary Agency</a>, but also recently sold her book to Skyscape for Publication in 2017:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YDn8_tzoxO1rv96l2IzbUItGqAQuW19hyphenhyphen9v63zAsnXIdy7ECzYjtawlisivQbXi2rdAIun8Uw__UMLVjA29j3fI3CYJs_aFDwPg_2xt1plpO3yWGIOfb7MFNR-I-zzrX7ighsrGk298/s1600/PM+Book+Deal+Announcment_Emily+R.+King.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YDn8_tzoxO1rv96l2IzbUItGqAQuW19hyphenhyphen9v63zAsnXIdy7ECzYjtawlisivQbXi2rdAIun8Uw__UMLVjA29j3fI3CYJs_aFDwPg_2xt1plpO3yWGIOfb7MFNR-I-zzrX7ighsrGk298/s400/PM+Book+Deal+Announcment_Emily+R.+King.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYoiz9NsRXJfCkCANcc4uZ7nxaHZvza1Uz_7FfDvI0W4cNSDyaojJ-ZOI5BlbK-ck2a5SEobPdxcxF7F8Xw79ExEcT_s3huwNKD85NGSyk3B5PdJ2sIFXo0qZr-BY4s9bge0fabWA3JE/s1600/Celebration.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYoiz9NsRXJfCkCANcc4uZ7nxaHZvza1Uz_7FfDvI0W4cNSDyaojJ-ZOI5BlbK-ck2a5SEobPdxcxF7F8Xw79ExEcT_s3huwNKD85NGSyk3B5PdJ2sIFXo0qZr-BY4s9bge0fabWA3JE/s1600/Celebration.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> CONGRATULATIONS, EMILY!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Curious to know how Emily went about pitching her book? Well, you're in luck. Because not only has she shared the query, but she's also answered a few questions to help those who want to follow in her footsteps. Let's start with the query:<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pitch
for YA fantasy, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30811001-the-hundredth-queen?from_search=true">THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN</a>:<span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rajah Tarek claimed ninety-nine wives and countless
courtesans before he came to Kali’s temple looking for his final queen. When
she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. She knows he
will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. And she knows with her plain looks and
history of fevers it won’t be her.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>She is mistaken. </i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her
simple life high in the mountains to his desert palace. But before she’s to wed
him, Kali must defend her position as his final wife in an age-old rank
tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans vying for her
throne. In this competitive female hierarchy, sabotage rules. Kali’s only peace
is found while in the company of her kind imperial guard. A man she’s forbidden
to love.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>When Kali’s fevers
prove to be more than an illness, but a feared power, she agrees to aid a
warlord and end the rajah’s tyranny. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah
Tarek—and killing him—is on their wedding night. A wedding that will only take
place if she sacrifices the love of an honorable man to end the reign of a
monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.</i></span></span><br />
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h1 pg-1y0 pg-1ff1 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 708.8px; font-family: pg-1ff11; font-size: 48px; height: 32.53125px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.893555; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
Pitch for <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>Y<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>fantasy<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> TH<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>E HUNDREDTH QUEEN:</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y1 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 685.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>arek c<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>laimed ninet<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> temple</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y2 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 671px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y3 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 656.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>nd she knows with<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her plain looks and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y4 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 641.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
history of fevers it won’t be her<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y5 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 618.3px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She is mistaken. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y6 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 595.4px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y7 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 580.5px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
palace. But before she’s<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> to wed him, Kali must defend<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her position as his final wife in an age-old</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y8 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 565.6px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans v<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>yi<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>ng for her throne. In this </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y9 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 550.7px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
competitive female hierarchy<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> sabotage rules. Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s only peace is found while in the company of</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ya pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 535.8px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
her kind imperial guard. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>man she’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> forbidden to love.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yb pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 512.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
When Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> power<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>, she agrees to aid a </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yc pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 498px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
warlord and end the rajah’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> t<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rann<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>a<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rek—and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yd pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 483.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
killing him—is on their wedding night. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ye pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 468.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen</div>
<br />
<b>WOW, am I right? And here's what Emily had to say about her querying process:</b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ3KisNtv7TIyrxOvDe1QQV3A6SvocD6n-8u6x593ErtqZev87gQiRKcdwaJ-s4xeMWvQ_oKAfVqekZM_GWjKiQZb74c5FOQAO5OVD8y22-iSCu47rvqkRhXu_Wd46p_0USA2UjyPFFA/s1600/Emily+R.+King_Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiJ3KisNtv7TIyrxOvDe1QQV3A6SvocD6n-8u6x593ErtqZev87gQiRKcdwaJ-s4xeMWvQ_oKAfVqekZM_GWjKiQZb74c5FOQAO5OVD8y22-iSCu47rvqkRhXu_Wd46p_0USA2UjyPFFA/s320/Emily+R.+King_Photo.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G: How
many manuscripts did you query prior to signing with your agent/publisher?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>ERK:</b> I queried four
manuscripts before signing with my first agent; I signed with my second agent
after querying one manuscript; and I was on submission with two manuscripts
before signing with my publisher.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G: How
long did it take to write your query/pitch, and what things/steps do you think
were most important to make it agent/editor/contest-ready?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>ERK:</b> I suggest that
writers compose their pitch before they draft. A pitch is a snapshot of the
premise. The more specific yet concise a pitch is the stronger the manuscript
will be. This is why I write the pitch before or while drafting. Catching a
weak spot in my pitch has prevented larger revisions in my manuscript later.
Also, writing a pitch while drafting helps fine-tune your story before your
brain is bogged down by unnecessary details. After your manuscript is written,
it can be a monumental task to condense thousands of words into an enticing
250-word pitch. In the drafting stage, the story isn’t as ingrained in your
mind. You can more easily filter through what’s necessary and what’s clutter. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G: Tell
us about your query style – do you approach your entire list of prospectives at
once, or query in small batches and revise in between?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ERK:</b> First: Research, research, research! Utilize websites,
social media, and your writer/author friends. Follow agents and editors on
social media and introduce yourself to them at writer conferences. Visit literary
agency/agent websites. Know who is currently open to submissions, what their
guidelines are, and their feedback style. Write down everything you learn and form
lists of ten or so agents. When your manuscript is ready, send the first ten
queries. After a few requests/passes, send another ten queries. Query in small batches
so that if you receive feedback for revisions you haven’t botched your
opportunity with every agent in the land. Most agents are amenable to
revisions, but only if they request them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">A query is your one
shot to make a good first impression. So have a finished manuscript, study the
agents you query, and be ready with another story to work on. Don’t wait for
good fortune to come your way. Write. This will be hard, especially when you’re
tempted to check your email constantly, but writing is the only true cure for
querying anxiety. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G: Now
the fun part – what was “the call” like? How did you know your agent/editor was
the right person to represent/publish your project?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>ERK:</b> Querying is like dating. Don’t look for a girlfriend/boyfriend,
look for a spouse. For many reasons these agent/client partnerships, although
well-intended, don’t always work out. Suffice to say, a year after signing with
my first agent, we amicably parted ways. I reentered the query trenches with a
manuscript no editor or agent had seen. Within a week, I got an offer from an
agent who shared the same vision for my career. I had found my match.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">This story has a
happy ending, but some writers are still looking for theirs. I’ve been
approached by writers who are unhappy with their agent, but terrified to “start
over.” No writer should stay in a stagnant business partnership, risking their
career because they’re afraid of querying again. To those of you in this
situation—have every confidence in your writing. An agent offered you
representation before and it can happen again!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">G: If
you could give one piece of advice to authors seeking publication, what would
it be?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>ERK:</b> No matter where you
are in your career, you are not alone. Every writer experiences rejection,
disappointment, frustration, and makes missteps. If you love to write— and I
mean LOVE—you will find a way to achieve your publishing goals.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 17.1200008392334px;"><b>Thank you, Emily, for your fantastic advice. I know I can't wait to see <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30811001-the-hundredth-queen?from_search=true">THE HUNDREDTH QUEEN</a> on shelves (and anyone who feels the same can click the book's title and add it to their Goodreads shelf). Best of luck and thanks again for sharing your query! </b></span></span><br />
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y1 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 685.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>arek c<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>laimed ninet<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> temple</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y2 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 671px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y3 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 656.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>nd she knows with<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her plain looks and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y4 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 641.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
history of fevers it won’t be her<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y5 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 618.3px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She is mistaken. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y6 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 595.4px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y7 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 580.5px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
palace. But before she’s<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> to wed him, Kali must defend<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her position as his final wife in an age-old</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y8 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 565.6px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans v<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>yi<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>ng for her throne. In this </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y9 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 550.7px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
competitive female hierarchy<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> sabotage rules. Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s only peace is found while in the company of</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ya pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 535.8px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
her kind imperial guard. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>man she’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> forbidden to love.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yb pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 512.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
When Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> power<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>, she agrees to aid a </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yc pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 498px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
warlord and end the rajah’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> t<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rann<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>a<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rek—and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yd pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 483.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
killing him—is on their wedding night. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ye pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 468.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y1 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 685.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>arek c<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>laimed ninet<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y-nine wives and countless courtesans before he came to Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> temple</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y2 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 671px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
looking for his final queen. When she sees his gold carriage, she knows a benefactor has arrived. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y3 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 656.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She knows he will pick the prettiest, strongest girl. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>nd she knows with<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her plain looks and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y4 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 641.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
history of fevers it won’t be her<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y5 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 618.3px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
She is mistaken. </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y6 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 595.4px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
The rajah claims Kali, ripping her away from her simple life high in the mountains to his desert </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y7 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 580.5px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
palace. But before she’s<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> to wed him, Kali must defend<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> her position as his final wife in an age-old</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y8 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 565.6px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
rank tournament, battling to the death against young courtesans v<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>yi<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>ng for her throne. In this </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1y9 pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 550.7px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
competitive female hierarchy<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>,<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> sabotage rules. Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s only peace is found while in the company of</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ya pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 535.8px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
her kind imperial guard. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>man she’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> forbidden to love.</div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yb pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 512.9px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
When Kali’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> fevers prove to be more than an illness, but a feared<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span> power<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>, she agrees to aid a </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yc pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 498px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
warlord and end the rajah’<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>s<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> t<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rann<span class="_ pg-1_2" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; width: 1.248px; z-index: -1;"></span>y<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>. Her one chance of being alone with Rajah T<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>a<span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>rek—and </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1yd pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 483.1px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
killing him—is on their wedding night. A<span class="_ pg-1_1" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -3.072px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span> <span class="_ pg-1_0" style="color: transparent; display: inline-block; margin-left: -1.488px; position: relative; unicode-bidi: bidi-override; z-index: -1;"></span>wedding that will only take place if she sacrifices the </div>
<div class="t pg-1m0 pg-1x0 pg-1h2 pg-1ye pg-1ff2 pg-1fs0 pg-1fc0 pg-1sc0 pg-1ls0 pg-1ws0" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: transparent; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0.015em; -webkit-transform-origin: 0px 100%; -webkit-transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); background-color: white; bottom: 468.2px; font-family: pg-1ffc; font-size: 48px; height: 33.351562px; left: 72.1px; line-height: 0.910645; position: absolute; text-shadow: none; transform-origin: 0px 100% 0px; transform: matrix(0.25, 0, 0, 0.25, 0, 0); unicode-bidi: bidi-override; visibility: visible; white-space: pre;">
love of an honorable man to end the reign of a monster and is crowned the hundredth queen.</div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-83781972700777822532015-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:002015-12-18T11:18:37.992-05:00Deja vu Blogfest - Why I Write Teens Who Act Like Teens<br />
<b>Happy <a href="http://www.dlhammons.com/2015/12/the-deja-vu-blogfest-2015.html">Deja vu Blogfest</a> Weekend!</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>The post I've chosen to rehash for #dejavu2015 was originally posted in February, and is called An Open Letter to My Readers: Why I Write Teens Who Act Like Teens.</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>It's an honest, heartfelt post that rings true about my published novel (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Years-Mistake-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432230/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450235221&sr=8-1&keywords=last+year%27s+mistake">LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a>) as well as my unpublished and soon-to-be-published books (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21825764-busted?from_search=true&search_version=service">BUSTED</a>, coming from Sourcebooks, and a second YA contemporary from Simon Pulse). How do *you* feel about the depiction of teens in YA novels?</b><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This post has been brewing for some time, but now that there are ARCs of LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE out in the world, a story that I'm very attached to and very proud of, I feel the need to finally say this out loud.</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj5XUH4WB6Icsqj7mGlTL_CxFTiCa-BsZYFSfkB8AnuQ9hjofW2HS_uHYGAKVfLkKrn7R2eEbN2FYUN-UrG1g_dkOFww5O2I-9dfQNkTHHT4n8N56ffO5JgGLMJryhhOoBhqD5v5SU4c/s1600/LYMALA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaj5XUH4WB6Icsqj7mGlTL_CxFTiCa-BsZYFSfkB8AnuQ9hjofW2HS_uHYGAKVfLkKrn7R2eEbN2FYUN-UrG1g_dkOFww5O2I-9dfQNkTHHT4n8N56ffO5JgGLMJryhhOoBhqD5v5SU4c/s1600/LYMALA.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! A stack of LYM ARCs as seen in Chicago<br />
at the ALA 2015 Mid-Winter Conference!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Let me start by saying this: I don't just write about teenagers. I also write for them.<br />
<br />
Yes, I'm an adult who devours YA novels. Yes, I know a large percentage of the people who read YA novels are actually adults. But when I sit down to pour a story from my brain to the page, I'm not thinking about the other adults who will read it.<br />
<br />
I bring this up because, as someone who does read a lot of YA, I also read a lot of reviews, blog posts, and tweets about YA novels.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">And it's become increasingly bothersome to me that there are so many people who choose to read books about teenagers... and then complain when the characters act like teenagers.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOT6T63kNrXtTILpuIC0XXIAqakgf1YrKwdi5_flcf1nw3TXREiI_pQkY1vLNJnE5Hlusp5UJQThFUb0KGQiTsetJ0hXQgB81tRSSonFLio4mmEMidrn3o4kB0w2gL4Wtzfl5JtSFLGQ/s1600/Heathers.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOT6T63kNrXtTILpuIC0XXIAqakgf1YrKwdi5_flcf1nw3TXREiI_pQkY1vLNJnE5Hlusp5UJQThFUb0KGQiTsetJ0hXQgB81tRSSonFLio4mmEMidrn3o4kB0w2gL4Wtzfl5JtSFLGQ/s1600/Heathers.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: movie-addicted</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When I decided to write a novel set in high school, I wanted to draw on my own experience. In doing so:<br />
<br />
I'm thinking about a girl who experienced total culture shock going from <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2011/05/why-querying-is-like-high-school-all.html">8 years of city Catholic school</a> to a public high school in a swanky small town where she didn't fit in. I'm recalling the cliques, the jocks, the "popular" kids and the "losers," - things that many are so quick to deem stereotypes, even though they existed and still do. I'm recalling the pain of being teased and called names. I'm thinking about how one look from a particular person could make my day. Or the way it would crush me when the one person I wished and hoped would notice me never even knew I was alive.<br />
<br />
I'm remembering falling in love for the first time.<br />
<br />
I'm thinking about new friendships being formed, old friendships falling apart.<br />
<br />
About words I wish I'd said, words I wish I could take back.<br />
<br />
I'm remembering having my heart broken.<br />
<br />
In short, I'm thinking about the me that I used to be. And I'm thinking about the girls who are in high school now, living through all of it for the first time.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
***</div>
<br />
When I was a teenager, one of my favorite shows was My So-Called Life. There's a Twitter account, <a href="https://twitter.com/MSCLquotes">@MSCLQuotes</a>, that tweets some of the shows best quotes. Like this one: <br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>"Huge events take place on this earth every day. Earthquakes, hurricanes. Even glaciers move. So why couldn't he just look at me?"</i></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTvTES8jydUwh6Pen_o3W0u9U5w_CqziFQHHPtSTt0VnUOWBcJ565oYp8AV26s2Q44_np5CYOLzxNTBSBT3pyjbdZ-c7277hfyqweEz8utAN3OkrLHie0aQz4eZRbyltwZEAdJd0oJBs/s1600/Jordan+Catalano.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiTvTES8jydUwh6Pen_o3W0u9U5w_CqziFQHHPtSTt0VnUOWBcJ565oYp8AV26s2Q44_np5CYOLzxNTBSBT3pyjbdZ-c7277hfyqweEz8utAN3OkrLHie0aQz4eZRbyltwZEAdJd0oJBs/s1600/Jordan+Catalano.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: towonderland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To me, this quote is the embodiment of a high school crush. Angsty, dramatic, all-consuming. She takes something commonplace, and puts it on the same level as something huge.<br />
<br />
I would've fainted on the spot if Jared Leto looked at me like that when I was a teenager, and I'm only exaggerating a little.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Because when you're a teenager, you tend to feel everything, as Kelsey says in LYM, magnified in clear, sharp focus. (I touched on this subject once before, in a post titled <a href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-big-impact-of-smaller-things.html">The Big Impact of Smaller Things</a>)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb2_N3dpbNyycF0AE0k6HiOYACnurZlatdfQ5jTIItXlupsQ7MwNyC-8Vi10K6ufW2KWP3Q1KZvyDYsc2oKXC61uK6OwYloaVTU5JJywxthENdkNkdlrgXKZIXSN1BOsFusv-BY02Zoc/s1600/Angela.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAb2_N3dpbNyycF0AE0k6HiOYACnurZlatdfQ5jTIItXlupsQ7MwNyC-8Vi10K6ufW2KWP3Q1KZvyDYsc2oKXC61uK6OwYloaVTU5JJywxthENdkNkdlrgXKZIXSN1BOsFusv-BY02Zoc/s1600/Angela.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
And it's natural that when you're driven by hormones and emotion, you're not always thinking straight. You tend to do and say stupid things. Make decisions you wouldn't necessarily make again. Let your passion get the better of you. Break the rules, or at least wonder what it's like to. Feel like you know everything and absolutely nothing, all at the same time. Test your limits. Cry. Say things you don't mean. Say things you *do* mean, but still regret. Try things you end up loving. Try things you end up hating. Pretend to love things you don't. Experiment with your appearance, among other things. Make snap judgments. Fall hard and fast. Get hurt.<br />
<br />
Most important? <b>YOU LEARN FROM ALL OF IT</b>. Because you're figuring out who you are.<br />
<br />
Later on, it might all seem silly. But in that moment, it's everything.<br />
<br />
These are the things I strive to capture when I write a young adult book. So it boggles my mind when I see people citing immaturity or melodrama or "dumb teenage stuff" as the reason they didn't like a YA novel.<br />
<br />
<b>These are, by definition, books about teenagers. YOUNG adults, not actual adults.</b> People who don't yet know that hindsight is twenty-twenty, because they're just learning how to adjust rear view mirrors - not analyzing their lives through them.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">So, to me, reading a YA novel and then trashing it when the characters act their age is like ordering a banana milkshake and complaining that it tastes like banana.</span></i><br />
<br />
If there are people out there who managed to get through high school avoiding all the drama, who were treated fairly by all and were a ray of sunshine to everyone in return, who never made a bad choice or let emotions or inexperience get the better of them, then I applaud you. Everyone has their own reality.<br />
<br />
But that's not the high school I remember.<br />
<br />
And so, dear readers and critics who've either read or are thinking about reading my novels, I sum up my post with this:<br />
<br />
If you are looking for books about people who always make the best decisions, featuring sage adult brains in teenage bodies and teenage bodies in adult predicaments, then my novels are probably not for you. My characters are flawed, they make mistakes, they feel things with their whole, bleeding hearts. And I like them that way. <b>I celebrate the "young" in "young adult."</b> Many of my favorite authors do the same. And I think that if my novels make you feel something - even if it's annoyance at people who don't have it all figured out - then it means I've done something right.<br />
<br />
If you agree, then I encourage you to read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Years-Mistake-Gina-Ciocca/dp/1481432230">LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE</a>. Review it. Share your thoughts with me. I'd love to hear from you. To those who already have - thank you, from the bottom of my still-seventeen heart.<br />
<br />
Happy reading, everyone.<br />
<br />Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-40189512531959987032015-11-19T22:48:00.000-05:002015-12-09T19:49:13.444-05:00In Which I Have NEWS! ...And Celebrate With a Giveaway!<br />
Hey, bloggy peeps!<br />
<br />
It's been over a month since I've posted anything, and a good part of the reason for that is because I've been hard at work on my second book for Simon Pulse.<br />
<br />
But while I was sitting in my office watching my word count on that manuscript slowly (PAINFULLY slowly) climb, something pretty awesome happened...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">.... I SOLD ANOTHER BOOK!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8gofVnpBtEdOvn_IqURcvAi0XjpIPa6GfRITrI3E90_Big29O16LuEA2yrIjqVF9Gp83-eHEeTcrwOb9nEFaDq5vcXOsBJ6gOW84F89IyejRxEIUfHoVlKm0thOUHBY8-mpZ9hwjYqg/s1600/yippie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8gofVnpBtEdOvn_IqURcvAi0XjpIPa6GfRITrI3E90_Big29O16LuEA2yrIjqVF9Gp83-eHEeTcrwOb9nEFaDq5vcXOsBJ6gOW84F89IyejRxEIUfHoVlKm0thOUHBY8-mpZ9hwjYqg/s1600/yippie.gif" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Yay! My YA Contemporary, BUSTED, has been acquired by <a href="https://twitter.com/annettepollert">Annette Pollert</a> at <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/">Sourcebooks</a>, and I am thrilled.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vvRCEd63KSRK3jZ4z_9QMH-EAGxT2zzar4MCl1aNF7vdLSap4FrvYMlS5Sj-UQfpd2_wwrP7nCVLIg97z6D3T9Veb5ffK3rK3DZT5i2zhoqsgjTESW-zkMarKcC_GcNwAV6dHfdeIr4/s1600/BustedPW.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2vvRCEd63KSRK3jZ4z_9QMH-EAGxT2zzar4MCl1aNF7vdLSap4FrvYMlS5Sj-UQfpd2_wwrP7nCVLIg97z6D3T9Veb5ffK3rK3DZT5i2zhoqsgjTESW-zkMarKcC_GcNwAV6dHfdeIr4/s400/BustedPW.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I started drafting this novel while LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE was on sub, and it was ridiculous amounts of fun to write. I had a big smile on my face when I finished, and I hope you'll feel the same way if you read it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At any rate, I am super grateful to be giving LYM a sibling. So grateful, in fact, that I've decided to run a <b><span style="font-size: large;">Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway</span></b> to celebrate. As you know, reviews are important to authors in so many ways, but I think these graphics break it down best:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLVe61QXypUQIcSWP96u-8PpSmjfH-HS4AILcnCoprI0PcdSxVi4kDQee8de7ohuwWVp3KYVemJQC9EDZ5FK8Bs6Wl5p2nAC-WF92U3rM-KrX7zLFuEF1aDCo27zhToIM0mSvlWHGi8M/s1600/Review+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLVe61QXypUQIcSWP96u-8PpSmjfH-HS4AILcnCoprI0PcdSxVi4kDQee8de7ohuwWVp3KYVemJQC9EDZ5FK8Bs6Wl5p2nAC-WF92U3rM-KrX7zLFuEF1aDCo27zhToIM0mSvlWHGi8M/s400/Review+pic.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuQApdgADi0pDsqICeg_q7Dq3MpZI3_spzgO4CS_SJW6VkOHMaRiKg1PNPuxqu6l16QFklrVIx2CoN5qERUAsyH6X3g0ykh7blWce7nipvi9lAYE7qSqeFZxmUQmxBima-eED5QLcuoI/s1600/Review2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuQApdgADi0pDsqICeg_q7Dq3MpZI3_spzgO4CS_SJW6VkOHMaRiKg1PNPuxqu6l16QFklrVIx2CoN5qERUAsyH6X3g0ykh7blWce7nipvi9lAYE7qSqeFZxmUQmxBima-eED5QLcuoI/s320/Review2.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
So - here are the rules:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>- Between now and 12/9/15</b> (which is LYM's half-birthday) read LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE (if you haven't already). <b>Then post a review on Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble.</b> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>- Leave the link to your review in the comments section of this post. Be sure to also leave your email address or Twitter handle, so I can notify you if you win.</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The review does not have to be long - a few <b>succinct, insightful</b> sentences is fine. And it can definitely be a copied and pasted review that was previously only posted to Goodreads or your blog or website (as long as it's yours. No plagiarizing, obvs.)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>YES - this contest is international! </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<b>**An extra entry will be given to anyone who posts a review AND tweets about the contest. I'll even provide some pre-made tweets to make it easy**</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Loved </span><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23LastYearsMistake" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">#</span>LastYearsMistake</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> by </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/gmc511" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>gmc511</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">? Post a review to celebrate her new deal with </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/SourcebooksFire" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>SourcebooksFire</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> win awesome books! </span><a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;">http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Enter </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/gmc511" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>gmc511</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">'s Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway to win awesome titles from </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/simonteen" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>simonteen</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> and </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/SourcebooksFire" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>SourcebooksFire</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> </span><a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html" role="presentation" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;">http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html</a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I entered </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/gmc511" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>gmc511</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">'s Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway to celebrate her new deal with </span><a class="twitter-atreply pretty-link" href="https://twitter.com/SourcebooksFire" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-decoration: none !important;"><span style="color: #78c1dd;">@</span>SourcebooksFire</a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">! Details here: </span><a class="twitter-timeline-link" href="http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html" role="presentation" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #1f98c7; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; outline: 0px; text-decoration: none !important;">http://writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/11/in-which-i-have-news-and-celebrate-with.html</a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One winner will be announced on the afternoon of <b>Wednesday, December 9th</b>, and will receive:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <b>Any one <a href="http://www.simonandschuster.com/teen">Simon Teen</a> title of your choice</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">- <b>Any one <a href="http://www.sourcebooks.com/store/for-teens/contemporary-teen/">Sourcebooks Fire</a> title of your choice</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Signed LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE swag</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>- Saltwater taffy (in honor of one of my favorite scenes in LYM)</b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks in advance for helping me celebrate, and I can't wait to share BUSTED with you!</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>*** CONGRATS TO NATALIE BLITT, WINNER OF THE CONTEST! The Reviewer Appreciation Giveaway is now closed, but new reviews are ALWAYS appreciated! ***</b></span></span></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-17588318676495971042015-09-10T17:16:00.002-04:002015-09-10T17:16:52.135-04:00 LYM's Homecoming Launch Party!<br />
Hi Everyone,<br />
<br />
My <a href="http://www.writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/07/saying-goodbye.html">last post </a>talked about my July trip to Connecticut, and the death of my grandmother. It was a bittersweet thing to write, and I've been meaning to post a happier follow up, because the trip did have a highlight:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcX2ckwTTa5L-Z4LXTFbSDKSWLsieTT0zFpFw87O9CPc3TKvhGnirGY3qiPUcbzbzcpOHkzZ1aUUR1BtNVfw5PLaFTSPXijti5vlaHK5Kwz6-azQeVnb-vaGZQ59ZLxZ9sr0-6e51APk/s1600/_MG_8397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcX2ckwTTa5L-Z4LXTFbSDKSWLsieTT0zFpFw87O9CPc3TKvhGnirGY3qiPUcbzbzcpOHkzZ1aUUR1BtNVfw5PLaFTSPXijti5vlaHK5Kwz6-azQeVnb-vaGZQ59ZLxZ9sr0-6e51APk/s320/_MG_8397.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I had a "homecoming" launch party for Last Year's Mistake with friends, family, former co-workers, and even some new fans at the Fairfield University Book Store.<br />
<br />
It was a great success, but I haven't had time to tell you about it, because of this little thing called <b>Book 2</b> (not its real name) that's been taking up lots of my time. And then there's this other thing:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpxonbV8KxPVqDPlECqMLFE_Pnpah90hyphenhyphenZu7iYPyZvrOTqTuqRXDlHIkCQ7H_uA8MkaXgeacVdHSCUkntnffKb9vFVGhxea9ttml-hNIKgrUlRQozYmnvVHbobdf4ioluaVWwe0u9ado/s1600/_MG_8699.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPpxonbV8KxPVqDPlECqMLFE_Pnpah90hyphenhyphenZu7iYPyZvrOTqTuqRXDlHIkCQ7H_uA8MkaXgeacVdHSCUkntnffKb9vFVGhxea9ttml-hNIKgrUlRQozYmnvVHbobdf4ioluaVWwe0u9ado/s320/_MG_8699.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Which, of course, is not a "thing" at all. My little guy recently turned two, and I swear he has enough energy and to light a small country. So now that I actually have 5 minutes where I'm not writing and not wrangling a toddler, I thought I'd share some photos from Launch Number Two (Recap of LYM's release week and photos from Launch Number one can be found <a href="http://www.writersblog-gina.blogspot.com/2015/06/last-years-mistake-release-recap-and.html">HERE</a>).<br />
<br />
*** Special shout out to my husband and party planner extraordinaire,*** who organized the refreshments, and surprised me by hiring a photographer to snap pictures of the event. It's something I never would've thought to do, but I'm so glad he did, because the night was a big blur.<br />
<br />
And, as always, <b>a huge thank you</b> to everyone who came out to Fairfield that night, to everyone who has bought and/or read, and/or reviewed LYM, to everyone who took the time to cook or bake, and to everyone who continues to show love and support to me and my books.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>You are so very appreciated</b>.<br />
<br />
If you want proof of how happy you make me, just take a look at the smile on my face in these pictures.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a_0_X9kSeZLVP99OGMWNsFXDchtwGye4xdhRaSXfjd5B_hJxjKAMXecQZSkXnT0enmo92cV_XCTInOgSd3o9ALJzsLOa0zJVKNmykr2gSIXIv4FlNWDsT-TAKJFTiiDsAOA3KAKx8cs/s1600/_MG_8599.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9a_0_X9kSeZLVP99OGMWNsFXDchtwGye4xdhRaSXfjd5B_hJxjKAMXecQZSkXnT0enmo92cV_XCTInOgSd3o9ALJzsLOa0zJVKNmykr2gSIXIv4FlNWDsT-TAKJFTiiDsAOA3KAKx8cs/s320/_MG_8599.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgYNFOetLmkOTZm76zTM0Dk5N3dPNrC9OXzqKJZqPwdl4ucr4hxqMiz6OCU_pqiwoj3mvvD_DLeDuh8eGNrvhZSNyv4p4nATHxivsgw2unNHMUGH8jQQw_Aog1GVv9KDZl6XTIFkti5M/s1600/_MG_8410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgYNFOetLmkOTZm76zTM0Dk5N3dPNrC9OXzqKJZqPwdl4ucr4hxqMiz6OCU_pqiwoj3mvvD_DLeDuh8eGNrvhZSNyv4p4nATHxivsgw2unNHMUGH8jQQw_Aog1GVv9KDZl6XTIFkti5M/s400/_MG_8410.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i5LAOzSxEc1hM_PVjhyphenhyphenQrOcKTJ2rBkkYniSFmJcFuwJhz6UoF_uyBzzk2DhEJOIZ8hqEXf_ZB_Xv-2UgrDMFlrkE7avQOViBpQnaWWIkm2PEJEAKwTU_m-vMwWkQ0SBbW_uFh5fGLco/s1600/_MG_8615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8i5LAOzSxEc1hM_PVjhyphenhyphenQrOcKTJ2rBkkYniSFmJcFuwJhz6UoF_uyBzzk2DhEJOIZ8hqEXf_ZB_Xv-2UgrDMFlrkE7avQOViBpQnaWWIkm2PEJEAKwTU_m-vMwWkQ0SBbW_uFh5fGLco/s320/_MG_8615.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWWj6v4n19gkLTl-V0-Wss5oa308BgztWVFcUGAIHsOgsaT8pK0iE2B_jr5Tz5rcE6BV_CmmSmlVk8sxNM8srVY1nF5yTxyDPz7D2a0xDrqjKhW_x_BJj3fA1-_0W5rww-ovQ6YAOI8w/s1600/_MG_8618.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWWj6v4n19gkLTl-V0-Wss5oa308BgztWVFcUGAIHsOgsaT8pK0iE2B_jr5Tz5rcE6BV_CmmSmlVk8sxNM8srVY1nF5yTxyDPz7D2a0xDrqjKhW_x_BJj3fA1-_0W5rww-ovQ6YAOI8w/s320/_MG_8618.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIlM41z136YnJsiUzGRpKROrVXC_xBioO6nvxdMYiIT3g8wZefc6NiBWYT4sS67eH00MA3BGO6A0sX6eynlVKamtgsbwp0n8ks0Iy8hqBvHdG1Ywl9tVpXIZnKSjzw-RAPNfY80qkF_k/s1600/_MG_8621.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCIlM41z136YnJsiUzGRpKROrVXC_xBioO6nvxdMYiIT3g8wZefc6NiBWYT4sS67eH00MA3BGO6A0sX6eynlVKamtgsbwp0n8ks0Iy8hqBvHdG1Ywl9tVpXIZnKSjzw-RAPNfY80qkF_k/s320/_MG_8621.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m0mLeXcCRoiLJXHKuPwtUheoYfK21Ah0CA6l0FrT7lcsM9bKq7fqm-8OOmcRfjt9vmAD5J4FwDoCf7OTvev2kezA_aC7EWq37AZcbYbQxYLm8GQCT-4y3szwtRvHPThbc2wAP78C9rI/s1600/_MG_8630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m0mLeXcCRoiLJXHKuPwtUheoYfK21Ah0CA6l0FrT7lcsM9bKq7fqm-8OOmcRfjt9vmAD5J4FwDoCf7OTvev2kezA_aC7EWq37AZcbYbQxYLm8GQCT-4y3szwtRvHPThbc2wAP78C9rI/s320/_MG_8630.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVibbvQKj1myjJeDMAaUBxHsXcx9ipHIh1J1KQKzujO9FYOnz3ZFCVZcg4FJVPMw466WKg0enczC_ZtK_1I-gwFsj_pzjOiCcWsi2GcMeUjj8ozWEA65aqwZomOKmUghNpdgj5wZ_jHRI/s1600/_MG_8646.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVibbvQKj1myjJeDMAaUBxHsXcx9ipHIh1J1KQKzujO9FYOnz3ZFCVZcg4FJVPMw466WKg0enczC_ZtK_1I-gwFsj_pzjOiCcWsi2GcMeUjj8ozWEA65aqwZomOKmUghNpdgj5wZ_jHRI/s320/_MG_8646.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">#WorkingMom</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbIHz1JMsWOzb-RFIjzKurDT9m0GSqceA6jMBk4-ITT0A0uIeZJYwTFFkDlNz2zHtS_Qo9ZiEINSyMGcmVi1Xd5K_a2V33ATxp_Z8XmgNwr2VQGBGUvkTGakGZZ3319zWtTa3r5C1HbQ/s1600/_MG_8693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVbIHz1JMsWOzb-RFIjzKurDT9m0GSqceA6jMBk4-ITT0A0uIeZJYwTFFkDlNz2zHtS_Qo9ZiEINSyMGcmVi1Xd5K_a2V33ATxp_Z8XmgNwr2VQGBGUvkTGakGZZ3319zWtTa3r5C1HbQ/s320/_MG_8693.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He has plans for that Sharpie. None of them good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHtLnQgY9z6m1ebmEpgEO_13e4EiNl2a1vDeJ1hdbN0J4hq8nmsdyMAsCERbjlF5dQOw7Sgql0xtS7uRsBw8A9RYa8DQ0sRWmJfx3EIGt3xXgFFI3zWoKXVEHS2LEETLqpoiNaxaFDT4/s1600/_MG_8751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHtLnQgY9z6m1ebmEpgEO_13e4EiNl2a1vDeJ1hdbN0J4hq8nmsdyMAsCERbjlF5dQOw7Sgql0xtS7uRsBw8A9RYa8DQ0sRWmJfx3EIGt3xXgFFI3zWoKXVEHS2LEETLqpoiNaxaFDT4/s400/_MG_8751.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My parents rocked their "My Daughter Wrote" t-shirts....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEpC9R1F-NQHYknUaZDKtzcYHDpdtFHw-PdtzF_KRUiPhAQpNMRCCGiTxO-Tb-99RkbIkAeghHlbhbpeJrfSCgQ-ymfRevgFFLJAZuEmuL44yeIucURMzSuhtLXlDwYLCi5rx41Bw0ao/s1600/_MG_8753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCEpC9R1F-NQHYknUaZDKtzcYHDpdtFHw-PdtzF_KRUiPhAQpNMRCCGiTxO-Tb-99RkbIkAeghHlbhbpeJrfSCgQ-ymfRevgFFLJAZuEmuL44yeIucURMzSuhtLXlDwYLCi5rx41Bw0ao/s320/_MG_8753.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And some of you might recognize the fabulous<br />Dahlia Adler, who came all the way from NYC <3 td=""></3></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CBz98WUwIT4rRJ_CCqWxGHWX82HarSnZbGrpUekjwjcjxnT5avzyx_NNZnSGMcnvyDJdlSGE7yE6oNtBCXejtxO4jJ3upevThMihK67-s5080E3zGyL4dBXExr04h-D6zNjty9Lxjmg/s1600/_MG_8766.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2CBz98WUwIT4rRJ_CCqWxGHWX82HarSnZbGrpUekjwjcjxnT5avzyx_NNZnSGMcnvyDJdlSGE7yE6oNtBCXejtxO4jJ3upevThMihK67-s5080E3zGyL4dBXExr04h-D6zNjty9Lxjmg/s320/_MG_8766.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxi6TRzP9bXcnn5sD2-JZeJWr7NCjjghEC_8pkmjd_pQ2QzapaftntMPVo5QNuk8UUyxHdAnW-1_LE3kqDdDgJWhFWVntQmt88PgOYub-nrzGH-kv2mb21Vaqe75Mtx8lf66wl7F_Uug/s1600/_MG_8780.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxi6TRzP9bXcnn5sD2-JZeJWr7NCjjghEC_8pkmjd_pQ2QzapaftntMPVo5QNuk8UUyxHdAnW-1_LE3kqDdDgJWhFWVntQmt88PgOYub-nrzGH-kv2mb21Vaqe75Mtx8lf66wl7F_Uug/s320/_MG_8780.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJNSydmKAw8uD7quJ74wBXby1rO2Quv1ba2pqnFn-LVW6-XCYg2MGdMlgBZyh0PPZck1HDhmRZbyTxR9fxiyTKFGFqLjYJ_AsWQmIXpnsNLaBug0A5GHOBK0GsZ-ib8fofoKvoztjbPo/s1600/_MG_8386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvJNSydmKAw8uD7quJ74wBXby1rO2Quv1ba2pqnFn-LVW6-XCYg2MGdMlgBZyh0PPZck1HDhmRZbyTxR9fxiyTKFGFqLjYJ_AsWQmIXpnsNLaBug0A5GHOBK0GsZ-ib8fofoKvoztjbPo/s320/_MG_8386.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMTnE1w07jQlRiR5rEuOr-IUipCLGg9tZVtmLayej6RWBRARdnnbaaqRoSLHeS3kvQ3E_c2ffvzylMI3sCH4a_gBehxm253Z5IkX85ulLZGwh4kG3ZGSErNB84TUT939ddJMbYcdCQqo/s1600/_MG_8394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsMTnE1w07jQlRiR5rEuOr-IUipCLGg9tZVtmLayej6RWBRARdnnbaaqRoSLHeS3kvQ3E_c2ffvzylMI3sCH4a_gBehxm253Z5IkX85ulLZGwh4kG3ZGSErNB84TUT939ddJMbYcdCQqo/s400/_MG_8394.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYtYCc3zF1tTGvxWb2zUDj536I-a1Ln5SV1Ne1_MAjBETKtrxj1p_a8BOWkU-eYF_jvNEA9RjnYpGeTh7CfEYJJCC9kdyFRUqY3TYUDei1C6Hv-qg2Cd-GzhmAVgeoaJqNgqb6vDJLOo/s1600/_MG_8399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYtYCc3zF1tTGvxWb2zUDj536I-a1Ln5SV1Ne1_MAjBETKtrxj1p_a8BOWkU-eYF_jvNEA9RjnYpGeTh7CfEYJJCC9kdyFRUqY3TYUDei1C6Hv-qg2Cd-GzhmAVgeoaJqNgqb6vDJLOo/s320/_MG_8399.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAQu1L482vdLjnVbz__un2jjRjyrwp9R-Ye0XGW1O1cgkr68ZkZyo6UMfm9cs7-eCVHbVKmmgs5vqLxwQMIBa_1DgvigueZrIz4CHUmOjv9nfwsjOVA104zJEh9Lz_rwOYIMvIfhTW0o/s1600/_MG_8415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzAQu1L482vdLjnVbz__un2jjRjyrwp9R-Ye0XGW1O1cgkr68ZkZyo6UMfm9cs7-eCVHbVKmmgs5vqLxwQMIBa_1DgvigueZrIz4CHUmOjv9nfwsjOVA104zJEh9Lz_rwOYIMvIfhTW0o/s320/_MG_8415.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdHW4mmooa3F2Bcp1cmmcjIB0rEbaIBw_WvG1qOdIHOa-6qPTRiVtT_pMq3uRhqehj0ljB5_BpoR5Tzx3NvDvbvNeNoak3EG9-7BIlTQ4R4L7hKUl8Dr0V7vTucxVHMgwapmStYFBUic/s1600/_MG_8425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdHW4mmooa3F2Bcp1cmmcjIB0rEbaIBw_WvG1qOdIHOa-6qPTRiVtT_pMq3uRhqehj0ljB5_BpoR5Tzx3NvDvbvNeNoak3EG9-7BIlTQ4R4L7hKUl8Dr0V7vTucxVHMgwapmStYFBUic/s320/_MG_8425.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVl6p_oGBAvTvuf3RiyYmXzL57KQn8t9iYwlQRHu4-Y_burpQA0weFuM1HF6St9h72bEYppCNC467tiLwDYY7Zr-s5mHMEFp1Ww3_zRr5KaUmq25Me_Q7dZm390K6ivtznq3GYkXVOTZ0/s1600/_MG_8428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVl6p_oGBAvTvuf3RiyYmXzL57KQn8t9iYwlQRHu4-Y_burpQA0weFuM1HF6St9h72bEYppCNC467tiLwDYY7Zr-s5mHMEFp1Ww3_zRr5KaUmq25Me_Q7dZm390K6ivtznq3GYkXVOTZ0/s320/_MG_8428.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWiE7efwFHmeqm6q3GQ6un9DdHer6FmYrIpH8mT6H0KCKRl6PhfXtJNN6PKodLPAYbRW3rP4QZbE6dkeT1jwjhVU_pGNwJQgeVoVlDIRUPcqtv49KYc4FuyD84EOK4SK6BnjHaW62hKY/s1600/_MG_8438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWiE7efwFHmeqm6q3GQ6un9DdHer6FmYrIpH8mT6H0KCKRl6PhfXtJNN6PKodLPAYbRW3rP4QZbE6dkeT1jwjhVU_pGNwJQgeVoVlDIRUPcqtv49KYc4FuyD84EOK4SK6BnjHaW62hKY/s320/_MG_8438.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEo75rxPmGPSai1yTeB2N1Ey19O898ue0g9wZRC7o1SlcrjywNb3XKNgZQCtIh01FAUMQfO3-tfmfrDTiItKppn36AA4bNrDmFEUnm5d4Nsf99zbZqIwh99oUQiojDWmtocHere2UCLo/s1600/_MG_8442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEo75rxPmGPSai1yTeB2N1Ey19O898ue0g9wZRC7o1SlcrjywNb3XKNgZQCtIh01FAUMQfO3-tfmfrDTiItKppn36AA4bNrDmFEUnm5d4Nsf99zbZqIwh99oUQiojDWmtocHere2UCLo/s320/_MG_8442.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIYYUuNvzpTRmbRTBrpJcyYK6j0OWHp-DyvvpXjNbdZbknJUp3x-ddjRd2yqQh4maJMp5PEObFCuGchrGHlVK-6Qx-eNW9VWvDX6C9qPxrIUE06hTHxJMhM4VxunaUMcIK63mZJEOSh0/s1600/_MG_8458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaIYYUuNvzpTRmbRTBrpJcyYK6j0OWHp-DyvvpXjNbdZbknJUp3x-ddjRd2yqQh4maJMp5PEObFCuGchrGHlVK-6Qx-eNW9VWvDX6C9qPxrIUE06hTHxJMhM4VxunaUMcIK63mZJEOSh0/s320/_MG_8458.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADHZokoQwHchxXFUvD5CpjekAnfxNq4L657mUDGRAeJh1pLUKJxgPGhGrDRIQAKxSPOBADGDkycnb4AhwTUoWUdHOTGyHIITz1N78bMPvQdZwLUNcWEwlre_dTdZmOJNloFdalwgNsIg/s1600/_MG_8467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiADHZokoQwHchxXFUvD5CpjekAnfxNq4L657mUDGRAeJh1pLUKJxgPGhGrDRIQAKxSPOBADGDkycnb4AhwTUoWUdHOTGyHIITz1N78bMPvQdZwLUNcWEwlre_dTdZmOJNloFdalwgNsIg/s320/_MG_8467.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG14DM8pylmZ1xyk3Kz_-VZzwf85MDM97H_kBTko0auJcp4lX0Y373ZqJ3DZ5owUP8gooTvlXyjdfjRsh8XaGGyG-BcV7OzBJC7Lxvokca4CwTFtG7TNxegaxrSj-stqJWTcp_dto3kg/s1600/_MG_8501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpG14DM8pylmZ1xyk3Kz_-VZzwf85MDM97H_kBTko0auJcp4lX0Y373ZqJ3DZ5owUP8gooTvlXyjdfjRsh8XaGGyG-BcV7OzBJC7Lxvokca4CwTFtG7TNxegaxrSj-stqJWTcp_dto3kg/s320/_MG_8501.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqchprDd9D4ZQ6CI84-ou161HwnI91GODRft8g2pTl2v2NpE-lNE2YiLxFraI0Pi9YQC_JzceGdmq6Imm8JKxQGr-n7ZJxyNRqKVNSbidcfDBCmmW1mBpK6GJWpAfmJin0_6gnqritT8/s1600/_MG_8533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqchprDd9D4ZQ6CI84-ou161HwnI91GODRft8g2pTl2v2NpE-lNE2YiLxFraI0Pi9YQC_JzceGdmq6Imm8JKxQGr-n7ZJxyNRqKVNSbidcfDBCmmW1mBpK6GJWpAfmJin0_6gnqritT8/s320/_MG_8533.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2b8wr2hxiA9tgME4UKNP3vimDHuzqes9VdgAg4WV2r_-qE8USs6T-sFzLUxyHV2I07eZekc67TzU5GiUl_BHk-3IbMsqWDbk-lyrjY744AW0BI_8ObJKoC9ATamAlFnV6Cnrj3pdtZN0/s1600/_MG_8547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2b8wr2hxiA9tgME4UKNP3vimDHuzqes9VdgAg4WV2r_-qE8USs6T-sFzLUxyHV2I07eZekc67TzU5GiUl_BHk-3IbMsqWDbk-lyrjY744AW0BI_8ObJKoC9ATamAlFnV6Cnrj3pdtZN0/s320/_MG_8547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqhjMu7F7C7q3SzGOyo3NbZqK0Q26wkSo1pCa-fISf3cx9jQwofgP2AIIya7G939rxCFy9_KG1TAUPVr55rtThI1_V8pLAwOASak9GZeW4OcCseKZ2zlV-EiIDVmY0LBrzs8zptFO-o4/s1600/_MG_8544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqhjMu7F7C7q3SzGOyo3NbZqK0Q26wkSo1pCa-fISf3cx9jQwofgP2AIIya7G939rxCFy9_KG1TAUPVr55rtThI1_V8pLAwOASak9GZeW4OcCseKZ2zlV-EiIDVmY0LBrzs8zptFO-o4/s400/_MG_8544.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Never be ashamed to be yourself" is how I signed this book,<br />and many others. Kelsey's been there, so have I. We're all good enough.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7408910703068503850.post-16450381486731577712015-07-28T15:33:00.002-04:002015-07-28T20:15:15.767-04:00Saying Goodbye<br />
I spent last week in my home state of Connecticut, and it was a bittersweet trip, to say the least.<br />
<br />
Originally, my husband and I had planned this vacation for two reasons: 1) To meet our nephew, my sister's first baby, due July 7th, and 2) to have a homecoming launch for LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE with my family and friends.<br />
<br />
The launch went on, but sadly, I never got to meet my nephew. Mason Tod was stillborn at 22 weeks, and our family was devastated.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, that was only our first loss associated with this trip. Two years ago, my grandmother was diagnosed with cancer. In the weeks preceding our trip, her condition went downhill fast. We learned that the cancer had spread to her brain and spine. Every time I spoke to my mother, the news wasn't good. Until one night, it kind of was:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxWOKXDDMJsaIHw4adi6EqdSJ_wxs4L6SsP1NupTGymRHC5NNppgou0N6J94yK07EW2nVsMzbcJUKLs-gNWLF7UJ9REhmv0RHuSCkhKg86dknOvs8W5t8cR0KvKDBaEmdS2walyrh6WI/s1600/2015-07-28+14.50.55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijxWOKXDDMJsaIHw4adi6EqdSJ_wxs4L6SsP1NupTGymRHC5NNppgou0N6J94yK07EW2nVsMzbcJUKLs-gNWLF7UJ9REhmv0RHuSCkhKg86dknOvs8W5t8cR0KvKDBaEmdS2walyrh6WI/s320/2015-07-28+14.50.55.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The evening my mother sent me this text, my grandmother had spent the morning not talking, not eating, not swallowing. But then, somehow, she got a second wind. And used it to ask my mom to read LAST YEAR'S MISTAKE to her. My mom and sister tried to Face Time me so Gram could tell me how proud she was of me, the same way she kept telling them. But the call wouldn't go through.<br />
<br />
That happened a lot in the next few days. There was never service, and if the call did connect, it would freeze and I couldn't see anything.<br />
<br />
The day before we flew to CT, my sister tried again. And this time, the call went through without a problem. Although my grandmother couldn't move, she could see me, and I could see her. She looked right at me and said hello, then told me she loved me. Her speech was strangled, but she still had a smile on her face. She watched my son play, and smiled when he said, "Nonna," the name her great-grandchildren called her. When she started to have trouble keeping her eyes open, I told her I'd see her tomorrow, and we ended the call.<br />
<br />
By the time I got to her bedside the next afternoon, her breathing was labored. Her eyebrows moved when I spoke to her, but she couldn't open her eyes. Still, I know that she knew I was there. When I left her, I kissed her cheek and wished her sweet dreams.<br />
<br />
Three hours later, my mother called to tell me Gram had passed away.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LIcsy_6NSLcMBNwhIbIeCEqzhP3GG58LvBec9cQA5S_GXUFNZYfK8IdATpPPyCJHoMnKg_t_VI8Rdja7AX7kJnTCAeLmKwwMSOG-ZwSqAaJv0-pIejAVPe7hDtECt3lmw-NgQcLi4lg/s1600/Gram6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LIcsy_6NSLcMBNwhIbIeCEqzhP3GG58LvBec9cQA5S_GXUFNZYfK8IdATpPPyCJHoMnKg_t_VI8Rdja7AX7kJnTCAeLmKwwMSOG-ZwSqAaJv0-pIejAVPe7hDtECt3lmw-NgQcLi4lg/s320/Gram6.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
I didn't think that she was waiting for me, but now I believe it wholeheartedly. Anyone who knew my grandmother knows that it makes perfect sense. She never wanted to serve a meal until the entire family was together, and she wanted to take her last breath the same way.<br />
<br />
It was my job to write a eulogy on behalf of the grandchildren, and I wanted to share it here as a tribute to my grandmother. Rest in peace, Gram. It means everything to me that I made you proud.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQUytUK4aCAs6VdIn9V7DxJETRyXklL1VDcL8BiOmSlviWu5H03id1utrDP-ouiI2LvcjT33CmDqPjWWpWie1sPd-YFiZWCu5l05695RX5z_OocPf7B1slNv2w-qYfyx3vQ5eA-5XSXc/s1600/Gram3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQUytUK4aCAs6VdIn9V7DxJETRyXklL1VDcL8BiOmSlviWu5H03id1utrDP-ouiI2LvcjT33CmDqPjWWpWie1sPd-YFiZWCu5l05695RX5z_OocPf7B1slNv2w-qYfyx3vQ5eA-5XSXc/s400/Gram3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma, teaching me how to make homemade gnocchi for Christmas dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b>We're here today to celebrate the life of our
grandmother, Luisa Astolfi. It's hard to find the right words, because her
passing is not just the end of her life. It's the end of an era.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcnXfFMmLohdp85lEmQlSIn63uTDXazGq0cijveVbDsVS9p6nOk_Oh_Fs0v86PaKk2xTPf7vCxfPv5P4C2SvyMUolr4SshwFL_0628ad553UaLX0A6ERxOcmpWx9pC77U3DFyFYec3Ss/s1600/Gram5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcnXfFMmLohdp85lEmQlSIn63uTDXazGq0cijveVbDsVS9p6nOk_Oh_Fs0v86PaKk2xTPf7vCxfPv5P4C2SvyMUolr4SshwFL_0628ad553UaLX0A6ERxOcmpWx9pC77U3DFyFYec3Ss/s400/Gram5.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
<br />
<span style="background: white;"><b>For as long as any of us can remember, Grandma's
house was our family headquarters. She loved nothing more than having her
children and grandchildren gathered at her table every Sunday afternoon - a
family that grew so often, the table had to be custom made to fit everyone
around it. She made feeding an army look easy – even as she insisted on cooking
at a tiny oven in her cramped basement kitchen, while the full-size, fully
functional stove in her real kitchen sat collecting dust on its avocado-green
surface. </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO3zDWFNYTdLUEg7PKBoLU-bM4T05QZuEG-qCS5dVw-Cdg9yR3ZHklt0EXFmWKn4jS93jrv_aURe7bQQGL5HmFUaGxlWGaTLOyjWv1v3ZkHxP2OPqOKGXaB2wNv_88oe9RjrZQVPU9gI/s1600/Gram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIO3zDWFNYTdLUEg7PKBoLU-bM4T05QZuEG-qCS5dVw-Cdg9yR3ZHklt0EXFmWKn4jS93jrv_aURe7bQQGL5HmFUaGxlWGaTLOyjWv1v3ZkHxP2OPqOKGXaB2wNv_88oe9RjrZQVPU9gI/s320/Gram.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Her food was famous and her door was always open.
When she sold the house in Bridgeport to move in with Uncle Pat and Aunt Linda,
nothing changed. That big, round table went with her. And no matter how many of
us were squeezed into her apartment, she could always find room for more. When
her grandkids asked if we could bring friends for lunch to show off our grandma
and her awesome cooking, she'd say in her Italian accent, "The more the
merry!"</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> She ended up acquiring a
few honorary grandchildren because of it. Because everyone who met her fell in
love with her, and if you weren’t her grandchild, you wanted to be.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8kgxpN8ocTp8AcDaN04aEs_Nv5k1GwsPyjBFzkoPWs9qlV1KAMi3Du3h3u5Q947Cl-X0qmqlblON6Y6XZydgzw5RLfJV6NBmJCg4AhrwMtTP9CLWwlbFp0-HeudNBwLe3TJVLcprWUM/s1600/Gram8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8kgxpN8ocTp8AcDaN04aEs_Nv5k1GwsPyjBFzkoPWs9qlV1KAMi3Du3h3u5Q947Cl-X0qmqlblON6Y6XZydgzw5RLfJV6NBmJCg4AhrwMtTP9CLWwlbFp0-HeudNBwLe3TJVLcprWUM/s400/Gram8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></span></div>
<b style="font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Family
was our grandmother’s pride and joy, and she was ours. She was the center of
everything, the person we all adored and looked up to. She would’ve done
anything for her grandkids – her babies, as she called us – and we would’ve
done anything for her. It’s so hard to picture Grandma missing from that table,
but even more difficult to imagine her missing from our lives. Sundays will
never be the same, but one thing will never change – we are so proud to have
known her, loved her, and been part of her family. </b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE4hnSd9SDWUjv4Qcgo3c7bBVh1w1IuVNBOrHrel4fPN-dKuwtrU9ciIttSVDcidzXDZEigt3vhS-zQOdGl7wNEMVpsvXEiuPS6T3Jya8SQACzTHIdt0GBX_mqor7DhqBI5sqGIVB1ho/s1600/Gram7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIE4hnSd9SDWUjv4Qcgo3c7bBVh1w1IuVNBOrHrel4fPN-dKuwtrU9ciIttSVDcidzXDZEigt3vhS-zQOdGl7wNEMVpsvXEiuPS6T3Jya8SQACzTHIdt0GBX_mqor7DhqBI5sqGIVB1ho/s400/Gram7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background: white; font-family: 'Segoe UI', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
Gina Cioccahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18024256412233972412noreply@blogger.com3