Merry Anniversary to Me

I can't believe it. 'Twas one year ago today the elves released my debut book....

A big candy-cane hug to everyone on the Nice List who enjoyed it last year. I hope you plan to make it part of an annual Yuletide tradition.

They say Christmas is coming earlier this year, but my dad assures me it's still going to be on December 25.

However, it is true that Hanukkah is coming ridiculously early this year (like, before Thanksgiving!), and that 1 in 3 Jewish Americans puts up a Christmas tree!

So hurry up and get yourself ready for Christmas before it's too late, with the book critics called "a Christmas favorite to be read year after year."

And have a Merry October! :D

#SoonItWillBeChristmasDay

North West

In honor of the arrival of little baby North West, here is a brief excerpt from my book North Pole High, which I believe was the inspiration for the beautiful name of Kanye and Kim's new daughter!

This is from the scene where Rudy, Snowflake, Silentnight, and I first stepped foot inside Rocks, a popular ice bar in Eggnog Alley...

     Already pushing his way past everyone else, Rudy was all too eager to indulge in my cutsies without so much as the courtesy to wait for my say-so. Not that I would have left him out in the cold, but still.
     I waved Silent and Snow over and fished a cookie out of my purse for Nagloolik. The four of us then crossed the chilly threshold together.
     I’d heard Rocks was made entirely of ice—that was the inside joke we had giggled about when Rudy referred to the place as “cool”—but if I’d known how beautiful it was inside, how stunning, beyond anything I’d ever dreamed, I would have insisted we check it out years ago.
     Chiseled blocks of ice formed frozen tables and seats. Smoothly powdered ice columns rose from the floor. Curtains of glistening icicles dangled across space in intricate, criss-cross patterns. Drinks were served at a long, translucent bar. Every piece of ice glowed in an ever-changing array of swirling hues that flashed and pulsated with the driving beat of the music being spun by Kanye North, the DJ seal. On the slippery stage next to him, three dancing-girl seals performed all manner of flips and loop-the-loops over vertical ice rings, like floppy, breathing, bendable Hot Wheels cars. What a sight!

Kanye "North" (lol)

     The clientele included polar bears, walruses, and several other humans besides us, but mostly the place was crawling with elves. Elves everywhere. Climbing the barstools, sliding across the floor, hanging from ice sculptures.
     Only a few steps inside the door, a large, feathery flipper landed on my shoulder. My heart leaped out of my parka. I spun around, relieved to find a stern but familiar penguin face bearing down on me. “Chefy!”
     “Does your father know where you are, Candycane?”
     My nerves frayed again. I pressed my lips together and stared up his beak with hopeful, pleading eyes. “He won’t find out from you, will he?”

Hope you enjoyed that!

And North, I hope you'll come up and visit us here at the North Pole some time. I had the elves make this cute little baby polar bear just for you:

Santa's Day

As if Santa doesn't get enough attention already!

Sure, what he does is pretty amazing -- delivering toys to every boy and girl in the world. But that's only one night of the year! The rest of the time he just bosses elves around.

Still, he is a dad -- mine -- and a pretty good one at that. (Usually. LOL.) So I guess he's entitled to a HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

Hope you all made your dads' day special. If not, you know which list you'll end up on!

Fan of the Month

Hugs and Mistletoe to my #1 fan,

 

Jillyn

She's the best!

In her review of my debut book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, she said, "Lords-a-leaping, I cannot stress how much I loved this book."

In her review of my collection of short origin stories, North Pole High: Beginnings, she said, "The perfect companion to North Pole High. Contains just as much humor, sass, and holiday fun-timery in a compact, fun little ebook."

And then we did a really fun interview over snow cones and hot chocolate, which you can read here. The interview even got picked up by the wire services in the North Pole and was carried by Christmas Every Day! Yay!

Have some cupcakes, Jillyn. You deserve them!

Spring Break Ends, Back to Christmas

Hi, everyone! Back from Spring Break. Went down to the South Pole to work on my snowtan. Now that the Easter Bunny has "left the building," we're getting supercharged and energized for CHRISTMAS 2013!

Time to start thinking about what you want. We're ready for your letters to my dad. If you start being good now, all your Spring Break shenanigans won't count.

In the whirlwind of excitement surrounding last season's release of my debut book, North Pole High: A Rebel Without a Claus, I almost missed some of the wonderful reviews. Finally had time to catch up. Although it's been said many times, many ways: Thank you to every single book blogger out there who took the time to express your thoughts about my work. Now, whenever I'm blue -- which does sometimes happen even in a magical city like the North Pole -- I can visit my updated Review Blurbs page and warm my heart over your kind words. <3 <3

Also hadn't been to Goodreads in a while. I was sooo thrilled to log on and see so many new friend requests. Welcome aboard to all my new fans. I hope you are finding a ton of very good reads! :)

  Merry April!

xoxoxo

Candycane Claus