Amie Borst

I'm over at the Mixed Up Files today interviewing the fabulous Rose Cooper . You really won't want to miss this! It includes a TWO book giveaway, including an ARC! You srsly want this. So hop on over to www.fromthemixedupfiles.com like now, tell the two of us hello and enter your butt in that contest! Good luck folks!

While there are many, many rules to writing, there are just a few simple rules about blogging. They are probably more my opinion than fact, but I believe it's a good start. 1- Don't quote someone without their permission or linking to their site and giving them credit. This is kind of a no brainer and it's really pretty much protocol for life. 2 - Don't turn a private conversation/debate/what-have-you into a public blog post. And certainly don't write that post hastily when you're all offended/upset/heated because you're only going to make yourself look bad. 'Nuff said about that. 3- If the topic you are writing about is your opinion, it should be clear to your readers. If it's a factual, informative post, try to link to some evidence/facts/data to substantiate it. 4- Be kind. Remember other writers are your friends. They will buy your books, they will host you during blog tours, they will spread the word - good or bad. And I think we'd

I'm a huge SNL (Saturday Night Live) fanatic. Anytime someone puts on a bathing suit or mentions mexican food, I can be heard reciting the Ultimate Cheerleaders chant: Taco, Burrito, What's coming out of your Speedo?! So yeah, SNL. :) Anyway, one of my other favorite skits is Alec Baldwin's epic NPR routine, playing a character by the last name of Schweddy. Mr. Schweddy is famous for his balls - cheese balls, meatballs, etc. Well, you can guess where the skit goes from there. When I saw that Ben and Jerry's had come out with a new ice cream flavor, my husband and I immediately made a date! To enjoy of pic of that new ice cream, just go to laughing squid. And just in case you haven't seen the famous SNL skit, here's a clip! Enjoy those Scweddy Balls, folks!

I'm an absolute sucker for contests. I love them. Everything about them. Well, except for the not winning part....which is usually the case with me since I seem to have the luck of a rabbit missing all four of its feet. Anywho...My BFF, Rose Cooper , is having an ultimate contest on her blog today. You. Must. Check. It. Out. NOW! Why are you still hanging out here? Go! Skidaddle. Get on with your bad self and win that contest! Be sure to tell her I sent you!

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About what's really important. As many of you know, my hometown was destroyed in Hurricane Irene in late August 2011. What many of you do not know, is that I went to New York to assist with clean up efforts. I don't suppose I'll ever really understand what caused me to be so impulsive, but all I can say is that I felt a compulsive need to help them. The opportunity to serve the people of upstate New York was an incredible one, something I will never forget. And I will be forever grateful for the experience. I doubt I did any good or made any real difference, but somewhere deep in my gut - or maybe it's buried in my heart - I believe it mattered to someone. And so, my recent experiences with clean up efforts of Hurricane Irene, I suppose, were the catalyst for those thoughts of what's really important. As I shoveled knee-high mud, used 1200 gallons of water to hose out houses and storage sheds, as I sifted through d

Yup! It's that time of year again! My group blog, From The Mixed-Up Files is doing another big giveaway....this time with skype visits! I hope you'll stop by and enter for a chance to win!