Fan Art!

This was just sent to me by a reader who made this collage for her English class!

How cool is that?!

I don't remember ever getting cool assignments like this when I was in school (Mr. Sawaya, I love you, but why no collage??).

Anyway, I was so excited about it, I just had to post it here!

Thanks so much RJB-- You totally made my day!

Yesterday

So yesterday I attended the SCBWI Spring Retreat at the beautiful, and extremely busy, (weddings--writers--bus loads of wine tasters--oh my!), South Coast Winery Resort and Spa in Temecula, where I got to hang out with super cool authors like Debby Garfinkle and Stacia Deutsche, and give a little talk about how using the screenwriting technique changed my life. (Yes, Robert Mckee, I owe it all to you!)

Or at least it changed my writing, which lead to my first two-book deal with St. Martin's Press, which ultimately changed my life by allowing me to do what I love for a living (well, that and my awesome husband's unfailing support!) 

I have to admit, several months back when I was first asked to speak at the even I was thrilled, but as the day crept closer, I began to panic about what I was going to talk about. I'm not a "look under the hood" kind of writer. I just sort of immerse myself in the world I create, become the character, and feel my way though--somewhat like a method actor--with only the roughest, most barest, outline by my side, which is really no more than a list of the plot's most major turning points. And since there are so many industrious authors with their charts, outlines, and storyboards who do really great, visual, presentations, I had no idea how I'd fill up my own 50 minutes without all those tools.

But once I started thinking back on my publishing journey, I remembered how the shift came just after reading STORY by Robert Mckee (I later went on to read SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder, and love it just as much!). And the reason this worked for me is because film is an expensive medium with no time or $$ to waste on unnecessary scenes, and as FAKING 19 began as a story about a girl who did far more thinking than acting (kind of like me back then!), applying these lean, mean, make-stuff-happen-or-kill-it, methods, transformed it into a totally different manuscript that snagged my first book deal.

Are these methods for everyone? Probably not. But they worked for me, and hopefully, I was able to impart something helpful to a wonderful group of writers!

Happy Sunday everyone!

A

Sweet Thing

So, yesterday, I got home and found this at my door:

A framed clipping of the New York Times best seller list, featuring the first week EVERMORE hit #1!! Sent by my awesome editor and publisher at St. Martin's Press--how cool is that?!

And aside from making room on my wall, I'm also getting ready for tomorrow's SCBWI Spring Retreat at the South Coast Winery Resort & Spa in Temecula where I'll be giving a little talk and signing books!!  To say I can't wait is putting it mildly! For details click HERE.

What about you? Any weekend plans!

Mirror Mirror

For those of you who noticed the similarities in these two covers--click HERE to read the backstory!

Late Lament

I just realized I haven't blogged since last Wednesday.

Seven days--one week--no blog.

Why you ask?

Well, I'm not sure. 

I was all set to blog Friday, but then my husband surprised me with a spa day, so that took care of that--and then--and then--the week just sort of flew by in a blur of unaccounted for days.

All I know, is that we now have back cover copy for BLUE MOON (I'll be sharing that soonish), tossed around cover ideas for SHADOWLAND (can't wait to see how the art department interprets such vagueness!), the French rights for both EVERMORE & BLUE MOON were sold at auction to Michel Lafon, and other than that, I've been pretty much immersed in all things SHADOWLAND--getting very very close to typing THE END (I know, I've been saying that for awhile now, but only because it's been true every

 time I've said it!)!

Oh, and today being Wednesday and all, I just learned that EVERMORE remains at #1 on the New York Times Best Sellers list for the 4th week in a row--and it cracked the top 50 at USA Today coming in at #47!!

So, thank YOU for that! Truly, thank you!!

And in case you were wondering, and even if 

you weren't the title of this blog refers to the poem about six minutes into the old song, "Nights in White Satin" by the Moody Blues.  I've just

 rediscovered it and added it to my SHADOWLAND playlist--and it's soooo dramatic--and lovelorn--just perfect!

Oh, and lastly, I just thought I'd share the new revised cover for BLUE MOON! I have to say, I'm really loving that extra line they added!

Have a great day everyone!

A

Woo-Hoo Wednesday!!

A few days ago I mentioned that YA Edge was sweet enough to choose EVERMORE for her March bookclub pick, well,  she's so cool she collected some questions from the readers which I answered HERE.

I also  did a little Q&A over at Lucid Conspiracy, a very cool blog you can check out by clicking HERE.

And today being Wednesday and all, I just got the good news that EVERMORE remains at #1 for the third week in a row on the New York Times Bestseller list for children's paperbacks!! Woo-hoo!!

Thank you Thank you Thank you to all of you who supported it!! It sounds so inadequate, I know, but I really do mean it!!

Have a good night everyone!

A

xoxo

Got Green?!

The picture above is doing double duty.

First- It's green in honor of St. Patrick's Day.

Second- It's got a great message.

Oh, and did I mention it's Bob Marley?! Nuff said!

Anyway, just a quick post before I return to all things SHADOWLAND ( the finish line is in sight--yay!), to say that I did a really fun interview over at Melody's Reading Corner. And seriously, if you're sick of reading my interviews you should still click through just to check out Melody's blog because the layout is adorable!

Can't get enough interviews you say? Well, then click right HERE to read one I did for the Southern California Independent Booksellers Association, where I talk about my favorite restaurant and how I spend my weekends . . .

Also, it looks like those seven years I spent living in Mykonos, Greece finally paid off as Greek rights to EVERMORE & BLUE MOON were just sold to Psichogios (and no, I've no idea how to pronounce that despite the seven years in Greece!)!!!

Oh, and last, but most certainly not least:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAMIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rock on with all of your velvet painting awesomeness!!

GCC Presents . . . Jennifer Echols!

This week on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I'm thrilled to present Jennifer Echols, who is already getting rave reviews for her new book, GOING TOO FAR, (check out that awesome cover!), which hits stores on March 17.

She was kind enough to stop by and answer a few questions, but first--

The Story:

When love crosses the line…where do you stop?

From popular author Jennifer Echols comes a touching and romantic story about a troubled teenager and a rookie cop who just might be able to save each other—if they can save themselves first...

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far… and almost doesn’t make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won’t soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won’t be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge—and over…

Taking readers on an unforgettable journey through the lingering effects of loss and the redemptive power of love, Going Too Far will appeal to fans of powerful and poignant teen novels by Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen.

The Praise:

“Naughty in all the best ways, Echols’s Going Too Far is the perfect blend of romance, wit, and rebelliousness. I loved it!” - Niki Burnham, author of Royally Jacked and Sticky Fingers

“Jennifer Echols has crafted a brave and powerful story, searingly romantic and daring, yet also full of hilarious moments. Meg’s voice will stay in your head long after the intense conclusion.” - R. A. Nelson, author of Teach Me and Breathe My Name

“Echols is a tremendously talented writer with a real gift for developing relationships between her characters.” - Romantic Times Magazine

“Jennifer Echols deals with the limits of life and shocking everyone in Going Too Far, a novel readers won’t want to put down.” - Teens Read Too

The Same 5 Questions I always ask:

1. Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

You know, I actually can’t tell you the backstory because it would give too much away! See chapter 14 for Meg, and chapter 18 for John.

2. What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I can’t write without my iPod. I make a soundtrack for each book and then listen to it as I’m writing. You can play the soundtrack for GOING TOO FAR on my web site at http://www.jennifer-echols.com/goingtoofarchapter.html.

3. If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

I love to hang out in PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen, which is why I have read it countless times.

4. What book rocked your world growing up?

THE BEGINNING PLACE by Ursula K. Le Guin. It’s an edgy YA romance AND beautifully written. Reading it, I realized for the first time that you were allowed to DO that.

5. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

Like Meg in GOING TOO FAR, I long for a warm beach.

You can visit Jennifer and read more about her books by clicking HERE.

YA Edge

Since I'm racing toward the finish on SHADOWLAND (form

erly known as UNTITLED BOOK #3), I thought I'd take a little break and tell you about a few cool new things going on this week before I crawl back inside my writing cave!

First: The YA Edge chose EVERMORE for her March boo

k club pick (how cool is that?) so for those of you wanting to discuss it with other readers, all you have to do is click HERE.

Also, Tami (awesome YA Edge owner) sent me a list of reader questions that I'm busy working my way through, so hopefully those answers will be posted soon!

Second: Don't forget to stop by Free Book Friday for both teens and adults for this week's round of free books!! 

Third: And, speaking of Free Book Friday, for those of you who are PC and Kristin Cast fans (count me among them!), The Amazing Ms. Jessica Brody (her full legal name by the way!) is giving you, the readers, a chance to get your most burning HOUSE OF NIGHT question answered for next month's give away of their newest release, HUNTED!

Here’s the info:

Attention House of Night Fans!

Do you have a burning question for authors PC and Kristin Cast? Here's your chance to get it answered!Next month, PC Cast and Kristin Cast will be on the site giving away free SIGNED copies of their brand new book, HUNTED!!! We'll also be interviewing them on the podcast and we'll be asking YOUR questions!

That's right! We're holding a contest for the five BEST House of Night questions. So if you have a question for PC or Kristin, email it to: info@freebookfr

iday.com and it might just be included in our live podcast interview!

Please be sure to include your first name and your home town so we can announce it with your winning question.

Deadline to submit a question is April 1, 2009.
So, that's it!  Happy Sunday Everyone!

Alyson

Endurance

Blogging at the Teen Fiction Cafe today about movies, things that endure, and what yesterday's "date day" is really all about!

Come join me by clicking HERE!

Viva Russia!!

I just learned that Russian rights to EVERMORE & BLUE MOON were just sold at auction to AST!!

Oh, and CRUEL SUMMER is a finalist for the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence!!

And now I'm off for "date day" with my husband--yes we start early!

Have a good day everyone!

Alyson

:-D

NYT!!

Just learned that EVERMORE hit #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for the second week in a row!

Yippee!!

Okay, now back to our regularly scheduled programming . . .

GCC Presents . . . Amanda Ashby!!!!

This week on the Girlfriends Cyber Circuit, I'm hosting The Awesome Amanda Ashby (yes, that is her full name!), and I couldn't be more excited!

I was lucky enough to meet Amanda last summer at the RWA conference in San Francisco, and let me tell you, she was everything I thought she would be and more!

Adorable? Check.

Funny? Totally.

Nice? You bet.

Pretty? Yep.

Oh, and did I mention her accent??  To die for!

And while at first I worried that this overabundance of gifts might cause a problem since we were both in love with the same man: David Boreanaz/Angel, luckily, after watching Buffy season 6, I immediately switched my allegiance to James Marsters/Spike, and all was well.

Anywho, the reason Amanda is here this week is because her YA debut, ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH was released March 9th, and she was kind enough (told you she was nice) to stop by and answer a few questions. 

But first, The Story:

What if a Love Spell Was More Than You Bargained For?

Love spells gone wrong, boyfriend-stealing cheerleaders, and Zombies who want to eat you for dinner. In ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH by Amanda Ashby, love has never tasted— or rather felt— so good. 

Tomorrow is prom, and all Mia wants to do is cast a love spell on her date Rob Ziggerman to keep him away from cheerleading goddess Samantha and save him all to herself. But somehow she ends up inflicting a zombie virus onto her whole class instead. At first Mia loves all the attention her classmates are giving her; treating her like a queen, compliments galore, and all the chocolate a girl could want. But then zombie hunter hottie Chase explains they are actually fattening her up. Why? Because in twenty-four hours, Mia will be the first course in their new diet. That’s what being the ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH means. She’s sure she and Chase can figure something out, especially when the alternative means that her classmates and teachers will be feasting on her bones. But in the meantime, she’s suggests that no one wear white to tomorrow night’s prom, because she has a feeling that things could get very messy.

Praise:

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is a delightfully fun, fresh, and funny read! Amanda Ashby creates a highly likeable heroine in Mia Everett, who, despite her best intentions, turns her classmates into zombies. And with prom quickly approaching, she must find a way to undo it before, well before she gets eaten! Never again will you look at prom, your classmates, or even zombies in quite the same way! ~Alyson Noel, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Evermore (Yep, it's all true!)

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is a delicious treat! Who knew zombies could be both fun and funny? It's Zombilicious!" -- Michelle Rowen, author of Bitten & Smitten

"Zombie Queen of Newbury High is where popularity can turn you undead (with an unsettling appetite) and Prom will be a little dangerous this year. Amanda Ashby moves into the YA world with snapping prose and an entertaining high school mix of teen crushes, popularity drama, and a zombie squad. Zombies beware--you'll love to follow the twists and turns of this fresh and fun novel!" -- Kelly Parra, author of Invisible Touch

“Amanda Ashby's book, Zombie Queen of Newbury High, is filled with twists, turns and humor, sure to totally draw you in. I loved the fact that this read was more than your typical high school teen love story. If you're like me and can't get enough of books filled with mystery, suspense, with a dash of relatable relationship and friendship probs on the side, I def recommend picking up your own copy—you won't regret it!” -Jami Katz GirlsLife.com Book Club

“Amanda Ashby writes a very entertaining and quick read about a teenage protagonist who has to fix the catastrophic problem she created - or else she'll never be able to enjoy the ball with Prince Charming. Many readers will be able to relate to Mia and her quirky ways, and others will simply fall in love with her witty humor. And if that doesn't work, there are always hunks Rob and Chase. ZOMBIE QUEEN OF NEWBURY HIGH deserves the five stars. This is a very original story that isn't too far-fetched that teenage readers can't relate at all - it's the perfect mix of reality and imagination.” 5 stars teensreadtoo

"...full of humor, romance and suspense, and her characters are well-developed and a joy to get to know. Five Stars." - Bitten By Books

"Feel-good, fun and utterly lovely - if you're a Buffy/Angel fan, or a zombie, or both, or neither, don't miss this one! Highly recommended." - Chicklish

The same 5 questions I always ask:

1.Every story has a backstory, what's the backstory for your book?

When I wrote my first book, it was just after my dad died and while the book itself was quite light hearted, there was a lot of stuff tied up in there and so I was quite relieved to write this one when I was a slightly better place. As for where it came from – I’ve been talking about this a lot lately but I swear it’s true! I used to joke to my cps and my blog readers that if ever I got stuck for a book idea I could always write something called I Was a Killer Zombie Bride (would you believe I checked my blog and the post is still there dated 3rth March 2006!). Anyway, I just found the whole idea of doing something with zombies so funny and of course I hadn’t heard of anyone else doing them at the time.

After I decided that it would be fun to do a zombie book, I brainstormed with my zombie-loving husband (who never normally shows any interest in plotting with me) and I sent the synopsis off to my agent. She emailed straight back to say that she loved the idea of a zombie book and so I started writing it and we sold it two weeks after she submitted it!

2.What's your work environment like? Any rituals, totems, or must haves?

I have two young children and it has sort of taught me to write any place anyhow, so really the only thing I need to have is my computer and Diet Coke – or if we’re at the park, I’ll often just take a notebook and write in longhand. I know that one day I’ll have the luxury of a real office and more time, but for now I just work around them.

3 If you could live inside any book-- which would it be?

Part of me wants to say Georgette Heyer’s regency novels because they were just so wonderful but I know the reality would be quite different. For a start there was apparently a LOT of sewerage still floating down the street back in the day. Bleurgh. Apart from that there is an English writer who I love called Jilly Cooper and in her books everyone is so glamorous and they’re always drinking bucket sized glasses of gin and tonic (which by the way is not a drink I like, but she makes it all sound so much fun!!) so I’d like to go and visit Jillyland for awhile!
(For the record, I read Jilly Cooper's book RIDERS and loved it! I'd like to go to Jillyland too!)

4. What book rocked your world growing up?

The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula LeGuin. It is still one of my favorite books ever.

5. If you could visit any time, place, or person- what, where, or who would it be?

David Boreanaz. Now!!! (I knew she'd say that!)

The Contest:

Amanda is running a competition at her blog and the prize is a cute zombie survival kit plus a copy of either Zombie Queen of Newbury High or her first book, You Had Me at Halo! To win, all you have to do is leave a comment on any (or all) of her GCC tour stops and then email her the link to go into the draw. Every time you comment you can re-enter! So don't miss out, head over to Amanda's website for further details by clicking HERE.


The fine print:

Zombie Queen of Newbury High
▪ Speak ▪ A Division of Penguin Young Readers Group ▪ On Sale March 2009▪
ISBN: 978-0-14-241256-5 ▪ Paperback Original ▪ Ages 12 up


Amanda's Story:

Amanda Ashby was born in Australia and has spent the last ten years dividing her time between England and New Zealand. When she’s not moving countries, she likes to write books (okay, she also likes to watch television, eat chocolate and sit around doing not much, but let's just keep that between ourselves, shall we?). She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two young children. Her debut adult book You Had Me at Halo has been nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice award. This is her first book for young adults. Visit her on the web at www.amandaashby.com.

Winners Chosen & New Title For Book #3!

Wow!  Nearly 80 of you responded, telling me what you're grateful for, your answers ranging from funny, to sweet, to poignant, to thought provoking, which makes me glad I decided ahead of time to use the old name in a hat trick to pick the winner! And then, at the last minute, I decided to pick 2 winners, just because, and this is how it went down:

Step one, locate Sex Pistols hat procured from last summer's Rock n' Read event:

Step two, convince husband to let go the green tea and stand in as much needed hand model:

Step 3:  Ta da!

So, if you are either Stephanie or Alexa and you wrote the messages shown above, please contact me at:

alyson @ alysonnoel  .    com  (without the spaces) and tell me where to send the books!)

Also, good news on the title front, from here on out, UNTITLED BOOK #3 will now be referred to as . . .

Wait for it . . .

SHADOWLAND!!!!

Which, as it happens, is very relevant to the story line . . .

Thanks to all of you who participated and have a great day!

Alyson

:-D

I'll Go Crazy If I Dont' Go Crazy

Okay, honestly, I don't even know what that blog title means, or how it could possibly relate to this post. Guess my U2 obsession is completely taking over-- I've been pretty much listening to their new release, NO LINE ON THE HORIZON, all week!

Bono I LOVE you!

Just sayin'.

Any who, I'm not quite sure how my desk deteriorated into such a sad state, but folks, here it is:

Though the flowers really do class it up, don'tcha think? The awesome people at St. Martin's Press sent me those on account of EVERMORE hitting the #1 spot on NYT and all-(the day it first made the list they sent red tulips--but I didn't get a shot because my camera's battery was dead) and let me tell you, there's nothing like a beautiful Spring bouquet to liven up the place!!

Oh, and it smells good too!

So, to wrap up a week that'll probably go down as my best week ever, Portuguese rights were just sold for EVERMORE & BLUEMOON in a pre-empt to Intrinsic in Brazil! Not that I can actually read Portuguese, but I have been to Lisbon a time or two, and definitely plan to head for Brazil someday, so this is a very good start!!

Oh, and another really good thing is the fact that my civic duty is now complete! Having served as a "call in" juror since last Friday, which basically required me to call in everyday after 5PM, only to be told to call in the following day after 5PM, imagine my surprise when yesterday's call resulted in my being told to report t0 the Superior court in The OC by 8:15AM.

How- I ask--can they do this?  Don't these people respect the very patterns they set?

Still, fearing the consequences of any rebellion on my part, I mostly spent all of last night complaining about what might happen in Jury room 222, only to end up sitting at a table for an hour and 15 minutes before being told to go home.

That's it. All that sturm und drang (what does that mean by the way?) for naught! And now I'm freed from civic responsibility aside from covering my mouth when I cough and not littering--unlike the guy in the black car in front of me on Coast Hwy this morning who just tossed his tissue out the car window--um, we're you done with that sir? Were you passing it to me?--aside from all of those neighborly niceties, I'm free for the next 18 months! Woo-hoo!

And, as I look over this blog in full edit mode, I realize the title is more apt than it first seemed? Where is this going? What could possibly be the point of all this?

Does the title drive the content, or the content the title??

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend-- and don't forget to visit Free Book Friday, for both adults and teens on Saturday for your chance to win a whole new set of books!

And don't forget to leave a comment on my "My Life Would Suck Without You Post" for your chance to win a signed copy of EVERMORE- you have until Sunday, Midnight, California time!

Adios Everyone!

A

xoxo

Magnificent!!

Okay, remember a few days ago when I was hinting about a friend's extremely exciting news that I was bursting to share--but couldn't because I promised I'd wait until a specified time?

Well, dear reader, that specified time has arrived, so, without further delay--take a gander at this:

March 5, 2009
Film rights
Jessica Brody's debut THE FIDELITY FILES, optioned to producer Marina Grasic (CRASH; NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU) for Curious Pictures, by Elizabeth Fisher at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.

Direct from Publisher's Marketplace, that is the deal listing for my dear friend Jessica Brody, talented author of THE FIDELITY FILES and its upcoming sequel, LOVE UNDER COVER, and brilliant founder of FREE BOOK FRIDAY, stating that she has just sold the movie rights to her awesome book! 

To the producer of CRASH no less!

You remember Crash? The movie that swept the Oscar's back in 2004! Taking home Best Picture, no less?!!

Yup. I  knew she was pure awesomeness from the moment we met. And not just because she's smart and pretty and crazy gifted, but because she's actually super nice and funny too. So nice and funny I dedicated BLUE MOON to her! Though she has to wait til July, when the book hits the stores, to see what it says. I'm devious like that!

But anyway, back to Jessica and her awesomness!!

Big Major YAY!!!!  

New York Times Bestseller List!!!

I just learned that EVERMORE hit #1 on the New York Times Bestseller list for Children's Paperbacks!!!!

O. My. Gawd.

Thank you.

Thank YOU!!!

My Life Would Suck Without YOU!!

Borrowing from a Kelly Clarkson song as a way to express my gratitude to all of of friends, family, and amazing readers who've stood by me all these years--4 years to be exact--(well, 4 years for my readers that is-- my family's been around a little longer than that!), because 4 years ago today, my debut novel FAKING 19 was released, and it felt like the ultimate realization of a dream come true!

Because it was.

And now, because of all of YOU--the dream just keeps getting bigger and better--so:

Thanks.

  Seriously, Thanks.

And just to show you how serious I am, I'm going to give away a signed copy of EVERMORE to one random commenter (I'll use the old name in a hat trick to choose!)!

Oh, and speaking of gratitude, I recently received my first piece of EVERMORE fan art, which I would totally post here except for the fact that my scanner is currently on strike. But still, let me just say, that it's totally adorable and cute and sweet and completely made my day!

And double Oh, and another reader wrote me an e-mail sharing a new word that she and her friends made up and she used it to describe my book: ausome-tasical!!  LOVE it! And definitely plan to use it myself!

And triple Oh, google alerts alerted me to THIS a Live Journal community dedicated to all things EVERMORE and the IMMORTALS series!

Also, in the spirit of grateful thankfulness, the YA Edge has chosen EVERMORE as their March book club pick!! How cool is that, I ask? So, feel free to march on over there, or better yet, just click HERE and check it out for yourselves!

And, believe it or not, I'm even grateful for jury duty. Yes, it's true. And no I'm not joking. But that's only because I'm a "call in" juror which means I have to call in each day after 5:00 PM only to be told to call in the next day after 5:00 PM. And even though it's totally tedious, easy to forget, and really gets in the way of making plans, I'm still incredibly grateful that I don't have to drag myself down to the courthouse and hang around all day, hoping no one will call me for duty. Done that. Not fun.

Oh, and I'm also grateful because a super good friend of mine just divulged some extremely exciting news--but, I'm sworn to secrecy until I get the okay to tell you--but even though  I'm busting at the seams--dying to shout it out-- since I promised them I wouldn't -- I'll just add it to my grateful list!

What about you? What makes you grateful?  Oh, and don't forget to comment, doesn't have to be a grateful comment, just a regular old comment will do, for your chance to win a signed copy of EVERMORE!!!

OOPS!! UPDATE!!! YOU HAVE UNTIL SUNDAY, MARCH 8, 2009, MIDNIGHT California time!!!

(forgot to mention that before!  As you were . . .)

CondorCon Photos

I am the worst at taking photos. Seriously, The Worst. Even though I tote my tiny camera just about everywhere I go, I always forget to use it.

Case in point- last week in Vegas. Not one photo was taken.

Case not in point- CondorCon. 

But that's only because I had my trusty photographer with me (aka my husband). Though he only took a few since a good deal of his time seemed to be spent in a deck chair out by the pool . . . though it's not like I could blame him, it was one of those warm and beautiful San Diego days . . .

Anyway, I just wanted to give a shout out to Dusty who came to the event with two copies of EVERMORE for me to sign!  I swear, I have the nicest readers, and Dusty is a total sweetheart!

Okay, back to work on Untitled Book #3  . . .