Faerie Drink Review

WITCH EYES - Review

2011-09-12T17:23:00.003-04:00

Witch Eyes - Scott TraceyPublisher: Flux
Pages: 332
Release: August 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Description:
A boy who can see the world's secrets and unravel spells with just a glance.

Braden's witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.

Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything--lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder--to seize control of Braden's powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.

My Review:

When I first heard about Witch Eyes I knew that the novel would be something special. I wrote up a Waiting on Wednesday post and started sharing the word. It was the first time that I had actually felt excited about the release of a YA LGBT book, not to mention a fantasy novel.

Witch Eyes is easily one of my favorite novels of the year. Tracey has woven a page turning treasure with a touch of snark and an amazing history. This book will not disappoint any fantasy lover, the story is unique as are the characters.

I'm happy that Tracey introduced Braden as a gay teenager who had already figured out he was as a gay male. I find too often authors wish to focus on romance or sexual discovery when coming to a LGBT novel.

Authors so easily forget to tame down the romance aspect in teen fantasy novels these days which is something I find annoying. That wasn't the issue with Witch Eyes, fantasy took the front seat while hints of romance remained at the back.

This is an unforgettable debut novel and I'm impatiently waiting the second (Demon Eyes) of the series expected in 2012.

Visit Scott-Tracey.com, follow him on Twitter: @Scott_Tracey and be sure to buy your own copy of Witch Eyes.

While I've been away.....

2011-06-17T19:55:00.000-04:00

I figured I'd share a few photos of what I've been up to the last few months, while I work on new content. As most of you know I've been working closely with Mitali Dave and several publishing houses to put together the Teen Author Carnival! The event turned out great--considering a year of planning were changed last minute to fit a new building. Next year everything should be back to normal though (with tables & air conditioning too!) ;)

Here's a snapshot of a few authors at the event, I swiped the photo from Courtney Allison Moulton!

And can we just take a moment to talk about the MASSIVE amount of people that showed up this year? We were blown away!

Below's a photo from FLUX, this is just ONE ROOM of our event!!

When I wasn't busy with BEA or TAC I was busy enjoying New York and New Jersey with some of my closest friends! I think that's the most important thing about BEA--you should go to CONNECT and talk books. If you talk about how chaotic BEA is all of the time, you're clearly doing something wrong. It means so much more than just BOOKS! :D

That's the main excuse for being away--planning an event like TAC and trying to have a social life is something that causes a challenge at times. However I balanced out TAC, living my life and traveling pretty well. I wouldn't give it up for anything--even if I abandon the blog for spurts at a time know I'm always working on something BIGGER and BETTER. :)

On a side and final note, last week a few friends and I went to the zoo to see the three week old baby elephant, he's pretty adorable--He's still unnamed. I'm calling him Magnus. ;)

Devyn

JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD - Review

2011-04-26T23:42:00.000-04:00

John Belushi is Dead - Kathy Charles
Publisher: MTV
Pages: 320
Release: August 24, 2010

My Rating: 4/5

Description:

IN THE END WE ALL FADE TO BLACK.

Pink-haired Hilda and oddball loner Benji are not your typical teenagers. Instead of going to parties or hanging out at the mall, they comb the city streets and suburban culs-de-sac of Los Angeles for sites of celebrity murder and suicide. Bound by their interest in the macabre, Hilda and Benji neglect their schoolwork and their social lives in favor of prowling the most notorious crime scenes in Hollywood history and collecting odd mementos of celebrity death.

Hilda and Benji’s morbid pastime takes an unexpected turn when they meet Hank, the elderly, reclusive tenant of a dilapidated Echo Park apartment where a silent movie star once stabbed himself to death with a pair of scissors. Hilda feels a strange connection with Hank and comes to care deeply for her paranoid new friend as they watch old movies together and chat the sweltering afternoons away. But when Hank’s downstairs neighbor Jake, a handsome screenwriter, inserts himself into the equation and begins to hint at Hank’s terrible secrets, Hilda must decide what it is she’s come to Echo Park searching for . . . and whether her fascination with death is worth missing out on life.

My Review:

It's funny how books find their ways into our lives. I came across JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD (JBID) because a friend from California had mentioned it to me. However, the book sat around the house for some time. I'd read the description several times over and couldn't work up the courage to crack it open.

That's when my new fascination grew. Death. Having Lupus, death is something that I think about on a daily basis, sometimes even hourly. You'll go mad if you start thinking about it all too much. Luckily for me I had an amazing book on hand JBID.

JBID Follows the story of Hilda, a pink-haired outcast living in California. She, like me, has her own fascination with death. Suicides and murders to be exact. I really enjoyed every aspect of this book. Hilda is one of my favorite characters ever, I'm really proud of how she grew though the story. It was almost like watching a young adult mature before my eyes.

This book made me feel many emotions and to take a look at my own personal demons. It takes a special kind of book to make me sit and think about my life once I finish reading. If you're looking for a fairytale this book isn't for you. If you're looking for a raw story about life, if you've ever taken time to realize the world is so much bigger than you--then this book is for you.

Check out the authors website, buy the book or read about the death of John Belushi here!

Thank's for following my blog; An update...

2011-03-16T15:21:00.000-04:00

I'm known on Twitter for being very opinionated about blogging in general. Blogging is taking a very interesting turn and I honestly cannot wait to see what direction everything goes in. With that being said there is also a very dark light in blogging as well, to put it simple it's exhausting. Anyone who has a hand in publishing will be the first to tell you that.

In the past years I have spent a majority of my time planning the Teen Author Carnival, running a hospital book charity Book Transfusion and teaming up with authors, doing behind the scene marketing. That's everything you see online, however my life has been much more complicated for as long as I can remember.

As some of you may or may not know, I was diagnosed with a disease when I was twelve. When I was fourteen I was given a Make-A-Wish. When I was sixteen(ish, possibly seventeen) I almost had my leg amputated. My disease is what causes most of my irritation when it comes to blogging, a major example; when I talked about publishers sending books I do not want.

Long story short, I have Lupus. If you watch House you may have heard of it, sadly in my case it really IS Lupus.

What is Lupus?

Sort Version: My body reads all cells as horrible virus and tries to kill off any good cells.

Long Version:

Wikipedia:

Systemic lupus erythematosus (pronounced /sɪˈstɛmɪk ˈlupəs ˌɛrɪˌθiməˈtʰoʊsəs/ ( listen)), often abbreviated to SLE or lupus, is a systemic autoimmune disease (or autoimmune connective tissue disease) that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune systemattacks the body's cells and tissue, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.^[1] It is a Type III hypersensitivity reaction caused by antibody-immune complex formation.
SLE most often harms the heart, joints, skin, lungs, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The course of the disease is unpredictable, with periods of illness (called flares) alternating with remissions. The disease occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially in women in child-bearing years ages 15 to 35, and is also more common in those of non-European descent.^[2]^[3]^[4]
SLE is treatable through addressing its symptoms, mainly with cyclophosphamide, corticosteroids and immunosuppressants; there is currently no cure. SLE can be fatal, although with recent medical advances, fatalities are becoming increasingly rare. Survival for people with SLE in the United States, Canada, and Europe is approximately 95% at five years, 90% at 10 years, and 78% at 20 years.

Hopefully that should explain my illness in a nutshell, I've mentioned it before, however most people do not see the seriousness of it because of House. :P

I spend most of my time TRYING to act healthy, when I'm at events or even in New York I put on my HEALTHY face. After some time everything really does get to you, sometimes even holding a book up is nothing but pure exhaustion.

I think it's important for me to "come out" with that information to all of my bloggers, I haven't forgot about the blog and hope to get a few posts up soon. But when it used to take me a few hours to finish a book it now takes me weeks.

So bear with me and hopefully I can get the gears moving again, I've never really been a blogger, I'm just Devyn, with the hat, who does THINGS and knows PEOPLE. ;)

I'm not looking for sympathy, so please refrain from comments of that type.

I love you all,
Devyn

A TOUCH MORTAL Review - Leah Clifford

2010-12-19T15:39:00.000-05:00

A TOUCH MORTAL - Leah Clifford
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
Release: February 22, 2011

My Rating:
4.5/5.0

Description:

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

My Review:

I have deep interests in ghosts, the afterlife and angels. It’s not easy to pick up a YA book that can easily feel that need of mine. I really wasn't expecting much when picking up A Touch Mortal. I was terribly excited about the concept but wasn't sure anyone could pull off something original, something to make my gears turn again. I had never finished a book based on the afterlife, I was looking for something to change that.

The book had a bumpy start; I’m not going to lie. I remember thinking “Oh God, not another love story.” But I kept pushing myself through the book, by the third chapter I was completely sucked into this new world. A world full of Touch, Siders, The Fallen—a world that is so much more than ‘just an angel book.’

The book kept me thinking “What next?” which in turn kept me turning pages. Clifford gives the reader several pieces of the massive plot puzzle and slowly puts the pieces together around the middle marking point of the book

I was very pleased with this book. It was nice to pick up a book with twists and turns that actually took you by surprise. It was a beautiful debut novel. I can’t wait for the sequel. A Touch Mortal isn’t a small book, it’s a book you want to dedicate a book to because I assure you won’t want to put it down!

Buy The Book!

About Leah:

Leah Clifford has been an extreme cave tour guide, a camp counselor, a flight attendant, a pizza delivery girl, a waitress, and a grocery store clerk. Now she adds author to that list. She lives outside Cleveland, Ohio. This is her first book.

You can find Leah on her website and Twitter.

XO
Devyn

It Gets Better - Chelsea Swiggett (The Page Flipper)

2010-11-15T17:05:00.000-05:00

I said yes to writing this because yes is my standard answer. I’m kind of an impulsive person. Yes, I’ll drive to New York with you tomorrow. Yes, I’ll go camping. Yes, I’ll go parasailing. Yes, yes, yes. Because, in my mind, I want to be the kind of person that does that kind of stuff. I want to be that person so badly. But unlike Jim Carrey, I back down from a lot of the stuff I say yes to. Because I’m terrified. I love the idea of being brave and courageous and spontaneous, but a lot of the time I’m way too scared to be.

But when I said yes to writing this post, I knew I wouldn’t back down. I’m actually glad Devyn put me on the latter half of the schedule, because reading everyone’s posts has been completely inspiring. I’ve taken some bravery from every one of you who’s said “it gets better.”

I’m not a witness to suicide. But I know people who are. I know someone who’s talked someone down from the edge of it. I know someone who’s thought about it. I know someone who was completely scarred by it. I’ve seen the wounds on people who’ve been completely altered by it.

I remember, when I was younger, some girl behind me kicked the back of my seat. I was sitting, cross-legged, feeling horrendously crappy because I had a bad day. And she kicked my seat. I turned around and glared at her, one of my all-encompassing bitch-glares, but she did it again. So I walked up to the bus driver and complained about her. It felt somewhat satisfying.

A couple months later, I found out that girl, sitting behind me, died from cancer. She didn’t commit suicide. But she died. She was way too young. I wondered what she would have grown up to read, to watch. Wondered who she would have married. If she would have had kids and watched Toy Story with them. I barely knew her, but part of that moment still stays with me and I feel completely guilty about it. I think the reason I’m telling this story is because no matter how little significance you think you have – and you have to feel unworthy if you’re willing to take your own life – you affect people. You change people’s lives. You leave a mark. Even on people you don’t expect. And you can choose to leave a good mark or a bad mark. You can be there to witness that mark or you can not be there. You have worth and you will have worth. There is so, so much left to see.

I’ve always been terrified to live. To say yes and follow through with it. To travel and to write how I’m feeling and to speak my mind and to breathe. My anxiety has crippled me, a lot. I’ve been to a point where I didn’t think I could go on living, at all. I’ve been to a point where all I was doing was living, but I wasn’t really living. I was just sinking. I’ve been to a point where I’ve questioned if life was worth living, hundreds of times. Because life is horrifying, terrifying, crippling, ugly. But it’s also absolutely beautiful. There are people who are good and who want to leave a mark on you. There are places, cultures, other lives to see. There’s something outlandishly gorgeous about this Earth and the people in it, the tragedy and the passion. Is it worth living? I decided yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And this yes, I will absolutely follow through with.

It Gets Better - Carrie Jones

2010-11-15T15:05:00.005-05:00

Despite the fact that people keep sending me emails that say that I am super cool (Thank you people!) I have never been super cool, not in the traditional sense.

When I was little, I had glasses and slurred my s’s so badly that I basically stopped talking in first grade, just so Jayed Jamison would stop tormenting me and mocking my voice.

When I was in seventh grade, I had a teacher who told me that because I slurred my s’s I would:

Never be loved
Never get a job
Never be taken seriously
Always, always be laughed at.

Both of these times broke me all the way down. I believed that I would never get anything, that I would always be mocked, never taken seriously. But friends, and something weird inside myself got me through and made me realize that Jayed and that teacher were totally, undeniably assy.

Then, when I was a freshman in college, I got mono. The virus also attacked my brain and gave me seizures. It didn’t matter to me that 25 million people in just the U.S. have had seizures. It didn’t matter. There’s a stigma. And it was very hard for me to get it under control because the anti-seizure medicines kept making my blood toxic or giving me side effects.

Once during all this, I wanted to die so badly that I stood on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, Maine and tried to decide which car to jump in front of. There were lots of reasons I felt that way at the time and one of those reasons was my seizure medication had thrown my entire body totally out of whack. But honestly? The reasons don't matter any more. What mattered was the pain. What mattered is that I wanted to die because I thought that I hurt too much to live.

One of my friends, Eric Stamper, got me through it. He was an angel boy.

That and I felt too badly for the driver of the car. Because honestly? It wouldn’t be fair of me to screw up someone else’s life like that. Then I thought about the police who would respond to the scene. Then I thought about my mom. And, yeah, I didn't want to get paralyzed. The plan didn't seem fool-proof enough. And, I also thought about God and life and existence being a gift even if it is a TERRIBLY difficult gift sometimes.

But for five minutes I stood on the side of the road and hurt and thought about ending the hurt.

Lately on Live Journal and Facebook, in friends-locked posts and in private messages and in conversations on the phone, in news reports and in YouTube videos, I have seen so many people feeling the way I did when I stood on Lisbon Street. I am very lucky. I have never felt that way again, but I remember the feeling.

And I also realized that it's hard to talk about it even though so many people have felt that way too. But it isn't shameful to hurt. It isn't shameful for the pain to be too much for you to handle alone and anyone who says it is? Well, they are full of crud. Sorry. It's true.

But it can get better. And some days it can get a little worse. But mostly? Mostly, it can get better.

And that’s why you don’t listen to Jayed Jamison.

And that’s why you don’t listen to a stupid seventh-grade teacher.

And that’s why you don’t even listen to yourself sometimes.

Because it does get better.

This weekend, I got a message from a girl who is made of awesome. She wanted to kill herself last year, and I got involved. Her year has been amazing, she said. She thanked me for saving her, but I didn’t. She saved herself, but I got to witness how strong and amazing and powerful she is. And that is one of the zillion reasons why I am so glad I didn’t step in front of that car. I am glad because by being alive I get to see people do amazing things. I get to witness people have the power to live and grow and change, to watch as their lives become unbelievably, undeniably better.

It Gets Better - Anonymous

2010-11-11T18:54:00.000-05:00

When Devyn asked me to write a blog post for It Gets Better Week, I doubt he expected to get this. In fact, I was very reluctant to agree to writing anything, but I thought back to being younger and wishing that there was someone out there who would tell me that everything gets better. I want to be that person for one of you. I'll be honest and say that I don't fall into the LGBTQ umbrella, but I support Equal Rights entirely, and I have since the day I realized that people who weren't society's definition of “straight” didn't have the same rights as everyone else. Many of my closest friends are gay—one of them being Devyn himself, who I love dearly.

Today, I'm not going to talk about things getting better for the lives of young people in the LGBTQ community, though I know that they do because I've seen lives change first-hand. Instead, I'm going to tell you about a struggle that can be just as dark and internal and terrifying, and I'm going to tell you that it gets better.

Let me just put it out there, right up front: I was molested for six years of my childhood. Specifically from the ages of five to ten, nearly eleven. My abuser told me that if I told anyone—anyone—I would be hated by my family and no one would believe me. He had painted a picture, for several years, that I was a chronic liar of a child. He told me the abuse was my fault, because I was so pretty. Because of him, I repressed years of my childhood, only to have it come rushing back when I was in a sexual education class in high school.

I have struggled with it for years and continue to, still. My abuser is still a part of my life and I have to see him on a regular basis. I don't even know if he remembers what he did to me. I'm in my twenties now—more than ten years away from the end of the abuse—and it is still something I have to live with every day, and something I have to see every time I look in the mirror.

For a long time, I couldn't talk about it at all. I wrote about it to friends in IM, told a friend through e-mail, and chatted with a RAINN Online volunteer when things got too tough to handle. I never spoke about it out loud, until one night when someone asked me why I had such irrational fears of people. I answered “I was molested as a child” and the rest came pouring out. I think I can compare this to the fear that a young person might have with verbalizing the fact that they are gay. Until it comes out of your mouth, you can almost pretend it isn't real. But the past is always real—and the thing you have to remember is that your present is the thing you will soon know as the past. You have to live it to the fullest in order to get to a point where you will be happy when you look back.

Eventually, you will find that. It does get better.

I don't want to be cliché, but the things in your past that hurt you are the things that make you stronger. Yes, I have commitment issues and irrational fears and anxieties, but I'm living my life the way I want to look back and remember it, and I think I'm doing pretty well for myself.

I may not have been bullied for years for being gay or different, but I can honestly say that no matter how dark you feel your corner of the world is when you reach that cold, awful hour, it will always get better. There is always a light that will come in the form of one person (or more) who is on your side. Even if you don't know that person right now; even if you have had it drilled into your head that you are the one with the problem; even if you think that you are the one to blame for the relentless bullying and abuse, just remember: It's not you, it's them.

It will get better, and you will be stronger for it.

RAINN Hotline - Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network

1-800-656-HOPE- http://www.apps.rainn.org/ohl-bridge/

Teen to teen peer counseling hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE

Hopeline: 1-800-442-HOPE - http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html

http://www.thetrevorproject.org 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255

Graphic by Jeremy West.

It Gets Better ~ Gretchen McNeil

2010-11-10T12:36:00.002-05:00

Teen to teen peer counseling hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE

Hopeline: 1-800-442-HOPE - http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html

http://www.thetrevorproject.org 1-866-4-U-TREVOR

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255

Graphic by Jeremy West.

It Gets Better ~ Scott Tracey

2010-11-09T17:14:00.000-05:00

When Devyn asked me to participate in his "It Gets Better" week, I immediately said yes. And once it was said, and the commitment was already there, I hesitated. I second guessed myself. What could I possibly have to say? What can I tell you, or tell anyone, that's going to make a difference?

Here's the thing.

Part of me wants to be like, "Bitch, I don't know your life!" Because really, quoting from Baby Mama seems like a wise decision at this point. I feel that at this juncture, the only person who can truly express the angst and turmoil going on in my soul is a very white trash version of Amy Poehler.

So yeah, there's that.

The thing is, when people say "It gets better" or "love is louder" what they mean is "don't lose hope." Don't dwell on the negative. Look towards the future. Grab on to something and try to hold on until the scenery changes. Because it will. Eventually. And that adversity you're going through now? Those are the things that are going to make you stronger, push you to strive harder, and keep you going when things get bad later on. When I used to be a restaurant manager, they would tell us that it takes ten GREAT visits for a guest to forget that one BAD visit. And I think life is a lot like that - it's a lot easier to hear, and retain, all the bad stuff that goes on. It's SO incredibly easy to lose hope. It's harder to push the bad down, and try and focus on the positive. Or to hold out for the positive to start.

The first time I wrote a book, it was an experiment. I wanted to see if I could do it. And I kept a word count tally right by my computer, and every day I would look at it before I started writing. I think it's one of the reasons why NaNo appeals to so many people - because after a week, or two, of writing every single day, suddenly things don't look so hard anymore. You've got 7 (or 14, or 21) days of hard work behind you, and you can SEE THE RESULT. Every bad situation you make it through, whether it's an episode of depression, trouble at school, at home, or whatever - whatever it is, getting through that one more thing you've survived. It makes you stronger, more committed; and every positive experience becomes one more thing to make you smile, even years down the road.

So we say things like "It gets better" and hope that you hear us. Or better yet, that you spread the word, think about the things you can do for someone else. Reaching out, listening, talking. The littlest things make a difference.

I don't talk about my own experiences very often. When I was in high school, I had a friend. She was my Person - the one person I'd call if I needed to talk, or just needed someone to listen. If I killed someone, she'd be the person I called to help me hide the body. And I clung to her through most of high school. She was smart; ridiculously smart. Ridiculously smart. A better writer than me, a more impressive student, she was one of those people who was just beloved. But she was also troubled. She struggled, in that way that kids who are too smart, or too aware, do. She felt like she didn't fit in. And she killed herself, two weeks before Christmas.

Up until that point, I'd thought about suicide. Considered it heavily. Even for a few years afterwards. But now there was an added pressure - I felt like I wasn't jus t living for me. I was living for both of us. And there were all sorts of things she wouldn't get to experience that SOMEONE should experience for her. And eventually, I made changes, and things got better. I became independent, got away from all those people who'd made me miserable, and carved myself out a life.

The day before the twelfth anniversary of her death, last December, my uncle killed himself. At Thanksgiving that year, we had talked about my writing, and out of my extended family, he had always been the most supportive. He was going through some things, and I had absolutely no idea.

In both cases, I was completely shattered. And I don't talk about these things very often, because I think there's a fine line between dwelling on a tragedy, and wallowing in it. And something like that is just another form of depression - a bog of quicksand that will suck you down into it before you even realize what's happening.

Both times, I had those moments of "I could have fixed this." "There was something I could have said." But really, the only thing we can do in the aftermath is grieve. Suffer. Punish ourselves. Having people around you kill themselves breaks you in ways that might never fully heal. I think about that sometimes, and then I think about all the things I've been through since then.

Fights, friendships, jobs, pain, decisions, relationships, moves, breakdowns. Life is a series of hurdles. An obstacle course that never gets easier, but the longer you hold out the greater the rewards. Part of my motivation in life is to achieve things in SPITE of the things I've been through. Because my life might not be the most ideal version I would dream of, but I'm on my way. And every day I know that it gets better.

Teen to teen peer counseling hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE

Hopeline: 1-800-442-HOPE - http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255

Graphic by Jeremy West.

It Gets Better Week - Brenna of FAYAF

2010-11-08T23:25:00.000-05:00

Brenna from Five Awesome YA Fans joins us for It Gets Better Week!

My story starts out almost 20 years ago. I was born to a man and a woman who lived in a large house. They had two other children, a son and a daughter, by the time I was three. Our life was seemingly perfect. My mother was a travel agent and owned the local newspaper, but somehow always found time to volunteer with our preschool. My father was a photographer and also volunteered with our preschool. My siblings and I had all the toys we could ever want, a pool to swim in, and a big yard to run around in. But no story is perfect, and mine is no exception.

When I was six years old, my parents announced they were getting a divorce. When I was 8 years old, my dad brought a man home -- a boyfriend, he said. When I was 9 years old, my mom remarried. The man she married -- Jason -- was, and still is, one of the most horrible people I’ve ever met. He was abusive to me, my siblings, and, most of all, to my mother. While these were all huge moments in my life, I never realized it at the time. My parents divorce seemed like an exciting thing -- I’d have two houses, and, best of all, two Christmases! I didn’t understand the concept of ‘gay’, and, to me, it seemed normal because I’d never been told otherwise. My mom’s marriage to Jason was horrible, but for many years, it was all I knew. A day without fighting seemed odd to me. Because of this, there isn’t an exact moment I can pinpoint and say ‘That’s where it all went downhill’. It all just sort of all built up until it collapsed in a giant pile of debris with me underneath it all.

I can’t remember when I first thought about harming myself, but I do know I first acted on it in 7th grade. It started with the hair tie I would wear around my wrist every day. I would snap it against my skin until the area became red and inflamed. Gradually, it escalated to actual cuts that would bleed and leave scars -- scars I still have today. I would always use a safety pin to hurt myself because I enjoyed the irony of it. For years no one noticed, no one cared enough to notice, and I didn’t care enough about anyone to tell them. It was my own secret, my own escape from reality. I felt pride when I looked at my cuts. To me, they were each a story -- that time mom and Jason fought on my sister’s birthday, that time a friend didn’t show up to school on my big day, that time I got my heart broken. I can still look at the scars today and tell you what each one was a result of.

Finally, in May of 2007, my dad started to notice. I had recently gone through my first real breakup, and he began to realize that something was terribly wrong. It was hard for me to even fake my smiles anymore. In a moment I regretted for years afterwards, I let my guard down and my long-sleeve shirt slipped up my arm, revealing my cuts. My dad saw them and immediately took me to the doctor to get me on anti-depressants and signed me up for weekly therapy sessions. While I regretted that moment for a long time, I eventually realized that that moment of weakness was what saved my life. I don’t have a single doubt in my mind that, without the help I received as a result of that moment, I would not be alive today. Because of that moment I’m happy again, because of that moment my mom got the courage to leave Jason, because of that moment I’m a better person, and, most importantly, because of that moment, I realized that IT GETS BETTER!

Not every bully is that kid in class. Sometimes it’s the person you have to go home to every day. Even worse, sometimes that bully is yourself. Remember that, no matter what, you deserve the best in your life and you have the power to give it to yourself. Getting help is hard, but asking for it could save your life. And, trust me, your life is worth saving.

I encourage you to think of your life as one of those really great books -- you know, the kind where you’re not quite sure what’s going to happen next and you keep turning the page because you just have to find out. Every character has something to overcome, but if you stick it out until the very end, I’m sure you’ll find that everything turns out great.

Teen to teen peer counseling hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE

Hopeline: 1-800-442-HOPE - http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255

Graphic by Jeremy West.

It Gets Better - Leah Clifford

2010-11-07T17:06:00.000-05:00

Leah Clifford joins us for It Gets Better week on Faerie Drink Review;

There are a lot of people who clicked on these links. Spread them around. Got the word out. Which is pretty amazing if you think about it. This blog isn’t for them.

Maybe you don’t even know why you clicked on this link, why you’re reading these words. You’ve seen the vlogs for everybody getting bullied for being gay or different. But even if you’re not gay, or even if you’re “popular”, those smiles, the ones in the videos? You’re pretty sure they’re years away if they’ll come at all. And so you’ve started to think about suicide. Plan it out late at night, when it’s quiet and you can think for once. Figure out how you’ll do it. The truth is, it’s not that every day is worse, it’s that they’re all exactly the same and you can’t imagine anything ever getting better. This blog post is for you. I’d really like you to read it, because if you go through with it, you won’t be here to see what happens after. And so I’d like to show you what it’s like to be left behind.

I remember the exact moment I knew he was dead. It was June and I was in my backyard, talking on the phone with my mom. Toward the end of the conversation, she asked if I knew why Ryan’s mom would call, that she’d left a message to call back, that it was about Ryan. And just like that I’d known. “Because he’s dead.” I’d whispered it, but it hadn’t made it any less true. And she’d said she’d call her and call me right back. I remember how everything seemed to freeze and fade away, how the air stopped moving and there was only the phone pressed against my ear while I waited.

I’d met Ryan when I was twenty. We worked together, and as horribly corny as it sounds, the second I saw him, I fell for him. We were inseparable from that first day on. Only a month into our relationship, we hatched a plan to escape Ohio and head out West to Colorado. Every day we lived an adventure. It was us against the world. I’d wake up to love notes and make him special dinners to surprise him. He loved the outdoors, always hiking, climbing, and caving. We’d go camping after I got off work and come home the next day so he could be at his shift. Wake up early to climb the stunning sandstone spires at Garden of the Gods as the sun rose. He took me to alpine meadows at 14,000 feet. He showed me the world with a frantic passion I’ve never found in another person. And after two and a half years it slowly became one I couldn’t keep up with. There was no messy split, no terrible fight. We just knew we weren’t right for each other anymore. We stayed friends and visited a few times. We drifted, but when something important happened, we were each other’s first phone call. But it had been awhile since we’d talked.

I tried to figure out how long while I waited, the phone clutched in my hand and the birds chirping and when it rang, I answered. My mom said my name, too quiet and too slow. The way someone says your name when they want you to sit down, when you know it’s going to be really really bad. He’d shot himself in the head. At one point she said his parents were going to go out to Colorado and get him and I kept wanting her to say something like “he’s really lucky to be alive,” but I knew in my gut she wouldn’t. That she hadn’t meant it that way.

I can tell you I made phone calls, but I can’t tell you what I said. I remember being a sort of shocked calm, but a friend told me I hadn’t been at all. It’s funny the ways your memory can trick you. See, when you’re gone, memories of you are all anyone has left.

I remember the last email he sent to me, where I said “Hope life’s grand.” And he responded, “Nope. Life sucks. Hope yours is better :-)” and it’d made me pause but there was that stupid smiley face and so I figured he was being dramatic and I hadn’t written back.

When someone commits suicide, people are constantly saying things like “There was nothing you could have done.” The people in your life will have so many moments, those maybes and should haves and wish I would have, and they will think about them constantly. Not because they feel guilty, which they will, but because they want you here. And they will always feel like they missed some chance to make everything turn out different. Me, I’d thought about calling him a few days before that, out of the blue. And maybe if I had… It haunts me.

It has been just over one year and four months since Ryan died. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him. When I can’t sleep, and I’m up to see the sunrise, I think about how he won’t see it and I can never figure out why he wouldn’t want to. I’m caught up in confusion, like if I figure out the why, it will make things better, easier. Sometimes I feel like I’m too sad for how much time has passed, like that ‘time heals everything’ should be kicking in by now, and then I feel guilty. I think about his family, and how I should stop by or write but I never know what to say. Nothing sounds right when I try.

Suicide hurts so many people. Once you are gone there is no undo. There is no way for your friends to tell you how important you are, because you are so important. There is no way for your family to tell you how much they love you, because you are loved. And worse, there is no way for you to realize that it does get better. There are people who want to help you, who can help you. Please, please from the bottom of my heart call them.

Teen to teen peer counseling hotline: 1-877-YOUTHLINE

Hopeline: 1-800-442-HOPE

http://www.hopeline.com/gethelpnow.html

http://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Graphic by Jeremy West.

It Gets Better ~ Devyn Burton

2010-11-07T13:20:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how I want to open this week. I've asked a few friends to go out of their way to share their personal stories with you all. One thing I noticed with the whole "It Gets Better" campaign is that apparently it only "gets better" for the LGBT community.

I wanted to draw together friends to show you that it gets better, not just for one community but for us all. And the thing is every person regardless if they would like to admit it or not has thought of harming themselves in one way or another regardless if they have any intentions of doing anything.

You see depression is a funny thing, it can attack us at our highest points in life and clearly at our lowest.

If you don't know who I am already, it's okay I wont be offended. But since this is my blog I'll tell you about myself and how I know it gets better. I've had three very life altering events in my life, each time I thought I'd have no where to turn but in the end it did GET BETTER!

When I was twelve I awoke unable to get out of my bed, extreme pain and slimmer than you could ever imagine. Testing lead to a horrible fact, I was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE), which is basically a disease that sees the body as a horrible virus and tries to kill it.

Who would want to live with a life altering disease, you're better off dead, right? Wrong! It does get better.

When I was seventeen I feel in 'love' with one of the most beautiful girls in my high school. I'm not going to lie, I still think she is beautiful but in a different context. You see, something I don't speak about much is sexuality, because I'm still working my way through mine and trying to find who I am as a person.

To think that I didn't love this girl beyond a friendship was devastating to me. I grew up in a Mormon lifestyle until the age of Nine, it was already drilled in my head Love is for a man and woman anything else is an abomination in the eyes of God. That fact alone still makes me struggle with religion, regardless what I am told.

Even though I struggle with sexuality and religion--It got better!

The most recent occurrence in my life happened not too long ago. Forcing me to take a hiatus from the internet in general. I'd forgotten about all of the positives of my life and the darkness creeped it's way into my life. I'd never felt that alone in my life and at one very deep point honestly believed that maybe I'd be better off dead.

I don't want to go into details of that whole situation, I just wanted to say I've been there I know how it feels to be completely alone. But I had people on my side who cared, people who without even knowing it helped me survive through that time. I had friends collect me from the house I was staying at, I think I stayed with them for about a month straight. I'd read a few amazing books. Received a fan message, which I still find a bit amusing. Talked to a friend who had lost a very good friend to suicide. All of these factors made me rethink everything, maybe I should stick around to see what life brings.

You see if I'd given it at any of those moments my life wouldn't of had the chance to get better. When I was diagnosed with Lupus I was given a laptop--which let me write and express myself through short stories and blog posts. When I started questioning sexuality I picked up Tithe by Holly Black, which lead me to the internet world full of authors. When I thought I was alone in the world the It Gets Better Project popped up--and I knew that it does get better.

If I'd killed myself I wouldn't be here telling you that It Gets Better. I know for a fact that it does. I still have dark moments in my life, but now I've learned if I wait them out my life does get better.

I hope someone can read this and connect with some part of the post and honestly feel from what I've said that it gets better. I love each and every one of you and I honestly mean that with all of my heart.

XO
Devyn Burton

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-273-8255
The Trevor Project - 1-866-488-7386 - A national confidential suicide hotline for gay and questioning youth.

Graphic by Jeremy West.

Music Monday: Zydrate Anatomy

2010-09-27T15:59:00.001-04:00

A few months ago my friend Amber and I were looking for a show to watch OnDemand. We came across a quirky looking movie, Paris Hilton was one of the stars--we knew we had to watch it. The movie provided many laughs. We still sing the songs from the movie to each other while driving.

Anyway, here is one of our favorite songs.

Zombies VS Unicorns with Kathleen Duey!

2010-09-25T15:52:00.000-04:00

Kathleen Duey joins FDR to talk about her take on Zombies VS. Unicorns!

I was on Team Unicorn at the hilarious, wall-shaking, shouting match/debate/ at DragonCon 2010 and will be in Baltimore next weekend at the city book festival to represent Team Unicorn discussing (if that’s the right word) the upcoming anthology Zombies vs. Unicorns.

Unicorns have a long tradition in many cultures. In some stories they are horse-like and pure white. In others they are brightly colored and have deer’s heads, horses’ hooves, boars’ tales, and single horns of various sizes and shapes. The horns were worth fortunes to kings and churchmen alike. Almost every story confirms the healing power and protection of unicorn horns. So unicorns are almost eternal and truly magical, conquerable only by virgin girls used as bait by hunters waiting in the trees--hunters who want to saw off the treasured horn.

So for me, the question was: How does any living creature survive immortality, an endless, solitary life forever sought out by people in terrible need and/or with murderous intent. My story in the anthology is an attempt to answer it.

But I think Zombies have huge literary potential. The zombie stories in Z v. U are really, REALLY good. There are so many amazing voodoo legends of “the walking dead”, “tranced” soldiers, re-animated corpses being controlled by zombie masters…and then there are the Hollywood zombies, the hoards of the un-dead extras.

I love their inability to think, feel, their stench and their random, constant, persistence. And I love the Zombie Song.

At Dragoncon, in the middle of the debate, I got an idea for a zombie book. So as much as I love unicorns....we’ll just see.

Check out Kathleen's website here!

FALLOUT Review - Ellen Hopkins

2010-09-23T16:02:00.001-04:00

FALLOUT - Ellen Hopkins
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 672
Release: September 14, 2010

My Rating:
4.5/5.0

Description:

Hunter, Autumn, and Summer—three of Kristina Snow's five children—live in different homes, with different guardians and different last names. They share only a predisposition for addiction and a host of troubled feelings toward the mother who barely knows them, a mother who has been riding with the monster, crank, for twenty years.

My Review:

I had always been intrigued by Ellen Hopkins' young adult novels. However I was very intimidated by them as well. My good friend Brenna told me about the poetry in the novels, to be honest I think I said something along the lines of 'Oh God, I hate poetry. I can't see myself picking up these books for fun.' Because when I have ever thought of poetry school textbooks only came to mind.

School and joy reading do not go hand in hand so I couldn't fathom why I would ENJOY reading a book written in verse.

I'm not sure how it happened but close to a year ago today Ellen and I decided that we were going to meet up and have a nice little chat. We always had crossed paths online but never had the chance to hold a conversation with each other.

Sitting in the book store talking I had to offer up the embarrassing confession that I had never picked up one of her novels. To my surprise she wasn't offended and actually asked me if there was a reason. Lets just say I had word vomit happen and declared my hatred for poetry.

Ellen left a copy of CRANK for me that night, I finished it the next day.
Lets just say she made me eat my words about poetry.

A year later I was impatiently awaiting my chance to read FALLOUT.

I knew that the novel was going to be set in the future. To be honest I wasn't sure how Ellen was going to pull that off. I'd seen her talk about it very little online but found the idea fascinating. The novel could have been horrible, however Hopkins pulled it off and it was an amazing ending to a story that has touched everyone who has read it.

I didn't want to see the characters end up like their mother, nor did I want to see every aspect of their life fixed. Because lets be honest, life isn't like that regardless how rich, famous, clean, happy we are there are still issues hidden away in everyones closet.

Ellen delivered a spectacular ending, I think she was fair to all of the characters not everything in their lives were fixed and a few of them still felt like they may have a struggle in the future with an issue or two but that's real life.

Ellen delivered that, a heart felt story about characters that she loved. The story felt real, as real as CRANK and GLASS did which are both based on fact. Even though FALLOUT is based in the future it still felt true to the collection.

On a side note I liked how FALLOUT could be read as a stand alone novel, you didn't need the back story of CRANK and GLASS to know what was going on--the children of the book filled in everything you needed to know.

One thing that I couldn't help thinking was 'What happens if one of these kids picks up FALLOUT and sees the future that their grandmother has 'built' for them....?' But in that you can find your answer, FALLOUT is one of many possible futures for these children.

I'm sad to see this collection end but find comfort in the fact that maybe one day these characters can get away from the MONSTER and find peace and even more happiness in their own lives.

If you haven't read anything by Ellen yet--what are you waiting for?

Follow Ellen Hopkins on Twitter, visit her website www.ellenhopkins.com and buy FALLOUT here.

xo
db

Meg Cabot is TEAM UNICORN!

2010-09-20T16:42:00.001-04:00

Best Selling Author MEG CABOT joins The Faerie Drink Review to share why she is Team Unicorn!

Why am I Team Unicorn?

Honestly, I have nothing against zombies. I've seen every zombie movie ever made (The Crazies, both the remake and the George A Romero original, are sitting on my DVD shelf right now. I honestly can't decide which I love better . . . well, OK: I'm Team Tim Olyphant). I love screaming, "Oh my God, BEHIND YOU!" at the screen.

But who'd want a pet zombie? You'd have to keep him chained in the yard, poor thing, and then you'd have to keep up a steady supply of brains, which would be difficult, though not impossible, as I know from experience, unfortunately, because of the decade I worked in a dorm at NYU, where a "hilarious" prank of the students was to leave human brains (from the medical lab) in various places for hapless bystanders to find.

This was how I happened to be sitting at my desk one day when someone knocked on the door to my office and said, "Excuse me, miss. But I just thought you should know. There's a brain on the elevator."

Yes. I had someone say that to me. At work.

And then I had get up and go look at it and determine that, yes, indeed, it was a brain, and then listen to the endless jokes as people took pictures of it (because we had to shut down the elevator and wait for the coroner, because when you find body parts in real life, you have to report them to the coroner's office, even when you know they're a prank and from the medical lab, and in NYC, it takes like FIVE hours for the coroner to come. Which is a lot of time to not have an elevator work in a 17 story building).

(And no you can't move the body part in the interim, or the coroner gets mad. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE.)

And everyone would say, laughing as they took their photos, "Dude . . . this is your brain. On the elevator!"

(You know, from that old Keep Off Drugs ad, the one with the frying egg? "This is your brain, on drugs." OK. Never mind.)

So, anyway, I would rather have a pet unicorn, because they eat lovely things, such as Lucky Charms (well, I don't know, but maybe) and flowers and apples. Not brains. Which are gross in real life if you've ever had to see one up close while putting up CAUTION: CRIME SCENE. DO NOT CROSS tape in front of it, and then sit next to it for hours to make sure no one touches it until the coroner comes.

I'm just saying. Team Unicorn.

Any questions, you zombie wussies?

Follow Meg Cabot on Twitter!

Purchase Zombies VS. Unicorns here!

Music Monday: Help I'm Alive

2010-09-13T14:26:00.002-04:00

I attempted to watch Vampire Diaries over the weekend, I didn't care for it too much. *Gasp*

This song worked its way into my mind, so it wasn't a lost cause. The short film is pretty amazing if I have to say so myself. I've never heard of METRIC before this but I'm glad that I've found them. Music Monday for me is all about finding new music!

RED CARPET SUICIDE Review - Perez Hilton

2010-09-13T13:05:00.001-04:00

RED CARPET SUICIDE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE ON KEEPING UP WITH THE HILTONS - Perez Hilton

Publisher: Celebra Trade

Pages: 272

Release: October 6, 2009

My Rating:

Description:

The tell-all book that strikes fear in the heart of every celebrity!

Perez Hilton-self-proclaimed "Queen of All Media" and founder of PerezHilton.com-cuts loose with a book that should secure his reputation as "the most hated man in Hollywood" (Rolling Stone). The best part: it's hysterically funny-and every psycho-celeb revelation is shockingly true.

Now the man behind the website infamous for breaking raw superstar dish and jaw-dropping commentary lends his fearless voice, notorious sense of humor, and outrageous sensibility to Red- Carpet Suicide, a generation-defining, hilarious survival guide.

Perez Hilton is an icon of our time, regardless if we care to admit it or not. I'm not sure of my personal stance on the man. Sometimes I totally support his choices and so forth and other times I am disgusted by the way he carries out his reports.

Regardless what we think of him chances are he will always be richer then you and I.

As an (ex) reader (okay, really, who am I kidding, I still take a peek at times) of his blog I felt that the book was full of information that I already knew. Things that he had already covered extensively on his website.

Topics that were already beat dead by Hilton were smashed to a pulp in this book leaving me VERY bored at times. I wouldn't suggest this book to anyone offended by rude humor, nor anyone who stays up to date with celebrity gossip.

With all of that being said I do suggest this book if you need a mindless read and need to be reminded that other peoples lives are usually way more fucked up than your own.

Music Monday: Opheliac

2010-09-06T11:32:00.003-04:00

The awesome Leah Clifford and I were having a conversation about music the other night and she introduced me to the VERY talented Emilie Autumn. I listen to a variety of music and I am just amazed by this woman. I hope you enjoy her as much as Leah and I.

Film Friday: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-09-03T18:00:00.003-04:00

I really love the Narnia franchise as well as the books, looking forward to this movie!

LOVE DRUGGED - Waiting On Wednesday

2010-09-01T15:47:00.003-04:00

LOVE DRUGGED - James Klise

Publisher: Flux

Pages: 312

Release: September 1st 2010

Description:

If you could change who you are, would you? Should you?

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Bates has a simple strategy for surviving high school: fit in, keep a low profile, and above all, protect his biggest secret-he's gay. But when a classmate discovers the truth, a terrified Jamie does all he can to change who he is. At first, it's easy. Everyone notices when he starts hanging out with Celia Gamez, the richest and most beautiful girl in school. And when he steals an experimental new drug that's supposed to "cure" his attraction to guys, Jamie thinks he's finally going to have a "normal" life.

But as the drug's side effects worsen and his relationship with Celia heats up, Jamie begins to realize that lying and using could shatter the fragile world of deception that he's created-and hurt the people closest to him.

Told with equal doses of humor and suspense, Love Drugged explores the consequences of a life constructed almost entirely of lies . . . especially the lies we tell ourselves.

Music Monday: My Things

2010-08-31T11:11:00.002-04:00

I've never heard of this band (Dragonette) before but I really like their sound, I hope you do too! I can see them easily popping up on one of my books playlists! :)

What do you think of them? Have you heard of them before?

Film Friday: Burlesque

2010-08-27T15:40:00.004-04:00

Uhm, Hello? Cher and Christina Aguilera--need I say more? This movie looks amazing!

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL - Waiting On Wednesday

2010-08-25T11:40:00.001-04:00

NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL - Siobhan Vivian

My best friend Korianne loves Siobhan. I have yet to read anything by her, this book sounds great! I'm really looking forward to it!

Publisher: Push

Pages: 304

Release: September 1, 2010

Description:

Natalie Sterling wants to be in control. She wants her friends to be loyal. She wants her classmates to elect her student council president. She wants to find the right guy, not the usual jerk her school has to offer. She wants a good reputation, because she believes that will lead to good things.
But life is messy, and it's very hard to be in control of it. Not when there are freshman girls running around in a pack, trying to get senior guys to sleep with them. Not when your friends have secrets they're no longer comfortable sharing. Not when the boy you once dismissed ends up

being the boy you wants to sleep with yourself - but only in secret, with nobody ever finding out.

Slut or saint? Winner or loser? Natalie is getting tired of these forced choices - and is now going to find a way to live life in the sometimes messy, sometimes wonderful in-between.

Music Monday: Happy Birthday

2010-08-23T01:38:00.001-04:00

I'm currently involved with something that requires I research several types of music. One of my friends suggested this song to me--a few days later another friend suggested it. I figured I'd share it with you all!

CATCHING FIRE Review - Suzanne Collins

2010-08-21T16:00:00.001-04:00

CATCHING FIRE - Suzanne Collins

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 400

Release: September 1, 2009

My Rating:

Description:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy.

After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion.

The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

I expected so much from this book, maybe I set my expectations too high but I wasn't impressed with the first hundred pages or so. In my personal opinion the book just dragged along and told us a story that as of now didn't seem to valuable.

Not only that, but once I started getting into the second half of the book a few pieces of the plot felt like they were rushed and slammed into the book last moment. I feel that the first part of the book could have had some pieces removed to make everything flow better. I felt no connection to this book at all either, the characters seemed a bit hollow and I felt that they were not fleshed out enough for me to truly understand them.

I really hope a lot of the information that I found to be useless has a reason in book three, I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for that.

But I'm only giving CATCHING FIRE a three fedora for those reasons.

If you've read HUNGER GAMES I suggest this book to you because it does tell a story, I just felt like pieces of the story were a waste of time and drawn out.

To each their own!

Film Friday: Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

2010-08-20T11:21:00.002-04:00

For someone who claims to not like movies, I easily get giggly and come down with a case of goosebumps when watching a trailer that I'm excited about. I didn't even know the teaser trailer of the new PIRATES movies was released.

Does it make you excited for another film in the franchise?

(Sorry for the random guy talking about the movie, this was the only video Youtube would let me use!)

THE MARBURY LENS - Waiting On Wednesday

2010-08-18T01:09:00.004-04:00

THE MARBURY LENS - Andrew Smith

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Pages: 368

Release: November 9, 2010

Description:

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.

There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.

Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.

Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.

But it’s not.

Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

Music Monday: Touchin' On My

2010-08-16T01:34:00.002-04:00

I LOVE 3OH!3, I've been a fan of them since before they hit the mainstream. It appears that they are releasing a new CD. This song has a catchy tune! :)

SPROUT Review - Dale Peck

2010-08-14T08:49:00.003-04:00

SPROUT - Dale Peck

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Pages: 288

Release: May 26, 2009

My Rating:

Description:

How many secrets can you hide in plain sight?

Sprout Bradford has a secret. It’s not what you think—he’ll tell you he’s gay. He’ll tell you about his dad’s drinking and his mother’s death. The green fingerprints everywhere tell you when he last dyed his hair. But neither the reader nor Sprout are prepared for what happens when Sprout suddenly finds he’s had a more profound effect on the lives around him than he ever thought possible. Sprout is both hilarious and gripping; a story of one boy at odds with the expected.

I felt like I really connected with this book. I grew up in a very religious town during my high school years and was raised a Mormon until the age of nine. My sexuality really wasn't something I brought up much because at the time I was told by the pastors and so on in my life that I was basically an abomination.

Through my high school years I dyed my hair an assortment of colors, one of my favorite colors being green. Everyone at my school assumed my sexuality but anytime anyone questioned it I assured them that I was what they considered normal.

My town was very small with more churches than people, okay that's a joke but at times it felt like it. I understand the feeling of loneliness, falling for a friend--so many things. There are two books that I've ever felt like I could connect with at this level, Sprout and Will Grayson, Will Grayson.

I highly suggest this book to any supporter of the LGBT community and to anyone who lives in s small minded town. It's nice to know that even if Sprout is a character, someone knows how you feel. It gives you a feeling of relief.

Sprout is continually challenged through the book to stand up for what he believes in, some people push him to embrace his sexuality as others assure him no one in the state would support him. You'll just have to read the book to figure out what his choices are.

A TOUCH MORTAL - Waiting On Wednesday

2010-08-11T00:01:00.002-04:00

A TOUCH MORTAL - Leah Clifford

This books sounds AMAZING and very unique. I'm really looking forward to it's release as you can tell, posting about it now and it wont be released until next year! :p

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 336

Release: February 22, 2011

Description:

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

Music Monday: Mark David Chapman

2010-08-09T00:08:00.002-04:00

THE HUNGER GAMES Review - Suzanne Collins

2010-08-08T22:24:00.006-04:00

THE HUNGER GAMES - Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press

Pages: 384

Release: September 14, 2008

My Rating:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins tells the story of Katniss Everdeen who resides in the district of Panem. Each district sends one male and one female to battle in the annual "Hunger Games"--the only rule is to survive!

During BEA last year I was graced with a copy of CATCHING FIRE. I had no interest in reading the Hunger Games series. I passed the copy on to a good library friend. This past February I took part in a live podcast with bestselling authors, they all had nothing but great comments about the series. Yet again, I refused to read the series.

I gave in when it became apparent all of the FiveAwesomeYAFans (Season One) had read the series, I knew I needed to get my hands on a copy of the book.

I can say that this book is the reason that I'm a blogger, the reason I write, the reason I love the publishing world. I'm not saying that I haven't reviewed books in the past that didn't fuel the passion but this book had everything that the bestseller list was missing.

It's odd when a book like this comes along. Nobody is expecting a book like this, the same can be said for Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga. There may be several kinds of dystopian books but THE HUNGER GAMES contains the bug that keeps you reading.

While reading the book I felt like I connected with Katniss amazingly well. Which is hilarious as I am not a female, sixteen, living in a dystopian world.

I imagined myself as the main character though, I felt my heart break when hers did, my heart raced during a fight scene and while reading the book I kept thinking what would I do if this really happened to me?

I would suggest this book to any young adult reader, it's a heart pounding thrill ride.

I can see why everyone is so hyped about this series as well as the third installment MOCKING JAY. Which I admit, I made fun of the name of the book... "WHAT THE FUCK IS A MOCKING JAY?!" Well.... Now I know, I can't wait for the third book!

What did you think of THE HUNGER GAMES?

Prop 8 Ruled Unconstitutional!!!!

2010-08-04T16:59:00.002-04:00

I just felt this needed it's own blog post.

A day in history, take that, fuckers.

Expect new blogs soon, It's nice to be back in the Bloggin' world!

"Today I quit being a Christian..."

2010-07-31T00:18:00.009-04:00

If you've been following the saga of Anne Rice you will know that a few years back she re-joined forces with her Roman Catholic faith. With that announcement she stopped working on her 'dark' novels that consist of Vampires and Witches.

Earlier this week Rice marched to her Facebook page and shared the following messages with her fans:

For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I've tried. I've failed. I'm an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.

As I said below, I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.

Does this mean Rice has a few scandalous vampire tales stored away in that brilliant mind of hers? Cash in while you can, babe! What do you have to say about this?

"Deteriorating credibility of bloggers"

2010-05-09T13:37:00.004-04:00

Blogging is easily compared, on scale to an ant on Earth. While there may be many of us when it comes to the big picture we are just ants. The truth is blogging can go into two directions—it’s really up to us to decide what our future holds, I do honestly believe we, together, can change the world.

You see, there are some people out there who participate in blogging just for free books. You may be reading this thinking ‘Nope, that’s not me’ but when it comes down to raw facts, it could be you. If you have ever caught yourself in a ‘word war’ with another blogging you are honestly to blame for the deteriorating credibility of bloggers. While it isn’t single handedly you, you do play a significant part in it. You might as well be blogging for free books, because you aren't doing ANYTHING positive to help our community!

We are a new generation, regardless your age we are making change. We are pushing away the TV and Games and exercising out minds—something that today has lost its way into the lives of youth today.

When we sit around and throw hateful words at each other, create cliques of ‘elite bloggers’ and sell ourselves to one author in hopes of getting an ARC we are just proving to the publishing industry that we are not a credible team of bloggers. We are merely very impressionable teens who blog, who are nothing but consumers and we will go with the latest trend.

If we want treated with respect we need to love each other. Blogging isn’t about me, it isn’t about you, not about the book or the authors. Blogging is supposed to be a community of LOVE, where we come together and share a single passion, grow together, learn together and love each other.

Each and every one of us are to blame for the credibility decrease in blogging, it just takes a mature mind to accept that. I’m not writing this to bash on anyone or even the group, I just wanted to point out blogging is changing we can make it a negative one or positive.

Now back to what I said in the first paragraph about changing the world. If you know me you know that I’m involved in a lot—what I’m going to talk about now is the Teen Author Carnival.

The Teen Author Carnival was created to help teens of New York meet their favorite authors that do not live in the city. This is a POSITIVE change that blogging can bring into a teens life. Now I’m not saying you all need to go out and plan your own giant and elaborate events—you could donate some books to a hospital, volunteer at a library, organize a local read-a-thon with friends that normally wouldn’t sit down and read a book.

If everyone did ONE THING imagine the impact we could have on the world. I do believe our blogging community is SO MUCH MORE then just sitting our asses on Twitter and Blogger. I do hope anyone who reads this takes this message to heart, because it came from mine.

Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments--good or bad.

I wish you all luck in the future.

Devyn Burton

Everything you need to know about BEA - PART ONE

2010-05-03T06:01:00.003-04:00

Last year I had the pleasure of attending Book Expo America, which is the largest annual book trade fair in the United States. Nearly all significant book publishers in the United States, and many from abroad, have booths and exhibits at BEA, and use the fair as an opportunity to showcase upcoming titles, sell current books, socialize with colleagues from other publishing houses, and sell and buy subsidiary rights and international rights (although not on the scale of the rights negotiation that occurs at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October). Authors, librarians, and buyers for book retailers also attend the event.[1]

New to the addition of attendees are Bloggers, luckily for you I attended BEA last year and have collected some questions from those of you attending this year or in the future!

1) What to wear?

You want to wear something that is comfortable. You can dress nice, feel comfortable and not look like your ready to attend a funeral or wedding. I personally throw on a pair of cargo jeans and a t-shirt--I'm a laid back type of person and do not feel the need to 'sell' myself to anyone attending BEA.

2) Do we get a BEA guide thing at BEA?

Yes! You may want to check into BEA a day before BEA actually starts--you will be given a badge and a guide to BEA. It's about 300 pages. DO NOT lose your badge or guide, they will help you navigate around the convention center.

Be sure to bring a backpack to hold books and comfortable shoes!

3) At what point -if ever- is it polite to talk about your own writing? I assume you wait until other person ASKS you about it especially if that person happens to be an author or agent, etc.

You will not have much one on one time with authors, they are there usually to sign books and move on to whatever it is they have to do in the city next. Some authors do attend BEA, however I do not suggesting talking to an author about your work as there is nothing they can do to help you be published.

As for agents, all agents have submission guidelines on their website for a reason. ;)

If you casually mention in conversation that you're working on a book and someone asks more feel free to share--but don't expect anything to come of it. This is an event to sell books to people not buy your idea!

4) Is it ok to chat with author and take pics when they're autographing and such?

It's up to the author. Ask and if they have enough time they usually will take a picture with you, have your camera ready!

5) What time should we get to BEA?

I suggest an hour early, this may mean you need to leave your hotel even earlier. This allows you to grab a copy of Publishers Weekly and to look through your guide for the day! Do not expect to get much sleep while you're in the Big Apple--you can do that on the flight home!

6) What events should I attend?

The TAC of course!

Please forgive me if I misspelled anything, it's 6AM and I've yet to get any rest. If you have any questions post them in the comments--if I get enough I'll make a PART TWO!

[1] - Wikipedia.com

Jumping Off Swings - Review

2009-10-30T08:56:00.000-04:00

Book Info:

Jumping Off Swings

Jo Knowles

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (August 11, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763639494

ISBN-13: 978-0763639495
Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches

Rating:

Review:

Jumping Off Swings follows the story Ellie and her friends. Ellie is looking for someone to call her own--she just wants a kiss or a touch. The book description gave me the feeling that Ellie is a whore--but you learn that is not true in the first few pages of the book.

Jumping Off Swings was a very raw book in which Jo has crafted the teen voice. I read this book in a short time span and believe the middle of the story was the strongest part--I was not too fond of the end, it felt rushed and empty, I feel the author could have came to the same conclusion more efficiently.

Jumping off Swings is a book worthy of any 'true life' fans bookshelf.

If true life books are not your thing I would not suggest this book to you.

In all, I felt that Jo's first book Lessons From A Dead Girl was a stronger story-as it was something I could easily connect with-however, Jumping Off Swings holds an important story as well, it really wasn't something I could connect with--I feel like the book is something a girl could connect with better then I did.

Hate List - REVIEW

2009-10-20T20:05:00.002-04:00

Book Info:

Hate List

Jennifer Brown

Reading level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 416 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (September 1, 2009)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0316041440

ISBN-13: 978-0316041447

Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6 x 1.4 inches

Rating:

Review:

Hate List follows the life of Valerie Leftman after her Boyfriend, Nick, takes revenge on students that had picked on him or Valerie in the past. The names of the students that Nick is looking can be found in the HATE LIST book--which is a notebook filled of things/people that Nick and Valerie, hate.

Valerie had no idea that the Hate List would ever be used for that and is left to piece her life back together when the whole town seems to want revenge on her--as she was also the one who wrote in the Hate List.

Brown has weaved an amazing tale that has been seen in the media before. Teens filled with so much hate--usually caused by bullying, they turn on their peers and teachers. Leaving the rest of the town in shambles while looking for someone to blame.

Few books make me shed a tear--but this book is filled with strong emotions. You feel sorry for everyone in the book at the end of the story--or at least I did.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone--it's wonderfully written and fills you in on every aspect of the story regardless if it's from the past or present.

The Federal Trade Commission tells me, that I have to tell you, I recieved this

review copy from the publisher.

Interview with Lee Bantle

2009-10-14T08:14:00.000-04:00

While putting together this week, I asked Lee to answer a few questions. You will notice a change in my questions from time to time to fit around the specific author and their book--I hope you enjoyed the change as much as I enjoyed making it! :)

What scene do you think was the hardest to write?

The hardest scenes to write were the sex scenes. Ohmigod! I kept thinking my mother would read this and declare it smut. But I had to do it. Closing the bedroom door (or the car door) when the sex begins is a cop out. I believe the reader wants to know what happens behind that closed door.

When I write I find I infuse large pieces of myself into my characters, can you identify easily with David?

I think the protagonists in most books are partly the author. While writing, as we try to imagine what our characters think and feel, we necessarily draw on our own experiences. David Dahlgren is partly me – though I came out in a much different era than David. Most events in the book are invented. I did not stab red lipstick against my lips in a moment of dark realization as David does. I did attempt Herculean measures to make myself straight before coming out.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

13 years. For much of this time, the book languished in a metal file cabinet because I believed it to be fatally flawed. And yet the characters called out to me – Lee, Lee, don’t leave us to die here. So, I had to go back, finish the book, and release them into the world of fiction.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

15 years. After buying the book, my editor sent me a three page single-spaced letter suggesting revisions. Two more years passed by the time I had made all theses changes and the book went through the lengthy publication process.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

Music is life. I am propelled by it. Music brings out the emotion in my writing. I listen to .everything from Sondheim, Diana Krall and Nina Simone to Ne-Yo and Gnarls Barkley while I write. But when I am reading, it must be absolutely silent.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

7. Make sure every sentence sets the scene, reveals character or advances the plot.

6. Find the humor. Everyone wants to laugh – even in a tragic story.

5. Be diligent. Writing something good is lots of work. Push yourself.

4. Have garlic and sausage pizza on hand at all times.

3. Create scenes. Write dialogue. Don’t tell us what happened. Show us.

2. Revise, revise, revise. Get feedback. Then pick yourself up off the floor and revise some more.

1. Find your voice. All it takes is being real. Even when that means writing about the most personal things, the thoughts and feelings you think only you have had. You’ll be amazed how many people you touch.

What is some advice for teens struggling with their sexual identities?

Follow your heart. If that leads you to same sex partners, embrace them. Massage them. Send them love poems. Don’t be afraid to be your authentic self. That is all you’ve got in this world. That is all you’ve got.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

I am currently working on The Memoirs of Odell P. Livingston, Grade 6. It is the story of a biracial boy in the age of Obama. It will be in your hands within, oh say, 13 years. Ha-ha! I’m actually shooting for early 2011.

David Inside Out - REVIEW

2009-10-13T07:10:00.002-04:00

Book Info:

David Inside Out

Lee Bantle

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); 1 edition (May 12, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0805081224
ISBN-13: 978-0805081220
Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches

Rating:

Review:

David is your average teen, a track star, good student--someone that we all could use in our lives.

However a problem develops when David develops a crush on a teammate. David does not know how to react to this, slowly he has to start to accept himself for who he is he. But will he risk everything to gain the love of his life?

I really enjoyed this book--there where a few times when I acted immature while reading the book and snickered at a few sex scenes. There are quite a few sex scenes in the book but they are honestly needed to tell the story and help move it along. Besides I don't know many teens who haven't thought about sex or have experiences it at David's age.

Something that shows that Mr. Bantle knew his audience. I have been close friends with a few 'track stars' in which all they talked about was sex... and ate--a lot. Which David does. I joked that the book was about 'Sex and Eating'--but it is soo much more.

I would highly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys queer YA. I'm looking forward to see what Bantle releases next.

The Federal Trade Commission tells me, that I have to tell you, I recieved this

review copy from the publisher.

A Very Vampire Burton Birthday - Libba Bray (Unreleased Short Story)

2009-09-28T11:18:00.007-04:00

I'd like to open this blog saying I have always loved vampires, I remember being scared shitless as I watched Nosferat for the first time and stealing my mothers copy of Interview with a Vampire--don't get me started on The Queen of the Damned. Not to mention the books that I devoured. --It's safe and fair to say I have been riding the vampire bandwagon since before it... was a bandwagon.

In July I asked a few friends to write a blog, something, anything for my birthday. They all happily accepted the offer--however one person wrote a whole freakin' short story!

I was VERY unsure if I she wanted me to post the story or not... So I didn't post it--however I was recently told by a friend that it was supposed to be posted.

A bit of an explanation:

I've written a book of my own, BLOOD MONARCHY--which has loose ties to vampire culture and other mythologies. That and the fact that I love Apple products, Sprite, Books, Cake & Authors that appear in this story--the rest is pure fiction... or is it?

(Also, while writing this--I was talking to Korianne. Apparently I now refer to Libba as "THE LIBBA MONSTER"... My excuse is the coffee has not had a chance to reach my brain yet!)

If I bound all of my birthday blogs--it would have a cover that looked like THIS:

A VERY VAMPIRE BURTON BIRTHDAYLIBBA BRAYJULY 2009

It was Devyn’s birthday, the big one-nine. In anticipation, I’d ordered a six-pack of Sprite and stopped by my local indie for a bookish-type present. The shelves were crammed full of vampire lit: “Are You There God? It’s Me, Dracula,” “Go Ask Alice After Sundown,” “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Vampire Killer,” “A Vampire Grows in Brooklyn.” In the end, I settled on a politically correct retelling of “The Catcher in the Rye,” called, “Holden Heals,” in which Holden Caulfield runs away from prep school, does not meet any prostitutes, and opens a daycare center which redeems him.

What can I say? It was $9.98 and I had correct change.

The subway delivered me downtown with its usual delays. By the time I stepped out onto the gritty streets of NYC, birthday present and Sprite in hand, the moon was rising round and pale as a communion wafer. A couple of homeless guys warmed their hands over a trashcan fire, which seemed odd for July, but I’m telling this story, and I think we need homeless guys and a trashcan fire. The night felt wrong, tight and unforgiving, like a thong washed on hot. I turned up the collar on my Clash t-shirt, the one with the conveniently placed collar for this foreshadowing moment, and trudged down the litter-strewn street, hoping I was wrong about that bad feeling.

Devyn’s birthday party was being held in an old Apple store, which had been rendered obsolete by a brand-new Apple store built only a month after this one had opened. Devyn didn’t care. Surrounded by his favorite things—iPods, sleek MacBook Pros, close friends, a cluster of YA authors, the 5 Awesome YA fans being all awesome, life-sized posters of his just-completed first novel, and scarily efficient, smiling customer service folks in neon-bright t-shirts, he was happier than a bunch of fans in a Neil Gaiman signing line.

“Hey, you made it!” He gave me a hug. He was decked out in a jaunty straw hat, t-shirt, and Vans. Typical Devyn gear.

“Yeah. So I did. Hey, happy birthday.” I handed him the hastily wrapped book.

“Thanks, man. Oh, I have this. Didn’t you see my video review on 5 Awesome YA fans? I also interviewed the author and wrote it up as a Twitter musical. I would have done more but I only had an hour.”

“You make me tired,” I said.

Devyn grinned. “That’s because you’re old.”

I swiped a pig-n-blanket from a stocked tray. “Don’t piss me off, Junior. I got a bad feeling about tonight. And not just in my knees.”

“Have a Sprite. You’ll feel better. Also, your shirt’s got a funky-uncomfortable-type collar. That could be it.” Devyn spread his arms wide and spun around three times in happiness. I suspected he was mocking me with his energetic youth, but I let it go. “Hey, it’s my nineteenth birthday. What could go wrong?”

A sudden shattering sound came from the floor below us. A horde of vampires crashed through the glass doors and started fanging indiscriminately—teens, caterers, Genius Bar employees, YA authors. Maureen Johnson and Cassie Clare mounted an offensive with iPod Nanos before retreating into a storage locker Holly Black had found. The floors were slick with fresh blood, like a very wrong Slip N Slide.

A vampire wench in black leather clamped her teeth onto David Levithan’s neck. “Good luck,” he said coolly, without putting down his drink. “I work in publishing. Trust me, there’s nothing left for you.”

The store was lousy with vampires and none of them were here for an interview.

“Who invited the fang gang?” I asked.

Devyn’s expression was sheepish. “I put it on Facebook.”

“Does that count as inviting them in now?”

A chiseled-cheekbone vampire in a pretentious frockcoat spied us from below. He let out a high-pitched screech, alerting the others.

“He screams like my mother. Are we supposed to take this guy seriously?” I asked.

Devyn pulled on my arm. “Come on. There’s a Garage Band demo room back here.”

He dragged me into a reinforced glass cubby, about ten by ten feet, or the size of a first New York City apartment. The room was stocked with Sprite, chips, and a large chocolate birthday cake.

“Oooh, cake,” I said, swiping a fingerful of frosting. “What? Cake makes everything better.”

The vamps were furious to be deprived of their human snacks. They writhed against the glass, snarling, showing mouthfuls of razor-sharp teeth. I was pretty sure none of them flossed.

Devyn’s eyes were wide. “Are you there, God? It’s me, Devyn. And we are in Shit City.”

“Funny. I don’t remember Judy Blume writing that part.”

He shrugged. “It’s an homage.”

The Vamp-Who-Would-Be-18^th-Century-Rock Star let loose with another screech that shook the rivets of our safe spot. Devyn and I slid down the far wall and sat with our plates of cake. Because it was Devyn’s birthday, and dammit, we were having cake, vampires or no vampires.

“In case we don’t make it out of here,” Devyn said through a mouthful of frosting. “Tell me ten things you like about me.”

“Ten things? Dude, five.”

“Jeez, stingy much?”

I liked my fingers. “We’re in a recession, Junior.”

“I am the stage manager of your life. Don’t forget.”

“Okay, okay,” I said with a sigh. “We’ll make it seven. One, you maintain an awesome website. Two, you are devastatingly kind.”

“Can you be devastatingly kind?” Devyn mused. “Sounds wrong.”

“Don’t critique me, Junior. “

On the other side of the glass, a vampire made a playlist on a MacBook.

“What is she doing? Making Music to Fang By?” Devyn sounded annoyed, and I couldn’t blame him.

“Three,” I continued. “You don’t let anything stop you from doing what you want to do. I mean, jeez, at nineteen I was doing very, very stupid things.”

Devyn perked up. “How stupid?”

I squinted into the middle distance, hoping it passed for serious thought. “Think of other YA authors, like Robin Wasserman, Scott Westerfeld, and Jo Knowles, as your role models. Think of me as your cautionary tale. Thus endeth the lesson.”

“Are you doing that middle-distance squint thing again?”

“Yes.”

“Well, stop. It’s weird.”

Outside, the vampires voices were shrill and shiver-inducing. They raged like things that wanted to be let in, things that would not be denied. Devyn and I served ourselves more cake.

“Four—you’re smart. Five, you’ve got great energy and enthusiasm. Six, you’re funny. Seven…well, you’re just a bad ass, kid.”

He gave me a playful punch. “Thanks. You’re a bad ass, too.”

“I said it first.”

“I said it better.”

“Yeah, but saying it again is derivative.”

“But I thought it first. Which makes me more bad ass than you.”

“Which proves my point.”

“Oh. Does it?”

“Oui.”

He shook his head. “Speaking French doesn’t make it right, Libba.”

“Tres vrai, my friend. Tres vrai.”

He sipped his Sprite. “I have no idea what we’re arguing about.”

“Me either.”

The vampires had huddled together, making a plan or plotting a soccer match. Whatever it was, it didn’t look good.

“It feels like now would be a good time to have a pointless philosophical argument. You know, while the vampires are outside being all metaphorical and shit.,” I said, finishing my cake

Devyn stared at me, open-mouthed. I kind of wished he’d finished chewing first but whatever. “Metaphorical? Dude, that wanker in the ironic I Heart Buffy tee just took a bite out of the dude working the Genius Bar. We are, at this very moment, holed up in a glorified closet hoping to ride it out till sunrise. I’d say that’s some serious freaking metaphor there.”

“Yeah, okay, so there are actual vamps trying to suck us dry right now. But they are representative of something greater, more universal, right? Two tracks going in the story, correct?”

He wobbled his hand in a “meh” motion. “Well….”

“Hey! This is good stuff I’m saying. I got it from Holly Black, and she’s one of the smartest people I know. So. To recap…”

Devyn interrupted. “…metaphorically, the vampires are a perfect birthday image. They represent the tug-of-war between the glamour of suspended youth and the reality of adulthood with all of its inherent responsibilities: growing up, growing old, parenthood, the rat race, limitations,” Devyn said wearily. “Dental plans.”

“Exactly, slick.”

Devyn got a funny look in his eyes. “Or, you know, sometimes a vampire is just a freaking vampire.”

“Like when?”

“Like when one is removing the air-conditioning vent over your head. Watch out!” Devyn grabbed for a Nano and chunked it at the vamp’s forehead dead on. The vamp put his freakishly long fingers to his head and howled in pain.

“Shit!” I scurried out of the way, knocking over a stack of Devyn’s first novel. “Oh, I almost forgot—congrats on your book.”

Devyn hurled a laptop at the vampire who screamed anew. “Thanks. Man, revising bites, doesn’t it?”

“I know! It just keeps coming at you! You fix one thing and then—argh!—there’s another problem.” The vampire in the air conditioning shaft moaned and hissed while he waited for his regenerative powers to kick in. I rolled my eyes. “Jesus, what a baby. Walk it off, soldier! You’ll grow new skin in about ten seconds.”

Devyn shook his head. “Vampires. Always crashing parties and they never bring a present.”

“Undead assholes.”

“Wimps.”

“Totally.”

Devyn shook up his Sprite can and sprayed the sucker right in the eyes. With one last, horrific scream, he turned to ash. Devyn shrugged. “It’s Holy Sprite.”

“Awesome.”

“I know. You’d think they’d use that in their advertising.” Devyn’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”

I peered through the glass to the outside. A gorgeous vampire with full lips was brooding in a corner. “Ugh. An emo vamp. The worst kind.”

“No,” Devyn clucked. “Not there. There!”

He positioned my head left so that I could see a tall, beefy vampire hurling a chair at the glass. It sailed through the air and landed short.

“Ha! Try again, A-Rod!” Devyn laughed. To me he said, “Those vamps need to turn Johan Santana, get somebody who can pitch on their team. That was just plain embarrassing.”

“And I thought vamps could play baseball…”

We slid down the wall again and tried to distract ourselves.

“Okay, to continue our conversation from last week…” Devyn started.

“Right,” I said. “Your million-dollar idea?”

“Since vampire lit is so hot right now, try this on for size.” He punctuated each word with his hand as if spelling it out on a marquee. “Little Blood House on the Prairie. Vamps attack, killing off Ma and Pa who join the vampire clan. Now, it’s up to Half-Pint and her blind sister, Mary, to fight off a horde of thirsty undead.”

I nodded, considering. “Sweet.”

“It sells itself. Here’s the tagline: Laura Ingalls just got a whole lot Wilder.”

“Nice.”

“What’s your million-dollar idea?”

I smirked. “Check it: Samuel Beckett plush toys. ‘Mommy, when I hold this lovey, I feel so empty and alone inside.’”

“You’re sick.”

“Oui.”

“Stop with the French!” Devyn stood up suddenly. “Something’s up.”

Whatever plays the vampires had cooked up in their huddle, it was about to come down. There was that unmistakable feeling in the air of vampire plotting. Also, the asshole in the frockcoat pointed to various locations like an unholy flight attendant giving the cross check on the ride to hell.

“Got a bad feeling about this…” Devyn murmured.

“Nineteen’s a tough year. Transitional. But you’ll be okay.” I smiled as reassuringly as I could and clapped him on the back.

“Enough of this crap!” Devyn said. He took an iPod sound deck from the shelf, pulled out the four layers of unnecessary packaging and plugged the thing in. He slipped his iPod into the dock and messed with a few buttons.

“You’re not gonna play Celine Dion, are you? Because I will offer myself to the vamps if you do.”

“Don’t insult me. This is a playlist for destruction, my friend. I’m sick of these self-important wankers ruining my birthday. I am Devyn Burton, bitches, and YOU are crashing my party and harshing my awesome! Prepare to bite it for real!”

Devyn programmed the iPod. A second later, nose-bleed-level guitar riffs delivered a one-two punch to my insides, making me smile. Devyn strapped on a bandolier of Sprite cans and high-end tech. It was insanity. It was certain death. It was beautiful. This kid really was something. And I couldn’t wait to see what his twentieth birthday party would be like.

“Let’s go kick some undead butt,” he snarled.

I grabbed a handful of Nanos and kissed my ass goodbye. “What it is, Dev. Oh, and happy birthday, dude.”

“Thanks.” He gave me a fist bump and threw open the door.

Thanks again Libba!

Bennett Madison Interview

2009-09-21T07:02:00.002-04:00

After I reviewed Bennett's book THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE, I asked him a few questions--sadly due to my busy schedule it was pushed deep into my inbox. I give you that interview now, my apologies to Mr. Madison. :p

Where did the idea of the book come from?

I don't really know where the idea for the book came from. I think it just came from my interests. I'm really into shoplifting and I'm really into girls with crazy hair.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

It took about a year and a half from the start of writing to finish this book. But it was originally a short story that I had sort of been tinkering with for years, so I don't really know the answer.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

I listened to a lot of Bronski Beat/Communards/Jimmy Somerville while writing this book. Also the Go-Betweens, New Order, Prince. I don't remember what else. I tried to listen to music I thought Francie would like.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

My advice to aspiring writers is to be both fearless and shameless.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

My next project should be out sometime next year. It doesn't have an official name yet but the working title is RAPTURE OF THE DEEP.

Catch Bennett on his website here.

REVIEW: The Blonde Of The Joke - Bennett Madison

2009-08-31T06:44:00.000-04:00

Blonde of The Joke

Bennett Madison

4/5

The Blonde of the Joke centers around a very unique character named Val. She seems fairly normal at the beginning of the book--a teenager trying to blend into the walls. But as the book progresses Val becomes a very complex person.

She has her own issues to deal with blending into the walls and all, things get out of control when Francie pops into her life.

Francie has a talent--a talent for thievery. Francie slowly sucks Val into her dark world and soon the two girls inspire to steal everything in the world.

I really enjoyed this book, some pieces dragged along but were needed to tell the story. I would not change anything about the novel and the thought that Madison had put into the book is amazing, with one simple line he can cause a characters life to crumble. I give the book a four out of five because the ending seemed rushed and didn't make sense to me--but maybe that was just part of the joke.

Bennett's Website - Buy The Blonde of the Joke @ IndieBound

Love Is The Higher Law - David Levithan

2009-08-01T08:45:00.002-04:00

Book Rating: 5/5

I've got to ask all of my readers to try to work with me and understand that this is not a traditional post--I'm going to speak from the heart about this book.

I've never read anything by David, when I was in New York in May for Book Expo America I purchased Boy Meets Boy--but have yet to read it.

I was given a copy of Love is the Higher Law by a friend, at an event that I hosted in New York. She told me that the book was amazing, I wish that I had the chance to speed read through the book and understand what she meant at that time. I wish I had a chance to give her--a real new yorker--a hug.

I'm not going to lie, this is the first book by David that I have read. While it is not the best book I have ever read, I kept noting that I could not find the plot of the story. The truth is how can there be a plot in something like September 11th, 2001.

The people in New York were just left to gather their pieces and to protect their family. That is what this book is about. Three very real teens collecting the pieces of their life and trying to put it all back together again.

This book didn't make me cry, but this book did pull me into New York for the short time that was September 11th 2001. The time that I, a teen from Michigan only witnessed on television. The last pieces of this book spoke to me, in which a comment was made that the president was not there---he did not feel the true pain that the city felt.

As I was reviewing this book I said a few comments about this book. One mistake I made was saying to a friend that this book was plotless. The plot is there, I just didn't open my heart in time to see it.

David is an amazing writer and after reading this book, knowing that he is from New York, I feel that he can overcome anything.

Heather Brewer stops by for a... drink...? Bite?

2009-07-17T17:31:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday, Devyn!

I've always loved birthdays. Mostly, it's the cake and presents, but there's something about adding another number to my age that's always been appealing to me. that is...until the numbers stopped making sense. I honestly think I stopped aging after about 16. At the very least, I stopped maturing then.

But birthdays aren't about maturity! They're about stuffing your face and getting cool things and flipping the bird to that guy with the sickle. They're about balloons and candles, relatives singing off-key...but not clowns. Clowns are demons.

They're also about reflection. When I look back at my life, at all of the rights and wrongs, there are a lot of things that could've been better, but a lot of things that could've been worse. And all of those things have molded and shaped me into who I am today. Plus, the good stuff, even the small good stuff, far surpasses the bad stuff in depth of meaning. The housefires and bullies can't even compare to the friends I've made and the dream career I have. The arguments and financial chaos fades away when I remember the laughs and warm summer nights spent chasing fireflies.

So if I had one wish for you, Devyn, on your special no-demon-clowns-allowed day, it's that your life will carry balance, and the good will outweigh the bad.

So far, I'm betting, so good. :)

Have a great birthday! Now...where's that cake...?

Devyn will take over THE WORLD!--With a HAT!

2009-07-17T15:47:00.000-04:00

Ode to Devyn, His Hat & Hats in General

Back when people wore hats, things were different. I’m not saying that to be all old and nostalgic. It was. Watch an episode of The Waltons or Little House on the Prairie. See what I mean? People gave a crap about their neighbors and about their communities and people DID STUFF. They meant what they said. They kept promises. Things were simpler.

Back when people wore hats, people had manners. They said please and thank you and they apologized if they’d created an inconvenience. People worked hard. They knew their responsibilities and they fulfilled them. They didn’t expect something for nothing. There was very little time for pity parties. Life has always been short, but back when people wore hats, it was shorter.Post Options

Hats were a way to celebrate a little of what you were. You could find the perfect hat for you—something that said, “I am A.S. King and this hat says so."
Back when I had shorter hair (read: nasty 80s mullet) and my head could manage a hat, I used to wear them all the time. My favorite was a little white sailor hat. It’s barely visible in this picture, but what’s a birthday blog without a picture? (Amy, age 17.)

I have said that Devyn Burton is proof that the world would be a better place if we all went back to wearing hats. I said that because if I was half as on the ball as he is at 19, I’d have taken over the world by now. (I do believe there’s a picture of me on my 19^th birthday in this blog post, as well as some really entertaining/embarrassing birthday pictures.) Devyn--May you continue to follow your dreams, achieve your goals and wear an awesome hat! And may you continue to ROCK. Hope you had a great birthday week & I’m thrilled I could be part of it!

A.S. King
End Transmission.

Kami Garcia drops in!

2009-07-17T07:21:00.000-04:00

“There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents... and only one for birthday presents, you know.”  - Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass

That sums up my attitude about birthdays. You only get one a year, so don’t waste it. For those of you who a have less festive attitude regarding your birthday, I’ll share my basic birthday requirements, which may help your future birthdays run more smoothly:

1.You get points for being the first person to call me in the morning to wish me a happy birthday. I’m not sure why. It’s just one of the mysteries of the universe, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Unfortunately, this may result in your parents calling you before 6:00 am.
* Additional points are also awarded for those who sing on the phone.

2.Explain to your __________ (fill in the blank: parents, friends, girlfriend, boyfriend, spouse, children) that everyone has to be nice to you on your birthday. It’s a rule. It is important to explain this in advance.

3.Birthdays require cake, or a stand-in of the birthday recipient’s choice. In my family, it is not a birthday without a Baskin-Robbins ice cream cake. Period. We all get one every year, no matter what. Sometimes they have a picture of me on them (this part is frightening and not required).

4.I check my voicemail all day to see who called me on my birthday. I can’t help it.

5.I do not want to do any of the following on my birthday: wear a hat of any kind, cook or clean anything, or eat flan.

6.Obviously, I like presents (especially thoughtful rather than expensive and/or edible ones).

7.If anyone tries to yell at you, sell you something over the phone, or be rude in any way, tell them that it’s your birthday. If they don’t shut up or hang up, inform them that they are violating the Birthday Code of Ethics and they should stop whatever it is they are doing immediately.

8.Stay up to eat your ice cream cake out of the freezer after everyone goes to sleep.

Happy Birthday, Devyn!
~ Kami Garcia

Have Birthday? Just add gypsy!

2009-07-16T21:29:00.000-04:00

Listen, Devyn, I’ve thought very seriously about this, and I’ve decided that what you need for your 19th birthday is a gypsy.
I am not talking about some hip swaying Esmeralda here. No, I mean a real live Romanian homeless woman in a long skirt and kerchief. Gray hair, lined face, the works.
Don’t worry, I got you a book. But this massive failure on my part to procure you a birthday gypsy should by no means discourage you from going out to get one yourself.
Let me tell you a little story about my friend Parker, who got a gypsy for his birthday.
This whole thing happened a few weeks ago. It was a barbecue in some random park in Copenhagen. So there I was, in Denmark, at a party with two-dozen drunken Danish hipsters and two barbecues full of sausages, when a gypsy came out of the freaking woods.
Yes, really.
She had this bag of raw chicken, which she showed to Parker. And then she asked if she could use our barbecue.
I am not going to tell you exactly how drunk everyone was at this point of the barbecue, but suffice to say that inviting the gypsy to join us suddenly seemed like the Best. Idea. Ever.
We made space for her chicken on the grill, let her use our cutlery and offered her a beer. And what had been a pretty mundane party suddenly turned into an awesome one.
I learned an important life lesson that night in Denmark, three beers and two sausages after the gypsy disappeared back into the woods: Giving to those who are less fortunate is the best present in the world.
Yeah, just kidding. What I really learned was this: To make anything more awesome, add a gypsy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

-Robyn

ALSO, FREE THINGS!
I am going to give one of Devyn’s blog readers a signed copy of the paperback of Better Than Yesterday, which is a book that I wrote mostly when I was 19. Here’s how to win it:
TELL DEVYN’S FORTUNE. Leave this fortune in the comments. It can be as true or as hysterically false as you’d like. I’ll randomly pick a winner from the comments on Monday at noon EST.

DEVYN'S NOTE: BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL!

A Kathleen Duey Birthday!

2009-07-16T20:00:00.000-04:00

Birthday celebrations always kind of baffled me, even when I was a little kid. I liked parties and cake, but it always seemed like there should be something more meaningful about the day I began my life than goofy party games and presents.

I left home at 17 and stopped having birthday parties immediately. I went to other people's B-day celebrations and had fun, but my own birthday felt like just another day to me. I kind of wanted it to be Something Important. I knew blowing out candles and opening gifts wasn’t what I was looking for, but I had no idea what was.

Then one year, it came to me. My birthday was my own personal’s New Year’s Day, the first day of my next year on the planet. So for a long time I have used a few hours on every one of my personal NewYears Day to think about where I am, what I want, where I am going, and whatever else...and because I am a writer, I write it down. Sometimes it winds up as a poem. Often, it’s a list, sometimes a paragraph, twice it has become a short story, but it always contains what is on my mind as I begin another year of my life.

And as silly as it may sound, The Birthday/Personal NewYear's Day project is the reason I am a professional writer. It struck me one year that what I had dreamed of doing since fourth grade had been set aside, year after year, mostly for good reasons--but still, set aside. I wrote a passionate, angry paragraph from me to me, mostly about getting off my ass, getting serious, making time, making it happen. Three years and a steep learning curve later, my first book came out. This year’s Personal New Year is coming up: and I am figuring out what needs figuring out. One thing I want to do more of is to encourage young writers.

Devyn has finished a book this year. So on his birthday, out loud and in public, I am standing here cheering for someone who is taking his life and his dream seriously. Happy Personal New Year, Devyn!!!!! May it bring you all good things.

Melissa Walker... Such a 'wife beater'.

2009-07-16T17:37:00.000-04:00

Ellen Hopkins makes Devyn blush!

2009-07-16T07:16:00.000-04:00

Today is my official birth date. -XO Devyn

I’ve been acquainted with Devyn for a while now. He’s one of the rare few young men who is not afraid to approach an author, say hey, and talk books. He is bright and sophisticated beyond his years. In fact, in many ways he seems much older than he is. Just 19 today? Hard to believe. (Hang on. This isn’t just about telling you how great he is. See comparison below!)

At 19, I was finding ways around my college classes. Smoking a little weed. (Hey, at least I wasn’t into alcohol. Probably helped me survive my party years.) Had already met Mr. Wrong, who would convince me to leave school, get married and start a family. With Mr. Wrong. (Get the picture?) I loved to write, even then, but had no clue I had something important to do with my writing. That was way out in my future. At the time, being a young wife, mother and closet writer was enough for me.

Now here’s Devyn, who at 19, has no doubt he will become an important author. He’s doing all the right things. Meeting industry professionals. Networking. Setting up charities that encourage a love of reading. Oh, and don’t forget actually writing. A very important thing, if you’re set on becoming an author. His focus on goals is amazing. And I have no doubt he will accomplish all he sets out to do.

My few words of advice for Devyn: Don’t forget to have a little fun along the way. Focus like yours can let you miss out on some of the good things in life. Not saying get married, have kids and be a closet writer. (Especially not with the wrong person!) Just don’t save all the fun for AFTER you’re a famous author. Every experience, good and bad, only deepens your writing. So start right now. It IS your birthday, after all. Have some fun. Then write about it later.

(If you’re so inclined, go ahead and tweet about it. We’ll all be waiting to hear.)

Happiest 19^th, Devyn,

Ellen Hopkins

Devyn tells the TRUTH!

2009-07-16T03:17:00.004-04:00

Today is my REAL birthday--But the activities will continue for the next day or two!

I'm Nineteen.

I spent some of my birthday money on books about Ecstasy and Cocaine*.

& I have a major DISLIKE for everyone going to the Ghost Girl party!

(*=TRUEFAX. Research for my next book!)

Paula Chase joins us for the Birthday Bash!

2009-07-15T19:08:00.000-04:00

The older I get, the more selfish I am with my birthdays. I don’t want a party. I don’t even want gifts, really. It’s my birthday and I get to do whatever I want. Lately, “whatever” consists of me and some stranger rubbing me down. Minds out of the gutter, I’m talking about a package at a day spa!

But I haven’t always been so anti-social on my day of birth. I used to be quite the party girl, until my 33rd. For this anti-climatic milestone, I decided rather than celebrate the 33rd year of my life I’d celebrate the 20th anniversary of my thirteenth birthday.

Despite the supernatural and bad luck connotations, thirteen is a good year. It doesn’t get much more exciting then leaving the blahness of kiddie hood for the vast land of Teen – so inviting with its promises of driving, voting and flying the coop to find your place in the world. And it all starts with the big one three.

The hubs and my parents decided to throw a party in honor of my “anniversary.” I recall looking rather fly in an all-white outfit with my back out - I’d recently lost fifteen pounds and was looking tatalicious. To top it off, I only allowed music from 1983 to be played.

Libations flowed and whilst I’m usually only a sipper, I tied one on in honor of my thirteen year old self, who of course would have celebrated in a much more age-appropriate manner. A good night was had by all and nine months later…I welcomed my second child, Princess Bea, into the world.

I haven’t looked that fly or had that much fun, during a birthday since. But don’t misinterpret the moral of the story. Wait…there’s a moral?

Oh, yeah there is – you can’t go home again and drink responsibly.

Bonne Anniversaire, Devyn!

The BAMF speaks about Devyn's Birthday!

2009-07-15T13:45:00.000-04:00

I'll admit, when Devyn asked me to guest blog to help celebrate his birthday month, I was kinda stumped on what to write. I'd say I still don't have the blog thing down to a science just yet -- I always think I sound like, I don't know, Charles Dickens attempting stand-up.

So I was going to do a vlog. My first vlog ever! Maybe bake a cake for Devyn, show how incredibly saavy I am in the kitchen, dance around a little, do the '80s head-bob thing, and completely embarrass myself and my kids and end my career in one fiery, fatal swoop. But then I remembered that I need a haircut and have a crippling fear of people seeing what I really look like and I always think I sound like an escaped Wizard of Oz Munchkin Gone Wild on video, and, oh yeah, I don't actually own a video camera, which is somewhat necessary in vlogging, I think, and... okay, I was so over the vlog idea.

So I thought... well, I'll just write an educational piece about baking a cake, comparing baking a birthday cake to writing. Yes, that's it! I'll use lots of "hypothetically speaking"s and "Alas"es and will even drag out my old philosophy textbooks from college and...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. (*whump! whump! whump!* Alas, young Pip, is this thing on?)

And then I got this brilliant idea! Lately, my blog has been all about writing Love Lists (Get it? The whole Hate List/Love List flip thing...?). Well, what better reason to get all lovey than a birthday, right? Plus, I won't feel compelled to sing "Follow the Yellow Brick Road."

SO... in honor of Devyn's birthday month, I thought I'd write a very special Custom Love List. Ready?

10 Reasons to LOVE Devyn Burton:

1) Cool hats, putting him in company of great cool hat-wearers, such as Abraham Lincoln, Yogi Bear, and Justin Timberlake.

2) Has his own charity, which is freaking awesome. And it's all about getting books to hospitalized teens, which makes it awesome times, I don't know... awesome times Justin Timberlake!

3) Five Awesome YA Fans. Need I say more? I think not.

4) Turned my twitter photo green for me, and didn't make fun of me (to my face) for being techno-lame and unable to do it myself, or point out that, you know, coloring an existing photo isn't exactly rocket science.

5) Isn't afraid to approach me and ask for stuff like guest blogs, even though I'm a mean shrew and might have just as easily winged a can of garbanzo beans at his head for stepping into my Writer's Lair and interrupting my brilliance. (Kidding. My lair looks alot like my basement, and garbanzo beans are way too expensive to be wasting by tossing at bloggers' heads. And I had to spell-check "brilliance.").

6) Thinks the Internet is an interesting place to bring authors and readers together. Hey, me too!

7) Fun tweets and Facebook status updates, that I mostly understand as long as I have my "Boring Mom to Cool Hip Young Person" dictionary on me.

8) Laughed when my daughter called me BAMF and I didn't know what it meant. But didn't publicly make fun of me for having to look it up in the Urban Dictionary. Okay, well, only publicly made fun of me a little.

9) Is a writer! Woot!

10) Lives life to the fullest and is determined to leave an awesome Devyn-shaped footprint on this earth, which makes him, officially, someone I look up to. You go, Devyn!!!

Happy birthday month, Devyn!

With Love, From Lina Gerber--The 99 Year Old?

2009-07-15T07:13:00.000-04:00

I have a confession to make. I lied about my birthday. Not so much because I wanted to hide my age (although I’m not always forthcoming about that, either). I just thought I was being smart.

When I started writing books, I decided it was finally time to get a myspace page, but when it came time to fill out the profile, I thought, wow – that’s too much personal information. Clearly, I didn’t understand the purpose for including my birthday. So I entered a random date. I think it made me 99 years old.

The problem is, a lot of online friends started sending me birthday wishes on the bogus date. Even after I corrected them. Even after I changed the date on my profile. Even after I joined facebook and entered the correct birthday over there.

So if you are one of my myspace friends and have been sending me birthday emails in January, thank you! But my birthday is actually in July.

Like Devyn’s.

Happy Birthday, Devyn! Cancers rule!

I’d like to celebrate Devyn’s birthday with a little gift. He didn’t ask me to do this, but if you’d like to win an Amazon online giftcard, leave a comment below, with birthday greetings for Devyn.

Bonus entry if you become a follower of his blog.

Another bonus entry if you invite someone else to stop by to wish Devyn a happy birthday!

I’ll let Devyn draw the winner on his birthday, July 16th so hurry!

What every author should know about Devyn - Jo Knowles

2009-07-14T17:27:00.000-04:00

What you should know about Devyn:

Every YA author should know and love Devyn.
He cares about books.
He cares about authors.
He cares about the world.
If there’s a cause he cares about, Devyn is on it.
He gathers the troops and takes action.
My favorite thing about Devyn is that I don’t think “can’t” is in his vocabulary.
He wants to go to BEA? He finds a way to do it.
He wants to write a novel? He gets to work.
He wants to talk to his favorite author? He finds out when she’ll be in his area and makes a plan.
He organizes fundraisers.
He organized an author CARNIVAL in New York City!
I don’t think there is anything Devyn can’t do.
(I’m pretty sure he can even fly.)
Thank you, Devyn.
You are an inspiration.
A good soul.
A friend.
A hero.

Happy Birthday!!!! I hope all your wishes come true and then some.

Love,
Jo

Carrie Jone's 20th Birthday!

2009-07-14T07:13:00.000-04:00

Let me say that my 20th birthday totally sucked because it was not a normal day. Believe me, it isn’t everyday -- and especially not every birthday -- that your Nana and the entire Eastern seaboard of the United States plus Vermont hears you sniffle on television and say, “And then he stuck his penis into my vagina.”

This is a good thing.

Because when they do hear you say that lovely, little sentence fragment, they totally, irrevocably freak.

Believe me, I know.

They all missed the first part of the six o’clock news story that stressed that college school students organized and participated in a mock trial. Or if they did hear it they somehow forgot the fact that MOCK means FAKE, which being old people you’d think they’d understand. Or maybe since they were older Americans, the closed captioning on their television couldn’t figure out the word MOCK and wrote MOP instead, or something, I didn’t know.

All I knew was that the closed captioning did a really good job writing it in all capital letters AND THEN HE STUCK HIS PENIS INTO MY VAGINA.

Right above these large white letters in a black text box was my sick looking face with the red nose and the runny, watery eyes as I sniffed and said my sentence fragment to the entire Eastern seaboard, grandparents and all. My sentence fragment, once again, not only included the words ‘penis’ and ‘vagina,’ it also had the word ‘my.’

Only I, Carrie Barnard, would be on television with a stuffy nose and red, watery eyes and a 101 degree fever, because only I would get sick for the mock trial we’d been preparing for all year. And only I would be dumb enough to play the rape survivor because Megan Hairymen* wimped out at the last minute because she had a pimple on her nose. Okay, it was a blemish the size of North Dakota, but way to not be a team player, there, Megan.

The phone calls at my house started flying in before my mom was done with her “I’m so proud of my little socially conscious baby doing such a good, brave thing” riff.

And in the entire bro-ha-ha that followed everyone forgot my birthday! Seriously, everyone. It was easily the worst birthday ever because I had to spend the entire day convincing people that I wasn’t recently sexually assaulted.

Did I get a cake?

No.

Did I get a balloon?

No.

Did my Nana give me a pair of Carebear pajamas that were size 6x even though I was 20? Did any of my friends jokingly give me My Little Pony figurines? Gift cards? Cash? Did my Dad send my a card with a $5 check in it?

No.

Devyn, I implore you, that whatever you do this birthday do not participate in a televised mock trial in any capacity. I’m not even going to go into what happened to the guy who played the rapist. Not good… not good at all… He healed quickly though, right? Silver lining?

*Not her real name, but I totally wish it was because she deserved that name. No offense to her.

** I will give a free copy of NEED to a random commenter.

- Carrie Jones

Birthday Advice from Michelle Zink!

2009-07-13T16:58:00.002-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I talk to teenagers a lot. A LOT.

And I’ve heard a lot of crazy, scary, insightful, horrifying things in all my conversations with them. Want to know the worst? The scariest? The most shocking?

Wait for it…

“I want to be an accountant.”

Now before all the accountant’s out there get their panties in a twist, let me explain. I don’t have anything against accounting. I mean, I’m not a big fan of math or anything. In fact, I think I got a D in Geometry (though to salvage some of my mathematical reputation, I’ll add that I got an A in Algebra). I was always more of an English/History person. But I think if you love math and you want to be an accountant, you should go for it.

I mean, if math is the thing that keeps you up nights – if you lay in bed thinking, “I can hardly WAIT to get up and work on my math homework tomorrow – than more power to you!

I just don’t think that’s the case for MOST teenagers. And I’ll admit that I could be wrong.

But what I’ve found in talking to so many teenagers is that’s not usually the case. After a little conversation, it usually comes out that the teen’s parents think Accounting would be a good idea. That because the teenager gets good grades in math and maybe doesn’t want to poke his/her eyes out with toothpicks every time they go to math class, Accounting would be a great line of work. And then I hear the second worse thing a teenager could ever tell me.

Ready? Here goes…

“Accountants make good money and they usually have benefits.”

And I’m like, “Wha?” Not because good money and benefits are something to eschew, but because I don’t remember thinking about things like medical benefits when I was fourteen.

Plus, as the mother of four children (three of them teenagers) I just don’t understand why any parent would want their child - at the ripe old age of fourteen or so – to choose their life path based on something like a steady paycheck and medical benefits. When did it become more important that our children have the ability to buy a house and drive a $50,000 car than that they feel passion, joy, and fulfillment in the way they choose to spend their days? When did it become more important that our children have impressive-sounding jobs than that they contribute something they find meaningful to the world?

And listen, I’ve struggled plenty in life. I’ve had moments when I didn’t know what was next for me, when I didn’t have medical care (still don’t), when I didn’t even know how I was going to buy groceries. In fact, I was very, very close to losing my house when I sold Prophecy of the Sisters to Little Brown in 2007.

But here’s the thing; my life has unfolded not like a well-crafted business plan but like an enchanting and magical story. I have not always known what was around the corner. I have not always been sure I was headed in the right direction. Sometimes I made bad decisions. Took wrong turns. Made mistakes. Big ones.

In the end, though, I wouldn’t trade it. Not one sad, thrilling, frightening, uncertain, joyful moment. For me, all of the magic is in not knowing. In having the future wide open in front of me the way it still is even today. Or at the very least, in knowing that the paths I choose are MINE. All mine. That I’m not living anyone’s life but my own.

So this month, I salute Devyn Burton and the other young people like him. Young people who dare to follow their hearts – to pursue their passion even in the face of uncertainty, instability, and fear. To Devyn and those like him I want to tell you that YOU are contributing something – not to the Gross National Product but to the soul of the world and the people who occupy it.

And you contribute something to me, too, by reminding me to dare to dream each and every day. To savor the moments when I don’t know what’s next.

To hang on and enjoy the ride.

Happy Birthday Month, Devyn!

Prophecy of the Sisters - Book Trailer!

2009-06-25T21:22:00.003-04:00

I have yet to start reading Prophecy of the Sisters because I have review books piling up all around me. But I'm loving everything I am hearing and seeing for the book.

For example this AMAZING book trailer made by the amazing Vania from Reverie Book Reviews!

What do YOU think of the trailer?

Reading Wednesday: The Blonde of the Joke - Bennett Madison

2009-06-23T20:42:00.000-04:00

I received a galley of The Blonde of the Joke before I left for Book Expo--I'm now reading it. I have not read much of it, But I am loving it this far!

I decided it was time to put down the BEA books and jump into my "To Be Read Pile" -- Poor Bennett, I'm sure I bugged him to death about this book.

I'm glad I cam across it again so I could jump into it--expect a review soon! : )

What people are saying about the book:

"A delightfully wicked book—a supersexy celebration of good girls gone bad, and a haunting ode to teenage rebellion." -- James St. James, author of Freak Show

"The Blonde of the Joke turns a dull suburban landscape into a mythical place, full of treasure, inner demons, and transformations. Bennett Madison is one of the best YA writers around and this is his sharpest book to date." -- Maureen Johnson, author of Suite Scarlett and 13 Little Blue Envelopes

"This wickedly funny novel has it all—style, depth, bite, and a punch line you won’t be able to forget." -- Sarah Mlynowski, co-author of How to be Bad

NYC/BEA Post #2 - 2009

2009-06-19T23:19:00.000-04:00

Gather children, gather around uncle Devyn for the next entry of the GRAND NEW YORK ADVENTURE!

Once I got through the security check point I walked for what seemed like hours. It seemed the airport thought it would be hilarious to have my gate be at the opposite end of security check. I thought they did this so I had no choice but to see all of the cool stores and stop in and look around--which I did.

I arrived at my gate a full two hours early.

I did what any teen in an airport would do... uh, sleep.

I didn't get much sleep because someone crashed into me.

I jerked awake pissed off at the world--to see a crazy old lady running away from me. I tightened my hold on City of Glass and tried to brace myself for another attack. After ten minutes of watching the frail woman run around like a chicken with it's head cut off I decided she meant no harm.

My phone rang.

KORIANNE HAD ARRIVED.

"Devyn... I'm in a creepy tunnel.... creepy music..." --That is just one line of the hilarious phone call.

Upon meeting up with Kori at the airport I decided I needed to use the RESTROOM.

It was a restroom, just like any other--or so I thought.
I took care of my 'business' and unlocked the bathroom door.

I went to push the door open--nothing.

I pulled the door towards me--nothing.

I relocked the door and tried to push on it--nothing.

I pulled the locked door towards me--nothing.

I start to freak out and text twitter "I'M LOCKED IN THE BATHROOM!"--Not sure what I was thinking at the time. I start frantically banging on the door "I CAN'T GET THE DOOR OPEN, HELLO!?"

A cleaner walks up to the door and simply says "Uhh, Sir, The door is locked."

"I know its locked, But it won't open unlocked either--watch, I unlock the door and push out." The door magically opened and the man just carried on changing the trash can.

I washed my hands and scurried out the door.

I told Kori about my misfortune and her reply was along the lines of
"You... got locked... In a bathroom?" *Outburst of Laughter*

--And that concludes this post. I have more crazy stories but SO LITTLE TIME!

How we can help Iran:

2009-06-17T05:36:00.003-04:00

In my post yesterday I made a foolish statement -(if you have not read that yet click here, It explains the Iran situation as well the green display photo's on Twitter) - "there is not much we can do", but Scott Westerfeld was quick to point out that this was not the case.

Since the only 'media' outlets that we are receiving information from are mostly coming from Twitter and online blogs the Iranian government is searching for blogs and twitter accounts in the general area.

We can help by simply clogging up their searching efforts by claiming to be from Iran--we can do this two ways--I will explain each step from step so you can easily 'convert' your account to combat censorship in Iran.

This is basically putting a blanket over top of Irianian tweeters/bloggers.

--I was not going to post anymore about Iran as I am in the hospital with my father. However in the past 12 hours I have made 36 Iranian Support twitter images for people. Apparently people are reading my blog--If I can help a small fraction of people get information then I have done my part.

I don't care where you stand on this topic this is about PROTECTING PEOPLE--And hopefully that is something we can all agree on!

TWITTER CONVERSION:

Step One (Time Zone):
1) Log into your Twitter account.
2) Click Settings. (or here!)
3) Change your Time Zone to (GMT +03:30) Tehran.

Step Two (Location):
1) Log into your Twitter account.
2) Click Settings. (or here!)
3) Change your location to a city in Iran. (Click for a list of cities)

Twitter Tips:

1) DO NOT retweet usernames, these people need to stay hidden for as long as possible regardless how many people are following them.

2) Only retweet from reliable sources. This means if someone is reporting and only has 25 or 250 followers chances are that it is not a real account.

3) If you want a green twitter icon but do not know how to create one @DevynBurton and he will help you!

BLOGGER CONVERSION:

Step One (Time Conversion):
1) Log into your Blogger account.
2) In the 'Manage Blogs' area click 'Settings'.
3) Click 'Formatting'.
4) Change your Time Zone to (GMT +03:30) Tehran.

Step Two (Location):
1) Log into your Blogger account.
2) Click Edit Profile beside your display picture.
3) Change your location to a city in Iran. (Click for a list of cities)

Iran "Votes"

2009-06-16T13:21:00.006-04:00

I was not going to blog this week, family stuff. But I am siting here in the hospital waiting room and I want to get as many people as possible to take part in this!

But since this is a good tool to connect with people fast--I shall use it for good while I am 'away' from the computer.

I can not even begin to scratch the surface of what is going on in Iran, but many people still have no clue because the Media turned a blind eye at the events going on.

In a nutshell this is what is going on:

Iranians recently had the chance to vote.

Hand written ballots were collected from the people.
Like, TONS of people.

(A VERY small fraction of the people)

One hour after the ballots were collected,
it was announced that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would remain president.

ONE HOUR.
HAND WRITTEN BALLOTS.
It takes us longer to calculate our ballots and it is almost completely ALL calculated by machines.

People started to protest.
The government shut down all aspects of connection to the outside world one by one.
But college students latched onto Twitter--when others could not report the news THEY DID.
On Twitter--the twitter so many of us bloggers use.

We can't do much from where we are.
But we can show support.

Like one would wave the American flag we are changing our display pictures to a tinted green.
I ask you to join us.

If you don't know how to do it yourself @DevynBurton and I will do it for you--I don't care who you are--Please do give me around a half hour to get your picture to you--Usually I move within minutes to complete each photo.

I thank @MelissaAnelli for bringing these events to my attention.
Like I said, I can't begin to scratch the surface of this--but feel free to do some of your own reading online. But beware, it is horrible, the events that are going on.

UPDATE #1: WE CAN HELP!
Please read Scott Westerfeld's blog for information on you can help!
http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/?p=1050
This also APPLIES TO TWITTER!

UPDATE #2:
The Iranian government is trying to CENSOR the people of Iran. In this case censor, usually means death. Your help is needed -- Go into your settings and change your time zone to GMT +3:30 --and your location to Tehran. This helps clog up the system and lays down a blanket on the tweeters in Iran.

Image collected here.

Catherine Ryan Hyde - Interview #14

2009-06-11T06:20:00.000-04:00

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of Becoming Chloe, Pay It Forward, Chasing Windmills and many more books!

You can find her on her website, twitter & myspace.

Be sure to read my Becoming Chloe review!

Where did the idea of the book come from?

It might be weird to say that it came from Jordy. But that's how it felt. It felt as though Jordy came into my head, and I knew he had a story to tell. And I just kept taking it down until we got to the good stuff. There's really no autobiography in there at all, except that I lived in New York when I was very young (Jordy's age, 17) and I feel like that city really kicked my ass. So I guess that comes up sometimes in fiction.

How long did it take you to complete the book?

It probably only took about five months to write a first draft. I really liked it, but some of my trusted readers thought it had problems (it was very different from the final, published version). I set it aside for a long time, then did a big revision (threw out about the last 2/3 and went a different way). Later I revised it again, to tailor it for a YA audience (really just cut the length and tightened the focus, didn't try to make it any less "adult," whatever adult is). So altogether it probably took about 2 1/2 years, but I was doing other things in between versions.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

Believe it or not, it took another 2 years to go to press after Knopf bought it. So we're looking at close to 5 years.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

No, I really only listen to music when I drive.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

Yes. Don't be discouraged by rejections. I got tons of them, but I still got where I was going. Just think of them as your membership card in the Real Writer's Club, and don't give up.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

Depends on what I call my next project. I have one coming out in August, Diary of a Witness. A YA book about boys for a change. Then I have another new YA on the subject of transgender due in Fall of 2010 (more info on my blog at www.catherineryanhyde.com, "What's really new.") And then I have another on my editor's desk waiting to be read. I'm not ready to spill the beans about that yet, but there will be information on my site as soon as I have some I can release.

CONTEST ON CATHERINE'S WEBSITE!

Drop by Catherine's Podcast Page, listen to a short story and leave a comment. This will enter you in a contest to win an autographed copy of any of her books!

And be sure to drop into Faerie Drink Review this Saturday for a chance to win a copy of Becoming Chloe!

Becoming Chloe - Catherine Ryan Hyde

2009-06-08T06:18:00.000-04:00

BECOMING CHLOE

CATHERINE RYAN HYDE
RATING: 4.5/5

This is a powerful book.

Becoming Chloe opens with Jordy a gay homeless teen prostitute, witnessing a rape taking place. Jordy rescues the young girl--the book focuses on the building friendship of the two. Jordy sets out to show Chloe that not everything in the world is bad--the two go on a road trip to see the beautiful things of the world. Of course not everything is as easy as it sounds, the two find themselves in some crazy (sometimes terrifying) situations.

By reading the book you can tell that Hyde knows her characters well--giving hints of their pasts. Just enough to keep the reader satisfied but not to give everything away. I hardly spend one day reading a review book--but I could not put this book down once I got past the first three chapters.

The book is raw and true and you can easily connect with the characters and their mission regardless who you are. If you are looking for an amazing quick read this book is for you!

I would add this book to my "Books To Read Before You Die List"--If I had one*.

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5 rating!

NYC/BEA Post #1 - 2009

2009-06-05T19:37:00.003-04:00

BEA was an amazing experience and with the way the publishing world is forming today Bloggers are totally welcome to join in on the action. If someone told me three months ago that I would be on a plane to New York to attended one of the largest book conventions in the United States I would laugh at them.

But some how everything came together and I remember siting in the airport on Wednesday (May 26th) waiting for Korianne and thinking “What the hell have I gotten myself into?” With that being said I believe that Wednesday will be the first of a series of blogs about BEA.

Wednesday morning I awoke to rain and a missed phone call from Gen—her and her boyfriend Adam were also going to attend BEA however they were flying in from California. I was all packed and ready to embark on the journey to New York. I was sure of two thinks 1) My plane would crash and 2) I was going to pepper spray someone. (Sadly neither thing happened.)

I have never flown alone. With that being said planes do not scare me, I believe everything happens for a reason and if my plane crashed, oh well—either I would survive or I wouldn't. People get in car accidents everyday and I don't go around town tripping out about dying in a car.

I was a nerve ball though—you see, I am terrified of security check. I have no idea why. The only thing I can think of is arriving to the airport and getting pulled aside for some crazy reason causing me to lose my fight.

So I arrived at the airport—thank god I have a credit card because to check in luggage that is apparently what you need. I waited in line for a sold fifteen minutes to have a woman walk up to me and scream “ARE YOU HERE WITH A FAMILY?” I looked around as to say “Uh.. I'm alone. Do ya think I have the seven dwarfs packed away in my pocket?”

I was in the wrong lane. I had been pushed to the 'FAMILY LANE', which apparently all hell will break lose if one person goes through the checkpoint alone. I mumbled something under my breath and carried on to the 'SINGLE LANE'--which let me tell you being single (literally) in a SINGLE lane did not help my morning.

--Check back tomorrow for the next installment of my New York trip. If you read it please do leave a comment so I don't feel like I am wasting my time! xoxo

Jennifer Banash - Interview #13

2009-06-04T15:39:00.000-04:00

I had the chance to interview Jennifer Banash author of The Elite series!

Where did the idea of the book come from?

Much of it comes from my own childhood—I grew up in New York, and went to high school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, so I really know that world well. Some of the personality traits of my characters definitely come from real life—I’m kind of a vampire in that way—I take the best traits from the people close to me and steal them for my characters. And many of the girls have aspects of my own personality—Madison Macallister is definitely me on a bad day . . .

How long did it take you to complete the book?

I wrote all three books in a year.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?

I got a contract for the books based on a sample chapter I'd written, so I sold the series before I'd written it. I wrote it in 2007-2008, and the books began being released in 08. The final book SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE, will be released this July.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?

Yep, tons! I HAVE to wear headphones and listen to music as I write. I even made an iTunes mix you can download! To hear the music that inspired The Elite, go to iTunes and type in The Elite and my name.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?

Just write. And get an agent--they come in handy.

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?

I'm currently writing a novel that's loosely based on my own experiences as a club kid in MYC in the late 80's. I plan to finish it this summer.

Thanks for your time Jennifer!

How do you know so many authors? PT. 3

2009-04-30T00:11:00.003-04:00

(Be sure to read "How do you know so many authors PT. 1 & PT. 2")

The PICU, (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit), is a very boring place.
People in the PICU you are either drugged out of their minds--or on the brink of death. Luckily for me they did not feel the need to make me anymore loopy then I already am. So I sat in my bed and threw balls of tape at my nurses*.

After two hours of close observation they decided I was not going to die and did not need this close of an examination. This could have thrown my ATTEMPT OF DEATH scheme off its course HOWEVER, the PICU were the only people not fooled by my master plan!

At this point I had been awake for 24 hours, anyone could have told me to go to sleep and I would not have listened, I am too nosy. However, when your body decided you have tried to die enough for the day--it MAKES you sleep.

***

I awoke in a room of my own, my name scribbled on a plaque. I snickered "Hehehe, My plan is all going well--now its time for OPERATION BEST SELLER."**

I jumped on a computer, which was conveniently connected to my bed and popped an e-mail to an author. I have the original e-mail somewhere, But I'm not going to find it. So I shall AD-LIB!

"HAI,

I R DYIN. I MAY DIE 4RM IT.
I R @ HOSPITAL, AND R NEEDIN U 2 SEE ME.
SO I DONT DIEZ.
IF U KAN DU THIS.
THAT WOULD MAKE MEH GRATEFUL.
TNX.

DEVYN"

Like I said, that is ad-libbed.

I received an e-mail back assuring me that the author in question would do everything in her power to try to see me in the hospital***. At this point I demanded that my I.V.s be removed--I was NOT going to try and take another shower with tape wrapped around them.

I am a MALE**** so I have HAIR on my arms. HAIR + TAPE = WTFAREYOUDOING!?

After my shower, I decided to start dying again. This is ALSO the point where the hospital decides they want to SWITCH ME TO A DIFFERENT FLOOR. I start to panic, How is the author supposed to find me if I am on a new floor?!

I did the only thing I knew how to. Try to die once more! It worked. I kept my room.

I sat in my bed, freaking out--convinced that the author was unable to fit me into her busy day. I was fine with that, I know authors are indeed busy--but I didn't lose hope.

JUST THEN, A black haired woman (with a white streak in it) popped her head in my room. "Uhhh... are you Devyn?****" she asked "Yes!" I exclaimed! "Well, Oh, I'm Holl..." Before she could finish her sentence I jumped out of my bed and exclaimed "HOLLY BLACK, YOU ARE HOLLY BLACK, YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME YOUR NAME!!"

However, as I was jumping out of my bed (they had previously hooked up my port--which is like an I.V. in my chest) my port line snagged on my bed. I did an odd jerking motion and Holly's eyes bugged out of her head "Settle down!" she said unsure if she should laugh or scream for a nurse.

A few seconds later another woman appeared in my room with a giant grin on her face. Cassandra Clare. Two amazing authors at the same time--I must be amazing at this DYING thing!

At THAT my friends.
Is how you meet authors.
From there on I assume Holly and Cassie went to the high author council and told every author of the land to talk to Devyn Burton the amazing--as he could die at ANY possible moment--and they know it to be true because they had WITNESSED IT!

Little did they know I am an amazing ACTOR!*****

And there you have it, the 100% foolproof way to meet authors!
COMMENTS ARE DANDY!

XO

*= Out of all fairness, the nurse watching me was checking his Myspace. I could have DIED while he was reading his BFF's blog!
**= Seriously at this point--I had no strength at all. I have a virus attacking my whole body.
***= I had talked to this author for three years prior to this VIA Snail Mail and E-Mail--and was planning to meet her at a book event (which happened to be in the same town as the hospital in question!)
****= A male with a SOMETIMES Female sounding name, we are not getting into that. This is JUST to appease Gen.
*****= Not really, My body just hates me and is an AMAZING KILLER.

How do you know so many authors? PT. 2

2009-04-29T00:16:00.003-04:00

(Be sure to read "How do you know so many authors PT. 1")
"YOU CAN TAKE HIM IN AN AMBULANCE IF YOU GET IT HERE IN TEN MINUTES!" the Nurse bellowed. The Doctor stood in my room with a look on his face that said "WTF, I CALL THE SHOTS."

At this time, everyone was sure I was going to die.

All of this happened during a friends birthday party--her parents were in the E.R., my grandparents, cousins... Everyone and their third cousin twice removed. The Ambulance arrived and I was whisked away by an old man and a young man who seemed to have chronic ADD.

***

I laid in the back of the ambulance. "So... Devyn, how have you been.", vulgar words flew threw my mind. Hello I am FAKING DEATH* I am doing HORRIBLE. It seems that he did not want me to DIE on his watch, I wanted to touch his face and say "It's okay chronic ADD boy, I wont die. I have authors to meet!"

"You have been to New York!? Oh wow, I went to this one shop they sold..." This was the time, I closed my eyes and practiced my death scene. I was lost to the world... That is until I arrived at the hospital.

***

Once I arrived at the hospital.
I was awoken, YET AGAIN, by a doctor screaming at a nurse**.

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT, GET ANOTHER IV IN HIM. WE CAN'T GIVE HIM ANTIBIOTICS AND A NORMAL IV AT THE SAME TIME!" the Doctor screamed. "I WAS TRYING TO WAKE THE KID UP!" the nurse retaliated. I was not fully awake. This did not stop them from stabbing the same needle into my arm four times.

I sat in the hospitals ER Children area, while the foreign doctor kept looking into my room making faces at me and laughing. This would be amusing if I was THREE YEARS OLD. I was trying to FAKE DEATH not laugh at some doctor.

Long story short the doctor decided that I was in critical condition, because I was not responding to her antics.

PART THREE -- TOMORROW!--WILL DEVYN SURVIVE THE PICU?! HOW WILL DEVYN MEET A BEST SELLER IN THIS CONDITION!? FIND OUT ON THE LAST DAY OF BEDA!
Comments are DANDY!

XO

*= No I was really knocking on deaths door.
**= Dear doctors, learn a proper bedside manor!

How do you know so many authors? PT. 1

2009-04-28T16:56:00.006-04:00

When meeting new people--the first question I am asked is "How do you know so many authors?" Well my friends luckily for you, I have an answer!

Basically one day three years ago--on Mothers day, I decided that the only way to meet a best selling author was to almost die*. So I woke up, made mothers day breakfast and plotted my journey into death**.

I was rushed up to the hospital, holding my hand on my head the whole way and screaming "THE WHOLE WORLD IS SPINNING MOTHER, IT IS SPINNING, MAKE IT STOP!" This caused my mother to drive even faster!

Upon arriving at the hospital, they decided I needed an X Ray. They shuffled me into an X Ray room and told me to hold my breath, little did they know my blood was so thin when I held my breath I would pass out.

I woke up (after a possibly near death experience, I can say I have never felt that feeling of 'waking up' ever in my life, and never want to feel it again!) in my hospital bed. People rushing in and out.

Meanwhile the angel and demon on my shoulders were both rubbing their hands together. Operation NEAR DEATH was going perfect!*** My nurse and doctor then proceeded to scream at each other in my hospital room.

"WE NEED TO LIFE FLIGHT HIM!" the nurse screamed, "MR. DINGLEBAT**** NEEDS A LIFE FLIGHT, IF WE START DEVYN ON AN I.V. HE SHOULD BE FINE IN AN AMBULANCE!"

THIS CONCLUDES PART ONE, TUNE IN TOMORROW FOR PART TWO!
Comments are dandy!

XO

*= I do not suggest this for a normal person, only advance almost dead people.
**= Not really plotted, my body did all of the work.
***= Honestly, I have Lupus, and can't take any credit, my body decided it wanted to try and kill me.
****= I don't remember the mans name. It is highly doubtable that it was DINGLEBAT!

(Side note, hopefully you SEE this is a TRUE story told in the 'Maureen Johnson' style, so... decide what is true and what isn't!)

The Elite - Jennifer Banash

2009-04-22T23:22:00.003-04:00

The Elite
Jennifer Banash

Rating: 4/5

Casey McCloy is your normal, small town America girl--thrown into the fabulous life of the lavishly rich Upper East Side, to live with her grandmother. She attends the prestigious Meadowlark Academy.

Casey quickly is accepted into the elite of Meadowlark, but she soon finds out that she is nothing like the girls. She must decide for herself if she wants friends who love her for her or for what she is worth.

At first I found this book really hard to get into, but once the story picked up I was hooked! I actually enjoyed The Elite more then I did the Gossip Girl books (and for anyone to like an Upper East Side series over Gossip Girl used to be a sin in my book--until now).

A friend of mine mentioned that she did not like the 'label dropping' in the book--but you must step back and look at the full picture, money rules the characters lives in the book. I loved this book and highly suggest this book (and the rest of the series) too all of my readers.

xo

Carrie Freaking Jones.

2009-04-20T21:43:00.002-04:00

I had a hard time coming up with a blog idea for today. But then I visited a friend Facebook page, and decided I would write about her.

This woman on the left, her name is Carrie Jones. So I decided to write a blog about her and why I am proud to consider her a friend.

Carrie Jones has a very big heart--I'm talking so big that when she hears about a crisis on the other side of the world it tears her up. Today, for whatever reason was not a good day for Carrie, but she has amazing friends (like me) who will always be there for her--just like she is there for many of us.

In 2007 I was sent Tips on having a Gay (ex) boyfriend, I remember sheepishly hiding the book from my parents because at that time I was not comfortable in talking about my sexuality to anyone. I gobbled the book up in a few hours and was amazed.

I fired an e-mail off to her after I read the book--and a friendship sprung up after that. Since then Carrie has added many more titles to her collection Love (and other uses for duct tape), Girl, Hero & Need.

The most important thing is that Carrie has stayed the same kind (at times crazy) author that I knew in 2007.

On a side note--she really likes stalkers, so go and buy her book and become part of the following!

This blog may not mean anything to you, but hopefully it can put a smile on a friends face.

Day Of Silence 2009

2009-04-17T00:55:00.001-04:00

Steve Berman - Vintage

2009-04-15T14:00:00.003-04:00

Vintage
Steve Berman
5/5

I had been meaning to get my hands on Vintage for some time now, so I was ecstatic when Steve asked me if I would review the book. I found myself very envious as I read the book, not just because of the relationships in the book, I was envious of Steve's writing. It had everything my own project was missing.

Vintage is about a young gay man who is trying to find his way in the world. When his parents found out he was gay he was forced to leave his home--in which he fled to his aunts house. In his new town he befriends an assortment of friends.

When he meets a new guy, who just happens to be a spirit, someone who had passed away long before he was born. It is up to him to figure out if the relationship will work or if it was doomed even before it started.

The narrator* uncovers secrets not only about himself but also about the young ghost, Josh.

Berman weaves a wonderful story, full of characters that you feel like you have known all of your life. I'd have to say one of the best ghost romance books that I have read. He could definitely give The Mediator series a run for it's money--and win.

I would suggest this book to anyone who enjoys a good spine tingling adventure mixed with romance and a good comic relief--As I said before I stayed up until 5:30 reading the book, it had me hooked from the start.

XO

*The main character does have a name, however it is mentioned only once in the book. I stayed up until 5:30 AM to finish reading this book--I remember the story, just not the name. Sadly. =[

Katka - Stephen R. Meier

2009-04-09T01:57:00.004-04:00

Katka
Stephen R. Meier

Rating: 4/5

In my almost three years as a book blogger I have stuck to reviewing YA books.

However this changed when I was contacted by Stephen R. Meier.

I thought I was in trouble when I first started reading this book. The first page was full of things that I had never seen in a book--I can admit at first I was disgusted and shared it with a reviewing friend. It did not sink into my mind at the time that this was NOT a YA book, so it was something that I needed to work through.

I'm glad that I didn't give up on the book. The 'disgusting' things that I first read in the book were needed to tell the story. The book is based on a story of a group of friends who start a mail order bride business. Once you can accept the raw facts of the mail order bride business it is easy to get lost in the book and the wonderful story that Meier has orchestrated.

Possibly one of the most interesting books that I have read yet. Just turning an adult at the ripe old age of 18 last year, I can say that Meier really gives me hope for 'Adult Books', I had always avoided most books written for 'adults' because to be honest they really never held my attention with a storyline.

I suggest this book to every reader of my blog--regardless of the age group you are in. If you can handle a topic such as the mail order bride service I highly suggest giving this book a read--I can assure you that you will not be disappointed!

There is a lesson weaved into the story, and Meier is the perfect person to tell it!

xo

Devyn to library: Boot 'Censorship' (#BEDA #6)

2009-04-06T20:46:00.008-04:00

First I would like to say that this blog is in complete and total response to 'Mom to library: Boot 'Gossip Girl'

"A Leesburg mother is in a tug of war with the local library about what she calls questionable books in the young-adult section and has asked library officials to pull them from the shelves."

"It's not necessarily just for my kids, it's for the community." She states

Hold up,
Wait a minute.

Since when was it one woman's job to care for the whole community?
This is what we like to call CENSORSHIP.

We have Moral, Military, Political, Religious and Corporate Censorship found in the world today. So we shall compare these many types of censorship to the book THE BERMUDEZ TRIANGLE by MAUREEN JOHNSON. --One of the books that Lessburg is attempting to remove from the library.

(I'm not going to even try to cover Gossip Girl--I do not believe the books should be removed from the library--NO Book should be removed, but currently I do not have time to build a case for Gossip Girl.)

There really is no way that Military, Political or Corporate Censorship can apply to this case.

Moral Censorship: (Things that are obscene or otherwise morally questionable.)

Religious Censorship: (Church members believe the content is not appropriate for their faith.)

Now--in the book The Bermudez Triangle we have to things that could possibly fit these categories. Two VERY stupid things that fit into these categories; Drinking and Homosexuality.

TEEN DRINKING DEVYN?, HOW CAN THIS BE 'VERY STUPID'?
It is very stupid because it is life, these books will be in the hand of Young Adults across the world, and drinking is a real part of life.

74.3
The percentage of high school students nationwide who have had one or more drinks of alcohol during their lifetime.
- http://family.samhsa.gov/talk/alcohol.aspx

The characters in Johnson's books do not enjoy drinking--and one character even attempts to stop the events taking place. If anything the book does not encourage drinking--it shows the negative side effects and clearly discourages it.

HOMOSEXUALITY.

Clearly there is no possible way that this subject could have a horrible outcome on a sprouting youths mind. Being Homosexual is not something you become it is something that you are.

Regardless what a person (real or fictional) sexual orientation is, we are all created equal in the end. Regardless if others see it not. The fact that the library is a PUBLIC LIBRARY to serve the COMMUNITY, this book has no reason to be removed from the shelves.

If the book ever was removed, they might as well deny every homosexual person a library card as well.

You see, when someone attempts to challenge a book they like to point out any minor negative detail, regardless if good can come of it.
And clearly banning a book makes it more appealing to young adult readers, as no book should be banned--after all we do have freedom of speech.

That is my soapbox for the day--I would like to applaud Barbara Morse who is the Director who is keeping the book on the shelf.

xo

Torched - April Henry

2009-03-25T13:18:00.003-04:00

Torched
April Henry
4 1/2 out of 5 Stars!

Ellie's parents are involved in a giant drug bust. Charges are being pushed on them, that could lock them away for a very long time. However Ellie is given a chance to keep her parents out of jail and to clean their record.

The FBI wants Ellie to join the radical environmental group Mother Earth Defenders. A group where is aways tested and breaking the law—all undercover for the FBI. But when a love interest pops up in the group and friendships start to form Elli needs to decide if what she is doing is really worth it.

When I first sent this book—I was not sure if I would enjoy the content. People breaking the law to save the earth—not on my favorite thing to read about list. Even in real life it really gets under my skin. There are better ways to carry out environmentally friendly tasks.

But once I started the book I was totally sucked in and could not put it down. I even would mail April updating her on my progress and telling her how much I enjoyed the book! April is an amazing writer, some parts were a bit too slow for me—but everything came together at a good timing and I finished the book in no time.

Buy on Amazon!

Ned Vizzini

2009-03-13T18:35:00.002-04:00

I had a chance to meet Ned Vizzini, read all about it here.

Interview #10 J. M. Warwick

2009-03-02T06:16:00.000-05:00

I recently had time to chat with J M Warwick author of A Season Of Eden!

Where did the idea of the book come from?
Girls having crushes on their teachers is nearly as old as sin itself. In fact, I don't know many girls who didn't have a crush on a teacher at one point in their schooling career! I did. But he was waaay old and more fatherly than a hottie like James Christian.

How long did it take you to complete the book?
About 3 months to write, another 3 to edit.

How long did it take from the start of the book and getting it published?
About 2 years. But, as you know, I am indie pubbed. The concept of the cover, the book trailer and all was my idea. I LOVE the cover. LOVE the back, with the piano keys. I really like publishing my own stuff because I can keep control over the creative aspect.

Did you listen to music when writing this book?
Totally. Eden's soundtrack is moody, dark and sexy. I only wish I'd found CHANCES by Athletes earlier. That song pretty much embodies A SEASON OF EDEN.

Do you have any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Read a lot and find good critique partners. Good critique partners are as essential as a good marriage partner. :)

What is your next project and when will it be in our hands?
Next project is another YA project: OVERPROTECTED, about a girl whose father goes to obsessive lengths to keep her safe.

Thanks for taking time out to talk to us!
Purchase A Season of Eden, here!

Book Production - The Vampire Diaries

2009-02-13T04:52:00.007-05:00

When I don't have time to review I book--I hope to start doing some research about books and the media. I personally find that I am drawn to books that have been turned into movies/television shows--even if I never knew the show was once a book I end up enjoying it.

L.J. Smith's "Vampire Diaries" series was first published in 1991. (PerezHilton.com is reporting 1993--However the original series was published from 1991-1992) The original books of the series are The Awakening, The Struggle & The Fury. Somewhere during this time, a forth book was added to the original series; Dark Reunion.

Sixteen years later the announcement has arrived of more "Vampire Diaries" novels. "The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall" was released February 10th, 2009. I thought it was odd for an author to finish a book series for sixteen years and then decide to return to the characters.

That was until I read the post on PerezHilton, and read that The CW has greenlit a television show based on the book series.

Apparently the name of the pilot show will be "Vampire Diaries". The book to television script was created by Kevin Williamson (Dawson's Creek & Scream) & Julie Plec (Kyle XY), The two will also serve as Exective Producers of the show.

Alloy Entertainment owns the rights to The Vampire Diaries books--I would imagine they will have a say of what will happen with the TV Show. Alloy also owns the rights to CW shows such as Gossip Girl.

What *I* Think;

I am very excited to see what will come of the series. I have been in love with anything to do with vampires since I was a small child. Watching Nosferatu and having the crap scared out of me. Twilight was an awesome addition to my Vampire collection--however Twilight is a nice story--poorly written.

People need to understand and take note--there are books out there that are 100% better then Twilight. Yes, Vampires are all the craze--People will take advantage of that. But for someone like me who loves Vampires in general, I don't see this as a bad thing.

I have never read The Vampire Diaries Series--But they have been around since the 90's, and they are still alive! I do own a copy of The Secret Circle and am looking forward to reading it.

Sources;
http://www.ljanesmith.net/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Diaries
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=52633
http://perezhilton.com/2009-02-07-vampire-mania
http://www.tvguide.com/News/CW-Vampire-Diaries-1002522.aspx