Robin Benway

Can't you hear my heartbeat coming your way?

Gooooood morning, world! And what a glorious morning it is.

All of you non-morning people totally want to punch me in the face right now, don't you. Well, TOO BAD, because I have Things to Tell You! Grab your coffee and settle in.

The big news--the BIG BIG NEWS--is that I'm now officially a Walker author! I've known for a few days, but the deal was officially announced in Publisher's Marketplace yesterday, so I can now roll around on the floor in glee!

"Author of AUDREY, WAIT! and THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY & JUNE, Robin Benway's ALSO KNOWN AS and EMMY & OLIVER, to Stacy Cantor Abrams at Walker, at auction, in a two-book deal, by Lisa Grubka at Foundry Literary + Media(NA)."

I met Stacy when I was in New York several weeks ago and we hit it off right away. She had wonderful ideas about both books, she was kind enough to send me some of her titles, and she has a seriously super-cute puppy named Eva. Hudson was most excited to hear about Eva. He loves the lay-deeez, as the doggie daycare employees keep telling me. ("I would say 80% of our male dogs here are gay...but not your dog!") If you're so inclined, you can even follow Stacy on Twitter. Incline away! @stacyabramsedit

I'm sure you're wondering what the new books are about. Me too! Haha, kidding. (Author humor! It never gets old!) I'll do my best to explain them in one or two rambling, run-on sentences. 

ALSO KNOWN AS is the story of Maggie, a gifted teenage safecracker, who works alongside her parents as a spy for the mysterious entity known as the Collective. When she's assigned to infiltrate a private Manhattan high school, she's forced to make friends, investigate the mysterious Jesse, and solve the case, all without blowing her cover.

EMMY & OLIVER is the story of two childhood friends who grew up next door to one another until they were six years old, when Oliver was kidnapped by his dad during a custody dispute. Ten years later, Oliver comes home and he & Emmy are forced to deal not only with their losses, but also with their new romantic beginnings. 

Ooooh, intriguing, right? RIGHT? Yes, that's what I thought you said.

Now, as you can imagine, this deserves some celebrating. Usually, my celebrations involve putting a Stevie Wonder song on the stereo and dancing around like a flailing loon, which is what I did yesterday. I even tried to get Hudson to join in!

You know what? I'm sure he's celebrating on the inside. (Leave it to me to find the one dog who doesn't like Stevie Wonder.)

As fun as that was, I think a little more celebration is called for, which is where you get involved. As if this month hasn't already been great, the paperback of "THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY & JUNE" is now in stores! (Some of you have reported seeing it on the front tables of bookstores, which makes me think that my mother is stealthily working her way across the country, making sure my book is prominently displayed. Thanks, Mom! You're the best!)

So in honor of my good news, and just because I like to do fun things, I'm giving away 5 copies of "AMJ"! WHEEEE! A contest! Don't worry, this isn't some weird, competitive, "Double Dare" thing where you have to eat bizarre foods and run around on an obstacle course with your family. All you have to do is sent an email to amjcontest@gmail.com by July 1st and tell me what you would want your favorite superpower to be. You can write an essay or just a simple "I WANT TO FLY, WHAT'S IT TO YOU, LADY?" Hudson will pick 5 winners and personally address & mail each prize. (Addressing envelopes is his superpower.)

(I should also point out that the winning entries will be chosen randomly, not based on how awesome your imagined superabilities are.)

To recap!

1. NEW BOOKS YAY!
2. Hudson has his sights set on Eva and refuses to boogie to Stevie Wonder.
3. I'm giving away 5 copies of "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June"!
4. To enter, send an email to amjcontest@gmail.com explaining what you would want your favorite superpower to be.
5. The contest closes on July 1, which is conveniently my & Hudson's birthday! 

Feel to repost, retweet, discuss with your friends while you're at the mall enjoying the air conditioning, whatever works for you. I look forward to seeing your entries!

I hope you are all having healthy and happy lives and getting ready to enjoy your summer!

You spent the evening unpacking books from boxes...

Woo! Two posts in a week! Clearly something's gone wrong.

Actually, this is very exciting. Are you excited? Yay, I'm so glad! It's the paperback cover of "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June!"

 

How cute are they?! Thank you, total stranger girls, for representing my characters! I like how June is doing jazz hands. She would TOTALLY do that in the family photo...and then she'd be pissed because no one could see her face so she'd want to take the picture again, but May would be fed up with the whole process and so that's how the picture stayed. At least, that's how it happened in my head.

But you know what I like almost as much? The back cover with so many nice reviews from bloggers! You guys are just crazy kind.

I also think that this will look superb next to the "Audrey, Wait!" paperback cover, like the books are related. My little bibliofamily! I'm a lucky writer indeed. Be on the lookout for "AMJ" around the beginning of June. (Side note: it's nice when your book comes out during one of the months in the title. So serendipitous!) 

Off to pack up for a weekend vacation with the puppy. He works hard, he needs a break. So much napping can really wear a little guy out. Have a lovely weekend!

I'll be my own savior...

Hello! Happy spring!

Oh, you’re right, I know, it’s not spring yet, and some of you are probably thinking, “Hey, you haven’t blogged in six months! Don’t come tapdancing back in like everything’s fine!” You would be the observant ones. And I promise that if you make it through the end of this post, there will be puppy pictures, so it’s probably best if you keep reading.

I know my blogging is sporadic, but sometimes I just think, “Oh, people don’t need to know that. They aren’t interested. I should talk about fun things like book covers instead.” But the more I thought about, the more I realized that it’s sort of doing you—the reader—a disservice. Oh hey, look, I’m rambling.

Here’s the deal. Last September, life sort of sent me reeling, as it has a tendency to do. I was in Decatur, Georgia for the Decatur Book Festival when I got word that my stepfather had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, the same disease that stole the life of the wonderful writer LK Madigan. The only way I can describe that disease is that it’s like March: in like a lion, out like a light.

My stepfather passed away 30 days after his diagnosis, pain-free and ready to leave this earth. Not that we were ready to let him go, but that’s the way it is and that’s the way it happens every day. He was incredibly proud of my success as a writer: during the last few days, one of his doctors greeted me with, “Oh, are you the author?”

Just as I was recovering from that loss, my grandmother passed away in early November, three days shy of her 91^st birthday. I loved her more than I could ever eloquently explain in a blog post and not having her around has been difficult. She was the most amazing craftswoman I have ever met: when I was little, she made most of my clothes and stuffed animals, including a pelican with stuffed fish in its beak; she handsewed all of our Christmas ornaments that still hang on our tree today, and in the most spectacular feat of grandmotherhood ever, she sewed a stuffed camel that was wearing a bra. 

Let me explain.

When I was growing up, my favorite poem EVER EVER EVER was “They Put a Brassiere on the Camel” by Shel Silverstein. I especially liked to recite when there were a lot of people around, no doubt to my parents’ thrill. My grandma thought it was the funniest thing she had ever seen and decided to whip up a little something with her sewing machine. The googly eyes really brought the whole thing together. I know I still have that camel somewhere.

After one of our visits, the last thing my grandmother would always say to me was, “Well, we had a few little laughs, Robbie.” I think that’s probably the best attitude to take about life in general. Just have a few little laughs.

(Actually, that’s not true. The last thing she would say was, “When am I going to be a great-grandmother?!”, which WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh man *wipes tears of laughter from eyes*)

I have to be honest with you. After all that sadness and loss, I didn’t want to write anything. Writing used to be my safe place and it just up and went camping out in the wilderness for six months. Even my Song of the Day blog wasn’t fun anymore. I needed to recharge, restart, regroup, and whatever other re- words are appropriate here.

So I did what any rational person would do. I moved across town and got a dog. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY. 

I moved to Silver Lake, which is on the east side of Los Angeles, and depending on traffic and the time of day, it’s easier to get to Arizona than the beach from here. I’ve always heard a lot of rumors about hipsters overrunning this part of town, but from what I can tell, most hipsters are from the Mid-Wilshire area. Just a personal observation.

Moving was sort of a big deal, mostly because I had been living and working in a 500 square foot studio apartment for 13 years. If you want to know what that’s like, gather up all your belongings and move into your closet. It’s a little tight. But now I have 1000 glorious square feet…and not a lot of furniture. A table would really be handy right about now.

But the best part about moving? My lovely office!

Isn’t it cute? It’s actually a closet, but it’s been reappropriated. Oh, the irony.

And then Puppyface came into my life. 

I had been looking for a dog for a while and was insistent on getting a girl dog so I could name her Eleanor Rigby. When I went to the shelter to see a little maltese, though, I could tell that she and I were not a match. She was the size of an aspirin and had enough energy to power a rocketship. The woman at the shelter suggested I see the maltese’s cratemate, a little boy shih-tzu named Gage. I said yes, mostly because I didn’t want to be judged by all the shelter employees.

It was love at first sight.

Gage was eighteen months old when they found him on the 110 freeway in south LA. That’s right. ON THE 110 FREEWAY. That’s how he got his name; they found him near the Gage offramp. He barely weighed twelve pounds, so how he survived on the freeway is anyone’s guess. I have a nice big car and I can barely handle the 110 freeway.

Now Gage is named Hudson and he is the sweetest lovebug ever. He often gives me looks that seem to suggest that he’s barely tolerating my shenanigans. In other words, he’s Ron Swanson.

Another fun thing about having a dog is that you find yourself screaming things at the top of your lungs, like “OMG DON'T EAT THAT DOG'S POOP!” and “OMG ARE YOU CHEWING GUM?!” (Hand to God, both incidents happened. We’re fine now.)

Diva puppy.

 

Another wonderful thing about Hudson is that he made me want to start writing again. Not that he knows this, of course, but having him around puts a new energy into the air. So I decided to start slow and write a FAQ about myself. Hud thinks this is over the top, but then again, he’s not the one getting questions for people’s book reports. Although he might after people read this blog.

Now someone is insisting that I cuddle him, so I hope you are all lovely and stomping towards spring. Thank you for reading my ramblings, both on this website and elsewhere. You make me very, very happy.

France! Mission Viejo Readers Festival! Censorship! Oh my!

Why helloooooo, you sparkly people.

Hey, look, I'm blogging AGAIN! Surely this is a record for me. I'm so glad you were here to witness it.

I have a bunch of things going on right now, very few of which I can tell you about. I know, I'm a tease, I'm sorry. The things I CAN tell you about, though, are very exciting. Probably so exciting that you'll forgive my nasty reticence. 

First off, "April, May & June" is a bestseller in France! I read this news on my iPhone while in bed, one eye barely open, before I even had my coffee, which made it even more exciting when I almost fell on the floor in surprise! Thank you very, very much to my wonderful publisher Editions Nathan, my editor Céline, and my french co-agent Michèle. I was lucky enough to have lunch with Céline and Michèle when I was in Paris last June and it was an absolutely lovely meal, as most Paris meals can be. Anyway, if you bought the book, read it, and are currently browsing this page thanks to Google Translate, thank you very, very much. 

Another exciting thing is that I'm going to be at the Mission Viejo Readers' Festival this weekend! When I was first invited to this festival, I actually started to cry happy tears because I spent many, many hours of my childhood trekking to the Mission Viejo Library with my mom and brother, reading all the books that we used to see on "Reading Rainbow", like "Bea & Mr. Jones" and "Frog & Toad Are Friends". To be invited to speak as an author at my old public library is really a thrill. 

(You totally want to sing the theme song with me, don't you? You so do. Here, I'll start. "Butterflies in the skyyyyyy...")

2010 MISSION VIEJO READERS' FESTIVAL
Saturday, September 25, 4-5pm (signing to follow)
Jacaranda Room
Panel with authors Paula Yoo, Tracy Trivas & Marlene Perez

In other exciting festival news, I'll also be appearing at the Orange County Children's Book Festival next Sunday, October 3. It's at Orange County College (OCC) and includes free parking! I know that probably doesn't sound like a big deal to you, but I live in Los Angeles and when I hear the words "free parking", you might as well be yelling, "There's a shoe clearance sale at Nordstrom!" in my ear, that's how happy it makes me. 

I'll have more info later next week, but mark your calendars or update the calendar app on your iAppliance, whatever you need to do.

I have to say, I love festival appearances. I get to meet fans, talk to other authors, and sign books, which always makes me happy. I was at the Decatur Book Festival in Georgia over Labor Day weekend, and I met so many wonderful readers and bloggers. Here's a picture of the day's end results: post-its, Sharpies, and a beautiful paper swan from a fan. (It's still sitting on my dresser, of course.)

A job well done, I'd say.

More blogging next week, I think. It's Banned Books Week and even though you already know how I feel about book banning, I still have Things to Say. Things like, "ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME WITH THIS???" Sigh.

Also, it's almost the one-year anniversary of my little song of the day blog, The Songs that Saved Your Life, so I'm trying to think of a way to celebrate. Maybe Reader Participation Week? We'll see.

Stay safe and happy!

RB xo

What I Did the Day My Book Came Out

Hello friends!

So. It's happened. THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY & JUNE has hit the shelves! Hopefully you've been able to find yourself a copy and have enjoyed it immensely! Have you seen its snazzy webpage yet?  www.extraordinarysecrets.com I just love it. 

I've thought about writing this blog for awhile. What's it like the day your book comes out? This is only the second time this has happened to me, but for some reason, I was crazy nervous this time around. As you can see, there was absolutely no reason to be nervous...BUT STILL. It's crazymaking to have a book come out, which is why I was so happy that August 3rd finally arrived.

Also, I have a very fun weekend coming up involving a booksigning for "AMJ" right here in Los Angeles, so please don't think that I didn't have any fun on my big release day or that none of my friends remembered. Boy howdy, did they remember! And if you'd like to join us on Sunday, please do! The more the merrier! Oh, God, what am I going to wear?!

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8 AT 3PM
DIESEL BOOKSTORE
The Brentwood Country Mart
225 26th Street, Suite 33
Santa Monica, CA 90402
310.576.9960

So now here's my little log of AMJ's release day. I hope you'll still respect me after reading it.

(PS You're all still following April, May & June on Twitter, right? Riiiight.)

WHAT I DID THE DAY MY BOOK CAME OUT - AN ERRATIC & NOT ENTIRELY RELIABLE TIMELINE OF EVENTS BY ROBIN BENWAY

6:55am - Wake up to the sound of sputtering coffeemaker. Decide that if coffeemaker breaks the day of my book release, I'll cry.

6:57am - Coffeemaker is not broken! HAPPY RELEASE DAY FOR "AMJ"! Bounce (well, crawl) out of bed and stumble into kitchen while still wearing sleepmask over one eye. Give coffeemaker its morning hug.

7:00am - Put on NPR and start doing French homework for that morning's class. Listen to a story about Roger Korman while conjugating -er verbs. Rely on Google Translate heavily. Practice saying useful phrases such as, J'aime une tasse de café and Voulez-vous lire mon livre? Note that I have been out of high school for 15 years and I'm still doing homework the morning that it's due. Pat self on the back for being so reliable.

7:23am - Receive congratulatory email from the awesome team at Razorbill that reads in part, "We are singing you our Happy Pub Day song, a song we will be singing to you all day long! It's a kind of Alvin & the Chipmunks thing and we do it in harmonic electronic falsetto--I'm sure you'll appreciate this." They know me so well.

8:00am - Read so many nice emails, texts, and Twitter comments about "AMJ" that I maybe or maybe not get a little misty and have to find a tissue. And more coffee.

9:28am - Drive like a bat out of hell while balancing a mug of coffee (cannot find travel mug in cupboard) and singing along with Florence + the Machine. Pass woman who is hula-hooping and singing into a microphone in her front yard. Admire her free-spiritedness while being very grateful that I am not her. Turn up Florence a little louder and start to do hand motions while singing along. Recognize the irony and recall Little Brother's recent text: "Remember, your car windows aren't tinted anymore." Noted.

9:30am - Find perfect metered parking spot and race into class. 

11:45am - Learn how to say, "And that's why I drink," in French while roleplaying a scene between a drunk, an instructor, and a sad person who are all taking aquatic dancing classes at the local pool. French class has just paid for itself.

12:31pm - PARKING TICKET. $45 for being in the space too long, even though there's still money in the meter. Perfect metered parking spot is no longer so perfect. Start referring to meter maid as "Captain No-Fun".

1:16pm - Open kitchen cupboard and nearly get beaned by travel coffee mug. Found it!

2:20pm - Start doing interview for "How I Travel" over at bootsnall.com. Feel extremely unadventurous and apologetic for liking hotels over camping tents and for never ever EVER OH MY GOD NEVER EVER wanting to swim with sharks.

3:15pm - Receive first book stalker email photo from Mom. 

  

"Just happened to see this at Barnes & Noble in Palm Desert," the email says. Note that Mom lives 20 miles away from said bookstore. Suspect that everyone in B&N now knows that her daughter's book is out today and that she is my mother and wouldn't they like to buy a copy? Or maybe they'd like a knuckle sandwich instead? Watch local news to make sure Mom does not appear on it.

4:30pm - STILL WRITING TRAVEL INTERVIEW. Guesstimate that I could have flown to Italy & back in the time it takes me to do interviews. 

4:55pm - Receive second book stalker photo from Mom, along with accompanying email that reads, "Ditto Borders! YAY!!!!"

 

Borders has my book on the shelves, which means she is no longer boycotting Borders. They are no doubt thrilled to hear this news. Also, become convinced that she is the one who faced out "AMJ" on the shelf, since she has a tendency to reshuffle YA sections in favor of me. Decide that my mom is the bestest.

5:10pm - Get ready to post today's Song of the Day from the "April, May & June" soundtrack: "Glosoli" by Sigur Rós. Try to decipher lyrics before deciding that Icelandic looks like the Rorschach test of languages.

7:00pm - Celebratory dinner with Little Brother! Taco Tuesday at the Reel Inn in Malibu! Brother listens to country music on the radio. I use subpar telepathy skills to try & change the channel. We agree that we both dislike Brad Paisley intensely. "His head is too small!" I say. Brother replies, "Um, what?" This is how most of our conversations go.

8:45pm - Realize that I have still not seen a finished copy of "AMJ" yet. 

9:00pm - Get a "Yay you!" phone call from best friend Adri, who lives on the east coast, where it's past midnight. Says she'll be up for "awhile". Start to suspect that best friend Adri is really just a very nice vampire since she never seems to sleep...

9:30pm - ...unlike me. Crash in bed with sleep mask, earplugs, coffeemaker locked & loaded for tomorrow morning, and two homeless men arguing outside.

What a fun day! Seriously, having "AMJ" published is a long-realized hope that finally happened on Tuesday. I love my book, I love my characters, and I love that people have embraced it so warmly. Thank you so much for all the lovely notes and messages and good thoughts. May they all come tenfold back to you.

"The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June"

So, my friends, have you ever wondered what would happen if an author didn't blog for six months and then decided to do one big blog post? It would probably look a little something like this:

Hi there, peeps! I'm sorry for the radio silence...but I have to let you in on a little secret. I'm not a very good blogger. (I just accidentally typed "bogger." I'm probably not a very good bogger, either, but who knows?) I try, really I do, but some days I just don't have anything to say. And some days, well, I have a LOT to say, but it's nothing that I want to get picked up on Google's search engine, if you know what I mean.

But today? I have Things to Say! Let's get to it!

First off, you patient friends of mine, my new book will be out next week. We should all pause here for a moment so that I can breathe into a paper bag and regain my composure. There, that's better. Having a new book come out is nervewracking! It's also fun and exciting and cool and waaay better than that crappy part-time job I had in college. But still, NERVEWRACKING.

Just in case you're not up to speed, my book is called "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June" and it comes out on August 3rd. You can pre-order it at Amazon, B&N, Powells, or find a great indie bookstore near you and buy it there. Personally, I like the indies, but hey, it's a free country. You do what you want.

It's about three sisters who, after their parents divorce, discover that they have superpowers. That's the basic idea, but trust me, other things happen, too. And by "other things," I mean "boys and love and heartbreak and parents and weird people who work at Best Buy." Maybe I should have just said that in the first place. (Now you know why I have an editor.)

I absolutely loved writing it, even though it gave me four gray hairs, and I'm so happy that soon you can read it, too! I talked a little bit about writing in three different POVs at the First Novels Club, so be sure to hop over and check that out.

If you want to learn more about the book and the three sisters, then you must do these next things. Seriously. You must.

1. Check out April, May & June on Twitter. That's right, they're on Twitter. But really, who ISN'T these days? I mean, besides Jack White and my mom. Anyway, the girls are on their summer vacation right now, and I don't think it's a spoiler to say that this summer, things begin to get very interesting for them. Very, very interesting. 

2. Head over to The Songs That Saved Your Life, my daily music blog, and listen to the AMJ soundtrack. I'll be putting up one song every day and including some sneak peeks of what the sisters have to say. So far we've had everything from Stars to M83 to the Black Keys, so go check it out when you can.

Also, I'm doing a signing in Los Angeles on August 8 at 3pm at Diesel Books! It'll be so much fun and I can't wait to see you there. I tend to get a bit dramatic when I read in the voices of all three sisters, so if you can overlook my Shakespearean theatricality, I'd appreciate it. I'm also attending the Decatur Book Festival, but I'll have more information about that in a bit. Stay tuned.

Any questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to ask away. You know I love getting your emails and reading what you have to say. I do everything I can to write back in a timely fashion, but sometimes it takes a while. Be patient with me!

Other than all that, I'm just enjoying my summer. I've decided that Summer 2010 will be the Summer of Doing Things, and so far, I've definitely been Doing Things. I started taking french lessons after visiting France in June (more on that in a minute) and they've been so much fun. However, my pronunciation is so awful that the building security guard corrects me, and I keep saying "Gracias" instead of "Merci", but hey! It's part of the learning curve, mais oui?

Also, in August, my mom and I are taking surfing lessons from a friend. Make no mistake, you read that correctly. My mom and I. Are Taking. Surfing Lessons. Those of you who don't know us personally are probably like, "Wow, that's so great! How fun! You and your mom will have a blast!" Those of you who do know us personally, though, are probably thinking, "What." I'll keep you posted.

Speaking of my mom, the best part of my summer so far has been traveling to France & Spain with my mom and brother. I'm superlucky that I have an awesome family that's up for some adventure, so we trekked across the countries for two weeks. It was so beautiful and we met amazing people and now I'm going to do that annoying thing where I make you look at my travel photos. (Click on them to zoom in.)

The backs of totally unsuspecting Parisians in...you guessed it, Paris.

 

Berries at the weekly market, St.-Rémy-de-Provence

 

"April, May & June" at L'eau Vive in Provence!

 

I like to call this my "OH MY GOD I'M IN PROVENCE!" face

 

A street in Bilbao, Spain. (Why do I always take pictures of the backs of strangers? I don't know.)

 

Fresh juice at La Boqueria in Barcelona

 

Parc Guell, Barcelona

 

Okay, I'll rein it in on the photos now, but stay tuned to Facebook because I'm sure I'll upload the whole lot there.

I hope you're all having a wonderful, safe, and beautiful summer!

RB xoxo

Not a whisper nor word, then all at once...

Happy New Year! New decade! And not a minute too soon, if you ask me.

This was only the third decade I've ever lived through, but it was hands-down the craziest one I ever had. I basically went through my 20s in the past ten years. If you've already survived your 20s, then you know what I'm talking about. If you're currently going through them, good luck & Godspeed. And if you haven't hit that magical 2-0 yet, well, buckle up and bring a toothbrush, because it's a pretty interesting trip.

The funny thing about the last decade is that so many things happened to me that it's hard to quantify, but I'll give it a shot anyway. Here we go.

I had an awesome job, got laid off, learned how to edit radio programs, got humiliated at a temp agency, became a PR director at Book Soup in West Hollywood, and once gave George Plimpton a ride in my 1997 Saturn after his car got towed during a book signing. (Ask me about that some time, it's a pretty great story.)

I became so anemic that my doctors wanted to give me a blood transfusion (my reaction: "You're funny."), got diagnosed with celiac disease and Type 1 diabetes, and quickly got over my fear of needles. I then got super healthy, once ran 7 miles in just over an hour, and still never mastered a headstand in yoga. (I don't like when all the blood rushes to my head.) 

I lost three grandparents and my father.

I quit a great job on a whim and wrote a book called "Audrey, Wait!", then watched as it sold in the United States and 13 other countries. I got emails from some of the funniest readers and authors I could ever hope to meet. I learned that writing a second book is way more difficult than writing a first book. (Waaaaay more difficult. Good Lord.)

I went to Italy for two weeks with my mom, became a vegetarian, went to my grandmother's 90th birthday party, and spent two days haggling at a car dealership for a new car. I got a great deal. They hated me. ("You treated us a like a bakery!" one salesman told me after I signed on the dotted line. I took it as a compliment.)

And I still never got a dog.

If there's one thing I've learned over the past ten years, it's that it's a crazy ride and it's fun and horrific and scary and wonderful. There were times that I thought I'd never feel better, and then there were times when I though I could never feel happier. I can't wait to see what happens in the next decade. I hope it's as amazing as its predecessor.

But enough about the last ten years. Let's get nitpicky and focus on 2009. It was pretty awesome.

THE 10 BEST THINGS IN MY 2009

FAVORITE YOUTUBE VIDEO

Surprised Kitty

I'll admit it, I cried when I saw this. Like, actual tears born of extreme cuteness. Its little face! Its tiny paws! I am thisclose to becoming a crazy cat lady now and I don't even own a cat.

FAVORITE IM CONVERSATION

My mom and I discussing cats and hats, which turned into a conversation about Britney and fedoras. You'll see.

Me: Cats with hats. Discuss

Mom: The eyes on that cat are so BIG.

Mom: Like, "What's happening?!"

Me: "Where are my ears?!"

Mom: I don't think that would stay on very long unless it was pinned somehow.

Me: I think you're still scared from having a daughter that never wore hats.

Mom: You still don't.

Me: That's because they make me look stupid.

Mom: You could never look stupid!

Me: I seem to be on a quest to prove you wrong on that point.

Mom: I like fedoras.

Mom: But I don't own a fedora.

Me: The day you show up in a fedora is the day I die of a heart attack.

Mom: Didn't Johanna's sister wear one one when we all went out for Mother's Day a few years ago?

Mom: AND

Mom: Doesn't Britney wear one?

Me: Yes, but Johanna's sister was 17.

Me: And Britney is...Britney.

Mom: Well, I'll just look for a fedora that looks good on a 59 1/2 year old person.

This is my genetic legacy, people.

FAVORITE WEBSITE

FreeRice.com

This is genius if you're a do-gooder/word junkie/procrastinator like me. You just play along and for every word you get right, 10 grains of rice are donated through the World Food Programme. Easy, right? Right!

FAVORITE CONCERT

Regina Spektor at the Greek Theater

Once again, it's nearly impossible to choose. I saw so many great bands this year! Neko! Phoenix! M83! They were all phenomenal, but I think Regina the winner. I first saw her in 2002, way back when she was opening for Kings of Leon & The Strokes, and it was awesome to see her seven years later. She was so brilliant and charming, it was the first fall night of the year so the air was all crisp, and I went with my friend Leslie, who warned me beforehand that she was probably going to sing along. Pretty cool.

FAVORITE SONG

"Have You Got It In You", Imogen Heap

You may have heard that I have a Song of the Day blog, where I basically post songs that I like. I've heard so many songs this year that I loved, but I'm going to change the rules a bit and pick the song that had such an influence on me while I was writing my new book, "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, & June". I listened to it whenever I was stuck on a scene or frustrated and wanted to delete the entire manuscript. (Helpful Tip Alert: Don't delete your entire manuscript.)

FAVORITE ALBUM

Neko Case, "Middle Cyclone"

So this year, I got a little overenthusiastic and featured not one but TEN of my favorite albums on my music blog. If you saw that feature, then you'll know this album was my all-time favorite this year. I just think she can sing like a hurricane and she's awesome, that's all. No biggie.

FAVORITE BOOK

"Columbine", Dave Cullen

I didn't want to read this book at all, much less on the 10-year anniversary of the horrific Columbine massacre, but once I started, I couldn't put it down. I read the first 100 pages in one sitting, it's that good. It's about so much more than two deranged kids. It's about parenting and friendship and the state of current journalism in America. It shows all the different ways that a community can be torn apart and put back together, and it examines all the different angles of Columbine with clear eyes and the dignity they deserve. You can't ask for much more than that.

FAVORITE TV SHOW

"Glee"

Like you even had to ask.

FAVORITE MOVIE MOMENT

Jimmy Page, The Edge, & Jack White singing "The Weight" at the end of "It Might Get Loud"

I got goosebumps in the theater. Plus, watch for Jack White's hilarious one-sentence commentary on a Hollywood executive.

FAVORITE PERSON OF THE YEAR

Whoa, how'd you win two years in a row?! Well, whatever you did, it worked because you even managed to beat out Lady Gaga. Once again, if you're reading this blog or sending me wonderful emails, following me on Twitter, or even if you're too shy to say hello, thank you a million times over. The past year would have been much more difficult if it wasn't for all the amazing fans and fellow writers that I've been able to meet. I am so lucky and blessed and happy to know all of you. Let's talk soon in 2010!

You were always singing along...

OH MY GOD IT'S HERE!

I've been waiting for this for at least 3 months now and I can't even tell you how happy it makes me to share this with you. Are you ready? Okay, brace yourself, here's the big news:

I GOT NEW LAMPS!

Teehee, okay, that's not really the big news. (Although I DID just get new lamps and they are completely awesome.) 

Here's the real big news. Yesterday a package was delivered to my door and because this news is so exciting, I'm going to refrain from complaining about my UPS delivery person, who knocks on my door like there's a fire, then drops the package and runs away. (If you're reading this, UPS delivery person, STOP DOING THAT.)

But all was forgiven (at least temporarily) when I opened the package to discover galleys of "THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY & JUNE"!

To say I was excited was an understatement. I may have even sniffled a little and gotten teary-eyed. My little Word document is now a book. They grow up so fast. Here, see for yourself!

(Click on the image for hi-res)

Oh man, there are few things better than getting a copy of your new book in the mail. 

So just to refresh, "AMJ" will be out next August, which I know feels like a million years away, but we all know how fast time flies. October moved so fast that I barely had time to enjoy it! And did I mention that my friends Leslie and I got to see Regina Spektor in concert last week? If you have an opportunity to see her live, go go go! She's incredible. 

Also, don't forget that I have a daily music blog. I love having a daily musical diary and I'm trying to post all different kinds of music, so feel free to check it out and find some new song that you'll hopefully love.

Speaking of my music blog, I was discussing it with my wonderful brother the other night. If you've been a long-time reader, you know that my brother & I have different musical tastes, to put it mildly. Observe.

CHATTING ABOUT MUSIC: A CONTINUING SERIES

Me: I'm picking my song right now for tomorrow's music blog post.

Me: Any recs?

Brother: "When You Were Young" by the Killers

Me: Ooh, that IS a good song!

Brother: Really, I've never heard it. I just Googled the coolest band I could think of.

Me: You've never heard that song? Really?!

Brother: I probably have.

Brother: I don't know titles.

Me: Okay, I'm gonna send you a song right now, tell me if you like it.

Brother: Cool!

Me: Just listen real quick.

Brother: I like it!!

Me: Dude.

Me: I haven't sent it yet.

Brother: Oh.

You're dancing & laughing & finally living...

Why hello again.

So I've been busy and not busy lately. The "not busy" part stems from the fact that I have officially finished the new book "The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June", so that's been lovely. (I've decided that from now on, I'm gonna call it "AMJ" for short. Consider this the official announcement of that decision.) This means that instead of waking up and either running to or away from my computer, I can stay in bed and not stress out.

People. STAYING IN BED IS AMAZING! And none of you told me?! I think I'm part sloth now, and the only thing that keeps from staying in bed all day is the fact that I drink too much coffee and the caffeine jitters finally force me to move. Anyway, I love my bed. And wireless internet. Now if someone can just invent a remote-controlled coffeemaker.

When I'm not being a lazybones in bed, though, I've been socializing. In fact, I drove to San Luis Obispo this weekend for a signing with Jay Asher (13 Reasons Why) & Jordanna Fraiberg Levine (In Your Room). Maybe you've met them so you already know this, but those are two awesome authors and I was privileged to get to hang out with them. 

In fact, Jay is so awesome that he went home afterwards and immediately posted a blog about our signing. He even gave it a funny title! I, on the other hand, went back to my hotel, watched the last fifteen minutes of "Marley & Me" and proceded to sob hysterically. (That movie is brutal.)

But I've had a little something else up my sleeve, too. I decided to start a music blog. It's not a big fancy music blog, and it's also not the kind of music blog that will intimidate you and make you feel uncool for blasting "Islands in the Stream" or "I Want It That Way" in the car. (I know I'm not the only one who's done that. Uh, right?) 

Instead, I'm just posting one song a day, usually a song that I'm currently in love with. I'll send updates via Twitter & Facebook, so hopefully it won't get too annoying. Tell me if it does. For now, you can ignore it completely or bookmark it and refresh it obsessively, whatever floats your boat, but at least check it out a couple of times. 

THE SONGS THAT SAVED YOUR LIFE

And yes, the title comes from a Smiths song, which is the first song posted on the site. Go. Listen. Enjoy.

"I made a map and knew that somehow I could find my way back..."

Well, let's all be thankful that this blog is a just a blog and not a houseplant or goldfish or something.

So can I just tell you what I did over my summer vacation? Good, because it's a great story.

First: I finished the next book! I mean, it is FINISHED. The final draft have been sent in, the chapters have honest-to-goodness chapter TITLES (I have the hardest time coming up with chapter titles, I swear), and I've even seem a glimpse of the book's cover! It's so exciting! It's also exhausting! I need about 236 naps before I'm officially caught up with sleep.

So here's the next exciting part. This new book? It has a title! And a release date! Are you ready?...You don't look ready yet. Sit down, grab a snack or some water. Are you ready now? Okay.

The book is titled "THE EXTRAORDINARY SECRETS OF APRIL, MAY AND JUNE" and it'll be out August 2010. 

I know, right? AUGUST. NEXT YEAR. I'm so crazy anxious to have you guys read it that I don't know how I'm going to make it another 11 months! I guess we're all just gonna have to be patient, but I really really really hope you think the wait is worth it. I love this book, I'm absolutely crazy about it, and I'm looking forward to talking about it with all of you.

That's also why I haven't blogged much over the past several months. I knew one of you curious types would ask about "AMJ" and then I'd tell you something and then my publisher would probably (and quite justifiably) hunt me down & hurt me. So really, my blogging hiatus was in everyone's best interest. Especially mine.

Of course, now that I've finished the book, I've been on a little vacation by the beach. My family's here, too, which makes it even better and more chaotic and hilarious. (Please note that I didn't say "more relaxing".) We've been by the beach, so all I've been doing is taking cheesy pictures of the ocean and downloading a lot of iPhone apps to make them look nifty. Like this:

I call this one the "I almost dropped the iPhone out the car window" shot. Not an arty title, but an accurate one.

This one is called "The Neighbors Really Need to Trim Their Hedges Already".

I got a little obsessed with Lomo-style special effects. I swear that's a sunset, not an atom bomb.

Aren't those lovely? Anyhoodle, moving on.

I also did some interviews with some amazing blogs. (You official bloggers, I don't know you do it.) Here's some links and some preview questions. Ooooh, aaah.

Interview with the Curious George Book & Toy Store Blog

Q: What would you confess (or rant about) on MTV? 
"I would confess absolutely nothing on camera and instead I would demand to know why the show Parental Control exists."

Interview with Royal Reads

Q: What's Audrey's favorite song?
"When I was writing "Audrey", I listened to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' "Cheated Hearts" a lot, just because I could totally picture Audrey listening to it every morning while getting ready for school. Also, I loved the line, "Sometimes I think that I'm bigger than the sound." I think that might be her favorite song."

Okay, that's enough for today. I don't wanna overdue it and hurt myself, but don't forget that you can always find me on Twitter or email. And seriously, no need to be shy. I love hearing from you. Yes, even you. 

Oops, I almost forgot. Here's a song from Florence & the Machine. I'm obsessed with them right now. Enjoy.

Florence + the Machine, "Cosmic Love"

"A falling star fell from your heart and landed in my eyes..."