January 2010
New Year ramblings and a giveaway
3 January 2010
Hope everyone had a great New Year’s weekend. I love New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, even though I’ve never done the whole party thing. Never attempted to sing Auld Lang Syne or spent New Year’s Day nursing a hangover. (Maybe this is why I love NYE and NYD?) They’re always quiet holidays in my family, and this year was no exception. I did make it until midnight, but only because I’d had a 2 hour nap that afternoon.
Okay, I can’t think of a good segue into this, so I’ll just shift abruptly into saying that fellow YA author Jenny B. Jones is having me on her blog today for an interview and book giveaway. If you’ve been a reader on here for very long, you know that I love Jenny’s books, so I’m feeling like a pretty big deal at the moment. (Don’t worry – I’m sure my 2-year-old will bring me right back down to earth.) One of the coolest questions Jenny asked me is, if I inherited a crazy amount of money, what’s the first thing I would buy for someone else? That’s one of the funnest things I’ve been able to answer in an interview.
That’s it for me today. Hope everyone has a great Monday!
Why I want to go back to school and (believe it or not) a giveaway
4 January 2010
This is rarely a thought that enters my mind, but this week I really miss being in school. I’ve been out for 9 years now, and haven’t missed it since.
But Kansas City has been snow covered since Christmas Eve, and weather.com is saying there’s more to come. This means snow days. I MISS SNOW DAYS.
What I didn’t realize as a student was that there are no snow days once you’ve graduated. Employers don’t grant them (unless you’re a teacher, I suppose), and when you have kids … yeah, no snow days there either.
So what I’m really trying to say is that I miss the unexpected day off. I miss that feeling I’d get when my alarm would go off, and I’d hear the D.J. read off my school name as being closed. (Or the absolute best was when the cancelled the night before so you could sleep in.)
Because snow days as an adult are kinda lame. I still have to do dishes and figure out what we’re going to eat (particularly tricky if I’d planned to go to the grocery store that day). I still have McKenna who requires attention and discipline and bathing. Basically, there’s stuff that I have to do now that I didn’t have to do back in 10th grade. Maybe this is why adults are always telling high school students that those are the best days of your life? (Don’t worry—they’re lying.)
So, if it’s not too much to ask, could one of you students spend your snow day totally loafing around? Spend the whole day doing stuff you love but never have time for with school and homework. Watch a couple movies back-to-back. Take a nap. Then e-mail me about it so I can feel vicariously rested.
But before all your loafing, head over to Cecelia Dowdy’s blog for a chance to win a free copy of Out with the In Crowd. And in case you missed it yesterday, there’s still time to get yourself entered for the giveaway on Jenny B. Jones’s blog.
Happy Tuesday!
Writing Wednesday – What’s Release Day Like?
5 January 2010
As an aspiring author, you fantasize about seeing your book for sale on bookshelves. You should. It’s awesome.
So when the publisher says to you, “Your book will be released on July 1st,” or whatever, your excitement is almost more than you can express. A release date! You have a release date. On that date, you’ll be able to walk into a bookstore and see your book there on the shelf. It’ll be sitting there, available for anyone to buy. And there will be glowing reviews like this posted all over the net, declaring that YOU HAVE ARRIVED.
Um, not quite.
I’ve now had two release dates, so I’m far from a pro at this, but in my experience, release day is kind of a let down. My family has remembered. My close friends have too. Everybody else seemed to remember around the time I broadcasted the delightful date on Facebook.
And that walking into the store and seeing your book baby on the shelf? Not likely. Especially if it’s your first one, and you’re like me. The world wasn’t sitting around waiting for Me, Just Different to release. They don’t know who I am; why should they care?
Plus, if you write for Revell, the release date is actually an “in stores by now” date. The Barnes and Noble down the road from me had copies of Out with the In Crowd about three weeks before the book actually released. Which was awesome (Christmas sales, baby), but when January 1st came around, I was like, “Oh, hey … so you can officially buy it now, I guess.”
Not exactly like I used to imagine back in the day, but that’s just kinda life. And walking into a random bookstore and not finding your book on the shelves is a darn good ego balance for reviews like this. (Yes, I’ve now linked to it twice, but it’s an awesome review. Gotta use whatever I can.)
Hope everyone has a stellar Wednesday. See y’all back here tomorrow to talk about what a teacher’s pet wannabe I continue to be, even in my twenties when I should know better.
Once a Teacher’s Pet, Always a Teacher’s Pet
6 January 2010
So here’s the really horrible self-discovery I had this week:
On Tuesday, I had a doctor’s appointment. It was at 11, and I decided that I could squeeze in a meeting at 10 before I headed over there. (My judgment was likely hampered by the really cool phone I would be getting out of said meeting.)
Well, getting my phone took a lot longer than I thought. By the time I left there, it was 11:10, and I hadn’t been able to call the doctor’s office to tell them I was running late. (The guy had both my new phone and my old phone in the back for about twenty minutes.)
I called as I left and explained that I was running late, but would my doctor still be able to see me? The very sweet receptionist tracked down my doctor, who said she still had time for me.
I thought I could make it to the office by 11:30, but I didn’t factor in how long it would take to wind out of the Sprint Headquarters parking garage, or that I wouldn’t find a parking spot right away at the hospital, or that the roads still have some snow on them.
I arrived around 11:40. I apologized to basically everyone I saw, and I wanted to apologize to the entire waiting room because I knew whomever’s appointment was at 11:45, they wouldn’t be getting in on time. And it was all my fault.
The only one who seemed even slightly irked was my doctor’s nurse, but I’m already convinced that she doesn’t like me. (Insert my husband rolling his eyes here.)
I walked out of the office at 11:55. Seriously. That’s how short my stay was there, and part of it was sitting on the butcher paper waiting for my doctor to come in. As I scheduled my appointment for next month (Ah, pregnancy…), I overheard my doctor telling the receptionist that the 11:45 patient was her last one before lunch, and to please let her know when she arrived. I take this to mean that this lady was also late, and that I really hadn’t slowed things down as much as I originally feared.
But did this stop me from feeling guilty for the rest of the day? No. When my husband pointed out that I’ve been early for every appointment, that I’ve often sat in that waiting room for 30 to 45 minutes past my scheduled time, did that take away my guilt? Of course not.
I’ve always been a goody-goody. A rule follower. A people pleaser. In school, I wanted my teachers to like me. As an adult, I want my doctor and hairdresser and mail carrier to like me. Sometimes I think I’ve made strides with this flaw—my irrational desire for acceptance—and then Tuesday happens, and it’s obvious that I’m not nearly as far along as I’d like to be.
Sigh. Off to figure out how to stop caring what people think.
Book Friday – A very good mail day – Klassen, Carlson, and Austen
7 January 2010
First of all, I totally spaced mentioning an opportunity for a free book yesterday. Melanie Dickerson, whose YA novel is due out from Zondervan this October, featured Out with the In Crowd on her blog. If you leave a comment, you’ll be entered to win a free copy.
And today, the fabulous Roseanna White, is giving away Out with the In Crowd on her blog, so head over there as well and double up on your chances. And to read Roseanna’s review, click here. (For those keeping the tally, this is the third time I’ve linked to this. But it’s a darn good review, and I might even link a few more times.)
And now, onto books.
It’s always nice when books show up in the mail. It’s especially nice when free ones arrive. A nice perk to the business.
These showed up a few weeks ago, but I haven’t had a chance to get to them yet. I’m reading Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card per my husband’s relentless request. More on that next Book Friday.
But here are some new releases I’m way excited about:
The Silent Governess by Julie Klassen
I’m a huge fan of The Apothecary’s Daughter, so I’m eager to get my hands on this one. From the back cover:
Olivia Keene is fleeing her own secret. She never intended to overhear his.
But now that she has, what is Lord Bradley to do with her? He cannot let her go, for were the truth to get out, he would lose everything—his reputation, his inheritance, his very home.He gives Miss Keene little choice but to accept a post at Brightwell Court, where he can make certain she does not spread what she heard. Keeping an eye on the young woman as she cares for the children, he finds himself drawn to her, even as he struggles against the growing attraction. The clever Miss Keene is definitely hiding something.
Anything But Normal by Melody Carlson
Melody is a Christian YA legend, and I really enjoyed Just Another Girl, so I’m interested to read her latest. Especially now that I saw it received 4½ stars from RT Times. From the back cover:
She thought she’d left the summer behind . . .
This year should be the best of Sophie Ramsay’s life. She’s friends with all the right people, she’s a shoo-in for editor of the school newspaper, and she’s managed to turn the head of one of the hottest guys in school.
But something’s not quite right. Sophie has a secret—one she won’t be able to keep under wraps for much longer.
And finally, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
While Miss Austen is no longer popping out books, publishers continue to pop out new versions of her books. This one is from Bethany House, and I could be totally wrong about this, but it’s the first time I’ve observed a Christian house releasing one of Austen’s books. This is an “insight edition,” which includes helpful notes and trivia. And a rockin’ cover. I’ve read Sense and Sensibility twice, but I think this will be the best time yet. Bethany’s also released a Pride and Prejudice Insight Edition, so we’ll see if they do others as well.
With all the snow we have around here, I’m hoping for a leisurely weekend full of hot tea and reading. Hope you all have great weekends!
Weekend Observations
10 January 2010
Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend. I barely cracked the novel I’m currently reading, so it wasn’t exactly what I expected, but it was a good one nonetheless. (I think it’s so weird that “nonetheless” is a word. Like did we all just get tired of hyphenating it, so it got shoved together?) It included a surprise box of Krispy Kremes, and a gorgeous hand cut glass pitcher, so you know it couldn’t have been too bad.
I woke up Saturday morning slightly shaken from a bad dream. Pregnancy dreams are bizarre anyway. Like last week, I dreamed Ben, my husband, gave Cuba Gooding Junior malaria from an e-mail forward. We hadn’t watched a Cuba Gooding Junior movie, and we hadn’t been talking about malaria, so I have no idea where that came from.
But Saturday morning, I dreamt Ben sent me an e-mail saying, “Don’t read this review,” with the link attached. Dream me isn’t so different from real me, and she clicked on it. It was a one-star review on Amazon from a teenager, which is like my worst nightmare. I mean, if an adult gives Out with the In Crowd a bad review, you always have the comfort of being able to say, “Well, you’re not my target audience.” The review basically talked about how she would use my book for firewood if she couldn’t resell it on Amazon. I don’t understand how dreams work, and I’m totally fascinated by the fact that my brain manufactured a lousy review of my book.
The other Saturday observation was that we often go to Old Navy to buy my husband something specific. We walk out with his something specific … and three or four items for me as well. Ben pointed this out to me last time it happened, but I really didn’t think it would happen this time because we were going to an Old Navy with no maternity section. And why would I buy non-maternity clothes right now? Um, because they’re cute and cheap. One of the shirts is short sleeved, but I rigged a way for me to wear it today since I won’t be able to wear it again until, like, August. I also didn’t factor in Old Navy carrying an adorable argyle bag. Argyle = Stephanie-loves-and-wants-to-own almost 100% of the time. When it’s $6, it becomes impossible to refuse.
Hope everyone’s week is starting off well!
Isn't she pretty? And a giveaway.
11 January 2010
So, yesterday was totally one of those non-writing writer days that I had no idea existed for authors until I became one. I spent my morning getting invitations for my January 23rd booksigning in the mail, which involved hauling my two-year-old to my dad’s office, where I hogged his computer and printer.
Then while she napped, I worked on getting the cover for So Over It uploaded onto the web site. I’m not dumb with technology or anything, I’m just slow. My awesome web guy wrote out really detailed instructions for me so I can upload my covers as they come in. I swear I read every line about 10 times. I just know I’m gonna hit one wrong button and wipe out the whole thing. But the end result is this, and in my totally biased opinion, I think it looks pretty fab. It helps that Skylar’s exceptionally pretty on this cover.
The only hard thing about uploading all the stuff for So Over It is that she’s my last one. I mean, there will be other books, but this is the last Skylar book. And I’ve been working on The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt on-and-off since 2004. While it’s been awesome to see her “take flight,” so to speak, there’s also sadness with closing that chapter in my life. Like when McKenna was suddenly no longer a baby, but a toddler. Yes, it was always the plan, and yes, it’s what we’d been working toward, but I felt a pang of loss when it happened. Though I still get to do promotions and all that jazz for So Over It, so I’ve got some time yet before I really have to break down and blubber. (And since I’ll be releasing the last Skylar book and having a baby all within about 2 weeks of each other, I imagine there’ll be some blubbering going on…)
Last thing before I end this. Patty Wysong is hosting me on her blog both today and tomorrow. She interviewed me, and is also giving away a copy of Out with the In Crowd. So head on over to enter.
Okay, that’s it. Have a fabulous day, everyone!
Lazy Writing Wednesday : The Art of War for Writers
12 January 2010
Here’s my big writing tip for the week: READ THE ART OF WAR FOR WRITERS BY JAMES SCOTT BELL. My darling brother-in-law gave it to me for Christmas, and I started it yesterday afternoon. I’ve totally fallen in love with this book. And a lot of the advice in there has inspired many more Writing Wednesday topics.
But today’s my day for blogging over at Girls, God, and the Good Life. I’m talking about how much I suck when it comes to sharing my time.
And don’t forget to head over to Patty Wysong’s blog for a chance to win a copy of Out with the In Crowd. The interview is posted today. If you commented yesterday, go comment again today to be entered twice.
Jumping on the exercise bandwagon
13 January 2010
So, I’m feeling pretty pleased with myself because yesterday I did a little exercise.
The thing is, I’m so not an exercise girl. When it’s nice outside, I enjoy putting McKenna in her stroller and doing our usual loop through the neighborhood, but I’m never like, “Boy, I feel like going for a run.”
Part of this is due to the fact that I wear size 0 jeans with basically no effort. Because I’m comfortable with my size, I lack motivation to do much physically. My husband has regularly been after me about this. Not nagging, just expressing that he’d like to keep me around for awhile.
Exercising wasn’t a New Year’s resolution of mine, but the idea has really been following me around since January 1st came and went. I’m not just talking about all the diet books being displayed front and center, even at the Christian bookstores.
First, my husband decided to make more effort to exercise 5 days a week. He’d say to me, “Why don’t you come down and just walk on the treadmill for a little bit?” Which sounded like a fine idea until McKenna was in bed, and then the idea of curling up on the couch with my book always trumped it.
And then Tuesday I started reading The Art of War for Writers. First the author, James Scott Bell talked about walking being a good technique for writers, that it can get the juices flowing. And then a few chapters later, he quoted Tess Gerritsen talking about how she starts out every writing day with a brisk 30 minute walk on the treadmill and that it’s really helped her.
Who am I to argue with James Scott Bell and Tess Gerritsen?
So yesterday, before I sat down to write, I hopped on the treadmill for a brisk 20 minutes (I’m guessing Ms. Gerritsen doesn’t work around a toddler’s nap schedule, but I could be wrong). It kills me to say this, but I really did feel better afterward. My shoulders had been tight before, and the walk loosened them right up. My mind had been kinda mushy, and afterward I felt much sharper.
I planned on doing this in secret for a few days to see if it stuck, but that went out the window when I couldn’t figure out how to unlatch the treadmill and had to call my husband. But a little accountability never hurt anybody.
Hope everyone has a great day!
Book Friday - The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth by Shelley Adina
14 January 2010
“Let me put it right out there: I’m no sports fan – unless you count surfing, which is more of an attitude to life than a sport.”
So, this is obviously not the first line of Ender’s Game. I planned on discussing it today, but I didn’t get it finished this week like I thought I would. Darn pregnancy making me too sleepy to read! It’ll definitely be next Friday, though.
Instead, I’ll talk about The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth by Shelley Adina, which I read right before Ender’s Game. The Chic Shall Inherit the Earth is the final installment of the All About Us series. If you liked the first five books, you’ll like this last one as well. I thought it wrapped everything up nicely, though not so neat and tidy that it’s borderline annoying. A couple gets together who all the readers have been eagerly waiting for. There’s a sad breakup that I didn’t see coming, and a near-breakup that resolved in a way I’m pleased with.
I thought Shelley did a great job capturing the emotions following you around during the last semester of senior year. The weird mix of stress about picking the right future while relaxing and losing interest in your current classes. And I love Lissa as a narrator. She narrated the first book, and I found myself kinda missing her in the ones that followed, so I’m glad Shelley chose to use her in the last one.
The only thing that absolutely drove me crazy about this book was the cover. There’s nothing wrong with the concept—Shani, Lissa, and Carly are taking a self portrait of themselves on graduation day. What annoys the heck out of me is how you can see the image in the camera screen, and it’s obvious they just copy and pasted the cover in there. I mean, THE CAMERA IS IN THE PICTURE THEY’RE TAKING. Really bugs me. But the story inside the cover is enjoyable enough for me to get over it.
Hope you all enjoy your weekend!
Out of the ordinary Saturday post
16 January 2010
Yesterday, I TOTALLY forgot to mention that the lovely Georgiana Daniel’s is giving away a copy of Out with the In Crowd on her blog.
You don’t even have to scroll through an interview, and Georgiana writes short and sweet reviews like yours truly.
Hope everyone is having a great weekend!
My unofficial review for Avatar
17 January 2010
First of all, I’m SO excited for my friend, Lynn Rush, who found herself a publishing contract for her book Violet Dawn, AND acquired a literary agent all in one week. She’s quite the gal.
Onto less important things like my book signing this Saturday. It’s here in Overland Park at Barnes and Noble at Oak Park Mall from 1-3pm. Hope to see a lot of people there, because I’ve found book signings are insanely boring when no one comes. Just a little guilt trip to start off your week.
So, we had a good weekend around here, but not really the type where I’m like, “I have to blog about this on Monday!” The only real newsworthy thing I’ve got is that we saw Avatar on Friday night. Here are my thoughts:
1. WOW, there were a lot of kids in that theater. Like the girl sitting next to me was about 7. Her dad covered her eyes a few times and kept reminding her to use two hands with her drink. I’m not taking my kids to a PG-13 movie until that’s intuitive for them.
2. This was the first movie I’ve seen in 3D that wasn’t animation. Obviously, I haven’t seen Avatar in non-3D to compare, but I felt like the 3D enhanced the experience instead of being distracting. Actually, the only distracting thing was that the 3D glasses pinched.
3. Avatar was really fun, and beautifully done. And worth seeing on the big screen.
4. Something that struck me as odd after we left the theater was that I never once teared up. It’s a story with a lot of emotion in it, and I’m not only prone to tears in general, I’m pregnant. I’m really surprised I didn’t cry. Not sure if that’s just me and my mood that night, or if it says something about the quality of the writing.
5. At my writer’s conference back in September, the legendary literary agent Donald Maass suggested that we all use our characters names a lot more often because of how many times he loses track of names while he’s reading. I thought of him during Avatar because I have NO clue what the girl’s name was. (The love interest for Jake Sully.) When a movie’s about 3 hours long, you should walk out of the theater knowing names.
And that’s my unofficial review. Avatar has its flaws, but it’s a lot of fun.
Hope everyone has a great start to their week!
Low productivity and a giveaway
18 January 2010
I changed the background on my computer to the cover for So Over It, and it’s reduced my productivity. Every time I’m switching activities, it catches my eye and distracts me for about five seconds or so. Part of it, I think, is that a beach vacation sounds really nice right now. The snow has now been on the ground so long, it’s all pretty much dirt-colored. Gross.
In other news that might actually interest somebody, Out with the In Crowd is being featured on Robin Johns Grant’s blog today. Normal drill to be entered for the giveaway: Read the interview and leave a comment. And technically you don’t have to read the interview, but you can at least skim it.
I’m happy to have 24 back, although I didn’t get to watch last night because the K-State/Texas basketball game was on and, as Ben pointed out, that doesn’t get replayed on Hulu. I know people complained about last season of 24, but my standards must be slipping or something, because I enjoyed it. Or maybe I just don’t expect as much from my TV shows as other people do? I’m really excited for Lost to come back. Then my evening productivity can totally plummet since I’ll have 24, Lost, and The Office/30 Rock. This is why I’ve totally ignored any other show recommendations, because I just can’t afford to watch another show at the moment.
Okay. Off to be productive. Or to stare at my computer desktop some more. One or the other.
Writing Wednesday - Big Announcement for Teen Writers
19 January 2010
Now that I’ve been doing this whole author thing for about seven months, I’ve discovered one of my favorite parts of the job is talking to teens who are aspiring writers. I think in part this is because I often felt very lonely as a writer during those years. I like being able to reach out to those who are there now, and coming across so many of them makes me think I wasn’t as alone as I originally thought.
So I’ve started a blog for teens who are aspiring writers. I’ll post on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The first couple will be my complete publication story, which I’d actually never written out before. I had no idea it was so long. After that, I’ll talk about craft things. Writing good dialogue. What makes a good story. Likeable characters. And so on. I’ll answer any writing questions that get e-mailed to me, and I’ll feature other authors who wrote in high school and talk about their journeys as well.
I’m so excited about this idea that I’ve actually lost sleep over it, which is pretty impressive since I’m four-ish months pregnant, and I like my sleep.
So if you’re a teen writer, or you know a teen writer, have them check out www.GoTeenWriters.com.
Have a great Wednesday!
My thoughts on 24 and a giveaway
20 January 2010
If you hung with yesterday’s insanely long post on Go Teen Writers, and you want to see how the story ends, it’s up and ready to read. If it seems like a lot to bite off today, I’ll give you the short version: I get published.
Today, the lovely and talented Trish Perry is having me on her blog for an interview. She’s also giving away a copy of Out with the In Crowd. Leave a comment for a chance to be entered, etc.
So, I finally got around to watching Monday night’s 24 episodes.
Here’s what I like about this season
I think they did a really good job of opening up the next plot line involving the nuclear weapons. We had a few hints of it early on, but when it showed up, it still caught me off-guard. (Maybe that’s just me. I’m not the best at predicting where a plot is going.)
Renee’s character. She’s sooooo different than the FBI agent we met at the start of last season. I think she’s doing a phenomenal job playing this part.
That we finally have another agent, Cole whatever (Freddie Prinze Jr.), who isn’t afraid to step up and be a man. I thought it was really cool when he said he was with the assassin, even though he thought it was going to kill him.
The president for the Middle Eastern country they’re desperately avoiding naming. My favorite thing they did with him (and I know this is going to sound weird, so stick with me) is give him a mistress. If he wasn’t betraying his wife, he’d be the cookie cutter of a perfect president, and they already did that with David Palmer.
How Jack has a goal—to get to L.A. to be with his daughter. My memory may not be perfect on this, but I don’t think Jack’s ever had a real goal of his own before. I like it.
Here’s what I don’t like, or what is confusing the heck out of me
Dana Walsh. I’m fine with Dana, but she better have one big honking secret, because she’s really giving that guy from her past a long leash. Seriously, why did she give him her key? They’re really building it up, so it better be big and impressive.
Um … why are we in New York? Did I miss something somewhere along the way? How come Jack, Chloe, and Renee all happen to live in New York?
What amused me
That Renee put that Russian mob presentation together in about five minutes. She’s quite the lady.
Book Friday – Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
21 January 2010
“I’ve watched through his eyes, I’ve listened through his ears, and I tell you he’s the one. Or at least as close as we’re going to get.”
So, Ender’s Game isn’t the typical book that I would select for myself. I read it because it’s one of my husband’s favorite books, and both Angela Hunt and my best friend, Roseanna White, list it as one of their favorites as well.
Through the entire reading process, my husband would look over my shoulder, make a comment or two about where I was, and then say, “What do you think of it?” And I usually said something really eloquent like, “Well … I don’t know. I mean, I like it, but I just… I don’t know. I guess I’m not seeing what’s so fabulous about it that everyone just raves and raves. I mean, it’s good. I’m enjoying it, I just… I don’t know.”
And that, in a nutshell, is my review. (You can see why I don’t get paid to do this.)
I liked it.
It was different than any book I’ve ever read, and I’m always a fan of that. (It also used the word “farteater” way more than any other book I’ve read. That was a surprise.)
I liked Ender a lot. It really bummed me out that he was so bummed out for 95% of the book, and that’s always a good sign. I thought the relationships between Ender, Valentine, and Peter were all really interesting. And there were a lot of, “Oh!” kind of moments. (I mean surprises, if that’s unclear.)
But…
I don’t know. Especially because the end was so different than I thought it would be, and it left me feeling like, “Wait, so he doesn’t get to…? So, we’re not going to get…?”
So, basically, I’m still wrestling with how I feel about this book. I liked it, but I didn’t like it to the degree of basically everyone else around me. Usually when everybody I know loves a book, I either really hate it (Da Vinci Code, The Notebook, The Shack) or really love it as well (Twilight). And that’s left me feeling off-kilter. And wondering if I’m just not as deep as everyone else. Like maybe I didn’t “get it.”
So, a good book. I liked it. But…
Please wash your hands and a giveaway
24 January 2010
I had a book signing on Saturday at the Barnes and Noble that’s practically in my neighborhood. Thank you so, so much to everyone who came out! It was nice to see familiar and unfamiliar faces alike. I also got to meet a couple of readers, which was way cool. Made me feel like a real author.
I’d forgotten how much fun those can be when people are actually there. My last three book signings have been basically me and whomever of my family will hang around for a couple hours. Two times ago, my father-in-law and I had a long discussion about pine nuts. The last few signings, I’ve left feeling totally, utterly drained. This one, after I’d sold 50ish books, I left feeling energized. Especially when my parents suggested Five Guys for dinner.
I was in the bathroom and noticed the “Employees Must Wash Hands” sign. I see that now in just about every public bathroom these days. I assume those signs are more there for my comfort as a patron than anything else. Really, they leave me feeling a little disturbed about our society. We seriously have to remind people to wash their hands after going to the bathroom? Ew.
If you weren’t able to make it to the book signing over the weekend, you have the opportunity to win a signed copy of Out with the In Crowd over at Margaret Daley’s blog.
Hope everyone’s week is starting off well!
Sunglasses Update
25 January 2010
So for those who’ve been losing sleep over the sunglasses I lost back in November, I have an update for you.
I happened to be at Marshalls a couple nights ago, and my husband said, “Maybe they’ll have sunglasses that could work for you.” (For those who missed the original post, my 3-year-old sunglasses grew legs and ran off during vacation. Every pair I’ve tried on since then have made me look like some oversized bug from a bad Sci-Fi movie.)
Well, not only did they have sunglasses that “worked for me,” they had basically the exact same pair that I lost. I bought those down in Florida three years ago for $15, and a couple nights ago I paid $10 for the same ones. I really liked those sunglasses, so I’m mostly grateful, but part of me is bothered by this.
Like if I’m at Old Navy scouring the clearance rack, I’ll steer clear of a shirt that they have 50 of. I use that as an indicator of, “No matter what you may think, this shirt isn’t cool.” So to be able to buy the same pair of sunglasses three years later … it’s a bit unsettling.
And then I remember I’m trying not to care what other people think. So hurry up, summer. Me and my out of date sunglasses are ready.
Writing Wednesday—Reminders
26 January 2010
I talked some a couple weeks ago about how I’m reading and totally digging The Art of War for Writers by James Scott Bell. One of the things he does is posts “reminders” for himself about writing tools. He posts four at a time and rotates them. I came up with my initial four, and here they are:
Stop flapping
The Unexpected Connection
No secondary characters
How do you feel about that?They’re “reminders” so they’re just meant to be thought triggers for me. Here’s what they actually mean:
Stop flapping
We watched an amazing DVD in church a couple years ago. I can’t remember the guy’s name, but he used to be (or maybe still is?) a photographer for National Geographic. He’s also a fabulous speaker, and had all kinds of spiritual insight, especially in relation to art and Christianity.He lives in Hawaii, and apparently he was watching these birds fly to one of the other islands. He noticed that they don’t flap their wings, that they just ride the wind, and he felt like God was saying to him, “Stop flapping.” Basically, stop pushing so hard to make something happen. At the time, I was a new mom (we had McKenna in service with us, so she was only a month or two old), and I was trying to figure out how to do the writing/mom thing. The “stop flapping” message really spoke to my soul and helped me relax. For a day or two anyway.
There’s a lot of stress in the writing life. I like having the reminder that often times, the best thing is to “stop flapping” and just rest in God.
The Unexpected Connection
This is something I first started doing when I read The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. I write out a list of all the characters and start drawing random lines between them. And then I try to come up with some kind of unexpected connection that can link the two. This exercise has given me some of my favorite plot twists. (And for those who’ve read Out with the In Crowd, you saw this in action with the Heather/Aaron connection.)No Secondary Characters
This is simply a reminder to myself that the world doesn’t revolve around my main character. Every conversation with her best friend can’t be about my MC, and the other characters need to have lives going on as well. They can’t just be sitting around waiting for MC to call them up on stage.How do you feel about that?
One of the most common editorial notes I receive from my darling editor is, “Can we get some insight here as to how Skylar’s feeling?” So during scenes that aren’t working, or don’t have the emotional punch I want them to, I’ve started examining each character and how they feel at that moment. I know it sounds kinda cheesy, but I think it really enriches scenes.That’s all for today. Happy writing!
A Bookish Thursday
27 January 2010
Random publicity note: If you’re doing Out with the In Crowd for a book club, it’s now listed on TeenReads.com with discussion questions. Which is also a pretty cool source for those who run teen book clubs. I noticed on the Out with the In Crowd page, there’s an ad for the whole Skylar series. Seems like maybe that would serve me better on a different page. I mean, if you’re already looking at the book… But I’m no advertising genius. And it likely does show up on other pages. Anyway. Pressing on.
Speaking of books (I know it’s not Friday, but I could talk about books on here daily), McKenna and I went to Story Time yesterday at our local Barnes and Noble. The guy read a book called Dinosaurs Love Underpants that I thought was totally darling. McKenna might have to own that book just so I have the joy of reading it myself.
I had been nervous about taking McKenna because there was no target age listed on the flier, and I thought 2 might be younger than they aimed. Instead, she was the oldest. I’m always fascinated at Story Time by parents who just let their kids crawl all over the place. Like, I get that kids need to wiggle and move, but if McKenna was the type to crawl across the stage thingy and distract all the other kids, we just wouldn’t go. Or we’d sit in the back. (Later said kid fell off one of the benches and conked his head with a loud ga-lunk that made everyone cringe.)
That’s all I’ve got for today. Off to peruse the TeenReads.com web site and add to my to-read list…
(P.S. When I did that, I discovered The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt ad is also on the main page, so, uh, yes, it _does show up on other pages.)
Book Friday—Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren
28 January 2010
First of all: Paging Lizzie Boyd of Huntsville, Alabama. You won a copy of Out with the In Crowd on Robin Grant’s blog, but we don’t have a way to contact you. So, if you see this, e-mail me. (Or if you know Lizzie, pass that along, please.)
Onto Book Friday.
“PJ Sugar would never escape trouble.”
This is the opening line for Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren. I could tell right away this was going to be a very enjoyable read.
So the book is about, as you might guess, PJ Sugar. And the back cover copy of the book is so pithy, that I’ll just use it instead of fumbling around for my own words:
PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:
After traveling the country for ten years hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that’s become her life, she needs a fresh start.
The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister’s wedding is Boone—her former flame and the reason she left town.
Her best friend’s husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota has seen in more than a decade.
What PJ doesn’t know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she’ll uncover much more than she bargained for—a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she’s been longing for.
So I loved a variety of things about this book. In no particular order, here they are:
1. PJ herself. PJ has some definite flaws and insecurities, but at the same time she’s so bold and … I don’t know exactly what word I’m looking for. Transparent, maybe. Or stripped down. She’s not a frou-frou girl, and she doesn’t mind running out to the grocery store in her pajama pants and flip-flops.
2. This book has a lot of the same themes in it that I wrote about in the third Skylar book, So Over It. It’s about going back to the people who watched you make mistakes and facing the music, even though it was easier when you were on the run. Because it dealt with so many of PJ’s high school friends and insecurities, there were a lot of YA elements, which of course I totally dig.
3. The mystery storyline combined with PJs wit and the generally light tone of the book. And I don’t mean “light” as in no-depth, just that the voice was very playful, so the juxtaposition was interesting.
4. Boone and PJ. Seriously swoon-worthy stuff. I thought them getting back together was a guarantee, but Mrs. Warren did a fabulous job of making me doubt that Boone + PJ = happy ending for all.
The second book, Double Trouble just released a couple weeks ago. It’ll definitely be gracing my shelves.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Where is my head these days???
29 January 2010
I was so excited about Book Friday that I totally forgot to mention the LAST GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY for Out with the In Crowd. The lovely and talented Erica Vetsch is featuring me on her blog today. Leave a comment to be entered. Yada, yada, yada.
And now you can move on to today’s “real blog post“http://stephaniemorrillbooks.com/blog/book-friday-nothing-but-trouble-by-susan-may-warren.