My New Year's News

Have you ever had a boyfriend from hell?

You know the kind: guy who messes with your life so much he turns it into Swiss cheese. Or maybe he was the guy who followed you home like a lost puppy, then turned into the pit bull you couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard you tried. Or maybe he was abusive.

I'm sure we've all had a bad boyfriend or two (or girlfriend in my case). My new novel, Boyfriend From Hell, is about a boyfriend from hell--literally. It's a YA paranormal like Never Slow Dance With A Zombie, but I've cut back on the comedy a bit in this one. It's the story of Megan Barnett, the fifteen year-old daughter of a 39 year-old single mom, Suze. When Suze decides it's time she had a man in her life, Megan is not happy. With good reason:

"First off, if anyone in my family should be dating, it should be me. I'm primo dating age here. How's it going to look if my mother has a boyfriend and I don't?" So Megan and Suze both set out to meet boyfriends. That's when all hell breaks loose.

I am so excited about my new book. My publisher is an old friend, author Christopher Meeks, who started White Whiskers Books several years ago to get his own work out, and wound up becoming a small indy publisher. If you'd like to know a little about White Whiskers Books and self publishing, click on the link.

My novel is one of three they have coming out this year. And I am WW's first YA. What makes this so exciting for me is all the attention I will be getting by being with an independent. This attention will bring me closer to you. to kick things off, WW plans to have a contest on the cover design. This means you guys get to help choose the design for the cover art on the book. I'd like to bring you all along for the entire ride right up to publication. If my new book is going to be a success I am going to need your help, so I hope you will come along.

I will also have a much better touring schedule than I did with NSDWAZ. This time I will be traveling around the country. Many more stops than with my last novel. If you'd like me to make a stop at book store or school in your town, just drop me an email at info@evanlowe.com. I will do my best to be there.

More news to come soon, maybe a chapter or an excerpt or two, and definitely some contests and ARC giveaways. If you'd like to host a contest, or have ideas for contests or giveaways please let me know.

Boyfriend From Hell is set to hit stores and kindles September 2011. I know that's a long ways off, but what with editing and all the other things that go into publishing a book that time will fly by.

What a great start for my new year, huh? Hope yours starts out just as well. Happy New Year, and thanks for your support.

E

Christmas Challenge Winner!

Hi there! I hope everyone had a rad Christmas. I did. I got an ipad. Yowzah! And, of course, I watched lots of Christmas movies. I saw The Bishop's Wife for the first time, which was a recommendation by Dawn G. Thanks, Dawn. I caught it on TCM on Christmas Eve. It was delightful. Although, I have to admit I laughed out loud when the angel, Dudley, kept refilling the professor's liquor bottle. I thought "This angel is trying to turn the professor into an alcoholic." Aside from that I really enjoyed it, and will be adding it to my list.

Hi Samantha. Thanks for suggesting Love Actually. I really do love that movie. When I saw your suggestion I went to pull it out. I thought I owned it, but looked all over on Christmas Eve and couldn't find it. It's now on my "to purchase" list. Lisa suggested Christmas Vacation. That's already on my list. Both my son and I love that one. And my old friend Dubin suggested Reefer Madness and Freaks. Hmm. Okay, Dube, I really don't know what to say about those choices. I guess all I can say is, Merry Christmas.

Thanks everyone for the movie choices. I didn't mention them all, but they were all good... well, almost all of them (Dube). I hope you had a great holiday. Did I mention I got an ipad? Yowzah!

And now for the contest. Everyone got it right: The correct answer is: Four Christmases. If this movie is not on your Christmas movie list, you need to add it. It is sweet and very funny. The winner of the contest is Linda at Lulilut's Stack O Books. Congratulations, Linda. Your $25 Amazon gift card will be emailed later today.

I want to thank everyone for participating, and please remember to check back on New Year's Eve when I announce my new YA coming out next year. There will be a number of contests and ARC giveaways as I head toward production. I am extra excited about sharing my new book with you. I think you are going to love it. So check back on the 31st, and hear more. I want you all along on my road to publication.

Thanks again for playing the Christmas Challenge. If you are a movie buff, There will be more Hollyweird Tuesday Trivia Challenges next year. Stay tuned.

E's Christmas Movie Trivia Challenge

I know, I know. Yesterday was Tuesday. I've been side-tracked with the holidays. I thought of not doing this contest, but I love Christmas. I also love Christmas movies, and wanted to share some of that love with you. Those of you who know me know I have a Christmas Eve tradition of screening my favorite Christmas movie, Die Hard. For more on my Die Hard contest post go here.

Anyway, in honor of the holiday I am hosting a Christmas Movie Trivia Challenge. It's just like the Hollyweird Tuesday Trivia Challenge with the exception that the quote will be from a popular Christmas movie.

The movie I have selected is one of my recent favorites. And the winner of this contest will win a $25 Amazon gift card. I'm sure twenty-five bucks can come in handy this time of year.

I'd like everyone who enters (or even if you don't enter) to do me a favor and share the title of one of your favorite Christmas movies. It might be one that's not on my list. Just leave it in the comments.

And now for the quote: In what recent Christmas movie did one of the stars say: "They just saw us on the news!"

I know it's the holidays, but I sure would like a number of you to respond. If you don't know the answer--guess. You have until Saturday, Christmas day to come up with an answer. And if you don't want to play, at least leave the name of a Christmas movie fave in the comments. I will post the winner here next Tuesday. The rules are the same as the Hollyweird Tuesday Trivia Challenge. If you are new and don't know the rules, they are in the Die Hard post here.

Thank you so much for following my blog. And stay tuned, on New Year's Eve I'm going to announce my new novel coming out next year. Happy Holidays.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like...

I hate snow.

With the holidays upon us I realize that's a lousy way to begin a post, so let explain. I love a fresh snowfall. I love watching big, puffy flakes fall from the sky, and catching them on my tongue. I love going for a walk in a fresh snow, feeling it gently crunch beneath my feet. I love looking out my window right after a snowfall, when everything as far as the eye can see is covered in white, and the world seems somehow smaller, and oh, so peaceful.

But I am from New York City, where a fresh snowfall lasts about five minutes. In Manhattan it disappears just about that fast. However, in the outer boroughs, where I am from (The Bronx) the snow lingers. Almost instantly it turns an ugly shade of gray as automobiles cover it with a light patina of soot. From there it turns into a crusty brown fugue that pools up into ice banks at the curbs and between parked cars, and can lurk there like a derelict until spring.

I hate that stuff.

I also don't like cold weather. I was born in the summer and that is my favorite time of year. If I had a choice between ninety degree sweltering heat and seventeen degree frigid cold, gimme da heat. That's just how I am wired.

The only time I long for a snowfall, or a frosty winter's day is during the holidays. Ah, but there's the rub. A long time ago my son and I escaped New York for Southern California. We love it here. But anyone from the east or Midwest knows Christmas out here just isn't the same.

Out here, December twenty-fifth looks a lot like June twenty-fifth, or March twenty-fifth for that matter. Yes, the shops are decorated, wreaths are hung, Black Friday is still a shopping nightmare, and holiday lights abound. But when it's seventy-five degrees, or even eighty, hot apple cider just doesn't go down the same. Southern California has many advantages, but this time of year SC sucks.

All across the nation it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. On my block, it looks a lot like it always does. *sigh* Guess I'll have a Corona and go for a swim. Ho, ho, ho.