Happy Halloween!

Halloween is, by far, my favorite holiday.

It's a holiday that revolves around:

1. Creativity
2. Dressing up in silly costumes
3. Candy

What's not to love?! Not to mention that its proximity to my birthday has given me an extremely flimsy excuse to throw a theme party every year.

I thought I'd share some of the costumes we've worn over the years. From the photographic evidence below, I think you can safely conclude that:

1. Despite my repeated efforts, I look ridiculous as a blonde.
2. Graig and I are rampantly silly.

2007: As Steve Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham, ca. 1977

2008: As Ryan and Chad from High School Musical

2009: As the Queen of Hearts and Her Untrustworthy Gardener from Alice in Wonderland

2010: As Maverick and Goose from Top Gun

2011: As the 10th Doctor and Rose from Doctor Who

Happy Halloween, everyone! What was your costume this year?

Thank You and Winners!

Truth be told, I've been planning Monday's giveaway for months, ever since I got my ARCs really. October 24th was my birthday and exactly 6 months out from publication. Just seemed too perfect!

I have to say I've been floored by the amount of responses. Over 200 entries and 40 entrants...that astounds me, honestly. Not to mention how much I've loved reading about everyone's favorite birthdays: from marriage proposals to Brazilian surprise parties to Slip 'N Slides to Cabbage Patch Kid dolls. Thanks so much to everyone who shared their memories with me. It made my birthday that much more fun and I thank you from the bottom of my blogger/author/birthday-fanatic heart.

Okay, okay. And now for the real reason you're probably here. The winners!

Random.org has determined that the winners are:

1 signed ARC of The Mapmaker and the Ghost, bookmark and sticker set:
Sarah E. (who spent her 30th in the company of RDJ as Mr. Sherlock Holmes)

1 $30 Amazon gift card:
Kellie D.G. (who finally received a much sought-after Cabbage Patch Kid)

5 The Mapmaker and the Ghost swag packs:
Mrs. Kee (who got proposed to on her birthday!)
Julie S. (whose cat brought her a dead chipmunk for her birthday)
Jenna V. (who set her hair on fire blowing out candles)
Rain L. (who cleaned up at a brewery for her 21st)
Lana K. (who had a Hurricane Irene birthday)

I'll be contacting the winners tout suite!

And for those who did not win this time, I offer you this virtual Butterbeer Cupcake, baked by yours truly (but that is another post for another day):

The Wisdom of 21-Year-Olds

When I was 15, I wrote myself a letter to be opened when I turned 21. I wrote about what I was doing at 15, what I had hoped to have accomplished by 21 and, I'm pretty sure, some stuff about how much I hated my lab partner.

When I was 21, I wrote myself a letter to be opened when I turned 30. I just read it. The lab partner was long gone from my life, but I was just about to embark on my last semester of college.

Here are some choice passages I thought I'd share. The text in italics are my thoughts now.

"I guess I'll start off by saying that a few months ago I opened up the letter I wrote to myself when I was 15. Man, it was strange: sorta like being visited by a ghost of someone you used to know." Yup. It still is. Strange but cool.

"So what am I doing at 30? Am I living in NYC? Yes. Where's my family? In the same house. Do I keep in touch with my college friends? Yes. Am I married? No. Do I have kids? No."

"Now for future goals...By the time I'm 30, I want to have sold a script. Didn't happen but I did sell a manuscript. I really, really, really, really want to be a writer. I am."

"I know I must be a little scared to be turning 30 today. 21-year-old Sarv wants to say don't be. The best years, the best age, can be whatever you want it to be. Be bold, write yourself another letter, and set out to accomplish even more." Wow. That's pretty astute, 21-year-old me. You know what? I'll take your advice. And I will write myself another letter. To be opened when I'm 40.

"P.S. I like how I have to put smiley faces next to my jokes just in case 30-year-old Sarv doesn't pick up on the sarcasm." Don't worry. I pick up on it. And guess what, 21 y.o. me? I still overuse emoticons. So there.


Do you have things you hope to have accomplished by your next milestone birthday? Think you might write them down?

My First ARC Giveaway: Win an Advanced Copy of THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST!

Today is October 24th.

This means:

1. We are exactly 6 months out from the publication date of The Mapmaker and the Ghost!
2. It's my birthday.
3. I turn 30 today.

And I want to celebrate by giving YOU something!

It's my first-ever giveaway of The Mapmaker and the Ghost ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies)! Not only that, but I'm giving away a few more prizes. They are:

- 1 signed ARC of The Mapmaker and the Ghost along with a Mapmaker bookmark and sticker set
- 1 $30 Amazon gift card
- 5 swag packs of The Mapmaker and the Ghost bookmark and stickers. The bookmarks can be signed if you'd like.

There will be 7 drawings in total: one for each prize/prize pack.

To enter, just follow these two steps:

1. Simply tell me your best birthday memory in the comments section of this post. You must comment to be entered.

2. Fill out the form below.

And here's how you can get extra entries:
+2 for tweeting about the contest
+2 for posting about the contest on Facebook
+2 for mentioning the contest on your blog

+1 for following me on Twitter
+1 for liking me on Facebook
+1 for following this blog (the follow button on the right hand side-->)
+1 for adding The Mapmaker and the Ghost to your Goodreads shelf.

The contest will close on Friday, October 28th at 5 PM EST, at which point winners will be selected via random.org. This contest is open internationally.

Good luck! I'm really, really looking forward to hearing all about your birthdays!

Update:
The giveaway is now closed. Thank SO MUCH to everyone who entered and shared their birthday memories with me. Winners can be found here.

Art I Love: Across the Great Lake

So...remember how on Monday, I wrote about Graig and his amazing art?

He just gave me this:

 ...

...

...

He's my favorite. That is all.

Five Random Observations from My First Comic Con

I am, admittedly, a pretty big geek. But up until now, I’d never attended an actual Comic Con. So this year when my friend Billy (a Comic Con veteran) brought it up, I jumped at the chance. I read his 10 Commandments of New York Comic Con, used copious amounts of soap, put on my Harry and the Potters T-shirt and set out for the faraway land of the Javits Center.

It was a wondrous world of spandex, body paint and unabashed geekiness. I loved it!

Check out my guest post on Tuesday Night Movies (a hilarious movie review site, by the way), for the 5 high- and lowlights of my adventure into Nerd Mecca.

The Other Storyteller

My boyfriend, Graig, is an artist (a painter).

He mostly paints historic baseball scenes. Before you go anywhere, you should know that I know next to nothing about baseball. But I find his paintings absolutely entrancing. I think it's because they're so narrative, that I can tell there's a fascinating story behind each and every one, even if I could care less about sports (sorry to be such a stereotypical girl on that count, but it's just the truth).

Here are some of my absolute favorites presented with a bit of my totally non-expert commentary.

I love the way the dirt is flying around in this one. With the low perspective, you almost expect it to spray your face.

Babe Ruth on Babe Ruth Day, a year before he passed away. I think you can feel the emotion radiating off of him.

One of my absolute favorites. There's something very Norman Rockwellian about this one which I adore.

I've been told this is a heartbreaking image for Mets fans for some reason or another. I think this is one of Graig's most photorealistic pieces. It's hard to believe it's a painting unless you zoom in really closely.

On rare occasion, Graig does depict some other sports. I love the colors of this golf painting. (And, okay, the awesome 1920s wardrobe of the crowd doesn't hurt either.)

This is an in-progress shot of a new painting of Jackie Robinson. I can already tell I'm going to love it, just from the way he and his uniform are popping off of the canvas.

And on very rare occasion, Graig paints scenes from awesome BBC adaptations of Jane Austen novels.

He gave this to me for Valentine's Day a few years ago. Why, yes, it totally made me swoon and became my very favorite present that I've ever received.

If you want to see more of Graig's work (or read the real stories behind the images), check out www.graigkreindler.com or his Facebook page which he updates frequently with in-progress shots and new work. 

And if you have any favorites of your own, let me know in the comments section below!