Mad Ravings....

 FLASH BURNOUT - *THE* book to get come October 19, 2009! 

Anybody who said, "I love John Green," I said - you HAVE to buy FLASH BURNOUT by L.K. Madigan when it comes out.



It's not too early to order you copy. Let your independent bookstore know you WANT this book when it comes out!

You know how some people are all outdoorsy and love camping and can rustle up four course meals in the wilderness, meals that proudly represent every food group?

I am not one of those people.

In some ways I WISH I was. I mean. I don't covet the "I'm such a Princess, I must have a hotel room or at least a cabin with running water, five appliance, wireless connection and, oh, okay forget the cabin, I want someone else to cook and clean for me, let's drive straight to a hotel with at least four stars"- label.

I admire people who strap backpacks on their backs and hike into the mountains for a week and sleep under the stars, listening to the howls of wolves, eating wild berries and being at one with nature. But I would lie awake, thinking how much I hate the noise and the cold. And every buzz of an insect would keep me awake and remind me how uncomfortable my back was. And I'd wonder if anything exciting was happening in virtual writer land.

So. I never pretended to be a camper. I went along with the program when hubby bought a camper van. I gritted my teeth and slept in it so that Superson could experience camping. It's good for him, I thought. Family bonding.

But my hubby tends to get carried away. Don't get me wrong, he's a nice hubby, but sometimes we tend to have different conversations at the very same time.

After year #3 in the camper van.

Me: I am DONE with the camping in this thing.

Hub: Okay. I'll park it on the mountain lot I bought us, eight hours from home where I want to build a cabin. And you can help!

Me: Do you remember when we got married and I told you I hated yardwork? That I never wanted a house when I was single, because I didn't want the hassle of a yard? Did I mention that I don't like renovating things either?

Hub: (busy designing cabin blueprints and hiring framers and roofers)

Me: So. What are we doing for holidays this year?

Hub: We're going to go to the mountains to work on the cabin!! Let's stay at our site to save money! The campervan is there, or we can tent inside the framed cabin that still has no windows and is like sleeping in the great outdoors!

Me: I really hate tenting.

Him: Okay! Great Idea! Let's stay in the tent!

Me: Tents make me really claustrophobic. I can't sleep in them.

Hub: Okay! Let's sleep int the tent for a whole week! With no showers! And a porta potty! It's going to be great.

So the first night, I lay awake until about 4am. Sleep for maybe two hours and wake up to pouring rain!! Cold rain! Soaking through everything rain!

Yay! Let's work in the rain!!

The rain eventually stops. I have the special job of burning fire wood and cleaning up the construction area, which, call me a bad person, makes me really mad because I feel like I'm cleaning up after the hub AGAIN. Or mabye, still. His idea of working is to throw his garbage and wood scraps on the floor. Which I then clean.

Hub is a hard worker, don't get me wrong. He works very, very hard, but he does it in messy fashion. And my job is to clean up after him. Grr. I haven't slept much. I hate tents. It has been raining. I am dirty. I smell. I don't like camping. I don't like renovating. I am not a happy camper.

And so we persist. My temper tantrums come and go. Some nights the temperature drops so low that we actually SHAKE in our sleeping bags. Coyotes howl. Bears prowl. Mosquitoes buzz in my ear, when I am just about asleep.

But Superson catches snails. Let's them crawl all over his arms. Spots snakes. Picks up leeches. Helps build fires. Spots minnows in the lake. Tries to catch fish with a net. Runs after butterflies. He is happy so it is kind of worth it.

On the last night when I want to go home sooooo badly I am regressing to ten year old behavior, Superson gets a HORRIBLE dose of swimmers itch. Rashes all over his body. Itchy, uncomfortable. I am forced to be an adult.

Later I fetch my laptop from the car so we can try to watch a movie, the laptop I brought along hoping to find wireless somewhere in the wilds, but haven't been able to find. The laptop I haven't turned on for a whole week. And when it's on, I see magic! Internet connection.

I am on the side of the mountain and I am picking up someone else's wireless and suddenly it all doesn't seem so bad. I am still smelly. Grouchy and haven't slept properly in over a week. But I surf the Internet for an hour until my battery runs out, and suddenly I am human again.

JUMPING OFF SWINGS RELEASED AUGUST 11, 2009.

Have you ordered your copy yet? What are you waiting for???


 


Jo - we were given ARCs on one condition - to tell you that Andrea says Hi!!

When we asked for the ARC and said we knew you she said, "Ahhh, we love Jo." 

 The last post I put up all these pictures and comments and I had already posted about them - hahahaha! So I quickly deleted, since reruns so soon after the original post isn't much fun. 

Okay, so on to Sunday.

Sunday morning was the William C. Morris award presentation and the coffee klatch, that I was so fortunate to participate in.

Here's some pictures from the green room. Okay, actually, it was called the Kansas room. 

Here's Tina Springer (tinaya ) and I:



E. Lockhart, someone I don't know, and Sarah Dessen. I introduced myself to Sarah and she was very kind:



In the meeting room, we each sat at a table and watched as Elizabeth Bunce accepted her award. Her speech was fabulous! So proud of this fellow 2k8er!!!



After that, Tammi Sauer, Cynthea Liu and I rushed to the convention center to make Tina's and Kate's signing.

Tina Springer is the author of THE ESPRESSOLOGIST and it's coming this fall! Can't wait!!

Kate Messner is the author of THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z, and another one I can't wait for!

Make sure and pre-order your copies NOW!!!

Here are some pictures of tinaya  and kmessner:

They had a great turnout for their signings - yay!!!

Saturday I hit the exhibit floor and managed to get some great books. I think robinellen got about six times as many as I did by the look of her bags and backpack, so yay Robin!! I had a list of specific books I wanted to try and get. 

Here are some of the books I snagged. More were added on Sunday, including Kate Messner's and Tina Springer's! (pics of their signings coming in a later post)




Saturday night I went out with a bunch of authors, a librarian, and a S&S publishing peep. Author Stephanie Kuehnert (author of I WANT TO BE YOUR JOEY RAMONE and the upcoming BALLADS OF SUBURBIA) lives in Chicago, so she recommended this "eclectic Asian cafe" called Tamarind that was perfect. It wasn't too noisy and we were able to get a round table so we could all chat. They had sushi, Chinese, Indian, and Japanese food. Stephanie recommended the make-your-own stir fry so that's what I got. It was delicious! No one else was taking pictures, so I felt funny getting my camera out, or I would have taken a picture, because I know how much ya'll like some food porn.

I did take a picture of the interesting drink Stephanie ordered. We were all quite fascinated by it. You pick up to three fruits and they make a smoothie. THEN they add these funky little balls of something squishy called boba. She said it's similar to getting bubble tea? I've never heard of it!



Here's Mara of S&S who tried it. When the boba hit her mouth, she didn't know if she was supposed to chew or swallow it, so she swallowed it, and apparently, that's a mistake. (That's NYT bestselling author Lisa McMann to her left).



Okay, so there you have my detailed report on boba. So fascinating, I know!

Still lots to come. I'm going to try and do one more post before I have to pack up and head home. We'll see...

Mandy Hubbard, author of Prada and Prejudice, which was released a month ago and already has great buzz, is stopping by the blog party today!

About the book:
To impress the popular girls on a high school trip to London, klutzy Callie buys real Prada heels. But trying them on, she trips...conks her head…and wakes up in the year 1815!

There Callie meets Emily, who takes her in, mistaking her for a long-lost friend. As she spends time with Emily's family, Callie warms to them--particularly to Emily's cousin Alex, a hottie and a duke, if a tad arrogant.

But can Callie save Emily from a dire engagement, and win Alex's heart, before her time in the past is up?

More Cabot than Ibbotson, Prada and Prejudice is a high-concept romantic comedy about finding friendship and love in the past in order to have happiness in the present.



Thanks for stopping by and joining in the blog party, Mandy! Let's get things started with some music: What song always makes you want to dance whenever you hear it?

SAVE A HORSE (RIDE A COWBOY) has never gotten old for me. I think that's probably a lame song to admit to, but I totally love it. I like to blast it in the car and really belt it out.




I love the idea of throwing a 21st century teen girl into Jane Austen's world. How did you come up with the idea for PRADA AND PREJUDICE?

I really loved regency romances, but I wanted a more modern heroine. There's also a real shortage of historical YA's out there! So I blended it all together into my dream book.

I've always had an obsession with Regency England. That's one of the top time periods I would love to travel back in time to. How much research went into writing PRADA AND PREJUDICE? Is there anything strange or surprising about the time period that stands out in your mind from your research?

Gosh, there was a lot of research involved for sure. I watched a lot of period films and took seemingly random notes, like "ivy. Pond. geese. candelabra" so that I could have a lot of small details that would paint the picture. I also have several non-fiction books on the period.

For me, the most surprising things I uncovered were actually small details-- like the fact that lunch didn't really exist, because Breakfast was served super late (and very informal-- they just put out a bunch of food and you wandered in whenever you finally got out of bed). "Morning calls," when a person would go visiting, usually took place in the afternoon, despite the name. For a dance to be considered a "ball", it had to have hundreds of people (if it didn't, it was just a dance). Bacon was considered something for the lower-class. The waltz was considered scandalous and didn't come into fashion until around 1820.

Without getting into spoilers, what was your favorite scene to write or what scene did you have the most fun with?

I think I had the most fun whenever I stuck Callie into a situation where etiquette was highly important-- she never knew where to sit or what utensil to eat with. I also really liked torturing her with corsets.

Can you tell us one weird fact about you that makes you the life of the party?
Who said I was the life of the party? You saw those pictures, didn't you? I swear that was a one time deal, and I put those construction cones back where I found them.

*cough* No comment. *coughcough* But if any tabloids want those scandalous pictures, please send money to--Oh, um, where was I?

Where can you be found during a party? Are you making the rounds talking to everyone, enjoying all the great food, or doing something else?

I'm definitely a grazer, so I like to munch on food and mingle.

Can you tell us a bit about what's coming up next after PRADA AND PREJUDICE and when we can look for it in stores?

I have a romance novella for Harlequin's NASCAR series coming June 2010, as well as a number of YA projects in the works. Watch my website (mandyhubbard.com) for the latest-- I'll make an announcement as soon as anything is official!

-----------------------

Mandy Hubbard grew up on a dairy farm outside Seattle, where she refused to wear high heels until homecoming--and hated them so much she didn't wear another pair for five years. A cowgirl at heart, she enjoys riding horses and quads and singing horribly to the latest country tune. She's currently living happily ever after with her husband (who, sadly, is not a duke) and her daughter (who is most definitely a princess). Prada and Prejudice is her first novel.

Thanks for partying with us, Mandy! Visit Mandy online at mandyhubbard.com and look for Prada and Prejudice in bookstores now!

From Jumping Off Swings:

Corinne used to jump off the swings when we were kids. Just let go of the chains and take flight without a trace of fear. I'd watch her jump, wishing I could be that brave. But I'd always hang on, waiting to slow down first, always mindful of my mother's warning: You'll break a leg if you're not careful! But now I don't care.

I send myself jetting into the air. Corinne shrieks in surprise. I'm flying. Just for a second. But I'm flying.

When I land hard on my feet, the sting goes all the way up to my teeth.

Corinne lands heavily beside me and falls to the ground. I fall down next to her. We laugh out loud and roll around, pretending to be injured. It feels so good. My stomach muscles ache from not being used to laughing.

But she's looking behind me, into the distance. She stops smiling. And I know by the look on her face. I know before I turn around. He's here.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Several weeks ago, I put out a request for people to send me photos of themselves taking that very brave leap that sends them back to childhood. Here is the result. Please click the speaker symbol at the top for sound. :-)




Thank you, dear friends, for sharing your daring moments. I love you guys!!!!

With less than a month to go before its August 11 pub date, I thought it would be great to add even more photos. You can help me celebrate by sending me a photo of you jumping off a swing, or even just swinging on a swing. I will add it to my slide show, and enter you in a contest for a chance to win not only a copy of Jumping Off Swings, but a paperback copy of Lessons From A Dead Girl which will also make its debut on August 11.

I know there seem to be a million contests going on right now, but since when are there too many free books? :-)

If you’d like to help me spread the word about Jumping Off Swings and Lessons From A Dead Girl—and increase your chance of winning on of three sets—here are some ways to do that:

* Post about and link to this contest on your blog (any blog, doesn't have to be LJ).
* Link to the contest on Twitter or Facebook
* Send me a photo of you jumping off a swing, or just swinging
* Tell your local librarian about the book
* Telling a friend about the book
* Do today’s prompt and leave it in the comments below
* Simply leave a comment below saying you’d like to be entered

Just let me know in the comments what you've done. For each helpful effort, I’ll give you an extra entry. Thanks so much!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

Write a sentence or phrase that best describes how you feel when you jump off a swing. If you share your entry in the comments, I’ll share it later. Thanks again!!

xo

 
There's never enough time to do all the nothing you want.  ~Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"



I took the day off and spent it with my daughter. I have a large pile of "after my revision is gone, I'll. . .." things to do this week, but yesterday was a gorgeous day, and Julia will be back to college before I know it.

So I let all those things sit in the pile, and I knocked on my daughter's bedroom door.

"Want to drive down to Bailey Island?" I asked her, and we went.

Once there, I kicked off my shoes and put my feet in the water for the first time this year. Maine ocean water is so cold, it immediately turns me into a soprano.

"Let's see how cold. . . .ahhhh-HAAAAAA!!"



I was charmed by this dog out lobstering. He spent some time on the bow, like a huge hood ornament. Then as they pulled away, he watched the wake.

"Can you imagine Milo out there?" Julia said.

I shook my head. "He'd be curled up on a pillow in the corner."




It was a perfect day.

I have pictures to share and stories to tell and authors to gush over. I'm very, very behind, as the pictures keep piling up.

But I just got back from listening to Neil Gaiman's speech (thank you to the people who put chairs in the back for people to come and listen who can't/don't attend the banquet!!). And so I must spend a few moments before my head hits the pillow sharing what I can with you in a very small way.

Here is Neil. He has a very nice, British accent. You can listen to him read THE GRAVEYARD BOOK if you'd like. He does the audio version himself. (BTW, he was dressed differently than this for accepting the award, but I was sitting far away and didn't get a good picture. So this will have to do)



I really wish you all could have been there to listen.

He made me laugh.

He made me cry.

And deep in my heart, even though I am such a tiny fish in the vast, amazing ocean, he made me feel like what I do as a writer matters. I thank you, Mr. Gaiman, especially for that.

A few quotes for you to ponder:

While talking about the Newbery discussions last year about popular books vs books that are good for you, he said something like, it became apparent I was supposed to choose sides. And then he said:

"But I always have been and always will be on the side of books that you love."

Other notable quotes:

"Sometimes fiction is a way of dealing with the poison of the world."

"Children's fiction is the most important fiction of all."

And with that I will say, good night.

edited to add: Wait - my pictures aren't terrible, so here you go!!

 I just finished reading THE WAY HE LIVED by Emily Wing Smith. Go to Amazon this instant and buy it! Sigh. So good! So satisfying!

This pics are leftovers from previous expeditions. Some of the pics did not come out all that well and are more underexposed than a European art film. Some are from Urban Renewals, and some are from Goodwill...

( B sides and rarities from the thrift shops... )

( Oh, the horror, the horror... )

I am at an intersting point, post-release, for Prada and Prejudice. I've had a number of good reviews, both official industry ones like Publisher's Weekly and SLJ, as well as those from review bloggers and regular teens. I feel good about my book, and I know its finding it's audience.

But I still stalk my Amazon and Goodreads reviews like no tommorrow. As time goes on, I know my chances of discovering some really bad reviews goes up.

So why do I keep looking for more? I feel like I should stop while I'm ahead, and yet I keep checking over and over, hoping to see more reviews. If I quit now, I can skip merrily into the sunset, feeling good about my book.

A Q for Authors: do you continue reading your reviews long after release? If you don't, how do you keep yourself from reading them?

Also, many thanks to those who have shared their thoughts of Prada & Prejudice on Amazon, Goodreads, or their blogs. It really has made this whole experience so real-- people are actually reading this thing I wrote. WOW!

If this review was helpful, by the way, go CLICK "yes" on Amazon!

My sister is getting rid of a computer. It is a very old iMac -- the 1998 CRT model. Does anyone know how to open the shell and pull out the hard drive? Or can anyone point me to a website with directions? I was able to open the bottom and pull out what looks like two sticks of RAM, but I can't figure out how to get access to the rest of the hardware. (I am so hardware-incompetent, it's not even funny.)

Anyway, all help would be appreciated! Thanks!

...write a song and put it on YouTube!

This is a true story. The airline broke his guitar. As far as I know he hasn't received compensation yet. I love the humour in this YouTube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo

 As y'all know - I don't do a lot of book reviews. And, this may not qualify as one, but...

Yesterday at ALA I picked up a copy of Cindy Pon's debut novel, Silver Phoenix. About five hours ago, I sat down to read a chapter or two. Uh, yeah... right. I. COULD. NOT. PUT. IT. DOWN!

Cindy - you have written a beautiful, lyrical, enchanting fairy tale! This book drew me in and held me captive with silken-corded words that bind up a fantastic story. The magical elements were intricately interwoven with the real. The description of the food O.M.G., my mouth is still watering! I am a fast reader, and often find myself skimming some of the setting details - but, I found myself re-reading, savoring many of the descriptive passages. I will be first in line for the sequel. Cindy - you are an amazing storyteller. Woot!

I missed Five on Friday and Six on Saturday so here is the Seven on Sunday, random edition. There may or may not be a Flyboy edition after this.

1. They started the new roof on Friday. The baby finches are handling it just fine. Cassie, not so much.

2. So far only one plant took a hit with the roofing and I needed to move it anyway so I potted it up and I think it will be fine. However the pointy top of one of the arbors broke off and flew over the fence into the backyard of the house of evil. I can see it over the fence in her planter box. I have asked for it twice. You would think since I gave her all that stuff we were cleaning out of the garage that she could give me back my broken piece this is of no use to her but no, house of evil. I wish I had one of those "grabber" things and I could stand on a ladder and reach over the fence and get it myself. Grrrr. 

3. My need for absolute silence seems to be increasing. This has nothing to do with the new roof and everything to do with being an introvert and needing to find my energy from within.

4. . Business plan reassessment was positive. Color me happy.

5. We bought a new (old) buffet on craigslist which means we moved the bar back to the living room which will be forever known as the lounge. I am now on the search for some small leather club chairs. Alas, having seen some beautiful antique ones on a craigslist posting many states away, everything I look at now isn't as nice.

6. I am also on the lookout, via craiglist (because I hate paying high prices for furniture) for a small, round wood coffee table. When I didn't want one, that was all I saw. Now, of course, they have disappeared.

7. The new fridge arrives next week, I think. It will not be as tall as the last one so we will have to have someone finish off the opening with a shelf or something. Hopefully at the same time I can have them remove th built-in ironing board that sticks out and looks very odd in the dining area.

Friday night before ALA - what a great time! These ladies are not only incredible writers, they are amazingly warm, funny, intelligent and people I am so glad to know! They translate from virtual to actual really well! lol!




Kate, Marybeth, Robin, Lisa, Cindy and me




Robin, Cindy, Marybeth, Lisa and Kate