Lara Zielin

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND:  Awkward Family Photos has been around a long time now, but the site has grown into something pretty extraordinary. Get ready to LOL if you visit.

I haven’t posted much lately because I’ve been editing PROMGATE. My brain is fried. And so, because I have nothing else, I give you more pictures of me wearing Bumpits. Did you know their tagline is “from flat to fabulous”? I can think of something else that could have applied to when I was in junior high.

I love Bumpits!

See how much?

Do you have a Bumpit image too? Email me at new [dot] zielind [at] gmail [dot] com and I’ll share it!

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: Oh, man, there are so many good ones right now, but I think this video of Heidi Montag’s interview with Access Hollywood after her 10 (10!!) plastic surgeries is straight up awesad (that’d be awesome and sad). I mean, she almost died … like Michael Jackson. Oh, and her new album supposedly is as amazing as Thriller. Sigh. If that doesn’t trip your trigger, though, here’s a toad that likes to be petted. Aw.

Since it’s been a while since I’ve blogged (sorry!) I thought I’d give a general update on where things are at, book-wise. Because, you know, that’s what all the cool authors are doing.

Ah-hem. Currently, I’m hard at work editing my second novel, which, in case I haven’t shouted it from the mountaintops enough, is called PROMGATE. I just checked Amazon.com and it’s not up there yet — probably because it doesn’t come out until 2011. If you search PROMGATE on Amazon.com, it spits out a book about fine particle emissions. I don’t know what those are but … ew.

Anyway, as you may recall from my video Editing Letter, editing novels is not my favorite thing. At all. I am really struggling right now with character motivation, but because I have a good editor and smart friends, I think I’m going to figure out a way to make this work.

It’s just … can I be honest? I read books by the amazing Laurie Halse Anderson and Laura Ruby and I think — dearlordbabyjesus, they are so good. How am I ever going to get to be that good? It’s kinda stressful, ya know?  (On the bright side, at least my name also starts with L.)

I guess this is what they call it when that little thing calls self doubt creeps around the corner and peers at you. Wuddup, self doubt. I’m Lara. I’ve seen you before. And I know how to make you go away. It’s a little four-letter word I like to call W-O-R-K. Which I’m off to get done.

PROMGATE is going to rock the house, y’all. Once I get past this little hump.

I’m just saying.

It’s the WIN A SWEET, SWEET BLUGGIE contest!

Okay, you know you totally want a Bluggie: a Snuggie with bling.

So how do you get one? I’ll tell you!

1.) If you haven’t already, watch my Snug Life video!

2.) Forward the video to a friend, RT the link, or post it up on your Facebook page.

3.) Use @larazielin in your RT or leave a comment here to let me know how you passed along the magic that is Bluggie.

That’s it! That’s all you have to do to to be entered win. But, let me just tell you — this isn’t any old Bluggie. This Bluggie will have your name emblazoned on the front, so that it’s customized to your own pimpocity levels. It will have tons of bedazzling sparkles that will make you stand out in a lineup. It will be, in a word, the greatest Bluggie ever. It will be YOUR Bluggie.

So please, forward the Bluggie vid widely, and RT or comment here when you’re done. The contest will end on January 10, with a winner chosen Monday, January 11.

Badass needles forevah!!

FAVE LINKEY-POO RIGHT THIS SECOND: This clip reminds us all that David Hasselhoff almost solely ended communism and brought down the Berlin Wall. Watch for the firework circa 3:20.

Sarah Quigley and I were in our alumni magazine, the Carleton College Voice! Granted, it wasn’t the feature we were hoping for, but we were in it. In the back. Next to academic publications. But still. Lookey!

Okay, one more day of Kathy love. I can’t help it. Her book is awesome, AND she has a new film, which she talks about here on Jimmy Kimmel. Brilliant.

Congratulations to DeDe, who left a comment on Rhonda Stapleton’s awesome post and won a $10 Dunkin’ Donuts gift card!  Thanks everyone who participated and, never fear, there are more opportunities to win tomorrow. Why, you ask? Because DONUT DAYS is finally released tomorrow, that’s why! Aaaaa!!

In case I haven’t mentioned it enough, the amazing and incredible Melissa Schorr, author of GOY CRAZY, will be posting here on the book’s launch day. For me, it’s the perfect way to send DONUT DAYS into the world because Melissa’s book was such an inspiration to me.

I’m also doing a few guest posts and interviews on other blogs. Here’s one at reviewer Jessica Marie’s site, and I was also interviewed by the Divining Wand, which you can read here.

Thanks to everyone who’s let me ramble on their interwebs space. You guys rock.

Till tomorrow then! Squee!

We have more winners! Thanks to everyone who left a comment on Jon Yang’s awesome post. I enlisted the help of my neatoreato friend Brandon to choose the winners and they are: Grace and Elena! Congratulations!

Next week is *gulp* the actual launch week of DONUT DAYS and I’ll have not one but two more guest posts and contests. On Monday, Rhonda Stapleton, author of STUPID CUPID, will stop by. And on August 6, the book’s actual debut date, the amazing Melissa Schorr will be posting, which is a huge honor and totally perfect because her book, GOY CRAZY, was totally inspiring to me.

So much great stuff! So little time! Aaaaaa!