Heidi R. Kling's Blog: Witch's Brew (Spellspinners 1) Launched!, page 47

Writers Week at Los Altos High & Ellen Hopkins

I enjoyed this year's stint as Visiting Author at a local high school's Writers Week yesterday.
The students had interesting questions about publishing, inspiration, revision and, of course, adapting your novel into a feature film. I gave a SEA poster to each for the four teachers to hang in their class. And one to the very sweet Superintendent. ;)

Thanks so much to Los Altos High for hosting me!

Ellen Hopkins was a fellow visiting author, so last evening, Kepler's hosted a signing in conjunction with Writers Week. I signed copies of SEA for some folks who came out to to get their hot-off-press copies of Ellen's new novel FALLOUT signed.

For those of you who know Ellen, and have heard her speak, you know she's the real deal. She writes for her readers. She emails them back. She answers their hard questions, advising when she can. She is her words in verse.

The way Ellen evokes her personal tragedies and challenges into works that continue inspire teenagers and better their lives is so incredibly inspiring.

Thanks, Ellen!

Speaking of Damon..Win a Copy of Visitor's Guide!

And, er, my name written under this picture?

Be still my unlaced leather boots!

GO HERE TO WIN http://vampirebookclub.net/tag/heidi-r-kling/

So Damon.

What to do with you.

Last night I felt compelled* to Tweet, "Girls: like boys like Damon on TV, but boys like Stefan in real life." The response was a mix of YES to, "No, I still like Damon. And you can't stop me!" Well, nothing that protestable, as they know I'm mostly just trying to Say the Right Thing and don't truly mean it in my heart of hearts.

Or do I?

Okay, the reason we all adore Damon is because of Ian Somerhalder's portrayal of him. If the bad boy vamp brother who snaps necks and sucks on sorority girls like Slurpees was played by a creeper, no one would like him.


I'm Damon Salvatore! Wanna make out?

But we all know that Ian is a lover of puppies and Planet Earth and Tweets sweetly to his fans. Ian is a PUPPY DOG. And sexy as hell. And brings the combination of both to his portrayal of Damon. So when Damon is doing the nasty all around Mystic Falls, we can still see that sweetness behind his scowl...why?

BECAUSE IAN ISN'T EVIL.

He's playing a role. In a TV show.

In real life is someone snapped my siblings neck, guzzled from flasks, and generally moped around feeling sorry for himself because of his lot in life? I would call him like he is:

a sociopath, mass-murdering, alcoholic.

And believe me girls, they are no fun to date.


*You made me do it!

Speaking at San Francisco Writers Conference!

Calling all writers!

I'm thrilled to announce I'll be a panelist at the upcoming San Francisco Writers Conference President's weekend with fellow YA authors authors C.J. Omololu (DIRTY LITTLE SECRETS) and N. H. Senzal (SHOOTING KABUL).

The theme of our talk is:

Capturing the Hearts of Teenage Readers: Crafting Young Adult Fiction


and I'll discuss my journey crafting SEA --turning a real-life event the 2004 tsunami, into a story teenagers would be interested in reading--as well as my contributions to both The Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls and my upcoming short-story contribution to the anthology TRUTH & DARE (coming May, 2011). TRUTH & DARE will be published in the UK and here in the U.S. If they ask about the #sexahmagicbooks, I'm sure I'll talk about them too. :)

Following our talk, we'll take questions and sign copies of our published works. For me, copies of SEA and Visitor's Guide to Mystic Falls will be available for sale.

For schedule and registration information click here:

http://www.sfwriters.org/pages.cfm?ID=2

The schedule looks amazing! And it's filling up quickly--

Hope to see you there!

In Support of L.K. Madigan

A massive Feast of Awesome giveaway of one of my all-time favorite novels, last year's Morris winner, FLASH BURNOUT, and Lisa's new novel, THE MERMAID'S MIRROR.

Lisa released some heartbreaking news on her blog this week.
Now we are celebrating Lisa's books, hoping she knows how very much she and her stories mean to us.

Details here:

http://community.livejournal.com/debut2009/1059044.html

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2011: Off to a good start...

...because my husband came home from the hospital today!!
And he looks...like he hasn't even been in the hospital.
Aside from the white wrist band on his right hand and a few lost pounds, you'd never guess he was an inpatient for 8 nights.

Eight nights.

People were asking me if this experience, his hospital stay, was like when he's gone overseas, in Indonesia or Cambodia or Africa.

Aside from the obvious fact that he's gone from home, the two circumstances were completely different. For one thing, he was close-close by and another thing he was SICK. Really sick. And I was worried. Really worried. When he's traveling abroad I worry, but in a different way.

I guess in some ways, this was easier because I got to see him a few times a day for long, IV pole strolls, but I know when he's traveling he is fine. He isn't worried. He isn't in pain. He is working.

Not my husband. But the props are right.

I can't stop thinking about a young guy on our ward who was visiting his wife all week.
I saw him in the cafeteria, alone in the lobby, with her, and then, yesterday, wiping a tear off his eye outside her room because, he said, the nurse couldn't get her line out. I'm not sure what it means, but the look on his face told me he couldn't stand the site of her in pain, so it must have been pretty bad. He said hello and commented on my daughter who I was pulling around in a red wagon and mentioned he and his wife have a 15 month old little girl at home.

A fifteen month old baby.

I don't know what his wife's condition was, but from the shaved patch on her head and the bleak expression in her eyes, I got the impression things weren't great. And she has a toddler at home? The weight of the world was on this guy's shoulders, I could tell he was trying to be strong for her, but man.

It's like, no matter what happens, there is always someone with something far worse happening, so with this, and with the trio of bad-luck items this past fall, I still feel so fortunate in general. My family is home together, most of us healthy, and D on his way to a full recovery.

That old phrase, "There before the grace of God go I," played over and over in my head this past week as we wound our way past empty children's cribs, made of metal bars, not wood. No cozy pink bedding to be found.

Yesterday, two Cambodian monks and about a dozen other Cambodian-American people D works with visited him. The monks gave him a blessing. D told me afterwards, most of the women were survivors of the Pol Pot genocide. Yet they are there, smiling at their doctor, worried about him, wishing him well.

We are blessed.

And believe me I know it.

Furthermore, weather claims no rain for a week, and the days are getting longer, and brighter.

This fills me with the kind of hope I need to feel. I like to feel.
Being disgruntled doesn't feel at all right on me.

So a proper Happy 2011 to you all.
Wishing you a year of Metta...a phrase my husband taught me that he learned from the monks. It means loving kindness.

Metta

Dickens Said It Best...

2010.

What can I say that would adequately begin to sum you up?

I know.

You are like that guy. That fascinating guy you stare at all year long, who FINALLY asks you out and when he does, you say yes. Of course. Then you go out and its all kinds of awesome and it's perfect and then you rush home to tell everyone you know how perfect he is and how perfect the night was and he never calls you again... and later you found out he stole your wallet.

OH COME ON. I got my first book published! People like it! Some people even love it! How can your year be that bad boy?

Because. 2010 was the best of times and the worst of times. It really was.
I'll prove it.

BEST OF TIMES

1. SEA!
2. Boy learning to read! On his own! And he likes it!
3. Um. SEA!

WORST OF TIMES

1. Boy hospital
2. Me hospital
3. Husband hospital

And Husband is STILL in the hospital.
Yes. On New Year's Eve.
He's been in since the day after Christmas.
He will be fine, but this has majorly sucked. Majorly.

So 2010. I don't really know what to say to you.

Thanks for asking me out, thanks for being hot and fascinating and alluring, thanks for making a giant dream of mine come true, but 2011? I don't need the glamor, I don't need the cocked brow and the designer threads, I just want you to be nice.*

Happy New Year, everybody!


*Except for Damon. Who has the Undead Fictional Character pass

I am not a year. Therefore, I don't have to behave.

THE SMOOCHIES, THE SMOOCHIES! (Nomination Time)

Hello all! It's that time of year to nominate our favorite YA lip-locks of 2010 for the most fabulous, most coveted, most DESIRED award in all of YA fiction: THE SMOOCHIES!

Three categories:

BEST REALISTIC:

Contemporary or historical realistic fiction. Examples of good 2010 realistic on Steph Su Reads, Contemporary Adoration: http://stephsureads.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-book-lists-pt-4-contemporary.html

BEST OTHERWORLDLY:

This would include your sexy werewolves, your sparkly vampires, your sexah warlock, your hags, your (god-forbid) zomfolk. This category comes with a ton of sizzle.
Mundie Moms have a collage of awesome paranormal/fantasy mixed with a few fave contemps here: http://mundiemoms.blogspot.com/search/label/2010%20Top%20Ten%20Reads

BEST OVERALL:

That kiss that made your spine wanna ring in the New Year?

Yeah. That one.

NOMINATE either below here in comments OR to @thesmoochies on Twitter.

To see last year's winners and Josh Berk's fantastic Award Ceremony click here:

http://seaheidi.livejournal.com/172589.html

While I love you nominating Deni and Sienna and Spider from SEA I don't think its fair to include us in the contest. :**( Sad face/sparkle tear.

Out of sheer love for my own trio, I would be forced to rig it. And Josh will only encourage instead of stop me.
And we'd be dragged off the Smoochies Award set in red velvet handcuffs. Together.
See. This would be very bad.
So go ahead and pass our votes onto St. Clair and Anna.
I INSIST.
Oops. I mean, to any other smooch you want.

Once we finish collected nominees, Berk will create a POLL from which we can all VOTE. Me included. Yeah, I'm totally voting. What you think I'm doing this as a volunteer?

Let the SMOOCHIES BEGGGIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNN...


Feel free to ask questions or leave gifties (Damon pictures?) in comments.

Dynamic Duos! BEST OF 2010-Heidi Style

Best Of lists are popping up everywhere. SEA is on a bunch of them. This makes me happy! I want to write my own list, but I don't want to JUST books, I want to include the best part about a hero, their partner in crime. Their love interest, their sidekick. Because sometimes, the best part of an individual is the thing that makes them one half of a fabulous duo.

Buckle up, buttercup. You're going to want to pay attention to these DYNAMIC DUOS!

1. BEST LITERARY SIDEKICK AND HER TRUSTY HEROINE: What would Evie be without tasey, her pink taser, from PARANORMALCY? Dead that's where. Kiersten, Tasey's inventor and a delight herself, was named a "Flying Start" by Publisher's Weekly this morning. Yay for Kiersten, Evie and the whole gang in this fun, original book.
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2. BEST SCREEN BROMANCE: Sherlock Holmes and Watson from SHERLOCK HOLMES.
The movie is rollicking fun, but no couple has more chemistry than the charmingly co-dependent Jude Law and Robert Downey Jr.


3. BEST BROADWAY COUPLE:
The dynamic cast and their guitars. American Idiot! (Saw it twice. In one day. There are witnesses.)

We talked to the cast afterwards and many learned guitar just to play, "Time of Our Lives" for the oncore. Chills.

4. BEST SMALL SCREEN HALF UNDEAD NOT QUITE A COUPLE BUT WE'RE HOPING:
Sizzling dynamic between Damon & Elena. Or Damon and Katherine. Or Damon and ANYONE for that matter.


5. BEST SEXUAL TENSION En français

St. Clair and Anna in Stephanie Perkins sparkly debut ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. If you like SEA, you will adore this charming book. If you don't, I owe you an eclair. ;)


6. BEST REAL LIFE BOY SHOULD BE A FICTIONAL CHARACTER: The infamous Afghan Boy. AKA: The Bookcellar X's best boy friend and the afghan dog he shows. Seriously.
The Twitter tales never end, and the antics have made many an evening's delight on Twitter. Thanks, #AfghanBoy, you are a stranger to us. But you never fail to fascinate with your dog showing prowess and bizarre personal decisions in dating and in life.

7. BESTFRIENDMANCE: Harry Potter and Hermoine in HP7. Rarely does a movie capture those strange feelings of starting to feel something more than friendship with your Just Friend as well as the first installment of HP7 did. The bleakness and dread of this brilliant film's breath of relief was the budding tension between these long-time friends and the jealousy that ripples through Ron. I suppose the duo could also be the amulet and any of the main characters, but since that pretty much ripped off The Precious, I'll go ahead and give credit to the Friendmance between the two heroes. In a movie full of make believe, this moment was so very real. And took our breath away.


8. BEST PARTNERS/FRIENDS/LOVERS AGAINST ALL ODDS: Mockingjay's long-suffering, ever-scarred, most-beloved Katniss and Peeta.

Suzanne Collins anti-war trilogy was a phenom of 2010, with good reason. It horrified us with its ugly truth of the realities of war and a reminded us that a society who forgets the most important thing about it: its people, will cease to survive. Their bittersweet tragedy of what was left of the Peeta/Katniss romance left me a sobbing bowl of mush and landed me in the E.R. What other duo did THAT?

"Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don't own me. That I'm more than just a piece in their Games"
-Peeta Mellark

"Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true. Here is the place where I love you."
-Katniss Everdeen

Thank you, 2010, for being the year my dream came true.

Thank YOU, readers & friends, for supporting my little blue book by spreading the word. For getting the story I tried to write, for loving these characters like I do.

This one is for you.

(No idea who trip hub is, but dig the serendipity.)
HAPPY HOLIDAZE!

Project For Awesome

or #p4A on Twitter.

Check it out.