Random Excitement: An email from Julie Linker!!!

So last week I read Crowned by Julie Linker....  I finished it on Thanksgiving...  I needed a good cozy light read, and this book REALLY fit the bill...  after the past week I had, I just wanted something I KNEW would make me smile...  so after I finished it, I wanted to see if Julie had anymore works in progress, so I visited her website...  (http://julielinker.com/  be sure to check it out) while there I left her a message telling her that even though I'm a 30 year old Mommy, I just adored Crowned...  if you haven't read it, and are a fan of YA, you really should!!!  Well, today, to my surprise, I received an email back from Julie!!!!!!!!  And not only is she a great author of YA books, she is SUPER NICE and seemed truly thrilled to receive my message...  which I shall now share with all of my wonderful followers... (all 7 of you).....

Jacki,

 A real, live adult!! I'm printing this email out and putting it in my scrapbook. You are the first grown up person to ever contact me (although who knows--some of the 13 year old "girls" who write may actually be creepy guys in prison, lol). I'm so glad you liked Crowned! That makes me feel really good because I wanted to slit my wrists when I was writing it (not really, but you know what I mean). I love Geek Girls Guide too! Plus, I met Charity (one of the co-authors) at a conference and we've e-mailed some and she's really nice so that made me like it that much more. Sometimes I meet other authors who, um, aren't exactly as nice as they could be and then I just can't like their books, no matter how good they are.

Also, Charity and Darcy (the other Geek Girl co-author) and I have the same editor, which is probably why the books reminded you of each other. :)

Thank you again for writing--it made my day!

Julie

I hope you will all check out Julie's website and also her awesome books!!!  She really made my day!!!

Friday Fill-ins....

(courtesy of Janet at Friday Fill Ins)


1. Wait! Wait, don't forget to take out the trash.
2. Tylenol followed at once by a Raspberry Margarita from Margaritaville is the perfect cure for a headache.
3. The trouble is that my best friend lives in another state, so that makes things difficult.
4. Las Vegas is too many miles away.
5. With a faint pop, I realize I may have thrown out my back.
6. Sometimes the future seems shadowy and ominous.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to starting my Christmas wrapping, tomorrow my plans include watching the Florida/Florida State game, and Sunday, I want to do something, I'm sure, but I haven't thought that far in advance!

Waiting on Wednesday

(Compliments of Jill @ Breaking the Spine)

It allows bloggers to feature pre-publication
books that they are eagerly anticipating!

Of All the Stupid Things

Author:  Alexandra Diaz

Release Date:  12/22/2009

Young Adult

ISBN:  978-1606840344

(From Amazon:)

When a rumor starts circulating that Tara's boyfriend Brent has been sleeping with one of the guy cheerleaders, the innuendo doesn't just hurt Tara. It marks the beginning of the end for an inseparable trio of friends. Tara's training for a marathon, but also running from her fear of abandonment after being deserted by her father. Whitney Blaire seems to have everything, but an empty mansion and absentee parents leave this beauty to look for meaning in all the wrong places. And Pinkie has a compulsive need to mother everyone to make up for the mom she's never stopped missing. This friendship that promised to last forever is starting to break under the pressure of the girls' differences.
And then new-girl Riley arrives in school with her long black hair, athletic body, and her blasé attitude, and suddenly Tara starts to feel things she's never felt before for a girl--and to reassess her feelings about Brent and what he may/may not have done. Is Tara gay--or does she just love Riley? And can her deepest friendships survive when all of the rules have changed? 

 

This is the first novel from Alexandra Diaz...  I definitely look forward to reading it!!!

Teaser Tuesdays

(Compliments of MizB @ Should Be Reading)

Here's what you're asked to do:

1. Grab your current read...
2. Let the book fall open to a random page...
3. Share two teaser sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12...
4. Share the title of the book that the “teaser” comes from ~ so people can find the book if they like the teaser...
5. And remember – AVOID SPOILERS!!!
   

Here's Mine:

"Play Nintendo," he breathed out.  "I won't always be here to keep you safe from Sega."

 Page 64

Nightlight:  A Parody

 by The Harvard Lampoon

Fiction/Young Adult

Vintage Publishing

Copyright November 3, 2009

Pages:  160

ISBN:  978-0307476104

Sunday Sports Special: Four Time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion

I would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus, and the entire 48 Lowe's Chevrolet team on their FOURTH CONSECUTIVE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!  I would just like to say that I have cheered from Jimmie since the beginning...  he is one of the nicest celebrities I have ever met... and I just LOOOOOVE him!!!! It takes a LOT of hard work and dedication to do what he and Chad have done....  so much that no one in the history of NASCAR has ever done it!!!  So I would like to make this Sunday Sports Tribute to Jimmie and Chad!!!!  Much Love!!!

Lost... one brother.... but was he ever really found???

It seems sad to make my first ever blog post a depressing one, but it is what has to be.... My stepbrother, Shawn Martin Holdaway, was found dead at his residence in Florida this past Wednesday night... he was only 34 years old... I had the longest conversation I had ever had with him back in October when I was visiting my Dad... he and I never had a lot of contact/interaction... I found out from my stepsister a while back that he thought I thought I was better than him... he saw me as a "goody two shoes"... he obviously didn't know the REAL me... I think he would have liked the "real" me.... Shawn lead what I would consider to be a "troubled" life... I'm not sure he ever really knew what he wanted from life or for his future... but I do know that he was the happiest I had ever known him to be when I spoke to him that night.... he was so proud to tell me about his job... and that he was living right on the ocean... that he could walk out his door and be at the water's edge in just a moment's time... and he told me about watching the boat races... we talked for almost an hour... I call him my stepbrother, but I'm not sure if he ever really was... ya know??? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to think right now... all I know is that I hope he has found peace... and that he's still able to walk along the water's edge... I think it might have been his personal Heaven... I will most assuredly miss the brother I never really knew... Rest In Peace... You are Loved...