Are you there, Amazon? It's me, Megan.

Just running a little test to see why my blog posts aren't loading on my AmazonConnect blog. Nothing too exciting here. Except that it's Halloween!!!! And today I'm going to share a spooky story (along with some pics) of what happened at my launch party for Sisters of Misery. There was a recent article about "moi" and my book in my hometown newspaper that gives a little hint to the spookiness that occurred the night of my signing.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/swampscott/fun/entertainment/arts/x1157500955/Beyond-Misery

Stay tuned for a creepy coincidence that's very fitting for Halloween.

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Quietly taking over the Internet

Again, I want to thank all the bloggers who've been kindly promoting my book, SISTERS OF MISERY, as a great Halloween Read. Here are a few posts to some recent blog entries, reviews, giveaways, and interviews, as well as a link to an article written about little old me in my hometown newspaper, The Marblehead Reporter. One amazing blogger even started a fan page on Facebook for me. How sweet is that? And another made a little mini-movie review. I've never felt so much support for my writing as I have over the past few months. I'm so excited to connect with readers about SISTERS OF MISERY and I'm working my butt off to make sure that THE LOST SISTER is just as good (if not better) than my first book.

In the meantime, I'd love to connect with more readers, so I've set up all sorts of online places to connect with everyone. I've become crazy Internet lady, you can't escape me, I'm everywhere online, which is good, because I'm not any bestsellers lists...yet!! (Hey, you can help me onto those ultra-exclusive lists AND buy a great Christmas present for someone under $10 at the same time! 2 birds, 1 stone! Good idea, huh?)

Click here to join me on MySpace, Facebook, Shelfari, Goodreads, LibraryThing and Red Room. Phew. It's hard to be in so many places at one time, but I'm trying!

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Thanks Mabel's House!

I love stumbling onto bloggers' pages when they mention my book. I love it even more when they are hosting a giveaway for my book, SISTERS OF MISERY.

This is what Liz at Mabel's House is doing. Not only did she give a great review of my book and recommended it as a wonderfully spooky Halloween read, but she's also hosting a giveaway on her site.

So, I'm linking to her site, not because I want to win a copy of SISTERS (I have more than enough copies, thank you very much. Plus, I know how it ends...hee hee!), but because I wanted to thank her for hosting this giveaway. It means so much to me to get the word out there about my book. And hopefully those 50+ blog readers that don't win the book will go out and buy it anyway. (I think it's less than $10 on Amazon.com if I remember correctly.)

Again, thanks Liz and a big thank you and shout out to author Elizabeth Scott for including my book in her Halloween Scary Reads giveaway as well. Check out her giveaway contest here. To enter her contest you have to say what your least favorite Halloween Candy is. I, on the other hand, am going to say what my favorite Halloween Candy is, just to be different. I'm addicted to those 100 Grand mini-bars and I can't stop buying them. Somebody please help me stop!!

Thanks ladies for posting my debut novel as a Spooky Halloween read. I have a spooky story about my book launch that I'll be blogging about soon that will DEFINITELY want to make everyone run out and buy/read my book. A very weird coincidence occurred during my launch party and I'll share it with you all if you want. Until then, Happy Halloween and happy reading!!

xoxo

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GCC Tours Kelly Para's INVISIBLE TOUCH

As you are gearing up for a spooky Halloween, how about checking out a new mysterious YA novel by my fellow GCC author Kelly Para?

In honor of this upcoming holiday, Kelly has graciously accepted my offer to be interviewed on my blog about her new book, INVISIBLE TOUCH. Check out our interview below...

Do you (or did you ever) have a writing group? Who are the first people to read your book once it’s completed?

K: I have a number one critique partner, author Tina Ferraro (How To Hook a Hottie). We were partnered through a critique service years ago when we were both writing suspense and hit it off right away. We email every day and read each other's books chapter by chapter, then the whole draft.

What writers do you consider your “sisters”? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?

K: Again, my writer "sister" would be Tina, as well as author Dianna Love and Anne Frasier. I can really be honest with these talented ladies and I have a load of great author friends I meet up with at conferences when I can.

What writers do you wish would be in your “clique”? (It doesn’t have to be in your genre….doesn’t even have to be living! For example, I’d pick Alice Hoffman, Jodi Picoult, Sarah Dessen, Oscar Wilde, Stephenie Meyer, Meg Cabot, Stephen King and Joan Didion).

K: I'll just name my favorite authors which include my writer sisters hands down, as well as Laurell K. Hamilton, Stephanie Plum, JD Robb, Rachel Caine, and Marjorie M. Liu.

When did you first feel that you’d officially joined the “published writers’ club”?

K: Even after I accepted a contract for my first novel Graffiti Girl, I still felt like a big newbie. Even when I finally got to sign my contract and received my first payment the "published author" feeling didn't set in. I finally felt official when I saw my book at a book store! haha. And now with my second book Invisible Touch on shelves, I still feel "new" to the publishing world and I'm not sure when that feeling will go away.

Finally, what can you tell me about your book? Give me a quick run-down about why I’d want to pick it for my own book club.

K: Invisible Touch is about Kara Martinez, a teenage girl who has a gift--or is it a curse?--of seeing visions and signs on individuals and has to piece the signs together in order to stop an unfortunate fate. She keeps an anonymous blog called Secret Fates to share her feelings about her ability and the mystery she's trying to solve. Soon she sees the dangerous sign of gun and when she meets a boy from the wrong side of town, she's thrust deeper into danger than ever before. Invisible Touch is a story of mystery, romance, and family drama and what I hope is an entertaining read.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Megan!

Here's some more info on Kelly Para's thrilling new novel, INVISIBLE TOUCH!

INVISIBLE TOUCH
by Kelly Parra
MTV Books | October 14, 2008
ISBN: 1416563377
(For ages 13 and up)

Do you believe in fate?

Kara Martinez has been trying to be "normal" ever since the accident that took her father's life when she was eleven years old. She's buried the caliente side of her Mexican heritage with her father and tried to be the girl her rigid mother wants her to be -- compliant and dressed in pink, and certainly not acting out like her older brother Jason. Not even Danielle, her best friend at Valdez High, has seen the real Kara; only those who read her anonymous blog know the deepest secrets of the Sign Seer.

Because Kara has a gift -- one that often feels like a curse. She sees signs, visions that are clues to a person's fate, if she can put together the pieces of the puzzle in time. So far, she's been able to solve the clues and avert disaster for those she's been warned about -- until she sees the flash of a gun on a fellow classmate, and the stakes are raised higher than ever before. Kara does her best to follow the signs, but it's her heart that wanders into new territory when she falls for a mysterious guy from the wrong side of town, taking her closer to answers she may not be able to handle. Will her forbidden romance help her solve the deadly puzzle before it's too late...or lead her even further into danger?

Links

Invisible Touch Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsvyTWhrWJ0

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Touch-Kelly-Parra/dp/1416563377/

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Invisible-Touch/Kelly-Parra/e/9781416563372/?itm=2

Praise for Invisible Touch

"A magical blending of mystery, romance, and deep and dangerous secrets. Kelly Parra’s Invisible Touch is an action-packed coming-of-age novel, sure to keep readers turning pages and begging for a sequel." 
-- Laurie Faria Stolarz, Bestselling author of Blue is for Nightmares and Deadly Little Secret

"Readers are going to delight in this fast-paced, gripping story, and be kept spellbound until its surprising finish." 
 -- Tina Ferraro, author of How To Hook A Hottie

"The Gold Award of Excellence! An amazing, touching novel that deals with big issues in an original context." -- TeensReadToo

"Five out of five gold pens for Invisible Touch."—The Salinas Californian


Secret Fates Extravaganza

Through the month of October, Kelly Parra is hosting a Secret Fates Extravaganza with 26 authors sharing secrets and giveaways on the Secret Fates blog (secretfates.blogspot.com). It has been a fun-filled month and it’s almost over. The Extravaganza will end October 31st.

About the Author

Kelly Parra is the author of Graffiti Girl, a double RITA nominee and a Latinidad Top Pick, and the contemporary paranormal, Invisible Touch. When not pulling her hair while writing her current novel, she likes to play with her abundance of websites and feed a serious television addiction. For excerpts visit, www.kellyparra.com or follow the Secret Fates blog at secretfates.blogspot.com.




invisible touch ~ out now!
graffiti girl ~ available
www.kellyparra.com

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GCC Tours Stacy DeKeyser

This month I'm so excited to tour another member of the GCC -- Stacy DeKeyser. Stacy's novel, JUMP THE CRACKS, has been widely praised and is a fast-paced, suspenseful read. (It's on the top of my TBR list for sure!) Here's a little more info about the book and my interview with Stacy:


When fifteen-year-old Victoria witnesses what she believes to be child neglect on a train to New York, she makes a split-second decision and takes the young boy with her on the next train out in order to protect him. But, in her effort to make sure the child doesn’t slip through the cracks and end up back with the neglectful parents, she’s unwittingly branded a kidnapper and is forced to stay on the run until she can clear her name. JUMP THE CRACKS is a fast-paced, suspense-driven thriller set in motion when a young girl is forced to confront the fine line between doing the legal thing and doing the right thing. Debut novelist Stacy DeKeyser offers a memorable and honest portrayal of a teen whose efforts to take on a child’s demons leads her to take on her own in the process.

Jump the Cracks
by Stacy DeKeyser
March 2008 216 pp.
Flux, paperback, $9.95
ISBN 978-0-7387-1274-1

Do you (or did you ever) have a writing group? Who are the first people to read your book once it's completed?

I have a weekly writing group, who are a godsend. They hear one chapter at a time, hot off my computer. Also, I'm lucky to have a mom who's a writer, so she reads my stuff, but she has to wait until I have a complete draft. My other go-to crit partners are writers Laurie Stolarz and Kim Marcus.

What writers do you consider your "sisters"? Are there any published writers that you hang out or tour with a lot? Call? Email? IM?

I'm lucky to have lots of sisters! I have 3 "real" sisters, who are very supportive. Can my mom be my sister? We email almost daily. And author Kim Marcus is my complete soul-sister, writing-wise and otherwise.

If someone was going to join your book club, what would be a "must read" in order to join?

It sounds ridiculously obvious, but you have to actually read the book. I was once in a book club where some members liked the meetings, but didn't want to read the books. I've also gotten "reviews" of my book from people who haven't even read the whole thing. What the heck?

What was your "initiation" to writing?

I've always written, and have always been drawn to the written word. On the first day of second grade, I discovered I'd already read our class "reading book" on my own over the summer. My mom was a writer when I was a kid. To me, it was always an option.

When did you first feel that you'd officially joined the "published writers' club"?

When I signed my first book contract. :)

What was your best/worst memory of high school?

Worst: Once, going up the stairs between classes, I tripped and fell into some guy ahead of me. My face smashed right into his butt. Thank goodness I didn't know him!

Best: Any day where I didn't fall into someone's butt going up the stairs was a good day in high school.

In SISTERS OF MISERY, the last place new members want to go to is Misery Island. But if you had the choice, what island would you go to and what would you take with you?

I'd go to the island of Great Britain! I'd take sturdy hiking boots, a good waterproof hat and jacket, and hit the walking trails.

Finally, what can you tell me about your book? Give me a quick run-down about why I'd want to pick it for my own book club.

It's a great book for discussion, I think. People argue over what they'd do in Victoria's situation. Is the legal thing always the same as the right thing?

Reviews for Jump the Cracks:

“Bracingly realistic….With a combination of lively adventure and humane treatment of its characters, this is an absorbing and emotionally effective read.” — BCCB

"Strong characters and fast-paced action." — VOYA

"Thought-provoking....Introspective tweeners will find plenty to chew on." — Booklist

“Teens are sure to find this an interesting read.” — School Library Journal

• Nominated for YALSA'S Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, 2009
• Nominated for the Texas Lone Star Reading List, 2009
• Under consideration for the 2009 Edgar Award

About Stacy DeKeyser:
Despite being “the girl who was always good in math and
science” and getting a BA in Psychology, Stacy DeKeyser
(Connecticut) has always harbored a passion for reading and
writing. Her subsequent Master’s degree in Health Services
Administration led her to a career in hospitals and clinics but
even then, she found her favorite part of the job was writing
reports.

Segueing into life as a full-time mom, she found she had scads of
time but no creative outlet. An editor at a writer’s conference
suggested she try her hand at a novel and when she witnessed an
upsetting incident involving a small child on a train, Stacy knew
what she wanted to write about. Originally from Milwaukee, Stacy now lives in
Connecticut where she’s at work on her next novel.

For more info on Stacy DeKeyser, check out the following links:

website: http://stacydekeyser.com

blog: http://stacy-dekeyser.livejournal.com/

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/stacydekeyser

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My Sister: An Extra in Paul Blart: Mall Cop

Yup, that's my sister Jocelyn (or at least the back of her) on the set of Paul Blart: Mall Cop. I was there as an extra as well. My daughter was a featured extra, which meant that she actually had her own scene with one of the stars of the movie (she was called "bubble girl" because she got to blow and pop bubbles).

That was my first and last time as an extra on a movie. Being from Boston and not familiar with the way extras are treated (the phrase "I feel like cattle" was spoken more than once), I didn't realize that I would be standing around for 14 hours or so, walking back and forth aimlessly, being shuffled around and bullied by production assistants, being yelled at, scolded, told to be quiet, and basically treated like crap while walking around in the most uncomfortable pair of high-heeled boots I've ever worn (I wanted to burn them at the end of the day). By two a.m. I was shuffling my swollen feet, trying to look like a happy mall shopper, while silently cursing Kevin James and everyone in the movie (not that they had anything to do with how we were treated.) That was mainly due to the P.A.s on the set--basically glorified interns with a headset and a superiority complex. (Yes, Army Pants Girl and Evil Chad, that means you!)

But Piper had a wonderful time, and I hope that her scene doesn't get cut from the movie. I think it's the scene where Kevin James runs his Segway into a parked car. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie in January, even though I haven't been able to watch King of Queens reruns since my Mall Cop experience. If I see Kevin James my feet start to hurt, and I get a nervous tick just remembering how awful it felt to be trapped in a mall. Lesson learned.

I now have a whole new respect for people in the background of movies. To all of you background extras, I will definitely be paying more attention to you in the future, because I literally feel (and have felt) your pain. Ouch!

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