So as most of you know, a few months back, I went to Ireland to stay in a castle with a bunch of other YA authors. While I was there, I got to know the inimitable Sarah Cross, who is the only ninja I know who wears pink. Though it makes sense. In today’s colorful world, pink actually blends in better. Like, say her target is shopping at the GAP. No one would ever see her coming.
Here is a very rare photo of Sarah Cross:
Here is one, in her “civilian” gear, no doubt plotting something dastardly and secretive with known Gallagher Girl spy and art thief Ally Carter:
So anyway, after I escaped their nefarious clutches and came home, I got my hands on an ARC of Sarah Cross’s debut novel, DULL BOY:
And it BLEW MY MIND. It’s funny, imaginative, fast-paced, colorful, action-packed, heartbreaking, and filled with all kinds of asides and in-jokes for folks who like superheroes. It’s about a boy named Avery who discovers he has superpowers… and that’s just the beginning.
And it came out last Thursday! Go! Run! Get your copy now!
I’m also going to be giving away THREE copies of DULL BOY right here on the blog. And here’s what you have to do to win one:
- 1 entry: for leaving a comment here telling me what your superhero name would be, if you were a superhero.
- 2 entries: for going to The Hero Factory, making yourself a superhero, and sending me/posting the picture. (It’s great fun and takes about thirty seconds).
- 3 entries: for doing one of the above AND posting it to your own blog with a link back to this contest (make sure to leave a comment here telling me you did so).
Contest lasts through the weekend. Winners will be announced on Monday.
UPDATES: I’m loving all the entries, guys! A short note, if you link us to the page you designed your superhero on at the factory, it does NOT save, and merely takes us to the generic “creation” page. You have to press the little download tab, save the file (it will be called “MyHero.jpg” then post it on a blog, website, or photo-storage site like flickr, photobucket. Twitpic, etc.
ALSO, Command Decision: If your “blog” merely consists of posts of you pointing to other contests/giveaways on the web and possesses NO OTHER CONTENT WHATSOEVER, it’s not a real blog, and will not qualify for an extra entry to the contest. I’m not saying you have to be dooce or Felicia Day, here, and I’m not saying that you have to have a review blog (though I’m amazed bby how many of you do! Wow!) just that you have an actual blog. You can talk about your pet mouse, or the weird stuff you found in your locker at the end of term, or your undying love for Edward Cullen, or your undying love for Tally Youngblood, or your undying love for Severus Snape. I don’t judge. Blogs consist of content, not scraping, and not solely of “entries” into contests. That’s this blogger’s decision.
May 20th, 2009 at 7:21 am
I don’t have my own blog
but I definitely loved making my own hero! http://i709.photobucket.com/albums/ww93/WMEnglishRose/MyHero.jpg The Hero Factory named me the Incredible Masked Radness, but I’m going to veto that one and go with “the Phoenix”- my superpower would be rejuvenation, and so if a bad guy kicked my derriere (not that it would happen very often or anything), I’d come back, just like the mythological bird! Thanks for posting this- it was great fun!
May 20th, 2009 at 8:15 am
I’d like to be a superhero called “Wondergiver” who’d make wonderous things happen (like for instance bring summery weather to PA once and for all!). Thanks for the contest!
May 20th, 2009 at 8:51 am
My hero is an absolute legend!
http://i706.photobucket.com/albums/ww62/jeannie792/MyHero.jpg
I am the strange barky stick!! If i had been choosing my own name it probably would have been something like The book commander and i would have leabhar power!!! (Leabhar is the irish for book) It would mostly involve throwin hardbacks at villains in order to thwart their evil plans!
I liked this contest it took some thought!
May 20th, 2009 at 9:07 am
[...] TO ADD: Diana’s having a fun contest over at her blog. It includes creating your own superhero (she’s promoting a book she just read that looks [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 9:08 am
[...] rare photo of Sarah Cross: Here is one, in her “civilian” gear, no doubt plotting something d click for more var gaJsHost = ((”https:” == document.location.protocol) ? “https://ssl.” : [...]
May 20th, 2009 at 9:10 am
It does take thirty seconds but it’s also highly addictive! I loved playing with that, so much fun!
So my name would be Solstice, powers linked to the seasons
I posted what I’d look like on my blog
http://notenoughbookshelves.blogspot.com/2009/05/super-heroes.html
May 20th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I was talking about Tap & Gown at Plotmonkeys today anyway…now I’ve posted about the superhero. The site calls me Baroness Von Laser Lash…I think The Lash is good…references both my weapon and my incredibly long eyelashes (which would be part of my costume.) I would mesmerize people with my amazing hazel eyes. Very fun! I downloaded a sample of Dull Boy to my Kindle. Thanks for the recommendation!
May 20th, 2009 at 9:13 am
My superhero name would be The Speedreader, so I could finish all the wonderful books I have to read as fast as possible
May 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am
Still not crazy about this guy’s name: http://thefaust.wordpress.com/2009/02/22/when-everyones-super-no-one-will-be/
If I had to pick a name, I’d go with Maverick or Trickster…the better to illustrate my off-the-wall shapeshifting abilities.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:14 am
I got my copy of DULL BOY yesterday. (after hearing an awesome excerpt Sarah read at Teen Read Night last week.) Can’t wait to read it!!
MARI
May 20th, 2009 at 9:50 am
HA! I already HAD a Superhero Me–how many entries is that? Here: http://twitpic.com/2exku
That names me as Captain Medieval Barbarian, but I think I like Captain Fabulous.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:06 am
Here’s my hero. I do like the name they gave, much better then anything I came up with. I could easily see my hero working with the Watchmen, though I would have more guns concealed. Yay!
May 20th, 2009 at 11:03 am
Ok, I’m totally going to make five more superheroes. That was so fun!
I think my superhero name would be Poetic Justice. =)
Here’s my gal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/78864143@N00/3549212524/
May 20th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I would be the Dispenser (Dispentrix?) because I’d always run past in a flash, tossing out books and candy as I went. You know, like a PEZ dispenser.
May 20th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
I would be Lady Asenath, an re-animated Egyptian princess who magically finds awesome stuff in clearance racks…
May 20th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I’d be an unassuming super hero, only displaying my powers when absolutely necessary and blending into the crowd (without the whole Superman change in a phone booth thing).
The Hero Factory calls me “Whipped Lash”. Don’t even want to try to interpret that. It will be on my blog tomorrow with a link to this contest.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/
I probably screwed it up and it isn’t listed. I love the SECRET SOCIETY GIRL books…they are so my favorites! I even reviewed them on goodreads…
May 20th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
I’d be the MOMINATOR (able to do a million things well at once). LOL
May 20th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Okay, I have screwed up again…they named me The Dull Gifted Knight. Whatever that means. I just like my light saber.
May 20th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
My superhero name would be…um…The Amazing Fist. Or something. Hehe. Never really thought about it. Maybe…The Ferret?
May 20th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
I love this contest; that was so much fun! I will be posting my pic later tonight as work will not allow me to upload to my blog.
My superhero name would be angel oakley. It’s a spin on annie oakley, a famous gun-totin cowgirl. I would be the super hero who rescues innocent women and children, coming in with my guns a-blazin!
shelcows AT gmail DOT com
May 20th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
I stand corrected. The Hero Machine came up with The Fantastic Masked Radness, which, let’s be honest, is a million times cooler than anything I could come up with.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26097798@N07/3548956953/
May 20th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
And my blog post about this contest!
http://rowijo.void-star.net/?p=651
May 20th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
Erm…the name generator on The Hero Factory might be broken.
http://www.annajarzab.com/2009/05/20/im-going-to-need-a-better-name/
May 20th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
I am the Spectacular Scaly Fang. Awesome little superhero builder. Thanks for sharing! This was exactly the procrastination tool I needed!
May 20th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I think as a superhero name I’d pick “Gamut” as in “powers run the gamut…” But that’s likely wishful thinking.
http://pics.livejournal.com/lell/pic/000a5yxh/g82
Can’t post the link today, as it’s Wordless Wednesday.
But I’ll likely do that tomorrow — if I remember.
(Probably should add that while I do not have skin that’s the color or texture of stone, my glasses do, if the flash on a camera is weird, take on the color of my shirt.)
May 20th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
Diana … I am appalled that you have linked my superhero identity with a pic of my civilian self. It is seriously going to impede all the crime-fighting I do at the GAP.
But … because I love you and think you are awesome, I promise not send Captain America to your house to give you a stern talking-to.
Thanks to everyone who is showing solidarity by revealing their secret identities!! I’m loving these hott costumes.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
The Hero Factory gave me the name Nocturnal Barbarian which isn’t bad, it’s actually kind of cool.
Here is the link to see what she looks like, I would of prefered they had black wings but this wasn’t a bad second.
http://s157.photobucket.com/albums/t46/IndigoSage/start%202009/2009%202nd/?action=view¤t=MyHero.jpg
Thanks for the opportunity! Indigo
ravensquietscreams@gmail.com
May 20th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
I melded the Hero Factory name with my own invention for Red “Precise” Harmony–and posted all the evidence here:
http://anachred.livejournal.com/83769.html
It’s so cool to see authors supporting each other. Especially with giving stuff away… Go Go Pink Ninja Sarah!
May 20th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
My name would be The Monstar!
I’ve used the name monstar in the past for a while now. Here is my super hero I made, that was fun! http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v15/Brookiestar/MyHero.jpg
May 20th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
I also posted about the contest here: http://reviewsbybrooke.blogspot.com/2009/05/contest-fun.html
bacarleton(at)gmail.com
May 20th, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Hmm..I’d be the Poptart Wonder because I would go around passing out poptarts (who doesn’t like poptarts?) to everyone as well as saving the world from evil. =]
May 20th, 2009 at 8:38 pm
The Hero Factory is FUN!!! If I were choosing my Superhero name, it would be the Amazing Educator.
Not what Hero Factory came up with though!!
http://joditurchin.com/images/MyHero1.jpg
May 20th, 2009 at 8:46 pm
http://yacontests.blogspot.com/
Contest is posted as well as my superhero.
My superhero’s name is Neesa. She doesn’t need a hyphenated, much too long name. She’s too cool, too recognizable, and too fast for that. She modestly covers up her curves as much as a superhero can and can swoop in and deliver a death blow with her katana.
May 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
I’m trying to come up with my own superhero name, but I think I’m too hungry, so I’ll just go with what the Hero Factory generated for me: The Mysterious Swashbuckling Nine Tails. You can see what I look like without hair here:
http://stirlingbennett.livejournal.com/3616.html
Also that is where you will find the link back to this very contest. On my very blog.
Cheers!
May 20th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Here’s my superhero! http://www.cpbintegrated.com/theherofactory/ It says my name would be Whipped Jones, but I like Cupcake Jones better. Sounds vaguely Bond Girl. I went with the pink in honor of Sarah, too.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
Haha. I always knew Sarah was hiding something!
My own superhero secret identity is at http://fadedbluejeans.livejournal.com/24101.html
The Superhero maker says I’m Lasered Jones, but we all know that I’m really The Fantabulous Bookgirl. Now, if only I could get people to stop calling me ‘Bookgirl’ in public… People just don’t have the same respect for one’s Secret Identity that they used to.
May 20th, 2009 at 10:54 pm
My superhero name is Poof Girl because my power is teleportation and whenever I teleport, I go ‘poof’!
May 20th, 2009 at 11:15 pm
Great contest! My super hero name is The Pure Lasered Nine Tails … yeah, you heard (read?) that right. Joy!
I put up a link (and my super sweet hero picture) on my blog. http://redqueen1.livejournal.com
May 21st, 2009 at 7:14 am
I couldn’t resist.
I’m the Great Kicking Ninja and here’s my link. http://hipwritermama.blogspot.com/2009/05/superheroes-dull-boy-by-sarah-cross-and.html
Thanks!
May 21st, 2009 at 12:49 pm
I posted my super hero on my facebook page.
I am the Great Burning Pirate.
May 21st, 2009 at 12:53 pm
In college my superhero name was ‘The Ice Crusher’ doesn’t that just send chills down your spine?! Mostly it was cause I can make a mean smoothie…
May 21st, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I’d call myself Loc Mama. lol
May 21st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Okay, I had too much fun making my own heroine. I’m Mama Lockdown to you. LOL
May 21st, 2009 at 8:04 pm
Okay, I really need to quit. Had too much fun doing this and Diana, I have a real blog and I regularly participate in a few writing memes so I’m on a mission know to write an adventure for Ms. Thang, Ms. Mama Lockdown. I need to play with my pick though to get rid of the generic name generated by the Hero Factory. Thanks this was very cool.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:06 pm
Duh, forgot my link, Mama Lockdown. Tweeted about your book and contest, too.
May 21st, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Not sure why link didn’t work. Try this:
http://blackeyedsusans.blogspot.com/2009/05/be-your-own-super-hero.html
May 21st, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I already have a superhero name
To my family, I’m affectionately known as Super Meteorologist Amy, ever since I took a Weather & Climate class in college and started pointing out clouds as predictors of oncoming weather.
You can check out my Hero Factory creation on my blog (where I also referenced this contest and blog). The address is … http://reaching-west.livejournal.com/
Most of my posts are private but there’s enough public posts to prove I don’t just enter contests
May 21st, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I like the name Myracle Mydnyt. Not sure what kind of superhero I would be, but for some reason, that name came to me in a dream. I may have to write about it. Anyhoo, here’s the one The Hero Factory created for me. I have to go back and create another one. I’m not exactly thrilled, but it was hella fun.
http://celisedowns.com/blog/2009/05/21/i-wanna-be-a-superhero/?preview=true&preview_id=1143&preview_nonce=effdb38a9c
May 21st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
Oops. My bed. This one’s better. Go to this link instead.
http://celisedowns.com/blog/2009/05/21/i-wanna-be-a-superhero/
May 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Hi, Diana.
I’m the same Sass that posted above. I’ve just read the qualifying decision above about the entries thing, and I think that might disqualify me.
See, your contest and a ‘this journal is friends-only’ notice are the only things that will show up for you. I had to friends lock my LJ a few months back because of repeated trouble with people with inappropriate content on their journals listing me as a friend. This wasn’t just one, but a list of people, and I decided I wanted to know who had access to details about my life, and especially bits and bobs of my (not great, but still…) writing.
Anything I can do to get around the contest restriction?
May 21st, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Guys, you’re taking this too seriously. Those of you who are abusing the blog rule know who you are. Those of you who have “friends” locked blogs are in an entirely different situation.
Also, you can always create more superheroes.
No rule about that.
May 21st, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Meet Mysfortune, She has the powers of Perfect aim, and luck!
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/Setsuna_Meiou/random/MyHero.jpg
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:17 am
Okay, here’s mine with a link back to the contest: My Hero
I think I’ll call her…Smoke. As in disappear in a puff of. DULL BOY sounds awesome. Thanks for the giveaway!
May 22nd, 2009 at 3:57 pm
My superhero alter is Professor Sneaky Ninja!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I would be Morpho.
Photo of Morpho from The Hero Factory:
http://i650.photobucket.com/albums/uu229/shesten/morpho.jpg
I linked to your contest in my Shareworthy post! http://www.iheartmonster.com/2009/05/shareworthy-friday-may-22-2009-volume-1.html
Thank you for the contest!! :o)
May 22nd, 2009 at 6:16 pm
Great contest! I am the Amazing Feathered Angel
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/WYTMc0zZOaZQdz9EVgnijw?authkey=Gv1sRgCNrEhordv-LbNA&feat=directlink
May 22nd, 2009 at 9:55 pm
My superhero name is Awesome Girl
May 23rd, 2009 at 10:23 am
I would be Courageous Carlene and would not be afraid of anything. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
carlene
iluvreading(at)verizon.net
May 23rd, 2009 at 7:37 pm
I’d be the enlightenment enforcer. I’d use my whip of wonder to help the obtuse see the error of their ways.
My hero is pictured on my journal at:
http://rowenablue.livejournal.com/788815.html
Definitely like your blog, and I’m adding it to my daily feed reading.
May 24th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Hi Diana!
My superhero name would be Scorching Jean. A little bit baker extraordinaire (blowtorched creme brulee anyone?) and a lot of denim. The hero builder did not accomodate for the overalls I had planned so I found these turquoise hot pants and fab pink boots instead. But for the baking prowess I have a pink piggy emblem.
http://ate.livejournal.com/16452.html
Please note that if you see someone in the street snuggled in a jean jacket, lugging a flamethrower, it’s probably me. But kinda like Hannah Montana, y’know, you won’t know because my hair will totally change the shape of my face. I’ll have a green wig and carry it off like it’s artfully singed (and not the product of a radioactive cake-icing experiment gone wrong).
Thank you for setting up this contest!! I know the Pink Ninja would be very pleased!
May 24th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I’ve been avoiding university assessments, so I created a revised version of my superhero.
http://fadedbluejeans.livejournal.com/24483.html
The Phantom Bookworm. Honestly, help one or two customers at a bookstore other than the one you work at, and suddenly people are throwing around words like ‘obsessed’.