22 Sep 2009 @ 10:48 AM Release Day! edit | +mem Today is the official release day of DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER! Although, if I’m being totally honest, I’ve already spotted it out at Barnes and Noble: I was there to work on some revisions a few days ago, and I was just like, “Hmm, maybe I’ll take a look over on the tween shelves.” I wasn’t even looking for it, I swear! And then, there it was! Seeing your book in the bookstore for the first time is always a little weird. My first thought is usually, “Hmm, how did those books from my apartment end up in the bookstore?” Because by then I’ve seen a few copies of the book and have them at home. So I just assume someone took them from my apartment and dropped them into the bookstore. So yeah, at first I was like, “Wow, how did my books get here?” Then I was like, “OMG, there it is!” Then I started getting choked up. I mean, each time you see a new book in the bookstore it’s a little emotional. But as I was standing there, I realized you could see THREE of my books, side by side. THREE. BOOKS. I never in a million years could have imagined that I would have three of my books out on the shelves, next to each other. It was so, so surreal. I just kept thinking about that moment four and a half years ago, when I almost, for like, half of a second (literally) thought about maybe not trying to get published anymore. It was the day I got a packet of rejection letters in the mail from my then-agent, from the last remaining publishers my book was out to. That was a hard day. But today, TODAY I have three books out on the tween shelves and more in the works and just … I guess it’s kind of like that saying “What a difference a day makes” only in publishing of course it’s “What a difference a few years makes.” ☺ I can honestly say it’s been completely and totally worth it. Today I am going book stalking, and this week I’ll work on getting all the prizes out for the contests I’ve been running. Thank you so, so much for everyone who has emailed me to tell me they plan on getting the new book, or that they’ve already read it and loved it. It really means a lot! More later, xx 9 Hits | Hit Me Up!

17 Sep 2009 @ 9:14 AM Bar Harbor Bookfest And Another Contest edit | +mem This past week has been CRAZY, which is why I haven’t blogged. And there is so much to blog about – the Big Brother finale, this funny convo I had with my mom, an upcoming trip to NYC, a new title for REALITY CHICK… But first, this weekend I went to the Bar Harbor Bookfest, hosted by the awesome Carrie Jones, who I got to meet for the very first time ever. (Carrie is ADORABLE. Like, really, really cute. I can see why people fall in love with her on sight. Seriously, you can’t even imagine how cute she is. Which is kind of funny, since her book NEED is kind of a little bit creepy. And really, really good. If you haven’t read it, you totally should.) Anyway, this is a pic I took while setting up: There were so many great authors there, and Maine was absolutely beautiful! The only bad part was that I got sick the second day, booo. But The Boy and I got a chance to walk around a little bit in Bar Harbor on Saturday. It was a slighty cool and overcast, but I loved that. I am so ready for fall, so it seemed perfect. Plus it was still warm enough to eat outside and go walking down by the water. AND we bought goofy Bar Harbor sweatshirts. (Okay, I don’t really think they’re goofy. I actually really like my Bar Harbor sweatshirt. ) I wish I had more pics, but I forgot to take any! Oops. Anyway, there are only FIVE MORE DAYS UNTIL THE NEW DEVON DELANEY BOOK COMES OUT. I am kind of freaking out. It is already shipping from Amazon and Barnes and Noble -- eek! The good thing is, I don’t have time to freak out TOO much, since I’m working on revisions for ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, my YA that’s coming out next year. And they are due..like, yesterday. For realz. So I am getting back to it right now, but first, I will announce the winner of last week’s contest. The winner is……Haley! Haley, please email me your address and let me know what book you’d like. Today’s contest is simple – leave a comment here, and I’ll enter you to win either a copy of TWO-WAY STREET, FOUR TRUTHS AND A LIE, THE SECRET IDENTITY OF DEVON DELANEY, or DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER. Your choice. Extra entry if you link back here – just leave a separate comment and let me know. Also, all these prizes won’t go out until next week, since like I said, um, revisions? Due, like NOW. Yeah. So I’m getting back to it… More later, xx 13 Hits | Hit Me Up!

9 Sep 2009 @ 11:07 AM What Books Do YOU Remember? edit | +mem  When I was younger, my mom and dad were ALWAYS reading.  My mom, especially, loved books. I don’t ever remember being told I couldn’t have a book I asked for.  If we were out shopping or at a store, and I saw a book I wanted, I was allowed to have it.  About once a week or so, my mom would load me and my sisters up in the car and we would go to the “Bear Street Bookstore” which actually was called Book Warehouse or something generic like that, but we just always called it The Bear Street Bookstore since it was (duh) on Bear Street. The Bear Street Bookstore looked like a warehouse, and it had a whole YA section that was pretty awesome.  Books were like 2.99 then for a paperback, maybe even less.  There was a black cat that lived at the Bear Street Bookstore and would just slurk around, which was also pretty awesome. When I got home I would stack my books up on the top of my white wicker bookshelf, one on top of another, spine out.  Then, I would move them down to the actual shelves when I was finished reading. If I had less than ten or so books in the TBR pile, I would start getting really nervous. Anyway, here are some of my faves, books I still remember vividly from that time:  The Girl With The Silver Eyes  This book was about a girl named Katie who could MOVE THINGS.  With her eyes.  Is that not the coolest thing you’ve ever heard, ever in your life???  Also, Katie was a big reader, and I loved the descriptions of the books she was reading.    Sleepover Friends This series was about a group of friends who had sleepover every weekend.  I don’t think it was one of my favorites, but I remember that it had a girl named Lauren in it (I think she was the main character and actually narrated every book), which I thought was so cool.  I’d never seen a book with a character that had the same name as me before.    What Do You Do When Your Mouth Won’t Open? This one was about Reese (at the time I thought that name was SO COOL OMG!), whose essay on America wins a district competition.  The only catch?  Now she has to read it in front of two hundred people, and she is completely afraid of public speaking!  I read this one a bunch of times.    Just As Long As We’re Together  Okay, seriously?  This was my favorite book ever.  I read it a bazillion times.  Basically it’s about a girl named Stephanie, and she’s starting eighth grade, and her parents are going through a divorce, and she’s having friend drama and… I’m not doing it justice.  I’m sure you’ve read it, because hello, it’s Judy Blume and this book is awesome.  Especially when Stephanie and her friends spy on hottie ninth grader Jeremy Dragon from the girl’s bathroom window while he’s playing soccer – and they decide that since he has hair on his legs, he’s, you know, experienced. (Random side note:  I honestly got a little emotional when I saw the image of this cover, which is the one I had.  I know!  And so now I am going to buy this book and reread it.)   Nothing’s Fair In Fifth Grade  This one was a series, I think it went on to say that things kind of sucked in sixth grade, too.  I read this one a bunch of times – I think there is a rerelease of it out now, but this is the cover I remember.    Mary Anne Saves The Day Um, hello!! BSC!!  I read all of them, but this one was one of my faves, I don’t know why, since Mary Anne wasn’t really my favorite.  But this was the book where the whole BSC got in a huge fight, and Mary Anne became friends with Dawn and then she had to take this kid she was baby-sitting to the hospital because the kid got a fever.  And everyone was super impressed with how well she did, and so her dad let her stay out baby-sitting until 9 or 9:30 (!!!!) and even let her take down her Alice in Wonderland pictures and put up some pics of NYC in her room.    Fall Into Darkness This one is about a girl who FAKES HER OWN DEATH and tries to blame it on her best friend.  But of course things kind of go horribly wrong.  I loved Christopher Pike, all of his books pretty much. (Remember the one with the teen novelist and no one knew he was a teen?  Loves it!) There are a ton more of course, like this one I can't remember the name of where this girl gets STUCK IN A DEPARTMENT STORE all night with these bad men that are after some jewels or something she accidentally has in her bag and doesn't know about.  But anyway.  This was really fun.  I think everyone should blog about it... (P.S. You can still enter to win a book of your choice by linking to the previous entry and then commenting to let me know you did so -- winner will be announced tomorrow!) More later, xx     9 Hits | Hit Me Up!

8 Sep 2009 @ 2:03 PM Devon Delaney Countdown = 14 Days! (EEEEEEEEKK!!) edit | +mem There is only decaf coffee left!!! But don’t panic. It’s okay, since I remedied the problem by drinking decaf and then Diet Coke at the same time. That way, it’s like caffeine and coffee, with the added bonus of soda! Anyway, how was your holiday weekend? I had a great one. On Saturday The Boy and I went down to the Cape to visit my in-laws. You would think that while on the Cape, we would go to the beach. But confession? I kind of hate the beach. Like, I don’t get what’s so fun about it. You sit in the hot sun and read. Reading = good. Hot sun = hot. Why not just read on the porch or something? Also, sand gets everywhere. And you could go swimming in the ocean, but then you might get bit by a shark. Or cut your foot on something you can’t see. Or bump into a bunch of kids, or get yelled at by lifeguards. The beach at night is better, you can go for walks and maybe find a restaurant on the beach to eat dinner at. Sunday we watched a lot of tennis, went to Ikea, and then out for Mexican food. Monday was more tennis, and then we went to Justice (the tween clothing store that used to be called LIMITED TOO) where I took THIS pic: Yes, that is DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER, right at the counter at Justice!!! And that hand is The Boy – he is reading a copy. Well, not reading. More like flipping through. Anyway, there are only 14 MORE DAYS until Devon is officially out, and so to celebrate, it is time for another giveaway! This one is one you will definitely like. It’s almost guaranteed. The rules and the prize: Link to this post, and you will be entered to win ANY BOOK YOU WANT. The catch? It has to be under ten dollars (so most likely a paperback), and able to be shipped from amazon. I recommend: Prada and Prejudice by Mandy Hubbard: Sooo funny and cute. Triple Fault  by Jessica Burkhart: This is the newest book in the Canterwood Crest series. If you are not reading it yet, WHY?! Horses, crushes, and lip gloss. How can you resist? Jenny Green’s Killer Junior Year by Amy Belasen and Jacob Osborn: OHMIGOD. Boys start messing with Jenny, and so she just KILLS THEM. Like, for real kills them. She’s not even a vampire or anything! The book doesn't HAVE to be YA or tween, either. Maybe you are sick of YA and tween, maybe you are all, “Bella, GET OVER IT ALREADY!” Maybe you want a writing book, like ON WRITING by Stephen King. Or maybe you want FREUDIAN SLIP by Erica Orloff, which is what I’m reading right now. Anyway, any of them can be yours!!! Just link to this post, and leave a comment to let me know you did -- I will pick the winner on Thursday. And now I have to go work on SAMANTHA CARMICHAEL’S RULES FOR SECRET KEEPING, which is due on October 1st, eek! I especially have to get some work done on it soon, because tonight is one of the last episodes of BIG BROTHER, and it’s going to be a good episode, I think. (Even though all my favorites are mostly gone. Like Jeff. And I’m pretty sure Michele is going home tonight.) Anyway, I will not be able to watch it unless I BUCKLE DOWN and WORK. More later, xx P.S. the winner of THE HOLLOW is Donna! Donna, please email me your address so I can send you your book! 2 Hits | Hit Me Up!

4 Sep 2009 @ 9:46 AM Devon Delaney Countdown = 18 Days! edit | +mem Omg, you guys! (Ha, like that song from Legally Blonde the Musical, OHMIGOD YOU GUYS! If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you should totally youtube it.. I’m just saying, it’s catchy. Also, I’ve noticed that a huge percentage of my tweets start with “OMG” so I’m trying to remedy that. But I think I can get away with it on the blog. For now.) Anyway, I didn’t blog yesterday! After promising I was going to. But I had a good excuse, I swear! You see, yesterday I had to go for a MEDICAL PROCEDURE. I am capitalizing that not because it was major, but because I think all MEDICAL PROCEDURES should be capitalized, since a) they are scary and b) I hate them. The procedure was in Connecticut (again, not because it was major, but because I hate MEDICAL PROCEDURES so much that I still go to my doctor in Connecticut because I am scared of everyone else.) And guess what? When I got there, some laser thing was broken, and so do you know what they said? They said, “Oh, we lost this part on this thing here, but it’s okay, because we can do it by hand.” And so then I said, “Haha, that’s funny, so it will be better to come back another day?” And they said, “No, you are not getting out of this.” They know me well. It was horribly traumatizing. I’m totally kidding, btw. That it was traumatizing, I mean. All that other stuff did really happen, with the by-hand procedure, etc. But it wasn’t that bad. And if you knew what I was talking about, you would laugh at me, because that’s how silly it is. To celebrate my getting through such an ordeal, today I am giving away an ARC of THE HOLLOW by Jessica Verday. Um, hello, do you not love that cover??? SO. GORGEOUS. The rules for this one: If you want to enter, link here, and then leave a comment telling me you did so. I think I will let this one run through the long weekend, so I’ll announce the winner on Tuesday. Also, the winner of a copy of Devon Delaney Should Totally Know Better is…….Andrea Perrin!! Andrea, please email me your address so I can send you your book. Now I am going to go recover some more from my procedure, aka drink vanilla hazelnut coffee and work on SAMANTHA CARMICHAEL’S RULES FOR SECRET KEEPING. More later, xx 10 Hits | Hit Me Up!

2 Sep 2009 @ 11:10 AM Bring Back The Blog! (And Some Free Books) edit | +mem I never thought I’d say this, but I’m kind of looking forward to fall. Apple picking, sweaters, bit pots of soup on the stove, the leaves changing colors, going for walks outside in the cool air… Of course, after about a month of this, (and DEFINITELY when winter’s here), I’ll be complaining about how much I hate the weather and start contemplating a move to somewhere warm. But I wouldn’t appreciate the summer if I didn’t have the winter, and for the most part, I love having four seasons. Now that fall is almost here, I am making a vow to get back to blogging. Bring back the blog, I say! I miss my blog. I love twitter, but I think sometimes I need something a little more substantial. I’ve also noticed that my livejournal friends list, and a lot of the blogs I read are getting a little sparse on content (hint, hint), so who’s with me? I am going to make an effort to blog every single day until DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER comes out. September 22nd, people! That is only twenty more days, eek! To celebrate, I think I will give away a book a day. Yesterday, the first copies of DDSTKB arrived from Editor K: Yes, they are on my couch, relaxing on a blanket. Anyway, to kick off the blog revival, I’m going to giveaway a copy of DDSTKB before it’s even in stores! All you have to do is comment on this entry. I’ll pick the winter tomorrow, and then do another giveaway. It won’t just be DEVON that I’m giving away either. It will be all sorts of books! Yay! Also, I’m still in the process of sending out the DEVON bookmarks, so if you’re a bookseller, teacher, librarian, or just someone who wants to help spread the word, email me through the contact form on my website and I’ll drop some in the mail for you. More later, xx 19 Hits | Hit Me Up!

13 Aug 2009 @ 9:56 AM Home Office Scandals edit | +mem One of the things about working at home is that you miss out on OFFICE SCANDALS. Office scandals are fun. Like who is dating who? Who do you think is going to get fired? Who is using too much internet on office time? Sometimes I get sad about this. That I have no office dramas to get caught up in. But then I realized… There are some scandals here, in my OWN OFFICE (aka My Apartment.) ONE. The lady next door told me that SHE SAW A MAN LURKING AROUND ON MY PATIO. At first, she thought I had a guest over. Which is weird, because if I had a guest, I would supervise him, and not just let him lurk all around on my patio. But then this man went over to her patio. He sort of wandered over, she said. And so then my neighbor said, “Can I help you?” and the man just MUMBLED and then sort of lurched off. She said there is a rumor going around that this man is actually another neighbor that has Alzheimer’s and gets confused. Either that or he is probably a killer. So this is good OFFICE DRAMA. TWO. The office phone (aka our landline) sometimes gets calls from telemarketers, even though we are on the Do Not Call list. Sometimes we will get a very annoying company or person that calls over and over. The Boy likes to MESS WITH THESE PEOPLE. So one time, when we THOUGHT we were getting a call from one of the very annoying telemarketers who call over and over, The Boy answered in a woman’s voice. Like, he was pretending to be a woman. He said, “HELLLOOOO??” And it turned out it was the Multiple Sclerosis people, looking for donations. My friend has multiple sclerosis. Actually, two of my friends do. And I wanted to donate. So The Boy had to give them all the info in a woman’s voice, because it was too late to switch out voices. Now when they call, I have to pretend that his name is mine, even though he has A BOY’S NAME. But they think he is a girl, and I can’t be like, “Actually, that was my husband messing with you, hahaha.” THREE. The UPS man. He is very cranky. Why is he so cranky? He kind of growls at me. The only time he was ever nice to me when he had a package for SOMEONE ELSE. Is he mad because I get so many packages? I don’t even get that many! I don’t know. It is a mystery. Also, sometimes when I go to Panera – there is a man who works there that looks suspiciously like the UPS man. Is it the same man? Does he have an extra part-time morning job? I can’t tell. I am going to have to look into this further. Hmm. Reading them back, they do not seem very scandalous…. Sigh. What are some of your office scandals? Home or otherwise? 8 Hits | Hit Me Up!

7 Aug 2009 @ 11:02 AM Hello, Blog! edit | +mem Hello, blog! I missed you! Honestly, I feel like I’ve totally neglected this blog because of twitter. Twitter is so easy! You can pop on and off and you can only use 140 characters! Who doesn’t have time to type 140 characters? Not me, that’s for sure! Anyway. Here is what I have been up to since my last post: Reading Remember how I went to Simon and Schuster and Editor Kate loaded me down with books? (Fyi, I walked all the way back to my hotel with them, and I didn’t mind one bit! It was like I suddenly had some kind of super strength due to my desire for the books!) Anyway, I have been reading some of them. Like: Dani Noir by Nova Ren Suma I got an advance copy of this one – it won’t be out until September. But you guys. OH. MY. GOD. I loved this book. It was so, so good. One of the best, most realistic portrayals of tweens I’ve seen in a long time. Dani is such a great main character, and this book is so fun and so well-written. Plus the cover is GORGEOUS! I can’t wait to read Nova’s YA book, which she just sold AT AUCTION -- after reading this, I can totally see why. Triple Fault by Jessica Burkhart This is the fourth book in the Canterwood Crest series. Go. Get. This. Series. Now. Confession: Um, I don’t like horses. Actually, no, that’s not true. I love horses, like in a “OH MY GOD, LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL HORSE!” kind of way as I pass by. But I don’t, you know, ride horses or anything. And I’ve never really wanted to. But this series is so much more than a “horse series”. So much drama, such a great voice, and the awesome thing is that the amazing Jessica Burkhart writes to fast that they come out BIMONTHLY. So you never have to wait too long to find out what happens next. Of course, even two months seems like a lot, especially when the books end on such amazing cliffhangers. You'll get completely caught up in all things Canterwood, and you'll totally wish you were a rider. Sigh. Running Some of you may remember when I started running for a little bit at the beginning of the year. Since then, I’ve dabbled on and off (um, mostly off) with it, but The Boy and I have signed up for a 5k in October. We thought having a set, concrete goal would help, and so far, it definitely has. And to show you how serious I am about it, THESE are my new running shoes: There is HARDLY ANY PINK!! Which just shows that I am in it for the right reasons. The only problem is that when you’re running, it can trick you into thinking you are allowed to eat whatever you want. For example, this morning I had peanut butter cookies for breakfast. Hmmm.. I guess baby steps? Writing I’ve been writing so much, not just since my last post, but pretty much throughout the year. DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER will be out next month. Then my chapter book series will launch with HAILEY TWITCH IS NOT A SNITCH in the spring. This book is done, finished, edited and everything, yay! I’ve also seen some sketches for what the illustrations are going to look like, and OH. MY. GOD. So cute! I’ll share as soon as I can. ACES UP.. AND OTHER PERKS OF A FAKE I.D. is my YA about a girl who lies about her age to get a job at the local casino, and then gets caught up in an underground gambling ring. This one is done and revised, and just went to copyedits this week! Will be out next summer. ONE NIGHT THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING, my YA about a girl who keeps a notebook filled with everything she’s afraid to do, and then must do everything on the list in one night in order to get it back when it gets STOLEN by her EX-BOYFRIEND and his DUMB STUPID FRIENDS is going to be out next year, and I just turned in the first draft. Yikes. That makes me tired, although it didn’t seem that tiring at the time. It seemed exciting. And I have another book due next month, la la la.. Watching Um, the only movie I’ve really seen lately is Orphan. I HAD TO. I mean, there was all that build-up!! Everywhere you went, someone was telling you there was SOMETHING WRONG WITH ESTHER, and pretty much DARING YOU to find out what it was. I really liked this movie. Some of it was over the top, and the dad was a little unbelievable, but overall, it was pretty creepy and kept my attention throughout. And the girl who played Esther was an amazing actress. Plus with my new running regime, I let myself have Dibs and Sour Patch Kids while watching! Which upped the enjoyment factor considerably. As far as TV goes, hello! It’s Big Brother time! Thank goodness for the DVR, since I record BIG BROTHER AFTER DARK every night and then watch it the next day. Otherwise I would be up way too late… What is everyone else reading/writing/watching/doing? More later, xx 19 Hits | Hit Me Up!

28 Jul 2009 @ 11:25 AM Devon Delaney Street Team Needed! edit | +mem So DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER will be out in just two months! Eeek! If you want to help spread the word and become part of the street team, I would love it! Just drop me an email at lauren (at) laurenbarnholdt (dot) (com) or use the contact form on my website. I'll send you some bookmarks, postcards, and maybe even some jewelry. Whatever I have hanging around :) Pass them out to your friends, bring them down to your local bookstore, give them to your library and let them know how excited you are about the book! You can find more info here And if you ARE a librarian or bookseller and would like some bookmarks, postcards, etc. please let me know! Free Devon stuff, yay! More later, xx 5 Hits | Hit Me Up!

27 Jul 2009 @ 10:07 AM Text In The City! edit | +mem Text in the City was SO. MUCH. FUN. On Thursday morning The Boy and I woke up early, packed up the car, and hit the road. for NYC! A couple hours into the trip, I unplugged my iPhone from the car radio (where it was playing my Pandora station “Justin Timberlake Radio” which was agreed upon as the station of choice after we spent the first part of the trip listening The Boy’s “Frank Sinatra Radio”, sigh), and checked my email. And what do you think was waiting for me? Sketches from Editor Dan for my chapter book, HAILEY TWITCH IS NOT A SNITCH! I had been looking forward to them for sooo long (pretty much ever since I sold the book), and they are SO ADORABLE and I cannot wait to see the finished product. It’s my very first chapter book, and the first time I’ve worked with an illustrator, so it was a really cool experience seeing the start of the actual illustrations that will appear in the book. We kept driving, and I was jamming along to JT and still feeling good from seeing my HAILEY TWITCH sketches, and we were only about twenty minutes out of Manhattan, and I was getting so excited that at first I didn’t realize that um, the car was smoking. As in, you know, smoke was coming out from under the hood. “Is that smoke?” I asked The Boy. “No,” he said. But then he looked closer and said, “Oh my God, smoke is coming out of the hood!” People started honking, and the smoke was getting worse, so we pulled off the highway somewhere in the Bronx and cut the engine. We let the car cool down for a little bit and then we were somehow able to use the GPS to get the car to a garage in the Bronx. I wish I had thought to take a picture, but it wasn’t really the time for funny pics on the iPhone ☺ We waited there for a while, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it, so we had to leave it there overnight. We took a cab into Manhattan, (and when I say cab I really mean one of those black cars and I totally got convinced the driver was going to kill us, since at one point he pulled over and went to “get something” from the trunk – I am not making that up – but we got there safely) and checked into the hotel. Then I finally got to meet up with Mandy Hubbard, Julie Linker, and Rhonda Stapleton. We went to The Strand and bought way too many books, then out for dinner/drinks in Times Square. They were all as funny, nice, and cute in person as they are online. Friday morning Rhonda and I headed down to Simon and Schuster to meet with our editors! Editor K was sooo nice to me, and even showed me the secret vault where all the ARCs are kept. (Seriously. It is literally a bank vault. Again, I should have gotten a pic, but I’m not sure it was allowed. I will ask and try to get one next time.) She also loaded me down with tons and tons of books. She was like, “Are you taking a cab back?” And I was like, “Yes.” And she said, “Oh, good, because the subway with those might be kind of hard.” And I was like, “Yeah, the subway anytime is kind of hard for me.” Kind of hard = totally scary and not something I ever attempt by myself. And definitely not with all of these: Then, I had lunch with Agent A, and we talked about my new YA ideas, and writing, and books, and everything else you can think of. She is so smart and funny and hardworking and I feel so honored and lucky to have her on my side. Friday night was drinks night at Dove Parlour! There were the Text in the City Girls – me, Rhonda, Julie, and Mandy – along with tons of others, including Jessica Burkhart, Mari Mancusi, Editor K and her husband, P.G. Kain, Alyson Heller, and Shani Petroff. The Dove Parlour was adorable, with comfortable seats, and really unique and yummy drinks. And I finally got to give Jessica Burkhart my special surprise, keychains I had made for me, her, and Editor K. (We are Team Barnhart since we both have the same editor and our last names sound cool together. And a bunch of other reasons like having a TOWN named after us, and an impending feud with Team Violet, but they are too numerous to get into here.) Keychains, front and back: Saturday morning I woke up and had breakfast with The Boy, and then it was time to head over to Books Of Wonder for the big YA signing. Books of Wonder is SO. COOL. Seriously. There’s such a warm and welcoming vibe in there, and they have a cupcake bakery, and everyone was AMAZINGLY NICE. We talked about our books, did a short Q&A, and then all signed books. Here are some pictures I stole from Rhonda Stapleton: Then we all headed out for dinner, and Robyn Schneider and Sarah Cross and a bunch of other people joined us, and we laughed and talked and gossiped and ate Bananas Foster Bread Pudding. Then Mandy and I headed out to see Wicked. Pic of the stage before the show: It was awesome. I loved it. I’ve seen Broadway shows before, but this was almost a whole new level with the set and the special effects and the lighting and of course the performances. Dee Roscioli was amazing as Elphaba. I loved it and I can’t wait to go back. Then Mandy and I walked back to the hotel, and stopped to buy some souvenirs on the way. When we got back, I went up to Mandy, Rhonda, and Julie’s room to say goodbye to everyone (we were all leaving early the next morning at different times and I didn’t know if I’d see them again) and we ended up chatting until around one in the morning. It was such a fun trip, and I think we’re totally going to do it again next year! So start saving your money for The Second Annual Text in the City ☺ (Oh, and our car was fine!! They were able to fix it and The Boy picked it up on Friday and we drove it home on Sunday without any mishaps.) More later, xx 8 Hits | Hit Me Up!

15 Jul 2009 @ 1:59 PM Tons of Super Sparkly News!! edit | +mem I have so much sparkly news to share! First, and most important! Info on the NYC signing on July 25th -- thanks to Mandy Hubbard for putting it together, and designing such an awesome announcement with all our book covers! Now here's the event you've been waiting for! Nine authors will be at Books of Wonder in New York City on Saturday, July 25th, from 2pm to 4pm. Stop by and buy a book or nine and say hello!     Participating Authors: Lauren Barnholdt, author of Two-Way Street, The Secret Identity of Devon Delaney, Four Truths and Lie, and others Sarah Cross, author of Dull Boy Erin Dionne, author of Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies Heather Duffy-Stone, author of This is What I Want to Tell you Mandy Hubbard, author of Prada and Prejudice Julie Linker, author of Crowned, Disenchanted Princess Sarah MacLean, author of The Season Mari Mancusi, author of Boys that Bite, Girls that Growl, Stake That!, Gamer Girl and others Michelle Zink, author of Prophecy of the Sisters I am so excited! It is all part of our Text In The City extravaganza, which I'm sure I will be blogging and twittering about more as it gets closer to next week. Second, I just found out that FOUR TRUTHS AND A LIE has gone into a SIXTH printing! You guys!!! That is so amazing, thank you so much to everyone who bought it! And as if that weren't enough, I also found out that FOUR TRUTHS AND A LIE has been chosen by the tween store Justice (which used to be The Limited Too) as their featured book club pick for September, and will be in all the Justice stores! So exciting! Third, DEVON DELANEY SHOULD TOTALLY KNOW BETTER will be out in just a little over two months! That is .. wow. I can't believe it's so close. To celebrate, I've been ordering tons of fun stuff, like postcards and bookmarks and even some jewelry. Once I get everything, I'd love to share it with you guys! So check back for a post on how you can get free Devon stuff! Okay. End of sparkly post, and back to your regularly scheduled blog about stuff like Nick and Jessica maybe getting back together. (It could totally happen! Do you think it was a COINCIDENCE that they both ended up single within weeks of each other?) More later, xx 8 Hits | Hit Me Up!

9 Jul 2009 @ 2:07 PM And The Winner Is... edit | +mem And the winner is......... Whitney Miller! Whitney, please email me your address so I can send out your prize pack... Thank you so, so much to everyone who entered! I have more ARCs and books to give away (maybe even another copy of Catching Fire!) so if you didn't win, there will be more chances.. 2 Hits | Hit Me Up!

7 Jul 2009 @ 9:12 AM Review: L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad (Spoiler Free) edit | +mem   I wanted to hate it. I really, really did. I picked it up the day it came out, read the first page, scoffed, and then put it back on the shelf. It wasn’t because I have a problem with Lauren Conrad writing a book, or with someone publishing that book and giving her tons of money for it.  I try not to get too caught up in things like that, because a) it is one of those (many) things about publishing that I cannot control, even if I wanted to   and b) I’m all for anything that gets kids in the bookstore, since maybe while they’re buying that “OMG, LC book!!”  they might take a look around and buy an “OMG, LB book!”  The reason I put the book back is because the book starts by letting you know it’s “A few months earlier…. “  and the first sentence is this : “Jane Roberts leaned against her dresser, studying the way her white silk nightie looked against her sun-kissed skin.”  Seriously.  But then this weekend The Boy and I were out, and he decided on a whim to get this ridiculous expensive PILLOW of all things (which makes no sense because I can NEVER get him to go look at bedding or furniture or ANYTHING with me when I want, but somehow when we were passing by Brookstone he just HAD TO have this pillow), and so when we went to the bookstore after, I decided I was allowed to get whatever books I wanted. So I piled up a huge stack, got a coffee, wrote a thousand words on my laptop, and then started going through the stack as a writing reward. I picked up L.A. Candy again, mostly because I wanted to laugh at it. By page six, I said to The Boy, “Hmm, I’m kind of into this.” “Let me read it,” he said.  I reluctantly handed it over and watched him out of the corner of my eye. After a few minutes, he gave it back.  “I can’t understand what she’s even talking about,” he said, then shrugged and went back to his magazine. I went back to reading.  By page 13, I was really getting into it.  Two girls, one with a broken heart, out in L.A., trying to make it in the city.  One going to USC, the other working for an event planner.  You can tell from the way they’re talking that something BIG and maybe even HORRIBLE is about to happen to them.  What’s not to love?  I read the whole book in two days.  It ended on such a cliffhanger that I might have screamed, “NOOOOO!” at the end and threw the book down in anger.  (That has been happening a lot to me lately.  cough Jessica Burkhart cough.) Warning!  Warning!  (Here’s the part where I tell you something you might have already guessed):  The writing isn’t that great.  And when I say not that great, I mean, you know, pretty horrible in places.  But the stuff about L.A., and the whole “girls in the scary city” world that’s drawn?  Awesome.  The details given about reality shows are pretty specific (but in an interesting way – like at one point Jane gets asked out, and she really for the life of her can’t figure out if the show told the guy to do it.)  All of the experiences the girls have, and the characters involved, leave you trying to guess which parts actually happened to Lauren Conrad.  (At once point she makes a reference to a friend named Jenn hooking up with an ex-boyfriend named Doug behind her back – Ooh, snap!) Once it gets going, the plot moves along fairly quickly.  There’s a scandalous love triangle.  A mean, calculating co-star.  Tension between the two best friends.  A producer who wants to control everything for the ratings.  Details of L.A. and “the scene.” Lots of talk of fame, and the perks and weirdness that come from being a new celebrity. The characters are pretty one-dimensional (Jane’s the innocent one, Madison’s the bitch, etc.) Jane’s two romantic relationships aren’t fully developed, and the climax is a little over the top in one of those “hmm that would probably never happen” kind of ways.  But I was having too much fun to care. I loved it.  I couldn’t stop reading.  I will definitely be buying the next book, but this time, I won’t hate myself for it.  Because I really, really need to know what happens in Mexico… More later, xx     5 Hits | Hit Me Up!

6 Jul 2009 @ 9:44 AM Dream Agents..And Why They're, Um.. Not edit | +mem (Note:  For those of you worrying that this blog is getting too SERIOUS, with lots of WRITERLY ADVICE, do not fret!  I will be back tomorrow with a review of Lauren Conrad’s book, L.A. CANDY.  Also, you can still enter the CATCHING FIRE contest by following the directions in my previous post, and commenting there.) Dream Agents. I hear about them all the time.  “So and so is my dream agent!”  or “I’m about to query my dream agent”  or “I just sent it out to my dream agent!”  or “My dream agent REJECTED my query, I AM NOW GOING TO THROW MYSELF OFF A BUILDING AND DIE.” The worst one is, “I an ONLY querying X, because she is my dream agent, and I will wait to hear from her until I submit anywhere else, AND UNTIL THEN I WILL JUST WAIT IN BREATHLESS ANTICIPATION IN FRONT OF MY INBOX, SLOWLY WASTING MY LIFE.”  (Not that anyone I know says things like those last two, and not that I’ve ever said those things, la la la.) But here’s the thing:  Deciding who your dream agent is before you’ve even worked with them?  Is like deciding you want to marry someone based on their match.com profile.  Think about it.  One way, you’re saying, “This agent seems really nice on their blog, and they just sold a six-figure deal and they rep YA, which is what I write and OMG, THAT PERSON IS MY DREAM AGENT and look at their picture how cute!”  It really is kind of the same as saying, “OMG, look at this person’s profile, they like soccer and have a dog like me and they seem really nice and I AM GOING TO MARRY THEM and look at their picture how cute!”  An online presence does not a marriage make.  Unfortunately, the only way to know who your dream agent is… is to actually, um, start working with them.   I know this because I am on my third agent.   The third time must be a charm, because I really believe I have my dream agent now, and here are some of the reasons why (I’d also like to say that I really don’t like the term ‘dream agent’ even AFTER you’re working with someone.  It makes me think of … I dunno,  a bunch of teenagers from the fifties sitting around a coffee shop looking at each other and saying, “He’s so dreamy.”  Can’t we come up with something better?  Goal Agent?  Agent Win?  As in, he’s my “Agent Win?”  Just something to think about): 1.     She responds to all of my emails within 24 hours, and she either has the answer to what I want to know, or is on her way to finding out. 2.     She’s not afraid to tell me when something isn’t working, whether it’s an idea, a chapter, a line, or a whole proposal. 3.     She gives me great advice, but ultimately lets me decide on the direction of my career. 4.     She’s open to brainstorming/bouncing ideas around, and is always willing to set up phone calls to do just that. 5.     She never, ever gives up.  She sold a chapter book series for me last year that had been on submission for nine months.  We’d been getting close, but the rejections were coming in, and then we got a revision request from a major house.  Agent Win followed up on it, I did the revision, and the house passed.  I cried and ate three cartons of peanut butter ice cream.   Agent Win said, “No problem, we still have more places!”  And you know what?  Sending out the revised version got us TWO OFFERS on the project that we’d started submitting almost a year before. There are three million more reasons why I love her, but it would take too long to type all those out, and besides, I don’t want her to see this post and get a big head and then realize she’s too good for me. But the point is, I wouldn’t know any of those things about her unless I was actually working with her.  Right now you are screaming.  You are maybe freaking out.  You are looking at the picture of your dream agent that you have taped to your computer monitor for inspiration.  Maybe you even want to kill me.  And you are saying, “So are you telling me it is ALL ONE BIG CRAP SHOOT and that maybe MY DREAM AGENT is going to be AGENT HEARBREAKER if we start working together?”  Well… maybe.  Here are the things you can look at BEFORE you sign with someone that might give you an indication if they are your Agent Win: 1.     Their blog/website.  Does it have good advice that you agree with?  Do they seem smart and knowledgeable?  2.     Their sales.  How many do they have ?  Are they to a bunch of different houses/editors?  Sometimes an agent will be selling just to the same editors over and over, and you start to think that maybe they’re one of those “send it out to four of five places that I know and then give up” kind of agents.  Also, do they have sales for the same writer that span some time?  This is an indication that their clients are happy, and staying with them. The real work, however, will start after they offer you representation.  This is when you really get the chance to see if you’d be a good fit. Here are the things you can ask an agent if they offer you representation.  DO NOT ask ANY agents these things unless you are on the phone with them, discussing representation.  These are not questions you ask in a query, or if an agent requests your partial.  These are things you ask ONLY WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN OFFERED REPRESENTATION. 1.     What’s your style like?  Do you do a lot of revising and working with clients, or are you more hands-off editorially? 2.     How do you prefer to communicate?  Email, phone? 3.     What’s your submission style?  Do you send to three or four places and wait for feedback?  Do you send it to everyone at once?  Why do you do it this way? 4.     What’s your contract like?  (Ideally, you want to have a contract that has a thirty-day out clause, meaning you or the agent can terminate at any time.  Otherwise, it’s kind of like being married and not being able to get divorced until sometimes a year or more.  A big waste of time, and a drain emotionally, especially if you have a manuscript that is just in a holding pattern.) 5.     Do you follow up with editors that you’ve submitted to, and give them nudges?  After how long? 6.     Can I talk to some of your current clients? Please note there aren’t necessarily any right or wrong answers to these questions, but you want to get a feel for how the agent works, and you should be comfortable with their answers.  Do a google search on questions to ask an agent, and get an idea of the things that are important to you.  Don’t be afraid to ask these things!  If the agent starts acting all put out about it, then maybe they’re not right for you. Also: If an agent offers you representation? Google.  Not just for info on their sales, but for info from their CLIENTS.  A lot of times writers will blog or post on message boards about their agents.  See what they say.  Do they seem happy?  Are they praising the agent?  Or does it seem that after a few months, the agent is MIA, and they’re posting for advice on how to get out of a contract, or what to do when your agent isn’t responding to your emails? Do you know of anyone who’s left the agent?  Talking to current clients is great, but you’ll get the real story from former clients. (Note:  Someone leaving an agent doesn’t mean they’re not a good agent – it happens all time if it’s not a right fit, for lots of reasons.  But if multiple people are leaving, and some of those people are willing to tell you why, you might want to listen.) I’m not advocating agent stalking.  And again, PLEASE, PLEASE don’t do any of these things until you actually get offered representation.  (It’s not cool to just email someone and ask why they left their agent.  If you get offered representation, it’s one thing to drop them a note and say, “Any thoughts would be appreciated.”  Even then they might not answer.  And yes, I know you want the dirt.  Yes, I know it’s driving you crazy. But no.  Just no.) My point is simply this: You don’t know WHO your dream agent is going to be until you’re actually working with them.  The same way you don’t know who you’re going to marry until you’ve actually dated and gone through some things together. Yes, do your research.  Yes, be smart about it.  But cast a wide net.  Query widely, and don’t get caught up on the idea of “dream agent.”  Your dream agent is someone who is working tirelessly on your behalf, believes in your work, and will fight for you every step of the way.  Good luck!     9 Hits | Hit Me Up!

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