Joy Preble's Blog, page 30

In Which I Realize Interesting Connections

Well, ANASTASIA FOREVER arcs have been seeping into the world since TLA. But not everyone got to go to TLA. So tomorrow, I'll be doing a giveaway of an advanced reading copy, so spread the word! I can hardly believe that it's now less than three months until the book is finally here on August 1st.

In other news, here's something I realized the other day: I am currently writing books for both Sourcebooks and Soho Press. Both of my publishers are strong, creative women. Dominique Raccah at Sourcebooks is a keen analyst of publishing and the move to digital.  Bronwen Hruska, my delightful and brilliant publisher at Soho Press was recently lauded in Publisher's Weekly for her own keen eye since taking the helm in 2010. Two independent houses. Both run by women. Both allowing me to write stories with strong female characters.

At both houses, my publicists are from Houston (where I live) but now live and work in NYC. Pretty cool, huh?

I love those moments when some weird and interesting synchronicity occurs. Here's another one: when I graduated from Northwestern, my first job teaching English was at a high school in Naperville, IL. Fast forward a few years and there I was again, with Sourcebooks, a publisher located in Naperville, IL, now offering to publish my first book. The odds seem astronomical, but there you go.

This happens to me frequently, actually. I'll meet someone and realize some strange connection, some person or event or place we have in common that seems surfacely impossible and yet...

How about you? Any moments of synchronicity in your world?

Five for Friday

1. And the great landscaping project of 2012 is complete. I have a backyard again!.... which the dog can't run around for two solid weeks until the grass sets. Okay then.

2. About to work on the script for the ANASTASIA FOREVER book trailer that the fabulous Marianne Nowicki will be creating for me. Good way to spend a Friday morning!

3. And speaking of August's new book, I'll be doing a giveaway of an arc of ANASTASIA FOREVER next week! So stay tuned!

4. Am finishing Megan Miranda's Fractured, which has such  lovely style and such a gripping plot about a girl who falls under the ice, dies, and is revived after being underwater for eleven minutes.... and what happens after that. Lots of twists and turns in this one.

5. And mostly, I'm thinking about how fabulous book blogger Maria Cari Sotos (Cari's Book Blog) is. She volunteered to give my blog a facelift and wow!! She did a fabulous job, don't you think? THANK YOU, Mari Cari Soto! That's me and Maria at TLA, below!

All Shiny and New

Starting a new novel this week -- a mystery/thriller/romance I do believe, although sometimes the plan isn't what ends up on the page. I'm in that happy first date phase right now. We're getting to know each other, these new characters and I. Already I've discovered quirks and desires in them that I had no idea existed when I first sent my agent a basic thumbnail sketch of what I had in mind and she said, "go for it." One is funnier, one has deeper secrets, and they have told me (yes, they seem to do that) about their family and their childhood and a trip to the circus, which I totally wasn't expecting. Usually, I flesh out the mc first. But her sister spoke louder and the mc is the younger one and so I let the sister tell me stuff and it informed what the mc told me after that.

That was yesterday. Today I'm plotting and character developing some more and in the spirit of fresh starts, supervising (translate: watching out the window) as a crew digs up my back yard to make it all shiny and new, too. Drainage issues and a tree that we loved but whose roots had come up so much during our ongoing drought that it had to go because the yard had become an undraining swamp in spots, which is not what you want a yard to be. So... a drain and new grass and new shrubs and ground cover and then I said, "Oh what the heck. Fix the front, too."

Because home ownership = Money Pit. Did you ever see that movie? My husband can't even watch it because he sees it as a documentary. It is a phobia that has transferred to me and so I won't even post a clip for you, although I almost did.

Even my draft 3 of a book I hope to talk about eventually feels shiny and new because it's with agent Jen so I can imagine that it is totally perfect and she will say: "You know, it was so amazing that I sold it yesterday at auction without even involving you because really, I can say yes to a million dollars as well as you can. Plus they threw in a bag of Dove chocolate. The dark ones with the almonds. And an Sbux card." Even my daydreams are shiny and new today.

It's attitude, folks!

In other news:

Last call for Anastasia Forever Street team members. Email me if you're interested.

Going to be doing a Teen Writer's Workshop next Saturday 5/12 at Barbara Bush Library with the fabulous CC Hunter. 2 PM. Call the library to reserve a spot!

And in July, I'll be teaching workshops in Bay City and Huntsville!
More on all that soon.

And in the most thrilling shiny new news, my friend Lynne Kelly, Houston girl, YAHou, Apocalypsie member, all around talented and fabulous author, has written a phenomenal middle grade debut novel called CHAINED, which is already filtering into the stores but will officially be on the shelves on May 8th. More on that soon too! But here's what Amazon says:
After ten-year-old Hastin’s family borrows money to pay for his sister’s hospital bill, he leaves his village in northern India to take a job as an elephant keeper and work off the debt. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and hurt with a hook until she learns tricks perfectly. Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can, knowing that the only way they will both survive is if he can find a way for them to escape. 

Five for Friday

The dog is currently going mad from toaster waffle desire in case anyone wants to know. You know the phrase, "Like Pavlov's dog"? Yeah. Like that. Once I toasted two Eggos and gave her a bite. Now every time the toaster oven ticks or dings, she goes insane.
1. Draft 3 of the WIP off to agent this week. Now we wait.2. So we're having major back yard landscaping done. The guys from the cable company came to spray and put down flags so landscaping people won't dig up cables. They do this. Phone rings. It's my publicist. Who has interesting things to talk about. I let the crazy dog outside to run around. I talk. I hang up. Yeah, the dog has pulled up every little flag. They're in a decorative pile in the middle of the yard. I put them back.... maybe.3. First time ever, I am going to BEA (Book Expo of America) in NYC in June! More on this soon, but in a thrilling turn of fate, I will be signing advanced reading copies of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE, coming out next year from Soho Press. So if you're going to be there, too, stay tuned. And if you've ever been to BEA and have tips for BEA virgins, let me know.4. So many books on the TBR pile. But I think next up is the arc of Insurgent that I fought tooth and nail for at TLA!5. Just to make sure you understand this last one, let me clarify that the amazing Ruta Septys, who will be SCBWI LA in August, wrote an award winning book called Shades of Grey about a young Lithuanian girl fighting for her life w/her family against Soviet cleansing in 1941. It is brilliant and moving and everything a book should be. Got that? Remember it. There is also a very popular and um very racy series out there that has everyone turning the pages of their e-readers, called Fifty Shades of Grey. Got that? Remember it.
Okay here's number 5: my favorite conversational snippet of TxLA12 (and it happened just like this)Me: So who's read Fifty Shades of Grey?Person Who Shall remain Unnamed: Is that the Holocaust book?
And with that, I leave you.

Thanks TXLA12 !

Oh TXLA12! What a good time was had by all. I am very grateful to my publisher, Sourcebooks, for inviting me to come and arranging for me to sign advanced reading copies of ANASTASIA FOREVER. And the the YART committee for choosing me for the Texas Author's Tea and TT4L. It was all great fun. And getting copies of Anastasia Forever in readers' hands for the first time before it comes out in August was a huge rush of excitement!
But now I think I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. My Austin girl Jessica Lee Anderson, rocking her cowgirl hat while Geoff Herbach and our Sourcebooks Director of Children's Marketing and Publicity, Derry Wilkens is thinking: "Oh Herbach, wait till you see *your* hat." Yup, nothing says Texas like the special Texas author hats at the YART Texas Author Tea. That's what Chris Mandelski, PJ Hoover and I think! My YART Tea speed dating partner, author Michael Northrup who said, "Oh yeah. Give us all hats and no mirrors." And who writes amazing books like Trapped! The YAHOUS (Lynne Kelly Mary Lindsey, Jenny Moss, me, Chris Mandelski, Crystal Allen) Eating dinner with author/blogger Stephanie Pellegrin, Sourcebooks 'brother' Geoff Herbach, Austin librarian extraordinaire Jen Bigheart, and blogger Stephanie Redwine. hanging with the girls: Amy Fellner Dominy (OyMG) and blogger and all around super human, Maria Cari Soto and this is when I got 'ferklempt' at the signing with Maria Cari Soto because she's been there through this whole Dreaming Anastasia series journey. The Sourcebooks team very full after dinner. And laughing a bunch. Melissa Wood and intern Katie Anderson and head publicity honcho Derry Wilkens and me and Geoff Herbach. Geoff ate a manly steak. With beet sauce. My first ever Nook cover to sign! And the line kept coming! Thank you. I was overwhelmed with delight that people stood in line for 90 minutes! Crazy talk. Or as my husband likes to say: "If only they really knew you." My home girl Katie B of Mundie Moms, who has supported me like a crazy woman.

Signing, Signing, Signing!!

So excited to for all that's coming up in the next few days! One of my favorite things to do as an author is to visit with readers. One of my second favorite things to do is to meet other authors. And I'm getting to do both all week!
Here's the details below. If you stop by, please tell me you're a blog reader so I can thank you! (Plus there will be candy! Lots and lots of candy)
Saturday April 14th2-4 PMKaty Budget BooksSigning and reading with CC Hunter
http://www.katybooks.com/event/cc-hun...
Wednesday April 18thTLAYART Texas Author's Teanoon-1:30with many amazing authors!!
YAHOUS (YA HOUSTON)Reception at Pat Anderson's Overlooked Books Booth #26293-4Snacks, Raffle for Basket of books/swag from the YAHOUS(Joy Preble, Sophie Jordan, CC Hunter, Jenny Moss, Lynne Kelly, Dotti Enderle, Crystal Allen, Mary Lindsey, Christina Mandelski)http://yahous.wordpress.com/

Thursday April 19thTLATT4L11-11:30(at the Hilton Americas)
Signing Advanced Reading Copies of ANASTASIA FOREVERSourcebooks Booth #19022-3 PM(Want to find out how the trilogy ends before anyone else? This is your chance!)
More coming in the next months as we approach August and the Anastasia Forever release!But this is enough for now.

ANASTASIA FOREVER TEAM: Opportunity of a Lifetime!

The ANASTASIA FOREVER STREET TEAM wants you!
If you would like to be part of TEAM ANASTASIA FOREVER, email me at joypreble at gmail dot com, putting ANASTASIA STREET TEAM in the subject title and let me know. This would mean you would be part of my street team, spreading the word about book 3. You will get all sorts of extra goodies (bookmarks and t shirts and other stuff) and early info about everything that happens as we lead up to August. This is a limited opportunity, so let me know soon.
And in other news, TLA is coming! I will be signing advanced reading copies like those in the picture from 2-3 on Thursday 4/19 at the Sourcebooks Booth #1902 at TLA in Houston. And giving away candy. Ooooh. Candy. Chocolate candy.
Anastasia Forever arcs (a limited amount) will also be available during TT4L from 11-11:30 also at TLA on Thursday 4/19.
And I am thrilled that I finally also get to meet Sourcebooks Fire author Geoff Herbach, who wrote the witty STUPID FAST, who will also be in TLA attendance. Yay!
Happy Friday! Happy Passover! Happy Easter! Happy Spring!

Look What's Here!

Just back from SCBWI Houston(more on that in a separate post) and look what was in my mailbox!! Advanced reading copies of ANASTASIA FOREVER! I wondered if it would feel any different with book 3, and the answer is: it's just as amazing. Even Lyla the basset/boxer was excited!
For those of you who don't know, advanced reading copies, often abbreviated as 'arcs' go out to reviewers and booksellers and librarians to help promote a book pre-publication. Sometimes in addition, books are available to those folks electronically through a service called Net Galley. I think AF will be on Net Galley at some point, but that is all up to my publisher, Sourcebooks.
Authors get a small amount - in my case, five -- that we use for contests and such.
If you want to get your hands on one of these babies, come to TLA on Thursday April 19th from 2-3 at the Sourcebooks booth. I'll be signing a whole bunch of them until we run out. And giving chocolate! I think they will also be available for those attending the Texas Authors Tea hosted by Young Adult Round Table on Wed. April 18th at TLA!
If you can snag one, you'll be able to find out what happens to Anne and Ethan in book 3! And Tess! And Ben! And Viktor! And Baba Yaga and Lily the rusalka. And did I mention that Anastasia herself is back? You'll have to see how that is possible! And you can do it early and taunt your friends if you come to TLA!
Also, if you would like to be part of TEAM ANASTASIA FOREVER, email me at joypreble at gmail dot com, putting ANASTASIA STREET TEAM in the subject title and let me know. This would mean you would be part of my street team, spreading the word about book 3. You will get all sorts of extra goodies (bookmarks and t shirts and other stuff) and early info about everything that happens as we lead up to August. This is a limited opportunity, so let me know soon!

YA SCAVENGER HUNT!! WINNER ANNOUNCEMENT!!

The YA Scavenger Hunt is now over! Thanks for participating!

WINNER OF SIGNED COPIES OF DREAMING ANASTASIA and HAUNTED is Laura of My Enchanted Bookshelf! Laura, please email me at joypreble at gmail dot com and let me know what address to send your books!

(all comments - 235 of them!- were placed in what I call the 'contest hat' and a winner was randomly chosen!)

THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR BEING PART OF THE YA SCAVENGER HUNT!

HOPE YOU ALL FOUND MANY NEW BOOKS TO READ AND LOVE, INCLUDING MY UPCOMING ANASTASIA FOREVER (Sourcebooks August 1, 2012)

AND CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS OF EACH TEAM'S SCAVENGER HUNT! THIS WAS FUN!

YA SCAVENGER HUNT!!

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive TWENTY signed books, one book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are THREE contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter all three! I am a part of the BLUE TEAM--but there is also a red team and a yellow team. You can enter all three contests--which has a total prize bucket of SIXTY signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Hidden within my post is a single letter that is blue. Make a note of that letter! It's a part of a scrambled phrase. When you go to all the author sites of the blue team, you'll have all the letters you need to enter the contest.

Entry Form: Once you piece together all the clues to the hunt, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the completed phrase will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by April 1st, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct puzzle code or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting Karen Amanda Hooper on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt!

Karen was born and bred in Baltimore, frolicked and froze in Colorado for a couple of years and is currently sunning and splashing around Florida with her two beloved dogs. She's addicted to coffee, chocolate and complicated happily-ever-afters.

Find out more information by checking out Karen's blog and Karen's website or find more about the Karen's book TANGLED TIDES here!

Here's a quick plot description and it sounds fab!

Yara Jones doesn't believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that's deeper than the oceans.

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT

Here is the link to Karen Amanda Hooper's SECRET PAGE !! (click here)

SPECIAL PRIZE JUST FROM ME! WANT TO WIN A SIGNED COPY OF MY FIRST TWO BOOKS, DREAMING ANASTASIA AND HAUNTED? THEN COMMENT ON THIS POST.

Continue on in the hunt by CLICKING HERE!