Climbing Rose of The Wild Rose Press

Book Networks

2011-04-12T06:00:00.004-04:00

I've discovered a kind of social network I think I like better than all the others, but only because it centers around BOOKS!

Have you heard of Goodreads, or Shelfari, or Book Thing?

On these networks, I've met some new and interesting people, plus received a bunch of great book recommendations as well as been able to share reviews. I also like these places because they help me keep track of what I've already read.

So if you're in a book network, be sure to friend me. Or if you love to get book recommendations and want to join one, let me know so I can see what you've been reading; a girl always needs to plump up her TBR pile, after all!

Here are a couple other Climbing Rose authors who are also members of Goodreads if you want to share what you've been reading lately with us:

Christine Marciniak

Beth Shriver

Kimberlee R. Mendoza

Dara Edmondson

Linda Kage

Great Review for Confessions

2011-04-01T13:53:00.004-04:00

Great review for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson over at VenusBookluvr ("Book Reviews and musings from a Super Sexy Roman Goddess" how fun is that?) Here's what Venus had to say:

I loved the fact that it was such a realistic representation of juvenile life. The setting was solid, it was nice to experience the location through the eyes of someone who has just moved there. The entire cast of characters were compelling because they were typical and also easy to connect to. I highly recommend you pick up this book and be sure to get a copy for any young woman in your life. This was such a poignant novel that I just know I will read it again and again. This author is going on my must-read list.

Pretty cool, huh? Check out Confessions in the Climbing Rose bookstore--print and eBook--and Amazon.

Writing Advice - word count

2011-03-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

For those of you interested in writing, maybe this will answer a few questions about...word count.

Ever since we’ve been able to string our first sentence together—See Jane run—and instructors have been handing out writing assignments, we’ve asked the age old question… How long? How long does the sentence have to be? The paragraph? The term paper? The thesis? The chapter? The book?

Some people want their answer to be straightforward, as my English teacher from high school would like to assign her lessons. “It needs to be 2,000 words long with ten paragraphs and a maximum of five auxiliary verbs.” Yeah, those were some tough papers to write… or as I should say without the auxiliary verb… That teacher possessed a strict guideline despite the fact I fondly remember her as one of the greatest grammarians ever. But my favorite answer to the question HOW LONG came from my middle school English teacher. “It’s like a mini skirt. Make sure it’s long enough to cover the topic, but short enough to stay interesting.” Yes, he was a male teacher, if you were curious!

I’m by no means an authority on the length question, but today I’m going to share what knowledge I do have on the subject...How long.

Sentence:
We’ll start with sentences. Sounds like a good place to me.

I’d always heard a sentence was a subject and a verb containing a complete thought. “Jane ran.” Subject, verb, complete thought. There’s our sentence. Sounds simple enough. So, let’s make it a little more complex.

“As Jane ran barefoot between the towering oaks in the woods next to the house where she grew up.” Yes, it still has the subject—Jane—and the verb—ran—but we lost our complete thought after adding “As” to the beginning. As Jane’s running wherever she’s going to run, we need to follow that thought up with what happened while she was running. Or… we could simply delete “AS” to give the sentence a complete thought and make it grammatically correct.

Am I making any sense yet?

A sentence needs to be long enough to contain a subject (even if it’s only implied), verb, and complete thought.

Paragraph:
Okay, I had to go to a dictionary to get the correct definition of a paragraph. So, according to dictionary.com, a paragraph is “a basic unit of prose. It is usually composed of several sentences that together develop one central idea. The main sentence in a paragraph is called the topic sentence.”

I have a bad habit of falling into a rut over paragraph length. I get to thinking, “this paragraph is way too long, no reader is gonna want to read such a long paragraph.” So, I’ll press enter and indent, starting a new one… whether that’s right or wrong. But we should always remember to keep sentences with one central idea together.

Here’s one trick you could do to cut a paragraph shorter if you’re getting nervous about its length. Say you’re writing a scene where the hero just laid eyes on the woman who’ll end up being his heroine. He’s probably going to describe what she looks like. If he likes what he sees, he might have a lot of description, which would most likely make a lengthy paragraph. So, if he’s just described her hair, and eyes, and legs, and said how soft her skin looked, you could break the paragraph and make a short new one by making a side note—or rather internal monologue if you will—like, “He was such a leg man.” That sentence doesn’t go with the central idea of the paragraph; it really needs its own paragraph all by itself. Ergo, you’d have a nice little break there before starting a new paragraph to describe more traits of your amazing heroine. Plus, it makes the story more interesting to read it in that conversational way.

Chapter:
I’m letting Noah Lukeman take care of my chapter length discussion. Author of The First Five Pages (which is a book EVERY writer should own), Lukeman says on Page 172 of his book:

"Each chapter must be thought of as its own complete unit, ready to excerpt should a magazine want it (indeed, this very chapter was excerpted prior to publication); the same holds true for paragraphs and sentences. Do you resolve in the end of the chapter what you establish in the beginning? Many writers don't; they just plug along, inserting chapter breaks wherever they feel their text can use one—sometimes completely arbitrarily. Writers often ask me: How long should my chapters be? Is five pages too short: Is forty too long? The fact that they're even asking this question indicates they're thinking of the chapters in the wrong way—merely as dividers for a greater whole. Of course, a chapter needs to be part of a greaterwhole, but it also needs to be its own unit. The appropriate length is whatever length is necessary to accomplish whatever that individual chapters sets out to do. "

Book:
After reading that great piece of spectacular advice, I probably don’t even need to go into book length. A story, of course, should be as long as it needs to be to set up a conflict and then unravel a resolution for that conflict. The problem with that answer occurs when we’ve finished our story and begin looking for a publisher who’ll actually buy a book within the limits of your word count. In the romance industry, you’ll probably notice if you’ve ever done any publisher research that most places want stories to be around 100,000 words long. Harlequin and Silhouette like stories between 50,000 words and 65,000 for a majority of their category lines. So, if you’ve written a 75,000 word story, you might think you’re stuck in a no-man’s land. The uprising of e-publishers saved the day there, because a good portion of them will accept a story anywhere from 15,000 words to 125,000 words. Thanks guys!

A couple vices to help you control word count are subplots, secondary characters, and added conflicts. If you need to shrink your word count to pursue a certain line, try taking out a couple minor characters. You might be amazed how much that’ll lighten the load. Or in the opposite case, you need to make the story just 10,000 words longer, add another character. Each person in a story has their own agenda and mindset, and the more people your novel contains, the more complex and longer it’ll be.

So, okay, there’s my writing advice for the day. Since I’m definitely not a professional on the topic, any additional comments and tips are always appreciated. Thanks!

Valentine Mad Lib

2011-02-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

Happy almost Valentine's Day!! I thought I'd celebrate by playing a Valentine Mad Lib. Feel free to join in. Here's what we need to do.

1) Fill in a word for the prompts below.
2) Slot your words into the story below that!

PROMPTS:

1. Adjective
2. Adjective
3. Holiday
4. Verb/s
5. Person
6. Verb
7. Verb
8. Noun
9. Noun
10. Number

STORY:

He sits across from me. He is so ____(1)____ and ____(2)____. I helped him with his ____(3)____ mailbox. I hope he ____(4)____ one in mine. Mrs. ____(5)____ announces that it is time to ____(6)____ our cards. I watch and ____(7)____. Will he put a ____(8)____ in my mailbox? I can't wait to see tomorrow if one is from him. I made a beautiful ____(9)____ for him yesterday. Wow, to my surprise there are ____(10)____ from in in there!

Here were my answers: 1. hairy, 2. round, 3. Veteran's Day, 4. jumps, 5. Rumpelstiltskin, 6. sit on, 7. gallop, 8. door, 9. cat, 10 ten.

Attractive

2011-01-12T06:00:00.002-05:00

So I went to one of my nephew's high school basketball tournaments a while back. And I'm really getting into watching the game, right. His team is playing their heart out, when one of his friends makes this huge leaping dive to save the ball from going out of bounds.

Momentum keeps the guy hurtling forward until he flies up into the stands and pretty much tackles some cheerleader that had been sitting there with her friends, waiting for their own team to play next.

The player does everything he can not to actually land on the poor girl and flatten her like a pancake. By the time he comes to a stop, he looks like he's doing some kind of crab impersonation with his arms and legs at all these weird angles in an attempt not to hurt the cheerleader.

Immediately, before he can even climb off her, he starts asking if she's okay.

[Insert dreamy sigh here]

It my made my big 'ol romantic-loving heart give a great big thump of adoration. He risked hurting himself even more in his attempt to save the girl from as much harm as possible. And as soon as he landed, he was more concerned about her welfare than his own.

Now this kid didn't have the prettiest face on the team. My own nephew was much cuter (not that I'm biased). He had cheeks, arms, and legs full of freckles and shocking red hair. But after that heroic act, I saw him as the most beautiful boy on the planet. I had to be twelve years older than the boy (and married to a wonderful man) but I think a grew a crush on him at that moment.

Has this happened to any of you before? You see someone do something great, or say something wonderful, and suddenly everything about them is attractive? Made me realize beauty isn't skin deep. Actually, it has nothing to do with skin it all.

It's character, gallantry, and thoughtfulness, and it outshines outer appearance every time.

Merry Christmas Fun and Trivia

2010-12-12T06:00:00.001-05:00

Time to celebrate Christmas (I can't believe it's only 13 days away). I'm starting off my season with a couple of corny jokes.

Why does Santa have 3 gardens?
So he can hoe, hoe, hoe…

What Christmas Carol is a favorite of parents?
Silent Night…

What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Frosted Flakes...

Knock Knock
Who's there ?
Donut
Donut who ?
Donut open till Christmas…

What do you get if Santa goes down the chimney when a fire is lit?
Crisp Cringle...

How do sheep in Mexico say Merry Christmas?
Fleece Navidad...

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic...

What does a cat on the beach have in common with Christmas?
Sandy Claws...

Why was Santa's little helper depressed?
He had low elf-esteem...

What did the bald man say when he got a comb for Christmas ?
Thanks, I'll never part with it…

How long does it take to burn a Christmas candle down ?
About a wick…

Why are Christmas trees like bad knitters ?
They both drop their needles…

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Rudolph
Rudolph who?
Money is the Rudolph of all evil…

Hope you didn't spit milk out your nose laughing too hard??

But now that all the laughs are exhausted, it's time to get down to thinking. So, how well do you know Christmas?

Tis the season to see how festive you are. I found a trivia quiz on the website http://www.internetfamilyfun.com/christmas.htm and just had to test myself. I got a C+ on my Christmas intelligence with 11 out of 14 correct. What about you guys? Did you know all these? (Psst: Answers are at the bottom!)

1: What country did the tradition of having a Christmas tree come from?

England
Denmark
Germany
France

2: Every year most homes in the United States bring something from the outdoors into their homes and decorate it. This object is:

A Fir or Evergreen Tree
A Palm Tree
A log
A bush

3: What is the name of the head elf in the movie, "The Santa Clause"?

Scott
Judy
Bernard
Larry

4: In the poem "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore what creature is mentioned?

Fly
Mouse
Cat
Dog

5: What is dressed in "holiday style" in the song, "Silver Bells"?

Streets
Store Windows
Sidewalks
Train Station

6: In what city did the story, "Miracle on 34th Street", take place?

New York
Chicago
Cleveland
Buffalo

7: In "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" the elf named Hermey wanted to be a

Dentist
Toy Painter
Doctor
Prospector

8: In the song, "12 Days of Christmas", how many Lords a-leaping are there?

9: The biggest selling Christmas song of all time is:

Bing Crosby's White Christmas
Brenda Lee's Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree
Connie Francis's Winter Wonderland
Pat Boone's I'll Be Home For Christmas

10: In the Christmas classic, "Home Alone," where did the family go?

England
Scotland
France
Germany

11: In the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" what is the angel's first name?

Sidney
Oliver
Clarence
George

12: Other names for Santa Claus do not include:

St. Nick
Sint Klaas
Father Christmas
Feliz Navidad

13: The name of the girl that asked if there is a Santa in the famous editorial that answered that question.

Sally
Samantha
Betty
Virginia

14: In the movie "The Christmas Story", what did Ralphie want for Christmas?

Go Cart
Bike
BB Gun
Lamp

ANSWERS:
1)Germany, 2)A Fir or Evergreen, 3)Bernard, 4)Mouse, 5) Sidewalks, 6)New York, 7)Dentist, 8)10, 9)Bing Crosby's White Christmas, 10)France, 11)Clarence, 12)Feliz Navidad, 13)Virginia, 14)BB Gun

HOPE EVERYONE HAVE A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON!!!

A School Paper Interview

2010-11-15T22:06:00.002-05:00

I never wrote for my high school newspaper. I'm pretty sure we had one.

I did write for my college newspaper. I remember a fascinating story about elevators and I did a series of columns about my experience as an exchange student in London.

But I never interviewed an author. Maybe I should have.

Because I've been interviewed for a school paper.

Jillian, a high school student who edits the The Panther Press read When Mike Kissed Emma and wanted to interview me for her school paper. How cool is that? You can go here to read the interview!

To Get You into the Thanksgiving Mood

2010-11-12T06:00:00.000-05:00

I shared this poem on my blog last year before my baby was born. But now that she's here, it seems even more fitting. I can actually envision my little monkey-girl doing this!! So anyway, here is a poem for everyone who celebrates Thanksgiving to enjoy. Okay, you don't even have to be celebrate the season to enjoy it.

Don't worry: it's not SUPPOSED to be literary at all... just fun.

Have a great holiday!! See everyone next month!

The Great Hollowsbee Thanksgiving

A long time ago, down in the village of Hollowsbee
There walked the biggest ol' turkey you ever did see.
With a sleek coat of feathers, he was juicy and plump.
He looked tasty enough to sink a fork in his rump.

He was ancient and wise, but looked lazy and mild,
Till one day of the year, he turned quite wild.
Every Thanksgiving, in the hours before the feast
No butcher or hunter could catch this wretched beast.

It was an impossible feat
To gain his delicious meat.
So, year after year, the town went without turkey,
Eating only ‘Taters. Yes, their future looked murky.

Because without turkey, they had no meat to gain protein,
And without protein, they were wimps, making them so mean.
But one Thanksgiving, the strangest battle was fought.
It was a war with that turkey no one has ever forgot.

The challenger was a girl named Lydia Marie
who lived with her parents outside Hollowsbee.
In only a diaper and her bare hands, Lydia did crawl
To the turkey’s fence till she was nose to nose with the animal.

She pointed at the turkey and giggled, “bird.”
Now the idea of her killing this beast was truly absurd,
And people gasped as she climbed the fence and jumped into its cage;
The news of her actions spread through town in a rage.

“Get that girl out of there,” someone screamed. “She’ll surely die.”
But no one was brave enough to stop her, and they all began to cry.
As the child scampered forth, people saw the race begin.
They edged closer, watching her chase the beast around his pen.

Now poor little Lydia Marie only wanted to pet the turkey that fled,
She was so determined, she followed it into his shed.
Oh the dread!

As the town stood near, mothers wailed and preachers prayed.
The day wore on while the little shack shook and swayed.
No one really believed the tiny girl with two names
Could bring down the great turkey. But as legend claims,

A cheer rose up when Lydia Marie exited the barn alive.
Thus, the turkey was dressed and cooked well done by five,
And the usually quiet little town of Hollowsbee
Partied and ate late into the morning 'til three.

They named their new hero, Lydia the Brave,
Because from starvation, the whole town she did save.
It has gone down in history as the day the great turkey fell.
Lydia the Brave saved Hollowsbee, and that’s all there is to tell.

The End

Oh, and here's what Lydia was for Halloween. You might've heard of the Wicked Witch of the West, but have you heard of...THE SWEETEST WITCH OF THE MIDWEST?!

EPIC Award Finalists

2010-11-03T08:29:00.009-04:00

We're very excited that two of our fabulous Climbing Rose authors are finalists in the annual EPIC awards! Pamela Woods-Jackson, author of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic and Linda Kage author of The Stillburrow Crush are both finalists in the YA category. Congrats to Linda and Pamela!

And if you'd like to see what all the fuss is about, check out the Climbing Rose eBook store or our print store to order your copies of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic and The Stillburrow Crush today!

You are fantastic

2010-10-19T23:11:00.003-04:00

The other day I stopped for gas after work. I got out of the car, slid my debit card through the reader and started pumping. In the stillness I heard a voice say, "You are fantastic."

I looked around. None of the other customers were paying any attention to me. Then it came again, "You are fantastic." But this time it continued, "You pay the bills, take care of the kids, make sure everyone around you is safe and you keep everything running smoothly in your family's life."

I burst out laughing. It was the gas pump talking to me! Complimenting the heck out of me! How did a gas pump get so wise? Now, I'm not naive enough to think that the gas pump actually tailored its message specifically for me. I'm sure the next 50 people who picked this particular pump got the same heartwarming message. But it made me feel good. Yes, I do all those things. And generally nobody notices, at least not enough to tell me how fantastic I am. But standing there in the forced two minute stillness of filling my tank, I allowed this kind gas pump's praise to wash over me.

As marketing strategies go, this one hit the mark. Because guess who will return to that pump the next time her tank is empty???

Be sure to visit me online at http://www.authorlaurielarsen.com/
2010 EPIC Award winner!

Do you like FEAR?

2010-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

The sound was loud enough to wake her from deep REM. Like the crack of knuckles against a wall, the thud reverberated through her room, making it impossible for her to tell where it had originated.

Eyes flickering open, she lay as still as death while her ears strained to hear the noise again. The covers pressing down on top of her trapped heat in, making her perspire and her slick hair stick to the back of her neck. Trying to hold her breath so she could be as quiet as possible, she went a little dizzy as she waited.

The sound came again.

Her body tightened convulsively. Lurching into her throat, her heart suffered a severe case of claustrophobia as it beat hard through her pulse, anxious to escape the tight space. Her lungs burned with the need to evacuate air.

Again, the knock sounded from down the hall. From Davey’s room.

But no one had been inside his domain since he’d disappeared.

Unable to hold back any longer, oxygen rushed from her lips, shuddering with stunted gasps.

And then it started. A continuous knock, knock, knock as if someone was pounding on the door to Davey’s room, demanding to get out.

Shoving the covers off her, she leapt from her bed and reached for the nightlight, only to bulldoze it over with her fingers, sending it crashing to the floor. The tinkle of breaking glass followed.

The knocking continued, booming louder and faster. She fumbled in the dark, scurrying toward the hallway. Reaching the entrance, she slapped on the hall light only to find the door to his room cracked open a few inches.

A chilly breeze settled over her, like the cold hand of doom clawing out to grab her and drag her in. It stirred her damp, matted hair and prickled the skin on her arms. Though she wanted to turn back, escape inside her room, slam the door and lock it, then hide under her covers until the horror stopped, she raced forward.

Shoving open his door the rest of the way, she halted in the threshold and gawked inside.

Then she screamed. And screamed. And screamed.

**********

Okay, now that I have your lungs pumping a little harder and your blood flowing a little faster, I’ll finally get down to the meaning of his post.

Fear.

Obviously, since you’re here, you’re a fan of romance and happy endings, but do you ever like to add a little fear to that happy ending? Do you like scary movies? Horror novels? Halloween?

I’m scared to death of them myself. In fact, the one and only time I visited a Halloween spook house, I was somewhere between nine and twelve. It was during the eighties, maybe early nineties, when girls wore those long necklaces made of big beads. I went with my older teenage sister and a group of her friends. I think I clung to her and hid my face in her stomach through the entire tour. I honestly don’t remember much; the trauma’s probably blocking most of it!

The most notable part of this journey, however, came at the end of the walk-through. Some bloody dude with a knife yelled at us and charged, making us escape from him by entering a small crawl space fashioned from hay bales.

Yeah. Hay bales.

If we wanted out of the house, we had to get down on our hands and knees and crawl single-file through an itty-bitty tunnel made of hay bales.

Well, at this point, we were all pretty much ready to leave. Screaming, we surged in one lump mass toward the not-so appealing exit. I wasn’t the first to enter that crawl space, but I was the first to exit it.

I was so scared, all I remember to this day was breaking out into the dark night and just taking off sprinting through town. My poor sister probably had to chase me down and restrain me until I calmed. From her take on the story, I passed a couple people in that tight crawl space, must’ve wiggled right under one my sister’s friends to get by her, because I came out of the hay bales wearing her long beaded necklace. And I wasn't wearing it when we entered the haunted house.

So, yeah, I’m a big scaredy-cat when this time of the year rolls around.

What about you?

Essay Writing Winners Announced!

2010-10-07T23:29:00.006-04:00

Back in the summer I had this idea to offer an essay writing contest to my website visitors. I've always been a fan of the Essay genre, and even have a full page of my website devoted to them. So I opened up the contest and asked for entries. And I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed reading every single one that came in! Thank you so much for sharing your work with me. It was a tough decision to pick the top three but here they are. In no particular order, here are my favorite three essays submitted, and why I loved them:

A Girl's Trip, by Danielle Murphy

This essay took us on a magical journey to the most magical vacation destination in the world. I related so easily to the trip to Disney, having been there several times myself with my kids, and the author's pure joy for not only the vacation, but the exciting planning process, and the long-awaited reaction from her daughter was to me, pure magic!

On the Job Experiences, by Mary Jean Schiller

It's amazing what job experiences we rack up on the way to doing what it is we were really meant to do. I enjoyed the account of the author's checklist of crazy jobs. Sounds like she needed every single one of those experiences to prepare her for the job of a lifetime: mother of newborn triplets and a two-year-old! And it sounds like she could have a full series worth of stories from Ryan's escapades.

Write an Essay, I Don't Think So! by Rebecca Bidwell

This essay just made me laugh! It's a stream of consciousness selection from a retired grandma who is making sense of her new life filled with plenty of free time. My advice: sit back and enjoy the ride, and don't worry about making your days as productive as they used to be -- a lifetime of work earns you some guilt-free downtime!

Laurie Larsen's Essay Extravaganza Contest

2010-09-14T22:00:00.004-04:00

If you could write an essay on any topic of your choosing, what would it be about? If you could have a guaranteed internet audience to share your essay with, would you do it?

Here's your chance! I'm sponsoring an Essay Writing contest. Get your creativity flowing, grab your pen or your keyboard, and start writing! It can be on any topic and it's your chance to get your work published on my website where it can be read by thousands of people around the world!

Not only that, but the three winners I choose, in addition to getting their work published on my site for the world to see, will also receive my gift of a free book from my backlist -- your choice of one of my five books -- just let me know which one!
How can you pass up a chance like this???

The Few Simple Rules:
1. The contest deadline is Thursday, September 30, 2010.
2. Submit your original essay via a MS Word attachment in an email to: laurie@authorlaurielarsen.com with Essay Extravaganza Contest in the Subject line.
3. Make sure you are NOT passing me a computer virus embedded in your email or your document. If you do, you can be assured I will delete it immediately.
4. Word count limit is 1500 words.
5. I will read each and every submission. After the deadline I will determine the three winners of the contest based on my favorite essays. What will make them my favorite? Readability, professionalism, quality of the writing, how much the topic grabs me, etc.
6. If you need idea starters of what I'm looking for, feel free to peruse my website's Essays page for examples of blogs and essays I've written myself.

Have fun and I look forward to seeing your work!

Laurie

Banned Book Week 2010

2010-09-12T06:00:00.002-04:00

Coming to a library near you...

Since I work in a library for my day job, I’m a big supporter of Banned Book Week.

Held by the American Library Association every year in the last week of September, Banned Book Week "celebrates the freedom to read."

This year, banned book will take place:

September 25−October 2, 2010

So, get ready now! Go the library or bookstore and find one of the following stories this week. Read a challenged book and celebrate the fact that these authors broke the rules of their time so they could enrich and entertain us.

Here's a list of my favorites if you don't know where to start:
- Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
- Bridge to Terabithia
- The Giver
- Go Ask Alice
- Harry Potter (series)
- How to Eat Fried Worms
- James and the Giant Peach
- Killing Mr. Griffin
- Of Mice and Men
- The Outsiders
- Summer of My German Soldier
- To Kill a Mockingbird
Or go HERE to find more challenged titles.

Great Review for House of Wacks

2010-08-26T13:23:00.005-04:00

Bassetbarb at Night Owl Reviews loved Denise Gwen's House of Wacks! (Of course!) Here's what she had to say:

I loved House of Wacks. Denise Gwen gives us a behind the scenes look at a movie set and a peek into a sixteen-year-old girl’s mind. Both ring with the peal of believability. Jordan does soul-searching and doesn’t care much for what she discovers about herself and her friends.

I’m not saying anymore, because I don’t want to give away the ending, but buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

Thanks, Bassetbarb! We love Denise's book too :)

Don't have your copy yet? Download it in our eBook store or buy it from our print store today!

R U Ready 4 Back2School?

2010-08-12T06:00:00.006-04:00

It's getting close.

Are you ready?

School's about to begin again. Ugg. I know I'm not ready. I work at a college library, and I'm SOOOO going to miss my sweet parking spot once students return. Oh well, I guess they're what pay my salary, so I'll shut up about that.

Anyway, to get yourself back into the school-attending spirit, here are a couple books I recommend you read.

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson

When Mike Kissed Emma by Christine Marciniak

Krysta's Curse by Tara West

A Girl, A Guy, And A Ghost by Sherrie Kelley

Poor Me by (team) Dara Edmondson & Raina Edmondson

Seek Ye First My Heart [The Russell Family 3] by Kimberlee R. Mendoza

So, there are just a few awesome titles to get you jazzed and geared up for that dreaded S-word. Happy reading!

Oh, before I go, I have an announcement. Here's some BIG news for our climbing roses authors: FOUR of us are participating in EPIC's eBooks Awards Contest. So, keep your fingers cross. Though personally, I think us roses are just going to clean house in the young adult category (not that I'm biased!).

A Great Review for When Mike Kissed Emma

2010-08-05T21:12:00.003-04:00

When Mike Kissed Emma has been out for almost a year now, but I still stumble upon reviews. Today this one at Novel Reactions really made my day.

My favorite line is: "I loved reading this book and never wanted to put it down!"

Now, that's a great endorsement!

Head on over to Novel Reactions to read the whole review!

Heartfelt Review for The Stillburrow Crush

2010-08-05T07:07:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Kai of Amaterasu Reads for a fabulous review of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage! The review contains some spoilers but I loved what she had to say about Linda's fabulous book:

I think of this book as my luckiest find for the year. No other book has topped it in my list
...
This was a novel with depth. It's an amazing story about a sassy, smart, and honest girl. Carrie is no damsel in distress who bats her eyelashes just to get the guy she wants. She's a strong, determined young lady who, like everyone else, has a lot of insecurities to deal with.

Thanks again, Kai, we're pretty crazy about Stillburrow too!

Haven't bought your copy yet? It's available in paperback, eBook, and Kindle book. Snap yours up today!

Fabulous review for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic

2010-07-21T13:56:00.003-04:00

Dogwood over at Aurora Reviews loved Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson! Here's what she had to say:

The story is wonderfully written. It's almost like watching a movie, the descriptions are so vivid. The story flows very smoothly, you will find yourself finished before you know it. You can tell the author is very familiar with high school environments, because she was able to describe it so perfectly. It was like a blast from the past, and I was right back in school. Dreading getting up early, but looking forward to hanging out with everyone at Peterson's Coffee Emporium. If you are looking for an easy, entertaining read, then this book is just right for you. Perfect for a lazy day in a hammock, or even better, while you are laying out at the beach!

How fab is that? But don't just sit there (or swing there, if you're in that hammock!) download or order your copy of Psychic today!

Summer Jobs

2010-07-12T06:00:00.004-04:00

Ahhh, July. A time for reading, swimming, reading, suntanning, reading, family vacations...and summer jobs.

I remember my first summer job was working for a family that made metal craft signs (sorta like the one in this picture!) and then they traveled around to different craft fairs and sold their work. My job was painting all the signs black. I would set them out on metal racks and paint one side, then the other side, making sure I got every nook and cranny painted black. If I didn't do such a good job, I'd get to repaint them all over again the next day.

It was usually hot, miserable work and pretty messy too. I'd have black boogers all summer long (and now that I think back on it, I probably should have worn a mask, huh). Anyway, the best part was the money. And what did I buy with my money?

Books! Of course. Oh, and trips to the movies.

I have to say my favorite summer job, though, came between my freshman and sophomore year of college. A Hastings Bookstore opened in my town and I was able to work there for about a month before I left again for college. I was in book heaven at Hastings because I got an awesome--I mean AWESOME--discount on all the books I bought there. Almost makes me want to work there part time again so I can get more cheap books (sigh).

So, now I gotta know, what are some of the summer jobs you've done? And how many great books were you able to buy with all that cash...or did your paycheck go toward something else?

Hero Interview

2010-06-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

Hi! It's the twelfth; my day to post. I'm starting with an apology. This month, I feel lazy, ergo I'm just going to re-post something I had on my own blog a couple months back...

So today, we’re here with Luke Carter, hero in my debut novel The Stillburrow—

Luke Carter: Hey, before we start, I just wanted to thank you for finally letting me get a chance to talk—

Linda Kage: Wait. What do you mean, FINALLY? I allowed you plenty of dialogue in The Stillburrow Crush.

Carter: Yeah, but the entire story was written in first person point of view from Carrie’s perspective. No one got to see what I was thinking at all. I’m just saying… I’m grateful I’ve finally got a chance to speak my mind.

Kage: Well, okay then. Let’s hear what’s on Luke’s mind. Tell us a little something about yourself.

Carter: What? Right now?

Kage: (eyes rolling) You’re the one who was all fired to begin the interview, bud.

Carter: OK, fine. I’m ready. Uh… Hey, everyone. I’m Luke Carter. I’m a senior at SEC. That’s short for Stillburrow Education Center, though I’m not sure why they have such a fancy name for a little nothing school in a little nothing town. Sure, the grade school and high school are connected in one building, so it wouldn’t be right to exclusively call it Stillburrow High or Stillburrow Grade School. But SEC? Can you say lame? Whenever we have a game and all the cheerleaders start yelling, “Go SEC,” you just want to cringe with embarrassment. Which brings me around to football. I’m on the team… as the quarterback. We had an awesome season. Even beat Valley this year, which hasn’t happened for a long time. I was siked. But other than that, my dad’s the bank president. Mom’s a homemaker. And I’m a fairly decent student. My favorite subject is trig.

Kage: Trigonometry, huh? Wow. I would’ve guessed English.

Carter: (frowning) Really? Why?

Kage: Well, because you’re such a good poet.

Carter: (Eyes growing the size of saucers) SHHHH! Will you keep your voice down! (Hunching his shoulders and glancing around to make sure no one else heard). No one’s supposed to know about that.

Kage: About what? The fact that you like to write poetry?

Carter: WILL YOU KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN? Please? That’s private.

Kage: (Wincing). Uh, I hate to break it to you, bud. But anyone who reads "The Stillburrow Crush" is going to know your little secret.

Carter: WHAT! You put that in the book? How could you put my most private—

Kage: Hey, don’t yell at me. This is Carrie’s story. You need to take your problem up with her? SHE was the narrator.

Carter: (Scowling). Oh, don’t think I won’t.

Kage: (Grins a little smugly) You two sure like to argue, don’t you?

Carter: (not quite able to perfect an innocent, I-have-no-idea-what-you’re-talking-about smile) What?

Kage: Don’t give me that look. I know you. You LIKE picking fights with Carrie.

Carter: (Shrugs. Guilty grin slips through) What can I say? I like her witty, smart-aleck personality.

Kage: And why is that?

Carter: (Snorts) What are you, Dr. Phil, all the sudden?

Kage: Just curious.

Carter: OK, fine. Don’t you dare tell her this, but I admire that bold quality about her. I’m… I don’t know. I’m jealous, I guess. She’s just so… free. She doesn’t worry about what other people think; she just says what’s on her mind.

Kage: And you wish you were more like that?

Carter: (Shrugs) Well, yeah. Sure. I mean, as the captain of the football team, you’re expected to be the popular jock. Everyone’s always watching you, scrutinizing every little move you make. It’s impossible to act like yourself. Be yourself.

Kage: You mean, like the sensitive poet you really want to be.

Carter: Seriously, can we NOT talk about that?

Kage: (Laughs) OK, fine. I’ll let it go for now.

Carter: Thank you.

Kage: Let’s keep talking about Carrie.

Carter: (Frowns with suspicious, narrowed eyes) What about her?

Kage: Hey, I’m a major romance enthusiast. I want to know how you two hooked up?

Carter: Well, gee. You wrote the story, Ms. Kage. If you don’t know…

Kage: (Rolls eyes) And you say Carrie’s the smart aleck. We’re FINALLY in your mind now, Luke. Remember? I want to hear it from your point of view.

Carter: Oh... Well, honestly, I have no idea how that happened. Carrie just… happens to people. It’s hard to explain. She’s kind of like a train wreck. One minute, you’re chugging along, minding your own business, following the tracks laid out for you. Then, suddenly, everything’s derailed and one huge mess with Carrie standing right in the middle of it.

Kage: I suppose you don’t want her to know you said that about her either, huh?

Carter: Na, I don’t mind if you tell her that. I like to tell her she’s a disaster magnet all the time. Just read her story to discover all the problems she finds herself getting involved in. I mean, how many people can say they were suspended, grounded, grew a crush, kissed that crush, and aced trigonometry all for the first time within a one month time frame? Not to mention that whole mess with her brother and Abby Eggrow. Carrie’s been a busy girl lately. And ever since she interviewed me for the school paper, I got sucked into the catastrophe right along with her.

Kage: You got sucked into it, or you were drawn in because you like her?

Carter: Sucked in. Drawn in. Does it really matter?

Kage: Major romance enthusiast here, remember? YES, it matters.

Carter: OK, fine. I was drawn in. But Carrie’s just so... animated, you know. I couldn’t help but go back for more torture. Arguing with her’s fun. She’s addictive.

Kage: Awww. My romance enthusiast heart just with pitter pat. That was a sweet, wonderful line.

Carter: (Blushes) Geesh, it wasn’t that big a deal. You already know I like her.

Kage: But you said it so romantically. That must be why you’re such a good—

Carter: If you say poet again, this interview is over.

Kage: (Evil grin). Actually, I was just about ready to wrap things up. You could probably only go downhill from the “addictive” quote. Is there any last minute comment you’d like to make, so everyone can get a better insight into your personality?

Carter: UH…. Now, dang it. You got me all flustered. I can’t think straight. You’re too much like Carrie in that respect, you know? Talk a poor guy into knots.

Kage: Well, I did invent her.

Carter: Yeah, you did. I’d really like that thank you for that too. Without Carrie around, my life would’ve proceeded with its dull boring, “expected” path. I’m glad you threw her on my tracks to shake things up. She’s become my inspiration.

Kage: (Sighs dreamily) Now, there’s my perfect finale. Ladies and gents: Luke Carter, hero of my young adult romance story, The Stillburrow Crush*.

*The Stillburrow Crush was released in Frebruary from The Wild Rose Press. And Luke might not get to give his point of view, but I must say Carrie gives a pretty actuate depiction of him.

Thanks for stopping by to check out his interview.

Your May Inspiration

2010-05-12T06:00:00.002-04:00

May is a good month for endings and beginnings. School ends, the break begins. Spring winds down, and Summer gears up to play. And seniors graduate only to prepare for the rest of their lives. I don’t know how many of you out there are graduating this month, but I have just the poem to pump you up and energize you to begin the rest of your life.

I first heard it in the fifth grade when my class took a field trip to the George Washington Carver National Monument in Diamond, Missouri. They played a recording of him reciting this poem during his commencement address at Selma University, Selma Alabama on May 27, 1942. And it’s stuck with me ever since.

I hope it sticks with you as well and inspires you to use your equipment wisely. Have a great May.

EQUIPMENT

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say, "I can."

Look them over, the wise and great
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes.
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.

You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will.
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have legs and arms and a brain to use,
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.

You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place,
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know.
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself, my lad.
You were born with all that the great have had,
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say: "I can."

--Edgar A. Guest

Rave Reviews for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic

2010-04-29T08:36:00.005-04:00

Another fab review for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson! Over at Bitten by Books, they give Confessions 4 Tombstones--which sounds bad but is actually good :)--and have this to say:

Pamela Woods-Jackson has created a thoroughly likeable heroine who is struggling to juggle all the normal teenage angst with her psychic abilities. This story teaches young readers a valuable lesson without being preachy: be true to yourself and embrace those qualities that make you special and unique. Confessions of a Teenage Psychic is an absolutely wonderful debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Woods-Jackson in the future.

Pretty cool, huh? Check out Confessions of a Teenage Psychic in our Climbing Rose store today.

Another Great Review for Teenage Psychic

2010-04-27T08:35:00.003-04:00

So exciting that Reader Girl over at Night Owl Reviews loved Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson:

Once I started Confessions of A Teenage Psychic, I couldn't stop reading till I finished the whole thing. I recommend this book to every teenager and especially if they happen to be a teenage psychic. If you like reading about high school life with a little fortune telling and ghost talking, this is the book for you.

Awesome! Want to see what all the fuss is about? Check out Confessions of a Teenage Psychic in the Climbing Rose store today!

Great Review for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic!

2010-04-24T07:16:00.004-04:00

We're always excited about our Climbing Rose books, but it's still thrilling when reviewers are excited about them too! And Theresa over at The Romance Studio is definitely thrilled with Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson:

I highly recommend you pick up this book and be sure to get a copy for any young woman in your life. This was such a poignant novel that I just know I will read it again and again. This author is going on my must-read list.

How great is that? Read the whole review here. And pick up your copy of Confessions of a Teenage Psychicin the Climbing Rose store today.

Great Interview with Linda Kage at Aurora Reviews

2010-04-19T16:03:00.004-04:00

Check out Aurora Review's interview with Linda Kage and find out all about Linda's reading, writing, and romance habits:

Recently she's been trying her hand at adult romance and, in fact, has two adult books scheduled for release later this year with The Wild Rose Press. "My head is constantly buzzing with a handful of stories ideas," Linda told me. "It’s a total mess up there. If The Stillburrow Crush goes over well, I have a few more YA book ideas I could focus on…but beware: they’ll all have romance in them. I’m a romance junkie; I just gotta have that happy ending where the hero and heroine end up together forever..."

And check out Linda's YA release, The Stillburrow Crush, in the Climbing Rose Store.

Five on Friday - Shut Up! I'm Reading Edition

2010-04-16T11:34:00.006-04:00

It's Friday which means it's time for Five on Friday where we pose five random questions to some of our favorite bloggers and authors. Today's Fiver is Jessica from Shut Up! I'm Reading.

Here's the scoop on Jessica:

This is Jessica Secret: She's 13. And home-schooled. And, hey, get this, not only does she blog about the books she's read, but she's an aspiring writer too! (Either writing novels or writing/acting for SNL.) Yep, books pretty much rule her life. And awesome music. Sometimes she likes to combine them, especially when writing.

Awesome, Jessica! We love aspiring writers! Ready? Here are your questions:

1. Do you play an instrument?

I took one piano lesson and one guitar lesson. I haven't stuck with either, but I'd love to pull out the guitar again. I loved playing that, even when practicing.

2. What super power do you wish you had?

I'd love to be able to read minds. If I was able to control it, I think it would be an amazing ability. If I wasn't able to control it,then I'd pick flying. Even though I'm deathly afraid of heights, I just think it would be such an exhilarating feeling to be able to fly. Even though the height thing might make it...um...interesting.

3. What's your favorite season of the year?

Fall/Autumn. It's inspiring. I have no idea why, but it inspires everything that I do. My life, writing, drawings...everything.

4. What is something most people don't know about you?

Bloggers don't know that I was in a car accident when I was ten with my seven year-old sister, and two year-old brother. (The ages are just rough estimates, but it was around there.) My mom swerved into a bridge and tipped the car onto its side. I was surprised at how well I handled the situation, I was very calm. After just a little while we were out of car with the help of two very cool men. My mom walked away with a bad scratch with some glass in it, and we all had a sore spot or two where our seat belts had saved us. Friends and family know just about everything about me, I think.

5. What food can you absolutely not stand to eat?

OLIVES. Black, green, it doesn't matter. I gag at the mention/thought of an olive.

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Jessica! That car accident sounds scary, so glad you were all fine. I hope everybody will check out your fabulous Shut Up! I'm Reading blog!

Twelfth Thief

2010-04-12T06:00:00.004-04:00

Hello! Linda Kage here. I've agreed to provide a post on this blog once a month, and I decided to steal the 12th (ergo my title: Twelfth Thief!!). So, I'm going to bore—I mean, ENTERTAIN—you all on the twelve of every month. This first go 'round, I’ll just introduce myself to give you some fair warning about what you can expect from me every thirty days or so.

First of all, I love to read all sorts of romance: contemporary, suspense, historical, paranormal, YA…you get the picture, right? If it’s a romance, I’ll devour it. But so far, I’ve only written contemporary romance.

My first book, The Stillburrow Crush (YAY!), was released this February from The Wild Rose Press. It’s a contemporary Young Adult story, and strangely enough, the only YA book I’ve finished to date. The other three books I have coming out are all adult romance—not erotic but definitely on the steamy side (yikes!).

If you’d like to read more about any of my stories, please feel free to visit my website at www.LindaKage.com. I just love visitors! I'm hapy to say The Stillburrow Crush has been getting some pretty awesome reviews. So, I've created a REVIEWS page to keep track of them all.

Now, onto my personal life…

I live in Kansas with my husband, daughter, and our nine cuckoo clocks (though we only run one clock at a time because, honestly who wants to wind nine cuckoo clocks every morning and evening—though technically, you don’t wind a cuckoo clock; you pull a string. Sorry, I’m not up-to-date on the correct cuckoo terminology on how to re-energize a cuckoo clock!) Anyway...

This February was a HUGE month for me because not only did my first book come out, but my first baby was born too! I know, WOW, right?

I seriously can’t believe my little Lydia Marie is already two months old. Before I know it, she’ll be walking, talking, and moving off to college. My writing time has greatly decreased since she’s been alive, but stories keep swimming around in my head, so I’m sure I’ll continue to use what spare time I can find to keep up on writing…or reading. I really miss reading as much as I used to read before she came along. But it’s still worth it. She’s been a blessing, an exhausting blessing, but a blessing nonetheless.

So, that’s the basics about me. It was nice to meet you all. I’ll see you again next Twelfth!

Five on Friday - Roboloblyn Edition

2010-04-09T07:00:00.005-04:00

It's Friday, and that means it's time for Five on Friday where we pose five random questions to one of our favorite authors or bloggers. Today's Fiver is Robyn of Robolobolyn's Universe of Books blog.

Here's the scoop on Robyn:

You may have seen me around the blogsphere as Robolobolyn. Or on Twitter as Robbiebear03. You might have been able to tell from that that I'm an avid reader with a bit of a patience issue. Okay, a lot of a patience issue. But let's not get into that. I like all things starting with kitten, dog, book, and Taylor Lautner. I hate all things involving yucky foods, snakes, and annoying little sisters. I am the world's pickiest eater. Put something in front of me and you have a fifty-fifty chance of getting me to eat it. Even less if it involves onions.

I consider myself educated on the subject of books and will babble non-stop on the subject until you yell at me. Or run away. I've even been known to ditch my friends at lunch to go find a corner to read. (I'm sorry, guys. I love you and all, but this is books we're talking 'bout!)

Oh, and I'm a superhero. I've got supervision, flying powers, and am able to leap tall buildings with a single bound. (Not really, but did you believe me? I had you going, I know I did!)

We've never had a superhero before! How fabulous! And I'm so with you on the onion thing :) Now on to the questions:

1. Where were you three hours ago?

Where was I? Well I was on this big ol' yellow thing called the school bus. For forty-five minutes! What was I doing? Sitting on small children, eating their snacks and throwing rocks at the bus driver. Okaaay, so not really. I was actually being quiet, reading Lilith Saintcrow's Betrayals, listening to my iPod, and texting friends. I am quite the multitasker.

2. When you wake up, what is the first thing you think?

I typically plot out the best way to find five minutes of extra sleep. Or ten. Or however much time I can get before my mom starts yelling at me. I dislike any time before 10am. No, scratch that. I loathe any time before 10am. And I will do almost anything to be allotted a few minutes of extra sleep. Including faking sick. But shh! don't tell my mom! :)

3. What's your favorite guilty-pleasure TV show?

*drops head* I hate to admit this, I still watch the Family channel. You know, Hannah Montana, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody/The Suite Life on Deck, Life With Derek, and Wizards of Waverly Place. I even went as far as staying up until 2am to watch the Wizards of Waverly Place movie, simply because I refused to watch the 10pm one because I missed the first 5 minutes. Yes, I know. I'm a dork. But can we please shut up about it now? I can hear you laughing at me. Don't think I can't!

4. What is the last movie you saw in theaters? Was it good?

About a month ago I went to see New Moon. Why? Not because I loved the books (they were good, but not the great thing that everyone makes them out to be) but because the one and only Taylor Lautner was in it. And he was shirtless about 50% of the time!!! :D As you may have noted, I heart Taylor Lautner. I'm planning on marrying that boy someday, despite the fact that my best friend also loves him. I told her if we could find a cloning machine we could share. But I still get to keep the original. She disagrees. She thinks she should get to keep the original. We got into a bit of a fight about it. She's now six feet under. (Weeeell, not really, but she will be if she steals him from me!)

Oh, man. I got off topic! Sorry. So, um, the movie was decent, but no better than the book. Parts were slow and boring, while others were hot and Taylor Lautner-filled. (Otherwise, I only liked the scenes with Taylor.) Everything else was just meh. And the ending blew. But, hey, if it floats your boat, go for it. Just don't steal my man!! :)

5. What's the last sporting event you watched?

Let it be known that I am not a sporty person. I will go to a hockey game if given the chance. But I will not sit and watch it on TV for the heck of it. Too many commercials and the old guys gossiping on about which player is sick or horrible or being traded just bugs me. Therefore, the only sporting event I can even remember watching was about an hour ago: The DVD version of Survivor: Pearl Islands. And do not even try to burst my bubble and tell me that it inst a sporting event. Because it is! Have you watched it? The survivors regularly have to run long distances, swim out into the middle of the ocean, plow into each other, get muddy and balance on beams. Among other physical type things. And, I dunno about you, but getting muddy and plowing into people sure sounds like football to me. And swimming long distances? Hello, swimming!? Running? And balance beams. That's sports. Though I'm not sure if there was ever a time in sport history where some of the teammates stripped in the middle of their challenge/game thing just because their teammates boxers were falling down and they didn't want him to feel embarrassed.

What fabulous answers, Robyn! Thanks so much for playing Five on Friday with us. Everybody be sure to stop by the fabulous Robolobolyn's Universe of Books blog.

Great Review of I Was a Teenage Alien

2010-04-07T11:18:00.004-04:00

School Library Journal posted a fab review of I Was A Teenage Alien by Jane Greenhill. Here's what they said:

This inventive and humorous tale combines references to alien abductions, Area 51, beauty salons, teenage angst, and environmental concerns in a plausible and thoroughly enjoyable way.

How cool is that? And we couldn't agree more. Here's the blurb for Alien:

Oas is sent from her home planet of Zorca-twenty-three to rescue her brother Ralb from the worst humanoid known in the solar system-a teenage girl. With her traveling companions, Rotsen, a plant with an attitude who watches too many Sopranos reruns, and Lehcarr, a Venus Fly Trap with the habit of eating her friends, they set out to find Ralb. Traveling through a black hole, Oas is transformed from her ananoid shape into a teenage humanoid, becoming what she fears most-a teenager. They land in Bedrocktown to find the teenagers aren't as bad as they feared-they're worse. Zen her handler has warned her to stay away from pizza and popcorn but she tries both, with horrible results. She needs to find her brother, figure out how humans kiss, save the town from an E. coli outbreak, and meet Johnny Depp, not necessarily in that order. Then all she has to do is find her way home, but are her ties to Earth too strong?

So if you like stories with extra-terrestrial fun, check out I Was a Teenage Alien by Jane Greenhill--available in the Climbing Rose store.

Typical Review of The Stillburrow Crush

2010-04-05T10:35:00.003-04:00

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. We had gorgeous, almost summery weather in my neighborhood. Perfect for Easter Egg hunts (or in my family, an egg-shaped sugar cookie hunt--way more fun to find and eat!)

I'm also excited about this super review from Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog. She had this to say about The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage:

Carrie has got to be the most strong willed, stubborn headed, sarcastic, foot in mouth character I have ever ran across. Linda Kage writes her with so much spunk though she never becomes annoying. She's brutally honest and doesn't care who you are, she'll tell you like it is. Just about everything this girl said made me smirk. The relationship between her and hunky quarterback Luke (don't you dare call him Lucas) was cute and a sweet one. I liked how they were in a way common characters, but they had so much heart they developed very nicely throughout the story.

Thanks for the great review, Amber! I totally loved Carrie too! If you'd like to find out what all the fuss is about, pick up your copy of The Stillburrow Crush in the Climbing Rose store today.

Five on Friday - Sparrow Review Edition

2010-04-02T07:00:00.003-04:00

It's Friday! which means it's time for our Five on Friday feature where we grab a blogger or author and pelt her with five random questions.

Today's Fiver is Cate of the fab Sparrow Review blog. Here's the scoop on Cate:

I'm a small town high school student in North Carolina, and I love to spend a rainy afternoon with a mug of tea and a book. While I mostly review YA Lit, I also love the classics and occasionally something a little different. I also have a passion for fairy tales, and enjoy retellings. When I'm not reading or blogging, you can usually find me baking or watching old Disney movies with my friends (we miss our childhood...ha!) And, believe it or not, I actually really love to tap dance.

Cool! I've always wanted to learn how to tap dance. How fun :) Thanks for playing along, Cate, here are your five questions:

1. What TV show are you following this season?

Ha, this season- more like the rest of my life! As of right now, I'm completely addicted to Gilmore Girls. I own all of the seasons, and just can't get enough of the witty humor.

2. Would you go rock climbing?

Once, when I was about ten or eleven, I was really into rock climbing. Hypothetically, that is. Despite the fact that I am incredibly afraid of heights, I convinced my dad to take me to one of those rock climbing gyms. I think I was in the harness for all of twelve seconds before I realized that I couldn't make myself go more than three feet off the ground out of fear. That phase in my young life ended very abruptly.

3. What's your biggest pet peeve?

People with bad table table manners. I can't stand people who chew with their mouth open, or those obnoxious soup slurpers.

4. If you had three wishes, what would you wish for?

First I would wish for a thousand more wishes, or course! (Is that legal?) Then, a life-sized replica of the Harry Potter castle. Because, truly, who wouldn't want that? Oh, and world peace. It's a draw for me as far as whether the castle or peace would bring more happiness. ;)

5. What is your favorite animal?

Dolphins. Followed closely by pandas.

You are a riot, Cate, I love your answers! Thanks so much for visiting the climbing Rose blog, and everybody be sure to stop by Cate's beautiful Sparrow Review blog.

Looking for a Cute Romance?

2010-03-29T14:15:00.000-04:00

A couple of reviewers think that you'll find it in When Mike Kissed Emma. I couldn't be happier with the reviews I found online this weekend.

My favorite lines from them?

Becky at Becky's Book Reviews had this to say:

I know I would have really really loved this one if I'd read it as a young teen.

And Lauren at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf said this:

The plot was fun and fast paced leaving me to be constantly turning the pages, curious to see what would happen next.

Please go to both of these sites and read the full reviews!

Five on Friday - The Moody Teenager Edition

2010-03-26T07:00:00.002-04:00

It's Friday, which means it's time for Five on Friday when we grab a perfectly nice blogger or author and pelt her with five random questions. Today's Fiver is The Moody Teenager (OK, how great a name is that?) from The Moody Teenager blog (where else?)

Here's the scoop on The Moody Teenager:

Well I was est1995 and love to read. That is why I write reviews for teen books I read. Why? Because I've got nothing better to do that's why. I also enjoy long walks on pavement and rainy days, which are perfect for reading!

Rainy days are truly perfect for reading, I'm with you there :) And now for your five questions:

What TV show are you following this season?

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE! I always fall in love with one of the guys but they always get eliminated before the finale (Nathan, Jason....the list goes on). And of course Glee, though the season has ended, I need another Mashup Fix!

What's your earliest childhood memory?

My face being pushed into a pile of snow *shivers*

Do you have any pets?

I used to have a budgie, but he flew away (it was my fault!) and then we got 2 other ones but they kept...umm...doing inappropriate things....

What do you want to know about the future?

Is 2012 real? Will the Backstreet Boys have a come back? Will Britney Spears ever get back to normal? These are the questions that haunt me...

When you wake up, what is the first thing you think?

If I open my eyes, will there be a serial killer there?

I think I might be haunted if the Backstreet Boys DO have a comeback--and now I'm dying to know what inappropriate things your budgie did :)

Thanks so much for answering our questions, Moody! And everybody, go visit the fab Moody Teenager blog!

Springing toward Summer

2010-03-23T12:44:00.004-04:00

What does Springtime mean to you?

Gardens and flowers bring the return of color. No matter how crisp and white a snowfall looks, the first of the bursting yellow daffodils are like a voice announcing the return of good weather and outdoors activities.

Oh, it might mean prom dates to some… it might mean applying for a summer job or endlessly mowing a lawn that grows larger every year (how does that happen?)

Those aren’t the reasons you look ahead with excitement. (OK, maybe the prom…) It’s the return of Sunshine and warm warm days.

And that means beach days aren’t far off.

Close your eyes and remember the gritty feel of the sand that insists on creeping onto your towel, and of all the voices laughing and chatting all around. Bet we all have a favorite beach, whether it’s the local swimming hole, a lake, or an ocean-side endless stretch of snow-white sands.

If your favorite spot threatened to disappear, what would you do?

In Spinning the Baiji, teenage Lin’s dream is to save the Yangtze River, about to be tamed by the new dam. And, its not just for herself, but for the dolphins that have lived along the shore of her village…for the grandmas that have never lived anywhere else… for the Lotus flowers that claim this valley as home.

What price will she pay to safeguard the best of her world? Download your eBook copy of Spinning the Baiji, by Nancy Lindley-Gauthier, to find out.

Another Fab Review for March Misfit

2010-03-22T07:00:00.003-04:00

March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis has gotten so many stellar reviews, it's starting to get boring...OK, kidding! It's so not boring that so many reviewers have loved Barbara's book!

Here's what Fern at Aurora Reviews had to say:

March Misfit is a poignant and unforgettable tale about starting anew; surrounded by people, difficulties, and circumstances beyond your control. Although told through varying perspectives, this is orphaned fifteen-year old Cara’s story. When she enters into a large family living on the edge of poverty -- all of whom are virtual strangers -- she is the focal point and foundation of the work. It’s an amazing journey that enraptures from start to finish, and once I started, I couldn’t put the book down.

And here's the blurb:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

Haven't ordered your copy yet? Read an excerpt here, then pick up a copy today in the Climbing Rose Store!

Five on Friday - Juju at Tales of Whimsy edition

2010-03-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

It's Friday, which means it's time for Five on Friday, where we pose 5 random questions to our favorite book bloggers and authors. Today's Fiver is Juju of the fabulous Tales of Whimsy blog.

Tell us about yourself, Juju:

During the day I masquerade as a mature, responsible, financially savvy 33-year-old secretary but by night I'm a teenage bookworm with a penchant for Young Adult Fiction and love stories. When I'm not reading I'm cuddling with my husband and dogs (or both), eating exotic food, or dreaming of my next adventure.

OK, Juju, here are your five questions:

What's your favorite guilty-pleasure TV show?

At the moment it's a tie between the Big Bang Theory and Accidentally on Purpose.

What's your favorite midnight snack?

Definitely chocolate chip cookies. I could be the female Cookie Monster.

Who would you cast to play you in a movie?

America Ferrera she's younger than me but she nails the thick Americanized Latina that would be required to play me.

Do you like travelling?

I live for it. I just got back from Arizona and I'm hoping to visit Scotland or Ireland for the first time next year.

What's your earliest childhood memory?

Waking up early on Christmas morning and just gazing at the lights and gifts with total glee and anticipation.

Thanks so much for playing, Juju. I love your Christmas memory :)

Be sure to stop by Juju's fabulous blog Tales of Whimsy to say hello!

Forevermore, you'll be an "award-winning author!"

2010-03-17T22:22:00.006-04:00

Hello out there in blog land! I had to share a really memorable weekend in my writing career, a weekend I'll never forget. It was magical, it was exciting ... well, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Back in December or January, I got word that my book Preacher Man, published last year by Wild Rose Press was a finalist in the EPIC contest! EPIC honors e-books of all different categories and genres, and my book was a finalist in the "Spiritual and Metaphysical Romance Fiction" category. HUH? That's a mouthful. But regardless, I was thrilled.

They invited me to come to the awards ceremony in New Orleans to accept the award in person. That's of course, IF I won. There was always the chance that I wouldn't win. But still ... it was a weekend in New Orleans, it was far away from the cold and snow of central Illinois, and it was the chance to chat and have fun with other writers. It was a no-brainer! I made plans to go.

For months, I told everyone I knew, and even some people I didn't know that I was headed to New Orleans in March because my book was up for an award. It was so ... cosmopolitan! I felt sort of like Carrie Bradshaw.

When I arrived in NO, I wasted no time finding authentic cajun food to eat, touring the French Quarter, browsing through antique shops and even taking a ghost tour of famous NO hauntings. I met other writers and I was having a ball! Fast forward to Saturday night when I'm all dressed up in my sparkly dress and heels, listening to the presenter announce the finalists for my category. Everything I'd been anticipating for the last three months had come down to this one moment. Would they call my name? Or someone else's name?

"And the winner is ..."

Time seemed to go into a wierd slow motion while I waited for her to open the envelope. My mind raced with ... I might win, but I might not. Even if I don't, it's still great to be a finalist. I've had a great weekend, and I've met some great people, and I've enjoyed my visit to New Orleans ... but OH, I'd love to win!

"... Laurie Larsen!"

WOW! The first thing I heard was my dad sitting beside me make some sort of sound like, "Ah ha!" Then I heard this rousing chorus of applause and cheers and I just sat there for a moment, soaking it in. The love and support in that room were palpable. I got up, made my way around several tables and up on the stage, all without stumbling. (Whew). And I accepted the beautiful EPIC award. It was wonderful.

When I returned home and shared the news, my brother said something that really stuck with me, "Forevermore, you'll be known as an award-winning author." And you know what? He's right.

Winner of the Confessions of a Teenage Psychic Giveaway

2010-03-17T07:00:00.005-04:00

Last week, we launched Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by 2010 Debut Author Pamela Woods-Jackson with excerpts and a giveaway. So today I'd like to announce that

Vampire Girl

is the winner of a copy of Pamela's book. Congratulations, Vampire Girl!

If you'd like to know more about Confessions, you can read the Prologue, Chapter One, and Chapter Two. Or skip the excerpts and go right to the buying :) in the Climbing Rose store.

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

More great reviews for Climbing Rose books

2010-03-16T07:09:00.005-04:00

We're raving over our rave reviews! The Romance Studio loved March Misfit and The Stillburrow Crush!

First, Steph B.'s review of March Misfit:

This is a sweet and poignant story. The March family are very poor and don't really have the resources to add another member to their family but they still took Cara in when she lost her family. Cara is grateful and tries hard to give something back to the proud family. I loved the character of Cara, even while she is hurting and her situation seems so unjust, she tries hard to make the best of it and to reach out to the family who has taken her in. The March family, however doesn't seem to know how to accept help. I cried for how cruel and unjust the situation is for Cara but I was also proud of her. This book will pull out all your emotions and swirl them around and then send them back to you. As Cara struggles to finds place in the March family, she discovers that caring for another can ease her pain.

And then Theresa's review of The Stillburrow Crush:

This was a hauntingly beautiful young adult novel. I loved the fact that it was such an authentic representation of life. The setting was wonderful, the whole community came vividly to life with each word. The characters were compelling because they were average small town residents with typical issues. I found I was easily able to relate to everyone. It was refreshing to have a heroine who was not stunningly gorgeous, rich and popular, not someone with too much money and not enough sense. I loved how the relationship between Carrie and Luke developed; it was so genuine and sweet. There's nothing I like better than a good cry while reading and this book gave me that. It also gave me moments of laughter, and it gave me a happily ever after. This was such a poignant novel that I just know I will read it again and again. This author is definitely going on my must-read list. I highly recommend you pick up this book and be sure to get a copy for any young woman in your life

Pick up your copy of these fab novels in our Climbing Rose Store!

Another fabulous review of The Stillburrow Crush

2010-03-15T07:44:00.003-04:00

Asylumgirl over at Gothic Asylum Reviews (how awesome a blog title is that? You gotta go look at her header too--way gothic creepy!) loved The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage (of course!) Here's what she had to say:

I'm going to call this the little novel that could. I was blown away by how good it was. I was prepared for a sappy, cute, predictable love story. What I got was a heart-wrenching, roller coaster of emotions that kept me reading until the wee hours of morning. The writing was easy to read and the story was realistic. I absolutely fell in love with the characters. Linda Kage will definitely be on my watch list.

Here's the blurb:

Sixteen year old, Carrie Paxton, isn't the most popular girl in her small town of Stillburrow. But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper. But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much. Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?

Here's where you can read an excerpt from The Stillburrow Crush, and here's where you can get your own copy!

Release Day for Confessions of a Teenage Psychic!

2010-03-12T07:00:00.003-05:00

It's the big day! Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by 2010 debut author Pamela Woods-Jackson releases today!

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

Want to read more? Read the Prologue, Chapter One, and Chapter Two--then click over to the Climbing Rose store to download an eBook or order your print copy today.

Or leave a comment on this post to be entered in our giveaway to WIN a copy of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic!

Final Excerpt from Confessions and a Giveaway!

2010-03-11T07:00:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow is The Big Day! The release of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by 2010 Debut Author Pamela Woods-Jackson. Yay! On Tuesday, we featured the Prologue to Pamela's book (click here to read it, if you missed it) Yesterday, we had Chapter One (click here if you missed that) and today we get started with Chapter Two.

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then, just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

And here's the excerpt:

Chapter 2
Caffeine Rush

I spot Megan standing on the street corner outside school that afternoon and hesitantly walk over to join her. Even though she was nice to me today in art class, I’m still the new girl and my insecurities make me wonder if I’d really been expected to come or if it was just a pity-invite.

“Hi,” Megan says, looking surprised.

“You did say today after school, right? For coffee?”

“Oh, yeah,” she says, like she’s just remembered she asked me to join them.

She turns away and continues watching for her friends to emerge from the school building.

“I wasn’t sure if you’d really come,” she adds without looking at me.

I’m not sure whether to stay or go, but while I hesitate, Megan glances over my head and waves both arms. I turn around and see two girls heading toward us.

“Hey, Megan!” shouts one.

“Can we hurry and go?” asks the other one. “I’m meeting Kevin.”

“And who’s this?” asks the first one, staring at me. This girl is very pretty, part Asian, with long black hair and dark eyes. I wistfully admire the rhinestone-studded T-shirt she’s wearing, take another look at my faded Astros shirt, and wish I’d chosen something else for my first day at a new school.

Click here to continue reading Chapter Two.

And don't forget to leave a comment--anytime this week--to be entered in a drawing to win a copy of Pamela's fun book!

Excerpt from Confessions of a Teenage Psychic & a Giveaway!

2010-03-10T07:00:00.006-05:00

Just two days away from the release of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by 2010 Debut Author Pamela Woods-Jackson. Yesterday we featured the Prologue to Pamela's book (click here to read it, if you missed it yesterday) and today we get started with Chapter One.

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then, just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

And here's the excerpt:

Chapter 1
New Kid, New School Year

“Class, may I have your attention? I’d like to introduce our new student Caryn Alderson. She just moved here from Houston, Texas,” announces the art teacher, Miss Emerson. She looks frazzled, her apron covered in paint, and there’s a smudge of blue chalk on her face.

I feel like an idiot, being presented to the class like I’m in elementary school. What next? Will they greet me in unison?

“Hi, Caryn!” all the students say at once.

Great. My sixth sense always kicks in at the most embarrassing moments.

“Caryn,” says Miss Emerson after the class settles back to work. “As I told you when we met yesterday, we’re already working on our first project of the year. So to get you up to speed quickly, I’ll partner you with someone.” Miss Emerson looks around the room for a likely victim. “Megan? Megan Benedict, may I have a word with you?”

Megan is absorbed in a pencil drawing on the other side of the room and clearly doesn’t want to be disturbed. She groans and rolls her eyes as she gets up from her stool and walks across to the front of the room where I’m still standing next to Miss Emerson. Megan stops in front of me, arms clasped across her chest, glaring at me like I’m her worst nightmare. Right now all I want to do is run—back to my mother, back to Houston, anywhere but here.

Click here to continue reading Chapter One!

And don't forget to come back and tell me what you think. Everyone who comments on the blog this week is entered to win a copy of Pamela's awesome book!

Excerpt from Confessions of a Teenage Psychic & a Giveaway

2010-03-09T07:00:00.006-05:00

We're getting closer to the BIG DAY for 2010 Debut Author Pamela Woods-Jackson. Confessions of a Teenage Psychic releases Friday, but the good news is that we don't have to wait until then to start reading it! We'll be featuring the Prologue and first two chapters on the blog this week. Cool!

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then, just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

Here's the excerpt:

Prologue
April Foolery

I take one last look in my locker, hoping I’ve got everything. My biology book is shoved in sideways, blocking my algebra book, my sketchbook is buried under some math homework I never turned in, and my color-coded class notebooks are now in a pile on the bottom, next to a wrinkled Texas A&M sweatshirt. It’s easier to just keep most of my stuff in my book bag because I don’t feel like digging through the clutter most of the time. I sigh, slam the door shut and hurry to class.

“Hi, Caryn!” Emma looks really tired, like she didn’t get much sleep last night. “I wanted to ask you…”

“About your algebra test?”

“Yeah, right. Well, I was wondering if, well, if you thought I’d…” She sighs.

I guess she’s decided not to ask me if she’s actually going to pass it, and instead just looks at me sheepishly and says, “Wish me luck, okay?”

“Sure, good luck,” I say, knowing all too well she’s going to need it.

Sometimes I wonder, Why me? Most days are okay I guess, but, see, I’m fifteen years old and everyone thinks I’m weird because I know stuff. I don’t mean smart kinds of stuff, I mean things I have no way of actually knowing, but pick up on anyway. Sometimes it’s a gut reaction, sometimes it’s just images, like a movie-of-the week on fast-forward in my brain, but once in a while I just know something and it comes spilling out of my mouth before I can stop it.

Click here to continue reading the Prologue.

And be sure to leave me a comment and let me know what you think. Everybody who comments on the blog this week is entered into a drawing to win a copy of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic!

Chatting with 2010 Debut Author Pamela Woods-Jackson--and a giveaway!

2010-03-08T07:00:00.003-05:00

Today we're chatting with Pamela Woods-Jackson, author of our upcoming release, Confessions of a Teenage Psychic.

Here's the blurb:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

Thanks for stopping by, Pamela. Please tell us about Confessions of a Teenage Psychic. Where did your inspiration come from?

I've always been fascinated with psychics and I've read a number of their biographies. Sylvia Browne is my favorite, but I also enjoy Sonia Choquette, Allison DuBois (the real one), and James Van Praagh. They almost all say they were uncomfortable with their abilities during their childhood and teen years and only came to accept them as an adult. That influenced me in writing about Caryn's insecurities.

However, there was a real-life inspiration that set my mind to churning. I had a student at Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis (Rosslyn HS is a thinly-disguised BRHS) and one day one of her friends came to me and said we were having a fire drill at ????o'clock because Dena said so. I asked how Dena knew, and he said "she's psychic." I began to wonder what it would be like inside her head if she knew stuff like that and it just didn't find its way to the surface very often. That's how Caryn was born. Once I began to flesh out Caryn, I knew she didn't look like Dena (who was blond, popular and athletic, a real nice girl), but I started to think Caryn looked more like another student of mine whose tastes were quite eclectic. Hillary is the physical model for Caryn.

As for my other characters, they're all purely fictional, but I admit to borrowing my students' names a LOT!

Any psychic abilities of your own you want to confess to us?

I wish I was psychic like Caryn, but I'm not. Sometimes I get intuitive flashes in my head about my own life, and frequently I get answers in my dreams that are sometimes pretty vivid. For instance, I saw my son in a dream months before he was born, and I've already seen my grandson who hasn't even been conceived yet. Unlike Caryn, I have no clue about other people.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I don't know that there was any conscious plan on my part to start writing, it's just that I've always been good at it. Novel-writing is a recently acquired interest, but I was always the best in school at compositions, and I'm a prolific letter-to-the-editor writer. Just about anything I send in seems to land in the newspaper, magazine, etc.

What's next? Any projects you'd like to share with us?

I've got a novel that I like to call a "prequel" to Confessions of a Teenage Psychic entitled It Just Makes Sense. Caryn isn't in it, but it's the backstory of all the Benedict women. Mostly it's about Megan's sister Caroline, but the middle sister Allie, who gets a brief mention in Confessions is a major player as well. When I originally thought of Confessions, it wasn't about Caryn at all, it was about Megan (and had an entirely different title, naturally). Caryn was supposed to be a sidekick, but she just shoved her way in and Megan ended up being the supporting character. I love Caryn and in my mind I have a sequel planned, but so far I haven't committed one word to paper (or computer) yet. I hope to get to it over summer break.

What fictional character did you most want to be when you were growing up?

I read all the usual popular novels during my childhood. I'm sure at some point I fancied myself as Nancy Drew, but I also admired Jo in Little Women.

If you were going to a costume party where you had to dress up as your favorite movie character, what character would you choose and what outfit would you wear?

First I'd ask myself WWJD? (What Would Jane Do?) I'm one of those Jane Austen-devotees, as evidenced by the fact that Caryn's Lit class is studying Pride and Prejudice. My second love besides literature is history, and I've always been drawn to the Regency period. So my favorite movie characters all seem to come from Austen's novels on film: Pride and Prejudice, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, etc. I'm a bit too old for those young heroines, but I'd still go as one of Austen's characters, or perhaps Jane Austen herself. I would go through the costume shop at Conner Prairie Interactive History Park (a living history museum where I work part time) and put together something appropriate. Of course I also have a closet-full of dresses circa 1836, a bit out of the Regency time period, but I could adapt something I think.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Pamela!

We'll be giving away a copy of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic this week. Just leave a comment on the blog anytime this week to be entered in a drawing to win Pamela's fabulous debut book!

Postcard Confessions - Blaize Edition - and another fab review!

2010-03-07T13:25:00.006-05:00

OK, so that's not really a confession :) but I do hope you'll stop back this week for the launch of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson!

In the meantime, check out what Dawn over at Night Owl Reviews had to say about March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis:

A story set in the early 1950s, March Misfit is a story that shows just how strong our courage and love for others can be when we finally reach deep inside to find it. I enjoyed reading this book because it showed just how strong the enduring love for family can last during hard times and when the ones we love so much are gone. That love of family and friends can help hold everybody together and restore peace. It also helps us to take comfort and find strength when confronted with obstacles. I could not stop reading this amazing story and I was in tears at the end. It held me to the very last page and I was cheering everyone on as they somehow or another found courage, strength and love to help them survive the hard times they faced in life.

Pick up your copy of March Misfit in the Climbing Rose store!

Three Fab Reviews for The Stillburrow Crush!

2010-03-06T07:00:00.001-05:00

We're pretty excited about the rave reviews that 2010 debut author Linda Kage has been getting for The Stillburrow Crush!

First, Bobby over at Book Wenches gave it a 4.5 (out of 5) rating and had this to say:

Linda Kage’s novel The Stillburrow Crush is a young adult romance with a little something extra added. Although it revolves around the plot device of the nerdy girl winning the high school star athlete, it also addresses a number of deeper social issues. This story looks at teen pregnancy, small town social order, teenage peer pressure, and how one’s own perceptions or misperceptions can affect their life. I found this to be a quick and very enjoyable read that satisfied my craving for a sweet romance while giving me a story with a satisfying plot.

Lauren of Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf gave it an A- and said:

I've been under a lot of stress lately, mostly with school. So when I sat down with The Stillburrow Crush a couple of days ago, I was hoping it would push away my stressors for a bit by being a funny and cute romance type book. Luckily enough, The Stillburrow Crush completely succeed and went beyond in doing that!

And Elie of Ellz Readz said:

I fell in love with the characters in The Stillburrow Crush. Carrie is a very down to Earth teenager who lives in the shadow of some brighter stars in her little town. Luke, who initially seems like he would be a jerk, quickly became one of my favorite characters. The reader gets peeks early on of a softer side of him. The lives of the characters was written in a way that I could see them vividly.

Want to know what all the fuss is about? Pick up your copy of The Stillburrow Crush in the Climbing Rose store today!

Postcard Confessions - Teenage Psychic

2010-03-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson...coming soon!

Postcard Confession - Teenage Psychic

2010-03-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson...coming soon!

Postcard Confessions - Teenage Psychic

2010-03-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson...coming soon!

Postcard Confessions of a Teenage Psychic

2010-03-02T07:00:00.004-05:00

Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by Pamela Woods-Jackson...coming soon!

Confessions Countdown--and some fun reviews

2010-03-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

Happy first day of March, everybody! We are just 19 days from the first day of spring (yay!) but more importantly, we're just 11 days away from the release of Confessions of a Teenage Psychic by 2010 debut author Pamela Woods-Jackson. Check out the cool new Confessions header above--and check out the blurb for Pamela's fun book:

Caryn Alderson just wants to be a normal teenager. Moving from Houston to Indianapolis and trying to make new friends is hard enough, but when she meets Quince Adams, Rosslyn High School’s star athlete, she wants more than friendship. Unfortunately, two obstacles stand in her way: Quince's girlfriend, cheerleader Kensington Marlow, and Caryn's Uncle Omar. So what’s the problem? Kensington’s cheating on Quince, and Uncle Omar died in Vietnam at age 20!

Imagine hearing voices, seeing spirits no one else can see, and knowing things about people they never told you. No wonder Quince and all her new friends think she’s weird! Then, just when Caryn thinks her psychic abilities are under wraps, her friend Megan blurts out the truth on television. Can Caryn finally admit her secret and just be herself? Does she really have a choice?

And speaking of fab books, check out these rave reviews for some of our other Climbing Rose books.

First, Kath at Bookworm Nation is crushing on The Stillburrow Crush:

I was lucky enough to interview Linda Kage a few weeks ago about Stillburrow Crush. It sounded just like the kind of teen lit that I enjoy, and I wasn’t disappointed. It actually was a lot better than a lot of teen books I’ve read lately.

And Alexa over at Not Enough Bookshelves thinks When Mike Kissed Emma is better than chocolate:

You know when you've had a rough day and you just want to curl up on the sofa and devour a whole bar of chocolate, but you can't because of that pesky diet? Well, When Mike Kissed Emma, is the perfect alternative.

Pretty cool, huh?

Finally! Release Day for The Stillburrow Crush!

2010-02-26T07:00:00.003-05:00

Yay! It's finally the big day for 2010 Debut Author Linda Kage and her novel The Stillburrow Crush. But a fabulous novel is not the only thing Linda Kage has given birth to this month. Check out this beautiful girl--it's Linda's newborn daughter, Lydia.

As you can see, Lydia is already a great reader with excellent taste in books :) Congratulations to Linda on a February to remember!

Stop by Linda's blog today for her launch celebration--and don't forget to order your copy of The Stillburrow Crush today!

The Stillburrow Crush - Chapter 3

2010-02-25T07:00:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day for 2010 debut author Linda Kage. The Stillburrow Crush will (finally!) release. We've been previewing the first three chapters of Linda's fab book and today we're posting Chapter 3. But first, if you're not up to speed, here's the blurb:

Sixteen year old, Carrie Paxton, isn't the most popular girl in her small town of Stillburrow. But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper.

But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much. Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?

Click here for Chapter One, which Linda posted on her blog last week.

Click here for Chapter Two, which we posted yesterday.

And today we're posting Chapter Three! Here's a sneak peak:

My heart did a little skip. He was wearing his church clothes: a pale gray, long-sleeved, button-up shirt with a blue tie that had maroon diamonds running in diagonal lines down the front. His shirt was tucked into darker gray, almost charcoal, pleated pants. I could tell he’d shaved since the day before because his jaw was smooth and naked. He looked sleek and expensive and flawless.

I wanted to run and attack him too. I wanted to beat on his chest and demand, “Why’d you hurt me yesterday? Why’d you have to ask me for that stupid walk?”

But then he peered into my eyes, holding his face and his body still. And those eyes of his—those all-too-expressive eyes that crinkled softly—held sadness and compassion. I blinked away a sudden stinging, lowered my head, and began to retreat.

Click here to read Chapter Three!

And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog today where she'll be interviewing her hero, Luke Carter.

The Stillburrow Crush - Chapter 2

2010-02-24T07:00:00.010-05:00

We're only two (two!) days away from the release of The Stillburrow Crush by 2010 Debut Author Linda Kage.

Last Friday, Linda posted Chapter One on her blog. Here's a teaser in case you missed it:

He towered over me, a looming six feet two inches tall (according to the football roster) to my five feet seven. His helmet was off, hanging at his side, and he’d wrapped his fingers around the face guard. A cut across his right eyebrow sliced toward the corner of his eye. Tiny etches of blood filled the cracks and defined the spot where he’d have a healthy showing of crow’s feet someday. His wet black hair curled slightly down his forehead and around his ears. And his eyes were a blue so clear that if they’d been a lake, I could’ve seen right to their rocky bottoms.

Finally, he smiled…and I wanted to kick him. He had a row of bright white teeth with a bit of an overbite, and a dimple I could’ve fallen into.

I hated him for that grin. I mean, how dare he look at me with those blue orbs and display such a genuine smile? I didn’t want it. I didn’t want to step into line behind every other girl in school whose heart went into double-thump for this boy. He had no right to give me that busted-ice feeling.

(Now you know why we've been featuring crush stories all month :) Click here to read all of Chapter One.

And today, we're posting Chapter Two of Linda's fabulous book! Here's a teaser for Chapter Two:

“I read your article about the game.” He left the Mustang and neared me. “Good piece.”

“Thank you.” The words came out a hoarse, garbled mess because my throat had dried up, and I had to clear it. “Thanks,” I repeated.

“The only thing is…” He slowly began to circle me as he had the Mustang. “I don’t ever go by the name Lucas.” He looked up and stopped. I fell into a trance staring back at those hypnotic blues, and I couldn’t glance away.

I swallowed. He’d caught my barb. Everyone knew how much Luke detested his Christian name. And that’s exactly why I’d called him Lucas Carter in the article.

He started walking again, kicking a little at the gravel. “I figure there’s really only four times in my life I have to suffer through it. The day I was born since it’s on my birth certificate, the day I graduate, the day I get married, and the day of my funeral. So unless you’re planning on killing me off or marrying me, I’d really appreciate it if you’d just call me Luke.” He looked up again for my response. I could only nod.

He lifted one of his eyebrows. “You already knew that though, didn’t you? That I hate my name?”

My voice sounded small when I answered. “Yes.”

“Then why’d you do it?”

Sounds pretty good, huh? You gotta read the whole thing! Click here to read all of Chapter Two.

And be sure to check out Linda's blog today when she explains how she got the idea for her wonderful story.

Linda is also guest blogging over at The Book Butterfly about cliques and how it can be difficult to step outside your group to find someone new (sort of like what happens in Linda's book!) Click over and leave a comment to be entered in a drawing to win an eBook copy of The Stillburrow Crush

We've Got a Crush ... A Winner!

2010-02-23T07:00:00.005-05:00

Last week we posted blogger crush stories and asked you to vote on your favorites. At stake was a copy of The Stillburrow Crush, 2010 debut novel of Climbing Rose author, Linda Kage. The stories were posted, the votes were counted, and the winner is...

Elie of Ellz Readz!

Congratulations, Elie!! (Read her sigh-worthy crush story here)

And if you can't wait until Friday to begin reading The Stillburrow Crush (and I totally can't blame you!), check out Linda Kage's blog. She's posted the first chapter as a sneak preview! Awesome!

Chatting with 2010 Debut Author Linda Kage

2010-02-22T07:00:00.005-05:00

We're counting down to the release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage. It's only 4 days away (as you can see from the widget in our sidebar) and today we're chatting with Linda Kage herself. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about her fabulous debut novel.

But first, here's the blurb for The Stillburrow Crush:

Sixteen year old, Carrie Paxton, isn't the most popular girl in her small town of Stillburrow. But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper.

But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much. Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?

And now for the questions! Thanks so much for stopping by, Linda, please tell us about The Stillburrow Crush:

The Stillburrow Crush is a high school romance, written in first person from sixteen-year old Carrie Paxton’s point of view. She shares about a month and a half of her junior year of high school with us…but, oh, what a month and a half it is. She grows a crush on—go figure—the football quarterback, Luke Carter, even though she doesn’t want to be so predictable as to fall for the best-looking, most popular super jock in the entire school until…she interviews him for the school paper and is surprised to realize he’s just not a pretty face. What’s even more shocking is that he seems to like her in return. Then drama in her brother’s life interferes with everything, and the entire town just sorta goes crazy for a bit.

Where did the inspiration for The Stillburrow Crush come from?

The very beginning idea for TSC came to me in college. I was taking a creative writing class and received the assignment to write a short literary story. I was a total romance junkie even then, so the stories I liked to tell were technically considered more genre then literary. In an awful attempt to repress my romance-loving self, I wrote a story about a teen girl interviewing a football player for the school paper and then taking a walk in the park with him to realize he wasn’t quite what he seemed. But the next week he died in a car crash…the end. I never did like that end (gee, I bet you’re wondering why, huh?!), so I kept returning to the story and writing on it until it developed into a happy ending that satisfied me.

One of the characters in TSC is a poet, did you write poetry in high school? And was it hard to write the fabulous poems in TSC?

Oh, well, thank you for thinking they’re fabulous (blush). I wrote a few poems in high school, except they were mostly cutsie, rhyming verses. I never could reach the depth or level of a very good poet. So, yes, coming up with the poems in TSC were extremely difficult. You have to create so much emotion and imagery with a very limited amount of words, all the while providing layers of meanings so a reader can view it a different way every time they come back to it. Not my forte.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

First grade. One of my teachers praised a poem I wrote for an assignment (hey, there’s that poem theme again…weird) in front of the entire class. After that, all my classmates treated me like I was a good writer until I started to believe it too. Then, in the fifth grade, ten students from our class were chosen to attend a writing conference. I was one of them, and the experience solidified my desire to write. From that point on, I was always coming up with different stories in my head and jotting them down. Over time, I couldn’t help but start getting better at it!

What fictional character did you most want to be when you were growing up?

I was a Baby-Sitters Club fan in my younger years. I felt the most connection to Mary Anne from that series because she had a quiet way about her, but still got things done. Then, I read Gone with the Wind in high school and met Scarlett O’Hara. Wow. She was the total opposite of me and Mary Anne, but I still loved her in-your-face vivid character, even if she could be petty and mean at times. She made me want to be more outgoing and vivacious.

You write romance as well as YA, which do you enjoy more? Why?

I’m all about romance. Doesn’t matter to me if it’s YA, adult, historical, contemporary, paranormal, or suspenseful, my stories gotta have that happy, hope-filled ending. There’s just something about watching two people meet and connect. I love those scenes that zoom in and focus on the two main characters interacting, where all the senses are so heightened you’re sucked into the emotions too until you’re blushing, sighing, laughing or crying right along with them.

What's next? Any projects you'd like to share with us?

Right now, I have a couple adult romance stories coming out at the end of the year. But I always have ideas swimming around in my head for more. If TSC ends up actually being popular, I do have a YA work-in-progress I could focus on. It’s about a girl whose widowed mother remarries her junior year of high school, and she has to transfer to a new school.

If you were going to a costume party where you had to dress up as your favorite movie character, what character would you choose and what outfit would you wear?

Hmm. That’s a toughie, but for now, I’m going to go with Anna Paquin’s character, Rogue, from the movie X-Men, because, hello, she gets to hang out with Logan/Wolverine. Plus, it’s be easy to dress as her--put a white stripe in my hair, slip on a pair of gloves, and ta-da! I’m Rogue.

LOL, Linda, I like that logic! Thanks so much for chatting with us! I can't wait for everyone to read The Stillburrow Crush!

One Last Day to Vote for Your Favorite Crush!

2010-02-21T07:10:00.000-05:00

All last week we featured crush stories from some pretty fabulous bloggers and asked you to vote on your favorites. The blogger with the most votes wins a copy of Linda Kage's 2010 debut release, The Stillburrow Crush (releasing in 5 days--yay!)

We'll close the voting today at 6 p.m. (EST), so you still have a chance to read the stories and pick your favorites. Here they are:

The Mystery Blogger had (has?) a crush on a Cowboy
Lexie of Poisoned Rationality had a crush on her BFF's brother
Elie of Ellz Readz had a crush on a rock star
Taschima of Bloody Bookoholic had a crush on a green-eyed hottie
Taylor of Library Lurker had a crush on an older man
Kim of The Book Butterfly had a crush on an ice skater

Just pick one of the reaction buttons at the bottom of your favorite post to vote for it!

And be sure to click over to Linda Kage's blog for another chance to win a copy of The Stillburrow Crush!

She's Got a Crush - The Mystery Blogger :)

2010-02-20T07:00:00.005-05:00

There's a good shot the hottie in question could find out (a mutual friend swears he reads my blog sometimes)

Fair enough! Here's our mystery blogger's story:

My best and most heartbreaking crush was on a good friend and classmate of mine. I met him when I started high school and found out I was not the only one drawing horses in art class. I'll call him Cowboy. Then I find out we are on the same nerd team. That started off 3 years of jokes, teasing and ribbing. We would argue for hours at team practice and back in the art room. Slowly but surely I was falling hard for him. He loved bucking out horses just as much as I did. We could talk about anything under the sun. Both being nerds it was rare that we did not carry around a book or two.

Then in Cowboy's last year of high school we ended up in the same class. Some friends were in that class as well and they thought it was hilarious the way I could not take my eyes off him. You see Cowboy was not exactly what you would call a pretty boy with a scarred face and messy black hair. What he did have was a killer body, one that he hid usually under hoodies and large T-shirts. So for a semester we teased each other about the work and the books. He thought my books were trash and that historicals didn't count as literature. I thought he was reading books a bit too far off the deep end. He stopped talking to me though after another classmate made the joke that we should go out. Then his jokes only showed up when we were at practice.

He left after that to college, or so I thought. At a mutual friend's book launch, I about melted into the carpet when Cowboy walked in. My best friend had to drag me out of there. He had on dirty worn-in blue jeans, a horse-slobbered hoodie and work boots. A greasy ballcap topped off the look. And before I left, he winked at me and shot me his customary crooked grin. You have no idea how much I miss Cowboy. He made everything better, funnier and had me looking forward to each day of jokes. He broke my heart and mended it again with each joke and tease.

What an awesome story! You need to track down that cowboy! Thanks so much for sharing your crush story with us :)

If you liked The Mystery Blogger's story, pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it!

And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog for her Stillburrow book launch countdown! Today, she's giving us a glimpse into her heroine's (Carrie Paxton) yearbook from her junior year. Cool!

She's Got a Crush - Poisoned Rationality

2010-02-19T07:00:00.005-05:00

We're celebrating the upcoming release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage! All this week, we're posting YOUR crush stories and asking everybody to vote on their favorites. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda's fabulous book.

Today's crush story comes from Lexie of Poisoned Rationality (don't you love that name?!):

Here's Lexie's story:

For almost a decade (ages 8 to 16) I would harbor this crush on my best friend Jenna's older brother Steve--a not quite secret crush that in 7th grade, his much younger sister (Leslie) decided to use as a joke. On his birthday I came over to go out with Jenna and Leslie came bursting downstairs pulling Steve by the hand saying 'Look look! Your present is here!' pointing to me. I was so embarrassed I fled the scene.

In 9th grade, after the first Homecoming Dance, when we returned to Jenna's house for the sleepover with a couple other friends, he hung out downstairs with us for a few hours. The enemy of my childhood, my friend's neighbor Marissa, teased me all night, trying to get me to respond to her taunts. Jenna told her to knock it off, but Marissa really hated me for whatever reason. Finally, while I was reading a book, she went over to Steve and sat down next to him. "So Steve...been staring at Lexie all night huh?" I was so startled I dropped my book and looked over at him--he was looking at me--flooded with color and fled to Jenna's room upstairs.

Things finally came to a head when in 10th grade I was on assignment from my science class in the library getting research done. Steve's class was in there doing research for English class. I got my work done, but didn't want to return to class yet because I had found a really good spot to watch Steve while he worked. I didn't much pay attention to what he was saying until I realized he was talking about Shakespeare with his partner and they couldn't match a dozen quotes to the plays for some scavenger hunt. Extra Credit was on the line and they were despairing.

With a boldness I still can't explain to this day, I came out of my hiding place and quickly looked at the quotes. Without saying a word to either of them--not even when Steve said hi to me and explained to his partner who I was--I quickly pieced all the quotes to their respective plays, then gathered up my books and went back to my classroom before I did something truly disastrous. I didn't see Steve for a long while after that because of Winter Vacation, but Jenna handed me a small box and card and said they were from her brother one day at lunch.

Steve thanked me for all my help--I really saved his butt! (or so he wrote)--and hoped that I liked his gift. Inside was a silver pendant of a fox wrapped around a purple stone. It would be another six years before I learned that Steve had a crush on me all those years, but thought I couldn't care less about him because I never said a word to him and fled whenever he was around. We're friends now (he's married to a wonderful girl) and often joke about both of our youthful follies.

That's such a sweet story, Lexie, but heartbreaking too! (But like Taschima said the other day, crushes are all about the might-have-been.) Thanks so much for sharing your crush story with us!

If you liked Lexie's story too, pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it!

And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog for her Stillburrow book launch countdown!

She's Got a Crush - Ellz Readz

2010-02-18T07:00:00.004-05:00

We're celebrating the upcoming release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage! All this week, we're posting YOUR crush stories and asking everybody to vote on their favorites. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda's fabulous book.

Today's crush story comes from Elie of Ellz Readz a fabulous book blog and review site.

Here's Elie's story:

Once upon a time, in a life not so long ago, I worked in a restaurant that featured musical entertainment on the weekends. One steamy summer night brought in Evernight, a local band that featured a new lead singer from a neighboring town. His dark hair was swept back at the nape of his neck revealing his dark eyes. One look into those deep eyes and I knew I had it bad. He approached me, his easy stride showed his confidence, and I felt my knees go weak. Unfortunately for me, my arms went weak too and the tray of drinks I was holding... well lets just say I cooled off, quick. Rather than freaking out at me for soaking his stage shirt, he gave me a lopsided grin and helped me clean up. In a slur of words, I blurted a lame attempt at humor, "Grace is not my middle name." 'While that was true, it did become my new nickname for the duration of the summer.

He started coming in frequently, especially if I was working a slow night. We would grab a booth and chat over iced tea. We were just friends, although I knew I liked him more than just friends. Occasionally I caught a glimmer in his eye and I got the feeling he liked me too, but I didn't want to spoil a good thing. A favorite past-time of ours became reading the local magazine. It was just a weekly printing of local events and goings-on. We would read the want ads and joke about all the desperate people. We would imagine setting up SWF with SWM with a love of dogs. All the while flirting, in a friendly way.

The summer wore on and we continued our frequent visits. I was planning a move to North Carolina and he was helping me scout for apartments and schools. We had become good friends, but I still secretly wished for more.

The days grew cooler and my departure grew closer. A few days before I left town, I found a copy of the local magazine in my box. It was a slow night, so I decided to flip to the want ads. There was an ad circled in bold marker, it said...

Wanted:
SWF. Must have long dark hair, beautiful brown eyes,
and a knowledge of the restaurant business.
Must love musicians and respond to the name Grace.
Must be able to receive visitors in NC.
Will Miss U

Now to anyone else, this message would have been very cryptic, but I knew exactly what it meant.

I moved as planned to NC. We exchanged a few emails and friendly notes, but I never saw him again. I will however, always remember that summer crush.

What a fabulous story, Elie! Sounds like there's a great YA novel to be written there :) Thanks so much for sharing it with us!

If you liked Elie's story too, pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it!

And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog for her book launch countdown (today she's featuring a map of the fictional town of Stillburrow!) and check out this great post at Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf for a quick Q&A with Linda (and another great excerpt)!

She's Got a Crush - Bloody Bookaholic

2010-02-17T07:00:00.003-05:00

The biggest crush stories are the one who are never fulfilled. My crush dates back to 7th grade where I met the most gorgeous guy ever, or so I thought back then (nah, he's still hot). Anyways he was blond with very light color greenish eyes. Back where I come from that is rare. He was such a nice guy. A total catch, but... I never dared come forward. I was afraid of rejection and well, that he didn't think I was pretty enough or something. Days or weeks later when I actually had the guts to actually talk to the guy I find out that my sister liked him too. It broke a little piece of my young heart but I let him go. Then I started going out with other guys and slowly but surely the crush went away little by little. Turns out my sister' crush with the guy didn't go anywhere because he didn't like her... he liked me. I only found this years after the crush ended, but now we talk about it (we are pretty good friends still) and till today I wonder what could have been.

I think you're right, Taschima, crushes are all about what might have been! Great story, and thanks for sharing it with us!

If you liked Taschima's story, pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it! And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog for her book launch countdown (and a Stillburrow excerpt!)

She's Got a Crush - The Library Lurker

2010-02-16T07:00:00.008-05:00

We're celebrating the upcoming release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage! All this week, we're posting YOUR crush stories and asking everybody to vote on their favorites. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda's fabulous book.

Today's crush story comes from Taylor of The Library Lurker A blog whose slogan is, "Why buy books when you can get them from the libary?" (which is a fun slogan as long as everybody makes exceptions for Climbing Rose books! :)

Here's Taylor's story:

I'll admit it-I have a crush on an older man. Well, okay, not THAT much older, when it started he was in high school and I was in middle school, and back then it FELT like the biggest age gap ever. When I was in seventh grade I used to go over to my aunt's house all the time when my parents were going to be out late. My two boy cousins were always there, and the older one, who was a sophomore at the time, would always have his friends over to play video games and the like. When I was there I would just sit and read and be generally ignored, except by one of his friends. This friend was always nice to me and actually talked to me, which was a huge difference from the other boys. We found out that we both had a weakness for manga and he let me borrow a series that he owned. I came to look forward to going to my aunt's house just because of the possibility that he might be there. The next year my aunt and uncle got divorced and I never went over there any more. Eighth grade passed without me ever talking to him.

Then came freshman year, and the use of MSN. Both my cousin and his friend were seniors, so I would see them around the halls. I think that my cousin gave his friend my MSN, because one day I got a request to add him. Well, of course I accepted. We talked every once in a while about random things, but I really liked our conversations, and the crush that I had thought I was over came back full force. He had a couple girlfriends over the course of the year and of course I was jealous, but I never let on. In the spring he graduated, and we talked some over the summer, but once September rolled around our conversations died out. He went to college and I'm still in high school, and I don't ever use MSN any more. I hadn't thought about him in a while, but when he wished me happy birthday on facebook the other day I seriously considered re-downloading MSN...;D

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Taylor! I definitely think you should pursue that crush!

If you liked Taylor's story, be sure to pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it! (And if you want to join the fun, forward your crush story to me at: blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com.) And be sure to stop by Linda Kage's blog for her book launch countdown! Today's giveaway is a Stillburrow Crush postcard :)

We've Got a Crush - The Book Butterfly

2010-02-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

We're celebrating the upcoming release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage! All this week, we're posting YOUR crush stories and asking everybody to vote on their favorites. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda's fabulous book.

Today's crush story comes from Kim of The Book Butterfly (fabulous YA blog--if you haven't discovered it yet, you must check it out!)

Here's Kim's story:

From seventh to ninth grade I was madly in love with this boy (We'll call him Ted). Living in rural New Hampshire there wasn't much to do in the way of fun, but one of the things we'd all do is meet to go ice skating. I learned how to ice skate just to be around this boy. And it kind of worked because we ended up talking for hours on the phone and hanging out at school and/or skating rink, but he never asked me out (though I never stopped hoping that he'd finally wake up and realize we were meant to be more than friends). Well come ninth grade I had decided I was going to tell him. But before I could, this girl (we'll call her Holly) invited herself to come with me skating. We weren't close friends but I remember taking her there- she had blonde hair, blue eyes and was basically perfect. I had braces, a frizzy perm and acne. Anyways, they took one look at each other and fell instantly in love and ended up dating all through high school. I remember she called me to "thank" me for introducing them after. She honestly didn't know how I felt (most of my closest friends didn't even know) so I had to pretend to be happy for her. After we got off the phone I cried myself to sleep that night and every other night for about a month. And I never went ice skating again!

Thanks so much for sharing your story, Kim! (Guys can be so dense, can't they?!)

If you liked Kim's story, be sure to pick one of the reaction buttons below to vote for it! (And if you want to join the fun, forward your crush story to me at: blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T07:00:00.003-05:00

Hope you have a terrific, romantic day! And hope you'll check back next week when we'll be continuing our celebration of the launch of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage. We'll be posting crush stories and asking everybody to vote on their favorites. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda's fabulous book. (Feel free to forward your crush story if you want to join the fun: blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com.)

And a special Valentine's wish to Linda Kage and her brand new crush, a beautiful baby girl born Wednesday! Mother, father, and daughter are all home and doing well :)

A Review, An Interview, and a Book Signing!

2010-02-13T07:00:00.009-05:00

Some odds and ends on this last day before Valentine's Day (By the way, looking for last-minute gift ideas? try this article for lots of inpsiration)

First the Review: March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis got a fabulous review at BookWenches:

March Misfit is a story of isolation and courage and love, of feeling alone in a crowd yet finding the strength to stand up for oneself and others. I became engrossed in this story immediately upon opening the cover and simply could not put it down until I had read the final page. Cara and the March family come to life within the narrative, and their struggles, turmoil, and dysfunction captured both my heart and my imagination.
...
I’m sure you can tell that I think March Misfit is a truly outstanding story. I do, it is, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. It is my understanding that this is Ms. Stremikis’s debut novel. All I can say about that is simply…wow; I’m incredibly impressed. This is an author to watch, in my opinion. I will be eagerly awaiting her next release, and I’ll be placing March Misfit on my keeper shelf.

They rated it 5+ and a Keeper! No surprise to us, of course, since we know how great it is, but it's always fab when others agree with us :) Want to check it out? Order your copy from the Climbing Rose store today!

Next is the Interview: Linda Kage was featured in a fabulous interview at Tales of a Ravenous Reader on Thursday. Click over to find out intersting tidbits like Linda's favorite line from her upcoming release, The Stillburrow Crush, and which romance novel changed her life.

And finally, the Book Signing: If you're anywhere near Bloomington, Indiana, stop by the Barnes & Noble between 1-3pm for a book signing featuring our own Denise Gwen and her book House of Wacks!

Little did Jordan Meadows realize, when Dad insisted she get a job, it would turn out to be such an amazing summer! Who would have guessed that all her eyebrow, bikini, and leg waxes at Tranquility Spa would pay off as job experience? Working behind the scenes on the set of House of Wax IX: Return of the Revengenator, she becomes the go-to girl for paraffin wax. Then she meets Keith Charles, a band nerd from her high school. Between draping his freckled arms with wax and making sure he looks extra clotty, she's stunned to find herself falling in love with someone outside her own clique. As filming and the summer draw to a close, she's a changed girl, for sure. She's made friends with people she never would have associated with at North High School, but what about her friends, the awesome foursome? Should she break up with Keith, since he's not a member of her exclusive, inner circle? Or is it time to branch out and make new friends?

We've Got a Crush - Sixteen Candles

2010-02-12T07:00:00.009-05:00

This week, we've been celebrating the release of The Stillburrow Crush by 2010 debut author Linda Kage, by counting down five favorite crush movies. And since this is Friday, that means we've reached my #1, all-time favorite crush movie. And while I was tempted for a moment to make it Lars and the Real Girl (because it's hard to imagine a crush any stronger than one that doesn't notice plastic!) in reality, it wasn't difficult to choose. My favorite crush movie is...of course...drum roll, please...Sixteen Candles.

Maybe it's because I can SO relate to Sam (let's just say I looked a LOT more like Sam than I did like Jake's girlfriend, Caroline in high school) and because I too had a crush on the hot, unattainable guy (although he never showed up at my sister's wedding to whisk me away *sigh*). Or maybe it's because Samantha's impossibly clueless grandparents, her vain, self-centered sister, her obnoxious little brother, and her overwhelmed parents, reminded me so much of my family, but this movie seems like a slice of my high school life--with a wonderful, wish-fulfilling ending tacked on!

So that's my favorite crush movie of all time--how about yours? And speaking of wonderful endings, don't forget to check back next week when we'll be posting YOUR crush stories and asking everyone to vote on them. Whoever gets the most votes will win a copy of Linda Kage's The Stillburrow Crush.

And by the way, it's not too late to enter--send your crush story to me at blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com and I'll post it next week.

In the meantime, check out this book trailer for Stillburrow to get a taste of a truly fabulous crush!

We've Got a Crush - Spike and Buffy

2010-02-11T07:00:00.007-05:00

When we started counting down crushes this week to celebrate the release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage, I mentioned that one of my favorite crushes is not actually a movie although it started out as one--it's from the TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which was originally a movie, and for some reason, even though I've seen every episode of the TV series, I've never seen the movie. Figure that one out!).

The TV series has been referred to as one of the best of all time and--with the exception of some unpleasantly dark episodes in the sixth season--I have to say I agree. And much as I loved the romance of Buffy and Angel together (Buffy and Riley, not so much) my favorite story line in the series had to be the hopeless crush Spike had on Buffy.

In my favorite episode, Fool for Love, Buffy is wounded by a vampire which starts her brooding about her own mortality. Concerned, she seeks out Spike, the platinum-haired vampire who is famous for having killed two slayers, to ask him about it. In recounting the stories, Spike reveals not only his past confrontations, but his present feelings for Buffy--which is more than Buffy wants to hear and she spurns him cruelly.

I think what I love most about Spike is that although he's a thoroughly appalling character--a monster, really--he's also snarky, humorous, unapologetic, and, oh-by-the-way, total eye candy! And underneath it all--as is revealed at the end of Fool for Love--there is compassion and the soul of a poet. It's no wonder Spike is on Poptimal's list of Ten T.V.Characters We'll Never Forget.

Spike's crush does not remain completely hopeless--he and Buffy have their moments--but ultimately, his is a hopeless (and hugely romantic) crush, which is why it comes in at number two on my all-time list.

Got a favorite crush (movie or TV)? Leave us a comment and tell us about it! And be sure to check back next week when we'll be posting YOUR crush stories and asking everyone to vote on them!

We've Got a Crush - Elvis and Annabelle

2010-02-10T07:00:00.007-05:00

We're celebrating romance this month, and especially the romance of our upcoming release, The Stillburrow Crush, by 2010 debut author Linda Kage. This week, we're featuring movies that have great crushes in them. Today's featured movie is rather obscure, but it's a good one! It's Elvis and Annabelle, and while it's never been officially released in theaters, it has been featured at a film festival and shown on TV.

Elvis and Annabelle is a story about Elvis, (Max Minghella) who runs a funeral home for his father whose health is failing, and Annabelle, (Blake Lively) a beauty queen whose pushy mother makes all her decisions for her. The story takes place in small-town Texas, and when Elvis spots Annabelle standing by the side of the road taking pictures with her family, he falls for her on the spot.

I won't give too much away except to say the story involves a near-death experience, a kiss, a rescue, an escape, and of course, a killer crush :) Here's the trailer:

So do you have a favorite crush movie? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

We've Got a Crush - Breakfast at Tiffany's

2010-02-09T07:00:00.008-05:00

Continuing our celebration of the upcoming release of The Stillburrow Crush by 2010 debut author Linda Kage, we're focusing on all things romantic this month. Today's movie--once again featuring a guy-on-girl crush--is Breakfast at Tiffany's the 1961 classic featuring Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly and George Peppard as Paul Varjak.

The brief synopsis is "young writer gets caught up in party girl's carefree existence" but the sum of the movie is so much more. It's the beauty and vulnerability of Audrey Hepburn, the signature look of her Givenchy clothes, the stunning views of New York City, and the beautiful musical score by Henry Mancini.

The movie, of course, is loosely based on a short novel by Truman Capote of the same name, but for me--maybe because I saw the movie before I tried to read the book--the characters of Holly Golightly and Paul (Fred) Varjak exist in the world of this movie rather than the book. Can you tell I love this movie? :) Mostly I love how Paul never gives up on Holly, no matter how she tries to run away from him and from herself, Paul loves and cares for her and tries to rescue her.

Breakfast at Tiffany's has also got to be one of the most stylish movie ever. From Givenchy's little black dresses, to the sophisticated Pauline Trigère suits that Patricia Neal wears, to the coolest party on film, this movie is a treat for the eyes as well as the romantic soul. Here's the trailer (in case you're not convinced yet :)

Have you got a favorite crush movie? Leave us a comment and tell us about it!

We've Got a Crush - Pretty in Pink

2010-02-08T07:00:00.015-05:00

Since we're celebrating all things romantic this month in honor of our upcoming release, The Stillburrow Crush by 2010 debut author Linda Kage, we've decided to count down (up?) our favorite movies with crushes in them. So all this week, fabulous crush movies (although one of them isn't technically a movie, it did start out as one--more on that one on Thursday!)

Today's crush movie is Pretty in Pink, the John Hughes classic from 1986 starring Molly Ringwald as Andie, Andrew McCarthy as Blane, and Jon Cryer as Duckie, the best BFF of the 80s.

I love the look of this movie, especially the funky clothes that Andie fashions out of thrift store finds, and I love that Andie is independent and strong and not afraid to stand up for herself. And even though I think the social divide portrayed between the haves and the have-nots at Andie's high school is a little extreme, and even though I don't think it makes much sense that Andie and her father are supposed to be so poor and yet she drives that fabulous Karmann Ghia, and even though I think James Spader looks like more like a lounge singer than a high school student, I still love this movie.

BUT--the crush I love in that movie is not Andie's for Blane (or even Blane's for Andie) No, the crush I love from the movie is the one Duckie has on Andie. Not only is he her biggest fan, most loyal supporter, and fabulously funny friend, he's also madly in love with her. He never hesitates when it comes to championing her cause, even fighting the loathsome Steff for her, and tries desperately to keep her from being hurt by Blane. All that and he has great fashion sense--how else could he pull off this outfit?!

Not to mention, how can you not love a guy who pulls off this scene, my favorite in the movie, of Duckie dancing and lip synching to Otis Redding:

It's no secret that the movie originally had a different (and better, IMO!) ending. I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen it, but since Paramount released a DVD in 2006 called Pretty in Pink: Everything's Duckie Edition I guess I'm not the only one who would have preferred the original ending!

So what about you? Team Duckie or Team Blane? :) And what's your favorite crush movie? Leave a comment and tell us about it!

We've Got a Crush - Linda Kage Edition

2010-02-05T07:00:00.005-05:00

All this month we're celebrating the release of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage--and Valentine's Day--by dedicating the blog to all things romantic. The Stillburrow Crush is all about Carrie Paxton and her crush on the hottest guy in school, so we thought it would be fun to ask everyone to share their own crush stories this month. And what better way to start than with our very own Linda Kage, debut author of The Stillburrow Crush.

Here's Linda's story:

My senior year, I thought this guy named Jake, who went to a different school, was pretty cute. I always saw him at track meets and ball games. He could run the quarter mile like you wouldn't believe. He'd make a bunch of touchdowns against us at football games, and my friends would yell at me each time he did, like I'D jinked our team or something (truth was, we had a really awful football team). But he wasn't that great at basketball. EVERYONE knew I had a crush on him--even though I never even talked to the guy--even my yearbook staff teacher. So, at one track meet, my teacher made me point him out so she could take a picture of him for me. And that was the extent of my stalking days!!

I love your crush story, Linda! And I love that your crush Jake sounds a lot like Luke, your football-playing hero of The Stillburrow Crush. Coincidence? :)

Got a crush story you want to share with us? E-mail it to me at blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com. We'll be posting crush stories on the blog all this month and asking readers to vote on them. Whoever's crush story gets the most votes will win a copy of The Stillburrow Crush.

The Stillburrow Crush -

2010-02-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage doesn't officially release until February 26, but thanks to the wonders of modern, super-speedy printing methods, the book is already available as an Early Bird Special (no, really!)

Here's the scoop:

Sixteen year old, Carrie Paxton, isn't the most popular girl in her small town of Stillburrow. But that's never concerned her before. Her life revolves around her writing, and she loves her job as the student editor of the school paper.

But when she gets assigned to interview the football team's beloved quarterback, she takes one look into Luke Carter's blue eyes and is a goner. Suddenly, she doesn't like her lowly rank so much.

Then her dreamy, popular crush surprises her when he starts to act as if he likes her in return. But there's no way Luke Carter could possibly ever like a nobody like Carrie Paxton. Is there?

Check out the fabulous Linda Kage's website for a Stillburrow excerpt!

And don't forget we're featuring crush stories all this month. Got a story to share? Send it to me at blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com.

The Stillburrow Crush at Bookworm Nation!

2010-02-03T07:00:00.006-05:00

Last Wednesday, Kath of Bookworm Nation spotlighted Linda Kage, author of our upcoming release The Stillburrow Crush, for her Waiting on Wednesday feature. Here's what she had to say:

The story sounds just like the kind I enjoy. I’m not sure why I like high school romances so much, I guess I just think it makes a great setting for a story.I was also lucky enough to get an interview with Linda Kage! It was fun getting to know her a little better and it makes me more excited to read Stillburrow Crush.

Be sure to check out Linda's interview and Kath's great blog!

And looking for a little inspiration for a Valentine's gift for your Crush? Check out these conversation heart cookies. They're on sale here, but how cool (and easy!) would it be to make your own for a very special gift!

Winners of March Misfit Giveaway

2010-02-02T07:00:00.004-05:00

Thanks to everyone who commented on last week's posts for the launch of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis.

The lucky commenter who wins a copy of March Misfit is...

Sofie!

Sofie, please e-mail me at blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com and we'll arrange to send the Barbara's fabulous book to you.

We've Got a Crush...

2010-02-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

We're so excited about the launch of The Stillburrow Crush by Linda Kage this month (not to mention Valentine's Day!) that we're dedicating the Climbing Rose blog to all things romantic this February. Here's the scoop on The Stillburrow Crush:

Want to be a part of our celebration? Send us your best crush story. Were you secretly in love with your best buddy? Dreamy-eyed over your swim coach? Seriously crushing on that foreign exchange student? Tell us about it! We'll be posting crush stories on the blog all this month and asking readers to vote on them. If your crush story gets the most votes you'll win your own copy of The Stillburrow Crush.

Just e-mail your story to blaizerose (dot) cr (at) gmail (dot) com. And don't worry if your crush is a secret, you don't have to mention any names :)

Five on Friday - Barbara Stremikis Edition

2010-01-29T07:01:00.000-05:00

It's Friday which means it's time for Five on Friday! Today's Fiver is Barbara Stremikis, author of March Misfit which releases TODAY!

Here's the blurb:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

(And check out our earlier posts this week of Chapters One, Two, and Three!)

Thanks so much for stopping by, Barbara! Here are your five questions:

1. Do you have any collections?

I collect books: music, travel, novels. I'm presently reading biographies of the presidents, beginning with Washington. I have reached Martin Van Buren, the 8th president. The problem is limiting myself to one book per president. Collecting books was not a conscious choice. I can't seem to let them go once I purchase them. I need more bookshelves.

2. Do you play an instrument?

I majored in music. I play the piano, flute, and organ. I wanted to play the harp too, but my parents decided they had invested in three instruments. That was enough. My dad probably didn't want to listen to more practicing, especially at 6 a.m. when I began, although he loved music.

3. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?

My first thought is about self-imposed exercises, one of my least favorite things to do. If I wait until later in the day, they don't get done and I'm sorry after spending hours at the computer.

4. What is the best job you ever had?

The most challenging and most rewarding job was teaching self-esteem and career exploration classes to college reentry women and to individuals in the Hawaii JOBS Program.

5. Have you ever crawled through a window?

I crawled out a college dorm window (in the days when there were separate boy/girl dorms and strict curfews) and crawled into a basement classroom window where I watched legs passing by looking for a group of us. We safely crawled out and back into the dorm without being caught. I assume it is safe to admit this since most of the faculty are no longer there.

LOL, Barbara, we won't tell anybody! Thanks so much for stopping by. I know everyone will love March Misfit!

And don't forget, everyone who leaves a comment on the blog this week will be entered in our drawing to win a copy of March Misfit!

March Misfit - Sneak Peek & Giveaway (Part 3)!

2010-01-28T07:01:00.002-05:00

We're only ONE day away from the release of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis and the celebration continues!

All this week, we've been sneaking a peek at Barbara's fabulous book, but we're also giving away a copy of March Misfit this week! Just leave a comment any time this week to be entered in our drawing to win your own copy of March Misfit.

Lucky for us, though, we don't have to wait until Friday to start reading March Misfit. We posted Chapter One Tuesday, Chapter Two yesterday, and today we're previewing Chapter Three. Awesome!

Here's the blurb:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

And here's Chapter Three (where we get to know our hero, Nicolas!):

Nicolas straddled the leather seat and secured his helmet. Legs pedaling, his heels dug into the dirt as he backed the Harley-Davidson out of the shed. The motorcycle, bulky and solid, was a dark blue 1948 panhead. His most prized possession.

He gave a jump on the starter and listened to the engine come to life, proud of the smooth regular sound. Proud because he was responsible for that sound, like a huge contented cat. He didn’t know whether lions purred, but if they did, and he stuck an amplifier near one’s throat, surely it would resonate like this.

...click here to read the rest of Chapter Three.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing. And be sure to stop back tomorrow when Barbara will play Five on Friday with us!

March Misfit - Giveaway & Sneak Peek (Part 2)!

2010-01-27T07:00:00.003-05:00

We're only two days away from the release of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis and the celebration continues!

Not only has Barbara provided us with a sneak peek of her fabulous book, she's also giving away a copy of March Misfit this week! Just leave a comment any time this week to be entered in our drawing to win your own copy of March Misfit.

Lucky for us, though, we don't have to wait until Friday to start reading March Misfit. We posted Chapter One yesterday, and today we're previewing Chapter Two. Cool!

Here's what the story is about:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

And here's Chapter Two:

Cara jerked awake when the hall lights came on. The harsh glare streamed through slits in the curtain. The clock read 4:30. She turned over and tried to go back to sleep, but Nicolas passed her room and headed downstairs, shouting to his brothers to get up and get going.

“You’d better be at the barn by the time I get the cows there,” he warned. “That means you too, Gideon.”

How did Nicolas find cows in the dark?

...click here to continue reading Chapter Two.

Be sure to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing! And come back tomorrow for Chapter Three!

March Misfit - Giveaway & Sneak Peek

2010-01-26T07:15:00.001-05:00

We're only three days away from the release of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis and we're in full celebration mode.

Barbara has been kind enough to provide us with a sneak peek of her fabulous book and she's going to give away a copy of March Misfit this week! Just leave a comment any time this week to be entered in our drawing to win your own copy of March Misfit.

But I'm happy to say you don't have to wait until Friday to start reading March Misfit. We'll be posting the first three chapters of Barbara's book on the blog this week. Cool!

Here's what the story is about:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

And here's Chapter One:

Willsford
September 1952

The old Ford hit a hole in the gravel road, jolting the six passengers until their heads nearly hit the ceiling. Cara bumped against twelve-year-old Gideon. With a surly grimace, he raised a shoulder and moved closer to the window. He wore black-rimmed, owl-like glasses and had straight dark hair like his mother.

His first words to her when they met were, “I’m twelve and I hate girls.”

...click here to continue reading Chapter One of March Misfit.

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered in our drawing to win a copy of March Misfit! And check back tomorrow for Chapter Two!

Author Interview - Barbara Stremikis - 2010 Debut Author of March Misfit

2010-01-25T07:00:00.010-05:00

We're counting down to the Friday release of March Misfit by 2010 Debut Author Barbara Stremikis:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

And today I'm excited to be chatting with Barbara Stremikis about March Misfit and about her career as a writer.

Welcome, Barbara! Please tell us about March Misfit:

March Misfit is meant to heighten experiences of being an outsider. I once asked my Psychology students if they had ever felt personal prejudice or bias. All hands went up. Parts of March Misfit are autobiographical. I didn’t lose my family as my heroine did, but she symbolizes human loneliness. My hope is that she will be an inspiration for those occasions when we all feel like a misfit. When Cara is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and their five sons, she is forced to deal not only with her grief, but with a total change of environment and lifestyle. She moves from a comfortable home in Virginia to a remote dairy farm in Indiana; in place of her loving sister, she copes with malevolent boys; rather than her nurturing parents, she is thrown into the struggles of a household under stress with a special needs child. The family dynamics are strange. David is the favored son. Nicolas, the eldest, is tough and sullen. Cara is afraid of him, yet he is gentle with his autistic brother. An underlying theme is why the family wanted her. In Cara’s mind--and hopefully the reader’s--she wonders if Mr. and Mrs. March desired the extra help, wanted access to her trust fund, saw the benefit of a caretaker as they aged…? I intended the story to reflect a simpler time, yet include the complexities embodied within families. For those who love dogs, Shep, has a healing role.

Where did the inspiration for March Misfit come from?

The inspiration for March Misfit came from a story I read as a child. I don’t recall the title or the details, only the tale of a young girl thrust into challenging circumstances. The loneliness of her situation evidently made an impact. Once I set March Misfit in motion, it became a series of the usual “what ifs.” What if a young girl loses her entire family and is forced into devastating turmoil. What if the dwelling is crowded and lacking in privacy? What if she is teased and ridiculed by the boys? What if she becomes a misfit at every turn? What mischief would be likely in the 1950s? What trials can she endure, while she learns and grows, so she deserves the happy ending?

Your story includes an autistic character. Did you have a particular inspiration for Alan?

I included an autistic boy in the story because I understand the stress a special needs child places on a family. I had a Down Syndrome brother. Like Mrs. March, my mother received little support or understanding. Mr. March expresses much of my father’s frustration. Except for behavior patterns, an autistic child can appear normal. Little information about autism was known to the public in the 1950s. I felt Alan would be a more puzzling character than a Down syndrome child, who can be identified by appearance. Alan’s role as a catalyst for Cara and Nicolas was an event that developed as the story progressed.

Why did you want your story to take place in the 50s? and why Indiana?

The reasons for the Indiana location are both personal and technical. My father was born in Indiana. He moved to California when he was eleven. Similar to William March, his father died leaving two boys to run a farm. My maternal grandmother’s family moved to California from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. A relative still owns Silver Lake Mill, now an art gallery, which belonged to my great-great grandfather, Daniel Bowman. Family names, Yoder, Volk, and Bowman appear in the book. I have coincidentally retraced the steps of my ancestors. I was born in California, but lived in Indiana before moving to Virginia. In my book, I wanted to use familiar settings and chose Virginia as a starting point. I researched disasters that might realistically destroy my heroine’s home and family. Hurricane Able of 1952 became a tornado that touched down in Franconia, Virginia. This set the time in the 50s. To avoid any misinformation, I changed the name of Franconia to Dracena. Willsford resembles my husband’s home town in Wisconsin where the house and dairy are located. He was my consultant on cars, motorcycles, and the birthing of calves. When a Wisconsin relative saw the book cover, he wanted to know how I got a picture of Abe Fredenburg’s barn. I didn’t, but it shows what a tremendous job Kim Mendoza did with the cover art. The hay loft and long swing, the separator building, and the outhouse were on my family’s original property in California. I conveniently moved everything to Indiana, the advantage of writing.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I’m probably like most writers. It is something I always wanted to do. My mother thought I was going to become a writer when a sixth grade teacher encouraged my work. My class performed a play I wrote. In college, I majored in music and elementary education. As an adult, most of my writing has been academic. I’ve had a varied career, but there was always an underlying desire to be an author. After I completed a dissertation in Psychology, I noticed an extension class about getting published. I’ve discovered that research journals seek papers to publish, but I didn’t know that at the time. The same instructor had a class on writing a novel, so I enrolled. When he showed his binder of pictures, I was hooked. As a child, I looked up countries to visit and made a list of the tourist attractions, such as the Louvre in Paris. I wrote travel descriptions and drew the clothes that might be worn. Now I put together a scrapbook for each novel I write, which is both nostalgic and useful.

Why do you write YA?

Writing a YA novel wasn’t intentional. I decided to write books with titles named after the months of the year and use the calendar as a metaphor for aging. The heroines in the beginning months (January, February, and March) are younger women. April to September reflect early to mid-life. The heroines in the October, November, December books will be older women. The March heroine is the youngest of the three completed books. My critique partner suggested I seek a YA publisher, and I found Climbing Rose.

What fictional character did you most want to be when you were growing up?

I don’t recall a desire to emulate a fictional character while growing up. I wanted to be like my older sister, whom I adored. I’ve had my Psychology classes do an exercise, which I always found fascinating. I asked for fairy tale characters they admired. Cinderella was most often chosen by the women. To my surprise, it was not because of Prince Charming, but because Cinderella rose above her abusive environment. I have consistently chosen Little Red Riding Hood. She symbolizes the adventurous little girl who leaves home and sets out into the woods to explore the world, where she meets life’s challenges represented by the big, bad wolf. I grew up in a small town with strict religious parents. When I left home, most experiences were new, huge, exciting, and sometimes frightening.

What's next? Any projects you'd like to share with us?

I have several projects going. I’ve written January Journey, about a young woman who is determined to enter the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska. February Folly is a valentine story set amidst Virginia vineyards. The state motto, “Virginia is for Lovers” seemed appropriate. I’m working on April’s Fool, about a psychologist whose husband leaves a message that she is not to accompany him on their planned trip to Europe. Certain he is not going alone she is determined to discover the identity of “the other woman.”

If you were going to a costume party where you were supposed to dress up as your favorite movie character, what would you wear?

If I were going to a costume party, I would be Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada. I would wear a black dress, red spike heels, and a silver wig. I have a love-hate relationship with the fashion industry. I wanted to be a fashion designer, but in doing research, I was consistently discouraged by retail buyers who said the business was cut-throat. I tried modeling for a while. I love clothes and coordinating outfits. I’m still fascinated with fabric, design, color, and the glamour involved, but I became disillusioned with the industry. Not surprising for anyone who has seen the movie or read the book. My experiences weren’t quite as drastic, but I couldn’t understand why the male shop owner had to walk through the models’ dressing room to leave the store. With my insular background, I didn’t trust photographers who promised to take me to parties to meet celebrities. I worked with young women who gave up everything to move to Los Angeles and were running out of money with no potential job in sight. Like Andrea in The Devil Wears Prada, the experience helped discern my priorities. I enrolled in graduate school Psychology, maybe to figure it all out.

Fabulous answers, Barbara! Thanks for giving us so much insight into your wonderful book.

Only four more days until the digital release of March Misfit, but if you just can't wait, check out this Early Bird Special on our publisher website! And speaking of sneak peeks, be sure to check back tomorrow--and for the rest of the week--when we'll be posting the first three chapters of March Misfit!

Five on Friday - Sandy of Pirate Penguin's Reads Edition

2010-01-22T07:00:00.004-05:00

It's Friday (yay!) which means it's time for Five on Friday! Today's Fiver is Sandy of Pirate Penguin's Reads (how fabulous a blog name is that?)

Welcome, Sandy. Tell us about yourself:

My name's Sandy and I'm currently a freshman in college. I'd much rather be reading than studying for my finals ;) Lol, I run my own site where I write reviews, host contests and plan on interviewing authors in the future. I love getting new visitors so stop by! :D

Here are your five questions:

1. What are four things you always have with you?

A book, pens, hair clips and my wallet (containing B&N and Borders gift cards) ;D

2. Do you play an instrument?

I do! I've been playing the violin for nine years now. I'm pretty decent at it but I admit that I'm no Mozart xD

3. Where did you go on your last vacation?

Chile, South America. It's the narrow little strip on the left side of the country. (most people either don't know that country or forget about it!)

4. Do you like travelling?

I love going to new places and learning more about the world but... I just hate going on airplanes. The food (for me) sucks and I get so restless on board.

5. What's your favorite midnight snack?

A cinnamon raisin bagel with a cup of tea. :)

Yum! That sounds delicious. And I'm so with you on air travel--it's painful! Thanks for visiting us, Sandy, and for your fabulous blog!

Have a great weekend, everybody, and be sure to tune in next week for the launch week of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis. Great interviews, sample chapters, and a fabulous giveaway--fun!

Thursday Link-Up

2010-01-21T07:00:00.005-05:00

What's going on in the wide, wide world of the Book Blogosphere? Well, as I mentioned yesterday, here at Climbing Rose, we're counting down the days (hours? minutes?) to the launch of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis (check out the countdown widget in the sidebar to see just how close we are.)

Christine Marciniak, Climbing Rose author of When Mike Kissed Emma is feeling Dickensian:

In Oliver when our hero asked for more porridge he got chased and sold by Mr. Bumble. I can sympathize with Mr. Bumble. Sometimes being asked to provide more is just enough to send a person over the edge.

Linda Kage, Climbing Rose author of our upcoming release The Stillburrow Crush, has posted the final chapter of her FREE READ Bad Boys Don't Play Hero:

On August 17, 2009, I decided to host a short, young adult, free-read story on my website, uploading a chapter a month until the whole thing was posted. I did this in anticipation of my debut novel's big release date, February 26, 2010. I titled my short story Bad Boys Don't Play Hero, and just like I said I'd do, I uploaded a chapter a month.

Kristen at Bookworming in the 21st Century is Calling all Bloggers:

There's a section of the boards that's all about our mentoring program. Basically you can sign up to be a mentor or mentee and for about 4 weeks you will learn or help teach someone about blogging. We're trying to round up our first round of participants and have more mentees that mentors.

The bloggers of YA Bliss, The Neverending Shelf, The Story Siren, Frenetic Reader, & The Book Cellar have teamed up to compile The Author Hunt:

The Author Hunt gives readers a glimpse into the world of Author Events and Signings. With the help of some amazing bloggers, we have gathered Events from all across the US.

And finally, do you need some inspiration to overcome this dismal January weather (dismal where I am, anyway)? Check out 16 Ways to Increase Creativity and Generate Clever Ideas over at Happenchance:

No matter what kind of work you do, sometimes you run into a wall; the ideas dry up and you feel anything but creative. It happens to everyone. Don’t worry. You’re not alone. You need a break. You need a strategy. You need a saga.

One of those 16 ideas is bound to get me out of a rut--hope you find it useful too!

eBook Wednesday - March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis

2010-01-20T06:56:00.005-05:00

Check out the Countdown Widget in our sidebar--we're just days away from the launch of March Misfit by Barbara Stremikis! Next week, I'll be posting an awesome interview with author Barbara Stremikis, a sneak peak at the first three chapters of March Misfit, and a fabulous giveaway. Can't wait!

In the meantime, though, here's a quick preview of March Misfit. The Blurb:

When a mudslide destroys her home and kills her parents, fifteen-year-old Cara Talbot is sent to live with a distant cousin, his wife, and five sons on a dairy farm in Indiana. The stink of cattle, a tiny bedroom loft, and two brothers who resent her intrusion make life a bitter struggle. As she copes with her grief, she finds solace caring for an autistic child, who helps her see the softer side of Nicolas March, another family misfit.

And the excerpt:

“Why do I see you everywhere I go?” Nicolas bellowed.

Cara scrambled to her feet and brushed herself off. “Why do I see you?” He obviously considered her a pest. “I’m not following you around, if that’s what you think.”

“Are you all right?” he asked, coming down the stairs at a clip that told her he was accustomed to them.

“What do you care? You’d be glad if I hurt myself. Then I’d stay out of your way.”

He moved toward her, warmth radiating from his body. She shrank and sucked in a breath as his fingers encircled her upper arms and he lifted her off her feet. Unable to read the gleam in his black eyes, her stomach quivered and an alarm went off in her head.

“Put me down!” she demanded, frightened of him.

Be sure to check back next week for a chance to win a copy of March Misfit!

Tweeting on Tuesday - Topsy Turvy

2010-01-19T07:00:00.003-05:00

Have you discovered Topsy? Topsy is a search engine powered by tweets:

Topsy is a new kind of search engine, with a new way of looking at the Internet. Topsy doesn’t think the Internet is a collection of documents. Or even a web of documents. Topsy sees the Internet as a stream of conversations. Topsy treats people differently from the webpages they create and the things they say. And Topsy sees that people in every community are connected in a web of relationships, where each person influences other people to read, talk and think about things.

Topsy also measures influence--the likelihood that when someone speaks (or tweets) people are listening (or retweeting). They also maintain a list of the Top 100, Top 1K, and Top 5K new links posted each day by influential people on Twitter.

It's a pretty fascinating snapshot of the online universe. Very educational--and very opposite of this Twitter feed: @TheMime--which is perhaps the silliest thing ever. For the real punchline, though, check out the number of people following him.

Cool Stuff for Monday - Knitting!

2010-01-18T07:00:00.005-05:00

Our awesome interview last Friday with HaleyKnitz of The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object got me wondering how many other knitters are out there. It seems to be a really popular hobby these days and I'm amazed at how many fabulous knitting sites and blogs there are:

Check out this Winter Knit-Along at Lion Brand.

Each season we host a knit- or crochet-along, a virtual event in which yarncrafters come together here online to work on one pattern together, share their experiences, and to learn together.

Fun! And at the end, you'll have the beautiful Inishturk sweater they've chosen for their project. There's a Ravelry group to join and also a Flickr group for posting your photos.

For forums, free patterns, or instructions for a particular technique, nothing beats Knitting Daily. It's where "life meets knitting."

And one of my favorite blogs, one that combines "food, flowers, books, art, yarns and more" (all the good things, in other words) is Cornflower. It's a blog that finds artistry in matching yarn colors to book covers or matching quotations to knitting projects. Beautiful!

So what about you? What's your favorite hobby?

Five on Friday - Haley Knitz Edition

2010-01-15T07:00:00.005-05:00

It's Friday which means it's time for Five on Friday where we pelt innocent bystanders with random questions :)

Today's Fiver is Haley of The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object (Best blog title ever!)

About The Life (and lies): I started my blog in 2007, but it was just a regular blog. I found out about book blogging in 2009, and slowly made the switch. I now blog about everything--books and reviews, contests, politics, school, religion (I'm a Christian), songs that I write, excerpts of my books, funny links and videos that I find, my adventures in the knitting world, and just about everything else.

I am also starting a book club at called Library Ghosts.

Fabulous, Haley! Ready for your five questions? Here we go:

1. What's your earliest childhood memory?

When I was really little I was in AWANA at my church (a kids Bible group), I brought my stuffed Dalmatian dog from 101 Dalmatians to church. I called him Bongo. My best friend said his name was Pongo, and I got mad at him and we had a very serious discussion about Bongo vs. Pongo. We're still best friends and we still argue about everything.

2. What is the last movie you saw in a theater?

Twilight. It sucked. Don't get me started. The books were SO MUCH BETTER!!!

3. Do you play an instrument?

I play the piano and the recorder (similar to a clarinet) by ear. I can't read music--but I can play almost anything in the hymn book!

4. What's the worst advice you've ever taken?

I listened to my mom's sewing advice. I bought a prom dress at Goodwill (it was in perfect condition) but it was missing the straps. I was going to sew ribbon onto the dress and make straps out of ribbon so it would be secure and strong (two very important words!). My mom said it wasn't necessary, because the dress was such a tight fit that straps should be an extra pretty thing, that they didn't really need to hold the dress up, they just needed to be there. I listened to her and made some BEAUTIFUL beaded straps--they broke three times before I called it a night and safety pinned the extra ones (made out of some glittery yarn, for the worst case scenario which came true). Those broke too. I left early... sigh. Last time I ever listened to mom for sewing advice!

5. Have you ever crawled through a window?

Yes--one time my ride dropped me off at home and nobody was there and the door was locked and I had no key, so I pushed this big plastic storage box under my sister's window and climbed in. Now I carry a key with me, and we lock our windows :D

LOL, glad you don't have to climb through the window anymore, Haley! And I totally did AWANA when I was a kid, I loved 101 Dalmatians, and I'm a knitter too--maybe we were separated at birth! :)

Thanks for playing Five on Friday with us, Haley, and good luck with the blog and your book club.

Thursday Link Up

2010-01-14T07:00:00.005-05:00

So what's going on in the YA blogosphere this week? Well, Linda Kage, author of the upcoming Climbing Rose release The Stillburrow Crush, won the Honest Scrap award and is telling brutal truths about herself:

I finished writing my first full manuscript when I was sixteen. It was about 115,000 words long, titled "The Tangled Web," and was a romantic suspense, which is currently hidden in the furthest depths of my closet, never to see the light of day again (yeah, it was that bad).

Linda, I'd back my first attempt at a novel against anyone's in a should-never-see-the-light-of-day challenge :)

MizB, at Should Be Reading, has a fabulous idea for helping with those oh-so-hard-to-keep New Year's Resolutions:

The weekly event, NEW BEGINNINGS, is all about your New Years’ Resolutions! Everybody knows that these are really hard to stick to, so I thought, why not encourage each other in our efforts? Why not enlist the support of our online friends?

Check out the New Beginnings post for the challenge guidelines and sign-up instructions.

And over at Find Your Next Book Here they're running a challenge to love. It's called the Take Another Chance Challenge:

This year, the challenge will be called Take Another Chance. Like last year, the challenge is all about taking chances with your reading by finding books to read in unusual or random ways. Unlike last year, I'm offering different levels of participation and a longer time frame to encourage greater participation and decrease frustration.

There are twelve different challenge levels and prizes, too! What more does anyone need?

And DogEar Diary is running a challenge after my own heart. It's called the Dogeared Reading Challenge:

This reading challenge is about appreciating the old, worn-out and beat-up books we come across. They're out there, and perhaps they're feeling neglected- hoping they don't get shuffled long enough to end up in the recycling (or worse, trash). So let's give them some love! For the Dogeared Challenge, you have to read dog-eared, torn, stained, winkled, falling-apart or otherwise in-bad-condition books.

I love finding old books--give me a library sale and a bag to fill and I'm a happy shopper--so I think this is a wonderful idea.

What about you? Any fun reading challenges you've signed up for? Leave me a comment and tell me about them. Happy Thursday, everyone!

eBook Wednesday - Deidre's Secret Edition

2010-01-13T07:00:00.004-05:00

We're all about eBooks and eBook readers here at Climbing Rose. So this month, when dozens of new eReaders debuted at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, it was hard to decide which one was the most exciting.

But how's this for inspiring eBook reader envy? It's the eDGe by enTourage Systems--a "dualbook" with WiFi and both e-ink and LCD displays. Here's an article and video about it (by a British techie guy with a cool accent :)

And if you're looking for a great eBook to download, look no further than Deidre's Secret by Terry Lee Wilde. Here's the blurb:

When Deidre Roux has premonitions of danger, watch out! Faced with thwarting bank robbers and protecting others from the high school bully, she must reveal her secret to her new friend, Mark Cummings. Can she convince him that she truly sees a world of imminent danger headed their way before it's too late?

Not only must Mark deal with Deidre’s premonitions, which he has a hard time believing, but his convicted uncle has returned home. Humor, suspense, and conflict rule the day as Deidre’s crazy aunt tries to do a true crime story on Mark's uncle. Deidre attempts to keep her aunt out of it before she gets mixed up in the much darker business of robberies and murder—her own, if she’s not careful.

And here's an excerpt:

When Deidre woke that morning, she knew there was going to be trouble. She was sure it had to do with turning sixteen the week before. In a split second, her whole world had changed. Now, the vision she saw wasn’t just about rescuing newspapers before the automatic sprinklers turned on, or saving a kitten from a tree. The scenario had turned deadly.

The tingling sensation began in her forehead and a snapshot formed in her mind. Just a brief image. A blurred profile of a teacher choking on a chunk of hot dog. Deidre would have to rescue her, and when she did, her chances of ever having a boy ask her to the Valentine’s dance would vanish.

But something else plagued the recesses of her mind. Something that forced a chill down her spine. The uncontrollable fear that her visions had warned her before and she had failed to save someone, swept over her like an icy shower.

Visions? Premonitions? Murder? That sends a chill down my spine! Download your copy from the Climbing Rose eBook store today.

Tweeting on Tuesday - How to Get Retweeted!

2010-01-12T07:00:00.005-05:00

Twitter--the whole blogosphere for that matter--can seem like a giant universe where everybody is talking at once. It's hard to get noticed, which is why this article at Computerworld caught my eye: Twitter Tips: 5 Proven Ways to Get Retweeted.

We all like to think we're interesting. And on Twitter, that's often measured and validated by how frequently other people retweet your posts. Maybe you're looking to hear feedback on your recent blog post. Or you've found an interesting article or a funny YouTube video that you want to share with others. Aside from the instant ego boost that being retweeted provides ("Hey! They like me!), retweeting also helps you reach a greater portion of the Twittersphere than you'd be able to on your own.

The article talks about the best times of day to Tweet, importance of choosing your words carefully, and being savvy about how you post links. Check it out for some great info.

And also check out this new face on Twitter, YA Roundup--it's a great way to keep up with the new promo website YA Roundup. Cool!

Cool Stuff for Monday - Projects for Old Books

2010-01-11T07:00:00.007-05:00

The new year is all about fresh beginnings, right? Clearing out the old to make way for the new. Now, personally, I would never consider Books to be something that needed to be cleared out (and I have the overburdened bookshelves to prove it :) But if I ever do want to clear out some old books, I'm going to start with this post by The Written Word: 9 Ways to Turn Old Musty Books Into Something Cool:

We are up to our waists in books, some of which we hate (really Master Burns? Scottish dialect? A mouse?!) yet we will never give them away. Because they just might come in handy some day. Like a day when you decide you want to transform your old books into awesome works of art. Like today.

The Written Word's post includes a round up of awesome ideas like turning old books into handbags, glass pendants, or my favorite, paper beads like in this video:

Check it out and maybe convert some of your old books into a fab project. As long as they're not Climbing Rose books, that is :)

Five on Friday - Elie of Ellz Readz Edition

2010-01-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's Friday which means it's time for my favorite blog feature Five on Friday (maybe I should come up with my own abbreviation: T.G.I.F.F. :)

Anyway, today's Fiver is Elie of the fab Ellz Readz blog:

Once upon a time, I was an elementary school teacher. Now I am a stay-at-home Mom of two little sweeties. I love Cheerios, reality tv, my DVR and Victoria's Secret lotion. In the past year or so, I rediscovered my love for reading. My only problem was that I could not find anyone to share my enthusiasm for the great books I was reading. So I started Ellz Readz. Since then, I have met tons of great people, authors and books. I try to read a variety of titles, but lately it has been a lot of YA. I love doing interviews and giveaways. It is a great feeling to tell someone they won a great book. Sometimes, it's the little things. Stop by and say HI, here is my url: http://ellzreadz.blogspot.com/

Welcome, Elie! Here are your five questions:

1. What is something that annoys you?

Crunching. You know when someone is eating something noisy like chips or hard candy. There is that crunching noise that echos through the room. Imagine you're watching a really good movie and the star-crossed lovers are just about to share their first kiss or in the middle of the climax in a great book and suddenly...CRUNCH. This drives me CRAZY. I have been known to leave a room to get away from the CRUNCH. Seriously.

2. Name four things you always have with you.

baby wipes-these will be with me forever. My kids are grateful, who wants their face cleaned with a spitty thumb? (eewwww)

hand sanitizer-again its a cleanliness thing (I am a bit of a germaphobe)

Barbie cell phone (and mine)

Chocolate-I believe that a great deal of life's little problems can be solved with chocolate.

3. Have you ever crawled through a window?

Why yes, yes I have! I had plenty of practice sneaking out the window when I was young. JUST KIDDING. You should NEVER sneak out of your parent's house *clears throat* My daughter locked me out one day while I was checking the mail. She couldn't unlock it, so she had a good laugh as I shimmied my way back in.

What's the worst advice you've ever taken?

Um, you don't want me to answer that one, trust me. NEXT

4. Who would you cast to play you in a movie?

Sandra Bullock- it's not so much that we look alike-save the dark hair-but she would be able to imitate me. A bit clumsy, plain (not too girly) and a bit nerdy. But nerdy is the new black, RIGHT??

5. What's your earliest childhood memory?

One day the landlord's daughter and I decided we were not colorful enough. So, we took some markers and colored every inch of flesh not covered by clothing with intricate designs. My Mom said it took about a week to get all the color off. I am just glad there was no photographic evidence, otherwise Mom would still be trying to blackmail me.

LOL, Elie! Great answers (and I'm right there with you on the crunching thing, believe me!) Thanks for stopping by and for your wonderful blog!

Thursday Link-Up

2010-01-07T07:00:00.006-05:00

So what's going on in the YA Blogosphere this week? Well, the fabulous challenges just keep coming. Bart's Bookshelf has a great Twenty Ten Reading Challenge:

The aim is to read a total 20 books, over ten categories, in 2010. (Was this challenge based solely around the name? I’ll let you decide!)

And the categories are fun things like "Shiny & New" "Older than You" and "Who Are You Again?" An irresistible challenge, I'd say :)

Kate of The Neverending Shelf has started a forum called The Bloggie Cult:

The site evolved from an idea that I had to make a bloggers round table... a place where we could all get together and share ideas. Thanks to Twitter and Kristen of Bookworming in the 21st Century this idea has morphed into something much more.

It's a place for bloggers to share ideas, contests, HTML, or even find a mentor. What a fab idea!

And finally, check out this Waiting on Wednesday feature over at Tales of the Ravenous Reader for our very own Linda Kage's The Stillburrow Crush. We can't wait for The Stillburrow Crush book to come out either. In fact...we're counting down the days!

eBook Wednesday - Free Read Edition

2010-01-06T07:00:00.007-05:00

You know how much we love eBooks and eBook Readers here at Climbing Rose but did you know what an exciting time this is for eBooks? It seems like every week another company announces they're entering the eBook reader market, unveils a new technology, or debuts a new format. The technology (and popularity) is moving forward at a lightning pace. So even though I love my Kindle, I was hit with a serious case of COOL-ER envy when I saw this picture:

The COOL-ER 3G eBook reader is scheduled to come out some time this spring and will be equipped with WiFi, a touchscreen, and will weigh just 5.8 ounces. The manufacturer, Interead, is promising it will be the iPod of eReaders. And I can't wait to see one! (But I still love you, Kindle! :)

The good news is, though, you don't need a fancy eReader to download our New Year's Free Read How to Get a Date for the Prom by Denise Barone. Just a computer will do!

Here's the blurb:

My sister--can you say, Bridezilla?--is getting married tomorrow, the whole family's freaking out about the wedding, and nobody seems to care that my prom is a week away. I don't have a dress, a date, or a plan--but maybe a cute groomsman can solve all my problems?

Download your free copy here--and be sure to check out Denise's full-length novel House of Wacks in the Climbing Rose store

Tweeting on Tuesday

2010-01-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

Have you discovered TweetStats? It's a fascinating look at which topics are trending at any given time (or even, for all time--well, all Twitter time, anyway!) or which apps tweeters are tweeting from most.

You can also use TweetStats to graph your own activity--tweets per hour, tweets per month, tweet timeline and reply statistics. Pretty cool!

And if you're like me and you ate Way Too Much Food over the holidays, here are a few Tweeters to follow for inspiration: Try Foodista for healthy ideas and lots of recipes, Fitness4Her for workout motivation, and FashionBlogNews for fabulous new clothes to reward yourself for shaping up!

And if you need help with inspiration (or maybe just commiseration!) try searching the hashtags #NewYearsResolution or #goals.

Cool Stuff for Monday - Great Review for I Was a Teenage Alien!

2010-01-04T07:00:00.005-05:00

How cool on this post-holiday Monday to find a brand new review for I Was a Teenage Alien by Climbing Rose author Jane Greenhill. At Bitten by Books--the Paranormal Review Site with Bite (you gotta click over and check out their header--it's so cool!) Mary gave Alien a 4-headstone rating and had this to say:

This book was so funny! When Oas talked, I heard my seventeen-year-old daughter…like, totally. I loved the way Jane Greenhill mixed up letters or spelled words backwards to create Oas’s language. I also enjoyed how familiar phrases were mangled, which seemed very realistic for an ananoid whose knowledge of Earth culture comes from channeling old sitcoms on her personal satellite. I enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it

I agree and definitely recommend Alien too! Here's the blurb:

Oas is sent from her home planet of Zorca-twenty-three to rescue her brother Ralb from the worst humanoid known in the solar system--a teenage girl. With her traveling companions, Rotsen, a plant with an attitude who watches too many Sopranos reruns, and Lehcarr, a Venus Fly Trap with the habit of eating her friends, they set out to find Ralb.

Traveling through a black hole, Oas is transformed from her ananoid shape into a humanoid, becoming what she fears most--a teenager. They land in Bedrocktown to find the teenagers aren't as bad as they feared--they're worse. Zen, her handler, has warned her to stay away from pizza and popcorn but she tries both, with horrible results. She needs to find her brother, figure out how humans kiss, save the town from an E. coli outbreak, and meet Johnny Depp--not necessarily in that order. Then all she has to do is find her way home, but are her ties to Earth too strong?

And here's an excerpt:

“Your brother is being a pain and won’t answer his nose piece,” my handler Zen whined, his hands flittering around like he was swatting the lower echelons of our race.

I pulled a wad of gysogtom out of my ear, turning off the music. Why is it someone always wants to talk to you just as your favorite song comes on? Major annoying, but then anything to do with my brother rubbed my antennas the wrong way. No matter where he was, he managed to ruin my fun. I slipped the wad into its protective foil sheet and tucked it into my cheek for safekeeping. I have a horrible habit of putting my wad down somewhere and forgetting where I left it.

Stars above, my mother was always on my back. She’d ream me out in the high-pitched, nauseating voice she kept for just that occasion. “Wads don’t grow on trees.”

Actually, they did, but try and tell my mother anything she didn’t want to hear, and you might as well talk to Pluto, because if she didn’t want to listen, she’d tune you out. How completely typical of an adult. You wouldn’t see a teen ananoid being so careless regarding another’s feelings. Well, okay, actually you would, but we do it with a little more finesse.

Zen fumed, his antennas twitching a mile a minute. I had to look away. I got dizzy trying to keep track of them.

Sounds fun, right? Order a print copy from the Climbing Rose store or an electronic copy from our eBook store.

How to Get a Date for the Prom - Free Read by Denise Gwen

2010-01-03T09:25:00.003-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! As a fresh-beginnings kind of treat we're ringing in 2010 with a FREE READ by Climbing Rose author Denise Gwen. It's called How to Get a Date for the Prom and it's a great introduction to the fresh, fun, and funny voice of Denise Gwen. Here's the blurb:

My sister--can you say, Bridezilla?--is getting married tomorrow, the whole family's freaking out about the wedding, and nobody seems to care that my prom is a week away. I don't have a dress, a date, or a plan--but maybe a cute groomsman can solve all my problems?

Click here to read the story. And if you enjoy it (which, of course, you will!) be sure to check out Denise's House of Wacks, available in the Climbing Rose store.

Happy New Year--and a Free Read by Denise Gwen

2010-01-01T07:00:00.004-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! As a fresh-beginnings kind of treat (note the new header, too!) we're ringing in 2010 with a FREE READ by Climbing Rose author Denise Gwen. It's called How to Get a Date for the Prom and is a great introduction to the fresh, fun, and funny voice of Denise Gwen. Here's the blurb:

My sister--can you say, Bridezilla?--is getting married tomorrow, the whole family's freaking out about the wedding, and nobody seems to care that my prom is a week away. I don't have a dress, a date, or a plan--but maybe a cute groomsman can solve all my problems?

Click here to read the story. And if you enjoy it (which, of course, you will!) be sure to check out Denise's House of Wacks, available in the Climbing Rose store.

Thursday Link Up - New Year's Edition

2009-12-31T07:00:00.010-05:00

What's going on in the YA Blogosphere this last day of 2009? Well, lots of Best of... lists as you might imagine.

Zoe of Zoe's Book Reviews has a list of her 10 Favorite Blogs of 2009 (and a cool new layout, too).

Natalie at Mindful Musings wrapped up her Reader's Choice week with a Top 10 Book-to-Movie Adaptations list--check it out to see if your favorite made the cut.

Prophecy Girl at Wondrous Reads has posted a list of her 10 favorite book covers of the year. It's a good list, although I'm biased toward the covers in our store :)

But hey, if you're still in a Christmas/gift-giving (or gift-recieving) frame of mind, check out Contest: Stitch Style Mittens from Haleyknitz at the Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object:

I have decided to do something kind of special: I’m giving away a pair of hand-knit mittens or gloves!

And if you're not into noisy New Year's Eve parties, how about a cosy readathon? Bookworming in the 21st Century is hosting a New Year Read-a-Thon and a Reading into the New Year event:

So, to start off. My goal is to read at least 24 hours. I'm going to see what books I get through closer to the date and then post about the pile of books I want to get through.

Sounds like fun, doesn't it? However you decide to spend tonight, though, I hope you have a fabulous (and SAFE) New Year's Eve--and a wonderful 2010!