Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Twilight Moms, Twilight Night


Tonight I got to spend the evening with the Twilight Moms at Jordan Landing. Mad props to Liz, who gave me the idea to do a signing there! Also, a huge thanks to the 20 strangers who decided to take a chance on my book. Crossing my fingers that you love it :)

A highlight of the night: I bartered a book for a Twilight shirt at Fork's Gift Shop (only mine is pink). Now granted, Twilight has greater fans than I, but I do love Alice and Jasper. And the actress who plays the role in the movies is the best part of the show for me (I wonder if she'd want to play Rhea?), so I'm all about pimpin' some Alice gear.
Bartering a Rhea book for Alice shirt? *channels guy from Dances with (Were?)Wolves* "Good trade!"

Non-highlight of the night: no pictures. Seriously, I need to start taking pictures. Blogs are just more interesting with pics... at least for me... and I'm really too tired to say anything else, except that part of the reason I am tired is bacause I stayed up until midnight watching Xanadu, trying to ressurect joy-joy feelings the show inspired me with as a child.

Wow. Unbearably horrible. Really. Yet I LOVED it as a child. Now I know why the room was always vacated whenever I stuck it into the VCR. I also worshipped Thunder Cats as a child. Several years back I saw a re-run and was baffled at how slowly the characters were talking. I barely listened for 10 seconds before silently screaming and changing the channel.

Isn't it crazy how we outgrow things? I guess I need to judge children less harshly who enjoy Barney, Wiggles, and Sponge Bob. Really, I have no room to judge, it seems. None at all.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

What I Learned at Ogden Costco...

#1- While it may be deemed normal for dogs to drink from a toilet, something seems especially digusting about dogs drinking out of public toilets... seeing eye dogs really deserve better, it seems.

#2- I now know how to spot security in a Costco. Oh yes, you are being watched...

#3- I want a Vita-Mix, and I want it NOW!

#4- Buffalo cheese does not come from actual buffalos (which makes sense, because I can't really imagine anyone milking one).

#5- Fireworks have gone up in price since I was a kid. $150 was the big box when I was younger. Now the "smaller" combo pack is $170 and the biggest is $340. I didn't check to see what Costco's discount was.

#6-It's too early for me to wear capris. My legs need to see a little more sun before I expose them to the world.

That's all I got this time. No fashion advice, as it was sorely lacking on this particular visit. the current trend in Odgen appears to be: whatever allows the most air flow.

Note taken.

Monday, June 21, 2010

A Skill I'll Never Have...


I get vertigo just watching. My record is 60 feet... and I'm not too anxious to repeat it.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Rachael Renee Anderson Asks the Tough Questions

I feel so noteworthy. I've been interviewed!!!

If you want to know what my idea of romance is or if I've ever secretly wanted to own a goat, click on the link above, which will wisk you away to the home page of the hilarious Rachael Renee Anderson. Love her!

Oh, and if you're sad and blue with nothing to do tonight, come visit me at the Murray Costco, 4-7 pm.

See you there!!!

Monday, June 14, 2010

What I Learned from Murray Costco


The best part of doing signings at Costco may just be all the vicarious shopping an author gets to do. You can tell a lot about a person by looking in their shopping cart!

One cart contained about 6 boxes of granola bars, grape juice, Ex-lax and Prilosec. Another, candy, candy, candy, candy, cups, and olives.

I passed (punny) on asking about the first cart but I did inquire about the second: it was for a wedding with a candy bar... still trying to figure out the olives... :)

Every cart is different and Costco, and the contents vary from entire playgrounds to bedsheets and bacon. I don't know where they hide it all, but Costco may very well have everything!

As for what I learned, here we go:

  • Belts look best on people who technically don't need them
  • It is "in" to turn full-length pants into capris with one fold mid-shin (this fad will pass quickly, methinks--especially when paired with gladiator sandals)
  • Everyone is going camping but me
  • Don't pass me 4 times, or you will succumb to my charm
  • My old drama teacher is doing great
  • My friend's son just got back from his honeymoon and needs a refridgerator
  • I am very good at selling other author's books--maybe too good...
  • When pronounced correctly, American children have no interest in eating Daims.
  • Kindles/Nooks kind of rock... even if I still technically prefer books
  • Strangely enough, no one wants to buy a magazine when the magazine rack is positioned behind a signing author
  • If only I had stayed 4 hours longer, I might have run into someone I knew :)

As a side note, Welcome to Stalk Lake City goes to press tomorrow, all new and improved and stuff. I think I'll be up until 2 proifing it, but the good news I finally know what the dedication will be. Nothing felt right until I got it right. And now, I feel peace :)

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Things I Learned From Costco

I had the opportunity to do a signing at the Ogden Costco this evening--my first true, blue signing-- and this is what I learned.

  • Pink is "in" this year--no matter what a fashion magazine may say to the contrary.
  • Those yellow and red cherries with a weird name are totally good!
  • They stock my books between "Twilight" and "Savor the Moment" (Nora Roberts). Chances of people seeing my book? Very high. Chances of them buying it over the competition? Laughable :)
  • People in Ogden are totally nice.
  • Costco sells my book for $8.99. Rock on!
  • "The Passage" is out. I was totally amped to read that book when I first heard about it, but after looking at the 750 pages of itsy-bitsy print, I think I went into a momentary word coma... probably not reading it in the near future...
  • I fidget. Never knew that.
  • And last, but not least, IKEA's "Daim" (which I pronounce da-yim, despite the fact it is incorrect--I believe it to be a more accurate English pronunciation) chocolates are sorely lacking from the diet of Ogden-ites. The campaign to introduce them to this tasty treat must continue :)

More wisdom to come, I'm sure!

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Infinite Days: Bookmark It, and Read It if You Like YA!!


Sometimes I think I have pretty decent writing chops. Then I read a book like this and reconsider.
Rebecca Maizel's debut novel doesn't come out until August, but bookmark it in your mind as one I highly, HIGHLY recommend. While in NY, several agents spoke on how their authors' upcoming books were exceptional. When they were done, some handed out free ARCs. This book was one of them.
More than two weeks passed with this book sitting in my luggage. Tragic, that. Then last night, I started "Infinite Days" at about eleven, just to give the first chapter a peek. I kept reading until the the clock said five a.m. and I had turned the last page.
Love it! And I'm not even into vampires!
"Infinite Days" is the story of a vicious vampire queen who is turned back into a human by her sire after 500 years of being undead. This book never takes the trite, easy road. Just because Lenah is no longer a vampire, it doesn't mean she's a sixteen year-old girl either. She's killed. She's hunted. She's tasted flesh on every continent. More than that, she is the mother/founder of a powerful vampire coven that will search to the ends of the earth until it finds her.
But being able to touch, breath, cry, eat, mourn, and simply care about something/one other than herself is all Lenah has wanted for centuries. And Rhode, the vampire who started her undead existence because he fell in love with her, changes her back to a human for the exact same reason. Because he loves her, and wants her to have the life he stole from her. And as much as Lenah wants that for herself, she still has her memories. She knows who she is, what she's been, and what is coming for her.
And all she can do until her day of reckoning comes is just be human.
LOVED this book. Highly recommend it when it hits shelves this August!

Monday, June 7, 2010

Video Coming Soon!

A big thanks to everyone who came to the park last night while the storm clouds threatened... all bark and no bite, thank goodness!

I'll post a video ASAP, but I just wanted to leave a note of thanks for those who came and those of you that I got to meet for the first time! Cathy, Juleen, Tara, Shani--and people I haven't seen for YEARS like Lori and Marcia. And to thank them is not to leave those of you I see frequently.

Thank you all, and I hope you love the book!

I look forward to your thoughts on the series!!!

Friday, June 4, 2010

BOOK LAUNCH THIS MONDAY, JUNE 7TH!!!


It's time to get down and have some fun. Meet me this Monday in Sugarhouse Park (approx. 2100 South and 1500 East in Salt Lake) for cookies, punch and fun! The whole family is invited with plenty of access to open grass (bring a frisbee!) and a playground. Entertainment in the form of butt-kicking at 7:30, but feel free to drop in anytime between 6:30-9:00 pm to celebrate with me :)
For this special event, "City of Angels" will be $10 even (tax included).

Can't wait to see you there!!!

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE!

TA-DA! It's official. City of Angels is considered a released book. And to celebrate that, ANYONE can win again today... well, anyone who's read Spies, Lies...

I made few changes for the reprint, as you know. One thing I did was drop all the nicknames. So, today's winner will be the one who can say what the nicknames are for these characters:

Paul:
Delores:
Keith:
Jason:

First person wins :):)

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Thursday, June 3, 2010

The Sad Kitty

Days to Launch at Sugarhouse Park: 4 (EEEEK!)

Okay, since the other trivia was too intensive, we'll switch gears to a riddle.

An indian runs at a tiger. The tiger is faster and beats the indian, but the indian is safe anywaybecause one man says so. Who's the man?

Winner gets a FREE book!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

FYI

Happy news! My book is starting to pop up on online sites, such as amazon and barnes & Noble. But for those of you who have emailed me to say that you can't afford books right now, I've listed 2 books as a FREE giveaway on www.goodreads.com.

Click. Enter. Win.

Or, at least, that's the ideal scenario :)

Just thought I would let you know. Yesterday's question is still open, so scroll on down. If you're waiting for tomorrow's, though, that will be coming in a matter of hours!