The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes Blog Tour

Publisher:  Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Date: October 1, 2011
ISBN:  978-1402255441
Format: Hardcover, 32 pages
Source: for review

 

I don't review a lot of picture books. In fact, this is my first one ever! But I love reading them. As an ex-nanny, ex-children's bookseller, big sister and a life-long babysitter, I've got this soft spot for picture books. I love them. I even have favorites. There's something about creating a world for a child that I've always loved. These simple principles and thoughts presented in fun, imaginative ways. 

When I was asked to review THE GIRL WHO NEVER MADE MISTAKES, I said yes immediately. As a girl who never makes mistakes (kidding! I make tons but I hate them!) I was intrigued. The book is a cute concept of a girl who learns that mistakes are part of life and when you make them--even though it's terrifying not to be perfect--things are more enjoyable.

You should check out this book. I also have a treat for you. Co-author Gary Rubinstein has offered up this lovely guest post about co-authoring a picture book. It's really interesting stuff. I know about the process of a YA book, but a picture book brings other challenges--especially when you are co-authoring.

Mark and I met in 2000 at a Teach For America reunion. At the time he was writing a comic strip called Mr. Lowe, about a teachers, and I had just had my first book Reluctant Disciplinarian (about my first year of teaching) published. We became friends and soon found ourselves sending each other drafts of our new projects for one another to evaluate.

Ten years later, around the time that both of our daughters had turned one, Mark and I talked about finally working together on a project. We each came up with about five ideas and over Skype we agreed to work on one of Mark's ideas about what life might be like for a girl who never made any mistakes. When I wrote the first draft, I thought it reminded me a bit of a Twilight Zone episode where a world exists with an unusual character with an unusual ability, yet people are accepting of this reality.

Throughout the next four months, we went back and forth writing drafts until we had about fifteen. Then we evaluated what were the best parts about each draft and assembled them together. Mark drew rough sketches for the book, which we learned needed to be exactly 32 pages. This limitation was a challenge since it meant that certain scenes we had wanted to have needed to be completely changed or deleted so the ending wouldn't be rushed.

We sent the illustrated draft to several agents, and heard back from Kerry Sparks at the Levine Greenberg agency that she wanted to represent us. Within two months, we had an offer from a great publisher called Sourcebooks. The next year was a lot more work than we had anticipated. There were a lot of issues that our editor pointed out to us about certain word choices and other things which we needed to fix. It was tough, sometimes, trying to get all three of us to agree, but the final product, I think, is that much better for the process.

When the final text was approved, Mark got to work on the huge task of producing 32 watercolor paintings. As the co-writer, my job was to 'annoy' Mark (at his request) by asking him how it was going every few days. Finally, after more than two years the book is a reality.

I'm glad that Mark and I both already had internalized the message of the book--that you can't be paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. Getting a children's book published is hard and had we really thought about the likelihood that it would never go anywhere, we may not have worked so hard on it.

Luckily, they didn't think it through and now this cute book is in the world!! Thanks so much Gary for stopping by.

 Get more info/pre-order:
Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound ||| Book Depository |||| Barnes & Noble

The author on the web:
Mark Pett |||| Gary Rubinstein

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: September 6, 2011
Series or Standalone: Second in a trilogy
ISBN: 978-0061935107
Format: E-book, 304 pages
Source: NetGalley

 Rating: A-   
First line: Sometimes I dream of falling.

The five things I loved most about Firelight, which got even better in Vanish:

1.  Jacinda – Vanish showed a whole different side of Jacinda, the side of her that she was as part of the pride. From the very beginning of this book she’s being challenged by the fact that she is no longer the “golden child” of the pride and is now in a new competition with her sister. One of my favorite things about this book was that it took the person Jacinda grew into in Firelight, turned her world upside-down and then showed how she continued to mature in a new direction. Jacinda is a protagonist who fights for what she believes in and what she wants, despite what life throws at her, which is refreshing.

2. Love triangle(s) – The best thing about Vanish for me was that we got to know Cassian and because we knew and understood him better, the tension in both love triangles (Will-Jacinda-Cassian AND Jacinda-Cassian-Tamra) was amped up significantly. We also saw a different side of Will in this book. I don’t want to give too much away, but suffice to say, I can no longer say which team I’m on for sure. (I like them both!)

3. Family/Pride Dynamics – Because this book took place inside the pride, we get to see the political and family dynamics of the Draki. Life in the pride is intense; the people in charge act like they own everyone and couldn’t care less about members who they don’t “need”. Punishments were cruel and everything was strictly regulated. And yet, even with all of that, you could really see the bond all of the Draki shared and kind of understand why many of them were willing to put up with the rules.

4.  Dragons! – Being home with the pride let us see all the different dragons and their abilities. Each new type of dragon that was introduced came with it's own abilities and ways that those abilities were useful in Draki life. The whole concept was fascinating.

5. Setting – Like the first book the setting in Vanish is incredibly detailed and lush. It makes you want to take a hike, turn into a Draki, and fly off a mountaintop into a brilliant sunset.

My one complaint: I am not a fan of cliffhangers, but both Firelight and Vanish had the type of cliffhanger endings that bother me the most. The books are not so much “Book 1 & 2 of 3” as they are “PART 1 & 2 of 3”. The books end in the middle of a scene and pick right back up in the next book. It’s a personal preference, but I like each book in a series to have its own specific plot arc, and these books definitely read like one long book.

Personal cliffhanger issues aside, I highly recommend checking out the Firelight series. For those who love paranormal romance, but want something outside the standard fairy/werewolf/vampire spectrum, this series is it! I’m already looking forward to getting my hands on Firelight #3 as soon as it’s available!

 Get more info/pre-order:
Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound ||| Book Depository |||| Barnes & Noble  

The author on the web:
 Website ||| Twitter ||| Facebook

Patricia Osei is a writer and an avid reader. You can find her on Twitter @poseiwriting and on the web at the upcoming writing blog, Tangled Up in Words, where she will and four other YA writers will be talking about the journey.

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Today, I have my friend Patricia doing a guest review. She will probably make frequent appearances.

Publisher: HarperCollins
Date: September 7, 2010
Series or Standalone: First in a series (of three)
ISBN: 978-0061935084
Format: E-book, 336 pages
Source: E-book purchased for Kindle

Rating: A-    

First line: Gazing out at the quiet lake, I know the risk is worth it.

The five things I loved most about Firelight:

 1. Jacinda – I really loved Jacinda as a protagonist. She is fiercely independent , strong, and has an incredibly developed sense of self for a teen. (Which is great to see in a paranormal romance!) I also like that she was realistically both girl and Draki, there was never a point in the story where her changing from one to the other (or mentioning being both) threw me, it was a seamless combination. Her struggle to keep her Draki alive, in the face of incredible challenges, was an internal fight that I could totally empathize with despite not ever having been a Draki myself. The nice thing about her internal struggle for me was that it never felt “whiny”, it was always very understandable and made me care about her character.

2. Love triangle(s) – Full disclosure: I LOVE a good love triangle. And this book had a couple of them. I was firmly Team Will at the end of this book, but in all fairness Cassian wasn’t really that developed of a character so there wasn’t much to root for there. The whole concept of the hunter that falls for his prey (Romeo and Juliet-style) was done extremely well. The only thing that bothered me about the Will/Jacinda/Cassian love triangle was that at different points in the book we find BOTH boys following her. There is just a whole lot of stalking going on and I don’t understand why; it’s not cute.

3. Family/Pride Dynamics – I loved getting to see the various family dynamics in Firelight. I don’t know about everyone else, but I did not always agree with my mother growing up and it was great to see a family (Jacinda, her mother, and her twin sister, Tamra) fighting, struggling, and trying to figure out how they fit together as a family unit once they left their pride. We also got to see Will’s family structure and again it was very messy, just like a real family (except with more weapons and blood-lust for dragons).

4. Dragons! – This was the first book I’ve ever read about dragons. And the fact that it was about dragons was one of the reasons I put off reading it for so long, but WHOA was I wrong. I don’t know about other dragon books, but Sophie Jordan created a rich mythology surrounding her dragons and I loved every detail of it!

5. Setting – The setting was another aspect of the book that really drew me in. During the scenes high up in the mountains you can almost feel the crisp, cool air when you breathe in. And when Jacinda and her family relocated to the desert you really do feel the heat and how dry everything is. The setting was woven into the story and the tone of the book really reflected where the scene took place.

Come back tomorrow for Patricia's review of VANISH, the second installment in the trilogy. 
 

 Get more info/pre-order:
Goodreads ||| Amazon ||| IndieBound ||| Book Depository |||| Barnes & Noble  

The author on the web:
 Website ||| Twitter ||| Facebook

 Patricia Osei is a writer and an avid reader. You can find her on Twitter @poseiwriting and on the web at the Tangled Up in Words, where she will and four other YA writers will be talking about the journey.

Book Review: Memento Nora (Guest review)

*WAVES* Hello Frenzy of Noise readers!! First off, I want to thank Danielle for inviting me to take over her lovely blog for the day. I'm all for a little power rush! I don't want to bore you by talking about me, but my name is Nikki and you can find me over at Wicked Awesome Books. I review YA, MG, and some adult books too, so feel free to stop by anytime. Now on to my 'yay this book was better than I expected' review of Memento Nora . . .

Title: Memento Nora
Author: Angie Smibert
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish
ARC, 184 pages
Date Published: April 1, 2011
Description (Taken from Goodreads):
A teen struggles to hold onto her memories-and her identity-in a world that wants everyone to forget-and keep on shopping. Three dynamic teens come together to create a comic book of their memories. Ages 13+

Forget your cares at TFC. That's the tagline for Memento Nora and it anchors the entire book. Smibert has written a politically-charged and eye-opening book about the lengths a government will go to for power. And that power comes with fear and the lure of forgetting the horrors of life.

Set in the not-too distant future, Nora, Winter, and Micah are three teens held in Detention, telling their stories just before their memories are to be erased. We get to see how these three teens wound up on the receiving end of a power-hungry government's wrath.

Smibert has layered this story with three strong, intelligent, and remarkable characters that, together, stand up to expose the truth, but separately, have their own stories to share. Nora's pretty, rich girl life is contrasted by Micah's poor, skater boy lifestyle, and Winter's bitter and socially abrasive attitude, but work together to create this powerful force. In making a comic (titled Memento) that depicts what's really happening in their world, Nora, Micah, and Winter are able to connect with people in ways no other groups have.

Somewhere along the way--you'll know where when you read it--these three refused to take the forgetting pill. They decided that their memories and some things, needed to be remembered, were worth remembering.

Angie Smibert's writing is simple, fluid, and absolutely clear. There's suspense, confusion, anger, a feeling of building tension and resistance, and even a smidge of romance thrown in. Each character plays an important role, some more important than it seems possible at first. And even though this future society resembles our own, Smibert ties it back to the present day with references to actual events, publications, and even pop culture. The geek in me jumped up in down when Harry Potter appeared, then Maus, then a Ninja Warrior reference.

This debut is taut with tension and suspense. The reader knows the end outcome, but can't help but fly through the short number of pages to see exactly how Nora, Micah, and Winter get there. It's a little terrifying to consider that this could be a reality, but it could. It's not unimaginable to have a controlling government and a little pill that will make you forget all your troubles. It's not unimaginable, but if I were ever in that position, I only hope I'm strong enough to fight to remember.
Opening line: I'm about to forget everything I'm going to tell you. ~ pg. 1

Favorite lines/passages: "It comes back up on you sometimes," he said as quietly as the breeze rustling through the trees. "The things we're supposed to forget." ~ pg. 84
*This is the ARC version and lines, pages, cover art may differ from final copy

Find Angie Smibert online:

Blog | Memento Nora | League of Extraordinary Writers | Twitter

Buy it online:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Borders | The Book Depository | Indiebound

Serendipity & Flying Monkeys (Guest post from a CP)

Dear lovelies, meet Cindy Thomas....

Most of you probably don’t know this, but Danielle and I are critique partners. It all sort of happened by accident, but it’s one of those fortunate accidents that can only be summed up in one word: Serendipity.


We talk often, perhaps not as often as we’d both like, but we try to keep in touch as much as we can. Each conversation is a little different depending on the life/writing/reading/blogging crisis we are experiencing, but one thing is certain—it’s always entertaining.


So, when Danielle asked me to do a guest post here at Frenzy of Noise, this seemed like the perfect idea. I’m going to give you a sample of what a conversation between critique partners can look like. This one is via gchat, but you can just as easily assume this convo is similar in any format.


Me: OMG! I have a new idea I *have* to tell you about. You got a minute?


Danielle: Sure!


Me: Okay, so there’s this girl and she falls into a hole. Then this really hot guy, who turns out to be an undercover superhero pulls her out of the hole. She’s all banged up but he heals her with one touch. Then a meteor falls from the sky and flying monkeys start eating all the vegetables. The hot superhero guy attacks the monkeys with his super high frequency monkey killing sword and saves the world from monkey mind control. What do you think?


Danielle: Uh…did you say the guy was hot?


Me: Yeah.


Danielle: I think it’s great! He has to be hot.


Me: Totally hot. Like smoking hot. Ohhh……maybe his biceps actually shoot out fire!


Danielle: Oh yeah! That’s *so* hot. I’d buy it.


Me: Sweet. You don’t think there are any huge plot holes, though, right?


Danielle: Nah. I mean, you have a damsel in distress, ugly villains and a super hot superhero. It’s going to sell millions.


Me: I love you.


Danielle: I know.


Me: Uh oh. I think one of my kids just broke something. I gotta go!


Danielle: Okay, see ya! Happy writing!




So there you have it. Writing pep talks at their best. Does any of this sound familiar?


Addition from Danielle:

This is pretty accurate for our conversations. She always says “I love you” and I always say “I know.” :) jk. But really, we DO talk a lot about encouragement and ideas and “read this scene because I need to know it doesn’t suck.” And we do read and tell the other if it does suck or not. That’s more important than the encouragement. Most days.

I also wanted to say that I have three people in my crit group (who aren’t necessarily in each other’s group.) This is because they all offer something different to the table. Christina is one, who has read everything I’ve written and is so good at pointing out the technical aspects of my story that it’s ridiculous.

Cindy tells me if something is working or not—and why. She’s also super awesome encourager and motivator, which I need more often than not. Patricia is the other. We’ve spent most of our time together plotting new novels and talking out stories. It’s always good to have someone who can point out what does or doesn’t seem to fit before you’re writing—and well into the story. I also have three other people who I know I can ask and they will offer feedback if I need it. Only one of those three writes, which is always a nice added aspect to get opinions from a reader.

If you are not part of a crit group, I CHALLENGE you to find one. In fact, maybe once school has ended I’ll organize something to connect people if yall think you want it.

Disclaimer: Cindy is not writing a story about flying monkeys and boys with fire-shooting biceps. But maybe she should…that would be hot.

TV SHOWS. And how they can inspire us writers. (Guest post)

Hi followers of Danielle’s blog! You probably don’t know who I am, so I’ll introduce myself. I’m Kaitlin, KT for short, and I’m a YA writer, too. I tend to write fantasy, but sometimes contemporary as well. I’m doing a guest post (obviously – oh, small fact, I use parantheses a lot) today!

I’m going to lead into my topic a little strangely – and I’m going to say how I met Danielle. Whilst on the lovely twitter, I noticed somebody I already followed (Jaime) tweeting about the TV show Merlin, and I, being a HUGE fan, tweeted with her and discovered Danielle. We quickly became Merlin buddies (among other awesome things we have in common).

And that leads me to the topic – TV SHOWS. And how they can inspire us writers.

Obviously as writers, and people, we have our ups and downs. We stand against the dreaded writer’s block and those moments where we can feel like giving up (I recently had one), but sometimes all it takes is a break and a little inspiration. And that can come from so many different things – books, music, a conversation with someone. A lot of the times for me, and one of my CPs, television helps us.

For me specifically, the show Merlin actually helps me A LOT, which is just another reason I love it. Hehe. My current WIP is a YA epic fantasy – which is pretty much what that show is in a nutshell. Young protagonists, magic, swords, medieval time period, yeah? Yeah. How it helps me is through its world, the visual it gives you. In television, you have a picture instead of description. And sometimes when you’re stuck, seeing something close to the world that you’re writing can help a ton. You can get the image you see and transfer it to help the setting in your book come alive. I can be completely stuck, wondering how something would play out in my book’s world, take a break and watch Merlin and suddenly feel that inspiration to write because I can see it again.

But sometimes it’s not even an entire episode that can be inspiration. Maybe just a preview can strike something within you. For instance, when I was watching TV one day, I caught a quick scene in a preview for a show I don’t even know – it was of a guy wrapping a blanket around a girl’s shoulders. And that’s a scene I have pictured in my head later in my book, and it immediately gave me this urge to write, like I wanted to get to that scene, wanted to know how my characters would react in that situation!

As for that CP of mine? She writes while watching TV shows a lot lately. And in her case, it’s a show that doesn’t even relate to her WIP. She’s able to write through the background noise because she loves the show and its characters, and it becomes a comfortable writing environment for her.

And with such a wide array of genres and TV shows these days, there has to be something out there that can relate to a lot of different writers’ WIPs. So, even if it may seem wrong to be a couch potato for a few days and veg out watching an awesome television show, it may be exactly the RIGHT thing to do! Because maybe you can find a little inspiration there :)

I obviously get it from a show with an epic castle and magic. I get it from a little scene of a blanket. It becomes a comfort, and it’s good to be comfortable when writing, isn’t it?

So, what kind of awesome TV shows do you guys watch? Do they inspire you, too?

-Kaitlin :)

Find Kaitlin:  |  Blog  |  ||  Twitter  ||

Blogger Interview: Terri from Read & Riot

Today I have my first blogger interview! If you're interested in doing an interview or a guest post, then just let me know! Today's blogger is

Terri from Read & Riot.

Tell us some facts about yourself.

I’m an 18 year old Canadian girl who loves to read. I also love chocolate. If you made me choose a favourite book, I would hide from you. Harry Potter holds a special place in my heart. I still listen to The Spice Girls and S Club 7. I miss Sailor Moon. I wish Veronica Mars was never cancelled. I don’t own the Hannah Montana Movie, but I’ve seen it at least ten times. I’ve loved Paramore since I was in grade six. I can quote Gilmore Girls. I love Spring, and I strongly dislike Winter. Glee makes me ridiculously happy.

Why did you start blogging? How long ago?

I started Read & Riot this year. It was in the planning stages during the fourth quarter of 2010. My reasons for starting Read & Riot aren’t entirely honorable. I’ve been working in a book store (Indigo Books & Music) for over two years, and I had never heard about book bloggers. I know, you’re shocked. Take a moment to curse and read on. So, back in November 2010, I had never heard of book bloggers or Advanced Readers Copies or anything that comes with the territory. I was in line for a Cassandra Clare / Holly Black book signing where I met my artist friend Vy. Vy introduced me to ARCs, which led to book blogging. I had previously met someone who worked in publishing and I learned more from them about this genre. Now, I had new knowledge AND free books arriving in my mailbox. I could contently and happily read what I was sent, or I could tell people about it....It was made clear that I had no obligation to review anything. I still don’t. I review because I want to. I love blogging. Plain and simple.

 What's your favorite thing about blogging?

My favourite thing about blogging is my favourite thing about twitter. I love getting to talk to people all over the world, and book blogging gives me a chance to do that. It’s possible to bond over books (hello, Harry Potter!). If you think about it it’s incredible. I have a new friend that I talk to multiple times a week, and our first conversations were about Stephenie Meyer’s, The Host. How is that not amazing?

I also have to mention that getting the chance to communicate with authors is wonderful, and a huge bonus.

 Dream fictional boy?

Now I would be betraying myself if I didn’t say that Harry Potter was my dream fictional boy. Therefore, Harry Potter is my dream fictional boy. But if I had to pick another … it might possibly be Irial from Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels.

What do you want to be when you grown up?

What do I want to be when I grow up? When I figure it out I’ll let you know. Teacher, social worker, working in publishing … I still have time to figure it all out.

 Favorite Meme in the blogosphere?

My favourite meme in the blogosphere to write is Top Ten Tuesday by The Broke and the Bookish. I love it because I love lists and narrowing down my favourites is a challenge for me. My favourite meme to read is Waiting on Wednesday by Breaking the Spine. After all, I’m always looking for new books to add to the list.

What you look for when you read a book/decide to review a book?

I can’t tell you what I look for when I’m in a book store choosing a book. Sometimes the cover will catch my eye. I have my go-to authors. Plus, I find recommendations to be helpful.
 
Now, I’m going to get this out there. I find reviewing hard. It takes me hours, and sometimes I get very frustrated, but there are a couple of things that help me express myself. When I review a book:

* I make a list of notes about the book while I’m reading it.
* I focus on how the book made me feel.
* I follow my review checklist (premise, plot, writing, characters).
* I keep the book beside me as I write.

What are your top 5 favorite books?
I’m going to list my top five favourite books for you. I hated making this list, because I found it so difficult. I love so many books, and it took me a long time to narrow it down. I am very, very surprised with the books I ended up choosing for this.

1. Harry Potter series
Why? I’m like many children. Harry Potter is what got me into reading. I cannot explain to you how much I love this series. This is the only book or series where I have actually imagined myself as a character in it. I think everyone who can should read Harry Potter at least once in their life.

2. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Why? I think it’s safe to say that Sarah Dessen is my favourite author. Or at least top three. She’s an incredible writer, and I can honestly say that because I’ve read most of her books. There are amazing themes in Just Listen, and I even have some of the quotes written on the back of my door.

3. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Why? I usually don’t love the continuation of a series as much as I love the first book, but I love Ink Exchange more than Wicked Lovely. It might be because of Irial. He just happens to be one of my favourite fictional characters ever. Also, as strange as this may sound, I could really, really relate to Leslie.

4. Pluto’s Ghost by Sheree Fitch
Why? This book is one of a kind. I love the narrator / main character, Jake Upshore. He’s a character that makes you want to read. Plus, the writing style is incredibly interesting.

5. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Why? This is one of the best love stories I’ve ever read. I’m smiling right now just thinking about it.

What books have changed you in some way?

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
Reason: It’s the most incredible thing I’ve ever read. Like I said, it’s the only book or series I have imagined myself in. Also, it’s magical.

Lucky by Alice Sebold
Reason: This book covers adult themes, so if you’re under the age of 18 you shouldn't read what I’m about to say. This is Alice Sebold’s autobiography. She discusses her rape, the trial, and the aftermath. It’s impossible to read it and come out unscathed, especially if you’re female.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Reason: I felt for these characters. I felt for Katniss. The story made me so emotional. It was just something that stuck with me.

What books have you read the most?

Harry Potter, Hush Hush, The Darkest Powers, Wake trilogy, Megan Meade’s Guide to the McGowan Boys, Top Ten Uses For An Unworn Prom Dress, The Mortal Instruments, Stephanie Plum novels.

Trusted authors?

Sarah Dessen, Meg Cabot, Kelley Armstrong, Susane Colasanti, Holly Black,, Cassandra Clare, Lisa McMann.

Anything else?

I got extremely lucky and am exceptionally grateful. Thank you for giving me this chance. I hope you enjoyed getting to know me.

Thanks, Terri! She's really great. Check out her blog! 

Say Hello to YA Author Amanda Havard

When Danielle asked me to guest post on her blog, I was not only sincerely flattered but sincerely panicked over what to say. As I write this, I am two weeks from the launch of my first book, THE SURVIVORS, and after a lovely conversation with the master of this corner of the blogosphere, we thought it might be of interest to share some thoughts on what the publishing experience looks like from someone at my stage in the game.

At the two-week mark, the anticipation of the world connecting to my vision is killing me. The excitement of even the prospect that the world will fall in love with those I’ve fallen in love with radiates in my bones. I am just eaten up with the idea that, by the end of this month, I will have achieved what has been a lifelong dream.

Or will I? In following the deluge of tweets from the SXSW conference this past weekend, I kept hearing bits and pieces about the future of media, of books, of publishing, of, I don’t know, humans. Whatever kind of future aside, we kept hearing about the future. How we will survive in this future publishing world. How we ought to prepare to even try to survive in this new publishing world. Etcetera. Etcetera. And a bit more etcetera. One quote that got retweeted about 647 million times was roughly this: “Publishing is the start gun. Marketing is the marathon.”

It fueled a line of thinking I’ve been tossing around my brain for a long time: My book release looks different than most. It looks [what I hope will be] good different. THE SURVIVORS is blitzing onto the scene (or so we imagine it will) without an eight-month pre-launch buzz. It’s coming from a publisher you’ve never heard of (my trusty heroes at Chafie Press), from an author you’ve never heard of (had you heard the name ‘Amanda Havard’ before this post?), and it’s about creatures you’ve never heard of (Survivors. Capital S.). But when we launch, as we will in two short weeks, I have a lot to show you. I have research I want to share with you covering the myths and history and mania that led me to this story.

We built a website that’s got interaction all over it: I’m live-streaming the ‘soundtrack’ of the first book. I’ve set up world maps of all the places my protagonist, Sadie, goes in book one. There’s a community where you can “Become a Survivor” and set up profiles, talk to me, talk to one another, and really get into the story. You can follow the real Twitter accounts of my characters that have been running for over two years, perfectly in sync with the story line. On my new blog, you’ll be able to read about the basics but also the parts of the story that don’t fit between the covers—style that inspired the characters, character interviews, mythology that shaped the storyline, the life experiences that crafted the settings, the music that practically wrote the story for me.

They seem like the little things, but they add up to tell a story about the story, an account of the writing process. And perhaps I’m most excited to announce that there will be original music for THE SURVIVORS series. The first song will be released the week the book is, and by the next week, you’ll be able to download the song and music video off the site and iTunes.

And trust me when I say this is only the beginning.

Do I mention all of this out of shameless self-promotion? Actually, no. I mention it to say what you could be doing. What you might think of doing. What I’m experimenting with doing and, well, we’ll all find out how it goes. I mention this because we all know there has to be a Goodreads page, Facebook pages for you and for your books, and Twitter accounts for both those things too. You know that you can blog tour or network or have a book blog yourself. (I don’t actually have a book blog. I’m weird.) But what else is going to push your story into the relatable place? The magical place where people take it into their lives and want to hold onto it? Want to be a part of it? Want to think about it and interact with after the last page is closed and, if a series, before the next first page opens?

For THE SURVIVORS, I hope it’s that I’ve crafted a world eerily similar to your own. So similar that you think you could be standing on West End in Nashville or in line at the London airport or on the edge of Swan Lake, Montana and see Sadie. I hope it’s the original music we’re in the studio recording or the music videos (starring faces and voices like this one) we’re producing. I hope it’s that you can pick up the J. Mendel dress Sadie wears in the first chapter of book one at Bergdorf’s, should you have the desire. I hope it’s that you can have grown up in Tupelo, Mississippi and recognize the Main Street described in the first five pages in the book as the real thing. I hope it’s in the details. I hope it’s in doing what’s worked. I hope it’s in trying what’s new.

Two weeks to launch, and I’m working around the clock to try to make sure everything is in place to run the marathon. Crouched at the starting line, waiting for the pull, I hope I’m ready to go.

And more than anything, I hope you’ll run with me.

Amanda Havard has been telling stories since before she could write. She grew up in Dallas, Texas, where her first book was published in her elementary school library at age 7. She received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Vanderbilt University. She currently resides in Nashville, Tennessee with her baby grand piano and more story ideas than she could tell in one lifetime.

Connect with Amanda on Twitter: @AmandaHavard
On Facebook or Goodreads
And on her blog at http://amandahavard.com

 

About THE SURVIVORS:

In 1692, when witch trials gripped the community of Salem, Massachusetts, twenty-six children were accused as witches, exiled, and left for dead. Fourteen of them survived.
The Survivors is the first installment of the tantalizing tales of the fourteen ill-fated Survivors and their descendants, who have been content in hiding for over three centuries. Isolated on a Montana mountainside, only Sadie, the rogue daughter, dares to abandon the family’s sacred hiding place. But no matter how far Sadie runs, something always pulls her back.

On a muggy summer night in Tennessee, she witnesses a shocking scene that will change her life forever. It is the first in a sequence of events that will drag her from the human world she’s sought to belong to for over a century and send her back to her Puritanical family and into an uncertain future filled with cunning witches, mysterious nosferatu shape-shifters, dangerous eretica and vieczy vampires, millennia-old mythology, and the search for her own mortality. After all…How do you kill a Survivor?

The Survivors will steal your heart and invade your mind. Fall into the pages of Sadie’s life, a world so frighteningly similar to your own, you’ll find yourself wanting to go to the Montana mountains to find the Survivors for yourself.

And it is only the beginning...

THE SURVIVORS is available March 29th and in hardcover, paperback and e-book format. Amazon and Barnes & Noble have it online.

For more information on Amanda Havard and THE SURVIVORS, please visit her website at www.amandahavard.com. You can read the prologue and first chapter of THE SURVIVORS here.

Leave Amanda some love & welcome her to the YA community! Or, ask her questions and I shall force answers upon her. :)

Thanks 2010 Sincerely, Lani Woodland

Thanks 2010 Sincerely Me is a daily segment running on my blog until New Year's, in which some of authors/bloggers will write letters to 2010.

Dear 2010,

It’s weird to see you coming to end. I’m always looking forward to the next year and its possibilities but it’s sad to see the old one end. It means that while my kids will continue to learn and grow, and we’ll have new adventures together, that my kids are getting older and I’ll never have them the way they are now again. As I’ve gotten older and realize that things change I’ve come to appreciate the melancholy you can have when a fantastic moment has just happened and knowing it’ll never happen exactly like that again. So I’m experiencing this as the year is drawing to a close.

But 2010, even with all the trials and sad moments that happened this year, you were fantastic. You brought about a dream of mine. My first novel, Intrinsical, was published! That included all the excitement, joy and nerves that come with it. You also introduced me to the new hardship, the one of writing a sequel. I’ve laughed, cried, screamed for joy and had moments of sadness through you 2010 but I’m glad I was able to have you in my life. I’m looking forward to 2011 but I will miss you!

Sincerely, 

Me

Lani Woodland is the author of INTRISICAL, which was released in August with Pendrell Publishing.

Thanks 2010 Sincerely, Gwen Hayes

Thanks 2010 Sincerely Me is a daily segment running on my blog until New Year's, in which some of authors/bloggers will write letters to 2010. On January 1, Dear 2011... will begin and run for a week and feature other authors/bloggers. 

 

Dear 2010,

You were so much fun!  

Remember that day we saw the cover of Falling Under for the first time? So cool. And the first time we held the book in our hand. Priceless. It's been a really great year.

New Year's Eve is going to be bittersweet. We had such a great relationship, it will be hard to say goodbye--but I think your new job as 2011 is going to be even better for us. Especially March. Just sayin'.

Sincerely,
Me


Gwen Hayes is the author of the March release FALLING UNDER. 

You can also read some of her e-books for Kindle: BUTTERFACE, OH GODDESS, and THE CHOSEN.

Thanks 2010 Sincerely, Leah Cypress

Thanks 2010 Sincerely Me is a daily segment running on my blog until New Year's, in which some of authors/bloggers will write letters to 2010. On January 1, Dear 2011... will begin and run for a week and feature other authors/bloggers. 

Dear 2010,

Let’s start with the most obvious thing: you are the year I became a published author. The year I got to walk into a bookstore and see my book sitting on the shelf. My debut year. That is, without question, the most dramatic thing that happened to me over the past twelve months. I’m incredibly grateful for it. It’s something I was starting to think might never happen, but it did. In 2010.

You’re also the year I slowly slid from “ecstatic that I’m getting published” to “obsessed with the details of being published” and back again. I learned a lot: about how reviews work, about how sales works, about how promotion works, about how not to obsess about any of those things. Well, almost. Most of the time. I’ve been getting better at it – and 2011, you’re the year in which I’m going to conquer it.

Other less dramatic but equally amazing things happened. My older daughter turned from a toddler into a preschooler – or, as my husband likes to say, “a real person.” My younger turned from an infant into a toddler. An adorable toddler who is so eager to talk she makes up nonsense words when she doesn’t have enough real words. Both of them like to “read” and can often be found sitting on the couch, studiously turning the pages of picture books. Both of them amaze me every day (even on the days when I’m counting the seconds until bedtime). And both of them were with me when I first walked into a bookstore on my release date. It was like the snapshot of the perfect moment.

Thank you, 2010!

Sincerely, 

Me


Leah Cypress is the author of MISTWOOD and it's 2011 companion NIGHTSPELL.