Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and the changing face of storytelling.

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

As some of you know, I'm an Avengers fan, and a fairly obsessive one.

I'm a newbie in this fandom.. Up until the Avengers movie, the only Marvel superheroes I knew anything about were Spiderman and some of the X-men. Now my superhero knowledge is expanding. I'm beginning to get into comics and I have a handful of lifelong Marvel fans and content creators that I stalk online. I listen to them talk about comics and characters and plot arcs, learning about this amazing world of stories that I never really knew existed.

But my first real exposure was the Avengers movie, and one of my favorite characters in that movie was, of course, Agent Phil Coulson.

Which is why this trailer made my week.

It's not just that Coulson lives. (Although that's kind of amazing on its own.) And it's not just that I adore episodic secret agent shows. There's a chance that they might use this TV show to shine some light on lesser know Marvel heroes, which means more stories for me to discover, and I love that.

But those aren't the only reasons I'm excited.

I'm excited because last month at the Boise SCBWI conference, I gave a presentation on the changing face of storytelling. And one of the things that I said was that in the new story age, story trumps medium. Readers and fans are getting used to having stories that are told in several different ways. Books become movies, musicals and TV shows, TV shows become graphic novels, movies and books, etc. And now we have this: a comics universe that became a set of movies and is now a TV show.

Story trumps medium. And that's exciting for storytellers like myself because it means that readers and fans put value on story. That no matter what happens to books or publishing in the digital age, that the act of telling a story is alive and well and that there are still many, many stories out there to be told. In all forms.

And I think that's pretty amazing.

Drowning in story

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 06 May 2013 16:35:00 +0000

I've been gone from the blog for a while, and there are a whole lot of reasons I could give. Two moves in the last year, couchsurfing, a debut book launch, acclimating to a new place.... But really, there is one real reason for my absence.

Book Two.

(If you didn't read that with a Jaws-like ba-dum, you should.)

Not that I don't love Book Two, because I do. And it's not because I'm feeling pressured or stressed. My wonderful editor and reassuring agent have been fully supportive while I work on this. But Book Two is a very different beast than City of a Thousand Dolls.

COATD is, at its heart, a small book. A book set on one estate, about one girl's struggle to figure out where she belongs, and who she's going to be. It's about murder and secrets and what happens to love and friendships under stress. Sure there was a background of political intrigue, but it was all just that, background. Fun, complicated background.

Book Two is ALL about the background. In Book Two, the internal politics of the Empire are front and center. There are rebels and princes, wandering Kildi and undercover killers. (It also has two point-of-view characters, because doing things I've never done before is SO MUCH FUN.)

In short, Book Two is bigger than COATD. Quite a bit bigger. And because of that, it's been much more difficult to edit. A little like swimming in open water, when most of your experience is playing in the community pool. Or like winning a goldfish at a fair and discovering you've suddenly got a baby whale in your fishbowl instead.

Actually, now that I think about it, it looks a lot like this:

(Okay, that doesn't fit with my overall 'water' metaphor, but I just saw Iron Man 3 and I've been fangirling for days.)

Anyway, that's what's happening over here. It's not bad, really, just kind of overwhelming and a little terrifying. And there are a lot of awesome things going on too! I love the book and I love the story and I really think it's going to be fantastic. Ultimately, every book has its own speed, and its own learning curve. And I know I'll be a better writer at the end of this, which is really what I want.

So I'm going to start trying to post once or twice a week, but if for some reason I disappear again...well, I'm probably busy swimming.

Have you ever been over your head in a project?

A vlog! A vlog!

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 04:41:00 +0000

It's been a while, I know. But I made you a thing.

How have you all been?

Mailing update and some late winners

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 19:13:00 +0000

Okay, so I'm caught up on mailing for pretty much everyone who sent in an address. If won something from me and you don't get it within a reasonable time frame, feel free to email me and let me know.

If you don't know whether you won something, check the winners tag.

Also when I was making this post this morning, I realized that I never put up my last winners post! I was positive I had posted everything, but apparently not. (My brain must have shorted out for a while there.) My apologies for the delay, everyone.

Here are the last four winners of my 30 Days of Bookery Contest!

The winner of Claws is:

Bn100candg

The winner of Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities and I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It is:

Natasha

The winner of Equal of the Sun and Wrapped is:

And finally, the winner of The Archived is:

Sunny Duvall

And as if finding out that I was missing a winner post wasn't bad enough, I went back and counted all my winners to make sure I wasn't missing anything else. And sure enough, I was. For some reason, the winner of Time Between Us and Return to Me was never announced. (The next time I do a giveaway like this, I'm using a spreadsheet.)

So, the winner of Time Between Us and Return to Me is...

Paula Cotton

There you go! All the winners have been announced, and I'm caught up on mailing for anyone who already sent in an address. If you won a book, shoot me an email!

Now, I have to go back into the editing cave for Book Two. Send help. And snacks.

*dives back into editing cave*

Everything you ever wanted to know about Book Two. (Okay, not everything. But some things, anyway.)

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 18:13:00 +0000

Happy Wednesday! Today I thought I'd answer some of the questions about the mysterious and secretive BOOK TWO that I've been working on. Things are still in process, so I can't tell you as much as I would like, but I will do my best.

BOOK TWO FAQ.

(hey that kind of rhymes!)

Will there be another book after City of a Thousand Dolls?

YES. I'm editing a second Bhinian Empire book right now.

Is it a sequel?

NO. I'd love to do a sequel someday, but this story needs to be told first. So it's a companion novel.

What's it about?

Love, identity, and revolution. And that's all I can say.

When is it coming out?

Not until later in 2014, unfortunately. I don't have a specific date yet, but I know it won't be February. This is a much bigger book in scope than City of a Thousand Dolls, and in order to do everything justice, we had to push the release date back.

Will there be more of the world?

SO MUCH MORE. That's one of the reasons it's taking me longer to do. You'll find out a lot more about the Sune, and the caste system, and get to see the capital city of Kamal. And there's bonus Black Lotus too, for those of you who wanted more of that.

What about Nisha's story?

The second book doesn't follow Nisha, but it's a big part of her story all the same. It will answer some of the questions left over from the first book, but probably not the ones you're thinking of.

Will Jerrit be in the second book?

This is by far my most popular (and most favorite) question. And the answer is... I can't tell you. ONE of the cats will be in the second book, along with several other familiar characters, but for now their identity is a SECRET.

So that's what I can spill so far! You can leave other questions in the comment thread, and I'll answer as best I can.

And now, back to work! *tackles Book Two*

In which Miriam recaps her month (and finds a new website to play with)

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:39:00 +0000

It's March! *cheers*

As of tomorrow, City of a Thousand Dolls will have been out exactly one month. And what a month it's been! Here were the highlights. They're illustrated in pulp sci-fi magazine style because I've been obsessed with this website for the past few days.

First there was the release itself, which was crazy and awesome and scary and wonderful.

Then I settled back in to work on edits for the companion novel to City. There was only one small snag....

Curse you, Shiny New Idea!

Also I drank a LOT of coffee...

Forgot my anniversary...

And mailed stuff.

(Note: I am almost caught up on mailing. My goal is to be done by the end of the week. There will be an announcement when I finish. And maybe a party.)

Also I went to a concert with my family, got to hug a lot of friends at book signings and gave up naps for Lent.

How was YOUR month?

Just updated my Asian-based fantasy list....

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:43:00 +0000

... if you want to see what I have so far, it's here. If you have a suggestion--and I do love suggestions--you can leave it here.

(I've gotten a couple recommendations that are actually dystopian and I'm not sure whether or not to include them, since the idea was originally for fantasy. Any thoughts on that would be welcome.)

In other news!

Writer's Digest has an interview and giveaway up right now for City of a Thousand Dolls. I talk about what I would do differently in my publishing journey and how my platfrom is mostly reblogging Hobbit pictures.

My brother-in-law and fellow blogger Nic Casey is also giving away a copy of City of a Thousand Dolls. Leave a comment by the end of February to win!

And if your curious to know the Big Idea behind City of a Thousand Dolls, (and how it was actually a very small idea), there's a guest post up today on the estimable Scalzi's blog that covers that very thing.

And finally, because I'm visiting North Idaho right now and it's snowing big fluffy flakes outside, here is a link to a photo of a fluffy puppy in the snow.

You're welcome. *grin*

A song for Wednesday.

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:40:00 +0000

I have been singing this in my head for the last few days. My husband says it's a really sad song, but I think it's lovely.

Dreaming by Loudon Wainwright.

I'd rather be dreaming than living,
Living's just too hard to do.
It's chances not choices.
Noises not voices.
A day's just a thing to get through.
Living's just too hard to do.

I'd rather be dreaming than talking,
There's nothing to hear or to say,
With ears covered mouth closed,
The world is opposed.
Nothing gets in or away.
There's nothing to hear or to say.

I'd rather be dreaming than thinking,
Thoughts are small comfort to me.
Dreams might be pretend,
But at least dreams end.
And I just can't stop thinking you see.
Thoughts are small comfort to me.

I'd rather be dreaming than sleeping,
Just sleeping you're just as well dead.
In dreams I can fly.
In dreams I don't die.
That's why I lie here in this bed.
Just sleeping you're just as well dead.

I'd rather be dreaming...

Do you have a favorite sad song?

Looking for great Asian fantasies by Asian and Asian American writers.

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 18:43:00 +0000

Hello lovely reader-people!

Gosh, it's been so long since I actually blogged about anything that I wasn't sure where to start. Then I remembered I needed your help.

As a lot of you know by now, City of a Thousand Dolls is a South-Asian based fantasy. And is plainly obvious from the picture on the sidebar, I'm not Asian. I'm about as white as you can get. The few hints of diversity in my background are overwhelmingly blotted out by my mixed-European heritage. Not only am I Caucasian by birth, I was also raised in one of the most homogeneous areas of the country, Eastern Washington/North Idaho.

Why am I telling you this? Well, because I did a guest post for YA Highway a few weeks ago about writing the non-western fantasy where I said this:

We need more non-western fantasy, and we need people who can write it with respect and understanding, to open the doors to still more diversity.

And someone on Twitter pointed out (not to me, I just happened to see it) that the way to encourage more diversity in fiction was to buy books written by POC writers. Which is completely true, and something I was sorry that I hadn't mentioned. (I've lost the original tweet so I cannot give credit for it, but if you're reading this, random person on Twitter, thank you.)

Now I would never tell you not to buy my book, because let's face it, I'd like to keep eating and to be able to write more books and sales are tremendously helpful with that. BUT I also know that there are a lot of great Asian fantasy novels out there that are truer and richer then mine could ever be precisely because they are written by people intimately familiar with the culture.

So I started thinking about ways I could help steer people to those books and decided one way to do it was to have a page on this blog dedicated to highlighting Asian fantasies by Asian and Asian American writers. So I took down my "Great Books" Page, and instead there's a page for Asian fantasy recommendations. There are already two books on it, the magic-fantastic Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon and Prophecy by fellow debut-er Ellen Oh. But I need MORE.

So give me your recommendations, Interwebs. What are some wonderful adult, young adult and middle grade Asian-based fantasies that YOU know of?

Home again, home again...

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 17:49:00 +0000

Hi all! I'm finally home from my trip! It'll probably take a while for me to get back into the blogging groove, but I'll get there. I'm trying to collect some pictures from my trip and the signings to show you, and I've got some regular blog posts planned, as well as the last winners post for the 30 Days of Bookery.

But first, I wanted to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who tweeted and facebooked me on release day and to everyone who entered my contests and cheered for me. Thank you to everyone who bought the book, and everyone who took the time to review it. Thank you to the people who showed up for signings and the amazing bookstore staff who hosted them. I was blown away by your kindness and enthusiasm. You made my release week very special.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

*bear hugs the ENTIRE WORLD*

Interviews, giveaways and WINNERS.

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 20:23:00 +0000

Hello all!

Today on the last stop of the blog tour, I'm at Reading Lark talking about my favorite bird and what sets City of a Thousand Dolls apart.

There's also a e-copy giveaway of City of a Thousand Dolls over at the fabulous Elana Johnson's blog, so if you're an ebook person, go check that out.

And now for WINNERS!

This is the second to last winners post! I just wanted to thank you all again for making the 30 Days of Bookery so much fun. It's so cool to see people excited about such great books. So without further ado, let's see what the great Random Number Generator has to say.

The winner of The Avengers and Philosophy: Earth's Mightiest Thinkers:

Georgia Brown

The winner of Geisha, A Life:

Kim Rusho

The winner of The Menagerie and The Colossus Rises:

Angie

The winner of Bad Apple and Past Perfect:

Mandy Holmes

The winner of the signed copy of Cinder:

annethought

The winner of Flame in the Mist:

anary gacayan

The winner of Grave Mercy: Dark Triumph! Sorry!

Steph O'Neil

The winner of The Friday Society:

Mandy Holmes

Congratulations winners! Please email me with your addresses at miriamforsterauthor (at) gmail (dot) com. And make sure to check the winners tag!

Of baby goats, and blog tours...

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 19:41:00 +0000

It has occured to me that with all the launch stuff and book giveaways and whatnot that has been going on, this blog has been sadly lacking in cute animals. Clearly this calls for baby goats!

Also, I have said things!

Blog Tour: I'm at One Page at a Time today, where I talk about the books that got me into YA, why I love myths and fantasy and how you should wear shoes before mugging someone for books.

I'm also at OneFourKidLit, where I get to geek out about the names in my book and discuss my editing insecurities.

I think that's it for today. I'm traveling so I'll try to post another round of book winners tomorrow. See you then!

Book trailer and places where I am at!

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 18:33:00 +0000

Hello, hello! I am wandering around town today having lunch with friends and preparing for the launch party tonight. (Eeeeee!!!) So I won't be out and about much online. But there are exceptions!

Blog Tour stop at More than Just Magic! Where I tell you the one thing I can't live without while I'm working. (Spoiler: it's not chocolate.)

Review and Author Interview at Emily's Crammed Bookshelf! (You can win a signed poster. They are cool.)

New Voices Interview at Cynsations! Where I discuss different kinds of strength and the real world issues that contributed to City of a Thousand Dolls.

Also, in case you missed it, Literary Rambles did an interview yesterday, complete with awesome giveaway!

And finally, one of the secrets I've been darkly hinting at is finally here! The City of a Thousand Dolls trailer!

ISN'T IT FANTASTIC!!

*flails*

30 Days of Bookery, day 30: Win an ARC of The Archived by Victoria Schwab

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:33:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

This is it! The last day of Bookery! CITY OF A THOUSAND DOLLS OFFICIALLY RELEASES TOMORROW! You can browse inside and get a sneak peek here. Or if you're the preordering sort, the book is still only TWELVE DOLLARS on Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books-A-Million.

It's the end of a long and amazing journey, and I've got a great prize to wrap things up. An ARC of The Archived by Victoria Schwab! (This book is available for purchase now, so if you don't win it, I strongly suggest that you buy it. It is FANTASTIC)

Summary from Goodreads

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 11th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

30 Days of Bookery Double Dip! Win an ARC of Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani and a copy of Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:39:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

It's the 29th Day of Bookery, and the last double giveaway! Up for grabs is a copy of Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury and an ARC of Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani.

Summary from Goodreads

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings—about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history. She sees herself wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her. She sees herself as a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

She sees herself dreaming. Because reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust even. No, Agnes’s encounter with a mummy is happening on Lord Showalter’s verdant green lawn, where butlers abound and strolling sitar players strain to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

And a beginning. Not just of Agnes’s debut season and the ever-shrinking scope of her future—home, husband, and high society. No, something else begins as well, because the mummy Agnes unwraps is more than a mummy: It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing a mystery, an international intrigue—and possibly a curse.

Summary from Goodreads

Legendary women—from Anne Boleyn to Queen Elizabeth I to Mary, Queen of Scots—changed the course of history in the royal courts of sixteenth-century England. They are celebrated in history books and novels, but few people know of the powerful women in the Muslim world, who formed alliances, served as key advisers to rulers, lobbied for power on behalf of their sons, and ruled in their own right. In Equal of the Sun, Anita Amirrezvani’s gorgeously crafted tale of power, loyalty, and love in the royal court of Iran, she brings one such woman to life, Princess Pari Khan Khanoom Safavi.

Iran in 1576 is a place of wealth and dazzling beauty. But when the Shah dies without having named an heir, the court is thrown into tumult. Princess Pari, the Shah’s daughter and protÉgÉ, knows more about the inner workings of the state than almost anyone, but the princess’s maneuvers to instill order after her father’s sudden death incite resentment and dissent. Pari and her closest adviser, Javaher, a eunuch able to navigate the harem as well as the world beyond the palace walls, are in possession of an incredible tapestry of secrets and information that reveals a power struggle of epic proportions.

Based loosely on the life of Princess Pari Khan Khanoom, Equal of the Sun is a riveting story of political intrigue and a moving portrait of the unlikely bond between a princess and a eunuch.

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is US only. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 10th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

Interviews, pretty things (SO PRETTY), and blog tour!

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:56:00 +0000

So much stuff going on, guys!!

To begin with, I have been places! Saying things!

Interview at the Book Yurt. (where I talk about my silliest author moment so far.)

Friday Feature and poster giveaway at A.L. Davroe's blog. (Where I discuss the reasons I didn't want Nisha to be a rebel.)

Author interview and signed book giveaway at Icey Books (Where I talk about snacks and the books I can't wait to read.)

If you miss hearing me talk about what goes on in my brain, those are good links to click. (And comments would not go amiss either, should you be inclined to leave any. *grin*)

Also, the Harper team did some EPIC things with City of a Thousand Dolls this week.

First they made these lovely quote cards.

And then yesterday, they put up this great map of the City.

ISN'T IT PRETTY?!??!!?

*flails*

And there is a blog tour!

I'll be stopping in to direct you to the posts but here's the basic schedule. (There may be giveaways, I don't know yet.) EDIT: I might have the dates a bit off, the tour might start on Tuesday. I will let you know. :)

Tuesday the 5th: Interview at More Than Just Magic

Wednesday the 6th: Interview at That's Swell

Thursday the 7th: Interview at One Page at a Time

Friday the 8th: Interview at Reading Lark

There are some more interviews coming out that week, including an interview and giveaway at Literary Rambles on the 4th, and I'll let you know about those as well.

And finally, City of a Thousand Dolls was named one of the top twenty most anticipated fantasy novels of February 2013 at The Ranting Dragon, and one of the best new books for the week of February 4th by Publisher's Weekly.

*more flailing*

FOUR DAYS LEFT! *goes in the corner to flail and die of excitement*

30 Days of Bookery Double Dip! Win an ARC of Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities by Mike Jung and a copy of I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 20:54:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

It's the 28th Day of Bookery, everyone! Today we're giving away some really fun books, a copy of I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer and an ARC of Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities by Mike Jung.

Summary from Goodreads

Algonquin “Ali” Rhodes, the high school newspaper’s music critic, meets an intriguing singer, Doug, while reviewing a gig. He’s a weird-looking guy—goth, but he seems sincere about it, like maybe he was into it back before it was cool. She introduces herself after the set, asking if he lives in Cornersville, and he replies, in his slow, quiet murmur, “Well, I don’t really live there, exactly. . . .”

When Ali and Doug start dating, Ali is falling so hard she doesn’t notice a few odd signs: he never changes clothes, his head is a funny shape, and he says practically nothing out loud. Finally Marie, the school paper’s fashion editor, points out the obvious: Doug isn’t just a really sincere goth. He’s a zombie. Horrified that her feelings could have allowed her to overlook such a flaw, Ali breaks up with Doug, but learns that zombies are awfully hard to get rid of—at the same time she learns that vampires, a group as tightly-knit as the mafia, don’t think much of music critics who make fun of vampires in reviews. . . .

Summary from Goodreads

Can knowing the most superhero trivia in the whole school be considered a superpower?

If so, Vincent Wu is invincible.

If not (and let’s face it, it’s “not”), then Vincent and his pals Max and George don’t get any props for being the leaders (and, well, sole members) of the (unofficial) Captain Stupendous Fan Club.

But what happens when the Captain is hurt in an incident involving BOTH Professor Mayhem and his giant indestructible robot AND (mortifyingly) Polly Winnicott-Lee, the girl Vincent totally has a crush on?

The entire city is in danger, Vincent’s parents and his friends aren’t safe, the art teacher has disappeared, and talking to Polly is REALLY, REALLY AWKWARD.

Only Vincent Wu has what it takes to save the Captain, overcome Professor Mayhem, rally his friends, and figure out what to say to Polly. But will anyone take him seriously? Seriously. Anyone??

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is US only. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 9th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

30 Days of Bookery, day 27: Win a copy of Claws by Mike and Rachel Grinti

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:12:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

It's Friday, and time to give away another book that has something to do with City of a Thousand Dolls!

I don't think I have to explain this one.. *grin*

Summary from Goodreads

In a contemporary fairytale as irresistible as catnip, one girl discovers that some magic cuts deep... Emma's sister is missing. Her parents have spent all their savings on the search. And now the family has no choice but to live in a ramshackle trailer park on the edge of the forest, next door to down-and-out harpies, hags, and trolls. Emma wonders if she'll ever see Helena, and if she'll ever feel happy, again.

Then she makes a friend. A smooth-talking, dirty-furred cat named Jack. He's got a razor-sharp plan to rescue Emma's sister. He just wants one small favor in return...

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 8th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

Where I'll be next week...

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:04:00 +0000

In case any of you are in the area:

February 5th, 6pm

Rediscovered Bookshop,
Boise, Idaho

February 8th, 7pm

Bookpeople,
Moscow, Idaho

February 10th, 1pm

Hastings
Couer d'Alene, Idaho

This is basically just a mini tour where I go sign books in my town, my former town and my parent's town. (Too many hometowns, I think.) But if you happen to be in any of those places and want to come say hi, I'd love to see you.

PLEASE NOTE: Because of this traveling schedule, any prize books that I haven't already mailed won't be mailed until the middle of February. However all prizes should be mailed by the end of February.

Thank you for your attention, here's a cat with worried eyebrows.

Wednesday Winners, part 3: (the part where they're actually Thursday Winners)

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:39:00 +0000

I didn't get this up yesterday, but that just means one more winner today!

Without further ado...

The winner of Wayfarer:

Charlie Robson

The winner of Let the Sky Fall:

Jill Marie

The winner of Magic Under Glass:

Holly Letson

Who, in a surprise random number generator, upset ALSO won Heart Like Mine and The Shadowy Horses:

The winner of Flying the Dragon and The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano:

Corinne O'Flynn

The winner of The Bartender's Tale:

Sindy Borg

The winner of Mila 2.0:

Rabiah

The winner of The Sweetest Spell:

Natasha

Congrats, everyone! Winners, please email me with your addresses at miriamforsterauthor (at) gmail (dot) com. We've still got some great contests up, so keep entering and checking the winners tag!

30 Days of Bookery, day 26: Win an ARC of The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:21:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

Only five more giveaways to go! Today we're giving away an ARC of the The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress.

Summary from Goodreads

Set in turn of the century London, The Friday Society follows the stories of three very intelligent and talented young women, all of whom are assistants to powerful men: Cora, lab assistant; Michiko, Japanese fight assistant; and Nellie, magician's assistant. The three young women's lives become inexorably intertwined after a chance meeting at a ball that ends with the discovery of a murdered mystery man.

It's up to these three, in their own charming but bold way, to solve the murder–and the crimes they believe may be connected to it–without calling too much attention to themselves.

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 7th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

30 Days of Bookery, day 25: Win an ARC of Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:58:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

I told you I was saving some of the best for last, did I not? Today we're giving away an ARC of the completely amazing Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers. Trust me. You want this book.

Summary from Goodreads

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 6th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

30 Days of Bookery, day 24: Win an ARC of The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:09:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

Happy Lucky 13 Day! Today I'm giving away an ARC of The Flame in the Mist by fellow 2013 debut, Kit Grindstaff.

Summary from Goodreads

Fiery-headed Jemma Agromond is not who she thinks she is, and when the secrets and lies behind her life at mist-shrouded Agromond Castle begin to unravel, she finds herself in a chilling race for her life. Ghosts and misfits, a stone and crystals, a mysterious book, an ancient prophecy—all these reveal the truth about Jemma's past and a destiny far greater and more dangerous than she could have imagined in her wildest fantasies.

With her telepathic golden rats, Noodle and Pie, and her trusted friend, Digby, Jemma navigates increasingly dark forces, as helpers both seen and unseen, gather. But in the end, it is her own powers that she must bring to light, for only she has the key to defeating the evil ones and fulfilling the prophecy that will bring back the sun and restore peace in Anglavia.

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 5th. Which is also the release day for City of a Thousand Dolls. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!!

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

30 Days of Bookery, day 23: Win a signed copy of Cinder by Marissa Meyer

noreply@blogger.com (Miriam Forster) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:11:00 +0000

What's the 30 Days of Bookery?

It's the last week of Bookery, and I saved some of the best for last. Today, it's a signed copy of Marissa Meyer's sci-fi, fairy-tale retelling Cinder

Summary from Goodreads

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future

How you enter:

+1 entry for commenting (commenting is mandatory to enter)
+1 entry for sharing on Twitter or Facebook
+1 entry for following the blog
+1 entry if you've never won a contest here before
+1 entry for adding up your own points

This contest is international. Contest ends midnight PST, on February 4th.

(Want to see if you've won something? Check the winners tag)

Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and the changing face of storytelling.

Drowning in story

A vlog! A vlog!

Mailing update and some late winners

Everything you ever wanted to know about Book Two. (Okay, not everything. But some things, anyway.)

In which Miriam recaps her month (and finds a new website to play with)

Just updated my Asian-based fantasy list....

A song for Wednesday.

Looking for great Asian fantasies by Asian and Asian American writers.

Home again, home again...

Interviews, giveaways and WINNERS.

Of baby goats, and blog tours...

More link goodness!

Book trailer and places where I am at!

30 Days of Bookery, day 30: Win an ARC of The Archived by Victoria Schwab

30 Days of Bookery Double Dip! Win an ARC of Equal of the Sun by Anita Amirrezvani and a copy of Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury

Interviews, pretty things (SO PRETTY), and blog tour!

30 Days of Bookery Double Dip! Win an ARC of Geeks, Girls and Secret Identities by Mike Jung and a copy of I Kissed a Zombie and I Liked It by Adam Selzer

30 Days of Bookery, day 27: Win a copy of Claws by Mike and Rachel Grinti

Where I'll be next week...

Wednesday Winners, part 3: (the part where they're actually Thursday Winners)

30 Days of Bookery, day 26: Win an ARC of The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress

30 Days of Bookery, day 25: Win an ARC of Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers

30 Days of Bookery, day 24: Win an ARC of The Flame in the Mist by Kit Grindstaff

30 Days of Bookery, day 23: Win a signed copy of Cinder by Marissa Meyer