If you haven’t yet heard, my Dear Teen Me letter is up. This is just what it sounds, a letter addressed to my teenage self. But be warned; it’s quite a bit different from my usual lighthearted stuff, but I hope you enjoy it regardless. There are also a couple of “epic” pictures of me as a teen. In fact, I had so much fun digging through old photos I decided to display the rejects below. They are fairly amusing, at least to me. Anyway, check it out, have a laugh, and then head over to Dear Teen Me for the heavier stuff.

Civil War Reenacting is cool. End of Story.

Tall Boots are cool too. So are whips.

My cheerleading phase was short lived.

Can you tell my happiness is genuine? I had a professor once tell me that education is one of the things in life that nobody else can ever take from you. He was right.

As promised, I’ve gathered together the details of what I’ll be doing at TLA 2013. Below I’ve listed my “official” events, but I plan on doing lots of unofficial stuff, too, like totally fan-girling over all the awesome authors that are going to be there. (Seriously, I’m not quite sure how I ended up on the guest list, but I’ll take it!)

Anyway, here’s my schedule and I hope to see some of you there! Oh, and even if I don’t look it, I promise I’m totally approachable. I have one of those faces where if I’m not smiling I look unfriendly, but I swear this is misleading. I’m only unfriendly if you’re like a psycho-crazy person. All normal people have no need to worry 🙂

Oh one more thing, for the official record: LIBRARIES ROCK!!!

• Thursday, April 25, 3:00-3:5) “RIGHT NOW: New Ya Literature Panel” along with A.G. Howard, Robin LaFevers, Joe Schreiber, and Andrew Smith in Room 201, ABC, Level 2
• Friday, April 26, 10:00-11:50, Texas Tea Greenroom at The Omni Hotel Stockyards 2 Room
• Friday April 26, 12:00-12:50, Texas Tea, at The Omni Hotel, Ballroom 5
• Friday April 26, 5:00-8:00 TT4L, at the Omni Hotel Fort Worth Ball Room 1-4, level 2

Congrats to Lourie Beiter for winning the exclusive booklet from the Fall in Love with YA New Leaf Event!

Speaking of which, I had an absolute blast, although I managed not to take a single photograph the entire time. I know, I know, I’m fired. Especially because some of the photos could’ve been some candid moments with the fabulous Leigh Bardugo, my roomie for the event. She’s easily in the top five of the coolest, most fun people I know. I can only hope I absorbed some of her awesomeness by osmosis.

Up next week I’m at the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. My panel is on Thursday at 3:50. I don’t have the titles and details on hand, but I will post them soon, or you can find them on the website. If you’re coming to the conference, let me know! I’d love to chat and hang out.

And of course Saturday I’ll be heading down to the Edgefest concert in Dallas for a 10-author all-day signing extravaganza. There will be shenanigans and general good times had by all.

Cheers!

One of my favorite lines in the new The Hobbit movie is when Gandalf talks about how it’s the little things in life that keeps the darkness at bay, small acts of kindness and love. It just so happens that I believe this. And it’s not just intentional acts that fight off darkness in all of its forms—whether it be despair, doubt, worry, or even actual evil—but the unintentional moments of light and happiness, too. Moments that are often caught in photographs like the ones below. These are the moments you should cling too. These are the ones that make all the difference.

The pics below aren’t special of life-altering. They’re of animals that none of you know or have any reason to care about. They’re ordinary, in other words. And yet, to me, they matter. And that makes them special. It’s easy to lose sight of how our personal connection to things makes the everyday extraordinary, especially  in a business as crazy as writing. So here’s me, taking a moment to reset my own perspective and to remind myself of the little things.

And hopefully  I can pass on a smile or two onto you.

Happy Friday!

Silly kitty

Silly doggie

Sleepy kitty

Two weeks from today me and six other authors from New Leaf Literary & Media will be at Powell’s Books in Beaverton, Oregon! I’m super excited to spend time with these talented ladies and to have a chance to talk to readers. Readers are awesome. Seriously. I can’t say that enough.

There is also going to be a fantastic giveaway of exclusive content from all the writers to anybody who comes and purchases two or more books through the event. I’m not allowed to say what my exclusive content it is, but I will drop a hint: it has a LOT to do with Eli Booker.

Oh, and since we’re talking about events, just a quick reminder that I will be presenting at TLA 2013 in Texas the week after Powell’s, April 24-27. AND I will be at Edgefest with a whole bunch of other YA authors that Sunday, April 28. In other words, April is going to freakin’ rock, ya’ll.

Last Friday I had the absolute pleasure to visit Valley View Junior High School in my hometown of Germantown, Ohio. I had no idea what to expect, and I went in absolutely terrified that these teenagers would greet me with disinterested eyerolls and more than a couple of murmured protests. It was, after all, a Friday, not to mention the last day before spring break and the first really nice day we’d had in a while.

But I’m happy to say that the kids were completely, utterly fantastic. They asked questions, they were interested, and I had a total blast. Two of the students even wrote me awesome thank you cards which I will keep forever in a scrap book:

One of the highlights was sharing my very first short stories. I hadn’t looked at these sucker in years, and rereading some of them was hysterical. But hopefully encouraging, too, considering how bad I was back then. Want proof? Feast your eyes on these:

(To the best of my knowledge this is my very first story ever. And yes, fantasy was my first love)

(A Ghost Horse Story)

And we also talked about Power of the Pen. Several of the students were on their way to State! I didn’t bring my Power of Pen papers, but I thought I’d share proof here:

Moral of the story? I can’t wait to do my next school visit!

Happy Writing.