A Very Wilderson Thanksgiving

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I ate way too much (as one does) and saw a movie. The Man Who Invented Christmas. See it, if you can. It was lovely.

So, it has been a crazy week. Thanksgiving, Black Friday, the holiday weekend, and now Cyber Monday. By the way, if you're looking for good books to give to kids as holiday gifts, might I suggest Under Locker and Key? ;)

 

Also, the SCBWI BookStop goes through November 30, so it's a great way to look up kids' books during this time. Consider it an online catalogue that you can comment on (and the authors can see your comments!).

Anyway, with it being Thanksgiving and all, I also spent time considering what I'm thankful for, like my family, good books and music, delicious and healthy food, a good night's sleep before a run, candy sugarplums, Christmas specials, Jell-O, clever jokes, etc. I'm sure lots of you did the same exercise in gratitude over the holiday.

So, I thought it might be fun to ask my characters to name 5 things they are thankful for. Here are their answers:

Jeremy Wilderson

- My parents. And my meathead brother Rick, sometimes. Rarely. Very rarely.
- Case and Hack, for the way they have my back and don't laugh (too much) when I fall out of the ceiling on a job.
- My lockpick set, of course. I'd be grounded so many times over without it.
- My grappling hook, for the same reason.

- Chocolate cake. I'm grateful for chocolate cake. What? Did you think I was going to same a certain uptight detective? Ha. No.

Becca Mills

- I guess I have to start with my family, right? It would be wrong not to.
- Law and justice. Or are those two different things? Either way, I'm grateful for how they exist to keep the world ordered and safe.
- Police and lawyers, for upholding law and order through justice.

- My camera. I'm recording this interview on it right now!
- Dirty rotten thieves who remind me why it's so important to honor the law and not give in to sneaky schemes as well as inspire me to work harder to catch them!

Case Kingston

- J and Hack. Of course.
- My collection of acrylic paints. Or do I say my brushes? Argh! The conflict of an artist.
- My parents. And (sigh) my sisters. Even the annoying ones. As long as they don't snoop around my room! And my little brother, for bringing balance to the Force.
- Elmyr de Hory (look him up) for being an inspiration to us all.

- The Philadelphia Eagles. No matter how the seasons go, they're my team.

Paul "Hack" Heigel

- Mom, for working so hard and bailing me out of detention.
- Dad, for teaching me the skills that put me in detention.
- Case and J, even though they accuse me of using cheat codes when we play video games.
- Video game cheat codes.
- The internet. I don't know what I'd do if it had never been invented. Maybe avoid trouble, but at what cost?

BONUS INTERVIEW:

Rick Wilderson

- My family. Including Dr. Evil. He makes me look like the good kid.
- Football. And, by extension, my amazing physique.
- The virtue of humility.
- Root beer. Nectar of the gods.
- Mathematics. What? I can't be a jock and smart, too? Shame on you for falling prey to stereotypes.

Here is this week's debut:

Middle Grade:
Sarah Cannon - Oddity (11/28)

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)