Where To Get The Best Holiday Presents

I'm a big fan of Thanksgiving, and I get a little offended when people start talking holiday shopping before the bird has been cooked. But I'm going to break my own rule this year...

See, I sent Linc around the States to check out all these great bookstores so he could report back and give us all the scoop. Because as an author and reader, I'm a big fan of these independent bookstores. If you've ever visited a good one, you know how the staff, the atmosphere, and the personal recommendations make all the difference. I've discovered great new authors by visiting my local indies.

So I hope you'll join me and check out these bookstores for your holiday shopping:

Hooray For Books in Alexandria, VA

Seattle Mystery Bookshop in Seattle, WA

Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, GA

Tattered Cover in Denver, CO

Murder by the Book in Houston, TX

Lemuria Books in Jackson, MS

Park Street Books in Medfield, MA

Most of them stock signed books (best present ever!), and will ship them to you. Or go to your own local bookstore. Saturday is Small Business Saturday...

That's my soapbox moment.

Happy Turkey Day, all.

Talking Paris, And Middle-Grade Mysteries

The hardest part of being an author with a book fresh off the press? It's that I feel like I'm always talking about myself...

But I hope you'll come check out my post over at Lara Britt's blog, about Paris and researching location.

And I'm also in the SCBWI National Bulletin, talking middle-grade mystery.

That's it. Back to your regular programming...

Some Monday Music--Cool Video

Love it... Don't we all want to dance on the beach like this?

Linc's Bookstore Tour Stop #7: Park Street Books

It's Linc again, still traveling around the States. My bookstore tour is almost over...

I'm kind of bummed, but then I should really head home to California for some Thanksgiving grub. My last stop takes me over to Massachusetts.

Seventh Stop: Park Street Books 
Place: Medfield, MA


Here's the scoop:

Question: What makes Park Street Books different from other bookstores?

Our bookstore is different in many ways: We are the biggest children's bookstore in New England. There is nothing downloadable or electronic in the store. We never advertise ... just word of mouth.

Question: I have a day to spend in the Medfield area. What should I do for fun?
Medfield Fun: Rocky Wood reservation for hiking.

Question: If you could invent any spy gadget, what would it be and what would it do?

My spy gadget would be a piece of wood with lead in it that can write down facts ... Wait, that may have already been invented.

Question: Any cool events coming up for my friends who live in the area?

Our cool events: We have lots of author visits and we have a creative art studio with classes and workshops. You can even paint your own pottery.

Verdict: Park Street Books is pretty cool, so come on by to meet the staff!

You can follow Park Street Books on Facebook, and check out the staff's favorite books for some holiday present ideas...

For A Friday Laugh

We went to see Wreck It Ralph last weekend. It was fun, but for some reason, I always remember those short animated movies afterward. This one had Paperman, a silent mini-film that had the kid-filled movie theater silent and glued to the screen. Brilliant, but alas not on the ol' Youtube yet. I'm sure it'll be up for an award.

But then there was a preview for Despicable Me 2. Not like they need me to plug the movie or anything, but this trailer made me laugh. So I had to share.

Happy Friday, all.

My (Strange) Path To Publication, And Win A Signed Copy Of DOUBLE VISION

Fellow writerly people always want to know: how did you get published? It's an unusual saga for me and Linc, and I talk about it over at the awesome Smack Dab In The Middle Blog.

Come on over, comment, and enter to win a signed copy of Double Vision...

Linc's Bookstore Tour Stop #6: Lemuria Books

Linc here. I just left Houston, and now I'm in Jackson, Mississippi.

My tour is almost over... I'm kind of bummed about that--this is way more fun than going to school, let me tell you.

Sixth stop: Lemuria Books 
Place: Jackson, MS

Question: What makes Lemuria Books different from other bookstores? 
Well for one thing, just the sheer number of books! We want to make sure that we have the exact book you're looking for. We also have a lot, and I mean a LOT, of signed books We usually have more than one signing a week and we loved signed books.

Question: I have a day to spend in Jackson. What should I do for fun? After you have visited us, you should head over to Eudora Welty's house in Belhaven. One of the most complete author houses in the United States, Ms. Welty was a beloved Mississippian, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and a lover of books. Take a tour of the house and you will feel like you met her. Oh and also, go visit the children's museum. I know, I know, you're twelve, too old for such things, but really, even adults have fun there. From the huge map/playground of Mississippi to the largest Scrabble board ever made, you can definitely learn a lot here and have too much fun doing it.

Question: If you could invent any spy gadget, what would it be and what would it do?
A gadget that reads people's thoughts and records them into written transcripts. You could do a lot of spying that way!

Question: Any cool events coming up for my friends who live in the area? Well, on Wednesday, November 14th at 5:00 we have the great author John Flanagan coming for the newest book in his Brotherband Chronicles series, The Hunters. I think you might even like it...

Looks like I'm sticking around Jackson for a while...!

Follow the Lemuria Books blog, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.

Or you can come meet the staff in person! I left a backpack with gadgets and a signed copy of Double Vision...