1) Nice and Mean will be featured as New Moon Magazine’s September/October book of the month!  The issue’s theme is popularity, and I agree with the books editor that Nice and Mean could spark some useful discussions of that issue.  There will also be a video contest, since the book focuses on a video class, and if you win the contest, you win a copy of the book!  I can’t wait to see what the readers come up with here.

2) The Louisville-Courier Journal will feature a new story of mine, NOT THAT GIRL, in its August issue–in serial, no less!  The story is set in Kentucky during the back-to-school season, and I love the thought of knowing that readers will experience it during the appropriate season.  There’s just something about going back to school–or even back to work after summer–that makes you/one/me reevaluate priorities and open fresh wounds–and I like the thought of readers being in that mode when they read the story. 

(It’s also a little nerve-wracking to think of putting a story in print without the 20-month waiting period that Nice and Mean has gotten me accustomed to, but I guess I will just have to deal.)

3) My fantastic web designer, WebsyDaisy (aka Jenny Medford), reconfigured my “books” page to include reviews.  I love having all the reviews of Nice and Mean in one place, and if you want to see what people are saying, head on over and say hi.

4) The 3rd bit of good news I can’t really talk about at this moment because I haven’t made a decision about it, but I suspect it will be good news, so I throw it into the Yay pile here, too! 

Have a good weekend, everyone!  I’m writing this on Thursday, but when this reaches you, I will be stepping in that river (see yesterday’s post.)