Babbling Flow

ALA MIDWINTER!

2012-01-12T08:00:00.019-05:00

ALA MIDWINTER IS NEXT WEEK. And in case you can't tell by my all caps, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

The ALAs are some of my favorite and most anticipated events each year. I come home SO motivated every time. How could I not be after spending days surrounded by BOOKS. And writing buddies? And industry chat? And everything else awesome in-between? I have a feeling this trip will be no exception.

Are you going? If so, I want to hang out!! Let me know :)

If not, I promise to come back with a full recap for you. And maybe some books.

xo

Hunger Games MANIA. I'm sooooo into it.

2011-12-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been tweeting so much about Hunger Games recently, I figured I should make a blog post out of it.

FIRST:

Dude. You guys know how I am about nail polish. (And just in case you're new here, Sara = total NP junkie.) There was some controversy over whether or not there actually would be a polish collection tied to the movie, and for a while it looked like a no-go. BUT:

The controversy is over. After weeks of back and forth about whether the collection would ever see the light of day, fans of The Hunger Games can rest assured that they will be able to cover their digits in the gold of Cinna's eyeliner. The nail polish collection is, once and for all, confirmed.

source: bellasugar.com.au

And last week China Glaze released a swatch of planned colors from their upcoming "Colours from the Capitol" collection! *happy dances*

SOURCE

Which ones are your faves? (Mine are are listed in my tweet.)

SECOND:

Eleven different designers played around and created Katniss's fire dress.

Awesome.Sauce.

Awesome-dot-sauce.

I mean, is there really any other way to say it? How much FUN are these designs???

Tadashi Shoji's is my fave:

SOURCE: stylecaster.com

But I LOVE the cape in Christian Siriano's:

SOURCE: stylecaster.com

Which ones are YOUR faves?

THIRD:

Okay, this one is allllll thanks to Cristin Terrill. She discovered this spoof of the trailer, and tweeted about it. But I couldn't NOT include it in my post :) But still, all the credit goes to her. (Well, and the peeps who made the trailer . . . )

Hilarious.

FOURTH:

AND of course you've already seen this (unless you're living in a box buried under sand under the deepest depths of the ocean) but who DOESN'T want to watch it at least once a day? Or, okay, confession? MORE THAN ONCE.

The official Hunger Games trailer.

Yep. I got chills for the millionth time watching the trailer again before embedding it in this post. I am SO CISED for this movie.

I will be at the midnight showing.

Who's with me?

Well hello, stranger. (With pictures!) (And winners!)

2011-12-15T12:30:00.000-05:00

Holy guacamole, you guys. I feel like it's still early November. HOW is it that Christmas is basically knocking at the door? Jeez. Seriously.

Wait.

I mean...

YAY!

Because I love Christmas. I love this entire season. It's just . . . it's flown by! I haven't updated here in forever. (Which, okay, is really only twenty days. But STILL. I've missed you.) The past few months have been jam-packed. Don't get me wrong, I've been having fun. BUT I'm still sitting here scratching my head, wondering where all the time went.

So. Here are the things I've been up to:

1. WRITING. This WIP. Ohmygoshiloveitsomuch. But it. is. killing. me. My characters are a little out of control, and they keep forcing me in directions I didn't want to go in. But, you know, I follow them just to see what they think will make this story good. And usually they're right. Except I keep having to make changes and cut away HUGE chunks and rewrite. And I'm only drafting at this stage. But seriously? I'm LOVING EVERY SECOND. Because these characters are just. so. special to me.

2. I went to Jamaica for Thanksgiving!! I got bronchitis while there (ugh it lasted FIVE days), but it was still the best vacay I've ever been on. (Plus, the bronchitis helped me to quit smoking. Three weeks down and going strong, baby!)

Swimming with dolphins? Freaking awesome experience.

We saw this nurse shark while snorkeling. Honestly. Scared the &%^$ out of me.

The sunsets? Yeah, pretty much out of this world.

This is just for the few of you who don't believe I have naturally curly hair :)

3. I had my 3 year wedding anniversary! And with my vast three years of marriage knowledge, I can say this: Marriage is amazing and difficult and complete happiness and always evolving with high highs and low lows and takes a ridiculous amount of work. And it is the most fun I've ever had in my entire life. Especially these days.

The past three years have been a crazy, stomach-dropping, exhilarating ride.
I can't catch my breath, and I love it.

4. WORK. I've been working a lot at my (usually part-time) day job. It's an awesome place to work, everyone there is for serious awesomesauce. But dang does a full day's work take toll on my creativity. Mad props (oh yeah, I totally did just use that expression) to everyone who writes and works full-time. Respect.

ALSO. I need to pick winners for my Tangled Tides giveaway! I'm so sorry I dropped the ball on this. In fact, to make it up to you guys, I'm going to give away three copies instead of two.

Aaaaaand the winners are:

Katie

Krispy

Linda G

Congratulations! You should have an email from me asking for your mailing address, so send it to me, and I'll get the FABULOUS books out to you ASAP!

I hope everyone's doing well and enjoying the holiday season! Or the winter season. Or whatever! I'll be back soon(ish).

xo

BOOK BIRTHDAY: TANGLED TIDES!!

2011-11-25T08:00:00.118-05:00

You guys, you guys, you guys! GUESS WHAT TODAY IS!!

Here's a hint:

Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

*HAPPY DANCE*

Today is Karen Hooper's BOOK BIRTHDAY!!

There's a whole release day theme--but first? I just have to say . . .

I've been a fan of this book for a long time. Yep. My love affair first began on July 11th, 2010. The first time Karen let me read this novel. I was at the beach (how appropriate!) and I missed almost an entire day of sun because I couldn't drag myself away from her story. I've had the opportunity--the pleasure--to watch it grow from that stream of something fabulous into what it is now: an entire ocean of awesome.

And finally you guys get to go swimming in it, too!!

Tangled Tides is dark and romantic . . . The cast is full of merfolk and selkies and sirens and gorgons, each with hidden pasts and secrets that run as deep as the sea. It's not your standard Disney-style mermaid tale, trust me. In case you haven't already (and if so, omg why not???), add this book to your list of must reads. You won't regret it.

Be warned, however, that a there's an underwater web war raging between the creatures in Karen's story. And while Karen says she loves them all, she wants us each to choose a side.

So . . .

I CHOOSE . . .

. . . wait for it . . .

. . . wait for it . . .

MERFOLK!

DUH.

As if there was ever any question.

I mean, who didn't dream of being Ariel while growing up? And like I said before--Karen's story is a far cry from a Disney mermaid story, but still. Sometimes I butterfly kick at the pool or in the ocean and pretend I'm secretly a mermaid. To. this. day.

How could I choose anything else?

And in honor of my love for all things merfolk--I'm giving away TWO copies of Tangled Tides! OPEN INTERNATIONALLY! (Ends December 1st.)

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post with your email address. AND your answer to the question of the day.

Want another chance to win? Karen's giving away a SIGNED copy of her book (and some other sea creature-themed prizes!) on twitter! To enter? Just join the underwater web war by tweeting which sea creatures you're rooting for and why. Use the hasthag #TangledTides and you'll be entered to win :)

Karen will be on Twitter all day celebrating and answering questions--make sure to stop by and say hello. @Karen_Hooper

So tell me--are you Team Merfolk, Selkies, Sirens, or Gorgons?

Links for Tangled Tides:

PS. I apologize for any formatting issues or spelling errors! I'm currently in Jamaica (ya mon! <--- Sara's Jamaican accent . . . ) without Internet access to make edits. Thanks in advance for your comments and support for Karen's BIG DAY!

PPS. If you're a robber, you should know we have friends house sitting for us. With really big muscles. Don't even think about it.

Sara's Required Reading 101

2011-11-16T08:00:00.021-05:00

Hey--really quick, before I start my post--please take a moment to read this post by Carolina Valdez Miller. She's going on a medical mission to Haiti, and she could really use our help. I hope you'll donate if you're able! And even if you aren't, you could always show your support in the form of a kind comment . . .

* * * * *

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

Today's topic: In high school, teens are made to read the classics - Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Bronte, Dickens - but there are a lot of books out there never taught in schools. So if you had the power to change school curriculums, which books would you be sure high school students were required to read?

My answer: Oh mans. There are too. many. books. that come to mind. I'm going to narrow my list down to three, so you're not stuck reading the never-ending post of all posts. And, for the same reason, I'll (try my hardest to) keep my explanations down to one sentence.

Wish me luck.

(Seriously . . . )

1. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Beautifully written and engaging story--as a reader, I came away from it with new level of consciousness about the little things in how I live my life that can make a huge difference in other people's.

2. Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Gritty dystopian with a realistic premise--it's another one that will push teens into thinking twice about the world we currently live in.

3. The entire Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. Because every teen (every person, really) deserves the chance to believe in magic, even if just between the pages of those books.

Hey--look at that--I kept my number down to three!

Though, honestly, I'd make my list required reading for all people, not just teens. Why should adults miss out on these fabulous books just because they're not in high school anymore? And just because the protagonists are teenagers, it doesn't mean people of all ages won't come away a slightly changed person for having read them.

For the record, a few of the other books I'm dying to mention include:

*takes a deep breath*

*spits out book titles with rapid-fire quickness*

The Book Thief-Jellicoe Road-The Sky is Everywhere-Before I Fall-The Chronicles of Narnia-When You Reach Me-The Hunger Games-Ender's Game--

*runs out of air*

Hm. Guess I wasn't able to keep it at three after all . . .

*shrugs*

Click here to see what other Road Trippers had to say about their own required reading suggestions!

Swimming Against the Current

2011-11-14T08:00:00.014-05:00

The ocean. The sand. The sun. I Love the beach. Yep, Love with a capital L . And capital O, V, and Es, while we're at it.

You know those days, though? Where you're splashing in the water and look up ten minutes later to realize the current has dragged you a quarter mile from where you thought you were? And all your stuff is way down the beach? And you have to swim so hard to get back? You paddle and paddle and paddle, but when you look up you're still so. far. away. And you're out of breath and getting irritated and your muscles are so tired and you know you're being melodramatic, but you feel like you're never gonna get there?

I've had a lot of conversations recently with writers who are having days like those. I have them sometimes, too. With writing. With life. I mean, who doesn't hit that drag-you-down riptide every once in a while? When--in that moment--it feels like it's always going to be against-the-current battle? And we get exhausted. Because, seriously, when are we going to get there?

But then . . . Look around.

Dude, we're in the ocean. We get to play in the water. Yes, sometimes people ride a wave in and walk back along the sand. It's faster. It's easier. But I don't want to do that. Because, dang, look at my swimming muscles. Those things are getting JACKED. I'm getting stronger, my endurance is building. And next time it will be a little less of a challenge. And? Splashing and twisting and flipping in the ocean is fun. As long as you don't swallow too much and choke on the saltwater, yanno? So enjoy the waves and breathe out through your nose.

Because you wouldn't be in the ocean if you didn't love it.

source

8 Commonly Misused Words

2011-11-10T08:00:00.071-05:00

I have a problem. Her name is Pinterest.

source

Pinterest, meet my followers. They are all fabulous and I heart them. Followers, meet Pinterest. She's a total time suck, and yet I love her oh, so much. Seriously. She's like a virtual collage for EVERYTHING YOU COULD EVER THINK OF. And, let's be serious, who doesn't love a good collage?

What's that? You already know Pinterest? I should have known. Pinterest, that little minx, really gets around.

Want to know if you're a Pinterest addict? Here are the top ten signs you might have a problem... (Number 1 FOR THE WIN.)

So, um, I thought maybe I'd put my addiction to good use (okay, fine, that's kind of subjective--or maybe even nothing more than an excuse--in this case) and share some of the things I find. Like for instance, today, I've got this handy little guide for 8 commonly misused words. And, okay, most of these are easy peasy lemon squeezy --but confession? Yeah, I didn't actually know complement was a word. I've used compliment both ways forever. Whoops. And fewer and less get me every. single. time. (Which, for a former math teacher is kind of ridiculous . . . )

Pin
Source

Tada! See, you learned something. Or maybe you didn't. But let's just pretend you did, okay? And that all my time ~~wasted~~ spent on Pinterest is very beneficial for my wellbeing AND yours.

:)

Oh, and if you want to see my boards (hehe, it sounds dirty but IT ISN'T), you can find me HERE.

Have you succumbed to the big P(interest) yet? Or are you being strong and holding out??

Most recent pin to make me giggle:

RTW: Writing Superpowers . . . and Kryptonite

2011-11-09T08:00:00.280-05:00

I'm a long time lurker for YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesdays--and I've been telling myself that one of these days I'll jump in. So . . .

*jumps*

For those who don't know, Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

Today's topic: What are your writing and publishing superpowers (drafting? beta-reading? writing queries? plotting? character creation? etc.) -- and what's your kryptonite?

I had no trouble pinpointing my areas of kryptonite! But when it came to my writing superpowers? Totally different story. Because I still see a lot of room for improvement with every strength I have. So I got kind of stuck. (You'll soon see that this is not quite uncommon, ha!) THANKFULLY, I have my CP Cristin on speed dial. Or, wait . . . Is speed dial even a thing anymore? She's in my favorites, which, you know, is probably a cooler way of saying it. Anyway, she came to my rescue and suggested some things I could use.

source

My superpower? Teen voice! I'm proud of this because, considering I write for teens, it's a pretty important power to have. Maybe because I was a teacher for a while, and a youth leader--or maybe because I'm still not entirely sure what my "adult" voice is--but teen voices come very easily to me while I write.

Cristin also recommended pacing, but I'm just going to talk right over that one, because some days I really can't tell . . .

source

And my kryptonite? Oh mans. I'd have to say it's world building. Which, for a fantasy/paranormal writer, is unfortunate. I'm working on it, though! I didn't realize quite how big of a weakness it was until recently. But, honestly, that discovery was priceless.

Here's the thing: I have no problem coming up with fun and different concepts for my WIPs. Like my current story, oh how I love it. I have these awesome (imo!) characters with these . . . unique aspects and with these . . . unusual, um, abilities. (Heh. Could I be anymore vague? <--Chandler Bing voice.) This story's been in my head for a looooong time. And when I finally started writing, it flew out of me. In the beginning, anyway. But I got stuck over the summer. Super stuck. Not able to write at all stuck.

Then in September, I went on a writing retreat and after lots and lots and lots of discussion (seriously, thank goodness for CPs and writing friends with brains to pick) I discovered my problem was my world building. I wasn't able to continue writing--even though the story was outlined (the high points anyway)--because while I have these super special characters, I wasn't keeping what makes them so special prevalent throughout the story. The way their uniqueness impacted the way they functioned in our world wasn't fully enough developed.

*ENTER TONS OF BRAINSTORMING*

*And--dramatic sigh--a complete restart to the project*

Which, yeah . . . Holy a lot of work, Batman. (Or, I guess Superman, considering today's topic!) But it was so, so, so worth it. Because you know what? I'm completely back on track. And maybe--after all this work--world building will grow from my kryptonite into another superpower.

What about you? What are YOUR writing superpowers and kryptonite? And don’t forget to visit YA Highway to see how the other Road Trippers answered today’s question!

WAIT! Don't go yet!!

ATTENTION!!!

Have you stopped by Jessica Love's blog today? No? WELL YOU SHOULD. She has some HUGE NEWS!!!

Hola :)

2011-11-07T08:00:00.092-05:00

So, I know, it's the truth: I have been seriously neglecting Babbling Flow. It's not on purpose. And it's definitely not YOU. It's me. I swear. It's just I have this . . . you know . . . life. And it kind of gets in the way sometimes.

Well, okay. It's not always life. Sometimes I have a few hours where I *could* blog, but I choose to catch up on tivo instead. (See, I'll always tell you the truth.) It's not a crime or anything. But it can feel like one. To me anyway. Because I miss you guys. And now. Here I am. Writing in these choppy sentences. For no reason.

*stops all the choppy*

I'm just trying to say I'm back--kind of, anyway. Insofar as I am going to make an effort to update this place more often. It's not like I've run out of things to say. (Although . . . another truth: Sometimes it feels like I don't talk about important enough things. But I have plenty of silly left to share. That counts, right?)

So. Here are some of the things that have been on my mind of late:

1. Are any of you watching Revenge? (One of the aforementioned tivoed shows.) Dude. It's awesome. I am so, so, so digging it. And I swore I wouldn't pick up any new shows this season, because I don't even have enough time to watch my usual favorites. I want to be writing with my free time, yanno? But the hubs watched the first episode and convinced me I would like it (even though he doesn't watch anymore) and I. am. hooked.

2. How the heck is it November already? Not that I'm complaining. October was crazy busy. But still. It's NOVEMBER. And on that note, did you know Karen Hooper's book, Tangled Tides, is coming out THIS MONTH. Or that you can pre-order it (here)? I may have already ordered one. Or five.

3. I'm going to ALA Midwinter with Cristin and Cambria. I'm sure I'll post about it again closer to the date, but in an early opportunity to make me even happier than I already am--are any of you guys coming too? (Ugh, of all places, it has to be Dallas. I mean, nothing against the city per se, but I'm a fairly hardcore Redskins fan, which means I hate the Cowboys. So it could get . . . awkward.)

4. That's it. I'm cutting myself off right here. I could grow this list longer than three items, but let's take baby steps, shall we? For now, I'm leaving the ball in YOUR hands. Tell me how you are and what you're up to! How's life these days?

xoxo

WFC (Year 2 . . . of many to come) AND a First Line Critique!

2011-11-03T08:00:00.229-04:00

Ah, WFC. What to say, what to say?

I am battling the dreaded con crud, which has made my mind just a little fuzzy--and I'm scared I'll forget to tell you about something or someone awesome that you should know about . . .

SO. I've decided that instead of a long post about this year's World Fantasy Convention I'll just sum it up in these simple words:

It.

Was.

Awesome.

No. You don't get it.

Like seriously awesome.

I could tell you about the guy who said he was going to curse us, or astrally project into my friend Holly McDowell's dreams to turn them into nightmares. (Um, cray-cray anyone?) Or about how the hotel concierge sent us three times--THREE--to places that were actually closed. (Liquor store? Check. Breakfast joint? Check. Sushi place? CHECK.) Or how Andrew Smith really knows his scotch. (Well, I don't actually know because I was too much of a wimp to try, but STILL. According to everyone else.) Or how Carolina Valdez Miller and I wowed everyone with our *amazing* duet rendition of Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You." (Amazing is a codeword for horrible, but let's keep that between us, shall we?) Or my secret friendship handshake with Amber Van Dyk. (It's not even a real handshake, that's how secret it is!) Or discovering that Matthew MacNish is even sweeter in real life than online. (He will be my friend forevah. Even if I have to force him!) Or getting swept away by another one of Brad Beaulieu's readings. (Because, dude. The guy's books are just. so. good.) Or when Rob Ziegler told me he thought I looked like I was 24. (Um. He was so far off. And for that, I will heart him always.) Or . . . I could probably ramble on for pages and pages and pages.

But those things? They're only a few examples of why WFC is so great. Seriously. I've gone to a lot of conferences the past couple years, but WFC has been my favorite every time. It's not even because of the panels, though I went to some great ones. Or because, yanno, Neil Gaiman was a guest of honor. (I didn't stalk him, like some people I know, but I did see him out and about a few times. It was cool.)

WFC is so special because it's a constant reminder that we're all in this together. People are friendly and genuinely interested in each other's careers. There is so much laughter and so much fun. It's the complete sense of community. Everyone's there because they write or read fantasy, and for me--someone who has so few non-writer friends who enjoy genre fiction?--it's like heaven. Constant chatter about books, industry, writing, buzz . . . It doesn't get better than that.

Sadly, I had so much fun that I kept forgetting to take pictures. I'm beyond bummed that I missed out on capturing the fantastic moments I had with everyone else, too. But here are the few I snapped along the way:

With Carol, my heart.

And Shannon, whom I couldn't survive without.

And my roommate, Jess, who IS tiny and absolutely adorable!

So, um, anyone who knows me knows I'm a pretty strong advocate for Bellinis.

Enjoying them here with Carol, Holly, Rae, Jane, Rob, & LK!

One more shot with Holly & Rae, who were two of the first writers I ever met in real life and will always have a very special place in my heart. <3 <3 <3

But like I said, I took way too few photographs. I'm dying to introduce *all* of my fave WFC people with you guys--so below are my WFC friends (some new, some I've had for years) linked to their twitter profiles. From there you can find their websites and their books and . . . just their general awesomeness. Because, trust me, these are good people. Each one is a blast and a half and well worth getting to know.

Carolina Valdez Miller

And oh, look at that. This post turned out long anyway. . .

In any case, I can't wait for WFC 2012. It's in Toronto next year. Who's coming with me???

PS. For all you YA writers--we're having a First Line Critique Day at YA Confidential! Check it out HERE.

Winners!

2011-11-01T21:33:00.000-04:00

I just got back from World Fantasy Convention (holy awesome time, batman!) and I'm sooooo trying to catch up with everything! (Con post coming soon though, promise!) So, I'll make this brief :)

Winners

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Charlotte Williamson

Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi

Zoey Talbon

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Shannon O'Donnell

Tempest by Julie Cross

Elle Strauss

Congratulations! Send me your mailing addresses (you should receive an email from me asking for them) and I'll get the ARCs out to you ASAP!

And DON'T forget your promises to spread the word about everything you love about these books!

xoxo

Do you write for teens? (And a Friday Funny!)

2011-10-14T10:39:00.000-04:00

If so, hop over to YA Confidential! We're opening an "Ask a Teen" thread today, and in next Tuesday's post, our teen spies will answer everything you ask!

Ask anything, serious or silly. Reading habits. Daily life. ANYTHING that will help you to understand your own teen characters better.

Oh, and here's a little Friday Funny for ya, too :)

source

Hehe . . . It's funny because it's TRUE.

Have a great weekend!!

xoxo

Celebratory ARC Giveaway!!

2011-10-12T08:00:00.146-04:00

You guys. Can you just give me a moment to fangirl about how PROUD I am of my friends?

Let's recap here, shall we? (And be sure to read, because the ARCs I'm giving away at the end of this post are purely in celebration of these four girls!!)

1. Karen Hooper's book, Tangled Tides, is coming out SO SOON!

Yara Jones doesn't believe in sea monsters--until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of rivaling merfolk and selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they battle over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

2. Shannon Messenger just announced her BOOK DEAL for Keeper of the Lost Cities!!

Keeper of the Lost Cities, is scheduled for fall 2012. In Cities, a 12-year-old girl who can read minds, and is something of a social outcast, discovers the reason she has her abilities when she meets a mysterious boy.

3. CJ Redwine's amazing book, Defiance, was announced a while back, but STILL.

A YA fantasy in which an independent girl sets out to rescue her father from the Wasteland outside their cloistered city and in the process finds danger, heartbreak, and a new romance with her father's apprentice.

4. MG Buehrlen runs the YABooksCentral website.

YABC is similar to Goodreads (better IMO), but it's just for YA book lovers!! First started in 1998, the site recently had a complete design overhaul--so you should DEFINITELY check out the fabulous community!! Seriously, it's one of my new faves. Oh--and each review you submit enters you into a monthly drawing for a YABC totebag full of books from their ARC stash.

Pretty awesome, right?

And to celebrate their successes, I'm giving THESE babies away!

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Tempest by Julie Cross
Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi

If, by some chance, you haven't heard of one of these, click on the title in the description and you'll go to the Goodreads description.

Okay. So. Pretty much the same deal as always. You don't have to do anything, other than sign up and rank the books in order of what you want to win the most.

BUT if you want higher odds?

There are tons of things you can do. They're all laid out in the entry form. The ones you might be most interested in are:

Extra entries for adding Karen, Shannon, and CJ's books on Goodreads! (And take it from someone who knows--you WANT to read these as soon as they come out. Promise!)
Extra entries for joining YABooksCentral and friending ME!

Giveaway is open international and closes Friday, October 28.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

And good luck!!

xoxo

DUDE! GUESS WHAT??? (HINT: IT'S AMAZING!)

2011-10-10T09:00:00.001-04:00

You guys!!!!

My amazing and talented CP, Shannon Messenger, has some AMAZING NEWS to share!!

I don't want to steal her thunder, so make sure you check out her post--but I will say that it has to do with an amazing BOOK DEAL!!!

*HAPPY DANCE*

Seriously. This is what I looked like when she told me the news...

I will also say that since the first time I read even just the first few pages of this amazing series, I knew it was going to sell. Because it's way, way, way too amazing to not be read by everyone!!

Wanna know what her series is about? GO CHECK OUT HER POST!

And, to Shannon--

Get ready for a wild, AMAZING ride! ♥ ♥ ♥

xoxoxo

I almost forgot

2011-10-04T20:59:00.000-04:00

TO PICK ARC WINNERS!!

Congrats to everyone! And, again, don't worry if you didn't win! Lots more coming your way soon. Promise.

Names of the winners match the color of the ARC titles.

Eve by Anna Carey

ASHLEY BARKER!!!

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

JOLAINNE!!!

Tris & Izzie SIGNED by Mette Ivie Harrison

ANGEL SNYDER!!!

Everybody Sees the Ants SIGNED by Printz honoree A. S. King

J E FRITZ!!!

Variant by Robison Wells

CHRISTINA WILLIAMSON!!!

Congratulations!! Please send me an email with your mailing address.

And PLEASE please spread the word about how awesome these books are after you've read and loved them!

xoxox

Oh Yeah, Glamour. That's RIGHT.

2011-09-22T08:00:00.002-04:00

So the other day, I was getting my hair did and flipping through Glamour when I came across something that made me smile.

Can you find it?

Need a closer look?

Yep. I mean, they're just stating the obvious, but still. It made me happy :)

Though, instead of titling this "Hey, it's OK," I'd call it: "Hey, it's AWESOME . . . "

Duh.

M is for Monday, and it's also for . . .

2011-09-19T08:00:00.001-04:00

MUSIC!!

And when I had this amazingly deep revelation about the letter M, I took it as a sign that I should share another song from my WIP playlist :)

So this one is Emily Browning's version of "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Some of the lyrics absolutely fit my WIP--but I also just love the mood of the music and the sound of her voice.

This is from the Sucker Punch soundtrack. If you haven't seen the movie yet, I wouldn't bother. It's very pretty and the soundtrack is amazing (I write to it quite frequently!), but the plot is . . . meh. IMO, anyway.

How were your weekends? I want to hear everything!

PS For more songs from my playlist, click here!

We write for teens, so we should know about them, right?

2011-09-15T09:30:00.001-04:00

I promise I'm not going to do the double post thing everyday where I tell you to go check out something on YA Confidential. (I mean, hopefully you'll do that anyway!) But I'm a little nervous / excited / thrilled about my post over there today, and I'm really hoping you'll stop by.

See, I interviewed my friend Kacey. She's 15 and talks all about books, bullying, drugs, and the teenage life. She gave me such fantastic information . . . Stuff that I will definitely keep in mind while writing.

So, please--instead of commenting on this post today, will you come over to YA Confidential and say hello to Kacey instead?

I'll love ya forever.

(I'll do that anyway.)

CLICK HERE!!

xoxo

Yep, It's Another ARC Giveaway!

2011-09-14T08:05:00.071-04:00

Clearly, I'm super excited about our new YA blog, YA Confidential! So to celebrate, I'm having an ARC giveaway!

BUT. Before I tell you what I'm giving away, I should tell you that we're also having an ARC giveaway at YA Confidential.

AND at YA Confidential there are agent critiques being offered as well!!

So, hop over there too, because you could win:

A query critique from agent Sarah LaPolla of Curtis Brown, LTD
A five-page critique from agent Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates
ARC: Shatter Me by Tahera Mafi
ARC: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
ARC: Legend by Marie Lu
ARC: Crossed (Matched #2) by Ally Condie
Finished copy of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

CLICK HERE for the YA Confidential Giveaway

And now, onto MY personal celebratory giveaway!

LOOK AT ALL THE PRETTIES UP FOR GRABS!!

(Titles link to Goodreads descriptions.)

Eve by Anna Carey

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Tris & Izzie SIGNED by Mette Ivie Harrison

Everybody Sees the Ants SIGNED by Printz honoree A. S. King

Variant by Robison Wells

So, basically, it's the same deal as usual.

The contest

is open internationally
is easy to enter

all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)

has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
closes September 30th

All I ask, is that if you win you find a way to spread the word about anything and everything you liked about the ARC.

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

And good luck!

Wanna Know Something Kinda Cool?

2011-09-12T12:10:00.000-04:00

So there's a new YA group in the blogosphere . . . and *I* get to be a part of it!!

I am super excited to tell you that YA Confidential is live as of today--so if you're a fellow YA reader / writer / lover come check us out!

The deal is this: YA Confidential is allll about the teen perspective. Seriously, we even have our own group of teen spies who will be giving the teen lowdown. Teen crits of YOUR pages. Teen roundtables. Teen interviews. Teen reviews.

And, of course, everything else YA-related.

I'd tell you more . . . but then I'd have to kill you.

Sike.

Really, I'd tell you more, but it's all over on the new blog! Today, you get to meet all of the operatives. Tomorrow, our teen spies. And then Wednesday? We're having a HUGE mega giveaway to celebrate our launch! Agent crits, YA ARCs, and some other fun prizes.

And, I mean . . . I *may* even have an ARC contest here to celebrate as well.

Maybe.

Probably.

Okay, definitely.

So what are you waiting for?? Come on over and say hello!

My OPERATIVE photo. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone.

http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/

xoxo

Friday Funny: Thug Story Edition

2011-09-09T08:00:00.018-04:00

Happy Friday, dudes!

I heart Taylor Swift. Love her songs--plus, I mean, she's just so cute. I can't handle it.

Enjoy!

I uploaded the vid from my computer because the official one on youtube kept freezing--but the link for that one is HERE if you want it!

PS Want some more funnies? CLICK HERE

I mean, I really couldn't have said it better . . .

2011-09-07T08:00:00.024-04:00

source

So, what's up with you guys? Reading anything that's got you spellbound these days?

Two books recently affected me this way: Chime (Franny Billingsley) and Blood Red Road (Moira Young). I so so SO highly recommend them both!

Also, how fabulous is Colin Firth? I adore him.

xoxo

Amazeballs.

2011-08-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

Have y'all seen Karen Hooper's cover for Tangled Tides???

Seriously, how gorgeous is it? All I want right now is to be a mermaid.

Click here: AND GO TELL HER HOW MUCH YOU LOVE IT!!!

Everyday I'm Shufflin'

2011-08-25T08:00:00.001-04:00

1. I spent the first two weeks of August with my family in the Outer Banks. The beach. One of my most favorite places in the world.

2. I've never been on a two-week vacay before.

3. It was freaking amazeballs.

4. When we got there, my parents took one look at all my suitcases and told me it looked like I was MOVING to the beach (I wish) and teased me about overpacking.

5. I told them I had exactly enough to wear and that they'd be the ones who wished they packed more.* And, seriously, what did they mean "excess?" Who doesn't bring three pairs of shades to the beach? (And pick up another pair while there?)

6. I spent half my time dancing around--because, how can you not dance around at the beach?

7. And half my time watching the water, thinking. About life. And my WIP. And, you know, deep things. (Pun totally unintended and only discovered after rereading this post . . . )

8. My husband did not spend half the time thinking about deep things.

9. I read a LOT of books. And yes, they're kind of an eclectic mix. But y'all. The Passage? I mean, I don't read a lot of non-YA lit (which you'd never know based on the picture, ha) but o.m.g. The Passage was AWESOME.

AND I read even more on my Kindle . . .

10. We ate TONS of fresh seafood. And never got sick of it. Fresh grilled tuna steaks, turned into tunafish salad the next day. Grilled swordfish. Mahi Mahi sandwiches. Shrimp and grits. I even tried steamers for the first time. OMG YUM. That's all I have to say about that.

11. The title of this post is literal, not just a reference to LMFAO. Seriously, we played cards for hours each day. Sevens, Oh Hell, Mi Mi . . . Ten points to anyone who's ever head of any of those games. They're superb. But so so so little known.

12. The title of this post IS also an LMFAO reference. Because I saw them in concert with Kesha last Sunday. Superb time. Blog post to come with pics!

So tell me: Have you been on vacay this summer? How have your Augusts been? Have you ever played any of the card games I mentioned?

xoxo

*I was wrong. They were right.

Moar ARC winners!

2011-08-23T18:33:00.001-04:00

Congrats to everyone! And, again, don't worry if you didn't win! Lots more coming your way soon. Promise.

WINNERS:

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

LISA POTTS!!!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

MUNAZZA A!!!

Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick

DANIELA QUIROZ!!!

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steve Wadel

BOOKISH IN A BOX!!!

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

JADE HANKES!!!

Congratulations!! Please send me an email with your mailing address.

And PLEASE please spread the word about how awesome these books are after you've read and loved them!

xoxox

"A Beautiful Lie"

2011-08-11T08:00:00.092-04:00

Okay, so... today's post ISN'T about lies, or liars. Shocking, I know. (Well, maybe not shocking for those of you who also heart one of my favorite bands.)

(I mean, I have a few thoughts on liars. You guys probably have the same ones. I think they suuuuuuuuck. But today's not about that.)

Today? Let's chat music.

And let's chat Jared Leto.

*swoon*

*and again*

He, for serious, was probably the first love of my life. (Well, besides a boy named Carter in my first grade class . . . ) But still. Back in the days of My So Called Life.

Remember? This?

source

And, dude. He grew up into this:

source

And his band, 30 Seconds to Mars, has more than a few songs on my WIP playlist. The song I'm sharing with you today is "A Beautiful Lie." Um, hence the title of my post.

(Also, this isn't the official music video for it, but I like the lyrics and this one shows them.)

Enjoy!

I happen to know for a fact that I'm not the only writer out there who hearts 30STM. *cough*Carolina Valdez Miller*cough*

But what about you? What song are YOU swooning over today?
Or, yanno, which mid-90s TV star?

PS For more songs from my playlist, click here!

MOAR ARCs!!

2011-08-08T08:00:00.076-04:00

Let's get it started in here.

And the ~~bass~~ giveaways keep running, running

And running, running . . . *

(In case you haven't noticed, I like to give my giveaways theme songs. Today is all about the Black Eyed Peas, obvi.)

See? I told you not to be disappointed if you didn't win anything in my last giveaway. Because I have SO MANY MOAR goodies for you guys :)

This giveaway features some pretty, pretty, lovely ARCs:

ARC: Shut Out, by Kody Keplinger
ARC: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, by Michelle Hodkin
ARC: Ashes, by Ilsa Bick (SIGNED)
ARC: After Obsession, by Carrie Jones & Steven Wedel
ARC: The Eleventh Plague, by Jeff Hirsch

Told ya!

(All the titles link to their Goodreads descriptions.)

Some of these I've read (The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer, Ashes . . . and holy guac they are freaking AWESOME. My reviews are forthcoming.) And some of these I'll be reading at the beach. (Winners may find some sand in the cracks.)

So, basically, it's the same deal as usual.

The contest

is open internationally
is easy to enter

all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)

has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
closes August 19th

All I ask, is that if you win you find a way to spread the word about anything and everything you liked about the ARC.

Deal?

Deal.

*nods*

Good luck!!

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

ARC Winners!!

2011-08-07T08:00:00.044-04:00

I'm at the beach, and y'all have been SO patiently waiting for my giveaway to end--so I'll make this quick!

But one note: If you didn't win? Don't worry! I have another huge ARC giveaway opening TOMORROW! So sit tight, friends. Sit tight.

WINNERS

SIGNED ARC of Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Lisa Richards!!

SIGNED ARC of Every You, Every Me

Raíla Soares!!

ARC of Girl of Fire and Thorns

Shannon O'Donnell!!

ARC of Lola and the Boy Next Door

Ishita Singh!!

SIGNED ARC of The Name of the Star

Rachel Brown!!

Congratulations to all the winners!! You should have an email from me sometime today, asking for your mailing address. I'll get the ARCs mailed out to you as soon as I'm home from the beach.

xoxo

PS. Sorry if the formatting is all wonky on this post. Not sure what happened. ~~#Bloggerfail.~~ #Sarafail

Friday Funny: Damn You Autocorrect (part 2)

2011-08-05T08:00:00.074-04:00

Happy friday, lovies!

I've done this once before, but I swear this stuff NEVER gets old.

WARNING: ~~Some~~ most of these are not PG. Or even PG-13.

Also, I got all of these from damnyouautocorrect.com. Obviously.

For other damnyouautocorrect post, click here.

For other Friday Funnies, click here.

So. What are you up to this weekend?

"You hit me once, I hit you back."

2011-08-01T08:00:00.019-04:00

Dudes. You probs thought this post was gonna be all gangster. Like, I was gonna fight or something.

But NOPE.

I'm just doing like I promised and sharing a song from my WIP.

"Kiss with a Fist" is a freaking awesome song.

Florence + The Machine is a freaking awesome group.

Seriously. I heart every. single. song. of theirs. My WIP playlist has sooooo many.

So. Enjoy!

Oh, and happy Monday, y'all! I'm off somewhere enjoying warm sand and salty water.

And pina coladas.

What are you up to this week? What songs are YOU listening to today??

The Girl of Fire and Thorns and AWESOMESAUCE.

2011-07-27T08:00:00.123-04:00

I'm not really sure how to write this review. Because I'm not the best reviewer in the world. And I know without starting my words won't do Rae's words justice. Like, at all. But hopefully that alone gives you some idea about the amazingness of The Girl of Fire and Thorns in itself.

From the Amazon description for the UK version:
Princess Elisa is a disappointment to her people. Although she bears the Godstone in her navel, a sign that she has been chosen for an act of heroism, they see her as lazy and useless and fat.

On her sixteenth birthday, she is bartered off in royal marriage and shipped away to a kingdom in turmoil, where her much-older and extremely beautiful husband refuses to acknowledge her as his wife. Devastated, Elisa decides to take charge of her fate and learn what it means to bear the Godstone. As an invading army threatens to destroy her new home, and everyone at court maneuvers to take advantage of the young princess, Elisa becomes convinced that, not only is her own life in danger, the whole world needs saving. But how can a young girl who has never ridden horseback, never played the game of politics, and never attained the love of a man save the world? Elisa can't be sure, but she must try to uncover the Godstone's secret history before the enemy steals the destiny nestled in her core.

I actually had a kind of cool advantage with this book. Even more so than having snagged an ARC. In May of 2010, at WisCon, I got to hear Rae read the first chapter. It was her first ever reading (though you'd never have known!) and from her voice, I picked up the tone of the story. (I mean, it shines through loud and clear when you read it anyway, but still . . . ) So while I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns, I got to hear Rae's voice in my head. Which, yes, could be kind of weird--except I love Rae so much that it was SPLENDID! The pacing between the words. The pronunciations. The . . . everything.

Rae Carson was in. my. head.

And I loved it.

(PS Rae if you're reading this, I hope I'm not creeping you out too much . . . )

The book is full of beautiful language, which moves the story forward at a pace quick enough to have you flipping pages at paper cut-inducing rates, but slow enough to let you really take it all in. The action is nonstop. Character growth is evident on almost every single page, and it's all interspersed with conflict on a both fluid AND jarring levels. (Trust me, fluid and jarring do too go together here. You'll see.)

So then, we're moving along at this already fabulous pace . . . and KA-POW. The end of Part I reaches out and sucker punches you. Trust me. Like the book even needed to get more exciting. But it does. By, like, a zillion percent.

My eyes looked like this : O.O

I can't say much more about that without giving anything away, but dayum.

I think I've said before, I'm not a huge setting description kind of person. But The Girl of Fire and Thorns converted me. Elisa travels all over the place. Sometimes willingly, others not. But there's not a step she takes in which I couldn't picture her location with complete precision. And I wanted more. Rae's words weave up and around you until you feel your feet taking Elisa's steps. Your eyes taking in Elisa's sights. I'm not sure I've ever read anything that's pulled me in this way. (Oh, and while we're on the topic of Elisa--you don't need to look any further for a strong female MC. She's brave and smart and just all around spectacular.)

Another thing I don't do much of, is read a book with the actual craft of writing in mind. I mean, I could do it--but really, I just like to get lost in books. And I did get lost in The Girl of Fire and Thorns. But it's one of those books that sticks with you. For days. And at some point during one of those afterdays, I realized that as a writer I could learn a LOT from Rae's craft. You'll see, when you read the story, that every single thing in The Girl of Fire and Thorns has a specific place and purpose. Not that you'll notice while reading, because the writing's so smooth . . . And the subplots. Oh, the subplots. They're threaded together so seamlessly you almost forget they're there. Almost. But afterward? You'll realize that each and every one of those things builds and builds and builds into something much BIGGER, with way more relevance than you'd ever expect.

And to that, I say: BOO-YAH. Well played, Rae Carson.

Well played.

You can WIN an ARC of The Girl of Fire and Thorns HERE.

Visit Rae's website HERE.

And Rae's on twitter, too :-) @raecarson

OH! And you should pre-order Rae's book HERE. or HERE.

Peace out, home slices.

Somethings are worth giving up on. Others are not.

2011-07-25T08:00:00.070-04:00

Truth: I've had a pear-shaped few weeks.

Truth: I haven't been able to write. Like, at all.

Truth: It's not that I haven't tried. But I open my WIP and just stare at it. My mind hasn't been in the game. I end up typing a few words and then cutting them. And then cutting entire scenes, and my word count has just been . . . plummeting.

Truth: I've had a few thoughts about stepping out of the writing world.

Big Truth: It was tempting.

BIGGER TRUTH: Further thought about quitting made me miserable.

See, the thing is, things weren't pear-shaped because of my words--it had nothing to do with those. But I kept thinking I needed to simplify my life. And cutting out the writing would definitely give me more time to do so. But my world without writing?

I'd miss it like I'd miss a limb.

I'd miss it every time I read a book. The way I miss dancing every time I see a performance. The way I miss college when I'm back together with my friends.

Except way, way more.

Writing is a part of me. It's who I am. And today. This week. This month. NOW. I am getting back to it.

Who's with me?

source

Friday Funny: The History of Rap 2

2011-07-22T08:00:00.004-04:00

Yeah, okay. It's Friday. It's the end of a lo-ho-hong week. And you deserve a laugh.

So, I bring you Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon, with The History of Rap 2.

And, in case you haven't seen it--here's the original. It's my fave. Seriously, I don't know how they'll ever top it.
(Fast forward to the 1 minute mark . . . )

PS Want some more laughsies? CLICK HERE

"One good thing about music, when it hits, you feel no pain."

2011-07-18T08:00:00.103-04:00

I love me some Bob Marley.

But I also think music can TOTALLY bring on the pain.

Like in breakups. You have "your" songs--and just the opening notes of one can firework into an explosion of pain in your stomach. So you avoid them, to avoid the pain. OR if you're like me, you listen to them over and over and over until they don't hurt anymore. (Seriously, that's what I used to do. Okay, and maybe it's cray-cray, but dude. I have fun taste in music. I don't want good songs ruined for me!)

Or when my Nana passed away. My sisters and I sat in the car and blasted music that had the tears flowing even harder. It helped. A lot.

Though, really, I'm digressing. My point today is not to disagree with Bob. I just really like that quote. Plus, he's right, too. Music can bring on all the JOY in the world.

When you're in love.

When you're getting ready for a girls' night out. (Like I did over the weekend and, omg, that's a post for a later day, let me tell you . . . )

When you're on a road trip.

When you're sitting on the beach drinking pina coladas, or margaritas, or whatevs . . .

Or, yanno, when you're WRITING. Or plotting. Or whatever. My WIP playlists have at least 60 songs on them. Most of the time more.

In case you can't tell, I like music. I'm not a diehard fan for any particular band or anything, but still. Tunes play a big part in my life. And so does writing. And while I don't talk much about the specifics of my WIPs these days, I thought today I'd share two of the theme songs for my current one.

Okay, and honestly, the version of ET that goes with my WIP is the one sans Kanye. (There is no alien probing in my WIP, promise.)

Also, my playlist is NOT comprised of all pop hits. But these are the two that fit them the most overall.

Since I don't really talk about what I'm writing here, I thought maybe each week I'd share some music that speaks to it instead. Or maybe just music I'm feeling at the moment. Deal? Deal.

What about you guys? Do you have WIP theme songs? Playlists?

Are they epic in length like mine?

EPIC Signed ARC Giveaway

2011-07-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Every time I think about this giveaway, I get that Pitbull song stuck in my head. You know the one . . .

I know you want me*.

You know I want cha.

*Clearly, the "me" in this situation isn't ME me, but the ARCs. They're singing to you, babies. SINGING.

ARC: The Name of the Star (SIGNED by Maureen Johnson)
ARC: Lola and the Boy Next Door (by Stephanie Perkins)
ARC: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (SIGNED by Laini Taylor)
ARC: Every You, Every Me (SIGNED by David Levithan)
ARC: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (By Rae Carson)

And now, are you singing for them too???

(If, by some weird chance, you haven't heard of one of these, click on the title for its Goodreads description.)

See, here's the thing: I know how badly some of you wanted to be at ALA this year. So I made it my goal to nab some of the absolute best ARCs available, and then spread the joy with you. And this, my friends, is just the beginning!

Watch for my reviews of these books in the coming weeks--starting with Rae Carson's The Girl of Fire and Thorns. (I just finished it, and ZOMGWTFBBQ* it's amazing.)

The deal is this . . .

The contest

is open internationally
is easy to enter

all you have to do is leave your name / email / location / book choice (in the form)

has lots of ways to earn extra entries (see the form)
closes August 5th

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

GOOD LUCK, LOVIES!!

*For the record, I've never used the expression zomgwtfbbq in my life. That's how good Rae's book is.

ALA: A Post in Pictures

2011-07-12T08:00:00.110-04:00

Okay, so, yet again ALA was a phenomenal time. I swear it gets better and better every year.

So, here's what went down in New Orleans:

I ate my FIRST EVER beignet. Holy delicious.

Seriously, are you drooling yet?

I got to hang with some of my favorite writing friends!
Cristin Terrill, Alexandra Shostack, PJ Hoover,
Jessica Lee Anderson, & Carolina Valdez Miller

And Shannon Messenger

And Tere Kirkland, whose NOLA knowledge was invaluable!

I also got to meet some AWESOME authors!
Here, with Franny Billingsly, who wrote Chime, which I can NOT wait to read.

With Lisa Desrochers, author of Personal Demons and
the recently released Original Sin!

With JAY ASHER! I heart his books. A lot.

With the HI-larious Jonathan Auxier, author of
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes

With Kimberley Griffiths Little
Author of many books including recently released
The Healing Spell

With Elana Johnson (Possession), Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty),
Jessi Kirby (Moonglass), and Corey Whaley (Where Things Come Back)

I mean... Who could resist?

And then we ate some more beignets.

The End.

Sike, not really.

It's not the end. Not yet.

Because first I have to give you a little heads up (twss) to visit again on Thursday for a giveaway in which I share some of my ALA spoils with you.

ARCs.

That you want.

Like, a lot.

Trust.

xoxo

Monday Fabulous Announcement

2011-07-11T08:30:00.005-04:00

Dudes, the good news just keeps on flowing! Seriously, I have the most talented, amazing, fabulous writing friends EVAR.

Today's good news?

Miss Karen Amanda Hooper has a book deal!

With Karen back in October 2010 <3

Yup, you read that right. A BOOK DEAL.

As in, her awesome book, Tangled Tides, is

going.

   to.

   be.

   published.
Published!!!

*happy dances*

*tosses sparkle confetti*

*jumps up and down*

So go now! Head over to her blog to learn all the deets AND tell her how marvelous she is :)

OH. And when you're done over there, get to the twitter and wish @cristinterrill a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Friday Fabulous Announcement!

2011-07-08T08:15:00.000-04:00

Soooooooo I told you guys I'd have some fun things to tell you about in the next few weeks. And here is FABULOUS THING NUMBER ONE!

Ricki Schultz--you guys know her right??? If not, omg, get your butt to her blog and meet her!

Well, Ricki SIGNED WITH AN AGENT!! A fabulous, fabulous agent! Barbara Poelle of the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

Pre-agent days with the Rickster <3

I've read the manuscript that Ricki snagged Barbara with--and let me tell you, after the first fifteen pages I knew this manuscript would be THE manuscript. Ricki's an amazing writer--and a great friend.

So, seriously. Go congratulate her--because she deserves it :)

YOU are all my favorite fireworks!

2011-07-04T08:00:00.017-04:00

Happy 4th of July, loves!

Make sure you check back frequently in the next few weeks. There will be some fabulous secrets revealed AND some fabulous ARCs given away.

xoxo

books and beignets and bloggers, oh my

2011-06-23T08:00:00.095-04:00

I'm off to New Orleans,

heck yeah dude,

I'm headed to ALA.

Gonna chill with friends,

and get some books,

and eat my very first beignet.

Are you coming too?

I hope we meet--

come find me on Saturday!

At Tommy's Wine Bar

there's a blogger party

hosted by YA Highway!

If you can't come,
I'll miss you so.
But we'll hang out another day.

Plus, I'll be back next week

with pics and stories,

and probably some stuff to giveaway :)

If you tell me your mouth isn't watering at this picture,
I'll call you a liar.
Just sayin'

Clearly, I'm no poet--trust me, I know it.

Wait.

Okay, stopping now.

For reals.

Knowing you just read that poem is embarrassing. If you can even call it a poem. My cheeks are burning. Seriously. But I ran out of time. So that's what you get.

Don't ditch me.

*begs*

*clings*

Anyhoo. I'm super psyched to go to New Orleans. It's my first time :) Catch you dudes on the flip side.

xo

HAPPY SUMMER . . . Don't worry, you didn't miss the SOLSTICE

2011-06-21T09:15:00.001-04:00

Yeah, okay, so. You must have been hearing for the past couple months that "summer is coming." And yes, today summer is HERE! But that's not what all the chatter has been about.

The summer that's coming--and is ALSO available today (and has been for a couple weeks) is in Solstice by PJ Hoover.

Piper’s world is dying. Global warming kills every living thing on Earth, and each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy humanity. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives with her mother who suffocates her more than the chaotic climate. When her mother is called away to meet the father Piper has been running from her entire life, Piper seizes an opportunity for freedom.

But when Piper discovers a world of mythology she never knew existed, she realizes her world is not the only one in crisis. While Gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals into turmoil, and she struggles to find answers to secrets kept from her since birth. And though she’s drawn to her classmate Shayne, he may be more than he claims. Piper has to choose whom she can trust and how she can save the people she loves even if it means the end of everything she’s ever known.

Also:

It's 2 dollars and freaking 99 cents. I mean, really. That's like skipping a breakfast sandwich at McD's for ONE day--and you might get wrapped up enough in Solstice to forget those pesky hunger pains.
It's a delicious mixture of dystopian and mythology. Which is unique and AWESOME. Oh, and there's definitely some mystery sprinkled in.
Piper is smart, fun, and inquisitive.
The boys are hot. And . . . um . . . dangerous.
Hello, FAST-PACED.

Today is the first day of summer. And Solstice is a fun summer read. So. Go out and get you some, bia.

Still not convinced? Watch the trailer.

See? ENOUGH SAID. Why are you still at my blog?

Either hop over to visit PJ: http://pjhoover.blogspot.com/

Or, even better?

Go download a copy :) (Amazon, Barnes & Noble)

And happy first day of summer!!

A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL winner

2011-06-12T09:44:00.000-04:00

We have a winner!!

Now, usually I like to drag these posts out . . . but I'm at a writing retreat this weekend, so I'll make it brief. (PS. Cristin Terrill, Cambria Dillon, Ricki Schultz, and Lola Sharp are so. much. fun.)

Anyhoo.

The winner of my ARC of A Need So Beautiful is BLISSFULRAINS!!

Congratulations!!!

Send me an email with your mailing address and I will ship the book asap!!

xoxo

Ah, WisCon. Heart of my heart.

2011-06-06T08:00:00.112-04:00

In some cases, I'd say a picture's worth way more than a thousand words. This is one of them.

One of the cases, I mean, not one of the pictures.

Because, um, there are multiple pictures.

Enjoy!

Late night dinner with:
Derek Molata
Jacqueline Koyanagi
Brad Beaulieu
Holly McDowell
Taking the pic: Carolina Valdez Miller (see her gorgeous face below)

Siiiiingin' in the rain.

Not really.

But we could have been.

Still smiling, despite having just learned that we can't purchase alcohol past 9 in Madison . . .
At approximately 9:15.
Dagger.

How much would Apple love this photo? iPad. iPhone. Macbook.

Derek reading from his AMAZEBALLS manuscript.
Trust me, you would have LOVED it.

Holly's turn to read! And her book is completely fabulous as well.
Seriously. Love. Love. LOVE.

SUSHI. 'Nuff said.

<3 There are no words.
Which is hard for a writer to admit.

Miss you.

So there ya have it. I added a few more photos to facebook, if you want to see. And, seriously, if you write SF/F, you should definitely consider adding WisCon to your schedule next year.

How was your weekend? Anything fun and exciting happen? Have you been following the Wall Street Journal article thing? (If not, check . out . these . links.) (Or the #yasaves hashtag on twitter. The responses from this community have been absolutely amazing.)

A Need So Beautiful (SIGNED) ARC Giveaway!

2011-05-31T08:00:00.161-04:00

I was lucky enough to snag an ARC of Suzanne Young's A Need So Beautiful back at the end of January. And I've been waaaaaiting til closer to the release date to review it. And now that day is finally here! (Um, my review--not the release date. Which is June 21st. But, see? That's coming up, too!)

(In case you couldn't tell from the title) I'm giving away my signed ARC. It's a hard thing to part with, but I enjoyed the book so much, I'll be purchasing a hard copy as soon as it comes out. Details for how to win are at the bottom of my review!

(In case you need it) Goodreads blurb:

(Charlotte) is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

My thoughts:

I'm a fan of Suzanne's Naughty List series, so I was nervous because A Need So Beautiful sounded so different. (Well, it also sounded AWESOME, but still.) As it turns out, I had absolutely no reason to be nervous. Yes, this book is way different, but it's also way way way good. I'll definitely be reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it.

(In case you can't tell . . .) The premise is super original. I haven't read anything like this in recent memory. I wanted to take my time reading the book, because I didn't want it to end--but I couldn't put it down.

The title fits so perfectly. What Charlotte does--her need--really is beautiful. It actually makes me want to go out of my way and help other people more than I do. (Yeah, and okay, I can't tell by looking at someone that their unborn baby is sick, like Charlotte can . . . but I CAN be more considerate, and less self-serving, which is a goal of mine.)

A Need So Beautiful is different from a lot of other YAs out there for two reason: 1) Charlotte starts the book off already knowing that she's different/paranormal and 2) she's already dating the love interest. Don't get me wrong, I love books that take me along the discovery / falling in love path--and this book doesn't disappoint! It's just in a different way. In a clever way. In a more . . . in depth way. Speaking of love: Harlin is Charlotte's boyfriend, and he is the PERFECT kind of bad boy with a good heart. He's rough around the edges, sure, but not once did I get mad at Charlotte for dating him. And that can be kind of rare, for me, with the bad boys in books.

Another thing that sets A Need So Beautiful apart is that while it is definitely paranormal, it doesn't hold back in the slightest from more contemporary-type character troubles. I loved that the secondary characters face very real issues--the same ones that some of today's teenagers face. The same ones that end up getting pushed to the back burner in a lot of the other YA paranormals out there. Suzanne fits them in organically and without overcrowding the plot.

So, clearly, I recommend this book. You should get yourself a copy as soon as you can. Which might be sooner than you think if you enter my giveaway :) And about that:

Here's how to enter: Leave a comment with your email address.

Yup. That's it.

You *can* earn extra points, of course. Tweet (1), Facebook (1), Follow my blog (1), Blog about this (3). If you earn extra by tweeting/blogging/etc, leave links in your comment--AND tell me how many points you have :)

But none of that is required.

The ONE thing I ask is that if you win, you'll spread the word about all the amazing things about A Need So Beautiful.

The giveaway closes on Friday, June 10th.

Good luck!! xoxo

Divergent

2011-05-25T09:34:00.000-04:00

Had you asked me a week ago, how to spell divergent, I would have started with the letter D. Today, though, I think it starts with the letter A.

Yep.

That's right.

How do you spell Divergent?

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G

I know, I know. I'm a little late to this party. But my TBR is ginormous. And it took me a minute to make my way to Divergent, by Veronica Roth.

And what a hot mistake that was. If you haven't read it yet, because it's not at the top of your TBR? BUMP IT, ASAP. Don't wait another month, another week, another day. Because I'm telling you now, I will say I told you so. And I'll stick my tongue out and wag my fingers from my ears, too.

Okay, so you start off learning that there are these five factions: Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Erudite (the intellectual), Amnity (the peaceful), Abnegation (the selfless). When you turn sixteen, you have to take a test which will indicate which faction you're fitted for. (Though, the decision is ultimately yours to make.) But the test is sooooo super cool, and also sooooo super creepy. When Beatrice's test began, I was sucked into the book with no chance of escape.

The choices Beatrice (aka Tris) makes and the consequences that follow are stunning to read. I found my heart rate increasing and my mouth hanging open on several occasions. And not only from Tris's actions. All of the characters are complicated and intriguing. Oh--and I don't think I've ever hated a character as quickly as I hated Eric. Seriously, you'll see. Just wait. Even typing his name gives me a little venomous charge in my veins.

The world building is . . . Honestly, I find myself at a loss with how to explain how thorough and brilliant and seamless it is. Well, I guess I just did. But still. Those words barely do Veronica's talent justice.

Basically, what it comes down to is this: Divergent is one part Hunger Games, one part Ender's Game, one part Lord of the Flies, and eleventy bajillion parts phenomenal. If you're one of the few who haven't read it yet, you need to fix that situation, PRONTO. (Or, go read Carol's review, if that didn't convince you. Seriously, I dove into Divergent within ONE day of reading it.)

PS. Debra Driza (Houndrat) is having a Divergent Faction-of-the-Week Challenge. CLICK HERE to check it out :)

Sometimes When I Write . . .

2011-05-23T08:00:00.062-04:00

I think so much and stretch my brain in so many directions--using, abusing, and working it out so hard--I swear I'm surprised I haven't developed telekinetic powers yet.

Seriously, I feel like I should be able to look across the room and dead lift one of my bookcases with just my eyes.

Or at least a Twizzler or something. I have plenty of those around to practice with.

* stares at Twizzlers *

* eyes go dry *

* has to blink *

* stares at Twizzlers *

But nope.

That picture is just a picture.

I know. You were all excited there for a second, right? Wait. What do you mean that doesn't look like a floating pack of Twizzlers?

Ummmmm, anyway, my point is . . . pretty much already covered in the first sentence.

I love the thought process though, the mental workouts. Making pieces fit together, creating rules and figuring out how to make my plot work within them. Pushing my characters to grow--when, oh holy mattress, they can be so stubborn. It all makes me happy, makes me thrive. So I'm not really complaining. I'm just saying: I can't believe I haven't developed some sort of mental super power by now.

Anyone else feel this way?

Ve Have Some Vinnahs...

2011-05-22T11:03:00.000-04:00

Thanks so much to everyone who read and commented on my interview with Amy Holder! If you didn't win a copy of The Lipstick Laws, I sincerely hope you'll go out and buy a copy.

Because. It's. Awesome.

Sooooooooooooo . . .

On to the WINNERS :)

Swaggity Swag Winners:

laurakatewriting

Kara Mustafa

and

Lindsay N. Currie

Swaggity Swag PLUS a copy of The Lipstick Laws:

Vidisha

Congratulations, winners! Please send me an email with your mailing addresses and I'll get your prizes in the mail this week.

Interview with Amy Holder, and a GIVEAWAY

2011-05-17T08:00:00.159-04:00

So, in yesterday's post, I recommended Amy Holder's The Lipstick Laws. And today, Amy stopped by for an interview! (Because she's just awesome like that . . .)

This is Amy. You can also find her:
BLOG
TWITTER
WEBSITE

Oh, and she's ALSO awesome because she sent me a BUNCH of swag to giveaway to y'all! And I'm throwing in a copy of The Lipstick Laws for one of you, too! (Find out how to win at the bottom of the post.)

Don't forget. I've got enough for FOUR winners!

Without further ado . . . (I'm in black, Amy in orange. I think you would have figured it out. But still. Doesn't Amy look amazeballs in orange?)

* * * * * * * * * * *

Amy! Thanks for stopping by today :) Let’s start with my one of my favorite things about The Lipstick Laws… The humor!! April, your main character, had me cracking up from the very first sentence all the way to the end. How did you keep the funny going throughout the entire novel?

Thank you so much! That is the best compliment you could give me about my book! Truth is, I’m not a super serious person, so I typically like to keep things light and fun. When April’s character came to me, it was a very quirky, self-deprecating, sarcastic take on teen angst… so her voice plus my avoidance of most things serious seemed to meld well. I love to laugh and I wanted to have fun writing this book, so it’s great to know that it came across throughout the story.

Oh, it totes came across! Now . . . Fact One: You studied psychology and sociology in college. (That’s right, I stalked you enough to figure these things out. taptaptap Hear those rocks hitting your window? *waves*) Fact Two: You nailed the popularity mindset and teenage interactions in The Lipstick Laws. Coincidence? I think not… No, seriously—you tell me: was it a coincidence, or did your background help you write the story?

Wow! Thank you again! Your compliments are seriously helping my inferiority complex. Are you for hire? To answer your question, I’ve always been fascinated by human behavior and am naturally a people watcher. This is what led me to study psychology and sociology in college. I also think this innate interest helps me build characters and their interactions, because I believe writers have to be good observers. This, paired with the fact that I never fully grew up helped me get in a teen mindset while writing this book…in fact, I’m still sort of stuck in it.

YES! I never fully grew up either. Maybe that's why we get along so well. A large portion of my blog readers are aspiring writers. And you’ve made it—so share! Let us live vicariously through you :) What’s been the best part of your journey so far? What’s been the hardest? Any tips for those of us (*clears throat* … *points at self*) working toward that dream of publication? And, of course, what is your writing process?

The best part of my journey so far was the feeling of achievement, adrenaline, joy, and validation that I felt from getting “THE CALL” (or in my case it was an email) from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt wanting to publish THE LIPSTICK LAWS. I will never forget how amazing that moment was! Seeing my book in a bookstore, getting my agent, and receiving television interest from a producer that I admire have all been huge highlights as well!

The hardest part so far has been dealing with the bad along with the good. I’ve quickly found out that my book isn’t going to please everyone, naysayers love naysaying, most writers experience disappointments (minor or major) in the industry at some point or another, and there isn’t always enough chocolate to get through tough revisions. Granted, the good far outweighs the bad… but this industry is filled with ups and downs and you need thick skin to be able to bounce back from the downs.

My tips are to practice your writing craft daily, read the genre you want to write, study the publishing market, never give up, and network your tail off (the more people you know in the industry, the better your chances will be to get a personal referral). I also think it’s important to be careful not to stifle your own writing by comparing it to other writers’ successes or failures. Always avoid a creative comparison coma by celebrating the uniqueness of your individual writing style and journey.

My writing process can vary depending on what I’m working on… but I usually expand an idea spark for a story by asking what-if questions. Once I’ve brainstormed most of the plot, I’ll create a loose outline that keeps me on track, but still allows for ad-lib surprises and story growth. I usually edit as I write, which will add time onto writing the first draft, but it spares me a lot of the pull-your-hair-out-revision-headache later on. Once I’m done with my rough draft, I’ll put it away for a bit and come back to it with fresh editorial eyes to revise. When I feel it’s complete and clean, I’ll celebrate like crazy! This usually involves chocolate, high-caloric drinks, indulging my reality show addiction, and dancing the robot in a hula skirt. Clearly I know how to party.

You dance the robot? In a hula skirt? Ummmm. I MUST SEE VIDEO PROOF. Seriously, send me some! Or better yet, we should have a hula skirt-wearing robot dance off. What do you say?

*crickets*

What? You don't want to go up against my mad robot skillz?

SIKE. You'd totally win... Soooo anyhoo, let’s chat books—four questions in one! Ready? Set? GO! What are you currently reading? What’s been your favorite book to read so far this year? What’s your favorite book of all-time? What book are you most excited to read that hasn’t yet come out?

1) MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert

2) I can’t choose! I have so many friends debuting this year, and all of their books are amazing!

3) Series: HARRY POTTER, Classic: A CHRISTMAS CAROL

4) I’m really excited to read POPULAR by Alissa Grosso. It comes out this month (May)!

Congratulations on an outstanding debut novel! What’s next for Author Amy Holder? Anything you can share with your fans? (If they’re anything like me, they’ll be lined up waiting anxiously for your next book. I’ll be the one shoving my way to the front of the line . . .)

Thank you! I’m hoping to write more books in various genres and age groups, but right now I’m working on another humorous contemporary YA novel with a bit of a paranormal twist. I’m also thinking about a Lipstick Laws sequel…but that isn’t set in stone yet. Another exciting thing that’s happened recently is that my TV rights for THE LIPSTICK LAWS have been optioned, so I’m keeping my fingers, toes, eyes, elbows and hair crossed hoping it will go to production. In the meantime, it’s tricky to write with all of these crossables crossed.

Dude. TELEVISION RIGHTS. So. Awesome. Can we have a viewing party at your place when it first airs?? What? I do too know where you live. Remember the window tapping from earlier?

QUICK! The fate of the WORLD* * * depends on your answers to my final red-hot questions!

Would you rather give up your Chi straightener or never eat grape pie again??? (I mean, as a Chi girl myself, I know which one I’d choose. Just sayin’.) I’m with you on this one! I would give up grapes altogether if they came in between me and my CHI!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be? I’m a huge animal lover & have adopted four fabulous pets…but I always wish I could help millions more. My superpower would be to have superhuman abilities to rescue as many animals in need as possible. This would require flying, super strength, mind control over animal mistreaters, telepathy with animals, Cesar Millan’s training abilities, and a continuous stream of money to create stellar animal sanctuaries. Yes, I have found a way to sneak several superpowers in one; I’m crafty like that. (You are seriously a girl after my own heart.)

Best grunge musician, alive or dead? This question is slightly evil seeing how I was (and may still be) clinically obsessed with grunge music. I’ll say Chris Cornell from Soundgarden… but Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain can’t go without being mentioned. See, you made me cheat by asking this question – shame on you!

What’s the best thing about the month of May? Well, the expected answer is flowers, but I’ll say Book Expo America. (You'll be at BEA? I'm so jealous. And now even more sad that I'm missing it. Sigh.)

What’s the first thing you see in this inkblot? I see a circus clown with a cocktail shaker on his head and two abnormally shaped birds perched on both sides of his face looking at each other. Perhaps this is part of the circus clown’s act, or he just likes to go about town balancing a cocktail shaker and birds on his face. Hey, we all have our quirks; I’m not judging him…or the birds for that matter.

Er… does this inkblot translation mean I’m crazy… or a strange bird-watching clown woman? Hmmm…on second thought, I don’t think I want to know that answer.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're a strange bird-watching clown woman ;-) But it's cool. Because I love bird watching. And clowns. Okay, not really. Clowns scare me. But YOU don't. Because you're awesome.

Seriously, thanks so much for stopping by! Come back anytime.

Now for my bloggie friends: Amy sent me enough swaggliciousness to send out FOUR packages!! So, if you want to enter to win some swag, all you have to do is leave a comment with your email address! And one commenter will win a copy of The Lipstick Laws!

One point for leaving a comment, two if you tweet about this! (Let me know if you've tweeted in the comment you leave . . .)

The giveaway will close on Friday at midnight. I'll announce the winners over the weekend.

xoxo

* * *Okay, the fate of the WORLD didn't really depend in the answers, but still. Isn’t it more fun this way?

Book Recommendation: THE LIPSTICK LAWS

2011-05-16T08:00:00.051-04:00

Okay, so, you know how sometimes you read a book and the main character just grips you? This is what happened to me when I read The Lipstick Laws, by Amy Holder. Seriously, it's absolutely NO wonder that the television rights sold to Teri Weinberg's Yellow Brick Road Productions. (Uh, can you say: The Office, Ugly Betty, The Tudors? . . .)

My review is below, but make sure to stop back by tomorrow! Amy will be here for an interview--aaaaand I'll have some swaggity swag to give away.

(From Goodreads) At Penford High School, Britney Taylor is the queen bee. She dates whomever she likes, rules over her inner circle of friends like Genghis Khan, and can ruin anyone's life with a snap of perfectly manicured fingers. Just ask the unfortunate few who have crossed her.

For April Bowers, Britney is also the answer to her prayers. April is so unpopular, kids don't even know she exists. But one lunch spent at Britney's table, and April is basking in the glow of popularity.

But Britney's friendship comes with a high price tag. How much is April willing to pay?

MY thoughts:

I made the mistake of starting The Lipstick Laws at 11pm. And I was TIRED the next day because I read until I was finished with it.

I LOVED this book.

I was cracking up from page one. No, paragraph one. No, sentence one. Amy Holder's funny meter for girls reminded me a lot of Don Calame's funny meter for boys (in his book Swim the Fly) in that I laughed almost once (or more) a page--and many of those times out loud.

There are many great things about this book, but my absolute favorite is the main character, April Bowers. She's quirky and snarky and obsessed with stuffing her bra. (Get why this might have been so funny yet?) She falls under the spell of what it's like to be popular--and does things she doesn't want to, but not in that spineless way I've read in other books. She stays true to character (at least in her thoughts) the entire time. Amy created a character flawed enough to drop believably into the world of popularity—but funny and sweet enough to keep me rooting for her, regardless of the bad decisions she stumbles into.

The story's fast-paced and the prose is smooth. It's an easy read, almost effortless in the way the words flow across the page.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed the movie Mean Girls (um, who didn't???) I can't wait to see what Amy's got coming next!

So, your mission (should you choose to accept, and omg you'd better . . .) is to go out and get yourself a copy PRONTO :) Find The Lipstick Laws HERE.

Friday Funny: Twin-style

2011-05-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

teeheehee

Happy Friday

PS Want some more laughsies? CLICK HERE

and sara came tumbling after . . .

2011-05-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

Sooooo I just wanted to let you know that I've started a tumblr.

You mean like this?

No, sillies. Not like that.

Like THIS:

clicksies
Also, guess what day I prescheduled this post on?

Do I know what I'm doing?

I mean, let's be honest... Do I ever?

Well, okay. I do.

But in this case . . .

Ummm let's just say I'm learning as I go.

Am I having fun?

Duh. Don't I always?
And also, especially yes now.
Tumblr is fun.

Anyhoo. It's here (http://babblingflow.tumblr.com/) if you want to check it out.

And you should.

Because it's fun.

And I post pictures that inspire me and songs and other pretty things.

QOTD: Do YOU have a tumbler?

If so... Gimme your link.
And some tips :)

Photos and Math and My Quasi-Cross Country Trip Part II

2011-05-09T08:00:00.143-04:00

So, we start with the total of my previous post on this. (HERE if you missed it.) And then...

PLUS
One beautiful sunset over the Rocky Mountains

PLUS
The Chapel at The Air Force Academy

PLUS
The absolutely breathtaking Garden of the Gods

Pike's Peak in the distance

PLUS
My favesies part of the trip: The Manitou Cliff Dwellings

Authentic Anasazi cliff dwellings, dating 800-1000 years old

This was a storage bin made of sandstone slabs and used for storing corn, beans, and squash. The openings at the top and in the front were covered with thin stones, then sealed with adobe to prevent rats, mice, and weevils from entering.

The area behind the rooms was used for a trash area. They also kept some of their turkeys penned up in it, to feed from the refuse areas. Also, in the winter, burials were made in the the trash piles, which were easy to dig in. When a body was buried there it was surrounded by perfectly dry material, such as ashes, dust, corn cobs and tassels and turkey droppings. The chill of winter prevented decay and the body simply dried out and became mummified. As long as no moisture reached it, it would remain unchanged for centuries.

This circular pit was the sacred kiva and was used by the men as a ceremonial chamber. Sacred articles were placed in the square openings built into the wall. The small hole in the floor is a symbolic opening in the earth called the Sipapu, and served as a passage way for the spirit of the person to enter and exit at birth and death.
100% chance I'm writing this into a story someday . . .

This structure was a four family, four room home. The large rectangular openings are doors, the smaller is a window. (The window is closed with a window stone--the doors were closed with door stones.) The small pegs sticking out from the top of the structure were used to hang meat and vegetables to dry in the sun.

"Their history disappears suddenly from the archeological record in the late 1100 AMD. No Pueblo Indian group living today can trace their lineage back to the Mimbres Indians."
FASCINATES ME.

PLUS
Approximately ONE MILLION shots of me trying to capture scenery in the shades.
Because I'm deep like that.

cloudsies

treeeeeees

PLUS
3 free beers at the Coors Brewery

My personal fave...

PLUS
14,110 feet up on PIKE'S PEAK, baby
My pictures don't do it justice.
Not even close.
Also, I couldn't breathe that high up and got dizzy.

It was fun.

PLUS
6,626 feet above The Royal Gorge.
Whom I lovingly refer to as George.

Yep. I totes walked across this.

EQUALS
One amazeballs trip. I can't wait to go back to Colorado. I'll def be doing Nashville and Memphis again someday.

You should too.

Let's go together.

*reaches out hand*

Want.

2011-05-08T12:38:00.001-04:00

First of all, Happy Mother's Day!!

Click for Source

Soooooooo. Natalie C. Parker is having a giveaway too fabulous for me NOT to post about it. She's giving away SEVEN amazing ARCs. Including a copy of Blood Magic, by Tessa Gratton. (Watch the amazing trailer below.) (Seriously. It's super cool. And Natalie MADE it.)

Anyway, hop over to Natalie's blog if you want all the deets.

(About how to win: Something Deadly Comes This Way, Always a Witch, The Eternal Sea, Lost Voices, Blood Magic, Star Crossed, Hourglass, Luminous. *dies*)

In Case You Missed It . . .

2011-05-05T08:00:00.009-04:00

on 9 things all writers wished their non-writer friends knew (Tahereh Mafi)

on AGENT PET PEEVES--Client Edition (Agent Jane Dystel)

on CHARACTER Development--Triangle Style (PK Hrezo)

on CHARACTERS of Color (Mary Anne Mohanraj, via John Scalzi)

on DREAMING (Josh Spector, via CJ Redwine)

on the ELEVEN senses (Yes, you read that correctly. Unless you read it as elven. Then you were wrong.) (Stina Lindenblatt)

on FEAR (Veronica Roth)

on FORMATTING: .doc vs .docx (Agent Mary Kole)

on your IDENTITY as a writer & beyond (Liz Writes Books)

on JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE and TRANSITIVE VERBS (Livia Blackburne)

on MONEY... How much will you REALLY make as an author? (Agent Mandy Hubbard)

on having PATIENCE before hitting send (Sarah Fine)

on QUERYING: Make sure you've applied these Band-Aids to your WIP first! (Agent Sarah LaPolla)

Photos and Math and My Quasi-Cross Country Trip Part I

2011-05-02T08:15:00.002-04:00

Start with:
Two ridiculously cute kitties.
(And my sister and her husband and me. But still. LOOK at these little cuties.)

MINUS
one attempt to eat BBQ. The line was too long, so we got hot dogs instead!

(Pictures taken in Nashville, where I got to meet up with the one and only CJ Redwine! We didn't meet downtown and I didn't get any pictures, but I SWEAR it happened! She's just as sweet and funny in person as she is online!)

PLUS
one trip to visit The King

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Elvis played songs for friends on this piano the day he died

RIP

Taking Care of Business :)

PLUS
The Peabody Marching Ducks

Me and Liz pretending we're ducks...

PLUS
One amazeballs day/night in Memphis

Huh?

Beale Street, Baby!

We're a little messy when we eat ribs.
But, dude, they were SO GOOD.

All cleaned up!

Fabulous Johnny Cash cover band!!

And this... pretty much shows you how our vision was working by the end of the night...

MINUS
A day in Kansas City which I spent vomiting. Due to a little thing called Salmonella. I still can't eat chicken. (No pictures) (You're welcome)

PLUS
A day in Dodge City, where we played around at Boot Hill & Front Street for a while.

Ummmmm... Creepy

Pretty!

Wyatt Earp!! SO COOL.
Yippy Ki Aye
And, okay. That doesn't really make sense to say. But I still wanted to say it. Because it's western. Right?

We went from here to here

A kinda pretty wreath, right?
Until you click on the picture to make it bigger, read the caption below it, and find out:
IT'S MADE FROM HUMAN FREAKING HAIR.
*barfs*

PLUS
Santa Fe Trail Tracks

Just thought these little flowers were pretty... and also random.

PLUS
Colorado!

CO pictures will be in my next post...

Because omg.

This post is already so. freaking. long. I'm sure your eyes are blurred. And I heart you, so I want to save your eyesight. Because I'm so nice.

(It might also have to do with it taking forever to put pictures in here... But that's neither here nor there.)

QOTD: Other than the state you live in, which state did you visit last, and what was your favorite thing about it?

AOTD: The last state I visited was Kentucky--which was NOT a part of my Colorado trip. We went over Easter weekend to visit el hubster's family. Which was my favorite part :) That, and the horse races!

Dancing Monkeys

2011-04-21T08:30:00.017-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around, but dude. April. has. been. crazyballs.

I kicked the month off with a two-week trip driving from Augusta, GA, to Colorado Springs with my sister & her husband. (Which was awesomesauce, b-t-dubs, and I swear I have a photo-filled post coming soon.) Then, I leave again tomorrow for a trip to Kentucky with el hubster. It's going to be fabulous. We'll hang with his family and hit up the Keeneland Racetrack for some classy horse racing. Seriously, I have the cutest dress for it. And I'm searching for the perfect hat at the mall today. Something like:

Wouldn't I look fabulous in this?

Okay, not really. But still.

*loses focus looking at pictures of ridiculous hats*

Wait.

Where was I going with this again?

Um . . .

Hold on.

*just*

*one*

*more*

*silly hat google search*

Okay. Back to business.

My point is: THAT'S why I've been mia. (Not the hats, the traveling. Duh.) And the times I have been home--I've really just felt like THIS:

Feel free to take this as 1) I've been lazy and haven't wanted to do anything* OR 2)I wanted to dance with people in monkey costumes. Either will work.

MINUS the hand in my pants/really nice girl for really nice sex parts.

100% PLUS the part about not combing my hair. For real. Just ask el hubster.

Anyhoo. I'll be back soon. Promise! With book recommendations (holy cow I've read some awesome ones recently), author interviews, and of course my thoughts & shenanigans. You know . . . basically, the usual.

Also, if you skipped over the video but haven't seen it yet (or heard the song) it's totes worth watching. Very giggleable. I secretly want to learn the dance.

*I have been doing stuff though, silly. Of course I have. More on that in the next few weeks, too.

QOTD: How's YOUR April been?

My AOTD: Um, didn't you just read my post?

yodeling and winning.

2011-04-05T18:41:00.000-04:00

So, I'm a little late with this post.

My b, y'all!

It's just that . . . I'm on a cross-country road trip with my sister and her husband. AND I'm flippin' sick. Like . . . I've been yodeling for two days.

If you replace yodeling with vomiting, I mean.

That's right. I've either got food poisoning or the stomach flu. I don't really care which--all I care about is that every. single. time. we stop the car, I have to . . . yodel.

It's not fun. (www.duh.com)

But you know what IS fun?

Winning books!

And you know who wins the books I'm giving away in honor of Carol signing with an agent???

Kristi from random Daily Thoughts!!

Congratulations :) Shoot me an email with your mailing address and I'll send the books to ya as soon as I get home! (April 14th)

QOTD: Have you ever been to Dodge City?

AOTD: Yup. I'm here RIGHT NOW!

These four things you shall not do . . . At an agent panel . . . In my opinion.

2011-03-28T08:30:00.006-04:00

Dear people-who-will-probably-never-see-this-blog-because-if-you-read-blogs-and/or-are-skilled-in-google-fu-you're-already-aware-of-these-things:

But just in case. . .

Here's a list of four things you might not want to do at an agent panel:

1. Not pay attention and ask a question that's already been answered IN DEPTH. And then proceed to ask a series of follow up questions making agents repeat their IN DEPTH answers.

Because: Duh.

2. Ask a question that's actually a thinly veiled pitch for your book. For example:

Writer: Um, okay, so like, my dad was a famous dragon slayer in the 80s and 90s--and I'm writing a non-fiction novel about how he didn't want to marry any of the princesses he saved. Can you even believe it?!? I'm also writing a nonfiction tell-all about my time as an extra on the set of The Simpsons and I totally made out with Bart...So I guess my question is... what's the best way to let you know about what I'm writing?

Yeah. No. I mean, I can't speak as an agent (why? because I'm not one, obvi) but as a fellow writer in the same panel, I now pretty much hate your guts.

Okay. Dislike you.

Okay. Am annoyed.

Because: Unless the panel is titled "Everybody Pitch Now" (clearly to the tune of C+C Music Factory's Everybody Dance Now) panels aren't the place to pitch an agent. Plenty of conferences have agent pitch sessions that you can sign up for. And sometimes agents linger after their panels, for you to speak with them privately then. I don't know if those times are times you should pitch or not, but they're better than in a room full of people who want answers to real questions that will help more than just one person.

3. Ask an agent if you can send them your query even though they've just said they don't rep what you write. For example:

Agent: I absolutely 100% do not represent fiction.

Writer: So. . . I know you don't represent fiction, but I have this amazing YA paranormal. Can I query you anyway?

Agent: . . . *crickets*

Because: Here's the thing: a LOT of times agents will make exceptions for conference goers. As in, they'll open up to queries if they're currently closed. But I've never heard of one opening up to queries for things that they absolutely do not represent. And, think about it. Why would you want them to? Don't you want an agent who loves what you write? Who has contacts at publishing houses based on previous sales with your genre? Also, other writers will ~~probably~~ ~~maybe~~ probably laugh at you for asking a question like that. (I mean, not me, of course. Because I would never laugh at you.)

4. Disagree with an agent's answer in a condescending way. Por ejemplo:

Agent: Right now, most publishers pay authors 25% royalties for e-book sales.

Writer: No. You're wrong, you idiot. My friend told me blah blah blah...

Because: Welp, it's just plain rude. Didn't you ever learn your manners ? No? Well then. You should know that the agent's right and you're misinformed and you look like a big beyotch. (I will say: this is different from asking follow up questions. I think those are fine because sometimes things aren't easily explained/understood on the first go-round. Or maybe that's just because I'm blonde.)

Love always,
Sara

PS All examples are exaggerations of things I've seen recently. Except the part where the agent says e-book sales are at a 25% royalty rate right now. That's something I heard from an agent at VA Festival of the Book this year.

QOTD: What's your favorite word today?

Mine's beyotch.

Friday Funny: Josh Groban Sings Kanye West's Tweets. LMFAO

2011-03-25T08:20:00.004-04:00

This. . . really needs no introduction.

Happy Friday

PS Check out Christine Fonseca's big announcement! (CLICK HERE)

PPS Check out Cambria Dillon's blog today--and win a 5-page critique by her agent!!!

PPPS Want to keep the laughter coming? CLICK HERE for previous funnies.

PPPPS Thanks to Cristin for sharing this video with me!

PPPPPS I have nothing to say here, but I was having too much fun typing all the postscripts to stop myself...

#VAbook: First Page Critiques

2011-03-23T08:30:00.003-04:00

So. I took eleventy bajillion notes during this one panel, Dancing with the Manuscripts, at The Virginia Festival of the Book.

Yes, you read that correctly. ELEVENTY BAJILLION.

Before you run away screaming with flailing muppet arms, you should know I'm not writing all eleventy bajillion notes out here today.

You will not have to read a novel-length post if you stick around.

Relieved?

Phew.

INSTEAD I sorted the notes into categories and simplified them into pretty pictures. And by pretty pictures, I mean word clouds and nothing more.

But first?

An explanation:

Ahead of time, writers could submit their first 100 words to be critiqued during the session. Sadly, I did not discover this until past the deadline. But lots of other people did and I kept track of everything said about THEIR pages.

Winning Qualities for Your First Page

prose = beautiful language, active verbs, clean writing
engaging = good setup, foreshadowing, emotions evoked right away, fun to read, wanted to know more immediately

Red Card Qualities for Your First Page

(Panelists held up red cards if they didn't want to read past those first 100 words.)

prose = bad metaphors, clunky language, too many adverbs
bad description = take too long describing one thing, vague
something interesting : one panelist didn't like an entry because Hitler was referred to flippantly (the MC compared someone to Hitler), because she'd JUST been to a WWII panel, so it hit too close to home for her at the moment. timing really can be everything

Tada!

Donzo.

In what could have been an epic-length post, I brought you pictures. (Well, really it wasn't me. It was wordle.)

QOTD: What's your favorite number.

Mine's eleventy bajillion.

Or nineteen.