Carrie Harris

OOOoooOOOOooo!

2012-01-26T15:26:00.002-05:00

Ever have one of those days where things are totally crazy, and you've got paint all over you, and there is a speck of drywall dust in one eye that just WON'T COME OUT, and you're a little bit behind on your edits, and your house looks like a tornado went through it, and a bunch of people are going to come over to said house that weekend, which is bad, and then you learn that your book was named to the American Library Association 2012 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list?

I HAD THAT DAY YESTERDAY!

Quick Picks are books with widespread appeal that are recommended for teens who, for whatever reason, don't like to read.

AND I WROTE ONE.

*thrilled*

*house is still messy, though*

Having a BAD HAIR DAY

2012-01-23T15:20:00.003-05:00

I have in my hands a typeset copy of BAD HAIR DAY, the next Kate Grable adventure. This is my final opportunity to make changes (and to argue that YES, bathmats can be made out of human hair) before it gets made into a real book that I can carry obsessively around my house and thrust randomly into people's faces.

I should also note that I just lied. Because if I was holding the pages right now, I couldn't type. But the pages are NEXT TO ME. I AM HOLDING THEM WITH MY NON-PHYSICAL BODY. QUIT BEING SO PICKY ALREADY!!!!

Ahem.

Anyway, it occurs to me that I haven't talked much about BAD HAIR DAY, because it doesn't come out until November and I don't want any of you to kill me. But things will soon be happening! Like, I'll be able to show you the cover! (And holy crapsticks, it gives the first one a run for its money. And not a run for its monkey, which I honestly did type the first time and helps to demonstrate why I need edits.) So...without further ado...here's the cover copy of BAD HAIR DAY to tide you over.

Senior year is positively hair-raising.

Kate Grable is geeked out to shadow the county medical examiner as part of her school’s pre-med program. Except when he’s arrested for murder, she’s left with the bodies. And when Kate’s brother Jonah stumbles upon a dead gamer girl, she realizes that the zombie epidemic she cured last fall was only the beginning of the weirdness taking over her town. Someone’s murdering kids—something really hairy. And strong. Possibly with claws.

Is it werewolf awesomeness like Jonah and his dorktastic friends think? Kate’s supposed to be a butt-kicking zombie killing genius . . . but if she can’t figure out who’s behind the freakish attacks, the victims—or what’s left of them—are going to keep piling up.

It’s scary. It’s twisted. It’s sick. It’s high school.

And man, I can't wait to hear what you think of it.

Still Alive!

2012-01-18T09:13:00.005-05:00

I feel a little like a mad scientist's project, and he's desperately attaching electrodes to my head, and Igor is pedaling the lightning bike like Lance Armstrong's about to overtake him at any minute, and the mad scientist is yelling, "It's ALIIIIVE! Still. Er, I think."

I've really missed blogging and talking with everyone, and I do intend to come back and do it on a regular basis. But, you know, the personal life thing tends to get in the way sometimes. On an extended basis, even.

So here's a quick and dirty update on Carrieland:

I'm going to be at Epic ConFusion in Troy, Michigan this weekend! Come see me talk about why the undead are awesome, and how to survive this whole writing thing, and a bunch of other things that I really need to sit down and think about. You know, during my copious free time.
There's not so much of that free time going around lately, either, because I just got first pass pages for the next Kate Grable book! You know what that means? We'll have ARCs for BAD HAIR DAY coming out in the next couple of months! And I will give some of them to you. Because you are awesome.
These are so freaking cool. I kind of want someone to make a picture of a zombie face out of a copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS. Sadly, with my artistic skills, the only thing I could manage is a stick figure missing a foot.
I'm a proud member of Team Kraken in Change Write Now! (And I did NOT come up with the name. But isn't it the coolest? Our full name is Lets Get Kraken. And my shoulders are really sore, which isn't particularly krakeny of me, is it?
You must read this article and learn what the Hoff and Yeti crabs have in common.

What about you? What have YOU been up to?

THIS.

2011-12-06T20:48:00.004-05:00

Beware. I'm about to be serious.

THIS.

I write ridiculous books full of zombies and vomit and superfluous hair. I'm okay with that. We need all kinds of books--the vomit-filled superfluous hair kind of books, books that make us cry, and books that make us look at the world differently. We need the kind of books that make us angry and books we reach for when we're sick on the couch and need something comforting. For anyone to restrict our access to any of those books is WRONG. For anyone to restrict our right to think and choose for ourselves is WRONG.

I stand up against censorship. Even if I'm wearing sparkly Richard Simmons shorts when I do it. Which is my right, even if it's oh-so-wrong.

See what I mean?

YA dance books in brief

2011-12-02T08:29:00.005-05:00

I've been reading and reading and READING, and I keep thinking that I need to tell you all about these awesome books, but I've found that it's pretty tough to read and write simultaneously. I can't type with my feet no matter how hard I try.

But today, I'd like to talk about a handful of books with dancing in them. Because I danced way back in the day. And because I just got back in touch with an old friend whose daughter is now a competitive dancer. And because I CAN.

AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe

In this verse novel, Sara leaves her home to study ballet in a new city, living with a host family and trying desperately to make up for the fact that she's undoubtedly behind everyone else her age, skill-wise. When an older choreographer starts taking an interest in her, she throws herself into the relationship in a desperate attempt to feel content. It doesn't work.

I think the verse form really works for this book, because it really captures what it's like to dance--both the highs and lows. I think it particularly works in those moments where Sara loses herself in the dance. I felt like Kehoe really captured the movement in words, so much so that I really REALLY wanted to dig out my old dance shoes and lace them up.

This intimate look at the inner struggles of a dancer would absolutely appeal to fans of Ellen Hopkins, even if they're not into dancing themselves. Because at the end of the day, it's the story of a girl who is living her dream...and realizing that maybe the reality doesn't quite measure up to her expectations.

BUNHEADS by Sophie Flack

BUNHEADS is another ballet book, but instead of student dancers, Flack takes us right into the world of professional ballet. Hannah's only 19, but she's living in NYC and dancing in the corps of the Manhattan Ballet. This is a fascinating slice of life tale that doesn't involve a single alien, sparkly vampire, or shirtless werewolf but nonetheless feels like we've been transported into a different world altogether.

Flack's experience really shines through on these pages. We see Hannah go through her days, prepping pointe shoes in the dressing room while chatting with her friends, going to the obligatory fundraising events, and occasionally wondering how the "normal" people live. She realizes that her world is limited to the ballet and to ballet people, and she's not sure how she feels about that. Especially when she meets a cute musician...

If you're into dance books or movies, you know all the stereotypes. I felt like this title took a balanced approach to them, which was nice. Yes, there's a weight subplot, but it's not all-consuming. Hannah's worried about her weight gain and what it will mean for her future as a dancer, but she realizes on her own that maybe there's a healthier way to approach the problem. I liked that the book didn't totally disregard those stereotypes but still made an effort to tell a different story.

STRINGS ATTACHED by Judy Blundell

If you're interested in reading a dance book but have a strange aversion to tutus, STRINGS ATTACHED is the story of an aspiring Broadway dancer in the 1950s. Kit Corrigan has left home in an effort to make it big, but things are a lot harder than she expected. When her maybe-kinda-ex-boyfriend's dad offers a little help, it seems harmless to accept it, right? And if he's curious about his son, that's normal. And if he asks her to do errands every once in a while...

Maybe it's not as normal as she'd like to think. Maybe all those mob rumors are true after all.

I loved the glimpses of backstage 1950s Broadway, and I thought this book was at its best during those sections. There's a lot going on here, with the muddled romance, the mob ties, and Kit's struggles to survive. But die hard Broadway fans and history buffs would probably love this read.

It's ALIVE!!!

2011-11-30T09:14:00.003-05:00

I'm not sure whether I'm talking about myself or my blog, but either way, I feel like running around, wildly waving my hands in the air, and screaming, "It's alive!!!!" You can join me if you like. Especially if you're at work. (Although I'm not sure you should be taking my advice on what to do at work. After all, I AM the girl who once paged herself over the intercom and told herself to report to her desk. I didn't listen to me, because I'm rebellious that way.)

So. I'm alive. And so much is going on that I'm reduced to making one of my infamous bulleted lists. (They're infamous in my head, anyway.)

It's official; there will be a paperback version of BAD TASTE IN BOYS!!! So if you're one of those paperback people, or one of those overcrowded bookshelf people, or one of those tight on finances people, or one of those collect every edition of books with puking in them people, you should get one! It'll ship on June 12, 2012, but it's available for pre-order now. It'll be like a Christmas gift to yourself, only in June.
Do you read Amber's blog? She emailed me about bacon-covered Hasselhoff. I think that is the most awesome idea ever.
Mark your calendars, because I'm going to be at ConFusion in Troy (Michigan Troy, not Aegean Troy) next month! And I will be wearing the zombie shoes. Or the werewolf shoes. Or maybe one of each.
I am working on a sekrit project of awesomeness that involves the lovely Aimee Carter turning herself into a talking Abraham Lincoln. I get the giggles just thinking about that. Almost as much as I giggled when she took me to Breaking Dawn last week.
Here. Have THIS. Because it is awesome and so are you. Bloop. Boop. Boop.

Wowie Wow Wow

2011-11-15T07:32:00.001-05:00

This weekend was the shizziest of shizzes. It was the uberawesomest of uberawesome. It was the (insert word here)est of (insert word here)...

Of course, the minute I write that, I start thinking of nonsense words to put in there. Like, it was the monkiest of monkeys. Or the boingiest of boings. I'm not sure what you'd have to do to declare your weekend the boingiest of boings, but I suspect it would be inappropriate.

Anyway. We got a babysitter, so Slayer took me out for one last birthday celebration. And we went to a restaurant that serves bacon wrapped hot dogs AND an ice cream sundae with chocolate covered bacon in it. I would have taken a picture of it, but we shared them, so as soon as it hit the table, we were all dueling spoons and yummy noises.

And then, as if the bacon birthday wasn't enough, we made it the bacon and Bobcat birthday. That's right. We went to see Bobcat Goldthwait. And I have never laughed so hard in my life. Here is pictoral evidence:

This is Bobcat. He is blurry because I was laughing.

Here, he's doing an impression of a dead Muppet. Which is snarftacular. And that's why it's so blurry that it could BE a dead Muppet, and no one would know the difference.

Here. Have some Bobcat, with a little extra Robin Williams on the side. This one's PG-13 because it's on tv, but be forewarned that most of the stuff out there is hilariously fowl. Unsurprisingly, he has a potty mouth.

Appearance Info and Whose Line

2011-11-10T07:17:00.002-05:00

I'm still astounded that they let me out in public. But they do. And you can see me, if you're anywhere near Michigan or Ohio, along with about 50 other authors, at the Writers on the River book fair this Sunday! You can even have lunch with me (and 50 other authors). I am very tempted to bring chocolate covered bacon to said lunch, because I AM CRAVING IT, but we'll see if I'm organized enough to make that happen.

And you should mark your calendars for January 20-22! I'll be doing ConFusion, Michigan's sci-fi and fantasy con. Trust me; the talk behind the scenes is TRES COOL.

Here! Have some Whose Line! Some PG-13 rated Whose Line, for all you parents and people who work in offices where they don't let you have fun.

What I Did For My Birthday

2011-11-09T07:49:00.002-05:00

Here's what I did yesterday, which happened to be my birthday:

Ate bacon.
Got a pair of rain boots shaped like cowboy boots, which I am currently wearing...with my pajamas.
Read a couple hundred birthday messages on my facebook and tried to figure out if I honestly know that many people. Results were inconclusive; I ran out of fingers and toes.
Got a new iPod. The first song played on it was Thriller. Naturally.
Cried when I read my cards, because my husband either picks out the pervy cards or the tearjerker cards. ATTENTION, EVERYONE. 2011 IS NOT A PERVY YEAR.
Got massaged. One of my friends is the best massage therapist in the entire universe. I think she has cyborg hands, and cyborg hands are good. If you're ever in the Toledo area, I will refer you to her so you can see what I mean.
Read some awesome books. Like YOU KILLED WESLEY PAYNE, which is a noir mystery, heavy on the noir. It's the kind of book where you spend half of your time reading with a WTF expression on your face, and the other half squealing in amused excitement. Or maybe that's just me. The book's about the search for Wesley's killer, but it's also this scathing commentary on high school cliques. And there are Chaucer jokes and people weightlifting with meat. If you like lots of character development and deep, introspective dialogue, this one probably isn't for you. But if you like high paced, ridiculous, stylish crazeballs? (And yeah, that sentence doesn't exactly make sense, but it's still amusing...which is probably the best illustration of what it's like to read this book.) You'll love it.
Did I mention the bacon? No holiday is complete without bacon. I think we should throw a holiday bacon party.

Things That Make Me Snarf - The Walken Dead

2011-10-28T08:02:00.001-04:00

This video combines two of my favorite things. Zombies...and Christopher Walken.

You're welcome.

DEADLY

2011-10-27T07:18:00.003-04:00

Um. Er. It's Thursday, and that means Bookanista day, and I'm judging for the Cybils, and we have a bunch of monsters coming to our house this weekend for a costume party, and HALLOWEEN is coming, and...

Maybe you should just imagine me hyperventilating as I welcome you to this week's book recommendation for both the Cybils and the Bookanistas--DEADLY by Julie Chibbaro.

Bring on the book deets, courtesy of Goodreads:
A mysterious outbreak of typhoid fever is sweeping New York. Could the city’s future rest with its most unlikely scientist?

If Prudence Galewski is ever going to get out of Mrs. Browning’s esteemed School for Girls, she must demonstrate her refinement and charm by securing a job appropriate for a young lady. But Prudence isn’t like the other girls. She is fascinated by how the human body works and why it fails.

With a stroke of luck, she lands a position in a laboratory, where she is swept into an investigation of the fever bound to change medical history. Prudence quickly learns that an inquiry of this proportion is not confined to the lab. From ritzy mansions to shady bars and rundown tenements, she explores every potential cause of the disease. But there’s no answer in sight—until the volatile Mary Mallon emerges. Dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the press, Mary is an Irish immigrant who has worked as a cook in every home the fever has ravaged. Strangely, though, she hasn’t been sick a day in her life. Is the accusation against her an act of discrimination? Or is she the first clue in a new scientific discovery?

Prudence is determined to find out. In a time when science is for men, she’ll have to prove to the city, and to herself, that she can help solve one of the greatest medical mysteries of the twentieth century.

Confession time--any book in which the science geek saves the day makes me feel cool by association. I'm a total science geek, and I NEED THINGS THAT MAKE ME FEEL COOL. PLEASE WRITE MORE BOOKS IN WHICH THE SCIENCE GEEK SAVES THE DAY.

But seriously, I seek out what I call "sciencey fiction," not the fantastic kind with spaceships and time travel, but books that are fictional but still full of medical mysteries and biochemistry and epidemiology so I can get my science fix without going back to school for a PhD. And this book is one of my favorites. The science is spot-on with the exception of a few liberties explained in the afterword, but don't worry because I honestly believe you don't need to be a member of the geek squad in order to appreciate it. Underneath the medical mystery is a darned good story.

Prudence is the kind of girl that I think we're all familiar with--she's spunky and smart and doesn't understand for a minute why she's doomed to a life of typing when she has a BRAIN, darn it. But I liked that Julie Chibbaro resisted the urge to make her a huge mouthpiece for feminist rights; instead, Pru says, "I want to do this, so why can't I?" and then proceeds to put her money where her mouth is instead of just ranting about it. I think that's a better story choice that keeps the action moving and gets us right into the meat of the story (and it's DISEASED meat). But the whole time, we're gently reminded that she's a girl, and she's breaking into what is predominantly a male profession, which is at turns scary and maddening and proud-making.

Typhoid Mary is not at all what you'd expect, and there are a lot of ethical issues brought up in regards to her treatment that are just plain fascinating. AAAAAAAH. I'm going to shut up on that account, but someone read it quick so we can talk about that. Please?

In short, I loved DEADLY, and it is totally worth checking out.

While you're at it, why not stop by the Cybils to see what the featured judges think of their recent reads? And then check out what the rest of the Bookanistas are up to!

Elana Johnson REVEALS something awesome!!!

LiLa Roecker announces a winner - plus a Past Midnight series giveaway

Christine Fonseca reveals books she cannot wait to read

Beth Revis interviews My Very UnFairytale Life author Anna Staniszewski

Shannon Whitney Messenger interviews Skyship Academy-Pearl Wars author Nick James & agent Jennifer Rofe – with giveaway

Jessi Kirby twirls for Audition

Shana Silver burns for Circle of Fire

Stasia Ward Kehoe travels to The Day Before

Bacon Parties 101

2011-10-18T08:55:00.003-04:00

I get a lot of requests for bacon parties. We threw one a year-ish ago--it was a Roast of David Hasselhoff/Bacon Party. Because nothing goes better together than pork products and Baywatch jokes. The thing I like the most about bacon parties is...well, the bacon. But the second thing I like is that it's relatively easy to put one together. Here are a few bits of advice that I'd like to pretend is sage:

Obviously, the most important thing is the bacon! Here are some of my favorite bacon related staples (mmmm....bacon staples....):

Cream cheese and bacon dip
Bacon wrapped water chestnuts
German potato salad
Bacon cornbread
Maple and bacon cupcakes
Chocolate covered bacon...with sprinkles, of course

Under no circumstances should you try (unless there is someone you secretly hate at said party):

Bacon jellybeans
Bacon soda (shudder)
Bacon vodka
Bacon gum

I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's worth it to have something non-bacon on the table. We served raw vegetables with the bacon dip, but I noticed some people eating them plain to give their cholesterol a break.
You CAN decorate with bacon. I've heard of people buying bacon dolls and cardboard standups and things, but I made a centerpiece of bacon roses. There are a lot of bacon rose tutorials out there, some of which require the use of a drill!?! It's against my religion to drill with bacon. I just wrapped mine in a vaguely rose-shaped spiral, secured with toothpicks, and baked. Then I stuck them onto some wooden skewers and made leaves out of pipe cleaners.

And now I'm hungry.

Bookanistas: DON'T STOP NOW by Julie Halpern

2011-10-13T08:48:00.002-04:00

I have three kids, so I'm an expert at multitasking. When the twins were little, I learned that you CAN turn the pages of a book with your feet while you feed the babies with your hands. I can edit and cook dinner, sometimes without burning. And I can do Bookanista Thursday AND Cybils at the same time.

You HAVE gotten in your nominations for the Cybils, right? Saturday is the last day to get them in. RUN FORTH AND NOMINATE, PEOPLE!

And in the spirit of multitaskery, I am recommending a book that COINCIDENTALLY is a Cybils nominee. HOW DO THESE THINGS HAPPEN? Fate? Luck? Massive laziness? It's your call.

Today's book is DON'T STOP NOW by Julie Halpern.
On the first day of Lillian’s summer-before-college, she gets a message on her cell from her sort-of friend, Penny. Not only has Penny faked her own kidnapping, but Lil is the only one who figures it out. She knows that Penny’s home life has been rough, and that her boyfriend may be abusive. Soon, Penny’s family, the local police, and even the FBI are grilling Lil, and she decides to head out to Oregon, where Penny has mentioned an acquaintance. And who better to road-trip across the country with than Lil’s BFF, Josh. But here’s the thing: Lil loves Josh. And Josh doesn’t want to “ruin” their amazing friendship.

Josh has a car and his dad’s credit card. Lil has her cellphone and a hunch about where Penny is hiding. There’s something else she needs to find: Are she and Josh meant to be together?

This book has a road trip, cheese shirts, romantic tension, more cheese shirts, hotel rooms decorated like space stations, witty banter, and did I mention the cheese shirts? Unfortunately, the thing I liked the most about the book is the ending, and I refuse to be one of those spoilery types who spills it all. But I will say that the ending is not neat. It's not tidy. It's not romanticized. And I really respected the decision to write it that way.

Ultimately, this book was less about the search for Penny (which struck me as an excuse more than a mission) and more about Lil's desire to stop time before she goes to college and possibly loses Josh forever.

Dum dum DUUUUM.

Have you read this one? I'd love to hear about it. And while you're at it, check out the rest of the Bookanista awesome:

Elana Johnson offers a preview of upcoming awesome!

LiLa Roecker dances for Audition

Christine Fonseca is wowed by Witch Eyes

Beth Revis features a guest post by Darkfall author Janice Hardy

Carolina Valdez Miller steps up to Audition – with giveaway

Shana Silver contemplates The Future of Us

Corrine Jackson celebrates the success of Epic Fail

Shelli Johannes-Wells is psyched for some swell book launches!

Announcing MY SURPRISING MORTAL ENEMY!!!

2011-10-06T09:17:00.003-04:00

I AM IN TROUBLE.

How am I supposed to choose my surprising mortal enemy (complete with bragging rights and free signed book)? YOU PEOPLE ARE FUNNY. You gave me epidemiology and statistics humor (did you know that I was a statistician working in public health before I became a full time writer?). You flung Richard Simmons's workout shorts at me. You filled my house with popcorn (unintentional Real Genius reference?). You prank called me. You signed me up for Fabio fan clubs. You wore kilts (and really, anything that involves kilts is a total bonus). You called me Puddles. You sicced roadkill zombie minions on me. You burnt my books and house down.

Uh. I hope you don't intend to ACT on these things, people. Have I mentioned lately that I know ninjas? LOTS OF NINJAS. *shifty eyes*

Anyway, I know I was supposed to choose my mortal enemy yesterday, but I kept reading the entries and giggling maniacally and reminding myself that it was NOT FAIR to choose the winner via eenie meanie meinie moe. I went to bed last night dreaming about your entries. Which was amusing, to say the least.

I'd love to be able to award a book to all of you, but it's just not going to happen. So I'm going to give this one to a longtime reader who clearly knows my sense of humor. As my surprising mortal enemy, she'll be leaping out of the rafters with a sharpened popsicle stick, or flinging Richard Simmons's shorts at me, or tossing dinner at my noggin. And then when I'm not paying attention, she'll dork up my blog. (And them are FIGHTIN' WORDS.)

Tere Kirkland, you'd better look out. I don't intend to just sit back and let you surprising mortal enemize me.

And if you didn't win this month, never fear! I'll be giving more things away in the upcoming months, and there are two opportunities to win open right now! Check out the Class of 2k11 giveaway and Patricia's Particularity blog hop!

The Cybils...and other things

2011-10-05T09:04:00.002-04:00

I predict that my October will be full of EEEEEEHALLOWEEN and BOOKSBOOKSBOOKS. That's because, well, Halloween is in October and people look at me funny when I go all EEEEHALLOWEEN in January. And it's my favorite holiday ever. Which won't surprise anyone.

But I'm also all about the books right now, because I was lucky enough to be selected as a first round judge for the YA panel on the CYBILS! It's the only award (that I know of) where book bloggers can directly nominate titles and be a part of the process. And I'm serving on a hecka awesome panel full of speed-readers that I suspect might be cyborgs. (Attention fellow panel members--this is a compliment.)

Anyway, don't forget to nominate your favorite titles of the year for the Cybils! And then laugh maniacally at those of us who are crazy enough to try and read them all in the space of a couple of months.

If that's not enough excitement, I've also learned that BAD TASTE IN BOYS has been nominated for the ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list! Mystery-person-who-nominated-my-book, thank you so much! I'm making the EEEEEE sound again.

Get used to it. ;)

SLJ...and Taking Applications for Enemies

2011-09-29T11:29:00.005-04:00

I'm happy to report that the lovely people at School Library Journal said that BAD TASTE IN BOYS is "filled with light humor along with a silly, gory edge that will make readers laugh, rather than cringe." I love you, SLJ people! I pelt you with glitter and happy noises.

Anyway. There are developments behind the scenes, people. And one of those developments emailed me the other day to ask if I had any surprising mortal enemies. I was very embarrassed to confess that I don't! I NEED SURPRISING MORTAL ENEMIES. I am now taking applications in the comments. Wouldn't you like to be able to say, "Yeah, I'm the surprising mortal enemy of a crazed YA writer"?

I know I would. I wonder if I could be my OWN surprising mortal enemy...

Ack! Blogger posted this early. Which might have something to do with the fact that I pushed the button telling it to post instead of saving the draft, but let's blame it on Blogger anyway.

So. I will select one surprising mortal enemy from the comments, who gets bragging rights AND a signed copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS. Make me laugh and it could be you. I'll choose the winner on October 5th, shortly before I leave for a REAL WRITING RETREAT. Which is awesome.

Cause and Effect and Trouser Bacon

2011-09-23T09:28:00.003-04:00

A little while ago (ie, yesterday), this happened:

I got an email from a friend that said some things, and then right at the end (and totally unrelated, I might add), he said, "I reserve the right to make a bacon hat."

This struck me as a genius statement. So I tweeted.

@carrharr
Carrie Harris Oh, and today, I got an email that said, "I reserve the right to make a bacon hat." Don't we all, unnamed emailing person? DON'T WE ALL???
Sep 22 via webFavorite RetweetReply

People read my tweet, which still astounds me. And then Lish McBride, who wrote one of the funniest books in existence--HOLD ME CLOSER, NECROMANCER--sent me a video of a guy who wears a bacon dress and puts bacon down his pants, because she GETS ME.

So then we started ranting about trouser bacon, and how I wanted a shirt that says, "You should never eat trouser bacon," and then Laini Taylor, who I WILL MEET LIVE AND IN PERSON NEXT WEEK, jumps into the conversation, and at the end of the day, I think we might have pitched my agent with an anthology of stories...all about trouser bacon. Which I, personally, would buy.

Wouldn't you? I would very much like to see what Laini and Lish would do in the trouser bacon genre.

The Renn Faire and Monty Python References and...Slasher Film Cheerleaders?!?

2011-09-19T09:52:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago, I went to the Renaissance Faire with a bunch of friends. It's a tradition that we go every Labor Day, and this year was just plain silly fun. For starters, my son's battle axe was stolen by Jack Sparrow. I even have pictoral proof.

Give it back, or I'll bite your kneecaps off! I've given Jedi bloody noses before. You don't want to mess with me.

And I'm not kidding about that Jedi thing, either. I pity the bully that tries to pick on my kid. I REALLY pity the one that tries to pick on his sisters.

Things like that always seem to happen to our group. One year, one of the guys from the ninja dojo got picked to go up on stage with the belly dancers. The kicker is that he dated a belly dancer at one point, and he really went to town with the hip swivels. So of course we threw cash at him. I may have hit him between the eyes with a quarter, but I'll never admit it in public.

And if you'll reread that sentence, you'll notice that I really didn't admit it. I admitted the POSSIBILITY, that's all.

The other awesome thing that happened at the Faire is that we started talking HALLOWEEN. I LOVE HALLOWEEN! I forced my kid to be born three days in advance just so it could be on Halloween. (Okay, so that's a slight exaggeration. But I would have done it if I could have.) And this year, I really want to be the Kelda from Terry Prachett's Tiffany Aching books. And then have a bunch of the guys be Nac Mac Feegle, so I could fold my arms and tap my feet and have them yell, "WAILY WAILY WAILY!"

We practiced this at the Faire, and it was fun. I suggest you recruit someone to do the wailing and try it yourself.

I'm thinking this Halloween is going to be EPIC. Even epicker than the time I dressed up as the slasher film cheerleader and a little old couple took one look at me and drove off the road.

Have you started thinking Halloween yet?

Oh, and my agent will probably be very pleased to know that I think I've settled on a plot for my fifth book, and it will be set at a Renn Faire. Of course, I have to finish book FOUR before I can get that far.

Dystopian, Gametastic, and Crazeballs. How Have YOU Been?

2011-09-14T08:51:00.003-04:00

Sorry to have been gone so long. It's been a crazy couple of days full of things that start with the letter S. Like SUCK. SUCK SUCK SUCKETY SUCK. But the suck is sublimating now, and that's just super.

So this week, I'm working on a shorter piece that I'm hoping to show you before November 2012, because that's a hecka long time for both of us to wait. Although this may be somewhat more difficult because Slayer just gave me a copy of HAMMERED by Kevin Hearne, and those books are the awesome on top of the cake. And it's not the kind of awesome that dyes your tongue blue and tastes vaguely like the inside of a congealed Twinkie. The series is awesome, and you should read it.

And then you should read READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline, who actually HAS A DELOREAN. It doesn't get much cooler than that. And it's a dystopian, gametastic, crazeballs, 80's reference-laden book of total awesomeness. It's instantly rocketed up into my favorite books of all time.

What have you been reading?

Come See Me This Weekend!

2011-09-09T09:16:00.002-04:00

Whatcha doing this weekend? If you're anywhere near Southeast Michigan, come and see me at the Kerrytown Bookfest! I'll be on a science-fiction and fantasy panel with Jim Freaking Hines, Steve Piziks, and David Erik Nelson. It's Sunday the 11th at 3 PM in the main tent.

After the panel, I'll be signing books. AND...if you come to the event, let me know that you read my blog, and I will answer one insider info question about upcoming Grable books. (Although I retain veto power because I know one of you smartypants will ask to know the entire plot of the next book in detail. And then I will laugh.) Normally, I refuse to answer these things, so you will KNOW THINGS. And you will be able to TAUNT PEOPLE WITH YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

Hope to see you there!

Back to School

2011-09-07T08:52:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was my son's first day of school, and today, my daughters go. And of course, every time I bring this up, people ask me what I'm going to do with all the extra time. In my quest to appear semi-normal, I usually say things like sleep, work, or PARTY AT MY HOUSE. But really? I'll be doing one of these things:

Learn how to crochet the Exorcist playset. Because the power of yarn DOES compel me.
Researching what happens when you lock someone in a porta potty and tip it over, otherwise known as STARTING BOOK FOUR.
Going to a roller derby practice and trying desperately to resist the urge to try out.
Designing a time machine so that I don't have to do the second half of number 3.
Selling the time machine on the black market so I don't have to do ANYTHING.
Sleep a little, because let's be realistic here. It's gonna happen.

What are you up to these days?

BAD TASTE IN BOYS excerpt

2011-08-30T09:23:00.003-04:00

Watch this video of me reading from BTIB, and then throw sparkles in your face. It'll be just like seeing me in person.

Happy Birthday, Slayer!

2011-08-25T08:42:00.002-04:00

Today is my husband's birthday. Here you go, Slayer--a political candidate you will LIKE.

I'd vote for him. Either of them, actually.

Anyway, happy birthday, husbando. I LOVE YOU.

Interior Design, Carriestyle

2011-08-24T07:50:00.007-04:00

We've been working on our house lately. We have one of those houses with about two square feet of closet space total, so every time I go over to someone else's house, I wander around, muttering, "Closets...such lovely closets..." until they throw me out. When no one else is around, I look up closet organization websites and drool over the pictures. I dream about walk-ins.

For years, Slayer and I have dreamt about the features in our dream house. He wants a man cave--a room he can fill with leather furniture and cigar boxes and a big tv, probably with lots of antlers and weaponry on the wall. Or weaponry made out of antlers. So he gets that.

And I get chttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.giflosets. And an office. With lots and lots and LOTS of bookshelves. But I'd also like these things:

Viva la revolucion! Nothing says "Down with the man (especially if he is holding a cheeseburger) like Che Hoff! This poster belongs on my walls.

And it'll hang next to this handy reference poster that tells you the correct terminology for supernatural collectives. They had me at "A solace of Baba Yagas."

When you come over, you'll have to look under my desk at my sugar skull floor mat. SERIOUSLY, WHO COMES UP WITH THIS STUFF, AND CAN I INVITE THEM OVER FOR DINNER?!?

Of course, at this rate, we're going to need to move into a hotel so I have enough room to put all this stuff. You'd stay at my hotel, right?

BTIB Deleted Scene

2011-08-22T09:24:00.002-04:00

My new dishwasher showed up. So I'm going to go drool over it for a while, and maybe rub butter all over some plates and then wash them.

You think I'm kidding, but I'm totally not.

Anyway, while I go play with butter, you might want to take a look at the deleted BTIB scene over at Loving Books. There is Jonah in it. And there's a giveaway too.

Now...let there be butter.

Bookanistas: STUPID FAST by Geoff Herbach

2011-08-18T07:53:00.003-04:00

Happy Bookanista Thursday! Today is the day that we recommend great books, and you curse us because now you have to read them and how on earth are you going to get the dishes/homework/alien invasion prep done if you keep reading all these books!?!?

Today, I'm featuring STUPID FAST by Geoff Herbach. This one is already out, so you don't need to curse my name for recommending something you can't get your hands on yet.

About STUPID FAST:

Fifteen-year-old Felton Reinstein has always been on the smallish side, but in his sophomore year he starts growing...and growing.

During gym one day he smokes the football jocks in a 600-yard race. Felton has never been interested in sports, but there's no doubt-he is "stupid fast." As he juggles his newfound athletic prowess, his mom's sudden depression, an annoying little brother, and his first love, he discovers a shocking secret about his past which explains why he's turning out the way he is.

Guys, this is one of the best books I've read this year.

It's probably no surprise to anyone that I'm not the hugest sports fan, unless the sport in question is roller derby or it's being played by zombies. But after reading and loving Keri Mikulski's Pretty Tough books, I thought I'd give this one a try.

And holy frijoles, was it worth every minute.

Felton sounds like a REAL GUY, which is probably a good thing, since I'm assuming that Geoff is a REAL GUY too. I feel like there are plenty of options to read about guys who are descended from (insert deity here), or guys who are (insert paranormal creature here), or guys who are (insert variety of smartassery here). But STUPID FAST stood out to me because Felton can't be easily pigeonholed. He wanted to be funny but feared that he wasn't. He was completely perplexed by how his life was spiraling out of control; he wanted things to change but couldn't find a way to make it happen. All he can do, the only thing he can control, is running. And after his mega growth spurt, he does it stupid fast.

Felton Reinstein made me cry and snort things out my nose, but not simultaneously. It was so good that after I was done reading, I gave it to my husband. He devoured it too.

So even if you're not a fan of boy books, or sports books, or books with numbers on the cover...WHATEVER. Give this one a try. If you don't like it, I'll eat my shoe.

And now...WE INTERRUPT THIS BOOKANISTA BROADCAST to celebrate WRITE ON CON! For some fun writer insights and pep talks, click along to…

Christine Fonseca, Beth Revis, Jessi Kirby and Stasia Ward Kehoe!

And, we know you MUST have your Thursday Bookanista reviews so here you go!

Veronica Rossi loves Legend

Shana Silver serves up a Maureen Johnson double feature of The Last Little Blue Envelope & The Name of the Star

Scott Tracey is awed by Anna Dressed in Blood

Bethany Wiggins howls over How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend

Gretchen McNeil is spellbound by Witch Eyes

Carolina Valdez Miller and Shelli Johannes-Wells are passionate about Possess

Matt Blackstone blogs From Bedside

The Inevitable

2011-08-17T07:49:00.003-04:00

So you know how I've blogged every weekday, excepting a few holidays and sick days, for the last THREE FRACKING YEARS?!? Well, this is my 702th post, and that means I've written about three-and-a-half books worth. That's a LOT.

In all honesty, I'm getting a little burnt out. I will absolutely continue to blog, because I love it and I love YOU, but it's probably not going to be every day. But never fear, because I will be using the time to do OTHER things that you will hopefully enjoy.

I will be tweeting, probably more than is good for me.

I will be responding to your comments. I was drowning there for a while, and I didn't comment back to you, which is really suckish. I'm sorry!!! One of the reasons I got into this was so I could talk with you, not at you, and some of my closest friends are from blogville. I hope that with fewer posts to cover, we'll actually be able to talk again.

I will be vlogging. I have a sekrit vlog project in the planning stages right now, and I hope to be able to tell you more soon.

And I will be writing some extras. I got a lot of messages with sad faces in them when I announced that BAD HAIR DAY won't be out until November. (Although this means you can buy it for people AND WRAP IT, which is awesome.) It IS a long time to wait, so I'll be writing some new shorts and posting some deleted scenes and things. My goal is to get you something new each month--we'll see if I make it.

So please don't panic if you stop by and see that I haven't posted that day. I have NOT been devoured by zombies. Or if I have, it's been in the name of vlogging, and that's okay.

Happy Tuesday Gifts

2011-08-16T07:41:00.002-04:00

I have things for you.

I hope I don't offend anyone by saying that I'm not the world's biggest bluegrass fan. But I could sit through HOURS of this.

These are the coolest (if slightly gory) zombie bowling balls I've ever seen. And yes, they are the ONLY zombie bowling balls I've ever seen.

At my house, though, we have zombie bowling PINS. They are the bomb. You won't get that joke unless you click the link. And then you will groan.

BTW, if you're anywhere near SE Michigan, you should stop and see me at the Kerrytown Bookfest in Ann Arbor on September 11th. I'll be on a science fiction panel with Jim FREAKING Hines (his new name), Steven CRAZY PROLIFIC Piziks, and David Erik AWESOME SQUID SOCK CTHULHU MAKER Nelson. If you show up, I will give YOU a random capital letter nickname too.

Why? WHY NOT.

Carrie's Weekend in Pictures

2011-08-15T07:36:00.005-04:00

This weekend was sooooo much fun. On Friday night, my in-laws took the kids, so Slayer and I went out to dinner and walked around downtown Ann Arbor. We went to some art galleries and the comic book store (where we saw a picture of Princess Leia with some serious 5 o'clock stubble), and then....THEN...

We saw a violin playing werewolf.

I stopped my maniacal giggling long enough to get pictoral proof.

Eat your heart out, Teen Wolf. This guy has mad violin skilz.

On Saturday, I worked on my books. Which means I read out loud to myself a lot and did some research.

Words, get thee in my head!

I should probably note that the exorcism book is left over from a book I wrote a long time ago and not a sekrit hint at what I'm working on now. Although it makes me think of POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil. You HAVE ordered it, right? Get POSSESSed, people! Vade retro satana! *shakes possess pompoms* *wonders what possess pompoms would look like* *wants some*

And yesterday, we took the kids to the circus, which reminded me about that circus related book idea I have, and THAT'S THE LAST THING I NEED. The book idea fairies need to stay the heck out of my room! You hear that, you BIFs?!?!

While I'm chasing fairies, please enjoy this blurry photo of an elephant with children on top. Which is kinda like a sundae with a cherry on top only...not.

What did you do this weekend?

Random Thoughts for Friday

2011-08-12T08:16:00.003-04:00

My to do list is as long as my arms. On my to do list? Get longer arms.

I say that I'd like to get a personal assistant to help clean my house and organize my projects and respond to fan mail and things. Yesterday, I tried to recruit one of my twitter followers to follow me around in a ninja costume with a boom box and play the soundtrack to my life. He said it was fine so long as I called him Dobler. Dobler hasn't arrived. I'm disappointed.

It really amuses me that I spent all of college trying to get stalkers to stop following me, and now I spend all my time trying to get people to follow me online. I wish I had the phone numbers of those stalkers.

I really want to plant a zombie in the garden. I wouldn't have to weed it. And I'm really behind on my weeding, because Dobler isn't here to play a weeding song.

Now I'm brainstorming weeding songs.

I'm very close to finishing line edits on BAD HAIR DAY and the last round of before-the-agent edits on book number 3. So of course, last night, I dreamt about one of my other shelved projects. My subconscious has it out for me.

I miss the used bookstore where I used to live. Half Price Books, come to Michigan. Please. Or I will have to buy another bookcase.

What's up with you?

Bookanistas: POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

2011-08-11T08:30:00.003-04:00

Welcome back to Bookanista Thursday. We haven't done this in a while, so let me remind you of the basics--Bookanistas recommend some good reads every Thursday. We're all writers, so you won't find traditional reviews, but you will find things to add to your to-read list. Which is awesome.

Today, I'm OH-SO-STRONGLY recommending POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil. Here's what it's about:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

So when I was in junior high and early in high school, I was so addicted to Christopher Pike that I read the covers off them. Literally. I read Lois Duncan and VC Andrews--anything that gave me goosebumps. Eventually, I moved on, but I can still give you a page-by-page rundown of Last Act. Poor Melanie.

POSSESS reminds me of everything I loved about those books. It's genuinely chilling without being gross-out or taking me into I'll-never-sleep-again territory. It's fast paced and un-put-downable. It has a heroine that I'd like to befriend and a hot guy to drool over. There are scenes that made me gnash my teeth over, because they are just That Good. At least they were clean teeth. I brushed them while holding the book because I couldn't bear to put it down.

I know. I'm gushing, and I don't usually gush.

As a big horror aficionado, I was really curious to see how this book would handle the process of exorcism. I've read a lot about it, which probably won't surprise you. The process here is very simplified, which initially had me a little worried, but I felt like this was absolutely the right choice for the story. It keeps things fast paced and avoids a lot of pesky religious questions. In short, regardless of what your exorcism-related beliefs are, you should still be able to appreciate this as a good story.

Frankly, my only complaint about this book is that it's the first one I read while on vacation, and then it was downhill from there. Nothing else stacked up to it.

Check out what the other Bookanistas are recommending this week!

Elana Johnson sings out for Chime

LiLa Roecker thinks Epic Fail is a great success - with giveaway

Matt Blackstone feels The Pull of Gravity

Scott Tracey is entranced by Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Carolina Valdez Miller marvels at The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

What're you reading now?

YA Rebels

2011-08-10T08:27:00.002-04:00

Today, I'm auditioning for the YA Rebels. If I'm selected, that means you'll get to see me babble at you on video once a week. Depending on your point of view, you're probably cheering and throwing sparkles at your computer or running in fear and hiding under the bed right now. Just don't get confused and throw sparkles UNDER the bed, because that would be messy.

Take a moment to check out the rest of the auditions too! There are some awesome videos up there. But make sure to wear your Carrie the Pseudo Rebel campaign pins. And the hat. And the chaps.

Frankly, I think that if more politicians gave out promotional chaps, the world would be a better place.

I should also note that I'd appreciate it if you wore, you know, CLOTHES. (This message is meant for a specific person, and you know who you are.)

Anyway, without further ado...

Calling All Members of M-HIF

2011-08-09T08:38:00.006-04:00

One of the questions that I get a lot is who I'd cast in a film version of my books. I know a lot of people who struggle with this question, but I find it pretty easy. I'm on a mission, you see. A mission for More Hoff in Film. M-HIF is dedicated to bringing more David Hasselhoff to EVERY film. For example, I think that my Lifetime movie should star the Hoff. As me.

I think that the Hoff should have played Gandalf.

Come see my pointy hat trick.

And honestly? The only thing that would have made the original Star Wars trilogy was if the Hoff had played Yoda.

Jump in my car, you will.

I think the Twilight films would have been 100x better if Edward and Jacob had been fighting over...well...

How do you like THEM apples?

What about you? What film roles are YOU eager to see the Hoff take over?

Happiness is a guy with an axe breaking into a chicken store

2011-08-08T09:50:00.003-04:00

Sorry, guys. I've been gone for a few days, and my house is full of bags waiting to be unpacked, and my legs are full of pain from doing too many things that involve walking. I look so pitiful that my kids let me sleep in.

The good news about this is that now I have firsthand experience of the zombie lurch-and-moan. Which means that I can write off my trip as research, right?

So I'm going to get caught up here today. But let me leave you with a hilarious AxeCop comic that includes a picture of the Halloween costume I want to wear this year. And yes, I'm honestly starting to think about that even though it's only August.

Go! See a man with an axe dress up and break into a chicken store. You know you want to.

School Mascots

2011-08-04T08:49:00.002-04:00

In BAD TASTE IN BOYS, the school mascot is the Bantams, and I made up a Bayview Bantams t-shirt for the trailer. I still wear that shirt, because hey, why the heck not? But I took way too long researching possible mascots--not because I couldn't make up my mind, but because I honestly think that the people who create school mascots are smoking something, and it's not legal.

How else do you explain the Key School Obezags? It's an anagram. Of "gazebo." Which is awesome. I think someone at their school was a fan of the Dread Gazebo. As a gamer geek, I make at least one gazebo joke a week to meet my quota.

Then there are teams like beg to be pervertized. Like any team named the Trojans, or the Cobden Appleknockers, or the Butte Pirates. (Really? REALLY?!?) I'll refrain from commenting on them, but you can pretty much imagine what I'm thinking if you try hard enough.

And then there are the names full of WTFuttery. Like the Mt. Clemens Battling Bathers and the Watersmeet Nimrods.

I think there should be more teams with monster names. There are a few centaur teams out there, because apparently man-horses inspire major fear in the hearts of opponents. Wyverns are pretty common too. But where are the MERPIRES? That would be scary. Or the Sparkly Vampires? Which would be...uh...sparkly.

My high school mascot? The bees. I wish they were sparkly or vampiric, but they weren't.

NotGD wrap-up and research

2011-08-03T07:41:00.004-04:00

First, a small matter of business. I've contacted all the winners of Night of the Giving Dead and sent out all critique instructions. But I'm hearing from some people that their emails haven't shown up. (I blame a ravening cybermonster, who is obviously eating all my words of wisdom.) So if you're waiting for an auction related email from me, drop me a note and I'll resend.

If you haven't paid for your items or contacted me to make arrangements, I will be assigning them to the next available winner tomorrow, which is a few days later than I said I'd do it. Please do contact me if you have questions!

And now, a sneak peek! I spent a large part of the day yesterday watching a documentary called Fantastic Flesh about special effects makeup. And now I'm reading this. Both are research for a new book, and it's probably the most fun I've had doing research EVER. Because let's face it; I already know enough about zombies and werewolves to fill an encyclopedia. I did my research anyway, but I spent most of my time going, "Yep. Yep. I know. Isn't that hilarious?"

What are the most interesting things you've ever had to research, for books or otherwise?

Calling All Book Ninjas - A Bit on Pirating

2011-08-02T07:50:00.006-04:00

I knew I'd "made it" when Google Alerts for pirated versions of my book started showing up in my inbox. I was able to take the first few with a decent amount of humor, because it's pretty ridiculous to believe that it's not going to happen, right? I knew it. I was prepared-ish for it. And then I saw the number of people downloading it and totally went batshit crazy.

I don't normally swear on this blog, but that's how crazy I went.

Because the reality is that if every one of those people had bought a copy, or even gone on their library website and requested the book instead of doing the exact same thing on an illegal sharing site? If they'd done that, IT WOULD HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO ME. And not just in terms of my ability to stay relatively sane, but also in terms of my career. I'd explain this, but the lovely and hilarious Saundra Mitchell already has, and she's smarter than me. Seriously, it's worth a read, and I'll be here when you get back.

Book pirating is a real problem. And I've been thinking a lot about this whole issue and what to do about it. Beyond the obvious, which is SICCING RANDOM HOUSE on them and composing emails to them in my head that start with "AAAAAAAAAWHYDIDYOUDOTHAT?!?!" I've been doing both of those things, and they have an immediate effect, I guess, in that they make me feel marginally better and RH is now on their trail to hopefully make them take it down. But somehow that feels insufficient. I needed something bigger to get the attention of those pirates.

I needed ninjas.

Everyone knows that pirates and ninjas don't get along. When ninjas are involved, I think it's a given that pirates pay attention. And I think that many book pirates honestly don't understand that their actions are seriously contributing to the fact that their favorite series doesn't have an ending...because the publishing house chose not to pick up the next book due to low sales. I think they're so busy stomping around with their peglegs and illegal downloads that they don't REALIZE that they're not just sticking it to the man, but they're also sticking it to authors...who can't afford to be authors any more.

Now, I'm not in that situation at this point. I'm very lucky to have two more books coming out in the next two years, and I'm working my butt off to insure that they're followed by more of the same! But that doesn't change the fact that it PISSETH ME OFF AND MAKETH ME SPEAK IN A PSEUDO ACCENT.

I know that to a certain extent, I'm preaching to the chorus. I know a lot of you, and you wouldn't dream of pirating a book. Most of the people who need to hear this aren't on book blogs, so we're all stuck dealing with it, right?

Maybe so, but there's still an opportunity to make a difference. Be a book ninja. Nodding in agreement when reading blog posts like this is GREAT, and I'm glad if you're doing that. (Heck, I'm just happy that you're spending a few minutes with me in the first place.) But there are plenty of easy things you can do to help make sure your favorite authors can still write. Help spread the word about library programs that allow you to download FREE BUT LEGAL ebooks for people who are desperate to read but just can't scrape up the cash. If you're in school, write about these things for a report or the school newspaper. If you know someone who has downloaded books, take a minute to point them towards Saundra's post so they understand that it really DOES make a difference. Speak out against book piracy. You can even wear a ninja cowl when you do it if it makes you feel cooler. It does for me.

Be a book ninja.

Here is a book ninja learning how to kick some book pirate booty.

Things That Are Awesome...Including NEW RELEASE DATES

2011-08-01T07:52:00.004-04:00

I'm back! And today, I want to give you a short list of five things that are really ridiculously awesome. Like, you know how evaporated milk is thick and concentrated and, well, EVAPORATED? These things are like evaporated awesomesauce. Extra awesome, less sauce.

1. I've already told you that Night of the Giving Dead raised over $7000 in books for the kids of Mott Children's Hospital, and I'm still waiting for a few donations to float in. But hearing that isn't the same as SEEING it. About a third of the books are currently occupying my living room. They look like THIS:

You can't quite tell from this picture, but these towers are as tall as I am. I would have taken a picture with said towers, but they fell over shortly after we took this picture. Which was slightly less awesome, but I guess you can't have everything.

2. I HAZ DATES! Official book releasey dates! First, there's the BAD TASTE IN BOYS paperback, which is really good if you like your books to be soft and cuddly, or if you intend to learn to juggle with them, or if you want to have a complete collection of sugar lips and put them on the shelves so they can make out with each other. (I haven't done that...much.) You can get your paperback version on June 12th of next year! And I'm putting the finishing touches on the next Kate Grable adventure, BAD HAIR DAY, which officially hits the shelves just in time for Christmas--November 13th, 2012!

3. I am not a runner, but if you put zombies on the course and heart-pounding obstacles all around it, I just might turn into one. This is one of the coolest zombie-themed events I've ever seen. And trust me, I've seen a lot.

4. We now have this in our family room. My kids will be fully prepared for the zombie apocalypse. And based on my score, I will be fully prepared to offer constructive criticism and stay the heck out of the way because they can outshoot me. Maybe I'll stick to melee weapons.

5. THIS IS AWESOME. Nerd rapping is always awesome. DFTBA, people.

Grand Prize Winners!

2011-07-28T08:54:00.002-04:00

As of today, Night of the Giving Dead is officially closed for business. But there are still grand prizes to give out! So without further ado...

The winner of the Kindle is Daphne!

The winner of the 6 month mentorship is Savannah!

Congratulations and zombie hugs to you both!

And that's that. I'd love any feedback you've got, either here in the comments or by email. What did you think? Should I do another of these next year to celebrate BAD HAIR DAY?

I'll be back on Monday with our regularly scheduled nonsense. I need today and tomorrow to get caught up on processing all these prizes!

The GRAND PRIZE...and then I will officially shut up!

2011-07-27T07:44:00.004-04:00

Late tonight (or maybe early tomorrow morning), I draw the grand prize winners for Night of the Giving Dead! If you've been visiting your relatives in Kankakee, or avoiding me because of something I said (dude, I'm SORRY), or been on an internet sabbatical while you alphabetize your collection of foreign soaps--in short, if you've missed the details--lemme tell you a little about this! I'm giving away a Kindle. And a six month writing mentorship, in which I can give you ideas on how to handle your collection of foreign soaps, if it comes to that.

What do you need to do? Just fill out this form! You don't have to have participated in the auction to enter. And while the auction items are closed, there are still a lot of ways to get extra entries and make a difference for the kids of Mott hospital, like tweeting/FBing/blogging about what I've been up to, or making a $10 (or more) donation to the Giving Library, or buying a copy of Bad Taste in Boys! As a thank you, you can also sign up for some free swag from some SUPA AMAZING authors when you register for the grand prize.

Get your entries in by midnight EST to be included in the drawing! I'll announce the winners in tomorrow's blog post and on twitter.

And after the grand prize is drawn? I'LL TALK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE FOR A CHANGE!?!?!

Last Day for Night of the Giving Dead!

2011-07-26T08:17:00.002-04:00

You people astound me.

I don't have final numbers yet, but I think we're hovering around the $7000 mark for Night of the Giving Dead. Think of how many books that means for kids who really need them. HAPPYHAPPYHAPPYHAPPY.

There are still a few items left for today, including some great signed books and an ARC pack that I REALLY want. I also got some notes from people yesterday who REALLY wanted critiques but got outbid at the last minute. So as a thank you from me, I'm offering BONUS CRITIQUES. There are three of them closing throughout the day today, and since they're only open for one day, they should be affordable. I hope you'll bid on them.

And don't forget to fill out the grand prize form! I'll be drawing winners of the Kindle and mentorship tomorrow!

As a parting shot...this is what it's like to see me speak live. You can do that at the Kerrytown Bookfest here in Ann Arbor in September. More deets later!

Night of the Giving Dead LAST MINUTE STEALS and bidding giveaway!

2011-07-25T07:19:00.003-04:00

It's the last day to bid on many Night of the Giving Dead items! The closing time is noted on each item--we have things closing at noon, 2P, and 4P, all EST. And there are some huge steals to pick off that are going for much less than they're worth! Go here and look for the items marked STEAL and snap them up before someone else does! Don't let someone outbid you at the last minute!

I'm also giving away a 100 page critique to someone who bids today. Entries will be calculated based on the dollar amount of each valid, unretracted bid. So if you bid $20, you get 20 entries. If you bid $100, you get 100 freaking entries! This critique is FREE and doesn't require you to win anything! All you need to do is place a bid to be entered. I'll be drawing the winner around 4:30 EST today, so get those bids rolling! Remember, every dollar goes to sick kids who need a good book to distract them!

To help motivate you, here is a picture of my head on David Hasselhoff's body.

BID! BID LIKE THE WIND!

Surprise LOLZOMBIE and the Night of the Giving Dead home stretch

2011-07-22T08:32:00.002-04:00

And now, for the LAST LOLZOMBIE OF THE WEEK. I think it's probably obvious what movie musical this one's from!

And now, a quick reminder that many Night of the Giving items start closing on MONDAY, at times throughout the day. The newer items have an extra day for bidding to even things out a little. And don't forget to fill out the grand prize entry form--you won't be entered to win the Kindle or six month writing mentorship without it!http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

How about some featured items to carry us through the weekend?

A three chapter critique plus a follow up phone call from my agent, Kate Schafer Testerman. (And really? I'm jealous of anyone who gets to talk to her. She's THAT nice.)
A September release ARC pack--ENTHRALLED and THE SHATTERING. (Get your hands on two great upcoming releases well before the rest of the world!)
A signed copy of BESTEST. RAMADAN. EVER. by Medeia Sharif. (This is a new listing, great deal, and a must read!)
A signed copy of THE FAERIE RING by Kiki Hamilton and a 25 page critique. (Kiki is one of my crit partners, and she is AWESOME.)
A signed, annotated copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS. (You'll get inside info on edits, backstory, and a few sneak tidbits about the next Kate Grable adventure, BAD HAIR DAY.)

Lolzombie of the Day and Featured Steals

2011-07-21T07:34:00.003-04:00

Look! Look! It's a lolzombie cleverly disguised at John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever.

I totally see the resemblance, don't you?

Night of the Giving Dead has started hopping, because we're getting into the home stretch on some of these items--but there are still some mucho fabbo steals out there. Take a look at these:

A signed copy of MOONGLASS by Jessi Kirby. (A perfect choice for a contemporary YA fan--I loved this book!)
A critique of 10 pages of a MG or verse novel or a full PB from author Caroline Starr Rose. (And she's not only adorable and kind--she's also TALENTED.)
Name a character in Barrie Summy's next middle grade book. (Imagine how cool your tween will be if he/she is the inspiration for a BOOK. Very ridiculously cool, of course.)
A copy of HOKEY POKEY signed by author Lisa Wheeler. (This is one of the most adorable picture books EVAR.)
A 30 minute phone call with agent Michelle Wolfson. (A REAL LIVE AGENT! ON THE PHONE! WITH YOU!)
An original 9" by 12" watercolor by K. Marie Criddle. (SHE DRAWS ZOMBIES. Also other things that are awesome.)

Singin in the Rain lolzombie and some featured items!

2011-07-20T09:04:00.003-04:00

I love lolzombies! If you ask me, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and lolzombies go together like...uh...

Let me get back to you on that.

And here are some featured items from Night of the Giving Dead! Not only are they awesome, but every dollar you bid goes straight to the hospital to put great books in the hands of sick kids. Which is the LEAST they deserve.

A signed ARC of WOLFSBANE by Andrea Cremer! (AAAAAAAH! Ren reduces me to total incoherence!)
A signed copy of MEMENTO NORA by Angie Smibert and a 10 page or query and synopsis critique! (MEMENTO NORA is stylish and creepy and just plain awesome. So is Angie...well, she's not creepy but you get the picture.)
A custom book trailer from Megan Bostic! (I've tried playing around with video, and MAN IS IT HARD. But it really gets the word out about your book. Let Megan work her magic with yours--you won't be sorry!)
A signed copy of Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist: THE BASILISK'S LAIR by R.L. Lafevers! (Adventure! Snakes! Basilisks! It's like mini Indiana Jones, and it is AWESOME.)
A signehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifd copy of THE MOCKINGBIRDS by Daisy Whitney and an ARC of THE RIVALS! (These books are ZOMGHOLYCRAPSTICKSGOOD! And THE RIVALS isn't out until next year, so you will get to read it VERY early and taunt people with your awesomeness.)
A blog design package courtesy of Parajunkie! (Looking to prettify your blog? Parajunkie does some FABULOUS work, and right now, this item is a huge STEAL.)
A signed copy of DOGSLED DREAMS by Terry Lynn Johnson! (Another fabulous middle grade adventure that will keep some lucky kid glued to the pages.)

Bidding's starting to get competitive! Don't get left behind on the awesome!

Flashdance lolzombie AND featured bidding items!

2011-07-19T13:17:00.002-04:00

Durr. Slayer called me this morning to tell me something was up with the blog. "But I wrote something!" I thought. Yeah. I posted it on Night of the Giving Dead by mistake. Whoopsie.

Today's musical inspired lolzombie is from Flashdance. Because nothing says awesome like a zombie in 80s dancewear dumping a bucket of water on its head.

I'm so pleased to report that Night of the Giving Dead is going strong! I've gotten a few more donations that I plan to put up today--make sure to stop by to bid on these awesome deals. You will want them. Heck, *I* want them!

Need some ideas on what to bid on? Here are some great deals!

A signed animal picture book pack by the awesomely adorable Lisa Wheeler! (I like to keep a few signed picture books on hand for baby showers. Because I am lazy.)
A signed copy of SPARROW ROAD by Sheila O'Connor! (Maybe I should keep signed copies of middle grade books too. This one is beautiful and intriguing and oh-so-lovely!)http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Signed copies of IF I STAY and WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman. (Guys. It's GAYLE FREAKING FORMAN! AAAAAAAAH!)
A signed, annotated copy of ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins! (You realize what this means, right? INSIDE ETIENNE INFO!!!! DOUBLE AAAAAAAAAAH!>
A critique by Curtis Brown agent of awesome, Sarah La Polla! (Depending on how much the final bid is, she'll do MORE pages!)

Oklahoma lolzombie and today's features

2011-07-18T07:49:00.005-04:00

It's the lolzombie of the day! I am working on one for Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo, but that's TOUGH. But it's okay, because we have one for Oklahoma! Unfortunately, every time I look at it, I get that song stuck in my head, and I only remember about two lines of it. Hopefully you fare better than I did.

Now. Hopefully by now, you've heard of Night of the Giving Dead. And today, I'd like to point something out. Usually, critiques go for upwards of 500 buckaroonies. But because I put a slew of them up at once, these have been flying under the radar. They're a STEAL, peeps. Why not place a bid and get in on the action???

A signed copy of OyMG, an OyMG t-shirt, and a three chapter AND synopsis from the delightful Amy Dominy. (And synopses are always so fricking HARD! Amy's got a great feel for pacing and character; she'll help you out.)
A 50 page manuscript critique by multitalented author Robin LaFevers. (Robin AWES me. She's pubbed in MG; her YA comes out soon, and I suspect she could write cereal boxes and make them interesting. Whatever you've got, she can help you with it.)
A critique of 10 pages of a MG or YA or a full PB from the awe-inspiring Cynthea Liu. (This is the kind of thing that's perfect to get your first pages sparkling, even if your project isn't finished! And Cynthea writes such TERRIFIC books that you will be in TERRIFICKER hands.)
A full manuscript critique plus a 30 minute follow up phone call by agent of awesomeness Suzie Townsend. (Just reading this makes me squealy. This could be just what you need to whip that manny into shape before subbing! And don't get me started on what a steal this is right now.)
A full manuscript critique from me. (I cannot promise not to crack any jokes during the execution of said critique. But I promise to make it worth your while.)

Quick! Quick! Get cracking before someone else snaps these things up!

Dirty Dancing lolzombie...and a serious note

2011-07-15T07:38:00.004-04:00

Today's musical lolzombie is from Dirty Dancing, and it's probably my favorite. I also think the zombies put a new twist on that song they sing at the end of the movie about joining hands and hearts and voices.

Now. On to some slightly more serious stuff. Yesterday was one of those really difficult days where my husband had to have The Talk with a family at the hospital. Those days make you want to hug and kiss your kids and thank whatever deity you happen to believe in that you've been so lucky. On the other? You kind of want to shake your fist at the sky and demand an explanation that makes sense.

There's nothing that will make this okay, but I really want to put lots of books in these kids' hands and give them a smile or two and a few moments of escape. If you've got a minute, please place a bid, make a donation, or sign up for the grand prizes! There's a kindle and a six month writing mentorship up for grabs!

And if all those items are way too much to go through, here are some features! All are going for less than retail value, and they're just plain awesome.

Signed copies of the NYT bestselling picture book THE POUT-POUT FISH and THE POUT-POUT FISH IN THE BIG-BIG DARK by Michigan writer Debbie Diesen! (I secretly love these picture books and am always putting them on the top of the stack and then asking my kids to "choose.")
Signed copies of middle grade novels ZOMBIES FOR LUNCH and MIKE STELLAR: NERVES OF STEEL by KA Holt! (A zombie haiku book for kids--the concept alone cracks me up.)
A signed copy of young adult novel THE YEAR WE WERE FAMOUS by Carole Etsby Dagg! (Adventure! Floods! Historical figures! Bloomers!)
An audio book of EDGES by Lena Roy! (This edgy contemporary YA is FABULOUS, and I'm not just saying that because Lena's Madeline L'Engle's granddaughter and kind of makes me fangirl.)
A 100 page critique from editor Tracy Marchini, plus a copy of her book PUB SPEAK!

And thanks again for all your support! The word's still spreading...and I'd really REALLY appreciate anything you can do to help get it out there!

Lolzombies...and Night of the Giving Dead update

2011-07-14T08:33:00.006-04:00

I'm attempting to chill out now, if by "chill out" you mean "leave the computer for at least an hour a day." So I've been looking through my archives for something that you might like to see again. And one of the things that I'm most proud of on this blog is the lolzombie series. I did a bunch of them based off of dance movies, because WHY THE HECK NOT?!? And I know a lot of you new people haven't seen them before. YOU MUST. They are snarfy, and snarfy is good.

I have a whole series of these...what dance movie do YOU want to see?

And while we're at it, you do know about Night of the Giving Dead, right? Short version--online auction to benefit book program at children's hospital. Two grand prizes up for grabs--a Kindle with a BTIB ebook and a 6 month writing mentorship. Check out the link for more info.

Don't have the time to go through all those items? Here are today's features!

I think this package of picture books and dragon puppets by the lovely Shelley Moore Thomas would make the world's most awesome baby shower gift. And as I'm writing, it's going for less than market value!
POWERLESS by Matthew Cody was one of my favorite books of 2010. It's got superheros and comic books and bullies and shady villains. This is one heck of a terrific middle grade read.
I'm not the biggest sports fan in the world, but I devoured Keri Mikulski's HEAD GAMES and STEALING BASES. Sporty girls + romance + school drama = awesome. These are quick YA reads for contemporary fans.
MG and YA writers, you need to check out Bettina Restrepo's critique prize! Not only will she critique 10 pages, but she'll follow up with a phone call to discuss your project. This could be exactly what you need to get through that roadblock!
Shhhh. Don't tell anybody, but there's a full YA manuscript critique by lovely agent Weronika Janczuk flying under the bidding radar right now. I won't tell anyone else if you don't.

Launch Day Play-by-Play

2011-07-13T08:33:00.003-04:00

Ever wonder what it's like to see your first book go out? I kept a running file open and live blogged it, only I didn't post it live, so maybe it's an undead blog? Either way, here's what it was like for me...

*gets up way too early because of excitement, bypasses dirty dishes and messy floor, goes straight to computer*

Oh, YAY! More Night of the Giving Dead auction bids! YOU ARE AWESOME PEOPLE. I AM SENDING YOU PSYCHIC HAPPY VIBES.

*writes blog post, begins soda consumption despite the fact that it's only 7:30 in the morning, because coffee makes me even more hyper. Scary, eh?*

ZOMGWKFGRDFSYSERYT$EAAEW!!!! Megan Bostic zombified herself on Facebook! BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Wait a tick...a whole slew of people did it? IS THAT A PLUNGER IN HER HEAD?!?! I am crying over zombies, and that makes me laugh, and the result is NOT PRETTY AT ALL. Holy crapsticks. I have the coolest friends in the whole entire world.

Yes, son, I'm crying over zombies. This shouldn't surprise you.

I still can't get over that plunger.

I have officially become one of those annoying twitter people who types everything in all capital letters.

Whoops. I got so distracted by all the messages...and pictures...and PLUNGER that I forgot I'm supposed to be stalking my book on Amazon. Gotta get on that.

SOMEONE BOUGHT IT IN A STORE! LIKE, A REAL ONE! AND THEY PAID MONEY FOR IT! AND IT WAS ON THE SHELF! AND NOW I'M HYPERVENTILATING!

Daughters, please don't hit each other in the head any more. I need to get back to freaking out over this book. EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Okay, so maybe it's time to take a freak out break. I think I'll watch some Strong Bad emails. Because they are awesome.

Belated lunch. Slightly disappointed that my B&N doesn't carry the book, but there's another one across town that does! I WILL STALK THEM TOMORROW.

My cheeks hurt from smiling too much. Someone say something mean before my cheeks fall off! Actually, don't, because I'm hyperemotional right now.

Yes, I will color princess pictures. Maybe my cheeks will stop hurting.

Didn't work.

I will not read reviews. I know I'm not supposed to read reviews. I will not do it. I have the self-control of a...self-controlly thing.

Who am I kidding? Maybe I'll start with reviews from people I know. They'll be gentle, right?

THANK YOU FOR BEING GENTLE, PEOPLE I KNOW.

I am ordering pizza for dinner. There will be no cooking in the Harris household today, because I am busy basking in the awesome! I'll only have one first debut day, right?

First official shelf picture, courtesy of KM Walton!

I really want to go out and strike up a random conversation with somebody, like in Target or something, and ask them what they do for a living so they will ask me. And then I can say, "Yo. I'm a published author!"

I can't believe I just said YO.

Actually, I can.

If you can't tell, it's getting toward the end of the night, and I'm really slappy and exhausted and thrilled and grateful and so so so SO happy.

I could totally get used to this.

BAD TASTE IN BOYS hits shelves today!!!

2011-07-12T07:38:00.003-04:00

I used to dream about what this day would feel like. I dreamt about holding the book in my hands, and seeing it on the shelf, and going to the bookstore and taking a picture with it on the shelf while the employees debated on whether or not I was a total nutter and should they call the cops. I've held the book, and I fully intend to do the other two today. I'll let you know if the cops show.

But what I didn't expect was waking up to find the blogosphere alive with sugar lips and zombified book bloggers with plungers stuck in their heads. I didn't expect the thrill of getting emails from people who read the book or wanted to, and who thankfully didn't mind getting responses back in all capital letters and punctuated by 10 or more exclamation points. I didn't expect the videos or packages.

I didn't expect to make so many FRIENDS.

Thank you for being total nutters with me. Thank you for making me laugh, and for every single one of your notes and comments. If you ever need a laugh, or someone to listen, or someone to stand by your side during the zombie apocalypse and shout helpful things like, "AIM FOR THE HEAD!!!!" I'm there.

Thank you for being a friend.

Image awesomeness courtesy of chuckhodi.net.

Happy Monday!

2011-07-10T14:05:00.004-04:00

Holy frijoles, people. Bad Taste in Boys comes out...tomorrow. I'm all like this:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

I'm a happy mad scientist!

I am also apparently a happy pickle. Which sounds a lot pervier than it really is.

If that's not enough excitement, Night of the Giving Dead starts TODAY! You can bid on ARCS, signed books, critiques, and lots of other fun prizes. And there are grand prizes, one of which rhymes with windle and the other of which rhymes with fix grunth plighting tentorship. If that doesn't pique your curiosity then...well, you're a lot more normal than me.

And there's one more bit of excitement that I'd like to share. The people of Delacorte are moving their offices, which means PACKING. And like the rest of us, when they pack, they FIND THINGS they didn't even know they had. Like ARCs.

One of the best things about this whole experience has been YOU GUYS. Your comments crack me up. So I'm giving away a personalized BTIB ARC today to one random person who comments on this post. It's my way of saying thank you for being awesome. Comment before 7 PM EST to win! And if you follow me on Twitter, make sure to check out the giveaway there too!

Sugar Lips BTIB Giveaway Winners!!!

2011-07-01T08:37:00.002-04:00

YOU MADE THIS SOOOOO HARD ON ME, AND I LOVE IT.

The first bit was easy. I made a list of everyone who participated in the Sugar Lips BAD TASTE IN BOYS giveaway, and Random.org picked the winner. The lucky participant who gets the last BAD TASTE IN BOYS ARC is...

Lisa B!!!

Congratulations, Lisa! Drop me a note with your address, and I'll get your copy to you!

And now for the hard part. Honestly, I had SO MUCH FUN watching your entries come in. The fact that you took the time to make something for a book you haven't even read blows my mind, and clicking on the links to your creations is one of my favorite things about this whole publishing process to date. THANK YOU!

I had no idea how creative you really are! Some of the people who really made me squeal and deserve special mention are:

BookluvrMindy, with her horde of sugar lipped kids and the DOG! The dog kills me!

Yolande, who actually hand-drew a sugar lips pic...with sugar.

Vivi, whose sugar lippy Han Solo video made me snarf things out my nose.

Taylor Lynn, who took my trailer and made it awesomer.

Louisse, who facebook bombed me with so many pictures that I went into sugar shock.

Clearly, the creativity is there, so the only way I could choose was to look at which person balanced creativity with MASSIVE VOLUME. This person changed four of her profile pics to BAD TASTE IN BOYS. She started tweeting and didn't stop. She blogged, sugar lipped herself, created a movie poster (with George Romero as the director), and made a sugar lip ring out of what looks like sculpy and beads.

The winner of the ARC with special sekrit notes is...

LESLEY!!!

Congratulations, LESLEY!

Since the sekrit notes were such a hit, I'm going to give away one more sekrit note copy...and I'll be doing them individually, so each will be totally unique. That post will go live on the 11th...because I'm taking an internet vacation next week! I've got so much excitement planned for the month of July. (Are you ready to bid on the charity auction? Because I've been writing up items like CRAZY.) So I'm going to take a week to spend with my family.

BUT, you won't be totally Carrieless, because my blog tour starts on Monday! Find me in the following places while I'm gone--

Monday, July 4: Bailey at IB Book Blogging (Tens List)
Tuesday, July 5: Tara M at Tara Writer (Character Interview: Kate)
Wednesday, July 6: Elizabeth at Swords For Fighting (Review)
Thursday, July 7: Andrea at So Many Books, So Little Time (When I’m Not Writing)
Friday, July 8: Tara G at Hobbitsies (Review)

See you back here on the 11th, which is the first day of NIGHT OF THE GIVING DEAD! Check it out while I'm gone!

Last Day for Entries!

2011-06-30T08:13:00.004-04:00

It's the last day for entries into the BTIB Sugar Lips ARC contest, and the competition is fierce! Like the kind of fierce that puts sugar on the DOG.

Need some ideas? Take a look at what these sugar-lippish geniuses have done!

Cari has sugar lips AND a public service announcement:

Bookluvr Mindy has a bunch of very hyperactive sugar lippy children...and don't get me started on the dog:

Slideshow Creator Progreat free widgetsWidgetboxMore info

If you're widget impaired like me, you can write a blog post like my fellow undead Spice Girl, Mummy.

I'll accept entries until midnight tonight, EST. Even if all you do is change your twitter icon or put the cover in your sidebar, you're still entered to win--and that's EASY. So what're you waiting for? Go here to submit your entries.

How My MC Would Survive a Zombie Apocalypse - A Guest Post by Matt Blackstone

2011-06-29T07:31:00.005-04:00

Good (insert time of day), shambling hordes! Today, I've got an uber awesome special treat for you. My friend Matt Blackstone is celebrating the upcoming release of his book, A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE, which comes out July 5th. The cover alone made me snarf milk out my nose. I'd gush about the innards too, but I'm still waiting for my copy to arrive so that I can gush properly. COME ON, UNIVERSE! GET WITH THE PROGRAM!

Anyway. Matt's a really good sport, because he didn't blink an eye when I told him I would love to see a guest post on how his OCD main character Rene would deal with the zombie apocalypse. And the result is...well, I'll let you see for yourself.

See, this what I’ve been talking about.

Kate should never have aced all those biology tests. Something bad was bound to happen. You’re not supposed to pass so many tests with flying colors. Flying colors are not your friend. Too many good things are not supposed to happen to one person and karma is a female dog. Plus, on more than one test, Kate got a 94%, which not only is another “A,” but it’s an unlucky and dangerous number because 9+4=13. Kate should never have accepted that grade. She should’ve added a mistake to her paper and settled for a 93. Or a 92. Or a 91. Or a 90. Or God-forbid, a B+.

I’ve been watching my grades, my routines, my movements. I don’t move on any time of 13. 4:36 is unlucky because 4+3+6=13. Same with 5:35. And 6:25. And many others. On times of 13, I stand still and measure my breathing and when the time is safe, I move and breathe, but if a see a coin face-down, I don’t pick it up. If my hands aren’t clean, I wash them. And if they still aren’t clean, I wash them again. And if I’m unsure, which is most often the case, I smell them.

Why? Why do I go to such lengths?

Because they prevent bad things from happening. Really bad things. Doomsday scenarios like sickness and death and lice in your hair and bombs and bad grades and bad friendships and family members and accidents—and now, thanks Kate, a zombie apocalypse.

Which is why I’m now wearing my Batman cape. It’s supposed to comfort me in situations such as this, but I’ve never been in a situation like this because I thought zombies were only in the movies and now they’re at my school which is scarier than a scary scene in a scary movie and they smell like barf and everyone knows that barfing is way scarier than a scary scene in a scary movie because your body has a mind of its own and can’t press pause. But even I'd prefer to be barfing than have someone barf on me. That is the opposite of b'noodles, which is a unique and cool word that means "unique" and "cool."

Stupid Aaron Kingsman. Stupid Kate Grable. What am I supposed to do now?

Just yesterday, some beefy football players whose breath smelled like beef tried to bite me. I thought it was Johnny Van Slyke because he’s always biting me in the shoulders especially when he “doesn’t have time to eat lunch” and because “fruit cakes are meant to be eaten.” But the doubly beefy football players want to eat me alive! There isn’t enough soap in this city and state and country and continent and universe to clean their germs off of me. I want to march up to every beef-smelling, flesh-eating zombie and yell, "GET OFF MY BISCUIT!"

But they'd kill me.

So, good luck, Kate and Aaron. From now, I’m staying in my room.

Matt's website
Follow him on Twitter

Rene, an obsessive-compulsive fourteen year old, smells his hands and wears a Batman cape when he’s nervous. If he picks up a face-down coin, moves a muscle when the time adds up to thirteen (7:42 is bad luck because 7 + 4 + 2 = 13), or washes his body parts in the wrong order, Rene or someone close to him will break a bone, contract a deadly virus, and/or die a slow and painful death like someone in a scary scene in scary movie. Rene’s new and only friend tutors him in the art of playing it cool, but that’s not as easy as Gio makes it sound.

I think this post is the sauce of awesome, don't you? And who is looking forward to A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE as much as I am?

Thanks for visiting, Matt!

What It's Like in the Month Pre-Publication

2011-06-28T09:23:00.003-04:00

Good morning, shambling hordes! Have you entered the six jillion BAD TASTE IN BOYS contests to win a free copy? Links are in yesterday's post if you haven't.

I'm afraid all I can talk about these days is work and writing and things, because it's pretty much all I've been doing. I set out the slip n' slide (so often that it popped), douse the kids in sunscreen (despite the fact that the sun isn't showing up too much these days), and let them go all crazycakes while I squint at the laptop and hopefully type in edits that make sense.

I just know my editor is going to get the manuscript and send me a note saying, "Carrie, what exactly did you mean by changing the title to THE TIGER AND THE MUMPH? Is this a joke?"

And I will say, "BAHAHAHAHAHA! You fell for it!" Because I'm all suave that way. Of course, now that this is out in public, I guess I just de-suaved myself.

So anyway, it's all work, all the time here at Chez Harris. Edits for BAD HAIR DAY, the next Kate Grable adventure, are due on Friday. I finished the last of my scheduled interviews yesterday. And I've got oodles and oodles of awesome things for you to bid on in Night of the Giving Dead, the celebratory auction of epic epicness, coming on July 11th to a computer screen near you!

Anyway, with all this going on, there's not much time to eat, sleep, or breathe around here. But I'm having a blast! Yes, it's stressful and scary and surreal and probably some other things that begin with "S," only not slimy. But it's so much fun to open my inbox and see that people are excited to read my book or like my blog or think I'm certifiably insane. I keep thinking this will all feel real when I hit the next landmark, but I still feel like I'm dreaming.

Which is quite plainly awesome.

Linky McWinky

2011-06-27T08:13:00.001-04:00

I am ALL OVER the interwebs right now. And there are LOTS of opportunities to win BAD TASTE IN BOYS, as well as the opportunity to learn about the time I cut off the tip of my finger and why the official tweet of Zombie Craze is "Hot tubbing, monkey loving, lawn flamingoing, ninja garbed, marshmallow flingers deserve to survive the Zombie Apocalypse too."

Hint: I may have had something to do with it.

So. You can find me at Bookish Brunette's Zombie Craze, along with a giveaway!

Read about how my job history prepared me to write about zombies and check out yet another giveaway at Books at Midnight!

Learn a little more about what I think sets my zombies apart from other zombie adventures at the lovely Chanelle's blog, along with a pre-order giveaway!

ABSOLUTELY DEFINITELY visit my fellow undead Spice Girl, Vampy, aka Kelly Breakey, and enter her giveaway too! And then please return here to watch me bang my head against the wall because I originally missed this link. MY BAD.

Rie over at Mission to Read asked me a lot of fabulous questions I've never been asked before, about steroid use and bulging eyes and things. I had so much fun answering them, and you can read it all here!

And then, of course, there's the BAD TASTE IN BOYS Sugar Lips ARC Giveaway, which is still up for grabs through Thursday! Check out these two awesome entries...

The first is courtesy of Taylor Lynn. And it features one of my friends doing his best zombie imitation...which always cracks me up.

This is courtesy of Vivi, who needs medication. In the best way.

LOVE. I haven't gotten a thing done, because I just keep looking at all these videos and things and wondering how in the heck I'm going to CHOOSE.

Things That Make Me Snarf - YOU GUYS

2011-06-24T07:50:00.009-04:00

You guys crack me up. Here's a small sample of the BTIB Sugar Lips ARC contest entries I've gotten.

From Mercy, who I think should still be entered into the contest and have the prize sent to a library or something since she wisely doesn't give out her address on the net. Because THIS blog graphic is awesome.

From Lesley, who READ MY MIND, a movie poster:

Sharli made an awesome slide show in which everyone is sticking their tongues out at me...

I'm so amused by all of this that I had to get in on the fun.

Gimme some sugar, baby.

And then my kids had to get in on the fun...

Keep the entries coming, people! Remember, the ARC will go to one random entry, so if all you have time to do is post a photo on your blog or twitter, that counts. And the final copy with SEKRIT NOTES FROM ME will go to the person of my choice, who wows me with sheer volume, snarftastic creativity, or a combo of both.

Bookanistas: VARIANT by Robison Wells

2011-06-23T07:35:00.004-04:00

Welcome to Bookanista Thursday, wherein a group of authors rant about books we loved, and you grumble and grudgingly add them to your list to be read and wonder if you'll ever get through it. Don't worry. I do the exact same thing. WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER, PEOPLE. WE SHALL SURVIVE THE NEVER ENDING TO-READ LIST IF IT KILLS US. Like, death by paper cut or something.

Anyway. Today I'd like to talk about VARIANT by Robison Wells. It doesn't come out until October 1st, and normally I try not to talk about them so early, but I'm worried I'll forget all the awesome details if I wait that long. And honestly, it's worth pre-ordering NOW. It's that good.

The Goodreadable deets:
Benson Fisher thought a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

So I have a geektastic admission to make. When I saw the cover, they had me at "Trust No One." I still own an old X-Files shirt too.

This is one of those books that's hard to talk about without spoiling it, so I'm going to try and keep this relatively short. THIS BOOK CREEPED ME OUT. It's so rare that I get really, honestly chilled by a book, but VARIANT got hold of me and held me tight. This is one heck of a claustrophobic book. Benson goes into Maxfield with a cautious feeling of hope--as a foster system kid he's been burnt many times before, and he has no one to turn to for help. But moment one at the school feels...off somehow. And the place just gets creepier. Nothing about how it's run makes sense, and did I mention that it's really CREEPY?

To make matters worse, there's some LORD OF THE FLIES flavored tension too, because not all the kids at Maxwell are nice. And some of them are downright murderous...

Dum dum DUUUUM.

I highly recommend VARIANT if you don't plan on doing anything for the rest of the day. Because you won't be able to put it down until the last page, and then after that you'll be online looking for info on the sequel.

While you're at it, don't forget to check out these great Bookanista reads. And there's also a chance to win a BTIB ARC here if you missed it!

Elana Johnson adores Hourglass

Beth Revis has cover love for Incarnate

Shana Silver swoons over Supernaturally

Rosemary Clement-Moore jumps for Jinx

Stasia Ward Kehoe praises Possession

Gretchen McNeil is giddy about Moonglass

Sarah Frances Hardy brags about The Grandma Book

The Sugar Lips BTIB ARC Giveaway!

2011-06-22T07:59:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe that BAD TASTE IN BOYS comes out in 20 days. The waiting time really crawled in the beginning. And then about three months ago, I went into hyperspeed and haven't come out since. Hopefully I'm not about to land on what I mistakenly think is a small moon and get stuck in a garbage compactor with a killer eyeball on a stalk.

Although when you put it that way, it sounds kind of fun.

Anyway. I am so happy to tell you that I managed to dig up ONE LAST ARC. And I am giving it away. Like, NOW. That's right; it's the official SUGAR LIPS BTIB ARC GIVEAWAY! EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

The rules are simple. I'm giving out one last ARC to a lucky reader who helps spread the sugar lippy love. You can do this a lot of different ways. Post my lip-tastic cover on your blog or facebook. Change your twitter icon. Take a picture of yourself with sugar lips and post THAT. Make a slideshow of people with sugar lips. Give your dog sugar lips. ANYTHING that is sugar lip related and references BAD TASTE IN BOYS will qualify.

Post me! Post me! NOM NOM NOM.

Tell me what you've done in the comments below. You have until June 30th to get your entries in; I will post the winners on July 1st before I take a week off. That's right, peepul. There will be TWO WINNERS.

The LAST ARC (unless I dig up another) will go to one random participant. You'll get one entry for every post or mention. But you've got to tell me about them in the comments.
A BTIB hardcover with SEKRIT NOTES will go to one person of my choice. These notes will give you info that I haven't talked about in interviews, like who the original villain was in early versions of BTIB, and my favorite funny lines that I had to delete, and things like that. I'm looking for someone who wows me with sheer volume or cracks me up with some hilarious sugar lippy creativity.

This giveaway is open internationally, so run forth and sugar those lips! And please do ask questions in the comments, because I'm sure that I've forgotten to tell you something important.

Lip on, people. Lip. On.

How to Write Humor - Tip #1

2011-06-21T07:57:00.005-04:00

So apparently, I'm pretty good at this humor thing. Most of the BAD TASTE IN BOYS reviews say so, and we know that reviews are usually right, except for when they're written by highly caffeinated monkeys in which case they're not even written in a recognizable language. The thing about writing humor is that it's tougher than it looks. People who can tell a good anecdote and get their friends laughing can't necessarily write good humor, because those really are two different skills. So I thought it was time for me to give a few tips to those of you who are interested in adding a little more humor to your manuscripts or struggling with the funny bits you've already got in there.

My tip for today's pretty simple. Yoda T will tell you all about it.

Use restraint you must, fool. Or pity you, I will.

What Yoda T is trying to say is simple. One great joke is better than seventeen lesser ones. This is a common problem that I see in reading manuscripts, especially when they're written in first person. Funny narrators don't have to be funny all the time. Lots of jokes slow down the pace and make it tough to follow your plot. And it gets annoying, kind of like the preschooler who tells you knock-knock jokes, all of which involve butts, for a half hour straight.

Don't be the butt-obsessed preschooler.

It's pretty easy to tell if this is a problem. Get out your manuscript and highlight the funny bits, where the narrator's making wisecracks, or using a funny turn of phrase, or your characters are taking pratfalls, or you've inserted a completely random element for the comedic value, or whatever form of humor you've chosen. There are exceptions to every rule, but generally speaking, watch out for big blocks of text where there's a zinger in every sentence. Consider cutting those blocks down to the lines with the most impact. One or two really great ones will get you more laughs than five right in a row. I cut some of my favorite funny lines from BAD TASTE IN BOYS, and I hated to see them go, but strangely, the chapter was funnier without them. Because the ones that were left really popped.

Remember, things that are unexpected are funny. If you lead your reader to expect a wisecrack every time Bazoomas McFly opens her mouth, you've shot yourself in the foot.

How do I know this? In BAD HAIR DAY, Kate ends up in competing for Aaron's attention. And her competition is very well endowed. In the last version of the book, Kate made a lot of boob jokes, and my editor suggested that maybe there were too many. My manuscript, she said, needed a breast reduction.

Yeah, my editor out funnied me. Maybe she should be writing this!

Are you struggling with making your funny bits funny? Ask me questions in the comments.

Finally!

2011-06-20T07:54:00.007-04:00

Sorry for the unexpected hiatus. There was a lot of frustrated pulling of hair and even a few tears here at the Harris house last week. I may have also made a voodoo doll shaped like people who create computer viruses. And then I may have given it elephantiasis.

Actually, I didn't do that. But it's TEMPTING.

In the meantime, fun stuff has been happening, though! I got the first final copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS! I even have pictoral evidence.

Eat your heart out, Jolie. My lips iz biggur than urz.

SPARKLE SPARKLE SPARKLE NOM NOM NOM.

No, REALLY. NOM NOM NOM.

Also, the lovely people at Kirkus said BTIB is "a hilarious frolic, especially for fans of Shaun of the Dead." There's a full review here if you like to taunt yourself by reading about books that aren't out yet.

AND, today is the last day you can enter to win an ARC over at Goodreads. Get thee hence and enter, good peoples!

Um, yeah. Think I need more caffeine.

AAARGH!

2011-06-13T09:03:00.002-04:00

Sorry, guys. I have a pesky bleeping computer virus that I can't get rid of despite trying for hours last night and for a while this morning. So I'm going to have to keep this short.

But the incredibly annoying gets mixed up with the good, because I heard through the grapevine that I'm going to get a sneak peek at the finished copies of BAD TASTE IN BOYS! Which I will of course share with you!

But for now, I hope you'll excuse me, because I'm going to go make a voodoo doll shaped like the people who made this stupid virus.

The Power of Sparkles

2011-06-10T08:07:00.003-04:00

I've been a little tired lately, what with all the end of the school year stuff and the one month until launch stuff and all the other...well, STUFF. Clearly, I need some kind of pick-me-up to help get me through all these things. I debated vitamins or exercise or all the things that the experts say you should do. But then I realized I was missing the most obvious solution of all.

I'm going to cover myself in sparkles.

Clearly, sparkles impart extraordinary powers. With the power of my sparkles, I should be able to keep the house clean, take care of the garden, and write a book in a 24 hour span. And then I can spend the rest of the month alphabetizing my cd collection and watching people sleep.

Frankly, I can't believe I haven't thought of this before. From now on, I'm going to get all my life tips from YA books. Can you think of any good ones?

Bookanistas: TEXAS GOTHIC by Rosemary Clement-Moore...and a VIDEO

2011-06-09T08:07:00.006-04:00

First, let there be squealing. Because all of us Bookanistas went pretty whack-a-ding-hoy when we learned that another of our members hit the NYT bestseller list. And there was much jumping off trains in ninja cowls and rescuing kitties from tall buildings and swimming with sharks and playing...chess?

Luckily, we have video evidence.

Huge congrats, Veronica! DIVERGENT is one of the coolest reads I've picked up this year; if you haven't read it, you need to.

Anyway. Let's go on to another awesome upcoming read, TEXAS GOTHIC by Rosemary Clement-Moore. I'm so proud to be a debut twin with Rosemary--both of our books hit the shelves on July 12th. And seriously? Her book is the BEST.

Not convinced? LET ME CONVINCE YOU. Here's the info from Goodreads:
Amy Goodnight's family is far from normal. She comes from a line of witches, but tries her best to stay far outside the family business. Her summer gig? Ranch-sitting for her aunt with her wacky but beautiful sister. Only the Goodnight Ranch is even less normal than it normally is. Bodies are being discovered, a ghost is on the prowl, and everywhere she turns, the hot neighbor cowboy is in her face.

So, here's my thing. This book is so DIFFERENT from what's on the YA shelves now. I'm not sure what made Rosemary say, "I think I'm going to mash together ranching and ghosts and forensic anthropology." But it's just plain brilliant. The result is a fast-paced, witty, exciting read that feels really distinct--I'm used to YA protagonists worriedly chasing down assorted bogeys. But I'm not used to seeing them do that while also juggling a bunch of tree climbing goats, generations-long ranching feuds, and a visiting cadre of anthropology types who stir up the pot...and a few dead bodies.

In short, this book is more than just a beautiful cover. Come July 12th, you need to pick it up, and I sure as heck hope to see more Goodnight books in the future.

While you're at it, why not check out what the rest of the Bookanistas are up to!

Elana Johnson and Stasia Ward Kehoe savor Bad Taste in Boys

LiLa Roecker celebrates The Summer of the Bear

Christine Fonseca has got a surprise for a Bookanista buddy (ooh—curious?)

Beth Revis interviews Blood Magic author Teresa Gratton

Carolina Valdez Miller enjoys a special celebration

Jessi Kirby and Megan Miranda gush about Imaginary Girls

Bethany Wiggins is crazy about Delirium

Shana Silver sings praises for Starcrossed

Jen Hayley applauds Possession

Veronica Rossi hails Hereafter

Win a BAD TASTE IN BOYS ARC!!!

2011-06-08T07:24:00.001-04:00

FINALLY. I'm FINALLY able to give away an ARC of BTIB to one lucky person. And all you need to do is hop, shamble, lurch, or otherwise make your way over to Goodreads and register for the giveaway! They'll pick a winner; I'll mail the book. How awesome is that???

It's HERE.

I have my fingers, toes, and other crossables crossed for you!

I'd Google That

2011-06-07T09:10:00.003-04:00

I think one of the best things about being an author is the Google searches. I have a legitimate reason to Google "how bobbleheads are made" or "roller derby referee signals." (We went to the derby this past weekend, and it was FRAWESOME. Whoever came up with it is a certifiable genius, plain and simple.) And really, in what other profession can you reasonably Google these things? Unless you are a bobblehead salesman who moonlights as a derby ref, there probably aren't many.

Although if you are, please email me, because I might want to write a book about you.

But then for some strange reason, I turn around and laugh at the search terms that bring people to my site. Like, somebody recently found me by searching for "the universe loves me," and I often get visitors looking for some "hallo-wow." And I think, "What on earth would make someone google THAT?!?"

And then I realize, "Duh. I would totally Google that. And then tell people it was for my job, which might not necessarily be true."

What weird things have you googled lately?

Save Ze Date - Launch Party Annoucement Type Stuff

2011-06-06T08:09:00.003-04:00

Hola, peepul! I have NEWS. Like, if I had bells in the house right now, I would put them on. But I don't. I looked.

No, really. I honestly looked.

So please imagine me capering around my house with imaginary bells on as I tell you a little about the launch events for BAD TASTE IN BOYS.

First, if you're in or near southeast Michigan, you should come to my launch party! I'll be at Nicola's Books in Ann Arbor on July 23rd at 2 PM. There will be lots of zombie related awesomeness, and a hugeola door prize that will be given away to a random person who donates a new children's book to the University of Michigan children's hospital!

Can't make it without inventing a teleporter first? (Trust me, I know the feeling.) You can still participate in my big online launch event called NIGHT OF THE GIVING DEAD. Who says that zombies can't donate to charity? Night of the Giving Dead is a charity auction benefitting the Giving Library at U of M Mott Children's Hospital. They give a book to every sick child, and I think that's totally awesome. Over the next few weeks, I'll tell you a little more about Mott and what it means to me. THERE WILL BE PICTURES OF MY HUSBAND, AND HE'S HOT.

Yes, I just attempted to bribe you.

Anyway, from July 11th through the 25th, you'll be able to bid on a variety of awesome things, from signed NYT bestsellers to some awesomesauce manuscript feedback from agents, authors, and editors. I've got over 80 donations so far, and I'm determined to make it to 100. Have something you'd like to donate? You are awesome. Drop me a note at carrie@carrieharrisbooks.com. There will also be a GRAND PRIZE. And free swag. And generalized awesomeness. And zombies.

I'll be telling you more about this over the next few weeks, then I'll be taking a short family vacation, and then it'll be time for boys that taste bad. Or something.

I should probably have some bells by then.

Things That Make Me Snarf - The Impostors

2011-06-03T07:53:00.002-04:00

The Impostors is one of my favorite movies of all time. At fancy events, Slayer will occasionally come up to me and quote it. "Would you like to daunce? EXCELLENT!!!" And last night we went out to the official end-of-fellowship dinner (sadly, no dancing), and somebody said something that made me think of this movie. I'm sure that the thing they said was funny, but I can't remember it.

Sorry.

But this video is funny! You should watch it.

Bookanistas: WRAPPED by Jennifer Bradbury

2011-06-02T07:48:00.005-04:00

Happy Bookanista Thursday! Be prepared for lots of good book recommendations, because that's just how we roll.

Today, I've got to tell you about this fabulous book that I read recently called WRAPPED, by Jennifer Bradbury. WRAPPED just hit the shelves about a week ago, so I'm not taunting you with one you can't get yet. You're welcome. And here's the book description:

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.
Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

Awesome, right? This book reminds me of an Indiana Jones adventure, only instead of a hunky, scruffy guy with a whip, the main character is a spunky debutante with a flair for languages and a thirst for adventure. This is exactly the kind of book that I would have loved in junior high--a little romance, a lot of adventure, and a bunch of cool Egyptology. I could totally see this as a movie; something's always happening, and the fast pace made it pretty much impossible for me to put the book down until the end.

This book totally fueled my Egypt fever. Any more good Egypt book recommendations out there?

In the meantime, check out this week's Bookanista titles!

Elana Johnson gushes over Blood Magic

LiLa Roecker adores Hourglass

Christine Fonseca sings high praises for Possess – with giveaway

Shannon Messenger applauds A Need So Beautiful – with giveaway

Megan Miranda has a passion for Possession

Carolina Valdez Miller sees beauty in Between Shades of Gray

Bethany Wiggins finds Bad Taste in Boys delicious

Shana Silver celebrates A Need So Beautiful

Stasia Ward Kehoe delights in Delirium

Rosemary Clement-Moore is giddy about Hourglass

Sarah Frances Hardy finds the awesome in Okay for Now

Myra McEntire welcomes Blood Magic author Tessa Gratton into the Fort

Lit Reality

2011-06-01T10:04:00.003-04:00

Sorry to be so late today! Had to take my herd of children to the doctor's office to get shots and purple cupcake band-aids.

That's one of those things that doesn't really happen in books, isn't it? Literary characters rarely pee, and if they need to, it's always at the most inconvenient times. They never just see the bathroom at the mall and realize, "Oh, I have to go." They also don't wash their faces very often, and they usually only wake up once--inevitably right at the beginning of the first chapter. People in books don't seem to need to do much yard work and their carpets seem to miraculously clean themselves. Frankly, I'm thinking I might like to be a literary character, because other than the potty thing, it sounds like a pretty good deal.

It's funny, because I know a lot of writers who shoot for realism in their books, but is that really an accurate term? Because in most cases, reality is what we're trying to escape from when we pick up a book. I'm not so interested in the adventures of a soccer mom, because I live them. Although if it's a demon fighting soccer mom, then we're on, bay-bee. Totally.

Plus, the so-called "reality" in books isn't really all that real. I think it's more "realistic" than anything else--you're picking and choosing bits of a life that are interesting and leaving the rest out. Yes, your hero probably makes a pit stop after getting into that brawl with the school bully, and then when he gets home, he finds out that his mom bought the wrong brand of underwear, and it's the kind that gives him red marks around his waist, and why can't she remember that, darn it? And then maybe they argue about that a little before he goes upstairs and finds the bully waiting for him in his room.

Most books skip over the underwear and peeing bits in an effort to tell a good story, as well as the driving-places-in-the-car and the getting-vaccinations and the grocery-shopping-excursion stuff. It's all in the quest for a good story, and I don't have a problem with that. But sometimes I see new writers get confused, because they're being told that their scenes need to feel real. I totally agree, but I think that you still need to pick and choose those bits that move your story along and make THOSE as real as possible.

What do you think? Am I making any sense at all here?

BTIB Winner

2011-05-31T08:55:00.004-04:00

Thanks to everybody for the kind words about the trailer, although I can't really take credit for the awesomeness. It's even better than I imagined in my head--I'm so lucky to be working with a bunch of mind-readers. :)

Stay tuned this week for some launch related info too!

But in the meantime, congrats are due to jpetroroy, who contributes to one of my favorite blogs EVAR, Stacked. Jen, you won a signed copy of BAD TASTE IN BOYS! Dropeth me your mailing address, and I'll send you the book as soon as it shows up.

But never fear, intrepid helpers. There is LOTS MORE TO WIN, coming soon!

BAD TASTE IN BOYS trailer!

2011-05-25T19:04:00.005-04:00

So. Know how I've been taunting you for a long, long time about the SEKRIT THINGS OF AWESOMENESS going on behind the scenes? I can finally show you one of them, and the rest aren't far behind!

Without further ado, let me present the BAD TASTE IN BOYS Trailer of Epic Epicness, with huge thanks to director Valerie Kemp, the crazy friends and theater students who acted in it, and book bloggers Shanyn and Tirzah who are extras extraordinaire. You have no idea how cool it was to watch my characters come to life and wield swords made out of PVC.

I'll shut up now and let you watch it.

And to celebrate this momentous, PVC-filled occasion, I'm giving you a chance to win a signed finished copy of BTIB (when the books arrive on my doorstep, that is)! Leave a comment on this post to be entered. Tweet, blog, facebook, or skywrite about the trailer for an extra entry each. Please list all your entries in the comments, because I can't even remember what day it is let alone keep track of these things on my own. I'm going to enjoy the long weekend (it's my wedding anniversary on top of the rest of the awesome) and will pick a winner on Tuesday morning.

And if that's not enough excitement for you, check out what my fellow Bookanistas are recommending (and in some cases, giving away) this week!

Elana Johnson sings praises for SEAN GRISWOLD’S HEAD

Shannon Messenger is wild about WILDFIRE + an ARC giveaway

Carolina Valdez Miller adores A NORTHERN LIGHT

Lisa and Laura Roecker dotes over DIVERGENT

Megan Miranda thinks MOONGLASS is marvelous

Jessi Kirby praises POSSESSION

Sarah Frances Hardy delves into DIVERGENT

Stasia Ward Kehoe delights in BITTER MELON

Christine Fonseca relishes in the RED GLOVE

Chaos

2011-05-25T07:20:00.002-04:00

Things are chaos in the Harris house. I'm sitting here with a plastic hand, a roll of tape, a big package of leather, and a to-do list the size of Kansas. This kind of thing always seems to happen during the summer, and I plan for it but then am surprised when it actually happens. Apparently, I am a card-carrying member of idiot-ville.

But things are still happening behind the scenes, which saves me from the need to feel guilty over it. In fact, one of those things will happen TOMORROW! You should come back and see it!

But in the meantime, I'd love to hear from any of my fellow overwhelmed-by-summer people. We could form a support group or something.

Things That Make Me Snarf - Predator, the Musical

2011-05-23T20:21:00.003-04:00

This video is admittedly a little gory, as you might expect considering that it's based on freaking PREDATOR. But in honor of Ahnold's tabloid reign, I'd like to show you this. And I guarantee that it'll be stuck in your head for DAYS.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to fling sparkles at Karen for emailing me this. Karen, you are teh awesome.

And...remember how I was telling you that you need to read PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE? It's on the shelves today! Happy book birthday, Jen!

Storks and Booties - But Not Babies

2011-05-23T08:53:00.004-04:00

I have a disturbing tendency towards embarrassing typos. I'm not sure if this is a sign that my subconscious is really, REALLY crazy or just bad luck, or maybe a byproduct of the fact that I don't type with my fingers on the right keys. (I'm such a rebel.) But it happens all too often. The other day, I was thinking that I could write adult books--all I'd have to do is type one of my YA books and let the pervy typos stand.

That would be much easier for me than writing a sex scene. I've tried them. And after I've written them, I read them out loud and giggle uncontrollably, because they're always unintentionally funny.

My two favorite typos aren't mine. Have I talked about this here before? I once critiqued a manuscript in which the heroine spent most of her time crying and waiting to be saved, and the hero would go out and be brave, and then come back and soothe her and then take her to bed. (And you can imagine my comments on THAT.) Anyway, he kept stroking her hair to soothe her. Only the author kept typing it "storking."

Apparently, it is very soothing to have birds flung at one's head. You should try this the next time one of your nearest and dearest is having a bad day.

And then, my former boss used to always leave an S off the end of "assess." So instead of assessing the situation, she'd go all bootylicious on it.

Apparently, storks and booties crack me up. Just so long as they aren't attached to another baby, because as much as I love them, I have nowhere to put one. We'd have to take out the dining room table and put a crib in there.

Wow, TANGENT.

Weird Zombie Science

2011-05-20T09:38:00.003-04:00

Have you seen this yet? The CDC, in an effort to get people to think about emergency preparedness, put out some guidelines on how to survive a zombie apocalypse.

Genius.

I don't think it's a big secret that I'm a bit of a science geek. My first two books are as scientifically accurate as they can be considering that they deal with zombies and werewolves, respectively. But I think the paranormal can be a really interesting way to look at everyday science. For example...

Epidemiologists study how diseases spread through a population and attempt to identify new disease outbreaks early, before they spread too far to be easily contained. Check out this paper that attempts to calculate the mathematical spread of a zombie infection--published in a bonafide science journal.
And zombification might not be quite as ridiculous as you think--there's a type of fungi first reported this March that turns ants into ZOMBIE ANTS. I particularly enjoy how the scientist in this story says there could be thousands of zombie fungi out there. LET'S GO LOOK FOR THEM! GET THE CHAINSAWS!
And that's on top of the already known Toxoplasmosa gondii, which reproduces in cat intestines. So when it gets into a rat, it makes the rat run TOWARD the cat and get eaten, just so it can reproduce. This blog has a great description of exactly what happens.

Am I the only person who finds this stuff ridiculously interesting?

Bookanistas: POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

2011-05-19T07:59:00.007-04:00

Happy Bookanista Thursday! If you've been abducted by aliens, just came back, and don't know what the Bookanistas are, we're a group of authors that recommend great kidlit books. On Thursdays. And coincidentally, it's Thursday!

It's like the universe is aligning or something.

Today, I'm recommending Elana Johnson's upcoming book, POSSESSION. And here's a Goodreadish summary for you:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

POSSESSION is a fast paced dystopian read. I read this while I was cooking dinner, with the book propped open in the kitchen. Elana owes my family an apology, because she made me burn their food. (Okay, okay, so maybe that was my fault.)

One of the things that I really liked about this book is that it treated mind control as the complex subject that it is. There are many different levels and types of mind control in this book, which I would happily discuss in detail except that then I'd have to hit myself with a blunt object for spoiling it for you. I really liked that--I think a lot of books oversimplify things when it comes to mind control. So that made for a really fascinating world, and then you pop all the adventure on the top of it?

It is the sauce of awesome.

If you love a fast paced, high tension book, POSSESSION needs to be on your to-read list. Same thing if you're a big geek like me and think mind control is freaking fascinating.

Check out what the other Bookanistas are up to this week!

Elana Johnson marvels at Moonglass

Christine Fonseca raves about It’s Raining Cupcakes

Shelli Johannes-Wells chats with Pure and The Summer of Firsts & Lasts author Terra McEvaoy

LiLa Roecker has a passion for Possession

Beth Revis admires the audiobook of Anansi Boys

Carolina Valdez Miller is giddy over Moonglass – with giveaway

Megan Miranda swoons over Strings Attached

Shana Silver delves into Divergent

Sarah Frances Hardy gabs about Gossip from the Girls Room

Matt Blackstone is tantalized by Bad Taste in Boys

Stasia Ward Kehoe glories in a guestanista review of The Rendering

Technobabble

2011-05-18T07:58:00.005-04:00

People constantly ask me if I write books longhand, and then I giggle maniacally at them. No, my handwriting's not as bad as Slayer's--one of his teachers actually told him to either improve it or become a doctor. He'll say that he took the easy way out and went into medicine. I'm not THAT bad. But I'm VERY left-handed. Like, the kind of left-hander who drags her hand across everything she's written and ends up with a smeary mess on the paper and the imprint of the letter "E" on the side of her pinkie. I've tried everything. I flip spiral notebooks upside down to write without impaling my hand. I used to have a huge pen collection as a part of my quest to find one that wouldn't smear. I tried to learn different ways to hold the pen and avoid the drag, but it only made my handwriting worse.

So this whole typing thing is good for me, and I'm pretty good at it. I don't type the way you're supposed to--my left hand covers about two-thirds of the keyboard instead of half. But I can go pretty fast once I've started, and I can continue to type a sentence I've already got in my head and have a conversation with you as long as you don't say anything too shocking. The only time I write longhand is when I'm on family vacation, although I hear that our little wilderness resort might be getting Wifi.

In general, I'm pretty cool with technology, except for this morning, when I keep getting bumped off the net about every ten minutes for no apparent reason, and neither of my newly-updated browsers is working right, and it takes five minutes to open up Excel. Clearly, the Frumious Bandersnatch (my laptop) has gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. It's extra frumious today.

So if you need me, I'll be at the home store, buying some stone tablets and a chisel. Because I think I might need it.

Things That Make Me Snarf - National Cow Week

2011-05-17T08:03:00.004-04:00

Last week, I got an email from the hilarious Mercy, inviting me to participate in National Cow Week, because bovines need love too. I think the idea of National Cow Week is hilarious. I propose that we follow this up with National Sparkly Supernatural Boy Week, and maybe after that, National Spoon Week. We're all about celebrating the IMPORTANT things.

I've tried and tried to come up with a cow-related story, but the best I've got is that when we used to go on road trips, my dad would see a herd of cattle and yell, "LOOK! Four legged chickens!" And then he'd laugh uproariously.

Oh, and I've been cow tipping, which was a lot less fun than the name would have you believe.

Anyway, since my cow related tales aren't the best, I give you THIS:

Happy Cow Week!

Names and More Names

2011-05-16T07:53:00.005-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about names lately. Partly because I'm starting to lay the groundwork for another book, and a big part of that is picking out the names. I always look for a mixture of common and uncommon names, because I can't decide which is worse--when all the characters have boring, generic names like Jane and John, or when everyone has soap opera names like Magnolia and Jock.

Please note that I don't have anything against the names Magnolia and Jock, if you happen to be named one of those things. Or Jane and John, for that matter. I'm talking about the balance of names as a whole. If you look at, say, a classroom, you'll usually find a nice mix. You've seen some of those names a million times. Some are familiar but not hugely popular--as a Carrie I usually fell into that category. I also fell into the category has-heard-every-prom-joke-known-to-man because of that pesky Stephen King book, but that's another story. And then, you'll see a couple of names that make you tilt your head like a confused dog and say, "What is THAT?!? Who names their kid THAT?"

I think books should be the same way. I think that for every Mrs. Swan your main character has for chemistry, she should also have a Mrs. Mihalovic for bio. And just with those names, I get a picture of the teacher in my head. Mrs. Swan is pretty chill, and she likes to be called Swannie because it's better than all the inevitable Twilight references. Mrs. Mihalovic is the sort of person who likes to give pop quizzes and refers to all of her students as "Miss" and "Mr."

And yes, those are two of the teachers in BTIB.

So I'm off to spend a little time with the baby name book, and then when people see it and get all excited, I get to tell them, "NO. I AM NOT HAVING ANOTHER BABY, SO DON'T ASK AGAIN." But what about you? How do you name your characters? What are your favorite names? Be forewarned...I'm naming. So please let me know if it's sacred and I can't use it for a bad guy.

Bookanistas: BLOOD RED ROAD

2011-05-12T09:30:00.000-04:00

It's Bookanista Thursday, baby! BOOYA!

That would have sounded a lot better if there was a day that began with the letter B. I hereby vote that we change the name to Bursday.

Anyway. If you're not familiar with the Bookanistas, we're a group of authors who recommend books on Thursdays. And this week, we've got a little something special to celebrate! Fellow Bookanista Veronica Roth's debut, DIVERGENT, hit the NYT bestseller list! WOO TO THE HOO!!!

Today, I'll be featuring BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young. And God said, "Let their be a book description," and lo, Goodreads obliged:

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

I think we've all seen claims like this one. It's the MOST EPIC STORY EVER! Or the MOST LOVINGEST LOVE STORY EVER. Or the MOST ADVENTUREY ADVENTURE EVER. And normally, I'm all, "Yeah, right. You are exaggerating, and we both know it." But after reading BLOOD RED ROAD, I have to admit...I kinda agree with them.

Saba's voice is unlike anything I've ever read. So different, in fact, that I'm struggling with how to do it justice. It took me a few pages to fall into it, that voice, and then I couldn't get her out of my head. She's brave and heart-breaking and flawed and determined. That alone would have been enough to win me over, but Young takes this amazing character and plops her into an epic adventure, which is arguably THE MOST EPICALLY EPIC ADVENTURE EVER!

Suffice to say, I don't think I can gush about this book enough. You MUST read it.It hits the shelves on June 7th.

After you've added this to your to-read list, check out what the other Bookanistas are doing!

Elana Johnson turns you on to Divergent
LiLa Roecker is ensnared by Tighter
Christine Fonseca gets giddy about Moonglass – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger is mesmerized by Imaginary Girls – with giveaway
Kirsten Hubbard has double the love for Rival and Moonglass
Carolina Valdez Miller vaunts Divergent – with giveaway
Megan Miranda devours Bad Taste in Boys
Bethany Wiggins and Shana Silver share their passion for Possession
Gretchen McNeil rocks out with The Anti-Prom
Stasia Ward Kehoe shines a spotlight on Dramarama
Myra McEntire announces the Bookanistas Give Back Run For Your Life contest winners!

2 Months and Counting

2011-05-11T07:58:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it. Tomorrow, it'll be exactly two months until BAD TASTE IN BOYS is on the shelves. And I am not ready. I also have a jungle growing in my yard (which is very different from a jungle groin in my yard--and that's honestly what I typed the first time). I've got folded laundry occupying the entire floor of my living room. I have the most awesome zombie wallet in the world, which was one of my Mother's Day gifts, and I haven't put anything in it yet.

Doesn't the world know it's supposed to stop and let me celebrate?!?!

So over the next couple of days, I'll be visiting every wishing well and mall fountain in the area and wishing for a brief time stoppage. If any of you are as behind as I am, feel free to do the same. We can hang out while everyone else is frozen. I'll bring a sharpie so we can draw mustaches on the people we don't like.

Oh! Before I forget! Yesterday was a very exciting day in Carrieauctionland. You can bid on a 50 page critique and a signed copy of BTIB over at Help Write Now, or a signed BTIB over at All4Alabama. Both auctions benefit victims of the floods--please stop by and bid on something, even if it isn't mine.

Although I might draw a mustache on you...

KIDDING. HONESTLY KIDDING.

Sometimes, life gets in the way

2011-05-10T11:00:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the late blog today! I've been running around like a crazy person--actually, not true. Due to the fact that I got my foot stuck in a door, I'm lurching around like a ZOMBIFIED crazy person. Which seems aptly fitting, if you ask me.

BUT.

I will hopefully have news on a live launch event soon. And a virtual one. And other things. And I might have a working car too. Helsing (my van) is fine, but the Slayermobile is in the shop.

More tomorrow, hopefully more coherent than today.

The Zombie Play

2011-05-09T07:56:00.003-04:00

A few weeks ago, my son came home with a zombie play, conveniently titled THE ZOBIE PLAY. I'm in love with this play. I wanted to produce it on Broadway, but I had to settle for comic book format.

My favorite part is when Zombie Hulk threatens to DE SHTROY them.

I also think this should be made into a movie.

Oh, and I think this comic book maker thingy is DANGEROUS.

Further updates as events warrant.

Which is a quote from Calvin and Hobbes, in case you didn't notice.

I'll shut up now.

Weekend Plans

2011-05-06T08:50:00.004-04:00

Do you remember a few weeks ago when I was giving away a copy of THE LIPSTICK LAWS (and stuffing my bra)? Well, if you didn't win, pop over to the Class of 2k11 blog and comment there before noon EST to win a copy.

Otherwise, there's not a whole lot going on here. Soccer, mostly. We have some major soccerness going on here. And as you might imagine, I don't exactly fit in with the other soccer moms. Don't get me wrong; they're all very nice people. But they all hang out together and talk about dinner parties and sports, and I sit off in my corner, crocheting zombie football players and reading books meant for teenagers. I'm pretty sure they still don't know what to make of that.

Not complaining, though! I LIKE crocheting monsters and reading kids books.

Anyway, this Mother's Day, I will be on the soccer field at 7:30 in the morning instead of having breakfast in bed. What're you doing this weekend?

And Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies! Hope your weekend is full of crocheted monsters and kids books, or whatever it is that makes you happy!

Bookanistas: PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE by Jen Violi

2011-05-04T19:51:00.005-04:00

Welcome to Bookanista Thursday! We recommend books. They go on your already burgeoning to-read lists. You thank us. Your spouses don't.

Hey, am I right or am I right?

Today, I'm featuring a book that you'll want to get once it arrives on stores on or around May 24th: PUTTING MAKEUP ON DEAD PEOPLE by Jen Violi. Here's the Goodreadish blurb:

In the spring of her senior year, Donna Parisi finds new life in an unexpected place: a coffin.

Since her father’s death four years ago, Donna has gone through the motions of living: her friendships are empty, she’s clueless about what to do after high school graduation, and her grief keeps her isolated, cut off even from the one parent she has left. That is until she’s standing in front of the dead body of a classmate at Brighton Brothers’ Funeral Home. At that moment, Donna realizes what might just give her life purpose is comforting others in death. That maybe who she really wants to be is a mortician.

This discovery sets in motion a life Donna never imagined was possible. She befriends a charismatic new student, Liz, notices a boy, Charlie, and realizes that maybe he's been noticing her, too, and finds herself trying things she hadn’t dreamed of trying before. By taking risks, Donna comes into her own, diving into her mortuary studies with a passion and skill she didn’t know she had in her. And she finally understands that moving forward doesn’t mean forgetting someone you love.

Jen Violi’s heartfelt and funny debut novel is a story of transformation—how one girl learns to grieve and say goodbye, turn loss into a gift, and let herself be exceptional...at loving, applying lipstick to corpses, and finding life in the wake of death.

The minute I saw the title, I knew I had to read this book. I managed a pathology department lab for over five years. I've observed autopsies and worked hand-in-hand with funeral directors, some of whom were smart and kind and funny and others that made crazy demands involving helicopters and taking showers in industrial bleach.

One of the funniest things about working in that environment is that it's one of the most morbid but life-affirming places to be. Every time you turn around, people are making VERY non-PC jokes about cadavers, because that's what you've got to do to stay sane when you're working around death all the time. And in the process, that whole death thing ceases to be so scary and becomes something that can be okay if you want it to.

So with that kind of experience, you can imagine how I approached this book. Would it capture that strange combo of completely inappropriate joking mixed with profound moments that stick with you for years afterward?

It did.

Unlike most death books, this isn't so much of a tear jerker, and I liked that. It mixes the obligatory heavy moments with situations that made me snarf things out my nose even though I knew I shouldn't be. It doesn't make light of death exactly. But in dealing with all the minutiae (what kind of casket? what color foundation?), death becomes something that's possible to come to terms with. It's a completely different approach for a YA book about death--and I LOVE that. Sometimes the death books blend together in my mind. But this one will always stand out in my mind as a quirky read of funereal awesomeness.

It's supposed to be on shelves at the end of May. If you read, I'd love to hear what you think!

While you're at it; check out what the other Bookanistas are up to. Both MOONGLASS and DIVERGENT are on the shelves this week, so huge congrats to Jessi and Veronica!

Shelli Johannes-Wells gives us THE ROYAL TREATMENT

Elana Johnson hosts a blog tour stop for 101 SUCCESS SECRETS FOR GIFTED KIDS with a giveaway

Shannon Messenger adores THE DAY BEFORE plus a giveaway

Carolina Valdez Miller is passionate about POSSESSION and gives away an ARC

Beth Revis shares some SOLSTICE cover love

Lisa and Laura Roecker and Stasia Ward Kehoe marvel over MOONGLASS

Megan Miranda and Veronica Rossi delve into DIVERGENT

Shana Silver shows her desire for DEMONGLASS

Sarah Frances Hardy wants to be just LIKE MANDARIN

Christine Fonseca is in love with DARK AND HOLLOW PLACES with a giveaway

BIG POINTY THINGS OF DEATH

2011-05-04T07:25:00.002-04:00

Have you ever had a conversation and then thought, "Now, THAT should be in a book"?

Last night, Slayer asked what I'd been up to during the day, and I said, "I did some blog interviews. Got to talk about you some too, and how sexy it is when you hit shuriken out of thin air."

"You've seen that?" he asked.

I wonder if he thought he was invisible too.

"Yep. Not this black belt test, but the last one."

"Oh." He shrugged. "Well, I don't understand what's so impressive. I mean, it's just hitting things out of the air...BIG POINTY THINGS OF DEATH."

I'd like to write a book named BIG POINTY THINGS OF DEATH. Any ideas on what it could be about? Other than an invisible guy who can hit things out of the air, of course.

Things That Make Me Snarf - Sexy Car Wash

2011-05-03T07:46:00.002-04:00

I laughed so hard that I nearly DIED.

I'm also fully prepared for you to hate me for this. BRING IT.

Excuses, Excuses

2011-05-02T07:07:00.003-04:00

My daughters are four, so they are full of excuses (and stories about zombie seahorses, which they told to my friend Kelly as we were ramping up for the most awesome library Skype visit EVAR). And last night, I was telling my husband about this annoying situation, the details of which aren't particularly important. Someone was supposed to do something, and they didn't, and they are full of excuses. And before you start wondering if it's you, IT ISN'T. :)

So he says, "What kind of excuses? The kind the girls use when they don't want to go to bed?" And I thought, THAT'S BRILLIANT! I now have an excuse for all occasions!

I'm sorry, morgage people. I would have paid you, but I'M NOT TIRED!!!!

I'm sorry, officer. I know I was speeding, but I NEEDED THE MUSIC ON!!!!

I'm sorry, editor. I know I owed you a book today, but SHE WON'T GET OUT OF MY BED!!!!

I'm sorry, American Idol. I know it upset you when I said all your contestants look like Muppets, but I NEED PANTS!!!!

That's right. One of my daughters woke up and refused to go back to sleep one night because she wanted pants. It's funny now. At 2 AM, my sense of humor is somewhat impaired.

What's the worst excuse you've ever heard?

Google Fu Wha?

2011-04-29T07:57:00.004-04:00

Some of you might remember my quest to become the world's foremost expert on Batman eyebrows. Yes, it was totally random in that I mentioned it once and then all of a sudden started getting all of these people coming to my site to look for more info. But at least it's something that sounds very Carrie--random, nonsensical, and involving people dressed like giant bats.

But lately, I've been getting lots of hits from people looking for three things that are NOT Carrie at all: Katie Couric in a bathing suit, gang hand signs, and bacon cupcakes. Well, maybe the last one fits my personality; I AM thinking about throwing another bacon party to celebrate my book debut, since it looks like my live event isn't going to happen. :(

I'm seriously wondering at the powers of Google-Fu. Are there no websites dedicated to Katie Couric's bathing suit beauty? Are all the gang bangers out banging and not blogging?

Oh. Wait a minute. Maybe they are.

Maybe the key to blogging success is to become an "expert" on a whole list of random things that no one else would think to blog about. So next week, you can expect an entire series on why American Idol always picks contestants that look like Muppets.

Bookanistas: DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth

2011-04-28T07:22:00.004-04:00

Happy Bookanista Thursday! Haven't heard of the Bookanistas before? We talk about books that give us warm fuzzies. Or make us scream out loud. Or make us reach for the Kleenex box. You get the picture.

Today, I'm talking about DIVERGENT by my fellow Bookanista, Veronica Roth. If you've been living in a paper bag and haven't heard about this yet, here are the deets from Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

Totally intriguing, right?

So here's the thing about DIVERGENT. I love a good action story, and this book delivers. There are fights. Dangerous stunts. Honestly chilling baddies. People leaping off trains. People getting attacked by birds.

Yeah, birds.

All that action makes for a fast-paced, hugely exciting ride. I loved the ups and downs of Tris' adventure, and I honestly couldn't put the book down mid-read. I can see why this got optioned for film, because Veronica has a very cinematic eye. And it's all set against this fascinating backdrop of a world. I'll be honest--some things about the world didn't seem plausible to me at all. I don't see how we'd ever get there as a society, although that's just my opinion and feel free to disagree. But for me, that added an additional element of interest. Could a society like this work? Why don't I think it could happen? What does that say about me?

If the mark of a good dystopian is that it makes you think about the world differently, then DIVERGENT did it for me. But it didn't beat me over the head with it, and I appreciate that.

DIVERGENT will go on my bookshelf for pulse-pounding adventures, and I'll be recommending it to all my friends. And I'll never look at birds the same way.

Okay, maybe I was exaggerating a little on that last bit. But you should still read it. :)

Don’t forget to stop by Myra McEntire’s blog for more awesome info on our first Bookanistas Give Back project

And, as for the rest of the Bookanistas…

Elana Johnson thrills over The Third

Christine Fonseca takes a shine to Demonglass

Shelli Johannes-Wells scribes about The Story Board

Shana Silver is rapturous about Moonglass

Rosemary Clement-Moore adores Enclave

Stasia Ward Kehoe has Perfect cover love

Veronica Rossi enthuses over Enclave

Megan Miranda travels the pages of Blood Red Road

In Defense of Blogging

2011-04-27T08:56:00.004-04:00

At a writer's conference I went to recently, the author panel was pretty down on the whole social media thing. They didn't see any value in it; it was a timesuck. The blogosphere is cluttered, and you only reach a limited number of people. Have a static website, they said. Social networking isn't worth the effort.

I disagree. And I may have said so at the conference, although I did so with all due respect. I know blogging isn't for everyone, and if it's not for you, don't do it! It's been said a million times that if you're going to blog/tweet/skywrite with the intent of SELLING BOOKS, then it's going to be a miserable failure. I think that's pretty obvious--who wants to hear ME ME ME all the time? But I think there's a lot to be gained from a blog and a twitter account and facebook and all that malarkey.

The first and biggest reason for me is that blogging is FUN. It reminds me of the reasons I got into writing in the first place. I can write whatever I want, whenever I want. (Within reason, of course. I would NOT advise using the blog to talk smack, unless it's funny pseudo smack in which case please leave the blog address in the comments because I want to visit.) There are no deadlines except the ones that are self-imposed. It's totally self-directed, and I like having that creative outlet.

It also keeps me writing every day, and I think that's pretty handy. Especially on days when I'm running errands and have no writing time, it's nice to have that half hour to sit down and write. I find that the words come easier if I do a little bit every day, and then I make the most of every minute.

So there's definitely a personal benefit, but is there anything else? With all the millions of marketing activities that a writer can do, why spend time blogging? Especially if you're only going to reach a limited number of book bloggers.

Maybe blogging IS insular. I certainly know a lot of people who aren't blog readers and don't intend to start any time soon. But I don't think you can say that a blog's influence is limited to the kidlit blogosphere. Book bloggers don't spend every waking minute on blogs. They go to school or to work. They hang out with friends. They go to the mall and walk through the bookstore, assuming that they're lucky enough to still have a bleeping bookstore in their mall. And during all those things, they talk. They recommend books they've heard about, retell funny anecdotes, and name drop authors. I've certainly done that.

So that blog might only get 200 hits in a day. But there's no way to know how many people talk about it or recommend the book to friends later or request it at the library. In a way, you are reaching people who have never touched a book blog. How many? Who knows?

So yeah, the book blogging community might be small, but the community of people who go to book signings is pretty small too. I look at it like a giant game of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. The connections don't stop at the first degree. And I think you've got to look at blogging like that.

What about you? What do you think of blogging? If you do it, why? If not, why not?

Things That Make Me Snarf - Ask a Scorpion

2011-04-26T09:05:00.002-04:00

Apparently, I'll have to stop blogging soon, because Scorpion is going to behead me.

GET OVER HERE!

The BTIB Dream Film Cast

2011-04-25T07:52:00.003-04:00

Today, I hope you'll come visit me over at So Many Books, So Little Time, where I talk about my dream film cast for my book and show you photos of chicken suits. And I'm going to take this opportunity to run some errands and POSSIBLY hang up those pictures that I bought about two months ago.

How embarrassing.

I'm talking about the pictures, not the chicken suit.

Sleeping Beauty, Harris Style

2011-04-22T08:15:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I wonder if I'm warping my children. First, a little brief background for you newbies--I have 4-year-old identical twins. Their initials are L and R, and I call them Left and Right because that's how we know which is which in early pictures of them. Coincidentally, our son's name starts with C, and he goes in the center, but we can usually tell which one is him, because we're smart like that.

Anyway. Last night, Right was playing with a Sleeping Beauty doll, and I got out a grasshopper finger puppet and waved it around saying, "I'm hungry! I'm hungry! I need a princess to eat!"

And she replies in her high-pitched mock princess voice, "Noooo! Noooo! Don't eat me! I'm so beautiful!"

Ahem. Sorry, kid. That doesn't fly in the Harris household. I calmly explained to her that brains will get you out of any situation, including attack by giant grasshopper, better than beauty will any time. And then we came up with a plot to distract the giant grasshopper by feeding it lots of lettuce. It was all going great until she decided to have Sleeping Beauty chop its head off.

Walt Disney might not have gone for that, but I'm kinda proud.

Bookanistas: SHIFT by Jeri Smith-Ready

2011-04-21T07:58:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Bookanista Thursday! For those of you not familiar with the Bookanistas, we're kind of like kidlit cheerleaders, because we shout out about books we love. But...uh...minus the uniforms and mean girl stereotypes.

This week, I've got to tell you about Jeri Smith-Ready's SHIFT. Jeri is a member of the Class of 2k10, and I was so lucky to be matched with her as my mentor. Did you know that the 2k classes get mentors? We do. It's so nice to be able to send my silly publishing questions to her and get an answer back, along with instructions for deep breathing exercises.

Anyway. SHIFT is the second book in a series. SHADE was out last year and is now available in paperback. You'll want to read that one before you tackle the second. And here are the deets on SHIFT, which will officially hit the shelves on May 3rd. Not too long to wait, peepul.

Ye official blurb o Goodreads:
Aura’s life is anything but easy. Her boyfriend, Logan, died, and his slides between ghost and shade have left her reeling. Aura knows he needs her now more than ever. She loves Logan, but she can’t deny her connection with the totally supportive, totally gorgeous Zachary. And she’s not sure that she wants to.

Logan and Zachary will fight to be the one by her side, but Aura needs them both to uncover the mystery of her past—the mystery of the Shift.

As Aura’s search uncovers new truths, she must decide whom to trust with her secrets…and her heart.

And it's gorgeous, isn't it?

So here's the thing that gets me about these books--they're paranormal ghosty books, right? So we expect lots of action, mystery, and danger. But one of my big pet peeves is when the characters in books like this seem to have no lives whatsoever. I'm left with the impression that they pretty much just floated through life without engaging in ANYTHING aside from maybe an occasional party. Their life doesn't start until they meet the sparkly mutant wombat/were-yeti/frankenthulhu/whatever. I'm willing to suspend my disbelief when reading a paranormal, of course, but I want to feel like the contents of the book COULD happen. I want them to feel real even if I know they aren't.

That's one of the things that I loved the most about SHIFT (and its predecessor). Yes, it's got hot guys with cute accents, and a cool concept, and all kinds of ghostly intrigue. But for me, the big thing was that Aura felt like she had a life. She's got friends, and a job, and family, and she's interested in astronomy. She's not an empty vessel waiting to be filled by a sparkly paranormal boy of awesomeness. She has a LIFE, and sure, that life gets turned upside down and shaken, but it's still there.

I'd like to be friends with Aura, plain and simple. Have you read this? I'd love to hear if you feel the same.

And check out these other great Bookanista recommendations, while you're at it. My to-read list is going to explode at this rate.

Elana Johnson visits Dark and Hollow Places

LiLa Roecker gets silly over Spoiled

Christine Fonseca has a passion for Possession – with giveaway

Shannon Messenger marvels at Moonglass – with giveaway

Jamie Harrington adores Invincible Summer

Shelli Johannes-Wells is in the grip of Possession

Scott Tracey bathes in Blood Magic

Carolina Valdez Miller interviews Invicible Summer author Hannah Moskowitz

Jessi Kirby praises Playing Hurt

Bethany Wiggins delves into Divergent

Shana Silver presents a Guestanista gushing over Between Here and Forever

Rosemary Clement-Moore applauds Abandon

Sarah Frances Hardy enjoys Me Jane

Matt Blackstone loves Like Mandarin

Corrine Jackson delights in The Duff

Stasia Ward Kehoe discusses Displacement

Things That Make Me Snarf - Flight of the Conchords

2011-04-20T09:28:00.001-04:00

This should be the soundtrack to one of my books.

Oh, and it has an f-bomb in it, for you children-possessing people.

Although if you're POSSESSING children, we have greater problems than an f-bomb.

GODDESS TEST winner and MOAR prize awesomeness

2011-04-19T08:58:00.002-04:00

So. First off, MEGAGIANTHUGE congrats to Aimee Carter on the official release of THE GODDESS TEST today! The book, it is awesome. Everyone should read it. And banana83854will have an easy time doing that, because random.org picked her number! (104, in case you're looking for a lucky lottery pick.)

Congrats, banana83854!

And thanks to everyone who entered and tweeted! Hopefully I'll have more stuff for you to win soon!

But in the meantime, I'd like to help one of you win some awesome prizes from the Class of 2k11. This month, they're giving out a copy of Amy Holder's awesome LIPSTICK LAWS (read my recommendation and check out a picture of me with a pair of Kleenex boxes stuck in my shirt here) and a marked up ARC of the ridiculously awesome Amy Dominy's Oy MG. Not only is this ARC signed, but it also has notes in it from Amy, giving you a little extra info that never made it into the book. I haven't yet talked about this book here, but trust me--it's fabulous. I read it in an afternoon and couldn't put it down.

Now, there are a lot of ways to win, and you can check out the 2k11 website if you'd like to learn more about them. But if you don't have the time to do that, you should definitely have time for this:

Make a title mashup using one or more of the following titles:
Tara Hudson - Hereafter
Carrie Harris - Bad Taste in Boys
Tess Hilmo - With a Name Like Love
Bettina Restrepo - Illegal
Trinity Faegen - The Mephisto Covenant

For example, you could mash my title with Dracula and Going Bovine and come up with BAD TASTE IN BOVINE DRACULAS. Then write a sentence or two telling us what the book's about: "Julie expects her summer on her grandparent's farm to be really boring. But there's something about the cattle that draws her--especially the sparkly one that plaintively moos outside her window at night. Is it true love, or is Bull just out for her blood?"

Post it in the comments, or email it to me direct. I'll enter you in the contest, which runs through May 4th. Winners of both of the books will be selected randomly and announced on the Class of 2k11 blog on the 11th, and I'll email you direct if you win. We're also entering everyone into a big end-of-the-year drawing for the most creative entry of the year--so you could win LOTS of books and assorted fun stuff.

Let me know if you have questions, and good luck!

ANGRY CARRIE

2011-04-18T09:00:00.006-04:00

I. Am. Angry.

I mean, COME ON, MICHIGAN. Snow?!? Why do you tease me like this? I just begin to think that it's safe to garden and go outside, and that makes me HAPPY because I'm really a summer person. I can walk around without shoes and people don't look at me funny, unlike the times that I go out to get something from the car without shoes and it's snowing, and then people think I'm nuts. I love shoes; I just don't like wearing them.

And HELLO, DIGRESSION.

Anyway. When I woke up this morning and saw actual accumulation on the ground, I felt something like this:

YO, SNOW! I'm gonna mess you up!

And that made me think...I'm kind of over emoticons. I mean, they've been overdone, right? So from now on, I think I'm going to use FaceInHole in place of emoticons. So if you see the Rambo in one of my emails, you'll know I'm angry.

If you see this one, you'll know that I'm horrified. And possibly put blueberry jello into my bath water by mistake.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

And if you see this, you'll know I've been abducted by aliens and replaced by a clever clone.

Oh, Edward. You're so sexy!

Or a not-so-clever clone, as the case may be.

In other news, competition is FIERCE for the signed copy of Aimee Carter's THE GODDESS TEST. I draw a winner tomorrow morning, go here and comment to enter!