by Heidi Schulz | Aug 11, 2014 | For My Readers, Heidi and Her Family, Hook's Revenge
If you are impatient super excited for the giveaway, scroll down to the bonus item.
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Road trip! My family and I just got home from an awesome summer road trip. Here are a few photos:
We drove about a thousand miles and had about a thousand little adventures. Ocean, mountains, caves, a jet boat ride up a river, ATVs, and yes, I fed a giraffe. (It was scary.) We had a really lovely time.
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My debut book comes out next month! Last week, I got my first copies. You guys, they are so beautiful. Look!
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Want to see more? Hook’s Revenge has an amazingly good illustrator, John Hendrix. He just posted pictures of the interior art. Here’s one:
Isn’t it gorgeous?! The rest can be seen here, on his tumblr.
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You all know my history with terrible selfies, right? Well, I accidentally took a good one. How did this happen?
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Mind if I talk about my book some more? Because it really is on my mind.
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School Library Journal gave Hook’s Revenge a starred review!
Among other really nice things, they said, “The evocative language moves beyond simple description and engages the audience’s imagination. Most notable, however, is the wickedly funny narrator who doesn’t hesitate to add his amusing commentary and pointed dislike for the audience to the narrative.”
Read the full review here.
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I was also just interviewed on Riffle. Swing by to hear about books kid-me would have loved and why I am over the moon for Atticus Finch.
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Pie. I’m thinking about pie.
Bonus Item
Want to be among the first to hear about events, giveaways, and book news?
No? Okay.
Well, do you want to win stuff?
Yes? Good!
I’m giving away a signed hardcover of Hook’s Revenge and a $25 Powells.com gift card (maybe to you?)! Enter by signing up for my newsletter in the month of August. I promise not to email you too often and to always try to be entertaining.
Sign up in my sidebar, over there on the right, under where it says “I also have a newsletter,” or sign up on my Facebook page.
Good luck!
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by Heidi Schulz | Aug 2, 2014 | For My Readers, Hook's Revenge
Thank you to everyone who participated in my #PirateFace giveaway! There were entries on tumblr, twitter, Facebook, instagram, and even a blog post. After looking at them all, one thing is clear:
Your pirate faces are amazing!
Here is a sample (unless you want to skip to the winner—in which case, scroll on):
But now for the winning entry! The honor goes to a Facebook entrant, Rachel Maughan, and her adorable daughter terrifying young pirate offspring!
Rachel and her family win:
- Peg-leg pirate pencil sharpener
- Pirate stencil kit
- Loot (a fun pirate card game)
- An annotated advance copy of Hook’s Revenge!
- And signed Hook’s Revenge swag!
A special mention to Stephanie Barth who posed with a chicken, of sorts. I’ll be sending her a signed Hook’s Revenge poster!
Thanks again for playing along, mateys! Glad to have ye on my crew!
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by Heidi Schulz | Jul 27, 2014 | For My Readers, Hook's Revenge, Hook's Revenge: The Pirate Code
Exciting Thing #1
Last week I turned in a round of revisions on Hook’s Revenge: The Pirate Code (Hook’s Revenge Book 2, out in September 2015). It’s getting closer to becoming a real book!
Exciting Thing #2
My first book, Hook’s Revenge, is out in less than two months! And, it has already gone into a second printing! So exciting!
Since the best things happen in threes, how about we have another exciting thing?
Buildup to Exciting Thing #3
I have spent the evening annotating my very last advance copy of Hook’s Revenge, filling it with secrets and inside details, like this:
(Jocelyn is also the name of my main character.)
Want it?
OKAY.
Exciting Thing #3
IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!
I’m going to send the following items to one of you:
- Peg-leg pirate pencil sharpener
- Pirate stencil kit
- Loot (a fun pirate card game)
- Aaaaaand, the aforementioned annotated advance copy of Hook’s Revenge!
- Bonus: signed Hook’s Revenge swag!
Here’s how you can win:
I want to see your fiercest pirate face. Show me you mean business and you won’t accept no for an answer. Make me believe you will stop at nothing to get your prize.
Apple and I will demonstrate (because what is more fierce and terrifying than a woman and her black-as-sin chicken?*).
Enter as often as you like, in as many of the following ways you like:
- Post a picture of your pirate face on your blog, linking back to this post.
- Post your pirate face to Twitter, using both these hashtags: #PirateFace #HooksRevenge
- Post your pirate face to Facebook, using both these hashtags: #PirateFace #HooksRevenge
- Post your pirate face to Instagram, using both these hashtags: #PirateFace #HooksRevenge
- Post your pirate face to Tumblr, using both these hashtags: #PirateFace #HooksRevenge
Note: Please make sure your privacy settings are set to public, so I can see your posts. And don’t forget the hashtags, or I won’t be able to see your entries!
I will choose a random winner on Saturday, August 2 at 9:00 pm Pacific.
This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Sorry, international friends. 🙁
*Please be aware, you do not need to have a chicken in your pirate face photo. However, if you do, I will high-five you to the moon and back. I will also send you something special because regardless of the contest results, if you take selfies with chickens, you are a winner in my book.
Good luck! ARRRR!
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by Heidi Schulz | Jun 9, 2014 | For My Readers, Heidi and Her Family, Hook's Revenge
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Chickens!
They grow so fast! These pictures of Liza Minnelli and Apple were taken just six short weeks apart.
Unbelivable.
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Stuff I’m doing. If you are local to me, come see me Wednesday night, talking Twitter at Willamette Writers. Details on my events page.
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Chickens, again—a little bit sadder. Due to an ill-timed gust of wind and a heavy coop door, we lost our Annie. Perhaps she has joined Phillis somewhere? I hope so. They were the best of friends.
Farewell, Chicken Annie!
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And now for something happier! There are only 100 99 days until Hook’s Revenge is released!
Start practicing your pirate here.
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Still chickens. I couldn’t resist. Meet Fat Amy (blonde) and Matilda (brunette).
What’s on your mind today?
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by Heidi Schulz | May 7, 2014 | For My Readers, Hook's Revenge
I’m super excited about these events I’ll be appearing at soon!
First, I’ll be on faculty at SCBWI Oregon’s Spring Conference, May 17–18.
Art created by Julia Tikhonov
I’ll be teaching a workshop on how to write setting descriptions that both transport your reader to the world of your story and can also function as a lens for character. I’ll also be in a session with my agent, Brooks Sherman of the Bent Agency, on the Agent/Author relationship. (I think there’s still time to register!)
At the end of the month, I’ll be in New York attending Book Expo America, though not in any official capacity. However, advance copies of Hook’s Revenge will be there for the taking. (And Publisher’s Weekly called it a “Galley to Grab!”) I won’t be doing a signing, but I will have a pen. Find me (twitter could help: @HeidiSchulz) and I’ll sign your copy and/or give you swag.
If you are in town for BEA, swing by the Kids Author Carnival Saturday evening, May 31. I’ll be appearing with some amazing middle grade authors. We’ll be playing games and generally being goofy with the kids that will attend. You won’t want to miss it.
And next month, I’ll be back home in Salem, Oregon, at Willamette Writers, talking about my publishing journey and how twitter played a role (and how it might be helpful for other aspiring authors).
More information about all of these appearances can be found on my events page. Hope to see you soon!
P.S. Watch this space. Exciting news on the horizon.
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by Heidi Schulz | Apr 9, 2014 | For My Readers, For Writers, Hook's Revenge, Other Books and Reading, Word
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Book things. Only book things.
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“Words! Words! Words!” —Eliza Doolittle (and me)
I am working on a new book, with a need to get a readable draft finished rather quickly.
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Due to the aforementioned book, the Pomodoro Method has become my friend. Basically, this method dictates you work on a task for 25 minutes (or one pomodoro) then take a five minute break. After four pomodoros you take a longer break, 15-20 minutes. It has really helped to keep me from straying over to twitter when I can’t think of a word I want to use.
Any timer would work, but I use an app on my mac. I like because it puts a little countdown clock in the corner of whatever window I have open. See:
I’m finding it much easier to stay on task when I can see that I have a break coming up. I live for those breaks.
On days where I need extra help focusing, I also use the Freedom app. It locks me out of the internet for whatever predetermined time I have set. And there is no way to turn it off. You just have to wait it out. It’s a dream (and a nightmare)!
What tricks do you use to keep from getting distracted?
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There is no three, only Zuul.
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Last month I got to take part in my first ever public reading of Hook’s Revenge as part of a local 2014 Kidlit Debuts panel. I had a great time with Robin Herrera, author of Hope is a Ferris Wheel; Chris Struyk-Bonn, author of Whisper; and Mary Elizabeth Summer, author of Trust me, I’m Lying at A Children’s Place Bookstore in Portland.
Want to see some pictures? OKAY.
I’m not a giant. It’s the angle, I promise.
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Hook’s Revenge has been available for pre-order in hardcover for some time. Some of you have asked when the e-version would be available for pre-order. The answer is now:
Nook
Kindle
Hardcover buying options are linked to on my books page. Both paper and electronic versions release September 16.
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Gosh, I love you.
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I’m working on planning a couple of International Talk Like a Pirate Day Weekend/Book Launch parties, one in Portland and one in Salem. Locals, mark your calendars for September 19th and 20th and watch this space.
Please note: There will be costumes.
What’s on your mind?
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We drove about a thousand miles and had about a thousand little adventures. Ocean, mountains, caves, a jet boat ride up a river, ATVs, and yes, I fed a giraffe. (It was scary.) We had a really lovely time.
