11 Dec 2009 @ 11:20 AM Happy Agent Appreciation Day! edit | +mem Happy Agent Appreciation Day! I definitely could not let this day go by without blogging about my fab agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Trident Media Group. Here are the reasons I love Alyssa: 1. She is so on top of things, it’s almost scary. Seriously. I will send her a project, and it comes back to me almost immediately with notes. I ask her a question, and she sends me a thoughtful reply with tons of helpful information. She follows up with editors, she keeps track of checks, she pays attention to what’s going on in publishing, and she makes it all seem easy. 2. Alyssa never freaks out. Even when I say things like, “So I’m thinking I want to write a chapter book series, and a middle grade, and two YAs, oh, and I have a great idea for an adult romance..” She just talks me through it and finds a way to make it work. 3. One time, after a particularly hard rejection, one where the book had gotten so so SO close to being bought, she sent me an email that said, “Don’t worry, we WILL find X a home soon.” For some reason, I believed her. And you know what? We had two offers on that book within a month. 4. She gives me great feedback. She’s extremely smart and she pushes me to make any new submission the best it can be before it goes out. She wants my books to have the very best chance, and I love her for that. 5. She’s always looking out for me. She will think of things I never even thought to ask about, and make sure they’re all taken care of. 6. She answers my emails usually within, like, an hour. Seriously. An hour! One time she took five hours to email and apologized for the long response time because her email was down. Ha! 7. I trust her. Completely, totally, one hundred percent. 8. She’s sold eight books for me in the two years that we’ve been together. But it’s not about the sales, since I know a lot of that is out of our control. What I love is that I know some of those books wouldn’t have sold if not for her editorial advice, and her willingness to keep at it. Even reading this list back, I realize I haven’t really done her justice. She believes in me, she believes in my work, and I am just so lucky to have her on my side. Happy Agent Appreciation Day, Alyssa! I hope you have a great one! P.S. The idea of Agent Appreciation Day came from Kody Keplinger – check out her blog here . And if you want to read more agent appreciation stories, go here. 1 Hit | Hit Me Up!

5 Dec 2009 @ 12:00 PM Weekend Contest :) edit | +mem Happy weekend!! Last night The Boy and I went to see Brothers, with Jake Gyllenhaal and Tobey Maguire and Natalie Portman. I LOVED IT. So good, you should all go see it. Now I am drinking coffee (decaf – I know, what’s the point, but I am trying to cut back on my caffeine and at least it’s French vanilla flavored) and waiting for The Boy to wake up so I can make him take me out to breakfast. Things are usually dead around here on the weekends (by here I mean internet world), so I decided to do a contest for those of you who ARE around. Maybe you are procrastinating on your Christmas shopping like me? We were supposed to get up early and start ours today, but since I’m posting this and The Boy is still sleeping, you can kind of guess how well that turned out. I am kind of (read: very) bad with procrastinating. Like with new bookshelves. I really, REALLY need some. Right now, for example, we have a stack of books over in the corner of our LIVING ROOM just waiting to be shelved. This is a pic of them: I know, right?! Totally ridiculous. Anyway! My procrastination is your gain (just read that back and it doesn’t really make that much sense, but just go with it – I’m drinking decaf), because I’m doing a contest! Email me with the titles and authors of as many books as you can spot in the picture, and whoever gets the most right, will get a book of their choice from the pile. (I will send you a brand new copy, because why would I send you mine? As you can tell, I have a hard time parting with books.) The person who has the highest number correct will win, and if there’s a tie, whoever emailed first wins. I will give you five extra points if you link to this contest on your blog or twitter, just please let me know where you linked in your email. Email your lists of books to Lauren (at) laurenbarnholdt (dot) (Com) Contest will end at midnight EST December 8th. But like I said, if there’s a tie, the first person wins. I’ll only ship to the US. Here are some hints: *Some of the books I got at BEA. *A lot of them may be Simon and Schuster books because the fab Editor K is VERY generous with books, which is one of the many reasons I love her so much. *Click on the picture to make it bigger. Good luck! More later, xx 1 Hit | Hit Me Up!

4 Dec 2009 @ 10:08 AM Spring Books (Or I Want Them NOW!) edit | +mem It was seventy degrees here yesterday. Seventy! That’s crazy. Today it’s going to be fifty. It feels like spring. Do you think we will just skip winter and go right into spring? I am probably just wishing because a) cold is no fun and b) it seems like there are tons of good books coming out in the spring. Like: Could you just DIE? I mean, hello! The tagline alone is just enough to sell the book. I heard about this when it first sold, and then I kind of forgot about it, and assumed it wouldn’t be out for forever. But now it’s on my radar again, and even though now it’s only a few months until it comes out, it still seems like further away than before! What do you think Carrie was like in high school???? Was she dorky? Cool? Did she dress the same? Did she have all sorts of man problems even back then? We will have to wait to find out. Sigh. The good news is I have the whole series of Sex and the City on DVD, so I can just watch those while I wait. I saw this one on Meg Cabot’s website under her upcoming adult books, although she hadn’t listed a description until a couple of days ago. This one is about vampires. Gasp! I don’t like vampires. Bella and I will just have to agree to disagree. But…I might be tempted to change my mind on my vampire stance since it’s Meg Cabot. Really looking forward to this one! I love Sarah, and the concept of this one is adorable – a seventeen-year-old girl’s cell phone breaks, and she finds out she can only call her fourteen-year-old self. Can’t wait! Chasing Harry Winston has already been out for a while, obviously, but if you are an amazon stalker like I am, you will know that LAUREN WEISBERGER UNTITLED BOOK NUMBER ONE is coming out on May 25th. I loved The Devil Wears Prada when I read it, and I loved Everyone Worth Knowing, and I loved Chasing Harry Winston. I am not afraid to admit it! How can you not love a book where the cover shows a high heel with diamond rings????? Anyway, not sure what Untitled Lauren Weisberger Book Number One is about (anyone?), but looking forward to finding out. What books are YOU looking forward to (this spring or anytime)? Also, all this talk of books has reminded me I need to try and revive my book club. It never quite took off, hmm… Anyway! Back soon with my promised entry about nanowrimo… More later, xx 2 Hits | Hit Me Up!

2 Dec 2009 @ 10:29 AM On Agent Responses edit | +mem So agent Rachelle Gardner put a post up on her blog the other day about writers griping about agent response times. It’s definitely worth a read, especially the comments. You can find it the post here. Here’s the thing. I’m not going to talk about how busy agents are, or if they should be responding to every query, or if two months is way too long to hold on to someone’s full manuscript. Really, it’s kind of not important. And when I say kind of, I mean, you know, not at all, if we’re talking about importance as it relates to the end goal of getting published. I mean, I don’t understand why we’re wasting our time worrying about some agent we probably have never met, who’s never promised us anything, who’s not responding to an email we sent. It’s like sending your profile out to someone on a dating site, and then being like, WHY IS THAT PERSON NOT RESPONDING? THAT PERSON IS THE REASON I WILL NEVER BE MARRIED, THEY COULD AT LEAST RESPOND!!!! ALL MEN ARE HORRIBLE AND NOW I WILL THROW MYSELF OFF THIS CLIFF! Newsflash: Agents not responding to your email is not the reason you are not getting published. Also? Honestly, you might need to get a thicker skin. If you’re going to get upset about an agent not responding to your query letter, if that is going to ruin your day, your life, your week, then ohhhh boyyy are you not ready to deal with the realities of being a working writer. How are you going to deal with it when you finally do get an agent, and you spend months revising with said agent only to have that agent leave the agency the day before your book is about to go out on submission? What are you going to do when you finally sell a book, spend months and months revising it, only then it doesn’t sell so well, and so your publisher doesn’t push the second book on your contract, and doesn’t pick up your option, leaving you in the same boat you were BEFORE you sold, only now with bad sales numbers? What if your editor leaves, and your new editor convinces you everything will be fine, but then she leaves too, and your book gets cancelled? What if you sell a new multi-book deal to your long time publisher, only to have it cancelled? What if you’re told by a publisher that an offer is forthcoming, only to wait months to have it fall through? All of these things have happened to me or someone I know. And I haven’t even been around that long. Look, this is a hard business. Hard, hard, hard. And honestly, there are really only two things you can do to make it easier. Number one, (this is something I’ve heard Jenny Crusie say, and it’s helped me a lot) is to SEPARATE THE WRITING FROM THE PUBLISHING. Writing is so personal to us. We spend months, sometimes years, countless hours away from our families and friends, early mornings and late nights writing and pouring our hearts and souls into our books. But once you make the decision to try to make money from your writing, once you start querying agents, you’re talking about publishing. Which is a business. A business that will break your heart five million trillion times for five million trillion different reasons. If you’re not ready for this kind of heartbreak, don’t send your stuff out. Keep it on your hard drive, or sell it on lulu.com. Number two, if you want to get the best chance of getting a response from agents, the best chance of getting your book published? Write a great book. Write a great query. Keep sending stuff out. And keep working on the next thing while you’re doing it. Agents not responding is NOT the thing that is keeping you from getting published. YOU are, by spending your time worrying about agents and not focusing on the thing you CAN control. Which is the writing. Write, write, write, write, write. Keep writing. Get better. Make every book you write better than the last. That is the only thing you can control about the business. And that goes for when you’re published, unpublished, any time. Focus on the writing, and try to let go of the things you can’t control. (Like, um, agent response times.) This doesn’t mean don’t vent. Publishing is FRUSTRATING. It will make you cry. A lot sometimes. But vent to your friends. Drink a hot chocolate and eat a cupcake. And then brush yourself off and KEEP WRITING. I know what you’re thinking. Easy for YOU to say, don’t you have a bunch of books coming out next year? Don’t you love your agent? Well, yes and yes. BUT. Once, I was querying. Once, I was getting no responses. Even AFTER I was published and looking for a new agent, some agents didn’t respond to my query. Once, I had an agent in NYC leave my requested full IN A HAIR SALON. You know how I know? Not because I ever heard from her again, but because the hair salon called me to tell me they had my manuscript. It had my contact info on the title page, and they assumed that I was the one who had left it. Upsetting? Yes. (Especially since she seemed really excited to read the full and also because when that 212 area code from the hair salon popped up, I got kind of excited.) But that agent leaving my book there was not the reason that book didn’t get published. The reason that book didn’t get published is because it wasn’t ready. I wrote another book. One that WAS ready. Please, focus on what you can REALLY do to give yourself the best chance. And that is not blaming agents, or debating whether it’s wrong that they don’t respond to every query or if they should be at home answering emails instead of twittering about how they went out for pizza. Keep writing. Keep sending your stuff out. Revise. Write a new, better book. Learn. Don’t give up. Focus on what you can control, and do your best to let go of the rest… Happy writing! More later, Xx 18 Hits | Hit Me Up!

1 Dec 2009 @ 11:29 AM Thanksgiving and Chillin' With Dylan edit | +mem I cannot believe it’s December 1st! That’s crazy. December is officially winter and coldness, although it hasn’t’ really snowed here yet. Just once, and only for about an hour or so, and then it was gone. Not that I’m complaining – we’ll get it soon enough, and then I’ll really want it to go away. (My thoughts on snow is that it should be over after the holidays – it should be just swept away after the new year, taken out with the Christmas trees and put away with the holiday lights, not to be seen or heard from again until next year.) My Thanksgiving was fun – we went down to the Cape to visit with the in-laws. My sister-in-law just got engaged, so it was fun to ooh and ahh over her shiny new ring. We also played Pictionary. Probably none of you have ever seen me draw, but if you did, you would know that I’m not so good at this game. (One time someone asked me if I was doing the illustrations for my chapter book series, and I was thinking, “Um, no, not unless they want them to be stick figures.” But the truth is, I’m not even that good at stick figures.) But somehow, this year I wasn’t that bad. My ten-year-old niece was on my team, and I swear it was like we had mind-meld. I drew this blob on the paper and then circled something in the middle, and she was like, ‘BRAZIL!” which was totally right! Do you think that’s why I like writing tween books so much? Because I am deep down ten years old? But the best part was that we got home to find that while we were gone, SoapNet had DVR’d the Beverly Hills, 90201 Chillin’ With Dylan marathon. Hello, how lucky! (The Boy didn’t think so. But whatever. The DVR also has lots of UFC and boxing on it, which is unlucky for me, so it all works out.) I turned in a book yesterday, so I’ve been catching up on the episodes. Some of them are really good. Um, the first episode where Dylan and Brenda meet? And the whole Brenda/Kelly/Dylan love triangle? When she yells, “I hate you both, never talk to me again!” Love it! Some of them are not so good. Like, for example right now Dylan is in some kind of coma, and the whole episode is this really weird dream sequence where he’s making out with Kelly and then getting operated on by his high school principal. Creepy. And confusing. Anyway. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Happy December! I’ll blog tomorrow about my nanowrimo being pretty much an epic fail… ETA: Now the high school principal has a gun for some reason, and Dylan is chasing a little girl down some railroad tracks. This one might need to be deleted… More later, xx 1 Hit | Hit Me Up!

1 Dec 2009 @ 9:40 AM Query Letter Clinic! edit | +mem So a couple of days ago I put a call out on twitter, saying that the first three people who emailed their query letter to me would get it critiqued on my blog. It was the holiday weekend, and The Boy had friends over, so I was tucked away in our bedroom trying not to get in the way of male bonding time :) Anyway, I turned a book in yesterday, so this morning I sat down to critique. (Disclaimer: These are JUST my opinions. Feel free to take what helps you and ignore the rest. Also, I haven't read the books these queries are for, so when I needed plot stuff, I just made it up or did an kind of thing. These are also rough, as I wrote them off the top of my head, and would definitely need a little smoothing before they were sent.) Query Number One: Dear Ms. X, The monsters who lurk in the shadows might think Elle is a kindred spirit -- they're wrong. Elle hates being a werewolf, hates that the blood of the beast who killed her family also runs through her veins. But now she has a new home and family, including Cass, her dhamphir foster-sister. The girls join forces to keep the local supernaturals in line and make their town as normal as possible. It's a job they treat like a hobby, until the night something attacks the high school quarterback, leaving him like a living zombie. As friends, enemies, and strangers alike fall prey to the soul-stealing demon spawn, Elle and Cass are forced to up their game. Rather than pinpointing a suspect though, Elle's werewolf senses have her chasing her tail -- and her cute new tutor, who smells a little too much like the demon spawn. When her foster-mom is attacked, Elle's home life is shattered. Armed with more attitude than experience, and running out of suspects, Elle must embrace her inner beast if she wants to stop the demon spawn from destroying her new family -- or at least their souls. PRETTY SOULS, a young adult urban fantasy, is complete at 85,000 words. It will appeal to readers of Kelley Armstrong's Darkest Powers series, Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, and Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series. I would be thrilled to send sample chapters or the full manuscript at your request. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Writer Number One My Thoughts: Paragragh #1 - I think you need to cut the first paragraph. I get that maybe you’re going for something that will get attention right off the bat, but I think the next paragraph does it. Paragragh #2 -- There’s an intriguing set-up here. Unfortunately, I think it’s a little bit confusing. I like that Elle’s a werewolf, and that werewolves also killed her family. But I want to know how she came to live with a half-vampire foster-sister, and also how/why the two girls join forces. And to do what exactly? What kind of creatures are in their town and how do they keep it normal? Also, did she just move in with the foster family or has she lived there since she was born? I need a little more info. Paragraph #3 -- The third paragraph is good, but I think it needs to be streamlined and include just a touch more info. Paragraph #4 --The last paragraph, I like -- it’s like the last straw is her foster mom being attacked, the catalyst for her embracing who she really is. But I don’t know if the whole “home life shattered” line needs to be there. Obviously her home life would be shattered. Also, I like that she has now decided to “embrace” her inner beast, but I’d like to know a little more about HOW or WHY she decided to do this. Is there some power she has that she hasn’t used yet for some reason? Or maybe she has to infiltrate the group of wolves that killed her biological family? Also I think the “or at least their souls” can be cut. Maybe Try Something Like: “When sixteen-year-old Elle’s family is killed in a vicious werewolf attack, Elle is sent to x to live with x. Elle hates being a werewolf, hates that that blood of the beast that killed her family runs through her veins. But Elle has a new family now, including Cass, her damphir foster sister. Once Elle is settled in to her new home, the two girls join forces, spending their days and nights keeping the local (specific supernaturals?) in line by (whatever they do that shows they are keeping the town as normal as possible, but that’s it’s still only a hobby). But when the high school quarterback is found on the football field, brutally attacked and left as a living zombie, Elle and Cass are forced to up their game. Suddenly, the town is reeling, and as friends, enemies and strangers alike fall prey to the soul-stealing predator, Elle’s werewolf instincts have her chasing her tail. Her only suspect? Max, her cute new tutor, who’s setting off her senses with his weird behavior. When Elle’s foster mom is attacked, Elle realizes the threat may be closer than she thought – and she wonders if she’s the real target. Armed with more attitude than experience, and running out of suspects, Elle must finally find a way to embrace her inner beast if she wants to stop the demon from destroying her family. Query Letter Number Two: Dear Ms. X: Madeline, "Maddie" McGee hates cleaning. Always has – always will. Her motto? "I solve your mystery...you clean my room." But when her messy room becomes an obstacle in her vacation plans, she needs a case…in a hurry! In the nic of time, a nerdy fellow student, Victor, comes to Maddie for help in finding Sylvia (his boa constrictor). Unfortunately, Maddie hates snakes almost as much as she hates cleaning. But since her room is even scarier than the boa constrictor – the search is on! As the mystery deepens, Maddie learns that snakes aren’t always hidden in the grass…sometimes they are in plain view, wearing a suit and tie. SEEKING SYLVIA: A Maddie McGee Mystery is a completed chapter book written in first person. I hope you will allow me to send you the entire manuscript. Thank you for your time. Joy and peace, Writer #2 My Thoughts: Paragraph #1 -- I like the concept of this! A girl sleuth, what’s not to like? The problem is, when you start with Maddie McGee hates cleaning, it makes it seem like it’s a book about cleaning. Also, it’s a little unclear -- she solves mysteries, and every time she does, the person has to clean her room? If so, I think you need to make the fact that she solves mysteries front and center. Also, I didn’t get a real sense of Maddie’s age from the beginning, which was confusing. I was picturing this book as a middle grade, but later you say it’s a chapter book. So I’d put her age in here somewhere. Paragraph #2 I like the set up for the mystery. I just think you need more info, and I think you need to make it more clear that Maddie Paragraph #3 The suit and tie part is great – I love thinking that maybe there’s a mysterious man who has something to do with it! But the mystery, which is such a huge part of the book, is kind of buried here. How does the mystery deepen? We need a few more details, especially since otherwise there’s no real mystery – it’s just a search for a snake. Side note: This is a minor thing, but I wonder if you need a snappier title. I don’t know if “Seeking Sylvia” is catchy enough for a chapter book. Something with the word “snake” in it, like SNAKE ON THE LOOSE! Or something that would appeal to kids more and is a little catchier might be better. Maybe Try Something Like: Eight-year-old Madeline “Maddie” McGee is a super sleuth. Whether it’s figuring out x or x, Maddie can do it. Her only request? You clean her room in return. When Maddie’s parents lay down the law – clean her room or risk missing the family vacation -- Maddie realizes she needs a case…and fast. So when Maddie’s classmate Victor asks Maddie to for help finding Sylvia, his boa constrictor, Maddie signs on. The only problem? Maddie hates snakes almost as much as she hates cleaning. Almost. Besides, how hard can it possibly be? But soon a simple chase for Sylvia turns into a bunch of weird happenings as Maddie starts uncovering x, x, and x. And when a mysterious man shows up, one might know more about the case than he’s letting on, Maddie starts to realize that snakes aren’t always hidden in the grass..sometimes they’re in plain view, wearing a suit and tie. Query Letter Number Three: Dear Ms. X: I am seeking representation for my 60,000 word YA novel Through Her Eyes Leila Lefley is awkward. While the rest of the students in Eastbay High are panicking over prom and college applications, Leila struggles to come to terms with the real meaning of idioms, her peer’s lack of interest in van Gogh’s disfigured ear, and the need to wear heels. Why would someone willingly risk a bunion the size of a golf ball? Leila resigns herself to drooling over her crush Neil from a distance. What would the insightful, fashion savvy heartthrob want with Loony Leila? Especially since Leila has Asperger’s syndrome. Then she bumps into the crude Thor, literally. He tells her that he is a nymph and she is his charge. His mission is simple-- make Neil fall in love with Leila. Welcome to Dating 101. As a nymph, Thor is a master of seduction. A simple look from Thor and the school’s ancient Latin teacher is ready to drop her pants. But this nymph has his work cut out for him since Leila is different. Cue uncomfortable silences, unnecessary rambling and cringe-worthy situations. The rules are straightforward. Follow Thor’s instruction, don’t like an idiot and most importantly, don’t fall in love with the nymph. Some things are easier said than done. The closer Leila gets to Neil, the more she finds herself longing for Thor. But Thor's mission comes with a timestamp, and with it, his own expiration. Leila has to make Neil fall in love with her fast, or she'll lose Thor forever. Thank you, Amna Mohdin My Thoughts: Paragraph #1 -- Okay. I like that this girl has Asperger’s syndrome. I think that there’s a real lack of strong YA heroines with disabilities in YA fiction. However, this paragraph has two main problems. One, it’s missing a really great opportunity to set up exactly who this girl is, and two, the voice is a little bit off for YA. I did some googling, and found out that people with Asperger’s have trouble with idioms, and that Van Gogh is thought to have maybe had Asperger’s. But I wouldn’t know that unless I knew something about Asperger’s. So right now it just reads that those are the things she’s into. I think you should change it up just a little, so that agents/editors who are familiar with Asperger’s would get some of the references, but that if they don’t have that much background in Asperger’s, they would still think, “Wow, Leila sounds like a really cool character.” Also, we can cut the first sentence, since it becomes obvious that Leila is awkward. I also think the words “looney” and “heartthrob” are dated, so they should be replaced. Paragraph #2 -- I like this set up, but I want to know a little more. Instead of saying “Welcome to Dating 101” can we see some examples of how Thor teaches Leila? Also, I didn’t really care for the school’s ancient Latin teacher dropping her pants. I think it would be more impressive if it were the hottest girl in school swooning ☺ Paragraph #3 – Like it! Good as is! Maybe Try Somethingg Like: While the rest of the students at Eastbay High are panicking over their facebook statuses and making sure the height of their stilettos is worthy of prom, seventeen-year-old Leila Leifley is researching the long-term implications of social networking sites, and debating whether or not Van Gogh’s early work showed signs of his depression. Unfortunately, Leila’s differences haven’t left her immune to the torture that is high school crushes. Leila’s been watching Neil (last name) from a distance for what seems like forever. And she intends to keep it that way. Her Asperger’s Syndrome makes normal social interaction hard enough – forget about talking to the most sought-after guy at Eastbay. Then Leila bumps into Thor. Literally. Thor’s a nymph, and his mission is simple. Make Neil fall in love with Leila. Thor is a master of seduction (one grin can make the hottest cheerleader swoon), but with Leila, he has his work cut out for him. She can’t flirt to save her life, she really does not get the point of short skirts, and she almost singes her hair off in an unfortunate incident involving hot rollers. Add her uncomfortable silences, unnecessary rambling, and tendency to take everything literally and Leilia wonders if she’ll ever get Neil to even look at her, much less fall in love. But Leila’s determined to follow the rules. Do what Thor says, don’t act like an idiot and most importantly, don’t fall in love with the nymph. But some things are easier said than done. The closer Leila gets to Neil, the more she finds herself longing for Thor. But Thor's mission comes with a timestamp, and with it, his own expiration. Leila has to make Neil fall in love with her fast, or risk losing Thor forever. ----- Thanks to all who sent their query letters! This was fun, and now that my book is done, I might do it again this week... More later, xx Hit Me Up!

24 Nov 2009 @ 10:07 AM My First Teaser Tuesday! edit | +mem My first Teaser Tuesday! I was writing this entry and then I realized I don't know the rules.. Am I allowed to post something from a book that's already done? Or do I have to post something from what I'm working on now? Hmmm... This is from my YA novel ACES UP, which will be out in August... ------------------------ “This is you, right?” he asks. He pulls a crumpled-up piece of paper out of his pocket. He’s still a few feet away, but I can tell what it is. An internet printout of an article from our local newspaper, The Whitinsville Eagle. ‘HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR WINS BIG AT MATH DECATHLON,’ it says. It’s accompanied by a picture of me, smiling into the camera and looking a little cross-eyed. Also, I’m wearing a white shirt, which has the unfortunate effect of making it look like my head is floating in midair. Uh-oh. Is this some kind of trick? Is Cole actually casino security, trying to fool me into admitting I’m only seventeen? I square my shoulders and pretend I have no idea what he’s talking about. “No,” I say, squinting at the picture and hoping I look super-confused. “I’ve never seen that girl in my life.” “It says your name underneath it,” Cole points out. Damn. “What do you want?” I ask again, letting the door go. It closes behind me. “If you’re trying to blackmail me, good luck. I have seventeen dollars to my name, so if you want to go through all this trouble for that, then be my guest!” I pull open my purse and shake my money onto the ground in a pathetic storm of fives and ones. I was trying to sound haughty, but it didn’t come out that well. “And where did you get that printout, anyway?” “Googled you,” he says. “Why were you googling me?” I ask suspiciously. “We do a standard background on all the new employees.” “We?” “Aces Up.” “What’s ay says up?” I ask again. Definitely sounds shady. “It’s a poker society,” he says. “And we want you to join.” I frown. “A poker society? I don’t know anything about poker.” “We want to teach you.” He looks at me intently, his dark eyes serious. “We think with your math skills, you might be able to win a lot of money.” “How much?” I ask in spite of myself. I mean, I would never gamble for money. A) I can’t risk losing everything B) Gambling is shady and C) I’m totally underage. Lying to get a job is one thing. Lying to gamble is another thing completely. But still. Now that Cole doesn’t seem as dangerous, and my path to the door is clear, I’m slightly intrigued. “Lots.” In this light, he looks a little bit like Casey Affleck. But I will not be swayed by mopsy hair and dimples. Especially when I’m smart enough to know that nothing comes for free, especially money. “Yeah, well assaulting me outside the elevator? Not the way to get me to join your stupid society,” I say. “I told you, it’s secret,” he says, waving his hand like it’s nothing. “We have to be careful who sees us together.” “I don’t want to be a poker player,” I say. I open the door again, and my feet sink into the soft carpet of the hallway. “I don’t want to be a gambler of any kind. And so I’m leaving.” I take one step outside, waiting for him to call after me. “Aren’t you going to try to stop me?” I ask, turning back around. “Nope,” he says. And then looks me up and down, like he’s sizing me up. But not the way guys usually do, like they’re trying to figure out if they want to hook up with you. It’s more like he’s giving me a tryout of some sort. In fact it’s kind of ….sexy. Way sexier than the other kind of sizing up. But then I remember there’s nothing sexy about accosting me in an elevator and trapping me in a hotel room. And then I figure it out. He’s pretending he doesn’t need me, so that I’ll be all, “I want to be a famous poker player, oh, please please please!” Ha! He obviously doesn’t know who he’s messing with. “I’m leaving,” I say again, forcefully this time. “Okay.” He shrugs again. Annoying. “Well,” I say. “Bye.” I step all the way into the hallway then. “Bye, Shannon,” he calls as the door shuts behind me. But something about the way he says it implies he thinks I’m going to be back..... 6 Hits | Hit Me Up!

17 Nov 2009 @ 12:25 PM St. Martin's New Adult Contest edit | +mem Attention writers! Have you heard about St. Martin’s “New Adult” contest? Probably you have, since I am a little late on this one. But just in case, here is the info: “We are actively looking for great, new, cutting edge fiction with protagonists who are slightly older than YA and can appeal to an adult audience. Since twenty-somethings are devouring YA, St. Martin’s Press is seeking fiction similar to YA that can be published and marketed as adult—a sort of an ‘older YA’ or ‘new adult.’” You can read the rest of the info here. I love that they’re doing this! And yeah, people have pointed out this whole “new adult” thing isn’t really new, that there are many books that already fall into this category, but I think branding it as its own line is a great idea. I love thinking that these kind of books (which I personally love reading) will be easier to find and spot. What I’ve been hearing lately is that books set in college or after high school don't really do that well when published as YA. The consensus seems to be that a large portion of YA readers just aren’t interested in reading about college. (This seems to happen with TV shows, too – once the characters go to college, the ratings seem to drop off.) And even though a lot of adults read YA, they might not be into reading about the whole college thing either. But I wonder if those readers that ARE into it, say maybe the 18-22-year-olds would be even more into it if they knew exactly where to find it. I also love that it gives hope to writers who have manuscripts that may have had trouble finding an agent or publisher because they feature protagonists deemed “too old” for YA and yet “too young” for adult. Good luck to everyone entering the contest – I can’t wait to see the debut of the new line! And now I am getting back to finishing up HAILEY TWITCH SAVES THE PLAY (this close, this close, this close!) which is about a seven-year-old, and definitely not a teen or adult book. More later, xx 3 Hits | Hit Me Up!

15 Nov 2009 @ 11:35 AM Pink and Sparkly and Christmas edit | +mem Happy Sunday! I cannot believe it is already November 15th. There’s, like, only a little over a month left until Christmas. Yesterday when The Boy and I went to Borders, they were selling sparkly pink Christmas trees (fake, of course.) They looked like this: The Boy looked at me and said, “Do you want to get it?” That is why I love him. What other guy would actually SUGGEST getting a sparkly pink tree just because he knows you love all things pink and sparkly? But that tree was a little too much even for me. Trees might be the only things that are better off green than pink, IMO. So we left it. I think they also had purple and yellow and other colors, too, but they were all in boxes. The pink was the only one on display. Also, if you are looking for a fab Christmas gift, I recommend this: Okay, so .. confession time. I never really GOT the whole Twilight thing. I read the first one, and I liked it, and then I started the second and ..well, I’ll finish it someday. It wasn’t that I didn’t like the books, I just didn’t know why everyone was all, OMG, EDWARD, OMG, I’M GOING TO DIE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH OMG. But Hush, Hush. OMG, PATCH, OMG, I’M GOING TO DIE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH OMG. I mean, not really, of course. Because, haha, people my age don’t talk that way. They also don’t buy pink sparkly trees. (But seriously, Patch, OMG.) You MUST buy this book. It is suspenseful. It is sexy. It has one of the best teen romances I’ve read…well, ever. It is dark and chilling and carefully plotted with amazing pacing and the chemistry between Patch and Nora is just… yeah. The thing is, there is no sex anywhere in the book. And yet it is VERY HOT somehow. Becca Fitzpatrick, how did you do this? Anyway, I loved it. You should all read it. And buy it as a Christmas gift for someone. You should do it now, because I just looked it up and there are only 40 days, 12 hours, 31 minutes, and 8 seconds left to do Christmas shopping. Yikes! That doesn’t seem long at all. More later, xx 5 Hits | Hit Me Up!

9 Nov 2009 @ 1:45 PM New YA Covers! edit | +mem These are on the Simon and Schuster website, so I guess they're okay to share! Both will be out next summer.... 33 Hits | Hit Me Up!

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!

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