win a book (and a movie!)

Earlier in the month, Bookshelves of Doom had a post about a novel, Dooley Takes the Fall. I read the post, thought the book sounded interesting, and then got to mention of the movie Brick. Which I love.

After that, I *had* to get the book, and guess what? I loved it too. It's one of the best books I've read in 2008.

In fact, I loved it so much that I want to spread the love--so I'm giving away a copy of the book *plus* a copy of the movie.

For your chance to win, all you have to do is leave me a comment telling me one of your favorite books of 2008 by midnight this Wednesday, December 31st. I'll pick one person at random and that person will get a copy of Dooley Takes The Fall and Brick.

Two things: Because Brick is rated R and will only play in region 1 DVD players, this contest is only open to people 17 or older who live in the US. (Don't worry, you know the next contest will be open to everyone!)

links, thanks, and Happy Holidays!

Just a couple of links to share this fine (and cold!) morning:

A debut author reflects on a year of being a published writer -- some really interesting stuff here.

Editorial Ass wonders about hardcover vs. paperback debuts, and then lets us know what the publisher decided for a book EA has been working on

Agent Kristin Nelson writes up her 2008 statistics -- and if you feel like it, check out her 2007 stats and compare (the number of queries alone! This year it works out to something like over 95 a day. A DAY.)

Living Dead Girl placed third in the Young Adult Category of the Book Bloggers Top 10 of 2008 -- WOW! And *thank you.*

I also need to say congrats to Avni, who won the Fade ARC!

And finally, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!

holiday cheer: win a copy of FADE before it's in stores!!

This week, I've got a special holiday treat for you!

I've got an ARC of Lisa McMann's Fade, the fantastic sequel to her equally fabulous first novel, Wake--and I'm giving it away!

For your chance to win, just leave me a comment telling me what's your favorite part of the holidays. Mine is always hoping that it will snow....

I'll take comments through this Friday, December 19th, and then I'll pick one person at random and that person will win the ARC of Fade! You can only enter this contest once, but you can enter if you live overseas and/or if you've won anything from me before. (And yes, if you're reading this on Facebook, of course you can enter!)

I also have a couple of links to share:

Elizabeth Bear talks about some very common writing advice and why you shouldn't assume it's right for you, or, as she puts it, Here is some writing advice I will henceforth be ignoring -- As usual, interesting stuff in the comments too.

Another article about the problems facing publishing, written by agent Richard Curtis--it says some (by now) familiar things but keep reading until the end, when--if you're like me--you'll say "Oh. OH." about a certain date.

just a girl and her dog

Dear Sweet Dog of Mine,

While I love you to pieces and have ever since the night I first saw you eleven years ago and you came over and licked my hand, your "helpful" efforts today haven't been all that helpful.

So, instead of deciding that the elaborate grid of notes I've laid out looks like something that would be SUPER FUN to roll on, maybe you could just stomp across them once. Or--and I know this is a wacky idea!--perhaps you could do what you usually do, and sleep lying on my right foot until it goes numb and then give me a look when I move it away that says, "Um, excuse me, I was using that foot. Circulation smirculation."

And now you must know I am writing about you because you are sitting here by my feet, staring at me with your big eyes like I am the one person you adore more than any other, which is very sweet and...

oh. I see. You've realized that I keep the dog treats in my desk drawer and you want one.

Do you really think I'm that much of a sucker? Ha!

Yeah, okay. I'm a sucker. But no more rolling on my notes, okay? Please?

mailing list note update

Just wanted to let those of you on the mailing list know that if you're subscribed to the list using a yahoo or hotmail address and haven't gotten my holiday message yet--check your spam folder. I've had a couple of people write and let me know it's showed up there.

I spoke too soon about cake....

Bread update: somehow, it came out okay! I don't know how it happened, but hey, I'm sure not going to knock it.

However, since I mentioned baking as if it was all easy, I naturally managed to make a cake last night that didn't rise properly, so it looks like half a cake. That'll teach me to act all nonchalant about anything relating to baking, won't it?

On the plus side, the cake is at least edible. I told my husband it was a special kind of tiny cake, but I don't think he bought it. (Still ate some of it, though!)

In other, non-baking disaster news, I've got an update for all of you on the mailing list:

The contest for everyone on my mailing list is still on--I haven't run out of books yet!--and I'll keep it going until December 23rd.

Also, remember that link I had the other day, about the guy who wrote really early in the morning? April Henry talks about how she found time to write when she was working full time, and asks other authors how they did it. (I actually wrote at work. Needless to say, I didn't tell my boss this until after I'd left!)

Finally, I leave you with a repost of this easy (no baking!) recipe that's a favorite in my house (I live with Mr. Chocoholic) *and* perfect for the holidays, either as a gift or as a 'oh, it's the holidays, help!' coping mechanism.

Double Chocolate Rice Krispies Squares

1 stick butter (or non-dairy substitute)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 10.5 oz. bags mini-marshmallows (for real, two bags. trust me!)
10 cups of Rice Krispies (basically all but a tiny bit of a small box.)
half a bag semisweet chocolate chips

Get out the biggest microwave-safe bowl you have. You'll also need a 13x9 inch pan. Oh, and a wooden spoon or a plastic one that won't melt if it's exposed to heat.

Melt the butter in the big ole' microwave-safe bowl. Stir in the cocoa. Mix together.

Next, dump the marshmallows into the bowl. (This is why you need a huge bowl)

Microwave the marshmallows for a minute or two. Take out of the microwave and stir so they are coated with the cocoa and butter mixture. Put it back in the microwave for another minute or two. What you're looking for is marshmallows that deflate into a nice goo when you stir them.

Once that happens, stir in the cereal and half of the chocolate chips. You could do it one cup at a time, but I prefer to dump it all in and just go for it.

When it's reasonably stirred together, dump in the rest of the chocolate chips and give another few stirs. Then find someone to help you dump the mixture into the 13x9 pan If you have to do it on your own, you may have to transfer it a bit at a time. (I don't know about you, but my biggest microwave-safe bowl is made of glass and quite heavy and when you add 16,000 pounds of crisped rice, marshmallow, and chocolate, the result is the approximate weight of a gold bar. Or at least it feels like it)

Once you've got it in the pan, smooth it out with your spoon so it reaches all four corners, then let cool, cut, and give to the person of your choice. Or just eat it all yourself. It is the holidays after all, and you're worth a treat!

Things not to do when making bread:

Only add half the water you're supposed to.

And the saddest part? It actually took me a minute to figure out what was wrong! At first I just assumed the dough was a little more floury than usual, which happens, but then I noticed exactly how much flour was lying around (a lot!) and realized what I'd done.

I hope the dough can be saved, but I'm not sure. I love making cakes and cookies and all that, but making bread is an exercise in suspense. Every time I make it, I never know if it will work or not--sometimes I get gorgeous, high puffs of dough. And other times I get rocks that won't rise at all. You'd think that flour, yeast, salt, water, and oil would be a can't miss kind of thing, wouldn't you?

Oh well, I guess we'll see what happens in about an hour and a half or so....

Moving along, I want to thank everyone who came by the book signing on Friday night--it was great to see you, and thanks for braving the cold! I also want to say congrats to Hilary, who won last week's contest. (And I know you're all sick of the reminders, but please, *please* if you enter a contest, make sure you leave a way for me to contact you!!)

And here's some stuff for you to read:

Caitlin Flanagan looks at the success of the Twilight series -- and on a sort of related note, is anyone else surprise that the director of the Twilight movie won't be back to make the next one?

You might already know this, but things aren't looking great for publishing right now--check out this tidy (and depressing) summary of what's going on.

John Scalzi also discusses the situation, and has some advice for how people can help. (His advice is easy to spot--look for a four word sentence. Trust me, it's hard to miss!) -- And I have to say, books do make excellent gifts. They're what I ask for every year! (Okay, every chance I get.)

Jeff Abbott has some serious dedication when it comes to writing -- the next time I feel like I don't have a second to write, I'm reading his post as a reminder that I actually do have a second. I just have to find it and use it.

It's voting time for the Children's Book Council Choice Awards for Best Books of 2008--and yay! for Living Dead Girl, Stealing Heaven, and Perfect You, all of which are nominated, along with lots of other great books!

Finally, I leave you with this awesome law blog devoted to human resources and The Office. Check out That's What She Said -- and enjoy!

I want to thank everyone from the Mesa Public Library who came to chat with me yesterday--I had so much fun, and the questions (which were about Stealing Heaven) were fantastic!

And speaking of Stealing Heaven -- it's made the Texas Library Association's high school reading list, which is a huge honor. I'm thrilled to be included with so many amazing titles. Thank you, Texas Librarians!

Now on to the links:

Tess Gerritsen blogs about success, an entry written after she read this article. -- Both links are worth reading because I think they discuss something that's really important to know if you want to be/are published. Success--at least when it comes to books--is something that can't be explained with a formula, or that can be guaranteed by doing X, or Y, or Z. (Or all three!)

Going along with the last couple of links, if you haven't read Tess Gerritsen's post about what she's learned over twenty years (!) of being a published author, you should! I know I've linked to it before, but it's worth doing so again.

Oh, Maureen Johnson and your blog, I adore you both! Check out How To Deal With People, where she covers composing songs, getting free coffee, and...well, you've read her blog, right? Right???

Been wondering what college students are reading for fun? Well, look no further! (I'll give you a hint. Popular books that have been made into popular movies....)

I'm also really happy to share the following news: Perfect You is one of this month's recommended reads over at Readergirlz!

Now I have to go put another pair of socks on because it's *cold* out!!!

booksignings and vampires....

This Friday, December 5th, I'll be signing books at the Bel Air Barnes & Noble from 8-10 PM. (The Bel Air Barnes & Noble is at 620 Marketplace Dr, Bel Air, MD)

If you can come out, please do--I'd love to see you!

I also want to thank the Harford County Public Library for asking me to do this. :-)

In other news...

My Thanksgiving was very quiet, which was good because things have been a little crazed for me lately, and it was nice to have the down time. I even read a book! I finally got a chance to read Melissa de la Cruz's Revelations, the third book in her Blue Blood series and LOVE! Although I admit to some teeth-gnashing over certain parts. (If you're read it, I'm sure you know exactly who/what I'm talking about!)

Anyway, in honor of the Blue Blood series and its awesomeness, I'm giving away a set of all three books that are currently out this week: Blue Bloods, Masquerade, and Revelations. For your chance to win, just leave a comment here (you can just say hi, or tell me how your Thanksgiving was) by Friday, December 5th. I'll pick one winner at random, and that person will get all three books!

One last thing--Lauren Powell and Shalonda--I need you to contact me because you each won a book in last week's contest--but didn't leave any contact info. Which reminds me--please don't forget to leave a way for me to get in touch with you, okay? Because if you win, I want to be able to let you know! :-) (The other winners were Tiffany and Tiffani)