Lisa Unger's Blog, page 13

Big Book Club Getaway (John Searles Selfie)

What a blessing to spend time with some of my favorite writers who are also some of my favorite people! Wise, warm, and funny observations, a great crowd, and lots of laughs at The Big Book Club Getaway .  Here I am with John Searles, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Tess Gerritsen, Alafair Burke and David Handler in a group selfie. Thanks to all!

 

Things I Know for Sure About Writing

For a couple of years now, I have been involved with a poetry group at Brookwood Florida, a home for adolescent girls who have been removed from their domestic situations because of abuse. Under the direction of the wonderful Jeanne Chase, some of the girls gather weekly to write. And the result is some of the most courageous poetry I have seen. Every year, Jeanne compiles the poetry into a book. And this year, we threw the girls a real author book release party at one of my favorite indies, Inkwood Books in Tampa.

I prepared a few words about writing, and what it has meant to me, and what I think it can mean for them if they keep at it. Though I wrote this for young women who are using poetry as a catharsis, as a way to make sense of their feelings, and as a step toward self-empowerment, it seems to me that some of this might be true for every writer. So, I thought I’d share some things that have certainly been true for me:

All you need to do to define yourself as a writer, is write. By this I don’t mean write a grocery list, or even a diary, or letters to your friend. What I mean is that you get quiet, dig deep and put down on the page the contents of your heart and soul to tell your truth. This might emerge as poetry, or fiction, or playwriting. It could take any number of forms. But if you do it; you’re a writer.
The act of writing is a reward in and of itself. You are enriched just by doing it.
The more you write, the better you will get.
The more you write, the better you will know yourself.
The more you write, the better you know yourself, the easier it gets to hear your own voice above the chatter of other voices.
If you can get quiet, dig deep, speak your truth and honor your own voice, you can begin to write yourself and your own future.
No one can write exactly like you. No one has ever walked in precisely your shoes. And no one can tell the story you have to tell.
We write our own stories. We can’t always control what happens to us in this life. We can’t choose where we come from, or how people have treated us. But we can choose how we move forward from difficult circumstances. Only you can write the story of you.

Crazy Love You – Advance Reader Copies!

Wow oh wow! The photo doesn’t capture how gorgeous, how shiny, candy apple red amazing are the ARC’s for CRAZY LOVE YOU. So exciting! (Don’t worry … I’ll save one for a giveaway!!) Thanks to the amazing team at Touchstone / Simon & Schuster!

 

 

Pinterest

Oooh … as if I need the distraction … I’m loving Pinterest! Come check out my boards about The Hollows, Lydia Strong, Ridley Jones … as well as my favorite places, restaurants, thoughts and more. And coming soon, boards on my 2015 releases CRAZY LOVE YOU and AMELIA STRANGE. It’s a work in progress!

Crazy Love You

I am thrilled to share with you the gorgeous cover for CRAZY LOVE YOU which will release in February, 2015!

Falling in love can feel like a dream… or a living nightmare.

Darkness has a way of creeping up when Ian is with Priss.  Even when they were kids, playing in the woods of their small Upstate New York town, he could feel it.  Still, Priss was his best friend, his salvation from the bullies who called him “loser” and “fatboy”… and from his family’s deadly secrets.

Now that they’ve both escaped to New York City, Ian no longer inhabits the tortured shell of his childhood.  He is a talented and successful graphic novelist, and Priss…Priss is still trouble.  The booze, the drugs, the sex—Ian is growing tired of late nights together trying to keep the past at bay.  Especially now that he’s met sweet, beautiful Megan, whose love makes him want to change for the better.  But Priss doesn’t like change.  Change makes her angry.  And when Priss is angry, terrible things begin to happen…

I hope you enjoy this very early look at the cover. I think it’s so evocative. Let me know what you think!

P.S.  You can read an excerpt of the new book in the just released paperback version of IN THE BLOOD!

IN THE BLOOD Paperback Release!

New short stories, Amelia Strange update and more!

I just completed a series of shorts set in The Hollows and focusing on one of my favorite characters psychic Eloise Montgomery. I am so excited about these three short stories that will release this fall.  I have been really wanting to spend more time with Eloise, and delving deeper into what has formed her, and these shorts were a perfect way to do that. More to come on this very soon!

I also turned in my revisions on AMELIA STRANGE AND THE DRAGON EGG (August 2015), my very first young adult fantasy novel! I can’t wait to share this new adventure with you. It has been such a joy to share it with my daughter Ocean. She has been involved with the story since I first started thinking about it. And Jeff is now reading it to her at bedtime. It’s really magical to talk with her about the characters and themes, and hear her questions and see her excitement with all the various elements of the book. I haven’t really been able to share anything like this with her before.  It’s a wonderful new chapter on our journey together.

The cover for CRAZY LOVE YOU (February 2015) is absolutely stunning! Which is so mean because we’re not quite ready to share it yet! Trust me. It’s killer. Stay tuned! Anyway, I am just finishing up first pass pages, which is the final place I can make any real changes. I’ll be sharing more about it as we draw closer to pub time.

What I’m watching:

You know you’re just a little bit in love with Siri. Come on, admit it.

This weekend, Jeffrey and I watched HER. It was sweet, sexy, smart — so beautifully written and acted. ‘s voice as operating system Samantha was hypnotic. It was definitely one of the best movie experiences I’ve had in a while. It’s such a joy to be surprised by a film, to find myself utterly transported. It also touched on a number of themes that I’m working on right now — and some that I’ve been exploring for a long time. What is love? What makes us who we are? How do our relationships change us, or show us new and different parts of the self? What does love promise and is that promise ever really fulfilled? Favorite line: The past is just a story we tell ourselves. (Samantha, the operating system with whom Theodore played by Joaquin Phoenix falls in love.) And I loved the Alien Child, such a mean, foul-mouthed little cutie.

What I’m reading:

This book is blowing my, er, mind.

The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Dr. Michio Kaku (my editor would lose her “mind” if she read this. I just used the same word four times without even completing two sentences). Wow, what can I say about this book? It’s a compelling, thought-provoking read about advancements in and the future of science and physics. New technologies are doing the impossible right now — recording memories, communicating telepathically, videotaping our dreams. Strangely, it also touches on some of the themes I mention above. And of course in the reading what looms largest is the question of consciousness — what is it? Are we just our brains? Does brain science disprove the existence of something beyond our biology?

I haven’t been super active on the social networks lately. But … guess who I just followed on Twitter???

George RR Martin, that’s who! I am having a total geek attack. Of course, there’s only one tweet and it’s about how he doesn’t hang out on Twitter. I don’t care. I worship him. If I ever meet you, George RR Martin, I am going to lay my head on your shoulder and ask you to tell me a story. So, watch out. (You should follow him. But don’t take up too much of his time! He needs to WRITE!)

Just a final note!

I came across this very interesting article on Alafair Burke’s page about how to support authors you love. The business is crazy and changing all the time. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s all about the readers. Authors write for you. Publishers publish for you. These are just a few ways you can wield your awesome power.

Try FRAGILE for $1.99!

The ebook of FRAGILE has been discounted to $1.99 for a short time.  Download the first book featuring detective Jones Cooper, psychic Eloise Montgomery, and my weird upstate New York town, The Hollows! This is one of my most personal books, and a place where some themes, characters, and ideas that I’m still exploring today first took shape.  You can get it from your favorite online bookseller, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo!  Enjoy!

 

 

IN THE BLOOD Optioned for TV!

A really stellar writer, director and producer team has optioned IN THE BLOOD for television!

Director Gary Fleder (Homefront, Kiss the Girls, Runaway Jury) and executive producer Mary Beth Basile of Mojo Films will begin shopping the treatment soon!  Send good vibes and I will certainly keep you posted!

Director Gary Fleder. Photo Credit: Pam Springsteen

About Gary Fleder

(from garyfleder.com)

Director Gary Fleder brings a photographer’s eye and a musician’s ear to every project, be it epic film or intimate TV drama.  From courtroom drama to psychological thriller to sweeping sports epic, Fleder keeps audiences on the edges of their seats.  Fleder has made his mark not only as a master of thrillers but also as a creator of authentic and compelling period dramas.

Homefront, Fleder’s next film, reaches theaters on November 27 for Open Road. The all-star cast includes Jason Statham, James Franco, Winona Ryder and Kate Bosworth in a script by Sylvester Stallone, based on the novel by Chuck Logan. Statham plays a former DEA agent who moves to a quiet town but must use his talents to protect his daughter and the town.

Fleder’s latest film, The Express (2008), brought the inspiring true story of Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis to a new generation, drawing critical praise and winning the 2009 ESPY Award for Best Sports Movie.  Rob Brown’s portrayal of Davis earned a nomination for an NAACP Image Award, affirming Fleder’s status as an “actor’s director” who gets the best from his casts.

Fleder’s adaptation of John Grisham’s bestselling novel Runaway Jury (2003), starring John Cusack and Academy Award® winners Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman, was a box-office smash and remains a favorite with audiences.

His feature film career began with the ensemble thriller Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), a black comedy that has earned cult status in both the U.S. and Europe.  Andy Garcia headed an all-star cast that included Christopher Walken, Treat Williams, and Steve Buscemi; after its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, the film garnered Fleder two awards from the Cognac Festival du Film Policier.  Since then, Fleder’s sure-handed direction has powered such gripping thrillers as Kiss the Girls (1997), starring Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman; Don’t Say a Word (2001), which featured Brittany Murphy and starred Michael Douglas; and Impostor (2003), a sci-fi thriller based on a Philip K. Dick short story, starring Gary Sinise, Madeleine Stowe, and Vincent D’Onofrio.

Fleder’s work in television has been equally compelling, beginning in 1993 with an award-winning episode of “Tales From the Crypt” that starred Roger Daltrey.  Since then, he has directed pilots and key episodes of several dramas, including “L.A. Doctors,” “Blind Justice,” “The Evidence,” “October Road,” and “Life on Mars,” “Happy Town” for ABC and the critically-acclaimed “Life Unexpected” for the CW.  In 2012, he directed episodes of the ABC series “The River” and the CBS series “Vegas,” as well as the pilot for “Beauty and the Beast” for the CW. Most recently, the CW has announced a pickup for his pilot “Star-Crossed,” a romantic drama written by Meredith Averill. Fleder also served as executive producer for “October Road” and “Life Unexpected.”  He collaborated with producer Tom Hanks on an episode of the the Emmy® Award winning mini-series “From The Earth To The Moon,” and directed Vincent D’Onofrio in a Peabody Award-winning performance in “The Subway,” a 1996 episode of “Homicide: Life on the Streets.”

Summer Reading from Alafair Burke, Chelsea Cain & More!

Wowee! This is going to be a SIZZLING summer for reading! Here are some fabulous upcoming releases from: Alafair Burke, Chelsea Cain, Linda Castillo and Martha Grimes. Of course, I get to read them all first.  Just sayin’. (Oh, okay! I’ll give them away.  Either post on Facebook or Sign Up for my newsletter for your chance to win!)