Blogoversary Day 6: Thank Yous to our Contributors!

First of all, thank you, everyone for joining with me to celebrate my blogoversary! I hope you've been having fun! I'll continue to pick winners of the giveaway up to the twitter party, so keep tweeting every day, and then I'll give the remainder of the prizes out in the party! :-)

So many wonderful authors, bloggers, and bookstore contributed to the amazing blogoversary prizes that you've been eligible for! So it wouldn't be right to not thank them again for their generous contributions!

Rachel Harris, author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and many others!
http://rachelharriswrites.com/

Tammara Webber, author of Easy and Breakable
http://tammarawebber.blogspot.com/

Anna Banks, author of the Syrena Trilogy
http://byannabanks.blogspot.com/

Ingrid Ricks, author of Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story
http://ingridricks.com/

Hannah Parry, author of Isabella Rockwell's War
http://www.hannahparry.org/home.html

Howard Shapiro, author of The Stereotypical Freaks and The Hockey Saint
http://www.howardshapiro.net/

Alyssa Rose Ivy, author of many romantic paranormal novels
http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/

Katie Williams, author of Absent
http://katiewilliamsbooks.com/

Lenore Appelhans, author of The Memory of After
http://lenoreappelhans.com/

Vicky Savage, author of the Transcender series
http://vickysavage.com/blog/

Victoria Scott, author of the Dante Walker trilogy, Fire and Flood
http://www.victoriascottya.com/

Lindsey Loucks, author of Grave Winner
http://www.lindseyrloucks.com/

Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Time Between Us and Time After Time
http://tamarairelandstone.com/

Paula Stokes, author of The Art of Lainey, and the TBR Liars, Inc and Vicarious
http://www.authorpaulastokes.com/

Lissa Price, author of Starters and Enders
http://www.lissaprice.com/

Kat Zhang, author of What's left of me, Once We Were, and the soon to be released Echoes of Us
katzhangwriter.com

AG Howard, author of the Splintered series
http://anita-authoraghoward.blogspot.com/

Left Bank Books
http://left-bank.com/

Crystal of Crystal in Bookland
http://crystalinbookland.blogspot.com/

Meredith of Pandora's Books
http://www.pandorasbooks.org

Kayla of Wonderland
http://wonderlandofreading.com

Mary Knox from Mary Had a Little Book Blog
http://knoxdiver.blogspot.com

Julia B. of YA Book Nerd Reviews
http://yabooknerdreviews.blogspot.com/

Make sure to answer today's question for your last entries into the giveaway! Thanks so much for joining with me to celebrate my blog's two year anniversary

Don't forget the one last event, the #EnsconcedinLit Twitter Party, June 19th at 7pm CST for one hour! I'll be giving away the rest of the prizes then!

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Blogoversary Day 5: Blogger Friend Love!

Hey all!
It's the next to last day of my blogoversary, and I'm so excited to mention some wonderful blogger friends who have made this year even more memorable!

1. Anasheh Satoorian of A Reading Nurse: Anasheh is an amazing blogger friend. We've never met in person (but I hope one day soon we will!!!). She is not only an amazing nursing student (now graduated top in her class unsurprisingly), but she's an amazing friend who always texts and sees how I am. On my birthday, she tweeted several tweets throughout the day so people knew that it was my birthday! And even more, she's been so generous to let me know about book signings and has sent me several signed books :-) I love her to death!
http://areadingnurse.blogspot.com/

2. Crystal of Crystal in Bookland: Crystal and I have gotten really close over twitter. We discuss life, books, book boys, TV, you name it. I've been so lucky to have her as a friend, and I also hope we can meet in real life soon. She's been a beta reader for me as well, and been there through thick and thin. Love you!
http://crystalinbookland.blogspot.com/

3. Meredith of Pandora's Books: What a sweetie. She's always there with a big smile and positive attitude. I think she's definitely one of the most wonderful people I've met on twitter. She's always willing to lend a helping hand, and so supportive of other bloggers including me
http://www.pandorasbooks.org

4. Kayla of Wonderland of Reading: I met her when I was doing an online event for Paula, and I noticed her sweet and positive energy right away! Kayla is such a big supporter of other bloggers and authors and always makes a point to make it to all the online events that she can! She and Meredith just celebrated their first blogoversary together and they both have great blogs!
http://wonderlandofreading.com

5. Mary Knox from Mary Had a Little Book Blog: Mary is just amazing. She is so creative, and she makes it to so many book events. She truly is an inspiration. She has terrific giveaways, and is one of the nicest bloggers to boot! I'm lucky to know her!
http://knoxdiver.blogspot.com

9. Julia B. of YA Book Nerd Reviews: I've had so much fun getting to know Julia in the last few weeks. She and I are more similar than anyone I've met on the blogosphere yet! We both love books (duh) but beyond that, we love playing similar games, and especially have a penchant for TellTale Games like The Walking Dead and Wolf Among Us. Plus, she is always so generous with giving away awesome jewelry that is based on your favorite books!
http://yabooknerdreviews.blogspot.com/

There are many other bloggers who are also amazing, including Brooke DelVecchio from Cover Contessa, Jenna from Jenna Does Books, Nikki from Fiction Freak, etc.

Who are your favorite bloggers?

Don't forget to enter today in my huge giveaway!
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Blogoversary Day 4: Left Bank Bookstore highlight, Local Bookstore Love!

Local bookstores are SO important! I'm so grateful for Left Bank Books for bringing great books and authors to St. Louis.

Some examples of events that they've brought to Saint Louis...

A signing with Veronica Roth, author of the Divergent series...

Signing with Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed in Blood...

Signing with Emily Giffin, NYT bestselling author of multiple books...

Events with local authors like Paula Stokes (she moved to Oregon but she's coming back to Left Bank Books for another event...)

And one of my all time favorites: a signing with Antony John, Lauren Oliver, Lenore Appelhans, and Tamara Ireland Stone :-)

They are so important to bringing books to people in the community as well as elsewhere.

This past year, I've also gotten to partner with them for events to help promote the authors they've brought to town. They've donated several books to giveaways to support the blog.

For my blogoversary, they've generously agreed to donate a signed book to a US winner-- The Taking by Kimberly Derting (chosen by you guys!). And guess what? Left Bank books had a signing with her as well! Here I am with Kimberly, and a baby bump!

Please make sure to support your local bookstores!!!

Enter the giveaway to win some prizes and send Left Bank Books some love!

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Blogoversary Day 3: Traditionally Published Authors that have rocked my world

Welcome back, everyone, to day 3 of my Blogoversary! I've been so blessed and lucky to have amazing authors come into my life, and this includes the terrific awe inspiring traditionally published authors who have made it through the wringer and came out intact on the other side (not to mention super duper successful!)

1. Paula Stokes (aka Fiona Paul), author of the Venom trilogy, The Art of Lainey, Liars Inc, and the recently purchased Vicarious!
I have to mention Paula first, because she has been an amazing friend for the past year, and I'm so sad she moved away from me to Oregon! I've been so impressed with her hard work especially over the past year, and I'm so happy to see it's finally paid off! She's been an inspiration in so many ways, and I'm so grateful that we are so close. Her books are amazing and get better and better. Plus, she's my sounding board for life in general. I can't wait to see her in July when she comes on tour-- maybe we can grab some dim sum!
http://www.authorpaulastokes.com/

2. Antony John - author of Five Flavors of Dumb, Elemental Trilogy, and more to come!
Antony has been a wonderful friend as well, and is a fellow book lover/author in St. Louis. I first met Antony through his wife, who was my attending in infectious disease when I was still a medical resident. We got on the topic of hobbies, and I told her that I loved to read and review books. She mentioned Five Flavors of Dumb, probably not thinking this would amount to anything. I read it and loved it, and from there we've met up multiple times at author events and dinners, etc. Antony has also been a wonderful guide to the world of writing and convinced me to write my first book (which is now shelved, but I finished it!).
 http://antonyjohn.net/

3. Tamara Ireland Stone - author of Time Between Us and Time After Time
Tamara came for an event to St Louis, and I was extremely lucky to meet her and get to gab after the event at dinner. I absolutely loved both of her books, and she's such an amazing person as well, with a terrific story. She was totally successful in her previous life, even working with Steve Jobs! But then moved on to be completely amazing at her new job as a YA writer. Time Between Us is now optioned for film and has been published in many different countries. I'm so proud of her!
http://tamarairelandstone.com/

4. Rachel Harris - author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and many other cute YA and adult romances
Rachel is a complete sweetheart, and I'm still dying to meet her in person. She's been such a wonderful friend virtually, and I've loved doing multiple online events with her. She has a very avid street team, which makes sense, she's so loveable, how could she not? And she's always been so supportive of bloggers in general, sending us hugs wherever she is! I can't wait for all the new boys she's going to write about because they are all universally swoony!
http://rachelharriswrites.com/

5. Victoria Scott- author of Fire and Flood, and the Dante Walker trilogy.
Tori has had a huge year and I'm so glad I was there to watch her blossom! I love her books, and Dante is one of the hottest book boys ever created. She's so fun to interact with, and I was overjoyed to get to do her twitter party, which was a huge success! I can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeve!
http://www.victoriascottya.com

6. Lenore Appelhans - author of The Memory of After (aka Level 2)
I met Lenore at the same book event as Tamara, and I'm so thrilled to get to know her, first, because she's such an awesome person, and second, because she used to be a blogger like me. Just gives me hope that one day if I decide to go back to writing, there's a possibility that I may publish one day even though I started out as a blogger. She's super sweet and very supportive of my writing endeavors, and I can't be thankful enough for that!
http://lenoreappelhans.com/

7. Anna Banks - author of the Syrena Trilogy
Anna is one of the most generous authors I have ever seen, and also put together probably the best twitter party I have ever been to. She is not only super sweet but her books just keep getting better and better. I feel really lucky to have gotten to meet her online this past year and only hope that one day we can meet in person!
http://byannabanks.blogspot.com/ 


These are just a few authors that have rocked my world this year. There are many others such as Kat Zhang, Lissa Price, AG Howard, Tammara Webber, Kathleen Peacock, Jodi Meadows, etc, that have also been wonderful. Thank you all for being so great and making being a blogger so worth it!

OK, guys, enter some more for your chances of winning some terrific prizes today!

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Blogoversary Day 2: Indie Love!

Hey peeps! It's day TWO of my blogoversary! Thanks for joining in on the fun! The main reason I initially started my blog was to help support the indie authors who weren't getting the attention they deserved.  Since then, I've developed really great friendships with some amazing authors, and I hope you'll give them a chance too! I wanted to highlight a few authors that have been a large part of my blogging journey

1. Vicky Savage, author of the Transcender Trilogy.

When I started reviewing, I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I admit most of it was slush, but when I started reading Transcender: First Timer, I knew I had something special in my hands. I devoured the book in one sitting, and I knew I wanted to support this author into getting more publicity.

I started chatting with Vicky on a regular basis, and low and behold, not only is she a great indie author, but she's also one of the nicest and most generous people I've ever met! Vicky used to be a lawyer, so it gives me hope that if one day, I want to step down from being a doctor and become a writer, I won't be alone!

We've done a ton of events together, and since then have forged a friendship that I'm forever grateful for. She inspires me in so many ways-- finishing this trilogy on her own dime, becoming a cancer survivor, the list goes on and on. I was lucky enough to serve as her editor in the final book of the Transcender series, and I know she'll only get better and better.

http://vickysavage.com/
Buy Transcender on Amazon

2. Howard Shapiro, author of The Hockey Saint and Stereotypical Freaks. 
My friendship with Howard started very simply with a nice email of his, offering to send me a copy of his graphical novel for review. I'm not a big graphical novel sort of person, but I feel very strongly about giving new things a try. Boy, I'm glad I did!

I fell in love with Stereotypical Freaks-- I was surprised I was in tears by the end. I was shocked I could be moved so much by a graphical novel, and I knew that I needed to promote it. A few events later, Howard asked if I did much editing. I had already been a freelance editor to a few authors at this point, so I readily agreed. We started working on The Hockey Saint together, and it was probably one of the best editing experiences of my life. Howard is one of those people who is very open to suggestion, and if he is confused or doesn't agree, we have a wonderful conversation working out the kinks together.

Since then, I've been working on several books coming out of Howard's new indie book company, Animal, Inc, which has been a terrific learning experience. I've learned a lot about writing memoirs, graphical novels, and seen The Hockey Saint slowly come through production, which has been amazing. In addition, Howard and I have developed a wonderful friendship, and he's been one of the rare people to read and love my first novel, which means so much to me.

http://www.howardshapiro.net/
Buy Stereotypical Freaks

3. Ingrid Ricks, author of Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale, now a NYT bestseller.

Ingrid is the first indie author that I promoted on my blog two years ago. And I was thrilled to hear that she made it on the NYT bestseller's list for the very book I fell in love with! I love that we've been able to develop a friendship, and I've been able to help her out in a small way. She's come so far in such a short time, and I'm really inspired by her personal story as well as her friendship.

http://ingridricks.com/
Buy Hippie Boy
 
4. Lindsey Loucks, author of The Grave Winner
I first met Lindsey at a Facebook party where she was promoting her book along with several other authors. She was the first author where I was very intrigued by her swag. She had a T-shirt, a gorgeous antique ring, among other things. I won the silver ring that night and loved it right away. I was immediately curious how this tied into her book. I asked her if she was interested in sending me a copy for review. She readily agreed, and I absolutely loved her book. It's this great combination of horror and paranormal fantasy. It's definitely become one of my top indie picks!

http://www.lindseyrloucks.com/
Buy The Grave Winner


5. Hannah Parry, author of Isabella Rockwell's War
Poor Hannah sent me this book for review 9 months prior to me actually getting to it. I wish I had picked it up much sooner! I don't read much middle grade, but I was so glad I did in this case! I loved that it harkened me back to books I loved when I grew up, including The Secret Garden and The Little Princess. I think this is a wonderful read for that age group and also enjoyable to adults. It helps that Hannah is one of the sweetest people ever!

http://www.hannahparry.org/home.html
Buy Isabella Rockwell's War


6. Alyssa Rose Ivy, author of many paranormal books
Talk about random meetings! Alyssa's husband is a friend of a friend, and I knew I needed to pick up one of her books! The first one I read was Beckoning Light, which I really enjoyed. I really recommend it! The sequel was even better. I still need to read the third, which I'm excited about. You never know where you are going to meet new people, new authors to root for, and I'm so glad that I met Alyssa!

http://www.alyssaroseivy.com/
Read Beckoning Light for Free!

These are just a few authors that have really made an impact on me in the last year. I really hope that you support your indie authors and accept books for review! I know there's a lot of slush to get through, but once in a while, you get a gem, and it makes it all worth it!

Enter to win more prizes today!

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Blogoversary Day 1: Ensconced in Lit Turns Two!

Dear All:
I can't believe how fast these two years have gone by!!! A lot of stuff has happened this year.

Page Views: More than 200,000

Twitter Followers: More than 3600

GFC Followers: More than 2,000

Bloglovin' Followers: 1452

Joined Instagram finally (against my will lol)

Redesigned my blog (isn't it pretty??)

Auto-approved at Harper Collins

Finished my first novel during Nanowrimo, Med Wreck, although as of present it's shelved for the forseeable future. Wrote a full outline for a new YA medical thriller. Hopefully, I'll be able to pick it up at some point!

Freelance Editor for Animal Inc, an indie publisher

Have a baby girl due in September!

I've gone to a ton of signings and met/continued to develop great friendships with authors and bloggers, which you'll see more of this coming week! Thank you so much for making this year a memorable one!

Here's the schedule for the week:
Day 1: Stats and schedule
Day 2: Indie Love!
Day 3: Traditionally Published Authors who have changed my world
Day 4: Local Bookstore Highlight: Left Bank Books
Day 5: Blogger Love!
Day 6: Thank yous to all of the contributors!
Twitter Party: To give out the remaining prizes! Hashtag will be #EnsconcedinLit and it will be on Thursday, June 19th at 7-8pm!

I'll start selecting winners on Day 6 of the Blogoversary (maybe earlier if I can't wait lol!). So the more you comment and visit, the more likely you are to win! On the rafflecopter, you can only win once, but everything's up for grabs at the final twitter party! We have more than 40 prizes up for grabs! Have fun!

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Ensconced in YA Turns ONE! Day 6: BIG thank you to our generous donors!

I cannot go this week without thanking my generous donors to this wonderful blogoversary giveaway. You absolutely need to check out all of their books and blogs, etc. These are amazing authors on top of being amazing people (and bookstore).

Ingrid Ricks, author of Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale
http://ingridricks.com/

Diantha Jones, author of Prophecy of the Most Beautiful
http://www.diantha-jones.com/

Christina Smith, author of A Moon's Glow Trilogy and Affinity Series
http://www.christinasmithbooks.com/

Rachel Harris, author of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century
http://www.rachelharriswrites.com/blog

AG Howard, author of Splintered and Unhinged
http://aghoward.com

Erika Kathyrn, author of Audie and the Angel
http://www.blondebookie.blogspot.com/

Samantha Durante, author of Stitch and Shudder
http://www.samanthadurante.com/

Howard Shapiro, author of The Stereotypical Freaks graphical novel
http://www.howardshapiro.net/

Ashley Farley, the author of Saving Ben
http://ashleyfarley.net/

E.C. Adams, author of The Vampire Code
http://www.thevampirecode.com/

Vicky Savage, author of the Transcender series
http://vickysavage.com/blog/

Kaitlin Bevis, author of the Persephone trilogy
http://kaitlinbevis.com/

Sara Zaske, author of The First
http://sarazaske.wordpress.com/tag/sara-zaske/

Victoria Scott, author of The Collector
http://www.victoriascottya.com/

Laura Lam, author of Pantomime
http://staticsplit.wordpress.com/

Andrea Colt, author of Torched
http://www.andreacolt.com/p/welcome.html

Lindsey Loucks, author of Grave Winner
http://www.lindseyrloucks.com/

Tamara Ireland Stone, author of Time Between Us
http://tamarairelandstone.com/

Scott Cramer, author of Night of the Purple Moon
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorScottCramer

Anna Silver, author of Otherborn
http://annasilverauthor.com/

Fiona Paul, author of Venom
http://fionapaulbooks.blogspot.com/

Antony John, author of Five Flavors of Dumb
http://antonyjohn.net/

Left Bank Books
http://left-bank.com/

I also wanted to thank some wonderful followers that have really stuck by me through thick and thin:
1. Amber H
2. Rachel S
3. Becky G
4. Naznin A
5. Jill O

Today's question: Do you have a blog? If you don't, do you want to start one? Why or why not?

There are a ton more and I wish I could name each and every one of you. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! This was an AWESOME WEEK!
Now Sign up to win some fab prizes!!!

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Ensconced in YA Turns One! Day 5: Traditionally published Authors that have changed my life

Before we start today, I just wanted to say that I was so excited about this terrific giveaway, that I gave away TWO prizes last night. So the mystery box of YA books and the signed Splintered hardback are gone, but tons more to win!

And how can I forget the amazing authors that I have met this year? After I got over my fangirly squeal, I realized how down to earth, interesting, and just really cool people these authors were. I have to highlight two particular local authors who have totally changed my life.

1. Antony John -  Antony was the first author I met locally. He's written the amazing book Five Flavors of Dumb, along with a dystopian trilogy (the first book of which I am giving away). I actually met him through his wife who works in the same hospital that I do. I don't think they ever really expected me to go out, buy his book, and review it. Since then, we've had several get togethers-- talking about books, life and publishing. He's also been a fount of very valuable advice. He is savvy in more ways than writing, down to earth, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. I'm so fortunate to know him.

2. Fiona Paul - Fiona is the terrific author of Venom. I met her through Antony, and ever since, I've been getting tons of advice, great stories, and best of all, just plain good friendship. She is a wonderful person on top of being a super hardworking and talented author. If I ever feel down about how my non-existent book is going or how mean people can be on the internet, she's there supporting me every step of the way. Plus, I get first access to all of her awesome sauce books! Who's the winner in all of this? I would have to say... me.

Other authors that I just have to name because of how incredibly sweet, smart, and talented they all are in no particular order: Tamara Ireland Stone,
Lenore Appelhans, Elizabeth Richards, Lauren Oliver, Kathleen Peacock and AG Howard.

Today's question: Which traditionally published authors have you loved and why?
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Ensconced in YA Turns One! Day 4: Some of my favorite Blogs/bloggers

I also can't go this week without singing the praises of some of my favorite blogs/bloggers. I got this idea from Cover Contessa who unsurprisingly is number one on the list. You should join all of these blogs if you haven't already. They are amazing!

1. Cover Contessa - She is a terrific blogger-- not only has my back, but makes me remember why I love blogging so much. Her blog is really well put together, love her blogging name, and her style is unforgettable. It's unsurprising that her blog grows exponentially every day.
thecovercontessa.com

2. Winter Haven Books- I'm usually not into beautiful blogs, but how can anyone deny how GORGEOUS this blog is?? When I go to it, I salivate with jealousy. One day I'm going to have to contact their designer. Not only that, it's a great blog. I trust their reviews and they have terrific giveaways.
winterhavenbooks.blogspot.com

3. I Am A Reader, Not a Writer - No one can doubt this blog is the queen of them all. Kathy is amazing and seems to do everything extremely well. She is taking a well deserved break this summer, and I'm right there with her. I've been joining her amazing giveaway blog hops for several months now, and she has an impressive following. My numbers have never gone up as much as when I'm a part of these events.
http://iamareader.com/

4. Paranormal Book Club - She not only has a terrific blog, but she's a really fun person to chat with. She may not know it, but she's the reason that I got addicted to twitter. She had a fabulous twitter giveaway (which I totally need to do some day), and then I went on a rampage of finding all the great twitter parties there were!
paranormal-bookclub.com

5. Bookshelvers Anonymous - This blogger has a really great blog and at the same time, is really down to earth. She was there to support me in a rough spot, and I can't thank her enough.
shelversanon.blogspot.se

6. a GREAT Read - This blogger is also local, and I see her at many of the same events. It's fun to run into her and she always makes it a point to stop by if I'm involved in any blog hops.
jessica-agreatread.blogspot.com

7. Book Fever- Stephanie is a loyal follower of my blog, and tweets regularly supporting my blog. She has been such a great support.
bookfever11.blogspot.com

8. Bookworm1858 - I love this blogger because of the no frills approach of the blog. This blogger also makes it a point to visit my blog on a regular basis and leave comments on many posts. I really appreciate the support and really insightful viewpoints.
bookworm1858.blogspot.com

9. A Reading Nurse- She has blogged about my blog, she's put my button on her beautiful new site, and she works in the healthcare industry. In addition to this, she is an amazing and warm person, who has only been completely supportive and wonderful about everything. I'm so lucky to have made such a great new friend.
http://areadingnurse.blogspot.com/

10. Jenna Does Books- She and I have the SAME TASTE. It's so nice to read her reviews and nod at every single point :-) I've told her we have the same brain. And she puts on some terrific giveaways and has tons of followers for good reason!
http://jennadoesbooks.com/

Again, there are a ton of blogs out there that I love, so even if you aren't on this list, that doesn't mean anything!

Today's Question: What are your favorite blogs?

And enter the giveaway!
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Ensconced in YA Turns ONE! Day 3: Some Favorite Indie Authors who have changed my life

If you've been following me thus far, you know that one of the reasons I started my blog was to support indie authors and give them a bigger audience if I loved their books. I've come across several that have become good friends, supported me in one way or another, and all have wowed me with their awesome books.

In no particular order:

1. Ingrid Ricks (see Day 1 post). As you know from Monday's post, she is the author of the now New York Times bestselling novel, Hippie Boy: A Girl's Tale! I think the post speaks for itself :-)

2. Vicky Savage- Vicky was one of the first authors that I ever contacted, and Transcender: First Timer was one of the first books I've ever reviewed. That was when I got the reviewing bug. She's been my confidante, friend, supporter, and peer ever since. I don't know what I would have done without her! She has been a loyal supporter of my blog since day one. You should definitely pick up her books too-- they are fantastic.

3. Howard Shapiro- Howard is one of my new indie author friends. He wrote the fantastic YA graphical novel, The Stereotypical Freaks. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. But I cried because it was so moving. Since then, he's been a great friend and someone I really admire. We talk on a regular basis, and he tells me all of his adventures at BEA, etc. I can't wait for the sequel of Freaks to come out!

4. Christina Smith - Christina emailed me one day and wanted me to edit one of her books. I didn't realize how fantastic it would be! She is a terrific writer. We emailed at least 5 times a day, and it was one of the most fun exchanges I've ever had. We hashed out plot points, talked about our personal lives, and it was glorious. Since then, we've supported each other through thick and thin, and I'm so excited for her next book to come out!

5. Shawn Keenan - Shawn is someone I consider my crit partner, even though I haven't really written anything of substance yet. I met him after reviewing his book on Librarything, and he emailed me back, thanking me for the review. Since then we've hashed out one of his other books-- the wonderful The Intern's Tale, and his most current book, which I'm not going to talk about, but I think this is THE ONE. He's amazing and always supports what little I do write with really insightful comments. He also periodically guest posts on my blog with his terrific rants.

Other indie authors I love include: Stephanie Judice, Diantha Jones, Sara Zaske, Erika Kathryn, Leonie Rogers, Andrea Colt, Ashley Farley, Scott Cramer, Samantha Durante, Jennifer Lane, Kaitlin Bevis, Lindsey Loucks, Anna Silver just to name a few.

But honestly, if I worked with you, you are a favorite of mine. So even if you don't see your name on this list, that doesn't mean anything. I love all of you!!! :-)

Today's question: Who are some of YOUR favorite indie writers?

Now enter to win some great prizes!
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Ensconced in YA turns ONE! Day 1: Highlighting Hippie Boy: A Girl's Story by Ingrid Ricks and INT giveaway

This week, I'm celebrating Ensconced in YA turning ONE! Thank you SO much for all of your support! I have a big giveaway planned, so hold onto your hats! We'll get there in a second. But FIRST...

I am SO THRILLED to re-introduce Ingrid Ricks! She has JUST made the New York Times Best seller list and was the first interview I ever conducted. I'm so incredibly proud of her. She deserves it for being just an amazing person and a really great author too.

Goodreads Book Description: What would you do if your Mormon stepfather pinned you down and tried to cast Satan out of you? For thirteen-year-old Ingrid, the answer is simple: RUN.

Ingrid Ricks grew up in a dysfunctional, untypical Mormon family with an absent, freewheeling dad and an intensely religious mother who was desperate to ensure her family's eternal salvation. For years she yearned to escape the suffocating religious atmosphere cultivated by her mother at home by joining her dad on the road as tool-selling vagabond. When her parents divorce and her mother marries Earl--a cruel authoritarian who exploits his Church-ordained priesthood powers to oppress her family-- she learns the lesson that will change her life: she can't look to others to save her; she has to save herself.

Rating: 5/5 stars 

See my Amazon review at this link : Hippie Boy Amazon Review

Hippie Boy Book Trailer (created by Ingrid's daughter!)
Hippie Boy Book Trailer

 

Ingrid Ricks is a Seattle-based writer and speaker who focuses on overcoming adversity and embracing life. Ingrid lives in Seattle with her husband and two daughters. She is also the author of A Little Book of Mormon (and Not So Mormon) Stories.

Enter my humongous BLOG GIVEAWAY with giveaways of books that I loved since Ensconced opened! I'll be doing this a little bit differently. I'll be selecting prize winners EVERY WEEK to keep people's interest (and mine) and to keep things under control a little better since this giveaway is the biggest I've ever tried to do! :-) Enter now!

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