We are going to celebrate day 23 of the Magical Christmas with Toni Runkle & Stephen Webb. Don't miss the previous giveaways!
Day 1 with Amalie Howard + Paperback Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 2 with Karla J. Nellenbach + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 3 with February Grace + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 4 with CJ Lyons + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 5 with A.J. Aalto + 20 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 6 with Anne Perry + Hardcover Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 7 with Natalie Damschroder + $5 Gift Card & short story Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 8 with Holly Webb + Paperback Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 9 with Helen Docherty and Bill Cotter + 2 Print Copies Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 10 with Jessica Shervington + Print Copy Giveaaway (US/Canada)
Day 11 with Ophelia London + Swag Pack Giveaway (US only)
Day 12 with Mark D Evan + 5 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 13 with Callie Hutton + $25 Gift Card Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 14 with Miranda Kenneally + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 15 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print Copies & 1 ecopy Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 16 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print & 1 ecopy Giveaway (Print - US/Canada, ecopy - INTERNATIONAL)
Day 17 with Eric Pierpoint + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 18 with Inara Scott + 2 Books in the series Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 19 with Natalie Richards + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 20 with D.E.L. Connor + 5 Copies Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 21 with Elisabeth Wolf + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 22 with Julie Tetel Andreson + 5 copies Giveaway
Day 2 with Karla J. Nellenbach + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 3 with February Grace + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 4 with CJ Lyons + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 5 with A.J. Aalto + 20 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 6 with Anne Perry + Hardcover Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 7 with Natalie Damschroder + $5 Gift Card & short story Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 8 with Holly Webb + Paperback Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 9 with Helen Docherty and Bill Cotter + 2 Print Copies Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 10 with Jessica Shervington + Print Copy Giveaaway (US/Canada)
Day 11 with Ophelia London + Swag Pack Giveaway (US only)
Day 12 with Mark D Evan + 5 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 13 with Callie Hutton + $25 Gift Card Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 14 with Miranda Kenneally + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 15 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print Copies & 1 ecopy Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 16 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print & 1 ecopy Giveaway (Print - US/Canada, ecopy - INTERNATIONAL)
Day 17 with Eric Pierpoint + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 18 with Inara Scott + 2 Books in the series Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 19 with Natalie Richards + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 20 with D.E.L. Connor + 5 Copies Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 21 with Elisabeth Wolf + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 22 with Julie Tetel Andreson + 5 copies Giveaway
And Soucebooks is giving away a copy of the GLITTER GIRL novel for the winner of today's giveaway. The giveaway will run till December 31st, 2013 and the winners will be announced on January 1st, 2014! But, before that, don't forget to read Steve and Toni's answer for a quirky question!
Original Title: Glitter Girl
Author: Toni Runkle & Stephen Webb
Author: Toni Runkle & Stephen Webb
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Release Date: December 3rd, 2012
Genre: Middle Grade
True Confessions of a TrendsetterHi! I'm Kat. Welcome to my blog. I may be from a small town but I'm also Glitter Girl Cosmetics' newest trendsetter. Thanks to my flair for fashion and my popular style blog, I've been chosen to be an Alpha Girl, which means I get to try out all the Glitter Girl products before they hit the stores.
Forty-eight hours after she blogs about the goodies in the new line, every girl at Kat's school is sporting the gear. Kat's popularity skyrockets, but Jules--Kat's BFF--seems to be the only one who's not buying into the Glitter Girl lifestyle. Is Kat willing to sacrifice her friendship for life in the fab lane?
WOULD YOU RATHER BE AN ELF, A WHO, or a
REINDEER?
- Guest Post by Toni Runkle & Stephen Webb
TONI: Hmm. I’d have to say, that if I could choose, I’d be one of Santa’s elves. I like the hours. It’s like teacher hours. You work really hard for part of the year, and then you have chunks of time off to pursue other activities, like spelunking or making duct tape wallets.
STEVE: Obviously, my usually thoughtful partner has not completely thought this crucial question all the way through. She’s been reading too much publicity from Santa’s PR team. True, there is but one delivery date for the Elves’ handiwork, but can you imagine how much work needs to be done AFTER December 25? I can’t imagine the elves get any more than a long weekend before they need to begin planning and plotting the toy production for the NEXT year. And just imagine the anticipation! The elves can’t begin work until the letters to Santa come pouring in, and let’s face it, even the most organized kid won’t put pen to paper until after Thanksgiving. But like in the old hamburger restaurant that I worked in when I was a kid, the elves need to sense what will be needed and start building it BEFORE the child even knows he wants it. No! I say. For the true relaxing lifestyle, one has to side with the carefree Whos of Whoville. What I like most about this good-natured community is that they don’t let a little adversity get them down. Sure, there’s a creepy green guy with poor dental work living on nearby Mount Crumpit, but how often does he show his face in town anyway?
TONI: Clearly, my writing partner’s anti-elf bias is showing. Perhaps the fact that these creative creatures are small in stature has clouded his judgment. It is true that the average elf will not be starting for the Boston Celtics anytime soon, but we need to consider the elf’s physical attributes in a broader context. For example, the ears are to die for. All that extra cartilage, you could get a lot of piercings in there. They’re practically living accessory trees, or in this case, accessory ears. The pointy part of the ears might be a problem especially with my straightening iron, but I figure it’s a trade-off. And the shoes. Those tiny little shoes are soooo adorable! See, I have serious “small feet envy”. My whole life I’ve had big feet. Boats, really. And they got even bigger after I had a baby. Aircraft carriers, practically. This happens to women sometimes. It’s one of the perks of motherhood along with no sleep and perpetual worry. Now, look at your average Who. They are hardly physical specimens, with their slightly rounded tummies and oddly shaped heads. Plus, if my Suess memory serves me right, not only are they put upon by the Grinch, but they face external enemies as well. If it weren’t for a kindly elephant named Horton, they’d all have been barbecued in Beezlenut oil by that nasty Kangaroo. (Those ARE the same Whos, right?) Clearly, the elves face no such existential threat. And I’d wager the working conditions in the Santa’s workshop are far better than any Who could obtain, no matter the strength of their union. Clearly, the elves win out again.
STEVE: Oh, Toni, you poor misguided elf-lover! You are clearly missing the forest for the trees, which is not terribly surprising. The North Pole doesn’t even HAVE trees. Here’s the thing. I will grant you that the average Who is not going to win any beauty pageants, but there are many other things to recommend them. Look at the creativity in Who-ville. The average Who’s Christmas presents lays to shame anything that an elf might come up with. Jing-tinglers! Floo-floobers! Gar-ginkers! And what little Who hasn’t dreamed of running downstairs on Christmas morning to find an Electro-whocardio-schnook under the tree? Yes, just on the toy haul alone, I’d have to side with the gentlefolk of Whoville.
TONI: Steve, your love of all things Who has led you to gloss over my main point. The constant threat of annihilation! They put up a good front, the Whos, singing their jolly songs all day, but in dark places, places you don’t like to talk about at parties, a Who’s life is under a continual barrage of stress. Elves, on the other hand, don’t seem to worry about much. So not only do they have tiny feet, which makes getting their skinny jeans on a breeze, they exist virtually stress-free. Unless of course they worry they won’t meet their toy deadline. That would be a bummer, being the reason some kid didn’t get their bike under the tree… okay maybe the stress-free thing is a fantasy. But then so is me getting into skinny jeans.
STEVE: Toni, please stick to the point. Your relationship with skinny jeans is strictly between you and your salesgirl at the Gap. I grant you that Whos do seem to face more hardships than the average elf, but look at their attitude. Remember when the Grinch nabbed all the cool stuff from Whoville? Did they mope about? Hardly! They got right out to the town square and sang a lovely little Christmas song. I’d like to see those workaholic elves do THAT on Christmas morning, when more than likely they’re busy cleaning up the reindeer droppings in the sleigh house. And by the way, Santa is an elf, right? Then why is he so tall? Is it his eternal jolliness that has separated him from his elven brethren?
TONI: Aha! So you admit that elves are jolly! Clearly you are starting to come around to my point of view. And you know why else being an elf would rock? Elves jingle! I love the sound of jingling. Specifically the tinkly jingle, you know, like in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Clarence gets his wings, or in an old novel when someone opens a door to a millinery shop and they have that little brass bell above it to let the proprietor know someone has entered and needs immediate service. They don’t have those anymore. Little bells on doors or millinery shops… or even proprietors for that matter. Now they have motion sensor sliding doors, baseball cap kiosks near the Cinnabon in the mall and anonymous people in blue vests who avoid service of any kind at all cost. Wow, that elven life is looking better and better all the time. One one-way ticket to the North Pole, please! Pronto!
STEVE: We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Toni. If we’d had this much acrimony while writing our book, Glitter Girl would never have been published.
TONI: Well, I think we CAN agree that no matter where one falls on the great Who vs. Elf debate, Christmas is a special time to share with friends and family.
STEVE: In the words of the Whos, and I quote “Christmas Day is within our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we.”
TONI: On THAT, there is no debate.
STEVE AND TONI: Merry Christmas everyone!
STEVE: Obviously, my usually thoughtful partner has not completely thought this crucial question all the way through. She’s been reading too much publicity from Santa’s PR team. True, there is but one delivery date for the Elves’ handiwork, but can you imagine how much work needs to be done AFTER December 25? I can’t imagine the elves get any more than a long weekend before they need to begin planning and plotting the toy production for the NEXT year. And just imagine the anticipation! The elves can’t begin work until the letters to Santa come pouring in, and let’s face it, even the most organized kid won’t put pen to paper until after Thanksgiving. But like in the old hamburger restaurant that I worked in when I was a kid, the elves need to sense what will be needed and start building it BEFORE the child even knows he wants it. No! I say. For the true relaxing lifestyle, one has to side with the carefree Whos of Whoville. What I like most about this good-natured community is that they don’t let a little adversity get them down. Sure, there’s a creepy green guy with poor dental work living on nearby Mount Crumpit, but how often does he show his face in town anyway?
TONI: Clearly, my writing partner’s anti-elf bias is showing. Perhaps the fact that these creative creatures are small in stature has clouded his judgment. It is true that the average elf will not be starting for the Boston Celtics anytime soon, but we need to consider the elf’s physical attributes in a broader context. For example, the ears are to die for. All that extra cartilage, you could get a lot of piercings in there. They’re practically living accessory trees, or in this case, accessory ears. The pointy part of the ears might be a problem especially with my straightening iron, but I figure it’s a trade-off. And the shoes. Those tiny little shoes are soooo adorable! See, I have serious “small feet envy”. My whole life I’ve had big feet. Boats, really. And they got even bigger after I had a baby. Aircraft carriers, practically. This happens to women sometimes. It’s one of the perks of motherhood along with no sleep and perpetual worry. Now, look at your average Who. They are hardly physical specimens, with their slightly rounded tummies and oddly shaped heads. Plus, if my Suess memory serves me right, not only are they put upon by the Grinch, but they face external enemies as well. If it weren’t for a kindly elephant named Horton, they’d all have been barbecued in Beezlenut oil by that nasty Kangaroo. (Those ARE the same Whos, right?) Clearly, the elves face no such existential threat. And I’d wager the working conditions in the Santa’s workshop are far better than any Who could obtain, no matter the strength of their union. Clearly, the elves win out again.
STEVE: Oh, Toni, you poor misguided elf-lover! You are clearly missing the forest for the trees, which is not terribly surprising. The North Pole doesn’t even HAVE trees. Here’s the thing. I will grant you that the average Who is not going to win any beauty pageants, but there are many other things to recommend them. Look at the creativity in Who-ville. The average Who’s Christmas presents lays to shame anything that an elf might come up with. Jing-tinglers! Floo-floobers! Gar-ginkers! And what little Who hasn’t dreamed of running downstairs on Christmas morning to find an Electro-whocardio-schnook under the tree? Yes, just on the toy haul alone, I’d have to side with the gentlefolk of Whoville.
TONI: Steve, your love of all things Who has led you to gloss over my main point. The constant threat of annihilation! They put up a good front, the Whos, singing their jolly songs all day, but in dark places, places you don’t like to talk about at parties, a Who’s life is under a continual barrage of stress. Elves, on the other hand, don’t seem to worry about much. So not only do they have tiny feet, which makes getting their skinny jeans on a breeze, they exist virtually stress-free. Unless of course they worry they won’t meet their toy deadline. That would be a bummer, being the reason some kid didn’t get their bike under the tree… okay maybe the stress-free thing is a fantasy. But then so is me getting into skinny jeans.
STEVE: Toni, please stick to the point. Your relationship with skinny jeans is strictly between you and your salesgirl at the Gap. I grant you that Whos do seem to face more hardships than the average elf, but look at their attitude. Remember when the Grinch nabbed all the cool stuff from Whoville? Did they mope about? Hardly! They got right out to the town square and sang a lovely little Christmas song. I’d like to see those workaholic elves do THAT on Christmas morning, when more than likely they’re busy cleaning up the reindeer droppings in the sleigh house. And by the way, Santa is an elf, right? Then why is he so tall? Is it his eternal jolliness that has separated him from his elven brethren?
TONI: Aha! So you admit that elves are jolly! Clearly you are starting to come around to my point of view. And you know why else being an elf would rock? Elves jingle! I love the sound of jingling. Specifically the tinkly jingle, you know, like in “It’s a Wonderful Life” when Clarence gets his wings, or in an old novel when someone opens a door to a millinery shop and they have that little brass bell above it to let the proprietor know someone has entered and needs immediate service. They don’t have those anymore. Little bells on doors or millinery shops… or even proprietors for that matter. Now they have motion sensor sliding doors, baseball cap kiosks near the Cinnabon in the mall and anonymous people in blue vests who avoid service of any kind at all cost. Wow, that elven life is looking better and better all the time. One one-way ticket to the North Pole, please! Pronto!
STEVE: We’re going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Toni. If we’d had this much acrimony while writing our book, Glitter Girl would never have been published.
TONI: Well, I think we CAN agree that no matter where one falls on the great Who vs. Elf debate, Christmas is a special time to share with friends and family.
STEVE: In the words of the Whos, and I quote “Christmas Day is within our grasp, as long as we have hands to clasp. Christmas Day will always be, just as long as we have we.”
TONI: On THAT, there is no debate.
STEVE AND TONI: Merry Christmas everyone!
GIVEAWAY
Thanks for the great post, Steve and Toni!
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky will be giving away a print copy of the recently released "GLITTER GIRL" novel for the winner of the below Rafflecopter widget.
The giveaway is open for US/Canada residents only.
Come back tomorrow for more giveaways! And did you enter the previous giveaways?
Day 1 with Amalie Howard + Paperback Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 2 with Karla J. Nellenbach + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 3 with February Grace + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 4 with CJ Lyons + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 5 with A.J. Aalto + 20 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 6 with Anne Perry + Hardcover Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 7 with Natalie Damschroder + $5 Gift Card & short story Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 8 with Holly Webb + Paperback Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 9 with Helen Docherty and Bill Cotter + 2 Print Copies Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 10 with Jessica Shervington + Print Copy Giveaaway (US/Canada)
Day 11 with Ophelia London + Swag Pack Giveaway
Day 12 with Mark D Evan + 5 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 13 with Callie Hutton + $25 Gift Card Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 14 with Miranda Kenneally + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 15 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print Copies & 1 ecopy Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 16 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print & 1 ecopy Giveaway (Print - US/Canada, ecopy - INTERNATIONAL)
Day 17 with Eric Pierpoint + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 18 with Inara Scott + 2 Books in the series Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 19 with Natalie Richards + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 2 with Karla J. Nellenbach + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 3 with February Grace + 10 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 4 with CJ Lyons + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 5 with A.J. Aalto + 20 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 6 with Anne Perry + Hardcover Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 7 with Natalie Damschroder + $5 Gift Card & short story Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 8 with Holly Webb + Paperback Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 9 with Helen Docherty and Bill Cotter + 2 Print Copies Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 10 with Jessica Shervington + Print Copy Giveaaway (US/Canada)
Day 11 with Ophelia London + Swag Pack Giveaway
Day 12 with Mark D Evan + 5 Books Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 13 with Callie Hutton + $25 Gift Card Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 14 with Miranda Kenneally + Print copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 15 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print Copies & 1 ecopy Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 16 with Vivi Barnes + 3 Print & 1 ecopy Giveaway (Print - US/Canada, ecopy - INTERNATIONAL)
Day 17 with Eric Pierpoint + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 18 with Inara Scott + 2 Books in the series Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 19 with Natalie Richards + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 20 with D.E.L. Connor + 5 Copies Giveaway (INTERNATIONAL)
Day 21 with Elisabeth Wolf + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 22 with Julie Tetel Andreson + 5 copies Giveaway
Day 21 with Elisabeth Wolf + Print Copy Giveaway (US/Canada)
Day 22 with Julie Tetel Andreson + 5 copies Giveaway
Loved the interchange between Steve and Toni. Not sure which 'won' because they both had good points for the elves and the whos --- maybe we need who elves? And doesn't anyone want to be a reindeer?
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you both, Toni & Steve, and to all your families.
And Merry Christmas to you & yours, Vidya.