Breathless Reads Fall Tour

Penguin Teen is brilliant. Really, it hardly needs to be said: they are brilliant. And they prove it once again by extending the Breathless Reads program. This February, they used Breathless Reads to send me, Andrea Cremer, Jessica Spotswood, and Marie Lu on a national tour of awesome. And they've selected five new authors to induct into the Breathless Reads club--all awesome, all totally cool, and all very much breathless reads.

All this week, Breathless Reads will be announcing a new title for the Fall Breathless Reads. You can find out about each one on the Breathless Reads Facebook page or through the Publisher Weekly emails that are going out this week. One new title each day.

Today's title is ORIGIN by Jessica Khoury. Dude. I loved this book. I loved this book so much that I blurbed it:

"I loved Origin's action, romance, and mystery--and I couldn't stop thinking about the questions it raised."


You guys know I love a book that makes me think. It's probably no surprise that I'm happiest when a book will make me not just think about the plot, but also myself. ORIGIN totally does this. It forces you to question what you know is right and wrong, and the morality it raises is definitely the strength of this novel. It's what sucked me in--and I know when it comes out this fall, you'll feel the same way :)

If you'd like to get started, you can read a sample of ORIGIN for free right now. (Or, if I've embedded it correctly, below):
Breathless Reads Fall 2012 Sampler

Meanwhile, make sure to check out the Breathless Reads page every day this week for more info on the other wonderful titles that are going to be a part of this awesome program.

Guest Post by Saundra Mitchell, Author of Springsweet

Today I have the very great pleasure of introducing you to Saundra Mitchell, author of the historical magical novel THE SPRINGSWEET. She's such a sweet author and a whizz at marketing--if you're not already following her blog and reading her books, get on that! Check out her post below for a chance to win both of her historical novels and a copy of A MILLION SUNS!

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"Do you know what I've missed since coming here? Books. I do miss reading novels, don't you?"

-Zora, The Springsweet

Pretty much every writer started out as a reader; now that we're writers, we can't help but write about people who love books. Sometimes IN the books. It's meta upon meta, but it makes perfect sense to us.

To celebrate books, Saundra Mitchell's blog tour is all about sharing two great things that go great together: books + free.  And in this case, whiplash- one minute, you're enjoying a strange, dark future in A MILLION SUNS, the next, you're whipped back to magic on the prairie in 1891.

Get your whiplash for free. Enter to win a copy of  A MILLION SUNS, and a signed set of Saundra's THE VESPERTINE and THE SPRINGSWEET. All you have to do is comment in this entry, and leave an e-mail address where we can contact you. (US & Canadian residents only, please.)

And tell us about your favorite book, too. Growing a TBR pile is the best gardening there is!

THE SPRINGSWEET
A Companion to The Vespertine
by Saundra Mitchell
Hardcover & E-book

From Harcourt

“A lovely historical romance takes readers back to the 1890 Oklahoma territory. (T)he author conjures a convincing picture of life on the Oklahoma prairie, painting an absorbing portrait of the landscape and of the people there. A high-quality, absorbing drama.”

– Kirkus Reviews, 02/01/12

It’s a long way from Baltimore to Oklahoma Territory. But Zora Stewart will go any distance to put the tragic events of her sixteenth summer behind her. So this city girl heads to the tiny frontier town of West Glory to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going.

When another Baltimorean shows up in West Glory, Zora couldn’t be more surprised. Theo de la Croix made the long trip out west hoping to court Zora, whom he has long admired from afar.

But Zora has developed an attraction to a rather less respectable fellow: Emerson Birch, a rough-mannered young “sooner” whose fertile land is coveted.

As Zora begins to suspect that there may be more than luck behind Emerson’s good land, she discovers an extraordinary, astonishing power of her own: the ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a “springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land.

Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

THE SPRINGSWEET

is available at Indiebound |Amazon| Barnes & Noble

Saundra Mitchell has been a phone psychic, a car salesperson, a denture-deliverer and a layout waxer. She's dodged trains, endured basic training, and hitchhiked from Montana to California. She teaches herself languages, raises children, and makes paper for fun. She's the author of Shadowed Summer, The Vespertine, The Springsweet, and the forthcoming The Elementals and Mistwalker. She's also the editor of the forthcoming YA anthology Defy the Dark. She always picks truth; dares are too easy.

#BreathlessChat

TODAY at 7pm, EST, the Breathless Reads girls (including me, squee!) will be doing a live online chat--and we'd love for you to participate--make comments, ask questions, demand my secret for the perfect chicken and dumplings, whatever you like!


If you'd like to participate, I *think* I've embedded the chat correctly here, so you can do it right here on the website. In case that doesn't work, though, you are also more than welcome to go to the Spreecast page here.



Remember: The reason why Penguin Teen does this sort of thing is because it wants to give you the things you want! So if you like chats like this, please let Penguin Teen know. I get to keep doing stuff like this with you, because you guys keep telling them you want it. If it helps, here's a tweet button so that you can thank Penguin Teen and also let others know about the chat tonight: Tweet #BreathlessChat

Today! #BreathlessChat

Got yourself an internet connection? Then you can come to the last Breathless Reads event--an online chat with all four authors!

We're using Spreecast to live-chat with everyone. It's super-simple to sign up (you can use Twitter or Facebook to do it), and you can ask questions by text in the COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS button near the bottom of the screen.

The event starts at 7pm EST--hope to see you there! For more information, click here.

Chicago Area Event of WIN

Guys--if you're in the Chicago area, you simply must check out RT. Much of the event is ticketed, but this Saturday is Teen Day--which means you have a chance to meet DOZENS of AWESOME YA writers (including moi) for the low, low price of $25 for workshops and the Teen Party.

I can't even begin to list how cool this all is. So if you can come, make sure to check it out here for full details. 

Hope to see you!

Link Spam

I have more than a dozen tabs open on Chrome right now, which, of course, means it's time for another linkspam:

• A very insightful, intelligent, and interesting (yay for assonance!) article on gender, romance, and teens in YA science fiction by book critic and author Phoebe North, as well as another take by fellow League member, book critic, and author Lenore Appelhans. Be smart and read both and then contribute your thoughts to the discussion.
• The Real Fauxtographer (Margot Wood) did an amazingly lovely photo of one of the most popular scenes in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and it made me smile. (You should check out all her work--my personal fave is the one for Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH--the braids, yay! And also the non-book-based Superman at 60)
• This made me smile a silly smile: my book, casually mentioned in the NY Times. 
• Writing advice by CS Lewis, who is made of awesome.
• You have until April 17 to enter this giveaway for A MILLION SUNS--and there's a pretty in-depth interview with me there, too :)
• The birth of a book (via the marvelous and gorgeous Molly Quinn)
• I'm working on a post about music, so why not listen to this lovely song:

UK Release of A Million Suns!

I'm happy to say that my friends across the pond can finally snag a copy of A MILLION SUNS there!

And, as you can see, A MILLION SUNS got a shiny new redesign in the UK. It's a lot more sci-fi-y, don't you think? It also definitely gets the feeling of being trapped on a spaceship--I love how much of the ship is actually shown on a close-up level. The nuts and bolts just emphasize it even more.

I hate that everyone in the UK had to wait a bit longer for the release than in the US/Canada, but I hope you find the book worth the wait. And I'd like to take this moment to give a shout-out to my wonderful UK publishers at Puffin/Penguin UK. They are fantastic people to work with, and I believe my book is in the best hands there. I'm so appreciative of all they've done help share the book in the UK!

And speaking of some of the awesome ways they've spread the word about A MILLION SUNS, be sure to check out a copy of BLISS magazine and SHOUT magazine soon, and you'll see a little bit of A MILLION SUNS there :) And BLISS magazine is currently hosting a giveaway so be sure to enter by April 12th for your chance to win a copy!

You can also read the first chapter of A MILLION SUNS online at the Guardian in the UK. Click here to be taken directly to the site and the excerpt. And if you're so inclined, you can also read my guest post on the Guardian about why I love writing dystopian fiction.

I'd also very much like to thank all the bloggers in the UK who've reviewed, chatted about the book, and more. You guys are awesome, and I couldn't be here without you. <3

“All the twists, turns and secrets made A Million Suns so exciting!  I was hooked to every single word.” 5 stars ***** (The Book Addicted Girl blog)

“Revis has an amazing way of heightening tension and anticipation. This is definitely what you'd call a page turner” (Stepping Out of the Page blog)

“I couldn't put the book down” (Reading Between the Lines blog)

News & Events

Holy shizz, guys, I have gotten so far behind. And it's likely I'm going to continue to be a bit behind. I totally don't want to be that irresponsible author who never answers her email, but I'm kinda falling into that. If you've sent me an email that needs an answer, please do NOT feel bad about poking me and reminding me that I'm a loser and need to answer your email.

Meanwhile, here's where I'll be in April & May:

RT Convention, Chicago, IL

April 11-15

Events:

Science Fiction: Popular Tropes & Themes & How to Write SF That Dazzles

With: Ann Aguire, Cindy Holby, Isabo Kelly, Cindy Spencer Pape, Lineea Sinclair, and me

Wednesday, April 11th, 1pm

Young Adult: Post-apocalytic and Near Future YA

With: David McInnis Gill, Carrie Ryan, Margie Stohl, Rosemary Clement-Moore, and me

Thursday, April 12th, 10am

Young Adult: Wasting My Time: Making Sense of the Changing Landscape

With: Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Saundra Mitchell, Deborah Schneider, Margie Stohl, Melissa Marr, and me

Friday, April 13th, 10am

Meet the Authors at the Book Fair

YA Author Alley

Friday, April 13th, 10:45-2:00

From Spark to Fire: Interactive World and Character-Building Workshop

With: Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, Nancy Holder, Veronica Roth, Margie Stohl, and me

Friday, April 13th, 2:30-3:30

Teen Day Party

Lower Level: International Ballroom

6:15-7:30pm

You can download a full schedule of the RT Convention here.

Bookstore Events:

Date: April 26, 7pm

With: Alan Gratz, Carrie Ryan, Gwenda Bond, Kristin Tubb, Laurel Snyder, Megan Miranda, Megan Shepherd, Tiffany Trent

A low-key, informal discussion and Q&A about writing and YA literature

Malaprops Bookstore, Asheville, NC

Date: May 1, 7pm

With: Stephanie Perkins, Kiersten White, Megan Miranda

Malaprops Bookstore, Asheville, NC

Date: May 2, 6:30pm

Just me :)

City Lights Bookstore, Sylva, NC

Hacked Fixed!

The problem with my site being hacked should now be fixed--please feel free to explore once again :)

I do apologize if the hack sent you anywhere unsavory. It seems as if the hacker got access through the server, so if you use Dream Host, you might want to check and see if your site has the subtle hack in it, too. And remember: change your passwords regularly, and make them super tricky to solve :)