"Win" or "Lose," Pitch Wars Might Change Your Life

When entering online writing contests like Pitch Wars, it's important to remember that, whether you make it to the next level or not, simply taking that step forward to bravely enter might be the catalyst that changes your life forever. 

 I've written about this subject many times before. Many times. Like here, here, here, and here. And here. I've talked about how I got my agent after NOT getting picked in a contest. And how my debut novel, TWELVE STEPS, was both inspired by a contest rejection AND how success in a contest ultimately led to publication.

You might think that I've already exhausted the subject, and I couldn't possibly have anything more to say. Unless, of course, you've ever met me. Because then you'll know that I'm constantly looking for new insights and lessons to learn from the trials I go through.

Three years ago at this time, I was a Pitch Wars hopeful, biting my nails to oblivion while I nervously waited for the mentor picks to be announced. In case you haven't read the blog posts I linked to above, I wasn't picked for the contest. And I was devastated. I wanted to give up on writing altogether.

But my amazing new writing friends ... all the people I met in the contest trenches ... wouldn't let me give up. So instead of packing away my story pencils, I wrote something new. (And that manuscript went on to become my debut novel.)

Last year, and the year before, I participated in Pitch Wars on the other side of the glass, as a mentor. And I got to meet a TON of amazing writers. My fellow mentors. My mentees. Writers who submitted their manuscripts to me, who I wanted to choose but couldn't. Writers who chatted with me on the Twitter #PitchWars hashtag. I've met my best writing friends in the contest trenches.

But you already knew all of that, didn't you? I've told these stories hundreds of times, so why bother writing yet another post to rehash the same old tales?

Because when I tell you that participating in  Pitch Wars might change your life, I'm not just talking about your writing career.

If you read my blog regularly or follow me on Twitter, you probably know that last April, I was thrilled to hear that the Air Force was sending us back to Maryland, back "home," back to the area where the climate is best suited to help with my health issues. And you probably know that in May, I was devastated to discover that my home had been destroyed by water and mold. And you probably even saw one or both of the auctions that friends in the publishing community put together to help raise funds for the repairs, when the insurance company refused to pay.

You've probably seen my repeated posts, thanking people for their help and support, and counting the many, many blessings that have come from this particular trial. I honestly don't know I could get through each day without the support I see from my friends.

And here's the thing, folks: The majority of those people helping me and supporting me and carrying me through the trials when I literally can't walk another step on my own? Guess where we met? Yep. Through Pitch Wars and other, similar, online contests. Even the friend of a friend I mentioned last Friday ... the one who helped me find a temporary place to live so my family and I won't be homeless while we're trying to repair our house. You guessed it. The mutual friend connecting us was one of the writers I met in this amazing community.

When I say that Pitch Wars changed my life, I mean it. Yes, the experience made me a better writer. Yes, I credit much of my publishing success to the lessons I learned from both successes and failures in the contest trenches. But publishing success is only a part of what makes Pitch Wars great. The real value in these online contests is the connection you make with other writers. 

The friendships you forge here may be the relationships that carry you through when the stress of real life pushes you down. That's the true value of Pitch Wars.


For other perspectives on how Pitch Wars changes lives, check out the stories and advice in this blog hop with messages from last year's Pitch Wars mentees.

Be Yourself: Great Advice that's Too Easy to Ignore

I'm sure you've all noticed my absence from the blogosphere this year. So far in 2015, I've only published 4 blog posts, and three of those were recipes. And this after posting a set schedule for myself in October that I vowed to keep. Ooops!

I'd like to be able to say that life has simply kept me far too busy for blogging, but the honest truth is that I'm just a little rebellious. Common blogging wisdom says that you MUST post regularly, on a set schedule, or your audience won't know when and where to find you. If you have a split focus to your blog (as I do here, with book promotions, recipes and pondering on life's lessons), you MUST have a clear rotation to space the various aspects evenly, or you run the risk of losing a major part of your audience. This all makes perfect sense.

But I'm the girl who was always a full semester behind on her reading, all through college, because I couldn't bring myself to read the books that were assigned ... just because "you can't tell me what to do!" Even though I really wanted to read the books on the required reading lists, I balked as soon as they were "required." And that's what I've been doing here. By setting a schedule for what I can blog about and when, I turned my fun "just for me" blog into "work." And suddenly, I've been stomping my foot and crossing my arms and loudly declaring "You can't tell me what to do!!"

When I was in high school, I went to a Youth Conference where the keynote speaker (Michael Wilcox) told us not to get discouraged. "You can be the best carrot in the market, but if people are shopping for lettuce, they're not going to pick you. Just be patient. Eventually, someone will come looking for carrots, and they'll be happy you're there."

So as of today, I'm reclaiming my blog. I'm going to be the best darn carrot there is, and hopefully you'll all stick with me. (After all, we all need a healthy dose of beta carotene in our lives, right?)

If I have a recipe or book rave or life lesson that I want to share, I will share it ... even if I already posted one this week. And if I don't have one I'm excited about, I'll wait until I do, even if it's been three weeks. I promise, when I post something new, I'll share the links via twitter, facebook, tumblr, etc., so you'll be able to find me. But I started this blog to remind myself of the joy found in life's little trials ... and it's time I bring the joy back to the blog.

Love you all!!

Giant Valentine's Day eBook Giveaway!

It's almost Valentine's Day, and love is in the air.
And what better way to celebrate than with a boatload of fabulous books? Some of my favorite authors and I want to give you a present this Valentine's Day! Scroll down to the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post to enter one of TWO big bundles of eBooks.

There's a YA bundle:

 including TWELVE STEPS (my own debut novel), EFFORTLESS WITH YOU and BRING THE RAIN by Lizzy Charles, DON'T FALL by Rachel Schieffelbein, ROAD TO SOMEWHERE by Kelly Lynn & Jenny S. Morris, SECRET CATCH by Cassie Mae and Jessica Salyer, HOME IS WHERE YOU ARE by Tessa Marie, and FRACTION OF STONE by Kelley Lynn

... and an NA/Adult romance bundle:

THE REAL THING by Cassie Mae, EYES TURNED SKYWARD and FULL MEASURES by Rebecca Yarros, DEFYING REASON by Elizabeth Seckman, LOVE AND CUPCAKES by Susan Bishop Crispell, OVER THE OCEAN by Georgia St. Mane, and SING FOR ME by Gracie Madison


You definitely want to enter this giveaway!! I can personally recommend DON'T FALL, EFFORTLESS WITH YOU, and LOVE AND CUPCAKES, as I've read and adored each of these books. (Obviously, I also personally recommend TWELVE STEPS.) Most of the other books in these bundles have been on my personal "to read" list for a while. I'm already jealous of the lucky winners!! (I can't wait to read Lizzy Charles' newest book: BRING THE RAIN, and I've adored everything I've read so far from Cassie Mae.) 

Update!! I got to read an advance copy of BRING THE RAIN, and it was amazing! My review is on Goodreads here.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Note: Rafflecopter is a little quirky, and it kind of looks like this form is only for the YA bundle ... but if you click the little arrow under the prize information, you'll see that it's also an entry form for the NA/Adult prize package.) 

Three-Ingredient "Pretend" Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles

Last weekend, in celebration of Rachel Harris' latest YA novel, THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, I shared some real-life "pretend boyfriend" moments from my high school diaries. Today, I'm celebrating with an even more delectable Flirt Squad challenge.  
 
For the Love of Chocolate—Aly is a snackage fiend, bakes often, and stands by her break-up cure of Double Stuf Oreos. Share YOUR favorite recipes!

A challenge to share a delicious chocolate recipe? Yes, please!*


Of course, since we're celebrating THE FINE ART OF PRETENDING, I had to come up with a recipe that fit the theme of "pretending," right? No, I'm not going to try to pass a non-chocolate recipe off as my answer to the Love of Chocolate challenge. (There are plenty of mock chocolate recipes out there, I'm sure, but in my book, pretend chocolate is just plain wrong.) But I was watching Master Chef a couple of weeks ago, and I realized that, as much as I love cooking and baking and making delicious food, I could never win a cooking competition, because I don't do it "right." I'm the queen of shortcuts and cheater dishes, but I'm really good at "Pretending" to be a "Real Chef." (Of course I'm not implying that my cooking is any less real than a professional chef. But I will admit, if I went head-to-head with someone in one of those cooking challenges, I'd be docked all kinds of crazy points for not using the "proper" techniques.)

So today, I present to you my recipe for  

"Pretend" Chocolate Peanut Butter Truffles. 

With only three ingredients (and an optional fourth ingredient), these melt-in-your-mouth candies take approximately two minutes to make, and they're both gluten-free and vegan.**

For three truffles, you will need:

1 Tbsp. baking cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. agave syrup (you can use 1 full tsp. if you prefer sweeter truffles)
(optional: 1 tsp. powdered sugar for dusting finished truffles)

Place cocoa powder and peanut butter in very small bowl or cup. 


 

Microwave 20 seconds to melt the peanut butter. Add agave syrup. Stir to combine all ingredients, until a soft dough forms. 





  
Let cool slightly (about 30 seconds or so). Divide into 3 portions and roll into balls. 


 

Roll each ball in powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or a mix of both. Or simply enjoy as-is.

You can easily double (or triple ... or more) this recipe, if more than three truffles are desired. - These truffles aren't assembled using proper truffle techniques, and they don't even have the "right" ingredients (I think there's supposed to be some complicated process involving heavy cream?), but I wanted truffles one day, and most store-bought truffles contain the oil I'm allergic to, so I simply made my own with ingredients I had on hand. The resulting candy might not be a "real" truffle, but it's no less delicious than the real thing! Sometimes, pretending can be an awfully good thing.



*As you know, creating yummy chocolate desserts to celebrate books I love is kind of a hobby of mine. There were Dark Chocolate Maple Brownies to celebrate Anna Staniszewski's middle grade novel, THE DIRT DIARY ... Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse (as well as an Easy Vegan Chocolate Mousse) to celebrate Rachel Harris' adult contemporary romance, TASTE THE HEAT ... and a Giant Crock Pot Brownie Sundae to celebrate my own debut novel, TWELVE STEPS.

**(Note: These "Pretend" Truffles have REAL peanut butter in them, so if you have peanut allergies, these aren't for you. However, they may work just as well with almond butter, sunflower seed butter or cashew butter.)

Numbers Don't Matter. YOU Matter.

I have been so worried and caught up in the numbers game lately. I absolutely cringe every time someone asks me "How is your book doing? How many copies have you sold so far?" (Seriously, guys. Don't ask things like this. I don't ask you how much money you made with your last paycheck.) Every time someone asks this question, I feel like I need to defend my worth. Like I'm only valuable if I'm doing BETTER than everyone else. (By the way, I'm fine. I've sold more copies of my book than some have and less than others. Just like every other author on the planet, throughout the entire history of books.)

This weekend, I hit a severe low, however, as I started letting the numbers game get to me. What if "fine" isn't good enough? What if people stop seeing me as worthwhile because I'm not THE BEST? And how do I even measure that status? I've had overwhelmingly-positive reviews, and I get emails and private messages regularly from readers who say they were touched by my book. Is that more or less important than hitting #1 on a Bestseller List?

And then, Saturday night, I went to the General Women's Broadcast of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This talk, by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2nd counselor in the first presidency of the church) was exactly what I needed to hear:

Post by LDS Videos.

The entire talk is worth watching. (You can find the full talk here.) I especially needed to hear the part (right before the clip shown above) where he said, "God knows of your successes. Though they may seem small to you." - Because I matter to Him. Whether I've sold 1 book or 1 million, that's the only measurement that really matters. 

 And you matter too. 

Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise!

It's Not a Competition (Just a Contest)!! Pitch Wars Lesson #1

As you know, I'm a Pitch Wars mentor for the second year in a row. For those of you who don't know about Pitch Wars, it's an annual contest hosted by Brenda Drake, where published/agented authors, editors, or interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions on how to make the manuscript shine, preparing them to submit their manuscripts to agents. There have been a LOT of success stories from previous Pitch Wars contests, and judging from the quality of writing I've seen so far this year, I expect even more successes this time around!

One of the torture trials fun things Brenda cooked up for us this year was a series of videos, where mentors had a chance to make fools of themselves introduce themselves to the Pitch Wars community. Of course, I jumped at the chance to participate, because I'm certifiably insane I believe we only really grow when we do things that scare us. Besides, I was afraid that, if I didn't, I'd be the only Pitch Wars mentor who didn't have a video. And so I sent Brenda the 30-second clip here to include in the mentor chat video.

I know. Amazing, right? Who wouldn't want a chance to be helped along by the best Pitch Wars mentor ever?? And do you see how effortless the whole process is? Yep. I'm awesome, and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Yeah.

But here's my little secret:

It wasn't effortless at all.

I was shaking like crazy, stumbling over my words and feeling like a giant dork. And I almost didn't send my video in at all. Not because I didn't have faith in my abilities as a mentor, but because I kept thinking about all of the OTHER Pitch Wars mentors, and wondering how my video would stack up in comparison with theirs.

What if everyone else was more creative?

What if they were better looking?

What if I was the only one who looked like a dork, and everyone decided they'd rather miss out on the contest entirely than get stuck with that dorky mentor with a frog obsession? (Here's a fun game: How many frogs can you find hidden in my video clip?)

But here's another secret:

None of that stuff matters. Not really. Because Pitch Wars is a great contest, but it's not a competition. The whole point is to help each other get to the next level with our writing and our careers. To become better today than we were yesterday, and better tomorrow than we are today. (Really, isn't that the whole point of life here on earth??)

And we can totally "win" Pitch Wars even if we're not the most popular mentor or one of the contestants selected for one of the coveted mentee slots. (Fun fact: I wrote TWELVE STEPS after I didn't make it in to Pitch Wars 2012, as a final goodbye to the characters I loved from my first manuscript, intending to shelve the whole thing when I finished writing. Less than a year later, I accepted an offer of publication for my debut novel!)

And when I went back to look at the rejected clips to construct the blooper reel today, I discovered that at least ten of the nearly-forty not-good-enough videos were actually much better than I originally thought. Now that I wasn't comparing them to the better-than-Hollywood-quality videos I imagined that all of my fellow mentors were creating, I couldn't even remember why I'd deemed these clips unworthy. 

When all is said and done, It doesn't matter if I'm the "most popular" mentor or if I receive less applications than anyone else.

It doesn't matter if the mentee I eventually select for my team is fought over by all of the YA mentors or I'm the only one head-over-heels in love with his/her manuscript.

Because it's really not a competition.

That's not what Pitch Wars is all about. (It's an amazing contest, but trust me, making it into Pitch Wars isn't your only shot at success. It's just one contest. There are a ton of other opportunities waiting just around the corner!)

I promise to do my best, and that's enough.

I guarantee that by the end of this year's contest, my mentee and I will both grow as writers.

And I'm willing to bet there will be plenty of Pitch Wars success stories among those who don't officially make it into the contest as well.

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Independence Day to all of my American friends and readers! And to those of you in other parts of the world, Happy Summertime Friday! (There's always some reason to celebrate life, right?)

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays, not because of the backyard BBQ or the watermelon-eating contests, or even the impressive fireworks displays, but because I love having a day set aside to celebrate our gratitude for freedom and liberty, and to remember all the brave men and women who fought (and still fight) for those freedoms. Please take a moment today, wherever you may be, to give thanks for the blessings in your life.

Side note:
As you may have noticed, my blogging efforts have slowed recently. (This happens every summer, as my children are out of school, and I'm spending more family together time with them.) I am still around, and I have a few recipes and book reviews ready to post in the upcoming weeks, but the pace will continue to be slow here on the blog probably until school is once again in full-swing in September.

In the meantime, you can still find me online. Most days, I'm on Twitter and Facebook. And I've had a couple of really fun interviews recently.

* The Debut Dish interview with That Artsy Reader Girl - I got to share a blog post with A.J. Pine (who I absolutely adore), and you still have 2 days to enter to win a copy of A.J.'s fun NA romance, IF ONLY, so go check it out!

* My Life in Movie Titles interview on the brand-new Breathless Ink blog - I got to share a little bit about myself and my book, and to celebrate some of my favorite movies in the process. This was one of the most fun interviews I've ever participated in. PLUS, you can win a copy of TWELVE STEPS and other great books!!

Lessons Learned at the RT Booklover's Convention

If you saw the #TalkWriting Web Chat about Introverts and Extroverts in Publishing last March, then you know I’m not only a severe introvert, but I have a sometimes-paralyzing fear of people. You also probably know that I’m working to overcome the shyness by challenging myself to stretch beyond my comfort zone a little bit each day. And that I generally manage to balance my desire to meet new people with my need for alone time with a whole host of coping techniques.

May 2014 provided ample opportunities to stretch beyond my comfort zone and put my introvert-in-an-extroverted-world coping strategies to the test, as I attended the Romantic Times Booklover’s Convention in New Orleans AND Book Expo America in New York.

There’s just too much amazing to fit into one post, so I’m breaking it into two parts. Today, I’ll share the Lessons I Learned from RT, and tomorrow, I’ll give you my Introvert’s Guide to BEA.

Lesson #1: Everything is easier when you’re with friends.

Brenda Drake and I coordinated our trips so that we could fly out to New Orleans together, and the adventure began before we even left Albuquerque! While standing in line to check our bags at the airport, our phones rang with an update from the airline. The second leg of our flight (from Dallas to New Orleans) had been cancelled. And so our Planes, Trains and Automobiles journey to RT began!
A plane to Dallas …

 A train from one terminal to the other to catch our flight to Baton Rouge …

... And a rental car to get us from Baton Rouge to New Orleans.



If I’d been alone, this whole ordeal would have been scary and overwhelming. With my best friend, it became an adventure, and a fun story to tell later.







Lesson #2: You really can create lasting, real-life friendships through social media.

The best part about RT was meeting so many of my fabulous Twitter friends in real life, and discovering that they are just as fabulous in person as they are online.

Plus, meeting my super-fabulous editor, Mandy Schoen, in person was worth the trip all by itself!

 Lesson #3: You must sample the fabulous local cuisine when visiting new places.

You can’t get the true New Orleans experience without sampling crawfish, bread pudding, jambalaya, Po’ Boy sandwiches or beignets. Or at least some of the above. The same rule applies to any fabulous city you may be visiting. So much of the experience is tied up in tastes. Try something you’ve never experienced before. Your taste buds will thank you for it later.

 Lesson #4: Even if the conference is jam-packed with awesome, it pays to skip out on a few things to take in the sights.

My favorite parts of the convention happened outside of the officially-scheduled programs. A late-night ghost tour with my friends, an impromptu visit to a graveyard, and watching the fabulous street performances on every corner. How sad would it be if I’d gone all the way to New Orleans and didn’t get to see any of the fabulous things the city had to offer?

Lesson #5: Be sure to balance your schedule, so you don’t miss the officially-scheduled events you came to experience.

The official RT convention schedule was so packed with fabulousness that I could have found something amazing to do every waking moment – without even leaving the convention hotel. And although I don’t regret the time I spent away from the official activities, I’m so glad I made it to so many of the official events. 

Lesson #6: Book signings are fun! (And a little bit overwhelming)

I had my very first official signing for TWELVE STEPS at the Giant Book Fair on Saturday morning.  The Giant Book Fair is aptly named. It was massive and chaotic, and a little bit panic-inducing, for an introvert like me. Luckily, I had fabulous authors sitting beside me to talk to when I got nervous about facing the crowds, and I had the presence of mind to bring along my knitting needles and a ball of plarn. In the lulls between waves of fans, I calmed my nerves by knitting a water bottle carrier.


I’d planned to use it as a giveaway to accompany this post, but alas, I dropped it somewhere in the FANtastic Day Party that evening, and although I went back to search for it as soon as I noticed it was missing, I wasn’t able to find it again. (I only hope that whoever did find the bag loves it!)

Lesson #7: Books are awesome. Free books are even better. But books are heavy.

One of the best things about RT was learning about all of the fabulous new books! I was super-excited to win a giant stack of books at the Entangled Publishing Candy & Spoons event, and I was thrilled to get multiple goody bags full of books and swag at nearly every event I attended. But when it came time to pack for the return trip home, I realized that it was physically impossible to fit all of my fabulous new books into my suitcase. I ended up giving away more than half of my books to be sent overseas for military personnel in need of reading materials, and I still had to check an extra bag for the remaining thirty-eight books in my stash. (A lot of my friends shipped boxes of books home, but I was so busy playing with my friends that I totally missed the opportunity to ship things. Lesson #7 ½ - Pay attention to when the closest mailing facilities are actually open, unless you actually have room in your suitcase for all of your books.)


Lesson #8: Remember to sleep sometimes. And take time to recharge.

It was a crazy week, full of non-stop excitement. There was so much to do, and there were so many people to see, that I think I slept an average of 4 hours a night. It was totally worth it (I have definite plans to do it again next year), but by the time I returned home at the end of the week, I was completely drained. In all of the excitement of meeting my fabulous online writer friends and promoting my book, (and meeting this lovely lady, who stopped me in the hall to let me know she'd read and loved TWELVE STEPS!!)

I had forgotten to follow all of my rules for surviving as an introvert in an extroverted industry, and believe me, I paid the price. I spent the week between RT and BEA mostly in bed, recuperating from all of the excitement.

Except for when I had to plan and pull off my daughter’s birthday party – a spa day/sleepover with 6 of her closest friends, including a cake shaped like an eye shadow compact.

As I boarded the plane for New York a week later, I promised myself that I’d pay close attention to my own needs, so I wouldn’t burn out this time around. And I mostly managed to do it, I think. (Come back tomorrow for my Introvert’s Guide to BEA!)

Twelve Days of TWELVE STEPS #1: Crock Pot Chili Cheese Fries Recipe

My daughter decided that, since my book is called TWELVE STEPS, we absolutely have to do something to celebrate the release for each of the twelve days leading up to the big day. So of course, we have lots of fun family celebrations planned, all linking to our favorite scenes and the lines that make us grin. However, as we were planning our activities, we realized that most of our celebrations only make sense if you've read the book. And we didn't want to spoil the surprise of our favorite scenes by explaining all of the inside jokes. But of course, we wanted to include all of you too!

So each day for the twelve days leading up to March 25, we'll be sharing non-spoilery favorite quotes with a new teaser graphic every day. And each day, I'll share something special and book-related with you as well: recipes, sneak peeks, giveaways and more!

Andi lives by one simple rule: always maintain control of every situation. Thomas Jefferson is her hero, and she lives by the motto: "Nothing gives a person so much advantage over another as to remain always cool and unruffled under all circumstances." Every decision she makes, every step she takes, is calculated and precise. Right down to the way she eats. It's all a part of the persona she's constructed for herself.

Of course, you all know that food is one of my passions, but I (like most people) don't have the metabolism to eat like Andi every day and stay healthy. Still, every time I dive into Andi's story, I start craving delicious, but not so good for me fried foods and sweet treats. The compromise? Turn those not-so-healthy treats into something better!

Crock Pot Chili Cheese Fries

You will need: 

1 crock pot full of chili (try my Lentil Chili, or Chili with Pumpkin and Cranberries)

4 large russet potatoes

4 large sweet potatoes

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. oregano

salt (to taste)

sharp cheddar cheese (or your favorite variety)

Cut potatoes and sweet potatoes into strips about 3/4-inch thick. In a large mixing bowl, toss potato strips, olive oil, oregano and salt together.

Transfer potatoes to a 5-quart Crock Pot and cook on high for approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. (You can also cook on low for 4-5 hours, but for this I like to cook for the shorter time on high, so the potatoes around the edges will get a little bit crispy.)

Serve warm with a generous topping of chili and your favorite cheese. (Or omit the cheese and use a meat-free chili recipe for a delicious vegan meal.)

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