Big Book Givewaway!

Hey everyone-
Just wanted to let you know that fellow Teen Fiction Cafe patron, Teri Brown, has a book- her debut novel actually- READ MY LIPS- that's debuting today! And so, she's having herself a party that includes all sorts of awesome interviews with her fellow Simon Pulse scribes, and, yes, FREE BOOKS!

Click HERE to join the fun!

Have a good day!

Go Baby Go!

The first horse race I ever attended was back in 1998 at the Belmont Race Track in New York. It was the weekend of the Triple Crown stakes-- which means it was packed to the gills and the sun was blazing-- and running for the crown was a very worthy contender- the beautiful thoroughbred, Real Quiet.

So of course, I bet on him. Knowing that greater odds means a greater win, but also thinking that lesser odds signaled a sure thing.




I was wrong.

Real Quiet lost, and I consoled myself with "punch."
(see below- me drinking "punch" on the far left with the short hair).



The next year, I returned, with a big group of friends and my future husband in tow. Charismatic was the pony to root for in 1999, destined to take the crown after nearly twenty years of no triple crown winner.

I bet on him--- and lost. But still, there was punch.

Fast forward to 2002, War Emblem was touted as "The One." A sure contender for the crown after so many years without . . .

Yup, he lost too.

And so today, while taking a break from writing (yes, I know it's a weekend-tell it to my muse!), I decided to watch this year's Triple Crown sure thing from the comfort of my living room. With phone in one hand (hubby out of town but watching it too), and a cup of green tea (no "punch" when I'm working!), I/we watched another sure thing------

Finish dead last.

And that's why I love horse racing- you just never know how it's going to turn out--which means there's no such thing as a sure thing.

Have a good weekend everyone!

More Fontana!

I know, I know, just when you thought I was done yammering on and on about my Fontana library visit, Shelli DeRobertis, a reporter for the Fontana Herald News sent me THIS
a really nice article detailing the visit, including the picture above.

And for those of you who actually click through to the link, below is a picture of the note, given to me by future author, Miss Kayla Echelmen who shared with me her extensive story notebook. (Seriously, this kid can write!)




Have a good day everyone!

Playing Tag

I've been tagged--by Ms. Keri Mikulski! So let the game begin, here are five random things about me:

What were you doing five years ago?
I was working as a flight attendant in NYC, commuting between my apartment in Manhattan and my home in Laguna Beach, revising FAKING 19, and dreaming of the day I'd get "the call."

What are five things on your to do list today (not in any particular order)?

1. Finish this blog.
2. Eat breakfast before it's officially lunch.
3. Procrastinate.
4. Procrastinate some more.
5. Get to work on the second book in my paranormal series that as of yet remains untitled.

What are five snacks you enjoy?

Um, not much of a snacker. Does a venti chai non-fat latte count?

What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?

1. Change the world.

2. Change lives.

3. Hire a housekeeper and a team of assistants so I'd have even more free time to procrastinate

4. Take some time off to travel the world (I mean, the whole world!)

5. buy that purse I've had my eye on.

What are five of your bad habits?

1. Procrastination.

2. Buying more books than I'll ever be able to read.

3. Forgetting to get the car washed until someone writes "wash me" on the windshield.

4. Always remembering b-days--long after they've passed.

5. An out of control fondness for commas and exclamation marks.

What are five places you have lived?

1. Yorba Linda, CA

2. Mykonos, Greece

3. Manhattan, NY

4. Corona Del Mar, CA

5. Laguna Beach, CA

What are five jobs you've had?

1. Department store sales clerk

2. Jewelry maker/T-shirt painter

3. Hotel front desk clerk

4. Flight Attendant

5. Author

Five people to Tag:

Anyone who wants to play!

Blisters + Books = BEA

So, this past weekend was all about BEA. Well, that and LA traffic which I'm holding personally responsible for me missing the Debby Garfinkle, Marelene Perez, and Alexa Young book signings. And yet, all was not lost, as I still got to:

Spend quality time with my awesome agent; gawk at celebrities such as Alec Baldwin and R2D2; get signed books from Cecil Castellucci, Tami Hoag, (and more!);get a sneak peek at the new BREAKING DAWN TWILIGHT SAGA cover; meet my French editor and publisher over at Fleuve Noir; dine with Jessica Brody of the soon to be released FIDELITY FILES; chat with booksellers and librarians at the Macmillan Children's author dessert party; and, load up several free tote bags chock full of free books (one of the main reasons for the event's popularity!)--so many books it required three separate trips to the car, with the final count coming in at 82!!!


And now, waking up this morning with feet so sore they will accept nothing but flip-flops, a certain someone sent me this pic taken from the Santa Monica Barnes and Noble and it totally made my day!




Happy Monday everyone!