NEXIS preorders are up!

Hey all!  The Amazon Pre-Order page for NEXIS is now up and running.  Go forth and populate the shelves of everyone you know who loves Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, or Young Adult literature because it will appeal to them all!

NEXIS: In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then…the crash. Devastated by her father’s death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship…and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn’t quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it’s been waiting for Ella.

NEXIS Cover reveal!

Woooo!!!!  I finally get to show you all the pretties!!!!  Ahem, coming to a bookstore near you on December 1, 2015...

NEXIS:

In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. A Natural Born amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats, all Ella ever wanted was to be like everyone else. Augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then...the crash. Devastated by her father's death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella is terrified to learn she is not just alone, but little more than a prisoner.

Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. In Nexis she meets Guster, a senior player who guides Ella through the strange and compelling new world she now inhabits. He offers Ella guidance, friendship...and something more. Something that allows her to forget about the “real” world, and makes her feel whole again.

But Nexis isn't quite the game everyone thinks it is.

And it's been waiting for Ella.

**Nexis is a YA Sci-Fi novel that will appeal to readers of Ender's Game, Across the Universe, and Cinder; and watchers of The Matrix, Avatar, TRON Legacy, and Sword Art Online.

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NEXIS Cover Reveal sign-ups!

As you may all know, my YA sci-fi book NEXIS sold last summer to Entangled Teen.  The exciting part about this book is that, even though Entangled is a digital publisher and the contract was for digital publication, the mother house for Entangled, Macmillan, has agreed to release NEXIS in print.

I'm still waiting to hear back about whether NEXIS will be hardcover or trade paperback, but it's looking like the release date for the book will be November/December 2015.  That said, we're moving right along and starting the cover reveal!  I'm so excited about my cover as it's so very lovely.  Also, I've just been sent the blurb for the back of the book!  *swoon*

I've been working long and hard on this book and I'd love it if you ladies and gentlemen would help spread the word by getting involved.

Entangled is doing a cover reveal for NEXIS with YA Bound Book Tours on February 24.  If you're interested in participating in the cover reveal, you can sign up here.

If you'd like to learn more about the book, here's some additional info and the new blurb.  Feel free to put it on your Goodreads TBR list:

Genre flags: futuristic, science fiction, cyberpunk, dystopian, fantasy, virtual reality, disabilities, environment, social norms, technology
Age Bracket: high school and adult
Fans who Watch: TRON Legacy, Avatar, Sword Art Online, .hack//Sign
Fans who Read: Ender's Game, Cinder, Across the Universe, Uglies, Neuromancer, Robopocalypse

Nexis:
In the domed city of Evanescence, appearance is everything. Yet Ella Drexel is a Natural Born, living amongst genetically-altered Aristocrats who permanently “modify” themselves to be beautiful and flawless to the point of excess. Unlike Ella, who resents living in the skin she was born with. All she ever wanted was to be like everyone else—augmented, sparkling, and perfect. Then...the crash. Devastated by her father's death and struggling with her new physical limitations, Ella discovers she is now little more than a prisoner. Her only escape is to lose herself in Nexis, the hugely popular virtual reality game her father created. But Nexis isn't quite the game everyone thinks it is. And it's been waiting for Ella.

Feature Friday: Kat Zhang

Kat Zhang is an avid traveler, and after a childhood spent living in one book after another, she now builds stories for other people to visit. An English major at Vanderbilt University, she spends her free time performing Spoken Word poetry, raiding local bookstores, and plotting where to travel next. What’s Left of Me–about a girl with two souls–is her first novel and will be released by HarperCollins on 9/18/2012. She is represented by Emmanuelle Morgen of Stonesong. You can read about her travels, literary and otherwise, on her website or check her out on Twitter.

Interview:
A.L.:
What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Kat:
Finish that book! Many people underestimate the importance of (and the difficulty of!) this first step. Do your industry research, but don't stress too much about the little things. In other words, if your query letter is in yellow font, 5 pages long (sans sample pages), and full of how your mother loved your book and you think it's going to be the next big thing after Harry Potter, it's probably going to be an issue. Having 1.5 inch margins instead of 1 inch, however, is *not* going to matter. Cross my heart ;)

Write, write, write!

A.L.:
What's your favorite book and why?

Kat:
Ooh, I can't ever answer questions like this ;) As a kid, it was THE GOLDEN COMPASS. I adored Lyra so much, and I was in love with the idea of having a constant companion in the form of a daemon.

A.L.:
Where did you get the idea for What’s Left of Me?

Kat:
I don't really have a super interesting story to tell about how I came up with the idea for WHAT'S LEFT OF ME :P I wish I did! Really, though, I just started wondering one day--everyone has a bit of an internal monologue going at times; what if that little voice in the back of your head was a real person? What would it be like to live trapped in your own body? That was how the idea for Eva began, and the rest of the story grew around her.

A.L.:
Did you hit any snags while writing What’s Left of Me? What were they and how did you fix them?

Kat:
I re-wrote the latter half of the book many, many times! It was definitely a tough process, one I worked through with a lot of help from critique partners as well as my agent, and later, my editor (though the book was, of course, in much better shape by the time it sold!). It taught me a lot, though, about the revision process and the tenacity and love you really have to have for a story to see it through to publication.

A.L.:
Which one of the characters in What’s Left of Me is your favorite and why?

Kat:
I actually really liked writing Dr. Lyanne, who is someone you meet later on in the book. I can't say I'd like her a ton if I met her in real life, but she's a lot of fun to write because she is so different from Eva, the main character.

A.L.:
What’s Left of Me is one of the most unique story ideas that I’ve seen in a while. What did you do to prepare yourself for writing two souls sharing one body? What kind of world is that?

Kat:
Thanks! I didn't really "prepare" for writing from Eva's POV any differently than I do for any other character. There was some finagling to be done with pronouns and some idioms had to be axed (if one soul is feeling angry, but the other is not, you can't really have her say something like "fire rushed through my veins" or something), but otherwise, things came weather naturally. I'm not sure what that says about me :P

A.L.:
What’s Left of Me is part of a trilogy, so we can expect two more books, but what else are you working on/interested in writing?

Kat:
I'm working on a sort of dark fantasy, as well as a YA contemporary, and I have plans for a high fantasy standalone, but that's on the back-back burner.

A.L.:
If I’m doing the math right, you sold your book at a wicked-young age! Can you tell us a little about your journey to publication?

Kat:
I sold at 19 :) I started writing What's Left of Me the winter of my senior year of high school. The first draft took me a little more than a year. Then I revised for a few months and, after querying about 2 months, signed with my agent, Emmanuelle Morgen. I revised with her for a few more months, and then we went on submission to publishers and announced the deal with HarperCollins about a month after that! :)

A.L.:
You’re a prolific traveler. Can you tell us what your near-future traveling plans are? What country would you most like to visit? Which countries/states that you’ve already visited do you love the most?

Kat:
Next summer, I have plans to go to the UK to travel a bit with one of my friends who will be studying abroad there. We'll probably go to France and Italy, too. Things aren't set, though :) I'd like very much to go to Australia, and more asian countries, as well!

I can't say which countries I've liked the most! They've all got such unique things to love about them. I always enjoy visiting China, of course, since almost all my family is there.

A.L.:
Can you give us an abridged version of one of the stories you made up as a child?

Kat:
Do you mean one the plays I talk about in my longer bio, or books I started? I began writing my first book when I was 12. It was about a little girl who ran away from home and ended up at the house of a young doctor and his "troubled" (read: 15-year-old delinquent exasperating his parents) cousin. Her own family is rather broken, but they fight to have her back, and her new "family" fights to keep her. It's funny, because it's the kind of story I'd almost be too nervous to tackle today because I'd be afraid of doing it "wrong." I guess at 12, you don't really worry about those things.

The Giveaway:
Kat is giving away signed cards and I'll be pitching in a copy of What's Left of Me, her debut novel.

What's Left of Me: I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.

Read Goodreads reviews.
Buy it at Barnes and Noble.
Buy it at Amazon.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to national entrants only.

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Feature Friday: Gina Rosati

Today we have the adventurous and awesome Ms. Gina Rosati!

Gina lives in southern New Hampshire with her husband, two teenagers and two chubby guinea pigs. Auracle is her debut novel.

 Interview:

A.L.:

What piece of advice would you give to a budding author?

Gina:

Besides read (everything!) and write (as often as possible) I highly recommend you buy, read and highlight the heck out of Story Engineering by Larry Brooks http://www.amazon.com/Story-Engineering-Larry-Brooks/dp/1582979987 You might not be an outline kind of writer, but there's a lot of great info in there you need to know.

A.L.:

What's your favorite book and why?

Gina:

I love The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery so much, I referred to it in Auracle. I love it because of the fennec fox and his secret ... so very true!

This is what our little guy looks like right now :)

A.L.:

Where did you get the idea for Auracle?

Gina:

For about ten years, off and on, I'd get really scary bouts of sleep paralysis, which included lucid nightmares. I've read a lot of conflicting information about them, including that they are caused by stress (highly likely in my case) or they are caused by waking up during an out-of-body experience while you are still half out of your body (which is less likely in my case, but infinitely more fascinating and I thought it would make a good book). Although I still think my dreams were stress induced.

A.L.:

Did you hit any snags while writing Auracle? What were they and how did you fix them?

Gina:

When I started writing Auracle, I didn't understand the importance of story structure. I had the basic "what if a girl could astrally project and witnessed a death, and the dead person took over her body," and that was about it. I sat down at the computer based on that idea and started typing and when I got stuck, I added a kissing scene.Sooo many kissing scenes! I managed to bang out a 300+ page manuscript, and I sent it out to friends who love me and told me it was good stuff, so I queried agents with the first chapter. I guess my early writing voice was decent because I had a few requests to see more of the manuscript. Andrea Somberg from Harvey Klinger, Inc. made some excellent suggestions about plot, character, theme, story structure, etc., and invited me to resubmit it once I rewrote the last 2/3 of the book. Andrea signed me about four months later.

A.L.:

Which one of the characters in Auracle is your favorite and why?

Gina:

Rei. A few people have commented that they think he's too perfect because he's good looking, smart and a nice guy, but if you look closer, you'll see the people pleasing, obsessive/compulsive personality at work. He's actually a complicated guy who was a lot of fun to write.

A.L.:

Can you tell us a little bit about your journey as an author?

Gina:

I didn't want to be an author when I was a kid - I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. It wasn't until I was in my mid-late 20's that I thought it would be fun to write a book. The entire writing/publishing process seemed very daunting to me, but one day, I walked into a library and figured if all those people could write a book and get it published, why couldn't I? I took a creative writing course at Northeastern University, and the teacher was really encouraging. She asked if she could enter a short story I wrote in the university writing contest, and it was chosen as a finalist. Writing a novel is very different than writing a short story, and even though I had an idea for a novel, and I had a 60 page outline, I suffered from what I call "Perfect Page 1 Syndrome" - I thought I had to get that first page just right before I could move on to the next page. I spent six months trying to perfect the beginning of that book, and when I had my son, it was just easier to pack my writing away and concentrate on being a mother. It wasn't until my own mother was in last stage Alzheimer's that I decided life was short and if I truly wanted to write a book, now was the time.

A.L.:

What are you working on now? Sequel? Something new?

Gina:

Auracle is a stand-alone novel. I may consider a companion novel at some point told from Callie's POV (with Seth, Anna and Rei all featuring into the story) but right now, I'm working on a historical/fantasy/speculative fiction.

A.L.:

What's it like trying to write about someone who astrally projects? Did you do research for that or just sort of make things up as you went?

Gina:

Writing about someone who can astrally project is really fun - the question became "where would I go if I could go anywhere in the universe?" My biggest problem was not giving Anna a broader area to explore, but the plot centered around the situation in Burlington, so that limited Anna. I did a tremendous amount of research, I spoke to people who told me they have traveled astrally before, I read a lot of books about the subject, but at the end of the day, I did make up a great deal, too.

A.L.:

So, you got a tattoo as research for this book. Can we ask what it and the others are, or are those personal?

Gina:

Sure - the first tattoo I had done is three shooting stars, all in black/outline. I was really hesitant to have anything that would show, so these are between my shoulder blades. Then I grew a little braver and had really colorful shooting stars done on my right calf, just above my ankle. Then I grew braver still, and had a bright green celtic tree done on the inside of my right wrist.

A.L.:

If all the cuddly animals that you love so much were to get together in one room, which would you pet first?

Gina:

Oh!! The fennec baby, for sure! And the puppies! And then the kitties! And the bunnies! And the guinea pigs! Wait ... are there raccoon babies? Those too! I'd even pat the tarantula ... they're fuzzy.

A.L.:

We know you ditched the sugary soda and now you're all about diet soda. What's your flavor of choice? Coke vs. Pepsi? Or something more exotic?

Gina:

I have to give up the diet soda, too - it's really unhealthy! I bounce around. I used to drink 32 oz. of full sugar Coke in the red can a day, but when I gave that up, I lost 20 pounds in a year and kept it off (it's been 3 years now). Right now, I drink Dr. Pepper Ten (which has ten calories and a small amount of HF corn syrup) during the day and Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi at night. I try to balance it out with plenty of water in between.

The Giveaway:
Gina is giving away one signed edition of Auracle and two swag bags!

Auracle:  16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.





Read Goodreads Reviews.
Get it on Barnes and Noble.
Get it on Amazon.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Summer Giveaway/Hop

Don't forget to enter my other giveaways too:

Lazy Days of Summer (ends August 1st)

A giveaway of Susan Dennard's SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY (ends August 2)

A giveaway of Kristen-Paige Madonia's FINGERPRINTS OF YOU (begins August 3)

The Giveaway:

One lucky winner can choose any one of the following novels:

Crash: Southpointe High is the last place Lucy wanted to wind up her senior year of school. Right up until she stumbles into Jude Ryder, a guy whose name has become its own verb, and synonymous with trouble. He's got a rap sheet that runs longer than a senior thesis, has had his name sighed, shouted, and cursed by more women than Lucy dares to ask, and lives at the local boys home where disturbed seems to be the status quo for the residents. Lucy had a stable at best, quirky at worst, upbringing. She lives for wearing the satin down on her ballet shoes, has her sights set on Juilliard, and has been careful to keep trouble out of her life. Up until now.

Jude's everything she knows she needs to stay away from if she wants to separate her past from her future. Staying away, she's about to find out, is the only thing she's incapable of.

For Lucy Larson and Jude Ryder, love's about to become the thing that tears them apart.

Insurgent:  One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Easy:  A girl who believes trust can be misplaced, promises are made to be broken, and loyalty is an illusion. A boy who believes truth is relative, lies can mask unbearable pain, and guilt is eternal. Will what they find in each other validate their conclusions, or disprove them all?

When Jacqueline follows her longtime boyfriend to the college of his choice, the last thing she expects is a breakup two months into sophomore year. After two weeks in shock, she wakes up to her new reality: she's single, attending a state university instead of a music conservatory, ignored by her former circle of friends, and failing a class for the first time in her life.

Leaving a party alone, Jacqueline is assaulted by her ex's frat brother. Rescued by a stranger who seems to be in the right place at the right time, she wants nothing more than to forget the attack and that night--but her savior, Lucas, sits on the back row of her econ class, sketching in a notebook and staring at her. Her friends nominate him to be the perfect rebound.

When her attacker turns stalker, Jacqueline has a choice: crumple in defeat or learn to fight back. Lucas remains protective, but he's hiding secrets of his own. Suddenly appearances are everything, and knowing who to trust is anything but easy.

City of Lost Souls:  This Barnes & Noble exclusive edition includes a letter to Jace from his father!

The New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments continues—and so do the thrills and danger for Jace, Clary, and Simon. Can the lost be reclaimed? What price is too high to pay for love? Who can be trusted when sin and salvation collide?

Love. Blood. Betrayal. Revenge.

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

Until I Die:  I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever.

It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris, the most beautiful city in the world. And if I pretend, I can almost believe that my life is normal and everyone I care about is safe.

But as long as I’m with Vincent, “normal” doesn’t exist. Gorgeous, charming, and witty, he’s everything you could ask for in a boyfriend—but his destiny is so much more.

Even more terrifying than his destiny are his dangerous enemies, enemies who will kill for immortality. How are Vincent and I supposed to be together forever if we’re always in danger?

I know I’ll do whatever it takes—even if it means lying to the people I love—to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

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Spring Fling YA Giveaway Hop

The Giveaway: 
The winner can pick any one of these new releases:

How to Enter:
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner via email. This contest is open to international entrants.

Autism Awareness Blog Hop/Giveaway

This giveaway/hop is to help bring Autism Awareness to the readers at large. I have a couple of friends as well as some friends who have family with Autism, so it's a close thing to me. Even I didn't entirely understand what it was until I did some research. This morning, I wrote up a nice big informative blog post and was quite proud of myself. Then I tried editing it, somehow managed to delete it, and then didn't hit the undo button in time for the auto-save to make the deletion permanent. GRRR... Unfortunately, I don't have enough time to re-post what I had, so I have to do just do links. :( Sorry guys. If any of you would like to share information or stories, please feel free to leave a post!

These are my top sites for information and assistance:
Autism Fact Sheet
Wikipedia
Autism Speaks
Autism Society

THE GIVEAWAY:
The winner can select any one of the following novels:

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:

Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter. This hop runs from 4/11/12 to 4/17/12. Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done. (You may have to log in using Facebook to do this). There will be one winner (selected by Rafflecopter). I will contact the winner asking for their choice. This contest is open to international entrants.

YA Giveaway Blog Hop: Featuring Leanna Renee Hieber

For this giveaway I'm featuring the work of Leanna Renee Heiber!  Leanna is an author, an actress and a playwrite who grew up in Ohio and has her BFA in Theater.  Besides being super talented, she's a snappy dresser, a diehard Slytherin, she's one of the kindest New Yorkers you'll ever meet, and her Goth shuffle is to die for.

THE GIVEAWAY!

Leanna has graciously sent me TWO of her works to give away.  They are AUTOGRAPHED, mind you. 

What I'm giving away:

Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, first in her Strangely Beautiful series, landed on Barnes & Noble's bestseller lists, was named a favorite of 2009 by 14 genre  blogs, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award (Young Adult category) and is currently in development as a musical theater production with a team that includes Broadway talent. The Strangely Beautiful series has been translated into several languages.

Read reviews on Goodreads.  Can't wait to buy it?  Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

 

DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, first in Leanna's Gothic Historical Paranormal trilogy for teens (Sourcebooks Fire), hit the Kid's/YA INDIE NEXT LIST as a recommended title by the American Booksellers Association. Seventeen Magazine said of DARKER STILL: "This chilling tale will draw you in and keep you guessing until the very last page!" The book has been praised by Shelf Awareness, The Chicago Tribune, Pixie Magazine and more. DARKER STILL will also be translated into several languages.

Read reviews on Goodreads.  Can't wait to buy it?  Go get it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY: 
Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  This hop runs from 1/27/12 to 1/31/12.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done.  (You may have to log in using facebook to do this).  There will be two winners for this giveaway, the first entrant will be able to choose which of the two books they would like and the second will get the remaining book.  Should the second winner decide they do not want the remaining book, they can bow out and allow another winner to be selected.  This contest is open to international entrants.


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DON'T FORGET:
There are a ton of other blogs and websites giving awesome YA related things away!  Make sure you stop by each of these and check out their giveaways:  http://iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/2011/11/young-adult-giveaway-hop-jan-27th-to.html

YA Faeries and Fantasy Blog Hop

Welcome to another giveaway!  These are a few of my favorite things rolled into one amazing Blog Hop, so I'm super excited.

Here's the deal:  Below is a list of books that one lucky winner (selected through Rafflecopter) will be able to chose one book from.

NOTE: I will be at a convention the weekend of the 13th, so winners will not be posted until at least that Sunday night.  Regular posts will resume on Monday the 16th.

Ready?

1.  Decide you want one of these awesome books!  There is such a large selection so that if you happen to win another one of the giveaways in the hop, you wont get a repeat!

Any one of the Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black
Any one of the Iron Fey books by Julie Kagawa
Any one of the Wicked Lovely books by Melissa Marr
Any one of the Books of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater
Any one of the Wings books by Aprilynne Pike
Any one of the Wonderous Strange books by Lesley Livingston
Any one of the Need books by Carrie Jones
Any one of the Abhorson books by Garth Nix
Any one of The Seven Kingdoms books by Kristin Cashore
Any one book by Tamora Pierce
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
Daughter of Smoke and Bone or  by Laini Taylor
Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner
Reckless by Cornelia Funke
Pathfinder by Orson Scott Card

2.  Enter the giveaway using Rafflecopter.  This hop runs from 1/6/12 to 1/12/12.  Hit the green "Do It" buttons, follow the prompts, and hit the green enter buttons when you're done.  (You may have to log in using facebook to do this).


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3.  Click the link to go visit the ridiculous number of other blogs giving away other YA faerie and fantasy books!

Two Weeks Notice

The edits on my two shorts for Tease should be coming along in mid-July.  My cover for The Alchemist's Perfect Instrument is done.  It's lovely!

Also... My agent likes the edits on Scar-Crossed!

She's meeting with one more editor on on the 19th and then we're going to start sending out the manuscript for Scar-Crossed.  I'm so excited it's finally happening!  Now all I have to do is come up with a clear idea for the sequel o.O

I have a couple of ideas, but then I've had sequel ideas for the past year and none of them seem to thrill me when I write them out.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to deal!

On top of figuring all that out, I have a couple of little projects that I can work on.  I think I'm going to take her up on the short for a Chicken-Soup spoof and I'll put the erotica on hold.  Erotica isn't really my thing and I'd rather work on the things I'm passionate about...at least until this becomes something I do as a full-time professional.  She wants me to put Tamrin and Fawning on the back-burner and work on something that's in another genre so she can show it to an E- or an Indie-Publisher.  That way I can get my foot in multiple doors.  So, I'm going to try re-vamping (no pun intended) Will of the Fallen and finishing The Great White Light.

Everyone wish me luck!

A Heart to Heart with Neek

This weekend I sat in on a panel at FaerieCon and I learned that I'm not the only author whose characters are like real people.

Odd, I know, but I think every other author will agree with me on this. No, we don't need meds and we're not all fans of Inkheart. We're just really good at creating characters. So good, in fact, that sometimes it's almost like they have a life of their own. They become like children or friends. You end up having discussions and arguments with them. Sometimes they do things that you don't want them to do and then you have to figure out how to get them out of it. ...And as Maggie Stiefvater put it, sometimes you just get so frustrated with them that you have to drag them through a side story where they die horribly before you can get them to cooperate.

So, in light of that I decided to spin a little spoof between myself and one of the characters from my WIP. I've been having some problems because Neek (Nekehleis) is trying to jump the gun in this YA steampunk romance. So I think I'll let him try it his way and see what happens. *Sinister Smile* Maybe he'll cooperate after this. Hope you enjoy!

I’m about a quarter of the way through chapter twelve. Neek and Adelle are meditating after one of their classes. Neek opens one eye, peeks at Adelle. She’s got her eyes closed, her brow is furrowed in concentration and she’s got that pout she does. He thinks about how much he likes that intense expression on her face; how much he wants to touch the hair that spills around her face and shoulders; how hard she's trying to get this right -- all for that brat, Madlyn. Neek suddenly shakes his head.

I growl under my breath, annoyed that he’s interrupting my process. “What now?”

Neek takes a deep breath, lets it out. I stare at him expectantly, knowing he’s about to say something he knows I’m not going to like. “I’m going to kiss her.”

I blink. “What?" I squeak. "Now? You can’t do that!”

He cocks his head, stares at her lovingly. Oh, if only she saw that expression. She’d kill him for sure. “Why not?”

I throw up my hands, upsetting my tea and scaring the cat. “Are you stupid? She’s your enemy’s daughter!”

“Yeah, so?”

“So, she’s trying to kill you.” I start mopping up my tea.

“Yes, I know. I had a vision about that, remember? I’ve got that whole Solar Seer thing going for me.”

“See? Even Ehleis is trying to tell you that she’s trying to kill you. Use your head, Neek, I made you smart for a reason.”

“And?”

“What if you mean “and?” Hello! If she kills you I won’t have a story and Ehleis won’t have a Blessing. We’re covering our asses here.”

Neek bites his lip. “Maybe if I kiss her, she won’t kill me.”

“If you kiss her I’ll have to make her kill you,” I say with a sigh. “I made her that way. The readers expect it.”

“I’ll take my chances and hope you like me enough not to let Adelle kill me. The readers will like it better if I kiss her. Sex sells.”

I get a bad mental image of attempting to navigate a love scene around Neek's wings and Adelle's ridiculous outfit. Scowling, I attempt a new approach. “Sleeping with the heiress of the Empire? The empire that’s besmirching the natural world with it’s mechanical abominations and alchemical warfare? Ehleis wouldn’t like it.”

Neek’s eyes widen. “No? I think it’s an excellent idea.”

“You’re seventeen, Neek, the only thought processes you have come through your penis.”

“Well, my penis thinks it’s an excellent idea,” Neek says with a shrug. “Besides, wasn’t Ehleis the one who told us to go forth and prosper?”

I cross my arms. “There’s no way in hell I’m letting you two prosper, Neek. This isn’t Twilight.”

Neek glances out the window. “No, I’d say it’s just about mid-morning. That's a great time for sex. We can have lunch afterward.”

I slap my palm against my forehead. “No it’s a- Oh, just forget it.”

“So,” Neek ventures cautiously. “Kissing Adelle?”

“If I had my way you’d wait a few chapters before doing that. I’m not responsible for what happens if you kiss her before she’s ready.”

Neek grins. “Of course not.”

I give him a worried look. He's really going to do it. Stupid kid. “She’s still carrying that dagger under her skirt.”

His grin grows a little wider. “I know.”

I lean back and give him my most petulant expression I can manage. “I really hate working with you sometimes.”

Neek cuts his eyes at me. “You’re no gift to fiction yourself, A.L.. I mean, violet eyes? Come on, even Lilith got it better than I did.”

"Oh, have I offended your masculinity?" I reach out, pull the keyboard closer, and threateningly settle my fingers back on home row. “It's not too late to make them pink. Now shut up and kiss her already, I want to get to the part where she circumcises you.”