Fantasy Fiction

The Dark Light Paperback Releases Today

2013-12-03T10:34:00.002-05:00

Hey, guys!

I've been deep down in the writing cave these past few months, but today sees the release of the paperback reprint of The Dark Light, so I've had to pop out to celebrate!

The paperback release comes with a gorgeous new cover, which I shared on the blog a few months ago. Isn't she lovely? If you're interested in picking up a copy for yourself, or maybe as a gift for the holiday season, the links to where you can buy the book are below:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

IndieBound

Books-A-Million

Huge thanks to everyone who's bought, borrowed, read, or reviewed The Dark Light over the past year! It really means a lot to me!

Sara xxx

Cover Time!

2013-05-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

Hey, guys!

So, I have news! The paperback release of THE DARK LIGHT is going to have a brand new awesome cover!

*screams*

I know!

"But why?" you ask. "Doesn't The Dark Light have the most gorgeous, sexy, irresistible cover of all time?"

Well, yeah... insert gratuitous shot of TDL hardcover....

So, why is it changing?

Well, it's changing for a very good reason.

THE DARK LIGHT originally released in August last year, and since then, we've noticed many readers commenting that the story was far more of a fantasy adventure that they would have guessed from the original cover. So, the decision was made to fantasy things up a little, and the December 3rd release of the paperback allows us to do just that.

Want to see it?

Isn't it pretty?

I have to admit, I was blown away by the change in direction. It's magical and fantastical, contemporary and vibrant, all at the same time. Huge, huge thanks to the ever awesome team at Simon Pulse for knocking it out of the park once again! *bows*

I'd love to hear what you guys think. I know the original cover has many fans, and the hardcover version will still be available (though you might want to snatch up a copy of Sol and his tattoo while you can--what?). The story inside remains the same: Mia, Sol, two worlds, and a whole lot of mystery, adventure, revelations, and romance along the way.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from you guys. And please help spread the word about the new cover in any way you can. I'd love you forever if you do!

Plus, I do still have signed bookmarks of the original cover, so if you'd like to grab one before they're gone, just email me: sarawalshbooks@gmail.com with a mailing address and I'll pop one in the mail! (International is fine)

You can, of course, find THE DARK LIGHT in all the usual places:

Amazon Barnes and Noble Indiebound Goodreads

And me...

Twitter Facebook Goodreads

Thanks so much for stopping by and don't forget to let me know what you think!

You're the best!

Sara

2012-10-21T11:06:00.000-04:00

The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes!

****The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes is NOW CLOSED!! Huge thanks to everybody who took part!! Winners announced soon!!!****

Hi, Racers! Welcome to my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes! You've arrived at the home of THE DARK LIGHT, a stop bulging with fantasy, romance, action, adventure, and suspense.

PSA: If you've stumbled across this post by accident, and are wondering what on earth is going on, join in the fun and you could win a whole host of prizes from over 50 debut YA and MG authors whose novels have released this year or will release in the next couple of months. The official start of the race, prize details, rules, etc. can be found at the Apocalypsies website.

On with the race!

STEP 1: Study the description of The Dark Light (and maybe take a moment to check out that tattoo!).

THE DARK LIGHT by Sara Walsh

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get intense Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Then Mia’s brother goes missing, and Mia’s convinced that Sol knows more than he’s sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything she once believed to be true. Because Sol’s not who Mia thought he was—and neither is she.

The Next Step...

Hold on to everything you've read, because if you want to get your hands on the mega prizes, you'll be grilled about the descriptions at the end of this leg of the race.

BUT DON'T LEAVE YET!!!!

Because the YAmazing Race is so awesome, I'm giving away some extra goodies:

One signed copy of THE DARK LIGHT;
Three signed posters of The Dark Light's cover.

That's four additional chances to take home some prizes. Winner of the hardcopy will also receive a poster. Plus, this giveaway is open internationally.

All you have to do to enter is leave an email address in the comments!

You'll receive bonus entries if you:

Follow me on Twitter (T)
Add THE DARK LIGHT to your Goodreads shelves (G)
Give some love to my Facebook page (F)

Just use the codes in your comments to tell me what you did. One bonus point each for a follow, an add, and a like! And, of course, feel free to ask anything you like about The Dark Light in the comments. I love to chat!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Click HERE for the next stop in the race with the amazing Tracy Bilen and WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND!

The Dark Light Official Blog Tour

2012-08-09T11:28:00.000-04:00

Hi, guys!

The official blog tour for The Dark Light will be running from August 20th through September 5th, and I'd love for as many people as possible to say "Hi" along the way! There will be tons of interviews, guest posts, and reviews, plus chances to win signed hardcopies of The Dark Light at every stop!

Huge thanks to Jenna at Making the Grade for the awesome banner!

You'll be able to find me at these places:

Monday August 20th: Erica at The Book Cellar (Interview and Review)

Tuesday August 21st: Kai at Amaterasu Reads (The road trip that led to The Dark Light.)

Wednesday August 22nd: Danny at Bewitched Bookworms (Character Interview: Meeting Mia Stone)

Thursday August 23rd: Jenna at Making the Grade (Interview and Review)

Friday August 24th: Steph at The Fake Steph (Interview: Writing The Dark Light)

Monday August 27th: Jana at The Book Goddess (All Things British!)

Tuesday August 28th--RELEASE DAY!!!!! Lisa at A Life Bound by Books (Review)

Wednesday August 29th--HANGOVER DAY

Thursday August 30th: Natalia at Dazzling Reads (Sol and the Role of Tattoos in The Dark Light)

Friday August 31st: Jenny at Supernatural Snark (Review)

Monday September 3rd: Lisa at A Life Bound by Books (All about THAT cover!!)

Tuesday September 4th: Haley at YA-aholic (Author Interview and Review)

Wednesday September 5th: Emily at Emily's Crammed Bookshelf (Crownsville FM--set list and review)

Phew!!

Cupcakes, virtual hugs, and massive amounts of thanks to Erica, Kai, Danny, Jenna, Steph, Jana, Lisa, Natalia, Jenny, Haley, and Emily for giving up their time and agreeing to take part in the tour! Do, please, check out all of their wonderful sites, and don't forget to drop by and celebrate all things The Dark Light!

Sara

Win! Win! Win!

2012-08-01T11:33:00.002-04:00

A number of wonderful bloggers are offering chances to win a copy of The Dark Light, so I thought it was time to get everything hooked up in one place, so you know exactly where to visit if you'd like a chance to win the book.

All contests were still running at the time of writing this and all are offering a pre-order of The Dark Light in either hardcopy or ebook (though ebook is a North America option only).

Ready?

Lisa Lueddecker at The YA Connection

Catie at Movies in My Head--CONTEST NOW CLOSED!

Fifty Shades of YA Boys over at Dark Faerie Tales

Maria at Fantasy's Ink

Nicole Zoltack Where Fantasy & Love Take Flight (Love that!)

Lolcat shenanigans over with Kayla Beck at Bibliophylia, Please.

Thanks so much to all the bloggers who've give up their time and welcomed me and The Dark Light to their sites. I have to admit, I'm having an absolute blast meeting so many wonderful readers and writers and visiting their amazing sites. So, thank you!

Plus, there will be even more opportunities to get your hands on a copy of The Dark Light as we build up to August 28th, including multiple chances on The Dark Light Blog Tour beginning August 20th. Full details to follow, but it's going to be awesome! Phew!

Oh, and don't forget! If you're excited for The Dark Light's release, feel free to grab the countdown widget and plaster it all over the universe! Not long now!

The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes--RESULTS

2012-05-10T12:25:00.002-04:00

The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes is now official over! Thank you so, so much to everyone who stopped by and entered. You really made the race something special. I can't believe how many entries I received. I just loved reading all of your comments (and drooling over the candy bars)!

I've accumulated all the entries, checked and double-checked that everyone was entered the correct number of times, and even roped in an independent adjudicator to make the draw (aka hubby).

So, on to the winners!!!!

The three signed hardcopies of THE DARK LIGHT go to:

Drum roll....

The Lost Lola

Hwa Sun

Doodle

Congratulations, guys!!!! I so hope you enjoy the book. And, as the novel doesn't release for another few months, I'm going send you guys swag packs to keep you going until August 28th!

Five THE DARK LIGHT swag packs go to:

Another drum roll....

Laura Carter

Rebecca@ReadingWishes

States of Decay

Lexie@BookBug

Jenna D.

Wahoo!!!! Round of applause. Packs will include: A signed cover print of THE DARK LIGHT, a wristband, stickers, and a bookmark.

And finally....

More drum rolls....

That bonus, mystery prize I mentioned...

Yes, it's time for me to reveal the name of the candy bar featured in THE DARK LIGHT (yes, the book has an official candy bar). And that confectionery delight is...

Snickers!!!!!!!

I put the names of everyone who mentioned Snickers into a second draw to win the bonus, mystery prize. Wanna see what it is?

That's right! It's a full size, full frontal, in your face poster of THE DARK LIGHT's yummy cover. Screams.

So who won the bonus, mystery prize?

Full blown drum roll....

It was entry number 2....

Jennifer!!!!!

Congratulations to all you guys, and again, thank you so, so much for taking part. Don't forget: EVERYONE gets a bookmark for entering, so do please send me a current address when you receive an email from me in the next few days. Please be patient as I get to everyone. There were a lot of entries.

And don't forget: If you're dying for THE DARK LIGHT to hit the shelves, the novel can be pre-ordered at:

Amazon Barnes and Noble IndieBound

Hugs, kisses, and candy bars!

Sara

The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes!

2012-05-01T07:44:00.000-04:00

**The YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes is now over**

Hi, Racers! Welcome to my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes! You've arrived at the home of THE DARK LIGHT, a stop bulging with fantasy, romance, action, adventure, and suspense. Oh, and me. Sara Walsh.

PSA: If you've stumbled across this post by accident, and are wondering what on earth is going on, join in the fun and you could win a whole host of prizes from over 50 YA and MG authors whose novels debut this year. The official start of the race, prize details, rules, etc. can be found at the Apocalypsies website.

On with the race!

THE DARK LIGHT by Sara Walsh

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she’s concerned, that’s about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia’s not one to fall for just any guy, but she can’t get intense Sol—or the brilliant tattoo on his back—out of her mind.

Okay? Need a second look?
Now hold on to everything you've read, because if you want to get your hands on the mega prizes, you'll be grilled at the end of this leg of the race.

BUT DON'T LEAVE YET!!!!

What a chance for some extra goodies? Because I'm also giving away:

Three signed copies of THE DARK LIGHT when we release on August 28th;
Five uber goody bags (bookmarks, stickers, signed cover prints, wristbands);
Plus, signed bookmarks to everyone who leaves a comment!

(open internationally)

To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment (with an email address) telling me one thing:

What's your favorite candy bar?

You'll receive bonus entries if you:

Follow me on Twitter (T)
Add THE DARK LIGHT to your Goodreads shelves (G)
Give some love to my brand new, super shiny Facebook page (F)

Just use the codes in your comments to tell me what you did. One bonus point each for a follow, an add, and a like!

And if you need a place to use your bookmark, don't forget that you can pre-order THE DARK LIGHT at the following establishments:

Amazon Barnes and Noble IndieBound

Thanks for stopping by! Click HERE for the next stop on the race!

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge

2012-04-30T15:38:00.001-04:00

I was talking about fantasy with the lovely Erica@thebookcellarx on Twitter, and she kindly pointed to me her awesome 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge. As a self-confessed fantasy junkie, I couldn't resist signing up. It's really simple:

Read and review 10 YA/MG fantasies that release in 2012!

How fun is that?

Believe me, you want to check out the list Erica has compiled of 2012 releases. It's such an amazing year for MG/YA fantasy. And yes, THE DARK LIGHT is on the list, which is mind blowing all by itself.

Can't wait to get started! Now all I have to decide is what to read first!

First Pass Pages Have Landed!

2012-03-29T15:39:00.000-04:00

Yep. They’re here! First pass pages: The first time I get to see the manuscript laid out in book form. And it’s going to be a juicy one. Almost 500 pages of fantasy, romance, drama, action, adventure… plenty of it. It’s also the last time I get to tinker with the words before the manuscript begins its journey toward August 28^th. Want to see them?

And, as an extra surprise, this is what you’ll see when you open the cover to the title page (if you can tear yourself away from Sol’s back!):

Wow! The double page spread isn’t yet finalized--depends how things look in the mock up--but fingers crossed it stays, because it looks amazing.

Hope you agree.

Sara

Cover Love: The Dark Light

2012-03-07T10:15:00.007-05:00

Hi!

I can't tell you how excited I am to share the cover and a brief summary for my debut YA fantasy, THE DARK LIGHT (official jacket copy to follow). I have a tendency to get ultra-excited whenever I see this cover, so I'll get straight to it and save the explosions for later.

But I would like to say this: I'd seen the stunning Fall 2012 covers coming out of Simon Pulse, so I knew that my wonderful editor, Annette Pollert, and her hugely talented designer, Angela Goddard, would create an amazing cover for THE DARK LIGHT.

I could never have imagined how amazing it was going to be. That huge scream you heard in January? It was probably me.

So, here it is! Meet you on the Other Side!

Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she's concerned, that's about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town. That is, until Sol arrives.
Intense and gorgeous, Sol keeps to himself. Mia's not one to fall for just any guy, but she can't get Sol--or the brilliant tattoo on his back--out of her mind. Mia's seen that tattoo before... on her brother, Jay.
Then Jay goes missing. Mia's convinced that Sol knows more than he's sharing, and to find her brother, she needs Sol's help. But Mia must first unravel the secrets of her past if she's going to confront her future. Because Sol's not who Mia thought he was--and neither is she.

Isn't it stunning?

I adore how this image encapsulates all the romance, the drama, the magic, and the mystery in THE DARK LIGHT, with Mia and Sol front and center as they deserve to be. I'm in awe of how it captures Mia's strength. And, of course, Sol's tattoo looks absolutely amazing! As things stand now, I believe the title will be created in beautiful blue foil and the cover printed on matte stock. How gorgeous is that? I am seriously overwhelmed.

So, to Annette, and Angela, and all the team at Simon Pulse, thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm in love.

Can't wait to hear what you think!

Sara

THE DARK LIGHT releases August 28th, 2012, and is available for pre-order at:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Books-a-Million

IndieBound

You can also add THE DARK LIGHT to your shelves at Goodreads. You'll make my day if you do.

So what's going on?

2012-03-05T08:05:00.002-05:00

Tons... In the background.

But, mainly:

1. THE DARK LIGHT. Squeee. Or as my editor would say, wahoo! Things are starting to warm up now. We have:

An official release date: 28th August, 2012. Yep. That's in less than SIX MONTHS!!! LESS THEN SIX MONTHS!!!!. So...
Where's the cover? Aka. THE TOP SECRET COVER. It's coming, I promise. Confession: I've seen it. Fact: I saw it eight weeks ago. Truth: I've been a blubbering, gibbering wreck ever since. Hint: IT'S FREAKING AMAZING! It really is a special one, and you definitely don't want to miss it. So far, unofficial reactions have included screams (many of those), gasps (also plentiful), and bucket loads of drool.
When will the cover be revealed? Soon. I promise.
Plus, THE DARK LIGHT is now available for pre-order at all the major online retailers, such as this place, this place, and this place. But we're not on Goodreads. Yet. We will be. Very soon.
ARCS. Uh, yeah. Not sure about those yet. I do know that Simon Pulse will be handling all things ARCish. From what I gather, the ARCs will be going out widely, so there should be plenty of chances for reviewers/bloggers/librarians, etc. to get their hands on one. Plus, if anyone wants to request an ARC through me, I'll put up a request form once I know the ARCS are ready, and send them on to Pulse. Doesn't guarantee you'll get one. But, hey! Where's the harm in asking?

2. Writing. A whole bunch of it. Finished a draft of a supernatural stalker novel I've been tinkering with for some time. Have to say that I love it. Creepy. Exciting. And totally romantic, of course--don't panic, the stalker is definitely not the LI. Not sure what we'll be doing with it though, because of...

3. Super sekrit project number two. Yep. Super sekrit. Clue? It's been massively tough to write, has melted my brain on multiple occasions, and is a novel I want to be so, so good... Yeah. Guess what it is.

4. Grand Official Website. I have a wonderful, amazing designer weaving magic as we speak. But we won't be live until a) he's finished; and b) the cover is out and about (because it's going to be featured heavily--you'll understand once you've seen it. It's scorching!)

And that's pretty much it! We're ramping up. In the background. And I'm writing like a maniac. As always.

Wahoo!

A slap on the wrist and a fist pump

2011-10-05T10:26:00.000-04:00

Haven't blogged. Wrist slap. BUT. I've been working like a crazy sucker on line edits. Which are now done. Fist pump. Barf bag.

I've written queries and outlines and synopses and sent them into the wild and bitten nails as agents read chapters and partials and fulls. Terror meter score = 6

I've made revisions for agents, sent them back, prayed that they'd like them. Terror meter score = 7

I've been on sub to major publishers. Terror meter score = 8

I've made revisions for an amazing editor who totally loves my book and wants it to be the best it can possibly be and who is completely on my side. Terror meter score = 7 (Drop in terror because my editor is so fantastic and gorgeous, it wasn't as scary as I'd anticipated)

And then there's line edits....

They done. They're over. The manucript of THE DARK LIGHT is wending its way through the hallowed halls of Simon & Schuster and into the hands of a copy editor. Beyond copy edits, there may be a few changes--words here and there, the odd sentence deemed awkward and reworked, etc. Other than that, the heavy lifting part of the creative process is over. Everything else is straightening furniture, dusting down the sideboard, vacuuming the rug so that it's squeaky clean, and making sure the number plate on the front door is hanging straight.

That's it. No more new chapters, new characters, no 'I can change this later'. There is no later.

Terror meter score = 11

Love it!

Conquering Stage Fright

2011-09-07T12:20:00.000-04:00

I'm slap bang in the middle of line edits for THE DARK LIGHT. I have to say it's a total blast, but hard, hard work. One thing I hadn't expected was the sense of nervousness that's slowly creeping up on me as I pass through the manuscript. There may be a few more tweaks, there'll be copy edits, and then... That's it. The words that go down now are pretty much THE words that will eventually pass before readers' eyes. Holy crap.

Writers often talk about the nuts and bolts of writing--pacing, plotting, characterization, and grammar. But there's a huge pyschological side to writing that is equally important--writers' block and fear of failure, confidence crashes, the trepidation of sending a manuscript into the world. These are the things that mess with your head.

So how do you overcome stage fright? I don't think you do. With all things writing, you can only take it head on and see where it leads. So, I'm just going to forge ahead, think only of the moment, and try not to puke. Wish me luck.

A Young Adult Writer in New York

2011-08-20T16:16:00.000-04:00

Young adult novels rock, so when the opportunity arose to visit the Simon Pulse offices (aka Center of YA awesomeness) in NYC, this major fan girl had to go. We're over a year out until the release of THE DARK LIGHT, but a year's nothing in publishing and I was in edits and it is NYC... No other excuses needed.

A first visit to your publisher is still a nerve wracking experience. What if you fall on your face? Or can't remember your name? Or fail to convince these experienced editors that you are a real writer and not some blathering impostor who stumbled in off the street? About that last point... Turns out they were needless worries. Those big scary publishing houses are not as scary as I thought. Here's why...

Publishers, editors, editorial assistants... are REAL people. And they're the nicest, funniest, most welcoming people you could ever meet.
Publishing houses are filled with books! Okay, that one's pretty obvious. But true. Think Charlie and the Book-Making Factory.
Publishing houses have things like recording studios where they sit you in a chair and shine lights at you and make you talk into a huge camera about where you come from and where you get your ideas and if you get it wrong there's a cold hose and... It's true!
Publishing houses are filled with sweet, edible treats. Heard about those scary acquisition meetings and stuff? They're run on sugar.
People who work in publishing houses talk in the bathrooms about meetings and marketing and important things like that. Writers visiting publishing houses hide in bathrooms and pretend not to listen (totally eavesdrop).

Needless to say, my visit to the Pulse offices was amazing, and I can't thank the team enough--especially my fantastic editor, Annette Pollert, for making me feel so welcome (and for the wonderful cookies and books!) It's a well worn cliche, but true: The journey from sparking an idea for a story to publication is not for the faint hearted. But it is totally worth it. And I plan to scream that all the louder after my experience at Simon & Schuster. In the years I've been writing, I've met so many amazing writers, so many people who'd love to be writers, and many, many more who plan to write a novel but have yet to get started. Get on it. Stick at it. Stay with it. Because if I can reach the day where I can talk about the inside of a NYC publisher, then so can you.

Reading or Hoarding?

2011-08-09T09:36:00.004-04:00

I was pretty excited after recently having my first surgery ever, because surgery means recuperation, and recuperation equals guilt free days of reading, writing, and generally hanging out. It didn't work out as planned. Why? Painkiller brain melt. Writing? Forget about it. Reading? Only in the lucid moments. So what did I do? Yep, I pretty much just watched TV.

I don't generally watch much TV, but when I get in there, I really get in there. And that included a marathon session in front of TLC's HOARDERS. For those out of the loop, HOARDERS follows individuals whose homes have basically disappeared under a pile of crap. Often suffering from a form of OCD, hoarders end up with nowhere to sit, to cook, or even to sleep. And they never throw things away. Bad things happen when you throw stuff away. It's the kind of show that makes you want to sprint into the closet and toss out everything you've been saving for when you're back in a size 2 (aka never).

And then I noticed my 'active' reading pile...

I describe it as 'active' because it isn't my only reading pile. I have other book piles, piles that won't fit on the (bulging) bookshelves. Piles that really shouldn't be in the house anymore. Piles I've accumulated in the three short years since I moved to the States from Britain. I was starting to get worried...

On the show, hoarders often gave the same reasons to justify their hoards. As I gazed at my hoard, I couldn't help agreeing with some of those reasons:

I might need the stuff again. Yep. Even though I've read it and will probably never read it again.
It holds deep meaning for me. Yep. A friend recommended it!
Getting rid means losing some kind of important information. Yep. Though, let's be honest: How much important information can really be found in a Russell Brand autobiography?

So...

Hoarders keep accumulating. Yep. Bought three books this past weekend, though I couldn't possibly get to them until, say, March of next year.
They invent special reasons for keeping things. Yep. This cover is really shiny!
Their lives disappear beneath the hoard. Save me!

Though I'm an amateur compared to TLC's hoarders, the tendencies are clearly there. But what to do? Well, nothing. Because then I came to a deep and profound truth...
Out of control reading piles are the reason God invented e-readers!
So, confess. I know you're out there. Do you really need to keep all those books? Or are you a hoarder?

A Blog is Born

2011-08-01T11:49:00.000-04:00

I birthed a blog! And it really wasn't that painful. Like most newborns, it's not that pretty and it's still finding its feet but, with a little time and a little love, I reckon it has potential.

I do write. I write a lot, perhaps more than is healthy for anyone hoping to avoid a deep vein thrombosis. The story of how I got from scribbler to author of THE DARK LIGHT (coming Fall 2012, Simon & Schuster) probably requires a blog of its own but, needless to say, it starts with the love of a good story and ends in pretty much the same place.

So, if you love a good story, or anything connected to reading, writing, or even the ramblings of a notorious gasbag, then maybe you'd like to hang out.