Showcasing DEAD GIRL trailer...

My book trailer for DEAD GIRL WALKING is Blazing new Trails here: http://www.blazingtrailers.com/show.php?title=462

Afterwards: SCBWI Davis

I am no longer a power point virgin.

Yesterday I gave my power point present on BLOGGING TO PROMOTE in Davis for the annual Spring SCBWI conference. With only one glitch (I hit a wrong button) it went really well and afterwards many nice people came up to thank me for the workshop.

My biggest tip about whether or not to blog: even if you aren't sure you want to sign up for major blogs like Twitter and Facebook, register your name so that no one else will beat you to it. If I hadn't signed early, I might not have gotten my own name since I have had email from a few other Linda Singleton's and even one Linda Joy Singleton.

The other speakers at the conference -- Diane Muldrow, Chris Eboch, Sara Kahn, Kendra Levin and Nathan Bransford -- were all so interesting! Loved listening to Diane talk on Golden Book history, Chris explain how to give Skype talks, Sara talked about childrens' book in Europe, Kendra give editor/writing advice and Nathan discuss being an agent. "Voice" in books was a hot topic that Kendra, Diane and Nathan all offered professional insights on.

I had hoped to read from a letter I received about how a ghost used one of my SEER books to deliver a message. If you want to read about it, I posted it on the wordpress.com spectacle blog here:
http://thespectacleblog.wordpress.com/2009/05/01/the-seer-ghosts/

Interview with Linda Joy Singleton

http://theelectricalbookcafe.blogspot.com/

I'm the first author interview for this blogger! Cool! So I told her all my deep, dark secrets (well not all of them ).

CONTEST FOR YOUNG WRITERS!

ANNOUNCING "THE BODY SWAP WRITING CONTEST" for young writers!

Young writers have been asking for a writing contest -- and here it is!

Official Rules (feel free to share this on your favorite blogs & with friends)

In DEAD GIRL WALKING, DEAD GIRL DANCING and DEAD GIRL IN LOVE, 17 year old Amber swaps bodies with Ms. Popularity, Ms. College-Girl and her very own best friend.

Question: If you could temporarily trade bodies with anyone, who would you choose? Why? And what do you think the experience would be like?

Answer this question in 300 words or less, then submit your entry to: lindajoysingleton@yahoo.com, stating that this is your original writing and that you have permission from your parents/guardian to enter and share your work on this author's blogs.

Include you age, full name, and contact information (email/address).

Contest begins now and ends on July 31st. First place & honorable mention winners will be announced in August on this blog.

1st place: $100 plus autographed book!

Five honorable mentions will win either a free DEAD GIRL, THE SEER or STRANGE ENCOUNTERS book of their choice, autographed by Linda Joy Singleton. And the winning entries will be posted on LJS's blog(s).

A panel of published authors will select the winning entries.

Entrants must be between ages 9 to 19. One entry per person.

Please share this announcement with librarians, teachers, parents and any young writers you know. If you have questions, email lindajoysingleton@yahoo.com

LJ Smith is a fan of MY book!

It's really cool when authors find out that OTHER AUTHORS are their fans.

LJ Smith, author of VAMPIRE DIARIES and other popular YA thrillers, read my THE SEER and DEAD GIRL books then wrote to me with this review:


I have a few favorites in modern middle grade and YA fiction, and those I have, I cherish. Linda Joy Singleton (same initials as me, but not a pseudonym, I promise) is at the front of the list. I can pick up a book by Singleton and know that it will have an interesting and accessible heroine, a super plot with a mystery always included--and many unexpected twists and turns--and down-to-earth teen language that will never offend me or make me blush. Singleton's supporting characters generally deserve series of their own; they are not only fascinating but they hold to the tenet of "show the world who you really are." But perhaps the best thing is that there is an indefinable feeling of family in the books. Even though modern families are portrayed realistically, with all their complex difficulties, there is still a feeling of love that pervades the books. Love of friends, love of doing the right thing, and in the YA series a romance that rings true. That doesn't mean the books aren't scary--they are. But there is always an emotionally safe ground to return to. That, to me, is just as important as the thrills.

Paper or Electronic Text?

I posted at my Livejournal account under LindaJSingleton about how a trip to a castle led to my selling ebooks.

Read here: http://lindajsingleton.livejournal.com/114829.html

CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT - DEAD GIRL DANCE

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DEAD GIRL DANCE contest!
Okay, here's the contest announcement.

Introducing a new contest to make your own DEAD GIRL DANCING video!

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DEAD GIRL DANCE is a contest to celebrate the release of Linda Joy Singleton's new book, DEAD GIRL DANCING. To enter simply create a video of your creative idea of what a "Dead Girl Dance" should look like. You can film yourself, your friends, your pets, dress up in costumes or whatever you want. Just be sure to follow the rules below.

Here are the rules and prizes:

1. To quality, the video's title must include: www.lindajoysingleton.com "Dead Girl Dancing Contest?. I prefer you post it on You-Tube but other sites are okay.

2. Keep it PG -- no swearing, nudity, crudeness or violence.

3. Since this contest is to celebrate the new book, DEAD GIRL DANCING (Flux Books), including the book cover or references to the series in the video would improve chances to win.

4. Once you've created a video, email ljscheer@yahoo.com with the URL and your contact information in case you are chosen as a winner. By entering, you claim you are the creator and owner of this video.

5. Just have fun and dance like a "Dead Girl."
Contest ends March 31st and the winners will be emailed (so include your contact information).

A panel of authors will choose the winning video. The most fun, original, creative video that's shows the spirit of the DEAD GIRL series will receive:

1st place: * DEAD GIRL WALKING and DEAD GIRL DANCING (autographed) books
* Your name on the dedication page of a future Linda Joy Singleton book.
* Your video link featured on the author's blogs.
2nd place: * A book of choice by Linda Joy Singleton

Please pass this around on your blogs and start the contest NOW!

FYI -- For ideas check YouTube DGW book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8VUQmv2c2I

SERIES BOOKS UNDER GLASS

Today I was visited by Diane from the Galt (CA) library. I stop in there about every other week and recommend my favorite books to Diane, rent books & audio books, and share my latest publishing news. Yesterday I had a new book to show off -- DEAD GIRL DANCING which I donated to the Galt Library.

I lived in Galt for 16 years and I continue to do a writing contest for kids (with writer Danna Smith) at an elementery school. Even though I moved further into the foothills, I still have very fond feelings toward Galt, so I enjoy coming back for book-related events.

My upcoming event will be on March 14th at the library. I'm going to give an overhead picture presentation of "Girl Power Through Ages and Pages," showing book covers from the late 1800's through present, and sharing how books inspired girls to dream and achieve. For instance, THE AIRPLANE GIRLS, published in 1911, featured adventrous girls flying planes and solving mysteries before women could wear pants or vote.

I've only given this presentation a few times and it's always so fun. With a personal library of over 5,000 mostly series books, I have plenty of beautiful, dramatic, amazing artistic book covers to show. Plus the stories offer many surprises. I share series gossip like:

* What girl series sweetheart had an inappropriate relationship with her father?
* Which 1980's girl heroine was the first to discuss having to go pee while kidnapped for hours (not Nancy Drew who had several-day bladder)?
* And what vintage girl series was actually written by a famous male author?

Guess even one of those and I'll mail you a signed bookmark.

I offered to donate some of my collection to display in the Galt Library's glass case. So Librarian Diane was here today choosing what to use. I had more Nancy Drew items than anything else (1957 game, lunchbox, diary, T-shirt, MadLibs, doll, etc) so she decided to use mostly Nancy items. We added some books from other series, too, like Penny Parker, Judy Bolton and Kay Tracey.

My series book collection will be on display during March. I've never done this before and am looking forward to sharing my favorite things.

How to Finish a Book

Advice I just gave a teen who posted on my MySpace page:

HOW TO FINISH A BOOK:

* Write a page or two every day.
* After a month, you have a chapter or more.
* By a year there's a book taking shape, if not finished.
* Then you go back and rewrite so it sparkles and shines.
* Rewrite some more.
* Repeat.


It's work. Hard work -- but so enjoyable it feels like play

COUNTDOWN to DEAD GIRL DANCING

DEAD GIRL DANCING will be published in: 19 Days!!!

DEAD GIRL DANCING continues the story of high school Amber Borden who's bad sense of direction landed her in the wrong body. Now due to an impulsive promise to her dead grandmother, Amber is back to her body-switching adventures.

Here's the opening page:
Chapter One

I could not believe I was in the wrong body—again!

Memo to self: Never make a promise to a dead grandmother.

Yesterday when I’d talked to Grammy Greta via an out-of-body-experience, she’d said I had a talent for helping people and I’d make a good Temp Lifer. On the other side my grandmother has this important job of Earthbounder Counselor where she gives humans in crisis a time-out from their lives by sending in temporary replacements. I was so flattered by her praise that I’d promised to help her any time. But I hadn’t expected to switch me into someone else’s body right away—especially the body of my boyfriend’s sister Sharayah.

Standing in front of a full length mirror, I stared at shoulder-length dark hair, curved cheek bones, an eyebrow ring and shocked eyes. Transforming from a high schooler to a college girl didn’t sound bad in theory; being mature and of legal age for a few days could be a cool experience. But being my boyfriend’s sister was sooo going to ruin my love life. Eli and I hadn’t seriously kissed yet--and now even thinking about kissing him was illegal and immoral.

I mean, how could I make out with my boyfriend when I was his sister?

Blog Girl Interviews ME

Check out the interview where I reveal all my deep, dark secrets.....The URL is http://thebookgirlreviews.blogspot.com

DEAD GIRL DANCING reviewed!

In today's SLJ email, there's a teen review of DEAD GIRL DANCING:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/eNewsletter/CA6632510/4302.html

I don't know how long that will stay posted so I'll share it here:
The plot of this book is very original. You don't often read books about people switching into someone else’s body for a living! Dead Girl Dancing is a more modern day version of Freaky Friday, with a spin on it.
The cover did tempt me a bit to pick up the book, but it was more the fact that it was a book from the Dead Girl series that made me it up than the cover. While the cover did reflect the contents of the book, I think they could have come up with something more original that reflected Sharayah's character.
The best part of the book is how Amber, as a character, stays true to herself and the plot line, and stays true to herself during any situation. I also liked how she always somehow refers to a book she read during any possible situation to herself.
The book was good, but I was hoping for Amber to stay herself and how she's getting used to her daily life again. I also wanted to know how she feels now towards both Sharayah and Leah after she was their ‘Temp Lifer’. – Sabrina K., age 14


--

What's nice is that the things Sabrina says she wants to know moer about are answered in the final DEAD GIRL book, DEAD GIRL IN LOVE. So she should enjoy that one, too, when it comes out in the Fall.

Why I won't read the 2nd book in this trilogy....

I posted this on my LJ but throught I'd share it here, too:

I just finished reading the first book in a YA novel that won a big award. I won't name this book because of "spoilers". The reason I'm writing this is because the things listed below have happened in other books, too. I liked many things about this book.

The opening line was great, I sympathized with the main character, I loved his two companions and I was intrigued at the other-world setting and mystery. The writing was powerful with great pacing and original language. I wanted to love this book--and I did up until the second half which took a different turn.

Disclaimer: The following is only my opinion, and I'm soft-hearted in my reading taste. Obviously many people loved this book enough to give it an award. The reasons I will NOT read the next book in this trilogy are:

1. The loyal pet died. Do not kill pets. When I remember the book, I will mostly remember the dead pet.

2. Too many terrible things happened without moments of humor, success, joy or fun. Which is NO fun.

3. It grew increasingly violent, frequent beatings and bloody battles.I'd rather see solid plotting than books filled with a series of horrific events -- as if shocking and horrifying readers will built a plot.

4. The hero turned violent, killing someone innocent which made me lose respect for the hero.

5. The bad guys constantly prevailed and beat the hero. I want the hero to win, at least a few times.

6. Everyone who was kind to the hero was killed. Too grim. Not balanced with good moments.

7. And my biggest complaint -- the book DID not end.It stopped at a terrible situation, abruptly, and teased that it would be continued in book 2. A good trilogy will have at least one major plot for each book, creating reader satisfaction in each book while carrying a plot arc of a bigger story throughout the trilogy. It's like cheating to stop abruplty and write: "End of Book One."

I will not be reading Book Two.

Now an EXCELLENT example of a fantastic first book in a trilogy is HUNGER GAMES. Even though it had bloody violence, the scenes were balanced by humor, wonderful secondary characters and a main character with intelligence, skill and compassion. Even when the heroine was forced to kill, she remained sympathetic. She also prevailed enough through the story, keeping the action balanced. And when the book was over, this book was satisfying with the main plots finished, offering sadness but hope, too, and leaving it open for the next challenge in book #2.

I will be reading Book Two of HUNGER GAMES trilogy (Sept. 09). I can't wait!

A "Purr-fect" DEAD GIRL review

A wonderful book review site on Blogger has given my book, DEAD GIRL WALKING, 5 "purrs" -- check it out here:
http://sharonlovesbooksandcats.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-girl-walking.html

A TWO-BOOK DEAL -- for SEER & SPINOFF

I'm happy to announce that my agent Jennifer with ABLA has negotiated a 2-book deal with Flux for a 6th THE SEER tenatively titled MAGICIAN'S MUSE and a spin-off book called THE FINDER, featuring my favorite psychic goth, Thorn.

I'm currently writing #6 and hope to finish it before summer. Then it will be published over a year later -- in 2010.

Stay tuned to my www.myspace.com/LindaJoySingleton blog and also my more active www.livejournal.com/users/LindaJSingleton blog for the latest news!

NEWSLETTER from THE SEER Author to Fans

Hi! From Linda Joy Singleton

BIG NEWS: The first book in my new DEAD GIRL series came out September 1st. Finally it's out!!! I'm so excited!See the cover & review at: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Dead-Girl-Walking/Linda-Joy-Singleton/e/9780738714059/?itm=7 (Barnes & Noble stores haven't been stocking my book, so please ask them to carry it if you get the chance)


MORE DETAILS: DEAD GIRL WALKING, the first DEAD GIRL title, is a paranormal dramedy about 17 year old Amber who has such a bad sense of direction, that when she had an out-of-body experience, she lands in the wrong body -- of a popular, gorgeous, rich girl who just committed suicide. Then Amber has to race against time to return to her body before it's donated for organs. Along the way, she gets kissed, is stalked by a Dark Lifer, witnesses a miracle, hangs out with the popular group and falls in love.


DEAD GIRL TWO: I've already written the second book in the DEAD GIRL series, titled DEAD GIRL DANCING, which finds Amber once again in the wrong body, but this time being stalked by a Dark Lifer while she goes on a road trip and gets wild on spring break. I'm currently writing the third book, DEAD GIRL IN LOVE.MORE SEER NEWS: If you're a fan of THE SEER series, stay turned to my MySpace blog for an announcement of where you can read a short story I wrote called DOMINIC'S VOLCANO, which goes back into Dominic's mysterious past and explains how he learned to communicate with animals, found his falcon and met Sabine's grandmother. I posted the opening paragraph on www.myspace.com/LindaJoySingleton .


EVEN MORE SEER NEWS: Summer of 2009, Llewellyn/Flux will rerelease all five THE SEER books in a larger, dramatic format. And in the reprinted DON'T DIE DRAGONFLY, the short story DOMINIC'S VOLCANO will be an added bonus. With this new format, the odds of my being asked to write a 6th book increase. So fingers crossed!WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW: If you have any questions about my books, my pets, my speaking engagements, or writing in general, just ask! I love hearing from readers.


Linda Joy Singleton www.LindaJoySingleton.com http://www.myspace.com/lindajoysingletonGhosts Whisper to Psychic Medium, Sabine , in THE SEER series:#1. DON'T DIE, DRAGONFLY #2. LAST DANCE#3. WITCH BALL #4. SWORD PLAY #5. FATAL CHARM DEAD GIRL series: #1. DEAD GIRL WALKING - NOW OUT! #2. DEAD GIRL DANCING - Spring 2009/Flux

New Book, DEAD GIRL WALKING, is out!!!

Amber has such a bad sense of direction that after an out of body experience, she makes a wrong turn and lands in the body of the most popular, gorgeous, rich girl at school -- who just committed suicide. Then it's a race against time for Amber to return to her own body before her organs are donated.

DEAD GIRL WALKING is the first book in the DEAD GIRL series from Flux -- and I'm excited that it's finally out! It's already available on Amazon and will soon show up in bookstores. To read the first chapter check out the "Book" link of my website www.LindaJoySingleton.com .

Read the first chapter of DEAD GIRL WALKING

DEAD GIRL WALKING, the first book in my Flux DEAD GIRL series comes out September 2008.

It's about Amber, an over-achieving high school senior with such a bad sense of direction that when she has an out-of-body experience she lands in the wrong body.

There will be three books in this series. DEAD GIRL GONE WILD will be out summer 2009.

Also in summer of 2009, THE SEER series gets a new look! The five books will be rereleased in a larger trade format. Yay!

For a sneak preview of the first chapter of DEAD GIRL WALKING go to my main website http://www.lindajoysingleton.com/ and click on BOOKS.

Enjoy!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

There's an interview up about my path to becoming an author on: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/


Also I share a lot of news with fans on MySpace: www.myspace.com/lindajoysingleton


COUNTDOWN TO FATAL CHARM:

113 DAYS

(from May 10 till August 1st)

THE SEER 5 BOOK COVER!

THE SEER #5 is called FATAL CHARM and will be out summer 07.

You can see the cover and read a blurb at:
www.LindaJoySingleton.com
click on the BOOKS link

Hope you enjoy the new cover! I love it!

LJS