For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
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Dallas Woodburn
- Female
- Los Angeles, CA
- United States
Dallas Woodburn's Writing Life
My book is here!!
It is hard to believe... but nearly two years after I signed the publishing contract... and nearly four years after I completed the first draft... and after more than two decades of dreaming about this moment... my debut novel is out in the world today!!THE BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED is a love story set in Hawaii, with a dash of mystery and magic, about living each day to the fullest. It is available as a print book, an ebook, and an audiobook -- wherever books are sold!
Amazon / IndieBound / Barnes & Noble / Target / Books-A-Million / Book Depository
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“This debut novel is captivating and moving. A dazzling, emotional story of love, loss, and living in the moment.”—Kirkus Reviews
After her parents’ bitter divorce, family vacations to the Big Island in Hawaii ceased. But across the miles, eighteen-year-old Tegan Rossi remains connected to local Kai Kapule, her best friend from childhood. Now, Tegan finds herself alone and confused about how she got to the Big Island. With no wallet, no cell phone, purse, or plane ticket, Tegan struggles to piece together what happened. She must have come to surprise-visit Kai. Right?
As the teens grow even closer, Tegan pushes aside her worries and gets swept away in the vacation of her dreams. But each morning, Tegan startles awake from nightmares that become more difficult to ignore. Something is eerily amiss. Why is there a strange gap in her memory? Why can’t she reach her parents or friends from home? And what’s with the mysterious hourglass tattoo over her heart? Kai promises to help Tegan figure out what is going on. But the answers they find only lead to more questions. As the week unfolds, Tegan will experience the magic of first love, the hope of second chances, and the bittersweet joy and grief of being human.
Due to COVID-19, I unfortunately had to postpone all my bookstore events... but the silver lining is that I am doing a virtual book launch that anyone can attend from the comfort of their homes around the world!
On Sunday, April 26th at 2pm PST I will go live on Facebook and YouTube!
For the livestream, I will have a book talk, reading, and Q&A that will be led by the young adult authors Tobie Easton & Jennieke Cohen.
Prizes will also be given out! There will be small prizes for those who participate in a trivia game that will be run in the comments (themed bookmark, postcard, and temporary tattoos!) There will also be some bigger prizes!
Please add the event to your calendar and invite anyone who might be interested!
There is even a book trailer! Special thanks to Demi Bernice Eslit & Bryan Murphy for their help with production.
It's also been really fun to connect with book bloggers and websites who have been kind enough to help spread the word about my book! Here is a sampling:
- Cover reveal & excerpt of The Best Week That Never Happened on The Nerd Daily
- Exclusive excerpt of The Best Week That Never Happened on Hypable
- Guest post on School Library Journal’s Teen Librarian Toolbox: Writing Our Way Through Grief
- Guest post on Novel Novice: The Day I Finished My Novel
- Interview with The YA Sh3lf
- Interview with The Indie View
- Interview on Mark Gottlieb Talks Books
- Interview with The Writer Librarian
YA Scavenger Hunt
Welcome to 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 the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for a short time!
Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are FOUR contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team, a gold team, and a purple team for a chance to win a whole different set of books!
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.
SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE
Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the blue team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!).
Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.
Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 5th, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.
SCAVENGER HUNT POST
Today, I am excited to be hosting YVONNE VENTRESCA here on my blog as part of the YA Scavenger Hunt! Yvonne is the author of BLACK FLOWERS, WHITE LIES and PANDEMIC (winner of SCBWI’s Crystal Kite Award). In addition to her YA novels, Yvonne’s other work includes two nonfiction books and several short stories selected for anthologies, including the newly released middle grade collection, VOYAGERS: THE THIRD GHOST. She is currently pursuing an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, she loves a good ghost story and studies karate in a haunted dojo. You can learn more at YvonneVentresca.com, where she features resources for teen writers.
Find out more information by checking out Yvonne's website or find more about PANDEMIC here!
You can also follow Yvonne on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
You can also follow Yvonne on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
About Pandemic
By Yvonne Ventresca
About Pandemic
By Yvonne Ventresca
My young adult novel, Pandemic, is about a teenager struggling to survive a deadly flu outbreak. As I write this post during Covid-19, I’m struck by the eerie similarity of the fictional world I created and the current events we are now living through.
In the midst of this, it doesn’t feel appropriate to reveal something light-hearted about Pandemic, like a deleted scene or a Pinterest board. So instead I will share this: my main character, Lil, is a survivor. She is sometimes afraid, and her journey is not an easy one. But Lil ultimately triumphs. I hope you will, too.
Someday, in the aftermath of Covid-19, you might like to read Pandemic. But for now, I’m wishing all the YASH participants health and safety during these tumultuous times.
In PANDEMIC, only a few people know what caused Lilianna Snyder's sudden change from a model student to a withdrawn pessimist who worries about all kinds of disasters. When people begin coming down with a quick-spreading illness that doctors are unable to treat, Lil’s worst fears are realized. With her parents called away on business before the contagious outbreak--her journalist father in Delaware covering the early stages of the disease and her mother in Hong Kong and unable to get a flight back to New Jersey--Lil’s town is hit by what soon becomes a widespread fatal illness. With friends and neighbors dying around her, Lil does everything she can to survive. Just when it all seems too much, the cause of her original trauma shows up at her door. Lil must find a way to survive not only the outbreak and its real-life consequences, but also her own personal demons.
And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of books by lots of YA authors! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 11. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!
CONTINUE THE HUNT
To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, Amy Fellner Dominy! http://amydominy.com/blog/
YASH is now on Twitter and Facebook! You can follow and tweet YASH @yascavengerhunt and the same on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yascavengerhunt.
My Debut Novel is Available for Pre-Order!
Ever since I was a little girl, it has been my dream to publish a novel. And now, after years of writing and rejection and more writing, after three other novel manuscripts that live in my computer hard-drive... that dream is coming true!
THE BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED is now available for pre-order! It is being released in paperback, as an ebook and as an audiobook. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1951710118
Why is pre-ordering important for authors? (Especially debut novelists like me?) Well, the number of pre-orders tells the publisher, booksellers, and industry as a whole how much desire and interest there is in your book. The first few weeks can make or break a book, and the first novel can make or break an author’s publishing chances in the future.
I would be incredibly grateful if you take the time to pre-order my book!
Read an excerpt of the beginning here: https://www.thenerddaily.com/cover-reveal-the-best-week-that-never-happened/
You can help me continue to be a #1 New Release on Amazon!
ABOUT THE BOOK
After her parents' bitter divorce, family vacations to the Big Island in Hawaii ceased. But across the miles, eighteen-year-old Tegan Rossi remains connected to local Kai Kapule, her best friend from childhood. Now, Tegan finds herself alone and confused about how she got to the Big Island. With no wallet, no cell phone, purse, or plane ticket, Tegan struggles to piece together what happened. She must have come to surprise-visit Kai. Right?
As the teens grow even closer, Tegan pushes aside her worries and gets swept away in the vacation of her dreams. But each morning, Tegan startles awake from nightmares that become more difficult to ignore. Something is eerily amiss. Why is there a strange gap in her memory? Why can't she reach her parents or friends from home? And what's with the mysterious hourglass tattoo over her heart?
Kai promises to help Tegan figure out what is going on. But the answers they find only lead to more questions. As the week unfolds, Tegan will experience the magic of first love, the hope of second chances, and the bittersweet joy and grief of being human.
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My friend, the amazing young artist Nicole Ham, created two gorgeous custom paintings for the book's pre-order campaign! Everyone who pre-orders the book will receive a digital print of each of these paintings! |
PRE-ORDER PRIZES
PRE-ORDER ONE COPY of THE BEST WEEK THAT NEVER HAPPENED and RECEIVE…
- a free ebook of my newly released 15th anniversary edition of 3 a.m.: a collection of short stories, including three new stories
- a signed, personalized bookplate
- a matching bookmark
- two temporary tattoos: an hourglass and a gecko (you’ll understand their significance after reading the book!)
- two downloadable digital prints of custom artwork created by Nicole Ham specifically for The Best Week That Never Happened
- all of the above
- a gecko charm bracelet (also related to the plot of the book!)
- all of the above
- a print copy of my newly released 15th anniversary edition of 3 a.m.: a collection of short stories, including three new stories!
THE GRAND PRIZE:
- a 30-minute call with me to discuss your writing, talk about how to get published, answer your questions about the book, or whatever your heart desires!
- a prize package I’ve created just for you from Hawaii: chocolate-covered macadamia nuts, Ohana Bros addictive kettle chips, the best Kona coffee, and a beautiful mug
PRAISE
"This debut novel is captivating and moving. . . A dazzling, emotional story of love, loss, and living in the moment." —Kirkus Reviews
“A poignant and gripping heart-tug of a page-turner filled with heart and hope. I couldn't put it down. Magic.” —Jennifer Niven, New York Times bestselling author of All the Bright Places and Holding Up the Universe
"Dallas Woodburn weaves a bittersweet love story between star-crossed lovers—thwarted not only by distance but also by insurmountable tragedy. This captivating, poignant story is perfect for teens on the brink of discovering who they are and what really matters." —Natalie Lund, author of We Speak in Storms
BOOK TOUR EVENTS (all times listed in PST)
I would love to celebrate with you sometime this spring! All events will have fun "book swag" like bookmarks and temporary tattoos!
- Book Launch: Tuesday, April 21, 7pm, Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore, Berkeley (in conversation with YA author Stephanie Kuehn)
- Saturday, April 25: 1-2pm, book-signing at Books on B, Hayward
- Saturday, April 25: 4pm, Flashlight Books, Walnut Creek (in conversation with YA author Jennieke Cohen)
- Virtual Book Launch: Sunday, April 26, 2-3pm, Zoom Web Meeting (in conversation with YA author Tobie Easton)... Join from anywhere in the world at 2pm on April 26! There will be special prizes, a Q&A, and more! Contact me to learn more.
- Sunday, May 17: 1pm, Orinda Books, Orinda (in conversation with best-selling author & SF Chronicle columnist Vanessa Hua)
- Thursday, May 21: 7pm, Chaucer's Books, Santa Barbara (in conversation with Woody Woodburn)
- Saturday, May 23: 1-3pm, book-signing at Barnes & Noble, Ventura
Giveaway!
I am hosting a giveaway to celebrate the upcoming release of my debut YA novel, The Best Week That Never Happened. I hope you will take two seconds to enter this contest because it could not be easier, and I have lots of fun prizes to send your way!
TO ENTER: Simply mark The Best Week That Never Happened as “Want to Read” in Goodreads. That’s it!
Bonus entry: ⇓ share this giveaway on social media and tag me ⇓
- IG: @dallaswoodburnauthor
- FB: @writerdallas
- Twitter: @dallaswoodburn
Hand-carved wooden snowflake ornaments
Crowded against the front window is a fake Christmas tree decorated top to bottom with wooden ornaments—“HAND-CRAFTED,” a sign proclaims. Trying to distract myself, I walk over and study the display. Some ornaments are smooth wooden globes, surprisingly light in my hand. Most of the globes are painted with images of Hawaii: surfers, dolphins, ocean waves.
My favorite ornaments are the wooden snowflakes, paper-thin, so delicately carved it is impossible to imagine an actual person crafting them. Maybe, despite the sign’s promise, these are machine produced. I take one in each hand and compare them. It’s clear they are different: one has six narrow points while the other is broader, like a starfish. Could it be possible each ornament is unique, like real snowflakes? That would definitely mean they are hand carved.
The bell jingles.
I glance over.
There he is. Kai.
A few of my favorite YA books
I wrote about some of these fantastic reads in my post for the “31 days of #quietYA” blog; others are perennial faves that I find myself returning to again and again. I will be giving away new copies of all of these books!
- Emerge by Tobie Easton
- We Speak in Storms by Natalie Lund
- All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
- When The Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
- Unclaimed Baggage by Jen Doll
- Merged by Jim & Stephanie Kroepfl
So what are you waiting for?? Enter and share with your friends!
TO ENTER: Simply mark The Best Week That Never Happened as “Want to Read” in Goodreads. That’s it!
Bonus entry: ⇓ share this giveaway on social media and tag me ⇓
- IG: @dallaswoodburnauthor
- FB: @writerdallas
- Twitter: @dallaswoodburn
Guest Article: Are you a Plotter or a Pantser?
We’re Plotters Out of Necessity
by Jim and Stephanie Kroepfl, authors of Merged
There’s an outgoing debate between Plotters and Pantsers. Plotters outline their manuscript prior to touching the keyboard. Pantsers write by the seat of their pants, meaning they rely on stream of consciousness to create the story. J.K. Rowling is a Plotter and Stephen King is the penultimate Pantser.
After comparing notes at writers conferences, it seems that most writers who are working on their first manuscript are Pantsers. We were, and we believe it’s an important part of the writer’s journey. A new writer needs to discover the joy of watching the characters come to life, and be astounded at the unexpected flashes of brilliance. The thought of first plotting every chapter would intimidate many new writers to the point where they’d give up before even starting.
As Pantsers, we threw away months of work because the story took interesting turns, but not ones which necessarily drove the story forward. But, this writing helped hone our craft. In Outliers: The Story of Success, Malcolm Gladwell discovered that what the best-of-the-best have in common is they’ve achieved ten thousand hours of experience. We consider all those deleted pages as our path toward ten thousand hours of writing.
Now, we’re Plotters. We have a large corkboard hanging on the wall, and we use index cards. One card per chapter or scene. We start out with white cards, and after we’ve written the first draft for that chapter, we change the card to a color. It tracks our progress, and provides a sense of accomplishment. Most of our cards only contain ten to fifteen words, just enough to jog our memory about what is supposed to happen in that scene. This method keeps our story on track, but isn’t so binding that we lose the inspiration. It also helps in pacing and recognizing a sagging middle.
Also, since we write together, being Plotters is a necessity. Since we divide the work, we have to be in agreement as to what needs to happen when, and importantly, how the story is supposed to end. It also keeps the dreaded writer’s block at bay. We grab a card, lay it by our computers, and that’s our homework for the day.
Our young adult science fiction novel Merged is being released on September 17, 2019 by Month9Books. Visit us at www.jimandstephbooks.com.
About Merged:
Seven of our country’s most gifted teens will become Nobels, hosts for the implantation of brilliant Mentor minds, in an effort to accelerate human progress. But as the line between what’s possible and what’s right, draws ever blurrier, the teens discover everything has a cost.
Scientists have created an evolved form of living known as Merged Consciousness, and 16-year-old Lake finds herself unable to merge with her Mentor. Lake, the Nobel for Chemistry and Orfyn, the Nobel for Art, are two from among the inaugural class of Nobels, and with the best intent and motivation.
But when Stryker, the Nobel for Peace, makes them question the motivation of the scientists behind the program, their world begins to unravel. As the Nobels work to uncover the dark secrets of the program’s origins, everyone's a suspect and no one can be trusted, not even the other Nobels. As the Mentors begin to take over the bodies and minds of the Nobels, Lake and Orfyn must find a way to regain control before they lose all semblance or memory of their former selves.
Click here to order your copy!
Dallas Woodburn's Page
Profile Information
- Something About Me and My Book:
- I am the author of two award-winning short-story collections and a novel manuscript that is currently being shopped by a New York literary agent. I have also published articles in various publications including Family Circle, Writer's Digest, The Writer, Justine, Listen, CO-ED, Health and Home, Motherwords and The Los Angeles Times. My publishing company, Write On! Books, publishes anthologies of work by young writers. I am also the founder of Write On! for Literacy, a nonprofit organization that has donated 11,000 new books to underprivileged kids.
- Website:
- http://www.writeonbooks.org
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