2009 Deb Stacey Jay has a new YA novel out today:
What if you got a second chance to fix your worst mistake?
What if you found out miracles could happen?
What if you found out that sometimes, miracles are curses in disguise…
One girl, two boys, and one very scary piece of jewelry.
Read the prologue here. Congrats to Stacey! This looks like a fabulous book!
The 2009 Debs are celebrating L.K. Madigan’s wonderful books to support her fight against cancer. This past week Lisa shared her very difficult news on her blog.
To show our love and support for her, we’re giving away 40 sets of her two novels over on the 2009 Debs website. Each winner will receive both Flash Burnout and The Mermaid’s Mirror. To enter, simply help spread the love.
Lisa’s first novel, FLASH BURNOUT, won the Morris Award in 2009. Her second novel, THE MERMAID’S MIRROR received a starred review from Booklist.
The contest runs through Monday, January 31st. Click through to the 2009 Debs website for all the information.
This is worth another around the web this week post.
Little, Brown, the publisher of Twenty Boy Summer, has donated another 62 books to the Debs Speak Loudly giveaway, for a total of 100 books! Visit the 2009 Debutantes website to enter. All it takes is a comment. And with 100 books, your chances are very good.
In other news, Nathan Bransford talks about why so many dead/absent parents in children’s literature. Lazy writing? Or is there something more nefarious going on? Or, are there other, legitimate, reasons for this? Go have a read.
Thinking about dating a writer? Enamored by the meme going around tumblr about just how great that would be? You may want to rethink that. Look here for a point by point deconstruction. My favorite (although there are so many to choose from):
Writers are surrounded by interesting people. Every last one of whom is imaginary.
And … remember, I’ll be at the Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO) fall conference on Friday, October 1st. If you happen to be there too, stop by and say hi!
Bringing you around the web this week, a day early.
From the 2009 Debutantes website:
Banned Books Week has special significance for the Debs this year. Our own Sarah Ockler and her debut novel, TWENTY BOY SUMMER, are under challenge right now in Republic, MO, along with Kurt Vonnegut’s SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 and Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK.
In response to this, the 2009 Debs are giving away thirty-eight (38!) copies of Twenty Boy Summer. Visit the Debs site for more details, but the contest is open between now October 2, 2010. Entries open to everyone worldwide. We’ll ship anywhere!
For more information on what’s going on, visit Sarah Ockler’s site and read her blog. Additionally, check out Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog as well. You can also read Sarah’s wonderful response to the challenge here.
Unfortunately, Mr. Vonnegut is no longer with us and cannot respond to the challenge, but one can imagine what he might have to say.
I’ve seen a few suggestions around the web that the authors in question and their supporters not speak loudly about this–that only gives the challenger in question too much attention, a national platform.
Just ignore him and he’ll go away.
Except sometimes, people like that won’t. Sometimes, they convince other, reasonable people that there is a threat contained between two covers of a book.
The thing is, children may learn facts from history, but they learn empathy and truth from fiction. How and where do we want our young adults learning about the harsh realities of the world? From the safe confines of a book–where they have the time and opportunity to think about the situations presented and the moral and ethical implications.
Or should we simply shove them out the door unprepared? Let them learn it on the street, from peers who may be as ill-equipped as they are. All under the guise of keeping them safe.
How do we expect our children to make good ethical decisions when we’ve shielded them from ethical dilemmas? Why do we decry the “me-me-me generation” and then take away the very thing that teaches empathy? We complain that children don’t read, then snatch away the very books that engage them.
So sometimes you have to speak loudly to be heard above the din. Like Sarah Ockler. And Laurie Halse Anderson.
Speak loudly, because some would prefer you not speak at all.
Start your writing week with Writers’ Blok by Ja¢kson Pearce:
And really, Darcy and I are writing, not searching out empty mall parking lots for impromptu dance routines. We swear it.
To celebrate the one year anniversary of The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading being in the wild–and still available in many bookstores–we’re teaming up with Stacey Jay to bring you two awesome prize packs.
Zombie Cheerleader prize pack #1:A tote bag with original artwork inspired by MY SO CALLED DEATH
A signed copy of MY SO CALLED DEATH
A signed copy of THE GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING
One zombie emergency T-shirt (just in case)
Zombie Cheerleader prize pack #2:A tote bag with original artwork inspired by UNDEAD MUCH?
A signed copy of UNDEAD MUCH?
A signed copy of The GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING
One zombie emergency T-shirt (just in case)
For more information and to enter, see the Geek Girl site.
Look what I found today! A terrific interview with 2009 Deb Carrie Ryan. She talks about writing what you love and, of course, zombies.
Enjoy!
Courtesy of Lara Zielin, one of the fantabulous 2009 Debs, comes this video:
While I haven’t knocked on anyone’s door … yet, I’ve been known to sing the praises of “The Donald” more than once. Okay. A lot. All the time. Actually, I probably need a 12-step program, the one where I promise not to annoy my writing friends.
But, but, but … their (writing) lives would be much more fulfilling if only they listened to Donald Maass. Try the gateway drug Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. Just one exercise. Or two! How could it hurt? It’s an exercise, silly, not a way of life.
That comes later.
And look, he’s going to be in Madison, WI in November! I may have to make a pilgrimage.
Seriously. I used Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook extensively with Geek Girl. But you know, writing craft books are just like any other book–they work for some people and not for others. For me, voice and tone go a long way in whether I simply enjoy a writing craft book.
But, yeah. I’ll try to stop curb the proselytizing.
Two contests going on this week, all in an effort to help you survive Valentine’s Day.
First, The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading is being featured on Free Book Friday. Four copies (signed by both me and Darcy) are up for grabs, along with an interview for your reading enjoyment. (Free Book Friday also has a main/adult site–same deal, simply submit your email address to win. Doesn’t get easier than that.)
Second, we’re hosting fellow 2009 Debs author/Simon Pulse sister Rhonda Stapleton over at the Geek Girl site. Not only do we have a signed copy of Rhonda’s début novel Stupid Cupid, but a totally cute T-shirt from Think Geek. Stop on by to read Rhonda’s interview and check out Stupid Cupid.
The 2009 Debs have banded together with The Leaky Cauldron Fansite to Help Haiti Heal. This weekend, donations will be taken for the cause, with prizes given away to random, lucky donors.
More information at the Leaky Cauldron’s announcement page.
And the Helping Haiti Heal Website here.
If you’re on Twitter, please mention the event and url:
Help Haiti Heal – win fantastic prizes! Sat. from 2pm to 6pm EST! http://bit.ly/5603s6 #hhh
Without further ado, here’s the Contents of the Debs Massive Prize Package:
R.J. Anderson — FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER (signed hardcover)
Pam Bachorz — CANDOR (signed hardcover)
Lauren Bjorkman — MY INVENTED LIFE (signed hardcover)
Leigh Brescia — ONE WISH (signed hardcover)
Jennifer Brown — HATE LIST (signed hardcover)
Megan Crewe — GIVE UP THE GHOST (signed hardcover)
Kirstin Cronn-Mills — THE SKY ALWAYS HEARS ME AND THE HILLS DON’T MIND (signed paperback)
Erin Dionne — MODELS DON’T EAT CHOCOLATE COOKIES and THE TOTAL TRAGEDY OF A GIRL NAMED HAMLET (signed hardcovers)
Deva Fagan — FORTUNE’S FOLLY (signed hardcover)
Megan Frazer — SECRETS OF TRUTH & BEAUTY (signed hardcover)
Cheryl Renee Herbsman — BREATHING (signed hardcover)
Jennifer R. Hubbard — THE SECRET YEAR (signed hardcover)
Jennifer Jabaley — LIPSTICK APOLOGY (signed paperback)
Danielle Joseph — SHRINKING VIOLET (signed paperback)
Malinda Lo — ASH (signed hardcover)
Sarah Maclean — THE SEASON (signed hardcover)
L.K. Madigan — FLASH BURNOUT (2010 Morris Award winner) (signed hardcover)
Lisa Mantchev — EYES LIKE STARS (signed hardcover) and PERCHANCE TO DREAM (advance review copy)
Neesha Meminger — SHINE, COCONUT MOON (hardcover)
Kate Messner — THE BRILLIANT FALL OF GIANNA Z (signed hardcover)
Saundra Mitchell — SHADOWED SUMMER (2010 Edgar®-Nominated) (signed hardcover)
Jenny Moss — WINNIE’S WAR (signed hardcover)
Sarah Ockler — TWENTY BOY SUMMER (signed hardcover)
Jackson Pearce — AS YOU WISH (signed hardcover)
Shani Petroff — BEDEVILED: DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL and BEDEVILED: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY DRESS (signed paperbacks)
Aprilynne Pike — WINGS (signed hardcover)
Cindy Pon — SILVER PHOENIX (signed hardcover)
Carrie Ryan –THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH (signed hardcover)
Sydney Salter — MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS (signed paperback) and JUNGLE CROSSING (signed hardcover) and SWOON AT YOUR OWN RISK (advance review copy)
Kristina Springer — THE ESPRESSOLOGIST (signed hardcover)
Rhonda Stapleton — STUPID CUPID (signed paperback)
Charity Tahmaseb/Darcy Vance — THE GEEK GIRL’S GUIDE TO CHEERLEADING (signed paperback)
Lara Zielin — DONUT DAYS (signed hardcover)
Michelle Zink — PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS (signed hardcover)
Writing Wrongs 
