As a recent addition to teamTEENauthor, I haven't had the chance to participate in one of their fabled Dare Days until now -- but for once, my timing is perfect! Not only is October a Dare Day, we're also running a ginormous contest -- a multi-author scavenger hunt with amazing prizes and the chance to see a variety of YA authors humiliate themselves. What could be better, I ask you?
(For more info about teamTeenauthor, click here)
And now, for the dares. This month's options were:
- Cover your face with peanut butter and take a picture
- Write about your most embarassing teen memory, Shakespeare-style
- Post pictures of your middle school/high school celebrity crush.
We are running dangerously low on peanut butter, and I've never been good at iambic pentameter, so I'm going with celebrity crush.
It's no secret that, despite marrying one of the nicest guys on the planet, I have a soft spot for Boys Who Are Trouble. And for me, these two boys embodied trouble more than anyone.
River Phoenix. Even now, I swoon a little. He started out with roles in Stand By Me, The Mosquite Coast, and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -- and then moved on to My Own Private Idaho, Running On Empty, and my beloved hacker-geek classic: Sneakers. I was never a poster-in-your-locker kind of girl, but if I had been, River Phoenix would have been front and center.
Alas, when I say he was trouble, I mean Real Trouble. He died of a drug overdose in 1993, outside a nightclub owned by Johnny Depp. I think if he'd lived, he would have become one of those rare actors that improve as they age -- intelligent, talented, and choosing interesting movies instead of safe bets.
I still miss him.
Now, as I said: I was never a poster-loving girl. Instead, I obsessively rewatched movies, including this cheesetastic gem:
Oh, Christian Slater. Avenging his brother's death with only a skateboard, a spiky haircut, and a smirk. I cannot even tell you how many times I watched this movie, utterly smitten. He was in other movies, of course -- I watched Heathers so much that the tape nearly wore out, and I still have the soundtrack to Pump Up The Volume -- but these days, he seems to do little more than sneer, and I'm no longer quite so taken with him. But my 14-year-old self thought he was the epitome of rebellious cool.
Now, for the contest! All of the details -- and all of the links you'll need to complete the scavenger hunt -- are over at Julie Cross's blog. There are a TON of bookish prizes, including ARCs of some upcoming releases that I will probably beg you to share with me. The more entries we have, the more prizes are available, so feel free to tweet/FB/tumble/whatever about the contest.
Also, a hint: To answer my question, find the "Categories" menu on my sidebar, click "FAQ", and skim. Easy-peasy.
Good luck, and happy hunting!
