Grrrl Power! Contest Winners and my faves

Sorry to wait until the last minute to make this decision, but it’s one of the toughest decisions I had to make in a while! I had to call Melissa in for assistance and she helped me narrow things down.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful suggestions, I really enjoyed them all. Here are the six that made me sigh, squee and grin mostly wildly. I need for these people to contact me at stephanie at stephanie kuehnert dot com with their addresses ASAP so I can mail out your prizes!

Myspace.com/blackheartdarling13. You can review her choices here. I think “Rebel Girl” is the ultimate grrrl power song, but what pushed me over the edge was Civet who is my new favorite band. I am tracking down their album and have already bought a seven inch and t-shirt.

Chlomydia. Her choices are here. The Distillers song is my personal ultimate grrrl power song and she turned me on to Dresden Dolls.

Myspace.com/negative_creep. Choices here. Atomic Blonde= another new favorite

Tlcadence. Choices here. Gutsy to share your own (amazing!) music and Betty Blowtorch, more new excitement

Anjylle. Choices here. Unbelievably unique picks, appealed to my inner goth girl.

Lexilibrarian. Choices here. This could be my personal grrrl power playlist.

Because I had so many tough choices, I decided to pick three runners-up as well. I have some coverflats for IWBYJR that I will sign and send to these people. I understand it is not a book, so if you don’t want it, it’s cool, but if you do, send me your addresses:

Bookbogan: Choices.

_bac_: Choices.

Leahclifford: Choices.

Now in the spirit of the contest, I would like to share my three current favorite female/female-fronted bands (aside from Civet, whose myspace page, I go and listen to once a day.)

Right now I am really digging Sybris, who are a hometown band, but I discovered them live in Denver: http://www.myspace.com/sybris Check out “Oh Man” and “Burnout Babies.”

And I get a billion band friend requests on myspace like everyone else, but very few where I actually get really excited about the band. Full Contact Kitty from Maine is an exception. They were kind enough to send me their CD and it’s in heavy rotation. They remind me a wee bit of Sleater-Kinney.http://www.myspace.com/fullcontactkitty The first song, Luck Soup is my fave.

Last but not least, The Gits are all-time fave, but I’ve been listening to them obsessively lately because I’m really excited about a documentary that’s coming out about them and the tragic death of their extraordinarily talented lead singer Mia Zapata. The doc will have a limited release in certain cities on 4^th of July weekend and actually comes out on DVD the same day as IWBYJR releases. Read more about the movie and hear some Gits music here: http://www.thegitsmovie.com/ My all-time favorite Gits song is “Another Shot of Whiskey.”

Feel free to let me know what you think of my choices, the winners’ choices, etc and of course you can always suggest more music *nods enthusiastically*

Oh and if you still want to enter to win a copy of IWBYJR, I’m still running a contest on my website that ends tomorrow at 11:59 PM CST!

My Gratitude and Some Links

I want to thank you all for your sweet words of concern for my friend. I passed them on to her and it made her crack a smile to know that people out in blogland who don’t know her or what is going on are still thinking of her. Things improved slightly yesterday only to get worse. I’ve been a ball of stress all week worrying about her, and it doesn’t help that other things keep popping up like corporations screwing up services, which almost triggered a nervous breakdown last night *hisses at AT&T*. Basically I’m way too sensitive on a regular basis and when I’m already upset about something seriously bad, I tend to crumple into a ball of snot and tears without much prodding. On the flipside though, empathetic people make me so appreciative and I want to hug you all. *Sigh* I’m such a Cancer.

So thanks for bearing with me through personal sadness and respecting my privacy and that of my friend and just letting me leave it at “I’m very upset right now, cyber hugs are welcome.”

But I have fun things to share with you despite my blues.

Links w reading material

My first newspaper column in the Forest Park Review debuted today. Those of you not in the Forest Park area to pick up a paper copy (*note to self: stop by 7-11 for paper, then subscribe to paper upon receipt of next paycheck*), can read it and view my cute new pigtailed columnist photo (I discovered my hair could do this in Denver and do it whenever possible now) online here. MySpace will probably not like this link because MySpace is a grump when it comes to links, so get thee to my blogger page if it doesn’t work.

Also Simon & Schuster posted the entire first chapter of IWBYJR on their website! You may have read the partial on my website or the pre-copyedited version on Black Oak Presents or you may not have known about either of those things and been totally deprived, but here is the official as-it-will-appear-in-the-book-version. Go check it out to get yourself psyched up for release day, which is *gulp* less than a month away. *Frantically runs in circles, tugging hair, mumbling ‘I’m not ready, I’m not ready, I’m SO ready, but yet not ready…’*

Invitations

I’m about to send an evite out for my official book release party on July 10^th in Forest Park, IL. If you are on my Chicago area email newsletter list, you will be getting this, but everyone is invited so if you think you will be in the area and want an evite please contact me at stephanie at stephaniekuehnert dot com. The evite will help the bookseller get an idea of how many books to bring and me an idea of what to expect.

Speaking of invitations, I am sure you have seen this gorgeous one everywhere and I hope you are visiting Teri Brown’s blog every day this week to celebrate the release of Read My Lips and for a chance to win great books!

Contests

The winners of Melissa Marr’s contest will be announced tomorrow. Sorry we waited to the absolute last day to announce, but that is how hard deliberations have been. I roped Melissa in to helping me make the final decision and she’s been as overwhelmed as I. But we’re narrowing it down and it will be posted both on my blog and hers tomorrow.

There is still a chance to win fabulous prizes and an early copy of IWBYJR through a contest I’m running on my website. Deadline June 13 at 11:59 PM CST. Enter away!

Raining on my parade

The weather didn’t really cooperate with my outdoor events this weekend. Friday was crazy windy and yesterday at Printer’s Row… Well my noon reading went great, but then as soon as I got my stuff over to the Illinois Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (henceforth known by their acronym IL-SCBWI) booth, it started to drizzle. My boyfriend went off to roam. My friend Jenny went off to get some lunch, kindly offering to bring me a sandwich. Then the torrential downpour began.

I helped Lorijo, Suzanne, and Marlene from IL-SCBWI protect our stuff from getting soaked and we huddled together in the middle of the tent. Then someone official looking (ie. they had a walky-talky) approached and told us we had to get out of the tent because there was lightning. So we fled for the nearby Dearborn Station. We made the best of the circumstances and sat around talking about our writing. It was quite nice actually. Eventually Scott turned up, totally drenched. I told him that as soon as he was ready to brave the elements that he could feel free to go home. He was being chivalrous as usual, concerned about how I would handle getting my large poster and raffle box home on the train, but I said I’d manage. (I’d later regret sending him home, though not because of carrying things.) When the storm broke a little bit, Jenny turned up with my sandwich and Scott went home. I ate and had more fabulous author chatter now with Jenny added to the mix.

Finally the lightning went away and we were able to set up shop again. It was an hour after my time at the booth, but Lorijo and Suzanne the organizers were wonderful and arranged things so Marlene and I could stay at the booth. I’m sure I would have had the opportunity to meet more folks if it hadn’t stormed, but quite a few hearty souls stopped by my display with my big IWBYJR poster and raffle box. Lorijo captured this photo of me with one of the sweetest teen girls I talked to that day filling out a raffle form:

Unfortunately as it turned out, the rain is not what made my day (and week this far) unhappy. You can tell from the photo that I'm a little distracted and that's because soon after I set up the booth, I got a phone call from one of the people who matters most to me in this world. I knew immediately from her tone that something awful had happened. I won’t elaborate on details because it is not my business to discuss and the extent of what you need to know that it upset me a great deal and is still upsetting me and may be for awhile.

Still, I had just opened my booth and needed to solider on and then wanted to see Jenny’s reading before rushing home to my friend.

I finished with the booth, saw the reading and hustled to the train. The train was underground for awhile so couldn’t call to check on my friend. When I did call, she did not answer, so I sat there worrying and staring into space for several stops until I finally snapped back into reality and began to pay attention to my surroundings. Suddenly I realized that unpleasant things were happening directly across from me.

Anyone who takes the L on a regular basis (or probably public transportation anywhere) is rather used to unpleasantness. For example, I’ve had friends who’ve sat in urine, friends and I have witnessed urination, and I’ve suffered through long train rides where I couldn’t escape the stench of urine. Things are not usually so bad during rush hour except for BO, the occasional homeless person slouched a seat, and that one time a crazy guy was blasting his boom box, but taking the train during off-peak hours, that's when things get sketchy. I've taken the train in the afternoon and have witnessed a schizophrenic war veteran have a massive freakout, teenagers smoking crack, and on my way to my interview for my current job, a man sat down across from me and began to masturbate.

Well, that's exactly what happened again on Sunday afternoon. Tuned into my surroundings after being preoccupied by upset and worried thoughts only to notice that the man across from me had a newspaper over his lap but it was not full concealing his member and he was yanking away. I quickly got up and moved to the other end of the train car near a suburban looking dude and his teenage son. I also called Scott and very loudly told him that I wished I hadn't sent him home because the dude across from me had been inspired to masturbate. The dude exited the train at the next stop. I felt nauseous and angry and violated and tried to console myself in my usual sarcastic way by thinking, "Well, the last time this happened, I pulled myself together, went to the interview and got that job. Maybe this is my equivalent to a pigeon shitting on you bringing good luck." I chuckled slightly to myself. Scott chuckled as well when I told him that, as did my friend Kathy when I told her about it at work today. She shared her tale of having her ass groped on a crowded train once and solving it by announcing very loudly, "Whoever has their hand on my ass better remove it if they want to keep it." Again, we laugh, but it's not really funny. These things that we just accept as a part of urban living that are utterly humiliating to us as women. As sarcastic as I may be about it, the fact was it was mildly traumatizing. I went home and scrubbed my hands for no real reason. I had to resist the urge to go take a shower.

This still was not as upsetting as my friend's stuff though. She came over for awhile, but I didn't feel like I was really able to help. I just had to hope that today would be better for us all.

I hate it when you can't protect the people you love the most, the people who are most deserving of protection and who haven't really gotten it. All I can do is listen. And I did. And then tonight I cooked while blaring Rancid and cleaned while blaring Hole. The angry comfort music that's been there since high school. It's been years since I've wanted a cigarette as badly as I did today after not being able to make everything okay for her. But the music helped some and at least I made some damn fine vegan cornbread and my kitchen sparkles.

I should go to bed now and I'm trying to keep in mind my favorite quote from the Crow, "It can't rain all the time." Or as my mother is fond of saying, "This too shall pass."

ETA: I removed the whole thing about the article, I was being overly sensitive. It's not a big deal. Press is weird.

The promised pics and even more excitement!

Okay, here are the pics of the finished books as promised. This is a peek at them in their S&S box that gave away what they were and nearly caused my heart attack at work:


And here they are in all their glory, front and back cover hopefully legible for you guys (I believe if you click on the photo it makes it bigger). (I am not the best photographer. My boy usually takes the book-related pictures like this for me, but he's at work and I know you guys didn't want to wait!):

Then there was more excitement today. I seriously thought life couldn't get anymore exciting and that this day was not going to be very pleasant since it began with an 8 am dentist appt (where I found out that I have a cavity, grr!) followed by a 9 am Dr appt, and then vet appt for Sidney at 11:45 (he has to get his blood checked every 6 months because he has kidney disease. cross yr fingers for him that things are still stable like they were last time. we find out on Monday) But in between Dr. and vet, I check email and got fabulous news from Sheryl Johnston, a lovely woman who is helping me with Chicago area publicity (in fact "lovely" doesn't sum it up. Amazing goddess is probably more like it). Turns out IWBYJR was listed among the "150 Hot Reads for Summer" in the Chicago Tribune Books section today! I'm in the "For teens and the young at heart" section with heavy hitters such as Sarah Dessen, Madeleine L'Engle, and Walter Dean Myers. Here's my attempt at a picture (again click to make bigger):

Some good books on that list. Any you are looking forward to reading? I actually just bought Little Brother today on the recommendation of Jan at Anderson's Bookshop. She says it's like modern 1984, so it was right up my alley and I've added it to the overwhelming large summer reading stack. Side note: Anderson's is now one of my fave indie bookstores out there. It's a bit of a hike from my house but was totally worth it. Amazing selection and some of the nicest most helpful staff. Ah, such good conversations with Jan there today. Totally made my day with along with the Trib thing. The unpleasantness of my morning is forgotten.

The rest of yesterday was pretty good, too. The reading at Summer Fest did not quite go as well as intended. Basically it was the kind of windy day Chicago is famous for. My mom had to help me keep my giant poster from blowing away, not to mention all the swag on the table. The reading was a bit of an awkward situation for me because I was basically reading over a PA to people walking by and it was difficult to concentrate on reading with a conversation going on right behind me. But later a girl came up to me in a bar down the block and told me she heard me read and asked for more info, so people were listening. I've just learned that I am really uncomfortable reading when there are not other readers on the schedule as well and/or people didn't come specifically to hear a reading. So I think I'll stick to in store readings at the Old School Records (and I have one in a couple weeks!)

But I did have fun blasting my soundtrack over the PA. Not so sure the people in line for the pony ride appreciated Courtney Love and Babes in Toyland, but all the songs were radio friendly, or in Courtney's case, a radio edit, so they couldn't complain. And I totally saw a toddler bopping in his stroller to the Distillers (I'm not making it up, my mom actually pointed it out) and a seven-ish year old dancing to Joy Division.

Most of all, I just love Jodi and Peter who run the Old School Records. They are so friendly and fun and open to supporting local artists. It was so awesome of them to have me at Summer Fest (and they kept my swag and raffle box today inside their store, so hopefully more people entered the raffle besides the dude who was campaigning for Ralph Nader and trying to hit on me *in front of my mom* and the few folks that I got yesterday). Their sidewalk sale was pretty sweet too. Scott and I bought a dozen videotapes for 10$. Yeah, I know VHS is inferior. But dude, less than a dollar a tape??? And in our bedroom all we have is a VCR so now we can have movie marathons in bed that include Sixteen Candles, Killing Zoe, A Life Less Ordinary, Punch Drunk Love, Stand By Me and several more fabulous movies.

I also bought the new Mudhoney album on vinyl. Now I'll be buying more vinyl than ever because I've found in the last couple albums I've purchased, they provide a little coupon to download the MP3s. My only issue with vinyl before was putting in on my iPod. Now that problem is solved! So it actually makes more sense for me to buy vinyl instead of CDs now because generally after I buy a CD and look at the artwork and load it onto my computer, I'm done with it. It sits on the pile near my now too full CD racks. Vinyl is what I prefer to listen to at home and since I store it on book shelves, I have plenty of room for it. *Sigh* I like having excuses to get more of things I love.

And while I was visiting the Sub Pop website to download my Mudhoney tracks (which kick ass btw), I discovered this. Dammit, why can't this happen a week later when I'm in Seattle so I can see the Gutter Twins, Mudhoney, the Fluid, and best of all the Vaselines! I wish I'd known about this sooner so I could have planned the book tour around it...

Okay, but that and the cavity are the only bummer today. And I believe this evening will only get better. I'm eagerly awaiting my boy coming home because we are going to investigate a tattoo shop which I am hoping will be the place where I get my next tattoo very soon. Then, if it is not raining, more Summer Fest. I don't know what it is about being able to walk down the middle of what is normally a very busy street with a big pretzel (or piece of corn, which I also had) in one hand and a cheap beer in the other (well, I actually had a $5 pomegranate martini because I don't drink beer) while you watch kids run around and go down giant slides and peruse art and other goods from local businesses, but that is pretty much the perfect way to start summer in my mind.

Until then, I am off to listen to more music and begin the difficult process of choosing winners for Melissa's contest.

I hope tomorrow is as good as today and above all that it is not as windy as yesterday and it doesn't rain while I'm at Printer's Row!

Best Surprise of the Week!!!

I really didn’t think this week could get any better, but this morning at work the DHL guy came to my desk and while signing for the usual packages for my boss, I noticed a box from Simon and Schuster. My heart leapt, stomach flipped over, and my voice and hands got all shaky as I tried to sign and then spell my name for the DHL guy. I knew that box was for me and I just wanted to run into my friend Kathy’s office to open it. Finally DHL guy went on his way and I stumbled into Kathy’s office with my package, screeching for my cube-mate Sharon to join us as she got of the phone. Kathy helped me open the box and there they were: early finished copies of my book. Unfortunately I didn’t have a camera on hand at work to capture the moment. And tonight I’m all in a rush to get to Summer Fest, so I will have to update this entry tomorrow with pictures of the finished copies.

Of course they are basically the same thing as the ARCs but without that whole “Uncorrected Proofs” thing written across the top. And the back is different. It has my photo and the blurb from Melissa Marr added in with the other blurbs. But this is the book as it will look in bookstores, I believe. Very cool and totally unexpected. I knew I’d get copies because they are the prizes for Melissa’s contest (which ends today, so go enter now since it’s your last chance!) and for my contest (which ends in a week, so get moving on that one, too!), but I thought they’d come next week sometime and I also assumed they’d come to my house like the ARCs had. And I figured my editor would warn me. She didn’t warn me about the ARCs either though, so either she’s really busy and forgets to give me the heads up or she likes surprising me. (It’s probably the former, but since I like surprises, I kinda hope she keeps it up.)

So that was a nice way to start my Friday and a nice addition to my week of surprises. Now I just have to hope my luck holds and the weather is bad for my outdoor events this weekend.

If you are in the Chicago area, please contribute to my streak of pleasant surprises and come to one of my events this weekend. Tonight at 7 pm, I’ll be spinning the soundtrack to my novel and reading from the first chapter around 7:30 at Forest Park Summer Fest in front of Old School Records at 7446 W. Madison. Then Sunday I’m reading at noon at Printer’s Row Book Fair in the Columbia tent and handing out IWBYJR swag at the IL-SCBWI booth from 1 to 2. (You can get exact directions and a map to those two things on my gigs page.) And I will be raffling off one of my last ARCs and you can enter to win it at either of those events or all day Saturday at Old School Records.

Okay, pictures tomorrow, I promise!

NewCity Lit 50 and other sources of distraction

IWBYJR hits bookstore shelves in a little over a month and tidbits of excitement keep coming my way. First, the very same weekend I got the news that MTV Books is going to publish my second novel, BALLADS OF SUBURBIA (and as of right now, I’m allowed to keep that title and release is scheduled for Summer 09, but both those things could change in the blink of an eye), my friend Jenny called and read me the good review of IWBYJR in the June/July issue of Bust magazine. You can find it on newsstands now. I don’t think there is an online version, sorry, but my publicist says the part from it I should cite is “… a rich, muscular story…”

Then I got a sneak peek at the Booklist review that should appear sometime this month. Again no linkage at this point, but I was thrilled (and largely relieved!) that it was also good. Pull quotes according to Erica = “...irresistible...” and “...acidly incisive and full-out entertaining...”

At this point the tour is all pulled together except for Rock and Read. *Sigh* But hopefully that will be figured out very soon. And I kinda want to find some musicians (preferably girls but that might just be my current grrrl power kick) and a chill venue in Seattle where I can read and they can play, kinda more along the lines of what I did in Denver than the larger scale Rock and Read. (And BTW the video of the Denver performance is being converted to DVD and I should have a youtube vid to share with you in a week or two.) But I’m not sure I have the energy or focus, so I may just stick with my fab book store event in Seattle (July 22^nd, 7 pm, Bailey Coy) and then just enjoy my time in my favorite city with my boy and my good friend from high school and her partner and their baby.

I’d thought that after I returned from Denver it would be the calm before the storm, but I guess it’s already raining. Some local media requests for interviews are coming in, which is pretty exciting. There’s Melissa Marr’s contest (it ends Friday!), which has been distracting me greatly in a good way as I check out new music. Then I’ve got my own contest going and yesterday I discover this Elle Girl contest for the book! That was pretty exciting because it means the Elle Girl online book club will be reading and reviewing the book I think!

It seems like somebody sends me a link that has to do with the book every day. First there was this one recommending the event I’m doing in a few weeks at the fabulous Old School Records. But the most exciting piece of news came once again from my amazing friend Jenny. She discovered that I’ve been named to NewCity’s Chicago Lit 50! Yep if you go here and scroll down to number 50, there I am! I have to say I am utterly blown away to be in such company (and to have my book called this year’s Hairstyles of the Damned. Uh yeah, if I pulled that off I’ll be over the moon. Joe Meno is one of the authors I admire most and that book is one of my all-time faves.) As I’ve said before and will say until I’m blue in the face, Chicago has one of the best lit scenes out there, IMHO. I think it’s the literary equivalent to Austin, Texas’ music scene. Strong, smart, DIY, a *real* community. It’s just amazing and there is so much going on. I always looked forward to the Lit 50 every year because it inspired me and gave me new books to buy. I never thought I’d be on it. Whoa.

So needless to say I’ve been extremely distracted today. I’ve been extremely distracted for a couple weeks. Like I’ve got so much going on I can’t figure out where to start. I stare at my email box instead of figuring out who to answer (so if you haven’t heard from me that’s why) and I go absorb myself in all the good music from Melissa’s contest and I get nothing done.

Nothing when it comes to writing, especially, which is not cool. Even if my distractions are good things, they are coming at a bad time. I need to collect myself and get disciplined with the text again. I’m in an awkward place because I’m starting fresh, completely 100% fresh for the first time in about 5 years. BALLADS was drawn from my “practice novel” material, so even though it changed drastically, I had a story arc. Now I have a beginning, I have an end and I don’t have a middle. Figuring it out is making me anxious. The time crunch between a full time job and all the IWBYJR stuff is making it worse. But *deep breath*, Jenny and Aaron will save me. They are my writer’s group. Aaron is just joining this week and I’m so happy because he’s a great writer and well, he’s also male and I’m working with a male protagonist now so that benefits me greatly. At least one evening a week, I focus on nothing but new stuff. It may not come easily or sound perfect at first, which always upsets me, but I’m writing, scrawling, getting around 1000 words down in 20 to 30 min because we just sit there and write.

Time to get into that mindset. Time to breathe. Time to let nothing but the words and the images dancing in my head matter.

ETA: I hope I didn't come off as boastful and/or whiny in this. I realized it could sound that way maybe. So I just want to say that I share these things because I am so thrilled and shocked by it all. You're reading the blog of girl who spent most of her adolescence feeling totally insecure and sometimes full-on hateful of herself, so to be recognized for something I love to do, it's a dream come true and I'm surprised every time. And I don't mean to whine about being distracted. I'm just in a huge balancing act right now with everything and those old insecurities come up and failure seems inevitable. But the next story will get on the page. I'm off to see Jenny and Aaron who will help that happen big time!

Yay grrrl power: roller derby, good contest tunes and Civet!

The last few days have been all about grrrl power for me and I'm loving it. I owe Melissa Marr a night's worth--or perhaps a whole week's worth--of drinks for the contest she is running for IWBYJR. I have a list of awesome bands and female musicians sitting next to my computer and I have no idea how I am going to select six winners from the bunch. But I hope people continue to enter and make it even harder for me because I love discovering all this new music. So please, please, please, go to Melissa's livejournal and enter by leaving a comment or emailing me at the address I provide there.

I can tell you for sure that one of the winners will be the person that turned me onto Civet. I heard the song she suggested (which is the first one on their myspace) and I immediately checked to see if they had albums besides the one that is forthcoming in August. They do, it's called Massacre and I wanted it immediately, but I couldn't find it on downloadpunk. My local record store is going to get an email from me as soon as I finish this blog because they have to track down this album for me ASAP. Seriously, I don't think I've been this excited by a female band/female-fronted band since The Distillers. I want to send these girls my book and beg them to come to Chicago so I can see them play. Major swooning.

Another highly exciting grrrl power thing that I was exposed to this weekend: ROLLER DERBY! My friend Kathy goes to see the Windy City Rollers regularly and has been inviting me along, but it never worked out with my schedule until last night. Amber and Ryan came, too, and Scott got there as soon as he could and holy shit it was so much fun! I love anything that showcases ass-kicking women and roller derby girls are about as tough as they come. The whole time Amber and I were like, "I want to be those girls, but I'm way too big of a wuss." From the cool names, to the cool outfits and tattoos, to pure stamina and athletic ability, I have nothing but the utmost admiration and respect. Why is this not on TV instead of football? Seriously. It's way more entertaining. Tix only cost us 16$ and it was three hours of nothing but fast-paced fun. It was the championship match and the team we were rooting for (cause Kathy has friends on the team), Hells Belles won. So much fun. I fully intend to go to more of these and would highly advise everyone to see if their city has roller derby league. If so, get out there and support those cool chicks. You'll have a blast, I promise.