Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: young adult science fiction
Format/Source: ARC, ALA annual conference
Status: book 2 of the Warcross duology Links:Warcross review
Summary:
Emika Chen barely made it out of the Warcross Championships alive. Now that she knows the truth behind Hideo's new NeuroLink algorithm, she can no longer trust the one person she's always looked up to, who she once thought was on her side.
Determined to put a stop to Hideo's grim plans, Emika and the Phoenix Riders band together, only to find a new threat lurking on the neon-lit streets of Tokyo. Someone's put a bounty on Emika's head, and her sole chance for survival lies with Zero and the Blackcoats, his ruthless crew. But Emika soon learns that Zero isn't all that he seems--and his protection comes at a price.
Caught in a web of betrayal, with the future of free will at risk, just how far will Emika go to take down the man she loves?
I was lucky to be able to attend the Dallas stop of Susan's Sightwitch tour so today I've got a recap of the Q&A session during the event and a giveaway for a signed copy!
Release Date:February 13, 2018
Publisher: Tor Teen
Genre: young adult fantasy
Status: Book 2.5 of the Witchlands series
Summary:
From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard, Sightwitch is an illustrated novella set in the Witchlands and told through Ryber’s journal entries and sketches.
Before Safi and Iseult battled a Bloodwitch...
Before Merik returned from the dead…
Ryber Fortiza was a Sightwitch Sister at a secluded convent, waiting to be called by her goddess into the depths of the mountain. There she would receive the gift of foretelling. But when that call never comes, Ryber finds herself the only Sister without the Sight.
Years pass and Ryber’s misfit pain becomes a dull ache, until one day, Sisters who already possess the Sight are summoned into the mountain, never to return. Soon enough, Ryber is the only Sister left. Now, it is up to her to save her Sisters, though she does not have the Sight—and though she does not know what might await her inside the mountain.
On her journey underground, she encounters a young captain named Kullen Ikray, who has no memory of who he is or how he got there. Together, the two journey ever deeper in search of answers, their road filled with horrors, and what they find at the end of that road will alter the fate of the Witchlands forever.
Set a year before Truthwitch, Sightwitch is a companion novella that also serves as a set up to Bloodwitch, as well as an expansion of the Witchlands world.
When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution the planet has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and Gaia, their former home planet, is a treasure trove waiting to be uncovered.
For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study... as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Mia and Jules' different reasons for smuggling themselves onto Gaia put them immediately at odds, but after escaping a dangerous confrontation with other scavvers, they form a fragile alliance.
In order to penetrate the Undying temple and reach the tech and information hidden within, the two must decode the ancient race's secrets and survive their traps. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more their presence in the temple seems to be part of a grand design that could spell the end of the human race...
This past weekend, I flew over to Atlanta for the annual ALA Midwinter meeting. I've been to a few TLAs, one BEA, and lots of festivals and individual signings, but this was my first ALA conference. My plan was threefold: see two of my closest friends, spend time with my family, and find some amazing books! I am happy to report that I was successful on all three counts!
It is ironic that Neil Patrick Harris, who was the ending keynote speaker at ALAmw, currently plays Count Olaf in the new A Series of Unfortunate Events series because my trip TO Atlanta was a series of unfortunate events that almost had me missing my plane. But I DID get to see my good friend Jenny Martin (Tracked, Marked) at the airport, and that helped. Pro-tip for flying: if your flight hits chop or turbulence, turn on Hamilton. My plane hit the WORST turbulence ever. I honestly felt like I was on a roller coaster, and we were all thrown around like rag dolls. But listening to "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down" made me feel like I was headbanging on purpose.
Friday
I spent Thursday night and Friday morning with my family, playing rounds of bridge (my mom is still not over the mistake I made playing a double trump, which made us lose one round. Oops! I haven't played in ages!) and talking politics (BIG mistake). We also went to a darling if unfortunately named and located used bookstore.
Humpus Bumpus in Cumming, GA HB's YA section
ARE YOU KIDDING ME
HB's kids' section
Friday afternoon I hopped on the MARTA and rode into ALA with style. It's always an amazing feeling, walking into an exhibit hall full of book nerds, and the Georgia World Congress Center is more dramatic than most, with escalators depositing you at the front entrance to the exhibit hall. Sadly, I never take a ton of pictures in the exhibit halls (I am too busy and my arms are usually full of books and my battery is always dying), but trust me: it was a glorious sight to see. Friday night I went to dinner with Tonya of Lily Bloom Books, who is one of my favorite people.
Saturday
Saturday I got up at the buttcrack of dawn to make it in for an early breakfast with National Geographic and Kwame Alexander. Again, I wish I'd gotten some pictures because heavy morning fog in a city as lit up as Atlanta is gorgeous, but alas, I did not. I can tell you Kwame's picture + poetry with NatGeo, Animal Ark, is extraordinary and that Kwame is a dynamic speaker. He was telling us a heartbreaking but hilarious and heartwarming story about a school here in Texas where the kids were stealing copies of his book The Crossover after he visited. The teacher had to put the remaining books under lock and key, but the stolen copies were raffled off after each student read it. Kwame told us how fantastic it was—but wrong. Fantastic! But WRONG. He and his publisher donated 150 copies so the students could each have one, and he said the most marvelous thing: "I gave those kids a book, and it was like they had been given gold. And they HAD been given gold. Between the pages of a book are treasures waiting for us to discover." *gets chills*
Bestie best frans
The rest of Saturday was mostly spent in the exhibits with Tonya and our lovely friend Ellice of Paper Riot. We bummed around, talked books, picked up books, and met Jeff Zentner and Nic Stone.
Sorry for the bad quality, but me, Tonya & Ellice with Jeff
I also attended a luncheon hosted by Simon & Schuster and Baker & Taylor where Hena Khan introduced her upcoming book Amina's Voice and its inspiration. Hena is a WONDERFUL speaker, and I wish I'd written more of her talk down. S&S then introduced some of their most anticipated spring titles in everything from picture books and easy readers to middle grade and YA. I definitely got a good idea of which books to purchase for my library and which to request the children's librarians pick up.
It's not pictured, but one book I am especially excited about is Sandhya Menon's When Dimple Met Rishi, which just sounds like the cutest thing I've read since To All the Boys I've Loved Before. And speaking of Jenny Han, I saw the cover mock-up of Always & Forever Lara Jean, and I need that book asap! Dimple isn't pictured because I have lent it to a friend, but that book will be in my hands asap!
Later that afternoon, I hung out with Nicole Castroman (Blackhearts), and we met Laura Silverman, who was present to sign her debut novel Girl Out of Water.
A photo posted by Laura Silverman (@ljsilverman1) on
And I want to give a shout out to all the women in Atlanta who went to the women's march. I did not go since I really wanted to concentrate my time that weekend on the conference, but I spent time among many of the marchers on the train, and it was great to see everyone united and sharing both love and anger. It was truly inspiring.
Sunday
Sunday was another day of exhibits, talking book, finding new titles to be excited about. But the coolest part of Sunday was leaving the conference center and immediately being swept up in a tide of football fevered fans. The GWCC is right next door to the Georgia Dome, home to the Atlanta Falcons, and the NFC championship starring the Falcons and the Green Bay Packers was in full swing!
RIP Georgia Dome. It was fun being there at your last big hurrah! GO FALCONS!
This picture is super deceptive because I managed to find one single spot that was
clear. This whole area was swarmed with both Falcons & Packers fans!
Tonya, Ellice, and I are so close because we are in an all-lady bookish fantasy football league (S/O to Lauren, Andi, Isa, Sarah, Danielle, Jess, Lindsay, Morgan, and Wendy!). Our three teams—Seahawks, Giants, and Texans—had already been booted from the playoffs, but we still love football so we hit a bar right down the road and settled in to watch some ball. We watched Atlanta SOUNDLY kick the Packers' butts (sorry, Sarah!), and called it a day.
Monday
The last day of a conference is always a fun experience. Sometimes publishers only bring a couple copies of a book or they already gave out all the copies except a display so on the last day, they dismantle the displays and let attendees take the last few copies. Cleaning out the displays is fun because you can grab your MOST WANTED titles or find new ones, but it can also be upsetting (I was THISCLOSE to getting Seekers by Veronica Rossi). But the big part of Monday was actually the closing keynote by Neil Patrick Harris which I attended with Ellice.
Yes, yes we are wearing the same shirt in different colors!
You may remember Neil from such roles as Doogie Howser or Barney on How I Met Your Mother or Hedwig and the Angry Itch or Dr. Horrible in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog or Count Olaf in the Netflix Series of Unfortunate Events. But Neil is currently writing a middle grade series called Magic Misfits about a group of kids who do magic. Not like fantasy magic, but magic trick magic. Neil gave a wonderful speech about his own experience with reading and showed a short film with his two children where he interviewed them about reading and books. In a word, it was delightful. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
"Books allowed me to experience worlds that were only limited by my imagination."
"I love immersing my brain in unknown territories."
"You don't start reading a complex, nuanced book like Gone Girl without reading Dr. Seuss first.
"So many books speak down to young readers. Kids are always smarter than we give them credit for."
Afterward, he held a short Q&A and then PERFORMED A DANG MAGIC TRICK FOR US ALL THAT WAS AMAZING AND IT WORKED OMG I CAN'T EVEN.
Then we had the opportunity to MEET NEIL and talk to him for approximately 20 seconds, and that was also magical.
^actually me during & after meeting Neil
Sadly, this is where I parted ways with Ellice, but our group is making plans to reunite (with everyone) next year at ALA annual *fingers crossed*.
I stayed an extra day on Tuesday to spend more time with my Nana and my uncle, and I spent a veritable fortune on shipping (WORTH IT). Then, I hopped on a plane and read a non-ALA arc (After the Fall. Read my review here!) on the flight home.
I am super grateful for the opportunity I had to attend ALA mw because I got to spend time with dear friends and family AND I got some good tips on upcoming MG/YA titles, which is good for both my blog and my job.
I know you're probably dying to see a haul pic, which I'm not going to do in its entirety, but here are a few of the titles that I am most excited about. My thanks to the American Library Association and the library and school marketing teams for Bloomsbury, Disney, Harper Collins/Harlequin, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Listening Library, Little Brown/Hachette, Macmillan/Tor/St. Martin's, Penguin Random House, Running Press, Simon & Schuster, Soho, Sourcebooks, and Workman/Algonquin for their patience and enthusiasm for teens, books, and teen books.
Last fall, Aubry and Margot announced the Dark Days of Winter tour on a special Epic Reads Tea Time, and I was like, "Tennessee, huh? Time to visit the fam!" For the rest of the fall and winter, I planned and saved to get ready for my trip. On February 20, around 7 am, my sister, 4 month old niece, and I climbed into my car and began our 10 hour (not including stops, which were frequent because, hello, infant!) trek back to the homeland. Oh, and by the way, this happened:
For some context, this radar shot is from about 9:40 PM. The event started at...6:30? I think? That line of storms basically just sat around during the entire event, which was at the B&N just south of Nashville proper in Brentwood. The storms were so bad that the B&N employees asked us to stay inside. There was thunder. There was lightning. There were tornado watches. Kiersten joked that it was an ether storm, courtesy of Veronica.
This event will stand as one of my favorites because there were a lot of authors in the house, even more than the four actually on tour. I got to meet some of my favorites, and that just made my whole trip awesome! Although I wish I'd known in advance that they were coming because I totally own some of their books!
Left to right: Beth Revis, Victoria Schwab, Courtney C. Stevens, Ransom Riggs, me, Stephanie Perkins! Side note: Beth, Victoria, and Stephanie were kind enough to sign some extra books for me so...yeah. ;)
I was also really glad to see my college friend Aleesha at the event and blogger friend Jessica of Lovin' Los Libros. I may be a Texan now, but that doesn't mean that going back to Tennessee doesn't feel like coming home. <3
me with Jessica
Q1. All your books feature very strong heroines. Were you inspired by any other strong literary heroinces/ Sophie Jordan (SJ): There are soooo many in fiction. Anne of Green Gables. Also just what is fascinating, taking a character who is weak, put her through a difficult situation. She will gain strength and courage throughout. Tahereh Mafi (TM): Matilda is my favorite heroine in fiction. She is one of the fiercest heroines, and she chose books over everything. I really admired her for her great inner strength. Veronica Rossi (VR): Hermione. You can't get too much better than her, although I didn't actively model Aria after any character or even a real person. Kiersten White (KW): I used to read a lot of high fantasy when I was younger, and it's always a lot of guys with powers saving the world with lots of girls who are their love interests. When I read the Wheel of Time series with not one, not two, but three love interests, I thought no. We need more strong girls. Boys are great; they make excellent kissing scene partners. I didnt have it growing up. My girls are not necessarily the strongest, but they do the best with what they have.
Veronica & Tahereh
Q2. Pantsers or plotters? SJ: I have to sit down and plot to answer those questions. I think about things, make it plausible. I create a map and then don't always follow it at all. TM: There's no one right way to write a book. One author may do it differently for each book. I say if you've got a finished book, you're doing it right. I like the first book to be organic. Then I'll have a loose outline. It changes book to book. I like that writing is a pants-optional lifestyle. VR: I agree with that. The middle book is very different from the first or the last. Also, each genre may be different. I just wrote a manuscript which is 350 pages with little plot. KW: I hate wearing pants... It varies book by book. Some I outline; some I didn't know I was going to write until I sat down to write it.
Q3. Do you feel self-conscious when writing? How do you break through when you don't feel good about what you're writing? SJ: I can't call my mom because she tells me that's just stupid. So I tell my writer friends, and my husband asks who he needs to throat punch. I let it come in the first draft; I don't judge myself. I know it'll come with editing. TM: Writers are so so weird, which is why this is fun. I have some days when I'm writing, and I'm in it, in the zone–Auto Zone–and then I go to bed and wake up and I'm like, "that was terrible! What am I doimg?!" In the span of twelve hours, I think I am a genius/I am the worst! There's no solution. It helps to talk about it. Ransom and my mom, anyone who will listen. The worst is when they agree with you, say, "you bring up a good point," and I'm like, "no stop! All I need is for you to agree with me!" VR: Finding people who understand is key, but for me, it's a question whether I need to step away for a little bit. When you have those little crises, it's a fear thing. I like to go on a binge of things I find inspiring. We have such a great community, so many people you can lean on. KW: I don't have that option. It's good to have author friends because they understand. Normal people don't understand like accountants...
[they asked their writer friends in the audience to share their thoughts, and this was the best answer] Beth Revis: VODKA
Q4. Veronica and Tahereh, where are your books set in the modern world? TM: I purposely did not want to clarify; I wanted it to feel like anywhere. But it was always in my mind as southern California. VR: I also deliberately didn't say where, but I did a lot of research in central California.
Kiersten & Sophie
Q5. What was your favorite book to write? KW: Mind Games. It was wonderful and obsessive and I totally lost myself to it. I wrote it in nine days and spent time editing it. Meanwhile The Chaos of Stars took a year and a half. It was the one that was least fun to write but means the most to me. SJ:Firelight is special because it was my first ya. Now it is Uninvited because it's done. It's the near future, where I grew up, modeled after my school campus. There was a cage at my school that was the on-campus suspension room. VR: It's not the one I finished, but the one I'm working on now because I'm so excited about it. TM: Veronica and I are always seated next to each other because we're in love. We're getting married. Our husbands are attending. My answer is the same. I can't talk about what I'm working on now, but it is the best thing I've ever written.
Q6. If you could live in any book world, what would it be? SJ: I don't know! VR: Harry Potter. KW: Harry Potter. Audience member: Even if you were a Muggle? KW: Of course I wouldnt be a Muggle! TM: How dare you! I agree, but I'd also live in Stars Hollow with Lorelei and Rory Gilmore.
ALL the authors!
Q7. What are your best tricks for getting past writers' block? SJ: I skipped to a scene I was really excited about, and then I wrote the whole book out of sequence. Some people can do that; that's their process.
KW: have you ever heard of accountants block or plumbers block? Well, no, I did know of a plumber with plumbers block. I know what I need to do, but I'd rather watch 4seasons of dr. Who. Writers block happens when im writing the wrong story or I'm forcing the characters to do something they shouldnt. I messed something up. Getting started is the hardest part. TM: I agree. That was beautiful. I have nothing to add. VR: Yep. I agree. KW: I wrote the hottest scene in book [Annie & ____ in Perfect Lies] for Stephanie Perkims and then knew I would have to format book to keep that scene. Sorry, I answered twice. That was so rude!
Q8. Where do you find your inspiration? SJ: It's the little things that have happened in the course of our lives. The cage from my school stayed with me and when I needed it, I could pull it. TM: I would just say writers are thieves. We steal anything from anyone and everyone. We are inspired from totally random things. When I'm thinking about a book, I put on headphones and go on tumblr and infinite scroll. So much talent. That's when I can't leave my house. I dive into a story. I surround myself with art and literature. If I can leave, I'll go on an adventure. You need input for output. VR: There was an art teacher who looked down on a boy for creating a painting in four hours, but it didn't just take four hours. It really took nineteen years. You are culmination of your experience. It's hard for me to say this one particular thing is so inspiring. KW: I draw my inspiration from Tahereh's life. People are so fascinating. I also get inspiration from consuming other forms of entertainment. Movies, music, travel to other landscapes.
Kiersten & Sophie, two of my favorites to hang out with
Q9. Do you get emotional while writing? How do you cope? SJ: It's okay to cry. Better to be emotional because you want to evoke emotion in the reader. TM: I write my books in bursts. When I am writing a character, I need to throw muself into their life, their emotions. I feel like I have a fever, hot, dizzy confused. I feel very deeply. If I can't feel it, you can't. VR: I think I write for that reason. Otherwise it's boring. Who wants to read a book that doesn't illicit emotion? KW: I have no emotions. I'm a robot.
Q10. Was it daunting to go into the last book of a series? SJ: I thought knew how Firelight would end, but I wrote the ending, then wrote another. I had two equally viable endings. I wanted a chose your own ending, but my editor said no, I had to pick. TM: I felt true fear when writing the third book because the third book is one big decision: choosing between this person or that person. She chooses to be awesome, I do whatever the hell I want. That was what I wanted to come across more than anything else. But yes, lots of threats. Emails and tweets. You guys have a lot of feelings! There's no way to satisfy everyone. Once you understand that, you have to go with your gut! VR: I had more fear with the second book. We're usually writing a year behind. There was a whole host of things I was getting feedback on. By the time the third one rolled around, I found my true north again. I know what I want to do. I want my fans, my editor, my agent to be happy. KW: Someone wrote a new last chapter to Endlessly. They changed everything. I found this amuaing, but I like how I ended it. It's an emotionally honest ending; there is a catharsis whether or not it ends how you wanted it to end. Young adult is about letting your characters grow through horrible experiences and leaving them at the gates of adulthod.
This is serious deja vu. I've seen Tahereh and Veronica on three Dark Days tours, Tahereh once at the Irving Library, Sophie about four times this year, and Kiersten at two different TLA conferences plust this tour. These ladies are awesome, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to see them so much. Let's do it again! (actually, we ARE doing it again. Veronica will be in Dallas in July and Sophie in October)
I already posted my recap for the 2014 Dark Days of Summer tour, and to celebrate all the Dark Days-ness going on, I'm holding a giveaway! Two winners will be chosen, and each will win a set of four signed books with each set representing either the summer or winter tour. First place will get to choose which set they want, and second place will receive the other. This giveaway is US only.
Winter prize pack: signed copies of Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, Kiersten White's Perfect Lies, Veronica Rossi's Into the Still Blue, and Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me
Summer prize pack: signed copies of Kelley Armstrong's Sea of Shadows, Danielle Paige's Dorothy Must Die, Kimberly Derting's The Taking, and Kiera Cass's The One
So a few weeks ago, the Dark Days of Summer with Kelley Armstrong, Kiera Cass, Kimberly Derting, and Danielle Paige started with a bang right here in Dallas. The Irving Library staff do a phenomenal job at organizing the event and decorating (humblebrag time: I helped a little bit so *pats self on the back*), and the crowd brought an amazing energy to the event. I had a fantastic time helping out with the event, and I even had the opportunity to interview the authors! If you live anywhere near the DFW metroplex, and you have never attended an event at the IPL, you are seriously missing out. If you don't live here, I suggest you come visit us for one of our events. It's ALWAYS a great time!
Swag table! There were individual pieces to take home for each book in addition to book cover buttons. Crowns for The One, dagger necklaces for Sea of Shadows, blue gingham or red bows for Dorothy Must Die and firefly wand for The Taking! Let's just say there was a lot of hot gluing going on before the panel!
Everything is going under the cut because it was a long panel. Please understand there may be some spoilers, but nothing huge for the featured books. For instance, Kiera does mention a crazy event in The Elite, but she was very careful to avoid spoilers for The One so you are safe on that account. And just fyi, in typical me fashion, there is a giveaway at the end.
One of the authors I was most excited to see on the list for TLA was Laini Taylor because, guys, LAINI FREAKING TAYLOR. My childhood bestie Alyssa had introduced me to Daughter of Smoke & Bone a couple years ago, and I'm so, so very grateful she did. It's a beautiful series, and it's one that I love in regular book form AND in audio as well. Then I heard the spectacular news that not only would Laini be at TLA, but she was also having her own solo event at a B&N in San Antonio as well! The rest, as they say, is history. I went on a Laini Taylor book buying binge and planned my whole Thursday schedule around seeing her in both places AND I DID. Laini's line in TLA was one of the most populated, but Little, Brown ran it very well, but I'm still glad I got to go to the event to hear Laini talk at length about the series. Also, as I said, her line was HUGE at TLA. We could only get one book signed apiece each time we got back in line and NO PICTURES. The cool thing about the evening event is that it was pretty small. Just me and a few high schoolers (who had also been at TLA for teen day), for the most part. It was quiet and very personal. We all got to talk to Laini one on one without the crowd, which was incredible. Plus, she was more than happy to sign all my copies of her books, a copy of DoSaB for Alyssa, and a few extra books for kicks and giggles.
Note: Laini is REALLY GOOD about not sharing spoilers so this Q&A is safe to read even if you've never read any book in the series!
Q&A:
Q1. How much do the places you go to influence your writing?
LT: I am lucky to have been a Navy brat, have lived overseas, and travel. When I was in elementary school, I took field trips in Rome, Pompeii, and Capri. Backstory can be hard to weave in. As a traveler, going to Prague was huge. I realized it was the perfect backdrop for Daughter of Smoke & Bone. Going to Morocco was the perfect setting for Days of Blood & Starlight.
Q2. What is your writing process?
LT: I wanted to be a writer my whole life because I struggle a lot with perfectionism. I have trouble finishing things. I have a need to fix everything to death. A lot of people feel that if they have that, and writing is hard, it's not for them. With painting, it's easier to see if it's close to being done, but not with writing. It can be easy to pretend to be busy, but if you're not finishing anything... you can do whatever you need to do. I like to lock myself away in a hotel for days.
Sneaky Laini is sneaky!
Q3. Are there any characters who surprised you and stayed around longer than you expected?
LT: One character in Dreams of Gods & Monsters who is in Days for a very short scene. It was a fun chapter to write. I try not to figure everything out in advance. If I can get into the space of the scene, it's a magical place. It feels like it's not coming from you, it's being given to you. Not everything has to make it into the book, and that's my favorite part of the process. That character came to life, and for a while, I thought that would be my next book, a spinoff about them. One of the later chapters was my introduction to the book. Eliza didn't turn out to be the person I thought she was. That was a surprise.
Q4. Do you have any advice for coping with perfectionism?
LT: Coping with my perfectionism... One of the things I discovered pretty early is to have my screen set up. I use Scrivener. I can collate all my documents on a project together. It helps with organization. I have to have two windows open side by side, one with the chapter and one with the working document. I make myself do free writing even when I don't feel like it. I have to have an entrance to the scene, a hook. If I have a working document, it's easier to write. There is a fear that people can't see your bad writing. Freewriting... I think when you're stuck, it's helpful to write about writing. I find inspiration and start writing before I realize it. And I can't delete everything. And the thing about perfectionism is that I love the revision process. I love to play with it and make it better. In fiction and life, it's never too late to revise. I think it's fun, and I love it! I really like the blog Not for Robots.
Q5. What was your inspiration for the characters?
LT: There wasn't an inspiration; they just came. I was writing another book, a sci-fi I loved, and it wasn't coming to life. I couldn't find a way to have fun with it. Usually there's a way to have fun with it, but this started out as no fun. I gave myself a day to play around and have fun. Immediately, this girl jumped to my mind. She was arguing with her dad, who wasn't human and had a wishbone. I just let myself have fun and play around. Don't be super precious with the outcome, but you do have to guide it at some point. Akiva came around later. Karou and Brimstone were primary. It wasn't a romance, but I wanted a romance, a kind of star crossed romance. So if they were demon characters, I wanted to introduce an angel.
Story time with Laini!
Q6. How much of the books was planned vs what developed?
LT: None of it was planned! I didn't know what it meant, the teeth and the wishbone. Once I figured those out, it came to me. I didn't even know how many books it would be. The ending of Days is a little bit dark. I didn't know I started writing a war book, even though I had. I didn't want it to be so dark that someone wouldn't finish it. Some people call these two methods plotting vs pantsing. Jane Yolen described it as flying into the mist. Writing a novel is like driving in the dark. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you make it the whole way. Is this true? I always ask myself that. Is this true to Karou and Akiva? That's why I can't outline. I can't look 200 pages into the future. It's like telling a two year-old they're going to Stanford!
Q7. You like to review and revise. How many revisions? And is there any stuff you wish you could change?
LT: There are always little things, but I have no regrets. Has anyone ever said the way to write is that you have to write a quick draft and just get it done? That's not true. The best way is...to write. [Writing a quick draft] is the way to kill my enthusiasm. You have to move forward, but for me, I have to move forward from something I love. That's the balance I have to find.
Q8. How do you write each character's chapters? Do you write all one character and then switch or do you write from start to finish?
LT: I have to go linearly. Sometimes, if I have to, I'll jump to certain scenes, but I was at a section that something important was supposed to happen, but I didn't know what it was supposed to be so I had skip it. It was so hard. I write in third person so I like to write from the most important and exciting perspective so I can write for Akiva or Karou or both! Or if I want to hide something from the reader, I can NOT go into their [the most exciting character's] head. I went to art school, thinking it was a good fallback. That's where I met my husband, actually, so that was good. My teacher told us: purity sucks. You have to be as fluid as possible, and use whatever works. Don't be wussy about it. Keep trying until you find something that works. Yeah, you just have to do it.
Laini may be one of the happiest authors I've ever met!
Q9. Did you get rejected with Daughter of Smoke & Bone?
LT: I was lucky in this case. It was my fourth book. By the time it was in the works, I had a the National Book Award, and that let me get attention from publishers. I got to pick who I wanted, and that was Little, Brown, and they didn't have me change it. I'm a believer in SCBWI. You have to belong to this group. It makes writing a career. It's super exciting because it's full of people who are looking for books to buy, and you also learn how to make your book better.
Q10. Have you considered an MMO (massive multiplayer online game)?
LT: I wouldn't know how to do that, but the film rights have been sold. There is a script and a director, and now we're just waiting for the cast. It's not official until the cameras are rolling, but yeah, there's going to be a movie.
Q. Who is the production company?
LT: Universal Pictures. And the same producer as Snow White and the Huntsman and Maleficent.
Q11. Do you have any actors you want for the movie?
LT: There is a girl but I won't say. I have avoided it thus far. [Note: Laini DID tell us some of her ideas, but she asked that they not be shared online.]
Q12. Did you have an idea for Akiva and Karou's future, did you know what would happen?
LT: No. I don't want to give a spoiler, but no. I didn't know what would happen. I think a part of Brimstone always hoped he could give her a normal life.
Q13. What was your inspiration for the chimera races?
LT: The kirren are total wish fulfillment because that's what I would be. I think Madrigal is so beautiful, graceful, and buoyant. I never world build so I only let myself decide things when I need them. It left the world shadowy so I won't have shot myself in the foot when I get there.
Q14. Did you focus on contrasting Karou and Madrigal?
LT: I don't think so. We don't see Madrigal much. There are things that can't be said [because spoilers].
This was a really, really fun event. Laini's publicist brought along props like wings, a blue wig, and Brimstone's horns. There were delicious blue cookies and some AMAZING fanart propped up on the windowsills. We even had a trivia contest for a wishbone necklace (I came in second. Dangit!), and Laini read us the first chapter of Dreams. Then, Laini gamely signed all the books, including the....fourteen...ish...that I brought. And for the record, she thought it was awesome that I brought them all. ;)
<---This picture belongs to Nicole, aka @luckyziri, who runs a hardcore DoSab Tumblr and is ferociously Team Ziri (totally don't blame you a bit!). Check out the original picture HERE. This is my favorite piece out of all the fanart present at the event. Laini even posted this pic on her blog before!
Chimera Shaman is the gorgeous piece on the ---> left of this picture. Many thanks to artist Aaron Miller for letting me share this with all of you! You can find more of Aaron's work on his website and catch up with him on Twitter and Facebook!
Note 2: I want to share all the art with you guys, but as I was typing this up, I realized that I needed to ask the artists for permission. Since I usually just use my own pictures from events, this isn't something I normally do or even have to consider. Derp. Thanks to Nicole for being so quick with her reply! Hopefully I will be updating this post with more pictures soon!
Note 3: As I hopefully do add more of the art pictures to this post, I want to say that the pictures may be mine, but the art in the pictures belongs to the artists. Please do not post their work elsewhere without their explicit permission. That includes these pictures. I have left several links to the artists' pages. Please use their guidelines for sharing or for contacting them to inquire about attaining permission to share. Thank you!
Giveaway:
So this is your chance to own a signed Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy! I have signed copies of all three books for one lucky winner. This giveaway is open to US residents only because these books are HUGE. I am so sorry, INT friends, but I just can't afford the shipping on these to other countries! All giveaway policies are stated in the Site Policies tab. Any entries not in accordance with my policies will be disqualified. Giveaway ends 12 AM CST May 15. Good luck!
When Macmillan announced Marissa Meyer's Cress tour, I was excited to see that she was visiting Texas, but disappointed that it seemed she was going to hit stops in Austin and Houston, but not Dallas. I made up my mind to go to the Austin stop. Then, when I was wandering around her website, I noticed she was indeed going to be stopping by Dallas, at a B&N in nearby Lewisville. I added that to the list, and since I'm good friends with many of the Austin folks, I decided to go to both!
This is a full recap of two events and honestly is pretty long so it's going under the cut.
Heather Reid (HR):Pretty Dark Nothing is a good read for Halloween because it's creepy, has demons. Faith or fear, love or lies. The second book will be out in September 2014.
Krissi Dallas (KD): I wrote the Phantom Island series. It's about a group of teens at summer camp who find a portal to magical island. It's got adventure, romance, magic, drama, friendships. There will be four more books, but with time gap between them.
Jeramey Kraatz (JK): The Cloak Society is about a supervillain society. My main character was born into it; his parents run the organization. Teen superheros show up during heist; he saves one and has to decide if he can be a good guy but also prove himself to parents.
Mary Gray (MG):The Dollhouse Asylum is about teens who have been granted asylum from apocalypse, but have to reenact tragic love stories or die. It's a standalone. I'm working on something different. It's the type of story about one big moment so it's a standalone.
Victoria Scott (VS): The Dante trilogy is about a seventeen year old guy, sexy, cocky, who goes to work for the devil collecting souls.
Q1. Plotter or pantser? MG: I was a pantser, but that may change. To be seen. JK: Talking about plotting versus pantsing with kids, I thought it meant people pulling pants down. I'm a plotter. I always start with about 20 pages so I've got about 2000 words under my belt. I have to know where I'm going. KD: I'm somewhere in between. I know my major points and make it up in between. I like my characters to dictate where they go. I recommend My Story Can Beat Up Your Story [by Jeffrey Schechter]. Every project is different. HR: I am a pantser. Yeah... I've tried plotting, but...no. It hems me in, feels like I'm handcuffed. The story starts organically with a character. I do plan ahead each day so I know where I'm going and what I want from each scene but nothing too rigid. VS: I want to be a pantser, but I'm totally a plotter. I write a one-sentence pitch for my book, then write one main internal goal and external goal. For example, a character wants to buy a house (external goal), but her internal goal is that she wants a family. You often have to let go of the external goal to achieve the internal goal. I write out act 1, 2, 3, then add in bullet points. I think of scenes and where they should go.
Q2. How do you come up with your ideas? HR: Anywhere. Pretty Dark Nothing came from own experiences with night terrors and depression when I was younger. What if that voice that tells you you're not good enough... this girl can see demons who exploit those fears. I saw a documentary on the Dust Bowl and got interested in that time period and want to do a story in that time. I have some ideas for that. I was sitting by the sea in Scotland when the character came, fully formed. I wrote four pages, couldnt do anything with her then because I was doing edits but maybe someday. VS: I get my ideas kind of from ripping off other people. I heard about a book about a year and a half ago, loved it, but not what I expected so I wrote what I expected to, and that became Fire & Flood. Many ideas come from movies. MG: I was living in Virginia and wanted to move to Texas. Since I couldn't move there yet, I wrote a book about going to Texas. I've been around manipulative people and wanted to explore that so I wrote about a girl trying to escape that poisonous relationship. I think the current day is lame because everyone is always on their phones; we don't interact so now I'm on a historical kick. JK: This is the great and awful thing about ideas: they're everywhere, but I can only write so many of them. That's why there are so many unfinished novels on my computer. I read and collect comic books. I was doing a project in college and interning at Marvel for X-men, and I wondered, "What about this medium has me coming back? What do I like? What do I not like?" Villains exist for heroes to punch; then they disappear. There are lots of hero origin stories but not for villains. Oh, by the way, my cat's name is Loki. What would a kid supervillain be like? I filled notebooks full of questions. Writing a book is just answering those questions. KD: I wanted to do something different. I couldn't do guitar because of my nails. I wanted to write novel or do music video with my students. Watching LOST, I started playing with an idea if a group of teens found an island. I spent a month plotting world and tribes. Spy novel I'm working on, had a dream, at flight school to become pilot, walked past window and a guy was there, but he was supposed to be dead.
Q3. What are you working on now in one word? [boy, authors ARE bad at math! :P] JK: I'm working on the third book for Cloak Society. I hate this word, but... epic. VS: Revenge.... prostitution.... MG: Guillotine
KD: Spy HR: Sequel, sacrifice.
Q4. Favorite ice cream VS: Fish food MG: Cookie dough JK: Chocolate w nuts KD: Braums peppermint
Q5. Football: watch or fall asleep KD: Watch football
[I think everyone else said they'd fall asleep]
Q6. Tea or coffee MG: Hot chocolate
[Everybody else booed because hot chocolate wasn't an option, but I defended Mary's choice because she and I seriously don't drink tea or coffee. It's a religious thing.]
Q8. Who would win in a fight: you or the person to your left? MG: Jeremy would win JK: Krissi would win KD: Heather would win
Q9. You have twenty bucks. What do you spend it on? VS: Modcloth MG: Books JK: Books KD: Books HR: Books or Xbox games
Q10. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? VS: Mexican food MG: Beef jerkey JK: Cheese KD: French fries or pizza
Q11. What are you watching on tv right now? VS:Originals MG:Rain JK:American Horror Story KD:Big Bang Theory HR:Sleepy Hollow
Q12. Favorite city. VS: Nola MG: Austin JK: Chicago KD: Dallas HR: Edinburgh
Q13. [I don't remember this question, which sucks because clearly it was a good one! May have been wrestling an alligator vs lion.] VS: Death by alligator. I want the death roll! MG: Can't face either one JK: Alligator because it's cooler. Swampy and atmospheric. KD: Alligator bec allergic to cats. Unfair advantage. HR: Alligator because it will fall asleep if you flip it over.
Q14. Will you participate in NaNoWriMo? VS: Yes! Just signed up. Going to continue my current wip [work in progress] but I just want to hashtag all day long. MG: No. I would neglect my children. JK: No. KD: I would like to, but I need to finish my current novel. HR: I can't do nano because I'm currently doing edits due December 15.
Q15. Who is your favorite hero or villain? VS: Joker, all day long. Especially Heath Leger. MG: Scarecrow, played Cilian Murphy. JK: Gambit! I have a poster of Gambit framed on my wall. Gallactis is my favorite villain. KD: Loki just because of Tom Hiddleston. Superman has been there all my life, but I currently love Iron Man. Maybe that's just RDJ. HR: Wolverine, but maybe that's Hugh Jackman. Lex Luther.
Q16. How long have been writing? VS: I started writing 3 years ago in October. MG: I grew up in a house where it was considered a waste of time to read fiction or write. JK: I've always been a writer, but don't let that discourage you if you haven't always been. I didn't know would write for kids or even write fiction. KD: Always. I wrote my first book in third grade. It was about a girl who formed band and became a rock star, then woke up and it was all a dream. I called it Golden Afternoon because I loved Alice in Wonderland and the flowers. HR: Since I can remember. I used to compile stories I loved, rip them off [her notebook], staple them and carry around the house. When I was 19 or 20, I relized it could be a serious career. Just writing.
Q17. What did you read as a kid and what have you recently loved? VS: R.L. Stine. Christopher Pike. The Lovely and the Lost & The Beautiful and the Cursed [by Paige Morgan]. MG: Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. Recently, research and lots of nonfiction. Steelheart [by Brandon Sanderson]. JK: Lois Lowry. The Ruins. The Shining. If You Could Be Mine [by Sara Farizan]. KD: R.L. Stine. Christopher Pike. Trixie Belden. The Baby-Sitters Club. Sweet Valley High. Nancy Drew. Recently: Pretty Dark Nothing. Splintered by A.G. Howard. The Collector. HR: Christopher Pike. V.C. Andrews. Anne Rice. Dean Koontz. The Archived by Victoria Schwab.
Q18. KitKats or m&ms. VS: Kit kat MG: M&ms JK: Almond m&ms. I'm like an old man. KD: M&ms HR: I have an allergy to wheat so no kit kats or regular m&ms. I like peanut m&ms.
Q19. Favorite movie. VS: What Dreams May Come MG: Gladiator and V for Vendetta. JK: Return of the Lving Dead KD: True Beverly Hills HR: Beauty and the Beast, animated.
Q20. Most important piece of advice about being an author. VS: Decide why you're writing the book. Writing it for art's sake or yourself or being commercial. It is different, writing for yourself or wanting to sell. Artsy books, having a niche, those stories need to be told, but they are different. MG: I don't get to write full time yet. I hate myself if I write just for the sake of writing. Write what you love. I write what's important in my heart. Imagine editing a novel you can't stand. JK: Write. Sitting down and forcing yourself to write, after those 20 pages when it's no longer a really great idea. Pillage on. No, wait, pilgrim on? Whatever, keep going on! KD: Study your craft. Be good at what you do. More than read the works of others. Read craft books. Don't do it halfway. Just read. Read everything, every genre. The best way to have a story is to have a story in your soul. That's not just books, but movies and tv. Study bad books, well not bad, but stories that don't resonate with you and figure out why.
Giveaway:
While at the event, I snagged signed copies of Victoria's The Liberator, Jeramey's The Cloak Society and Krissi's Windchaser for this giveaway. Open to the US and Canada. Ends 12 am cst March 27. Full giveaway policies are stated in the Site Policies tab at the top. All entries will be verified. Good luck!
Saturday night, I was so excited to be able to attend Julie Murphy's Side Effects May Vary launch. I'd had a rough day at work, and it was incredible to be part of this really awesome group of people celebrating Julie and her AH-mazing book.
The Irving Public Library knocked it out of the freaking park on this one. I was SO impressed with everything they did to make this a special party for Julie. This was the entrance. There were these adorable bubbles everywhere with the SEMV cover illustrations.
Underneath this were party favors like these Alice & Harvey photo props. Harvey is a popular guy so his bowties were gone long before I arrived! Also, lots of buttons and candy!
The walls were papered with more illustrations and tons of polka dots! Seriously this place looked so good!
The signing table and the background were utter perfection!
If you're wondering what's on the table to the left, Julie and her crew assembled these super sweet pill bottle favors for all the attendees! Don't worry; they're just filled with candy!
Speaking of sweets, as this was an event at the IPL, their ever-present cupcake tower was super delicious!
Meet the Literary Lonestars! We are the Texas authors, librarians, and bloggers in attendance. Some familiar faces are, Julie, Jeramey Kraatz, Krissi Dallas, Heather L. Reid, Victoria Scott, Jenny Martin, Molly Jaffa, Jen Bigheart (I Read Banned Books), Alex (Peace Love Fangirl), Stacy Wells (Girls in the Stacks), Bex (Bex Book Reviews), Marissa & Jasmine (Beneath the Moon and Stars), Kari Olson (A Good Addiction) AND MORE!
SO PROUD OF YOU, MY FRIEND!
Julie didn't talk for long, but she did answer a couple questions. The first was when she realized she had a story to tell. Julie said it wasn't the story so much as Alice's character. Julie told us that Alice just represents that really dark part of who she is, and that she hopes we can identify with her even with all the terrible things she does and says (which, guys, I totally do).
The second question was about Julie's second book, which she's currently working on. It's called Dumplin and will be out probably in 2015. It's about a fat girl in the south. Julie is still writing it (actually, I think she's more into the editing process right now) so it's hard for her to talk about. She said it's about a best friend you love so much it hurts, beauty pageants, and Dolly Parton! As an East Tennessee girl, those are magical words, and I CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT! Julie also mentioned her good friends and fellow Harper authors Katie Cotugno (How to Love) and Natalie C. Parker (Beware the Wild) were in attendance. Hearing that, I was a little sad that I didn't have a copy of How to Love for Katie to sign, but Julie assured us that they would be more than happy to graffiti our copies of SEMV for us!
Let me assure you that it was a miracle I even got a copy of Side Effects at this party because there were 148 people in attendance (official count!), but they'd only ordered somewhere between 100-120 books so naturally, Julie SOLD OUT OF BOOKS. Crazy! Thankfully, I did get a copy, and Natalie and Katie were indeed kind enough to draw in my book!
These two ladies are SO NICE. I'm so glad to have had the chance to meet them.
This is Natalie, me, Katie, and Julie's lovely and equally awesome agent, Molly Jaffa.
Come back to Texas soon, ladies!
Giveaway:
Since Julie did sell out of books, I wasn't able to snag a second copy for the giveaway, but I bought one today on its actual pub day. The winner of this giveaway will be able to pick whether they would like to have just the finished copy or a copy signed by Julie. I'm not going to see her again until TLA at the beginning of April because Julie's on deadline, and she also has some publicity & business commitments before the conference. Head's up, New York: Julie's coming your way, and I know she does have some events scheduled! This giveaway is open to the US & Canada and will end at 12 am CST on March 27. Please check the Site Policies tab for full giveaway policies. All entries will be verified.
Edit: I now know where I can get a signed copy so I'm going to go grab one. If the winner does not want a signed copy after all, I can easily switch it out for an unsigned finished copy.
