Maurissa Guibord's Blog, page 5

Happy Weekend!

I have a interview today over at the Wocka Spot for Writers, where I shared some of my journey so far as a writer and some things I am still working on.

And oh yes, how critiques are like trail mix.     tinyurl.com/4l946a2
Thanks Jamie for inviting me to your blog!


Happy Friday everyone. Hope you all have some rest and some fun this weekend. It's silly- but I always feel like the weekend takes me by surprise- without particular plans. I kind of like the freedom though.

What is your weekend style? Freeform or planner? Let me know in the comments if you're doing something fun. Especially if it's something warm!!!  

Warped Book Trailer

The book trailer for Warped is here! Madison Meyer from M2 Productions has done a beautiful job:

Launch Party Tapestry

Here's a picture from the weaving on the giant loom for our library's launch party for WARPED. Thank you once again Scarborough Public Library!   www.library.scarborough.me.us/
I love the gleaming ribbons especially.
You can see where I wove in some looser silver threads- those are the ones that winners got to pull for prizes.
They've told me that when it's finished- I can cut the fabric and keep it! I'm planning to put it up as a wall hanging somewhere special.

I'm writing today- doing some weaving of another kind :)

Stay warm and safe all- the weather is so awesomely cranky everywhere isn't it?

 

Writing today

I'm writing today. It's been a while. I've gotten sucked into constantly checking  the world "out there" for news about Warped- Amazon ratings, blog reviews, Goodreads reviews, who's list I'm on- who's list I'm not on.

No good can come of this- so I've decided to shrink.

I've become extremely small. Like a period. Or a star. I'm far too small to notice or worry about the world. I can't even wear it loosely- it's fallen off. I've gotten so tiny that I can sit inside a story and watch what happens. The world has gotten smaller too, it consists of the next sentence I write.

This feels much better. 

A WARPED Giveaway. And some food.

Over at the Elevensies  2011debuts    (which is a community of authors with their first  MG and YA novels in 2011)
I'm celebrating the release of WARPED with a giveaway that we call "Lunch and Launch"

I was supposed to come up with a tasty edible to give away, along with a signed copy of WARPED.



So I had to ask myself. "What food item goes with unicorns and Maine and tapestries and hot sixteenth-century noblemen?" 

The answer of course, is completely obvious. But if you need to know, or need to win, come on over and check it out!

Here's the link:   community.livejournal.com/2011debuts/246377.html

Warped is out today! (Or- People Try to Make Me Cry)

It's here! The day that I never thought would come has come! WARPED is out today and I'm so thrilled that it's been getting a warm reception into the world. 

But there's something I didn't know about DAY #1 of being a PUBLISHED AUTHOR.

People will try to make you cry. 
 
You might not get breakfast in bed. In fact, your kids might still expect you to make their breakfast. And clean up after! (pshaw- I am dry-eyed. Life goes on and someone's got to toast those bagels)

You might receive your free author copies of your finished book. And find out they shipped the wrong book from the warehouse. So you have 20 copies of another book called Black Radishes. Which is a lovely book. But not your book. (No problem. A minor logistical setback- plus I get to read a wonderful new book called Black Radishes!) 

You might go to the big box bookstore in town and find they don't have your book on the shelf. Or plan to. (Yes, this happens. No, it's not the end of the world, that's next year.  I hold my chin up and go to a lovely independent bookstore called Nonesuch Books in South Portland. My book is there!! Yay! No tears here.)

You might receive lots of well-wishes and congrats from dear writerly friends that you've made on-line. ( Happy-happy!)

You might see a fabulous review from a book blogger who thought your book was special and loved it. (This made me smile and bounce in my chair a bit- but still I remain calm and in no need of a hanky)

You might get a phone call from a dear friend who has been a reader, supporter and an inspiration from the very first glimmer of an idea for WARPED. (Okay- swallow-this is getting to me a little-hang up the phone- take some deep breaths.)

You might see a heartfelt and very positive review from a teenage girl, woven into the loom at the public library for the launch party. She thought your book was special and loved it. (Blink. Blink. All right cut it out now- I mean it!)

And lastly- you might find this wrapped in shiny silver paper. A gift from your family to commemorate the day. They tell you they love you and they're proud of you.


Sniff, sniff.....BWAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

Warping the Loom

 
So, on January 15th there's going to be a party at my local library. A launch party for WARPED! Doesn't that sound like someone should bash a bottle of champagne across the circulation desk or something? I think that would be frowned on though.

Instead of smashing alcohol, I have been given permission to use the library's giant loom!  This monster truck of fiber artistry is over seven feet tall and yesterday I spent several hours warping it. For non-weavers (I include myself here) -this means placing the lengthwise yarns on the loom. We had to tip it over and lay it flat in order to do this. I used some big spools of cotton twine for the center area of weaving and on either side there is a looser warp of hemp for quotes and pictures and things.

But it was very fun- until I got half-way done and realized I'd made a mistake, um- back there.  Sigh- I went under instead of over. But I fixed it! And now it is looking splendid and ready for people to drop in and have a go at weaving. I did a few rows in gold and blue and packed them down tight....
    
The lovely library specialist that I've been working with, Celeste Shinnay, has also woven in excerpts from the book and a schedule for the launch party.
 Here's the definition that begins the book...

I hope people will have fun- we're planning a little reading from the book with me talking about where the inspiration came from, etc. (I'm a bit nervous about that), then picking chances to Pull a Thread from the tapestry and win some cool prizes, and there will be lots of food and punch. 

I can't wait, and I'm very grateful to my public library- I can't think of anywhere I'd rather celebrate.

So if you happen to be near Scarborough Public Library in Maine on the 15th, between 2 and 4- Please stop in and say hi!

I have news!

Some news came  this week by way of my extraordinary agent, Ted Malawer. And now it has appeared in Publisher's Marketplace so I guess it's okay to share: I sold the story I've been working on to my editor, along with another book!  Yay!

The story, formerly known as "Wrecked", has been renamed REVEL. Here is the announcement:

Children's: Young Adult
Author of the forthcoming WARPED Maurissa Guibord's REVEL, about a girl who becomes a pawn in a dangerous and paranormal love triangle, to Michelle Poploff at Delacorte, in a two-book deal, by Ted Malawer at Upstart Crow Literary (NA).

I know, I know another paranormal love triangle, right? Stop rolling those eyes! Because that's not the whole story by any means. But they can't let authors write these things because we would blab the whole plot away and say silly things. 

But I can say that the story takes place on an isolated island along the coast of Maine, very much inspired by this place, Peak's Island:


The island in REVEL is not nearly so tranquil however...

I'm so thrilled to be able to keep creating stories, and working to make them better. And to be working again with my editor!
Thank you for letting me share! 

Maurissa

The First Official Review of Warped- (In)Credible!!!

The first "official" review of Warped came from Publishers Weekly. Ahem. Okay, here it is. Just read it quick- like ripping off a bandaid.


Time travel can be a difficult concept to execute well, but first-time author Guibord does a credible job negotiating the pitfalls. Tessa Brody, 17, is inexplicably drawn to a unicorn tapestry her father wins at auction. Whenever she touches it, hallucinations of the past draw her in. Meanwhile, the tapestry's maker, Lila Gerome, is determined to get it back. Centuries ago, she stole seven threads--each a mortal life--from the Norns. Lila needs the tapestry to maintain her immortality, and the Norns want their threads back to set the fabric of the world straight again. At the center of it all is the unicorn, woven of the life-thread of a man named William de Chaucy. An arrogant knight, Will is an unlikely match for a modern girl, but Tessa needs his help to unravel their mutual mystery before Lila can snatch the tapestry. Some may wonder why Scandinavian Fates would determine the destinies of an Anglo-Norman nobleman and an American teenager, but that in no way derails the adventure and romance as Tessa learns to appreciate her man of chivalry. Ages 12–up. (Jan.) 

Hey that was...okay. Hooray!

And I'm glad to be credible negotiating those time travel pitfalls.Because you know those can really suck.
If you don't negotiate those pitfalls the space-time continuum gets all kinked up and wrinkly. Before you know it Bob's your uncle and your aunt Felicity is your father and we have 3 moons over Miami.
And nobody wants that.

Thanks PW!
 

What to Do When the Lights Go Out...

 Today I'm over at Book Obsession guest blogging about cherished winter time memories. I don't know about cherished but I have some very vivid recollections of wonderful Maine winters in which we huddled in the dark around the last styrofoam cup of Dunkin Donuts coffee and wondered when the freaking power was going to come back on. Ah, fun times.
It's all here if you'd care to laugh at our expense:  tinyurl.com/27yoko5