Monday, February 28, 2011

Tweet #LiarSociety and Win Signed Books

Ok, so we've established the awesomeness of Elana Johnson, Shannon Messenger, Kimberly Derting, Suzanne Young and Beth Revis, right? RIGHT.

And you should all go follow their blogs and buy their AMAZING books because not only are they incredible friends, but they're also BAD ASS writers.

Right.

So in addition to filming 5 awesomesauce vlogs to promote The Liar Society (watch them all here) they're hosting a HUGE Liar Society Contest.

Here's the deets:
1. They're giving away 10 (TEN) signed copies of THE LIAR SOCIETY this week. Contest starts today, Monday, February 28 and goes through Friday, March 4.

2. There are two ways to enter to win: Twitter or blog.

3. Twitter. Use the hashtag #liarsociety and tweet about the book every day next week. They'll be trolling the twitterverse 24/7 and will announce a winner each night.

If you pink-hair your twitter profile pic, you'll get an extra entry each day. #PhotoshopFTW (Photoshop phobia? Email or @ us and we'll pinkify your pic!)




We Love the Liar Society!




4. Blog. Take this button (copy the code above! Easy!) and put it on your blog. At the top, please. Then fill out the form(linked or below). You've just entered! Blog winners will be announced on Monday, March 7. 



A few more things:
  • This is a US only contest. Sorry. :( 
  • There will be two winners each day, but all the blog winners will be announced together on the 7th. Twitter winners, watch the #liarsociety hashtag!
  • Your copy of THE LIAR SOCIETY will be signed!

Thank you everyone for the support. We can't even express how much it means.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Five Things We Learned This Week

1. Christine Fonseca is about a million times smarter than we are. The jury is still out on whether or not our children are gifted (although they're quite gifted in their consumption of snacks and requests for an endless supply of cartoons), but that's the best part about Christine's book. All of her research can be applied to children in general. It is quite handy actually. Just look at the reviews!

2. We have fan girls*. Hot, talented, fan girls. We can now die happy.

3. Our world has been pinkified. How can we ever thank all of you? Your support is so incredibly amazing. We're seriously at a loss.

4. Laura is still the master of all things poetry. Check out Karsten Knight's contest. She enjoyed spreading her rhyming wings once again. After things settle down, I'm demanding she reinstate her celebrity-inspired poems.

5. Our family and friends are offering an endless supply of support up in here (yeah, you have to sing that last part). A friend dropped off matching pink, crystal pens for the signing, our Grandma made dozens of pink and pearl cookies, our Grandpa is reading the book, blog readers are driving in for the launch, people are reaching out to local schools and art centers and newspapers and, and, and...it's overwhelming. We're emotional and nervous and excited and thankful.


So, so thankful.


*Who apparently have a finished copy of the book! AHHHH! It's real! And it looks pretty! And these writers have no time, yet they're organizing a contest for our book. *collapses in a ball of emotion*

Thursday, February 24, 2011

The Bookanistas: A Touch Mortal

I read A Touch Mortal over the course of a few days. That's right. We're launching our debut novel, I'm baptizing my son this weekend, I *still* haven't watched this week's Glee and I finished this book in 48 hours.

Here's what the back cover has to say:


Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

LiLa's TakeA Touch Mortal is a dark, action packed, thriller definitely more suited to the older YA crowd. Leah Clifford's take on angels is completely unique and the world she built in her debut novel was nothing short of fascinating. It's not a light read in any sense of the word, but between a well paced plot and the heat between Az and Eden, I couldn't put this one down.

And as a bonus, we've had the opportunity to get to know Leah this past year through our Cleveland book club. It's absolutely fascinating to know an author and then read their work. We've heard Leah and others talking about the book and their favorite parts and couldn't wait to have our own turn. Now if we could just get our hands on that sequel...

Here's what the other Bookanistas are up to this week:



Click here to join The Bookanista Book Club at The Reading Room where you can check out all the books we're buzzing about! AND as an added bonus, if you become a member of The Bookanista Book Club before March 15th you'll be entered to win a finished copy of The Liar Society!

On a sad note, our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and family of the amazing L.K. Madigan. She had a profound impact on so many lives and she will be missed. Click here to read more about Lisa.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Cover Lovin': Books We Can't Wait to Read

This might be kind of random for a Wednesday post, but there are some gorgeous covers that have been released over the past week or so and we just couldn't resist...


YOWSA. For a book about a girl banishing Biblical demons this is pretty much perfection. Dark and creepy and pretty much begging to be picked up.



The color, the hair, the movement. Love, love, LOVE this cover and can't wait to read this contemporary novel about a violin prodigy falling in love with her rival. Can't wait to read this book! 



Ok, full disclosure, we've been waiting for this book ever since we read the first 250 words in Ms. Snark's First Victim's Secret Agent Contest. It's a middle grade murder mystery centered around Reverend Everlasting Love's daughter, Ollie. This cover is a work of art.











So...what books are you dying to get your hot little hands on? Spill in the comments.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

In Which Lisa Drops the Ball....

Yesterday was Laura's 30th birthday.

Want to see what Laura did for me for my birthday?

Yeah.

She and Stacey pulled an all nighter to get it done in time.

For the record, it's not like I pulled a 16 Candles and totally forgot. It's more like I was out of town all weekend, took the red eye home Sunday night and didn't plan ahead.

Big old Lisa FAIL.

Luckily, we've got some amazing friends who totally made Laura's day yesterday.

Friends like Elana Johnson, Shannon Messenger, Kimberly Derting, Suzanne Young and Beth Revis. Friends that are doing THIS for us.

Friends like Sarah, who sent Laura this slideshow presentation (she did it way better than I could have, anyways).


























On top of that a couple of amazing reviews for Liar Society popped up yesterday here and here. Best 30th birthday present EVER.

So...wish my poor, neglected, middle sister Happy Birthday in the comments. Sorry I suck.

Sincerely,
The worst sister EVER

Monday, February 21, 2011

Roadtrip!

We went on a roadtrip to Chicago (which was PERFECT timing because I brought along Divergent with me) this weekend and I learned a lot.

1. Veronica Roth is a genius. On May 3, 2011 you will find out why (have you preordered yet?!). The remainder of my list is the result of her genius. And buckle up. I predict a whole lot of Divergent-inspired posts in our future.

2. I have a lot of fears. Like a lot, a lot.
  • Transportation accidents (planes, cars, boats) really anything that I'm not driving. I am the WORST backseat driver on the planet and my husband wants to kill me.
  • Germs. In a rest stop bathroom I witnessed a little girl crawling under a bathroom stall, bare hands on floor. Her mom didn't wash her hands. I am scarred for life.
  • Heights. First time on top of the John Hancock building. I was short of breath. It might have had something to do with Veronica's imagination as well.
  • Spiders
  • Bees
  • Bridges (especially over water)
  • Kidnappers (and adult-nappers)
  • Burglars (particularly those after my laptop)
  • SEE? And I really could continue. My fear landscape is not a good place to be.
3. If Veronica Roth's world comes true, my husband and I would never be together. This was very obvious as I screamed at him to go no faster than 60 MPH on the highway, gripping the side of my seat, white-knuckled.

4. Despite the fact that I can barely turn around in a moving car or else I'll puke, I finished Veronica's almost 500 page book to and from Chicago. I guess a great book prevents motion sickness. It also reduces backseat driving. My husband thanks you, V.

5. I now have a severe case of end-of-book-depression. I might require some sort of intervention. Veronica, do you need a beta reader?

Friday, February 18, 2011

Kirkus Reviews The Liar Society

We're a tiny bit scared of Kirkus Reviews. Ok, fine, we're more than just a tiny bit scared. We're REALLY scared. They have a reputation for being tough and they don't review a ton of original paperbacks.

So you can imagine our surprise when this popped up in our inbox:

Secret societies dominate a posh co-educational private school in this suspenseful, possibly supernatural mystery. One or both of those societies may be responsible for the death of a girl, or so 15-year-old Kate believes. Kate’s best friend, Grace, was killed in a fire under mysterious circumstances a year earlier. When she gets an e-mail from her dead friend, Kate believes Grace is asking for justice and begins to investigate what really happened. The Roeckers populate the school with the standard drop-dead handsome rich guys and a few supermodel-style girls, but Kate finds herself more attracted to dangerous, scruffy Liam. Then there’s her annoying next-door neighbor, nerdy Seth, who has an obvious crush on her. Despite the difficulties they cause, the two help her so much that at last she enlists them in her quest. Tension mounts when the trio finds secret areas in the school and starts to track down who was really responsible on the night of the fire. A final confrontation solves the mystery, but can Kate really bring the culprit to justice? And is Grace’s ghost really haunting her? The authors create lively and memorable characters and keep the action moving in their lengthy whodunit; Kate’s interest in Latin adds an educational element. Clearly, the Roeckers had fun writing their story. Young mystery lovers may enjoy it just as much. (Mystery. 12-16)

Holy. Crap. 

Kirkus liked our book. We don't suck. At least not completely. And now we shall refresh Goodreads and wait for the other shoe to drop. Adieu.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Bookinistas: Author Jen K. Blom Takes Over the Blog!

Today, we are lucky enough to have the lovely Jen K. Blom joining us to share a bit about her upcoming book. Take it away, Jen!

Welcome to the POSSUMS ARE AWESOME blog tour for the middle-grade book, POSSUM SUMMER, coming out in March! (Have you preordered yet?)

My darling buddies Lisa and Laura (or LiLa, as they're known online -these two are ultra-popular!!) have been wonderful enough to have me on their blog today. Of course I brought a straggler.

First off, a little about the book:

a lonely kid.
an orphaned baby possum.
a dad that says no way.
how do you keep that kind of secret?

and what happens when you’re found out?





Here we go!
LiLa: Have you ever held a possum before?

JKB: Yes! I had one when I was a kid, and it came about in exactly the way P found hers!
LiLa: The question on everyone's mind: why possums? Have you always had a soft spot for those long tales?
JKB: I always thought they were gross before I actually had one. And they always scared me because you could never figure out if they were just playing dead or really were. But they grew on me quickly after I adopted my little possum. And possums are ALWAYS better than rats. (Ha ha Ha!!)

LiLa: If you could choose one child star to be caught red handed reading Possum Summer who would it be???

JKB: Oh! :-D That's hard to say. I think the one person I'd love to see reading it would be Sheldon from Big Bang Theory. You know, in between reading papers on mind-bending and working on his String Theory, he could read about the correct way to massage a baby possum so he took a poo. (See kids? You learn SO MUCH in POSSUM SUMMER!)

Princess: And now the PINK HAIRED LADIES!

JKB: LiLa, P. P, LiL--

P: I know them! I see them on that Birdcall twooter thing you've got and Mart showed me their BOOK! The girl has PINK HAIR! (He said he preordered it because of the plot, but I know he thought that girl was cute!) What do you like to eat?

LiLa: Our mom's home made spaghetti and ice cream.

P: Hey, spaghetti's pretty good! And ice cream is always good. I approve!

JKB: Like you need to, squirt.

P: SHHHH. So what do you do for fun? I know you got kids, isn't that fun enough?

LiLa: Dicking around on the internet. (I wish we were kidding...) If that doesn't count as an activity, we both go to the gym a lot. And watch a lot of bad television. And read really great books. Wow, reading over this answer makes me sad.

P: OOOooOoH! *whispers to JKB* They said the D WORD. The D WORD! WOW! When I'm big I can say that too, right? Huh, right? I CAN'T WAIT TIL I'M GROWN UP. What's really interesting about you?

LiLa: Hmmm....this is tricky. Laura has a widow's peak and Lisa has a big nose.

P: Hm. But you're both so exciting, and energetic! And funny! And you have PINK HAIR! And you say words like di -- *quick look at JKB* -- THE D WORD! Hey ok, I drew you here!:
P: So otters! I saw two once. Otters are so happy and pretty and I don't know what a widow's peek is but they have cute big noses, don't you think? And these two are PINK, right, and they are HIGH FIVING! Hey, you know when you write another book "P" is a real good name --

[Editorial Note from Lila: Otters with PINK hair! *dies*]

**scuffle**

JKB: Thanks so much for the drive-by, ladies! I apologize for the devil that tagged along!

Jen K. Blom writes about animals, the land, and kids, not necessarily in that order. Her debut, POSSUM SUMMER, is available March 2011.

Just the thing to give to a kid to start their summer of reading off right! (Available from your local indie, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Book Depository!)

Seen the book trailer yet?

Want more POSSUMS ARE AWESOME blog tour tidbits? Go here and knock yourself out!





Thanks so much for stopping by, Jen! So. Much. Fun.

Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week:

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Give It Forward Book Giveaway!

So...we were inspired by Casey McCormick who is a genius. Check it out.

We took hours, minutes, a few seconds racking our brains for a book we love as much as The Sky Is Everywhere and it's just not happening, people. This book is the best book we've ever read. So, we want to conduct Casey's experiment with the same book, mmmkay?

Before we begin, one of my favorite scenes:

We are staring at him again, still not certain what to make of the stranger in our midst. The stranger, however, appears quite comfortable with us.

"What's up with the plant?" He points to the despairing Lennie houseplant in the middle of the table. It looks like it has leprosy. We all go silent, because what do we say about my doppelganger houseplant?

"It's Lennie, it's dying, and frankly, we don't know what to do about it," Big booms with finality. It's as if the room itself takes a long awkward breath, and then at the same moment Gram, Big, and I lose it--Big slapping the table and barking laughter like a drunk seal, Gram leaning back against the counter wheezing and gasping for breath, and me doubled over trying to breathe in between my own uncontrolled gasping and snorting, all of us lost in a fit of hysterics the likes of which we haven't had in months.

I listened to this book when I was in the car and when I was supposed to be working out. As I read this scene, I cried. Right in the middle of the gym. And I wasn't embarrassed because it's that good. In fact, I hoped people would ask me what was wrong just so I could tell them about this amazing book. But the beauty of this particular scene is that, to me, it completely embodies the extreme emotions associated with grief. In fact, the whole book does. I found myself crying, but laughing at the same time. A phenomenon I had never experienced before in a book. She. Nailed. It.



So...because Casey's a lot smarter than we are, we're going to steal her verbiage and hope she forgives us!

We're going to give away The Sky Is Everywhere--a brand new copy for someone.

BUT (and this is a big BUT) here’s the catch, to enter our giveaway you have to be willing to do the SAME giveaway on your blog or Facebook. Meaning, you have to buy the book for someone else within TWO WEEKS of receiving the book from us. Your ONLY out is this: if you don’t love THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE enough to keep it and buy it for someone, you can give away the one you’ve received from us. But the giveaway has to continue. Meaning, whoever wins your giveaway has to buy it for their winner or give away the one they’ve received from you, depending on their feelings on it. However, it is our hope that this will create a chain of PURCHASES in order to support the title. Not a big pass-the-book-around fest. In fact, you might even consider starting your giveaway right after you win, just to support the author, particularly if you already planned to buy the book at some point. Because you won’t be out any more money than you would have been. Right? And because this book is SO, SO, SO good we think it’s the perfect candidate. We think you WILL want to keep this book and buy it for someone else. It’ll be beautiful. We’ll all be buying it for each other and spreading the word about a fantastic book and author.

And we trust that none of our readers will stop the chain, right? The winner will continue to spread the love for Jandy and The Sky Is Everywhere will rise to the top of the New York Times Bestseller List WHERE IT BELONGS, right?

Phew.

So let’s do this! RULES:

1. You MUST have a blog or Facebook or somewhere you can give the book away and be clear about the rules (Twitter can't support it, for example).

2. You MUST be willing to hold this exact giveaway on your blog or Facebook in which you purchase this book for someone else (or giveaway the one you receive from us, IF you don’t love it) and require that YOUR winner do the same. Preferably within TWO WEEKS of receiving the book from us.

3. If you win, we ask that you PLEASE enter your giveaway into the linky widget here and have YOUR winner do the same on Casey's post (not on your blog). So we can track how long the chain lasts and how many purchases we achieve.

4. U.S. entrants only.

5. Spreading the word will gain you extra entries. Stalking Jandy Nelson on the net (only on the net!) will also get you extra entries. See the form.

6. The contest will run February 16th to February 22nd until MIDNIGHT. We will announce the winner on February 22nd and the chain will commence.

Additionally, if you love THE SKY IS EVERYWHERE as much as we do and you’d like to start your own giveaway chain, PLEASE DO and add yourself to the linky widget on Casey's blog. If enough people jump in, she’ll do a giveaway just for YOU. Like, she’ll order one winner whatever book they want (with a normal paperback or hardcover price). Sound good? YES, we love this book THAT MUCH.

To enter, please fill out this form:

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Tell the Truth Tuesday Opposite Edition*

It's no secret how supportive the writing community is. What's shocking is to watch that trickle down...er up...to Hollywood.

We take back everything we've ever said, Gwyneth. We like to think of our book as a baby too. And thanks for the shout out at the Grammy's Sunday. You wear pink well.


You too, Bieber. And pearls too? *dies*


And check out les Kardashians. I mean, they have their own book out, but they're pushing ours. Sister-power! Hollywood is surprising.


I mean, even Lindsay Lohan is getting into it. Liar Society, keeping Hollywood out of trouble. We couldn't be happier.


And we never expected this. Never. 


How's that for a truth this Tuesday? What? You don't believe us? Ok, fine. Here's our REAL truth.

We are completely blown away by all of your support as we get ready for The Liar Society to hit shelves. It's amazing, unexpected and you guys are constantly making us cry. THANK YOU.

P.S.
If you want to get pinkified for The Liar Society just send us an e-mail with a picture attached and we'll send it back....PINKER.

*The above photos have been shoddily re-touched by a Photoshop amateur (aka Laura). They are lies. Every last one of them.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Just a bunch of weepy, love-sick fools...

Happy Valentine's Day! Traditionally, we're not huge Valentine's Day celebrators, but lately we've been feeling all sorts of love. We're not gonna lie. It makes us weepy.

When we received this package from Christina Lee last week, it about put us over the edge.



They're beautifully hand-stamped Liar Society key chains that feature a white pearl in honor of Kate and Grace. They dress up our keys. And they remind us of the friends we've made. And of the journey. And all that jazz.

We LOVE them. LOVE. And we thank you, Christina. You are so incredibly thoughtful. Check out all of Christina's beautiful pieces here. Trust us, they're even more amazing in real life.

Anyone have any special Valentine's Day plans?

PS: Do you like Glee? Do you like action-filled books? Do you like drama? Do you like books with incredible blurbs? Have you ordered RIVAL by Sara Bennett Wealer yet? ORDER NOW. Um, and if you've already ordered, sorry we yelled. We're just a little over excited.

Friday, February 11, 2011

This is really happening....

Our editor sent us this picture yesterday.



Yup. The finished copies of The Liar Society are ready to make their way to bookstore shelves across the country.

There are no words.

Well, no words except...

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

The Bookinistas: BETRAYAL

You might remember us going all fangirl over DECEPTION (Book 1 in The Haunting Emma series) last year. There was snark, a totally new take on ghosts and a killer mystery. It was love at page 1. What we didn't love was having to wait AN ENTIRE YEAR for the next book in the series, BETRAYAL. The good news is, it's FINALLY here! BETRAYAL will hit shelves March 1st and you guys are gonna love it. 

Here's what the back cover has to say: 
Emma Vaile is the most powerful ghostkeeper in centuries. Which is great when she's battling the wraith-master Neos, but terrible when she's flirting with fellow ghostkeeper (and soul mate) Bennett. When ghostkeepers fall in love, the weaker one loses all power, and that's not something Bennett can handle. 

Heartbroken and alone, Emma tries to lose herself in school with fellow ghostkeeper, Natalie. When a new team of ghostkeepers arrive-one a snarky teen boy, the other a British scholar-Emma finds solace in training for the battle against Neos. But as the team grows stronger, they are threatened by an unknown force. One they thought was good.

As chilling and page-turning as Deception, this sequel will grab readers and hold them to the last page. No one is safe from suspicion as Emma closes in on the traitor.


Lila's Take:

We LOVED this book and here's why you're going to love it too:

1. Emma is just as fun and smart and spunky in BETRAYAL as she was in DECEPTION. My very favorite thing about Emma is that she never, ever falls into that tired damsel-in-distress routine that we see in so many YA paranormal novels. She never stops kicking ass and she never wallows. Love. Her.

2. The mystery is well crafted with loads of twists and turns. Trust me, you will NOT be able to predict how this one ends.

3. Bennett. *Sigh* Bennett. So. Dreamy. Even when he's being mean and distant he's STILL dreamy. He'll totally make you swoon.

4. There are ghost jocks and they're hilarious. Well, they're hilarious if you like jokes about the male anatomy and really, who doesn't?

5. Emma was kind of on her own in the first book, but this time around we get to see her become a part of a real team and it's AWESOME. One ghost keeper was cool, but a whole team of them? Bad. Ass.

STILL don't believe me? Think I'm biased or lame? Well, check out what Kirkus had to say. Those dudes NEVER lie. And they're kind of mean. So rest assured that if they liked it, you'll LOVE it.

You should also know that we have a raging girl crush on Lee Nichols. She's one of those uber cool established authors who is fun, approachable and extremely generous with her time. You guys all need to start stalking her. Like immediately. Click here to follow her blog and here to stalk her via Twitter. And if you haven't read DECEPTION yet (Um, what are you doing reading our lame blog?!? GO READ THAT BOOK. *Ahem*) Lee is giving away 5 copies on Goodreads. Enter! Enter!


Here's what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

In Which We Decide to Go Pink

Laura: Must start filming vlogs for the blog tour.
Lisa: I refuse to film without pink hair.
Laura: You're such a diva.
Lisa: Does Amazon sell pink wigs?
Laura: Probably. I mean, they sell this.
Lisa: Wait, what does a beer bong have to do with pink hair?
Laura: Nevermind. The good news is that they have wigs. The bad news is that crazy-colored wigs make you look ugly.
Lisa: Me specifically?
Laura: Well, really anyone. One year, I was Christina Aguilera for Halloween and wore a platinum blonde wig. I had to burn the pictures.
Lisa: You were also wearing leather chaps. Maybe that had something to do with it?
Laura: Well, maybe. It also might have been the do-rag...
Lisa: Perhaps.
Laura: Either way, you're on your own. With the wig, I mean.
Lisa: You underestimate my power to pull things off.
Laura: Like when you got clear braces?
Lisa: For the record, from a distance, they were totally invisible.
Laura: Are you forgetting about the colored rubber bands you opted for? You spent 3 years looking like you had color coordinated pieces of food stuck in your teeth.
Lisa: Yeah, in retrospect that might not have been the best choice.
Laura: You know what was worse? When you let me give you chunky orange highlights.
Lisa: Ooh, highlights...that's a good idea! A compromise perhaps?
Laura: I don't know....
Lisa: Don't make me go all 7th Grade Sleepover on your ass and dye your hair pink while you're sleeping.
Laura: Fine. You win. I'll wear the damn fake hair.
Lisa: Fabulous. Go ahead and place the order for a few sets.
Laura: Wait, I'm paying?
Lisa: Obviously.
Laura: I hate you.
Lisa: I know.

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Tell the Truth Tuesday

1. It's Valentine's Day party week in the nursery school circuit where "keep it simple" (teacher's advice in the newsletter) turns into "Who can bake the most outrageous gluten-free (a classmate has Celiac disease) Valentine-inspired pastry?" I bought lolipops.

2. We enjoyed a little spring shopping on Sunday and scoffed at all the oxfords claiming we'll never be caught dead in the floppy-looking shoes. This after making fun of ourselves as we tried on skinny jeans last year in NYC. Famous. Last. Words. And what's this about wide-leg, '70s style jeans making a come back? I'll never wear them...never! Mark my words...

3. I'd rather do just about anything than go to the dentist. Especially during preschool. Especially when I think I have a cavity. Especially when I'm due for x-rays and it feels like the plates are made out of broken shards of glass.

4. I hope no one gets this for Valentine's Day. Jane Seymour freaks me out. I think it's all that hair.

5. I thought the Glee Super Bowl episode was kind of meh.

6. We're scared to send out the eVites for our launch party. We've had it ready for weeks, but it's so awkward. Feels like we're selling Girl Scout Cookies only instead of Thin Mints we're hawking copies of our book. Honestly, it would be less awkward selling the Thin Mints.

7. We want to go to BEA. Bad.

8. The Regulator confessed to hitting the "Tell the Publisher! I’d like to read this book on Kindle" button at least once a day. We apologize to both Sourcebooks and Amazon on her behalf.

9. I find the Justin Bieber movie trailer kind of inspiring.

10. I didn't watch one single second of the Super Bowl. Not. One.

What's your truth this Tuesday?

P.S.
The WriteOnCon team is looking for a talented web designer to help us give our website some lovin'. If you or someone you know might be interested in the job, please check out the official post here!

Monday, February 7, 2011

#speakloudly FINALLY

 The post office is not one of our favorite places to go--just ask Lisa. She spent approximately 45 minutes in a stand-off with Mia who wouldn't thank a kind postal worker for a candy cane. We don't mess around with thank-yous.

Anyway, I finally mailed off our Regulator-donated copies of Speak (thanks, Mom!) as apart of the #speakloudly campaign.

The box to the left made its way to Jen Bigheart who will deliver to the Austin Children's Shelter. It sounds like an incredible place and we're so happy that our copies of Speak and some others we really enjoyed will find a good home!


The box to the right is on its way to the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. A librarian suggested the organization and they were really excited to get the books!

Speak is a difficult story but is ultimately a hopeful one. We can only imagine the good these books will go on to do! Work your magic special books!

Friday, February 4, 2011

Top 5 Things We Learned This Week

5. Veronica Roth can write. We'll have a full review of DIVERGENT once the release date is closer, but WOW. I'm only halfway through and I can already tell you that this is one of the books everyone is going to be talking about in 2011.

4. Pink hair FTW. What started out as a joke to make Laura laugh has turned into a may-jah fashion statement taking Twitter by storm. Pink is the new blonde. Or something like that.

3. Dear Lisa Three Days ago, 
There are things less fun than spending a snow day trapped inside the house with three children under the age of five. Try spending the entire day trapped in the emergency room with one angry five year old with a huge gash in his head that requires 8 stitches and a sick 3-month-old who pooped through his only outfit. Yeah. That ice storm is lookin' pretty good right about now, isn't it?
XOXO,
Future Lisa

2. Sometimes it's ok to lie. For example, let's just say you have a newborn baby who is refusing to take a bottle. And you've got this spa weekend planned with your mom and your sisters and there's no way that you're missing it or taking the baby with you. So your husband is going to be stuck at home with three kids, one of whom is a hungry, breast fed, 4-month-old who has recently started acting like he's Damon Salvatore and you're trying to feed him vervain whenever you break out a bottle. It's totally ok to not mention this tiny fact to your husband and then when he inevitably calls you and says the baby refuses to eat and is screaming, you can just pretend like he's doing it wrong.

1. No matter how bad your week sucks, the promise of the spa makes EVERYTHING ok. Stuck in the emergency room for 8 hours? No biggie. Car battery dies? Whatever. Basement floods? Oh well. Baby is sick as a dog? He'll live. All this (and more!) just rolled off my back this week because we're celebrating Laura's 30th birthday at the spa this weekend! Can't. Wait.

Hope you guys have a fabulous weekend!

Don't call this a comeback

So it’s been a minute. Or 10. Or truthfully more like 2,102,400. At least we think that’s how many minutes there are in 3 years, but let...