Yep. It’s a contest! And a biggie, too. I’m going to give away 13 of Vlad’s hoodies throughout October. And you can win one!

I’m going to be running this contest a little differently than I have done so in the past. This time, you don’t need to sign up for my newsletter at all, and I won’t be posting it on my Win Things page, just on my blog and MySpace. It’s very simple. I’m going to give away 13 of Vlad’s hoodies, as featured on the cover of EIGHTH GRADE BITES, over the course of October, which just so happens to be Vlad’s favorite month of all (and my favorite number). Do you have a hoodie yet? No? Well then, here’s your chance!

It’s super simple to enter. I’m going to ask a question about EIGHTH GRADE BITES. All you have to do is either post your answer here, message me on MySpace or email me your answer. If you get it right, you’re entered into that day’s drawing.

(NOTE: BE CAREFUL READING COMMENTS DURING OCTOBER, AS YOU MIGHT ACCIDENTALLY ENCOUNTER SPOILERS!)

I’ll draw for that contest right before I post the next question, which is when I’ll announce the previous contest winner.

If you don’t win, keep entering! (But if you do win, hey man, give the other Minions a chance…you can’t win again) And, to increase your chances, for every place online that you encourage people to come on over and check out my contest (be it a blog, forum, MySpace comment, wherever), if you can send me proof (ie, a link), I’ll give you an additional entry for that day’s contest.

Now, you don’t have to buy the book, but it really helps if you’ve read it. So borrow it from a friend, pick one up at the library, or if you like, buy a copy, and you’ll have a much better chance at winning. Of course, I’ll take it easy on you with the first question. But trust me, you’ll want to study up and get those answers to me as quick as you can. Because this contest is really a series of thirteen contests…and these hoodies are going to go fast (time flies when you’re having fun, right?). Remember: if you don’t enter…you can’t win!

And I’m posting this first one early, to give lots of people time to enter and to spread the word. Here we go, day one’s question!

Day 1 (Drawing is on October 7th): If you’ve read EIGHTH GRADE BITES, tell me what your favorite part was. If you haven’t read it, tell me why you want to.

Wow! You Minions certainly are creative! I received so many creative versions of my bio that I thought my Inbox might explode! And they were all an incredible blend of funny and sweet–you’ve impressed the fangs right off of me.

But…there can only be one winner. And, as today is my birthday…
(Happybirthdaytome,happybirthdaytome,happybirthdaydearHeather,happybirthdaytome!)

…it’s time to choose. It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure. And three really stuck out from the crowd, but in the end, I had to go with the entry that I felt was the most original. So, without further ado….the winner of the hoodie is…

FRNCHCTT! Congrats, you’ve got a hoodie!!! (contact me with your mailing address and I’ll get that out to you!) And the winning entry is this (pasted exactly as received):

Heather Brewer stayed most of her life inside a dark and small house, and it’s not because she’s one of those scary people who walk about at night and state “I vant to suck vou’r blood;” Sorta. Instead, she stays inside for her husband, who is one of those people who walk around at night stating, “I vant to-I get it now, vou don’t have to make me say vat stupid line anyvore.” Eh-Hem.
They met in dark alley way one cold october 31st when she caught him drinking the blood of a 19 year old convict who broke out of the local jail. When their eyes met, it was love at first sight and soon they started to see eachother.
Their love increased thoughout the year in which on the very next October 31st, he asked Heather to marry him. The next few months passed by in an instent and soon it was wedding day. Heather walked down the isle in the white dress (actually black, but they pretended.) and smiled at her soon-to-be husband. They exchanged vows, and enterlocked with one wild kiss in which he “accedentally” bit her tounge.
That very same night, he spoke to her softly. “I never found out what you do for a living.” He said simply. She smiled light-heartedly, very proud of what she was.
“Oh… I am a writer. I am almost done with Eighth Grade Bites, the first book in my series.”
His eyes grew wide and full of curiosity. “Eighth Grade…Bites?” He asked causiously.
Heather beamed.
“Its about vampires!”
He fell in love all over again (if that was possible) and supported her thoroughout all the hard writing times.
This is what has come to the woman called Heather Brewer. Its not that she is being held captive by an awful monster, rather, that splended man-vampire treats her like a princess. That is the only reason why she doesnt want to come out: Its better in there than out here.

AHAHAHAHAHAHA–I kill me!! *cough* Um…okay…only my loyalest of Minions, the ones that have already read EIGHTH GRADE BITES will get why that’s funny. But still…MARK! Ha!

Anyhoo, back to more Vlad news. Vlad and I are happy to announce that the second book in the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series (NINTH GRADE SLAYS) is set to be hitting shelves a bit earlier than we thought. The technical “On shelf” date (meaning stores should have it on their shelves by this date) is July 3, 2008! Wooohooo!!! Over a month earlier than anticipated!!! But, it gets better, because my editor said that depending on the stores, you guys could start seeing V2 (Vlad two…ha! I’m funny AND cool!) as soon as mid-June! So…get ready, Minions…cuz this one really takes it up a notch. There’s a lot more action, Vlad learns a lot more about the vampire world (and about himself), and of course, humor abounds–all wrapped up in a tasty tortilla of travel (and no, he’s not going to Mexico–anybody have a guess where he’s going?). Plus, it’s a good chunk longer (for all you Minions who wanted EGB to last longer). So get ready!

Also, don’t forget, if you want to win a hoodie, send me (by email or just post here) your creative version of my bio–the hoodie goes to the best one on my birthday: Friday, September 21st! And watch this space all through October…as I have something BIG planned…

It seems that I now have a Wikipedia page, Minions…so I thought we’d have a little fun with it. I’m putting the Minion Horde (that would be you–and if you’re new to the blog, yes, that includes you too) in charge of creating an interesting background for me.

Rules:

1. Truth or creative version of truth (ie, a total, outrageous falsehood) is completely acceptable.
2. Keep it PG, please.
3. Anything involving vampires gets you bonus kudos from yours truly.

In fact, I tell ya what, whoever writes the most entertaining thing on my Wikipedia page will win a hoodie. Let’s give it until my birthday, September 21st, and I’ll announce the winner.

Have fun!

IMPORTANT EDIT: (Thanks to Lola, who gets five gajillion Minion points for bringing this up) It turns out, we can’t edit Wikipedia with anything FUN (stupid Wikipedia! They only want the “facts”…)…but if you tell me what you’d like to see there, you’re entered.

Ugh. Okay, I know it seems like lately, all I’ve been posting are celebratory ego-fests about me, me, me, and Vlad, Vlad, Vlad. But it’s not like I could really help it, what with all the excellent news flooding my inbox these days. And it’s not like this is really an apology post, since I really don’t feel bad about celebrating my successes. But I am sorry that I haven’t given you Minions a little more substance when you’ve been so, so good to me (and so incredibly patient on all fronts). So…let me catch you up on my day to day.

I’ve been working my butt off to revise the first 50 pages of DEVON’S PLAYGROUND in kick butt, first person POV. My desktop computer just up and died (which they tend to do after NINE FRIGGIN YEARS of use), but the plus is, I’m back to working on my pertyful desk, which I sorely missed. And I’m happily drowning in a sea of FanMail (which we simply must rename, for our purposes here, MinionMail). To answer some of the more popular questions: 1. Yes, there will be another Vlad book…in fact, thre will be several. The next is NINTH GRADE SLAYS and it’ll be out next August (2008). 2. I really have no idea whether or not a movie will ever be made of EIGHTH GRADE BITES, but we can always hope! And sorry, but if that does happen, I have zero say (I assume) about who gets to play Vlad. 3. No, Vlad can’t marry you. He’s only 13. But yes, he loves you too. 4. I love fan art! (Minion Art?) You should always, always send it to me! If I get enough, I’ll dedicate a page on my site to it. (And thank you!) 5. You’re welcome (in reply to the many, many “thank you for writing this” emails)–thank you for being so unbelievably rad…and for reading it, for spreading the word, for making my dreams come true. Minions rock!

Oh! And Vlad and Lexie’s blog was featured on PW Children’s Bookshelf the other day! What an honor, I tell ya. And, a reminder here, if you aren’t reading about Vlad and Lexie…you really should.

So that’s me: healthy, happy, and working my fingers down to little, bloody stubs. How are all my Minions doing? Catch me up!

(ree-prihnt)
n.
1. reissue: a publication (such as a book) that is reprinted without changes or editing and offered again for sale.
2. what’s currently happening to Eighth Grade Bites.

*ahem*

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!