New Website!

We just uploaded our new Website!  We're so excited.  Andy has been working on it for a while now and it's so cool to see it working live.  Check it out and let us know what you think.

Our official CD release date is one week from today!

My official Birthday countdown: 21 days!  All I have to do is say 19 and Mom and Dad start freaking out!  It's the little things in life :)

The rest was almost written...

Have you ever stared at the clock and known that the time you have left and the time it would take you to get to your goal don't add up?  I thought I had had those moments but I didn't realize how wrong I was until I stared at the clock on February 5th.  We hadn't had internet in a week and I was drowning in mail.  I almost didn't notice the notification about the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest at all, but there it was, in all its shining glory.  The Deal?  Submit an entire novel for review and hope that they like it.  The prize?  Besides glory and eternal bragging rights, a $25,000 contract with one of the biggest publishers in the country.  Penguin.

We’ve established the fact that I am crazy.  Those who know me know that I often go out on a creative limb at least once during all my projects.  It’s a constant battle against the clock and I’ve cultivated a taste for victory. 

The Contest was open, the submission process had already started and thousands of authors had already submitted their novels for review.  They had heard about it months, even years in advance and had carefully prepared their novels for submission. 

I looked at my book; partially edited, slightly dusty and definitely unfinished and compared my time frame.  3 days to finish the book, write a pitch, edit and submit.  Not so hard right?

If there were any doubts in my family’s mind, there aren’t any now.  I am definitely crazy.

I spent every second between recording sessions in my little corner writing.  What started as a 10,00 word ending soon turned into a 24,000-word 2-day marathon.  I had an amazing editing team; my family and our friends from Alaska and somehow we managed to pull the whole thing together.

I finished the novel at 10:30 the final night for submissions. The closing was at midnight and so, right on cue I entered my book at 11:59:55.  With only 5 seconds to spare I was shaking so hard I almost missed the submit button!  I had to wait for an excruciating minute before I got my final confirmation.

Since that time I have spent all of my free time sitting and staring at the clock.  On March 16^th I will find out if my book will make it to the next round.  Keep your fingers crossed!  The results will be posted up on the Amazon Website.  Whatever the results we’re going to have a party.  Thank you for your support!  I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything!

Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award website:

http://www.amazon.com/Breakthrough-Novel-Award-Books/b/ref=amb_link_83562311_3?ie=UTF8&node=332264011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-1&pf_rd_r=1VCK6A889K7K33B0TD4M&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_p=468873791&pf_rd_i=1000336691

Update!!!

From Pics

We’ve been working like crazy.  Our new show is so close to finished that we’re all going crazy!  We got the final artwork on our new cd and it should be out in time for the Miami Dade Fair on the 26^th!  We’re going to be performing our new show on stage officially for the first time then, so if you’re in the area be sure to stop by and see it.

It felt so good to finally perform again after rehearsing for so long.  Our audience at Lakeland was wonderful and we got to catch up with some old friends.  Also our producer and choreographer’s daughter (they’re married, we like to keep it in the family) came with us for a day.  She was awesome and a great help.  We performed A Second of This, a song off our new CD for the first time on stage.  We got a great response and had a blast.

From Pics

To answer your questions we did get to meet and talk to Switchfoot at the South Florida Fair.  We were also right up front during their concert thanks to Lisa Dudding and our security guard friend.  All and all it was an amazing experience.  We can’t wait to go back next year!

From Pics

South Florida Fair (Posted late because of lack of internet)

Whoo hoo!  We’re at the Fair!  It’s so fun to be out in the sun playing music together as a family!  We’re on the Dodge Stage right across from the main stage, which holds such acts as The Marshal Tucker Band, Lady Antebellum and Switchfoot!  Maybe we’ll get to meet them.  We have back stage passes…

Studio, studio, studio.

We have been holed up in the studio for the past few days recording our new CD.  It has been an amazing process and we’re all excited about the originals and brand new music that we are adding to the mix!  We have also been putting together a new show.  We’ve been in rehearsals for it all week, and it’s been a blast.  I can’t tell you too much because that would ruin the surprise but I can tell you that there will be some new styles of dance involved.  Can anyone say “Swing”?  Uh, oh!  I’ve said too much!  Let’s just hope that our choreographer doesn’t get wind!  I’ll sneak in some more as soon as I get the chance.

Brand New ShaeLaurel Update!!!

Kathryn Adopted a Plant!  We are still searching for a suitable name.  He is a sensitive basil who likes traveling to exotic places and sitting in the rain.  If you can think of a name please write!

Andy has taken his casual sewing practice to the next level and now has become a proficient self-tailor and pincushion!

Mom has been very busy cooking up a storm!  Her culinary experiments have soared to such heights as Chicken Parmesan and homemade Pizza bagels!
Dad has been writing music so often that his fingers are practically glued to his keys.   He’s costing us a fortune in goo-be-gone!

Christian has been editing the latest ShaeLaurel movies as well as our own adventures into movie land like our own production of Wonder Woman played by Kate.

And me?  Well, I’ve been doing research for a book!  The challenging kind, you know; the kind that requires you to watch movies that you never really had time for and hold small cute fury animals with big eyes and yoda-esk ears. 
This Sugar glider (Tucker) has been filling me in on its life and likings for my latest book Another Place to Fall.

Segway Madness!

Want to see more?  Go to: http://www.choosesarasota.com/Shae_Laurel_at_SunNFun-a-961.html