Thankful!

So, I saw New Moon on Monday.

Suzanne Young has the recap HERE - pictures included, because Suz was born to be a blogger and takes her camera EVERYWHERE.

I liked the movie. And I continue to be totally amazed by this phenomenon Stephenie Meyer has created. I mean, isn't it amazing?

And really, we should be thanking her because so many teens have been turned on to reading because of her. Many of them go back to the bookstore for more, which is a very good thing.

This Thanksgiving, I'm feeling thankful for family, friends, and for being a YA author. It's a fun, exciting time. So many great authors writing incredible books.

Sometimes I look around and that song from Sesame Street pops into my head that goes - One of these things is not like the other - wondering how I'm here amongst all the greatness.

But I am. And I'm very, VERY thankful for that.

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving with good food, good family, and GOOD BOOKS! Yay - four whole days to READ!!!!

Is the title really THAT important? In a word - Yes!

Not one, but two professionals in the industry last week talked about how a great title could make a difference in how fast your manuscript gets read.

First - Editorial Anon says, "If you can come up with a super title, then do-- it can encourage prompt responses." Read more HERE.

I've always had a feeling this was the case. Some titles just make you go - ooooh, I want to read that!

Next - Agent Jill Corcoran says, "When a submission hits my inbox, one of the first things I notice is the title." And then she goes on to say, "Titles are not something to anguish over, they are your golden opportunity to attract someone to your manuscript." Read more HERE.

It's so great when you know the title of your book before you start writing, and you know it's the perfect title. Or you start writing and it's not long before you come up with the title that knocks your socks off.

But I think more often than not, authors struggle with the right title. Jill suggests polling other authors - I know l've seen some authors do a poll on their blogs allowing others to vote for a title. It's important to have a title that makes someone sit up and take notice. And really, the only way you're going to do that is to ask other people what they think.

I have two projects on submission now. One of them has an awesome title. I love it. It's one word, and it's a pretty word. I can see it on the cover of a book and it makes me excited about that book! What a wonderful thing, huh? The other one, I'm not so sure. I'm still, even now, wondering if there's a better title. For nine months, I searched for the perfect title, and you all know that after awhile, you just get sick of thinking/worrying about it and figure the one you come up with is good enough. After all, you can always change it later, with the help of your editor, right?

But now, after reading these articles, I wish I had done a little more about my uncertainty. Perhaps asked all of you to weigh in.

So don't do what I did. Before you send that manuscript off, make sure you have an AWESOME title! It's only a few words. It can't be THAT hard, right? :)

Guess for the next Chase Around the USA stop

Thanks to the Never Ending Shelf for the kind words about CHASING BROOKLYN and for getting the contest going so quickly.

Entries have been collected and it's time for me to guess the next stop.

I'm going to guess: OKLAHOMA

Thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to the winner!

Wanna read CHASING BROOKLYN

Another reader has posted her word and is looking for the 6th stop on the Chase Around the USA contest.

If you are a blogger and you'd like the chance to read the ARC and win a gift card to the bookstore of your choice, go HERE to read the contest rules and to enter:

http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/2009/11/chase-for-chasing-brooklyn.html

I'm so glad to see that people are liking this book - yay!!

Winter Blog Blast Tour - My turn!

A big thank you to the fabulous Kelly Fineman for choosing to interview ME for her part in the Winter Blog Blast Tour.

Want to know why I keep writing about loss?
Want to know what the new paperback cover looks like for my book FAR FROM YOU?
Want to know what I think of cupcakes?

Go HERE to find out!

To see the rest of the stops, Chasing Ray has the lineup.

Happy Friday!!

Yeehaw!!!

All of this talk about NCTE and ALAN makes me sad I'm not going. Have fun those of you who are!

So, I will try to focus on the positive today, which is this:

Yesterday I got word from my editor that FAR FROM YOU is one of seven S&S titles that made the 2010 Texas TAYSHAS List for Teens!

Hooray!!!

I suddenly feel the need to go out and buy some cute cowboy boots. I've always wanted red cowboy boots!

Anyway, I'm so incredibly psyched about my book being on this list, I can't even tell you. So a big THANK YOU to the committee for selecting my book out of all of those you had to choose from.

The list hasn't actually been updated yet, so I can't share the link, but hopefully it will be soon. Congratulations to all the others who made the list as well!

It is THAT kind of day

It is a BUSY day when you must work all day and then go to a dinner and auction immediately afterwards that will go until 9:00 pm. But when your publisher generously offers to pay your way because it's a good chance to meet book sellers and your local sales rep., you go.

It is a FUNNY day when you are watching Good Morning America and the commercial comes on for Did You Hear about the Morgans and you hear Hugh Grant say, "I called ahead to get the table near the mayonnaise." Have you ever heard Hugh say "mayonnaise?" The commercial is so long, there's really no need to see the movie, which is pretty funny too.

It is a STORMY day today and every day this week. Very, very stormy.

It is a SCARY day when you realize Christmas is only like 40 days away.

It is a HAPPY day when you get the news your friend Alix had her baby boy (Xander!) yesterday and both baby and Mom are doing well!

And, it is a GOOD day when you get an enthusiastic e-mail from your agent that uses the coveted "L" word about the book you spent a lot of your spare time working on over the past nine months. A book you wrote for yourself, because you wanted to write something new and different.

So...what kind of day are you having today?