WOLFSBANE Preview!

In two months WOLFSBANE will be in bookstores! Yippee!

Leading up to the release date, Penguin has a special treat - a video with teasers from the book. Check it out:



I can't wait for July 26 when Calla's story continues!!

Egads!

Looking at the date of my last post I was rather horrified, seeing as how it's been so long since my last post. Of course a have reams of excuses: it was the end of the semester, we moved, I had to go to New York - but really they are just excuses and I'm sorry I've been away.

I make amends with pictures! Of New York!

The primary reason I was in New York was that I needed to visit David Levithan to sort out some details of our collaborative novel - INVISIBILITY CURSE. Here is the moment in the blog where I do a I happy dance and say OMG yes I totally did get to crash at David Levithan's apartment all weekend. And it was awesome. It's a funny thing about becoming close friends with authors you long admired, cognitively I know that David is my friend but the giddy inner fangirl part of me never quite goes away.

New York - always a place I love - did not disappoint. I had wonderful meetings with my superhero agents: Richard and Charlie. I had more wonderful meetings with the Penguin family and particularly Editor Jill who is currently reading my fourth manuscript (cue nervous nail biting). Jill also gave me a present: a finished copy of Wolfsbane!!! In two months it will be in stores. Yay!!!

I particularly enjoyed my time on the subway and noted that the subway has become a great location for performing arts. On one of my trips the car was serenaded by a four piece mariachi band. And on another we had breakdancers.

I was also in town for the Teen Author Carnival, which was so much fun and I was finally reunited with my critique partner, Lisa Desrochers, who I hadn't seen for two years! Thanks to everyone who came to the event. Look here's a picture of you all!

Now I'm back in Minnesota and crashed in my quasi new home that is in utter disarray of moving boxes and randomly placed furniture. Given that the move still needs finishing I probably will still have some lags in blogging, but I promise not as long of a lag as this last one.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend.

I'm still unpacking boxes.

More Shinies

Penguin has just launched the updated Nightshade series web site!

Want to know what types of weapons are in the Searcher armory?

Interested in my favorite books and films about wolves?

Need a Shadow Days/Shay fix?

Check out all the goodies and keep check for more stuff to be added soon!

Thanks, Penguin!!

International Makeover

First of all HAPPY STAR WARS DAY and May the Fourth be with you :)

Exciting news from across the pond - my UK publishers Atom Books have just announced their cover redesign for Nightshade and Wolfsbane. Check out the lovely shininess!

I also was delighted to receive my first copy of the US paperback, which will be in stores on June 14.

It is sooooo pretty! The wolf seems to jump off the cover - so Calla! This summer is going to be so much fun and very, very busy :) I can't wait!

Wishing you all a great week.

May! Winner!

May has arrived! I hope your day is full of flowers, dancing, and joy. After all the amazing comments and Buffy love I think I'll be watching Buffy episodes all day.

And now - winner of the WOLFSBANE ARC:

I was a bit tricky because for quote 5: "Bored now." I was specifically looking for Vampire/Evil/Doppelganger/Alternate/Dark Willow rather than just Willow. But fourteen of you saw into my nefarious brain! Good job!

The winner is: Rayshelle!

Congrats!!

And since season 6 of another favorite show, Doctor Who, has just begun let's celebrate with the best of both worlds:



Thanks to everyone who entered and keep watching for more contests before WOLFSBANE hits stores on July 26!

Beltane and Buffy

April 30 is my favorite of the eight sabbats. Beltane/May Eve is a harbinger of summer honored with fabulous festivals replete with fires and dancing. The world of Nightshade is steeped in the tradition and history of witchcraft and Wolfsbane draws readers deeper into that world. To celebrate this holiday I'm holding a contest and the winner will receive a Wolfsbane ARC!

Since my last blog post touted the greatness of Buffy I want to have a Beltane Buffy quiz. May is the fifth month of the year, so here are five of my favorite quotes from Buffy. Correctly identify the Buffy character delivered each of the five quotes and you'll be in the running to win the ARC.
1) "What's the matter Watcher? Life flash before your eyes? Cup o' tea, cup o' tea, almost got shagged, cup o' tea?"

2) "Forgiveness makes us human, blah, blah, blah."

3) "Rain of toads. One minute its 'oh no, pop quiz' and now it's rain of toads."

4) "That's beautiful...or taken literally incredibly gross."

5) "Bored now."

Good luck! Entries taken until 12 a.m. May 1.

Please leave your answers in the comments section. This contest is open to international entries!

My Generation

Courtesy of Karsten Knight and Stacey of Page Turners Blog I've been inspired to post about films that supplied priceless pop culture knowledge that I internalized as eternal. I think it's perfectly reasonable that each generation assumes its points of pop culture reference will forever be relevant, but as Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Each generation must write its own books, or rather each generation for the next succeeding."

There are certain pieces of culture that I refuse to believe will lose their relevance. For example, I will go to my grave proclaiming that everyone should know Buffy the Vampire Slayer and relish her (and Joss Whedon's) contributions to our sorry world.
I'm forced to admit, however, that some of my cherished films will languish in history. To forestall this decline I'm going to do a series of posts about films that left indelible marks on my psyche and creative life.

Because this endeavor was inspired by Karsten's reference to She's All That. I'm starting with RomComs and the movie in question.

My brother and I used to watch She's All That constantly. It's a great mood lifter - funny and sweet. And has one of the best choreographed prom dances ever - Fat Boy Slim FTW! (And yes, that IS Usher)



Ten Things I Hate About You is another priceless romance. A retelling of Taming of the Shrew it features clever dialogue and young Heath Ledger (RIP) opposite Julia Stiles. Bonus: Proof that Joseph Gordon Levitt was awesome before Inception.

Another adapted tale is Clueless with Alicia Silverstone as Jane Austen's Emma. This film is hilarious! Clueless is the 90s prep to counter Ten Things 90s grunge - both of which were essential 90s trends.Taking few more steps back in time to 1980s, I'd be remiss to leave off a John Hughes film. I think they are all worth watching, but I have a soft spot for Sixteen Candles. In terms of feminism this film has some really messed up ideologies, but given that it's John Hughes my presumption is that such hyperbole of sexual and racial stereotypes are written with both irony and purpose (or I'm just naive). The kiss over the candles with Thompson Twins singing in the background is an alltime favorite scene.

Sixteen Candles also has young John Cusack, but of course Cusack's famous 80s movie moment featuring a window and a boombox and Peter Gabriel happens in Say Anything.

Also of the 80s - Girls Just Want to Have Fun. SJP and Helen Hunt in the 80s! Best slumber party movie ever. I went through about four birthdays where this was the featured film.

Girls Just Want to Have Fun is about a forbidden dance contest, but it's very PG in content. So of course I have to mention the more risque forbidden dance film: Dirty Dancing.
No one puts Baby in the corner!

Jumping back into the 90s - some might not consider Mallrats a romantic comedy, but I do. And I adore it! Shannon Doherty and Magic Eye make this film indispensable. Plus - filmed in Minnesota, home of the first enclosed shopping mall in the country.

Another 90s film that I consider priceless is Beautiful Girls. Though this movie focuses on a high school reunion of late 20 somethings, its message is relevant for young adults and adults.

In the last year of the 90s But I'm a Cheerleader made a wonderful and important contribution to rom coms. This film is poignant and hilarious. And has RuPaul in an amazing role!
I could probably go on, but I'm happy with this list. What do you consider defining romantic comedies for your generation or simply for you?

Coming soon: Children's films, Fantasy/Sci-Fi, and Horror!