Bizarre Ad

When you hear of Carlton Audio Visual, you immediately think of Kim Jong-Il…well, apparently the store’s ad people do. If they wanted their ad to get attention, it’s worked. Still doesn’t make me want to buy their products, though. There could be weirdos in that shop!

Nananananananana-THYLACINE!

In a comment at my Batmania post, Gillian said something about Hobart. And I didn’t understand. But that’s okay, because I’ve thought up something special for Hobart – actually for any Tasmanian city.

Same basic idea: city skyline at night, perhaps Hobart’s. But instead of the Bat Signal…

Nananananananana-THYLACINE!

That’s right: the now-extinct Tasmanian tiger, also known as a thylacine. The Thylacine Signal can’t just be a silhouette, though; the people may not recognise it. So it’s got to be full-colour.

Make my postcard/T-shirt vision come true, people – you know you want it!

[REVIEW] The Dead and the Gone – Susan Beth Pfeffer

Susan Beth Pfeffer
The Dead and the Gone (The Last Survivors, Book 2)
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Graphia (US: 18th January 2010); Scholastic Marion Lloyd (UK: 3rd May 2010)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

Since I read both the first and final books in this trilogy beforehand, The Dead and the Gone – the middle novel – is unessential, but nonetheless a wrenching, emotional story showcasing how big world problems can affect one’s daily life. Certain scenes are devastatingly haunting, such as the one in Yankee Stadium, and Alex Morales’s first body shopping trip.

An extraordinary, unforgettable trilogy, don’t miss out on this amazing series.

Batmania

My subconscious is either a genius or an eejit – I’ll let you decide. Just before I fall asleep, the brilliant/stupid ideas come. Here’s what I came up with last night/technically this morning:

A T-shirt with a Creative Commons Licenced photo of Melbourne’s city skyline, with some easily recognised features – such as the flames outside Crown Casino, Flinders St Station, the Arts Centre spire, etc. In the sky, I want the Bat Signal, or a variation on the Bat Signal that doesn’t infringe on copyright. Then below the photo, I want BATMANIA in capital letters, in a simple font to make it look like an official postcard…

Actually, this design would make for the most AWESOME POSTCARDS EVER, and I’d totally send them out to all my international buddies, because receiving a postcard from Batmania would be awesome!

I’m not a designer, but if you are and can make my crackpot idea a reality, we should totally talk

P.S. It’s true, you know – before Melbourne was named Melbourne, it was named Batmania. Don’t tell me that’s not awesome.

Guest-Blogging at Down Under Divas

The Down Under Divas invited me to guest-blog; said I could write about anything romance. You and I both know that I prefer romance as a sub-plot rather than the main event, and the Divas knew that, too. Yet, they liked my mini-essay enough to share it with their blog readers. So if you’d like to read about my favourite couple (or maybe just to be in the running to win Lexxie Couper’s Spaceport eBooks), stop by here. You have less than 24 hours until Lexxie selects a contest winner, but my essay will remain there for days after

And if you’d like me to guest-blog for you, my Inbox is open to suggestion. I don’t give away prizes, though; I can only offer my words

November 2010 Releases

Done with October 2010 Releases? Here are November 2010 Releases (behind the cut). To see further into the further, check Reading Wishlist.

9 New Covers

Behind the cut.

6 New Deals

Kelley Armstrong‘s as-yet-untitled 3rd YA trilogy to Rosemary Brosnan at HarperTeen & Amy Black at Doubleday Canada, for publication in 2014.

Anya Bast‘s Midnight Enchantment (conclusion of the Dark Magick quarter) & the 1st book in a new paranormal romance series called the Brotherhood of the Damned, in a 2-book deal to Cindy Hwang at Berkley Sensation (World).

Becca Fitzpatrick‘s Tempest to Emily Meehan at Simon & Schuster (North America) in a major 2-book deal, for publication in 2011. The 3rd book in the Hush, Hush series.

Darynda Jones‘s Grimsight in a 3-book deal to Jennifer Enderlin at St. Martin’s (NA). A teenager’s life is irrevocably changed when a grim reaper starts high school in her small town.

Veronica Rossi‘s Under the Never Sky to Barbara Lalicki at Harper (NA) in a 3-book deal, for publication in 2012. About forbidden lovers from radically different societies – following a girl banished from her enclosed, technology-bound city out into the deadly natural world, where she encounters a savage boy who becomes her only chance to survive & return home.

UK/Commonwealth rights for Veronica Roth‘s Divergent to Rachel Denwood at HarperCollins UK.

9 New Covers

[REVIEW] Crave – Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz
Crave
Simon & Schuster (US & CA: 21st September 2010)
Buy (US) Buy (UK) Buy (CA) Buy (Worldwide)

The protagonist’s unofficially-diagnosed blood disorder provides an interesting perspective on a done-to-death trope. The first part of this novel is rather intriguing, though Shay McGuire is an annoying little runt. But from the second part onward, the storyline fails to live up to the awesome concept. Teenage rebellion, risky behaviour, and courtship angst all feature heavily, and Crave is probably best suited for L. J. Smith fans.