"For a slightly more adventurous answer, I'd go back to the World's Fair in London in the 1850s to see the Crystal Palace." See you there! (in 1851 to be exact) 😉

I liked it. The first story may have been my favorite, but all of them were enjoyable. It's probably not one I would have picked up and bought in the bookstore, and if I'd happened upon it at the library, I may or may not have checked out. Maybe, and if I had, I probably would have finished without the responsibility of the recommendation, though possibly not. The first story, Brownies, definitely hooked me, though the subsequent ones not quite as much. So in this book, at least for me, the order of the stories was very good. Packer writes really well, some great prose, and I enjoyed it. So chalk this one up to a ding! ding! ding!

And thanks.

Also, for those who like Japanese horror, A Tale of Two Sisters kept me up for several nights — and horror movies don't usually scare me!

Have you ever had an auction backfire? Or, put differently, are there certain situations in which you might avoid an auction even though more than one publisher has expressed interest in making an offer?

Haven't read Incarceron yet but the premise is fantastic.

Nina, I almost hate to admit that I'm such a local boy at heart that I'd probably stick it out in NY and go back to the late 60s/early 70s. Warhol's Factory, Max's Kansas City, Studio 54…it all sounds so exciting. And I do love a good disco song. For a slightly more adventurous answer, I'd go back to the World's Fair in London in the 1850s to see the Crystal Palace.

Kristin, I'm down for any ghost story that scares me (which is just about ANY ghost story). Whether it's The Haunting or Ringu, I'm in. I do prefer sentient ghosts to the more atmospheric poltergeist-y ones.

Kristi, honestly, my biggest pet peeves are errors made out of laziness. I got a query today from someone who compared their writing to "Mary Clark Higgins." I mean…come on! That's the stuff that makes me cringe and move to reject out of hand. Just get past those errors, and we can actually judge based on content! I also personally hate any letter addressing me as James.

Anonymous, I'm willing to work quite hard with someone who wants to switch genres….if I think they're making the right decision and really believe in them as a writer. I'm supportive of people making smart decisions and branching out but not writers who just can't focus. There's a difference!

And M, as I've mentioned to you before but will share with our blog readers, scotch tape is a TOTALLY ineffective alternative to Botox, and it will only ruin a perfectly nice Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks for asking, Last paranormal YA I read and ADORED by a non-client? Catching Fire. It takes a lot for me to get to adoration. Last YA paranormal I read and really, really liked? Incarceron. Enough to order the sequel from the UK rather than wait for American publication.

(I kid. But good times!)

Real question: what was the last paranormal YA novel by a non-agency client you read and adored?

And thanks for doing this. These super-interactive posts are awesome.