SAA Part 2 - ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES ARC Giveaway

So I mentioned earlier this week that for the next two weeks, I'm featuring some of Austin's best. These are four of the best books you could hope to read this fall/winter. Seriously!

Second on our list of the Superhot Austin Authors Giveaway is...

ALIEN INVASION AND OTHER INCONVENIENCES by Brian Yansky (Candlewick, October 2010)


Fans of science fiction or not are going to love this book. It's smart and serious and funny in all the right places. And it also has a fantastic book trailer to really get you in the mood!

From Amazon:

A polite race of telepathic killer aliens, a ten-second world conquest, and one teenage boy collide in this wry, gutsy adventure.

Jesse is in history class when a formidable, efficient race of aliens quietly takes over the earth in less time than it takes him to brush his teeth. Most humans simply fall asleep and never wake up. In moments, everyone Jesse knows and loves is gone, and he finds that he is now a slave to an inept alien leader. On the bright side, Jesse discovers he’s developing telepathic powers, and he’s not the only one. Soon he’s forging new friendships and feeling unexpectedly hopeful. When a mysterious girl appears in his dreams, talking about escaping, Jesse begins to think the aliens may not be invincible after all. But if Jesse and his friends succeed, is there anywhere left to go? Brian Yansky offers a funny, grim novel packed with everything boys and sci-fi fans love: aliens, humor, action, and a healthy dose of triumph.


Source of ARC: From publisher at TLA (I actually have 2 to give away)

For your chance to win this ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, October 8, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win an ARC of BRAINS FOR LUNCH by K. A. Holt

Enter to win an ARC of THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover

Enter to win an ARC of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

Superhot Austin Authors Part 1 - BRAINS FOR LUNCH ARC Giveaway

For the next two weeks, I'm featuring some of Austin's best. See, we here in Austin have one of the best writing communities in the world, and I'm going to prove it to you by giving away four hot ARCs in the next two weeks from Austin kidlit authors. These are four of the best books you could hope to read this fall/winter, so enter now and retweet often :)

Okay, we're starting the Superhot Austin Authors Giveaway with...

BRAINS FOR LUNCH: A ZOMBIE NOVEL IN HAIKU?! written by K. A. Holt, illustrated by Gahan Wilson (Roaring Brook Press, August 2010)

best cover ever...

I adore this book. I adore the author. It's got one of the most clever premises around, and the artwork is to die for. (note: the artwork is not all present in the ARC). But you don't even have to take my word for it. Check out the fantastic book trailer designed by the author herself.

From Amazon:

The difference being that this middle school novel is written entirely in Haiku. Loeb, its zombie protagonist has a problem: the object of his affection, Siobhan, is a lifer (i.e. human). What to do? In scenes set around a lunch table (the menu: brains) and around the school, eyes roll and jaws drop (literally). Also featured in the cast of characters is Carl, a chupacabra (bloodsucking critter) and Mrs. Fincher, a sympathetic and seductive librarian.


*Source of book: From publisher at TLA


For your chance to win this ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, October 8, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win an ARC of THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover

Enter to win an ARC of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

DARK SONG and THE NECROPOLIS ARC Winners!

Thanks for everyone for entering to win some awesome books!

*****

This week's winner of an ARC of my newest book THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover (CBAY Books, Oct. 16, 2010)


is...

D. M. Cunningham at Literary Asylum

*****

The winners for the two ARCs of

DARK SONG by Gail Giles (Little, Brown, Sept 2010)


are...

Writtenwyrdd - A Speculative Fiction Zone

and

CrazyCatLady at Crazy Cat Lady's Library

*****

Congrats to the winners! And thank you to all who entered!

And don't forget I'm also giving away:

Three more copies of THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover (that's me!) (CBAY Books, October 2010)
Click here to enter.


ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis (Razorbill, January 11, 2011)
Click here to enter!

On Not Giving Up

Because I just can't help but brag on my kids from time to time...

And we can always use a reminder to never give up!

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE ARC Giveaway

There are books I'm excited to spread the word about, and then there are books I'm excited to spread the word about. And this book...it's one that I am so happy to see getting all the amazing recognition it deserves. You see, I had a chance to read this book in its infancy (as I'm a critique partner of its fabulous author). Do you know what it is yet? Do you?

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis (Razorbill, January 11, 2011)


ACROSS THE UNIVERSE is not only a cool book, it's got extras.

Like this awesome blueprint of the space ship.



And this cool symbol:



And wait. HAVE YOU READ THIS AMAZING CHAPTER? Because if not, you need to click on this link right now and read it. Are you doing it? Are you?


From Amazon:

A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

*Source of book: From publisher by request


For your chance to win this ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, October 1, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win an ARC of THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover

Enter to win one of two ARCs of DARK SONG by Gail Giles

Yes, I read banned books!

And if you're curious to find out which one I picked up recently, head over to the fabulous E. Kristin Anderson's blog to find out (who also happens to be a member of my local writing group and a fab person, btw).

What possibly could that book be?

FALLOUT and THE IVY ARC Winners

I hope everyone's having a great weekend! Thanks for all who entered to win the contests!

*****

The winner of the ARC of FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins (Margaret K. McElderry, September 14, 2010)


is...

Jeremy West at Novel Thoughts

*****

The winners of the ARCs of THE IVY by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (Greenwillow, August 2010)



are...

Patsy

and

Alison at Lostinbelieving

*****

Thank you to all who entered!

And don't forget I'm also giving away:

THE NECROPOLIS by PJ Hoover (that's me!) (CBAY Books, October 2010)
Click here to enter.


and

DARK SONG by Gail Giles (Little, Brown, Sept 2010)
Click here to enter.


Look for some awesome giveaways coming up this week! And I do mean awesome!

The absolute funniest post you will read this week! - Updated Link!

Yes, I helped write it, and it still made me laugh out loud numerous times. And we all need a laugh from time to time, right? And it features trolls.

The Top Ten Ways to Make a Group Write-in Successful

THE NECROPOLIS ARC Giveaway

So I'm about one month away from the release of book 3 in my FORGOTTEN WORLDS trilogy! Yay! It's hard to believe it's sneaking up on me so fast. Of the three books in the trilogy, I have to admit THE NECROPOLIS is the one I've had the most fun writing. Stuff just has to happen to get all those loose ends tied up, and when stuff happens, things get exciting.

Anyway, in honor of this big event, I'll be giving away one ARC each week of THE NECROPOLIS.

All you have to do to enter is comment on this post!

And thank you for all the continued support! You guys rock the house!

This Week's Featured Sweetheart

Jeanette Larson is our newest Featured Sweetheart! So buzz over when you get a second and check it out!

DARK SONG ARC Giveaway

Here's another book that released just last week which I also have two copies of the ARC to giveaway.

DARK SONG by Gail Giles (Little, Brown, Sept 2010)


From Amazon:

Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator's heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear.

Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he'll stop at nothing--even using his guns--to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them?


*Source of book: From publisher at BEA


For your chance to win this ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, September 24, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win a signed ARC of FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins

Enter to win one of two ARCs of THE IVY by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

No, really, don't drive into water over the road

I had to post these pics because honestly, I'm amazed. It really shows the power of rushing water. This is the water crossing we normally cross every day about six times a day. Needless to say, we won't be going across it anytime soon.
The website says it will take "several weeks" to fix. Hmmm...
Anyway, rumor has it when the water still covered the road, a car drove into it not knowing the road was missing.

Our road is gone.

Part of the road

More of the road

My son found a fossil and the guts of a baseball in the hole. Also three fish were stranded but saved by the crowd of people gathered.

NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY ARC Winner

I've been having such fun with all the contests and hope you guys have been, too!

*****

The winner of the ARC of NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY by Michael Buckley (Abrams, Sept. 2010)


is...

KELLY at Kelly Polark

*****

Congratulations! And thank you!

Don't forget I am also giving away...

FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins (Margaret K. McElderry, September 14, 2010)



THE IVY by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (Greenwillow, August 2010)


And I also have some fabulous giveaways scheduled for this week, too! So come back and visit!

TLA 2011, Here we come!

I'm so excited to announce I'll be on a panel at TLA 2011 here in Austin, TX with fellow Texas Sweethearts Jessica Lee Anderson and Jo Whittemore!
We'll be on the panel with author Phil Bildner and two Texas librarians. Our session title is:

"Librarians+Authors+Students=A Great Writing Workshop!"

See you there!

Using Timers

Hey! I'm blogging over on the super-cool Beth Revis' blog today (author of the upcoming ACROSS THE UNIVERSE), so when you get a second, check it out!

THE IVY ARC Giveaway!

September just seems to be the month of book releases (except for my book which is October, but anyway...). Just released is a book that's been getting a ton of buzz, and I have two ARCs of it to give away.

THE IVY by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur (Greenwillow, August 2010)


From Amazon:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to the most prestigious university in the world. Now what are you going to do?

Callie Andrews may not have money or connections or the right clothes, and she may have way too many complications in her love life, what with—

Gregory
the guy she loves to hate

Evan
the guy she'd love to forget

Clint
the guy she'd love to love

and Matt
the guy she really should love

—all vying for her attention.

But she has three fantastic roommates (best friends or her worst nightmare?) and a wholesome California-girl reputation (oops) and brains and beauty and big, big dreams.

Will it be enough to help her survive freshman year at Harvard?


*Source of book: From publisher at BEA


For your chance to win this ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, September 17, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win a signed ARC of FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins

Enter to win an ARC of NERDS Book 2

Special Chapters

I'm blogging today over on The Spectacle about awesome chapters, so head over if you get a chance and check it out.

And have a great week!

Good Times, Good Friends, and Good Writing

We're looking at Labor Day over and the fall looming before us. I have to admit fall is my favorite season. I think it's the promise of cooler weather here in Texas, gobs of pumpkin seeds, and memories of how leaves used to change color (wishing I could visit Virginia or Pennsylvania this fall...le sigh).

But I'd be remiss if I didn't mention some of the fun writerly times I've had recently...

Welcome home, Ike! Friday writing at Spiderhouse Cafe with E. Kristin Anderson, Ikeasaurus, K. A. Holt, Jenny Ziegler, and Jessica Lee Anderson

E. Kristin Anderson, Ike, and Kari Holt (K. A. Holt). Please note the fresh, new Zombie Invasion sticker on the wall.

Ike, Kari Holt (K. A. Holt), and Jenny Ziegler (whose husband used to LIVE at Spiderhouse Cafe literally)

Congratulations to VCFA graduates Lindsey Lane and Anne Bustard. Party at the Leitich Smiths' house (who are always such gracious hosts and gave me a gazillion corks for my daughter to use for art)

Me with my Texas Sweethearts, Jo Whittemore and Jessica Lee Anderson

Kathi Appelt and Gene Brenek

Carmen Oliver, Jo Whittemore, and Greg Leitich Smith

The graduates Lindsey Lane and Anne Bustard with Greg Leitich Smith and Kathi Appelt. Yes, Anne is wiping her eyes as is everyone else in the crowd.

Chris Barton and Gene Brenek

Jessica Lee Anderson and Bethany Hegedus

Labor Day Weekend finished off with an all-night write-a-thon that lasted until 3 am with Jessica Lee Anderson and K. A. Holt. My words stopped coming, and then it was off to bed. Zzzzzz....

FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins Signed ARC Giveaway

I have an amazing ARC up for giveaway this week, and it's even signed! This is the latest from a fabulous bestselling author we've been hearing a ton about recently.

FALLOUT by Ellen Hopkins (Margaret K. McElderry, September 14, 2010)


Product description from Amazon:

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.

Hunter is nineteen, angry, getting by in college with a job at a radio station, a girlfriend he loves in the only way he knows how, and the occasional party. He's struggling to understand why his mother left him, when he unexpectedly meets his rapist father, and things get even more complicated. Autumn lives with her single aunt and alcoholic grandfather. When her aunt gets married, and the only family she’s ever known crumbles, Autumn’s compulsive habits lead her to drink. And the consequences of her decisions suggest that there’s more of Kristina in her than she’d like to believe. Summer doesn’t know about Hunter, Autumn, or their two youngest brothers, Donald and David. To her, family is only abuse at the hands of her father’s girlfriends and a slew of foster parents. Doubt and loneliness overwhelm her, and she, too, teeters on the edge of her mother’s notorious legacy. As each searches for real love and true family, they find themselves pulled toward the one person who links them together—Kristina, Bree, mother, addict. But it is in each other, and in themselves, that they find the trust, the courage, the hope to break the cycle.

Told in three voices and punctuated by news articles chronicling the family’s story, FALLOUT is the stunning conclusion to the trilogy begun by CRANK and GLASS, and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person’s problem.


*Source of book: From publisher at ALA


For your chance to win this awesome ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, September 17, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win an ARC of NERDS Book 2

MOCKINGJAY and RETURN TO PARADISE Winners!

I hope everyone's having a great weekend! Thank you again to all who entered to win in my contests!

*****

The winner of a brand new hardcover of MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2010)


is...

Merry Rachel Alice Sweet

*****

The winner of a signed ARC of RETURN TO PARADISE by Simone Elkeles (Flux, Sept. 2010)


is...

Lora1967 at Read for your Future Giveaways!

*****

Congratulations! And thank you!


Don't forget I am also giving away...

NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY by Michael Buckley (Abrams, Sept. 2010)


And I have some fabulous giveaways scheduled for this week, too! So come back and visit!

NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY ARC Giveaway

Up for giveaway is an ARC of book my son devoured in a day. (For reference, he's in the fourth grade.) This is second of the series, and he's already waiting anxiously for the third! Perfect for boys or girl, elementary and middle school. He loved it so much, I put it on the "to buy" list at our school library just yesterday.

NERDS: M IS FOR MAMA'S BOY by Michael Buckley (Abrams, Sept. 2010)


From Amazon:

NERDS combines all the excitement of international espionage with all the awkwardness of elementary school, and the results are hilarious. A group of unpopular fifth graders run a spy network from inside their school. With the help of cutting-edge science, they transform their nerdy qualities into incredible abilities! Their enemies? An array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last. Publishers Weekly raved: “Buckley has a flair for exaggerated humor.” School Library Journal said: “Funny, clever, and thoroughly entertaining.”


*Source of book: From publisher at ALA


For your chance to win this awesome ARC, all you need to do is:

1) Follow this blog
2) Follow The Texas Sweethearts blog
3) Comment on this blog post


For extra entries:

1) Blog about this contest and leave a comment telling me
2) Tweet about this contest and leave a comment telling me


And make sure you leave me a way to get in contact with you when you win!

The contest will run through midnight on Friday, September 10, 2010!


And don't forget:

Enter to win MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins

Enter to win an ARC of RETURN TO PARADISE by Simone Elkeles