North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Mythbuster Beauty

I have a thing for lipstick. I really do. Possibly it has something to do with the gorgeous colors. But I suspect it has more to do with the wonderful, whimsical color names: Apocalypse, Hotpants, Buzzkill, Gash. (Those are all Urban Decay, which is itself a fantastic product name.)

Put on lipstick, put on attitude. So it is severely bumming me out that I am down to two (count them, TWO) tubes of lipstick. (That's what happens when you move to two counties in three months: excessive, regretful purging.) As Paula Yoo so aptly proposed when the two of us were having a convergence of BAD DAY blahs: "I'm going out to buy lipstick."

So join me today as the guest blogger at Mythbuster Beauty, the source of all things hip and beautiful. Plus--for the bargain shoppers out there--they always have the scoopola on great deals. Which I love since it means more money to buy books. Ha!

Today I am grateful for small indulgences that boost a woman's spirit. Hmmmm...perhaps I need to record an addendum to my video essay for my Find Beauty Challenge: Ode to LipStick.

Climbing Walls: Rite of Passage

Anyone who has read Dia Calhoun's FIREGOLD knows a thing or two about rites of passages. Harrowing rites. In the real world, there are the bar mitvahs and bat mitvahs. Quinceneras. And I suppose, Sweet Sixteens. But...what about a rite of passage that's uniquely American to celebrate the crossing from tweendom to teendom?

So as my son's 13th birthday approached, I'd been brainstorming about creating our own rite of passage to demarcate the end of his official childhood and the beginning of his manhood. As the Big Day neared, I had a few other personal things I needed to attend to and I was coming up empty on ideas. My friend, Lorie Ann, however, gave me a serious tushy kicking about my son's rite of passage. I'm so glad she did!

So...I challenged my guy to face his fear of heights and booked us for a lesson at our local climbing gym, Vertical World (which is where I researched part of Nothing but the Truth and a few white lies). There, he mustered his courage and scaled FIVE walls (count 'em, FIVE) as if he had been born in the Himalayas! Bhutan Boy, that's my little man!


Which, of course, inspired me to get in my harness. As it did my daughter. But what got me to the tippy top of the most challenging wall of the night? My kids down below who promised, "Mom, we'll do the laundry next week if you reach the top!"


Heh heh. Now, that's what I call inspiration. Fear conquered! The laundry fairies are visiting Chez Headley this week. Woo hoo!

Today, I give thanks to my kids--my young man and little girl--who think I'm weird but are up for my ideas anyway.

North of Beautiful: Bluestocking Society

Join me today on Jessica's blog, The Bluestocking Society, where I'm the guest blogger on Beauty. Any woman who counts Powell's Books as one of her happiest places on earth is a friend of mine. (Stay tuned: Powell's interviewed me for their website.)

Here's my favorite quote from Jessica's review of North of Beautiful:

"I could write a term paper on the layers of this theme in this book. North of Beautiful reminded me, in many ways, of a John Green novel - smart teenagers stumbling through situations and eventually getting their legs beneath them - from a girl’s perspective."

Now that is high praise.

Today I am thankful for book lovers who take the time to share their love of books with others. (Go, Jessica!)

North of Beautiful: Beauty + Book Blog Tour!

North of Beautiful celebrates true beauty, and in honor of that, my good friend Sara Easterly has organized a Beauty + Book Blog Tour. So please drop in on the blogs and celebrate what makes YOU uniquely beautiful. While you're at it, upload your video essay on True Beauty at www.youtube.com/northofbeautiful!

Monday, February 9: The Bluestocking Society

Tuesday, February 10: Mythbuster Beauty http://www.mythbusterbeauty.com

Wednesday, February 11: MotherDaughterBookClub.com

Friday, February 13: Stephanie's Books

See you this week!

(Today I am grateful for all the beauty that surrounds me.)

Giving Thanks: A Week In Review

Thanks to countless wonderful people, all throughout this week I've been reminded of two of my favorite poems / quotes:

As earth stirs in her winter sleep
And puts out grass and flowers
Despite the snow,
Despite the falling snow.
--Robert Graves

Look. There's hope.
--Lorie Ann Grover

Despite the snow, the falling snow that's been upheaving my life, there's so much hope and so much to be thankful for. Here, then, are the grass and flowers that earth has given me so plentifully:

1. Holly Cupala who so generously created the much-talked about, much-forwarded beautiful Book Launch announcement. She is a dear and loyal friend.

2. Martha Brockenbrough who is single-handedly overseeing the North of Beautiful: Find Beauty Challenge. She is truly one of the most generous (and funny) people I know. Michael Sterns, you got yourself a treasure. So did you, Adam.

3. My son and his best friend, Gaby, who gave up their entire day AND the Super Bowl to be videographers, shooting video essays on beauty at my party. You both are becoming incredible young men.

4. Mitali Perkins who spearheaded the incredibly fun Book Blog Tour with luminaries like Shelf Elf, Sarah Rettger, Bibliophile, and Teen Book Review. We dished on everything from characters to bubble tea. Now, tell me, are these soul sisters or what?

5. Brenda Gurung, the world's best Community Relations Manager at my local Barnes & Noble, who said: Justina, let me host your Book Launch Party; you just show up. So the woman created a map collage as a backdrop.

Then she kicked off a virtual geocaching scavenger hunt around the store, arranged a collage station, gave away prizes, publicized the event all over town... Brenda, you are a gift.

6. My daughter who is the best meeter-and-greeter. Ever. And best daughter ever.

7. Miss Erin whose mom drove her 5.5 hours to surprise me at the party! I cried when I saw her!


8. All my friends who turned out for the party despite the Super Bowl--from Anita at the post office whose lips have kissed every manuscript that I've mailed (good luck lips, I'm telling you!) to my StrataGem pals to my sister who tore herself away from studying for finals. And especially my Diviners critique group, readergirlz, and Kim Swift (the famous gamer girl!) who baked and baked and baked to feed everyone at the party. A special thanks to Jackie Parker whose amazing cinnamon rolls save me after a dire energy lull.

9. Barnes & Noble for putting North of Beautiful in its coveted real estate: the home page scroll on its website. It was thrilling to see my book alongside President Obama, Bruce Springsteen, and James Patterson. And then merchandised my book prominently on the Teen Page. Thank you. I am so humbled by the company Terra got to keep this week. And I am absolutely humbled that in this economy, readers are spending their precious dollars on my words. Thank you so much.

10. And all the unexpected gifts that this week held for me: a starred review from Booklist, freshly baked bread from Barbara Stolzenburg (one of the first librarians to get behind my first novel), a collage and serenade from Miss Erin... These are just a few of the ways you have made one author feel nurtured and beloved. I thank you all.


Despite the snow, despite the falling snow, hope is waiting to bloom.

LOVE,
Justina

North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Teen Book Review

Welcome to the last day of the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL BOOK BLOG TOUR! A huge shout out to Mitali Perkins (author of Secret Keeper and readergirlz soul sister) for arranging this week for me.

If you want to dish about Beauty and the Neurotic Woman (oh, does that sound like me and you?), then check in next week when I visit Beauty Bloggers and a few Booksters.

For today, I drop in on the ever-popular, ever-insightful Jocelyn over at Teen Book Review. Answer the question Jocelyn poses on today's blog, and you can win yourself an autographed copy of North of Beautiful.

Here's a sneak peek at our chat:

Jocelyn: Travel (one of my favorite things!) is also important in this novel. What do you think makes travel an important experience, in general?

Justina: Traveling is a crash course on life: logistics (how do I get from here to there?), survival (are you going to starve or try the fish eyes?), resilience (can I can trek for another kilometer?), resourcefulness (okaaaay…so the train was canceled. Now what?), tolerance (got it...so when they tell me I’m fat, it’s actually a compliment!).

For the full interview, check out www.teenbookreview.wordpress.com.

Poetry Friday: Phenomenal Woman

North of Beautiful is officially out this week, and I want to pay homage to my favorite poem that inspired the book. This was given to me by my friend, Si Oyama, one March for National Women's History Month. And now I give it to you, the phenomenal women who read my words.


PHENOMENAL WOMAN
Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Maya Angelou

North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Bibliophile

Welcome to the fourth day of my North of Beautiful Book Blog Tour. Today's blog host of fabulosity is Jennifer Rothschild who is participating in more reading challenges than my feeble mind can keep up with! (And she wrote a hilarious Twilight poem: check her Jan 23 post.) Be the first to answer Jennifer's posted question on Bibliophile, and you'll win an autographed copy of North of Beautiful.

Here's a tidbit from our chat:

Sarah: Did you start geocaching before it became one of Jacob's hobbies, or did it move from the book into the rest of your life?

Justina: Years ago, I had read about geocaching—high tech treasure hunting using a GPS—in an article. It later occurred to me that geocaching could be symbolic of Terra’s controlling mapmaker of a father who tries to box her into a grid and the boy who uses maps to break open her world. So in the name of research, I bought a GPS, created an account at www.geocaching.com, and hauled my kids on an expedition. We were hooked!


To read the whole interview, please visit Jennifer's blog at www.tushuguan.blogspot.com.


NEXT UP

Feb 6, Friday
Teen Book Review with Jocelyn Pearce
www.teenbookreview.wordpress.com

North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Archimedes Forgets

Welcome to the third day of my North of Beautiful Book Blog tour, this time with the fabulous Sarah Rettger who so beautifully champions indie bookstores. (Speaking of which, I'd like to give a shout out to Mitali Perkins for creating the Kids Heart Authors program, uniting 40 indie booksellers and 160 authors / illustrators to make Valentine's Day memorable in New England. She inspired Kirby Larson to spearhead the same program here in Seattle.)

Be the first to answer Sarah's posted question on Archimedes Forgets, and you'll win an autographed copy of North of Beautiful.

Here's a tidbit from our chat:

Sarah: Did you start geocaching before it became one of Jacob's hobbies, or did it move from the book into the rest of your life?

Justina: Years ago, I had read about geocaching—high tech treasure hunting using a GPS—in an article. It later occurred to me that geocaching could be symbolic of Terra’s controlling mapmaker of a father who tries to box her into a grid and the boy who uses maps to break open her world. So in the name of research, I bought a GPS, created an account at www.geocaching.com, and hauled my kids on an expedition. We were hooked!

To read the whole interview, please visit Sarah's blog at www.sarahrettger.blogspot.com.

NEXT UP

Feb 5, Thursday
Bibliophile with Jennifer Rothschild
www.tushuguan.blogspot.com

Feb 6, Friday
Teen Book Review with Jocelyn Pearce
www.teenbookreview.wordpress.com

Another Book Giveaway: Debbi Florence

One of the first bloggers to get behind my writing is none other than Debbi Michiko Florence. We struck up a friendship when I visited her in Shanghai and both were bummed that our stints there didn't overlap.

Anyway, this just in from Debbi:
"And as a bonus, I'm holding a drawing on my blog - http://d-michiko-f.livejournal.com. Comment on the post announcing my interview with Justina and you might win a signed copy of NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL! Drawing takes place on February 12 and I'll announce the winner on my blog on February 13th. Good luck!"

Today I am so grateful for life coincidences that bring us together in the most unexpected of places. Kindred spirits are everywhere!

Book Chic: An Author's Best Friend

Thanks to all my readers and friends--my book paparrazzi--who've been messaging me with sightings of my books in their local bookstores.

For instance, Book Chic went around his town to take pix of his favorite authors' books (and to remerchandise some to face out positions). Love that! He found NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL and GIRL OVERBOARD at Barnes & Noble.

http://bookchicclub.blogspot.com/2009/01/pictures-post.html


And then there's Melissa Walker, readergirlz diva and co-founder of iheartdaily.com who's been on the book look out for me.

North of Beautiful Blog Stop: Shelf Elf

New postergirl for readergirlz, Shelf Elf, is hosting me on the second stop of my North of Beautiful Book Blog tour. Be the first to answer Shelf Elf's posted question, and you'll win an autographed copy of North of Beautiful.

Here's a tidbit from our chat:

Shelf Elf: Your novel is a bit like Terra's artwork, since it is almost a "story-collage" of rich and surprising subjects: port-wine stains, geocaching, the art of coffee tasting, cartography and international adoption. I'm interested to understand how you began to make a story out of all of those topics.

Justina: North of Beautiful is a patchwork quilt of several epic journeys. (Read: several manuscripts that never came to fruition.) So much research I’ve done over the years for other potential stories finally made it into a book! For instance, I had been working on a non-fiction book eight years ago and interviewed the coffee buyer for Starbucks, Mary Williams.

To read the whole interview, please visit Shelf Elf's blog at www.shelfelf.wordpress.com.

NEXT UP
Feb 4, Wednesday
Archimedes Forgets with Sarah Rettger
www.sarahrettger.blogspot.com

Feb 5, Thursday
Bibliophile with Jennifer Rothschild
www.tushuguan.blogspot.com

Feb 6, Friday
Teen Book Review with Jocelyn Pearce
www.teenbookreview.wordpress.com

North of Beautiful & President Obama!

Self-absorption is never a pretty sight. However.

1. President Obama wrote my son a personal letter. (Yes, he did.)
2. My politico friends--you know who you are--all have photos of themselves with our president. Gallivanting off to DC for the Inauguration. Yadda, yadda, yadda.

Ahem. Just look who is NEXT to the President here on the B&N Home Page. Hmmmm... Could that be Terra?

~justina who is now weaning herself slowly away from the computer where she has been posted since her favorite B&Nie (beanie?), Brenda Gurung (CRM of mucho amazingness and event planner extraordinaire of memorable book parties), phoned her in the wee early hours and ordered her to said PC. She realizes this book-absorption is really not becoming. Or healthy. BUT says that this is infinitely healthier and more pleasant than watching the stock ticker.

North of Beautiful: Booklist Starred Review!

Really. I feel like I'm in a shock akin to inhaling 900 pounds of chocolate. At once. Without stopping. And now I'm reeling and shaking.

This just in from Booklist:
(**visualize a cute little star right here**) Headley has written an exquisite book that explores the difference between physical and true beauty...She uses Terra's artistic medium, collage, as a literary device to create layer upon layer of experiences and insights into a finely crafted, artfully written journey of self-discovery, self actualization, and love. With every carefully chosen word, well-crafted sentence, and fully developed character, Headley maps out a wholly satsifying reading experience that takes readers from terra nullis to terra firma.

Thanks to my editor, Alvina Ling, for calling me personally with the news. Love that woman.

North of Beautiful: On the B&N Home Page!

I can't believe it! NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL is on Barnes & Noble's home page scroll. Next to John Grisham and The Boss! Whoa.

My thanks to the B&N and Little, Brown team who made this happen.

North of Beautiful Blog Tour: Mitali's Fire Escape

The first stop of my North of Beautiful Book Blog tour is at none other than with Mitali Perkins, author of Monsoon Summer and Secret Keeper. We're having a fun contest all week long. Be the first to answer the question about yours truly on Mitali's blog, and you'll win an autographed copy of North of Beautiful.

Here's a tidbit from our chat:

Mitali: As the mother of teen boys who don’t often see an Asian-American as the “it” guy in pop culture, I’m grateful that you created such a hunk in Jacob.

Justina: One of my missions as a writer was to create a hunk who happened to be Asian! That was a gift for my two brothers and my son…and all the Asian-American dudes out there who need to see guys like themselves as cool. Heartdroppingly cool. Devastatingly cool. It makes me feel great that readers of all ages are emailing me: “I. Am. So. In. Love. With. Jacob.” Mission accomplished!

To read the whole interview, please visit Mitali's blog at www.mitaliblog.com.

NEXT UP
Feb 3, Tuesday
Shelf Elf with Kerry Miller
www.shelfelf.wordpress.com

Feb 4, Wednesday
Archimedes Forgets with Sarah Rettger
www.sarahrettger.blogspot.com

Feb 5, Thursday
Bibliophile with Jennifer Rothschild
www.tushuguan.blogspot.com

Feb 6, Friday
Teen Book Review with Jocelyn Pearce
www.teenbookreview.wordpress.com

Please Sign the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL Guest Book HERE

An open letter to all my peeps

Thanks so much for celebrating the release of my third novel, NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL. I am so excited to share Terra with you and can't wait to hear what you think about her, the book, and Jacob.

Whether you're here at today's official launch party at Barnes & Noble in Bellevue, WA, or at home in your pajamas, THANK YOU for your support. (And thanks for giving up the Super Bowl, to be here instead. THAT is a sign of TRUE friendship and EXCELLENT taste. Ha!)

Please sign into this Guest Book a la Blog.

Much appreciation,
~justina

Find Beauty Challenge

I made a pledge to tie all my books to community service somehow. So...in honor of North of Beautiful's imminent release...I give you a sneak peek at the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE!

Tell the world what you find to be Truly Beautiful! Just upload a 90-second video describing what real beauty means to you...and you could win yourself an iTouch! PLUS, for every uploaded video, I'll donate $10 (up to $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach, an amazing group that helps kids with cleft lips and palates in the third world.

Here's what to do:
1. Record a 90-second video essay about what's truly beautiful to you!
2. Upload the video onto YouTube.
3. Then...send a link to north@marthabee.com. (Martha Brockenbrough--tech guru and my friend of much wonderosity--will link your video to the North of Beautiful YouTube channel.)
4. Tell all your friends to RATE your video.

The Official Rules for the NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: FIND BEAUTY CHALLENGE:
1) The Top 5 videos will be chosen by YOU based on the most views and highest ratings. So be sure to tell all your friends to vote for you! Any ties will be broken by the North of Beautiful team.

2) The North of Beautiful team will score the five finalists on A) 40 percent emotional appeal (humor, pull-on-the-heartstrings, incites activism, etc.); B) 40 percent content (clean, widespread appeal across audiences, plot – if applicable, scriptwriting – if applicable); and C) 20 percent professionalism (smooth transitions, stable video, non-jarring editing cuts, constant audio levels).

3) All videos must contain original content. Your entry indicates you understand this and have the legal rights to distribute your video.

4) Any videos deemed inappropriate by the North of Beautiful team will be removed. Please don't upload anything that wouldn't, say, be shown on television during prime-time hours, or anything you wouldn't want to watch with your first-grade teacher. So no nudity, profanity, or racial slurs.

5) The contest will run from 12:01 a.m. Feb. 1, 2009 until 11:59 p.m. Mar. 30, 2009. Anything submitted before or after the deadline can't be considered.

6) Justina will donate $10 for every uploaded video (for a maximum of $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach to help fund facial surgeries for kids in the third world.

7) The Find Beauty Challenge is open to people over 14.

8) The Grand Prize winner will receive one iPod Touch. 3 runners up will receive fabulous gifts, such as an autographed collection of Justina's novels, other free books, etc.

NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL: Book Party on Feb 1!

Please celebrate my third novel, North of Beautiful today when it hits the shelves. What better way to celebrate than a party?

Where: Barnes & Noble in Bellevue, WA, 626 106th Ave. NE, (425) 451-8464

Why: North of Beautiful, of course!

When: Sunday, February 1, 3-5 p.m.

If you can’t make it to the party, but still want the book, pop into your favorite bookstore or order it from www.bn.com, www.amazon.com, and www.indiebound.org. Drop me an email at justina [at] justinachenheadley [dot] com by Feb. 14, and I’ll snail mail you an autographed bookplate.

Tell the world what True Beauty really means!

Just shoot a 90-second video describing what’s truly beautiful to you—your friends, your family, your world, your favorite book, yourself!

Load your video on YouTube and you could win great prizes, including a cool iPod Touch! PLUS, Justina will donate $10 for every uploaded video (up to $1,000) to Global Surgical Outreach to help fund facial surgeries for kids in the third world.

Here's what to do:

1. Shoot your 90-second video and post on YouTube.

2. Send a link to north [at] marthabee [dot] com and we'll upload it to the North of Beautiful channel.

3. Get your friends to vote on your video!

4. Check out all the rules on Justina's website!

www.youtube.com/northofbeautiful

Sweethearts & Girl Overboard

Look at the Valentine's Day ad that Little, Brown Books created for Sara Zarr's SWEETHEARTS and my GIRL OVERBOARD. How sweet is that. Now, I just need to find the cookie on Sara's book cover.