After a 5-day family bout with the stomach flu–which put me in the hospital for fluids and meds–I’m happy to report that things in my house are headed back to normal.
Whatever “normal” means in a house where the mama is 35 weeks pregnant, the daddy works from home (poor guy), there’s a 3 1/2 year-old on Spring Break from preschool, and an athletic but severely exercised-deprived (and therefore incredibly bored) black lab.
Today, though, a light!
The lauded Historical Novel Review has posted a new review of Keowee Valley! Check it out here.
I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend, and you’re all healthy and happy as we head into Spring.
Apologies for the lateness of this post: my family has been hit with a case of the stomach bug, and I've been away from the computer for the past two days. Ugh.
And a Good Friday to you all.
A few fun things to share today before we head into the Easter Weekend:
1.) Here in Western North Carolina, we’re lucky to be plugged into a radio station called WNCW88.7: Listener-Powered Radio. I was introduced to this NPR-affiliate station by my husband (then just a maybe-boyfriend … our relationship was complicated) the summer after I graduated from college. We’d head into work together at a camp in the NC mountains, winding our way up to the camp entrance and listening to awesome little shows like “The Writer’s Alamanac” (hosted by Garrison Keillor, and my personal favorite) and “Star Date” (I took astronomy classes in college and to this day have a fascination with the stars).
WNCW hosts and plays some of the best music–old and new–to come out of the Southern Appalachians. Today, after dropping my daughter at preschool, I tuned in just in time to hear “The Fall” by The Black Lillies, a band out of Tennessee I’d not heard of before. The song made my morning–and it made me want to write a novel, set only to it.
Check out “The Fall” here at Paste Magazine.
2.) I don’t watch reality TV. (Yes, I know I’m a snob. Sorry. But I think it’s the work of the Devil.) However, one of my fellow Clemson Tigers, alumna Danni Allen, recently won the title of “The Biggest Loser.” She looks fabulous and glowing. And I can’t imagine the amount of work it took to make it happen. Congrats, Danni!
Check her out here.
3.) Fans of author Carl Hiassen (Double Whammy, Strip Tease, Skinny Dip) have got to check out the April/May 2013 issue of Garden & Gun magazine and the article “The Last Great Howler,” by Monte Burke. Burke joined a Florida fly fishing trip with Hiasson and guide Steve Huff, and was privy to all kinds of Hiassen witticisms and anecdotes. The photos are cool, too–and so is the rest of the issue.
4.) It’s time, folks. Time for the great Reese’s Easter Eggs to return to CVSs and Walgreens and grocery stores everywhere. Go ahead. Buy one, or two, or three. Just give in. It’s worth it.
In fact, I’m eating one now. Coffee and a Reese’s Egg are a perfectly acceptable mid-morning snack for a 34-weeks pregnant woman.
I hope you all have a wonderful Easter, full of Light and family!
This new review of Keowee Valley by writer and blogger Hallie Sawyer has made my month. Normally, I try not to read too many reviews (I’m sensitive. Ha.), but my husband saw this one and made me. Check it out here.
In other news, I have joined Twitter. I will soon be Tweeting @WritingScott. (Do you capitalize “Tweeting”?)
At first, what comes from me may be more like a chirp until I figure this thing out. Stay tuned.
Friday was a great day for Keowee Valley! Thanks so much to everyone who checked out the blog tour, visited with me on Goodreads, and bought the novel. The blog posts are still up, of course, so if you’d like to read them, check out Friday’s post here.
FYI: Today is the last day Keowee Valley will be available at the Amazon Kindle Store and Apple for the special promotion price of $1.99. I hope you’ll pass the word.
This week, I’m Skype-ing with two different book clubs–something I love doing. Here’s to a week of great reading for all of us! Stay warm out there.
It’s a big day for Keowee Valley and me!
First, I’m doing a blog tour!
This means I, and Keowee Valley, will be featured on several different blogs–each of them different (and all the things I talk about different, too).
Check them out:
Keowee Valley Blog Tour:
Blog 1: Bell Bridge Books – “Writing as a Mom”
Blog 2: Riding With the Top Down – “The Beauty of Book Clubs”
Blog 3: Michelle Ziegler Author - “Fun Fact Friday: Katherine Scott Crawford & Her Path to Publication”
Blog 4: Goodreads - "Mining for Gold"
Second, Keowee Valley is available for a special promotion price of only $1.99, today (Mar. 22) through Monday (Mar. 25) at the Amazon Kindle Store and Apple.
Third, today ONLY, I’m doing an Author Q & A on Goodreads. At my Goodreads Author Page, I’ll be answering any questions Goodreads readers, writers, and bloggers may have about my novel, history, literary agents, publishing, the writing life–basically anything and everything under the sun! I do hope you’ll take part. (If you haven’t signed up for Goodreads, it’s FREE and fun.) In addition, Goodreads is offering a free book giveaway to lucky folks who participate!
I figure this is a fun way to get through your Friday, and to get ready for the weekend. I hope to see you somewhere on “the Web” today!
Hi, all!
I’m excited to announce that Keowee Valley will be on sale for only $1.99 at the Amazon Kindle Store, this Friday, March 22 through 7 p.m. Monday, March 25th! If you’ve got reader-friends or family looking for a new read, I hope you’ll share the news.
In addition, tomorrow (Friday, Mar. 22), my publisher is running a Goodreads campaign for Keowee Valley. This means that there’ll be a Q & A with me that any Goodreads user can log into, to ask any questions you want. Goodreads will also feature two book giveaways.
If you’re not a Goodreads user, it’s free to sign up. Goodreads is basically the world’s largest online book club, and a great place to chat, list, and learn about books.
I really hope you’ll take part!
If you’ve been reading along you’ll know that I’m due to have my second child in early May. Okay, so you’ve probably heard me wax poetic about the glories of pregnancy. Especially the 3rd trimester. I am Earth Mama. Hear me roar.
Sorry. It’s okay to be seriously sarcastic on a Monday morning, right?
Because of the impending arrival of Baby 2, my mom and my aunt arrive today to spend most of the week with us. They painted the nursery when my (now) 3 year-old was on her way, and we had a great week together. They worked hard! We also ate yummy food and drank wine. (Okay, they drank wine. But I sniffed it.) I can’t tell you how nice it is to have family pitch in in times like these.
So, because they love me and aren’t tired of me yet, they’re coming back. We’re (okay, they’re) painting my 3 year-old’s new “big girl” room, where she’ll be moving so Baby 2 can take over her old digs. It’s a bigger room, and the previous owners of our house decided–for who knows what reason–to paint it a particularly dark shade of garnet, so it may take some elbow grease. I plan to ply my mom and aunt with wine and food all over again.
On another note, my publisher is going to be running a campaign for Keowee Valley on Goodreads this coming Friday, March 22. All day long readers and bloggers (whoever is interested) will be able to write to me with questions that I’ll answer in real time. (And I’m up for answering anything!) There’ll also be a book(s) giveaway. Along with this, I’ll most likely also be doing a blog tour, where I and Keowee Valley will be featured on several different blogs.
When I get the finalized details, I will post here and at my author web site. I love Goodreads, and I’d love to hear from you!
