Brooke Taylor Books

2010-08-05T07:19:00.000-07:00

‎"Laugh when you can.
Apologize when you should.
Let go of what you can't change.
Kiss slowly.
Play hard.
Forgive quickly.
Take chances.
Give everything & have no regrets.
Life is too short to be anything but happy..."

Lost Generation

2010-07-16T11:10:00.001-07:00

2010-04-05T09:20:00.000-07:00

"People will forget what you said and they will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel" ~Maya Angelou

2010-03-11T09:10:00.000-08:00

Interview & Giveaway!

2010-03-01T08:37:00.001-08:00

Special thanks to Marjolein's Book Blog for interviewing me! Be sure to check it out and comment to win an autographed copy of Undone!!

http://marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/author-interviewbrooke-taylor-giveaway.html

Olympic-Sized Contest!!

2010-02-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

To enter Tera Lynn Child's contest--check out her blog post and answer in comments for your chance to win Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp and UNDONE !!

Great giveaways offered throughout the olympics!!

Giveaways Galore!

2010-02-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

Two chances to win a signed paperback copy of UNDONE!

Here at the blog of Rinda Elliott: http://relliott4.wordpress.com/

and

Here at Rachel Vincent's blog: http://urbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2010/02/undone-giveaway.html

Kori Kitzler is the “dark angel” of her high school: beautiful, mysterious, the subject of rumors. Serena Moore is just an average girl, until a run-in with Kori in the bathroom in eighth grade. When Kori tells her that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued, and their fateful friendship begins.

When the girls are asked to complete a writing assignment listing the five things they would want to happen–their five ways to tempt fate–Serena doesn’t take it seriously. But when something tragic happens to Kori, Serena is left with her loneliness and Kori’s five things. Can Serena complete her best friend’s tasks, or will she leave her list undone?

Both of these giveaways are open to international entries and will close at 11:59 pm (central) on Friday, February 5.

Good Luck!!

Available Now!

2010-01-20T10:01:00.000-08:00

Paperback version is shipping now--whoo hoo!

UNDONE is available in both hard cover and paperback at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Borders, IndieBound.org, Target.com, Powell's, and most bookstores.

Winner Winner

2009-06-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

First off--I had sooooooooo much fun reading our fairy tale! Ya'll did awesome! And we'll have to do it again!! I'm sorry poor Cyn's tale ended with her facing down a two-headed snake, but I'm sure the fairy queen can deal with him :-) and make it to her book launch on time!

Now onto our winner--sprinkling some fairy dust onto the random number generator.....

LILIBETH!

aka Chica Reader

Congrats!

You have WON a signed copy of Fairy Lust, Twilight perfume, and A Wing Tipped Kiss Glamourkins necklace!!!

***Lilibeth--please email me at brooke (at) brooketaylorbooks (dot) com with your mailing addy and I'll get these out ASAP! ***

Thanks everyone--stay tuned for more contests... I have some old arcs still to give out!

Fairy Tale - Once Upon a Time Contest

2009-06-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

***Winner of the Kiss-it-2-Win-It contest is RagDollVampGirl! WHOO HOO--pls email me at brooketaylorbook (at) Yahoo (dot) com with mailing addy, Congrats!***

WIN a signed copy of Fairy Tale AND a "Wing tips kiss" Glamourkin Necklace (shown below) AND a brand new, boxed, sealed bottle of Twilight Perfume!!!

Here's an enticing description Cyn Balog's awesome debut Fairy Tale (formerly Fairy Lust):

"A captivating and witty dark fantasy that will have girls lusting after it.

Morgan Sparks has always known that she and her boyfriend, Cam, are made for each other. But when Cam’s cousin Pip comes to stay with the family, Cam seems depressed. Finally Cam confesses to Morgan what’s going on: Cam is a fairy. The night he was born, fairies came down and switched him with a healthy human boy. Nobody expected Cam to live, and nobody expected his biological brother, heir to the fairy throne, to die. But both things happened, and now the fairies want Cam back to take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Even as Cam physically changes, becoming more miserable each day, he and Morgan pledge to fool the fairies and stay together forever. But by the time Cam has to decide once and for all what to do, Morgan’s no longer sure what’s best for everyone, or whether her and Cam’s love can weather an uncertain future."

"She had always been a saucy sort of fairy--the kind who loved a bit of absinthe at tea time, and a little piano in the afternoon." (more info on Glamourkins can be found HERE)

So how do you win???

After consulting with my brainstorming fairy and getting her sloshed on absinthe, we (by which I mean she) came up with the perfect answer for a this debut release give away...

You have to help write a Fairy Tale!

This is how it works: I'll start us off and then each commenter continues the story by contributing a *sentence* (you can have more than one, of course, but don't hog the story with multiple plot points). Then the next person adds a *sentence* and so on until we have a story. (Make sense?) Be sure to read any previous comments to get a feel for where our story is going and then throw in your own plot point or details about what happens next. Remember to give our heroine lots of curve balls and challenges to overcome and maybe a hot prince or two :-) And be on the look out of celebrity author contributions! (In other words--fellow authors are encouraged to participate, just add a *NE* to the end of your comment if you're not actually entering the contest, just participating in the fairy tale.)

A few more details--deadline to comment is Monday, June 15 @ midnight, 5 bonus entries for spreading the word about this contest on your blog, just leave me the link. Winner will be chosen from a Random Number Generator. Okay--got it? Everyone ready? Here we go, the first sentence is:

"Once upon a time, there was a debut author named Cyn (d' Rella). It was the eve of her book release party and ..."

***Tell me what happens next???***

(need help? For useless fact about Cyn check out her website: http://www.cynbalog.com/)

Last Day to Enter!

2009-06-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hurry Hurry--Last chance to enter the Kiss it 2 Win It contest!

http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2009/05/kiss-it-2-win-it.html

Stay tuned for another super awesome giveaway coming up next week--Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog!! And if I get my ducks in a row, you may even get the hardcover version before it even hits stands--very cool, no? Stay tuned!

Reminder

2009-05-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

****AUCTION ENDS MAY 31st!!!!****

And also bid to win not only a signed copy of UNDONE but also a really fly toggle bracelet with a tattoo charm. The "Fly Lightly" tattoo reminds me a lot of the story and the wish for those who have passed to be trouble free now. It's also just plain cool looking. So please go here and bid on Undone!

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1348347

Kiss it 2 Win it

2009-05-26T08:48:00.001-07:00

WIN 2 awesome books !!! Simply leave a comment giving me your best kissing tip (keep it clean!) or biggest kissing blunder, then get 5 more chances by blogging about this contest (provide me the link as proof). You have until next Tuesday- June 2nd at midnight to enter. Winner will be randomly drawn.

The ABC's of Kissing Boys by Tina Ferrero

Parker Stanhope has played soccer practically since she could walk. And now that she’s a high school junior, everything she’s worked for is finally coming together. She’s paid her dues on the field, and as an upperclassman, she’s a shoo-in for the varsity team. But that’s not what happens.

This year, Coach Hartley moved up every JV player but two—and one of those two was Parker. Now, she’s stuck with the freshmen, her friends are cutting her loose, and her love of the game is seriously beginning to fail. But Parker is determined to get her life back. She has to get on the varsity team, and she has the perfect plan. All she needs now is the right kind of coach.

AND

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Special thanks to the girls of YA Fresh for making this contest possible!

Today's Twilight Parody...with Cheeseburgers

2009-05-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Go! Bid! Win!

2009-05-01T09:38:00.001-07:00

Brenda Novak's 2009 Online Charity Auction to Benefit Diabetes Research

The auction is underway and there is soooooo much to bid on! Critiques from authors, agents, and editors! Signed books and ARCs! Once in a Lifetime experiences! So go check them all out: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Home.taf

Be sure to visit my agents full page of cool offerings here:
http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/auctionhelp.taf?S=N&R=2&C=2&m=3&sort=1&st=1&days=&category_id=10736&skipkw=1&_start=1

And bid to win not only a signed copy of UNDONE but also a really fly toggle bracelet with a tattoo charm. The "Fly Lightly" tattoo reminds me a lot of the story and the wish for those who have passed to be trouble free now. It's also just plain cool looking. So please go here and bid on Undone!

http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=1348347

Thank you!!!! ~Brooke

Let's Talk Trash

2009-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

Forget the cover, forget the blurbs, forget all that author promo--have you ever read a horrible review, and think--I have GOT to read THAT book? I must admit that any book that is hauled out in the public forum by a reviewer and called "Trash" is pretty much an auto-buy for me.

You'd think I would've learned my lesson from Rainbow Party (Cursor over for Spoiler Alert: there was no actual Rainbow Party) and The Garden which I ended up putting down before I got to the snake sex part (or maybe I read it and was too daft to realize what was happening). I do love the cover though...

But why am I so swayed by a bad review, particularly one that promises a vulgar trashy read? Is it the train wreck factor? The what's-the-fuss factor? Or is that maybe, just maybe I like naughty books?

Okay, you got me. As a teen I read Flowers in the Attic, Forever, and Go Ask Alice--those were our big, bad, trashy books. They were also really good and have stood the test of time. Something tells me the trashy books of today won't. At least not the ones I've read.

But here are two more for my consideration--

Swoon which is touted to have a “Homecoming Orgy” and "sexual havoc" and as Publisher's Weekly claims: "This book makes Gossip Girl look like Sweet Valley High." SOLD!

and...wait for it...

Castration Celebration by Jake Wizner (Spanking Shakespeare)--yes it's exactly what it sounds like--a kind of "High School Musical" meets "Saw." Only late night giddiness, illegal substances, and a well-timed re-run of the John & Lorena Bobbitt Story could breed such a premise. I can only imagine what my agent or editor would've said to me had I trotted it out. But alas, I did not.

This book, as you can imagine, has been making the reviewer rounds and I cannot ignore it any longer. I give you the NY Post Review. As ridiculously insulting as Andrea Peyser is, the review is on some level (the is-she-on-something? level to be exact) hilarious. She bleats like sheep, she calls Random House--Random Partners House, and in a big, big finish (I'm imagining jazz hands) she implies that the author is a child molester:

"Wizner's biography lists his hobbies as writing, teaching and "going to the playground."

Just not near my kid.

I mean she doesn't just call the book trash--she calls the author trash and the publisher trash--Hullo? Auto buy!!

What do think of these books? Any others I need to check out?

Bragging on Miss Roxy

2009-04-27T11:57:00.001-07:00

I'm a proud momma! Miss Roxy Anne Rockstar graduated from Advanced Obedience last night and also became CGC certified (Canine Good Citizen) which is a lot harder than it sounds. But she rocked it! So in honor of my baby girl growing up...I thought I'd share some of her pics--in case you are wondering, she is a Long Coated Akita.

Remember last year when she was this small????

And how she couldn't even reach the water bucket???

And here she was at 4 mos--so cute, but oh so rowdy!! Well here she is now, 1 year old and all grown up!

Going for car rides with her friends...And hanging out with the "big" boys Bear & Wolf (but they kinda look little next to her, LOL).

She brings so much joy into the lives around her and is such a gorgeous spirit inside and out, love her, love her, love her!!! And so very proud, because as Roxy would tell ya--bein' good is HARD!

Winner Winner!

2009-04-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

And the winner of the Geektastic ARC is.......

I'm sooooo glad that I used a random number generator to pick the winner and didn't have to decide who was the "geekiest," because some of y'all really brought it! Loved reading all of the comments!

As for what makes me a geek--well I'm a book geek for sure. The sight of well-stocked bookshelves gets me tingly. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve musty libraries. I buy hardbacks whenever possible, because one day, when I'm all grown up, I'm going to have a library in my home. It's going to have floor to ceiling cases with those cool rolling ladders and everything. All of the artwork will be from illustrators AND there will be at least one shelf that is a secret doorway. Squee--I'm all excited just talking about it!!!

Anyhoo.... where were we? Ah yes--congrats Not So Closet Geeks--please email me at Brooke(at)Brooketaylorbooks(dot)com with your mailing addy!

And if you didn't win--stay tuned I have more ARCs to give away!!

Last Chance + Awesome News

2009-04-22T06:49:00.000-07:00

Geektastic won't be available for months and months, who can wait that long to get their geek on with awesome authors like M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr? Not you!

Deadline to enter the Geektastic ARC is tonight at midnight! So go HERE now and tell me some geeky things about you!

Also--some awesome news!! Undone is a National Readers Choice Award finalist! Whoo hoo! Readers are teh awesome! Thank you!!!

More from Susan Boyle

2009-04-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

Wow...just WOW

Geektastic Contest!!

2009-04-15T06:14:00.000-07:00

****WIN WIN WIN****

ARC

Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd

"Acclaimed authors Holly Black (Ironside)and Cecil Castellucci (Boy Proof) have united in geekdom to edit short stories from some of the best selling and most promising geeks in young adult literature: M.T. Anderson, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Tracy Lynn, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Kelly Link, Barry Lyga, Wendy Mass, Garth Nix, Scott Westerfield, Lisa Yee, and Sara Zarr.

With illustrated interstitials from comic book artists Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley, Geektastic covers all things geeky, from Klingons and Jedi Knights to fan fiction, theater geeks, and cosplayers. Whether you're a former, current, or future geek, or if you just want to get in touch with your inner geek, Geektastic will help you get your geek on."

How To Win It:

Leave me a comment telling me what makes you a geek (multiple entries welcome--limit 10).

Want EXTRA CREDIT? Of course you do!

Spread the geek love and blog about this contest, leave me a linkie doo in the comments ,and you'll get an extra 5 entries and a gold star!

When is it due?

Leave your comments by April 22nd, 2009 at Midnight!

Today's Twilight Parody

2009-04-01T06:15:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Topic

2009-03-23T08:39:00.000-07:00

Mizz Roxy Ann!

Yesterday was our Advance Obedience class at Petsmart--Here she is doing a fabu job at the down stay at 20':

AND, I was Twittering at the time--how cool is that? Her homework is very complicated though. In addition to working on coming when called. We are to do the "Return to Heel" maneuver:

1. Start with dog facing you

2. Hold leash in right hand/treat in left

3. Keep right leg planted

4. Move left leg backward while luring dog with left hand

5. Your dog should now be behind you

6. Bring left leg forward, equal to right

7. Bring left hand forward with you left leg, luring your dog

8. Your dog should turn to follow the treat

Got it? Yeah.. me too...

Heathers the Musical!

2009-03-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

On Twitter this morning Meg Cabot announced that there was a musical version of Heathers in the works--can you say awesome? So a quick research and I have this to pass along:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i8fb6ec824ccd92fe674ee9e5a1b1b1eb

"The readings saw "Veronica Mars" star Kristen Bell playing the lead and Christian Campbell as J.D., with Jenna Leigh Green ("Wicked"), BrokeDown Cadillac lead singer Corri English and Christine Lakin (the CW's "Valentine") as the three Heathers."

Funny side note--when I was in college we had a pop culture-ish sociology class (love college classes) and in was a hearing impaired student who sat in the front row with their sign language person translating everything. Not such a big deal until we watched Heathers... I don't think I've ever seen anything more hilarious than a someone trying to sign language all the dialog in Heathers. And yes, I now know how to sign--f* me gently with a chainsaw. LOL.

To read this blog in English, press or say 1

2009-03-12T06:58:00.000-07:00

This is me--trying to get a new DVR sent to my house:

Handy bit of advice--I learned that if you are cuaght in the menu maze--just start using foul language--the fake lady will send you to a real person. It's like the secret golden key that everyone in the fantasy novels quests for!

For Authors

2009-03-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

Okay--desclaimer here--I LOVE LOVE LOVE my editor, but still can appreciate the humor of this t-shirt from Buzzwhack (http://www.cafepress.com/buzzwhack/6516485) :

Vampire Excavation

2009-03-11T10:39:00.001-07:00

Medieval Vampire Skull Found!

"The remains of a medieval "vampire" have been discovered among the corpses of 16th century plague victims in Venice, according to an Italian archaeologist who led the dig.

The body of the woman was found in a mass grave on the Venetian island of Lazzaretto Nuovo. Suspecting that she might be a vampire, a common folk belief at the time, gravediggers shoved a rock into her skull to prevent her from chewing through her shroud and infecting others with the plague, said anthropologist Matteo Borrini of the University of Florence. "

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090311/sc_livescience/medievalvampireskullfound

Oh wait--this was from another weird story:

"Colonel Sanders statue which was found in a river is pictured in Osaka, western Japan Tuesday night, March 10, 2009. The statue was pulled from the river, 24 years after being tossed in by crazed baseball fans.(AP Photo/Kyodo News) "

Twicks or Tweets

2009-03-11T07:09:00.000-07:00

By designer-wg.de on Flickr

I'm on Twitter now. I imagine this will be the downfall of my productivity--not that my productivity was through the roof or anything. But even so, if you're on Twitter let me know--follow me and I'll follow you :-)

So far it has been a bit surreal. I feel like I've been hanging with Ashton Kutcher all day (he's a bit addicted) and then I found out that Dave Navarro is considering donating his body to medical research--can you imagine being the med student who gets his body? LOL. (http://web.utk.edu/~fac/donation.shtml)

Seriously--Twitter is my brand of heroin.

Here's my page: http://twitter.com/brooketaylorboo

My name got cut off--and in hindsight I should've done something like brooketaylorwtr or something that actually made sense--but I kind of like boo, so I'm keeping it.

My worst Fears Realized

2009-03-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Warning: the following blog post contains a shocking and disturbing account of events that occurred in my home last night. The following blog is no recommended for viewers who have DVR's.

I'm a busy gal--I've got a full time job, I write my books, I take care of many more pets than the law allows... but I always find a way to make time for television. In recent years a little invention known as the DVR came into my life and made things amazingly easier. I can watch two hour long shows in the time it took to watch one. I can pause live shows and go stare into the fridge and wonder why I still haven't thrown out that...that...what is that? I can schedule tons of shows that I'd never have a chance to watch and never have work ethic to remember when they were on. My scheduled shows is always maxed out, each week I have to make sure I clear off enough space for the next week's shows. In short--I use my DVR to its fullest. I can not imagine life without it. It has revolutionized my world. And it has failed me.

Last night while on technical support--I was asked to do the unthinkable--a total and complete reset. Everything I'd recorded gone--my lift of shows to be recorded gone. It was horrible. And sadly, I don't think it even worked. I'll know more tonight, but I think it will have to be replaced. sigh.

I did get to watch Melissa Rycroft's appearance on Dancing with the Stars--YAY!!! She looked and danced amazing--and she only had two days to practice--unbelievable. Eat your heart out Jason!!!

And I caught the end of a show I wasn't that interested in at first, but as soon as my DVR is working again, it will be going on the roster:

Doggy High School

2009-03-09T10:23:00.000-07:00

She will always be my little puppy, but yesterday Miss Roxy Ann started High School. Yep. She's a teenager. She'll be officially 1 year old on Saturday--Princess Party !!! And she has a spa day (er--groomer) scheduled for Tuesday! (LOL-I also convinced her that it was a tradition for doggies to get baths on Christmas morning before they got to unwrap their toys--shhh!)

Anyway, she's completed all of her training classes and is now in Advanced Obedience.

Yesterday was our first class and let me tell you, it was already serious business--we started off with sit stays and down stays at 20 feet. Graduation is going to be an official AKC Canine Good Citizen evaluation. And it is going to be hard. Some things she'll have to do:

Ignore a tray of food on the floor. (um--okay--but it better not be cat food)

Stay at 20 feet. (she rocks the stay!)

Recall (come) from 10 feet. (But with no treats--eek!)

Be alone with a stranger for 3 minutes. (That's like 30 years in dog time).

She'll have to ignore the evaluator's dog as we approach and shake hands. (Ignore a potential snuggle? Seriously?)

She'll have to go through a crowd of people. (Crowd of snugglers!)

Here's the whole test--but this sounds easier than when our instructor was describing it, using real examples that the evaluator has used. http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/training_testing.cfm

I'm feeling pretty positive about her chances, but anything can happen. Our class is at Petsmart on Sunday evenings--so lots of dogs coming and going, big time distractions. I'll keep you posted on her progress and get some updated photos--her back is almost level with the couch's back! She last weighed in at 75 lbs. It's unbelievable how quickly they grow up!

Book Meet Wall

2009-03-06T09:45:00.001-08:00

*** Okay--just warning this is a rant--a small one--but one nonetheless. ***

My agent once did a rant about bodily functions here: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/search?q=bodily

At the time I thought she was just being sensitive, and maybe I'm now being sensitive too--but there is something about reading certain words that makes them much more visual than when they are spoken. Snot is one of them.

Awhile back I was reading a romance and on several occasions while the MC was crying, the hero would pull out his handkerchief and instruct her to "blow"--Talk about ruining a sweet moment as well as making the MC seem about five years old.

So just for the official record: If I see snot mentioned in any book when it is not meant to be 2nd grade humor--I'm chucking it across the room.

What words or phrases or bodily functions have you read that really grossed you out when they weren't supposed to?

drawing: www.tomfroese.com

2009-03-05T12:13:00.000-08:00

"Don't wake me cause I'm dreaming, of angels on the moon

Where everyone you know, never leaves too soon"

Thriving Ivory-Angels On The Moon

Beware of the Nice Guys

2009-03-03T07:42:00.000-08:00

If having to watch out for the bad guys wasn't hard enough, enter Bachelor Jason... Don't fall for the sweet smile and goofy ears.

Sorry, I try not to embarrass myself by pulling out my reality TV geek, but I can't help it... This season's The Bachelor should have been called The Biggest Loser.

Has anyone else been watching this? I have and I can't believe how much I hate this show and this guy and TV producers... why do I watch it??? Each time it makes me hate it even more.

You know how they're always saying this is the most dramatic rose ceremony yet...and how Chris Harrison is always stepping in to let us know that "Ladies, this is the final rose tonight" as if they aren't painfully aware of that fact? Well apparently the final rose is not so final.

Jason proposes to sweet/cute/utterly perfect Melissa and then later because he can't get sassy/fun Molly off his mind, decides he can have his cake and then dump it too--in front of millions of viewers. Last night's After the Final Rose was painful. It wasn't dramatic, it was pathetic and sad. Obviously this wasn't a complete blindside for Melissa, but still... dude have some class--sucking face with the other woman two seconds after you break off your ENGAGEMENT is considered poor form no matter what the producers tell you. All season long, all we've heard from you is whining and crying over how the women in your life committed to you when they didn't know what they wanted. Wow. Playing the Devil's Psychologist here, maybe what you saw in them was really what you see in yourself.

But what all of this really begs is the question: Will Jillian have to revise her hot dog theory?

Winner Winner

2009-03-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

VioletCrush!!!

Whoo Hoo! You've won the Swag Bag, Signed Copy of Undone and a copy of Evermore!!

YAY!

Please email me with your details--and yes all my contests are World Wide!

brooke (at) brooketaylorbooks (dot) com

More contests coming soon!

Don't make me kill this Agave!!!

2009-02-26T09:48:00.000-08:00

I'm very rarely disappointed when a friend sens me links to things on Craigslist....

http://austin.craigslist.org/grd/1050741149.html

Tasted Better The Day Before

2009-02-24T07:22:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite pastimes is coming up with fake rock band names... Gunther Mader is definitely in my top five!

I've seen this or something like it before--but today's version from Rinda Elliot:

1 - Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”or click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:RandomThe first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.

2 - Go to “Random quotations”or click http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.

3 - Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”or click http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7daysThird picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4 - Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

5 - Bow to technology as it fashions the images that form your reality.

Don't forget the Swag Bag Contest is going on right now: http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/swag-bag-contest.html

Swag Bag Contest!

2009-02-24T06:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend my local RWA group hosted a teen reader panel and I put together some awesome swag bags with the help of several very cool authors AND I have 1 bag left! WhooHoo!

The bag has a signed copy of Undone plus book swag (stickers/magnets/bookmarks) from Alyson Noel, Keri Mikulski, Lisa Schroeder, and Tina Ferraro.

PLUS: As a thank you to these super ladies--I'll throw in 1 book of your choice by any of these authors:

Alyson Noel: Evermore, Cruel Summer, Faking 19, Saving Zoe, Laguna Cove, and more!

Keri Mikulski: Screwball

Lisa Schroeder: I Heart You, You Haunt Me ; Far From You

Tina Ferraro: Top Ten Uses for an Unworn Prom Dress, How to Hook a Hottie, or The ABC's of Kissing Boys .

So in order to win this super cool prize--all you have to do is leave a comment on this post with the book (from these authors) that you would most like to find in your Swag Bag!

Deadline: Midnight March 1.

I'll try to get some photos of the actual bag and swag soon!

On Critique

2009-02-19T06:50:00.001-08:00

In my WIP my MC took some M&M's from her friend. The line should've read something like: "I happily popped the candy..."

I'd read at least a dozen times, never realizing that what it actually said was:

"I happily pooped the candy."

All I can say--is thank goodness I caught it, because my critique group would've had a field day with that!

On some of my loops there have been discussions about critique groups-do you need one--and if so what kind and how do you get it? What do you expect from them, how do you politely critique someone else's work, how do you handle the criticism... ?

First off--Do you need one--and if so what kind?

Apparently not everyone feels they need a critique group, and that's fine, but I do think a fresh set of eyes never hurt anyone. So for the purpose of this blog, my advice is--if you are asking if you need one, then the answer is probably yes. The people I know who don't use critique groups are already established, have a clear and confident voice, and quite frankly write way too fast for a group to be useful. They have short-fuse deadlines. So if that's you--what are you doing reading this blog--get back to work!

Okay--still here? So what kind of critique group do you need/want?

Well a lot of people do well with one-on-one critiques. This is a great plan if you and your CP are both in the same boat--you both have agents and are on subs, you both have a debut novel coming out, etc... Or if you're very lucky--your CP is a mentor--someone older/wiser/a NYT bestseller. Personally I think even if you have a critique group, you should also have one or more one-on-one people. These are invaluable and usually will be able to give you faster reads and such because you're going to do the same for them. This is your crunch-time person, your go-to-guy or gal--so this person has to be someone you trust and respect. Where do you get one? Well, time and patience and lots of emails. These are genuine friendships and therefore take more than a "hey, I've seen you on my loop--will you take a look at my wip?" They are developed.

The next level is the online group--personally I think these should be small--like 6 people or less. And the make up of the group can be more mixed--agented, pubbed, unpubbed but serious (JMO but anyone who is not serious about getting published shouldn't be in a critique group unless it is with other non-serious people--the reason being it takes time and effort to crit for people and quite frankly most of us have enough to read without adding material that someone is messing with for fun or hobby). This type of critique group serves as not only a great resource for line edits, big picture edits, & plot brainstorming, but also serves as a focus group--does more than one person think the same way? Maybe you should take the advice a little more seriously. Etc.. This is also an amazing source of support both personally and professionally.

How do you get one? Join YA writing groups (online or local)--post that you are looking, get to know people at conferences and express interest. There will be some trial and error as far as fit goes, so be prepared that it may not be a sisterhood-of-the-travelling-pants kind of thing.

Another similar group would be an in-person critique group. I've never had one of these, but would imagine it is very much the same as the online version--but with more coffee and probably more drama.

Speaking of drama...how do you politely critique someone else's work, how do you handle the criticism?

I think stating upfront exactly what you are expecting from a crit group will help with figuring out how you will be critting the work. Do you just want proofreading or do you want more?

Some people are extremely sensitive--and if you have someone like that in your group or if you are someone who is--maybe you aren't going to get the full benefit of the crit group. You will just end up sugar-coating everything and potentially sending a lamb out to the lions.

IMO-if in your crit group--the only comments are: LOL, This is great--love this! Hee hee--then maybe you don't have a crit group at all--maybe what you really have is a mutual admiration society. Which is fine--we all need those too. Personally, I have my mother for that.

Another pitfall is the ego-ridden critter--Are they re-writing everything? Word-smithing you? Preaching to the choir on the basics or otherwise sounding condescending? Not taking what they dish out?

On the other side of the coin--just because you get some harsh crits, don't immediately cry fowl. Unless the person is truly over-the-top or mean, expect that what you're getting is simple un-sweetened honesty. Sweetening and soft-selling criticism takes extra time--time we don't all have, so just because you don't get the soft-sell, don't assume the intent is to be harsh.

Also--just because it is soft-balled doesn't mean it doesn't need to be seriously considered. Everything that someone comments on needs to be critically evaluated by you the author and only then can you say--eh--they don't know what they're talking about.

When I crit something for someone I'm going to point out everything that snags my attention--not because I think I'm so much more brilliant of a writer--but because--IT SNAGGED MY ATTENTION. When I crit, I'm not a writer, I'm a reader--I have no writing ego. I'm never trying to re-write someone else's work or change their voice. Yes, I may have a few writer's rules stuck in my head, but for the most part it is all about the read. And when I read a crit, I assume the comments are inspired by the same--so I don't take offense. I take it all very seriously--I expect that my CP's will not let me send dreck to my agent, just like my agent wouldn't let me send dreck to my editor.

And for all of those tender, thinned skinned writers out there--your harsh CP's have nothing on your agent or editor. Nothing.

Speaking of harsh crits--one thing I noticed that my agent does (and I'm not even sure if she is aware that she does this) is that she always praises the author and criticizes the work.

For instance:

"Your strengths are XYZ"

"The manuscript's weaknesses are XYZ"

I can't say I'm as good about following the rule, but I do think it is a great way to go.

Also be sure to check out my agent's blog: http://pubrants.blogspot.com/ on synopsis writing--some great tips!

Winners!!

2009-02-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

First--I deleted the Stellas post--because I'm happy to announce they are a hoax (http://www.snopes.com/legal/lawsuits.asp) I was suspicious of them, especially the one where the crook was trapped in the garage, because everyone should know that if you just pull the little lever on the opener down the garage door will come off the chain and then it is really easy to lift it up. Quite handy when the power goes out and such.

Okay--so now onto the winners!

Books #1,2, 5 ( Daniel X, Model Pres, Models Cookies) Winner: AMY "Writebrained"

Books 3 & 4 (Haunting of Derek Stone/Deeper)Winner: Biblauragraphy

Winners please email brooke (at) brooketaylorbooks (dot) com with your mailing address. Thanks!

Is Edward a Gary Stu?

2009-01-29T11:29:00.000-08:00

Often I find myself involved in conversations of the let's-analyze-Twilight variety. I do not initiate these discussions, mind you--they seek me out and find me vulnerable (much like bad boys). Perhaps it is because I'm a YA author, YA enthusiast, & young looking girl. Or maybe it is my Bite Me Edward Cullen (PLEASE!) bumper sticker. I don't know. But a few of these convos have revolved around the accusation that Bella is a "Mary Sue". And today there's been a little blogging about "Mary Sue"--enter Diana Peterfreund with a Mary Sue Litmus Test--so I thought I'd give it a whirl. But not with Bella--because I'm Just Not That Into Her. Enter: Edward!

Some of the highlights:

Does your (immortal) character appear to be much younger than she/he really is? Um, yeah--he was born in 1901 and still looks 17.
Does the character have an unusual eye color, or otherwise exceptional eyes? And are these eyes a color that does not occur in nature? Technically Topaz does occur in nature, but with all the changing of color... I'm giving this one a yes.
And will they have something to do with the plot? Yes
Does the character have eyes that somehow reflect hidden depths or experience or sorrow?

Reflects his feeding schedule
Does the character have unusual or exceptional hair, or does her/his hair get a disproportionate amount of description compared to that of the other characters? Yes-"His hair, which is always messy, retains the unusual bronze shade that he inherited in his human life from his biological mother."*
Was the character ever abducted? I consider what Carlisle did a form of abduction

Does the character consider her/his beauty/talent/skill/etc. a curse? No man likes to sparkle

Then we have more Gary Stu qualities, such as he "possesses superhuman beauty, strength, speed, endurance, and agility. His scent and voice are enormously seductive, so much so that he occasionally sends Bella into a pliant daze entirely by accident....He is the fastest of the Cullens, able to outrun any of them. Perhaps as a result of a talent for empathy in his human life, Edward can also read the mind of anyone within a few miles of himself...Edward also retains some of the traditional mindset and dated patterns of speech from his early-20th century human life."*

And all the other stuff that comes from living for so long and not sleeping--like traveling extensively, knowing many languages, being a virtuoso piano player--and there's the collecting of cars and music.

Plus many many more yeses.

So after doing my best to answer the questions (some I couldn't because I'm not Stephenie) the findings are thus: Edward scores a whopping 147 points and "71 points or more: Irredeemable-Sue. "

But it doesn't change the way I feel about him! (Which right there is a totally Mary Sue trait... sigh)

(*Source: Edward Cullen Wiki)

ARCs Giveaway!

2009-01-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of quick things first-- Undone made the final cut for the ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers List! Whoo Hooo!!!

AND (thank you Librarily Blond) I now have a new fun blog to procrastinate with: http://failblog.org/

Okay--onto the giveaways. This is kind of a winter bookshelf cleanup giveaway of ARCs I grabbed up at NCTE but have not yet read because I'm just that overwhelmed with everything else. SO I'm giving them away--enter to win one, two, or all. Simply tell me which numbers you are interested in. The way it will work is this--I'll combine my LJ and Blogger comments and then do the random number thing--if your number is picked you win whatever books you listed. If there are still books left over the people who selected those books will then get a shot at the random number generator, etc... This way I may save a little on postage. Hope you understand. Now onto the books:

1. The Dangerous Days of Daniel X by James Patterson/Michael Ledwidge

2. The Model President by Brian Tacang (It's a MG--and Brian was a fashion designer, just thought I'd include that)

3. The Haunting of Derek Stone-City of the Dead and Bayou Dogs by Tony Abbott

4. Deeper by Roderick Gordon & Brian Williams (this is a sequel to a NYT bestselling book called Tunnels)

and the hardest to part with:

5. Models Don't Eat Chocolate Cookies by Erin Dionne

Okay--you have until Sunday (Feb 1st) midnight to post your choices! Good Luck!

2009-01-26T07:15:00.000-08:00

CONGRATS!!

William C. Morris Award goes to fellow Classof2K8 author Elizabeth C. Bunce for A Curse As Dark as Gold!!!

Michael L. Printz nod goes to Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Winners Winners

2009-01-20T12:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all who commented--several on LJ were my own (love to talk horse!) so I'm just going to call it an even 50! SO YAY $50 to the Flake Sale!

Congrats go out to:

SarahBear (Blogger)

Wldhrsjen (LJ)

Akabins (LJ)

Send me your mailing addy : Brooke (at) BrookeTaylorBooks (dot) com

And I'll send your prize packs!!

Stay tuned for more giveaways this week!

Don't be a Flake Contest!

2009-01-15T13:27:00.000-08:00

Okay ya'll--you've heard of Bake Sales, but in response to the many horses in need due to the flooding in Washington a couple of amazing organizations are throwing a "Flake Sale" (more detail below) and since I've been super-duper excited about the release of Jessica Burkhart's horsey series Canterwood Crest and it's finally released today--well why not combine the two events somehow? This is what I've come up with:

For everyone who comments (tell me if you've had a memorable horse experience or other animal if you've never been around a horse OR OR OR purge your soul and tell me something you've totally flaked on) I will donate $1 to the Flake Sale (so 100 comments = $100) PLUS you will get entered to win one of 3 Take the Reins (Canterwood Crest) books +Plus a super cute plush horse. Can't beat that! (Deadline midnight Sunday January 18, 2009)

When Sasha Silver and her horse, Charm, arrive on the campus of the elite Canterwood Crest Academy, Sasha knows that she's in trouble. She's not exactly welcomed with open arms. One group of girls in particular is used to being the best, the brightest, and the prettiest on the team, and when Sasha shows her skills in the arena, the girls' claws come out.

Sasha is determined to prove that she belongs at Canterwood. Will she rise to the occasion and make the advanced riding team by the end of her first semester? Or will the pressure send Sasha packing?

More info about the Flake Sale:

"In early January 2009, Western Washington experienced torrential rains resulting in devastating flooding in many areas. Over 18 counties declared a state of emergency, as a combination of heavy rain and previous snowfall caused a number of rivers to break their banks. 40,000 residents had to evacuate their homes, many with their pets and livestock. Over 300 horses are being temporarily housed at area fairgrounds.

As the waters recede, residents are returning to find that their winter’s supply of hay and grain has been destroyed by the rushing water. With hay prices at an all-time high, the flood damage has created a severe crisis for area horse owners.

To help the horses and owners affected by the floods, Second Chance Ranch, in partnership with HorseReunions.com, has established a Flood Relief Fund. This fund will provide emergency feeding grants to help Washington horse owners meet their horses’ immediate needs as they begin flood recovery efforts.

What is the Flake Sale?To fund this effort, we are holding a virtual “Flake Sale”. Just click to buy a virtual flake of hay for a horse in need via Paypal with your credit card, debit card or checking account. You can buy as many flakes as you like – just $5 will buy a virtual flake (in real life, it pays for enough hay to feed one horse for one day!) :

Official Website: http://flakesale.com/

Publishing Demystified

2009-01-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Obtained illegally from the very awesome Alyson Noel (whose book Evermore is coming out very very soon!!! SQUEE!)

It puts the lotion in the basket....

2009-01-14T07:41:00.000-08:00

So I was emailing about my latest WIP with a super cool CP of mine, and she questioned a pop culture reference I had used. Now I figured it might go over some of my target audience's heads, but I'd expected she would have some idea what I was talking about--but, erm, no. So I explained and even though she'd seen Silence of the Lambs, she didn't recall the scene in question. SO, as I often do at times of trouble, I turned to YouTube for help. And since YouTube rarely disappoints, I found this little precious (guess what I'll be singing all day?):

The lyrics here: http://prettymad.net/lyrics/greenskeepers-lotion.lyrics.txt

Winner Winner

2008-12-22T19:13:00.000-08:00

Congrats to:

trublu93

Please send email me (brooke @ brooketaylorbooks dot com) with your mailing addy and I'll get My Fair Godmother out to you!

Everyone else--stay tuned for more ARC giveaways coming up!

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

2008-12-19T09:13:00.000-08:00

...with delivery men!

Yes, they are the everyday Santa Clauses... tirelessly bringing me books from Amazon and never judging me when I've had a little too much fun on eBay. As the 25th draws near I've seen them leaving my area in the dark dark hours, and whether their driving a truck that's brown; purple and platinum; or red, white, and blue--I just want to hang my head out my window and shout "I love you!"

****Don't forget to enter to win an ARC of My Fair Godmother!***

The Fairy BlogMother Strikes again!

2008-12-17T06:25:00.001-08:00

Another awesome ARC giveaway!! My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison will be out January 6th--but you can get it early! Just leave a comment (deadline midnight Dec. 23rd) answering the following: If you had a Fairy Godmother--what would you ask her for?

Finding your one true love can be a Grimm experience!

After her boyfriend dumps her for her older sister, sophomore Savannah Delano wishes she could find a true prince to take her to the prom. Enter Chrissy (Chrysanthemum) Everstar: Savannah’s gum-chewing, cell phone–carrying, high heel-wearing Fair Godmother. Showing why she’s only Fair—because she’s not a very good fairy student—Chrissy mistakenly sends Savannah back in time to the Middle Ages, first as Cinderella, then as Snow White. Finally she sends Tristan, a boy in Savannah’s class, back instead to turn him into her prom-worthy prince. When Savannah returns to the Middle Ages to save Tristan, they must team up to defeat a troll, a dragon, and the mysterious and undeniably sexy Black Knight. Laughs abound in this clever fairy tale twist from a master of romantic comedy.

About the Author:

JANETTE RALLISON has been writing since she was six years old, although the quality of her work has improved substantially since then. She is the author of many books, including All’s Fair in Love, War, and High School. She lives in Chandler, Arizona, with her husband, Guy, and their five children. www.janetterallison.com www.janette-rallison.blogspot.com

Good Luck! And stay tuned for more ARC giveaways!!

Chemistry Perfecto!

2008-12-15T06:23:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all who entered, I loved all the Spanish--estas loco si no quiero leer este libro! (If I just said something about an elephant reading in the bathroom--please just go with it...)

Okay--there will be more ARC giveaways coming up--so if you didn't win, keep trying! And luckily Perfect Chemistry is coming out just next week! YAY!

And the winner is.......

kimberleylittle

YAY! Please email me: Brooke (at) BrookeTaylorBooks (dot) com with you addy and I'll shoot it out to you ASAP!

1.Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, Winamp, etc. on shuffle.
2.For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3.YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4.Put the artist after a dash following the song name.
5.Put any comments in brackets.
6.Tag some lucky people to spread the disease.

Tagging Rinda Elliot (whose got such amazing music taste I can't wait to see what hers will come up with & anyone else who wants to play!

How would you describe yourself?
Dancing Barefoot-Patti Smith
(Cool song!"I'm dancing barefoot...Heading for a spin...Some strange music draws me in...Makes me come on like some heroin/e")

How do you feel today?
Wicked Game- Giant Drag’s Version

(Not sooo wicked...)

What is your life’s purpose?

Outside- Aron Lewis/Family Values

"I can see through you.. See to the real you" (Yep--I can see that as being a purpose of my writing)

What is your motto?
Black- Pearl Jam
"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,I know you'll be a sun... in somebody else's sky, but why...Why, why can't it be,... why can't it be mine?"

What do you think about very often?
Your Body is a Wonderland- John Mayer
(ha ha ha)

"Cause if you want love,Well make it...Swim in a deep sea,Of blankets...Take all your big plans,And break em...This is bound to be a while."

What is your life story?
The Night Owls-Little River Band
(Not so much anymore..ha ha)

"Move on...There's a heart of a night owl callin'...To belong...She's cryin' in the night...Be strong...And find the heart of the night owl fallin'...Stay up till dawn...Until the night is gone"

What do you want to be when you grow up?
The Blower’s Daughter- Power of Two
(Not even sure what a Blower’s Daughter is)

"And so it is...The shorter story...No love, no glory...No hero in her sky" :-(

What will you dance to at your wedding?
Under the Milky Way Tonight- Church
"And it's something quite peculiar...Something shimmering and white...Leads you here despite your destination...Under the Milky Way tonight"

What will they play at your funeral?
Little Girl’s Eyes- Lenny Kravitz
(sniff)

What is your hobby/interest?
World in my Eyes- Depeche Mode
(I do love to travel)

"Let me put you on a ship...On a long, long trip...Your lips close to my lips...All the islands in the ocean...All the heavens in the motion...Let me show you the world in my eyes"

If you could do anything right now, what would it be?
Right Down the Line- Gerry Rafferty

"I just wanna say this is my way...Of telling you everything I could never say before...Yeah this is my way of telling you that everyday I'm loving you (so much more)...Cause you believed in me through my darkest night...Put something better inside of me, you brought me into the light...Threw away all those crazy dreams, I put them all behind...And it was you, right down the line."

What do you want most of all?
I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight- Cutting Crew
(Figuratively-yes! Ha ha)

"Oh I, I just died in your arms tonight...It must've been some kind of kiss..."

What is your greatest fear?
Changes- Deftones
(I am afraid of change and having my wings plucked)

"I took you home...Set you on the glass...I pulled off your wings...Then I laughed"

What is your darkest secret?
Dark Machine- Paul Oakenfield (Swordfish)

"(She) exists in a world beyond your world...What we only fantasize... (She) does...(She) lives a life where nothing is beyond (her)... nothing is beyond (her)...For all (her) charm and charisma, (her) wild and expensive toys... (she's) a driven, unflynching, calculating machine."

(Interesting... I may put that on my fridge)

What is your favorite thing in the world?
Pure Love- Zucchero & Co.
(That worked out well!)
"One day I will open your eyes... Underneath the stars ...Beneath the crescent "

If you could have one wish, what would you wish for?

Tiny Dancer- Elton John
(ha ha—not sure what I’d do with a tiny dancer. Barshinkov maybe?)

"But oh how it feels so real... Lying here with no one near...Only you and you can hear me...When I say softly slowly..."

What is your theme song?

Disarm- Smashing Pumpkins

"And what I choose is my voice..."

The next time you hear this song (aside from now, that is), you must dance:
I Ran (so far away)- Flock of Seagulls
(LOL—I think I usually dance when I hear it anyway)

"And I ran, I ran so far away....I just ran, I ran all night and day....I couldn't get away."

What will you post this as?
Popular- Nada Surf

"Every boy...every boy in the whole world could be yours... If you'll just listen to my plan... The teenage guide to popularity"

Win Perfect Chemistry ARC!!!

2008-12-11T06:41:00.000-08:00

OMG!! When Simone Elkeles told me she was working on a rap video for her upcoming book, Perfect Chemistry, I wasn't sure what to think. But it's out now and I think it is the coolest thing ever!! So be sure to go check it out at her website, you won't be disappointed:

www.simoneelkeles.net

Okay--well you might be a little disappointed because the book isn't out yet (will be soon! 12/23)--but guess what I have???? And Guess what you could win???

That's right--I have a Advanced Reader's Copy (it's a book) that I'll be giving away--all you have to do to be entered to win is leave a comment (deadline midnight 12/14/08) using any Spanish word you know!

Example- "I'd love to win and promise not to read it while in el bano"

Here's a little more about Perfect Chemistry:

When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

SIMONE ELKELES has written three young adult novels, including Leaving Paradise, a Book Sense Pick. Simone was recently named Illinois Author of the Year by the Illinois Association of Teachers of English. She lives in Illinois, with her family. www.simoneelkeles.net

Winner!

2008-12-03T09:39:00.000-08:00

Congrats LIV!

You've won the collector's edition of Twilight!

Please email me your mailing details

brooke(at)brooketaylorbooks(dot)com

Weekend Recap

2008-12-01T06:45:00.000-08:00

First off-- deadline on the collector's edition of Twilight contest ending soon (Dec 2nd Midnight) go here to enter: http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/11/twilight-contest-no-edward-h8ers.html

Okay, so it was a bizzy bizzy Thanksgiving break. I had two huge meals in like 6 hours. They were essentially the exact same meal. I hurt still. My experimental pumpkin squares thingy was a big hit. It was something they had at Williams-Sonoma, so of course it was good. But for a minute there I thought I'd screwed it up because the crumbly crust business wasn't looking crumbly. Anyway, it was yummy.

On Friday I went to see Twilight! At long last! But... I had a hard time really getting into it and enjoying it and I think it kind of missed the mark somewhere (um--the cheeze factor?!?). Maybe it's just because it followed the book so closely that I knew everything already, but even so it just doesn't hold a candle to other cool supernatural teen flicks like Lost Boys or The Covenant. I did like Edward (was there any doubt?) and I actually like Bella better now (but I still don't get why Edward is so in love with her ???). My favorite character was her dad, he was hilarious. And most of my favorite scenes in the book were also my favorite scenes in the movie. I think it would've been better if it were told from Edward's perspective, and in that way not follow the book so closely and also really up all the emotions and the vampy coolness. I'm glad I went to see it and I think any Twilight fan should at least once. But don't expect it to change any of the haters' minds.

In other exciting news--I rode my two young horses for the first time on Saturday. They've been at the trainer's for the past two months. It was so exciting. They did so well. I can't wait to go trail riding on them here soon. Maybe this weekend if the weather's decent.

Sunday was my B-day and we went to The Cheesecake Factory--yum! But, um...still freaking stuffed from Thursday.

Contests!

2008-11-24T07:31:00.000-08:00

You have 'till next Tuesday to enter to win a collector's edition of Twilight: http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/11/twilight-contest-no-edward-h8ers.html

I have yet to make it to the movie--so please tell me if you have and what you thought!!

ALSO: Win UNDONE + other awesome books @ Terri Clark's blog: http://terriclark.livejournal.com/

And lastly--NCTE was a blast. I was only there for like a day and a half, but I met my editor who I love and some of the Walker/Bloomsbury staff who are sooo much fun, I signed books and even had a line at one point (3 people is a line, right?) and I got to have dinner with super famous authory types--like Justine Larbalestier who is pure awesome and we both share a debilitating allergy that once scarred us but now has given us the courage to live fuller, happier lives--so we bonded over the traumas & trials of that.

But what you should be excited about is the ARCs!! Yes, I grabbed up as many as I could and will be giving them away in contests for the next several weeks. So be watching for more info on that!

Twilight Contest--No Edward h8ers!!

2008-11-18T06:21:00.000-08:00

ALERT: DIANA DANG please cover your eyes!!

It's TWILIGHT week!!! Woohooo!!! And to celebrate I'm giving away a Collector's Edition of Twilight "featuring a ribbon bookmark, cloth cover, ragged edges, new chapter opener designs, and a beautiful protective slipcase, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike." (From Amazon's product description)

I'm kind of a sucker for that cloth cover and ragged edges business, so naturally I had to get my own copy. But I also got a copy to give away. The only catch--you have to be on Team Edward--no Edward h8ers!!! So leave a comment telling me why you love you some Edward (deadline December 2, midnight CST) and you'll be entered into the random drawing!! SQUEE!!!

Edit: Spread the word on your LJ/Blog for an extra entry! Thanks!!

Casting

2008-11-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Friday I'm going to be at NCTE with fellow 2K8ers, and we'll be giving a workshop to anywhere from 0-120 English teachers. I'm a little bit nervous. Public speaking is not something I'm good at. I'm not even all that good at private speaking... But I'm am excited about my topic which is basically ways to look at books through modern eyes. And while getting prepared for my workshop, I decided it would be easier to have a blog all set up with examples of these new ways fans are connecting to books or authors are connecting with fans. One of the entries was doing a casting call--so in the spirit of that I give you some ideas for characters in Undone:

Kristen Stewart as Kori: dark, troubled, guarded, tough.

Ellen Page as Serena: cynical & sarcastic on the outside, vulnerable & innocent on the inside.

Thomas Dekker as "Becks": solid & soulful, sweet but not so innocent.

Taylor Kitcsh as Shay: Sexy, dangerous, bad boy with a conscience (Shay takes his shirt off in Undone, too--just sayin')

Win & Giggle

2008-11-13T12:45:00.001-08:00

First: Run quick and comment for your chance to win UNDONE! Thanks Mrs. V!!

http://mrsvsreviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/brooke-taylor-interview-and-giveaway.html

OK--now on to the giggle--Thanks Georgia for the tip off on JABBIT (Judge A Book By Its Trailer blog). I'm sure it will be a great time suck for me, but must share one of the first gems (it's funny, because it's true):

Quick Question--Book Trailers

2008-11-10T12:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone--

I'm trying to put together a quick list of awesome YA (and MG if there are any) book trailers--ones that really capture the essence of the book or really made you want to go out and buy it. So if you have some favorites, let me know--include the url if it isn't too much trouble.

Besides Undone's (ahem) I have Forest of Hands and Teeth & The Adoration of Jenna Fox--I'd love to include some really funny ones as well--but if you could help me out that would be awesome.

This is for a workshop I'll be giving--it's for English teachers.

Chillz!!!

2008-11-06T14:00:00.001-08:00

This one will be coming to a big screen one day, mark my words!

Yay Carrie!!!

Don't forget!

2008-11-03T13:26:00.001-08:00

GO HERE & ENTER!

http://urbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2008/10/better-late-than-never.html

Wasting time or research?

2008-11-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

Look who found a new time suck!!

to my haters by brooketaylorbooks

Took a little practice to get used to finding images and moving them around--my next one will be a collage for my WIP MC! This one fits Kori from UNDONE pretty well. And yes--a few Edward images because November 21 is coming!!! (And sadly I will be at a fancy dinner as opposed to a cram-packed theater--but one I will tell y'all all about, because it's going to be very interesting!

Winners Announced + Roxy the Rabbit!

2008-10-31T09:46:00.000-07:00

Roxy went to obedience class last night dressed as a bunny :-)Fairy Week Winners are!!!

GRAND PRIZE Winner ANGELA
(aka Library Girl Reads)

Signed ARC FAIRY LUST by Cyn Balog
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Kin (Good Neighbors) by Holly Black
Handmade Amethyst Faerie Wings (picture below)
Glamourkin pendant-"In the Court of Dark Shadows" (It is very very hard for me to give this one up, the only reason I even can is that I have one that has "She Comes Undone" on it.) Check the whole series out here.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith Strangeling print- "Lost but Not Worried"
Fairy wand with Skull detail
Halloween tricks and treats

Prize Pack #2 Winner EMILYHAINESWORTH (Lj):

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Black/Blue Faerie Wings (not shown/store bought)Glamourkin pendant-"She comes to the woods at the darkening hour" (not shown)Jasmine Becket-Griffith Strangeling print- "Camouflage" Fairy wand with Skull detail

Halloween tricks and treats

AND AND AND.... with a whopping 675+ entries into the Paranormal Powerball

duh duh duh

AMANDA (aka That Teen Can Blog)

BTW--loved her fairy entry: "I believe whenever my brother does something nice for me like buying me book, that it's the work of a faerie."

Personally I need a Spell Check and Grammar Faerie. I'd like a Green-light faerie. Or maybe one who could take the calories out of cupcakes. Speaking of too many calories--I ate too much Halloween candy, got a little buzzy off the sugar and then had the bright idea to put the bunny ears on her butt.

She's got a call into ASPCA.

Last Chance & Win UNDONE

2008-10-29T09:11:00.000-07:00

http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/monster-month-of-giveaways-faerie-week.html

Entry Deadline October 30th-midnight CST! All entries will be rolled into the super awesome and amazing Paranormal Powerball (see list below) to be drawn from the cauldron (seriously, I have one) on Oct. 31!

ALSO & maybe more importantly (ahem)!!

Rachel Vincent, an amazing urban fantasy author who is coming over to the dark side--I mean the YA side--is hosting a chance to win UNDONE + a $15 online gift card for Barnes & Noble!!

To enter, leave a comment on her post (HERE) by 11:59 pm on Tuesday, November 4 .

Paranormal Powerball:

ARC of EVERMORE by Alyson Noel
LILY DALE: AWAKENING by Wendy Corsi Staub
Sleepless by Terri Clark
Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) - Kelley Armstrong
Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block
Red Handed (Teen Alien Huntress) by Gena Showalter
and
Stake That! (The Blood Coven) by Mari Mancusi
(all in a "Wish Me Monsters" tote bag)

BRRRRAINS! + chance to win Undone

2008-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

First off--I had soo much fun reading all of your comments--there were many many potential zombies with Bill Gates on the taste buds. And a few who would go after boyfriend stealers and the like. Clearly becoming a zombie is not for the squeamish, so I do hope that those of you who had trouble with the idea are never put in this situation. Personally, I don't even like cauliflower, so it would be hard for me as well. That said, the brain I'd most want to eat would be the jerk who abused my mustang Mari. Although, one could argue that he probably doesn't have much of a brain. Strictly for flavor, I think I'd go for Goldie Hawn's because I bet hers tastes like cotton candy. (And I love her for it!!)

WINNERS OF ZOMBIE WEEK ARE...

Prize Pack 1:
ARC! You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
Zombie Blondes by Brian James

!!KissOfParadise!!

Prize Pack #2:
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks

!!JustBlindedBook Reviews!!

If you didn't win, don't worry--all entries will be dropped into the Paranormal Power Ball cauldron, a winner will be hand drawn from said cauldron on Halloween! There is also the Faerie Week contest that just started yesterday--scroll down as I am too lazy to get the linkie-doo.

ALSO--Please watch Kelly Parra's Secret Fates blog (http://secretfates.blogspot.com/) for a chance to win UNDONE -- I believe it will go up tomorrow (Saturday). Good Luck!!

Monster Month of Giveaways--Faerie Week!

2008-10-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

***EDIT: The deadline for the Faerie Week contest is OCT 30th, sorry for the earlier mistake! Darn those mischievous Faeries!!

***ZOMBIE week ends in a few short hours--deadline Oct 23 midnight***

!!!!WIN!!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!

I can't believe we're finally to Faerie Week! Seems like I've been wanting to post this contest week forever!! And you know what else will be like forever? Having to wait for Fairy Lust to come out--because it won't until like the end of June. Is that not the most cruelest thing you've ever heard?!?! I know!

Which is why, Auntie Brookie is going to be your super.cool fairy blogmother! (the dot was a typo, but I kind of like it(dot)love it. Huh?Huh? A new catch(dot)phrase maybe? No? You want me to stop right now? Fine.)

So, anyhoo--These ARCs are so brand spanking new the wings on the cover are still wet and Cyn Balog only has a few, but since she's also super.cool she's giving a signed one to our Grand Prize Winner! Squee!!!!

So how do you win, you ask--very simple--you leave a comment in which you answer one or both of the following questions (Deadline to enter Oct. 30, midnight CST):

1. In the spirit of How to Ditch Your Fairy (featured in Prize Pack #2!!!)--If you could have a personal fairy, what would their special powers be? (For instance in Justine's book the MC has a Parking Fairy who makes sure she gets the very best parking spots)

2. Tell me about something that has happened that you believe to be the work (or mischief) of faeries.

All entries will automatically roll over into the Paranormal Power Ball cauldron--for more info on the Power Ball prize or how to earn lots of extra entries go here and here!

Fairy Week Prize Packs:

GRAND PRIZE:
Signed ARC FAIRY LUST by Cyn Balog
Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
Kin (Good Neighbors) by Holly Black
Handmade Amethyst Faerie Wings (picture below)
Glamourkin pendant-"In the Court of Dark Shadows" (It is very very hard for me to give this one up, the only reason I even can is that I have one that has "She Comes Undone" on it.) Check the whole series out here.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith Strangeling print- "Lost but Not Worried"
Fairy wand with Skull detail
Halloween tricks and treats

Prize Pack #2:
How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier
The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones
Black/Blue Faerie Wings (not shown/store bought)
Glamourkin pendant-"She comes to the woods at the darkening hour" (not shown)
Jasmine Becket-Griffith Strangeling print- "Camouflage"
Fairy wand with Skull detail
Halloween tricks and treats

FAIRY LUST by Cyn Balog:

Morgan Sparks and Cam Browne are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah- they're totally hot for each other.

But a week before their joint Sweet Sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin Pip comes to stay, and Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away.

When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked to discover the source of Cam's distance isn't another girl- it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously. A fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King.

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny, and if their “perfect” love can weather an uncertain future.

Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater

Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand - one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass - a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky - and equally dangerous - dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre.Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind. "Lament" is a dark faerie fantasy that features authentic Celtic faerie lore, plus cover art and interior illustrations by acclaimed faerie artist Julia Jeffrey.

***Maggie will be sending the winner a signed book plate as well!! YAY!

Kin (Good Neighbors) by Holly Black:

Rue Silver's mother has disappeared . . . and her father has been arrested, suspected of killing her. But it's not as straightforward as that. Because Rue is a faerie, like her mother was. And her father didn't kill her mother -- instead, he broke a promise to Rue's faerie king grandfather, which caused Rue's mother to be flung back to the faerie world. Now Rue must go to save her -- and must also defeat a dark faerie that threatens our very mortal world.

How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier:

Welcome to New Avalon, where everyone has a personal fairy. Though invisible to the naked eye, a personal fairy, like a specialized good luck charm, is vital to success. And in the case of the students at New Avalon Sports High, it might just determine whether you make the team, pass a class, or find that perfect outfit. But for 14-year-old Charlie, having a Parking Fairy is worse than having nothing at all—especially when the school bully carts her around like his own personal parking pass. Enter: The Plan. At first, teaming up with arch-enemy Fiorenza (who has an All-The-Boys-Like-You Fairy) seems like a great idea. But when Charlie unexpectedly gets her heart’s desire, it isn’t at all what she thought it would be like, and she’ll have resort to extraordinary measures to ditch her fairy. The question is: will Charlie herself survive the fairy ditching experiment? From the author of the acclaimed Magic or Madness trilogy, this is a delightful story of fairies, friendships, and figuring out how to make your own magic.

The Faerie Path by Frewin Jones :

Swept away into a court of magic and beauty, she discovers she is Tania, the lost princess of Faerie. Since Tania's mysterious disappearance five hundred years before, Faerie has been sunk in darkness and gloom. With her return, Faerie comes alive again as a land of winged children, glittering balls, and fantastic delights. But Tania can't forget Anita's world, or the boy she loved there.

Torn between two loves and between two worlds, Tania slowly remembers why she disappeared, and realizes that she is the only one who can stop a sinister plan that threatens the entire world of Faerie.

These reminded me sooo much of the gorgy ones on Cyn's cover--if I'd kept them for myself I'd wear them when baking cupcakes or affix them to the top of my bookshelf. *sheds a tiny tear of jealousy for the winner*
Love these prints! This one reminds me of Kelly Parra's Graffiti Girl

The skull detail makes the wand, don't you think?

GOOD LUCK to all and THANK YOU for commenting and spreading the word!

Ghost Week Winners!

2008-10-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

Ghost Week Winners Announced & Powerball Prize info!!!

***If you didn't win--have no fear, Paranormal Powerball is almost here!! All previous entires , including bonus chances, have gone into the cauldren for the Oct. 31st drawing!***

SO FAR the Powerball has the following books:

ARC of EVERMORE by Alyson Noel

LILY DALE: AWAKENING by Wendy Corsi Staub

Sleepless by Terri Clark
Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) - Kelley Armstrong

Old Magic by Marianne Curley

Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block

Red Handed (Teen Alien Huntress) by Gena Showalter

and

Stake That! (The Blood Coven) by Mari Mancusi

(all in a "Wish Me Monsters" tote bag)

Want to win? Want to increase your chances? When you enter the weekly contests, like this week's Zombie Book Giveaway or Faery Week which starts tomorrow!!--remember to post on each of my blogs: Brooke Taylor's Blog, Brooke Taylor Books MySpace, Brooke's Books Live Journal--that's 3 entries right there--and seriously my poor LJ and MySpace have been neglected by many of ya'll. Please show them some love too!

Want 5 more chances? Post about my Monster Month of Giveaways on your blog/website/whatever! Here's all the info:

http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/09/monster-month-of-giveaways.html

BONUS!! Want 5 more chances? Sign up to "follow this blog" --and if you're already following it and have entered the contest you automatically get 6 entries and a BIG
THANK YOU!

Want to win my book UNDONE??? Be watching Rachel Vincent's blog in the next week or so--I'll post more when I have a linkie-doo and on Saturday Kelly Parra will be hosting a giveaway on her Secret Fates blog extravaganza (check it out now if you haven't already--she's giving away books every day!!!!)--and UNDONE is all about secrets and fate--so what a perfect match, eh?

OKAY--now for the winners of Ghost Week! Grand Prize: DIANA DANG!

After much deliberation Diana picked Prize Pack #2(Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz & Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley ) to go along with an ARC of Shadowed Summer

which means...

PRIZE PACK #1 (Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer & A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb) goes to JADED BEE!!

Whoo hoo! Congrats!! And Good Luck to those still in it to win it!

WIN!

2008-10-21T06:36:00.001-07:00

WIN awesome Zombie Book prize packs! Here's the linkie-doo:

http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/monster-month-of-giveaways-zombies.html

ALSO! I have exciting, no EXCITING news about the Paranormal Power Ball which will be drawn on the 31st! An awesome new ARC has been added to the pot. I'm very very jealous of the winner of this prize, in fact there was a time in my life I would have selfishly held on to such a lovely, shiny object--but this is a MONSTER MONTH of GIVEAWAYS--and I will not hold out on ya'll!

EVERMORE by Alyson Noel

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

HUGE THANK YOU!!! TO ALYSON!!!

Also added to the pot courtesy of my awesome publisher WALKER: LILY DALE: AWAKENING

Starting on Thursday it is Faerie Week--I have a few books on the for-sure list, but if you have requests, I'd love to hear them--so far I'm super super psyched to announce Cyn Balog has been so freaking awesome to donate a signed, fresh-off-the-presses ARC of FAIRY LUST!! Dude--it won't even be out until summer 09! Who can wait that long?!?!

ALSO--Afraclose, please contact me about your Vampire Week prize:-) Thanks!!

Monster Month of Giveaways--ZOMBIES!!!

2008-10-16T08:33:00.001-07:00

***Last chance to enter Ghost Week Giveaway!***

!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!WIN!!!WIN!!!

TO ENTER leave a comment with the answer to the following question:

If you became a Zombie tomorrow, whose brain would you most want to eat and why?

Deadline Oct 23 midnight CST. For extra chances to win click HERE for details!

***All entries will be automatically entered to win the Paranormal Powerball***

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, which means she’s part-time shrink to a bunch of dead people with a whole lot of issues.

All Megan wants is to be normal—and go to homecoming, of course. Unfortunately, it’s a little difficult when your dates keep getting interrupted by a bunch of slobbering Undead.

Things are about to get even more complicated for Megan. Someone in school is using black magic to turn average, angsty Undead into flesh-eating Zombies, and it’s looking like homecoming will turn out to be a very different kind of party—the bloody kind.

Megan must stop the Zombie apocalypse descending on Carol, Arkansas. Her life—and more importantly, homecoming—depends on it.

Prize Pack 1:

ARC! You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay

Zombie Blondes by Brian James

Prize Pack 2:

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters
Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks

Both Prize Packs include:
Zombie Socks Zombie
Whack A Zombie desk set (what better way to de-stress than honing your zombie killing skills?)
What Would a Zombie Do (Don’t know whether you should plod, moan, drool, or hunt the living? Consult the spinner)
Graveyard Cookie Decorating set
Brain Ice/Jell-O mold
Zombie Finger Puppets donated by the awesome Carrie Ryan whose zombie book The Forest of Hands and Teeth will be coming out in March 2009
Zombie Survival Kit donated by Amanda Ashby whose zombie book Zombie Queen of Newbury High will be coming out in March 2009.
Brain Suckers & More Halloween candy-n-stuff

Love Brains Tote Bag

Zombie Blondes by Brian James

From the moment Hannah Sanders arrived in town, she felt there was something wrong.
A lot of houses were for sale, and the town seemed infected by an unearthly quiet. And then, on Hannah’s first day of classes, she ran into a group of cheerleaders—the most popular girls in school.
The odd thing was that they were nearly identical in appearance: blonde, beautiful, and deathly pale.But Hannah wants desperately to fit in—regardless of what her friend Lukas is telling her: if she doesn’t watch her back, she’s going to be blonde and popular and dead—just like all the other zombies in this town. . . .
Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He's strong and silent...and dead.

Zombies Calling by Faith Erin Hicks (graphic novel)

Joss's life sucks. She's in the middle of university exams, up to her neck in student loans, and when she's attacked by zombies, her roommates have the nerve to think she's making it up. But when the zombies turn out to be terrifyingly real, only Joss knows how to survive the undead invasion: by following the Rules of Zombie Movies.

Ghost Giveawy Extra Entry Opportunity!

2008-10-15T09:11:00.001-07:00

Okay--one more ghost story, because I'm sooo loving everyone's ghostly entries in the Ghost Week Giveaway! (enter now--you could win a RARE ARC of SHADOWED SUMMER by Saundra Mitchell--among other super cool prizes--awesome, right?!?! Scroll down to enter!)

So one year for my birthday (Nov. 30) I wanted to take all of my friends up to our lake cabin for a sleepover weekend. We were probably 12 or 13 years old. It was pretty cold and rainy and at the time we were pretty obsessed with playing with the Ouija board and trying to find out which of the eighth grade boys were going to be our future husbands.

So naturally, as the sun fell and darkness rose up, we fished out the board and started asking questions. One of the ghosts was a little whack. He seemed to be asking us questions. Kind old dirty old man questions, specifically about one of my friends.

Now, I should mention that we all felt like one of the girls was moving the eye-thing. The Ouija board only seemed to work for her. *cough* wasn't me *cough* However, with this ghost it didn't seem to matter whose fingers were on it. It moved and it moved fast. It was starting to scare us, always asking about--we'll call her Suzy. And Suzy was not amused. We couldn't get him to go away.

I went up and and asked my mom what we should do. (How cute, right?) Mom suggested we put the Ouija board in the freezer. We all laughed, but gave it a try. About 30 minutes later we pull it out and asked if he was still there. He was! We asked if he was cold, LOL. He was! We asked him to leave. He asked us about Suzy. We put him back int he freezer. This last most of the evening. His responses got slower and slower, but he was always there.

I'm pretty sure that we sold with lake house with the Ouija board still in the freezer. I wonder what the new owners thought.

Does anyone else have spooky Ouija board stories--share one for an extra entry in the giveaway?

Still Time!

2008-10-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

Share a ghost story/spooky moment to win awesome prize packs with books like Ghostgirl, A Certain Slant of Light, Project 17, Must Love Black! Grand Prize includes an ARC of Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell!!!

http://brooketaylorbooks.blogspot.com/2008/10/monster-month-of-giveaways-ghost-week.html

Boo-Yeah!

2008-10-10T12:00:00.001-07:00

Vampire Week Winners & My Ghost Stories

2008-10-10T09:47:00.000-07:00

First off--sooooooo loving all the wonderful ghost stories everyone is sharing for the Ghost Week Giveaway! OMG--the one about the clown that turns around totally freaked me out--clown creepy me out. I think there was a string of prime time scary clown movies when I was a kid or something.

Anyway, I've got a handful of stories to share as well, so I'll spread them out all week long... but my first one is an actual ghost sighting.

The Tooth Fairy: I was probably 7 yrs old and had just lost a tooth. In those days, I had a hard time sleeping in my own room alone and one of the tactics my parents used to keep me out of their room was to tell me that the tooth fairy wouldn't visit me if I wasn't in my own bed.

Okay--so I put my tooth under my pillow and go to sleep, but something wakes me up and I decide that the money isn't worth it and grab up my pillow to go sleep with Mom. Well, under my pillow is the tooth and the money--and in my doorway is a lady--white dress, see through body--the typical package. I follow her down the hall. You see, I'm not scared so much of ghosts as real life burglers and madmen and such. So anyway, I was toddling after the ghost and she goes into my parents room and disappears into the wall beside/behind an armoire-thing they had.

I never saw her again, but once I had this horrible nightmare while napping in my parents bed. I was engulfed in flames and it was very real, I woke up covered in sweat.

House of Night Winners!!!

HOK Prize Pack #1: Afraclose

HOK Prize Pack #2: Book Spot

YAY!!! Congrats and please email me with mailing addy at:

Brooke (at) BrookeTaylorBooks (dot) com

If you didn't win, hang in there--your entries will automatically be put into the giant black cauldren and you could win the Paranormal Powerball on October 31st!

Monster Month of Giveaways--Ghost Week!

2008-10-09T06:53:00.000-07:00

***Don't forget to enter the Vampyre Week giveaway***

!!!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!WIN!!!!!
SUPER GRAND PRIZE PACK:

Advanced Reader Copy of Saundra Mitchell's February 2009 debut novel + your choice of Grand Prize Pack 1 or 2 (described below).

To ENTER: Leave a comment telling about a haunted place in your town, a ghost you've seen, so something that scared the beejeezzies out of you (books count of course!!).
Deadline Oct 16 midnight CST

For extra chances to win click HERE for details!

***All entries will be automatically entered to win the Paranormal Powerball***

ARC!ARC!ARC!
Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Iris is ready for another hot, routine summer in her small Louisiana town, hanging around the Red Stripe grocery with her best friend, Collette, and traipsing through the cemetery telling each other spooky stories and pretending to cast spells. Except this summer, Iris doesn’t have to make up a story. This summer, one falls right in her lap.

Years ago, before Iris was born, a local boy named Elijah Landry disappeared. All that remained of him were whispers and hushed gossip in the church pews. Until this summer. A ghost begins to haunt Iris, and she’s certain it’s the ghost of Elijah. What really happened to him? And why, of all people, has he chosen Iris to come back to?

Ghost Week Grand Prize #1:

Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

String of Ghost Lights

Ty Ghost Bear "Sheetsies"

Fuze Magic "Haunted" Quartz Necklace

Ghost key chain & more fun ghostly goodies

Halloween Tattoos and Candy

Ghost Marshmallow Peeps

Lighted ghost bobble headband

Haunted Magic 8 Ball

Ghost Week Grand Prize #2:

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

String of Ghost Lights
Ty Ghost Bear "Sheetsies"
Fuze Magic "Haunted" Quartz Necklace
Ghost key chain & more fun ghostly goodies
Halloween Tattoos and Candy
Ghost Marshmallow Peeps
Lighted ghost bobble headband
Haunted Magic 8 Ball

Must Love Black by Kelly McClymer

NANNY FOR 10-YR-OLD TWINS. MAINE COAST. OWN ROOM & GENEROUS SALARY. MUST LOVE BLACK. "Must love black?" Sounds like a coffee-loving, seclusion-seeking goth girl's dream job. Philippa isn't fazed by the fog-enshrouded mansion on a cliff, the weirdest twins on the planet, or even the rumors about ghosts, "cause when she meets the estate's hot gardener, Philippa's pretty sure she's found her dream boy, too. Too bad Geoff's already taken by a girl whose wardrobe is head-to-toe pink. Still, Philippa can't get Geoff out of her head. What will it take to lure him to the dark side?

A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you’re dead. Though I could not feel paper between my fingers, smell ink, or taste the tip of a pencil, I could see and hear the world with all the clarity of the Living. They, on the other hand, did not see me as a shadow or a floating vapor. To the Quick, I was empty air.

Or so I thought.

In the class of the high school English teacher she has been haunting, Helen feels them: For the first time in 130 years, human eyes are looking at her. They belong to a boy, a boy who has not seemed remarkable until now. And Helen–terrified, but intrigued–is drawn to him. The fact that he is in a body and she is not presents this unlikely couple with their first challenge. But as the lovers struggle to find a way to be together, they begin to discover the secrets of their former lives and of the young people they come to possess.

Project 17 by Laurie Faria Stolarz

High atop Hathorne Hill, near Boston, sits Danvers State Hospital. Built in 1878 and closed in 1992, this abandoned mental institution is rumored to be the birthplace of the lobotomy. Locals have long believed the place to be haunted. They tell stories about the unmarked graves in the back, of the cold spots felt throughout the underground tunnels, and of the treasures found inside: patients' personal items like journals, hair combs, and bars of soap, or even their old medical records, left behind by the state for trespassers to view.

On the eve of the hospital's demolition, six teens break in to spend the night and film a movie about their adventures. For Derik, it's an opportunity to win a filmmaking contest and save himself from a future of flipping burgers at his parents' diner. For the others, it's a chance to be on TV, or a night with no parents. But what starts as a playful dare quickly escalates into a frenzy of nightmarish action. Behind the crumbling walls, down every dark passageway, and in each deserted room, they will unravel the mysteries of those who once lived there and the spirits who still might.

Ghostgirl by Tonya Hurley

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

And if I should die before I awake,

I pray the popular attend my wake.

Charlotte Usher feels practically invisible at school, and then one day she really is invisible. Even worse: she's dead. And all because she choked on a gummy bear. But being dead doesn't stop Charlotte from wanting to be popular; it just makes her more creative about achieving her goal.

If you thought high school was a matter of life or death, wait till you see just how true that is.In this satirical, yet heartfelt novel, Hurley explores the invisibility we all feel at some times and the lengths we'll go to be seen.

Next Week: ZOMBIES!!!!! OMG!! YAY!

***Sneak Peek at Paranormal Powerball books***

Sleepless by Terri Clark

Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra

Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz

The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) - Kelley Armstrong

+ more!!

The Roxy Report

2008-10-06T07:07:00.000-07:00

I ate too many candy corn pumpkins and got really sick. You'd think that I'd have more self-control by now, but not when it comes to candy corn pumpkins. Of course, now I can't even look at one. So be safe out there this holiday season. Candy corn in moderation only!

Roxy as a wee-spry little thing

(now she is probably about 70 lbs. When standing on her back legs she is about 4 1/2 feet tall!).

So it sucks to be sick but having a crazy puppy makes staying in bed hard. Actually Miss Roxy Pup has been really good. I gave her this huge rawhide bone and protecting it has been a great time suck for her. On Sunday I took her to a new dog park clear across town. A friend of mine had gone on and on about this place, and for some reason when she talked about the big pond and the picnic tables, I got this image in my head of some gorgeous mecca. We pulled up and it was down this industrial street and you pull up right at the shelter kennels--so all the dogs start barking. And of course, it is heart breaking and distressing to have to pass them by. And then right as you go in, they have many of the shelter dog lose in another area and they go crazy barking. My poor puppy looked like fresh meat in a prison. She was scared to death, but followed me past them. We finally made out to the open area, and at first it was like--this is it? It was nothing. But then Roxy jumped in the pond and started swimming. And I don't know--she just had so much fun jumping in and out and swimming around and the other dogs were all so playful. It was great. Until she stole someone squeaker ball swam out to the middle of the pond and left it there. It was a good half hour before the wind carried to shore.

So Miss Roxy Puppy slept really good last night. :-)

Also on the weekend agenda was taking my two youngest horses to a new trainer. My last trainer was awful--not so much with the training but with their care and health. Such an idiot. I could tell the guy had never actually owned a horse--like with the intention of keeping it for the long haul. But when it comes right down to it, it doesn't matter how well trained a horse is if it is dead. IDIOT!!!

Anyway--I really like this new girl, and she really seems to get mustangs and their unique sensitivities--so fingers crossed that my wild girls will be trotting me down the trails very soon!

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

2008-10-03T22:16:00.000-07:00

VAMPIRE BOYZ!!!

Okay, Brody's never played a vampire, but he's rumore to be one.

Monster Month of Giveaways--Vampyre Edition

2008-10-02T08:21:00.001-07:00

!!!WIN!!WIN!!WIN!!WIN!!WIN!!WIN!!!

TWO Grand Prize House of Night prize packs are up for grabs! Leave a comment on this post before midnight (cst) Oct. 9, 2008 to enter. For extra chances click here!

All entries will be automatically entered in the October 31st Paranormal Powerball

(details will be forthcoming, but trust me--it will include tons of books!).

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Prize Pack 1:

Marked (HOK #1) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Betrayed (HOK #2) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Dark Daughters Necklace (the bottom necklace w/ ballchain in the photo below)

Ty Beenie Vampire Bear

Harry Potter Blood Suckers

Black "Claw" Polish

Halloween Tattoos

Halloween Candy

Other Fun Halloween Stuff

ALL in a super cool tote bag that reads: "Never Kill a Boy on the the First Date".

Prize Pack 2:

Chosen (HOK #3) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Untamed (HOK #4) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Crescent Moon Necklace (the top necklace w/ black leather cord in the photo below)
Ty Beenie Vampire Bear
Harry Potter Blood Suckers
Black "Claw" Polish
Halloween Tattoos
Halloween Candy
Other Fun Halloween Stuff
ALL in a super cool tote bag that reads: "Never Kill a Boy on the the First Date"

For more info on the House of Night jewelry collection go here

Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.
Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. Her best friend, Stevie Rae, is undead and struggling to maintain a grip on her humanity. Zoey doesn’t have a clue how to help her, but she does know that anything she and Stevie Rae discover must be kept secret from everyone else at the House of Night, where trust has become a rare commodity. Speaking of rare: Zoey finds herself in the very unexpected and rare position of having three boyfriends. Mix a little bloodlust into the equation and the situation has the potential to spell social disaster. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any tougher, vampyres start turning up dead. Really dead. It looks like the People of Faith, and Zoey’s horrid step-father in particular, are tired of living side-by-side with vampyres. But, as Zoey and her friends so often find out, how things appear rarely reflects the truth…

Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you. Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a close group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead and unMarked. And Neferet has declared war on humans, which Zoey knows in her heart is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel. (Recommended for readers age 13 and older)

*** Next Week's Monster Giveaway theme will be Ghosts! And I'm super psyched to be including an ARC of Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

****WINNERS of the Banned Book Giveaway are Lauren (Shooting Stars Mag) & Paradox! Please contact me with the banned YA book of your choice at brooke@brooketaylorbooks.com. Thanks & Congrats!!

Monster Month of Giveaways!

2008-09-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

Halloween is kind of like my Christmas.

I'm known to send cards, bake creepy cookies, give strange gifts.

& what better way to celebrate a month of Vampires, Ghosts, Zombies, Faeries & the Paranormal than with a MONSTER MONTH OF GIVEAWAYS?!?!

What:EVERY Thursday I will be holding a contest for awesome Halloween gift baskets loaded with cool YA books and themed gifts!

Where: Brooke Taylor's Blog, Brooke Taylor Books MySpace, Brooke's Books Live Journal

When:

October 2-9th: Vampires! Two winner to be drawn for Vampire gift packs--one to include the first two House of Night Books - (Marked and Betrayed) and a Dark Daughters necklace & another with the next two House of Night Books (Chosen & Untamed) with a crescent moon necklace.(plus more fun goodies)

October 9-16th: Ghosts! ARC of Saundra Mitchell's Shadowed Summer! Must Love Black/Project 17/A Certain Slant of Light/Ghostgirl + lots of ghostly goodies!!!

October 16-23rd: Zombies! ARC STacey Jay's You're So Undead To Me, Zombie Blondes, Generation Dead, Zombies Calling

October 23rd-30th: Faeries! ARC Fairy Lust by Cyn Balog!! AND MORE TBA!

October 31st: Paranormal Power Ball! TBA! (Winner drawn from entries to all previous contests)

ARC of EVERMORE by Alyson Noel!!!

plus:
LILY DALE: AWAKENING by Wendy Corsi Staub
Sleepless by Terri Clark
Invisible Touch by Kelly Parra
Unleashed by Kristopher Reisz
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1) - Kelley Armstrong
Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Lia Block
Red Handed (Teen Alien Huntress) by Gena Showalter
and
Stake That! (The Blood Coven) by Mari Mancusi

all in a "WISH ME MONSTERS" tote bag!

How:

Leave a comment on any Thursday Contest Post-only one comment per each blog allowed (so max 3 entries per Thursday)

*BONUS* 5 extra entries: Post this announcement on your blog and comment with link!
*BONUS* 1 extra entry/per week: Post reminder on your blog
*BONUS BONUS* 5 extra entries if you start "following my blog" (if you already are you get 6! and a big Thank you!!)

Thursday Morning Book Club Giveaway!

2008-09-25T06:56:00.001-07:00

Thursday Morning Book Club

Banned Book Edition!

Comment 2 Win books and stuff!

Forever by Judy Blume

"Sybil Davison has a genius I.Q. and has been laid by at least six different guys..."

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

"I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn't try to sleep with that person at that party even though..."

WIN!

Leave a comment about something positive you've taken from a book you've read that has been challenged or banned &/OR tell me what banned book you would like to read.

What you could win: A Banned Book bracelet from ALA & the banned YA (or YA crossover) book of your choice!

Next Thrusday (10/02/08) I'll draw two winners randomly from comments made from this post on blogger, live journal, and MySpace or comment on all three to increase your chances :-)

Banned Adult Books Bracelet: Designed by Carolyn Forsman, the bracelet features The Color Purple, Howl, Go Ask Alice, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, To Kill A Mockingbird, and Annie on My Mind.

Banned Kid's Books Bracelet: Designed by Carolyn Forsman, the bracelet features The Adventures of Captain Underpants, King & King, Annie on My Mind, To Kill A Mockingbird, In the Night Kitchen, Athletic Shorts, and Blubber.

Forks or Bust!

2008-09-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

"For many fans, the line where reality ends and imagination begins is starting to blur, says Michael Gurling, who caught inspiration from the tourism boom and started his own Twilight Tours.

After enlisting a few locals, he asked for help in picking out houses that could serve as stand-ins for the book's famous Forks' stops: Bella and Edward's houses, a field where vampires play baseball. Other locations, such as the police station, where Bella's father works, and the hospital, where Edward's father is a doctor, play their own parts. They chipped in, providing cruisers near which fans may take pictures and reserving a spot for "Dr. Cullen" in the parking lot.

On a recent Friday, Gurling's van headed out of the visitor's center parking lot — packed, as it is most every weekend, with teenage girls. Outside the stand-in for Edward's house, a sign on the door says "Cullens" are volunteering a blood drive."

I wish I lived close enough to do this--I love campy fun. I think it is so cool that the town is having a revival and enjoying the books and the tourism and some of their about Twilight fans are pretty funny. And a side of vampire fangs with your Bella Burger order is pretty clever--But what is too far? The Bella engagement ring maybe?

And more from the town of Forks, WA

Fashion Police--Alive and Well

2008-09-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

"Baggy Pants Bill" House Bill 1626, also known as the “Baggy Pants Bill” states: “It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in public wearing his pants below his waist and thereby exposing his skin or intimate clothing.”

Seriously?

I assume our fine lawmakers are okay with this, though:

I also came across this situation where a teacher is allowed a nose-stud but a a kid gets expelled for snake-bite piercing:

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2008/09/19/6812871-sun.html

When I was in high school the girls wore boy's boxer shorts, I'm pretty sure that was as exposed as anyone ever got. Of course high-waisted jeans were popular (think Saved by the Bell) --I cringe, but yes it is true. I can't bring myself to even show you a picture of the girl's jeans, so I give you this:

See, guys? You can look hot without showing the junk in your trunk.

For more fun than anyone can stand: http://www.thefashionpolice.net/

Now there should be a law outlawing this! (and no, I don't know where you can buy one).

Friday...I'm in Love!

2008-09-18T12:06:00.001-07:00

Okay--maybe not love--but certainly curious...

No...not in the guy, but in his desk. It's a treadmill desk!

What do you think authors? No more "secretary spread"

And just look at her smile! That could be you writing your next best seller! Pacing will never be an issue for you!

No more evil kitty editors sitting on your lap, reading your manuscript and looking at you with disdain! You won't even have a lap! They will be powerless!!

Crap. There's just no stopping Evil Kitty Editors.

The Carrie Diaries!

2008-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

How cool is this? Candace Bushnell is going to be writing about Carrie's teen years--life before Sex and the City!

Author Candace Bushnell is writing two books looking at the Sex and the City heroine's adolescence

The first book will come out in 2010. Bushnell, in a statement issued by her publisher, said, "Carrie in high school did not follow the crowd _ she led it. It was there that she began observing and commenting on the social scene."

Sarah Jessica Parker as a teen

3... YA Books You Should Read

2008-09-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

...before they hit the bigscreen this fall!

Paranoid Park by Blake Nelson

Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Twilight by Stephenie Meyers

This Blog is Simple, Like my Brother-in-law Phil

2008-09-16T06:26:00.000-07:00

Every year, English teachers from across the USA can submit their collections of actual analogies and metaphors found in high school essays. These excerpts are published each year to the amusement of teachers across the country. Here are last year's winners:

1. Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master.

2. His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free.

3. He spoke with wisdom that only comes from experience, like a guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it.

4. She grew on him like she was a colony of e. coli, and he was room temperature Canadian beef.

5. She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up.

6. Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever.

7. He was as tall as a six-foot, three-inch tree.

8. The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM machine.

9. The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't.

10. McBride fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup.

11. From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and Jeopardy comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30

12. Her hair glistened in the rain like a nose hair after a sneeze.

13. The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease.

14. Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph.

15. They lived in a typical suburban neighborhood with picket fences that resembled Nancy Kerrigan's teeth.

16. John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met.

17. He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant, and she was the East River.

18. Even in his last years, Granddad had a mind like a steel trap,only one that had been left out so long, it had rusted shut.

19. Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do.

20. The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work.

21. The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while.

22. He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck, either,but a real duck that was actually lame, maybe from stepping on a landmine or something.

23. The ballerina rose gracefully en Pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant.

24. It was an American tradition, like fathers chasing kids around with power tools.

25. He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells,as if she were a garbage truck backing up.

The Truth about Celeb Authors...

2008-09-12T11:39:00.000-07:00

Nicole Richie is a reality star celebutante, famous for doing pretty much nothing (not that I'm judging!):
Lauren Conrad is a reality star celebutante, famous for doing pretty much nothing (again, soooo not judging!!):
Nicole dated Brody Jenner:

Lauren dated Brody Jenner
Nicole had a highly publicized break up with a blond BFF over an "inappropriate" tape:
Lauren had a highly publicized breakup with a blond BFF over an "inappropriate" tape:
Nicole wrote a "loosely inspired" book about her celebutante status:

Lauren, our favorite girl-next-door-if-we-lived-in-LaLa Land, apparently just signed a 3 book deal to write a series that is "loosely inspired" by her celebutante status:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080912/ap_on_en_tv/people_lauren_conrad

Being a writer myself--I notice the release date for the first LA Candy book is summer of 09--I hope that means she's already finished the first book! Wait--just did a Google and on her very own blog it has the following:

“I run ideas by Lo and I’ll ask for her opinion because I value my friends’ opinions,” says the budding author, who has completed the outline for the first book.

Ay Dios Mio! Only the outline, LC? Most authors with releases in the '09 have already been getting their line edits. Best get crackin'!

Thanks Mandy Writer for the tip off about the newest YA writer on the scene!

3 Things...in Undone

2008-09-09T09:34:00.000-07:00

This is Beau Jo's Pizza in Idaho Springs, Colorado--this is where Serena goes on her date! The pizza is to die for.
This is the infamous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colorado. This hotel was used in the movie The Shining, it is also haunted. I went there when I worked as a Wrangler at a guest ranch in Lyons.
This is Lodo, aka Lower Downtown Denver--and this is where the club is that Bleeder Valve performs at.

I love seeing the real world places that authors bring into their fictional worlds--so I'm tagging any authors who would like to post some of the places they've put in their books--let me know and I'll link ya up to the post! Thanks!!

3 Things....

2008-09-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

that frrrr--eeek me out:

1. Pointy Fences

Perhaps I've watched too many ER-type shows with people coming into the emergency room impaled. It doesn't help that I ride horses and have on occasion been airborne heading toward a fence. But recently when my new backyard fence was being put in, the iron-guy was building my gate and wanted to put Fleur De Lis tips on it and I freaked. I now have a smooth, non-impaling gate and fence. (side note: he actually called them Florida Leaves)

2. Tornadoes. I live in Tornado Alley, we have them all the time, we even have drinking games to go along with our constant tornado coverage--you'd think I would get used to it. (side note: I live very close to a location where one must take two drinks for every time Gary England mentions the street name. )

3. Skinny people (and becoming a skinny person). Okay--this is a recent discovery that perhaps explains why I self-sabotage my dieting efforts. I want to be fit and trim and all that, but skinny people freak me out. Really. I don't like to see bones. When I have dieted, I always get to point where I start to feel like I'm weak and breakable and I panic. I don't like it.
I don't like being heavy, either--but heavy people don't freak me out.

So what freaks you out?

Go. Enter. Win!

2008-08-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

http://www.teenreads.com/features/grab_bag/index.asp#9781601421173

Now I lay me down to sleep...

2008-08-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

I read in bed, so I try to stay away from scary books. Sleepless by Terri Clark is not nearly as cute and campy as the cover may make you believe. I knew this, and yet I still could not put it down. I had to follow Trinity as she she dreamwalked with a deranged killer. I had to know how she would stop him. (I also had to know what would happen with her and the hunky guy sharing her hotel room!). The ending will not disappoint!

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

2008-08-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

Ah.... Orlando....

Thursday Morning Book Club

2008-08-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

The Back-2-School Edition:

The Writing Class by Jincy Willett

"dark comedy...boisterous satire of pseudointellectuals, impotent writers and the adult extension programs of public universities" Plus the main character's lectures "constitute a damn fine guide to writing fiction." --PW

and

“The author mows down worlds of artistic and psychological twaddle with killer sprays of language. Willett is effortlessly, furiously funny. . . . ”---Entertainment Weekly

Not YA...but darkly funny AND a writing guide? How can I resist?

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

Tom Perrotta + Sex Education

'Nuff said.

3 Things....

2008-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

3 Things... You will always find in one of my books:

1. A Horse

I buy a lot of books simply because they have a horse on the cover, but sometimes I find that I've been duped, because there isn't a horse anywhere inside. So, in every single book I will have a horse, somewhere, somehow. It's my small way of giving back all that has been taken...

2. A made up Slang Word

Yes, I secretly hope that my little made up word will catch on and go far in life....

3. The expression "heaved a sigh"

One of my crit partners (*cough* *cough* Jordan *cough* *cough* Dane) had her characters heaving sighs right and left, I just find it funny.

Is there anything you always put in your novels or anything you notice that is funny that you want me to put in mine?

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

2008-08-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

....with Hal Sparks!!!

He's Hot!
He rocks!
He's hysterical!
And nothing makes me fall in love faster than a man in a kilt! Make it camo and add combat boots and aye, baby!

Check it Out

2008-08-14T11:42:00.001-07:00

http://www.myspace.com/teralynnchilds

Thursday Morning Book Club

2008-08-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

With summer almost over (seriously?) and my stint as "Blog Mom" at the 2k8 blog coming to a close, I'm ready to get back to the routine, starting with Thursday Morning Book Club... and not coincidentally a box from Amazon just arrived on my doorstep!

REAL WORLD by Natsuo Kirino:

"Psychologically intricate and astute, dark and unflinching, Real World is a searing, eye-opening portrait of teenage life in Japan unlike any we have seen before."

Those who know me, know I like me some dark and unflinching, throw in psychologically intricate and you have a Brooke Taylor Must Buy.

The Summer of Naked Swim Parties by Jessica Anya Blau:

"Sadly, not a photo essay, but rather a witty account of the agonies and ecstasies of a girl coming of age in late-seventies California." New York magazine

Naked Swim Parties, enough said.

Win it!

2008-08-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

http://terriclark.livejournal.com/

Check it out!

2008-08-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

My cover story at Melissa Walker's blog:

http://www.melissacwalker.com/blog/2008/08/cover_stories_undone_by_brooke.html

All about how boring and stupid my cover ideas were--but in my defense, I had no idea their idea would be so perfect and brilliant! :-P

Slacking Again--Look, it's a PUPPY!

2008-08-05T13:00:00.000-07:00

Ah, yes, I relaize I have not been a very good blogger. And, in fact, I don't have anything to blog about for you. Yes, I will have soon because I had sooooo much fun personal shopping for Breanna in San Fran and I have pictures to pass along of that! But until I get organized, I shall entertain you with pics of Miss Roxy! It was sooooo hard to leave her--it felt like when I left she was this big:

And when I got home she was this BIG:
I swear they grow up so fast! She's getting in her adult teeth, and while I'm not too sorry about those little razors of hers falling out, it does mean she's becoming, well, an adult. Scary! She was wonderful for my Mom (aka Nanna). But then again, she's used to spending the work week at Nanna's. In fact it is so doggy friendly we refer to it as Nanna's Dog Park & Day Spa. Check it out:
Daily soaks in the mud pool (shhh, I think she's sleeping)...
Off leash trail hikes with a refreshing skinny dips in the lake. Cute butt shot, no?

and the WINNER is!!!

2008-07-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

Breanna!!!

http://bisforbooks-bre.blogspot.com/

YAY!!!

Breanna--it is now up to you--start shopping through the amazing YA authors:

like Regina Scott, Teri Brown, and Terri Clark (early edition of Sleepless anyone?), Ally Carter, Simone Elkeles, Kelly Parra, Melissa Marr, Niki Burnham, Tera Lynn Childs, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Marley Gibson, Rachel Hawthorne, Lorraine Heath, Julie Linker, Lynda Sandoval, Dona Sarkar, Gena Showalter (who probably won't have her YA titles there--but I'll totally make it happen somehow!), Wendy Corsi Staub, and probably several more that I missed because the writing was so small--so consult the full list!

Please keep in mind that the authors typically only have their most recent releases on hand--but sometimes will have all of their books. So your list should have at least 12 books in the order of preference, and you can double up on an author--like if you want both Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange AND Melissa Marr has both--then that is fine. But remember--limited quantities and not every book the author has will be on hand because the books are donated by the publisher and this is not held at a book store. Clear as mud?

Okay--take a moment to look over the authors and there books, but be sure to post your list by, like, Tuesday (July 29th) at the latest. Oh and email me at brooke (at) brooketaylorbooks (dot) com with your mailing address!

I'm so looking forward to shopping for you and will be taking lots of pictures :-)