Marta Acosta's Blog, page 7

Happy Holidays and a New Book

 I've got a few more errands to do for tomorrow and I'm thinking that maybe I should close the windows and make myself a cup of tea before I attack the gift wrapping.

I realized that my story, Wolfish in Sheep's Clothing, will be available very soon in The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance. The release date is January 4, 2011. How, you may ask, did I come to write a story about Scottish romance? Well, I was whining to another author that I never get asked to contribute to anthologies and she said, "Let me send an email to my editor." Ten minutes later, Trisha Telep invited me to contribute a story.

Trisha edits the Mammoth books of vampire and paranormal romance, so I thought I would be doing a vamp story. Nope, she needed a book for the Scottish romance anthology. I wrote the story based on an idea I had about a woman getting stood up by her friends at a restaurant, meeting a fabulous man, and having a weekend fling. Of course, even weekend flings turn out to be more complicated than one expects.

I'm please to see that Haunted Honeymoon has been included on a few "Best of 2010" lists. I'm finally ready to leave Milagro and her friends for a while. I was moping for a few months. Yes, moping and whining. My young nephew recently told me, "I love to whine."

"Why?"

"Sometimes it's the only thing you can do."

As much fun as moping and whining are, I've got my editor's notes for the rewrite of my young adult gothic. The manuscript is due in two months and the book will be out in a little more than a year. We're thinking of a new title. (Former title: The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove.)

Have a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous New Years!

Doing My Homework!

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A reader sent me an email commenting that I hadn't blogged lately, and I wrote back and said, I blog every day! Just not here. You can always find me at Vampire Wire or send me an email.

Haunted Honeymoon was nominated as a Paranormal Fiction book of the year in the Romantic Times Reviewers Choice contest! Wonderful reviews are still coming in, including this one from Danielle at Alpha Reader:

'Haunted Honeymoon' does pack quite a punch. I cried, I laughed, I yelled at certain characters when they didn't chase after the girl or made inappropriate marriage proposals. But overall I got a sense of hope from this final 'Casa Dracula' novel...

This is the grand finale for Milagro de Los Santos – and her send-off is absurdly wonderful and befitting the unique 'Casa Dracula' series. Milagro's love life is sorted out, once and for all. She accepts hard truths and her own limitations, and the book finishes on a beautiful note of Scarlett-esque proportions; 'tomorrow is another day'.

I'm trying to consolidate my sites, so I closed my Grace Coopersmith webpage and just did an easier blog for my Nancy's Theory of Style book. I loved this book, but it sank out of sight without notice. Do you think this had anything to do with the cover featuring a roll of toilet paper? Could it have been because someone (cough cough my publisher) mistakenly listed an obscure Irish literature distributor as the only source for the book?

I'm finally beginning to get my brain away from the wacky world o' Casa Dracula (I imagine Milagro is getting a tan as we speak, enjoying her fabulous honeymoon) and sinking into the sordid world of my adult gothic. I'm trying not to get too caught up in the details because it's easy to get distracted by research.

Here is a picture of my desk at home. You can see the bright green I painted my alcove in a fit of madness. The tin can that I use to hold pens belonged to my grandmother. My friend Peggy gave me the beautiful Redwing pottery planter that I use for postcards and notes. My desk is an indestructible Steelcase and the file cabinets just glide out. My wonderful Slinky is by my new laptop, which is pink, a color I can't appreciate, since I'm always looking at the open screen.

I hope you all will have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Haunted Honeymoon Now Available!

[image error]Haunted Honeymoon was released a week earlier than originally scheduled, which means that my already chaotic blog tour got even more chaotic. The best way to find out where I am is to check my Vampire Wire blog or Twitter, which I've got on the sidebar here.

One of the Casa Dracula fans, Tanya, was kind enough to send this photo of Haunted Honeymoon in a display at Borders in New York. Thanks, Tanya!

I've just spent the last hour fighting with this website. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to manage the site on my own. I should probably take a class. For example, I can't figure out how to make hard returns not double-space on this site. It should be simple, but it isn't.  Please forgive all the formatting inconsistencies.

Haunted Honeymoon is getting great reviews and I'm hearing from readers about how much they love the ending! One reviewer called it "a miraculous ending." How fitting, since Milagro means miracle!

Blog Tour & More

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 Please check out my Events page, since I'm visiting several blogs to celebrate the release of Haunted Honeymoon.  I'll also be speaking at Litquake in San Francisco on October 3.

Also, I've updated my Extras page with free reads and an audio clip of me reading the Prologue to Haunted Honeymoon.  I wish I could sound more like Milagro, but I tried my best! I've also got bookmarks and postcards, so send me an email with your mailing address if you'd like any.

The latest reviews for my new book have been wonderful.

"If I had known Marta's books were so damn hilarious I would have started reading them along time ago...This action packed book kept me turning pages wanting- no needing to know what was going to happen. Would Milagro end up with Oswald or Ian? Would she get her memory back so she could make the right choice?  Fabulous book." -- Fang-Tastic Books

"Marta Acosta has written a superb ending for her Casa Dracula series...Marta  has combined a wild sense of humor with a believability of characters and plot. Haunted Honeymoon is no exception. Milagro is a terrific character. Too bad she isn't real. I would love to meet her!" -- Patricia's Vampire Notes

"The fourth Casa Dracula fantasy is a clever and fascinating entry as Marta Acosta brilliantly uses amnesia to bring the heroine back to her pre Happy Hour at Casa Dracula carefree roots. Fast-paced, Haunted Honeymoon is a brisk breezy thriller as Milagro proves you can go home, sort of." -- World of Wonders

Free Read of Nancy's Theory of Style - Draft

[image error]I've just posted the draft of Nancy's Theory of Style, the novel I wrote under my pen name Grace Coopersmith, at Scribd. My terrific web and promo material designer, Alexia Vondrachek came up with an eye-catching new cover for this e-read.

Read the draft of Nancy's Theory of Style now!

Anyone can read it at Scribd, download it to their computer, e-reader, or mobile device.  It's such a fun, romantic story that I hope word will spread about it.

Like my characters, I'm a little self-delusional.  I think it's a necessary quality for a writer.  The publishing business is so insane that you have to be a dreamer to believe you'll have a career.  And I believe that people will really love this book if they have the chance to read it. 

Nancy is a girl you love to hate.  She's rich, spoiled, pretty, and finicky.  She's obsessed with details and thinks that if her life is perfectly stylish, she'll be happy.  When her husband turns her dream house into an ugly McMansion, she returns to her family-owned apartment in posh Pacific Heights, supposedly to work on her event planning business.  She hires the perfect assistant, Derek, who is gorgeous, gay, British, and impeccable.  She gets the perfect assignment, reinventing San Francisco's most prestigious -- and most boring -- event.  Things are going well until her irresponsible cousin abandons her four-year-old at Nancy's place.  Will Nancy risk the things she's always wanted for those she comes to care for?

"Always popping and bubbling in a giddy, effervescent fizz.... Wonderful fun.... It's my favorite kind of redemption story." — Rebecca Baumann,  Dirty Sexy Books

"Chick-lit with brains, manners, zest, and know-how." —Leah Garchik, San Francisco Chronicle

"A witty, emotion-packed contemporary romance novel that will leave you longing for the story to go on. I loved this story. Full of well-drawn charismatic characters, wit, a delightful plot, and imagination, this book is a winner."  —Romance Junkies

"Nancy's Theory of Style is a fiercely fun and witty contemporary love story nestled in one of San Francisco's trendiest neighborhoods, Pacific Heights. San Francisco native Grace Coopersmith introduces the world to Nancy Edith Carrington-Chambers, a stylish young socialite who leaves her marriage and opens a party planning and style business, challenging her to dodge the curveballs life can throw at you. This heartwarming and romantic story will have readers pacing in their Prada's to see what happens next." -- Nob Hill Gazette

I hope you'll have the chance to read the draft (typos and all) and tell your friends.  You can purchase the book from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, IndieBound and other retailers, and learn more about it at my Grace Coopersmith website.

New Rave Reviews for Casa Dracula Books!

Right now I'm trying to schedule my blog tour for Haunted Honeymoon, which means that I actually have to look at a real calendar instead of just googling "calendar" and trying to figure out what day it is.  One day slips into another here in the foggiest, coldest summer I've ever experienced.  It's hot tea drinking, sweater wearing, thick socks cold.

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula just got a great review from Abigail at All Things Urban Fantasy:

Funny and urban fantasy are not words that often go together, at least not intentionally, but Happy Hour at Casa Dracula is the rare exception combining cool characters, witty dialogue, and laugh out loud moments in this Jane Austen channeled vampire romp.

The reviews are beginning to come in for Haunted Honeymoon, including this one from Jeanette at Today & Everyday:

I must say it is one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read, like delicious red velvet cupcakes yum! In Haunted Honeymoon you can definitely see Milagro's growth and change from book 1 and she has matured a great deal while still being true to her sassy, flirty self. She is a strong, kick ass chica that will forever be one of my favorites and while I am sad that her story is over, I am happy for the love and HEA she finally receives and deserves.

You know, after I had my first book published, a reader complained that there was "no HEA," and I had no idea what she meant.  I did an internet search, figured out that she probably didn't mean the Homer Electrical Association, and found out that HEA stands for Happily Ever After.  Who knew?  Well, Milagro certainly does get the ending she's earned in Haunted Honeymoon.

Tor Buys THE SHADOW GIRL OF BIRCH GROVE!

 

 

So here's the scoop!  The Shadow Girl of Birch Grove, my little orphan story that was being passed from one place to another and ignored, has been bought by Tor Books.   I walk around the house saying to The Spouse, "I'm very happy." 

As some of you know, I posted the entire manuscript over at Scribd as a free read.  I believed my Young Adult gothic was as good as my comedies, and I didn't understand why editors were either passing on it or ignoring it. (My agent still hasn't heard from some editors.) I was as angry and defensive as a mother who saw her homely, but marvelous child pushed aside while pretty vapid children were being praised.

I didn't care anymore if Shadow Girl was bought or not.  I just wanted it read and appreciated.

My marketing savant friend Michael has been telling me to post my writing for free. Naturally, I didn't believe him, because I'm pretty sure that marketing was Satan's minor at Damn U.  However, Michael's always annoyingly right.  Then Ransom Stephens told me about Scribd. Ransom's a phsyicist with a way cool name, so naturally I trust his opinions.

My thinking was something like, "Okay, fine, whatever, at least people will see it."  After I posted the manuscript, I blogged about it, tweeted about it, and mentioned it in newsletters and my other sites.  It was my pathetic version of a "My child's an honor student" bumper sticker. The number of reads rose at Scribd.  The book was reviewed by a few blogs and one reviewer, Amanda at Love Vampires, loved Shadow Girl so much that she designed a cover.  (Thanks, Amanda!)

An editor at Tor, where my book had been submitted,  contacted my agent and expressed interest.  I don't know the book's popularity at Scribd had anything to do with the interest. However, the reviews and readers' response became part of my agent's pitch to the editor.

So when a headline says, "Author posts book for free and gets book deal!" there's is not a clear cause and effect. A more accurate headline would be, "Author toils for years, gets good reviews, but moderate sales, and eventually sells another book which may or may not be connected to her embittered decision to post a neglected manuscript as a free read."

Yeah, I like the magical version better, too.

Now the funny part is that this story (the magical book sale version) has been picked up all over.  Even in the New Yorker's book blog.  I mentioned in the same blog as Martin Amis. I have a thing about Martin Amis, because a friend once told me, "I thought by now I'd be having dinner with Martin Amis." She didn't add, "Instead of a nitwit like you," but she didn't have to.  I've kinda resented Martin ever since.

New Cover & Title for Haunted Honeymoon

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I was really delighted when my editor sent me the new cover for Casa Dracula Book Four.  We've decided to shorten the title from Haunted Honeymoon at Casa Dracula to Haunted Honeymoon.  I'd just been blogging about black-and-blue themed covers that I liked and I had a secret wish that I could have a black-and-blue theme on my cover.  I didn't mention this to my editor, because I thought we had to continue the earlier red-black-white scheme.  So the shift in colors was a happy surprise.

[image error]One of my readers mentioned that the model looks like Natalie Dormer, who plays Anne Bolyn in BBC's The Tudors.  She does!  Although if Milagro had gotten stuck with Henry, there wouldn't have been any beheading or subsequent wives.  Also, the Royal Court would have had margaritas much earlier.

I like my cover model's mischievous smile.  You know she's fun.

I've seen the first few reviews of Haunted Honeymoon, and they're wonderful!  I'll share them when they're official.  I'll also be giving updates on an exciting new writing project.

New Rave for Happy Hour at Casa Dracula

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Happy Hour at Casa Dracula was just included in a new summer reading list from Gozamos!

FOR THOSE WHO LOVED THE TWILIGHT SAGA

Hell, even if you didn't like Twilight, you will love this vampire book! Happy Hour at Casa Dracula By Marta Acosta is written from the point of view of a bored-out-of-her-mind writer named Milagro de Los Santos. The broken-hearted Latina is having a bit of trouble getting over an ex who did her wrong. At a book party Milagro runs into a mysterious man- a vampire perhaps?

Nope, this book is not a cheesy romance novel (I promise!). The things that happen are a little over the top but you'll laugh at the characters' clumsiness and wit. I really enjoyed the mix of the modern, present setting with the Gothic Victorian narrative style the book had for describing the vampires. You'll devour it quickly: each chapter will leave you wanting to read more. If your looking for something on the romantic side but still has a sense of humor, I'd recommend this book!

 

My Fancy Alter Ego - Grace Coopersmith

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Last week I was busy because my new book, Nancy's Theory of Style, was released under my pen-name, Grace Coopersmith.  The reviews have been quite wonderful and the general consensus seems to be that this is exactly the right sort of funny, romantic, heartwarming book for the summer. 

"Nancy's Theory of Style is a witty, emotion-packed contemporary romance novel, which will leave you longing for the story to go on.  I loved this story. Five Blue Ribbons." — Romance Junkies

"Nancy's Theory of Style is a spectacular read! Perfect for the beach! Nancy has so many interesting quirks I was either laughing out loud, smiling, or just shaking my head.  I was rooting for her through-out the whole book." — Minding Spot

"Nancy's Theory of Style is a laugh out read! You don't want to miss this book…whether you are commuting to work, taking a road trip or heading to the beach. Nancy is a hoot. If she was real, I would be friends with her." — Cheryl's Book Nook

You can find out more at my Grace Coopersmith website.

 

 

In other news, my next Casa Dracula book will have the titled changed to Haunted Honeymoon.  The galleys just came out, and now I'm looking at books about honeymoons to see the cover art.  So far the one above is my favorite, but, really, what is going on with that weird vase and floral arrangement?

Next week, on June 3, I will be having a signing at Books Inc. in Berkeley, CA for Nancy's Theory of Style.   When my first book came out, I was quite flustered and excited about the launch.  I had it catered, there was wine, a band played, invitations went out a month in advance.  One of my author friends said that expecting friends and family to come every time is like expecting them to see you in the same play over and over.  So I'm relaxing a bit over the event.  I do hope a few people will show up.