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Sarah Dessen's Blog, page 29
April 7, 2011
The Five!
1. I hate it when my husband is right. And what's worse is: he's right a lot. Does this mean I am WRONG a lot? Well, not necessarily. But I am often on the receiving end of more I Told You Sos. The latest example is the chickens. He was the driving force, I was [...]
April 6, 2011
writergrl @ 2011-04-06T07:03:00
Drumroll, please....
....okay, maybe not. But it IS time to announce the winners of my ALONG FOR THE RIDE paperback and T-shirt giveaway! Here they are:
Amy H. from Wakarusa, IN
Jenny C. from Urbana, IL
Sara S. from Jackson, TN
Denise B. from Ontario, Canada
Whitney H. from Port Orchard, WA
Alyssa C. from Worcester, MA
Sarah C. from Knoxville, TN
Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter. And if you didn't win, don't worry. We will be doing another giveaway for T-shirts and books next month when WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE is released. I am a tshirt giving away MACHINE! Well, sort of. You get the idea.
In other news, our lives just aren't chaotic enough around here, so we have new additions to our household:
Yes, people. My husband has gotten chickens. I mean, WE have gotten chickens, but even he admits that he is the one driving this train. They are Buff Orpingtons and Araucanas, and as I write this they are out in their little coop, under their heat lamp, doing...whatever it is chickens do. I have to admit, they are cute, and my daughter is over the moon. But I know my husband. Now that he has chickens, he's going to want goats. And then a peacock. The next thing I know, we'll have an alpaca roaming around. I mean, I can't even deal with my dogs on a daily basis!
Okay, I might be getting ahead of myself. See, this is what I do. I take whatever is going on, times it by twenty or so, and then fully take on the stress of whatever theoretical scenarios I come up with. It's just not healthy. Everyone keeps telling me to be present, do yoga, go on top of a mountain to breathe and commune with nature. (Okay, that last one I made up. Although it doesn't sound so bad, actually.) But it's hard to do all of those things while juggling the mom thing, the writer thing, the daughter thing, etc. So I'm working on finding little pieces of peace, here and there, and taking a moment to just savor them. It's a work in progress, like everything else, but at least I'm making an effort. Maybe the chickens will help? I can only hope.
Finally, to celebrate the paperback release, we went out last night to our favorite Chapel Hill restaurant, Lantern. My friend Andrea, who is the owner and chef there, ALSO had a book out yesterday: her first cookbook, Cooking in the Moment . I got to look through a copy and it is just gorgeous, full of seasonal recipes you can use throughout the year. It made my mouth water, and I was already eating. THAT is saying something.
Also released yesterday (it was a big day!): the final season of Friday Night Lights on DVD. Now, it will be running on NBC starting pretty soon (I think?) but if you're impatient like me and can't wait, you can get your hands on it now. All I can say is, have some tissues handy. The last episode had me TOTALLY verklempt. Sniff! So, so good.
Okay, this entry turned out to be MUCH longer than I planned. Now GMA is starting, my daughter needs breakfast and the day is already going, so I better as well....
Have a good day, everyone!
....okay, maybe not. But it IS time to announce the winners of my ALONG FOR THE RIDE paperback and T-shirt giveaway! Here they are:
Amy H. from Wakarusa, IN
Jenny C. from Urbana, IL
Sara S. from Jackson, TN
Denise B. from Ontario, Canada
Whitney H. from Port Orchard, WA
Alyssa C. from Worcester, MA
Sarah C. from Knoxville, TN
Thanks to everyone who took the time to enter. And if you didn't win, don't worry. We will be doing another giveaway for T-shirts and books next month when WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE is released. I am a tshirt giving away MACHINE! Well, sort of. You get the idea.
In other news, our lives just aren't chaotic enough around here, so we have new additions to our household:
Yes, people. My husband has gotten chickens. I mean, WE have gotten chickens, but even he admits that he is the one driving this train. They are Buff Orpingtons and Araucanas, and as I write this they are out in their little coop, under their heat lamp, doing...whatever it is chickens do. I have to admit, they are cute, and my daughter is over the moon. But I know my husband. Now that he has chickens, he's going to want goats. And then a peacock. The next thing I know, we'll have an alpaca roaming around. I mean, I can't even deal with my dogs on a daily basis!
Okay, I might be getting ahead of myself. See, this is what I do. I take whatever is going on, times it by twenty or so, and then fully take on the stress of whatever theoretical scenarios I come up with. It's just not healthy. Everyone keeps telling me to be present, do yoga, go on top of a mountain to breathe and commune with nature. (Okay, that last one I made up. Although it doesn't sound so bad, actually.) But it's hard to do all of those things while juggling the mom thing, the writer thing, the daughter thing, etc. So I'm working on finding little pieces of peace, here and there, and taking a moment to just savor them. It's a work in progress, like everything else, but at least I'm making an effort. Maybe the chickens will help? I can only hope.
Finally, to celebrate the paperback release, we went out last night to our favorite Chapel Hill restaurant, Lantern. My friend Andrea, who is the owner and chef there, ALSO had a book out yesterday: her first cookbook, Cooking in the Moment . I got to look through a copy and it is just gorgeous, full of seasonal recipes you can use throughout the year. It made my mouth water, and I was already eating. THAT is saying something.
Also released yesterday (it was a big day!): the final season of Friday Night Lights on DVD. Now, it will be running on NBC starting pretty soon (I think?) but if you're impatient like me and can't wait, you can get your hands on it now. All I can say is, have some tissues handy. The last episode had me TOTALLY verklempt. Sniff! So, so good.
Okay, this entry turned out to be MUCH longer than I planned. Now GMA is starting, my daughter needs breakfast and the day is already going, so I better as well....
Have a good day, everyone!
April 6, 2011
Drumroll, please…. ….okay, maybe not. But it IS time to announce the winners of my ALONG FOR THE RIDE paperback and T-shirt giveaway! Here they are: Amy H. from Wakarusa, IN Jenny C. from Urbana, IL Sara S. from Jackson, TN Denise B. from Ontario, Canada Whitney H. from Port Orchard, WA Alyssa C. from [...]
April 3, 2011
writergrl @ 2011-04-03T16:14:00
Hi.
It's Sunday, I'm back from vacation, and now the real fun starts. And by real fun, I mean Monday. (Cue rimshot! See, when rested I am just HILARIOUS.) Really, though, it was a great to have a week off to spend with the family just sitting by the pool (wrapped in a sweater, but still nice) and doing all kinds of what my husband referred to as "Griswold-esque" vacation activities. We did mini golf. We bowled. We went to the aquarium. These are all things I would not EVER have done at the beach pre-toddler, when my activities were limited to swimming, sleeping, and reading. But life changes, and sometimes, you get to bowl! Honestly, I was thrilled that I got BOTH a hole in one and a strike during this vacation. You can't ask for more than that.
And now, it's April. APRIL! Which means that everything is starting to kick into gear as far as the books go. First up: ALONG FOR THE RIDE comes out in paperback THIS Tuesday, April 5th. I, however, have a connection, so I got my copies early:
SO exciting. (Yes, I know it's my ninth book being released in paperback, but this kind of thing still thrills me. I literally squealed when I saw the box waiting on my front porch. I am such a nerd. When the new book arrives, the whole NEIGHBORHOOD will hear me. But I think, by now, they are kind of used to it.)
I'm so excited that I have decided to do a giveaway of a few signed copies AND some of the super cool Colby Beach Bash T-shirts I had made up back in 2009 when the book was released. The front looks like this:
And this is the back:
When you wear it, you, too---like many of my friends, family, various people from Penguin and some booksellers---will look like you attended a completely fictional event in a made-up beach town. It's a virtual keepsake!
Here's how to enter: send an email to sarah@sarahdessen.com. Put ALONG FOR THE RIDE in the subject line, and your name, address and T-shirt size (S, M, L) in the body of the email. (The contest is open to US and Canadian residents only. We are slowly working towards global!) You will get an autoresponse, which will let you know your entry was received, and we'll accept entries until 9AM EST on Tuesday, April 5th. We'll pick seven random emails, declare them winners, and announce them on Wednesday. One entry per person, please. Then we'll get your books and shirts out in the mail, which will make YOU happy, and clear some room in the garage from my sagging shelves of copies of my books, which will make my husband happy. (I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my book stuff. Sad, but true. I cling! Trying to change, though.)
After Tuesday, and the contest, I'll turn my attention to WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE's release and my book tour. I am thinking of taking some yoga classes to prepare, doing some deep breathing, watching a lot of Bravo. You know, all those important things. I know things MAY get nutty and I will probably feel my stress level spike more than once (a day, or hour) but if and when that DOES happen, I'll just think of that mini golf ball clunking right into the hole. Or my pink bowling ball whizzing right down the middle of the lane. Or, this, which I saw just as I was leaving this morning:
Ahhhh. That is just so nice.
Have a good evening, everyone!
It's Sunday, I'm back from vacation, and now the real fun starts. And by real fun, I mean Monday. (Cue rimshot! See, when rested I am just HILARIOUS.) Really, though, it was a great to have a week off to spend with the family just sitting by the pool (wrapped in a sweater, but still nice) and doing all kinds of what my husband referred to as "Griswold-esque" vacation activities. We did mini golf. We bowled. We went to the aquarium. These are all things I would not EVER have done at the beach pre-toddler, when my activities were limited to swimming, sleeping, and reading. But life changes, and sometimes, you get to bowl! Honestly, I was thrilled that I got BOTH a hole in one and a strike during this vacation. You can't ask for more than that.
And now, it's April. APRIL! Which means that everything is starting to kick into gear as far as the books go. First up: ALONG FOR THE RIDE comes out in paperback THIS Tuesday, April 5th. I, however, have a connection, so I got my copies early:
SO exciting. (Yes, I know it's my ninth book being released in paperback, but this kind of thing still thrills me. I literally squealed when I saw the box waiting on my front porch. I am such a nerd. When the new book arrives, the whole NEIGHBORHOOD will hear me. But I think, by now, they are kind of used to it.)
I'm so excited that I have decided to do a giveaway of a few signed copies AND some of the super cool Colby Beach Bash T-shirts I had made up back in 2009 when the book was released. The front looks like this:
And this is the back:
When you wear it, you, too---like many of my friends, family, various people from Penguin and some booksellers---will look like you attended a completely fictional event in a made-up beach town. It's a virtual keepsake!
Here's how to enter: send an email to sarah@sarahdessen.com. Put ALONG FOR THE RIDE in the subject line, and your name, address and T-shirt size (S, M, L) in the body of the email. (The contest is open to US and Canadian residents only. We are slowly working towards global!) You will get an autoresponse, which will let you know your entry was received, and we'll accept entries until 9AM EST on Tuesday, April 5th. We'll pick seven random emails, declare them winners, and announce them on Wednesday. One entry per person, please. Then we'll get your books and shirts out in the mail, which will make YOU happy, and clear some room in the garage from my sagging shelves of copies of my books, which will make my husband happy. (I'm a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my book stuff. Sad, but true. I cling! Trying to change, though.)
After Tuesday, and the contest, I'll turn my attention to WHAT HAPPENED TO GOODBYE's release and my book tour. I am thinking of taking some yoga classes to prepare, doing some deep breathing, watching a lot of Bravo. You know, all those important things. I know things MAY get nutty and I will probably feel my stress level spike more than once (a day, or hour) but if and when that DOES happen, I'll just think of that mini golf ball clunking right into the hole. Or my pink bowling ball whizzing right down the middle of the lane. Or, this, which I saw just as I was leaving this morning:
Ahhhh. That is just so nice.
Have a good evening, everyone!
April 3, 2011
Hi. It's Sunday, I'm back from vacation, and now the real fun starts. And by real fun, I mean Monday. (Cue rimshot! See, when rested I am just HILARIOUS.) Really, though, it was a great to have a week off to spend with the family just sitting by the pool (wrapped in a sweater, but [...]
April 1, 2011
The Friday Five!
...will return. Promise!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
The Friday Five!
…will return. Promise! Have a good weekend, everyone!
March 29, 2011
writergrl @ 2011-03-29T07:47:00
I know, I know, I am BEHIND on the blog. But I have a good reason:
I'm at the beach, soaking up some family time before everything speeds up with the paperback release of Along for the Ride (a week from today!) and the pub day for What Happened to Goodbye (on May 10th, in a little over a month, oh, my goodness). It's a bit chilly (we had frost last night) but I so don't even care. I'm just happy, happy to be here. Although I think I have already eaten my weight in french fries and onion rings. But so it goes...
Of course, the news is not all good. My beloved Tarheels lost to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, ending the basketball season for them and for me. SIGH. But what a great run! Especially considering we, um, didn't even get a bid to the tournament last year. Now, though, I am faced with the dilemma of not knowing who to pull for to go all the way. I am leaning towards VCU, because I know a lot of folks from Richmond and/or who went there, but it's so hard to pick someone once my guys are out. Personally I'm so exhausted from the stress of the season I will have to rally to watch any more games. But of course I will do it, for the team. Even if it's not MY team. SIGH.
Finally, thanks to everyone who weighed in on our T-shirt designs for Dessen Racing. it was SO HARD to pick a favorite, as each one had its fans, but in the end, after MUCH debate, we went with number #4, which incorporated all of our favorite elements:
I'm hoping to do a giveaway with these at some point, and also bring some with me on book tour (if my luggage can stand it). One thing I learned teaching undergraduates at UNC: everyone loves a free T-shirt. That, and free food. If I promised a T-shirt AND food to my students for showing up at an event on campus, they would STORM the joint. True story!
Now, I have to go, so I can look for dolphins, bundle up to go pick up shells with my daughter AND, um, watch Britney Spears perform on GMA. (She's coming up right after 8am, and I KNOW some of you out there love Brit as much I do! Don't even try to pretend otherwise.) Blogging might be sporadic this week as I may be too busy stuffing my face with shrimp burgers. You have been warned.
Have a good day, everyone!
I'm at the beach, soaking up some family time before everything speeds up with the paperback release of Along for the Ride (a week from today!) and the pub day for What Happened to Goodbye (on May 10th, in a little over a month, oh, my goodness). It's a bit chilly (we had frost last night) but I so don't even care. I'm just happy, happy to be here. Although I think I have already eaten my weight in french fries and onion rings. But so it goes...
Of course, the news is not all good. My beloved Tarheels lost to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, ending the basketball season for them and for me. SIGH. But what a great run! Especially considering we, um, didn't even get a bid to the tournament last year. Now, though, I am faced with the dilemma of not knowing who to pull for to go all the way. I am leaning towards VCU, because I know a lot of folks from Richmond and/or who went there, but it's so hard to pick someone once my guys are out. Personally I'm so exhausted from the stress of the season I will have to rally to watch any more games. But of course I will do it, for the team. Even if it's not MY team. SIGH.
Finally, thanks to everyone who weighed in on our T-shirt designs for Dessen Racing. it was SO HARD to pick a favorite, as each one had its fans, but in the end, after MUCH debate, we went with number #4, which incorporated all of our favorite elements:
I'm hoping to do a giveaway with these at some point, and also bring some with me on book tour (if my luggage can stand it). One thing I learned teaching undergraduates at UNC: everyone loves a free T-shirt. That, and free food. If I promised a T-shirt AND food to my students for showing up at an event on campus, they would STORM the joint. True story!
Now, I have to go, so I can look for dolphins, bundle up to go pick up shells with my daughter AND, um, watch Britney Spears perform on GMA. (She's coming up right after 8am, and I KNOW some of you out there love Brit as much I do! Don't even try to pretend otherwise.) Blogging might be sporadic this week as I may be too busy stuffing my face with shrimp burgers. You have been warned.
Have a good day, everyone!
March 29, 2011
I know, I know, I am BEHIND on the blog. But I have a good reason: I'm at the beach, soaking up some family time before everything speeds up with the paperback release of Along for the Ride (a week from today!) and the pub day for What Happened to Goodbye (on May 10th, in [...]
March 25, 2011
The Five!
1. Okay, so this Five is going to be scattered, and for that I apologize. My daughter came down with some kind of crazy cold/flu bug that busted out of nowhere and hit like a tidal wave. WHOA! Runny nose, fever spiking, terrible cough, up all night. You know the drill. I am literally seeing trails off of everything I am so sleep deprived right now. But at least SHE is feeling better this morning. Me...wait, what was I saying?
2. Oh, right! The Five. In other numbers news, the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight are decided this weekend, and already my bracket is shot. First Pitt went out, which I had picked to go to the Final Four, and now Duke is out as well. Duke! You might be thinking, why would you, SUCH the UNC fan, pick Duke to go to the Final Four? Well, because we had to play them three times this year. I don't have to like them, but I do sort of have to admit they are a really, really good team. Which, apparently, lost last night while I was immersed in pairing Motrin and Tylenol and managing vaporizers. Whoa.
3. You know how your life seems to go in phases, the same things happening again and again? The last two weeks, for me, have been all about the car swap. Call it vehicle karma or whatever, but just about EVERYTHING has had to be in the shop, or loaned out, which means coordinating this intricate system of, "Okay, I'll follow you there and then give you a ride here and then, later, we'll reverse it and...." I think it's a testament to my tired brain that all of these logistics are enough to put me over the edge. I am drowning in scheduling, even WITHOUT all these new wrinkles. I've read that out in LA and other cities they have services where, if you have a drink and need a ride but don't want to leave your car, someone arrives via scooter, folds it up and puts it in your trunk, then drives you home, retrieves it, and takes off, leaving you and your car in the same place. I'm thinking I need to develop a service like this for auto repair. Although we live SO far out a scooter isn't exactly a viable transport option, unless you have a lot of time. Maybe one of those super small cars you could then tow or something? Oh, God. Why am I even thinking about this? No idea...
4. Thanks to everyone for your positive responses to the tour dates I posted. I know, I know, I'm not coming to several places I've usually hit in the past, like CA and FL, and I'm not making it to Canada, AGAIN. I wish I could go everywhere. (Actually, I don't wish that, because I'd miss my family WAY too much. But you know what I mean.) Tours are intricate things, which is why I have been lucky to have such good publicists who know what they are doing. While I will miss the places I've come to know, I've never been to Colorado, Nebraska OR Utah, so I'm kind of excited about finally seeing them. I just hope those of you who are there will come out and say hello. Even if I'm not coming to you, I promise the tour will be covered here on the blog, so it will be LIKE you were there. Virtually. You know what I mean.
5. Okay, one last thing: again, I need your help. So we're developing a new round of T-shirts for Dessen Racing, and we can't decide between three designs. (I'm also doing some shirts for What Happened to Goodbye, more on that---and some giveaways!---coming up in the next few weeks.) We narrowed it down to five, then to three of the five, but now we are stuck. So I'm going to post them here, and if you have a sec, weigh in:
Here's Design #1:
And #4:
And #5:
Thanks for your help. Oh, toddler's sneezing. Gotta go!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
2. Oh, right! The Five. In other numbers news, the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight are decided this weekend, and already my bracket is shot. First Pitt went out, which I had picked to go to the Final Four, and now Duke is out as well. Duke! You might be thinking, why would you, SUCH the UNC fan, pick Duke to go to the Final Four? Well, because we had to play them three times this year. I don't have to like them, but I do sort of have to admit they are a really, really good team. Which, apparently, lost last night while I was immersed in pairing Motrin and Tylenol and managing vaporizers. Whoa.
3. You know how your life seems to go in phases, the same things happening again and again? The last two weeks, for me, have been all about the car swap. Call it vehicle karma or whatever, but just about EVERYTHING has had to be in the shop, or loaned out, which means coordinating this intricate system of, "Okay, I'll follow you there and then give you a ride here and then, later, we'll reverse it and...." I think it's a testament to my tired brain that all of these logistics are enough to put me over the edge. I am drowning in scheduling, even WITHOUT all these new wrinkles. I've read that out in LA and other cities they have services where, if you have a drink and need a ride but don't want to leave your car, someone arrives via scooter, folds it up and puts it in your trunk, then drives you home, retrieves it, and takes off, leaving you and your car in the same place. I'm thinking I need to develop a service like this for auto repair. Although we live SO far out a scooter isn't exactly a viable transport option, unless you have a lot of time. Maybe one of those super small cars you could then tow or something? Oh, God. Why am I even thinking about this? No idea...
4. Thanks to everyone for your positive responses to the tour dates I posted. I know, I know, I'm not coming to several places I've usually hit in the past, like CA and FL, and I'm not making it to Canada, AGAIN. I wish I could go everywhere. (Actually, I don't wish that, because I'd miss my family WAY too much. But you know what I mean.) Tours are intricate things, which is why I have been lucky to have such good publicists who know what they are doing. While I will miss the places I've come to know, I've never been to Colorado, Nebraska OR Utah, so I'm kind of excited about finally seeing them. I just hope those of you who are there will come out and say hello. Even if I'm not coming to you, I promise the tour will be covered here on the blog, so it will be LIKE you were there. Virtually. You know what I mean.
5. Okay, one last thing: again, I need your help. So we're developing a new round of T-shirts for Dessen Racing, and we can't decide between three designs. (I'm also doing some shirts for What Happened to Goodbye, more on that---and some giveaways!---coming up in the next few weeks.) We narrowed it down to five, then to three of the five, but now we are stuck. So I'm going to post them here, and if you have a sec, weigh in:
Here's Design #1:
And #4:
And #5:
Thanks for your help. Oh, toddler's sneezing. Gotta go!
Have a good weekend, everyone!
