Link-A-Dee-Doo-Dah

Maureen Johnson and I adjusting our pirate hats before an event in San Francisco. We take our jobs very seriously.

I find it odd that whenever I come back from a trip, and I have dozens of fun stories and photographs to share with you, I drag my feet and ache to talk about anything BUT the trip. I suppose it's similar to why I don't outline when I write; it's as if I've already told the story, and I'm a bit bored to tell it again.

Hats in action! (Photo: Alison Bogy)

Hat winners! (Photo: MJ)

So, today, I'm not going to talk about my first official tour (which was fantastic) or any of the related Lola stuff going on in my world right now (also fantastic).

I'm going to send you around the internet:


• I don't recall how I ran across MTV Iggy, but I'm so happy that I did. If you're like me — an American who sadlysadlysadly gets little exposure to world arts — check it out! (Why can't regular MTV be this music-based? I always sound like an old person when I yearn for ye olden days of MTV, but there it is. Sigh.) A nice place to start is this contest for the Best New Band in the World. Lots of interesting musicians in there!


• Rainy Mood. My new go-to website. All it does is make it sound like it's raining outside. Simple but perfect, no?


• "The Internet is not to blame for your unfinished novel: you are." I just rediscovered this great article about Twitter by Colson Whitehead, who is, perhaps, my favorite author to follow on what is, definitely, my favorite social media platform. (His hilarious Twitter feed can be found here.) (Okay, @horse_ebooks is amazing, too.)


• Kiersten White is on tour this week. If you live near Lynnwood, WA; Huntington Beach, CA; Highlands Ranch, CO; Boulder, CO; or Naperville, IL, you should go see her! She is sparkly and funny and wonderful. Tour details are here. Bring Anna and Lola, and she'll sign beside her name in the acknowledgments. She'll also sign, you know, her own books. So you should bring those, too. ;-)


• Finally, this is the best advice I've seen in ages.

Release Day, Release Day!

Happy release day, Lola-darling!

In honor of this fabulous day, here are three inspirational Lolaesque ladies:

(1) Tavi Gevinson, whom I wish I'd been as a teenager. Creator of the most quirkyfun fashion blog and what looks to be an AMAZING new online magazine for teen girls, Rookie. I adored her recent interview with Aubrey Plaza!

(2) Doe Deere, whom I wish I were now. Creator of my favorite lipstick line (seriously, I have six of them, and I'm aching for more!) and owner of a positively epic wardrobe.

(3) Francesca Lia Block, whom I wish to be someday. Creator of Weetzie Bat and dozens of other books and characters that Lola Nolan would not exist without.

Weetzie Bat is my all-time favorite novel — Yes! Out of any book ever! — and I've read it yearly since I was a teenager. It's perhaps my greatest inspiration. It's difficult to describe Francesca's work to anyone who hasn't read it, but maybe this will help: magic realism, Los Angeles, gritty, beautiful, urban, rock-n-roll, sad, sexy, faeries, strange, and lyrical.

Francesca is a goddess. And very, very Lola.

* * *

Three MORE things:

(1) For my book-blogger friends: You are welcome to add this new, cute, official, vertical banner of Lola/Anna to your website! Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find it.

(2) Thank you. To all of you. Your encouraging comments got me through an extremely difficult time in my life, and I will never forget the support that you have given both me and this novel. I sincerely hope that you enjoy it.

(3) xoxo

This Week In Awesome Reads

Many of the book-related blogs have been talking about the bounty of amazing YA reads coming out this week, and I can't help but chime in. Along with my own book-baby releasing this Thursday, there are three in particular that are close to my heart . . .

Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone. It's no secret that I'm incredibly happy and proud to be Laini's critique partner (and, more importantly, friend!). Simply put: This novel is a masterpiece. EVERYONE who loves fantasy should read it. It's gonna be huge.

Agency sisters Maureen Johnson's The Name of the Star and Kiki Hamilton's The Faerie Ring, both set in London. (Go kt literary! It's a big week for us!)

The Name of the Star is a witty, modern, Jack the Ripper, supernatural-thriller-romance. AWESOME, right? And it is. It has the feeling and flavor of a kick-ass episode of Doctor Who. Needless to say—though I'll say it anyway!—I loved it.

I couldn't manage to snag an advanced copy of The Faerie Ring, so here's the description:

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Doesn't that sound FAN-TAAASTIC? I can't wait to read it!

With soon-to-be NYT bestseller and worldwide phenom Laini

My most sincere congratulations to Laini, Maureen, and Kiki, and to everyone else who has a book being released this week. (And there are a LOT of us! Woo hoo!)

Please Read This Post

"If you are a woman, if you love a woman, please read my PSA on ectopic pregnancy." — Kiersten White

Events + LeakyCon, Pt. 2

Even kittens adore Lola. Thank you, Amber!

A few boring but necessary reminders to start off with . . .

(Sorry, sorry.)

The official release party for Lola is THIS SATURDAY. Malaprop's in Asheville! 7 p.m.! I'll be jabbering about the book, doing a reading, giving away prizes for knowing Anna and the French Kiss trivia, answering your questions, and signing ANYTHING you want me to sign . . .

. . . including Kiersten White's Paranormalcy and Supernaturally.

Seriously, bring them and I'll sign beside my name in the acknowledgments! You can also take my books to her events. We're doing that now.

And next week, I begin my mini-tour with . . .

WONDER WOMAN!

Maureen Johnson and I will be flying in her invisible plane to the Austin Teen Book Festival on October 1st followed by three stops in northern California: Petaluma, Oakland, and — my favorite of favorites, and Lola's hometown! — San Francisco. For dates/details, please visit my News page.

(Yes, you may also take Kiersten's books to those events. I mean, really, you should take them EVERYWHERE you go. Just in case.)

Soooooooo anyway . . .

I am really bummed that my release party falls on the same weekend as #weddingcon. (My Wizard Rock friends Matt and Lauren are getting married! And Jarrod and I can't go!) To help ease my sadness, I'll post the rest of my pictures from LeakyCon. (Part one is here, if you missed it.):

TEAM ANNA/LOLA/ISLA: My agent Kate, moi, and my editor Julie on a panel with the fabulous Rebecca Sherman. Yippee! Thanks for tracking down this photo, Molly!


I did my book signing with editor/author extraordinaire Cheryl Klein. Later, we danced together at the ball. SO much fun!

Now for a bunch of Wizard Rock photos stolen from Cheri Root (everything can be clicked on to make bigger/prettier):

YAAAAAY! Jarrod, performing as Gred & Forge.


More Gred & Forge. Check out Jarrod's red boots!


The Remus Lupins' last show. Sad/amazing. (And Jarrod again, this time on drums.)


Matt (The Whomping Willows) and Lauren Fairweather, a.k.a. our LeakyCon roommates AND the soon-to-be-newlyweds. I love you, guys! Congratulations!


Harry and the Potters. They DESTROYED it. Of course.


I love Wizard Rock.

And I'm sorry, but I'm not sure who took this next picture . . .

All of us collectively wet ourselves when Evanna Lynch (Luna! Lovegood!) took the stage to play with Harry and the Potters. She could really play, too.


Check out my Snape tattoo! The next day, several employees at the Harry Potter theme park thought it was real and let me skip to the front of the rides. Is it bad that I didn't correct them? HA.


With Jarrod. ♥ Thanks for taking these last two pictures, Renee! (R: How did we not get a picture together?!?)

And then the last day . . .

BEST THEME PARK EVRRR!!!


BEST RIDE EVRRR!!!


BEST CAT MADE OUT OF MEASURING TAPE EVRRR!!!

I can't believe those were the only pictures I took at the park, but I'm pretty sure you guys have seen the highlights elsewhere, right? Right. I'm also disappointed that I didn't get any pictures from the Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball, but . . . it was one of those moments where you had to be there, anyway. ;-)

There's not much I can say about the Harry Potter community without getting mushy and sentimental. It's filled with so much love, kindness, acceptance, and generosity. To everyone who was there, and to everyone who wanted to be there but couldn't make it: I am proud to be your friend.

And, with that, I shall take my leave . . .

Answers to Questions

From my blog comments . . .


Anonymous: I just re-read Anna (in preparation for Lola) and I was wondering, which Captain Jack is Captain Jack named after?

Thank you for the re-read! You must be a Doctor Who/Torchwood fan. The official answer is that, because I never specify, it can be either one. YAY!

The for-real answer is . . . Sparrow. I used to have a scene in which Captain Jack's guinea pig cage was described as being shaped like a pirate ship (Anna and Bridge built it together), but it was cut for pacing. I didn't think anything about it because, at the time, I'd never seen an episode of Doctor Who. But then this question starting arriving. And then I watched the (AWESOME) series.

Whoops.

But they are both The Sexy, non?

♥ ♥ ♥

♥ ♥ ♥

Suze: Ohhh was Beth telling the truth? Can we pre-order signed books from Malaprops? Do tell :)

YES! Actually, I've never been to an event that didn't allow out-of-towners to call the store, purchase the book over the phone, have it signed, and have it shipped. I'm sure there are exceptions (like if I were Neil Gaiman or anyone else who draws insane crowds), but it's always worth calling a store to check!

Malaprop's has two phone numbers:

1-800-441-9829
828-254-6734

So if you can't make it to my event this Saturday, but you'd still like a signed copy of Lola and the Boy Next Door, give them a ring this week. I adore them, and I'd love for them to get the extra sales. Thanks for asking!


nevertakeusforgranted: I was wondering if you knew what the Australian release date for Lola was. (Because in the land down under, we tend to get books later than everywhere else—even if we did get Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 before the rest of the world.)

Re: Harry Potter. Lucky you!

Lola's Australian release is October 3rd. And — *psst* — my Australian publisher has the first chapter online. Read it here.

Different fonts. Copyrights, I assume?

I love you, Penguin BTL! My Australian publisher has been very, very kind to me. And thanks to all of you wonderful Aussie readers for the support! I REALLY hope to visit you someday. (Particularly in Melbourne, which my friend Jade assures me is My Kind of Place.)

That's it for now. Isla and the Happily Ever after calls . . .

Refilling Station

"They never asked, 'Were you able to work today?' Maybe they had, twenty or thirty years earlier, but they'd gradually learned not to. There are empty spaces that must be respected—those often long periods when a person can't see the pictures or find the words and needs to be left alone."

—Fair Play by Tove Jansson

I read Fair Play on Saturday—a quiet novel about creativity and growth—and that passage reached out of its pages and shook me by the shoulders.

Empty spaces. Alone. Yes.

I spent the weekend away from work. I read a few novels, watched several episodes of Bones and Black Books, and strolled through my neighborhood.

I'm looking at this week's schedule, and every day is full. But I am full again, too.

Come To My Party! (PLEASE.)

My official release party for Lola and the Boy Next Door is next week. NEXT WEEK. How did that happen?!?

To answer the inevitable questions: Yes, my release party is a week before the wide release. And, yes, there WILL be copies available to purchase!

I'll be reading, signing, and answering questions at my favorite bookstore Malaprop's, here in Asheville, NC, on Saturday the 24th at 7:00 p.m. I hope some of you can make it. A buuuuunch of people who came to my last one will be unavailable to come to this one, so I'm really nervous. It might just be me and my husband!

Please come. If you can. Keep us company?

I love Malaprop's. I've been to a ton of fantastic YA events there lately. Cellphone camera evidence:

With Caroline (SUPERBOOKSELLER!) and Sarah Dessen (SUPERNICE!)

With Melissa Marr (I love her lip ring. She rocks it.)

And a panel with . . .

Caroline, Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab, Beth Revis, and moi!

That panel was SO much fun. I wish I could always do events with friends!

And speaking of friends . . . I assume you've all heard about Kiersten White's latest deal? HOLY MOLY! Four books!!! And I happen to be in the — *ah hem* — unique position to assure you that they're amazing. I am so proud and giddy and ecstatic for Kiersten.

One last thing, before I leave you. I have a Tumblr now. No biggie. I'm not using it for book-related things; it's personal. (Meaning: It'll probably have a lot of Hot British Men.) But if you're still interested, check it out and follow me!


EDITED TO ADD: Did someone start a Tumblr about me and Kiersten? Heck yeah, they did.

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: If you bring a copy of Paranormalcy or Supernaturally to my release party, I will sign them. Yes. We're doing that now.

Anna and the French Kiss: New Scene

My German Cover*

Did I write a sexy new scene about Anna, Étienne, and Star Trek?

YOU BET I DID.

Thank you so, so much to Richard Grooms, winner of last May's HelpWriteNow auction. Richard asked for Vulcans, and Vulcans he received. Thanks for giving me such a fun/hilarious topic, Richard! I had a blast writing it.

If you'd like to read the new scene (OF COURSE YOU DO), you'll find it here. And there will be a second bonus scene next month. Yay!


*Gotta love the phallic croissants. Tee hee. Also, the text in the pink circle translates to something along the lines of: "Finally, a love without vampires." "It still exists, love without vampires." Can I please get that printed on ALL of my editions? Ha!

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: According to Anna (!) in my comments, the title itself translates to Heartbeating in French.

Tomorrow

Every year on the anniversary of 9/11, I read Meg Cabot's post about that day. Please take the time to read it this weekend.

Thinking of my family, friends, and readers in New York City and D.C.

xoxo


P.S. I was in Atlanta, opening the B. Dalton bookstore that I managed, when a coworker arrived and told me to turn on the radio. Where were you?

EDITED TO ADD: Maureen Johnson just posted a good one, too.

Decatur Book Festival! This weekend!

Hi, everyone!

A quick reminder that I'll be at the Decatur Book Festival this weekend. My Sunday panel is at 4:00, and it's called "A Real Girl Conversation About Writing Real Girl Books." (Does that make anyone else think about this movie? Ha!) I'm so excited to meet and talk with the other panelists: Elizabeth Eulberg, Jennifer Jabaley, and Terra McVoy. More information about the event can be found here.

I'm also excited because I lived in Decatur for three years, and it's always fun to revisit those places I've called home. I haven't been there in many years, so I'm happy that I'll get to spend some time with my FIRST critique partner, Amber. Yippee!

Related fun fact: I never outright say this in my novel, but Anna Oliphant is actually from Decatur. People from Atlanta tend to catch this, because of some of the street names and such that I mention. ;)

Anyway, I hope that some of you will be there. If you happen to see me walking around this weekend, please say hello! I promise I'm friendly.

And . . . for EVERYONE reading this . . . next week, I'm posting something special here on my website: a new scene featuring Anna and Étienne!* YAY!!!


*Apologizes to my Twitter followers, who were expecting this scene last week. It didn't happen because of Hurricane Irene. And then it didn't happen this week, because I was working on Isla. I'm sorry. It takes awhile for me to format website pages, and I just didn't have the time. Unfortunately, regular writing-work always has to come first!

My Ten Favorite Films

(1) Trainspotting, 1996, Danny Boyle

(2) Amélie, 2001, Jean-Pierre Jeunet

(3) Pride & Prejudice, 2005, Joe Wright

(4) Rushmore, 1998, Wes Anderson

(5) Moulin Rouge!, 2001, Baz Luhrmann

(6) Heima, 2007, Dean DeBlois

(7) The Big Lebowski, 1998, Joel and Ethan Coen

(8) Y Tu Mamá También, 2001, Alfonso Cuarón

(9) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, 2004, Michel Gondry

(10) Stranger Than Fiction, 2006, Marc Forster

Trainspotting was my first. That is, it was the first film that opened my eyes to the idea of cinema as ART, so I doubt my number one will ever change. (I can't believe that was fifteen years ago!) Despite the grim grim grim subject matter, it's hilarious and beautiful and surreal. I still watch it several times a year.

My top five picks are stable, but the bottom five shift around depending on my mood.

What are your all-time favorites?