Winners of the Bagful of Giveaways

Dear Readers,

Giveaway day is both happy and sad. I love giving presents and I felt a lot like a jolly old elf when I licked my pencil and sat down to tabulate the comments and wishes. If only I had a magical bag that never ran out of gifts . . . but after seeing all the wonderful responses, I decided on two things. First, I will offer free critiques several times in the coming year, and second, right now until the end of the year, I'm going to offer a 50% discount on a critique for the first 12 pages of a middle grade novel. That means that instead of $3 per page, the fee will $1.50 per page!!!

MORE GOOD NEWS!!!!!  I decided to giveaway two autographed copies of my sister's book, Finding Redemption in Everyday Life, and TWO free picture book critiques. 

**************ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS*************

1. Finding Redemption in Everyday Life by Lela Gillow Buchanan (my Irish twin) 
    The winners are: Becky Povich and Kris (Integrative Thought)

2. King of the Screwups by K.L. Going 
     The winner is: Toby Speed

3. Writing & Selling the YA Novel by K.L.Going
      The winner is: Gayle Krause

4. The picture book critiques were won by:
     Patty Gehlen and Betty Cracken

5. The critique of the middle grade novel (first 10 pages) 
     The winner is: Irishoma 


******CONGRATULATIONS TO ONE AND ALL******

To claim your prize, please e-mail me (claragillowclark (@) gmail (dot) com) with your name and address no later than one week from today. 


Please drop by to leave a comment and congratulate the winners!!! Remember that I already have a stack of autographed books on my desk to giveaway in 2011 and don't forget to keep an eye out for more FREE critiques! 


Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season. See you in 2011!

Dear Readers, A Bagful of gifts for YOU!

And what to the wondering eyes should appear, but a bagful of gifts for my wonderful readers--autographed books for writers, books for readers, books for spiritual edification and a couple of free critiques. All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win one of these outstanding gifts.
Read on . . .

Please welcome my dear friend  K.L. Going an award-winning YA author (Prinz Honor Award for Fat Kid Rules the World), former assistant to literary agents at Curtis Brown in New York and a former manager of an independent bookstore.She's generously donated two autographed books!
Learn more about Kelly and her books here: http://klgoing.com 
View her amazon.com author page here: Amazon's K. L. Going Page

Reviews for KING OF THE SCREWUPS

"Going's latest is full of comic moments featuring "Aunt" Pete's glam-rock band buddies and Liam's relentless blunders, as well as his uncommon fashion expertise ("You're like a fashion Einstein," gushes one of Pete's friends). Readers—screwups or not—will empathize as Liam, utterly likable despite his faults, learns to be himself."—Publishers Weekly, starred review

Liam is a multifaceted and resilient character who ultimately learns how to be comfortable in his own skin with the help of his new, makeshift family. Going’s knack for defying stereotypes and creating memorable characters will not disappoint fans of Fat Kid Rules the World (Putnam, 2003) and Saint Iggy (Harcourt, 2006).--School Library Journal, starred review

 
Writing and Selling the Young Adult Novel -- This book takes readers through every stage of writing for the YA market. Aspiring writers and established authors hoping to move into this flourishing genre alike will find instruction on writing for this special audience as well as tips on getting published. The book covers everything from plot, setting, characters and dialogue to revision and approaching publishers.

Recommended by SCBWI (Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators)



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Please give a warm round of applause to my sister and Irish twin, Lela Gillow Buchanan and her debut book, Finding Redemption in Everyday Life. Take a bow, Lela! I have an autographed book waiting here for one of you.
You can purchase a copy of her book directly from her publisher: http://intermediapub.com 
View her amazon author page here: Amazon's Lela Gillow Buchanan Page 
If you'd like a personalized copy for yourself or a gift, please contact her at: Lela.Buchanan@verizon.net

Review

Lela Buchanan has sifted through the mud to uncover a powerful truth. Although life may be rough on us, we do not have to build a wall around our heart. Refreshing and inspiring story gems told with compassion, humor, and wisdom. ---Allison Bottke, Author of Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children

Here's what Lela has to say about her book,  Finding Redemption in Everyday Life:

I wanted perfection, I got life . . .
Finding the redeeming moments amidst the struggles of daily, mundane life is a not an impossible quest. Life is hard. It often hurts. Sometimes you have to dig a little to find the buried gems of goodness. The only tools you need are a teachable heart and mind, and a desire to see the fingerprints of God all over ordinary circumstances. It s far too easy to focus on the clutter of responsibilities, distractions and fears of everyday existence, and completely miss the nourishing, redeeming and often humorous moments hiding just beneath the surface.
As you read you will discover the benefits of:
- Holding onto Faith, even if frail and faltering
- Hope, that is resilient, unable to be extinguished whatever the circumstances
- Love, that may be costly, but worth the price
- Perseverance, never, never, never giving up
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Finally, there's me--Clara Gillow Clark! As many of you already know, I teach a book writing course and also do freelance critiques. In my bag of goodies is a Free critique of one picture book manuscript up to 1250 words and one Free critique of the first chapter of a middle grade novel up to 8 pages.


It's easy to win. All you have to do is leave a comment listing which gifts you'd like to receive. The winners will be selected by random.org and prizes will be announced on December 15th. HINT: You are welcome to leave more than one comment for a better chance of winning!

Dear Readers, we love comments, so even if you don't choose to enter the drawing, you can still leave a comment to cheer us on! Thank you!