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Wow!

Thank you, thank you everyone who helped out with the playlists for PROM and CATALYST! I really appreciate it. (kmessner can you send me an address so I can write a note to Kianna, Eunice, Amy, Caitlin and Kadijah?)

A couple of the suggestions are books that are on the playlist for my YA WIP, so I am holding them in reserve.

The weekend flew by. We had Christmas #3 with Daughter #1, which was delightful. Now we have to finally take down the Christmas decorations, which is a little melancholy. My mom’s birthday is Tuesday, but as we had a couple of her granddaughters here over the weekend, we had a little party for her last night. Watching Mom’s face light up is one of the most beautiful sights in the world. We’re taking her out breakfast this morning, too.

The weather is disgusting. We’re getting up to 60 degrees today and going to have rain. Peh. It’s January – I want snow so I can snuggle down with library books and hot chocolate. (Though I must admit I am happy that Daughter #1 will have nice driving weather.)

I have to get some writing done before the family wakes up.

How was your weekend?

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Did you read CATALYST or PROM?

Theo is putting the finishing touches on the playlist section of my Writerlady website overhaul. We’ve got plenty of songs for the other novels (special thanks to handworn and to John Connolly and his students for all their help). We are a little light on the number of songs suggested for PROM and CATALYST.

And I am on deadline. And after that, I have another book to write. And one of my kids finally comes home on break today.

So I could really use your help.

Any suggestions? What songs tie into the main characters and situations of PROM and CATALYST?

This is what I have so far:

CATALYST
Splintering – Arizona
The Great Escape – We Are Scientists
Under Pressure – Queen
Run, Baby, Run – Sheryl Crow
Runaway – Linkin Park

PROM
Alright – Supergrass
End of the Line – Traveling Wilburys
I Summon You – Spoon
Nowhere and Everywhere – Michelle Lewis
Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Lose Yourself – Eminem
Learn To Fly – Foo Fighters
Prom Theme – Fountains Of Wayne

Teachers! If your students help out with this, I promise a hand-written thank you note!

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Welcome Mr. Ambassador!!!!

The rocking awesomest Jon Scieszka (Stinky Cheese Man, Time Warp Trio, etc.) has been named as America’s first National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No, the President did not make this appointment. The very smart people at the Library of Congress did.

Right now copy editors across the country are ripping through their files triple-checking the spelling of Jon’s last name. “Four consonants at the end? In a row? Are you sure?” They are all wishing for a vowel movement that is not going to happen. For the record, it is pronounced “Sheh-ska”. And “J-on”.

(Washington Post coverage, and the New York Times has a very nice picture and article. Publisher’s Weekly weighs in. I’ll add more coverage as people wake up and write about it.)

Along with being a terrific storyteller, writer, and all-around nice person, Jon is the brains and force behind the Guys Read program. I think this is a fantastic choice and I can’t wait to see what he does.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Jon and I share two publishers. Here we are with Viking editor, the ever-fab Sharyn November at IRA last year.

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3 for 01.02

Daughter Stef heads up here for Christmas #3 in a few days and I am trying to polish the first act of my new YA in time for her to read it. (She is one of my trusty early readers because she doesn’t pull any punches with me.)

So I have very little interesting to say except for “Is the coffee pot empty again?”

However, I stumbled across a couple of sites to share with you, in the Spirit of the Season of Resolution:

#1. Unclutterer. If you’re trying to get sane and organized, start here.

#2. Slow Down Now. For people trying to take their lives back from the Work-Harder-Rush-Faster culture.

#3. The Simple Dollar. If you have money-oriented goals for the year.

I will browse all three in depth just as soon as I make the new deadline, find my checkbook in the mess that is my desk and get my bills paid.

Ha.

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1.01

I love New Year’s Day!! Yes, I’m running on three hours of sleep (big nap in my future) and yes, I am sort of regretting what I ate last night (pate and lobster – really, it tasted good at the time) but there is something so fun about the concept of the FIRST DAY of the New Year.

It’s like everybody gets to call a giant do-over. Wipe the board clean and start fresh. Excellent.

The two biggest resolutions on my list are to write every day this year – every single day, no matter what – and to try to run 20 miles every week.

I also resolve to win the lottery.

What promises did you make to yourself?

Hotel writing last week and partying last night

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