F³A: Teen Read Week Wrap Up! Drabble Winner!

I want to thank everyone who entered my Drabble Contest!! I received so many good entries, spooky, creepy, funny, eerie, it was hard to pick a winner, but I did. The winner is Andrea Stanet!! Congrats Andrea. I liked her entry, titled Just Because, because it was creepy, but it also made me giggle. Here's her entry.

Just Because by Andrea Stanet

After the season premiere of Zombie Hunters, Karen walked Marlene across the back yard, halfway home. 

“The one thing that has never happened, and can never happen, in human history is the one thing you’re afraid of,” Karen teased.

“Just because it has never happened doesn’t mean it can’t.”

The bushes at the edge of the woods rustled. Karen’s head whipped around. “What was that?”

“Ha ha. Don’t try to scare me.”

They parted. 

A moment later, Marlene heard a scream, several moans and wet slurps.

It sucked being right all the time. She ran inside and barricaded the door.

Andrea wins a signed ARC of Danny Mark's Velveteen, a signed marred copy of Never Eighteen, bookmarks for both books, I'm going to throw some other 2k12 swag in there too. So congrats to Andrea!!! yay.

Friday Scribbles:

Next Pandora Song (Beck Station): The Hardest Button to Button by the White Stripes

 

 Book of the Week: An Unbalanced Line by me. Because it feels like I've been revising it forever and it's the only book I can concentrate on right now.

Netflix/Redbox of the Week: All I have to say is this right now, "What's TV?"

Quote of the week:  “Often, a school is your best bet-perhaps not for education but certainly for protection from an undead attack.” ― Max Brooks, The Zombie Survival Guide

Have a great weekend. I know I will. I'm getting my Halloween on! 

 

Teen Read Week: Favorite Teen Books I've Read This Year

This year I've not read as much as I would have liked to, but I've read a bit. Come on though! I've been revising two books, trying to find an agent, keep up with two teenagers, including teaching one to drive, and have taken on more projects than any normal human should.

BUT, I have read some, and of these some, here are my favorites:

Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay. This is a novel in verse about a girl forced to move to a beach home with her mother after her parents split. She's having to come to terms with the move, making new friends, her relationships back home, her mother's depression, and the reasons behind her parents problems. It's very moving and Sarah's poetry is flowing and beautiful. It was so good I read it in one day.

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges. This is the first in a trilogy, in fact the second just came out recently (like 9 days ago). Admittedly, you need to be patient in the beginning because while it's paranormal it's authentically historic and introducing the characters and getting used to the way they interact takes a little getting used to, at least for me. Once the story got into full swing, which is about a necromancer in Russia having to deal with all sorts of paranormal creatures as well as coming to terms with her own gift (or is that a curse?), I couldn't put it down.

Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt. The book is astounding. It's about a boy struggling to get along in a new town, new school with a jerk brother, an even jerkier dad, a sad mom, and another brother coming back forever injured from Vietnam. He finds solace in the library among Audubon's birds.

The Wicked and the Just by J Anderson Coats. I'm not a historical fiction person, in fact, I'm not sure I've ever read a historical fiction book in my life. Once I picked this one up though, I couldn't put it down. I'm also amazed by how much research had to have gone into this novel. It's apparent that Ms. Coats did her homework. As she describes it, Medieval Girls Gone Bad. Love it.

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf. I've always loved mysteries. I devoured my way through Agatha Christie, Dennis Lehane, and Harlan Coben novels. So bring mystery to YA and I'm all over it. Allie is in a car crash which kills her boyfriend, but she can't remember a thing. Through the book, and as her memories start coming back to her, we're given glimpses of her abusive relationship, and start to wonder, as Allie does, if she had something to do with the accident.




Velveteen by Danny Marks. This book is awesome. Velvet is murdered by a serial killer then lives her afterlife in an ash covered Purgatory. What she really wants to do is haunt her killer to death, instead she's stuck trying to find a way to stop a soul rebellion before it destroys the world of the living. She's got her work cut out for her. Tim Burton should make this into a movie. But one of his good movies, not one of his bad movies.



 Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. I don't think I really need to say anything here. LOVE.

I've read lots of other good books, but these are the ones that are stand outs for me this year. Tomorrow I think I'll talk about favorite YA books EVA!!!

Don't forget my Drabble contest ends tonight at 5 pm PST! I've got some good entries. It's going to be a tough competition!

Teen Read Week: Author Visit Fun! And don't forget my drabble contest!!!

For Teen Read Week I was invited, along with Helen Landalf (Flyaway), Kendare Blake (Anna Dressed in Blood and Girl of Nightmares, and Chelsea Campbell (The Rise of Renegade X) to the Burien Library. We introduced our books, and read a little bit. We had a great crowd of teens there, readers and writers alike. They asked a bunch of great questions about our books, our writing process, and the publishing process. It was a lot of fun. I love doing visits with teens and writers.

Tomorrow night I get to go to the Olympia Barnes and Noble with Helen, Marissa Meyer (Cinder), Kiki Hamilton (The Faerie Ring and Torn Wing), Kevin Emerson (The Oliver Nocturne Series), and Mikko Azul (Askari). It starts at 5:30, so if you're in the area, come on by.

I've spearheaded many events for our local young adult and middle grade writers. We'll soon have a website up and running. If you're interested in having a group of writers come to your book store, library, school, or book club, send me an email.

For more information on Teen Read Week visit the website.

And don't forget to enter my Drabble contest if you haven't, visit the contest post for details. There are GREAT prizes to be won!!

Teen Read Week Contest is ON!!

My Halloween/Drabble contest has begun. If you didn't read my blog last week, I'm giving away some great prizes, and today I'm sweetening the pot for all you writers out there.

First off, I will once again explain Drabble. A drabble is a short work of fiction, exactly one hundred words in length (I may be lenient with that), not necessarily including the title. Here's a site that talks a little about drabble, and here are some examples.

I'm giving away a signed ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of fellow 2k12er and Apocalyptie Danny Mark's Velveteen, which is truly awesome. I've read it, I love it. So will you. I'm also giving away a bit of a marred copy (it's got the title page ripped out because I messed up on the spelling of someone's name) of Never Eighteen, also signed. I have a Never Eighteen poster I will sign. I'm throwing in Never Eighteen and Velveteen bookmarks, and a bunch of 2k12 and Apocalyptie swag.

And I"m ADDING...your choice...a query critique or a 10 page manuscript critique. I know 10 pages doesn't seem like a lot, but you can actually get a good sense of a person's writing in 10 pages. Okay? 

Where do you send your entry? Click here or send it to meganbosticbooks (at) gmail (dot) com. (you know, replace the stuff in parenthesis with the symbols. I'm shutting it down 5 pm Thursday, announcing the winner Friday right here on my blog. Maybe on my Youtube. Probably on my Facebook. More than likely on my Twitter.

Get on it folks, I already have one entry!!!

F³A: Contest Next Week: Win Danny Marks Velveteen Arc!!!

I'm announcing this now so you can get your thinking caps on because it's a writing contest. Don't worry. You don't need to write much. It's a Drabble contest. What's Drabble you say? Well let me tell you. A drabble is a short work of fiction, exactly one hundred words in length (I may be lenient with that), not necessarily including the title.

What will you win? As I said in the title, I've got Danny Marks ARC of Velveteen, signed. I've got a messed up copy of Never Eighteen, and when I say messed up, it means I messed up on the signing (spelled the name wrong) so I ripped that page out. So I will now sign it to you. I also have a signed Never Eighteen poster and Velveteen and Never Eighteen bookmarks and other swag.

Why am I holding this awesome contest you ask? Well in honor of Teen Read Week of course. And what is Teen Read Week?  It's a program put on by the Young Adult Library Services Association. It's a time to celebrate reading for fun and encourage teens to take advantage of reading in all its forms —books and magazines, e-books, audiobooks and more — and become regular library users.

So, how do you enter? Write a piece of Drabble with a Scary/Halloween theme, it can be scary, funny, gross, whatever. Send it to my email meganbosticbooks (at) gmail . com Monday-Thursday of next week. All entries must be in by Thursday 5 pm Pacific time. I will announce the winner on my Friday morning blog.

Spread the word. I'd prefer not to get 2 entries.

Friday Scribbles

Next Pandora Song: The Way We Get By by Spoon

Book of the Week: Velveteen of course

Netflix of the Week: Friday Night Lights Season Three. Will Smash get in to Texas Tech? Don't tell me.

Quote of the Week: "People want to know why I do this, why I write such gross stuff. I like to tell them I have the heart of a small boy... and I keep it in a jar on my desk." ~ Stephen King

Cinder Release Party

Last night was Marissa Meyer's release party for her sci-fi twisted retelling of Cinderella, Cinder. If you've not heard of it, um, you may want to come out from under your rock. Marissa is from MY home town which makes her extra cool to me. She's also an Apocalypsie, so I got to meet her prior to her release (there are about six Apocalypsies in this area alone which is very cool and we try to meet once a month).

She had a grassroots campaign for the ladies to sport red heels (or other red shoes, I wore wedges, my friend Kristin wore red tennis shoes). Many came out to support her and her book, including my publicist (which was awesome) J Anderson Coats (The Wicked and the Just, April 2012, Harcourt Children's Books), Jennifer Wolf (Breaking Beautiful, April 2012, Walker Books for Young Readers), and Danny Marks (Velveteen, Fall 2012, Delacorte).

Marissa's Publicist from NY came all the way for the party!!

Marissa talked a little about her journey (she gave my release party a shout out which was SO sweet of her), had a friend do a reading from the book, then did a signing (the line was soooo long Danny went through three pieces of cake, I had to take off my death shoes, and we were all delirious by the time we reached the head of the line, but it was well worth the wait).

And, um, they gave away wicked swag.

And today? Marissa is on a nationwide tour to promote her book!!!! Here are the dates. If you're in these areas you should check it out.

January 4: Cincinnati, OH
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
7:00 p.m.

January 6: Chapel Hill, NC
Flyleaf Books
7:00 p.m.

January 8: Lynnwood, WA
Barnes & Noble
2:00 p.m.

January 9: Twitter and Facebook!!
Virtual Cinder Launch Party, being hosted with Figment Fiction
More info to come.

January 11: Salt Lake City, UT
The King's English Bookshop
7:00 p.m.

January 12: Provo, UT
Provo City Library
7:00 p.m.

January 23: Naperville, IL
Anderson's Bookshop
7:00 p.m.
Note: Megan Miranda, author of FRACTURE, will also be at this event!

January 24: Petaluma, CA
Copperfield's Books
3:00 p.m.

January 26: San Francisco, cA
Books Inc. “Not Your Mother’s Book Club” at Opera Plaza
7:00 p.m.
Note: Megan Miranda (FRACTURE) and Daisy Whitney (THE RIVALS) will also be at this event!

January 27: Portland, OR
Powell's Books
7:00 p.m.
Note: Megan Miranda, author of FRACTURE, will also be at this event!

February 10-14: Vancouver and Victoria, BC, Canada
Details TBD

February 25: Long Beach, CA
Passion and Prose Convention
http://www.passionandprose.org/


April 14: Houston, TX
TeenBookCon
http://www.teenbookcon.org
(Other Texas events TBD)

I want to congratulate Marissa who's awesome and sweet and adorable. If you missed her release party and would like to meet her, you may catch a glimpse of her at my party January 17 at the Tacoma Library Wheelock branch.

Monkey Madness Monday

I'm back after a short hiatus from regular blogging.  I'm coming off my exhaustion (I think). I was tested for Anemia and Hypothyroidism, and it's neither of those things.  So I think my doc was right and it's just a case of exhaustion.

I'm still tired, but the last day I had to sleep half the day was last Wednesday, and I've not napped since the week before last.  I'm hoping that I can get back to the exercise and getting healthy.  I'm so tired of being tired.

Enough about that.  Yesterday I was on a panel at Northwest Bookfest with my fellow Harbingers of Doom Marissa Burt (Storybound), J. Anderson Coats (The Wicked and the Just), and Danny Marks (Velveteen).  Our panel was about the Terrible Truth from Conception to Publication.  We had a big crowd and had lots of questions asked.  So, I think it was a success.  The Harbingers had fun looking at the booths and talking to other writers and editors.

It made me excited about revisions again.  I'm really slogging through them, but I'll get them done.

One more thing, I don't know if you guys know I vlog, but I'd love to have more subscribers on my youtube channel.  I've got a couple advice videos, some book reviews, I vlogged my journey to publication, and now I'm vlogging about my middle aged angst.  Click here for my channel.

If you subscribe, I'll send you a signed bookmark.  Just comment below and I'll get your details.

Catch ya later,

Megan