July 2009
Enjoy! Stephanie Morrill
1 July 2009
Looking for another opportunity to win a signed book? Check out this promotion Christian Review of Books did for me. There’s an interview, character sketches of Skylar, Connor, Jodi, Eli, and Abbie, an incredibly nice review, and an article about why you don’t have to be a teenager to get into a YA book. I’ll be giving away two signed copies through the site, so be sure to enter your name and tell your friends!
Speaking of signed books, I’ve been signing a lot recently and have discovered that very awkward moment when you finish, hand the book back to the person, and they immediately look to see what you wrote. Lots of writers have come up with cute taglines or Bible verses, but I haven’t come up with anything that I’d feel comfortable ALWAYS using. So I’m generally going with “Enjoy! Stephanie Morrill.” Not clever, I grant you, but I’m pretty sure I’ll still be comfortable with it ten years from now. And there’s not a whole lot to make fun of.
This whole “What do I write???” debate reminded me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry is in a diner on the road when he gets recognized. He only has one headshot with him and signs it, “Nothing’s finer than eating in your diner,” or words to that effect. Elaine makes fun of him, so he decides he wants it back. But of course he can’t redo it because he doesn’t have any other headshots, and the proprietor thinks it’s funny and won’t give it back.
At least a headshot you can just toss. What happens if I get nervous, over think my signature, and screw up? Then what do I do? Tear out the page? Buy the person a new book? Hopefully this can remain a hypothetical question. That I can complete a task as simple as signing my name.
So if you’re coming to the book signing (Saturday July 11th from 1 to 3pm at Barnes and Noble in Oak Park Mall) and have something in particular you’d like me to write inside your book, don’t be afraid to just tell me. Otherwise you’ll be getting “Enjoy! Stephanie Morrill” along with everyone else.
My Seventh Grade Radio Dreams Come True
1 July 2009
I had my first radio interview yesterday, which was really, really cool. And I found out about it only two hours before we recorded, so I didn’t have much time to feel nervous. I only stumbled once when I realized, “I should have stopped talking about five words ago. Sheri” (My media training coach) “told me to keep my answers short. Of course now I’ve already started this thought, so I need to finish it … did I just leave a big silence out there? Quick, finish your sentence!”
Since it wasn’t a live interview, I’m hoping Mix 93.3 will be generous and cut my answer off where I should have been smart enough to. If not, you can hear me bumble around this Sunday morning at 6:30am.
McKenna is up in her crib chanting, “Hop! Hop!” so I think it’s safe to say she’s done with her morning nap. Time to post this puppy and rescue her.
Don’t forget to enter your names at Christian Review of Books and So Many Books, So Little Time to win free books! Have a great Thursday everyone!
Book Friday – This Lullaby, Sarah Dessen
2 July 2009
So five books deep in my to-read stack is Along for the Ride, Sarah Dessen’s latest. Sarah Dessen is easily my favorite writer. I know this because she’s the only author whose books I buy without even reading the description. (I didn’t know I did this until Along for the Ride showed up a couple days ago and it occurred to me that I had no idea what it was about.)
The first Sarah Dessen book I read was This Lullaby back in 2004, and it’s remained my favorite. I had just completed my first YA novel and thought I needed to research the market a bit. I went to the book store, saw this Sarah Dessen chick had quite a few books out, and happened to grab This Lullaby.
I don’t remember how long it took me to read the book, but it was a matter of days. I loved cold, hard Remy. I adored Dexter. And I remember sitting in our kitchen and bawling because the book I’d written was nowhere NEAR as good as Sarah’s. Actually, I’ve never done anything with that manuscript. I tucked it away, took some time off to think of a new idea (something Sarah-worthy), and reread This Lullaby. I even started acting a little bit like Remy, keeping my car insanely neat and stopping by QuikTrip for Cokes. (I did not go so far as to switch to Diet Coke.)
So if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading a Sarah Dessen novel yet, I highly recommend This Lullaby. I’ve read it at least five times, and writing this has made me itchy to read it another. Perhaps it’ll move to the number six spot on my to-read list.
Hope everyone has a great holiday weekend!
Where do you get your ideas?
6 July 2009
Stephen King has a great quote regarding his friendships with other writers. He says, “We are writers, and we never ask one another where we get our ideas; we know we don’t know.”
In my limited formal interviews, I haven’t been asked this specific question, but I’ve been asked, “What was your inspiration to write Me, Just Different?”
This is a really tough question to answer. Particularly when I’m doing a 3-minute radio interview and could ramble on for a good ten minutes.
Some ideas, like Stephen King said, I really don’t know. Like in the Ross family, all the boys’ names start with C, and so the little boys decided to name their dog Kevin, but spelled Cevin so he fits into the family. I don’t know where that came from. (The fact that he pees on people when they pet him came from the Jack Russell Terrier I had in high school.)
Other ideas get ripped from my real life and then honed into fiction. Like the book is set in Kansas City because at the time I lived in Orlando and was crazy homesick for it. Skylar and her friends mostly live in the suburb Fairway because I’ve always wanted to live there.
The idea for two sisters who are both beautiful but look totally different from one another comes from my cousins. Their mother is Korean (or half Korean, maybe) and their father is Caucasian. The oldest one looks similar to her mother and the younger similar to her father. Skylar’s mother, instead of being Korean, is Hawaiian because Ben and I vacationed in Hawaii during one of the Me, Just Different drafts.
Eli’s character came from students I saw in my own youth group days, who came to church just because their parents wanted them to. Their lives at school never reflected what they learned at youth group or on Sunday mornings.
I know I’ve said this in written interviews before, but Skylar’s conflict with Jodi—them liking the same guys and the same guys liking each of them back—came from a middle school situation with me and one of my best friends, Jodi. Though real life Jodi is incredibly nice, so she and character Jodi have basically nothing in common. (Until later books … just a little teaser for ya…)
So there’s a partial answer about what inspired me to write Me, Just Different. I doubt I’ll give this answer Wednesday morning during my first TV interview. If you’re in the Kansas City area, it’s on Channel 4 and scheduled for 8:50 a.m. Yes, it’s live. Yes, I’m nervous. Prayers please!
A Success Story
6 July 2009
I’m on Twitter. And every once in a while when I “tweet” (gosh, I hate that expression), mine posts right above my idol, Sarah Dessen. She’s on a massive book tour right now, so my tweets often look kinda lame next to hers. Like last Wednesday I posted that my book was officially out. Ten minutes before, Sarah had posted that her latest book was featured on Good Morning America.
It’s really important—and I’m still trying to figure out exactly how to accomplish this—not to compare yourself to others. Now, Sarah’s been a published author for about twelve years, so that’s not too hard. But in twelve years, if my book isn’t mentioned on GMA, I can totally see myself thinking, “I’m a failure compared to Sarah.”
We—okay, forget that. I have visions of what success looks like. Right now that vision is fairly low scale. Success looks like bookstores actually carrying my book. Success looks like someone who doesn’t know me, who doesn’t know my parents or in-laws, actually picking one up and buying it because it looks interesting.
But my vision doesn’t always line up with God’s vision for me. I thought He should publish me at eighteen. I thought that would be an excellent testimony to His Glory. (Insert me rolling my eyes here.) I also thought He should publish me before we started having kids. Made more sense to me to get my career going, and then do the whole mom thing. He instead got the ball rolling when McKenna was a week old.
God has been present in my journey to publication. Even my agent has said on more than once that it’s a miracle I got published. God has plans for Skylar, but it doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed a spot on a best seller list, or that Skylar and Connor will be the next Bella and Jacob (quiet, Twilight fans).
About a month ago, I discovered Hebrews 6:10-12 and now keep it posted on my computer to remind me of my focus. It says, “God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
If I keep my focus on God and give Him my best, I’ll succeed in the way that matters. And the same goes for you.
Have a wonderful Tuesday, everyone!
First TV interview
8 July 2009
This morning I had my first TV interview. It lasted maybe two minutes. The combination of it, a lousy night’s sleep, and caring for McKenna has totally zapped my energy. So today I’m being lazy and just posting a link for the interview. Here it is. Enjoy!
Book Updates for The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt
9 July 2009
I’ve had a couple people ask me questions about progress for books two and three in the Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series, so here’s an update.
Book two, Out with the In Crowd, will release this January. Right now it’s in the galley stage. My copy editor—God bless her—has read through it and found all my inconsistencies and made suggestions for word changes or dialogue tweaks. So now I’m reading through the galleys, making her changes, and then doing whatever tweaking I want as well. This is kinda my last chance to make changes. After this, the book gets put into page proofs, and changes get a lot more expensive, so we only change what’s absolutely necessary. Mostly typos, though in the page proofs for Me, Just Different I discovered Lisa wearing both butterfly wings and cat whiskers to Fall Ball. I made Lisa pick one. (Though it’s so Lisa to not be able to make up her mind.)
Book three, So Over It, comes out next July. My editor has read and approved the manuscript, so it should be moving onto my copy editor in the coming months. I’m especially excited for So Over It to release. I have no idea why, but I enjoyed every second of writing that book. Okay, there were maybe one or two seconds in there when I was like, “Ugh! I don’t know what to do now!” but in general it was a story that really came together easily.
So that’s what’s going on with the rest of the series. We’re just a week or two away from Out with the In Crowd being available for pre-order. I’ll post cover art as soon as I can!
Book Friday - The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
10 July 2009
When I bought the The Princess Diaries I expected to dislike it. I think I’m the one person in the world who thought the movie was cheesy and stinky. Not that it didn’t have redeeming qualities, particulary if you viewed it as a kids’ movie. But I wasn’t impressed, and I expected to feel the same way as about the book. (Which, by the way, I bought for research. You can’t be a YA writer and not read something by Meg Cabot.)
I loved it. I think Meg Cabot should be outraged by what Disney did to her witty, quirky book. (Maybe she secretly is, I don’t know.) And why on earth is the movie set in San Francisco? The book takes place in New York City, and Meg’s love for her city is so clear through all the pages. I’ve read the first three in the series (there’s at least ten) and thought all were fabulously fun reads. Mia Thermopolis is one of my all-time favorite narrators.
So if by chance there are other people turned off by the movie, give the book a chance. As usual, it’s way, way better.
Book Signing Musings
12 July 2009
Thank you to everyone who came out to the book signing on Saturday! I hear the line was quite long—and I saw a few pictures to prove it—but I was so focused on signing that I didn’t notice. All I noticed was that I’d been signing non-stop for quite some time. Barnes and Noble did an awesome job. Aside from not having enough books, that is, but they apologized for it and said when I’m back in January to sign for book two, they’ll be prepared. (And being me, half of me was like, “Yay!” and the other half was like, “What if they order way too many and they’re disappointed???”)
One of my best friends from middle school showed up, and a group of girls I went to high school with. They were actually some of the first people there, and seeing them reminded me of one of the principle reasons I love writing young adult fiction. They’re still them. Sure they’re older, they’ve evolved and matured, and somehow all of them were even prettier. But Hilary’s still clever and moves with grace (Alice Cullen has nothing on you, girl!). Megan is still lively and funny. Christine is still enthusiastic and encouraging. Alison is still as sweet as they come. And I imagine whatever adjectives they might have used to describe me in middle and high school at least somewhat still apply.
It’s funny because back then, I thought of my adult life as a separate entity. As if who I was in those years wouldn’t come with me. I don’t mean to say I haven’t changed at all—Dear Lord, what a depressing thought that would be!—but they’re subtle, inner changes.
I feel like I should have some kind of closing point to all that, but I don’t really have one. I guess all I’m trying to say is the sooner you embrace who you are, the better off you’ll be. It’d have been less frustrating if I accepted in high school that I’d never be the bold, who-cares-what-they-think, trendsetter type. But of course I’m not suggesting you use your personality as some kind of crutch, like, “I can’t help it, this is just who I am. It’s not my fault it hurts your feelings when I say whatever’s on my mind.”
I think it’s Max Lucado who says (and this is a very loose quote) “God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to leave you that way.” God doesn’t mind that I’m quiet, He designed me, but He wants me to be bold, step out in faith and do the work He’s asked of me.
Okay, I feel like I’ve now opened up a new thing instead of tying up my thoughts about my middle and high school friends. McKenna’s waking up, and I’ll use that as my cue to wind down.
I’ll have pictures of the book signing up in a couple days!
Book signing pictures
13 July 2009
This is a link to pictures from the book signing. It was so fun to look through them and see lots of familiar and unfamiliar faces.
I still can’t believe how well it went. I’m so grateful to everyone who came out, and for the e-mails I’m getting about how much people are enjoying the book. (If you’re not enjoying it, you can keep that to yourself. Some things I don’t need to know.)
Hope everyone is having a wonderful Tuesday!
Confession Time : I’m obsessed with Rachael Ray
15 July 2009
I love cooking and used to watch the Food Network all the time. This was pre-McKenna, pre-house, and pre-writing deadlines, so I liked to watch the chefs who made more difficult things.
Then I acquired a house, a baby, and a writing career within a couple months of each other. For a while, I insisted on continuing to cook the way I used to. This made for a lot of grumpy evenings around our house. Good food, but lousy attitudes.
And then I discovered Rachael Ray.
I had never watched Rachael’s show. I hadn’t wanted meals that took only thirty minutes, I wanted the ones that took an hour and thirty. But one day she came on after Paula Deen, and what she was making looked pretty good. And thirty minutes from start to finish sounded pretty good too, so I gave it a try. I don’t even remember what it was now, but it was good. And it turns out, I really didn’t miss all that extra time in the kitchen.
All those things that used to irk me about Rachael quickly vanished. I watched faithfully every day, checked a couple of her cookbooks out from the library, and received a few for my birthday. My family laughs at me (“Stephanie, why are you using tongs for that?” “Because Rachael does.”) but I don’t care at all. She cured me of all my hours in the kitchen, and she’s created a dependable product. I know I’ll like what I make. I know I can make it in 30 minutes. (Okay, the first time it’s often 30 ish , but that’s because I re-read the recipe a thousand times.)
And I really hope I can be the kind of author that Rachael is chef. I know that’s kind of a weird segue, sorry if it only makes sense in my brain! I hope to be the kind of author readers can depend on. Sarah Dessen is that kind of author for me. I know I’ll love whatever she writes, from her blog to her latest release. I feel that way about Jodi Picoult too. Guaranteed good reads. That’s a tough thing to accomplish, especially in today’s publishing world where your deadlines get squeezed together. Anybody have any authors like that who I should try out? I’m always looking for more!
In closing, a quick moment of blatant self-promotion. If you live in the Kansas City area, and have read or plan on reading Me, Just Different in the next couple weeks, Southwoods Christian Church in Overland Park is hosting a book discussion. I’ll be there to chat and sign books, there’ll be food, and it sounds like it’ll be an all-around good time. Details here.
Is it Good Enough Yet?
15 July 2009
Today I’m redirecting you to a guest blog I did for Enchanting YA this week.
This is actually my first foray into guest blogging, and I wasn’t really sure if I should talk about reading or writing. I couldn’t think of anything very interesting to say about reading, so I went with writing. And even so, I don’t know that it’s terribly interesting. (I’m quite the salesman, aren’t I? You’re just dying to click that link now!)
Hope everyone’s enjoying their Thursday!
Book Friday - Just Another Girl, Melody Carlson
16 July 2009
Since I’m done judging the contest I’ve alluded (eluded? It’s Friday – I’m too lazy to look it up) to a couple times, I can now actually talk about what I’m reading – yay! I’m about halfway through Melody Carlson’s latest release, Just Another Girl. Melody, according to the bio, has authored nearly 200 books, but this is the first one I’ve read. Which makes me feel a little behind the times. I often feel that way, I’m getting used to it.
I love the main character, Aster. I could tell right away that I’d want to pummel anybody who hurt her and, yep. Pretty much hate her mom and older sister. I actually snarled at them a chapter or two ago.
This week, in preparation for book club discussion, I re-read/skimmed The Apothecary’s Daughter by Julie Klassen, which was my first Book Day book on this blog. It was even better the second time. Seriously. READ that book.
Hope everyone enjoys their weekend!
A free book courtesy of the fabulous Trish Perry
19 July 2009
Still interested in winning a free book? Check out the interview I did on Trish Perry’s site (it’s on the homepage, you just scroll slightly to find it). To get entered in the drawing, leave a comment.
Hope everyone’s having a great day!
A 19-month-old perspective
20 July 2009
On Sunday, we took McKenna to Deanna Rose Farmstead, which is an amazing, free petting zoo with gardens, playgrounds, and all kinds of fun activities for kids. McKenna’s 19-months-old, and I think it’s about the happiest she’s ever been in her little life. She’d run up to all the animals and say, “Hi!” Sometimes she’d make their noise too. “Hi! Baa!” She wasn’t keen on feeding the animals, but she loved being in the pen with the baby goats and petting them. (Then the problem was she wanted to go into all the animal pens.)
There’s something really magical about doing things like that with a toddler, about experiencing cows and chickens through their eyes. I recognize that it’s necessary to grow out of the everything-is-fascinating stage. I can only imagine how little work I’d get done if I behaved like McKenna at my desk. I think my internal monologue would go something like this. “A pen! Look, a pen! Can I get the top off? No. But what a cool sound it makes when I bang it against the desk! Or when I bang it against the wall! Or when— Ooh, a fan! Look at the fan!” And so on.
But it’s nice, for an afternoon, to get into that mindset and make a fuss over every baby goat, chicken, and blade of grass you see.
In other news, Edgy Christian Fiction Lovers is featuring Me, Just Different right now. On the left, you’ll find a blurb about the book along with a review by Michelle Sutton.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Who am I? Um … Well …
21 July 2009
So here’s a question I detest getting asked in small group settings. The, “Who are you?” question. I’ve had this happen twice. It drives me crazy. I inevitably end up saying something like, “Well … I’m a mom, and a wife, and a daughter, and a pet owner….” Once I was asked, “What if you couldn’t define yourself in relation to anything else?”
Uh…
And while I abhor trying to have this thought process in front of an audience, however small, it brought something important to mind. If you take away how I relate to everybody and everything else (Mom, wife, home owner, etc.) there’s really not much left of me. Just my inner stuff. Which isn’t really meant to be expressed in an icebreaker session, you know?
Thinking all that was one of the first times that I really felt like I’m nothing apart from God. I knew that already, I’ve said it countless times, but in that moment it really hit home, and I got a glimpse of who I am when you strip everything away.
But still. Enough with forcing me to answer that question in one minute or less in front of others.
In Skylar news, Out with the In Crowd is officially available for pre-order! It’s up on Revell’s site along with all the other normal places, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, ChristianBook.com, Borders.com. You know. Places you can buy books. Eventually I’ll have the first chapter up so you can get a sneak peek. Stay tuned for details.
Hope everyone’s enjoying their Wednesday!
Turns out there’s a lot of you…
22 July 2009
So months ago, my web guy sent me information on how to check the hits on my site. I thanked him, then archived the information. Ben has wanted to check, particularly to see how many read my blog each day. But I was like, “No. I’ll see that only you and my mom are reading, and I’ll start slacking off.” He finally wore me down.
I won’t give specific numbers, but many more than my mom and Ben are reading. Which is awesome. And frankly a little surprising, though you won’t hear me complaining. Knowing that people are actually reading, however, has given me an extra dose of nerves as I post. I’d planned on talking about how McKenna dips her cucumbers in ketchup, which seems totally weird, but I dip my broccoli in mayonnaise, so maybe I’m not in a position to judge. Now that topic seems trite.
In news you might actually care about, yesterday my community paper, The Johnson County Sun, ran the interview I did a few weeks ago. (It appeared in the Kansas City, Missouri paper before the book signing, but apparently couldn’t get squeezed into the Kansas paper until yesterday’s issue.) Those who are interested can read the article here.
Thanks for reading, guys.
Book Friday – Courting Emma, Sharlene MacLaren
24 July 2009
I recently read Courting Emma by Sharlene MacLaren and loved it. (I think I start out every Book Friday with a variation of this sentence. From here on out, let’s just have an understanding that if I’m talking about a book on BF, it’s because I think it’s worth talking about.)
My friend, Roseanna, loves Sharlene and kept telling me I needed to pick up one of her books. I wound up with the third in the Little Hickman series, though it’s so well written I didn’t even realize this until I was halfway through the book. Emma is a delightful, yet heartbreaking narrator and reading her journey was definitely an experience. When I finished Courting Emma, I felt mildly depressed all afternoon, but I couldn’t figure out why since the book has such a wonderful, satisfying end. And then I realized that I missed Emma and Jon.
That takes a skilled writer. I will definitely read another Sharlene MacLaren book!
My girl, the future audiophile/tune-deaf rockstar
27 July 2009
Very proud moment happened today in the Morrill house.
It actually started on Friday. McKenna and I were attempting to navigate the streets of Kansas City (is it just me, or is everything under construction right now???) and “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand came on the radio. I know it’s like five years old, but I still love that song. I cranked it up and was singing along, when I suddenly noticed I wasn’t singing along. Every time Alex Kapranos sang, “Take me out!” McKenna would chime in, “Out!”
My excitement at that moment rivaled when she was 10 months old, pointed at KC’s tennis ball and said, “Ball!”
Then today, I had the radio on while we ate lunch and Franz came on again. This time, however, it was their latest, “No You Girls.” As soon as Alex started singing, McKenna looked at me and said, “Out!”
I was way impressed and have since been entertaining fantasies about McKenna becoming some kind of audiophile who will help keep me “with it” as I get older. (I would hope for her to become a rock star, but I’ve heard the girl sing. She’s as tune-deaf as I am.)
Hope everyone’s week is starting off well!
A Chance to Win a Free Book
27 July 2009
So I just discovered that on Powell’s web site, when you create an account with them, you can sign up to receive a book review a day in your inbox. Do I need suggestions for more books to read? Probably not, but I’m still crazy excited about this.
I have another opportunity for you guys to win a free book. Erica Vetsch, my first writing buddy, interviewed me on her blog today. We met as unpublished writers and received our contracts within months of each other. Pretty cool, huh? Erica’s debut novel is available for pre-order here. I planned on chatting about how Erica and I met, but she talks about it on her post, so I’ll just stop talking and let you read the interview.
Mom was right – you can’t please everybody
29 July 2009
As a kid, I loved being the center of attention. And since I’m an only child, this happened quite frequently. Somewhere along the way—I’m not sure when—I decided I’d rather hang out on the sidelines. I still feel that way. I’m more comfortable over here, and the quieter I stay, the smaller the chance is that I’ll embarrass myself. (Though I still manage to do that fairly frequently.)
Today I read a review for Me, Just Different that has me feeling a strange mix of embarrassed, misunderstood, and like I want to run back for those sidelines. The review was largely nice. Sounds like the reader enjoyed the book, enjoyed the characters, and enjoyed the conflict, but did not enjoy the quietness of the spiritual thread. As in she would have preferred the book end with Skylar leading all her friends in the sinner’s prayer. And I know book reviews are about books and not authors, but, you know … ouchie.
My general market audience will often find my books too spiritual, too judgmental. My extreme Christian audience will wonder why I don’t mention Jesus by name. I’ve read really Christian books I loved (Lisa Samson’s Quaker Summer comes to mind) and really Christian books I’ve hated. I don’t have a problem reading them, I just have a problem writing them. Same as I have problems writing stories that ignore God’s existence. And it’s how I’ve somehow landed myself in the middle. Kinda like Esther in the Bible. God’s name isn’t on a single page of it, but His hand is all over it.
So, for the record: Mom, you were totally right. I can’t please everybody. What I do needs to be for an audience of One.
My Unreliable Review of The Proposal
30 July 2009
A couple nights ago, I went to see The Proposal with my friend, Kelli. It was the first time I’ve been to the movie with a girl friend in years. I think the last time was high school. I went with my friend Ashley, but it was so long ago I can’t even remember what we saw. Kelli’s a working mom too, so it actually took both of our husbands nagging us for about a month before we finally got out of the house to see the movie that seemingly everybody I know has been raving about.
I expected to be disappointed. (My pessimistic nature rears its head once again.) But seriously. Haven’t we all experienced that thing where everybody is talking about how good something is, then you read/watch it expecting to be wowed but wind up underwhelmed?
I don’t know that my review can be trusted (maybe it was just the euphoria of being at a girl-movie with a fellow-girl), but I thought The Proposal was hilarious. I laughed all through it, I loved the characters, and the ending was sweet and satisfying. Definitely worth seeing.
As a side note, one of the movie previews was New Moon. When it started, about half the girls in the theater went, “Woo-woo!” While I didn’t “Woo-woo!” aloud, I did “Woo-woo!” in my mind. Hurry up, November!
As another side note, don’t forget to head to Erica Vetsch’s blog where you have a chance to win a free copy of Me, Just Different. Just one more day until she draws the name.
Happy Thursday everyone!
Book Friday – So Not Happening, Jenny B. Jones
30 July 2009
Is Jenny the first author to be featured twice on Book Friday? I’m pretty sure she is.
Since I loved the Katie Parker series, and I love Jenny’s blog, it really came as no surprise to me that I loved So Not Happening. I think Bella would be difficult to relate to except she is getting such a raw deal. She’s lived a posh NYC life for sixteen years, but when her parents split, her mom marries a guy she meets on the internet who lives in a dinky town Oklahoma. To me, this entitles Bella to be however much of a brat she wants.
So Not Happening has every characteristic I’ve come to love in Jenny’s books—an effortless flow that keeps me turning pages, a wit that makes me laugh out loud, and wonderful, cringe-worthy catastrophes that make me both wince and chuckle. A wonderful summer read for anybody who wants to forget that school starts in just a couple weeks. If you want to try it before you can buy it (and why wouldn’t you, really?) you can read the first chapter of all Jenny’s books here.