Cindy Pon's Blog

hello lovely readers! have been fully immersed

in end of school year activities for the bubs

but have attended some fun bookish events too.

all at the fabulous Mysterious Galaxy, of course!

before the fotos, i just wanted to share some happy

bookish news of my own! i found out yesterday that

the ARCs of Diverse Energies will be available at ALA.

please go pick up a copy from Lee & Low booth if you’re

attending! this is a multicultural YA dystopian anthology

and includes short stories by me, greg van eekhout,

malinda lo, ken liu, ursula le guin, ellen oh, and paolo

bacigalupi. (i know there are other fabulous authors and

i’ll share once i get my hands on an ARC myself. =)

SO excited for this anthology!

please do mark it as “to read” on your goodreads page. =D

i’m also thrilled to announce that besides my rad

YALSA panel on Saturday, June 23 from 8-10am

(details on my events page here) i’ll be doing a

Fury of the Phoenix signing at the HarperCollins

Children’s booth at 12.30-1pm the same day. YAY!

please do come and say HI!

now, bookish fun fotos!

*many local writers showed up to attend the great

YA or Bust event! it was a really fun & funny panel

with these fabulous ladies. (L to R) me, kirsten hubbard,

nina lacour, gayle forman, stephanie perkins, kiersten white,

(back L to R) nikki katz, andrea ortega, debra driza & shannon messenger.

*then i attended Mysterious Galaxy’s 19th birthday bash

and you never know what fans of this fabulous indie book

store will show up with. Rick Holderman brought this

gorgeous red tailed hawk (native to san diego). she’s female,

bigger than her male counterparts, and was utterly gorgeous!

*all the peeps at Mysterious Galaxy are lovely, but

i especially enjoy seeing Kate and chatting YA and

fantasy books with her! finally, we have a foto together.

thanks patrick!

*New York Times Bestseller lisa brackman was there

to sign her second novel Getaway. she’s a friend and i

cannot wait to read this adventure thriller set in puerto

vallarta! (L to R) george, me, lisa and deborah.

*finally, more favorite people that i get to see

at Mysterious Galaxy bookish parties! (L to R)

me, nancy holder, jeff mariotte and maryelizabth!

it’s going to be a fun filled summer starting with the ALA

conference in anaheim. hope to see many of you there!

hello lovely readers!

i thought i’d update with progress on my

classic chinese beauty, which i, miraculously,

haven’t ruined yet. 8)

last week, i did a very frightening part of the

painting which is coloring her flesh. (in this case,

her face and her neck.) it is scary only because rice

paper is very *unforgiving* as a medium, and once you

make a mistake, there is no covering it. and to screw

up on the shading of the flesh would be pretty much

catastrophic.

flesh coloring is just using brown and lightening

the shade until desired effect. i applied one layer of

very light brown (darker above her eyes) then went on to

paint the branches and flowers behind her. the composition

isn’t finished. i still need to do some bamboo branches and

leaves above and under her, as well as another branch of blossoms

above that.

last night, i layered two more shades of light brown to

give her face color more depth, and also added the small

fan on the rock.

but so far, she’s hanging in there!

her face color didn’t scan very well, but you get

the idea. she’s not as dark in the original and i actually

put a bit of “blush” on her cheeks, but it’s not very

noticeable. i’m terrible with make up in real life, never mind

trying to paint it on a woman. 8)

hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

i plan on writing and reading!

currently reading:

I Hunt Killers by barry lyga

as some of you might know, i've been working on

trying to paint classic chinese beauties for some time.

(months now, i think!) and i've yet to not ruin a painting

somehow or other. in the months that i've been practicing

and trying to learn, i've gotten quite good at painting

heads and hair. then would proceed to ruin the painting

trying to paint her clothing or hand, etc.

this is the latest incarnation of my classic chinese beauty

attempts. i really like her, and she's hanging in there

thus far. (notice sleeves cleverly covering difficult to paint

hands?) i only hope i don't ruin her somehow with the other

elements of the painting that must be done. i still need to

finish the rock she is perched on as well as choose a background

for her like bamboo or flowers, etc.

wish me luck!

do you like her?

my current novel is still a work in progress as well.

tho am thisclose to being done. eep!

and i'm happy to finally be able to announce the first

short story i'll publish in a multicultural YA dystopian anthology

titled Diverse Energies. it's slated to release this november

published by Tu Books!

other contributors include malinda lo, greg van eekhout,

paolo bacigalupi, ken liu. also, ursula le guin. I DIE! this

is a short story with many firsts for me (first person narrative,

teen boy pov NON eunuch, and dystopian world)–i can't

wait for you guys to read it!

click here for the official press release.

finally, thanks for all of you who entered the Wanderlove

giveaway. congrats to Ash and Kali Skittles (i only counted

kali's entry once =) my two signed copies. enjoy!

have a wonderful weekend, lovely readers.

please remember that i'm tumblr'ing and twittering

basically every day. blogging, not so much. =)

i apologize for the long time away! was working hard

on finishing the revisions of my current novel! in the

mean time, i was able to attend a local signing at Yellow

Book Road for Kirsten Hubbard's second novel release,

Wanderlove. it is a fantastic read (my goodreads review

is here) and i'm so proud to have such local talent!

so today is a belated Thank Goodness It's Free Books Monday!

with two signed copies of Wanderlove to giveaway!

*butterflies is a fun and pretty theme in Wanderlove.

here, kirsten and i try to show off the butterfly barrettes

andrea was kind enough to make for us!

*my lovely local fellow middle grade and young adult

writing friends! (L to R) lisa, debra, kirsten, nikki, me

and andrea.

No, but 18-year-old Bria Sandoval wants to be. In a quest for independence, her neglected art, and no-strings-attached hookups, she signs up for a guided tour of Central America—the wrong one. Middle-aged tourists with fanny packs are hardly the key to self-rediscovery. When Bria meets Rowan, devoted backpacker and dive instructor, and his outspokenly humanitarian sister Starling, she seizes the chance to ditch her group and join them off the beaten path.

Bria's a good girl trying to go bad. Rowan's a bad boy trying to stay good. As they travel across a panorama of Mayan villages, remote Belizean islands, and hostels plagued with jungle beasties, they discover what they've got in common: both seek to leave behind the old versions of themselves. And the secret to escaping the past, Rowan's found, is to keep moving forward.

But Bria comes to realize she can't run forever, no matter what Rowan says. If she ever wants the courage to fall for someone worthwhile, she has to start looking back.

Kirsten Hubbard lends her artistry to this ultimate backpacker novel, weaving her drawings into the text. Her career as a travel writer and her experiences as a real-life vagabond backpacking Central America are deeply seeded in this inspiring story.

…

i'm offering two signed copies to give away!

you know the drill: please tweet, fb status, blog, LJ, etc,

about this giveaway and link back to this post.

comment with that link in this post!

this contest runs through friday, 4/6, when i'll

pick two winners by random. this contest is open

INTERNATIONALLY. good luck!!

and yes. it was indeed a Big Adventure for me!

i just returned from a week long writing retreat

in gorgeous San Miguel de Allende. the reason it

was a Big Adventure is twofold:

1. this was the first writing retreat i had ever attended.

2. this was the first time i’ve truly traveled abroad

for pleasure since my ten year anniversary trip to fiji

back in 2007.

i honestly didn’t know what to expect.

and i worried–as even tho i’ve been to many

countries and love traveling–i had never traveled

abroad alone. even if mexico is pretty close.

also, i’m just a worrier. it’s only become worse

since spawning the rabid monkeys. it is my new

superpower. haha!

well, i needn’t have worried. one of the reasons

i couldn’t say no to this retreat was because it had

authors attending whom i like that wrote books i love.

i had met delia sherman, sarah rees brennan, holly

black and cassandra clare before and had hung out

with all of them briefly–but never like this!

never in a bubble of non-stop books, craft and plot

talk. in the pool. over meals. while walking to restaurants

or going for ice cream. there was always someone to Talk

Story with. and it was amazing and wonderful. it truly felt

magical and like a trip of a lifetime.

now i want to go back!

but instead, i console myself by sharing fotos! =D

*the cathedral on the square.

*and this was the converging crowd in front of it on a

sunday afternoon. theo asked if i wanted to take a foto

with those giant puppet things in the back, but NO, i was

too afraid. *runs away screaming*

*the same cathedral lit up gloriously at night. the square

is especially filled with tourists and locals with families on weekends,

but also on weekdays, late into the evenings. the san miguel

folk definitely enjoyed their outdoor space and sense of community.

*walking down hilly cobblestoned paths for an

early dinner.

*this was our earliest dinner at 6.30pm on a roof deck

mexican restaurant. (delicious!) i think it was early because

we were meeting Franny Billingsley (who happened to be there

for a writing conference). she was lovely to meet and, of course,

we talked books! it was especially cool as both Franny and Delia

had just found out they had been short listed for the Norton for

Chime and The Freedom Maze.

*the restaurant was next to this cathedral? the architecture

and colors of the city were gorgeous.

*i wandered alone on the roof top a bit to snap

touristy fotos. how could i resist? it was a beautiful sunset.

*another view from the roof top deck.

*(this foto just fills me with joyful glee!)

for all you sarah rees brennan fans out there, you may

or may not know this, but sarah’s grace (as introduced

by kristin cashore) is “reenactment”. partly because she has

a boundless and astounding memory, and partly because she

can reenact with such enthusiastic conviction. we were very

much entertained!

*theo (who is an artist) proved to be an excellent

shopping companion with fantastic taste. (i would venture

that he is much more chic than i am and has more Exciting

Clothes than i do as well! 8) i did get some great shopping in

and am the owner of a gorgeous pair of boots thanks to theo’s

addiction to boot hunting. he stopped to buy a pinata. it was a hot

day and we were hauling four pairs of boots between us, i think.

*thanks to delia for taking a foto of me in my cool

new cowgirl boots. they are super pointy in the front which

is something i shy away from (never bought) but these

boots are super comfortable. amazingly comfortable! i bought

the typewriter tee at union square market when i was visiting

for BEA. it reads: Tap That on the bottom. *guffaws*

*on my last full day in our wonderful writing villa, i went

to our own rooftop garden to take some fotos.

*a view of probably one of the biggest hot

tubs in san miguel. it’s only meant to be a heated pool,

but let’s just say i wasn’t complaining when we prematurely

used up all the propane. ahem.

*i wasn’t able to get a complete group foto with

the lovely ladies of the retreat. so there are two!

(me, holly, sarah and delia.)

(me, holly, cassie and sarah.)

and now, i tackle revising novel 3 for the final time!

so close. =D

and yes. it was indeed a Big Adventure for me!

i just returned from a week long writing retreat

in gorgeous San Miguel de Allende. the reason it

was a Big Adventure is twofold:

1. this was the first writing retreat i had ever attended.

2. this was the first time i've truly traveled abroad

for pleasure since my ten year anniversary trip to fiji

back in 2007.

i honestly didn't know what to expect.

and i worried–as even tho i've been to many

countries and love traveling–i had never traveled

abroad alone. even if mexico is pretty close.

also, i'm just a worrier. it's only become worse

since spawning the rabid monkeys. it is my new

superpower. haha!

well, i needn't have worried. one of the reasons

i couldn't say no to this retreat was because it had

authors attending whom i like that wrote books i love.

i had met delia sherman, sarah rees brennan, holly

black and cassandra clare before and had hung out

with all of them briefly–but never like this!

never in a bubble of non-stop books, craft and plot

talk. in the pool. over meals. while walking to restaurants

or going for ice cream. there was always someone to Talk

Story with. and it was amazing and wonderful. it truly felt

magical and like a trip of a lifetime.

now i want to go back!

but instead, i console myself by sharing fotos! =D

*the cathedral on the square.

*and this was the converging crowd in front of it on a

sunday afternoon. theo asked if i wanted to take a foto

with those giant puppet things in the back, but NO, i was

too afraid. *runs away screaming*

*the same cathedral lit up gloriously at night. the square

is especially filled with tourists and locals with families on weekends,

but also on weekdays, late into the evenings. the san miguel

folk definitely enjoyed their outdoor space and sense of community.

*walking down hilly cobblestoned paths for an

early dinner.

*this was our earliest dinner at 6.30pm on a roof deck

mexican restaurant. (delicious!) i think it was early because

we were meeting Franny Billingsley (who happened to be there

for a writing conference). she was lovely to meet and, of course,

we talked books! it was especially cool as both Franny and Delia

had just found out they had been short listed for the Norton for

Chime and The Freedom Maze.

*the restaurant was next to this cathedral? the architecture

and colors of the city were gorgeous.

*i wandered alone on the roof top a bit to snap

touristy fotos. how could i resist? it was a beautiful sunset.

*another view from the roof top deck.

*(this foto just fills me with joyful glee!)

for all you sarah rees brennan fans out there, you may

or may not know this, but sarah's grace (as introduced

by kristin cashore) is "reenactment". partly because she has

a boundless and astounding memory, and partly because she

can reenact with such enthusiastic conviction. we were very

much entertained!

*theo (who is an artist) proved to be an excellent

shopping companion with fantastic taste. (i would venture

that he is much more chic than i am and has more Exciting

Clothes than i do as well! 8) i did get some great shopping in

and am the owner of a gorgeous pair of boots thanks to theo's

addiction to boot hunting. he stopped to buy a pinata. it was a hot

day and we were hauling four pairs of boots between us, i think.

*thanks to delia for taking a foto of me in my cool

new cowgirl boots. they are super pointy in the front which

is something i shy away from (never bought) but these

boots are super comfortable. amazingly comfortable! i bought

the typewriter tee at union square market when i was visiting

for BEA. it reads: Tap That on the bottom. *guffaws*

*on my last full day in our wonderful writing villa, i went

to our own rooftop garden to take some fotos.

*a view of probably one of the biggest hot

tubs in san miguel. it's only meant to be a heated pool,

but let's just say i wasn't complaining when we prematurely

used up all the propane. ahem.

*i wasn't able to get a complete group foto with

the lovely ladies of the retreat. so there are two!

(me, holly, sarah and delia.)

(me, holly, cassie and sarah.)

and now, i tackle revising novel 3 for the final time!

so close. =D

okay, lovely peoples.

it doesn't get better than this when

it comes to my Thank Goodness It's Free Books

Monday! giveaway! FIVE fabulous books including

two ARCs from my own rad publisher, greenwillow!

i've read all these novels, and they are fantastic!

WINNER TAKES ALL. yep. you want this.

in celebration of Black Hole Sun coming out in

paperback on 2/28/2012, you'll get a copy of this

along with an ARC of Invisible Sun! both action packed

reads. get ready to take a twisty ride through mars!

Mars stinks

It's hot. The air reeks of burning fuel; the rivers and lakes seethe with sulfur. In the shadows, evil men plot terror and beasts hunt the innocent. Out on the barren crags of the terraformed planet, there is nowhere to hide. No one to heed a call for help.

No one, except Durango.

You don't want to mess with Durango.

He left his crew behind.

His father is dead.

And he's going to prove himself to Vienne,

even if he dies trying.

As he races through flood and fire and across a violent and terrifying planet,

there's a 97% chance he's going to die trying.

But who's counting.

the much anticipated Masque of the Red Death ARC!

so happy to have bethany (who've i've known online since

before i was agented!) as a fellow greenwillowite!

Everything is in ruins.

A devastating plague has decimated the population, and those who are left live in fear of catching it as the city crumbles around them.

So what does Araby Worth have to live for?

Nights in the Debauchery Club, beautiful dresses, glittery makeup . . . and tantalizing ways to forget it all.

But in the depths of the club—in the depths of her own despair—Araby will find more than oblivion. She will find Will, the terribly handsome proprietor of the club, and Elliott, the wickedly smart aristocrat. Neither is what he seems. Both have secrets. Everyone does.

And Araby may find not just something to live for, but something to fight for—no matter what it costs her.

Nightspell (hardcover), the companion to leah cypess'

debut, Mistwood. i loved this even more than the first!

Here be ghosts, the maps said, and that was all.

In this haunted kingdom, ghosts linger—not just in the deepest forests or the darkest caverns, but alongside the living, as part of a twisted palace court that revels all night and sleeps through the daylight hours.

Darri's sister was trapped in this place of fear and shadows as a child. And now Darri has a chance to save her sister . . . if she agrees to a betrothal with the prince of the dead. But nothing is simple in this eerie kingdom—not her sister, who has changed beyond recognition; not her plan, which will be thrown off track almost at once; and not the undead prince, who seems more alive than anyone else.

In a court seething with the desire for vengeance, Darri holds the key to the balance between life and death. Can her warrior heart withstand the most wrenching choice of all?

and finally, Entwined (hardcover), a fabulous retelling of the

twelve dancing princess. and is it me, or are all of

these covers stunning in their own ways? yes, yes they are. =)

Come and mend your broken hearts here.

Just when Azalea should feel that everything is before her—beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing—it's taken away. All of it. And Azalea is trapped. The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. So he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest, but there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things. Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

…

ridiculously awesome, right? right.

again, winner takes all. so go ahead and tweet,

fb status, LJ, blog and spread the word about this

contest with a link back to this post. please comment

in this post with that link! on twitter, a retweet back to

me is an official entry, but no guarantee i won't lose it.

you know how twitter is. so be sure to comment here to

ensure i know you've entered! =D

i'll choose a random winner on wednesday, 2/29!

only sending to US mailing addresses only. good luck!

after a month of trying to paint classic chinese beauties,

i finally painted one that i love last night. as you can see,

she's far from complete. i've been using a great book to

learn from, and the original painting is a circular one. the

woman is resting her elbow on a rock (which i've sketched

out lightly)  and there's a tree behind her with leaves. i

hope to complete the painting as best i can, but at this point,

it's always a matter of me thinking:

please don't screw it up. please don't screw it up.

haha!

my classmates really liked her too and said that

i painted a better face than the original and that my

woman looks stronger. win! =D i'm especially proud

of her arm and hand. many artists will agree that hands

are one of the most difficult subjects to draw. and i

decided last night i wasn't going to practice (this was

my first hand, really!) and the painting gods were with

me and it came out all right!

i also love her face.

and the overall pose and feel of this painting.

it really does feel like magic when a painting

comes together like this for me.

so hoorah!

i hope to make some progress in

class next week and share again. not

sure if i'll finish her before my mexico writing

retreat next weekend tho?

what do you think of my chinese beauty? =D

happy weekend!

hello lovely readers!

well, i decided after more than a decade of

being a brush student, i had to finally attempt

people. classic chinese beauties, to be specific.

this is my third week working on the women.

people are hard to draw, hard to paint. i think they

are one of the most challenging subjects personally.

normally, i never share unfinished paintings. these are just

sketches i'm working with, striving for a final painting

worth backing and framing. but i just signed up

for tumblr, which makes it seem easy and casual to

just throw up a few images.

then realized it might be interesting for you to see

an unfinished painting. the journey to the final, as it

were. so here they are. both sketches. the subject is

definitely challenging but i'm enjoying it a lot. i especially

love painting their hair, their accessories and their dress–

they remind me of the two girls i'm writing about in my

current xia novel. =)

also, follow me on tumblr! http://cindypon.tumblr.com

*she looks rather kissy, doesn't she? 8)

*the proportions are challenging. but i love this

one's pose.

hi lovely readers!

it’s been a while since i’ve done a tgifbm! give

away, so let’s start the year off right! these are all

YA novels that i enjoyed reading recently and pubbed

in 2011 or, in the case of Cinder, just released this year!

they are all hardcovers and I Will Save You is a signed

copy by matt.

WINNER TAKES ALL!

Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.

The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.

Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.

Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

Kidd is running from his past and his future. No mom, no dad, and there’s nothing for him at the group home but therapy. He doesn’t belong at the beach where he works either, unless he finds a reason to stay.

Olivia is blond hair, blue eyes, rich dad. The prettiest girl in Cardiff. She’s hiding something from Kidd—but could they ever be together anyway?

Devon is mean, mysterious, and driven by a death wish. A best friend and worst enemy. He followed Kidd all the way to the beach and he’s not leaving until he teaches him a few lessons about life. And Olivia.

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

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

rad reads, right?

you know the rules: tweet, fb status,

live journal or blog, etc, with a link back

to this post. make sure you leave your link in

the comments section of this post to enter.

i will be sending books to a US mailing address

only, alas, as it’s a heavy stash.

contest closes next friday, 1/27, when i’ll

draw a random winner. good luck!!