Five for Friday

1. And another observation about Lyla the basset/boxer: people talk to me now when I walk her. More specifically men talk to me. Men tell me about their dogs. Men tell me about the dogs that live with their ex-wives. Men walking their dogs stop and ask if our dogs can 'visit.' Stoner teenage sons taking out the garbage say (and this is an exact quote) "Dude, what the hell is that dog? I LOVE that dog."

2. Finishing a trilogy is a strange and wonderful and bittersweet experience. I have been writing some piece or another of Dreaming Anastasia since 2005. That is a long time. A lot of characters. Anne and Ethan and the gang have been cozied up in my brain for all those years. I think we will have to be pried apart with a crow bar. But we'll hang out for awhile longer, since Anastasia Forever is coming in August. And soon a gorgeous cover (i've seen hints... i'm excited) coming soon. More on this later.

3. Excited to be going to ALA today and at the Soho Press booth Saturday as they launch Soho Teen and I get to begin chatting about The Sweet Dead Life, which will be out in 2013 as part of Soho Teen's inaugural list. Let me just say that I love, love this book. And the others in the new imprint, too! Stay tuned.

4. Reading Catching Jordan by Miranda Keneally, a Sourcebooks 'sista author.' Jordan Woods is the star quarterback. Jordan Woods is also female. And then the love troubles begin, initially in the form of a new quarterback named Ty. A fun, fun read. After this, it's The Fault in our Stars, by John Green, which I've been sneaking pages of since I bought it earlier this week. I am in awe of John Green's writing in this book. Love, death, life... it's all in there. Beautiful and heart wrenching and funny all at once.

5. And speaking of John Green, it's possible there's still a restraining order from the fan girl hysteria that I squeaked his way when we met at TLA a couple years ago. I mumbled on so long and gushingly about how wonderful he was and such an inspiration and... eventually his eyes glazed over and we snapped a picture.