More Author Insight: Memorable Moments

  What has been the most memorable moment on your road to publication other that the actual book deal?

"The initial offer of representation from my agent. It's something I'd worked a long time for, but much like with buying lottery tickets, I never really expected that magical "it" to happen. In fact, I would take that initial phone call over winning the lottery any day." - Lauren Destefano, author of Wither. 

 "The most memorable was getting an email from someone who'd read my book.  It was the first 'fan' letter that I'd gotten and I was over the moon excited.  Throughout the whole process I'd worried that people wouldn't 'get' what I was doing.  They'd think it was a silly book with silly characters that should never have been published.  But this person who wrote me got it.  They understood what I was saying through Ollie and that was maybe the best moment in this whole crazy publication deal." - Shaun David Hutchinson, author of The Deathday Letter.

"I have two agents, Charlie Olsen and Richard Pine at InkWell. When Richard called me to introduce himself and tell me the potential he saw in the book I thought I might pass out. Also when my publisher at Philomel, Michael Green wrote his first email to me it was beautiful and made me cry. I'm fortunate to have wonderful agents, and a fabulous editor - Jill Santopolo - and publisher, all of whom I respect and trust." - Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade. 

"Writing the last 50 pages of both of my books were these crazy-intense situations. For 'Audrey' I was trying to get out of jury duty (which I did), then I sped to a Starbucks and wrote the last words in this adrenaline-fused hour. For the first draft of 'AMJ', I sat on my living room floor in my pajamas for an entire Sunday, typing like a maniac. For the final draft, I figured out one thing that had been bugging me about the plot and worked out this ridiculous outline for my editor, then wrote the whole scene and emailed it two days before the final deadline. Both of those experiences made me feel like a 'real' writer, like I had worked my ass off and had something to show for it." - Robin Benway, author of The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June. 

"Can I say 'When Neil Gaiman kissed my cheek after I gave him copies of my first two books?' If so, that!" - Jackie Kessler, author of Rage. 
 

Author Insight: Memorable Moments

What has been the most memorable moment on your road to publication other that the actual book deal?

"Probably receiving that first fan mail.  A real snail mail letter.  It was a letter from a fan that was sent to my publisher and forwarded on to me.  I'd gotten fan emails before but this completely surprised me.  Letter writing is a lost art in this digital age, so it was a delightful surprise." - Kay Cassidy, author of The Cinderella Society.

 

"Seeing the first cover comp. It's very different from the final version of the book cover, but when I saw that first image of my story in a visual form....I'll never forget it." - Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe.

"This summer, my wife and I flew to New York City for a visit to Random House headquarters and the proverbial “lunch with the editor.” It was one of the few experiences in this dream come true that was actually better than I imagined it could be. My editor and all the people involved with So Shelly at Random were welcoming and enthusiastic. For those two hours, I felt like a star." - Ty Roth, author of So Shelly.

"When I saw my book on a bookstore shelf for the first time. Goosebumps." - Cynthia Omololu, author of Dirty Little Secrets.

We Heart the Nook Giveaway

Valentine's Day is almost here, and 13 fellow bloggers and I have decided to make reading our sweetheart. But "Be Mine" is so selfish. We want the love of reading and a fancy new e-reader and some other fabulous prizes to "Be Yours!"

Here's the deal...

I'm giving away a $20 Barnes & Noble gift card. You fill out the form below and you're entered for a chance to win it. Easy peasey, right? The bonus is that anyone who enters my giveaway with also get one entry into the Grand Prize Nook giveaway.

Let's do the math on that. There are 14 blogs. That's one winner per blog for a total of 14 winners. And that means you have a 1 in 14 chance of winning the Nook Prize Pack!

The Nook Prize Pack includes...

• Nook Wi-Fi

• Finished copy of Delirium by Lauren Oliver from Harper Teen 
• A $40 Barnes & Noble gift card
• 3 e-books from Harlequin Teen

         *My Soul to Steal by Rachel Vincent
         *The Oracle of Dating by Allison van Diepen
         *Past Midnight by Mara Purnhagen

ENTRY RULES

• U.S. only.
• Must be at least 13 years old to enter.
• No P.O. Boxes - Nook will be delivered UPS.
• Giveaway ends at 11:59 EST on February 13.

ENTER HERE! 

And don't forget to enter all the giveaways at the other participating blogs. You could earn multiple entries in the prize pack giveaway!

 

Winner of The Secret Year

One of my lucky readers has won a paperback copy of The Secret Year and a miniature version of Julia's black and purple stripped notebook, courtesy of author Jennifer Hubbard. Who could it be...

Leslie G.

Congratulations! I have forwarded your information on to Jennifer and she will get your prizes out to you soon. Thanks to everyone who entered.

Reading Therapy

Sometimes it takes me a while to digest a book. I know people who can just plow through book after book and never look back. I'm not one of those people.

I have to let it sit, sink in. I have to let the emotional dust settle. This can take as little as a few hours or as long as a few days, but it's part of the process for me. It goes to the core of what reading is. And I'm not telling you anything new here.

Reading is an emotional rollercoaster. It's intended to be. Books give you windows into other walks of life. Really, they're more like one way mirrors. You watch and get drawn into the drama on the other side then you internalize it. The gears of your mind start to turn and as you process all the information you just took in you find some reflection of self or reality or some small truth. People find truth in seemingly trivial, silly things. This happens to me all the time while reading or watching movies or even just people watching.

I guess that's why I can't just spit my thoughts on a book out right after I've finished it. Reading isn't a task for me. Reading should never be a task. It is an experience, often a very personal one. Books can be hillarious and deep and heartbreaking and they can fill you with life and laughter in your darkest times. 

I recall late last year when a friend started reading a book that I recommended to her. She bought it mid-day and it took her less than 24 hours, with work in the middle, to finish. When she was done we talked.

I asked her if she enjoyed the book. She told me that enjoyed wasn't the right term. She said that the book really resonated with her. That it's message spoke to her and that she found herself unable to reshelve it because the experience wasn't over yet. She wasn't ready to let that book go. She said, "Susan, I feel like I need a good cry."

My friend is in the military, where, as some of you may know, suicide is the second leading cause of death. That was the topic of the book, but it had nothing to do with the military. While it wasn't entirely personal for her, it did hit close to home because it is such a big issue in her community. She saw truths in that book that illustrated a story that's been told in the larger military community one too many times.

The book was Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

What I'm saying is that books are more than a good read. Not all books set out with a message, but that doesn't mean that there's no truth in them. Books, even those set in entirely fictional worlds full of mythical creatures, are about life. The human (or inhuman) condition and a person's relationship with the world around them.

Books teach me, and not in that rote memorization kind of way. And, believe it or not, you can learn things from books you don't like on the whole. They are triggers. They kick-start the imagination and generate questions. They make me realize how poingnant the little things can be.

Time isn't something I have a lot of day to day, and books remind me that it's okay to stop and smell the roses and the like. Life is too short and too beautiful and too full of wonder to get caught up in the minutiae or the pettiness. Reading leaves me with a certain kind of satisfaction, even if the book leave me upset, and renewed appreciation for life and all those living it.

More Author Insight: Caught in Character

  Have you ever been caught having a conversation with a character, method acting as one, etc? How did you explain it?

"I can't say that I've ever done this. I might have to try it now... " - Lauren Destefano, author of Wither. 

 "I've never been caught doing that.  Most of my conversations with my characters happen while I'm running, while I'm driving, or while I'm trying to sleep.  But they always happen in my head. I suppose you could say that I'm mental." - Shaun David Hutchinson, author of The Deathday Letter.

"It happens when I'm alone, so the only witnesses I'd have to explain my behavior to are my dogs. And they don't ask a lot of questions." - Andrea Cremer, author of Nightshade. 

"I've never been caught, but it's really just a matter of time because I'm always having conversations with my characters inside my head. I practice saying their dialogue out loud, too, to make sure it sounds okay and flows well. For me, writing a character is like having a constant one-on-one discussion. "What are you doing? Why are you upset? Why did you say that?" I'm always trying to get those questions answered." - Robin Benway, author of The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May, and June. 

"Caught? As in, in public? I don’t think so. If anyone has seen me working out a scene verbally, they’ve been either too polite or too terrified to comment." - Jackie Kessler, author of Rage.