Change of Heart at Operation Awesome #WEP #IWSG

Write Edit Publish

Perhaps a bit unusual for this challenge:

Operation Awesome proudly introduces our three new operatives!

The members of the team are the HEART of Operation Awesome. 

Due to time restraints, mostly thanks to successes, we have an influx of new members this month, which is a big 

CHANGE OF our HEART. 

So, in under 300 words each, here are quick introductions from our new team members!

They'll do longer, individual introduction posts later. This is just a fun way to say hello to everyone out there. No feedback is needed for this non-fiction post, but it'd be great if you'd say hi back!

Nathaniel:

Hey, everyone! My name is Nathaniel Glanzman and I'll be the new Query Friday/ Flash Fiction Friday point guy. I found out about Operation Awesome through #QueryKombat, and as soon as I was introduced to it, I was in love. My favorite thing about Operation Awesome is its ability to bridge connections between writers. It is an excellent resource to strengthen and nurture one of my favorite things in the whole world: Writing. I know this may sound cliche, but I've been a writer all my life (The first thing I remember writing was a poem about how much my mother loved money when I was four) and there is hardly a moment in the day when I'm not thinking about a character or a plot point to write down later. My default novel is a character-centric, internal conflict-heavy slice of life with an ensemble cast of mentally ill, neurodivergent, queer social misfits. Writing has both changed my life and saved my life on more than one occasion. I can't imagine my life without it. I'm honored to be a part of a team that cultivates that in others.

Amren:

Hi y’all, I’m Amren! I’m so excited to be a part of the OA team. It’s hard out there for those of us going through the writing process, so having a group like OA to provide support through every stage is a huge help. I know I was lost before I found an online community of writers, and I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share some of what I’ve learned along the way. I can’t wait to get started! I’m going to be starting a new recurring event with OA to critique manuscripts’ first pages, so hopefully I’ll be seeing your pages soon 😊

Kate:

Hello!

I’m Kate and I’m thrilled to be joining the Operation Awesome team. I have been a long-time reader of the blog, and it has been an incredibly useful resource as I’ve attempted to navigate this tricky world of writing and publishing. I am looking forward to giving back to the community in my own small way as Operation Awesome’s new OAbby. So if you have any burning questions about writing or publishing, send them my way!

Writing and publishing is a long game, and one that’s not for the faint of heart. You have to have perseverance, the hide of a rhino and not allow yourself to be overwhelmed by the crippling self-doubt that comes at some point in every writing project. Writing is a solitary act, so it’s important to have a community to support you when you need it. And a community that understands the unique challenges of being a writer is important.

I’m proud to be a part of that community and look forward to meeting and supporting you as part of the new OA team.

We hope you'll come back to visit Operation Awesome, where we focus on helping those in the publishing journey. 

Pass or Pages is our quarterly query critique contest. We also have synopsis critiques, posts about feelings on writing, Dear OAbby, the Debut Author Spotlight, and other fun features.

Welcome to the Crow's Rest Bloghop!

Today I'm celebrating the release of my debut novel, Crow's Rest, by taking part in a bloghop, yay! You can see the complete schedule here. Participants were asked to share a real-life ghost encounter, or other strange happening, and boy do I have something special to share. And, there are giveaways!

But first, I wanted to share a section from Crow's Rest, which features a sinister encounter for Avery at Warren Castle (which is modeled on the real, haunted Preston Castle in Ione, California). Here she is telling Daniel about it:



The story behind the story is that the spooky events Avery describes actually happened to me at Preston Castle. And also like Avery, I've been involved in documenting the Castle's restoration in photographs. Preston Castle has been featured in an episode of Ghost Adventures and The Great Escape, and it's a pretty creepy place. They offer overnight events, but I'm not quite that brave!

Since I already indirectly shared a ghost story, I'm not going to count it as my bloghop post, lol. Instead, I offer you photographic proof of a living Fae being--I'm not sure exactly what kind he is, but this enchanted forest citizen was captured on film at the Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park fifteen years ago:

You can click on the picture to see it larger, btw. Can you see the little bearded, pointy-eared man to the right? He's peering around the smaller trunk and looking very cheeky in his tophat. Perhaps my feet are blocking the entrance to his home under the tree? Tell me what mischief you think he's contemplating in the comments!

And now, for the giveaway!

One grand prize will be awarded, and it includes a signed copy of Crow's Rest, signed bookmarks, a Celtic knot necklace, and fun swag items

And two Swag Packs will also be awarded, and include signed bookmarks, a Celtic knot necklace, and fun swag items

These giveaways are open to U.S. addresses only, and you can enter through this Rafflecopter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Title:  Crow's Rest

Author:  Angelica R. Jackson

Published:  May 12, 2015

Publisher:  Spencer Hill Press

Isbn: 9781633920040
Pages: 288
Retail: $9.95

Buy Links: Barnes and Noble |  Amazon | BookDepository

About the author:
In keeping with her scattered Gemini nature, Angelica R. Jackson has far too many interests to list here.

She has an obsession with creating more writing nooks in the home she shares with her husband and two corpulent cats in California's Gold Country. Fortunately, the writing nooks serve for reading and cat cuddling too.

Other pastimes include cooking for food allergies (not necessarily by choice, but she's come to terms with it), photography, and volunteering at a local no-kill cat sanctuary.

Twitter  |   Facebook  |   Goodreads  |   Photo Galleries  |   Blog  |   Website

The YA Scavenger Hunt is Almost Here!

Want a fun way to spend your Spring Break? Hop on the YA Scavenger Hunt!  This bi-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one book from each author on a team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are EIGHT contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of TEAM TEAL and my stop will go live on my Angelic Muse blog on April 2nd, at noon PST. And you'll have two opportunities to win an ARC of Crow's Rest--one in the grand prize, and another giveaway on my page.

There are so many great authors involved this year (including many Fearless Fifteeners and our own OA alumna, Jessica L. Brooks), I feel like I'm in pretty stellar company! I've had a lot of fun researching the author that I'm hosting, and hopefully all you scavengers hunters will too!