Kieran's Blog

Smoking Sucks

2012-02-22T20:06:00.003-05:00

Well, I've completely tanked on my resolution to blog at least once a week, but I kind of knew that was going to happen when I made said resolution. The problem is, every time I try to think about what to write about, I don't know if I should write something personal or try to come up with something more shallow, so as not to put my real life out there for people to read an analyze and talk about. But lately there's been one personal thing dominating my thoughts so much I can't really think about anything else. So I've decided to write about it.

My mom is in the hospital for the sixth time in two years. She's only 66. I know that sounds ancient to a lot of people, but it's not. Or it shouldn't be. Not in this day and age. But right now, if you met my mom, who used to be the strongest, feistiest, funniest, most engaging person I know, you'd think she was 99. And all because she could never quit smoking.

Here's the thing. Everyone knows smoking is bad, but when you're told that in high school and you're shown the pictures of the dirty lungs or the corroded heart or whatever you think "Yeah, whatever, that's not gonna happen to me." Which makes sense. You feel invincible when you're young, and I get that. And part of me thinks kids deserve to feel that. But it's also kind of stupid. Because none of us are invincible. And those pictures of dirty lungs and corroded hearts are stupid, too, because it doesn't translate into anything real. You don't know--you can't FEEL how having those symptoms will really affect your life. So let me tell you what I've seen my mom go through lately.

In 2000 she came down with throat cancer due to smoking. The chemo and radiation saved her life, temporarily, but we now know that they also started a slow deterioration process in her neck. A few years after the treatment she started getting severe laryngitis for about six weeks each winter. Then, she started having trouble eating. She couldn't swallow properly. Food would go down the wrong way and she'd choke. At first this was once in a while, but over the years it became more frequent to the point that she can't eat a meal without choking about every fifteen seconds. And no, I'm not exaggerating. Just imagine trying to get through a cheeseburger or even a bowl of Cheerios while choking into a paper towel every fifteen seconds. Not fun.

Meanwhile, thanks to the radiation damage AND the fact that her arteries are all clogged from the smoking, she had a stroke in August and now she can't walk without a walker or cane. Then, last Thursday, she fainted in the bathroom and slammed her head on the wall and passed out and she's been in the hospital ever since.

What we've now learned is she has pneumonia because food got in her lungs and irritated them and they got infected. She has low blood pressure from the clogged arteries and low oxygen from the pneumonia, so she's on an oxygen tank. She can't eat anymore, so they're going to insert a feeding tube into her abdomen so that food can be directly inserted into her stomach. So here we have a 66 year old woman, who a year ago was vibrant and happy and she

a) can't talk

b) can't eat

c) can't breathe on her own

d) can't walk on her own

e) can't be left alone because she might faint and

f) is severely depressed (as you might imagine)

Part of me wishes I could bring everyone I know who smokes into her room to talk to her and see if she says she doesn't regret smoking. I know it's so hard to stop, but God, if you could feel the way she's felt for the last five days even for five minutes, I bet you would work your ass off to quit. So do me a favor people, don't start. Because I don't want anyone else I care about to go through this. Ever.

And I thought putting this down in words would make me feel better, but it didn't. Probably because I love my mom so much this is killing me. And my sister. And all her friends. It just sucks.

A little taste of THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING

2012-01-27T19:18:00.002-05:00

What's up, readers?

As many of you know, tonight, in about 41 minutes actually, I'm going to be giving away an ARC of THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING via twitter. If you're not aware, then you still have time to enter. All you have to do is click your butt on over to twitter and tweet "I can't wait for THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING @kieranscott!" and you're entered. But the problem is, only one person can win. And I feel kind of badly about that. So for all of you guys who DON'T win, here's what I'm gonna do. Right here, right now, I'm going to give you my favorite line from the very first chapter of THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING. And then, next week, I'm gonna get the digital file from my editor and post a big, fat, excerpt. But for now, it's just a line. And that line is . . . .

Chloe Appleby, princess of perfection, queen bee of Orchard Hill High, she who had never stepped a pinkie-toenail out of line in her life, was going to have an actual baby. This was what I like to call a holy-crap moment.

Okay. So it was two lines. A little extra giftie just for you. ;) Check back next week for the whole first chapter or two. I can't wait for you to read it and let me know what you think!

And now it's only . . . 36 minutes until I announce the winner!

My Worst Fear

2012-01-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

(Other than Global Thermal Nuclear War. Thank you John Badham.)

Confession: Every time I come up with a new idea for a book, I live in fear that someone else is going to come up with the same idea and write it or sell it before I get the chance.

I know. It sounds a little insane. Like what other person in America (or anywhere else for that matter) was going to wake up and think "Huh. What if a brunette cheerleader from New Jersey had to move to Florida and join a competition squad completely made up of blondes?" right around the same time I was pitching I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER? But believe it or not, it has happened to me. More than once.

A few years back I had a writing partner and together we wrote three screenplays. The first one was a teen body-switch movie that was cute, but ultimately silly, I guess. The second one was about a guy in his twenties who still had a frat-boy mentality who, on learning his best friend was engaged to a girl he detested, went about trying to break-up the wedding. We had just finished our sixth draft and were very excited to send it out, but we couldn't come up with a title. We racked our brains for days, weeks, trying to come up with just the right moniker to catch the reader's attention and get us our first big movie deal. And then, one day, I was at the theater and I turned around and almost walked right into a huge, cardboard standup ad for a movie called SAVING SILVERMAN! My first thought was "Omigod! That's the perfect title for our movie!" And guess what? It turned out it had the EXACT SAME PREMISE AS OUR MOVIE!

I almost threw up. And then the movie sucked and it made no money and everyone in Hollywood who read our script said, "It has a lot of funny parts and memorable characters, but Saving Silverman bombed, so . . . no." And that was the end of that.

So we came up with a new idea, wrote a new screenplay (took us a couple of years of toil, btw), put the finishing touches on that one, and were ready to send it out when I went to the theater and saw a trailer for a movie called DOWN WITH LOVE, which had THE EXACT SAME PREMISE AS OUR MOVIE! Except it was set in the 1950's and ours was set in the present day. That time I actually had to get up and go to the lobby to have a panic attack. My date (now my husband), thought I was having a nervous breakdown. It's kind of a miracle he stuck with me after that public display.

Anyway, my writing partner and I kind of gave up after that.

In the last few years, there have been two separate occasions that an idea I was mulling was basically written by someone else. Both times someone more famous and successful than I am. So as much as I happen to appreciate my own creativity, I've learned to believe in the maxim, THERE ARE NO NEW IDEAS. (Most notorious case in point, TWILIGHT? Yeah. THE VAMPIRE DIARIES came first, people.)

So I've had this idea that I totally, TOTALLY love for the past month, but I haven't had a chance to perfect it and send it out yet, because first Christmas happened, then the kids were home for a week, then they both got sick and have actually been sick EVER SINCE! I've spent the entire month of January tending to sick children. Which, let's face it, is my more important job, but still.

Every day I get that email from Publisher's Marketplace listing the deals of the day, and every day when I see it there in my inbox, I get this awful, hollowed out feeling. I click it open, actually leaning back, away from my monitor, as if it's going to detonate in my face. Then I quickly scan all the deals for key words that might point to something similar to my beloved idea, and only when I see that there are none (not today), do I exhale. Right now, my worst fear, is that I open that sucker and see the line:

PITCHED AS A TEENAGED ________ ________ who must save her ________ ________ from _________ by going to _________ and ________ _________.

What? You thought I was just going to give it away?

So anyway, wish me luck. I plan to have this thing finished by the end of next week, provided I can keep the germs at bay. If all goes well, you'll see MY name in the Marketplace soon with all the blanks above filled in. NO MORE FEAR!

The Bad News, The Good News

2012-01-12T01:51:00.001-05:00

The bad news is, my entire family, baby and all, had the dreaded stomach flu this weekend. If I were writing a novel, I would share with you all the gory details, but as this story of true heinousness is about those I hold the most dear, I will withhold said details in order to protect the innocent.

Let's just say, it wasn't pretty. And in fact some of us have not yet fully recuperated.

The good news is, I found out exactly how strong I am during the ordeal. I mean, if you can pull off the things I pulled off--dragging a mattress up the stairs so I could sleep on the floor of B's room, rocking W to sleep, making bottles and cleaning up other people's--you know--all while retching every five minutes yourself--well, I'm still pretty impressed with myself. I'm not saying I'm a Katniss Everdeen-level ass-kicker, but at the very least I could win a Mom of the Week award.

The other good news? It turns out that line in The Devil Wears Prada about being one stomach flu away from one's goal weight? That's actually possible.

And the third good news? I just wrote the first few lines of the prologue of my new novel. Or what I hope will be my new novel. If my publisher buys it. Which maybe they'll do once they read this and realize I started writing it at 1:45 am after bringing B some Gatorade in the midst of five days of nasty bodily functions. I mean, pity has to play a factor on some level, right?

Aren't you SO glad I decided to blog every week? Look at the kind of fun stuff you get to read!

Wish me luck.

-K

New Year, New Posting Resolution

2012-01-04T10:04:00.000-05:00

Right so, it's been so long since I posted on here that I actually forgot my password. For shame! I don't have that many followers, but those of you who follow me follow me for a reason. So here's the deal. I made three new year's resolutions. Want to hear what they are? I know you do!

1. To be more frugal in the New Year. I am one to click on the modcloth.com or athleta.com links on my facebook page when I'm bored and just order stuff. Then I usually feel buyer's remorse after it arrives and end up returning all of--okay well, some of--it. This year, I have resolved on no pointless clicking. I will only buy clothing if it is needed! Or if it's 70% off. Which, let's face it, it never is.

2. To wash my face every single night before bed. I know this sounds easy, but it's not when you've spent your entire day writing and running errands and then you have to pick up your two little boys, play with them, feed them, bathe them, read to them, wrestle them into their pjs and get them to sleep within a two hour time frame. EXHAUSTING! But as Lorelai tells Rory upon meeting the Chilton headmaster's assistant in the second episode of the best-ever girl power TV series GILMORE GIRLS, "See? That's what happens when you go to bed with your makeup on."

3. To post a blog AT LEAST once a week. I was going to go for daily, but the only way to keep a resolution is to make it realistic, and considering my track record, yes, once a week is realistic. Maybe next year I'll go for daily. If, you know, the Mayans were wrong and the world doesn't actually end this year. Which, for the record, I don't think it will. In case that makes you feel any better.

So keep an eye for more posts and send your friends! You never know. One day I might actually write something useful!

NJ LIBRARY APPEARANCE THIS WEEKEND!

2011-10-04T14:39:00.000-04:00

If you live in South Jersey, this weekend is going to be beyond exciting for you, because you're going to get a chance to meet ME!

I'm totally kidding. Well, not about the meeting me part, but about how exciting it is to meet me. It's actually only mildly interesting. But fun!

Anyway, this Saturday I am going to be doing a little writing workshop along with a reading and Q&A at the Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library. If you like my characters in the HE'S SO/SHE'S SO TRILOGY, you should be there, because I'm gonna give you a little inside look into how I created them and help you create your own three-dimensional, interesting, flawed-yet-lovable characters! Here are all the important details:

WHAT: Writing workshop, reading and chat
WHERE: The Lacey Branch of the Ocean County Library, 10 East Lacey Rd., Forked River, NJ 08731
WHEN: Saturday, October 8th, 2pm
RSVP: Please register for the event so the staff and I can properly plan. You can register here:
http://engagedpatrons.org/EventsExtended.cfm?SiteID=2161&EventID=104693
BRING ALONG: Any books you'd like me to sign (as long as I wrote them) ;)

Can't wait to see you there!

HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT giveaway TONIGHT on TWITTER!

2011-09-29T16:20:00.000-04:00

In case you haven't heard, I'll be giving away FIVE signed copies of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT tonight on Twitter to celebrate the fact that I finished revising THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING today!

All you need to do is tweet your favorite SHE'S SO DEAD TO US character's name to @kieranscott at 9:00 PM eastern time! (NO EARLY ENTRIES WILL BE CONSIDERED!!!) The contest closes at 9:30 when I will pick FIVE ENTRIES at random! And yes, this contest is open to all readers EVERYWHERE (except the international space station). Winners will be notified via twitter after 9:30 pm eastern time.

See you there! And GOOD LUCK!

Big News on THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING!

2011-09-14T09:12:00.000-04:00

THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING
coming to a store near you on May 1, 2012!
Check out the gorgeous cover!

As many of you know, I've been on maternity leave since May, which is why this blog has been so very dormant for so very long. But now I am back in action and I'm currently revising the manuscript for THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING, the final book in the HE'S SO/SHE'S SO TRILOGY! I know you guys all freaked when you read the cliffhanger of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT (which, I gotta say, gives me a happy), and now I'm whipping up the answers to all your questions! I can't wait for you to read it!

I'd post some details for you here, but you know how I feel about spoilers.

In other news, Miss Kate Brian (of whom some of you may have heard), will be appearing THIS SUNDAY at the Brooklyn Book Festival as part of a panel discussion called "BRING ON THE DRAMA" at 12 noon. Fellow panelists include Christopher Grant, Rachel Hawkins and Karsten Knight. I'm sure there will be plenty of juicy tidbits and big laughs, so be sure to be there!

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED!

2011-07-12T11:34:00.001-04:00

On Sunday I put out the word that I'd be answering YOUR top 20 questions here on my blog on Monday. Of course, in grand procrastinator fashion, I've waited until Tuesday to write this post, so I apologize for the delay. It's been a crazy few days around here, but I think things are starting to normalize. I've got a few minutes before the newborn wakes up and starts screaming for a bottle, so I'm going to answer as many of your q's as I can in that time. Ready, set . . . Go!

1. When is the last book of the He's So/She's So Trilogy being released?

The OFFICIAL publication date for THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING is May 1, 2012. So to those of you who heard May/June, it's actually earlier than you thought!

2. Where did you get your inspiration to write the PRIVATE and PRIVILEGE series?

PRIVATE (which I write for Alloy Entertainment under the pen name Kate Brian) came about after I'd written a few hardcover books under the Kate Brian name. The publisher wanted to do a series and floated the idea of doing something at a private school. It was back when Gossip Girl was first gaining popularity as a book series, and I wanted to do something a little different, so we talked about it and came up with the idea of doing a murder mystery. From there it was all about the characters. Reed is a lot like me, in that she comes from a middle class, dysfunctional family and ends up surrounded by wealthier seemingly more together people. Then I came up with two guys I would have killed to date as a teen (Thomas and Josh) and made them as real as possible, and a group of girls who would have both intrigued and annoyed me as a teen (The Billings Girls) and created them, too. I can't really take credit for the PRIVILEGE idea. An editor called me and said "What about doing a spin-off with Ariana?" and I thought he was crazy. Who'd want to read about that psycho? But she ended up being the most entertaining character to write, and that series was SO MUCH FUN to work on!

3. Do you have any method for plotting?

I always, ALWAYS outline. It's the only way writing works for me. I don't always stick to the outline, because I sometimes see flaws halfway through, or come up with better ideas during the writing, but the beginning, middle and end almost always stay the same. There's usually a catalytic moment near the beginning--something that shakes the main character's world. Then he or she works the rest of the book to resolve that moment or come to terms with it. It's all about escalating the tension (throwing obstacles, misdirects, pitfalls in their way) until the climax, where the character makes a decision that will put them on a whole new course. Then the resolution. It's a tried and true story-telling formula and I fully believe in it. It's always worked well for me!

OK, that's all I've got for today. More answers tomorrow, including my favorite series to write, some mulling over the Megan Meade subject and more!

Follow @AnnietheNorm for all the DIRT on the Cresties and Norms!

2011-06-23T11:45:00.000-04:00

Can't get enough of ALLY, JAKE and all their friends (and foes) from SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT? Then just follow Annie Johnston this summer on twitter @AnnietheNorm and you'll get even more inside dish on the goings on in Orchard Hill, and down at LBI!

Following the same day-to-day time line as HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT, Annie will be tweeting behind the scenes info about what's going on in Orchard Hill while Ally's down the shore this summer. Want to know who David Drake is hooking up with? Annie's got the dirt. Curious how Shannen's passing her time sans Crestie friends? She'll fill you in. She even has the detes on Jake's random ways to survive his grounding (hint: he works out--without a shirt--a LOT).

So click on over to twitter and follow Orchard Hills' most accomplished spy and gossip. You'll be glad you did!

@AnnietheNorm

Having trouble finding HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT?

2011-06-08T12:00:00.000-04:00

I've been getting a lot of tweets and emails from frustrated readers over the past two days. Why? Because yesterday morning ya'll ran out to your nearest bookstore, after months of patient waiting, to buy HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT on its release date, and some of you COULDN'T FIND IT! I can't tell you how annoyed this makes me, and I'm here to explain why it's happening.

First of all, there's the easy explanation: some of you might have gotten to your store before they had a chance to shelve all the new books. Books always come out on Tuesdays, so sometimes there's a lot of new stock to put out and it can take a while.

But there is another, more annoying (to me anyway) reason you might not have found the book you were looking for. Here, a slight peek into the book business.

Because SHE'S SO DEAD TO US wasn't a huge bestseller right out of the gate, a lot of bookstores only ordered a few meager copies of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT. Their logic? They didn't sell a lot of the first book, so clearly they're not going to sell a lot of the second. Why stock them? Of course, you and I know why. Because over the last year, SHE'S SO DEAD TO US has built up a serious following through people who have borrowed the book from libraries or friends and now all of you want to see what happens next. But you're out of luck, because they ordered the sequel based on the numbers the first book sold.

Which means that A) Your store might have sold their one, two or three copies before you got there or B) They might not have stocked any at all.

Sigh.

Here's my suggestion on how to deal with this situation when it arises, whether its in the case of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT or any other book you might not be able to find:

TRACK DOWN SOMEONE WHO WORKS THERE AND ASK THEM TO HELP YOU!

If they don't have the book in stock, they'll order it for you because they want your sale. This will also let them know that they're not stocking books that people want, and they might order more copies for the store, so you'll be doing your friends a favor. Also, they'll know to stock more copies of THIS IS SO NOT HAPPENING next summer so this won't happen to you again.

I know sales people can be intimidating, for some reason. I'm still intimidated by certain stores. But don't be! Remember, the CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT! They're there to help you and they want your business. Letting them know there's something they don't have that people want only helps everyone.

There. I've said my piece. And now, I'm off my soap box.

And if you REALLY can't find the book, there's always bn.com, amazon.com, etc. etc. and your local library. Just get your hands on it! Cuz I think you're gonna like it. :)

AND HERE ARE THE WINNERS!

2011-04-30T15:31:00.001-04:00

CONGRATULATIONS to the following pairs of friends, who've all won prizes in the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US PAPERBACK RELEASE GIVEAWAY! (My son, B, pulled your names out of hist felt Cat in the Hat hat this morning. It was really cute.) If you've won, scroll to the bottom of the post to find out what to do next!

GRAND PRIZE WINNERS
(each will receieve an autographed copy of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT when it's released in June)

Megan Seabaugh & Paige Sammartino

BOOKMARK WINNERS
(each will receive an autographed SHE'S SO DEAD TO US/HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT bookmark)

Shweta Patil & Camille Anne San Miguel
Samantha Curalli & Jennah Hahn
Holly J Hoppkins & Chalenne Thomas
Daichka Danastor & Jena Paul
Erin Clyde Adams & Grace Clyde
YeeLingilyayjwwzcc Ma & Sam Antha
Angela McColgan & Jaclyn Lusardi
Rishika Bheem & Meghavi Talati
Daniella Tejada & Marianne Vidale
Alexandra Clay & Michelle Reed

BLOGGER WINNER

Grace Clyde

If you've won a prize, please email me at kieran@kieranscott.net with your name and snail mail address so I can send out your prize! It's that easy.

Thanks SO MUCH to everyone for entering and getting me closer to my goal of 1000 likes before the June 7 release of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT!

CONTEST! CONTEST! CONTEST!

2011-04-25T21:31:00.001-04:00

To celebrate today's release of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US in paperback, I've decided to run a little . . . well, okay, MASSIVE contest! The prizes?

20 people will win SHE'S SO DEAD TO US/HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT BOOKMARKS signed by moi

and

2 lucky people will win an autographed copy of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT when it's released in JUNE.

TELL ME MORE, you say? All righty then. Here's what you need to do to win!

1) Recommend SHE'S SO DEAD TO US to a friend (you were going to do that anyway, right?)

2) Send that friend to the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US fan page on Facebook and have them "like" SHE'S SO DEAD TO US. Here's the link: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shes-So-Dead-to-Us/273957676095 (BONUS, your friend will now be a member of the SSDTU page, which means she/he will get all the latest news on the trilogy!)

3) Have that friend post on the wall on the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US page, telling me that YOU sent her/him. For example, if my friend Wendy were to send my friend Shira to the page, Shira would post: "Hey Kieran! Wendy Schwartz recommended She's So Dead to Us!"

4) THAT'S IT! As long as your friend gets your name right, you will BOTH be entered in the contest as soon as she/he posts on the wall.

BONUS #2: YOU CAN ENTER AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE! You'll be entered once for each friend you send, so send 'em ALL!

WHAT YOU CAN WIN:

Entries can be submitted through Friday, 4/29, until 12 pm midnight, EST. On Saturday 4/30 I'll pick 22 lucky winners at random.

10 pairs of friends will receive autographed bookmarks

1 pair of friends will receive autographed books

Winners will be notified via Facebook by Saturday afternoon.

It's that simple! Right now the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US Facebook page is at 932 members and I'd LOVE to hit 1000 before the June 7 release of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT. Help me get there!

BONUS FOR BLOGGERS!

If you're a book blogger, point your readers to this contest and let me know about it at kieran@kieranscott.net. You'll be automatically entered to receive a SHE'S SO DEAD TO US/HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT prize pack to give away on your blog this summer!

I'll choose one blogger winner on Saturday as well, and notify that person by Saturday afternoon!

So go! Recommend! Like! Winning is as easy as 1, 2, 3! (See above.) :)

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US wins!

2011-04-08T08:42:00.000-04:00

This week the BOOK INDUSTRY GUILD OF NEW YORK announced their awards for books published in 2010, and SHE'S SO DEAD TO US took SECOND PLACE in the cover art category for Young Adult Hardcover Fiction! (Not that I'm surprised. Half the comments I get about the book are gushing over the gorgeous cover.) Congratulations to designer Krista Vossen on her major award! (Though I don't think she got to bring home a glowing, lady-leg lamp or anything.)

WHOO HOO!

Here's a link to all the winners in the Children's categories: http://www.bookindustryguildofny.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=72

Get Your HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT excerpt HERE!

2011-04-07T08:35:00.000-04:00

It's the day you've been waiting for! HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT, the sequel to last summer's SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, hits stores exactly TWO MONTHS from today! To celebrate, I'm going to give you a little taste of what's to come. So without further ado, the first THREE CHAPTERS of HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT!

Just click here: HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT excerpt and enjoy!

xoxo

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT!

2011-03-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, no, JLH is NOT making a movie version of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, but . . . SHE'S SO DEAD TO US was IN a JLH movie! Check it out:

Every time I watch a show and the characters enter a bookstore, I find myself staring at the shelves to see if I can pick out one of my, or one of my friends', books and it finally happened! A bunch of people emailed me the day after this Hallmark Hall of Fame Movie, The Lost Valentine, aired, letting me know that SSDTU had made an appearance, but I only recently received the still. I had to share it with you guys cuz, let's face it, this might be the closest I ever get to being in a movie.

Maybe He's So Not Worth It will be in the background of a Lifetime special! Fingers crossed. :)

CONTEST WINNERS!

2011-03-23T08:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks to everyone for the AMAZING comments about Jake! If you love him now, you're really gonna love him after He's So Not Worth It! (Which is coming to bookstores in the U.S. and Canada on June 7, 2011!)

Here's a list of the bookmark winners. If your screen-name is on here, please email your full name and mailing address, along with your screen-name so I can keep track, to kieran@kieranscott.net.

Thanks to everyone for playing! And if you didn't win, no worries, I'll be running more contests soon!

Gabrielle

Jean

erynn

grace

monkeyr159

Just Your Typical Book Blog

jenn.payne

Ravenous Reader

ilikereading

Kim

passthepigs

Lena

Read2Read

Bella

Cara

melissa

mmcrush

Marianne

Jenna

3eafe33c-54f2-11e0-9c06-000bcdca4d7a

CONTEST TIME!

2011-03-22T21:18:00.000-04:00

March is nearing its close, which means it's just a little over a month until SHE'S SO DEAD TO US hits U.S. stores in paperback, with its LOVELY new cover. Obviously, I'm getting a tad giddy, because I've decided to give away a FREE SIGNED SHE'S SO DEAD TO US/HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT bookmark to the first 20 people to comment on this blog answering the following question:

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT JAKE GRAYDON?

U.S. and Canada residents only, please!

I'll post a list of winners here as soon as I have all twenty. GOOD LUCK!

44 AUTHORS in ONE PLACE!!! Or is it 43?

2011-03-02T13:28:00.000-05:00

Attention YA Book Lovers!

The slate of signings for this years MASSIVE Books of Wonder/Teen Author Festival signing day has been announced. The store is packing in no fewer than 44 authors in ONE DAY to sign all your recent favorites. There are a bunch of people on here even I'M dying to meet. Here's all the info you need to know so you can show up at the right time to meet YOUR favorite authors (here's hoping one of them is me)!

Note: Those of you in the know will see that I'm on there twice, which means it's really 43 people signing, just 44 names we're signing under. Feel free to come see me in either time slot! Hope to see you there!

WHERE: Books of Wonder, 18 W. 18th Street, NYC NY
WHEN: Sunday, March 20th from 1 to 4 pm
THE SCHEDULE:

1-1:45
Lizabeth Zindel (A Girl, A Ghost, and the Hollywood Hills, Penguin)
Maryrose Wood (The Hidden Gallery, Harper)
Suzanne Weyn (Empty, Scholastic)
Danette Vigilante (The Trouble with Half a Moon, Penguin)
Maggie Stiefvater (Linger, Scholastic)
Natalie Standiford (Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, Scholastic)
Mark Shulman (Scrawl, Roaring Brook)
Alyssa Sheinmel (The Beautiful Between, RH)
Kieran Scott (She’s So Dead to Us, S&S)
Leila Sales (Mostly Good Girls, S&S)
Patrick Ryan (Gemini Bites, Scholastic)

1:45-2:30
Marie Rutkoski (The Celestial Globe, FSG)
Lena Roy (Edges, FSG)
Michael Northrup (Trapped, Scholastic)
Sarah Mlynowski (Gimme a Call, RH)
Neesha Meminger (Jazz in Love, Ignite)
Terra Elan McVoy (After the Kiss, S&S)
Lisa McMann (Cryer’s Cross, S&S)
Kimberly Marcus (Exposed, RH)
Melina Marchetta (The Piper’s Son, Candlewick)
Torrey Maldonado (Secret Saturdays, Penguin)
Barry Lyga (Archvillain, Scholastic)

2:30-3:15
E. Lockhart (Real Live Boyfriends, RH)
Sarah Darer Littman (Life After, Scholastic)
David Levithan (Dash and Lily’s Book of Dares, RH)
Melissa Kantor (The Darlings Are Forever, Hyperion)
Carla Jablonksi (Resistance, First Second)
Gwendolyn Heasley (Where I Belong, Harper)
Kim Harrington (Clarity, Scholastic)
Christopher Grant (Teenie, RH)
Margie Gelbwasser (Inconvenient, Flux)
Elizabeth Eulberg (Prom & Prejudice, Scholastic)
Helen Ellis (The Turning, Sourcebooks)

3:15-4
Daniel Ehrenhaft (Friend is Not a Verb, Harper)
Sarah Beth Durst (Enchanted Ivy, S&S)
Matt De La Pena (I Will Save You, RH)
Brent Crawford (Carter Finally Gets It, Hyperion)
Eireann Corrigan (Accomplice, Scholastic)
Susane Colasanti (Something Like Fate, Penguin)
Marina Budhos (Tell Us We’re Home, S&S)
Kate Brian (Book of Spells, S&S)
Philana Marie Boles (Glitz, Penguin)
Judy Blundell (Strings Attached, Scholastic)
Cathleen Bell (Little Blog on the Prairie, Bloomsbury )

Updates to my Website

2011-03-01T08:54:00.000-05:00

Have you checked out www.kieranscott.net lately? Well if not, now's the time! I've just updated it with some a whole new page for the She's So Dead to Us trilogy, including info on He's So Not Worth It, due in stores on June 7, 2011! There are also new reviews on the review page, a couple of which might be very familiar.

And don't forget, if you've read She's So Dead to Us and loved it, recommend it to a friend and tell them to get their butts to their nearest bookstore on April 22 to snag the pretty new paperback version all for themselves!

There's more fun stuff to come in April and June. (YOU KNOW HOW I LOVE TO RUN CONTESTS!) So make sure to check back here for all the latest news!

In the meantime, get on over to www.kieranscott.net!

HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT ARCs!!!

2011-02-07T15:18:00.000-05:00

I was feeling a bit blah today, what with the exhaustion from all the Super Bowl hysteria last night, when I went to my mailbox and found a big package from my editor at Simon & Schuster. "What could this possibly be?" I thought. I'd already received my advanced copy of the latest PRIVATE, and the French version of LUCKY T and the UK version of THE BOOK OF SPELLS. What other goodies were coming my way?

Needless to say I tore open the package and squealed! It was FIVE ADVANCE REVIEWERS COPIES OF HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT!!!

Color me surprised. I just sent back the first pass pages on Thursday. I had no idea the ARCs were already in production. But they're DONE and I have PROOF (see photos)! They're so pretty and glossy and . . . pretty. (Clearly I'm not in my best writer mode today.)

Anyway, I wanted to share the prettiness with you ASAP.

Oh and GUESS WHAT ELSE? I just realized the book hits stores EXACTLY FOUR MONTHS FROM TODAY! June 7! How cool is that?

It's one nice thing about being a writer. Sometimes, you can be having a blah day, and all you have to do is walk out to your mailbox to get perked right up. :)

New Year, NEW COVERS

2011-01-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

And guess what? This is the year that HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT, the sequel to SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, will be released! Whoooo hooo! I'm so excited for you guys to read it because I think it's really BETTER than the first. I especially love Jake in this book. Well, I just love Jake in general, but you know. He goes through a lot of changing and maturing in HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT, which might just make him, by the end, totally WORTH IT!

Maybe.

To celebrate the release (which will be on June 7, 2011), Simon & Schuster has designed an all new cover for the paperback of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, which corresponds with the awesome cover of the HE'S SO NOT WORTH IT hardcover. The images have already been released on Amazon and goodreads, so I figured I'd share them with you here. What do you think?

My Wish List

2010-11-24T09:23:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again. The time when families get together, eat an obscene amount of food, play a borderline violent game of Pictionary and pass out in front of football (or this year, Taylor Swift).

Oh wait. Is that just MY family?

It's also the time of year when we start to think about holiday giving. Lately all my man and I have talked about is what to get for whom, which charities will receive our donations, and how much to tip the waste-removal-technicians. (Sounds so much better than garbage men, no?) And of course it's the time of year when everyone in my family asks me . . . "Have you updated your amazon wish list?"

Yeah, creative thinkers they're not. They like to be told what I already have and what I want most of all, so that there's no confusion and no mess ups. Like that year I gave my hubby a Dire Straits CD, all proud of myself because I thought he loved them, and he looked at me like I'd just upchucked on his shoe.

Anyway, I figured I'd share the latest editions to my wish list with ya'll, and see if you wanted to share what's on YOUR holiday wish list. Here's what I clicked on recently.

1) Bobby Flay's THROWDOWN! Cookbook

Every time I watch this show I think to myself "I wonder which one was REALLY better." Now I can cook it all myself and find out. Also, I've been fantasizing about the German Chocolate Cake recipes for like a year.

2) Glee: The Complete First Season

I can't believe I don't own this yet. Glee brings the happy. Especially season one. Doesn't everyone need a DVD in the house that brings the happy?

3) The Vampire Diaries: Season One

You know that thing where you have a list of five famous people you can smooch and your boyfriend/girlfriend/husband/wife/partner isn't allowed to get mad? Ian Somerhalder is on mine.

4) Bryan Adams: Bare Bones

Have I mentioned my life-long devotion to Bryan Adams? Well, it's actually only been since sixth grade, but that's longer than most of you reading this have been alive, so there you go. He has a new album coming out. I'm so there.

5) Modern Family: Season One

I could watch this show all day every day. Which means if I get it, no more writing. Hmmm.... Maybe not the best idea.

6) Dash and Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn AND

Archvillain #1 by Barry Lyga

Ever since that panel reading we did back in early November, I've been thinking about the passages read from these books and chuckling. I guess that means I should read then all the way through!

That's everything, for now. Of course I'm also wishing for peace in Korea, enough food and shelter for everyone this holiday season, and an end to all the senseless bullying, but you can't put those things on an Amazon wish list.

So now, it's YOUR turn to share! What's on your wish list this year?

HUGE READING TONIGHT IN NYC!

2010-11-03T13:51:00.000-04:00

I'm so sorry to be so late with these details, but I've been thoroughly embroiled in the crazy mind of Ariana Osgood lately, and a few other things have fallen by the wayside. Like my own sanity.

Anyway, tonight I'm participating in a MEGA reading at the Jefferson Market Branch of the New York Public Library (425 Avenue of the Americas from 6pm - 7:30pm). And when I say MEGA, I mean MEGA. Here are the unbelievable talents reading alongside me:

Rachel Cohn and David Levithan (Dash and Lily's Book of Dares)

Sarah Beth Durst (Enchanted Ivy)

Lena Roy (Edges)

Scott Westerfeld (Behemoth)

Lauren Henderson (Kiss in the Dark)

Even I'm in awe of that list! So come out and see us read and answer your questions! I hope to see you there!

My Quote of the Day Calendar

2010-11-01T09:22:00.001-04:00

Okay, as many of you who follow me here know, I have this very cool quote-of-the-day calendar called Woman's Wit. Every day there's another funny or inspirational or wise quote from a famous woman. Everyone from writers to activists to actresses to comediennes to politicians has been represented. And there have been some TRULY inspiring quotes in there (some of which I've blogged about). Plus a few that have cracked me up.

For example, here is Maya Angelou's bon mot from October 1:

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.

Great, right? So imagine my consternation when I tore off October 29 and got this little tidbit on October 30/31:

I give a quote and then it's blogged about for the rest of my life on the internet. - Kirsten Dunst

Right, um . . . so I feel . . . badly for you? But really, Kirsten, have you ever said anything so very interesting that it'll really be blogged about for the REST of your LIFE? And also, where else, but the internet, would it be blogged about? Just curious.

Of course, I just blogged about her quote. So perhaps she has a point. Crap. I hate it when I become part of the problem.

COLLINGSWOOD BOOK FEST THIS SATURDAY!!!

2010-09-30T11:06:00.000-04:00

Come one! Come all!

This Saturday, October 2nd, I will be appearing at the 8th Annual Collingswood Book Festival!
I participated in the event for the first time last year and I had an incredible time. The event is HUGE with dozens of awesome authors to meet and greet, plus signings, readings, Q&A's, panel discussions and lots of other fun stuff. If you live in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area, Collingswood is a hop-skip-and-a-jump from where you are, and it's a beautiful town with awesome restaurants, a killer library and some seriously cool people. So stop by and see me!
THE SCHEDULE:
The fest takes place rain or shine from 10am -4pm in downtown Collingswood, (If it rains, the event moves to the high school gym.)
10am 11am & 11:30am - 2pm
I'll be signing books and I'll also have plenty of bookmarks and postcards for free giveaway!
11am
I'll be reading from SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and answering YOUR questions in Tent 2. Then it's back to the table for signings!
I also happen to know that Wendy Mass, Dan Gutman, Marie Lamba, Heidi Durrow and Lee Harper, among MANY others, will be in attendance! Don't miss the chance to meet all these great authors in one place! For more information hit up the website at:
www.collingswoodbookfestival.com

THE GREAT SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST!

2010-09-07T10:38:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce that SHE'S SO DEAD TO US has been added to Kay Cassidy's FABulous GREAT SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST this month!

Not sure what the heck I'm talking about? Well, the GREAT SCAVENGER HUNT CONTEST is a reading program with over three-hundred participating libraries. All you need to do is head to your favorite library and ask the YA librarian if he or she is signed up. If they are, you can enter the contest through them. Simply pick a book from the HUNT list (there are TONS of books to choose from), print out the list of ten questions about that book, then get reading. The answers to the questions will be right there IN THE BOOK! If you answer all ten correctly, you'll be entered in a monthly drawing to win a $50 gift card to the book store of your choice!

The SHE'S SO DEAD TO US hunt is available now, and I've also made up one for GEEK MAGNET and one for I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER. Here's the link to the contest info, so that you can share it with your librarian (just in case they're not yet enrolled):

http://www.kaycassidy.com/hunt/

There are prizes in it for them, too, so if they're not participating, they should be!

Thanks so much to Kay Cassidy for this awesome program! Happy Hunting!

BIG DAY IN KIERANLAND!

2010-08-24T11:50:00.000-04:00

It's RELEASE DAY for the PRIVATE DVD!

I'm so excited, I can't even begin to tell you! Now everyone who's been itching to rewatch the webseries can order up a DVD from amazon.com or bn.com. pop it in their player and watch the whole thing from beginning to end with NO interruptions! What better way to say sayonara to summer than with a nice, long veg in front of the TV watching your favorite book series LIVE!?

In other news, all the prizes in the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY have now been mailed out (Unless you've yet to send me your address. I have two hold-outs!) If you're one of the top three winners or an honorable mention, check your mailbox in the next few days for a special envelope or package from me!

Of course it's also a big day for me because I got my hands on my copy of MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins this morning. So now I'm off to read it. See you in a few hours! :)

MEET THE WINNERS!

2010-08-17T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today I had the EXTREME pleasure of emailing the winners in the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY! We had dozens of incredible entries, but somehow Jenny, Sara and I were able to come to a consensus and pick a top three. So now, without further ado, here they are! Your Grand Prize, Second Prize and Third Prize winners!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER, LAUREN!

SECOND PRIZE WINNER, STEPHANIE!

THIRD PRIZE WINNER, JORDAN!

CONGRATULATIONS to ALL THE WINNERS (INCLUDING THE TEN AMAZING HONORABLE MENTIONS!) And thanks so much to everyone who participated! I was both awed and humbled by your creativity! I'll definitely have to do another one of these next summer, for the release of SHE'S SO OVER HIM!

In the meantime, keep reading!

Submissions for the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY must be in by FRIDAY!

2010-08-10T13:51:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited, because today I received the last two books for the GRAND PRIZE pack in the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY! Jenny Han and Heidi R. Kling's books arrived in their pretty little packages, all signed and with special messages for whoever our lucky winner will be!

I now have a stack of signed books on top of my file cabinet that includes the lastest from JENNY, HEIDI, SARA SHEPARD, SUSANE COLASANTI, ELIZABETH SCOTT, GAYLE FORMAN and ME! The only thing I don't have yet is the PRIVATE DVD signed by Mr. BRANT DAUGHERTY, but well, that's because it hasn't been released yet. :)

Want a chance to win this incredible prize? Here's what you need to do:

1. Whip out your camera and take a picture of yourself with your copy (or your friend's copy or the library's copy) of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US. Be creative, because the photos will be judged by myself, Sara Shepard and Jenny Han based on their originality!

2. Send your pic to me in one of three ways a) post it to the fan page for SHE'S SO DEAD TO US on FACEBOOK here: b) send it to me @kieranscott via twitpic with the hashtag #SSDTU in your tweet OR c) email it to me at kieran@kieranscott.net

It's THAT EASY TO ENTER!

If you're under 18, please be sure to get your parent/guardian's permission, and remember, if you post to facebook, your photo will be viewable by everyone. If you send it via twitter, your followers can access it. If you email me, no one will see it but me, Sara and Jenny unless you give permission.

I'll be accepting entries until 12 midnight EST THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 13 and the winners will be notified on AUGUST 17.

Make sure to get your entries in on time! There are still plenty of chances to win, so get to it! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

xoxo
Kieran

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS to enter the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY!

2010-08-02T14:44:00.000-04:00

OK, people, I have to say I am feeling just a TAD disappointed today. I have received only a handful of entries in the SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY. I can only think of two reasonable explanations for this:

1) You're all in a lazy summer coma and can't lift your hand to work your camera phones or

2) You don't believe that I'm serious about the prize, which is seriously the BIGGEST most FANTABULOUS prize I've seen anywhere ever!

So, herewith, a photo of just SOME of the books that are just waiting to be won:

And they're all autographed! Every last one! I'm still waiting on a couple of prizes, too, so this will not be all. There are also books coming in from Jenny Han and Heidi R. Kling, plus a PRIVATE DVD signed by Brant Daugherty, who played Thomas Pearson in the webisodes. (And, in my humble opinion, was completely perfect flirting with Aria as Noel on last week's PRETTY LITTLE LIARS. If you don't want THAT GUY'S autograph, you're definitely comatose. Just sayin'.)

If you'd like to enter to win, all you need to do is snap a picture of yourself holding your copy (or your friend's copy, or the library's copy) of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and send it to me in one of three ways:

1. Post it on the wall of the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US fan page on facebook here: SSDTU FAN PAGE
2. Send it to @kieranscott via twitpic and put #SSDTU in the text of your tweet
3. Email it to kieran@kieranscott.net

Any pictures sent through twitter and email will not be posted without your permission. If you enter via facebook, you're posting it on a wall and it will therefore be viewable by all.

Creativity does count as myself, Sara Shepard (PRETTY LITTLE LIARS) and Jenny Han (THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY) will be judging the pics based on their originality. But as I mentioned, there are plenty of chances to win! (There's even a second prize AND several honorable mentions available. See the blog post below this one for more details.) You can enter until midnight EST on August 13 and winners will be notified on August 17.

To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few of the entries I HAVE received! NICE WORK LADIES!

Now it's YOUR turn! Get out your camera and enter! I'll be waiting . . . . :)

Win books signed by SEVEN of your FAVORITE AUTHORS! (AND MORE!)

2010-07-19T15:41:00.000-04:00

WELCOME TO THE SEVEN AUTHORS AND ONE ACTOR GIVEAWAY!

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Kieran Scott and I write books for teens, both under my own name, and under the pseudonym Kate Brian (PRIVATE, PRIVILEGE, MEGAN MEADE'S GUIDE TO THE MCGOWAN BOYS and many others.)

Also, I love to run CONTESTS like this one!

This may be the coolest contest I've ever run, because

A) It gives YOU a chance to showcase your creativity

and

B) The prize is INSANE!

I have enlisted the help of super-popular authors SARA SHEPARD (Pretty Little Liars), JENNY HAN (The Summer I Turned Pretty), GAYLE FORMAN (If I Stay), ELIZABETH SCOTT (The Unwritten Rule), SUSANE COLASANTI (Something Like Fate), and HEIDI R.KLING (Sea) PLUS actor BRANT DAUGHERTY (Thomas Pearson in the PRIVATE webisodes) to put together the BIGGEST GRAND PRIZE YOU'LL EVER SEE!

But to win it, you're going to have to enter the contest. So here's what you need to do.

1) Grab your copy of my newest book SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and take a picture of yourself with the book. Or have your bff take it, or your dog, whoever. BE CREATIVE! As creative as you like. Hang upside down from your jungle gym, paint your face light blue, break a set of (fake!) pearls and decorate your shirt with them. WHATEVER you want! The sky's the limit! (Just nothing lewd, please.) And if you're under 18, please get your parent or guardian's permission before you enter! Want an example? Here's a pic of some Lady Gaga fans holding up their copies of the book (and some others) while they wait to see her on the Today Show!

2. Upload your picture in ONE of the following ways (only ONE entry per person, PLEASE!):

A) ON FACEBOOK: Post your photo on the WALL of the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US fan page here: http://tinyurl.com/2f3tpj5

B) ON TWITTER: Post your photo to TWITPIC and be sure to REPLY TO ME @KieranScott in your tweet, so I can go find it. The tweet can say whatever you like, but should also include the hashtag #SSDTU

C) VIA EMAIL: Send the photo to kieran@kieranscott.net

Photo entries will be accepted starting today, July 15 through midnight, EST August 13. This contest is open to all residents of the US and Canada!

Here comes the cool part. Your photos will be judged based on their creativity by myself and my friends, SARA SHEPARD and JENNY HAN. Once we've come to a decision, we will award one GRAND PRIZE and two SECOND PRIZES plus ten HONORABLE MENTIONS! The winners will be chosen and notified by midnight, EST on August 17.

Now, the PRIZES!

One GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)

* an autographed copy of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS #8: WANTED (Sara Shepard)

* an autographed copy of IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU (Jenny Han)

* an autographed copy of IF I STAY (Gayle Forman)

* an autographed copy of THE UNWRITTEN RULE (Elizabeth Scott)

* an autographed copy of SOMETHING LIKE FATE (Susane Colasanti)

* an autographed copy of SEA (Heidi R. Kling)

AND

* a copy of the brand new PRIVATE DVD, autographed by Brant Daugherty, who plays Thomas Pearson in the webisodes!!! (And has appeared on this summer's MASSIVE hit PRETTY LITTLE LIARS)

Wow. As I typed that it seemed like way too awesome of a prize to give away. Maybe I'll keep it for myself . . . . JUST KIDDING!

One SECOND PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)

* an autographed copy of WAITING FOR YOU (Susane Colasanti)

* an autographed copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE (Elizabeth Scott)

* an autographed copy of SISTERS IN SANITY (Gayle Forman)

One THIRD PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)
* an autographed copy of WAITING FOR YOU (Susane Colasanti)
* an autographed copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE (Elizabeth Scott)

Ten HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS will receive:

* one autographed SHE'S SO DEAD TO US bookmark

* one bookplate, also signed by me

* a postcard signed by Susane Colasanti

And that's all she wrote! Special thanks to my AMAZING authorly and actorly friends for being involved! Now go whip out your cameras and phones and whatnot and START SNAPPING! If you want to win, you have to enter. Just make sure to get your pictures in by AUGUST 13 to be considered. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with.

GOOD LUCK!

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES-If you'd like to enter the contest, please read!

2010-07-18T08:15:00.000-04:00

THE SEVEN AUTHORS & ONE ACTOR CONTEST ...

is experiencing technical difficulties.

It's come to my attention that people trying to upload their entries onto the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US facebook page haven't been able to do so. It tells you it's uploaded, but the photos aren't visible, so I don't know if you've entered or not.

If you've tried to enter on facebook PLEASE re-enter by sending your pic to kieran@kieranscott.net. Until facebook responds to my problem (and who knows when that will happen) this will be the best way to enter!

YOU CAN ALSO ENTER ON TWITTER by posting your pic to TWITPIC and replying to @KieranScott in the tweet! Please also put the hashtag #SSDTU in your tweet.

For more info on how to enter, see the blog post directly below this one.

Don't miss your chance to win all this autographed swag!

Win autographed books from SEVEN of your FAVORITE AUTHORS! (And More!)

2010-07-15T09:32:00.001-04:00

Also, I love to run CONTESTS like this one!

This may be the coolest contest I've ever run, because

A) It gives YOU a chance to showcase your creativity

and

B) The prize is INSANE!

But to win it, you're going to have to enter the contest. So here's what you need to do.

2. Upload your picture in ONE of the following ways (only ONE entry per person, PLEASE!):

A) ON FACEBOOK: Post your photo on the WALL of the SHE'S SO DEAD TO US fan page here: http://tinyurl.com/2f3tpj5

C) VIA EMAIL: Send the photo to kieran@kieranscott.net

Photo entries will be accepted starting today, July 15 through midnight, EST August 13. This contest is open to all residents of the US and Canada!

Now, the PRIZES!

One GRAND PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)

* an autographed copy of PRETTY LITTLE LIARS #8: WANTED (Sara Shepard)

* an autographed copy of IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU (Jenny Han)

* an autographed copy of IF I STAY (Gayle Forman)

* an autographed copy of THE UNWRITTEN RULE (Elizabeth Scott)

* an autographed copy of SOMETHING LIKE FATE (Susane Colasanti)

* an autographed copy of SEA (Heidi R. Kling)

AND

* a copy of the brand new PRIVATE DVD, autographed by Brant Daugherty, who plays Thomas Pearson in the webisodes!!! (And has appeared on this summer's MASSIVE hit PRETTY LITTLE LIARS)

Wow. As I typed that it seemed like way too awesome of a prize to give away. Maybe I'll keep it for myself . . . . JUST KIDDING!

One SECOND PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)

* an autographed copy of WAITING FOR YOU (Susane Colasanti)

* an autographed copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE (Elizabeth Scott)

* an autographed copy of SISTERS IN SANITY (Gayle Forman)

One THIRD PRIZE WINNER will receive:

* an autographed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US (Kieran Scott)

* an autographed copy of WAITING FOR YOU (Susane Colasanti)

* an autographed copy of SOMETHING, MAYBE (Elizabeth Scott)

Ten HONORABLE MENTION WINNERS will receive:

* one autographed SHE'S SO DEAD TO US bookmark

* one bookplate, also signed by me

* a postcard signed by Susane Colasanti

GOOD LUCK!

Want to win books signed by SEVEN of your favorite authors?

2010-07-14T10:11:00.000-04:00

Yeah, you do!

TOMORROW I am going to be posting a RIDICULOUS contest with a grand prize so very GRAND, it truly earns the title! The winner is going to grab AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of books by the following FANTABULOUS authors:

Kieran Scott (yeah, I consider myself fantabulous)

Sara Shepard

Jenny Han

Gayle Forman

Elizabeth Scott

Susane Colasanti

Heidi R. Kling

PLUS

A special added bonus . . . a PRIVATE DVD signed by actor BRANT DAUGHERTY! (That would be THOMAS PEARSON, people.)

So, yeah, you're gonna want to enter this one. And you're probably going to want to tell your friends about it, too. Check back here tomorrow for ALL the details!

SEE YOU SOON!

ANNIE JOHNSTON gets her own TWITTER ACCOUNT!

2010-07-06T18:23:00.000-04:00

@AnnieTheNorm
Most of my emails lately have been about one thing and one thing only, everyone is DYING to know when the sequel to SHE'S SO DEAD TO US is coming out!

Well, the answer is, sadly NEXT SUMMER. (I know, I know--it's crazy far away.) The sequel is titled SHE'S SO OVER HIM and is scheduled for release around May or June (exact date to come). But there IS good news! I have a special treat for those of you who want to know what the Cresties are up to while you're waiting for the new book to be released. Know how Annie Johnston has a slightly unhealthy obsession with those from the "other" side of town? Well, now you can read all her (often catty) insights and (sometimes hilarious) musings on twitter by following her @AnnietheNorm.

So if you can't get enough of Ally and Jake (plus Chloe, Hammond, Shannen, Faith and the Idiot Twins among others) head on over to twitter and follow Annie. You'll be glad you did!

UPCOMING APPEARANCES!

2010-07-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited for my next few events, because I'm going to be mixing it up a little bit. I've got a writing workshop, a library panel reading with a few awesome authors I'm dying to meet, and a bookstore event with my friend Sara Shepard and her friend Jen Calonita. I hope you guys will be able to make one of them because I'm dying to meet YOU, too! Here's the rundown:

WHAT: WRTING WORKSHOP on CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT

WHERE: West Windsor Branch Library, 333 N. Post Road, Princeton Junction, NJ

WHEN: Tuesday, July 6 from 1- 2pm

DETAILS: Want to know how I make Josh so sweet and Jake such a lovable jerk? Come on out and we'll talk about how to develop real characters for your fiction. The program is open to teens aged 12 -18 and there's still time to register (even the morning of the event!). Just call the reference desk at 609/799-0462

WHAT: TEEN AUTHOR READING NIGHT
WHERE: Jeffereson Market Library, Sixth Avenue and Tenth Street, New York, NY
WHEN: Wednesday, July 7, 6pm
DETAILS: Come hear me and FIVE other amazing authors read from our latest books. This week panel includes, Jen Calonita (Reality Check), Sarah Darer Littman (Life, After) Alyssa Sheinmel (The Beautiful Between), Jennifer Sturman (And Then I Found Out the Truth) & Maryrose Wood (The Poison Diaries)

WHAT: PANEL READING AND DISCUSSION
WHERE: Barnes & Noble, 91 Old Country Road, Carle Place, NY
WHEN: Tuesday July 20, 7pm
DETAILS: I'll be reading, signing and answering your questions along with Sara Shepard (you may have heard of her little series called Pretty Little LIars) and Jen Calonita (Secrets of My Hollywood LIfe, Sleepaway Girls, Reality Check) We can't wait to meet you and answer ALL your burning questions!

Hope to see you guys at one of these events!

WE HAVE A WINNER!

2010-07-03T10:04:00.000-04:00

THE WINNER HAS JUST BEEN CHOSEN IN THE HUGE SHE'S SO DEAD TO US CONTEST!

And her name is . . . .

COURTNEY RAE!

Courtney upped her chances of winning by entering on facebook AND twitter every day! She will now be the lucky owner of signed copies of . . .

I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER

GEEK MAGNET

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US

and

SHE'S SO OVER HIM (when it's released next summer)

Thanks to Courtney and EVERYONE who entered the contest! I promise this will NOT be my last one! I've got a few more fun ideas up my sleeve for this summer, so keep checking back here for announcements.

KEEP READING!

And for more FUN stuff (including teasers of SHE'S SO OVER HIM) follow @AnnietheNorm on twitter as she spies on all the Cresties this summer. You know she's good for some inside dish.

CONTEST UPDATE!

2010-07-02T21:57:00.000-04:00

YOU HAVE JUST TWO HOURS LEFT to enter the HUGE SHE'S SO DEAD TO US CONTEST!

It is now 10 pm eastern time. You can enter until 12 midnight eastern time today, July 2. I will choose the winner at random tomorrow morning (Saturday, July 3) at 10 am and post the winner HERE and on facebook and twitter. I will also DM or message the winner personally! Make sure to check your inboxes tomorrow at . . . say . . . 10:01?

I've had over 500 entries for this contest, people! You certainly have gotten JAKESESSED! I can't wait to notify the winner.

So good luck! And thanks for all the crazy support.

It's CONTEST DAY! FOUR autographed books up for grabs!

2010-06-25T08:13:00.000-04:00

TODAY'S THE DAY! ENTER THE BIGGEST SHE'S SO DEAD TO US CONTEST EVER!

Today is the one month anniversary of the release of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US! To celebrate, I've decided to run the biggest contest I've ever run! Already this week I gave away 10 autographed book plates. Now it's YOUR chance to win the grand prize! Simply follow the directions below, and you'll see how you can enter multiple times to up your chances of winning.

Here are the details and instructions. Good luck!

If you are the lucky winner of this contest, you will receive FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of:

* SHE'S SO DEAD TO US
* GEEK MAGNET
&
* I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER

PLUS

* SHE'S SO OVER HIM (the sequel to SHE'S SO DEAD TO US), when it's released next summer.

You read that right! You'll receive THREE BOOKS NOW and ONE A YEAR FROM NOW! How cool is THAT? Interested? OKAY, here's what you need to do to enter:

1. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 25 (that's TODAY), change your TWITTER or FACEBOOK icon to the cover of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US. (You can change BOTH if you wish, and you'll be entered twice. More on that below.)

2. REPLY to me on TWITTER (@kieranscott) or WRITE ON MY WALL on FACEBOOK, using the word "JAKESESSION" in your post. (For example: "My JAKESESSION IS OUT OF CONTROL!") You can also add #SSDTU if you like, to make it easier to track.

3. Once you do these two things, you will be entered in the contest!

BONUS: The contest will run for ONE WEEK. The longer you leave the icon up, the more chances you have to enter! All you need to do is repeat step 2 ONCE each day to enter multiple times. SO, for example, if you tweet "Hey @KieranScott! I'm JAKESESSED! #SSDTU" every day from Friday the 25th through Friday July 2, you will be entered 8 TIMES! If you do it on BOTH TWITTER AND FACEBOOK you will be entered 16 TIMES! More entries means a better chance of winning!4. I will pick the winner at random on FRIDAY, JULY 2 and that person will be notified via TWITTER OR FACEBOOK on SATURDAY, JULY3.

Thanks so much for participating, and GOOD LUCK!

It's the BIGGEST SHE'S SO DEAD TO US CONTEST EVER!

2010-06-22T10:45:00.000-04:00

This Friday, June 25, will be the ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY of the release of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US! To celebrate, I have decided to run my BIGGEST CONTEST EVER! If you are the lucky winner of this contest, you will receive FREE AUTOGRAPHED COPIES of:

* SHE'S SO DEAD TO US
* GEEK MAGNET
&
* I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER

PLUS

* SHE'S SO OVER HIM (the sequel to SHE'S SO DEAD TO US), when it's released next summer.

You read that right! You'll receive THREE BOOKS NOW and ONE A YEAR FROM NOW! How cool is THAT?

Interested? OKAY, here's what you need to do to enter:

1. ON FRIDAY, JUNE 25, change your TWITTER or FACEBOOK icon to the cover of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US. (You can change BOTH if you wish, and you'll be entered twice. More on that below.)

2. REPLY to me on TWITTER (@kieranscott) or WRITE ON MY WALL on FACEBOOK, using the word "JAKESESSION" in your post. (For example: "My JAKESESSION IS OUT OF CONTROL!") You can also add #SSDTU if you like, to make it easier to track.

3. Once you do these two things, you will be entered in the contest!

BONUS #1: The contest will run for ONE WEEK. The longer you leave the icon up, the more chances you have to enter! All you need to do is repeat step 2 ONCE each day to enter multiple times. SO, for example, if you tweet "Hey @KieranScott! I'm JAKESESSED! #SSDTU" every day from Friday the 25th through Friday July 2, you will be entered 8 TIMES! If you do it on BOTH TWITTER AND FACEBOOK you will be entered 16 TIMES! More entries means a better chance of winning!

4. I will pick the winner at random on FRIDAY, JULY 2 and that person will be notified via TWITTER OR FACEBOOK on SATURDAY, JULY3.

BONUS #2: EARLY BIRD PRIZE! If you'd like to start early (like TODAY), feel free! In fact, the FIRST TEN PEOPLE TO CHANGE THEIR ICON AND LET ME KNOW VIA THE INSTRUCTIONS ABOVE WILL WIN A SIGNED BOOKPLATE!

Let me know if you have any questions by posting in the comments section below. Thanks SO MUCH for participating! Have fun, and GOOD LUCK!

TWITTER 1K+ CONTEST!

2010-06-14T15:52:00.000-04:00

So, this morning I posted on TWITTER that if I got over 1000 followers today, I would give away a free book. FIVE MINUTES LATER I had 1010 followers! How cool is THAT? So yes, I will now be giving away one free signed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US because you guys were cool enough to send your friends!

If you'd like to enter, just post a comment on this blog with your TWITTER handle (ie @KieranScott). I'll pick one lucky handle out of a hat (or possibly a popcorn bowl) later tonight. If you're the winner, I will DM you on TWITTER tomorrow to let you know!

One hitch, you must be one of my TWITTER followers to enter!

Now post away!

It's SHE'S SO DEAD TO US RELEASE DAY!

2010-05-25T10:28:00.000-04:00

The countdown is over! The big day is here! This is your chance to run out and grab the book I haven't shut up about for like five months!!!

That's right! It's SHE'S SO DEAD TO US release day!!!

I can't wait for you guys to read the story of Ally and Jake and learn all about the complications keeping them apart, bringing them together, and making them rethink everything about who they are and what they know. I love these two characters so much and I hope you will, too!

Come back to the blog often to comment and let me know what you think, or feel free to share on facebook or twitter, too!

And don't forget about the release party tonight at the Hillsdale Library in Hillsdale, NJ! It starts at 7pm and I'll be doing a reading, a signing and a writer's workshop! Hope to see you there!

WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!

2010-05-24T14:54:00.000-04:00

I'm happy to announce that the winners of yesterday's giveaways are . . . .

LAYLA: You've won the MP3 on CD!

and

LUXECOUTURE: You've won the book!

All you need to do is email me your full name and addresses to kieran@kieranscott.net and I'll send them out ASAP!

The rest of you, thanks for entering! I'm so happy to have your support! Don't forget that tomorrow is SHE'S SO DEAD TO US RELEASE DAY!

So maybe I'll give away some more swag, just to celebrate. Come back tomorrow and see!

Win a FREE SIGNED copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US in book OR CD format

2010-05-23T14:15:00.000-04:00

This past week has been completely insane for me, and not for the reasons you might think. Yes, my new book comes out THIS TUESDAY, so you'd probably assume I was busy running around to bookstores and libraries promoting it--which I am--but I've also been doing the single most stressful thing known to woman, aside from giving birth.

I've been moving. And not just from one house to another. No. Not I. I can't do things the simple way, even if I try to. Instead, I packed my entire life (and those of my husband and son) onto a truck on Monday to move in with my in law's for four days and move into my new house on Friday. You see, we were supposed to close the deals on both our old house and our new house on Wednesday, but because of some bank snafu, our buyers were unable to, well, buy that day. And now I have to wait until next week so I can both sell my house and buy my new one. IF, of course, everything is un-snafu-ed by then. Meanwhile, I'm sleeping on my in law's couch, while M & B sleep in the guest room, working on my crappy laptop all over Bergen County, NOT going to the gym (which is killing me), eating like crap (also killing me), and not entirely getting to enjoy the fact that SHE'S SO DEAD TO US is hitting stores in. like 48 hours.

So why am I telling you this? Well, partially because I felt like a good venting, but also beacuse the bright spot in all this has been the delivery of two separate boxes to my door. (The old door. At the old house. Which I have to drop by periodically to pick up my mail.) The first was a big box full of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US books, hot off the press. The second was a smaller box filled with copeis of the MP3 on CD. It was so cool to see the audio version! The CD is actually pink. A pink CD. What could be better!?

I'm so excited about the arrival of these gifts, I've decided to give away one of each. One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of the book, the other will receive a signed copy of the CD!

All you need to do to enter is comment on this blog and tell me which you'd rather win, and why you'd prefer the book over the CD or vice versa.

I'll take entries until 10pm EST tonight and inform the winner tomorrow morning! US residents only, please! Now get commenting!

Hear About SHE'S SO DEAD TO US Right From the Author's Mouth!

2010-05-14T16:37:00.001-04:00

Usually I cringe when I see myself on video. I think I sound too nasal, look too shiny and move around too much. But this video is surprisingly unscary to me. Maybe because I'm talking about my current favorite topic, SHE'S SO DEAD TO US! (And its upcoming sequels.)

Want to know more about the books? Check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stSm8nk5SMk

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

2010-05-12T11:17:00.001-04:00

LAUREN!

(here is her response to my burning question)

Lauren said...

Definitely humor. I'm almost always drawn to guys who make me laugh. I have a hard time figuring out which guys are cute!

-Lauren (:

I put everyone's names in a box this morning and picked out one winner. LAUREN, that would be you! You've won a signed copy of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US!

Now all you need to do is email me at kieran@kieranscott.net with your address to claim your prize. I'll put it in the mail tomorrow if you get back to me today!

Everyone else, thanks SO much for participating. Keep checking here for more contests in the upcoming weeks. Whenever a new book comes out, I just get in the mood to give stuff away. Bookplates, bookmarks, books . . . . You never know! So make sure you come back and see!

And a special thanks to everyone who came out to chat with me last night on chatzy.com. It was SO much fun! We'll have to do it again sometime.

xxoo

CHAT WITH ME TONIGHT! (And a contest!)

2010-05-10T15:30:00.000-04:00

Got a burning question you've been dying to ask me? Well here's your chance! I'll be doing an online chat tonight as part of the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge and I'd LOVE to see you there! The chat starts at 8pm and all you have to do is go to www.chatzy.com/921886379231 to join the fun.

And speaking of fun, I've decided to run a little contest today!

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US is going to hit bookstores EXACTLY TWO WEEKS FROM TODAY!! (That would be May 25, if you don't feel like checking your calendar.) In honor of this momentous occassion (or pre-occassion) I'm going to give away one autographed copy of the book TODAY! Yes, that means that, should you be the winner, you will get to read the juicy little story of Ally Ryan and Jake Graydon before it ever makes it to a store near you.

All you have to do to enter is comment on THIS blog with your answer to this one simple question:

Which of the following qualities is most important in a significant other?

A. Physical attractiveness - What's the point if I don't constantly want to kiss him/her?
B. Wealth - If the person can take me cool places and buy me new things, then we have a lot more to talk about.
C. Humor - Laughter is the key to a good relationship, after all.
D. Attentiveness - If he/she would rather text and play xbox than listen to me, they're not worth my time.
E. Popularity - If everyone else loves him/her, then he/she is worthy of my attention. Also popularity makes anyone sexier.

You may choose any combination, but no fair choosing "all of the above!" Comment on THIS BLOG, and you're automatically entered. I'll announce the winner here, on my blog, tomorrow morning and also on Twitter and facebook, so you can triple check. The winner will be chosen at random from all entries. The winner WILL NOT be based upon your answer, so don't try to shrink me and figure out which one I'D pick. I'll never tell. :)

ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL MIDNIGHT, EST MAY 11, 2010! Any entries added after that time will not be considered.

GOOD LUCK!

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US IS HERE!

2010-05-03T16:10:00.001-04:00

They're here! They're here! My first five copies of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US have JUST arrived! I'm so excited I just did a happy dance in the middle of my kitchen. Once I got them all cleaned off.

(SIDE NOTE: Thank you, US Postal Service, for so thoroughly destroying the padded mailer in which my new books were packed, that I had to break out the vacuum and suck all the gray dust off the spines and out from between the pages with the extender hose before properly enjoying the moment. Not to mention the damage done to my white tee and my formerly clean floor. Seriously. Thank you.)

But back to the joy. These books look soooooo beautiful! Honestly, forget what I wrote, the cover, the interior design, even the font make this book worth picking up! I can't stop touching it. In fact, I'm typing this with one hand right now while I pet the lovely, shiny, cover with its raised pearls and pretty Tiffany blue color . . . .

Sigh.

I can't wait for you to have one! That's it. As soon as I get more copies I'm running a contest. These ones are mine all mine (insert greedy laugh here). I'll keep you posted about a giveaway soon!

PS: Sorry about the blurry photo. I'm too excited to hold the camera steady.

UPCOMING EVENTS!

2010-04-26T16:05:00.000-04:00

As most of you know, my new book SHE'S SO DEAD TO US will be officially released on Tuesday, May 25. What you may NOT know is I'm going to be doing a LOT of events in May, June and July to promote said book. So . . . if you live in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut or the Washington D.C. area . . . or if you own a computer with web access (and if you're reading this, I suppose you do!) . . . read on for a list of the fun stuff I'll be doing at a store/on an internet connection near you!

TUESDAY, MAY 11

WHAT: 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge chat
WHERE: www.chicklitteens.com
TIME: 8pm
INFO: Come chat with me about She's So Dead to Us, chick lit and the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge!

THURSDAY, MAY 20

WHAT: Reading, signing and panel discussion
WHERE: RJ Julia Independent Booksellers, Madison, CT
TIME: 7pm
INFO: Come hear me, Elizabeth Scott (The Unwritten Rule) and Jenny Han (The Summer I Turned Pretty) read from our new books and chat about them with YOU!
www.rjjulia.com

MONDAY, MAY 24

WHAT: Teen Author Carnival
WHERE: Jefferson Market Branch Library, New York, NY
TIME: 5pm to 8pm
INFO: More than two dozen teen authors will be on hand for a Q&A, activities and giveaways!
www.teenauthorcarnival.blogspot.com

TUESDAY, MAY 25

WHAT: RELEASE PARTY FOR SHE'S SO DEAD TO US!
WHERE: Hillsdale Public Library, Hillsdale NJ
TIME: 7pm
INFO: I'll be doing a reading, a writing workshop and a signing with the added bonus of free sparkiling cider, crackers and cheese, and lots of yummy snacks to celebrate release day!
http://hillsdalelibraryteens.blogspot.com

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

WHAT: Reading, signing and panel discussion
WHERE: Bethesda Public Library, Bethesda, MD, sponsored by Politics and Prose
TIME: 3pm
INFO: Come hear me, Elizabeth Scott and Jenny Han read from our new books and chat about them with YOU!
www.politics-prose.com

TUESDAY, JULY 20

WHAT: Reading, signing and panel Q&A
WHERE: Carle Place Barnes and Noble, Carle Place, NY
TIME:7pm
INFO: I'll be appearing with fellow authors Sara Shepard (Pretty Little Liars) and Jen Calonita (Secrets of my Hollywood Life) for a little reading and discussion
www.bn.com,

HOPEFULLY I'll have even more events to share with you soon, including at least one more in New Jersey for my hometown friends! Keep checking here for updates!

FOUR down, SIX to go!

2010-04-02T21:55:00.001-04:00

I have now officially read FOUR books for the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge! And now, for the news:

This was one of the best books I have ever read.

Yeah. I said it.

The book is LOOKS by Madeleine George. I have no words to express how amazing I thought this book was. The characterization was intense. The prose was beautiful and evoked, with every phrase, exactly the imagery and emotions it was meant to evoke. I can't . . . literally I can not do it justice. You just must go out and read it. Now. I said GO!

Here's the cover. Which is also pretty frickin' cool.

Next up: THE HUNGER GAMES!

The CALL ME BOOK CLUB SWEEPSTAKES!

2010-03-24T11:22:00.000-04:00

Hey Book Club members, want to win a call to your book club from little ol' me? Then you should definitely enter Simon & Schuster's CALL ME BOOK CLUB SWEEPSTAKES! Not only can you win 25 free books for your book club, but you can also receive a phone call from one of the six participating authors, Kate Brian (aka moi), Lisa Schroeder, Lisa McMann, Deb Caletti, Angela Johnson or Elizabeth Scott! To enter, all you have to do is click the link below and fill out the entry form. Easy peasy! So start thinking up some burning questions for your favorite author. You just might get to ask them!

CLICK HERE: CALL ME BOOK CLUB SWEEPSTAKES!

TEEN AUTHORS DESCEND ON BOOKS OF WONDER!

2010-03-23T10:57:00.000-04:00

Right, so Sunday was, like, the best day EVER as more than 60 Young Adult and Middle Grade authors hit BOOKS OF WONDER in New York City for five straight hours of signing books, chatting with fans, taking pictures and basically gushing all over each other. It was incredible to meet so many fans of both the KATE BRIAN books and the KIERAN SCOTT books. It reminded me there's one good reason to write under multiple names . . . more readers!!! Shout outs to Jackie, Kimberly, Gail, Renee, Amari and all the other cool girls I met that day!

But the other cool thing, for me at least, was getting to hang out with my writerly friends as well as meet a bunch of incredible writers I'd never met before. When I first arrived DAVID LEVITHAN was running around like a madman distributing name tags and trying to make sure everyone who was supposed to be there was, in fact, there. ELIZABETH SCOTT and GAYLE FOREMAN were hanging out by the door, grabbing the authors as they came in to collect money for a gift for the aforementioned DL. There was a huge line all cued up for MAGGIE STIEFVATER as the rest of us looked on in awe, but we managed to cut through the crowd to sing Happy Birthday to COE BOOTH, who blew out her candles in one try. SARAH BETH DURST was chilling with a smile on as always, just waiting for her turn to sign, and then in ran JENNY HAN with mere seconds to spare as NATALIE STANDIFORD stood by, taking it all in. I still had some time before the S's were up, so I ran down to a cafe a few blocks south to meet up with SARA SHEPARD for a late lunch, and when we got back COURTNEY SHIENMEL greeted us with her ridiculously warm smile, while over by the cafe MICHAEL NORTHROP was cracking up everyone in earshot. Soon we had to get down to signing, where I got to meet the incredibly sweet SHANI PETROFF who was seated in the next chair. Then, as I was signing, ELIZABETH EULBERG, SARAH MLYNOWSKI, RACHEL VAIL, AIMEE FRIEDMAN, WENDY MASS and LYNN WEINGARTEN all stopped by to say hello (thanks for the water Lynn! I owe you $2!), and afterward I finally got to meet the fabulous SIOBHAN VIVIAN, a writer I've ALMOST met so many times in the past we've been like two ships constantly passing in the night. Here's a pic of Lynn, Aimee, me and Sara, taken by Natalie!

It was honestly the most fun I've had in a really long time, and I'm already looking forward to next year's event, where I plan to sign copies of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US! I hope to meet YOU there!

NYC TEEN AUTHOR FEST!

2010-03-16T16:17:00.000-04:00

Things have been so entirely hectic around here that I haven't even gotten to blog about my awesome experience at FIELDSTONE MIDDLE SCHOOL's CAREER DAY, which was already two weeks ago! I will share the photos and fun soon, but right now I have to make sure you all know about the SECOND ANNUAL NYC TEEN AUTHOR FESTIVAL going on this week in, well, New York City. There are a bunch of awesome events, including various panels on writing, lots of readings and even a concert given by TIGER BEAT, the only all-ya-author band in the world! That I know of anyway.

For my part, I will be participating in the FIVE BOROUGH READ this Thursday am in STATEN ISLAND, baby! I'll be reading from my upcoming book SHE'S SO DEAD TO US, so if you're one of the lucky schools that's field-tripping to the WEST NEW BRIGHTON library that morning, you'll get to hear some of it before it hits stores.

I'll also be participating in the HUGE signing at BOOKS OF WONDER (18 W. 18th Street) on Sunday 3/21. There will be 77 authors signing their books throughout the day. My particular slot is from 4:15 to 5, and I feel lucky that I'm going to be there with a few of my friends, including Elizabeth Scott, Courtney Sheinmel and Sara Shepard. (It's alphabetical. Catch that?)I hope to see you there!

For a full list of events, times and places, check out the official TEEN AUTHOR FESTIVAL page on facebook: NYC TEEN AUTHOR FESTIVAL!

CHECK OUT TERA LYNN CHILDS' FAB OLYMPICS CONTEST!

2010-02-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

Ever since the Olympics started, fellow author and blogger Tera Lynn Childs has been giving away a fantastic prize each day on her blog, and today she's giving away two of MY books!

I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader and Snow Queen are both up for grabs, and as a bonus, you can also win copies of Tera's two fantastic books Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp.

Dying to enter? GO HERE NOW:

TERA'S BLOG

When Tera asked if I wanted to participate in the contest she asked which sport I'd like my giveaway to be associated with. I chose ice hockey because we are BIG fans of the sport in my house. We're New Jersey Devils fanatics, of course, and I'm proud to say that two of my favorite Devs are on the US team this year, Zach Parise (who, young ladies, is psychotically cute)

and Jaime Langenbrunner (also very cute--and he's the captain)!

Paul Martin made the team, too, but couldn't play because of an injury. (Which must suck. I still feel badly that he didn't get to go!) There are other Devils on teams from several other countries, including Martin Brodeur, the greatest goalie of all time, who's playing for his home country of Canada. I'm beyond psyched to watch USA's semi-final game against Finland today. Especially since I've been snowed in for the past two days. It gives me something to look forward to in all my cabin fever.

But the other great thing about the Olympics is it gives us a chance to watch and root for our USA Women's Hockey team. It's a shame that we don't get to see the ladies play more often, because they are AWESOME! They're fast and furious and not afraid to hit and check like the guys. Unfortunately the women lost to powerhouse Canada in the gold medal game last night (did you know that the Canadians invented the sport?) but I was proud to watch them receive their silver medals after the game. Second place is no shabby achievement, especially on the world stage of the Olympics. I'm very proud of our women!

I just want to say THANKS to Tera one more time for including me in her awesome contest! Go click the link above and enter now!

THREE down, SEVEN to Go!

2010-02-25T15:04:00.000-05:00

Last week I was asked to blurb a book called THE MOSTS by author Melissa Senate (who I'm also SO happy to know personally, because she's one of the top ten sweetest people on Earth). In case you're wondering what "blurbing" means, it's when an author reads a book before it's published and works up a one or two line review to be printed on the cover and/or the publicity material. I'm always honored when I'm asked to do a blurb. That anyone wants my opinion on anything amazes me, let alone values it enough to stick it on a book cover!

So I figure this book can count as one of my 10 books for the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge. Which means I'm deviating from my list a bit, but hey, ya gotta go with the flow. And let's face it, I'll probably read the original ten anyway, just because I want to. :)

So back to THE MOSTS. It's the story of a girl named Maddie who does a kind of Sabrina. (In the classic movie SABRINA, Audrey Hepburn plays the shy, nondescript Sabrina character, who goes to Paris for a summer and comes back a sophisticated beauty. You can also watch the newer version with Julia Ormond, Greg Kinnear and Harrison Ford. *sigh*) Anyway, Maddie goes to Italy for the summer and learns how to dress, act and flirt like a sophisticated Italian girl. When she gets back, she snags the heart of the hottest guy in school and suddenly goes from geek to chic. The coolest girls in her class glom onto her and make her their friend and she is, in fact, voted MOST POPULAR in her class, as well as CLASS COUPLE with her new bf. (Her friends are also MOSTS--Most Hilarious, Most Stylish, Most Hot, etc.)

Then her bf moves away and Maddie's whole existence as a MOST comes into question. Is she MOST enough on her own to retain her friends and her popularity? And will hanging out with some of the NOTS in her class and trying to help them become BETTER THAN NOTS jeopardize everything? It's a pretty cool book that asks a lot of tough questions about what truly makes a person popular, and whether it's more important to be a most or to be yourself.

THE MOSTS is on sale on June 8, 2010 and I hope you'll check it out!

WIN A FREE COPY OF SNOW QUEEN TODAY!

2010-02-18T19:32:00.000-05:00

TODAY'S THE DAY! By following the link in the widget above, you'll be directed to the 28 Day Giveaway website where you can win a free copy of my new "Emma Harrison" novel, SNOW QUEEN! There's also a link to an interview with me and some other cool giveaways. So go check it out! What're you still doing here. GO NOW! :)

Read an Excerpt from SHE'S SO DEAD TO US!

2010-02-04T16:35:00.001-05:00

The cat is out of the bag, I guess! Or the chapters are out of the book, anyway. Simon & Schuster has posted the first TWO CHAPTERS of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US on their website for YOU to read. So go! Go now! Check it out! And, of course, come back here and let me know what you think! Here's the link:

SHE'S SO DEAD TO US PREVIEW!

Two Down, Eight to Go!

2010-02-03T15:24:00.000-05:00

I've just completed my SECOND book for the 10'in '10 Teen Chicklit Challenge! The book is titled DREAM FACTORY and it was written by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler. (For more on my FIRST book, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY, see my earlier post entitled "One Down, Nine to Go!" Sensing a theme here?)

DREAM FACTORY is basically a love story set against a seriously quirky backdrop: The Magic Kingdom, aka Disney World, aka The Happiest Place on Earth. The two main characters, Luke and Ella, have been hired to play theme-park-character roles while the real Disney workers are on strike. (Luke plays Dale of Chip and Dale, while Ella is cast as the ultimate Princess, Cinderella.) The two of them are immersed in this place where "dreams come true" and both are trying really hard to find happiness away from their stressful and screwed up family lives. With deeper characterization than a lot of teen romances, plus a seriously fun cast of supporting characters, and a magical setting, this isn't your average will-they-or-won't they story. I definitely enjoyed it. Which means I'm two-for-two so far in the challenge!

I think I'll read LOOKS by Madeleine George next. I heard her read from it at a Teen Author Reading Night in NYC last year, and everyone in the audience was cracking up the entire time. Can't wait to read the whole thing!

So tell me, what are YOU reading?

Harper Teen's 28 Days of Winter Escapes

2010-02-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

Have you guys heard about this crazy cool promotion Harper Teen has cooked up? Well then allow me to enlighten you! Each day in the month of February, Harper will be giving away one featured book to a lucky contestant winner! They will also be featuring Q&As with the authors of the books, icons you can grab for your twitter accounts, special polls and more! My latest book, SNOW QUEEN (which I wrote under my pen name, Emma Harrison) is going to be featured on February 18!

What better way to get through one of the coldest months of the year, than with a new HOT READ every day! Hope you'll join in the fun! And don't forget to go to the special 28 Days of Winter Escapes page on February 18 for your chance to win a copy of SNOW QUEEN, plus a special Q&A with me!

GREATEST COMIC STRIP EVER

2010-01-27T08:53:00.001-05:00

Women's Wit Quotes 1/20 & 1/21

2010-01-21T11:12:00.000-05:00

I believe I've mentioned before the cool quote-a-day calendar my man got me for Christmas. It's called Women's Wit, and so far it's quoted everyone from Anais Nin to Tina Turner to Bette Davis. I really liked yesterday's quote (from one of my all-time favorite actresses) and today's, too. So I will now share them with you.

Wed. 1/20

"I'm as ambitious as the next working woman. I'm not going to pretend that I don't want to be good at what I do and that I don't care a lot about it, because I do. But it doesn't define me." - Jennifer Garner.

I love Jennifer Garner. And I like this quote because it's exactly how I feel. Sometimes I feel guilty if I'm not spending ALL of my time on writing, or drumming up publicity or going to events to network (I HATE that word). But then I realize that if I want to spend time with my family and cook real food (which I love to do), and go to football games, and work out, and read books and HAVE A LIFE then I can't spend every single second stressing about my career. Because, while I've always been ambitious, that's never been ALL of who I am. It's nice to know that Jen is in the same boat. Although hers is much prettier, wealthier and more famous.

Thurs. 1/21

"I have witnessed the softening of the hardest of hearts by a simple smile." - Goldie Hawn

This is completely and totally true. The next time the person behind the counter at the drug store or the post office or wherever is being totally rude and gruff, give him a big smile and say "please" and "thank you" and "have a nice day." It not only makes you feel better, but it will remind that person that not everyone in the world is nasty and impatient like the people who came before you--who probably put him in that mood in the first place. :)

One Down, Nine to Go!

2010-01-20T09:18:00.001-05:00

Last night I finished the first book from my 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge list, THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY by Jenny Han! In case you don't know about the 10 in '10 Challenge, it's a reading challenge and contest being run by author and blogger Kay Cassidy (www.kaycassidy.com) and teen book blogger Jessica of www.chicklitteens.com All you have to do to be a part of it is come up with ten teen chick lit books you'd like to read this year, link to your list through Kay's site and start reading! You'll have an opportunity to share the books you've read, chat with authors online and win prizes, too!

I'm guessing I'm not eligible for prizes, but I'm doing it anyway. Because hey, I just like to read.

So back to the book.

THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY is the story of a soon-to-be-sixteen-year-old girl named Belly, who goes to the beach every summer with her mom, her brother Steven, her mom's best friend Susannah, and Susannah's sons Conrad and Jeremiah. Belly has spent every minute of every summer with them, so they're basically her summer family. She's had a huge crush on Conrad since she was eleven, and Jeremiah has been her best friend since forever. Every summer is the same--late night swims in the pool, hanging at the boardwalk with the boys (who either ignore her or tease her) and eating, playing games and watching movies together in the big old summer house. But this year, everything's different. Because this year, Belly is a lot more grown up . . . pretty even . . . and her relationship with both Conrad and Jeremiah is about to change.

I absolutely loved this book. It's driven by Belly's complex connections with the various characters, all of which are beautifully drawn and realistically portrayed. The setting is fully realized and detailed, without banging you over the head with those details. I felt like I was right there at the beach with Belly, feeling the roasting sun, watching the waves roll in, smelling the musty saltiness of the house. It so made me long for summer--and for adorable summer boys--you have no idea. I highly recommend checking it out! And even better, it's got a sequel coming out in April called IT'S NOT SUMMER WITHOUT YOU.

Can't wait to read it!

Are YOU participating in the 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge? If so, let me know! I'd love to hear about what you're reading!

My Favorite Moment of the Golden Globes

2010-01-18T14:52:00.001-05:00

A brief transcript of my conversation with my husband while watching the Golden Globes last night.

HIM: Who's THAT guy?
ME: Taylor Lautner.
HIM: What's a Taylor Lautner?
(pause)
ME: We live in very different worlds.

Cupcake Success!

2010-01-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

I know you were all waiting on the edge of your seats to see how my cupcakes came out. (If you're new to the blog, or catching this on amazon, go to http://kieran-scott.blogspot.com and click on the Me and Martha post to get caught up.) Well, i didn't get to them on Thursday, but I DID get to them in Saturday and they were . . .

FANTASTIC!

Here's a badly lit photo for reference:

They are vanilla buttermilk cupcakes with fluffy vanilla frosting (also made from scratch) and even though they took me two hours to complete (Do you KNOW how long it takes to sift five cups of flour and then four cups of powdered sugar with a squeeze-activated sifter? Felt like a lifetime.), they were totally worth it. Especially when B took a bite and grinned in happiness with sprinkles hanging off his chin. PRICELESS!

Next week, I shall tackle the chocolate marble cupcakes . . . with my new sifter from Williams Sonoma.

Quote of the Day

2010-01-09T13:12:00.000-05:00

I have this quote of the day calendar called "Women's Wit" which my lovely husband--I mean Santa--left in my Christmas stocking this year. I LOVE it SO much, you have no idea. Especially today's quote:

"I've always believed that one woman's success can only help another woman's success." - Gloria Vanderbilt

Which is SO TRUE! And from what I've learned of the YA author community over the past few years, it's a maxim that is also taken to heart by my fellow authors. I mean, what other community promotes their competition as much as we do? I always feel so supported by people who, technically, could hate me just because I might steal a sale from them or vice versa.

So I just wanted to give a big shout-out to people like Kay Cassidy, Stephanie Hale, Courtney Scheinmel, Lynn Weingarten, Micol Ostow, Elizabeth Scott and all the other kick-ass chick lit writers who have been so supportive over the past few months and years!

Okay. I'm done with my sappiness now.

The Incredible Flying Toddler Incident

2010-01-08T15:08:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I'm trying to put B down for a nap today (for those of you who don't know, "B" is my almost-two-year-old son), and he's resisting. He wants his milk. He wants more muffin. He's whining and crying and throwing his stuffed animals out of the crib. I lost my patience and got mad and yelled at him. Said it was nap time and he'd better go to sleep. After I said "goodnight" and walked out, he kept saying "Mommy, come back!" Not sad or whiny. Almost like he was laughing. Like he KNEW he could get under my skin. And now I'm standing in my bedroom listening to this and laughing to myself, because, my G_d he's 23 months and he's MANIPULATIVE! How brilliant is that?

So I went back in and, this time kindly, said "B, it's nap time. Now lay down." (He did.) "Okay, good. Go to sleep now." I tucked him in and went downstairs to text his dad and as I'm texting I hear this cacophonous, house-shaking crash. Scared the living bejesus out of me. So I go running upstairs and he comes running out of his room over to the (thankfully closed) gate with tears in his eyes and he says,

"Mommy! Baby fall bed!" and points back at his room. (Sitting here now, that line is HILARIOUS. When it was happening, less so.)

Yeah. He launched himself out of the crib. I grabbed him and checked him all over, but he was fine. He just scared himself. But I think he scared me more. Suffice it to say I rocked him to sleep, trying not to cry, and tonight we're converting to a toddler bed.

Holy crapola people. Seriously? Almost had a heart attack. And of course felt REALLY guilty for losing my patience earlier. But I think he forgives me.

Sigh.

Here's today's quote from my "Women's Wit" daily calendar:

"You have to remember the value of your individuality; that you have something different to offer that no one else can."
--the words of the very wise, and bootylicious, Jennifer Lopez

The 10 in '10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge!

2010-01-07T11:31:00.000-05:00

Have you heard about this exhilarating new challenge coming at you from awesome author Kay Cassidy (kaycassidy.com) and teen chick lit blogger Jessica (chicklitteens.com)?

Well, if you haven't, you should totally find out about it. Oh, wait. That's why I'm here. To TELL you about it!

Basically, the challenge is to read ten teen chicklit books within the year of 2010. (Like that's even a challenge for most of you. I bet some of you guys have already READ a couple and we're only seven days in.) You can go to Kay's blog on her website to link your list of ten books you intend to read this year and then check them off as you go. (You can also just put in a couple and add more as new stuff you like or hadn't heard about in advance comes out.) There will be opportunities to chat about the books you read, participate in live chats with supercool authors (like moi!) and, of course, win prizes. (Not that I think I'm supercool. Just, I'm sure there will be OTHER authors involved who are, in fact, supercool.)

Click this link to go directly to Kay's 10 in '10 blog page: KAY'S BLOG!

And might I suggest placing SHE'S SO DEAD TO US at the top of your list? :P

Here's my very own list, crafted with the help of YOUR suggestions (which some of you made way back during TEEN READ WEEK).

1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
2. Sea Change - Aimee Friedman
3. The Demon's Lexicon - Sarah Rees Brennan
4. Dream Factory - Brad Barkley & Heather Hepler
5. Waiting For You - Susanne Colasanti
6. The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han
7. Something, Maybe - Elizabeth Scott
8. Hatie Big Sky - Kirby Lawson
9. An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
10. Looks - Madeline George

Now I can't wait to get started! And I can't wait to see what you're reading . . . and to chat with you soon!

Me and Martha

2010-01-05T15:09:00.000-05:00

Did I mention that I love to bake? Cookies mostly. I'm sure some of you saw me talking about it on Facebook or Twitter over the holidays. I bake now and then throughout the year, but then Christmas comes and I go completely insane. I think I made a thousand cookies over the course of a week. Chocolate chip with walnuts (for me), chocolate chip without walnuts (for my man), chocolate lace, raspberry thumbprint, chocolate jumbles, double chocolate chip (are we sensing a theme yet?) and chocolate fudge. Which isn't really a cookie, but still. Actually, now that I think about it, I have no idea what happened to all that fudge. I brought it over to my in-law's for a party and when I left I left it there--at least 2/3 of the batch was left. I wonder if Mom and Dad V. actually ate it all . . . .

Anyway, then for Christmas, my husband bought me Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.

And now, I'm obsessed with cupcakes. You should SEE this book. It's completely gorgeous and INTENSE. I mean, blueberry cream cupcakes? Zucchini spice cupcakes? Tiramisu cupcakes? Oreo cheesecake CUPCAKES? Are you kidding me?

The next time you see me, I may weigh five-hundred pounds. Which could be okay because then I could go on The Biggest Loser, which I've always secretly thought would be kind of fun torture.

Or maybe not. Because I, my friends, am INTMIDATED by this book. I've already picked out the two easiest cupcakes. I've already gone out and purchased the ingredients (PS: until now, I didn't even know there was such a thing as non-self-rising cake flour. You learn something new every day.) But I can't seem to bring myself to actually try it. Because what if I put in all this effort and the cupcakes suck? (You may not know this about me, but patience is not my strong suit.) Or what if they're all sad and ugly? The pictures in this book are so freaking spectacular, you have no idea. Of course they are. It's MARTHA. I've always fancied that I could be an amazing cake decorator, but every time I try it, I can't even write HAPPY BIRTHDAY without it starting out all big and bold end finishing off all teeny and patehtic like the scribble at the very end of a detention chalkboard. It frustrates the living daylights out of me.

To put it simply, my friends, I am afraid of failure. Which, by the way, is so unlike me. Who's the girl who went back and tried out for cheerleading again after not making it the first time? Who auditioned for the famous all-girl's choir in college even though I hadn't sung a note in two years? Who, I ask you, got through like ten hours of labor before begging for the epidural, then went back to pilates three months later and kept going even though I couldn't hold tabletop for more than five seconds? If I can do that I can make Martha's cupcakes, right?

That's it. I'm going to try it. Tomorrow. No. Tomorrow I NEED to finish this outline. So Thursday. Thursday I will bake. Check back then to see if I'm fat, satisfied and cupcake stuffed, or pulling my hair out and eating Chips Ahoy.

The ARCs are HERE!

2010-01-04T12:48:00.001-05:00

Not much to say today except . . .WHEEEEEEE! The ARCS of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US are here!

I only got two, though. No idea what's up with that. Must call someone. People keep asking me for these and I don't want to give away either of my two lovely little copies. Anyway, as promised, here's a pic of me, in my office, with my beautiful ARC!

Please excuse the lack of makeup. It's a work day. You're lucky I'm not wearing pajamas. :)

Less than FIVE MONTHS until the book hits stores! Can't wait!

Better Watch Out, Better Not Cry, Your new ARCs are on their way!

2009-12-23T10:28:00.000-05:00

Right, so everyone in my household is waiting at the edge of their seats for Santa to come barreling down the chimney. And by "everyone" I mean, my son, and by "their seats," I mean his booster chair and by "the chimney" I mean "through the window," since we don't have a fireplace.

Sigh.

But I'M more psyched for my new ARCs to arrive! (That's Advanced Reader's Copies--the first version of a new book, that gets sent out to reviewers and bloggers and other influential folks.) I'm told that the ARCs of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US are a) BEAUTIFUL and b) going to arrive in my mailbox (or on my front porch) TODAY! I keep looking out the window for the UPS/FedEx/USPS delivery truck like a maniac. Kind of like I did back in eighth grade when I KNEW my mom was getting me that denim The Lost Boys jacket and I knew it hadn't come yet (because I was always the first to get home and see the packages waiting on the doorstep), and I had, had HAD to have it for Christmas or I was just going to DIE!

Double sigh. The jacket did come, by the way, and I still have it. Though I haven't worn it since middle school. I wonder if it would still fit . . . .

Okay, moving on. As soon as I get these lovely ARCs I will take a photo of me with them and post it, because I'm that excited. And if I have enough, maybe I'll give a few away, too! Check back and I'll keep you posted.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL GOOD READS!

Christmas Movie Addendum!

2009-12-07T10:44:00.000-05:00

Right, so I totally forgot about LOVE ACTUALLY, which is funny, because I watched it the day BEFORE I wrote that blog. Thanks to you guys for reminding me. The scene in the street with Keira Knightley and her husbands bff kills me every time! And I love, love, love when Hugh Grant goes looking for his girlie in the 'hood and baffles all those people and has to sing carols for those little girls. AND when Uncle Jaimie leaves his Christmas before even entering ("I hate Uncle Jaimie) and then goes and proposes to Aurelia who learned English "Just in cases." Sigh . . .

Yeah, Love Actually rules.

And then my bff reminded me that I also forgot THE HOLIDAY, which I can't turn off whenever it comes on. That cottage Cameron Diaz stays in is so . . . Christmasey. And I love Jude Law's kids and the romance between Kate Winslet and Jack Black. Not to mention Kate's friendship with Eli Wallach. Another fabulous entry into the Christmas rom-com genre.

More suggestions? Keep 'em coming!

Movies to Get You in the Christmas Spirit

2009-12-04T15:05:00.001-05:00

Right, so, I used to have one movie I HAD to watch every holiday season, and it was MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. The original. Not the cheesy "modern" version with Dylan McDermott (although he's, admittedly, gorgeous), but the original classic. And it had to be the black and white version, not that horrifyingly awful colorized crap. I mean, who do they think they're kidding with that technology? When the eight year old's skin looks grayer than your grandma's, the tech is not working.

But I digress. Over the last few years I've discovered that I feel the need to whip out a few other films during the holiday season. Some really are Christmas movies. Some just have Christmas in them. But all of them put me in a holly-jolly kinda mood. So here they are, in no particular order.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Sandra Bullock saves Peter Gallagher from getting splatted by a train on Christmas Eve, falls in love with his family while he's in a coma, and by New Year's Eve, is giving googly eyes to his brother, played by Bill Pullman. This movie made me wish I worked at the EL in Chicago just so I could get proposed to by someone dropping a ring in my token tray. Crap. I just spoiled the ending.

ELF

"So, good news. I saw a dog today! Have you seen a dog? Yeah, you probably have."

"Buddy the Elf! What's your favorite color?"

"Francisco! That's fun to say."

"I love smiling. Smiling's my favorite."

"The yellow ones don't stop."

This movie is beyond sweet, and the stellar writing cracks me up every five seconds.

HOME ALONE

It's just not Thanksgiving in my house without the sound of Kevin McAllister screaming over some ill-advised aftershave. Plus the soundtrack makes my Christmas.

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

So this movie takes place over the course of about ten months, but the Christmas scenes are so New York Christmas-ey. And they capture the sense of togetherness, joy and nostalgia perfectly. Also it's romantic, funny and the last movie Meg Ryan made in which he face looks normal.

THE SANTA CLAUSE

I recently realized that Tim Allen spends alot of the first 20 minutes of this movie being cranky and yelling for no apparent reason (I realize they're setting up character development, but does he have to be SO mean to his kid?), and that Bernard the Elf is kind of pissed off and unsympathetic for an elf. But still, the North Pole is perfection, casting children as elves lends a serious bit of magic, and I love the E.L.F.S-es. (The sequel is OK, but the third one never should've been made.)

SERENDIPITY

The single best romantic movie set against the backdrop of Christmas in New York. Snow, a tuba tree, Bloomies, ice skating in central park, Serendipity frozen hot chocolate . . . sigh. Love Cusack. Love Piven. Love Beckinsale. Love Corbett. Love Shannon. I even love poor Moynahan, who not only seems to get screwed over in every role she plays (Sex and the City, Six Degrees, plus the movie in question), but in real life as well. Hey! Men of the world! This woman is gorgeous, smart and cool. Be nice to her.

IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE

If I could pick on actor who should have been frozen in time and allowed to live forever, it would have been Jimmy Stewart. This movie proceeded my birth by, like, 30 years, but I can still quote it and I get this insane warmth around my heart whenever I watch it. Sometimes, I wish I could've grown up back then, when things were both a lot simpler and way more complex.

CHRISTMAS VACATION

What movie franchise portrays family insanity better than the Vacation films? And what better time of year to really get in there and dig out the angst, than Christmas? From the ailing, complaining grandparents to the whiny kids to the dad who tries way too hard to make everything LOOK perfect, it all hits home. And then there's the hilarity of some great physical comedy, sight gags and poop humor as well. This one always makes me smile.

WHITE CHRISTMAS

This seriously sugary old-school musical puts a lot of people to sleep, but I'm hypnotized by the dancing, the costumes, the songs and what passes for "passionate" kissing. It IS cheese. But I do love me some cheese.

A CHRISTMAS STORY

Somehow, I still love this crazy little movie even though every year TBS (or is it TNT) puts it on non-stop look for 24 hours so that I keep catching the same fifteen minutes over and over and over again. Note to self: don't watch this year. It will make you appreciate Ralphie that much more NEXT year.

So that's my list. Any good ones I missed? Feel free to weigh in! And HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

SNOW QUEEN hits stores!

2009-12-02T12:20:00.001-05:00

In case you've yet to hear my best-kept secret, I have yet another name under which I write. Yes, yes, I know. I have some serious issues. But there are reasons for all these names. Namely (no pun intended) that the more names I write under, the more different types of work I get to do. Emma Harrison (that's the name we're discussing here) was originally conceived so that I could write things like quiz books and movie and tv tie-ins without it interfering with my hardcover work. You know, so that if you searched for Kieran Scott on bn.com, I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader wouldn't be buried under pages of Mary-Kate and Ashley novels and High School Musical quiz books.

ANYWAY, over the last few years I've also gotten to write a few novels under the Emma Harrison name, and the latest has just come out. It's called SNOW QUEEN and it's about a girl named Aubrey Mills who is a total tomboy, yet somehow gets roped into competing in the Snow Queen pageant by her best friend . . . and falls in love with Grayson Chamberlain the MC of the pageant, and the brother of her nemesis. Isn't the cover pretty? I know I'm biased, but I think it would make a gorgeous gift for your bff this holiday season, don't you? :)

Okay. That's enough shameless self-promotion for today. If you do read it, please let me know what you think. You guys know how I love feedback!

Offensive, or not Offensive? That is the Question

2009-11-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

Lately I've been thinking alot about the use of offensive words in my fiction. It all came up because I got back the copy edited manuscript of SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and the copy editor flagged my use of the word "moron" because Webster's cites it as potentially offensive. I use this word ALL THE TIME in my writing, and had no idea why it might be offensive. I mean, other than the fact that it's an insult. But if I can't have my characters insult one another, then honestly? They're not going to be very realistic.

So I looked it up, and here's what I found on dictionary.com:

mo⋅ron

[mawr-on, mohr-] Show IPA

–noun

1.	a person who is notably stupid or lacking in good judgment.

2.	Psychology. a person of borderline intelligence in a former classification of mental retardation, having an intelligence quotient of 50 to 69.

I never knew that "moron" had an actual meaning in psychology. And when I posted a poll on twitter, only one person of the twenty that replied said they found the word offensive. But still, I didn't want to take the chance, so I went back and changed the references in the manuscript, just in case. But as I was doing it, I felt ishy about it. The whole thing brought up a bigger question:

Is it more important to me to have my characters speak in a realistic manner, using words I hear used on the street every day, or is it more important to me that I not offend a single reader?

It's an age old question. And I don't really know what the answer is. I do know that it's impossible to write a work of fiction that won't offend a single person, because everyone has a different idea of what's offensive.

I once got an angry letter from a mother about I WAS A NON-BLONDE CHEERLEADER because there was teenage drinking in the book. Annisa, my main character, attended a party where there was drinking, but she, herself, didn't drink and didn't need to drink to have fun. I thought I was showing that people don't NEED to give in to peer pressure to have a good time. That you can get through high school without drinking (like I did) and survive and have friends and participate. I thought I showed Annisa making a mature decision that was right for her--that I showed her dealing with the situation in a way that I'd want my own child to deal with it. I thought my message was a good one. But the very fact that I included a party with alcohol in the story really angered this mom.

So would I go back and change the plot of IWANBC because this person found that offensive? Never. Because I still think the scene showed something positive. The reality is, there is drinking at high school parties. But the reality also is, you don't HAVE to drink.

In the end, I decided that changing the word "moron" wouldn't change the tone, plot, or message of my book, so I just changed it. But I'm sure this is an issue that will come up again and again in my writing. I'm just going to have to deal with each instance as it comes.

Having a Wasted Day

2009-11-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Right, so, for those of you who don't know me all that well, I'm kind of a hypochondriac. Not a full-blown crazy, like my friend (who shall remain nameless) who was certain we were all going to die of swine flu before she got a chance to get married (which she did, happily, a few weeks ago), but I have my obsessive moments. And now that I have a son, it's like ten times worse. When I started reading headlines about kids dying of swine flu I stopped even thinking about whether or not I might get it and started sweating it out late at night worrying that he definitely WOULD get it and that he definitely WOULD be one of the unfortunate souls who wouldn't be able to fight it off.

Okay, so maybe I AM a full-blown crazy.

And now I'm sick. Of course. Yesterday morning I was totally fine and kicked ass in BOSU class and everything, and then half an hour after I got home I started coughing. And kept coughing. And am coughing still. Also I'm achey. But I'm having a hard time telling whether that's because I'm sick, or because I moved up from eight-pound weights to tenners at BOSU. Sigh.

This morning I tried to write. I really did. But I gave up after one crap ass chapter in which my serial-killer heroine sounded not like the badass psycho she is, but more like a whiny loser with no spine who might or might not be dying of swine flu. The rest of my day has been spent doing the following:

A) updating my facebook status
B) tweeting
C) reading ew.com
D) writing angry missives to ABC upon learning on ew.com that they're cancelling my favorite new show, Eastwick
E) checking email and hoping for something from an editor that might kick my butt into doing something productive
F) reading
G) watching Big Bang Theory and Desperate Housewives on DVR
H) washing dishes
and
I) obsessing about whether or not I have the swine flu and whether or not I should breathe on my son when I pick him up from daycare in an hour

Yes, my friends. It's been a wasted day. I'm just hoping for better out of myself tomorrow.

CHECK OUT MY NEW WEBSITE!

2009-11-04T12:27:00.001-05:00

Guess what? I've finally entered the 21st Century! As of today, like RIGHT NOW, my brand new website is up and running! You can click through to it by clicking any of the links at the top of this blog, or simply go to:

www.kieranscott.net

It's chock full of info about me, my books, my upcoming projects and all kinds of good stuff. So check it out and tell all your friends!

I'm actually hyperventilating. Sad.

I <3 Voting

2009-11-03T12:46:00.000-05:00

So I don't know if you've heard, but today's Election Day. This time last year, everyone was freaking out about hope and change and getting to the poles and making their voices heard. Today, we're not hearing so much about it. Now I know, I know, there isn't a huge historical national election going on or anything, but there are still people who need your vote! All over the country there are races for everything from town council-people, county executives, state assembly-people, state senators and on and on and on. Here in New Jersey, we'll be electing (or re-electing) a governor today! That's big stuff!

My husband and I always go and vote together. I wait until he gets home and then we go out to our polling place and sign our names and do our thing. I love the vibe at the polling station. There are all these volunteer workers there and the pride they have in facilitating our right to choose just radiates off of them. Also, they usually have a lot of coffee and donuts, so it smells really good in there. When I'm in the voting booth, I click the little buttons next to the names of the people I think are most qualified for the jobs, and then I stand back and read it all over carefully to make sure I didn't make a mistake. And when I'm doing that, I always smile. BEcause this is what America is about, baby. From the mayor of the tiniest town in the tiniest state, all the way up to our Commander in Chief, we get to decide who runs our government. It's a pretty cool freedom to have. So I hope that you exercise it. Or, if you're not 18 yet, you will when you can!

It only takes five minutes, but the results of what you do can affect the world.

My First Radio Interview!

2009-10-27T12:57:00.000-04:00

Last week I recorded an interview with Jill Sheets of KOPN 89.5 out of Missouri, and it's going to air TODAY between 3 & 5 pm CT! If you're in the area, give it a listen and then let me know if I sound as nasal as I think I do!

Also, I rambled. I'm totally sure I rambled.

But, whatever, it's still cool. We talked about She's SO Dead to Us and Geek Magnet, as well as a bit about Private and Privilege. You'll even get to hear who I think should play my characters if the books are ever made into movies! Jill had some great questions. I just hope I had some good answers!

Here's the link to the station's website if you'd like more info: http://www.kopn.org/ They even have some archived podcasts on there, including an interview with the lovely ELIZABETH SCOTT, whose novel Bloom I am currently reading and LOVING!

Enjoy!

I Wish I Had Special Powers

2009-10-26T16:47:00.001-04:00

Right, so . . . my car died. Last week, I THOUGHT it died when my husband went to Trader Joe's to pick up bananas, came out five minutes later and couldn't get it to start. Turned out that was just the battery. We replaced it and a hundred bucks later, all was well. Yipee!

Then, today, I try to go to the supermarket. Now let me just say that I love food shopping. It's, like, one of my favorite chores in the world. I go up and down every single aisle slowly, taking the stuff I need, checking out stuff I've never noticed, maybe deciding to try something new. It makes sense, I guess, since I like to cook and LOVE to eat, and today I was particularly psyched to go because I was having trouble working and was looking forward to getting something productive done. But alas, as I'm pulling out of my driveway, my car starts to shake, and putter, and shimmy. None of these are good signs. I drive around the block without getting on any major roads and I don't like the way it's acting, so I give up and come home. Two seconds later, the "emissions system light" comes on. I look it up and it says that if the emissions system goes, it could leak potentially hazardous fumes into the passenger cabin. Yeah. I turned the car off. And now it's getting towed to the mechanic.

So what does all this have to do with wishing I had special powers? Well, the first thing I thought of when all this was done was . . . weren't M an I just talking about this over the weekend? How I used to lease cars and how it's kind of a good thing because you always give it back before anything goes wrong? How yes, you do have to put down a new down payment every few years, but at least you KNOW when it's coming. How when you buy a car it could go at any second and then you're smacked with this huge repair bill out of nowhere that you're not prepared for? And I thought huh. So why did I buy THIS car when the lease was up? Why didn't I just lease a new one?

Apparently, it was because I'm stupid.

But anyway, I started thinking that maybe I'm psychic. Maybe we had this conversation this weekend because I knew, somehow, that my car was about to die. For a second I was all psyched. A silver lining! I started to try to remember what OTHER conversations I've had recently so I could figure out what THEY might be telling me.

And then I realized . . . if I really WERE psychic, wouldn't I have known this BEFORE I bought the car and therefore avoided buying the car? Right. So I guess there's no silver lining. Except at least I didn't brake down with B in the car. That would have been a nightmare.

So no special powers for me. And really, if I could have one, it would be the power to teleport. Because then I wouldn't need a car at all. Unless I was going shoe shopping. Because then I'd need it to haul all my purchases home.

Sigh.

TEEN READ WEEK, DAY 5!

2009-10-23T10:51:00.000-04:00

Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday, but today is the BIG DAY! One of you is about to win a free signed copy of GEEK MAGNET and a free signed copy of PRIVILEGE! And that person is . . . .

JENNAH!

Just email me your full name and address at kieran@kieranscott.net and I'll get the books out to you next week! (Or you can DM on Twitter. You know where to find me! @kieranscott)

I'll send the books out next week! Congrats and HAPPY TEEN READ WEEK!

TEEN READ WEEK, DAY 3!

2009-10-21T15:58:00.000-04:00

As Teen Read Week continues, I continue to give you MY recommendations for some of my favorite teen reads! And you should give me yours, too . . . because it could win you some free books. Just comment on any of this week's blogs with the title of your favorite book (and a little bit about it) and you'll be entered to win free signed copies of GEEK MAGNET and PRIVILEGE!

Today's recommendation is . . .

REBOUND is the story of Ray Wisniewski, a Polish guy at Franklin High whose dream is to make the Varsity basketball team. The only problem is, at Ray's school, white kids wrestle and black kids play ball. So when Ray finally makes the team, his predominately white friends don't understand why he's shunning them, and his predominately black teammates don't want him around. Gradually, Ray makes some friends on the team, but solidifies some enemies as well. This book is an unflinchingly honest look at what it's like to navigate racial divides in high school, but it's not all serious all the time. There's a sweet love story involved as well. Plus plenty of fantastic b-ball action!

Enjoy! And don't forget to post your recommendations below!

TEEN READ WEEK, DAY 2!

2009-10-20T18:08:00.001-04:00

Thanks to everyone who's already posted their favorite books on yesterday's blog comments! There are a lot of books that I've never even HEARD of and I can't wait to get reading! In the meantime, here's another of my recent favorites:

SO PUNK ROCK was written by my friend Micol and illustrated by her brother David, but I'm not just plugging it because she's my friend. This book had me laughing out loud from the first page! It's the totally original story of Ari Abramson, a not-so-cool dude who attends an all-Jewish prep school in New Jersey. His solution to transforming himself from geek to uber-cool? Starting up a punk rock band, of course. The cast of characters is realistic and lovable and you'll adore reading all about Ari's ups and downs with his friends, his family and his band.

Enjoy! And keep those suggestions coming! Remember, one lucky commentor will win a signed copy of GEEK MAGNET and a signed copy of PRIVILEGE this Friday!

IT'S TEEN READ WEEK!

2009-10-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

To celebrate Teen Read Week I've decided to give away one signed copy of Geek Magnet and one signed copy of Privilege this Friday! All you have to do is comment on this blog with the title of YOUR favorie young adult novel--and maybe tell us a little bit about it, too. (I'm looking for good reads, as, I'm sure, are some of my blog's followers, so share, share, share!) Make sure you send all your friends as well. The more the merrier! I'll choose a winner this Friday.

To get the ball rolling, here's a little bit about the last great YA book I read:

Lucky by Rachel Vail is the story Phoebe Avery, the youngest of the three over-privileged Avery sisters. Phoebe has never had a real problem in her life and has always taken her luck for granted. So when things start to go wrong in her life, she doesn't really know how to handle it. First her mother loses her high-paying job, then her super-popular friends seem to be getting ready to dump her, and the eighth-grade graduation party she's been looking forward to all year could be cancelled. Phoebe takes a step back to figure out what her priorities are, and may just find out she's a bit happier NOT having it all.

And the best part? Lucky is part of a triolgy, with each book focusing on one of the Avery sisters. I highly recommend you check them out!

HAPPY TEEN READ WEEK!

FALL TV is the BEST TV!

2009-10-14T11:55:00.000-04:00

As some of you already know, I'm kind of a TV junkie, so even though I LOVE the autumn for all its fabulous colors and foods and clothes, I mostly love it for the new shows. I look forward to the old ones coming back, too, but there's just something about a fresh show with all new characters to learn about and a spanking new world to immerse myself in that just makes me sigh with happiness. So herewith, my five favorite new shows of the fall, in no particular order.

EASTWICK

This has everything I love. Strong female characters. Sexy boys. A fully realized quirky small town atmosphere. (I think the thing I miss the most about Gilmore Girls is Stars Hollow--oh, and Logan, but he's on The Good Wife, so it's all good.) And, of course, magic. I know you're all obsessed with vampires these days, but I can't wrap my brain around that fantasy. I mean, it's all about the girl being victimized by the guy. Being the helpless, fainting female who is so entranced she just has to give in. I'll take some strong, in-charge witches any day, thanks. But that said, show #2 is . . .

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES

Because Elena and Bonnie ARE strong. And Stefan is hot and noble. And we have yet another fully realized, quirky, small town atmosphere that's completely different from the one in Eastwick. Plus they're clearly not afraid to go for the shock, or to kill off people we THINK are main characters. Go fearless writers, go! Also, the books are better than the Twilight books. Yeah, I said it!

NCIS: LOS ANGELES

They had me at Chris O'Donnell and LL Cool J. I've never watched the original NCIS, but I checked this out for my boys, and found out it's really some good, silly fun wrapped around a bunch of explosions and high-speed chases. Love Pete Cambor (miss Notes From the Underbelly). Love Linda Hunt's Hetty and it's nod to The Incredibles' hero-suit maker. Love everything.

FLASHFORWARD

I thought I wouldn't want to get sucked into a drama that I HAD to watch every week, but who am I kidding? I watch everything every week anyway. And a show like this, that makes my heart stop every five minutes, was going to suck me in no matter how hard I tried to resist. A lot of people don't like shows that mess with their heads. I LOVE THEM. Mess with me some more! I don't even WANT to figure it out. Just string me along, baby, and I'm there all the way! (In TV. Not in life.)

GLEE

I told my mother to watch it. She asked what it was about. Instead of trying to describe all the layered characters, the incredible music, the awesome dance numbers, the hilarious writing and the perfect casting I just said, "Glee is joy." She's hooked now.

So that's my fall TV wrap up. Oh and if you want to know my five favorite returning shows? They are, in no particular order:

CASTLE

BONES

UGLY BETTY

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER

DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES

I regret to report that I am totally over:

90210

GOSSIP GIRL

That I was majorly disappointed by:

MELROSE PLACE

COUGARTOWN

And that I'm pissed off they didn't give more of a chance to:

THE BEAUTIFUL LIFE

Feel free to comment at will.

LOVE SPORTS! Hate when people lose.

2009-10-12T11:05:00.000-04:00

I've always been a huge sports fan. A New York Giants die-hard basically since birth. A serious Yankee fan (though I'll admit I like playoffs a lot more than regular season games). A huge tennis fan (Roddick, Nadal, Blake, Sharapova, Dementieva and lately, Melanie Oudin). And I'll get into Devils hockey the longer the season goes on. But there's one thing I've never been able to stand about professional sports (aside from the egos, the steroids and the admittedly ridiculous salaries).

It's how much the networks love to show the losers.

The Yankees win the ALDS. YAY! They celebrate. They jump up and down. They tackle each other and run around and act like little kids. As they should. This is a happy moment. So why are you showing me the barely-controlled tears of the Minnesota pitcher who screwed up the ninth inning? Or the hanging head of the dude who totally missed the third-base coach's call and fell down while doing his shotty base running? All I can think about is how for the next two months those guys are going to be wishing they could have those moments back. How much it's gonna hurt. How their kids and their moms feel so awful for them. And I don't want to be thinking that in that moment. I want to be thinking about our big win.

(Plus it's even worse when it's YOUR team that's lost. I'll never forget the Giants-Ravens Super Bowl when we were just completely trounced, how the network kept showing Kerry Collins and Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan and Ike Hilliard and Amani Toomer just staring straight ahead or sitting on the bench with towels over their heads. I actually cried.)

There are a couple of exceptions, of course. I have enjoyed shouting "suck it, Philly!" at the Eagles more than once in my long and storied career as a Giants fan. And you can show me as many heartbroken shots of Tony Romo as you can dig up. But when the G-Men decimated the lowly Raiders yesterday, I just kept thinking, these poor guys. They work their butts off to get to the NFL and then they end up on a team that can't even get some positive running yards. So sad.

Of course, then my husband pointed out that they ARE playing in the NFL, and there are tons of dreamers out there who never even got to be on a SUCKY team, let alone a good one, so they're probably doing okay Which is a good point. I guess I should try not to feel TOO sorry for them.

I can't imagine JaMarcus Russell is gonna be sitting around feeling too badly for me if my next book tanks. :)

MY NEXT NOVEL!

2009-10-08T14:45:00.001-04:00

I'm so excited to share the news about my next book! I love the title, I love the cover (it's not the final, but I love it anyway), I love the publisher, I love the story, I love . . . everything!

(Well, except trying to revise it. See previous post.)

The book is called SHE'S SO DEAD TO US and it will be coming out in May 2010 through Simon and Schuster (the brilliant publisher of the PRIVATE and PRIVILEGE novels). It's all about a girl named Ally Ryan, who grows up in a town called Orchard Hill, which has a very wealthy side and a very poor side. She lives on the wealthy side until her dad messes up and loses all their money (plus some of her friends' families' money) and they have to move away. Two years later, her parents are separated and her mom takes a job at her old high school, moving the two of them back to the "other" side of town. Will Ally's friends take her back, or has there been too much scandal between them? And what about the gorgeous boy living in her old bedroom? Can a girl who has nothing be with a guy who has it all?

You'll find out in May!

The Thing About Being A Writer . . . .

2009-10-07T12:52:00.000-04:00

Right, so the thing about being a writer (in my world, anyway), is that some days I am in the mood to write, and some days I am not. Today would be one of the latter. Which is a shame, considering I have a rush revision to take care of.

Sigh.

Last week I had ALL THIS ENERGY, but this week I'm all blah. And it's not that I don't want to revise this book. I DO! I LOVE this book and I want to make it the best book it can possibly be. (Oh, and speaking of, this BOOK won't even be officially announced until TOMORROW, at which point you should definitely come back here because then I'll let you know ALL ABOUT this BOOK.) Plus my editor's notes are great and not at all scary. I just can't bring myself to open the file and work.

Which is probably why I'm here. Writing. Which I claim I'm not in the mood to do.

Double sigh.

Okay. It is 12:55 PM. I am going to put in AT LEAST two hours on this thing. I am. IamIamIamIamIam.

Huh. Have you ever noticed that if you say "I am" over and over enough times it starts to sound like "I yam?"

Funny. Okay. 12:56. Here we go! Wish me luck! I'm going now. I really . . . yam!

Collingswood Book Fest!

2009-10-06T08:49:00.000-04:00

So this past weekend I particpated in the Collingswood Book Festival in Collingswood, New Jersey for the very first time. It was all the way down in South Jersey, about a two hour drive from my house, mostly along the Turnpike, which is a long and boring road to drive. But once I got to Collingswood, I was enchanted. Not only is it a beautiful town with super cute shops and restaurants and a lovely library, but the event was MASSIVE! The town closed down its entire main street and there were tents set up right in the middle of the road. Authors had their own spots to show their books, plus there were seperate tents for readings and performances and signings. Here's a pic of the table I shared with four incredibly nice authors:

Each of the authors had her own unique story about how she got started in publishing. Erica Serdashney is a teacher (and a true Jersey Girl like me!) who wrote a book called Cranes for Cristian; the inspiring story of one of her students' struggle with cancer. Bree Donovan wrote a book about Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine called Steve Prefontaine - Rocketman, some of the proceeds from which go to benefit Steve's elementery school in Oregon. Michelle Weisen, who teaches writing at the college level, formed her own indy publishing company to publish her book, Lavinia's Window. She was nice enough to give me a copy and even though I've only had a chance to read a few pages, I'm hooked! It's historical fiction, which I love to read, but could never write, so I'm always impressed with the authors who can.

A little later in the day Courtney Sheinmel, middle grade author of My So Called Family and Positively, took the seat right next to mine. We'd never met before, but quickly found out we knew a lot of people in common, and had tons of fun doing our reading and question-and-answer together. Here's a pic of me and Courntey:

Then our mutual friend Wendy Mass arrived to do a reading from her latest book. Courtney and I were totally in awe of the huge line that formed for Wendy after her reading. We were in the presence of a star! This is a badly off-center pic of Wendy getting ready for her reading along with her teen interviewer Katie:

I also met a lot of incredible teen readers, many of whom were psyched to reed Geek Magnet, which still makes me smile. Can't wait to participate again next year!

Oh, and on the way home across my lovely state, I stopped at one of the New Jersey Turnpike rest stops and the sound system was playing Bon Jovi's Living on a Prayer. You really can't get more Jersey than that!

My First Blog

2009-10-05T12:33:00.000-04:00

Well. Here I am. Blogging. This is new. I mean, I've blogged on myspace before, but somehow having a blogspot blog feels so . . . official!

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Kieran Scott and I am an author of young adult fiction. My books include I Was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader, Brunettes Strike Back, A Non-Blonde Cheeleader in Love, and Geek Magnet. Have you read them? If you have, I'd love your feedback. If you haven't, go buy and read them NOW! I need the money so I can send my son to college one day. And also, I have a thing for very expensive bags.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Anyway, I've actually set up this little blog space because VERY SOON I will have my very own functional website (it will be at www.kieranscott.net) and I need to have a blog attached to it so I can post superfun info without having to get all HTML-ey about it. So from now on, this is where you should visit if you want to hear about the following:

*book releasees

*book signings and readings

*book festival appearances

*my thoughts on all the new fall television shows

Yeah, that last one will probably be just for me. :)

I'll let you know as soon as the website is live! Until then . . .

Hmmm . . . I feel the need to come up with a fantastic sign off. Any suggestions?