Stalled, but not out. ;)

It's that time of year.

I'm at a standstill.

Stalled.

Okay, fine, drowning in freaking quicksand. 

I think it's partly just the time of year. The high of the New Year -- the energetic attack of the list of resolutions -- wanes, and you're left with time constraints, a chest cold, and a certain winter lethargy that keeps you from moving as fast as you should.

Or maybe that's just me.

But it's also a run of parenting bumps ("You're only as happy as your most unhappy child") and, I think, even more than that,

this endless, damned, out-on-submission thing.


*breathes*

It is hard to keep answering the questions about when my next book is coming out.

The answer is, I don't know.

Much to my dismay, Frankie Sky has not been picked up yet, and (whine alert ----> ) for the life of me, I just don't get it.

First of all, I've had two separate agents LOVE the manuscript, and my few test readers liked it more than The Pull of Gravity, including some teens and a trusted blogger (who I barely knew before her read who was (and still is) a huge champion of TPoG. As she wrote in one of several emails to me, "I think I love Frankie Sky. Please don't tell the Scoot.")

And yet.

And yet.

AND YET!!!!!! >:(

*sigh*

Have I mentioned this book business is hard?

So, now that I'm done whining, I thought I'd take a moment to focus on some more important things.

First of all, The Pull of Gravity continues to get picked up by schools, and I am grateful. It is really more than I could ever have asked for. I'm skyping with an 8th grade class in Indiana in February, where the teacher has used it as a read aloud. I'm visiting two Long Island schools in February and March who are both using the book in and around the classroom. And a New Jersey school in April where the visit will be televised as part of a public television program called Classroom Close-up.

If you had told me three years ago, I'd have a book read in schools, it would have floored me. It would have been totally surreal. And, trust me, I promise you, it still is.

Ah, my old friends, Nick and Jaycee :)

And, I continue to get reviews like this one from teachers and educators, which surpass my wildest dreams:

http://sharpread.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/reading-along-i-94-the-pull-of-gravity/.

And, btw, 4th grade teacher Colby Sharp, who wrote that review (and doesn't usually even read YA) is one of my new favorite people (not just because he liked my book, but because his blog/review site is awesome and funny and good). So, while you're there (you're going there, right?) you should totally look around.

But, second of all, more than my own successes (or failures -- glass, are you half full or half empty??? *takes sip, shakes glass upside down hoping liquid rushes out*), other people have sh*t going on that is way harder and more important than anything going on in my life. . .

Whether you like dragons or not (I am neutral), an awesomist is a totally awesome thing to be.

Take my friend Max, who is a terrific writer, and also just a good person. His son was just diagnosed with an agressive form of leukemia. Having just been through the most minor of health scares with my own kid, I can't even begin to imagine.

And, yet, there they are. Everywhere, people are suffering.

Our mutual friend Eden has put together this fabulously generous campaign to try to help Max and his son Josh out with his exorbitant medical costs through Indiegogo and I hope, especially if you are an aspiring writer or avid reader, you might check out some of the items up for bid (including, of course, a signed hardcover of TPoG and some other writerly services I have offered). Max needs you. And, more than that, Josh does.  

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE CAMPAIGN!!!!

So, there you have it. I'm stalled a bit, but not out. In fact, today is the day I get my ass back in gear.

Life is short. Go get it.

*grabs yoga mat, swim suit, and opens newest manuscript on screen.*

- gae

Pantslessness and Other Minor Excitement

FML, it's the end of January already.

How the eff did that happen?

I know, I know, this is my YA blog, the one where I behave, and don't say the f word, and act all teen-author appropriate. But, really, sometimes you just have to let it all go.

I've been in a mood lately. A bit silly. A bit depressed. A bit manic. A bit adventurous. A bit lazy.
And, go ahead and sue me, a bit pantsless.

(Don't panic. I'm not really pantsless. That part is all in my head.)

There's just something funny about not wearing pants. Or at least pretending not to. Although, for the life of me, I'm not sure what it is.

Here. I'll show you. This is me last fall when I forgot my pants after a swim:

Posterized for propriety's sake.

See? Funny.

Why?

No pants.

I mean, even though I was at the beach (where it is a perfectly acceptable social norm to be without pants), and had a plain old, sporty, unsexy bathing suit on under my sweatshirt, it was still somehow funny (and scandalous) that I had no pants when I needed them. 

So, yeah. With all the angst that's been going on with my (damned) manuscript STILL (endlessly) out on  submission, a health scare with my kid (mostly resolved, phew!) and a few other minor dramas and traumas, is it any wonder I'm seeking some comic relief?

But here's the thing: Now that I've found it in pantslessness, I seem sort of stuck on the theme.

For instance, take my rather important Skype visit the other day with some (movie) guys in LA.* Here I am right before it, set on remaining (fake) pantsless:

Or, take the perfectly nice blogger lady who asked me if I was willing to write a sweet and sentimental author post and I answered by suggesting instead a pantsless Vlog. . .

. . . and then tweeted accordingly:

"Is it wrong that I'm actually contemplating whether a pantsless Vlog would help or hurt my reputation?"

Hurt, Gae, hurt, geesh!

And, yet . . .

I must admit, I'm hardpressed to believe the whole world won't share my endless amusement over faking that I'm not wearing pants.

If this is wrong, I don't want to be pants'ed up and right.

Anyway, there you have it. What I've been up to, with or without pants.

Now then, carry on. I'd better go shave my legs and lotion them.

- gae

* yes, yes, I just slipped that (movie) thing past you to see if you were paying attention. Eyes up here, people. Not on my naked legs. ;)

Proyeto Sobrecarga

What? I studied Spanish. I can speak Spanish if I want to.

It's my damned blog.

Me muerde.

(hahahahaha!) It seems like that says I'm dead in Spanish, but it doesn't. Whatever.

So, it's a new year and, yes, I am still &^$%#!!&!?ing upside down for those of you who know what that means -- for those that don't, sorry, you'll have to follow me a bit more closely... ;) and I am seriously on project overload (yes, yes, people, that is what the title says, Project Overload. And, no, I didn't remember how to say "overload" in Spanish even though I took it right through college (maybe I never knew), I just googled the translation. I did remember how to say "project" though, so, yeah. *curtseys*)

Anyway, some of the project overload is self-induced. For example after failed physical therapy on my blasted old-lady hip for the past six weeks, I've decided to add hot yoga back into my routine (yep, just in time for that stupid New York Times article telling us that yoga is going to kill us all... for a great retort, check out my friend Lori's blog post, Does Yoga Hurt More Than it Heals on technorati.)

Anyway, the yoga is another big time investment, but my body seems mostly happy to be back to it. And, add to that to my usual swim routine, and I'm already in the  hole.

As for swimming news (see, I should switch back to Spanish, because this blog post suddenly sounds like one of those chain Christmas letters), I think our open water season is finally (heartbreakingly) over, but what a freaking hugely fantastic exhilarating magnificent season it was. End o' May to January 7th.

Here's my friend Annmarie and I right before we swam on
January 7, 2012. I believe we may have set a Pod record.
And, yes, I added the snow. The air was actually unseasonably warm
but the water was $*&%&$^% cold (maybe 36 degrees).

So, it's back to the pool with me until, hmmm, late? April?

Plus, there's the usual mom/taxi stuff, and trying to get my sixteen year old to do all the things he's supposed to be doing (like getting his permit, and studying for the SAT's), and running from my almost 14-yr olds basketball game to basketball game (both school and travel teams).

Plus, there's my writer stuff: promoting The Pull of Gravity (did you hear it's going to Paperback?), e.g. getting in contact with the several schools that are about to launch into their units that teach it (!) to set up dates to either Skype or make an in-person visit, doing guest blog posts (I'm here on Nerdy Book Club today talking about the books that shaped me as a kid and will be on TeachingBooks.net on January 24, to name just a few) and just keep trying to get the word out there -- seriously, it's a full time job.

And, then, there's my mediation practice. A new client this week, plus a six-way on one of my bigger cases (not as sexy as it sounds, means the clients' separate counsel comes into things to try to resolve some sticky issues), plus a separation agreement that has been taking me days to draft...

Finally, I have my first book club appearance ever tonight with some somewhat local book club, not even a friend's book club that felt sorry for me and invited me in. These are a bunch of twenty-somethings I don't know. At all. I hope they liked it and don't throw tomatoes at me.

The moderator apparently chose my book because several places have compared it to John Green's Paper Towns and he's a fan (honestly, I read that book and other than the road trip don't really see it, but still, I'm flattered. And, btw, how weird is it that I get compared to John Green and his new book, out today, is called The Fault of Our Stars, when the manuscript I'm working on right this second is called In Sight of Stars. Wonder if I'll have to change it... hmmm... he's way more famous than I am).

And, the last thing (I know, I know, I said finally, then tricked you and slipped in another last thing), next week I'm flying to Tacoma, WA for my friend Megan's book launch. Here's Megan, being totally adorable as she talks about jealousy for the YA Rebels, and how she handles it,

and here's the link to her shiny debut, Never Eighteen. http://www.amazon.com/Never-Eighteen-Megan-Bostic/dp/0547550766. You should totally buy it and read it, and tell your local library to order it in (I even helped her to revise an early draft. I've not read the final version yet, but I'm excited to).

I'm not that thrilled about the flying part (and the leaving my hubby and kids part) but I am totally excited that my friend Annmarie is coming with me (thanks, sweetie!) and excited that I'm going to finally meet a bunch of friends I only know through facebook and email! That means you, Katie and Brent, and you, Peachy, and, and, and...! I wonder what I should wear... maybe the companion piece I have to this shirt I wore on New Year's Eve?

Come on! That's one fun shirt!

So, that's it. You're all caught up. Both in Spanish and in English.I'm not spellchecking this puppy or reading it over for nice order or proper grammar. I'm so freaking busy, I shouldn't have been writing it in the first place.

But I love you, dear readers, for coming here to check on new posts, so I didn't want to leave you hanging.

If I haven't said it before, Happy New Year! If I did, well, I wish you one again.

*blows kisses, throws leftover, slightly walked-on confetti*

Now, get on it. Already January 10! And miles to go before we sleep.

- gae

Swimming, Winning, Whining, and New Beginnings.

Considering this is me (photo left, with my sister),
terrified by a 5 degree angle,
I'd say I'm doing pretty winning at life these days. ;)

In an oh-too-predictible microcosm of that old macrocosm of Time, 2011 flew by in a blink of an eye.

Damn you, Time. I wish the days would slow down.

I did my best to seize them, to make the most of the hours, some days more successfully than others.

In this, my 47th year, it seems essential to seize every moment, or at least to try, as they blur past me, out the windows.

Here are some of the highlights, the good, and the whiny:

That's me in the middle, finding my religion. . . and, yes, we swam on Christmas Eve day,
me sans Santa hat, but I did don my monkey hat after.

Swimming. My family fills me, my writing sustains me, but my swimming? My swimming saves me.

As I get older, the water keeps me young, keeps me pushing to achieve new goals. Frustratingly, I did not accomplish last year's resolution to complete a five-mile swim this summer (mostly due to logistics), but I am signed up for one this coming summer. Luckily, I did push myself in new ways, including by swimming faster, harder, in more challenging conditions, and through December. Good enough. I'll take it.

I am endlessly blessed to have found The West Neck Pod (here's the official blog of the Pod, if you are interested).

And here I am swimming today, on 12/24/11 with the other amazing nutjobs of the West Neck Polar Pod ;))

Winning. I've had some winning experiences this year, both family and book-related. My kids don't love it when I blog about them, so suffice it to say, both my boys are wonderful kids who are having some awesome and hard-fought-for successes, and I'm proud of them. This is my younger son, having one such moment (yes, that is his name they are chanting ;)).

They say you're only as happy as your most unhappy child, and I can tell you that this is true.

As for winning book news, some of the many highlights were:

the Dolphin Bookshop reading in October 

the high schools that have picked up The Pull of Gravity into their curriculum (!), my Skype visits with Mr. Hankins' class and especially the boys of Room 407, and with the 9th graders of Clio High School thanks to Mrs. Sarah Andersen,

and, the winning-most things of all: the confirmation that I will be going to PAPERBACK (!!! Winter 2013) and

my shiny, wonderful, and oh-so-geekily meaningful 2011 Nerdies Award in Young Adult fiction bestowed by the amazing teachers and educators who run the Nerdy Book Club. (Thanks again to all who voted in the final phase!)

Whining. I am out on SUBMISSION. Need I say more? (If I do, you can read this blog post, or this one to learn more). Also, my old lady, bum hip still hurts despite months of Physical Therapy, and then there was the night I passed out and broke my nose on the bathroom floor. Also, my freaking house is a mess and I have zero desire to clean it. There. That should do it. That wasn't too bad, was it?

New Beginnings.

So, there you have it. And, now, here it is, a New Year.

I have a fresh slate and a chance to do better. To be a better friend, to be a more patient parent, to let go of old wounds and find a way to embrace the unknown without so much angst and distraction. And to spend less time wasting time, and more time writing and doing.

This is what I've learned: the more I do, the less I long for all the things I didn't do. Simple, right?

I have books to write, friends to spend time with, a family that I love, and that deserves to have me not just there for them, but fully present.

I am grateful for all the good that has come to me in 2011, and I hope you know how much your readership, and friendship, mean to me.

Especially to those who inspire me, who swim with me, and to my classmates in the Class of 2K11 who got me through this first author year, a very heartfelt thank you.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

- gae

Got superhero?

me, in my first wetsuit, 2008

Those who've known me for a while, know a few things about me:

1. I want to be a superhero, and I think my wetsuit will turn me into one. Given that I've swum more than a 5K (at once, mind you) since this photo, and this year I've swum in the open waters of the Long Island Sound well into December, it may just be (slowly, but surely) working; and

2. My life hasn't been the same since I entered the first ever Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award* contest in 2007- 2008, not just because, from there, I took my writing seriously, got agented (and reagented, and then re-re-agented, oy), and got a book deal, but also because I made some of the best friends of my life through that contest, and met some amazing writers, many of whom have gone on to some pretty cool success.

So, what's my point? Um. If you combine those two things, superhero'ing (yeah, sue me, I made up that word) and ABNA friends, you get that I'm happy to be congratulating one such dude today, and introducing Ian Thomas Healy, a/k/a He, of the Hair.

This is Ian (and his hair):

And this is his brand spankin' new Superhero book, Just Cause:

Isn't it cool looking!? Ian says, "Just Cause is available directly from the publisher, New Babel Books (http://newbabelbooks.com) in both ebook and print editions, and to shop small businesses!" And I agree!

I asked Ian to describe Just Cause in a single sentence, so here you go: "a rookie superhero races to earn her place on the world's greatest team, but first she'll have to confront the villain who killed her father."

Of course, she will, Ian. Of course she will. :)

I also asked him to describe a bit about his book's genre: "If New Adult was a real genre, Just Cause would fit. The main character is 18, just graduated high school, so it fits into the upper edges of YA. But Superhero fiction is its own subgenre, straddling the line between science fiction and fantasy, with its own set of recognizable tropes and conventions. It is a growing genre, the way cyberpunk took off in the early '80s, with authors including Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, Carrie Vaughn, Austin Grossman, Rob Rogers, Van Allen Plexico, and oh yes, George R. R. Martin.

 And, finally, I was curious how he got into writing Superhero fiction: "I'm a longtime comic book geek. The moment I realized I could write superheroes in prose instead of graphic form was when I read the first Wild Cards book, written by numerous authors and edited by George R. R. Martin."

 Of course, me and my sound-bite love wanted to know just a few other tidbits.

• First, Ian's favorite Just Cause scene: "My favorite scene takes place at the climax, in a huge battle in Guatemala, when Sally finally faces down the villain who killed her father and ends up fighting him while he rockets off into the stratosphere (did I mention she can't fly?)."

• Second, the hardest part about writing Just Cause: ". . . was realizing that it required massive changes. I wound up cutting 40Kwords entirely and writing 20K new words to transform it from the mess it was before into the tale it is now."

Yeah, yeah, tell me something I don't know (and live... ;))

• And last, of course, I wanted to know what kind of superhero Ian is, himself, in real life. Okay, fine, would want to be, if he weren't one Of the Hair already:  "For me, trying to pigeonhole a single superpower I'd want to have is like asking a food critic what his one favorite dish is. I've always kind of liked the idea of a non-powered superhero like Batman, so maybe I'd be this guy, Black Dog:

I like that Black Dog seems to be in some sort of water universe... ;)

Black Dog has no powers, just pure badassery, like a mixture of Chuck Norris, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Bill Gates."

Badassery, hmmm. I guess if I couldn't breathe underwater, some plain old badassery would be nice.

So, there you have it: Ian, Hair, Badassery, and an intro to Just Cause. So, what are you waiting for, peeps?! Go and get your copy. Or, one for your favorite superhero lover. Wait, not superhero lover. Superhero lover! Oh, geez, never mind, I don't care. Just check it out, and get one for someone you love.

*stretches on wetsuit and leaves.*

- gae

*This year's Amazon Contest starts 1/23. Check it out if you're itching to be a published writer!

Snail Race

So, for the past month or so, I've been on a kick of comparing my publishing journey to classic board games.

I can't help it.
It's just how it feels like it is.

For example, there is the constant Chutes & Ladders nature of things.

And, (thank god), there are the sweet and delicious Candy Land moments.

But for the most part, it's way more simple than that.

I think I finally got it right. My journey in publishing? It's like playing the Snail's Pace Race game.

Have you ever?

Here, it looks like this, and is just as exciting as it appears:

I played this with my nephew years ago, when he was a babe, and I was a patient, first-time aunt. And,  quite frankly, even then, it made me want to poke my own eyes out with a stick.

You see, publishing is like that, people. It often makes you want to poke your own eyes out.

You spend half your life waiting, and the other three-quarters waiting. And, yes, my math is bad, but, no, it isn't that bad. It's true. You wait so long, you start to gain extra helpings.

So, this is me, waiting. This is me, fully engaged in the Snail's Pace Race, and I'm having a barrel of fun.

I have a book out on submission. If you want to read about it, you can here on my agent's newsletter, third listing down. He's pretty enthusiastic about its chances.

But, in the meantime, I'm waiting.

And, if you want to know what that's like, buy yourself that game up there, and just try to enlist a friend.

Oh, and have I mentioned there are no winners?

Or, if you have no friends, or would rather experience it now, without the hassle, watch the video below. It's really quite adorable.

But grab a stick. I'm telling you. You'll probably need it well before you make it through all eight minutes.

- gae

Swimming Thru Angstarctica

I love my Psycho gloves so much that, yes, I want to marry them.

I've been saying for a long time -- before I'd even discovered the bliss and exhilaration of the open water -- that I was hoping one day my wetsuit would turn me into a super hero.

Today, I got one step closer.

Thanks to my dear friend (and lovely, adorable, fellow-lunatic), Annmarie, who delivered an early Christmas present, I am now the proud owner of new, improved swim booties, and, more importantly, a pair of 5mm Psycho gloves.

The name says it all. They're the ones in the photo that look like they belong to Iron Man. And they are the Swim God's gift to womankind.

Despite 47- 49 degree temps in the Sound today, we swam 40+ minutes and, even then, I wasn't ready to get out.

It was crazy!

It was delirium!

It was likely this winter's salvation.

Because December is here. The crush of the holidays (I'm a Jew, you know, we just don't get all that excited). The cold, dark days. The oppressive weight of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

For the past few winters, I've barely made it through.

But, now I've got a plan. And my plan now seems attainable. Thanks to an early Christmas present, from a dear friend who seems to need the bliss of the open water just as badly as I do.

Thanksgiving Day. That's me in the center. Losing my religion. (Annmarie, photo left).

Together, with Psycho gloves, we're gonna swim right on through it. We're swimming through Angstarctica. We're swimming till we meet the shores of spring.

So, don't worry about me. Because the water will buoy me, and my fingers won't feel a thing. <3

- gae

p.s. This just in:

Me, with my PSYCHO GLOVES today!

My Writing Life: Candy Land

Okay, fine, no, I'm not really going to do another nostalgic board game comparison. But last night was an "author happy night" so I was thinking that the writing life isn't always a game of Chutes & (Chutes and Chutes and Chutes and SEEMINGLY ENDLESS CHUTES FOR GOD'S SAKE!) Ladders, but sometimes, it's actually more a game of Ice Cream Floats, Gum Drop Mountains, and Lolly Pop Woods, and I get to be Queen Frostine for the evening. 

The window of the Huntington Public Library

Take last night, for example.

First of all, there is nothing better about being a YA writer than the people I get to hang out with.

At 6:10 pm I anxiously picked up Nova Ren Suma (Imaginary Girls) and Christopher Grant (Teenie) from the Huntington train station. I cannot tell you how happy I was to see them! There is this really amazing bond that seems to exists between writers who admire each other.

Secondly, there are few things more Queen Frostine than walking up to the venue to find yourself announced on a movie-esque poster in the window! -------------------------------->

I mean, seriously? That does not get old.

At 7 pm, in front of an audience of about thirty, including a surprising amount of tween and teen boys -- which always thrills me since The Pull of Gravity is narrated by a teenage boy --  Nova, Chris and I joined up with our other dynamic YA writer pal, the totally HI-LARIOUS Matt Blackstone (A Scary Scene in a Scary Movie),  and newcomer to our group, Selene Castrovilla (The Girl Next Door) and I got ready to to moderate another one of our 90-second-sampler hours.

I love moderating, though it's pressure-filled too, especially with the 90-second format which requires me not only to read and moderate, but also to time all the readings and be ready to "ding out" any overly-verbose author if the strict limit is exceeded.

So imagine how Mr. Mint it was to see an enthusiastic hand shoot up in the front row belonging to a bold kid named Richie who wanted to know if he might be the evening's official Keeper of the Bell.

Richie got to advance five spaces!

Of course, once that bell reaches your fingers, well, let's just say that Richie was just itching to ring that bell.

He mostly showed great restraint. And most the authors timed their readings well within the limit. In fact, only one of us (I won't name names  *coughs* ) went over and had to invoke the "I'm allowed to finish the sentence I'm reading," rule.

Hint: it wasn't Matt Blackstone, who shows here why he's one of my favorite authors to listen to read aloud:

Afterwards, we took some great questions from the audience, including from my writer pal Mike Sullivan (Necessary Heartbreak) who was there with his lovely daughter and wanted to know how and where we each get our best writer mojo juices flowing. Here's a snippet of Chris and me answering that question (I love how Chris describes his "manna from heaven):

 Afterwards, books were sold and signed, and cupcakes were eaten, as we shared in the giddiness that made us all feel like we'd made it to the palace of King Kandy.

from l - r: matt blackstone, christopher grant, nova ren suma, me and selene castrovilla.

  - gae

Keeping Afloat in the Crazy Waves

It's been a wonderful, whirlwind week.

There was a rewarding two-day marathon at two local high schools, plugging my book and our big Teen Event at the Dolphin Bookshop in Port Washington (my dear friend Lena Roy has done a great job writing it up here -- yes, yes, she gushes about me, so there's that too).

But also, in those two days,I have become more than an author/presenter, I am suddenly a creative writing teacher, and let me tell you that feels like an amazing thing. I actually got a few students who were initially afraid, to trust themselves and their creativity and share their pieces aloud. One of the teachers told me that two boys spoke more in her class that day than they had since school started, and another has asked me to come back to cover the classes of hers that I wasn't able to attend that day. It suddenly feels like this great new extension of me -- the inklings of possibilities, of a new third (?) career.

The event at the Dolphin was a smashing success. As I mentioned up there, Lena does a pretty great recap. But here are some photos from the night:

l -r : Christopher Grant, me, Lena Roy, Nova Ren Suma, Michael Northrop, Arlaina Tibensky and Matt Blackstone.

The YA community is really such a supportive one, we thought it was funny to cover each others' faces with our books.;)

And there was swimming and more swimming as we of The West Neck Pod grab the last few precious weeks, or perhaps only days, of the open water season by the, well, waves.


With gale force winds, and waves like the actual one in the photo up top, it's been crazy and challenging out there, giving us an exhilarating end to the fall.

If you want to read more about our swims, our Fairy Pod mother, Carol Moore, describes them with often breathtaking beauty here: http://thewater-blog.blogspot.com/.

And so it goes. I am back to revisions on Frankie Sky with miles to still go before I sleep. Have great hopes that, if I bang them out well, this manuscript will be my next deal.

Keep going.

See you soon.

- gae

Bare with Me . . .

. . . okay fine. I know how to properly spell that particular usage of bear.

I just wrote that to be provocative.

I needed your attention.

Now that I have it, please bear with me. Friday Feedback and other semi-interesting musings on writing and life will return.

But for the next few weeks, it's the all THE PULL OF GRAVITY channel, all the time. Or at least the TPoG and Class of 2K11 Channel.

I'm one week from my official release date and I want to make sure I get the word out for my little contemporary YA novel here. I'm not Stephenie Meyer after all . . .

Speaking of Stephenie Meyer, did you know that if you start to type "Step..." into the google bar, Stephenie Meyer comes up?! I mean, step aerobics could come up, or step children, or the Steppes of central Russia, but NO, Stephenie Meyer comes up!

On the other hand, if you type Gae into the google bar, you get a lot of cool stuff about Gaelic translations.

As Nick says, "But anyway."

So, that's it. You're stuck on this Channel for a while. Speaking of which, if you've missed them on my facebook author page, I've gotten some really awesome reviews lately. Here are links to just a few:

Kidlit Frenzy

The Bookanistas

Red House Books

Books Complete Me

Girls In the Stacks

Bex Book Review

If you want something different, you might check out my Trying to Stay Afloat... blog where, soon it will be about wetsuits and jellyfish and endless Open Water Swimming. WARNING though: that's NOT my YA-friendly blog, so traipse on over there at your own risk.

- gae

Jellyfish Jam

Ogden Nash once wrote:


"The Jellyfish
Who wants my jellyfish?
I'm not sellyfish!"

Hmmm... no offense, Ogden, but I think I can do better than that.

Jellyfish, jellyfish
with your long stringy arms
your gelatinous body,
so short on charms
your thoughtless mind,
your sucking fingers
your sting that burns like heck,
then lingers
your bulbous looks
like peeled-back brain,
you act aloof
then inject your pain,
oh Jellyfish, jellyfish,
through my hands you flutter,
can't you please ditch me
for the peanutbutter?

Hmmm... okay, maybe not.

So, why do I once again have jellyfish on my brain? Because it is August and they are out in full force. This morning's open water swim was a veritable jellyfish extravaganza. Especially the harmless moon jellies, which I don't really mind coexisting with.

But, now, the lions mane are out too, and during this morning's swim, my friend Evelyn got stung by one. A MERE 20 feet from me. And she's the second victim this season.

She called out and we stopped as she clutched at her arm and suggested we not "swim over there."

Er. Okay then. But we all know that jellyfish are like cockroaches: once you see one, you can be sure there are hundreds you can't see.

Then again, after the initial pain and creep out, she was fine and we all kept on swimming at her behest, so why is it that I spent the rest of my swim panicking and periodically jerking up out of the water to shriek like a girl?

What is it about jellyfish that elicit such fear in me?

Is it their long gelatinous bodies without faces? Or the slippery way they flutter as they catch in my fingers? What is it about them that has me slathering on $13/bottle Seasafe lotion that promises to deter them, and ordering a $79 Ecostinger long sleeved, full body swimsuit that promises to detract? Because, it's not their sting itself, since I have now been with two swimmers who have been stung and then been quickly fine enough to carry on.

Nope. It's just definitely the freak out factor. The fear of being accosted by some slimy, faceless alien from the deep.

So, I'm working on a new plan.

To be like Spongebob, friend to all the jellyfish in the sea.

I've got step one underway: the Jellyfish Jam.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dh1mDnmO1k&feature=related

So, click on the link, turn the music up, and dance it with me. Come on, you know you want to.