Giving It Away For Free ...

When I was a young adult, one of my mom's favorite proverbs was: "Why buy the cow when milk is free?" I always bristled at that one - not that I was a promiscuous teen. I was however, a smart-ass, and my standard retort was always, "Why be the cow when you can be the farmer?"

Fast forward too many years than I care to admit, and here I am - giving it away for free. 

That's right, Delta Legend will be FREE, Wednesday, August 22nd and Thursday, August, 23rd on Amazon.com!

What better way to celebrate and savor the dog days of summer than with a book that takes place in summer and is chock full of the things we love about this time of year: boating, fishing, water sports, outdoor parties, summer romance, s'mores, and of course, carnage. There's something about summer carnage that just tastes sweeter. 

So what are you waiting for, go get yours here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Legend-ebook/dp/B0064VK8E2

And I really don't mind if you tell everyone you know. But please, I do care about my reputation, so be sure to brag that the chick who's giving it away for free is a really good ... writer.   

Switching Gears For A Moment

Being self-published means you, and you alone, are the marketing team. I liken this endeavor to being a street performer. Sometimes the fact that I'm juggling a chainsaw, a bowling ball, and a flaming torch all at the same time attracts a small but enthusiastic crowd. Other times, I'm just out there performing for myself and maybe one homeless guy wandering by. 

Needless to say, it's easy to get burned out. Sometimes it's good to take a little break from the whole Indie author scene and create something completely different.

Traditional Mexican paper mache is known as cartoneria. I learned the craft from master cartoneria aritist, Ruben Guzman, at the Crucible in Oakland, California. 

Initially, I made Day of the Dead figures known as calacas but my first Corazones Apasionados (passionate hearts) were inspired by the huge thorns that grew on the roses in our yard in San Rafael, California. I harvested and dried the thorns then painted them gold to make my first heart with thorns for an altar installation I was asked to provide art for.

In addition to thorns, I often incorporate other found objects and I'm currently making good use of a small lot of tin I came across. I love the way these pieces of metal accent the hearts. I'm a huge fan of three dimensional art and I like that these pieces are ready to hang on the wall. 

As we come into fall and Day of the Dead draws near, I will likely return to making some of my calacas. But for now, I'm enjoying crafting these Corazones Apasionados. They are keeping my hands busy and my mind free to come up with the next creative marketing strategy. Or better yet, a new chapter in the next "Legend" installment. 


Each one is handmade - I never use mass-produced paper mache forms, so each heart is unique and perfectly imperfect. What's inside? Any kind of recycled paper that's around, be it newspaper, a grocery bag, or even shredded pages from a manuscript.

Unlike writing a novel, with folk art there is perfection in imperfection, which provides a nice balance to being an Indie author and all the marketing that goes along with that gig. 

Okay, back to juggling the chainsaw, bowling ball, and flaming torch.

A book blogger and an indie author walk into a bar ...

... and the blogger turns to the indie and says ... and says ....

Dang, I still haven't come up with a good punch line for that. Maybe by the end of this post I'll have one—something witty or profound.

I'm willing to bet, however, that if you're a book blogger, an indie author, or simply an avid reader who follows literary blogs, you might have a few punch line ideas of your own.

Okay, here's one for ya: What's the difference between indie and self-published? Answer: Spin.

Personally, I tend to refer to myself as indie more than self-published. Indie reeks of maverick. "Yeah, I chose this route. Goin' rogue, baby. I'm a free-spirit, I control my own destiny." While self-published screams, "I couldn't get an agent." Truthfully, both realities apply to me, but you can see why I lean toward indie.

Here's a good one: How many indie authors does it take to screw in a light bulb?  Answer: Just one, but they need several literary bloggers to help them reach the socket. True story.

There's a symbiotic new relationship that's emerged from the publishing revolution; that of the literary/book review blogger and the indie author. Sadly, it appears this still-budding relationship is quickly being pushed to its limits. Bloggers are breaking up with us at an alarming rate. Why? Because a lot of what they've taken a chance on simply wasn't worth their time. And they're being inundated with daily review requests for more of the same. 

For a while there, indies were the intriguing new kids on campus. Now it seems our reputation has become more than a little tarnished. Some are whispering not-so-nice things about us and it's possible we have no one to blame but ourselves. (That and maybe a few nasty rumors written on bathroom walls by agents and publishers.)

I can't help but want to step in and offer some relationship counseling. I'm convinced there are some things we as indies can do to ensure book bloggers don't break up with us for good. With that in mind I'd like to offer my version of the THREE  R's. (Only in mine, they all actually start with the letter "R" - that always troubled me.)

REPRESENT, RESPECT, RECIPROCATE

REPRESENT

As you contemplate going indie and self-publishing your novel or non-fiction book, remember, you are representing me and every other indie out there. That's why I'm begging you, don't pull the upload trigger until it's really, REALLY ready.

Let's face it, the first several incarnations of any book start out as, well, crap. It's what we as writers do with that steaming pile, that counts. You've probably read it elsewhere but apparently it needs to be repeated whenever possible: Do not write "the end" and immediately upload it for sale. If we want literary bloggers and their followers to treat us as equals to the their favorite traditionally published authors, the burden rests with us to produce material of that caliber or damn close. This means having our work edited and proofed by others. The new publishing revolution has spawned a ton of individuals ready, willing, and able to help take self-published books to the next level—beta groups, proofers, editors, formatters. Find these people and use them—no excuses.

All indie authors are currently dealing with the fallout from a deluge of poorly written and unedited self-published books flooding the market. Stuff people banged out over Easter break, slapped a lack-luster cover on, and uploaded for sale. Suddenly, bloggers who were initially open to reviewing indies are shutting their doors to us in droves.

Can a turd be polished into a diamond? In the writing world, the answer is, YES. And we damn well better. While the bulk of us didn't land a publishing deal, it's our responsibility to make sure our work looks like we did. The goal of every indie author should be to deliver a manuscript that makes people say, "I can't believe this book didn't land a publishing deal!"

RESPECT—It's a two way street.

When approaching a literary blogger to review your shiny new diamond, take the time to actually READ THEIR BLOG! I can't tell you how much I've learned from all the YA book blogs I've visited while querying with review requests.

Read the blogger's “About” page. You'll learn all kinds of interesting things about them, maybe even something that tells you why they are indeed a good match for your book. Always check out some of their reviews, you'll not only end up with a great TBR list of your own, you'll get a feel for what they love. And what they don't.

Most important of all: READ AND ABIDE BY THEIR REVIEW POLICY. These people started blogging as an extension of their passion for reading. Let's not F that up for them. Most now find themselves bombarded daily by emails from authors seeking reviews—some from the traditionally published but most from indies. You can bet a good portion of these betray the fact that the author didn't bother to read their blog OR their policies. Really, you expect them to take a chance on you when you're acting more like a spammer than a professional author? Get a clue. Oh, and get in line behind me—'cause I just sent off a short, clear, and concise review request that shows I spent some time on their blog.

RECIPROCATE

If you're self-published like me, there was likely a time when you were querying agents, and maybe some publishers. If you've gone indie (and you're savvy) you realize who now holds the keys to the kingdom. That's right, literary bloggers are your new gatekeepers. Several solid reviews, author interviews, and guest posts on book review blog sites can go a long way to spreading the word about your book.

Unlike agents, literary bloggers do not get paid for finding the next great book - it's purely a labor of love. Most of them are backlogged with stacks of books to review but are still willing to help promote you in other ways. Take them up on it, and have gratitude for whatever they are willing to do to help you, then cross-promote them in your own social media marketing.

Since relationships require effort on both parts, for book bloggers, I'm going to recommend the  THREE C’s.

CLARITY, CONVICTION, COMPASSION.

CLARITY

A lot of bloggers already do this but it really helps if you have a very clear and easy-to-find “Review Policy” on your site. If its got its own tab and page, even better. I would even go so far as to recommend that it be separate from your "About" page. Personally, I appreciate reading about the blogger as a person, separate from the business end of things (contest & review policies, etc.).

Most YA review blogs I visit have a lot going on. In addition to reviews, there are boxes, links, and buttons galore: memes, challenges, book tours, contests, grab-my-button, followers box, and so on. If your review policy is hard to find, it only encourages the lazy to fire off a review request to you regardless of your policies. In their mind, it's a case of "What have I got to lose?" Sadly, a lot. We all lose when bloggers get inundated and kick indies to the curb.

Make it really clear whether or not you accept ebooks. If you do, great. If not, that's fine too. Just put that info. in your "Review Policy" so those with ebooks only know where they stand. And it need not be a lengthy, emotional dissertation. Personally, I liken the physical book vs ebook debate to The War Between the North and the South. It's over. In this case the winner is not one or the other—it's both. And I highly doubt there will ever be staged re-enactments of the battle between the physical book and the ebook.

Good fences make for good neighbors. If you do decide to take a chance on indie authors, decide on your boundaries as well. That way you won't get overwhelmed and end up closing to self-published authors altogether. I've seen a few bloggers state something like this in their review policy: "I accept a limited number of indie authors. If you'd like me to consider reviewing a self-published book, please include the first chapter in your review request." This is smart. If a review request arrives with no first chapter, you know they haven't read your review policy. And hey, if I can't hook you with the first chapter, then I'm not for you and this dance is over.

CONVICTION

If you are open to indie authors, you obviously have a bit of that maverick spirit yourself. Fly your freak flag. There's nothing I love more than seeing the button "I Support Indie Authors" which was started by blogger Alex Bennett of Electrifying Reviews. Seeing that button on a blog is like a welcome mat in what can feels like an "Indies need not apply" blogiverse. And for those bloggers who are relatively new to the game, accepting and promoting indie books is a great way to stand out from the crowd. I'm starting to see more blogs that focus exclusively on reviewing books by indie authors.

COMPASSION

A lot of YA book bloggers are self-proclaimed nerds—the weird kid, the bookworm, the last one picked for teams. Yet, when it comes to their take on indie authors (who happen to share that "outsider" label) a lot of them suddenly sign up with the popular kids (literary agents and publishers) in snubbing indies. 

If you do have a negative opinion of indie authors, I hope it's your own. I've read a few that sound suspiciously like they were cut and pasted from a literary agent or traditional publisher's website. We've already had our share of rejection from the popular click. If you're not currently accepting indies, that's cool. A simple, well-crafted statement that doesn’t make us feel like literary lepers is best.

SO, with all this being said, if indie authors step it up and do our part, will book bloggers and their followers continue to stick with us? Still on the fence about indies? Let me help. One of the more whimsical spots I've done on YA blogs is the “This or That” interview. Maybe we should do one now to determine if you're willing to take a chance on a few indie authors.

Pavement OR Off-road?

Charted course OR Huh, wonder where this road leads?

Well-stocked trout pond OR Deep sea fishing?

Book that everybody and their brother has reviewed OR Book the rest of the pack hasn't heard of yet?

Building an ark out of ARC's OR Don't need trophies, just good stories?

Straight up OR Rocks?

(Ignore that last one. This post was tougher than I thought and I could use a drink.)

So, how will our story end, this relationship between the literary blogger and the indie author? Can we salvage this thing and have a future together? You tell me.

Here's my version: A book blogger and an indie author walk into a bar, and the blogger turns to the indie and says .... I loved your book! I can't believe it didn't land a publishing deal. Can I buy you a drink?

Cover Me

Blogger Varsha Dinesh recently contacted me about doing a guest post and asked if perhaps I would be interested in talking about the cover art for Delta Legend. Her blog, Wishful Thinking is beautifully designed and Varsha herself is a Photoshop Queen. I love it when bloggers have suggestions for guest posts. It gets me started in the right direction regarding the style of their blog and what they think their followers might find interesting. 

And the cover of Delta Legend, well that's a subject that's near and dear to my heart.

Not to sound vain, but I never tire of the image myself (I have one of the 13 x 19 posters of it above my desk). Thanks to graphic artist, Dave Williams, Delta Legend has a book cover that achieves everything a cover is supposed to do: it catches the eye, sparks curiosity, and people remember it. They also give it more than just a passing glance. Some have even said they were "drawn in" by it. Bingo.

As most of you know, for better or worse, Indie Authors don't have the luxury of being just writers. We're also the marketing team. When I made the shift from agent-shopping to embracing the idea of self-publishing, I knew it was imperative that the book's cover not only stand out from the crowd but be as good as any artwork produced by a traditional publishing house. Thankfully, my partner Tom Size knew just the right person for the job. 

Dave Williams is an amazing artist who does exceptional graphic design for a variety of products. He's the Creative Director and graphic designer for Mouth Man, the company that makes those magical animated hoodies that are all the rage.  http://www.mouthman.com/

Dave's also designed his share of album covers along with a slew of logos. And yes, all you Indies out there who are heading to the finish line and getting ready to self-publish, Dave is open to doing more book covers. Delta Legend was his first and judging by people's reaction to it, it won't be his last.

For our first meeting, I took Karsten Knight's Wildefire with me so Dave could see the level of artwork I was going for. When I first saw Wildefire in the bookstore, I was immediately drawn to it and quickly made it mine at the cash register in less than 5 minutes. Talk about successful visual marketing. 

We discussed a couple ideas I had and quickly narrowed it down to one. I knew from the start I didn't want any models or even ambiguous representations of Calvin and Mei Li on the cover. I realize I break from the rest of the YA pack here but I'm simply not a fan of casting on the cover. Novels are one the last forms of entertainment where we get to use our imagination to envision what the characters look like. The author gives us some descriptives and we take it from there. Once a book goes to screen, a casting director takes that privilege away from us, and more often than not, their idea of the perfect actor to play a character is nothing like we envisioned them. Sure we adapt and in most cases accept the actor, but why stomp on one of the best things about reading if you don't have to? I realize this puts me outside the norm in today's YA market where casting on the cover and book trailers are common place, but the hugely popular Wildefire (which was traditionally published) gave me the courage to go in a different direction.  

Working with a professional artist to bring a cover idea from concept to final product was a great learning experience. One of the biggest things I learned was that you don't really know what you want until you see it. You verbally describe your vision to the designer, they go off and create their interpretation of that vision, then you go back and forth adjusting it until it's a match. And even then, you need outside eyes and trusted advisors to keep you on the right path. I strayed off the path on more than one occasion but was brought back to clarity by both Dave and Tom. 

Dave delivered several versions of the eye, each of them slightly different and interesting in their own way. Toward the end, he delivered one that was exactly what I had asked for. It was completely black, glossy, and vacant. I was going for this whole black-crystal-ball thing. I went to bed that night thinking, this is it, this is what I want. By morning, Tom had all the images Dave had created up on his computer screen as thumbnails, including that last one that I thought was sooo perfect. As I looked at them side-by-side in the size that most people would be seeing them when shopping on Amazon.com, I realized that the one I thought was so perfect was not right at all. Dave had delivered exactly what I'd asked for, only what I'd asked him for was all wrong. There just wasn't anything going on in it. The previous ones were so much better and yet none of them were "it".    

Tom and I had done a photo trip to the Delta so he could capture the header image for the book's website, and this gave him an idea. He brought one of the Delta pictures up on the computer screen then held his 35 mm camera (with a convex lens) up to the monitor and took a picture - close up and angled into the screen. The effect was a magical light spectrum bounce back with just a trace of the original photo. Dave then took that image and worked with it to create the truly haunting and stormy effect of the eye. Now it really was perfect. Most people don't realize there's a very subtle image of Delta tules and water in the pupil, and that's the way I like it - it's illusive, like the creature itself. Having just a hint of the creature emerging from the darkness makes you want to know what the heck this thing really is. Dave did a brilliant job of alluding to the creature without giving it away.

Font? I hadn't even thought about it, but Dave asked the right questions and ultimately found a font that has both an Asian and Celtic feel, representing both the Chinese element in the story and the Celtic roots of my name. These are the kind of things you simply don't think about, yet they contribute to the feel of a cover image as a whole. The vibrant colors on black really add punch and the way the title rises to the forefront out of the dark - it's like a movie one-sheet.

Dave works in extreme multiple layers of Photoshop which creates a lot of depth. It also allows you to see slightly different elements when viewing it from different angles, especially in the poster version.

That's Dave Williams holding one of the DL posters. Thanks to him (and some help from Tom) I now have a great cover that I'm very proud of.  You can bet I'll be hiring Dave to do the cover for the next "Legend". 

Get ready Dave.

Opening Their Hearts and Blogs

This is a fun little piece I wrote for a recent Guest Author appearance on Felicia Chien's blog, Livin' Life Through Books. The YA Book Blogger Community is quite astounding really. So many of them open their hearts and blogs to Indies. Even if they're buried under TBR piles and can't do a review, they will often find some other way to help promote self-published authors. These Guest Posts, Interviews, and Giveaways take time and energy, so my thanks and gratitude go out to each and every blogger who has graciously featured Delta Legend in some way on their blog. 

OH, THE HORROR!

I was in my 30's the first time I killed (a character, that is). Oh, I'd written a play or two where characters met their end, most from natural causes. But it wasn't until I wrote a spec screenplay for a Teen Horror that I actually had to, well, off somebody. 


        Her underwater screams reach the surface in a burst of bubbles and blood.

The screenplay of Delta Legend turned out to be a big-budget beast no production company or studio in their right mind would touch, especially at a time when Teen Horrors were being shot on shoestring budgets. (Insert clip of teens running around in the dark woods holding flashlights under their chins.) We don't have a clip? Fine. 

Flash forward ten years and I'm in the early stages of converting the screenplay of Delta Legend into a novel, which now falls more under the realm of Urban Fantasy. Suddenly characters who were little more than bit players are far more fleshed out. You get to know them on a deeper level with all their endearing little idiosyncrasies. You get attached and then, oh yeah, gotta kill 'em. Well, not me personally, but the "thing" responsible for all the mayhem. So, while there's no blood on my hands, I'm still the one orchestrating their untimely demise and frankly, it took me a while to actually do the dirty deed. But kill them, I did.

Without warning, the kayak was aggressively bumped from below and overturned. It remained upside down for only a moment however, as the seasoned kayaker promptly managed to right his vessel—an impressive feat since he was now headless. His arms made one last reflex-action attempt at paddling before he went limp and his decapitated body slumped over. Blood gushed from the meaty wound of the neck stump and mixed with river water as it flowed down over his life vest then spilled onto the front of the boat.

The kayak, with its horrific cargo, continued to slowly drift through the water—a sporty, though less animated version of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. 

Trying to come up with new and creative ways for people to die is certainly an interesting day's work. Being that I have a natural tendency for comedy, at first it seemed weird that one moment I was creating a funny bit followed shortly thereafter by a gruesome scene. I soon came to realize, however, that some of the greatest Horror is a magical blend of carnage and comedy. It takes you on a roller coaster ride; one minute you're laughing and the next you're screaming, or at the very least gasping. And after having the bejeezus scared out of you, you really need the release of laughter. Not to mention that nervous laughter as you anticipate what surely must be waiting around the next corner. Horror and humor is a delicious combo on the level of chocolate and peanut butter. I've been a fan of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups ever since I was a kid, but who knew I'd develop a taste for carnage somewhat late in the game.

A large metal homemade crawdad trap soon arrived at the surface with more than just crawdads on board. A section of Huestus lay wedged in the basket; his head, neck, right shoulder and arm were intact, though freakishly separated from the rest of him. Half a dozen crawdads clung to his waterlogged skin, picking from the spongy flesh. One of his eyes was a squishy, milky-grey, but the other was perfectly flawless and stared back at his finders with glassy intent. 
Ray pulled on a pair of latex gloves retrieved from his pocket before beginning the morbid task of removing crawdads from Huestus. He then carefully placed the crustaceans in a bait bucket borrowed from the cabin cruiser—bizarre evidence indeed. 

Leaving the dock, Calvin shook his head and admonished his great-uncle. “What’d I tell ya ’bout eatin’ those things?”

Samuel instinctively wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve.

And Huestus was a character I really had a soft spot for. Ah well, what are ya gonna do? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go grab a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and off somebody else. Don't worry, it's no one you know... yet.

Skin Deep - Multiculturalism in YA

For those of you who don't already know, I'm white. I'm not African American, Latino, Chinese American, or a Chinese immigrant. But I've written for characters who are. 

In doing author interviews about myself and my novel, Delta Legend, I'm often asked about its diversity and the choice to have many of the primary characters (especially my protagonist) be racially and culturally different from me. Truthfully, it wasn't so much an intentional choice as a natural occurrence that developed along with the story. I can assure you I didn’t wake up one day and decide I wanted my main character to be a 16-year-old African American guy. 

The first character of Delta Legend was the Delta itself. Calvin Pierce came next and was born out the need for dramatic conflict. Let's see ... who might feel like a fish-out-of-water in the heart of a predominately-white region known for agriculture and recreational boating? A black, inner-city teenager, that’s who. Mei Li Cheng was also a natural choice when considering the history of the Chinese and Chinese Americans in the California Delta. 

I grew up in what was, and sort of still is, a predominately-white East Bay suburb of San Francisco. My dad worked for Coca Cola, calling on restaurants, bars, and other venues in and around the city. Sometimes, if I was lucky, I got to skip school and go to work with him. Once I got a taste of San Francisco's diverse population with its distinct cultural communities, I was hooked. I loved hearing different languages being spoken, not to mention sampling a cornucopia of different foods. People adore my dad, so of course his clients were always feeding him (and me) whenever I got to tag along. Imagine an elementary school kid from the WonderBread burbs getting to experience a hidden gem restaurant down a back alley of Chinatown, a traditional taqueria in the Mission District, gnocci in North Beach, and mochi ice cream in Japantown. 

Our day would usually end at Mission Rock, a place that got way more hip once the new Giants Stadium was built. But back then, it was simply a locals bar that served pub grub and was fondly known as "The Rock." My dad would sit me on a barstool while he had a beer with his pals and we watched large Samoan men shoot pool. A day in the city with my dad was a cultural and epicurean field trip that was far more educational than any day at school. It's easy to see why when it came time to pick a college, I chose San Francisco State and continued to live in SF for 12 years until I got engaged and was finally pried away from my beloved city. 

Regardless of my urban exposure to different cultures and races, prior to writing Delta Legend, I was like a lot of other (ehem, white) writers who simply go on the premise that unless we state otherwise, our characters are white. All that changed for me when writing first the screenplay, and later the novel version of Delta Legend. Suddenly I had to clarify if someone was white - it was not a given.

You can get away with a bit less character development when writing for screen. Since the goal of a screenplay is to show not tell, you rarely get inside a character's head to say what they're thinking or feeling. Creating the screenplay version of Calvin Pierce wasn't all that difficult for me, but when it came time to write the novel version of Delta Legend, I initially danced around Calvin, unsure if I could properly represent him. Fortunately, as with all my characters, Calvin ultimately took up the reins of his own story, told me to sit at the computer, and take dictation.

One of my all-time favorite films is Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing. I love the part where individual characters talk directly to the camera, going off on these tirades of racial slurs. It's so over-the-top, it makes them look completely ridiculous-and laughable, which of course, is the point. 


While Delta Legend touches on issues of racial and cultural differences, it mostly does so with humor, and it's not the primary focus of the story. Even though it's fantasy, I hope the characters realistically represent how we all think and act and relate to people of different races, cultures, even sexual orientation. And no one gets out unscathed. 

It's true you need to do a bit more research when writing for characters who are of a different race or culture than your own. But like everything else, you find the resources and people to help you. Luckily, I have a niece and nephew who are mixed race, African American and white, so I had some expert advisors in terms of hip hop culture and slang (which is continually evolving and changing). And let me tell you, Cody and Kelsey saved me from myself on more than one occasion.  

I would like to see more multiculturalism in YA, and not just the secondary characters, but the protagonists. As the United States and other countries become increasingly more diverse, we need our literature, especially our YA fiction, to reflect that. I get the feeling agents and publishers still believe those who buy the bulk of YA Books (white females) need to be able to envision themselves as the main character in order to fully immerse themselves in the story. But that's simply not true. Of course YA fans can identify with the core feelings and emotions of characters who are racially or culturally different from them - readers of color have been doing it for years! And no writer worth their salt only goes skin deep with any of their characters anyway. 


This article first appeared as a Guest Post for Christina Reads YA. 
http://christinareadsya.blogspot.com/

AN UNEXPECTED MEME OF MY OWN

If you're a fan of Delta Legend, then you know that crawdads make a cameo appearance in the story. I originally had 100 of these magical little paper mud bugs made by origami master, Kyle M., as part of a promotional contest. But what began as a contest has quickly morphed into a MEME, thanks to people sending me brilliant photos of their crawdads in their new environs and beyond. I'm truly loving all the inventive and funny pics!

Check out these great shots sent to me by Cricket of Kamuela, Hawaii. Cricket was the first person inducted into what was initially called The Crawdaddy Club but has since become known as Team Crawdad. (You know, my little play on Team Gale/Team Peeta. Only in this case, you don't have to place your allegiance behind one of two rivals, just one crustacean!) Obviously, Cricket's crawdad has adapted nicely to life in Hawaii—lucky little guy. Gotta love the tiny surf board. Cricket really threw down the gauntlet here, folks.

Wanna play? 

Hit me up and I'll send you one of these little origami mud bugs (while supplies last) so you can submit a creative pic or two of your own. Simply email me at kelan@deltalegend.com with I Want One! in the subject line. In the body of the email, tell me where to send your crawdad.

Of course, you're not obligated to snap pics of your mud bug, he can just hang out on your desk or dashboard, or even taped inside your locker. They also make a cool bookmark. But if you do get the urge, you can always email creative crawdad pics to me at the same address. That's kelan@deltalegend.com (And keep it clean, folks—crustacean porn is illegal in all 50 states, except maybe New Orleans during Mardi Gras.)