Things You Should Know

Oh, my heck. Where do I even start? While last week was the week of "What else can go wrong?" this week was the week of "Awesome!"

It's all about the ups and downs, you know?

So let's dive in.

1. I bought a new car. Okay, *I* didn't buy the new car, nor do I get to drive said car. But "we" got a Dodge Charger for my husband!

And I am jealous. But hey, he's been driving this for 5 years:

Complete with multiple dents.

He probably deserves to drive this:

Complete with racing stripes.

2. Teenagers are terrifying. Until they start laughing. Then they're just like normal people. Pretty much I made fun of myself (and vampires) and they let me keep talking. Good times. (And, yes, I'm planning to torture you with full details and tips for school visits. Patience, my pretties.)

3. If I worked near an In 'N Out Burger joint, I would eat a double-double every double-day. Holy double-yum.

4. I got a package from my wonderful friend, Christine. It was busted to bits.

Inside, it held three items she had mailed me, and three she had not. Veeeerrry interesting. Whoever was supposed to get these, I'm sorry.

5. As of Tuesday, I have now been married for 14 years. Yay me! (PS. We picked up the Charger on our anniversary. I totally counted it as my gift to my husband.)

6. My six-year-old daughter might be more excited about POSSESSION than I am. She told her kindergarten teacher that I'd written a book. Her teacher said that was exciting, and that Daughter could bring it in. So she begged me to let her take my ARC to school.

Did I do it?

Uh, yeah. I let her take the book in a large ziplock bag. Daughter showed the class. They talked about how many pages it had (404, said "forty-oh-four" if you're six and just learning that numbers go above say, 10). Then, in the words of my kidlet, "We made our own books. Mine had 5 pages."

7. Did you miss the Across the Universe giveaway on the blog yesterday? You wanna get on that, because I'm announcing the winner on Monday, and you have until 10 PM Sunday night to enter. Go buy AtU!

8. Let it be known that I steal blog ideas. You've been warned.

Got anything I need to know today? Lay it on me.

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis

Holy icy frozen people, Captain Picard!

I could go on and on about how amazing Beth Revis's debut, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, is. I could. I won't. I'm just gonna give you the basics.

1. Go buy it. Online somewhere. At your bookstore. Maybe at her launch party tonight (I hate you if you're there). Wherever. But GET IT.

2. Clear your schedule. Trust me when I say you'll need to block out a few hours. No distractions. Take a sick day if need be.

3. Begin reading.

4. Do this: 

5. Then this:

6. Then some more of this:

7. And finally this:

8. Enter to win amazing Across the Universe prize packages.

9. Start stalking Beth.
On twitter
Her blog
Across the Universe website
The League of Extraordinary Writers (where she blogs on Mondays)
Her website
The AtU Facebook Fanpage

10. Tell everyone you know that they need to read Across the Universe ASAP.

11. Discuss the awesomeness of AtU.

My Twitter Review: With strong storytelling, brilliant writing, creepy characters, and a budding romance, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE has everything to satisfy readers. (Okay, so sue me. I have one extra character.)

Have you read it yet? Ordered yours? If you have, without spoiling it for everyone, tell us what you thought.

If not...boy, do I have something for you.

1. A copy of Across the Universe

2. AtU bookmark

3. AtU pins, set of 3 (small)

All you have to do to enter this amazing giveaway for an amazing book is A) leave a comment here B) make sure you're following my blog and C) tell me my hair looks great. Ha!

Other Bookanista love today! Check 'em all out!

• LiLa Roecker celebrates the release of Across the Universe with giveaways
• Christine Fonseca gets lost in Nightshade
• Shannon Messenger raves about Like Mandarin with an ARC Giveaway
• Jamie Harrington thinks the outlook is good for The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball
• Shelli Johannes-Wells celebrates Harcourt winners
• Michelle Hodkin, Carolina Valdez Miller and Shana Silver travel Across the Universe
• Scott Tracey gets some Clarity
• Myra McEntire is In The Fort with Beth Revis
• Megan Miranda falls head over heels for Fall For Anything
• Bethany Wiggins is living for Three Quarters Dead
• Jen Hayley worships Unearthly
• Carrie Harris flips for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
• Kirsten Hubbard goes crazy for Delirium 

Across the Universe with Beth Revis

Okay, squee!! Did you hear that scream in New Jersey? I think so. Today, I'm going Across the Universe with Beth Revis. Make sure to check out her site for my grand adventure (or not, because mine is quite lame), and join us onboard the Godspeed as we zip Across the Universe (said in a really low, booming voice).

Across the Universe is a sci fi coming out from Penguin/Razorbill on January 11, 2011. Author Beth Revis describes it as "a murder mystery set in space," but it also has romance, adventure, and dystopian elements. In the book, a girl boards an interstellar spaceship in a journey across the universe to find a new planet.

To celebrate the book's upcoming release, Beth's gathered together writers and readers from across the blogosphere to share their stories of adventures they've had across the world. Check out her site the first two weeks of November to read about adventures from the Wild West to Indonesia, from Europe to Africa.

And as you're going across the world with all these adventures, be sure to pick up the clues. On Beth's webpage is a secret link--LOOK for it, and you'll SEE it. But it's password protected! To find the password, you'll need to go on the adventures with us, pick up the letters, and re-arrange them into the secret phrase.

What do you get for playing? On the password protected page there's tons of secret information about the book--hidden Easter Eggs, the surprising origins of one of the characters, and the unexpected inspiration behind the space ship. But, more than that--there's also a chance for prizes! Only accessible from the password protected page is a form to enter a drawing--the winner will get a signed and doodled ARC of Across the Universe, pin-buttons featuring the book, star-related swag--and a secret something else!

All you have to do is follow us across the blogosphere, pick up the letters, and unscramble the password! Your clue for today is...

H

So you tell me: Are you super excited to cross the universe with Beth's book? Let me just tell you that I've read some of it, and I'm salivating for more! Salivating! Definitely add this one to your list (if it isn't already), and come play with us!