Dad's Day

by Brittany Geragotelis

If you're like me, you're unable to be with your dad today on Father's Day. But that doesn't mean that you can't make him feel special (hopefully making up for the fact that you can't be there in the first place). What better way to do this by making a list of all the reasons your dad is awesome and then send it to him. He'll appreciate the thought you put into it and it will make him happy to know that you really WERE paying attention when he thought you were just ignoring him. And if you're having a tough time getting started, here's my list:

Me and Dad at a museum in NYC

Awesome Things About My Dad:
1. He's tall and could always reach the dishes in the cupboard that I couldn't get down.
2. He's always nice to my mom. Back when they first got married, he gave part of his savings to her so that she could start her own ballet studio.
3. He's always believed that I would become a published author one day...but also reminded me that I needed a day job until that happened.

Dad, Mom, Curtis & Jacey

4. He flew airplanes for years. Even though I'm a girl and didn't really think this was cool growing up, I've come to find out (from just about every guy alive) that this is, in fact, one of the coolest jobs someone can have. Hello, look how popular Top Gun was!
5. He buys me random books from the sales bin whenever he goes to a bookstore or the library.
6. He's a coffee drinker and appreciates a good cup whenever he can get it.
7. He thinks he's HILARIOUS and laughs at his own jokes.

Twins!

8. He can't sing, but does it anyway.
9. He took me to the movies right after I had surgery on one of my feet...and got the manager to give me a chair to rest my foot on, with a pillow he'd brought from home, just so I'd be comfortable.
10. He sends me and my sisters little notes/stories/poems that he finds inspirational.
11. He's really passionate about golfing.
12. He's clever and even makes his own golf clubs.

Dad channeling Zoolander.

13. He can wake the dead with his sneezes.
14. He's smart and has several degrees.
15. He wants to be a writer one day and says he's going to follow in my footsteps.
16. He puts rice in his hair and then asks if he has "head rice."

The statue was NOT amused.

17. He and his navy friends have silly nicknames for each other. His is Germ.
18. He makes my mom laugh. His kids...well, we laugh at him, anyway.
19. He likes really ugly ties.
20. He falls asleep while watching TV and when you catch him, he swears he was awake the whole time but was just resting his eyes.

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

What's so awesome about your dad? Leave your lists in the comments below!!!

5x5,
B.

Review Time...Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

by Brittany Geragotelis

Review Time: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

The Story: Amy Curry thinks her life sucks. Her mom decides to move from California to Connecticut to start anew--just in time for Amy's senior year. Her dad recently died in a car accident. So Amy embarks on a road trip to escape from it all, driving cross-country from the home she's always known toward her new life. Joining Amy on the road trip is Roger, the son of Amy's mother's old friend. Amy hasn’t seen him in years, and she is less than thrilled to be driving across the country with a guy she barely knows. So she's surprised to find that she is developing a crush on him. At the same time, she’s coming to terms with her father’s death and how to put her own life back together after the accident. Told in traditional narrative as well as scraps from the road--diner napkins, motel receipts, postcards--this is the story of one girl's journey to find herself.

Why It's a Must-Read: I'm not one for sappy stories. I tend to gravitate toward strong, kick-ass female characters who don't mope around, but whose lives are totally complicated. The idea of a regular girl dealing with the grief over losing her father wouldn't typically sound like something I'd pick up. BUT, after hearing from several people that Amy & Roger's was a great read, I decided to be open minded and give it a try.

And I'm so glad that I did! First off, the story wasn't sappy at all. Sad at times, sure, but not at all whiny or depressing. Instead, it was more like an adventure--with heart. Since the story takes place on a trip across country, the reader gets all the fun of a road trip, minus the sore butt from sitting in the car for hours and hours. And though a lot of time is spent in the car, the action actually happens mostly when Amy and Roger stop at their intended destinations. In the end, the story's about overcoming adversity and dealing with life on life's terms. Beautifully written and never boring, this book is the perfect summer read!

What a Character: The main character, Amy is broken at the beginning of the book. She's full of fear, guilt and self-loathing over what's happened to her family. There's no one else in her world that could punish her more than she's punishing herself. And then her answer appears: Roger. Roger is such a great character. Cute, total boy next door and a little too nice for his own good. He challenges Amy just enough to make her grow, but is the soft touch she needs to feel safe enough to do so. Together, the two of them deal with their issues and become the perfect traveling companions. I also loved all the other characters Amy and Roger met along the way (Bronwyn, Walcott and Lucien)...they each helped her heal in their own ways, and make the reader wish that all strangers were that cool.

A Little Something Extra: I have a confession to make: I mostly picked up Amy & Roger's because my editor, Alex, edited Morgan's book, too! After reading it, I'm not at all surprised she wanted to work with Morgan and her story! The funny thing? One of the characters in this book shared the same first name as the main character in my book, Life's a Witch. I thought Hadley was a pretty unique name, so I was surprised to see we both chose the same name!

Follow her on Twitter @Morgan_M and then go out and buy her book!

5x5,
B.

Review Time....Hiding From Reality by Taylor Armstrong

by Brittany Geragotelis

Review Time: Hiding From Reality by Taylor Armstrong

The Story: NOT EVERY FAIRY TALE HAS A HAPPY ENDING. . . . Reality hit Taylor Armstrong hard one tragic evening last August when she found the body of her estranged husband, Russell, hanging in his California home. Fans across the country were shocked at the horrific news of his death and even more shocked to discover that behind the glittering “reality” of Taylor’s life on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills lurked a painful story of emotional and physical abuse that she had been terrified to tell.

With searing honesty, Taylor candidly examines her difficult journey from the abusive home in which she was born to the low self-esteem that kept her constantly on the run from herself, to the tumultuous marriage that ended in suicide, and ultimately to her realization that only by sharing her moving story could she help other women.

Taylor and her husband Russell Armstrong. In her book, Taylor discusses the events that led up to Russell's shocking suicide.

Why It's a Must-Read: The first "Real Housewives" that I fell in love with was the cast from Beverly Hills. I found them to be the most entertaining and interesting, and was happy that there weren't any physical fights (I'm looking at you Jersey cast). I was always fascinated with Taylor Armstrong, the beautiful yet tiny woman who was married with a young daughter. As I watched the seasons progress, it became increasingly clear that she was in an abusive relationship. And then when the news broke that her husband, Russell, had committed suicide....well, my desire to read Taylor's book to hear the real story grew. 

What you get through reading Taylor's book is what seems like an honest look at what it's like to be in an abusive relationship. You could feel her heartache and hopelessness throughout, and even begin to understand what she was going through. It didn't feel like Taylor had written the book with the intentions of making her ex out to be a villain. In fact, considering everything she went through, one wouldn't blame her if she had been a little more one-sided in her recollections. But that's not what Hiding From Reality is about. Domestic abuse is a problem and I've known a few people who have been in similar dangerous situations themselves, and I found the book to be helpful in trying to begin to understand what it's like to be stuck in a situation like this. It's well-written, honest and harrowing.

What a Character: Like I said before...I was always a fan of Taylor. And when we began to discover the abuse she was dealing with, I felt for her. The book actually gave a much more detailed look at her life growing up--what led her to look for men who were either unavailable or not right for her, why she gravitated toward unhealthy relationships and how she made it to Beverly Hills and onto the show. Though it's difficult to understand why a person would stay with a man who beats her and belittles her, the book really does try to explain the complicated feelings that are involved in an abusive relationship. In the end, the reader is left with hope. Hope that those who are in these kinds of situations may get out of them (alive) and that they can (hopefully) stop the cycle of abuse.

A Little Something Extra: Amidst the seriousness of her memoir, I was psyched to hear that Taylor was a cheerleader growing up and that she was even a staff instructor for the organization NCA (National Cheerleaders Association), which was coincidentally, the same cheer group that I taught for for five years! (Fun Fact: Another "Desperate Housewife" that called herself a NCA staff instructor? Eva Longoria!) And if I know cheerleaders, I know that they're strong and they can persevere through any tough times. I have high hopes that Taylor will end up on top.

Follow her on Twitter @TaylorArmstrong and then go out and buy her book!

5x5,
B.

A weekend of writers

by Brittany Geragotelis

So, this past weekend was pretty incredible. Busy, but incredible. I was honored to be asked to speak at two different events: one for Wattpad and the other for UPublishU at BEA. And both turned out to be pretty darn amazing.

First, on Saturday, I went down to a loft in Soho to meet up with about 60 Wattpadders. Writers, readers, aspiring authors...they were all there. And everyone was PSYCHED to be there. There was good food, awesome freebies (the t-shirts were soooo comfortable) and great conversation. I had so much fun telling everyone about my experience on Wattpad and how it led to me getting my 3-book deal with Simon & Schuster! And I think the teens who were there to see us, were inspired. I even got to sign some autographs, take pictures with my fans and make a few new friends! It was an awesome time. Check out the pics below!

Then, on Sunday, I was off to the Javits Center in NYC for a conference put on by BEA (Book Expo of America) called UPublishU, which was all about self-publishing. Since this is where I got my start--first on Wattpad, and then through publishing my book in paperback--I especially loved talking to aspiring authors about my writing journey. The panel I was on was full of some pretty impressive authors: Darcie Chan (author of The Mill River Recluse), C.S. Marks (author of the Elfhunter Trilogy) and Theresa Ragan (author of Return of the Rose). And everyone's stories were so inspiring! We had about 250 people in the room when we spoke and were grilled by aspiring authors afterward. It was so incredible to be in a room full of people who all love the same thing: writing! Take a look at the pics I snapped while there.

All in all, it was a busy yet incredible two days full of inspiration, hope, amazing people and great books!

5x5,
B.

Come out and meet me!

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

Soooo, I've been hard at work on the first revision of my book, What the Spell?, and it's finally in to my editor! Phew! But really, it was such a great experience! I got to see all the things I could do to make the book better and it was actually a fun process. No joke.

So now, I'm just waiting for my second round of notes, which will hopefully just be minor stuff and not overall story-arc stuff. In the meantime, I'm getting the chance to go out and interact with some of my fans and hopefully pick up a few more!

Now, if you know me, you know that I'm not all that comfortable with public speaking. Usually I start to feel sick, faint and possibly like I might die before I have to talk in front of people. Suddenly I forget the most simple words and my face starts to shake. And the sweat....oh the sweat! Hahaha. I'm a mess!

But I've discovered that when I'm speaking on a panel and talking about writing, books and the projects I'm working on, it's not so bad. In fact, I usually have a lot of fun! Sure, I still get a little nervous, but there's something about talking about the things that you love, that make it OK. Sooooo, with that said, this weekend, I have the pleasure of speaking to two amazing groups of people about my writing experiences!

First, on Saturday, I'm going to be speaking at a Wattpad Meetup at 2pm in NYC. The meetup is meant to bring Wattpadders together for a little fun. While there, I'll be speaking to the crowd on my experience with Wattpad, how it helped me to reach my goal of becoming a published author as well as how important it is to support each other by buying more books. Since my fanbase started out on Wattpad, I can't wait to meet some of my fans in person! Fellow Wattpad writer, Caitlin Duffy will also be there, talking about her own success story. If you're interested in coming, here's the info.

Next, I'll be speaking on a panel at UPublishU at BEA (Book Expo of America). I feel incredibly honored to be a part of this group of authors talking about their successes with self-publishing. There are some other great panelists and I think it will be incredibly inspiring to any aspiring authors. And being that it's attached to BEA....well, I feel like I've hit the big time! To find out how to register for the day, who else is on my panel and the other discussions that will be happening throughout the day, check out the site here.

So if you live in or around NYC, please stop by! I'd love to meet you!

5x5,
B.

Self-Publishing University

by Brittany Geragotelis

Hey all!

I've been hard at work revising What the Spell? to make my Memorial Day deadline and that means I've been in my writing cave and not visiting the blog this past week. I know I'm being a bad little blogger, but it's for a good cause (hopefully a kick-ass book) and I've got some news that will hopefully make it up to you.

If you've ever wondered about self-publishing or have already decided to take the plunge or have just had it with all the rejection that comes along with mainstream publishing, have I got the thing for you! I'm going to be speaking on a panel at UPublishU taking place at BEA (Book Expo of America) this year, and I'll be talking all about my publishing journey, including all those who said I wouldn't make it, how I got my big break and all the exciting stuff I have coming up! If you live in or around NYC, you should definitely consider coming! Here are the details!

UPublishU at BEA

When: Sunday, June 3, 2012 

Where: The Javits Center in New York City

(located on 11th Ave, btwn 34-39th Sts) 

What:

Penned & Published – Self-Published Authors & Stories of Success!

10:00 - 10:50

Room 1E14

Moderator:

PJ Campbell, Director of Events for a major global trade publisher

Speakers/Participants:

Darcie Chan, Self-Published Author of The Mill River Recluse

Brittany Geragotelis, Self-Published Author of Life's a Witch

C.S. Marks, Self-Published Author of the Elfhunter trilogy

Theresa Regan, Self-Published Author, Author of Return of the Rose

Description:

Combine your talent and business sense and take your writing dreams to the next level by penning and publishing your own work of literary art! Join celebrated authors and publishing professionals for this inspirational and engaging session where they describe what it takes to become a best-selling author. Long-time Publishing Veteran and author, PJ Campbell, will share her experiences of publishing and talk with authors who have made the leap to publish. Meet this dynamic group of writing professionals and learn exactly what tips and techniques are needed and applied to create a successful book campaign. This exciting session includes an expert panel of successful authors who will share their thrilling self-publishing stories! These courageous writers will share their experiences and insights on their own best practices and how they turned their trials into triumphs! From pen to published author, this session will prove that You can Publish You! 

Bios:

PJ Campbell

PJ Campbell is the Director of Events for a major, global trade publisher and an authority in the creation of successful book campaigns through author appearances. She has more than 17 years’ experience in formulating, marketing and publicizing author appearances through webinars, blog tours, online chats, Skype, bookstores, conventions, conferences, seminars, workshops, galas, and launch parties. Including her background as a former bookstore General Manager and Director of Events, she has an all-inclusive perspective of the business of writing. As an author, PJ has written articles and essays on a variety of adult topics including the business of events, women’s issues, motivation, sports, health and art.  Her writing has been published in national and international newspapers, magazines and websites. Her 2009 published book, 101 AUTHOR TIPS:  Creating A Successful Book Campaign was an award finalist in Best Books USA Book News and Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year. PJ’s newest book will be published as an e-book, entitled, Authors’ Online Bestseller Resource: Sales, Publicity, Promotion, E-Publishing. PJ is a member of the following professional writing associations: National Association of Women Writers, International Women Writers Guild, Association of Writers and Writing Programs, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Western Writers of America, Pacific Northwest Writers Association. Contact PJ Campbell at http://pjcampbellwriter.com,

Darcie Chan

Darcie Chan is the author of The Mill River Recluse, a self-published debut novel that has become a word-of-mouth e-book sensation. With over 570,000 copies sold, The Mill River Recluse appeared on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists for more than 24 weeks and became a heartwarming favorite of readers across the country. Darcie was born in Wisconsin and grew up in the small towns of Brandon, Wisconsin, La Junta and Cheraw, Colorado, and Paoli, Indiana. Thanks to loving and supportive parents who are both educators, she learned to read and write at an early age. She has two younger sisters, with whom she is very close. Currently, Darcie lives just north of New York City with her husband and son. She writes during every moment she isn’t working as a lawyer or spending time with her family. She gets very little sleep, especially now that she is hard at work on a second novel set in Mill River, Vermont.

Brittany Geragotelis

An Olympic-bound gymnast during her teen years, Brittany Geragotelis always thought she'd see her name in print one day. That dream came true first as a magazine editor, where she had the chance to interview celebrities like Dakota Fanning, Miley Cyrus and Jamie Foxx, and then more recently in news outlets like Publisher's Weekly, Huffington Post and The Wall Street Journal. Though she's now a full-time writer, she also pens the blog Brittany the Book Slayer as well as produces and stars in author videos for her YouTube channel. After publishing her first book, Life's a Witch, on the community writing site Wattpad and receiving nearly 18 million reads of the paranormal action romance, she landed a 3-book, 6-figure deal with Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. The prequel to Life's A Witch, titled What the Spell? Will be published as an e-book in three parts beginning in October 2012 and in paperback January 15, 2013. The re-release of Life's a Witch will happen in May 2013 and the sequel, The Witch is Back will be out January 2014. A self-professed pop-culture junkie, Brittany currently lives in NYC with her boyfriend and two cats, Murray and Cohen.

C.S. Marks

C.S.Marks has often been described as a ‘Renaissance woman’. The child of an English professor, Chris has always loved classic literature as well as epic fantasy, and decided to try her hand at writing and illustrating an epic series. The result: The very successful Elfhunter trilogy, which has sold over 40,000 copies both in print and e-book form. This epic trilogy has garnered awards (Reviewer’s Choice Best Fantasy, Best Series) and nearly 200 reviews. She is now hard at work on an exciting new Alterran series, the Undiscovered Realms. A former field biologist and avid horsewoman, Chris holds a PhD in Biology, and has competed both nationally and internationally in the sport of endurance riding. She is a full professor of equine science at a small liberal arts college in the midwest. She is in demand as a lecturer and presenter at conventions, academic fairs, and publishing workshops. In 2011, Chris signed a three book deal with Sea Lion Books, including comic book and graphic novel adaptations of the Elfhunter trilogy as well as hard covers and paperbacks. While she has enjoyed an ample measure of success as an independent author, she is now looking forward to a long and productive relationship with Sea Lion Books, bringing her wonderful Tales of Alterra to an ever-widening group of appreciative readers of all ages.

Theresa Ragan

Theresa Ragan has been writing for nineteen years and has garnered six Golden Heart nominations in Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Competition for her work. She lives with her husband, Joe, and the youngest of her four children in Sacramento, California. Theresa writes medieval time travels, romantic comedy, romantic suspense, and thrillers under the name T.R. Ragan. In her first year as an indie author, Theresa sold 250,000 ebooks. Books by Theresa include: Return of the Rose, A Knight in Central Park, Taming Mad Max, Finding Kate Huntley. Also look for Abducted and Dead Weight, romantic thrillers under the name T.R. Ragan. Many of her titles are top sellers in the category! 

If you're attending UPubU, be sure to stop by and say hi!

5x5,

B.

Mother's Day Momma

by Brittany Geragotelis

Me and Mom

Today is Mother's Day, so what better time to list all the things I love about my mom? Here are my top 10.

1. She's funny. Maybe she's not stand-up funny, but she always makes me laugh. One of her fave things to say? "You're funny--funny looking!"
2. She's always encouraged me to follow my dreams. And she's done this through example. She's a ballet teacher and has always said that work isn't work when you're doing what you love. Even though publishing books is a bit of a lofty dream, she's never told me I couldn't achieve it.

Mom in a chicken suit she made for Halloween

3. She's dorky. My mom's not what you would call a serious person. She's dorky, but in the same way that I am. She says weird things, she'll bust out in the splits anytime, anywhere, and she dances in the car like a lunatic. She's adorkable.
4. She's strong. Looking at her, you wouldn't think she's lived the life she's lived. She's raised three strong-willed, confident young women. There was a time when she worked several jobs at a time just to pay the bills. She was held up at gun-point. She was stalked by a serial killer. She survived horrible situations and came out the other side better for it.

Me at Disneyland

5. She's a big kid. There is NO ONE I'd rather go to Disneyland with than my mom. She wakes up early so we can be there when they snip the ribbon to let people in to the park. She makes us run from one ride to the next and she believes that everything is as magical as the first time she went there...even when we've been there a million times before. She jokes that when Matt and I go on our honeymoon there, she's going to come along, because she's so much fun to go with.

Here's a cake my mom made and decorated

6. She believes in her kids. My mom hates to read...but she's now read three of my books. She was there 100% when my sister was trying to get pregnant, then all throughout her pregnancy and now as a Memaw to my nephew. She's all for my baby sister playing video games for her chosen career. Whatever we want to do, she's supportive, and when we fall along the way, she picks us up.

Here's a dress she designed for one of her students

7. She's uber-talented. Not only is she a phenomenal dancer, but she can also sew just about anything. She makes all her costumes for her ballet performances and she made my sister's bridesmaid's dresses. Seriously, she could have a second career designing and making clothes, she's that good. And she can decorate a mean cake, too.
8. She's a scaredy cat. She will NOT watch scary movies. When we were growing up, she wouldn't even let me watch "Are You Afraid of the Dark" on Nickelodeon while she was in the same room, because she thought it was too scary. This is especially funny, considering that all of her kids are obsessed with scary movies.

Here's a hat she created for one of the cruises she went on

9. She knows what she wants. And it's perfection. To say she's a perfectionist is an understatement. Her house MUST be perfectly clean at all times. If a thread is sticking out of a costume, it must be snipped. And don't worry if you don't do something perfectly...she'll fix it. You've gotta respect someone who has a vision and isn't afraid to go after it.
10. She's a great mom. I am who I am today because of my mom and I wouldn't have it any other way. She's the best and I'm lucky to have her in my life.

Happy Mother's day, Mom! Love you!

5x5,
B.