Initiation cover

Cover copyright © 2010 Simon & Schuster. Photo © Monica Stevenson.

My supercool designer, Jessica Handelman, sent me the hi-res version of the INITIATION cover. Yay!! Click on it to see a bigger version. I love, love it and our new models are so fun. I don't want to give away the character names yet, but the model in the front is Dayton and the model in the back is Kyra. Editor K and I weren't able to make this shoot, but from everything we heard the models were awesome and I think it shows in the cover.

Are you getting ready for the release of CHOSEN? It's almost here!

2 weeks till Chosen!

It's kind of crazy to think that CHOSEN officially releases in two weeks. Canterwood books have been known to pop up in book stores a week to a week and a half early, so I wouldn't be surprised if some of you start to find it soon.

I am incredibly proud of this book. It's 295 pages of pure sweat, all-nighters, crazy revising and mile-long outlines. Just when Kate and I had thought we'd finished the book, we realized there were LOTS of things we wanted to change. And with a deadline that couldn't be moved, we had to do them fast. Kate stayed up with me for 2 nights in a row, yes, 48 hours of no sleep, to help me edit CHOSEN to make it a true Super Special.

I can't wait for everyone to read it!

Love and thoughts to UB's family.

Might be MIA

Just a heads up, I'm going through some serious personal issues and might be offline for a while. I will do my best to blog/Tweet/celebrate Chosen's release as I can, but I wanted to let Team Canterwood know that I might be offline for a little while in the future.

Much <3 to you all!

Brooklyn girl, baby!

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.

2 years!

Tattoo says it all! :)

Pretty nails! (Excuse the annoying won't-go-away underline


Eclipse! (I Heart R Pattz)


Fa, la, la, la, la!

Snow day in the Slope

RPattz filming REMEMBER ME

Girls lookin' good on NYE

Sasha on the subway

Knicks at MSG!

Models at a Canterwood shoot

#24

4th of July

Apt day one

The summer spot

My train stop

Some pics of the park

And, one day, I would like a pink brownstone.

Proud New Yorker of two years!

Prizes, anyone?

So the time is faaast approaching! Chosen, the first EVER Canterwood Super Special, hits stores on May 3rd. The books usually release early, so I'm guessing it'll be out in about 3ish weeks.

Anyone interested in winning a superawesome secret prize that I'll reveal soon?

Rules are SUPER simple:

The first *THREE* people (US residents only, sorry!) to e-mail me a pic of themselves with their copy of CHOSEN and have parental permission (I need an e-mail from your parent's address giving the okay) will win. I'll only use your first name and age in the blog post if you're a winner along with your photo of you with CHOSEN. Remember, you can't win unless I get parental permission.

So, be on the look out for it and many, MANY more fun giveaways to come around the release of a beyond special book.

Much love.