Some zombie fun!!!

Thanks to Rhiannon Hart for this adorable zombie font. It's so cute!






Zombie Letters from e-zombie.com Retweet this button on every post blogger

September is zombie month

Yes, I need to drag myeslf away from djinns to let everyone know that there is an ultra cool zombie month going on over at September Zombies with lots of prizes and fabulous zombie-related posts - including something highly ridiculous from yours truly. Anyway, I'll remind you closer to the time but don't forget to bookmark it for lots of good wholesome zombie fun (but if anyone gets eaten, please don't blame me, I'm just the messenger!!!)

The wip is wipping along, which is good news, especially since my mum (mom for all you USAers) is coming over for a visit in October so I really need this book finished before then. Anyway, I'm off to watch Australia vs South Africa play rugby. Despite being born in Australia, I'm an All Blacks girl so for this match you can just call me Switzerland!!!!

What's everyone else up to this weekend? Come on, spill the beans! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Djinn-tastic

So now that the excitement of my sale and conference has settled down, my cps seem to think it would be a good idea to actually finish writing the books since I sort of have deadlines. Interesting. And actually, I am very excited to start exploring my djinn world - which so far consists of a heroine in denial (despite the fact she is orange) and a ghostly djinn who is meant to help her but is a little too preoccupied with eating Cheetos.

Anyway, what better way to start than by looking at the lovely photo Teresa Wilde sent me of a djinn lamp that she bought when she was in Morocco. My djinn heroine doesn't actually have to live in a lamp (phew for her) but all the same I love this photo. And I also love Teresa's fab Demon of the Week blog, so if you have a moment then go and check it out.

Not much else to report. On the side I've started doing another proposal (though I'm not going to write it until the first djinn book is finished. Honest). I'm also reading Hunted by PC Cast and Kristin Cast and I hope to get my grubby little hands on the third Vampire Academy book this weekend. Greedy, moi? Hell yeah. Retweet this button on every post blogger

ridiculous

I love my cps, honestly I do, but why oh why do they have to be so short? Here is one of me, Christina and Sara at conference and honestly it looks like I came from planet Tall Girl!!! Though please note my gorgeous retro dress which is from the early sixties and I love (some might say a little too much since breathing it was actually an issue!!!) Oh and I must mention the tiaras. Aren't they gorgeous? We wore them for absolutely no reason at all other than the fact that Sara had them and we thought they were pretty!!!!!

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Back from conference

I got back Sunday night from conference but I'm only just managing to get my shizz together. Naturally I forgot to take my camera with me so I have absolutely no photos to show you but thankfully my fellow writers aren't quite so dumb and if you want to go over to Erica Hayes' blog then you can check out some of her snaps. Erica was just one of the totally awesome people I got to meet and her debut book is out in October so expect to hear more about her soon.

Some of the highlights of the conference was getting to see my cp Christina Phillips (and Sara Hantz, though, since we live about fifteen minutes away from each other, I do tend to see and talk to her quite a bit. Okay, a lot according to her husband!!!!!). Anyway, as well as getting to hang with Christina and Sara, the workshops this year were amazing. Mary Jo Putney is a fabulous speaker and she has such a wonderful self-depreciating sense of humor, combined with loads of publishing wisdom that I literally hung off her every word.

I also loved the two workshops that Nalini Singh did though despite everyone's best efforts she still wouldn't comment on when we can expect a Hawke book, which between you and me was a tad annoying since I'm an Aries and we don't really do patience!!!!!

Another favorite workshop was by Fiona Brand who writes romances for Desire and romantic suspense for Mira. Anyway, she gave me the light bulb moment of the conference when she talked about how all characters needing a core fear. As it turned out, all my characters have had one (phew) but I'd just never taken the time to identify it or really rub the salt in quite as much as I could've done. My current heroine Sophie Campbell isn't too thrilled about the prospect, let me tell you!

As for the workshop that Sara and I did, well naturally we were fabulous with the way we dazzled and amazed everyone. Okay, not really, but we did use a lot of lollipops and chocolate Fredo Frogs as a bribery, which is really pretty much the same thing. Anyway, it was lots of fun convincing everyone how crazy it was to take the time to finish a book and then not bother to send it out. So hopefully some editors and agents are getting bombarded by Kiwi and Aussie manuscripts as I type this!!!!

There was of course so much more but now that the honeymoon period of my new contract is over, it's starting to occur to me that I actually have to write the books - eeeeeppp. Thankfully I found a lovely detailed chapter breakdown that I don't even recall writing, and I think this is going to help a lot. I also have quite a few guest zombie blog posts to write. I think it's because Halloween is coming up and the ghouls are getting ready to come out to play, but whatever the reason, I always like talking about zombies so it should be fun.

What's everyone else been up to? Any news, gossip, good blog sites I should know about it? Details please! Retweet this button on every post blogger

I'm off to conference

Woot! I'm leaving for the RWNZ conference this morning and I can't wait! Not only is Mary Jo Putney a keynote speaker but Nalini has been coaxed into running some workshops on world building. Also, Sara Hantz and I are running a workshop on Saturday morning to help people get their manuscripts out of the door. We are fully prepared with large whips and chocolate and we're fairly confident that no one will get hurt!!!!!!

In other news, I've just finished Lovestruck Summer by Melissa Walker and seriously, seriously, seriously, it's the most adorable, fabulous book EVER. I love a good romance and this is definitely one of the best - plus there is a cross dressing dog in it and if that's not reason enough to read it, then I don't know what is.

Finally, you all HAVE to go and check out the new website that Diana Peterfreund has made for her upcoming book, Rampant. It's completely hilarious and though I really shouldn't say this, I think I'm secretly on team unicorn since let's face it zombies kill be shear number, but evil unicorns have a big pointy horn and hooves - not to mention all that flaring nostrils action going on.

Anyway, I will try my best to take some photos. Especially since I managed to find the most awesome retro dress for the Saturday night dinner. There is a small issue with the fact that I can't really breath in it, but we all have to suffer for fashion, right? And besides, it looks so purdy. Okay, that's it from me but I'll see you all back here on Monday (which is code for whenever I get around to blogging again!!!!!) Retweet this button on every post blogger

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

For some reason I can't stop thinking about Michael Jackon today so please indulge me while I listen to my fav MJ song.

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GCC presents Megan Kelley Hall

First up I'd just like to say a massively massive THANK YOU to everyone for all your lovely messages. I'm so excited about my new deal and I really appreciate all the support! Anyway, now is the time for me to gently float back down to earth and get writing (and when I say gently, I actually mean fall to the ground with an undignified splat).







But before I disappear into the writing cave it's time for me to tour Megan Kelley Hall's new book, The Lost Sister. Megan is such an awesome person and her first book Sisters of Misery is still on my reading list (because seriously, it had one of my fav covers ever. So gorgeous).

And obviously she has done some sort of deal with the devil because I adore her second cover just as much. I also happen to love the sound of the book as well, especially since I'm in a very Gothic mood lately. Anyway, enough with my rambles, here is the skinny about The Lost Sister as well as my interview!


Sisters are born, not chosen...

Maddie Crane is grappling with the disappearance of Cordelia LeClaire, and trying to escape the grasp of The Sisters of Misery—an insidious clique of the school’s most powerful girls, whose pranks have set off a chain of horrific events, and who have Maddie in their sights…

Beware the sister betrayed...

Now in a prestigious boarding school far away from her mysterious hometown of Hawthorne, Massachusetts , Maddie feels free from danger. But when an unmarked envelope arrives at her dorm containing a single ominous tarot card, Maddie realizes with terror that some secrets won’t stay buried. Knowing she must return to Hawthorne—a town still scarred by the evil of the Salem witch trials—Maddie prepares to face the fears of her past...and the wrath of the sister she wronged.


1 How did you first get the idea for your current book?

The Lost Sister picks up where Sisters of Misery left off. It shows what happens when someone is pushed too far and when hazing pranks go wrong. It’s a continuation of Sisters of Misery, in that it’s a modern-day retelling of the Salem Witch hunts. It has a sort of fairytale-esque Gothic appeal and it will keep you up at night due the spooky, supernatural events that take place.


2 I often say that everything I know about writing has come from Buffy. Is there any movie/tv show/book/author that you think has helped your writing career?

I get a lot of ideas from random shows on the Discovery Channel. I love watching anything that has to do with supernatural (Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures), serial killers and criminals (Most Evil, 48 Hours), and just plain weird stuff (Destination Truth).


3 What's a normal writing day for you?

First of all, coffee is a requirement. Lots and lots of coffee. Hot coffee. I'm not into that gross iced coffee.

I’m a pressure cooker writer. I let things swirl around in my head until the words completely overflow onto the page in one long steady stream. Usually, my best work is at night. I think I’m channeling my college days-the time when I’d work night into day, day into night in an attempt to finish term papers that I’d been putting off writing for an entire semester.

I think I still do my best writing in the middle of the night. I like being awake while everyone else is asleep. It’s almost as if I can tap into their dreams if I listen closely. I’ve always been a night owl and now it’s definitely helping with my work. When the world quiets down, the stories in my mind have the opportunity to come out to play.

4 The best blooper I've ever done as a writer was when I had my heroine hand the hero something. Problem was they were sharing the same body at the time! So to help lessen my embarrassment, I'd love to know what your best writing blooper is and did someone catch it before your book went into print?

There’s a huge blooper in my current book and I’m a little annoyed by it, because it wasn’t in the ARCs. For some reason the word JUDGEMENT (the title of the first chapter) is spelled wrong. It wasn’t spelled wrong in any other version of the book, but some little gremlin must have gotten into the printing press and made the mistake.) Haven’t figured that one out yet.


5 And now for the big question. Zombies - love them, hate them, couldn't eat a whole one? Enquiring minds want to know

Zombies…hmmm. Aren’t zombies the new vampires? I guess the question comes down to do I prefer a bloodless monster or a blood-sucking one. I think I’d prefer meeting a zombie in a dark alley as opposed to a vampire. They’re a little safer, right? Right?!?! Retweet this button on every post blogger

My new book deal

Hooray, I'm so happy about my latest book deal!!!!! I've been playing with this idea for ages but it took a few goes to get right and then my editor suggested we try and turn it into a series, which as you can imagine, I'm more than delighted about! Anyway, here is the publisher's marketplace announcement:

Amanda Ashby's untitled middle-grade series about a girl who accidentally gets turned into a djinn (genie) the day before starting sixth grade and has to learn to deal with her new powers without her mom finding out, to Karen Chaplin at Puffin, in a three-book deal, by Jenny Bent at The Bent Agency (world English).

The three books will be coming out between 2011 and 2012 and I also have another young adult book coming out in 2011 so it looks like I'm going to be a busy writer!!!! Retweet this button on every post blogger

Mr Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange

Squeal!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited because it is the official release day of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre which is written by my fabulously-talented friend, Amanda Grange. I first met Amanda when I moved over to Liverpool and I went to a local writer's meeting. We met for lunch and there were four of us. Moi, Amanda, Susan Stephens and Penny Jordan. At the time I wasn't even close to being published, Amanda was writing regencies for Hale, Susan was just about to release her first Mills and Boon novel and Penny was a romance writing superstar. In short, I felt like I'd stumbled into the royal palace by mistake.

Anyway, despite my awe, we quickly became friends as we all bonded over a love of pudding (ah, the power of sugar!) and I can honestly say that one of the happiest moments of my career was when I went to lunch with Amanda, Susan and Penny and got to tell them that I'd finally received my first book contract.

But this isn't about me and a walk down memory lane, it's just to let you know how amazing Amanda Grange is. And as well as having a shared love of pudding, Georgette Heyer and all things Buffy, she is also one of my favorite writers and anyone who reads this blog regularly (all two of you!!!!) will know that I get very excited when her new books out! Her regencies are fast paced and fill of mystery and adventure and of course her Jane Austen retellings - which are done from the hero's view point - are just like reading Jane Austen's secret journals.

In fact, it was during an interview I did with her two years ago to celebrate the release of Mr. Darcy's Diary in the US, that she first mentioned how well vampires and Pride and Prejudice would go together. Which means you heard it here first folks (not that I like to gloat. Well, not much). Anyway, you can go back and read the full interview here, but the answer I'm most interested in is this one.

And finally, let's get the Darcy debate sorted out once and for all. Who would you cast as your perfect Mr. Darcy?

You like asking some difficult questions, don't you?! Going off at a tangent, I wish they'd done a Pride and Prejudice episode of Buffy, because I think it would have fit the characters really well. Angel as Darcy, Spike as Wickham, Buffy as Lizzy, Willow as Jane, Xander as Mr Collins, Giles as Mr Bennet and Buffy's mum as Mrs Bennet.

I know, right. How cool is that? I mean of course Darcy was a vampire. It makes total sense. All that brooding and cold distance that he kept - such a simple explanation, and I can assure you that as you read Amanda's book, which picks up the story just after Lizzie and Darcy get married, it becomes completely obvious that Jane Austen also knew Darcy was a vampyre, she just didn't fill in the details!

Okay, so perhaps I'm exaggerating a bit, but there is no denying that all the back story fits perfectly and without wanting to ruin it too much for anyone, I have just one name for you. Lady Catherine De Bourgh!!!!

Anyway, apart from how seamlessly Amanda blends her own voice with Jane Austen's, the thing I love best about this book is the tone. This isn't a modern urban fantasy retelling where Buffy jumps out from every corner. This is a gothic, something that both Amanda and Jane Austen are big fans of. And for me, the gothic nature actually reminded of a Hammer Horror movie (which are the only scary movies that I like to watch!!!!!!).

Amanda actually talks in detail about how she decided to follow the course taken in The Mysteries of Udolpho, which if you remember, is the same book that Catherine Morland was reading in Northanger Abby (and which helped her to get into such a muddle)

So, if you're a Jane Austen fan who loves a bit of gothic vampyre then you absolutely must read this book. Hell, even if you've never heard of Jane Austen and vampyres give you the heebies, you've still got to read it because it's wonderful and besides, the more people who read it, the more chance I have of getting it turned into a movie with David Boreanaz in that white linen shirt. You see where I'm going with this?

You can go and visit Amanda at her blog and you can also find a full list of her books on her website because if you haven't read any of them then you are in for a treat. Retweet this button on every post blogger

The Zed Word: Juniour Zombie Week

Okay, so it's Junior Zombie Week over at Zed Word and you've just got to check out the super cute trailer that Aaron has made. Doncha just want to eat it all up?

Anyway, not only is there a copy of Zombie Queen up for grabs, but all week Aaron (who let's just call Mr Zombie since he totally knows his stuff) will be talking about zombie books, movies and games. Well go on, off you go and check it out. Retweet this button on every post blogger

GCC presents Stephanie Keuhnert

Yay, today I'm so excited because I've got my fellow TFC buddy Stephanie Keuhnert here to talk about her new book, Ballads of Suburbia.

Stephanie is seriously one of the coolest, edgiest punk-rocker girls out there (oh, and she's also completely adorable but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to say that here without ruining some of her credibility!!!!!).



Anyway, here first book,I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone was met with critical acclaim and I just know that the same is going to happen with Ballads of Suburbia. Don't believe me? then check it out?

Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

And by the way, if you're quick, you can actually head over to Jessica Brody's Free Book Friday for Teens and sign up for a chance to win a copy. But before you go, here is my interview with Stephanie where she dishes the dirt on all sorts of cool stuff:


1 How did you first get the idea for your current book?

This book started out as a thinly veiled autobiography. I’d left my hometown and then came back to go to school for creative writing, I had a lot to purge. So I did and then I put it in a drawer and that version of the book will never see the light of day. Really the only thing that stayed the same is a couple of scenes (that were fictional) and some character names. But I still wanted to write a story about the suburbs, something that showed that even though supposedly the suburbs are a safe and happy place, there is a lot of pain harbored there. But I didn’t know how to do it without coming off too preachy or whiny or like an afterschool special. Then one day one of my professors brought a boombox to class and played us some Johnny Cash songs, talking about how ballads are one of the first and most basic forms of storytelling. I liked how confessional and honest the ballads were. And then it dawned on me. My characters would write ballads and the book would center on them. Epiphany! Yay, gotta love anyone who loves the man in black.

2 I often say that everything I know about writing has come from Buffy. Is there any movie/tv show/book/author that you think has helped your writing career?

Crazy as it sounds, I’ve been watching the soap One Life to Live since I was 14 and I feel like that has taught me some things, mostly about dialogue and how to use it to push the plot forward and show a lot with what is said or unsaid. And if my writing gets melodramatic, I blame the soaps. But I also still watch a lot of teen shows like My So-Called Life, Degrassi (both old and new) and 90210 (both old and new), which at least keep me thinking about teen storylines. I blame Dawson's Creek for all my angsty moments in my writing!

3 What's a normal writing day for you?

Sadly there is no such thing as normal. 90% of the time I get sidetracked by something. It’s highly frustrating. This is why I binge write and will go away or disappear for days at a time to write. But the schedule I try to keep is get up, drink tea and write for an hour and a half. Then take a half hour break to deal with promo type stuff and email. Then back to writing and so on. Yeah, doesn’t work all that well.

4 The best blooper I've ever done as a writer was when I had my heroine hand the hero something. Problem was they were sharing the same body at the time! So to help lessen my embarrassment, I'd love to know what your best writing blooper is and did someone catch it before your book went into print?

My bloopers are usually time line issues. Like keeping track of what age a character should be. Fortunately my copyeditor makes elaborate notes on this and I go over them and we make sure everything is right.

5 And now for the big question. Zombies - love them, hate them, couldn't eat a whole one? Enquiring minds want to know

Love them, but fear them. My house is surrounded by cemeteries on three sides. If there’s a zombie uprising, I am toast! And for those who haven't seen this photo before, this is what Stephanie would look like if she really did turn into zombie toast!

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Angel versus Edward

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

This is Joss Whedon's take on who would win in an Angel Edward smackdown. I think we all know who my money will be on! Anyway, I will be back shortly with a fabulous GCC tour but I just had to share this! Retweet this button on every post blogger

So sad...

to hear that Blake Synder, the screen writer and author of Save the Cat, passed away yesterday. Blake was my favorite speaker when I went to the RWA conference last year and I was planning to see him again in 2010. He was so dynamic and everything he said made so much sense to me. Even worse he was only 52 which seems far too young to die. Stuff like this just reminds me that life is short and there really isn't time to be boring. Follow your dreams and be dazzling. Retweet this button on every post blogger

Catch up plus a look at Greg Logsted's new book

Yeah, let's not do the apology thing anymore because it's just getting embarrassing on my part, so instead, how about I just say that your favorite slack-arsed, part-time blogger is once again back!

So what have I been up to?

Well, after totally screwing up my taxes and missing the deadline, I managed to get them sorted without incurring a hideous fine (phew because in my book hideous fines suck big chucks of bleurghness).

I also just bought a new laptop yesterday so I can once again write, since I find it impossible to get any work done on the PC - though strangely enough I can spend hours surfing the net from it. Weird, eh. Anyway, I got the laptop just in time since I have a book to get finished and another gorgeous idea that I need to make inroads on when my no one is looking!

On the reading front, I just finished Michelle Rowen's Demon Princess and as per normal I hate Michelle for being so majorly talented and writing such a great book - a review to come. Next up on the list is Finger Licking Fifteen by Janet Evanovich - yay and then I'm going to randomly pluck something out of my TBR pile and see where it takes me! Also, I still owe you a review on Mr Darcy, Vampyre which I will do in the next day or so!!!

TV wise we're still all about Deadwood in our household. How can one show be so good? Honestly, the plotting, the dialogue and the characterisation just leave me dizzy. Love it (perhaps a little bit too much, maybe)



And finally today I wanted to talk a bit about Greg Logsted's new book, Alibi Junior High. Greg is married to my fellow TFCer, the amazing Lauren Baratz-Logsted and as well as co-writing the Sisters 8 with Lauren and their young daughter Jackie, he also wrote Something Happened, which is sitting on my TBR pile.

Anyway, it's no secret that my reading habits closely resemble a fourteen year old boy, and I'm continually drawn to the midgrade blend of action, fantasy and angst, so it is probably no surprise to anyone, that I'm dying to read Greg's new book, which is about what happens when thirteen year old Cody, who has been home schooled by his CIA agent dad, suddenly has to go to regular school.

How cool is this premise? It's so simple, yet so perfect and boys are going to LOVE it!!!! Oh, and as aside, I know that people always talk about how hard it is to get young boys to read, but I can assure you that there are plenty out there who do and the ones that come into the teen/children's section of the library where I work, regularly put me to shame with just how many books they get through in a week.

Actually, just yesterday when I got Christopher Paolini's book Eldest for a twelve year old boy I made the mistake of saying to him it was a big book. "Eh, it's not that big." He casually shrugged as he put the 1056 page book in his bag. Okay, so that was me told (and by the way, if you haven't read it, you really must!!!!)

Anyway, this post has ended up being a bit of a ramble, but then again, if you can't ramble about books and reading, then what can you ramble about? So don't forget to go and check out Greg's website and then race off and order his book. You know you want to. Retweet this button on every post blogger