The Adoration of Jenna Fox

What I'm doing: thinking about what I shall watch on the good ol' drv when I'm done here
What still need to do tonight: laundry, bath, and clean up the kitchen (oh joy)
What I'm reading: the 2nd book in the Generation Dead series (I can't remember the title and I'm too lazy to go look)

Since I just recently complained about sometimes being let down by highly anticipated novels, I thought I'd pop in and say that I just finished one fabulous book.  The Adoration of Jenna Fox has been out for a while, and for some reason, I just finally got around to reading it.  I should have read it a long time ago.  It was wonderful.  I literally laughed out loud and then shed a few tears at the end.  That's when you know it's a good book.  If an author can make you laugh and cry, he or she is going something right. 

And again, I am listing another sci-fi book amongst my favs.  I keep claiming that I don't like it, but I'm up to 5 sci-fi books that I love.  Maybe I do like it.  Within reason of course.

Funniest moment in the book:  Jenna wakes up from a coma and can't remember much of anything and though she can still speak, she has forgotten the meaning of many words.  She overhears a guy call another guy a dickhead and decides that dickhead must mean annoying.  Later that evening, when her grandmother is getting on her nerves, Jenna tells her to stop being such a dickhead.  And of course, from the look on her grandmother's face, Jenna quickly realizes that there must be more to that word than she thought.  Too funny. 

I highly recommend it to anyone who reads.  It's a good one!

Cheers!

Sara

FALLEN Book Trailer

We did it!  Our first book trailer is complete and on youtube.  We are so excited!

Here's the web address - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKNNjfbMy3I

I'm going to try to embed it.  Let's see.

The Trouble with Highly Anticipated Novels . . .

What I'm doing: thinking about watching Gossip Girl
What I didn't do tonight: excercise
What I just finished reading: Catching Fire

So, I just finished reading Catching Fire, the highly antcipated 2nd novel in The Hunger Games series.  Here's my problem with getting really, really excited about reading a novel that I've been waiting and waiting for.  I always seem a little let down.  It's like I get all geared up thinking it's going to be the greatest book of all time, and then . . . well, it's not.  Total bummer. 

This has happened to me a lot, and I guess maybe it sucks even more this time because before Catching Fire, I read Shiver, another book I was really excited to read.  And not only did I read them back to back, I bought them back to back (in hardback!).  I can't honestly say that either one would in my top 10 YA favs.  But maybe it was just because I expected so much.  Were they both great books?  Yep.  Were they both page turners?  Yep.  Did they both have great story lines?  Yep again.

I think it's just because I was so fired up to read them that I expected them to blow me away.  This has happened with a few movies for me.  One I can remember is Jerry McGuire.  Everyone raved and raved about it, and when I watched it, all I remember thinking is, "Really?"  But then I saw it a few years later and loved it.  It's probably one of my favorite movies. 

The trouble with highly anticpated novels is that I'm never going to read them again.  Books for me aren't like movies.  I read them once and that's it.  So, in my humble opinion, I am totally ruining books for myself.  Had I not been overly excited to read Shiver and Catching Fire, would I have loved them?  Who knows.  Probably.

All I know, is the very best books have been those rare surprises.  I'm not expecting them, and WHAM!  they are the best books I've ever read.  I need some more books like that.

I just started The Adoration of Jenna Fox.  Wish me luck.

Sara

Look what I made!

So much to do, so little time . . .

What I'm doing right now: thinking about vegging out on the couch and watching Heroes Season 3
What I'm listening to: the washing machine go round and round
What I'm reading: Shiver (still!)

So, Staci and I are learning that there is not enough time for all the stuff we need to do.  Here's our little to-do list (and I'm sure I'll forget some stuff because if there is a "real" to-do list some where, I'm not sure where it is):

1.  Website - this has been quite the learning experience; it's a damn shame that one of us isn't a tech-nerd!
2.  Get posters made - we're waiting to receive a high resolution photo of the cover so we get more made
3.  Get bookmarks made - no idea where or how to do this
4.  Find all of our teacher friends and ask them to help us get the word out - in return they will get our undying love, a poster, and some bookmarks

Hmmmm . . . I know there's more.

5.  Oh yeah, make a book trailer - this too should be a learning experience but when I'm done here, I'm headed over to animoto.com to check out their site
6.  Make friends with every librarian in the greater Houston area :)

Oh, I'm sure there is more.  And this is just the stuff that needs to be done, like, yesterday.  It would be so nice if Staci and I were married to some really rich men, and we didn't have to work.  Hmmmmm . . .

Wish us luck, friends!  Oh yeah, any advice on where and how to get this list accomplished, send our way!!!

Sara

Interesting times at the B&N

What I'm doing: relaxing after dinner
What I'm listening to: Barney (oh joy)
What I'm reading right now: Shiver (I'm thinking it's going to be a good one)

Staci and I meet about once a week at Barnes and Noble to write.  Usually if it's not too hot, we sit outside the Starbucks.  We've had some interesting encounters outside the B&N over the last few years and have made some interesting friends out there, including a very large group of Italian men (we've decided in the last months that they may be Greek-we're not really sure, but they speak very little English and are very nice) who play chess constantly and a couple of guys who have very loud trucks and motor cycles (expensive toys).  Lately there has been a group of thirtyish men and one 18ish girl who meet, and they apprear to be some kind of self-help group.  I'm guessing AA.  The girl showed up last week and said she only had $4 and couldn't decide whether to buy cigarettes or dinner.  She apparently decided on cigs because the asked the guys if she could borrow some money.  Those are the regulars, but every time we meet, it never fails that we have to endure one or more people smoking extremely stinky cigars (yuck!) and someone always seems to have body odor.  With all of this, it's amazing we ever get anthing done.

So, last Friday, the most interesting thing yet happened.  Staci and I were just getting going on chapter 13 when a semi-homeless looking man rolled his Sam's shopping cart up to one of the tables near us and parked it.  Inside the cart was a huge black backpack.  He lugged the heavy backpack over his shoulder and walked inside of Starbucks.  Then about 10 minutes later, the man busted through the door (without the backpack!) and took off through the parking lot in the opposite direction from which he came.  And he left his shopping cart.  Staci and I looked at each other, and she says, "Where is his backpack."

So, now we are sitting there wondering if the Starbucks is about to blow up from a homeless guy who is "sticking it to the man".  Not a fun feeling, in case you're wondering.  I looked in the window to see if I could see the backpack, but it wasn't in view.  I called my husband Jeremy, who is a police officer in Webster (the city we were in), and he had the nerve to say, "Well, call the police," which in case the idiot didn't realize, was exactly what I did.  Loser!  Staci went inside to check things out and to look in the women's restroom.  One of the guys we see up there often, asked what was going on, so I told him.  He went to look around the store and in the men's restroom.  The good new was that we had yet to blow up.

A few minutes later, I looked in the window again and saw the crazy guy with his backpack.  He must have come in the B&N front doors.  The crazy guy came out (with his backpack) and proceeded to tell us that he got kicked out because he cussed out the barrista.  He must have stormed out forgetting his backpack.  What a freak!  Thankfully he was just crazy, and not a crazy bomber.

The strangest part was that as soon as he headed towards the parking lot (with his cart and backpack), the wind picked up and I swear the tempt. dropped about 10 degrees.  Everyone was holding down their belongings to keep them from blowing away.  A major storm rolled in complete with quite the lightning show.  Good times.

Being the creative types that we are, Staci and I came up with all kinds of theories as to who the crazy non-bomber (whew!) was.  We definitely feel a short story coming on.

Sara 

Back to School . . .

What I'm doing: relaxing after a very long day at school (classroom is ready!)
What I'm listening to: my husband and son playing baseball in the kitchen
What I still have to do tonight: exercise, laundry, take a shower, get stuff ready for school tomorrow, give Gavin a bath, and probably a few other things I can't remember

So, Staci and I are back to school tomorrow.  A whole new crew of 7th graders are coming, and we are ready . . . I think.  This time of year is always crazy, and now even more so as we try to maintain two jobs at once.  Actually, three.  Teaching, writing, and promoting FALLEN.  So now we have to figure out how to fit it all in. 

I want to welcome any of our students who come and visit our blog, Myspace, and Facebook (see links for MS and FB on the right).  We hope you all follow along on our journey.  This all started over two years ago and the students who were in our class when we started FALLEN are now going to be freshmen.  We hope they find us too.  It's been very exciting and now when our students ask when our book is coming out, we finally can give them an answer. 

Well, wish Staci and I luck as we get back in the swing of things.  And next on our list is our website.  If you have a minute, leave a comment about any suggestion you might have.  All tips are welcome for neither Staci nor I are techno-savvy. 

Don't forget to click the follow button to follow our blog or scroll all the way to the botton and subscribe.  Then an email will be sent to you each time we post something new.  Your support means everything!

Sara