More Covers for Your Covering Pleasure

I just heard from my editor that another round of revisions for my third novel are coming at me within the next couple days, and then I pretty much just have one week to finish them.  Eek!  I hope they aren't too hard.  Maybe I can work on them in the car while we are driving back and forth to hang with all of my cousins that will be in town this weekend.  I hope that doesn't make me barf.  On my revisions.

Now it's time for some more of Julie's Awesome Book Covers.  Behold!

This one is so wrong.  I'm sure it's all part of the book, which probably isn't wrong, but that doesn't change the fact that it's hilarious.  My favorite parts?  The metal poster in the background and the book, "The Sensuous Man" in the pile.

The next Awesome Book Cover contains many nasty hairdos, the worst of all being the woman (is she supposed to be a teenager?) on the left.  I think she's supposed to be a teenager.  In her 40s.

This one really scares me.  That woman on the left?  Mid-clap?  I think she's hiding in my closet.  Ready to clap with that maniacal look on her face.

Sweet dreams!

Cover Up

I'm feeling down and off today, so to help me through these confusing times, I thought I'd share some of the delightful book covers that I have uncovered (lame pun intended) while weeding the fiction section of my library.  You may remember this from last summer's feature "Julie's Most Awesome Book Covers."

First up is this late 80s gem, which has a guy who looks frighteningly like Randy Spelling (aka Tori's brother, aka Steve Sanders' half brother.  If you don't know what I'm talking about, shame on you.)

This next one has a hilarious ponytail man.  He scares me just a little.

This last one is one of my personal faves.  For obvious reasons.

Notable Quotables

Andrew Smith, fellow Feiwel and Friends author and friend, just posted some quotes from letters he received from students after he visited a high school.  It made me think about all of the sweet and wonderful letters I receive from readers of my books.  Did that sound sarcastic?  Because it wasn't.  I have so far only received two negative letters (which is good because I am a total wuss): one from a father who claimed that Get Well Soon made The Godfather look tame (LOVE that) and another from an annoying girl who only wanted to argue.  I don't argue for fun.  Anyway, most of the letters I receive are of a pretty personal nature, due to the personal content of my books, particularly the semi-autobiographical story of Get Well Soon.  Because of that, I will not share those letters with you.  What I will share are some quotes from letters I received from students at a high school at which I spoke a couple of months ago.  I can tell that most of these letters were required by their teachers, but that doesn't make them any less charming or sincere.  I have so many favorite lines that I may continue this story in another post.  Hang on to your donuts.

To set the scene: I spoke at Writer's Week at Fremd High School, where multiple authors come all week long and inspire students with their tales.  I talked to a packed house (at least 500 kids) about how I got into writing, what I was like in high school, and then read some pieces from my novels.  I was a riot.  Read on...

"If you ever get stuck on permanent writer's block, I'm pretty sure being a stand-up comedian would work out pretty well."-- high school guy

"You were also really funny, and I guess over your performance people laughed the most, not because they were making fun of you, but because they had a good time and you had a positive attitude."--not sure if guy or girl based on unique name

"Your stories are actually funny!  They don't sound like an immature teenager trying to be funny."  --high school girl

"My favorite thing about you is that you are very funny and entertaining.  Not once did I lose my focus on you."--high school girl


"You were able to be funny and talk about writing at the same time."--high school guy

Some people were amazed that a person who was once hospitalized for depression could be the way I am.  I'm glad I could change their thoughts on that.  Let's take a gander...

"I thought you were very inspiring to be so honest, and after [being in a mental hospital] was all through, still have a sense of humor.  You took those situations and focused on the happy parts of the story, you looked at the glass half full and stayed upbeat.  You are the perfect example of how people should act- act positive."--high school girl

"Also I learned that if people went to a mental hospital, it does not mean they are going to be crazy after that or weird [says you I'm not weird!]."--same person with complicated name

"I used to think that [mental hospitals] were only for the 'crazies' that had no self control what so ever.  NOW I believe normal people can end up there that just are having some bumps in the road of life."--person with initials for first name, who could be a boy or girl.

This blog post is getting really long, so I will leave you with this last thought from a girl who wrote,
"You seem really down to earth and easygoing.  I think your story inspired a lot of people in the audience who want to be writers one day.  It showed us that you can do whatever you want to do."

Nice.

Challenge Update and a Winner!

Thank you so much to all of my new blog followers!  I rolled a D20 this morning to get my winning number, and it was 9. Skipping past all of my comments brought me to ...  Amy Jo Lavin!  Amy, send me an email @ julie@juliehalpern.com, and let me know which book you would like and your address!  I saw that Amy is a high school teacher, so that's perfect!  Congratulations!

In challenge news, GET WELL SOON is almost up for its big shebang over in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.  This woman, Ann Wentworth, is raising a stink about three books.  She already tried to get WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW, by the darling and brilliant Sonya Sones, banned.  A huge meeting, reading, and waste of everyone's time later, the book was (huzzah!) retained in the middle school.  And yet, Ann Wentworth keeps going.  She is now on to the FOURTH SUMMER OF THE SISTERHOOD.  And then, my book, GET WELL SOON.  You can read all about it here.  The most disgusting piece of this article, well, the most newly disgusting piece, since the older disgusting piece is that she wants to tell other people's children what they can and cannot read, is that now she thinks she and her cronies can tell an educated librarian what to do.  For that I CANNOT STAND.  Maybe you should go get your Master's in Library and Information Science, Ms. Wentworth, and get a job in your own school where people want their children to be sheltered and belittled and disrespected.  For now, it's time to stop wasting taxpayer's and educator's money and time.  And for heaven's sake, stop humiliating your daughter.

Me Interview and You Interview

So far, I am super excited about the questions I have received to pass on to my publisher for the possibility of ending up in the back of the paperback version of INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER. (Deep breath.  Long sentence.)  If you still have question ideas, please submit them to me ASAP!

In other interview news, a new interview with me is posted at Natalie Whipple's site, Between Fact and Fiction.  It was her first author interview, and I think she did a great job.  I hope I did!  And since Natalie has so many followers, I have been inspired to hold a contest!  If you become a follower of my blog and leave a comment telling me so, you will be entered to win one of the following (of your choice!):
-A Hardcover copy of INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER
-A paperback of GET WELL SOON
-An audiobook of GET WELL SOON
You have until Monday morning, May 14 to enter.  Best of luck to ya!

Interview me!

Square Fish, the glorious imprint that puts out the paperback versions of my books, has this great feature in their books where they put interviews with the authors at the end of the books.  GET WELL SOON had that, and the upcoming paperback of INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER will as well.  I have tons of fun doing these interviews with Jessica Tedder over at Square Fish.  She is working on her list of questions right now, so I had this idea of asking my readers if you have any questions you would like to see me answer about NERD or just about being a nerd (which I most certainly am not.  Mostly.) or about anything else.  If so, please ask them here in the comments section, or send me an email at julie@juliehalpern.com.  Maybe you'll see your questions in print when the NERD paperback hits stores next winter!

Rolling

So upon one of my MANY searches for my name on The Goog (that's what I call Google.  OK, not really.  But it sure sounded funny when I wrote it just now!) I came across a super sweet review of INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER.  Actually, it was like a review redux (a word I think I just used correctly, right?) because the author, one Natalie Whipple, already gave a wondrous review a little while back.  So she reviews it again, all gushy and really kind, and then has a contest to win a copy.  Guess how many people entered her contest?

Um, like almost ONE HUNDRED.

Guess how many people I sometimes get to enter MY contests.


One.


I kid you not.

But do check out her blog because she had a super-cute way of choosing the winner.  I am truly in awe of her blog-following prowess.  Wow.

Thank you to Natalie for drawing some lovely attention to NERD.

Your Pamphlet Awaits

This past week has been so full, I don't know where to start!  So instead of paragraphs of me blathering on, I will do another bulleted list.  I do enjoy making a bulleted list.  That is the only time in my life you will ever see me having anything to do with bullets.

• Sonya Sones, the YA goddess and author of four amazing novels written in verse, was artist in residence at my school for three days this past week.  Not only was she fabulous with the students, but I found out we have tons in common (like we both took California road trips on our honeymoons!).  It was amazing talking about being an author with a person who is really an author.  Not that I'm not really an author, but she's, like, you know, famous for it.
• I spent two days at the International Reading Association conference and got to hang with my Macmillan peeps, as well as running into or just watching from a distance a host of incredible authors.  I also bought waaaaay to many books for Romy, each one of them personalized for her.  This kid is going to have a most impressive book collection.  One autograph I did not get: Kevin Henkes.  Dude was like a rock star with huuuuuge lines.
• GET WELL SOON will be going in front of the school board in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in my very first book challenge within the next month.  On the list of books being attacked by the ONE parent, Anne Wentworth, WHAT MY MOTHER DOESN'T KNOW by my girl Sonya Sones was already up and was selected to remain in the school.  I am planning on sending a letter to the superintendent to read to the school board.  First, however, I need to know the specific reason GWS is being challenged.  I'll let you know when I find out!  Lucky for me, I had the very-seasoned in challenges Sonya nearby to help me work on my board letter.  Who better to edit my letter than a woman who has a book on ALA's 50 Most Challenged Books of the Last Decade list?

I could probably go on with my bullets, but it's Sunday morning, and I am not feeling this blog post to be particularly hilarious.  Informative, maybe, but in a pamphlet sort of way.