Waxcreative Design Blog

Awesome and Interesting

Emily Cotler — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:40 +0000

My dad, whom I think is both awesome and interesting, has visited over 80 schools this year, bringing his Cheesie Mack presentation to thousands of kids. I’ve talked about him a bunch on this blog — his name is Steve Cotler. And yesterday his Facebook update read:

Sandwiched between four presentations, I had working lunch with a dozen fifth-grade, future authors at Bach Elementary. We spoke about avoiding clichés and discussed why adjectives like “awesome” and “interesting” are neither awesome nor interesting.

I am going to respectfully differ with him on this: I think awesome and interesting are awesomely appropriate adjectives to describe how interesting a character like Cheesie Mack is. Cheesie is inquisitive without being a sap, honorable without being unbelievable, loyal, smart, determined, funny and —yes— interesting. He’s an excellent character for any kid to emulate which, as a parent, I appreciate. And his narrative contains both varied sentence structure and layer plots which—as an adult stranded in the the world of Magic Treehouse, Little House, and American Girl—I think is awesome.

To see an example of how awesome my dad’s interesting school visits are, merely click play below. To see how awesomely interesting the Cheesie Mack experience is, I invite you to find out a bit more about what makes Cheesie so perfectly written for today’s kids, then head over to Cheesie’s site (he has his own), and read an excerpt and see how the reading experience is interestingly extended. Awesome.

To find out more about all the prestigious awards and accolades Cheesie has garnered you will have to wait. My dad is awesome about so many things, but delivering content to his web-designing daughter is not one of them. So alas, there is no spot on his website for such stuff (yet), but he does announce it on Facebook.

Remembering Maurice Sendak

Maxamaris Hoppe — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:36:18 +0000

Maurice Sendak, children’s book author and illustrator, died today at the age of 83.

My name is Max. I think it’s one of the greatest names ever and I’ve got Maurice Sendak to thank for that. When my mom was pregnant with me, my dad gave her a copy of Where the Wild Things Are starring Max. It was, naturally, one of the first books ever read to me and I could read it aloud to myself long before I understood letters.

Fresh Air dedicated their whole show to Maurice Sendak today, pulling excerpts from the four interviews Terry Gross recorded with him since 1986. I highly recommend a listen. At one point she asked him to share some of his favorite comments from readers that he’d gotten over his long writing career. His reply:

Oh, there are so many. Can I give you just one that I really like? It was from a little boy. He sent me a charming card with a little drawing. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters—sometimes very hastily—but this one I lingered over. I sent him a postcard and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim, I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it.

Check out the kind of envelope kids would get in response to fan mail:

Pretty amazing. We’d eat it, too. Rest in peace, Maurice Sendak.

We know it’s May, but this is the April Wrap-Up

Emily Cotler — Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:07 +0000

We had a very busy month in April here at Waxcreative, so busy we didn’t wrap up April until now, May. Nor did we post much (er, anything) here on our own blog (our cobbler’s kids conundrum continues). But we did help usher in a great big bunch of great new reads, each launching off of author sites containing some cool features, and –as ever– we’d like to share…

NEW BOOKS:

ELOISA JAMES released Paris in Love, and it’s not a novel. This is her memoir of her year abroad in Paris. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: This whole site is a bonus — I hardly know where to start you off: book club kit, cast of characters, audio excerpt, video excerpt… Délicieux!

KATE NOBLE released two books this month: If I Fall and a related special e-Novella release The Dress of the Season. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Kate spent April touring blogs to talk about love, life, writing, and her new releases — so there is currently a lot more Kate to be had, which is a bonus unto itself.

MAYA BANKS released Sweet Addiction, Book 3 of the Sweet series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Check out Maya’s growing Fun Stuff page. And, pithily, more fun stuff really is simply more fun.

ANTONY JOHN released Thou Shalt Not Road Trip. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Antony posted an excerpt from his next book already — way earlier than expected. Bonus defined.

MIA MARLOWE released How to Distract a Duchess, an eBook-only novel from Rock*It Reads. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: The Rock*It project takes off! Stellar!

NICOLA CORNICK released Notorious in the UK, Book 4 in the Scandalous Women of the Ton series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Nicola’s Behind the Book feature sheds light on how Pride and Prejudice inspired Notorious. Bonus behind the scenes stuff.

PAMELA PALMER released Warrior Rising, Book 4 in her Esri series. (I am one of MANY readers who’ve been waiting a LONG time for this. YAY!) AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Enter the World of the Esri and learn more about the characters in these books and the laws of the Esri universe.

JANE PORTER released His Majesty’s Mistake in the UK, Book 2 in Jane’s Royalty Duo — the pair is set to hit North America very soon! AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Jane’s contests are always always always bonus events. Read an excerpt of this new release to enter.

CHRISTINE WARREN released On the Prowl, Book 6 in The Others series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: We love Christine’s essay On Faeries and Faerie.

JENNIE LUCAS released A Night of Living Dangerously. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: In the mood for brownies? (I always am.) Don’t miss a delicious brownie recipe from Jennie, which makes an appearance in last year’s Sensible Housekeeper, Scandalously Pregnant. (Still my favorite all-time title.)

NEW EXCERPTS:

SUSANNA CARR posted an excerpt from Suddenly Sexy, due out on May 22.

JULIA QUINN posted an excerpt from A Night Like This, Book 2 in the Smythe-Smith Quartet, due out on May 29. (And oh, there might be a new website involved, too. I know, right?!)

PAMELA PALMER posted a special sneak peek from Blood Seduction, Book 1 of her new Vamp City series, due out on May 29.

JANE PORTER posted an excerpt from Not Fit for a King?, Book 1 in her Royalty Duo, due out in North America in May.

GERI KROTOW posted an excerpt from Navy Rules, due out on June 5.

DIANE GASTON posted a special sneak peek from A Not So Respectable Gentleman?, spin-off of her anthology The Diamonds of Welbourne Manor, due out in August.

AND COMING VERY, VERY SOON: May will bring releases from a bunch of authors, and a couple of new site launches from us!

March Wrap-Up

Emily Cotler — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:45:52 +0000

We had a very busy month here at Waxcreative, and we didn’t post much here on our own blog (cobbler’s kids conundrum, indeed). But we did help usher in a great big bunch of great new reads launching off of author sites containing some cool features, and we’d like to share…

NEW BOOKS:

MAYA BANKS released Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss, Book 3 of the Pregnancy & Passion series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Check out the excerpt of her newly kissed-by-RITA-finalist-status book, Hidden Away. Kissed, indeed.

JACI BURTON released Taking a Shot, Book 3 of the Play-by-Play series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Enter Jaci’s contest for a chance to win a copy of The Perfect Play, Book 1 in the Play-by-Play series. Extra bonus: the abs on that cover model. Hubba.

LORI FOSTER released A Perfect Storm, Book 4 of the Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: This is one of the biggest sites we run. Seriously. Author website bonus on LoriFoster.com? Check this out, and this. This, too. More? Now you’re just being greedy… : )

MIA MARLOWE released Touch of a Rogue, Book 2 in Mia’s Touch of Seduction series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Mia’s Red Pencil Thursdays are what writers are reading.

MONICA MCCARTY released The Saint, Book 5 of the Highland Guard series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Read all about the Highland Guard series and check out Monica’s growing special features section about medieval Scotland. And who doesn’t love warrior Scots in kilts? (Answer: no one. True stat.)

SOPHIA NASH released The Art of Duke Hunting, Book 2 of The Royal Entourage series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Sophia has a Regency-Era lexicon that even Candice Hern would call fantastic. And that’s saying something!

STEPHANIE TYLER released Dire Needs, Book on of her new series the Novels of the Eternal Wolf Clan. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Get a true inside take on this new series by listening to the music Stephanie played while she wrote Dire Needs. (Playlist includes a few must-put-on-repeat songs. You have been warned.)

NEW EXCERPTS:

PAMELA PALMER posted an excerpt from Warrior Rising, the Book 4 in the Esri series, due out on April 1, as in this weekend. (I know, right? No waiting on this one.)

MAYA BANKS posted an special sneak peek excerpt from Sweet Addiction, Book 6 in the Sweet series, due out on April 3. (Monday!)

CJ CARMICHAEL posted a special sneak peek from Colton: Rodeo Cowboy, due out on August 1.

LORI FOSTER posted an excerpt from Run the Risk, Book 1 in her new Love Undercover series, due out on September 25.

AND COMING VERY, VERY SOON: The very beginning of March will bring releases from Maya Banks, Nicola Cornick, Eloisa James, Kate Noble, and Pamela Palmer. And for those of you waiting oh so patiently for the new Julia Quinn excerpt, I have it, and we’re posting it early next week. (And no, I will not email the file to you ahead of time — but nice try. : )

Stay tuned!

Congrats to our RITA finalists!

Emily Cotler — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:41:01 +0000

All of us here at Waxcreative are bursting with pride to say CONGRATULATIONS to our three RITA® finalists: Maya Banks, Grace Burrowes, and perennial favorite Eloisa James. For a full list of the finalists please see the RWA web page dedicated to RITAs. Congratulations everyone!!

Read an excerpt from Maya’s RITA finalist for Romantic Suspense, Hidden Away, Book 3 in her KGI series. Or learn more about the KGI series in Maya’s Connected Books page (lots of info there), or on Maya’s blog.

Read an excerpt from Grace’s RITA finalist for Regency Historical Romance, Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish, Book 3 in her Windham series. Or learn more about Sophie and the Windham family in Grace’s Bonus Materials for this book.

Read the first three chapters of Eloisa’s RITA finalist for Regency Historical Romance, When Beauty Tamed the Beast, one of Eloisa’s Fairy Tales. Or read Eloisa’s Inside Take to learn more about this story.

We’d also like to extend a big w00t to Friend-Of-Wax Stefanie Sloane for her double nod (double w00t) in both the Regency Historical Romance and Best First Book categories.

Four fabulous books, four fabulous authors. We feel privileged to work with you all on a regular basis.

p.s. And because we absolutely love it, we are again trotting out our favorite RITA story of when RWA Hall of Famer (then winning her second RITA) Julia Quinn experienced a wardrobe mishap, and was saved by a well-placed Autographed by the Author sticker.

Cobbler’s Kids

Emily Cotler — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 21:13:03 +0000

Classic case. We feel very fortunate to be so busy. This blog… on hold while we catch up. In the meantime, please check out our Wrap-Ups… or Booksigning Tips. We’ll be back. Thanks!

National Grammar Day!

Emily Cotler — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:13:22 +0000

Let’s celebrate commas! Let’s abolish inappropriate apostrophes!

My sister tells me it’s National Grammar Day and I say, every day should be grammar day! I am a grammar geek — my favorite part of middle school english classes was diagramming sentences. It all made so much sense when broken down. Nevertheless, grammar can be tricky and frustrating, but there are clear rules, so it’s all so easy to look up. Here is my favorite single-link grammar reference. And of course, theoatmeal.com’s grammar comics are always spot on.

That vs which is the one about which I am rarely confident and regularly double check. I also go out of my way not to end a sentence in a preposition. What are your grammar crusades and pet peeves?

February Wrap-Up

Emily Cotler — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 21:26:13 +0000

We had a very busy month here at Waxcreative, and we didn’t post much here. But we did help usher in a bunch of great new reads we’d like to share…

NEW BOOKS:

MIA MARLOWE released two books this month: Touch of a Rogue, Book Two of the Touch of Seduction series, and Maidensong, a stand-alone ebook. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Mia is currently blogging from Toyko! Live vicariously!

SOPHIA NASH released Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea, Book One in her new Royal Entourage series (Doesn’t that just sound wonderful?). AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Sophia has one of the best Regency-era glossaries on the web.

PAMELA PALMER released Warrior’s Desire, book 3 of the Esri series (I have been waiting for this book for a LOOONNNNGGGG time). AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Enter the world of the Esri to get character back-stories, glossaries, and laws of the Esri world.

STEPHANIE TYLER released Dire Warning, an ebook prequel to her new Eternal Wolf Clan series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Get info about this book in the form of character lists and (always a fan favorite) a soundtrack.

MAYA BANKS released Colter’s Daughter for the first time in print, book three of the Colters’ Legacy series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Read all about the Colters’ Legacy series in Maya’s blog.

NEW EXCERPTS:

MAYA BANKS posted an special sneak peek excerpt from Tempted by her Innocent Kiss, the third book in the Pregnancy and Passion series, due out on March 6.

MONICA MCCARTY posted an excerpt from The Saint, due out on March 27.

SOPHIA NASH posted an excerpt from The Art of Duke Hunting, the book two in her Royal Entourage series, due out on March 27.

ELOISA JAMES posted a second sneak peak from her memoir Paris in Love, releasing April 3.

KATE NOBLE posted an excerpt from If I Fall, due out on April 3.

PAMELA PALMER posted an excerpt from A Blood Seduction, book one in the Vamp City series, due out on May 29.

SUSAN ANDERSEN posted an exclusive sneak peek from That Thing Called Love, due out on July 26.

AND COMING VERY, VERY SOON: The very beginning of March will bring releases from Maya Banks, Jaci Burton, and Stephanie Tyler. Stay tuned!

Social Media Explained

Emily Cotler — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:15:12 +0000

“How do I manage my social media accounts?” is a question we regularly get. “What do I say? How do I keep it businesslike and not ramble?” These are all really good questions, because reality says that when one didn’t grow up/come of age within social media, and/or doesn’t spend all one’s time on social media, and when one’s job falls outside social media (meaning you don’t actually work for LinkedIn or Twitter), the tendency to ramble or blither or mix-up formats and misuse hashtags or @ symbols, or just go conspicuously quiet — these are all very real outcomes.

Humor aside, this helpful image below concisely explains — at least on the surface, how to use Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, etc, etc., and does it through the universal language of donuts.

Image courtesy of @ThreeShipsMedia

January Wrap-Up

Emily Cotler — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 23:02:09 +0000

NEW BOOKS:

MAYA BANKS released Whispers in the Dark, book four in the KGI series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Character Profiles. Readers love them. Maya’s got them.

RED GARNIER released Legally Hot, an anthology with Lora Leigh and Cheyenne McCray, featuring Red’s novella “Caught.” AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Who doesn’t love amazon gift cards? The winner Red’s contest gets one. Nice.

JENNIE LUCAS released A Night of Living Dangerously in the United Kingdom (coming to North America in April!) AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Cool snapshots from fun author events.

MIA MARLOWE released Sins of the Highlander with Connie Mason. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Read Write Love — that’s one active blog.

NICOLA CORNICK rereleased Dauntsey Park: The Last Rake in London, book five of the Bluestocking Brides series, in the UK. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Downton Abbey fans will enjoy 1) Nicola’s Behind the Book research brings up some interesting bits about the period. And 2) The prize for Nicola’s current contest includes a book of Edwardian paper dolls.

LORI FOSTER reissued two books this month: Bad Boys in Black Tie, an anthology with Erin McCarthy and Morgan Leigh, part of the Watson brothers series, and Forever Buckhorn, of the Buckhorn Brothers series. AUTHOR WEBSITE BONUS: Read more about the Watson brothers and the Buckhorn brothers in Lori’s connected books sections.

NEW EXCERPTS:

MIA MARLOWE posted a special sneak peek from Touch of a Rogue, due out on February 28.

SOPHIA NASH posted an special sneak peek excerpt from Between the Duke and the Deep Blue Sea, the first book in the Royal Entourage series, due out on February 28.

JACI BURTON posted an excerpt from Taking a Shot, book three in Jaci’s Play-by-Play series, releasing March 6.

MONICA MCCARTY posted a special sneak peek excerpt from The Saint, due out on March 27.

MAYA BANKS posted an excerpt from Sweet Addiction, the sixth installment in the Sweet series, due out on April 3.

GRACE BURROWES posted an excerpt from Lady Maggie’s Secret Scandal, book five in the Windham series, due out on May 1.

AND COMING VERY, VERY SOON:
February will bring releases from Susan Andersen, Maya Banks, Kate Noble, and Pamela Palmer. Stay tuned!