Tuesday, December 8, 2009

It's the Most Wonderful Time...

...of the year.

Isn't it? Duders, we've entered easily the most favoritestest month of the year for me. I love December, and the only downside is that since it's begun, it means it will end. But that would be a really pessimistic way too look at it, so I won't. I refuse to think that the holidays will be over and then football soon after that. Oh, the agony!!!!

We got dumped on with the white stuff today. (That's snow, for you folks from my hometown in Georgia.) I spent over an hour shovelling it, and I actually enjoyed it, especially after my wife forced me to put on a hat and my ears discontinued their path to frostbite. But I still think we should get a snow blower. Maybe. Or not. Maybe...

Hmmmm. So what's on my mind today?

1. Still knee-deep in revisions. On two books (The Scorch Trials and The 13th Reality Book 3: The Blade of Shattered Hope.) I'm not a big fan of revisions, but I'm so glad I'm not an idiot and recognize the importance of giving it my best shot. I feel very good about how these books are coming along!

2. My drums are awesome. Really, really awesome. I love playing them. Sometimes my ears hurt.

3. Remember that Droid phone I ranted and raved about? Well, it died after two stellar weeks. Now, Verizon does have incredible customer service and gave me a brand new one. (Wait, wasn't my first one brand new still?) So we'll see. But having said that, I really do love this phone! (My second one, not the first one.)

4. Please, please, please go check out this EXTENDED version of the book trailer for The Maze Runner. It's twice the awesomeness! CLICK HERE. And please spread the word because these guys worked so hard on it.

5. A lot of people have asked me about a certain comment left in the last blog post of mine. Patience, my friends! Patience. All will be revealed very soon.

6. Could someone please explain to me what's up with the movie The Road? I'm dying to see it, and have been for at least a year, and I know it's been released, but it's still not in any theaters around here. Viggo aka Aragorn, could you please remedy the situation? I'm also looking forward to Avatar, Sherlock Holmes, Up in the Air, and about one hundred other movies.

7. People keep telling me in the comments that I'm not posting enough. I have slowed down a bit, huh? Okay, I'll try harder.

8. Note to everyone in charge of college football: You're not smart. Sorry, don't know how else to say it. You're just not very smart. If we had a 16 team playoff to look forward to, it'd be the most amazing thing since the spaceship was invented. Can you imagine the talk and hype over the first round alone??!?! Please quit your jobs and let people with brains take over. That is all. And sorry if I was rude. I'm usually not, really.

9. Had the fortune of attending the book launch party for BEAUTIFUL CREATURES by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl last week. Amazing authors, amazing book, amazing buzz. One of the greatest perks of being an author is hanging out with other authors. You should all do it! Seriously! Go write a book. It's awesome.

10. Remember to follow my blog (CLICK HERE) and follow me on Twitter (CLICK HERE).

Have a great day. Lyrics and Q&A next post, coming soon....

27 comments:

Aubrey said...

Fun ramblings.

Snow. Ack. The worst thing about snow is driving in it. The thing I am hating the most is the bitter cold! When it snows isn't is supposed to warm up?

Reading an ARC of Beautiful Creatures right now! Loving it!

My favorite thing about December? Going home to southern CA for two weeks for Christmas. Now THAT is Christmas!

Melinda said...

Yep. Nothing.

(Just kidding.)

Always good to hear what is going on, even if you are extremely strange and love snow. I'll forgive you. I'm nice that way. :-)

Gina said...

Ah...how I miss snow. We only get the wet version of it aka rain no matter how cold it seems to get.

Beautiful Creatures has been getting a lot of buzz online(as well as a certain author's recent book whose blog I am commmenting on right now)....from all sources thus far, both are a great read!

December is the best month for most people....all the holiday spirit (even if it's a bit lower this year) is out there for everyone to share....so long as you hold your temper when shopping, driving, or otherwise being with a large group of people that you do not know. =0)

Happy holidays and happy reading!

Unknown said...

The book Tailer is awesome! :)

Snow is also awesome, and of course December is one of the best months of the year - lots of reading to do this Chrismtas...

So excited to hear that edits are going well...Can NOT wait for the next book, holy cow on steriods! :) The Maze Runner really leaves you thinking, I STILL have dreams about it, and I read it a month ago, at least! :)

Shannon O'Donnell said...

You crack me up! Could you just write us all a book-length blog post? That should keep us all happy and off your back for oh...I don't know...maybe a few days at least! :)

My favorite thing about December this year is:
buying every James Dashner book ever written for my son and my other son and my niece and my nephew and...

You think I'm kidding. I'm NOT! ;)

Anonymous said...

WICKED is not good, by the way. WICKED is mean. Mean for leaving me hanging for another two years. =P

In honor of your love of all thigns snowy and winter-ish, I shall not complain about said white stuff. Merry Christmas, James!

I'm sorry to hear about the droid. I hope the new one is virtually unbreakable.

I'd like to know about that cryptic comment too. You could always email me if you can't keep it to yourself. I'm a good secret keeper. Voldemort would never find you.

Unknown said...

I haven't seen The Road, but I talked to a girl at B&N the other day who said it was very similar to the book, if that helps.

I'd be down for a college ball playoff round. BYU would never make it, and it would help remind the fans around here how overrated they are.

Well, I'll be dead in about five minutes for that quip. Nice knowin y'all :-D

ronna15 said...

AVATAR!!!!!!!!!! Cant wait for that movie!!! ;D Me and my sister are gonna see it @ midnight showing.

;D

Melissa Cunningham said...

Great post. I agree with you about being able to hang with other authors when you're one too. I love it. I'm in editing and revising my book too. Don't love it, but the story is so much better now.

Well, have a good one! Be seeing you!

storyqueen said...

December is my favoritest month, too. Always goes away too soon.

Book trailer is awesome!

Shelley

Unknown said...

I love the snow. I had my b-day on thanksgiving too.
P.S. I am one of the kids that you skyped with at the DDG booksellers skype. Bet you cant guess which one. looking forward to your next blog. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

Vanessa M. said...

James, I know what you mean about those football guys. My dad and grandpa kept yelling at the television set during the BYU vs U of U game telling them what to do. They didn't listen. Oh well, they still won, even if they would've won it quicker had they listened to my dad and grandpa.

Erin G. said...

Hmm. You know, I actually blame all the snow on your lack of blogging. I think you're starting to go into hybernation, James. ;)

Just kidding! Even reading your occassional and slightly random blogs makes me happy. :)

Taffy said...

You should get a 4 wheeler with a blade to shovel snow...

DH and all males into football out here agree with you. I think it would be best to just compete on the Wii. Then have pie.

I don't know if I can watch Sherlock. I've been debating. I realllllly dislike Robert Downy. What can I say? I'm an 80s kid.

And what is up with taking Flash Forward away until MARCH?? Stupit.

You and yours have a great holiday, James Q!

Danyelle Ferguson said...

Hey, Mr. Snow Shoveler - could you make a quick trip to Kansas to do my driveway for me? And while you're at it, the rest of my cul-de-sac? The plows don't do side roads in our town. =(

I'm reading The Maze Runner right now. I've finally snatched it back from my friends John keeps loaning it out to.

The new trailer is great - although it freaked my kids out. Now, that was a priceless Kodak moment! =)

Dave said...

Glad to hear from you Dash! The trailer is cool. Obviously, we gave it it's own post on our site... did you expect any less from the Gang?? Congrats on it and we have also begun the countdown to "Scorch"

Dave and the rest of the Lateiner Gang

Sharon K. Mayhew said...

We had about 13 inches of snow in the last 24 hours, plus blizzard conditions. It was great! I'm a novice, so every snowstorm is exciting to me.

Your video is great...scared the c--- out of me!

Unknown said...

Does the drums and hurting ears tie together or were they just two random comments in the same number?

Deb said...

Sherlock Holmes. Oh yeah!

The "Bull Crap System" is a joke. I've had to give college football up. Not good for my health to watch people screw things up to the point that I get aggravated. But I still watch the highlights :)

Vanessa M. said...

I just thought to tell you; in this last week alone I was able to identify three people reading The Maze Runner, and only one of them was someone I had recommended it to. They all like it, though one of my friends says its gruesome (...I'll show her gruesome). The Maze Runner continues forward.

Bethany Wiggins said...

Awesome blog! And I don't mind if you don't post a whole lot as long as you get those revisions done!!! Work, man! Faster!

Garrett Matthews said...

Heres something my friend set up. You might want to take a look at it. http://mazerunnervslightningthief.blogspot.com/2009/12/maze-runner-vs-lightning-thief.html

Jeremiah said...

I say yes to the snowblower! (IT'S WORTH IT!)

And I know Garrett mentioned this in the previous comment, but I'm having a competition between The Maze Runner, and The Lightning Thief here: http://mazerunnervslightningthief.blogspot.com/

(I think The Maze Runner is better!)

Unknown said...

Hey!
Just finished reading your book The Maze Runner and I felt obligated to let you know how incredible I thought it was. (And how incredibly cruel you are for leaving us hanging like that!) One of the best books I've read in a while! I might just have to reread it a few thousand times over the next year or two if I'm to keep my sanity before the next one comes out.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled ;)

Dave said...

Donde Esta JD? I bet he's makin 13th 3 and Scorch all perfect for us! Is that where you are Dash or are you vacationing on a remote island somewhere enjoying some R&R??

Anonymous said...

Hey James,
Just noticed it's been a bit since you posted and thought I'd let you know I mis your posts. =]
--L.T.

kanishk said...

so long as you hold your temper when shopping, driving, or otherwise being with a large group of people that you do not know.

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