Tiny Ball of Light, by Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley

I laughed so hard when this was on! It was amazing, the best part of the ceremony. The other "songs" were brilliant too, but I couldn't find them on You Tube.

Did you watch the Oscars?

Everyone on the internet is saying that Anne Hathaway and James Franco didn't live up to hosting it, but I loved what they did, it was fresh and funny and adorable.

Anne's dresses were great, and James' dress was too! :D

xo,
Ella

Finding Hogwarts and LeakyCon 2011

Through this youtuber I found this:




Seven people traveled to the UK to find the magical castle that lights up our imagination. And they made a documentary about it. And it'll be featured in LeakyCon this year.




I long to go to an event like this one, where I'd be with hundreds of people who love the same things I do, and who wouldn't think I'm crazy for quoting Harry or any of the other characters at any given moment.

And I'd love to see Finding Hogwarts. It sounds like the most brilliant thing ever made, after the HP films.

Have you ever gone to LeakyCon, or are you going this year?
xo,
Ella

ps: Please excuse the lack of images, I seem to be having a problem with Photobucket, but I'm fixing it!

Winner of Madame Tussaud!

And the winner is... Colleen Turner!
She'll receive a signed copy of Michelle Moran's latest book, Madame Tussaud, and this lovely pair of earrings.

Congrats Colleen!


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Did anyone notice that I passed the 170 followers mark? When did that happen?!
I am thrilled! I wanted to thank those who read my blog often, you're wonderful!
And since you're so wonderful, I'm thinking of having a giveaway. But not until I reach 200 followers and this blog turns two, in a month! TCM will be two years old on March 28th!
So, help me reach 200!

xo,
Ella

In Loving Memory of L.K. Madigan

I just found out about this terrible event and it has me in tears. Author L.K. Madigan has passed away from pancreatic cancer, yesterday, Feb 23rd. 

Lisa Wolfson was her real name, but she published her two YA novels under the alias of L.K. Madigan because she didn't want to scare off the male readers, which she considered "rare, elusive creatures". She was 47 years old. 

Her first book, Flash Burnout, won the William C. Morris Award, a Northamerican honour given by the the American Library Association to the best book for young adults by a first-time author. Her second book, The Mermaid's Mirror was published last year.

In her last blog post she wrote:

I’ve been lucky for twenty years. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27, and I didn’t expect to make it to 32. But I did, and once I passed that five-year mark … I started to think I was going to live. At age 34, I had my beautiful son. Two years ago, my dream of being a published author came true. And during these twenty years, my beloved has been by my side. We rode the marriage roller coaster together, sometimes laughing and sometimes screaming.

So lucky.

I’m not angry about the diagnosis. How can I feel angry when I had this gift of time? I’m not even afraid of dying. We all die, and I made my peace with that a long time ago.

I don't know what else to say, other than I'm shocked. 

Lisa, you will be dearly missed by everyone who knew you and those of us who didn't, but still get to read your work. Through it, you'll live on. 

We'll see you in your next life, which I'm sure will be just as thrilling and full of creativity as this one was. 

Blogger Lovefest: Yahong Chi

Today, I'm celebrating Valentine's Day for the first time ever! I was assigned to a Secret Valentine, and I got one too. I wonder who mine is.

The Valentine they assigned to me was Yahong Chi, a European children's writer and blogger.

Some facts about her:

• She lives in Canada and reviews books for several magazines.
• She wants to visit Australia, like me.
• She loves Avril Lavigne, like me!
• She's a wannabe writer.
• She interviewed Beth Revis!

Yahong, you have a wicked cool name. You live in Canada, which means you can speak English and a little French, languages I love. You love Avril-freakin-Lavigne! You're a writer, and even though I'm not planning on getting published anytime soon, I write too.
All in all, you're awesome.

This song is for you:



Happy Valentine's Day!
xo,
Ella