Friday, August 31, 2012
Breathless Reads Interview Week: Morgan Rhodes, author of FALLING KINGDOMS
Welcome to the Breathless Reads Interview Week! Each day this week, I'm posting a new interview from one of the five Fall 2012 Breathless Reads Authors. Comment on each interview, and you can win an ARC. Comment on all five interviews, and you're entered to win a box set of all the books! Keep reading for more details on the contest and more ways to win!
Today, we're celebrating Morgan Rhodes, author of FALLING KINGDOMS! FALLING KINGDOMS is a YA fantasy and the first in a series--which makes me super jealous, because the project I'm working on is a fantasy series :)
Cyberstalk Morgan!
- Website coming soon from Razorbill!
- Facebook for Morgan
- Facebook for the book
1. Please describe your book in five words:
High fantasy with
kickass teens.
2. Please describe your main character in five words:
I have several main
characters through which the story is told, but I’m going to focus on Cleo for
this question....
Princess seeks magic.
Finds danger.
3. Now the tough one! Describe yourself in five words:
Tired writer needs
more coffee.
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book
“breathless”?
Honestly, there isn’t
much about Falling Kingdoms that isn’t breathless (if I might say such
immodest things). There’s adventure, danger, swords, sorcery, witches,
shapeshifters, murder, smokin’ hot guys, romance, kidnapping, twists and turns,
and this is just the first book in the series!
5. What are five other books that have left you breathless?
(I.e. five book recommendations, or five works that inspired you, etc.)
Obviously, I can name
the other Breathless Reads – Origin by
Jessica Khoury, The Innocents by Lili
Peloquin, Black City by Elizabeth
Richards, and Venom by Fiona Paul.
Other than those fantastic titles, my five picks at this very moment would be:
Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Although
I didn’t love the move. No idea why!)
The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (So good! I’ve loved all of Richelle’s books, but this is the most
recent that confirmed that I am madly in love with Adrian.)
Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning (I
devoured this entire series like chocolate. Jericho Barrons is my favorite hero
of all time.)
Delirium by Lauren Oliver (Loved
this book so much.)
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Broke my heart, but I loved it.)
And now for the contest!!
To enter, just comment on this interview and let Morgan know how much you want to read her book. Please also fill out this Rafflecopter so I can better keep track of entries. You'll be entered for a chance to win a copy of FALLING KINGDOMS (in ARC form). Stick around all week and comment on all the interviews, and you'll be entered to win a box set of all five Breathless Reads books!
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Breathless Reads Interview Week: Elizabeth Richards, author of BLACK CITY
Welcome to the Breathless Reads Interview Week! Each day this week, I'm posting a new interview from one of the five Fall 2012 Breathless Reads Authors. Comment on each interview, and you can win an ARC. Comment on all five interviews, and you're entered to win a box set of all the books! Keep reading for more details on the contest and more ways to win!
Today, we're celebrating Elizabeth Richards, author of BLACK CITY! BLACK CITY is a post-apoc novel with one wicked-cool cover (so! pretty!). There's conspiracy, good vs. evil, a mix of humans and ...not humans, and more! Also? Her blog is called "The Red Pen of Doom." Yes.
Cyberstalk Elizabeth!Now for the Interview! Because there's five books in the 2012 Breathless Reads line-up, I've got five questions for the authors.
1. Please describe your book in five words:
Dark dystopian Romeo and Juliet
2. Please describe
your main character in five words:
Brooding, dangerous, sexy, sarcastic, brave
3. Now the tough one!
Describe yourself in five words:
Vampire loving sci-fi /fantasy geek
4. Can you give us a
hint about what makes your book “breathless”?
The action builds toward a shocking ending – Black City was
dubbed Breathless Danger for good reason!
5. What are five
other books that have left you breathless? (I.e. five book recommendations, or
five works that inspired you, etc.)
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Divergent
Cinder
The Hunger Games
Stormbreaker
And now for the contest!!
To enter, just comment on this interview and let Elizabeth know how much you want to read her book. Please also fill out this Rafflecopter so I can better keep track of entries. You'll be entered for a chance to win a copy of BLACK CITY (in ARC form). Stick around all week and comment on all the interviews, and you'll be entered to win a box set of all five Breathless Reads books!
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Breathless Reads Interview Week: Fiona Paul, author of VENOM
Welcome to the Breathless Reads Interview Week! Each day this week, I'm posting a new interview from one of the five Fall 2012 Breathless Reads Authors. Comment on each interview, and you can win an ARC. Comment on all five interviews, and you're entered to win a box set of all the books! Keep reading for more details on the contest and more ways to win!
Today, we're celebrating Fiona Paul, author of VENOM! VENOM is a historical paranormal (the best kind of historical there is!). It takes place in Venice (awesome), has ghosts (awesome), and also a mystery (awesome) and there's kissing (awesome).
Now for the Interview! Because there's five books in the 2012 Breathless Reads line-up, I've got five questions for the authors.
1. Please describe your book in five words:
Dark, sultry, mysterious, glamorous, unpredictable
Dark, sultry, mysterious, glamorous, unpredictable
2. Please describe your main character in five words:
Impetuous, curious, emotional, conflicted, yearning
3. Now the tough one! Describe yourself in five words:
3. Now the tough one! Describe yourself in five words:
Adventurous, enthusiastic, emotional, obsessive, resilient
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book “breathless”?
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book “breathless”?
Scary mutilated corpses, a seductive artist who may or may not be a killer, and a forbidden romance that burns up the pages. 5. What are five other books that have left you breathless?
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
What’s Left of Me by Kat Zhang
You by Charles Benoit
Holes by Louis Sachar
And now for the contest!!
To enter, just comment on this interview and let Fiona know how much you want to read her book. Please also fill out this Rafflecopter so I can better keep track of entries. You'll be entered for a chance to win a copy of VENOM (in ARC form). Stick around all week and comment on all the interviews, and you'll be entered to win a box set of all five Breathless Reads books!
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Breathless Reads Interview Week: Lili Peloquin, author of THE INNOCENTS
Welcome to the Breathless Reads Interview Week! Each day this week, I'm posting a new interview from one of the five Fall 2012 Breathless Reads Authors. Comment on each interview, and you can win an ARC. Comment on all five interviews, and you're entered to win a box set of all the books! Keep reading for more details on the contest and more ways to win!
Today, we're celebrating Lili Peloquin, author of THE INNOCENTS! THE INNOCENTS is a contemporary novel--with a twist. It's like a soap opera and a mystery all in one. Also? the name of the town it's set in is Serenity Point. Doesn't that sound awesome?
Cyberstalk Lili!
1. Please describe your book in five words:
Haunted, moody, smoldering, seductive, suspenseful.
2. Please describe your main character in five words:
I’ve got two main characters, so you have to give me some
leeway here.
Alice:
smart, thoughtful, observant, careful, romantic.
Charlie:
impulsive, headstrong, passionate, fun-loving, loyal
3. Now the tough one! Describe yourself in five words:
Impatient, watchful, private, bookish, bad-tempered. (I sound like a delight, don’t I?)
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book
“breathless”?
To me the ne
plus ultra genre combination in books as
well as in movies is the whodunit and the soap opera. There’s
nothing I flip over more than a story
that’s able to mix narrative suspense with nuanced characters. So, The Innocents—I
think, I hope—leaves you breathless in two senses: twisty plot and sheer
sexiness!
5. What are five other books that have left you breathless?
I can tell you five books that definitely left me sans
breath: Falling
Kingdom by Morgan
Rhodes, Origin by Jessica Khoury, Venom by Fiona Paul, Black City by Elizabeth Richards, and A Million Suns: An Across the Universe Novel
by Beth Revis. Aw, thanks! :)
The five books
that have influenced me the most are: The
Magus by John Fowles, Great
Expectations by Charles Dickens, Lulu
Incognito by Raymond Kennedy, Rebecca
by Daphne du Maurier, and The Secret
History by Donna Tartt.
And now for the contest!!
To enter, just comment on this interview and let Lili know how much you want to read her book. Please also fill out this Rafflecopter so I can better keep track of entries. You'll be entered for a chance to win a copy of THE INNOCENTS (in ARC form). Stick around all week and comment on all the interviews, and you'll be entered to win a box set of all five Breathless Reads books!
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Breathless Reads Interview Week: Jessica Khoury, Author of ORIGIN
Welcome to the Breathless Reads Interview Week! Each day this week, I'm posting a new interview from one of the five Fall 2012 Breathless Reads Authors. Comment on each interview, and you can win an ARC. Comment on all five interviews, and you're entered to win a box set of all the books! Keep reading for more details on the contest and more ways to win!
Today, we're celebrating Jessica Khoury, author of ORIGIN! ORIGIN is about jungles and science, doing what's right, and making sacrifices to do it. Jessica has one of the best Pinterests around (and like me, she's totally into social media!), plus she has amazing red hair that I'm totally envious of. PS HEY HEY HEY you totally need to check out the ORIGIN OLYMPICS going on right now!
Cyberstalk Jessica!
Now for the Interview! Because there's five books in the 2012 Breathless Reads line-up, I've got five questions for the authors.
1. Please describe your book in five words:
Girl. Jungle. Boy. Danger. Love.
2. Please describe your main character in five words:
2. Please describe your main character in five words:
Smart. Immortal. Lonely. Curious. Stubborn.
3. Now the tough one! Describe yourself in five words:
Quick. Sarcastic. Impulsive. Ginger. Sleepy.
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book “breathless?”
4. Can you give us a hint about what makes your book “breathless?”
My favorite scene is when cute shirtless Eio swims through bioluminescent water and climbs a waterfall to pick a flower to cheer up Pia. It’s very sweet and steamy. =)
5. What are five other books that have left you breathless?
5. What are five other books that have left you breathless?
- Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden
- Across the Universe by Beth Revis [no I’m not brownnosing, Beth—it really did!] Aw, thank you! :)
- Legend by Marie Lu
- The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold
- Nation by Terry Pratchett
And now for the contest!!
To enter, just comment to this interview and let Jessica know how much you want to read her book. Please also fill out this Rafflecopter so I can better keep track of entries. You'll be entered for a chance to win a SIGNED copy of ORIGIN (in ARC form). Stick around all week and comment on all the interviews, and you'll be entered to win a box set of all five Breathless Reads books!
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Want to read a sneak peek of all the books? Download the Breathless Reads sample! BN | FB | Amazon.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Breathless Reads Week!
Time for something fun! All next week, Monday through Friday, I will be posting a series of interviews--one each day featuring a different author in the upcoming Breathless Reads Fall 2012 books.
And here's the best part--each day, you can win an ARC from that day's author--and if you comment on all the interviews, you could win a super-rare box set of all the ARCs!
Here's how this shindig is going down. Every day, I post a new interview. You comment on that interview? You're entered to win the ARC written by the author in the interview. You comment on every interview this week? You're entered every single day for each book...plus you're entered to win the box set of ARCs!
And? You'll get extra entries for tweets, liking the Breathless Reads page on Facebook, and more! Basically, this week is going to be a lot of fun. So check back every day! This whole thing starts TOMORROW--and you'll only have until Saturday to enter!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Writing Wednesday: Heros vs. Villains
There are basically only two ingredients to any story—characters and plot—and you can probably argue away at least one of them in any given situation.
Still, if I had to take a guess at the number one thing people asked of me when I started this project, at least half linked back to character development in some way.
So today I’m going to talk about arguably the two most important characters of a book: the hero and the villain.
Jessica Spotswood, author of BORN WICKED (a brilliant story of magic, history, kissing, and sisters), has often said that a lot of times siblings will define themselves by opposites. You have the smart one and the pretty one; the rebel and the book lover; the loud one and the quiet one.
You should probably think of your hero and villain in the same way.
So, start with the hero. For him or her to have a story, that hero needs to want something. Then make the villain want the opposite thing.
In all reality, the villain should be the hero of his story. Think about it. The villain wants something just as passionately as the hero. He just wants the opposite thing as the hero. If you swapped points of view and wrote the story from the villain’s perspective, the villain should have just as compelling of a story as the hero. The hero is the villain of the villain’s story.
A Word of Caution: Taking It Too Far
A lot of stories—particularly fantasy—will have the hero be the champion of good, and the villain be the champion of evil. This is, at its roots, exactly what I’m saying here: the hero and the villain define themselves by opposites. But I want to take a moment to point out that this is actually a pretty weak way to do it. Look, I love Star Wars and Harry Potter as much as the next girl, but my biggest complaint with both is that the villain isn’t compelling. They’re too evil. The story becomes too much of right/wrong, good/bad.
But the best hero isn’t so obviously evil. I think I first realized this when my tenth grade teacher assigned THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. (Please note: the book is nothing like the Disney movie, and the Disney movie makes me so mad I want to punch things because of it.) I won’t ruin the story because you should read it. But part of Hugo’s point of the novel is that the bad guys are sometimes pretty, and the good guys are sometimes ugly.
Take a look at Voldemort.
I mean, come on.
You know that mofo is bad news just by looking at him.
What you don't want is the bad guy who's a bad guy just for the sake of being bad. Okay, sure, he has his story--he wants to take over the world. Or he wants immortality. Or he wants revenge. Whatever. Don't make him a cardboard cut-out of a puppy-kicker. Make him have realistic motivation. How many people really want to take over the world? There's no profit in it. It'd be a giant pain in the arse. And who really wants to live forever? Both JK Rowling and George Lucas (later) tried to give their villains backstory, explaining why they want these things that make them both so evil, but...well, let's just say that my least fave HP book is the 6, and the prequels to Star Wars are not to be mentioned.
And honestly? Who wants to be good? I mean, yeah, we have a basic principle and morality code bred into us, but being good isn't easy. I think the recent Batman movies symbolize this pretty well. Being the hero has negative consequences, and maybe it's sometimes easier to just...not. You have to have a pretty good reason for the hero to stand up and fight, something beyond just that he's good.
You know a story that gets it right? SERENITY. Yeah, I pretty much always refer back to Joss Whedon. But the villain—known as The Operative—is spot. On. If you’re having trouble making your villain balanced, go buy this movie. (Buy. Not rent. Because this is a movie you should own.) The Operative’s motive is so clear and well drawn that he clearly has his own story. He doesn’t hate the heros of the story because he’s eeeeevvvvillll. He opposes them because they are actively fighting for something he’s against on a deep, philosophical level. He believes—he believes—he’s right and they’re wrong, and he has reasons for believing this.
The key to a good hero is making him have the right motivation. He doesn't necessarily want good--he just wants something that the reader will perceive as good. But the villain is the same way. He doesn't want evil--he just wants the opposite thing the hero wants.
To see a complete list of writing posts as well as request topics, please see the master Writing Wednesday post here.
Friday, August 17, 2012
New Social Media Buttons
I just wanted to give a shout-out to Hafsah, who was kind enough to design me some new social media buttons! Aren't they shiny? Scroll over them--they light up!
Hafsah blogs at Icey Books, and she also runs Icey Designs. If you're in need of a new blog or website design, I highly recommend her!
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Writing Wednesday: WHEN to Outline
This is probably a surprising topic for many. “When” to plan a novel is not nearly so often discussed as “how” to plan a novel.
But here’s the thing: there are a hundred and one different ways to plan a novel—but when to plan it—that’s a different question. See, most people assume that you plan the novel before you start. After all—that’s when you’re planning to write.
But I’ve found something very different when I write. I’ve discovered that often, the best time for me to make an outline and story map is after I finish the first draft. For me, I don’t need to know what to write until after the first draft, but I do need a plan of what to revise after I finish.
I’m what you call a pantser—I write by the seat of my pants. (As opposed to a plotter, who outlines before writing.) I’ve long eschewed outlines. My attitude has been “if I know what’s going to happen, I don’t care about writing the story.”
However.
I have learned that at some point in the writing process, you must get organized, and you must create an outline.
Sometimes called a “backwards outline” due to the fact that you write it at the end rather than at the beginning, organizing my novel after the first draft has been enormously helpful. So helpful, in fact, that I suspect if I were to use an extensive outline (as I am doing now with my current WIP), I’d still want to do a backwards outline.
SEGUE!
When I was a teacher, one of my units to teach my tenth graders was Holocaust literature. The Holocaust was truly a tragic mark in our world’s history, but it’s difficult for us to comprehend just how tragic it was. The human mind cannot think in numbers like six million dead or population shifts. It’s too big. Our mind shrinks things down to comprehend them, but that means it becomes impossible for us to realize just how big a number six million really is. If you need proof of that, look at how blase we Americans are about our trillions of dollars in debt. We get that it’s a big number—we don’t truly get how big that number really is.
So to help my students better grasp the scope of the tragedy of the Holocaust, I create a scroll. It was over 300 pages long, and each page was filled with thousands of tiny dots. Each dot represented a human killed in the Holocaust. There were over six million dots. It took at least a half hour to unscroll the entire project, and every student had to hold up a piece of the giant document. And it was only then—after seeing six million tiny dots and realizing each represented a human being—that most students were able to grasp just how big a number that is.
My point is, when we write novels, there are tens of thousands of words. Hundreds of pages. And it’s really impossible for us to carry around the whole book in our heads—that’s why we wrote it in the first place. But once you finish writing the whole novel, you need to cram it all back in your mind so that you can see what works, and what doesn’t.
To do this, make a backwards outline. I typically do this on paper—I’ve found that if I write on the computer, it helps to plan on paper. I make two columns—the first is a list of the things I already have in the book. I go through each chapter and major scene and write just a sentence—sometimes just a few words—about what happens in that scene.
Then I make another list, right beside it. I list out everything that needs to be in the book. If my book is a romance, I’ll point out when the girl meets the boy, when the complications arise. If I was writing THE HOBBIT, I’d make notes about the introduction of Biblo Baggins, when Gandalf arrives, etc. I’m looking for the bare bones, most essential bits of the story.
It might look something like this. (Excuse the hastiness! I made this up on my iPad just before writing this.)
Doing this will typically show me that I have things in the novel that I don’t need. In this example, I’ve made up that the girl wakes up, talks with her mom, and goes to school—presumably over three major scenes or chapters. But the important part of the story is that she meets the guy and then learns he’s bad news. That—a desire and a complication—is plot. The other stuff is fluff. So I cut the first two scenes that don’t reflect on the story, and then combine the next two. Do I really need a long scene of the main character going somewhere? That’s a typical problem for me—I show just how the characters move around, when in reality, I could just say something like “On the day Maria went to school to take her SATs, she met Brian.” BOOM. She’s at school, and the first part of the plot is now showing up in the first scene, just like it’s needed.
Typically, a backwards outline is most helpful to revise at the end of a first draft. I guarantee you that there are scenes in your novel that you don’t need. And there are scenes that you do. Doing the backwards outline helped me revise ACROSS THE UNIVERSE when I realized that I had too few clues for the characters to solve the mystery. I was able to figure out exactly where I needed to add a clue. It helped me streamline red herrings and know where to add complications.
You can also use a backwards outline if you’re stuck. For me, writer’s block just means I’ve messed up somewhere and I don’t know how to fix it. A backwards outline can get me unstuck—I go through what I have first, then what I need, and then I continue with the “what I need” chart. After that, I can add ideas of what to add to the novel to get to that part of the chart.
And another point? A lot’s been said about the difference between plotters and pantsers, but my main point today is: it doesn’t matter if you’re a plotter or a pantser. You’re going to get the planning work done at some point in the manuscript, either before or after.
To see a complete list of writing posts as well as request topics, please see the master Writing Wednesday post here.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Writing Wednesday Master Post
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And you can help! I don't want to be working on something that no one wants to read, so please, if you enjoy these articles, help spread the word about them. I've got links at the bottom of this post for all major social networking sites.
Right now, these are the topics that I plan on doing soon. I don't want to nail anything down too much, because if this starts to feel like homework, I'll probably blow it off. Besides, spontaneity and surprise is fun!
Writing Topics Already Covered:
Simple Rules to Grammar
When to Outline
Heroes vs. Villians
The Shape of the Novel
MG vs YA: Plot
MG vs. YA: Characters
Where Ideas Come From: Brainstorming Processes
How to Find and Use Critique Partners
Researching and Writing a Novel with Scrivener for the Non-Outliner
For fun: What my writing desk looks like (off-site)
Tips on Writing a New Sci Fi World (off-site)
When to Outline
Heroes vs. Villians
The Shape of the Novel
MG vs YA: Plot
MG vs. YA: Characters
Where Ideas Come From: Brainstorming Processes
How to Find and Use Critique Partners
Researching and Writing a Novel with Scrivener for the Non-Outliner
For fun: What my writing desk looks like (off-site)
Tips on Writing a New Sci Fi World (off-site)
Upcoming Topics for Writing Wednesdays:
-The Difference Between Editing with Crit Partners and Editing for an Editor
-Writing Sequels
Things I'm Not Planning on Writing About Because They Have a Really Short Answer and Here It Is:
Q: Do you need a degree in creative writing to write a novel?
A: No.
Q: What do you do when you get writer's block?
A: I don't get writer's block. I get lazy. When I feel "stuck" it's because I'm being a lazy writer, so I force myself to work harder. This is not to say that writer's block doesn't exist. This is just to say that I'm a terrible person to try to help with this question.
Q: What do you do when you don't feel inspired/don't feel like writing.
A: I do one of three things: (1) don't write, (2) write anyway, or (3) drink heavily.
Q: What do you do when you finish the novel? What's the next step?
A: Get critique partners, and then rewrite the novel because it sucks.
Q: How do you trim fat from the novel without feeling guilty about cutting something/someone?
A: I don't feel guilty. I slash my novel to bits. I'd much rather cut everything and start from scratch rather than try to force something to work that doesn't work.
Q: Do you ever feel bad about hurting your characters?
A: No.
Q: What do you do when there's something in the story you love, but you can't make it work without shoe-horning it in?
A: Cut it.
Q: How do you keep a story from being boring?
A: When in doubt, blow something up and/or kill a character.
Q: Tips for keeping your butt in the chair?
A: When you're on a roll writing, come up with an idea for what your next scene should be--but don't write it. Just write like a sentence of description. Then, the next day, when you start writing again, you already know exactly what you want to write next. Finishing before the creative well is dry means you get started on a roll right away with the next scene.
Q: Are there tips or things that you always do when writing?
A: No. Every book is different, from creation to completion. What works for one will NOT work for the other (at least for me).
Any questions that I've not answered here or listed as an upcoming topic that you're dying to learn about? Leave it here in the comments and I'll try to tackle it one way or another!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Coming Soon: Writing Wednesdays
Hi all!
So I've been thinking a lot about the process of writing lately--mostly because I've just wrapped up one book trilogy with the completion of SHADES OF EARTH and am also starting another project on something that both excites and terrifies me. The whole situation has made me think about the processes and how I write and edit, and since I usually think in words and because I've been meaning to beef up the "for writers" section of my website....all this led me to come up with a new idea for a series of posts.
I'm calling it Writing Wednesdays because (a) I like alliteration, and (b) it's smack-dab in the center of the week, so no pressure to be smart right out of the gate on Mondays.
But I'd love to get your feedback on this. I've already done a few writing posts before (check out the Quick Links on the menu bar to the right). And I don't want to do the same stuff you can find anywhere else, and I don't want to be boring.
So: a few questions for you!
Would you like to see weekly-ish posts about writing on this blog? Please be honest! You're not going to hurt my feelings if you think this is a bad idea--I want to know if this is something people want or not.
If so, what are some writing related topics that you're most interested in seeing me write about? Is there a burning question? A need-to-know subject? Let me know!
Related: some people have mentioned they're having trouble with the comments on my site--it's something I'm working on, but don't have an easy fix for right now. If you can't get to the comments by clicking COMMENTS below, please try clicking here.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Shades of Earth ARC Requests
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So! A little bit about the process! The typesetter will take all those words my editor slaved over with me, and will turn them into pages, with those words neatly arranged upon them in the right order. Then, those pages are printed into an ARC--Advanced Reader Copy--and then my publicist will mail those ARCs to people who want to review the book. Then early reviews come in, I try not to obsess about them, and soon after that: the book comes out for REALS.
If you are one of those reviewer type people who would like an ARC, then (finally!) I have the means for you to request one! CLICK HERE to go to a form where you can put all your information in. Please keep in mind that I'm basically acting like a medium here--I take your information, and I give it to my publicist, and some (definitely not all) of the people who request an ARC will get them. I know the ARCs are going to be limited, and I know there won't be enough for everyone. What I'm saying is, please don't hate me if you don't get an ARC. Because I think you're pretty and I want to be your friend.
So yeah...CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT TO REQUEST AN ARC OF SHADES OF EARTH!
Neil deGrasse Tyson is my Hero
Seriously. My hero of the modern world is Neil deGrasse Tyson. If you're not aware of his work, Neil is an astrophysicist at the Hayden Planetarium (in NYC), an advocate for the sciences and exploration, an educator and philosopher who teaches by example.
He's basically all around awesome.
I posted awhile ago when Zen Pencils made a comic using one of his quotes, but now that quote's been put to Neil's words and made into a video, and it's pretty freaking cool. Here ya go:
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
YA Scavenger Hunt: Prizes and Secrets, Oh My!
It's that time of year again! Time for the YA Scavenger Hunt! The hunt is basically a blog hop among YA authors. Follow all the links, and you not only get to find out exclusive information from some of your fave authors, you're also entered into a contest that has a crap ton of prizes!
HEY HEY HEY: if you find my stop on the hunt, you will learn three exclusive, top-secret clues about SHADES OF EARTH. So yeah. Check that out.
Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!
Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the RED TEAM--but there is also a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.
If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.
BONUS PRIZE!!
Just for people who stop at this site--fill out the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a signed copy of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE or A MILLION SUNS (your choice; open internationally!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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