Who Wants to Meet Me at The Max? Go, Bayside!

For the past 6 months, I've been working day and night on the new YABooksCentral.com redesign. I'm not even going to hint at how much work that entailed. It had a lot to do with database tables and redirect scripts and phpAdmin and mySQL and Joomla and a whole lot of other nonsensical words I pray none of you ever need to know.

The closer we got to posting the new site live (which was today -- eep! Go check it out!), the more my stress level inched ever higher. Last night it careened out of control and broke through the thin veil ceiling that was my sanity, thanks to exploding web host servers. (And sub-par Jimmy John's. But that's another topic for another time.)

Finally, this morning, I realized I'd reached my limit. I was officially stressed to the max.

Of course I realized this only after I'd unfurled myself from the fetal position and crawled out from under the piano about 8 times.

That's when it struck me. Not only do I need a safe place to hunker in these times of extreme stress (under the piano is not ideal, just take my word for it), but I need a place that befits the diagnosis: "stressed to the max."

Then something beautiful happened. My hair suddenly crimped itself. I looked down and my jeans were puff-painted and bedazzled. A crazy saxophone solo ripped through the air, my bedroom swirled and tilted, and then I saw it.

The Max.

This is where I need to be today, folks. This is where I will restore my sanity. I think The Max needs to be a real place, don't you? A place where all those weary travelers in the maximum-stress-boat can come to let it all hang out.

Where we can all sip on grape soda from plastic cups with bendy straws.

Where we can eat pizza served by Kelly Kapowski.

Where we can cheer on the Bayside Tigers. B-buh-B-buh-buh-buh-B-Go-Bayside!

And the best part? My booth is big enough for all of you.

Want to join me? I've got room.

So bring your baggage and stress and deadlines and rejections and sad-faces and whatsits and whosits and leave them at the door. (I know you won't recognize The Max from the outside since none of us have ever seen it, but that's okay. I'll tie balloons to the mailbox.)

Come on inside, feel the soothing rhythm of generic 90's background music, and let yourself unwind. We'll have a dance contest (hosted by Casey Kasem, of course), and Slater just might ask you to slow dance to your favorite song on the jukebox.

So who's with me? Who wants to sit in my booth? Tell me in the comments -- and tell me what you want to do at The Max!

It's, like, totally Maxtastic.

 
 

Yo. I Made a Book Trailer.

After several years of making web videos for social media purposes, I finally decided to try my hand at a book trailer. I auctioned one off for a good cause a few months ago, and YA author Tammara Webber won the auction.

I've always done live-action film, so utilizing stock video/audio/images was a different experience for me, but I'm happy with the finished product.

Here's what I came up with for her YA contemporary romance, Between the Lines.



 

GetchaSum: HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire

Not only is Myra McEntire one of the best people I know, her debut novel HOURGLASS is one of my all-time favorite YA books. Hands, elbows, shoulders and knees down.

And it's in stores TODAY.

Go forth and GetchaSum, my friends. You won't be disappointed. 

And if you want to know a few of the many reasons why I wouldn't mind snuggling up to Hourglass again and again, click here.

BEA 2011 Roundup (Finally!)

I'm just now able to post about BookExpo America because it's taken me a week to recuperate.

Yes, folks, BEA is that exhausting. My feet were one collective blister by the end of the week. But I'm so glad I got to meet so many of the publishers I work with over at YABooksCentral.com in person. And so many new publishers I look forward to working with in the near future!

I had an amazing time! Here are some of the highlights:

CA Moulton and I at the Kick-Ass Heroine Panel

At the Kick-Ass Heroine Panel at Teen Author Carnival

Sat real close to Michael Moore. Didn't get his autograph though. ;-)

Attended the Children's Book & Author Breakfast with
guest speakers Katherine Paterson, Brian Selznick,
Sarah Dessen, Kevin Henkes, and emcee Julianne Moore.
I got a copy of each of their books and a signed poster
from Julianne.

Totally geeked out to hear Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) talk
about his new MG novel, WILDFIRE.

Got to hang out at Strand Bookstore for a while. Cool old place!
But I learned a valuable lesson: NYC bookstores don't often have
comfy couches on which blistered-feet tourists can drop.
I'm so spoiled by my suburban Borders.

No, New Yorkers don't mind the gap, they watch it.
I did a LOT of commuting by subway and rail with the
lovely Francesca, who was kind enough to let me stay with
her family in Queens. I got to visit 4 out of 5
NYC boroughs. Not too many first-time tourists can say
that, I'm told!

PIZZZZZAAAAAA!!!!!

LOOOOOOOT!!!!!

My lovely tour guide! She taught me how to be a New Yawkah.
(She doesn't know I'm posting this photo. Let's see how
long it takes for her to tell me to take it down.) Teehee!

The luggage I had to BUY to be able to bring all my book loot home
on the plane. Notice how Cat commandeered it as soon as
I unloaded it.

I also got to see Mindy Kaling and Francesca got to meet Temple Grandin. I got to meet the awesome @thebookcellarx, our teen reviewer at YABC, and had coffee with the amazing Sarah Darer Littman. 

And I wasn't kidding that I'm just now recuperating. After so many hours of non-stop walking, I parked my butt on the couch and haven't moved in 7 days. 

Seh-ven-daze.

Good thing I have so many books to keep me occupied. 

: )

Just kidding. They're all going to my faithful YABC reviewers! Huzzah!