The Naughty List ARC winner is....

First, let me just say THANK YOU! Really, I was so excited to see all those fabulous comments and I was so grateful for ALL OF THEM. You are amazing!!!!

I had three judges and I didn't envy what they had to do. I know I couldn't have picked. Too much awesome!!!!

Here were the alternative phrase Finalists:

For the love of unicorns: Katie
Merlin’s beard: Mya
Oh, Santa’s panties: tanya seal grant
For the love of squishy fish!: Alexa
Son of a bisquit eater: Amber
What the snapple facts!? Alexa


But unfortunately, I can only have one winner. (And I feel really bad about that!) So, the winner is...... the best alternative swear phrase... the most Naughty List choice is....

"For the love of unicorns!"

As in, "For the love of unicorns, Aiden! They were cheating!"

Congratulations, Katie!! You've just won an ARC of The Naughty List! I hope you love it!! I'll email you shortly to get your address!!!

Again, thanks to everyone who entered! You really blew me away with your fantastic comments!!

Love,
Suz

Holy Cannoli, that's a lot of entries!!!

Wow. Just wow. Thank you to everyone who entered my alternative swear word contest. Honestly, after this, who would ever want to really swear again? This is so much more fun!!!!!

Well, you made my day. THANK YOU!!! I will print out the entries and take them to the secret judges and announce the winner on Monday. It will not be an easy choice. You all really did an outstanding job!!! And thanks to Shooting Stars Mag for letting me participate in their YA Carnival!

The Naughty List will find a new home!!!!!!!! (he's a great snuggler)

Thanks again!! (OMG. Over 100 entries!!!) :-)

Love,
Suz

Contest: Win a signed ARC

Hey, all! So I decided to start a day early since I saw this pretty awesome post on Shooting Stars Mag blog The contest will run from today (Sunday) to Wednesday of this week. Winner will be announced on Friday.

The Contest: In THE NAUGHTY LIST my character has an affection for alternative swear words. Think it's easy to come up with them? Well good gravy, you'd be wrong! In the comment section leave an alternative swear word. Enter one word or phrase per comment but enter as many times as you'd like!

Prize: I only have one, but I really wish I could give more! Sorry! It's a signed ARC of THE NAUGHTY LIST--not out until February 2010. I'll mail it to your adorable self, I only ask that you please let me know what you think!!!

Judges: I'm going to have to let a third party decide this because I know some of you too well. And I don't want to play favorites. (Just kidding, I don't have favorites!) But either a friend or family member will pick their favorite alternative swear word.

Examples: Just a few to get you started: "Great Caesar's Ghost!" "Jiminy Crickets" "By Cleopatra's Crown!" "Good Gravy!"

Okay... YOUR TURN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Contest Starts Monday!

Yesterday I discovered there was no hot water in my house. It was awful! I took a shower in ice cold water, gasping!!!! I think I'm traumatized.

Anyway, Monday will start the contest for THE NAUGHTY LIST signed ARC!!!!! There aren't too many out there, so you can be among the firsts!

I'll post more details on Monday, but basically it's an alternative swear word project! For example:

"Great Caesar's ghost!" or "Jiminy Crickets!"

Now, I'm going to wait for a plumber. Have a good day!

Me and My ARC

After spending a few evenings together, ARCy and I have decided that we should just be friends. You know, you think you know someone from the internet! But in real life, it’s just not the same. Therefore, he needs a new home.

I think it’s time for a signed ARC contest. So I’ll think of something clever in the next few days and you can enter to win. I’ll send you ARCy and maybe you two can make a go of it! He’s really great.

In case you were wondering what THE NAUGHTY LIST is about, here’s a little longer blurb from the back cover. See you soon!

THE NAUGHTY LIST
Tessa Crimson: Cheerleader by Day, Spy by Night

As leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), Tessa’s mission is twofold: pep preservation and relationship salvation. That’s right, Tessa is a head cheerleader whose night job is catching cheating boyfriends in the act! Thank goodness her own relationship with Aiden is strawberry-smoothie purrfect—except for the fact that she’s been concealing her nocturnal habits for, oh, two years.

Aiden suspects something’s up, and his patience is wearing thin. But in the meantime, Tessa’s far too busy to deal with her own romantic roadblocks. The Naughty List is at maximum capacity; because so far, every single suspect on it is 100% guilty.

When sultry Chloe Ferril transfers to Washington High, things only become more catastrophic. Tessa knows this predatory vixen won’t stop hunting Aiden until her claws are planted firmly in his backside…

But Tessa’s in for an even bigger shock when Aiden’s name shows up on The Naughty List, and she’s finally forced to confront the unthinkable: is her own boyfriend just as naughty as all the rest?

I'd like to introduce... MY BOOK!

Well, the Advanced Reader's Copy. Now, tomorrow I'll be more interesting, but tonight I'm going to freak myself out and try to read it. See, we're still in that awkward getting-to-know-you phase.

Notice the new ARC format that Razorbill has! I love it! Oh, and on the back, there's a sneak peek at the cover for book 2!!!

-suz

Suzanne Young--Zombie Hunter

So today the family and I went camping--without the RV. We didn't feel like driving two hours to pick it up, so we just went to the campsite and chilled for the day. Rode bikes. Cooked out. It was awesome.

On the way back we went through a small little town when I saw the sign for an old 1800's cemetary. *smile. I told my husband to stop and busted out the camera. Then I turned to my kids in the backseat and said, "It's time for some zombie hunting."

Pics:

The Friday Temptation: LA SCBWI 2009

I begged the awesome Kim Baker to let me borrow this video. As I documented earlier, I went to the Washington SCBWI conference last month. It was FANTASTIC!!!! I had so much fun! And other than the awesome people, I loved the humor. I mean, I was laughing from start to finish!

Right from the get go, they had a video tribute to the founders of SCBWI, Lin Oliver and Stephen Mooser. Please check it out!

SCBWI Tribute from Kimberly C. Baker on Vimeo.

A HUGE EVENT:Take the Dare, Show you Care!

Amazing author Cynthea Liu is having an unbelievable event! Take the Dare, Show you Care! You can win a SIGNED ARC of THE NAUGHTY LIST! I'm even giving a query letter or partial manuscript critique!! There are 30!!!! authors (and even some agents) participating!!! It's CRAZY!




This is from the press release on Cynthea's blog:

Bio/Media

(Chicago, IL - June 11, 2009) In an unprecedented online event called “Take the Dare: Show You Care” beginning on June 11, 2009, thirty children’s and teen book authors will raise money for Tulakes Elementary, a Title I school in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “Take the Dare: Show You Care” will take place at http://www.cynthealiu.com/ and will be hosted by the event’s creator, author Cynthea Liu, whose debut middle grade novel Paris Pan takes the Dare (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) launches on the same date. All royalties from the sale of Paris Pan during the launch will go to Tulakes, but Ms. Liu believes the event’s main fundraiser will be a one-of-a-kind auction featuring manuscript critiques, virtual author visits, and other special prizes provided by a range of authors in the industry from New York Times bestselling talents to new authors on the verge of publication.

All the details and the great prizes are available here: http://www.cynthealiu.com/showyoucare/

And I'll be updating as we go! So go ahead, Take The Dare!!!!!!

Have a great day!

-Suz

Time off

It's that time of year when school is ending and everyone else begins slacking at work while staring out the window--if you're lucky enough to have one. My family and I love to camp. We have a super sweet RV that we motor around in, trying to find open campsites. In fact, we're going camping this weekend.

Is there anything YOU like to do on your time off? I'd love to try something different.

Do you like to FLASH?

Then come join us over at Flashy Fiction! A new prompt every day and we want YOU to participate! Try out your writing in short spurts, or get yourself warmed up for longer pieces.

We're wonderfully encouraging and not there to critique, just to have a blast!!

Hope to see you soon!

CLICK:

FLASHY FICTION ROCKS!

Open to everyone!

Winners: The envelope, please...

Thanks to all who participated or read A Very NAUGHTY Contest last week. Sophia got the names--seperated by day--in a baseball cap (of course I couldn't find the Easter baskets when I needed them!) Winners were picked at random, although I kind of wish now I could have picked from the best answers. Some of them were fantastic! You are a crafty bunch!!!

Anyway, winners, I'll be emailing you soon!!! Have a great day everyone!

Day 1: Lee Wind
Day 2: Amber at Just Your Typical Book Blog
Day 3: The Book Pixie
Day 4: Kelly
Day 5: Shalonda

Also, Mya over at dissectingperfection posted a YA Summer Playlist! Some awesome authors and bloggers participated (including me, yay!) So check it out! Some great songs for summer!!

Book Trailers--Awesome or Not?

Hey! It's been a while since I made a vlog(one where I'm not dancing about book deals) so I decided with the inspiration of all the fabulous bloggers out there (check out Vania!) that I'd make one.

I'm thinking about book trailers. Personally, I really like them, but what do you think? Do they help sales? Are they just for fun? I think it's both. You?

And what are your favorites? I LOVE the one for The Forest of Hands and Teeth (of course) and I also liked Perfect Chemistry. Look forward to your thoughts!

Now it's time to nurse this hangover... I mean flu virus, and go shopping.

Have a great day! CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED MONDAY!!!!!

A very NAUGHTY contest: Day 5

You and your guy are perfect together--liquid gold! But that doesn't mean that the skank at his house is there to study. How do you find out for sure??

Today is the last day of A Very NAUGHTY Contest. Sophie will draw names this weekend and I will announce and email the winner on Monday. Thanks for participating!

I meant to add to this post an alternative scenario...

He's been caught, confronted and thoroughly dumped. It's time to move on. They say looking good is the best revenge... What do you do?

A very NAUGHTY contest: Day 4

While you were in his room, you noticed his wallet. When you peeked inside, there was a girl's phone number! He swears it not his. What do you do?

A very NAUGHTY contest: Day 3

Okay, so technically you broke up. But still he's been taking you to the movies. Until tonight. But you're pretty sure he's there with someone else.

How do you catch that crafty ex?

A very NAUGHTY contest: Day 2

Wait... is that your boyfriend with a girl from the rival high school? Totally uncalled for! How do you catch him?

A very NAUGHTY contest: DAY 1

Welcome to A Very NAUGHTY Contest: Day 1! Basically, I'm going to drop a scenerio, and in the comments you can tell me the best way to catch the cheating boyfriend! It doesn't have to be long, just clever :-)

Prizes: I have a pretty large bookshelf. It includes books like The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Wicked Lovely series and many others. The winner that Sophie selects will get emailed a list of titles and they can select whatever book they want! And I'll even include a small surprise in the mailing. (I LOVE surprises)

One winner per day--All winners announced on Monday! Now... are you ready? Here it is:


He's gone all the time. He's always late calling you back. And now, you suspect your boyfriend is cheating with your best friend! What's the best way to catch him?



*disclaimer: this contest is in good fun and in no way should suggest ways to catch lying, cheating boyfriends. Also, it is not limited to just cheating boyfriends, but for the sake of time, I tried to narrow it down. Thank you very much for playing.