Favorite Feedback

My debut novel came out last week, and here are some of my favorite snippets from reviews:


"Who R U Really? is a well written, realistic, tense read. Margo Kelly has a way of telling the story that just draws you in." -- Book Lover's Life

"I loved the suspense that begins to build as her parents get involved and strange things begin to occur. The end had me rigid in my seat, and I really enjoyed it. This is definitely going on my students’ outside reading list as an option." -- A Book Vacation

"Who R U Really? is a fantastically creepy book that is surprisingly realistic and totally engrossing. ... once I opened it, I couldn’t close it. Yup, I read this entire book in one single sitting. I just didn’t want to put it down! ... Who R U Really does a great job of portraying what it’s like to find friends online as a teenager that you really connect with. It’s so amazing to finally feel understood, but at the same time there’s also those lurking questions in the back of your mind — are they really who they say they are?" -- Tempest Books

 "The book scared the crap out of me." -- My Fantabulous Bookshelf

"Read this with all the lights on and the doors and windows locked." -- Ginger Reader


Click on over to AMAZON to buy your copy today!

Happy Book BIRTHDAY!

*.-*.-**throws confetti**.-*.-*

 

 

 

 

 

 

*.-*.-*

It’s a BOOK Birthday!

The birth of a debut book is often a long labor of love, and Margo Kelly’s Who R U Really? is no exception. Margo finished the first draft of the manuscript in 2010! More than four years later, more than four title changes, and way-more-than four revisions … it has finally arrived! WAHOO!

 

*.-*.-**throws confetti**.-*.-*

Who R U Really?

When Thea discovers a new role-playing game online, she breaks her parents’ rules to play. And in the world of the game, Thea falls for an older boy named Kit whose smarts and savvy can’t defeat his near-suicidal despair. Soon, he’s texting her, asking her to meet him, and talking in vague ways about how they can be together forever. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit’s allure, and hurtles toward the very fate her parents feared most. Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea’s life spins out of control.

 

“Kelly has painted a realistic picture of how a smart girl can get caught up in something dangerous online. … Guaranteed to give readers goosebumps.” -- School Library Journal.  (http://www.bookverdict.com)

 

“Thea’s mistakes, while frustrating to encounter, are frighteningly plausible, and the relationships among characters are well–fleshed out, especially between mother and daughter. Kelly’s first novel is a suspenseful page-turner.” -- Kirkus Reviews (www.kirkusreviews.com)

 

Who R U Really? will be published in hardcover and e-book versions by Merit Press (F+W Media) on September 18, 2014.

 

Buy online:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Merit Press

 

*.-*.-**throws confetti**.-*.-*

 

 

Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, she is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her first novel. Margo welcomes the opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.

 

Follow her online:

Website: www.margokelly.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MargoKelly.author
Twitter: @MargoWKelly
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/margokelly

 

Scheduled Appearances:
September 26, 2014 – 5pm – Book Signing at Hastings in Meridian, Idaho
September 27, 2014 – 4pm – Book Signing at Hastings on Overland in Boise, Idaho
October 3, 2014 – 7pm – Book Launch Party at Hyde Park Books in Boise, Idaho
October 11, 2014 – 4pm – Book Signing at Barnes & Noble in Boise, Idaho

 

 

Please enjoy a virtual cupcake and enjoy the party!

 

*.-*.-**throws confetti**.-*.-*

 

Vulnerability is the Birthplace of Creativity

On the eve of my debut novel's birthday, I'm feeling excited AND ... vulnerable. It's a crazy mix of emotions, and it takes my breath away.

Here's an amazing TED Talk that nails how I'm feeling.

"Vulnerability is the birthplace of joy, creativity, belonging, and love."

This talk made me laugh and cry. It's worth the time to watch and listen:



Do you live whole-heartedly with courage, compassion, and connection?

Do you believe you are "enough" - just the way you are?

Win a Book on Goodreads!

Yay!

My publisher has listed a giveaway on GOODREADS!

Click on over there for your chance to win one of twenty-five copies of Who R U Really?

 

The book birthday is getting closer. It will be available 9/18/14, and it's available now for pre-order from your favorite booksellers:

 

Barnes & Noble

Hyde Park Books

Hastings

Amazon

Powells

Adams Media Store

 

And I'd be thrilled if you helped spread the news by sharing the link on Twitter, Facebook, or your own blog. THANKS!

Cover Reveal & Giveaway!

 

 

To celebrate the cover reveal for Who R U Really? I'm giving away TWO Advance Reader Copies of the book! Scroll down to fill out the entry form; contest ends Sunday, May 11, 2014, and winners will be announced Monday, May 12, 2014.

 

WHO R U REALLY?

by Margo Kelly

Merit Press -- September 18, 2014

 

Description:

 

Thea's overprotective parents are driving her insane. They invade her privacy, ask too many questions, and restrict her online time so severely that Thea feels she has no life at all. When she discovers a new role-playing game online, Thea breaks the rules by staying up late to play. She's living a double life: on one hand, the obedient daughter; on the other, a girl slipping deeper into darkness. In the world of the game, Thea falls under the spell of Kit, an older boy whose smarts and savvy can't defeat his loneliness and near-suicidal despair. As Kit draws soft-hearted Thea into his drama, she creates a full plate of cover stories for her parents and then even her friends.

 

Soon, Thea is all alone in the dark world with Kit, who worries her more and more, but also seems to be the only person who really "gets" her. Is he frightening, the way he seems sometimes, or only terribly sad? Should Thea fear Kit, or pity him? And now, Kit wants to come out of the screen and bring Thea into his real-life world. As much as she suspects that this is wrong, Thea is powerless to resist Kit's allure, and hurtles toward the same dark fate her parents feared most. Ripped from a true-life story of Internet stalking, Who R U Really? will excite you and scare you, as Thea's life spins out of her control.

 

About the Author:

 

Margo Kelly is a native of the Northwest and currently resides in Idaho. A veteran public speaker, Margo is now actively pursuing her love of writing. Who R U Really? is her debut novel and will be published by Merit Press in September 2014. Margo welcomes opportunities to speak to youth groups, library groups, and book clubs.

 

Links:

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

 

Available for Pre-Order:

Barnes& Noble

Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Win a Kindle Fire!

 

Welcome to the Pot of Gold Giveaway

hosted by Darkly Delicious YA and Book Nerd Tours .

Three winners will receive

  



But in addition....

One Very Lucky Leprechaun 

will receive a 

pre-loaded 

with 30 great books!  

Click here to enter to win!
 

It's an awesome giveaway. Go. Now. Enter.
 

A Killer Title

I have read (and own) quite a few books on the craft of writing, but very few tackle the topic of creating a great title.

SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder dedicates a page and a half to the topic, which is more than the other books. ;)

Snyder writes, "to come up with one that nails the concept, without being so on the nose that it's stupid, is an art unto itself" (page 9).

Right ... we know that ... but how do we come up with that great title that nails the concept?

I dunno.

Evidence: My debut novel was originally titled THE EDUCATION OF THIA. After several agents used the phrase "too didactic" in their rejection letters, I reconsidered the title and changed it to BUT HE LOVES ME. With that change alone (I left the content of the query letter the same) I received quite a few requests for the full manuscript. So was it a winning title? Not really. After signing with an awesome agent, we worked and worked and worked to come up with a better title. We decided on SAFE. A winner? Not sure. The editor who made an offer on the manuscript said we had to change the title. Okay. Back to the drawing board.

Snyder also writes, "Title and logline are, in fact, the one-two punch, and a good combo never fails to knock me out. Like the irony in a good logline, a great title must have irony and tell the tale. One of the best titles of recent memory, and one I still marvel at, is Legally Blonde. ... It says what it is! ... If it doesn't pass the Say What It Is Test, you don't have your title. And you don't have the one-two punch" (pages 9-10).

So here is the logline my agent used to sell my manuscript:
Margo Kelly’s debut SAFE is a modern take on “the call is coming from inside the house” old urban legend, in which a young girl falls in love with a guy online who comes for her.

And here's the new title my editor and I came up with:
WHO RU REALLY?

Does it pass the Say What It Is Test? Or is it so "on the nose that its stupid?"

Actually, don't answer the second question.

Naming a book is like naming a child. Inevitably someone is going to hate the name, and you can't possibly please everyone.

*sigh*

BUT the good news is, I have a KILLER TITLE for my next book. ;)