Giveaway: The Letter Q - Queer Writers' Notes to Their Younger Selves

The Letter Q: Queer Writers' Notes to Their Younger Selves
Edited by Sarah Moon.
Release Date: May 1, 2012.

About the book:

In this anthology, sixty-four award-winning authors and illustrators such as Michael Cunningham, Amy Bloom, Jacqueline, Woodson, Terrence McNally, Gregory Maguire, David Levithan, and Armistead Maupin, make imaginative journeys into their pasts, telling their younger selves what they would have liked to know then about their lives as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender people. Through stories, in pictures, with bracing honesty, these are words of love, messages of understanding, reasons to hold on for the better future ahead. They will tell you things about your favorite authors that you never knew before. And they will tell you about yourself.

Check out The Letter Q on Facebook!

Contest Information:
- (2) Winners will recieve finished copies of The Letter Q!
- Last day to enter is June 12th!
- Prizing provided by Scholastic
- Open to US addresses only

A Worrier's Guide To BEA

Last year, I attended BEA for the first time. The months leading up to it were ridiculous, full of over-analyzing and worrying and strict budgeting and bugging my blogger friend Shanyn with every little question I could think of. I have anxiety and this was my first trip out of state by myself! I was terrified! But after my week in New York, I look back and laugh at how silly I had been.

I won't be going to BEA this year but I figured that my crazy months of worrying could actually help out some people who might be freaking out right now as well. Here are a few things on what I learned in NYC. (And keep in mind - these are my opinions. They're not official rules or demands or anything)

1. Comfortable shoes - I read a lot of posts last year that advised against flip-flops, saying to opt for something more nice looking and comfortable. And like a petulant child, I stomped my foot and said "But my flip-flops are nice looking and they are very comfortable." Shanyn tried - on several occasions - to get me to look into other kinds of shoes but my mind was set.

Big mistake. Huge.

I ended up destroying my favorite pair of flip-flops. In just four days, I had worn them out so much that they just ... collapsed. I had to make an emergency stop at Old Navy for a new pair just minutes before a publisher party started. And the pain in my feet ... horrible.

Definitely do NOT wear flip-flops during BEA. If you're so determined to wear them - pack them and wear them around NYC! But with the amount of walking you'll be doing during the convention, you'll need shoes with padding. Thick, thick padding.

2. Shipping books - For the love of meatballs, don't ship them from the convention. I was all for it, at first, because I wouldn't have to lug all of my books back to my brownstone in Brooklyn on the subway every day. But $80 to ship books? Really? Maybe I'm just a cheapskate but noooo way, José.

The majority of my housemates and I ended up buying boxes at a nearby Staples and we shipped them from a small, local post office in Brooklyn. I shipped 50 pounds of books and it cost me $17. SEVENTEEN DOLLARS YOU GUYS.

But make sure you do it during the week so that you don't have to go on an epic, wild race against time to make it before the post office closes on Saturday morning like we did. I get all miserable just remembering that disaster.

3. BEA attire - I spent $150 on fancypants clothes after I was assured that BEA was a professional event where everyone would be dressed in professional suits and outfits. Um, no. BEA was jeans city. I even saw a girl wearing pajama bottoms. Wear what you want to wear. If you want to be super fancy in a dress or whatever, that's awesome! But don't feel like you have to dress up. I wore jeans and a graphic t-shirt under a cardigan the whole time and I still talked to some great publishers and book people.

They're not going to turn their noses up at you because you're wearing jeans, you guys. Trust me. Just ... don't wear pajama bottoms. Please.

4. Carrying books - BRING A BACKPACK. Seriously. I thought a few tote bags would suffice but I had to stop every hour to rest and the bruises on my shoulders at the end of night were horrible. Actually, not just my shoulders. I'm not sure how it happened but when I got home after that week, I had bruises everywhere. Legs, arms, shoulders. Even my face.

BEA is quite the battlefield, it seems.

5. Traveling - I know a lot of people are terrified of the subway, but my first ten minutes in NYC has scarred me of taxis and car services for life. For someone like me, with anxiety, I don't recommend using either. The taxi drivers ... I won't get into what happened with me and my first taxi driver. NYC drivers are insane. But the car services WILL rip you off. I used it two times while I was there. They'll tell you a price on the phone and when you get dropped off, that price will be doubled. It's aggravating. And the car always stinks.

If you plan on exploring NYC while you're there (and you should!) I definitely recommend buying a metro card. You pay $30 for seven days of subways and bus rides. Totally unlimited - with a 15 minute wait between each use - and totally worth it. They're not as scary as you think! Just avoid eye contact with shady people and when obnoxious musicians approach, turn your head and try not to laugh. You'll be golden.

6. Talking with publishers - I was so grateful that I had a blogger friend who was nice enough to introduce me to certain publishers and book people but the talks I had with publishers on my own were even better. With big groups of bloggers and a busy publisher who is getting approached by different people every thirty seconds, it's not easy to really speak with them. I kind of just stood there all awkwardly while the rest of the group fought to say something. It wasn't until I broke away from my friends that I really got the chance to talk to people.

Don't be afraid to go exploring BEA on your own, you guys. You'll miss so much if you're only worried about following your group.

7. Talking with bloggers - I was so nervous. For some reason I had it in my head that nobody would recognize me or worst, they'd recognize me but not want to meet me. But the cool thing about the blogosphere is it doesn't matter if you know someone or if you're familiar with their blog - it's so easy to just start talking. I was surprised at the amount of people that recognized me and stopped to say hi. I kind of felt like a celebrity! And I met some awesome blogger in the line for Leanna Heiber's Darker Still. I don't know her name and I don't know her blog but we talked for a good thirty minutes like we had known each other for years!

Say hi and introduce yourself! Meeting fellow bloggers was one of my favorite things about my BEA week!
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If you have any questions, comment and ask away! And to those of you going - HAVE FUN!! I'm so heartbroken that I won't be there this year but I will live vicariously through you and your tweets!

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks.
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends.
Pages: 324.
Release Date: May 22, 2012.
Source: Publisher.

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

I have yet to discover a mermaid book (let's not let Galen hear us say the word mermaid, okay? He hates that term) or any other undersea novel that I've fallen in love with, but I think Of Poseidon might just take that title. It's emotional, quirky, heartbreaking, romantic, funny, action-packed and so much more than you'd expect from the synopsis.

Emma is officially on my list of favorite female characters. Her sarcasm and wit had me literally laughing out loud, and her refusal to bow down to what Galen or anybody else demanded of her was downright admirable. But what I loved most is how authentic and developed she was for a teenage character, and how realistic she seemed to handle discovering who she really is. And her relationship with Galen! Ah! So cute! I love the dynamic between the two. The quirky banter and arguments gave them quite the charm and even though I strongly prefer romance to take its time in books, I found myself quite frequently screaming "KISS AND BE TOGETHER ALREADY!"

Though the Syrena world isn't as prominent in the book as I had hoped, Anna Banks did an extraordinary job creating this underwater scenery and lifestyle that differs from the average Little Mermaid setting. There are some scenes, one in specific that involves the Titantic, that completely took my breath away. Banks uses the settings to her advantage and her gorgeous descriptions made it so easy for me to visualize in my head. Scenes played out like mental movies and they were so, so beautiful.

I also loved the pacing! There isn't too much going on. It's basically Emma coming to terms with who she is and her struggle to learn how to use her abilities, but it never felt sluggish or boring. This is a character driven novel and the characters mesh so well and do a fantastic job at telling the story.

Overall, if you didn't quite catch what I'm trying to convey, I absolutely loved Of Poseidon. It's a breath of fresh air from the usual mermaid book, using charming characters and gorgeous undersea backdrops to weave together this imaginative, romantic and stunning debut! I definitely recommend!

Other reviews for Of Poseidon:
Creative Reads.
Emilie's Book World.
Between The Pages.
Katie's Book Blog.

An Angry Letter To ABC Family

Dear ABC Family,

I've got a bone to pick with you. Today, I've discovered that Jane By Design - one of my favorite shows of ALL TIME - might possibly be ending after this next season. It's certainly not the first time you've axed an undeserving show (I'm still bitter about the abrupt cancellation of 10 Things I Hate About You, which was easily the best series on your line-up at that time) but this time, I'm getting vocal about it.

I understand why you do it. Ratings are important and if not enough people are watching, why pay to keep producing? But for once, can you think of the people who do watch? The ones who spend all week looking forward for more? Jane By Design is somewhat of an obsession when it's on and I'm not ashamed to admit that. I chomp at the bit for a new episode all week, I jump at the chance to watch the sneak peeks and interviews and anything JBD related that you post online. I'm so in love with the story and the characters and the idea of it ending so quickly ... well - excuse my language - it pisses me off.

This is all a matter of opinion, I realize, but it's amazing that a show like The Secret Life of the American Teenager can pump out season after season but you get rid of the ones with real plots and characters that aren't ridiculous and one-dimensional. 10 Things I Hate About You, Nine Lives of Chloe King, Huge and Beautiful People are a few of those unfortunate cancellations to mention.

The smart thing for me to do is to stop watching the shows you premiere because - in all honesty - they probably won't live past one season. Why get attached to something that's not going to last? And I hate to do that because you do give us some awesome shows. As delusional and unrealistic as this is, I really hope you guys start looking past the ratings to the fanbases who fall in love with all of these characters that you throw away so easily.

If Jane By Design is cancelled, I will stop watching your channel. Not even your Harry Potter weekends will entice me back. Maybe that's a bit immature of me, but I'm pretty fed up with everything. And I know a lot of people who feel the same.

Sincerely,
An Angry Billy Nutter Lover

P.S. - I think I also need to mention that you were showing Jane By Design on the same night that Fox shows Glee and New Girl, two shows that already had top ratings before Jane By Design even premiered. Think about that.
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I doubt there's much we can do about it. I fought like crazy, along with thousands of other fans, to save 10 Things I Hate About You when it was cancelled. But our petitions went ignored. I don't expect anyone at ABC Family to really read this post. I'm just angry and I want to get the word out there to all of my followers who are Jane By Design fans.

I don't know how much good it will do, but when you've got the time, please sign this Twition to save the show. http://t.co/uMcuBgWD You don't even have to be a fan! If you're someone who has been thinking about watching it, or if you just want to sign it because you are super awesome - your support is greatly appreciated!