Mystery Blogger Contest #5-8: Critique Winners!

Join us in welcoming the last four new Operation Awesome bloggers!


Yesterday the final four of our 8 new bloggers were introduced mysteriously. They gave us three truths and a lie, and you took your best guesses on which fun facts were LIES. 

Now meet our Mystery Bloggers, discover who won each critique prize, and find out who lied about what!

The first four Mystery Bloggers were revealed on January 29th:

Mystery Blogger #1: Angelica R. Jackson

Mystery Blogger #2: Becky Mahoney

Mystery Blogger #3: Max Gladstone

Mystery Blogger #4: Abby Annis


Here are the final four: 

Mystery Blogger #5: 

KELLIE DuBAY GILLIS

Writing reminds me of riding my favorite purple tandem bike. You can do it alone, but it’s more fun with someone along for the ride. That’s why sharing the ups and downs of my writing journey with on-line communities like Operation Awesome have been so important. My first love is the picture book and, because I’ll forever be 11, middle grade novels are near and dear to my heart. I’m pedaling along in my ride to becoming a better writer in each genre. When I’m not blogging here, you can catch me over at Verla Kay’s Blueboards or on Twitter as part of the weekly #mglitchat hostess team. My lucky number is 13 and I feel very lucky to start 2013 as a part of team Operation Awesome.
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Website
Kellie will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other MONDAY.

Here are Kellie's three truths and a lie:

• Author Verna Aardema blurbed my first award-winning book.

• To date, three people have had to save my life by performing the Heimlich Manuever. Each incident involved me talking too much at the table and an oversized piece of steak.

• I single-handedly delivered a baby in less than 50 minutes in a bathroom.

• I've been in a commercial and a movie, seen only from behind a ketchup bottle in each one.

THE WINNER of Kellie's prize of 2 PB manuscript critiques {700 words or less} OR 5 pages of a middle grade novel is Haley!


Mystery Blogger #6: 

WESLEY CHU

Hello, I write, and on the side I work for the Death Star. I didn't originally want to be an author, nor a Death Star Laser Technician. If it was up to me, I'd be a NFL punter, a heir to a family fortune, or maybe just professionally beautiful.

But I'm a writer, or at least I try to be. I can't help but write for some strange reason (anyone else feel that way?). I'm currently represented by Russell Galen of Scovil Galen Ghosh with two books coming out this year: my debut, The Lives of Tao (April 30th 2013, Angry Robot Books) and its sequel (Title TBD, Late 2013 - I will totally have a contest for the title)

So, um...let's do it. I'll bring the scotch.

You can find me here:
Publisher press release
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter
Website

THE LIVES OF TAO
Wes will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.

Here are Wesley's three truths and a lie:

• I almost cut Rachel Weisz with a tappanyaki knife as she was being stood up for a date.

• I once hunted boar with the natives of Kauai, with nothing more than a knife and a pack of hounds.

• I broke through the 18th mile wall of a marathon without ever running a mile.

• Michael Jordan and I used to sell underwear together.

THE WINNER of Wesley's first 5 pages critique is Chelsey!

Mystery Blogger #7:

TONI KERR

Hello Operation Awesome Readers!

First, I'd like to thank the writers at OA for all the time and commitment they've put into making this place such an incredible resource for writers. I've learned many great tips for editing, revising, and writing tighter, and I've been inspired by personal experiences that cheer me up, or remind me to keep going. We all know this isn't an easy field to thrive in, but it's a heck of a lot more enjoyable (and downright hilarious at times) with a crew like this! So, while I don't consider myself an expert, I'm happy to poke fun at myself and share the things that took me years to figure out.
Facebook
Blog
Toni will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.

Here are Toni's three truths and a lie:

• I have eight years of Martial Arts training, and secretly look forward to the day my skills can be used for more than just writing. 

• I did the unthinkable by sending a nude picture in reply to an editor's form rejection.

• I love cooking, especially when the wonders of spice and flare are appreciated by my characters. 

• I built a writer's cave disguised as a treehouse, and am patiently waiting for the kids to lose interest so I can reclaim it as my own.

THE WINNER of Toni's first chapter critique is nobody! This is unprecedented, but nobody guessed that Toni really doesn't like to cook. She does like to eat (and the nude picture was not of herself, thank goodness).



Mystery Blogger #8: 

ROBYN RUSSELL writes as R.R. Russell

I’m a mom, a judo coach, and a writer for kids and teens. After thirteen years battling with the publishing industry, I think I’ve finally found a crack in its armor. My middle grade debut, Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist, will be out May 1 from Sourcebooks. I also write a YA crossover series, the Venture Books, as R.H. Russell.
I look forward to sharing the perks and perils of debut-ishness, as well as musings about writing and books, with the most awesome readers and bloggers here at Operation Awesome!
Website/blog
Facebook
Twitter
Robyn will be blogging at Operation Awesome on every other WEDNESDAY.

Here are Robyn's three truths and a lie:

• When Mystery blogger’s first novel was 80% finished, her hard drive, along with her zip drive backup, were deleted by a helpful twelve-year-old. There were many bitter tears, but she pieced it back together from old pages she’d given her preschoolers to scribble on.

• Mystery blogger wrote a middle grade novel while driving with a van full of judo kids into the mountains of Idaho for a tournament. One of them asked her when she was going to write “a real book.” Surprisingly, he is still alive.

• Mystery Blogger’s favorite rejection is her query letter with “No!” written on the top in red ink.

• Mystery Blogger gathered all her old-school paper rejections and papier-mâchéed them into a piñata. She filled it with chocolate and took a bat to it when she signed her first book deal.

THE WINNER of Robyn's first 5 pages critique is letmebeyoursong!

Congrats to the winners and the right-guessers! Thank you to all of you who played along with us. Thank you to our readers for making the online writing community the coziest place on the interweb. 

We're very excited going forward with fourteen Operation Awesome bloggers, all at different stages of publishing, including authors in every genre, from picture books to adult fiction. We know our readers will enjoy the new content and fresh voices these eight fabulous people bring to OA. And you'll still get posts from the familiar voices of Angela Townsend, Kell Andrews, Kristal Shaff, Lindsay Scott, Michelle McLean, and Katrina Lantz.

2013 will be phenomenal. I can't wait. And I hope you'll let us be part of your journey, too. Come share your successes and struggles, and especially book news. We all love book news!


If you won a critique, please send the material you'd like critiqued to operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with subject line: MYSTERY BLOGGER WINNER