Friday!!

It’s Friday! Finally! Thank goodness for that. This week has flown by, as I have been positively SWAMPED. No time for updates. My “to do” lists runneth over. I’m thinking I need a personal assistant. Unfortunately, I am a hoarder when it comes to my hard-earned money. I will take the insanity so I don’t have to give up the cash. Priorities.

Here’s some randomness for your Friday afternoon:

1. Thanks to “the grandparents” for the birthday money!! (Gotta love them!) I spent most of it at Sephora and Barnes and Noble.com. New books are on the way (woot!). My “to be read” stack is piling up. (And here I was annoyed last week because I missed so many great ARC’s at BEA. Still sorry I missed them, but I don’t know when I’d have time to read them . . . and yet I seem to make it.) Again: Priorities.

Enough of that.

2. Great news for me! I’m teaching a few American Lit classes this fall! Woot! Don’t get me wrong, I love my Comp classes: researching, writing papers . . . it’s all good, but I adore literature and discussing it with like-minded individuals. This will definitely be a breath of fresh air. I’m *so* excited!

My fall calendar has exploded, though, and my personal calendar (on the computer) barely has room for any new classes. Oh well. It’s literature, people. In the words of the fabulous Tim Gunn: Make it Work!

3. Speaking of which, I’m elated to see that a new season of Project Runway is up soon. I know it has switched channels (from Bravo to Lifetime?) so we’ll see what kind of changes are implemented. I did pass Bryant Park when I was in NYC, though!

4. Speaking of NYC, I still have to blog about what a fabulous time I had, and how I saw Prince Harry. Can’t we switch to a 25 hour day?

5. My brain is fried. I’m officially done for the weekend. Am off to enjoy the fam, forget the classroom, and maybe find a few extra hours to read and write.

I need a snack.

OMG it is almost dinnertime!!! Where have I been???

Have a great weekend!

Love,

~Leigh~

Sarah Cross is Here!

Hi Everyone! Today I’m welcoming Sarah Cross to the blog! Sarah is celebrating the debut of her novel, DULL BOY.

About Dull Boy

Superpowers are awesome -- unless you actually have them, like Avery does. There's only so much he can pass off as "adrenaline" before people start to get suspicious. Probably it's best to lie low, so guys in white lab coats don't come to carry him away, to find out what makes his freakish body tick. Who wants to be vivisected? But flying under the radar becomes a whole lot harder when you can actually fly. It's dangerous to be different, so for now he'll pretend to be normal, unremarkable Avery -- a dull boy -- anything to keep his secret safe.

What he doesn't expect is the horrifying truth about where his powers came from, who else might have them, and the madness of one villain's plan to turn this superpowered dull boy into something even more powerful and amazing.

About Sarah Cross

Sarah Cross has saved the world, like, five times since fifth grade -- and you didn't even notice. Learn her secrets at www.sarahcross.com.

On to the Interview!

Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?

Sarah: There are some crazy, wacky scenes that had me giggling at my keyboard. Those were probably the most fun to write. :)

Me: What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?

Sarah: More YA fantasy. Although I intend to write a middle grade eventually!

Me: Who is your writing hero and why?

Sarah: Every writer who keeps striving to be better is my hero. That's how good books get made.

Awesome!

You can visit Sarah at her home on the web: http://www.sarahcross.com

DULL BOY is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Dull-Boy-Sarah-Cross/dp/0525421335/

And finally: Sarah will be chatting with Sydney tomorrow at: http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for stopping by, Sarah! J

Danielle Joseph is Here!

Today is extra special (for me, at least) because I am officially the big 2-7. Taking off and enjoying the day. Treated myself to new nail polish, a bluish green that changes colors in the light. My toes shimmer. It reminds me of a peacock. I *heart* it!

Btw, if you didn’t see the BEA recap I posted yesterday scroll down.

And now, while I’m off celebrating, I leave you with an interview!!

Another fantabulous Deb, Danielle Joseph, is on the blog. Danielle is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Shrinking Violet.

About Shrinking Violet

For high school senior Teresa Adams, every day is an ordeal. She’s so painfully shy that she lives in dread of having to speak to anyone in the hallways or answer questions in class. But after school, in the privacy of her bedroom with her iPod in hand, she rocks—doing mock broadcasts for Miami’s hottest FM radio station, which happens to be owned by her stepfather. When a slot opens up, Tere surprises herself by working up the nerve to ask her stepfather to give her a chance—and finds herself The SLAM’s newest intern on one of the station’s most popular shows. Behind the mike she’s Sweet T, her sexy, confident on-air persona. To everyone’s shock—especially her mother’s—Sweet T is a hit. Even Gavin, the only guy in school who she dares to talk to, raves about the mysterious DJ’s awesome taste in music, making Tere wonder if it’s possible to be jealous of yourself. But when The SLAM announces a songwriting contest—and a prom date with “Sweet T” is the grand prize--Sweet T’s dream could turn into Tere’s worst nightmare. . . .

About Danielle Joseph

Danielle Joseph was a college DJ for five years on the Gyroscope, a world music show. She also interned at several top Boston radio stations while earning her BFA in Creative Writing and an MA in Marketing Communications and Advertising from Emerson College. She has taught Creative Writing and English to Middle school students.

Originally from Cape Town, South Africa, Danielle now lives in Miami, Florida with her husband and two young sons. These days you can find her cruising around with the tunes blaring and her internal DJ hard at work.

On to the Interview!

Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?

Danielle: I really liked writing the prom scene but I'll have to stop there or I'll reveal too much:)!

Me: What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?

Danielle: I have another book, Indigo Blues, coming out in the fall of 2010 so I assume I'll be working on edits for that soon. I also have a new project hat I'm working on called Graveyard Shift.

Me: Who is your writing hero and why?

Danielle: I am a huge fan of Judy Blume because I always looked up to her as a kid and she has such lasting power, her flame has not dimmed, she is as awesome as ever!

She *is* awesome!

You can visit Danielle at her home on the web: http://daniellejoseph.com/

And . . . Shrinking Violet is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Shrinking-Violet/Danielle-Joseph/e/9781416596967/?itm=3

Danielle will be chatting with Sydney tomorrow at: http://www.mybignose.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for stopping by, Danielle! Congrats on the release!!

BEA Recap

This is too long to post here!
Go to:

http://leighbrescia.livejournal.com/16099.html

An NYC Top Ten

So, I’m home, but I’m floundering among paperwork related to my *real* job, so there’s no time to post a real BEA update yet. In the meantime:

Top Ten Things I Learned in NYC

10. Traffic? I’d never *seen* traffic until we drove to Times Square.

9. There are no such things as turn signals, individual lanes, or other driving courtesies. The posted speed limit is merely a suggestion.

8. You can’t walk one block without hearing another language. It really is a “melting pot.”

7. The city doesn’t sleep. Seriously. We had to keep the AC on all night to drown out the noise.

6. Not to assume that cab drivers know where they’re going: especially if there are two or three hotels in the city with the same name.

5. Car horns are not cute accessories. They should be used . . . and often. I mean, seriously: as often as possible.

4. There’s nothing funnier than watching your mom get escorted away by Homeland Security over moisturizer and sun block. They were apparently too important to throw out.

3. You may run into famous people. Like Sarah Dessen. Craig Ferguson. Nicholas Sparks. Phil Vassar. Prince Harry. Yes. We saw them all. (I met Sarah and spotted Craig and Nick at BEA. The guy I’m sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online met Phil (country singer) at Toys R Us in Times Square. Shook his hand and chatted. Did not get photo or autograph. Is kicking himself right now. We all saw Prince Harry leave the Rainbow Room at NBC studios. I snapped a photo . . . of his bodyguards.

2. NYC is really as awesome as all the clichés say.

1. I *will* return.

More soon!

Love,

~Leigh~