Lisa Roecker's Blog, page 41

Tell the Truth Tuesday

1. Just sent the WIP back to Laura and I'm 99% sure that my new chapters suck rocks. BUT at least I wrote some new words. I think it might be time for me to embrace the suck and just write.

2. I'm itching to get started on THE LIAR SOCIETY book trailer. All that unedited footage is calling my name. Whenever my writing isn't flowing the way I want it to I tend to bury myself in meaningless, time sucking projects. It's a sickness.

3. Going back to the gym has been heavenly. I feel semi-human again. I won't be fitting back into my skinny jeans anytime soon, but it's a start.

4. I'm so tired my eyes ache. I forgot what real sleep deprivation feels like. Ben weighed in at a whopping 14 pounds at his 8-week check up. Do you have any idea what it takes for a 2 month old to weigh 14 pounds? It requires a dedication to consumption that most babies lack. Lucky me, Ben is willing to go the distance waking up every 3 hours to eat around the clock.

5. I'm the worst stage mom EVER. I've been putting it off for weeks, but yesterday it was time to get the kids to pose for their Christmas card pics. 5 minutes into our little photo shoot I managed to make all three kids cry. I told Jack he looked like a serial killer when he smiled (insta tears). I threatened to exclude Mia from the picture entirely because she was sucking her thumb (excessive sobbing). And I knocked down a Christmas ornament that fell directly on Ben's newborn head (warble cry). I make those Toddler and Tiara moms look totally sane. Seriously.

6. I haven't bought a single Christmas gift yet. No, really. Not. One. I think I'm in holi-denial.

Ok, out with it. What's your truth this Tuesday? Please tell me I'm not alone in my insanity.

The Liar Society Cover Revealed (Um, sort of...)

One of the things we were most excited about when we found out THE LIAR SOCIETY was going to be published was the fact that we were going to get a book cover. I mean, is there anything more thrilling for an author than a team of amazing publishing professionals creating a gorgeous visual representation of your book? Um, the correct answer here is, "Hells to the no."

We figured the only thing cooler than going through the whole book cover process ourselves would be going through the whole book cover process with our friends and future readers. So without further ado we're announcing The Liar Society (Under)Cover Contest.

THE LIAR SOCIETY has an extra-special ARC cover. If you're cool like Lisa*, you can use your smart phone to scan the barcode at the bottom of the book, which will take you to a contest on our website where we'll we'll be posting comps for the final cover of THE LIAR SOCIETY over the next month or so.


The covers that we've posted today are still pretty rough (and we have it on good authority that there's a kick ass Kate-centric photo shoot happening in the not-so-distant future), but your votes will dictate how they design the final cover. And then once we get our next round of comps, we'll post those and put 'em to a vote and we'll just keep on posting until we've got our final cover.  It's sort of like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, only with book covers. You guys get to decide the fate of Kate Lowry and the gang.

And we couldn't have a contest without some epic prizes so everyone who votes will automatically be entered to win LiLa's Favorite Books/2011 ARCs prize pack including:

THE BODY FINDER and an ARC of DESIRES OF THE DEAD by Kimberly Derting;PRADA AND PREJUDICE and YOU WISH by Mandy Hubbard;PICTURE THE DEAD, THE JULIAN GAME and an ARC of TIGHTER by Adele Griffin;DECEPTION and an ARC of BETRAYAL by Lee Nichols; and (of course)A signed ARC of THE LIAR SOCIETYWe have very strong feelings about these first two designs. And if you know us at all, you'll know which one we love. Are you dying of curiosity yet? Visit The Liar Society site to see the covers, cast your vote and enter the contest. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!
And remember that this is only the beginning of the journey. Buckle up and help us pick the PERFECT cover!

XOXO,
L&L

*If you're still using a Samsung the size of a pack of cigarettes like Laura, you can access the website using your computer.

The Regulator's Friday Shout Outs

OK, the Regulator is going to kill me for this, but I'm working on about 3 hours of sleep and it's making me kind of ballsy. So here it goes: The Regulator loves publishing blogs. Agent blogs, aspiring author blogs, marketing blogs - she loves them all. She loves them so much that I hooked her up with a Google Reader account with all of her favorite publishing blogs for Mother's Day.

Now, this might seem like the perfect gift for the mother obsessed with all things publishing, but really it was completely selfish. We haven't had much time to get to all the blogs we love lately, which totally sucks. But you know who never misses a blog post? The Regulator. And you know who calls us whenever she reads something particularly awesome? The Regulator.

Now that we've just outed our mother as a closet blog stalker and will probably end up disinherited, let's link to the Regulators Picks O'The Week, shall we? These are the blog posts that had the Regulator speed dialing us this week:

Natalie Whipple's amazingly honest post about the roller coaster ride that is submissions. This post is brutally honest and beautifully written. A must-read for any aspiring author or anyone with a crazy dream who has thought about giving up.

Beth Revis's post about jealousy and how it haunts all of us. Um, yeah, we are SO guilty of just about everything she discusses in her post.

Libba Bray's post on World AIDS Day. We are guilty of forgetting how scary AIDS was/is. Not only that, but this post is the perfect reminder to keep fighting on a human-to-human level. If only everyone felt the same way.
Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Bookanistas: REVOLUTION

Chances are you've heard of Jennifer Donnelly's REVOLUTION. The blogosphere has been buzzing about this book. We've even heard rumblings that it should be nominated for the Printz. REVOLUTION is one of those books that you just have to talk about after you've read it. Some people in our book club loved it (us!) and others, not so much. Either way, it's a conversation-starter. 
Here's what the back cover has to say: BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She's angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she's about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights' most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break. 
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn't want—and couldn't escape. 
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine's diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There's comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal's antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine's words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present. 
Lila's Take: Viva la REVOLUTION, baby. There's so much to love about this book. Donnelly's voice and knack for dialogue had us hooked from the get go. Add in some fascinating history about the French Revolution and we were in love. REVOLUTION is a riveting contemporary/historical mash up and we devoured every page. Even better there's this one controversial plot twist (if you've read it, you totally know what I'm talking about) that makes this a great book for discussion. So go read it now so we can dish. Dying to know what you guys think about it...
In the meantime, check out what the other Bookinistas are up to this week!
Christine Fonseca recommends JOEY FLY, PRIVATE EYE in BIG HAIRY DRAMAElana Johnson raves about MATCHEDShannon Messenger loves on ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS and offers a GiveawayMegan Miranda celebrates DESIRES OF THE DEADBeth Revis sings the praises of CHIMEBethany Wiggins cheers for FIRELIGHT

Kate+The Hilfigers+Polyvore = Time Suck

What have we been hard at work on, you might ask? Our newest WIP? Nah. We've been perusing the Internet for the perfect picture of Kate. Turns out, old school Minka Kelly is an exact replica. Who knew?

Satisfied with our Kate, we moved on to watching this commercial over and over and wishing we could hop right in and join the Hilfiger family. (For the record, this commercial nailed our private school Pemberly Brown.) But, let's be honest, at this point we covet the lives of just about anyone who doesn't have to wake up with a crying baby at 3 AM and has a wardrobe that consists of more than just ratty yoga pants and paint-splattered t-shirts.



Finally, we've been asked to create a Polyvore set of clothes that Kate might wear. If you've never been to Polyvore, it is the mother of all time sucks (translation: it's completely fabulous). As you're lounging around in your paint-splattered t-shirt, you can go "shopping" for someone much skinnier, younger and far cooler than you. Score! Here's what we came up with for Kate Lowry:
So...that's last night in a nut shell.
But everything will change today. Today is December 1st. *cue ominous music here*

Did you hear that sound? It's Lisa weeping.

Tell the Truth Tuesday: NaNo FAIL

I swear we started off strong. In fact, 9 days in we had over 20,000 words written! But...then we came to a screeching halt after deciding that our agent needed to take an early look. Having your agent hate an early look is slightly less devastating than having your agent hate an entire look. At least that's what we told ourselves when we hit send.

For the next week and a half we wallowed in a bad, bad way. Here's a preview:


Lisa: Can we e-mail Catherine, do you think?


Laura: I have the feeling that she's read it. I mean she has to have at least started it.


Lisa: We just really need to have a plan in place right now.


Laura: This is awful.


Lisa: I'm not sure I can do this anymore. I'm just not cut out for this.


Laura: I know...I feel the same way.

Rinse and Repeat.

Once more.

And then again.

Hello, drama queens. In our defense...okay, there's no defending that behavior. We've got a touch of the crazies. Anyway, 8 days later, we got the gold star agent seal of approval. Whoo hoo!

And then, of course, our page proofs for THE LIAR SOCIETY arrived. And then we shot some footage for the book trailer...and then...and then...and then...

What does all this add up to?

Oh, just a big, fat ol' NaNo FAIL.

But, here comes December. Craziest month of the year? Pshaw! Tons of presents left to buy? *shrug* Nothing's been wrapped? Whatever. We have a deadline. A crazy, ridiculous, divorce-inducing, child-services provoking deadline.

Buckle. Up.

Today is the day...

I get back in the game. That's right. I'm going back to the gym and I could not be more excited about an hour of uninterrupted sweating. I've been battling feelings of guilt about leaving little Ben in childcare, but I need this. I really do. Working out makes me feel like me and I've really missed that the past few months.
I'm overweight, overwhelmed and overtired, but today I take a tiny piece of my life back. Halle-freaking-lujah. Just cross your fingers that Ben doesn't end up with Typhoid or something because I think the guilt might kill me. 
Have you done anything completely selfish lately? Spill in the comments so I don't feel like the worst mom ever.

Want to know what we're thankful for?

Page proofs.

That's right. We'll be spending the long holiday weekend doing this:


If all goes according to plan this will be the last time we read THE LIAR SOCIETY. We'd go crazy if we read the final book cover to cover because we'd probably still manage to find crap we'd want to change.

Gobble, gobble biatches.

Tell the Truth Tuesday

1. We're filming our book trailer Sunday and it involves one of the Roecker sisters traipsing around in a
"school girl uniform" while being photographed by our father. Wrong on so many levels.

2. Said "school girl uniform" was purchased from a second hand store and is made by Limited Two. Needless to say it doesn't zip.

3. We spend approximately two hours every day on the phone obsessing about things that we have absolutely no control over. It goes something like this:

Laura: So, if you had to like guess, what do you think our Amazon rank will be the first week THE LIAR SOCIETY is out?

Lisa: Hmm...I don't know. I mean, wouldn't it be amazing to break 50,000? Do you think we'll get good reviews on Amazon?

Laura: I don't know. I mean, maybe right? People might really like our book, you know?

The hallmarks of these conversations are the words "I don't know." You know why we don't know? Because neither of us can predict the future. I just wish we could figure out a way to stop talking about it already.

4. We are obsessed with The Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge. Some participants have actually listed THE LIAR SOCIETY as a book they want to read in 2011. It never gets old. We keep sending links back and forth to each other because we're in shock that people we don't know actually want to read our book. Crazy.

5. I got a big old Amazon package in the mail yesterday with MOSTLY GOOD GIRLS, which I'm dying to crack open (among a few others), I have yet to finish REVOLUTION (which I still really love) and I'm listening to ARE  YOU THERE GOD, IT'S ME VODKA in the car (which is so, so wrong, but so, so funny). Will my to-be-read pile ever shrink?

Spill it...what's your truth this Tuesday?

P.S.: Check it out...ahh Black Friday...

Live From New York...It's MONDAY MORNING!!!!

OK, you guys know I love to share my fave SNL bits and this commercial cracked me up.

"NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM!" Love it.

Happy Monday!