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The Big News…(and hey, can you vote tomorrow?)

Posted on November 12, 2010
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So…I can finally talk about our big news. We’re moving to London. That’s why the house is for sale (wanna buy it?) and why there’s a GIGANTICUS estate sale at my house today and tomorrow. We’re selling about 80% of what we own. It’s kinda crazy.

I won’t bore you with all the stresses and trials and tribulations and whatnot that’s preceded today. Honestly, it exhausts me just thinking about it. Today, I’m just hopeful and trying to hold on to the itty bit of sanity I have left (I’m also still UGH sick, but I’m dealing with it as best I can…thank heavens the hubby will be the one driving today so I can swig down some of my codeine cough syrup and collapse).

We’re all driving down to Florida today to stay with family, though the hubster will be coming back up to the Chicago area to finish out his current job. I’m sad to leave behind the wonderful neighbors that have become such friends and our neighborhood, but I am excited to experience whatever life is going to bring us in London. And hey, imagine little Max with an English accent! I didn’t think he could be any cuter, but I suppose it *is* possible.

I do have a backlog of mail from my PO Box to answer (just haven’t had time), so if you’ve written to me, please know that I *will* write you back. And anything you’ve sent there that I haven’t received yet will be forwarded on. I’ll be in Florida through the end of the year and will (hopefully) be setting up a visit in the Tampa Bay area around the first part of December.

And hey, if you’re in London, let me know! :-) I’ll need new peeps to hang out with! Anyone know what authors live over there? I need some writer peeps too!

In other news, I got a really lovely email today:

We offer a weekend poll at The Long and the Short of It romance reviews–  we want to know which book or story sounds like the best read based on our reviews. The winning author gets a nifty button and the privilege of having their book or story featured at the top of that page the entire next week!

Your story ” Sucks to Be Me” was reviewed by us this week and is up for Book of the Week honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, November 13th through Sunday November 14th).  We thought you might like to know.  You can find the information here on Saturday:

http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm

So…if you can, vote for STBM starting Saturday! I won’t be able to post anything then since I’ll be on the road, but I figured maybe some of you can remember and vote for me ;-)

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New interview, reviews, & other stuff

Posted on May 18, 2010
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So, my editor (the lovely Nina Hess, who also happens to be an author herself of the fantastic Practical Guide to Monsters) and I interviewed each other recently and you can see the first half up now. Bonus time: if YOU have a question you’d like one or both of us to answer, just go ask it! Anything goes!

And I’ve seen some more Still Sucks to Be Me reviews (which I don’t think I’ve mentioned before, so here you go…

I know what everyone is thinking, “Oh no not another teen vampire book”. This is far from the typical teen vampire book that seems to be hitting the shelf recently. This book is filled with humor, great characters, and a fast moving plot that doesn’t revolve around teens falling in love and having forbidden love….read more over at Fantasy Top

Mina’s back! She’s all vampire, and she’s all pissed. There were a few things her parents and the vampire council left out– like she’d be faking her own death and moving pronto….read more over at Biblio File

In personal news, a big Woot, Woot! today for The Max! He used the potty for the first time today! That is HUGE news in the Pauley household. Next up? Probably some Lightening McQueen underpants. The boy loves his cars.

I’m also continuing to work on my new book, Cat Girl Saves the Day (working title). It’s coming along. Some days have been slow lately, but others aren’t too bad. Writing is like that. The middle, of course, is always the toughest part and that’s the bit I’m smack dab in the…er, middle…of. This will be an interesting one for my relatives if…wait, I should think positive and say when…it gets published because I’ve named a bunch of the characters after my nieces & nephews.

Still Sucks to Be Me also introduced a character named after a nephew of mine — Cameron. I’ll have to see if he’ll do an interview with me sometime for the blog to see what he thinks about having a character named after him.

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All kinds of shiny new-ness…

Posted on May 12, 2010
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So…around a book’s launch there will suddenly be a flurry of things posted online. That’s just the way it goes! I hope you’ll bear with me. And if I’ve missed something that you’ve seen (relying on Google isn’t always foolproof), let me know!

In other news…

My lovely and very talented artsy neighbor, Bob Stotts, helped me out by turning some of my empty Sucks to Be Me wine bottles into vases! Now these are truly one-of-a-kind and VERY limited edition (as in, there were only 24 bottles ever made and I’ve given some of those away…and right now there are only 4 vases). I’ll be giving two of these away as part of the Launch Contest (you’ve entered, right?) and one is part of the Do the Write Thing for Nashville auction (which I think ends today at midnight). So, check it out:

A bloody cool Sucks to Be Me vase

It was Bob’s idea to add the bloody top! Aren’t they cool? Don’t you WANT one? Be sure to enter the contest or bid on the auction (though the auction winner would have the choice of taking a regular bottle vs. a vase too…)!

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All kinds of cool Still Sucks stuff! (including notes on the launch contest…and other ways to win a copy)

Posted on May 10, 2010
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Woot! Still Sucks to Be Me comes out TOMORROW! Wow, you know, it feels like this stuff takes forever and then all of a sudden, BANG! There you are. Ha, just like the rest of life, I suppose.

Well, I’ve got all kinds of stuff to report today.

Have fangs, will travelFirst off, I’m happy to report that I was interviewed by Captain Jack over on CJ Redwine’s blog. Yes, *that* Captain Jack. It was awesome, but he totally wouldn’t let me borrow his hat. I don’t know why. I’m really very trustworthy. Maybe if I’d brought him some rum…

Not only was the interview fun, but CJ’s husband made a vampire suitcase cupcake in honor of it! Is that not the most awesome cupcake ever?

Of course, even better for you guys…if you comment on CJ’s blog, you get a chance to win either a hardback set of Sucks to Be Me AND Still Sucks to Be Me (signed) or a pack of book swag (bookmarks, tattoos, etc.).

So get thee forth and comment! And follow and what not.

Okay, and over at Novel Novice they’re still celebrating the Sucks to Be Me series as their novel of the month! Woot! If you haven’t checked it out, you really, really need to. Besides a great contest, they’ve got free desktop Sucks to Be Me and Still Sucks to Be Me wallpapers, an interview with me (with more stuff to come), and you can even learn more about Dracula and Bram Stoker. How cool is that?

And some more reviews of Still Sucks to Be Me are popping up…like this one from MangaManiac’s Cafe: “This sequel to Sucks To Be Me weighs in every bit as good as the introductory novel…Still Sucks To Be Me wraps up some of the lingering story lines from the first book, and the ending was much more satisfying.  There’s lot of action and danger, and even a hot new guy to drool over.  Though I was left content at the conclusion, I would be more than happy to spend more time with Mina again in the future.”

And let’s see…what else did I have to tell you? OH YES.

The Still Sucks to Be Me Launch Contest. I am absolutely LOVING the entries I’ve gotten in so far. You guys are awesome. You rock. So I’ve got some more stuff to add to the prize packs…so go check it out! (I’ll be editing the launch contest post). Please do spread the contest around (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, your blog, your friends, your family)…if I hit a certain number of entries…there’s a good chance I’ll give an extra prize…(hint, hint).

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Another review for Still Sucks to Be Me!

Posted on February 20, 2010
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Teens Read? gave me a lovely little review of Still Sucks to Be Me :-) which means a lot to me because I think it might be the first review I’ve gotten from actual teens for the book so far! The other reviews I’ve seen are all from older readers (I think. Am pretty sure. Sometimes it can be hard to tell. <grin>). Of course, I haven’t seen too many reviews yet, since the release date is still a while away, but each one is exciting!

Must I spell it out for you? I simply loved it. It was hilarious. I found it even funnier then the first book, (but then again, there was more cause for laughter in this book) (ie cow pie crown)… read the rest of their review…

You should follow me on Twitter here.

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Gung Hay Fat Choy & Happy VDay & Still Sucks reviews…

Posted on February 15, 2010
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Woot! Well, it was fun yesterday meeting up with Kristin Walker and Kristina Springer for the signing in Bolingbrook. I managed to NOT eat a lot of chocolate, which was great (am officially down 15 lbs. now! Just 15 more to go!).

Yesterday was also the Chinese New Year (Happy Year of the Tiger!), so Gung Hay Fat Choy!

I got two awesome cool pieces of news today. One, the first review of Still Sucks to Be Me from Sarah at YA Librarian Tales! She liked it! Whew!

Honestly, the second book thing is much more nerve wracking than the first book thing. Because now people have expectations. And they write me about them. Which is cool, but obviously I can’t meet everyone’s expectations of what should happen since Mina kind of does her own thing. Half the time, I can’t stop her. Okay, more like 99% of the time. So it’s really great to finally hear from someone that they like it! And they think it’s funny! Whoo!

AND I got this super-awesome-wonderfulness of a blurb from the oh-so-cool Margot Adler (of NPR fame):

Of all the Vampire novels I have read, Sucks to be Me was my absolute favorite.  It was smart, original, with a lovely, honest heroine, and it was laugh-out-loud funny. I almost fell out of bed laughing at one point. I couldn’t wait to get a hold of the sequel, Still Sucks to be Me. When it came out, I devoured every page. For those who love the genre, yet are tired of tragic, Byronic lugubrious vampires, this is truly a unique and hilarious read. —Margot Adler, author of Drawing Down the Moon.

That just seriously made my day. I <3 Margot!

So now commences the waiting as I wait to hear how other authors and reviewers feel about the book…

(and yes, people, I will very soon be announcing some contest-y type things…because I love you. You know I do.)

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Found a nice new review & general news

Posted on April 22, 2009
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I was doing a bit of surfing around today and found a nice new review of Sucks to Be Me at Deep Thoughts. Always gives your day a boost to find a nice review out and about. :)

In writing-ish news, I’m nearly halfway through the sequel. I just modified the outline again since I thought of some cool new bits while I was writing up a synopsis for my editor. I had to write one up because the paperback version of Sucks to Be Me is going to come out later this year and they are going to include some kind of sneak preview of the sequel in the back of the book. So I’ve sent her a synopsis as well as some snippets (first chapter, a sample list, etc.). Not sure yet what will wind up in the paperback, but I’m looking forward to it!

In completely unrelated news, I’ve watched the first 3 parts of Lost in Austen (it’s a 4 parter, so only one more to go). It’s pretty good! If you are a Pride & Prejudice fan, you should check it out. It’s about a modern day London woman who kind of trades places with Elizabeth Bennett into the world of P&P and winds up mucking the story up (more or less).

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Booklist likes Sucks to Be Me! Yay!

Posted on March 31, 2009
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Woot! I just saw on Amazon that Booklist has reviewed Sucks to Be Me and they like it! Yay!

Most high-school juniors face big questions about their futures, but few ask the question posed to 16-year-old Mina: should she stay human or should she become a vampire, like her parents? In this breezy, often uproarious debut novel, Pauley follows Mina through her decision-making process, which includes classes about vampire history and culture and field trips with her eccentric uncle Mortie, the first vampire in the family. The juxtaposition between Mina’s normal, human high-school existence and “vampire camp” creates hilarious contrasts, all narrated in Mina’s wisecracking, authentic teen voice. Mina’s frequent lists, such as “Why It Sucks to Have Parents Who Are Vampires” and IM exchanges between Mina and her best friend, add to the pitch-perfect humor. A chirpy cheerleader considering the vampire life and a cast of handsome romantic prospects round out the appealing supporting cast. Readers will race through this lighthearted debut, filled with vampire lore, to discover Mina’s final decision, and they might recognize Mina’s larger struggle to move between very different cultural worlds. Grades 7-10. –Gillian Engberg

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Yay! 2nd Printing & reviews galore…

Posted on January 6, 2009
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Yay! I got some good news today! Sucks to Be Me should be going into a second printing! Yay! If I was capable of turning a cartwheel, I would. Though I don’t actually know how many copies were in the first printing, so the news doesn’t actually tell me too much, but I know it’s good!

I’ve also been getting some fan mail (hehe, I still have to kind of giggle when I say that) from some really lovely fans, including lots of boys (which I totally didn’t expect!). Before I was published, I always wondered what would be the best thing about being a “real author” — and I probably always thought it would be the feeling you get when you hold your book in your hand for the first time or being able to walk into a bookstore and see your book there. And those things are really cool, but the real best thing is hearing from people about how your book touched their lives or made them laugh or brightened their day. That’s really cool.

At any rate, I also went on a mini-Google-athon today (when I should have been writing…bad me) and found some new reviews & mentions of Sucks to Be Me online. Here’s a sampling:

  • The Field Guide to Parenting says: “I’m not sure how she did it, but the author has managed to create a normal family and a teen with typical problems, except for the fact that the family is full of vampires. The Myth/Truth at the top of each chapter and the plays on words (remember “It sucks to be me?”) add to the delightful, often zany adventure of an average girl dealing with an out-of-this-world problem.” and “Original and witty, it leaves you wondering how suddenly vampires don’t seem so strange after all.“
  • And Through the Looking Glass (can’t remember if I mentioned this or not before…she also interviewed me and was really lovely) says: “Written from Mina’s point of view, the author has created a compelling voice for her character. It is a voice that is true to how a teenager thinks and feels, and for this reason readers will quickly find themselves becoming attached to this quirky and thoroughly likeable girl.“
  • And there’s She Reads, She Blags About, who says: “Sucks to Be Me is written in a diary format, and Mina’s voice reminds me a lot of Mia’s in The Princess Diaries: light, funny, and just a little self-conscious. The concept isn’t just clever and inventive, it’s also well-executed, which is a rare combination: Pauley re-writes a lot of the “rules” of vampires, but she’s always consistent, which will please vampire aficionados. (You know who you are.)“
  • And then I found this really lovely comment too: “I bought and finished reading this book yesterday. It is now one of my favorite books and I felt like telling people about it. This is the debut novel of Kimberly Pauley. Seriously, you have got to check this book out. It’s laugh-out-loud funny with great characters and you’ll instantly fall in love with Mina. Plus every chapter starts off with a vampire myth and Mina tells you if it’s true or not in her own personal way.“

In other news, I’ve been working on a new book proposal and talking with another writer about outlines. So I think I’ll be putting together a writing-related post about outlining soon. :-) And, as always, if you have any writing or other questions, feel free to ask!

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Review & Interview (plus kind words) at Through the Looking Glass

Posted on November 15, 2008
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Marya from Through the Looking Glass reviews was kind enough to review Sucks to Be Me (and she liked it!) and she also interviewed me (some good questions!). Be sure to take a look! You should also check out her blog anyway…she’s gone a really great site with tons of reviews and interviews.

I like that she thinks I have a quirky sense of humor ;-)

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New Review of Sucks to Be Me in Locus Magazine!

Posted on November 7, 2008
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Ok, so for those of you who have never heard of it, Locus Magazine is a magazine about science fiction and fantasy. It’s not a book of sci-fi and fantasy stories…instead, it actually covers books and magazines that are about sci fi and fantasy. I used to have a subscription to it for years and let it lapse when we moved. Now I wish I had it again! Carolyn Cushman reviewed Sucks to Be Me and liked it! Yay!!

Here are some excerpts from the review…

“The adolescent vampire novel gets a pleasantly light, bizarrely heartwarming treatment in this novel, supposedly the diary of Mina Hamilton, whose parents are both vampires…It’s an unusual mix, a welcome change from all the darker, angsty teen vampire novels around these days, and a very promising first novel.”

Yay! I love that! Bizarrely heartwarming is the kind of thing I was aiming for. :-)

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