win a copy of Skater Boy

A couple of weeks ago, fellow Penguin author, Mari Mancusi, emailed me and suggested we do some cross promotion on our blogs. It seems that buyers of Blue Eyes and Other Teenage Hazards also buy her book Skater Boy. I have complete faith in my buyers, so I agreed. After I read Skater Boy, I did see some similarities in the stories. Both stories have awesome, mature hot guys, who we can tell are really smart even though they're not geeky about it. Both have heroines who are only children with overprotective, sometimes smothering parents. When new, wild girls move in to the high school and become BFs to the heroines, both of the heroines wonder if they're missing something with their goody-goody ways.

And both heroines have their first kiss with the awesome heroes. Ah, how sweet, right? So we're going to be talking about first kisses on the blog today, and then I'll be giving away a copy of Skater Boy to a lucky commenter. The book is a sweet romance (as opposed to a mature romance) but does have some swearing. Here is Mari's first kiss. I'll confess my first kiss in the next blog (if I don't wimp out first.)



My First Kiss - By Mari Mancusi

To be completely honest, my actual first kiss was kind of slimy and gross--to a boy I really didn't like. So I've decided to cheat a little--and tell you about my first kiss that actually counted--with my real life skater boy!

I lived on a small, dead-end street and we were all pretty close with our neighbors. Once a year the neighborhood would get together for a cookout and after dinner the kids would gather to play a game we called Snort-a-gator. It was a kind of hide-and-seek hybrid mixed with tag and played in the dark.

We weren't kids anymore--we were all in our teens--but that didn't stop us from our tradition. This year, however, I'd invited my crush, a skateboarder named Russ I'd met downtown. He'd come over for the cookout and was just learning the rules of our little game. I was worried, at first, that he'd think it was childish, but he seemed to be cool about it. And soon we were rushing off to hide.

Russ suggested we hide together and we ducked down in what we decided was a perfect spot right outside the nearby cemetery. There we were, crouched down in the dark, all alone, hoping not to be discovered. Russ turned to me, his face suddenly close to mine, and whispered, "Do you want to go out with me?"

It was all I could do not to squee with excitement and give away our hiding spot! Instead, I managed to contain myself and somehow manage to whisper, "Yes!" And then, without warning, he leaned in and kissed me. Alone in the dark, our very first kiss and one I will never forget.

So that's my first kiss story. And though, sadly, Russ and I didn't last, he remained my inspiration for a future book--about another first kiss. And let me tell you--I think Dawn's kiss from her skater boy is just as sweet!

About Skater Boy
Dawn Miller is sick of being good. Her parents have scheduled her to within an inch of her life and her popular friends can only think of hooking up and shopping. She's ready for a serious boyfriend, and it's definitely not the obnoxious rich boy everyone wants her to date.

Then she meets Starr, the headmaster's punk rock daughter who refuses to play by the rules. The differences between them are night and day but Dawn is fascinated. Starr introduces her to a world she didn't even know existed: hip indy record stores, all night raves, and cute skateboarders who hang out underneath a parking deck downtown.

Skateboarders like the gorgeous Sean, who's sweet, smart, and curiously serious --everything Dawn's always wanted in a boyfriend. Soon she finds herself head over heels and doing the unthinkable, lying to her parents and friends. Deep down she knows her parents will never approve of this boy from the wrong side of town...and her secret life is finally catching up to her. Will Dawn be forced to choose between the girl she was and the girl she is meant to be? And if she chooses, will she lose her skater boy forever?

Skater Boy is available on Kindle, Nook, Google Books and iBooks for $3.99.

For more, go to http://www.marimancusi.com Read an excerpt on Wattpad

About Mari Mancusi
Mari Mancusi used to wish she could become a vampire back in high school but she ended up in another blood sucking profession --journalism -- instead. Today she works as a freelance TV producer and author of books for teens and adults. When not writing about creatures of the night, Mari enjoys traveling, cooking, goth clubbing, watching cheesy horror movies, and her favorite guilty pleasure--videogames. A graduate of Boston University and a two time Emmy Award winner, she lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Jacob, daughter Avalon and dog Mesquite.

If you'd like a chance to win the book, leave a comment

In which I attempt to bribe you

Okay blog followers, stick with me while I tell you about yet another cause. (This one involves bribery though, so keep reading.)

Leslie is one of my dearest and oldest friends. She is like the perkier, prettier version of me, but with all sorts of graphic designing talent. Plus she is always, always cheerfully helping other people. Really, if I used her as a character in one of my books, readers would think she was unrealistically charitable and they would leave snarky comments on Goodreads saying that people like Leslie don't exist in real life.

Leslie donates her graphic design skills to help nonprofit groups even though she herself has struggled financially all her life. Now she's entered a contest that can give her seed money to start her own business, but she needs people to vote for her dream. (The top ten people will be interviewed by American Family.)

It will take you two minutes or less to register to vote (link below) and then a few seconds to scroll through the top dreams and vote for hers.

Here's where the bribe comes in. If you register and vote for Leslie, (Leave me a comment telling me you did.) I'll send you a free ebook. (Blue Eyes and Other Teenage Hazards or Playing the Field--although if you live near me or will see me at a conference soon, I have a variety of paperbacks you can choose from too.) If you also vote for Leslie for the next four days (You can vote once ever 24 hours--and once you're registered, it only takes a few seconds each day.) I'll promise to send you my next ebook free too. (It will be a rewrite of either Masquerade or Dakota's Revenge, whichever I get to first.)

Here's the link to register: (Leslie's screen popped up when I did this.)

https://longlivedreams.com/?key=lesliesafe%40cox.net

Here's a video Leslie made for the contest that shows her picture

In Which Janette Wants to Save a Chateau

You might think this blog has nothing to do with literature, but trust me, you would be oh so wrong. Have you ever imagined walking through Pemberley or Tara, or any of those mansions that heroines frequently find themselves at? Have you ever played Clue and wondered if houses with conservatories and billiard rooms actually exist?

You want to visit Chateau de Vie. I'll show you a few pictures so you get the idea. A fairy tale theme runs through the mansion, which makes you feel like a princess.

This next picture is of the front stairs. It's got this beautiful mural that I'll show more pictures of at the end of this blog. (You know it's a piece of art when you need four pictures to show it.)

One of the lights

The place has indoor balconies. I totally want an indoor balcony now.

This is one of the dining rooms. My friends who bought the Chateau have been restoring the original paintings. Here you can see the one in this room is being worked on.

Before I post more pictures (Which don't show the really impressive details, by the way) I'll explain a bit about this historic Chandler landmark. (And why I want my blog followers to take one minute and email the Chandler city council.) When the Chateau was built decades ago, Chandler was a rural, sparsely populated place. Since then Chandler has grown up around the Chateau and now it finds itself directly off a major, busy road. Anyone who could afford this sort of mansion wouldn't choose to live so close to a major road. My friends bought the Chateau after it had been foreclosed. A lot of the landscaping had died and vandalism had happened. Because it's on ten acres and situated so close to a major road it's perfect for a wedding reception place. My friends have been working to turn it into one--which is great because then it would be open to the public and so many people could enjoy it.

A few neighbors don't want this to happen. They would rather see the Chateau torn down then to have it turned into a business. Which in my opinion would be destroying a work of art. They've been vocal to the city council, despite the fact that nobody lives close enough to be impacted by the zoning change. (I believe there is some sour grapes in all of this.)

Anyway, I'm urging folks to take a minute of their time and email the Chandler city council at Mayor&Council@ChandlerAZ.gov

Just put in put in your subject line Approve Chateau de Vie and then say that you're for saving the Chateau.

Many thanks from all the people who will be able to enjoy this beautiful building, and pretend they are strolling through some literary setting. Here's more pictures.

This is the billiard room

I totally wanted to find a candlestick and hit Colonel Mustard with it.

It seemed that every room had a fireplace and they had each been created by artisans from exotic countries, or possibly elves. I loved this one:

This library was two stories tall--absolutely huge. Look at those shelves. Seriously, when I walked in the room I wanted to cry out of pure envy. Finally a place I could fit all my books.

Another indoor balcony.

Okay, here are the murals on the front stairs.




Here is a secret passageway. How cool is that? Again, I want one.


And that isn't even all of the downstairs. Anyway, again, this place is a piece of art that should be enjoyed by many. The only way that will happen is if the city council approves of the zoning that will allow it to be used. If you're still reading and you haven't emailed the city council to tell them you support the Chateau, please do so: Mayor&Council@ChandlerAZ.gov

Why writers marry engineers

I've met lots of other writers over the years. I've found three things that many of us have in common.

1) We're daydreamers--otherwise known as having ADD. Hey, what's going on in our imaginations is way more interesting than what's going on in real life. Why should we pay attention to the real stuff? Or remember incidental things like the fact that we were supposed to pick up our kids from school fifteen minutes ago? In my mind, I have been happily living as a member of the Galactican fleet for years.

2) A background in drama. I'm not sure which produces the other. I do know that those drama classes ended up being some of the most helpful classes I took in high school. Drama makes you pay attention to dialogue and it also makes you dig deeply into your character looking for motivation. (Now every time I think about finding motivation, I remember the movie Galaxy Quest. If you haven't seen it, you should. One of my favorite movies, ever.)

3) A surprising amount of us are married to engineers. (Or that type. Adam Rex is married to an astrophysicist, if I'm remembering right.) I have no idea why this is. Opposites attract? Nature's way of protecting the artistic type? (Without my husband, I would probably forget to do things like pay taxes or put the garbage out on the street and would either be dragged off by the IRS or die of some garbage-related disease.) Or perhaps the spouses of engineers are just forced to find an artistic outlet? (A lot of my husband's work is classified so he can't talk about it. I don't mind.)

Whatever the reason, this Dilbert cartoon made me laugh. This is what would actually happen if I worked at my husband's company. Except it would probably also include a galactic space fleet.

Editing mistakes--or: Why, yes, my character does have super powers

Before I published my first book, my editor told me there would be mistakes in it. "No matter how hard we try," she said. "There's no such thing as a perfect book."

At the time I didn't realize how right she was. I get it now, though.

Go ahead, ask me about the hay-straw debacle. (Although I tried to change every reference to horses eating straw in My Unfair Godmother, one still slipped through.)

Or there was that time when my heroine's hands were tied, then untied, then magically retied.

Someone just emailed me and pointed out that I have a character pressing the gas pedal on his motorcycle in Slayers. Did you know that motorcycles don't have gas pedals? I clearly didn't.

A few years ago I got back the rights to my first book, Deep Blue Eyes and Other Lies. After I got over the horror of my bad writing (I wrote the thing 16 years ago. I've improved since then) I went through it, rewrote portions, and put it up as the ebook Blue Eyes and Other Teenage Hazards. I had it copy edited, but the problem was that I also made changes to the manuscript per the copy editor's suggestions.

I've sold something like 1600 copies in two months. I just reread it because I'm going to have it formatted for a paperback and I found all sorts of typos.

I also found a place where the characters refer to an event that hasn't happened yet. (Funny line, too bad it doesn't make sense to the readers.) I'm not sure whether I should be gratified or not that none of the 1600 people who bought the ebook have told me about this problem.

Maybe they just haven't gotten to the book yet. (Sort of like those three stacks of books that I've bought but haven't found time to read.)

So, for anyone who already bought Blue Eyes and Other Teenage Hazards--Why, yes, my characters are psychic. In fact, they put the chic in psychic.

And the fixed version should be up late tonight.

On the subject, Virginia Maughan Kammeyer wrote a poem about editorial errors :

WESTERN DAZE

Moving as rapidly as light
You type a novel in a night,
Then galloping at frantic pace
Over the hills your heroes race.

From cattle ranch, to gambling room,
To mesa bluff and back they zoom.
How can you, writing at such rate,
Keep places, plots, and people straight?

Your marshal, now—I fear that he
May someday meet catastrophe,
(A mix-up by some typing elf)
And handcuff, jail, then hang—himself.

So, so true

And the winners are . . .

Since I had so many comments, I chose two winners. (Random.org helped though. Random is an awesome guy that way.)

Tiana Smith

Liz

You know the drill. Send me your addresses and I'll try to get your books to the post office in the next few days.

For everybody else, don't worry. There are more give-aways on the horizon.