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Wednesday, October 01, 2008

LET IT SNOW!

I’m sitting here listening my holiday iMix. At the moment, that means I am listening to Bing Crosby’s “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.” You may be wondering why, since it is October 1st. Even by the most extreme standards, this is a little too early for holiday music.

I would argue that, actually. If you have been reading this for a while, you will know that I love HOLIDAY CHEER in the same way that I love ABBA. I am a holiday freak! I come from a family of holiday freaks! (OK. My mom.) Also, Bing Crosby! It’s always time for Bing.

But there is a specific reason. I am listening to holiday music because LET IT SNOW COMES OUT TOMORROW.

Some of you might not know what that is, so let me explain.

About a year ago, John Green, Lauren Myracle and I thought it would be a very good idea to work together on a three-author book—three separate stories that took place in the same town during the same storm, over Christmas. So we did.



John, Lauren, and I. Not in that order. I’ll let you figure out who’s who.


So here’s a little about Let It Snow . . .

Story one: THE JUBILEE EXPRESS, by me

I feel that the important thing to tell you about this story is that it is kind of based on something very real in my life, namely, MY MOTHER’S ALL CONSUMING OBSESSION WITH HER DICKENS CHRISTMAS VILLAGE.

I’ve talked about this a lot before . . . the village, and my mother’s crafting superpowers. How she can embroider, paint, wreath-make, bake, tie fancy bows like they sell in swanky stores, arrange. It was my mother’s crafting that resulting in our being chased by a deranged squirrel in a park and then accidentally pepper-spraying ourselves in a Burger King ten minutes later.

For years, I have been looking at this village. Things happen in my brain, especially late at night when I am full of nog and cheer. And at some point I started speculating on what kind of trouble an addiction to tiny holiday houses might land you in. What if it got you arrested? On Christmas Eve?

Which is where my story starts. Jubilee Dougal’s parents are arrested in a riot while attempting to get the newest piece in the Flobie Santa Village. Now the daughter of convicts, Jubilee is forced on to a train against her will to spend the holidays with her grandparents, thus missing her one-year anniversary with her boyfriend . . . Perfect Noah, President of Everything, and his family’s annual Smörgåsbord. (With pickled fish. Which turns out to be better than it sounds and more important that you’d ever think pickled fish could be. Also, this is a Swedish Christmas tradition, one that I am sure the members of Abba enjoy.)

Unfortunately for Jubilee, the train is heading right into a monster storm, one that will bring the entire East Coast to a standstill. It’s this storm that lands her hundreds of miles away from home and her destination at a roadside Waffle House, with fourteen cheerleaders and a beautiful but sad guy named Jeb. It is there that she also meets Stuart, a recent dumpee and Target employee with a paralyzing fear of Starbucks. He will take her on a follow-the-yellow-hazard-light-lit-road journey through ice and sexual politics, smack into fake cheer, bizarre family relations, and madness.

This is not going to end well.

It’s here that we run into . . .


Story two: A CHEERTASTIC CHRISTMAS MIRACLE, by John Green

Tobin, JP, and the Duke are sitting around watching Bond movies. Tobin’s parents have been trapped in the snowstorm at Boston airport, and Tobin and his friends have free reign to celebrate the holiday eve in any way they see fit. Hence, Bond.

But everything changes when they get a call from Keun, their friend who works the counter at the Waffle House. Santa has arrived early, having delivered fourteen cheerleaders to his humble place of work—a Waffle House on the side of the road, on Christmas Eve.

There are two other employees at the Waffle House, and they will be calling THEIR friends, and there is only room for ONE CARLOAD OF GUYS in this high, holy temple, where cheerleaders do splits on the counters. So Tobin, JP, and the Duke must brave the biggest storm of the century in a death race to the Waffle House to be THE FIRST GUYS THERE.

Oh, except the Duke is a girl. This is just the first of the night’s complexities, which grow more serious and surreal as they venture further into the storm. (Something to watch for: one of the best chase sequences I have ever read. Seriously. I read this first on a train, in a snowstorm, in January (fitting) . . . and I did something you should not do on a train . . . BURST INTO UNCONTROLABLE HIGH-PITCHED LAUGHTER THAT MADE EVERYONE MOVE AWAY FROM ME.)

As we go into the weary dawn of the 26th of December, our tale is FAR from over. Because the storm has wrecked some damage and people are missing. So we enter . . .


Story three: THE PATRON SAINT OF PIGS, by Lauren Myracle

Addie has screwed up. Seriously. She had it all . . . an incredible boyfriend in the person of Jeb, normal hair, good friends . . . and then she went and messed it all up.

First, a major misunderstanding resulted in her kind of cheating on Jeb, and losing him. He’s out there somewhere in the storm, not calling her. Which explains why she has dyed her hair pink. Kind of.

Addie is NOT WELL.

When her friends Tegan and Dorrie come to pick up the pieces, Addie tries to salvage her wreck of a life by picking up Tegan’s new pet teacup pig from the pet store the next morning. The pet store is across from Starbucks, where she works. (This Starbucks has seen heartache before.)

What’s a teacup pig?

It’s one of THESE!



PIG!


Yes, that’s a pig. And you can raise it as a pet. Tegan has been waiting for her teacup pig for a VERY LONG TIME. And how hard can it be? Just going across the street to get a small pig?

Very hard, if you’re completely heartsick, and your head is pink, and your nemesis works in the store, and you’re behaving kind of strangely in general. It could all be fixed by ONE PHONE CALL from Jeb, letting Addie know that everything is okay and she is forgiven . . . but the storm has turned the world upside down. The town is full of cheerleaders and other strangers . . .

Want it? Get it NOW and it ships TOMORROW. It will be available EVERYWHERE YOU BUY BOOKS. I’d recommend an independent bookstore, but you can also get it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders (which apparently thinks that John wrote it by himself), Target, or THE LIBRARY!

I’d give away copies today, except they are all at home in New York. But if you are in England, I will READ IT TO YOU from the copy I have on my computer if you can FIND ME!

CHALLENGE! FIND MJ!

Or just GET LET IT SNOW!


Labels: , , ,

68 Comments:

Blogger the dragonfly said...

Whee! I want it! Soon, I rather think...

9:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maureen, it is a tradition that my mother starts Christmas music on October 1st. On purpose. This is a far better scenario than the year my brother started playing it after the first day of high school, but still, I've just gotten used to starting my holiday music season a full month before any other person I know.

I can't wait to get the book!

9:09 PM  
Blogger lauren myracle said...

Aw, Miss M! You write such good...everything. Would you please write all my blogs for me from now on? And my novels? And my thank-you notes?

That would be GREAT. Thanks!

9:40 PM  
Blogger Kate K said...

I was thinking today, this first day of the month that brings with it such joyous things like my monthly allowance, "What delightful item shall I spend money that I should really be saving for some disaster that is bound to happen at the end of the month, when I will needlessly be penniless and heartbroken?"

Delightful item found. :)

9:49 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I can't wait to read it!!!

I wish I could go to England.

9:51 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I went into Target a few days ago and saw that they have CHRISTMAS STUFF up already. It's right behind the Halloween stuff, and from the right angle, the two competing holiday's tchotkes look like opposing gangs about to go to war.

Am I old because I remember when Xmas decorations and such didn't show up in stores until the day after Thanksgiving?

I feel sorry for Thanksgiving--it has been completely displaced by Xmas. I think it could totally watch 16 candles and relate to EVERYTHING Molly Ringwald is going through.

Nope--I'm old because I just threw out an 80's brat pack reference to explain Thanksgiving's sidelining in the annual Halloween/Xmas smackdown.

9:57 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I shall unearth my pink and blue torch and undertake an intrepid adventure to find you immediately.

Or perhaps order Let It Snow on Amazon when my EMA money comes through on Friday!

10:01 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I preordered mine from amazon. It sounds really good. i should be getting it any day now :-D

10:16 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

ps: if you press all contributors it will show you and Lauren. but rude much to not put you in the main frame.

10:17 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want Let It Snow so bad but my dad won't take me to the bookstore until I get my driver's permit. I've been able to get it for over 6 months but haven't because I HATE CARS. I'm like Charlie from HTDYF only my reason is more fear than magical. So I probably won't be going to the store any time soon. But Paper Towns is comming out so I have too! Doxhead Dad. >.<

10:20 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i really dont see any reson not to get it *goes and looks for list of books i want*

11:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oooh, I want it. It sounds good. I'll have to order it from Amazon when I get money:p

11:50 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Haha, my friend gave me her ARC of Let It Snow yesterday! I finished your story earlier today, and I'm about half way through John's (can I call him John? Or is that totally weird? Is Mr. Green any better? That sounds kind of awkward . . .). Anyway, I LOVED your story, and I can't wait to read the others. And I can't wait to see you on October 16th at the Paper Towns Extravaganza! Yay!

12:37 AM  
Blogger angela said...

I wish I had money!
I'm going to the movies with my friend for her birthday Friday so I'll be broke. Maybe next weekend though! after allowance.

12:41 AM  
Blogger Sarah Woodard said...

I have no spending money, because I have to save up for christmas gifts. Possibly I could get it for someone and read it before I give it to them. I guess I'll have to wait.

12:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wah! I want snow! Literally. But I will definitely take the book instead. :)

12:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds weird, but here we go: I'm in England too! Just moved here this morning, actually. So if you really want to read it to someone, let me know! :) Otherwise, I'll probably be doing the useful or completely wasteful (depending on which way you look at it) shopping of curtains, rugs, linens, etc. Hope you are well! Random: Are you participating in Nanowrimo this year?

--Becky

12:54 AM  
Blogger Sarah said...

I purchased "Let It Snow" yesterday at a bookstore that had foolishly (albeit wonderfully) already put it on display! I may or may not have screamed when I saw it, and may or may not have caused a little old woman to give me the Look Of Doom for disturbing her reading of an apparently highly interesting Rachel Ray cookbook.

12:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have been talking about this all day, because I looked at the date in my daily planner and realized that TOMORROW IS OCTOBER SECOND. TOMORROW. And I remembered you saying that this book came out October 2nd. TOMORROW. And after school TOMORROW, I will be taking a trip to Borders and purchasing this very book.

*happy dance*

2:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was at Borders the other day and I was surprised and excited to see that they had Let it Snow already!

It was kind of crowded in the store and about 15 people near by heard me shout "It's out early! Let it Snow! Oh my God, I'm getting it!"

2:07 AM  
Blogger Alleywater said...

I got an advanced copy from John and I loved Stuart, really. He seems like the guy for me. Also now I really want a tea cup sized pig, they are just so tiny.

2:22 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh my gosh i lov Bing Crosby in white winter and other things that he's in cant wait to get Let It Snow, i love winter time it's like the best time of the year
Karozo

3:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

These stories sound amazing.

4:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'M SO FREAKING EXCITED! I'm going to have my friend buy it at her place of work tomorrow. (which happens to be an independent bookstore, by the way.)

4:46 AM  
Blogger Callidora said...

I want to read it!!! Unfortunately I am poor :( Sounds wonderfully exciting and I will have to keep checking at the library every day until they get it (good thing I work there and thus can have first dibs!)

5:27 AM  
Blogger Callidora said...

P.S. that pig is soooooo cute! :o)

5:27 AM  
Blogger MissPolitic said...

I saw this book in Borders the other day... apparently it came out early in Tempe. Also, I want the pig.

6:04 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I want...Let It Snow...must have book... Unfortunately, I have to go to this retreat thingy all weekend, which means no time for book buying OR seeing Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist. Stupid retreat. What if I don't want to be a better, more tolerant person?Huh? GRrrrrrrrrrr.

And I claim the teacup pig. It's so cute. Hee hee. Me and my teacup pig shall be the best of friends and have tea at teatime together everyday and be really happy all the time with our tea.

7:41 AM  
Blogger Ali said...

I believe you're the person in the middle of the picture, with the devious smile on your face.
And John is the woman.

9:20 AM  
Blogger B. said...

It was always my assumption that if you had to travel clear across an ocean to find "your writing place", you really, really didn't want to be found. Find MJ, HaH!

7:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I've had Let It Snow since ALA, Laauren signed for me. Did you know that Lauren is silly and full of love?

8:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

YAY! I bought Let It Snow about a week ago on John's Paper Towns tour. He signed it, so you and Lauren are next! Someday, all three of your names will be in there. :)

Oh, and I literally started hyperventilating (just a tad) when I saw that picture of a teacup pig. I am getting one. Seriously. ASAP. I REALLY REALLY AM.

12:41 AM  
Blogger Sandy said...

My mom has a growing christmas village. Every year my sister buys here a couple new 'houses' to add to it, and every year it spreads further around the house.

'Let it Snow' sounds amazing, I must get a copy as soon as funds allow... :D

5:55 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maureen, a the Borders i go to (in Dallas, TX) they had Let It Snow a week ago (i bought it... hehe). Do you know why (not that I wasn't okay with that).

1:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Maureen! I love your books!

I know that you are stronngly against banning books, but I was wondering what you thought of this article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100203644.html
Are you always against book banning, or do you think its okay to ban books that are homophobic, like the ones in the article?

1:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i love Bing! he's my favorite holiday singer! and White Christmas is a movie i must watch every Christmas. and that pig is adorable!!

can't wait to get my hands on the book!

*Emilee
ps- did you watch the vp debate last night? even though, ou know, you're in England and everything? or would it have been like 4 in the morning?

3:05 AM  
Blogger Cat said...

Ha!!! I must have! with Paper Towns! which I have not yet ordered(gasp, I know)

5:03 AM  
Blogger Trish said...

Okay, I know this puts me in the realm of squealy fan girl instead of super serious *ahem* author, but I just finished Let It Snow. In nearly one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I loved all three stories, but yours was my favorite if for no other reason the fact that you have a Stuart who works at Target. Until recently, my own Target had a Stuart who was completely adorable. Did you take him?

5:18 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I got it yesterday! I was so excited when I saw it on the shelves. I was like YESS. I'm still on Jubilee's part. So far, it is AWESOME.

5:57 AM  
Blogger Shausto-la said...

aw i want so many books right now, and it just so happenes that i have no money to buy them and my library is stupid and wont order them. So i am just going to start writing a very very long list of books and telling my mom to just buy all of them for me for christmas.

And i was trying to find an indie book store near me to buy future books from, and realized that we have none, absolutely none, anywhere within reasonable distance. So i am stuck with my barnes and noble down the street.

7:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Let It Snow = awesome, but at first reading it made me think I should break up with my boyfriend. (I'm going to point out that this was your part of the book.) Luckily I persevered to the end and realized that I should not make hasty judgements based on what I read in fictional novels. Intense three hour speed reads will make a girl a little loopy.
Thanks for a great story!

7:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

My friend ordered Paper Towns from Barnes and Noble, and it came in the mail today? Is this normal? What is happening?

7:28 AM  
Blogger My Honest Truth said...

I so want this book. I must go see if it is at borders. *crosses fingers.*

9:36 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maureen, that book sounds awesome! I WANT IT!! Grrr but because of where I live (Asia) I probably won't get to see it till around christmas time (I'll be in USA then), which is kind of perfect yet still DREADFUL because I want to read it RIGHT NOW.

TEACUP PIG?!?!?! I want one! IT'S THE CUTEST THING EVER. Seriously. Who cares about kittens when you have ADORABLE MINI PIGS to love?

Will you be sending out cards this year in the name of cheer??? 'Cause that would be amazing.

-lj

12:40 PM  
Blogger Sara said...

Hi Maureen!

I just wanted you to know that I always love to read your blog! I'm Swedish so when you write about Sweden, or Abba, or Smörgåsbord or pickled fish,it is so funny and special for me. I feel "chosen" and special and HOME! =D

"Let it snow", seems like a great book, or even better 3 great books in 1!

/ Sara

7:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I just finished Let It Snow today and it was wonderful and fantastic and lots of other glittery adjectives.

12:52 AM  
Blogger A Paperback Writer said...

Wow.
This sounds like a Christmas book that isn't sappy! Is that even possible?
Look, I love Christmas, but I sure get sick of reading stuff like The Christmas Box, where the whole point is just to make you cry.
This books sounds like the point is to make you laugh.
Well, laugh or cry, your blog post just sold another copy, since I just ordered it.
:)

1:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a question...
In the above picture, the title caption reads "three holiday stories," but on the copy I have next to me the cover reads "three holiday romances." What's up?

4:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ok, I ordered Let it snow of Amazon yesterday, so I shoudl be getting it soon. And that is the most adorable pig i have ever seen in my life.

6:33 PM  
Blogger Maggie FTW said...

It is currently on its way to my dorm room. Yay! :D

7:23 PM  
Blogger Lauren Elizabeth said...

White Christmas is BY FAR the greatest Christmas movie of all time.

Love me some Bing!

9:10 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Very Important Info! I wandered over to my local Barnes and Noble (Encino: Ventura Blvd. and Hayvenhurst for those of you around here) looking for "Let it Snow". I figured since it just came out it would be in the YA new releases section. Alas I was disappointed. And then, out of the corner of my eye I saw it - It was in the regular YA stacks filed as a new "John Green" release! So, if you're looking for it and can't find it in new releases, you may want to look around the whole YA department - which is sizable in my local store - and chances are it will be there. Helpful info for you! - Jesse

2:33 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Sounds like an awesome book! I'm gonna go order it, methinks, and save it for December. If it's MJ and John Green, there's no way it can be a bad book.

5:21 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

MJ-
AHH!! I got Let It Snow (THE DAY it came out)and I LOVE IT. I have laughed out loud more often than I did at Mamma Mia! Which is saying something. Props for the excellant book!

5:22 AM  
Blogger SalT said...

This is not really a comment, because I fear I am not cool enough to comment on this blog.
But I do love Christmas music, like crazzeeey! I am listening to some this very moment.

8:04 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

My Boarders didn't have it!!! They were so unhelpful. :( So I combine it with the order for papertowns and get two suprises at once!!! It can't wait!!!!!
I am jealous of every one in England who has found you!

9:27 AM  
Blogger Mommy B said...

This is a great blog! I love it! Will definately be back. Thanks for sharing!

1:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The picture goes Lauren, MJ, John.

5:14 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Totally unrelated to this post but... the princess lea costume you wanted! http://shop.halloweenadventure.com/shared/StoreFront/default.asp?CS=masquerade&StoreType=BtoC&Count1=204494655&Count2=121635079&Keyword=clone+wars&Target=products.asp

2:07 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Whoa! I am super-excited for Let it Snow... I must immediately put on trampolining shoes and hop to the bookstore, releasing boundless excitement. How long are you going to be in England???? This is very important- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7:54 AM  
Blogger B. said...

This book was fUNNY! Loved it!! So much fun. And one very, perhaps unintentionally, dirty line! haha.

and now I've got to figure out how to finish another huge series without breaking my budget.... however, this book was much better than the unmentioned one. Which, by the way, has way too many available copies, and this unnamed chain retailer only has warehouse space for other great YA books, but no shelf space. There's plenty of room on the shelves! *grumble grumble* I actually considered opening up an independent bookstore in my neighborhood because of my frustrations. I wouldn't get a loan this week though.

8:57 AM  
Blogger B. said...

amendment: i know things are never unintentional and there are three wonderful stories. yum!

9:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Maureen! I just wanted to tell you that I just finished Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and I just loved it! It's the first book of yours that I've read, I can't wait to see what other exciting things you've written.

9:17 AM  
Blogger Callidora said...

I just bought Let It Snow!!! I can't wait to read it and start the Christmas season! But first I have to read Paper Towns, the bookstore had it and I couldn't wait! :o)

6:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have something very strange to tell you, but I think you should know: I had a dream. With a monkey in it. And his name was FREE MONKEY and he tried to SAVE ME from a JAPANESE GHOST-ZOMBIE. Like Toshio in The Grudge.

Have you been lying to us all this time? Is Free Monkey really a superhero?!

8:26 PM  
Blogger Statues In Stilettos said...

Let It Snow sounds absolutely fabulous! I can't wait to read it. I love you and John Green (Can't say the same for Lauren Myracle, seeing as I've never read anything by her). The deranged squirrel/pepper spray incident sounds very traumatic indeed. But hilarious. Very, very hilarious. The piggy is ADORABLE! I wants one! How dare Borders not give you and Lauren credit?!

Fairly random but Barack Obama related... Coco Tea and The Hush Sound have AMAZING Obama songs. Check them out. http://www.purevolume.com/thehushsound

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tw8tesd5EA

12:29 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Ha! I got Let It Snow, and I love it. It made me feel all warm and snuggly. And Christmas-y. I have to pinch myself every time I start to hum a carol or something because I feel that it's unfair to the other holidays to skip them.

In other news, listening to The Patridge Family's I Think I Love You upwards of four times starts to make a person a little loopy. In case you were wondering.

4:51 AM  
Blogger Kat said...

I got my copy yesterday, started reading today. I'm loving your story Maureen! It's amazing!

I'm going to have to start listening to christmas love songs in a minute. That is, if I could put this down beyond writing a message declaring my love for it.

1:04 PM  

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