Dawn Metcalf's Blog, page 19
June 28, 2013
Tentacular!
Lest I've been neglecting my steampunky side during these countdown weeks to launch (4 weeks! EEEEEEE!), I wanted to feature something I've been seeing a lot of lately: tentacles! Octopi! Squidilicious cephalopods! Creepy-crawly slimy works of boneless art. I honestly have no idea why these things got lumped into the steampunk genre, but highly suspect is has something to do with H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu or Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. In any case, it's a short hop from bowler hats and goggles to squirmy suckers.
As far as art and artists, I think Ursula Vernon does it best (click here), but the best art is the type you can wear and 'punking out is ALL the rage nowadays. You can accentuate yourself with buckles, bangles, baubles, t-shirts, and hair clips and hats--squiddy goodness is everywhere (if you know where to look!)
This awesome hair clip brought to you by Steampunk Couture.
But, personally, I have been on a home-decorating kick lately and have been ALL about finding things to spice up the house, shopping locally and in easy-to-find places. Some of my favorite "ooh" and "ahh" places to gaze with wishful thinking are HomeGoods and Anthropologie. Here are some beauties I've discovered, slithery silver goodies that look like that could just wriggle across the table and offer up a platter of crudités:
Actually, the big pod reminded me of Shaun Tan's THE LOST THING while the candle holders were just cool.
Like your wall art to reach out and grab someone? I'm a big fan of these vinyl wall art decals that could spice up a bathroom or curl around a closet, and Art Akimbo has a fabulous piece on its etsy shop that I could only dream of hanging over the mantle (with maybe a top hat secured near its base):
Then there is what to serve at your next Steampunk High Tea: I vote tentacular cupcakes! You can try these recipes from Martha Stewart or The Cupcake Blog, but I have my own fun with fondant tentacles back during the Creepy Cake n Bake contest:
Help meeeeeeeeeeeee!
Can I say it? I'm hooked!
As far as art and artists, I think Ursula Vernon does it best (click here), but the best art is the type you can wear and 'punking out is ALL the rage nowadays. You can accentuate yourself with buckles, bangles, baubles, t-shirts, and hair clips and hats--squiddy goodness is everywhere (if you know where to look!)
This awesome hair clip brought to you by Steampunk Couture.
But, personally, I have been on a home-decorating kick lately and have been ALL about finding things to spice up the house, shopping locally and in easy-to-find places. Some of my favorite "ooh" and "ahh" places to gaze with wishful thinking are HomeGoods and Anthropologie. Here are some beauties I've discovered, slithery silver goodies that look like that could just wriggle across the table and offer up a platter of crudités:
Actually, the big pod reminded me of Shaun Tan's THE LOST THING while the candle holders were just cool.
Like your wall art to reach out and grab someone? I'm a big fan of these vinyl wall art decals that could spice up a bathroom or curl around a closet, and Art Akimbo has a fabulous piece on its etsy shop that I could only dream of hanging over the mantle (with maybe a top hat secured near its base):
Then there is what to serve at your next Steampunk High Tea: I vote tentacular cupcakes! You can try these recipes from Martha Stewart or The Cupcake Blog, but I have my own fun with fondant tentacles back during the Creepy Cake n Bake contest:
Help meeeeeeeeeeeee!
Can I say it? I'm hooked!
June 25, 2013
Indelible Playlist: The Hivemind Has Ears!
I am embarrassed when people ask me for a playlist. Unlike most writers this side of the century, I can't think straight with music playing and must type/scribble longhand/draw in silence.* The good news is this saves me and my selection from sounding terribly old and unhip, but the bad news is that then I can't offer an auditory picture for readers the mood of the book or easily introduce them to the characters I love. The only song I had was from the book trailer, which I pictured as the song playing the second time we see Joy at the Carousel; something dark, haunting and very come-hither-and-dance.
But one song does not a playlist make.
Fortunately for me, book blogger Ange at Libby's Blog loved the story so much that she not only gave it an awesome review but also made a playlist for Indelible! (Click here for the full list!) I am incredibly grateful because 1) she got it** and I'm happy when someone "gets it," 2) her excitement made ME want to go back and read my own book again,*** and 3) she is so much cooler than I could ever be! Proof: she created a list of great music including this--my personal favorite from her selection, Too Close by Alex Clare--because it really nails the relationship between Invisible Inq and the Bailiwick's bodyguard-slash-butler, Kurt.
After listening to this (four five six times in a row), my brain managed to come up with a song, too! It's from the soundtrack to The Lost Boys, "To The Shock of Miss Louise" (extended version found on YouTube!):
This could, quite possibly, keep me in the retro-cool-factor.
And that got me thinking that other people than me might have suggestions of their own, enough to create an ENTIRE oft-asked-for-and-never-offered playlist! So to all the readers, bloggers, friends and pros out there who have experienced the tale of Joy and Ink and Inq and Kurt, Graus Claude and Aniseed and Filly and Stef and the Twixt: what songs come to mind when YOU think of a particular character or scene? If the walls have ears and the Internet is a Hivemind, then I'd love to hear what the Hivemind hears when it reads Indelible!
Suggestions welcome!
* which also might explain why I write is weird, twisty lines instead!
** "It" being the book and not something contagious.
*** This is no small thing since, as any author can tell you, there gets to be a point after the writing and rewriting, large edits, small edits, line edits, fine tuning, etc. that we can no longer stand to even look at our book ONE MORE TIME so being inspired to pick it up again is a tribute to inspirational squeeing.
But one song does not a playlist make.
Fortunately for me, book blogger Ange at Libby's Blog loved the story so much that she not only gave it an awesome review but also made a playlist for Indelible! (Click here for the full list!) I am incredibly grateful because 1) she got it** and I'm happy when someone "gets it," 2) her excitement made ME want to go back and read my own book again,*** and 3) she is so much cooler than I could ever be! Proof: she created a list of great music including this--my personal favorite from her selection, Too Close by Alex Clare--because it really nails the relationship between Invisible Inq and the Bailiwick's bodyguard-slash-butler, Kurt.
After listening to this (
This could, quite possibly, keep me in the retro-cool-factor.
And that got me thinking that other people than me might have suggestions of their own, enough to create an ENTIRE oft-asked-for-and-never-offered playlist! So to all the readers, bloggers, friends and pros out there who have experienced the tale of Joy and Ink and Inq and Kurt, Graus Claude and Aniseed and Filly and Stef and the Twixt: what songs come to mind when YOU think of a particular character or scene? If the walls have ears and the Internet is a Hivemind, then I'd love to hear what the Hivemind hears when it reads Indelible!
Suggestions welcome!
* which also might explain why I write is weird, twisty lines instead!
** "It" being the book and not something contagious.
*** This is no small thing since, as any author can tell you, there gets to be a point after the writing and rewriting, large edits, small edits, line edits, fine tuning, etc. that we can no longer stand to even look at our book ONE MORE TIME so being inspired to pick it up again is a tribute to inspirational squeeing.
June 20, 2013
Ooo! Shiny! It's MY BOOK! Want One?
Look what I got! Look! Look!
A whole box of pretty, shiny final copies of the real-live-book-O-M-G-it's-here paperbacks of INDELIBLE! It's here! In my hands! Right now!* I opened the box and it even had that new-book smell! I couldn't wait to grab one and shove it into the hands of everyone I knew! Why? Because this is a tactile experience and, if you know anything about me, you know that I'm all about the sensory trip.
These books are SUPER shiny because the rose and the lettering are glossy, raised and embossed--popping off the page like only real book covers do!
I'm trying (and failing) to capture the effect on film, but trust me, your fingertips will know the difference! I am reminded of this line from the book: "He was reading her like Braille." I'm similarly enraptured, fascinated, unable to turn away... (cough) (ahem)
ANYway, to celebrate, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to GIVE SOME AWAY!
Nathan Fillion totally approves.
Of course, that means I have to make you do something... hmm... how about:
HOW TO WIN YOUR OWN SHINY COPY OF INDELIBLE!
1) Tweet, FB, or otherwise spread the word about INDELIBLE finally reaching book-status by mentioning it plus a link to either:
a) Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0373210736
b) Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indelible-dawn-metcalf/1114146213?ean=9780373210732
c) Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373210732
or
d) The Official Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/P1pCxoQXPZk
2) Link it to me either in Twitter (@dawnmetcalf) or Facebook (dawn.metcalf.73) or you can always email me at Dawn.Metcalf (at) gmail to brag about your entry & be entered to win!
I'm opening this up INTERNATIONALLY and winners will be chosen July 15th!
Celebrate, spread the word & SQUEE!
* Okay, not "right now" as I'm typing this, but work with me.
A whole box of pretty, shiny final copies of the real-live-book-O-M-G-it's-here paperbacks of INDELIBLE! It's here! In my hands! Right now!* I opened the box and it even had that new-book smell! I couldn't wait to grab one and shove it into the hands of everyone I knew! Why? Because this is a tactile experience and, if you know anything about me, you know that I'm all about the sensory trip.
These books are SUPER shiny because the rose and the lettering are glossy, raised and embossed--popping off the page like only real book covers do!
I'm trying (and failing) to capture the effect on film, but trust me, your fingertips will know the difference! I am reminded of this line from the book: "He was reading her like Braille." I'm similarly enraptured, fascinated, unable to turn away... (cough) (ahem)
ANYway, to celebrate, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to GIVE SOME AWAY!
Nathan Fillion totally approves.
Of course, that means I have to make you do something... hmm... how about:
HOW TO WIN YOUR OWN SHINY COPY OF INDELIBLE!
1) Tweet, FB, or otherwise spread the word about INDELIBLE finally reaching book-status by mentioning it plus a link to either:
a) Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/0373210736
b) Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/indelible-dawn-metcalf/1114146213?ean=9780373210732
c) Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780373210732
or
d) The Official Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/P1pCxoQXPZk
2) Link it to me either in Twitter (@dawnmetcalf) or Facebook (dawn.metcalf.73) or you can always email me at Dawn.Metcalf (at) gmail to brag about your entry & be entered to win!
I'm opening this up INTERNATIONALLY and winners will be chosen July 15th!
Celebrate, spread the word & SQUEE!
* Okay, not "right now" as I'm typing this, but work with me.
June 18, 2013
Countdown Widget!!
(I think it'll shows up better on things NOT Livejournal.)
It seems I'm not the only one waiting eagerly for Indelible to be released! Safaripoet has made a countdown widget (code available here!) for your anticipatory pleasure.
Being the techno1d10t that I am, I'm thrilled to gank some of the cooler toys from my neighbor friends and am eager to share them with you. Have you seen the book trailer? Have you gotten your temporary tattoo, sent me a pic and downloaded your prize? The Interwebz make it possible! I know!
*sits back still giddy from all the shiny things*
And folks wonder why I'm not on Tumblr yet. ;-)
June 14, 2013
Hello, Darkness, My Old Friend...
Quick poll: do you have a character you hate to love or you love to hate?
There is an irresistible *something* about these people that grind against your basic instincts that makes you do the opposite of what ever fiber in your being tells you otherwise. It's the allure of the Bad Boy, the best of the villains, the anti-heroes who we cheer for against our more law-abiding and ethical good judgement. It's the thing that makes some people want to reform them and cuddle them or others who want to secretly be them and whether it's Hannibal Lechter, Bruce Wayne, Lisbeth Salander, or, my personal fave, Avery Cates, there's a visceral attraction to these types of characters who walk in the dark, take it, own it, and make it their own.
My own character, Tender, was no accident in this.
But I think it's important for these sorts of characters to work to include something, well, maybe not "humane" per se, but something that is at least logical about their backstory that gives credence and weight to why they are like this--what happened in the past to create such a person now. If we can understand that, it gives the outsider perspective--like a keyhole in a dark door--through which we can peer inside and understand if not, exactly, justify, and that little glimpse of light and hope is what we secretly wish for that person to get better. If we can only find the key...
And into the rabbit hole we go!
Ever have a favorite character like that? The one you can't stop liking or the one you love to loathe? What do you think it is about the Bad Guy/Girl that makes them so addictive?
There is an irresistible *something* about these people that grind against your basic instincts that makes you do the opposite of what ever fiber in your being tells you otherwise. It's the allure of the Bad Boy, the best of the villains, the anti-heroes who we cheer for against our more law-abiding and ethical good judgement. It's the thing that makes some people want to reform them and cuddle them or others who want to secretly be them and whether it's Hannibal Lechter, Bruce Wayne, Lisbeth Salander, or, my personal fave, Avery Cates, there's a visceral attraction to these types of characters who walk in the dark, take it, own it, and make it their own.
My own character, Tender, was no accident in this.
But I think it's important for these sorts of characters to work to include something, well, maybe not "humane" per se, but something that is at least logical about their backstory that gives credence and weight to why they are like this--what happened in the past to create such a person now. If we can understand that, it gives the outsider perspective--like a keyhole in a dark door--through which we can peer inside and understand if not, exactly, justify, and that little glimpse of light and hope is what we secretly wish for that person to get better. If we can only find the key...
And into the rabbit hole we go!
Ever have a favorite character like that? The one you can't stop liking or the one you love to loathe? What do you think it is about the Bad Guy/Girl that makes them so addictive?
June 12, 2013
INDELIBLE Book Trailer & Giveaway
I'm thrilled to announce my official book trailer for INDELIBLE goes live TODAY!
YES!
HERE!
NOW!
KEEP SCROLLING!
It's haunting, dark, sly, sensual, sexy, simple, and best of all dripping with ink! I hope you enjoy!
*fans self* *drinks an icy lemonade* *plays it again*
So to celebrate and give an extra incentive to share it with everyone you know, I'm giving away something extra-special just for watching it, loving it & passing it on:
Just an example of some of the many pages completely doodled over by yours truly!
This is a one-of-a-kind, annotated arc of INDELIBLE painstakingly filled with notes, quotes, behind-the-curtain details, movie and book recommendations, random asides, smiley/spitty faces and weird tidbits that you will not find anywhere else (because this took an *awful* long time to do!) as well as an exclusive black-and-white cartoon illustration at the end of each chapter summarizing a key scene!
All you have to do is:
1) Embed this book trailer into your blog, Facebook page, YouTube, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. (codes here: http://youtu.be/P1pCxoQXPZk)
2) Put the URL of your post in the comments section below & include your email so you can be notified that you've won!
That's it. This is an *INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY* and only ONE prize will be awarded to the lucky winner on July 1st!
Watch, fan self, pass it on & win! Thanks & good luck!
YES!
HERE!
NOW!
KEEP SCROLLING!
It's haunting, dark, sly, sensual, sexy, simple, and best of all dripping with ink! I hope you enjoy!
*fans self* *drinks an icy lemonade* *plays it again*
So to celebrate and give an extra incentive to share it with everyone you know, I'm giving away something extra-special just for watching it, loving it & passing it on:
Just an example of some of the many pages completely doodled over by yours truly!
This is a one-of-a-kind, annotated arc of INDELIBLE painstakingly filled with notes, quotes, behind-the-curtain details, movie and book recommendations, random asides, smiley/spitty faces and weird tidbits that you will not find anywhere else (because this took an *awful* long time to do!) as well as an exclusive black-and-white cartoon illustration at the end of each chapter summarizing a key scene!
All you have to do is:
1) Embed this book trailer into your blog, Facebook page, YouTube, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. (codes here: http://youtu.be/P1pCxoQXPZk)
2) Put the URL of your post in the comments section below & include your email so you can be notified that you've won!
That's it. This is an *INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY* and only ONE prize will be awarded to the lucky winner on July 1st!
Watch, fan self, pass it on & win! Thanks & good luck!
June 10, 2013
BEA Recap: Part the Second, The Inside Story
I gave a thorough and fun recap of my time at BEA, but what I didn't really go into was what it was like to be a part of BEA--this was my fist time as an actual *participant* and it was a thrill to be included as one of the Harlequin authors!
Badges? We don't need no stinkin'...OH YES WE DO!
This pretty thing was my "golden ticket" to get into the floor early and watch them set up booths, check out the advance arcs & visit with some of my favorite people. It also legitimized the fact that I wasn't just a random book stalker but a TOTALLY LEGIT stalker who had every right to be there! HAHAHAHA! Actually, I tried to be polite and less-than-scary since I considered myself to be representing Harlequin et al and didn't even wear my semi-famous T-shirt, opting to be all dressy-professional instead. I was a very good girl about abusing this power, honest.
Some sneak peeks at the floor including Lego Block Monsters & My Little Ponies
(complete with fold-and-wear purple sparkly unicorn horns. Okay, I admit it...I got two!)
My first day complete, I thanked my lucky Merrells and lugged my bag of books and tiny suitcase outside to hail a cab. I'd been warned NOT to try to grab a cab near Javitz and walk two blocks or so to nab one down the road. I went two blocks and didn't find any. Then two more blocks, no go. Two more blocks...then two more... and eventually I ended up walking the entire way to my hotel, rolling suitcase and haul of books in tow, vowing that I wouldn't repeat the same mistake tomorrow (ad, besides, there was a free shuttle that went to nearby Penn! D'oh!) I stumbled into my hotel in time to spruce up before meeting the Harlequin crew at Thalia Restaurant, which involved a subway ride and more walking (guess which one was harder?) yet I got to sit next to the amazing Katie McGerry and across from the delightful Amanda Sun who matched my geekish glee tie for tat and we had a blast dining in splendor (me with a gorgeous plate of mushroom ravioli) and sharing pics of our daughters in dress-up costumes! Then it was off to the after-party at The Kimberly Hotel, where we were treated to a very elegant soiree, delicious noshes, fine company & a gorgeous view of the Chrysler Building.
My reaction? Pinch me!
This is me and some Very Famous Authors hanging with our amazing editor, Natashya Wilson!
Can I swoon? To be sure, I did! Laughing with Julie Kagawa (with whome I shared a memorable time in a moose lodge in Branson, MO) and trading witticisms with Amalie Howard marked the highlight of my evening like a cherry on top of the proverbial sundae if said sundae blew all of your dreams sky-high. Basically, I was glad to share a cab ride with Annie Stone chatting about adventures abroad as a perfect way to end the evening and know for certain it hadn't all been some crazy dream!
Of course, the dream wasn't over--there was *another* whole day of signing, but this time, it was a Harlequin Author Hour with tons of authors lined up to sign and over 300 people waiting since 9am to see them! AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE AUTHORS! I felt giddy and then terrible as we ran out of arcs, then ran out of bookmarks, then started signing catalogs and I gave away some of my exclusive temporary tattoos...right to the final dregs of the line so not one person went away empty-handed. (Whew!) Amanda and I joked the whole time--witnessed by her My Little Pony--although Julie was the one who really kept me laughing!
My sign, my signing station & a raspberry from across the room!
As the last fans fade out onto the floor, we are each make our last trips to lectures, panels, meet-ups and greetings before gathering together for a tour of the office and a quick bite for lunch before our NYC trip is complete. But perhaps the most important conversation for me was with Amanda as we were walking and I needed someone else to take a moment and *get* that all of this--the fans, the gorgeous cover art, the night under the stars, the laughter and the lines were ALL because of something that *we* created from nothing more than our imagination and our willingness to pursue a dream. Sometimes it's tough to be with that, and I was glad to be in that moment with other deserving people enjoying every minute, and then the next, and the next with smiles.
The Harlequin Offices not only feature famous writers and gorgeous book posters but a lobby, gilded elevators & enough decorative trim to make anyone drool! Michelle Maddow and I were very impressed with that as well as our haul of favorite Harlequin Teen books!
And that, my friends, is what my weekend on the "inside" of BEA was all about!
Badges? We don't need no stinkin'...OH YES WE DO!
This pretty thing was my "golden ticket" to get into the floor early and watch them set up booths, check out the advance arcs & visit with some of my favorite people. It also legitimized the fact that I wasn't just a random book stalker but a TOTALLY LEGIT stalker who had every right to be there! HAHAHAHA! Actually, I tried to be polite and less-than-scary since I considered myself to be representing Harlequin et al and didn't even wear my semi-famous T-shirt, opting to be all dressy-professional instead. I was a very good girl about abusing this power, honest.
Some sneak peeks at the floor including Lego Block Monsters & My Little Ponies
(complete with fold-and-wear purple sparkly unicorn horns. Okay, I admit it...I got two!)
My first day complete, I thanked my lucky Merrells and lugged my bag of books and tiny suitcase outside to hail a cab. I'd been warned NOT to try to grab a cab near Javitz and walk two blocks or so to nab one down the road. I went two blocks and didn't find any. Then two more blocks, no go. Two more blocks...then two more... and eventually I ended up walking the entire way to my hotel, rolling suitcase and haul of books in tow, vowing that I wouldn't repeat the same mistake tomorrow (ad, besides, there was a free shuttle that went to nearby Penn! D'oh!) I stumbled into my hotel in time to spruce up before meeting the Harlequin crew at Thalia Restaurant, which involved a subway ride and more walking (guess which one was harder?) yet I got to sit next to the amazing Katie McGerry and across from the delightful Amanda Sun who matched my geekish glee tie for tat and we had a blast dining in splendor (me with a gorgeous plate of mushroom ravioli) and sharing pics of our daughters in dress-up costumes! Then it was off to the after-party at The Kimberly Hotel, where we were treated to a very elegant soiree, delicious noshes, fine company & a gorgeous view of the Chrysler Building.
My reaction? Pinch me!
This is me and some Very Famous Authors hanging with our amazing editor, Natashya Wilson!
Can I swoon? To be sure, I did! Laughing with Julie Kagawa (with whome I shared a memorable time in a moose lodge in Branson, MO) and trading witticisms with Amalie Howard marked the highlight of my evening like a cherry on top of the proverbial sundae if said sundae blew all of your dreams sky-high. Basically, I was glad to share a cab ride with Annie Stone chatting about adventures abroad as a perfect way to end the evening and know for certain it hadn't all been some crazy dream!
Of course, the dream wasn't over--there was *another* whole day of signing, but this time, it was a Harlequin Author Hour with tons of authors lined up to sign and over 300 people waiting since 9am to see them! AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE AUTHORS! I felt giddy and then terrible as we ran out of arcs, then ran out of bookmarks, then started signing catalogs and I gave away some of my exclusive temporary tattoos...right to the final dregs of the line so not one person went away empty-handed. (Whew!) Amanda and I joked the whole time--witnessed by her My Little Pony--although Julie was the one who really kept me laughing!
My sign, my signing station & a raspberry from across the room!
As the last fans fade out onto the floor, we are each make our last trips to lectures, panels, meet-ups and greetings before gathering together for a tour of the office and a quick bite for lunch before our NYC trip is complete. But perhaps the most important conversation for me was with Amanda as we were walking and I needed someone else to take a moment and *get* that all of this--the fans, the gorgeous cover art, the night under the stars, the laughter and the lines were ALL because of something that *we* created from nothing more than our imagination and our willingness to pursue a dream. Sometimes it's tough to be with that, and I was glad to be in that moment with other deserving people enjoying every minute, and then the next, and the next with smiles.
The Harlequin Offices not only feature famous writers and gorgeous book posters but a lobby, gilded elevators & enough decorative trim to make anyone drool! Michelle Maddow and I were very impressed with that as well as our haul of favorite Harlequin Teen books!
And that, my friends, is what my weekend on the "inside" of BEA was all about!
June 7, 2013
BEA Recap: Part the First
I missed BEA last year and this year, I was determined to go. A big difference was that I have a book coming out this summer (you might have heard of it?) and while I wasn't formally scheduled for signings due to cutbacks and business meetings and whatnot, I was okay with this because a) I still love to geek-out over books, 2) my daughter was going to have a weekend program in New York that I'd have to be in town for, anyway & 3) due to providence, persistence or the Fates smiling upon me and my swag, Harlequin was planning to hand out my arcs while people stood in line and I could always sign them as a surprise treat! Huzzah!
This, in essence, was my plan.
So while the 4 a.m. trip to New Haven then commuter rail (which was thankfully up and running) and nabbing a shuttle to Javitz may *sound* like an easy trip, I was still a little woozy and wide-eyed when I finally made it to what would be the first of many, many lines** that admitted me into New York's Greatest Book Show on Earth.
Multiply this by a heckuva lot to get an inkling of what this event is really like. BEA is a concentrated mass of book fans, book writers, book publishers, book bloggers, and a whole mess of really good books!
Originally, I was to meet my friend and mentee from the Apolocalypsies, Shari, who is both awesome and talented a person to hang with, but unfortunately had recently wrestled with the Flu Demons and lost. Instead, Shari got me in touch with her friend who joined her scouring the floors last year, a lovely lass named Rachel, who was soon to become one of my very best friends for the weekend and an unstoppable force of bookish glee!
Besides the dark hair, the wild personalities and the passion for silliness, we had absolutely NOTHING in common.
Neither one of us are shy by nature and perhaps the word "driven" in our case should have been followed by "clown car" but we both had a lot of Things We Wanted To Do and together, armed with a heaping dash of moxie and a penchant for smiles and talking to EVERYONE, we joined forces with a couple of other great gals waiting in line and the four of us took on BEA like the Super Friends, nabbing books, places in line, early tickets or advance drop schedules, sharing amongst ourselves and nearby friends-of-friends to create an experience that none of us could have produced by ourselves. Truly, a full-on collaborative win!
BEA Attack Force Alpha Squad reporting for duty & taking names!
Picture us going to panels and signings and meeting for lunch (which, for me, was most often taken sitting in line for a signed copy of some highly coveted book or holding our place another one of the crew got back with snacks) and otherwise approaching the day like a family trip to Disney or a Level 3 CovOps mission. I got to meet tons of online bookish buddies like bloggers S.F. and Mitali as well as author pals like this bunch pictured here:
That's Susan Adrian, Diana Peterfreund, Frankie Diane Mallis, Jeri Smith-Ready, Victoria Schwab, Julie Kagawa, Tommy Greenwald, Gretchen McNeil, Page Morgan & Erica Cameron. This does not include the slew of folks I got to trade hugs with but didn't steal their souls on film, most notably Kendare Blake and Sarah Beth Durst.
And, of course, I was a just another rabid fangirl like everyone else and couldn't wait to meet big-time authors of books that I love!
Ooo! There's Ally Carter, Mo Willems, Holly Black, Faith Erin Hicks, Lauren Oliver and Lemony Snicket!!!
Not pictured here are the ever-swoon-worthy Neil Gaiman, Chuck Wendig, Kami Garcia and Cassandra Clare.
Thank goodness I had a half-full suitcase and plenty of sleep, right? This crowd was enough to make *anyone's* head spin! But I had a surprise waiting for me... One of the things that some publishers provide is a scheduled "book drop" where arcs will be offered for a limited first-come, first-serve basis that do not involve signings and if you want one of these hot titles, you better be on your toes! Rachel's posse and I were primed for a number of must-reads, but I was also here promoting myself and my next book so I went to Harlequin's booth to ask if INDELIBLE was a scheduled book drop so I knew when to direct people there if they asked. Well, one of the Harlequin Teen Dream Team from Toronto happily brought me over to the giant posters that showed the scheduled signings and... I was there!!!
Look? See? "Dawn Metcalf"--that's ME!!!
After a momentary rush of blood and chorus-of-angels back-lighting, I realized that I'd told everyone on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my blog that I wasn't going to be signing at BEA and now I really was! I had to act fast:
So I hurriedly contacted everyone on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my blog and asked some friends for a quick signal boost, which must have worked because while, I got to do this:
I also got to do this for a few hundred folks:
In fact, we RAN OUT OF INDELIBLE ARCS! So I began signing bookmarks, then catalogs, then handed out temporary tattoos...it was amazing as I sat there next to superstars like Elizabeth Scott and Amanda Sun (who are both as nice as pie) I got that I was a real live author*** in public and for real!
Yeah, so: mind BLOWN!
This was my BEA recap post fit for public consumption. Next, there'll be a behind-the-scenes report in my "BEA Recap: Part the Second" coming soon! There are still contests, giveaways & news on the horizon...not the least of which is my BOOK TRAILER REVEAL which I have been waiting to share for months & months and will do so with a little incentive attached. Watch for it on Wednesday, June 12th--same bat-time, same bat-channel.
And thank you, Super Friends!!!
** I actually joked about this when I got to the bathrooms and asked the ladies in front of me who was signing? ;-)
*** Which, I always say, is better than a real dead author because that would be sad.
This, in essence, was my plan.
So while the 4 a.m. trip to New Haven then commuter rail (which was thankfully up and running) and nabbing a shuttle to Javitz may *sound* like an easy trip, I was still a little woozy and wide-eyed when I finally made it to what would be the first of many, many lines** that admitted me into New York's Greatest Book Show on Earth.
Multiply this by a heckuva lot to get an inkling of what this event is really like. BEA is a concentrated mass of book fans, book writers, book publishers, book bloggers, and a whole mess of really good books!
Originally, I was to meet my friend and mentee from the Apolocalypsies, Shari, who is both awesome and talented a person to hang with, but unfortunately had recently wrestled with the Flu Demons and lost. Instead, Shari got me in touch with her friend who joined her scouring the floors last year, a lovely lass named Rachel, who was soon to become one of my very best friends for the weekend and an unstoppable force of bookish glee!
Besides the dark hair, the wild personalities and the passion for silliness, we had absolutely NOTHING in common.
Neither one of us are shy by nature and perhaps the word "driven" in our case should have been followed by "clown car" but we both had a lot of Things We Wanted To Do and together, armed with a heaping dash of moxie and a penchant for smiles and talking to EVERYONE, we joined forces with a couple of other great gals waiting in line and the four of us took on BEA like the Super Friends, nabbing books, places in line, early tickets or advance drop schedules, sharing amongst ourselves and nearby friends-of-friends to create an experience that none of us could have produced by ourselves. Truly, a full-on collaborative win!
BEA Attack Force Alpha Squad reporting for duty & taking names!
Picture us going to panels and signings and meeting for lunch (which, for me, was most often taken sitting in line for a signed copy of some highly coveted book or holding our place another one of the crew got back with snacks) and otherwise approaching the day like a family trip to Disney or a Level 3 CovOps mission. I got to meet tons of online bookish buddies like bloggers S.F. and Mitali as well as author pals like this bunch pictured here:
That's Susan Adrian, Diana Peterfreund, Frankie Diane Mallis, Jeri Smith-Ready, Victoria Schwab, Julie Kagawa, Tommy Greenwald, Gretchen McNeil, Page Morgan & Erica Cameron. This does not include the slew of folks I got to trade hugs with but didn't steal their souls on film, most notably Kendare Blake and Sarah Beth Durst.
And, of course, I was a just another rabid fangirl like everyone else and couldn't wait to meet big-time authors of books that I love!
Ooo! There's Ally Carter, Mo Willems, Holly Black, Faith Erin Hicks, Lauren Oliver and Lemony Snicket!!!
Not pictured here are the ever-swoon-worthy Neil Gaiman, Chuck Wendig, Kami Garcia and Cassandra Clare.
Thank goodness I had a half-full suitcase and plenty of sleep, right? This crowd was enough to make *anyone's* head spin! But I had a surprise waiting for me... One of the things that some publishers provide is a scheduled "book drop" where arcs will be offered for a limited first-come, first-serve basis that do not involve signings and if you want one of these hot titles, you better be on your toes! Rachel's posse and I were primed for a number of must-reads, but I was also here promoting myself and my next book so I went to Harlequin's booth to ask if INDELIBLE was a scheduled book drop so I knew when to direct people there if they asked. Well, one of the Harlequin Teen Dream Team from Toronto happily brought me over to the giant posters that showed the scheduled signings and... I was there!!!
Look? See? "Dawn Metcalf"--that's ME!!!
After a momentary rush of blood and chorus-of-angels back-lighting, I realized that I'd told everyone on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my blog that I wasn't going to be signing at BEA and now I really was! I had to act fast:
So I hurriedly contacted everyone on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and my blog and asked some friends for a quick signal boost, which must have worked because while, I got to do this:
I also got to do this for a few hundred folks:
In fact, we RAN OUT OF INDELIBLE ARCS! So I began signing bookmarks, then catalogs, then handed out temporary tattoos...it was amazing as I sat there next to superstars like Elizabeth Scott and Amanda Sun (who are both as nice as pie) I got that I was a real live author*** in public and for real!
Yeah, so: mind BLOWN!
This was my BEA recap post fit for public consumption. Next, there'll be a behind-the-scenes report in my "BEA Recap: Part the Second" coming soon! There are still contests, giveaways & news on the horizon...not the least of which is my BOOK TRAILER REVEAL which I have been waiting to share for months & months and will do so with a little incentive attached. Watch for it on Wednesday, June 12th--same bat-time, same bat-channel.
And thank you, Super Friends!!!
** I actually joked about this when I got to the bathrooms and asked the ladies in front of me who was signing? ;-)
*** Which, I always say, is better than a real dead author because that would be sad.
June 4, 2013
BEA Placeholder
I'm still processing the massive brilliance that was BEA this year, including all the new people I met, names and faces I only knew online, great talks, fun buzz, the Harlequin Dream Team and a haul of delicious Must-Reads! Currently, I'm icing my poor ankles and knees (oddly enough, my feet are just fine), and am sorting through the photos and notes, but here's a little picture of some of my lovelies to keep you entranced:
Oooo! Ahhhh! Wow...which one to read first?!? I want ALL THE BOOKS!!!
Will do a full report soon but bottom line: W-O-W!
P.S. For those of you who I met at BEA: Hi! *waves* and here are the links I promised for all the ways that YOU can still get a copy of INDELIBLE since we totally ran out of arcs during the Harlequin Teen Hours and I didn't want to leave you hanging (even though I bet some of you were thankful for one less heavy book to lug around)!
Here's a pic of the bunch of us who ALL ran out of books that day!
NetGalley has e-galleys available to those who qualify and there is a Goodreads Giveaway going on right now! Bloggers can still enter the I Still ♥ Book Bloggers! giveaway, the form is here! And, last but not least, INDELIBLE has a pre-order contest going right up through launch on July 30th: send proof of purchase to my email and get a super-secret "Thank You" prize from me!
P.P.S. And if you got one of those *awesome* INDELIBLE temporary tattoos, you can slap it on, snap a pic, and email it to me at Dawn.Metcalf (at) gmail.com and get your access to an exclusive prize! Go! Do it now! :-)
More to come soon...
Oooo! Ahhhh! Wow...which one to read first?!? I want ALL THE BOOKS!!!
Will do a full report soon but bottom line: W-O-W!
P.S. For those of you who I met at BEA: Hi! *waves* and here are the links I promised for all the ways that YOU can still get a copy of INDELIBLE since we totally ran out of arcs during the Harlequin Teen Hours and I didn't want to leave you hanging (even though I bet some of you were thankful for one less heavy book to lug around)!
Here's a pic of the bunch of us who ALL ran out of books that day!
NetGalley has e-galleys available to those who qualify and there is a Goodreads Giveaway going on right now! Bloggers can still enter the I Still ♥ Book Bloggers! giveaway, the form is here! And, last but not least, INDELIBLE has a pre-order contest going right up through launch on July 30th: send proof of purchase to my email and get a super-secret "Thank You" prize from me!
P.P.S. And if you got one of those *awesome* INDELIBLE temporary tattoos, you can slap it on, snap a pic, and email it to me at Dawn.Metcalf (at) gmail.com and get your access to an exclusive prize! Go! Do it now! :-)
More to come soon...
May 24, 2013
Go the Distance
Today I'm going off to fight for my kid. Any parent will know what this is like.
I don't like it, but I'm ready & willing because that's what we do.
This song is stuck in my head as a result...
Go conquer your Friday!
I don't like it, but I'm ready & willing because that's what we do.
This song is stuck in my head as a result...
Go conquer your Friday!
