I know that it’s 2009 and I’m supposed to be really excited about everything going on . . . and I am . . . but there’s a lot of sadness around these parts lately. First, a friend’s mom died from cancer (too young, in my opinion), so my heart obviously goes out to that family.

Also, we had to put my doggie to sleep last weekend. I say we, even though it wasn’t really my decision to make. I actually told everyone that I (quote) “wanted no part in the decision.”

The condensed version of the story is that we got Trixie (a miniature dachshund) when I was in college. My mom and I shared her. She was *so* much fun. She was tiny as a puppy and had *such* an amazing spirit. There was no such thing as a stranger: she was happy to see everyone. She would run around the house like a maniac, especially after she had a bath.

After I got married, Trixie came to live with me. She stayed by my side as I suffered through three straight months of morning sickness, resting in my lap during the day and sleeping under the covers at my feet at night. When my little girl was born, Trixie would snuggle up against her, and would lick her little baby toes.

Not long afterwards, though, Trixie had a back injury (which is common in miniature dachshunds) and could no longer move her back legs. Surgery wasn’t a guarantee, and too expensive, so we tried alternative treatments, like exercise and acupuncture. She was able to gain some movement back, but was never able to hold her weight to stand. We invested in some doggie wheels, so the last three years of her life she was able to roll around the yard. Most recently, she was living with my mom because she had more resources to take care of her, but this past year was really hard. Trixie was sick a lot and having problems off and on. She was getting older and more lethargic; losing her sight and some of her hearing, and so it was decided that it was time to have her put to sleep.

Anyway, I know there are *more important* issues going on in the world: people losing family members, war, famine, poverty . . . but Trixie was my first dog, and I miss her. The fact that it was the “right decision” doesn’t make it any easier.

They say owners look like their dogs, and that is *so* true, because Trixie and I both had long, lean bodies, and long, skinny noses (though Trixie’s was cute, and mine is not, and if I wasn’t so afraid of unnecessary pain I would invest in rhinoplasty).

Anyway, if you read the author bio in One Wish, you will learn that I live in NC with my husband, little girl, and miniature dachshund, but that’s not true anymore. I know there’s not much to be done about the situation at this point, except announce to the blogosphere that I was lucky enough to have the *best* dog ever, and I’ll never forget my Trixie Pepperduke.

Announcements!

This is launch year (One Wish, April 2009)! I will try not to scream in your ears, or blind you with a lot of CAPS and exclamation points, but you get the excitement, right?

Anyway, a shameless self-promotion link: http://www.westside-books.com/

If you didn’t know already, I’m part of this fabulous group called the 2009 Debutantes. Basically, we are a group of writers of middle grades and young adult fiction, and we all have books coming out this year.

The official link: http://www.feastofawesome.com/

And now for the good news! For the next twelve months there will be contests and giveaways, and I will personally be pimping out some excellent debut books, and interviewing a lot of fabulous new authors on my blog.

That would be here (another link): http://leighbrescia.livejournal.com/

One of the first contests I want to mention is the 12 Months of Debsness. The Debs are giving a way 12 gift bags full of very cool things related to the novels debuting this year. There’s one for each month of 2009, and the first is set to be given away on January 15th, so check out http://www.feastofawesome.com/ to enter!

The first Debutante I will be chatting with is the amazing Stacey Jay. Her novel: “You are So Undead to Me,” drops January 22. Stacey will be my guest on February 1st.

And then, closer to One Wish’s release date (April 24), I will be going on a massive Debs (and others) blog tour. Right now it looks like I will be a guest at 40+ different blogs. That’s a lot of typing. Hopefully my eyeballs won’t fall out or my fingers won’t fall off. Otherwise how would I write?

If you have a personal blog and are interested in having me as a guest, email me at leighbrescia@yahoo.com. I can answer questions or talk about whatever you’d like: writing, publishing, being a teenager, drama, teaching online, or how I really felt that night in eighth grade when I belatedly discovered I was wearing purple underwear and a white dress. (Thank God I work from home, since I clearly cannot dress myself.)

I also have some personal giveaways planned, which may include signed hardcover copies of One Wish. So . . . check back soon for updates, and if you don’t already, plan to stop by my blog on Feb. 1st to read what’s happening with Stacey Jay, and regularly for a feast of Debutante awesome!

Between that, I will do some of my traditional, irrelevant blog updating: lamenting WIP edits, attempting to determine if I am more excited that my book will be for sale soon or completely freaked out, and, if you’re lucky, I’ll throw in an occasional reference to the swoon-worthy Mr. Depp.

(Sigh)

HAPPY 2009!!

Love,
~Leigh~

Merry Christmas to Me!

You should know that I have a very expensive book habit. I never get to the library, and I’m the kind of person who, as an author, feels if I’m gonna read a book, I should give the author the sale. (As a writer I’m somewhat sensitive to things like advances against royalties.)

I don’t buy a lot of stuff for myself (my favorite pair of shoes I’ve worn for like, three years, and my favorite necklace I made myself . . . get me?), so I depend on holidays and birthdays and relatives and gift cards to feed my book-buying habit.

Thankfully, the guy I’m sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online totally came through for me this year, buying twelve books on my “To Read” list (for twelve days of Christmas, maybe?

Three he gave me early: the last Twilight book (Breaking Dawn), which was incredible, as always; Life of a Teenage Siren by Wendy Toliver, which I sped through and was such a cute story; and Second Virginity by Sara Hantz.

The others he bought:

The Luxe (Anna Godbersen)
Nineteen Minutes (Jodi Picoult)
Read my Lips (Teri Brown)
You had me at Halo (Amanda Ashby)
Revenge of the Homecoming Queen (Stephanie Hale)
Suite Scarlett (Maureen Johnson)
Violet in Private (Melissa Walker)
Paper Towns (John Green)
Someday my Prince Will Come (Jerramy Fine)

He also pre-ordered Along for the Ride (Sarah Dessen) which will be released in June. Yay!

My “To Be Read” pile runneth over! This should get me to March . . . maybe.

This holiday season I’m thankful for wonderful YA writers who not only keep me entertained, but who are my teachers, mentors (whether they know it or not), and friends, and a certain dude not to be mentioned who willingly feeds my book addiction.

I’m also thankful for a great group of Debutantes . . . because 2009 is fast approaching, and is already looking like one crazy year (www.feastofawesome.com).

Love,
~Leigh~

Even though I still have a few papers left to grade, I’m officially posting my “On a Holiday” announcement. Contact with the internet world will be sporadic, because what I really need to concentrate on is watching the hours upon hours of Christmas movies I’ve somehow missed over the last few weeks.

And now I leave you with Christmas Greetings and an adorable green froggy. . . .

Wishing you and everyone you love a safe and happy holiday season!

See you in 2009!

I know that some people don’t like getting tagged or filling out meme’s, but that is *so* not me because it gives me good material for my blogs (that I just *cannot* seem to find time to update).

So thank you, Janet, for tagging me for “16 Things.”

I believe in my last “things” meme I confessed that I really do wish I was a princess and I totally faked a sprained ankle once, so . . . Rules are:

Write 16 random things, shortcomings, facts, habits or goals about you. At the end choose 16 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.

1. One Wish is the first “official” young adult book I’ve ever written, but I have at least eight finished YA manuscripts currently collecting dust on my laptop (some on submission, some destined to be forgotten forever . . . if I’m lucky).

2. I’m not emo or anything, but my favorite clothing color is black and I love wearing chokers.

3. I love vintage/reproduction jewelry (hence the chokers).

4. I will never get a tattoo because I don’t believe in subjecting myself to unnecessary pain. It’s also why two earring holes (on each ear) are the limit. The last set nearly made me cry.

5. I hate crying in front of people because I see it as a sign of weakness (not if YOU cry . . . that’s okay. It’s just that I avoid it at all costs). I also tend to shut down emotionally when I’m not in control (Okay, and I totally just confessed I wasn’t emo . . . like you believe me now).

6. The message behind a lot of my YA books is about being in control (or not). I clearly focus on the messages I need most.

7. My worst photo ever was my school picture circa seventh grade. I’m wearing a terrible white/yellow sunflower dress, my elbows are pointy, my hair is frizzy and my teeth are crooked. It still gives me nightmares.

8. I once wore said sunflower dress to church . . . with purple underwear . . . and actually played the piano on stage that night. . . . Had NO idea ‘til a friend lovingly pointed it out, after which I died from humiliation.

9. I’m known for wearing shirts inside out, tripping over my own feet, running into door jambs, and most recently: hitting my head on a wall sconce in my mom’s house, after which I exclaimed: “I’m going to throw up.”

10. If I wasn’t a writer I’d love to be a professional ballroom/ballet dancer. (Because I’d really be able to dance, and not trip over my feet . . . sure.)

11. I did research on vampires in a grad school mythology class (like, a comparision of vampires in folklore versus how they’re portrayed in Hollywood and in novels . . . I know: Nerd Alert!) and had terrible dreams for weeks after I turned it in (at least I got an A!). The vampires were clearly after me, and they would not die. This, of course, was pre-Stephenie Meyer . . . because I will admit I am madly in love with a certain vampire named Edward Cullen and he is welcome to show up in my dreams anytime. . . .

12. I cheated to pass an Algebra class and forged my mom’s signature on every failing test my teachers sent home.

13. I keep a running list of things I want to do/experience in my lifetime, like visiting Europe.

14. I tend to have a thing for guys with British accents (Colin Firth, anyone?) and I love romantic comedies: the cheesier the better.

15. I love history . . . and learning . . . I hate that it took so long for me to realize that.

16. Even though I’m the strangest, quirkiest person I know . . . I’m glad that I’m in a place where I’m happy with who I am. It’s okay that I probably wear too much black and have stockpiled embarassing/humiliating moments over the years; that I’m a borderline control freak, and have made some pretty hideous choices; that my ipod is so full of classical/instrumental music randomness that it’s embarrassing . . . I’m glad to be me, and I wish I knew then what I know now.

I’m not tagging 16 people (hopefully something *bad* won’t happen to me), but if you’re reading this you’re welcome to participate.!

Love,
~Leigh~