Contest for writers!

''Dear Lucky Agent'' Contest: Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance (For Both Teens and Adults)

Submit 150-200 words of your novel length work!

NYC Teen Author Festival!

I am STOKED for this one! I've marked in bold the events I will be attending, unless something terrible happens and I can't go.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=ts&gid=56488781586

2010 NYC Teen Author Festival Schedule

Monday, 3/15 (NYPL, Tompkins Square Branch, 331 East 10th Street, 6pm):

First Draft to Final Draft – Talking About the Writing Process

featuring:
Gayle Forman
Daphne Grab
Carolyn Mackler
Sarah Mlynowski
Blake Nelson
Marie Rutkoski
Eliot Schrefer
Natalie Standiford



Tuesday, 3/16 (Barnes & Noble Tribeca, 97 Warren Street, 7pm):

Getting Inside the Mind of a Teen Boy

featuring:
Nick Burd
Matt de la Pena
Gordon Korman
David Levithan
Barry Lyga
Michael Northrup
Jon Skovron
Jake Wizner



Wednesday, 3/17 (Mulberry Street Branch, NYPL, 10 Jersey St, 6pm):

The Treasure Map to Going Bovine with Will Grayson(s)
(or, an evening of readers’ theater)

featuring:
Libba Bray
John Green
David Levithan
E. Lockhart



Thursday, 3/18 (Five Borough Read, 10am):

Authors read to high school students and the public in libraries across the city.

Manhattan:

Countee Cullen Branch, NYPL, 104 W 136th St

Donna Freitas
Eliot Schrefer
Rachel Vail
Lynn Weingarten
Ebony Wilkins


Jefferson Market Branch, NYPL, 425 6th Ave

Gabe Guarente
Carla Jablonksi
Kristen Kemp
Barry Lyga
Samantha Schutz


Muhlenburg Branch, NYPL, 209 W 23rd St

Emma McLaughlin
Lauren McLaughlin
Courtney Sheinmel
Jennifer Smith


Mulberry Street Branch, NYPL, 10 Jersey Street

Angie Frazier
Aimee Friedman
Alice Hoffman
Robin MacCready
Sarah Maclean
Amanda Marrone


Seward Park Branch, NYPL, 192 East Broadway

Cathleen Bell
Susane Colasanti
Matt De La Pena
Gayle Forman
Daphne Grab


Yorkville Branch, NYPL,, 222 East 79th St

Micol Ostow
Robin Palmer
Shani Petroff
Robyn Schneider
Abby Sher
Jake Wizner
Michelle Zink


Brooklyn:

Central Branch, Brooklyn Public Library, Dweck Auditorim, 10 Grand Army Plaza

Emily Horner
Melissa Kantor
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Matthue Roth
Siobhan Vivian
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Melissa Walker
Robin Wasserman


Bronx:

Bronx Library Center, NYPL, 310 East Kingsbridge Road

Coe Booth
Sarah Darer Littman
Neesha Meminger
Maryrose Wood


Queens:

Broadway Branch, QPL, 40-20 Broadway, Long Island City

Jessica Blank
Sarah Burningham
Heather Duffy-Stone
Marianne Mancusi
Elizabeth Scott


Staten Island:

West New Brighton Branch, NYPL, 976 Castleon Avenue

Elizabeth Eulberg
David Levithan
Michael Northrup
Kieran Scott



Thursday Evening, 3/18 (Books of Wonder, 18 W 18th St, 6-8pm):

Sourcebooks Fire Launch Party

featuring authors Lisa Brown, Anne Eliot Crompton, Helen Ellis, Adele Griffin,
AND
the rocking tunes of Tiger Beat! (with Libba Bray, Dan Ehrenhaft, Barnabas Miller, and Natalie Standiford)



Friday, 3/19 (South Court, 42nd Street, 2-5 and 6-8:30)

NYC Teen Author Festival Symposium

Afternoon

2:00 Introduction

2:10 – 3:00: Using Genre to Tell the True Story of Adolescence

featuring:
Judy Blundell
Sarah Beth Durst
Lauren McLaughlin
Diana Peterfreund
Sara Shepard
Maggie Stiefvater
Robin Wasserman


3:00 – 3:30: Making a First Impression – 2010 Debut Authors

featuring:
Angie Frazier
Emily Horner
Alyssa Sheinmel
Ebony Wilkins


3:30 - 4:15: Grief, Loss, and the YA Novel

featuring:
Alexandra Bullen
Heather Duffy-Stone
Donna Freitas
Alice Hoffman
Sarah Darer Littman
Lisa Ann Sandell
Samantha Schutz


4:15 – 5: The Boy You Can’t Have

featuring:
Susane Colasanti
Elizabeth Eulberg
Robin Palmer
Elizabeth Scott
Melissa Walker
Maryrose Wood

5-6: Break

Evening

6:00 – A Tribute to Regina Hayes

featuring:
Sarah Dessen
Joy Peskin
Jacqueline Woodson


6:45 – 8:30: What it Feels Like for a Girl – Writing in a Teen Girl’s Voice

featuring:
Jessica Blank
Eireann Corrigan
Sarah Dessen
Jenny Han
Terra Elan McVoy
Siobhan Vivian
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Jacqueline Woodson


Saturday, 3/20 (Bartos Forum, 42nd Street, 1pm):

Stuff for the Teen Age Event
Come check out Stuff for the Teen Age, The New York Public Library’s list of the hottest books, movies, music, and video games from 2009. Talk with your favorite authors. Rock out to your favorite songs. Have fun. Hear a very special presentation from keynote speaker, Libba Bray, the author of Going Bovine.


Sunday afternoon:
Books of Wonder Signing (2-6)

NOTE: Because of the number of authors, signings will be in shifts. Below is the approximate schedule, which is subject to change

2:00-2:45
Alma Alexander
Nora Baskin
Cathleen Davitt Bell
Judy Blundell
Libba Bray
Coe Booth
Elise Broach
Alexandra Bullen
Nick Burd
Sarah Burningham
Susane Colasanti
Matt De La Pena
Violet Haberdasher
Maggie Stiefvater

2:45-3:30
Tom Dolby
Heather Duffy-Stone
Sarah Beth Durst
Elizabeth Eulberg
Gayle Forman
Aimee Friedman
Jenny Han
Alice Hoffman
Carla Jablonksi
Melissa Kantor
Kristen Kemp
Michelle Knudsen
Peter Lerangis
David Levithan

3:30-4:15
Sarah Darer Littman
Barry Lyga
Robin MacCready
Carolyn Mackler
Sarah Maclean
Marianne Mancusi
Amanda Marrone
Wendy Mass
Lauren McLaughlin
Neesha Meminger
Sarah Mlynowski
Michael Northrup
Robin Palmer

4:15-5:00
Diana Peterfreund
Shani Petroff
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich
Matthue Roth
Marie Rutkoski
Lisa Ann Sandell
Samantha Schutz
Elizabeth Scott
Kieran Scott
Courtney Sheinmel
Sara Shepard
Abby Sher
Jon Skovron

5:00-5:45
Jennifer Smith
Natalie Standiford
Rachel Vail
David Van Etten
Siobhan Vivian
Adrienne Maria Vrettos
Melissa Walker
Robin Wasserman
Suzanne Weyn
Lynn Weingarten
Martin Wilson
Jake Wizner
Maryrose Wood
Michelle Zink


BONUS EVENTS:

Also keep in mind…

Before the Festival:

March 11: Blake Nelson and the Care Bears on Fire at Barnes & Noble, Union Square, 33 E 17th St, 7pm, for a night of reading and rock

After the Festival:

April 14: The Next Teen Author Reading Night, 6-7:30 at the Jefferson Market Branch of NYPL, 425 6th Ave, at 10th St.

Helen Ellis, The Turning
David Levithan, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, Dedication
Sarah Mlynowski, Gimme a Call
Marie Rutkoski, The Celestial Globe
Elizabeth Scott, The Unwritten Rule
Rachel Vail, Brilliant
Adrienne Maria Vrettos, The Exile of Gigi Lane

Sisters in Scribe: Friday Book Recommendation!

Sisters in Scribe: Friday Book Recommendation!

In My Mailbox Week 5

In My Mailbox is brought to you by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week, I have ICECORE by Matt Whyman, courtesy of The Latnier Gang Book Review Spot.

Product Description

Hypothermia is never far away.

When the shivering stops, that's when you should start to worry. It's your body's way of signaling that it's lost the battle to keep your blood warm. But by then you'll be too weak to retrace your steps. Chances are you'll be so confused and disoriented that you won't even recall what it was you were fleeing in the first place. All you'll want to do is lie down in the snow and close your eyes.

He's a seventeen-year-old British computer hacker who penetrated the security systems at Fort Knox for a laugh. But the American government was less than amused. Since his prank, gold bars have been landing in the hands of terrorists across the globe.

Now, Carl has found himself in a military prison deep in the Arctic and far off the grid. He's been caged alongside the world's most notorious terrorists, with no one to trust and no end in sight.

Carl Hobbes may not be a criminal mastermind, but if he wants to escape this subzero prison with his life, he'll have to start thinking like one.

About the Author

Matt Whyman is the author of such books as Icecore and Boy Kills Man, an ALA Quick Pick. He lives with his wife and four children in England.

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum (November 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416949070
• ISBN-13: 978-1416949077

Win Incarceron by Catherine Fisher!

Reverie Book Reviews is hosting a contest. Prize: Hardcover copy of NYT Bestseller, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, AND a poster and a bookmark of the cover!

Visit Reverie Book Reviews to enter! Good luck!

Open to US residents only :(

Yalitchat: Let's Talk About Sex, Baby!

***NOTE: Please excuse the horrible formatting in this post. Blogger wants to bunch my text into one block. It's being stubborn today.***

YA Lit Chat is hosted by YA writer, Georgia McBride. You can catch the live #yalitchat on twitter, Wednesday night at 9pm EST or anytime on the web athttp://yalitchat.ning.com/.

Last night, we talked about sex. Also word count(40-60k is average for YA) and slang, but mostly the sex. A taboo topic that seems to be becoming the norm in teen fiction.

Does your book need to have nookie to sell?

Heck no! In fact, it may even lessen your chances at a sale if done in bad taste.

Sex is a part of teen life. Not all teens, of course, but if we're being real we know they're doing it. As writers, we want to incorporate every part of teen life into our books. We want the stories we spin to be as real to them as their own lives.

Everything is bigger, more important, felt deeper when you're a teen. One of the most important, most monumental experiences for a teen, is the first time they have sex. That doesn't mean that the sex in your book has to have monumental consequences. It could change the relationship, it could change the character's outlook on things. Or, she could end up pregnant, or with a heady case of the clap. Your choice. Point is, it doesn't have to end badly, because it doesn't always in real life. The last thing you want to do is try to teach a lesson with your writing. If you don't agree with sex in YA, don't write it. Simple as that.

If you do decide to write sex in to your story, do it tastefully. Explicit sex is a big no-no in YA. Besides, you'd probably feel icky writing it. Lit agent, Elana Roth had this to say last night:

@elanaroth: I think people use explicit sex b/c they dont know how to really depict the emotional arc behind it. Its cheap. #yalitchat

Don't write sex for the sake of writing it. If it feels forced to you, you don't need/want it in there. Often a first kiss can be even more sensual than sex. I'm going to post a first kiss scene from one of my works. It isn't finalized (is it ever?), but I hope you'll get a taste of what I mean with a first kiss. This scene comes after a few almost kisses, and lots and lots of sexual tension. This kiss deepens the relationship between the MC and Drystan.

The rain trickled from his nose and eye lashes onto his face leaving behind glistening trails like rilles on the surface of the moon. He took my chin in his hand and I had to fight to keep myself from getting lost in those electric blue pools. He was terrifying and beautiful and I couldn’t look away. My cheeks flushed hot as he moved his face closer to mine. His cool, sweet breath—lavender, like his skin, tickled my nose.

“Drystan—” But before I could utter another word, his hand clamped onto my lower back, pulling me toward him and he pressed his lips to mine. I tensed, only for a moment and then my hands rested on the dimples of his hips like they’d always belonged there. His fingers nipped at my skin, pulling me tighter still, pawing at my back, my shoulders, cupping my face. His lips were even softer than I’d imagined and I felt like melting ice in his hands. His kiss was dizzying, as cool and sweet as his breath. But then it turned in to something deeper.

Hungry.

There was no sex in that scene. Only a passionate first kiss. It was my favorite scene to write and I hope you enjoyed reading it. If not, feel free to tell me. *wink*

Here is another example of how a first kiss can go. This work, another of mine, is in the rough draft stages. I probably shouldn't be posting it because of that, but what the heck. In this one, the main character is in the bedroom of a boy who is obviously crazy about her, but she can't stop thinking about Jesse, the boy she can never have. The reason she can't have him, I'll keep to myself. This kiss takes the relationship of both the MC and her friend, Tom, in a whole new direction.

I closed my eyes. I could hear Tom stand up and cross the room. He sat next to me on the futon, still playing, still singing. It was almost as if Jesse had walked into the room with me.

I pictured Jesse’s face, sitting beside me instead of Tom. He was so incredibly beautiful. I reached out and touched his soft, full lips. He stopped singing. I felt him lean closer to me, pictured the longing I felt in his eyes. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. We kissed, slowly at first, but then with more fire.

Jesse set his guitar down and slid closer to me. His breath was sweet, spearmint. He tangled his fingers in my hair and pressed our lips together, harder. I touched his cheek with my hand, felt the corner of his mouth with my thumb as his lips parted.

“Jesse…”

So again, first kiss that can have more of an effect on the story than a sex scene. Or at least I hope it does.

Getting back to sex, if you're going to write it make sure it's realistic, not graphic and pertinent to your story. Like anything else, if it doesn't move your story along, don't include it. Lit agent and YA author, Mandy Hubbard, had this to say:

@MandyHubbard: Sex isnt really edgy, anymore, in YA. Its just.... realistic. But still gotta handle it authentically! #yalitchat

And there you have it, folks. Do the do, or don't. But whatever you decide, keep it real.

If you have a great kiss scene that you'd like to share, we'd love to read it!

For more discussion on this post, you can check out Sisters in Scribe.

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 9

WOW is hosted by Breaking The Spine.

**Might not want to read the description unless you've read books 1-4 of Vampire Academy**

SPIRIT BOUND

by Richelle Mead

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Razorbill (May 18, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595142509
• ISBN-13: 978-1595142504

Product Description

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him…forever.

If you know me, you know I am a big VA fan. You can check out any of my posts and reviews on the previous VA books here.

New Look. Again. Again.

I know I said I was done messing with it, but I had to give it one more makeover. If you've seen my website, you'll notice the two now match! Yay! I'm still messing with the sizes to get everything to fit in the columns. I wish I could adjust the column sizes, but the layout is one of those pre-made freebies. I don't know enough HTML to build one from scratch. The header is me though.

What do you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it?

Liar by Justine Larbalestier

There is an interesting cover story on this book here.

Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books (September 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599903059
• ISBN-13: 978-1599903057

FROM JUSTINE'S WEBSITE:

DO NOT SPOIL THIS BOOK

Please don’t give away any of the twists and turns of Liar.

Liar is my first thriller. It’s from the point of view of a compulsive liar. And I mean compulsive. Micah’s been messing with my head for years and she’s about to mess with yours. You cannot believe a word she says, which means that her revelations cannot be taken at face value. So what you think is the big spoiler probably isn’t because there isn’t one big spoiler, there are many.

I’d be dead pleased if you could keep quiet about all of them.

I deliberately wrote the book to be read in at least two different ways. You may think you know what kind of book it is and what kind of person Micah is, but you’ll find other readers will disagree with you completely. There is no one right way to read this book. And that’s why I’m so keen for readers not to spoil it for others. Because I want each reader to come to their own conclusions.

Liar is as much a jigsaw puzzle as a novel, but one where the pieces can go together in many different ways. Writing it was a puzzle, too. I wrote it back to front and inside out. Not from start to finish, but scene by scene. As I wrote I shuffled scenes around, rewriting them with every move. It was one of the most enjoyable writing experiences of my career. I could feel my brain stretching as I wrote. (In a good way.) I hope reading it has the same effect on you.

Just don’t spoil it, okay?"

I won't spoil this book for you. Not just because Justine asked, but because it was such an incredible surprise to me, that I wouldn't dare ruin any of it for you.

Seventeen year old Micah is a compulsive liar. She always stays one step ahead of her lies, until her after-hours boyfriend is murdered, and her classmates and even the police start to suspect her.

I wish I could tell you more. All I can say is that LIAR will blow your mind. It is a must read.

In My Mailbox Week 4

In My Mailbox is brought to you by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week in my mailbox: CHASING BROOKLYN by Lisa Schroeder, courtesy of Mundie Moms.

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: Simon Pulse; 1 edition (January 5, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416991689
• ISBN-13: 978-1416991687

Product Description

Restless souls and empty hearts

Brooklyn can't sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca, died only a year ago, and now her friend Gabe has just died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca visiting her dreams.

Nico can't stop. He's always running, trying to escape the pain of losing his brother, Lucca. But when Lucca's ghost begins leaving messages, telling Nico to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

Spirit Bound reading and me!

Richelle Mead reading from SPIRIT BOUND! Click on the video titled "Richelle gives one of her first readings of Spirit Bound." This is the signing I attended in Tribeca, and when the camera scans the audience, you can see me and Husband! I'm wearing green and navy blue stripes. We're sitting 5th row back on the left.

Story ARC

***My weekly post on SIS. For more discussion, visit The Sisters.***

If you're an aspiring writer, no doubt you've heard tell about story ARC and it's importance. Most of you probably understand story ARC, but for those of you still in the dark I'm going to discuss what I know of it. Mainly because I can't think of anything else to discuss with you today. Sad, I know.

What is arc?

Quite simply, it is your story line. The flow of your novel from beginning to end.

What is the purpose of the arc?

To move your story of character forward. To effect change.

Some classic examples of story arc:

The fall from grace. The bitch-queen of high school falls off her throne and mingles among the commoners, only to realize she has a brain and a heart.

The reversal, a character finding strength. The geek girl finally gets accepted by her peers and becomes popular.

**These are really poor, generic examples**

I always think of a line graph when I'm talking about story arc, and I found this great image from musik-therapy.at

Beginning: Inner conflict- Your character is struggling with something.

Plot point 1: A crisis happens, throwing everything off track and forcing your character to face something she would otherwise avoid.

Middle: The middle is the most difficult for me to write. I want to make everything happen to fast. This is the part that needs the most revising.

This is where the character needs to face a number of obstacles that move her toward her goal. The important thing to remember here, is that you must keep raising the stakes. Minor tragedy, followed by a major tragedy. If something monumental happens first, it lessens the impact of the subsequent event.

Plot point 2: When all hope seems lost, something happens here that changes the direction of the story again, and the character's goals go from being unreachable to achievable. This is the point of the story where the stakes are highest. Danger, Will Robinson! Danger.

Your character will draw upon all she's learned or gained from those climbing crisis' and use that knowledge to overcome this major obstacle.

End: Yay! She did it! Or not.

The end is just that. The end. This is where we see how the character was able to overcome her situation and prevail, or fail miserably. Depends on what you're writing. But hopefully she prevails, because we like happy endings. Or honest ones, at least. The ending is where you need to tie up your loose ends (all or most, depends on the story). This is where the reader sees the change in the character. The fruit of her labor.

Every time I think about endings, I think about THE LUXE series by Anna Godbersen. I absolutely loved this series. And I loved the way it ended, even though not everything was "happy". It ended just as it should have. Each of the characters got what they deserved, whether or not that's what we, the reader, rooted for. The characters change and grow throughout the series and in the end, that growth is obvious:

The naive romantic grows up.

The playboy settles down.

The persistent trouble-maker relents.

Tragedy strikes the sweetheart, but she overcomes.

Every character experiences change in this series and the last book leaves the reader wholly satisfied with all the loose-ends tied into neat little bows.

If your book is the first of a series, obviously not everything will be tied off at the end, but make sure that book can stand alone.

Happy writing!

One reference book that helped me was HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD NOVEL by James N. Frey

How to Write a Damn Good Novel

A Step-by-Step No Nonsense Guide to Dramatic Storytelling

By James N. Frey
(St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 9780312010447, 192pp.)

Publication Date: December 1987

Categories: General, Composition & Creative Writing - Fiction

Win Autographed WAKE Trilogy!

YA writer, Shannon Messenger is known for giving away awesome autographed prizes on her blog. Next up, the Wake trilogy by Lisa McMann! Visit her blog to enter!

Waiting on Wednesday: Week 8

I am very excited for this one!

WOW is hosted by Breaking The Spine.

THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (March 16, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061779814

Product Description

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

Harper Teen 28 day Giveaway!

My friend, raenie, reminded me of the Harper Teen 28 Day Giveaway. All you have to do to enter, is answer the poll for that day and fill in your contact info and you could win the book AND an Ipod touch! Harper also offers easy ways to keep up with your favorite YA authors. Go check it out :)

http://www.28daygiveaway.com/

Marketing Mardi Gras Giveaway Week!

There is another contest, associated with the one I posted yesterday, on author Shelli Johannes-Wells' blog. Go there to learn some great marketing tips and enter for some fabulous prizes all week long!

This contests offers two separate grand prizes, one for published/agented authors and one for unpublished/unagented writers.

Aspiring authors, Contest for you!

Young adult author Elana Johnson is hosting an excellent contest opportunity for aspiring writers! Enter for a chance to win a Query letter critique from one of 5 literary agents! In addition, 5 more winners will receive a free copy of Elana's e-book, From the Query to the Call.

All the details and the entry form can be found on Elana's blog.

Great contest!

Laura Rennert, known to the book world as super fab agent of Maggie Stiefvater and Ellen Hopkins (just to name a couple), is also a children's book author.

Right now, Shannon Messenger is giving away a signed copy of Laura's book BUYING, TRAINING AND CARING FOR YOUR DINOSAUR on her blog.

Go there to enter for a chance to win this fabulous book! I am!

LINGER!!!!! giveaway! Commence squeee-ing.

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wanted to wish everyone a happy Valentine's day, and I hope you get the chance to spend it with someone special. My husband is across the ocean on a business trip, but I've got my kids and my books, and of course you all to keep me company.

In honor of the day, I am going to share a brief story of how I met my husband.

We met when I was 16, he was 31 (yes, he's old--I know this) on the internet. Not any of those dating sites, not that I have anything against people who use them, but on a multi-player video game. Counter-strike, for the geeks out there. We belonged to "clans" that played tournaments against each other.

This is embarrassing to admit to, by the way.

Anywho, we weren't "talking" or attempting to hook-up or any of that. We were just casual friends who occasionally talked about the game. Absolutely NOTHING romantic passed between us. Four years later(I was 20 years old), some of my nerd friends threw a birthday party for me in Raleigh, NC. We all took our computers and set up and played, and partied (see, something not totally dorky)the entire weekend.

Husband was there, even though he didn't know it was my birthday, nor did he really know who I was. He came because a mutual friend of ours came. Husband drove all the way from NY to be there. I walked in the door, he shook my hand and said his name, and I was his.

We were married 3 months after that. Been insanely happy for almost 5 years.

A LOT of tiny little things contributed to our meeting and falling in love. Crazy how that works sometimes.

What's your story?

The Hunger Games

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins

Product Details Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 384 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 14, 2008) Language: English ISBN-10: 0439023483 Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

This book is not to be missed. It grips you from the very first page and--like the ladder that lifts Katnis into the hovercraft--it holds you there. I read until I had a splitting headache, took a motrin and went back at it. Collins creates such remarkable characters and throws them into a vivid world where anything can happen and their every move is monitored by people who would rather see them die a gruesome death, than have a scrap of food. There were times I wanted to scream a warning at Katnis! And times I wanted to cry right along with her. This book has it all. A must read!

As most of you probably know, the cover for the third book in this series, Mockingjay, was just released. If you haven't seen it, here it is.

Notice from the first book, the bird is gold and enclosed in a circle. By book 2, the bird is more realistic, and here she's alive and broken free from the circle. Cool, right?

Feels like I am the last person to read this book, but better late than never!