Amy Plum's Blog, page 34
February 22, 2012
Character Interviews
For those who don't follow me on Facebook and Twitter, there have been two separate character interviews posted during the last week that I think you'll enjoy.
The first is a Valentine's Day interview in which "Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me" meets with Kate and Vincent and asks them some very interesting questions! You can read that here.
And the second is a love letter written from Charlotte to Ambrose, hosted by Miss Page-Turners. Find out a little more about what happened (or didn't) between the French resistance fighter and the American soldier here.
I hope you have as much fun reading these as I did writing them. Hurray for Valentine's Day and for true love!
February 13, 2012
Contest Monday: for a prize you might have been waiting for: an UNTIL I DIE ARC !
I only received a few Advance Reader Copies of Book 2 from my editor this year, so have been doling them out VERY carefully. But this week everyone has a chance to win a signed advanced copy of…
UNTIL I DIE!!!
Yeah, I'm bringing out the big guns. 
Since this contest is going to take some work, I'm leaving it open for a week. Some of you will recognize my SPONSORSHIP CONTEST, since I did one last fall. This is how it works:
Each time you get someone who is not already following me on FB (facebook.com/amyplumfanpage) or Twitter (twitter.com/iheartrevenants) to follow or "like," you will win one entry into the contest. The contest is international and there is no limit on entries. At the end of the week (Monday, February 20 at 10am France-time) I will place all of the entries into Randomizer.org and randomly choose the winner. The more times your name is in the hat, the higher chance you will win.
To enter, just post a comment here with 1. your name, 2. whether you sponsored on FB or Twitter, 3. the friend you're sponsoring's FB or Twitter name*, so that I can check to see if they did indeed follow.
I won't do a running total for everyone like I did last time, because that took me HOURS, but I can post a total in the comments this Friday, 2 days before the drawing, to give you an idea of how many points you have.
So…start checking to see which of your friends is not yet following me, and begin racking up the points for my contest! Ready, set…you're gone!
*The fine print: a sponsored person does not receive a point for their own name, but they can then start sponsoring other people to earn their own points. Sponsors for people who unfollow and then follow again will be disqualified.
February 6, 2012
DIE FOR ME 3: IF I SHOULD DIE
The winner of the title reveal contest is: Thilde Koll Espensen!
Congratulations, Thilde! Write me at the email on my Contact page with your mailing address and I'll pop your prizes into the mail.
And thank you everyone for participating. I loved reading your comments, and am glad you approve of Book 3′s title. I can't wait to get UNTIL I DIE and IF I SHOULD DIE into your hands. Can May come any sooner? *checks on time machine – nope, still broken*
What I can give you all right now is a year-in-advance teaser for IF I SHOULD DIE: one of the four photographs in the last post shows the first location in Book 3, and another shows the last location in the book, and thus in the ENTIRE TRILOGY. Can't tell you which is which, but when you remember this in about a year and four months, check back to confirm!
February 4, 2012
Title Reveal for D4M3: Last photo – Contest over!
Last week I got word from my editor at HarperCollins that my title for Book 3 of the DIE FOR ME trilogy had been approved! So I tried to think of a fun way to let you all know what it was. And I decided to take a photo of me with each of the 4 words in the title at one of the important Book 3 locations.
I have been giving them in random order, one per day, on Twitter and Facebook. The fourth and last word will be revealed Sunday, February 5. I will open the comments on this post as soon as I post the last photo, and you will have until 10pm Paris time on Monday to leave a comment here with the correct title in order to win a signed copy of DIE FOR ME, signed bookmark, 2 signed bookplates (to place in your UNTIL I DIE and Book 3!), and zombie Eiffel Tower key chain. (International. One entry per person.)
UPDATE: THE LAST PHOTO IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST! And…go!
Here are the four words (in scrambled order):
Title Reveal for D4M3
Last week I got word from my editor at HarperCollins that my title for Book 3 of the DIE FOR ME trilogy had been approved! So I tried to think of a fun way to let you all know what it was. And I decided to take a photo of me with each of the 4 words in the title at one of the important Book 3 locations.
I have been giving them in random order, one per day, on Twitter and Facebook. The fourth and last word will be revealed Sunday, February 5. I will open the comments on this post as soon as I post the last photo, and you will have until 10pm Paris time on Monday to leave a comment here with the correct title in order to win a signed copy of DIE FOR ME, signed bookmark, 2 signed bookplates (to place in your UNTIL I DIE and Book 3!), and zombie Eiffel Tower key chain. (International. One entry per person.)
Here are the first three words (in scrambled order):
January 22, 2012
Lying to Children
The All-Time Champion of Lying to Children, my grandpa.
I was driving my friend Mags home one day after seeing a film in Tours. After chatting for a few minutes, she said, "So this is the magic car."
"The magic car?" I responded.
"Yes, Alannah has been telling everyone about your magic car that has windows that go up and down magically if she says, 'Window Up' or 'Window Down'".
"Oh, that," I replied, remembering the day I did a mommy-friend favor and took 4-year-old Alannah to the store while Mags, who was pregnant, stayed home and took a nap.
"She said it even worked if she whispered it very quietly," Mags said, impressed.
"I have good ears," I responded, fingering the automatic window controls and hunching down in my seat.
I can't help telling tall tales to children. It's in my genes. My grandfather, the all time Lying to Children Champion, passed me the gift (or disorder, however you want to see it).
When Grandpa came to visit us in Alabama, my sister's 2nd grade class was studying his home state of Alaska. Her teacher invited Grandpa to come tell her class about it, and my 3rd grade teacher let me join in.
Grandpa started with a description of the flora and fauna of Alaska, the weather, and what people did there as occupations. Knowing him—king of stories—who had already been caught for lying about our family having Cherokee Indian ancestry—he must have flinched seeing 7-year-olds yawning at his stories. He had to do something to charm them. And fast.
When he finished his very responsible grandfatherly account of life-in-Alaska, the teacher asked if anyone had questions for him. He fielded some about polar bears and snow (this was Alabama, remember, so both were as foreign to the kids as Chicken Vindaloo). And then one of the children piped up and asked, "Have you ever seen the Abominable Snowman?"
A light went on in Grandpa's eyes. It's the same light I can feel coming on in mine when a good story begins to brew. Grandpa paused for a minute, looking sideways at the teacher, and then replied, "Actually, yes I have." He then launched in to a ten-minute cliffhanger of hunting the Snowman to his ice cave in the snowdrifts.
Being a big-game hunter (see photo above of him on African safari, before the time that safaris were of the Kodak-kind), my grandpa probably didn't have to invent many of the details. The kids ate it up as the teacher progressively freaked out. Being a polite Southern lady she couldn't really say, "Plug your ears, children. Gretchen's grandfather is lying." So she just sat there and turned purple. In my mind, that was the day that Grandpa won the Lying to Children award.
I have no doubt I learned my storytelling from Grandpa. I worshiped him. I idolized him.
Which could be why, when I visited a stone-age dolman with my son and his friend last weekend, I crouched down and pointed. "See that stone? Underneath there are the bones of a dead person."
Max and Joseph on the dolman, Brittany coast
My ever-practical son asked, "How deep" and I replied, "You'd probably have to dig a bit." My French friend was laughing her head off, and said, "I can't believe you told your six-year-old that!" "Everyone should be aware in case of zombie attack!" I say a and she looks scared. And all I can think is…Thank you grandpa. Thank you for your tall tales. And for teaching me that it's knowing how to build your tale to captivate every possible audience that counts.
January 18, 2012
DIE FOR ME in Turkish
DIE FOR ME is out in Turkish! And Google Translate tells me that the title reads as "DIE FOR ME", so no fancy variations in this version. You can check out its page in Turkish here.
Turkey is really high on my list of places I want to go. I think a signing would be a REALLY good idea. Maybe for Book 3 since Constantinople/Istanbul appears in one of the revenants' back-stories. (Ooh – did I just give you a teaser for BOOK 3? I think I did!)
And just for your viewing pleasure, check out this paragraph:
Amy Plum, paranormal üçlemesinin ilk kitabı olan Benim İçin Öl'de (Die For Me), Amerika'da anne babasını trafik kazasında kaybedince, ablasıyla dedelerinin yanına taşınmak zorunda kalan Kate ile onun saf güzelliğine tüm benliğini kaptıran yakışıklı Fransız genci Vincent'ın ruhlara işleyen aşklarını anlatıyor.
I can't even tell you how crazy it is to see my name in a paragraph with all of those Turkish words. *pinches self* I actually read it out loud, just for fun. I'm very glad no Turkish people were around to hear.
Thank you Lauren Abramo (my super-duper foreign rights agent) and Arkadas Publishers for bringing Kate and Vincent to Turkey!
January 16, 2012
CONTEST MONDAY: The Glimpse (Presenting Claire Merle) – WON by Jennifer Thomas!
Claire Merle, author of THE GLIMPSE, Faber June 2012
I can't even say how excited I am to introduce you to a debut YA author who I've become friends with.
I met Claire Merle at the Paris SCBWI conference last December, and we clicked right away. I was so happy to meet a Paris-based author because most of my other writer friends are a whole ocean, or at least an English channel, away. Plus, we have in common the fact that we're both married to a French guy and are raising two young kids in the French system. PLUS, she too is a Young Adult writer AND is really really nice. I felt like I had hit the author-friend jackpot.
When she told me about her book THE GLIMPSE, which will be published in the U.K. by Faber & Faber in June 2012 (and she's waiting to hear about publication elsewhere), I thought, Wait until my readers hear about this!
Here's the synopsis:
In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.
Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana's condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana's joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a 'normal' life. But then Jasper disappears.
(You can pre-order THE GLIMPSE from anywhere in the world here.)
Sounds fabulous, right? And then, just a few days ago, Claire told me about the most awesome contest that she is holding for U.K. teens. And I thought I could call on you, my readers, to spread the word about Claire's event—whether you're in the U.K., the U.S., the Philippines, or anywhere else in the world…my THE GLIMPSE contest is international.
So on this CONTEST MONDAY, I'm giving away something really special. A collector's item. A signed copy of DIE FOR ME's original American ARC – the one with the Kate-in-a-Boat cover!
This is a points-based contest, and the number of points you earn is the number of times your name goes into the virtual hat of Randomizer.org to win the prize.
1 point: follow Claire's FB page
1 point: from Claire's FB page, share her video (you will see it posted near the top of her posts)
1 point: Add it to your Goodreads "to read" list
1 point: Say something about Claire and THE GLIMPSE on your FB page, Tumblr page or Blog.
1 point: Follow Claire on Twitter at @ClaireMerle
1 point: Tweet the following "CONTEST!! Plus meet @ClaireMerle, author of upcoming YA THE GLIMPSE & find out about her book trailer auditions here: http://bit.ly/wxTQLc"
1 point: follow The Glimpse's FB page
1 point: (freebie) leave me a comment on this blog just saying "hi" if you only want 1 point, or giving me the links and/or info about the other points I should give you.
That is 8 points you can earn in all. The contest is open internationally and will end in exactly 48 hours (Wednesday at 11am Paris time).
SO…what is Claire's amazing idea? Her publisher, Faber & Faber is holding auditions for the lead role in her book trailer. U.K. citizens between ages 13-18 have until February 20 to send their audition video. You can find the audition script and instructions here.
And for your viewing pleasure, here is the contest video!
Good luck to everyone with my THE GLIMPSE contest, and I can't wait to see who will be chosen as the actress for Claire's trailers!
CONTEST MONDAY: The Glimpse (Presenting Claire Merle)
Claire Merle, author of THE GLIMPSE, Faber June 2012
I can't even say how excited I am to introduce you to a debut YA author who I've become friends with.
I met Claire Merle at the Paris SCBWI conference last December, and we clicked right away. I was so happy to meet a Paris-based author because most of my other writer friends are a whole ocean, or at least an English channel, away. Plus, we have in common the fact that we're both married to a French guy and are raising two young kids in the French system. PLUS, she too is a Young Adult writer AND is really really nice. I felt like I had hit the author-friend jackpot.
When she told me about her book THE GLIMPSE, which will be published in the U.K. by Faber & Faber in June 2012 (and she's waiting to hear about publication elsewhere), I thought, Wait until my readers hear about this!
Here's the synopsis:
In a near future, society is segregated according to whether people are genetically disposed to mental illness. 17-year-old Ana has been living the privileged life of a Pure due to an error in her DNA test. When the authorities find out, she faces banishment from her safe Community, a fate only thwarted by the fact that she has already been promised to Pure-boy Jasper Taurell.
Jasper is from a rich and influential family and despite Ana's condition, wants to be with her. The authorities grant Ana a tentative reprieve. If she is joined to Jasper before her 18th birthday, she may stay in the Community until her illness manifests. But if Jasper changes his mind, she will be cast out among the Crazies. As Ana's joining ceremony and her birthday loom closer, she dares to hope she will be saved from the horror of the City and live a 'normal' life. But then Jasper disappears.
(You can pre-order THE GLIMPSE from anywhere in the world here.)
Sounds fabulous, right? And then, just a few days ago, Claire told me about the most awesome contest that she is holding for U.K. teens. And I thought I could call on you, my readers, to spread the word about Claire's event—whether you're in the U.K., the U.S., the Philippines, or anywhere else in the world…my THE GLIMPSE contest is international.
So on this CONTEST MONDAY, I'm giving away something really special. A collector's item. A signed copy of DIE FOR ME's original American ARC – the one with the Kate-in-a-Boat cover!
This is a points-based contest, and the number of points you earn is the number of times your name goes into the virtual hat of Randomizer.org to win the prize.
1 point: follow Claire's FB page
1 point: from Claire's FB page, share her video (you will see it posted near the top of her posts)
1 point: Add it to your Goodreads "to read" list
1 point: Say something about Claire and THE GLIMPSE on your FB page, Tumblr page or Blog.
1 point: Follow Claire on Twitter at @ClaireMerle
1 point: Tweet the following "CONTEST!! Plus meet @ClaireMerle, author of upcoming YA THE GLIMPSE & find out about her book trailer auditions here: http://bit.ly/wxTQLc"
1 point: follow The Glimpse's FB page
1 point: (freebie) leave me a comment on this blog just saying "hi" if you only want 1 point, or giving me the links and/or info about the other points I should give you.
That is 8 points you can earn in all. The contest is open internationally and will end in exactly 48 hours (Wednesday at 11am Paris time).
SO…what is Claire's amazing idea? Her publisher, Faber & Faber is holding auditions for the lead role in her book trailer. U.K. citizens between ages 13-18 have until February 20 to send their audition video. You can find the audition script and instructions here.
And for your viewing pleasure, here is the contest video!
Good luck to everyone with my THE GLIMPSE contest, and I can't wait to see who will be chosen as the actress for Claire's trailers!
January 12, 2012
News from Poland
I am thrilled to announce that Polish rights for the DIE FOR ME trilogy have been sold to Weltbild! Yet another language for me to learn to say "Thank you" in.
Dziękuję, Weltbild!!!
I wonder what type of video I can do for the Polish book birthday. (My Australian book birthday video. My U.K. book birthday video. I still have to do Norway, Bulgaria, Turkey, Germany and Russia. Ideas welcome!)
Again, THANK YOU Weltbild!
