Claudia Gray

The big winner of Evernight Contest #1 is — Jennifer Marie! She’s already received her Barnes & Noble gift certificate, to spend on all kinds of lovely books. Thanks to absolutely everyone who sent in questions for the FAQ. I have tons of questions to answer now, and a real true Frequently Asked Questions Update will be on the website soon.

But what’s new on the website right now? Check out the brand-new Evernight wallpapers! Download, display, enjoy. Soon we’ll have icons and LJ banners to match. And if you’re a teacher, librarian or somebody else who wants to get a bunch of people together to talk about vampire books, you will also find a downloadable PDF with discussion questions. Let me know what you guys think!

And now, for Evernight Contest #2:

I will soon start work on the fourth book in the Evernight series. As you guys might know from my website, I love to put together a soundtrack to write to — a different one for each book, although a few tunes remain the same. So right now, I’m looking for new music to write to. What songs remind you of your favorite vampire stories? Or are just cool songs, period? I need love songs, hard-driving rock songs, quirky songs, the whole gamut. And who better to ask than you guys?

The contest rules: You enter by suggesting a song or songs, either in comments here on my LJ (please include an e-mail address here if you have no LJ account) or through the Contact Claudia form on my website. Just give me the artist and the title of the song, and I promise to check it out — and I have no doubt some of the songs you suggest will end up on my personal soundtrack.

Because there’s no way you guys can automatically know my taste, or what songs I might already have picked out, I will randomly choose one winner from all the entrants. That winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to either iTunes or Amazon, wherever you prefer to buy your music.

So let me hear it, guys — what songs should I be listening to?

You Are 28% Nerdy

You’re a little nerdy, but no one would ever call you a nerd. You sometimes get into nerdy things, but only after they’ve become a part of mainstream culture.

Either this quiz is seriously off, or there are levels of nerdiness at which I had never dreamed.

::glances sideways at Harry Potter poster::

Last year, I attended Balticon for the first time and got to meet some fabulous writers, including tltrent, melissa_writing and frost_light. I’m coming back this year — any of you authors going to be in attendance? Vampire fans? I’d love to meet up with people while we’re all there.

Keep those contest entries coming! I’ll pick the winner Sunday night and announce it on Monday, along with the second contest and updates to my website. We’re going to have some wallpapers that I think you all will LOVE.

ETA: duckyduncan66, I didn’t get your e-mail, and when I tried to send a note to you via LJ, it bounced back. Can you post your e-mail address so I can reach you?

As of last night, I’ve turned in both of the short stories for anthologies that I had due today. One is for a Borders-exclusive anthology that will be out around Halloween; I’ll pass on more info about that one as I get it. The other is for Vacations From Hell, which is coming from HarperTeen at the top of summer 2009. (Just like Hourglass.) The “Hell” anthologies all donate some of the proceeds to charity, and I’ve just learned that the charity for this one (as well as Love Is Hell volume) will be College Summit. The series editor, Farrin Jacobs, says, “Through various resources and activities, College Summit helps kids who don’t have easy access to college prep material learn about the college application process. It’s a cool charity, and they are a really nice group of people.” Sounds great to me.

Don’t forget that the contest for a $50 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble is still going! Turnout has been great so far — and I have lots of questions to answer for the FAQ — but keep spreading the word. 🙂

Yes, as of now, it’s only six weeks until Evernight hits bookstores. To celebrate, and hopefully to get the word out, I’ll be holding a contest a week (Monday to Sunday), with different prizes each week. The contests will be as different as the prizes: some weeks, all you’ll have to do is throw your hat in the ring; others, I’ll be asking for your opinions on the greatest vampires/love stories/etc. of all time.

This week, though, I’m not asking you questions. You’re asking me.

Although I have received several questions for the FAQ section of my site, I need more. So, all you have to do to enter this contest is ask a (usable) question using the form here. Don’t forget to include your e-mail address in the form! I’ll pick one of the entries at random, and the winner will receive a $50 gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. Plenty of cash to buy, oh, Evernight. And Stargazer. And other books, too.

So fill out the form, ask a question — anything non-obscene, really — and enter the contest! And please spread the word; the more the merrier.

I’m back from vacation, and yes, FINALLY, I understand how to use the digital camera. (Really, I understood before; I just didn’t get how easily — and fatally — it could all go so wrong.) This is how and why I can offer a few photos:

— though I will be soon. I just had to post to share this really terrific review of Evernight up now at TeensReadToo. I’m so excited!

Other good things happening this morning:

* I just saw the cover art for Stargazer, and it’s AMAZING. (Will share when I return –)

* Amazon kindly delivered my copy of Elizabeth Scott’s Perfect You just in time for me to read it on the plane.

* I think I actually packed everything I need, thanks to you guys.

Next post is from Ireland —

Tomorrow night, I leave for a much-needed vacation in Ireland. Of course, with deadlines looming, this is going to be a working vacation — but the day job will be far behind, and I’ll be doing my writing between museum visits and trips to the chip shop and, if the weather permits, even a short hike.

I’ll definitely post all about it, and I hope to share pictures. I’ve been negligent in even attempting to use my digital camera ever since the deeply psychologically scarring Rome Photo Debacle of 2006. (Apparently I accidentally flipped the the camera function to MOVIE, never caught it, and came home without the dozens of photos of the Forum and the Vatican I thought I’d taken; instead, I had dozens of three-second-long movies of my friend and I discussing whether we thought that picture would come out. Honestly, the little movies have their charm, but no pictures of Rome! I was crushed.) I am determined to get it right this time, though, and if I do, I promise to share the results.

I think I’m all packed. I HOPE I’m all packed. Quickly, tell me — when you go on vacation, what’s the one thing you most often forget to pack? You might be rescuing me!

I’ve been too busy to think up a good April Fool’s gag, which is a shame. But I leave for Ireland in four days — ack! — and the list of things I don’t have done is much, much longer than it needs to be. Hourglass revisions, short story revisions, packing, and more: The next month is going to be a challenge. (Even in Ireland, I’ll be working. But I’ll be working between fish ‘n’ chips runs, which will make it all the sweeter.)

When I get back from Ireland, it will be six weeks until Evernight‘s release! And that means I’ll be starting up contests — one each week — leading up to the big day, May 27.

I already have a few ideas for contests, but I’m interested in hearing from you guys: What would you like to win? I can’t afford really expensive prizes, but I want to provide stuff that would be fun and that you’d enjoy. Do you prefer straight “put your name in” contests, or would you rather compete with vampire trivia or something like that? Any and all ideas are very welcome.

So, today was my first real hike — six miles in a state park in New Jersey. And yes, it turns out, I DO love hiking. I mean, right now both my knees hate me and I am unbelievably exhausted, but I enjoyed it so much. It was cold today, but not too much, and once we got moving, I actually had to remove some layers. The sun came out after about an hour, and although the park was obviously a bit stark this early in the spring, we spent most of our time by the river, which was very beautiful and very soothing.

I tend to under-prepare for things, but here I went in the other direction and did crazy amounts of research about every possible advisable thing I could have with me. I had a safety whistle. I am that big a dork. But it was worth it, because I was well-clothed, well-shod and sufficiently fed. The thing I was happiest about was my thermos of hot cocoa, which I got to drink beside the river while feeling very much that all was right with the world.

I will do a few things differently next time: More sunscreen (which I wore, but not enough, as my cheeks are now very pink), knee braces and maybe an ankle wrap (Why, joints? Why?) and probably more water — I had enough for the hike but found I wanted more on the way back. Also, I will go ahead and plan to have something to eat immediately post-hike, because oh, MAN, was I starving. Actually, I’m still starving. Must scrounge up some late-night repast.

Anyway, this was my first real hike but not my last. So my bio on my site is finally telling the truth: I do enjoy hiking.

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don’t just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

If only I’d known.

I am still sore from the trainer’s workout, but it was truly a very good hour. I swear I’d lost two pounds by the next morning, although I think that was less burning calories and more the body fat fleeing in terror, realizing that its warm, indolent oasis had become a vale of pain.

In two weeks I travel to Ireland (yay!), but after I return, I think I will spend a couple of months with the trainer. We’ll see what happens. More pain ahead! But, hey, maybe good upper arms in time for summer dresses.