It’s the Year of the Dragon in more ways than one.

Monday marked the beginning of Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration that ushers in the next lunar year. According to the Chinese zodiac, every year is symbolized by one of 12 animals and 2012 is the year of the dragon. The dragon is legendary in Chinese folklore, and those born during dragon years are supposedly powerful, innovative, brave, and passionate. The year of the dragon is said to be the luckiest.

After going to the movies last weekend, I’m convinced it will be the year of the dragon at this year’s Oscars as well. On Wednesday, newbie actress Rooney Mara was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. To say she did a good job in the role of the Lisbeth Salander would be a massive understatement. The character of Lisbeth shows a spectrum of emotions: she’s tough and vulnerable, angry and kind, terrified and brave. And it all comes through on the screen. Mara’s performance was riveting in every moment–and for a two-hour-forty-minute movie that is saying a lot. Set in icy Sweden, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo received a total of five Oscar nominations, including Best Cinematography.

You have to go see it.

You really, really have to go see it, especially if you liked the book. Fair warning, though, there are some very graphic scenes.

Personally, I loved the book, which was written by Stieg Larsson. The Swedish author died before the book was published and never got to see his Millennium Trilogy sell 65 million copies and sit atop the bestseller lists for years. What’s the appeal with these novels? I thought Dragon Tattoo was fresh, suspenseful, edgy, and hard to predict.

Typically when I fall in love with a book, I end up disappointed by the movie, but that wasn’t the case this time. If anything, the movie–which had me gasping, cheering, and (at some points) covering my eyes–was even more impressive than the novel.

To win the Oscar, 26-year-old Rooney Mara will have to beat out Meryl Streep, who has been nominated for 17 Academy Awards. I think she can do it. Have you seen the movie? What do you think?

As a die-hard book lover, I want to take a moment to cheer for the fact that six of this year’s nine Oscar nominees for Best Picture came from books: The Descendants, Hugo,The Help, Moneyball, War Horse and Extremely Loud & IncrediblyClose. Isn’t that cool? I haven’t seen all these films, but I’m going to try to check all of them off my list by the awards show on February 26.

Do you have any favorite books that were made into movies? Thumbs up or thumbs down?

Anyone who leaves a comment is eligible to win a $10 Starbucks card and a signed copy of my latest book, SNAPPED.

Last night I had the pleasure of doing a Twitter chat with a group of writers. Have you participated in one of these before? The topic was “The Author-Agent Relationship” and we had a great discussion. I’d like to share the highlights with you because I know many of our readers here are authors or aspiring authors. And if you don’t fall into one of those camps, maybe you just want to eavesdrop, as Toni talked about yesterday.

In case you’re unfamiliar with Twitter, you can follow a certain conversation by following a hashtag. For the evening, we followed the hashtag #bookcountry, which is an online community of writers. Bookcountry hosted the discussion last night and invited me and my longtime agent Kevan Lyon of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency to participate.

1) Many of people’s questions had to do with “how do I get an agent?”

The good news is, there are more resources than ever before. If you have a completed manuscript and you decide to seek an agent, you can check out various agencies’ web sites, Facebook pages, and even get to know agents a bit through Twitter, before ever sending in a query letter to see if they would be interested in your work. Warning: Don’t query an agent, or pitch your project, through Twitter. I have seen many agents object to this. But following an agent on Twitter is one way to hear about her likes / dislikes, and if she is seeking any particular type of book. Check out agents’ web sites for submission guidelines.

2) “What are the right questions to ask an agent?”

If  you find an agent who might be interested in representing you, there is somewhat of an interview process. The agent wants to read your work to see if she falls in love with your project. You, the author, need to determine if you want this person representing you to publishers.

Three important topics to ask about are references, what she sees in your work, and what genres, or types of writing, the agent already represents.

References are very important. If the agent has offered to represent you, ask to talk to or email one of her clients just to “hear more about her communication style.” This is code for “see if her clients like her.” You can learn a great deal this way. The author may be full of praise, but you may discover that the agent you are considering is not a fit with you personality-wise. OR you may discover that the author’s “one pet peeve” is something that wouldn’t bother you at all, so you’re good to go. Talking to other writers, about agents AND editors, is a great way to educate yourself about the business. Just be careful not to be mean-spirited. Keep it professional. Publishing is a small world, and you never know where you will end up.

Ask what they see in your work. The agent who represents you will be pitching your book to the world. You want to make sure she loves it as much as you do. Ask what potential she sees in your project to get a sense if she is truly 100 percent behind the project. You want to feel confident that this person is on your team.

Ask what else the agent represents. If the agent already represents other authors in your genre, or other projects similar to yours, then it’s possible the agent has good industry contacts (i.e. editors) in that area of the business.

3) Another question I heard during the discussion last night was, “Why do I need an agent?”

Today, with so many authors opting to self-publish, not everyone needs an agent. However, if you want to try the traditional publishing route, an agent is an invaluable asset, in my opinion. I count on my agent to be my liason between me and my publishing house. I let her handle sticky conversations and business issues so that I can preserve a good rapport with my editor. Also, my agent is experienced in reading the fine print of publishing contracts, whereas I have only read my own. And when those cryptic statements come in from the publisher, telling you about reserves, and returns, and net royalties, a good agent can help you decipher all the jargon.

A good agent is someone who will be on your team. It’s not just about one book… it’s a career. Think of it that way. You want someone who fits with your personality and will be a champion for your work.

My final bit of advice is to follow your gut instincts. There are hundreds of agents out there who might be fabulous, but not a fabulous fit for YOU. Ideally, you want someone who’s communication style and professional philosophy are in step with yours. If you talk with someone over the phone and you’re feeling a communication gap, or there seems to be an “off” vibe, trust your instincts. Maybe you should keep looking. But when you find the right person, the person who loves your project, you will feel the “click.”

Best of luck to any of you who are agent hunting!

Anyone who comments today is eligible to win a signed copy of ANY book in my Tracers series. And in case you missed it, I’m happy to announce that there will be more Tracers books coming in 2013-14. Look for the next Tracers novel, TWISTED, on April 17.

Sometimes you just can’t help eavesdropping  in the checkout line at the supermarket.  Yesterday I overheard a woman saying she was ready for 2012 and wanted to press Delete on 2011.

It’s a sentiment I’ve heard before… Wouldn’t it be nice to just erase a difficult time from existence? But I’m not sure I buy into the idea. Looking back on some of the rough patches in my life, I usually see some sort of silver lining (even if it takes years to see it). What do you think as you look back on 2011? Do you want to hit Delete, or did the year bring some happy milestones?

This year I have the honor of writing MSW’s last blog of 2011, so I thought it might be an appropriate time to reflect. It’s been a tumultuous year, in many respects. Who will forget the terrifying images of the tsunami that killed more than 15,000 people in Japan?  Or images of protesters gathering in countries across the Middle East? Or crowds cheering the news of Osama bin Laden’s death? Or the throng of wannabe spectators lining up to witness the Casey Anthony trial? For me, the most heartwarming sight on the news was footage of so many soldiers coming home from war and being welcomed by eager spouses and children.

This year brought some interesting developments in popular culture as well. We have Charlie Sheen to thank for adding the phrase, “Duh…winning!” to the American lexicon. And then there was the royal wedding in Britain, watched by millions around the globe. Notable passings this year include Steve Jobs, Christopher Hitchens, and Elizabeth Taylor–just to name a few.

On a more personal note, we’ve had some ups and downs this year. Wildfires devasted so many homes here in central Texas. And I know far too many people who spent the year dealing with cancer and disease.

But there have been happy milestones, too, and experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything… welcoming a new baby into the family, visiting relatives from overseas, a family vacation in Yellowstone Park that I know I’ll never forget.

What about you? Any personal milestones this year? Does 2011 go down as a year where you’d like to hit Rewind or Delete?

Anyone who shares a comment is eligible to win a  $10 Starbucks card and a signed copy of my latest book SNAPPED.

Happy New Year!

I’ve been moved this week by all the news coverage of troops coming home in time for the holidays.

I haven’t ever had a close relative deployed over Christmas, and I can only imagine how hard it is for families to go about their holiday festivities with that worry weighing on their minds. In Austin, we’ve been watching footage of all the soldiers returning to Fort Hood, all the tearful spouses and children welcoming them with open arms. I watch these reunions with a lump in my throat. It’s such a joyous thing when those kids get to welcome their moms and dads back, but the cameras only capture those first moments, and many of these people have difficult transitions ahead as they adjust to life back at home.

Millions of people are going to spend the next week in trains, planes, and automobiles in a determined effort to reach their loved ones for the holidays. Because that’s the point, isn’t it? Sometimes when I get caught up in all the shopping and wrapping and cooking and more shopping, I have to stop and remind myself that the holidays are about people, not stuff. And that even if I don’t manage to make grandma’s coffee cake just right (possible) or I overcook the roast (probable) or the Christmas lights short out (already happened) the holidays are still a success as long as I’m with the people I care about.

So… that brings me to Mariah Carey–that 90s diva whose sappy Christmas album was astonishingly popular with men and boys worldwide (I think it had something to do with the Santa suit)… Here’s a link I saw on Twitter of her lovely “All I Want for Christmas” performed by the servicemen and women aboard the HMS Ocean. You can tell these Brits really want to get home!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDZcGz4vmJc

Is there someone YOU can’t wait to see this Christmas? Or maybe a tradition you’re looking forward to?

I’m giving away stocking stuffers today! Anyone who leaves a comment is eligible to win. I’m giving away a $10 gift card to Starbucks and three signed copies of my latest release, SNAPPED.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

First, congratulations to all the writers out there who just finished NaNoWriMo, otherwise known as National Novel Writing Month, which lasts through November. That undertaking takes a lot of time and dedication. Cheers to you guys!

Also, I’m so excited to (at last!) be able to share the cover for my upcoming book, TWISTED. I’ve been holding onto this for a while until it was finalized. I recently got the green light to share, plus a box of ARCs, plus a batch of bookmarks, so… this story that’s been percolating in my head for ages is suddenly seeming very real!

This mystery/love story features police detective Allison Doyle (who first appeared in SNAPPED) and FBI profiler Mark Wolfe. I think the cover they designed is perfect for a serial killer story set in the fall. What do you think?

I also wanted to take a moment to share a few contests I’m running this holiday season. I know we all talk about how the holidays are about more than just shopping, which is very true, but… who doesn’t like to shop? Especially with a gift card?

I took a poll on my Facebook page to see what gift card people wanted, and by popular request, I’m giving away Amazon cards, plus I’ve thrown in a Starbucks card for that much-needed coffee break. So here are the contests. Enter one! Enter all! I love mailing out prizes to readers.

$100 Amazon gift card & signed copy of SNAPPED, giveaway hosted  by Fresh Fiction (ends Dec. 15): enter here

$50 Amazon gift card & signed copy of SNAPPED, giveaway hosted on my web site (ends Dec. 31): enter here

$15 Starbucks gift card & signed copy of any book from my Tracers series. This giveaway is here on the blog TODAY ONLY and I’ll announce the winner this weekend.

Just leave a comment here about something on your holiday shopping list (for yourself or someone else) and be entered to win the Starbucks card + book.

And if you’d like one of these shiny new bookmarks, drop me an email laura@lauragriffin.com and I’ll be happy to send you one snail mail.

Have a great weekend!