By the magic of the random number generator, the winners are:

Winner 1: Paperback and album of choice—Steve

Winner 2: Album of choice—Richard

Winners have been contacted by email.

Thanks to everyone who participated! Reader’s Favorites and Music from Social Skills playlists coming soon. ☺

This past weekend I attended a NOH8 photo shoot in San Diego.

Being in a hot, crowded conference room with people I don’t know would usually be far outside my comfort zone, and something I’d avoid. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous, or that I suddenly became the world’s most outgoing person and formed lifelong friendships in the hour I waited for my photo. But I did meet individuals, couples, and families whose smiles made my day a little brighter. And even with those I didn’t really meet, just the simple exchange of eye contact with that depth behind it—we support this—meant something special.

I moved to California seven years ago from a…more conservative state. I hadn’t come to expect a lot from my state in the years I’d lived there (I am a member of a minority group or two). But California, now, California was the birthplace of cool. Surely a state such as this would be on the cutting edge of civil liberties, equal rights, and the freedom to marry. Right?

Guess you could say I was young and naïve. When Prop 8 was introduced, there was not a doubt in my mind that it would be defeated. I’d been living in LA for a couple of years, but I was still star-struck by how different life was in the city than in a rural southern town. So on November 4^th, 2008, I—along with many Californians, and Americans—was shocked and deeply disappointed.

Then came a guilt phase, where I realized my assumption that all Californians thought like me had led me to take a passive role. So these days I am a little less naïve, and I try to be more involved. Participating in the NOH8 event was just another small way to take a stand, for my friends, for my future kids, for my students, and for a better California.

When I was writing Social Skills, I spent hours and hours sifting through songs to find just the right piece for each musical reference. Some pieces came to me quickly; others changed several times before I was satisfied. Why did I spend so much time thinking of music no one would be able to hear? Especially when most of it got little more than a passing mention as it bounced through Connor’s head?

Um. I’ll get back to you on that.

Anyhow, there are two pieces that hold more significance than the rest. The first is Scheherazade, featuring a gorgeous melody that I think can convert even a non-orchestral-music listener (worked on Jared, at least). The second is “So in Love” from Kiss Me, Kate. I have a personal relationship with this one as I was lucky enough to play it once, and I was so intent on having Connor experience it that I’m paying for the use of the lyrics in the novel.

This is probably a lame prize, but if anyone was interested in hearing these pieces, now’s your chance to win them!

Winner 1: Winner will receive a paperback of Social Skills (signed, if you like, though I should warn you I have sloppy handwriting) and an electronic album or an old-fashioned CD (wow, CDs are old-fashioned now!).  Winner’s choice of either the Kiss Me, Kate album or Rimsky-Korsakav’s Scheherazade.

Winner 2: Winner will receive an electronic album or CD. Winner’s choice of either the Kiss Me, Kate album or Rimsky-Korsakav’s Scheherazade.

*Electronic albums will be gifted through Amazon or iTunes.

Rules/Entry Info

~To enter, leave a comment with your favorite piece of orchestral music and/or Broadway song.

~Entries will be accepted from now until 9pm PST on Thursday, February 21st.

~Winners will be selected by random drawing and announced on Friday, February 22nd.

~Must be 18 or over to enter.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Fourteen days ago, I drank a big glass of Sorel (because I’m not sophisticated enough to like wine) and released Social Skills. I didn’t know what to expect then, and I still don’t know exactly where the journey will take me, but I am so grateful to be on this road of author.

Sorry for the sap, but I have to thank all the readers who encouraged me in my early days, and those who took a chance on an unknown in the last two weeks. I am floored by your support and can only say that I hope to be able to continue to entertain you in the future.

With that in mind, I’d like to give back! I’ll be posting details on a giveaway in the next day or so. Prizes will involve music. 🙂

I am not a sharer by nature. I shied away from Facebook for many years, content to stay in my bubble of unconnected bliss. Sure, I occasionally checked the appropriate internet channels to see what other people were up to, but I never felt like my musings needed to be seen by the public eye.

Well, I guess it’s time to take a step into the twenty-first century.

My dear friend and the amazing author Dani Alexander has set up this blog for me AND created fabulous covers for my novels. Seriously, he’s so talented it makes me sick. Really. Who gets to be a computer whiz, a fantastic author, and an awesome artist??

Anyways, I think these covers are worth a post.

I’ve long been against photos of guys on covers…and yet here I am, with a big ol’ photo on my first novel. I just happened to stumble across the picture and it simply was Connor.  Once I saw it, it was the only way I could go. It turned out to be a difficult photo to work with, but patient Dani produced this amazing cover that I really love.

I will always treasure the fanart made for me by Cailen, but unfortunately the images were not licensed for use in a published work.

More abstract, but the cover definitely fits. For this one, I just threw some random words at Dani and voila, he produced a masterpiece. I really love how he was able to capture important aspects of my guys without even needing their facial expressions.

After this cover was made I got to be a part of the process for the Social Skills cover…and I now realize how much work goes into the whole thing. I am one lucky person to have had these created for me. I could go on thanking Dani endlessly.

At some point I’ll have to get back to the stuff that goes behind the covers, though 🙂