storyfires

Ok, so only two people like free books. Or (more likely) only two people read my blog. That's ok. I'm not whining. Er, maybe I am. But what these two people have figured out that the rest of you haven't, is that when a few people enter my drawings frequently, those few frequently win free books. But I wax alliterative. And I will shut up now. So, the winner of September's book drawing is....are both of you ready? Alyosha! Congratulations, Alyosha. Send me your address and I'll send you a book.

I've decided to extend the deadline on my blog contest, since I only gave you two days to enter, which wasn't really fair. The new deadline to win Kristen Chandler's new book, Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me, is Sunday, October 3rd , at midnight.To see contest rules, go here . It's a well-told story with a satisfying romance that teenage girls, especially, will love. And it has wolves. Real ones. Best of all, it's FREE. All you have to do is enter the drawing. Winner will be announced Monday morning, so be sure to check back.

I walk into Borders one day and see stacks and stacks of a new book with a blue cover and a picture of a wolf. Not a werewolf. A real one. That gets my attention. I love wolves. Don't get me wrong: I have nothing against werewolves and vampires. But I'm a total sucker for real, live wolves. The other thing that catches my eye is the author's name: Kristen Chandler. Hey! I know her! We were in a workshop together three years ago. I remember her reading a scene from this very book. A very fine scene, as I recall. I grab my copy and head home, where I curl up on the couch and spend some really pleasant hours with the lovely wolves of Yellowstone Park, a thoroughly likable tom-boy main character, and a way hotter love-interest than either Jacob-the-Werewolf or Edward-the-Vampire. Way cuter. And he feels as real as the wolves. I finish, put down the book, and sigh in satisfaction. I know my next blog-giveaway book. What were in those snacks they served in that class?...

You've probably heard the controversy over Laurie Halse Anderson's beautiful book, Speak , which is being called "soft porn" because it deals with teen rape. I leave the discussion of book banning to other blogs , since that's being amply chewed over everywhere. But I had to share this video of a poem Ms. Anderson wrote, based on letters she has received from readers of Speak . As usual, poetry says it more powerfully than regular words could ever.

My new favorite object: Ever since Monday, when it saved my husband's head. Here's a close-up: See the gouges that would have been in somebody's head? The helmet hit twice. Unfortunately, helmets don't cover arms. The left arm broke and was surgically repaired. That's ok. We're used to broken arms. We already had one of those this week when daughter #3 tripped at a football game. Just a little buckle fracture. Radius and Ulna. This is the bike that guys like to covet and wives and girlfriends love to hate. Yes, it was a beautiful machine. Even I can see that. See the twisted engine guard? It's my second favorite object this week, because it saved at least one leg from getting really smushed against a car. Moral of the story: WEAR YOUR HUGE, WAY-TOO-HOT, SUPER-ULTRA-GALACTIC-PADDED HELMET AND YOU PROBABLY WON'T END UP IN A COMA OR DIE WHEN YOU CRASH YOUR MOTORCYCLE. Love your helmet. It's a beautiful thing.