If you’ve seen the pics below, you know I had a wonderful time at Rochester’s B&N at the Apache Mall. Kate came and introduced me to the crowd while Ross shot all of this footage. Thanks, Ross and Kate!
In one of these videos . . . I read an excerpt from INITIATION! 😀 Enjoy!
I’ve got serious writing to do. Have Diet Coke, coffee, kitty, gloss . . . all set!
xoxo
I opened the door expecting to have a package from UPS with stuff from work or something I’d ordered online. Instead, a nice guy asked for Jess Ashley and handed me a vase of flowers.
Kate and Ross got me flowers for my two year anniversary in New York. According to the card, I’m now a “true New Yorker.”
Wow.
Sometimes, it feels like I’ve been here for ten years. Sometimes, a week. I still get lost on new trains, still go the wrong way when trying to find strange buildings and still Google Map any new place I go and hand draw a map. But I’m not afraid of going to new places.
I used to be.
When I first moved here, the only place I felt that I knew how to get back and forth from without having to worry was to S&S. I would get on the train at 7th Avenue, put on my headphones and ride the 45-ish minutes into the city. And that’s not to mention how long it took me to feel comfortable to play my iPod because I was sure the conductor would change the route with a message that the train was going to the Bronx or somewhere far away. I was convinced I’d get lost and never find my way back to Park Slope again. (Not being a drama queen–I was serious!)
But now, it’s almost as if I instinctively know how to get home. And home for me is the best place to be in the entire city. I’m happiest when I’m in cozy socks, yoga pants, a PINK t-shirt and doing anything–or nothing at all–with my bestie.
If you passed me on the streets, you’d probably think I was a tourist. I’ve always got my BlackBerry out and am taking pictures of everything. I wear Brooklyn hoodies, a “Gaga for Brooklyn” (she’s performing on May 27 for GMA, btw . . . )T-shirt and it’ll soon be warm enough for me to wear my “I love New York” shirt. I know that it’s not “cool” to do that when you live here, but I don’t care. I haven’t gotten past the giddy stage of living in the city that never sleeps.
I’m a Brooklyn girl and proud of it!
Much love to all of my Brooklyn family and friends who have supported me here. I love you all.
This is the blog of 2011, guys! (Tweens, this is YA content, FYI . . .) Kate and Ross started their blog for their two books (Crossed and Cursed) from Sourcebooks’ FIRE imprint. The first debuts in spring 2012!
Go check it out–it’s amazing and it’s going to be so cool to follow them from sale to publication. For Team Canterwood, go show Editor K some sparkles and comment to say hi! 🙂
I’m suuuperlate in posting this but a zillion things are going on, including moving (K and R), writing CHOSEN, doctor appointments, etc.
BUT
Kate and Ross sold their 2 book series to Sourcebooks this week!
I was lucky enough to witness the entire process from first word to sending it off to their agent. I couldn’t be more proud and thrilled to see their book on shelves in spring 2012.
Want to keep track of them?
Kate’s Website is so fun
Ross‘ (some adult content, FYI, tween readers) links you to some of his best work
Kate’s Twitter accounts for Editor K and Kate are must-follows as is Ross’.
They just started a joint Twitter for their book and a Website will be coming soon.
Yay to both! Sooo excited! ❤
Last night, I went to see ECLIPSE with Kate and Ross. We got to the theater around 11:50ish and it was already packed. We were almost about to leave because we didn’t want to split up in the theater and three seats together were sooo not happening. Then, in a supersparkly way, three seats opened up in the front row. *freaks*
We grabbed the seats and the energy from the crowd was INTENSE. Screaming girls were all around and everyone was losing it. The majority of the midnight crowd at our theater? They were, without a doubt, Team Jacob. !!! Gotta admit, though, I was/am Team Edward, but ECLIPSE is my favorite book and it got me to a place of being torn between Jacob and Edward. It also was so well written as a possibility for a person (Bella) to be in love with two people.
The action in ECLIPSE was intense, the CGI was flawless (Edward’s sparkle was fab), and I liked Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria. More romance and Jacob/Bella time was definitely lacking for me as were more talking/intimate moments between Edward and Bella since they were going back and forth about being engaged. This is an instance where I felt the book was better than the movie. But I still enjoyed it greatly and can’t wait for it to come out on DVD. It actually made me want to reread ECLIPSE while the movie is fresh in my brain.
I hope everyone who wanted to see it last night made it to theaters! 🙂 Major hearts to K for going out with me and R for being awesome about seeing another Twilight Saga flick.
I Tweeted pics about everything yesterday AND as if ECLIPSE coming out wasn’t enough, Barnes & Noble has released CITY SECRETS!! Yaaay for Canterwood Crest #9!
So sorry to the reader girlies for being MIA lately on the blog. But a serious scare came up with The BFF and she’s going to be completely fine, but it was very, very scary. I’m taking the day off and today to clean my apt and regroup.
I haven’t been in a hospital since my back surgery and I was such a wuss then that I’d faint or throw up at the mere sighting of a needle or blood. K made a point to shield me from that, but I was running on adrenaline. Even with all of my baggage about hospitals, doctors and surgery–I would have swapped places with her in a second. And I can’t say that about anyone else. But this girl is a trooper. She was in indescribable pain and she pushed through it like R and I knew she would–no doubt. I wanted to strange a few of the ER staff, but she got great care on her floor.
Plus, we had a very sweet and uplifting surprise from friend PG Kain who brought the flower that defines KA. It has a prickly stem and pretty pink petals on the top. 🙂
She’s resting, ready for a fun TV marathon later and it’s going to be a chill evening. Plus, we decided we deserve mani/pedis to erase the nail colors we wore to the hospital.
I’ll be contacting the winner of the Amanda Marronne giveaway, though.
I’ve got some work to do, which probably won’t be book related. More like half work and half apt cleaning.
Finally, thank you ALL for the fan mail you’ve been sending to Simon & Schuster. I read every letter and as soon as my schedule slows, I promise you’ll get a response whether you emailed or snail mailed me.
Again, I can’t thank you all enough for the texts, Facebook messages, Tweets and e-mails about Kate. It means a lot and really–thank you. ❤
xoxo
I moved to NYC.
Picked out my tattoo font for the occasion.
Sparkles, hearts and love to JRA and KAA.
I’ve always been a solo writer. It felt like something I had to do on my own without people around. When I moved to New York, I tried the coffee shop thing. It was okay aside from my people watching. And I would have gone broke because I kept buying frozen yogurt, coffee, etc. Not. Good.
But several of the past few weeks have been marathon working sessions with Kate and Ross. When we’re together working–stuff gets DONE. We’re pulling our hair out at the end of the day, but there’s also a huge sense of accomplishment. I wrote 13 pages yesterday, Ross knocked out a bunch of revisions and Kate got a ton of editing done.
So, I like the BK Trio we’ve formed to work and it’s proving to be quite productive and fun. 🙂
Don’t forget to see yesterday’s post and enter to win a signed copy of HOME SWEET DRAMA!
Another day of crazy. Gotta write a zillion words (or my Excel sheet will continue to tell me that I will not finish RIVAL REVENGE until July 2010 (!!!). And if I don’t pick up my laundry, the cleaners will probably keep it. I’m about to have to wear BFF’s clothes that she left here the other night.
Usually, I’m very OCD about keeping things neat and clean. But empty boxes from Fresh Direct haven’t moved since Monday morning, my sink is piled with dishes and I’m ignoring cleaning. Too focused on book.
BUT
Tonight is supersparkly because it’s RA’s birthday!!! There will be amazing food, drinks and fun–we *never* have a boring night out.
So, happy birthday, Ross! *throws confetti*
Jessica Burkhart 