10 in ‘10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge

I hope everybody had a wonderful holiday and not too many of you were stranded due to the East Coast blizzard!  I was supposed to fly back to NYC on Tuesday, but my flight was canceled so now I’m finally returning tomorrow.  It was nice to spend a few extra days with my parents, but their internet wasn’t working, so I’m really delayed in getting a few blogs up.  But I’m at my sister and brother-in-law’s for New Year’s Eve and can FINALLY post something!  Hooray!

Back in August, I did an online chat with the fabulous Jessica of ChickLitTeens.com and Kay Cassidy, author extraordinaire of The Cinderella Society, as part of their “10 in 10 Teen Chick Lit Challenge.” (Details at http://www.chicklitteens.com/2009/12/10-in-10-teen-chick-lit-challenge.html).

As 2010 closes, I wanted to share with you my list of the Teen Chick Lit books that I read, and loved, in 2010.  Enjoy!

1)      Tangled by Carolyn Mackler 2)      Bedeviled: Daddy’s Little Angel by Shani Petroff 3)      Heist Society by Ally Carter 4)      The Daughters by Joanna Philbin 5)      Reality Check by Jen Calonita 6)      Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter 7)      Gimme a Call by Sarah Mlynowski 8)      Something, Maybe by Elizabeth Scott 9)      Waiting for You by Susane Colasanti 10)    The Duff by Kody Keplinger 11)    Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy

I’m not able to do a lot of reading while I’m writing (since I should be writing!), so I was shocked that I not only read a bunch of awesome books that fit the category, but that I read 11!  I did read #6-10 on vacation in August, plus a fabulous “adult” novel, The Opposite of You, which I’ll be blogging about next.  I was in Costa Rica, which was beautiful, but since I’m super pale, I can’t really be in the sun so I stayed under an umbrella and read the entire time.  It was heaven!

Happy Reading…and Happy New Year!

XOXO, Elizabeth

Prom and Prejudice Prom Photo Promo

Try to say that blog header four times fast! In honor of Prom and Prejudice's release, I'll be posting my prom photo on my Twitter and Facebook pages on Monday, December 27.  I thought it would be fun to ask some of my author friends to do the same - and I've already heard back from a bunch (I don't want to say who in case for whatever reason they are unable to find a photo or back out due to regretful hairstyles or dress choices from high school).  Then I decided to do a contest for sign copies of Prom and Prejudice.

IF YOU WENT TO PROM Simply post your photo on Twitter using the tag #PromAndPrejudice or post it on the wall of Facebook and tag me in it.

IF YOU DIDN'T GO TO PROM Post a photo of you with your friends, your favorite book, your family, whatever you want!  On Twitter use the #PromAndPrejudice tag or tag me on Facebook.

I'll pick two winners each from Facebook and Twitter on Sunday, January 2!

Be sure to checkout the #PromAndPrejudice tag starting Monday, December 27th - I'll be retweeting the photos from my author friends as well!

Happy prom photo hunting...AND Happy Holidays! XOXO, Elizabeth

Why Christmas May Come Early to Prom and Prejudice Readers

Here’s a little fun fact for those not in the publishing industry: not all books have on-sale dates.  Many have pub months.  And Prom and Prejudice is one of those books. What does this mean?  Well, Prom and Prejudice is a January pub, so the books have already started shipping to accounts to make sure they all have the book by the first of January (I won’t bore you with details on account distribution, mostly since I don’t really understand it all myself and I’ve been in publishing for over ten years!).  Some stores or online accounts might already have the book in stock.  And that’s totally okay!  Really!  Go ahead and buy a copy…or ten!

The good news is that most of you won’t have to wait until January 1^st.  I, for one, am celebrating the release of Prom and Prejudice the week of December 27^th since the book should be out fairly wide by then. 

So should you have a copy of Prom and Prejudice in your Christmas stocking, don’t worry, Santa didn’t break the on-sale date.  In fact, I know that’s what Santa is bringing to my family members, but shh…don’ t tell!

Happy Holidays! Elizabeth

The Best Turkey EVER

Happy Thanksgiving everybody!  When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of turkeys.  And when I think of turkeys, I can’t help but think of my Aunt Janet. My Aunt Janet’s turkey is infamous.  All my friends know about her turkey because I talk about it constantly. It is one of the greatest creations known to mankind.  Think I’m overselling it?  Believe me, I’m not.  What makes Aunt Janet’s turkey so amazing is that she cooks the turkey the day before, cuts it up and then lets it soak in gravy overnight.  It is so juicy…and yummy and amazing (I’m salivating now just thinking about it).

I stopped going home to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving several years ago.  Flying is a nightmare and I’ll be home a month later for Christmas.  But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been able to enjoy Aunt Janet’s turkey.  That’s because I have absolutely no shame.  None.

Exhibit A:  A few years ago, my cousin Marian (and Janet’s daughter) was in New York for business.  During dinner we were talking about the upcoming family reunion and how difficult it is for the “trinity” to make it (out of the fourteen Eulberg cousins, there are three of us – Marian, Mary Beth and myself – who are far away from home).  Then Marian and I decided to write what would be known as our manifesto.  My demand in order for the “trinity” to make it to the reunion?  You guessed it, the turkey.  I believe I wrote: “One turkey prepared with love by Aunt Janet.”  But as I later told Aunt Janet, I didn’t care if she made the turkey with spite, as long as she made it.

Exhibit B: I was informed earlier this year by my mother that Aunt Janet is retiring her turkey.  This made me very upset.  I believe my mom said, “For heaven’s sakes, Elizabeth, she’s 78 years old, she doesn’t need to make you a turkey!”  I really don’t see her point.  So when I was in Chicago for some events, two of Janet’s children – Lee and Pat – attended and we started talking about the upcoming family reunion.   It was also Pat’s 50^th birthday so Pat really wanted my mom to make her infamous Baked Alaska, which she also retired.  So we made a deal, if I got my mom to make the Baked Alaska, they’d have to get their mom to make the turkey.  They weren’t sure that would work, then I said, “I’ll put it in a book and do a blog about it.”  And as you can see, I am a woman of my word, so is Aunt Janet.

The big day came.  The last time I was ever going to have Aunt Janet’s turkey.  Fortunately, everybody let me go first in line (it’s almost as if they were afraid for their lives if they were ahead of me).  And it was as good as I remembered.

Before I leave you all to dive into your turkey dinners, I’d like to mention that my mom also makes a mean turkey.  My love (and that of my sibling’s) for Aunt Janet’s turkey can sometimes be a sore subject.  My dad once sat us all down and told us to cool it on the Aunt Janet turkey talk.  My mom is an amazing cook and baker.  She always makes me a cheeseball when I come home (actually she makes two: one for me and one that is technically for everybody else, but I usually end up eating it anyways).  She also makes really yummy lemon bars and fudge (Hint! Hint!  I did name Mrs. Bennet in Prom and Prejudice after you, Mom!).  See, I told you I have no shame.

Gobble! Gobble! XO, Elizabeth