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Photo by Paul Carroll

Winter is coming. And not in that fun "I'm quoting Game of Thrones" sort of way. In the omg-it-is-freezing-outside-I-hate-my-life kind of way. But with the cold comes a lot of fun, what with snowball fights, skiing, snow angels, and ice skating.

For those of you psyched to go skate like you're in a Charlie Brown Christmas, be careful. Those tempting open lakes can be dangerous.

To help you be prepared, today we've got an excerpt from The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel by David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven. Because hey, you never know. 

Photo by Paul Carroll

Winter is coming. And not in that fun "I'm quoting Game of Thrones" sort of way. In the omg-it-is-freezing-outside-I-hate-my-life kind of way. But with the cold comes a lot of fun, what with snowball fights, skiing, snow angels, and ice skating.

For those of you psyched to go skate like you're in a Charlie Brown Christmas, be careful. Those tempting open lakes can be dangerous.

To help you be prepared, today we've got an excerpt from The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel by David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven. Because hey, you never know. 

Hey there booklovers!

As the year comes to a close at the Quirk HQ, I’m looking to bring a few more freelance bloggers onto the Quirk Books website. I have a few on here already, writing about everything from recipes to books, pop culture to comics. Scope out some posts from Elizabeth Quirino and Thom Dunn for fantastic examples. Please note, it’s best not to click on Elizabeth’s recipe links before lunch.

I’m looking for bloggers interested in writing anything and everything, from quirky editorial on pop culture to delectable recipes, Top 10 lists to fun photo roundups, spotlights on crafts to music playlists… you get the picture. We’re also looking for bloggers interested in writing about parenting, for our Raising Quirk community. If the stories have a bookish slant, even better. I want them. Take some time to flip through the Quirk website to get an idea of what we like to post.

As for requirements, you should:

* Be passionate about books.

* Have a decent presence on major social media networks. Twitter, Facebook, etc.

* Be willing to promote your posts on those networks.

Yes, we’re paying bloggers for their posts. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. Pay varies depending on the sort of content you’re creating, whether you’re working on simple short posts (ie: recipe posts, craft spotlights) or in-depth featured pieces (top 10 lists, lengthy editorial). We will discuss.

Interested? Drop me an email at [email protected]. Tell me a bit about yourself, what you’re interested in writing about, and include a few links to some writing samples. No resumes please. Just a friendly email and links to clips will do.

While fussing around on Quirk's Tumblr, I stumbled upon this wonderful video on the blog Lauren Reads YA. 

Lauren put together a great recap of Ransom Riggs' visit to Boekhandel Den Boer in Baarn, The Netherlands. Bestselling YA author Tahereh Mafi is also in the video. 

Have a look, and be sure to follow Lauren on Tumblr! 

Photo via Flickr

With all the running around for the holidays, sometimes you can forget the most important things. Sometimes it’s a kid, other times, it’s an important part of your holiday tradition.

If Hanukkah arrives and you are without a menorah or candles, you will have to make your own. So here’s an excerpt from the Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Holidays by David Borgenicht and Joshua Piven, to teach you how to make menorah candles out of crayons.

Yes, crayons.

The first two books in Charles Gilman's Tales From Lovecraft Middle School series are currently in bookstores everywhere, with the third title, Teacher's Pest, due out this Spring. 

We're currently hard at work on the fourth title in the series, Tales From Lovecraft Middle School: Substitute Creature, and we're looking for a model for the cover!

Here are the details from our art director, Doogie Horner:

We're looking for a woman to be the cover model on a book cover called Lovecraft Middle School: Substitute Creature. It's the 4th entry in a middle grade fiction series about a middle school where a bunch of the teachers and students are secretly monsters, inspired by the novels of H.P. Lovecraft.

Model Description: Female, 35-50 years old. Should look like a substitute teacher: bookish, shy, like a quiet librarian or cat lady. The kind of woman who wears her hair in a bun. Should be pretty, but also kind of average. Long face and thin nose a bonus.

Note: We will use Photoshop to turn you into a terrifying ghoul! The book cover is lenticular. Held at one angle, you will look like yourself. When the book is turned though, you'll transform into a terrifying ghoul [through the magic of Photoshop].

We're shooting sometime in December, or possibly early January, at a studio in Philadelphia. Should take about 4 hours. Pay is $150.

If interested please email two recent headshots to [email protected] Please write Lovecraft Middle School in the subject line of your email.