Just when you think...

...you'd kill yourself before you'd start another first draft, when you think you're SO GLAD you're on the second draft of your WIP and you NEVER WANT TO START ANOTHER BOOK AGAIN...

...a new idea comes along and slams you across the head.

God. Damn. It.

HEY LOOK A BOOK REVIEW

http://www.libraryloungelizard.com/2009/08/book-review-break-by-hannah-moskowitz.html

The Problem is Borders Is Not a Goddamn Toy Store.

So if you read either Pimp My Novel or Editorial Ass (and come on, you should) you might be panicking a little bit for the well-being of Borders.

I know I am.

I'm no expert. I'm a girl who likes to buy books, and the nearest Borders to my house is a full ten minutes closer than the Barnes and Noble which means that, essentially, I'm a Borders-girl. (Guys, don't even talk to me about indies. If you have lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, you may chortle along with me here. Chortle chortle chortle.)

But I completely agree with Pimp My Novel--the problem with Borders is the damn toys.

This Borders Ink thing--have you seen this? It's a perfect symptom of a larger problem. basically, they're mixing teen merchandise in with the YA books.

So this means, in the current publishing climate, that you have to wade through three layers of Twilight lunch boxes to get to the YA books.

Show of hands of people who find this annoying, please.

I don't have a problem with Twilight. I haven't read the series, so I think it would be odd if I did. But correct me if I'm wrong, but apart from the moms who are buying the Twilight dildos, aren't most of Twilight's rabid fans relatively young girls? YA, maybe, but definitely on the younger end. People around my age like it, but I'm not sure many of them are enamored.

I'm not saying the books shouldn't be shelved in the YA section. As far as I can tell, they fit all the requirememnts of YA. The protagonists are the right age (or the one who isn't twenty billion is, at least) the pacing is tight, it has coming-of-age elements.

But can you really imagine anyone older than fourteen (or, God forbid, a BOY) carrying a Twilight lunchbox?

Reading the book and wanting to advertise that you are a groupie of the book are two different things. Completely.

FOR EXAMPLE. Do you remember about four years ago, when suddenly anybody who was anybody liked The Doors and ACDC? I swear ever fifteen year old girl I passed was wearing an ACDC shirt. (Except me. I had a Death Cab shirt because I am a BAMF.)

A music store frequented by those ancient, grungy, hardcore rockers would not be so stupid as to stock those sparkly t-shirts emblazoned with ACDC. It's the same band. It's a completely different market.

We don't go to Borders to buy Twilight lunchboxes.

We go to Borders to buy books.

Or maybe we'll start driving the extra ten minutes to Barnes and Noble.

It's heeeeeeeeeere!

Please excuse my mother's horrible photography skills.

Signing copies at B&N. That's my dad grinning in the background.

WE BEAT BEAR FEELS SICK

That is all.

(unfortunately we're still #6. The elephant with a peanut allergy snuck in and stole #5. I don't feel I can complain, since BREAK has a peanut allergy as well, and it's really the reason we're on that list. THOUGH WE'RE MORE THAN JUST PEANUTS BITCHES)

Rule the World

BREAK is now the 6th bestseller in the category Bestsellers > Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Diseases > Fiction

we need to beat BEAR FEELS SICK before we can proceed to number 5.

COME ON GUYS. WE CAN BEAT BEAR FEELS SICK.

Though I'm not going to lie to you, it sounds pretty effing sweet. It rhymes. And it has a twist ending. BREAK has neither of these things. Guys, we might be fucked. I'm thinking 6th might be where our reign ends.

But it was fun while it lasted.

(Also, 33,000th bestseller compared to ALL THE BOOKS EVER. That's up from 200some thousandth last night. Seriously, thanks. I can almost taste the monies).

This is why I shouldn't blog at three in the morning.

!!!!

FACE OUT!?!?!

Time Turned Fragile

This is the song that inspired BREAK. A nice little song from Jonah to Jesse.

Clicky (audio only):



Tiny hands, recycled cans, the metal bands I could not stand
The time you cried and threw your crayons across the floor
These are the things I think about when I'm alone without you
I wonder about your wherabouts and hope like hell you're happy where you are

You used to say that you're just fine, but I still wonder all the time.

Hockey games, medical claims, police reports, terrible grades
J, I'm so proud of all the things that you have done
These are the things I think about when I'm alone without you
I wonder about your wherabouts and hope like hell you're happy where you are

I'm all right.
I'm all right.
I can see through everything you say, and all the lessons I never learned.

You used to say that you're just fine, but I still wonder all the time.

Do you still believe in the stories told to you by my friends and I
When you were four years old?
How it got so cold, our words just froze
We had to wait until summer to find out what was said
One of the best times that we had.

I know I say that I'm just fine, but I hope you wonder from time to time.

I was nervous from the start that the muscles might tear us apart--Are muscles tearing us apart?
From the words that carve our lives, to the words that take us by surprise--I was never taken by surprise.
From the sounds that disappear, to the changes we begin to fear--I can hear you clearly.
One day I'll fail to breathe, and all you'll have are memories--All we are are memories.

--Motion City Soundtrack

Oh HEY Break!

You can now get Break from B&N.com, Amazon.com, and a few brick and mortar stores. More will start stocking it as the 25th draws nearer...

Right now, BREAK is the 42nd bestseller in the category: Bestsellers > Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Health > Diseases > Fiction

I KNOW

42ND

GUYS

I AM SO FRICKIN' FAMOUS

FINISHED

words left: 0

days left: 6

yessssssss. I did it! 58some thousand words, and it's all done! And I'm actually pretty happy with it, yay. And I have tons of ideas for edits.

Now I want to see if I can get a 2nd draft done before BREAK comes out. Clearly I am insane.

My release date is "soft," which means it's possible there's a copy of BREAK in your local bookstore RIGHT THIS VERY SECOND. SOMEONE ELSE COULD BE BUYING IT RIGHT NOW. ARE YOU GOING TO STAND FOR THIS?

Ugh, when did I become such an annoying little publicitywhore?

But you guys love me anyway, right? (say yes)

Oh dear lord single digits

Words left; 3,500

Days left: 9

It's getting sooooooooo close.

I have nothing constructive to say.

It's sooooooo close.

You've pre-ordered your copy, right? Good.

Ooooooh

I got a real copy of the BREAK in the mail today!

It's so much cooler than the ARC. It's got back cover copy (the same blurb from my Amazon page, in case you were wondering) and the binding is nice and thick, and it smells like a BOOK.

I luuuuuuuurve it.

keep on truckin'

words left: 4,000

days left: 11

12 days

I Love My Editor

Have I mentioned my editor? Because oh my God she is fabulous. If I haven't yet convinced you to buy my book, here's another reason--because it will make her happy, and she is like my favorite person in the world I would loooove you to help me make her happy.

/gush

IN OTHER NEWS

words left: 6,000 (didn't cheat this time, I swear.)

days left: 13 (still. am I posting too much? I'm so bipolar with this blog.)

Lalalala first draft cheating...

Words left: 8,000

Days left: 13


move along, move along, nothing to see here...**sweeps words under rug**

In other news

I can't count. Damn it.


Words left: 16,000

Days left: 14

damn iiiiiiiiiit. This is looking less feasible.

Ho shit!

It's past midnight!

You know what that means!

TWO WEEKS UNTIL BREAK!

In honor of the occasion, I have two links for you. Here's the first. It's an interview that I did! http://lucidconspiracy.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-hannah-moskowitz.html

Here's the second one! It's the Amazon link to my book. Because have you ordered this yet? You should order it! It's how I get paid! http://www.amazon.com/Break-Hannah-Moskowitz/dp/1416982752/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1249963398&sr=8-4

Have an awesome Tuesday!

Progress report

Words remaining: 12,000

Days remaining: 15

Goals and Things! My Teachers Would Be Proud

SO here's the plan.

My outline for All Together With Feeling says it will be 68,000 words.

It is currently 45,000 words.

Here is the goal. Finish the 1st draft of All Together With Feeling before BREAK comes out.

Can she do it???

(Also, BREAK got a great review today! Check it out. http://kidslit.menashalibrary.org/2009/08/08/break/)

So how are you guys? Life is good?

Oh hey, are you a fan of me on Facebook? Because I'm pretty awesome, even on Facebook.

Hannah Moskowitz on Facebook

A Confession

Even though I know all the rules

I NEVER think that "its" looks okay.

Another Fake Post!

Otherwise known as another All Together With Feeling Excerpt!
--

Oliver calls around nine. “We’re going out, bitch.”

“Tonight?” I’ve been reading all night, and all the websites say Oliver needs time to grieve and process what happened, or whatever. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he’s breaking the rules. The advice all sounds the same as what he got when his mom died. He didn’t follow that, either.

“You want to drive?” I say.

“I would rather not, if it’s all the same to you.”

“I was planning on drinking…”

“I will be drinking tonight.”

“All right, all right. I’ll drive.”

I ignore the drama downstairs—honestly, could it be less important?—and push through the crowd and out the door. I don’t tell them where I’m going, but only because they don’t ask. And only because I don’t know.

The drive to Oliver’s is through a lot of the windy roads with very few streetlamps, the ones that give you time to think. A lot of times this annoys me, and I blast the radio and sing at the top of my lungs to keep my mind from spinning around with stupid shit like boys and homework and my parents. Tonight I don’t mind the silence. I have a lot to think about and, as worried as I am about Oliver, I don’t feel like avoiding any of it, particularly, at the moment.

I park to ring his doorbell, like a good date or whatever, but he comes prancing through the front door before I get a chance to open it. He really pulled out all the stops tonight, and he looks fantastic—some polka dot party dress, with a sash around an empire waist. I think he cut more of his hair off. It looks shorter and spikier than usual. He didn’t wear the falsies, so his whole body is smooth and flat underneath the dress. When he’s in girl’s clothes, I can really tell how thin he is, and it worries me.

“Ready?” he climbs into the passenger seat. His eyes are really done up tonight—smokey silver. I can’t seen any of the bruises on his face, and I wonder how many layers of cover-up he had to put on.

“Where are we going?”

“There is a gay pride festival at the park. I thought we might attend.”

I groan a bit. “I love how you’re always so sensitive to my needs when you plan our excursions.”

“Oh Etta. I’m sure you won’t be the only fag hag present.”

“Yeah, sure, except I’m looking for a boy. What do you call them?”

“Fag hogs?”

“Hogs are girls, Oliver.”

“I suppose those are the fat fag hags, then,”

I give him a look.

“Stop it,” he says. “You are not fat.”

“But some girls are, and I don’t appreciate your making digs at them when they’re not here. I don’t make fun of ugly gay people—”

“Bleh.”

“—homosexuals in front of you.”

“Yes, because that would be insensitive to the ugly homosexual present.”

I frown at him. “Never say that.”

He laughs and looks out the window. “All right, all right.”

He has a bottle of his premium vodka with him, and he sips while he goes through my CDs. “Little Shop of Horrors?” He makes a face.

“It’s a Broadway musical, Oliver.”

“Yes, so was Legally Blonde.” He rolls his eyes. “Little Shop of Horrors is…”

“Is what? I like it.”

“It’s no Heathers.”

“You’re no Heathers.”

“Fair enough, fair enough, though honestly I am not sure how accurate that statement is.” He examines his fingernails—repolished, I notice. “Little Shop is not dark. Little Shop is barely dusky. And it is a metaphor so broad that I find it has very little meaning. It is the most useless warning I have encountered in my large history of musical theater. And yes, upon thinking about it, I would like confirm that I do, indeed, believe that I could be Heathers.”

“It’s not a musical.”

“Yes, you have me there.”

“So put in something you like,” I say. “Whatever.” I don’t want to pick a fight with him tonight, and I’ve gotten too close already. Even though I know we’re just bantering, it’s making me nervous. I don’t want him to make him cry.

Until he puts in Wicked, and then I just want to put his head through my windshield.

I say, “God, Oliver, really?”

“What’s wrong with Wicked?”

“Nothing, except—all right, you want to talk metaphors?”

“Wicked is a metaphorical masterpiece, Etta.”

“Yeah, and Jesus Christ, it knows it. It’s so busy caressing its metaphors that it loses all hope of actual, you know, plot. Or—God forbid—character development.”

He rolls his eyes. “We are allowed to like different things, Etta.”

This burns like a slap in the face.

Skateboard

CLICK to see the full thing.



(A Softer World, the best webcomic in the world. www.asofterworld.com)

The first feeling is exhilaration.

My arms hit the ground. The sound is like a mallet against a crab.
Pure fucking exhilaration.

Beside me, my skateboard is a stranded turtle on its back. The wheels shriek with each spin.

And then--oh. Oh, the pain.

The second feeling is pain.

Naomi’s camera beeps and she makes a triumphant noise in her throat. “You totally got it that time,” she says. “Tell me you got it.”

I hold my breath for a moment until I can say, “We got it.”

--BREAK, page 1


Real post coming soon.