Would you like to win a new hardcover copy of Tamora Pierce's newest short story collection,
Tortall and Other Lands: A Collection of Tales
? If so, you're in luck. There's still a month left to sign up to participate in the Tamora
Tamora Pierce Reading Challenge. You only have to read one book to qualify as long as you write some sort of wrap up when you have finished your challenge.
For those of you who have signed up, how are you doing? Are you going to make your goal by the end of Decemeber?
I have three books left, Terrier, Bloodhound, and Tortall and Other Lands (on my Kindle). Now if I can just finish them with all the other reading I have to finish by January...
A new linky will be up soon for those of you who are finished and want to write your wrap up posts.
Tomorrow starts A Shady Glade Christmas, so don't forget to come back and check in for that.
Happy reading everyone!
Remember that the (slightly modified) silent auction Blogoversary Extravaganza opens tomorrow (Oct 5th). If you haven't already, remember to register so that you can start "bidding" with your earned points tomorrow. Registration must be completed first before you can win any of the 30 prizes.
If anyone has any questions, please let me know. Otherwise, see you tomorrow!
Don't forget, today is the last day to complete any of the Blogoversary Challenges for extra points at registration! The roundup post has links to all the challenges you can still complete.
Today is the last day of February, and you know what that means? Signups for the Birthday Bookmark Swap close tonight! Today is also the last day you can enter the Bookmark Swap Publicity Contest to win a choice of book(s).
If you want to join in, today's the last day, so don't forget to head over to the page and sign up. :)
Still super busy, but hopefully I'll have some time to put up an update post soon to let everyone know what's going on.
Until then!
It's the first Tuesday in November, so here in the United States that means it's election day. For those of you who are old enough to do so, don't forget to vote today!
There is nothing more you can do to exercise your freedom in this country more than to vote. If you don't vote you've lost the right to complain about the way the country/state/county/city/whatever is heading, because you did nothing to try and change it.
Of course, if you vote and the person you voted for loses, you can still complain, because at least you tried to shake things up. :)
I'm super excited (and a little nervous) because this is my first time voting in person. The 2008 election was the first one I voted in, but I had to do it by mail since I was away at school.
So what are you waiting for? Go vote!
Just a quick reminder that tomorrow (Friday) is you last day to submit a design for the Design a Button contest. You have until midnight PST to submit an entry.
Good luck! I'll be announcing my two winners soon.
Don't forget that today I'm appearing as a guest on A Book and A Chat.
I'll be on at 6:30 p.m. EST. So that's 5:30 Central time, 4:30 Mountain time, or 3:30 if you're on the Pacific coast like me. Stop by to listen and you can even send me questions via phone or chat while the show is on.
There's still lots more guests for YA Radio Month after me too, so check out the show blog for details on that, and to listen to past shows (and mine too, if you miss it).
Don't forget that Wednesday July 8th is your last day to enter the Random Contest Scavenger Hunt. See the Random Contest post for full details.
New Sign by the Door
Originally uploaded by teachergal
I was on Etsy about two weeks ago and came across a customizable sign from K is for Calligraphy that would prevent me from sounding like a broken record to my students day-in and day-out.
This sign, which was welcomed by my students and I earlier today, [...]
Today is Free Comic Book Day. (The store picks the comic book. Titles run from Jughead and All-Star Superman to X-Men and Sonic the Hedgehog.) http://www.midtowncomics.com/custompages/fcbd2008.asp
jpeg from confessions123.blogspot.com
(I just discovered that there is a chipmunk living in the drainpipe that backs onto my bedroom, which explains the mysterious noises that I haven't mentioned here in case people started doing wolves in the walls jokes.)
...
You know, the main reason I've been wearing more or less the same thing for about 20 years is that I don't ever have to wonder what to wear. It makes life easy.
My assistant Lorraine just asked me what I wanted to wear to the Beowulf premieres in the UK and the US and I realised with a sort of creeping horror that I didn't know. I already wore a tuxedo-and-bow-tie to the US Stardust Premiere, and I wore a leather jacket black tee shirt and and black jeans to the UK Stardust premiere. That pretty much completely exhausts my range. I suppose I could wear a different leather jacket, or perhaps a tie instead of a bowtie with the tux, but (shakes head gloomily). I don't know. Decisions, decision. (I asked an actress friend what she was going to wear and learned that clothes designers actually lobby to have actorish people be seen wearing their clothes on the red carpet. I had to explain that it doesn't work that way for writers. I suppose I could toss a coin.)
...
I've been using Google Documents to share ODD AND THE FROST GIANTS with people who needed to see it... and just realised that none of the little corrections and fixes I've been entering -- and dutifully saving -- have been saved. Instead it seems to have taken a version of the document open in Google Documents on another computer somewhere in the house as its master text, which means the saves I've done on the downstairs computer I'm on have apparently not taken. (I've sat there going through all the old saved versions it's kept -- 121 of them and they only seem to go back and forwards between a couple of versions in which a But changes to a Still, because at a guess it's open in two different tabs somewhere on whichever computer it's on that Google is paying attention to...) Between the people who can't get in to see it and write me grumbly emails, and the way Google Documents sometimes fails to send the letters inviting people to look at it (but still lists them as now having access to the document), I think I should have paid a bit more attention to the word BETA underneath the words Google and Documents.
...
Hello Mr. Gaiman!
I just thought you might be interested to know I've carved a Jack O'Lantern of you for our dorm's pumpkin competition. I'm hoping to scrape a "Most Original" for it, but I might lose to the Andy Warhol's Marilyn Pumpkin. Ah well.
Here is a link to a picture of it I posted on facebook.
http://bgsu.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=34570514&id=20923362&op=1&view=all&subj=2200703877&aid=-1&oid=2200703877
Sorry it's not lit up, apparently they're a fire hazard. Such is dorm life.
I hope you're not weirded out by this. But really I don't know, I might not be as original as I think I am. Probably dozens of Neil O'Lanterns get made every year!
Thanks,
Katy Gehred
Probably. (Small grin.) No, I think it's just you. if more turn up I'll try to link to them here...
Neil,
We thought we'd let you know that you seem to have a bunch of knitter fans! A
Knitters for Neil group has been started on the up and coming fiber arts site
Ravelry.com, just thought you might get a kick out of knowing it exists. We're hoping to come up with some interesting you-inspired knits, so if you wouldn't mind letting everyone know that if they would like to join or have any ideas we can be found at
http://www.ravelry.com/groups/neil-gaiman-knittersThanks!
Lauren
It seems like Ravelry is something you sign up for and then wait to be invited to join. But consider it plugged...
Not a question, just pointing out something your readers might find useful: you can buy british editions of books and ship them (almost) worldwide without having to pay postage at The Book Depository website (www.bookdepository.co.uk).(I am not affiliated with this website, I just find their service useful and impressive)Good to know, although it doesn't look like you can pre-order stuff there. Right now for
Odd they send you to Amazon.co.uk, anyway.
...
I just learned that the official on-sale date of
The Graveyard Book is September the 30th 2008
...
Maddy wants to know why I haven't posted a photo of her on this blog for ages, and suggests that simply by posting a recent photograph I could prove to the world that I still love her...
...
Lots of people wrote and told me I could order Marmite from Amazon.com -- and I did! It just arrived. Unfortunately a bottle was smashed in shipping, and I discovered that Amazon won't let you return or refund grocery items, so I don't think I'll be doing that again.
And many of you wrote and asked me to explain Marmite. And I shall. but not now.
...
Right. Back to rereading
Bone.
I already have my entries in!
I didn't enter, but looking forward to seeing entries. Good luck all.