Amie Borst

It's February 26th, so you know what that means!

No, I'm not talking about the fact that it's almost March, which also means that spring is only 23 days away.

No, I'm not talking about the Oscar's or the phases of the moon or or or...

No, what I'm talking about is me!  Me, me, me, me, me!

But seriously..... The 26th of February means that there's only 8 months remaining until my book is released!!

WAHOOO!!

And if you go back tothis post, you might remember my promise to bring you a contest each and every month until my release date of October 26th, 2013!! A promise is a promise and I hold true to those promises! Plus, I have another Surprise for you today!

But first....this month's prize....

(drumroll please)

Is a copy of The Robe of Skulls - Tales from the Five Kingdoms by Vivian French!!*




Also, as promised, I have another surprise for you! Remember how I promised a HUGE prize for the book release in October?  Well, it's pretty big.  I t…

I'm over at The Mixed-Up Files...of Middle-Grade Authors today with a fun interview!

Kevin Emerson is the author of nearly a dozen books for young adults and middle-grade readers.  It was great fun getting to know him and reading this fantastic book that kept me reading into the wee hours of the night.  Which is probably also responsible for some of my alien dreams.  Thankfully, he has some awesome advice about predicting alien invasion, so be sure to check it out. Oh, and while you're there, enter to win a copy of his book!




http://www.fromthemixedupfiles.com/2013/02/kevin-emerson-…lien-detection/

I'll be back here tomorrow with my monthly contest, running on the 26th of each and every month until October.  Which means there's only 8 months - EIGHT MONTHS - until Cinderskella's release date!!!!  Tomorrow will be the BIG REVEAL for the grand prize, too, so you won't want to miss it!!

Today we have a guest post by Adrienne Monson, a fellow Jolly Fish Press author. Her debut novel, Dissension, hits shelves in just a few days on February 23rd!! I'm thrilled to be the official kick-off to her blog tour and hope you enjoy Adrienne's visit.


Thanks for having me on your blog today, Amie! Since Valentine’s Day just passed, I thought it would be apropos to talk about romance in literature. Romance is a popular subject for women, whether we’re discussing the cutest couple in the neighborhood, reading a book, watching a movie, or telling our friends of the latest romantic gesture their husband did.

Have you ever sat down with your significant other, or a guy friend to watch an action-packed movie? Those movies are catered towards men. They’re full of cheesy lines, fight scenes, or car chases. Yet, there’s almost always a romance sub-plot in there as well.

Ever read a suspenseful novel? Or a horror book? While there may be an eerie atmosphere, gore, or scary creatu…

This past week I devoted my time to making a wedding cake for a friend. This was my very first attempt at a wedding cake and I was just a little stressed about it. Okay, a LOT stressed. Thankfully the lady I made the cake for was not a total bridezilla and she was happy with the finished product! PHEW.




Much like writing a book, this cake needed a plan. 

First:  I had to decide (or in this case, agree on) an overall concept.  For this cake it was three tiered and each layer a different flavor.  The cake would be covered in white fondant and accented with silver trim and Sapphire blue flowers. 

Second: I had to execute that plan in a step-wise process; baking the cakes, whipping the frosting, rolling the fondant, creating flowers.

Third: I had to prioritize my time.  Segments of my day needed to be dedicated to working on specific phases of the cake.  Some days I only accomplished a few steps, other days I tackled something huge, like the 3 F's - fill, frost and fondant!  Hones…