Spillworthy Blog Hop!

During the first ten days of May, individuals will be releasing copies of Spillworthy into the world as part of our Catch and Release.  Look for photos and fun to follow on that page.

For the blog hop, I'll be giving away five Kindle copies of Spillworthy at the end of the week. One lucky winner will also receive a signed ARC and media package, just like the one sent to librarians and book reviewers.

To be entered into the drawing, just comment on any of the following blog posts.  If you'd like to be entered more than once, just comment on more than one blog post.  Winners will be announced on May 11th and we'll party. :)

The Blog Hop

Links will be updated as posts go live on that day.

April 24: 

"An Interview With Johanna Harness"
http://www.fridayflash.org

*Note that I gave away a copy to celebrate my first interview, but anyone who comments before May 10 will still quality for the final drawing.

April 30: 

"Why Do You Think I Got The Chickens?"
Guest post with Buddhapuss Ink

May 1: 

JC Rosen's Girl Meets Words

"SPILLWORTHY by Johanna Harness Debuts"

May 2

Mariam Kobras's The Happy Author On The Porch

"Spillworthy: A Book Release"

May 3:

Angie Capozello's Techtigger's Soapbox

"Writer Shaming"

May 4:

Johanna Harness: http://www.johannaharness.com

"The Golden Hour"

May 5: 

John Ross Barnes: Love This Life, Onward Through The Fog

"A Spillworthy Between John Ross and Johanna"

May 6:

MaryBeth Mulhall: Keystrokes and Word Counts
Book Review: Spillworthy

May 7: 

Kristina Wagner Martin: Ten Minute Missive
"Ideas and Art So Good They Must Be Spilled"

Linda K. Sienkiewicz

Spillworthy--Catch and Release This Book Please!

May 8: 

April Brown: Uncovered Myths
Spillworthy by Johanna Harness (contains spoilers)

May 9: 

Zehra Cranmer: A Life in Writing
"Sally Day"

May 10: 

Shari Risoff: Thinking Out Loud
"Spilling About Spillworthy"

My first book signing!

My book doesn't come out for a few more days, but there were a few copies available for today's SCBWI conference in Boise.  I had so much fun!

Virginia and Greg have been hiding something from me for months!  Virginia presented me with this beautiful Pendleton blanket today, to celebrate my first signing and the beginning of book release events.  I knew she had a Pendleton box, so I was prepped to like what was inside, but I never dreamed it would be such a beautiful blanket.  There are tabs on the top, so I can hang it.  Do you see the Spillworthy monogramming?  Yeah. I could totally release another book just for another blanket.

Spillworthy Review from Linnie Steenvoorden!

Review posted by Linnie Steenvoorden on Goodreads:

It’s been a while since I finished a book in one sitting. But this one I just couldn’t put down. 

The story is laid out like breadcrumbs. It begins very small. The way it’s written prevents you from zooming out and seeing the bigger picture. It keeps you hanging on. One more page. One more, one more. Right until the very end. 

Without copying the style the story and pacing remind me of one of my childhood favourites. (The Famous Five). 

Great ending and a lovely underlying message, which I will not spoil here. Not everything is Spillworthy. 

Sssh. Don’t look up…

---

Spillworthy releases on May 1, 2014!

Spillworthy Review from Mariam Kobras!

Review posted by Mariam Kobras on Goodreads:

"A note rolled up inside a note, left in the fence: 

Some truths are kept hidden in the basement of our souls. We should never stop trying to find them."

Spillworthy by Johanna Harness has left me baffled, surprised, speechless, and with the deep wish that all schools all over the world put this middle-grade novel in their libraries, and not only one copy, but fifty. Or maybe one-hundred. Or maybe enough copies so every child can take it home and then "release" it into the world so it becomes a real Spillworthy, a piece of writing set free into the world. 

I just know that kids will devour this book, and maybe not only kids. When I began reading I had a text marker in my hand to highlight notable passages, only I gave up a few pages into the book. Every page is noteworthy, full of observations, insight, philosophy.

This: "Maybe we're all supposed to be making music together whether it feels like we belong together or not. Maybe it's not enough to live your own lives with quiet respect for others. Maybe we're supposed to be reaching and connecting – even when it seems like there's no way that's possible."

This novel reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird; the kids are of about the same age, and sometimes the tone is similar. Then again, it's something completely different, something not attempted before, both in style and form. 

Buy this book. Read it. Share it. It's a wonderful book!

- - -

Mariam is an amazing writer, so her praise means a lot to me. You can see all her books on Goodreads as well. :)

First Spillworthy Interview!

I'm so excited!  My first Spillworthy interview is up over at FridayFlash.org!

J. M. Strother interviewed me and I found myself revealing much more than I've revealed in other interviews--like why I decided to self-publish, information I've kept to myself for some time.

If you comment on the interview, I'll add your name to a drawing for a Kindle version of Spillworthy.  I'm doing the Kindle direct program, so I'll be purchasing the book for you through Amazon when the book comes out in May.

This interview with Jon was such a pleasure.  I'll leave the opportunity to comment open until the book is available to send and then I'll post the winner in the comments thread.

The #FridayFlash community on Twitter has been so good to me.  While you're there reading my interview, you should explore the site.  You'll especially want to see "The Friday Flash Report," with links to amazing short stories, all written this week.  Want to add your own flash fiction to the list?  Just click on "The Collector" in the upper right hand corner.

I'll see you in the comments! :)

Poetry Workshop

The poetry workshop was such fun. Thanks to all who came out for it. Your poetry makes me happy.

Poetry Eggs

Wouldn't it be great to have an event where kids left treats for others instead of rushing to fill their own baskets? I think so too. 

I'm presenting this free workshop for Caldwell Public Library as part of National Library Week. We'll be rolling around in the fun of words, writing short poems, and leaving them inside plastic eggs for others to discover.

We're meeting in the park next to Caldwell Public Library (Serenity Park) on Saturday April 19th from 11:30 to 12:30. Come join us!