THE WITCH COLLECTOR, PART II is now available!

Find out what happened to Breeda, Miro, and our gang of Chicago witches...

THE WITCH COLLECTOR, PART II concludes Breeda's story. Will she find her parents? What's Brandon's deal? Is Miro who we think he is?

Download for $1.99!

THE WITCH COLLECTOR, PART I--OUT IN THE WORLD TODAY!

The Witch Collector, Part I, my digital-original paranormal thriller, is in the world! Check it out on the HarperTeen site here. 

The Witch Collector is a digital original novel in two parts that's a suspenseful brew of magic, dark strangers, and witchcraft—perfect for fans of the Beautiful Creatures and Mortal Instruments series.

The day after her best friend's funeral, Breeda's parents pack her up, usher her into the car, and then drive out of Oregon without looking back. Breeda doesn't know why they left so urgently or why they're headed to Chicago—but she does know that it's against the rules to leave without consulting your Coven Leader. . . . It's a crime punishable by banishment.

All her family has is each other now, in a city that feels strange, unfamiliar, and dark. But when Breeda comes home on her first night in Chicago to find their apartment ransacked and only a bloody handprint left behind, she realizes that you can't outrun the craft.

Visit The Witch Collector web site and follow me on twitter @witchcollector for witchy spells and recipes!

Kirkus!

So...Kirkus Reviews, the highly respected (and often difficult to please) trade journal, gave I'LL BE SEEING YOU a starred review! Suzy and I are thrilled! Here's what they wrote:

Two World War II soldiers’ wives begin a pen-pal correspondence and help each other through the emotional upheaval of war.

Rita is a middle-aged professor’s wife in Iowa, and Glory is a young mother in Massachusetts. Through a pen-pal program, the two become fast friends in 1943 and share their fears, temptations, trials and triumphs as they move through the war years. Rita’s husband and son are both in uniform, her husband in Europe and her son on a ship in the South Pacific. Glory’s husband is overseas, too, but her life is complicated by the shadow of a past romance with her husband’s best friend, who is medically unable to serve in the war. Glory has two children under 5, and Rita’s son is apparently in love with the least acceptable girl in town; Rita is a German-American married to a second-generation Italian, while Glory hails from New England money. The two establish a solid friendship that grows ever more devoted, and through their letters and the occasional correspondence to and from secondary characters, we get a powerful, fascinating look at the war years and at the interesting choices and tragic consequences of a nation enduring an overseas war. 

Engaging, charming and moving, a beautifully rendered exploration of WWII on the homefront and the type of friendship that helps us survive all manner of battles.

YAY!!! I'LL BE SEEING YOU can be pre-ordered at all the usual suspects, Amazon, B&N, etc., or order through your neighborhood indie!

Newsy Stuff!

THE WITCH COLLECTOR comes out April 2, which is a little over ONE WEEK away. I can't wait!

In anticipation of the release, Hypable did a fun interview with me. Read it here: http://www.hypable.com/2013/03/25/hypable-exclusive-author-interview-loretta-nyhan/

Also coming soon:  thewitchcollector.com !!!!  Visit for info about the book, spells, and other fun stuff!

Find me at epicreads.com ! I'm LorettaNyhan.

Thanks, all!

Season of the Witch

Hey, everyone!

It's October, the month of my favorite holiday, Halloween! I love all that is witchy--spells, talismans, tarot cards, so it thrills me to announce the sale of my latest book, to HarperTeen. From PM:

Loretta Nyhan's THE WITCH COLLECTOR, about an unmarked witch on the run from a supposed serial killer as she desperately searches for her missing parents, to Sarah Barley at Harper Teen, by Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media (world English).



Part 1 is up on Amazon for pre-order for Kindle-owning folks, for the "such a deal" price of $1.99!

I'd like to give big thanks to Joanna Volpe of New Leaf Literary and Media, to my gracious editor Sarah Barley, and to my critique partner extraordinaire, Erica O'Rourke. Thanks, ladies!!!

Okay, in honor of the sale, I'm linking to my favorite rocker-witch. Enjoy!

Our First Interview!

Hey, everyone! Suzy and I were interviewed by Publishers Weekly about how our growing friendship resulted in our first novel, I'LL BE SEEING YOU. Check it out here.

Amo l'Italia!!!!

 

Suzy and I are happy to announce...

 

Italian rights to Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan's I'LL BE SEEING YOU, to Garzanti, by Luigi Bernabo Associates, in association with Kathleen Ortiz at New Leaf Literary & Media, on behalf of Anne Bohner at Pen and Ink Literary and Joanna Volpe at New Leaf Literary & Media.

 

AND...my agent, Joanna Volpe, recently announced the opening of her new literary agency, New Leaf Literary & Media. Congrats, Jo! So much excitement!

Printers Row Lit Fest 2012

(We're going to pretend that it hasn't been a whole eight months since I posted, okay? I've been writing like crazy, and I hope someday soon you'll think it was time well spent...thanks for sticking with me.)

Yesterday I attended Chicago's Printers Row Literary Festival. Half outdoor flea market/half literary conference, the festival draws some pretty big name writers AND a ton of people who simply love to read. It's eccentric and informative and completely fabulous. I was lucky enough to attend a few panel discussions, and I'd like to share my impressions here. I love listening to writers talk about writing, but to be honest I was also hoping to learn something about how to be effective on a panel. In June `13 Suzy and I will be promoting our book, and I wanted to see how it's done. The ladies I saw yesterday really knew what they were doing--the audiences were seriously engaged.

Women's Fiction:

Panel 1: Starting Fresh with Stacey Ballis, Sarah Pekkanen, Lauren Fox, and Ann Bauer.

Stacey writes "Foodie Lit" which sounds completely awesome. She was funny and practical and could be heard in the back of the room. This is important. Sarah Pekkanen looks like a super model and has a smooth, rich TV voice, kind of like Jane Pauley when she was young. She talked about overarching themes, balancing motherhood and writing, and working well with editors. Her topics were so relatable and presented with humor and grace. I think everyone was charmed.

Lauren Fox was the only author who read from her book. She did this, in part, because she is naturally shy. I think she actually said many writers are "socially inept." (Um...yeah. I think a lot of us are better with the written word.) The excerpt she chose was funny and briskly paced. She read slowly enough so we understood but not so slow as to make us feel uncomfortable. Even though I got the feeling public speaking isn't on her list of favorite things to do, Lauren's quick wit and self-deprecating manner made her nervousness endearing. 

Ann Bauer told the story of how she came up with the idea for her book, The Forever Marriage. It felt prepared, but not scripted. We were riveted. I think every member of that audience thought, if she writes that story as well as she tells it, I am buying that book TODAY.

What I took away from this panel: Work to your strengths. If you know you aren't a good off-the-cuff speaker, let the writing speak. Pick topics your audience can relate to. Every audience loves a story, well-told.

Young Adult Fiction

Panel 2: Dark Days with Veronica Roth, Elizabeth Norris, Bethany Griffin, and Aprilynne Pike.

The room was packed with fans of these ladies--an interesting mix of teens and adults. The moderator asked lots of questions about the process of writing and pumped the writers for "behind the scenes" stories. These writers had four very different personalities, but I could clearly see one commonality--they all had the utmost respect for their readers. Aprilynne discussed fighting to include an epilogue at the end of her Wings series, because she felt readers needed closure. Veronica Roth discussed plotting a trilogy, and Liz Norris talked about the all-important first line (She writes it last, because if it wasn't perfect, she'd have never been able to write on.).

Bethany Griffin has the amazing ability to pause and think after being asked a question. This is not part of my skill set. If there is any amount of silence in a conversation, I fill it. With anything. Bethany took a minute to think about her answers, and when she spoke, her comments were thoughtful and offered a good deal of insight.

What I took away from this panel: Be genuine and honest without being gossipy. It's okay to discuss the writing process--no need to shroud it in mystery. And...uh...don't be a nervous talker. A few seconds of radio silence is okay.

So...check out these writers' books! Happy summer reading season!

Big News

From today's Publishers Marketplace:

Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan's I'LL BE SEEING YOU, a story of unexpected friendship told through letters shared between two American women on the home front during World War II, to Erika Imranyi at Mira, in a two-book deal, by Anne Bohner at Pen & Ink Literary and Joanna Volpe at Nancy Coffey Literary & Media Representation.

So...how did this happen?

Magic? Happenstance? Accidentally?

I fell in love with Suzy's words on her lovely blog. She read mine, too. We connected. We emailed. We discovered.

Both of us had projects on sub and waiting is hard and lonely. We became friends.

One day Suzy said, in her charming and enthusiastic way, "Let's write a book together while we wait." I said, in my best Spicoli voice, "Uh...okay."

We're both history geeks, the World War II era in particular. When Suzy suggested we write letters to each other as women waiting for their men to come home from the war, I was all over it.

When I got that first letter, my character came to me, fully formed, and started talking. It sounds crazy, but Rita became real, as did Suzy's character, Glory. I found myself refreshing my inbox, hoping a new letter would pop up. I had no idea when this would happen---sometimes days would go by.

When a letter did come, I'd take one look at the Dear Rita subject line and my heart would shake. The computer couldn't bring it up fast enough. My fingers couldn't type a reply fast enough.

We ached for these characters, laughed with them, cried for them. And when the last letter was written, we cried for ourselves. Because it was over.

But then, it wasn't. Our agents, Joanna Volpe and Anne Bohner, loved the book. Later, a wonderful editor, Erika Imranyi at MIRA, loved it as well.

We couldn't be happier. And we couldn't be luckier. How can we adequately thank the people who are making our dreams possible?

And, Suzy, how can I thank you enough? My crazy East Coast twin? Someday we will meet face to face, and you'll take one look at me and know what this has all meant. Love you.

L

Sunset for Woody

A few weeks ago, I walked out of Midnight in Paris and said something I never thought I'd say after watching a Woody Allen film: "Well, that was cute."

And it was, in a literary geek/celeb spotting kind of way. Oh, there's Hemingway. And Gertrude Stein. And Omigod, Adrien Brody makes the best Salvador Dali!

Yeah.

In Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen revisits the magical elements that made The Purple Rose of Cairo such an interesting, compelling film. But in Cairo he seemed to know this: the realism is just as important as the magic. Midnight in Paris is visually stunning and fairly whimsical, but it presents a world populated with caricatures. At some point during this film, Allen decided to sacrifice believability for jokes.

The thing is, he used to do both so well.

I get that he's 75, long past the age when most directors have retired or simply faded away. I also understand that artists evolve and later work may reflect a shift in perspective or a refusal to follow trends. I also suspect some find great comfort in repetition, in watered down versions of older, more successful works. I don't want Woody Allen to be guilty of the latter. It's just too disappointing.

I think he's still got it in him to create movies like the following, movies that made me laugh and think in equal measure, movies that made me want to be a better writer:

Annie Hall

Manhattan

Hannah and Her Sisters

Zelig

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Radio Days

Crimes and Misdemeanors

Husbands and Wives

Manhattan Murder Mystery

Want to add any to the list?

Happy 20th Birthday, Kody Keplinger!

(Kody Keplinger, the author of THE DUFF and the upcoming SHUT OUT, is an agent sister, friend, and occasional writing challenge buddy. This is for her.)


I know, I know...in some ways it does suck to say adios to your teens. You're stressing. I could feel your anxiety over the Internet.

At first, I couldn't understand it. You published a novel at 18. You have another coming out in a couple of weeks. You've accomplished more than people twice your age. You're independent and lovely and focused.

But then...I realized that I'd forgotten.

I'd forgotten that jumping into your third--and first wholly adult--decade is a throat tightening plunge into an ocean of wide open nothingness. The water appears vast and overwhelming, and it seems the waves pull your raft--the safe, secure anchor of teen life--farther and farther out to sea.

My 19 year old self, full of nerves about the future, wrote a timeline for my 20s in my journal: By 19-- I would publish my novel (Um...not that I'd actually written one at that point!) In 19-- I would travel through Europe with only a back on my back. Then I would meet a wonderful man and get married. We'd live on a commune in California and an artists' colony in Provence and a rustic cabin in Maine. Etcetera, etcetera--the list was waaaay long.

Some of those things happened. Some of those things didn't. Your twenties is when you realize planning with pretend knowledge of the future is useless. And this is a freaking exciting revelation. Because anything can happen.

It is also universally acknowledged that at some point between twenty and thirty you will be the best looking version of you. (This is not a superficial statement because this beauty comes more from internal than external factors.) Acne will disappear, baby fat will melt away, and you will be years away from wrinkles and age spots. Your skin will glow. You might not have much money, but you will be secure in your taste and confident in your style. Your hair will shine. And one day you'll be sitting with some friends, holding a glass of wine or a root beer or a San Pellegrino, in a romantic cafe in a city you've come to know as your own, in a city that you've come to own. The sun will make the glass in your hand sparkle and you'll think of all the things you know and all the things there's left to learn and the road is so deliciously long. "This," you'll say, "is life."

And it is good.

Happy Birthday, Kody. The best is yet to come...



For more birthday wishes, check out blog posts by Amy Lukavics, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Erica O'Rourke, and Kaitlin Ward later today!

Back to the Past

The book I'm working on now is set in WWII-era Iowa City. Yep, Iowa.

I have a good grasp of 20th C. history, but I nearly googled myself to death trying to get the setting right. There's not a lot out there, but, I thought, what I found was enough. Through the University of Iowa photo archives I saw where my character might live, where she'd do her grocery shopping, and where she'd stop for a cup of tea or a beer, depending on her preference. Their collection is wonderful.

Still, I had to make some assumptions based on more general historical facts. For example, small-town USO functions were typically held in YMCAs or YWCAs, so when my gal went to roll bandages for the guys overseas, she skipped on down to the Y.

Those assumptions started to bother me. What if I was wrong? You might think, who the heck is going to know the difference? Well, I would. Someone who was around back then might.

So I called the Johnson County Historical Society. The woman who picked up, Sue Foster, patiently listened to my questions. "You need to talk to Bob Hibbs," she said when I finished. "He's our local historian and he knows everything. Let me see if I can find his number..."

She did find it, and next thing I knew I was asking Mr. Bob Hibbs where I might go if I attended a USO function in 1943 if I lived in Iowa City.

"All the USO activities were held in the American Legion Building," he said without even pausing to think. "The old YMCA building burned down."

Okay, then. I would have been wrong.

This might not seem like a big deal to you. But the more I learn about the brave, industrious souls who inhabited Iowa during the war, the more I want to do right by them. It seems an insult to assume now. I want to know.

The closest you can get to that knowledge is through real, live human beings. Thanks, Sue. Thanks, Bob. My book is better thanks to both of you.

Depraved YA: An English Teacher-y Response

It's been a few weeks since Meghan Cox Gurdon's infamous article in the Wall Street Journal decried the current crop of YA novels as pits of depravity, luring our youth into lives as cutters, bulimics, and drug abusers.

The response ranged from ad hominem attacks (Gurdon is clueless, an idiot, stupid, old, out-of-touch, etc.) to thoughtful personal essays (Libba Bray, Sherman Alexie), to a tidal wave of tweets including the hashtag #YASAVES.

Do books have the power to save teens? Well, this has been my personal truth. I was a horribly insecure person during those years, a misfit, unsure of my place in the world. I hate to think of what would have happened to me without the lifeline books provided.

But in equating YA literature with self-help books, we cease to view it as literature. This is more dangerous than Gurdon's article. If an author's main goal while writing a book is to offer solace to the suffering reader, it often comes at the expense of characterization, plot, even diction, the writer's careful choice of words. (And you are insane if you think I'm going to offer examples, but there are many who use the story to serve the issue, not vice-versa.)

This mindset also makes it nearly impossible to evaluate the worth of books like John Green's LOOKING FOR ALASKA, a young adult novel which contains all the hallmarks of classic literature. To describe it as a suicide book is to lessen the artistic impact of the novel.

Which leads me to the dicey topic of quality. This, I think, was an underlying message in Gurdon's WSJ piece. In evaluating these books solely on what she feels their impact is on a young reader, Gurdon is essentially saying this genre is not worthy of true critical analysis. Her method is not only impossible given the breadth of options in YA, it is simply not an effective way to critique art.

And YA lit is where some of the most exciting writers in any genre are crafting novels. Look at Jandy Nelson and Nova Ren Suma's use of language. Or Suzanne Collins and Veronica Roth's expertise with plot. Or Sarah Dessen's ability to extend a metaphor. Or Charles Benoit's experimentation with point of view in YOU.

I teach literature courses to young adults. I know they are fully capable of looking at novels with a critical eye. To assume a monkey see/monkey do response is to insult their intelligence, and the artistic merit of the work. I hope Meghan Cox Gurdon eventually comes to that realization.

Happy Birthday, Bobby D!

Today is Bob Dylan's 70th birthday. Second only to the Beatles on the list of my all-time greatest influences, I can't go too long without listening to his music. When I was a teen I studied his lyrics, so much so that I copied Tangled Up in Blue onto my history folder, with the seriousness and accuracy of a surgeon. When the teacher's droning got to be too much, I'd run my fingers over the words, again and again, hoping their perfection would seep into me somehow. I learned a lot about diction from Dylan, and the power of the image. Those lessons have stuck with me.

In honor of Bob's big day, here are my favorites of his many songs. Feel free to add your own to the list in the comments.

1. Tangled Up in Blue: A friend once said I require narratives of my music. I'd say that assessment is spot-on. Tangled Up in Blue is a freaking 7 minute novel. LOVE this song.

2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right: So simple on the surface but so emotionally complex, really.

3. Just Like a Woman: I, uh, assumed he was talking about me. He was, right?

4. Subterranean Homesick Blues: Maybe I just like the performance arty-ness of Bob standing there with the words on placards. Maybe it reminds me of the Beats. Maybe it's because the words feel like little punches.

5. Baby Let Me Follow You Down: Okay, he didn't write this one, but it's the perfect blend of Dylan's signature guitar, harmonica, voice. It just always makes me feel good.

Happy birthday, Bob!

I'm a Winner!

So...

Writer/Fellow Blogger Diane Lebow (Check out her blog, About Writing) gave me this award:

In accepting it, I've agreed to write seven intriguing things about myself (um...no problem there--I know very few writers who would pass up an opportunity to talk about themselves) and to pass it along. As far as the latter goes, I'll pass it along to any interested blogger--go for it! Here are my seven:

1. My husband and I met when we were nine years old. Seriously. At fifteen, we went on one date. It didn't go well. Eight years later we decided to try again and had a better time. We've been married for thirteen years!

2. My favorite flower is the ranunculus.

3. I like to eat my ginger and garlic raw. I brush my teeth a lot.

4. On the Myers-Briggs scale, I'm an INFJ, which, at one percent of the population, is the rarest of all types. I don't mention this to be braggy, as the descriptions always start with, "It won't be an easy life for the INFJ, but it will be interesting." Um...yeah. Totally.

5. I make crazy good lemon bars.

6. I like people, but I need to be alone a lot and I reaaaally like silence (see INFJ).

7. I don't have any tattoos, but I do have a birthmark on my upper right arm that looks like Mr. Peanut.

Okay, feel free to give yourself this award and get cracking on those big reveals...

Thoughts on Twitter from the Hippie Emily Post

Twitter is hard on writers. Especially those of the unpublished variety (Does anyone use the term "pre-published" anymore or has it been banished after general agreement that it's freaking obnoxious?). This is me : @LorettaNyhan. Make a pie chart of who I follow and you'll get a big old wedge of other writers, followed by a diverse group of publishing professionals: editors, publishing companies, agents, etc. A tiny sliver would represent people outside of publishing.

So most of my communication takes place between me and people in the book business.

Until recently, this was often problematic.

I'd assumed Twitter operated like a quiet pub on a Sunday afternoon. Three or four people sitting at the bar sipping their drinks, the conversation both leisurely and democratic.

Um...no.

For an unpubbed writer, Twitter is like being in a crowded classroom full of attention starved Type A students with a constant rotation of substitute teachers. Some subs care passionately about teaching and their students, others could give a crap about the students but love their subject. Some are just passing time until something better comes along. Some have borderline personality disorders.

The students desire to be heard, to stand out from the pack, to earn recognition for their "specialness." Not going to happen. Not often, anyway.

My Twitter philosophy has been this: if I find a tweet interesting, I should feel free to respond, no matter who the person is. I mean, the tweeter put it out there, right? Is this the way you guys feel?

This is fine if you understand three things: 1. No one is obligated to respond to you. 2. You might learn things about people you admire that you'd rather not know. 3. If you are responding to someone you hope to one day work with professionally, then conduct yourself in a professional manner.

Now, I like to think I haven't embarrassed myself on Twitter (yet), but it makes me cringe to think how easy it is to do so. I see unpubbed writers replying to big-name authors, editors, agents, etc., acting like they are not only sitting at a bar, but about to fall off the barstool. As in any industry, there is a hierarchy in publishing. The very idea of this may clash with your rebellious writerly spirit, but you need to respect it if you're going to get anywhere.

This is not to say the big-wigs won't respond. Some might engage. Others might not. Authors tend to have thickly drawn lines when it comes to tweeting. One famous author simply doesn't reply to anyone. Some only reply to other "names." One New York Times bestseller responds to everyone. I've seen her avatar so many times I think I know her face better than my own. And, though I risk sounding like Stuart Smalley, all of these choices are okay, and have nothing to do with you.

For an unpubbed writer, things get a bit trickier when responding to editors. These are people who might find my work in their inboxes someday. My rules for these tweets: 1. Proofread. 2. Don't fawn. 3. Avoid saying anything remotely stalker-like. You would think these rules are easy to follow. You would be wrong. I'm probably overthinking @ replies now, but I'd rather err on the side of caution. In this market there are so many reasons for an editor or agent to reject. Setting off the "Twitter Psycho!" alarm shouldn't be one of them.

Writing is a lonely endeavor, so it's not a surprise we all jumped into the Twitter pool feet first. Let's not forget that though social networking may jumble the private and public, it's not an excuse for us to do the same.

Friday Five: Happy Writer Edition

Hey, everyone! I'm starting a new project, which basically means I can't think of anything other than my shiny new story. When first drafting, I get a little wacko about my writing ritual, so for my list this week, I thought I'd share the five things I absolutely need in order to write. Here goes:

1. Silence: I can listen to music while I edit, but lyrics distract me when I'm writing a first draft.

2. Green tea: Absolutely necessary. Every day. Couldn't live without it.

3. Chocolate: Dark. Bitter. Like my humor.

4. Natural sunlight: Tall order for Chicago these days.

5. Yoga pants: Comfort beats fashion. Every time.

What about you guys? What do you need to write?

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

Happy St. Patty's Day!

My paternal grandparents came from Ireland, and my father even spent some of his formative years in The Glen of Aherlow, County Tipperary. Someday I'd like to visit this country I've heard so much about, but until then I have to satisfy myself with the next best thing, Chicago.

On St. Patrick's Day, being Irish and being a Chicagoan are synonymous. I've been celebrating in this city since before I could stand (and, during some of my college years, I could barely do that!). There are so many things I love about my hometown, and this holiday brings out some of my favorites:

1. Dyeing the Chicago River green:

Isn't it gorgeous? The city uses some top secret vegetable dye concoction I probably don't want to know too much about. It doesn't last long, which makes us all appreciate it all the more.

2. The St. Patrick's Day Parade, downtown Chicago. It isn't what it used to be, but it's still a great experience for the kids. When I was younger, it was always held on the actual holiday, but that resulted in too many kids ditching school. Um, not that I would have done anything like that. One other thing I wouldn't have been caught dead doing is adding Peppermint Schnapps to my Shamrock Shake. Never. Uh-uh.

3. Irish Dancers--before Riverdance, before they started wearing heavy pancake makeup and crazy wigs, young Irish-Americans learned how to dance a jig in smelly Catholic school gymnasiums. Now, there are Irish Dancing schools popping up everywhere, with kids from all walks of life practicing reels and begging their parents to take them to an Irish feis.

4. Green beer. I don't even drink beer and I think it's cool.




5. Irish Folk Music--Chicago has long been home to incredible Irish folk bands. Numerous friends and cousins drifted in and out of these groups, but one from my teenage years is still performing and sounds incredible: Baal Tinne. Have a listen to the band at Milwaukee Irish Fest.

So, Happy St. Patty's to you all! Wear green--everyone's Irish today!

I Really, Really Like Me

Every issue of Marie Claire contains a short two-page spread where the mag picks a different city and asks a handful of women living there one question: What do you like about yourself? The answers are varied and sometimes unexpected, and the women are not all super models in training, but a motley mix of ethnicities and age groups.

I love this. And I was thinking about it yesterday, because this week was one of those where I found myself drowning in the "If only" pool. If only I had more talent, better clothes, more coordination, a skinnier bod, a straighter nose, more money, a quicker mind...

Yeah. Totally useless and destructive.

So for today's Friday Five * I'm going to list things I like about myself. Feel free to do the same in the comments section--it'll be good for you.

1. I throw amazing dinner parties. My husband and I could have a Food Network show, like the Heelys. Seriously.

2. I'm super polite. I always say "please" and "thank-you." I stay to the right when walking up or down a staircase. I give up my seat on the bus for pregnant women and the elderly.

3. I smile a lot.

4. My head is FULL of random factoids that actually come in handy when I write. And I rock Trivial Pursuit. You want me on your team. Definitely.

5. I can usually find a little bit of beauty in everyone. I consider this an amazing gift.

Okay, so let's hear yours. Don't be shy!

*I know it's Saturday. Deal.

FYI

Fan-freaking-tastic discussion of sex in YA over at Kody Keplinger's blog.