Shannon Messenger's Blog, page 54

In which I give you my FEVER!

Sorry guys--couldn't resist one last FEVER pun. :)

And thank you all so much for all the 'get well soon' wishes. I'm not 100% better yet, but I am definitely on the mend, thanks to the lovely antibiotics my doctor prescribed.

But right--you're here to find out the winner!

The lucky winner of FEVER, by Lauren DeStafano (which I promise will NOT come laced with contagious fever germs) is...

Brandileigh 2003 (Blkosiner's Book Blog)!
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will send off your prize.
Everyone else--thanks again for all the sweet comments and check back next week, in which I'm going to ATTEMPT to return to normal blogging. (which of course means some new contests too!) 
Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

In which I try not to whine (but... whine a lot anyway) and give away a VERY awesome prize

In case you've somehow missed all my horribly pathetic recent facebook updates--yes, I'm sick. 
*coughs*
*sniffles*
*whines*
It's just a head cold--nothing major. But it's been hanging on for more than a week, so I'm now thoroughly convinced that either:
my body has no immune systemthis virus is alien or some sort of weaponized superbug and I need a "scientist" (preferably one that's equal parts genius and buffed-out-Hottie Hotterson) to swoop in with a secret "cure"none of this is really "real" and I will awaken days from now and learn the fever made me lapse into a coma(if you're wondering, yes, I really am THIS overdramatic)(my poor husband...)
SO...
Since I'm behind on like EVERYTHING (especially writing book 2--*MEEP*) and probably shouldn't be trusted to Fever Blog (you should SEE some of my typos and mistakes in recent texts and emails) I've decided to take the rest of the week off blogging. 
BUT, since I don't think that's necessarily the best way to kick off a new blogging year, I've decided to reward your patience (and your suffering through all the above whining) with a giveaway. AND I HAVE THE PERFECT PRIZE!!!!
My shiny ARC of FEVER, by Lauren DeStefano!!!
(Hee--Get it? Get it?)

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but they're still in danger. Outside, they find a world even more disquieting than the one they left behind. Determined to get to Manhattan and to find Rhine's twin brother Rowan, the two press forward, amidst threats of being captured again . . . or worse.

The road they are on is long and perilous—and in a world where young women only live to age 20 and men die at age 25, time is precious. In this sequel to Lauren DeStefano's harrowingWither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price—now that she has more to lose than ever.



To enter, make sure you follow my blog in some way shape or form (so you'll be able to see when I post the winner--not because I am trying to force you into being one of my minions) (I prefer my minions to be willing volunteers, thank you very much) and leave a comment on this post by 11:59pm PST on Saturday, January 7th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, January 8th. International entries welcome

I do also *hope* that whoever wins will end up posting a review for the book somewhere--or blogging/tweeting/FB-ing about it--to help spread the love and get some more mileage out of the prize. I can't require that for entry. But I'm hoping the winner will feel inspired to. :)

And... that pretty much covers it (but if you have any questions ask away in the comments)

Ready? 
Set?
GO!*
*Shannon will return to her regular blogging schedule starting Monday(assuming her immune system FINALLY starts working)(assuming she actually HAS an immune system)

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: A Shiny New Button and Links!!!

Okay, I know this is NOT the best way to kick off a new year, but thanks to the Head-Cold-Monster who refuses to leave me alone (going to the doctor tomorrow, I promise) I don't have an MMGM this week. *sob*
BUT, I have something that might even be better. The lovely and amazing Deb Marshall (a regular MMGM contributor and the genius behind the awesome middle-grade read-a-thon) has gone to the trouble of making us an MMGM Button. HOW COOL IS THAT?????


It feels so cool and official now. MMGM is like a THING!  
So please, feel free to steal away and plaster that bad boy all over your blogs and posts (and if you'd rather I send you the file shoot me an email and let me know). You certainly don't HAVE to use it to participate in MMGM, but why wouldn't you want to???? :)
And speaking of participating, check out these awesome MMGM's floating around the blogosphere today:
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Deb Marshall brings you MMGM 2012 and a Marvelous Middle Grade Read-A-Thon! Click HERE for all the details.
- Joanne Fritz has an interview with the lovely Caroline Star Rose--and a Giveaway! Click HERE to learn more about MAY B.
- Jennifer Rumberger has a preview of her upcoming MMGM features. Click HERE to see what they are.


- Jemi Fraser joins us again with a feature on THE WHITE ASSASSIN. Click HERE to see why she loves it.
And if you want to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count--but are most definitely not required) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog. It's easier if you email me before Monday, that way your link will be included in the post from the moment it goes live. But if you decide to spontaneously join the fun, I do update the post at several points throughout the Monday. Just email me a link and I'll add you when I do!


**Note: Thanks to a boatload of spam--and my missing a bunch of important emails because of it--I'm now using a new email address. So make sure you update your records because I'm slowly phasing the other address out. New email is: SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com. Hopefully now I won't miss some of your MMGMs, like I have been.**
Happy Monday!

First Winners of the New Year!

Sorry this is a few hours late. I'm till battling with the Head Cold Monster (this beast is kicking my BUTT!!!) But I have two lucky winners to announce--and both of them get to pick their prizes! (can't wait to see what they pick!)


Cassie Mae gets to pick any book she wants from these five FABULOUS middle grade reads

Angel  gets to pick a pre-order from this AWESOME list of upcoming 2012 releases.

Yay!
*tosses confetti*
So if that's you, please email me at SWMessenger (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and the name of the book you want as your prize.
(And yes--if you noticed, I'm using a new email address now. The old email address has gotten so cluttered with spam that I've actually missed a couple winners' emails, and we wouldn't want that. So if you have the other email address marked down somewhere better update your records. I'm phasing the old one out.) 
Okay, I think that's all for today. Hope everyone is having an awesome weekend! *stumbles back to bed to take more cold medicine*

My Year in Writing--2011

It's sort of become my tradition that my last post of the year is a month by month summary of my writing journey over the past twelve months. (You can find 2010's post HERE and 2009's post HERE). And since this year was a BIG year, it was kind of crazy to look back and see how far I'd come. Lots of ups and downs and twists and turns and unexpected happiness. I hope you guys enjoy!
January Saved from myselfI had high hopes going into 2011, promising myself that THIS would be the year I'd sell a book. But a number of revision woes paired with the realization that it'd been a year since I first met Laura at a conference and had nothing to show for it except a pile of discarded revisions (and, of course, an AMAZING agent--which I was very grateful for) made me start to doubt that this project was *really* going to get me anywhere. So I started considering a terrifying option (starts with "sh" and rhymes with "delve"). I even asked Laura if she thought we should put the project aside--but she convinced me to keep going. A few days later I went to ALA midwinter and ended up talking with someone at the Simon & Schuster booth. She asked me about my book and after I described it, she strongly recommended I have Laura submit the project to Liesa Abrams when it was done, saying it sounded like something she would like. That turned out to be a VERY good suggestion--but more on that later.
February Broadening my horizonsBack in December, I'd made plans with a friend to attend the San Francisco Writer's Conference--and the time had finally come! But I was excited AND terrified because it was my first time traveling anywhere by myself (probably hard to believe with all the traveling I've done recently--but this was the beginning of that). And I'll admit, I was more than a little nervous when I got there. Fortunately, it didn't take me long to adjust and I realized, Hey--I can do this traveling-by-myself thing! I even figured out how to catch a train to meet my lovely agent for lunch (got off at the right stop on the first try--you have no idea what a miracle that is!!!!) And while Laura and I were talking, she suggested I attend the Big Sur Writers' Workshop in a few weeks to get some additional feedback on my draft. It took a few calls to convince my husband, and several emails to get squeezed in after registration had already closed, but then it was settled. I was traveling again--this time by road trip!
March CommittedNot sure if it was the 7 hour drive I did (by myself!) to get up to Monterey for the conference, or the amazing (albeit somewhat intense) revision advice I picked up while I was there--but I came home from Big Sur feeling like I could conquer the world and DETERMINED to make my publishing dream a reality. Cue a chaotic three weeks where I pushed myself harder and wrote and revised more than I EVER thought I could. And... ended up sick as dog because of it. (I am such a bad example when it comes to taking care of myself).

April UnexpectedThanks to the Head-Cold-Of-Doom (which I'm fairly certain was actually walking pneumonia--go me!) April was a bit of a slow month. Especially since it also involved a bit of WAITING. (Oh publishing, why do you do it to us?) But it ended with a bang. I was still under the hazy fog of cold medicine when my phone rang out of the blue one evening with Laura's name in the caller ID. Her first words were, "I'm so sorry for the emotional roller coaster I'm about to put you through" and my heart sank thinking, she's dropping me as a client. But no--it wasn't that (thank goodness). She'd heard from Liesa Abrams about my book (yes, my book was on submission--hence the WAITING)--and Liesa had loved what she'd read. BUT, before I could get too excited, Laura told me she needed a synopsis for books 2 and 3--A.S.A.P.  And...I didn't have one. *head explodes*
May Dreams Come TrueAfter much scrambling and panicking and pulling-of-all-nighters, I managed to assemble the synopsis we needed and Laura sent it to Liesa and promised she would let me know when she heard back. Naturally that meant I kept TRYING not to think about it, whilst stressing and worrying and thinking about it constantly. Four days later my phone showed Laura's number again and I answered it, preparing myself for the worst. BUT IT WAS AMAZING NEWS. A three book offer.  I... kind of went into shock. Especially since it was a pre-empt, which meant decisions had to be made quickly. A few hours later, Liesa and I had "the call" (most amazing two hours ever!!!) and, after two days of back and forth phone calls and emails with Laura to iron out all the details, it was official. Liesa Abrams was my editor. I WAS GOING TO BE PUBLISHED!!!!!! And then Laura had to go and say, "but we won't announce until we have the contract." Major buzz kill. :D
June WaitingKeeping secrets is hard. Keeping huge, life changing secrets is even harder! But even though my book deal was The-World's-Most-Impossible-To-Keep secret, it was also very much a reality. I got my first round of edits (equal parts scary and exciting) and set to work on them. And at the end of the month I flew to New Orleans to meet some friends at ALA and got a tiny glimpse of what it's like to be an S&S author. Everyone at the booth knew who I was--and they even snuck me into the S&S party one of the evenings. But the best part was that the girl I'd met at ALA in January was there, and I got to personally thank her for suggesting we send my draft to Liesa. I will be forever grateful for her amazing matchmaking skills.

July Still waitingAnother month of secret keeping. I was starting to get really good at avoiding questions or giving the kind of vague answers that don't actually tell anyone anything. (I would make an excellent politician at this point). But I kept myself busy by finishing up my revision and going to Comic Con--where I got to meet more of the awesome S&S team and became thoroughly convinced I'm with the best publisher ever. All I needed was for their legal department to get me my contract so I could share the happy news.

August STILL waiting!!!!Still no contract (have I mentioned that publishing is slow?) but this month I had far too much going on to really feel the waiting. I had SCBWI LA, where I got to meet my awesome editor in person (it's amazing I didn't tackle hug her right there in the lobby!) and spend three days following her around like a lost puppy soaking up as much Liesa time as I could and realizing just how lucky I am to have such a kind, smart, funny, FABULOUS editor to work with. And the rest of the month was swallowed up by the chaos that is WriteOnCon. I really can't explain how we pulled together such an amazing (and exhausting) conference--but we were able to help far more people than I ever thought possible. The success stories are still trickling in. (And I'm still recovering) :)

September OMG--are we seriously still waiting????
Okay, I'll admit, at this point the waiting was getting a *tiny* bit old. Especially since I FINALLY got my contract (huge, HUGE moment, btw). But we still couldn't announce because S&S had decided that we needed to change my title and Laura wanted to use the new one in the announcement. And unfortunately, I SUCK at titles (no really, I have a blog post percolating on this subject--titles are NOT my friend). So I spent the next few weeks sending lists of suggestions--which were all rejected (because they were horrible)--and driving Laura and Liesa (and probably everyone else I talked to) crazy because I could not find a name for my impossible-to-title book. But all the frustration finally paid off when we landed on KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES, a title I absolutely love. And I promise I will tell you the story of how we got there someday--it's a good one.
October
FINALLY!!!!!!With the title in place, Laura put the announcement into PM and PW and the news was FINALLY out there. Which led to one of the most surreal weeks of my life. Everyone's support and enthusiasm was seriously overwhelming, and I will never be able to properly explain how much it meant to me. And it was SUCH a relief to be able to talk publicly about what I had going on--especially since my copy edits arrived and DUDE. I am not a fan of those things. Thank goodness I could finally whine about them to all of you (somehow I suspect you guys were less excited about that). 
November RealityNow that I was done with the waiting I expected life to go back to normal. But what I didn't realize is that my life has a slightly new definition for "normal" now, one that includes lots of switching gears, and balancing different things. So November became all about learning how to juggle. I wish I could say that I've perfected the system for it, but it's still very much a work in progress. In the meantime I'm getting really good at setting priorities and making To Do lists and tackling things one at a time. 
December Bring it on!Still lots of chaotic things going on, but I've switched my primary focus to the item with the highest priority: writing book 2. Not gonna lie--it's SCARY writing a sequel, and I have spent more time than I'd like to admit worrying that I won't be able to pull it off. BUT, I finally realized that every step of my journey so far has been nothing more than me doing the best I can, working hard, leaning on people who are smarter than me, and trusting that I can do it. So... I'm just going to keep doing that. Word by word, page by page, revision by revision, I'll get there. I just have to believe.
*Whew*
Yep--it's official. 2011 was a CRAZY year. And I have a feeling 2012 is going to be even more exciting/chaotic/eventful. I really have no idea what I'm in for--but I have no doubt it's going to be a wild ride. I really hope you'll come along with me!

See you in the new year!

Bookanista Review: 12 books I can't wait for in 2012! (and a pre-order giveaway!)

Since it's the end of the year--and my Bookanista Reviews are generally for upcoming titles--I thought I'd use my last post of 2011 to spotlight 12 books coming in 2012 that I am so insanely excited about.  Some of them I've been lucky enough to already read, some I can't wait to get my hands on, but all of them I will be counting down the days until I can buy my shiny copy.
And I want to emphasize that this is in NO WAY an exhaustive list--at ALL. (seriously, if I featured all the books I'm excited about this post would be a mile long). And I specifically limited myself to books where the official description and cover art were already available, so I could give them a proper feature. So this is just a *tiny* glimpse of the amazingness 2012 has in store for us. But check out this awesome:
Middle Grade:
MAY B, by Caroline Starr Rose
Coming 1/10/2012
I've known it since last night:
It's been too long to expect them to return.
Something's happened.

May is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead—just until Christmas, says Pa. She wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by 15 long, unfamiliar miles. Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned. Trapped in a tiny snow-covered sod house, isolated from family and neighbors, May must prepare for the oncoming winter. While fighting to survive, May's memories of her struggles with reading at school come back to haunt her. But she's determined to find her way home again. Caroline Starr Rose's fast-paced novel, written in beautiful and riveting verse, gives readers a strong new heroine to love.




THE HUMMING ROOM, by Ellen PotterComing 2/28/2012
Hiding is Roo Fanshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.

As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.

Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room—a garden with a tragic secret.

BEYONDERS: Seeds of Rebellion, by Brandon Mull
Coming 3/13/2012
Picking up after the incredible cliffhanger ending of A World Without Heroes, the next BEYONDERS book opens with Jason back in our world. Yet after all his efforts to return home, he finds himself itching to cross over to Lyrian. Jason knows that the shocking truth he learned from Maldor in Book One is precious information that his friends in Lyrian, including Rachel, all need in order to have any hope of surviving and defeating the evil emperor.

After Jason succeeds in finding a way back to Lyrian, he's immediately in more danger than ever. Meanwhile, Rachel and the others have made their own progress--as well as discovered new enemies.

As the group ultimately rejoins, they strive to convince their most needed ally to join the war and form a rebellion strong enough to triumph. At the center of it all, Jason and Rachel come to realize what roles they have to play--and the answers are as surprising as they are entirely riveting.




TWICE UPON A TIME, by James RileyComing 4/24/2012Jack and May are back for another adventure in the world of fairy tales with a twist. This time, they're on the hunt to learn May's true identity after the surprising reveal in Half Upon A Time about May's grandmother's real intentions.
Searching for answers brings Jack and May to the world of the Sea King, landing them right in the center of a battle between mermaids and the Pirate Bluebeard.

The laughter and action are as nonstop as ever in this next book from new author James Riley!


A HERO FOR WONDLA, by Tony DiTerlizzi
Coming 5/8/2012
Finally, Eva Nine has gotten what she has always wanted: other humans. When she and her friends are rescued by Hailey, another human, Eva couldn't be happier. Now she has everything she has ever dreamed of. Hailey brings Eva and her friends to the human colony New Attica, where humans of all shapes and sizes live in apparent peace and harmony.

But all is not idyllic in New Attica, and soon Eva Nine and her friends realize that something very bad is going on--and if they don't stop it, it could mean the end of everything and everyone on Orbona.

THE COUNCIL OF MIRRORS (Sister's Grimm book 9), by Michael Buckley
Coming May 8, 2012In the final volume in the Sisters Grimm series, Sabrina, Daphne, and the rest of the Grimms and their friends must face off against the Master to decide the fate of Ferryport Landing—and the world. When Mirror fails to escape the barrier using Granny Relda's body, he turns to his plan B: killing all the Grimms so that the magical barrier collapses. In the meantime, Sabrina has gathered the other magic mirrors as advisors on how to deal with their mortal enemy. They tell her to join forces with the Scarlet Hand against Mirror, in exchange for offering all the citizens of Ferryport Landing their freedom. This final chapter is the end of the road for several beloved characters, but the conclusion is sure to satisfy devoted fans of the series.

Young Adult
DEAD TO YOU, by Lisa McMannComing February 7, 2012

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable..





WANDERLOVE, by Kirsten Hubbard Coming 3/13/2012It all begins with a stupid question:

Are you a Global Vagabond? 

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan's found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry into this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.



BLACK HEART, by Holly BlackComing 4/3/2012
Cassel Sharpe knows he's been used as an assassin, but he's trying to put all that behind him. He's trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He's trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he's trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he's been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what's right and what's wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what's a con and what's truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

ALL THESE LIVES, by Sarah WylieComing 6/5/2012
Sixteen-year-old Dani is convinced she has nine lives. As a child she twice walked away from situations where she should have died. But Dani's twin, Jena, isn't so lucky. She has cancer and might not even be able to keep her one life. Dani's father is in denial. Her mother is trying to hold it together and prove everything's normal. And Jena is wasting away. To cope, Dani sets out to rid herself of all her extra lives. Maybe they'll be released into the universe and someone who wants to live more than she does will get one. Someone like Jena. But just when Dani finds herself at the breaking point, she's faced with a startling realization. Maybe she doesn't have nine lives after all. Maybe she really only ever had one.



SURRENDER, by Elana Johnson
Coming 6/5/2012Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…

Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father's rules: He's the Director. It's because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine's got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can't. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi's boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine's father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She's even starting to suspect Vi's secrets might involve Freedom's newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque.... 
TIMEPIECE, by Myra McEntireComing 6/12/2012A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking... 
Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?
Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devestating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts


*Phew*--I think I just imploded with anticipation. 2012 is definitely going to be an amazing year in the book world. I can't wait!

And since I bet you guys are just as excited as I am (and are feeling a little overwhelmed by the whole: how will I be able to afford so many awesome books????) I've decided to help one of you out. I'm giving away a pre-order to one of these books, and the winner will get to pick which one they want!

To enter, make sure you follow my blog and leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm PST on Saturday, December 31st (it's a quick contest this time because I feel like the winner should be drawn before we're officially in 2012). I'll post the winner on Sunday, Jan. 1st, 2012. And sorry international followers, but for these pre-order contests I have to limit them to US only. But I promise I'll have more contests for you next year!

For more fabulous book recommendations, check out what my fellow Bookanistas are talking about:


Megan Miranda marvels at UNDER THE NEVER SKYCorinne Jackson gushes over THE MATCHMAKER AND THE GHOSTStasia Ward Kehoe gets psyched for 2012

A New Look for the New Year!!!

Okay, I know it's not *technically* 2012 yet--but what can I say? I'm impatient--and I HAD to launch my shiny new blog design the second it was ready.

ISN'T IT PRETTY?????????????????????
I've been blogging for two and a half years and this is my first time having an actual, custom template/header. It's so cool to have one that's just so... me . Every tiny detail is 100% Shannon now. A perfect way to start what will probably be one of the most exciting years of my life--the year my book finally hits shelves!!!!

MORE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(Hee--can you guys tell I'm writing this with a fever? Stupid head cold won't go away!)
Anyway, huge, HUGE thanks go to my friend Erin Bowman, who seriously deserves a prize for her long suffering and patience (and ability to wade through lengthy emails filled with lots of, "maybe we should try this, or THIS or THIS!!!!!!!") and coming up with this PERFECT design. I pretty much owe her a lifetime supply of cupcakes. Or maybe my first born child. (Erin, if it were me--I'd go with the cupcakes) ;)

And btw, if you guys don't know Erin already I STRONGLY recommend you get thee to her blog straight away. Not only is she one of the sweetest people ever, but she's an incredibly talented writer with a crazy-awesome YA trilogy launching in 2013. Trust me--you want to know her. And you want to read TAKEN.

Okay, I *think* that's enough all caps and exclamation mark abuse for one day (well... maybe FEW more) (!!!!!!!!!!!).

There. That should do it. See you guys tomorrow for a contest and Friday for a special end-of-the-year post. Hope you're all having a good week!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: My Favorites of 2011--and a giveaway!

Still trying to meet my probably-impossible-but-I'm-going-for-it-anyway Book 2 writing goal, but I couldn't let 2011 end without one more MMGM. And I couldn't think of a better way to wrap up an amazing year in MMGM than to give a shout-out to my five favorite middle grade reads of the year.
But I'll admit--it was HARD picking favorites. I hate doing that in general. Plus, I read SO MANY amazing books this year, how could I limit myself to only 5? So I've narrowed the pool by only picking books that were actually released in 2011--which STILL left me an insane amount to chose from. But, made it a little easier.
Okay--without further ado, here are my five favorite reads of 2011 (in random order!):
BEYONDERS: A World Without Heroes, by Brandon Mull
I love everything Brandon writes, but I especially love this series because the world is so refreshingly new and exciting. (I mean, what other book has a character enter the new world by getting swallowed by a hippo?) Filled with amazingly detailed locations, fascinating new creatures (the Amar Kabal might be my favorite new fantasy species ever) and lovable characters, it's everything I want out of this kind of book and definitely left me desperate for more. (Oh, and I've read the sequel, and DUDE! But more on that later!)


Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes, by Jonathan Auxier
This is a book I discovered by happy accident. I met the author when I was at ALA and he was so nice (and HILARIOUS!) that I HAD to get my hands on a copy of his book. And I loved it. I mean, how could I not love a book about a blind thief? Not to mention it has awesome illustrations throughout. And it's FUNNY. Definitely the kind of book everyone will love--boy, girl, kid, grown-up. Even if you *think* you don't like middle grade, I have a feeling you'll love Peter Nimble.


THE UNWANTEDS, by Lisa McMann
I'll admit, I picked up this book wondering if I was going to like it. I LOVE Lisa McMann, but she's a YA writer, and YA voice and MG voice are two very different things. But as it turns out, Lisa rocks at both. Not only does this book have pretty much the coolest concept ever: a dystopian middle grade (think Harry Potter meets The Hunger Games)--but the world she created is the kind of place that made me want to jump through a painted doorway and spend all day with my talking blackboard and magical art supplies. Not to mention it takes kids that felt "unwanted" and empowers them. Definitely a theme I can get behind. (*waits impatiently for book 2*)

THE CHEERLEADERS OF DOOM (N.E.R.D.S. series 3), by Michael Buckley
The title pretty much says it all, but I'll gush anyway. I love everything Michael writes (if you haven't tried his Sisters Grimm series yet you NEED to!!!), but what I love about this series is that not only does it take nerds and turn them into super spies, but it takes their "weaknesses" and turns them into superpowers. Allergies? Hyperactivity? A bad habit for eating glue? All assets in N.E.R.D.S. land. And if you can't tell by the cover (and title) and awesome illustrations throughout, these books are flipping hilarious. You'll want to start with book 1 if you haven't read this series yet. But if you're up to speed you MUST read book 3. 

SPRINKLES AND SECRETS, by Lisa Schroeder
Besides the PERFECT cover and awesome title (makes me want cupcakes and ice cream EVERY time), Lisa's another one of those authors where I love absolutely everything she writes. She's amazing--and you should definitely check out her YA books (like THE DAY BEFORE) if you haven't already. But if you like contemporary middle grade with lovable characters and a ton of heart (and LOTS of sweet treats), this companion novel to IT'S RAINING CUPCAKES (also fabulous) is the book for you. And even if you *think* you don't like that kind of thing, I HIGHLY recommend you give it a chance. This is the kind of book that's hard to pass up. Kind of like dessert. :)

I could seriously keep going--there were SO MANY amazing books this year. And I'm sure I've overlooked some (many because they're probably still buried in my TBR pile, which I'm woefully behind on thanks to all my previous deadlines and now my aforementioned probably-impossible-but-I'm-going-for-it-anyway Book 2 writing goal. But hey, that just means I have plenty of books to feature on MMGM in the new year. Can't wait!
And it WOULDN'T be MMGM if I didn't have a giveaway, so of COURSE I have one for you. And since I'm featuring five books this time I'm going to do things a little differently and say: Winner's choice! I'll pick one random winner from the comments on this post and let them pick which of the five books they want as their prize. To enter: make sure you follow my blog and leave a comment by 11:59 pm PST on Saturday, December 31st. I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 1st 2012. The best way to kick off a new year (the year my OWN middle grade book comes out---AHHHHHH!) (ahem)
Ready? Go!
And while most people are taking the week off for the holidays, there are still a couple other MMGMs floating around out there:
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Susan Uhlig has two awesome features today: HEART OF A SHEPHERD and GROUNDED. Click HERE to learn more about them.
And if you want to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count) and email me the title of the book you're featuring and a link to your blog. It's easier if you email me before Monday, that way your link will be included in the post from the moment it goes live. But if you decide to spontaneously join the fun, I do update the post at several points throughout the Monday. Just email me a link and I'll add you when I do!
Happy Monday!

Under the Never Sky Winner

Still waging war with Book 2 (ugh, why are sequels so HARD!), but I realized I have a quick winner to announce.

The winner of UNDER THE NEVER SKY, by the amazing Veronica Rossi is...

Vivien
Yay!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at packratx (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address and I will make sure and get you your prize. For everyone else--see you next week!
*dives back into drafting Hell*

In which I become determined to be productive

So... I had this crazy, I-knew-it-was-impossible-but-I-made-it-anyway writing goal for how much progress I wanted to make on Keeper book 2 before the end of the year.

And... well... lets just say I'm NOWHERE NEAR it.  In fact, I'm so far away from it I'm already conceding defeat.

That--however--does NOT mean I'm giving up!

I have a new goal. A slightly-more-realistic-but-still-relatively-impossible goal that I AM DETERMINED TO DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO MEET.

So, since this week is generally a super quiet week in the blogosphere--and I could REALLY use the extra writing time--I've decided to take the week off of blogging. (I know, I'm sure you're all DEVASTATED by this news.) But I will be back next week for some end-of-the-year posts and contests and whatnot that I hope you'll stop by for.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has a lovely, lovely week filled with all kinds of wonderful, happy things. Me? I have a date with my W.I.P. And I intend to kick some serious MS boot-ay. ;)

Oh, and despite the slow blogging week (and my total failure to support my own meme--#Shannonfail), there are a few MMGM's going on:
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Pam Torres takes is RACING THE MOON. Click HERE to read her review.
- Deb Marshall is spreading the love for SCARY SCHOOL--with an author interview AND a giveaway! Click HERE for all the details.
See you next Monday!