Middle Grade Books Giveaway

Margo Dill's blog, Read These Books and Use Them, is giving away three middle grade books by Clara Gillow Clark. Just stop by and leave on comment on her contest blog post by 8 p.m. CST on January 21 for your chance to win.

Book Giveaway at Becky Povich's Blog

Writer Becky Povich is giving away a book this week on her blog. Just leave a comment about a book you discovered by accident that turned out to be a hidden gem. The contest deadline is Saturday, January 23 at midnight CST.

I'll be trolling it for books to read, especially series. Don't you adore it when you love the first book in a series and then find out it already has about 5 or 6 currently published. A delicious banquet then lies ahead. Ummmm.

New Market - Mom Magazine

From the editor's of Pregnancy and Hot Mom's Club comes Mom magazine.

Here's some info on the launch of this new magazine that's focused on mothers rather than just on their progeny problems. Mom magazine is here.

Round Up of Cool Blog Posts This Week

Here are some of this week's neat blog posts from the universe in which I read blogs.

Kristin Nelson's Example Novel Query Letters:
Megan Crewe's Query Letter
Gail Carrigar's Query Letter Part I
Gail Carrigar's Query Letter Part II

Donna's Book Pub - Flash Fiction Contest Info

A Peaceful Sunday Afternoon at a Teaching Life - Put one of those in my virtual shopping bag, please.

Here's hoping we all have a great weekend.

Agent Nathan Bransford's Blog Contest

Here is great brain exercise for the new year. Enter literary agent Nathan Bransford's The Secret Year Teen Diary Extravaganza. Write a diary entry a la teenage angst (not to exceed 500 words), and you may be a winner. You have until 4:00 PM Pacific Time on Wednesday January 6th.

From the website: The GRAND PRIZE ULTIMATE WINNER of the THE SECRET YEAR Teen Diary Writing Contest Extravaganza will win:


- A signed copy of THE SECRET YEAR (pending winner's proximity to the US of A)
- Their choice of a query critique, partial critique, or 10 minute phone conversation/consultation/dish session
- The pride of knowing OMG you are like the greatest writer for teens ever.

Runners up may get a critique as well.

Chase The Dream Romance Novel/Novella Contest

The annual Chase The Dream Romance Novella Contest is up and running for the new year. Romance authors Rachelle Chase and Leigh Michaels sponsor the contest and ask for the first 1000 words of your romance novel/novella.

Entries are judged weekly, some receive mini critiques, and many are reviewed by agents. You can see a complete list of rules and the Q&A on their website for more information.

It has lots of great feedback about romance writing, regardless of whether you win or not.

Good luck to everyone.

Food Porn 1: Hot Chocolate

Photo by Pocheco Creative Commons

I adore food. It has been my friend, my entertainment, my everything. This is why I am fat. But I'm tired of being fat, ergo the liquid diet I am starting on January 5th. Yes, I am a cliche, a New Year dieter. Get over it.

As a result I've been saying goodbye to all my favorite foods before I spend six months sucking sustenance through a straw and never consuming most of them again. I am not pigging out or overeating; I am just saying goodbye to some friends who've gotten me through, while killing me slowly, of course. I usually avoid these foods at all costs. Seeking them out is a strange, but freeing experience.

My food porn is not everyone's. I like a lot of foodie politically incorrect stuff like boxed mac n cheese. But it's my farewell party. Enter at your own risk, but feel free to argue with me in the comments if you just can't stand my version of gustatory gusto.

My friend Lisa calls this fat girl porn. So don't read this if you're on a diet as I wouldn't want to be responsible for the consequences.

Lately I am on a hot chocolate retrospective. It must be made with milk, people, not water. But other than that, I'm not much of a purist about stirring up cocoa on the stove. Instant works perfectly, especally with the addition of lots of real whipped cream. It's like drinking liquid silk. Chocolate flavored.

Perfect hot chocolate sleeps beneath a layer of cream, so every time I tip my unapolgetically Christmassy mug, steaming cocoa lava sneaks out from under the sweet, sweet cream, stinging my tongue while the top layer soothes with coolness. Hot and cold, chocolate and vanilla, darkness and light. It pleasures you with warmth: hands, lips, teeth, tongue. Sex, in a cup.

The smell of the steam is every snow day you ever had as a kid, warm clothes fresh from the dryer, fuzzy socks when your feet are cold.

I drink it halfway down till the foam is gone, and then I go to the fridge for more whipped sin. It's the only way to be sure I get the optimum experience all the way through. I sip it without guilt, without apology, without all the hangups I've had my whole life about any fattening food. Then I look at the chocolate sludge left in the bottom and smile...