Since I busted the wall of secrecy on the YA Author Mansion a few days ago, I have been flooded with e-mails . . . AND the doorknob to my room “mysteriously fell off,” resulting in three days of captivity until someone took the door off the hinges and released me.

I don’t care. I won’t be silenced. And I’m going to answer your questions.

bridget said…
MJ, I have a pressing question about the YA mansion…does JK live there also? Is she constantly barging in your room looking for snacks (is she the one with the dirty dishes)? More pressing, does that mean poor Alan Rickman is imprisoned somewhere in the vast awesomeness of the mansion? The horror.

No. JK does not live in the mansion. Apparently, though, she knows where it is. At least, she knows where my room is. I don’t think she bothers the others. Alan Rickman, to our best knowledge, is still trapped in a compound in Edinburgh. FREE HIM!

cat said…
Does the mansion have a pool?

No, but it has fountains out front and a sensory deprivation tank in the solarium.

molly 18 said…
What are some of the pranks that you all have pulled on each other?

Oh the hilarity of the pranks at the YA Author Mansion! Most of them have to do with stealing each other’s computers, which is really, really easy, because (as many people have pointed out) we all pretty much have the same one. Every YA author computer I’ve ever seen has been an Apple. So we just switch the computers around and mess up each other’s books, inserting all kinds of characters no one expects.

Someone got his hands on my computer the other day. I was reading through this scene from Suite Scarlett 2, and Scarlett and Mrs. Amberson were talking, and all of a sudden there was this werewolf lurking in the background, reading a copy of Vogue, and I was all like, ‘Where the #%&!$# did this werewolf come from?” I went through page after page after page and all the werewolf did was sit there and make witty remarks about fashion and wine, but then the sun went down and he got all feral and crashed though the window, after which I presume he ravaged Central Park . . .

Anyway, it took me all week to make that right, and THAT’S when I notice the hot air balloon full of monkeys that floated past the Hopewell Hotel window.

I have my suspicions about who this was, and let me just say . . . someone’s alternate military history adventure-romance is about to have an encounter with a harmonica-playing vampire whose major frustration in life is poking holes in his own instrument with his fangs, resulting in a wheezy noise when he tries to play. Oh, there is so much wheezy harmonica in your future, friend. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

nicole s. said…
Maureen,
how are the authors placed in the different wings? why was it decided that Stephenie would be in Judy Blume’s wing?

I don’t know. You literally wake up in your room. I don’t even know for sure that Stephanie Meyer is in the Judy Blume wing. That’s just a rumor. We keep inviting her to our famous make-your-own-taco parties through intermansion mail, but we haven’t heard from her. Which is really no surprise when you see the guy who runs intermansion mail.

To be honest, I am kind of worried about her. They keep a pretty tight leash on all of us, but I think they might be really hard on Stephanie. It could be that someone is deliberately intercepting our taco party messages. Nothing would surprise me.

Maybe this is the only way I can get the word out: Stephanie, you are totally invited to make-your-own tacos. And if they’ve got you locked up in the house somewhere, give us a sign. We’ll get to you somehow with a taco, even if we have to send John Green through the air duct or make Justine Larbalestier rappel down the side of the building under the guise of “doing Australian exercises.” Let me know! You must be hungry! Say the word and the taco is YOURS. You can use any of the methods I laid out for Katie Holmes in the hamster-eating post.

katie said…
about the mansion: do any of the other authors steal your clothes?

See the next two comments.

e. lockhart said…
Maureen,
It wasn’t me who borrowed your Wonder Woman costume. It was John Green. 

E. Lockhart

I suspected as much.

Libba bray said . . .
Maureen, could you please stop taking my Spongebob Squarepants toothbrush? I forgave you for sticking my hand in a glass of water last week and making me pee my pants, but this is really too far. We have standards at the YA Mansion. That’s all I’m saying.
xo
 Libba

Yeah, I’ll get right on that, Libba. How about as soon as you give me back my High School Musical matching underwear set? “Lost in the dryer” . . . .yeah, whatever.

TODAY’S INFLUENCE: LIBBA BRAY

Behold! The first of a TWO-PART video featuring LIBBA BRAY, who, when not stealing my HSM underwear, is my hero. Part two . . . coming soon!

TODAY’S PRIZES:

Today, I am handing out five sleep masks and a book. The sleep masks go to random commenters:

Ambeen
Ari :0)
Hurlax
Wonder-sauerkraut
Theater-love

The book challenge for today was to sign up and participate in the forum. The randomly chosen person who did this is . . . Brittany.

And today I am giving away a signed book to a random commenter, again! But you know what . . . I have some specific questions for YOU GUYS. Here are some things I want to know, in no specific order:

1. Someone told me I should post shorter posts more often. Do you guys like longer posts less frequently, or shorter and more frequent? It doesn’t mean that I will necessarily DO shorter posts more often, but I may TRY.

2. Do any of your live in or around GUILDFORD, ENGLAND?

3. I’ve gotten really interested in what you guys think the various characters in my books look like, especially Suite Scarlett. Do they remind you of any people, do you have any pictures? I WANT TO KNOW!

Also, feel free to tell me anything else that is on your mind. I am always eager to hear your thoughts.

Posted: Tuesday, May 20th, 2008 @ 6:47 pm
Categories: Uncategorized.
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