C. Lee McKenzie

Young Adult and Middle Grade Author

Wrapping Up 2011

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The winners of the giveaway were chosen by my crack crew. Here they are again just to remind you that all entries were carefully considered by serious and conscientious minds.

So congratulations. Here are the winners.

Signed copies of The Princess of Las Pulgas

Beverly Stowe McClure
Jessi E. Elliott
Carrie Butler

These people will be getting signed ARCs of Sliding on the Edge:

Kelly Hashway
Lynn Nerd Kelley
Lisa Gail Green
Margo Kelly
Theresa Milstein

The First Time, an eBook goes to Darby Karchut and Bish Denham

Thanks to everyone who entered. If I could I’d send everyone who stopped by a copy.

Here’s to a wonderful Christmas, Hanukkah, Solistic celebration and a fabulous 2012!

Giving Gifts to Writers

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InkSpells (Susan Kaye Quinn) and Catherine Stein at her  Idea City have come up with some super gift ideas for writers at Christmas. I’m very partial to these: The Chocolate Keyboard and the Telephone Book Dress-recycling at its best.

The gift of time ain’t bad either. Someone suggested writers could use more of that than anything. If you have some please don’t hesitate to wrap it up for me. 

What I’d like to give is a gift of books this season. My family already has theirs under the tree, but I’m also giving some away here to my readers and good friends who write. So, if you want a book in time for Christmas all you have to do is tell me story. I love those that are heartwarming, have a sweet surprise, or make me laugh, so any of these would win a prize. 

This week’s book is a signed copy of Shooting Kabul. It’s a wonderful story with all the characteristics I’ve listed above.  Here are the rules 🙂 Gots to have rules!

1) In your comment tell me a story with at least one of those great in 100 words or less. 
2) Tell the world you just wrote the prize-winning story by TWEETING it or writing a NOTE on FACEBOOK and tagging 10 friends.  (Include me in your tags, okay?)

3) Be sure to leave me your email just in case you win and I’ll send the book off by Dec. 13th. 

I’m looking forward to your stories.

YaLitChat

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I’m a member and moderator at YaLitChat. If you haven’t heard of us take a look because within one year (as of last Tuesday) we have over 1800 members. Many are published, many are seeking publication, but all are there to support and learn and produce the best writing for YA and MG readers as they can.

For the month of November we’re hosting a great contest for writers who have taken on the NaNoWriMo challenge. If you’re a YaLitChat member you can enter to win:
 

*A KINDLE 
*A 20 page critique by a leading industry Agent or Editor (We have wonderful agents/editors who have joined our YAlitchat family)
*A bookpack of Rampant by Diana Peterfreund plus 2 books from Harper

CONTEST DETAIL:

“The winner meets their 50K goal or has the highest count of all contestants. As well as posting a snippet of writing daily (25 words of your writing for the day) and the word count for the day that you post. The winner would have posted at least 10 times during the month of November their word count and snippet for that day. Please provide your nanowrimo.org screen name and buddy all of the contestants.” YaLitChat Forum

To enter:
-  JoinYalitchat
-  Join Contest Forum
-  Post Introduction to include (nanowrimo login name, title of nanowork, current words completed, 5 sentence synopsis of book you are writing)
-   Post Daily or weekly (word count, 25 word snippet of what your wrote during the recent session)
-   Win if yours is the highest recorded word count of all contestants. You may need to present a draft to prove your word count.)

Is there any reason you wouldn’t want to enter?

Paying It Forward

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I pulled myself out of my VERY SICK BED (make that) I pulled MY VERY SICK SELF out of my bed today and B. Miller, blogger extraordinaire, made the effort worthwhile.

What a great contest idea she has and what a great opportunity for winning something worthwhile.

Here’s the deal:
The grand prize for this giveaway is the winner’s choice. EITHER a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble (or Borders, Amazon, etc - whichever you prefer) sent directly to your preferred mail receptacle,OR…
The grand prize for this giveaway is the winner’s choice. EITHER a $25 gift card to Barnes & Noble (or Borders, Amazon, etc - whichever you prefer) sent directly to your preferred mail receptacle,OR…

If you are a writer with published work available for purchase, I will buy your novel/story collection/chapbook, etc., up to a value of $25. I will also read your work and give a review on your chosen website, as well as a review and a plug on my blog, Twitter, and Facebook fan page. I will go to my local library and booksellers and ask that your work be stocked on my local shelves in Greenville, South Carolina. And, if you’re willing, I will do a guest feature on my blog for you, complete with interview and links to your media. If you are a writer with published work available for purchase, I will buy your novel/story collection/chapbook, etc., up to a value of $25. I will also read your work and give a review on your chosen website, as well as a review and a plug on my blog, Twitter, and Facebook fan page. I will go to my local library and booksellers and ask that your work be stocked on my local shelves in Greenville, South Carolina. And, if you’re willing, I will do a guest feature on my blog for you, complete with interview and links to your media. 

How fantastic is that? So here’s the link to PAYING IT FORWARD. Good luck to all.

Round II Christmas Gifts

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Well, today is the end of the contest for L.K. Madigan’s Flash Burnout, and what a time we had with it! Mike Jung is one determined contestant who met his match with Zoe Alea. The judges had so much fun with the Twitter battle that they made me order another signed copy and call Round I a tie.

So a tie it is, Mike and Zoe. You will each have L.K.’s great book in time for Christmas if you send me your snailmail addresses in time.

Now it’s time to start vying for Cheryl Herbsman’s novel, Breathing. Round II starts December 2 and closes December 15.  In case you missed the post with the rules, here they are again.

Create the most interesting linked posts to this offer and Tweet ever-so-succinctly, but well. Leave a comment on this post with the URLs for your posts. DM me on Twitter whenever you do a Tweet @cleemckenzie

I hope this round is a much fun as the last one.

Thanksgiving

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I’m taking a break. It’s time to get outside and do some hiking, so I’m off to Yosemite for a few days. 

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

When I come back it’ll be time to end the first CONTEST for the free signed copy of Flash Burnout. Looking forward to sending that to someone. 

Christmas Gifts

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I know. I know. Thanksgiving isn’t even here yet, and I’m on about Christmas, but let’s face it these few weeks between now and December 25th are winged and involve jet propulsion.

I just happen to have a lovely autographed copy of L.K. Madigan’s Flash Burnout and one of Breathing by Cheryl Herbsman.  I’m  willing to part with these great books, but only because I have my own copies.

So here’s the deal: You can win Flash Burnout between now and December 1st.  Whoever does the most interesting linked posts to this offer and tweets ever-so-succinctly, but well, can have L.K’s  book by early December.

You can win Breathing between December 2nd and December 15th by doing the same kind of linked posts and tweets. You’ll have Cheryl’s book before Christmas.

Just leave a comment on this post with the URL(s) for your posts. DM me on Twitter whenever you do a Tweet (@cleemckenzie).

Oh wait! There’s more. I still have two pewter horse bookmarks and those will be my runner up prizes. 

The judges from previous contests are eager and ready to start doing judge stuff again, and they remain as impartial as ever, unless you can smuggle chocolate frosted cream puffs in somehow. Ahem. I’m not above that kind of bribe myself . . . No! Wrong!

Best Single Sentence It IS!

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Okay, sharpen those pencils, people. The votes are in. Write the best single-sentence characterization and have them on my desk by August 11th midnight . . . well, the 12th in the morning so I can read them with my latte. Everyone stands a better chance of making a favorable impression if I read the entries with my morning coffee.

Here’s something to consider when you’re writing these sentences. Give your character ACTIONS that immediately show the reader who this person is-rich, poor, middle class, self-assured, eager, distracted.

Does your character enter a room, slouch in an over-stuffed chair, or turn to confront danger? When someone reads about your character do you want the reader to like him, be repelled by him, suspect, or envy him?

I’m waiting to read these and my judges should be back from summer vacation just in time to pick the winner. Good luck.

Oh, wait! I almost forgot the best part . . . THE PRIZE. Here’s what I think might be interesting. I’ll offer to send a book, probably one I’ve read and enjoyed (Thanks, Linda for that idea.), BUT I’ll offer an alternative as well. If you win and you want a chapter critique, I’ll give that instead of the book. So this time around you get to choose your prize.

Have fun. I’m looking forward to this contest.

Book Writing Blog

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Want to win a signed ARC of Haunted Hollow? Check out this CONTEST and tell them The Write Game sent you. Here’s my email to include, so we both might be winners. cleemckenziebooks[at]comcast[dot]net.

Sounds like there are a few very tempting prizes.

Contest #4

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So what will it be this time? We’ve had three “Opening Lines” contests so far with some super entries. This time I thought I’d take a poll. What do you want?

1. Opening Lines . . . again

2. The best Query Letter

3. The “Knock-Your-Socks-Off Synopsis

4. The Best Single-Sentence Characterization

5. The One-Paragraph Description that leaves the reader breathless

Let’s have your votes.