I was bragging the other day about how I never get sick.

“I never get sick,” I was saying to someone. “I have the immune system of . . . someone with a really good immune system. “

I’ll bet you know what comes next, readers! You are a bright bunch. Certainly brighter than yours truly, who should have known better. Why didn’t I say something like, “I never get stun guns”? Or, “People never show up my door with Vespa keys”?

No. I realize it wouldn’t have helped with those things, either. I have a cold, and I’m still not zipping around the streets of New York on my Vespa. Not that I would be today, anyway, because it’s about 50 below zero, and I can’t stop sneezing.

Despite my weakened condition, I have five points to discuss with you.

FIRST OF MY POINTS: I am extremely pleased to announce that Devilish has been named one of the 2007 Best Books for Young Adults by the ALA. It joins some great company. BUT, I think there were some crazy omissions from the list, too. So I am both happy and wistful.

Thank you, librarians. You know I love you.

POINT TOO: Some people are suggesting that because John Green, E. Lockhart, and I work together, we get nothing done. Au contraire, doubters! We are getting muchos, muchos work done. And come on . . . who better to bounce ideas off of when you get stuck than John Green and E. Lockhart? Aside from, like, Shakespeare. Or Meg Cabot.

Can anyone doubt the “in your pants” revolution? That was just one ten minute conversation we have . . . and now it is SWEEPING THE INTERNETS! Look here and here and here. If we could do that in one morning . . . just think what we can accomplish over time!

That’s also where I caught my cold, but no matter.

POINT TROIS: Are you in France? Well, 13 Little Blue Envelopes is about to be released there. French bookstore FNAC will be featuring Treize Petites Enveloppes Bleues during the month of February as part of their Attention Talents program.

Not only do I just like saying Treize Petites Enveloppes Bleues and “Attention Talents” in my best French accent, but I am deeply in love with this cover, which is a map of Western Europe made of tiny, tiny icons related to the book. The more you look at it (you may have to look closely), the cooler all the little icons get. I could stare at this for a half an hour. In fact, I have been! But that may be the cold medicine kicking in.

POINT FORE! . . . is a big one. I have avoided it long enough. I need your input.

Okay. I have heard a lot of things about the U.S. cover of 13 Little Blue Envelopes. Some people love it. Some people hate it. I have been approached more times than I can count about the cover.

The cover earned me this Cuffie Award in Publisher’s Weekly:

More recently, this debate has continued on the fabulous bookburger. This post features the cover of Girl At Sea (which is a similar concept to the 13 Little Blue Envelopes cover).

And here is an interesting take on the subject by Ally Carter.

I want to know what you think. I invite you to throw down right here, in the comments. What do you make of this subject?

THE POINT I LIKE TO CALL POINT FIVE: (strictly for my pirates) The Pirate Dance Camp Society has sprung into action, and several members have come up with some exceptional plots to promote Girl At Sea. I will be sharing the winners in the next blog.

Until then, I will be working. I am well underway on a very exciting new book. Also, I’ll be sneezing, and if this cold gets any worse, probably sitting here reading Rent fan fiction about my alterego Maureen Johnson while waiting for the NyQuil to really take hold.

Posted: Saturday, January 27th, 2007 @ 1:30 am
Categories: BBYA, France, NyQuil, covers.
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