Tracy Deebs's Blog, page 14

Contest Winner!

Hi everyone :)

Sorry I'm a couple days late posting this, but this week has been a little crazy.  Thank you so much to all of you who pre-ordered Tempest, or who bought it in the stores.  I really, really appreciate it :)

The winner of the $75 giftcard is Andie M.  Drop me an email at tracydeebs@gmail.com and let me know which online bookseller you would like the gift card to and I will send it your way.

Thanks again, everyone!

Btw, I'm giving away a $100 giftcard over at http://www.bittenbybooks.com/ today.  Stop by and comment for a chance to win! 

And if you're in the San Antonio or Austin area, come see us tomorrow and Sunday at the Chills and Thrills Book Tour.

Have a great weekend!

The Chills and Thrills Teen Book Tour

Hi, Everyone!  Thanks so much for all your support and well-wishes these last couple of days.  Tempest's release day was a blast for me (yes, I went to BN to stare at my pretty book on the shelves, LOL) then I went to lunch with two of my closest friends to celebrate!!!!!

I'm a little late on getting this up, but in case you haven't heard, I'm part of the Chills and Thrills Teen Book Tour that is going through Texas in the next couple of weeks. Authors signing are:

Tracy Deebs
Tera Lynn Childs
Sophie Jordan
Mari Mancusi
Lara Chapman
Jennifer Archer
Jordan Dane

and we'll be signing in:

Saturday, May 14th
La Cantera Barnes and Noble, San Antonio
12-2 p.m.
(Btw, Rick Riordan is signing right after us, in case any of you are interested!)

Sunday, May 15th
BookPeople, Austin
2-4 p.m.

Friday, May 20th,
Barnes and Noble, Waco, TX
6-8 p.m.

Saturday, May 21st
A Real Bookstore, Plano, Texas
2-4 p.m.

Sunday, May 22nd
Barnes and Noble, Hurst, TX
2-4 p.m.

Saturday, May 28th
Murder by the Book, Houston, TX
4:30-6:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 29th
Katy Budget Books, Houston, TX
2-4 p.m.

Now, not all of us will be at all the stops (though I will be, LOL) so for more info, check out our website at:
http://chillsandthrillsteenbooktour.wordpress.com/  It's got all the info on our books and who we are, along with addresses, etc. for all our stops.  Hope to see you at one of the stores!

Tempest Releases Tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe that Tempest Rising will finally be on the shelves.  It seems so long ago that I decided I wanted to write a YA about mermaids (October 2009) and yet it's finally time, nineteen months after I originally conceived of the concept.  It gives me shivers :)


So far, the reviews coming in are really good.  Here are a few links, in case you want to check them out:


'Tempest Rising is an unpredictable and magical tale about sea creatures and destiny that entranced me. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book and was really sad when I finally closed the novel." --IB Book Blogging


http://www.ibbookblogging.com/2011/05/review-tempest-rising-by-tracy-deebs.html


"Romance and adventure abound in this mermaid tale that's a fin above the rest. "  --All Things Urban Fantasy


http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/2011/05/early-review-tempest-rising-by-tracy.html
"Tempest Rising was a thrilling, exotic, and romantic read with many twists and turns ... I'm beginning to think that the thrill of the water is more appealing than an eternity of night..." --Allykatzz
"Among the recent spate of mermaid books this easily stands as the darkest ... an exciting  story ... which many young readers will love." – Kirkus Reviews
http://www.allykatzz.com/page/forus/member_blog_detail/?member_id=60483&source_id=1218866
"TEMPEST RISING, by Tracy Deebs, is a wonderfully crafted 'coming of age' story about a girl who needs to decide between the life she has always known or another life under the deep blue sea.  I absolutely loved this book."   --Sit Here and Readhttp://www.sithereandread.com/2011/05/blog-tour-tempest-rising-by-tracy-deebs.html


And remember, if you're planning to buy Tempest Rising, remember that you have until Wednesday to show me proof of purchase to be entered for a $75 gift card to the online bookstore of your choice.


Have a great week!

A Preview of Tempest Rising

With Tempest's release date less than a week away (yay!) I thought I'd post another excerpt.  Hope you enjoy :)  And don't forget to check out the contest I posted on Monday for your chance to win a $75 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice.  THanks :)

Up in the sky a full moon the color of a pure, sweet tropical pearl cast a glow over the trees, the only light besides the lone street lamp at the end of the cul-de-sac.  For a moment, I felt like the only person on earth.      Crossing the street, I ignored the gravel and small rocks that bit into my toes and heels until I could sink my feet into the blessed relief of cold, winter sand.     I walked along the beach for a long time—right where the tide met the sand--unaware of time passing as the water tickled my toes.  I played tag with the waves, tried to avoid the never-ending cycle of tides as they rolled in.  I lost more times than I won.     I didn't have any firm destination in mind as I walked, but when I ended up a mile or so down the beach at my thinking rock, I wasn't surprised.  I'd been coming here for six years, whenever life got to be too much for me and, geez, did this week ever qualify as too much.     I climbed the craggy rock swiftly, my hands and feet finding familiar footholds in the rough crevices.  Though I was fast, I was also careful—my legs and hips, even the back of my right hand bore numerous scars from the mistakes I'd made while climbing here in the past.     The ocean seethed in a crazed cacophony while I settled myself at the top of the rock, a perfect reflection of my mood as I looked out over the water I both loved and despised, praying for just a little bit of the peace I usually got when I was out here alone.         But there was no peace tonight.  How could there be?  The ocean throbbed and pulsed while the very air itself crackled with electricity.     I gazed out over the waves as I searched my very limited knowledge-base trying to figure out how the hell to get out of the mess I was currently in.  Things were happening so quickly that I couldn't find a way to stop them.  I didn't know how to stop them.     "No!"  I screamed so loudly that my throat hurt.  "No, no, no!"  Again and again until my voice was hoarse and my throat raw.     The ocean seemed to pulse in and out in time with my screams and I watched, fascinated, as wave after wave pounded the shore—each one bigger and harder than the one before.     It was great surfing weather.  Dangerous, sure, if you didn't know what you were doing, but good nonetheless.  For a minute, I longed for my board, the call of the ocean so strong that it was painful.     You don't need a board.  The thought slipped in slyly.  You're a strong swimmer.  Go on out there and see what you're really made of.     Overhead, lightning crackled, was followed closely by a burst of thunder that shook my rock and the ground beneath it.     Go ahead, the little voice at the back of my head whispered again. You know you want to.     And I did want to, so badly that I could almost taste it.  That was the kicker in all of this—a part of me longed to give myself over to the violent water, a part that was getting harder and harder to deny.     What would it hurt? the voice urged.  A midnight swim, a chance to—     I was off the rock before I knew what I was doing, heading towards the ocean with a single-minded purpose I couldn't imagine denying.     My gills ached.  My lungs burned, blistered.  My skin stung, itched, like a thousand wasps had gotten to me.     Yes, go.  The voice was louder now, more insistent.  Triumphant even.  And I gave myself to it.  Let it pull me to where I wanted to be anyway.     I walked a few steps closer to the water, the sand squishing beneath my toes.     You belong there.  You need to be in the water, to feel it around you.  Beneath you.     The water lapped at my ankles, my calves.  I took another step, then another.   Felt it on my knees, my thighs.  The cold sting of it penetrated my near trance-like state and I stopped, confused.     Just a little more, a few more steps.  The voice was clearer now—ringing in my head, in my ears.  Flowing through me until it was a drumbeat in my blood.  Until it was all I could think about.  All I could feel.     I took another step.  Then another and another and another.  The water was around my chest now and I was only going deep enough to—     "No!"  Another voice, fainter and more frantic than the first.  "Tempest, stop!"     Ignore him, said the first voice.  You've wasted enough time.  Come to me.  Come to your home.
Have a wonderful Wednesday!

All about me ...

I did a fun bio post over at Supernatural Snark, and since I get a lot of emailed questions about me, Tempest Rising and why I wrote Tempest Rising, I thought I'd repost the blog over here.  Let me know if you still have questions after this ....

 Now, to be completely honest, I get a little antsy when someone asks me to write a bio of myself, because I never have a clue what to include (and what to leave out). But I'll give it my best shot.

I love lipstick, books and fancy earrings (though not necessarily in that order).

I love to travel, but absolutely refuse to set foot in a tent.

I love dancing, reading poetry (the Beats are my favorite), swimming and trying new recipes.

I'm addicted to chocolate, pickles and strawberry-banana smoothies (though not at the same time).

I love thunderstorms, unexpected downpours, and walking in the rain, but hate the feel of wet clothes against my skin when the storm is over.

When I was young, I watched the Hans Christian Anderson version of The Little Mermaid at least once a day for three years. And though my mermaid obsession eventually gave way to a love of all things Wonder Woman, my interest in mermaids never went completely away (obviously).

My favorite book of all time is Ayn Rand's Anthem, while my least favorite book of all time is John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

My favorite book that I've read in the last year is Cory Doctorow's Little Brother.

One summer, I went to every major amusement park in America. Another summer, I ran away with band.

Two of my closest friends and I wrote a book called The International Kissing Club, about four girls who travel internationally and start a Facebook page to keep track of the points they get from kissing boys. It comes out in January 2012.

I've climbed the Pyramids in Egypt, walked on the banks of the Red Sea, kissed a boy in front of the Eiffel Tower, gotten soaked at Cleopatra's favorite bathing spot and surfed Diamondhead Bay in Hawaii. I've also skydived over New Mexico and stood at the Cave of the Winds in Niagara Falls.

Despite my love of the water, I have a deep-seated fear of sharks. A serious, awful, unbelievable terror of sharks.

I came up with the idea for Tempest Rising when my agent asked me "So, how do you feel about mermaids …"

I set Tempest Rising on the beaches I used to hang out at, swim in and surf when I was her age.

At seventeen, there was nothing quite like a midnight ride out to La Jolla and a long walk on the beach.

To this day, my favorite thing to do is to curl up with a cup of tea and a book as I listen to the rain hit against the window.

And last but not least, I'm part of the Chills and Thrills Teen Book Tour, which will be visiting all the major cities in Texas in the next month. Check out our website to see the other authors on the tour: http://chillsandthrillsteenbooktour.wordpress.com/whos-who/

So, now it's your turn.  Tell me one cool thing about you :)

Long Time No Post-- Huge Contest Alert!!!!

I know, I know.  I start a blog and then leave it for a month and a half ... so, so sorry.  But with three books out in five weeks, my life has been crazy hectic between conferences, booksignings and blog tours.

Tempest Rising is almost here (May 10th--yay!!!!) and to celebrate I'm giving away the grand prize of a $75 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice.  To be entered to win, all you have to do is pre-order a copy of Tempest Rising, and send proof (any personal info except name removed) to my tracydeebs@gmail.com account.  Though the book comes out on May 10th, the contest will run until May 11th, so that anyone who wants Tempest for Nook can still order it, as it's not available in that format until release day. 

You can pre-order Tempest here:

Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Borders
Books-A-Million
Indie Bound

There will also be three other prizes for runners-up: a fun bath and body works gift bag, a $10 Starbucks Gift Card and a bag of fun YA ARCs that I picked up at RT.  So enter away and good luck!!!!

I'm Blogging and Doing a Giveaway ....

over at Only Sexy Books allowed: http://tinyurl.com/4g3lbpc 

Stop by and leave a comment on your favorite love triangle and be entered to win a Bare Escentuals Buxom Lipgloss in the shade of, what else, Tempest :)

Fun Kissing Websites

To go along with International Kissing Week, I've rounded up some fun websites about kissing.

Check out Harlequin's Office for the Preservation of the Kiss http://www.patentyourkiss.com/Default.aspx

Or these fun websites with kissing trivia:

http://hicards.com/valentine/vkiss.htmlhttp://www.romancestuck.com/kissingHave a great Wednesday!!!!

International Kissing Club Excerpt and Giveaway!!!!!!!!

Hi Guys!
In continuing with International Kissing Week, I thought I'd pop up an excerpt from the book, just to see what you think.  The following is the prologue, and it follows Piper, who is my girl (meaning I wrote all of her chapters).  Anyway, leave a comment to be entered to win this week's prize!


PrologueShe couldn't believe she was doing this.Seriously. Couldn't. Believe. She. Was. Doing. This.Had she completely lost her mind? God knew her friends certainly seemed to think so.Cassidy had teased her, had asked if she was wearing a dress or a peach lace parachute.Izzy had wondered aloud how many children had labored in sweatshops to sew on the thousands of crystal beads and sequins.And Mei, Mei hadn't said anything. She'd simply bitten the inside of her cheeks so hard she looked like a fish that had just had liposuction. Somehow, Mei having to work so hard not to laugh only made standing here in this ridiculous designer dress that much worse.  Her nose itched and she gave the dress a discreet sniff.  How many perfume sprayers had her mother walked by at Neiman Marcus when carrying the thing, anyway?  And when had vanilla gotten so popular?As the Cotton Princess float—a gigantic pink-and-white monstrosity that was the biggest in Cotton Festival history—pulled up in front of the town square gazebo, Piper Douglas lined up along the front of it, next to Germaine Stewart and her posse of Cotton Queen wanna-bes.  Though Piper smiled and waved at the crowd just like the others, all she really wanted to do was run—or, barring that, beat her head against the ground until she slipped into blessed unconsciousness.
Because if she passed out, then she wouldn't have to go through with this whole ridiculous farce. Right? Right.As the Cotton Festival noise rose to a deafening crescendo—one that meant the band, and the rest of the parade, had finally made it back to town square after their tour through the streets of downtown—it was a measure of her desperation that Piper really did consider knocking herself out, despite the ugly bruise it was sure to cause.But in the end, she just couldn't do it. Not because she was afraid of a little pain, but because every time she closed her eyes to psych herself up, she saw her mother's glowing face.  For the first time since she'd been born, practically, Piper was doing something to make her mother proud.  So what if it was making her miserable? If it kept her mom sober for a few days—and softened her up enough to get Piper the new oil paints she wanted—then it was all worth it. Even this ridiculous, stinky excuse for a dress.Besides, after years of being an embarrassment to her parents, who ruled her with an iron fist in an effort to keep her from doing something they considered bizarre, it was kind of nice to have her mother look at her like she wasn't a total waste of space.  It was even nicer to be the focus of positive attention for once, instead of standing by and watching her mother praise her thirteen-year-old sister, Savannah, before heaping a bunch of criticism on Piper.Sure, she knew it was stupid to be this concerned with making her mother happy.  After all, they were two totally different people, and being a Cotton Princess wasn't going to change that.  But at the same time, it was kind of cool that one weekend could so completely change the dynamics in her house.  Suddenly, her mom was listening to her instead of reaching for the bottle of vodka whenever Piper walked into the room.  She had never felt less like an alien someone had dropped on her parents' doorstep shortly after birth.  It was a good feeling. True, her nomination to the court had seriously pissed off Germaine, which was never a good thing.  Piper had had years to learn that an angry Germaine was a dangerous Germaine.  But Piper's mother--a former Cotton Queen herself-- had called in a ton of favors to get her on the float, and Piper was determined to make her proud.As she and the other princesses descended from the float, the music waned and so did the cheers, which meant it was almost time.  Almost time to hear her name announced for the entire town to hear. Almost time for her to walk to the dais set up in the center of the town square and get the silly little tiara she was supposed to wear to this afternoon's barbecue and tonight's square dance.  Almost time for her to curtsy and join the rest of the court for copious amounts of pictures.  And then this whole thing would be over and she would have a little breathing room—at least until the barbecue.  Nervous, and more than a little freaked out, she scanned the crowd for her best friends' familiar faces.  It took her a minute, but she finally found them at the top of the bleachers the town council had set up across from the dais —and they were all looking straight at her.  Cassidy shot her a thumbs up sign, Izzy gagged at the blatant dumb-assery, and Mei smiled an encouraging, you-can-do-it grin that helped put Piper at ease like nothing else could. No matter what happened today—no matter how stupid she looked in the pale peach monstrosity her mother had bought for her in Dallas—her friends would still be there.  They might be propping themselves up as they laughed hysterically, but they would be there.As the court was introduced, the first person called was Germaine, who was Cotton Queen for the second year in a row–despite only being a junior.  And yes, even here in Paris, Texas, everyone knew that the Cotton Queen was supposed to be a senior, but Germaine's mother ruled the town the same way Germaine ruled Paris High School and neither of them was willing to let Germaine take second place to anyone.After Germaine was crowned queen, and her boyfriend, Tanner Colt—the hottest, smartest, nicest guy in school and the football team's star wide receiver—had been crowned Cotton King, the announcements began for the rest of the court. There were four princesses and Piper waited impatiently for her name to be called. She was the last on the court and the sooner she got up there, the sooner this whole debacle would be over and she could get out of this stupid dress. Which she couldn't wait to do, as it was really starting to itch. Not to mention the funky vanilla scent seemed to be getting stronger the longer she wore the thing.Finally, her name came over the loudspeaker and she began the long trek up the red carpet. As she headed toward the center of the square, where the rest of the Cotton Court was waiting, she scanned the crowd for Jackson Grosbeck, center for the football team and a total jerk. Much to her disgust, she'd gotten stuck with him as her escort onto the makeshift stage.She finally spotted him, but he wasn't walking down the stretch of red carpet opposite hers, as they'd practiced earlier that morning. Instead, he was coming from the side of the town square closest to the parade route, and he was pulling something behind him.  Unsure of what to do, Piper kept walking—no way was she going to be the first princess in the history of the Cotton Festival to screw this up and thus earn everlasting shame—but the closer Jackson got, the more uneasy she became. And as the crowd parted, she finally figured out what he was dragging behind him. It was a very large, very ugly, very agitated pig. And it was dressed in a swine-sized version of the same tuxedo Jackson was currently wearing.Piper stopped uncertainly, not wanting to get any closer to the angry looking thing than was absolutely necessary, Cotton Court or no Cotton Court. It wasn't the first pig she'd seen up close by any means—this was farm country after all. But it must have been one of the Four-H kids' pigs, because while it wasn't fully grown, it was still big enough that Jackson could barely control it.She didn't want the drooling, seething animal anywhere near her.  What is Jackson doing anyway? she wondered frantically.  Germaine would kill him for destroying the ceremony, and if she didn't, the festival director, Mrs. Rand, certainly would.  She'd been in charge of the festival for fifteen years.  It was her life.  No one had ever before risked her wrath and Piper couldn't believe Jackson was going to be the first.  But Jackson didn't seem to care, as he kept dragging the reluctant pig through the now-hushed crowd. At the last minute—when he was only a few yards from Piper—he let go of the rope wrapped around the pig's neck. The thing headed straight for Piper at a dead run.For one excruciatingly long second she was frozen in shock and fear. And then instincts she didn't even know she had took over and she started to run. She didn't get far, however, before her high heels got tangled in the hem of her dress and she went down hard.Within seconds, the pig was on her, squealing loudly as it snuffled its snout all over her dress and face. And in that strange, surreal moment, she finally figured out what the weird scent from her dress was—vanilla wafers.  They'd learned last year in biology that the sweet cookies were pigs' favorite treats.Someone had obviously hidden them somewhere on her dress, because the beast was going crazy looking for them, nudging her with its snout and even licking her wherever it could.  Piper tried desperately to shove it away, even grabbed onto its mini-tuxedo and tugged, but the thing outweighed her by a good thirty pounds and it was as determined to find its treat as she was to get out from under it.  As she scrambled backwards, she heard her dress rip, but didn't pay any attention to it.  All of her focus was on eluding the vanilla wafer crazed pig.Clambering towards safety, with the pig following her every move, Piper became aware that the entire town was staring at her with their mouths wide open. Except Mrs. Rand , who stood on the dais, frozen in shock, as she took in the fiasco her beloved Cotton Crowning had become.  Even worse, a chant had started among the football players, one that was growing louder with every second that passed. Kiss the pig.Kiss the pig.Kiss the pig.Kiss the pig.Piper's cheeks flamed and her heart felt like it would burst right out of her chest. This couldn't be happening, she told herself. No way had she gone through with this whole Cotton Festival thing just to be humiliated at the last second by a giant pig.Only it was happening, the chant growing louder with each second that passed. And then, as if it understood what the words meant, the pig chose that second to run its cold, wet, disgusting snout down one of her cheeks, across her mouth and over her chin.Piper clamped her hands over her face in a meager attempt at protection that was too little, too late and prayed for the ground to open up and swallow her whole.  She prayed for an earthquake, for a five alarm fire, for anything that would make this nightmare end, but God obviously had other plans for the day.Finally, someone managed to pry the pig away from her—she glanced up and realized Tanner had grabbed the rope and was wrestling it back across the square—and Piper scrambled to her feet.  It took a minute, but the entire gathering fell silent once again. As she looked up at the bleachers and wondered half-hysterically what she was supposed to do now, she realized Mei, Izzy and Cassidy had been frantically making their way through the crowded stands to get to her. As they got to the bottom, Izzy looked up, straight at Piper, and her already pale face drained of color. Then she started to run, straight towards Piper.Following Izzy's horrified gaze, Piper looked down and realized her struggle with the pig had ripped the front of her skirt clear off.  She was standing in front of Tanner, her classmates, and a large percentage of Paris, Texas—bare from the waist down except for the pair of Spanx her mother had bought to go with the dress and forced her, under duress, to wear.Laughter once again replaced the football players' silence, though she realized a number of adults were crowding into the square—including the high school principal, Mr. Callahan, and the town's mayor, Mr. Hunter.  But they were too late.  The damage had been done.  She looked around for her mother, finally found her on the ground about thirty feet away.  Her father and sister were crowded around her, fanning her with their Cotton Festival programs, but she wasn't stirring.  For one fleeting second, Piper wondered if she'd finally done it.  If she'd finally embarrassed her mother so badly that she had done what she'd always threatened to: died of shame.It was the last straw.As her world caved in, Piper turned to flee and ran straight into Germaine—who was grinning widely as she used her iPhone to click picture after picture of Piper's humiliation.The last thing Piper saw as she made a beeline for her car was Cassidy's fist connecting with Germaine's face.  Despite her complete and total humiliation at Germaine's hands, Piper couldn't help smiling as blood gushed from the head cheerleader's nose. One thing was for sure—this year's Cotton Festival was going to be one nobody ever forgot…
So, what do you think? Totally different then Tempest, but fun?  Leave a comment to be entered to win this week's prize: Different lip gloss colors from Victoria's Secret plus some bath gel :)

It's International Kissing Week!

  It isn't actually International Kissing Week, as that's some time in the summer, but I've decided to hold my own right now to celebrate finishing my first contemporary young adult novel, The International Kissing Club, which is due out in January 2012 from Walker Books.  I'm writing it with two of my closest friends, Emily McKay and Shellee Roberts, under the name Ivy Adams, and I have to tell you, writing this book is the most fun I've had in years.  Seriously.  There's nothing quite like getting paid to hang out and laugh and create with two of the most fabulous women in the world :)  You'll get a chance to meet them later this week when they stop by to say hello.  Until then ... here's a little bit about kissing club and a fun excerpt to whet your appetites :)

The International Kissing Club is the story of four best friends from Paris, Texas who become international exchange students and form a Facebook page to keep in touch and document their kissing exploits and time abroad. 
Piper, the "tortured" artist, goes to Paris
                                     


Mei, the brilliant rocker, goes to China

    

Cassidy, the sports goddess, goes to Australia



 And poor Izzy, the eco-warrior, gets stuck at home 




Still, it promises to be a semester no one ever forgets-- especially with rules like these:

The International Kissing Club
The Official Rules and Guidelines for the International Kissing Club


Info
·        Kiss and be kissed·        Often·        One point per kiss. Three points if it really makes you shiver …o   Bonus points: Five points for kisses from two guys in one week and ten points for kisses from threeo   Kiss and tell
So, what do you think?  Sound like fun?  Stop by all week for fun excerpts, giveaways and to meet the other two writers who help make up Ivy Adams :)   Happy International Kissing Week!