Laurasmagicday

YA Indie Carnival: Tunes that inspire!

Laura A. H. Elliott — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:51:10 +0000

I’m really excited about Transfer Student. When I wrote the first draft of this story in 2006 many things were going on in my personal and professional life that ended up in the book. The story was also inspired by my years of living in Los Angeles. My hubby and I first moved to LA in 1986. We lived with our kids in a part of the city called Echo Park, nestled in the hills just outside of downtown LA. We had the most amazing home there with one hundred steps to our front door. Here’s a few tracks from the playlist for Transfer Student. I’ll be posting the playlist during the Blog Tour for Transfer Student which starts LEAP DAY! Hope to see you there:) Below read about the ebook ARC giveaway of Transfer Student & check out what music inspires my amazing fellow carnis!

The exclusive excerpt is here:

Lovelylit

To enter to win the ebook ARC of Transfer Student comment on Lovelylit & tweet:

I just read an #excerpt of TRANSFER STUDENT by @Laurawriting and can’t wait for the Blog Tour 2/29-3/20 #teenreads #kindle #ya #romance

Everyone who enters will received a signed Transfer Student bookmark!

Winner announced Saturday, Feb 25th 5 PST.

Check out what inspires my fellow carnis!

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	8.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.	Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series	10.	Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.	Dani Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews	12.	Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.	M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping	14.	Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind
15.	Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls	16.	Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
17.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	18.	TG Ayer
19.	Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy	20.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
21.	Roots in Myth, PJ Hoover	22.	Courtney Cole Writes

Why I Love LA : The Transfer Student Edition

Laura A. H. Elliott — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 01:24:06 +0000

I love LA. I lived there for twenty four years, we raised our kids there and have soooo many incredible memories there. Tomorrow hubby and I head down for a quick trip and I’m SO excited. No, we aren’t going to the Oscars! Wouldn’t that be cool though? I’ll get to see some good friends and I’ll get to visit some of the settings of TRANSFER STUDENT again. The book is set in Los Angeles and also on the planet RETHA. Yes, it’s an acronym for EARTH. You’ll see why. There’s lots of acronyms in the story. Most will only unscramble in ways that are meaningful to me and my family, but some of you might find a few.

So…I’ll be revealing the places that inspired the story. Of course the ones I envisioned on RETHA will have to live in your imaginations alone:) I might go ahead and post images that inspired my depiction of the planet too.

All these photos will be available on the Transfer Student Blog Tour which Starts LEAP DAY! What better day to STARJUMP into an alien romance/adventure story! Starjumping is big in Transfer Student

This made me crack up…[language alert!]

I am having a mini Oscar Party on Sunday! You’re invited! Squeeee:) What are your fave films of the year? I have to say that my fave performance was UGGIE the dog in The Artist. And my fave movie ANONYMOUS is only up for best costume design, but, hey it’s still my fave movie of the year!!!!

Wordless Wednesday : Murmurs of Earth

Laura A. H. Elliott — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:48:00 +0000

Indie Sneak Peek: Transfer Student Exclusive Excerpt & Giveaway!

Laura A. H. Elliott — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:03:07 +0000

But you can’t read it here…you’ll have to go to:

Lovelylit

Everyone who comments on Lovelylit & tweets:

I just read an #excerpt of TRANSFER STUDENT by @Laurawriting and can’t wait for the Blog Tour 2/29-3/20 #teenreads #kindle #ya #romance

And also FOLLOWS @Laurawriting will get a free signed Transfer Student bookmark & will enter to win an early ebook ARC of TRANSFER STUDENT! Squeee:)

Giveaway ends Friday 2/24! HAPPY PRESIDENTS’ DAY!

Transfer Student Cover Reveal Giveaway Winner!

Laura A. H. Elliott — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:31:21 +0000

Two Worlds––Two Teens––One Wish

Geek Rhoe and Surfer Ashley would never be friends.
Even if they lived on the same planet.
But, they’ll become so much more.
They’ll transfer.

We have a winner in the TRANSFER STUDENT Cover Reveal Giveaway!

Drumroll pahlease!

Congrats to pixiepuff2006!

You’ve won an early ebook ARC of TRANSFER STUDENT and a signed paperback copy of 13 on HALLOWEEN & WINNEMUCCA, A SMALL-TOWN FAIRY TALE and a groovy signed TRANSFER STUDENT bookmark:)

Thanks to everyone for helping to spread the word about TRANSFER STUDENT on Cover Reveal Day this week. I had a lot of fun & I hope y’all did too. I’m sending out bookmarks to all who messaged me early next week, so look for them in your mailbox!

Stay tuned for the TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR! MORE GIVEAWAYS including TRANSFER STUDENT ebooks, other TBA TS swag, Amazon Gift Cards, and weekly prizes that are out of this world!

YA Indie Carnival : Kiss & Tell from 13 on Halloween

Laura A. H. Elliott — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:29:47 +0000

The carnis are all kissing & telling today! Here’s one of my favorite kissing scenes from 13 ON HALLOWEEN. Twelve-year-old Roxie wants two things more than anything. She wants to become popular––a peacock, in Roxie Speak. And she wants a guy named Hayden, the coolest guy at school, to notice her. So, she throws her first-ever birthday party on Halloween, her thirteenth birthday, and invites all the peacocks and they all come. When they give her a gift that’s out of this world, her whole life changes and Roxie astral projects to Planet Popular. This is what happens when she gets there. 14 ON HALLOWEEN will release this summer.

I’m sitting in the middle of a parking lot at a school. In the middle of a lane with rows of cars, really nice cars, on either side of me. And right then is the first time I know, I really believe, I might never get home. And I understand what that really means more than I did before. And now I’m not so down with it. But I keep thinking that being the James T. Kirk of Peacocks will be worth it. Hayden’s older brother gives me a hand up. We walk to the school together. He holds the door to the school open and says, “We’re late.”

The next thing I know I’m sitting in class. Hayden’s older brother sits next to me. I so don’t belong here. I’m in freaking high school. A buzzer sounds after physics class and Hayden’s older brother walks up to me.

“I’ll pick you up at eight.”

“Ok,” I say because I don’t know what else to say and when I can’t think of anything to say I usually agree with everyone.

“Wait, where are we going?” I say.

“What are you kidding me?” he says and holds my hand. We walk down the hall together. And then he turns around and he holds my other hand and it happens. It just happens so fast. Not like in the movies at all, where it’s this big freaking deal or it’s during some date at a movie. Hayden’s older brother kisses me. My first kiss.

My first kiss is with a freaking doppelganger. A shadow person. But, he seems so, real. I get over it pretty quick because he tastes like vanilla ice cream and red hots. I have no idea why he tastes like vanilla ice cream and red hots but I want to kiss him again this time so I’ll remember it. The whole second kiss. Only this time the kiss is crazier. Weirder. He opens his mouth and in the middle of the kiss his tongue rolls over mine. I laugh. Because, sometimes, when I don’t know what else to do, I laugh.

“What is it?” he says.

“It tickles,” I say.

“Since when?”

“I don’t know, it just, does.”

“Roxie, you’re a riot. It’s what I love about you.” He laughs.

I’m trapped in the body of a popular girl. A way older popular girl. And I’m doing older, popular girl things. And my knees go all wobbly. I feel my forehead, because I can’t believe this is really happening, even though I know it is, but it could be a fever-induced dream instead just because of how wobbly I feel. I look around to see if there’s any trace of my attic around, like maybe I can still see the portal that sucked me in. But there isn’t anything except couples, like us, talking in whispers and a bunch of jocks running through the hall. They slap high-fives to Hayden’s brother.

“Hayden, dude.”

Hayden. No way. I kissed Hayden? If this guy is Hayden, then it’s years from now. I mean years from eighth grade. And we’re dating.

Want some more Kiss & Tell? Check out my fellow Carnis!

1.	Laura A. H. Elliott author of Winnemucca & 13 on Halloween, Book 1 in the Teen Halloween Series	2.	Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series
3.	Heather Self	4.	T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series
5.	Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga	6.	Cheri Schmidt, author of the Fateful Trilogy
7.	Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog	8.	K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed
9.	Patti Larsen, The Hunted series and The Hayle Coven series	10.	Amy Maurer Jones, Author of The Soul Quest Trilogy
11.	Dani Snell’s Refracted Light Reviews	12.	Fisher Amelie, author of The Understorey
13.	M. Leighton, Blood Like Poison Series, Madly, The Reaping	14.	Kimberly Kinrade, Bits of You & Pieces of Me, Forbidden Mind
15.	Madeline Smoot, Missing, Summer Shorts, and The Girls	16.	Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler
17.	Gwenn Wright, author of Filter	18.	TG Ayer
19.	Melissa Pearl, Author of The Time Spirit Trilogy	20.	Heather M. White, author of The Destiny Saga
21.	Roots in Myth, PJ Hoover	22.	Courtney Cole Writes

One More Day in the Transfer Student Cover Reveal Giveaway!

Laura A. H. Elliott — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 16:06:52 +0000

The Transfer Student Cover Reveal Day Giveaway is still going strong. ONE MORE DAY to visit these awesome blogs, leave a comment & WIN! [Closes 5PM PACIFIC 2/16]

Everyone who comments on the cover reveal blog posts will be entered to win an early ebook ARC of TRANSFER STUDENT and a signed paperback copy of 13 on HALLOWEEN & WINNEMUCCA, A SMALL-TOWN FAIRY TALE. [OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL READERS!]

But there’s MORE!

To win a signed bookmark FOLLOW @Laurawriting [I'll follow back so you can message me your address] and TWEET:

TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR STARTS LEAP DAY! Squeee @Laurawriting #TransferStudent #teenreads #kindle http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/october-book-tours/

Transfer Student Cover Revealed: Two Worlds, Two Teens, One Wish

Laura A. H. Elliott — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:09:15 +0000

Two Worlds––Two Teens––One Wish

Rhoe and Ashley would never be friends.
Even if they lived on the same planet.
But, they’ll become much more.
They’ll transfer.

Earthling Ashley’s world revolves around winning daily popularity contests at Beverly Hills High School and surfing competitions with sweet scholarship prizes that will finally help her break free of her control-freak mother. Ashley never loses. Ashley never wishes on stars. All that changes when her senior class takes a field trip to the Griffith Observatory where Ashley’s conflicting feelings about her predatory best frenemy, Tiffany, throws Ashley’s carefully-crafted Queen of B.H.H.S. title under the bus.

Meanwhile on planet Retha, Rhoe misses his dad, loves his mom’s homecooked Glechy crag with a side of Ory sauce, is desperate to heal his sick brother and wants more than anything to win The Retha New Invention Competition. He and his best friend Yuke have worked for the past two years constructing the teleporting telescope Rhoe started building with his dad before an accident killed him. Rhoe’s never kissed a girl. Rhoe’s hero is the eccentric physicist, Ramay. All that changes when the telescope teleports Rhoe across the universe with an unintended side-effect––Ashley and Rhoe transfer––swap lives––when they make the same wish at the same time.

Popular-surfer-turned-boy-geek alien Ashley must handle life on Retha as Rhoe complete with webbed feet, low-gravity, and an overwhelming desire to kiss Rhoe’s best friend Yuke, all the while being hunted by Rethan spies and resenting her hairy, flat chest. Boy-geek-turned-popular-surfer Rhoe must fit in at Beverly Hills High School as Ashley, compete in The Laguna Beach Invitational without becoming shark food, dodge boys’ affections, cool his preoccupation with Tiffany’s lips and his new body, and find the healing rocks he believes will save his brother’s life.

If only it were that simple. Some wishes can’t come true. Some have to.

How far would you go for someone you love?

RELEASE DAY: MARCH 20!

The Transfer Student Cover Reveal Day Giveaway is still going strong. ONE MORE DAY to visit these awesome blogs, leave a comment & WIN! [Closes 5PM PACIFIC 2/16]

But there’s MORE!

To win a signed bookmark is FOLLOW THIS BLOG or @Laurawriting and TWEET:

TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR STARTS LEAP DAY! Squeee @Laurawriting #TransferStudent #teenreads #kindle http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/october-book-tours/

Nothing says Valentine’s Day like an alien romance! Transfer Student Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

Laura A. H. Elliott — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 12:33:04 +0000

It’s COVER REVEAL DAY! YAYYYY! But you won’t see it here, you’ll have to check out these awesome blogs to see the cover & win a signed-bookmark!

All you need to do to win a signed bookmark is FOLLOW THIS BLOG and TWEET:

Nothing says #ValentinesDay like an alien #romance! TRANSFER STUDENT by @Laurawriting Cover Reveal! #TransferStudent http://laurasmagicday.wordpress.com/

Everyone who comments on their posts will be entered to win an early ebook ARC of TRANSFER STUDENT and a signed paperback copy of 13 on HALLOWEEN & WINNEMUCCA, A SMALL-TOWN FAIRY TALE. [OPEN TO INTERNATIONAL READERS!]

vvb32reads

PUTTING PEN TO PAGE

JUST ANOTHER BOOK ADDICT

MY NEUROTIC BOOK AFFAIR

M. LEIGHTON, AUTHOR OF THE UPCOMING NOVEL GRAVITY

AUTUMN REVIEW

LOVELY LIT

MY GUILTY OBSESSION

THE MIDNIGHT BOOKWORM

JAGGED EDGE REVIEWS

EPILOGUE REVIEW

TIFFANY KING, AUTHOR OF THE ASCENDED SERIES

DEE SCRIBE WRITING

ME & READING

AO BIBLIOSPHERE

STACEY WALLACE BENEFIEL, AUTHOR OF THE ZELLIE WELLS TRILOGY

ANGELA CARLIE, AUTHOR OF THE LORDS OF SHIFTERS SERIES

NICHOLE CHASE, AUTHOR OF THE DARK BETRAYAL TRILOGY

WRITING IN THE DARK, BLOG OF K.C. NEAL, AUTHOR OF PYXIS

C.A. KUNZ, MOTHER AND SON AUTHORS OF THE CHILDE SERIES

MICHELLE MUTTO, AUTHOR OF BOOK OF LOST SOULS & DON’T FEAR THE REAPER

TWO WORLDS. TWO TEENS. ONE WISH.

TRANSFER STUDENT is a science fiction Freaky-Friday romance/adventure about two normal teenagers struggling to survive high school and deal with their parents… typical rites of passage. The twist? One teen is an alien from the planet Retha. In a galactic teleporting experiment gone wrong, Ashley, a Beverly Hills High surfing fashionista, and Rhoe, the biggest geek on planet Retha, swap lives. Only by surviving life as their biggest nightmare do Ashley & Rhoe discover their dreams. How far would you go for someone you love?

TRANSFER STUDENT BLOG TOUR: LEAP DAY, 2012 – MARCH 20^th

Giveaways include FREE EBOOKS OF TRANSFER STUDENT, Amazon gift cards & weekly surprise gifts that are out of this world!

TRANSFER STUDENT RELEASE DAY: MARCH 20^th

Happy Valentine’s Day! XO

Married on Valentine’s Day

Laura A. H. Elliott — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 00:52:53 +0000

It was 26 years ago today that I spent my last night as a single girl. As you can imagine, I was incredibly excited. The weather was going to be perfect. As it turned out, at 5pm on Valentine’s Day in a little suburb of Chicago the snow began to fall. I like to call it our Dr. Zhivago wedding. I always loved the scene in Dr. Zhivago where Lara & Uri flee to Varikino in the heart of winter. The romance of seeking refuge in the ice. And so it was at our reception, after our vows in the beautiful garden chapel in the church where I grew up, we watched the snow fall all around us through floor-to-ceiling glass walls. It was a dream come true. Of course, I believe most brides feel this way on their wedding day. But, I did so love the snowstorm. My husband’s family from California really froze, poor things. And after all the dancing and our friends’ shenanigans my hubby and I started our honeymoon. And another dream come true. I flew out of the snow and into The Tropics.

This year we celebrated by visiting one of our favorite spots on earth. This video reminds me of the feeling I have when we spend time there. xxooLaura