Alexicon

Happy Birthday, and Frenemies Movie Day, to Me!

2012-01-13T10:12:00.000-08:00

Yes, today is the big day. Well, it's a big day in a couple ways: First, it's my 30th birthday--again! (I've never actually lied about which birthday it is, so I guess this is a sure sign that I'm finally really old.) Also, tonight is the premiere of the movie for which you've all been waiting such a very long time. Yes, it's the made-for-TV-movie that will change the course of history, and all of our lives. That's right, people: FRENEMIES, the movie, premieres on The Disney Channel tonight. Don't believe me? Then check out these articles and videos. (Okay, so none of them mention that the movie is based on a series by Alexa Young, but, um, watch the movie and you should see that mentioned in the credits!)

ASSOCIATED PRESS: Frenemies take a fashion field trip in NYC

ABC NEWS: Interview with the film's stars, Bella Thorne and Zendaya

GOSSIPGIRL.NET: Exclusive interview with Bella Thorne and Zendaya

And there you have it. Let me know what you think of the movie after you watch it...and I'll do the same!

XOXO

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T22:40:00.000-08:00

Well, golly. Where does the time go, people? Is it really and truly 2012? Holy hell. In the time since my last post, I could have done all kinds of crazy things. In fact, how about if we play a little guessing game: Where has Alexa been? Please select from the following multiple-choice options:

A) Pregnant with twins, to whom she just gave birth!
B) Living with Charlie Sheen as his new-and-less-slutty goddess.
C) Hooking up with Ashton Kutcher in a San Diego hot tub.
D) Just, you know, working and stuff.

If you answered D, you are sadly (or actually quite happily, given the alternatives) correct! The truth is that I got kind of slammed with a bunch of freelance magazine work in 2011...and then, just when things slowed down? I accepted a position as deputy editor for Natural Health magazine. Never heard of it? Then you must check it out. There's all this awesome stuff in there about loving Mother Earth and taking care of your health in a holistic way. If only I'd been practicing what the magazine preaches the past few months, I wouldn't have had to resign. But alas, the job kind of took over my life so I have decided to return to freelancing and--yippee!--re-focusing my efforts on not just writing magazine articles but my fiction projects as well. There's one I'm still especially excited about and very much hoping will be published someday soon.

In the meantime, um, have you heard about some Disney Channel Original Movie called Frenemies coming out on January 13? Uh huh. You can check out the trailer here. It's starring two adorable young girls named Bella Thorne (as Avalon Greene) and Zendaya Coleman (as Halley Brandon), who are the lead actresses in some other show on the Disney Channel called Shake it Up! Oddly enough, the premiere date of the movie also happens to be my birthday. So, how about giving me the gift of ratings this 2012 and tuning in! I'm not sure your TV-viewing vote will make its way to my bank account, but it will most certainly make me feel warm and fuzzy and loved and stuff...and I guess I should finally accept, in my tragically old age, that it really is the thought that counts. (Just try not to think too hard about why the movie is so different from the books. It's Hollywood, darlings!)

So that's about all the news from me for now. Here's to a most triumphant 2012, and my return to the blogosphere on a far more regular basis. I really am going to try. I'm not going to make it a resolution or promise or anything (my follow-through is wee bit spotty, if you couldn't already tell) but, you know, I'll do my best.

XOXO

Lights...Camera...WINNING!

2011-03-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hi. It's me again! Twice in one week? Amazing, I know. Want to hear something else amazing? Okay, brace yourselves because this is huge. So big, in fact, that I finally feel like I'm... WINNING. So massive, I've moved in with Charlie Sheen (okay, not really...that photo was doctored, in case you couldn't tell ;-). Anyway...here it is:

You may or may not remember a while back when I alluded to the fact that maybe FRENEMIES would be turned into a TV movie...with Disney. Well, I didn't want to get my hopes up because as most people in Hollywood know, books get optioned all the time...and then those poor little books just sit collecting dust, waiting for someone to notice them until the option expires. But not so with FRENEMIES. The big news is that we're going into production, baby. Yes, you heard that right:

FRENEMIES IS OFFICIALLY GOING TO BE TURNED INTO A DISNEY CHANNEL TV-MOVIE!

See? I told you it was huge. I actually found out a few days ago, and I did post about it on Twitter and Facebook. But now I have even more news about it. Ready? Okay!

The plan is to make three "shorts"--basically mini-movies (maybe a half-hour each) that all have the same theme (frenemies) but feature different characters. Halley and Avalon will be in one of the shorts and there will be a bunch of other characters I've never heard of in the other ones. I'm sad to say there may not be a Tyler or Wade or even Sofee or Brianna--but that's just based on the limited information I've received so far. I do know that there's an amazing director attached, as well as three phenomenal writers adapting the books for the small screen, and casting will begin soon. Filming is scheduled to start in April in Toronto.

Of course, in my wildest dreams this will spin off into a regular TV series and I'll be even bigger than the breasts of Charlie Sheen's goddesses--and maybe, just maybe, the whole FRENEMIES series (including books 3 and 4) will finally be available in the U.S. and you can buy the books and read them (although probably not for 99 cents...sorry). Wow. I smoked too much Charlie Sheen again. I'd better stop.

Anyway! There you have it. Now I'm going to look into how I can turn myself into a pharmaceutical-grade drug and get some porn stars to move in with me. Because (DUH!)...I am SO. FINALLY. WINNING!

XO

How to Sell Millions of Books

2011-03-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Hey, people! OMFG! Can you believe it? I'm actually back. I'm sure this won't last, but I finally had a thought (which apparently only happens on a quarterly basis now) and realized it might be worth sharing with the masses.

It actually started with someone else's thought, but quickly spun off into a deep, philosophical, money-hungry conversation between me and some of my fellow L.A.-based teen fiction writers. Basically, we were discussing a Huffington Post article about this nice self-published author, Amanda Hocking, and were trying to figure out her secret—you know, how she managed to go from egregiously rejected to supremely successful author (of eBooks, no less). I mean, she's buying a house…with cash…that she made writing books. That hardly ever happens! Certainly not to me.

Anyway, I thought and thought (seriously, I thought for at least five minutes), and then the secret formula dawned on me. I thought about it a little longer and (lucky you!) decided it would be greedy and selfish not to share it. I mean, publishing companies have been trying to figure out the secret book-selling formula for years. Granted, it couldn't have happened until now*, but I can't believe I actually cracked the code—and now you get to benefit. Of course you should feel free to pass this information along to whoever might be interested. It might sound too simple to be true, but I swear...this is FOR REAL. So without further ado, here it is...

1. Write a book that Stephenie Meyer fans would like. (Start with something like forbidden love with someone freakish or undead...or both!)
2. Design a creepy-looking cover. (Something with trees, branches or vines = perfect!)
3. Make your book available for download. (This is key because Stephenie Meyer writes big, fat tomes that have already taken up all available space on your target readers' bookshelves.)
4. Sell your book for 99 cents. (Yes, just 99 cents. Here's why: Have you ever gone to the 99 Cents-Only store and bought a bunch of crap you didn't really need or even want because--hello?--at 99 cents, even a piece of crap is a bargain? Or, have you downloaded a song on iTunes that you weren't even sure you really wanted and/or already had somewhere in your boxed-up old CD collection because, hey, it's only 99 cents? If someone recommended a book to you or you read about it on the Huffington Post or in a magazine or saw a segment about it on the news and it sounded even remotely intriguing, and then you found out it would only set you back 99 cents…would you buy it? I'm betting 99 cents you would.)
5. Become a unicorn enthusiast (if you aren't already).**

And there you have it!

You’re welcome.

XO

* Because this is a P.S.M. (post-Stephenie Meyer) code.
** Sure, I'm a bitter, worst-selling author, but this rant is not intended to judge or disparage Amanda Hocking, nor her success, in any way. I'm sure she's worked damn hard--above and beyond the five steps outlined here--and I say more power to her. Go Amanda, go! Ride that million-dollar unicorn, you self-published slice of awesomeness!

LIVE! FROM WEST HOLLYWOOD! IT’S…ALEXA YOUNG?

2010-09-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

Yeah, yeah. I know. Why would anyone want to interview me? Why am I going to show up in a public place and attempt to sell/sign copies of my books? Aren’t there higher-profile (even bestselling) authors who would be better suited for such endeavors? Um, all great questions! The answers are: I don't know. Because I'm clinically insane. And YES!

Alas, the fact remains: On Sunday, September 26, I will be hawking my wares at The West Hollywood Book Fair. I guess that does indeed make me...well...a We-HO. And the blame, dear blogosphere, can be pinned on the following:

THE LAYAs (a.k.a."Los Angeles Young Adult authors") Please don’t ask me why I was accepted into this awesome collective…just embrace it, as I have, and gaze in awe as I hang, all quasi-professional-like, at the teen-tastic LAYAs booth. There, thousands of lucky fair-goers will realize lifelong dreams of…meeting Los Angeles-based Y.A. authors! Buying said authors' books! Scoring free (and non-melting) candy! Playing games! Winning prizes! Celebrating the magic of adolescence! And oh so much more! I’ll be working the booth from 11 AM till 12 noon with the inimitable Amy Goldman Koss, and we will most certainly be duking it out for the "Queen of Self-Loathing" crown. (I promise it will be a crazy-close race.) Come by and say hi…if you dare!!!

ASHLEY THOMPSON (a.k.a. the blogger behind Books Make Great Lovers) She's smart! She's young! She's beautiful! And she's almost entirely to blame for my high-profile appearance at the fair! At least that's what I was told. Apparently when Ashley was asked for her wish-list of authors to interview on the fair's teen stage, “Alexa Young” was the first name that popped into her head. Of course this is all hearsay. It's also possible that Ashley meant some other Alexa Young (this has happened before...just yesterday, in fact. Seriously). Maybe she just felt like our head-tilts would represent well in-person and, you know, complement each other. Or perhaps she was experiencing an existential crisis. I can't say for sure. But, come on: All these unknowns, combined with my exceptionally manic nature, will most certainly equal fifteen minutes of serious awkwardness you won’t want to miss! Come check it out from 12:45 – 1:00 PM on the teen stage. If at that point, for some bizarre reason, you decide you simply must own a piece of me...that you want to reach out and touch me or even (le gasp!)...buy a book and have it signed…well, you can do that too. I’ll be merrily whoring myself out at the Once Upon A Time booth mere steps away from the teen stage after my little Q&A with Ash. (Like I said...I am officially a We-HO. Get it? Could somebody please shut me up...?)

So there you have it. To recap, in an equally wordy fashion: I will be out in public. At The West Hollywood Book Fair. On Sunday, September 26. And no matter what you think of me, you should totally go. I won’t be offended if you say you're just there to catch a glimpse of...oh, let's see...Molly Ringwald? Jay Asher? Alison Arngrim? (Hello? Nellie Oleson, anyone???) And the list goes on. Oh yes, Celine. The list does go on.

XO

P.S. If you're still with me, you must check out my bio for the fair. I'm the very last one of the "specially featured guests" on this page. (Not only am I special, I'm always bringing up the rear...alphabetically and otherwise.) I'm sure I provided a bio to the We-Ho Book Fair folks, but it seems they had already pulled the information from my Random House-Australia profile. I'm quite certain I've never referred to myself as a "mum" in my life...but hey, come to the teen stage on September 26 at 12:45 and I suppose anything could happen.

MOCKINGJAY WINNER!

2010-08-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Huge congratulations to Donna, winner of the MOCKINGJAY giveaway (plus a signed copy of FRENEMIES--woo hoo!). Send me your address, D, and your prizes will be en route. (And let me tell you, if you don't already know, MOCKINGJAY is an absolute masterpiece. HUNGER GAMES fans will not be disappointed...)

Thanks to everyone for entering.

XO

MOCKINGJAY GIVEAWAY!

2010-08-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Yippee! I just received MOCKINGJAY in the mail. In fact, in all my excitement for the final book in Suzanne Collins' HUNGER GAMES trilogy, it seems I inadvertently ordered TWO COPIES! So, to celebrate the release of this hotly anticipated and beautiful blue tome, I've decided to hold a contest/giveaway right here, right now.

WIN MY EXTRA COPY OF
SUZANNE COLLINS’ MOCKINGJAY!

To enter, simply leave a comment here. Earn an extra entry for each link you post to this contest from anywhere else, including your blog, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace…

Contest ends this Friday at midnight, pacific time. I'll announce the winner Saturday, and I'll ship the book out—along with a signed copy of FRENEMIES—to one lucky winner.

Good luck! And happy almost-release day, MOCKINGJAY!

VOTE FOR FRENEMIES!

2010-08-06T22:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, people. Here's the deal. The FRENEMIES series has been doing great...in France. But in the English-speaking parts of the world? It hasn't been embraced with that certain je ne sais quoi. Therefore, I don't know if or when the books will be coming out in my, um, mother tongue.

That said, I've been getting lots of lovely emails from readers who want to read #3 (GLAMNESIA) and #4 (FABOTAGE)--and I've got to say, I support you all 100 percent! I would be very bummed if I were left hanging after book 2, with no idea whether or not things work out between Halley and Avalon...or Halley and Wade...or...well, you know.

So, self-indulgent as this may seem, I've set up a poll (see the sidebar on this page --->). Please take a moment to let me know if you'd buy (or at the very least read) the books if they were available in English. Every vote counts, and I'm too technologically inept to know how to track your information (and force you to make good on your vote) if you're worried about that sort of thing.

Okay, then. If you've got it in you, just drag your mouse on over and vote. It's right there. ---> See? So easy! Come on! Do it! You know you want to...

Thanks, everyone!

XO

Hello, Again

2010-07-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

Hey! It’s Alexa. Remember me? I know, I’m really sorry—once again—for being so bad about updating my blog and website. I have been busy, though, so I hope you can forgive me.

For starters, the FRENEMIES series is officially done! It’s true. I believe the fourth and final book (FABOTAGE)—which I revised and delivered to Alloy Entertainment a month or two ago—is currently being adapted for French readers by the incredible Jean-Noël Chatain. I don’t know the release date yet, but I’m going to get in touch with my publisher there (MICHEL LAFON) and possibly plan a reading/signing somewhere in the Paris region to celebrate. Not sure if it will happen, mais une femme peut rêver, oui? (Of course, I’ll need to work on my French accent. Yikes!)

I’m sad to say I still don’t have any information regarding if/when FABOTAGE (as well as book three, GLAMNESIA) might be available for English-speaking readers—but given the way technology has been moving these days, I wouldn’t be surprised if something happened at some point soon. (Could I be more vague? Why yes, I could…) So for now, please just sit tight and know I’m trying to get the 3rd and 4th books out to all twelve of you. :-)

On a darker note, in between magazine assignments (if you didn’t already know, I write for women’s magazines about stuff like diet and exercise and pregnancy and parenting), I’ve been working on the outline for a new YA novel. It’s very different from FRENEMIES (although I suppose one could argue there are deep and sinister themes in those books as well). The basic premise is: Four teens—a misogynist big-man-on-campus, a promiscuous popular girl, a suicidal lesbian, and a homophobic jock—find themselves locked in the high school gym one night and have to somehow figure out themselves and each other before they can escape. It was sort of inspired by a famous one-act play, as well as an eighties teen movie (can you guess which ones?). Anyway, I’m working on that during my downtime, but it’s been slow going because…well…I don’t have much downtime!

Besides all that, I’ve been catching up on movies and books I missed over the past several years. (My son, now four, has sort of taken precedence over my pop culture consumption…so I haven’t exactly been au courant—unless you consider Power Rangers, Spiderman and Spongebob to be in vogue. ;-) My current obsessions include MTV’s “Jersey Shore” (can’t wait for the new season), “HUGE” (anyone else watching?), and THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins. I tore through that and book two, CATCHING FIRE, and now I can’t wait for MOCKINGJAY to come out. I’m also excited for the movie, but does anyone know what’s happening with the production of that? It’s crazy how long it takes to get a film made in this town, I tell you what.

So, there’s the latest. Exciting stuff, huh? And now that I’ve got "Hello Again" stuck in my head, about a little Neil Diamond to tide you over till next time:

Now you can’t say I never gave you anything. :-)

XO

I’m Still Alive (Just)

2010-05-24T23:02:00.000-07:00

I know, I know…I suck at updating my blog(s). I feel especially bad because it seems people are dropping by this one a lot (is 100 visitors a day a lot?), only to discover the same old stale post still lingering like so much fast food flatulence. (Sorry. I’ve got a dog sitting on my lap passing gas, so my analogous mind was pretty much forced to go to the fart-zone.) Anyway, the guilt has finally consumed me. So here’s that long overdue recap of the L.A. Times Festival of Books. I know you’ve been holding your breath. And with good reason (no, not the aforementioned flatulence). After all…

IT WAS SERIOUSLY HOT AUTHOR-ON-AUTHOR ACTION WHEN THE LAYAS WENT HEAD-TO-HEAD IN A GAME OF TEEN FICTION TRIVIA, WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AND GIVEAWAYS GALORE!

In other words…I was sweating like crazy in the SoCal heat in my ridiculous black tights-and-boots getup (who did I think I was? Gothic Girl?). As you can see from the pic below (I’m the blond resembling a plus-sized B-movie actress), I looked tragic…and smelled even worse. (Note to self: Next time don’t try to look hip…just wear jeans.) When my moment finally arrived, I got up on the first-ever YA stage (an exceptionally awesome addition to the fest, in spite of my participation) and played a game we call LAYAPALOOZA, where members of the LAYAS (Los Angeles Young Adult authorS) split up into teams and each author responds to some surprisingly challenging multiple choice questions.

Fortunately, I saw Khy (a.k.a. Frenetic Reader, a.k.a. the one who isn't a sweaty aging author pictured below) there, and begged her to help my team with some sort of silent signals when our questions came up. Unfortunately, our team (me, Jonathan Bernstein, Cherry Cheva, Ben Esch, and Kami Garcia) still lost. Fortunately, during the giveaway portion of the game, my book wasn’t the last one to get picked (sorry Jonathan…your cover's hideous, my cover's hideous, it was totally anybody's game...)—and, as I said in my last post, I peed in the stall next to Bernadette Peters’ (who looks even more youthful and kewpie-doll darling than she did in THE JERK all those years ago). So it was quite a day-in-the-life-of-a-subpar-YA-author!

(Hi, Khy. Sorry about the sweat.)

In other news from the past month…you know that dog I rescued? Um. Yeah. That didn’t work out so well. She wound up having quite the aggressive streak—attacking a friend’s dog, then another dog (quickly causing that prospective adoption to fall through), and then my dad. So I sent her back to the rescue group who sprung her from the shelter (is it just me or is it semi-negligent to save a shelter dog and place it in a home with another dog and a child without so much as assessing her personality?). I do hope they get her the training she needs, but an aggressive dog isn’t really something I can handle when I’ve already got another dog and a kid in the house.

Since I tend to be slow to learn a lesson, I then took in another foster dog—cute as can be, but very much a puppy. She also had kennel cough when we got her. So, between the hacking and sneezing and roughhousing between her and my dog and endless indoor accidents/housebreaking…she is now back at the rescue/boarding facility, waiting to be adopted. And I am no longer fostering dogs. Heartbreaking but true. I just don't have it in me right now. It's A LOT of work. Lesson learned. Finally.

Foster #2: Millie/Rita

She's on her way to a rescue in Vegas (seriously)!

I’ve also been juggling half-a-dozen magazine assignments, and need to dive into the revisions on FABOTAGE, which are due in a couple weeks. So now do you see why it’s so hard for me to update the blog? I tell you, I need a vacation, people! Translation: You’ll probably hear from me in another month or so.

Till then, my lovelies…check out some of the links above. There are authors out there who are really good about blogging (and several of them are supremely hilarious to boot!).

FAN MAIL!

2010-04-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

Call me narcissistic (it wouldn't be the worst thing anyone's called me), but I LOVE (love, love, love, love, LOVE) getting letters (email...whatever) from people who've read the FRENEMIES books. It doesn't even matter if they write to say how much the books suck. At least I've affected them in some way. (Right?)

So last week I received this email from my official #1 fan in Australia. (Yes, I've put all ten of them through a very rigorous screening process and she always rises to the top. I'm kidding. I swear. I have at least eleven fans…) I asked if she'd allow me to post it and she said yes. (Hello? She's my #1 fan! What did you expect? What did I expect?)

Okay, I'll shut up and just show you what she wrote. It's a song! A song, inspired by FRENEMIES. How great is that? Okay. Sorry. I'll shut up again. Here's Mubarak:

Dear Alexa,
I wrote a song about Frenemies a few weeks ago and I thought that you might like to read it. Here it is:
How did we get from there to here,
I'll never know- it's so unclear,
We've had fights before but it was nowhere near,
This big war was everything I used to fear,
Now I can no longer hold the tears,
But somewhere in my heart I'll always know you'll be there for me,
We're BFF's from here to eternity,
You'll always support me even in my wildest fantasies,
Together, we'll turn our dreamsinto a reality,
chorus: You and me are best friends for ever,
No matter what happens we'll always stick together,
When there's 2 of us we'll never say never,
When everything else fails we'll make it better,
'Cause when it's you and me,
Anything could be,
So much memories,
Best of friends, worst of enemies,
Frenemies,
From the Dead Romeos to our cute puppy Pucci,
From our fashionista mums to Channel, Dior, Gucci,
We've known each other from the start,
We're the Style Snarks,
We'll never be apart,
But lately we've been fighting for no reason,
This should be banned- it's BFF treason,
I'm starting to think that our friendship's so last season
chorus

Awesome, right?

Oh, and I'll be posting about the L.A. Times Festival of Books—complete with pictures—soon. If you haven't already heard (via Facebook...where I spend most of my time), I peed in the stall next to Bernadette Peters'. Seriously exciting stuff, people!

XO

MEET ME!

2010-04-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Exciting news, my beloved blog readers! If you live in the Los Angeles area, you can experience the magic that is me—live, in person—tomorrow at 4 P.M. at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. Yes, it’s true. I will be there on the Y.A. stage with many other L.A.-based YA authors including: Jonathan Bernstein! Cecil Castellucci! Cherry Cheva! Kami Garcia! Amy Goldman Koss! Sally Nemeth! Carol Snow! Margie Stohl! and Mark London Williams! We call ourselves the LAYAS and we'll be playing a teen fiction trivia game known as LAYAPALOOZA. We’ll be rocking the stage for a full hour (I think), raffling off books and acting like the crazy people we are. It’s totally free and open to the public, so come on down!
In other news, I filed a status update on the lovely Persnickety Snark’s blog yesterday…so head on over there to find out what else I’ve been up to lately.

Ta for now! Oh...here's one more exclamation point...! ;-)

XOXO

Operation Teen Book Drop!

2010-04-14T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's time for Operation Teen Book Drop 2010, people! What's that? you ask. Well, allow me to elaborate... Tomorrow, April 15th, the Young Adult Library Serivces Association (YALSA), along with readergirlz, GuysLitWire, and If I Can Read I Can Do Anything, will be delivering 10,000 new young adult books (generously donated by publishers) to teens living on Native American reservations and Tribal Lands.

How can YOU get involved? Great question! To raise awareness for the project and support Teen Literature Day, book lovers (like you!), along with YA authors (like me!) and librarians will be dropping Young Adult books in their own communities. All you need to do to participate is head over to the readergirlz TBD page and then download, print and paste bookplates into the teen books you want to drop out into the world. Tomorrow, leave these books in a public place (on a park bench, outside a grocery store, at a bus stop...). Whoever finds your book will know they're a part of Operation Teen Book Drop too.

What? You want to get even MORE involved? Then download and print up bookmarks and share them at your library, check out a wish-list of 750 books that you can purchase from Powells.com and have sent directly to tribal school libraries, get a widget counting down to TBD and post it on your blog, Tweet about TBD, and/or join the readergirlz party tomorrow night at 6 PM (PST)/9 PM (EST) at readergirlz.com.

Come on! Give in to the peer pressure! Support Teen Literature Day and share some book love!

XO

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

2010-04-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ever since my mom passed away and my husband lost his job*, I’ve wanted to get involved in animal rescue in some capacity. What’s the connection between death, unemployment and pets? I guess I’ve just felt the need to make some small difference in someone’s life (not a person, though; I prefer most dogs to most people! :-) and in turn, perhaps selfishly, derive some sense of purpose and perspective and joy—things I hadn’t had in much abundance the past year (at least not outside of my own little family bubble).

I expressed some of this to an old friend of mine, with whom I’d recently reconnected on Facebook, and she began referring me to all kinds of rescues, adoptions—any and every opportunity to get involved. We already have one dog (our beloved first daughter, Sydney!) rescued six years ago and, in addition to looking for another adoptable, I wanted to volunteer or help in some other way. Well, on Friday my friend sent me a video clip of two dogs who were on the kill list—if nobody agreed to take them in, at least temporarily, they would die. Without even hesitating, I contacted the rescue group and offered to be a foster. Sadly, one of the dogs had already been put to sleep, but the second one was still there. Everybody moved quickly and by that evening, we had a new dog, Ellie Mae (a.k.a. "Betty Spaghetti"), in our care.

I have to say, I'd been feeling so low on energy, motivation and happiness that day—but as soon as I made the call and set the wheels in motion to save this dog’s life, my whole mood lifted. Talk about a sense of purpose! And even though she was a bit smelly, MUCH bigger than I expected, and there were some issues to work out—like some tension between her and Sydney and my son Jack—all was resolved quickly and soon we were talking about adopting her. In fact, it’s only been nine days and she’s become a part of our family. Although we might not adopt her (for a variety of reasons), there is that chance we will. Either way, every time I look into those big brown eyes and see her resting comfortably in our safe, warm house—alive—I know this choice to get involved was worth it…not just for my own selfish reasons, but for Ellie Mae too. If you have any interest in getting involved yourself, please email me and I'll be happy to offer any thoughts or advice I can.

* Incidentally, my husband got a job. He starts this week!

FABOTAGE! (Another one bites the dust...)

2010-03-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

When I’m not posting blogs about how much life’s little downers annoy me, I write. Wait, let me try that again. I’m not just a blogger…I’m a writer by profession! And so, it is with great pride that I announce I just completed my fourth young adult novel for Alloy Entertainment. In other words: OMFG! I FINALLY FINISHED!

Yes, I’ve been working on this little four-book teen fiction series called FRENEMIES since early 2007. Now, three years later, I’ve fulfilled my contractual obligation—but more than that, I’ve learned so much about the craft of fiction…and (y'all ready for this?) about life.

Truly, I’ve taken an amazing ride and experienced something of, um, (hey, it’s almost Easter…!) a second coming (of age, that is) by exploring relationships through my adolescent characters’ eyes. In fact, without even intending to present any grandiose messages to my young readers, the lessons just sort of unfolded organically, and by the time I wrote the final line of the last book, I was a bit overwhelmed by how much I’d put my characters through, how much they’d grown, and how much I had too. For instance, (as I blogged about before) how important it is to keep the lines of communication open; how lies and deceit never pay off and always backfire; how friends make our lives more fun and less scary; how jealousy and revenge and insecurity can drive us to be petty and foolish and destructive. Don’t get me wrong. These books are, first and foremost, light and funny mean-girl entertainment—but, um, there’s no reason you can’t slip some broccoli in with the bubblegum. Right?

I hope to have some good news about FABOTAGE (book four, just completed) and GLAMNESIA (book three) release dates soon. Until then, visit my website here to learn about which books are in stock around the globe (and heavily discounted on Amazon, btw!). Happy reading…

XO

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2010-02-03T11:25:00.000-08:00

Um. Yeah. I know it’s already February—but hey, I’ve been busy. (And the Chinese New Year is coming up, right? Right?!)

I’m sorry to have left such a depressing post up on the blog for so long…but now, I’m back, and much older and wiser (or at least older). Losing my mom has been an ordeal (could you tell?), and I can’t promise I won’t bring it up again—but I will try to be less maudlin about it. (You should hear some of the jokes my brother and I were making when we picked up her ashes from the mortuary. Uh. Never mind.)

So, what’s been happening this year? Well, I turned the big 4-0 a few weeks ago. Can’t you just feel the maturity oozing out of every word I write? Okay, neither can I. In fact, no matter how many miles I add to my physical body, I just get closer to the realization that I’m probably never going to grow up. And I’m okay with that (is this a sign of maturity, though?). Honestly, being stuck in emotional adolescence just makes life that much more interesting. It also makes writing teen fiction easier…which brings me to the latest FRENEMIES news. (How’d you like that segue?)

I am still (yes, STILL) working on book four—FABOTAGE. If you speak French, you’ll get to read it later this year. If you speak German or Dutch, you will probably get to read it at some point (maybe next year, after the first three come out?). Alas, if English is your only language, you will be among the many, many, many (as well as MANNY; see below) frustrated people who haven’t even been able to read GLAMNESIA yet. What can you do about this? Keep emailing me or start a petition or something. I don’t know that it will help, but it couldn’t hurt. If you don’t believe there is a demand for these books among English-speakers around the globe, check out this nice email I received just last week:

Hello Alexa. My Name is Manny and i just love your books. Frenemies really expresses how different two people in a friendship react to differences in opinions. It really shows how you think you know a person but you don’t. And in Faketastic it shows how trust is a very important issue between two friends. I am so sorry to pick sides but I think I would have to be on Team Halley because of Wade. How could he do that to her. I feel so sorry for her but at the same time I feel sorry for Avalon as well. And poor Pucci. In the middle of all this mess. Someone should really care about the dog. [NOTE FROM ALEXA: I LOVE THIS POINT! POOR PUCCI. :-(] Here in Oz [NFA: AUSTRALIA] Glamnesia hasn’t come out yet but I hope it will soon. I can't wait to read yet another work of brilliance from you. [NFA: BRILLIANCE!] You are truly one of the most talented authors I have ever read. [NFA: OKAY, THIS IS GETTING EMBARRASSING…] I can’t wait for your new book to come out. It just surprises me how you can write like you’re 16. [NFA: UM. RIGHT. SEE ABOVE...AND BELOW.] Well I hope you write back and thank you for reading this email. If you're thinking I’m older like 30 or something I am actually 13. so . Thank you for your time.

NOTE TO MANNY: You are awesome! And as you have now probably gathered, I stopped maturing at about 13…so we are actually the same age! :-) Let's watch some Hello Kitty!

Sorry about that, but my 4-year-old son really likes this clip, and I think its message about racial tolerance is...weird.

Okay! What else? Apparently the FRENEMIES Disney made-for-TV movies (yes, there will be three of them, last I checked) are still in the works, and writing has commenced. I'm thinking it could totally be the next iCarly or something, so I'm very excited. And impatient. Because, you know, I still have a lot of growing up to do.

I’ve also heard the books may be turned into graphic novels in France. How cool would that be? I assume the same cover illustrator would be involved. I hope so!

Well, that's probably enough for today. I’ve got to get back to writing FABOTAGE, so I shall bid you adieu for now.

More soon. Happy soon. Promise!

XO

And So It Goes: In Loving Memory of My Mother, Vilia Sherman (1941-2009)

2009-12-29T23:06:00.001-08:00

How do I say goodbye to the single most powerful person I’ve ever known? What words can possibly capture all the love, and all the ways it manifested—from that first moment she gave me life till that last moment she struggled for her own, clinging to my hand, kissing my fingers, not wanting to let go? Some of the words that spring to mind, and that many have uttered since she passed away eleven days ago: Fierce, determined, wise, remarkable, lovely, witty, fun, inspirational, elegant, regal, amazing, strong, courageous, practical, vital, bright, considerate, vibrant, magnificent, funny, full of life…and the list goes on.

Yes, I knew this was coming. When she gave me the news of her diagnosis, mere hours after we’d celebrated Mother’s Day together, I was already in mourning. Of course it was a death sentence. The oncologist said she’d live a year—without treatment. Tragically, with treatment, she didn’t make it to eight months—and the aggressive chemotherapy was so debilitating that she spent the majority of that time exhausted, bedridden, and in pain. Not exactly a pleasant exit. But is there such a thing?

Like most mother-daughter relationships, ours wasn’t always perfect. Far from it. I’m sure we were great at the start, but I wasn’t always the easiest child to parent—particularly when I hit my hormonal adolescent years. Oh, how we fought! We had equally fiery tempers, and we knew just how to push each other’s buttons. For better or worse, much of the tension was a product of our love for each other. After all, when you care that deeply for someone, you’re forever seeking their approval, terrified of what might happen if you don’t get it—or if you do something to compromise it.

So we had a fairly volatile relationship until my early twenties, when I attended a self-help seminar. I’ll never forget her voice on the other end of the phone when I called to tell her where I was—and that I finally knew just how much she loved me, and how much I loved her. “Oh God, Irwin…pick up the phone,” she said to my father. Then, to me: “Where are you? What are you doing? Are they making you touch each other?!” :) In spite of her fears, she ultimately accepted this choice I’d made—a conscious decision to work through my issues…our issues. We had so many heart-to-hearts in the years since then, honing our ability to communicate with each other and forging the sort of friendship I think we’d both always wanted.

Of course our relationship still had its ups and downs, and we continued to disagree on plenty of occasions. But the fears and insecurities were virtually erased. We knew we shared a foundation of unconditional love for one another. That’s what I’ll remember most about my mother—that no matter what choices I made, no matter how bitterly we fought or disagreed, at the end of the day I had her unflinching support, and we would somehow find common ground. We worked hard for everything we had—not the least of which was our relationship as mother and daughter, and as friends—and I even came to realize that, difficult as it was to admit, she was usually right. She was, in my mind, the woman with all the answers—the kind of mom most girls wish for (and occasionally resent!). She was my champion, my advocate, my teacher, my guide, my sparring partner and the most cherished and beloved rock in my unpredictable world. She was also the person who probably knew me better than I knew myself.

Watching my mother slowly decline and fade away over the past seven months or so has been the greatest challenge I’ve ever known—made all the more difficult because I usually counted on her to help me with all of life’s struggles, great and small. In this battle, she no longer had the strength to help me—and in fact she needed my help. I made it to her side just before she lost the ability to speak, and to recognize me and my brother. I spent several devastating hours lying by her side, telling her I was there for her, trying to get her to take the medicine that barely made a dent in the pain she was feeling. I got to tell her I loved her—over and over and over again—and to tell her that although I would miss her, I would let her go when she was ready. Not 36 hours later, with my father, my brother, the hospice nurse and me at her side…she went. She went peacefully. She was no longer in pain. And as much as my heart aches for her—as much as there is a massive void I’m frantically filling with all the memories—I am so grateful she’s no longer struggling.

I’m also grateful—as I know she was—for the incredible life she lived, and the life she shared. Sure I'm biased, but there have been some beautiful tributes to her in our local newspapers that speak to the fact that I’m not alone. If you’re interested, please take a look, and I think you’ll agree that the world lost a great woman on December 18:

Obituary: Riverside Press Enterprise
Obituary: San Diego Union Tribune

So, this is my last goodbye…to my beloved mother, my dearest friend, my hero. Thank you for allowing me to share some of my memories of her, and my grief, with you.

XO

Persnickety Snark: This Time It's Personal!

2009-12-08T22:11:00.000-08:00

I was supposed to be writing FABOTAGE for the past two hours—but I wrote a chapter (a full 1200 words) in one hour, and figured I should be allowed to take a break. Right? RIGHT?

So, here's what I've been thinking about and what I'd like to do—hopefully with a bit of support from the YA writing and blogging world at large. You see, since I began my own teen fiction journey, I've met loads of amazing people—from my editors to my fellow authors to the readers to the bloggers. These relationships, like many, start off hot-and-heavy and sort of fizzle out after a while. Sometimes they get ugly. But sometimes they stand the test of time and completely transcend the books (or reviews) we were originally obsessing over. That's how things have gone between me and Persnickety Snark (AKA @snarkywench, AKA Adele).

To catch you up, Adele was the first person to bring my own book to my attention when it came out in Australia, via this review (notice I’m the only person who commented on that review? Sigh. Whatever, people!). I immediately contacted her to thank her, and the love just blossomed. We've exchanged so much since then—not just emails but actual (gasp!) hand-written letters, and books (not hand-written ones, though ;-). She even sent a cape to my son (which he will be able to wear when he grows another 3 feet or so...but hey, how amazing is that?!). Anyway (I do go on, don't I?)...if you don't know of Adele or her blog, please go visit her. If you are familiar with her (or if you just became familiar with her), then you probably know she recently underwent surgery and is recovering in hospital.

This (finally!) brings me to my reason for posting: I would like to do something to let Adele know how much I'm thinking of her (beyond this blog post, I guess! :)—and am hoping there are lots of other bloggers and writers out there who would like to join me. FYI, this does not involve flowers or any sort of pressie that will be gone in a few days or weeks...this involves donating to a charitable cause (specifically: Heifer!) in Adele's name because I adore her and think that's the sort of thing she would like to have done on her behalf. (And because sometimes I try to be conscious of a world outside of my own egomaniacal one.)

SO...! Please email me here if you're interested in donating a bit to the cause ($1, $5...whatever you can afford), and I'll fill you in on the details and include you on the well-wishes card to Adele. Please contact me no later than Friday, as I'd like to get this out by the weekend.

Either way, I also want to thank all the readers and bloggers and writers out there—once again—for being such fantastically supportive and lovely people. This is a community I truly cherish.

XOXO

GIVING THANKS

2009-11-23T13:23:00.001-08:00

I know, I know. Updating this blog is turning into something of a once-a-month occurrence, and I’m really sorry for my absence (again!). I tell you, if you have any interest in more regular updates, add me as a friend on Facebook. That’s where I tend to do most of my procrastinating. :)

Anyway, I have all kinds of excuses for being such a Blogger-slacker…which I’ve decided to share in the form of a Thanksgiving list—you know, in honor of this American holiday commemorating the time our forefathers took our fine nation by force. (Sorry…I do have mixed feelings on that!) So here we go:

I AM THANKFUL FOR...
My parents. Yes, my mom is still alive and kicking…well, barely. This will probably be her last Thanksgiving, and I’m glad I’ll be spending it with her and my dad. It’s been a crazy six months, watching the two strongest people I’ve ever known fight an unwinnable battle. Dad’s been carrying the care-giving duties like a true champion. Meanwhile, my mom—a woman who has achieved so much, not the least of which was putting away rapists and child molesters as a deputy D.A., and presiding over death penalty cases as a superior court judge—has exhausted all possibilities, and herself in the process. But somehow she still manages to laugh at my jokes, to challenge injustice, and to persevere. Who knows? Maybe she’ll even surprise us all and kick this damn cancer to the curb. (It would take a miracle, but I’ve heard those do happen…somewhere.)

My boys. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I’ve been riding a very bumpy and slightly run-down emotional rollercoaster, and my husband and son have been absolute rocks—giving me the kind of unconditional love you just don’t find all that often. Even as my husband struggles with his own challenges (continuing the job search, for one), he has stepped up and taken over a huge amount of responsibility around the house and with little man Jack and just put up with more than anybody ever should have to. Meanwhile, one smile from my son—or a hug, or a kiss, or a heart-melting “I love you” (which he says practically every ten minutes) can't help but shake me out of whatever funk I’m in. Man, I love these men.

My work. At a time when a lot of people are struggling to find jobs (including my husband!), I have somehow managed to land more assignments than ever. In the past few weeks alone, I’ve written articles for American Baby, Fitness, Baby&Toddler, New Parent, VIV, and Weight Watchers magazines. I’m also in the midst of writing the fourth and final book in the FRENEMIES series—and I (yes, I) came up with the title for this one! It will be called FABOTAGE and it will be FABULOUS. Plus, I’ve been having a blast connecting with all my friends in the local L.A. teen lit group—the LAYAS—doing library events (read the hilarious recap from one of my fellow panelists, HOTTIE author Jonathan Bernstein here), among other fun things.

The world. I’m sad to say that GLAMNESIA (book three in the FRENEMIES series, and the best one yet—in my oh-so-humble opinion) is not yet available in most territories (including the U.S.—I promise, I’m working on this!), but the book known as MEILLEURES ENNEMIES TOME 3 just came out in France and I’m already receiving très gentile emails from my readers there. I’m also glad to have the support of my publishers in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands (the latter two just released the first book in the series…if you’ve picked up a copy there, please email me and let me know what you think!).

My friends. This includes you—the people who come here and check up on me, even when I don’t update the blog very often—and everyone else who’s stood by me during a pretty rough year, sending messages of love and support and being patient with me when I don’t respond to phone calls or emails in a particularly timely fashion.

My TV shows. Seriously. Nothing helps take my mind off of life’s downers quite like a good, campy TV break. I finally caught myself up on GLEE—even had to purchase the first few episodes on iTunes because I was so late getting to that game (and I’ll admit I’m a bit obsessed with Puck)—and could not be more thrilled with the latest season of 90210, in particular.

So, there’s my list for now. I know it sounds sort of bittersweet, but that’s how this year has been—and far be it from me to sugarcoat things. Anyway. What will you be doing to celebrate this week (if you’re in the U.S., that is)—and wherever you are, what’s on your gratitude list?

XO

Say "Bonjour" to GLAMNESIA

2009-10-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

For those of you who pay attention to these things, I have indeed written a third (and am in the midst of writing a fourth—due in six weeks, OMG!) book in the FRENEMIES series. In fact, BONJOUR? Book three will be coming out in France next month—and could you aimes the new cover plus? (At left. Oh. Mon. Dieu. So cute, right?)

I have to tell you (at risk of sounding egomaniacal beyond belief), I think GLAMNESIA is the best book of the series so far. But I also have to tell you I don’t really know when it will be available in the U.S. (or Australia, Germany, the Netherlands...) I can tell you I’m probably going to post a little snippet of it here on the blog (and on my website) soon…and I will do my best to get the rest of it to all my adoring readers asap. I mean, I don’t want to disappoint BEST FANS FOREVER who send me hilariously awesome emails like this one*:

Dear Ms. Young,
I am Hayley from Las Vegas, Nevada, and I am 13 years old. But, more importantly, when is Glamnesia coming out?!? I HAVE to know. I am dying Dying DYING over here!!!!!! It is very not nice to leave readers hanging like that! I saw on one website that it comes out January 2010! They better be wrong, because I will die die DIE if that is the case! That is waaaaaaaaaaaay too far away! So please please PLEASE speed up the Glamnesia production. I know you have a separate life and I’m reaaaaaalllllly sorry about your mom (see bottom), but can you please think about your adoring fans (like me!), and put the pedal to the metal? That’s all I ask. I cannawt believe what Avalon did in Faketastic, by the way. I never liked her or the idea about acting like she likes Wade. It was just begging for disaster. Anyhooo, please do something in your blog about Glamnesia or e-mail me back at ***.
Love,
Hayley H.
P.S. I really do feel for you about your mom. Although on your blog it doesn’t say what kind of cancer your mom has (that I can find) I can relate. My mom was diagnosed with leukemia a few months after I was born, and has been battling it ever since. But, luckily, she went into remission a couple years ago and is still healthy. I know how you feel, and all of your emotions, but please please please try to spare some details about Glamnesia as soon as humanly possible! :-)
P.S.S. Is Joy really your middle name, or is Alexa Joy just a nickname? Just wondering.
P.S.S.S. I noticed that I used a lot of words three times in this email. You should create a character who says all of their words 3 times in honor of me! ;)
P.S.S.S.S. Since you are a writer and up to date on grammar and stuff, is it grammatically correct to say P.S.S.S or is it P.P.P.S.?, Haha, random, I know.

So, how great is Hayley? I’ve exchanged a few emails with her and she’s even smarter and cooler than this message suggests (if that’s possible). I’m also totally going to try to create a character who repeats words three times for emphasis, as she requested—but, get this: Because it might be tough to name a character Haley (Halley...Haley...get it?), she asked me to name the character after her BFF Kayla. So, that’s what I’ll try to do. Whether or not it happens after edits and all that…I just want to publicly say: HALEY AND KAYLA ROCK!

And I am doing everything within my power to get GLAMNESIA out to the world (not just France), asap. Please stay tuned…or learn French…or both. :)

XO

* Yes, permission was granted to post this email on my blog. Duh!

Hallo, Deutschland! And Dutch-Land!

2009-10-05T19:50:00.000-07:00

FRENEMIES is now available in Germany (TITLE: Beste Freundin für immer. Wer ist die Coolste im ganzen Land?). Check out the über-adorable cover! Das ist cool, nein?

Sprechen Sie Deutsches? (I don't, sadly.) Then visit the Random House-Bertelsmann FRENEMIES page here, and you can flip through the first 25 pages of the book.

FRENEMIES will also come out in the Netherlands on Monday, 12 Oktober (that's how they spell it there :). (TITLE: Beste vriendinnen, ergste vijanden) I LOVE THIS COVER TOO!

How much fun is this? I'm feeling so very international. And like a beer. (Drinking one, that is.)

Write On, Teen Nonfiction Types!

2009-09-30T21:16:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times I get emails from readers telling me how much they could relate to some of the situations in FRENEMIES, or how many girls ask for advice on how to become a real, bona fide, published writer. (Okay, I'll tell you...it's happened a few times.)

Well, whether you've written to me or not, now's your chance to get published, simply by talking about yourself and the drama that is your life. (And hello? Who doesn't love to do that?!) To learn more, simply visit IHeartDaily (one of the best teen sites on the web, co-run by one of my favorite people in the entire world).

Go now, GO!

You can thank me later. (Okay, thank Melissa Walker. I get all my good ideas from her. :)

XO

Endless Summer

2009-09-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

Well, it's no longer summer but I'm back down in San Diego with the whole family again. As I mentioned in my last post, my mom's cancer situation continues to be a bit grim, and we all want to get as much time with her as we can...in case, well, you know. :(

In happier news, if you're struggling to accept that the summer has actually ended, you must check out an awesome new blog being run by the beloved Harmony: Summerland Books. Harmony has been a great friend and supporter of FRENEMIES from the very beginning, and she was kind enough not only to make me one of Summerland's featured authors but also a guest blogger this weekend. So, head on over there to see what my favorite must-have summer finds were this year...and be sure to tell us what yours were!

XO

Reach Out And Touch...ME!

2009-09-24T21:10:00.000-07:00

I know this is going to sound totally crazy, but I'm going to be out in public engaging in shameless self-promotion TWICE next month! Uh huh. Seriously. How excited are YOU? Not only is this a great opportunity to meet me and/or score a super-limited-edition copy of FRENEMIES and/or FAKETASTIC (I might even bring a French or Australian book or two with me!), it’s your chance to confirm that I am indeed still alive (at least till the homicidal stalkers show up). Of course, there is the very large caveat that this all depends upon my mother, um, staying alive. (No Bee Gees reference intended…although Mom does love that “band.”) Yeah. She’s gone through two kinds of chemo so far…both of which have wound up killing more of her good cells than cancer cells. Ugh. So it seems her days may be numbered. :( But we are keeping the faith. In what? I dunno yet. (Mom does love Billy Joel too…but OMG how eighties-awful is that video?)

ANYWAY. Sorry for the cancer digression! Here’s what I can tell you about these supremely exciting upcoming events:

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4
WEST HOLLYWOOD BOOK FAIR
I will be hanging out on the teen stage and/or selling FRENEMIES and FAKETASTIC at the Barnes & Noble Booth. But don’t drop by just for me! Check out this amazing line-up of truly great LAYAs (Los Angeles YA authors):
1:00pm-1:45pm
CHICK LIT
Readings on the teen stage presented by Los Angeles Young Adult Authors (LAYAs) and Teen Readers!
Featuring Authors:
Jonathan Bernstein – “Hottie”
Susan Casey - “Kids Inventing”
Cherry Cheva – “Duplikate”
Amy Goldman Koss – “Side Effects”
C. Leigh Purtill – “All About Vee”
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Booth

2:30pm-3:15pm
OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER PLACES
Readings on the teen stage presented by Los Angeles Young Adult Authors (LAYAs) and Teen Readers!
Featuring Authors:
Ben Esch – “Sophomore Undercover”
Sally Nemeth – “The Heights, the Depths and Everything in Between”
Michael Reisman – “Simon Bloom”
Carol Snow – “Snap”
Mark L. Williams – “Danger Boy”
Book Signing at Barnes & Noble Booth

If that’s not enough for you, just take a look at the big-time celebrities who will also be at the fair. Personally, I’m beyond psyched to see Bob Barker, Carol Channing and Cindy Brady (er, um, I mean Susan Olsen). I’m also looking forward to checking out the kids’ stage with my son Jack—especially Shakespeare as interpreted by elementary schoolers. Forsooth!

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20
TEEN READ WEEK
Starting at 4:00 pm, I'll be hanging at the Northridge branch of the L.A. public library (9051 Darby Avenue, Northridge, 91325) with my fellow Los Angeles Young Adult Authors (LAYAs) Jonathan Bernstein (author of HOTTIE and the 2010 sequel BURNING AMBITION) and Eileen Rosenblum (author of STUCK DOWN). We’ll be reading from our books, discussing teen fiction, showing off our secret talents (mine involves something with my tongue and my nose…and yes, it’s as gross as it sounds), and all kinds of wacky stuff. We might even have delicious food and beverages available! I’m actually kind of making some of this up, since details of the event itself are still TBD. But it promises to be the most exhilarating/scary fun Northridge has seen since the ’94 earthquake! (BTW, there will be TEEN READ WEEK festivities throughout the land, so make sure to visit the L.A. public library website to find out if one of your favorite LAYAs will be participating at a library near you.)

So, there you have it. If you live in the L.A. area…come hang out and prove how much you love me—or at least teen fiction!

XO

Love You, Missed You, Mean It!

2009-09-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Hey! Nice to see you. Where have you been? Okay, sorry…I guess I’m the one who’s been out of touch. Let’s just sayit’s been a bit of a hectic summer, but things are finally settling down again (and Bookworm just told me she missed me…thanks, Bookworm! :-).

Anyway, instead of boring you with the details of my life for the past couple months, I figured I'd tell you about a new page I'm about to launch on my website called BEST FANS FOREVER (because mine truly are the best). I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, but when I received the following email a couple weeks back, I knew it had to be done sooner than later. I’ll probably post a letter a week here on the blog, as well as posting them at alexayoung.com. I swear this isn’t a ploy to get readers to write in and tell me how fabulous I am. It’s my way of thanking the people who've already written for taking the time to brighten my day with a little love and appreciation.

So, without further ado, please welcome this week's BEST FAN FOREVER...Kiri from Australia! (And please note I will NEVER, EVER post a message from you—here or on my website—without asking your permission first.)

Dear Ms. Young,

Hello my name is Kiri and I am 11 years old. I have read all the Frenemies in every language available. In your latest book it said we could send hate mail or a request to have our names in the credits page. Well, I would like my name in the credits but I would DEFINITELY NOT like to send you hate mail.

I live in Australia and i am SUCH a BIG fan of yours. I am on Team HALLEY! What side are you on? I find it really mean how Avalon dates Wade after Halley had gone out with him and he had broken her heart. Also before Avalon went out with Wade she thought he was a loser and then she announced Halley's crush on him in front of basically the WHOLE of Seaview Middle School (SMS)!!!!! I cant WAIT for the third book to come out!!!!!!

As i said or rather typed before i would like my name in the credits of the book (if thats possible). Also if you could tell me the name and date your third book is coming out that would give me something to hope for!!!! But if you cant release any of that information then thats understandable.

Well I'm very sorry i wasted your tim when you could have been writing your much anticipated, from lots of girls, book.

Thank you very very much Ms. Young.

Yours sincerely Kiri.

P.S. Could you maybe please reply to this much thought out fan mail? THANK YOU SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!
P.P.S. I would just like you to know that i have read both Twilight and Harry Potter and your books come equal 1st with them!!!!!
P.P.P.S. Also are they making your books into Movies? Because that would be so so so so so cool!!!!!!
P.P.P.P.S Very sorry for wasting your time!!!! and I LOVE YOUR BOOKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See? I told you my fans are the best. Could Kiri be any cuter? I think it's time for me to move to Australia. What do you think? :-)

Huge thanks to Kiri for her awesome letter.

See you all back here again very soon (promise!).

XO

Instant Karma's Gonna Get You

2009-07-30T16:25:00.001-07:00

Here’s a yummy excerpt from a recent feature about Heather Mills (you know, the deranged ex of Paul McCartney) in The Guardian UK/Observer:

“She also returns, repeatedly, to her grievances with the press. She says that something akin to karma is meting out justice on her behalf. ‘The truth always outs in the end ... no one gets away with those things. Certain journalists have written horrible things, and then they've got cancer, or they've had a tumour, or they've died. And it's terrible for them, but they've done really evil things. I truly believe things come back round.’"

While the vegan/model/crazy has since denied her statement, I still can’t help but wonder: What would a person have to do to precipitate the kind of karma involving getting hit by a motorbike and losing one’s leg?

Just asking…

XO

Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy

2009-07-20T20:32:00.000-07:00

So, it's another week riddled with celebrations! Kicking off the festivities...today, my mom turned 68—quite a feat, considering the last couple months of chemo nearly killed her. How did she celebrate? Well, my brother and I drove down to San Diego with balloons, flowers, lunch and cards...and then, after about an hour of visiting, she got the gift that will keep on giving: A power-port installed for the new chemo she'll be starting tomorrow. WOO HOO! I deemed the occasion her official "port-o-party." (Hey, we're at the laugh-at-it-or-you-will-go-crazy-oh-wait-we’re-already-crazy phase in the whole cancer battle.) Anyway…Mom is holding up well, all things considered and here’s hoping this chemo keeps her more comfortable...and energized...and alive...than the last did.

But it doesn't stop there. Nope! My husband is turning FORTY this Thursday! We'll be celebrating with all kinds of international fare, including Mexican (his favorite) and Japanese (if I can get a reservation at Katsu-ya on short notice). He'll also be getting some gifts befitting his age, and some that—in his words, not mine—might also indicate he should still be wearing Star Wars Pull-ups. Hey…40 years forward, 38 years back. It happens.

Finally...in super-exciting news, my dear friend Stephanie Kuehnert is celebrating the release of her sophomore YA novel, Ballads of Suburbia, which comes out tomorrow. Stephanie isn't just a phenomenal writer, she's a phenomenal person—like, a punk rock girl with a heart of gold—and you MUST. READ. HER. BOOKS. (I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone, her debut, came out last summer.) You should also check out the huge Ballads Cyber-Release Party on her blog, where she has a bunch of cool authors and other creative types sharing their own ballads (snapshots of life-altering experiences, set to the music that accompanied or somehow shaped those moments). I’m certainly not cool enough to participate, but let’s just say Stephanie let me crash the festivities today. I returned the favor by making everyone cry. Sorry about that. Sometimes I just go deep. In all seriousness, my ballad marks the first time I’ve ever publicly discussed this particularly painful experience from my college days, and I hope you’ll all check it out—if not for me, then in memory of a dear friend of mine…and in honor of Stephanie’s book launch.

Okay! WHEW! Shake it off. Back to the happy-happy-joy-joy…Happy birthday, Mom! Happy birthday, husband! Happy release day, Stephanie!

XOXO Alexa Joy-Joy Young

Behold! FRENEMY = A Real Word

2009-07-09T08:31:00.001-07:00

Well, kids, it's official: The Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary has decided the word "frenemy," among other neologisms, is used regularly enough in the English language that it should be acknowledged as a legitimate word. Check out the full story in the Associated Press here. Other words making the cut this year: "locavore" (someone who eats foods grown locally), "staycation" (a vacation you spend not going anywhere) and “green-collar” workers (environmentalists). Of course, I’m betting it’s just a matter of time before "faketastic" and "glamnesia" make the list.

I am, however, a little bummed “funemployment” wasn’t included along with "staycation." That’s one we’re currently enjoying in the wake of my husband’s recent layoff. :)

So what do you guys think? Should "frenemy" have made the cut? What other words do you think should (or should not) have been included?

XO

I'm a Book Reviewer!

2009-06-27T19:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, not really. But, after mentioning in my last post that I recently read THE LOVELY BONES, I got a message from the lovely Chelsea/Page Flipper saying she had also just read (and reviewed!) the very same book. (I'm so glad I wasn't the last person to show up at the party...or...wait...was I?) Anyway, I wrote a lengthy reply to Chelsea's review and then realized it basically amounted to my own review...so I've decided to post a slightly modified version of my comments here in case any other LOVELY BONE-heads want to weigh in and share their thoughts. So...here it is:

THE LOVELY BONES BY ALICE SEBOLD
as reviewed by moi...

I had heard all the hype about THE LOVELY BONES ages ago (including people mourning the fact that they couldn't find a single book club not reading it), but wasn't necessarily expecting much when I finally--seven years after the fact--dove in myself. Call me Pollyanna, but a lot of hype typically makes me expect less of a book (or whatever it is being hyped).

SO...let's start with the bad (see previous "Pollyanna" reference): Like Chelsea, there is one part of the book in particular that rubbed me the wrong way or, as Chelsea said, was "very WTF." This is why I said, in my last post, that I wasn't sold on the second half. It was basically a Sixth Sense/"I see dead people" thing that stayed in the oven way too long--and suddenly, our protagonist is returning to earth from heaven, inhabiting the body of her former (quasi-lesbian) classmate, and then hooking up with her former (male) crush. WTF indeed. Not only was it all a bit far-fetched--it almost seemed like it belonged in another book. Even the voice seemed off. It sort of made me remember that one chapter in Melissa Banks' THE GIRLS' GUIDE TO HUNTING AND FISHING, if anyone's read that (if you have, I think you'll know what I'm talking about).

That said, there were many things about this book that I LOVED and that kept me reading:

1. The writing was stunning. Although there were a lot of characters to follow and it got choppy and skipped around quite a lot, I mostly found it to be pitch-perfect, eloquent, breathtaking...and yes, lovely. The fact that Sebold could make such morbid subject matter (a girl who's been brutally raped and murdered and watches the aftermath on earth from her perch in heaven) almost status quo--even humorous at times--was, to me, a major coup. I loved that Sebold maintained such sympathy and neutrality for all the characters, even the most grotesque. Pure genius, IMO.

2. The will-they-or-won't-they catch the rapist/killer plotline was riveting. It's been ages since I've read a book I just didn't want to put down. This one had me going and going because I wanted to see what would happen next and what clues would be uncovered, how the characters would evolve (and boy did they--well, most of them), etc.

3. The quasi-spirituality was compelling. I'm not a particularly religious person and I thought the way the afterlife was presented here was quite interesting without being overdone. Made me think about life. And death. And stuff.

There were a lot of other things I liked and disliked (the ending was quite a let-down for me), but I should probably just shut up already and stick to writing books rather than reviewing them. For now, anyway. ;-)

I'm interested to hear from any of you who've read THE LOVELY BONES, too. So please share your thoughts.

XO

How I Spent My Summer Vacation

2009-06-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ever since becoming an “adult,” I haven’t found vacations to be nearly as restful as the idyllic experiences of my childhood—frolicking on the beach, staying out all night, sleeping in as late as I like. Back then, my most stressful moments revolved around inadvertently dropping my perfectly ripe nectarine or tuna salad sandwich or just-purchased-from-the-ice-cream-man chocolate éclair in the sand. That, or losing my bikini top when I took a particularly daring plunge into the water.

I swear I'm not complaining (okay, I am...but let me explain). I mean, yes, the past couple weeks were a bit hectic—chasing after my three-year-old son, seeing my mother bald and bedridden. And let's face it, the real bummer is that I'm freaking old and just don't have the energy to (god, this sounds awful, but...) have fun like I used to. However, there were plenty of good times in the mix, not the least of which was the news that while the chemo is definitely kicking my mom’s ass, it seems to be kicking the cancer’s as well. Meanwhile, since Mom was pretty much out of commission for our visit, she planned lots of activities for us, like:

The Del Mar Fair!

Sea World!

Cordiano Winery!

I also forgot to bring reading material with me, and found myself searching for something on the shelves of the condo we were renting—and boy, did I discover a gem. I know I’m about seven years late on this, but I finally cracked open THE LOVELY BONES and was absolutely riveted. I did kind of like the first half better than the second, and wasn’t totally satisfied with the ending…but overall, I was pretty much blown away. Anyone else out there care to share their thoughts on that particular novel? Again, I know I’m seriously late to the game, but now I’m desperate to discuss it with other people who’ve read it. (Hey, 2002 was a really busy year for me, okay? I didn’t have time to join a book club.)

What else? Oh yeah. If you’re French (or you speak French), MEILLEURES ENNEMIES, TOME DEUX came out on the 11th of June! So…here’s a message for all my French-speaking amis:

Je serais si heureux si vous achèteriez MEILLEURES ENNEMIES, TOME DEUX immédiatement. J'aime tous mes ventilateurs français et espère que vous appréciez livre deux autant que livre un. (And yes, I know that a fan, in the context of someone who likes my books, is not really called a “ventilateur” in France, but I thought that would be a cool—no pun intended—way to translate it since I don’t know the correct word. :-)

I think that’s probably enough updates for now. I’ll be posting more frequently over the next several weeks, since my son’s summer vacation is officially OVER until mid-August (and therefore, mine is kinda/sorta beginning!).

If you're heading somewhere fun, here’s hoping you don’t drop any of your ice cream in the sand...

XO

Holiday! Celebrate!

2009-06-13T21:41:00.000-07:00

I’ve been on a bit of a forced vacation since I last posted, due to the fact that my son is on summer break (yes, even preschool gets summer break). One week down, one to go—and boy, time sure flies when you’ve got new DVDs like Scooby Doo Meets Bat Man, not to mention AWESOME places like Target, Chili’s and McDonald’s PlayPlace to fill the hours. Ahhhh, life as a suburban, valley-trash mom.

It really hasn’t been all that bad. We’ve had some good times. See? Here’s Jack enjoying the 50-cent horsey outside of our local CVS:

Yeah! Um. The good news is, tomorrow we’ll be heading down to San Diego, where there are beaches (within walking distance)! The Del Mar Fair! LegoLand! Sea World! Aquariums! Plus, we get to spend plenty of time with my parents, who rented us a condo right down the hill from them (gotta love the parents). I’m really looking forward to seeing my mom, whose ride on the cancer rollercoaster has been pretty scary the past week, and to help take some of the caregiver duties off my dad’s shoulders. Of course, now it seems Mom’s on an upswing (wheeeee!), so perhaps we’ll actually get a chance to celebrate…you know…life.

I’m in a celebratory mood for another reason, too. I’m probably not supposed to share the details yet, but subtlety isn’t one of my virtues. So...um...er...uh...OKAY! It involves FRENEMIES, a made-for-TV movie, and a some channel called “The Disney.” That wasn’t too specific, was it? Of course, we’re talking about Hollywood so let’s all keep those expectations in check, mmmmkay? Shyeah, right. I’ve been telling everybody! I can’t stop talking about it! I’m beyond psyched! I’m probably jinxing it! But oh well. It’s freaking exciting! RIGHT?

I will of course post updates if and when I have them (and I'm allowed to share them). Till then…have a cool summer. K.I.T.!

Home Sweet Home

2009-06-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

I just returned home after spending a week with my mom, which was amazing in every possible way (mostly good!). I’ve never done so much cooking and cleaning in my life, nor enjoyed it more. Why? Because I’ve never seen such gratitude in my mother's eyes, nor tried so hard to help someone so ravaged by disease and the poison that's supposedly eradicating some of it. Trust me...I know the unfortunate reality is that I'm in really good company. I don't think there's anyone out there who hasn't experienced cancer first- or second-hand. So, I'll stop yammering on about it and instead express myself in song, sweet song. Here's my cancer playlist for the week (hey, there's a fun new installment! :-):

Bittersweet Symphony, The Verve (poignantly reflects a lot of my current feelings)
Don't Stop Believin', Journey (great song, great sentiment)
Cancer For The Cure, eels (yeah, kind of bizarre…but it’s been popping into my head lately for obvious reasons)
Cure For Pain, Morphine (a drug my mom's become all-too-familiar with in the past few weeks as the cancer has invaded her spine in particular—and, hello? Click the link for the awesome live performance from my new favorite country, France!)
Home Sweet Home, Mötley Crüe (would you believe this was the song playing on the radio within a few minutes of pulling into my driveway and finally seeing my husband and son again? True story)

In other news, GLAMNESIA revisions are done and the book rocks. What? I'm an optimist now, so I can say these things. ;-)

Love to all of you,

XO

Does Absence Make The Heart Grow Fonder...?

2009-05-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

Let's hope so! Because I doubt I'm going to be posting much--or be in much contact with anyone in general--for a wee bit longer.

You see, I'm not just frantically trying to wrap up GLAMNESIA revisions...I'm doing so on my mom's Mac (I shamefully confess I am a PC user at home and I'm NOT loving the mac mouse OR keyboard. GAH!). That also means I'm spending quality time with my beloved cancer patient (Mom), doing the cooking and cleaning and anything she wants (and truly--no sarcasm here at all--loving every moment of being able to return the maternal favor and take care of HER for a change).

The good news is she's doing as well as can be expected. I even cooked her a gourmet meal tonight and she devoured it (not bad for two days after chemo!).

Wishing you all well,

XO

J'AIME LA FRANCE!

2009-05-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

I received the most fantastique email from my French translator, Jean-Noël Chatain, this morning. It included the GORGEOUS new cover for the French version of FAKETASTIC (A La Vie A La Mode, out June 11), and some equally beautiful news regarding sales of the French version of FRENEMIES (Meilleures Ennemies). I’m talking très grand, mes amis.

So really, I just have one question for my beloved translator: How do you say “I am so effing stoked” in French?

XO

WORST REVIEWS AND IDOL NEWS

2009-05-20T09:50:00.000-07:00

Head on over to THE WORST REVIEW EVER blog today, where Sara Shepard discusses the choice words one Amazon reviewer had for her bestselling PRETTY LITTLE LIARS.

In other news...

KRIS ALLEN IS A GOD.

Finally...

AN AMERICAN IDOL MEMO

TO: KARA DIOGUARDI

FROM: ALEXA YOUNG

RE: "NO BOUNDARIES"

Dear Kara: Please feel free to send me some of the feedback you received for the song you cowrote for the poor American Idol finalists. I mean, wow. Talk about WORST REVIEW EVER material.

XO

Dear Anonymous...

2009-05-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

There’s never a drama shortage in the world—you know, people losing their homes, their jobs, their kids, their health, their lives…and of course, harsh comments on blogs. (OMG! You did NOT just say that about my FAVE-OH-RITE BLOGGAH, BIATCH!) Sorry. I know that sounds dismissive. The truth is I get caught up in it, too. Big-time. Because it’s kind of fun, a good distraction from weightier issues—and honestly? Not without merit. In fact, I think we could all learn something from these little online tussles, in which professional "adults" and school kids alike become defensive, angry, offensive, cruel, back-stabbing and altogether CRAZY WORKED-UP MANICS. (The name of the eighties revival band I will one day form with Natalie Merchant.)

Here’s the thing I’ve noticed (‘cause I’m super perceptive): A lot of drama recently ensued on certain YA book blogs, partly because of certain ANONYMOUS comments. Now, in a lot of ways the anonymous commenters SUCK. Nine times out of ten, I despise the anonymous commenters. I think they’re pathetic invertebrates who should be dragged out from behind their cryptic IP addresses and publicly flogged within an inch of their virtual lives . (And yes, little Miss Ft. Lauderdale/iGossipGirl/stalker chick…I’m talking to you, you big freak! See? I get it. And it makes me CRAZY.)

And yet, I have occasionally been tempted to leave an anonymous comment on a blog or two. I don’t think I ever will—partly because I used to be a major klepto and got caught several times and now live in fear of ever being discovered doing anything remotely deceptive or secretive again (okay, within reason)—but, I mean, I understand what motivates people to conceal their identities.

I’ve also got to say I almost think harder/dwell on/obsess over anonymous feedback (just like several people who’ve sent in reviews to The Worst Review Ever)—because I kind of think that person is being more honest than they’d ever be if their name were on it. In that sense, the anonymous commenter is fascinating…and almost worth listening to. Truly, on the few occasions anyone has anonymously and negatively commented on my blog, it’s forced me to reflect on things I've said, the way I've said them, and to consider that perhaps I needed to make some changes. (Yes, I even pulled a post because of an anonymous commenter’s chiding.) I just can’t help but think I must have done something pretty awful, if someone's that afraid to admit their identity. And if they give me some sense of what they’re taking issue with, you can be damn sure I’ll listen and reflect on it.

SO! Whew. Does this make any sense? I guess I’m just saying that while it's a sign of strength to ignore the haters—even to speak out against them—it might also be a sign of strength to consider what your detractors say and make amends or changes if you decide you’re even partly at fault. Obviously if someone's posting something negative about you anonymously, you've alienated them in some way. Maybe that's their problem…maybe it's your problem. But in my experience, the fault never rests exclusively with one person.

So come on, Ft. Lauderdale…keep on doing your anonymous-hater thing, but be a bit clearer: What did I do to you?

XO

Back To Life

2009-05-14T21:10:00.001-07:00

You know what? I'm back. Yes, it's been an awful week or two. But I don't want to be the kind of person who cracks under the pressure of what my mom is facing right now, who begs for pity or puts this depressive face on. The fact is, she's going to start chemo on Monday and fully intends to beat this thing...again. And I'll tell you, if anyone can do it, she can. I'm going to be there, fighting right alongside her, spending as much time as I can with her—doing whatever it takes and whatever she needs me to do.

Of course I'm still angry. And sad. And scared. But the optimism is creeping in and that has everything to do with the kind of woman my mother is, the kind of family I have, and the kind of friends who have been so incredibly supportive as I ride one of life's most terrifying emotional rollercoasters.

I know I'm doing the earnest thing again (and I swear I'll lighten up soon), but I owe so much to the people who've called and emailed me this week, sharing their stories or just telling me to hang in there. As weird as I felt letting people know what was going on, I'm so glad I did. Because as much as I try to put up this stoic front and say I can handle it all on my own...guess what? That's a lie. And the strength I feel right now has so much to do with my family (especially my beyond tolerant husband and son) and my network of friends, new and old. Honestly, things like this really open my eyes to how important it is to admit you’re struggling…to let the little things go...and to be excellent to each other. :)

Speaking of which (!), I just did an interview with Bookworm Readers here, and I have to thank her for being such a huge champion of the Frenemies series. Her support has meant a lot to me and doing this interview was a nice distraction from the other stuff going on in my life right now. So thank you, Bookworm!

My brother has been another amazing source of strength, support and perspective lately—and the dude is hilarious too. Have you checked out his blog? If you don't already know, he's a ridiculously talented TV writer/producer and he's decided to document his entire 40th year of life with one limerick a day. Yes, he's written a limerick a day since December 9, 2008 (you do the math...it's impressive!). There are some serious gems in there—both poignant and funny. So check that out for some quality entertainment.

And again, at risk of turning the My-Mom-Has-Cancer thing into a twisted Oscar acceptance speech, thank you for the love. Truly. More soon (promise!).

XO

Pardon My Absence

2009-05-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

I'm not really sure how much posting I'm going to be doing over the next month or so. I will definitely continue to work on The Worst Review Ever blog because, well, that doesn't require quite as much energy.

The good news: Aside from what's happening with my mom, the reasons for my absence aren't all bad. Most important, I finally received the edits on GLAMNESIA (book three in the FRENEMIES series) and they're pretty minimal (my editor is actually quite thrilled with the book...YAY!). So, I'm going to be working on that along with a bunch of magazine assignments and, hopefully, between these projects and surfing the blogosphere, Twitter, Facebook, etc., I can keep my mind well coccupied and off of the cancer-related doom and gloom that keeps threatening to creep in.

I'll see you when I see you, then.

XO

In All Seriousness

2009-05-11T13:44:00.000-07:00

I was just in the middle of writing an upbeat post about how great yesterday's Mother's Day was...but, well, something suddenly came up.

I try not to get too earnest here on the blog because, um, I don’t really think I’m very good at it. But sometimes life calls for a moment of reflection...and therefore I'm going to just go for it. Because honestly, I'm scared and angry and I'm just not sure what any of my posts are going to be looking like for a while...or what my life is going to be looking like.

So! The good news is that yesterday was Mother’s Day and I got to be with my whole family—my mom, dad, husband, son, brother, sister-in-law, nephews and SIL's mom—and it was pretty much the best damn Mother's Day (or day, period) ever. The bad news is I’m not quite sure how many more Mother's Days I’ll get to celebrate—at least not with my mom. Ahem. Basically she’s been in remission after battling breast cancer seven years ago and...well, it's back. With a vengeance. She just called me from her oncologist's office with the prognosis. Of course she's going to fight it and we're all hoping for the best. But hearing that without treatment your mom has probably got about a year to live? That certainly puts the minutiae in perspective, doesn't it? I'm not looking forward to watching her go through the godawful chemo again, either...but I'm grateful she's going to give it a shot. Up until today, she was thinking she'd just forgo it for quality of life. I guess when you've got a concrete diagnosis, your plans to fight something get more concrete too.

I hope this doesn't come across as a deeply inappropriate way to process the situation—blogging about it, that is. I mean, I know I'm not the first to deal with this and unfortunately I'm not the last. Right now I could just use a virtual hug...a lit candle...whatever feels most appropriate. Seriously. I'll take whatever you're peddling.

XO

Mean People Suck

2009-05-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

I will admit I've been a mean person, and I still have my moments now and then. On those occasions, I'm forced to do some soul-searching and I always, without fail, realize that I'm really only hurting myself...digging myself into a deeper pit of self-loathing because, you see, I honestly believe that being mean to others is ALWAYS an act of projection—projecting our own negative feelings about ourselves onto others.

The more reviews that roll in for the new blog (yes, I'm going to plug it AGAIN)—THE WORST REVIEW EVER—the more I realize that there are a lot of miserable, self-loathing people out there. Listen, I totally understand and appreciate criticism. WHEN IT'S DONE CONSTRUCTIVELY. I think feedback is invaluable. But it needs to be presented in a way that helps the recipient—in a way that will be heard, taken to heart, and utilized effectively. At least, that's my feeling.

But what do you guys think? Am I wrong about this? Should reviews really just be hate- and venom-filled opinions—vehicles for people to say whatever the hell they want about anything, just because they feel like it, because the cruel thoughts occurred to them and because they want to get a quick laugh or feed their own egos? Sadly, I think that’s what a lot of reviewing (of books and otherwise) has become: A way for people to say, “Look at me! Listen to me! I hate this and I hate that…and most of all I hate myself!” I've noticed this trend in a lot of book-reviewing blogs lately. Some of these blogs started out with such enthusiasm and with noble intentions. But they've gone downhill fast. In a big way.

I don't know. My feeling is if you have an opinion but it serves no purpose, it's destructive and better kept to yourself. Of course, then you've got to figure out what constitutes construction and destruction...right? Yes, I do still have my sense of humor about bad reviews. But some of them just really piss me off, man.

END OF RANT. HAVE A NICE DAY.

XO

Lovestruck Summer!

2009-05-06T09:29:00.000-07:00

Two posts in one day? (Actually three...if you count the one at THE WORST REVIEW EVER. Have I plugged the new blog enough yet?) What can I say? I'm occasionally prolific that way. But this has nothing to do with me. You see, the fabulous Melissa Walker--author of the Violet series--isn't just today's WORST REVIEW EVER featured author...she's also celebrating the release of her brand-new book, Lovestruck Summer.

I've been waiting to read this one ever since Melissa announced the deal and the premise oh so many, many, many months ago. Here's what it's about: "Sunny days, late nights and a vacation full of possibilities...This is the story of Quinn, an indie rock girl who came out to Austin, Texas, for a music internship. She also plans to spend long, lazy days in the sun at outdoor concerts--and to meet a hot musician or two. Instead, she's stuck rooming with her sorority brainwashed cousin, who now willingly goes by the name 'Party Penny.' Their personalities clash, big time. But Sebastian, a gorgeous DJ, definitely makes up for it. Sebastian has it all: looks, charm, and great taste in music. So why can't Quinn keep her mind off Penny's friend--cute, All-American Russ and his Texas twang? One thing's certain: Quinn's in for a summer she'll never forget."

A rock girl, a music internship, hot southern guys, and a story of opposites (or are they really opposites?) attracting? What could be better? I'm going to stop asking so many rhetorical questions, take a break later today to go out and hunt down my copy. You should too. Or order it here.

Happy release week, Melissa!

XO

Kris Allen DOES Rock

2009-05-05T23:23:00.000-07:00

I know I'm sinking into a total pit of teenie fandom here by (gasp!) posting about "American Idol" again, but I just can't resist. See, unlike the rest of the firing squad last night, I think Kris Allen's performance was flawless. Talk about the worst REVIEWS ever...and, in my humble opinion, ones that were totally unwarranted; the poor guy got the most negative comments of the final four, including Kara's “You’re definitely the softer side of rock...for me, this was not a great performance,” Paula's “You need to have a little more energy," and Simon's “I actually didn’t like it that much. It was rather like eating ice for lunch.”

Granted those aren't the harshest words ever said to a contestant, but they were the worst of the evening and I just have to say...really? I felt like Kris did the Beatles' "Come Together" complete justice and then some. There's just a perfect understated swagger to this guy--something that may not seem perfect for "rock night" until you really think about what "rock" actually means. I understand everyone has their own definition (and with Slash as the night's mentor there were obviously certain expectations), but Kris is totally a rock guy. It doesn't have to be gritty, glossy or hysterical. I would (and will) totally buy this kid's album over the other remaining contestants...any day. If only I could have gotten through on the phone lines to vote for him. (Uh huh. I actually tried.)

In other TV news, don't even get me started on how much I'm loving "90210." But OMG...I'm obsessed. I'm even going to go so far as to say I like it better than "Gossip Girl" now. Perhaps I'll post a love letter to that show next week.

Going back into my cheesetastic hole now. :)

XO

My Own Worst...FRENEMIES

2009-05-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, kids. THE WORST REVIEW EVER blog has officially launched with my own worst review. Check it out here and enjoy!

XO

International Bright Young Things

2009-04-30T21:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, first order of business: Presenting the Australian cover for FAKETASTIC (at left), which comes out July 1 (now that I’ve got my months and days in the right order) and can also be viewed on the Random House-Australia website by clicking here.

I’m once again thrilled—not just with the packaging but with the amazing people at my Oz publishing house and all the incredible readers Down Under (do people still say that or am I totally dating myself and forcing flashbacks to Crocodile Dundee or—oh!—does anyone remember The Gods Must Be Crazy…? Wow. Now I’m REALLY dating myself). I actually heard from my aunt in Tasmania, who had these lovely things to say:

“You’ll be pleased to know that even in little old Hobart you’re selling well! I went in a while ago to one of the local bookshops and asked for Frenemies. He knew INSTANTLY where to find it, and said they had sold quite a few! They had it shelved in Childrens – 12 and up. The shops here don’t seem to have a ‘young adult’ but I remember you saying that your chief fans were around 13. Enjoyed reading it. Is that REALLY how 13 year olds are in the US? Sounds like another planet!”

Ha! Of course, I immediately let my aunt know that OF COURSE that’s how 13-year-olds are (kind of)—not just in the U.S. but all over the world. Which brings me to my next bit of international news: I’ve been receiving quite a lot of email from my French-speaking readers. Apparently many students en France are asked to write about authors they like and, well…elles m’adorent (trans: They love me!). I know that sounds obscenely vain…but I swear it’s semi-true. The best part about all this is that I get to try to correspond/answer interview questions in French—and they try to write to me in English (sometimes). Here’s the most recent and most ADORABLE message thus far:

"Bonjour, Je m'appelle XXX, j'ai 15 ans , j'habite en Belgique (à côté de la France). Et j'ai lu votre livre, je l'ai trouvé vraiment très chouette! Dans mon école, on doit faire une biographie d'un auteur de notre choix... Moi je vous ai choisis :D. Es-que je pourrais vous pausez quelque questions, s'il vous plait? Au revoir, XXX"
SHE ALSO INCLUDED THIS TRANSLATION:
Hello,I am called XXX, I am 15 years old, I live in Belgium (beside France). And I read your book, I really found it very owl! In my school, one must make a biography of an author of our choice… Me I chose you: D. Could I you pause some questions, please?Goodbye,
P.s: I do not know if the translator functions well.

So yeah...my books have been called a lot of things—but never OWL. And much as I like owls, I was obviously curious to know what this particular reader really meant. So I went to my handy French-English translator tool online, and discovered that in addition to chouette translating as "owl," it can also mean:

Kind
Old bag
Neat looking
Peachy-Keen
Hunky-Dory
Helpful
Jim-Dandy
Nifty
Great

Honestly? I’d take ALL of those—from owl to kind old bag to great (and I do pride myself on being quite helpful, too). After all, when you see the WORST REVIEW EVER I’m going to post on my new blog tomorrow, this is just about as cool as winning a freaking Pulitzer.

Now On Twitter

2009-04-29T10:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, I finally caved and joined Twitter. If you're on there, come find (and follow) me @bestfrenemy.

I was already planning on joining...but then I saw this post on my friend Allison Winn Scotch's blog. Kind of creepy/cool that Josh Malina and I had almost the EXACT SAME IDEA about trumpeting bad reviews within 24 hours of each other.

Maybe Josh will be kind enough to do a WORST REVIEW EVER interview for the new blog!

A girl can dream...right?

XO

THE WORST REVIEW EVER! (A Blog)

2009-04-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

I was recently browsing around the blog that Alloy so kindly put together for the FRENEMIES series and found several—well, um, kind of bitchy comments (which I totally understand. I mean, I was QUEEN BITCH in my teens. It's a tough age). There was even a comment made by someone named ALEXA YOUNG…except that I never made the comment. (See, you can pretty much pretend to be anyone you want when you post comments on blogs…although why anyone would pretend to be ME is kind of sad, if not a little mind-boggling. But I digress!)

Anyway, seeing all this silliness reminded me of an idea I had a while back for a new blog. A blog about bad reviews. Because let’s be honest: As much as we creative types (or any types, really) try to take criticism in stride, rise above it, or in some cases deny it ever happened, it does happen—to all of us. And when it happens, we want—no, we need—a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk us off the ledge, a brave soul who will attempt to put the harsh words in perspective and help us to access our will to live…our desire to create…our special purpose...or at least our sense of humor.

That’s what THE WORST REVIEW EVER blog will be: A place where we can all convene, laugh at and lick our wounds together. A place where each of us can share what we believe to be our single-worst review EVER. A place where we can then meditate on that review and emerge from it stronger, wiser and perhaps even happier. And as much as this blog will allow us to grieve, to support each other via comments, and to heal—it will also be the ultimate forum for schadenfreude. After all, on those occasions when you feel like you’ve been kicked to the curb and nobody could possibly have it as bad as you…you can visit the blog and see that, indeed, there are plenty of other people out there who have been mocked, ridiculed, ripped to shreds and beaten to a pulp. And if that doesn’t make you feel better about your own crappy review, really, what will?

Okay then! Here’s how it will work: If you’re an author (or an actor…a recording artist…or any other kind of artist) and your work has been publicly ridiculed or met with some other form of extreme criticism…email me that review along with your answers to the following questions:

1. When and where did this review appear?
2. How did you happen upon the review?
3. How did you feel immediately after reading/watching the review?
4. Did you do anything in response to the review?
5. If you did something in response, how do you feel about said reaction in retrospect?
6. What other steps did you take in an effort to assuage your pain?
7. How long did it take you to get over the pain and humiliation of the review (assuming you got over it)?
8. What, if anything, positive came from receiving your WORST…REVIEW…EVER?
9. Anything you’d like to add?

Now for the exciting part! I’ll be launching the blog sometime within the week, complete with my very own WORST REVIEW EVER. And trust me, you will NOT want to miss that. :)

Till next time then…let the healing begin! Hallelujah!

XO

Huh? It's April?

2009-04-17T15:22:00.000-07:00

I know I’ve been absent from the blog for the past few weeks and I have to confess, I’m as surprised as the next person. I mean, seriously, how did this happen? I swear some days I feel like I’m going to run out for a gallon of milk and return to discover I’m eighty years old. Truly. WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?

So, what have I been doing? Well, I’ve been working on random articles—mostly for parenting and women’s magazines. Actually, one of them is this digital mag, which you should all check out (though the target demo is slightly older…well, just head out for a gallon of milk and by the time you get back it will be perfect for you!). Truly, it’s quite lovely and I’m really proud of the staff for putting together such a phenomenally interactive glossy (er, can I call it a glossy if it’s an online magazine?). I think this could be the future of magazines…but what do you guys think?

It was also spring break around these parts, so little man Jack (my three-going-on-83-year-old son) was off preschool for a week. Never one to take my parenting responsibilities too seriously, I dumped him with my parents in San Diego for a couple nights (don’t worry; a good time was had by all). Then the hubby and I hosted a Passover seder (I put my mother’s chicken soup and matzo balls to SHAME!)…and then we had Easter at my brother’s house with far too much chocolate. It was quite a Judeo-Christian weekend, I tell you what.

Now, I’m back at work on more magazine articles—and I’m also in the process of coming up with ideas for new YA books. I've got a solid four bouncing around in my head at the moment: One is sort of a Sisterhood of the Traveling FAT Pants, one is like Almost Famous told from the Band Aids’ perspective, one is Lord of the Flies meets Gossip Girl, and one is a supernatural Romeo and Juliet, wherein a female descendant of hell and male descendant of heaven fall in love.

Hmmm. Maybe I should just stick with the FRENEMIES series??? Even though sales here in the U.S. haven't quite been up to the delusionally high expectations we Americans tend to have…it seems to be doing quite well overseas. In fact, I have to send HUGE thanks to my newest and most lovely Oz fan, “Lady Alice,” who wrote this incredible guest review of FAKETASTIC on Adele’s blog. It kind of made my year.

And on that high note…I’m off to pick up some milk. :-O

XO

Man Love!

2009-03-29T20:58:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, I went off on a bit of a male-bashing rampage. But since I'm bipolar...er, I mean, like, um…since I consider myself something of a Taoist and strive for balance in everything I do (whew! Nice save, Alexa-1!), I'm going to devote this post to some of my latest and greatest (and kind of surprising) man-crushes. I hope they will continue to rock my world (see #3). If they don’t, I’ll just have to revisit this post and edit it at a later date. (Don’t do that, Alexa-2! You know you won’t! Shut up, Alexa-1, you never know what I’ll do…). Um, okay then. Let’s get this party started:

1. Justin Timberlake. I’m not ashamed to admit I was always an *NSYNC fan ("Bye Bye Bye," anyone? Such a great song), but I wasn't always convinced J.T. was worthy of the levels of teenieness, stalkerdom and all-out fangirlobsession he often incited. But now, after seeing some clips from his recent chat with Oprah, checking out the many hilarious SNL sketches (see below), and sweating my BUTT off to sped-up versions of his already booty-quaking dancetastic songs…I’m freaking sold, man.

2. Ashton Kutcher. I never watched “That Seventies Show.” I don’t think “Punk’d” did much to sell me on his talents. I sort of became mildly interested when he married Demi (the woman is kind of awesome, right? I’ve had a bit of a crush on her ever since St. Elmo’s Fire—OMG! Must get that one on DVD). But then I saw him late last year on Real Time With Bill Maher and realized…holy crap! Ashton has a serious mind to go with the rest of the, um, pretty-boy package. Right? Or am I just not that bright, so everyone seems smart to me?

3. Bret Michaels (yes, it’s BRET with one “t” and I know this because I love him). Sure, the skanks are all over him. And what does that say about me? I don’t care. I’m officially obsessed with Rock of Love Bus (thanks to YA author Paula Yoo) and I actually have to give this guy props for his occasionally self-deprecating sense of humor (thanks to Paula, too, for this amazing Chelsea Handler interview link) and all-out honesty (at least, what I think is honesty) about who he is and what he wants. I hope and THINK he will continue to rock my world…no matter how bad the guyliner, extensions and all the rest. He’s cool!

4. The boys of American Idol. I confess, I always (okay, usually...sorry, Justin) fall for them. But this season, the guys are easily kicking the girls' asses and one of them is definitely going to win. No, I’m not into Scott-the-sympathy-vote-blind-guy. (I know. I'm going to hell for that one. But c'mon! As sweet as he is, and as great a pianist as he is…that voice isn’t anything special and he’s got NO PERSONALITY! I think he should just become, or continue to be, a Claymate and be done with it.) And as much as Anoop-Dog seems like a nice guy and has a decent voice, he bugs the crap out of me (odd stage presence) and is so in need of a makeover (the hair…the weird Members Only-esque style! It’s all just wrong, generic and awful. Please go away, Anoop). So who do I love? Let’s see…

4a. MATT GIRAUD Are you surprised? Hello. He’s totally like J.T. (see above). And while I realize I'm not the first to say that, I believe I'm one of the first to substantiate it with serious photojournalistic awesomeness. (See below.) In all honesty, he boy has got mad white-boy soul and just seems so nice and cool. My only question: What’s up with that bump on his forehead that keeps appearing and disappearing?

J.T. and M.G. Can you tell the difference?

4b. KRIS ALLEN Okay. Simply adorable. Great stage presence and confidence (as much as I usually agree with Simon, I have to say I think Kris is way more self-assured than Mr. Cowell alleges…it’s just subtle, quiet, and completely HOT). Know who he kind of reminds me of? John Mayer (who really needs to stop being such a tool)-meets-Jeremy Sisto (back in the Clueless days). See:

Am I right or am I right?

Okay, so I also like Danny Gokey (soulful! Sassy!) and Adam Lambert (the Motown show was beyond amazing and really sold me on him)...but I’m too tired to find pics of them and elaborate beyond that. So, I shall simply leave you with this: GO MEN! GO! Even women who occasionally seem to hate you will occasionally admit we love you--sometimes even more than words can say. (As evidenced by how happy I was to see my hubby and son today after nearly three days without them!)

25 Random Things About ME!

2009-03-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve been putting off doing this Facebook meme thingy forever. But now, since I’ve been absent from the blog for a while and am sort of at a loss for anything exciting to write about, I’ve decided to post it here. I personally believe, such as, U.S. Americans and the Iraq will be glad to enjoy this arbitrary slice of Alexa Young trivia (watch the video below #10 if you didn’t understand what I just said):

1. I am a native of Southern California, but have never really felt like I fit the SoCal stereotype.
2. In fact, I am only a 1.5th generation American. (Mom is from England, and my paternal grandparents were Russian immigrants.)
3. In spite of not fitting the SoCal stereotype, I have felt the need to keep my hair its once-natural shade of blond, no matter how badly it wants to be dark.
4. I was also the captain of the freshman cheerleading squad in high school, as well as the school mascot (complete with a bear suit) my senior year—in spite of the fact that I was pretty much the polar opposite of pep.
5. I thought being a cheerleader would be a good way to get a boyfriend in high school.
6. I never had a boyfriend in high school.
7. I wasn’t just a cheerleader in high school; I was also a star defense attorney on the mock trial team (we won county and went to state!), won a best supporting actress award for my portrayal of Mrs. Schwartz in the school musical Fame, played on the tennis team, took AP math and English, was voted Class Clown, and was basically a total renaissance girl in every sense of the word. Except for the whole dating thing.

You don't want to be my boyfriend?

BUT I'M A CHEERLEADER! (AND a best supporting actress.)

That's me out of my bear-suit on the far right...

...and in front, in the green skirt that I sewed myself!

8. I used to love to travel (I’ve been to Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, England, Italy, France, and Ireland, among many other destinations), but now I find it kind of exhausting and would rather stay home and relax with my family.

9. In spite of my extensive travels, I am a total geography ignoramus (most of the time).

10. In fact, when people discuss world issues and current events, I often remain silent for fear of sounding like this Miss Teen U.S.A. contestant:

11. I also tend to look up words on a regular basis to make sure I’m using them correctly.

12. My earliest childhood memory is of being taken to a child psychiatrist named Dr. Fox because—in my very young mind—I thought my parents wanted to find out if I was a genius like my brother.

13. It turned out I was not a genius like my brother.

14. In fourth grade, I won second place (and a trophy!) in the school spelling bee and was also promoted to the fifth-grade spelling class. That made me feel better about not being a genius.

15. My mom is a former superior court judge (she was also a deputy district attorney specializing in sex abuse/child abuse cases).

16. My dad is an accomplished author and former university biology professor who specialized in malaria.

17. My brother is an accomplished TV writer and executive producer (his credits include Frasier).

18. Nothing makes me happier than the unconditional love I feel for (and from) my husband, son and dog.

19. The lead singer of Carolina Liar (surely you know of them? If not, you must check them out!) is my ex-brother-in-law and was one of the groomsmen in my wedding. (He is also one of the nicest, most talented and all-around awesome guys ever and deserves all the success he’s had. YAY, CHAD!)

Look! It's Chad Wolf(inbarger), lead singer of Carolina Liar!

20. I’m incredibly proud of my family so oftentimes, instead of talking about myself, I talk about them hoping people will think I'm as cool as they are.

21. In college, I was crowned the “Watermelon Queen” thanks to my adaptation and live performance of Julie Brown’s “The Homecoming Queen’s Got a Gun” (which was changed to “The Watermelon Queen’s Got a Gun,” natch).

22. I once spent a summer studying in Dublin, as well as a year studying at University College Galway—partly because I was obsessed with U2 and thought if I went to Ireland I might meet them and make them my new BFFs. (I never met U2—but I did once get their manager, Paul McGuinness, on the phone for my boss, and also got to tour their offices at Windmill Lane in Dublin back when I worked in the music biz.)

23. I have a very hard time functioning before 9 or 10 a.m. “I am not a morning person” is a serious understatement.

24. I tend to disparage myself for my maternal (and other) ineptitudes on a far too frequent basis; in reality, I do think I’m pretty good at the things I do—including being a mom.

25. I can’t believe I’m already at #25. There’s so much more to me than all this minutiae! (Note: I didn’t have to look up minutiae. That’s one word I know all too well.)

I'm Just Not That Into Him (Part Deux)

2009-03-17T19:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to part two of I’M JUST NOT THAT INTO HIM, wherein I become a temporary male-basher because…well…some guys are just morons. Take, for instance, the charming ones who adorn their cars with what I like to call telltale signs of tinypenisitis—the most obvious of which is the mud-flap girl seen here. I didn’t think it could get worse than that (honestly, dude, do you think having a mud-flap girl anywhere on your car is going to instantly attract girls who actually look like that—or any girls at all? EHHHH. No)…until Friday, when I was stuck behind a black mustang convertible with a license plate frame that read (and you really can’t make this stuff up): “I drive topless. So should all girls.” Classy, right? I mean, what kind of guy actually BUYS a license plate frame like that and AT NO POINT between the time of purchase and the installation on the vehicle does it dawn on him that it’s a bad idea—that he is a complete freaking reject who doesn’t deserve to drive within a ten-mile radius of a woman, let alone observe one driving topless???

This episode reminded me of the day, right after I’d gotten my driver’s license (yes, many years ago), when I was carefully navigating my brand-new car (read: my mom’s old Custom Cruiser, complete with fake wood paneling…ahhh, the eighties) through light traffic. I think I was on my way to a friend’s house when I noticed a truck slowing down alongside me—the driver waving frantically. Crap! Did I have a flat tire? Were my hazard lights on? Had I just run a stop sign or red light or committed some other traffic offense already…mere days after earning the privilege (not right) to drive? I quickly glanced over to see a heavily-bearded man with a maniacal grin, holding up a sign that read: “SHOW YOUR T#TS.” Seriously? This guy had actually PRE-MADE a sign to flash at random female drivers he passed on the road...honestly expecting one lucky day he might get a flash back?

So, yeah. These are a few of the things that make me realize…there are a lot of freaks out there—many of them male—and I’m lucky my husband isn’t one of them.

Incidentally, while searching for images of mud-flap girls online, I came across some far better ones. Now this is how to decorate your vehicle, kids:

I'm Just Not That Into Him

2009-03-16T12:50:00.001-07:00

I swear I’m not a man-hater. I’m quite the opposite, in fact. But lately I’ve been feeling pretty anti-guy for all kinds of reasons. Please allow me to elaborate (while explaining why my husband isn’t to be lumped in with all the other losers out there):

THEY SMELL NASTY. At least, the ones at the gym do. I guess that should be sort of a given, considering the location and the amount of…sweat. But that’s not what I’m talking about. Here’s the thing: The other day, I was waiting outside my “Step Intervals and Upper Cuts” class (as I do since becoming obsessed with exercise), when I found myself stifled by a god-awful stench. No, it wasn’t some deodorant-deficient gym-goer…it was a crowd of hairy guys with thick accents (and even thicker gold chains), shrouded in a cloud of sickly-sweet cologne that screamed just one word: AXE. I don’t know how I even know that’s what Axe smells like. Maybe it's the cheesy commercials...the packaging...or simply female intuition? (Back in the day, the comparable guido cologne of choice was Drakkar Noir. Seriously. NAS-TY.) I’m sorry, but there is just nothing right about smelling like euro-trash that’s been rotting on an Amsterdam sidewalk for about twelve mornings-after (if you know what I’m saying).

So. Yeah. Guys who shower and use nice-smelling grooming products = awesome. Sadly, most guys don’t do that—except for my husband, of course, who wears the Dunhill Desire Blue (cheesy name, awesome scent) I give him every year for his birthday, and uses the American Crew hair products, all of which smell deeelish.

Tune in tomorrow for the next installment of I’M JUST NOT THAT INTO HIM, when I’ll be discussing…The Dude in the Convertible Mustang!

THE WINNERS: Ben Esch/Sophomore Undercover Giveaway

2009-03-09T14:13:00.001-07:00

I realize that you ALL feel like winners, simply for having experienced the magic that is Benjamin M. Esch right here on my blog nine days ago. Do you miss him already? I do! Although (prepare to get seriously jealous), I did get to finally meet Ben (I get to call him Ben now because we're BFFs), up close and personal, at a launch party for Lisa Yee's ABSOLUTELY MAYBE yesterday...and I can now confirm that he is most definitely a dreamy and adorable hunk of mandsome perfection! Ahem. (My husband and son were with me and they agree. Seriously.)

ANYWAY! On to the great giveaway. I finally figured out how to pick random names using this fancy online tool, which deemed these three lovely readers to be our WINNERS:

ADELE!

MEREDITH!

SARAHBEAR9789!

Email me your addresses, people, and Ben will send you your prizes just as soon as his publisher gets on the ball and sends them to him.

So there you have it. THE FRUIT MACHINE HAS SPOKEN. And nobody questions the fruit machine (except, I dunno...really drunk people in Vegas or something?).

Interview and Giveaway...with ME!

2009-03-05T11:20:00.001-08:00

Well, the week is drawing to a close and I totally forgot to let you all know about this super-fun interview and giveaway (two copies of FRENEMIES or FAKETASTIC up for grabs--winners' pick!) I did with Liviania/In Bed With Books on Monday. She's having a month-long party and, yes, I was invited. I'm just that important. During the course of this conversation, I reveal new, riveting, exclusive information...like:

1. What GLAMNESIA means.
2. How completely fashion-deficient I am.
3. What makes somebody a frenemy.
4. What books I'm looking forward to reading this year.
5. And more...oh so much more!

Liviania's an amazing interviewer...and well, hello? We all know what an amazing subject I am. I mean, I'm FABULOUS and I LOVE talking about myself! So what are you waiting for? Check it out here! Go now! GO! (I always think of My So-Called Life when I say that. :-)

XO

I'm Fabulous! I'm Fabulous! I AM Fabulous!

2009-03-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's totally obnoxious to ram one's successes and excesses down the throats of others less fortunate (especially during these trying economic times)...but, well, sorry! The simple fact is that I win things. I win things quite a lot.

Like...remember when I won a $500 Target Gift Card from the Kaboodle Wish-a-Day giveaway? Or when I won a "Why I Love Peet's" coffee contest? Well, now Adele has bestowed upon me a Fabulous Blog Award...which perfectly rounds out the winners' circle of FABULESS toiletries/clothes/toys/etc...and caffeine. Don't you think? Of course, there's a catch (isn't there always?)...but it's a simple one: All I have to do to claim my award is list five things I am addicted to, or obsessed with (which is way better than sitting through the 3-hour timeshare presentation I went to last month). SO EASY! And away we go...

1. The gym. Yes, I am addicted to exercise. I like to sweat. I've been Spinning! Cardio kickboxing! Step aerobicizing! And oh so much more. On a near-daily basis. And I will not give up. I love it. It is my life, and it has been for a full...um...TWO MONTHS! Yay. And it allows me to indulge in my next obsession while still losing weight!

2. Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel. Uh huh. It's a wine. From Trader Joe's. It's currently $9.99 but it tastes like $29.99. Which brings me to my next obsession...

3. Trader Joe's and, more specifically, the Trader Joe's song. I realize not all people will understand this song...but those who get it will *really* get it (and it explains why I'm obsessed with the store. Kind of).

4. The computer. The Facebook. The blogging. The email. The YouTube. (Especially the Bebe Lilly songs...for my son, of course.) I am nothing without my connectivity. I just hope I don't get punished for it like all those kids in China. Not kidding. (Read the article in TIME. I told you I subscribe! I meant it!)

5. My family...and friends. Just because, you know, like Barbra said: "People who need people...are the luckiest people in the world." Er, um, wait! I don't need people, Babs. I've got people. Lots o' people. And they've got me. And we're codependent. And we like it that way.

So, there you have it. Kind of random. Kind of boring. But who cares? My blog is fabulous, and I've got an award to prove it! I no longer need to be interesting. I can tell people I have a Fabulous Blog Award and they'll automatically think I'm interesting. Just like the five people upon whom I now bestow this honor (I think that's part of the rules, right?):

The Chick Manifesto
Jon Sherman (yes, he's my brother. and he rules!)
Reviewer X
Melissa Walker
Ben Esch

XO

Happy Australian Release Week To FRENEMIES!

2009-03-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I announced that FRENEMIES had just come out in Australia...but then it turned out I had my dates messed up. (See, here in America, a release date of 2-3 means February 3...but in Australia it means the SECOND of MARCH. Duh!) I guess I just got a little excited when I saw the lovely cover on Adele/Persnickety Snark's blog so far ahead of the official release.

Since then (and since this fab review), I've been corresponding quite a bit with my new ABFF (Australian BFF) Adele...and NOW? She actually started doing a bit of FRENEMIES-spotting and sent pics to boot. How cool is that? So here, for your viewing pleasure, I present Adele's very special Frenemies photo essay.

On the Borders Teen Section's "New Arrival/Notable" table in Adelaide City Centre, Rundle Mall, and on the shelves!

In all its face-out glory at Dymocks, Adelaide City!

A picture of the pig sculptures in the City mall, just because,

as Adele says, they are "fabulous!"

HUGE thanks to Adele and, hey, if you live in Australia...go get yourself a copy of FRENEMIES, OZ-style. (Which, truth told, isn't all that different from FRENEMIES, AMERICAN-style, save for the cover. I was actually pretty excited to see that they left the text as-is...I guess I just have the kind of incredibly international voice that can be understood universally. Or something.)

A Problem Shared Is A Problem Halved...

2009-02-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

...and therefore, I'm going to show you the YouTube videos with which my three-year-old son is currently obsessed (and as such, the songs that are now ear viruses that will prevent me from getting ANY sleep tonight).

*** BEGIN PROBLEM(S) ***

And here's the best one...but I can't embed the link (it's disabled)--so you'll just have to trust me and click on over! Seriously. I wish I had the fan-base of Bebe Lilly (and I do confess J'ai tout mangé le chocolat).

Now! Let's all interpret these stellar videos, beginning with the snuggle (a.k.a. "snuffle") bunny and his carrot fetish. Who wants to start?

XO

FREAKY FRIDAY: Interview and Giveaway With BEN ESCH! (Plus Exclusive Pictorial!)

2009-02-27T12:16:00.000-08:00

If you’re on my spam, er, mailing list, you know that I recently touted FAKETASTIC as a groundbreaking new work of fiction—a book that, like FRENEMIES, forever altered the literary landscape (possibly for the better) and promised to change lives (also possibly for the better). But I’m not the only author making a difference out there. There are quite a few of us—especially in the Los Angeles area, which is where I first became familiar with the comic genius and authorial master known as Ben Esch.

Ben’s debut YA novel, Sophomore Undercover, came out on Tuesday and in honor of this momentous occasion, he offered himself up to me for a little Q&A. In fact, Ben was blown away by the interviews I did for my FAKETASTIC release week—and as such, we decided he would answer the same questions my guests answered back then. But that's not all...

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Being the kindhearted and generous soul that he is, Ben has also agreed to give away three signed copies of his book. To enter, please visit his website here, play his beyond awesome promotional video game, and then leave a comment BACK HERE ON MY BLOG telling us your score. Winners will be selected next Friday, March 6.

And now, freaks and geeks, I give you…BEN ESCH!

Before we get into all the personal questions, please tell us about your book(s), what you're working on now, and anything else you'd like to say about the professional you.
Well, I only have one book and it just came out on Tuesday, so to be perfectly honest, I kinda feel like a bit of a tool getting interviewed here. But I'm just gonna work through those negative emotions and try to be charming. Let's start this again. Professional stuff: My debut YA novel Sophomore Undercover (Disney-Hyperion) came out on 2/24. Please buy it. My mom really likes it, and Adam Rex (yes, THE Adam "Frankenstein makes a freakin' Sandwich" Rex) said that my book is like "getting kicked in the nuts by Mark Twain." And I'm almost positive that's supposed to be a good thing.

Can you tell us a bit more about your background—where you’re from, how you got started as a writer, that kind of thing (this wasn’t one of the questions in the original FAKETASTIC week interview, but I feel like prying because having a male on my blog...um…never happens)?
I grew up in a small town in Northern California that is famous for A) being where they shot the old west scenes in Back to the Future 3 and B) meth. True story: Back when I was a kid, me and my family used to drive around to try and find where Michael J. Fox was staying. Now that I'm older, I understand that this wasn't technically "family bonding" so much as "stalking," but I really think it brought everybody together. I started writing after I got out of college because it seemed like a much better option than getting a real job, and by some miracle, eventually somebody started paying me to do it (I still don't exactly understand how this last part happened). But if this writing thing should ever fall through, I'm pretty sure that I'm qualified for the following career paths: 1. Security guard. 2. Telemarketer. 3. Guy who wrangles shopping carts at the Costco. And in case you're wondering, yes, I was an English major.

How many best friends have you had in your life—and how did you meet them?
I've had two BFFs in my life. The first is my older brother, because he was around when I showed up, and the other...well, to be perfectly honest, I don't really remember how I met Nick. He just started hanging around at my house all the time in high school and eating all of our frozen pizzas. But I guess that's just as good a basis for BFFness as anything.

Are they still in your life—and if so, how are the relationships today?
Well, my brother is my roommate here in LA, so here's more than just my BWIABFF (brother who is also best friend forever). He's my BWIABFF who I go shopping at the Costco with. And that's a really special bond. And I still talk to my other BFF, but seeing as we don't regularly go halvesies on any of those 100 packs of Kirkland toilet paper, our relationship has kinda been dimming a bit lately. So, that's kinda sad, but I guess it's just part of growing up.

Have you ever lied to protect your best friend? Details, please…
Well, I never told my brother that I accidentally knocked his toothbrush into the toilet, so that's kind of a lie. But I guess that was really more to protect me from having to buy him another toothbrush, so I don't know if that technically counts.

What would you do if you had a crush on your friend's crush or—yikes!—her boyfriend? (I was going to change this to "his girlfriend"—but, you know, I thought it might be more interesting to leave it as-is.)
Whoa...tough question. When I was in high school, me and my buddy Nick used to handle any simultaneous crush type situations with a "dibsies" system. So, basically the first person to shout "dibs!" had all rights to future romance. Considering that between us we had approximately zero girlfriends during the four years of high school, I think our system might have needed a bit of refinement. But what if I had a crush on my BFF's boyfriend? Wow. That would be an interesting day. I mean, to the best of my knowledge, neither me nor my BFF's embrace that particular lifestyle, so unless this hypothetical "boyfriend" is Colin Farrell or somebody equally handsome with brooding eyes (brooding eyes are essential) then I think we would all be in the clear. If, hypothetically speaking, one of my BFF's was actually dating Colin Farrell, I would lie, cheat and neck punch until I stole him. I mean, have you seen "In Bruges?" You could get lost in those eyes.

What do you consider to be the ultimate friendship betrayal?
A: Eating all of my good peanut butter. B: Renting any movie with Jodie Foster. C: Unequal distribution of frozen pizza.

Under what circumstances would you actually break up with a best friend (and have those circumstances ever occurred?)?
See the above list. And no, there haven't been any breakups as of yet. My BFFs know better than to mess with my stash of Adam's extra chunky.

What does the word FAKETASTIC mean to you?
Uhh...fantastically fake? Like, this imitation bacon has a "faketastic" smoky flavor. Also, a very cool book by Alexa Young. Though I really think I'm onto something with that bacon answer.

Anything you'd like to add?
Yes, please visit my website. There's neat stuff there. Oh, and would it be too desperate if I asked people to buy my book again? Because I'd really appreciate it if some of you guys would do that.

YEAH, BEN! I mean, NO BEN...It wouldn't be too much to ask, and YEAH BEN, he's our man! Seriously. How much do you love this guy? I have to say I think he’s totally like the YA author version of Jack Black—which is a major compliment coming from me. What do you guys think?

Leave your comments here, along with your score from Ben’s video game, and be entered to win SOPHOMORE UNDERCOVER.

Good luck, and have a FREAKTASTIC weekend!

XO

Working Girl

2009-02-24T10:47:00.000-08:00

I know it's probably hard to believe, but I wasn't always the hugely successful author, fascinating fictionista, genius behind the FRENEMIES series...and so on and so on. It's true. I've actually done other stuff, um, professionally--and I'm talking about some of those experiences as the debut PROLOGUES chick on the blog of the amazing (and truly fascinating fictionista) Tera Lynn Childs. Go check it out here and leave a comment. Or don't. Whatever. It's not like I poured my heart and soul into it or anything.

ACK! Gotta go! My toughest job ever is calling me. (Read the interview and you'll know what/who I'm talking about...)

XO

Reviews, Reviews, and My Lame Oscar News

2009-02-23T22:05:00.000-08:00

Can you feel the love tonight? (Remember when that song won an Oscar?) I can. In fact, the reviews for FAKETASTIC (as well as the very first review of AUSTRALIAN FRENEMIES) continue to roll in…and they’re all pretty damn good if I do say so myself. Check ‘em out, kiddies:

Books Are My Love (StarGirlReads): 94%/A!
The Book Muncher: 4 Stars!
Marjolein Book Blog: 4 Stars!
The Story Siren: 3 Stars (But check this out: FOUR stars on amazon!)
Persnickety Snark: Doesn’t give stars or grades (she probably does enough of that as a teacher)—but instead offers a boatload of lovely insights on AUSTRALIAN FRENEMIES (awwwyeah!).

Speaking of Australia (god, I love when I’m able to segue that way)…what did you all think of Hugh Jackman as the host of the Oscars last night? I was seriously bummed to discover I missed the first fifteen minutes of the show because I was outside playing Stomp Rockets with my son. (Whine, whine, whine! Woe is me! Being a parent is SUCH a sacrifice!) Thank goodness for YouTube, though. (Yeah, I hadn’t even set the TiVo…bad me.) I watched the opening number today and thought Hugh did a great job with it. I’d really been looking forward to watching it after reading Joel Stein’s “I Wrote the Oscars” article in TIME magazine. Seriously. YOU MUST READ THE ARTICLE to fully grasp the beauty of that opening number. (And OMG, can you stand how highbrow I am? Yes, I subscribe…to TIME and to UsWeekly. You knew I was bipolar, right?)

The only other bit of the ceremony I’ve watched (so far) was Ben Stiller doing his Joaquin Phoenix impression—which I thought was GENIUS and so beyond necessary. Seriously. WTF is going on with JP? It’s really disconcerting…weird…annoying. And makes me wonder what River would be like today, too. (FROWN! SADNESS!) I’m going to try to watch the rest of the show tonight. Oh wait. It’s almost 10pm. Maybe tomorrow?

(How hot does Natalie Portman look? Rhetorical question.)

Now for the truly tragic part of this post: I don’t get out much, so I haven’t actually seen any (and I do mean ANY) of the films that were nominated. I swear I will soon. I really will. It’s just, well, yeah. I’m tragic. Anyway…tell me what YOU thought of the awards, who you hoped would win, what you thought of the winners, the losers, the speeches (and the opening number/Joel Stein’s article—go on, read it!). I wanna know!

And here…in case you missed it too, is Hugh’s opening number (so awesome! OMG!):

The Winner! (And a Poll)

2009-02-19T15:25:00.000-08:00

Just a quick post to announce that the latest winner of a shiny new signed copy of FAKETASTIC is...Bridget! Congrats, B...send me your address and I'll get the book off to you asap.

And now for a poll: I'm trying to get all tech-fancy and make my blog more colorful/interesting/whatever. Please let me know if you find this:

A. Annoying
B. Attractive
C. Other (please specify and/or offer some suggestions)

Thanks!

XO

Australian Frenemies!

2009-02-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

G'day! I just discovered the Australian edition of FRENEMIES came out via Random House Australia on February 3. I'm kind of loving the cover (how about you?) and can't wait to get my hands on a copy. [Oops! QUICK CORRECTION: I just corresponded with my lovely Australian publisher and it turns out the book comes out March 1...and my author copies are on their way. Yippee!]

Better still, I have family in Oz (in Sydney and Tasmania--fortunately nobody affected by the recent fires), so I'm excited to send them off in search of the book. Of course, my preference would be to jet over there myself (it's one of my favorite vacation destinations)...but something tells me the 16-hour flight might not be all that fun with a three-year-old. Hmmm.

Okay, back to bed for me. (Still sick. Just had to share this fun bit of news.)

XO

Sick and Happy (Plus Signed Faketastic Contest!)

2009-02-11T10:31:00.000-08:00

The illness has finally claimed me. Yup. I’m really feeling the aches and pains today (which seems to happen at least once during cold and flu season, especially when you have a kid)—so I’m taking a sort of “personal day” while my son is at school. I’ve canceled my lunch and dinner plans (sad, but had to be done), I’m not going to work (much) and I’m just going to take it easy…chick-flicks, bad TV, a little light reading. That’s it!

So, even though my throat is sore and my body’s aching, I’m kind of happy. Sometimes the silver lining of being sick is that you’re FORCED to take it easy and let yourself heal. Right? Another reason I’m happy: More great reviews for FAKETASTIC! A huge thank you to all the lovely readers who are not just enjoying the book, but letting people know about it. Take a look at what they’re saying, here:

Teens Read Too: Five stars!
Mrs. Magoo Reads: A-minus!
Harmony Book Reviews: 8.5 out of ten!
The Frenetic Reader: 8 out of ten!

I can’t tell you how important it is for us authors, especially during these uncertain and trying times, to have people spreading the word about the books they’re enjoying. If you haven’t heard how bad things have gotten, check out the latest news about HarperCollins. I was also devastated to hear that my dear Alloy editor, Nora Pelizzari, was let go last week due to downsizing. Of course I know she’ll land on her feet because she’s a phenomenally talented woman—but it’s bad out there people. Just BAD!

So, um, yeah…clearly it’s not ALL happy news here today. But I will NOT get sucked down into a self-wallowing hole. Nope. Not me. With a little R&R and some trashy entertainment…happiness will prevail!

And now I think I’ll end this post with the ever-popular “How about you guys?” Seriously. What do you do to rise above the tough times? Leave a comment and I will enter you to win a signed copy of FAKETASTIC! Contest ends one week from today.

XO

What a Feeling

2009-02-06T13:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I woke up feeling *really* under the weather today...but I powered through it and, guess what? IT'S A MIRACLE! I just handed in the first draft of GLAMNESIA! Yippee. I can't tell you what a good feeling it is to finally get to the end of a manuscript...and I've gotta say, I feel really good about this one. Man, I hope my editor agrees. :)

On another happy note, the FAKETASTIC reviews are starting to roll in and (whew!), it seems like most people are really digging it. In fact, check out the Teens Read Too review here. FIVE STARS! Life is good, I tell you what.

And if that's not enough, as I've sort of mentioned in a few recent posts, I'm on a big health and fitness kick with a goal of dropping 40 pounds this year. Well, guess what? I've been going to the gym EVERY day and really doing my best to eat healthfully. Now, after a few weeks of things feeling *very* pointless, the scale has finally agreed to work with me (maybe it just didn't believe I was really serious). Yes, that's right. In the past month, I have dropped 6.8 pounds. Not bad, right?

So...how about you guys? Any good news to report? Share...and have a fabulous weekend! Okay...and I kind of just have to do this because it's SO cheesy yet perfect:

I Heart Myself!

2009-01-30T10:55:00.000-08:00

Ohmygod...can you STAND the obscene amounts of self-assuredness spewing forth from this blog lately? It must be all the exercise and clean-eating nutrition. Seriously. Would you believe I've become a gym rat (I'm even making lots of gym friends!) and given up processed foods and all that other garbage (well, except for the occasional Tootsie Roll...and glass of wine)? It's amazing what desperation will do to a girl. Anyway...my goal is to lose 40 lbs. by the time I'm forty...which is going to be way sooner than I'd like to admit. Can I do it? Stay tuned!

Okay, but that's not why I'm posting today. I just wanted to let you all know that, in the continuing tradition of talking about myself nonstop, I'm being interviewed by the inimitably awesome Linda Gerber over on her blog today. Check it out, leave a comment, and win fabulous prizes (okay, a signed copy of FAKETASTIC). You'll even get to read about my scandalous past, complete with criminal activity!

XO

I (allegedly) ROCK!

2009-01-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm the featured guest on Stephanie Kuehnert's Women Who Rock series. Don't ask me why someone as cool as Stephanie thinks I rock. Just head on over to her blog here, and learn these exciting things about yours truly:

* Am I Team Halley or Team Avalon?
* What valuable friendship lessons did I learn back in my t(w)eens?
* What was it like working in the music business, and what other writing do I do?
* What was the first album I ever bought...and what was my first concert?
* What's one of my biggest rock star moments (hint: It involves a Goo Goo Doll!)?

That's all I've got for now. I promise I'll post more exciting stuff if I ever finish writing GLAMNESIA, which I sort of promised my editors I'd have for them by the end of this week. (HELP! :-O)

XO

Tales From the Toy Box (Super Freaky!)

2009-01-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

I’m going to take a rare break from talking about myself to discuss something equally twisted: My son’s toys. Our story begins about two years ago, when my husband went out of town and it was just me and baby Jack hanging out at home. Or so we thought…! (dun, dun, DUN!)

The first night my husband was gone, I awoke to the sound of somebody talking. “What the…?!” I was terrified. I mean, my son was only one. He didn’t know how to form complete sentences. And it wasn’t his voice anyway. Maybe it was just my imagination, I thought. But just as I was falling back to sleep, I heard the voice again. OMFG! My heart was racing, but I wasn’t concerned about myself so much as protecting my baby. So I tiptoed out to the living room to find… The Mega Bloks Mr. Piano, sitting there, smiling that evil smile of his. The creepiest thing is that nobody was playing with Mr. Piano. Nobody ever had! (We’d recently purchased this charming toy at a garage sale and it—as with most of Jack’s toys—wound up collecting dust in front of our fireplace.) How on earth was this toy talking when NOBODY had touched it?!

Scared out of my mind, I quickly picked up Mr. Piano and took him into the garage, raced back inside and locked and bolted the door. Still, I got no sleep that night. I felt like I was in that “Talking Tina” episode from “The Twilight Zone” (remember that one? I had nightmares for YEARS!). If I dared go to sleep, I was convinced Mr. Piano would crawl into bed beside me. And I didn’t want to wake up next to THAT! Fortunately, he stayed in the garage for the rest of my husband's trip (not that I got any sleep)…and was soon given away to the Salvation Army. I’m still waiting for him to show back up on my doorstep, though. (“My name is Mr. Piano…and I’m going to KILL YOU!”)

Flash-forward a couple years to Jack’s latest obsession: Superheroes (yes, he actually plays with some of the toys we get him now). First it was Spiderman. Then Batman. Lately it’s Superman—although he’s also expressed some interest in Wonder Woman and the rest of the ladies (the best is when we ask him to do his Supergirl impression and he just lifts up his shirt to show off his midsection). Anyway...the other day, we were playing with the whole Justice League when Jack wanted to make all the characters sit down. That’s when I noticed something very odd: All the male characters’ legs bend straight forward, to a seated position, like so:

The women, however? Their legs only go in one position:

Am I wrong to find this kind of sick and twisted—and sexist beyond belief? Just asking.

Our dog really likes playing with Jack’s toys too. Unfortunately, some of these guys (and even the villains) are no match for the SuperPuppy:

(Look closely. See anything missing?)

On another fun note…this guy and his website were recently written up in the L.A. Weekly. If you, like me, enjoy all things adorable with a side of sick humor, you really must check out Cute With Chris. I feel a new obsession coming on.

Now play nice!

XO

Why Can't Girls Just Get Along?

2009-01-23T11:48:00.001-08:00

I'm spewing a bunch of offensive/inane musings on girl-friendship over at HarperTeen's MySpace page today. Here's the first snippet of my post:

GIRLFRIENDS ARE CRAZY
The other day, I was telling a random dude about my teen fiction series (as I do), and he had a very valid question: “Why do females have such a hard time getting along with each other? Guys don’t put each other through half the crazy sh&% you bi$#ches do.” And while I didn’t have my thoughts sufficiently gathered to respond coherently at the time, to that random dude—and others out there in the blogosphere—I now offer these sweeping generalizations/insights (based entirely on my own experiences, of course)...

WANT TO READ MORE? Then click here (and don't forget to leave a comment and/or give me kudos...unless, you know, you hate me or whatever).

XO

The Truth About Those Covers!

2009-01-20T10:18:00.000-08:00

As some of you know, I've had a bit of a love-hate relationship with my FRENEMIES covers thus far. Want to know more about how they were developed, what I liked (and didn't like) about them, how I learned to embrace them and oh so much more? Then head on over to Melissa Walker's blog, where I'm today's featured COVER STORY...and be sure to let us know which cover you like best (and why!).

FRENEMIES Free-for-All!

2009-01-17T16:51:00.001-08:00

Okay, maybe not free for ALL...but if you're one of the unfortunate souls who didn't win anything last week, check this out: I'm being interviewed and giving away FIVE signed copies of FRENEMIES here at Free Book Friday. Winners will be announced January 23, so head on over and embrace the FREEdom!

XO

WINNERS, WINNERS, EVERYWHERE!

2009-01-16T11:12:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Woo hoo! Not only is it Friday, it's also the day I announce all the fabulous winners of my FAKETASTIC week giveaway. So exciting, right? Okay...well...I won't make you wait any longer. Here's the big, bad list:

SIGNED COPY OF FRENEMIES AND FAKETASTIC

Paradox Revealed!

THE ELITE AND IN TOO DEEP, BY JENNIFER BANASH
Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf!

OH. MY. GODS., BY TERA LYNN CHILDS

Hillary!

VIOLET BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE, BY MELISSA WALKER

B (Brooke Reviews)!

FRESH OFF THE BOAT AND BLUE BLOODS: REVELATIONS, BY MELISSA DE LA CRUZ

TWarner!

Also, a quick head's up, particularly for those of you who were desperately hoping to win Jennifer Banash's boks: She's now got a real, live Wordpress blog (not just one of those silly MySpace ones), and you should go visit her...not just because she's cool, but because she does all kinds of awesome giveaways and might just present you with another chance to win her books. Seriously. Click here now. Show her some love!

Congratulations to all the winners, and have a great weekend!

FAKETASTIC WEEK INTERVIEW WITH…SARA SHEPARD (NOT!)

2009-01-12T22:36:00.002-08:00

So perhaps some of you know that I promised an interview with Sara Shepard, author of the insanely awesome Pretty Little Liars series, as part of my FAKETASTIC release week shindig. But hello? Given the title of her series—and of my current book (!)—did you really expect that to happen? HA!

In all honesty (and I swear I’m not being a Faketastically Pretty Little Liar), I know Sara. I really do! We’ve corresponded several times and she was very gung-ho to do an interview this week. Alas, as is often the case with crazy writers like us, Sara’s been hit with revisions on her next book and is also in the midst of promoting her latest PLL release, WICKED. Therefore…I can no longer promise Sara will be answering those interview questions any time soon. I can’t even promise a PLL giveaway any longer. What I can promise, though: I will never mislead you, my darling readers, again (at least, until my next screw-up!). If you’re super upset, well, you have to forgive me…because guess what?

IT’S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!

(It’s true. Just ask my mom.)

Anyway…please keep on leaving comments on the posts from the past week for your chance to win the many other awesome books (winners will be announced THIS FRIDAY, the 16th!). And as my special it's-my-birthday GIVEAWAY gift to you today—to make up for my Pretty (if inadvertent) Little LIE—I will be giving away a signed copy of FRENEMIES and FAKETASTIC to whoever posts birthday wishes to me somewhere on the Internet and promotes my books at the same time (because blatant promotion truly is the greatest gift of all). You have to email me proof here, of course.

WIN! WIN! WIN!

I do know I’ve probably let some of you down and am, at the same time, being the most annoyingly demanding egomaniacal author on the planet. But again, you have to forgive me because...it’s my birthday! Okay, okay...here's another consolation prize: Please watch this awesome video. It's one of the best songs about lies and deception EVER (I think I shall make it the FAKETASTIC theme song)!

FAKETASTIC WEEK INTERVIEW WITH…JENNIFER BANASH!

2009-01-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

Today, it is my distinct pleasure to welcome none other than Jennifer Banash, author of The Elite series. If you’re not already familiar with Jennifer and her books…um…come out from under that rock! Hey, good to see you. :-) Seriously, though, it’s a great series that I think high school-aged FRENEMIES fans, in particular, will love. You’ll also love the fact that Jennifer has oh-so-generously agreed to give away the first two books in the series (#2, IN TOO DEEP, came out the same day as FAKETASTIC—last Tuesday!). Just leave a comment on this post to be entered to win...

WIN! WIN! WIN!

(Aren't those covers gorgeous? I especially love the colors and the model for IN TOO DEEP.) Okay, then...let’s talk friendship and betrayal with Jennifer!

Before we get into all the personal questions (!), please tell us about your book(s), what you’re working on now, and anything else you’d like to say about the professional you.

I am the author of an adult novel entitled HOLLYWOODLAND: AN AMERICAN FAIRY TALE, and the YA series THE ELITE. The first book, THE ELITE, came out in June 08 and the sequel, IN TOO DEEP, was released last week! The third volume in THE ELITE series will hit shelves in July 09. I was born and raised in NYC, and I’ve recently moved to Southern California with my beagle, Sigmund, and my designer shoe collection.

How many best friends have you had in your life—and how did you meet them?

I’ve only had a few best friends. I often tend to have a lot of acquaintances in my circle of friends, but only a few people that I’m SUPER close to. I have a hard time trusting people and opening up, so I usually only like to have one best friend at a time, if that makes any sense. Most of my BFF’s I’ve met in school—either elementary, high school, or college.

Are they still in your life—and if so, how are the relationships today?

Hardly any of them are still in my life at this point. I find as I get older, I have less and less time for intense friendships, and prefer to maintain relationships that are “lighter.” I have an extremely busy schedule, and often don’t really have time for high-maintenance relationships. I teach full time at a private school in California, have a boyfriend, a dog, and some great friends to see on weekends, but I don’t have a lot of spare time for anything more intense than that! Although one of my best friends, Anthony, has been in my life for over ten years. He lives in Canada now though, so I don’t get to see him very often.

Have you ever lied to protect your best friend? Details, please…

I just recently wrote about this in a guest blog, but, yeah, I have. I was once kissed by my best friend’s boyfriend, and I didn’t tell her for a while because I wasn’t sure how she’d react, and I also really didn’t want to hurt her. It ended up being fine though—apparently her boyfriend had a bit of a reputation for kissing everything that wasn’t nailed down, so the joke was on me! To make a long story short, she wasn’t exactly surprised.

What would you do if you had a crush on your friend’s crush or—yikes!—her boyfriend?

I would do my best not to act on it, and spend as little time around them as I possibly could until it passed. Crushes are like a fever—they always break after a certain point. You just have to ride it out.

What do you consider to be the ultimate friendship betrayal?

I think willfully hooking up with someone your BFF is serious about is the worst betrayal there is. I know that if anyone I’m close to ever went after my boyfriend, I would be devastated. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to trust my friend, or bf ever again.

Under what circumstances would you actually break up with a best friend (and have those circumstances ever occurred?!)?

I broke up with one of my best friends last February actually. I didn’t feel like I was being supported in the friendship, or that he was giving my issues and problems the attention he demanded for his own. I was fine with talking about his problems and issues constantly, and answering the phone at 3 AM when he was in the midst of yet another relationship crisis, but I fully expected that behavior and concern to be reciprocated at some point when I needed it most—it wasn’t. To me, that is absolutely inexcusable. If a friend doesn’t view your relationship as a two-way street, and takes far more than they ever give back, it’s time to call it a day. Plus, he was also a writer, and thus heavily competitive with me in ways that were extremely unhealthy for the friendship. We don’t speak anymore, and, frankly, I expected to be sad about it, but I'm kind of relieved. Since he’s an author, I’m willing to be supportive of his career and recommend his book—I just have no interest in knowing him personally anymore.

What does the word FAKETASTIC mean to you?

FAKETASTIC to me means fabulosity—the height of glamour and over-the-top-ness. Pamela Anderson is FAKETASTIC. Paris Hilton is FAKETASTIC. So is Madonna. And of course, Britney.

Anything you’d like to add?

Just that you’re awesome! I’m so glad we became friends on Facebook! And if you ever go after my bf, I will kill you. :-) Oh, and we still need to do lunch...

See how cool Jennifer is? And see how cool I am—getting to be friends with all these fancy authors and even talking about “doing lunch” with them?! Thank you, Jennifer, for making the journey over to ALEXICON to celebrate OUR releases. I feel more sophisticated, worldly and fabulous in general just being in your cyber-presence. :-)

Attention, FAKETASTIC Shoppers!

2009-01-09T21:01:00.001-08:00

I just wanted to jot down a quick weekend post before I leave you all alone, primarily because I've been receiving messages from people who haven't been able to find FAKETASTIC in their local bookstores. Here's the thing: Since the book just came out, it's possible that stores either haven't received their shipment yet (thank you, holidays) or that they haven't unpacked their shipment yet. The less attractive possibility: Since the publishing industry is hurting, there's a chance some stores didn't even order any copies. (Because, you know, my stuff isn't exactly on Oprah's Book Club list...yet! :-) ANYWAY, don't despair! Here's my simple, three-step program, to getting your hot little hands on your very own copy:

1. Don't be shy. If you can't find FAKETASTIC in the teen fiction section, find a nice salesperson and ask them if they have it (or if they'll be getting it). Salespeople are there to HELP (even if they don't always act like it. Doh!).

2. Place your order. If they don't have it and won't be getting it, beat them within an inch of their lives for being such hip-deficient slackers. Okay, kidding. KIDDING. Tell them they really should carry it...or at the very least, have them special order a copy for you. (Book stores don't charge you for this and are usually happy to special order anything you want. Well, not anything. You know what I mean.)

3. Log on. You can find the book for sale online pretty much everywhere (including Target!). Check out some of the online bookseller links on the HarperTeen site here. If you're not old enough to shop online, ask your parents to order it for you. You can get great deals ordering books online, often without having to pay shipping.

Hope that helps! Please let me know if you encounter any problems along the way. I'm all about making sure people who want to read my books can find them. If you can't, I WANNA KNOW! :-)

Have a great weekend, everyone.

XO

FAKETASTIC RELEASE WEEK INTERVIEW WITH...TERA LYNN CHILDS!

2009-01-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a great release week it’s been for FAKETASTIC—thanks in large part to all the awesome people (you!) who’ve been dropping by to check out the interviews and giveaways and to offer best wishes and congrats (YOU GUYS ROCK!). I’ve been having a blast and hope you have too.

Now, to bring this week’s party to a close (don’t worry, there will be more fun next Monday and Tuesday…after all it IS a release WEEK, right?), I’m thrilled to welcome one of my BCFs (best cyber friends) Tera Lynn Childs (aka TLC). If you’ve gotten the impression that authors are beyond gracious and kind (not including me, of course), wait till you meet Tera. She’s like the QUEEN of Nice (but in a good way—not in, like, a doormatty way. I mean, she is from Texas and you know you don’t mess with Texas...right? ;-). She’s also got this incredible creativity, with a mind full of brilliant and exquisite ideas and ways of looking at the world. And, in my opinion, she has one of the best titles for a teen novel EVER (Oh. My. Gods.).

Alright then! I’m going to let Tera take it away now. Remember to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win Tera’s fabulous book!

WIN! WIN! WIN!

Before we get into all the personal questions (!), please tell us about your book(s), what you're working on now, and anything else you'd like to say about the professional you.

My first book, OH. MY. GODS. (about a cross-country running California girl struggling to find her place at a school for the descendants of Greek gods) came out last May in hardcover and will release in paperback this May. The sequel, GODDESS BOOT CAMP (which takes place the following summer) comes out in June. (It's available for pre-order now!)

How many best friends have you had in your life—and how did you meet them?
Official best friends? One. In high school. We met during a history project freshman year and were pretty inseparable until graduation. I have had a couple of other super close friends (we just never called ourselves "best" friends) over the years, one in elementary school, one in college, one in graduate school, and one I met through my local writing group who is like a sister.

Are they still in your life—and if so, how are the relationships today?
My writing friend and I see each other at least once a week (I babysit her toddler) and talk on the phone almost every day. Of the other four, I'm casually in touch with my friends from high school and college through MySpace and Facebook. I owe my friend from grad school a snail mail from way back. I just recently located the snail mail addy for my friend from elementary school, so I need to break out the postage stamps.

Have you ever lied to protect a friend? Details, please…

If I have, it was only to prevent a socially awkward situation. (Like, "Oh, so-and-so is sick and couldn't make it.") Nothing major. I guess my friends have never asked me to, because I probably would. I'm steadfastly loyal.

What would you do if you had a crush on your friend's crush or—yikes!—her boyfriend?

Zip my lip. I'm notoriously chatty about my crushes, but if that crush belonged to a friend first I would never, ever admit it. Besides, forbidden love from afar is romantic.

What do you consider to be the ultimate friendship betrayal?

Hmmm. Like I said, I'm very loyal, so I consider *any* betrayal pretty ultimate. I'm pretty trusting, too, so if a friend betrayed that trust by lying or talking about me behind my back or letting me down one too many times (Prologues don't count, A, I promise), well, I think that would be it for me and that friend.

Under what circumstances would you actually break up with a best friend (and have those circumstances ever occurred?!)?

Being the ultra-non-confrontational person that I am, instead of "breaking up" with a friend I would just remove myself from their life. So if I stop responding to your emails, then, um, well ... you get the picture. (Caveat: Sometimes I take a long time to respond, and that doesn't necessarily mean I'm breaking up with you.)

What does the word FAKETASTIC mean to you?

"One may smile, and smile, and be a villain." (From Shakespeare's Hamlet.) Mental image of a woman who smiles to your face and then stabs you in the back.

Anything you'd like to add?

I would like to note that I am generally opposed to all things fake (fake people, fake butter, fake Renaissance paintings), especially if they are trying to pass themselves off as genuine. But I wholeheartedly approve of all things FAKETASTIC!

Awww, don't you just LOVE this woman? I do! (And I mean that genuinely.)

A huge thanks to Tera for stopping by, for giving away a copy of her fabulous book and for just being an all-around-phenom. TERA-4-LIFE!

Have a great weekend everyone, and I'll see you back here on Monday for more interviews and giveaways.

FAKETASTIC RELEASE WEEK INTERVIEW WITH…MELISSA WALKER!

2009-01-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone! So, how much did you love reading the interview with Melissa de la Cruz yesterday? Don’t forget to comment on the post if you want to win copies of her books, Fresh Off The Boat and Blue Bloods: Revelations!

Now, I’m honored to have another awesome Melissa with me: Melissa Walker, author of the beyond amazing VIOLET series (it’s the only series I managed to read all the way through last year…and I loved each and every book). Melissa is truly one of the kindest and most talented writers I’ve ever had the good fortune to “meet” (our relationship, sadly, has not made it offline yet—but hopefully one day soon), and I can’t wait to read her next book, Lovestruck Summer (out this May!). She’s also incredibly generous (have you seen how many giveaways she has on her blog?!)—so, true to form, she’ll be giving away one of her VIOLET books—to be determined by the winner—here on my blog, too. As always, all you need to do to be entered is leave a comment here (and it would help if you add which book you’re hoping to win!).

WIN! WIN! WIN!

(Winners of all contests will be announced Friday, January 16)

Wow, I sure yammer on, don’t I? Sorry. Here, without further ado, I give you….Melissa Walker! (~applause! ~ applause! ~ applause!~)

Before we get into all the personal questions (!), please tell us about your book(s), what you’re working on now, and anything else you’d like to say about the professional you.
My first teen romance, LOVESTRUCK SUMMER, comes out in May from HarperTeen. Despite it's very pink cover, it involves an indie rock girl and a Texas cowboy, neither of whom love pink. (I recently talked about the cover soon on my blog though—I'm into it.)

How many best friends have you had in your life—and how did you meet them?
I would say I've had 4-5 best friends, and I've met them all through school or work--one of those "I'm with you every day" situations that tends to bond people.

Are they still in your life—and if so, how are the relationships today?
Most are. One in particular is not. And yeah, that still hurts sometimes.

Have you ever lied to protect your best friend? Details, please…
I'm SURE that I have, though I can't remember any specifics (truly!) so that must mean I've never lied BIG to protect a best friend.

What would you do if you had a crush on your friend’s crush or—yikes!—her boyfriend?

I would do my best to spend zero time with the crush/boyfriend until he faded from my romantic view. That is a total no-fly zone. This, I learned the hard way.

What do you consider to be the ultimate friendship betrayal?
Deception. That's the worst. It's worse than doing something betray-y and then telling the friend right away—that gets you within forgive range. But an ongoing lie about what you're doing (ie, flirting inappropriately and perhaps getting romantic with a friend's boyfriend... um, not that I'd know about that), is the ultimate in wrong.

Under what circumstances would you actually break up with a best friend (and have those circumstances ever occurred?!)?
Okay, so you know how I mentioned that inappropriate flirting, above? Something of that sort went on with me in college—I was the one wearing the scarlet A—and it broke up not just one, but a few of my close friendships. I learned a big lesson, and I think I'm a better person/friend for it today.

What does the word FAKETASTIC mean to you?
It means that you're such a false version of yourself that you almost sparkle with fakeness. You know those people who are so awful sometimes you're like, "She's so unabashedly fake that she's kind of amazing?" That's FAKETASTIC.

Anything you’d like to add?
Just that I'm not a bad person! I feel weird admitting my bad behavior in a public forum, but I do think girls should talk more about their lost friendships and what ends them—it's a really painful thing.

See how great Melissa is?! Even when she’s being brief and to the point—and worrying that she’s coming across as a bad person (or, as she said to me, a “Debbie Downer”)—you can just see the genuine goodness sparkling through. (And I thought her answer about the meaning of FAKETASTIC was perfect, too!)

Thanks again, Melissa, for joining me to celebrate the release of FAKETASTIC! Now everybody leave a comment if you want to win won of those VIOLET books, mmmkai?

A FAKETASTIC INTERVIEW WITH...MELISSA DE LA CRUZ!

2009-01-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

To kick off my FAKETASTIC release celebrations in bona fide style (which I fear was not accomplished with the piña fauxladas and beef fauxhitas--which were actually tofu--yesterday!), I’m super excited to welcome none other than Melissa de la Cruz, uber-accomplished author of nearly twenty books (TWENTY books? Seriously…the woman’s a total slacker).

I met Melissa briefly at a book convention in L.A. a few months back, and she could not have been nicer—so nice, in fact, I didn’t even realize (duh) that I was in the presence of a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of award-winning novels including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh Off The Boat (yes, I’m just that clueless!).

ANYWAY...to prove just how ridiculously kind she is, in addition to joining me for this exclusive glimpse into her experiences with, and thoughts on, friendship and betrayal, Melissa is giving away a copy of Fresh Off The Boat and Blue Bloods: Revelations. To win, just leave a comment on this post. Winners will be announced sometime next week (vague enough for you?).

WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN! WIN!

And now…the interview!

Before we get into all the personal questions (!), please tell us about your book(s), what you’re working on now, and anything else you’d like to say about the professional you.
I've written a ton of YA books that range from chick lit (The Au Pairs) to tween chick lit (The Ashleys) to the most popular, currently—my vampire series Blue Bloods. Right now I'm working on a new chick-lit book, the first in a series of four, called GIRL STAYS IN THE PICTURE, which is like "Entourage meets The Hills meets Perez Hilton" at least according to my publisher. :) It's pretty fun, and about three girls who are very different and yet become very good friends, during one summer in St. Tropez. One is a pop star shooting her first movie, one is the daughter of a famous Hollywood producer (who lost a hundred pounds due to gastric bypass surgery - from heavy to hottie) and one is the assistant to the rival star. It comes out June 2009! I'm also working on the fourth Blue Bloods book, The Van Alen Legacy, and the sequel (and ending) to Angels on Sunset Boulevard, which is called The Strip.

How many best friends have you had in your life—and how did you meet them?

I have many best friends - it's too funny, calling someone your 'best friend' is so sixth-grade I've realized now that I am older. You become close to many different people as you grow and every one of them is special to you. But I would say there is something about old friends -- friends who remember when you were almost arrested for bouncing a check (and lent you the money to cover it), friends to whom you sold your suede jacket to make the rent (and bought the jacket to help you out, and also, he kind of really wanted my jacket), friends who have bailed me out, in more ways than one. Those are the friends I met in college and shortly after. I remember reading JK Rowling's commencement speech at Harvard and she talks about how she wishes for them the kind of friendship that she herself had experienced. "Friends that have photos that would make sure not one of us would ever be able to run for prime minister." I count myself unbelievably lucky to have friends like that. And yes: not one of us can run for President. I have photos and I'm not afraid to use them.

So what are those friendships like today?

The great thing about the friends you make in your youth is that when you are together, you are all 19 again. It's like time absolutely stopped and you're just hanging out and being silly. Although I think we are showing our age a bit. We recently went to Vegas, the group of us, and we had been looking forward to this trip for the whole year--but after the first night of debauchery at the roulette tables the next several days were just hangover time. We don't recover as easily as we used to.

Have you ever lied to protect your best friend? Details, please…

Hmmm. I believe in good white lies. I would never tell a friend her haircut looks atrocious for instance. And I am a gentle guide in shopping, I do try to steer friends away from unflattering outfits. And I believe in lies that keep peace. One of my friends once read the other's diary. The friend who read the diary wanted to "come clean" and "confess." I absolutely told him not to tell her, that she would only get upset , and nothing good would come out of it. His penance would be to have to live with the guilt. Well, he didn't take my advice, and told her, and of course, their friendship was never the same. I thought it was a mistake to tell her, sometimes, nothing good can come out of telling the truth. Confessing made him feel better, but it made her feel worse- and she was the victim twice. I absolutely tried to MAKE him lie to protect her. But, it was out of my hands.

What would you do if you had a crush on your friend’s crush or (yikes!) her boyfriend?

Been there, done that, my friend. I don't think you become best friends with someone without this happening once in your friendship. My best girl friend was with her boyfriend for a long time, then she went away to law school, and he and I hooked up. GASP! I know. But it was over between them for a while. And we actually CALLED HER together and told her the next day and it was fine. She just laughed. (That's how over she was of him.) It was kind of bonding in a strange way. It's awkward to think of now, I think it came up in conversation the last time we were together and I felt a little odd about it. And the funny thing is after we hooked up, he asked me to go out with him -- you know, do "THE SWITCH" because Jennie and I were very much a "Mel and Jennie" team and it was like that Seinfeld episode where Jerry wants to stop dating his girlfriend and start dating her roommate. But there was no switch, I said no. I think if he had become my boyfriend, that would have been a betrayal. But it was just, you know, youthful hijinks and hormones. He and I are also still good friends. When you go to college everything becomes incestuous. I've been to so many weddings where someone other than the bride or groom has hooked up with the bride or groom.

What do you consider to be the ultimate friendship betrayal?

I think for me a betrayal would be if someone really was actively not supportive of me, or very negative, or passive aggressive. A small, but everyday betrayal - you know the type, where their comments have an edge to them, just being toxic. I pretty much stay away from those people, so I can't imagine any of my friends doing that or being that. The worst betrayal I ever experienced was when the guy I really did consider my "best best friend" decided he didn't want to be friends with me anymore. He was a gay man and we were inseparable in college. Anyway, he dumped me--and we didn't speak for years. We are not friends anymore, and it took me a long time not to feel ill towards him. But now I have come to forgive and understand. I'm sorry he doesn't have a part in my life, but I don't miss him anymore. The friends that count are the ones that stay--that put effort into the friendship, that are there for you for the big moments in your life, and are there to share them with you. This guy missed my wedding, my being published, the birth of my child, my entire adult life!

Under what circumstances would you actually break up with a best friend (and have those circumstances ever occurred)?

I've broken up with friends, but never a best friend. And the best friend that broke up with me did so for reasons I'll never understand. When I was younger I used to dump girlfriends for even LOOKING at the same guy I liked. ALL THE TIME. That is SO not cool, and when you're younger, you're very sensitive to that. I just didn't want to be with a girlfriend I couldn't trust. My best girlfriend, Jennie, we were lucky: we never liked the same guys. Also: we trusted each other. You know? It was never an issue. And when that happened with her boyfriend, I think it's why it bonded us--because "the worst happened" but our friendship was so much deeper than that so there was not even a question of surviving it. I also think that's why I was able to hook up with her boyfriend, because I knew 100% that Jennie didn't care about him anymore. If hooking up would even have hurt her, I would never have done it, you know. It's funny--she said she would have been jealous if it had been any of her other girlfriends, but because it was me, she knew it wasn't a malicious act, and that it was just one of those stupid things that happen in life. And that's when you know you have a best friend--when you understand each other in a very deep level and trust each other. My friendships with women became much deeper also once I met my husband, (we met in our early 20s and dated for six years before marrying.) Once I had Mike, I didn't feel that competition anymore. And yes: girls are very competitive, especially when it comes to boys. I think it's almost biological. It's deep in our programming.

What does the word FAKETASTIC mean to you?

I think it means FAKE and FANTASTIC and I see a knockoff Chanel handbag that everyone thinks is real! Rock it!

Anything you’d like to add?
I think the friends you make in your youth are always going to be very special. Especially if they are the kind of friends that make you laugh so hard you snort. Later in life you will have good friends too--wonderful friends. But no one can replace the friends who remember you when you were young and wild and free...to like very, very bad music.

Yay, Melissa! A huge thanks for dropping by and helping me to celebrate the release of FAKETASTIC--and for resurrecting my decision to post cheesy music videos at the end of my posts. HELLO? I LOVED THAT SONG. I THINK I STILL DO! ENJOY:

FAKETASTIC PARTY-TIME (EXCELLENT!)

2009-01-06T00:53:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I invited you to a party to celebrate the release of FAKETASTIC. But, well, here it is 1am on release day and, as with all parties I throw (the last one being my son's big THREE), I'm still up...frantically trying to get everything ready for the festivities!

So, to be totally honest (which is so NOT Faketastic of me), I'm not sure I'm going to have all that fancy artificial fare ready for you in time. I mean, all I've got at the moment is this giant pitcher of piña fauxladas and a sizzling platter of steak fauxjitas. I hope this will be enough to tide you over until I can get myself back in the virtual kitchen, as it were.

So...what are you waiting for? Go ahead! Dig in! What? Are you vegetarian? Vegan? You don't like pineapple? WHAT?

Um. Yeah. Enough silliness. Let's just get down to the reason we're all here:

HAPPY RELEASE DAY TO FAKETASTIC! WOO HOO!

Oh, and if all this isn't enough for you, you actually can check out my guest blog over at Hope's Bookshelf, which should be up and at 'em any time now. I'm talking about some seriously interesting, deeper-than-deep stuff over there. And I'm also giving away a signed copy of the book. So, you know...get going! GET! (And then come back to find out if I ever got my sh&# together and cooked up something else forya. Hey, I'm a writer on deadline and things are HEC-TIC, I tell you what.)

Thank you for your patience.

Have a FAKETASTIC Year!

2009-01-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! It’s finally here! FAKETASTIC comes out tomorrow. Very exciting, no? To celebrate the official release, I want to formally invite you all to join me back here bright and early (say 9am or whenever you wake up?), for some delicious FAKETASTIC-themed virtual hors d’oeuvres, mocktails (natch) and other exciting things that, um, I haven’t really figured out yet. :-)

IN THE MEANTIME…I have a few other things to announce:

1. CONGRATULATIONS to Chick Lit Teens—the winner of my last contest and the proud owner of a brand new, shiny, signed copy of FAKETASTIC (it’s in the mail!).

2. A HUGE thanks to The Frenetic Reader, who won the first contest and has already posted the VERY FIRST REVIEW of FAKETASTIC! It seems she mostly liked it—and that Khy can be one tough critic, so I’m incredibly excited about that.

3. INTERVIEWS AND GIVEAWAYS! I’ll be having even more exciting giveaways happening all this week—along with some AWESOME guest authors. Here’s the current schedule:

This Wednesday, January 7, I’ll be interviewing none other than bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz, who will also be giving away two of her fabulous books: Fresh Off The Boat and Blue Bloods: Revelations.

On Thursday, January 8, I’ll be welcoming Melissa Walker, who will answer the same silly questions the *other* Melissa answered (I swear I invited authors NOT named Melissa too). She’ll also be giving away one of her VIOLET books—to be determined by the winner.

On Friday, January 9, Tera Lynn Childs will drop by to answer—yup, you guessed it—the same questions the Melissas answered! She’ll also be giving away a copy of Oh. My. Gods.

I’ve also got Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) and Jennifer Banash (The Elite) working furiously on my questions—so hopefully they’ll be kicking off the week of January 12 (my BIRTHDAY week!) with a couple more interviews and giveaways.

Okay, everyone, I’ll see you back here tomorrow…bring your virtual thirsts and appetites, y’hear? ;-)

XO

Happy New Year (A Poem?)

2008-12-31T23:29:00.000-08:00

Inspired by some of my writer friends, I tried to jot down a few thoughts about, and reflections upon, the past year. I'm not saying this is even remotely good. But whatever. I tried, right?

Enjoy! :-)

‘Twas the night before ’09 and I had no fear.
Could it really get worse than it had this past year?
Things started okay—well, as much as they can:
I had a great kid and a wonderful man,
My family, friends, health, home and plenty of food.
I know that I should have been in a great mood.

But alas, for this writer, assignments were slight.
Even with my teen novels the cash would be tight.
And then my poor hubby’s job seemed to be done.
(He once worked for Lehman. Yup. You know the one.)
I gained twenty pounds and my first novel tanked,
With each big, fat suckball my heart fully sank.

But wait! What is this? Why, I’m feeling quite happy.
Could it be all the Zoloft that’s making me sappy?
Um, no. Not at all. Things are so looking up.
I’m getting assignments and making big bucks!
My husband’s still working! Enough with my drama!
Our president-elect is Barack Obama!

So here’s to the New Year and all that it brings.
I’m feeling like life will be full of great things.
And if I have problems or whine or complain,
Just tell me to stop ‘cause I’m being insane.
I don't need perfection; I'm fine with alright.
Happy ’09 to all, and to all a good night.

Yeah. Um. That's all I've got.

XO!

FAKETASTIC: THE MISSING CHAPTER

2008-12-30T22:32:00.000-08:00

If you’re like me…well, first of all, that would be sad because then you’d be this neurotic old woman with all kinds of annoying qualities that make people cringe. But I digress. Ahem. What I meant to say is that if you’re like me, you love seeing bloopers, outtakes and other behind-the-scenes stuff that doesn’t make it into your favorite movies, TV shows, books, photo albums (you get the point, right?). With that in mind, as the pub date of FAKETASTIC approaches, I thought it would be fun to give you an exclusive peek at one of the chapters that wound up on the proverbial cutting-room floor.

It’s a chapter I really loved, but also (thank goodness for great editors) one that didn’t quite work with the rest of the book. Part of the problem was that it wasn’t doing much to further the plot (although we did put a few bits of this chapter in other places), and another problem was that it seemed to be too obvious a parallel with the divorce/settlement agreement chapter in FRENEMIES (book one. You knew that, didn’t you?). Bottom line: It just didn’t fit (and boy, can I relate…ba dum bum! Thank you. I’ll be here all week). Still, I think it might be fun for all the adoring FRENEMIES fans to read. So, without further inane ramblings…

QUICK WARNING AND SPOILER ALERT!

…um, sorry...a few more inane ramblings: This link will take you to the missing chapter, which was originally chapter seven in the first draft of FAKETASTIC. Before you go there, though, please know it might bring up some moments of confusion where you go, “Huh? When did THAT happen?” or “OHMYGOD! How did THAT happen?” If you like surprises—well, you’re not like me (yay!), and you might not want to CLICK HERE to read the missing chapter. If you ARE like me (again, sorry about that), go on…take a look.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY*

DOH! I almost forgot! I promised in yesterday’s post that I’d be giving away a signed copy of FAKETASTIC to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on this post, telling me why you love or hate surprises. (You’ll get a double entry if you tell me whether or not you read the missing chapter—and if you did read it, whether you’re happy or sad that you did.)

Good luck…happy reading…and Happy New Year! WOO HOO! PARTY LIKE IT’S 2009…’CAUSE IT ALREADY IS…somewhere!

* Winner will be selected on Friday, January 2, at 9PM pacific time. :-)

Faketastic! One Week and Counting

2008-12-30T00:19:00.000-08:00

Are you as confused as me about it being 2009 in TWO DAYS? I mean, how did this happen? Where did 2008 go?

Of course, with 2009 just around the corner, so too is the release of FAKETASTIC (and, in truth, I feel like I’ve been waiting forever—don’t you?!). I know I promised a few teasers and some exclusive sneak-peeks into the book and, since I try to be a woman of my word (sometimes successfully), that’s just what I’m about to give you. Consider it a belated holiday gift from yours truly (go ahead, call me cheap. I can take it!).

FIRST…I SHALL TEASE YOU
Here’s the official book description (if you haven’t already seen it. Um, where have you been?):

From besties to worsties and back again . . .

Team Avalon: For Avalon, staying on top of trends has never been a problem—until her fellow cheerleaders decide that her BFF Halley is definitely out this season. Now Avalon must choose between the frenemy who embarrassed her in front of everyone or the new friends who stood by her.

vs.

Team Halley: Halley thinks she's got it all: her forever-friend Avalon, her new bestie Sofee, and the hottest fall wardrobe at Seaview Middle School. Her life is a total YES. But when Sofee spies Avalon flirting with Halley's crush, will it be World War Halvalon all over again?

NOW HERE’S ME FILLING IN SOME OF THE BLANKS:
Yes, it’s official: Halley and Avalon (and the Style Snarks—complete with blog posts beginning on page one) are reunited, and it feels so good. Or does it? As they struggle to merge their new lives, they’re more eager than ever to prove their loyalty and love to each other. That’s when the I-got-your-back opportunities knock, in the form of some potentially problematic (even SCANDALOUS) situations with their new friends. Faster than you can say Three’s Company, Halley and Avalon make the ultimate BFF pact and vow to support each other, cover for each other, and even pretend to be people they’re not—all with the oh-so-benevolent goal of achieving their dreams while protecting and preserving their friendships, new and old alike. AH! But can the best frenemies' farces play out as planned? Will they really be able to weave a tangled web of deception without any snags? Does betrayal ever NOT backfire, even when borne with the best intentions?

AREN’T YOU JUST DYING TO KNOW MORE???

Then stay tuned. Tomorrow I’ll post a chapter that didn’t make it into the book—specifically, the Halley-Avalon re-commitment ceremony/renewal of vows! (Yes, I’m serious.) I'll also be giving you another opportunity to win a signed copy of FAKETASTIC! And next week (release week), I'll have more giveaways and interviews with awesome authors like Tera Lynn Childs, Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Shepard, and Melissa Walker!

ON A FINAL AND TOTALLY UNRELATED NOTE: I hope you’ve all been having wonderful, drama-free holidays (is that possible?), whatever it is you celebrate, and that 2009 takes you on fantastic journeys full of love, laughter and true happiness. :)

XO

FAKETASTIC! We Have a Winner!

2008-12-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

So first, I want to thank everyone who entered the FAKETASTIC win-it-before-you-can-buy-it signed copy giveaway. After all, these fine people embody the true spirit of this holiday season: Receiving (a free, signed copy of the book), but also giving (their time and dedication to promoting FAKETASTIC by posting that awesome countdown clock all over the web).

If you're still wondering how YOU can be a giver, and do something charitable this holiday season, I encourage you to share that countdown clock with the triple-W, too! I mean, you're not the kind of person who needs an incentive to do something kind for the greater good (or at least for my good), right? Get into the spirit, people! Help me sell my next book! I might just select a selfless promotional person at random and send yet another signed copy of the book their way.

Okay, now...without further ado...let me announce the winner of this fine, fine contest (as chosen by my super-child, SuperJack, above):

THE FRENETIC READER!

Congratulations, F.R.! Now you can showcase the Lakers colors on your bookshelf and add another signed book in the FRENEMIES series to your collection (I signed book one for you at Rock 'n' Read, right?!). Your copy will be going in the mail today. I hope it adds a little extra brightness and bling to your holiday this year. Now everybody go check out The Frenetic Reader's blog...it's awesome and so is she. Congratulations again!

And to all the people who DIDN'T win: Don't despair. I think most of you are on the list to receive a review copy anyway. ;-) See? There really are no losers in my world.

XO

Be A Winner (Like Me!)

2008-12-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

I know that’s a totally self-aggrandizing headline and TRUST ME, I’m the last person to call myself a “winner”—but the thing is, I’ve been on a bit of a contest-winning streak this year. I swear, I don’t know how it happened—but first, back in March, I won a year’s supply of Peet’s Coffee (not just for me but for five of my friends) and then, just last week, I won a $500 TARGET gift card in the Kaboodle Wish-a-Day Giveaway! Honestly, does it get any better than a shopping spree at TARGET? The card arrived in the mail today, and I’ve already spent almost half of it on holiday gifts! (Can you blame me?!) I honestly feel like the luckiest person on the planet—and now, I’d like to throw a bit of luck your way. So I’ll tell you what I’m gonna do…

As I mentioned last week, to celebrate the release of FAKETASTIC on January 6, I’ll be posting interviews and giveaways with bestselling authors like Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods, The Ashleys) and Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars). And this just in: You can add Jennifer Banash (The Elite) to that list (our books come out on the same day—January 6)! Right now, though, I’m going to kick things off with a win-it-before-you-can-buy-it FAKETASTIC giveaway. (YIPPEE!) That’s right. I should have my author copies any day now—and I want to send a signed copy to YOU. All you have to do to win is place that adorable countdown-to-FAKETASTIC clock (click here to get the code) on your blog or website or SOMEWHERE people will see it, and then email me with a link to the locale. That’s it! Do that and you’ll be entered to win. Better yet, if you place the clock in more than one location, you’ll get an entry for each place you put it.

Because I’d like to TRY to get the book to you in time for Christmakwanzzukkah, I will pick a winner THIS FRIDAY, the 19th. SO! Hurry, hurry, hurry! Post that countdown clock NOW!
As an added bonus, if you pre-order a copy of FAKETASTIC or you buy (or have bought) a copy of FRENEMIES…email me with some sort of proof-of-purchase and your mailing address and I’ll send you a FREE signed book plate! (Thanks to Melissa Walker for inspiring me to do this.)

On a final note, I want to give a big shout out to "Jojo" (whoever you are!) for being so cool and leaving a comment on all my recent blog posts. She said she was going to do it, and I love her for it. It gets lonely out here in the blogosphere sometimes, and comments are the best thing ever. I LOVE getting comments. They really make my day.

SO, HEY JOJO! YOU ROCK! :)

Okay then. Go plaster the web with my FAKETASTIC clock, and buy my books, and you too can be a winner…like me!

xo

Black Eyed Me!

2008-12-11T20:43:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, the husband and I were finally (three years after moving in) doing a little interior decorating. I bought this cool—and quite massive—painted canvas, leaned it on a little table against the wall and then turned around. Before I could turn all the way around, though, the canvas fell toward my face, hitting me smack on the upper part of my right cheekbone. I screamed. I cried. I put my son's Lightning McQueen ice pack on it...and all seemed well.

The moment it happened I could feel the welt and said to my husband: "That's totally going to leave a black eye—and people are going to think you did it!" (Not that he’d ever lay a hand on me…but hello? Watch enough crime dramas like we do and you just expect people to jump to conclusions.) Anyway, I was kind of disappointed that the swelling went down after an hour (thanks a lot, Lightning), with hardly anything in the way of a mark. However, it is now Thursday, and I look like, um, Oscar de la Hoya if he'd actually finished his last fight? (I have no idea how I know that useless piece of information, but I do.) It's actually kind of cool, walking around with a black eye. (I mean no disrespect to people who've actually been battered, of course.) It definitely made for one awesome Santa picture with my son today, I tell you what. (In all honesty, I had no intention of posing with Santa—but Jack had no interest in posing with a fat old man he didn't know, all by himself. Which I guess, in a way, is a good thing.)

So yeah! Hurray for injuries! I’ll probably post my shiner in the next day or so because I'm sure you're all dying to see it for yourselves (it's really not that bad). In the meantime, I wanted to tell you about a couple things that are WAY, WAY cooler than me and my owies. Specifically:

I HEART DAILY. This is a new website that picks up where all the awesome teen mags of yesteryear (ELLEGirl, Teen People, Sassy, Jump!) left off. It was co-created by one of my fabulous cyber-BFFs, Melissa Walker (author of the VIOLET books), and it is ALL KINDS OF AMAZING! So, check it out here, sign up for the newsletter, and get hip to what's hot in the worlds of beauty, art, fashion, politics and more.

SIMONE ELKELES, AUTHOR WITH ONE AWESOME BOOK TRAILER. I'm sure you've seen plenty of book trailers (yawn), but I guarantee you've never seen one as cool as Simone’s for her forthcoming YA novel, PERFECT CHEMISTRY. I mean, check it out, yo: The woman actually co-wrote a rap (a surprisingly awesome and funny rap) with a real video director she hired, along with professional actors and dancers. Talk about going the extra mile for your book! Anyway...PERFECT CHEMISTRY itself sounds amazing and the trailer, as I said, is pure genius. Check it out for yourself and tell me I'm wrong (actually, don't tell me I'm wrong. 'Cause I'm not. AS IF!):

Okay, then. That’s all I’ve got the energy for tonight (I am an injured woman, after all). But expect another post tomorrow. I’m feeling super-bloggy lately...

XO

Four Weeks Till Faketastic!

2008-12-08T12:24:00.001-08:00

No, you don't need to adjust your monitor. FINALLY, book two in the FRENEMIES series is on its way (and yes, that is the new-and-allegedly-improved cover. What do you think?)!

Cover changes aside, I'm so totally excited to ring in the New Year with Halley and Avalon. AREN'T YOU? If you are, I've got a special holiday request: Pre-order your copy today!

~ begin miserable diatribe on the sorry state of the publishing biz here ~

Here's the thing, kids: The publishing industry, like most industries, is hurting right now. Books aren't selling like they used to and publishers are making serious cutbacks—firing executives, pushing back book releases and (gasp!) even canceling some releases altogether. Except in the case of nine-year-olds doling out dating advice, times are pretty tough for most of us writers. So, if there are books out there you love (like, um, FRENEMIES!) or books you've been dying to read, please consider buying them NOW—for yourself, for all your friends and for the writers you love this holiday season. (Hey, there's even a "Buy a Book, Save the World" group on FACEBOOK. Join that while you're at it.)

~ end of miserable diatribe ~

Okay, so back to the fun stuff: As the FAKETASTIC date nears, I'll be doing all kinds of exciting things to celebrate, like:

Posting sneak-peeks at the book (like the cover, above, which I believe is some sort of world premiere kind of thing)!
Sharing rare deleted scenes from the book (okay, stuff that wasn't good enough to be published)!
Giveaways (including advance copies of the book, if I ever get them)!
A full week of interviews with authors who are even cooler than me! Seriously...I've already got bestselling Melissa de la Cruz (Blue Bloods, The Ashleys and more) AND Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) confirmed, and they'll be doing giveaways too! HELLO?!
A release-day party on my blog (including the best damn virtual hors d'oeuvres you've ever tasted)!
And...more (oh so much more)!

So, there you have it. Does this all sound FAKETASTIC or what?

How I Spent My Thanksgiving Holiday

2008-11-30T22:54:00.000-08:00

Hey my American peeps (and otherwise—with a big BONJOUR to all mes amies francaises; j'adore! :-).

How was your Thanksgiving (if you do that sort of thing)? I must admit, mine was very nice. Tragic as it sounds, most of my complaints relate to my old age and infirmities—like chipping my tooth (seriously), wanting to sleep 24/7 and getting the WORST gas/heartburn ever (it was quite literally debilitating, to the point where I was doubled over and could only lie on my left side until the TUMS kicked in…and I didn't even eat or drink THAT much! Gross, right? TMI, right? Sorry, right? Don't get old...aiight?!).

ANYWAY, in spite of my geriatric tendencies, it honestly was a great little trip, overall. Who (besides me) can complain about hanging out in San Diego—where it was rainy, then perfect sunshine, then rainy, then sunshine (and hey, no terrorists...how great is that?!)? We also had a delicious holiday dinner (my mom makes the best stuffing and cranberry relish ever) and there was virtually no family drama (probably because it was just the five of us—my parents plus me, my husband and my little guy). Meanwhile, Jack (said little almost-3 y.o. guy) loved hanging out with his grandma and papa, running around their house and playing on the beach and at the park.

Okay, then...without further ado, I thought I'd show you just how lovely (and, in honor of Reviewer X—btw, how hot is she?—how EXQUISITE) the holiday was with these RARE, EXCLUSIVE, NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN PHOTOGRAPHS of my family (could I be more Brangelina?). Enjoy! :

And to all a good night.

GOBBLEDYGOOK

2008-11-25T22:39:00.000-08:00

Yo, yo, yo, my turkeys! Happy Thanksgiving week! (I know. Lame, right?)

Okay, in the interest of full disclosure, I have to say I always feel a bit weird celebrating this particular holiday—not just because I usually get sick from overindulging (in food, wine, etc.), but because of all the religion, raping, and pillaging historically associated with the occasion (it IS kind of tragi-weird that way—don’t you think?). But, um, yeah! San Dimas High School Football Rules! (Name that film.)

Anyway. I do love me some turkey, stuffing and pumpkin pie—but even if that weren’t the case, I believe Hallmark says this is a good time of year to reflect upon all the things for which we’re grateful. And who am I to question Hallmark? Besides, scientific research suggests keeping a gratitude journal can boost your mood (yes, one of my other personalities writes for women’s magazines). So let’s all try it, shall we?

Right, then! In spite of all the craziness that happened in MY life today, and without further ado, here are all the things I’m thankful for (in no particular order…and I guarantee I’ll be adding to this list as the week goes on, so check back often, won’tcha?!):

The ultra-hot, supportive, relentlessly awesome and forgiving-of-my-absurdities-and-eccentricities-and-loser-esque-qualities husband
A brilliant, talented, gorgeous, hilarious (and potty-trained!) son who reminds me to laugh and love a bit more every day
My ridiculously great family (immediate, extended and in general)
Incredible friends who don’t want or need me to yammer on about their fabulosity
Readers and bloggers and fans! (oh my)
Extensions (on deadlines—not hair)
The Redken products in the blue bottles
Phenomenal editors
Clients who pay well, and on time
Alloy Entertainment
Super-agents
France
Germany
Australasia
Barclays Capital
Obama
Firefighters
Bubble baths
Wine
Dark chocolate
Almonds
Gossip Girl
Privileged
90210
Chick flicks
Joel McHale
Sarah Palin (fun to impersonate…plus, if she can get a $7m book deal, maybe I can too. VOTE OBAMA/YOUNG 2012!)

Okay, enough already. But since I showed you mine, how about you show me YOURS? What are you thankful for? Comments, please! ;-)

I am SUCH a girl!

2008-11-22T19:49:00.000-08:00

I'm not entirely sure why I'm admitting this publicly. Maybe it's because I think that if, perhaps, somebody else has had the same experience (and will swallow their pride, step up and tell me so in the comments), I won't feel so absurd. Um. Yeah. Anyway. Here it is...

In the midst of writing GLAMNESIA, I decided I needed a bit of a teen-angst jolt, so I wandered over to the TV, tuned into HBO, and got sucked into THIS:

My eyes are now red. My nose is snotty. I've been bawling for almost an hour straight. And I'm NOT EVEN HORMONAL. I'm just a girl. A totally pathetic girl.

And people are saying TWILIGHT is cheesy? Well then, hello, how do you like the Velveeta?* :-O

XO

* Seriously, though? You cannot deny that Chris Klein and Josh Hartnett are both obscenely hot. Right? Right? RIGHT? (I think I'm also just kind of awed by how many times Chris carried Leelee in the movie. Uber-impressive, dude...no matter how skinny she is.)

Blatant, Shameless Self-Promotion? Okay!

2008-11-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

Great news, people who love me (and really, who doesn't?): I've decided to commit to blogging at least once a week. If I don't make a promise to myself (and you) like that, I clearly fall off the triple-W for extended periods of time, and that's just not acceptable. So, HI! Here's my weekly update, chock full of exciting news about the super-freak that is moi.

First off, I wanted to let you know that big changes are coming in the land of FRENEMIES. For starters, that cool cover with the keyholes in it? Buh bye. That's right. the publisher has decided to stop producing the holy cover (a.k.a. the "stepback"), which apparently bends and rips and just isn't worth the expense involved. What this all means, in my not-so-humble opinion, is that the original cover will one day be a collector's item! GET 'EM WHILE THEY LAST! (Seriously, could you add me to your list of charitable causes this holiday season and buy several copies? Sales could use a boost, particularly as we near the release date of FAKETASTIC and try to get booksellers to stock a nice big pile of 'em.)

Another reason to snap up every last copy of FRENEMIES you can find? The lovely Mrs. Magoo Reads recently gave it a B+ (and that Sophie is a tough critic, so a B+ is quite an accomplishment!). She also interviewed me. Check out the review here and my incoherent ramblings here.

Of course, the major changes are coming with FAKETASTIC (which will be out in less than two months! Yippee!). I'm hoping I'll be able to show you the new-and-hopefully-improved cover for that one soon. In the meantime, let me just say I think fans of FRENEMIES are going to be really happy with the continuing adventures of Halley and Avalon. Have you been dying to know whether they become friends again? Have you been wondering if/hoping that Halley and Wade get together? And what is going to become of the Style Snarks and their fashion schemes and dreams? I recommend preordering the book from Amazon or Barnes and Noble immediately so you won't have to wait a second longer than necessary to get the answers to those questions and so many more. I mean, really, how have you been able to function without all this info...right?

But now, my pets, it's back to writing GLAMNESIA. You'll have to wait until June to get that one, but I promise it will be worth it. After all, I'm writing it...and I am AMAZING!

There. I sold myself. How did I do?

XO

Oh, Life…It’s Bigger. Bigger Than You. And You Are Not Me.

2008-11-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, people (bonus points if you know what amazing band I just quoted in that headline—and no fair if you Google it). I was all bunged up to write some post-election political diatribe on Prop 8, or something really poignant and touching about how “the times, they are a-changing” with the Obama win. But you know what? That is SO not my beat. I’ll leave it to the people who’ve done all the research and have way more experience atop le soapbox. They’ve consistently said it better than I ever could. Is that awful—or honest? Either way, you should thank me for it. :) (Of course, I will say California SUCKS for Prop Hate…but that’s as far as I’ll be going here.)

So! Let’s just get on with the topic du jour—the one on which I’m a complete expert: ME! I know, I know, the world has been wondering what the HELL is going on over here in La-La Land, why I’ve been so completely absent from the blog, what could possibly be more important than writing updates about myself on a semi-regular basis (unless you count my Facebook updates…hello? Where have you been?). Well, let me break it down for you, my homies…

1. I’ve been writing like a fiend (just not here). The top project of course is (wait for it…) GLAMNESIA—a.k.a. book three in the FRENEMIES series. Isn’t that a cool title? Yes. Don’t I wish I’d come up with it? Yes. Don’t you wish you could read it right now? Yes. Don’t you wish you could read FAKETASTIC first? Yes. (FYI, it comes out January 6! Woo hoo!) Don’t I wish I weren’t so behind deadline on finishing GLAMNESIA? YES! Am I so glad I have work (like five magazine articles in just one month, on top of the books) during these desperate economic times? YES! YES! YES! (Now go watch When Harry Met Sally.) Seriously, though. I’ve actually had to turn down assignments. I mean, I’m writing books…and magazine articles…and I have an almost-three-year-old son with more energy than a 90210 star after her first meal in weeks! Moving on, then…

2. I’ve been doing lots of high-profile, international-type interviews. Okay, so they’ve been with 12-year-old girls from France and Switzerland who are writing book reports on FRENEMIES and are apparently required to write a biography of the author (that would be me…Bonjour!). But come on…how cool is that? I think it’s way better than being interviewed by ELLE or Teen Vogue or even Us Weekly. I mean, girls who speak French fluently want to know about me (MOI!)—and I was so excited to be contacted en français, I actually tried to brush up on my French and reply without using ANY English—and they actually said (and I quote): “Votre français est très bien. Moi je ne me débrouille pas autant bien en Anglais!!!!” OMG! How awesome is that? In fact…you know what? I just realized I’m kind-of-sort-of already helping Barack Obama to bridge the fractured international relationships the U.S. has f-ed up over the past eight (ish) years. N’est-ce-pas? ;-) Whoops! Sorry. My bad. No politics here.

3. It was Halloween! And I was on the BBQ committee for my kid’s preschool Halloween Fair. And I ate so much chocolate I was nearly wheelchair-bound from all the weight I gained. And now I’m on a major diet to lose it all—which makes me kind of grumpy and not all that interested in blogging. (Shallow much? Why, yes I am. Thanks for asking!)

4. I've been hijacked by the CW. Seriously. While couch-dwelling (due to my massive weight-gain, natch), I’ve become obsessed with pretty much EVERY show…including 90210 (I think I’m approaching the equivalent weight of two cast members, which is still probably a healthy weight for the average American woman—but I do adore the story-lines. They are SO. DEVIANT!); Privileged (this is seriously the greatest show on TV. Even my husband is hooked, and that hasn’t happened with a chick-show since The O.C. Hello? If that isn’t a hit, I don’t know what is); Gossip Girl (Chuck Bass. Need I say more? Okay, I will. That Aaron dude needs to be killed off IMMEDIATELY. So gross.); and Fashionista (between Anne Slowey’s Madonnabe-fierceness and the tragic-beyond-belief contestants who are like walking poster-people for Xanax, it’s absolutely irresistible! LOVE. IT.).

Okay, that’s probably enough for now. I’m actually boring myself. In fact, I was bored around paragraph one. But I knew what was going to happen. So maybe you had better luck? Do tell. The COMMENT section will be up...um...indefinitely. :-)

XO

VOTING ROCKS!

2008-11-04T09:42:00.001-08:00

I just took a lovely morning stroll through the rain-soaked streets of my Encino neighborhood, over to the local park and recreation center where my husband and I cast our ballots with little man Jack in tow. YIPPEE! Of course it felt good to punch in my choice for the presidential ticket, but even more important to me here in California (where I think/hope/but can’t take for granted that my candidate is a given) was voting on the propositions—some of which are just, in my humble opinion, evil and wrong. I mean, seriously, what kind of person decides it’s a good idea to amend the constitution to eliminate equal rights? Ugh. It makes my blood boil.

Anyway, as somebody who tries to keep my political opinions to myself—unless I’m pushed to defend my views, that is—I’ll refrain from saying too much more here on the blog. Really, I just want to encourage everyone to get out there to the polls. I expected the lines to be long, and the process to be painful, but in truth it was SO fast and easy—and I’m feeling darn good about participating in the process…hopeful and optimistic even. And how often does THAT happen? :-)

XO

Head Case Files

2008-11-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! Remember me? I'm that chick who released a book called FRENEMIES back in May and did my best to keep in touch...but then repeatedly slipped off the face of the blogosphere. Well, it's time to celebrate because I'm back and totally better than ever. Or something. YAY!

Anyway...I've got a whole lot of updates for you, which I'll be posting very soon--including news about FAKETASTIC (book 2 in the FRENEMIES series, out January 6, 2009!), and perhaps even an exclusive peek at a deleted scene from the book.

Before I overwhelm you with too much though (like an interview I recently did with one of my French-speaking fans), I wanted to let you know that I'm blogging over at HarperTeen's MySpace page today. Check it out here, leave a comment, or simply nod and smile at the freakbag that is me. :-)

XO

Didja Miss Me (Again)?

2008-09-26T22:45:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...I've been stupidly remiss in posting lately, and I'm sorry about that (as if you're really expecting anything but slackerdom from me lately, right?). I just wanted to tell you it's only going to get worse from here (meaning even less frequent posts). Why, you ask? WHY? I'm so glad you asked! Let's get right to the answers then, shall we? Okay, then:

1. I'm overloaded with magazine work (which is awesome, but doesn't allow for much free time. Complain, complain, complain).

2. I have this incredible kid who demands a lot of my attention (which, again, awesome...but blogging tends to come after playing and reading and bathing and cooking and all that. Yes, even when I throw him into preschool, well, um, every weekday and make my husband deal with him the rest of the time. I am SUCH a slacker mom lately, I swear. I'm so sorry, Jack. Mommy loves you, Jack! Mommy will play with you again soon, Jack!!!).

3. I'm diving into writing book three in the FRENEMIES series (which is totally going to rock...and if not, you can sue me. Actually, I take that back. I just hope you like it...if I ever manage to write it, that is).

4. I belong to a couple social networking sites. Perhaps you've heard of them. They're called MySpace and Facebook. Anyway, as my good friend Carolyn recently noted, these things are a complete time-suck, particularly when you have a high school reunion coming up (that you're not attending) and all kinds of interesting people from your past stepping (or getting invited) back into your present. It's weird. And tiring. And yeah, cool. Just not conducive to getting work done. Or raising a kid for that matter.

5. I have this thing I'll call, well, a scissors fetish. It resulted in me spending countless evenings over the past month cutting my hair off...inch by inch by inch. Then, finally, I had to get it professionally done. Thank goodness my friend Sura is such an awesome stylist. (Please go visit her at http://www.byu-ti.com/.) Just look what she did to me!

NOTE: These are both AFTER-THE-SURA-CUT-IT pictures. One is pre-highlights and one is after. And one is obviously in better lighting, with more sleep...and the other one is...not so much. But enough with nit-picking myself. With or without my current haircut-induced SCORCHING HOTNESS (feel the burn?), those are my current excuses for being out of touch.

I'll be back in touch next week (or the week/month after that) with more (perhaps even better) excuses! Till then, my loves...be excellent to each other. Or don't. Whatever works. I don't want to be a burden. Sorry to have disturbed.

I LIKE BIG NUTS (and I cannot lie)

2008-09-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

I realize that’s probably the most inappropriate title for a post ever, but it’s not intended to be offensive in any way. The truth is that I was just enjoying a handful of mixed nuts (which nutrition experts suggest is an incredibly healthy snack option) and realized I always go for the biggest ones—specifically the Brazil nuts. They’re my absolute favorites (how 'bout you?). That’s when a slightly modified version of the Sir Mix-A-Lot classic got stuck in my head. I’m really sorry if it, er, came out the wrong way.

In totally unrelated news, it kinda-sorta looks like the sun DID come out yesterday and my hubby’s job may be spared! So tell me this: Why is it that when things are going horribly, terribly wrong, it’s so easy to switch into survival mode and act all happy and proactive—but the moment things start looking up, all I want to do is curl up into a ball and go back to sleep (and/or forage for...big nuts)? Is it because winter is going to be here before we know it? Is it because I’M so overwhelmed with work I can barely see straight? (Hence the reason I'm blogging/procrastinating.) Or is it actually because I’m, well, a BIG NUT? (Wow, I really know how to keep a theme going, don’t I?)

Whatever the case, I do need to say a huge thanks to everyone who’s checked in on the family during the Lehman insanity. Things really are looking up. And I really am happy about that. Really! :)

XO

Seeing Stars

2008-09-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm getting old. Seriously old. I can feel it in lots of ways—including the way my eyes keep playing tricks on me. Example: The other night, I went out with some friends to a cool little British pub/restaurant in Hollywood. We sat outside amidst the hipsters and trees dotted with fairy-lights, sipping our drinks and enjoying the conversation when who caught my eye but a guy. Not just any guy. I was convinced it was Michael Cera. No, I was beyond convinced.

After all, I finally saw him in JUNO just last week and we cross paths on a highly regular basis now that NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST is in regular promo-rotation, um, everywhere. (Q: How excited am I to see the movie? A: SOOOO excited!). Of course, when I pointed Michael out to my friends, they all insisted it wasn't him. They noted that MY Michael looked old. And fat. And had brown curly hair. I said he was probably just tired...and maybe he gained weight and changed his hair since we last saw him on-screen. I mean, hello? Actors do that for roles all the time, right?

I know what you’re thinking: If you were so convinced it was him, why didn’t you just go up and ask him? Well, I’m so glad YOU weren’t there with us that night. Otherwise I would have made a complete fool of myself. Instead, I came home and—like any average, everyday stalker/psycho—I simply looked up some recent pics of the guy. Like this one:

Uh. So my friends were right. There was no way I called that one correctly. Mikey is obviously still young(ish)...and waif(ish)...and blond(ish). And yes, way cuter than the dude I saw that night.

But today was a new day…a day when I was convinced I’d at least see things a bit more clearly. Today was also the day I got this issue of REDBOOK in the mail:

And today was the day I totally thought it was Mandy Moore on the cover. After a few seconds (okay minutes. Alright, hours!), I realized it was Diane Lane. Yes, I can read. Yes, I see her name there on the cover. As I'm sure you're getting by now (if you work at the same pace as moi), I'm just very slow. And blind. But seriously...was I that far off?See, this isn’t just unsettling on a losing-my-vision-even-more-than-ever level. It’s unsettling because Mandy and Diane aren't exactly in the same, er, age bracket. I mean, even if the REDBOOK cover doesn’t look like Mandy Moore, it doesn’t look much like Diane Lane either, does it? And DO YOU KNOW WHY? Of course you do. It’s because, as I saw firsthand while working on the other side of the editorial fence, images are grotesquely altered before they ever make it to the printer. This is especially true when said images appear on covers. The thing that really bums me out is that Diane isn't even that old—and I'd be willing to bet she looked seriously phenomenal (and a lot more like herself) before REDBOOK airbrushed twenty years off her face. It's just so...lame.

Speaking of lame, how about that economy of ours, huh? I know people have it so much worse than I do, and I'm not going to complain because—all things considered—my life is incredibly good. However, it has been kind of a rough day for my family because, well, my husband works for Lehman Brothers. Or should I say worked? That's still TBD, but let's just say the future's not looking all that bright today.

Of course, I'm totally hoping the sun'll come out tomorrow—not just for the sake of my family's financial stability, and not just because I love Annie, but because when the days are lighter and brighter, there's less chance that I'll mistake fat, dark, old guys for Michael Cera...or, worse yet, Diane Lane. (Ba-dum-bum!)

VOTE FOR TAYLOR!

2008-09-09T11:08:00.001-07:00

Let’s take a break from the magic that is me for a moment, and talk about a teen novelist who actually deserves some love. A lot of you may already be familiar with Taylor Morris, author of Class Favorite. (<-- Look how cute she is!) What you may not realize is that Taylor and I are friends. Real friends. Friends who worked together and remained in contact even after the job ended and thousands of miles came between us.

Specifically, many years ago, Taylor and I were both editors for a little teen magazine called JUMP. She wasn’t just the magazine’s web guru—in constant contact with all the readers who wrote in—she reviewed books (a lot of books) for the magazine, among many other things. I think it was always Taylor’s goal to write books of her own, and I’m so happy to see her living that dream (and, okay, realizing sometimes the dream can also be a bit of a nightmare). I can also tell you that Taylor is adorable, delightful, brilliant, funny and cool. Le package totale, if you will.

ANYWAY, today is a big day for Taylor because her second novel, Total Knockout: Tales of an Ex-Class President, just went on sale! Please join me in celebrating this awesome accomplishment by reading a bit about the book:

There's nothing ordinary about thirteen-year-old Lucia Latham. She gets straight As, loves health food, and is a great boxer. Nothing is more fun than a good old sparring match with her best friend, Cooper, especially since she usually wins.

What Lucia wants most though, aside from for her dad to find a new job, is to work in the White House someday -- and she's on the right track. She's been junior high class president for two years running, and as eighth grade starts she is about to be elected for the third year in a row, an occurrence she would like to point out is unprecedented. In short, there are few things Lucia tackles that don’t turn out exactly the way she wants them, and she has no reason to suspect that this year will be any different.

But no sooner is she elected three-peat president than she's impeached! Also an unprecedented occurrence. What’s an ex-president to do -- especially when it's all her fault? Can Lucia rebuild her carefully constructed world in time to save not only her political reputation but also her own self-image?

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? (I’ll refrain from making any comments about another presidential election coming up and how worried I am about the future of our country should a certain pair of individuals actually win. Oops! Did I just say all that?) I’ve already ordered my copy of Total Knockout and can’t wait to read it. How about you…?

Happy release day, Taylor! Knock 'em dead...

XO

90210-M-G!

2008-09-06T18:48:00.001-07:00

So who watched the season premiere of 90210 last week? I was admittedly (and not surprisingly) obsessed with the original 90210, so even though I wasn’t expecting this one to hold a candle to that slice of cultural history, I was curious to see if it would totally suck…or totally suck me in. I guess I’d have to say it did both. Here's a brief recap of my reaction while watching the show:

1. I’m so confused.
2. Who are these people?
3. Is that supposed to be Brandon?
4. Is that Mrs. Walsh?
5. They are NOT doing the token-black-guy thing!
6. Oh yes they are.
7. Ha! Jesse and AHHHndrea's unplanned kid is now a Jewish-Latina type-A school reporter. That's kind of funny.
8. Kelly! She looks exactly the same!
9. Okay, that’s definitely not Mrs. Walsh.
10. Haven't I seen this plot before…and this one…and this one?
11. Ew. They brought Nat back.
12. Wow. Fast times at 90210.
13. But it’s no Gossip Girl.
14. That was SO Gossip Girl!
15. Dude! That's Kelly and David's BABY SISTER?! And she's so...edgy. AWESOME!
16. Why does there have to be another commercial?
17. Brenda! She looks…almost the same. Did she always have that gap between her teeth, though?
18. Who’s Kelly’s baby daddy?
19. It’s GOT to be Brandon. Or Dylan…?
20. This is getting so good.
21. Awww, they’re still trying to be moralistic and preachy.
22. Please don’t tell me this is the last commercial break.
23. NOOOO! How am I going to survive another week without 90210?
24. I am so hooked.
25. I am so pathetic.

Of course, my play-by-play isn't nearly as entertaining as Joel McHale of The Soup's take. Seriously. THIS is must-see TV right here, my friends:

God, I love that man. (I have a thing for Joels I guess. ;-)

XO

Welcome Back, Blogger

2008-09-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Long time, no blog. What else is new, right? Well, breathe a big sigh of relief because I’m back to burden you with the puerile ramblings from the bowels of my brain. YAY! In all seriousness, there are a few fun things going on, all of which I will tell you about…right now:

1. I just got word that the Australasian rights to FRENEMIES were sold! I’m excited about this for several reasons. For starters, I have family in Oz. Plus, it’s one of my favorite places on earth with some of the coolest, most laid-back people; awesome soap operas like Neighbours and Home and Away (I can actually still sing the old theme song to this show, which I became addicted to while studying in Ireland—yes, Australian soaps are/were big in Ireland—for a year); and let’s not forget the beaches. I haven’t actually been there in ages, but the summer holiday I spent with my family snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef and especially staying at the Lizard Island Resort will be etched in my memory forever (or at least until I get super-senile).

2. Speaking of snorkeling (how’d you like that segue? Pretty lame, no?), I’m about to dive into the actual writing of book three in the FRENEMIES series. The chapter outline is awaiting final approval from the editors and then it’s time for me to create some more authorial magic with Halley and Avalon. It’s gonna be a good one, so stay tuned…

3. Speaking of staying tuned (how’d you like THAT segue? Who knew I could out-lame even myself? I did, I did!), I’m finally watching TV again! My hiatus from the idiot-box was totally unintentional, primarily work-related (I tend to write in the evenings after little man Jack goes to bed) and largely due to the fact that, um, er, well…the new season of Gossip Girl hadn’t started yet. But now? I’m going to make a very concerted effort to slack off on my deadlines so I don’t miss a moment of the cultural phenomenon that is GG. I’m particularly psyched to see what happens between Blair and Chuck (the whole Serena-Dan thing is already a little boring, no?), and all the steamy scenes between Nate and the “older woman” (who looks about 50 years younger than me, but whatever). It’s around this time of year that I also become obsessed with America’s Next Top Model—and this one’s gonna be off-the-transgendered-hook, y’all. :-O I’m not really expecting Isis to make it all the way, but he/she sure is making the show interesting. (Hey, I wonder if producers considered that when casting shim? DUH!) Oh, and don’t think I won’t be watching 90210. I’m getting the feeling my work productivity is going to be seriously compromised for the next few months. I sure hope my editors don't read this blog. AAAAHHHHH!

See? I told you this would be mindlessness in paragraph form. If you’re still here, tell me what shows you’re most excited about this season. Oh, and if you just started school, tell me how you plan to work around the TV schedule to keep your grades up (I’m going to need all the suggestions I can get!).

XO