Best response to negative reviews EVER

I think Brad Meltzer wins the Internet with this one, at least for today.

The obligatory summer festival post

Yesterday was the annual summer festival, which is pretty much everyone’s favorite day around here. Well, it used to be. If you view the photographic evidence, you might think otherwise:

It's like I'm forcing them to have fun.

Frown much?

Andrew learns that life's lessons are not found at the bottom of a lemonade cup.

So, was a good time eventually had by all? More after the cut:

Me, on the radio

Well, the interview went well, from the perspective that I didn’t faint during the middle of it. I say, whenever I don’t faint in the middle of something, well, that’s a good day.

Did I speak words in the English language? That remains to be seen (or heard as the case may be). I’m not sure I have the nerve to listen.

However, if you have the nerve, it will air this Thursday at 10:30. I’m up first, followed by the lovely Sarah Ockler who will talk about her YA novel Twenty Boy Summer (up next on my TBR pile). 

Rachael’s show, The Weekly Reader, is part of the Minnesota Morning programming at the station. You can listen live online, if you so choose. If you’re using Windows, you’re probably already set up for Windows Media Player. Click the link and the program should launch and after it buffers, you’ll hear the show.

Looking for feedback? Like to support a good cause?

Are you a YA writer looking for feedback? Want to help a good cause? Head on over to Cynthea Liu’s web site and auction where’s she’s raising money for a Title I school in her home state of Oklahoma: Tulakes Elementary.

While you’re there, take a gander at Darcy’s page. If you have the high bid, here’s what you’ll win:

One critique of a query letter or the first five-pages of your double-spaced manuscript for a young adult novel. You’ll also get an autographed copy of The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading and candy. Woah.

Candy too? I had no idea. How come Darcy never gives me candy when she critiques my work? I may have to pout.

Seriously, I can vouch for the quality of Darcy’s feedback. Head on over, get some great feedback, and help support a wonderful cause.

Week in review

I know I haven’t been blogging here (much), but I’ve been crazy-busy blogging with Darcy on our Geek Girl’s Guide blog tour. So, we’re all over the ‘net from the 8th through the 30th.

And writing an original blog post for each day that is, we hope, fun and entertaining is a lot harder than it looks. I am in short supply of the witty these days (fortunately, Darcy is not).

Curious about where we are and what we’re writing about? You can follow along at Goddess Fish Promotions or the Geek Girl site. So far, we’ve written more about our story behind the story, pieces on what it’s like to collaborate, fun and funny interviews.

In other Geek Girl news:

A while back Writer’s Digest had a call out for first-time publishing stories. I wrote something up, sent it in, then promptly forgot about it. They contacted me a while back to verify some info in case they used my piece. But since I heard nothing further, I assumed they didn’t. I found out via a friend of a friend that my little write up is in the July/August issue.

The issue isn’t on the stands yet, so I haven’t actually seen the write up (I don’t have a subscription, so I have to stalk the bookstores to get mine).

And! I’m going to be on the radio! It’s local radio, KMSU (Minnesota State at Mankato), but it’s the good kind of local, since I grew up in Mankato and the town in Geek Girl’s Guide is kind of/sort of based on Mankato. I’ll be on The Weekly Reader with Rachael Hanel.

I’m taping on Monday, but I don’t know what day the interview will air. I’ll let you know, since thanks to the wonders of the internet, you’ll be able to stream it. Yeah. I know. Freaky.

Bears and books

I’m posting this picture simply because I find it amusing. This is what happens when “the boys” go shopping together. Clearly, Andrew is in pain.

So, it was the last day of school on Friday. Miss B and I debated what to give her teacher. Andrew suggested I give her a copy of The Geek Girl’s Guide to Cheerleading. I thought that would be … I don’t know, weird? Ego-centric. We went with a gift card from Barnes and Noble.

As luck would have it, we met Miss B’s teacher in the hall as we walked into school. Kyra gave her the present and the drawing she’d made. Her teacher seemed very pleased and said, “Now I can go buy some books!”

Kyra said, “Even my mommy’s book.”

Ha. So no matter what I do, my kids are still determined to be my publicist.

It’s a bird. It’s a plane …

It’s MOTHRA!

This thing was HUGE. And it hung around on our door all day long on Sunday. It wasn’t doing much, except harshing my buzz. Still. The thing was HUGE. Bob finally picked it up and moved it to the side of the house where it proceeded to do … nothing.

In which we break some child labor laws

Over at the Geek Girl site, we’re hosting a big launch contest, which if you’re not related to me (or Darcy) you should really enter. You can win a prize bag for yourself (including the new iPod shuffle) and your best friend. Dude!

We’ve been getting a lot of great entries and I’ve been posting some to the site, but I decided a little color would be good. Since Miss B was already drawing pictures of herself and her BFF, I asked if she could provide some more.

So she did:

My only problem now? She’s gone on strike. Apparently she’s completely tapped out on BFF situations to draw. After all, you can’t force art.

Proof is in the cake

It’s true. You can have your cake and eat read it too:

 

Cake and photos courtesy of the wonderful people I work with.

Adventures in Danville

Our adventures in Danville this weekend. I’m testing out the gallery function here on WordPress, mainly because I’m feeling oh, so tired, lazy, innovative.

Click on a photo to see the larger image.

Andrew was dying to go to Big Boy (don’t ask, I have no idea why), which we finally did after we went rollerskating and played laser tag on Sunday.

This morning on the way to school, I asked Kyra what her favorite part of the trip was. She said, “Meeting Darcy.”

Awwww.