The Brenda Novak Auction: Win a Critique, New Reviews, Giveaways, Interviews, and More

Brenda Novak Auction

Two days left to bid on a critique of 20 pages of a Young Adult novel, offered by me (BRUISED, HIGH AND DRY) and Miranda Kenneally (CATCHING JORDAN, STEALING PARKER, THINGS I CAN'T FORGET, RACING SAVANNAH). All funds benefit diabetes research.

New Reviews of BRUISED

"Poignant and emotionally raw at times and humorous at others, this debut novel adeptly portrays a shattered life...and the road back to normalcy. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate the multilayered story, Tae Kwon Do action and philosophy, and resilient protagonist." ~ School Library Journal

"Debut author Skilton understands and respects martial arts, and she does a beautiful job presenting the philosophy that drives serious martial artists... Here is a writer to watch who handles complex issues with sensitivity in the vein of Deb Caletti and Sarah Dessen." ~ Booklist Online 

"Have you ever seen one of those movies where the unarmed hero valiantly faces off with the trigger-happy shooter, gets help from the police just in the nick of time, and emerges from the entire ordeal a bit shaken but otherwise unharmed? Welcome to real life." ~ Sharon (L.A. County Library Teen Book Review Board)

Giveaways

Win one of two signed hardcopies of BRUISED at Katie McGarry's (PUSHING THE LIMITS, CROSSING THE LINE, DARE YOU TO) blog!

Win a huge prize pack of Lucky 13s debut novels by donating to Red Cross to help Oklahoma


Interviews & Guest Posts

Healing Hamlet - In which we discuss screenwriting and YA novels, motherhood, and mental health

"Girls in Sports" Week at A Backwards Story - Martial arts, baby!

Teen Author Reading Night Tomorrow at Downtown Los Angeles Public Library

On Thursday, February 28th (tomorrow!), I'll be participating in the LAPL's Teen Author Reading Night alongside Amy Spalding (THE REECE MALCOLM LIST), Jessica Brody (UNREMEMBERED), and Michelle Gagnon (DONT TURN AROUND), and hosted by Cecil Castellucci.

We'll be reading excerpts from our new novels, chatting about books in general, and answering questions. Tomorrow also marks the one-year anniversary of the downtown library's Teen Author Reading Nights program. Doors open at 6:30; event starts at 7pm.

Thanks to Mary McCoy for helping to organize it!

Click here for more information. Hope you can make it!

New Library Opening

I hate to brag, but my 8-month-old son was invited to the social event of the weekend last week, and he took me as his plus one. (Okay, everyone in town was invited. And he needed me to dress him, drive him, and wheel him around. But my point remains.)

I'm talking about the New Old Town Newhall* Library grand opening.

 

There was a street festival too, but we skipped it in favor of air-conditioning. The New Old Town Newhall Library has a YA section (yay!), a homework section, a meeting hall with local artists' work on the walls, two sets of bathrooms (I don't know why I'm including that, but it impressed me), a wall lined with laptops you can check out, couches, a childrens' section, old timey photographs (presumably of Old Old Town Newhall) and a screening room.

There are also books!

I KNOW!

I see many days spent here in the future.

*A close cousin of the Bob Loblaw Law Blog

Another Library Nightmare

The other night I dreamt that I had gone to the library during a break from work to pick up my books on hold, and the librarian for whatever reason wouldn't give them to me. Instead, she handed me a blue ticket that said they'd be ready in half an hour. I frantically tried to explain that I didn't HAVE half an hour -- I had to be back at work, but she wouldn't budge.

Suddenly I'm in the Starbucks next door to the library, which isn't even close to reality; both libraries that I frequent are stand-alones or by a post office, but there IS a kind of creepy Starbucks* near my office and that's the one I dreamed about. So I'm in line at the Starbucks and the librarian shows up, dragging a metal cart filled with books -- the books I want! -- and she STILL WON'T GIVE THEM TO ME. She rolled them in with her to taunt me, and also so they wouldn't be out of her sight, and I wanted to just grab them off the cart but I couldn't. I was filled with anxiety and impotent rage when I woke up.

This is not the first time I've had anxiety about suddenly being banned from libraries.

* It's creepy because there is a flashing neon fish tank/sea world depicted in the office space above, including a pink octopus that wiggles. It's completely bizarre, but The Ames will back me up that it exists, and there is something wrong about it.

How Did This Happen?

Right now I have 7 books from the library, 1 book waiting for me at the library, 2 books I just bought at Borders, 1 book I bought with a friend, and another book that's being loaned to me this weekend.

Let's see (math was never a strong point) -- 12 books -- with the library ones seemingly getting first priority since they'll be due soon, and the loaner getting second priority (it's a signed copy, too) -- but the Borders ones screaming for attention because I'm already half-way through one of them and my husband wants my opinion on the other one.

Just got an alert for 3 more "request pending"s from the library. And I need to find a copy of the book for my book club meeting next month.

*head explodes*

I believe there's an opportunity here for a "Hoarders"-type spin-off show. It could be for bookworms who overextend by creating impossible reading lists for impossible time frames. I need someone to save me from myself, and from the paralyzing realization that there are millions of books I want to read and never enough time.

My Worst Nightmare, Bookworm Edition

**** OVERDUE NOTIFICATION ***
As of 08/08/09 item/s listed below are overdue and should be returned to any agency of the Los Angeles Public Library as soon as possible. Fines will be assessed at the time item/s are returned. If an overdue item is not returned, it will be considered LOST and you will be responsible for the cost of the lost item as well as a $10.00 non-refundable service fee per item, in place of fines. In addition, you will be blocked from borrowing further material.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The terrifying message above greeted me in my inbox this morning. And I knew immediately which book it was; however, I for some reason reason was convinced I'd already returned it on two separate occasions, and I even got into a (polite) argument with a librarian over it. I am evil. But today I will right all wrongs.

Summer Reading and the Living is Easy

There's still time to pick up a Summer Reading List or 70! But which Coast do we trust, East or West?

New York Times is all about the ladies.

L.A. Weekly includes plenty of excerpts and dares to tell us how fiction works.

Okay, so I'm a bit biased toward California. Maybe that's because my local branch has been having some spectacular author talks this summer. Unfortunately I missed Janet Fitch (White Oleander) on July 10th, but I'm hoping to catch sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and oh, a million more) on August 31st. I have the feeling the event will be packed.

In Los Angeles, Even Library Events Have Swag

I expect to see free swag at nightclub events or movie premieres (at the opening of "Nothing Like the Holidays" last year, I got a full Thanksgiving meal while fake snow blew outside) but at a library book swap?

Last night, the Mar Vista Branch outdid itself. Not only was there an open bar, an author signing (Lisa See was there promoting her awesome-looking book "Shanghai Girls"), and a terrific pile of free books to choose from, but on the way out the door, we were handed LED Mini Book Lights and pens that say "Reading is Sexy."

It is now! :)

Book Swap

Tonight I'm attending a GoodReads & Young Literati Book Swap with my good pal Amy. It's at the Mar Vista public library, a branch I've never visited before.

FYI, the Los Angeles Public Library system is amazing. There are 70 + branches, all of which are searchable online, and if the one closest to you doesn't have a book, they mail it from wherever, and you can drop it off at any of them. The only problem is, all the books I've put on hold tend to come in at the same time -- and then it's a scramble to read them all before they're due back.