Let's See How Your Wednesday'll start off ...

........

Yep, you have a good one!

A short story on how I, Mindy Ruiz, can screw it all up!

DO NOT!  I repeat: DO NOT! Interrupt me.
If you want me to forget the very sentence I'm typing then you should start chatting with me or call me or send a breeze that tickles my neck, because it is a well proven, highly documented fact that when I'm in the middle of something uber important the chemo brain will kick in.

*side note*  I'm not kidding 'bout the chemo brain.  I've had extremely LARGE  amounts of the nastiness. 

Where was I?
Oh, yeah.
See... chemo brain.
FOCUS...

Here's how it all began.
The screw-it-all-up part of this story, not the chemo part.
The RWA Goldenheart deadline is Thursday, December 2nd. That means I must have my darling little entry in the Fed Ex envelope by 6pm on December 1st. 
That's two days away. 
I open up the newest, shiniest version of my entry and bam... the phone rings.
The husband needs me to look for some fantastic paperwork that may, or may not, be at home.  I could sooooo digress here, but I will stay focused.
An hour later, yes sixty whole minutes and a tornado of paperwork later, I sit down at the computer, pull up my docs and click on the next to newest, not quite as shiny as the Goldenheart ready version of my entry and add a few more layers to chp 35. Delete some telly words, about 1500 all together. Put a pinch of sarcasm on the epilogue and bada-bing realize that the past two hours of fabulous uninterrupted work I'd been doing is on the not new, not ready to be entered version. 
CHEMO BRAIN.

I'd been looking for the husband's paperwork dated 11-16-11, returned to my computer and pulled up document WIP 11-16-11 and com-pleeeee-tly ignored the already open document 11-26- Goldenheart get ready to visit Disneyland version.
Gasp.
I know...
It's gonna be take out and a long, long, 1/4 inch thick revision night. 
*sigh*
or you could send a margarita.
Either one.

My Favorite Things ... Yep It's a Monday!

The turkey is massacred. The stuffing ... stuffed and the only thing that remains of the mouth-watering, button-busting, amazeball Pecan Pie is the little tiny flakes of pie crust that even a mouse won't bother with!
Thanksgiving is over and that leads me to the MOST. FAVORITE. Time of the year!!!
CHRISTMAS!!!!!

I love Christmas and I love the holiday spirit. I love that New York is like a giant snow globe just waiting for a good shake. The people are friendly and the Rockefeller Tree is getting ready to be lit!

Have I mentioned, I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!
And...
There's nothing that can pull me back to my childhood like Christmas Special Songs!

5. Holly Jolly Christmas


4. The Snow Miser Song!


3. The Island of Misfit Toys!


2. The Year Without Santa.



1. A Charlie Brown Christmas.

And the Winner Is...

The winner of the Kindle Keepers Giveaway is....

Diana at The Lovely Getaways!!!

I want to thank everyone who visited my blog and participated in my very first giveaway!
Diana, email me with your address (mindy (at) MindyRuiz (dot) com) and I'll get your fabulous Kindle and it's Snuggie loving books to you ASAP!

Be sure to check back for more Writing Cave Camp out reviews, interviews and giveaways!!!!
And

My Favorite Things ... yep it's a Monday & a free Kindle giveaway!

Given today is the last day to enter the Keeper Kindle Giveaway!!!! 

I'm going to have to say my favorite thing for this week is ....

THE KINDLE!!!!
I LOVE this thing!
Where else can you flip from this:

To This

To THIS!!!!

Seriously think about the handbag/suitcase you would have to tote around to carry not just three books of amazing but your entire collection of AMAZEBALLS library!  I know. You'd look like some Hollywood starlet who was trying to hard to make it on the next episode of TMZ.

With the Kindle... you can be the uber cool writer reviewing a critique partner's manuscript. Or the ultra awesome reviewer reading the next holy-cow-this-review-is-gonna-rock ARC.  Or the avid die hard reader who just knows a rockin' good story when they read one.

You pick the slot that best fits you and in the meantime ... click here  to enter to win a free Kindle! Entering is super simple!
Read my author interview with Elizabeth Isaacs and her THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS novel that's out now! And leave me a comment.

CRaaaaaaZiNessss and a Kindle Giveaway!

The insanity of the past week has left me looking like this:

Mickey Mouse hands, wet-n-wild poncho doing a Kung Fu Panda pose in the middle of a street that's wet probably because of the fanatical weeping this weeks chaos has brought.

Most of my insanity is GREAT!

1. I did my first ever author interview AND I'm giving away a Kindle filled with three-- yes, three!-- awesome books.

2. I entered the RWA Golden Heart contest and, unlike other years when I chickened out and DIDN'T send in my ms, I'm t-minus fifteen days to sending in my submission.

3. I'm NaNo'ing like cahrazy on a brand new shiny project that is not the sequel to the RWA contest MS.

4.I'm blogging

and

accounting

and

mommying

and

turkeying

and

Christmasing

and

birthday shopping (because everyone should have all of their children around the holidays).

and...

you should just watch this trailer because I need a moment to weep in a cold cup of coffee.


I'm back...
Now, go enter my contest to win a Kindle. Contest closes 11-21-11 at 11:59pst.  Trust me, I'm up!
MWAH!

Happy Book Birthday!!! ~Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Five Reasons to wish Tahereh Mafi a Happy Book Birthday by rushing out and buying  
SHATTER ME.

5. The uber awesome book trailer that will leave you itchin' to touch something!!! Anything!!! Swoon worthy!


4. The caaa-razy book description that shatters your mind in about a million different pieces!

                 

"You can't touch me," I whisper.

I'm lying, is what I don't tell him.

He can touch me, is what I'll never tell him.

But things happen when people touch me.

Strange things.

Bad things.

No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal, but The Reestablishment has plans for her. Plans to use her as a weapon.

But Juliette has plans of her own.

After a lifetime without freedom, she's finally discovering a strength to fight back for the very first time—and to find a future with the one boy she thought she'd lost forever.

~HarperTeen.com

3. The AMAZING Reviews SHATTER ME is receiving.
2. The make me wanna weep with awe cover.

Aaaaand the number 1 reason you should rush out and buy Tahereh Mafi's debut novel:

Shatter Me .......

She's a So Cal girl just like me! Flip-flops in the fall and a wild sea breeze imagination, trust me!, this book is going to be EPIC!

Congrats Tahereh!
and be sure to go follow Tahereh on Twitter here and fan her Facebook page here!

My Favorite Things ... yep, it's Monday

Two of my most favorite things are to sing insanly off key and dance and laugh.  Okay, that was three! I love throwing my iPod on and just making a first class fool of myself.  I'm sure the mini-mes will have many a mom busting a move therapy sessions.
What I love even more than ME doing these things is watching professionals that have talent oozing out of their all to perfect vocal chords and tippie toes make what I butcher look amazingly easy.

This Monday's favorite thing is Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake *swoon* and their history of rap video!
Enjoy!!!!!

The Secret of the Keepers! ~Interview with Elizabeth Isaacs

For my very first interview EVER...--don't panic, I've done that enough for all of us-- I am pleased to welcome the very amazing and talented Elizabeth Isaacs to the Writing Cave Camp Out!

Here, Elizabeth. You put on your pink snuggie and I'll bring everyone up to speed on the  awesomeness that is THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS!

Elizabeth's new book, THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS is currently climbing the Indie must read list and while the s'mores are roasting let me give you the skinny on this amazing book!

The Kailmeyra Chronicles: Book Two--

Life for Nora couldn't be better; she has married the man of her dreams and loves living in the pristine land of Kailmeyra.

That is, until the darkness threatens her perfect world.

Now war is upon the land. She and Gavin must strengthen their clan and prepare to fight. But the enemy has an ally—one that not only wields power, but holds knowledge of the ancients' secrets. Secrets that could destroy creation itself.

As the darkness grows, doubt seeps in ... protectiveness hinders progress ... and the unthinkable comes to pass.

Bewildered and alone, Nora shoulders the responsibility of leading an entire race to war. As she struggles with decisions that seem impossible to make, she is haunted by one choice.

"No one has ever doubted that you would die for those you love.

The question then becomes ... would you live?"

~Goodreads

Goosebumps, yes?

So, Elizabeth I'm going to jump right on in and say, HOLY COW! 

I thought THE LIGHT OF ASTERIA was amazing but, THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS just made me sit back in awe!  Every writer has a a certain where-to-start-a-book routine.  For LOA you said you wrote from the middle and filled in the front and back chapters. What chapter or scene was the genesis for THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS?

Elizabeth:
This was different in the fact that I had no choice but to write the first three chapters first!
:-) But the storyline actually started with a premise and a character. The principal that we all are here for a reason is what drove the plot. The way we got there was through one of my most favorite character that’s ever traipsed through my head, Rune.

Ruuuuune. My secret other world crush. *swoon* Don't judge. I like that rough and rugged type that could possibly shed in the summer.

Er, um, moving on.

What scene of THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS was the hardest to write and why?

Elizabeth: The scene with Elias and Nora in the badlands. I’ll be honest. I was a little depressed after writing that scene.

I don't blame you. Reading about the badlands was so vivid and filled with despair. I can only imagine the places you had to go mentally as a writer to get there and then to be able to put those feelings on the pages the way you did. *bows in a not-worthy pose*

At the end of the book we are left with this huge revelation about Rune and a missing piece of his heart. With a cliff hanger like that I have to ask: Is there a book three and what hint about the storyline can you give us?

Elizabeth: Book three will, good Lord willing, be out this time next year. Our main characters head back to earth, along with some of our new friends!

SQUEEEEEE!  I loved reading about Kailmeyra, but must say I can. NOT. WAIT to see the new and improved Nora take on Earth.  We should TOTALLY have her over to the Camp Out!

Ooooh, Who else would you invite to the camp out? NO seriously my husband and the boys camp out downstairs on Friday nights which leaves the writing room for us and ANY ONE can come stay the night.

Elizabeth:
Real people: All my writer friends
Characters: Gavin, Nora, Rena, Tark, Elias, Elaine and I call dibbs on Weylin!

Obviously with four boys in my house my cupboards are pretty bare. Whatchya want us to stock for Isaacs' rockin' camp out?

Elizabeth:

Real people: a whole bunch of booze
Characters: some of the Elvin fruit. I’ve always wanted to taste it.

And no camp out is successful with out junk food, what must we have?

Elizabeth:

Stuff to make smores ... both real and imagined. I LOVE smores! (you should try hiding rolo’s in the marshmallows sometime! yum!)

Girl after my own heart! This batch of s'mores is just about ready --no hidden rolo's, sorry-- so are you ready for the speed round? 

Elizabeth: *nods suspiciously* 

Don't worry we're in snuggies, it can't be that scandalous. LOL

black or white?

white!

dog or cat?
Dog!

cake or cookies?
Both!

coffee or soda?
Both~!

naughty or nice?

naughty!

cup ½ full or ½ empty?
 ½ full!

summer or winter?

fall!

favorite g-rated swear word?

Nerts!

*ding, ding, ding*

See, not so bad!

One last question before I let you shed your snuggie. Besides Keepers, what book would you recommend to your Kailmeyra readers?

Elizabeth: That’s a toughy. There are so many great books out there now. I’d have to say Hope Collier’s The Willows: Haven. It’s a great read with some interesting twists and turns along the way. If you liked the Kailmeyra Series, I’d bet you’d like this one too!

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for stopping bye the Writing Cave Camp Out!!!

In honor of Elizabeth and my first ever interview I'm embracing the go big or go home motto and giving away a Kindle!!! And that's not all! I'll also be loading that precious e-reader with not only THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS but ASTERIA as well as Elizabeth's recommendation of THE WILLOWS:HAVEN by Hope Collier!!

How to enter is so super simple! 

Did you leave me a comment? 

Do you follow my blog?

Are you a Mindy Ruiz fan on Facebook?

Did you tweet this interview link?

Each yes answer is an entry to the go-big or go-home giveaway!

Winner will be chosen at random at the end of THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS blog tour November 21st at 11:59 pst.

And don't forget to go follow my dear friend Elizabeth Isaacs on the following:

elizabethisaacs.com
Asteria's blog
Twitter: @Kailmeyra
Facebook: Elizabeth Isaacs, Author

And finally, don't forget to check out THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS and the rest of the blog tour.

November 13th-- The Readiacs

November 14th--Patricia's Peculiarity guest post
November 15th--Larissa's Bookish Life

November 16th--Hope Collier Interview with Rune

November 17th-- The Reading Angel

November 18th-- Tracy Riva Interview with Nora
November 19th-- Late Bloomers

November-20th--Amaterasu Reads

November 21st--Book-crazy

My Favorite Things ... yep it's Monday!

One of my favorite things is something I can not live with out … and that is my almost 8 year-old son, Jacob.


If you follow me on twitter, which I think you TOTALLY should (shameless plug), I’m about to unmask one of the infamous Ruiz mini-mes that grace my feed.

Ten years ago, I fought a battle that I wish on no one. I fought cancer. And I won (knock on wood, Thank God.) Part of my fight was with the help of radical, experimental chemotherapy mixed together into a potent and potentially deadly chemo cocktail. There were no fancy umbrellas with this cocktail and the side effects were potentially devastating. My dream to be a mommy may have been just that … a dream.

Almost a year after we finished Chemo, my oncologist, the ever brilliant and uber amazing Dr. Chawla, said we could start trying to have children. A couple of months later, we got pregnant! The high of being able to get pregnant met with a soul crushing miscarriage on Christmas day. I thought for sure it was because of the chemo. I thought certainly this was going to be how Mark and I spent the next few years. My brother, Patric, disagreed. He said, “Mindy, he’s just not perfect yet and he’s stubborn. He’ll get it the second time around.”

I’m not sure how Patric knew the baby was a he.

I’m not sure how Patric knew we would try again, because, at the time, I was certain I couldn’t go through the loss again.

But three months and two pink lines later we were, unintentionally, pregnant.

I held my breath for ten weeks!

And then took only short quick breaths for the remaining thirty weeks.

On November 8th, 2003. Jacob Anthony Ruiz was born.

And just as his Uncle Patric had promised, he was PERFECT!!!

He still is.

He has the tender soul of his Grandpa Doc.

The righteousness of his Daddy.

The adventurous spirit of his Uncle Patric.

The best hugs ever like his Granny Bea.

The persistence of his Granny Carol.

The wiliness of his Uncle Daniel and Uncle Maty

The LOVE for the USC Trojans like his Uncle Josh and Aunt Kat

And he has my smile and imagination.

Happy Birthday, Jacob. You are and will continue to always be my favorite person.

Love, your momma

 

What up!

Ever have one of these days?




me too...

Three Nano's and Me.

So many way to Nano…


Nano #1

Yep, you know I can’t start a Nano post off with out my writer’s block de-blocker. My Nano and I have an amazing relationship. I clean and provide a USB port and the Nano provides a plethora of what-if ideas that usually kick start a stalled imagination.

Nano #2.

It’s a fact. Being named Mindy almost ALWAYS gets a response of, “Where’s Mork?”

To which I say, “I married him!" …

okay, I married Mark, but if our minister can get away with that joke during our wedding, then I think that gives me an open-ended pass.

Or

Na-nu Na-nu. I know its pronounced nah-noo nah-noo.

You would be surprised how many people say Na-No Na-No.
They also get the hand gesture wrong.
You don’t want to know… trust me!

Nano #3

If you’re a writer you know November is the start of a mad dash-holy cow- kids fend for yourself- month.

For those of you who aren’t writers.
NaNo is National Novel Writing Month.
For thirty days we write till we look like this:




or ssometimes like THIS: *caution you may want to scroll fast past this one*



At the end of November we have, twenty-five days to Christmas, our pants sporting massive muffin tops and a very, very rough first draft of a novel.

Rookies make the mistake of thinking they’re done and send their NaNo project out on query.

DON’T DO THIS!

Others sit and let their NaNo project marinate a few months and then decide if it’s worth the edit process.

And finally, there are the NaNo projects that’ll make you go. WOW!!!

My darling friend Trisha Wolfe participated in NaNo last year.

Edited

Queried

Found an Agent

Submitted

And SOLD her book!

Moral of this post...
you now have three ways to get your Nano on this November.
Pick one and let me know how you're getting your NaNo on!