Blog Tour Day Four: Shades of Earth & As They Slip Away!

In just one week and one day, SHADES OF EARTH is being released! Wheee!!! I fluctuate between wild excitement and extreme bouts of vomit-inducing terror, so let's pretend that we're in the excitement upswing for the moment.

I am really stoked to have this book come out, though. It sounds cheesy, but this was the first book that I really wrote for you. When I wrote the first book, it was for me--there was no book contract, no assurance anyone but me would read it. The second book was a challenge--I mean that literally. It was like a dare, where I was seeing if I could write another book my editor and agent liked.

This book, the third book, is for you. I had nothing to prove to anyone but you, my readers. This was my chance to give you something back.

And so I very much hope you like it.

Blog Tour!

Okay! Enough touchy-feely! Today is the first day of my new blog tour--and every day, there's a new chapter of the free e-novella, AS THEY SLIP AWAY. The first chapter can be found at....

Secret of the Stars

Just click on them, and you can read the first chapter of the free novella, as well as enter for one of five signed sets of books--one for each day of the tour!

Book Launch Into Space!

The book launch into space is still going strong--I believe we're very close to having the whole thing actually happen, which is super exciting! Any pre-order counts. I hate harping on and on about sales, but I hope you don't mind if I just put the pre-order links here. And I promise to only do this sort of thing for the week.

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• The Book Depository

And signed books are still available from Malaprops.

Book Preview!

And here's a sneak preview from SHADES OF EARTH just for you guys. This is getting hard--trying to find a scene that doesn't give anything away but is still a little juicy. So here's this scene-one of my favorites--but I'm not going to tell you who or what it's about. So it could be anyone: Amy, Elder, anyone. 

“Get. The hell. Out.” He grinds the words out through clenched teeth.

I stare up at him, shocked at his reaction. “You did this. If she dies, her blood is on your hands. You can’t keep her safe. You can’t keep anyone safe. GET OUT.” He pushes me again, and I stumble against the wall.

Blog Tour Day Three: Shades of Earth & As They Slip Away!

In just one week and one day, SHADES OF EARTH is being released! Wheee!!! I fluctuate between wild excitement and extreme bouts of vomit-inducing terror, so let's pretend that we're in the excitement upswing for the moment.

I am really stoked to have this book come out, though. It sounds cheesy, but this was the first book that I really wrote for you. When I wrote the first book, it was for me--there was no book contract, no assurance anyone but me would read it. The second book was a challenge--I mean that literally. It was like a dare, where I was seeing if I could write another book my editor and agent liked.

This book, the third book, is for you. I had nothing to prove to anyone but you, my readers. This was my chance to give you something back.

And so I very much hope you like it.

Blog Tour!

Okay! Enough touchy-feely! Today is the first day of my new blog tour--and every day, there's a new chapter of the free e-novella, AS THEY SLIP AWAY. The first chapter can be found at....

YA Book Center

Just click on them, and you can read the first chapter of the free novella, as well as enter for one of five signed sets of books--one for each day of the tour!

Book Launch Into Space!

The book launch into space is still going strong--I believe we're very close to having the whole thing actually happen, which is super exciting! Any pre-order counts. I hate harping on and on about sales, but I hope you don't mind if I just put the pre-order links here. And I promise to only do this sort of thing for the week.

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• The Book Depository

And signed books are still available from Malaprops.

Book Preview!

And here's a sneak preview from SHADES OF EARTH just for you guys. Ah, it's Wednesday. Why don't I give you guys a kissing scene?

And then I see the suns. Two of them. I don’t know how I didn’t notice them before—who thinks to look at the sun?—but they’re low in the sky now, casting the area in a dark blue-green sort of twilight.

Two suns.

Two.

Of course. I’d known—I’d always known—that Centauri-Earth would have two suns. I had noticed the two giant glowing orbs from the window of the shuttle. There’s a difference, though, in seeing two big stars from a spaceship and seeing two glowing suns from land.

“It’s so…it’s so beautiful,” I say, unable to keep the awe from my voice. Elder’s grip on my hand tightens in response.

I turn to look at him, and I see the joy I feel in my heart mirrored in his expression. My lips creep up and up in a smile so uncontainable that I feel as if my face will never give it up. Elder’s hand slips from my own, trails up my arm, leaving goosebumps in its wake.

My breath catches in my throat.

I lean forward, up on my tiptoes, my face tilted to his. Our kiss holds none of the furious passion we shared at landing the shuttle. This is different—this is like an ocean’s wave, washing over us, drowning us both in warmth, leaving us breathless and shiny-eyed.

Blog Tour Day Two: Shades of Earth & As They Slip Away!

In just one week and one day, SHADES OF EARTH is being released! Wheee!!! I fluctuate between wild excitement and extreme bouts of vomit-inducing terror, so let's pretend that we're in the excitement upswing for the moment.

I am really stoked to have this book come out, though. It sounds cheesy, but this was the first book that I really wrote for you. When I wrote the first book, it was for me--there was no book contract, no assurance anyone but me would read it. The second book was a challenge--I mean that literally. It was like a dare, where I was seeing if I could write another book my editor and agent liked.

This book, the third book, is for you. I had nothing to prove to anyone but you, my readers. This was my chance to give you something back.

And so I very much hope you like it.

Blog Tour!

Okay! Enough touchy-feely! Today is the first day of my new blog tour--and every day, there's a new chapter of the free e-novella, AS THEY SLIP AWAY. The first chapter can be found at....

Hypable!

Just click on them, and you can read the first chapter of the free novella, as well as enter for one of five signed sets of books--one for each day of the tour!

Book Launch Into Space!

The book launch into space is still going strong--I believe we're very close to having the whole thing actually happen, which is super exciting! Any pre-order counts. I hate harping on and on about sales, but I hope you don't mind if I just put the pre-order links here. And I promise to only do this sort of thing for the week.

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• The Book Depository

And signed books are still available from Malaprops.

Book Preview!

And here's a sneak preview from SHADES OF EARTH just for you guys. Yesterday I gave you some Amy, so today have some Elder:

My hand goes to the wi-com embedded behind my left ear, and I press the button down. Instead of the usual beep, beep-beep, there’s nothing but a click as the button’s depressed and released. I frown, and push the button again, so forcefully that I wince in pain.

Shite. The wi-com network was on the ship. My fingers run over the edge of the button, a perfectly circular bump that has been a part of my body for as long as I can remember. Now useless. The frexing thing is useless. It’s implanted into my flesh, its wires creep beside my veins, and it will never work again.

Amy grabs my hand, pulls it away from the button under my skin. “You don’t need to tell them anything,” she says. “They all know what you’re about to do for them.”

I’ve never felt so disconnected from…everything. It’s one thing to know that the ship’s unreachable, but now the connection I’ve had with my people who are here is gone too.

Blog Tour Day One: Shades of Earth & As They Slip Away!

In just one week and one day, SHADES OF EARTH is being released! Wheee!!! I fluctuate between wild excitement and extreme bouts of vomit-inducing terror, so let's pretend that we're in the excitement upswing for the moment.

I am really stoked to have this book come out, though. It sounds cheesy, but this was the first book that I really wrote for you. When I wrote the first book, it was for me--there was no book contract, no assurance anyone but me would read it. The second book was a challenge--I mean that literally. It was like a dare, where I was seeing if I could write another book my editor and agent liked.

This book, the third book, is for you. I had nothing to prove to anyone but you, my readers. This was my chance to give you something back.

And so I very much hope you like it.

Blog Tour!

Okay! Enough touchy-feely! Today is the first day of my new blog tour--and every day, there's a new chapter of the free e-novella, AS THEY SLIP AWAY. The first chapter can be found at....

Making the Grade Reviews

Just click on them, and you can read the first chapter of the free novella, as well as enter for one of five signed sets of books--one for each day of the tour!

Book Launch Into Space!

The book launch into space is still going strong--I believe we're very close to having the whole thing actually happen, which is super exciting! Any pre-order counts. I hate harping on and on about sales, but I hope you don't mind if I just put the pre-order links here. And I promise to only do this sort of thing for the week.

• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• The Book Depository

And signed books are still available from Malaprops.

Book Preview!

And here's a sneak preview from SHADES OF EARTH just for you guys. This is from Chapter 3, when Amy's helping Elder land the shuttle:

I’ve heard that when you’re in a life-or-death situation, like a car accident or a gunfight, all your senses shoot up to almost super-human level, everything slows down, and you’re hyper-aware of what’s happening around you.

As the shuttle careens toward the earth, the exact opposite is true for me.

Everything silences, even the screams and shouts from the people on the other side of the metal door, the crashes that I pray aren’t bodies, the hissing of rockets, Elder’s cursing, my pounding heartbeat.

I feel nothing—not the seat belts biting into my flesh, not my clenching jaw, nothing. My whole body is numb.

As They Slip Away: A Free Novella!

All this week, I'm doing a blog tour to celebrate the launch of my third and final novel in the Across the Universe trilogy: SHADES OF EARTH!

Guys, I'm so excited about this one. It's really a work of love, and a great big thank you letter to everyone who's supported me and read my work.

But I wanted to do something else to thank you all. So...I wrote a novella. And I'm giving it to you. For free. No strings. I just want you to have it.

The novella is called "As They Slip Away" (note the Beatles reference!), and all this week, Monday through Friday, a different chapter will be posted on a different blog in this unique blog tour. Additionally, you'll have a chance each day to win one of five sets of books--all three books in the trilogy, all signed by me.

The short version: all this week, you get to download another chapter of "As They Slip Away" and enter to win a set of signed books.

You can read the full description of "As They Slip Away" on GoodReads--and by the end of the week, you'll be able to download the full version of the story on your e-reader of choice (available free through Scribd from PenguinTeen).

But I want to get personal for a moment, and tell you about how this novella came to be.

"As They Slip Away" features a new character--Selene. Although she's not really new. If you've read ACROSS THE UNIVERSE or A MILLION SUNS, you've seen Selene before. In ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, Selene was the "rabbit girl," the girl Amy meets who's giving "inoculations" to rabbits. And she showed up again, in A MILLION SUNS. As a victim.

I knew for a long time that I wanted to write a novella telling this girl's story. I like to have backgrounds for my background characters, and from the moment she landed on the page--as a late addition, barely making the cut--I was curious about what her story might be.

I also wanted to write more about the most-hated character of my books: Luthor, or Luthe, as he was known in the first book. In a lot of ways, he's the real villain of my stories, not Eldest or Orion. Both Eldest and Orion have very real reasons for doing what they do. I'm not saying they're right--I'm just saying they are acting with what they feel to be the best way.

Luthe, on the other hand, is evil.

I wanted to do two things with the bad characters in my books. I wanted to show that many times, the person we think is evil, has perfectly valid reasons for his actions. Most "bad guys" aren't bad--they're just working under different motivations or goals or methodology. That's why I wanted to show who Eldest and Orion were, and why they did what they did.

But I also wanted to make it clear that there is evil in the world. And that is Luthe. He is evil. He is bad. He is unredeemable. He is perfectly, 100% conscious of his actions, and the consequences, and he doesn't care. He takes what he wants.

In some ways, "As They Slip Away" is Luthe's story. He is evil--but he's also sick. Sick in the same way serial killers are sick, but sick, nonetheless.

But really, this is Selene's story. The girl who had no voice--not in the novels, not even in part of this story.

I wanted "As They Slip Away" to be a story about a victim. If you read A MILLION SUNS, you already know how Selene's story ends--and it doesn't end well. "As They Slip Away" is a tragedy. But despite that--despite what's happened to Selene, she doesn't let that change her. So, while it is a tragedy, I want you to know also that it's a story of strength.

And I hope you like it. <3 p="p">

Updates & News

Special thanks to Publishers Weekly for featuring some of the pre-publication promo that Penguin and I've been working on to celebrate the release of Shades of Earth!

And thank you as well to the Atlantic Wire for featuring Shades as a "YA to Watch For." I like that ominous ellipse at the end of their description ;)

And speaking of: the pre-order campaign is going well! You guys, we are so. close. to getting Across the Universe into real, actual space! I've seen pictures of the set-up, and it can really happen! If you've not pre-ordered and plan on doing so, I would really appreciate it. <3 a="a" href="http://www.bethrevis.com/shades-of-earth/">All buy links can be found here
.
YA2U is going strong! We hit our first thousand entries today (as of now, we're at 1200!) and we released the top ten cities currently in the running. This is one contest where the more entries you get, the better off you are. Consider printing out some flyers, or contacting your local library. Only ten votes for the same city currently gets you in the top fifty--imagine if you got an entire classroom to enter!

You should totally read this awesome post by Megan Shepherd on what inspired her to be a writer for children. 

And if, like me, you need a timewaster, try out this Chibi Maker :) Here's me in chibi form!

Why Should YA2U...Come to You?

Yesterday, I had the thrilling fun of announcing YA2U, a fun project where me and four other authors are going to a city based on YOUR votes.

YAY! Click here for more info!

And if you followed the links yesterday, then you know all the awesome authors who are involved with the project.

OMG SO AWESOME AM I RIGHT?!

And now, basically, it's all in your hands. Where we go is up to you--and your votes. And because this is based on voting--and because we want to go where we're most wanted--it's really important to us to have as many votes for YA2U as possible.

Therefore, let us know: why should we go to your hometown? You never know--we might just make a few extra stops based on your awesome reasoning (trufax: if you can promise me that Nathan Fillion will be there, I will SO go to your town no matter WHAT). To help get us started, a bunch of lovely book bloggers volunteered to let us know why we should go to their hometowns. You can check them out here--and don't forget to make your own post, too! Remember, spreading the word online (and through posters--downloadable for free) all counts as an entry to win all ten of those books, signed!

We'd also like to thank the awesome bloggers who've helped us with their support and enthusiasm. Many of them are posting about YA2U today, so check out their links and find out about their hometowns--then post about your own!

The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia 

Bloggers[heart]Books 

My Heart Hearts Books 

Tez Says 

Hypable.com 

Oops! I Read A Book Again 

Never Ending Stories 

Charlee Vale 

My Not So Real Life

BooksAreLoveX3

The Reviews News

Two Chicks on Books

Life, Love, and Literature

Alexa Loves Books

Book Nerds Across America

Beauty and the Bookshelf

Deeply Shallow

Reader's Dialogue

City of Books

Adventures of a Book Junkie

This isn't Rocket Science

Book Cover Justice

Book Tasty

Beneath Shining Stars, I Read

In Libris Veritas

The Dancing Lawn

Step Into Fiction

Gone with the Words

Hollywood the Write Way

Valia Lind Writes

Beneath the Moon and Stars 

Addicted To Novels

Ashley Loves Books

TheBookSlash

Pinkindle Reads & Reviews

Froze8's Blog

The Mod Podge Bookshelf

The Book Cellar

See Scoot Read

My Summer Girl Books

Suzanne's Adventures

Bonnie Rae, Just Words

Tabitha's Book Blog

Snarky Bird Book Reviews

A Perpetual Daydream

Ourbookreport

reutreads

Jessie Writes & Reads

Cari's Book Blog

Squeaky Books

Pica Reads

Books Over Boys

Adventures in YA Publishing

DaydreamerN@gmail.com

Kristina's World of Books

Sawcat's Book Blog

thenameisjocie

Just a Booklover

Jenny@Juliababyjen's Reading Room

Fiction Freak

My Best Friends Are Books

100 great books before lunch

The Reader's Antidote

Looking on the side of wonder

Cassandra Marshall 
A Reader's Adventure

Lost In A YA Book

The Novel Nook

A Dutchie on Books

Daydreaming Bookworm

The Reflections of a Bookworm

Fishmuffins of Doom

All About Books

The Bookworm

Sew Technicolor

Christi the Teen Librarian

EllzReadz

PubWrites

The Cosplaying Librarian

Eden's Paradise

The YA Librarian

Escaping Through Books

A Foodie Bibliophile in Wandlerust

R-r-read

Erica's Odds&Ends

Defiantly Deviant

Keyboard & Camera

BerkeleyHighReads

A. B. Keuser

Escape Through the Pages

Fictitious Delicious

SusieBookworm

Greenfield Patch

Debz Bookshelf

Once Upon A Dream Books

The Book Swarm

YA Sci-Fi and Fantasy Blog

Carina's Books

In Which Ems Reviews Books

YA Between the Lines

My 5 Monkeys

IB Book Blogging

magnet 4 books

Novel Sounds

Library Ninja Blog

Just a Lil' Lost

Myth-illogical

making it up

The Daily Quirk

Writing My Own Fairy Tale

A Daydreamer's Thoughts

Lilys book blog

Books Make Me Happy

Smitten over Books

Smitten over Books

Forget About TV, Grab a Book

The Selkie Reads Stories

Vicky Thinks

Read, Write, Sleep, Eat!

Book An Appointment With Wisdom Books

And Then I Read A Book

The Page Sage

Dreamland Sparks

WinterHaven Books

The Eater of Books!

Live To Read ~Krystal

Writer Quirk

Bibliosaurus Text

Atelier dei Libri

The BookBandit Blog

bookandbed

Contagious Reads

Conversations of a Reading Addict

Creative Outlets

Tar Heel Bibliobabe

Friction to Fiction

365 Days of Reading

Lipstick & Literature

The Insomniac Bookworm

A. A. Omer

Bookmarks & Bookshelves

Bookbreath

Good Books and Good Wine

Krazy Elf's Bookshelf

LJ Vaughn

finding my forever

Becky's Barmy Book Blog

Forever 17 Books

Escaping With Books

Light Blue Days

Book.Blog.Bake.

Bengal Reads

Sparkles and Lightning

wrapped up in books

Fall In Love With History

Dizneeee's World of Books

Brooke Reports

Word Spelunking

Gone Pecan

Mary Had a Little Book Blog

Muggle-Born

Emmy Neal

Scattered Pages

Jess Hearts Books

Lisleslivres

Avery's Book Nook

Lady Reader's Bookstuff

Bea's Book Nook

Writing Whimsy - Lucy Ann F's Thoughts on Writing

The Reading Geek

Thoughts of a Scot

Reading Under the Stars

Words Create Scenes

Life is Short. Read Fast.

Inkstains Reviewed

AmyLovesYA

Ink Skies

The Fear of Opinions

Mermaid Vision Books

AmirasBookReviews

BookPics

Goldilox and the Three Weres

BookPics

Beauty but a Funny Girl

I Like These Books

Feisty Little Woman

Fic Fare

Life:merging

Geek Banter

Poetry to Prose

Book Labyrinth

Belle of the Literati

The Book Addict's Guide

A Glass Of Wine

KnowsProse

Girls With Book

Sarah J Schmitt: Journey of a Writing Hoosier

Books Take You Places

PageTrotters

The Starry-Eyed Revue

Book Snatch

Midnight Book Girl

Vy's Blog

Books As You Know It

Lost at Midnight Reviews

Emily's Reading Room

Reading Extensively

YABC

Wondeful Bookshelf of Jaz

Book Exhibitionsim

Miss Page-Turner's City of Books

A Blog about Nothing

Book Twirps

Confessions of a Vi3tBabe

manda-rae reads a lot

Hopeful Happiness

A Backwards Story

All About YA Novels

As-I-Digress

This Blonde Reads

Read it Write

Cicely Loves Books

GirlsPWN

Lora Palmer

The Reading Diaries

Books Complete Me

Alicia J. Frey

Much Ado About Books

Writability

The Broke and the Bookish

The Book Town

Reading on the F Train

Novels by G. Donald Cribbs

Hope, Love, and Happy Endings

YA Infatuation

BOOKISH

Safari Poet

Words World and Wings

Thoughts, by Melody

A Word's Worth

Dazzled by Books

Confessions of a Teenage Bibliophile

Unearthly Reviews

Riv Reads

Ruthanne Reid, Sci-Fi and Fantasy Author

The Story Queen

Southern Spines

Refracted Light Reviews

Anddeea

Chocolate for Inspiration

Watercolor Moods

Reviews from the Hammock

JeanzBookReadNReview

Rai29BookReadNReview

Bodacious Bookaholic

YA Lit Ramblings

Book Crazy

Shadowland Book blog

Andreas bokblogg

I'm book obsessed

Epic (Chocolate) Fantasy

Ex Libris 
IB Teen Blog 
Burning Impossibly Bright 
Megan Likes Books
Xo reads 
Marie Loves Books 
Rex Robot Reviews 
Daisy Chain Book Reviews 
Novel Thoughts
TeenReads.com

What's the Big Secret? New Year's Surprise!

There have been a lot of secrety-secrets flying around lately. Some of you might remember me soliciting book bloggers for a secret project, and perhaps a few mysterious tweets flying around the interwebs...

Well, today I--oops, I mean we--get to announce something spectacular! 

Bringing YA to You (or YA2U for short) was a project that came from YOU--all of you who have ever said, "Why won't a book tour make a stop in my hometown?" Well, that's what we want to do! We're hosting a contest--everyone gets to put in whatever city they most want us to go to, and whatever town has the most votes, will get an exclusive tour stop from all five of us! 

And that's not all--we're also hosting another contest where, if you help us spread the word, we'll give you ten signed books, all the books we've published so far--including all three of my own books!

In short, you could win a tour stop in your hometown from five award-winning and best-selling YA authors or ten signed books direct from the authors! Sounds fun, yes? :)

You can find the full details of the YA2U project here: http://ya2u.blogspot.com and you can also go ahead and enter your hometown for the win and help spread the word. There's also lots of cool features on the site, including downloadable posters (consider putting them up in your school or library! More votes = a better chance for you to win!) and other tips on how to win. 

I can't help but think I'm forgetting something...oh yeah! The other authors! I did mention there were five of us, right? Five amazing, wonderful, best-selling and award-winning and splenderiferous authors, right? RIGHT? 

Would you like to know who the other authors are? Would you??? Then click below! That'll take you to the next mystery author in this fun project!

FIND OUT WHO ELSE IS 

BRINGING YA TO YOU!

Calling All Book Bloggers!

Attention Book Bloggers (and Vloggers!):

I'm working on a super secret project with a few other authors. And we'd love to have your help in revealing this project. If you'd like to participate, fill out the form below by Sunday. On Sunday, I'll be sending out an email to everyone who signs up, with details on what the secret project is, and how to reveal it. If you want to, you can then post a reveal of the secret project on January 3rd.

The secret project is a lot of fun, and something I think everyone will like. There's no obligation to participate, but if you do decide to participate in the secret project, then your post will be something that is very simple, and something that will be individual to you (in other words, you're not just copying and pasting the same post as everyone else, but it will not be labor-intensive, and will probably only take you about fifteen minutes).

The only requirements are:

• You need to have some sort of media outlet that can host your post (such as a blog or vlog)
• You can post the content on January 3 (you can post at a later date, but the big blast will be Jan. 3)
• You fill out the form below--there's no string attached; this is just so we can contact you with the info. You can always decide to bow out after you find out what the secret is.

I really hope you want to participate! This is going to be really exciting! :)

<<>>

Poll: Spam Prevention

So, I've been getting a lot of spam in the comments section lately. I have a couple of options--turn off comments (which I don't want to do), put on captcha (which some people hate), or let the spam happen and just trust you guys not to click on any links in the comments (which can be a little dangerous if someone does click a link unwittingly--although I've added a warning in the comment section--and it's also just annoying to look at).

I figured I'd let you guys decide--so if you care about commenting here, let me know. Here's the options:

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Which do you prefer? This site and the comments are for you, so I want to do what you want. Please vote, if you care about this sort of thing!

Ultimate Fan Contest Winners!

Guys.

Your entries in the Ultimate Fan contest made me cry. Four times. They were absolutely brilliant. And so wonderful. I feel like it's kind of lame for me to announce winners now, since obviously I'm the winner here, to be lucky enough to have readers like you. Which makes me sound like a tool, I know, but I really mean it. <3 p="p">
But since some of you have been asking, and since I have had a couple of people ask to know who the winners are, maybe I should... :) Just as a reminder, it was a random drawing, but I gave extra entries to people who did more stuff; so if you didn't win, it's not because I didn't think you were awesome. I sincerely and truly wish I could give everyone who entered something.

That said, the winners are:

GRAND PRIZE: Jasmine L. 

FIRST RUNNER-UP: Lea S.

SECOND RUNNER-UP: Rebecca E.

Thanks again for playing along everyone! And if you didn't win, don't worry--I still have January yet to give you stuff :)

Upcoming Events & More

I just sent a newsletter to everyone on the mailing list with this info, and realized as I was working on it that it was, by far, the most newsy newsletter I'd ever done, so I should probably put it here, too :)

Portrait of Amy, made by Corinne Duyvis, who is BRILLIANT. Her eyes, y'all. Look at them green eyes. 

PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN
Penguin's doing this thing, see. Where, if SHADES OF EARTH gets enough pre-orders, they're going to send my books into space. You can find full details here (and see me be awkward here).

And to encourage you to pre-order books, I'm giving away free bookplates and bookmarks. There's about 20 left, if you're still interested. Full deets.

ANY pre-order counts including from any online retailer, your local bookstore, or mylocal bookstore, which ships signed books.
REFRESHER OF ATU/AMS
If you're worried about having forgotten everything that's happened in ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and A MILLION SUNS, the good people over at AtUFacts are running recaps--the first book's in the archives, and the recaps for AMS are happening right now. Get it all here.

BREATHLESS READS BOOK TOUR
The Breathless Reads Tour Dates have been announced! You can find them all here. I'm at all the East Coast stops which (so far) include:

• New York
• Greenville, SC
• Chapel Hill, NC
• Boston, MA
• Madison, CT
• Miami, FL
• Memphis, TN

To see a picture of what book tours mean to me, click here.

BOOK LAUNCH EVENTS
I've got several events lined up to celebrate the last launch--hope you can make one!

• Jan. 15th, 4-7pm, Morganton, NC, at the Morganton Public Library, King Street: Book launch and author panel with Victoria Schwab, Alexandra Duncan, Megan Miranda, and Jessica Khoury. Full details here. 
• Jan. 25, 6pm, Charlottesville, VA, Barnes & Noble: Book signing with Jodi Meadows, Victoria Schwab, and Ellen Oh. Full details here.
• Feb. 2, 7pm, Asheville, NC, Malaprops Bookstore: Book signing with Victoria Schwab, Lenore Appelhans, and Megan Shepherd. Full details here.

COMING SOON
The Ultimate Fan contest ends tonight at midnight, and I should have a winner posted here over the weekend. But never fear! Next is a blog tour that will have a prize for everyone involved--and a BIG prize for at least five people! Also, I'm going to be announcing something new...and big..and special...SOON! I can't say more than that you should absolutely check back here in the new year :)

And if you want a contest for RIGHT NOW, check out the girls at Secret of the Stars!

Pre-Order for the Holidays, get Free Stuff

SO MUCH IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW I CANNOT EVEN.

Okay, so here's the deal. Penguin's doing this launch thing (*snicker* launch) where, if we get enough pre-orders, they're going to launch my books literally into space. For more details, see the last post. 

And I got to thinking: it's near the holidays. Maybe someone wants to give books as a gift. That's cool. But a pre-order is a pretty crappy gift--there's nothing to open. 

SO. Here's the deal. If you pre-order SHADES OF EARTH as a gift for someone (or for yourself!) fill in the form below--and I will mail off a signed bookmark and a signed bookplate. It's so close to Christmas that it might not make it under the tree, but I don't have a time travel machine yet. I will, however, mail them off as soon as I can after I get the addresses. 

I'm really, really sorry, but funds are tight right now, so I can only do this for North American addresses please. I know. That blows. And I'll put a limit of a hundred of these for right now--if there's a huge demand for more than a hundred, I'll have to re-assess my supplies. 

So! Want a signed bookmark & bookplate for a pre-ordered SHADES OF EARTH? Fill this out:

That's it! Totally free, totally for you, as a thank you for pre-ordering! 

PLEASE HELP ME GET INTO SPACE

Okay, not me, actually, but my book.

Penguin is going to send my book into space. WHAT THE WHAT I KNOW. Space. Entertainment Weekly, which just announced the program, calls it a "literal book launch into space" and my heart did a little flipflop because word play and space y'all.

YES THIS IS REAL LIFE THIS IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING OMG YOU GUYS THEY ARE SENDING MY BOOK ABOUT SPACE INTO SPACE I CAN'T UNCAPSLOCK THIS I CANNOT CONTROL MY EMOTIONS AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

*rocks in the corner and hyperventilates*

This is by far one of the coolest things that has happened to my books ever. Here's a little bit about how it went down. (Edited because my mind's still doing flips at the announcement.)

Me: Um. You guys? I had this weird idea that maybe we could do but you probably won't like it okay I guess I'll go shut up now and type something on my computer please ignore me.
Penguin: (in a very kind voice) What was your idea?
Me: Um. No. That's okay. It was really weird and you'll probably just laugh at me and maybe take away my book deal for being so weird.
Penguin: (pats me on the head) No, seriously, just tell us.
Me: Okay. Okay. See. I know this is strange. But. Um. What if we sent my books into space. That would be kind of cool, yeah? No? Okay. I'll go sit quietly in the corner now. 
Penguin: OMG WE LOVE THIS IDEA PREPARE THE SPACE SHUTTLE.

Have I mentioned how much I love Penguin? BECAUSE I LOVE THEM LIKE WHOA. I mean, honestly. What publisher would be willing to send a book into space for you? Penguin, that's who.

The official announcement about the launch (space launch. book launch. squee! word play!) is over at Entertainment Weekly, along with a video where I tried my best not to be awkward and that was like the 20th take, no lie.

But here's the thing. The launch will only happen if we get as many preorders for Shades of Earth that we got for Across the Universe and A Millions Suns combined.

Which. *gulp*

But. I think we can make it happen. I really, really, really do. I have total and absolute faith that we can make this happen.

Here's some details:

• If you've already pre-ordered the book, congratulations! I LOVE YOU. And your pre-order counts toward the final count! Also? Your pre-order counts toward my ultimate fan contest, so don't forget to enter it!
• If you've not pre-ordered the book yet, pretty-please do. ALL pre-orders count, no matter where they come from. Here, for your convenience, are links:
• Indie Bound
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• Books-a-Million
• The Book Depository
• If you want, you can also pre-order a copy from your local bookstore (which I highly encourage!) This also counts toward the contest.
• You could also pre-order a copy from my local bookstore, and when it is shipped to you, it will be SIGNED by me, and I'll throw some extra swag or something in with the package. You can pre-order it online or by phone here.
• If you live near Morganton, NC, and would like to come to my book-signing, the book launch party will be held on January 15, from 4-7pm at the Morganton Public Library. More details on that will be posted soon, but you can pre-order your copy through Fireside Books, and come to the party, and it will be waiting there for you, and I will sign it, and we'll talk about that time you helped me book get into space, good times.
• Don't have the funds to pre-order the book and want to help out with this campaign? All you have to do--and this is so simple--is ask your library to pre-order it. Seriously! If they buy the book--which they are more likely to do because it is requested--then their pre-order counts, and you don't have lose any cash over it! Also, if you do this, I will love you forever and ever. Also? Doing this counts toward my ultimate fan contest, too.

Norton Award Blog Tour

If you write science fiction or fantasy, then you should be aware of the SFWA, Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. And if you also write YA, then I'm betting you're also aware of the Andrea Norton Award for Excellence, one of the most prestigious honors for a YA sci fi or fantasy author.

Several of the authors in SFWA are doing a blog tour about the Andre Norton award (including me!) and you can check out the other links here. I definitely think you should read Sherwood Smith's blog on the topic--she knew Andre personally, and was in on the inception of the award. And you should also check out this interview with the Norton jury--absolutely fascinating. You know what? Just read all the blogs on the tour :)

One of the things I really have loved about this blog tour is learning more about Andre Norton. Norton was one of my first introductions to modern fantasy. As a kid, I read CS Lewis and Tolkein--but it wasn't until I joined a sci fi mail-order book club that I got exposure to a lot of the new and latest books coming out in the genre. I was in middle school, I think, when I read my first Norton title--MIRROR OF DESTINY. I still have my copy--with this exact cover--but I've never re-read it. I've not needed to. Norton's descriptions were so vivid that I still recall the book just by looking at its spine. There's one particular scene--where the main character polishes the mirror with her fingertips until they become bloody--that is so realistic in my memory that I can picture it as vividly as any memory I actually lived through.

The Andre Norton Award is for YA and MG in the sci fi and fantasy genres published in each calendar year. As such, one of my favorite reads of the year (THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS) isn't eligible--but the sequel, THE CROWN OF EMBERS is! And while it's not eligible right now, I already know one of the books I'll be nominating next year.

If you put me on the spot and forced me to pick two titles RIGHT NOW that I'd nominate, I'd select two of my favorite reads of this year.

First: GRAVE MERCY by Robin LaFevers. I just. You guys. This book. It's brilliant. It's the perfect combination of fantasy and history, and it's beautifully woven together in an intricate plot full of intrigue and mystery and general kick-butt-ness.

I read it via audiobook, and loved the narrator for the story. She definitely added appeal for me.

But the story, overall, is just amazing. I love the way Ismae is both fragile and strong. She is given a rare opportunity to choose her own destiny--and she does. Entirely.

Also, as if that's not convincing enough, here are two simple words for you that should make you want to pick this book up.

ASSASSIN NUNS. 

I know, right? What more do you need?

The next book I'd nominate for a Norton is one by my splendiferous friend, Lauren DeStefano: FEVER. (Although, ZOMG, you guys, you won't believe how much the last book of the trilogy, SEVER, will knock your socks off.)

WITHER was one of my fave 2011 titles, and Lauren doesn't disappoint with the sequel. It takes every idea in WITHER and amps it up even more. It left my head spinning with possibilities, and is the perfect lead-in to the final volume.

Also? One of the best things about Lauren's writing (aside from the brilliant plot and pretty world and awesome characters) is her actual writing. I don't know how she does it. Her words sing like poetry.

Reading Lauren's works sometimes makes me feel like she's DaVinci and I'm drawing on the walls with a crayon. It's just beautiful words, all lined up to make a stunning story.

I have more top picks--in fact, my hardest choice is narrowing down my selections!! But I don't want to overwhelm you. I actually want to ask you what are your top YA and MG fantasy and sci fi reads this year? Let me know in the comments--I'd love to add even more books to my teetering TBR pile!

And definitely check out the other blogs on the tour for more info about the Andre Norton Award, Andre Norton, and other top reads by many different authors!

______________________________

As a member of SFWA, my works are eligible to be nominated for the Nebula and Norton awards. If you're a SFWA member and would like to enter my works, here's what I have out now that's eligible.

A MILLION SUNS -- The sequel to ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, in which Amy and Elder must discover a way off their generational space ship.

"The Other Elder" -- A story about the governing system on Godspeed, a generational space ship, that has an ambiguous ending in which the reader must decide what happened to the narrator. Published in the anthology AFTER edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

The Ultimate Fan Contest!

 AHHH!!! If you thought the last contest was big, I can't wait to share this one for you! Because I've been working on this prize for three years. Seriously! I've saved up stuff from before I was even published for this prize!

Basically, this prize is HUGE collection of everything AtU. I've saved up all the promo stuff, all the little extras, everything--just to give away to ONE fan of the books!

If you love AtU, then this is the contest for you. The prize is so rare that some of this stuff is entirely one-of-a-kind, and nearly all of it is so rare it's not even sold in stores--it was just used for super-limited promo items, often only given to top booksellers.

Wanna see?

Reallly? Reallllllly? Okay!

Look at all the goodness!!

Full prize list: 

--A complete signed trilogy of all three books

--Signed copies of the two anthologies with AtU stories in them: 

SHARDS & ASHES (which just came out in ARC form!) and a hardback of AFTER.

--A "Name a Star" kit--you get to name a star anything you want! 

--A Godspeed water bottle made of metal

--An Across the Universe watch--so rare that only a handful were made!

--A container of astronaut candy

--A rocketship bath bomb from Lush

--A custom, hand-made bracelet featuring characters from AtU made by SweetGeek

--A cover flat of the original paperback of AtU--only a few of these exist, and yours will be signed!

--A CD by the band Snow Patrol called "A Hundred Million Suns"

--Buttons, rubber-band bracelets, postcards, bookmarks

--Two hidden, secret prizes

Yes! Two hidden, secret prizes. They're in the middle of the picture above, wrapped up like presents. The reason why they're hidden is because they're slightly spoilery. These two prizes are VERY relevant to Shades of Earth, and I think SUPER fun and exciting, but because they're a teeny bit of a spoiler, I've hidden them in this picture. If you want to see what they are, though, then CLICK HERE. I made a whole new webpage that shows what these super-secret prizes are. 

Here are some close-ups of the prizes.

-Signed paperback of Across the Universe

-Signed paperback of A Million Suns

-Signed ARC of Shades of Earth

-Signed ARC of Shards & Ashes--This anthology features stories by Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong Margie Stohl, Kami Garcia, Veronica Roth, and more! My story in this antho is "Love is a Choice" and tells Orion's history.

-Signed hardback of After--This anthology features stories by Carrie Ryan, Gregory Maguirre, Cecil Castellucci and more! My story in this antho is "The Other Elder" and tells about the origination of the Eldest system on Godspeed. 

-A metal Godspeed water bottle--just a few of these were made, and given to book bloggers, reviewers, bookstore owners and more at the launch of the first book.

-An AtU watch. Only a few dozen of these were made, and only given to a few, select bookstore owners. That's it. There's hardly any of these still in existence! (Also, btw, the watch doesn't work--I suspect the battery's dead? But it's still new in its package.) 

A custom, hand-made, one-of-a-kind charm bracelet by SweetGeek! 

More details on each charm can be found here (and you can buy one, too) 

but I can tell you that it features three characters--Amy, Elder, and Harley--as well as books, an ice cube, a paint pallet, Amy's bear Amber, a book, and more!

In addition to one grand prize winner,

there will be TWO runner-ups!

RUNNER UP PRIZE:

--Signed trilogy of all three books

-Astronaut candy

-Swag

-ONE runner up will get a water bottle, one won't

That's it! Three prizes, one of them truly grand and unique :) Obviously, I want these special prizes to go to someone who will really appreciate it, a true fan of the books. This is a prize that I hope you want and love as much as I searched for and collected the perfect pieces of it. So I definitely want it to go to someone who will actually care about having it, and really is a fan of the books.

So, in order to enter, all you have to do is tell me that you're a fan of the books. That's it! Super simple--I'll randomly draw from the list of everyone who enters. Of course, there are ways to earn extra entries. The easy way to enter is just click on the list of all the common ways people are fans. Have you read the books? That counts! Have you told a friend about them or done a review? Those count! Just pick from the list whatever you've done (or plan to do) and that all counts as an entry! You can use any of the links to the sidebar on the right ---> for the "follow me" options, and you can download pre-made Across the Universe avatars at the AtU website!

But if you're a SUPER fan, you get MORE entries. Just make a post (or email me) with what sets you apart from the regular fan. Write fan fic? Made a fan website? Fan art? Entered the Creative Contest before--or making a creative entry now? All of that counts--and more! Just let me know what you've done, and I'll add in an extra number of entries based on what I think is fair for your ultimate fan entry. If you've done a ton of stuff, you get a ton of entries :)

The contest IS open internationally. I love all my fans :) <3 nbsp="nbsp">

Contest is open until December 21st. I'll announce a winner by Christmas Eve. 

Thanks for playing, everyone! The contest is now closed, and the winners are:

GRAND PRIZE: Jasmine L. 

FIRST RUNNER-UP: Lea S.

SECOND RUNNER-UP: Rebecca E.

Guys! I wish I could have given every single person a prize. Seriously.

You are all amazing.

Your stories and support mean the world to me.

YOU are the best Christmas present I could ask for.

THANK YOU.

Winners!

Thanks everyone for understanding the delay in announcing winners for the contests I've been running! I was going to be a huge tease and draw it out, but why wait? :)

Winner of the Signed Paperback Copy of A MILLION SUNS:

Gaby!

~*~*~*

Winner of the Library of Signed YA Books

(Including a COMPLETE AtU trilogy by me!)

Deborah!
Her entry on why she loves YA is HERE.

~*~*~*

Thanks for playing everyone! Winners have been contacted by email.

And if you didn't win, don't despair! I've got a few more ginormous contests in the works for you, one of which will be announced by the end of this week! And don't forget that the League is holding a huge giveaway right now, too--12 signed books up for grabs!