The Schedule
Katrina Lantz is alive in spite of an airplane crash over Texas when she was two. She conquered her fear of flying on a commercial flight to D.C. when she was sixteen. She conquered everyone else's fears of sky diving at the SkyDive Ranch in Canada when she was nineteen. She has yet to conquer her fear of airports.
She grew up in sunny Arizona, saw snow fall for the first time when she was eighteen, and discovered the land of endless winter from Narnia actually exists. It's just called Michigan now. She's back in the West, living in sunny southern California with her husband and three sons. She's been writing seriously for about four years. Prior to that, she made a living as a lifeguard, a candy counter cashier, a wilderness therapy guide, a live-in nanny, and a quotes processor. Now she lives and breathes literature and loves it.
She is an editorial assistant for Month9Books, a publisher of awesome MG/YA paranormal, speculative fiction, and fantasy.
She is an editorial assistant for Month9Books, a publisher of awesome MG/YA paranormal, speculative fiction, and fantasy.
Katrina blogs at Operation Awesome every other FRIDAY.
Angela Townsend was born in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Missoula, Montana. As a child, Angela grew up listening to stories told by her grandparents, ancient tales and legends of faraway places. Influenced by her Irish and Scottish heritage, Angela became an avid research historian, specializing in Celtic mythology. Her gift for storytelling finally led her to a full time career in historical research and writing. A writer in local community circulations, Angela is also a published genealogical and historical resource writer who has taught numerous research seminars. Currently, Angela divides her time between writing, playing Celtic music on her fiddle, and Irish dancing. She resides on a ranch, in rural Northwestern Montana, with her two children Levi and Grant.
Angela is represented by Jill Corcoran of the Herman Agency. Her debut YA novel Amarok was published by Spencer Hill Press in 2012.Contact her here.
Angie blogs at Operation Awesome every other SATURDAY.
Kell Andrews always wanted to be a writer but it took a long while to realize she wanted to write the kind of books that got her excited about reading in the first place -- middle grade fantasy and historical fiction. Along the way, she has written and edited trade magazines, websites, text books, and marketing materials. That was all fine, except that magical happenings and lyrical prose are frowned upon in math textbooks and business press. A lifelong Philadelphian, Kell lives in Wynnewood with her husband Jeff Lyons and two little girls.
Contact Kelly here. Visit her Tumblr page.
Follow her on Twitter, or Goodreads.
Kelly blogs at Operation Awesome every other SUNDAY.
Follow her on Twitter, or Goodreads.
Kelly blogs at Operation Awesome every other SUNDAY.
Kristal Shaff grew up with books (and used to drive her mom crazy when she wouldn't leave the library). The first book she read on her own was Dr. Seuss, though she can't remember exactly which one. Even when she got older, her first job was shelving books at the public library. She went to college and studied Music Education, but in the end, the world of creativity and make-believe was her first love.
Kristal met her husband in college and their first date was at a Renaissance Faire (Huzzah!) He was also the one to introduce her to The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien, which led her to her love of fantasy fiction. Kristal resides in Iowa with her farmer husband, 3 awesome kids, and numerous pets. When she isn’t writing, she is a mom and a professional face painter who enjoys making children smile.
Check out her webite and contact her here.
Kristal blogs at Operation Awesome every other THURSDAY.
Michelle McLean grew up in California and has lived everywhere from the deserts of Utah to the tropical beaches of Hawaii to the gorgeous forests of the east coast. The oldest of five children, she is generally an organized mess with slight Obsessive Compulsive tendencies. She has a B.S. in History, a M.A. in English, an insatiable love of books, and more weird quirks than you can shake a stick at.
She is the author of Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers, (Career Press Jan 2011), To Trust a Thief (Entangled Scandalous Jan 2013), a historical romance trilogy Blood Blade Sisters (the first book will release from Entangled Scandalous March 2013), and a zombie fairy tale retelling Wish Upon a Star (Entangled Ever After Oct 2013). In addition to her novels and non-fiction work, she writes the occasional picture book and a bit of poetry. If she's not editing, reading, or chasing her kids around, she can usually be found in a quiet corner working on her next book.
She currently resides in Pennsylvania with her husband and two young children, an insanely hyper dog, and two very spoiled cats.
Contact her here.
Michelle blogs at Operation Awesome every other THURSDAY.
Lindsay Scott’s early years were spent performing renditions of Mary Poppins on her grandparent’s coffee table, drawing, and asking for “one more story” before bed.
Despite her love for creativity she spent years ignoring the voices in her head, screaming for their stories be told. Whilst some parents would have their daughter committed, Lindsay’s told her to write. So she did. The characters are much happier now, even if they do wake her up in the middle of the night. She lives in the North of England, close to her understanding family and friends who share her with her fictional friends, chocolate, and a never ending "to be read" pile.
You can contact Lindsay here.
Lindsay blogs at Operation Awesome every other WEDNESDAY.
Despite her love for creativity she spent years ignoring the voices in her head, screaming for their stories be told. Whilst some parents would have their daughter committed, Lindsay’s told her to write. So she did. The characters are much happier now, even if they do wake her up in the middle of the night. She lives in the North of England, close to her understanding family and friends who share her with her fictional friends, chocolate, and a never ending "to be read" pile.
You can contact Lindsay here.
Lindsay blogs at Operation Awesome every other WEDNESDAY.
ANGELICA R. JACKSON
I started out freelancing, with articles published on gardening, family travel, local history, natural history, pets, green living, and recipes for special diets. These days, I mostly write poetry, picture books, short stories, and young adult novels. I live with my husband and two cats in a solar home in the Sierra foothills, with every room populated by books and their bookcases.
Where you can find me on the web:
My photo website (oh yeah, I'm also a photographer/artist)
Angelica blogs at Operation Awesome every other MONDAY.
BECKY MAHONEY
I am a longtime Operation Awesome fangirl, and I am super excited to join the big leagues and become part of this amazing blog. I am an unassuming admin by day and a young adult writer by night, represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger Inc. My preferred genre trifecta is fantasy, mystery, and horror. I am a lover of good food, awesome fashion, and any and all things creepy. You can find me here:
Becky blogs at Operation Awesome every other FRIDAY.
MAX GLADSTONE
I met my agent at an Operation Awesome contest, sold my debut novel soon after, and feel that Operation Awesome does exactly what it says on the tin. In various lives I've been an EFL teacher, researcher, tour guide, translator, smart grid analyst / cube operator, and an editor. These days, when I'm not making up stories about necromancers, I'm hunting my manuscripts for errant semicolons. I just deleted one from this paragraph!
My blog: Max Gladstone - Myths for Hire
My twitter: @maxgladstone
Max blogs at Operation Awesome every other SUNDAY.
ABBY ANNIS
I am mom to three brilliant and talented kids. No bias there. ;) I write YA sci-fi and speculative fiction. My day job is in numbers (yes, I’m one of those weirdos who enjoys math), but I love words and writing. Taking beautiful writing and making visual art is one of my favorite things to do. Photoshop is a great procrastination tool. :) And I have a tendency to overuse smilies and the word awesome.
Blog
Abby blogs at Operation Awesome every other SATURDAY.
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 blogs at Operation Awesome on every other MONDAY.
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
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.
Website
Kellie blogs at Operation Awesome on every other MONDAY.
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
Website
THE LIVES OF TAO
Wes blogs at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.
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 blogs at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.
Wes blogs at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.
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.
Blog
Toni blogs at Operation Awesome on every other TUESDAY.
R. R. Russell
R.R. Russell's middle grade debut, Wonder Light: Unicorns of the Mist releases from Sourcebooks May 1 2013. She also writes a YA crossover series, the Venture books, as R.H. Russell.Website/blog
Facebook
Twitter
R.R. blogs at Operation Awesome on every other WEDNESDAY.
R.R. blogs at Operation Awesome on every other WEDNESDAY.
ALUMNUS:
Amparo Ortiz was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she still resides (and eats All The Yummy Things). She's a proud Whedonite and a Whovian-in-progress. Amparo speaks two and a half languages (Spanish, English, and sort of Italian), watches way too much TV, and often indulges in planning trips around the world she can't afford.
At seventeen, Amparo wrote Suckiest YA Novel Ever, and has worked hard to make up for it since. At twenty-six, she's getting her Master's degree in Literature. She writes YA fantasy (epic + urban) and contemporary novels. She plans to publish said YA novels somewhere down the road.
Dean Winchester would be proud of her.
Maybe.
You can contact Amparo here.
