Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Announcement...and Writerly Wednesday

It's been coming for a while. And I knew it, too.

*sigh*

Image courtesy of Regine Debatty.
You know the blogosphere is my favorite place to hang, right? I mean, other than my house, but since I can kind of hang out both places at the same time...wait, does that make me a trans-dimensional traveler? A split soul? Existing in two realms at once? *tapping finger to chin*

Ahem. Back on topic, I have a new schedule for the new year. I love you all and I'm going to be around a couple times a week to visit my bloggies, but for the time being I have to amend my weekly posting schedule to Wednesdays only. Writerly Wednesdays will continue, and I'll occasionally post off schedule *gasp* but my Funny Fridays/Motivational Mondays will all be squished into the same post as the weekly truth or lie game and giveaway. Can you handle all that awesomeness in a single day?

ALSO, Christmas is coming, and I'm giving away a special gift to everyone who signs up for my newsletter by Christmas Eve at 10 p.m. EDT. (Check out the form on the sidebar or bottom of this post.)

On to the fun of the day, eh?

Writerly Wednesdays here are for readers and writers. Get to know authors, test your human lie detector skills, and WIN books. 

This week I'm excited to share with you not one, but three books! You read right. Rachel Morgan has been a bloggy buddy for, oh, five years or so, and I've read and love her work. Recently she's donned all new covers for her amazing series. Check it out:


Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamor follows her into the Fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the Fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

Get your copies HERE.  

Ready to meet Rachel?
Rachel Morgan was born in South Africa where she spent a large portion of her childhood living in a fantasy land of her own making. After completing a degree in genetics, she decided science wasn’t for her—after all, they didn’t approve of made-up facts. These days she spends most of her time creating fictional worlds for young adults. When she isn't writing, she's reading (duh!), catching up on addictive TV series, and baking things that almost always include chocolate.

Ideally, you might find Rachel on a wine estate somewhere in the Cape, eating Brie with fig preserve. 

She gave me two truths and one lie to test your "lie detector" skills. Can you figure out the lie? Those who do will go into my magic hat for a chance to win a copy of one of her books--your choice! Eek! How cool is that? You have until Tuesday, December 24th at 1 p.m. EDT to guess--and be sure to come back for the answer on December 26th to see if you won.

TRUTH OR LIE

1. Rachel has read every Harry Potter book at least 8 times.
2. When she was little, she had an imaginary friend who was sometimes a boy and sometimes a girl.
3. To relieve exam stress, Rachel and her high school girlfriends used to hit the middle of the school field and scream. 



Okay, which is the lie? And are you a dual dimension dweller? Have you signed up for my newsletter? What brand of cheese will you be eating this Christmas?

Oh, and be sure to stop back Friday for a really cool game provided by Emilyann Girdner.

58 comments:

  1. No worries, Crystal. Do what you need to do. The blogosphere isn't going anywhere. :)

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  2. I'm guessing the second one is a lie.
    I'm only posting on Mondays now, so if you can handle my overloaded posts, I can handle yours!

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    1. Only Mondays? When did I miss that transition? --It's a deal.

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  3. I'm going with #3 as the lie.
    I understand needing to cut back your schedule, I think there's a lot of that going on lately. Whatever works best for you is what matters! I'll still enjoy your posts whenever they are up.

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  4. Funny thing is I can see her doing all three, lol! Mebbe #1.
    I like the covers.

    Crystal, as life gets complicated, you have to simplify as much as possible. The past 3 Decembers I've coasted in blog land. Not only am I busy with overloaded work but others are busy with holiday stuff so it just makes sense to use that month as a coasting month.

    Sia McKye Over Coffee

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    1. I should have followed your example and coasted. There's a bit of A-type personality I'm trying to work out of my system. Kids help.

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  5. It sounds like everyone is cutting back on blogging, next year. Me too. I'll be posting on Mondays and only 2 Wednesdays at most plus my popular blog hops. I think that's fine to cut back so we have time for our families and writing.

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    1. I think that's the trend of blogging lately. It had its big day, and now the fad is dimming.

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  6. That's a hard one! I'll go with number one as the lie.

    I'm going to have to adjust my posting schedule even more after this baby comes. Oh, well. As Madeline said, the blogosphere isn't going anywhere!

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    Replies
    1. And it's a darn good thing! I'm super excited for you, btw.

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  7. The Creep Hollow series is so great. Loving it and working my way through the third book :)

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  8. There are only so many hours in a day so don't worry about a reduced schedule for posts. Happy Christmas to you and your family, Crystal.

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  9. Just glad you'll still be blogging Crystal. Happy Holidays.

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  10. Hey!
    She stole my brie!
    I'll even take the fig!

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    Replies
    1. Hold on. Let me cue up my time-reverser and you can get it back...unless you feel like sacrificing it for Christmas...

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    2. mmm...
      bah
      Fine, she can have it. She already touched it, so I don't want it back, anyway.

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  11. I wouldn't mind being on a wine estate and eating some Brie -- sounds yummy. Wishing Rachel success with her series!

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  12. Thanks so much for hosting me today, Crystal!
    Good luck to everyone guessing that lie ;-) *wiggles eyebrows*
    And hey, I totally understand the need to scale back on blogging. I don't even manage once a week anymore!

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    Replies
    1. Seriously? I've been on the three a week schedule for so long it's killing me.

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  13. Bring on the single day of awesomeness! And I'm also moving to Wednesdays mainly in 2014 too. It's a good day of the week.

    As for Rachel's lie, hmm, I'm going to guess 3.

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    Replies
    1. It really is. *high five* Here's to Wednesday madness. =)

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  14. I signed up for your newsletter when I first discovered you years and years ago. Or maybe a couple of months ago.

    Love,
    Janie

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  15. As long as you blog at least once in a while, it'll be good.

    I think overloaded schedules can become a huge pain for the blogger, and actually be counterproductive for the reader -- most people don't have that much free time, so being able to spread out their blogging visits and still not miss anything can be a plus, I think.

    Or maybe that's just me. Even after years of on-and-off blogging, I'm still learning the balance between keeping my blog fresh and new enough to encourage revisits, and yet not so overloaded that readers miss posts or feel overwhelmed with info.

    Anyway... for Fairy-writer Rachel, I'm guessing the first one is a lie. All of them at least once, and some multiple, but ALL of them 8 times over!? I'm not buying it...

    Have a WONDERFUL Christmas!

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    Replies
    1. LOL! Why not, Chris? My son has read each of them about 17 times. No kidding. He's actually worn the covers off them--and we're talking about hardbacks here. ;)

      I hear you about the balance. It can be nigh impossible.

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  16. Most of us end up posting once or at the most twice a week. Time is precious. Have a great holiday season.

    Denise

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  17. Real life steps in and sometimes you have to take a step back, it's all good, we will all be around... I have been posting a little less but that is okay :)

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    Replies
    1. That's easier to say if you're not completely addicted. =)

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  18. Seems like everyone is cutting back. That just means your offline life is busy, and that's a good thing.

    I think I'll go with #3.

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  19. I'm going to guess that #1 is the lie, though they all sound plausible to me! Maybe it's because the other two seem more creative that I favour them as truths :p

    Rachel's stories sound fantastic! Merry Christmas.

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  20. Props for blogging as much as you did. Sometimes I feel like I'm floundering just posting once a week, lol! Social media/writing time can be a hard balance I'm finding. =(

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    Replies
    1. There was a long time where I only blogged once a week, and before that only once a month. I can't help but feel like I'm regressing here.

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  21. I'll miss you. Alas, blogging is low on the scale of importance. I'll be looking forward to Wednesdays.

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    1. And we shall call them: WAY AWESOME WEDNESDAYS. =)

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  22. Sometimes, a lady has to do what a lady has to do. I'm forever thinking about scaling back my blogging, but for now, I'm still too addicted to it and I don't really find that it cuts into my writing. :-D

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    1. Haha! You and me both. (Except for the cutting into the writing thing--it totally does for me.)

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  23. I think number 1 is the lie, but that's just a wild guess.

    As someone who recently cut her own posting schedule back to once a week, I understand completely.

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  24. Darn, those all sound true! Hmm, okay, #2... (or 3? no, definitely 2).
    What if you're already signed up to the newsletter?
    And yay for posting on Wednesdays! That's what I do :-)

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    Replies
    1. Are you sure? Maybe you should go for number 1. Or number, "Yes." Or better yet, why not "number that's the right answer." --Then you can't possibly lose no matter what. =D

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  25. I'm guessing #2 is the lie. I've noticed a lot of my blogger friends are scaling back to work on projects. I know I'm having trouble juggling it all!

    Hey, I'm about 2/3 done with your book. It is so good! I don't know what's in that cheese you've been eating, but it's made you an awesome writer! ;0) (Can you send some to me? It might help. ;))

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    1. *blushing* Sherry, you know just what to say to lift a girl's spirits. (It's the white cheese--the one filled with epicness and superpowers.) ;)

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  26. I've overdone myself, too...I just keep telling myself, make it to the first of the year, and things will get better! (That's when my vacation days come back.) Getting sick really hit me hard, too. I totally get your need to scale back!

    I'm right there with Sherry, I'd say I'm on the home stretch of your book - it is awesome! I just want some nice uninterrupted time to finish it out (sob), is that too much to ask?!?!

    And I'm thinking #1 is the lie! :)

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    1. LOL! Hold on, let me toss you my time stopper.

      Wait.

      I'm still rounding the scientists back into my basement to fix it--those tricky guys who escaped when the started tampering with the teleportation device. *sigh* Why must life be so difficult?

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  27. Blogging is always so incredibly time-consuming, so I'm not surprised you're limiting your posting schedule to Wednesdays. There's just not enough hours in the day for this kind of thing!

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    Replies
    1. Amen! Again, if my time stopper wasn't busted, we'd be all good to go. =)

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  28. mhm... I think I'm going to go with number 1 !

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Hit me with your cheese!