Contest: Signed ALONG FOR THE RIDE by Sarah Dessen

Sarah Says

A lot of people were surprised when it was announced that I’d have a new book coming out in Summer 2009, only a year after my last novel, Lock and Key. I can relate. It was kind of a shock to me, as well.

I wrote Lock and Key while I was pregnant, and edited it in the last few months before my daughter was born. Writing and editing is never that easy for me, and when you factor in the hormones and all the other fun stuff that comes along with carrying a baby, it was quite a wild ride. Suffice to say, I was more than ready to take a big, long break from writing to focus on being a mom. Or so I thought.

About three months after she was born, though, this idea started to come to me, bubbling up in my sleep-deprived mind. I was up at all hours, feeding the baby, trying to sleep or trying to stay awake, and it got me thinking about the night, and how it can seem so long or so short, depending on what you have waiting for you in the morning. I’d look out my window at three or four a.m.—times I was never coherent before motherhood—see a light on in the distance, and wonder who else was up, and why. There was a whole other world at night, one I’d been completely unaware of, and it made me start thinking about the people who chose to live in it, and how they found themselves there. That’s where Auden’s story began.

Some books are incredibly hard to write. Most are, actually. But this one, for me, was a little escape once in a while, and I was more grateful for it than I expected. I wrote Along for the Ride in my daughter’s room, while she slept downstairs, and in the guestroom, while she babbled to the babysitter. I stole half hours here, afternoons there, taking what I could get and using it to get more, and then more, on the page. And when I got stuck, I’d often look out the window and see one of my husband’s friends go zooming by on a bike, taking flight on one of the dirt jumps in my backyard. It was a crazy and chaotic way to write a book, and not at all the kind of structured, methodical approach I’d always used before. And you know what? Somehow, it just worked.

So I might be surprised to find myself here, with a new novel, so soon after the last one. But more than anything, I am grateful. This is the story I was clearly ready to tell. I can’t wait for you to hear it.

Special Stuff

* My review for Along for the Ride (liked this one!)

* The community and the summer promo promo put together by Penguin to celebrate a Summer of Sarah. Go on Sarah-Land (http://sarah-land.ning.com) in order discuss Sarah's book, enter contests to win signed books, Lock & Key necklaces and other goodies! It's all sorts of fun for people who just love Sarah.

* Another chance to win Along for the Ride (this time on Sarah-Land)

* For people who want to know more about the town of Colby, where Sarah's books are set when they're not set in Lakeview, check out Sarah's video on it.

* A cool badge like the one below to add to your websites - click here to make your own!

Visit Sarah-land

Giveaway Rules

To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment answering one of the following questions (just one is enough!):

What was your favorite Sarah Dessen novel & why?

Who is your favorite Dessen character & why?

If you've never read a Sarah book (what!!), tell us how the heck did you manage that!

Extras:
+ 1 if you link to this contest (if you tweet, use #sarahland)
++1 if you link to the contest up on Sarah-Land when you link to mine (located here)
+ 1 if you join/already are a member of Sarah-Land
+ 1 if you link to Sarah-Land

Please leave as many comments as you have entries. Like, for example, if you enter and then do three extras, that's 1 + 3 = 4 comments.

US only. You have until the 31st to enter! Good luck!