Where I Have Been . . .

Hi, everyone!

Ahhh . . . it's nice to be back. It's funny how when one thing settles down (work), another thing inevitably acts up (family). The last several weeks have been filled with birth, death, illnesses, and emergency room accidents.

[Note to my family: Can we please just chill out for a while?]

But things are okay. And my new nephew, whom I visited last week in Minneapolis, is most certainly a happy and welcome sight! As were my friends Sara and Jeff, who moved from Asheville to Nashville last winter, but who returned for a visit over Memorial Day weekend.

Like us, they never did many of the touristy things while they lived here, so now that they're officially visitors again, they're making up for it. Jarrod and I were eager to tag along with them on Sunday to Grandfather Mountain, the tallest peak in the Blue Ridge mountains.

The following pictures are courtesy of Jeff Zentner, with the exception of the one he's in, which Jarrod took:

My husband is incapable of acting normal in a photograph. Also, this was the moment Sara almost loaded her son into the trunk. My kinda gal.

Jarrod and the French Kiss. With a bug.

I'm actually holding my "friends" hostage.

The Mile High Swinging Bridge, which is no longer wooden, and, therefore, no longer swinging.

My necklace is totally a panda bear, you guys.

Sara is so beautiful!

This is why I live in the mountains of North Carolina.

Fixing Jarrod's hat hair.

Happy June!

I'm off to return to work, which is, unsurprisingly, piling up again. But I still hope to see you all a lot more on my blog this month!

Never give up hope, right? ;)

Auctions Close Today — Please Bid!

LAST DAY, LAST DAY, LAST DAY

Today is the LAST DAY to bid on a super-special custom scene featuring Anna and Étienne.


My All 4 Alabama auction ends FIRST, tonight at 8:00 p.m. CST.

My Help Write Now auction ends TWO HOURS LATER at 10:00 p.m. CST.


This is the only time I will ever offer a custom scene featuring Anna and Étienne. Please bid now, or forever hold your peace!

Blogger Problems/Auction Update

Arrrrrrrgh!

As many of you are already aware, Blogger went down for a full day. All of the auction bids were lost.

(See yesterday's post about the awesome items that I'm donating to raise money for the tornado-damaged southern United States.)

Help Write Now is putting a hold on weekend bidding and starting again this Monday. Here is their full explanation.

Here is the situation with All 4 Alabama, but the wording regarding my auction is a bit confusing. I'll let you know when I have an easier explanation. Update: My auction is live again, and it will end at 8 p.m. CST on Wednesday, May 18th.

Thanks for your patience. I hope you'll still bid!

TWO AUCTIONS: Win Custom Scenes Featuring Anna & Étienne

Tornado damage in northern Georgia, beside my husband's hometown.

The online lit community is at it again.

(Raising money for charity, of course!)

I've donated two items to help raise funds for the tornado-damaged southern United States. Help Write Now is raising money for the Red Cross's general disaster relief fund, and All 4 Alabama is raising money for a rural community in Alabama, because Alabama was hit the hardest by the storms.

I'm giving away the same item for both auctions. And it's a cool one! Here's the description:


This auction is for one written conversation of your choice between Anna Oliphant and Étienne St. Clair, the main characters of my novel ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS.

If you win, you’ll send me a topic, and I’ll write a short scene in which Anna and Étienne muse upon it.

The scene will be added as a permanent “Extras” feature on stephanieperkins.com, and I’ll list your name (and link to your website, if you have one) as the dedication. I will also print a copy, sign it, and mail it to you.

Your topic must be brief, like “kumquats” or “Dr. Who.” In other words, if you send this idea to me: “Étienne breaks up with Anna to date Michelle Huffernagle, aka me, the winner of this auction,” I will tell you to pick another topic.

I will also not write about anything that will spoil the companion novels to ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. Your topic idea cannot be “Lola,” “Cricket,” “Isla,” etc.

I will be open-minded, but I do reserve the right to refuse any idea that I deem inappropriate and to ask you to select another one.

The winner’s scene will be on my website (and the paper copy mailed) within sixty days of settling on the topic.


• The link for my Help Write Now auction is HERE. It was uploaded today (Thursday), and you'll have THREE days to bid. Bidding instructions are on this page.

• The link for my All 4 Alabama auction is HERE. It was uploaded today (Thursday), and you'll have FIVE days to bid. Bidding instructions are on this page.


In other words . . . if you bid on HWN's auction and don't win, you'll have a second chance with A4A.

I hope you'll bid. Thank you, and good luck!

NC Reading/Signing + Princesses + Freebies

"This is my idea of happiness." — Jamie B. on Twitter

Few things make me feel as tingly and warm inside as seeing a picture of someone with my book. I've been fortunate to be sent a few of them, but this one . . . well, isn't it perfect? Isn't this how reading SHOULD feel?

Thank you, Jamie. I wish that I had a million dollars, so that I could buy this image from you and plaster it all over the world as my advertising campaign! Happy sigh.

And now for another scattered post.

First: If you live in the Western North Carolina region, I'm having a reading and signing this Saturday at Blue Ridge Books in Waynesville at 3:00 p.m. I hope that you'll be able to come and hang out. I'd love to meet you!

Moving on: My last week-and-a-half were unexpectedly busy, so I'm sorry that I haven't posted our Princess Army yet. It's INCREDIBLE. I'll try to post it later this week, though, admittedly, it would've been perfect if I could have shared it on this day:

. . . but ah, well. Such is life.

[Yes, I know Kate isn't technically a princess yet. But we're all going to call her one, right?]

What I loved about the royal wedding was having the opportunity to watch something nice on television, for once. You know? Gorgeous cathedral, stunning dress, insane hats and fascinators. (MAN, do I want a crazy fascinator for promoting Lola!) It's rare to have the opportunity to watch a historical moment that's not about death or war or natural disasters. So thank you, William and Catherine. I hope that you have a beautiful life together.

Hmm, what else? What else?

How about some links?


• Kiersten White's short story "Tick, Tick, Boom" from the Corsets & Clockwork steampunk anthology is available FREE and ONLINE. Obviously, I am extreeeeemely biased when it comes to the work of my friends, but it's only because they're so talented! This story is fantastic, hilarious, and romantic. It knocked my socks off — so much accomplished in so few pages. I wish I had that particular talent.


• Last Friday, I was interviewed for the Waynesville paper about my upcoming signing. The interviewer, Stina, and I had SUCH a fun time talking over coffee, and I like how her article came out. You can read it here.

• I generally feel uncomfortable linking to interviews, but here's another one I did back in March. It's a different sort of article, because I'm talking about music. I like this one, too, although My Celebrity Boyfriend Thom Yorke would be horrified to discover the misquote about my favorite celebrity crush! Hee hee. (I do love Chris, but numero uno has been Thom for over a decade!)


• Finally, Rome, the new Danger Mouse/Jack White/Norah Jones/Daniele Luppi album is super-great and mellow. I've been streaming the entire thing all this morning here on NPR. Thanks to Jon Skovron for linking to it on Twitter yesterday.

And now I'm off to work. Talk again soon!

Playing Pretend, Method Writing, & Princess Stephanie

In the window of the children's gift shop at the Louvre.
I wanted it in my size!

CONFESSION: I have never stopped playing pretend.

Sometimes, when life is a little too boring or a little too stressful, I will imagine that I am someone else. Somewhere else. It's a habit that children are supposed to grow out of, but one I find far too useful to give up.

If I'm in a doctor's office, alone and scared, I'll imagine someone holding my hand. If I'm feeling chained to my desk, I'll imagine a relaxing day in another country without nary a laptop in sight. If I'm bored and driving somewhere far away, I'll imagine an amusing companion in my passenger seat.

And, sometimes, I will imagine things just to imagine things. For instance, on a recent wintry afternoon, I imagined that I was a benevolent Snow Queen riding on the back of a triceratops and waving to my people. The Snow King rode beside me, and we were wrapped in thick furs and wearing spindly, crystal-and-silver crowns.

Because . . . why not?

So it's not surprising that I write this way, too. I call the process Method Writing, because it's similar to Method Acting. Basically, during the duration of creating a novel, I become my protagonist. I step in their shoes — sometimes literally, as I did with Lola, who loves costumes and unusual footwear! — and we talk the same, eat the same, share the same opinions, do the same activities, take the same emotional roller coaster, and . . . fall in love with the same boy.

It's often challenging to discern where I end and my characters begin. I only write about things that interest me (I cannot fathom writing something otherwise), and, therefore, a lot of me winds up in each character, and a lot of each character winds up in me. Even the not-so-nice ones. We take on each other's habits, for better and for worse. We learn from each other. And we solve our problems together.

It's a bit like therapy, honestly.

But that falling in love bit . . . because I write romance, and love is the arc . . . that falling in love is the trickiest bit of all.

Étienne St. Clair was easy to fall in love with. He was, in an odd way, my first. I fell for him deeply and immediately. Because of this, Cricket Bell — the boy in Lola's story — through no fault of his own, became a challenge. The overactive method side of me felt as if I were cheating on Étienne, and it took several months for me to mentally make that switch, for me to fall in love with Cricket as deeply as I had with Étienne.

Last week, I began having terrible struggle dreams. Each night, I was forced to leave my husband and fall in love with someone else. It was sad and painful. It was just plain wrong. And it took three nights of these dreams before I realized that my unconscious was telling me that it was time to let go of Cricket and fall in love with the new boy.

Isla's boy.

How heartbreaking.

It's also nerve-wracking, and . . . kind of exciting. The strangest thing of all was something I realized this morning, while emailing a friend: Isla has had a crush on This Boy for three years (plot-wise), and I have had a crush on This Boy for three years (when the idea for the novel first occurred to me), and now it's time for us both to actually get together and fall in love.

I love that whole idea of art imitating life vs. life imitating art. It's a fine line, isn't it?

Which makes me wonder further . . . how will Isla change me? What habits will I pick up from her? What habits of mine will I give her? And what will we teach each other about ourselves?

This are big, scary questions. No wonder I find beginnings so intimidating!

Whiiiiich is why I spent this morning procrastinating again, this time with the Princess Maker (linked on Twitter by Dawn Metcalf via @srolutola).

Guys, I'm not gonna lie to you. The Princess Maker is FREAKING AWESOME for people like me who have been in love with princess stories their whole life, and who, yes, occasionally still pretend they ARE one!

But . . . another funny thing happened.

I went there to design my perfect pretty princess, right? I wasn't sure who she would be, and, therefore, I was startled when I realized that my ideal for a princess has not changed since childhood. She was, essentially, an idealized version of me.

I'd like to introduce you to Princess Stephanie:

• Red Hair

As a red-haired child, it was frustrating for me to see so many blonde and brunette princesses. The only redhead that existed was Ariel from The Little Mermaid, who I was grateful for, but who never felt like a REAL PRINCESS because she had fins for half the movie. (Which is why I wish Enchanted had existed back then! I loooove Giselle and her floofy gowns.)


• Freckles and Ghost-Pale Skin

Like me, naturally.


• Green Clothing

Green has always been my favorite color, and I was obsessed with characters who wore green, most notably Robin Hood and Peter Pan. (That corset is a bit Robin Hood-esque somehow, no?) And I honestly could. not. help myself when I saw that forest green. It was as if there were no other color choices.


• Ballet-Style Dress and Shoes

My sister was a ballerina, and apparently that longing to be an older, more sophisticated sister runs deep. This also plays into my longing for grace and poise, because I am a wicked klutz.


• Jewelry

I chose not to give her any bracelets, because I can't wear bracelets. I have extremely active hands — a trait which, ha ha, I gave to a character in Lola's story — and I tend to play with bracelets and break them. Also, my wrists are approximately the size of a toddler's. Stupid wrists.


• Devious Expression

What can I say? I like mischief-makers! (Ah hem, Robin Hood and Peter Pan.)


• Bluebird

But I have always wished for that one-with-nature thing. Though I like to think of it more as a superhero power than a sweetie-pie characteristic!


Now I'm curious about those of you here who also still like princesses. If you're interested, please create one and email the image to me under the subject-heading PRINCESS (steph AT stephanieperkins.com).

There are tons of fabulous choices. The only sucky thing is the usual sucky thing, in that there's only one body shape. BOO TO ONE BODY SHAPE. But if you're still interested, the last step of the princess-making process includes choosing a background. Please pick the white background, so that I can see your princess clearly.

Give your princess a name (your own name is ideal, of course), and I'll post an army of your princesses later this week!

In the meantime . . . I must leave this blog to fall in love with a new prince.


EDITED TO ADD, FROM MY COMMENTS: "Actually, you can pick from 2 bodies - the buttons at the top of the page with eyes and lips." Cool! Thanks, Ruthie! I wish there were more than two, though.

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: I love the princesses that are coming in! WE SHOULD TOTALLY BE PROFESSIONAL PRINCESS DESIGNERS, YOU GUYS.

Steph & Isla, Week One

Hoo boy. It's astonishing how quickly my mind can go from this:

Tra la la! Emperor of Mondays! Fresh start! New book! WheeeEeeEeeeEEEeee! DIS IS THMOST AWESOME WEEK EV-AR!!!

To this:

Wait. I actually have to write another book? Now? Like, right now?

Most writers can be divided into two camps: those who enjoy first drafts and those who enjoy revising. I am firmly on the revision side. For me, first drafts are sloppy and embarrassing and filled with holes and stupidity. And that's okay! They're supposed to be that way! But my perfectionist mind despises cutting a path through the muck. Everything is so messy and unclear. It's humiliating for me to know these early drafts even exist; it feels like I'm stumbling through a crowded public square in my underpants and one flip-flop.

But . . . it's not all bad. This week, I've taken great pleasure in organizing my notes. Removing Lola's inspiration pictures and hanging up Isla's. Reading research books. Brainstorming ideas with friends. Creating new goals and deadlines.

You'll notice that none of those activities actually involve writing.

I envy those authors who blast through first drafts — GOOD first drafts! — in a matter of weeks. Mine take months, by far the longest stage of my writing process. My most frequently used metaphor is that a first draft feels like having to yank out my own teeth. It is slow, and it is excruciating.

It is also filled with an excess in melodrama and procrastination.


Examples of early melodrama:

• Whiny emails to my critique partners
• Whiny texts to my critique partners
• Whiny phone calls to my critique partners


Examples of melodrama-to-come:

• Panicked emails to my critique partners
• Panicked texts to my critique partners
• Panicked phone calls to my critique partners


Examples of early procrastination:

• Ooo! Thom Yorke oil painting!

• Ooo! Thom Yorke paper doll!

• Ooo! Thom Yorke dancing with a bear!

NOTE: All three of these were sent via my friend Connie, who is my favorite source of procrastinatory goodness. You rock, Connie! Thank you! Also, you should check out this amazing present she made for another friend. Clearly, everyone should strive to be Connie's friend.

FOLLOW-UP NOTE: This picture makes me so happy. Two fabulous ladies in one!

Kiersten and Connie

(Moving back on topic . . .)


Examples of procrastination-to-come:

• Taking up a new hobby, such as turning Thom Yorke into art
• Staring at my office wall and pretending that my laptop does not exist
• Eating just one more snack and drinking just one more cup of coffee


And now I should end this post and tie it up in a bow, but all I can think about is that if I stop typing, I will have to Get To Work. And I'm not so fond of Getting To Work.

So I think I'll stay here a bit longer.

*whistles*

*twiddles thumbs*

*gazes out window*

*scratches side of nose*

*drums on desk*

*jiggles foot*

Okay, maybe I'll go for just one more snack, instead. Would you like to join me for coffee afterward? We can play with our paper dolls!

The Emperor of Mondays

I'm borrowing this title from my friend Laini's January 1st post:


I like to think of New Year's as the "Emperor of Mondays." Mondays, I know, are not everyone's favorite day of the week, but I love Mondays. For some reason, Mondays have always felt like clean slates to me, like . . . new notebooks. You know? Like a fresh etch-n-sketch screen. The feeling is: begin now.


I love (and completely understand) this notion. Unfortunately, I was mud-trudging through Lola and the Boy Next Door revisions last January, and a clean slate felt like an impossibility. But today.

TODAY.

Today is my Emperor of Mondays.

Last Friday, I turned in the first copyedited version of Lola. She is finally—!!!—ready to become a real-live book. It is . . . difficult to believe. It is also awesome.

Really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really awesome.

So today, on my Emperor of Mondays, I'm gazing upon that clean slate: an empty work calendar and a new book. *happy sigh* Picture me rolling around in this moment like a puppy in the grass on a sunny day.

The Author, as interpreted by Frodo, which is, by the way, an excellent name for a dog.

I have many hopes, wishes, and goals for the next few months:


• An okay completed first draft of Isla and the Happily Ever After.

It doesn't have to be great, not yet. Just complete. And I do currently have a full draft, but it was my zero draft, aka my NaNoWriMo draft. Which is helpful! But NOT a first draft. I'll be fortunate if I save even 5k of the current 50k.

The related hope is to keep the work not-overwhelming and not-terrifying. I don't want to live through another Lola debacle. My new strategy is consists of three simple, non-negotiable parts: (1) work steady hours, (2) take scheduled time off, (3) remember that I write for myself first. It's okay to feel selfish, it's okay to shut out the other voices for a while.

I'm the one who has to live with the darn thing.


• A solidly brainstormed Fourth Novel.

Fourth Novel isn't related to Anna/Lola/Isla, and every time I tell someone about Fourth Novel, the idea changes. So . . . I've stopped telling people. But I'm sitting on something veeeeery intriguing. Now I have to figure out how to make it work! And I have to figure it out soon, because, you know, I need a paycheck next year. Groceries are good.


• A return to blogging.

I'm thankful that I've never disappeared for too long, but I do wish that I could return to two weekly posts. I miss this place! And I have so much to tell you about the fabulous books I'm reading! And the conference that I went to two weekends ago! And the extras casting call for the Hunger Games movie that I went to last weekend! And The Killing on AMC, which has excellent, realistic teen dialogue!

Anyone else watching? I heart smart storytelling.

So . . . that's it for now. Hopefully, I'll see you again later this week. Are any of you at a crossroads right now, too?

Best of luck to anyone who is!

Closer and closer, Lola . . .

My parents are in town — for the first time in four years! — and I'm editing Lola and Cricket's story, so I won't be online much this week.

It's still thrilling to be able to publicly say Cricket's name now. Cricket! Cricket! Cricket! Oh, I hope you guys like him. He's kind of odd and very sweet, and I've spent a LOT of time with him in the last year.

I'm line editing, which means that (most of) the big stuff is taken care of, so I'm clarifying/prettifying. I love this kind of nitpicky work. And it's exciting, because this means that the novel is that much closer to becoming an advanced copy, which means that you guys are that much closer to reading it.

(Have I mentioned lately how much I hope you like this book? I've been working my butt off over here. If you hate it, please, for the love, lie to me.)

Three random things before I disappear again . . .

(1) Hey, did you hear about that one time a mutual fan gave Taylor Swift a copy of Anna and the French Kiss? Yeah. That was awesome!


(2) After years of dragging my heels and squirming every time my friend Natalie Whipple mentioned it on her blog, I have finally converted to a single space between sentences, thanks to this article on Slate.com: "Space Invaders: Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a period."

Knowing the history of why two spaces existed in the first place was extremely helpful and persuasive for getting me to quit. I even emailed my editor — JUST IN CASE — and she confirmed that she single spaces everything she receives, because it looks weird to her to read sentences that are double spaced.

So. You win, single space fanatics.

YOU WIN.

And double space fanatics panicking about switching? It only took a day to reteach myself. Easy peasy! And if you use Microsoft Word's Find/Replace feature, you can quickly remove any preexisting double spaces.


(3) My friend Connie sent me Camera Obscura's "French Navy" video ages ago, and I've been meaning to share it. Catchy! Perfect for fellow Francophiles:

Have a good week, friends. Talk soon!

Accio Books!

Hermione will keep looking at you like this until you donate.

The Harry Potter Alliance is up to their usual awesome. From now until the end of March, they're throwing their annual book drive, Accio Books!

If you have books in your home library that you aren't going to read again (AND I KNOW YOU DO), please consider donating them to your local public library or to this year's sponsored location, the Bedford-Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School in Brooklyn, a school that opened in 2010 and — EEP! — doesn't have a library.

The school is looking for gently used books for ages preschool through young adult. I mailed them a big ol' box this afternoon, and I hope that some of you will, too. (Tip: Ask your U.S. post office to ship the box via media mail! It's cheaper.)

For further information, including the school's address, please visit this page.

And, for funsies, you can log in your donation to The House Cup page. I gave my points to Ravenclaw!

Preparing for Lá Fhéile Pádraig

♥ ♥ ♥

I have plenty of Irish in me — note my ghostly pale skin and natural red hair — so I always look eagerly toward St. Patrick's Day. Not so much for the wear-green-or-you'll-get-pinched factor (ouch) or for the pints of colorful beer (yuck), but for a yearly excuse to watch my favorite Irish movie, Once.

Ha!

This year, I'm expanding my celebrations into the kitchen by preparing the Storyqueen's favorite corned beef recipe (which includes the intriguing ingredient of orange marmalade and a happy lack of cabbage) and this soda bread (substituting butter for margarine). And, of course, Irish Breakfast tea will be served all day! I like mine with a spoonful of cream.

I'll also spend it quoting Oscar Wilde ("I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best.") and pretending that I live in a stone cottage by the sea, surrounded crashing gray waves and vibrant green hills. Cillian Murphy will be my neighbor. I will invite him over for tea.

My neighbor, pondering the hills

Will you be doing anything special this Thursday? Do you have any traditions?

The Cat's Out: Meet Lola and Cricket!

It feels uncomfortable to post this today, because this morning's news is so sad. I hope all of my friends and readers in Japan are safe. And I hope the tsunami warnings for the west coast here in America come to nothing. Much love and hugs to you all.

So . . . a bit of good news . . .

Penguin's fall catalog has arrived! Which means that I'm proud and thrilled for you to meet two very, very special people:

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

* * *

Lola Nolan and Cricket Bell's story will be released from Dutton (Penguin) on September 29th, and it's available for pre-order here.

If you're curious about the connection to Anna, take a peek outside of Lola's window. A beautiful row of Victorian style *SAN FRANCISCO* houses! And you know who recently moved to the city . . .

Also! ALSO!

Anna and the French Kiss will be released as a paperback on August 4th, and it'll contain a teaser for Lola. Eep!!!

Are you excited? I'm excited!



EDITED TO ADD: A lot of people on Twitter are asking me about her purple hair. Nope! She just owns a looooooooot of wigs. ;)

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: And here's the related strange and funny story regarding Lola's male model on Kiersten White's blog.

KIERSTEN: I know that guy!
ME: Ha ha.
KIERSTEN: No. I know that guy.

Giveaway Winners + Colin Firth + Stuff Not as Important as Colin Firth

Did you hear that Where She Went got a starred review from Publisher's Weekly? Hurrah! (And of course it did!) The randomly selected winners of the advanced copy giveaway are:

Mandi Barnett
Issabela
Ashelynn Sanford

Please send your mailing address to steph AT stephanieperkins.com. Thanks!

There's not a lot happening over here. I'm under the weather, so my last few days have consisted of:

(1) THE ACADEMY AWARDS

YAAAAAAAY! Mr. Darcy won an Oscar!

I was happy Colin Firth won, because: (A) he deserved it, (B) he always gives a great acceptance speech, and (C) I'm still bummed that he didn't get it last year for A Single Man. What a GORGEOUS film that was!

But I'm always a little surprised when people talk about the Oscars telecast being boring or horrible or cheesy, because, well, yeah. Isn't that the charm? I love it all: the beautiful dresses, the uncomfortable pairings of presenters, the rambling speeches, and especially those tiny surprises, like this year when Kirk Douglas appeared and out-sparkled all of the young whippersnappers.

Random factoid: My husband and I make a delicious cheese fondue once a year, every year, on Oscar night! It's pretty much our Super Bowl.

(2) STOLEN BY LUCY CHRISTOPHER

Scary and Beautiful

I gobbled this one up. I can't recommend it to everyone — the subject matter, kidnapping and Stockholm syndrome, is way too grim for some readers — but anyone who likes their reading on the dark side should try it.

The language and setting are fantastic. (It should come as no surprise to anyone who has read Anna, that I prefer my books with a strong setting!) The novel takes place in the sandy Australian desert, the harsh and terrifying and beautiful middle of nowhere, and the landscape, flora, and fauna play major roles in the unfolding of the plot.

Lucy has written another book Flyaway, and I'm eager to track it down. I love these Aussie imports. There are SO many brilliant writers living there: Margo Lanagan, Markus Zusak, Jaclyn Moriarty, Garth Nix, Juliet Marillier. It always makes me sad to think about the wonderful books from other countries that I'm missing out on, because they have to be translated first, and America isn't so interested in translating novels. Which is lame and embarrassing.

Oh! I should also mention that Stolen was a Printz honor this year. Awesome!


(3) 2005's BLEAK HOUSE

SO SO SO SO SO EXCELLENT

Oh, man. I liked Little Dorrit (2008), but I *loved* Bleak House.

Anna Maxwell Martin was superb as Esther, and it was great to see her in a starring role (she played Cassandra in Becoming Jane and Bessy in North and South). But I was especially entertained by Burn Gorman's Mr. Guppy, who stole the spotlight every time he walked on camera with his self-importance and stumbling awkwardness.

Mr. Dickens sure knew how to create a character, eh?

We should probably not discuss how I was strangely attracted to Mr. Guppy.

The miniseries is a whopping eight hours long, but I recommend it for any fellow worshiper of British period dramas. The acting, the sets, and the costumes are absolutely top-notch. Thank you, Andrew Davies, for writing the screenplay to, like, everything worth watching.

Have you read or seen anything good lately?

"That’s it for now, friends."

Lisa (far left) with friends

It's a sad, empty time for everyone who knew L.K. Madigan. Last month, Lisa announced her pancreatic cancer and wrote her goodbye to the online world. Yesterday, she said goodbye.

So many wonderful blog posts and stories are popping up — from her agent Jennifer Laughran, Lisa Schroeder, Sara Zarr, Laini Taylor, Kristen Kittscher (to name but a few). I especially loved this one from Nina LaCour, who was a finalist for the William C. Morris award the year that Lisa won it for Flash Burnout. In it, Nina describes Lisa reaching out to her and the other nominees with a friendly, happy, astonished, congratulatory email.

Lisa reached out to a lot of people. Myself included.

I met Lisa as I met most of my early author friends, through Laini Taylor. Lisa and Laini are both a part of the wonderful community of kidlit writers in Portland. Laini had mentioned me on her blog, and Lisa had followed the link and posted a comment here. I visited her website, fell in love with her humor and grace, and we became online friends.

I loved her writing, and she loved mine. I celebrated her successes, and she celebrated mine.

It was easy to like Lisa Madigan.

But we didn't become close until things grew hard for me, which is, I think, the mark of a true friend. I don't like to talk about it in great detail, but last year was very difficult. I struggled on every level it was possible to struggle on. Lisa recognized what was happening and reached out to me through email. And she helped guide me through those new and scary times. She was the ear I needed, and she was listening.

We became regular correspondents, and I never received an email from her that did not make me laugh out loud.

One of my favorite stories about Lisa is when she sent me an advanced copy of her second book, The Mermaid's Mirror. We'd been bemoaning the agony of the world having access to our imperfect, unfinished work (minor copyedits still occur after an ARC), so I laughed when her copy arrived, and I discovered that she had actually hand-written in her new edits onto the book's pages.

I was laughing, of course, because that was EXACTLY what I would have done! Her attached note was hilarious, confirming that she felt comfortable sharing it with me because she knew I was a kindred perfectionist spirit.

One of her edits pointed out a verb which she was worried she'd overused. Two or three of this verb were cut from the final copy, and every time I've seen or written this word since, I have thought about her and smiled. Normally, this is the type of writer-ly secret that I would protect, but I can't help but feel that this word is very, very appropriate right now:

LINGER

Yes, these memories will linger. Selfishly, I cannot believe that I will never receive another email from her. That I will never meet her in person. But I cannot begin to fathom the loss felt by her real-life friends, her coworkers, and, especially, her family. If she could bring this much happiness to this many people online, I imagine her circle was ten times as wide in the real world.

There's really not much more to say.

Lisa's friend April Henry posted a way to help out her family here. And if you didn't know Lisa, I highly recommend meeting her through her words. Flash Burnout is a great pick for fans of gritty, funny contemporary, and The Mermaid's Mirror is perfect for anyone who likes beautiful, lyrical fantasy.


(For the first time, I'm closing the comments to this post. I'm not sure why. It just feels weird.)

GIVEAWAY: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

This week, I'm giving away *THREE* advanced copies of Gayle Forman's latest novel, Where She Went, which won't be released until this April. It's the sequel to the massively successful and brilliant If I Stay, and it's already been picked for this spring's Indie Next list. Here's the description:


It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future—and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of hope, and the flame of rekindles romance.


I don't want to spoil it for you, so the only thing I'll say is that everything you loved about the first — the intensity, the romance, the surprise — is alive and thrashing. The sequel is just as good, if not better. Seriously.

Also? Adam is still super duper duper duper duper hot!

I want these advanced copies to go to Gayle's fans. To enter to win, please leave a comment here describing what you loved about If I Stay. Obviously, if you haven't read If I Stay, DON'T READ THE COMMENTS, because they'll be filled with spoilers. (And if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for??)

I'll randomly select three winners next Monday, February 28th. Good luck!

EDITED TO ADD: Yes, this giveaway is open internationally.


THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU!

Happy Happy Happy Friday

Oh, MAN. What an awesome day, and it's only noon!

Remember that whole thing about me being excited that Radiohead has a new album coming out tomorrow? It was released a day EARLY. Which means I've been listening to it for the last FOUR HOURS, which means I am VERY HAPPY.

(Of course it's fantastic. It's Radiohead. For fans, that's guarantee enough. I never have any doubt.)

There's also a new video for "Lotus Flower," which features My Celebrity Boyfriend Thom Yorke doing his trademark peculiar dancing. In a cool hat. Did I mention that I'm happy?

Because I am.

VERY happy.

In fact, if I didn't have that library event thingy this afternoon, I'd take the entire day off as a holiday. I'd put The King of Limbs on my iPod, go to the park with a cozy blanket and a bottle of sparkling water and a box of chocolate truffles, and pretend that I'm a beautiful princess who has been given the scared gift of music.

Or something like that.

In other happy news — and this is what I alluded to at the end of my last post — Anna and the French Kiss won two Smoochies! The Smoochies are an online awards show in their second year, organized by authors Josh Berk and Heidi R. Kling. They honor the best kissing scenes in YA literature, and it's voted on by readers like yourself.

So . . . THANK YOU!!!

There are three categories, and Anna and Étienne snagged the two they were nominated for:

Best Otherwordly Kiss — Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Best Realistic Kiss — Anna
Best Overall Kiss – Anna

I loved Hush, Hush, and I'm excited to read Crescendo. I'm glad to hear that Patch and Nora's kissing scenes are still smokin' hot! Becca and I both filmed videos for the show, which you can see here:

It's a long video, so if you're short on time and want to hear what Real Me sounds like, I'm at 11:40.

And you aren't mistaken. That is, indeed, my internet video debut. I'm not not not a fan of video cameras (strong emphasis on the not not not), but I'm DEFINITELY a fan of kissing awards! So thank you again to everyone who voted for my novel. I'm sincere when I say that it's very, very gratifying to be recognized for the scenes that I work on the hardest.

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. I'm off to watch the Radiohead video get ready for the library event!*


*Lie. I'm watching the video again.

Vague Title About Things and Stuff

Rare Alphabet Butterfly by J. Towbin

First, a quick announcement for teens in the Asheville, NC region:

I'll be at the Weaverville Library (41 N. Main Street in Weaverville) this Friday, February 18th from 4:00 to 5:30 pm speaking with TAG, the Teen Awesome Group.

It'll be a super-relaxed event, and I'll be discussing: Anna and the French Kiss, writing, literature, publishing . . . basically, if you have a question about ANYTHING in the world of books, I'll answer it.

I have an incredibly special connection with this library — I was working there while I wrote Anna — and with TAG's organizer, who happens to be one of my dearest friends. So I know it'll be fantastic. If you're a teen living in Western North Carolina, I'd love to meet you and hang out!

In other cool news:

WOO HOO!!!

It's no secret that Kiersten White and I are, er, heavily invested in each other's careers (being someone's close friend/critique partner will do that to you), so nothing makes me happier than seeing that people are pre-ordering Supernaturally and Lola and the Boy Next Door together. And I know exactly who is doing it:

You! Our blog readers! Thank you!!!

This is an exciting week on her website, because there's a celebration of Supernaturally going on with a giveaway AND a special reveal this Friday. And I probably shouldn't say this, but whatever: YOU WILL LIKE THE REVEAL.

*rubs hands together and cackles with insider knowledge*

Even more importantly, you'll love Supernaturally. Here's another thing that I probably shouldn't say (because it doesn't come out until August): It contains one of my favorite characters that any author has created. Ever. The second this character appeared on the page, I died a little bit of jealousy that they weren't MINE. I want to steal this character from Kiersten's book and place them inside of my own personal character corral. Oh, it kills me.

Okay, okay. I will stop teasing you!

So . . . I turned in another draft of Lola this week. Closer, closer, closer. Each draft gets it closer. My feelings on this novel are still so muddled (and for so many reasons) that I'm realizing I probably won't be able to view it rationally for several more years. Which is why I'm grateful to have such a smart editor and smart friends — people who I trust COMPLETELY. If they say that this book is good, that it's ready for the rest of the world, I will believe them.

The only thing I know for sure is this: I love the characters.

THEY are the reason why I've never been able to let go of this story. [For those new here, it's a *decade* in the making.] THEY are the reason why I keep moving forward. Lola and her boy are more colorful, more bombastic than Anna and Étienne, but I think/hope they're still identifiable as characters that I would create. And I'm excited for you to meet them.

But . . . it's still so weird to know that it'll happen this year! How can that be?!

I wish I could tell you more, but, for now, I'll just share this (colorful, bombastic) song, which I've listened to hundreds of times in the last year. It's referred to in my house as "Lola's Theme," but it's actually "Animal Arithmetic" by Jónsi of Sigur Rós, one of my favorite musical obsessions. His entire Go album fueled much of the energy in Lola's story:

NOTE: There's also a real music video here, which is very pretty (footage taken from his film Go Quiet, which I also love), but it distracts a bit from the song itself.

As for Anna's playlist, I hope to share it with you soonsoonsoon. I realize that my website's "Extras" feature is still empty of Anna content, and I appreciate your patience. As she has been all winter, Lola is my first priority. Which stinks for those of you enjoying Anna and wanting more, but . . . I want you to like Lola, too! (Thus, the prioritizing.)

(I have a lot of parentheses in this post.)

(I feel like I'm talking in code.)

(I suppose I am.)

(How disconcerting.)

In final news, OHMYSTARS, RADIOHEAD ANNOUNCED A NEW ALBUM. And it comes out THIS SATURDAY!!! As obsessed as I am with Jónsi/Sigur Rós, nothing can compare to my musical obsession — nay, DEVOTION — to Thom Yorke/Radiohead. This news made my ENTIRE MONTH. I want to marry this news and have its beautiful, twisted little babies.

♥ ♥ ♥

Seriously, I'm panting in excitement. Saturday, whyyyyy are you so far away???

Ooo! I just received some more exciting news. I'll share it with you next time. Until then, my friends!

Morning Jaunt to Paris

Busy, busy day—my house is about to be rocked by wizards, and there's still that whole editing thing going on—but I had to share this gift from my friend Connie.

If you enjoy Paris and cute boys, WHICH YOU ALL SHOULD, you will love this two-minute video:

SO CUTE, right? Are you dying? I'm dying.

Also, my friend Lilie recently returned from a spur-of-the-moment trip to Paris. Her blog is filling with beautiful pictures. So far, here is Day One and Day Two. And—my favorite!—she also created a gorgeous Anna-related post, which I've been meaning to link to forever, which you can find here.

If you're new to my blog, you'll find my own trip to Paris in the January 2010 archives. There aren't many Anna-related items in it (they were a secret at the time), but there's still some neat stuff in there. And I do have a ton of Anna pictures to share with you soon! Once, you know, Lola is done.

Off to work. A bientôt!

These days . . .

I've been working a lot on that.

And I've been feeling a bit melancholy about this. While it's not surprising—and while it's nice to already know that Jack will keep making great music—they DID have a certain something together.

Not to mention a hell of a lot of style:

It's possible I'll miss their wardrobe as much as their music!

Here's my favorite recording of my favorite White Stripes song. It's raw, hard, and sexy, just the way rock should be:

Any fans out there? What's your favorite song?