Kimberly Pauley

Day 15 Winner: Amy Smith

Congrats to Amy Smith, the Day 15 Winner of a signed copy of Quaking by Kathryn Erskine (plus a bunch of other cool stuff that Kathryn sent, like tattoos and stickers and all kinds of stuff).

Remember, you’ve got until the end of the day today to enter to win Niki Burnham’s Goddess Games and until the 21st to enter to win the Grand Prize Contest! Good luck to everyone and thanks again for participating in the Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Party!!

Tags: book launch, Giveaways, kathryn erskine, sucks to be me, winners
Posted in Giveaways | 2 Comments »

My Book Launch Party! (The Offline One)

So, yesterday was the official offline (i.e. non-Internet, real-life version) Book Launch Party! It was at our house and about 70ish people came (I kinda lost count there). It was an awesome time! I even had a vampire magician / balloon animal artist guy…er, vampire (Keith Cobb, who was awesome…if you need a magician or balloon guy or a juggler or…well, check out his site, he does lots of stuff!)!

A Congrats sign made for me by some neighborhood kids -- is it not the cutest thing you have ever seen?

The ginormous cake with my book cover on it

My husband, Max and me

The vampire magician, one of my neighbors, and Max

Look how short I am! Ack!

Besides the balloon animals and the magic show and all the food and drinks, there was also a bat decorating contest, 10 prizes given out, and a showing (outside, on the house) of The Little Vampire. Seriously a great time…but I’m still worn out! I think it is going to take me a week to recover! But at least I got the floors all mopped today…

Tags: book launch, kimberly pauley, sucks to be me
Posted in Books, Personal | 8 Comments »

Book Launch Party: Day 6: Alan Gratz

All About Alan
My guest today is the wonderfully nice (and talented) Alan Gratz! He’s one of the most helpful (give-you-the-shirt-off-his-back…well, not that I’ve ever asked him for his shirt…it’d probably be too big and, well, the wrong style for me since he’s a boy) guys I know and also a wonderful writer. He’s the author of Samurai Shortstop and the awesome Horatio Wilkes series (Think Shakespeare. Think Mystery. Think Awesome.). He’s been a teacher (and even taught catapult building…how cool is that??) and has written more than 6,000 radio commercials (whoa!).

You can learn more about Alan at his official website.

Something Rotten
Something Rotten…a little Hamlet, anyone? Stinking-rich family. A reeking paper
plant. A murder most foul. Something is definitely rotten in Denmark, Tennessee,
and only 17-year-old detective Horatio Wilkes can sniff out the killer.

The Q&A
Here’s my question for Alan…

You’ve given a lot of workshops for both authors and teens. What have you learned from them?

And his answer…

I’ve learned that there are many ways to write a book. When I give workshops, I always talk about my outlining process. Before I write the first word of a book, I outline every single chapter. I want to know what happens every moment of my story before I begin. I teach my process in the hope that it will work for someone else, but I know going in that outlining doesn’t work for everyone. There are general writing tips and tricks that can be shared, but when it comes down to it, each writer has his or her own method for bringing a story to life. I once read that Ellen Raskin, the author of the incredibly fabulous and very tricky mystery The Westing Game was once asked if she outlined her complicated stories in advance. She said no—if she knew what was going to happen before she started a book she would be too bored to write it!

And Alan’s question for me…

Okay, tell me about the big leap to quit your corporate job and become a writer. I quit teaching to become a full-time writer (and stay-at-home-dad) and it was scary. What was your transition like? And had you already written Sucks To Be Me, or was that a product of your new “day job?”

And my answer…

Well, it was kind of a kismet situation. I was a manager at AT&T Labs and it was before the takeover…basically, it was all layoffs, all the time. Very depressing. I felt like my whole job was trying to figure out who I should put on the chopping block next and I’d worked with all of these people for years. My husband was starting to think about changing jobs within the company he worked for, but it was something that was going to require a move (from Florida to Kentucky). We talked it over and decided, hey, we could both use a change. And I’d always wanted to write for a living (rather than just doing stuff on the side). It was kinda scary (heck, terrifying) and we effectively cut our income in half.

Then the bad news – right after we moved I hurt my back and leg. I couldn’t walk for a while and had to go through all kinds of nasty medical stuff and heavy duty medication. But I somehow managed to write Sucks to Be Me during that time. I honestly have no idea how – the doctor had me on Vicodin and muscle relaxers and I spent a lot of time sleeping (those kind of drugs make me verrrrry sleepy). I was also in quite a bit of pain. Pretty much the entire time we lived in Kentucky was kinda sucky. I didn’t really get over the back and leg trouble until after we moved to Illinois.

The writing was kind of therapeutic, I suppose. Mina has a strong character voice in my head and I like her snarky style. She’s spunky. And funny (at least I think so). It was kind of a way to get inside my head and away from the physical pain.

Ha, I suppose that’s more than you ever wanted to know! But, seriously, quitting the corporate life was the best thing I ever did. And now that we’ve got a baby, I’m even more glad. You can’t work 60+ hours a week and have a kid. Well, I guess you can…but it ain’t the best idea. Though between the baby and YABC, I almost feel like I used to have more time to write.

The Giveaway

Want to puzzle out the mystery yourself along with Horatio Wilkes? Enter to win a copy of Something Rotten (‘cause you should read it before October, when the next book, Something Wicked comes out) by visiting Alan’s website and then emailing me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “There’s Nothing Rotten About Alan!” and tell me what Alan wanted to be before he became a writer (hint: check out the Author Q & A linked on the “Author” page).  Be sure to get your entry in by September 7th!

And don’t forget to check out all the Sucks to Be Me Book Launch details for more giveaways!

Tags: alan gratz, book launch, Giveaways, kimberly pauley, sucks to be me
Posted in Books, Giveaways, Q&A | 3 Comments »

Book Launch Party: Day 5: Lauren Mechling

All About Lauren

My guest today is Lauren Mechling, the ultra-fab co-author of the Social Climber series and the author of the brand new, super-awesome-fabutastic (seriously) Dream Girl. Lauren is a New York City kind of girl, which means she’d be way too cool to hang out with me if she weren’t so nice (I’m only kinda kidding about that…I am such a geek, even if I was born in California in the San Francisco area). She’s written for everything from New York Magazine to Jane (again, the ultra-coolness factor) and from the New York Sun to Marie-Claire.  

You can learn more about Lauren at her official website: www.laurenmechling.com 

The Latest: Dream Girl
Dream Girl is the first book in a series about Claire Voyante. She has been having strange visions ever since she can remember. But the similarity between her name and her talents is purely coincidental. The name is French, and unlike the psychics on TV, she can’t solve crimes or talk to the dead. Whenever Claire follows her hunches, she comes up empty – or ends up in pretty awkward situations. But that all changes on Claire’s 15th birthday, when her grandmother, Kiki-former socialite, fashion icon, and permanent fixture at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel – gives her something a little more extraordinary than one of her old cocktail dresses: a strange black-and-white onyx cameo on a gold chain. It’s not long before Claire’s world becomes a whole lot clearer. And a whole lot more dangerous.

The Q&A

Here’s my question for Lauren… 

If you were a girl (or lady, if you want to be grown up about it) detective, what famous detective would you be most like (girl or guy detective is okay…after all, there haven’t been too many famous girl ones)? 

And her answer… 

First, thank you so much for that sweet introduction. I’m delighted to hear you liked Dream Girl and I can’t wait to sink my teeth (har har) into your new book.

Now, down to serious business. There are a lot of detectives who are near and dear to me. I love Tess Monaghan, the plucky heroine of Laura Lippman’s Baltimore series, and I think Hercule Poirot is a total hoot. But . . . my favorite is Detective Superintendent Jane Tennison of the magnificent BBC “Prime Suspect” series.

They made the first “Prime Suspect” in 1991 so I’ve watched Detective evolve from a young-ish hopeful thing into a steely pro who, after seventeen years of disappointment and injustice (why must her less talented male colleagues always be promoted over her?), remains unrelentingly good at what she does.  

And Lauren’s question for me… 

Help! Rumor has it there are some vampires on the loose in my neighborhood. I’ve stocked up on garlic but I’m still very afraid. In the event of a vampire bite, what would you advise?

And my answer…

Well, that depends. Do you wanna “live” forever? Join the ranks of the undead? Or do you want to stay…normal?

And it also depends upon which version of vampire-hood we’re talking about. :-) In “my” world (i.e. Mina’s), the garlic wouldn’t do you much good. And most conversions are done by ingesting vampire blood, which you probably didn’t do. While you *could* get converted by being bitten (it’s what happened to Mina’s dad), chances are you were just a snack and you’ll just have a sore neck and a heckuva story to tell your grandkids.

In some vampire myths, you have to be bitten three times before you get turned, so if you just lay low and don’t let your guard down, you’ll be just fine.

The Giveaway

Dream Girl sound as cool to you as it does to me? Well you’ve got a chance to win a copy right here! All you have to do is visit Lauren’s blog and check out what she was doing on the release date for her new book (hint: it was July 22nd) and then email me with the subject line “I’m Dreaming of Lauren!” at kim @ kimberlypauley.com and tell me what she was drinking. And then you should check out the rest of her blog; it’s a lot of fun. Get your entries in by September 6th!

And don’t forget to check out all the other stuff you can win during the Sucks to Be Me Book Launch Par-tay!

Tags: authors, book launch, Books, Giveaways, kimberly pauley, lauren mechling, sucks to be me
Posted in Books, Giveaways, Q&A | 3 Comments »

Book Launch Party!! Day 1: Cynthia Leitich Smith

All About Cynthia
My guest today is the awesome Cynthia Leitich Smith! Not only is she a fantabulous author (for kids and teens), she also runs an incredible website with all kinds of information about children’s and YA literature. As the founder of YA & Kid’s Books Central, I don’t say that lightly. If you’ve never checked out her site(s), you definitely should! And if that wasn’t enough, her husband Greg is also an author (love his books too – great fun…I wish I could have gone to the Peshtigo School!). AND – Cynthia has also written an awesome vampire book called Tantalize (which I loved).

You can learn more about Cynthia at her official website and her blog: Cynsations.

About Tantalize…
Quincie Morris has never felt more alone. Her hybrid-werewolf first love threatens to embark on a rite of passage that will separate them forever. And just as she and her uncle are about to debut Austin’s red hot vampire-themed restaurant, a brutal murder leaves them scrambling for a chef.

Can Quincie transform the new hire into a culinary dark lord before opening night? Will Henry Johnson be able to wow the crowd in fake fangs, a cheap cape, and red contact lenses? Or is there more to this earnest fresh face than meets the eye?

As human and preternatural forces clash, a deadly love triangle forms and the line between predator and prey begins to blur. Who’s playing whom? And how long can Quincie play along before she loses everything?

The Q&A
Here’s my question for Cynthia…

Tantalize is primarily a vampire book, but I love how you envisioned the were-people. Can you tell me a bit about how you came up with that?

And her answer…

As I was researching folk-tale and literary vampires, I kept an ongoing list of powers typically associated with them.

The ability to turn into a wolf was one of those powers, and from there, I thought it might be interesting to write a murder mystery in which the central question was whether a vampire in wolf form or a werewolf was the killer.

The glitch was that I’m a huge fan of real-life wolves. Really, I have both a photo of a wolf and a painting of a wolf (by Cherokee artist Donald Vaughn) hanging in my office. And I felt that, as a competing predator to humans, the wolf had already received enough bad PR without my piling more on.

But then I realized that my werewolves could be natural beings rather than demonic ones. I decided that they would be part of a competing line of humanity, one that could both trace its heritage to the Ice Age and interbreed with us. As natural beings, each would have the free will to choose the kind of “person” he or she wanted to be.

As long as there were Wolves, it only made sense that there would be other types of shapeshifters, especially because there are different shifter myths from all over the world (the werecat in Japan, for example).

So there’s some diversity—not only werwolves and Cats but also werearmadillos, wereoppossums, and were-turkey vultures, a selection largely inspired by the Central Texas setting and my affection for comedic relief. My next novel, Eternal (Candlewick, March 2009) also will feature two new kinds of shifters.

It’s been great fun researching the various animal forms—in books, videos, even visiting the Austin Nature Center—to craft the various types as resonant characters, grounded in both sides of their nature.

And Cynthia’s question for me…

In modern literary and film interpretations, the vampire arguably reigns as the sexiest of Gothic creatures. But if you had to pick a first runner-up between the other popular monsters—werewolves, ghosts, zombies, ghouls, faeries, etc.—which would you choose and why?

Oh geez, I think I’d have to say faeries. I’m a huge fan of faerie tales and myths and even studied it some in college. I’ve got a huge collection of books about them (including some really old and obscure ones) and can tell you all kinds of random things about the origins of the Cinderella myth (did you know there were Cinder-Lads?) and other stories. Besides, there are so many different kinds of faeries – there’s truly something for everyone whether you like the puckish little imps or the impossibly beautiful Faerie Queen (and talk about deadly – what’s scarier than the UnSeelie Court?).

I actually have a middle grade book that’s half finished that features faeries, but I stopped work on it when it seemed like a ton of new faery-related books were out (I was already discouraged from agents telling me that vampires were so over…of course, they turned out wrong, but hey). It’s kind of a Mistress Masham’s Repose & Coraline kind of thing (not that I dare compare myself to either T.H. White or Neil Gaiman!). I hope to get back to it someday since you could say those kinds of stories are some of my favorite.

Honestly…if someone had told me that my first book would be about vampires, I’d have probably laughed at them! Goes to show you never can tell.

And here’s an extra little tidbit that’s kind of related…in the first draft of Sucks to Be Me, the author lady that Uncle Mortie takes Mina to visit was originally a werewolf. But I ultimately decided that I didn’t want to get into a whole other set of myths for such a bit part so she just became a regular, non-furry weirdo instead.

The Giveaway
Not only can you win a copy of Tantalize, but you can also win an official Sanguini’s t-shirt! Woot! All you have to do is visit Cynthia’s website (which is awesome) and then email me at kim @ kimberlypauley.com with the subject line “Cyn is a Sensation!” and tell me…which of the Tantalize discussion questions in the Reader’s Guide do you find more discussion provoking? Please respond by September 3rd, 2008.

(If you just popped in here, don’t forget to check out all the book launch party details, including what’s up with the monster prize pack at the end!)

Tags: authors, book launch, Books, Giveaways, party, sucks to be me
Posted in Books, Giveaways, Q&A | 9 Comments »

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

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!

Tags: authors, book, book launch, Giveaways, kimberly pauley, sucks to be me
Posted in Books, Giveaways | 67 Comments »