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Well, readers, birthdays both book and author have come and gone. But, don't be sad, because I've saved the best part of the SASS blog bash for last --

PRESENTS! 

We had a fabbity turnout at our SASS-y party, and I'm very pleased to announce our winners. 
If you are a winner, I will message you separately to let you know, but definitely feel free to email me with your contact info (full name and mailing address) at:

micol (at) micolostow (dot com)

as soon as possible, so I can get your lovely goodies out to you ASAP!

So, without further ado:

Day 1: 
laurasmagicday will receive a copy of WESTMINSTER ABBY, and UP OVER DOWN UNDER.

Day 2: 
inbedwithbooks.blogspot.com will receive a copy of WHEN IRISH GUYS ARE SMILING, and SWEDE DREAMS.

Day 3: 
BunnyB will receive a copy of SPAIN OR SHINE, and FRENCH KISSMASS.

Day 4: 
yavampirebooks will receive a copy of HEART AND SALSA, and GIRL OVERBOARD.

Day 5:
Our grand prize winner is lesleysays! Yay, Lesley! Lesley will receive a mondo pack consisting of NOW AND ZEN, THE FINNISH LINE, WESTMINSTER ABBY, UP OVER DOWN UNDER, THE GREAT CALL OF CHINA, and GETTING THE BOOT!


Thanks again, all, for sharing your travel tales with me, and the other amazing SASS authors! Happy post-book-birthday, and many happy returns!

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Wow, friendly people! Thanks so much for coming out to celebrate with me this week! It's been quite a whirlwind, what with TWO birthdays and a book birthday thrown in there for good measure!

This was the first time in my 6(ish)-year writing career that I've had a book release on my actual birthdate - what a fun feeling of accomplishment. Publishers: take note. :)

Thanks to everyone who came by and chimed in! 
*NOTE: There's still time to enter to win SASS books! Post a comment on ANY of the entries from this week, and you'll be eligible to win a SASS prize package. Winners will be announced on Monday, May 3rd. So anything posted between now and then is fair game! 

In the meantime, I am thrilled to kick off our grand finale with Linda Gerber, the divine author of two SASS novels: Now and Zen, and The Finnish Line. Linda is also the author of the action-packed DEATH BY...series, and a prolific blogstress in her own right. Her next novel, Trance, releases in October 2010 and looks totally spooky. Can't wait! 



Thanks for joining us today, Linda!
 So, any horror stories from trips you've taken? 

I've been pretty lucky. Most horror stories were just inconveniences that wound up being adventures... such as the time my dear husband left my suitcase sitting on the driveway on our way to Paris, or when my daughter lost her passport enroute to Tokyo via New York... or when the man we hired as our driver/guide in Beijing turned out to have no car of his own and we ended up taking a taxi everywhere - even all the way out to the Great Wall.

Viewing the setbacks as adventures is probably half the battle! :)
What's your number one travel tip? Can't-live-without travel item?

Number one tip: Keep an open mind and try to experience what's unique about an area. Eat the food, climb the climb, dance the dance. If you want everything the same as it is at home, why are you traveling?
Can't-live-without travel item: Books! I will have anxiety attacks if I finish the book I'm reading and we're still on the road. I must find a bookstore immediately. Preferably one with English titles...

I'm right there with you. Do you have any souvenirs from travel that have special meaning or importance to you?

While we were in Tokyo, I found a signed, limited-edition print featuring the stone Zen garden at the Ryōan-ji Temple in Kyoto, where a pivotal scene from my first SASS book, NOW AND ZEN was set.

That's so exciting! Noah and I definitely had particular fun visiting some of the places in Australia that our character visits in UODU. So, What's your dream vacation spot -- the one place you're dying to visit, and why?

There are so many places I want to see so I have dozens of dream vacation spots!
Tops on the list for forever has always been Greece. I love those travel posters showing the whitewashed buildings

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Happy happy blog bashing, people! Today I'm feeling especially chipper, as it's my birthday, and I've consumed nothing but processed sugar products for essentially the past 24 hours. Let's see how long we can keep that up (and how chipper I remain in the...er, process)!

Today we're schmoozing about all things travelicious with Suzanne Nelson, author of Heart and Salsa, and The Sound of Munich. 


*A little bit of behind-the-scenes trivia for you re: Suzanne - we worked at Penguin Young Readers in separate divisions a bunch of years ago, and started at almost the same time. We were in the same computer orientation session, which she may not remember, but which I can't forget, as Suzanne was way quicker on the uptake than yours truly. 

True story. You heard it here first. 
But on to more sassy, scandalous vignettes, straight from Suzanne herself: 

Suzanne Nelson has written six young adult novels, including two SASS novels: The Sound of Munich and Heart and Salsa. She loves to travel, especially internationally. She believes you can never have too many stamps on your passport, read too many books, or eat too much cheesecake. She lives with her family in New Jersey.

Words to live by, Suzanne! I'll have to look into getting my hands on some cheesecake today. So, what's the most adventurous/out of character thing you've ever done while traveling?

Baiting 35-foot Great White Sharks off the coast of Capetown, South Africa, and trying to get away from a charging bull elephant in an open-air jeep while on safari in South Africa. Both were unforgettable experiences.

Holy cow! And here I thought the wallabies in Australia were scary. Do you have a horror story from a trip you've taken?

Once I was stranded in an airport for fourteen hours overnight. It was pretty horrific (and disgusting!) having to sleep on the floor of the airport terminal, but I survived to tell the tale.

Ick. That definitely belongs in a book some day.  What's your number one travel tip?

Be brave and flexible. If you miss a train or get off at the wrong station...so what? Grab some exotic food and drink, relax, and explore! Leave yourself open to adventure and spontaneity. Sometimes the best parts of the vacation are the biggest surprises! Can't-live-without travel item?
Camera!

I am neither brave NOR flexible. Oy. Do you have any souvenirs from travel that have special meaning or importance to you?

When I backpacked through Europe, I kept all of my train stubs from all the countries and cities I visited. Everytime I look at them, it brings back all my memories of the trip. My travel journals are some of my most treasured souvenirs too, because all the emotions and adventures I had are there in writing, so I'll never forget.

I keep things like ticket stubs, too, and even though I'm not crafty AT ALL, I like to put together travel scrapbooks of favorite trips. What's your dream vacation spot -- the one place you're dying to visit, and why?

Two places: Greece and Egypt. I'd love to island hop in Greece and see the pyramids in Egypt. There's so much incredible history in both of those countries. And when I go, I'm definitely going with my one and only paramour. He's the only one I'd go for a moonlight swim in the Mediterranean with!

A moonlight swim in the Mediterranean...sigh. That sounds divine. And it definitely ALSO sounds like another scene from a potential book. SASS may be over, Suzanne

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Hi guys, and welcome to DAY THREE of the week-long SASS super-special release party! Today's installment is brought to you by Michelle Jellen, author of Spain or Shine. 



But first, here's a snapshot of a hot-off-the-press finished copy of Up Over Down Under! The package of shiny, shiny books arrived on my doorstep just a few minutes ago. Perfect timing, huh?

Well hello, pretty book! How are you today? 

But we can't linger -- we have a party to attend, after all! So, let's hear what Michelle has to say about the perils and perks of travel: 

I’m a creature of habit. I like my routine. I start every day with an English muffin smothered in peanut butter and a sliced orange. And I end every evening by reading a chapter of a novel in the bathtub. It may sound predictable. Boring, even? But, to steal a line from Meg Ryan in When Harry Met Sally, I like it how I like it.

This is why I love and also why I sometimes hate to travel. It shakes up my routine, gets me out of my comfort zone. Which can be, well, uncomfortable. But, it’s also a good reminder of how much there is in the world that I have left to experience. I love my English muffin breakfast. But, a lifetime of that could drive even the most routine-entrenched person a little Cuckoo.

The thing I love about travel is the same thing I love about reading and writing. You have the chance to get out of your life and into another life. A sort of parallel, almost-life. You get the chance to imagine who you might have been, or might be, in another place. What kind of person would I be if I lived in Paris or London? Would I eat the same exact breakfast every morning? Probably. But, it might be a croissant or that traditional English breakfast that has beans, boiled tomatoes, sausage and all kinds of other other strange, non-breakfasty things. Okay, I probably wouldn’t have an English breakfast every morning. But, maybe I’d have tea instead of coffee.

Because I’m such a creature of habit, I have some rules for getting the most out of my trips. Well, they’re really more like guidelines. Guidelines for finding these alternate selves, these people I might have been or might secretly be somewhere deep down inside.

Eat something unusual. Not just weird. Although, weird is good. Weird will shake things up. Something kind of out there may open you up to a love you never knew. Some pretty ugly things can taste pretty good. That’s how I found out—in Santa Cruz—that I absolutely love oysters, and also how I found out—in Boston—that I absolutely hate sea urchin. But, it’s more than just being adventurous. It’s also about letting yourself indulge a little, throw all your everyday food rules away. You cannot fully experience Florence without a cup of pistachio gelato. And, a trip to New Orleans just wouldn’t be complete without sampling the powdered sugar-dusted beignets at Café du Monde. Forget about fat and calories. Forget about how bad a chocolate croissant might be for your heart, your skin, your thighs. It’s good for your soul.

Lose the map. I hate getting lost. I really hate coming to a fork in the road and not knowing which

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