silver phoenix release day!

and it's over.
and i'm exhausted.
just wanted to let those who
are still not linking to my new site
(naughty!) that i'm running an awesome
contest over at cindypon.com/blog
in celebration of my book launch!
grand prizes being a framed original brush
painting by yours truly OR a $100 bookstore
gift card along with a signed copy of my book.

so click on over! =D

who is the fairest alien of all?

okay. i'm easily amused.
(random cindy fact #327)

i changed the setting on my new wordpress
blog so that every commenter (unless they set
it up differently themselves as wp users) get
a unique "alien" avatar when they comment.

i was assigned that of a befuddled purple
alien. which is quite appropriate.
so would you please visit my new blog and
make a comment so i can see how many
diff aliens wordpress can actually make? hee!

on monday, i'll choose my favorite alien
avatar and send the winner a lotus bookmark!
(small prize, i know, but just for funsies! =)

http://cindypon.com/blog

and please update your links!!

new website and blog link!

yay! i've been working with the
wonderful shaz (she's linked on the
bottom of my new website) on a new
author site redesign. it launched today,
but is still taking some time to
redirect from my own isp. =(
so i'm at an internet cafe admiring
my new webspace. =D

please change your links as that's
where i'll be blogging from from
now on! i've moved to wordpress,
which is great--but i'll miss blogger
and all your lovely avatars when
you comment.

cindypon.com

NEW BLOG HOME : http://cindypon.com/blog/

soul enchilada by david macinnis gill releases!!

happy happy day! my fellow greenwillowite
and partner in crime, david's debut novel,
SOUL ENCHILADA, releases today! i am so excited
for him. we are book ending what will prove to be
a fabulous month of april as silver phoenix comes out
on the 28th!! congratulations, david!! i had
the pleasure of reading his ARC back in december
while i was in england. and here's my review
from goodreads!

i was so engrossed in soul enchilada by david gill, that i very nearly missed my train stop while whizzing through the english countryside. this book was a surprise to me in a fantastic way on all counts. i loved the characters gill created, he pegged bug's voice so well, i'd suspect him of being a sassy teenaged girl if i didn't know any better. she's smart, she's funny, she's fearless. and you have to be, if you've got the devil chasing after your soul.

the book has it all, fantasti...more i was so engrossed in soul enchilada by david gill, that i very nearly missed my train stop while whizzing through the english countryside. this book was a surprise to me in a fantastic way on all counts. i loved the characters gill created, he pegged bug's voice so well, i'd suspect him of being a sassy teenaged girl if i didn't know any better. she's smart, she's funny, she's fearless. and you have to be, if you've got the devil chasing after your soul.

the book has it all, fantastic myth, scary moments, romantic moments, tender and soul-searching moments. it's everything a teenager (or any reader, really) would enjoy. i recommend whole-heartedly or better yet, with all my soul. =)

visit david at : davidmacinnisgill.com

and amazon linky love!!

the forest of hands and teeth by carrie ryan

such a pleasure to have carrie ryan stop by
on the 09 debs blog tour today! if you have NOT
heard of her debut, THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH,
i'm not sure what hole you've been hiding under. =)
carrie's novel is getting great reviews and great buzz,
and i'm very much looking forward to this read!!

About The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth is about a young girl named Mary growing up generations after an apocalypse in a village surrounded by fences protecting them from the Unconsecrated, zombie-like creatures inhabiting the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Cut off from the rest of the world and told they are the last survivors of the Return, every part of her life is controlled by the religious order called the Sisterhood. As Mary starts to fall in love with someone she shouldn’t, she learns the extent of the Sisterhood’s power and starts to discover more of their darkest secrets. When the security of the fences is threatened and her world is thrown into chaos, Mary must decide what she’s willing to risk to find out if there’s life beyond the Forest.

About Carrie Ryan

1. who is your literary character crush?

Usually the hero of the book I'm currently reading!
[i don't crush on all heroes, but when i do, i'm loyal!]

2. who is your author crush? (does not have to
be romantic!)

David Sedaris -- he has an amazing ability to write these amazingly hilarious scenes that turn on a dime to being quite tragic and heartbreaking.

3. what is your favorite pastry?

chocolate eclair. nom nom nom.
[mmm! good choice! i'll bring the latte!]

4. what is the favorite scene from your novel?

The first almost kiss between the main character and the boy she has a crush on. I love the tension!

visit carrie at : http://www.carrieryan.com

and amazon linky love!

congrats on your debut, carrie!!

the killer clown interview ARC giveaway!

what have i gotten myself into?
yan over at booksbytheircover seemed
like a nice enough person. when she asked
me to do an april fool's themed interview
and ARC giveaway (last chance! book is
out april 28!! =) i said, of course!

she's doing a combo interview deal
with carol (who also seems like a very
nice person) UNTIL she forwarded
me an entire interview about my secret
life as a stripper. HELLO? i emailed back
and said, my editor would kill me. what?!
so...i got the killer clown interview.

and you know what? i had a lot of fun with
it. then yan had to give me white hairs by
finding a rather inappropriate clown foto
with a very bad caption. so. er, maybe go look.
*covers face with hands*

yan's killer clown interview and
ARC / cindy's bookmarks giveway!

bookluver carol's clown entry

full speed ahead!

*click for full image. the text looks a
bit blurry but it isn't on actual bookmark!

sweet pea has short days all week,
coming home in time for lunch due to
parent teacher conferences. then next
week is spring break! and before we know it,
it's mid-april! where does the time go?

thank you everyone for your comments and
celebrating with me. i'm very excited and very
anxious all at once and it just leaves me
emotionally drained by the end of the day. ha!
this week, i got beautiful postcards made
with the silver phoenix cover as well as the
above bookmark with my latest lotus painting.
what do you think? i think it lends itself nicely!

frames have been ordered so i can self-assemble
for the art show which begins in mid-april. it's
hard to believe that we're coming around to one
year since i sold the novel to virginia and
greenwillow books. what a whirlwind and what
a crazy fantastic ride it's been! i'm looking
forward to the next free fall and loop-de-loop!
(okay, i don't like free fall so much. love
loop-de-loops, tho! =)

i still haven't decided what to do with the
bookmarks yet? distribute them at signings?
leave them at book stores before an event
as advertisement? (i'm thinking maybe
postcards would serve this purpose better?)
and i'm still offering signed orchid painting
bookplates to anyone who'd like one!
it's a sticker you can put in the novel and
the brush art goes beautifully with the overall
book design. yay! just email me
pon.cindy@gmail.com

finally, a group of us have formed an
online community, the enchanted inkpot,
and we're very excited to launch this week,
kicking off with an interview with ellen jesen
abbott, the author of WATERSMEET.

From her birth, Abisina has been outcast--for the color of her eyes and skin, and for her lack of a father. Only her mother's status as the village healer has kept her safe. But when a mythic leader arrives, Abisina's life is ripped apart. She escapes alone to try to find the father and the home she has never known. In a world of extremes, from the deepest prejudice to the greatest bonds of duty and loyalty, Abisina must find her own way and decide where her true hope lies.

the enchanted inkpot is a community for writers and readers of high, historical, traditional and cross-genre fantasy intended for middle-grade and young adult readers. we'll be accepting new members beginning on may 1. in the mean time, please stop by, make yourself comfortable, and join in on our discussions! see you there! =D

i'm a fool for april--STARRED booklist review for silver phoenix!

fantabulous editor virginia said it was all right
to share my first industry review. a starred review
from ALA's booklist! i honestly was lightheaded
for twenty minutes after virginia sent this to me.

here's to more good news in april!! eeee!

If the cover image of a fearless Chinese heroine reminds readers of such films as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, that’s intentional; the story inside will, too. First-time novelist Pon has a screenwriter’s talent for producing a sweeping saga, and in this, the first of two books set in ancient China, 17-year-old Ai Ling faces demons, monsters, and gods as she tries to fulfill her destiny. Frightened after a local man tries to blackmail her into marriage, Ai Ling resolves to journey to the emperor’s palace where her missing father was last seen. Along the way, she meets the handsome Chen Yong, who is of mixed parentage and on a quest to find answers to questions about his family that have haunted him his whole life. (In the story’s prologue, readers get hints about his origins.) As in most martial-arts movies, the story sometimes takes a back seat to the action, but Pon doesn’t stint when it comes to her characters. Ai Ling is a clever and determined heroine, Chen’s younger brother is a witty teen whose girl-crazy ways transcend the centuries, and even the monsters have dimension. Pon’s writing, both fluid and exhilarating, shines whether she’s describing a dinner delicacy or what it feels like to stab an evil spirit in the gut. There’s a bit of sex here, including a near rape, but it’s all integral to a saga that spins and slashes as its heroine tries to find her way home.
— Ilene Cooper

shine, coconut moon by neesha meminger

so excited to have the lovely neesha meminger stop
over today for her 09 debs tour! her debut, SHINE,
COCONUT MOON was released on march 10!

About Shine, Coconut Moon

Samar–a.k.a. Sam–is an Indian-American teenager whose mom has kept her away from her old-fashioned family. It's never bothered Sam, who is busy with school, friends, and a demanding boyfriend. But things change after 9/11. A guy in a turban shows up at Sam's house–and turns out to be her uncle. He wants to reconcile the family and teach Sam about her Sikh heritage. Sam is eager, but when boys attack her uncle, chanting "Go back home, Osama!," Sam realizes she could be in danger–and also discovers how dangerous ignorance is.

About Neesha Meminger

Neesha Meminger was born in India, grew up in Canada, and currently lives in New York City with her family. All of her writing explores the inner landscape of her characters, and how it merges or conflicts with the outer. She writes stories of women and girls defining themselves and shaping their own destinies within the confines of their day to day realities.

and onto the cindy interview!

1. who is your literary character crush?

Doro in Octavia Butler's Wild Seed.
[i read one book by butler in a spec fic literature
class in college and i need to read more. because i remember
loving the book and being floored by how it was so diff from
anything else i'd read before.]

2. who is your author crush? (does not have to
be romantic!)

It would have to be Marion Zimmer Bradley or Octavia Butler.

3. what is your favorite pastry?

Anything flaky and buttery and creamy and cheesy and savory. Mmmmm . . .
[oooh! savory pastry! very diff answer but i approve!]

4. what is the favorite scene from your novel?

I love all the family scenes. I loved sitting back as the author and watching the interplay between characters and try to coax out what each character's motivation was for saying X or thinking Y.

learn more about neesha at her website : http://www.NeeshaMeminger.com

and her amazon linky love.

thanks so much for stopping by, neesha!
many congratulations on your debut!

new book smell!

i got a present from virginia
in the post today! eeeeeeeeeee!!!!





it is so so so gorgeous and beautiful!
the jacket is just stunning. my heroine wears
a jade pendant that has the character "spirit"
carved into it. (i did the calligraphy for it.)
and paul (our fantastic art director) had
incorporated the word into the jacket flaps.
can you see part of the calligraphy? my dress
in author foto even matches the flap color!
the chapter calligraphy within the book looks
wonderful as well!

eeeeeeeee!
i can't believe it!
my dream in my hands!!!

eta : yes, i know you appreciate my calm
and cool cam girl face! ha! eeeeee!

all dressed up with somewhere to go

very busy saturday. munchkin's 4th bday party
extravaganza ran smoothly. then my partners in crime,
amy and heather, went to our good friend aaron's
concert dressed in used prom dresses. actually,
i'm pretty sure they are bridesmaid dresses. =)

i was meant to go shopping with them last weekend,
but had to cancel because i was sick. but they
did good! they found me this bedazzled number
that actually fit and (in their words) already had
boob inserts. score! =p


whomever originally had this dress was six feet tall.
i've got my torturous 4 inch jessica simpson gold
heels on and still had to pull up the dress half the
time to avoid stepping on it.

me, amy and heather.
do we not look like prom queens
or garden goddesses? hee! we're
thinking of wearing the dresses again to
see new moon. we could all be a variation
of bella. like i'd be bella chang. or something. =p
the wisteria are blooming and gorgeous!

the concert was fantastic. was so proud of
aaron, who is a very talented tenor. then we
went to coco's for dessert. i chose banana cream
pie--since my favorite pumpkin harvest one is
out of season. =|

[click for full images]

linky love : the LOLcats contest for an EYES LIKE
STARS results are up! and there were some
really funny entries. take a look!

and catch her on the upswing!

*click for full image.

i picked up the backed paintings today!
i honestly didn't think i would have
anything to show this year, but i've got
five paintings worthy of framing! so so
happy! including this charming couple above.

am still valiantly battling my cough and
sore throat. but today proved to be a happy
day full of good news. official reviews are
beginning to trickle in for SILVER PHOENIX,
and i await each whilst gnawing my nails
to the quick. will share them as soon as i
can, probably in april. which is a mere week
away. eeee!

and today, jennifer laughran was kind enough
to send me the poster for my san francisco
signing. it made me feel so...official! *sniffs*
only forward motion now! i'm not looking back! 8)

and congrats to my online writing friend, tas, who
got a THREE BOOK DEAL with berkeley / roc this
week. the good news keeps coming! never stop
chasing your dreams!

up and down

*click for full size!*

i finally started feeling somewhat human
again on sunday and was upbeat--ready
to tackle my long to do list before debut release.
then monday rolled around (and as monday tends to do),
i inexplicably felt a little defeated and deflated
about everything. i'm a planner and a control freak,
and it's difficult for me to acknowledge the fact that
there is only so much i can do for SILVER PHOENIX
to help her succeed. and that at some point, i'm just
going to have to let go in a way.

i'm in better mood today! i okayed the proof
for my postcards and am working on having
bookmarks made (with brush art!).
i don't think i've mentioned
it before, but i hired a private publicist to help
with the release, and she was able to connect
me with the benefit shown above, honoring local
children's authors and artists. i'm excited as it'll
be another opportunity to display my art work
as well as sign books!

i will also be showing my art in spanish
village's balboa park from april 15 - 27.
i was able to find a few pieces to back, as
i've mainly been painting for the picture book,
so didn't have as many pieces this year.
we're also closing in on a san diego launch
party for early may. i've created an EVENTS
listing on the side and will keep you posted!

it's all very exciting and more than just a
little overwhelming. only four weeks away
now before SILVER PHOENIX lands in the
bookstores! eeee!

linky love : the debs love librarians give away!
win ARCs and released books plus other goodies!
(and yes! a copy of SILVER PHOENIX arc is in the
goodie bag!) are you a librarian or know one?
direct them over to this page! contest open through
this friday! =D

how's it gonna be?

*the painting i chose for my bookplate. it won
an honorable mention ribbon at the san diego
county fair! =) remember to email me if you
can't make it to cali signings for a personalized
bookplate! pon.cindy@gmail.com

so i was flippant. i thought i never really get
sick and i'd kick this little cold thing in its prickly
rear and be done with it. how wrong i was. since
last post, i had canceled all social engagements
for the week, been to the doctor to get a bunch of
drugs, and stayed at home like a sick troll. =\

the nasty cold phlegmy cough wins.
i think i've been suffering from codeine
hangovers. today, i woke at 11am and spent
the morning watching third eye blind music
videos (so good! and why did i never know the
lead singer is hot?!) and bought a few sale items
online from anthropologie. =) so productive.

i feel like a lump of inertia. i know i should
rest--and i have. but i can't help wanting
to tackle that giant to do list i have prior to
SILVER PHOENIX release next month! i've been
whittling away some--mostly online stuff like
interviews or website work. but i've got the
attention span of a rat hopped out on chocolate
coated cheese. so.

i think i'm on the mend, however. do wish
me luck! there's too much to do and not
enough time!! eeee! i finished EVERMORE which
was fantastic (please note on the bottom right
column my reading list thus far this year. there
are links to goodreads.com and i've done reviews
for most of them) and now have moved on
to SKIN HUNGER.

also, been watching how's it gonna be
video all morning by third eye blind. love
it as a break up video. what's your favorite
"break up song" of all time? there's some
really great ones out there...

happy weekend, all! =D