Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Hurricane Sandy Uncovers a Skeleton in Connecticut




I'm going to be paying close attention to all the overturned trees in my neighborhood. If you can find a skeleton in New Haven, just IMAGINE what you might find in Brooklyn!

Story and pics here.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Wow


Took a little walk around my Brooklyn neighborhood this morning. It wasn't pretty. Sandy did some serious damage here--but it sounds like she really gave the other boroughs a beating. I hope everyone is safe. And I hope your power and water is restored soon. Good luck, New York!







Monday, October 29, 2012

Hurricane!




Hey everyone. Sorry for not posting yesterday. I've been a little distracted by the hurricane that's ABOUT TO SLAM INTO MY HOUSE! Had to spend most of the weekend stocking up on canned soup and beef jerky.

May I take this opportunity to point out that, in the last two years, I have experienced an earthquake, a tornado, a major blizzard, and now TWO hurricanes. New York City has always been a dangerous place to live, but this is getting ridiculous.

I'm going to see if I can capture some good hurricane footage from my living room windows. If I get anything interesting, I'll be sure to post it here!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The Irregular Guide to New York City: The City Beneath Your Feet




At last we move to a new chapter in the Irregular Guide to New York City. For the next week, we shall begin exploring underground places!

If you’ve ever thumbed through one of my Kiki Strike books, then you know they take place in a Shadow City under the streets of New York. You probably assumed I made it all up. I didn’t. Beneath your feet lies a subterranean world of secret tunnels, abandoned train stations, and forgotten rivers and streams. Only the bravest explorers would dare set foot in the real-life Shadow City’s dark, deserted passages. If you count yourself among them, grab a pair of boots and some rat repellent. I hope you’re not afraid of the dark.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

And We Have Two Winners! ('Cause That's How I Roll)


The first correct answer was given by Natalie at 4:45 PM. I wanted to be an archaeologist. Other acceptable answers: "paleontologist" and "extremely wealthy." (Natalie: Email me at kikistrike@gmail.com)

But I must reward the person who sent in the answer that made me laugh loudest . . .

"When you grew up, at first, you wanted to be a FBI agent, but not just any FBI agent, the FBI agent they only brought out for 'special' cases, such as mass murders at the Empire State Building. But soon after you realized, being on the FBI left you no room to be creative, which was an idea you hated with all the blood in your body. You were around the age of thirteen when you wanted to fight crime, not in the police, not with the FBI, but by yourself or with a couple of close friends; you weren't sure. You stopped thinking about that after a while.

Then a stroke of epicness (not a real word) came to your mind 'Maybe, just maybe, I can be an author.' And that's what you are today, Kirsten Miller, Author."

Sara, you get an ARC, too!

Weekly ARC Giveaway!




The first person to answer the following question correctly wins a Darkness Dwellers ARC . . .

When I was a kid, what did I want to be when I grew up? If you can't be accurate, be creative.

Good luck!

Saturday, October 20, 2012

The Irregular Guide to New York City: Poop




I think we've seen enough ghosts and graveyards for now. (Though there are still more to come.) For the next few days, I'll be posting entries from my favorite chapter of The Irregular Guide to New York City. It's a very special chapter with a very simple name:

POOP

I know what you’re thinking. I can see poop anywhere. What’s so great about the poop in New York? Nothing—aside from the fact that we have an awful lot of it. So much, in fact, that it’s played an important role in the history of this city. Before we figured out how to deal with all the poop we produce, it poisoned our water, befouled our rivers, and spread diseases that killed hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. It’s the twenty-first century, and we still haven’t cleaned it all up. So grab a pair of nose plugs, and let’s take a look at how we got into this mess. I promise—it’s going be fascinating.

Friday, October 19, 2012

This Week's ARC Winner



The first correct answer arrived in my kikistrike@gmail inbox at exactly 10:22PM last night. Congrats, Ms. Warrior!!!

If you didn't win, don't despair. There will be another giveaway next week!

On a side note: Boy you guys are GOOD. I thought that was a pretty hard question.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

ARC Weekly Giveaway!




The first person to answer the following question correctly wins a Darkness Dwellers ARC . . .

Where does Ananka Fishbein end up going to college?

Good luck.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Free Kiki!



In only a few short months, Kiki #3, The Darkness Dwellers, will hit bookshelves everywhere! (Better late than never, right?) In the meantime, let's have some fun. Every week from now through November, I'm going to be giving away an ARC! So be sure to keep an eye on this blog if you'd like a chance to read The Darkness Dwellers before anyone else!

And there's more! A while back I mentioned a special "book" I wrote just for Kiki fans. It's called The Irregular Guide to New York City. I was inspired by Glimpses of Gotham to put together a guide to all the strange, creepy and wonderful places I've discovered over the years.

Every day until the end of the year, I'll be posting a new entry. On January 1st, I'll post a full PDF version of the book. For free!

So let's get started, shall we? Since Halloween (my favorite holiday) is right around the corner, I thought it might be good to kick off with Irregular Guide with a ghost or two . . .

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Monday, October 1, 2012

A Darkness Dwellers Giveaway!




So I haven't been blogging. What have I been doing? Good question. Contemplating my next move, I suppose. I'll let you know what it is as soon as I've figured it out.

In the meantime, I have another ARC of The Darkness Dwellers to give away! (And if I promised you a copy at some point in the past, now is the time to remind me!)

The first person who can provide a correct answer the following question wins an ARC. . . .

What common food can cause a condition called pellagra--the symptoms of which (pale skin, sensitivity to sunlight) may have inspired European tales of vampirism?

(I just finished reading Wicked Plants, by Amy Stewart. Highly recommended.)

UPDATE: The first correct answer came in at 3:14! MKB (aka Anonymous), send me a note at kikistrike@gmail.com! Congratulations!

Don't worry slow-pokes, there will be more giveaways soon!