Giveaway + Guest Blogger: Cidney Swanson, author of Rippler

Hi everyone!

Cidney Swanson, 

author of the book RIPPLER, 

is here at The Fairytale Nerd! 

Cidney is an "unabashed Pirates of the Caribbean Fan. Raw Milk drinker. Contented owner of an over-active imagination. Roller Coaster researcher. Chocolate Steward."

And yes... Cidney is giving away a copy of her book Rippler! 

Fill out the form at the bottom of this post for a chance to win!

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Writing about Truth and Beauty 

A few weeks ago in a dark movie theater watching the last Harry Potter movie, I remembered why I love to write, I wasn’t one of those who made it for the midnight viewings. I’d promised my niece that we would watch it together. (We’re both very bookish and deeply devoted to all things JK Rowling.) The promise was hard to keep; she didn’t be coming to visit ‘til July 18th. But a couple of days after the premiere (and taking advantage of cheaper matinee pricing) we marched down to the local Cinemark.

I knew I’d be sad. I’d read a tweet by Cheryl Klein (continuity editor on later HP’s) where she compared her night at the premiere to watching your best friends getting beaten up for two hours. So, yeah, I knew it would probably be a tear-jerker. For some people.

But I wasn’t prepared.

Like many readers, I feel an intense connection to Severus Snape every time I read through the second half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. But I seriously wasn’t prepared for the effect that his story would have on me when presented on a really, really big screen.

From the moment Alan Rickman first walked on the screen, and without his having uttered any words, you could feel Snape's inner turmoil. It was painful, hearing him deliver that initial warning about not sheltering Harry Potter. If you’ve seen it, surely you felt what I’m talking about. How conflicted Snape was as he made those demands of all of the Hogwarts students? I got shivers.

And then the pensieve scene. Oh, I so did not see my reaction coming. I shook with tears. And, of course, tried to do so quietly so as not to disturb other people near me. But I couldn’t stop. I think the tears started the moment I heard young Severus’ voice. So small, so earnest. So obviously over-the-top in love with Lily, his one friend in all the wide world.

And Snape’s anguish when he comes to Dumbledore knowing Lily’s been killed? “They put their trust in the wrong person, just like someone else I know.” Which brings us to the on-screen moment when Snape weeps over the dead body of his best friend, his compass-star, his one true love.

That was the moment when I leaned into my husband, took his hand, and whispered, “I want to tell stories like this—the kind that make you ache because of their beauty and truth.” He squeezed my hand back. I think he might have been crying a little, too.

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Rippler by Cidney Swanson

Amazon | Smashwords

Samantha Ruiz has a freak gene that makes her turn invisible, or ripple. She can’t control it, and it’s getting worse. Afraid of becoming a lab-rat, Sam keeps her ability secret, until fellow runner Will Baker sees her vanish into thin air. Will promises secrecy and help, and Sam begins to fall in love. Together, the two discover there are worse things than being a scientific curiosity. Someone’s been killing people who possess Sam's gene. A mysterious man from France sends letters that offer hope for safety, but also reveal a sinister connection with Nazi experiments. The more time Sam spends with Will, the less she can imagine life without him. When Sam uncovers secrets from her past, she must choose between keeping Will in her life or keeping Will safe.

Want to win this book?

FILL OUT THE FORM for a chance to win an eBook of Rippler!
contest ended.

Giveaway Rules:
Open to persons 13 years old or older.
Only one person per entry. Those exceeding one will not be considered.
This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.
Contest ends on SEPTEMBER 18, 2011.
Leave your email address so we can send you your eBook if you win.