Okay, just got the most awesome news today! The release date for Still Sucks to Be Me has been moved up from August/September to May 2010!! Woot!
Apparently it was the sales folks at Random House who wanted to move it up (Mirrorstone distributes through Random House) and I say “Bless ‘em!” Am very excited! Would totally turn a cartwheel if it wouldn’t (likely) kill me!
I’ve been so bad about posting! Not just here either…I’ve been a total slacker. But I am happy to report that the sequel to Sucks to Be Me is officially written! It’s with my editor now (next up: editorial revisions). Overall, I think I’m pretty happy with it right now though I’m sure Nina (my lovely editor) will help me make it even better.
Also, the paperback version of Sucks to Be Me is coming out on August 11th and it will have a sneak peek in the back of book 2!! Woot!
And the Spanish version is moving along though I don’t have an actual date yet. I just know that all of the contract stuff has gone through okay. 
In other, non-STBM news, I’ve got an idea for a new book. It’s a non-vampire book and I can’t really say more than that because it’s still in the beginning stages in my head. However, I’d love to hear some ideas for character names. In particular, I need two guy names. So, post your favorite guy names and tell me WHY they are your favorite. I’ll pick a winner or two (depending on how many submissions I get) after the end of July and give away your choice of a t-shirt or a signed hardcopy of Sucks to Be Me. You can even enter more than once if you like — as many good names as you can think of!
Okay, so you know how Mina always nicknames people in the book(s)? Like calling Ms. Riley “Grandma Wolfington” or G.W.? Well, I need help choosing a nickname for a character. He’s a vampire historian and really ancient, though his outward appearance is probably late 50-ish. But he has an air about him like he’s really ancient. He’s very nosy (that’s his job). His name is Dr. Jonas. Here are some possible nicknames for him from Mina (tell me in a comment which you like or you can suggest another):
Dr. Mummy
Dr. Dusty
Dr. Musty
Dr. Snoopsalot
Dr. Ancient
Dr. Jo-nosey or Dr. Jo-nosy (suggested below; I looked it up and apparently, it can be spelled either way)
Dr. Millenium (suggested below)
I’ve had a number of questions about the sequel to Sucks to Be Me, so I thought I’d answer them here
UPDATED 2010
You can find out all about Still Sucks to Be Me on the official page for the book. I’ve kept all of the below information, just in case you wanted a historical records of sorts.
UPDATED November 3, 2009
I’ve got an update now that kind makes a lot of the below out of date, but I’ll leave it up for posterity’s sake.
Still Sucks to Be Me has gone through revisions and copy editing and is now in the typesetting phase of preparation. The next step will be Advanced Reader Copies. Woot! The release date was moved up from September 2010 to May 11, 2010. Double Woot!!
I saw an early version of the cover, but it’s been changed since I saw it. I’ll share it (as well as the first chapter, etc.) as soon as I can.
I will have tons of fun stuff going on around the launch, so keep a lookout starting in January (there’s gonna be one really special contest that will kick off around then).
UPDATE! April 20, 2009
Okay, I have an official update! The sequel to Sucks to Be Me is officially under contract now. I’m supposed to finish up this draft and get it to my editor around June. However, it won’t actually be out in stores until next year (sorry, guys, publishing is slow! There’s all kinds of stuff to do — editing, designing the cover and chapter heads, typesetting-y stuff, etc.). From what I understand, there will be some kind of teaser or excerpt of the second book included in the paperback release of Sucks to Be Me (which will be out in August). So, yay!
What’s the title of the sequel?
Right now, I’m calling it It Still Sucks to Be Me: More All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton Smith. That’s not final, but pretty likely.
When is it going to come out?
No idea as of yet, especially since I’m still working on it Heck, you can even leave me suggestions here, if you’d like. Can’t promise that I’ll take any of them, but who knows. I’m definitely using some of the character names that were suggested in the Launch Party contest. Also, the publisher is waiting to see how the first book does (that’s just reality for a first-time author), so they probably won’t know until Spring when paperback orders (it’ll come out in paper next year) start coming in. So please do tell your friends about the book — you may not think so, but YOU can make a difference to first-time (heck, any-time) authors. So far the book seems to be doing pretty well, but (from what I understand) it’s sustained sales that excite the publisher. 
Oh, and please do review it on Amazon and B&N or wherever else! That stuff really does help!
Is Raven in it? Do we find out what happened to her?
Yep, Raven is in it. And here’s where you guys have already made a difference — originally, my plot for the second book didn’t really call for her. But so many of you asked about her that it started me thinking…and I came up with a nice plot twist that includes her…actually, she’s integral to the plot now.
Is Aubrey in it? Do we find out what happened to him?
Aubrey is definitely mentioned. That’s all I’ll say about that.
Is Serena in it? George?
Yep and yep.
Why is it taking soooo lonnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggg???
Well, mostly because of my little peanut boy Max. He’s 8 months old now and into EVERYTHING! But also because I’m still running YA Books Central (which takes up chunks of time). But it is coming along pretty good and I’m happy with how it is going.
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