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The Official Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Par-tay!

Posted on August 26, 2008
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Woot!!!! My book is officially out today!! You have no idea how long a journey this has been. :-) It’s all good though…I’m here! And you’re in luck…the official Sucks to Be Me Book Launch party is goin’ on until September 10th! I’ve got a bunch of awesome guest authors (like Lauren Myracle and Alan Gratz and…geez, lots more of my favs!) and a bunch of prizes to give away. And even better? A whopping big prize pack at the end!

Here’s how it works…every day from now through Sept. 10th I’ll be featuring a different author and an associated giveaway. You can come back each day to enter for that giveaway (and to learn about some of the coolest authors around!!)…you’ll have a whole week to enter for each one. Each blog launch party day that you enter for will also give you an entry for the grand Poo-bah of Prize Packs (sponsored by Mirrorstone, my publisher, and little ‘ol me). And on September 11th will be a final entry day for the grand prize pack. So, what’ll be in the grand prize pack? Nice of you to ask…

  • Sucks to Be Me (autographed)
  • A Sucks to Be Me t-shirt (your choice of S, M, or L)
  • A Sucks to Be Me handmade (by my super talented ultra-cool editor) stuffed bat that is too cute for words (designed by the awesome Emi Tanji)
  • Various vampire-themed paraphanelia (glow-in-the-dark fangs, bite mark sticker tattoos, etc.)
  • A Practical Guide to Monsters (autographed)
  • A Practical Guide to Wizardry (autographed)
  • A Practical Guide to Dragons
  • A Practical Guide to Dragon Riding
  • Time Spies, Secret in the Tower (autographed)
  • Time Spies, Message in the Mountain
  • Endless Quest, Search for the Pegasus
  • Hallowmere, In the Serpent’s Coils (autographed)
  • Supernatural Rubber Chicken, Fowl Language
  • Supernatural Rubber Chicken, Fine Feathered Four Eyes
  • Bronze Dragon Codex
  • The Stowaway
  • All contained in a super-cool Mirrorstone tote bag!

Extra Entries!

You want even more entries for this incredibly awesome prize pack?? Okay…here’s what you can do…if you’ve read my book (and hey, starting today anyone can!), post a review online and send me an email at kim @ kimberlypauley.com telling me where you posted it (um, one caveat, of course…if you hated it (which I seriously hope you don’t!) you can tell me…but please don’t tell the world. ;-) ). You can post up to 5 reviews somewhere (your blog, for instance, or Amazon or Barnes & Noble or Powell’s, etc.) to get up to 5 extra entries.

If you haven’t read it yet but still want an extra entry, either a) post about the online book launch and link to this site on your blog (or somewhere) and tell me where you posted it (those who’ve read it can also get one more extra entry this way…just point me to the post) or b) tell a friend about my book and email me with your story about how you did. How easy is that??

The grand prize contest closes on September 21st, so be sure to get all your entries (extra or otherwise) in before then!

For your convenience, I’ll be updating links to all of the book launch entries here as the party goes on:

Day 1: Aug. 26: Cynthia Leitich Smith
(win Tantalize (signed) + a t-shirt + stickers!) WINNER: Poodle649 (Vanessa)

Day 2: Aug. 27: Marlene Perez
(win Dead is the New Black) WINNER: Lauren Rusiloski

Day 3: Aug. 28: Lauren Myracle
(win Bliss) WINNER: Diana Heriford

Day 4: Aug. 29: Tanya Lee Stone
(win A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl (signed) ) WINNER: Laura Koenig

Day 5: Aug. 30: Lauren Mechling
(win Dream Girl) WINNER: Moriah David

Day 6: Aug. 31: Alan Gratz
(win Something Rotten (signed)) WINNER: Nancy Sanchez

Day 7: Sept. 1: Alyson Noël
(win Cruel Summer) WINNER: Allie Jones

Day 8: Sept. 2: Cecil Castelluci
(win Boy Proof) WINNER: Lucy Dason

Day 9: Sept. 3: Kristin O’Donnell Tubb
(win Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different) WINNER: James Nichols

Day 10: Sept. 4: Tiffany Trent
(win Hallowmere: Queen of the Masquerade (signed)) WINNER: Diana Dang

Day 11: Sept. 5: Lara M. Zeises
(win Anyone But You) WINNER: paradoxrevealed

Day 12: Sept. 6: E. Rose Sabin
(win A School for Sorcery (signed)) WINNER: Tami (black roze)

Day 13: Sept. 7: D. L. Garfinkle
(win Supernatural Rubber Chicken: Poultry in Motion) WINNER: Elizabeth Mays

Day 14: Sept. 8: Dan Ehrenhaft
(win a surprise prize) WINNER: Carrie Harris

Day 15: Sept. 9: Kathy Erskine
(win Quaking (signed) + cool stickers and stuff) WINNER: Amy Smith

Day 16: Sept. 10: Niki Burnham
(win Goddess Games (signed)) WINNER: Bunny B

Day 17: Sept. 11: Grand Prize Contest
(extra entries must also be rec’d by the end date)! enter by Sept. 21st

And remember, tell all your friends! :-)

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Official Online Book Launch Party Graphic (and Announcement)!

Posted on August 13, 2008
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It's an online book launch PAR-TAY! And you're invited!

It is an online book launch Par-Tay! And you are invited!

I’m very, very pleased (as punch, as a matter of fact) to announce that the online book launch party for Sucks to Be Me is officially on and scheduled for August 26th to September 10th. Stop by www.kimberlypauley.com/blog every day between August 26th to September 10th to meet some cool authors and win some cool prizes and get entered for one whopping big prize pack of stuff from my publisher.

My special guests will include: Lauren Myracle, Cynthia Leitich-Smith, Marlene Perez, Tanya Lee Stone, Lauren Mechling, Alan Gratz, Alyson Noel, Cecil Castelluci, Kristin Tubb, Tiffany Trent, Lara M. Zeises/Lola Douglas, Elenora Sabin, Debra Garfinkle, Dan Ehrenhaft, Kathy Erskine, and Niki Burnham (in other words, some really awesome, incredibly cool, very lovely authors).

So be sure to stop by…and please feel free to tell all your friends (or use the graphic above to link the site…heck, I’ll even make you a custom-sized graphic if you want one). Come one, come all!

Update: Here’s the code for a slightly skinnier version of this graphic (it’s the one on the homepage) Please feel free to use it! :-) :

<div align=”center”>
<a href=”http://kimberlypauley.com/2008/08/26/the-official-sucks-to-be-me-book-launch-par-tay/” target=”_new”><img border=”0″ alt=”Sucks to Be Me Book Launch” src=”http://www.yabookscentral.com/files/bookparty.jpg”/></a></div>

Update: See all the book launch party info (including what’s in the monster prize pack) here: http://kimberlypauley.com/2008/08/26/the-official-sucks-to-be-me-book-launch-par-tay/

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Google-Obsession OR new mentions of Sucks to Be Me online

Posted on July 24, 2008
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Okay, so one of the things new authors do (and probably “old” authors too) is google themselves incessantly to see if they can find any new mentions of their book online. This is partly because we’re gluttons for punishment but also because you’re generally not notified when something is posted. So if you wanna know what the people are saying (and we do, oh yes we do), you Google it. So I did that this morning while Max was sleeping (I’d have been sleeping too, but the phone – which I didn’t get to in time – had rung).

There’re quite a few new mentions, notably:

  • Top Selling Vampire Novels: The Books They Love post on Booky Kids, the blog of an Indie bookseller in California, who calls STBM a fun book and a great read! Woot!
  • Love at First Bite article from Maclean’s, which looks to be a Canadian magazine. STBM is mentioned along with the rarified company of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series as kind of a funny chick-lit alternative.
  • A Revish review of Sucks to Be Me by someone named Elizabeth, who calls STBM “cute, light, and funny mixed with a dash of seriousness and angst.” and furthermore says that she “hope[s] this is the first in a series.” Yay!
  • And another review from And Another Book Read that says: “From the very first page I was literally “sucked” into this book. It was truly fantastic. What I loved the most was the humor. Mina had such a witty voice that I found myself laughing with every turn of the page.”
  • And I was actually the subject of a Yahoo Answers question! Ha!
  • And I found some library’s webpage that showed that 5 libraries had ordered a copy and it was already requested 8 times!
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My editor went batty (but in a good way!)

Posted on July 23, 2008
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So my editor Nina at Mirrorstone (who is awesome) actually HANDMADE these adorable stuffed bats based on Emi Tanji’s design (I mentioned her before in the blog when I posted that adorable card they sent me after Max was born…hmm, I’m saying adorable way too much, but hey, it was!). She sent me two stuffed bats – one to keep (me and Max’ll have to fight over it) and one to give away.

The bat that Nina made based on Emi's design

The absolutely ADORABLE bat that Nina made based on Emi's design

Yep, that’s right. One is to give away. As part of the book launch I’m going to be having a whopping big online book launch party and you’re invited! There’s a bunch of authors coming (like Marlene Perez and Lara Zeises and Alan Gratz…plus lots more…I’ve heard back from 12 authors so far and I hope to hear back from some more) and you’ll be able to learn about ‘em, win great prizes (books, books, books!), and you’ll also be able to win a giganticus prize pack of Mirrorstone stuff (including the ADORABLE stuffed bat!). How cool is that?? Hope to see you there…it’ll all start around August 26th when the book comes out. I’ll post more details as things get closer. Be sure to spread the word!

Max about to "bite" into the bat

Max about to "bite" into the bat

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Hey! STBM is on the Fall 2008 Kid's Indie Next List !!

Posted on July 21, 2008
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Just got a note from the publicist at Mirrorstone that…

[Sucks to Be Me] has been chosen to appear on the Fall 2008 Kid’s Indie Next List — “Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indie Booksellers” —

“TOP TEN”:
# 5   SUCKS TO BE ME: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (maybe), Kimberly Pauley, Mirrorstone, 9780786950287/0786950285, $14.95

Hey!! Isn’t that awesome! I’m #5! Indie booksellers are THE BEST!

As kind of a related note, I’m really sad because the really cool Independent bookstore in my neighborhood (Under the Sycamore Tree) is closing at the end of this month due to health reasons. It was a really great store. :-( So instead of planning a book launch with them, I’m going to be doing a big ‘ol party at my house instead. If you live in the northern Illinois area and are interested in coming, just let me know. :-) I’d love to see you there.

And another related note — it’s always great to support your local independent stores. I know I link to Amazon (it’d be kind of crazy not to, since so many people use them and if I want to keep being able to write books, I gotta sell ‘em too) but I also strongly encourage people to search for a local store through the Indie Bookstore Finder. You should always support your local stores (and not just bookstores either!) — big chains can be great and convenient, but the little shops are the ones that add flavor and color to your local community and are the ones that really put something back into your neighborhood. So go out and buy my book at one ;-)

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YALSA Teen Read Week Event with Josh Hutcherson!

Posted on June 21, 2008
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Hey! I have an update to my schedule during the ALA convention at the end of this month. Instead of one of the signings on Monday, I’m going to a YALSA Teen Read Week Event…which will also be featuring actor Josh Hutcherson!! Woot!

That’ll be really cool, since I’ve seen him in two movies (Zathura and Bridge to Terebithia). He’s promoting his new movie Journey to the Center of the Earth (3D!) and I’ll of course be there for Sucks to Be Me. I don’t know if I’ve ever really “hung out” with an actor before…hmmm, maybe some of his Hollywood coolness will rub off on me (heehee)…

So, anyway, if you’re anywhere near Aliso Viejo, California on June 30, 2008, please stop by and see us at the Aliso Viejo Public Library!

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Wanna free signed bookplate?

Posted on June 5, 2008
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Technically, I suppose it is a little early to offer this, but some people already do have copies of the book (Advanced Reader Copies or ARCs right now…even I don’t have a copy of the final thing yet! Heck, I’m out of ARCs too!). And I just put the bookplate together today, so I had to get it out there…

Anywho…if you have a copy of my book and it isn’t signed and you’d like it signed but don’t want to send it back and forth in the mail…I’ve got bookplates I can sign and send to you. See the Free Signed Bookplate page for more details.

And tell me, whaddaya think of it?

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Fan Art!

Posted on May 31, 2008
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How cool is this?? “Cloudburst,” who has read Sucks to be Me (and liked it!) had a homework assignment to create a new cover for a book. So she made this collage art (the coffee cups to represent something that happens at the end of the book…which I won’t give away). Isn’t that awesome?? Her teacher liked it and so do I. :-)  

Bloodbucks Coffee Cup

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My first YABC review!

Posted on May 9, 2008
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Yay! My first YABC review has been posted (by Brenda, who was one of the ARC winners). And she liked it! Double Yay!

I’m just excited to have my first review of my book on my website. :-) Can you tell?

And in writing news…I had a little epiphany this morning on a new way to open up the second novel that will tie it better to the first one. The opening was okay before, but I think this will make it better :-) And I’ve been modifying the outline…had some new thoughts, especially about George…he wasn’t in the original outline enough and I really like him, especially his sense of humor. So I’m happy about that.

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Got fangs?

Posted on May 1, 2008
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I ordered some little promo items so I’d have stuff to give away when I do signings (be sure to come if I do one near you! ;-) ). The stuff came today and it’s so fun! The glow in the dark fangs particularly, though I rather like the vampire fang whistles too! But then the vampire bite mark sticker tattoos are cool too… I got it all from the Oriental Trading Company. They have all kinds of kitschy stuff.

Hopefully people will actually come to any signings I do. ;-) I should be doing one at Under the Sycamore Tree (maybe in September), a local bookstore that’s really awesome. I’ll post more details as things get finalized.

[ 1 Reply ]

Woot! I've been nominated!

Posted on April 28, 2008
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Just got news today that Sucks to Be Me has been nominated for the 2009 YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers List! Yay!

I won’t know if the book has actually made the list until they have their Mid-Winter meeting, but hey, I’m excited just to be nominated (so, thank you whoever it was that nominated the book!).

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