26 random acts of kindness

It is spreading like wild fire.

Kindness.

Something we all need after the sadness and loss we've all felt.

People have been inspired to do 26 acts of kindness to honor and remember the 26 lives taken from Sandy Hook Elementary School.

I found out about it Friday night, and went to bed thinking about what I wanted to do. I've seen all kinds of great ideas: restaurant gift cards, flowers, 26 dimes with some candy in a baggy, dollar bills, buying cups of hot cocoa for children or cups of coffee for adults.

I saw this picture a week ago, and it inspired my idea. Here is a picture of the principal, Ms. Hochsprung, dressed as the book fairy, spreading the love of books with her students. It brought me to tears when I saw it.

This afternoon, my family will go and buy 26 gift cards from Powell's Books and put them in envelopes with the note below, and put them on windshields at a nearby grocery store, where many low-income families shop.

I post about it here ONLY because I think some of my fellow authors and maybe some readers might like to join me and be anonymous book fairies in their town. And it is helpful, when you're strapped for time as most of us are this time of year, to have a template to make it easier. Of course you can change the name of the bookstore and personalize it anyway you want to. You also don't have to write in the names, that's just something I want to do.

***

In honor of the lives of the 26 children and adults that were tragically taken from us at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, I offer you this random act of kindness in hopes of bringing a smile to your face this holiday season. Earlier this year, the principal, Dawn Lafferty Hochsprung, wore a white gown and a gold crown to school one day and called herself the book fairy, hoping to spread the love of reading to her students. She is the inspiration behind this Powell’s gift card, a gift for you that you may use for yourself or perhaps a special child in your life. 

Read. Imagine. Explore.

You are number ___ in honor of ________________________________

Wishing you joy, love and peace this holiday season. Please keep the kindness going!

#26acts #26actsofkindness www.facebook.com/26acts

***

If money is tight, I've heard of some people handing out candy canes or a simple card with a kind sentiment. I even read about someone passing out compliments to people on the street.

Certainly, it is good to practice random acts of kindness all year long, but I love the idea of being part of a kindness movement right now, when it is desperately needed, I think.

So, go forth - spread kindness!!

My Christmas stocking

What will Santa bring me this year?

I love this review from VOYA

VOYA is "Voice of Youth Advocates" and is the leading library journal dedicated to the needs of young adult librarians.

This review of FALLING FOR YOU is in the December issue of VOYA:

"Rae lives life around the edges; avoiding the spotlight, hiding the extents of her financial situation and family drama from her friends and teachers. She dreams, though--dreams of being able to move out, of being happy, of being loved unconditionally. When a new guy, Nathan, arrives at school and notices RAe, some of those dreams seem to be within reach, but elation quickly turns to fear as Rae realizes that Nathan has a dark side. Tragedy lands Rae in the ICU floating between life and death, and in that place, she must find the courage to fight for the life she deserves.
     Obsession, neglect, abuse, friendship and love abound in Schroeder's new novel. Each chapter starts with a poem from Rae's poetry journal and the structure of the book leads readers through six months leading up to the hospital. The poetry aspect of this novel gives readers a chance to peek into the depths of Rae's soul and adds dimension to her character. Schroeder has done a wonderful job creating teenage characters from a variety of backgrounds and using those backstories to influence their actions. This novel is ripe for use in a classroom or book club; discussion points include: healthy relationships, poetry as expression, relationship boundaries, and more. Readers looking for a realistic teen read saturated in emotion with love Falling For You." ~ Rebecca Denham

A simple reminder

I became familiar with Sara Teasdale's work when I was writing Falling For You, and I am now a big fan of hers.

I love this poem. I post it today as a reminder that life isn't always ugly and sad, though right now, it may feel that way. And our children, "with faces looking up," need us right now. They need us to be there for them, to love them, to play with them -- to be a light in a dark time. Let us show them the loveliness.

Barter
by Sara Teasdale

“Life has loveliness to sell,

All beautiful and splendid things,
Blue waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring fire that sways and sings,
And children's faces looking up
Holding wonder in a cup.

Life has loveliness to sell,
Music like a curve of gold,
Scent of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes that love you, arms that hold,
And for your spirit’s still delight,
Holy thoughts that star the night.

Spend all you have for loveliness,
Buy it and never count the cost;
For one white singing hour of peace
Count many a year of strife well lost,
And for a breath of ecstacy
Give all you have been, or could be.”

Happy National Cupcake Day!

Do you know that December 15th is a very special day? Why yes, it is!

It's National Cupcake Day!!!

photo credit: cakemommy

I'm going to be busy tomorrow shopping and baking and wrapping and all of those fun holiday things, so I thought I would put up a post today, a day early, to say:

HAPPY CUPCAKE DAY - GO FORTH AND EAT CUPCAKES!

and maybe give the gift of a cupcake

book this holiday season...

Look what Santa sent me a little early...

It smells really good!

I love the excerpt my editor picked out for the back:

Only a few more weeks until you can own your very own copy.

An official countdown with all kinds of fun begins on December 22nd, 

10 days before the official release!

YAY - a new book, a new book, a new book!!

A note about Advanced Review Copies

Some reviewers have early copies (called Advanced Review Copies or ARCs) of FALLING FOR YOU (releasing 1/1/13) which is very exciting! A big thank you to those who read it with the intent of talking about it in the coming days or weeks.

If you'd like to try and win a copy, my publisher is giving away five of these early copies over on goodreads. You only have until December 10th to enter, so hurry!

I know, like every book, some will love this one, some will like this one, and some may not like it so much. And that's okay - whatever you end up thinking of the book, please know I'm thankful you took the time to read it.

I do want to mention one thing though. An ARC is NOT the final book. And it's not just typos that are an issue in ARCs, it's actual changes to the story. I made some content changes during the first and second-pass pages and those changes are NOT in the ARC.

If something didn't sit right with you, or you wanted more of an explanation about something, or... whatever, keep in mind you *might* get that in the final book.

Just something I wanted to mention, and something for reviewers to remember about ARCs. In order to get them out early enough for the professional reviewers, it's just not possible to get all changes in before they're printed up. It's not ideal, but it would be much worse, I think, to not have any early copies at all.

In the coming days, I have lots of fun things to share! In a couple of weeks, I have a fun countdown planned counting down the days for the release of FALLING FOR YOU. I have the book trailer I will share with you sometime in the next month. And there is a HUGE blog tour happening in January, that Gabrielle over at Mod Podge Bookshelf has coordinated for me.

It's going to be an exciting month!!

Thanks and Happy December! ho ho ho