Shannon Messenger's Blog, page 60
October 4, 2011
Tell The Truth Tuesday: The Overly Giddy Edition
1. I'd planned to have a meaningful, inspiring post for you guys today. I'd even started one--it's saved in my drafts folder.
2. BUT... yesterday was a crazy awesome day, filled with crazy awesome things, that made my brain all crazy and awesome and incapable of doing anything except spewing out terrible sentences like this one.
3. Which meant the idea of writing a relatively coherent blog post went out the window.
4. As you can probably tell, by the lameness of this post. (I'm not even sure if this statement qualifies as a new confession--but I'm counting it anyway.)
5. At this point you're probably wondering WHAT could possibly have me so flummoxed. And really, there were MANY things.
6. Most of which would require FAR too much explanation for my current incoherent state.
7. But there was also THIS.
8. It's not every day a good friend of mine reveals her book cover--especially a supremely awesome one.
9. (Um... and her post may or may not be live. I forgot what time she told me she was scheduling it for)
10. But never fear--because her cover is also up on Goodreads, where you would be crazy to not go mark it "to read." And it's also up on Amazon, where you should seriously SERIOUSLY consider pre-ordering. So feel free to go take care of those things and then hop back over to her blog. By then I'm sure the post will be live and you can tell her how crazy awesome her cover is. Because it is CRAZY AWESOME.
Huge hugs and congrats Sarah. It could NOT happen to a sweeter, more talented writer!!!!!!
And... that is pretty much all I'm capable of (besides a whole lot of staring at the lovely lovely cover and then staring some more.) So I'm going to wrap this pitiful post up with a promise of better things to come tomorrow.
In the meantime, what about you guys? Anything you want to unload? Feel free to do so in the comments!
2. BUT... yesterday was a crazy awesome day, filled with crazy awesome things, that made my brain all crazy and awesome and incapable of doing anything except spewing out terrible sentences like this one.
3. Which meant the idea of writing a relatively coherent blog post went out the window.
4. As you can probably tell, by the lameness of this post. (I'm not even sure if this statement qualifies as a new confession--but I'm counting it anyway.)
5. At this point you're probably wondering WHAT could possibly have me so flummoxed. And really, there were MANY things.
6. Most of which would require FAR too much explanation for my current incoherent state.
7. But there was also THIS.
8. It's not every day a good friend of mine reveals her book cover--especially a supremely awesome one.
9. (Um... and her post may or may not be live. I forgot what time she told me she was scheduling it for)
10. But never fear--because her cover is also up on Goodreads, where you would be crazy to not go mark it "to read." And it's also up on Amazon, where you should seriously SERIOUSLY consider pre-ordering. So feel free to go take care of those things and then hop back over to her blog. By then I'm sure the post will be live and you can tell her how crazy awesome her cover is. Because it is CRAZY AWESOME.
Huge hugs and congrats Sarah. It could NOT happen to a sweeter, more talented writer!!!!!!
And... that is pretty much all I'm capable of (besides a whole lot of staring at the lovely lovely cover and then staring some more.) So I'm going to wrap this pitiful post up with a promise of better things to come tomorrow.
In the meantime, what about you guys? Anything you want to unload? Feel free to do so in the comments!
October 3, 2011
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday: The Familiars: Secrets of the Crown, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson--and a Giveaway!
Whew, it has been a crazy awesome weekend full of LOTS of author events. And yes--those of you who know me--that means I've picked up LOTS of shiny new signed books to give away as blog prizes. So I thought I'd start today with this weeks' MMGM: THE FAMILIARS: SECRETS OF THE CROWN, by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson.
Here's how the publisher describes it:
Prepare for the unfamiliar
When every bit of human magic disappears suddenly from Vastia, it falls on the familiars—Aldwyn the telekinetic cat, Skylar the know-it-all blue jay, and Gilbert the gullible tree frog—to find the Crown of the Snow Leopard, an ancient relic that can reverse the curse. They learn that the only way to do this is by following in the paw prints of Aldwyn's missing father, who went searching for the Crown several years earlier. This magical spirit trail extends into the Beyond, where our heroes encounter new enemies and danger, while Aldwyn learns about his mysterious past.
Full of high-flying adventure and heartwarming friendships, Secrets of the Crown will make readers want to get even more familiar with The Familiars!
In case you don't know (and can't tell by the title) this is a sequel to THE FAMILIARS, a book which I have already gushed about HERE. It's a series that has--in my opinion--one of the coolest concepts ever. I mean... telepathic cats? Animals that can work magic like wizards? Um, yes please!
Sometimes I worry when I pick up a sequel that it won't be as good as the first. But those fears were completely unfounded with SECRETS OF THE CROWN. Adam and Andrew bring back everything that made THE FAMILIARS awesome and then took it to the next level. I wish I could gush more about the plot, but I really hate to give away spoilers--and since I don't want to spoil book one either, I'm just going to say: If you haven't started this series yet--try it. And if you read THE FAMILIARS, you NEED to read SECRETS OF THE CROWN.
Which is why I'm giving away a lovely hardcover to one lucky winner, AND IT'S SIGNED BY BOTH AUTHORS!!!!!
I had the pleasure of meeting both Adam and Jacob this weekend, and--in addition to being ridiculously nice--they signed and doodled in a copy for me to give to you guys.
To enter, make sure you follow my blog and leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm PDT on Saturday, October 8th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, October 9th. International entries welcome.
And... go!
For more middle grade love, make sure you check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere:
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Barbara Watson is featuring ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET. Click HERE to learn all about it.
- Michael Gettel-Gilmartin has musings on whether pickles are the new Vampire-Zombies. Click HERE to see what that's all about.
- Sheri Larsen is interviewing an awesome middle grade author. Click HERE to see who it is.
- Deb Marshall is spotlighting THE WARRIOR HEIR. Click HERE to read her review.
- Natalie Aguirre is interviewing author Hilary Wagner, with a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details.
-Jennifer Rumberger makes her MMGM debut, with a spotlight on BOBBY vs GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY). Click HERE to see what she thinks.
-Danika Dinsmore discusses the timelessness of THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. Click HERE to read more.
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!
Here's how the publisher describes it:
Prepare for the unfamiliar
When every bit of human magic disappears suddenly from Vastia, it falls on the familiars—Aldwyn the telekinetic cat, Skylar the know-it-all blue jay, and Gilbert the gullible tree frog—to find the Crown of the Snow Leopard, an ancient relic that can reverse the curse. They learn that the only way to do this is by following in the paw prints of Aldwyn's missing father, who went searching for the Crown several years earlier. This magical spirit trail extends into the Beyond, where our heroes encounter new enemies and danger, while Aldwyn learns about his mysterious past.
Full of high-flying adventure and heartwarming friendships, Secrets of the Crown will make readers want to get even more familiar with The Familiars!
In case you don't know (and can't tell by the title) this is a sequel to THE FAMILIARS, a book which I have already gushed about HERE. It's a series that has--in my opinion--one of the coolest concepts ever. I mean... telepathic cats? Animals that can work magic like wizards? Um, yes please!
Sometimes I worry when I pick up a sequel that it won't be as good as the first. But those fears were completely unfounded with SECRETS OF THE CROWN. Adam and Andrew bring back everything that made THE FAMILIARS awesome and then took it to the next level. I wish I could gush more about the plot, but I really hate to give away spoilers--and since I don't want to spoil book one either, I'm just going to say: If you haven't started this series yet--try it. And if you read THE FAMILIARS, you NEED to read SECRETS OF THE CROWN.
Which is why I'm giving away a lovely hardcover to one lucky winner, AND IT'S SIGNED BY BOTH AUTHORS!!!!!
I had the pleasure of meeting both Adam and Jacob this weekend, and--in addition to being ridiculously nice--they signed and doodled in a copy for me to give to you guys.
To enter, make sure you follow my blog and leave a comment on this post by 11:59 pm PDT on Saturday, October 8th. I'll draw one random winner and post their name on Sunday, October 9th. International entries welcome.
And... go!
For more middle grade love, make sure you check out these other MMGMs floating around the blogosphere:
- The lovely Shannon O'Donnell always has an MMGM ready for you! Click HERE to see what she's featuring this week!
- Barbara Watson is featuring ONE DAY AND ONE AMAZING MORNING ON ORANGE STREET. Click HERE to learn all about it.
- Michael Gettel-Gilmartin has musings on whether pickles are the new Vampire-Zombies. Click HERE to see what that's all about.
- Sheri Larsen is interviewing an awesome middle grade author. Click HERE to see who it is.
- Deb Marshall is spotlighting THE WARRIOR HEIR. Click HERE to read her review.
- Natalie Aguirre is interviewing author Hilary Wagner, with a GIVEAWAY! Click HERE for details.
-Jennifer Rumberger makes her MMGM debut, with a spotlight on BOBBY vs GIRLS (ACCIDENTALLY). Click HERE to see what she thinks.
-Danika Dinsmore discusses the timelessness of THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH. Click HERE to read more.
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!
October 2, 2011
Sprinkles and Secrets Winner!
Okay, I'll admit it. I TOTALLY forgot to post the winner. I had an awesome author event today that ended up stretching into an evening of this:
Yes, that's Kiersten White and Becca Fitzpatrick, who were kind enough to invite me along for dinner in San Diego. So. Much. Fun.
So--it's really no excuse--but by the time I got home and recovered from the AHHHH I GOT TO HANG WITH AWESOME AUTHORS ALL DAY giddiness that always accompanies awesome author events, I FINALLY remembered uh... wasn't I supposed to draw a winner? MAJOR #Shannonfail.
Anyway, better late than never, right?
So, without further ado, the winner of SPRINKLES AND SECRETS, by Lisa Schroeder, is...
Jill Of the O.W.L.
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at packratx (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can ship off your prize.
For everyone else, I have LOTS of awesome contests coming up. Make sure you check back regularly, so you don't miss out!
Yes, that's Kiersten White and Becca Fitzpatrick, who were kind enough to invite me along for dinner in San Diego. So. Much. Fun.
So--it's really no excuse--but by the time I got home and recovered from the AHHHH I GOT TO HANG WITH AWESOME AUTHORS ALL DAY giddiness that always accompanies awesome author events, I FINALLY remembered uh... wasn't I supposed to draw a winner? MAJOR #Shannonfail.
Anyway, better late than never, right?
So, without further ado, the winner of SPRINKLES AND SECRETS, by Lisa Schroeder, is...
Jill Of the O.W.L.
YAY!
*tosses confetti*
If that's you, please email me at packratx (at) hotmail (dot) com with your mailing address so I can ship off your prize.
For everyone else, I have LOTS of awesome contests coming up. Make sure you check back regularly, so you don't miss out!
September 30, 2011
Manic Memos
Dear Time,
WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO? I mean really, it's already Friday? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? And don't even get me started on the fact that tomorrow is OCTOBER??????????? Holy crap, WHERE HAS THE YEAR GONE?????????????
Confusedly Yours,
A very-behind-on-everything Shannon
Dear Felines of the Messenger house,
Let this serve as a warning that you are all on verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry dangerous ground. I'm very glad those of you who had stomach issues are feeling better and that those of you who were injured in cat fights are recovering. But if I have to clean up one more hairball, drag one more of you to the vet, or put hot compresses on any more oozing wounds, I'm trading all of you in for one for one of these:
[image error]
Ominously Yours,
The pretty-darn-sick-of-her-crazy-cats-lady
Dear Week,
We've been through a lot together. No really, a LOT. In fact, I think it's safe to say that you were one of the craziest weeks I've experienced in a looooooooooooooooong time. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. And someday I hope to be able to process it all (without sounding like a cheesey Dickens rip-off). But for now I'm simply going to say: Whoa. And maybe root for a calmer ride next week. Preferably with no pus-y cat wounds (and no, that is not a typo. I mean PUS! *gags*)
Exhaustedly yours,
A totally-grossed-out Shannon
Dear Followers,
I had big plans to turn in an awesome blogging performance this week. But thanks to some unexpected curveballs, my plans kind of turned out like this:
[image error]
But I do have some AWESOME contests going on HERE and HERE. And I promise I have some pretty darn amazing things planned for the next couple weeks. So thank you for bearing with me. I will hopefully be back on track next week. Barring anymore un-forseen insanity.
Gratefully Yours,
A totally-exhausted-blogger
WHERE THE HECK DID YOU GO? I mean really, it's already Friday? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? And don't even get me started on the fact that tomorrow is OCTOBER??????????? Holy crap, WHERE HAS THE YEAR GONE?????????????
Confusedly Yours,
A very-behind-on-everything Shannon
Dear Felines of the Messenger house,
Let this serve as a warning that you are all on verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry dangerous ground. I'm very glad those of you who had stomach issues are feeling better and that those of you who were injured in cat fights are recovering. But if I have to clean up one more hairball, drag one more of you to the vet, or put hot compresses on any more oozing wounds, I'm trading all of you in for one for one of these:
[image error]
Ominously Yours,
The pretty-darn-sick-of-her-crazy-cats-lady
Dear Week,
We've been through a lot together. No really, a LOT. In fact, I think it's safe to say that you were one of the craziest weeks I've experienced in a looooooooooooooooong time. It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. And someday I hope to be able to process it all (without sounding like a cheesey Dickens rip-off). But for now I'm simply going to say: Whoa. And maybe root for a calmer ride next week. Preferably with no pus-y cat wounds (and no, that is not a typo. I mean PUS! *gags*)
Exhaustedly yours,
A totally-grossed-out Shannon
Dear Followers,
I had big plans to turn in an awesome blogging performance this week. But thanks to some unexpected curveballs, my plans kind of turned out like this:
[image error]
But I do have some AWESOME contests going on HERE and HERE. And I promise I have some pretty darn amazing things planned for the next couple weeks. So thank you for bearing with me. I will hopefully be back on track next week. Barring anymore un-forseen insanity.
Gratefully Yours,
A totally-exhausted-blogger
![[image error]](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EQvh27sWv8c/ToVYONUFxKI/AAAAAAAABwM/chG-jOgBHxM/s1600/pet-rock.jpg){kind=link}
![[image error]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1RQVQoG5X2U/ToVWKZNAJhI/AAAAAAAABwI/LsjQnhum9SM/s1600/130200967510.jpg){kind=link}