Congratulations!

Congratulations to the winners of my recent The Thing About Apples Goodreads giveaway (which had nearly 1,000 entrants!) :

Stacy Krout

Carling Vesico

Athena De Rosa

Jennifer Siddall

Roland So

Deanna Josephitis

Crissy Shamion

Jack Marsh

Britini Gibson

Jeremy Martin

 

Didn’t win? You can still get a copy of The Thing About Apples for as little as $4.99 on Kindle or $15.75 in Paperback. And while you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up the first two books of the series: ‘Till the Last Petal Falls and To Dwell in Dreams (Winner of the 2014 C.W. Coates Novel Award!)

Already off the Wagon

The bad news? This being the first post in awhile means that I fell very behind on my promise to blog more often. The good news? It’s Lent now, which has always been the better time for me to get my act together. And I’ve also been spending a good amount of my time writing- several short stories, personal pieces, and getting back into editing Painting the Roses Red. I even started writing poetry again under my other alias. So even if it seems like I might have fallen entirely off the face of the earth, I am still here and I have been working on my writing! I’ve also been able to get into a rhythm at my new job and with my new friend groups as well, which makes it easier for me to schedule time to write, edit and promote.

How are your first months of the year going? Did you start off on a good foot or slip back into bad habits immediately?

2017 Resolutions

Alright, so 2016 was a bit rougher of a year than I had planned on it being. Mostly because I planned on doing so many big things at once and hadn’t been realistic about how much I could really handle at one time. I did manage to marry my best friend, thank goodness. I never managed to edit through Painting the Roses Red, write anything new, or work harder on my promotions. I ended up gaining 10 pounds back of the weight I’d lost, and I left off my blogging schedule once the weather turned cold and the wedding loomed closer. It was a big year though, so I’m not kicking myself too hard. Instead, I’m going to focus on doing better next year.

With that in mind, next year I will:

1. Get those last 10 pounds back off

2. Get back into editing Painting the Roses Red, with the goal of re-submitting it to publishers/agents by the end of the year

3. Really sink some time and resources into promoting myself as a writer. Dedicate time that I can’t to writing to material to shopping myself around for appearances, guest blogs, etc.

 

I have a small list this year because I really want to be able to keep myself to it (even going to buy a planner this week to keep everything straight). What were your resolutions? What will they be in the new year?

 

I’m a Married Woman Now!

          On December 3rd, at 1:00 P.M., I married my best friend and the best partner a woman could ever ask for at the Catholic Church where I grew up, was baptized, and received my first sacraments. This year has been insane, what with all the planning, the moving, the preparing and just the general anxiety that comes with taking such a huge step in one’s life… and now that it’s all over, I couldn’t be happier. I told my husband (squee! Still so fun to say!) when we were beginning to come back from our honeymoon that I was just as excited to go home with him and be a family as I was to fly to Ireland and Italy for our

This year has been insane, what with all the planning, the moving, the preparing and just the general anxiety that comes with taking such a huge step in one’s life… and now that it’s all over, I couldn’t be happier. I told my husband (squee! Still so fun to say!) when we were beginning to come back from our honeymoon that I was just as excited to go home with him and be a family as I was to fly to Ireland and Italy for our 10 day vacation. (Which is saying a lot, considering the fact that we got to see the Pope as sposii novellii). This man has been my rock for the past four years. He encourages me to keep writing, to keep trying, even when I don’t believe in myself anymore. He helps me stick to my goals, and to my beliefs- even if he doesn’t share those goals or those beliefs. If I want to lose weight, he helps me do it healthily, even if he says he thinks I’m beautiful no matter what. If I start being lax with my faith, he reminds me to go to church or say the prayers I promised to pray, even though he himself is atheist. He makes me a better me- and he claims I do the same for him.

I am beyond excited to be starting this new year with a new husband. I’ll also be starting a new job, working as a youth minister at a church near me. This will fortunately free up a lot more time for me to be writing and promoting myself as a writer, as I will be getting a much more flexible schedule (and a lot of work-from-home projects as well). I’ll be writing more, editing more, scheduling more appearances and talks and just generally putting all of my time and energy into building the life that I believe me and my family are meant for. Just as I knew I was called to be my husband’s wife from the moment I met him, I’ve always known I was meant to be a mother and a writer. And with him by my side, I hope to be more faithful to those callings than ever before.

Here’s to a fruitful, enlightening, and beautiful Christmas season after this amazing Advent!

New Review: “Well-Written Story”

Got a new review for The Thing About Apples by Goodreads user Batya7:

The Thing About Apples was a well-written story about a high school student who has undiagnosed Asperger’s, an autism spectrum disorder. She lives with an uncaring father and an abusive step-mother. The bright spots in her reality are her friends, a loyal, supportive circle of students who bring happiness to her tortured life.

Although I found the step-mother’s end story a bit unbelievable (I don’t want to write any spoilers), I really liked this book. I could put myself in her place, feel the veracity of the sensory difficulties she experienced.

Moreover, there is a positive message, how we should accept people for who they are, and not what we want them to be.

Thank you, Batya7! I am glad that the book was able to have you putting yourself in Ann’s shoes- this was something that was very important to me in writing the story in the first place.

If you haven’t read The Thing About Apples yourself, there’s still plenty of time to order your copy in time for the holidays from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from the publisher!

Five Star Review: Do Not Be So Quick To Judge

Got my first text review of The Thing About Apples on Goodreads, by reader Kathy Church. She says:

I have enjoyed reading this book. It is the story of Ann who has Asperger’s Syndrome. I have a friend whose granddaughter also has Asperger’s Syndrome. This has helped to me to have a better understanding of the way that people think and feel about other people. I would recommend this book to everyone. Please do not be so quick to judge those who may be different than yourself.

Thank you for enjoying Ann and her story, Kathy! One of the big reasons I wrote this book was to get this very reaction from readers.

Haven’t read it yourself? What are you waiting for? The Thing About Apples is available in paperback and e-book form from my publisher, Amazon and Barnes & Noble now!

Thing About Apples Giveaway: Complete!

Congratulations to the winners of signed copies of The Thing About Apples: 

Steven Ridgley

Kathy Church

Linda Gawthrop

Susan Doerr

Batya Moses

Your copies will be in the mail no later than the end of the Labor Day Weekend!

Don’t have your copy yet? Head on over to the website to get your copy from the publisher, Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or use the contact form to get to me directly if you would like a signed copy of your own!

5-Star Review: “Raw, Stark Truth”

Just saw that To Dwell in Dreams had gotten a 5-star review from author Megan Whitson Lee! So exciting! Here’s what Megan had to say:

The wonderful thing about this novel is its reality. Not all women relish the idea of being mothers, and the raw, stark truth of this battle between guilt and acceptance infuses this story with something special.

Told in a sort of reverse chronology, To Dwell in Dreams explores the struggle between the right and the wrong way to handle the unexpected, true love, and painful truths.

Elizabeth Rose is a promising and talented young writer who brings a dreamlike quality to her prose. Her writing shows a depth of understanding that could be compared with Hemingway, and human empathy that could be compared with Virginia Woolf. Beautiful

To have my empathy compared to the incomprable Woolf is probably the single best thing that has ever happened to me. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! I hope the next book holds up just as well 😀

Haven’t read To Dwell in Dreams yet? Head on over to my website  to pick it up, along with the first and third books in the Once Upon a Reality series.

 

The Thing About Apples: Giveaway!

In honor of the release of The Thing About Apples, I’m running a giveaway on Goodreads!  5 signed copies are up for grabs- and before even promoting the dang thing, it’s got 119 people entered! The giveaway will last until August 30th, just in time for me to announce the lucky winners for my own birthday.

If you don’t want to take the chance, remember that I always will make signed copies available if you request them through my contact form (allow time for me to get copies in, signed and then sent back out!). Buying paperback through the publisher  will get you a freebie e-copy (though you can also buy the e-book for the price of a cup of coffee!), and is also available through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

RELEASE DAY: The Thing About Apples

It’s here! It’s finally here! The release day for The Thing About Apples is here! Thank you so much for everyone who has gotten me here- my family, my friends, my fiance, and the wonderful family at eLectio publishing…

Head on over to my publisher’s website to pick up one of the first copies of this Snow White re-telling through an autistic lens. Buying the paperback ensures that you get the eBook copy for free!

And if you’re wanting a signed copy, feel free to pop on over to my contact page to let me know. I’ll be getting my author copies ordered in soon, and I’ll make sure to get one signed just for you!