I Love Being Busy: Operas, New Covers, and Fifth Graders

Hey everyone! So, I've been extremely busy lately, but that is a good thing. As long as I have time to write, I enjoy being busy! 

Two weeks ago I had Spring Break. The weather was nice, and I had fun attending rehearsals for something called Words + Music, which was a collaboration between the Coterie Theatre, The University of Missouri-KC, and the Lyric Opera. Six writers from the Coterie wrote pieces that were turned into opera moments by UMKC composers, and performed by Lyric Opera performers. During Spring Break, I was able to attend rehearsals for this every day, and on Thursday, the pieces were performed in a Master Class led by opera professionals Mark Adamo and John Corigliano. My opera moment, which is inspired by the Salem Witch Trials, will be performed again several times in the future, including at the Coterie Theatre Young Playwrights Festival.

My composer and my performer for "It Was Only A Joke" after the performance!

Also this week, I got to see the cover for Carried Home (out April 28th). Oh. My. Goodness. The cover is spectacular!!!! I cannot wait to share it with you. Ahhh! :D

On Friday, I had the honor of speaking to a fifth grade class at Prairie Point Elementary. This was an amazing experience, and I would love to do it again. Those kids were really special, and they were so excited about me and about writing. I was greeted with huge smiles from the moment I entered the room, and I felt a little bit like a pop star. The kids asked me tons and tons of amazing questions about writing. Their questions were better than what most of the high-schoolers I go to school with would ask! I loved their inquisitiveness. And at the end, my hand was tired from signing so many bookmarks for every child and my cheeks hurt from grinning so much, but I was the happiest I had been all week. I left the school after getting a few hugs from the kids, and receiving a card that they had made me as a thank-you for coming that day. I'm going to keep that card forever as a token to remember that special day. 

Me speaking to the awesome class.

The card they made me! Everyone signed it on the inside, too.

I hope to have the opportunity to speak to many more school groups like this in the future!

So how have you all been? Are you excited to see the cover for Carried Home? What's new with you?

I'm in the Library!!!!

So I have some pretty darn exciting news!!!
This Saturday, I found something very special at the library! SWEPT TO SEA!

I'm super super excited!!!!! (Can you tell from all of the exclamation points I am using?)

Anyway, besides that, I wanted to let you know that the first round of edits for Carried Home is complete. That means only a few rounds of edits left to go, and it will be ready for you lovely people! I'm so excited. 

Catch Up Friday: TV, Book Signings, Contract, Oh My!

I have been ridiculously busy for a long time, and I am sorry to have neglected this blog!

Here's a little bit of what I have been up to:

1. I dressed as a black and white Audrey Hepburn for Halloween.

2. I signed a book contract with my publisher for Carried Home, sequel to Swept to Sea.

3. I was Dorothy in my school's skit of Wizard of Oz.

4. I was on TV.

(Watch Heather Manning's Report on Fox 4 News.)

5. I met Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

(If you live in the area, go see this amazing show at the Coterie Theatre!)

6. I will be signing copies of Swept to Sea at  the Woodneath Library Center. 
Stop by and get a signed copy of Swept to Sea for yourself and for a Christmas gift!

Catch Up Friday: Disney, TV Interview, and Book Sale!

Happy Halloween! Are you doing anything special today?
I am dressing up for Halloween...my yearbook staff is sponsoring a costume contest which I am excited for! I'll post pictures of my costume at some point.

So...I have been incredibly busy lately.

Last week, I got to go to Disney World, which was awesome. I went to all four parks and had an awesome time.

Me and Gaston!

At the 1950's Prime Time Cafe!

I also want to tell you that my TV feature for Fox Four's Reaching for Excellence award will air THIS Wednesday, November 5th at 9:00 PM. It will also re-air several times after that, and I will be sure to post the link for you to see it. 

Finally, yet equally important, I wanted to tell you that Swept to Sea is CURRENTLY ONLY 99 cents! So if you buy it right now you would be saving $3. Sounds like a deal to me! 

So, please consider purchasing Swept to Sea during this limited time if you have not already and sharing the deal with your friends. As I am writing this, Swept to Sea has reached number 38 on the Amazon Bestseller list! Let's see how far we can make it go!

Catch-Up Friday: A Week of Homework...

Hey everyone! I have been super busy with homework all week. Especially physics and math homework. Ugh.

Did you take physics in school? Did you like it or dislike it?

This weekend I am also really busy. Yesterday I went to an event called Waterfire Kansas City. It was an outdoor event on the Plaza where local performers sang songs from this year's show season. I got to hear everything from The Book of Mormon to Violet to Fiddler on the Roof and many in between. This was awesome. I am so proud of Kansas City's theatre scene!

So, what are you doing this weekend?

TV Interviews and Book Signings!

Hey everyone! I am so sorry that I have neglected the blog lately, but I am here to tell you what has kept me so busy.
Last week, local news station Fox 4 News came to interview me. This was part of their Reaching For Excellence Award. I had an absolutely great time and can't wait for it to air in a few weeks. I will post a link when they put it online as well.

Here they were filming me talking to the yearbook staff.

Also, I was part of the Maranatha Book Fest this weekend. This was really fun for me, since I love doing author events. I signed copies of Swept to Sea and also spoke to a group there about what it is like being a teenage published author. I also gave advice for writers who are starting out. I love doing events like these and hope to do more in the near future.

At my table at the Book Fest. 

Speaking to the group. They asked some great questions!

And finally, I have something pretty awesome for you. The extremely talented Monica over at Novel Characters illustrated some of my reader's favorite scene from Swept to Sea!

Make sure you stop by her blog and tell her how amazing the artwork is, but until then, I will share it with you here. Please stop over and look at her blog too, though. :)

So Much News!

Oh my goodness! I am so sorry that I have left you all without a post for a few days. How thoughtful of me!

Truth be told, though, I have honestly been extremely busy lately. Just this weekend, I was volunteering at a Renaissance Festival. That was pretty fun, but it took up most of my day!

But other than the little things that I have been up to, I have some big news to share with you!

First of all, I am going to be taking part in a BOOK FEST! How exciting is that? I will be signing books and may even be reading a selection from Swept to Sea. That should be super fun! Other authors will be there, so make certain you attend! This is specifically for Christian readers and writers, so please attend and find some new books!

Second. I found out that I am going to be on my local news station, Fox Four News! I will be interviewed later this month and it should air in early October. I am thrilled about this, because I was so excited for my last TV appearance.

How are you doing? What is one good thing that happened to you last week?

Catch Up Friday: This Week

Hey everyone!
This week was pretty busy for me. I mostly did school and not that much else! I'm sorry my posts have not been as regular as they should be. School has just kept me pretty busy!
What have you done this week?

Catch-Up Friday: Disney World and School Started

So, what have I been up to lately?

Well, last week, I was at Disney World. If you know me, you know that I am absolutely obsessed with Disney World, so this was thrilling for me.
What's your favorite ride at Disney? Tell me in the comments. Mine is Pirates of the Caribbean. I rode it three times on this trip and five times when I went to Disneyland a few years ago. (Maybe that's why there are pirates in my books!)

Here are some pictures of the fun I had.

It was my first time riding Splash Mountain. I loved it!

I resort-hopped some. The Boaardwalk was really nice!

When I get married...

The Beach Club Resort was pretty cool as well. 

I loved it there!

The Be Our Guest restaurant was Beauty and the Beast-themed. 

I wanted to meet Gaston, but he wasn't there, so I had to settle for his statue. 

Waiting for the monorail at the end of the day! I spent 16 hours total at Disney World in one day. And I wouldn't have had it any other way!

Other than that, when I got home, I started typing up my edits for Carried Home. Then, school started. On Thursday, I began senior year of high school!

So, tell me in the comments. What is your favorite Disney World Ride?

Catch Up Friday: A Fun Week

Hey everyone! What have you been doing this week?
I've been really busy doing different things--one of them being editing my first draft of Carried Home.
I created this necklace featuring--you guessed it--my very own Swept to Sea! Do you like it?
Also during the week, I went out to see the movie Pompeii. I really enjoyed it! Have you seen that film?

In the middle of the week, President Obama stopped by my town to stay overnight and give a speech. (Without getting all political, even if I don't agree with everything the president is doing, it's still pretty neat to have someone so famous come near you.) He even stopped at my favorite local coffee shop in Parkville--one owned by my friend! 

Here is his plane as he flew over my house to land in KCI. How close have you gotten to a president?

Catch-Up Friday: My Keyboard

The last few days, my poor keyboard has felt neglected. I used to use it all the time as I wrote. Now, I am editing, and I don't see my keyboard that much anymore.
Is it weird that I feel emotionally attached to my keyboard? Probably. But here's what it looks like:

Can you tell I use it quite a lot? Most of the keys are to the point where they are completely unreadable. When other people use my computer, they have no idea what they are typing. 

Somehow, I must have all of the keys memorized, because I never have any trouble finding a key. 

Does your keyboard  look like mine? Would you be able to use this one?

Catch-Up Friday: A Little Library!

Have you heard of "little free libraries"?

I first heard of them when a kid in a city near me created one in his front yard. He had a box outside to serve as the library, and the rules were simple: take a book, leave a book.

I simply love this concept, so I was really happy to hear that an area near me created their own Little Library. 

So, what did I do this week? I dropped Swept to Sea off at my local little library, of course! I hope it goes to a good home. 

Besides that, this week I began editing "Carried Home," my sequel to "Swept to Sea"!

I really like editing so I am happy about that. What have you been up to this week?

Cover Reveal: Crossing the Ice

Hey everyone! What have you been up to this week?

I have a cover reveal and excerpt for you for my friend, Jennifer Comeaux's new book, Crossing the Ice.

Here's a little about the book and the author:

Release date: August 2014

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22474762-crossing-the-ice

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though...

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren’t any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she’s a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is traveling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing. 

jennifercomeaux.blogspot.com 

twitter.com/LadyWave4 

facebook.com/jennifercomeauxauthor

Now, here's an excerpt: 

I turned to Josh with my arms folded and my head cocked to the side. “So, you’re an athlete, a dancer and a musician? If you tell me you’re a skilled artist, I’m gonna have to hate you.”

He laughed. “I can barely draw a stick figure.”

“Whew.” I swiped my hand across my forehead.

“Even if I was the next Picasso, though, I wouldn’t have told you.” He paused and held my gaze. “I don’t like the idea of you hating me.”

My stomach fluttered. Josh didn’t often make extended eye contact, but whenever he locked those sinfully blue eyes on mine, I became a mesmerized puddle of swoon.

Don't miss the chance to enter in this Rafflecopter giveaway! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Catch Up Friday: This Week

Hey everyone!

This week was a pretty uneventful week for me--which is nice for a change! I did, however, start work on my third novel in Swept to Sea's trilogy, and have announced it's working title: "Tossed Together." What do you think of my new title?

I have been making character profiles so I have all of my characters' information in one easy place. I've been using this book to help me along the way as I do at the beginning of each book!

Catch Up Friday: Signed Copies of Swept to Sea Are Available and I Am Expanding My Street Team!

Hey everyone! I am super excited to tell you that I am now offering signed copies of Swept to Sea.

These will cost $18...this includes shipping, handling, and envelope cost.

I am really excited for this! To learn more about this, click the tab at the top of this page or look here.

Second, I am expanding my street team and I want you to join!



What will you do?
As a member of my street team, you will be asked to do (at least) three of these things every six months: write a review of my book, share reviews of my book, write a blog post related to my book, interview me on a blog, share statuses, create statuses, talk to friends about my book, or hand out postcards. These are just some suggestions. There are many more things you could do.

What will you get in return?
You get to be a member of my elite team, "Heather's Book Lubbers." You will get to read some things before anybody else does, be the first to know new things related to my writing, and be part of a fun community. Also, those who complete their three tasks after six months will be entered to win a prize. Some of these include: a signed paperback of Swept to Sea, gift cards, or other books.

How do you join?
Comment here or email me at heathermanningauthor@gmail.com ! I would love for more people to join.

Catch-Up Saturday: I'm going to be on TV!

So I may or may not have repeatedly forgotten that yesterday was Friday. I guess that's what happens when it is summer. ;)

Anyway, here's what I have been up to this week.

First of all, I finished my first draft of Carried Home, the sequel to Swept to Sea. Now, I am going to let that sit for four weeks before I start editing it.

Currently, I am reading through Swept to Sea and taking notes to make sure I didn't mix anything up while writing the sequel .

But, besides, this, I have HUGE news! I recently discovered that on Monday, I will be interviewed on local TV show Kansas City Live! So, if you are in the area, tune in to channel 41 from 10-11 AM and see me! I absolutely cannot wait.

Catch-Up Friday: A Week of Writing

Hello, everyone!
Sorry about not having a post up yesterday.
What have I been doing this week?

On Sunday I went to a Tony Awards viewing party at a local theatre and had a lot of fun. (Except for when I missed the opening number because somebody very rudely changed the channel to The Simpsons. Yes, The Simpsons. Note to whoever did that: I don't like you. At all. Okay? Okay)

Anyway, I have been writing. A lot. I hit 70 thousand words the other day in Carried Home, Swept to Sea's sequel and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. That book is almost done! If I have time to write, I am hoping that my first draft will be done within a week or so. Then, I will take a break (no matter how much I don't want to!) from that project, do some reading, maybe start on the third book (yikes! That's scary but exciting to think about!) but then after a few weeks I will start up on the editing. Believe it or not, editing is one of my favorite parts of the writing process.

What else have I been doing? Well, yesterday I found out that I won tickets to see the new movie Jersey Boys. If you aren't familiar with the movie, it was directed by Clint Eastwood. It was a film adaptation of the musical Jersey Boys, and it follows the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It shows how they formed, their success, their breakup, and after their breakup. 

I went to the special pre-screening viewing last night, and I really loved the show! I didn't to expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but it was really good.

So, what have you been up to? What do you think of a movie being made of the musical Jersey Boys? 

Catch-Up Friday: Fun Times

Hey everyone!
Today has been a pretty busy week as always.

I haven't gotten as much writing done as I would have liked to, but at least I got some done.

On Tuesday, I held my Swept to Sea Six Month Anniversary Party! I had a great time, and it seemed to go over pretty well. Hopefully I can do another one in the future.

You can view three video interviews I recorded for the party here.

Today, I am going to mail out allll of the gifts I gave away during the party. The post office will like me! :)

I have been thinking about offering signed copies of my book....what do you think of that idea? I will have to work out the details before that happens, but it is a possibility.


What have you done this week?

Catch-Up Friday

This has been a crazy week!
So much has happened.
Last weekend, I got a lot of writing done. I passed 60, 000 words in Carried Home, Swept to Sea's sequel! That means my first draft should be finished pretty soon.

I hit 60k!

Then, I did something fun...
I made all of my couples from my series as "Frozen" characters.

Eden and Caspian, Ivy and Gage, and Aimee and Matthew!

Aren't they cute? I just love them.

Currently, I am meticulously planning a Facebook Party for Swept to Sea's Half Anniversary!

It is going to be so much fun, and there will be a lot of giveaways, so be sure to go and invite your friends! I can't wait to see you there. 

These are some of the Half Anniversary Party Giveaways!

Well, I'm going to go get some writing done. See you Monday!

Catch-Up Friday: Book Review

Hey all!
Today I will be posting next week's review early and then I will be gone for a while....

This week was much less busy than last week but it still seemed like I had hardly any time. On Sunday, I had my Coterie Young Playwright Festival which went amazingly.

Then, I came down with a cold. Which wasn't fun. But anyway, I wanted to let you all know that next week's post will be sparse if I even post them or not. Why? Because I am going to be at the RT Booklover's Convention, and I unfortunately won't have much time to write any posts.

Until then, here is my review of To Die Once by Miranda A. Uyeh.

About the book:

"A NOVEL
Two men, one woman, a rosebush …
… a terrible past, an uncertain future
Jennifer, a woman unexpectedly trapped in a path of love and passion against everything
Rodrigo, a man set to get what he wants at the cost of what matters most.
Stefano, a man with a past, a story to tell and passion to offer.
Chidi, a friend in need, a friend indeed. Or not?
From a culture where good girls follow the norm and live as they’ve been told, Jennifer is no
different from any other girl until by happenstance, she meets and falls in love with Rodrigo, a
man who’s handsome, rich and foreign. Different. She has no idea who he is or what he does,
and is swept into a world of romance and passion. It is not long before she discovers a shocking
Stefano shows up at a time when Jennifer has made up her mind about the rules of life. He thinks
she’s beautiful and is in love with her. In a bid to convince her to give him a chance in her life,
old memories once buried are brought to life. And the events that follow don’t leave anyone
unaffected by the truth of the past that was left unsettled.
Meanwhile, Jennifer with her friend Chidi, find themselves on a self-discovery journey that has one of them raising questions.
Some just have to ask, where is God in all this?
… an inspirational romance, from Lagos to Italy."

My Thoughts:

The Idea:

It was certainly interesting! This was an inspirational romance involving things like dark pasts and life choices. Some points were heartrendingly  sad, and it really kept my interest throughout the entire book. This is about Jennifer, who marries a man with a bad past and is devastated when he disappears. I loved the story.

The Characters:

There were a few times, I have to admit, that I wanted to slap both Jennifer and Rodrigo in the face. But I think I only felt like that because I cared about them. Really, I was rooting for them and hoping for them to finally have some peace and happiness.

The Plot:

This book had a GREAT plot. It really kept me interested no matter what was happening. I finished it much ahead of time and enjoyed every second of it. I look forward to more from this author!

The Setting:

Very unique! I don't think I have ever read anything in this genre/setting. I loved the setting of Italy because Italy just seems like a wonderful place to set a book! A few scenes were also in London and Africa. It was very interesting!

Overall:

GREAT book that I recommend to friends! I hope you enjoy!

About the Author:

Miranda A. Uyeh is an assistant lecturer at a local college in Makurdi City, Nigeria, where she teaches two geology courses. Her love for books goes as far back as when her father placed Disney’s Rapunzel in her hands—her very first storybook! By the time she was thirteen she knew she was going to be a writer. You can find Miranda on her blog where she shares her love for books, entertainment and Christian spirituality with her readers. Miranda holds a B.Tech (Hons) in Applied Geology from ATBU, Nigeria. To Die Once is her debut novel, #1 of the Child of Grace book series.

Praise:

"A little mystery, a bit of intrigue, a lot of romance. To Die Once is a Christian romance with real characters facing deep issues. The emotional writing is truly heart-felt. This is Ms. Uyeh's debut novel and thankfully, this won't be the last." —K. Victoria Chase, Bestselling author of From Across The Divide, Virginia Justice, Raphael: volume 1, Santiago Brothers book series.

"Miranda Uyeh has penned a novel full of heart. To Die Once is a story alternately thorny and tender that tackles the various forms of love - romance, friendship, and faith - in unique settings and situations. Often surprising, consistently intriguing, Uyeh's debut is a bold start to her blossoming writing career." — Amber Stokes, Author of "The Heart's Spring" Series 

 "A fun inspirational romance read" — Rektok Ross, Best selling YA Romance author of Prodigal

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