Mary E. Pearson's Blog, page 2

Happy New Year!

2015 was a wild, jam-packed year.
It left me tired, and breathless, and ever so grateful.
And as 2015 was winding down I was finally able to finish the  draft of THE BEAUTY OF DARKNESS, Book 3 of The Remnant Chronicles! Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Milestone achieved!
Here's a Flipagram (My first one! Are you on Flipagram?) which gives you a quick glimpse of 2015--and what it's like writing a first draft while a whole LOT of other stuff is going on!
Deep. Breath.
THANK YOU to all of you who helped make 2015 an amazing year.  I loved that I got to meet so many new fans, and reconnect with old ones! And continued thanks for your blogs, tweets, instagrams, book tubes, and all the ways you spread the word about The Remnant Chronicles and embraced Lia, Rafe, and Kaden's world. YOU are the best.
And now 2016 is starting out with a bang!
MORRIGHAN, my e-novella which is a prequel to The Remnant Chronicles, is out on January 12!!! I'm very excited!  It's an ebook and there are lots of places where you can preorder and download it. My publisher has more information HERE  on the remnantchronicles.com site.

I hope you love this tale the way I do. It started out as a short story, but then the characters of Morrighan and Jafir took hold of my heart, and a hundred pages later I was still engrossed in their world and lives. I learned their secrets, their hopes, and their sorrows even as I wrote the story. It was both heartbreaking and a joy to watch it unfold.

MORRIGHAN, is about the girl Morrighan, who is the namesake of Lia's kingdom, and also about Jafir, a boy from a clan of scavengers, two young people trying to survive on their own terms in a world that has been devastated by disaster. When they meet, history is changed forever, both for them and all the kingdoms of the Remnant yet to come.Before borders were drawn, before treaties were signed,
before wars were waged anew,
before the great kingdoms of the Remnant were even born
and the world of old was only a hazy slate of memory told in story and legend,
a girl and her family fought to survive. And that girl’s name was Morrighan.
​
 So to celebrate a new year and two new books on the horizon, I think it's time for a giveaway! Don't you?  
Enter for a chance to win one prize package that includes:
One signed paperback of
​The Kiss of Deception
One signed map/poster
Remnant Chronicles Stickers

Go #TeamLIA!a Rafflecopter giveaway Thank you for marking your calendars for January 12 and the e-novella MORRIGHAN!

​Happy New Year all! I hope the coming year brings you peace and the best kinds of challenges.

​XO

Crazy Good News Recap

It has been an INSANE  week for news!
Good news!

First off, THIS:
It was announced on Thursday that
The Adoration of Jenna Fox is coming to the BIG SCREEN! I am ecstatic! 
And there's already an amazing script written by the equally amazing, Garry Williams. 
You can get the scoop here at Deadline Hollywood , and the full press release from Dolphin Entertainment who is making the film!
Hooray!!!

AND . . .
        drumroll . . .

The cover for the final book in The Remnant Chronicles has been unveiled! 
Oh, my aching heart.
I LOVE it.
I hope you do too!
#TeamLia all the way!

The Beauty of Darkness will be rolling your way August 2, 2016!

And last but not least,
I just found out that
The Kiss of Deception was voted a YALSA Teens' Top Ten Title.
27,000 readers cast a vote! 
Wow.
I'm absolutely thrilled that TKOD was included with so many amazing books. THANK YOU to all the readers who voted!!

Whew, crazy fun week.

XO

Thank you!!!!

Putting it out there right now--this post is all about wild THANKS!!!

While on tour I got the incredible, amazing news that THE HEART OF BETRAYAL made the  New York Times Bestseller List!!!!! I was alone in my hotel room when my editor called and this was pretty much her on one end of the phone and me on the other:
And add in a lot more screaming and jumping up and down.

So . . . to all the fans who blogged, shouted, tweeted, shared, and spread the news in all possible ways--and of course read The Kiss of Deception and The Heart of Betrayal--YOU made it happen!
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And THANK YOU to my amazing publisher who made this book so beautiful and touchable and sent me out on tour to meet face to face so many awesome fans, booksellers, and librarians. It was so much fun to talk with you and hear your thoughts (and hunches, hopes, and guesses) on Lia, Rafe, Kaden, and the Remnant world!

And special THANKS to these bloggers who just hosted my blog tour! Many of them still have giveaways going on, so go visit their sites--and learn some insights too!

Tale of Ravenous Readers - Playlist for The Heart of Betrayal
Two Chicks on Book s - An improved menu for Lia
Too Fond of Books - Interview
Eater of Books - Character Names
Step into Fiction - Review
Fierce Reads Tumblr - Pinterest Visuals for the Remnant Chronicles
BookiEmoji - Geographic Inspirations
My Friends Are Fiction - #TeamLia
A Perfection Called Books - Vendan Culture
Stuck in YA Books - Review
FictionFare - Review
Belle of the Literati - Literary Heroines

Also, THANK YOU to all these bookstores who hosted me on tour! There may still be signed books available at some of these stores if you'd like a signed copy. Check with them!

Books of Wonder, New York NY
Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville IL
Watermark Books, Wichita KS
Tattered Cover Aspen Grove, Littleton CO
Kepler’s, Menlo Park CA
Books Inc, Burlingame CA
Barnes and Noble, Mira Mesa CA
Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego CA
Blue Willow, Houston TX
Barnes & Noble, Irving TX
BookPeople, Austin TX

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Now . . . back to work!

XOXOX

The Heart of Betrayal!

Tomorrow is the big day! 

The Heart of Betrayal will be here!

THANK YOU to all of you who have been shouting out, sharing your excitement, and spreading the word for this book. I am enormously grateful!

Lots of things happening this week to celebrate! I will be leaving on tour--both real and virtual.  Some awesome bloggers will be hosting me at their sites (thank you!!) with all manner of insights and tidbits about The Heart of Betrayal.  And there will be giveaways! The schedule is posted below. I hope you will drop by their sites and leave a comment!

I am also hitting the real road.  First stop, Books Inc. in Burlingame, CA for a launch party! The celebrations will continue at more stores and venues including Comic Con in San Diego. See that full schedule below too!

Sending you flowers and cheers and all kinds of thanks for your support!!  XO
BLOG TOUR!

Tuesday, July 7
Tale of Ravenous Readers
Two Chicks on Books

Wednesday, July 8
Too Fond of Books

Thursday, July 9
Eater of Books
Step into Fiction

Friday, July 10
Fierce Reads Tumblr
BookiEmoji

Saturday, July 11
My Friends Are Fiction

Sunday, July 12
A Perfection Called Books

Monday, July 13
Stuck in YA Books
FictionFare

Tuesday, July 14
Belle of the Literati
A Backwards Story

HITTING THE ROAD!
(I hope I get to meet you IRL at one of these stops! And there will be cool SWAG! Come!)

Tuesday, July 7 at  7pm
Books Inc, Burlingame, CA
Not Your Mother's Book Club

Wednesday, July 8 at 7pm
Barnes and Noble, Mira Mesa CA
With YA Author Marie Rutkoski!

Thursday, July 9 at 5pm
San Diego Comic Con
SIGNING at Macmillan Kids Booth #1117

Friday, July 10 at 10am
San Diego Comic Con
Panel: Romantic Adventure, Room # 32AB
Signing 11:30am in Autograph Area: AA09

Friday, July 10 at 7:30pm
Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore, San Diego, CA
 
Wednesday, July 15 at  7pm
Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston TX
With YA author Jennifer Mathieu!

Thursday, July 16 at 2pm and at 7pm
Teen Party at 2pm
Author Panel at 7pm
Irving Public Library Summer Event, Irving TX

Friday July 17 -  7pm
BookPeople, Austin TX
Moderated by Katie Bartow of Mundie Moms!

The Heart of Betrayal launch!

The tour continues to launch THE HEART OF BETRAYAL on July 7! I'm so excited!! Here's the schedule of coming stops and events. Swag! Sweets! Secrets! More guests and moderators! Awesome bookstores, libraries, and SDCC! The only thing missing is YOU! But you'll be there, right?!!!

Can't wait to see you!

And here's a few pictures from previous stops and events . . .

The Remnant Chronicles Tour!

Here I come! And my fingers are majorly crossed that I get to see YOU!
      14 events!
      12 cities!
      1 excited author!
I'm hitting the road to celebrate the June 2nd paperback publication of The Kiss of Deception, and also to celebrate The Heart of Betrayal which will be here on July 7!

Lots of fun, possibly some secret spillage, awesome YA authors and bloggers, and there will be some cool exclusive REMNANT WORLD swag to be had only at these events! Plus . . .



. . . there will also be a drawing at each stop on the tour and ONE lucky attendee will win this custom designed charm made just for The Remnant Chronicles world! It's about five inches long, and let me tell you, it's gorgeous. I'm hanging mine from a belt loop, or maybe a necklace--or maybe both!

While on tour, I'll be explaining the symbolism behind the elements in this "remembrance chain," specifically how it plays out in The Heart of Betrayal.


So . . . *drumroll* to help spread the word and kick off the tour, I am giving away one of these beautiful charms here, along with a signed paperback of The Kiss of Deception! All you have to do to enter for a chance to win is:
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Follow me on Twitter and share the tweet in the Rafflecopter entry form below.

One winner, and yes, open to international!
TOUR STOPS . . .
Celebrating  June 2nd publication of The Kiss of Deception paperback!

Sunday, June 7 -  4pm
Books of Wonder, New York NY (with YA author Marie Rutkoski!)
Tuesday, June 9 -  7pm
Anderson’s Bookshop, Naperville, IL
Wednesday, June 10 -  6pm
Watermark Books, Wichita KS (with YA author Bethany Hagen!)
Thursday, June 11 -  7pm
Tattered Cover Aspen Grove, Littleton CO
Friday, June 12 -  7pm
Kepler’s, Menlo Park, CA (with Book Blogger Nancy Sanchez!)

More stops to celebrate July 7th publication The Heart of Betrayal!

Tuesday, July 7 -  7pm
Books Inc, Burlingame, CA
Wednesday, July 8 - 7pm
Barnes and Noble, Mira Mesa CA
Thursday and Friday, July 9-10
San Diego Comic Con - more details to come!
July 11 and 12
SoCal appearances To Be Announced!
Wednesday, July 15 -  7pm
Blue Willow, Houston TX
Thursday, July 16, times to be announced
Irving Public Library Summer Event, Panel and Teen Party, Irving TX
Friday, July 17 -  7pm
BookPeople, Austin TX (with Book Blogger Mundie Moms!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway I REALLLLLY hope I get to meet you at one of these events!

XO

Hitting the Road . . .

A tour for The Kiss of Deception paperback!
And to give you sneak peeks of The Heart of Betrayal which will be coming right on its heels in July!  Hope I see you at one of these events!

The Heart of Betrayal--thank you!

The release of The Heart of Betrayal is getting closer and I wanted to take a moment to send bouquets of gratitude  and enormous thanks to readers and bloggers who have been  spreading the word! You are the best! I loved hearing your thoughts--and watching your gifs : )

"One hell of a thrill ride. I am already dying for the next book!"
--Starry-Eyed Jen, a review in gifs

"I about died reading this book. It was everything I wanted it to be plus so much more. I wasn't sure how she was to exceed the first book but have no fear, she does it."
--Jessica Reigle, Step into Fiction

"High stakes action . . .  She's a bad ass heroine, and it's an absolute treat to watch her grieve and grow."
--Christina Reads YA

"The world building is beautiful A book that makes you think . . .  I HIGHLY recommend this series."
--Bang Bang Book Blog

"Packed with twists and turns, and the intrigues and games played for survival makes for a fast paced book . . .  a fantastic read and I can't wait for the next book!!"
-- Books Minority

"I loved her backbone. If you love a fantasy story with a heroine that only grows stronger throughout the books, then you should start this series!"
--Bibliophilia Thank you all again for reading and sharing. As I get more blog reviews I will share them!

Delicious news coming soon--stay tuned!

XO

Choose Your Kingdom! And Giveaway!

Three months from today The Heart of Betrayal will be out!
To celebrate, let's give away some stuff!  Here's how it's going down.

In The Remnant Chronicles there are three major kingdoms: 
1. Morrighan
2. Dalbreck
3. Venda
There is a coat of arms for each kingdom depicting their strengths and histories. You can see all three of them on the map inside the book and also here on the Coat of Arms page.
The elements in each shield tell a story of their own.
Besides the major kingdoms in The Remnant Chronicles, there are nine Lesser Kingdoms. They are:
4.   Gastineux
5.   Cortenai
6.   Eislandia (hidden on map, just to the left of the Infernaterr)
7.   Gitos
8.   Terquoi Tra
9.   Azentil
10. Cruvas
11. Candora
12. Reux Lau

Like most kingdoms, the Lesser Kingdoms have their own histories and strengths, from the great fishing vessels in Gastineux, to the mystics of Terquoi Tra, to the questionable black market traders of Reux Lau--and everything in between--farmers, fisherman, metalsmiths, miners, musicians, loggers, artisans, hunters, and more.

So here's the scoop . . .
To enter for a chance to win the giveaway all you need to do is, in the comments below:
1. Choose your kingdom!

2. Choose your role. Are you a royal? An artisan? Poet? Merchant? Scholar? Thief? Soldier? Spy? It takes all kinds to run a kingdom.

3. List two attributes or objects that might appear on your personal coat-of-arms. A book? A heart? A pen? A mask?

4. Follow me on Twitter and share tweet in Rafflecopter entry form below

And what's at stake in this prize package?  All of this:
A signed copy of The Kiss of Deception , AND an ARC (advanced reading copy) of The Heart of Betrayal , AND the map poster, plus Remnant button, bookmark, and stickers!
And there will be TWO winners! Yes, open to international!
Example entry. If Eben were entering, his comment would look like this:
1. Venda
2. Assassin in training
3. Knife, horse.
And then Eben would follow me on Twitter and share the tweet!

*A fun bonus:  Once the contest is over and winners have been announced, I will pull a random kingdom out of a hat.  Anyone who chose that kingdom in their comment will get a signed bookmark and #TeamLia sticker!


a Rafflecopter giveaway Good luck!

XO

The Winner's Crime!

"But Kestrel had seen how the emperor loved to shape silence into a tool that pried open the anxieties of others." It's here!  At last!
And oh my.
Was the wait ever worth it!

Marie Rutkoski utterly captivated me with the first book of this trilogy, The Winner's Curse.
I loved her prose.
I loved the premise. 
I loved Kestrel and Arin.
It was the perfect storm for a story and like everyone else I couldn't wait to fall back into this world.

The Winner's Crime did not disappoint. I devoured it and then when I got close to the end, I set it aside--for about five minutes. Yes! Torture!  I didn't want it to end. I was afraid!

With good reason.

Marie Rutkoski is wonderfully ruthless. The stakes have been upped in the most delicious and deadly ways.  Hurry! Read it! And our hearts can pound together.