Beth Revis

Vote on What You Want to See!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 02:09:00 +0000

Hey guys! I'm working on creating some promotional flash drives for you guys. I think they'll be fun to do giveaways with, perhaps pass some out during signing...

Anyway, I'd like to know what kind of thing you'd like to see me include on them...vote for what you'd like!

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Note: the drives are being provided to me for free for the use of promotion by USB Memory Direct

ICYMI: Link Round-Up from Launch Week

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 May 2017 18:02:00 +0000

Don't forget: You can still order any of my books--including Rebel Rising--signed and personalized from Malaprops here.

There's been a ton of buzz going around about Rebel Rising, and I thought it may be most convenient to package it all up in one place here. So...here it is!

EXCERPTS

STUFF I'VE SAID (Interviews & More)

I did an AMA and it was awesome
Interview with Entertainment Weekly

PODCASTS & AUDIO

Check out the 7x7 podcast interview--only seven minutes long, in which I talk about my favorite Star Wars memory
For a longer interview, check out Unmistakably Star Wars, where author Janine Spendlove interviews me

STUFF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID (Reviews)

OTHER STUFF (I don't know, I'm not eloquent)

A Mountain XPress interview about Rebel Rising and the May the Fourth Launch Party
Pablo Hidalgo said that Rebel Rising had teeth, and I died from joy
(Not Star Wars related directly, but if I ever become a Space Princess and/or a Sith Lord, this is the dress I'm wearing when I storm the universe.)

STUFF ABOUT THE STAR WARS HOLIDAY SPECIAL, which I watched just for you guys

Storify of my livetweet during the viewing:

Star Wars Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 May 2017 12:32:00 +0000

Hey everyone!

*deep breath* I have a Star Wars book coming out this week and I cannot handle this awesome.

Freaking out more than Finn

So, because I'm so extra, I thought, let's celebrate this whole week.

MONDAY:

Winners of all the signed books on my instagram feed announced!

TUESDAY:

ohmystars the book comes out!!!
Everyone stay calm
This is really happening
Try not to hyperventilate
Oh hey, by the way, you can still order signed copies of Rebel Rising through Malaprops.

WEDNESDAY:

A livestream viewing of the best/worst Star Wars film of all time: The Star Wars Holiday Special!
Join me on Twitter on Wednesday, at 9pm EST
At that time, I'm hitting play on the video, and I'll be tweeting my reactions as I go
I may have watched this as a child, maybe, but if I did, I don't remember it
I only know what people have told me:

It's so bad it's good
Bea Arthur has a sing-a-long?
The Wookies look moth-eaten
I kinda think the Bea Arthur thing is a troll

THURSDAY:

Launch Party at Malaprops!
It's May the Fourth. MAY THE FOURTH. GET IT

It's okay, my mom didn't get it either.

There will be prizes for the best Star Wars costume! And photos of my time at the LucasFilm publishing and at Star Wars Celebration!

And cupcakes. SO. MANY. CUPCAKES.

ALSO! I'll be doing an AMA throughout the day over at the Star Wars Reddit. More details later, but it'll be at that site, so come ask me anything!

FRIDAY:

I think I'll have to wrap the week up with a giveaway, no? It's practically mandatory ;) Check back here on Friday for details!

Star Wars Celebration Recap!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 17:30:00 +0000

I am still reeling from my glorious time at Star Wars Celebration! It was honestly unlike any convention I've ever been to before; not just because it was focused on one topic, but because the people were among the very best. Despite the lines and inevitable congestion any large con has, despite being in overflow areas when panels were full, despite any of the countless foibles of con life, every single person I saw had a smile on their faces. It was a joyous experience, to be sure!

Check out my Instagram for pictures of my favorite souvenirs from Celebration--and stick around to enter the giveaways I've got going on all week there!

When I first arrived, I'll confess that I was not certain at first where to go. The convention hall is huge and I started wandering, hoping I was heading in the right direction.

Then I saw this guy:

And I knew I was in the right area.

Soon after, I saw what was to be my favorite cosplay of the whole weekend, but I was still in awe of everything and neglected to get a better picture!

Han Solo and his Lil Kylo, complete with a glowing lightsaber right through the feels.

Of course, there was tons of amazing cosplay at this con.

I snagged a pic with the first Jyn I saw:

And I was hoping to see some stormtroopers on holiday

(doesn't Scariff remind you of an ideal holiday experience?)

and I wasn't disappointed:

Some of my favorite cosplay, though, is the kind that blends together different fandoms. The DC world was well represented with this Wonder Woman and Superman:

As well as this too-cute Joker and Batman combo:

But by far, my faves were these guys:

THE LIGHTSABERS MATCH THEIR HOGWARTS HOUSES OMGGGGGGGGG

Beyond the cosplay, one of the best experiences was being on the main floor when the trailer for The Last Jedi came out. I didn't get to be in the main panel (which: burning envy for everyone who got those cool red posters), but I was on the main floor, watching the giant screens over the livestream area.

It was such an amazing experience. I was with my publicist, walking around the main floor, exploring the con, and it's like, as one, everyone stopped. The group knew. Every face turned to the screen to watch the panel. It was a huge, shared experience with all these fans, and that made it so much better. I loved as the new character Rose was revealed, as Mark Hamill called Daisy and John his children, as the director talked about taking pictures of the set, as they all spoke of filming with Carrie Fisher.

But what I loved the most was watching it with several hundred of my Star Wars friends.

This photo doesn't look like much, I know. It's a crowd of people with the trailer screen up top. But honestly, I wish you could have been there. That trailer was epic, and the crowd made it more so. Everyone gasped in all the right places. Whispers of "I knew it!" or "Oh no!" or "Yesssss," pinged around the area. No one was mobbing or pushing or shoving--we were all just staring up, watching this thing, filling with ideas and hope for the new story. Together.

And the atmosphere was very apropos.

I wish I'd had more times for pictures! And also that they'd let me drive a walker!

After doing some businessy stuff (yay, interviews!), I got to actually go backstage of the area where I saw the trailer. The Star Wars Show Livestream was set up there, and (eep!) I was going to be on it!

There was a moment there, while I was waiting to go on stage, where I just sort of stared at it all in awe that this was real life.

And then I got on stage, and there were teleprompters, and they had my name on them.

And they put a microphone in my hand and it was real and totally not a figment of my imagination and whaaaaat.

And then Andi Gutierrez interviewed me and I have no idea what I said, like zero concept, because my brain had ascended to a totally different plane of existence and I was dead by this point.

Oh wait, I know what I said, because there's a film record of it:

If you fast-forward to around the 5:40 mark, you'll catch my interview.

If I look like an idiot on screen, keep in mind that internally, my brain was doing this:

So here's hoping I don't look too dumb...

Anyway! After that, it was time for Super Intimidating Thing #2, namely, the Lucasfilm Publishing panel! Before that, however, I hung out backstage (because my feet hurt and I was done walking forever) where I bumped into OH YOU KNOW JUST TIMOTHY FREAKING ZAHN,

And guys, he is a delight. Just a wonderful human being. I was super trying not to throw up from nerves, and here is Timothy Zahn being charming and kind and friendly and just wonderful.

Which helped because that panel? It was huge:

But also brilliant.

It was honestly such an honor to be on stage with these fantastic people, from my editors at Lucasfilm Publishing to my fellow authors and Star Wars nerds. We got to geek out together.

And they gave away an early copy of Rebel Rising to a girl dressed as Jyn and my little black heart beat with happiness.

My favorite moment is probably when they asked one of the last questions: if we could write anything in the Star Wars universe, what would it be? I knew my answer: I would love to write a YA Princess Leia story.

And then they announced upcoming books for next year:

Oh, the irony! But to be 100% honest, if I can't write it, I'm so glad that Claudia Gray is. She wrote my favorite Star Wars book to date, Bloodline, which is all about Princess Leia as an adult. She knows Leia, and I'm just excited that I'll get to read this book and experience the story as a fan!

Other books were announced at the panel, including Delilah Dawson's upcoming Phasma novel! Another character I'm excited to learn more about--I can't want to see what she's like under the silver helmet.

Bonus pic of me awkwardly crouching next to Chopper.

If you've not seen Star Wars Rebels, Chopper is the main droid on that show. And he's the best. He rivals even my beloved K2SO.

HEY PS: DON'T FORGET THAT IF YOU ORDER REBEL RISING FROM MALAPROPS, YOU GET A FREE GIFT!

Details below; order here.

PREORDER GIVEAWAY!!! 🚀 The first 100 people to order REBEL RISING from @malapropsbookstore will get a signed copy + a limited edition enamel pin (shown in greater detail on the next pics)! 🙌🏻 This is an automatic free gift with purchase--just order your copy through Malaprops and the first 100 people will automatically get the gift shipped with their order! 🎁 The pins are GORGEOUS, no?! So shiny and glittery! ✨

A post shared by Beth Revis (@bethrevis) on Apr 24, 2017 at 12:20pm PDT

Reviewer Campaign for A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 22:07:00 +0000

The hardcover!

One of the most important things a book needs to survive in the competitive market of publishing today is reviews. Most readers will check out a book's reviews before deciding whether or not to take the plunge on the book, and even if sales are doing well for a book, they do better with more reviews, specifically at powerhouse Amazon, where people tend to check reviews regardless of whether or not they buy the book.

A World Without You is coming out in paperback in June, and before that happens, I'd love for it to have 50 reviews. Why 50? Because at fifty reviews, Amazon gives the algorithms a little boost, making sure the book shows up higher on people's searches.

I need your help. If you've read the book and can spare a few minutes to give it a review, that will help immensely. And to encourage people who've not read the book yet to give a review, I'm holding a giveaway below.

I'm giving away FIVE signed, hardcover copies of A World Without You. There are several ways to earn additional entries, but to enter, you need to:

Enter your mailing address
Promise to review the book on Amazon as soon as you can. NOTE: It does not have to be a positive review, just an honest one.
Give the book to a friend and ask them to review it.

The new paperback cover!

Of course, in case you want to keep the signed hardcover for yourself, I'm also including a signed bookplate and extra swag for both you and your friend--may I suggest gifting your friend a copy of the paperback, which is on sale for just $5 right now?

In addition to sending out five books to random winners, I am also going to mail a swag pack of two signed bookplates (one for you, and one for a friend) and a few extra goodies to 25 additional readers. So 30 people are going to have prizes shipped right to them!

Have you already reviewed the book on Amazon? Thank you! You can still enter as normal by promising to ask a friend to review it as well.

And yes, this is open internationally! Entries close April 7th, prizes will be mailed by mid-April.

For those who love writing...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 14 Feb 2017 08:30:00 +0000

Valentine's Day is all about love, but when you love books and writing ~~more than~~ as much as some people, let's celebrate them instead!

In my recent newsletter, I talked about some of the books that I've been in love with lately, but today I want to talk about the other side of the books--writing them!

There's a reason why I named my writing and publishing advice books "Paper Hearts"--because writing is so close to our hearts, and it's something you have to love in order to create. So to celebrate that love, I'm going to give 100 aspiring writers a prize--a swag pack with tips on writing advice, resources, and more--and I'll be sending on random winner a signed copy of all three Paper Hearts books.

To enter, all you have to do is fill out the form below. That's it. No hoops to jump through, no strict requirements. I've got a program that will randomize the entries and print 101 labels for me, and I'll slap them on the envelopes of the swag packs and the box of signed books.

While it's not a requirement to enter, please consider sharing with the other writers in your life!

This giveaway is open throughout the month of February and prizes will be mailed out in early March.

Upcoming Events

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 19:55:00 +0000

If you're in the Chicago area, come see me as guest of honor at the Capricon sci fi and fantasy convention! This fantastic convention has a long roster of amazing panels and events, and is perfect for anyone who likes fiction.

You can find out more information here, and I highly recommend you check them out!!

Where: Chicago area, Westin Chicago North Shore
When: Feb 16-19
Who: Me and tons of over authors and experts on sff!

I'll also be visiting a local school in the area, and I should have some extra special swag to share, so make sure you stop by and say hello!

***

If you're in the Greenville, SC area, come see me in Six Wakes, and all things weird and wonderful. All the details are here.
conversation with author Mur Lafferty at the beautiful MJudson Bookshop in downtown Greenville. We'll be talking about Mur's latest book,

Where: MJudson Books, downtown Greenville, SC
When: February 21
Who: Me and Mur Lafferty

***

Nashville, TN area people should absolutely check out the SE-YA book festival! Now in it's second year, this book festival promises to bring together all the best readers and authors in one epic event. Personally, I'm bringing an extra suitcase for all the books I'll be buying. More info!

Where: MTSU Campus in Murfeesboro, TN

When: March 10-11

Who: Um, a ton of authors, seriously, it's a lot

***

There's a ton of stuff to do in Orlando, FL, but the cool kids will all be at this year's Apollycon! The book convention has a ton of your favorite authors getting together for an amazing series of parties and signings and panels and more! This one also features a virtual signing, so if you need to buy books but can't make it to the event, you still can! Info here!

Where: Doubletree Hilton Hotel at the entrance at Universal Orlando
When: March 24-25
Who: Like, seriously a bunch of authors

The Greatest Lesson I Learned in Writing This Year

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 13:41:00 +0000

In terms of writing, this year has been one of change and challenge for me.

I published my first contemporary novel, a twisty story that was dark and hit close to home. It was a challenge to write, and it was a challenge to share with the world, and I'm still not entirely comfortable with it.

I wrote a novel for Star Wars that will come out May 2nd of next year. It's a novelization set around the story of Rogue One, which is now my favorite Star Wars movie. If you've not seen it, go. You won't regret it. Bring tissues.

But writing my Rogue One novel was a different sort of challenge. I was telling a story that required a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of strings to tie up and not get tangled in. It was difficult, not the least because of the time constraints, but I reveled in that difficulty and loved the challenge before me.

In between these projects, I've also been working on a fantasy novel that should come out in 2018 from Penguin/Razorbill. And this book has been the very definition of challenge to me. I've solidly written about a half million words just to find the right path for this book.

I love the idea of it. It's about loss and love and moving on. Set in a fantasy world where people can raise the dead.

It was the execution that tried to kill me. (Pun not intended, but so hilarious that I'm leaving it.)

First, I wrote it in first person present tense, from the boy's point of view. A key scene happened at the end of chapter three. That didn't work--too much had happened prior to that, so I needed to retell the story. And the voice was off. So I rewrote it with flashback chapters alternating scenes to fill in the past but keep the momentum of the present. It ended up being a confusing mess with little cohesion--I could see the strings tying the story together, but it was impossible for anyone else to.

So I took a deep breath and rewrote it again. This time in third person, alternating chapters between the boy and girl POV. That worked well for Across the Universe; I tried to replicate it. It flopped. That was the wrong way to tell this story, and it felt heartless.

Then I rewrote it again. And keep in mind--all these edits are before I've even turned the book in to my publisher! This is all stuff I'm stumbling through on my own, because I know it's not working yet and I can't turn it in until it's at least operable.

In this rewrite, I went back--way back. All those flashback scenes were now written in the moment. Something that took a paragraph for a character to describe that had happened in the past was now about a quarter of the book, unfolding on the page.

For lack of a better way to say it, I really went there. I didn't hold back. I challenged myself to write the scenes that I'd clearly been avoiding. I dug my fingers into the wounds. Any time I felt myself shying away from how I said something, I forced myself to rewrite it with as much graphic detail as possible.

I had just finished this fourth draft when I had to put it away and start work on the Rogue One novel again. And during that interim, I realized that one final thing was wrong about my book--I had written in a subplot on race that wasn't my story to tell and I hadn't done it in an authentic way. Knowing this hung like a cloud over my head as I worked on the SW novel, and it lingered for months as I turned it over and over again in my brain on what to do, how to fix that subplot. The solution was to excise it, so as soon as I got the Rogue One novel turned in, I turned back to this book--this book I'd already written four times--and started again from page one, carefully plucking out the subplot that didn't work and stitching the story back together again.

I'm nearing the end--I hope. In the new year, I turn this book in to my editor, and I start really getting to work on it. But as I read through it one last time, I know that the biggest lesson I've learned in writing--from all three of the projects I've worked on this year--has been simple this:

Challenge yourself.

Don't hold back. Whatever your best idea is, put it on the page now. Don't wait. If you're hesitant to write something because you're not sure you can, write it. Write it now and without reserve. Constantly challenge yourself to something newer, something bigger, something better. And then rise to meet that challenge.

A Holiday Surprise--a New Cover for A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Dec 2016 18:00:00 +0000

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you've already seen this! And if you don't subscribe, click here to remedy that :)

As many of you know, the original, hardback cover of A World Without You looks like this:

And I love it! The strings are perfect for Bo, who believes he can travel through time using something similar to strings. (I particularly love the bright red string, which is the one he believes connects him to Sofía, the girl he loves.)

However, there's something new coming at you...

A new cover for the book.

A new face, if you will.

For the book about Bo.

A new face of Bo, am I right Whovians?!

I'll see myself out.

Anyway!

New cover, exclusively for the upcoming paperback release!

*sigh*

Isn't it dreamy?

I love that there's still an element of the timestream with the swirly lines.

And I love that the person isn't clear. It could be Sofía reaching out for Bo. Or it could be Bo reaching out for you.

I love the simplicity of it.

I love the slightly creepy edge--because this book is slightly creepy.

I hope you guys love it too! You'll be able to get this cover from all major retailers soon, when the paperback releases next year.

Let me know what you think in the comments!

Announcing My Next Book...in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 07 Oct 2016 17:43:00 +0000

There were two movies that I wore out on my parents' VCR as a kid. The first was The Princess Bride, which I kept renting from the off-brand video-rental because there was no image on the cover and I kept thinking it was about fairy tales and then getting delighted by all the murder and pirates.

The second was Return of the Jedi.

I was a little over a year old when the movie hit theaters (and not even a twinkle in my parents' eyes when the first was out), so my first experience with the movies was on VHS. Not the fancy tape you buy--no, my parents taped it off the television. It was complete with commercial breaks and the fuzzy bits when they were adjusting the antenna. We also had A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, but they were not my favorite. I loved Return of the Jedi. I loved everything about it, from Princess Leia's slave outfit to the Ewoks, the dire battles and the epic fights.

Star Wars became a part of my childhood. My brother's name was Luke. I had hair long enough to wind into double braids around my ears. (Really.) We had a lightsaber--just one, red, but it made real whooshing sounds and we'd take turns slashing it through the basement (Death Star grey) or the field by our house (Endor green).

I found the Young Jedi Academy novels. I didn't know the movies existed past the film. I didn't know the adventures could continue. I went to the library to find the other books, and I did--and more on top of that.

Star Wars wasn't exactly cool when I was in school, but I didn't care. Fortunately, my best friend from high school, Jennifer, loved Star Wars as well. When the prequels came out, we stayed up all night watching the originals at her house, one film after the other until our eyes were watering. At lunch during high school, we were allowed to drive off-campus; I went every day to Taco Bell until I had the whole collection of toys from the movie. (Although let's be honest, all I really wanted was the cool Queen Amidala ship that appeared to be floating.)

I know George Lucas was heavily influenced by Carl Jung and the monomyth, but before I knew philosophical interpretations of literature, I knew Star Wars. I recognized Luke in Gilgamesh, not the other way around. I saw the the symbolism of the mask hiding one's identity by looking at Vader. I understood the hero's journey because of A New Hope. When I got my bachelors and then my masters in literature, I did it with the lens of Star Wars.

I started writing in college, but as many of you know, I had years of unpublished failure. It wasn't until I wrote a sci fi--Across the Universe--that my life changed and I became a novelist. That book--a murder mystery set in space--exists in part because when I was five, I would wind my hair up in double buns over my ears.

So when I say that Star Wars influenced a fundamental way that I saw the world, I really mean it. Star Wars became the omnipresent story of my childhood, the folklore of my youth, the inspiration of my art.

And I say all this now because the book I've been working on takes place in the Star Wars universe.

*cue internal screaming*

Guys, this is the only time I've ever truly lost my cool when speaking to my agent. When she asked if I'd be interested in the project, my reply was one sentence long, including more than one curse word (sorry Mom), and approximately 56 exclamation marks.

Going in, I didn't know much. It was a book about Rogue One, the first of the new Star Wars anthology stories. I would be writing a YA about the main character, Jyn. I wasn't allowed to know much more than that.

My answer was, of course, yes. In less than a week, I was on a plane heading to San Francisco.

So people who know my story know that when I get very very happy, I just throw up everywhere. This is what happened when I got my first book deal (see also: hospitalization for stress-induced gastroenteritis), so I solved this problem by just not eating while I travelled across the nation for my literal dreams to come true oh my gad you guys how is this my actual life what.

The offices are in the Presidio National Park, and they are, quite simply, gorgeous. The trees towering above, the smell of the water nearby...perfection.

The directions my editor gave me included "turn left at the statue of Yoda" YOU GUYS

I absolutely took a photo of the front desk because I am that kind of nerd.

Zero shame for posing with Darth in the lobby. Zero. Shame.

I found my happy place.

The view from one of the rooms where we discussed the story. Famous landmark chilling right there. nbd

This was just casually sitting displayed in a sitting area near one of the conference rooms where we worked. Just a normal table, nothing to see here.

Passed this display...I'm not sure where, honestly the building was a labyrinth! But everyone in the group stopped when we saw this. The Force Awakens was still very fresh in all our minds. These were life-sized and just...just perfect.

So, amidst all my freaking out about where I was, I also got to freak out rather a lot about why I was there. I was surrounded by some of my biggest writing idols (auuuugh still freaking out). And I was going to get to write a book within the universe (AUUUUGH HOW IS THIS MY LIFE).

I just. I cannot express to you what this means to me. This book. It's not my heart, it's my soul. Being a part of the galaxy...I just. Hold on. I need a moment.

Since then, I've been hard at work (a) writing the book, and also (b) rewriting the book, and finally (c) keeping the book a secret. THIS WAS SO HARD TO DO. I mean, all the points were hard BUT ALSO KEEPING IT SECRET.

I'm still not sure how much I'm allowed to say. But at least the biggest secret--that I get to work on a dream project in a dream universe working with dream people auuuuuuughhhhh--is now out in the open.

My editor told me that I should prepare for an influx of new readers, so just in case you're still wondering who the heck I am, here's some of my past work:

The Across the Universe series, my debut works, are sci fi novels, and my most Star-Wars-like books. (PS: They're on sale at Amazon, where you can buy all three books for less than $20.)

Across the Universe, a murder mystery in space aboard a generational space ship
A Million Suns, a conspiracy mystery where they discover just how jacked up the ship is
Shades of Earth, a survival mystery where they land on a planet that wants to kill them

The Body Electric is a stand-alone novel, partially inspired by Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, and is about what's happening on Earth while my characters in AtU are in space. It questions a lot about what's real or not, and where our memories come from.
A World Without You is my latest novel, and it's not technically sci fi, but it's super weird. It's about a boy who believes he has the power to go back in time, but the school for superheroes he thinks he's attending is actually a school for mentally disturbed youth.
And if you're into nonfiction, I have a series of books about making books. Volume 1 is on writing, Volume 2 is on publishing, and Volume 3 is on marketing.

If you want to keep up with all my future events and other book info, subscribe to my newsletter.

And now my bobble-headed Jyn is shaking her head at me...reminding me that I still have work, glorious, glorious work to do.

A Day in the Life

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 14:08:00 +0000

One of the fun questions I get a lot is what is an average day in the life for me, as a writer? I usually give a glib answer: at home, no pants, laptop on the couch. And it's true--but really, a "day in the life" is much more difficult.

And when I really think about this question, it usually comes from people who aren't published yet, who want to know what it's like. But the thing is--it's different for everyone. And it's different based on where you are in the process. So I thought I'd give you several different days in the lives of me as a writer.

2001
I'm a college sophomore at this point, and an RA, living by myself. I'm not much into partying and I'm pretty introverted. I'm considering taking a creative writing class, but I know they do a lot of short stories, and I don't really write short stories so I try one. It turns into my first novel.

Typical day:

Morning: sleep in, catch breakfast just before it closes at the dining hall, because breakfast at the dining hall is amazing
Midday: most classes. Write notes about my story during boring classes in the margins of my notebook.
Afternoon: hang out in the grassy field quad at campus between classes, think of new plot turns
Evening: before bed, after television and hanging out with friends, write for an hour or two. I never had a schedule--this was all for fun, and eventually, I had a whole book

2004
I'm in grad school now, and I've been writing a book a year since the first one. It's still fun, but I've started thinking about publishing. I sent the other books out for potential publication, but nothing came of it, and I wasn't too disheartened (and I didn't try that hard either). But I was starting to really, really want publication. I already had my BA in English education and my teaching certification, but I also wasn't really sure I wanted to be a teacher forever. I had dreams of landing a pub deal and never having to "work" a day in my life. These dreams were huge, because I had only inflatable furniture and ate a lot of Hamburger Helper (sometimes minus the hamburger) and ramen.

Typical day:

Morning-afternoon: go to library or read for my master's thesis. I was doing a two-year program in one year because I could only afford one year. So I did all my classes plus my master's defense simultaneously.
Evening: I was also too poor for television. So instead of watching TV, I switched from writing my thesis to writing my novel. It was a lot of words, but it was also the book of my heart, and I loved it, and I believed in it. This is the one, I would whisper to myself, when I finally collapsed into bed, usually around 3am.

2006

Spoiler alert: it wasn't the one. And neither was the one after it. And my dreams of being the next JK Rowling and living in a castle while I casually wrote didn't come true. I was still writing a book a year, but my writing was starting to feel futile. Instead, I got a job. I liked the job--some days I even loved it--but it was also really, really hard.

Typical day, Monday-Friday:

5am: Wake up and get ready for work. Go over lesson plans--as a new teacher, I was still struggling to know what worked and didn't, what would fill a day or leave me with 30 bored 16-year-olds on my hands.
6:30am-4:30pm: I was on. I was a very active teacher, and I didn't do anything during this time but teach. On days when I ran a club or grades were due, I wouldn't leave the school until an extra hour had passed. And while, yes, I had a planning period, I also never really got much planning done. I usually had to grade or attend training sessions or pull together resources or wait for copying machine or a myriad of other things.
6:30pm: I was almost always back home by this point--and exhausted. I'd scrape together a meal and allow myself about an hour of "dead" time.
7:00-11:00pm: This time was spent typically grading papers or planning the next day's work. If I had a rare time when I didn't need to do this, sometimes I would just stare at the wall and think about the good ol' days when I didn't have to work to exhaustion.

Typical day, Weekends or Vacation:

One of the fantastic things about teaching is the summers off. And there are periodic breaks around holidays that are quite well planned. I'd usually take at least one day to detox, but then:
Write 5-10k per day while I could. I would write until my fingers ached. I would write until I could barely see straight. I literally typed the letters off my keyboard and had to replace it.
In between writing, I was researching. Sometimes for the book--but more often on agents and publishers, the ins and outs of publishing. I read every agent blog, I joined social networks specifically to connect with pros, and I enmeshed myself in the world.
I also joined critique groups and found critique partners. The books before were written for me but with the magical belief that I would have to do no work to become rich and famous. I was now focused on the work side of publishing. I knew that this would be about more than just good stories; there was a business side, and I needed to really revise and get better at writing. Some of the partnerships with critique readers I made then are still maintained today.
Important note: At this point in time, I'm still too poor to afford television, and internet is pretty crappy. If I had had great television and Netflix then, would I have found the time to work? I don't know. Writing was my entertainment, in part because I enjoyed it, and in part because I had nothing else.

2009

When I started my job teaching, I expected to be there only a year. It's been five years now. I'm married now. I have a mortgage now. I know enough about the business to know that even if I break out, I'll likely still have to work. But as my new husband and I are trying to evaluate a budget and a savings account, I'm starting to realize just how much time and money has passed, how I really have nothing to show for it. I've still written a book a year in this time--although my typical day of writing has changed, my work production hasn't. It's just now I'm not sure it's worth it.

But I had one more story to tell. And that story was Across the Universe.

Typical day, Monday-Friday:

5:00am: I'm getting far, far better at this teaching gig thing, but my hours are still crazy as I now live further away from the school and have a longer drive. So I still wake up crazy early, but I spend the forty-five minute drive to work thinking about what I need to write.
7:00-8:15am: I also have first period planning, which is a blessing, Sweet Jesus. So I spend my morning jotting down the notes of what I thought about while driving. This process--thinking for a long time before I actually write--has become ingrained in me and made me a better writer, and it started with this schedule.
8:15am-4:00pm: Teaching. I am focused in my job and only occasionally give the kids a movie day to distract them while I write.
7pm-midnight: Write. As discouraged as I am, I love this story, and I foresake television and time with the husband to work on it.

2010

Book deal! I got my agent at the end of 2009 and my deal at the beginning of 2010 (Across the Universe was published in the beginning of 2011), and it was amazing. I still remember sitting in the parking lot of the school, taking notes with a notepad on my steering wheel, fielding calls in my car because I knew with my long drive, I wouldn't get home before 5, and I couldn't take a call on the road because there's no cell signal. Crazy.

But then edits came.

And it quickly became apparent that there was simply not enough time in the day to do everything. By this point, I actually enjoyed teaching and I loved the kids, but the big edits for my manuscript of Across the Universe were due the same day student grades--and their ten page essay evaluations--were due. Before, I could write on my schedule, and it wasn't a big deal if I took May off--I could make up for it in June. Now? Now I had another schedule to work with, and they clashed. Horribly.

May:

4:30am: wake up, drive to work, sometimes speaking notes into my phone because I knew I couldn't waste time
5:30am: I'm often the first to school and unlock the big outer doors to get in. I turn on the lights and rush to make sure I have everything I need for the day, then open up my word file and write/edit as much as I can.
7:00-8:15am: Morning planning period. I typed furiously. Most of my coworkers assumed I was a lesson-plan fiend. I wasn't.
8:15-4:00pm: Luckily, I also taught yearbook during this time. The kids knew I had a book deal. I would get calls from my agent or editor in the middle of the day, and all the kids would shout Shh! Shh! Mrs. Revis has to talk on the phone! and I'd crouch at my desk and try to juggle a pen and paper and an eye on the door in case the principal came in.
5:30pm-whenever: Get home. Maybe see husband? Lock self away and work. And work. Collapse.

By that time, it was obvious I could no longer continue working both jobs, so I quit teaching. Which meant I now had to worry about things like privatized health care and self employed IRAs and hiring a tax guy because I had no idea what I was doing.

But also, suddenly, school was out (forever!) and my first book was done. This was when I normally would be writing, since it was summer break, but I was no longer a teacher, so summer break was no longer a thing. Also I'd just finished a book, was I really supposed to immediately jump into another one? The answer was yes (although I admit to slacking off rather a lot that summer because freedom). Since that first free summer, my daily life depends entirely on what stage of writing I'm in:

Pre-Drafting:

I don't actually get many ideas for novels--at least not many that stick. When I do get an idea, I tend to sit on it and think a lot. I casually research--casual, because I'm just curious about the subject. This casual (but constant) research turns into obsession which eventually turns into a book. This stage can last for months.
This means all that time I sit around reading Wikipedia and Cracked and Reddit is crucial to the process. Really.

Drafting:

First: I don't write every day. Some people do. I am not one of those people. I write in bursts, probably because I learned to write while I had a day job that didn't allow me to write every day. So while drafting, I may write a big chunk one day, and then take two days off. Or three. Maybe four if something good is on Netflix. I don't stress about it. At the end of the month, I have the same amount of words by writing sporadically as I would if I was writing daily.
I tend to write the most on the edges of the day: morning and late at night. I write the happiest at the start of the book--the first 30,000 or so words is easiest. I'll brew coffee and then forget about it because I'm so wrapped up in the words.

At this stage--early in the writing--I likely have a book that's recently wrapped (the project before this one). So a part of my writing time, especially in these early days, will be used for promo. I spend mornings online, working on social media, updating things, etc.
This also tends to be the time when I'm booked for travel and promo. So all of this flies out the window when I have to go do events or festivals--which I love, but travel eats at writing time. One day of travel = three days of not writing (one day to pack/plan, one day to travel, one day to recoup from travel). Minimum.

The next 30,000 is not the easiest. I write more into the middle of the day. I definitely drink the coffee. I start making charts on paper, or brainstorming. I find excuses to not work. The yard needs to be mowed. The car's oil needs changing. Better schedule a dental cleaning.
The last 30,000 are a mix of sudden inspiration--write all day! 10,000 words in one day!--followed by crashing-and-burning. I'll write a huge chunk one day and nothing else for the rest of the week, during which I will lament and cry and think I'm a failure. I blow through the coffee until my heart starts doing a weird rhythm. If there's also a deadline--and now, there usually is--I force myself to not get distracted, but I am also on an internal panic pretty much 24/7.

Revising:

Revising for me usually means rewriting. Which is not fun. And it usually means ~month deadline, as I'm working with editors, not critique partners. So revising/rewriting process starts with getting an edit letter. After reading the edit letter, I usually get mad (she didn't think the book was perfect as it is!) and then I usually switch from coffee to beer.
I like to work with lists. I immediately cross out all the positive compliments in the edit letter and highlight everything that needs to be changed because who doesn't love depression. I then list the changes I agree with (90%) on one side of a paper, and brainstorm ideas of how to change things to make those edits happen on the other side.
This is focus-time. I'm like a bulldog during revision. Nose to the grindstone. This is all work, no play. I open Scrivener and use the split screen function. Old draft on top, new draft on bottom. I cut and paste what I can, rewrite what I have to, following the plan of attack I made with the edit letter.
During this time, my husband usually has to remind me to eat and bathe. When I'm forced to go out, I hiss at the sunlight. I usually try to avoid all travel during this time, which is usually about a month, but if I have to travel, I do so grumpily and half-distracted.

Minor Edits:

After the big rewrite (if I'm lucky and don't need another big rewrite), it's time for what I consider the minor edits--line edits and copy edits. How crucial they are, and how much time I'm given to do them, varies, but I find this part of the process easiest. It's usually all done in Word, with track changes, and I just make sure to set aside some time and get them done as quickly as possible.
But also during this time, I've restarted the process. I've learned that I can't take breaks. So, while I'm wrapping up edits on Project A, I've definitely started the pre-drafting casual research process for Project B...and these days, I've actually layered my days so that my schedule looks more like this:

Minor edits for Project A
Drafting new Project B (especially if it's in the early stages--later stages take more focus)
Pre-drafting research/idea building for Project C

And also during this time--which is getting closer to release date--I'm really focused on marketing. So a big chunk of daily "writing" time is actually spent:

Brainstorming new ideas to market this book. During the final edits, the book is freshest and "finalest" in my mind, and I do my best ideas for marketing then.
I plot out a three month plan--the month before, during, and after publication. This is mostly when I plot out how to do things online for promo, such as blog giveaways, Facebook campaigns, Twitter giveaways, etc. This is when I shop for giveaway ideas and design swag and online promo (like quotes for Instagram).
This is also when I start looking at what kind of in-person promo I need to do, and start setting that up. Launch parties at Malaprops, joining with other authors to do driving book tours, reaching out to festivals near that time.
And, while I'm doing all this, so is my publicist. She's booking me guest spots on online and print venues, speaking gigs, and book festivals as well--so my calendar rapidly gets full during this time. This is the time when I say "yes!" to everything in a panic that I need to do it all for the upcoming book release...and then I'll grumpily say "no!" to everything when I get burnt out. It's a never-ending cycle.

The only time I focus entirely on one project is when I'm revising/rewriting. That step takes such single-minded focus that I can't do anything (including eating/bathing) during that time.

But wait! I have a baby now! How has my schedule changed?

...not that much. I write more in the mornings and less in the evening than I used to (because I go to bed earlier). I travel less. I'm on social media less. But beyond that, my schedule hasn't changed. The books are the most important thing, and I'm working on those as much, if not more, than before.

Writing is my job. Just because I do it at home (where there is now also a baby) doesn't make it less my job. No one would question me taking eight hours a day to go to a school and teach, or do some other job. No one should question me taking eight hours a day to stay home and do this job.

During the "easy" phases of early drafting or when I'm just working on marketing materials, I allow myself to get baby-distracted easily. I go on walks with the stroller or play with the baby or take day trips. The advantage of working at home. But when I'm in the "hard" phases of revision/rewriting or I'm up against a deadline, I let the husband or my mom take care of the baby, and I do my job.

And some days...I don't. Some days, the baby screamed all day and all night and is still screaming and now also throwing food at me and pooping everywhere and the dogs are being jerks and the husband's as burnt out as I am. Some days, when the baby naps, so do I. Some days, I don't even open my laptop. And that's okay.

Because the next day, I'm going to kick ass.

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Days 7-10: Dangerous Ladies!! Featuring NASA and Awesome Bookstores

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Aug 2016 14:00:00 +0000

I loved taking the train into Washington, DC, to get to my next tour stops. Why isn't train travel more prevalent?! I'm so sick of planes...give me a good train any day of the week.

Also, aren't train stations beautiful? So classy.

And the first thing I saw when I stepped out of Union Station was this beauty.

For the last half of my tour, I hooked up with the Dangerous Ladies book tour. This group of amazing ladies made this tour so. Much. Fun.

Five cheers for the five Dangerous Ladies on tour!

From left to right: Me, author of A World Without You; Renee Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn; Megan Shepherd, author of The Cage; Gwenda Bond, author of Lois Lane: Fall Out; Megan Miranda, author of The Safest Lies.

Our first stop was at Hooray for Books! Everything about this store made me smile, from the beautiful book display on that cute table...

...to the adorable frog prince on the sign...

...and especially the delicious cookie they gave us!

The next day, I roped some of the girls on tour with me into heading out to the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center! HUGE shout-out of gratitude to Janine K Spendlove for introducing me to Maggie--make sure you check both their work out in anthologies by Silence in the Library Press!

Maggie was gracious enough to take me, Renee, and Megan M on a tour of the campus, and it was amazing.

Right now, the project at NASA Goddard Center that I was most interested in was the James Webb Space Telescope. This beaut is being launched in 2018, and will be a hundred times more powerful than Hubble. Hubble, you know, the beautiful telescope that got us all the amazing images of our universe? A hundred times more powerful than that.

Selfie with Hubble pics

I'll admit to not knowing that much about the James Webb Space Telescope before this trip. Fortunately, we had a Nobel prize-winning scientist, John Mather, standing by to explain all the amazing things this telescope can do.

You guys, I don't even know my life. Sometimes I look at myself and think, How? How did I get so lucky that I got to go on a tour of a NASA facility with a Nobel-prize winning scientist answering my dumb questions?!

Also? I have to point out that the mirrors on the James Webb Space Telescope are golden and look like a honeycomb, and all I could think about every time I saw it was The Body Electric! And! And! Nobel-prize-winning-scientist John Mather said that the telescope was so strong it could see a bumblebee on the moon, and my brain said Ella! Ella and the Body Electric and beeeeeesssss!!!!

Okay, serious time. What you're looking at here is one of the world's largest clean rooms. An entire wall is made of air filters, and everyone in the room has to wear full-body suits after taking an air bath. They even duct tape their gloves to their suits.

The telescope is under that silver rectangle thing in the above photo--the scientists on the ground floor are working on it. We didn't get that great of a view of the actual telescope, but you can see it at all angles on these videos.

No big deal, just watching scientists shoot lasers at mirrors to test for a space telescope, you know, a regular Tuesday.

So the telescope is made of mirrors like the one above (telescope mirror selfie for the win!). The actual metal of the mirrors is beryllium, plated in gold. Unrelatedly, they told me I couldn't touch the telescope because (a) beryllium is poisonous and also (b) touching the mirrors would mess everything up and lol they're too smart to let me into the clean room with the real telescope.

Here's a small mock-up of what the mirror will look like (the painted hive on the wall is lifesize). Don't the gold mirrors look like a honeycomb?

And the silver surfboards below--these are heat shields. The bottom of the telescope will face the sun (always), but the top of the telescope must be cold so as not to mess up the mirrors. The solution? These heat shields.

The material was amazing. Thinner than tin foil, but basically unrippable.

Renee had to test it to make sure. NASA and Renee-approved.

Of course, once the telescope is complete, it's going to have to go through some tests. See that behemoth above? It's big enough to hold the telescope in a sterile environment.

And this thing? Basically a shaker table. Put the telescope and shake, shake, shake...and hope it doesn't break apart. But they have to make sure it'll survive the trip up into space. (Once in orbit, the telescope will be pretty stable...it's getting there that's the dangerous part.)

And this giant room? Well, check out those huge speakers and subwoofers built in the wall, designed to blast the telescope and make sure it can't be sound-damaged.

The Goddard Center is about more than just the James Webb Telescope (although, I must admit some partiality towards that beauty). There's a giant centrifuge room big enough to spin cars at such a high force it would kill a person.

I know. I asked if I could ride in it. Between this and beryllium, seems like I don't have good NASA survival instincts.

There are also these very cool (ha! pun!) thermal vacuum chambers that can test smaller telescopes and satellites. (You can see the blue top of one here.)

After checking out the telescopes, we got to explore the robotic branch of Goddard.

It was fascinating, particularly the Asteroid Redirect Mission.

In the picture above, the big black thing is a boulder from an asteroid. A potentially Earth-killing asteroid (think: dinosaur extinction). The Asteroid Redirect Mission will spot these giant asteroid 20-30 years before they reach Earth, and then send this giant robot out to the asteroid. It'll pluck a boulder from the asteroid, then start orbiting the asteroid to redirect its path. Crazy cool, right?! More info here.

Another project this group is working on is retrofitting current satellites to be refueled. A lot of the space telescopes that were sent out before were never meant to be refueled because, frankly, we didn't know how refuel them.

They're perfectly good telescopes, but they're running out of fuel. This mission is to send a giant robotic arm that will service the telescope and retrofit it to be able to take fuel. It's basically a gas can and a robotic arm and that's awesome.

After exploring all of NASA's cool missions at the Goddard Center, Renee, Megan, Maggie, and I went over to the jamboree that was being held, showcasing more of NASA's missions. The one that particularly grabbed me was the cryogenics branch--because of Amy and Elder in Across the Universe, obviously--but also because they were offering cryogenic ice cream! :)

There was also a scavenger hunt going on--which Megan, Renee, and I were of absolutely no use--but it led us to this cool little stop...

John's Nobel Prize for Physics! I've never seen one in real life before--that was super cool! Also, fun FYI, the Nobel Prize is the only Pokestop on campus, which means I got to get a Pokestop that only NASA employees can get...

It's the little things in life. (Also, note that the NASA crew are apparently Team Instinct?)

Afterwards, we checked out the Visitor's Center, where we took a selfie in front of Saturn...

Checked out a piece of the moon that was recovered as part of the Apollo 14 mission...

...and I got trapped in the Gemini Command Module.

They also had a cool room that showcased the sun, and I stood in front of it and claimed myself queen of the solar system.

All in all, an amazing day! I loved getting to discover all the missions, from the robotic arms to the telescope that is surely going to blow our minds in just a few short years.

The only Star Wars vending machine at NASA (very appropriate). On NASA days, Renee and I wear Star Wars shirts (we mocked Megan soundly for not having one with her).

Of course, that's not the only thing we had to do that day! After all the science that NASA could stuff in our brains, we had to dash off for our next event, this one at the wonderful One More Page Books!

This happened to be the only stop where all five of the Dangerous Ladies could meet up, so it was extra special. Also new bestie Rae was there.

After a fantastic event, we went out to eat and then begged Renee, who is queen of beauty, to give us make overs! I told her to "go crazy" with my look, no holds barred :)

Yay!

The next day, we drove down to Richmond, VA, to go to The Fountain Bookstore. I've been aching to go here forever; this is one of those bookstores I've heard about in an almost legendary way.

And the stop was amazing.

Not only did we have a standing-room-only, almost-to-the-street turn out, but we sold out of A World Without You! And the people were so graciously kind. Our host even made a fantastic card game for us to play--the YA literary version of Cards Against Humanity. It was hilarious!

I also got to meet fellow Razorbill author Sarah Marsh! We're both writing about necromancers, whee!

We tried to stop by the Poe house to show our respects to the "Nevermore" author, but alas, time was too short, and this was as close as we got on our way to Chapel Hill!

Flyleaf Books hosted us, and we had a blast--they're always so wonderful! And in the back room, they had copies of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child...but they didn't let me steal a box at all!

Don't worry--I've got my copy and will be reading it this weekend...at the Read Up Greenville Book Festival! Hope to see you all there!

Remember! It's not too late to enter my giveaway--check out my last post for more details!

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Days 5 & 6: Connecticut and New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Aug 2016 14:30:00 +0000

After all the sightseeing and recording and mac and cheese from the Boston area, it was kind of a relief to take the train to Connecticut for a well-deserved day off with bestie and fellow author Lauren DeStefano.

The view from my lovely hotel. All the spires of churches and Yale University looked like little outcroppings of magic, no?

For dinner, we went to Louis' Lunch, which, according to legend, is where cheeseburgers were invented. They take the recipe to heart, serving them exactly the same way as they did in the old days:

White bread, tomatoes, and onion. No ketchup.

You can see a bit of the bread toaster and burger griller in this pic, but by far the best thing about it was the two men cooking and serving. They were a riot!

After my short break, we got an early train and hitched a ride to New York City!

Taking the train meant we ended up at Grand Central Station; it's always so wonderful to step off a train and into this gorgeous station. I love the constellations looking down on all the people scurrying about. Anyone else ever notice that the Orion constellation is right next to the bee? (low key Across the Universe and The Body Electric reference ftw!)

First things first--before we even were able to properly check into the hotel, my mom and I hoofed it over to Times Square for her to check out the bustling center of the city. We saw where the New Year's Eve ball is...

...and then bumped into the singing Naked Cowboy...

...before I got her some cheesecake at Junior's. After that, we went back to the hotel where I got ready for my event at my beloved Books of Wonder.

I had my mom with me, which is my excuse for taking the classic cheesy shot of author-with-sign ;)

The brilliant author of Rock Fall, Everyone Dies, Lindsay Ribar, hosted me for the event, and it was a blast. Lindsay's one of the best people I know, and I adored sharing the stage with her--almost as much as I adored her latest book, which is hilarious and heart breaking and brilliant! (Psst: signed copies of both our books are available from Books of Wonder!)

And whoops! I think I forgot to grab my own picture of the event, so shout-out to Books of Wonder for recording it (and thanks for letting me steal it)...

After the event, I had to take my mom to the Empire State Building. We got there at the perfect time, just a few minutes before the sun was going to set. So we have brilliant evening photographs...

The top of the tower

Freedom Tower + the Statue of Liberty

Me and the Mother

...and then before we even made it all the way around the top, we got beautiful nighttime shots of the city.

The Chrysler Building

Downtown

The Empire State Building from the street level

The next morning, we went to Eataly, a huge Italian market. The cheese display alone is drool-worthy:

Then we walked around Madison Square Park for a bit. It really is perfectly located, with a fantastic view of the Empire State Building on one side...

...and the lovely Flat Iron Building on the other. One day. One day I will get to go inside this briallint building, and it will be amazing.

Afterwards, I got to hang out with my fantastic and amazing agent, Merrilee Heifetz. (Ignore the goofy smile on my face--I just am so happy to be around her!) And I got to meet with my foreign rights agent (who is working hard to get A World Without You to other countries!) and meet Merrilee's new assistant, Allie, who is happiness in human form.

After lunch, my mom and I split ways so that I could continue the book tour elsewhere and she could meet up with family. I had a lovely long and rainy train ride as I continued south, perfect weather for getting a bit of writing work done.

And when the train finally stopped, four hours later, I was in Washington, DC, ready to start the next leg of my tour!

Stick around all this week for more updates and travelogue of my recent tour--including a literal whale, a makeover, and a naked cowboy!

And don't forget to enter my on-going giveaway--100 people who take a photograph of A World Without You and post it online will get a free surprise gift in the mail!

More details and entry form are located here.

And hey! Why not get yourself a fancy signed copy of the book?

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 4: Boston, MA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Aug 2016 16:42:00 +0000

Welcome to Day Four of my book/research tour!

Boston was actually not in my original manuscript--or my original plan. It wasn't until much later in the writing process, when Phoebe became a narrating character and I realized I needed a moment with her outside her home that I thought to have her go with her mother into Boston.

And since I dragged my own mother with me on this trip, I was really glad that I got to share Boston with her. We took the ferry from Salem (to avoid parking in the city), and that was an excellent choice.

In A World Without You, Phoebe's mom takes her out for an adventure day, driving down to Faneuil Hall for some shopping. It's not that huge of a scene, but it honestly took me days to research--I was fascinated by the idea of Faneuil Hall, but needed to get the feel right, you know?

And while I knew that Faneuil (and the nearby markets) were now basically shopping centers, I didn't realize that the top portion of Faneuil was and sometimes still is used for politics. Frederick Douglass and Lucy Stone both spoke up for more freedoms here.

But basically, Faneuil is now a part of a couple of market buildings full of shops and delicious food.

And I was especially happy to be able to explore it with my mother.

Although short, the scene in A World Without You is important because it shows Phoebe and her mother in a rare moment alone together. It was my way of showing their love, and so it was even more special that I got to share it with my own mother.

Also, I sort of loved how--much like on Plum Island--my research seemed eerily to come to life around me. Like I said before, the scene with Phoebe and her mother in Faneuil Hall is really short, but in it, Phoebe casually checks out a sundress and considers buying it. And as my mother and I were walking between the market buildings, a saleslady tried to get us to buy some sundresses!

Another thing Phoebe and her mom do is cruise through the Quincy Market and try to out do each other in tasty foods. You guys. You guys. There's basically an entire building that's one big food court and it's full of things that involve melted cheese and gelato and chocolate and ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Also? Totally without prompting, my mom picked a mac and cheese stall for lunch proving (a) that we're totally related, and (b) another eerie connection with A World Without You as that's what Phoebe and her mom end up getting too. (Or maybe not eerie, because why would anyone pick anything else when mac and cheese is on the menu?)

After checking out Faneuil and the other marketplaces, Mom and I started on the Freedom Trail. This brick line meanders around the city, pausing at places where important things in the American Revolution happened.

Of course, the first thing I gravitated to was the cemeteries.

The above gravestone was noted for being so ornate; do you recognize all the tombstone symbols carved into it?

I don't care what happens to my body, but I want a cool gravestone, y'all.

Here's one we couldn't figure out, even when we asked park rangers about it. Some of the graves of revolutionaries were covered in coins. Why? No idea. Just...coins. Coins all over.

Apparently, this gravestone helped inspire Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter. The crest on the side may have inspired the large red "A" Hester had to wear.

Sam Adams grave was located just in front of...

...the graves of the victims of the Boston Massacre. Which happened just a few blocks away, marked by this circle embedded in the ground in front of the Old State Building.

I remember very vividly how in my old text book, there were political cartoons and illustrations of the Boston Massacre--and they were brutally graphic. And yet, being in this spot and seeing the graves--and hearing more of what really happened, outside of propoganda--was hugely powerful.

Fun note! On the balcony in the Old State Building above, they read the Declaration of Independence to the people gathered below.

But back to the graves! Aren't they beautiful?

I particularly liked the skull design of this one...probably the most vividly realistic of the lot.

John Hancock had a large monument in the cemetery to match his large signature on the Declaration of Independence...

And I loved the symbolic winged time that decorated the wall outside the cemetary, too.

Another fun fact! The graves were originally kept by a groundskeeper who also kept his cows in the walled cemetery, at least until people started complaining about all the cow poo filling the area up.

So after a long day of walking the trail, dragging my mom through graveyards, and nerding out over history, we decided to hop onto a whale watching boat!

I know what you're thinking: whale watching in Boston? I thought I'd never see whales outside of Canada and Alaska, but honestly, it was such a great experience here! The boat tour was about three hours long (I know), and it was potentially my favorite thing.

Apparently, there's a well-known feeding ground for humpback whales off the coast, and the tour--run by the aquarium--took us straight there. It wasn't long before we started seeing puffs of white water on the surface...

And then we saw three humpback whales--and they seemed intent on saying hi!

When I tell you these whales got close, I'm vastly underselling you the experience. They were so close that they moved our boat. They were so close that I could look them in the eye. They were so close that, had I been on the lower deck, I would have felt the mist from their blowing.

This whale became my very best friend. We're going on vacation together later.

I kept trying and trying to get one of those classic pictures of the tail splashing back into the sea, and I kept being a second off...

But I did get a great shot of a whale shooting straight up from the water to try to scare off the birds that were circling it (and stealing its lunch).

That is a mother flipping whale telling off a bunch of mother flipping birds and its face is right there.

In the end, I did get my tail picture ;) And on the boat ride back to shore, the scientists on board showed us what baleen looks and feels like.

Once we got back, we hung out at the market for a little while longer, then snagged a duck tour of the harbor--everyone's top recommendation.

After a long day of sightseeing and whale watching, it was sort of a relief to take the ferry back to our car and call it a night. As we left, I turned around and snapped this picture of Boston at sunset...a fitting end to a day full of history, family, and whale bffs.

Stick around all this week for more updates and travelogue of my recent tour--including a literal whale, a makeover, and a naked cowboy!

And don't forget to enter my on-going giveaway--100 people who take a photograph of A World Without You and post it online will get a free surprise gift in the mail!

More details and entry form are located here.

And hey! Why not get yourself a fancy signed copy of the book?

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 3: Salem, MA

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Aug 2016 15:40:00 +0000

I chose to set A World Without You in New England for several different reasons. I was first formulating the idea for the novel during a different signing at Wellesley Books, located just outside of Boston. When I was searching for an island to place my fictional school, I discovered Plum Island (which I talked about in yesterday's post). But there was also a time and place I'd long been fascinated with...

Salem, Massachusetts.

I have long been fascinated by the heart of the Salem Witch Trials, and when I started writing this strange little book featuring time travel and super powers, I knew I wanted to include Salem.

In the novel, Bo's girlfriend, Sofía, gets stuck in the past...in Salem...during the witch trials...and she has the power to turn invisible, but not the ability to control it. Additionally, she's Latina with dark skin, features that the Puritans didn't really look too kindly upon (see also: Tituba).

Fortunately, all of the Salem events in A World Without You take place during the past--because modern Salem was nothing like what I expected it to be! Here in North Carolina, we have the recreated village of Old Salem (similar to Colonial Williamsburg) where people dress in period costumes and showcase the age. Everything's kind of contained in a historical district, and you meander around and learn stuff.

That was...not really the case of Salem, MA. The town was sprawling--historical buildings weren't all grouped together in one small area, but spread out over miles, with many blocks of nonhistorical stuff between. And there was a strange mix of historical nautical stuff sponsored by the national park service and very commercial witch stuff put on by everyone else.

These beautiful figurehead carvings were interspersed throughout the town, and were a reminder that Salem was first and foremost a nautical city.

Of course, the reason most tourists come to Salem is for the witch history, and there was a healthy mix of truly historical landmarks, accurate museums and tours, and purely sensational nonsense (all of which I'm all on board for, tbh).

Early on we discovered the Burying Point, the oldest graveyard in Salem, dating back to 1637. It's believed that some of the original colonists were buried in the area, but their graves were unmarked in order to disguise just how many people had died and avoid looking weak to the Native Americans.

Anyone who knows me knows I love cemeteries. The older the better.

One of the first tombstones I found was that of Justice John Hathorne, who presided over many of the Salem Witch Trials as judge.

Fun fact! Author Nathaniel Hawthorne is related to the Justice, but was so disgusted by his ancestor's participation in the Witch Trials that he changed the spelling of his own last name.

I loved the markings on many of the tombstones--particularly the winged skull, a reminder that life is fleeting, which adorned so many of them.

I was also smitten with the phrasing--many of the tombstones stated "here lies the body" of someone; it's a slight deviation from our more common "here lies," but a significant note.

Near the back of the graveyard, behind an old house that belonged to Nathaniel Hawthorne's wife, I found the grave of Nathaniel Mather, brother to Cotton Mather. Cotton was a fascinating character--a scientist who provided significant research in hybridization and supported innoculations to prevent diseases, but who also was a full-hearted supported of the Salem Witch Trials.

I seriously could have spent all day in the cemetery. I look at old tombstones like these broken, faded ones caged next to a big tree, and all I see are stories that have been forgotten, waiting to be rediscovered...

On the other side of the cemetery is the official memorial park. A tree-lined park is surrounded by twenty stone benches, each representing a different victim of the Trials. The park was dedicated by author and humanitarian Elie Wiesel. It's easy to get caught up in the sensationalism of the Witch Trials--and the countless "spooky" tours and "mystic" crap being peddled all around add to this--but it's hugely important to remember that there are real people beneath the graves.

One of the things I liked best during my tour of Salem was a re-enactment play called Cry Innocent. In it, actors dressed in period costumes re-enact an actual trial, using actual transcripts. The audience is the jury and casts a vote at the end deciding whether Bridget Bishop is innocent or a witch.

Our jury voted 12-11 on Bridget's innocence...but the actress told us in an afterward how Bridget was ultimately found guilty of witchcraft and hanged for her crimes.

I really loved how interactive this play was--the actors sat amongst the audience, and the stage wasn't a stage so much as a trial room. Periodically, the trial would "pause" so that the audience could interrogate Bridget or the witnesses against her, or ask for clarification from the judge (Justice Hawthorne).

But what really stuck with me was just how...unjust the whole trial was. How can you prove you're not a witch? How can you prove you believe--or don't believe--anything?

And just to add to how truly weird the world and time and history are, here I am playing Pokemon Go just before the re-enactment trial began... the future is strange, yo.

Aside from the Witch Trials, one of the real people who is best remembered in Salem is author Nathaniel Hawthorne. Best known for The Scarlet Letter (which I've written many an essay on in my time), Hawthorne is also the author of several other books.

And, for awhile, he worked here:

The Custom House overlooked the water, and Hawthorne worked as a surveyor here. Anyone who's had to suffer through The Scarlet Letter may recognize this building (and the eagle) from the (omg so long and boring) preface at the beginning of the novel.

What I loved? The story that Hawthorne was actually kind of terrible at his job, was fired after his political buddies left office, and spent time he was supposed to be working at his job instead working on his novels. This made me love Hawthorne way more than any of his actual books.

The little sign says that the above quill was one that was very likely used by Hawthorne while he wrote his books, and the desk below was Hawthorne's own.

I expected to find all kinds of information about the Witch Trials at Salem, but in all honesty, aside from experiencing Cry Innocent and getting a stronger feel of the layout of the town, there were two things that really surprised me. One was learning about the House of Seven Gables, made famous in the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel of the same name.

We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, so all you get is this exterior shot. I'll be honest--I'm not really a fan of Hawthorne, and the only reason we toured this house is because, well...it was there and we had the time. But man, I'm glad I did! It wasn't the architecture that got me--although seven gables is seven more than my house has. It wasn't the period decorations, or even the history.

It was the mother-flipping secret passage.

Look, I like old houses. But I've never seen a cooler, better hidden, more secrety secret passage than the one that's in this house. It's so well hidden I don't think I'd ever find it on my own, and even once you did find it, it's pretty awesome. The passage is hidden behind the wood closet by the fireplace--a door opens out of the wall when you press it just right, revealing a very narrow staircase that is more like a ladder in some spots and takes you up into the gabled attic. It's a tight squeeze--I had to hold my messenger bag over my head to go up!--and the rooms in the attic are the most untouched of the house. Believed to be bedrooms for servants, the thing that fascinated me was the tally marks scratched into the walls...

After this historical and literarily-significant house, the other thing I learned about Salem that I'd not know before was the Derby House. Well--the house wasn't that shocking (and we couldn't go in). What was shocking was learning about the Derby family of Salem--America's first millionaires. It's hard to believe, but Salem was once one of the wealthiest cities in America, and home to the wealthiest man. And this little house was his "starter home" as he amassed his fortunes...

While Salem was nothing like I expected, I loved discovering some of its secrets!

After visiting Salem, I made a mad dash through insane traffic (you guys were not kidding about Massachusetts traffic!) in order to get to my second signing. Hosted by the Wellesley Free Library in conjunction with Wellesley Books, I got the chance to discuss relationships in literature with Julie Berry, Lori Goldstein, and Emily Ross!

And across from the library was this castle-like structure (which I think was city hall?). It would make an excellent Berkshire Academy, no?

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 2: Plum Island

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 19:15:00 +0000

Like I said in my last post, this year's book tour was a little different--since A World Without You was set in New England and my tour started there, I decided to take a few days to explore the area where it was set.

In A World Without You, Bo's school is located at the end of Pear Island. This was based on an actual island in Massachusetts called Plum Island. It's located just outside of Ipswich; half the island is residential and the lower half is a national park and wildlife refuge. In A World Without You, I added Berkshire Academy--the location of most of the book.

It honestly wasn't easy getting the setting right when I was basing it on a real place that I'd never been to before. I studied as much as I could--examining Google maps, creeping on people's vacation photographs, and even contacting the park service office for details. But nothing beat actually exploring the island.

I was actually very grateful for the fact that my research hadn't failed me. Stepping onto Plum Island was a little surreal. Sure, there wasn't a giant X-Men-style mansion/school, but everything else was pretty spot on. I particularly loved how the boardwalks snaked through the sandy, marshy part of the island, where the bird reserves were.

This view made my heart sing--when you read A World Without You, there's a scene where Bo sees two men from the past riding horseback through the marshy area. It was so hard for me to evaluate, based on books and notes, how likely this scene would be--I needed beach + water + grass + marsh + the right feel...and this right here was it. It's crazy to see something that I made up come to life, even if it was based on a real place. I don't know; it felt a little magic.

We climbed an observation tower to get a better look at the island, and I picked the spot where Berkshire Academy should be, if it were real.

And just over the scrub brush, you could the ocean. Even in July, it felt a little chilly--exactly as Bo complained about ;)

You can just see Ipswich and the neighboring towns in the distance. The mainland wasn't really that far away, but the island still felt very isolated--perfect for Berkshire.

Did you think of images like this when you read about Berkshire and Pear Island in A World Without You?

After the observation tower, we made our way down to the beach. This is at the very southern tip of the island, and the spot you're looking at is exactly where I'd put Berkshire Academy. Imagine a giant mansion made of brick with a curving driveway and a big sign out front, with Bo and Sofía inside...

To the left, the ocean. To the right, an imaginary school for superheroes ;)

We went exploring the beach for a bit--I can never refuse the sea--and I loved the shells that littered the sand.

I found a pair for Bo and Sofía.

I love this contrast--the vegatation and greenary on the left, the sand and ocean on the right. This is exactly how I envisioned Pear Island while writing it.

My mom then had the brilliant idea to write a message in the sand. Pretend Berkshire Academy is in the background...

It says, Hello Beautiful! This was the original title of A World Without You--in the first draft, Bo wrote letters to Sofía that started off with "Hello, Beautiful," and so I titled the novel after that.

Here I am, on the beach of the island where I based A World Without You, standing in front of where Berkshire Academy should be, with the original title of the book at my feet.

My job is awesome. Below is one of the boardwalks connecting the beach to the boardwalk. It looks right, but this is the part that most deviated from my imagination while writing A World Without You. Truth be told, I based those boardwalks more on some I had already been on in West Virginia, in cranberry country. But I love a good boardwalk, and this one, I think, should go right past the fireplace ruins described in A World Without You.

Can't you just see this boardwalk ending right at the fireplace?

One of the things Plum Island (and therefore my fictional Pear Island) is well known for is birds. It's a wildlife rufuge, and a well known location for bird photography. Bo is pretty dismissive of people who do this, but the birdwatchers I ran across were delightful. They tried very hard to tell me about the local birds, but alas, I am not very bird-orientated, so I just got a few picks of these lovely flocks of birds that swooped like a dark cloud over the marsh water.

Most of the boardwalks were closed due to a special bird nesting nearby, so I wasn't able to really explore the island as I wished to. One of the things I particularly wanted to discover was the ruins of an old polio camp that are located on the island.

This surprises a lot of people--in A World Without You, there's an old "sick kids' camp" as Bo calls it. This is because on the real Plum Island, Sea Haven Camp was a popular place for children with polio in the 40s and 50s. I've been able to look at a few pictures of the ruins (which may be lost to time now; I'm not sure), and I based the sick kids' camp on Pear Island off of this unique feature.

As best as I could tell, the polio camp was likely somewhere around this area. Even if it's not, this is the type of landscape I envisioned when describing my own camp in A World Without You. The slightly rolling hills, the grass overtaking the sand, the scrub brush...just image some abandoned cabins and a small pool area here...

As the sun set over my first day on tour, I couldn't help but be amazed by Plum Island. I loved how beautifully magnificent the landscape was, but what really struck me was how it was so vividly close to what I imagined my own Pear Island to be. I'd spent hours and hours researching the island, but when I actually felt it, it was so cool to see it come to life.

I know Plum Island is a real place, and I knew it when I invent Pear Island. But to see something that you'd only before seen in your head was a little bit miraculous.

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 1: Asheville

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 15:46:00 +0000

I am finally back home from book tour, and it's been awesome! Super glad to be home in the land of staying-in-AC-all-day, but still had a hugely fantastic time on tour!

This tour was a little different from my past ones. Before I picked up with the Dangerous Ladies group, I took a little detour up to New England so that I could tour some of the places where A World Without You takes place. I set the book in the Boston-area for a few reasons--proximity to the Salem Witch Trials, after a book event at Wellesley Books where the weather seemed just right for my setting, the convenient location of Plum Island. I did as much research as I could with books and the internet, but this is the first time I actually got a chance to visit the areas where the book was actually set! (And don't worry--I took lots of pics and videos, and will be posting them over the next few days.)

Of course, before I did any of that, I had to have a launch party! And the good people at Malaprops were gracious enough to host me and my little book. (Also: it's not too late! You can always get signed copies of any of my books directly through Malaprops!)

Malaprops is one of my favorite bookstores in the whole world, and I'm so happy to call them my book home. They really did a fantastic job with the launch party! There was a beautiful cupcake cake...

But what was far more important to me was all the beautiful people who came!

Not gonna lie--I'm always paranoid about throwing a party and no one showing up. (This directly stems back to my disastrous childhood birthday parties don't ask.) So when Malaprops started setting up extra chairs for people because there weren't enough seats...you guys. Thank you.

And speaking of thanks, huge thanks to the amazing Alexa Duncan who co-hosted the event with me and interviewed me on A World Without You. She is amazing, y'all, and you need her smart, feminist, sci fi books now.

Of course, another benefit of doing a launch party at Malaprops is that the bookstore is perfectly positioned to capture two Pokestops without moving a muscle. Plus someone set off two lures, which meant I had to sneak in a few captures...

It was just too tempting! I mean, check this out!

But in all seriousness, y'all, it was an amazing night. Celebrating this book with friends and family was the perfect way to launch A World Without You, a story that is deeply connected to my own past and future, one that wouldn't exist without the connections I share with the people I love. You guys are the very, very best.

Stick around all this week for more updates and travelogue of my recent tour--including a literal whale, a makeover, and a naked cowboy!

And don't forget to enter my on-going giveaway--100 people who take a photograph of A World Without You and post it online will get a free surprise gift in the mail!

More details and entry form are located here.

Post a Pic, Get a Prize!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:00:00 +0000

So, A World Without You is officially out, and I'm officially on book tour! My full schedule is available here, but if you're in: Boston area, NYC, Washington DC area, Richmond VA, or Chapel Hill NC, I hope you come see me!

I hope you grabbed a copy or checked it out from your library. As my way of thanking you, I ordered 100 secret...somethings. Little gifts. To get one, just fill out the form. I'll be selecting a random 100 people from the addresses below and sending them a special gift in the mail!

To enter, just post a picture of A World Without You on a public social media forum (such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram) with the hashtag #AWorldWithoutYou, then submit the link and your mailing address in the form below. Open internationally, submit link by August 10. I'll randomly select 100 mailing addresses to mail the special gift to...and will send extra swag to as many people as I can until my postage budget runs out :)

Caveat: This does need to be a picture of the actual book, not just the flat cover image. You can post a picture of the actual book in anyway you want--a selfie with the book, a picture of it in a bookstore or library, or the book loaded up on your ereader. Get creative! I'll RT some of my faves :)

The gift is a secret--I want people to get a special surprise in the mail!--but it's a simple, fun thing that I think you'll like :)

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On Blurbs, Giveaways, and Getting Goodies with Preorders

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 15:40:00 +0000

Before we get to the big giveaway at the bottom of this post, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how to preorder A World Without You from all the various places that are featuring the book.

GET A WORLD WITHOUT YOU + 2 MORE BOOKS + SURPRISE GOODIES FROM QUARTERLY

What you get:

A hardback of A World Without You that includes handwritten annotations by me
A signed bookplate for A World Without You
Two additional books that I've hand selected to be included with the box
A personal letter by me explaining some of the secrets in the book and why I selected the contents of the box
Extra goodies that are unique and tie directly back to the box and the books

Cost: $50. I know that's steep, but you're getting three books and all the extra bonus gifts--trust me, it's worth it.

How to get it:

Go to the Quarterly website here
Hint! If you subscribe to the NetGalley newsletter, check out the coupon code that was in it for this box!!
Buy a subscription (don't worry--if you only want this box, it's super easy to cancel and not get any more).
Need more info? I posted about it here.

GET A SIGNED, STAMPED BOOK + ART CARD PRINT FROM MALAPROPS

What you get:

A hardcover copy of A World Without You

That is signed
And stamped with a special one-signing-only stamp

A beautiful art card designed by Hafsah at IceyDesigns featuring a quote from the book
Swag!

Cost: Just the cost of the book and shipping, if you're getting it shipped. The extra goodies are included for free.

How to get it:

Go to the Malaprops website page here
Add to your cart. If you want your book personalized, make sure you add a note during the check out process--I'll write whatever you want me to write!
More info available here!

GET A SIGNED BOOK FROM 25 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORES

What you get:

A hardcover copy of A World Without You
A signed bookplate that matches
Some bookstores are offering additional swag!

Cost: Just the cost of the book!

How to get it:

My publisher, Penguin, and I have teamed up with 25 bookstores across the nation to offer this special promo.
Just go to your local indie bookstore and look for the quote card designed by IceyDesigns pictures above. If they have the quote card on display, they have signed books for you!

HEY! It's super important to support your local bookstores and businesses. If you ♥ books, support your bookstores!

More info--and a list of bookstores--here!

GET THE BOOK + MY ETERNAL THANKS FROM WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

You want my book? I super ♥ you! Here's everywhere else you can get it:

Your library! If they don't have it, just ask--it's free for you to get books from your library, but every time one of my books is checked out, it makes my publisher happy and eager to buy future books from me, so win-win!
Amazon:

Barnes & Noble:

Chapters Indigo: hardback
Kobo: ebook
iBooks: ebook
Book Depository: With free shipping internationally!

Now on to the giveaway! Win SEVEN books...and four of them are SIGNED!

This feels like the little book that could. A World Without You is something of a departure for me--darker, realer, more personal. But I think it's going to find a home on bookshelves, and I couldn't be happier.

Of course, no book exists in a bubble. I couldn't write this one without immense help from my agent, my editor and publisher, my family, my friends. My past. People who are no longer with us; people who have just joined my family.

Today, I want to take a moment and thank some people--and thank you by holding a giveaway in honor of the authors who believed in me from the very start and who so graciously endorsed my book before it was a book.

When authors are asked to go out and find other authors to blurb their book, there's a universal panic!panic!panic! alarm that goes through their heads. What if no one likes it? What if they hate it? (That last one, btw, totally happened to me with AtU...an author actually rejected me so hard she told me she hated the book and wished it wasn't being published.) There's an extra layer of anxiety, knowing that one's peers are deeply analyzing whether or not a book is worthy of their praise. So emailing or phoning other authors, hat in hand, hoping they'll like your book is incredibly nerve-wracking.

Fortunately, I have wonderful friends and colleagues who graced me with blurbs, and so to honor and thank them, I'm holding a giveaway for their books. Many of them are signed (!!!), and you'll also get a copy of A World Without You and a copy of another bonus novel that inspired me. Open internationally, closes July 17th.

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Win a hardcover of this book, signed by the author!

I have been a fan of Alex's work since The Darkest Minds, and I love Passenger even more. Time travel and swoony-ness and pirates and adventure and ahhhhh!!!

When she graced this blurb for the front cover of A World Without You, I almost fell over:

“A heartrending, beautifully complex look at mental illness, life, and loss. I tore through the pages, and, days later, this story still has a hold on me.” —Alexandra Bracken, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkest Minds series and Passenger

More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera

Win a hardcover of this book, signed by the author!

Adam's debut knocked my socks off. I loved the premise--a boy who lives in a world where select memories can be erased wants to erase being gay. But it was the end of this novel that really blew me away. Adam took risks with this book--you will not expect that conclusion, I promise!

It is my great honor that he read A World Without You and said:

"A painfully brilliant and transporting read. This novel has the rare superpower to change and save lives." —Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not

The Love the Split the World by Emily Henry

Win a hardcover of this book!

When I first saw this book, I had immediate cover and title envy. How perfect is it? But then I heard what it was about--a boy named Beau (my Bo would get along well with him) and a very twisted fate. This one picks up speed and never stops until the end.

I'm so glad this Beau-author read my Bo-book :)

"A World Without You tackles grief, mental illness, and family dynamics with both grace and generosity. I fell in love with Bo’s story of perseverance in the face of seemingly endless struggle and was left brimming with hope. Readers will emerge from this book a little stronger than when they entered.” —Emily Henry, author of The Love That Split the World

The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone by Adele Griffin

Win a hardcover of this book!

Confession time: A World Without You wouldn't exist without The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone. Period. It's this specific book by Adele that made me think my story was possible. In it, a young artist dies far too soon, and through the transcripts by loved ones and articles about her, the reader peels back the layers of this mysterious girl's life.

This book meant so much to me, on a deeply personal level. The fact that Adele gives my book a seal of approval means more than I can say.

“Beth Revis delivers us an astonishing shape-shifter of a tale that dazzles and startles at every tense turn. Themes of love, secrets, and heartbreak are woven into a taut and bewitching narrative that will pull you in and not let you go. Don't forget to breathe.” —Adele Griffin, author of The Unfinished Life of Addison Stone

The Program by Suzanne Young

Win a hardcover of this book!

I could not put this book down. Could not. I got an ebook of The Program when it first came out, and read the entire book straight through in one night, staying up until 3am to finish. I was terrified for the characters, fascinated by the premise, and my eyes were crying so hard I had to take multiple breaks. This book is about an epidemic of suicide, and the lengths we go to try to save someone...even if it means controlling them.

Suzanne is epic, and I'm so lucky to know her.

“A World Without You is a beautiful, devastating, mind-bending adventure.” —Suzanne Young, New York Times bestselling author of The Program series

Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman

Win a signed hardcover of this book!

This is a book that deeply inspired me. Neal wrote this book with his son, who suffers from schizophrenia, and the text is layered with drawings he made while undergoing treatment. The story itself is twisted and strange--much like the mind--but there are flashes of clarity for both the reader and the narrator. This National Book Award Winner is truly a masterpiece.

To thank the books that have inspired me and the authors who've supported me, I'm giving away a box full of their books to one lucky winner.

Rules!

Open internationally
Closes July 19--the day the book comes out!
One winner gets all seven books--four signed by the authors!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quarterly Subscription Box Curation Revealed!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 18:18:00 +0000

A few weeks ago, my editor told me that a subscription box was interested in featuring A World Without You in their next shipment. The wonderful people at Quarterly had noticed the book, and wanted to make a box themed around it.

My reaction was not subtle:

Here's the thing. I have this list of secret things I really, really hope will happen. One of those things has already happened this year (but I can't talk about it yet). So I sort of figured my good luck for this year had already been cashed in. Because one of the other things that I have secretly really hoped would happen?

To be featured in a subscription box.

I subscribe to a few boxes (including Quarterly's!), and every time I see an unboxing online or get my own box, I wonder what it would be like to see my box inside a subscription box.

And this July, I get to find out.

Quarterly's YA Literature box is just amazing, you guys. I've loved seeing how these boxes develop, and when Quarterly says I've curated it, they really mean it. This was not a casual thing. Every. Single. Item in the book, from the other books to the extra goodies, was picked through a careful selection process. I spent days looking for exactly the right items, developing the theme, selecting the other books. I wanted to pick books that fit with the theme, but that also were maybe not a title everyone had already heard of.

I can't tell you what the other two books in the box are, but I can tell you that, like A World Without You, they are strange. Not everything is as it seems. There is sadness and hope and love and fear in all three books. They're not really science fiction, but they are weird. They each have a twist, or a new direction, or a surprise, or just something that's not quite right. And that's why I love them, and I think you will too.

And the products that are being included with the box...I'm so excited about them that I actually ordered my own box so I could get them! The Quarterly people were such a dream to work with--they were the ones who hunted down something that had a little extra detail of wonderful when I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

In additional to the goodies and the three books, I've worked hard with Quarterly to make A World Without You special for the box. There's a personal letter from me, describing the theme and why it means so much to me. The books will come with a signed bookplate, and--this is really amazing--they're all annotated with 15 handwritten notes detailing hidden allusions, connections within the story, background on characters and more.

It's basically like getting extras on a DVD. These annotations were my way of highlighting some of the most important scenes in the book, and pointing out stuff that is often ignored and hidden.

I am so, so grateful to Quarterly for making this possible. They've turned A World Without You from a book into an experience. And they've made sure that the boxes will ship on July 18th--so no one will have to wait and everyone will get the book when it's officially released!

If you'd like to sign up for the Literary YA Box, all you have to do is click here (before they're sold out!). Your subscription will start with this box, and it's easy to cancel any time if you choose to do so.

Get Signed copies of A WORLD WITHOUT YOU from 25 Bookstores Across America!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 18:13:00 +0000

Hey guys! Remember that time I asked you to vote on your favorite indie bookstores? And then I posted a lot of pics of me signing bookplates and art cards?

A photo posted by Beth Revis (@bethrevis) on May 20, 2016 at 4:44pm PDT

A video posted by Beth Revis (@bethrevis) on May 20, 2016 at 6:15pm PDT

Well, those two things are definitely connected! Here's what me and the fabulous people at Penguin/Razorbill have been working on!

We took the top twenty-five votes for favorite bookstores, and we sent each of those bookstores signed bookplates and one of the beautiful art prints designed by Icey Designs. You know, this piece of gorgeousness:

This means, if you see the above sign in the bookstores listed below, you can get a signed copy of A World Without You. And some of the bookstores have already mentioned that they'll be giving away their copy of the sign to the first reader who expresses interest. (Obviously ask first!)

We ended up with such great bookstores on the list that we sent out these special packets to more than twenty-five stores, and if there's a store with more than one location (such as Vroman's or Books Inc.), these packets were sent to all locations.

The bookstores (in no particular order) are:

Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

BookPeople, Austin, TX

Books & Books, Coral Gables, FL

Flyleaf Books, Chapel Hill, NC

Kepler's Books, Menlo Park, CA

Malaprop's, Asheville, NC

McNally Jackson, Manhattan, NYC

Parnassus Books, Nashville, TN

The Strand, New York, NY

The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

Watermark Bookstore, Wichita, KS

Changing Hands Bookstore, Phoenix, AZ

Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, WA

Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY

Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO

Little Shop of Stories, Decatur, GA

Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA

Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN

Vroman's, Pasadena, CA

The Regulator Bookshop, Durham, NC

Powell's, Portland, OR

Toadstool Bookshop, Keene NH

Books Inc, San Francisco, CA

Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City, OK

Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA

Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach, DE

I was really happy to see so many bookstores from across the nation! And remember: Go into any of the above listed stores on July 19, and there will be signed copies of A World Without You ready for you to get! You absolutely can go in now and preorder your signed copy--in fact, I would love it if you did!

Speaking of pre-ordering, if you can't get to one of these shops or want to take part in the special pre-order campaign at Malaprops, it's still open. You can find all the details about it here.

ALSO: There's going to be a little contest going up on July 19th the involves you taking a picture inside a bookstore. I'm going to go ahead and say right now that a picture of the sign in the bookstore counts as an entry...and that there are more than 100 prizes up for grabs. So if you see the sign in your bookstore, take a picture of it and share it on social media! You'll already have a leg up on everyone else when the contest opens next month!

Giveaway Round Up--Don't Miss These!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 04:00:00 +0000

As you know, A World Without You is just around the corner! (Which reminds me--if you don't want to miss the special pre-order deal, make sure you order your copy now!)

In order to celebrate, I want to have a lot of giveaways--I've got to make room for new books and new swag, after all! Before I get into the June giveaway round-up, I want to alert you to a few bigger giveaways and opportunities for free books that's ongoing.

And I've been working with my friends over at YA Book Central, YA Interrobang, and Adventures in YA Publishing to do a few more giveaways this month and next, so be sure to be on the lookout there as well. I'll post on Twitter when those go live, but they're pretty epic, just fyi.

So! Let's talk about June! I've got...so many...so many books to give away! I like to gather prizes, magpie-like, in preparation for launches, so I've been stockpiling for awhile. In the past, I would do one huge giveaway where one winner takes all, but I thought it might be fun to do something a bit different this time around.

Throughout the month of June, I'm going to be hosting flash-giveaways on various social media outlets! These giveaways will be short--they'll run for just 24-48 hours or so--and super simple to enter. They'll be on all the social media platforms I'm active on, and it'll be as simple as follow + share or tag a friend in comments to enter. The giveaways will be international!

Want to know what's up for grabs? Here's a sampling...but I may be adding a few surprise extras that only my followers will know about! And also--each book will come with a TON of extra swag for the winner from me and lots of other authors working to make this special!

Signed hardcover of Renee Ahdieh's The Rose and the Dagger
Hardcover of Their Fractured Light by Meagan Spooner and signed by Amie Kaufman
Signed hardcover of This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
Signed hardcover of A Curious Tale of the In-Between by Lauren DeStefano
Signed ARC of The Hunt by Megan Shepherd
Signed hardcover of Challenger Deep by Neil Schusterman
Hardcover of My True Love Gave to Me signed by Stephanie Perkins (editor) and also signed by almost all the authors in the anthology!
Signed paperback of Among the Shadows
ARC of The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
ARC of The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody
ARC of Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
Hardcover of Thicker than Water by Kelly Fiore
Hardcover of The Third Twin by CJ Omolulu
Audiobook of A Tyranny of Petticoats edited by Jessica Spotswood
...and more!!

How to win these books & more: follow me on social media! These flash giveaways will be sporadic surprises throughout the month of June, and the only way to win is to be following me!

Most of the giveaways will happen on my Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook pages, but I'm reserving a few for other social medias, including Tumblr, my newsletter, YouTube, and my new fave, Periscope.

Want to make sure you don't miss them? Then you better be following me! And to reward my longterm followers and the people who are the best (hint: it's you), I'm holding an extra giveaway right here.

The prize is an ARC box full of all kinds of goodies, from a time turner like Hermione wore, to a custom journal from Icey Designs, to a Doctor Who magnet...oh yeah, and an art print and ARC of A World Without You! You can see more about the prize here.

To enter for the big ARC box prize, just fill out the Rafflecopter below (open internationally). And to enter to win any of the books above, make sure you're following me online and prepared to click fast before the prize disappears!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winner of the First ARC box!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 19 May 2016 15:51:00 +0000

Thank you all for sharing with me your favorite indie bookstores! I'm currently compiling a list of the top ones to send a special prize to (more info on that soon!) but meanwhile, let's give out a prize to YOU for submitting your store's name!

drumroll, please....

The winner of the first ARC box for A World Without You is...

Glauber,

whose favorite bookstore is Anderson's!

If you didn't win, don't worry...I'm gearing up for another round of giveaways right now. In fact, my desk is about to topple over from all the books selected for giveaway. There are separate prizes that will be posted here and across my social media, so make sure you look around...and they'll be flash giveaways open for 24 hours only, on different days! More details to come soon, but I hope you're ready for this! :)

Celebrate Independent Bookstores!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 May 2016 13:19:00 +0000

As you may know, I recently announced that I was offering a special pre-order set of gifts (including an art card of the quote to the left) for anyone who purchased A World Without You through my local independent bookstore, Malaprops. You can read more about that--and see the awesome stuff you'll get for pre-ordering--here, and you can actually pre-order the book and get all the goodies here.

But I wanted to celebrate all local independent bookstores. Because honestly? Bookstores are like a second home to me. In the last few years, I've been lucky enough to do several book tours throughout the nation (and even Canada!), and I am in awe of how each bookstore is unique, a reflection of their community, but also they share one important trait--a deep, unabiding love for books and readers.

So I want to spend this month celebrating that. And I want to reward the readers who patronize local independent bookstores, because they are absolutely bloody awesome. The community of people who read and spread the love of books is the best in the world!

So: I want you to tell me what your favorite independent bookstore is! There are so many, but please--tell me your favorite. My publisher and I will then pull out the top twenty five stores and send them a special thank you gift for being so awesome--a gift that means you will have the opportunity to get some special goodies too! We're going to keep the gift for the bookstores a secret...for now! Who doesn't love a good surprise?

But we need your help! In order to this, we need to know which bookstores you love, so we can know which ones to send the gifts to! In the space below, I've got an entry form that simply asks for the name and location of your favorite bookstore. Please fill it out--and please also let your friends and fellow bookstore lovers know!

To thank you for helping us out and loving bookstores, I'm offering you a prize, too! If you're a newsletter subscriber, you know what this prize is--an epic ARC box full of goodies featuring A World Without You! You'll get:

A signed ARC of my latest book, A World Without You--it's super rare and they're going fast!
A signed art card featuring a quote from the book
A beautiful pocket journal featuring the quote, "To Thine Own Self Be True," something highly relevant to the book, designed by Icey Designs
Two Cadbury Creme eggs to represent a scene in the book where the characters learn how to poach eggs (it's more romantic than it sounds!)
A Doctor Who magnet--this book has time travel, after all!
A time-turner necklace like the one Hermione uses in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
An ocean-scented candle, since the book takes place on an island of the coast of Massachusetts

If you want a closer look at what's inside the book, you can also check out this video I made!

I have six of these boxes already made up and ready to go, and this is the first one that will be sent out! Sadly, because this is linked to something I'm doing with US bookstores, this contest is limited to entrants who have a US mailing address--but don't worry, the next contest will be international.

REMEMBER: If you want to pre-order the book with the special signing stamp and the free goodies and art, you can do so here!

TO ENTER: Fill out the Google Docs form below. And if you can, please help me spread the word--and the love of indie bookstores!--by tweeting as well!

Special Gifts for Pre-ordering A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 06 May 2016 14:43:00 +0000

Hi guys!

Over the next few months, I'm going to be talking a lot about my upcoming book, A World Without You. This book comes out on July 19 from Penguin, and it's my most personal book yet. I really hope you love it!

As you also know, I freaking love my local bookstore, Malaprops, located in beautiful Asheville, NC. I worked with them in the past to offer a special pre-order campaign for The Body Electric, and I'm lucky enough to get to do it again for A World Without You!

If you pre-order A World Without You from Malaprops, you will get the following, shipped right to your door (or pick it up in person at the launch party on July 19):

You'll obviously get a signed, personalized copy of the book. If you order online, just be sure to tell Malaprops who you want the book personalized to, and if you have a particularly special message to include (such as "happy birthday" or, in the case of a very special copy of The Body Electric, "will you marry me"!!!!)

But did you notice that stamp up in the top corner? That is a very special stamp that I had custom-made just for this project. It will only ever be used for the first edition, first signings of my books, which means the only way you will ever get this stamp in a copy of A World Without You is to order it through Malaprops before July 19. After that, the stamp is going into retirement until the next time I have a book launch.

I love collecting books, and I wanted to give something special to the people like me to go out of their way to order a signed book on the first day it releases. This stamp is my thank you, and my way of making sure this is a limited edition, only-for-the-people-who-preorder thing!

But! Beyond the book itself, signed and stamped, if you order from Malaprops by July 19, you will also get--free with each book order--a beautiful art print designed by the wonderful Icey Designs! It features one of my favorite quotes from the book:

Isn't it gorgeous?! The quote was hand-lettered and designed by Hafsah at Icey Designs, and is printed on gorgeous matte paper with a velvet like finish. The paper is thick--really, it's more like thin cardboard, and the print can stand on its own without folding over. And it's large! Somewhere between the size of an art card and a poster (specifically 6x9"). This is really a beautiful piece of art, and words just don't do it justice! So, to help you see just how cool this art print is, I actually made a video of it, explaining it and the other features in the pre-order campaign:

I really think this is a special gift that you're going to love--and all these extras come free with every pre-order of A World Without You from Malaprops! (Also, if you'd like to get any other my other books signed and personalized, Malaprops can take care of you too!)

Here's the info you need:

To Place an Order Online:

GO HERE
Order as many copies of the book as you like
In the comments section, let them know if you want it personalized or if you'd like a special message added.
Malaprops ships internationally--if your country's not listed, please email them for estimated shipping costs

To Place an Order by Phone:

Call 1-828-254-6734
They can accept your credit card over the phone
Make sure the spelling of any personalization is correct

Note: There is a limit of 400 of the art prints. Last time, we sold out at 300, so I upped the campaign to 400! If you want to ensure you get a copy with the art print, make sure you order soon!

Hey! Do me a favor and let your friends know about this, k? ♥

Beth Revis

Vote on What You Want to See!

ICYMI: Link Round-Up from Launch Week

Star Wars Week!

Star Wars Celebration Recap!

Reviewer Campaign for A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

For those who love writing...

Upcoming Events

The Greatest Lesson I Learned in Writing This Year

A Holiday Surprise--a New Cover for A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

Announcing My Next Book...in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

A Day in the Life

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Days 7-10: Dangerous Ladies!! Featuring NASA and Awesome Bookstores

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Days 5 & 6: Connecticut and New York City

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 4: Boston, MA

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 3: Salem, MA

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 2: Plum Island

A WORLD WITHOUT YOU Book Tour, Day 1: Asheville

Post a Pic, Get a Prize!

On Blurbs, Giveaways, and Getting Goodies with Preorders

Before we get to the big giveaway at the bottom of this post, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how to preorder A World Without You from all the various places that are featuring the book. GET A WORLD WITHOUT YOU + 2 MORE BOOKS + SURPRISE GOODIES FROM QUARTERLY

GET A SIGNED, STAMPED BOOK + ART CARD PRINT FROM MALAPROPS

GET A SIGNED BOOK FROM 25 LOCAL INDIE BOOKSTORES

GET THE BOOK + MY ETERNAL THANKS FROM WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

Now on to the giveaway! Win SEVEN books...and four of them are SIGNED!

Quarterly Subscription Box Curation Revealed!

Get Signed copies of A WORLD WITHOUT YOU from 25 Bookstores Across America!

Giveaway Round Up--Don't Miss These!

Winner of the First ARC box!

Celebrate Independent Bookstores!

Special Gifts for Pre-ordering A WORLD WITHOUT YOU!

Before we get to the big giveaway at the bottom of this post, I wanted to make sure everyone knew how to preorder A World Without You from all the various places that are featuring the book.

GET A WORLD WITHOUT YOU + 2 MORE BOOKS + SURPRISE GOODIES FROM QUARTERLY