I love reading all your comments and questions on Facebook and Twitter. But some of them require answers that are too long to write in 140 characters. And let’s face fact: I write 55,000-100,000 word books for a living. It’s hard for me to write anything in 140 characters.
So I thought I would try to answer a few questions from Twitter and Facebook here. Who knows? Maybe you’ll see one of yours. Or a friend will see yours, and Tweet you about it. That is what social media is all about!
From Malena
Hi Meg? What are you going to be for Halloween?
Am I the only person freaking out because Halloween is this week and I still haven’t figured out what my costume is going to be? I did come up with one, but when I showed it to some people, no one knew what I was until I explained. See if you can figure it out:
Get it? I’m one of those people who always writes “First” under an online news story whenever he/she is the first one to comment.
OK, never mind, maybe I’ll just go as a witch again, like last year.
From Ana Christina
Helo Meg, how is your cat Henrieta doing? We haven’t heard about her in a while.
Well, thank you for asking, Ana Christina. Henrietta has a bit of arthritis, and now requires special stairs so that she can reach the side of the bathtub on which she likes to stand to drink out of the caps from water bottles, which are the only receptacle from which she will consume liquid. But other than that (and being completely insane) she is doing well.
From Cristen
Hey Meg, I was wondering if you happened to know when Underworld is coming out because the suspense is killing me!
Dear Cristen,
The suspense is killing me too! I’m glad you want to know more about Pierce and John (and this is a good time of year to wonder about them, since Coffin Night just took place here in Key West! Once again, no coffin burners were actually caught)! Look for Underworld, the sequel to Abandon, in stores in May 2012.
From @janelleminniti
Hanging out for @megcabot to release the next heather wells book…..
Dear Janelle,
That’s funny, because my editor and I were just hanging out, trying to pick a cover for Heather Wells #4! I’d show you what we finally decided on, but then, of course, I would have to kill you. Size 12 and Ready to Rock will be out in late Summer 2012!
From Daphne
I just finished “Overbite” and it was really engrossing! Loved everything about it. I would love to see/read about what happens to them next!! ♥
Thanks Daphne! I’m super glad you liked it. The ending of Overbite certainly left the door open for a third book (with a very intriguing premise for a heavenly love triangle . . . ha ha get it? Heavenly?), but for now I’m concentrating on Heather Wells and the Abandon sequels (and maybe some other surprises if I drink enough caffeine).
From Sanny Appy Gal
Hey Meg!! I love all your books. From the first word I read in the first Princess Diaries Series I fell in love with all your books! I always wanted to know where you get all those awesome ideas!! Can you share your secret?
Good question Sanny Appy Gal! Ideas can come from so many different places. I heard another writer (whose name I now can no longer remember, which is killing me) describe a good idea as being like a shark: once it bites you, it won’t let go until you punch it in the face (or write it all down).
I was inspired to write the first Princess Diaries book when my mom started dating one of my former teachers after my dad died, which is what happens to Mia Thermopolis (PS Like Mia’s mom and Mr. Gianini, my mom and my teacher are still together, and it is so
disgustingI mean sweet).I got the idea to write the Allie Finkle series when my older readers’ little sisters kept coming up to me at signings and asking when I was going to write a book for them (with no kissing).
The idea for Abandon came from a book I read in high school.
So you see? Ideas can come from anywhere (and everywhere). Look out for them.
From mercedes
Meg, what books have YOU read lately?
I’m reading two great books! One you’ve already heard about. It’s
Rosemary Clement-Moore’s excellent ghostly YA paranormal, Texas Gothic:
It’s about a girl who comes from a long line of witches. Her summer gig is ranch-sitting for her aunt with her sister. Only bodies start turning up, and a VERY scary ghost is on the prowl. Plus, there’s a hot neighbor cowboy!
We’re discussing this timely read for Halloween on the Meg Cabot Fiction Club — AND giving free copies away — so be sure to stop by here!
The other book I’m reading is Sarah Dooley’s novel Body of Water which is IN STORES TODAY!
Don’t let the cover of this book fool you! I know I’m a writer, but sometimes I wish all the publishers would hire me for their art departments. I WAS a fine arts major, after all. Then I could make all the covers look the way I think they should. Of course, then all the covers in the world would look like this. But would that be a bad thing?
Sarah Dooley is an author who has a gift for writing compelling books for and about kids (her last book, Livie Owen Lived Here, was about a high-functioning autistic girl).
Body of Water is about 12 year old Ember who has been forced to start living in a campground because her home has burned down. Ember and her sister have no clean clothes, no notebooks, nothing at all for school . . . even Ember’s dog has gone missing. Worst of all, Ember suspects her best friend may have started the fire . . . on purpose.
This book is especially timely because I saw a report just last week on Brian Williams’ NBC nightly broadcast about how 49% of American kids are arriving at school hungry these days. Another 36% are homeless . . . just like Ember!
The report went on to say that teachers have discovered that reading books like Body of Water in class, about kids who are living in poverty, helps students struggling with these issues learn to cope, by finding out they are far from alone . . . and students who don’t have these issues learn to empathize with the kids who do!
Proving once again that a good book really CAN change the world!
Body of Water is not only amazingly topical but also one of those great reads that will keep you riveted until you get to the last page, anxious to see how it all turns out (and I promise you’ll like how it turns out).
(Watch the clip from Brian Williams here.)
From Oo Evey
Tu aimes Meg Cabot?
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tW9zXRqwj8[/youtube]
Merci, Oo Evey! So cute! I’m working on my French so maybe I’ll compris it soon! I hope it means “See you all in France this December when I go there on a book tour!”
Finally, I’ve received A LOT of Facebook messages and tweets lately asking about the Mediator movie and series, like this one from @themediatorfan.
@megcabot It’s also never too late to release more books for the Mediator series!!
Thanks, Sara! I don’t have any new Mediator movie news, but I love that so many of you support this series (and have visited the at Mediator facebook page). I know I’ve said I might do an epilogue to Suze and Jesse’s story someday, but I just couldn’t think of a book-length story for them.
Well, thanks to all of you endlessly asking about it and keeping it ever present in my mind, a shark finally bit me with a book length idea for a story for them (and the whole rest of the gang, including Paul Slater).
Now I just need to find the time to write it (please note: I still have to finish some other books first before I can work on it, so it will be a while before you’ll hear any details).
So please discuss amongst yourselves while I work, and thanks so much, as always, for the support!
Happy Halloween, everybody!
More later.
Much love,
Meg
