35

This Thursday, I turn 35. I don't know if it's a big deal yet. My friends, all older than me (I skipped kindergarten, so everyone I grew up with was always older), said it was a hard one. Half way. I thought they meant half way to 70, which seemed funny to think about, but what they meant was that it's half way to FORTY. I guess that's getting somewhere. Maybe I don't mind because I have already lived a very fulfilling life? Not that my friends haven't, but maybe that's what we're supposed to freak out about? Like we're supposed to feel fat if we're size 10s and we're supposed to feel awful when we see an age-appropriate laugh line and we're supposed to feel old when we're forty? The more I say it, the more I am a little worried that I will be upset. I think it's less about looking and feeling older than it is about the passage of time. Because that scares me, and always has. The inevitable. Ig. I'm freaking myself out. So what do I want for my birthday? I want a super long day, where I can spend a million hours with my husband and daughter, no stress about going to work the next day, where I can eat all I want and not get too full or too guilty or too fat, and where the day ends with an amazingly huge book/movie deal that means I won't have to go to work for a few years, at least until Romy is in school, and then I can settle back in at my awesome middle school library job. If I don't tell anyone these wishes, maybe they'll come true? Um, if that's the case, I hope you didn't read this post.

2010!

Good morning, and a Happy New Year to one and all! It's frakking cold out (no, I don't watch "Battlestar Galactica." I probably would like it, but I am not committed to starting a new show right now. However, I am dorkish enough that I know of "frak." So that's the story on that.), and I am getting the blues about going back to work. I love having every day to wake up and play with my daughter. Sigh. Being a working mom kind of sucks.

In the good (no-- great!) news area, I just saw that INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER has made the list of 2009 Cybils Finalists for Young Adult Fiction! How cool is that? Only seven books made the list! And they are all books on my "to read" list. I'm not just saying that. A middle school librarian does have a "to read" list. The winner will be announced on Valentine's Day (also the 10th anniversary of my first date with my husband!). Thank you, Cybils!

In more bookly news, the new novel is coming together. I finished typing it up, so it is technically ready to send to my editor. HOWEVER, I am going to experiment with something, which hopefully won't bomb and be a huge waste of my time. I'll start that after my winter break.

So what have I been doing over break? Let's see: We went to visit the in-laws in South Carolina (I look forward to not being on an airplane or in a hotel room with Romy for a while. Unless, of course, we decide to head to Disney World. I'm always up for that.). I've read a few books: The wonderful, upcoming sequel to LIFE AS WE KNEW IT, THIS WORLD WE LIVE IN (I don't know how Susan Beth Pfeffer spent three books in that scary, depressing, foodless world! I get anxiety just thinking about it); The Duggars' book, 20 and Counting! (I am learning a lot about raising a gigantic family. Which I will never have.), and the book of short stories, SIDESHOW (with a long subtitle that I do not feel like typing). My favorite story was by Cecil Castellucci about, well, something that has always grossed me out: yeast. The whole book got me thinking that it might be time for me to write my circus book. I am somewhat of a circus history buff, and with the horrible news that the Circus World Museum has closed (I still have to call to confirm), it looks like a sign. Stay tuned.

Going out to breakfast now. I have eaten my way through this vacation. I even pulled a box of Swedish Fish out of the garbage yesterday that I originally threw out to stop myself from eating. That worked.

Happy new year! I think it's going to be a really great one.

Jersey Girl

It's snowing outside right now (duh. It's not going to be snowing inside, right?), and it's so insanely beautiful when I have nowhere to be. Now, if it continues (which it is supposed to) tomorrow, that is going to suck for our holiday travels. So is the way of Christmas. All stress and rushing and money and fatness. At least, that's what it feels like right now to this Jewish gal.

In non-weather news, GET WELL SOON has been nominated for a Garden State Teen Book Award! Thanks to Brenda for the tip. To all you teens in Jersey reading my blog, please vote here! Maybe then I can visit New Jersey and stop by the Cake Boss bakery! They call me Buddy. And Buddy can make me a special book award cake! Yeah!

Be sure to visit Teensreadtoo.com to read the new, great review of INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER! Thanks, TR2 (um, do you guys ever refer to yourselves that way?)!

In new book news, I have FINALLY finished typing up my new novel. As some of you may remember, I hand-write (like an idiot, I'm starting to think), and then it takes me forever to retype what I wrote. But I can't have someone else do the typing because I do such much revising. But now that it's done, I think I am going to try something and go back and insert a bunch of new chapters from a different character's perspective. I just feel it will give more insight into why that character did what she did, and it will also show you about the two main characters through this character's eyes. Dunno. We'll see how it works. The book is not super-long, and I have a little over a month before my deadline, so I'm going to play with it.

Happy Hanukkah (over, I know, but I'm saying it anyway)! Merry Christmas! Happy Kwanzaa! Happy New Year!

List of Six

My husband, the magnificently talented Matthew Cordell (you should see the new picture book he is working on for Lauren Thompson! It made me cry last night) has a monthly feature on his blog about his top ten favorite things of the month. I don't feel like committing to doing that right now, but I am always up for a list. So here is a list of things in my brain right now (RIGHT NOW!):

1. The Duggars. I can't get enough of the 18 Kids and Counting family. This morning I saw a 16 kids episode. They have to keep changing the name of the show! Because they keep having kids! The mom looked so different! Bizarre bangs surrounding her face. And the kids all wore matching clothes. That were homemade. Not anymore. TV really has changed them. For the better? Don't know, but I can't stop watching them. I have so many questions I would ask them. Do any of them NOT want to have kids when they grow up? Is Mama Duggar just one big mushball under her clothes? Do all of the girls have their periods at the same time? These questions are all kind of gross. Moving on.

2. The JK Rowling documentary on the Half Blood Prince DVD. It made me love her even more than I already do. It made me remember where I was when I first read Sorcerer's Stone-- how it wasn't even ANYTHING yet-- and then it was EVERYTHING. It made me relate to her as an author. Like, I'm an author, and I really am, because all of the things Jo was talking about with her writing is stuff I can relate to. And I never really thought that before. Or at least, not as much as Jo made me. Magical.

3. My DVR. Yes, I love it. Just like you all promised. We watch stuff and fast forward stuff and demand stuff whenever we want. So excellent.

4. My XM Radio is possessed. Seriously. The programmed buttons keep changing. How does that happen? And yet, I like the channels that it chooses for me.

5. Clementines. I can't stop eating them. Not like I'm some healthy freak and I only eat mass quantities of fruit. I eat tons of clementines (at least 4 per day) on top of my candy fix. One of the best pieces of winter.

6. Getting a new car. I think it's time. I drive a 98 Civic, and it is going to need new front tires and front brakes soon. I'd rather spend that money on a new car, with correct safety restraints for Romy's car seat, than spend it on fixing the old car. But can I part with it? And what will happen to my bumper stickers: "I played D&D before it was cool" and "WWBD: What Would Buffy Do?"?

I guess that's it. I'm sure I could add a million more, but for now, I will leave you with six.

A Happy Hanukkah to all, and to all, a good night!

Thursday Follies

I have made a decision to postpone the Proust Questionnaires until the new year. I have several authors lined up, all with books that won't be out until 2010, so I figure I'll wait until their books are closer to being debuted.

In Julie news, I have started obsessing somewhat about Rupert Grint emailing me. Not that he has, but that he hasn't. So pathetic of me. Will he really write me just because I sent him my books and included his name in one of them? Will he, I ask? Sigh. Why do I get all weird when it gets wintry out? I seem to feel more Harry Potterly obsessive this time of year.

I happened upon something quite cool, and I don't remember what I was even searching for when I found it. INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER was nominated to be on the Amelia Bloomer List, a yearly list of the best feminist books for young readers selected by the Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association! That is such a HUGE honor! I was a Women's Studies major in college and am so down with the this list. That would be majorly fantastically cool to make it. Cross your fingers!

I wonder how Rupert Grint feels about feminists?

NCTE Roundup

I don't know if this is actually a roundup, but that's a funny word and I'm hella out of it from the trip to Philadelphia. All in all, a wonderful time in Motown Philly. Back again. Man I'm tired. Anywho, here's the recap:

Arrived in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. Flight wasn't too awful, with just tiny bouts of Romy crying until we got her to fall asleep (she fights it hard). People complimented us on our handlings of baby on flight. It's so nice that people do that. Will have to remember to do that in the future to others. Our cab driver was odd, but nice, and he originally had XM Radio's '50s channel playing, but switched it it some boring classical stuff. So I said, "Switch it back," and we had a rockin' and rollickin' ride into Philly.

Don't get me started on the hotel suite debacle (which wasn't a debacle, actually, because we did get a free suite upgrade, but were later told by some other hotel guy that you DO NOT ask for upgrades when you are being paid for in a group because that's favoritism. Um, suck it? Because why should I not ask? You have the rooms. Someone's going to get the free upgrade, so why not the people with the baby so that they can put her in a separate room and actually talk to each other and pee and walk around without fear of waking the baby??? And, what kind of manager says, "Next time, remember that we don't do that?" Next time, tell your cronies not to GIVE OUT THE FREE ROOM IN THE FIRST PLACE.). Geez. I guess I got started. We had a beautiful room, and then we walked to the Rosenbach Museum to see some Sendak stuff (they pulled out some original art from "Wild Things." Matt was freaked out. "What if someone sneezed on it?! It wasn't even covered!"). Oh yes, and we had a delicious lunch at a place with a name that I don't remember. Shocking, I know.

Then it was time for me to get ready for the ALAN Cocktail Party. I wore these shoes. They were beyond cute. So beyond cute that every person I met complimented me on them. Seriously. But I could not feel my toes by the end of the night. Seriously again. And my publisher had to call a cab for me (which I shared with two other people), just because I couldn't walk to the restaurant. I'm no diva. I'm just a tool who can't wear high heels. Is it worth it? Why do people love their high heels? I don't get it. Just some sick invention of men trying to slow us women down. I think. Moving on... The party was fun, and I mingled and smiled and said ridiculous things to many nice teachers and authors (although, Sarah Dessen must think I'm a lunatic. The last time I met her I was talking about breastfeeding. And there I was, chatting about breastfeeding again, my apparently go-to topic of conversation, with E. Lockhart, and who should come up to say hello? Sarah Dessen. I imagine the two of them sneaking off to talk about the breastfeeding-obsessed freak of an author. "What was her name? I forget, since she wasn't wearing a name tag [because they spelled my last name "Halperin," that's why. That kind of thing wouldn't happen to Sarah Dessen, no sir.]" Sigh. Then I journeyed along with my publishing peeps (thanks to Tim, Katie, Joy, Jeanne, and Lauren-- am I forgetting anyone? Am I spelling names wrong?) and some GREAT authors (Mary Pearson, David Klass, Paula Jolin, Danica Novgorodoff, and Chris Carlton Brown), and a slew of incredibly nice teachers for a fancy dinner. I sat with some super sweet and fun people and loved talking to all of them. If you're reading this: facebook me! I don't know all of your last names!

The next day was a semi waste, since the museums we wanted to visit were closed on Mondays. The weather was gross, but we ended walking mega far, and Romy slept happily in the stroller (BEST STROLLER EVER). We had quite the food adventure, though. There was a line of people waiting on a food vendor with a shiny silver cart, plumes of smoke puffing out. No signs anywhere, we asked the people what they were waiting for. Everyone in line proceeded to share their food tales, assuring us this guy was like the Soup Nazi, don't ask him any questions, and so on, but the food and the wait were worth it. We left, but decided why not, and came back to wait in line. While waiting, the guy handed out fancy bread slathered in papaya hummus. The resulting lunch was incredible, huge portions of flavory chicken breast (yeah, I'm not a food reviewer. Flavory is such a sad word choice. Yet hilarious.), salad, hummus, falafel, etc. Massive and delicious. Worth the wait and the experience. Then, with the rain and nap time approaching, we just went back to the hotel, each of us taking turns taking naps. Ruby Tuesdays for dinner.

Finally, I presented on a panel with Debbie Dadey and Marcia Thornton Jones. Nobody told me that when you are on a "panel" with people at NCTE, it means you don't actually have to have anything to do with those people! I was so panicked, since our books are SO different. But I spoke, and then they spoke, and that was that. I signed some autographs, went back to the hotel and snuck around until Romy woke up from her nap, went to the airport (fourth super-nice Philly cabbie, btw), endured the stressful plane ride (I don't know how anyone travels on airplanes with babies without breastfeeding. Sorry, Sarah, had to just say that.)--with more baby-handling compliments!--, and made it back. Today and the rest of my break will be spent unpacking, doing laundry, and trying to finish typing up my new novel. End NCTE roundup.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Proust Questionnaire Thursday! Today's Special Guest: Kimberly Pauley

Kimberly Pauley is a YA author (Sucks to Be Me and the forthcoming Still Sucks to Be Me), though she is perhaps better known as the YA Books Goodess from YA Books Central. You can learn more than you ever wanted to learn about her at www.kimberlypauley.com

The following questions are based on James Lipton's questions from Inside the Actors Studio, which, in turn, are based on the Proust Questionnaire. One of the questions is about swearing, so please excuse our French. And, once again, the spacing and stuff is all weird.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present Kimberly Pauley!

1. What is your favorite word?

Epiphany (though, you know, this changes all the time.)

2. What is your least favorite word?

No.

3. What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Random Connections.

4. What turns you off creatively, spiritually or emotionally?

Stupidity.

5. What sound or noise do you love?

Little Max giggling.

6. What sound or noise do you hate?

That awful beep beep beep sound that construction vehicles make when they back up.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

Um, probably "Dammit!" Sometimes followed by "Janet"

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Artist. Any kind, really.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Anything corporate. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, hated it.

10. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

You know, you were right. (Then God would poke me on the nose with his/her finger and giggle.)

Next week is Thanksgiving, so we'll skip the Proust. Until the next week!