October Happenings + a Giveaway

This month has been busy, busy, busy. And you probably noticed that as a result there were less reviews on my end. Well, let me tell you what I've been up to! And at the end of the post, I 'm giving away a copy of Cynthia Swanson's The Bookseller.

Here's a bit about the book from Goodreads:

Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . .

Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn’t quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.

Then the dreams begin.

Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. It’s everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.

Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyn’s life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?

As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives?

A bit more on this particular giveaway choice below.

So the month started off with #DVPit on October 5 and 6th. This was a Twitter pitch event focused on diversity and marginalized voices. This time they split it into two days - the first for YA and younger and the second for adult pitches. And aside from featuring marginalized voices, the only real requirement was that your manuscript be finished and ready to send out.

Y'all. I quite love these pitch events. I signed one of my clients from #SFFPit earlier this year, so they do work. And while watching Twitter and liking posts is fairly easy, the queries I received were pretty fantastic and I had (have) a ton of manuscripts to dive into as a result.

So then that weekend was Mountains and Plains, our regional trade show for indie booksellers, which just happens to be held here in Denver every year. I had a chance to meet up with some small publishers and local Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers folks while scoping out the new, hot titles of the upcoming season.

The following weekend was the Women Writing the West conference in Santa Fe. For this conference, I was taking pitches and participating in an agent panel on querying. And I'd never been to Santa Fe before. Course I failed my uber Geek side by not realizing this is where GRRM's theater is (I mistakenly convinced myself it was in Albuquerque - shame on me!). I heard some really wonderful pitches and the panel went especially well. I also got to hang out with some really fabulous authors over the course of the weekend. And I even had time to explore Santa Fe's downtown area, have excellent enchiladas at The Shed, and visit two bookstores while I was there!

Next up was another Twitter pitch event, #PitDark on October 20. This one is focused on dark fiction for all ages. You guys know how much I LOVE dark fiction! I'm still digging through those queries as we speak because I had to prepare for Saturday's Castle Rock Writers Conference where I was taking pitches and doing 5 page critiques.

I've actually done the Women Writing the West conference twice now and the Castle Rock conference three times. In my past job I worked with quite a few of the authors involved with both, one of whom was a Willa finalist in 2015. Both organizations are wonderful and I appreciate being invited to take part in their annual festivities. And yes, readers, if you're wondering about the effectiveness of conferences, I signed my very first client as a result of last year's Castle Rock.

So, as you can see, I'm not kidding when I say this month has been busy. And that's above and beyond the regular slush pile, edits for clients, and publisher submissions. And honestly, I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Thanks for listening, everyone!

Now in honor of the Women Writing the West's annual Willa awards, and as mentioned above, I am giving away a copy of Cynthia Swanson's The Bookseller today. Swanson's debut was the winner in the Historical Fiction category. Entrants are (per the WWW guidelines):

Books featuring women’s or girls’ stories set in the West before contemporary times. Softcover originals may be entered in this category but the majority of entries are hardcover. WWW defines “historical fiction” as any story set at least 50 years prior to the publication date.

You can see the full list of categories and winners on their site. 

Swanson wasn't able to attend, so I don't have an autographed copy, but she is local here in Denver and I wanted to spread some of the Willa love! (Psst, Swanson is also involved with Lighthouse Writers, another great local writing organization! If you're an author, I highly suggest seeking out any local groups in your own area to see if they might be a fit for you. These groups are fantastically informative and supportive!)

To enter, simply fill out the Rafflecopter below before Monday, November 14. Open US only. 

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