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CAKE FOR BREAKFAST!!!

I posted today’s first entry early, because I was up way before dawn getting ready for the trip. I was buzzing around the house, fretting, chewing my fingernails, trying to remember absolutely everything and wishing I could go to the airport 24 hours early.

Just before 8am, someone knocked on the door. It was a stranger bearing cake. Of course we let her in!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic She didn’t stay a stranger for long. Meet Dawn, of MuchAdoAboutCake.com. She makes delicious custom cakes in Syracuse.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Uncle Penguin asked Dawn to bake a WINTERGIRLS cake for us. It was thoughtfully timed so that we could enjoy it for breakfast today AND tomorrow.

A bunch of our kids are coming home this weekend and we’ve promised to leave some for them.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic But we didn’t say how much!

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Ready… Set…

WINTERGIRLS and the 10th Anniversary edition of SPEAK officially debut tomorrow!

Be still my beating heart.

I have one hundred million things to do in the next twenty-four hours. If I show up at bookstore events with knots in my hair, you’ll know I never made it to Item #37. Remember to pack brush.

I will be Twittering regularly on tour. You can follow me on Twitter by searching for my name, halseanderson. I think I have figured out how to post photos to my Twitterfeed, so it should be fun. Don’t know what Twitter is? This will explain.

School Library Journal has a great summary of the release of the two books, plus all the magical things that have happened to me in the past six months.

Many thanks to Cecelia Goodnow for a wonderful interview last week that resulted in an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. A little bird in Seattle told me that the article ran in the last day of the P-I’s paper version. It has gone to an online only presence now.

Two good questions have come in recently:

When’s Wintergirls due to be out in the UK?

The UK rights have not been sold yet, but I am told by my agent that negotiations are ongoing.

Who took the awesome picture on the cover of WINTERGIRLS?

That is the work of Canadian photographer Alexandre Denomay. I think he was 18 or 19 when he took the photo. He might be 20 years old by now.

Back to packing!

WINTERGIRLS and the 10th Anniversary edition of SPEAK officially debut tomorrow!

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Contest winners & Bob the Builder

We have winners!!!!

Last night Queen Louise ordered her squires to participate in the Official Drawing of the Names. They dutifully complied.

drum roll……..

The winners of custom WINTERGIRLS laptop (or phone) skins are:
Jennifer Forgotten!
Mindi Scott!
Tressa Korson!
Kara Huck!

You’ll be receiving an email from Queen Louise with the details about what happens next so we can get the skin to you. Thanks to everyone for participating!!

Bob the Builder showed up to the cottage project yesterday.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic He brought a very large machine.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic He plucked out the tree stumps from the site, then added a couple tons of dirt and tamped it down. (Notice the last, lingering snowbank.) Next up: a mason comes next week to form up the forms (I think that’s the right way to describe it) so the concrete slab can be poured.

I’ve been receiving early sightings of copies of WINTERGIRLS on sale already. Since I’m not J.K. Rowling, booksellers are not compelled to hold the book to the release date. If you see it, buy it!

If you see it, you could also take a picture of you standing in the store with the book. Send it to laurie AT writerlady DOT com.

March Madness News!!! Since my Georgetown Hoyas are not in the NCAA tournament this year, ::weeps::, I am supporting Syracuse University. For the third year running, Sarah Dessen and I have our bet going; if her team (North Carolina) goes farther than mine, I will send a signed copy of my new book to her public library. If my team goes farther, Sarah sends her book up here.

Haven’t had time to do my brackets yet. I think I’ll do that on the plane Thursday.

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In my little town

Wintergirls comes out in 4 days…

You all know I live in a small town… well, actually I live on a country road outside of a small town. The town is Mexico, NY. We have a great high school, post office, grocery store, a diner, and two stoplights.

And we have a wonderful library and historical society.

The latter two joined forces yesterday and put on a Revolutionary-era tea. Proceeds from the tea and the book sale went to the Historical Society’s efforts to renovate a tin shop in our town that was a stop on the Underground Railway.

About one hundred people came out to hear me talk about CHAINS and enjoy tea and yummy delights.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Just one of the tables!

Image and video hosting by TinyPic The food was all based on food mentioned in CHAINS. Here’s the menu.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic Members of the historical society and a bunch of kids and teens dressed in period costume.

A couple of years ago, my neighbors were the first to hear a reading of CHAINS, when I read a chapter in draft at a Christmas celebration. Yesterday, many of the same people heard the opening pages to FORGE. They’ve all been sworn to secrecy!

FORGE probably won’t be out until next fall, but….

Wintergirls comes out in 4 days…