Class of 2K8

While I'm away during the holidays--I'll give you a sneak peak at the super cool YA and MG books coming to you in 2K8!



check out the class of 2K8 blog!

Fun with YA Books

I stumbled across this today, and had way too much fun building myself an army of boyfriends....meet Snake--my jock with a prison-past bf....

There are some other pretty fun little games Random House has--like the King Dork one has a Band name generator--My fake band is Flat Fontanas. Snake's is the Tall Picketers.

And the Bras and Broomsticks site will quiz you to find the perfect spell to change your life!

Mine was the Love Spell--which is odd because most of my answers seemed to involve my hair...and well, I already made Snake, so I'm kinda good on the whole Love thing--but here it is incase you need:

Love Potion

Ingredients:

½ cup grapeseed oil

¼ teaspoon

vanilla extract

1 cinnamon stick(Add two pinches of loose body glitter for extra romance!)

Mix the grapeseed oils and vanilla (and glitter, if you choose) with the cinnamon stick for about 2 minutes.

Repeat this spell over the bowl: "Love like the sun, gentle like the moon,romance abounds, one month until noon"

Pour the potion into a bottle. Apply a dab on both wrists and kneecaps. Relax and wait for the magic of love to take effect.

So 3 great YA book and 3 great time sucks... Enjoy!

All I want for Christmas...

What is Brooke wishing for this Christmas? I'll give you a hint--she's wagging her tail. That's right, I'm adding another pup to the family. She's an 8 month old Akita named Phoenix and I'm going to go pick her up this weekend. She's already spoiled rotten--since she is kennel trained and I'm not much of a kennel person--I bought her a Hardwood Hideaway--which is basically a nice piece of furnature that looks great in the house but is really a kennel for you pet. Much more attractive than a wire cage. I've also already gotten her some toys, too. I'm a sucker.

Is anyone else getting anything special this year?

The Dangerous Blog for Christmas Shoppers

One super cute cookie jar: $20 (Now $10 at Bath & Body Works)

Ingredients for yummy Forgotten Cookies--substitute Nestle Holiday Chips: $10

Priority Shipping of super cute cookie jar filled with yummy Forgotten Cookies to Agent: $5

Getting the email that contents had shifted during shipping and said yummy cookies had disintegrated into a pile of (wonderful agent assures me) still-yummy cookie powder: Priceless


It is almost so embarrassing as to be funny. Here are some better ideas for presents that will not disintegrate in the care of the USPS...



For young boys on your list:

For Girls:
And yes, there's is even one now for Dogs!

Snow Daze

We've been hit hard by an ice storm--and school's are out--mostly due to power outtages and such. So here at the admin building, we still have to come in but at least we get to wear jeans! Anyway--it is still fun for me to watch the scrolling list of schools like I did when I was a kid--fingers crossed and hoping for a snow day. As you can see--doggies love snow daze too! (These were taken a few years back.)

"A new broom sweeps clean, but the old brush knows all the corners. "

Irish Proverb

It's Friday... I'm in LOVE....

Wonders of Winter

Winter always seems to bring about great reasons to stay indoors--like great movies and books and stuff. I'm really looking forward to seeing JUNO which coincidentally starts Ellen Page, who would be an awesome Bella Swan (yes, I'm trying to get on with it and on board with Kristen--and I'm sure she will sway me--but Ellen is exactly like a pictured Bella.)

Ellen Page could also easily play Serena Moore in the movie version of UNDONE. btw...

Some winter books I'm planning to read this Christmas Break--the ominous looking Oblivion Road by Alex McAulay:

And for after Alex has me scared to death... I'll need a something more uplifting like Rachel Hawthorne's Snowed In:

Check out Alex on the MTV Book Author's Blog-it's on my links now. Also a fun new blog I found... Ann Dee Ellis --she has funny interviews with her blog readers--maybe we should try that here one day??? OK--now I must go hunt down so yummy boy toy pictures to share tomorrow... bbs.

Twilight Zone

First off-- they are currently casting for Twilight--YAY!!!--this means there will be a big screen version of my yummy yummy Edward very soon. Already cast is Bella--and I just don't know how to feel about Kristen Stewart as Bella.

My image of Bella was more fragile--probably because she needed my Edward so badly. And Kristen seems much stronger and capable and not so easily falling in can't-live-with-out-you-for-one-second love. I've only seen her in Speak and In the Land of Women, though--and both roles weren't very Bella-like. Plus..Speak was forever ago, isn't she getting a bit old to play high school (I only bring up this gripe because Stephenie Meyer's has made it a pointthus ruling out Gaspard as an Edward option)?

Now Kristen Stewart could possibly play Serena in UNDONE, should UNDONE ever hit the big screen...just saying I'm not dissing Stewart AT ALL. In fact, perhaps it is just the jealousy talking...

Double Squee

I'm on Amazon--no cover--but you can see that here on the blog....

http://www.amazon.com/Undone-Brooke-Taylor/dp/0802797636/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1196789447&sr=1-21

I've already pre-ordered one copy. Aren't I cute? And I struggled with the shipping options--there is a part of me that really wants to get it as soon as possible--but I couldn't see spending $17 bucks extra just for shipping. I may decide to order another copy later and do it with 1-day shipping, but come to think of it--UNDONE comes out on July 22nd-- and on July 23nd, I think I'll be in San Fran for the RWA conference anyway... Well, anyway--I wonder if I made the first purchase?

You go be the 2nd, LOL. (but serious)

SQUEEE!!

Rumor has it there are ARCs of UNDONE in NYC and some very lucky little copies will be on their way to me!!!

I'm no psychic, but me thinks there will be a photo of my bookselhf and it's latest star coming to this blog very soon!!

Brooke's Guide for Christmas Shopping

It's that time of year again... time to shop. And being an author, I love to give books. Here's a couple examples (sorry if I ruin the surprise for anyone on my list, LOL):


For someone who shall remain nameless (you know who you are)--How To Tell If Your Boyfriend Is The Antichrist:
I actually have a copy of my own, and consult it regularly as it includes many other unsavory boyfriend-types. While I have yet to actually date the Antichrist, I have used this book to determin that I've dated A Closet Homosexual, A Total Bastard, and A Scientologist. Scary, huh?

Who doesn't love evil laughs, secret lairs, and master plans? But not everyone knows how to carry them off. That's where How to be a Villian comes in. Perfect for the wannabee evil-dooer in your life.

And just because I'm a realist (and a doomsdayer), no Christmas list is complete without:

Thankful I Turned Out OK...maybe

"The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar’s depression was untreated. Prozacky Elmo didn’t exist..."



Yes, apparently I watched the mean streets verison of Sesame Street.

According to an earnest warning on Volumes 1 and 2, “Sesame Street: Old School” is adults-only: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”

Check out the full NYTimes story here.

Thankful I'm not a Turkey

"A turkey never voted for an early Christmas."

Irish Proverb

It's Friday...I'm in Love!

...With men in skirts!



You say Sarong...I say so right!

Oops, Trent Ford's just fell off... okay it was just a sheet, but still.... isn't that really the same thing?

Bring your Penguin to Work Day

I couldn't wait to bring I-CY to boring dull work so he could keep me smiling with his cute little flipper dancing moves. However, my little iPod playing cutey was a teensy bit too rambunctious for the office. Yep--while at the other end of the cubicle jungle as I handled very serious, important company problems, a noise erupted from my quiet corner office. Shrieking chirps. Squawks of pleasure. "What's that noise?" my dour coworker scoffed.

"My dancing penguin," I replied.

So what's I-CY dancing to today?

Remember when we were such fools

and so convinced and just too cool...

(Pink ~ Who Knew)

It's funny because it's true

First off A BIG CONGRATS go out to an amazing new voice in YA lit, Cyn Balog for her recent sale. I couldn't be more excited if it was my own deal (well, maybe a hair more excited, but that's it!). I screamed in the airport when I read her first email about it and then attempted to reply to her using my phone and realized how crappy I am at that. SO a proper congrats is in order--please raise your cyber toasting bevvy of choice and welcome Cyn to the wild world of published authors:

Debut YA author Cyn Balog's FAIRY LUST, about a teenage oracle whose boyfriend slowly turns into a fairy and the lengths she'll go to in order to keep him human, to Stephanie Lane at Delacorte, in a pre-empt, by Nadia Cornier at Firebrand Literary.

And because she'll be embarking on the journey of a thousand re-writes (or at least one round of copy edits), here is a little publishing humor I've shamelessly stolen from Cheryl Klein of Brooklyn Arden (a more perfect place I can't imagine):

Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: I can't tell whether you mean "change a light bulb" or "have sex in a light bulb." Can we reword it to remove the ambiguity?

Q: How many editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one. But first they have to rewire the entire building.

Q: How many managing editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: You were supposed to have changed that light bulb last week!

Q: How many art directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Does it HAVE to be a light bulb?

Q: How many copy editors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: The last time this question was asked, it involved art directors. Is the difference intentional? Should one or the other instance be changed? It seems inconsistent.

Q: How many marketing directors does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: It isn't too late to make this neon instead, is it?

Q: How many proofreaders does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Proofreaders aren't supposed to change light bulbs. They should just query them.

Q: How many writers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: But why do we have to CHANGE it?

Q: How many publishers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Three. One to screw it in, and two to hold down the author.

Q: How many booksellers does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A: Only one, and they'll be glad to do it too, except no one shipped them any.

Q: How many agents does it take to screw in a light bulb?
A. Check out the comments on Brooklyn Arden for possible answers... (yes, I draw the line at stealing from the comments sections, LOL)

Think Hard

"A Camel never sees its own hump"

African Proverb

It's Friday... I'm in Love

Cover Art Nightmares

So one night before I got my cover art, I had a dream (nightmare?) where I got to see my book cover. I don't remember much, except I hated it and was concerned that my agent was on vacation and I wanted the publisher to change the cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots, because I felt like veggies weren't very edgy.

I was also trapped at a bookstore needing to leave, but also needing to buy some books--a new Gena Showalter and three others that I really wish I could remember the premises of, because they sounded so good!! Why was I trapped, you may be wondering... IT was also the day the new Harry Potter came out (apparently my dreams are just slightly behind the curve). So there was a monster line. I'd heard rumors (yes, rumors abound in dreamland) that there was one register in the back that was reserved for those poor idiots not buying the new Harry Potter... this turned out be true, sort of. It was an inept person with a calculator who couldn't figure out how much my books cost.

Yeah... dreams are freaky. I'm so glad my cover didn't have veggies on it.... Has anyone else had a funny dream about what your book cover would look like?

Think Hard

Eagles fly alone, but sheep flock together.

-Polish Proverb-

Zombie Awareness Week

Can you match the song lyric to the band?

1. “There's only one sure way to bring the giant down. Defunct the strings of cemetery things with one flat foot on the devil's wing.”

2. “And the violence caused such silence…”

3. “Traveling in a fried out Kombi on a hippie trail head full of Zombie. I met a strange lady she made me nervous, she took me in and gave me breakfast.” *this is my fave!!

4. “I'm a zombie in the moonlight. I'm sleepin' when it's daylight. I really should be alright, but I'm feelin' kinda uptight.”

5. "I wanna be a fucking prize winning drag queen with the platform boots and the tombstone looks. I want the whole world to hate me with the bolts on my neck and the gun in my dress. Tonight I’m the prettiest zombie alive.”

6. “I Zombie cancer raging. I Zombie fascinating. I Zombie crucify. I Zombie do not die.”

7. "My little sister is a Zombie in a body with no soul in a role she has learned to playin a world today where nothing else matters…"

8. "All you zombies hide your faces..."


A. Murderdolls

B. White Zombie

C. Rob Zombie

D. Jewel

E. Roxette

F. Men At Work

G. Hooters

Zombie Awareness Week

As the Halloween season is upon us, there is no better time than now to raise awareness and educate the public about the deadly menace know as: Zombies.

What exactly are Zombies?

A Zombie is an undead person. A living dead. Or, alternatively, a life-impaired.

How to Identify a Zombie:

How are Zombies created or how does one become a Zombie?

There are two ways to become a Zombie:

1. A bokor, the Haitian word for sorcerer, captures a victim's ti bon ange, or the part of the soul directly connected to an individual, to create a zombie. This is usually done with Zombie Powder. Zombie Powder is a complex mixture that includes, but is not limited to, tetrodotoxin (found in Puffer fish), Marine Toad, Tree Frog, and human remains.

A law condemning zombie creation went into effect in Haiti in 1835 [ref]. Article 246 of the Haitian Penal Code classifies the administration of a substance that creates a prolonged period of lethargy without causing death as attempted murder. If the substance causes the appearance of death and results in the burial of the victim, the act is classified as murder.
ref: “How Zombies Work” http://science.howstuffworks.com/zombie.htm

2. During a Zombie encounter, a bite wound is inflicted. This is a good news/bad news situation—Good news—he didn’t get your brain. Bad news—you have 30 seconds to 1 month before you too are Living Impaired and in search of human brain food stuffs. So, you've been bitten. That weird guy in the trench coat at the bus stop bit a lot of people before he staggered onto the bus.The big question is, is it a Zombie bite?

There are no laws currently protecting the public from Zombie Bites.

What is being done to protect us against the threat of Zombies?

Fight the Bite!

Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency
http://www.fvza.org/zombies.html

National Center for Reanimation Prevention and Control
http://michael.tresca.net/ncrpchome.html

Elite Zombie Hunting Squad
http://www.zombiehunters.org/

What can I do to protect myself against Zombies?

Over the course of the week, you will learn more about the threat of Zombies and how to protect yourself against a Zombie Invasion. In the event you encounter a Zombie before you are fully prepared—employ the following methods of protection:

FAQ:

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed during Zombie Awareness Week are not necessarily those of the author, Brooke Taylor, and should not be used as evidence of her political position in the ongoing Zombie v Unicorn debate.

Disclaimer: It is not the intention of the Zombie Awareness Week to provide specific medical advice, but rather to provide the public with information to better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. You are urged to consult with a qualified physician for diagnosis and for answers to your personal questions.

Think Hard

A handful of patience is worth more than a bushel of brains.

~Dutch Proverb~

Crush Hard

It's Friday... I'm in LOVE!

.... w/ 80's Rock Stars. Yep, I was in love with these guys (Jon Bon Jovi, Bono, John Taylor/Duran Duran) then, and they've still go it now. (Okay, so Bono sometimes looks like he is a few grey hairs away from being Robin Williams, but work with me!)

In other news, a sneak peak at my favorite week of the year--Halloween Week!!! Here at Blog Hard we will be interrupting our normal programming for a special segment. To give you a hint and to keep with our 80's rocker theme, I present you with the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8U3rO0GbEhI

Enjoy!