Yeah, you! There’s a little change you might want to check out. Look right. Go on, look. I’ll wait. See my profile? See “August 2007″? Yeah, that’s right…Vlad has a date! Well…at least he has a month…which is better than a season. Yay, Vlad!

The cool thing is that my son will be thirteen and starting the eighth grade that August. So, you know, that RAWKS.

Apart from being all sorts of squeaky happy at my catalog copy (Thanks, Maureen!) and super geeked that I handed in my author’s photo, not to mention my glee at seeing a month attached to my book along with an ISBN number, this week is sending me into giggly fits as Ninth Grade Sucks comes together. It’s funny how you can be so lost as a writer and then, like a puzzle, everything clicks and the world is on its way to right again.

Of course, tomorrow I’ll suck again and question why I ever thought anything I’ve ever written had vbeen fit for human perusal. But today isn’t tomorrow. So today, I’m feeling rather good.

Of course, now I’m off to pay bills…which should really suck the happy out of my day.

By the by, if anyone still wants a Minion button (ie Minion Bling), I’m happy to oblige, just email. (As it is, I’m amazed how many people have emailed, asking for them. You minions rock!)

But Vlad is getting me through it, one day at a time. Ninth Grade Sucks is certainly a bigger challenge for me than Eighth Grade Bites was.

Two words: Drudge explanation.

Yeah, I know most of you don’t understand…yet. But after you read EGB, you’ll groan and nod your head, and deeply sympathize with my (and Vlad’s) plight.

Just wait. You will.

Yesterday I determined that NGS requires at least two more chapters, so it’s those that I’m focusing on for the duration of the week. Writing them seems like such a break when compared to revisions. I welcome it.

I’m also reading the sequel to James Patterson’s Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment, Maximum Ride: School’s Out Forever. The first book? Absolutely perfect in every sense of the word. The second? Well, I start it tonight. So really, I’m not reading it…yet. But I have been reading Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, and Michael Larsen. Wow. Amazing stuff. And luckily, I’m already on track with a lot of this as far as my plans go for promoting EGB.

But yeah, reading reading reading, writing writing writing…such is life.

Let me start by saying, my dear and faithful minions, that I am not in the least bit a technical person. Oh sure, I know a few things and can do a few tricks that leave utter noobs baffled (not that there’s anything wrong with being a noob, mind you). But for the most part, I am the biggest idiot alive when it comes to anything technical.

Take for instance, this blog.

I found this great template this morning. So I followed instructions, changed it…only then did I realize that the new template didn’t show my profile. So I changed it back. And that’s when I noticed that every single link I’d put on my blog (in the side bar…g’head…look) was GONE. Like an idiot (and believe me…I am) I foolishly thought my links (much like my posts) would come through. But alas, I was wrong.

So rather than fix it right now, I’m going to go for a walk and clear my head of the cobwebs that are up there. Then, after I no longer quite feel like throwing my monitor out the window, I’ll come back and try to right the wrongs.

But not now.

Right now I could just scream.

What’s that you say, minions? Has Auntie Heather returned to school to experience the joys of rampant bullying and smelly lockers? Not at all (but I do sympathize if this is your plight–believe me, I do). But what I have done is become a part of something very special. It’s called the Class of 2k7, a cooperative marketing campaign by first time middle-grade and young adult fiction authors with debut novels to be published in 2007.

Plus, we’re totally way cooler than the popular kids. After all, we write books.

Our cooperative cross-publisher marketing campaign will have a “Fresh New Voices of 2007″ theme (and no, not “fresh” like “dope”, even though…it is pretty dope, y’all). We’ll have a joint website, blog, newsletter, brochure, and other online and printed elements. Plus! We’ll try to coordinate signings and events together. Our joint blog will launch in July. (Eep! That’s close!)

Fortunately for you (if you fit the criteria) there’s still room at our lunch table. So if you’re interested in getting a lot of coverage for your first time MG/YA book (not to mention getting to hang out with us), drop Greg Fishbone a line and tell him I sent ya.

As for me, I’m going to cut first period today and work on Ninth Grade Sucks.

EDIT: For some reason, my brain melted and I got Greg’s address wrong yesterday. (Sorry, Greg!) But it’s fixed now…and my melted brain is back in one piece.

Auntie Heather has been a busy little scribbler this week, minions. Apart from writing, I’ve joined three organizations: Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (pending), and The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. All of which, I’m immensely proud to be a part of.

I also met a really great guy named Pat last week who used to manage a Borders around here. (Hi Pat!) Pat is now a minion (complete with button–everybody wave) and has vowed to spread the word about Eighth Grade Bites, or to put it in Pat’s words, “I’ll promote the hell outta that thing”. Yes, we love Pat immensely.

But now it’s time for Auntie Heather to head back to freshman year with Vlad, who is feeling rather, well, bitey this week. I imagine it’s all the sunshine. Vampires, as you know, have quite the allergy to sunlight. As do redheads (ie, yours truly). Neither one of us tans, we merely step out into the sun and burst into flames.

First off, minions, thank you so very much for all the button requests. (To see a great photo of one, check out Jackie Kessler’s blog) Looks like the Minion Bling is a hit! And I’m happy to send them along. Second off, lookie what Auntie Heather did: All I have to say is that eDecals.com rocks! Plus, my website is being revamped (heh) starting July 1st. Watch for the new version soon!

(Wow. I’m not sure exactly where this gangsta-speak is coming from, but I promise to stop soon…well, except for ‘Minion Bling’–that one’s gotta stay.)

You, my minions, totally ROCK. Seriously. I had no idea how much minion love would pour in and I greatly appreciate every word. I mailed many buttons out yesterday and will continue to do so until they’re gone. (Special thanks to the Genius for offering to hook readers up with Minion Bling) If you’re new to the blog, check out my offer on the right hand column. (Yes, FREE. How many times do I have to say it?)

In other news, I’m hard at work revising Ninth Grade Sucks. And though it’s still in that relatively crappy phase, I surprised myself yesterday by actually becoming so absorbed in the story that I’d forgotten for a moment what comes next. When I remembered, I felt like a HUGE dork. But hey, if I can engage myself…then I ought to be pretty good at engaging readers. (I hope, anyway)

Today will be filled with laundry, Attack of the Death Machine (ie, a half hour on the elliptical in my basement), and lots and lots of writing. If I don’t perish from the embrassment of having such an uneventful life (I refuse to use the word ‘dull’), then I’ll also be mailing out more Minion Bling. Any takers?

Okay, my loyal minion horde, the day of reckoning is upon us! The minion buttons (ie Minion Bling) have arrived! (And oh man, are they GORGEOUS–Sean at Busy Beaver Buttons did an excellent job!) I’d post pics, but He Who Shall Remain Nameless *cough* Paul *cough* broke my digital camera. So, if you want a button, email me at Heather@heatherbrewer.com with “minion bling” in your subject line, and please include your mailing address.

And yes, you’re darned right they’re free–just spread the minion love*, people.

*for more info on how to spread the minion love, please see this post.

There is nothing more moody than a vampire starting high school. Vlad has been quite the grouch today, but I’m hoping that with some time (and maybe some chocolate chip cookies dunked in blood), he’ll come around and help me with these Ninth Grade Sucks revisions.

See, I have a process. I write a first oh-good-goddess-don’t-let-anyone-see-this-draft-it’s-just-so-I-can-get-the-story-down draft, then I let it simmer, then I revise (which is where the magic happens), then I send it to my amazing Crit Partner and wonderful readers, then I do a final brush-up and send it on to my agent. Right now I’m in revision mode (because that Wonderland outline and I need some space–also, because I missed Vlad terribly), so my mood is bound to be…well, not the best. The good thing is that though I trudge through revisions and bemoan every deletion, every word change, I know it’s for the best, and in the end, I’ll like the story much better than I do now.

And right now, I’m pretty much rambling and procrastinating. So…back to Vlad and the perils of ninth grade (you think you had it bad… –or have, or will have, depending on your age–).