It's an All The What Ifs giveaway!

Today my debut YA novel All The What Ifs is four-weeks-old! 

So let's have a giveaway in her honor!

link to amazon

link to goodreads

synopsis:

Ashley Morgan is trapped. She’s spent the last three years of high school being groomed to follow in her father’s footsteps. It’s a future she’s unsure of. Yet she tries her hardest to avoid her father’s disapproval while keeping the peace for her high-strung mother and autistic brother. Whenever her fears fester, Ashley works harder.

At the start of her senior year, Ashley reluctantly joins ACT an after-school community service club that is in disarray. The members argue. The advisor sleeps. And Lucas Malone, the club’s president, conjures unwanted memories of freshman year and his disastrous attempt to ask her to homecoming.

Ashley tries to remain uninvolved, but with each success in ACT she gains the confidence to face her future. She sets in motion plans that force her to choose between the bright future her father's mapped out or an unknown path of her own design. When the moment comes to make her choice, she’s plagued with doubt, because what if … she gets it all wrong?

There are three prize packages up for grabs:

Prize One: 1 signed paperback copy of All The What Ifs with a set of pins

Prize Two: 1 eBook copy of All The What Ifs with a set of pins

Prize Three: 1 set of All The What Ifs pins

Enter via the Rafflecopper below by Friday, January 8th at 12 PM PST.

Winners will be announced that afternoon.

This contest is open in the U.S.A. & internationally!

Good luck to all!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

2015 Bookish Survey

Another year is steadily coming to a close

and it's time for an end of the year book survey.

For details on the survey's host and the list of questions

check out The Perpetual Page Turner.

Without further ado, 

here's my year in books survey.

Number Of Books You Read: 50
Number of Re-Reads: 9
Genre You Read The Most From: comics, middle grade, and chick-lit

1. Best Book(s) You Read In 2015? (in no particular order)

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Hulk: Planet Hulk by Greg Pak

Holidays With Jane: Christmas Cheer released by Indie Jane Press

Wind Chime Cafe by Sophie Moss

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

link to goodreads

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

hoped i'd like it.

 never dreamed i'd fall in love with the hulk.

link to goodreads

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

link to goodreads

5. Best series you started in 2015? Best Sequel of 2015? Best Series Ender of 2015?

re-read this series from start to finish.

possibly the best reading decision i made this year.

link to goodreads

6. Favorite new (to me) author you discovered in 2015?

link to goodreads

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

*crickets*

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

link to goodreads

9. Book You Read In 2015 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

link to goodreads

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2015?

link to goodreads

11. Most memorable character of 2015?

Ulysses from Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

that little squirrel won my heart.

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2015?

link to goodreads

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2015?

link to goodreads

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2015 to finally read?

it's a tie between Atone & Wind Chime Cafe.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2015?

"The words needed to be arranged, fussed with, put in the order of his heart."

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo  

16. Shortest Book:

link to goodreads

Longest Book:

link to goodreads

17. Book That Shocked You The Most:

HULK SMASH

link to goodreads

18. OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

anne & gilbert forEVER

link to goodreads

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year:

Flora & Uylesses

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2015 From An Author You’ve Read Previously:

link to goodreads

21. Best Book You Read In 2015 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

link to goodreads

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2015?

the hulk

no one is more surprised than me.

23. Best 2015 debut you read?

ironically, i didn't read any 2015 debuts this year.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

link to goodreads

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

link to goodreads

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2015?

i always tear up when i read:

"Further up and further in!"

always.

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year?

more people should read this lovely book

because Austen is rad and it's full of good times.

the end.

link to goodreads

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul?

this. story. just. no.

*weeps*

link to goodreads

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2015?

honestly, thus far this is my least favorite of Gaiman's books.

but the world is interesting and the story is unique.

link to goodreads

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

there were parts of this book that rubbed me the wrong way.

and that's what i've got to say about that.

link to goodreads

2016 bookish plans

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2015 But Will Be Your Number One Priority in 2016?

link to goodreads

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2016 (non-debut)?

link to goodreads

3. 2016 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

link to goodreads

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2016?

i don't rightly know.

i usually wait for series to be finished before i check them out.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading Life In 2016?

Read. Enjoy. Repeat.

All The What Ifs Cover Reveal & Release Date News

My friends, 

there's absolutely NO way I can write this post coherently.
Thus, I'm gonna keep it simple.

Ladies & gentlemen,

boys & girls,

I PROUDLY present to you my lovely cover

which boasts doodles drawn by my bestie 

and a cover designed by my mister.

But that ain't all the news I've got. 

You can officially 

pre-order the ebook of All The What Ifs 

on Amazon right this very minute!

THAT'S RIGHT ALL THE WHAT IFS IS LIVE ON AMAZON.

When will it be released? 

Thursday, December 3, 2015.

The paperback is in the works and I'll have more news on it soon.

For now, I'm going to sit here and bask in the glow of 

MY BOOK being available ON AMAZON for pre-order. 

an absolute nobody

There's a quote by J. D. Salinger that I *heart* and it goes like this:

I'm sick of not having the courage to be 

an absolute nobody.

At first glance, this might feel like a negative. The idea of being a nobody seems like a bad thing. Aren't we all more? A child. A parent. A loved one. A someone.

But for me, this quote speaks to that inane human need we all have to be somebody - not just to the ones we love but to the world at large. We want to seem bigger and better than our circumstances: to hang out with the popular people, to be apart of the in crowd, to put our mark on the world. All these desires persist throughout our lives. They drive us to want to be bigger and brighter and better. And that's not a bad thing. But what if ...

... I was just me?

Me: the girl with no connections. Me: the girl without an important last name. Me: the girl without the fancy degree. Me: the girl with pimples and dandruff and hairy legs. Me: plain and simple.

It's hard when we're surrounded by the importance of other people. The places they go. The things they get. The people they know. With social media, we are bombarded with how special they are and how unimportant we are in the grand scheme of things.

But what Salinger is suggesting is revolutionary. A complete departure from the social norm. The idea of being sick of trying to one up everyone else. The idea of accepting that we're just us and just us is pretty freaking swell. 

Just me with my no connections is good. Just me without a fancy degree is worthy. Just me - pimples and all - is just right. And I'm making my mark, but in smaller ways. Little ways you can't always see. Tiny ways that appear to mean nothing. Unknown ways that are irreplaceable. 

It's hard not to compare ourselves to others. It's hard not to want what we don't have. It's human to feel jealous and bitter and compare our lowly status ...

... which makes embracing it courageous.

To have the courage to say, I'm a nobody. To embrace the extraordinary in the ordinary and find peace and contentment. That's what Salinger is talking about.

And can you imagine 

all the things we could get done

 if we stopped trying to be somebody

 and focused on being the best nobody

 the world has ever known?

Perspective: It's a funny thing.

Sometimes a clarinet falls off a bookshelf, lands on your head, and forces you to hit the pause button on life.

Just such an event happened to me this week. I was minding my own business, while I was putting away a multitude of books I'd pulled down to ogle, when from out of nowhere - BAM - I took a clarinet to the head.

Now, I know what you're thinking:

What the heck?! 

How did this happen?! 

Both are valid questions, but not the purpose of these ramblings. Just know I'm me, and I can always find a way to hit my head. Daily. Painfully. Always.

We're off topic. This post is not about the clarinet or the concussion that I'm currently managing (did you know your face and hands can tingle when you're concussed!?! It's a THING.).

No. It's obvious this random, out of the blue post - the first post I've been inspired to write in goodness only knows how long - would not be merely about a ninja clarinet jumping out of the sky and attacking a helpless human. Nope.

And it's not about how unpredictable life is or how we have to deal with the unexpected and not allow ourselves to give up in the face of adversity. Nope. Not that one either. So what the heck is this post about?!

It's about perspective.

Let me explain.

See, the clarinet whacked me on the head, and I immediately sat down on the ground, put my head in my hands, and thought: Good gravy, that's a thing that just happened.

Then I got to thinking as the dizziness set in and vomit started to rise in my throat: You know, Ang, compared to publishing a book this is WAY worse. 

While I'm on the mend and feeling exponentially better, this whole incident could've been disastrous. I know disastrous. I've seen it first hand. We all have. One moment life's just plodding along and we're all "ho-da-hum" when BAM - life halts us in our tracks. Most the time, we think about persevering. Most the time, we're so busy experiencing the moment that we can't take a step back and compare and contrast. However, this time I did. This time I sat down and processed the moment. 

I thought about the knot of apprehension and anxiety that's been plaguing me the last few months. The constant worry and feelings of inadequacy I've been lugging around on my back. How I've been suffering from daily panic attacks complete with my heart try to escape my chest and my lungs forgetting how to breathe. And why have I been feeling this way? Why have I been on the verge of a mental breakdown? Over publishing a book. 

Perspective. 

It's important. 

The clarinet could've killed me or damaged my brain. That might sound dramatic, but it could have. Publishing a book? It wouldn't kill me. I mean, it's going to shave a few years off my life. It's going to leave me feeling weak and lacking. Hell, I'm already feeling all those things plus some. But it will not kill me. If anything, it will make me stronger. 

So what if it fails?

So what if you all hate it?

So what if I'm not worthy?

So what if I make a fool of myself?

I'm alive. I took a chance. And for the first time in my life, I'll get to hold a book with my name on the cover. How cool is that? 

Perspective.

It's a funny thing.

And sometimes you've got to take a clarinet to the head to find it.

A Mustache Survey ... Of Sorts

Tagged by Daphne from Gone Pecan

Four Names People Call Me Other Than My Real Name:

1. Pinhead
2. Bonehead
3. cutie
4. Hey You

Four Jobs I've Had:

1. Popcorn Pusher
2. Beanie Baby Dealer
3. Story Teller
4. Kid Wrangler

Four Movies I Would/Have Watched More Than Once:

1. Empire Records
2. Blades of Glory
3. Clueless
4. Annie of Green Gables

Four Books I'd Recommend:

1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2. The Martian by Andy Weir
3. The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
4. The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Four Places I Have Lived:

1. Near a tree.
2. By a mountain.
3. On an island.
4. In the desert.

Four Place I've Been: 

1. Inside a pyramid.
2. On a gondola.
3. By a volcano.
4. In the middle of a pirate ship battle.

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:

1. Green Gables
2. Narnia
3. Hogwarts
4. Eating Cheesecake

Four Things I Don't Eat:

1. Ketchup.
2. And ketchup.
3. Also, ketchup.
4. Did I mention Ketchup?

Four Of My Favorite Foods:

1. Avocados
2. Chocolate
3. Carrots
4. Food

Four TV Shows That I Watch:

1. The League
2. Tosh.0
3. Louie
4. Buffy

Four Things I Am Looking Forward To This Year (2015):

1. Meeting Best Baby
2. Warm Caramel Apple Cider
3. A Rainy Day
4. Impromptu Dance Parties

Four Things I'm Always Say:

1. Cool Beans.
2. Good gravy.
3. It's all good.
4. Never doubt my skills, son!

Four People I'll tag: (No. Pressure.)

1.  Ruth: For the love of the stache.
2. Miranda: For the love of Magnum P. I.
3. Lilly: For the love of stranger danger.
4. Katie: For the love of gifs.

Bonus Tag:
Carrie: For the love of awesome.

What if ... I told you I was self publishing?

Four years ago I started writing my third novel.

Three years ago I decided it *might* be the one.

Two years ago I started researching publishing while revising/editing.

One year ago I decided I would self-publish.

Today

I'm proudly,

ecstatically,

nervously,

anxiously,

joyously 

announcing 

I am going to self-publish!

I know there are questions.

What socks are you wearing?*

What's your favorite pie?**
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?***

Maybe even, oh I don't know:

What's the title of the book?
When will it come out?

What's it even about?

All valid questions.

And it totally makes sense that I would answer them now.

But when have I ever done anything that makes sense?****
Instead

let's have a dance party,

shall we?!

Nooooow,

if y'all will excuse me,

Imma gonna go vom-a-scream.

Peace out.

*Um... that's kind of a creepy question. Maybe stop being a stalker?

**Are you trying to break my brain-brain!?! How could I POSSIBLE pick just one?! 

***ALL OF IT. Duh.

****Never. The answer is never. 

I've Got Your 2014 Book Survey Right Here

Ladies & Gents.
Boys & Girls. 

Introducing THE

hosted by The Perpetual Page-Turner

Let's jump right in, shall we?

Leave out all the ramble ramble
hi how ya doin'
let's be awkward
 and blah blah blah.

Cool beans?
Cool beans!

p.s. Yes.
 I'm blogging.
p.p.s. No.
We're not going to discuss the fact that
 I haven't blogged since God only knows when.

p.p.p.s. Yes.
I know I could look up the date of my last post but I'm lazy. 

Also, lazy.

p.p.p.p.s. Geeeez.
Can we just focus on this book survey and stop rambling?

Thanks.

*2014 Reading Stats*

Number Of Books You Read:

112

Number of Re-Reads:

7

Genre You Read The Most From:

Books.

I read the most from the genre books.

Have I mentioned I'm feelin' lazy?

*2014 Best In Books*

Best Book You Read In 2014?

Top five books of 2014 are as follows

(in no particular order):

1. The Martian by Andy Weir

2. The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey

3. I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella 

4. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 

5. Let's Pretend This Didn't Happen by Jenny Lawson

Book You Were Excited About 
& Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Don't even want to talk about this.
GoodReads Page

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read in 2014?

I loved the first book.

What I didn't expect was that I'd love the sequel even more.

Talk about a pleasant surprise!

GoodReads Page

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did) In 2014?

I'm not much of a book pusher.

I leave the pushing to the pros. 

Best series you started in 2014?

OBSESSED.
GoodReads Page

 Best Sequel of 2014? 

ALL THE FUN.
GoodReads Page

Best Series Ender of 2014?

SO much cuteness.
GoodReads Page

Favorite new author you discovered in 2014?

Andy Weir creator of The Martian. 

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read 
and/or was out of your comfort zone?

This wasn't out of my comfort zone.

However, it's not a genre I normally pick up.

I am ever so grateful I read it.
GoodReads Page

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

GoodReads Page

Book You Read In 2014 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Who. Knows.

I'll reread just about any book.

Even books I don't like. 

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2014?

GoodReads Page

Most memorable character of 2014?

Mark Watney from The Martian. 

Most beautifully written book read in 2014?

GoodReads Page

Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2014?

Definitely thought provoking.
Not sure about the life changing.
GoodReads Page

Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2014 to finally read?

GoodReads Page

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2014?

"A friend is someone who knows where all your bodies are buried. 

Because they're the ones who helped you put them there.

And sometimes, if you're really lucky,

they help you dig them back up."

-Jenny Lawson

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2013?
Longest:

GoodReads Page

Shortest:

GoodReads Page

Book That Shocked You The Most

GoodReads Page

OTP OF THE YEAR 
(you will go down with this ship!)

Bigby & Snow forEVER.

GoodReads Page

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Hastings & Poirot for life.

GoodReads Page

Favorite Book You Read in 2014 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

GoodReads Page

Best Book You Read In 2014 That You Read Based SOLELY 
On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure:

Thank you Carrie for all the peer pressure great book recs this year!
GoodReads Page

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2014?
Did I mention Mark Watney?
He's super dreamy.

Best 2014 debut you read?

GoodReads Page

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

GoodReads Page

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

GoodReads Page

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2014?

GoodReads Page

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

GoodReads Page

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

I... yeah...
I'm still not okay.
Moving on.
GoodReads Page

Most Unique Book You Read In 2014?

GoodReads Page

Book That Made You The Most Mad?

Again.
We're gonna pretend this didn't happen.
GoodReads Page

*Looking Ahead at 2015*

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2014 
But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2015?

Currently reading!

GoodReads Page

Book(s) You Are Most Anticipating For 2015?

Here are two coming out this month

that I am DYING to read.

Well, not literally dying.

Excited.

I'm excited to read them.

But in an epicly excited kind of way.

Yeah.

GoodReads Page

GoodReads Page

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2015?

Goodreads Page

I know this is out right now.
 I'm renting the Fables trades from our library.
It's taking FOREVER for them to get a copy.
FOREVER.
It's KILLING me.
LITERALLY KILLING ME.

PLEEEEASE.

Annnnnnd scene.
Happy Reading in 2015, y'all!