I love carving jack-o-lanterns. This year I decided to make a tribute to CANDOR. I mean, c'mon, pumpkins are ORANGE, after all!

I started by carving a surprised face. Then I got out the drill and used dots to write a message (or should I say Message?) across the back of the pumpkin: U R WHAT U HEAR. If you've already read CANDOR, you know where that came from.

A favorite naughty, naughty CANDOR snack found its way in front of my jack-o-lantern, too. Is that pumpkin shocked? Or is it just making a move on the M&Ms?

This week I launched a free audio podcast that is an extension of CANDOR's world. The villain of CANDOR, Campbell Banks, narrates his personal diaries at the time that the town of Candor, FL was built. I'm really excited about these podcasts; I think they're an interesting way to promote the book while also giving fans a fun extension to the world they've already experienced in CANDOR.

But I feel very guilty saying I launched these podcasts. This project has been an amazing collaborative effort. I wrote the scripts--something entirely new to me--after brainstorming series ideas with my agent, Elana Roth, and e-guru Dan Patterson. Then Dan hooked us up with CC Chapman, who did a most excellent job recording the podcasts and bringing Campbell Banks to life. But no podcast is complete without some rocking music, so Dan also reached out to musician Matthew Ebel. Finally, Dan mixed, posted and promoted the podcasts.  And of course none of this would have been possible without support and enthusiasm from my publisher, Egmont USA.

I would love to see other authors play with podcasts that extend their book's world. I am indeed very lucky to have Elana, Dan, CC and Matthew collaborating with me, but I think it would be possible to do a one-woman or one-man show too. I also wonder if some of us YA authors ought to get together and make podcasts with our own characters interacting--kind of our very own fanfic!

Number three ("Runaway Mom") just went live late last night, and there's more to come, so I hope you'll stay tuned or subscribe to the podcast.

And authors, if you want to play in podcast land with me, get in touch...

So I'm pondering what to make my family for dinner. It could be grilled chicken, or maybe whole-wheat pasta, or there's that leftover chicken soup from the other night...

Are you salivating? Longing to knock on my door and join me, Little Dude and Patron of The Arts for dinner?

No??

What if I said I was considering homemade belgian waffles with peanut butter sauce and chocolate chips? Or maybe an apple pie with ice cream. Or deep dish pizza straight from the oven, with garlic sticks on the side. Or... how about a sampler platter of every cupcake made by Georgetown Cupcake?

That's more like it, eh?

Nutrition has its place in our everyday lives, and so does the Very Important Reading that teens have a regular diet of in school. You can't miss out on Steinbeck and Shakespeare. But you know what? Sometimes all you want is something that you picked out. Something nobody told you to read. Something that made you drool---like a red velvet cupcake, only, you know, made of paper and entirely inedible.

That's what the American Library Association's Teen Read Week is all about. Libraries all around the country are putting together fun programs this week to encourage teens, and pre-teens, to stop on by for some partying and some fun reading. Call your local library to see what's stirring in your town, or check out the ALA wiki for the event.

And even if you can't make the event, pick up a book that fascinates and transports you. My recommendation? Read it under your bedspread, with a flashlight, and maybe even a cupcake (shh, don't tell anyone that part was my idea). It will be even more delicious.

And psst.... adults, this is for you too. Put down your work report/night school textbook/bank statement/ Very Serious Book and grab something you're just dying to read, too. Like... a YA novel. C'mon. You know you want to.