It’s Saturday, and we just had a week’s worth of debut interviews and giveaways!

Maybe I should clarify something while I have you here: Since this new series of YA debut interviews began this week, I’ve had many people contact me asking how to be a part of the next round of interviews (next come the Summer 2012 YA debuts, and then Fall 2012). Thank you so much for being interested! But I should tell you, I have one criteria and one criteria only for the debuts I’ve picked to interview: They’re simply books I want to read. That’s it! I combed through publishers’ seasonal catalogs and Goodreads debut lists and debut blogs and read about these books and picked ones I wanted to read. Then I reached out to each of these authors asking if I could interview them because I was excited about their books. So… there’s nowhere to sign up, sorry. I haven’t read any of the books yet, but I can’t wait to. I guess what I’m saying is, basically, this 2012 Debut Interview series is just me… celebrating new books ’cause I like to.

If you are excited about any 2012 debuts, tell me in the comments. I absolutely love discovering new voices.

So! What are the Winter/Spring 2012 debuts I’m excited about so far? Slide by Jill Hathaway, Fracture by Megan Miranda, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, Where It Began by Ann Stampler, and Croak by Gina Damico.

[Click on each of the covers to go to the author interview—and enter the giveaways to win their books! All of the giveaways are still open, and you only need to leave a comment on the post to enter.]

Starting Monday, I’m featuring five more YA debut authors. So come back to find out who they are, read their interviews, and enter the giveaways.

What else?

If you visit this link on the Modge Podge Bookshelf, you can get a peek at my writing resolution for next year—and also the best book I read in 2011 and more.

Now you’ll know where in California I’ll be writing for a whole month this spring—I just noticed that the list of 2012 artists is up on the Djerassi Resident Artists Program site. It’s really happening!

Thank you for voting in my poll to help me choose the theme for the next blog series I’ll be hosting here. I’ve chosen the theme with the most votes: “What was your turning point as a writer?” (A theme inspired by a blog I wrote about just that last year—about deciding to write YA after reading Laura Kasischke during my day job at the children’s book publisher.)

I’ve already started soliciting some wonderful authors to take part in the new blog series… and many have said yes! I can’t wait to read their guest blogs. Expect the Turning Points blog series to begin in January 2012! (If you’ve already guest-blogged for me and are wondering why I haven’t asked you again—it’s simply an attempt at not being annoying. But if this theme really inspires you, please email me.)

And last but not least, I’m about to finish a draft of the proposal for my next YA novel. This is the novel that will (?? if it gets bought) come after 17 & Gone. I’m not telling you the title or anything about it yet, but I have over 65 pages and I’m close to letting go and being a mature, professional writer and showing my agent to see if he thinks it has legs. Very close. I need to finish it this weekend.

It’s just that there’s a part of me that never ever wants to let go of my writing and gets all scary possessive like it’s mine! I’m going to revise this forever! you’ll have to claw my pages out of my cold, dead hands! grr!

Or something.

Ever get like that?