Get it right!! (with funny video example)

Okay, so maybe you've seen this before, but it's definitely worth seeing again if you have. If you haven't, your in for a real hoot! BTW, these are really short.

This is a good example of how important it is to GET IT RIGHT as a writer. When do you need to get it right? How about when you hit that glaring send button before submitting your precious manuscript to that agent you've been web-stalking for the past year.

Just like this girl has been preparing and obsessing over THIS very important moment, so have you with your writing and querying and researching. Right?

Exactly.

But guess what? You're on stage, and your only time to get it right, is right now! Of course, this is easier said than done, and we can only do our best. But don't query before you're ready. Take it slow. Get it right. Then send that finished, revised, edited, POLISHED manuscript to that agent who just might fall in love with it and you.

Okay, you get it. Now watch what happens when you don't GET IT RIGHT:



Yeah, I don't know what she's talking about either. Don't let that be YOU. Don't let an agent read your work and think, What the heck was that?

**For the record, I actually feel really bad for her and completely understand how nerves can really mess up a person! At least when we mess up it's not in front of the world, right? Thank goodness!**

The next one is worth watching too! It's a remake of the first one. It's great because it makes it look like she was PREPARED and thought she did GET IT RIGHT.



Thanks for stopping by! HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Can you leave us breathless? Blogfest Contest!

(If you are checking in to see who won King and Queen of literature, scroll below.)

Here is my entry for this super fun contest on Brenda Drake's blog!

This is from my newest YA novel, which is a romantic thriller. Any and all comments welcome. Thanks for taking a peak!

The lid closes. It’s just the spiders and me. I rest my forehead on my knees.

The small ones are fast and already run my arms and around my neck. My skin prickles, and tremors shoot through me. With my nostrils pinched shut, I barely part my lips and take shallow breaths whenever I don’t feel scurrying legs near my mouth. My hair moves as it fills with the nesting creatures, and a slow crawler with a furry belly sneaks onto my ankle and under my jeans.

My entire form shudders and shakes, wanting to hyperventilate.

Breathing slow is torture. I need to distract myself. I try to forget the constant movements and itching and think about Treston. He’s watching me. Has he decided I’m not worth his love? The thought sickens me more than the spiders, and my heart swirls down my chest, landing somewhere near a kidney.

The big spider scaling my chin brings me back. There must be hundreds crawling along my flesh now. On my arms, my neck, my face. Down my shirt. Ugh.

More shallow breaths—controlling my panic hurts.

I try to think about Emerson. His kiss, his feelings. The way we grew up together. But I can’t stop thinking about the haunting creatures.

I bang on the lid. Cool air rushes in, and I stand, keeping my eyes and mouth closed while I’m brushed off.

“I think you’re good. Just shake your legs before you step out,” says Luke. “Now go clean your clothes out in the private area. You’ll get your score later.”

In the curtained area, I undress to nude and shake everything out twenty times. When a spider falls, I grab my shoe and crunch it. Maybe that will help me sleep tonight. But I doubt it.

I’ll be feeling spiders for the next year.

Thanks for reading!

And the KING and QUEEN of literature are...

Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy!!!!

Congratulations to Claude Dancourt for nominating them as the most romantic couple in all of literature!

**Confetti, rose petals, and balloons fall**

A great couple indeed! One of my personal faves! They won by quite a margin, but all the couples were amazing!

I really want to thank EVERYONE who participated by nominating and voting, and extra appreciation for those who participated in each round! The competition wouldn't have been what it was without all of you! Thanks!

Gosh, I don't know what I'll do now it's over, but there is something I will take away from this that I hope all of you will too. I found out about some GREAT STORIES with some SWOON-WORTHY ROMANCE that I haven't read yet! So now I'm super excited to go get my hungry little fingers on them, so thanks for sharing your favorites with me!

How about you guys? Did you get the chance to learn about some new couples your curious about? Or did you re-fall in love with any old ones? Hope so!

Thanks again!

*Claude, contact me with your email address, and we'll get that prize going for ya! Congrats! (mbuttars83(at)aol(dot)com)

TOP TEN COUPLES!! *LoveVote Extravaganza - Round 2!

**IF YOU VOTE BEFORE I POST THE WINNER, I WILL COUNT IT**

TOP TEN COUPLES REVEALED for ROUND 2!

Time to vote for your KING and QUEEN...

The rules:

1. ONE vote each. (In comments section)

2. Again, you MUST leave your name (screen name) with your vote for it to count.

3. Voting closes this Thursday (20th)

4. WINNER announced Friday (21st)

5. Good luck deciding, and have fun!

BY POPULAR DEMAND, I ANNOUNCE THE TOP TEN ROMANTIC COUPLES IN LITERATURE:(In no particular order)

Allie and Noah -----<---{@ THE NOTEBOOK

Rhett and Scarlett -----<---{@ GONE WITH THE WIND

Bella and Edward -----<---{@ TWILIGHT

Romeo and Juliet -----<---{@ ROMEO AND JULIET

Westley and Buttercup -----<---{@ THE PRINCESS BRIDE

Jim and Della -----<---{@ THE GIFT OF MAGI

Charly and Sam -----<---{@ CHARLY

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy -----<---{@ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Aragorn and Arwen -----<---{@ LORD OF THE RINGS

Annie and Finnick -----<---{@ THE HUNGER GAMES

WOW!! What an amazing group of couples! I'm sure this will be HARD.

*Scroll below to find more information on this competition, including the PRIZE, nomination round, and LoveVote Extravaganza round 1.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fabtabulous week! Can't wait to meet our KING and QUEEN!

*LoveVote Extravaganza!* (Search for the King and Queen of Romance in Literature)

Ding! Ding! Ding! Time for ROUND 1 to start...

**Voting for Round 1 CLOSED. Check in on MONDAY for Round 2!**

First of all, thanks to all those who made nominations. They are all truly great, and voting will be hard.

ANYONE can vote! Not just those who made nominations. That said, I'm giving each person 3 votes each. And yes, you can vote for your own, but each vote must be for a different couple. You can't give all three votes to the same couple. (Vote in the COMMENTS on this post please!)

Also, this is VERY IMPORTANT, your vote will NOT count if you don't have some kind of name for yourself listed with your votes. That means YOU, anonymous voters. LEAVE. A. NAME. Or it won't count. Simple as that.

Let's try to keep this as honest as we can. Each person only gets to vote ONCE. But hey, you can tell your friends to vote too!

Spread the word. Let's get lots and lots of votes in here.

Voting will stay open until October 14th, midnight (EST). The TOP TEN move on to round two.

And here are our amazing couples:

Beren and Luthien -----<---{@ THE SILMARILLION

Melanie and Jared -----<---{@ THE HOST

Allie and Noah -----<---{@ THE NOTEBOOK

Romeo and Juliet -----<---{@ ROMEO AND JULIET

Rhett and Scarlett -----<---{@ GONE WITH THE WIND

Jim and Della -----<---{@ THE GIFT OF MAGI

Jane and Edward -----<---{@ JANE EYRE

Bonnie and Clyde -----<---{@ THE LIFE OF BONNIE AND CLYDE

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy -----<---{@ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Michael and Faye -----<---{@ THE CAROUSEL

Azhrarn and Dunizel -----<---{@ DELUSION'S MASTER

Drogo and Daenerys -----<---{@ GAMES OF THRONES

Annie and Finnick -----<---{@ THE HUNGER GAMES

Anna and Etienne -----<---{@ ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS

Aragorn and Arwen -----<---{@ LORD OF THE RINGS

Betsy and Joe -----<---{@ BETSY'S WEDDING

Grace and Sam -----<---{@ SHIVER

Anne and Frederick -----<---{@ PERSUASION

Deryn and Alek -----<---{@ LEVIATHAN

Lucy and George -----<---{@ A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Tonks and Lupin -----<---{@ HARRY POTTER

Ella and Char -----<---{@ ELLA ENCHANTED

Haven and Iain -----<---{@ THE ETERNAL ONES

Meggie and Ralph -----<---{@ THE THORN BIRDS

Charly and Sam -----<---{@ CHARLY

Bella and Edward -----<---{@ TWILIGHT

Heathcliff and Catherine -----<---{@ WUTHERING HEIGHTS

Henry and Clare -----<---{@ THE TIME TRAVELER'S WIFE

Sydney and Lucie -----<---{@ A TALE OF TWO CITIES

Raoul and Christine -----<---{@ THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

Aurora and Prince Phillip -----<---{@ SLEEPING BEAUTY

Charles and Caroline -----<---{@ LITTE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE

Tristran and Yvaine -----<---{@ STARDUST

Westley and Buttercup -----<---{@ THE PRINCESS BRIDE

Richard and Elise -----<---{@ SOMEWHERE IN TIME (BID TIME RETURN)

Cecilia and Robbie -----<---{@ ATONEMENT

Adam and Mia -----<---{@ IF I STAY, WHERE SHE WENT

Caire and Jaime -----<---{@ OUTLANDER

Margaret and Mr. Thornton -----<---{@ NORTH AND SOUTH

Molly and Arthur -----<---{@ HARRY POTTER

Anakin and Padme -----<---{@ STAR WARS

REMEMBER! Three votes each. And please, PLEASE go spread the word. Thanks!

NOTE: If you nominated more than one couple I chose the first. The last couple is added because the nominator said they tried repeatedly to get it in during nominations, but could not make it work, so I'm adding it for them.

If you see an error in the couples please notify me, and I will make corrections.

Have FUN and get voting...

Nominations Closed - THANK YOU

Nominations are officially closed!

Thanks to everyone who participated. I'm blown away by the amount of entries and everyone's enthusiasm. I loved reading through the entries as they rolled in and hope you guys did too.

The LOVEVOTE EXTRAVAGANZA will open Monday so stay posted for that insane amount of funness.

A little FYI:

The voting will happen in two rounds.

During the first round you will get three votes.

The second round will consist of the top ten couples from round one.

Anyone can vote, and I hope all those who made nominations vote.

More to come Monday...

If you have any questions, please comment below, and I will make sure it gets resolved by Monday.

Thanks, and have a great weekend!