Halloween Weekend, Pt. 1

Yes, this post is a two-parter. This is because it's a holiday weekend, and boy howdy, it's a doozy.

First, I want to remind you that the SCBWI BookStop is still going, so come say hi. Also, TODAY at 6 pm EDT I will be on Authors on the Air to talk about Under Locker and Key, so follow the link to tune in. Hopefully, I don't embarrass myself too much.

I have been pretty busy this weekend. Here it is, in pictures. Exhibit A:

A Stranger Things binge-watching party with my siblings since season 2 came out this weekend. My sister made the lovely lights wall that you see above out of rice crispy treats and M&Ms. Isn't it so great?

We watched the first three episodes together, and then broke to watch the rest on our own. It's...it's so good, guys. Creepy and thrilling and everything I'd been hoping for. I'm going to be screaming for so many different reasons for a while.

Some of my family went home to watch another episode before bed, or woke up and watched more the next day, but I didn't, because Exhibit B:

Another year of the Haunted Half Marathon, and another year of running as Dipper. This year, though, I had a goal to complete the race in under 2 hours. As you can see, I made my goal, but there was a cost. I felt fatigued at mile 10 and threw up at mile 11. I did finish, and I did make my goal, but I don't see this race as a total success.

I don't know why it was so tiring; I've done this race before and I know my training route is harder than this one. It was super cold before the race began, so it's been suggested that my warm-up wasn't sufficient for the cold and so my muscles were working harder than they should. My mental pacing may have also been off and I may have taken some hills harder than I should. Or, maybe, I just had a bad day. Either way, it's over, I got my goal, and I'm sore. I'm glad I can say I gave it all I had (including the contents of my stomach), but...everything hurts.

Which brings me to Exhibit C, aka, what I did after the race instead of having a nice, quiet, restful evening in:

A Halloween party, two which I wore this costume. Multiple pictures needed, as I went as Jekyll and Hyde. Jekyll on the far left, with a vial of green liquid (it's melon Powerade, and it's fun to start drinking it in front of people), Hyde in the center covered with blood and holding a knife, and then the half-and-half effect as seen from the front on the right.

I'm way proud of this costume. I'd wanted to do something like this for a while, and I think it turned out well! I think I'll keep this for later years.

The other costumes were excellent. I love seeing what other people put together and how creative they can be. At the party, there was a girl who painted her hair blue, wore an old-fashioned ship on her head, and had on a white T-shirt that said "WHALE." What a clever way of being Moby Dick!

I can't wait for Halloween and all the other amazing things to do and see! I'll have more to say, I'm sure, which is why this is a two-parter. Stay tuned for a report on how the radio interview went as well as (I'm sure) pictures of great Halloween costumes. I'm sad I didn't take any at the party I went to Saturday night, but in my defense, I was a little dead. And half evil.

Here is this week's debut:

Young Adult:

S.F. Henson - Devils Within (10/31)

Life Goes On With Bad Puns

Wow, I didn't know the chocolate milk post would be so popular! Stay tuned for Christmas time when I spout my thoughts on eggnog.

Actually, scratch that. I don't actually like eggnog. Peppermint, maybe? Hot cocoa? We'll see.

As for today, this is pretty much a news post. First, my book is still up for SCBWI BookStop. Come visit my page, watch the video, post a comment or click "like." Enjoy some (virtual and therefore imagined) chocolate milk and cake. I love visitors.

And, while you're there, go browse the collection. If you have any readers you're buying Christmas presents for, this is a great way to find new books.

Second, I'm doing a radio show! Next Monday, October 30, at 4 pm Mountain Time, I'll be doing an interview on Young Adult Cafe with Laura Moe.I'm way excited; I'm super-honored and a bit terrified to be doing this. Listen in and hear me embarrass myself!

No, but seriously, listen in. I'd feel a lot better about this if I knew I had friends in the audience. And, if you can't, I'll share a link to the recorded interview after it happens (if I can). So, next week's post may be a day late.

And, third, my ARC tour for Arts and Thefts is still happening. If you're interested in reading Arts and Thefts ahead of the publication date and leaving me a review on Goodreads, email me at allisonkhymas@gmail.com.

Thank you for all your support. I really appreciate it. I want to leave you with something fun, to make coming to my blog worth your time, but all I have are these terrible Halloween puns:

Why are there fences around cemeteries?
Because people are dying to get in.

What do you call a cleaning skeleton?
The “grim sweeper.”

What did the werewolf eat after he’d had his teeth cleaned? 
The dentist.

What treat do eye doctors give out on Halloween?
Candy corneas. 

Why do ghosts shiver and moan? 
It's drafty under that sheet.

What is Dracula’s favorite circus act?
He always goes for the juggler.

Why do ghosts like to ride in elevators? It raises their spirits.

What happens when a ghost gets lost in the fog?
He is mist.  

What is a vampire's least favorite food? 
Steak.

What do ghosts say when they hear jokes like these?
Booooo!
 
And one joke for my Philly friends (you'll see why):

One Halloween a trick-or-treater came to my door dressed as “Rocky” in boxing gloves and satin shorts. Soon after I gave him some goodies, he returned for more. “Aren’t you the same ‘Rocky’ who left my doorstep several minutes ago?” I asked. “Yes,” he replied, “but now I’m the sequel. I’ll be back three more times tonight too.”

Here's this week's debut:

Young Adult:

JJ Strong - Us Kids Will Know (10/24)

An Ode to Chocolate Milk

First things first, did you know there's a Stranger Things mobile game? Because there is, and I've spent half of the last week playing it.

It's like Legend of Zelda meets Stranger Things, and I've having more fun with it than I have a right to. But...season 2, guys. Season 2.

Second, I want to remind you about my Arts and Thefts ARC tour. If you're interested, follow the link I just gave you, and you'll find all the information on how to join. I've already sent the ARCs out to the first readers!

Third, I want to tell you about this thing I'm doing through SCBWI. It's called BookStop, and it's a promotion for children's books. I made a page for it (you can find it right here) so come and visit me! I have information about my book, a little piece of trivia about the writing of it, and a video review.

You can also visit the BookStop homepage, which is pretty fun on its own. There's a good list of children's books that have come out in the past year, so you can browse and look at all the lovely books. Hey, Christmas is coming; if you know a book lover, this is a good place to start!

I should probably get to the meat of the post here. I'm two weeks out from the Haunted Half Marathon, which I do every year. What's new this year is that I have a time challenge for myself: I'm trying to do it in under two hours.

I should be able to do it. My training has been promising and I know the trail, which is a mild one. Still, it's requiring me to keep a faster-than-comfortable pace, so I've been finishing my training rather spent. Ergo, loss of water and nutrients. Ergo, headaches and crankiness all day.

Naturally, I don't like this, so I've been trying to find ways to refuel better. A couple weekends ago, I bought a bottle of chocolate milk for my post-run, since I like it after a race, so why not also after a training run?

 

Oh.
My.
Goodness.

I don't think I've ever really appreciated chocolate milk before now. I mean, I knew that it was a good post-run drink, but I don't know if I knew it.

To say it hit the spot would be an understatement. I felt like a video game character with my little health bar increasing with every swallow!

Much like Elsa, I'm never going back. I don't think I need this heavenly nectar after every run, but after the long ones, it's amazing. I feel so much better; my hunger is abated, my energy is higher, and I'm happier because, hey, chocolate milk.

Thank you, chocolate milk, for all the strength you give me. After my race, once I (hopefully) have made my goal, I will celebrate in your loving arms.

Or, you know, those of your alter ego, the Wendy's Frosty.

Here is this week's debut:

Young Adult:
Nikki Katz - The Midnight Dance (10/17)

Arts and Thefts ARC Tour

Last night I dreamed that my brother was Captain America and I was a regular person faking superpowers (long story). People kept skulking on our lawn all night, and I had to go out and fight them. I spent the second half of the dream trying to convince my brother that he should do the fighting because he's the one with the super-soldier serum.

Apparently (according to my coworker) I have entertaining dreams. Just thought I'd share the latest with you.

Anyway, on to the news. I don't have a lot to share this week; work is keeping me busy and I'm also working on a new project, though it's too early to share much about that one. If you want a hint, though, see the above passage about my bonkers dream.

But I want to now start something I've wanted to do for a while: an ARC tour of my second book, Arts and Thefts.

What does this mean? Well, I have two Advanced Reader Copies of this book that I am willing to send out into the world. If you're game, I'll send you a copy to read before the book comes out in February. You can be a literary hipster! Or, if you read and liked the first book (some of you exist, right?), you'll be able to read the next one ahead of schedule. In return, I ask you to review the book on Goodreads and then, in February, copy that review onto Amazon.

It would be helpful to me, if you request the ARC, if you gave it a positive review, but I do want you to be honest. I wouldn't ask you to lie, obviously. But I would appreciate some positive publicity out there before the book comes out, if you can help me with that.

So, how would this work? If you would like to take part in the ARC tour, email me at allisonkhymas@gmail.com and request an ARC. Send me an address to mail it to. I'll send you an ARC, and then, when you're done, you'll send it to the next person. Email me again when you've finished and I'll give you the name of the next person to send it to, and we'll keep it going until we're done or February comes!

I'm a little scared and excited to start this. I hope some of you decide to take part in this! It would help me out, and I hope it would be some fun for you.

Here are this week's debuts:


Young Adult:
Tara Goedjen - The Breathless (10/10)
Lisa Rosinsky - Inevitable & Only (10/10)
Heather Kaczynski - Dare Mighty Things (10/10)
Tracey Neithercott -Gray Wolf Island (10/10)
Julie C. Dao - Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (10/10)
Caitlin Sangster - Last Star Burning (10/10)

Light in the Darkness

Hello, everyone. I take it you've heard the news.

I spent the weekend listening to the LDS General Conference, which was full of so much light and joy and goodness and love that coming back to regular life is always an adjustment, but even more so today with the news about the senselessness of the Las Vegas shooting. It's always described like that: senseless. Without sense. And it is. It always is. It defies sense to wreak such horror on other human beings.

It's hard, seeing the darkness in the world and feeling like there's nothing I can do to stop it. I want to; I'm not one to be content doing nothing. I believe that if you really care, you should act on that care. But, sometimes, due to finances and distance, hoping and praying are all you can do, even if you want to do more. So I'll start with that.

It's times like this that make me think of Sam's speech in The Two Towers. "How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened?" But the speech continues with, "But in the end, it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer." I do have hope in a brighter future.

That said, I also believe in the small lights in the darkness that are still around us. Such terror and tragedy make the news, and I'm not trying to ignore them or say that they're not important to recognize and fight. But there are also smaller, quieter victories that rarely get attention, that perhaps do quite a bit to push back the darkness. I've been hoping to do a post like this for a while, and this seems to be the right time.

Here are some recent stories about tiny lights in the darkness:

LOCAL HEROES: HUSBAND & WIFE RESCUED BURN VICTIMS IN SUNDAY'S BOAT EXPLOSION

"As thick, black smoke billowed around the dock, the Leightys realized they had to do something. Thrust into a horrible situation, they helped to rescue two injured people from the boat. Looking back, the husband and wife know they were there for a reason."

THROUGH THE STORM: FAITH GROUPS HELPING OTHERS IN IRMA'S AFTERMATH

"As Hurricane Irma bore its fury down on the state of Florida, faith-based groups in Brevard County and across the state like New Shiloh Christian Center were ready to shelter the poor until the storm passed, and then feed and help the needy."

ROGERS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS HONORED AS LOCAL HEROES

"Three students at Rogers Middle School in the Affton School District were recently honored by the city and county as local heroes after coming to the rescue of their ailing bus driver on the way home from school."  

THESE HEROES ARE HELPING ANIMALS IN AREAS DEVASTATED BY HURRICANES IRMA AND MARIA

"Our disaster response teams are in Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts, St. Maarten and Turks and Caicos working hard to feed, rescue, and deliver medical care to desperate animals affected by Irma. As Hurricane Maria approached earlier this week, our teams had to seek shelter and unfortunately wait out the storm before resuming their work."

LA GRANGE TEENAGER'S 12th ANNUAL FUN FEST BENEFITS CHILDREN FIGHTING CANCER

"For 11 consecutive years, La Grange teenager Crofton Kelly provided a generous helping hand to kids with cancer by organizing, implementing and coordinating a local tennis tournament designed to raise funds to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Treasure Chest Foundation."

A MAGICAL CHARITY MAKES DISNEY PRINCESS WIGS FOR KIDS WITH CANCER

"In case you need proof of some good in the world, look no further than Alaska: There, two women oversee The Magic Yarn Project, a nonprofit that creates yarn wigs for children diagnosed with cancer. Since the project — which recently celebrated its second anniversary — was launched in fall of 2015, more than 3,000 volunteers have made nearly 4,000 character-themed wigs for children in 29 countries."

'AWESOME' TIMES THREE: A KID MEETS A LOCAL HERO

"This brings me to my not-so-humblebrag of the week! Last week, we got to introduce our babies to an actual, real live hero -- the legendary Freeman Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County! Hrabowski, if you don’t know, has been the head of the university for nearly 25 years, and in his tenure has elevated the tiny institution from relative obscurity to national prominence."

I'll stop there, although I found many, many examples of local people doing good for those around them. In times of so much bad, I'm comforted and encouraged by stories of people being heroes in their own, small ways, bringing a little light to others. They make me want to do what I can, as little as that might be, whether to help issues that get national or international attention, or more local problems.

To end, then, here are two more links that might inspire more heroism:

How to Help After the Las Vegas Shooting

How You Can Help Hurricane Victims in Puerto Rico

And here are this week's debuts:

Middle Grade:
Amanda Hosch - Mabel Opal Pear and the Rules for Spying (10/1)
Supriya Kelkar - Ahimsa (10/2)
Jake Burt - Greetings from Witness Protection (10/3)
Karina Glaser - The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street (10/3)
Jodi Kendall - The Unlikely Story of a Pig in the City (10/3)

Young Adult:
Hope Cook - House of Ash (9/27)
Gwen C. Katz - Among the Red Stars (10/3)
Marit Weisenberg - Select (10/3)