Thursday, June 16, 2011

I think I'm an awkward person

(Reposted from my deviantArt blog)

Or, at least, I have this unbreakable tendency to try to say something polite/complimentary and then have it come out as insulting. O__o I shall give you two recent examples below:

Scenario #1: Boyfriend and I step into our local diner.

Hostess: "Hi! How are you?"
Us: "Great, thanks! How are you?"
Hostess: "Oh, doing fine, thanks."
Boyfriend: "Busy day?"
Hostess: "No, not really."
Me: "Oh, that's good."
*awkward silence*

What I meant: Oh, that's good, because I'm glad that you didn't have a stressful day dealing with huge crowds of people.
What it sounds like: Oh, that's good, cuz your restaurant's gonna TANK.

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Scenario #2: Twitter. I am watching a video of Harry Shum Jr.'s mad dancing skills (you know, that Glee guy), and a Conan the Barbarian trailer pops up.

What I wanted to say on Twitter: You know, even though buff guys like Conan the Barbarian are supposed to be the ones I'm attracted to, I still like lean guys like Harry Shum Jr., because they are also handsome and attractive and appealing even though they do not have big bulging muscles. Yay for those of us who are not alpha perfect!

What I actually say on Twitter:

Muscles are so overrated.
*suddenly remembers that there are some muscular, friendly ppl on her followers list*
I mean, abdominal muscles are nice. But I still like lean+mean over muscular guys.
I mean, some muscle is good. But I mean muscular like, The Rock. Not hot.
*remembers The Rock is actually a nice person in interviews*
I mean, @redcrest is right, I probably like lean guys because I like bishonen boys in anime.
*@redcrest comes to my aid, gently suggesting that muscular guys are also great, they are the evolutionary instinct*
I mean, my preference for lean guys over muscular guys gives me a distinct evolutionary disadvantage.
I mean, not that muscular guys are unattractive. I just like lean guys better.
I mean, not that lean guys are evolutionary disadvantages.
*awkward silence*
Ok, now that I have thoroughly insulted both muscular and lean guys, I'm going to shut up now and go back into my box.

----

Hmm........I really need to work on my delivery.....

Monday, June 06, 2011

Mafia birthdays, & CBS Films' Legend ARC giveaway

(Reposted from my deviantArt blog)

So Boyfriend and I were talking in the car the other day:

Boyfriend: I have a cool surprise trip planned for your birthday.

Me: Oooooh. What is it?

Boyfriend: It's a SURPRISE.

Me: Can I ask you yes/no questions to try and guess it?

Boyfriend: Okay fine.

Me: Is the trip in California?

Boyfriend: Yes.

Me: Is the trip to Palm Springs?

Boyfriend: No.

Me: Santa Barbara?

Boyfriend: No.

Me: Catalina?

Boyfriend: No.

Me: Does it involve extreme sports or public humiliation? Please say no.

Boyfriend: I'm almost positive it doesn't.

Me: ...

Boyfriend: Helpful hint, it might relate a little to your book idea.

Me: We're going to be vigilantes for a day and take out the government??

Boyfriend: No, not LEGEND. Your other book idea.

Me: WE'RE GOING TO JOIN THE MAFIA?! :D :D :D

Boyfriend: .....okay, that hint was a poor choice....

(and no, I still don't know what it is)

---
In other book-related news, CBS Films is doing one of the larger Legend giveaways I've seen online! They're giving away 20 Legend ARCs tomorrow morning at 10am PST sharp. Check their Legend page for the details (U.S./Canada only; all you need is a Facebook account). Super easy to enter!

Legend book signing, NYC, & hot military boys

(Reposted from my deviantArt blog)

Things have finally quieted down enough over here for me to post this blog entry that I've been meaning to do for a while. In summary, last week I went to BookExpo America in New York City, which is the largest publishing industry event in the country (and sort of like E3 for video games....but for book stuff). It was kind of awesome. :heart: First of all, Penguin booked me on Virgin America, which is the best airline ever because the lights in the plane are neon fuchsia and every VA pilot I've ever had is sarcastic and witty. Also, they have a lot of very cute male flight attendants. And NYC had an unusual number of extremely attractive soldier boys wandering around the city (in all colors of uniform, including the all white head-to-toe, which I have no idea where it belongs but I think belongs in the Navy somewhere, and the dark navy uniforms, and the navy tops + tan bottoms uniforms, etc). Can't help ogling our military boys. ;) I'm getting off topic...where was I?....

So I met a ton of very cool authors, got lost several times on the BEA expo floor, hunted down whatever person was dressed up in an Olivia suit so that I could take a picture, and got to do my very first book signing for Legend! Some photos can be see here.

The signing itself was all a blur; I was relatively nervous and I have a feeling I might have written the wrong thing on a few of the books I signed. ACK. o_O Then there was a lot of delicious food, and awesome lunches/dinners with my agent, Penguin, and cool authors like Laurie Halse Anderson (SPEAK) and Ally Condie (MATCHED) and Sarah Rees Brennan (THE DEMON's LEXICON). And me getting lost in New York. I got lost a lot in general while I was there, but it's all good. It amazed me just how MANY books are also coming out in November of this year. I mean, I shouldn't be surprised by this, but to see it is a whole other thing. I felt so extremely privileged to be there with all the enthusiastic folks from Penguin, and at the same time I also felt very small against a tidal wave of books. Just have to keep my fingers crossed that people will remember Legend by the time November 29 rolls around!

Then I got back from BEA, and the first thing I see is an article in the Hollywood Reporter that CBS Films has chosen the screenwriters for Legend: "CBS Films Taps Writers to Adapt 'Legend' Novel". I also get an amazing review of Legend from book blogger Precious, and Kirkus Reviews selects Legend as one of the Top 26 Books at BEA. WHOA....WHAT!

I still can't quite believe that this all might actually be a possibility, and some days (like today) I wake up and expect it all to be explained away with some explanation (i.e. You were dreaming for a really LONG time, actually we think you may have been comatose for about 9 months). But it's still here, and I'm starting to think Legend might actually be real. Or something. Sort of. <3