Lisa Roecker's Blog, page 37
January 27, 2011
The Bookanistas: Desires of the Dead + Giveaway
So there's a huge disclaimer that should be in bold at the very top of this review. We have a MEGA girl crush on Kimberly Derting. In fact, we might even idolize her. Just a little. We love her books, we love her blog and most of all we love her. She's one of those super amazing successful writers who's generous with her time AND fun. That said, as those of you who have read THE BODY FINDER (you can read our review here)
kno, the woman can write.Today we're talking about book #2 in The Body Finder series, DESIRES OF THE DEAD
.Here's what the back cover has to say:The missing dead call to Violet. They want to be found.
Violet can sense the echoes of those who've been murdered—and the matching imprint that clings to their killers. Only those closest to her know what she is capable of, but when she discovers the body of a young boy she also draws the attention of the FBI, threatening her entire way of life.
As Violet works to keep her morbid ability a secret, she unwittingly becomes the object of a dangerous obsession. Normally she'd turn to her best friend, Jay, except now that they are officially a couple, the rules of their relationship seem to have changed. And with Jay spending more and more time with his new friend Mike, Violet is left with too much time on her hands as she wonders where things went wrong. But when she fills the void by digging into Mike's tragic family history, she stumbles upon a dark truth that could put everyone in danger.
LiLa's Take:Three questions for you:
Do you like twisty mysteries?Do you like hot boys?Do you like bad ass girls with compulsive psychic abilities?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions you need to read this book. I won't give away any spoilers here (even though I really, really want to), but fans of the first book will LOVE hanging out with Violet for round 2. There's romance, there's a killer mystery and of course, there's dead bodies. Lots of 'em. I simply love the direction Kimberly is taking the series, so much so that I'm considering starting a write-in campaign to Harper Collins to ensure we get The Body Finder #3 ASAP.
We loved DESIRES OF THE DEAD
so much that we want to send one lucky blog reader a copy. Just leave a comment telling us what psychic ability you covet and why? Um, just for the record we are way too wussy to choose something like locating dead bodies. Nah, we'd probably go for something more like the ability to foresee publishing trends. Yup, we're pretty much the biggest dorks EVER.Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week:
Christine Fonseca freaks for THE FAMILIARS
Elana Johnson loves THE LOST SAINT
Jen Hayley and Scott Tracey swoon over ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
Shannon Messenger gushes some cover love for HOURGLASS
Shelli Johannes-Wells is over the moon for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE
Carolina Valdez Miller loves THE LIAR SOCIETY, complete with a signed ARC giveaway!
Shana Silver has fallen for FALL FOR ANYTHING
Kirsten Hubbard is blown away by BLOOD MAGIC
Myra McEntire reveals her amazing cover for HOURGLASS
Carrie Harris celebrates XVI
Jessi Kirby is mesmerized by A BLUE SO DARK
Rosemary Clement-Moore marvels over MATCHED
January 26, 2011
When the Slutty New Idea is EXACTLY What You Needed
Publishing isn't easy.
There are doubts. There are bad reviews. There are trends that no matter how you try to shoehorn 'em, your books will NEVER fit into.
Honestly, there's very little you can control in this business aside from your writing.
And what happens when that isn't working either? When you start the same book three different times and still can't get it right? When you're avoiding writing because the plot makes your head hurt? When you're losing faith in yourself as a writer?
And then along comes that slutty new idea.
You've been warned about this idea. This idea is distracting you from the book you're supposed to be finishing. Writers are NEVER supposed to succumb to the slutty new idea.
But we did.
And THANK GOD, HALLELUJAH, and PRAISE THE IDEA WHORE because this idea? This crazy, random book that probably isn't even close to marketable, IS FUN.
Yeah, that's right. We're writing again and laughing again and cranking out words and characters and one liners like nobody's business. This doesn't feel like work. And that was kind of the whole point way back when we first started this whole gig. We started writing because we thought it would be fun.
So we've decided to ditch the pressure and forget about trends and marketability. We write for us and we write for fun.
Slutty new ideas FTW!
There are doubts. There are bad reviews. There are trends that no matter how you try to shoehorn 'em, your books will NEVER fit into.
Honestly, there's very little you can control in this business aside from your writing.
And what happens when that isn't working either? When you start the same book three different times and still can't get it right? When you're avoiding writing because the plot makes your head hurt? When you're losing faith in yourself as a writer?
And then along comes that slutty new idea.
You've been warned about this idea. This idea is distracting you from the book you're supposed to be finishing. Writers are NEVER supposed to succumb to the slutty new idea.
But we did.
And THANK GOD, HALLELUJAH, and PRAISE THE IDEA WHORE because this idea? This crazy, random book that probably isn't even close to marketable, IS FUN.
Yeah, that's right. We're writing again and laughing again and cranking out words and characters and one liners like nobody's business. This doesn't feel like work. And that was kind of the whole point way back when we first started this whole gig. We started writing because we thought it would be fun.
So we've decided to ditch the pressure and forget about trends and marketability. We write for us and we write for fun.
Slutty new ideas FTW!
January 25, 2011
Tell the Truth Tuesday: From the Mixed Up Files of a Toy Box in the Regulator's Basement
It was family Sunday at the Regulator's house this past week. As usual, we were all enjoying some grown up time while the youngin's played in the basement. We're never sure exactly what it is they do down there, but if they're quiet, we're happy. End of story.
Imagine my surprise when Mia came traipsing upstairs with a very familiar-looking diary in hand. I intercepted it.
"Mia, where did you find this?" I ran my fingers over the variety of doctor's office stickers circa 1990 I had slapped on the front.
"In the toy box," she replied, confirming our suspicions that our parents' toy box in the basement is really a time capsule. Why my diary landed in it, we'll never know.
Lisa, of course, plucked it out of my hands and proceeded to read all the entries aloud. I was reminded of a very similar scene over twenty years earlier at our neighbor Shirley's house where Lisa did the same. In front of my crush, no less.
I can't possibly do the diary justice in writing. Photographs are more appropriate.
A real treasure.
The crossed out text says, "This diary belongs to Stacey Roecker..." and goes on to list our address and phone number. I either stole it from her or thought I'd fool everyone into thinking it was hers in the event that it was stolen. Always thinking.
Crossed out text says, "The Kering!" my pseudonym. See above.
This post highlights how much Lisa's friends sucked. How dare they not throw her a surprise party? I mean, her little sister was looking forward to it!
Quincy was our dog. I am a loser.
There are about 20 more entries all saying some version of the above. It's hard being a mistake.
Any truth-riddled treasures in your basements this Tuesday?
Imagine my surprise when Mia came traipsing upstairs with a very familiar-looking diary in hand. I intercepted it.
"Mia, where did you find this?" I ran my fingers over the variety of doctor's office stickers circa 1990 I had slapped on the front.
"In the toy box," she replied, confirming our suspicions that our parents' toy box in the basement is really a time capsule. Why my diary landed in it, we'll never know.
Lisa, of course, plucked it out of my hands and proceeded to read all the entries aloud. I was reminded of a very similar scene over twenty years earlier at our neighbor Shirley's house where Lisa did the same. In front of my crush, no less.
I can't possibly do the diary justice in writing. Photographs are more appropriate.
A real treasure.
The crossed out text says, "This diary belongs to Stacey Roecker..." and goes on to list our address and phone number. I either stole it from her or thought I'd fool everyone into thinking it was hers in the event that it was stolen. Always thinking.
Crossed out text says, "The Kering!" my pseudonym. See above.
This post highlights how much Lisa's friends sucked. How dare they not throw her a surprise party? I mean, her little sister was looking forward to it!
Quincy was our dog. I am a loser.
There are about 20 more entries all saying some version of the above. It's hard being a mistake.
Any truth-riddled treasures in your basements this Tuesday?
January 24, 2011
Chillin' with Pippin
Happy Monday everyone!!! Are you put off by our three exclamation points? Are you wondering why we're so chipper on a cold and dreary Monday morning? The answer is simple...
There's a LIVE WriteOnCon event tonight, that's why!
That's right, the incredible ladies at Pippin Properties, Inc. are joining us tonight to discuss query writing do's and don'ts and are going to break down exactly what they're looking for. How awesome is that?
Here are the cold, hard facts:
Who: Holly McGhee, Elena Mechlin and Joan Slattery of Pippin PropertiesWhat: LIVE WriteOnCon Chat discussing query do's and don'tsWhere: http://writeoncon.comWhen: 5 PM EST (Please note the earlier time)Why: Because they're awesome
Hopefully we'll see you all this evening. We can't wait to hear all of your burning query questions!*
*We do not condone the burning of actual queries only the creation of fantabulous questions related to queries.
P.S.
Do you want to be the first one to hear about the amazingness that is WriteOnCon 2011? Do you daydream about live WriteOnCon events? Do you want to skin the founders of WriteOnCon and wear them like last season's Versace? OK, fine, I stole that last one from Real Housewives of NJ. But seriously, if you're a WriteOnCon stalker (and really, who isn't?) you NEED to register for our newsletter. You can sign up at www.writeoncon.com.
There's a LIVE WriteOnCon event tonight, that's why!
That's right, the incredible ladies at Pippin Properties, Inc. are joining us tonight to discuss query writing do's and don'ts and are going to break down exactly what they're looking for. How awesome is that?
Here are the cold, hard facts:
Who: Holly McGhee, Elena Mechlin and Joan Slattery of Pippin PropertiesWhat: LIVE WriteOnCon Chat discussing query do's and don'tsWhere: http://writeoncon.comWhen: 5 PM EST (Please note the earlier time)Why: Because they're awesome
Hopefully we'll see you all this evening. We can't wait to hear all of your burning query questions!*
*We do not condone the burning of actual queries only the creation of fantabulous questions related to queries.
P.S.
Do you want to be the first one to hear about the amazingness that is WriteOnCon 2011? Do you daydream about live WriteOnCon events? Do you want to skin the founders of WriteOnCon and wear them like last season's Versace? OK, fine, I stole that last one from Real Housewives of NJ. But seriously, if you're a WriteOnCon stalker (and really, who isn't?) you NEED to register for our newsletter. You can sign up at www.writeoncon.com.
January 21, 2011
Shameless Self Promotion Friday Five (Apologies in Advance)
OK, I know we've been blabbing WAY too much about Liar Society lately, but we have a few big announcements to make:
1. YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO OUR EPIC LAUNCH PARTY!!!!!!!!! Seriously. Mark your calendars, bring your friends, we would LOVE to see every single one of you at the Liar Society Launch Party of Awesome. There will be books. There will be awkward conversations. And most importantly, there will be pink hair. Don't miss it.
Alas, we understand that geography is a fickle bitch, and most of you don't live in the Cleveland area. The good news is we've got everyone covered because we'll be hosting a huge virtual launch party on the blog on March 8th. That's right. Virtual. Launch. Party. There will be a humiliating vlog. There will be fabulous prizes. And there will be signed books. Get. Excited.
2. We have a #1 fan. No seriously. Her name is Kare and you guys all have to go meet her. She and her brother, Dallin, read The Liar Society and loved it so much that they're going to be posting fun stuff about the book every single Friday until the book hits the shelves. Um, how's that for amazing!?! Be sure to check it out here.
3. For those of you who didn't get Grace's mysterious email and for those of you who were a little too slow to pick up on Grace's clue (we're looking at you, Sarah) we are officially releasing our Liar Society Book Trailer. You may notice that this version does not include Laura traipsing around in a private school uniform. It just so happens that there's ANOTHER version of the trailer, but you'll have to email Grace to see that one. Ghostly besties are SO controlling.
4. The amazing Shannon Messenger is giving away a Liar Society ARC, so if you're interested hop on over to her corner of the blogsphere. Even if you're not, go there. It's fun.
5. In what was either an extremely fortuitous typo or an act of sheer genius, Jem referred to us as "The LiLa" in a blog comment. So it's officially official, we are The LiLa. Sort of like The Cher. Or The Madonna. Only we can't sing and we don't have any drag queens impersonating us. Yet.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
XOXO,
The LiLa
1. YOU ARE ALL INVITED TO OUR EPIC LAUNCH PARTY!!!!!!!!! Seriously. Mark your calendars, bring your friends, we would LOVE to see every single one of you at the Liar Society Launch Party of Awesome. There will be books. There will be awkward conversations. And most importantly, there will be pink hair. Don't miss it.
Alas, we understand that geography is a fickle bitch, and most of you don't live in the Cleveland area. The good news is we've got everyone covered because we'll be hosting a huge virtual launch party on the blog on March 8th. That's right. Virtual. Launch. Party. There will be a humiliating vlog. There will be fabulous prizes. And there will be signed books. Get. Excited.
2. We have a #1 fan. No seriously. Her name is Kare and you guys all have to go meet her. She and her brother, Dallin, read The Liar Society and loved it so much that they're going to be posting fun stuff about the book every single Friday until the book hits the shelves. Um, how's that for amazing!?! Be sure to check it out here.
3. For those of you who didn't get Grace's mysterious email and for those of you who were a little too slow to pick up on Grace's clue (we're looking at you, Sarah) we are officially releasing our Liar Society Book Trailer. You may notice that this version does not include Laura traipsing around in a private school uniform. It just so happens that there's ANOTHER version of the trailer, but you'll have to email Grace to see that one. Ghostly besties are SO controlling.
4. The amazing Shannon Messenger is giving away a Liar Society ARC, so if you're interested hop on over to her corner of the blogsphere. Even if you're not, go there. It's fun.
5. In what was either an extremely fortuitous typo or an act of sheer genius, Jem referred to us as "The LiLa" in a blog comment. So it's officially official, we are The LiLa. Sort of like The Cher. Or The Madonna. Only we can't sing and we don't have any drag queens impersonating us. Yet.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!
XOXO,
The LiLa
January 19, 2011
Bookanistas: There's a NYT Best Selling Author Among Us
Congratulations are in order for Bookinista member Beth Revis whose debut novel Across the Universe hit up the number seven spot on the New York Times Bestseller List! All together now: WHUT! WHUT!
Now...grab a tissue, stop what you're doing and read this post. Oh, and then come back.
Did you not tear up? I couldn't help myself. It has been so amazing following Beth's journey and we're just thankful we get to hop on the Beth Train two more times with the next two books in the series and who knows how many times beyond that!
Beth, thanks for creating an incredible world on board a crazy spaceship. And for Amy and Elder and all the others. Your book is nothing short of amazing and you deserve to be right where you are.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week:
Katie Anderson raves about THE LIAR SOCIETYChristine Fonseca applauds Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Signed Book Giveaway Carrie Harris celebrates THE SKY IS EVERYWHEREJen Hayley lauds DELIRIUM
Shelli Johannes-Wells gives a shoutout to IN LOVE WITH HARLEQUINElana Johnson recommends Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with GiveawayJessi Kirby admires MATCHEDMyra McEntire gives some cover love for THE LIAR SOCIETYShannon Messenger commends THE LIAR SOCIETY with an ARC GiveawayCarolina Valdez Miller salutes XVI with Signed Book GiveawayMegan Miranda gives some love to ACROSS THE UNIVERSELisa and Laura Roecker happy dance for Beth RevisShana Silver cheers for HERE LIES BRIDGETScott Tracey acclaims DIVERGENT Bethany Wiggins praises Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS
Bookinistas: There's a NYT Best Selling Author Among Us
Congratulations are in order for Bookinista member Beth Revis whose debut novel Across the Universe hit up the number seven spot on the New York Times Bestseller List! All together now: WHUT! WHUT!
Now...grab a tissue, stop what you're doing and read this post. Oh, and then come back.
Did you not tear up? I couldn't help myself. It has been so amazing following Beth's journey and we're just thankful we get to hop on the Beth Train two more times with the next two books in the series and who knows how many times beyond that!
Beth, thanks for creating an incredible world on board a crazy spaceship. And for Amy and Elder and all the others. Your book is nothing short of amazing and you deserve to be right where you are.
CONGRATULATIONS!
Check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week:
Katie Anderson raves about THE LIAR SOCIETYChristine Fonseca applauds Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with Signed Book Giveaway Carrie Harris celebrates THE SKY IS EVERYWHEREJen Hayley lauds DELIRIUMShelli Johannes-Wells gives a shoutout to IN LOVE WITH HARLEQUINElana Johnson recommends Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS with GiveawayJessi Kirby admires MATCHEDMyra McEntire gives some cover love for THE LIAR SOCIETYShannon Messenger commends THE LIAR SOCIETY with an ARC GiveawayCarolina Valdez Miller salutes XVI with Signed Book GiveawayMegan Miranda gives some love to ACROSS THE UNIVERSELisa and Laura Roecker happy dance for Beth RevisShana Silver cheers for HERE LIES BRIDGETScott Tracey acclaims DIVERGENT Bethany Wiggins praises Michelle McLean's HOMEWORK HELPERS: TERM PAPERS AND ESSAYS
WTF Wednesday: A Day In the Life of Gwyneth (and LiLa)
So we've had several readers and friends e-mail us about good old Gwynnie's latest installment of GOOP in which she and two of her besties give advice about "finding balance" as working mothers.
If you haven't read this brilliant piece of unintentional comedy I suggest you do so. Immediately. We'll wait.
And now for LiLa's take:
Lisa on Tuesday, January 18th, 2011:
Vaguely hear Jack and Mia stampede out of their room and into the bathroom. A loud crash startles me out of my twilight slumber, Mia starts wailing and Jack screams at the top of his lungs that he HATES HAVING A SISTER. I drift back to sleep. 20 minutes later the kids are downstairs watching Sponge Bob or some other show that's strictly forbidden unless mommy's too tired to get out of bed and I've managed to drag myself to the bathroom and throw on some yoga pants. Grab Ben, feed him, attempt to referee any fights that break out between the other kids with arbitrary threats I'll never follow through with like, "IF YOU DON'T STOP SCREAMING I'LL THROW AWAY ALL OF YOUR TOYS." Effective parenting FTW.
March everyone into the car like a psychotic drill sergeant. Notice Mia has her shoes on the wrong feet. Too tired to care. Ben screams for the first 15 minutes of our car ride to school and I blast Mumford and Sons in an effort to transport myself to my "happy place." Fail. Ben finally falls asleep just as we've pulled into the parking lot of Jack's school. Jack immediately leaps out of his car seat, kisses/head butts Ben and the screaming resumes almost immediately. Crank the radio up a little louder. Come to a rolling stop, shove Jack out of the car and laugh maniacally when his teacher shouts after me, "Did he have a lot of sugar this morning?" Thank God for preschool.
When I tell Mia we're headed for the gym she cries and I end up promising her a donut if she'll stay in the playroom for an hour. Get to the gym, toss Mia and Ben in child care, race to the elliptical and jack up the Pandora app on my phone. Attempt to hide when I see the child care manager roaming the gym like the angel of death five minutes into my work out. I know deep down in my heart of hearts that the bell tolls for me. And sure enough she gives me the nod. Try to convince myself that a 5 minute workout is better than nothing. The yoga pants cutting into my gut tell a different story.
Pick Jack up from school, slap lunch on the table and attempt to bribe the kids into taking a nap with promises of a special treat when they wake up. They "sleep" for 10 minutes, demand a treat and I end up locking myself in a closet to talk to our publicist. See, you really can have it all!
Flip on Dora around 5 in an attempt to make dinner. Kids find out I'm making Chicken Parmesean and carry on like I've announced that they'll be eating Bambi for dinner. They beg for Toy Story Mac and Cheese. Jack hides the uncooked chicken in the basement. After 10 minutes of searching and screaming I find it, I cook it, and everyone refuses to eat it.
Kids get a quick shower, brush teeth and are summarily tossed into bed sans foot massage. (Um, seriously? Do any of you massage your kids' feet? Am I missing something here? I mean, I pat myself on the back if we make time for a story.) Feed Ben, quick chat with my husband and then I stare at my computer for two hours in an attempt to write this lame ass blog post.
And that my friends is a little something we like to call REALITY. You should try it sometime, Gwyneth. It's riveting.
If you haven't read this brilliant piece of unintentional comedy I suggest you do so. Immediately. We'll wait.
And now for LiLa's take:
Lisa on Tuesday, January 18th, 2011:
Vaguely hear Jack and Mia stampede out of their room and into the bathroom. A loud crash startles me out of my twilight slumber, Mia starts wailing and Jack screams at the top of his lungs that he HATES HAVING A SISTER. I drift back to sleep. 20 minutes later the kids are downstairs watching Sponge Bob or some other show that's strictly forbidden unless mommy's too tired to get out of bed and I've managed to drag myself to the bathroom and throw on some yoga pants. Grab Ben, feed him, attempt to referee any fights that break out between the other kids with arbitrary threats I'll never follow through with like, "IF YOU DON'T STOP SCREAMING I'LL THROW AWAY ALL OF YOUR TOYS." Effective parenting FTW.
March everyone into the car like a psychotic drill sergeant. Notice Mia has her shoes on the wrong feet. Too tired to care. Ben screams for the first 15 minutes of our car ride to school and I blast Mumford and Sons in an effort to transport myself to my "happy place." Fail. Ben finally falls asleep just as we've pulled into the parking lot of Jack's school. Jack immediately leaps out of his car seat, kisses/head butts Ben and the screaming resumes almost immediately. Crank the radio up a little louder. Come to a rolling stop, shove Jack out of the car and laugh maniacally when his teacher shouts after me, "Did he have a lot of sugar this morning?" Thank God for preschool.
When I tell Mia we're headed for the gym she cries and I end up promising her a donut if she'll stay in the playroom for an hour. Get to the gym, toss Mia and Ben in child care, race to the elliptical and jack up the Pandora app on my phone. Attempt to hide when I see the child care manager roaming the gym like the angel of death five minutes into my work out. I know deep down in my heart of hearts that the bell tolls for me. And sure enough she gives me the nod. Try to convince myself that a 5 minute workout is better than nothing. The yoga pants cutting into my gut tell a different story.
Pick Jack up from school, slap lunch on the table and attempt to bribe the kids into taking a nap with promises of a special treat when they wake up. They "sleep" for 10 minutes, demand a treat and I end up locking myself in a closet to talk to our publicist. See, you really can have it all!
Flip on Dora around 5 in an attempt to make dinner. Kids find out I'm making Chicken Parmesean and carry on like I've announced that they'll be eating Bambi for dinner. They beg for Toy Story Mac and Cheese. Jack hides the uncooked chicken in the basement. After 10 minutes of searching and screaming I find it, I cook it, and everyone refuses to eat it.
Kids get a quick shower, brush teeth and are summarily tossed into bed sans foot massage. (Um, seriously? Do any of you massage your kids' feet? Am I missing something here? I mean, I pat myself on the back if we make time for a story.) Feed Ben, quick chat with my husband and then I stare at my computer for two hours in an attempt to write this lame ass blog post.
And that my friends is a little something we like to call REALITY. You should try it sometime, Gwyneth. It's riveting.
January 18, 2011
Monogamy is for Suckers
Our WIP, dear, dear Bloodlines (working title for two reasons. a. it's not about vampires and b. this.) is a bit worse for the wear. She had kind of a tough holiday, gained a few pounds, pulled a few all-nighters. Despite subscribing to the whole New Year, New You rule of thumb and getting a bit of a facelift after 40,000 of her words were trimmed off and re-worked, she still looks kind of haggard. Rode hard and put away wet, if you will.
To make matters worse, a new girl moved into LiLa Land. She's Mila Kunis pretty and SO wants to be our friend. Super-fun, always rearing to go out and ready whenever--she seems ridiculously low maintenance compared to our needy WIP. And she makes us feel young again!
Bloodlines has about 6 inches of root re-growth and Shiny New Idea has a fresh head of highlights. WIP is stress-eating leftover Christmas cookies while SNI has a personal chef preparing delicious, healthy meals. Bloodlines is all Cleveland-pasty and bloodshot eyes and Newbie is fresh off a Cabo vacation, well-rested and bronzed. What a bitch.
So, we have a confession. We've just pulled a mean-girls, you're-not-my-friend-anymore-and-everyone-else-ditched-you-too move on poor Bloodlines. Mila has slinked her way into our Word Document, earned herself a brand-spanking new folder and a kick-ass synopsis.
Bloodlines, we owe you an apology. It's not that you're not good enough, because we had just figured out a way to make you work. And it's not as though we're ditching you because you're not shiny and pretty--who are we to judge? We live in yoga pants and ponytails. It's all about timing. If it makes you feel any better, this is just a break. It's totally not a break up. We just need some time, some space. It's not you, it's us.
Um, just ignore all those damn pictures taken by the paparazzi of us frolicking around with our laptops and typing furiously in our pretty new, completely uncomplicated Word document.
You know what they say, "If you love something, set it free...."
We'll be back. Pinky swear promise.
Kisses,
L&L
To make matters worse, a new girl moved into LiLa Land. She's Mila Kunis pretty and SO wants to be our friend. Super-fun, always rearing to go out and ready whenever--she seems ridiculously low maintenance compared to our needy WIP. And she makes us feel young again!
Bloodlines has about 6 inches of root re-growth and Shiny New Idea has a fresh head of highlights. WIP is stress-eating leftover Christmas cookies while SNI has a personal chef preparing delicious, healthy meals. Bloodlines is all Cleveland-pasty and bloodshot eyes and Newbie is fresh off a Cabo vacation, well-rested and bronzed. What a bitch.
So, we have a confession. We've just pulled a mean-girls, you're-not-my-friend-anymore-and-everyone-else-ditched-you-too move on poor Bloodlines. Mila has slinked her way into our Word Document, earned herself a brand-spanking new folder and a kick-ass synopsis.
Bloodlines, we owe you an apology. It's not that you're not good enough, because we had just figured out a way to make you work. And it's not as though we're ditching you because you're not shiny and pretty--who are we to judge? We live in yoga pants and ponytails. It's all about timing. If it makes you feel any better, this is just a break. It's totally not a break up. We just need some time, some space. It's not you, it's us.
Um, just ignore all those damn pictures taken by the paparazzi of us frolicking around with our laptops and typing furiously in our pretty new, completely uncomplicated Word document.
You know what they say, "If you love something, set it free...."
We'll be back. Pinky swear promise.
Kisses,
L&L
January 17, 2011
Judging a Book By Its Cover
We must preface this blog post with two primary truths (and it's not even Tuesday!).
1. We're kinda, sorta dramatic.
2. We're really appreciative of all the people who put up with our drama, including but not limited to: agents, editors, husbands, and most of all, YOU dear blog readers.
Now. For the juicy truth.
We cried when we first saw the cover of The Liar Society
. And they weren't tears of joy.
Okay, let's back up. The Liar Society cover has been in the works for many, many months. The designers working on the project were focused on creating a brand for the series--something that would hopefully set our book apart from the thousands of other private school books out there. It needed to combine the element of mystery with the element of fun, which may not sound that hard, but as it turns out is borderline IMPOSSIBLE. We're sure the designers can attest to that.
Along the way, we were shown many, many comps. There were silhouettes, legs, profiles, girls with pearls, girls with purses, girls in uniforms, black backgrounds, pink backgrounds, teal backgrounds. You name it, we probably saw it. And we fell in love a few times. Had our hearts broken a few times. Cried a few times.
We were asked to describe Kate. What did she wear? Hello Polyvore! What did she look like? We're looking at you young Minka Kelly. What was her life like? Hilfigers on holiday, whut whut! We were absolutely positively sure we knew how Kate should be portrayed on the cover of the book.
Or not.
Our agent sent us the dreaded, "Can you talk?" email. Laura took the call, which in hindsight is a good thing. As our agent explained that the team had decided to go in the pink hair direction, all Laura could think about was, "What am I going to tell Lisa?" Turns out, she would have to repeat herself many, many times before Lisa believed her. And this is where the crying comes in. Well, technically sobbing. (Please see Truth #1 listed above.)
"But...but...but Kate doesn't have pink hair!" she wailed.
It was like the book we had worked so hard on had disappeared before our eyes. This was not our Kate, not our vision, not our book.
But here's the thing. We needed to cry. We needed to threaten to quit (at least to each other). We needed to take out our anger on one another and our loved ones (sorry!). Because only then could we begin to pick ourselves up. And admit that we were wrong. Did you hear that?
We were so wrong.
After we'd dried our tears and swore up and down that we'd NEVER write again we took a step back and tried really hard to be objective. We went back to the long list of over 300 votes in the cover contest and began analyzing the results.
Our 12-year-old cousin who read The Liar Society just over a year ago and fell in love? Voted pink. The adorable 14-year-old book blogger who sent us an e-mail raving about Kate? Voted pink. Our 56-year-old mother who grounded us when we dyed our hair in high school? Did NOT vote pink.Wait a second. Hold the phone. Was it possible that all the old people (ourselves included) voted for the pretty brown haired girl and all the actual verified young adults voted for the smexy pink gal?
Um, yes. Yes it was.
And that's when we realized two things:
1. We are OLD.
2. We are NOT the target market for this book.
Our readers had spoken. The girls who we hope will love Kate, the ones we are so excited to get e-mails from and meet at school visits and book signings? Apparently they love pink hair. (Who knew?! Oh wait, Sourcebooks did.)
So, we blew our noses, wiped our eyes and begged to get our hands back on the manuscript. For the record, Kristin Zelazko, our production editor, is a saint. A SAINT!
When we went back in, we realized a little something. It was super-easy to change Kate's hair to pink. Not only did she have every reason in the world to dye her hair (her BFF died under mysterious circumstances and she's pretty sasstastic in general) but it was a great way for us to characterize her transformation. Before Grace died, Kate's hair is brown and after she dies, she rocks the pink. Add in the pearls she already wore and you have just the twist Sourcebooks was looking for--something that makes Kate unique and maybe even a little iconic.
So, we're thankful.
Thankful we're not in charge of designing book covers because we would have outfitted Kate in the same-old, same-old private school fare, totally expected and completely forgettable. Thankful the design team helped us add another layer to Kate's character, one that makes her infinitely more bad ass. And thankful our publisher cared enough to get it right, to give The Liar Society the best chance of success.
Because, let's face it. The bookshelves are crowded out there.
But maybe, just maybe, there's room for a pink-haired, pearl-rocking, private school sleuth.
1. We're kinda, sorta dramatic.
2. We're really appreciative of all the people who put up with our drama, including but not limited to: agents, editors, husbands, and most of all, YOU dear blog readers.
Now. For the juicy truth.
We cried when we first saw the cover of The Liar Society
. And they weren't tears of joy.Okay, let's back up. The Liar Society
cover has been in the works for many, many months. The designers working on the project were focused on creating a brand for the series--something that would hopefully set our book apart from the thousands of other private school books out there. It needed to combine the element of mystery with the element of fun, which may not sound that hard, but as it turns out is borderline IMPOSSIBLE. We're sure the designers can attest to that. Along the way, we were shown many, many comps. There were silhouettes, legs, profiles, girls with pearls, girls with purses, girls in uniforms, black backgrounds, pink backgrounds, teal backgrounds. You name it, we probably saw it. And we fell in love a few times. Had our hearts broken a few times. Cried a few times.
We were asked to describe Kate. What did she wear? Hello Polyvore! What did she look like? We're looking at you young Minka Kelly. What was her life like? Hilfigers on holiday, whut whut! We were absolutely positively sure we knew how Kate should be portrayed on the cover of the book.
Or not.
Our agent sent us the dreaded, "Can you talk?" email. Laura took the call, which in hindsight is a good thing. As our agent explained that the team had decided to go in the pink hair direction, all Laura could think about was, "What am I going to tell Lisa?" Turns out, she would have to repeat herself many, many times before Lisa believed her. And this is where the crying comes in. Well, technically sobbing. (Please see Truth #1 listed above.)
"But...but...but Kate doesn't have pink hair!" she wailed.
It was like the book we had worked so hard on had disappeared before our eyes. This was not our Kate, not our vision, not our book.
But here's the thing. We needed to cry. We needed to threaten to quit (at least to each other). We needed to take out our anger on one another and our loved ones (sorry!). Because only then could we begin to pick ourselves up. And admit that we were wrong. Did you hear that?
We were so wrong.
After we'd dried our tears and swore up and down that we'd NEVER write again we took a step back and tried really hard to be objective. We went back to the long list of over 300 votes in the cover contest and began analyzing the results.
Our 12-year-old cousin who read The Liar Society
just over a year ago and fell in love? Voted pink. The adorable 14-year-old book blogger who sent us an e-mail raving about Kate? Voted pink. Our 56-year-old mother who grounded us when we dyed our hair in high school? Did NOT vote pink.Wait a second. Hold the phone. Was it possible that all the old people (ourselves included) voted for the pretty brown haired girl and all the actual verified young adults voted for the smexy pink gal?Um, yes. Yes it was.
And that's when we realized two things:
1. We are OLD.
2. We are NOT the target market for this book.
Our readers had spoken. The girls who we hope will love Kate, the ones we are so excited to get e-mails from and meet at school visits and book signings? Apparently they love pink hair. (Who knew?! Oh wait, Sourcebooks did.)
So, we blew our noses, wiped our eyes and begged to get our hands back on the manuscript. For the record, Kristin Zelazko, our production editor, is a saint. A SAINT!
When we went back in, we realized a little something. It was super-easy to change Kate's hair to pink. Not only did she have every reason in the world to dye her hair (her BFF died under mysterious circumstances and she's pretty sasstastic in general) but it was a great way for us to characterize her transformation. Before Grace died, Kate's hair is brown and after she dies, she rocks the pink. Add in the pearls she already wore and you have just the twist Sourcebooks was looking for--something that makes Kate unique and maybe even a little iconic.
So, we're thankful.
Thankful we're not in charge of designing book covers because we would have outfitted Kate in the same-old, same-old private school fare, totally expected and completely forgettable. Thankful the design team helped us add another layer to Kate's character, one that makes her infinitely more bad ass. And thankful our publisher cared enough to get it right, to give The Liar Society
the best chance of success.Because, let's face it. The bookshelves are crowded out there.
But maybe, just maybe, there's room for a pink-haired, pearl-rocking, private school sleuth.
