A Little Role Playing

I found this awesome casting video for THE BODY FINDER on YouTube. I love that someone took the time to choose the actors they imagined in the roles, so I'm asking you...what do you think? Do they fit the characters? (I know I see some spot-on choices!!!!) And, if you don't agree, who would you choose???



Oh, and I love that it's set to an Evanescence song, because if I had to pick one band to set the mood of the book, they would totally be it!

GLORIFIED WALKING

When my husband first asked if I wanted to go on hike I thought he was joking. Or talking to someone else. I was confused...had he met me? Did he understand the kind of woman he’d married?

Let me be crystal clear. I. Am. Not. A. Hiker! Honestly, I’m barely even a walker.

And then he started talking about the views, and spending time with the kids, and what great exercise it was. That last part fell on deaf ears, but the rest…it sounded, well, okay. I like views. And I like my kids. So whatever the reason, I decided we should do it.

So I made a list because although I’m not a hiker, I’m a list maker. We packed up: lunch, water, toilet paper (just in case), bug spray, sunscreen, binoculars, etc. Next, we mapped the trail we would take and even let our two older kids bail on us. Fine, whatever, we were left with the one kid who’s still young enough to admit that she loves us.

And you know what, I have to admit, it was spectacular! We hiked four miles on one of the trails at the base of Mount Rainier National Park, and because I am who I am, even our pictorial was seldom serious. But the views were…well, you can see:

The funniest thing we heard all day (from our daughter, of course): I think I wanna get some Nun-chucks. (Umm, I don’t think so.)

The funniest thing we saw all day (on the way home, on the side of the highway): One of those afro-rainbow clown wigs. Just lying there. Hmm, I can’t help but wonder what happened to the clown? If we stopped, would we have found his nose, maybe some floppy shoes, a clown corpse?

The most valuable lesson I learned (after leaving the mountain and calling my son to check in.) He didn’t answer so I left him a voicemail, and this was the text I got in return: I’m at home. And btw I’m a 17 yr old boy, I don’t check voicemail. (Good to know. Good to know. I’ll just chalk that one up to more YA research.)

I think that was one of those views he was talking about!


Overall, I left the mountain with no fewer than a dozen bug bites, calf muscles that scream with every step I take, and a really cool sock-tan just in time for my trip to the SCBWI conference in LA (awesome!).

So would I do it again??? In a heartbeat!

Why Do I Write YA???

Find out on my monthly entry over at the Supernatural Underground!

A CAUSE WORTH GETTING BEHIND...

Operation "I Heart Joy Like BR80" is in full swing, and this is a cause I love! It's to support an organization called Joy 2 the World, which generates micro-credit loans for the women of Ghana to encourage independence and empowerment. Besides giving loans to women for small business start-ups, they also help build wells for clean water (as opposed to river water), create pre-k schools with hot meals, and awards scholarships to those attending school.

The Misadventure's In Candyland is running a huge contest in support of Joy 2 the World, and the list of prizes is pretty darn incredible...and I'm not just saying that because I donated an autographed copy of The Body Finder and swag pack. I mean it, you don't want to miss out!

Besides, your entries help support this amazing organization.

Enter to win and save the world? Why wouldn't you???

SIGNING ALERTS!

I'll be doing a signing (hosted by Barnes & Noble) at the Pacific Northwest Writer's Association Conference this Friday night, July 23rd, from 8:30 - 10:00 at the Seattle Airport Hilton. The event is open to the public, so if you're in the area, stop by!

AND...

If you happen to be attending the SCBWI conference in LA this year, I'll be signing at Friday night's wine and cheese reception. That's July 30th from 6:00 - 7:30 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza.

I hope to see some of you there!!!

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER...

Out of over 400 entries, I've narrowed it down to our one winner (using Random.org) for the SUPER AWESOME PRIZE PACK...and that winner is...

Julie!

(And in case there's any confusion about which "Julie!" I'm talkin' about, this "Julie!" left her comment on Andrew Auseon's post yesterday at 5:16PM. Yep, that "Julie!")

YAY!!! Congratulations, Julie! I'll be emailing you right away to get your mailing info, and I hope you enjoy all your goodies!

For the rest of you, don't worry, this isn't the end...I've got more guest bloggers coming up soon...and another super-hard-to-find ARC, that may or may not rhyme with SCHMARANORMALCY. (And, no, it's not CATCHING FIRE!)

Your Final Chance to Enter (With Guest-Poster Andrew Auseon!)

This is it, folks, your last chance to enter for the BEST PRIZE PACK EVER! And I'm super, SUPER excited to have fellow HarperTeen author Andrew Auseon here today, talking about his new book, FREAK MAGNET! (Look, he even brought his own logo with him...is that not the cutest dang thing you've ever seen???)

So, here he is, Andrew Auseon:

First of all, I want to thank Kimberly for giving me some real estate on her blog, to pass through on my way to greener pastures. (This is very strange. I’m using present tense, even though I’m writing this post several weeks before it goes up the site. So, in a way, it’s kind of like time travel.) She is a very gracious hostess, and I only hope I can do her justice with this post.

I’m here to say a few words about my new novel, Freak Magnet, a romance about a boy and a girl who meet, say goodbye, meet again, say goodbye, meet again, and so on and so forth. (I think you get the idea. Will they end up together? I’m not at liberty to say. Maybe I don’t even know. Wouldn’t that be weird?) The main characters, Charlie and Gloria, have lost their way in life, mostly due to personal tragedies that have sucked the teens into their orbit. Only something unexpected has the potential to break them out of their downward spirals, only something a little… freaky.

When I started Freak Magnet five years ago, I set out to tell the story of two people who bump into each other by accident, and then go their separate ways, believing that’s the end of it. This happens to all of us: we have a sudden, unexpected encounter with a stranger that gives us pause. “Where did that person come from? Who are they? Where did they go after our meeting?” And most of the time, we never see them again. But what if you did? What would you do? Freak Magnet is about such strange coincidences, and about stepping outside yourself to get to know someone else, even when you’re unsure about the consequences. It’s about finding the courage to say, “What if?”

Charlie Wyatt is a talented amateur astronomer seeking a prestigious internship in Chile. Sadly, his social skills have suffered because of his dedication to his science, and because of his mother’s worsening Huntington’s disease. For several years, Charlie has worked hard to stay holed up in his family’s apartment, away from other people. You could say he’s out of practice when it comes to other human beings. Then there’s Gloria Aboud, a beautiful and creative poet who speaks her mind, even if it occasionally gets her into trouble. Unable to break free from the suffocating grief caused by the death of her older brother in Afghanistan, Gloria, too, seeks solace in her loneliness. Then a day comes when they bump into each other, by chance, by happenstance, by whatever you want to call it. And both, sensing something special, wonder, “What if?”

Despite being a realistic novel set in the very real (and very hot) Washington, D.C. area, Freak Magnet is a fantasy. Charlie and Gloria’s world is full of magic, but it’s the kind of magic we can believe in: an undiscovered comet that blazes across the summer sky, waiting to be named; a dead brother’s letters imparting wisdom long after his voice has fallen silent; or a stolen kiss on a rooftop in the eye of a thunderstorm. Life is made up of moments, and sometimes those moments suggest a greater purpose. Probably the most fun part of writing Freak Magnet was acting as the cosmos, leading two lost souls to find each other. I got to tell their amazing story.

Every day, each of us goes out into the world and brushes up against other people—strangers, mostly—and sometimes there are sparks. The story of Charlie and Gloria is about trying to catch some of those sparks to make lightning in a bottle. Magic does exist. It’s called freakiness. It’s called inspiration. It’s called love. It’s memorizing the names of all your date’s friends. It’s hearing a song you hate but singing along anyway, because it reminds you of her. It’s turning your car around and driving ten hours in the opposite direction to be with someone for just one more hour.

And the amazing thing is that I’m not an optimist, or an idealist, or even a romantic. I am a pretty sour realist, a real buzz kill; still, despite my point of view, I can’t deny that every single day I experience at least one “What if?” moment. In fact, my entire personal life is based on a series of insane “What if?” moments where I took a chance, didn’t fail too badly, and therefore decided to take another, and another, and another. Inspiration comes from the unlikeliest of places. In this case, it came from the time I drove nonstop from Columbus, Ohio to Washington, D.C. at three in the morning to tell a girl I loved her to her face for the first time. (And it’s a true story. In fact, I married the girl.) That was the book I wanted to write, but when I sat down to start my work, I instead found myself asking, “What if?” And Freak Magnet was born

I hope you enjoy the novel. Thanks again to Kimberly, for letting me post my shenanigans on her blog. It’s been a pleasure. It’s got a great view of the beach.

Andrew Auseon

YAY! I loved that, Andrew!!! My favorite part: "Magic does exist. It’s called freakiness. It’s called inspiration. It’s called love."

Oh, and that you drove all night to tell a girl you loved her (and ended up marrying her)!!!

Okay, guys, now it's your turn...all you have to do is comment to be entered for the prize pack. And remember all entries close tonight at midnight Pacific time, so don't miss your chance to win!!!