Win a Signed Copy of Swept to Sea

Say Happy New Years to yourself when you win a signed print copy of Swept to Sea!

My friend Jessica interviewed me on her blog and is giving away a signed copy of my book. How neat is that?
To enter, please head over to her blog or enter right below. Good luck!

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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: 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: 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: 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? 

Cover Reveal!

Hey everyone! I have a special surprise for you today...a cover reveal from Anne Elisabeth Stengl!

Here's some info from her:

Rooglewood Press is delighted to introduce their second fairy tale novella contest—

Five Enchanted Roses

a collection of “Beauty and the Beast” stories

The challenge is to write a retelling of the beloved fairy tale in any genre or setting you like. Make certain your story is recognizably “Beauty and the Beast,” but have fun with it as well. Make it yours!

Rooglewood Press will be selecting five winners to be published in the Five Enchanted Roses collection, which will be packaged up with the gorgeous cover you see displayed here. Perhaps your name will be one of the five displayed on this cover?

All the contest rules and information (how to enter, story details, deadline etc.) may be found on the Rooglewood Press website. Just click HERE and you will go right to the page.

Rooglewood Press’s first collection, Five Glass Slippers, is available for pre-order now and will be released on June 14. Do grab yourself a copy and see what these talented writers have done with the timeless “Cinderella” tale!

Cover Illustration Credit:

This cover illustration was rendered by Julia Popova, “ForestGirl.” You can find out more about this gifted artist on her website: www.forestgirl.ru

Thanks for stopping by! This contest looks really cool!

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!

New Orleans: Day 3 and 4

Hello, everyone! This is another post covering my time in New Orleans for the Romantic Times Convention.

First, I got my badge! Complete with my "Published Author" Ribbon. Which then proceeded to try to fall off after a few days. :(

Later in the day, I went for dinner with my amazing publisher and some fellow authors!

My first event: Scrapbooking! Tuesday was more-so a reader-oriented day. The real workshops began on Wednesday.

I wore a different striped dress every day. 

I got this mask!

After dinner with my publisher, I grabbed a snack of Pinkberry frozen yogurt. Yum!

After Wednesday's first events, I went out for lunch at the FABULOUS Ruby Slipper Cafe where I met this awesome waitress. She was so excited about the book convention.

At night, I got ready for a Pirate Party and Mardis Gras Party at Mardis Gras World.

The lines for the shuttle to Mardis Gras World were REALLY LONG.

This was inside at Mardis Gras World! It was gorgeous.

They even had a marching band for us!

Inside were all the real Mardis Gras floats. So cool!

Giant flowers! I loved it!

And I ended the evening by returning to the hotel with ALL of these beads and a stomach full of Bananas Foster, red beans and rice, and beignets. 

Catch-Up Friday

Hello, everyone!

What have I been up to? Being busy!
 This week, I have been practicing my monologue, pantomime, and song for an audition next week. Please wish me luck for that!
Also, tomorrow is my very first rehearsal for "Letters to Romeo and Juliet," a piece I wrote, and "Literary Armageddon," a piece I am performing You can see both and others at the Coterie Young Playwrights Festival May 4th at 7:00.

This week I have been trying to get a lot of writing done. On Sunday I hit 50K in "Carried Home," my sequel to "Swept to Sea."

What have you been doing? Tell me in the comments.

Catch-Up Friday: This Week

Hi everyone!  How are you this week?
I'm doing really great. By the way, I'm writing this post from my Kindle, so please forgive that there are no pictures. I might add some later.
Anyway, please remember that my giveaway of a copy of Swept to Sea is still running through next week. Enter it and tell your friends to enter! There will be two winners.

What have I been up to? This week I started work again on Carried Home. sequel to Swept to Sea. I also signed my very first copy of my book!!!!!! I was very thrilled.
Now, for some more info. On April 29 I will be participating in a writer's panel at Maple Woods College. I'll read an excerpt from my book and there will be so book signing. I'll share more information tonight when I update this post.
Also, I JUST found out that my Letters to Romeo and Juliet were selected to be performed at the Coterie Theatre Young Playwrights festival on May 4 at 7:00!
That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!

Catch-Up Friday: GIVEAWAY

Hey everyone!
In case you were wondering, last weekend's performances went very, very well. Some of my friends got to come and see me in action so that was pretty cool!

What have I been up to this week? I've been editing my play and a shorter piece. I need to hand these in on Sunday for them to be considered for my Coterie Playwriting Group. I have also continued working on Carried Home, Swept to Sea's sequel.

Did you know that Swept to Sea is now available in PRINT?!?!?!?!??! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, what have you been doing?

Now, here's my big surprise....the FIRST EVER giveaway on my blog!

Enter to win an e-copy (PDF) of Swept to Sea! (This can be easily converted to go onto whatever reading device you want.) Second Place gets a signed magnet. :)

*The magnet offer is only for US Citizens because of shipping costs, but I will gladly award an out-of-country winner with the ecopy of the book*

Let me know if you have any questions, and please share with friends!!!!!


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Catch-Up Friday: Some Changes

Hello, everyone!
I wanted to let you know that there may be a few changes around here.
There will be a new schedule on this blog:
Book Monday
Bible Verse Wednesday
Music Thursday
Catch-Up Friday

This will be relatively the same as before, but I eliminated Bible Verse Sunday and Broadway Tuesday. This is simply because I have become so easy that it is a bother to try to create so many posts, and I want to give you a more condensed number with more thought behind each post.
Here's a brief summary of what each day will look like:

Book Monday:
This will mostly consist of book reviews like it did before, but it will also feature anything about books. It could be an update on my own book, or an interview with another author, or a special feature for another author.

Bible Verse Wednesday:
This will remain the same. It will highlight a Bible verse.

Music Thursday:
This will remain the same. It will feature a song I want to share with you!

Catch-Up Friday:
This will be mostly the same as it has been in the last few months. It could be a post about writing, or it could feature what I've been up to the last week. This will basically be the day when I am free to post whatever I feel like.


What do you think about the new schedule? Do you want to propose any changes? Which day is your favorite?

Swept to Sea News

Hey everyone!

I have some fun news for you today!

First of all, you can purchase Swept to Sea for 50% off THIS WEEK ONLY on Smashwords using the code: REW50
Please spread the word to your friends and family!

Second, I wanted to tell you that Swept to Sea is on the Amazon Bestseller list again!

Today it is spending its 50th day on that list!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped me get there. I appreciate all of you!

Writing Friday: Top Ten Most Influential Books

Happy Friday!
Yesterday I saw the Kansas City Ballet's performance of Dracula, and boy, was it good. I absolutely love seeing theatre, whether I see ballets, musicals, or plays. :)
Today, I have rehearsals and then I get to have a break on the weekend. I love rehearsals, but I also would like more time to write.

Anyway, on to today's post. My awesome friend Bethany tagged me in her blog post to create a post about my ten most influential books.

1. Swept to Sea by Heather Manning.
This was obvious. It definitely influenced me, because it was the start of my career.
2. Felicity American Girl Series
I loved all American Girl books, but these series were the first I loved, and Felicity was one of my favorites. It helped get me hooked on historical fiction.
3. Samantha American Girl Series
This is the same with the Felicity series. I loved these books and they really made me enjoy the Victorian era.
4. Okay...this counts three books but they're all in the same series. Little Town on the Prairie, The First Four Years, and These Happy Golden Years.
I was really obsessed with this series for quite a while, but the last three were my absolute favorite. I really loved reading about Laura and Almanzo.

5. The Falcon and the Sparrow by MaryLu Tyndall
This was the very first inspy historical romance I read. It made me fall in love with the genre.
6. Dracula by Bram Stoker
Before I read this, I had not enjoyed many classic novels. This quickly became my classic and is still one of my very favorites.
7. The Phantom of the Opera
Another very good classic novel. I read this book after seeing the musical and watching the musical movie. I really enjoyed it.
8. The Restitution by MaryLu Tyndall
This was the second novel I read by this talented author. It was the first book centered around pirates that I read and it really stuck with me.
9. The Measure of a Lady by Deeanne Gist
This was the first Deeanne Gist novel I read, and I absolutely loved it. I read every book written by her after that.
10. Out of Control by Mary Connealy
I think this was the first Mary Connealy book I read. It was amazing. I fell in love with the characters and the setting and it was perfect.

Now, I don't have time to tag any bloggers, so if you have a blog, please feel free to participate. 

Now, in the comments, tell me five of the most influential books you have read! Go! :)