Sunday, June 14, 2009

Superpowers and Secrets and Awesome, Oh My!

Okay! Tonight's entry is all about free stuff!! Come on, who doesn't love free stuff!??!

First off, it's Debsness time!! If you are not familiar with Debsness, there's a big bag full of cool stuff that we give away each month with a chance to also win a 50$ gift certificate to a bookstore of your choice. Fun stuff, clicky for more info, ends at midnight on the fifteenth!

Find Out What's In The Bag And Win It Today


But more importantly, we have Dull Boy, by Sarah Cross that I am also going to give you a chance to win at the end of this post! I am in love with Dull Boy! It is an awesome book! But, as LeVar Burton said, "You don't have to take my word for it . . . " Here's a bit 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.

Now Sarah is a private little bugger, but I did manage to find a picture of her. Check it! She's the one on the left, (your left) along with authoress extraordinaire, Ally Carter!

Also, as much as I love the bio posted in the back of Dull Boy (Sarah Cross has saved the world, like, five times since fifth grade -- and you didn't even notice.) I did find a longer one on her website!

I'm a Taurus born in the year of the Monkey. I am 4 inches taller than Wolverine. Fierce-but-cute Pallas' cats are my favorite animals, with birds of prey ranking a close second.

I grew up in Ohio, went to college in New York and Japan, and am now back in NY--at least until life takes me elsewhere.

Um, what else?

I've been a writer (in the sense that I've taken myself seriously as a writer, which is what counts!) since I was 12 or so. Since then I've written shocking tales of suburban girl-gang warfare, overly ambitious high fantasy, campy romps through time, pop-culture parody, 'zines, plays, literary fiction, and ultra-derivative comics. (Like "The eXcuses." Ohhh yeah. The less you know about that one, the better.)

All to get to this point: sharing the madness (plus copious doses of awesome) with you.

I can't wait. :D

Me either!!! And now Sarah steps up to the Feasty Five!

AP: *squeal!* OMG I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOUR BOOK CAN YOU FEEL THE ADORATION EMANATING FROM ME AND WILL YOU SIGN MY BOOK?!?!?!?!?

SC: Um . . . yes?? But was that one of the questions? *consults her notes*

AP: *Ahem* Um, no. *reigns in her fan-girliness* Okay, real questions now. What kind of soda does your MC drink?

SC: Mountain Dew

AP: *wrinkles her nose* Eeww. Oh, well. What is your MC's favorite kind of flower? How about yours?

SC: Um ... I don't think Avery has a favorite flower. I guess whatever flowers are cheapest on Mother's Day; he would be into that. For my favorite flower? Let's go with daffodils.

AP: I LOVE daffodils! Does your MC believe in magic? Do you?

SC: Not magic, exactly. But things are definitely not always what they seem. ;)

AP: Superman or Batman?

SC: Batman!

AP: And we're back to the Batman again! (I'm going to love tallying this up at the end of the year.:)) Okay, give us one line from your book. You don't even have to give it context.

SC: "You're so getting eviscerated." Not you, Aprilynne! Don't worry, that was not a threat ...

AP: Oh good, I was a little scared . . . Just a little. *stops clutching the ceiling.*

Okay, so if you want to find out more about Sarah, you can visit her at www.sarahcross.com, and if you want to win Dull Boy you can comment and tell me a super-power you think I should have. I'll pick the one I think is the coolest and send you a copy of Dull Boy plus some fun Wings stuff! (I'll decide what it is later.;))

So come on! Tell me what super power you think I should have!!

This contest ends at midnight on Friday, and don't forget about the Dueling Debs contest just below this one that ends on Wednesday.

Yay for free stuff!!:)

Ciao!

29 comments:

Mary E Campbell said...

Since Batman is my favorite superhero and he had no actual superpowers, but is a hero anyway - that's what I think you should go with too. I love the theme "anybody can be a hero!" Whether it's simple acts of kindness or big heroic deeds, or just by writing a book good enough to get published - you are already a superhero.

Rob said...

That Dull Boy sounds like an interesting book. Now I have to pick it up just because of that one line that she quoted from the book. lol.

Okay, let's see, superpower . . .

(Doing the thinking man impression)

I believe that you should have the power of teleportation. Ever since I read Jumper, which is very detailed for a fictional book, that is the superpower that I think everyone one would love to have.

Embarrassing situation?
Teleport.
Want to visit Japan, Rome, London, all within a half hour without spending a buck?
Teleport.
Fell out of a plane without a parachute? No problem. You can teleport right back to to the ground.

You get the idea.

Anonymous said...

That's easy--mental telepathy!

Then you could just download the awesome stories from your mind into ours, saving us the wait while the story gets typed up and sent in for publication!

(though I'd miss having a hard copy w/ pretty cover to stick on my shelf. hmmmmm . . . )

C. Michelle Jefferies said...

Sounds like a great book, and I definately want Wings stuff. I love her Bio, makes me want to re-write mine.

Okay superpower. How about super human speed. Then you could type a book in a month, edit in a month and still get all those pesky household chores done so you had time to write. Hmmm I want that super power too. Will you share?

Kat W said...

Dull Boy sounds really good - am going to check it out on amazon in a moment.

I think you could have the power to type using the power of your mind. That way you could just close your eyes, sit back & make the keys press themselves. When you're tired you wouldn't have to lift a finger (literally).

And on a different topic - I loved 'Wings' and am missing the characters. Please tell me when you are writing & publishing a sequel!!!

Kat :-)

lotusgirl said...

I think copy edit with the snap of a finger would be a great superpower. The book sounds really interesting.

Marny said...

You should have uber-vocabulary for a super power. That way you would pick the best word every time and wouldn't need to edit. :)

I'm going to have to pick up Dull Boy; it sounds great!

Tere Kirkland said...

I've had my eye on Dull Boy for a while now, but it hasn't made it to my local Borders yet.

Is keeping people's names straight a superpower? That's the one I would need if I ever get my book published.

You would definitely have the power of flight. Not only would you save on airfare, but Marketing would love it!

Lauren said...

OH YEAH! BATTY ROCKS! GO BATTY!
*coughs* OK, sorry. i just had to shout that. (I actually did, and now my family is giving me the look they give me when I act weird/crazy. Which, sadly, is often.)
WoW, that book sounds cool! I wanna read it. Do you think they might have it at a library if I don't win the book?
Hmm... You should have the super-power to make books come alive. THAT would be awesome!!!
*is jealous*
You've been a writer since you were twelve?!? AWESOME! Aw, but I wanna know bout The eXcuses...Darn. =D
Yeah, so... Update soon! I love reading your hilarity and greatness. lol

ValerieHaskins said...

I think that your super power should to be able to go into books. Actually physically go into a story and see things that you wouldn’t get to see just from reading. For example while Laurel is settling in with her new home, you can go and see what Tamani is doing, and how he reacted. Or even influence it. It is kind of like going back in time because you can travil throughout the entire book. I think it would be the best power, and I would want it! I can never get enough of stories.
By the way I LOVE Wings. I happened onto it by chance about a week ago, and read it in about a day. I can’t think of anything but it. And I lent it to my friend and now we have a little book club going on. I just found out today that there is going to be three other books. I am so excited! Thank you so much for writing such an amazing book! I don’t think I can wait to read the next one! I love Tamani and David both! I am happy to hear you will be writing more! I am completely obsessed with your book!
So like I said I think that the power to go into books would be the best. I know I would want it now to be with Tamani. ^^

-Valerie Haskins

Unknown said...

I think "super-speed" should be your super power! You could get everything done and get everywhere super fast so you have lots of time to do what you want!

Anonymous said...

Super Speed is what makes THE FLASH the BEST.. :D Superman is good to. Batman is a dark rich kid that can fight.no super powers puts him lower on my list....
Dull Boy sounds awesome!
But now to why I am commenting! In church I got backed against a wall and surrounded by like FIVE girls all wanting you to sign their books and going on about how AWESOME Wings is!! Brittany had to save me.

:D Love Micaela!!

sari said...

Your superpower should be that you can slow down time. That way, you could get more done in a day (like writing or being on the internet) yet still be able to spend as much time with your family as possible.

If you get this superpower, let me know how, because I could use it myself! :-)

(I didn't read any of the comments before I wrote this).

Yamile said...

Your super popwer should be that you can see the future "on-demand." Like if you need to see a few minutes from now you could, or if you need to know of things that will happen further in life you could too. Does that make sense?
And as everything fairies, I also love every thing super hero. That's why I have two fairy daughters and two super boys!

trinathegranny said...

The super power i think you should have is the ability to think the words and they show up on the word processor. no more 4 finger typing!!!!!

cait045 said...

Thanks for the suggestion of reading Dull Boy I will be checking that out!

For a superpower I think you should have I think whenever you write about a place or a fantasy world you can actually create it and visit it yourself. I think it would be cool to meet the characters you created.

melissa @ 1lbr said...

Yeah, I was thinking your superpower would be instantly creating your books just by thinking them. Then again, what about all that love labor? I know I wouldn't want a book that popped fully formed from my thoughts (I guess it worked out for Athena though...). Maybe an instant laundry button? I'd like that superpower myself.

David L. McAfee said...

Well, you're married, which means you already have the following abilities:

Mind Reading

Wilting Glare (my wife's specialty!)

Persuasion

Plus, I know you already have the ability to leap tall NYT Bestseller Lists in a single book, so that's out. Plus, you've got the power of Uber-Niceness, too, as well as Super Awesomeness. And, you have a rare power known as Contagious Smile (i.e. people can't help but smile when they are talking to you).

You also have the uncanny ability to make some people (especially certain male paranormal/thriller authors whose initials are D.M.) go to great lengths to try and butter you up in an attempt to score free stuff. Freaky!

I dunno, Aprilynne...do you need any more super powers? ;)

OK, then, here is my Super Power reccomendation for you: Time Slow...or Stop. You need more hours in a day, so that's the one I'd pick. Help you get all your stuff done and have time to spare.

Sound Good? :)

Lynnae said...

Sounds like a fun book.
My superpower for you...here goes...
You can understand a persons innermost thoughts and feelings when you drink their favorite soda.

I loved wings by the way. It was good fun.

Unknown said...

i think a totally awesome power you could have is to be able to bring your characters to life so you could interview them and find their characteristics and personality traits and how they would react in any given situation!!!

and i would just like to say i totally love you book!!!!! and i can't wait for a squeal!!!

~Whitney Manning~

Unknown said...

The awesomest power for you to have would be plant control. That way you can technically have your dream of becoming a plant faerie yourself, as well as gain the ability to control plants around you and make them attack people.

But since you're probably more into the passive side of things, you could randomly makes vines grow throughout your house and do chores while you write. You'd have an instant, self-contained greenhouse wherever you went. You'd save TONS of time and money trying to buy decent produce, and you'd never have to worry about seedless watermelons again. Strawberries the size of your fists, potatoes the size of your head...anywhere that you can dig your feet into the soil, you call the shots!

Anonymous said...

Hmm... what is the perfect super power for an author? Maybe a brand new power, one that lets you put down the words and story in your head perfectly, exactly the way you imagine it, with all the right words and tone to perfectly represent the mood and ideas of your characters?

Or maybe Super Selective Knowledge, so that if anyone ever writes a mean and pointless critique about your books, and you accidentally read it, you can erase your knowledge of the review so you will never remember. Just think about it, Super Selective Knowledge could be pretty cool...you can forget your embarassing moments, instantly know any research or info you need for a story, and always stay positive because you wouldn't be weighed down by other people's negativity!

Emily H

Christine said...

You're a writer, but a mom - first and foremost. I think you should have Mary Poppins' superpower - the ability to snap your fingers and clean your house! That way, you will have much more time to spend with your kids and write!

Jennifer said...

Hmmm I think maybe you might want invisibility. It's not anything new and creative but very important none the less! You are a celebrity now and maybe being able to disappear now and then would be nice... just to get out of those sticky fan situations :) Plus, you never know when you could run into a scary troll :)

Jen

Tara McClendon said...

Well, I think it would be cool to be able to influence the outcome of events, but I suspect you prefer to earn the respect of your fan base, so I'll suggest World Preserver. With this super power, you can put an end to any black-thumb killing of plants, create and sustain new worlds, and reduce the carbon footprint of our planet so we can all use hairspray, drive whatever type of car we want and enjoy a regular temperature without worrying about global warming.

Writer 421 said...

Ha. EASY!!! :D
Predict the fuuuuuuuuuture!! Then you could basically have everything--and it'd be useful if you were a superhero!!
~Writer

Unknown said...

Ok Mrs. Pike, I would grant you the superpower to muliply yourself into as many clones as needed on a daily basis and thst way you could write, clean, play with kids, take care of Kenny, attended book tours-signings and not miss one single thing. Then when you're done, all the clones would suck back into one person again. (you know like the sassy cheerleader on Sky High).

Karma said...

THE POWER OF MULTITASKING!!
Get this:
1. You can watch the kids and do housework and motheryly stuff :D
2. Write, Write, WRITE!!
3. Book signings
4. Edits for Book 2 while you work on Book 3.
5. Whatever else you'd FEEL like!
Wouldn't life be SO much easier? Books would get down faster, I can tell you!
~Karma
(karma.maples@yahoo.com)

Book Sp(l)ot said...

The power of transmutation...or whatever being able to turn yourself into anything else would be called :D That way you could literally become a fly on the wall or a bird to fly whereever book-y things might take you or a fish to explore the ocean or a zebra for whatever reason or something inanimate if you wanted to hide from everyone....or you could become your book and see who bought you. And then become you again! So, yep, that's the power I'd give you.