Guest Post & Giveaway: Janet Gurtler, author of If I Tell

Please join me in welcoming Janet Gurtler, author of I'm Not Her and If I Tell, as she provides us with a guest post today.

Janet Gurtler lives in Calgary, Canada with her husband and son and a puppy blessed with cuteness rather than brains. Janet does not live in an Igloo or play hockey, but she does love maple syrup and says “eh” a lot. Visit janetgurtler.blogspot.com.

She will be discussing with her readers, her take on the blogger/author relationship.

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Confession. I live in Canada. I know there are book bloggers in Canada, but I have not personally met any of you. If you are a book blogger from Canada, let me know so I can yell, HELLO FELLOW CANADIAN, at you on twitter! Especially if you are from Calgary, Alberta where I live. Then we could even meet. In person. We could find a nice igloo to have coffee at, play a quick round of hockey and then eat pancakes with maple syrup on them and talk about books. Wink, wink. But seriously, how cool would that be?

The only reason I bring this Canadian fact up, is that my relationship with book bloggers has been mostly on-line. Well, just after I’M NOT HER released I did go to New York for BEA. And I met some really cool book bloggers there. Okay, truthfully I felt kind of intimidated and loserish. No one knew who I was and my book wasn’t one of the “MUST HAVE ARCS” at BEA. They weren’t giving out my arcs. So I was all, I’m a dork. No one loves me. No one cares about my book. I’ll just go over here and eat lunch alone in the corner.

But I did meet some really wonderful bloggers in New York. It was pretty amazing to me. A new author with a new book meeting people who LOVE books! I got over my own feelings of inferiority. Just like I got over the cool girls dissing me at high school. So I guess now I have to admit that there is some similarity to how I feel about book bloggers and how I felt about the cool girls in high school. I want you to like me. I want you to like my books. I want to hang out with you and be your friend, but sometimes when I’m alone in my room I have to admit to myself that I really don’t feel like I deserve it.

But then someone is nice to me…a book blogger likes my book and tells me or the world about it! I’m kind of humbled and shocked. And pleased. Very, very pleased. I feel like I belong.

But then I read about all the other books being praised. With more love and gooier adjectives. Much more loved than mine. Books that all the bloggers covet and everyone wants to read and I feel kind of…small again. Which is probably okay. As someone smarter than me said, “Life is a great lesson in humility.”

I’m so grateful to bloggers who do read my work. Even if my books aren’t your favourite or even your type. I appreciate the time and effort that is involved in writing blogs, writing the reviews and keeping up with the online communities. I applaud the professionalism I see in many, some of you young enough to be my daughter or son. It’s something I would have loved to have had when I was younger. A community of people with like interests.

I admit it, I’m bummed and sad when a blogger doesn’t like my book or gives me a bad rating. I’m human. But I know that all books can’t be all things to all people and try to respect the right to opinion. We’re all allowed to have them.

Fortunately, my experiences with book bloggers online have been unanimously positive. My first experience with I’M NOT HER, began with The Teen Book Scene. Kari Olson from The Book Addict put together a blog tour for me and it was amazingly well run and author friendly. I’m thrilled to be on NetGalley with IF I TELL and have the chance to meet so many more of you.

From this author, I say THANKS! Book Bloggers Rock!

“For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel envy…”

Tess is the exact opposite of her beautiful, athletic sister. And that’s okay. Kristina is the sporty one, Tess is the smart one, and they each have their place. Until Kristina is diagnosed with cancer. Suddenly Tess is the center of the popular crowd, everyone eager for updates. There are senior boys flirting with her. Yet the smiles of her picture-perfect family are cracking and her sister could be dying. Now Tess has to fill a new role: the strong one. Because if she doesn’t hold it together, who will?

Jasmine Evans knows one thing for sure... people make mistakes. After all, she is one. Jaz is the result of a onenight stand between a black football player and a blonde princess. Having a young mother who didn't raise her, a father who wants nothing to do with her and living in a small-minded town where she's never fit in hasn't been easy. But she's been surviving. Until she sees her mom's new boyfriend making out with her own best friend. When do you forgive people for being human or give up on them forever?

WANT TO WIN A COPY OF THESE BOOKS?

{October 10-24, 2011}

• Only residents of the U.S. and Canada are eligible to win
• No P.O. Boxes please
• Giveaway copies will be sent directly to winner from the publisher
• 1 winner will be receiving a copy of both I'm Not Her and If I Tell depending on entries
• Winners will be randomly selected using random.org and contacted via email

To enter:

Please fill out the form below with your contact information.

*Thanks to Sourcebooks for providing the prize!

This giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only. This giveaway will end at 11:59pm CST on October 24th.