Peggy Eddleman: Will Write For Cookies

Quotes and Cookies: Failing... And succeeding

2013-05-24T05:36:00.000-06:00

“I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot...and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that's precisely why I succeed.”

~Michael Jordan

So... you're saying, MJ, that you have to keep taking shots? And that those who are really successful keep taking A WHOLE FREAKING LOT of shots, and even when they fail, they keep taking more and more shots?

And that keeping taking shots no matter how many times you fail is the key to succeeding?

Thanks for putting it into perspective, Michael.

Here. Have a cookie.

It's a slam-dunk, just for you.

photo credit: hjhipster via photopin cc

Happy Friday!

Jenn Johansson: Top Ten Things You Could Say to Make Someone Think You're a Psycho Stalker

2013-05-23T05:54:00.000-06:00

Guess who's here with me today? The fabulous J.R. Johansson! Welcome, welcome, Jenn! You and I have gone to a lot of the same conferences. That's probably how we first met, right?

Jenn: Yes...although the fact that it's a blur for both of us makes me wonder if we've just always known each other. ;-)

Peggy: I think probably what initially drew me to you was your copper curls and the I'm-not-a-stalker vibe you exuded. Which is amazing, considering the stalking that goes on in your books!

Jenn: Yes...I try to keep the stalking in public to a minimum. It's the hiding in the bushes in private that I really get my stalking vibe on. No, I actually fail at stalking. I'd get caught immediately. Watching Veronica Mars makes me wish I was better at being sneaky.

Peggy: In my other life, I am a ninja. But to really go full-on stalker, I'm going to need a few pointers. Hiding in bushes... check. Don't get caught... check. Be sneaky.... check. But what should I say?

Jenn's Top 10: Things A Stalker Would Say:

10 – Your hair reminds me of the dolls I used to set on fire.
9 – I liked the outfit you bought yesterday at 7:32pm.
8 – You are so much like this other girl I used to follow.
7 – You look cute when you sleep.
6 – I can seeee yooouuuu…
5 – I have pictures of you in every outfit, in case you can’t decide what to wear…
4 – If you want to come to my place, I can show you my restraining order collection.
3 – I’m always here for you, especially when you can’t see me.
2 – Any line of lyrics from ‘Every Breath You Take’ by the Police
And…straight out of Insomnia…
1 – My addiction is you.

Peggy: Hahahaha! Thanks, Jenn! You just totally made my day! And do you know what else made my day? That one time you let me be a stop on your ARC tour, and I got to read INSOMNIA. It sucked me in and pulled me at a break-neck speed every step of the way. Sigh. That rocked a lot.

Her eyes saved his life. Her dreams released his darkness.

After four years of sleeplessness, high school junior Parker Chipp can’t take much more. Every night, instead of sleeping, he enters the dreams of the last person he’s made eye contact with. If he doesn’t sleep soon, Parker will die.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that’s utterly addictive. But what starts out as a chance meeting turns into an obsession; Parker’s furious desire for what he needs pushes him to extremes he never thought he’d go. And when someone begins terrorizing Mia with twisted death threats, Parker’s memory blackouts leave him doubting his own innocence.

And the amazing, awesome thing is, Jenn's doing an incredible preorder giveaway! If you order the book now, you can enter to win a NookHD 16GB with a case (a mother-of-all-prizes worth $250!!).

Here's some of the places where you can pre-order INSOMNIA:

The Book Depository | Indiebound | Books A Million | Barnes and Noble | Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

J.R. JOHANSSON is a young adult thriller author published with Flux and FSG/Macmillan. Her debut, INSOMNIA is coming June 2013. She has a B.S. degree in public relations and a background in marketing. She credits her abnormal psychology minor with inspiring many of her characters. When she's not writing, she loves reading, playing board games, and sitting in her hot tub. Her dream is that someday she can do all three at the same time. She has two young sons and a wonderful husband. In fact, other than her cat, Cleo, she's nearly drowning in testosterone.

Peggy: To thank you for joining us today, Jenn, I have your favorite-- peanut butter cookies!! *passes plate*

Jenn: If you give me plates of cookies, I may have to start stalking you...

MG Needs: Humor

2013-05-20T05:44:00.000-06:00

I taught a presentation at a conference a week ago about writing middle grade. (For the record, neither my voice nor my hands shook, so I'm counting it a success!) I've had a lot of people ask if I would post some of the information from my presentation here. It's a ton of information, though, so I decided to do a MG Needs feature. Each Monday for the next while, I'll talk about some of the things a MG novel needs to be most satisfying to the reader, and cover all the same stuff that I covered in my presentation. With me? Let's start!

Let’s say you love salty food. When given the choices of food, you always go for the salty ones. Like dumplings with soy sauce. When you sit down for a meal, do you usually only want salty foods on your plate? Or do you like a little variety in your sides and dessert?

photo credit: haleysuzanne via photopin cc

The Chinese have a theory that there are five different elements of flavors— sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour. And that if you have each of these five elements in a meal, it will leave you much more satisfied than when ones are missing. Certainly more satisfied than if you have just one element.

photo credit: wEnDaLicious via photopin cc

Books are the same way. A kid might like mystery, for example, but that doesn’t mean he/she wants mystery as the only element in the book. A book will be more satisfying when it has the five elements that kids crave. Your book will likely have one of these five that's more prevalent. But just like everything else— if you get too much of anything, it becomes monotonous. Your book needs a break from the main genre that it is to slip in another element when it’s appropriate to make it more fulfilling.

I'll talk about each of the five--- one each Monday. Today it's...... HUMOR!!

Photo credit: gifbin.com

(Is this dog impressive, or what? He cracks me up every time!)

Scientists say that the fact that we laugh and that we want to laugh does two things: It helps us to bond with people, and to lessen tension and anxiety. Two things that are VERY important in MG fiction. We want our readers to bond with characters (which will in turn help the reader bond with you as the author). And at key points, like right after an intense scene or even during a stressful scene, we want to lessen tension and anxiety.

So let's talk about the kinds of humor kids like. They like:

Malapropisms
(misusing words ridiculously, especially by the confusion of words that are similar in sound).

“He had to use a fire distinguisher.”
“Dad says the monster is just a pigment of my imagination.”
“He's a wolf in cheap clothing.”
“Don't is a contraption”

Non-sequiturs
(a statement containing an illogical conclusion).

“Sleeping in a tinfoil suit keeps me warmer and helps prepare me for my voyage to the moon. Would you care for some licorice?” -- Jarod Kintz

Things that are out of place.

The rule of three works particularly well with kids this age.
(Especially when you do it with things that are out of place)

Paper, pencils, and a penguin

Things that are taboo.
(Which is one of the reasons that books like Captain Underpants are so popular.)

Words with the K or the G sound.
So if you are making up words or names and want to add humor, try to use those sounds in the word, and it will make it inherently more funny.

MG kids don’t usually get written sarcasm.
Some kids, if they don’t grow up with moms like me, might not get it at all. I try to make sure my kids are growing up well-versed in sarcasm, but even kids this age who do grow up with those kinds of advantages ;) don’t usually get written sarcasm.

People like characters with a good sense of humor. So if you want a reader to dislike a certain character, then get rid of their sense of humor. You can take humor away from your bad guy, but that’s not really what I’m saying. For example, Dr. Doofenshmirtz on Phineas and Ferb: he brings a LOT of humor. But we aren’t meant to dislike him. Take humor away from any character that your MC doesn’t like, and that you want the reader to dislike as well. Like the mean kid in school. Or an awful teacher. If you give them a sense of humor, your reader won’t be totally on your MC’s side when they dislike that character.

A book will always be more satisfying when it has some of each of the five elements that kids crave, and next Monday, we'll cover BEING SCARED! :)

Quotes and Cookies: Of eggs and patience

2013-05-17T05:48:00.000-06:00

LOVE this:

“The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it."

~Arnold H. Glasow

Which I'm pretty sure translates into writer-speak that you should edit your book instead of throwing it out the window when it's giving you grief.

And then you can get the book version of this:

photo credit: Roger Smith via photopin cc

Something unique looking with awesome hair that everyone will Ooh! and Ahh! over. And who doesn't want that?

Just be warned that he/she will probably want a cookie. You better take two.

And then set about revising! And NOT throwing your manuscript out the window.

photo credit: scubadive67 via photopin cc

Have an awesome weekend, everyone!

P.S. Thank you so much to Neurotic Workaholic for the Liebster Award! I can guarantee my answers wouldn't be nearly as hilarious as hers were.

P.P.S. I'm at The League of Extraordinary Writers today, talking about using a sense of wonder in speculative fiction. Come hang out! Yes, you can definitely bring your cookie with you.

Storymakers!!

2013-05-08T06:11:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow, I'm headed off to one of my very favorite conferences-- LDStorymakers. This is an incredible conference that so many fabulous agents attend every time. (My agent said it's her favorite conference she's ever been to.) And there is nothing like hanging out with hundreds of people who have the same ~~obsessions~~ interests that you do. If you've not been the conference-going type before, I highly recommend starting! It'll change your life. (Imagine me saying that in my most non-cheesy voice.)

Plus, I get to do a presentation! (Okay, so maybe I'm only 50% excited on this part, because the other 50% is filled with nervousness.) But but but! I get to talk about this:

Getting Inside the Head of a Middle Grade Kid. For anyone wishing they could jump into the head of an 8-12 year old to write MG, we’ll talk about the five elements kids crave in an MG novel, what kinds of things are most important to an MG protagonist, how to have your MG characters respond emotionally, and what your main character needs for MG readers to root for them.

And that kind of thrills me.

Especially because in my presentation, I get to use animated gifs. And just because I'm cool like that, here's a bonus one. (Well, that, and because they just make me laugh.)

http://gifs.gifbin.com/122010/tn_1291664377_camouflaged-cat.gif

Have you been to conferences before? If so, which is your favorite? If you're going to Storymakers, let me know! I want to make sure I see you.

Thank you once again to Deanie at Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne for awarding me the Shine On Award and the Super Sweet Award. Yum!

FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI cover reveal!

2013-05-06T05:46:00.000-06:00

Cassie Mae is a fun and awesome person, and I am thrilled to be a part of her cover reveal for her book that comes out in just 10 weeks! I love the premise of this book, and have heard so many great things about it. Without further ado, here's the brand-spanking-new cover!

FRIDAY NIGHT ALIBI
Written by Cassie Mae
Flirt | On sale July 29

Rising star Cassie Mae introduces New Adult readers to a practical soon-to-be college freshman who seems to have everything—until a special guy shows her what she’s been missing.

In the wealthy town of Sundale, Kelli Pinkins has hatched the perfect plan to capitalize on her sweet reputation. For a generous fee, she will be every trust-fund baby’s dream: a Friday-night alibi, the “girlfriend” or “BFF” that parents dream about. With college approaching in the fall, Kelli’s services are in demand more than ever, which means that her social life is nonexistent. But Kelli is A-okay with that. She’s raking in cash for school. Besides, relationships are tricky, and sometimes very messy. She’d rather be at home on Xbox LIVE, anyway. Then the unexpected happens: She meets college stud Chase Maroney.

Chase isn’t like the preppy, privileged guys Kelli usually meets in Sundale. For starters, he’s twenty something, always wears black., and he shoots back one-liners as fast as she can dish them out. But Kelli’s attempts to drive Chase away falter when she realizes that he treats her like he really knows her, like he cares about knowing her. When Kelli finally gives in to the delicious kiss she’s been fighting for so long, she faces a tough decision: make Chase a real-life boyfriend and risk her heart . . . or keep her clients and lose her first true love.

Advance praise for Friday Night Alibi

“Totally entertaining with as many swoon-worthy moments as hilarious ones, Friday Night Alibi is a must-read.”—Jolene Perry, co-author of Out of Play

“A fun, funny, and fantastic story, this is one you will read in a day, and pick up to re-read again the next.”—Kelley Lynn, author of Fraction of Stone

Pre-order Friday Night Alibi:

Amazon | Barnes &Noble | Google Play | Random House

Cassie Mae is a nerd to the core from Utah, who likes to write about other nerds who find love. Her angel children and perfect husband fan her and feed her grapes while she clacks away on the keyboard. Then she wakes up from that dream world and manages to get a few words on the computer while the house explodes around her. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with the youth in her community as a volleyball and basketball coach, or searching the house desperately for chocolate.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest

First Pass Pages and News Alert: The hardback isn't dying!

2013-05-02T05:48:00.000-06:00

Guess what? This is me, putting my very first First Pass Pages in the mail to send back to my editor. It may seem weird, considering it was edits, but I've been dying for this milestone! It's the first time my edits come looking bookish. With the title page, Library of Congress page, dedication, bio acknowledgements, correct fonts and layout and chapter titles-- everything! It's actually the first time I've read the book in six months, and one of the last times I'll see it before it's printed. It's a little strange to be in the middle of edits on book 2 and writing book 3, to go back to working on book 1. But it was also pretty cool to once again get grounded in what started it all.

Also, word to the wise: if you mail 300 pages and need it to get somewhere in two days, it costs somewhere around $10. If you mail it overnight, it costs somewhere around $45. Plan accordingly.

Not that I meet my deadlines at the very last moment or anything...

And in other news, I read an industry news article in Publisher's Weekly about MG & YA sales, and it had this graph.

People have been saying for the past while that hardcover books are on their way out. That they are going to be a thing of the past before too long. But check it out, peeps! SALES ROSE ON HARDCOVERS last year! And really, in nearly every category! And holy moley. Check out the rise in e-book sales. Incredible! People still want to buy books. And they still want hardcovers. And e-books like crazy. All is right in the world. (And if you don't believe me, stop doing things like watching the news, and come hang out with me in my protective bubble. There's rainbows and lollipops here. And occasionally unicorns.)

And a huge thank you to Deanie at Thoughts and Ideas from Deanie Humphrys-Dunne. She just awarded me the Liebster Award. Thanks, Deanie!

NYC Trip!

2013-04-22T05:41:00.000-06:00

I am in love with New York City. I miss it like crazy. If you've never been and you ever get the chance to go, take it!

My hubby and I started out with a trip to the Natural History Museum. Or, as my kids like to call it, "The Night at the Museum" Museum.

Where we got to see things like the most adorable little skellies imaginable.

Okay, I may be just a *little* scared of spiders. They don't even have to be real. Give me any six-legged creature and I'm fine. Give me something with eight legs, and eeuurrrrghh. So, I'm standing there, staring at this wall, trying very hard not to be freaked out that there's some crab-like creature that looks very spider-like and as big as me....

...when my hubby looks up and says, "Uh...." In an "Oh, no-- this is going to freak her out" sort of way. Which immediately makes me crouch, cover my head with my arms and look up. Gosh. This picture so doesn't do this giant squid justice! This baby is like 40 feet long. Big enough that when I looked up, I didn't see the squid body--- all I saw were legs bigger around than my arm, and I screamed. An Imminent-Death-By-Gigantic-Spider-Consumption scream that drew everyone's attention and freaked out every kid (and possibly every adult) around.

Then I realized it was a squid and not a spider (and clearly has ten legs instead of eight), and everything was okay. (At least for me. Some of the kids were still a little rattled.)

We took tons of pictures for our kids, including this of an ancient wall phone that my kids didn't believe actually still existed anywhere in the world. They were awed by the photographic evidence that they aren't extinct.

I loved the Subway. A LOT. Even though there was a disappointing lack of crazy people on it. Seriously? Why so many normal people? I was dying for at least one crazy!

We took it everywhere, even though we were both Subway Newbs. I thought we were getting the hang of it after the first day, until we woke up the second day and headed off toward Random House. Apparently I led us to the wrong Subway entrance on 34th Street, so when we couldn't find the train we needed, we walked in the labyrinth underground for what felt like forever. Eventually, we found what was the right place, but then we thought that Random House was now halfway between where we were and the next subway stop. So we went above ground and started walking.....

And walking faster. And faster. And then hurrying as fast as we could because ohmygosh we were so very wrong and so very far away and even though we left very early, we were going to be very late. (Why it didn't occur to us to hail a cab, I'll never know.)

Oh, and it was the hottest day New York had seen since last fall.

We finally arrived at our destination (late, but excited, smelling like the street, with sweat on my back) and stared up at the beautiful building. (Seriously-- is this not so very pretty?)

Yes, I stood in front of the building and took a picture, while I'm sure the guy inside grinned and thought, "Another Newbie Author's first time here." I didn't even care. IT'S MY FIRST TIME AT RANDOM HOUSE!!

I walked into the lobby in reverenced awe. The lobby is lined with their books. In 5 months or so, mine will be there amongst them. Surreal? You betcha.

The guy behind this desk led us up to the 8th floor to meet my editor, Shana, who is just as beautiful and amazing and kind in person. She hugged me, and all I could think was I SMELL LIKE THE STREET! AND MY BACK IS STILL SWEATY! She probably thinks I'm not okay with hugs by how quickly I pulled away.

But then she gave me two ARCs (and I almost started crying, right there in her office, at seeing my book in book form for the first time), and took me around to meet people. First was my publicist Paul. He is incredible. And I found out that my teacher from a few years ago, Brandon Sanderson, and I share the same publicist! James Dashner, too! Then I met the school and library marketing people, the copy chief, the President of RHCB, the art director, and the marketing folks. I was blown away by how kind and enthusiastic everyone was. I love them all to pieces.

Then I my hubby and I went out to lunch with my editor and the art director, where she told me all about the awesome treatments they're doing on my cover. It was so much fun, I totally forgot to take pictures!

That just means I get to go back again soon, right? ;)

Now let's look at the pretty building again, shall we?

This is me, in the subway, still giddy at holding my ARC.

Then we went on the Staten Island Ferry.

And to the memorial at Ground Zero.

And the next day, to Bobby Flay's restuarant, Bar Americain, with my lovely agent Sara where we got to hear some of the funniest query stories ever. I think this was possibly the thing my kids were most excited about us getting to see. My daughter was dreaming about me running into Bobby and getting his autograph for her for DAYS.

I didn't run into Bobby, but I did get a picture of my dessert! And yes, it was every bit as tasty as it looks.

Then we took a Pedi-Cab on a tour through Central Park where we got to see a wedding under the bridge....

And this fountain. And the homeless man bathing in it.

And as we walked the streets of NY for hours, we saw things like F.A.O. Schwartz....

... where they have Hot Tamales bigger than my laptop!

Then we went here...

....and got to see this. :) :) :) :) :)

And decided that 5 days (two of them travel days) wasn't nearly enough time to spend in a place with so much to see.

Then we took one last ride on the subway-- to the airport. About halfway there, a man entered our car, and started chanting sermon-like. Between his strong accent and the subway noises, I couldn't understand what he was saying at all. Either he was selling drugs that would make you "sleep forever," or saying that homeless people shouldn't be hungry. It was unclear. Another man in the car didn't like the man's loud chanting, so to counter it, he started singing at the top of his lungs "DOE, A DEER, A FEMALE DEER..." The man was unfazed by the competition, so the other man kept getting louder and louder until the song was over and he was just yelling, "LALALALALALALALALALA!"

Crazy subway riders at last. I could've died of happiness.

Book deal for my CP

2013-04-16T10:07:00.000-06:00

So I have this amazing critique partner, Jessie Humphries, who wrote an incredible book. Not only did she write a book that was amazing, but she EDITED IT like editing was an extreme sport. I have never seen-- or even heard-- of anyone working as hard as she did on making a book as fabulous as possible before they got a book deal. I thought I was insane in my pre- submitting to editors edits, but Jessie blew me out of the water like nobody's business. This girl went to unbelievable lengths on her book, and it paid off big time.

Her publisher had been scouring through submissions for many months to find the perfect one to launch a new, unique, groundbreaking line, and found the perfect book in Jessie's submission, and snatched it up in a heartbeat.

And because her book was perfected before even going on sub (I'm talking perfected in a way that blew away her agent. In a way that her editor said he's never witnessed before), it's coming out in a mind-blowing TWO MONTHS FROM NOW!

The power of revisions.

So go congratulate her! The girl is an incredible example of what to do so editors can't bear to tell you no.

Jessie Humphries' book deal announcement

Quotes and Cookies: My new favorite quote on critiques

2013-04-12T07:34:00.000-06:00

New York was INCREDIBLE! So. Very. Incredible. I am still lagging way behind in the game of catch-up, and haven't even gotten a chance to look at my pictures yet, but I will do a post on it soon.

I recently ran across a quote that I think is brilliant! For a long time, I've heard (and totally believe in) two different pieces of advice that I've had a hard time reconciling.

The first piece of advice is that you need to have a good (and very strong) sense of your book, so when critiquers suggest you do different things, you know which voices to listen to. If you don't, your book will head a million different directions, trying to please everyone, and it'll end up worse than when you started.

I totally believe in this.

The second I'm not sure if I've ever heard, or if it's just the way I feel. Whenever I hear about an issue from a critique partner, I figure that person represents a slice of the bigger pie that will one day be my readers. If I don't find a way to address that issue, then all the people that critique partner represents will have the same issue.

I totally believe in this, too.

Yet they seem to be at odds with each other.

Then I ran across a quote from Neil Gaiman that explains why those two can both be true, and coexist. Are you ready? Here it is:

"Remember: when people tell you something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right. When they tell you exactly what they think is wrong and how to fix it, they are almost always wrong."

~Neil Gaiman

I had never heard this quote before, which surprises me. The thing is pure gold! There's a big difference between a critique partner bringing an issue to your attention, and them telling you how to fix it. (Which explains why you sometimes really bristle at a suggestion.) And of course, asking a critique partner to brainstorm ways in which the issue could be fixed is something else entirely, and can be so so so helpful.

Now that we've had such a breakthrough, let's skip the cookies and go straight for the donuts, shall we?

Thank you, Shutterstock.com!

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!!

NYC, here I come!

2013-04-03T05:40:00.000-06:00

Ohmygosh, you guys. In just a few days time, I'm going to be here:

photo credit: EJP Photo via photopin cc

My hubby and I decided that for our anniversary, we're going to go to New York. Times Square, specifically. It's been forever since we've gone on a vacation sans kids! They are old enough that they are easy to take, and I hate going places and just wishing they were there to see everything too, you know? Plus, they're awesome, and I'd miss them. BUT, I am very excited to go on this trip just with my husband! I'm excited for him to meet my agent, and I'm excited for us to both meet my editor and her assistant, my publicist (holy frijoles! by this time next week, I'll have a publicist!), my marketing team, the art director, and possibly even the publisher. Plus, I'll get to tour the Random House building. And we're going to see as many of the sites as two people can possibly see in 5 days' time. I'm so happy/anxious/thrilled/nervous/ecstatic I can't stand it!

Have you ever been to NYC? Are you dying to go there as much as I am? If you've been before, what should I make sure that I don't miss?

The Most Important Book Ever – I had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew

2013-04-02T06:14:00.000-06:00

Hi, everyone! This is Liz Coley. She's in the Lucky 13s with me, and she is made of awesome. Her book, PRETTY GIRL-13 just came out, and sounds so creepily fascinating! She's here with us today, talking about the most important books in her life. I love that this one is a Dr. Suess one. :) Take it away, Liz!

After Hop on Pop, the next most important book ever in my life was also by Dr. Seuss. I had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew is the perfect story. There’s a brilliant beginning, a middle fraught with rising conflict, and a bittersweet, empowering life lesson and personal growth at the end. Perfect.

In the beginning: “I was real happy and carefree and young and I lived in a place called the Valley of Vung, where nothing, not anything ever went wrong. Until….” In a mere twenty-seven words, we have a vividly drawn protagonist, a setting, and a situation on the brink of change.

In the middle, the poor protagonist suffers a stubbed toe. First solution? Watch where you are going. Then he’s bitten from behind. Second solution? Aim eyeballs in different directions. Vowing vigilance ahead and behind, he is attacked from above and below. Now he’s in a real quandary because he only has two eyes. What’s a lad to do? He sets off on a journey to find a new and safer place he’s heard of—“the City of Solla Sollew on the Banks of the beautiful River Wah-Hoo, where they never have troubles! At least, very few.” This classical hero’s quest takes him through terrible trials in which, just as hope is in sight, something else goes horribly wrong repeatedly. The final insult, the ultimate crisis, is the single trouble with Solla Sollew: the door to almost-paradise is locked, barred by a key-slapping slippard.

At the end, the moment of truth, the hero learns of a more distant Utopia, “the city of Boola Boo Ball on the banks of the beautiful River Woo-Wall, where they never have troubles! No troubles at all!” He’s wary; he’s been let down by so many promises along the way. Can he flee trouble one more time, just a little farther, for a promise? No, he decides. Something in him has changed. After facing Poozers and billions of birds and a flubulous flood and a camel with gleeks, he has outgrown his innocence. He wasn’t passive to begin with, but now he’s stronger and wiser, and he picks up a weapon and heads home.

The twenty-word resolution: “I’ve bought a big bat. I’m all ready, you see. Now my troubles are going to have trouble with me.”

I can’t even convey how much I loved this story, how many times I read it until it was memorized, and how much I still love it today. I think it is Seuss’s crowning glory.

About Pretty Girl-13:

When thirteen-year-old Angela Gracie Chapman looks in the mirror, someone else looks back–a thin, pale stranger, a sixteen-year-old with haunted eyes. Angie has no memory of the past three years, years in which she was lost to the authorities, lost to her family and friends, lost even to herself. Where has she been, who has been living her life, and what is hiding behind the terrible blankness? There are secrets you can’t even tell yourself.

Available in ten languages on five continents

About Liz:

Liz lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband, her teenaged daughter, a snoring dog, and a limping old cat. When she's not involved in writing-related activities, she can be found sewing, baking, shooting photos, playing tennis, and singing.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

SKY JUMPERS Winners, Quotes & Cookies, and the League

2013-03-22T08:28:00.000-06:00

First of all, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all the cover love! I really appreciate all the tweeting, sharing on facebook, liking, blogging--- everything. You guys are the best!

The Rafflecopter gods have spoken, and the people who apparently sacrificed the most cookies to he/she/it/them, and have won themselves a hardback copy of SKY JUMPERS (as soon as it's available) are:

From Literary Rambles:

Donna Weaver!

From Icey Books:

Amanda Ray!

From here:

Alyssa Hamilton!

Congratulations! I'll be emailing you soon.

And now, onto quotes and cookies! This is one I love.

“Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength.”

~ Arnold Schwarzenegger

This applies to so much, too! Definitely those hardships that come so fast and hard that they knock you off your feet. But also the ones that come slowly and steady. The ones that are there for a moment, and the ones that hang around long-term. Simply not surrendering makes you stronger and stronger, and makes the struggles easier to overcome.

*Grabs cookie* Here's to not surrendering!

photo credit: Renée S. Suen via photopin cc

And today I'm at The League of Extraordinary Writers, talking about the movie that triggered my love of post-apocalyptic fiction. Come join me!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Cover reveal for SKY JUMPERS!!!

2013-03-14T05:47:00.000-06:00

Ohmygosh, guys. A big part of my sub-conscious never thought this day would come, and that my book would always be a name without a face. My conscious brain knew that my cover team was working on it tirelessly, and not willing to stop until everything came out perfect. Both are happy dancing right now.

Because the day has come. The day where my book gets a face.

And gosh it's a beautiful face.

Are you ready for it?

Here it is!!!

Isn't it amazing?! I love it to pieces! I love the creative direction they took it in, the scenery, and ohmygosh-- the way the light shines on everything! It shows the action, the adventure, the danger, the excitement, and that Hope (the main character) has a daredevil gene set to extra high, all in one image! It was the green bombs that made this story post-apocalyptic; I'm thrilled that the cover pays homage to that with its color. And the fact that they're going through the Bomb's Breath on the cover... :'o)

Want to know more about SKY JUMPERS? Here's what my incredible editor (seriously, guys-- she's so very incredible) has to say about it:

As soon as I read the opening paragraphs to Sky Jumpers, I was hooked! What would it be like to jump into the sky . . . and not fall? I couldn’t get the image out of my head. Sky Jumpers is the story of 12-year-old Hope. Hope lives in a town of inventors struggling to recover from World War III. But Hope is terrible at inventing and would much rather sneak off to dive into the Bomb’s Breath—the deadly band of compressed air left by the bombs—than fail at another invention. When bandits invade, the only way to get help is to go through the Bomb’s Breath, and Hope and her friends may be the only ones who can do it.

Sky Jumpers has everything--action, adventure, bad guys, really cool inventions, family and friendships worth risking everything for, death defying cliff dives, relatable characters, and an unlikely hero named Hope. It also has great themes for discussion-- working with our strengths, the difference individuals can make, whether our history determines our future or if we can change it. And it asks the question what happens when you can't do (or feel like you can’t do) the one thing that matters most?

Shana Corey
Executive Editor
Random House Children's Books

Want to enter a giveaway to possibly win a hardcover of SKY JUMPERS? Here's your chance! There are even extra options to get you extra entries.

(This one is for the US only. I will do an international swag giveaway soon, though!)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

But this is not the only chance you have to win a copy-- my blog is one part of a three-blog reveal, and you can enter to win A HARDBACK OF SKY JUMPERS AT EACH OF THE OTHER BLOGS. That's right! And not only is there a second and a third giveaway, but there is exclusive content at each. Check them out!

On Literary Rambles, my agent, Sara Crowe, talks about why she fell for SKY JUMPERS, with another giveaway. Click here!

And on Icey Books, my cover artist, Owen Richardson, talks about what it was like to illustrate the cover, with another giveaway. Click here!

Thanks for coming to share the excitement with me today!

The Way We Are: Extreme BICHOKing

2013-03-13T05:41:00.000-06:00

You've heard of BICHOK, right? (Butt In Chair, Hands On Keyboard). It's fairly essential when it comes to writing. Makes everything all kinds of better, right?

Well, maybe not everything...

Because, you know--- sometimes BICHOKing becomes an extreme sport. Especially when you've got an overly demanding muse or an impossible deadline. (I just may have possibly been BICHOKing to the extreme over the past six weeks.)

Okay, maybe not this kind of extreme...

... but extreme in the sense that my butt has been in that chair for a VERY LONG TIME. And unlike other kinds of sports, practicing this one gets you in the very opposite of good shape. (Which brings all new meaning to the phrase "These revisions are killing me!")

Once I decided that I was NOT going to let these revisions kill me, I chatted with a bunch of the Lucky 13s about this. For the 75% of us who hadn't (as one Lucky put it) "spent the last year working my butt ON," they gave suggestions on what worked for them. Want to hear the most popular answer? Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred videos. So in my effort not to experience Death By Sitting, I haven't missed a day of doing them since, even when I wanted to cry every time I walked up stairs. (Every tried them? Look it up on YouTube-- you can start today! Gosh-- I should go into the business of infomercials.)

How about you? Do you BICHOK responsibly and take your exercising as seriously as you take your writing? Or do you BICHOK to the extreme?

photo credit: rr_graphic_design via photopin cc
photo credit: dalioPhoto via photopin cc
photo credit: pdbreen via photopin cc

Video interview with the one and only CARRIE BUTLER + giveaway!

2013-03-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to be a part of Carrie Butler's blog tour for her NA Paranormal, STRENGTH. Carrie and I pretended we don't actually live 1700 miles away from each other, and hung out together via video. Carrie is hilarious and uh.... expressive. ;)

About the book

Title: STRENGTH
Series: Mark of Nexus - Book 1
Publisher: Sapphire Star Publishing
Category: New Adult (NA)
Genre: Paranormal Romance (PNR)
Release Date: March 07, 2013
Formats: E-Book and Paperback

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

BOOK PAGE | GOODREADS | PUBLISHER | FACEBOOK | PINTEREST | BOOK TRAILER

About the Author

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

WEBSITE | BLOG | PUBLISHER | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS | GOOGLE+ | LINKEDIN

Want a chance to win the book, plus a lot of other great stuff? Enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
May the Rafflecopter gods smile down upon you.

Two of our very own need us.

2013-03-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

I have always been so amazed at how supportive, loyal, encouraging, and helpful the writing community is. Writers rock, big time. Whenever someone's in need, writers rally the troops, which is why I'm posting this. Guys-- we need to rally the troops for two of our own.

First: Chad Morris.

I've gotta say, a debut year is extremely busy and stressful. But there are a lot of very rewarding and fun parts of it, too! Chad Morris, a blogger many of you might know, has willingly given up all the fun and rewarding parts of his debut year for something infinitely more important-- his 9 year old daughter. Last Tuesday he and his wife Shelly (a writer who many of you might know, too) took her to one of the best neurosurgeons in the nation to get a tumor removed from her brain. Dang! I'm getting teary-eyed just typing this! *deep breath*

Chad is in a hospital, being there for his daughter as she recovers. He can't promote his book, but we can! We can give him the book launch that he deserves. His book releases tomorrow. If you feel so inclined, think about mentioning his book on Twitter, Facebook, on your blog, on Pinterest, or on whatever other form of social media you enjoy.

Here's the quick details:

Book: CRAGBRIDGE HALL: THE INVENTOR'S SECRET (Shadow Mountain, 3/5/13)
The blog post where Chad talks about his daughter: http://writingwithshellyandchad.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-more-important-dream.html
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/chad.morris.5
Twitter: @ChadCMorris

The longer details:

About THE INVENTOR'S SECRET:

Imagine a school in the year 2074 where students don’t read history, but watch it happen around them; where running in gym class isn’t around a track, but up a virtual mountain; and where learning about animals means becoming one through an avatar.

Welcome to Cragbridge Hall, the most advanced and prestigious school in the world. Twin siblings Abby and Derick Cragbridge are excited as new students to use their famed grandfather’s inventions that make Cragbridge Hall so incredible. But when their grandfather and parents go missing, the twins begin following a trail of clues left by their grandfather. They must find out where their family is, learn who they can trust, and discover what secrets are hidden within Cragbridge Hall.

Abby and Derick soon realize they are caught in a race with a fierce adversary to discover their grandfather’s greatest secret–a dangerous discovery that could alter both history and reality.

About Chad:

Chad Morris grew up wanting to become a professional basketball player or a rock star. (Inspired by Animal from the Muppets, he’s been banging on drums since he was eight years old.) After high school, he wrote and performed sketch comedy while going to college, and eventually he became a teacher and a curriculum writer. He lives in Utah with his wife and five kids. Chad would love to teach at Cragbridge Hall.

Unlike Oscar Cragbridge, however, he hasn’t really invented anything, though his son once sketched out blueprints for a machine that would turn celery into cookies.

Blog | Website | Twitter | Facebook

Second: Bridget Zinn

Bridget's debut novel, POISON, releases a week from tomorrow. Sadly, Bridget died from cancer in May of 2011, and never got to hold her book in her hands. Being published was her dream, and her husband and friends would love some help putting the finishing touches on her dream. Her husband has set up a website that talks about all the ways you can help. It's a pretty awesome thing. You can find his plea for help here: http://bridgetzinn.com/help/index.php

Here's the quick details:

Book: POISON (Hyperion, 3/12/13)
Twitter Hashtag: #poison

The longer details:

About POISON:

Sixteen-year-old Kyra, a highly-skilled potions master, is the only one who knows her kingdom is on the verge of destruction—which means she's the only one who can save it. Faced with no other choice, Kyra decides to do what she does best: poison the kingdom's future ruler, who also happens to be her former best friend.

But, for the first time ever, her poisoned dart…misses.
Now a fugitive instead of a hero, Kyra is caught in a game of hide-and-seek with the king's army and her potioner ex-boyfriend, Hal. At least she's not alone. She's armed with her vital potions, a too-cute pig, and Fred, the charming adventurer she can't stop thinking about. Kyra is determined to get herself a second chance (at murder), but will she be able to find and defeat the princess before Hal and the army find her?

Kyra is not your typical murderer, and she's certainly no damsel-in-distress—she's the lovable and quick-witted hero of this romantic novel that has all the right ingredients to make teen girls swoon.

About Bridget:

Bridget grew up in Wisconsin. She went to the county fair where she met the love of her life, Barrett Dowell. They got married right before she went in for exploratory surgery which revealed she had colon cancer. They christened that summer the "summer of love" and the two celebrated with several more weddings. Bridget continued to read and write until the day she died. Her last tweet was "Sunshine and a brand new book. Perfect."

Bridget wanted to make people laugh and hoped readers would enjoy spending time with the characters she created. As a librarian/writer she loved books with strong young women with aspirations. She also felt teens needed more humorous reads. She really wanted to write a book with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers' copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads.

Website | Blog | A remembrance of her by her agent

I am positive that anything you want to do to get the word out about these two fabulous books--- no matter how small--- will be greatly appreciated.

I'm honored to be part of the troops with you all.

Spotlight: A BLIND EYE by Julie Daines

2013-02-20T08:29:00.002-07:00

I've had my eye on this book (haha! but not literally-- my eyes are more green) for quite some time. And the book just released! Not only does it sound fabulous, but the author herself is pretty darn fabulous.

"In my opinion, Julie Daines knocked it out of the park on the first swing with her debut novel, A Blind Eye.

- Karlene Browning, Inksplasher.com

Some people are born blind. For some, tragedy leaves them blind. And then there are those who simply refuse to see.

February 2013 Covenant Communications

Seventeen-year-old Christian Morris decides the only way to save himself from his father's neglect is to run away from home. On his way out of town, he finds a stowaway hiding in his car—Scarlett, who has been kidnapped from London. Blind since birth, Scarlett has developed a sixth sense: she dreams about someone’s death before it happens. And now, she has dreamed about her own.

Christian’s attempt to leave home turns into a race to save Scarlett from death by scientific experimentation. His growing relationship with the girl helps him to look past his own blindness and confront the truth about his father. But first, he must find the kidnappers before they can get to Scarlett.

Blogs & Websites: The differences, and when to start each

2013-02-19T05:29:00.000-07:00

This is a post I've been meaning to write for a very long time. I've heard a lot of questions ranging from "Do I need a website?" "Do I need a blog?" "Do I need both?" to "How are they even different, anyway?" And a ton of others about timing. Now, obviously, there's a lot of different opinions on the matter-- these are mine.

The difference between a website and a blog:

In a nutshell? A blog is aimed toward writers, a website is aimed toward readers. This isn't the case every time, of course, but it's a good rule of thumb. Readers and writers are looking for entirely different content, so it's easier to give them just the content they want if you keep them separate. Readers are looking for extras (think the "special features" you see on a DVD), where writers are looking to get to know you through commiseration, your insight, your sense of humor, your skills, and / or like personalities. Writers know to look for blogs; readers know to look for websites.

What if I don't want to make a website? Can't I just use my blog?

Of course! Some people start off with most of their posts being aimed toward writers, then as they get books coming out, they gradually change their focus to things readers will be interested in. Some people do a combination of both, and have a "For Readers" tab and a "For Writers" tab with content or links to posts that will interest each group. Having a blog is not all that different from having a website that also has a link to your blog, no? The biggest difference is how much flexibility you have for the look and ways to show content.

If I decide to do a website, when should I make it?

My opinion? After you get your book deal (if you're self-publishing, then do it when you decide you're going to go that route). Do you need to make a website before you query? Nope. Agents / editors care how much your manuscript rocks, not about how many publicity things you've already done. This business moves a little slowly--- they know you'll have time to get those kinds of ducks in a row before your book comes out. I've been working on my website, and I can tell you that I have SO much more clear of an idea of what I want as content now than I had back when I was querying. Plus, you won't really know what to include for a lot of your "extras" content before you go through the whole revisions process with your editor. It's a much more efficient use of your time if you wait until you know what you want there.

IMPORTANT: If at all possible, register your domain name now. I'm not kidding. If you ever want to do a website, don't put this off. You can google "Register domain name" to find some places to go, or ask around. I asked around, and got a lot of people highly recommending NameCheap. That's who I went with, and have had a great experience with them. If memory serves, it's less than $10 a year to register your domain name. (And no, you don't have to have a website tied to it anytime soon. I bought mine quite a while ago, and just set it to redirect to my blog until I get my website live.)

Here's why it's important: I don't mean to freak you out-- just to warn you of a possibility that could happen (but definitely doesn't happen all the time or even most of the time). I've heard that there are sketchy people out there who watch Publisher's Marketplace for deals. If they see that Billy Bob Jones got a book deal, they'll go register BillyBobJones.com, then when Billy gets around to buying his domain name, it'll be gone, and sketchy person will help Billy out by offering to sell him the domain name for hundreds of dollars. (A second buyer-beware tip: Don't search to see if your domain name is available until you are ready to buy it. Sometimes hackers can see what you searched for, assume you're going to be back, and then buy it quickly so they can sell it to you when you come back.) No sense whining about it-- just work with it. If you want one, buy it early, and don't search ahead of time.

If you decide to blog (which you totally don't have to do), when should you start?

That's a much harder question to answer, because the answer is different for everyone. And no, you don't HAVE to blog. It's good to have an online social media presence, but choose the one (or two, or three ;)) that you LOVE. Forget doing any that feel like a chore. But instead of talking about the ifs and whens of blogging, let's talk pros and cons.

Pros to blogging:

True fact: Writers need writing friends, and blogging is a fabulous way to get to know other writers. They comment on your blog, you go back and comment on theirs... repeat... and you get to know each other! I waited a long time to start my blog. I couldn't believe how much more I felt a part of the writing world once I started blogging.

It can help you find critique partners. Since blogging uses more words than other social media, so you get to know people better. And once you get to know them, you can get a good sense of whether or not you'd likely be good critique partners. I wrote a post once about finding critique partners (you can find it here), and so many people mentioned in the comments that they found their critique partners through blogging.

It gives you a great creative outlet with less pressure on what you write, with a hugely wide open field of possibilities to write about.

It improves your writing.

Cons to blogging:

It takes a LOT of time. It takes time to think about / write / find images for each and every post. And if you don't spend much time on your posts, people are less likely to keep coming back.

It also takes a LOT of time to build followers. When you first start blogging, the world doesn't automatically know that you just started a blog and that it rocks. You have to go out and search for other blogs that you love, follow them and comment on them so that they'll wonder about you and follow you back to your blog. It takes time to pay it forward with comments, and to build those relationships with other bloggers. It may be totally and completely worth it, but it does take huge amounts of time.

All the time you spend on blogging is that much less time you have to spend on writing.

Other things to consider:

If you do decide to blog, it takes a while to find your blogging voice. It's different from your writing voice, and it's different from your talking voice. It's all it's own, and you'll develop it as you blog.

It also takes a while to come up with a plan / focus for your blog. It takes a while to try out things to see if they work, and to adjust accordingly based on the reactions of your blog readers.

So if you want your blog going strong when you query / when your book comes out, don't wait until the month before to start.

If you're already blogging, or you've already made your website, when did you start, and why? Do you wish you'd started at a different time? If you're not a blogger, do you ever plan to be?

The League intro

2013-02-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Hi, guys! My intro post is up at The League of Extraordinary Writers, where I made animated stick figures, because it was fun. Come hang out with me!

Edit: I just found out an interview I had with Taffy is up today, too!

The Next Big Thing

2013-02-12T10:15:00.000-07:00

I think I may be very close to being the last person to jump on The Next Big Thing train. I've successfully dodged it many times before (mostly because questions #4 and #8 and I don't get along), but somehow the ever awesome Tara Tyler talked me into it. (Plus, she gave me permission to fudge #4, which was totally the key to getting me to say yes.) (And if we've both been dodging this (for whatever reason-- I won't judge), and you're also finally ready to give in to the fun and answer the questions next week, let me know, and I'll link to you.)

I'm going to do this for the book that still has a couple rounds of copy edits to go-- SKY JUMPERS book 1.

1. What is the working title of your current or next book? The original working title was GREEN BOMB. Awesome, no? ;) Then when I finally got inspiration for an actual title, it became THROUGH THE BOMB'S BREATH, and stayed that way for 2 1/2 years. Its brand-spankin' new title is SKY JUMPERS.

2. Where did you get the idea for that book? My family and I were flying from Florida to Utah on a day when virtually the entire country was covered in clouds, and I had a window seat. I just kept staring at the wrong side of those clouds, thinking how awesome it would be if I jumped out of that plane and landed in those clouds. (Assuming they'd slow my fall....) I decided I had to write a book where someone did that. Only I made the clouds not actually clouds, but dense air caused by a side-effect from the green bombs. And I made it invisible. And very deadly. And made it cover the earth.

3. What is the genre of the book? Post-apocalypic Adventure. (Which does not mean dystopic. You'll find no uberly-controlling government here. More of a lack of government.)

4. If you could pick actors to play the lead characters in your story, who would you pick? Am I the only one who can't seem to do this? It's impossible! I even really, really tried-- I promise!

5. How would you describe your book in one sentence? It's about a girl who can't invent in a town where it's the most important thing, but when the town is taken hostage, inventing won't save them, but the daring and risk-taking that usually gets her into trouble just might save them all.

6. How will your book be published--submitted through the traditional route to a traditional publisher, or will you be handling it yourself through indie publishing methods? Traditional publisher.

7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of this book? Ten months.

8. What other books within your genre are similar to yours? Um... It turns out that there aren't that many MG Post-Apoc Adventures. When I was querying, I couldn't think of a single book to compare it to! Random House has compared it to The City of Ember.

9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? My daughter really struggled with reading, especially in first and second grade. She is good at SO many things, though! She's especially good at a lot of things that don't show up in school. I was always amazed at how none of that mattered when you were bad at the one thing that mattered most. It made me want to write a character that was amazing in a way that people tended not to see, when she was terrible at the thing they did see.

10. What about your book will pique the reader's interest? Setting! Okay, so yes-- most of the earth's population was wiped out. So was most of technology. And there are a billion dangers. But I would still go live in my setting ANY DAY. And if I did live there, I'd definitely start every day with a Sky Jump.

Next week, the chain will continue with the amazing Taffy Lovell!

Title change, cover news, and The League

2013-02-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hi, everyone! I have tons of news that I'm all kinds of happy that I can share!

First off, let's talk title. Mine has officially changed. Remember this post where I announced that the series title is SKY JUMPERS? Well, we've decided that it's such a great name, that we are going to give the first book the same as the series title. So my book is now officially called...

SKY JUMPERS!

The change came at the eleventh hour, just as the finishing touches are being made to my cover. I am thrilled with having the single name on the cover! I think it's making it look and feel and sound exactly the way it's supposed to be. Exactly right. Not to mention how awesome it looks.

Speaking of the look of my cover, I got to peek at it! Oh my gosh, you guys. It's so awesome, you're going to die. I am in love with it! I canNOT wait to show you. I'll give you a hint: green. An homage to the green bombs of WWIII that wiped out nearly all the earth's population.

But more than giving you a hint, I can finally share with you who this amazing cover illustrator is!

Owen Richardson

He is the third illustrator that Random House hired to create my cover, and as soon as I got word it was him (and then spent forever ogling his portfolio), I knew he was the one. The one who was going to make the perfect cover. When my editor sent his color sketch, I nearly died of happiness. Yep! Definitely the one.

Because, come on. Feast your eyes upon some of the art he's created for book covers.

Isn't he just beyond incredible? You can check out more of his portfolio here: Shannon Associates-- Owen Richardson (And of course, all these images are copyrighted, and shown by permission from the artist.)

Go ahead and just stare for a while. I don't blame you one bit.

Done? Okay, my last bit of news. The League of Extraordinary Writers has asked me to join their ranks! And in case you were wondering, I ~~totally fan-girled when I got the invitation~~ accepted the invitation in a very professional manner. My first post at The League will be my intro post next week.

And since it's Friday--- a day when I normally do a Quotes and Cookies post, I'll leave you with this: a cookie recipe that Owen Richardson sent after seeing my blog. (How thoughtful is that?! It made me tear up. :'o)) This recipe is an original from his famous chef wife, Amy. Enjoy!

Peppered Ginger Cookies

Recipe by Amy Richardson

3/4 cup Sugar, plus additional for coating

3/4 cup Butter, softened

1 large Egg

1/4 cup Molasses

2 cups Flour

2 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Powdered Ginger

1/2 tsp. Allspice

1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1/3 cup Crystallized Ginger, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg and then add molasses. Combine flour and other dry ingredients, then add to the creamed butter and sugar mixture and mix.

Form into 2 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place 2" apart on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes.

Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Quotes and Cookies: Have patience already!

2013-02-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

Quotes and Cookies today is all about me and what I need. :) Actually, I suspect it's something every single one of us needs-- PATIENCE.

I'm actually a really patient person. I had no problem at all being patient enough to improve my craft while writing several books, not querying them, until I got to the skill level where I knew I had a shot. I didn't send out my first ever query until my manuscript shone and all my ducks were in a row. Querying didn't phase me. Neither did going on submission to editors. In my initial phone call with my editor, she offered me a January 2013 or a September 2013 release date. I had no problem turning down the earlier date, because I knew the later one was better for my book.

Buuuuut.....

Guys, I am really struggling with patience right now. Turns out there are a million things in this industry that try our patience--- some to incredible lengths.

So I guess the point is, it doesn't matter how much patience we have. Things will come along that require more of us than we had. There's not a box we mark if we've got it or not. We will ALWAYS need more. And I suspect that the only way to really get it is to make it through times that really try our patience.

Sigh.

I did find a ton of great quotes on patience, though! Here's a few gems:

"Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself."
~Saint Francis de Sales

"How many a man has thrown up his hands at a time when a little more effort, a little more patience would have achieved success."

~Elbert Hubbard

"Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy."
~Saadi

"The two most powerful warriors are patience and time."
~Leo Tolstoy

Here. Let's stare at cookies. I hear it helps.

....Or something like that.

How are you with patience?

Oh, and on a completely unrelated but interesting side note, do you ever wonder how other people come up with character names? Curious about people's processes and resources? I asked the Lucky 13s how they came up with their character names, and got some incredible responses. It's definitely a fascinating read. You can find everyone's answers here: The Lucky 13s: Friday Q and A-- Character Names.

photo credit: kern.justin via photopin cc

Pub Talk: Of Money & Book Deals

2013-01-28T05:55:00.000-07:00

This may be my favorite origami ever.

Let's talk about money.

And book deals.

Because as writers, we LOVE to talk about those two things together.

Someone emailed me a little bit ago, asking about this, and I realized it was a great topic for a Pub Talk post. Also because even though I had read a few posts about how money works with book deals before I got mine, there were still things I learned along the way.

Okay, let's say you get a book deal for a single book, and to make the math easy, let's say you get an advance of $15,000. (An advance is just what it sounds like-- an advance on future royalties. Once your book goes up for sale and you start earning royalties, you have to "earn out your advance" before you start getting royalty checks.)

So does that mean that as soon as you get the call that your book sold that you can go out and spend that $15,000? Not quite. It doesn't come in one chunk. Sometimes it comes in two payments, sometimes in four, but most often in three. (At least that's what's most common with mid- to large- sized publishers.)

1/3 Comes within 30 days of signing your contract,
1/3 Comes within 30 days of your book being "accepted," and
1/3 Comes within 30 days of publication (although occasionally that date is bumped up, but not usually).

Let's talk about a few things.

First: contracts. Smaller presses usually have a boiler-plate contract that they send out pretty much the day they offer. Most mid and large publishers will work with the agent on the contract, so it takes longer to get it finalized. I got mine from Random House two months after they offered, and apparently that's insanely fast. Some publishers take 6 months. I've even heard of some taking 8-9 months. Then you sign it, send it back, then wait 30 days for the check. (It goes to the agent first, they take their cut, then send you a check for the rest.) So sometimes, it can take A LONG TIME to get that first check. You might even be close to your book going to copy edits by the time you get it.

Second: if you have an agent, the publisher will send the check directly to your agent, (s)he will take his/her 15%, then a check for the remainder will come to you from the agency. No taxes are taken out, so you have to plan for that part on your own. So in our example, you'd get three payments of $4,250. Make sense?

Third: "Acceptance" doesn't mean that you've just emailed your book to your editor. It means that you have gone through however many rounds of edits with your editor that it took to make it shine. It means that it's essentially ready for publication. You'll still have to go through one or more rounds of copy edits, and first pass pages (and maybe second pass pages), of course, but those are just minor things. The bulk of it is done.

Now, just for fun, let's say that you get the coveted six-figure, three book deal from one of the Big Six. We'll say $35,000 a book, for a total of $105,000. These numbers work out awesome, because on a $35K book, the agent cut is roughly $5K, leaving an easily divisible by three $30K. Nice, huh? Let's get some timing in the mix, too. Let's say you got your book deal this month (January 2013), with your books slated to come out December 2014, December 2015, and December 2016. This is how it would break down with a totally made up but realistic time table.

On signing, you'd get 1/3 of the $35,000 for each book (or 3/9 of the $105,000). So your first payment would be $35,000. (Or, once your agent takes his / her cut (and honestly, you aren't going to get this deal without an agent and yes, they are totally worth the 15%), you'd get around $30,000.) Let's say they're pretty fast, and get you your contract in April. So you'd get your first check in May 2013.

May 2013: $30,000 (Signing for all three)
Jan 2014: $10,000 (acceptance of book 1)
Dec 2014: $10,000 (publication of book 1)
Jan 2015: $10,000 (acceptance of book 2)
Dec 2015: $10,000 (publication of book 2)
Jan 2016: $10,000 (acceptance of book 3)
Dec 2016: $10,000 (publication of book 3)

So, as you can see, those advance payments can be spread out quite a bit. A very important thing to think about before you quit that day job.

Any questions? I know I left about a million things unanswered. If this brings up any questions for you, ask in the comments and I'll do my best to answer them. And if you have an experience that's different than this, tell us! I think it really helps everyone to not walk into this industry blind, so we would all love if you shared.

photo credit: Jon_Tucker via photopin cc

Giveaway! ARC of Chad Morris's THE INVENTOR'S SECRET, + swag from four fabulous authors!

2013-01-22T05:44:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone! How's it going? What do you think? Should we do a giveaway? Okay, let's do this!

First up, one lucky winner will receive an ARC (Advance Reviewer Copy) of Chad Morris's CRAGBRIDGE HALL book 1: THE INVENTOR'S SECRET (March 5th 2013, Shadow Mountain Publishing). Chad also gave me an ARC, and I am so excited to read it! We spent a day together in a critique group at a conference where I got to read his first chapter. It sounds like it's going to be such a fabulous book!

And three lucky winners will each receive one of these swag packs!

Bookplates of BRUISED by Sarah Skilton.
Expected publication: March 5th 2013 by Amulet/Abrams

Bookmarks of GENIE WISHES by Elisabeth Dahl + tattoos.
Expected publication: April 2nd 2013 by Amulet Books

Necklace that doubles as a bookmark from
THE NEPTUNE PROJECT by Polly Holyoke.
Expected publication: May 21st 2013 by Disney/Hyperion

Bookplates of CANARY by Rachele Alpine + bookmarks.
Expected publication: August 1st 2013 by Medallion Press

The ARC giveaway is U.S. only. The swag pack giveaways, however, are open internationally. Go forth and enter! I'll draw four winners next Tuesday morning, and post the results. Best of luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Tuesday, everyone!