Seanchai

2012-01-23T09:10:00.000-08:00

mood: dorky
pandora/ipod: guess...

Truth or Dare Week on the YARebels and here is my dare from Kayelee and Sarah:

Turn your favorite rap song into an opera aria.

Behold: "Ice Ice Baby: The Opera"!!!!

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents Lucienne Diver

2012-01-18T11:57:00.000-08:00

mood: hacking
pandora/ipod: "elvira" by the oak ridge boys

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors which I've recently had the great honor to join. Check these posts for the latest releases!

FANGTASTIC

What do you wear to face down a cadre of killer kids?

Gina Covello would rather be working on her manicure than missions for the Feds’ paranormal unit to which she’s been recruited. That changes when a group of killer kids takes out a family in the sunshine state and disappearances begin to plague the lifestylers who only play at the kind of existence our fanged fashionista leads. She and her crew are sent undercover into the vampire clubs…which turn out to be run by real vampires. While Gina’s BFF Marcy hangs with the steampunk-styled Burgess Brigade that spawned the killer kids, Gina herself is supposed to get in good with the fanged fiends behind the scenes, even to the point of playing double-agent, offering to hand over her powerful boyfriend Bobby. Her playacting threatens to become a bit too real when she discovers things about her spy handlers that make her wonder whether she’s truly on the right side of the battle between Feds and fangs.

~~~~~~~~~~

Lucienne Diver is the author of the popular Vamped series of young adult novels (think Clueless meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer). School Library Journal calls the first book, “a lighthearted, action-packed, vampire romance story following in the vein of Julie Kenner’s “Good Ghouls” (Berkley), Marlene Perez’s “Dead” (Harcourt), and Rachel Caine’s “The Morganville Vampires” (Signet) series.” VOYA has suggested that the books “will attract even reluctant readers.”

Her short stories have been included in the Strip-Mauled and Fangs for the Mammaries anthologies edited by Esther Friesner (Baen Books), and one of her essays appears in the anthology Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories (HarperTeen).

Also, be sure to check out the super awesome Vamped series music video and the MP3 of the single available for free download! Not only that, but Lucienne is running a contest on her blog to win a free Kindle! Get on that, people!

~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, here is my awesome interview with Lucienne.

ME: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?

Lucienne: My favorite is the beginning, when everything is shiny and new and the possibilities are endless. My characters are speaking to me, my writing is flowing…love it! Then I hit that section where I’m not sure what comes next, and I’m stumped. This is the part I hate. I always have a mini panic attack that I won’t be able to get over it, that I won’t be able to push on. My husband reminds me about that “always” part. It happens every time, he tells me, and you always manage to get it done. Thank goodness he’s right. Every time I finish a novel and don’t get too hung up along the way, it shortens that panic time. I hope some day to do without it all together.

ME: What was the main inspiration for this book?

Lucienne: My inspiration for the whole Vamped series was pretty much to take a pretty, popular fashionista as far out of her comfort zone as possible and see how she fares. In the first book, Vamped, Gina wakes up dead and buried, and has to dig her own way out of the grave, totally ruining her manicure, only to realize that she’s facing an eternity without tanning options. Also, no reflection, no way to fix her hair and make-up. It’s a defining moment. Will she freak out (the way I do when I hit that abyss of the unknown) or will she put on her big-girl panties and deal with it? Well, she does the latter. Okay, I thought, so she’s got hidden strengths. What about if in Revamped I make her go undercover as a goth girl…no color palette to speak of, more chains than a bike rack…combat boots, for goodness sake. What do you mean she learns the valuable lesson that goths are people too? Fine then, I’m taking her to the sunshine state with Fangtastic and throwing the true vamp in with a bunch of vampire lifestylers, some of which have decided that their path to eternity involves the lifeblood of others…not at all willingly given. It’s her deadliest mission yet, and we learn something about Gina even she didn’t know. You’ll have to read it to find out what!

ME: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?

Luceinne: I wish Zac Efron wasn’t getting to old to play Bobby, Gina’s boyfriend, because he’s who I always see in my head. So, some other gorgeous young guy with killer blue eyes and boy-band hair. For Gina, I’m going back to High School Musical. Vanessa Hudgens (with green contact lenses, because that’s one of my heroine’s best features) would make a great Gina. So would Selena Gomez.

ME: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?

Lucienne: Wow, that’s a great question. I’d really have to think about that. I’m fascinated with psychology. I can’t imagine I’d get all the info I wanted out of one question, but I’d love to be able to have a sitdown conversation with Akhenaten, Egypt’s “heretic” pharaoh, who changed both the religion of the time and the religious and political center of the empire to focus around the sun god Amen. Even the artwork from that period is so different than anything before or after. I’d love to find out what inspired and motivated him.

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Cake. Preferably rich chocolate.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee!
Mac or PC? PC.
Guilty Pleasure? Coffee! Which wouldn’t be such a guilty pleasure if I weren’t paying over $4 a pop for those espresso drinks!
Can't live without? My family. Books. Food. Caffeine. Probably in that order.

Thanks, Lucienne. Can't wait to read Fangtastic!

YAMazing Race!

2012-01-15T21:11:00.000-08:00

mood: sniffly
pandora/ipod: "baila me" by the gipsy kings

Welcome to my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes! Get it? Get it? The YAmazing Race features over 50 debut authors and prize packs featuring ARCs, gift certificates, swag, and more! All youz gots to do it head to the Apocalypsies blog to start from the beginning and read the complete rules.

Ready?

Yo, VIP, let's kick it!

POSSESS by Gretchen McNeil

Rule #1: Do not show fear.
Rule #2: Do not show pity.
Rule #3: Do not engage.
Rule #4: Do not let your guard down.
Rule #5: They lie.

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

Got all that? Now I hope you've been paying attention because somewhere in the last er, eleven blogs or so? I sincerely hope you have, because now it's time for the LEG 4 QUIZ!!!!!

May the force be with you.

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit Presents Eileen Cook

2012-01-04T14:56:00.000-08:00

mood: bouncy
pandora/ipod: "one and only" by adele

The Girlfriends' Cyber Circuit is a web ring of YA authors which I've recently had the great honor to join. Check these posts for the latest releases!

UNRAVELING ISOBEL

Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.

~~~~~~~~~~

Eileen Cook is a multi-published author with her novels appearing in six different languages. She spent most of her teen years wishing she were someone else or somewhere else, which is great training for a writer.

You can read more about Eileen, her books, and the things that strike her as funny at www.eileencook.com. Eileen lives in Vancouver with her husband and two dogs and no longer wishes to be anyone or anywhere else.

~~~~~~~~~~

ME: What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the writing "process"?

EILEEN: My favorite part is when I find that perfect idea, the one that is going to be IT. I love the beginning of a book when everything is new and exciting and I can see all these possibilities. My least favorite part is about three quarters of the way through when I realize that what I thought would be a perfect ending isn’t going to work and I have to sort something out.

ME: What was the main inspiration for this book?

EILEEN: I work as a counselor and am interested in mental health issues. I think one of the most difficult things about having mental illnesses is that you can’t trust your own perception of reality. How do you cope when you aren’t sure what you see and hear is real? I decided I wanted to write about Isobel who struggles with trying to figure out if she’s seeing a ghost, if she’s going crazy, or if her step dad is trying to make everyone think she’s crazy so he can get rid of her.

I’ve always loved gothic novels. I love creepy old houses, buried family secrets and the potential for a ghost or two. Not to mention a cute boy in the picture.

ME: Who would you cast if your book was made into a movie?

EILEEN: I am terrible at casting because I want to cast Colin Firth. Not because there is a role for him in the film, but because I’d love to meet him. I would be tempted to cast unknown actors. I like when you can lose yourself in a movie without comparing how the actors were in a different movie.

ME: If you could ask one person, living or dead, a single question that they'd HAVE to answer, who and what would be it?

EILLEN: My brother passed away when I was very young. If I could I would ask him if he lived if he would have minded if I blamed a few of the things I did on him. Aren't brothers supposed to take the heat sometimes?

FAST FIVE:
Pie or Cake? Why must we choose? Cake.
Coffee or Tea? Tea. I am one of the only people I know who doesn't like the taste of coffee, not even coffee ice cream
Mac or PC? Mac. I'm an Apple junkie.
Guilty Pleasure? Expensive yarn. I like to knit and I like it even more with something yummy like cashmere
Can't live without? Books. I always one on the go. If I don't have anything lined up to read next I get anxious!

Thanks, Eileen! Can't wait to read UNRAVELING ISOBEL!!!!

First Vlog of 2012!

2012-01-03T11:09:00.000-08:00

mood: sleepy
pandora/ipod: "poker face" by lady gaga

It's our first week back at the YARebels in 2012! This week, we're chiming on our own character prototype. Hero? Villain? Love interest? I consider myself more of a BFF...

The Cliffs of Insanity

2011-12-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

mood: stalwart
pandora/ipod: "ain't no rest for the wicked" by cage the elephant

A friend posted this on my Facebook wall in response to my panic flail at starting a new novel.

It pretty accurately describes that feel I get when I start drafting something new. It's like staring up at the Cliffs of Insanity, wondering how in the hell I'm going to make it to the top.

It's silly, of course. I've scaled those cliffs before, bare handed and without a safety net. But every time I'm at the bottom, it's as if I've completely forgotten how to climb! And that ever-present voice of doubt creeps into your head: "You can't do this. Are you nuts? These are the Cliffs of Insanity!!!!"

I open a Word document. Times New Roman, 12. One inch margins. Double spaced.

I type a title page.

3:59

a novel by Gretchen McNeil

Next, I add a quotation. (My books always start with quotations of some sort. I find them inspirational.)

And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.

- from "The Lady of Shalott" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I add my header:

McNeil / 3:59 / 2

And make sure it doesn't show up on the title page. Then a chapter heading, three empty lines and an indentation. Then...

I'm staring at the Cliffs of Insanity again, paralyzed.

Actually, not paralyzed. The feeling is more like this:

Yeah, yeah. I'm all about the panic flail.

But eventually, you just have to swallow the fear and start climbing. Er, writing. Whatever, same thing.

Last night, I started 3:59 in earnest. 1200 words. And so it begins again, the long climb to the top of the Cliffs of Insanity.

Wish me luck.

TEN Copy Edits Are Go!

2011-12-20T08:45:00.001-08:00

mood: relieved
pandora/ipod: "stockholm syndrome" by muse

I spent the weekend doing my copy edits for TEN which is now officially packed up and shipped back to my editor. Next step? ARCs!!!!!

It was the first time I've read the manuscript since I turned it in at the beginning of October, and it was kind of a strange experience. I think writing the damn thing in ten weeks created a kind of Stockholm Syndrome in me: I simultaneously love and hate this book.

What I Love - people, it's creepy. Ten teens trapped on a remote island with a serial killer? Yeah. So much potential for tension and suspense, and there are moments in the book where I feel like I really nailed it to the wall.

I also love some of the characters I created. Nathan, the douchey snowboarder; Kumiko, the bitchy punk; and especially Minnie, the bipolar best friend of the main character. I was worried that they wouldn't feel alive to me, because I had to write so fast, but I'm finally feeling comfortable with all ten (yes, ten!) main characters, and happy with the way they all turned out.

What I Don't Love - You know how writers always say that when you read back over a manuscript, you can't tell what parts you wrote on a "good" writing day and what you wrote on a "bad" writing day? Yeah, that's bullshit. At least for me. This is where the Stockholm Syndrome comes in. While reading different passages, I remembered certain stresses, uncertainties, massive insecurities that I was feeling when I wrote them. ACK! FLASHBACK! I'm just praying the stress of writing didn't bleed into the manuscript at times, or at least that I'm the only one who notices... ;)

So there it is. TEN. Contemporary horror throwback to Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan, with a slight homage to my hero Agatha Christie. Fall 2012, people.

Look for a cover reveal early in the new year!

Monday Gets Crafty

2011-12-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

mood: sluggish
pandora/ipod: "roll away your stone" by mumford and sons

I was at night 2 of the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas last night with a line up that literally blew my mind. I'll blog about it later in the week, I promise, but for now...

On the YARebels we're doing DIY week, showing you things we do really, really well. Mine's, um, crafty.

Don't judge me.

Bookaniastas Review: AUDITION

2011-12-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

mood: smiley
pandora/ipod: "sing" from sesame street

AUDITION by Stasia Ward Kehoe

From Goodreads:

When high school junior Sara wins a coveted scholarship to study ballet, she must sacrifice everything for her new life as a professional dancer-in-training. Living in a strange city with a host family, she's deeply lonely-until she falls into the arms of Remington, a choreographer in his early twenties. At first, she loves being Rem's muse, but as she discovers a surprising passion for writing, she begins to question whether she's chosen the right path. Is Rem using her, or is it the other way around? And is dancing still her dream, or does she need something more? This debut novel in verse is as intense and romantic as it is eloquent.

I first heard about AUDITION when Stasia and I toured together with Stages on Pages. After listening to Stasia speak so eloquently and passionately about dance (she's been a dancer since about the time she learned how to walk) I knew I needed to read this novel.

Still, I'm not going to lie: reading a novel in verse kind of scared the hell out of me.

But I was surprised. After about four of five pages, my brain had adapted to the style and the cadence of the verse (kind of like how when I read books in first person present and think, "I'll never get used to this!" and then about two pages into it I'm not even noticing what tense it's in anymore...) I think a huge reason for the easy adaptability to the style is Stasia's mastery with it. There's a cadence to the words, to the scenes, to the dialogue, and that consistency really helped me get into the groove. There's also a particular intensity in the verse style that added so much to this story, mimicking the unreal stress faced by an aspiring artist living in a high-pressure environment far from home.

It's impressive when any author can establish a strong character voice, and the fact that Stasia does so with so fewer words than most of us kind of blew my mind. Sara is a fierce heroine: smart and driven, fearless and unsure at the same time. I totally internalized Sara's struggles with fitting in, establishing her presence at a new school both socially and as a dancer, and of course the central romance of the novel, her relationship with an older choreographer.

Remington is the kind of bad boy I'd have fallen for myself (er, or did fall for...several times...) He's a brilliant artist, and his medium compliments her own which gives their romance a passionate spark. And yet the romance isn't all-consuming and in the end, serves as a catalyst for Sara to figure out what it is she really, truly wants.

As a performing artist, I fell hard for this book. But I believe it speaks to the inner "confused teen" in all of us. Don't let the verse scare you - AUDITION is a must read.

~~~~~~~~~~

Want to see what the rest of the Bookanistas are recommending this week?

Elana Johnson roars for FURY

Shannon Whitney Messenger marvels at A MILLION SUNS plus a preorder giveaway

Carolina Valdez Miller is all about HERE with giveaway

Gretchen McNeil twirls for AUDITION

Corrine Jackson hails THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF ME AND YOU

Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for DON’T BREATHE A WORD

Katy Upperman gets in the spirit with ELF ON A SHELF

Nikki Katz dishes on WHY WE BROKE UP

HOLY CRAP, PEOPLE!!!!!

2011-12-06T10:41:00.001-08:00

mood: boogying
pandora/ipod: "shake your booty" by kc and the sunshine band

200+ entries.

200+!!!!!

So yes, I've added some prizes because you guys are just so freaking awesome you deserve it.

I'm giving away TWO of the POSSESS St. Benedict charms that Bridget wears.

And if you don't win, my friend who made these charms has a store on Etsy, where you can order a POSSESS charm of your own!

Or peruse some of her other handmade jewelry. Girl is freaking talented.

I'll also be giving away a bottle cap POSSESS necklace, designed by my dear friend Demetra Brodsky.

Awesome right?

Ready? Here we go.

Using Random.org, the winners of the two custom made POSSESS charms are:

SammandLysander - lyssleepinbeauty@....com
Mary Huff - P_Sykette@....com

And the winner of the bottle cap necklace is:

Amanda, the vintage bookworm - vintagebookworm@....com

Congratulations to all three of you! I'll be emailing you soon for mailing addresses. And thanks to EVERYONE who followed the Scavenger Hunt and entered my contest. You guys rock!!!

Today's Vlog: I'm a Hopeless Optimist

2011-12-05T09:14:00.001-08:00

mood: moody
pandora/ipod: "i know it's over" by the smiths

I will have results of the YA Scavenger Hunt giveaway later today, but for now, the YARebels answer this question:

I'm a hopeless ___________.

YA Scavenger Hunt!

2011-12-01T11:00:00.000-08:00

mood: tricksy
pandora/ipod: "jigsaw falling into place" by radiohead

I'm SO freaking excited to be a part of the newest YA Scavenger Hunt which starts...NOW!

Each author involved will have some sooper sekrit special content plus a link to the next author on the hunt. Follow the trail, collect the words in red, and enter to win a metric crap ton of awesome prizes!!!!!

I have the honor of hosting Kimberly Derting, an amazing paranormal and dystopian author whom I'm lucky to count as a friend (and who gave me the most awesomest blurb for POSSESS...).

Kimberly Derting is the author of the BODY FINDER series (HarperCollins), which are as much coming-of-age romance as they are paranormal thrillers, as well as a new dystopic-fantasy trilogy, beginning with THE PLEDGE (Simon & Schuster). She lives in the Pacific Northwest where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration, and often find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother’s books.

(Which sort of makes me want to move in with her...)

(Don't tell her I said that.)

You can find an expanded bio and some fun Q&A with Kimberly here.

THE PLEDGE: In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

Pretty awesome, right? Don't you want to buy it RIGHT NOW?

amazon ~ barnes & noble ~ book depository

Now for the wicked cool part.

For Kimberly's bonus material today, she's actually reading the prologue from THE PLEDGE!!!!!

And isn't her hair fantastic? Just sayin'.

As an extra bonus we’ve put together a puzzle with one keyword found on each website. Complete it and you will be eligible for a fantastic GRAND PRIZE which will include signed editions of books, signed bookmarks, jewelry, and many more exclusive gifts with at least one gift from EVERY AUTHOR!

Scavenger Hunt Puzzle

Directions: Search for the 37 keywords - one on each Scavenger Hunt website - that are highlighted in RED. When you are finished, go HERE where you will find a list of scrambled keywords. Put your keywords in the same order as the scrambled ones - from #1 to #37 - and paste that list into the entry form!

1. NVSEIURE
2. MLTSIPIE
3. PEMETKIREE
4. IIHEDOMC
5. FMERLOAHTWER
6. DLENGO
7. IRDEEDEWLB
8. RSUERNEDR
9. AOCATTINA
10. AHNCEDNTE
11. GURENDOHY
12. GAUINDAR
13. RETECSS
14. EMCREAB
15. LORNDDWURE
16. AIRSFCCEI
17. RIASSMHCT
18. RWTHACES
19. RTAAENTNRSP
20. DETLGAN
21. YFNASAT
22. NTOAPHWYP
23. SLLESUOS
24. ECNNEOIP
25. LOENIOASTD
26. EORFWLWE
27. AREEHTFS
28. AAAOLRPMNR
29. HSIGDNA
30. DOBANADNE
31. LIECSHORCN
32. SPSESNEU
33. OTMYHLGYO
34. ELWLHAENO
35. TTOAINRTAC
36. UAUTFLBIE
37. BTRSUTEFEIL

Rules: To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit this filled in puzzle before noon on Dec 4th PST. All the keywords must be in the correct place and you must include your full name and address. Entries sent in without name and address will not be considered! This contest is international.

BUT THAT'S NOT ALL!

This is getting insane, isn't it? I'm giving away a custom POSSESS charm necklace, hand-painted sterling silver, and designed from Bridget's very own exorcism charm!!!

To qualify to win, simply leave a comment and your email address here on my blog page. Note: to be eligible to win you also need to submit a valid entry for the YA Scavenger Hunt grand prize.

ETA: 100+ entries for the POSSESS charm? HOLY CRAP! If we get to 150, I'll add a few more prizes... :D

Ready to go to the next website on the Scavenger Hunt?

Click HERE!

A Silent Cheer for Twitter

2011-11-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

mood: sleepy
pandora/ipod: "testify" by rage against the machine

Ever wondered what my favorite social media platform is? I'll give you a hint...in 140 characters or less...

Going to the Dogs

2011-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

mood: strong
pandora/ipod: "fighter" by christina aguilera

This week on the YARebels we're giving thanks! For me, it comes in the form of an adorable white puppy...

Bookanistas Reviews!

2011-11-17T08:44:00.000-08:00

Check out the fantastic reviews this week!

Elana Johnson gives a standing ovation for VIRTUOSITY
Shannon Messenger talks up THE PLEDGE - with a giveaway
LiLa Roecker pines for THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS
Corrine Jackson falls for UNDER THE NEVER SKY
Veronica Roth screams for THE NEAR WITCH
Nikki Katz praises LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR
Katy Upperman reccommends THE PLEDGE
Beth Revis interviews and has a giveaway for a signed copy of CROSSED by Ally Condie

New York! New York!

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

mood: vacation mode
pandora/ipod: "new york, new york" from on the town

New York, New York
It's a helluva town.
The Bronx is up
And the Battery's down.
The people ride in a hole in the ground.

Yep. And I'll be there. Tomorrow.

I've got FOUR in-store appearances lined up in the greater New York area with Stages on Pages. Here are the deets:

Thursday 10 NOVEMBER - Books of Wonder, NYC, 6-8 pm
Gretchen McNeil, Sheela Chari, Rosanne Parry, Stasia Kehoe, Jessica Martinez, Elise Allen with special guests Barbara Dee & Sophie Flack

Friday 11 NOVEMBER - The Voracious Reader, Larchmont, NY at 6 pm
Gretchen McNeil, Sheela Chari, Rosanne Parry, Stasia Kehoe, Jessica Martinez, Elise Allen

Saturday 12 NOVEMBER - Dolphin Bookshop, Port Washington, NY at 4 pm
Gretchen McNeil, Sheela Chari, Stasia Kehoe, Jessica Martinez, Elise Allen

Sunday 13 NOVEMBER - Oblong Books, Rhinebeck at 4 pm
Gretchen McNeil, Sheela Chari, Rosanne Parry, Stasia Kehoe, Jessica Martinez

In addition to discussions about the performing arts in YA literature, there will also be musical performances *cough*I'm singing*cough* and participation by local youth arts groups. I mean, how cool is that?

If you're in the area, please come out and say "Hi!" I'll love you forever. :)

You were right, Leonard Bernstein - New York, New York! It's a helluva town!

Scavenger Hunt! Deleted Scene from POSSESS!

2011-10-31T10:00:00.000-07:00

This is the original version of Bridget's babysitting flashback scene from POSSESS, dating back to when the manuscript was entitled BANISH. It was shortened and condensed in the final version, but this is the expanded version of how Bridget first became aware of her exorcism abilities.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~

The stiff leather creaked under her weight as Bridget plopped down on the sofa and grabbed the remote control.

Finally! She thought the twins would never go to sleep. There are only so many times a girl can read Curious George Goes to the Hospital aloud before her brain starts to turn to mush.

The display on the DVD player read nine o'clock which meant she had at least two glorious hours of uninterrupted TV time in front of the Fergusons' forty-eight inch plasma: no wrestling with Sammy for the remote, no fighting with her mom over her choice of shows. If she wanted to rot her brain with a Cribs marathon there was no one to tell her otherwise. Damn, babysitting nights were the best.

Vanilla ice cream, check. Diet 7-UP, check. She clicked the power button and the screen flickered to life, bouncing its dullish blue glow across bookcases, coffee table and sensible Berber carpet. Commence channel surfing in three...two...one...
Bridget only made it two pages through the on screen channel guide before the sound of footsteps froze her thumb above the scroll button.

At first, Bridget thought it was one of the twins. But the steps were plodding, heavy and echoed out from the upstairs hall like boots were marching down the parquet floors. Clop. Clop. Clop. Definitely not the patter of bare feet. Maybe the twins were playing dress up in a pair of dad's shoes?

"Danny?" she called, her voice more casual than she felt.

Clop. Clop. Clop. They were coming down the stairs now.

"Manny?"

No response, just steady footsteps. They reached the bottom of the stairs and came down the hall towards the living room. Steady, unhurried.

Bridget's stomach backflipped. Holy shit. There was someone else in the house.
She slid her legs to the floor, cursing the creaky sofa, and tried to keep her voice steady. Maybe she could fake out the intruder. "Funny, guys. Go back to bed." She tiptoed over to the fireplace and carefully pulled the metal poker out of the stand. "Your parents will be home any second and they're going to be pissed if you're still awake."

The footsteps grew louder, stronger, so forceful she could feel their vibrations through the floor. They were almost to the living room, and Bridget positioned herself behind the door, poker raised over her head like she knew how to use it.

How the hell did someone get into the house? She saw Mr. Ferguson set the security system himself when he'd left and an intruder would have sent the alarm off.

Unless he was already in the house.

Okay, don't panic. The phone's in the kitchen. Just hit him as hard as you can and run for it.

A shadow slid across the floor, black and massive. Definitely not the twins. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit. Bridget held her breath and tried to control the fear welling up inside.

The footsteps reached the door then stopped. Did he know she was waiting for him? Bridget strained her ears, listening for the sound of his breathing. Silence. She waited an eternity. Her arms ached as she held the poker overhead and blood pounded in her ears. Just as her arm muscles were about to give way, the shadow withdrew and the steps retreated down the hallway. Where was he going?

Bridget bit her lip and peeked around the living room door. The light in the hallway was on, illuminating its full length, but there was no one there. Huh?

She crept out of the room expecting at any moment for Jason or Freddy to come at her with an array of cutlery that would make the Iron Chef drool.

"Don't be silly, Bridge," she told herself. "If it's a real serial killer, he'll probably just strangle you then wear your flesh like a second skin."

Bridget groaned. Goddamn horror movies were biting her in the ass now.

The footsteps continued up the stairs, she could hear each step straining under the weight of an invisible body.

Hear, but not see. What the hell was going on?

A door slammed from upstairs, then the silence of the house was pierced by the terrified screams of Danny and Manny Ferguson.

Poker in hand, Bridget sprinted up the stairs to the twins' room. Their door was closed. She dropped the poker and gripped the handle with both hands but it wouldn't turn.

"Mommy! Mommy!"

Bridget pounded on the door. "Guys, it's me. Open up!"

All she got was more screaming.

"Danny, listen to me," she pleaded to the more level-headed of the seven-year-olds. "Open the door."

The door flew open so violently that it knocked her to the floor. Her skull smacked into the wall and for a moment bright flashes danced before her eyes. As she crumpled to her knees, Bridget caught sight of the twins through the open door, huddled together on the floor in the corner of their room.

"Guys, run!" she yelled. Too late. A cacophony of slamming doors filled the hallway and Bridget froze in horror: every door in the house was opening and closing of its volition.

They needed to get the hell out of the house. Like now. Bridget scrambled to her feet and sprinted into the twins' room between cycles of the door. She grabbed the boys with each hand and hauled them up, ready to make a beeline out of the house. Whatever was in the house with them wouldn't be scared off by a babysitter wielding a poker, that was for damn sure.

The bedroom door slammed shut before she could drag the hysterical twins out of the room. As quickly as it started, the slamming doors stopped and the house fell silent.

Then the closet door slowly creaked open.

"He's here," the twins said in unison.

Bridget sensed a presence in the room. She pushed the boys behind her and turned to face it.

An imposing black mass filled the entire closet from floor to ceiling. It seemed to be made of shadows and darkness, sucking light, energy and hope right out of the room. It seethed, growing larger and smaller as if taking deep breaths, yet it made no sound.

She backed up to the wall, keeping the twins behind her. Holy Mary Mother of God this could not be good. She had to be dreaming, right? This couldn't be happening.

Muffled animal sounds filled the room. Snorts, brays, howls. They seemed to come from the house itself, from the walls and the ceiling and up through the floorboards all at the same time. The mass glided forward, blocking the door and Bridget could sense its hate. Dark, focused hatred.

The room began to pitch and Bridget was swamped with an overwhelming sense of dizziness. She staggered and placed a hand on the wall to steady herself.
Then she heard them.

"There's no escape from us. There's no escape. We own it. We own this place. We were summoned and we won't go back."

"Back where?" Bridget asked.

She felt a collective gasp, a hundred people inhaling at once.

"She hears us."

"No she doesn't. She cannot."

"She does. Look at her."

"Impossible! The Master protects us. They cannot hear us unless we take their voice."

"I can hear you," Bridget said.

This time the voices in the wall shrieked like they'd just been set on fire.

"No, no, no, no, no, no!" they all screamed at once. Then gibberish filled her ears as the voices broke into a language she didn't understand. The black mass wavered.

It had to be a hallucination. Maybe they all had food poisoning? Food poisoning from pepperoni pizza. Sure, why not? It was the only way it made sense.

Bridget took her hand off the wall to brush a strand of hair from her face. As soon as her palm left its rough, stuccoed surface, the voices stopped. She held her hand an inch from the wall and could hear them again, muffled in the background.

The sensation of pointed evil abated and Bridget couldn't help but feel like her ability to hear the voices somehow disturbed the entities. They were scared of her. That was a new one.

Psychotic episode or not, she needed to get the boys out of the house and for whatever reason, the entities and the black mass was afraid of her. Maybe she could use that? Setting her jaw, Bridget placed her palm flat against the wall.

The voices were still speaking nonsense, louder now, arguing amongst themselves. They seemed less terrifying when she pictured them as bickering old church ladies. The thought actually made her smile and gave her the courage to speak.

"Get out," she said. Her voice was shaky.

"It is speaking to us? Is the Watcher speaking to us?"

"Get out of this house." Her voice sounded strong even if she felt like she was going to ralph her vanilla ice cream all over the rug.

"We don't listen to you."

"We don't listen to her."

"We do what the Master tells us."

"We were summoned. The Master wants us here."

"Well, I don't want you here."

"Bridge?" Danny (or was it Manny?) sniffed.

"It's okay, boys. It's going to be okay."

"This is our home now."

"Don't talk to her. The Master wouldn't like it."

"I want Mommy," the other said.

Bridget inched towards the door, keeping one hand on the wall while she herded the twins with the other. "Leave us alone."

The black mass shrank into the closet. "We'll never leave. Never, never, never."

Bridget's hand was on the doorknob. "Let us out of this room."

"We won't! We won't! We won't!"

"Now!"

With another painful shriek from the voices, the bedroom door swung open. Somehow, Bridget had power over them.

She shepherded the boys towards the door. "Get out. Get out of this house."

"How are you here?"

"How did you know?"

"We only obey the Master."

"Her words burn like the white flame."

Bridget planted her feet on the floor and clenched her fists. "Get out of here!"

The house moaned in pain. The lights in the hallway flickered and the voices in the walls let out a soul-wrenching wail.

And then all was still.

Bookanistas Links Plus COVER REVEAL!!!!

2011-10-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: intrigued
pandora/ipod: "here's where the story ends" by the sundays

No, not my cover reveal (patience, my precious) but Elana Johnson is finally able to reveal her cover for SURRENDER! Link below, baby. And make sure to check out all the Bookanistas reviews this week!

Elana Johnson REVEALS something awesome!!!

LiLa Roecker announces a winner - plus a Past Midnight series giveaway

Christine Fonseca reveals books she cannot wait to read

Beth Revis interviews My Very UnFairytale Life author Anna Staniszewski

Shannon Whitney Messenger interviews Skyship Academy-Pearl Wars author Nick James & agent Jennifer Rofe – with giveaway

Jessi Kirby twirls for Audition

Shana Silver burns for Circle of Fire

Carrie Harris devours Deadly

Stasia Ward Kehoe travels to The Day Before

And the Winner Is...

2011-10-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

We had SO many amazing entries into the Nightshade Chronicles giveaway! I literally made a list of all the fantastic animal books, and I can't wait to reread a bunch of them.

But there can only be one winner, and this time it's:

Maria! (tirachii)

I'll email you for your address and get both NIGHTSHADE CITY and THE WHITE ASSASSIN off to you in the mail. Congratulations and thanks for entering!!!!!

GIVEAWAY! Nightshade Chronicles by Hilary Wagner!

2011-10-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

mood: ratty
pandora/ipod: "1999" by prince

As part of the blog tour for the release of THE WHITE ASSASSIN (Nightshade Chronicles, Book 2) by my dear friend Hilary Wagner, I'm giving away both books in the series: NIGHTSHADE CITY and THE WHITE ASSASSIN. Wanna win? Keep reading!

So you may not know this about me, but I love middle grade books. Always have. And the more adventure-oriented, the better! Add some anthropomorphism in there and BOOM! Instant favorite.

From fables to Grimm to THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS and THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, I've always loved books about talking animals. Movies, too. My favorite Disney cartoons as a kid were always more Robin Hood and The Rescuers than Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. Even in high school, one of my favorite assigned reads was WATERSHIP DOWN, where Richard Addams creates such a vividly human world amongst rabbits.

The Nightshade Chronicles are a perfect addition to this legacy. Billycan is a sinister villain, Juniper, the perfect hero. Intrigue, action, plots and a further exploration of the underground catacombs and far-reaching environs of Nightshade City - Hilary's books create an amazingly rich world. I zipped through NIGHTSHADE CITY last year (like in a day - I couldn't put it down!!!) and will be zipping through THE WHITE ASSASSIN as soon as I can...

...and before I give away my copy!!!

Want to win? (Seriously, you do. Trust me). Here's how!

Just comment below naming your favorite animal story (book, movie, television). One entry per person. One winner announced Monday will get both books!

WOO HOO!

Stages on Pages is Live!

2011-10-18T08:34:00.000-07:00

mood: musical
pandora/ipod: "another opening another show" from kiss me kate

The Stages on Pages Tour kicks off THIS THURSDAY with the southern California swing featuring Stasia Kehoe (AUDITION), Allen Zadoff (MY LIFE, THE THEATER AND OTHER TRAGEDIES), Elise Allen (POPULAZZI) and yours truly! We'll be talking about our lives in the performing arts, both as teens and adults, how the performing arts has influenced our writing, and even doing a few impromptu performances (yeah, you know you want to hear me sing.)

After the SoCal swing, there will be stops in both the Pacific Northwest (sans me, unfortunately) and the New York City area (with me, yay!) You can find the full tour schedule here!

These will be my last in-store book events for 2011!

Grab Bag Monday

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood:goofy
pandora/ipod: "unaccompanied cello suite, no. 1, prelude" by bach, played by yo-yo ma

Couple of miscellaneous things this Monday! First, I've got three in-store events coming up in the Los Angeles area this week as part of Stages on Pages.

Thursday 20 OCTOBER - Mrs. Nelson's, La Verne at 5 pm
Gretchen McNeil, Stasia Kehoe - with special guest Elise Allen

Saturday 22 OCTOBER - B&N Manhattan Beach at 2 pm
Allen Zadoff, Gretchen McNeil, Stasia Kehoe

Sunday 23 OCTOBER - Vroman's, Pasadena at 2 pm
Allen Zadoff, Gretchen McNeil, Stasia Kehoe - with special guest Elise Allen

We'll be discussing YA and the performing arts, and if you're lucky I might even sing! Or, if you're unlucky. Kinda depends. :D

Next up, my friend and fellow Apocalypsie Suzanne Lazear is debuting the cover for her 2012 steampunk debut INNOCENT DARKNESS (Flux, Spring 2012). It's awesome!

Lastly, I got early cover art for TEN last week. I can't share it with you yet, but let me tell you - once again the folks at Balzer + Bray and HarperCollins have totally and completely nailed the creep factor with their cover art. I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

Halloween Interview and Giveaway!

2011-10-14T08:45:00.000-07:00

Innovation Nation

2011-10-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

mood: quizzical
pandora/ipod: bizet's symphony no. 1, stokowski conducting

Contemporary
Fantasy
Urban Fantasy
High Fantasy
Paranormal
Magical Realism
Sci-Fi
Historical
Horror
Steampunk
Dystopian
Adventure
Post-Apocalyptic
Mystery
Romance
Chick Lit

I could go on and on. Seriously.

The options in fiction - both children's and adult - are endless. Each one of the above examples has a dozen or more sub-genres, plus the inevitable genre mashups...

Seriously, who's writing a steampunk sci-fi chick lit novel right now? That could be HAWT.

Which brings me to my point. I've been talking with a lot of my writer friends (primarily YA writers) about the pressure - if any - they feel to be on the cutting edge of a genre, as opposed to writing for the current market. For example, dystopian novels are hot, but I hear constantly from editors and agents that they're not interested in seeing more submissions in that genre because they're overloaded. That's the market affecting the writing. Alternately, that steampunk sci-fi chick lit novel might be the ONLY one of it's kind making the agent and editor rounds. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Reactions are mixed. Some of my writer friends are definitely choosing genres that aren't as popular right now, avoiding labels such as "paranormal" and "dystopian." Others write what they want, regardless of what's "hot" because, let's face it, but the time the book actually comes out who knows what the trend will be?

From my perspective, when I wrote POSSESS I intentionally chose a subject matter (exorcism) that hadn't really been "done." The horror elements sort of came naturally, a result of both the subject matter and my strengths as a writer.

TEN was kind of the same thing - my publisher loved what I did with the scary elements in POSSESS and wanted more of it, with or without supernatural elements. Ten teens trapped on an island with a serial killer has definitely been "done" in books, film, television, etc. But when I tell people about it, they still get excited.

But there are a lot of books out there - on the shelves, in the pipeline, on editors and agents desks. YA, in general, is exploding with new books every week. SO MANY NEW BOOKS!!!! How do you stand out? How do you get noticed? Do you write the steampunk sci-fi chick lit novel on purpose because it might be the next breakout genre? Or do you write the steampunk sci-fi chick lit novel because it's the one that screams out in your brain, "Write me! Write me!"

I guess for me, I do both - I write what I like, I write what I'm good at, but I keep an eye on the market to whatever extent that's possible.

How about the rest of you?

Appearance Reminder! LA Launch Event!!!

2011-10-06T09:13:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder, my Los Angeles book launch event for POSSESS is this Sunday, October 9th!!!!

Deets:

Sunday, October 9

3pm

Diesel Bookstore in the Brentwood Country Mart

225 26th Street, Suite 33

Santa Monica, CA 90402

Hope to see you there!!!!

18 Weeks

2011-10-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

mood: unbelieving

pandora/ipod: "impossible dream" from the man of la mancha

18 Weeks.

Four and a half months.

126 days.

A lot can happen in 18 weeks.

On May 13, 2011 - that was Friday the 13th, just FYI - my amazing, supportive, extremely trusting publisher Balzer + Bray bought another book from me. It was sold on proposal, a first for this author, which meant that the novel hadn't been written yet.

One caveat - they wanted the novel for Fall 2012. Which meant they needed the book in copyedits by the first week of October. Which meant I needed to turn in a first draft by August 1st.

"Insanity."

"You're supposed to do what?"

"You're going to need more booze."

Those were just some of the reactions from friends when I told them I was going to write a novel in 10 weeks. Well, write and revise, which meant I really had about 8 weeks to write the damn thing if I wanted to get any feedback at all before I sent it to my editor.

Ha. Hahahahaha.

There were many moments where I was convinced I couldn't do it. Um, like everyday. There were tears. There was panic. There were even a few days where I contemplated giving up entirely.

But I didn't.

Of course, I didn't do it alone. For every quick revision turnaround I had to hit, my editor was on the same tight schedule. She gave up nights and weekends, even vacation time to get me notes when I needed them. She was as much under the gun as I was, and she rocked it.

My agent lived up to her nickname: Rockstar. She was equal parts cheerleader and advisor, and every time I thought I couldn't do it, she was ready with a pep talk or a pat on the head. I'd be curled up in the fetal position muttering to myself without her.

And let's not forget my readers. HOLY SHIZNIT, BATMAN! Not only did they line up to read this trainwreck of a first draft, not only did they get me amazing notes that literally salvaged this manuscript, but they did it all - to a man and woman - in a week. Yes, a week. I didn't have any more time than that. I was blown away by the commitment and support they gave me. They saved my ass. They'll all get props in the Acknowledgments, but for now, I owe my sanity to:

Laurel Jones
Amy Bai
Christine Fonseca
Roy Firestone
Mark Uhlemann
Rachel Hunter
Carrie Harris
Lisa and Laura Roecker
Jennifer Bosworth
Jennifer Donahue

and Scott Tracey who insisted I write the thing in the first place.

There were the friends who offered a shoulder to whine on and a happy hour to drink at, and of course my dear, darling mother who came down and stayed with me for extended periods merely to make meals and walk the dog while I tried to juggle an insane writing schedule and a full time job.

See? Writing is a village. I could not have written TEN without all of this help.

TEN is off to copyedits as of today. Looking back on the last 18 weeks, I can't believe I actually did it. More over, I think TEN is kind of awesome - a scary, tense serial killer novel incorporating my love of suspense and surprise with a decent mystery twist. Cover art, ARCs and of course the final product will all be trickling out in the next year but for now, all I care about is this...

I did it.

TEN Teaser!

2011-09-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

mood: mad swagger
pandora/ipod: "just fine" by mary j. blige

So as you know, I've been working my a$$ off on TEN. We're in the last days of revisions before it goes off to copyedits (SQUEE!) which also means that I'll probably be seeing some cover art soon (DOUBLE SQUEE!)

And since I've been the world's worst blogger of late, I thought it might be fun to post a teeny TEN teaser on the traditional Teaser Tuesday. (Could I have gotten any more "T" words in there? I think not.)

I don't think I'm giving anything away here, since the premise for TEN is "ten teens trapped on an island with a serial killer." Obviously, there's going to be a body count. And I chose this sequence because I think it really reflects the creepy, dark tone of the book. So...enjoy!

A roar of wind rattled every window in the garret and the rain lashed at the glass so fiercely it sounded as if someone had thrown a handful of pebbles at the side of the house. The light filtering through the white gauze curtains was muted and dull, and Meg's first thought as she squinted her eyes open was that the storm must have raged all night without letting up. Judging by the wind and the rain, they were in for another dark, damp day on Henry Island. Typical.

She shivered and pulled the quilt up around her ears. Damn, the house was freezing. Had someone turned off the heat? She rolled on her side to check the time on the alarm clock but the digital face was completely blank. No wonder it was so freaking cold in the house. The storm must have knocked out the power during the night. No power, no heat, no satellite. Yeah, they needed to catch the first boat out of there.

Meg listened for other noises in the house, but there was only the sound of Minnie's rhythmic breathing. She lay there for a moment, eyes squeezed shut against the encroaching daylight, and wondered if she should get up and tell someone about the power outage. Eh, what could they do? No point in leaving a warm bed. She snuggled down under her covers, hoping she'd drift back off to sleep.

Except she had to pee. Small bladder and too much beer. She swung her legs over the bed and tested her toes on the frigid floor, silently cursing her decision not to pack slippers. With the giant comforter wrapped around her, Meg tiptoed across the garret and down the stairs.

There was a slight breeze in the open stairwell of the tower that sent a chill racing down Meg's neck. She hitched the comforter up over her head – sympathizing suddenly with Eskimos, mummies, and women in burkas – and quickened her pace.

Pat, pat, pat. The sound of her bare feet was distant and fuzzy as it permeated the layers of thick down wrapped around her head. Her toes were so cold she could barely feel the smooth wood of the stairs, and the comforter cocoon was like having blinders on: she could only see a small oval right in front of her. She moved as quickly as her bulky wrap would allow, praying she didn’t trip and send herself careening down the stairs or worse, over the railing. That fall would certainly end in a broken neck.

Why was she always thinking of the most morbid scenarios? Sheesh. Just go down to the bathroom then back to a warm, comfy bed.

Pat, pat, pat.

Creeeeeak.

Meg paused. Was that the sound of the stairs creaking? It sounded like it came from somewhere above her. Maybe the old house was straining against the storm? She rounded the corner and started down to the second floor when she heard it again.

Creeeeeeak. A shadow on the white wall of the tower caught her eye. There was something odd about it, something familiar and yet there shouldn’t be a shadow on that wall. The windows in the tower didn’t have any curtains, nothing to cast a shadow. Meg stared at it for a second and noticed the shadow was moving, swaying slowly from left to right.

Creeeeeak.

Meg froze, her eyes locked on the shadow. The heavy form, oblong and amorphic except for the dangling appendages…

Legs. Holy crap, they were legs.

Meg turned her head and came eye-to-eye with a face hanging in the stairwell. The noose around the neck. The purplish-blue hue to the skin.

Meg opened her mouth and screamed.

Add TEN on Goodreads!

Appearance Reminder! San Francisco Launch Event!

2011-09-20T08:47:00.001-07:00

I know it feels like all I post on the blog anymore are appearance reminders. Honestly, I've been up to my ears in revisions with really tight deadlines, so the blog is - as usual - one of the first time commitments I cut.

But we're almost there. TEN will be officially off my plate in about two weeks, and then I'll have more free time. WOO HOO! PAR-TAY!

In the meantime, I'm having my official San Francisco Launch Event for POSSESS tomorrow, Wednesday, September 21st at 7:00pm at the Books, Inc. at the Opera Plaza. How appropriate is that, huh?

I'll be reading from POSSESS and signing copies, with a meet and greet afterward. If you come out PLEASE make sure you say, "Hi!" I love meeting all of you.

PAR-TAY!

Appearance Reminder!!!!

2011-09-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

I'll be doing my FIRST EVER BOOK SIGNING - cue head exploding - this Sunday, September 11th at 2pm, at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore in San Diego.

I'll be reading from the book and doing a Q&A so if you've ever wanted to...I don't know, ask about the circus? This is your chance!

I'm slightly nervous. Okay, more than slightly nervous. And worried it'll be me and like three friends sitting around for an hour staring at each other in embarrassment. Heh.

Anyway, if come down for the signing, please introduce yourself! Would love to see you there!

Upcoming Appearances:

Tuesday, September 13th, 3:30pm - Belmont Library, Belmont, CA

Tuesday, September 13th, 7:00pm - Foster City Library, Foster City, CA

Wednesday, September 21st, 7:00pm - San Francisco Launch Party, Books, Inc. Opera Plaza

Sunday, October 9th, 3:00pm - Los Angeles Launch Party, Diesel Bookstore, Santa Monica

It was just an ordinary day...

2011-09-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: rejuvenated
pandora/ipod: "hot in the city" by billy idol

I took an extended blog-cation post POSSESS release. I had to finish up the first round of revisions on TEN and, you know, sleep. Or something. What is sleep, by the way?

Anyway...

I took the opportunity, however, to finally edit my release day hunt to find POSSESS in the wild! Basically, it's a big thank you, and a big hurrah, and a big...well, montage.

Because I really like montages.

If you haven't noticed. :)

Release Day Hangover

2011-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

mood: zzzzzz
pandora/ipod: zzzzzz

I'm still recovering from the craziness of Release Day. Release Week. Release Zone.

That sounds kinda dirty.

Anyway, while I gather my thoughts for some kind of groundbreaking recap post early next week, I'm posting my YARebels 2.0 intro vlog from Monday just for kicks. And because I love the dress I'm wearing.

Also, there are lots of shoes.

*muah*

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 23

2011-08-23T00:01:00.000-07:00

mood: strangely calm
pandora/ipod: "today" by smashing pumpkins

So.

Here we are.

My release day.

Wow.

:)

I know, I know. All you care about is who won the Scavenger Hunt giveaway. Hee hee.

First off, I had an overwhelming response to this contest. I can only credit that to the awesome authors I included in the giveaway. So thank you ALL for participating. I hope you enjoyed it?

Officially there ended up being 35 tattoo links to find. It kind of kept growing over the week, but that's my official count based on the participating authors and bloggers who sent me there links. Several authors found that number, or close to it. So I had to resort to random.org to choose the winners.

*drumroll*

The winner of the FIRST PLACE prize (16x24 box framed wall art of the POSSESS cover, a signed copy of POSSESS and a custom silver charm) - RACQUEL (thegreatest_aeariana...)

The winner of the SECOND PLACE prize (a signed copy of POSSESS and a custom silver charm) - LISA S (mssammydean...)

The winner of the THIRD PLACE prize (2012 debut ARCS of EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton and SLIDE by Jill Hathaway) - MARISSA (nbmanga...)

The winner of the FOURTH PLACE prize (2011 ARCS of FROST by Marianna Baer and VANISH by Sophie Jordan) - TEZZA VALEROS

Winners, I'll be contacting you via email. Everyone else, be sure to check back! I'll be doing more giveaways in the coming weeks!!!!

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 22

2011-08-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

mood: grateful
pandora/ipod: "telephone" by lady gaga

POSSESS is on sale tomorrow. It's completely insane. INSANE, I TELL YOU!!!!
So on the eve of publication, I thought I'd take the opportunity to thank all the people who made this book possible. And what better way to do that than to share with you...

...my Acknowledgments!

To Ginger Clark, my fearless, amazing, ballsy agent. She's been a friend and ally, and she's never given up on me. I count myself lucky to be one of her clients.

To Kristin Daly Rens, my wonderful editor, who understood this novel from the get-go, whose notes and vision totally resonated with me, and who loves Bridget as much as I do. Again, I'm a lucky girl.

To the entire Balzer + Bray and HarperCollins team who have been so supportive throughout this process: Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray, Sara Sargeant, designers Sarah Hoy and Amy Ryan, copyeditors Kathryn Silsand and Laaren Brown, Emilie Ziemer and Megan Sugrue in Marketing, and Allison Verost in Publicity.

To the fabulous Holly Frederick and Dave Barbor at Curtis Brown, Ltd. who have worked tirelessly on behalf of this novel.

To my expansive support network of Inkies, Hopefuls, Purgies, Apocalypsies and Bookanistas, especially Cindy Pon, Sarah Eve Kelly, Chandler Craig, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Deborah Gray, Wendy Cebula, Emily Kokie, Amy Dachtler, Yadira Taylor, Jake Gilchrist, Rachanee Srisavasdi, Tara Campomenosi and Jessica Morgan. And of course, my comrades-in-arms, YARebels Jen Hayley, Leah Clifford, Scott Tracey, Victoria Schwab, Hannah Moskowitz and Karsten Knight.

To a group of readers whose collected awesomeness surpassed all expectations – Jen Hayley (again), Courtney Allison Moulton, Amy Bai, Debra Driza, Mónica Bustamante Wagner, Jennifer Donahue, Sue Laybourn, ChristaCarol Jones, Nadine Nettmann, Juliette Dominguez, Rebecca Burrell, L.K. Herndon, Tracey Martin, Bryn Greenwood, Lisa Brackmann, Laurel Hoctor Jones, Shveta Thakrar, Karen Latham, P.J. Hoover, Kiki Hamilton, Keely Parrack, Holly West, Jill Myles, Rachel Hunter, Kitty Chiu and Mark Uhlemann, who also gets some credit for the title.

To the amazing Pixie Spindel of Pixie Vision Productions who made magic happen with that author photo.

To my "other" family at Cirque Berzerk who have been endlessly enthusiastic about my "other" artistic endeavor. Rock on.

To Carrie Policella, boss and friend, who always turned a blind eye when I was writing on the clock.

To Roy Firestone, my brother from another mother, without whom I would surely be completely insane. He's my rock, my sounding board, my dog sitter, my happy hour partner, my reality check, my cheerleader and clearly the best friend a girl ever had.

To Peggy McNeil, my mom, who raised me to believe that I could do and be anything I wanted. I'm not sure she was thinking "opera singer circus performer writer" at the time, but it all worked out.

Much love.

I could not have gotten this book to publication without all of these glorious folks, and more. I've had so much support over the last year that it's really inexpressible.

No author is a solo act. It's something I never want to forget.

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 19

2011-08-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

mood: shakey
pandora/ipod: "eternal flame" by the bangles

Am I only dreaming? Or is this burning an eternal flame???

Hee.

That's how I felt when I saw these: THE FIRST PHOTOS OF POSSESS IN THE WILD!!!!

From Books-a-Million in South Carolina, courtesy of Jeremy West

From Books-a-Million in Virginia, courtesy of Jodi Meadows

Reminder, there's still time to win a SIGNED COPY OF POSSESS! Take a photo of it on a bookstore shelf and post the link in the comments!!!!!

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 18 - WITCH EYES!

2011-08-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

Instead of a countdown post, I'm bringing you my Bookanistas review of WITCH EYES, by my good friend Scott Tracey.

I'd like to point out that though we are friends, this in no way influcenced my interview. Realistically, Scott lives 2500 miles away from me and doesn't have a car, so the odds of him being able to kick my ass over a bad review are slim-to-none.

Thankfully, I freaking loved it.

Anyway, here's the "official" Goodreads part...

Braden was born with witch eyes: the ability to see the world as it truly is: a blinding explosion of memories, darkness, and magic. The power enables Braden to see through spells and lies, but at the cost of horrible pain.

After a terrifying vision reveals imminent danger for the uncle who raised and instructed him, Braden retreats to Belle Dam, an old city divided by two feuding witch dynasties. As rival family heads Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe desperately try to use Braden's powers to unlock Belle Dam's secrets, Braden vows never to become their sacrificial pawn. But everything changes when Braden learns that Jason is his father--and Trey, the enigmatic guy he's falling for, is Catherine's son.

To stop an insidious dark magic from consuming the town, Braden must master his gift—and risk losing the one he loves.

Again, predisposed to adore a gay love story with shades of Romeo and Juliet? Yeah. Win.

But add to that the fact that Scott's written an old school paranormal novel and I was hooked. What do I mean by "old school"? This book is gritty, with a kind of shadowy, magical society world that really grabbed me. Right off the bat, we're establishing "old school" magic with binding circles and spells, more Druid than Harry Potter. There's a darkness to the whole mythology that really appealed to me. Even Braden's gift/curse - his all-seeing witch eyes - aren't exactly the kind of sugar-coated power I'd wish for. Nausea, migraines, bloody noses are just par for the course for Braden.

A blessing and a curse. The power that defines him is the power everyone is after. We quickly realize that Braden is a pawn, coveted by both sides of this centuries old war between witch families. But he's a strong one, our Braden. Strong enough to leave home and follow a vision. Strong enough to stand up for himself, to not take much at face value, to protect himself and his loved ones. Strong enough to fight for what he wants. All with a veneer of wit and sass that I always find entertaining.

Braden and I would have been BFFs. Just sayin'.

I'm trying to keep this review free of spoilers. You have to with WITCH EYES because it'll ruin it for you otherwise.

So let's talk about the world, shall we? Belle Dam, the town in Washington that calls to Braden in his visions, is a character itself. A vision of suburban life, the town crawls with creepiness and secrets, it's festivals and it's ghost stories all take on new meaning. I felt like I'd been dropped into an episode of Twin Peaks where the atmosphere of location does so much to enhance the story.

The story. Mystery and paranormal, new-kid-in-town and romance, WITCH EYES has an excellent balance of the tropes I love with new twists and turns that kept me guessing. Plus hot, slighty douchey at times bad boy Trey whom, I'd not ashamed to admit, is exactly the kind of guy that I'm drawn to.

Oh yes, the tree scene. Smokin'. Just dripping with sexual tension.

Sorry, I'm focused.

Scott wrote a gorgeous, sensual novel with enough wit and bite to appease even the most die hard urban fantasy fans. I'm desperate for the sequel, and you will be, too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WE INTERRUPT THIS BOOKANISTA BROADCAST…to celebrate WRITE ON CON! For some fun writer insights and pep talks, click along to…

Christine Fonseca , Beth Revis , Jessi Kirby and Stasia Ward Kehoe

And, we know you MUST have your Thursday Bookanista reviews so here you go!

Veronica Rossi loves Legend

Shana Silver serves up a Maureen Johnson double feature of The Last Little Blue Envelope & The Name of the Star

Scott Tracey is awed by Anna Dressed in Blood

Bethany Wiggins howls over How to Take the Ex Out of Ex-Boyfriend

Carrie Harris is in a frenzy over Stupid Fast

Carolina Valdez Miller and Shelli Johannes-Wells are passionate about Possess

Matt Blackstone blogs From Bedside

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 16

2011-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: yawny, not yanni
pandora/ipod: "you're so vain" by carly simon

I'm getting tired of the sound of my own voice.

Hey, I can hear you laughing.

Okay, not the sound of my own voice technically, but definitely the sound of my own typed out words spreading like a blanket of herpes glitter over the Interwebz: Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Blogger. I feel like Norma Desmond, trying to convince Mr. DeMille that she is, in fact, still relevant and ready for her close up.

That reference might just have ensured that I'm not relevant. But whatever.

Self-promotion seems to be de rigueur these days in publishing. In addition to your publisher - your editorial and publicity and marketing teams working on your behalf - most of us authors are expected, if not required, to do a decent amount of self-promotion.

We go from creative artists to marketing machines during the last six months of pre-publication. We mastermind grassroots campaigns, enlist family and friends, create our own swag, connect with local booksellers, blog, vlog and tweet our way across the world wide web. We run contests, set up giveaways, participate in as many blog tours as is humanly possible. We ;), we <3, we *flail*. And we approach the whole process with varying degrees of enjoyment and loathing. But we do it. Why? Because we know, deep down, that we are partially responsible for the success or failure of our books.

Okay, that may or may not be true, and I'm not going to get into a discussion on self-promotion and it's effect on sales, but what's important to the author is that we believe we have some influence over the process.

It's a labor of love, for the most part. But there's also a tremendous amount of pressure. If I didn't spend this month before the release of POSSESS doing everything I can think of to help get the word out, I would always look back at this time with regret. That drives me on.

Still, I'm acutely aware that self-promotion walks a fine line between "awesome" and "annoying." There's too much, and there's not enough, and somewhere in between is the sweet spot where you're promoting and celebrating your book without alienating, oh, everyone who comes into contact with you because you can't do anything other than talk about yourself.

I worry incessantly about crossing the line into this territory, and this month's Countdown to #getPOSSESS has walked dangerously close to "annoying."

So for those of you who have stuck with me, I thank you. And for those of you who might want to punch me in the face, I apologize. :)

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 15

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: insane
pandora/ipod: "insane in the membrane" by cypress hill

That's right, TWO CONTESTS! As I posted on Day 10, the first three people who post a photo of POSSESS in the wild (at a bookstore) will win a signed copy!

Meanwhile, it's a POSSESS scavenger hunt! Authors, bloggers, and whatnot are participating across the internet, posting photos on their blogs and Twitter feeds of themselves and/or their loved ones wearing the POSSESS tattoo! Collect links and win!

Here's what you do:

1. Collect photos of POSSESS tattoos.

2. Email them to me at gretchen (dot) mcneil (at) gmail.com by noon PST Monday, August 22nd.

3. Whoever gets the most, wins!

And what can you win?

FIRST PLACE: 16x24 box framed wall art of the POSSESS cover, a signed copy of POSSESS and a custom silver charm

SECOND PLACE: a signed copy of POSSESS and a custom silver charm

THIRD PLACE: 2012 debut ARCS of EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton and SLIDE by Jill Hathaway

FOURTH PLACE: 2011 ARCS of FROST by Marianna Baer and VANISH by Sophie Jordan!

Happy hunting!

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 11

2011-08-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

mood: head spinny
pandora/ipod: "time to change" by the brady bunch

Holy crap.

Remember last week when I told you about our YARebels auditions for new members? Yeah, well 41 auditions later and we're all completely blown away by the response. Holy crap! SO MANY AMAZING AUDITIONS!!!!

My mind - it is blown.

Now the decision-making process begins. It's not just about who filmed the best vlog, but how styles and make up effect the group as a whole. Honestly? I have no idea how we're going to decide. I feel like at least half these people are more interesting vloggers than I am!

Want to weigh in on the decision? You can see all 41 auditions here. Opinions are always welcome so go watch and comment on your faves!

Decision probably coming early next week. Stay tuned...

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 10

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: edgy
pandora/ipod: "spiderwebs" by no doubt

CONTEST!

So apparently copies of POSSESS are heading out of the warehouse and into the big, bad world.
That POP you heard was my head exploding.

Anyway, while I mop pieces of brain matter off the walls, I've got a brand new contest to offer!

Ready?

First three people to post a photo of the hardcover of POSSESS in a bookstore in the wild will win a signed hardcover!!!!! You have to post the photo online and put the link in the comments. Game on.

P.S. - Everyone who posts a photo will get some swag.... :)

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 9

2011-08-09T08:37:00.001-07:00

mood: jittery
pandora/ipod: "time is running out" by muse

We're at the two week mark...

Yeah, that's a good assessment of what it feels like.

Anyway, today I'm announcing my THREE, count 'em, THREE signing events to celebrate the launch of POSSESS!

In San Diego:

Sunday, September 11, 2011
2:00pm
Mysterious Galaxy

In San Francisco:

Wednesday, September 21, 2011
7:00pm
Books, Inc. at the Opera Plaza

And in Los Angeles:

Sunday, October 9, 2011
3:00pm
Diesel, a Bookstore (Brentwood)

All three events will be readings and signings, and I encourage you to support your local indie by buying your copy of POSSESS at the store if you're coming out for one of these events.

:)

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 8

2011-08-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

mood: who am i?
pandora/ipod: where am i?

I suppose this should really be "Days 6-8" as obviously I didn't post at ALL this weekend. Pourquoi? Because I was at the LA SCBWI conference.

The phrase "I was at the conference" is, I believe, a bit of an overstatement. I did not actually attend the conference. I think what I actually did was attend the lobby bar and the outdoor cabana bar. It was basically an excuse to hang out with a bunch of my writer friends all gathered in one place, and to dress up as Hello Kitty.

That was from the Pajama Party Gala, with my friend and fellow Bookanista Shana Silver. I'm also wearing a tail. Yeah, I know.

The "people" aspect of SCBWI is clearly my favorite part. It was a social butterfly kind of weekend for this extrovert, a packed schedule of breakfasts, lunches, cocktail hours, dinners, etc. with some truly amazing writers.

Who, you ask?

*clears throat in preparation for the longest name drop since the Oscars*

Jessi Kirby
Cindy Pon
Debra Driza
Nikki Katz
Andrea Ortega
Lisa Cannon
Stephanie Kuehn
Kari Young
Jennifer Bosworth
Lamar Giles
Cory Jackson
Suzanne Young
Shelli Johannes-Wells
Stasia Kehoe
Veronica Rossi
Laura Bradford
Shannon Messenger
Shana Silver
Kirsten Hubbard
Brodi Ashton
Nicole Maggi
Erin Jade Lange
Robin Mellom
Lisa Albert
Cathy McCullough
Melanie Abed
Leigh Fallon
Alexandra Monir
Josie Angelini
Bree Despain
Lindsay Leavitt
Lani Woodward
Amy Nichols
Emily Hainsworth
Abby McDonald
Leigh Bardugo
Barry Wolverton
Jessica Love
Matthew Kirby
Mike Jung
Amaris Glass
Lisa Gail Green
Ellen Oh
R.L. LaFevers
Laura Ellen Handy
Tamara Ireland Stone
Talia Vance
Kimberly Sabatini
Jenn Reese
Sara Wilson Etienne
Donna Cooner
Margaret O'Hair
Elle Jauffret
Jen Roth
Jamie Weiss Chilton
Michael Bourret
Bryan Bliss

Um....

If I missed anyone it's because my brain is running on 4 hours of sleep.

Ladies of the Enchanted Inkpot: Cindy Pon, Ellen Oh, R.L. LaFevers, Lisa Gail Green, moi, Amaris Glass.

So, yes. It was such a fantastic weekend. It was therapeutic for me, sort of recharging as we hit the two week mark before POSSESS is released into the big, bad world. *sigh* So much fun. SO MUCH FUN!

I miss everyone already.

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 5

2011-08-05T10:42:00.001-07:00

mood: social butterfly-y
pandora/ipod: "kiss with a fist" by florence + the machine

It's SCBWI weekend here in Los Angeles which for me means I've got a ton of writer friends in town. It's like camp, I swear. I've got dinners, lunches, cocktail meet-ups and pajama parties coming out the ying yang this weekend!

It's so exciting.

So I wanted to talk this moment on Day 5 of the countdown to spill my guts on how important a support network of other writers is.

I can't even begin to relate how influential, supportive, inspirational and solid my writer friends have been. Whether I was unagented, unpublished or sitting on a multi-book deal, these men and women have been FRIENDS, colleagues, helpers, critiquers. Let me show you some examples:

I need to get the word out about a cover reveal, giveaway, whatever? DONE!

I need a blurb for my debut novel? DONE!

I need connections at a bookstore in the middle of a state I've never been to? DONE!

I need an introduction to a librarian/buyer/bookseller? DONE!

I need beta readers with a ridiculously fast turn around time? DONE!

I need to whine about deadlines? DONE!

I need someone to pat me on the head and call me pretty? DONE!

Realistically, there's no way to repay the debt to my writer friends. All I can do, is try and pay it forward one day, to give back to up-and-coming writers in the same way that someone gave to me.

There may or may not be a YA Mafia, but if there is they're a pretty awesome bunch.

Countdown to #GetPOSSESS: Day 4

2011-08-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: c-major
pandora/ipod: "sing!" from sesame street

POSSESS PLAYLIST!

I thought I'd raid Bridget's iPod today and give up a little taste of what's in heavy rotation. Her favorite tunes line up in three categories:

CURRENT FAVES

"The Fallen" by Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand is Bridget's favorite band, and this is her favorite song.

"Time to Pretend" by MGMT

I'm feeling rough, I'm feeling raw, I'm in the prime of my life...

"Kiss With A Fist" by Florence + the Machine

Kinda sums up Bridget's philosophy of love...

"Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People

All the other kids with the pumped up kicks, you'd better run, better run faster than my bullet.

"I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" by Arctic Monkeys

How can you not love British punk that references Romeo and Juliet?

OLDIES BUT GOODIES

"Hysteria" by Muse

Bridget can't help but stomp around her bedroom in her steel-toed combat boots every time this song comes on.

"Bullet With Butterfly Wings" by Smashing Pumpkins

Bridget first heard this song on a Live 105 Flashback weekend. Despite of my rage I am still just a rat in a cage. Awesome. Then she got really into some old '90's music.

"Killing In The Name Of" by Rage Against the Machine

The song that's set as the ring tone on Bridget's cell phone. Apparently, Father Santos is a fan, too.

IN THE CLOSET

"The Cave" by Mumford & Sons

If anyone mentions "the banjo band", Bridget might roll her eyes, but secretly she adores them.

"Telephone" by Lady Gaga

Hector is the only one who knows this song exists on Bridget's iPod. And if he ever tells anyone, he won't live to see another day.

"Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

Her parents danced to this at their wedding. Bridget's watched the video of that dance so many times since her dad's death she knows the song by heart...and it always makes her cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, want to win the complete POSSESS Playlist? I'll be giving away THREE full playlists. Here's all you have to do:

Tweet/Facebook/Blog about this blog post, quoting your favorite song from the playlist = +1 entry each

Add my widget (click on "Get Widget" on the sidebar for the embed code) to your blog = +3 entries

Comment on this post, total your entries with links and leave your email address.

Winners chosen Monday, August 8th using Random.org.

Countdown to #getPOSSESS: Day 3

2011-08-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: spastic
pandora/ipod: "killing in the name of" by rage against the machine

That mood and that music selection should pretty much NEVER GO TOGETHER GRETCHEN!

Note to self.

Okay, Day 3 of the Countdown to #getPOSSESS involves the YARebels. Intrigued? You should be.

BECAUSE WE'RE HOLDING OPEN AUDITIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right. Join us on the dark side. You won't regret it...

Countdown to #GetPOSSESS: Day 2

2011-08-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: extroverted
pandora/ipod: "broadway baby" sung by bernadette peters

The fantastic Stasia Kehoe set up a fantastic new group, an affiliation of young adult authors who write about the performing arts called Stages on Pages.

The website was just launched yesterday with some fanastic tour dates, including several in Los Angeles with....me! Hee.

Now, granted, POSSESS has nothing to do with the performing arts, though there is one fantastic show choir scene featuring "Hip Hop-hellujah," a pop version of Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus from The Messiah. However, I'm a trained opera singer and I still perform with Cirque Berzerk, so Stasia very kindly invited me to be a part of the group!

We'll be interacting with teens, discussing our lives and experiences in the performing arts, and doing group signings. Other authors involved in Stages on Pages include Sheela Chari, Tara Kelly, Jessica Martinez, Sara Bennett Wealer and Allen Zadoff, among others. So excited to be working with this amazing group of authors!!!!

We have two confirmed tour stops in Southern California that I will be at:

Thursday, October 20, 2011 - Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop, LaVerne

Sunday, October 23, 2011 @ 2pm - Vroman's Bookstore, Pasadena

There are several dates in Washington State and New York City, all listed on the Stages on Pages website, as well as several more in the works for California. In addition, I'm working on solo signings in both San Francisco and Los Angeles... but more details on that later. :)

Countdown to #GetPOSSESS: Day 1

2011-08-01T08:35:00.000-07:00

mood: homesick
pandora/ipod: "i left my heart in san francisco" by tony bennett

Day 1 of my Countdown to #GetPOSSESS finds me guest posting over at Dark Faerie Tales, rounding out a month of Deadly Destinations posts.

San Francisco, by Bridget Liu, Exorcist

Bridget is giving a tour of her hometown, San Francisco, setting for POSSESS. Oh, and did I mention that you can WIN A COPY OF POSSESS? Check out the post for more details.

I had included a few photos that didn't make it into the post so I thought I'd just add them here, for effect.

First off, the famous San Francisco fog, which plays a key role in setting the tone for POSSESS. Here's an awesome fog progression, as it blankets the city:

Next up, Mrs. Long's house, site of a very...odd event.

A different kind of "odd" - Bridget's high school:

And the Church of St. Michael...which is evil:

That's it! Check back tomorrow for Day Two!

ZOMG BOOK!

2011-07-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: DANCING
pandora/ipod: "dancing queen" abba

My amazing editor send me copies of the finished book. POSSESS lives!

The photo doesn't do it justice because the cover has this metallic sheen to it. Bridget's face positively GLOWS in the light. It's amazing. Astounding. Mind-blowing.

As you can see, it deserved chamapagne!

#GetPossess Countdown Teaser

2011-07-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

mood: revved up
pandora/ipod: "the fallen" by franz ferdinand

So here we are: less than a month until POSSESS officially hits bookshelves. I've been in a little bit of a fog over the whole thing because I've been nose to the grindstone on TEN, but that manuscript gets turned in on Monday at which point I'll be launching the OFFICIAL #GETPOSSESS COUNTDOWN!

Basically, 23 Days of craziness leading up to a massive interwebz scavenger hunt giveaway on August 23rd featuring the POSSESS tattoo that will be popping up on blogs all over the place. Writers, book bloggers, a surprised guest or two... Should be a freaking blast, but details on that later in the month.

I'll be blogging every day (I know - the insanity), August 1st through 23rd, with links to guest posts, podcasts, giveaways, and vlogs, plus some teasers and character interviews.

PLUS I've got some amazing, amazing, A-MA-ZING prizes. Ready for the rundown?

- signed hardback copies of POSSESS
- 16x20 box framed canvases of the POSSESS cover art
- POSSESS playlists straight from Bridget's iPod
- a YARebels prize pack featuring all our books
- an Apocalypsies ARC teaser pack featuring some much anticipated 2012 YA debuts
- and my fave - actual custom-made charms as depicted in the tattoo art, of Bridget's exorcist medal

I know, right? How cool is that?

And to start it all off, here's a tease of my full jacket for POSSESS. It's so freaking awesome, I may just lose my mind!

Even So Quickly May One Catch the Plague?

2011-07-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

mood: fidgety
pandora/ipod: "o mistress mine" by shaun davey, sung by ben kingsley

That is Olivia's question to herself in the first act of TWELFTH NIGHT, referring, in this case, to falling in love.

In my case? A shiny new idea, or SNI as my friends and I like to call it.

Why yes, I am about to turn in a manuscript to my editor.

Why yes, my brain is, apparently, trying to kill me.

It was really weird, actually. I was driving home from work yesterday and something happened, just something mundane and trivial, that created a plot bunny. By the time I got home, the plot bunny was niggling at my brain. I emailed my agent with the beginnings of an idea and asked if she knew of anything similar.

By the time I got back from walking my dog, the plot bunny had ASPLODED in my brain. I had characters. I had the beginnings of a story line. I had a first chapter practically fully formed. Emailed agent again, in a slightly manic state as I tend to be when I have a SNI.

Thankfully, I have an understanding agent. Bless her.

So there it is. Don't know when I'm going to have time to write it, but this idea is kind of awesome. It's like Fringe meets the Parent Trap, only dark and psychological, and without Hayley's Mills's song and dance numbers.

Oh yes. It needs a moniker here on the blog. Let's call this one 3:57.

Gone, Daddy Gone

2011-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: dancey
pandora/ipod: "gone, daddy gone" by the violent femmes

Fifteen smiles, oh yes!

Cuz it's gone, daddy gone,
This book is gone!

That's right. As of yesterday, I sent a complete, readable draft of TEN off to my readers. Unreal. Unbelieveable. Unimaginable. I wrote a novel in eight weeks. Now I still have time for feedback and another round of revisions before it goes to my editor. *passes out*

Where she is now, I can only guess.
Cuz it's gone, daddy, gone,
This book is gone!

Sorry. I'll stop singing.

Anyway, this manuscript was a rough journey for me. When I got the offer and realized what the time frame was, I of course said, "Yes, I can do that." Now, whether I believed that deep down in my heart is a different story. There were moments when I aboslutely believed I could do it, others when I was convinced I couldn't. Up. Down. Up. Down. The emo-coaster ride of publishing.

At one point, I wrote a query letter for TEN. I know, that sounds crazy, but when I get muddled with a manuscript, I find writing that concise pitch like you do in a query letter really focuses me. I did it with POSSESS, too, and that blurb - which is currently on Goodreads - ended up on the jacket cover copy for the novel, in a slightly modified form. Crazy, right?

Anyway, so when I got completed twisted around in the middle of writing TEN, I did the same thing. Wrote a blurb.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives – three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, both of which involve Kamiak High’s most eligible bachelor, T.J. Fletcher. But what starts out as a fun-filled weekend turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying and the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

It saved me, reminded me what the hell I was writing about, what the stakes were, and where the tension came from. And helped me finish the draft.

So there it is. My exercise in writing a novel in 10 weeks. Almost done. Want to add it on Goodreads? :D

Guest Blog with Matt Blackstone!

2011-07-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: jittery
pandora/ipod: "time bomb" by rancid

My friend and fellow Bookanista Matt Blackstone has an amazing and ground-breaking book that hit shelves yesterday: A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE. Here's the Goodreads blurb:

Rene, an obsessive-compulsive fourteen year old, smells his hands and wears a Batman cape when he’s nervous. If he picks up a face-down coin, moves a muscle when the time adds up to thirteen (7:42 is bad luck because 7 + 4 + 2 = 13), or washes his body parts in the wrong order, Rene or someone close to him will break a bone, contract a deadly virus, and/or die a slow and painful death like someone in a scary scene in scary movie. Rene’s new and only friend tutors him in the art of playing it cool, but that’s not as easy as Gio makes it sound.

There's a lot that awesome about this book, and for me, a personal understanding of Rene and empathy for Gio. I have first hand experience dealing with a loved one who suffers from sometimes debilitating OCD, so I've asked Matt to take over my blog today, and talk a little bit about the condition that inspired his book.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quirks, “things,” obsessions by Matt Blackstone

OCD is a frightening condition, characterized by obsessive routines (compulsions) and thoughts, that affects roughly 5 million Americans at some point in their lifetime.

It’s distracting. It’s real. It’s serious. And very scary, especially for teenagers, for it’s in those teenage years that the symptoms of OCD first appear.

But what’s universal about OCD is that we all have our quirks, our “things,” our obsessions that we cling to for comfort. Unfortunately, very few people talk about them, so people with the actual disorder panic even more, which is scary for anyone but especially for teens, for whom identity is so critical and confusing and fragile.

I’d love to hear about your own quirks, your “things,” your obsessions that drive you (and your loved ones?) bananas. But it’s only right that I go first:

I’m an avid sports fan. Born in a suburb near Philadelphia, I’m hopelessly in love the Phillies, Eagles, Flyers, and Sixers. I have a long and sordid history of bizarre behavior when it comes to rooting for my team on TV. If my team falls behind, I change seats on the couch. Or change my snack from tortilla chips to pretzels. Or switch from water to juice. Or change t-shirts. Or lay down on the floor, as long as there’s a rug there (gotta draw the line somewhere).

If my team is ahead, I like to stick to what’s working: the certain snack, the winning beverage, the lucky seat. I avoid boastful phrases like “we got this,” “it’s over,” for fear that the tide will shift. Not until the game is over–really over, after the final buzzer/bell/pitch/whistle/horn–will I rejoice.

Luckily for me (and my wife), I’ve gotten better. The years have mellowed out my sports craze. But every now and then, usually in the playoffs, when the game gets tight, I play the mental game: the seat, the chips, the t-shirt . . . it all becomes a factor. If only the Phillies would appreciate all the work that goes into their playoff victories!!!

Outside of the sports world, I’m a huge fan of blue Precise V7 pens, I usually park in the same spot at school, and I’m a sucker for the same breakfast: an “everything” bagel with butter. If I had a particularly good writing day, I like to eat the same snack I had the day before. Except when I run out of that snack. I may be superstitious, but I'm also lazy -- a lucky snack definitely isn't worth leaving the house for.

I "coach" myself. Heavens no do I talk to myself out loud, but "coach" . . . certainly. I'm known for the following phrases: "C'mon Matty," "what are you doing?" "where was I?" "oi, yoi, oi."

Aside from the aforementioned "coaching," I need silence. My wife's sewing machine drives me bananas. She makes beautiful stuff, absolutely stunning, but it sounds like this: "ERDRADRETICKCHUCKACHUCKRAHERAHERADUGTICK." Those aren't random letters. That's the actual sound.

I sigh. Loudly. I'm a loud sigher. Combine that with my penchant for saying "oi, yoi, oi," you can understand why I'm often mistaken for a 75 year old shuffleboard champion in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The good news–and what separates these idiosyncrasies (or, yes, compulsive tendencies) from the disorder–is that my life will go on if I can’t find my favorite pen or a friend won’t get up from their seat or the bagel store is closed, and if someone takes my parking spot, I don’t hike up the stairs to hunt down the driver and demand that he immediately move his car or else I’ll crack him with a knuckle sandwich.

But some people do. They don’t use the term “knuckle sandwich” because it’s old and corny and sounds like something only my grandpa would say, but they do stress out and panic if things aren’t just so. And they do this every waking second of the day.

I’m running a Twitter contest from Monday July 4 to Friday July 8 (to win 1 of 10 signed hardcover copies of A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE) that encourages people to share their quirks and thus lessen the stigma (and fear) that OCD sufferers feel on a daily basis.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See why I like Matt? I was lucky enough to meet him when I was in New York for BEA and he's a keeper of a friend, let me tell you. :)

As for quirks that borderline on OCD, I thought I'd share one or two of my own. Like Matt, I'm a rabid sports fan, and my #1 team of choice are the San Francisco Giants. I've been a fan since I was five when my mom and uncle split season tickets. Mom and I went to 40ish games a year, every year til I hit high school. We sat through 100 loss seasons and World Series games, with an All Star game thrown in for good measure.

So until last year, my beloved Giants had never won the big one, the World Series. I was so freaking nervous during the 2010 World Series, that I barely watched half the games. If the Giants were doing badly, I'd turn off the TV, convinced that me watching them live was bad luck.

Of course, the fact that they finally won did nothing to alleviate my OCD on the matter. :)

Anyway, I highly, highly recommend you check out A SCARY SCENE IN A SCARY MOVIE, and hit up Matt's Twitter Giveaway. You'll thank me.

Progress Update: TEN

2011-07-05T08:38:00.000-07:00

mood: determined
pandora/ipod: "9 to 5" by dolly parton

So I spent most... well, almost all of my holiday weekend working. I didn't have to go into the office, in fact I spent most of that time sitting in bed, but I was working nonetheless. I had a date with my manuscript for TEN, a date that involved a red pen and a whole lot of notes.

So here's my update. I'm currently at about 50K words. I have technically written "THE END" but I have a lot to fix, change, add, etc. Still, as of Saturday morning I had a barely there though mostly complete manuscript.

Then I cut that bitch up.

For me, a book really comes together once I print it out and subject it to my red pen. I try to read the whole thing through in about a day/day and a half. That way, everything is really fresh in my mind and I can catch the majority of continuity errors (of which there were many) and focus on evening out the tone and voice. It's the point in the process where I usually get excited about a manuscript, energized to finish it. And this weekend was no exception.

The dog? Not so much. Though he does make an excellent document holder.

So as of today I have a little over three weeks to get this thing together and turned in. I'm looking to add about 15K-20K words to the story between now and then, and with a little luck I'll even have time to get some feedback on it before it goes in.

I'm FINALLY feeling good about this manuscript. I'm liking the characters, I'm finally understanding them all, and motivations are starting to come together. *phew* There's always a point early on when I'm convinced I'll never make a story work and when I get to this point I'm always amazed.

Three more weeks...

Why Yes, I DO Write!

2011-06-29T08:35:00.000-07:00

mood: groggy
pandora/ipod: "no you girls" by franz ferdinand

They say that extroverts make up 60-70% of the general population, making us the clear majority personality type.

Unless you're a writer, in which case introverts clearly dominate the scene.

It makes sense, really. Someone once described the Extrovert/Introvert division to me in this way: extroverts recharge their batteries by engaging in social activities while introverts recharge by spending time alone.

The very nature of writing is solitary. It's you and a computer, you and a manuscript, you and your notes. Just you, focused in on this thing that requires your full attention for whatever portion of the day you choose to devote to it. I have a hell of a time listening to music, TV, anything while I'm working. I think it takes me away from the world I'm trying to create, like I don't want this thing on the page being contaminated by outside influences. So when I'm doing copyedits, or line edits, or rough drafting to deadline, I need to cut myself off from the world to some extent.

Which leaves me going WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

It's tough for me, I won't lie. There is a part of my personality that is absolutely not cut out for a career as a writer. While I have excellent concentration skills, and I do actually enjoy the process of creating a book, I find it incredibly draining to sit in front of a computer - by myself - for three hours a night after work.

For me, it's almost more exhausting than doing a full day at work then running home to walk the dog, then hitting dinner, or a party, or performing with the damn circus, then crashing into bed after midnight before doing it all again the next day. That kind of a schedule energizes me!

Writing makes me tired.

So there's a balance. I've found that I'm more productive when I mix social time with solitary writing time. I curb my social engagements to a few a week (instead of a few a day) and definitely spend more time B.I.C. (butt in chair, folks...)

But I can't be all work and no play, unless you want me to get all Jack Torrance on you.

Which you don't.

Excuse me, I need to go play with my ax now, er, I mean, get some writing done...

And the Winners Are...

2011-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

TWO winners to announce today, both getting signed ARCs of POSSESS. Every entry was assigned a number and the winner was chosen by random.org. Ready?

The winner of the WIDGET contest is....

FAITH PEREZ!!!!

*crowd goes wild*

And the winner of the #GETPOSSESS hashtag contest is...

@JulieHeartBooks!!!!!!

And now, ten runners up for POSSESS swag packs including bookmarks, exorcism charms and temporary tattoos! I put all the remaining entries in the same pool for this one...

dani_nguyen
aspiring_x
jade_jmbtf
TheLadyCritic
AraTrask
ABKreuser
CaffeLatteQUEEN
TamiJ0ne
PJ23HSLibrary
arnoldjaime13

I'll be contacting you both privately and mail the prizes off to you all this week! Thank you SO MUCH for participating. One more ARC giveaway on July 23rd, followed by a huge release day giveaway on August 23rd. You don't want to miss them!!!!!

Out and About: YA in Bloom and Save Bookstores!

2011-06-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: lunchable
pandora/ipod: "me and julio down by the schoolyard" by paul simon

Well, I guess it was inevitable. I'm starting a label for appearances and events. Out and About.

I want you to know that when I say this in my head, I'm suddenly Canadian: "oooot and a-boooot."

Yeah. Anyway, I'll be at two events tomorrow. First, the YA in Bloom event at Vroman's Bookstore in Pasadena (695 E. Colorado Blvd.) presented by Bridge to Books. It's a luncheon bringing together YA authors, bloggers, libraries and fans. Pretty cool, right? I'll be an official "author in attendance" along with Nancy Holder, Cindy Pon, Katie Alender, Marie Lu and Andrew Smith, just to name a few. POSSESS swag will be included in all the gift bags and an ARC or two of POSSESS will be up for raffle!

After that, I'll be flying down the 405 (note irony in this statement) to the Save Bookstores! event at Children's Book World, sponsored by the Los Angeles Children's Lit Authors Chapter. A huge number of authors will be there from 3:30-6:30pm, followed by drinks at Steingarten across the street. So come on out, buy a book or five and grab a drink with me!

Bookanistas Review: MOONGLASS

2011-06-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

mood: languid
pandora/ipod: "california dreamin'" by the mamas and the papas

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

From Goodreads:

I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love - a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

It's a simple story of love and loss, home and acceptance.

Okay. So when I finished the last page of MOONGLASS that's what popped into my head. "A simple story." But when I started off this review that way, it sounded... I don't know. Just not right. Like it wasn't complimentary somehow.

Of course, it is. To call this "a simple story" is, in my mind, one of the greatest compliments I could give. Because the simple stories of love, of understanding, of pain and of moving on - well, they're always the most powerful.

MOONGLASS is the story of Ana Ryan, a lifeguard's daughter, whose father moves her back to the very same beach where he and her mother met. What unfolds on the shores of Crystal Cove is part history, part atmosphere, part love story, part family secrets. And yet...simple.

First off, I was immediately entranced by Jessi's setting. Crystal Cove, south of Newport Beach in southern California, is a real place. I've been there. I've seen the cottages. I've met the locals. I've walked on the sand. It's a place outside of time and Jessi captured it perfectly - every scent, every sound, every odd and quirky character. She manages to conjure up the magic of the Cove to vividly that I wanted to hop in my car and drive down there, just to finish reading her novel in the place where it was set.

Matching her setting, there's an out-of-time-ness about her story, too. Something old and yet new. Ana is the new girl in town, struggling to find how she fits into this place where her parents and fallen in love. It's a place filled with people that know more about her mother than she does - her mother died when Ana was a child, under circumstances that no one wants to confront head on.

Add to this the beach setting, and one smoking hot (though horrible at Algebra) lifeguard, and you have an addicting mix of contemporary love story, and contemporary drama. I read the whole thing in a day and a half. I don't do that very often.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go work on my tan. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the other Bookanista reviews this week!

Elana Johnson adores Hourglass
Beth Revis has cover love for Incarnate
Shana Silver swoons over Supernaturally
Rosemary Clement-Moore jumps for Jinx
Stasia Ward Kehoe praises Possession
Sarah Frances Hardy brags about The Grandma Book
Carrie Harris raves about Variant

Fourth POSSESS ARC Giveaway!

2011-06-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: generous
pandora/ipod: wimbledon

We're getting freaking CRAZY up in here this month! Crazy, I say!

You know why? Because I'm not giving away a signed POSSESS ARC this month...

I'M GIVING AWAY TWO!!!!!

Insanity, no?

Two grand prize winners.

Two ways to win.

Ready for the deets, my peeps? (Yes, I know that didn't rhyme...)

CONTEST THE FIRST

If you notice to the left in my sidebar, I have created a gorgeous countdown widget for POSSESS. (OMG, 60 days? Really?)

You can either click the "get widget" button under my countdown clock or just email me for the embed code...

If you Tweet about this widget - +1 entry

If you add this widget to your blog/website/facebook/whatever - +2 entries each

Be sure to comment and include your links to both and your total number of entries.

CONTEST THE SECOND

Straight up, old school Twitter hashtagging.

#getpossess

You get one entry for every hashtag use. No need to comment. I'll find you...

As always, I'll have ten runners up who will win POSSESS swag packs including signed bookmarks, exorcist charms and temporary tattoos. Contest closes Saturday, June 25th at 9:00pm PST. Winners announced here Monday, June 27th. Contest open to residents of US and Canada only.

Totally Tubular

2011-06-14T14:22:00.000-07:00

mood: retro
pandora/ipod: "don't you forget about me" by simple minds

I'll admit it: I'm putting yesterday's YARebels vlog on my blog because, well, I love my outfit. A lot. In the way a performer loves a good costume.

Indulge me.

The Bookanistas Salute Veronica Roth!

2011-06-09T06:40:00.000-07:00

Which faction are you? :)

70 in 70 Progress Report

2011-06-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: determined
pandora/ipod: "pumped up kicks" by foster the people

I'll start by saying, I'm still writing! This is good. This is strong. This means I haven't fled my apartment screaming like a crazy lady or launched by laptop off Point Dume into the gurgling waves below. These are good things.

I also am not sure I'm not writing steaming piles of horse shit right now.

C'est la vie d'un auteur, mais oui?

The good news! I'm still on target. ("Stay on target. Stay on target.") And thus far I don't hate myself, my characters, my book, my life, my dog, my neighbors, my desk, my chair or my extremely patient friends and family who get to listen to me whinge upon occasion. Yes! WIN!

I hit 30K last night for this first draft. I'm guessing that's about the halfway point, with more words to add in the revision as I flesh things out. I'm feeling good about my August 1 deadline. I can do this!

666

2011-06-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

mood: devilish
pandora/ipod: "for whom the bell tolls" by metallica

Had to do a screen grab of the trailer for POSSESS with 666 views.

So.

Awesome.

Shiny New Trailer!

2011-05-31T20:23:00.001-07:00

mood: hee
pandora/ipod: "lacrimosa" from mozart's requiem

The amazing folks over at HarperCollins took my amateur book trailer and made it into something...totally hot and awesome. Hawtsome? OMG DID I JUST MAKE UP THE BEST WORD EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD????

I bet you want to see the trailer...don't you.

...

How does it feel to want?

:D

BEA Round Up!

2011-05-31T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: sleepy
pandora/ipod: "no sleep til brooklyn" by the beastie boys

Ah, BEA.

So in addition to a pile of books, the Teen Author Carnival, breakfast with my editor, lunch with my agent and running into book bloggers and authors galore...

I think this pretty much sums up my BEA 2011 experience:

And the Winner of the 3rd POSSESS Giveaway Is...

2011-05-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Dot Hutchinson!!!!

*kermit flail*

WOO HOO! Dot, I'll be emailing you as soon as I haul my jet lagged self out of bed tomorrow.

And the runners up?

Vidisha
aspiring_x
Lena Coakley
Pam Harris
Tristan
heykiddego
Me My Shelf and I (also? my fave screen name thus far...)
LC Piper
delilah the unruly helpmeet
Kristen at Seeing Night

I'll also be emailing you at...some point...tomorrow to arrange you swag prize packs.

Thank ALL of you who entered. I loved reading your scary things and was perhaps more than a little surprised that I related to so many of them. *gulp*

Also, the amazing Sophie Jordan is doing a POSSESS giveaway right now as well. Tweet with the hashtag #wantpossessarc for a chance to win!

THIRD POSSESS GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-23T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: jet lagged
pandora/ipod: "new york state of mind" by billy joel

So I'm in NYC for BEA 2011. I've got meetings and lunches and dinners and cocktails with my editor, publishers, agent, writers, friends... And I'm only here three and a half days.

Yes, it's insane. Yes, there will be photos. And video.

Anyway, today being the 23rd and all, it's time for ANOTHER SIGNED POSSESS ARC GIVEAWAY!!!!! Ready? Let's do this.

POSSESS is about something that really scares the crap out of me, namely demonic possession and exorcism. So in order to enter this month's contest, I want to know...

WHAT SCARES YOU?

This time the rules are simple. Comment below and tell me (a) what scares you the most (spiders? alien abduction? clowns?), (b) include a story if you feel like it, and (c) leave your email address.

One entry per comment. One comment per person.

I'll choose one winner for a signed POSSESS ARC and ten runners up who will receive POSSESS swag packs of exorcist charms, bookmarks and temporary tattoos.

Sorry, open to U.S. and Canada residents only!

Contest closes Thursday, May 26th and 9pm PST. Winners announced on Friday!

Can't WAIT to hear what you guys have to say. It might even inspire a scene in POSSESS 2...

Thank You!

2011-05-20T08:39:00.000-07:00

mood: humble
pandora/ipod: "pumped up kicks" by foster the people

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for the tremendous outpouring of love, support and congratulations you all gave my announcement this week. I am blessed in so many ways, not least of which is by all of you. I'm the type of girl who needs and thrives upon the support of friends and family, and you guys made me feel all warm fuzzies and rainbows.

I have a crazy next few months ahead of me, kicking off with BEA in New York next week, and culminating with a book release at the end of August. I'll give you fair warning now - I'll be riding the emo coaster between now and then. Up...and down. Up...and down.

But it'll be worth it.

So again, thank you. My friends, both in real life and on the magical interwebs - I could not have gotten this far without you and I'll need your cheerleading in the months to come. Purgies and Inkies, Hopefuls and Bookanistas, Apocalypsies and Rebels and everyone else in between - I'll be needing an arm here and there!

*muah* Love you.

It's a New Deal!

2011-05-18T08:30:00.000-07:00

mood: bouncey
pandora/ipod: "i'm coming out" by diana ross

70 in 70

2011-05-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

mood: determined
pandora/ipod: "just fine" by mary j. blige

So I like what I see when I’m looking at me
When I’m walking past the mirror.
Ain't worried about you and what you gonna do
I’m a lady so I must stay classy.
Got to keep it hot, keep it together
If I want to get better.
You see I wouldn’t change my life, my life’s just fine.

Yeah, I'm singing along. Sue me.

I need the inspiration. The psych up. The girl power motivation. I'm like a featherweight prepping for the championship. I've got a huge challenge ahead of me...

Help.

Okay, so here's the deal. I need to write - roughly - 1000 words a day, every day, for the next ten weeks. Yep, you did the math correctly. 70K words, give or take, by the end of July.

It's doable. A challenge, but doable. I've got a good start and a good outline and God knows I love a challenge. In fact, sometimes I think I can't accomplish anything unless there's a challenge of some sort involved - a goal, a deadline, a showdown. It's my hyperactive competitive nature kicking into overdrive.

So here's the thing: TEN (tentative title of said manuscript) needs your help. Er, okay, *I* need your help. Keep me on track? 1000 words a day. Every day.

I'll twitter update my progress. Bring it.

Friday the 13th: In Memoriam

2011-05-13T11:19:00.000-07:00

mood: sad smile
pandora/ipod: "let it be" by aretha franklin

I have a small family. Like really small. Like minuscule. I'm an only child. My dad is an only child. My mom has one sister (with four kids) and only two first cousins. Small. Minuscule.

Both of my grandfathers were dead before I could remember them, but thankfully I had Grandmas around. And today, I'm remembering my dad's mom, Grandma Haskin.

Loretta Mae McNeil Haskin was born in Omaha, Nebraska, moved to California in her early 20's and until the day she died used phrases like "pocket book" and "soda pop." She was a die hard Catholic who went to church EVERY DAY after she retired and volunteered at the parish. She buried two husbands. She was in a bowling league. She was utterly adorable.

I owe a great deal of who I am to Grandma Haskin. We were nothing alike. She was kind and good and patient and caring in a way that I can only aspire to. She was stunningly beautiful, in a way which I could never even pretend to match. She wasn't exactly a scholar, and while I don't trace my brains or my musical talent to that side of the family, she did bestow two, er, valuable items on me. Apparently, I got my boobs from Grandma Haskin. (Thank you!!!!)

When my dad took off and left my mom and I high and dry when I was two, one of the most supportive people in both of our lives was Grandma Haskin. She was a babysitter and confidante, support system and Santa Claus. She was there when my father was not. In fact, she disowned him completely and dedicated most of her life to making sure I was well looked after. She even hid from us the reasons why she disowned her only son, reasons I didn't discover until after her death.

Grandma was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was in college and my mom made sure she had a ride to every single doctor's appointment and treatment session. In the end, it was a heart attack that got her. As traumatic as it was for me to lose her (her death was the worst I've ever had to deal with) I count it a blessing that she went quickly and painlessly...and pre-chemo.

Loretta Mae McNeil Haskin lived a quiet life in a quiet house with quiet friends. She never sang in an opera. She never performed with the circus. She never wrote a novel. But she was and is and always will be the guardian angel on my shoulder, making sure I'm okay, choosing wisely, acting with good intentions.

So why do I remember her on THIS of all days? Because Grandma Haskin refused to leave on the house in Friday the 13th. Yep, completely and utterly refused. Even for church. And my mom and I still call each other every Friday the 13th to remember Grandma and joke about her silly superstitions.

Silly as they may seem, I count myself lucky for her old-world beliefs. Why? Because every Friday the 13th I get to remember her. Not on her birthday. Not on Christmas. On this day that she loathed and feared, and which defined her.

I miss you, Grandma. I always will.

Bookanistas Review: THE ANTI-PROM

2011-05-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

The Anti-Prom by Abby McDonald

From Goodreads:

Three unlikely allies team up for a night of rebellion, romance, and revenge in a high-stakes dramedy from acclaimed young author Abby McDonald.

They’ve spent years at the same high school without speaking a word to one another, but that’s all about to change. Popular Bliss was having the perfect prom until she found her BFF and boyfriend making out in the back of a limo. Bad girl Jolene wouldn’t be caught dead at the prom, yet here she is, trussed up in pink ruffles, risking her reputation for some guy - some guy who is forty minutes late. And shy, studious, über-planner Meg never counted on her date’s standing her up and leaving her idling in the parking lot outside the prom. Get ready for The Anti-Prom, Abby McDonald’s hilarious, heart-tugging tale about three girls and one unforgettable prom night.

I'm going to go all Hollywood and do an "X meets Y" style pitch for this book because, honestly? It perfectly describes THE ANTI-PROM. Ready for it?

The Breakfast Club meets The First Wives Club

Or as I so wittily refer to it - the First Breakfast Club.

That sounds to hobbitish.

Tangent. Anyway...Here are the elements: three girls all from wildly different social circles - the popular girl, the outcast, the good-two-shoes - all wronged by their boys on prom night embark on a quest for truth, revenge and a healthy dose of self-discovery.

See? I totally nailed it with that pitch!

One of the things I loved about this book was the speed with which it moved. We discover literally on the first page that popular girl Bliss's perfect boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend. Ouch. And immediately Bliss's brain kicks into Revenge mode. Enter Jolene, school outcast, who's been lured to prom under seemingly dishonest circumstances. Jolene (and her reputation for trouble) is the perfect mastermind for Bliss's half-cooked plan for revenge, except the girls are missing one things: wheels. Enter Meg, who's just been stood up on prom night and has the car for the night.

And we're off! It's a townie road trip complete with a heist, some breaking and entering, and a diary from hell that causes more trouble than it solves. You sort of cringe at some of the decisions these girls make, yet the pace of the story keeps you turning pages. I found that not only was I interested to see how it all turned out, but how these characters would come to terms with the discoveries they were making about themselves and each other: Bliss seeing that her popular cliche were not exactly the nicest girls in school, Jolene dealing with "man" issues stemming from her father, and Meg finally, FINALLY coming out of her shell.

Three girls from very different social circles, with very different pressures and stresses. And you get to know each of them very intimately, as Abby writes in first person POV, alternating between the girls by chapter. I loved this approach, as I not only felt like I really knew of the girls, but got inside peek on how each of them viewed the others.

Oh, and there are boys. Did I forget to mention that? College boys. Cutie bad boys. And a douchebag or two who get their comeuppance.

All-in-all, a light, fun read with some well-handled serious elements that left me smiling. What more can you ask for in a summer read?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Catch the rest of the Bookanistas reviews this week:

Elana Johnson turns you on to Divergent
LiLa Roecker is ensnared by Tighter
Christine Fonseca gets giddy about Moonglass – with giveaway
Shannon Messenger is mesmerized by Imaginary Girls – with giveaway
Kirsten Hubbard has double the love for Rival and Moonglass
Carolina Valdez Miller vaunts Divergent – with giveaway
Megan Miranda devours Bad Taste in Boys
Bethany Wiggins and Shana Silver share their passion for Possession
Carrie Harris reads along Blood Red Road
Stasia Ward Kehoe shines a spotlight on Dramarama

Skinny and Pretty

2011-05-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

mood: introspective
pandora/ipod: "since u been gone" by kelly clarkson

For those of you who don't know, I live in Los Angeles. I love it here, I really do. It's a city of opportunity and options; of insanity and inspiration; of the good, the bad and the fugly. And I can't imagine living any place else.

But there's one part of LA culture that I'm not sure I'll ever come to terms with. Here, a huge measure of one's self-worth is based on your looks and, especially for females, you've got to be skinny and pretty or you might as well be invisible.

Don't get me wrong, my personal insecurities with this issue started long before I moved to LA. I was never the "pretty" one, always the "smart" one. And I wouldn't trade my brains for the world, but there was definitely a part of 12 year old Gretchen who envied the tall, pretty girls with their Guess jeans and skinny T's who wore expertly applied makeup by the sixth grade while I was still spazzing out with bad skin, braces and glasses...

Yeah. This ring a bell for anyone?

Skinny and pretty. Oh, the angst those concepts have brought me. Funny thing, I consider myself a relatively confident person. I've learned to get by on brains and charm - and haven't fared too badly. But when I walk into a room or a bar or a party, I am all too cognizant of the fact that eyes do NOT turn my direction. It's not until after a conversation with someone that interest might exist, but honestly? That interest is usually trumped by beauty.

Brains vs. Beauty, the age-old battle. And now for my dichotomy. Despite the fact that I don't care much for my looks, I'm incredibly, incredibly vain. I know, right? How screwed up is that? But that's where the battle comes into play. I use my brains to try and make myself pretty. I take great pains with hair and makeup, clothes and shoes. Even my vlogs are set up in flattering light with flattering angles.

Yes, I think about all those things. Yes, it's probably pretty fucked up.

And this is all POST 30ish pounds of weight loss. I still feel...inadequate. I fight it. I push those feelings aside. I pretend that I'm strong and confident. Fake it til you make it, right?

So why am I blogging about this? Twofold. It's partly cathartic, as it's a hot button issue I've been forced to deal with lately. And partly because, well, if there are any teens out there actually reading this blog who might find it helpful to hear that a grown-ass woman deals with the same body image issues they might be dealing with... Yeah, maybe it could help.

Or scare the crap out of them that these issues never go away? Dammit, I'm making it worse aren't I????

:D

Okay, so here's the thing, LA makes you hyper aware of crap like this. It's the nature of the industry here and the people who populate it. And I'm definitely not condemning them for it. It is what it is and I embrace all facets of this crazy little town. But perhaps for all you body-image-suffering girls out there reading this thinking "How can SHE feel this way?" the realization that so many of us seemingly confident folks suffer from the same issues might make the whole process more bearable.

That's all I got. Peace out.

Possess Auction!

2011-05-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

mood: glittery
pandora/ipod: "when doves cry" by prince

My friend and fellow Apocalypsies Debra Driza has placed her copy of the POSSESS ARC up for auction at Help Write Now, a fabulous benefit to help victims of the recent storms that devestated huge parts of the south last month.

So for those of you still hoping to win one - here's another chance PLUS you're helping a fantastic cause.

Speaking of fantastic causes, remember my friend Tara who is going to El Salavador to work for Habitat for Humanity? We raised some great funds for her trip during my first POSSESS giveaway. She leaves tonight for a week and hopefully I'll have some fantastic photos to post soon!!!!

Lastly, I saw Prince in concert last night and can I just say? HE FREAKING BLEW MY MIND!!!! Every performer could learn something from this man on how to capitivate and entertain and audience. It was one of those life experiences that I will never, ever forget!

Have a great weekend, kids. I'll be working on a blog post close to my heart for early next week.

SWAG!

2011-05-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

mood: tatted
pandora/ipod: "hysteria" by muse

Just realized that I hadn't posted ANY photos of my swag! Whipped these off at work (yes, that's my desk - yes, it is that depressing.) Behold:

BOOKMARKS!!! (designed by the fabulous Christine Fonseca)

Those are actual St. Benedict Medals attached to the bookmarks (I totally conned my friends into helping me tie them all on) and then I had Bridget's actual charm bracelet from POSSESS made into...

TATTOOS!!!!

And here are some friends getting goofy with the tattoos at a party this weekend. Hawt.

So these are what I'm giving out in my POSSESS Swag Packs that go along with every giveaway. I also have them with me at appearances and whatnot and so forth and blah blah blah. :)

I'll be doing more SWAG giveaways as we get closer to the August 23rd on sale date. Be sure to check the blog and Twitter for announcements!

LA Times Festival of Books!

2011-04-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

mood: nerdy
pandora/ipod: "brass in pockets" by the pretenders

I'm doing my first ever book festival this weekend! If you happen to be at the LA Times Festival on Books, I'll be on the YA Stage, Saturday at 5:00pm with LAYApalooza, alongside some amazing authors:

Andrew Smith
Abby McDonald
Amy Koss
Carol Tanzman
Heather Tomlinson
Susan Casey
Margie Stohl
and Kami Garcia

Should be a LOT of fun, so if you're around, please stop by and say HOWDY!

And the Winners Are...

2011-04-28T08:37:00.000-07:00

mood: bouncy
pandora/ipod: "animal" by neon trees

This was an amazing contest. Truly. Over 100 entrants, over 350 entries. I was totally blown away. Using a random number generator the winner of the second POSSESS ARC giveaway is....

Suzy Vitello!!!!

Woo hoo!

Runners Up Amazon gift cards go to...

Alexis Salcido and Midnight Bloom!

And POSSESS swag packs go to...

Bee
Grace
Lisa Gail Green
Cyndy Aleo
Seesen
ereader89
Maxi
Debora B.
Aleetha
Shannon O'Donnell

I'll be contacting all the winners via email. Thank you all SO MUCH for entering, and remember, another chance to win a POSSESS ARC is just one month away!

POSSESS Giveaway #2!

2011-04-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: generous
pandora/ipod: "can't help lovin' dat man of mine" by jerome kern, sung by lena horne

So I stole the rules for this month's POSSESS giveaway from my friend and imprint-mate Jill Hathaway who gave away a copy of POSSESS on her blog a few weeks ago. Yes, this makes me INCREDIBLY LAZY. But it's warranted, I swear. I have a lot of irons in the fire right now!!!

Anywho, here's how this month's contest will work!

1. Add up your entries and list them in the comments section (along with email address):

-> follower = 1 entry
-> tweet or facebook = 2 extra entries
-> blog or sidebar = 3 extra entries

2. The contest will last until 9pm PST on Wednesday. Winner of the ARC will be announced on Thursday. I'll also be drawing runners up who will get swag gift packs!

3. This contest is open to international peeps, but this will probably be the last one.

WOO HOO! BRING IT!

EDIT (April 26th): Because the response has been TOTALLY OVERWHELMING, in addition to the signed ARC of POSSESS and 10 (ten) POSSESS swag prize packs, I'm also giving away 2 (two) $10 (or international equivalent) Amazon gift certificates! Still time to enter - contest closes tomorrow night!

Minor Blog-cation

2011-04-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

mood: *yawns*
pandora/ipod: "people are people" by depeche mode

I sort of hit these stretches sometimes where I have like...nothing to talk about! INSANE, RIGHT? ME? WITH NOTHING TO TALK ABOUT?

I can hear your laughter. Can it.

Anyway, I've been swamped at the day job and I've got some revisions on a project I'm in the middle of hammering out. Plus that pesky social life of mine. I know, right? A WRITER WITH A LIFE? HOW THE HELL DO I THINK I AM?

So next week, expect me back full throttle. I've got the next POSSESS ARC giveaway coming up on the 22nd, plus some posts about both writing and non-writing related stuff in my life. And maybe some photos.

Peace out, kids. *muah*

Bookanistas Review: SPOILED

2011-03-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

mood: smiley
pandora/ipod: "animal" by neon trees

SPOILED by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (aka The Fug Girls)

From Goodreads:

16-year-old Molly Dix loves her ordinary life in suburban Indiana, so when her single mother passes away, she is shocked to discover that her biological father is Brick Berlin, world famous movie star and red carpet regular.

Equally intrigued and terrified by her Hollywood lineage, Molly moves to Southern California and plunges head-first into the deep end of Beverly Hills celebrity life. Just as Molly thinks her new life and family couldn't get any stranger, she meets Brooke Berlin, her gorgeous and spoiled half-sister whom welcomes Molly to la-la land with a healthy dose of passive-aggressive "sisterly love."

Set against the backdrop of a sparkling and fashion-filled Los Angeles, this deliciously dysfunctional family soap opera will satisfy every reader looking for their next lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous beach read.

Let me start off, in the spirit of full disclosure, by saying that Jessica and I go way back. Way back. Way, way back. The kind of way back *cough*freshmen year of college*cough* that knows where the bodies are buried...

That said, even if I didn't know Jessica personally, the international success of her and Heather's celebrity fashion blog Go Fug Yourself, a snarkilicious guilty pleasure of over four million readers a month, plus the Fug Girls' front row presence at every fashion week from New York to Paris would make this novel a must read for me. I expected glamor and parody and wit and angst all wrapped up in a sushi roll of celebrity encounters and A-list locales.

And the girls knocked it out of the park.

Now SPOILED could very easily have been just another entry in the Clueless-slash-Mean Girls-meets-Princess Diaries genre and on the surface that's what it seems: after her mother's death, unassuming, Midwestern every girl Molly discovers her biological father is the hottest action star in Hollywood and moves out to live in his mansion with the half-sister she never knew existed, the rich, popular (and bitterly resentful of Molly) Brooke. And I would have been perfectly okay with that trope, people. Trust me, there's a reason Cinderella stories work. But SPOILED is actually so much more than that, it caught me off guard.

First off, the book isn't told from Molly's point-of-view, but instead alternates between Brooke and Molly, giving us insight into both sisters. Secondly - and perhaps the most disarming thing of all - I'm not entirely sure Molly is the heroine of this novel Because for me, the character I loved most... was Brooke.

I know, right? The spoiled mean girl? The privileged celebutante? ME?

Yep. Absolutely. 100%. And here's why - Jessica and Heather have humanized Brooke so much that despite some of the heartless, back-biting crap she pulls in the book, I couldn't help but root for her.

I fell in love with Brooke right from the get-go: we learn in the first scene how Brooke has been abandoned by both of her parents - the one she lives with AND the one she doesn't. Suddenly all of her passive-agressive actions are justified. Er, well, most of them. And I found myself loving Brooke's narrative despite myself.

Yes, I'm dramatic like that. Sue me.

SPOILED has been described as "the perfect beach read" and while I personally don't see that as a slight, I think it does the book a disservice. It's so much more than a bit of fluff, so much deeper (albeit obscured under a delightful layer of name-dropping snark and modern LA pop references) than your average YA chick lit that I found myself thinking about these characters well after I read the last page.

Oh yes. Sidenote. In a book filled with fake movie and TV show titles, I must say that Tequila Mockingbird might be the best fake title ever thought up. Ever. In the history of the freaking world.

Seriously.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the other Bookanista reviews this week!

Elana Johnson is mesmerized by Memento Nora
Christine Fonseca gives a Guestanista video review of 11 Birthdays
Jamie Harrington is giddy for Texas Gothic
Beth Revis features Between Shades of Gray all week--with giveaway!
Megan Miranda gushes over Blood Magic
Myra McEntire introduces "Bookanistas Give Back" - with prizes!
Jessi Kirby wants to be Like Mandarin
Bethany Wiggins Praises the Princess of the Midnight Ball
Carrie Harris loves The Lipstick Laws--with giveaway!
Rosemary Clement-Moore is ensnared by The Demon Trapper's Daughter
Sarah Frances Hardy delights in Divergent
Veronica Rossi marvels at Moonglass
Stasia Ward Kehoe raves about Rival

Writers' Event!

2011-03-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: jittery
pandora/ipod: "take a chance on me" by abba

So tonight I am participating in my first ever writers' event. LAYApalooza, at the Buena Vista branch of the Burbank Public library! Check out this lineup:

Right? I totally do not belong in this group. Shhhh. Don't tell them!

We'll be hosting trivia games with young adult readers, giving out prizes and playing along. I'm a little nervous since this is my first event as "author" but I'm really looking forward to it! I'll be giving out POSSESS prize packs of bookmarks, charms and temporary tattoos. Think good thoughts for me! I'm half afraid I'll make a total dork out of myself!

Wait.

Too late.

:D

Winners Announced!!!

2011-03-28T07:11:00.000-07:00

mood: jumpy
pandora/ipod: "against the odds" by phil collins (don't ask)

Winners? Email me your address! gretchen (dot) mcneil (at) gmail (dot) com

Go Pink or Go Home!

2011-03-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Today, my blog has been taken over by the AMAZING Roecker sisters. Lisa and Laura implemented a massive grass roots social networking campaign in promotion of their debut YA novel THE LIAR SOCIETY that resulted in hundreds of pink-haired avatars (including yours truly) popping up all over Facebook and Twitter.

I asked the ladies to talk about their marketing and self-promotion because I, for one, was totally fascinated by their efforts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We are a team. Lisa + Laura = LiLa or the Roecker sisters, the sisters Roecker or L&L. We sign all of our emails as a team, write blog posts together and take calls together—which is usually a cluster of us talking over each other and laughing awkwardly. BUT, what many people don’t know, is how different we are. Let us demonstrate.

Laura Roecker: The younger sister, but also the MIDDLE sister, typical middle child syndrome with associated angst, a natural observer, natural follower, more comfortable listening than talking, highly sensitive, relatively private person.

Lisa Roecker: The older sister, the bossy one, loud laugher, loud talker, was known to say, “Hello, my name is Lisa Roecker, will you be my friend?” at five, precocious, an open book, snarky, all-around attention whore.

What does all of this have to do with publicity?

Mainly, Laura wouldn’t do any if it weren’t for Lisa. Promoting a book is obviously a very PUBLIC thing. So, when it came time to promote our debut novel, The Liar Society, we knew we’d be walking a very fine line. Laura is ALWAYS stressed about maintaining a balance for our online presence to prevent looking like a couple of self-promoting losers. Lisa ALWAYS has a new idea about how to get the book into the hands of readers. TOGETHER we make one, somewhat balanced publicity machine.

Back when we began writing together, we had a handful of more talented, more established authors (*cough* Gretchen McNeil *cough*) and literary agents take the time to guide us and give us the feedback we needed to become (hopefully) better writers. As a result of those experiences, we vowed to always be the types of writers who were willing to lend a helping hand to those just starting out. This philosophy has a HUGE impact on our marketing and PR efforts because a lot of our online presence is really about promoting other people’s books (The Bookanistas) and helping aspiring writers get published (WriteOnCon).

We’ve had a few people comment that our marketing and PR for Liar Society was impressive, particularly the pink hair twitter campaign, but the truth is it was dumb luck. We HATED our cover when we first saw it and we did everything in our power to get Kate’s hair changed to a nice ordinary shade of brown. In spite of our best efforts to destroy what would become a fantastic marketing angle, our publisher ignored us and we made some changes to the book to give Kate a punky make-over. One night Lisa was bored and photo shopped a couple of pink wigs onto our author pic and put it up on Twitter, Blogger and Facebook as a joke. Well, the joke was on HER when people began going pink in support of the book.

So, yeah, our main philosophies on promotion are go big or go home (Lisa), pay it forward (Laura), and dumb luck (pink hair). No idea if any of it actually helps sell books, but we sure as hell have fun trying.

Win a Signed Copy of POSSESS!

2011-03-21T12:56:00.000-07:00

mood: generous
pandora/ipod: "songs of love" by divine comedy

To Recap:

On the 23rd of each month between now and August, I'll be doing an ARC giveaway! Grand prize will be a signed POSSESS ARC, and there will be 5 "runner's up" prize packs of bookmarks, St. Benedict Medals and "Vade Retro Satana" temporary tattoos of Bridget's unique charm bracelet from the book!

For this first giveaway, you'll get ONE (1) entry for blogging about or retweeting the donation information for Tara's Habitat for Humanity fundraiser (make sure you email me the link, put in the comments here, or @reply me on Twitter), plus if you actually make a tax deductible donation you'll receive ONE (1) entry for each dollar you donate. Simply forward your donation confirmation to me at gretchen (dot) mcneil (at) gmail (dot) com!

Here is the link to donate: https://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93444722

Here is the link to my post about Tara and Habitat For Humanity: http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/2011/03/possess-giveaway-preview.html

Contest entries close at 9pm PST Sunday, March 27th and winners will be announced Monday, March 28th!

POSSESS Giveaway Preview!

2011-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

mood: philanthropic
pandora/ipod: "rainbow connection" by kermit the frog

I know I've mentioned this about a bazillion times, but I have some amazing friends. Talented, driven, smart, caring - I'm truly blessed.

My friend Tara fits the above criteria and then some, and her upcoming efforts to combat homelessness and poverty in El Salvador through Habitat for Humanity just proves it.

I'm helping Tara spread the word about her fundraising for the trip to El Salvador. Here's her "pitch":

Hello Friends and Family,

I have been selected along with 16 other Horizon Media employees to help build houses through Habitat for Humanity in El Salvador in early May.

Habitat for Humanity is an organization that believes that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live. As our group has collaborated with the organization, we have learned some unfortunate truths:

· Nearly 2 billion people around the world live in slum housing and over 100 million are homeless.

· Approximately 50% of the homes in El Salvador have been impacted by natural disasters over the past two decades.

· A single income household in El Salvador may only bring in $144 US per month.

Your dollar donation will help cover the costs of our travel to El Salvador plus a donation to the Habitat for Humanity organization. Horizon Media has generously offered to match the number raised by our group, so your donation will really impact our efforts!

I realize that everyone has expenses and there are so many other charities out there, especially with the recent devastation in Japan. If you are able to, your donation will continue to help so many others that would benefit too.

To make a charitable contribution, please contact me or you can submit online by 4/6through our team leader, Laura Ashton, via:

https://www.habitat.org/cd/gv/participant/participant.aspx?pid=93444722

I am excited to be able to donate a week of my life to make an impact on another's.

Thank you so much for you consideration!! I really appreciate it.

Sincerely,

Tara

How badass is she? I luff her.

But Gretchen, how does this relate to a POSSESS giveaway?

The official announcement will go up here and on Goodreads Wednesday, March 23rd, but I thought I'd give you all a head's up.

On the 23rd of each month between now and August, I'll be doing an ARC giveaway! Grand prize will be a signed POSSESS ARC, and there will be 5 "runner's up" prize packs of bookmarks, St. Benedict Medals and "Vade Retro Satana" temporary tattoos of Bridget's unique charm bracelet from the book!

For this first giveaway, you'll get ONE (1) entry for blogging about or retweeting the donation information for Tara's Habitat for Humanity fundraiser (make sure you email me the link or @reply me on Twitter), plus if you actually make a tax deductible donation you'll receive ONE (1) entry for each dollar you donate. Simply forward your donation confirmation to me at gretchen (dot) mcneil (at) gmail (dot) com!

I'm going to vlog about all this on Wednesday and explain the official rules again as well as show off the fancy swag/prizes. Winners will be announced Monday, March 28th!

A Special Surprise

2011-03-16T23:18:00.000-07:00

mood: giddy
pandora/ipod: "manamana" by the muppets

Sort of like Spaghetti-O Surprise without the Spaghetti-O's and Ritz crackers. Oh, did I just spoil the surprise for you? Oops...

A Dream Deferred

2011-03-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

mood: accepting
pandora/ipod: "i hate music!" by leonard bernstein, sung by barbara bonney

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore--
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over--
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

"A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes

A Dream Deferred.

Funny story about me. I never wanted to be a writer.

Not that being a writer isn't awesome. Not that I don't consider myself extraordinarily blessed and lucky to have a book coming out and some sort of minuscule talent in the writerly arts. But as a kid, as a teen, as a pre-adult I never once thought about being a writer. There was only one thing I wanted to be.

An opera singer.

A Dream Deferred.

I have a B.A. in Voice and an M.M. in Opera. I love to sing. I love to be on stage. And I love opera. Truly.

I was good. Pretty good. Good enough to attain a certain level of success but, in the end, not good enough to be on stage at the Met. But I soldiered on, struggled, strained, took small gigs, invested in my craft, struggled some more, cried a lot.

And one day I'd had enough. I wasn't at the level in the business where I wanted to be. I wasn't making a living at it. I wasn't happy. I didn't want to sing.

So I quit. Cold turkey. Just like that.

Hey writers, sound familiar? The struggle. The lack of fulfillment. The constant nagging voice telling you give up.

Is it any wonder I moved from one insane art form to the other? Prolly not.

When I left opera, I never EVER thought I'd perform on stage again. Ever. Ever. That chapter in my life (which started when I was five years old...) was over. Dunzo. Finis.

A Dream Deferred.

I saw Kiri Te Kanawa in recital Saturday night. Dame Kiri - for those of you who don't know and aren't big opera nerds like myself - is one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the last fifty years. Her Contessa in Le nozze di Figaro is, in my opinion, still unsurpassed, and you may recognize her voice in the recording of Puccini's "O mio babbino caro" that was used in my favorite movie of all time, A Room with a View.

So Dame Kiri is an idol and, what's even stranger, she programmed several songs on her recital that I've performed myself. Squee.

But about halfway through her recital, Langston Hughes' poignant words popped into my head. I still had that yearning to sing classical music. I was planning a recital program in my head, remembering old performances, fantasizing about all the repertoire I still want to learn.

My dream of being an opera singer was deferred. But what happened to it? Did it fester? Did it rot? Did it sag? Did it explode?

All. None. Well, two things happened. 1: my creative energies were focused elsewhere - writing. 2: I was lucky enough to be involved with Cirque Berzerk.

I thank my lucky stars every freaking day that my amazing friend Chantel basically forced me to audition for the circus. It has made an impact in my life that I literally can't express in words. (A rarity, trust me.) I might not be singing Mozart and Strauss, Poulenc and Argento, but I'm singing. Performing.

A Dream Deferred. A Dream Transformed.

I think what Langston missed in this poem is the idea that dreams change. I never saw writing or the circus in my future, but I was open to both when the opportunity came along. My dream changed, from singing Zerbinetta with James Levine at the Met, to singing "Dig It Down" in full clown makeup from a wooden scaffold behind four dudes on a trampoline. From walking into Tower Records to see my CD on display, to walking into a Barnes and Noble to see my book on the shelves.

Dreams change. Go with it.

Opinions Are Like...

2011-03-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

mood: contemplative
pandora/ipod: "telegram sam" by bauhaus

Heh heh heh.

Everyone's got an opinion. Especially once they hear you're a writer. People start crawling out of the woodwork offering advice on how to write, how to get over writer's block, how their aunt's second cousin's stepson got "published" online...

Coworkers. Classmates. Your mom's hairdresser (true story.)

Most of this "advice" is offered unsolicited, and as much as you'd like to bitch slap the friend of a friend currently telling you all about how writing fiction really isn't that hard and he could TOTALLY get a novel published, it's usually best to just smile, say thank you, and silently wish herpes on him.

I'm kidding. I wouldn't do that. I probably wouldn't do that. I mostly probably wouldn't do that...

Smile and nod, Gretch. Smile and nod. Moving on...

There are times, however, when we specifically ask for someone's opinion about our writing. I have some trusted writer (and non-writer) friends whom I rely upon to give feedback on my manuscripts. These are people that I respect, whose writerly opinions matter to me, and who - I feel - make me a better writer.

That said, even from people whose opinions I respect, not all feedback is going to end up effecting my manuscript.

Okay, so that concept sounds simple. You can't take EVERYONE'S advice ALL the time. But with writing, which is such a naturally insecure endeavor, I find myself wanting desperately to incorporate every note, every question, every request for clarification. And it took me a long to realize that it wasn't always possible.

Sometimes you get a piece of feedback that's awesome, insightful, amazeballs. But it also might send your manuscript off to someplace you don't necessarily want it to go. Sometimes Reader A loves your main character while Reader B hates her. Sometimes a story or plot point just doesn't connect with one of my readers, which is reflected in their notes.

All valid opinions. And I'm thankful for all of them. But as a writer, you need to listen to yourself first, especially in choosing which feedback to use, and which to set aside. Reader A and Reader B are both "right" - but I couldn't possibly address both of their notes on my main character. I have to choose which opinion resonates more with me. Maybe Reader B's arguments as to why she didn't like my main character strike a chord, or inspires a tonal shift that perhaps had been niggling at my but I didn't quite know how to fix. Maybe Reader A's arguments in favor of my main character reflect the exact voice I was going for.

Hard to say. But there's only ONE person whose opinion on your writing you can trust 100% - your own.

Vade Retro Satana

2011-03-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

mood: spooked
pandora/ipod: "persephone" by cocteau twins

One of the things I really wanted to do when POSSESS sold was have a logo made of one of the key elements of the story - Bridget's charm bracelet. I wanted to use it as kind of a talisman for the book.

Thankfully, I have some amazingly talent friends.

Behold, Bridget's strange and unique charm, just as I described it in the book!

Logo by I0 Designed

I've got some AWESOME swag ideas in mind for this (hint: temporary tattoos anyone?) as well as a surprise involving real St. Benedict medals. But all that is in the future, kiddies. The magical not-so-very-distance future that is approaching so rapidly I can almost see August glaring at me from just down the road...

I mean, YAY! AUGUST!

:D

Bookanistas: Celebrating THE LIAR SOCIETY

2011-03-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

mood: befuddled
pandora/ipod: "lotus flower" by radiohead

THE LIAR SOCIETY by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

Sourcebooks: March 1, 2011

I'm a lucky girl. I'll admit it. I was lucky enough that back before this novel was even agented, Lisa and Laura approached me - a newly agented writer myself - and asked me to read a partial of their manuscript.

I knew then that they had something special. An email from a dead friend. A family keeping secrets. A wounded yet tenacious heroine who just will not take "no" for an answer. I'd like to think I knew then what kind of success Les Dames Roecker would have with this novel. Truth is, I didn't know it would be this awesome.

THE LIAR SOCIETY fills a void in YA fiction. An old school, Agatha Christie-esque mystery that flirts at the paranormal yet is totally, 100% set in the concrete, realistic world.

The elements alone add up to WIN: prestigious boarding school, secret societies, long-buried mysteries, a puppy dog boy-next-door and a sexy bad boy. Win. Win. Win. But those elements alone don't make this mystery snap, crackle and pop. No, for that the Roeckers needed a smart, sassy heroine and Kate Lowry is just that.

Now I'll admit it - I'm drawn to wit. And Kate has it in spades. But she's more than a snark-filled main characters. At times artful and deceiving, at times vulnerable and broken, Kate is just barely getting by at the beginning of the novel, recovering from the death of her best friend Grace. I loved how Kate's new found mission to uncover the mystery Grace's maybe-not-so-much death transformed her, gave her purpose, salvation, and ultimately changed her in ways I never saw coming.

Plus an awesome love story! Although the love triangle is standard fiction fare, it never feels that way in the Roeckers' hands. While the tension behind the mystery of Grace's death swells, the sexual tension mirrors it so by the last third of the novel I was literally racing through pages, desperate to see how all the pieces would be resolved.

And I wasn't disappointed. What's a murder mystery without an awesome twist? An episode of Dateline. And Lisa and Laura deliver a punch I never saw coming. I wish I could say more but I'll utterly ruin it. Don't make me. Read it your-damn-self!!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

Want to read other Bookanistas reviews this week? Check them out!

Elana Johnson shines a light on Clarity
LiLa Roecker raves over The Rendering
Shannon Messenger loves 13 Reasons Why - with a signed book giveaway!
Shelli Johannes Wells joins The Liar Society
Scott Tracey is amazed by The Iron Thorn
Kirsten Hubbard raves over these March releases
Michelle Hodkin introduces some marvelous March books
Myra McEntire invites The Liar Society authors Lisa & Laura Roecker into the fort
Beth Revis is mad for Matched
Carolina Valdez Miller delights in Delirium
Jessica Kirby adores Across the Universe
Megan Miranda peers into Sean Griswold's Head
Bethany Wiggins marvels at Matched
Shana Silver is a super stop on The Liar Society blog tour
Carrie Harris buzzes about Blessed
Rosemary Clement-Moore falls for Falling Under
Katie Anderson shows cover love for Possess
Matt Blackstone is ecstatic over Edges
Stasia Ward Kehoe is wild for What Happened to Goodbye

Wednesday Potpourri

2011-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

mood: erratic
pandora/ipod: "drumming song" florence + the machine

A few things I want to talk about today. I'll start with the pimping.

My fellow Bookanista Stasia Kehoe has an amazeballs cover to reveal this week. AUDITION - though it's about ballet instead of opera - totally hits home for me. As does this awesome cover:

In addition, I'll be contributing to Stasia's A YEAR OF AUDITIONS with some of my more bizarre, amazing and heart-breaking audition stories throughout my mostly marginalized singing career.

~~~~~~~~~~

In other pimpage, if case you've been trapped under a freaking ROCK, Lisa and Laura Roecker's debut THE LIAR SOCIETY ~~went viral~~ hit the shelves yesterday. I was lucky enough to read an early (read, "pre-agented") partial of this novel and I'll be reviewing the finished project here tomorrow for the Bookanistas. You don't want to miss that. Trust me.

~~~~~~~~~~

I'm SUPER DOOPER excited this week. Can't you tell? If Stasia's cover and LiLa's debut aren't enough, I'm getting an ARC of SPOILED this Thursday. My dear UCLA friend (GO BRUINS!) Jessica is one half of Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, more commonly known as the Go Fug Yourself girls. Not only does this June debut from Poppy have one of my favorite covers of 2011, but I've been looking forward to reading the FugGirls' fiction debut for...ever? Look for a string of Bookanista reviews of SPOILED in coming weeks. And make sure you keep this summer beach read on your "TBR" list!

~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, me. I've got a guest post on the inspiring Elana Johnson's blog today on perseverance, or as I've titled it: Stubborn or Stupid? I feel like every Irish reader of my blog understands this concept INTRINSICALLY.

This is a particularly personal blog post for me, discussing my first novel which went out to editors, how it didn't sell, and how I dealt with the reality of putting that beloved manuscript on the shelf indefinitely. Writing success stories are built on the carcasses of heartbreak, children. Glorious, soul-wrenching heartbreak. And I swear the cliche is true: the suffering and struggle makes us better.

And the Winner Is...

2011-03-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

mood: cheeky
pandora/ipod: "march of the pigs" by nine inch nails

I don't normally post my YARebels vlogs to my blog, but because this one features an AWESOME custom made teddy bear reading the novel formerly known as BANISH from my friend Christine Fonseca, I felt I needed to.

Oh, and awesome covers by Carrie Harris, Tara Hudson, Myra McEntire, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, and Lauren Kate. Ya know, to round out the awesome!

POSSESS Cover Revealed!

2011-02-21T21:30:00.000-08:00

mood: psyched
pandora/ipod: "rollercoaster of love" by the red hot chili peppers

I've teased it.

I've promised it.

And now it's here.

Behold, the cover for my YA horror/paranormal debut POSSESS!

OMG! *head explodes*

Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her overprotective mom, by the hunky son of the police officer who got her father killed, and by the eerie voices which she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Turns out the voices are demons--the Biblical kind, not the Buffy kind--and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them.

San Francisco's senior exorcist and his newly assigned partner from the Vatican enlist Bridget's help with increasingly bizarre and dangerous cases of demonic possession. But when one of Bridget's oldest friends turns up dead in a ritualistic sacrifice that mirrors her father's murder, Bridget realizes she can't trust anyone. An interview with her father's murderer reveals a link between Bridget and the Emim: a race of part-demons intent on raising their forefathers to the earth in human form. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the Emim's plan before someone else close to her winds up dead, or worse--the human vessel for a Demon King.

POSSESS debuts August 23, 2011. AAAAA!!!!!

I couldn't be more in love with my cover. It perfectly captures both how I pictured Bridget and the dark, creepy tone of the book. I'm so lucky to have such an amazing design team at Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins. Guys, I owe you one!

Would love your feedback. Tell me what you think!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, in other, even more exciting news, fellow YARebeller Leah Clifford's debut A TOUCH MORTAL hits the shelves today. I read it a few months ago and freaking LOVED IT. But don't take my word for it - order it yourself RIGHT-FREAKING-NOW! :D

AUGUST 23, 2011!!!

2011-02-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

mood: OMFG!
pandora/ipod: "hollywood" by codeine velvet club

Er, so in case you missed the news, POSSESS has an official release date!

August 23, 2011

One week before my mom's birthday, which, since the book is dedicated to her, I consider the most perfect birthday gift ever!

And you know what else? I have an AMAZON PAGE!

Oh! Oh! Oh! And an author page on the HarperTeen website!

Yeah, I'm getting super goofy with it.

So there it is. It's real. I have a real book coming out.

Someone pinch me.

Next up? Cover art. Oh, it's coming people. Sooner than you think!!!!

Bookanistas: Gushing Over BLOOD & FLOWERS

2011-02-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

mood: hee hee
pandora/ipod: "kiss with a fist" by florence + the machine

This is my FIRST Bookanistas post and I'm SO FREAKING EXCITED. I love the idea of giving props to the YA books we love. And so without further adieu...

BLOOD AND FLOWERS by Penny Blubaugh

Three years ago, Persia ran away from her drug-addict parents and found a home with the Outlaws, an underground theater troupe. With time, this motley band of mortals and fey, puppeteers and actors, becomes the loving family Persia never had, and soon Persia not only discovers a passion for theater but also falls in love with one of the other Outlaws. Life could not be more perfect.

Until an enemy makes an unfair accusation against the group and forces them to flee their world and hide in the neighboring realm of Faerie. But in Faerie, all is not flowers and rainbows. With bloodthirsty trolls, a hostile monarchy, and a dangerous code of magic, the fey world is far from the safe haven the Outlaws had hoped for....

Following up her critically acclaimed Serendipity Market, Penny Blubaugh has created a beautiful and mysterious world where anything can happen—especially what you least expect.

Harper Teen - March 1, 2011

It's only appropriate that my first Bookanistas review would be a book (a) about the theater and (b) edited by my own beloved editor Kristin Daly Rens. As if that wasn't enough, Penny Blubaugh has created a dark, tantalizing world where fey and human keep a tenuous cohabitation in the mortal world, and magic - and it's drug-laced after effects - have built a wall of suspicion and mistrust between the two worlds.

Enter the Outlaw Puppet Theater, a group of faeries and humans creating fly-by-night productions using questionably legal fey magic. As a theater chick myself, I loved the Outlaws - Tonio and Max, the couple who founded the troupe, Nicholas the aspiring lawyer, Floss whose faerie magic makes the troupe something truly unique, Lucia the wounded spirit and Persia, our main character who has finally found a home with the Outlaws. A home she's going to cling to til her dying breath. I loved this family, this motley crew, this collection from the Island of Misfit toys. They act like a family, with petty squabbles and fierce loyalty, and I found myself completely drawn into their world.

And just when things are starting to go well for the Outlaws - a successful show, press, fame, money - it all comes crashing down. In the face of arrest and prison time, the Outlaws flee to the one place they think they'll be safe: Faerie.

Yeah, not so much.

There are a lot of Fey-Human stories on the market right now, but one of the things that attracted me to BLOOD & FLOWERS was Penny Blubaugh's vision of this world. Her Faerie is a strange place. Dark and wondrous, eccentric and wild, familiar yet completely original. There's a luscious quality to her characterization of that alternate world and the pace of the story really starts to roll once the Outlaws jump into their new world. I literally couldn't put the book down.

BLOOD & FLOWERS also give you a great love story: the wounded Persia with all her baggage and fears of love and rejection, and the boy-next-door Nicholas. Watching them take almost painfully slow baby steps towards each other gave me that tantalizing sexual tension I love so much!

Don't want to give too much away, but come March 1, I hope you all check out BLOOD & FLOWERS!

~~~~~~~~~~

Who else is reviewing this week? Check out the rest of the Bookanista reviews!

LiLa Roecker hosts a sunny tour stop for POSSUM SUMMER
Christine Fonseca shares her Guestanista Post: The Lost Hero
Shannon Messenger spotlights the cover of SO SILVER BRIGHT
Scott Tracey is inspired by ANGELFIRE
Michelle Hodkin toasts DEMONGLASS
Beth Revis finds amazing MAGIC UNDER GLASS
Carolina Valdez Miller uncovers WORDS IN THE DUST
Megan Miranda leaps and shouts for THE LIAR SOCIETY
Bethany Wiggins glows for RUBY RED
Shana Silver gets psyched about WITHER
Jen Hayley raves about RAISED BY WOLVES
Rosemary Clement-Moore revisits HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE
Sarah Frances Hardy is nuts for THE NINTH WARD
Corrine Jackson delights in DIVERGENT
Stasia Ward Kehoe celebrates THE LIAR SOCIETY

What's On Tap

2011-02-14T09:13:00.000-08:00

mood: Monday (hah, it's totally a mood)
pandora/ipod: "little lion man" by mumford & sons

There's lots going on post-circus Gretchen World!

Whoa, did anyone else just picture my own bizarro version of Dollywood right then? Damn, that would be awesome.

Anyway...

First up, this is a YARebels vlogging week! Here's a look at my topic:

WHAT IS GRETCHEN AFRAID OF MOST?
a) spiders
b) the Titanic
c) getting burned alive at the stake
d) first drafts

HINT: my dog hunts bugs, it's not 1912 and I'm not a witch...as far
as I know...

Tomorrow, I'll be guest vlogging over at Parking Lot Confessional, where I'll be talking about my journey to publication and the most important lesson I've learned along the way. (No, it has nothing to do with shoes...) Woo hoo!

Then on Wednesday, I'll be debuting some awesome artwork I commissioned specifically for POSSESS. It's so freaking cool - and should feature prominently in the swag I'm planning for later this year - so you definitely want to check that out.

Also-Also, today kicks off my FINAL 10 POUNDS campaign. As many of you know, I've lost a lot of weight. As of this morning, 32 pounds, to be exact. And while I'm perfectly happy at this weight, I'm still aiming for my original goal, which is another 10 lbs. They say the last ten is the hardest, so I'm going to chronicle my progress here on the blog. Cheer me on, people! If I reach my goal, it'll be the smallest I've been since... oh crap, 2004? Scary.

Lastly, you'll notice I've made no mention of February 14th, also known as The Day Which Makes Single People Feel Shitty About Themselves.

Oh well. I'm so blessed in so many ways. I suppose a girl can't have everything, can she? ;)

Possums are Awesome!

2011-02-10T01:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the POSSUMS ARE AWESOME blog tour for the middle-grade book, POSSUM SUMMER, coming out in March! (Have you preordered yet?)

One of the coolest people on the block, circus star GRETCHEN, hosted me on her blog today! She is so fabulous. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to her for P's actions. But you'll see that below ...

First off, about the book:

a lonely kid.

an orphaned baby possum.

a dad that says no way.

how do you keep that kind of secret?

and what happens when you’re found out?

Here we go! Wheee!!!

GM: So let's talk about your protag. Why did you make her like you did?

JKB: P (short for Princess) was always the way she was...quick to find the funny in almost everything, brave to a fault, way too naive, but a stalwart kind of girl. Loyal. That was one thing that never changed throughout the entire editing process, her pluck. She's a plucky sort of chick. I like plucky.

GM: And I read that you ended up changing the ending? Why?

JKB: Well, yes! I was completely finished with copyedits for three days but I couldn't bring myself to send it back. Something was keeping me up at night and nagging me in the day, and I finally figured it out when I bounced it off my husband: the ending was tosh. I couldn't leave it like that.

So I wrote up a bigger "ending" to the second-to-last chapter, took a REALLY deep breath and send it off to my editor - though it took me some time. My stomach was so upset!

She's so great; she said she'd read through and think about it, and got back to me with a resounding YES! So it is true: editors do not eat authors alive. Because if an editor would have done it, that eaten author would have been me!

GM: Do you belong to any writing support groups? Like? Not like? Thoughts?

JKB: I belong to two groups: The Hopefuls and 4Corners *waves* They've saved my sanity on numerous occasions, not the least of which giving a critical eye to new subs before anyone else sees, support on the WAIT of publishing, etc. etc. etc.

They are so wonderful to be around, and so genuinely happy for new sales. They're also amazing writers, and they're selling their books left and right!

Princess: Helllll-llllo!

JKB: What a surprise.

P: Miss Gretchen! Miss Gretchen! You are in a CIRCUS? A real live CIRCUS? And what's your favrite food?

GM: CHAMPAGNE. Er, wait. How old are you? Crap.

P: *pauses* What's that? What's that, Jen? *jen looks around awkwardly* *whispers it's a fizzy drink* Hey, can I have some? Just a little? I like fizzy drinks!

JKB: Not this kind. And not 'til you're about 30. Your mom would kill me.

P: NO FAIR. LIFE IS NO FAIR. Miss Gretchen, you'd give me some, right?

GM: JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS AND ALCOHOL, KIDS!

P: Okay, well, what do you like to do for fun, huh? Wanna come over and help me catch some minnows?

GM: Minnows are fish, right? Yeah, I'm going to take a Pasadena on that one. How about we hit the mall for some shopping instead?

P: Shopping, huh? I like to go to the feed store and buy new lead lines for Jezebel! Does that count? *JKB nudges P, geddonwitit!* OKAY. Sheesh! So what do you like best about yourself?

GM: I have gorgeous red hair. Wow, that sounded totally vain and self-involved.

I have gorgeous red hair. :D

P: Well you do at that! But I really like those circus pictures. You are a singer in the circus! Do you think you'll ever come by Oklahoma? Huh? Then you can bring me some of that fizzy drink! *JKB pokes P in the ribs* Well okay. Hey, I drawed ya!

P: I know your hair is red, but the spotted skunk is about the prettiest animal in the lower part of Oklahoma! All bright and glossy, and wavy, just like your hair! They even smell good! No, really they do! All you have to do is have some tomato paste on hand if they get ticked off ...

JKB: -- Gretch, you were amazing to let me come by, especially trailing this horror of a child! *muscles P into submission* I'll be going now!

Jen K. Blom writes about animals, the land, and kids, not necessarily in that order. Her debut, POSSUM SUMMER, is available March 2011.

Just the thing to give to a kid to start their summer of reading off right! (Available from your local indie, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Book Depository!)

Check out the book trailer here !

Back in the Saddle

2011-02-09T14:33:00.000-08:00

mood: kicking ass and taking names
pandora/ipod: "renegades of funk" by rage against the machine

I'm writing again.

That sounds like such a simple thing: I'm a writer, thus I write. But for several months now, the idea of sitting down at the laptop and cranking out 1K+ words everyday has been more than daunting. It's been downright terrifying.

Don't get me wrong - I love to write. Usually. But there seems to be some sort of secret law of physics attached to the process of actually sitting down to start a project. Like Newton's Law of Motion...for Writers:

Every writer remains in a state of rest or uniform motion unless it is acted upon by an external unbalanced force.

In this case, the "unbalanced force" is an exciting, shiny new idea. And it's finally dislodged my writer's block.

I'd talk about it, but I can't. It's not a POSSESS sequel, so for now I shall just refer to it by it's temporary title: TEN. It has eaten my brain - in a good way, not a rabid zombie kind of way - so look out, people! I'm on a mission!

Catching Up

2011-02-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

mood: sleepy
pandora/ipod: "these are the days" by 10,000 maniacs

I feel like the Blogosphere's whacky aunt who flits in and our of your lives as the mood - and whatever zany new "project" I'm working on - takes me. But I'm back. I'm blogging. I've got a metric shit ton of stuff to catch up on. And I'm starting with you guys.

The circus has ended. I'm sure you were bloody well sick and tired of hearing about it and scanning through endless clown make-up'd photos of me, but there it is. The circus is such a massive part of my life, while I'm doing it, it's all encompassing.

I even did a vlog for the YARebels - or at least attempted to (someone kept interrupting me...) - about the difficulties I've faced trying to reconcile being a performer with being a writer. It's not a combination I've been very successful with. I'm going to have to work on it.

There were some AMAZEBALLS moments during the January 2011 Cirque Berzerk run:

- celebrity sightings included Adam Lambert, Alice Cooper, Pau Gasol and Billy Idol

- vocally, I think I really grew and improved during this run, something I haven't really felt in ages

- the feeling of community with this group only gets stronger over time: the circus isn't just my castmates anymore, they're family

- I got to sing "Dead Man's Party" sharing a microphone with Johnny Avila from Oingo Boingo. Yeah, you read that right.

Over for now and I spent most of last week in a funk about it. I'm so grateful to have my 9-5 day job, especially in this economy, but it's like little pieces of my soul are falling away each and everyday. Okay, that might be a little dramatic, but you get my meaning.

The good news about the circus being over for now is that I can focus on writing again. I have some fantastic new ideas I'm mulling over, and hopefully will have a direction to go on a new novel soon, soon, soon. Something dark and suspenseful, in a sort of Dexter-y Hitchcockian way. I hope. :)

Plus there will be some AWESOME happenings with POSSESS that I can start announcing soon. Stay tuned....

So yes, I think you're pretty much caught up with me. I've been so out of the loop - what the hell's been going on with all of you?

Who Am I? Where Am I?

2011-01-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

mood: *yawn*
pandora/ipod: *yawn*

Been woefully negligent of the blog, but the circus is closing this weekend so my life will get (slightly) back to (relatively) normal soon.

But I just wanted to post some more pictures from the circus (as always by the amazing Pixie Spindel), this time of our awesome band that I talk about...ceaselessly. I know, I'm a broken record, but these guys are so awesome! Talented, generous, supportive and more fun than a pocketful of monkeys. I heart them.

Antonia Bath and Jessica Childress, vocals. Johnny Avila, bass. Peter Jacobsen, cello. Alpheus Fletcher Underhill IV, percussion.

Oh, and I always wanted to be a rockstar so I'm kinda sorta living out that fantasy in the circus. HEE!

Opening Roulette!

2011-01-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

mood: breathing
pandora/ipod: "alive" by the beastie boys

So I've got some new book ideas floating around - one that's brand new, one that's been kicking around for awhile, one that's written and could use some work. Which to choose? Which to choose?

How about you help me? I'll post the openings of each and you tell me which one grabs you the most. Ready.....GO!

CONTESTANT #1

The morning alarm crackled through the loud speaker a half second before blinding white light flooded the darkness, piercing the nebulous haze of his dream. His eyes flew open. Above, the rippled, rusting folds of the corrugated metal roof morphed in and out of focus just inches from his face as his eyes adjusted to the stark, fluorescent light. He looked down to the threadbare blanket--rough and frayed like burlap--that covered him.

Something wasn't right.

His heart pounded in his chest. Where am I? Where…Who am I?

A murmur rippled through the room. He couldn't understand their words, but he could sense the fear in their voices. They don't know either.

With a screech and a pop, the loud speaker sparked to life once more. "Attention Detainees," it said, the voice scratchy with too much treble. "Please check your headboards for your name and location. Roll call in ten minutes."

His bed shook. He gripped the wood frame with both hands. Earthquake? He glanced over the side of bed and realized the floor was five feet below. Bunk bed. No wonder the ceiling was so close.

What was he supposed to do? Headboard. Right. He flipped over and found a metal placard screwed into the wood.

BUNK 22
CAMP 18
CHECK WRIST FOR
DETAINEE NUMBER

Wrist? He flipped over both hands, exposing the pale, soft skin threaded with blue-purple veins. The number was tattooed on his left wrist just below the crease of his palm.

84117

Detainee 84117. Yes, that was familiar. That's what they called him. Memories bubbled to the surface, coming up for air. 84117. He was supposed to get up. He was supposed to get dressed. His belongings would be in a trunk at the foot of the bunk. Roll call. Medicine hut. Breakfast. Familiar and yet something was…off.

"Five minutes, boys," a gravelly voice bellowed. "Five minutes." Square shoulders below a pock-marked face and a nose that looked like it lost a fight with a vegetable peeler strode down the aisle between the bunks. He wore military fatigues and shiny club dangled from his belt, slapping against his thigh as he walked.

His name is Garrity. I remember that.

Garrity caught him staring. He whipped the club off his belt and clacked it against the wooden frame of the bunk as he sauntered by. "Hurry up, 84117. Don't know how they did it in Bunk 4, but in 22 my boys are ready on time for roll call."

That's why it all felt wrong. He'd switched bunks.

CONTESTANT #2

A spicy odor tickled Maggie's nose, wafting upwards from the kohl stick she held over the candle. It was a comforting smell, soothing despite the inky stench. It reminded her of her mother.

With a shake of her head she removed the stick from the flame, dismissing the memory. She blew on the kohl lightly then bent her face close to the chipped and tarnished mirror. Despite the fragmented reflection, her hand was steady, experienced as she drew a heavy line of black around the inner rim of her right eye, then with swift, calm strokes she coated her light eyelashes with the black paste.

Maggie swirled a puff in a tin of chalk dust and blotted the whitening powder liberally cross her cheeks, erasing all traces of her freckles. Then she scrunched up her face and wiggled her nose, working the powder into lines and crevices that didn't naturally exist on her young skin. A swipe of red-tinted beeswax across cheeks and lips, and her face was transformed. She looked ten years older, a Covent Garden tart on the wrong side of five and twenty, the very image of an aging barmaid using every trick in the book to hang onto her youth.

Mama would have been so proud.

Maggie removed the tattered black wig from its holder and pulled it over her skullcap. Voilá! The transformation was complete. Well, almost complete. She recalled her father's favorite lecture.

"Remember the eyes, Pet," he would say again and again whether she was playing dress up in her mother's old costumes or sitting through one of her father's lessons.
"They're the key. Used well, they can deceive the Devil himself, but they can also betray the depths of your soul to the worst of your enemies. Guard them, hide them, control them."

Maggie took a deep breath, closing her eyes with the exhale. Who are you tonight? What is your name? Where did you come from? What do you love and what do you hate?

"Dolores!" a heavy voice called from downstairs. "Cust'mers!"

Maggie returned to the mirror. Staring back at her were the vapid, overtly flirtatious hazel eyes of her latest creation.

Exit Maggie Flynn, enter Dolores Crampton.

CONTESTANT #3

Xochi pressed her forearms against the mat and with an ease that never ceased to amaze me, curled her legs and torso up so her butt hovered just above her head. Then with one flick of her toe, she turned the page of the magazine before her.

"You can't just use your hand like a normal person, can you?" I said.

Xochi's eyes never left the magazine, but her long lashes fluttered as she twisted her midsection ninety degrees and pointed both of her skinny legs at me in defiance. "Nope."

"It's creepy."

"You're jealous."

I snorted and picked up the discarded gold sequined vest I was supposed to be mending for the bazillionth time. "You wish."

Xochi uncorked her body and languidly rolled onto her side. She contorted so easily, like it took no effort at all. Only I knew better. I'd been watching her train since we were kids and knew the elegance of her performances for which she had become to renowned was the result of countless chest stands and headseats over the last ten years.

"Hm." Xochi smiled, a wicked gleam in her eye brown eyes. "Maybe if you could do this – " she lifted her leg, grabbed it with her hand and pulled it behind her head in an oversplit – "Fig would pay more attention to you."

"Xochi, what the hell?" I flushed and quickly glanced around the tent to make sure no one was within ear shot. I let out a sigh. Eight Ball was sweeping up near the ticket booth outside, but other than that we were alone.

"Calm down, Beanie. He's rigging up the aerial wench with your dad."

"He'd better be."

Xochi laughed, light and airy, and let her leg swing back into place. "Oh, come on! Maybe you should just tell him you think he's hot and want to jump his bones."

"Oh my God, I'm so going to kill you."

"What? I'm just trying to help." Xochi sat up and adopted that let-me-tell-you-something attitude she felt privy to by being two years older than me and having briefly dated a horrid illusionist who camped with us for a few months last summer.

It took a metric crap ton of effort for me not to roll my eyes. The last thing I needed was dating advice from Xochi. "I'm good. Thanks."

"But guys like Fig – "

"Guys like me what?"

I practically swallowed my tongue as the bleached-blond mohawked head of our new rigger poked through the door flap of the dressing room tent. He was smiling, exposing a row of crooked teeth that gave his face an impish air, and I desperately tried to gauge how much of the conversation he'd overheard.

And Just a Few More...

2011-01-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

mood: bleary-eyed
pandora/ipod: "hysteria" by muse

Just a few more circus photos, these from my amazingly talented friend Pixie of Pixie Vision Productions. (Seriously, check out her travel dates on her website. If you've ever wanted to treat yourself to the best photos taken, she's your girl...)

And seriously, if you haven't made plans to come see Cirque Berzerk at Club Nokia this month, what the hell are you waiting for???