Dawn Metcalf's Blog, page 37
June 27, 2011
On Fire: Brooklyn Burning
Yes, I know my novel debuts in 3 days.
Yes, I know that I should be promoting my tuchus off.
Yes, I know, I shouldn't be up reading way past my bedtime.
Yes, I know, I know, I know...
BUT LOOK AT THIS:
[image error]
As some of you know, I am rabidly interested in gender issues and am a HUGE advocate and educator for the stuff. A few of you know that I am currently writing a book that focuses on gender in a strange and bizarrely twisted sort of way that basically is nothing short of maddening (especially when it comes to pronouns). This is why a friend sent me this book by Steve Brezenoff, fellow Tenner and all-around amazing guy and it has totally knocked my socks off!
Blurb:
When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.
Brooklyn, Burning is the story of two summers in Brooklyn, two summers of fires, music, loss, and ultimately, love.
I'm still agog after finishing this and couldn't wait to tell the world. So I have.
Happy now! :-)
Yes, I know that I should be promoting my tuchus off.
Yes, I know, I shouldn't be up reading way past my bedtime.
Yes, I know, I know, I know...
BUT LOOK AT THIS:
[image error]
As some of you know, I am rabidly interested in gender issues and am a HUGE advocate and educator for the stuff. A few of you know that I am currently writing a book that focuses on gender in a strange and bizarrely twisted sort of way that basically is nothing short of maddening (especially when it comes to pronouns). This is why a friend sent me this book by Steve Brezenoff, fellow Tenner and all-around amazing guy and it has totally knocked my socks off!
Blurb:
When you're sixteen and no one understands who you are, sometimes the only choice left is to run. If you're lucky, you find a place that accepts you, no questions asked. And if you're really lucky, that place has a drum set, a place to practice, and a place to sleep. For Kid, the streets of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, are that place. Over the course of two scorching summers, Kid falls hopelessly in love and then loses nearly everything and everyone worth caring about. But as summer draws to a close, Kid finally finds someone who can last beyond the sunset.
Brooklyn, Burning is the story of two summers in Brooklyn, two summers of fires, music, loss, and ultimately, love.
I'm still agog after finishing this and couldn't wait to tell the world. So I have.
Happy now! :-)
June 24, 2011
Humbled and Awed
I like to talk about things that inspire me. Impressionist painters, steampunk statuary, online comics, inventive cooking, people-watching--there are so many incredible, fascinating things out there to spark creativity, I hadn't imagined that I could be one of them.
I've always wanted to be a published author and, if the widgit on my website is to be believed, in less than 6 days and counting, that dream will finally come true. (To be honest, seeing my hardcover book face-out on the shelves at Tatnuck Bookstore was the most incredible moment and exactly what I'd always wanted so I'm pretty happy already!) But the book has been "out there" in ARC form for a while now as well as over 1000 bookmarks so some folks have gotten their hands on Consuela's story and that, in itself, is a wild concept.
What I never really considered were fans.
It never entered my head that when I wrote books for people like me, there would be people like me reading them and *that* meant there were people who loved to be artistic and were creative, geeky, funny, and Pay It Forward kind of folks. People who got inspired. People who could create. Oh, I've fangirled all over some of these people, maybe even hanging out with some at writer's conferences or retreats or taking the plunge and asking some to create art for me*, but that's not the same as (dare I say it?) fan art.
I just got my first fan art and was completely blown away.
The "book bling" was made by Joan Stradling, a frequent commenter and fellow writer here on the blog, and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before! Ever have a moment when you've been introduced to something new and it shifts your entire worldview about the thing? I had a moment like that when I was young and read ELFQUEST, before then I only thought elves were Tolkien-esque figures or squat Santa's helpers and the Pinis' art completely changed that dyad forever. Joan completely redefined the idea of "bookmark" for me. It's gorgeous--alight with crystals and beads, giant pearlescent orbs and delicate butterflies, and at the very end is a glass-encased charm with my cover image inside. My heart actually thumped when I took it out of the envelope. Caught totally by surprise, it was ironic that I'd just put a signed copy in the mail *the day before* because she'd won a contest totally at random. Now THERE'S karma at work! Good art and good people deserve good art and good people. (And you should check out Jots & Tittles on etsy!)
The handmade doll was made by Sandra Van Vooren who is an incredibly talented jewelry artist and one of the people I'd roped into creating one of the skulls for my upcoming launch signing and party. I even vaguely remembered that she made an elaborate soft sculpture doll for our mutual friend,![[info]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1380451598i/2033940.gif)
divinebird
, and I was stunned by its detail.
AND NOW I HAVE ONE!!!
She is pink and sophisticated and lovely with tiny, jeweled skulls in her Spanish-style dress and enormous pink skulls on her black wings, she has a festive skull mask and rose tattoos and painted nails! I can't stop staring at her. I lifted her from the box and wondered how this could possibly be for me. My daughter asked if it was for her and I said, "No. This is mine." rather like a kid myself. It was like a birthday moment. My book birthday moment!
And the gift of this moment came from people like you. Joan, Sandra, and you: Thank You!!!
* For instance, did you see the sketch of Tender done by SERENITY ROSE's Aaron Alexovich?!? It's on my website!
I've always wanted to be a published author and, if the widgit on my website is to be believed, in less than 6 days and counting, that dream will finally come true. (To be honest, seeing my hardcover book face-out on the shelves at Tatnuck Bookstore was the most incredible moment and exactly what I'd always wanted so I'm pretty happy already!) But the book has been "out there" in ARC form for a while now as well as over 1000 bookmarks so some folks have gotten their hands on Consuela's story and that, in itself, is a wild concept.
What I never really considered were fans.
It never entered my head that when I wrote books for people like me, there would be people like me reading them and *that* meant there were people who loved to be artistic and were creative, geeky, funny, and Pay It Forward kind of folks. People who got inspired. People who could create. Oh, I've fangirled all over some of these people, maybe even hanging out with some at writer's conferences or retreats or taking the plunge and asking some to create art for me*, but that's not the same as (dare I say it?) fan art.
I just got my first fan art and was completely blown away.
The "book bling" was made by Joan Stradling, a frequent commenter and fellow writer here on the blog, and it was like nothing I'd ever seen before! Ever have a moment when you've been introduced to something new and it shifts your entire worldview about the thing? I had a moment like that when I was young and read ELFQUEST, before then I only thought elves were Tolkien-esque figures or squat Santa's helpers and the Pinis' art completely changed that dyad forever. Joan completely redefined the idea of "bookmark" for me. It's gorgeous--alight with crystals and beads, giant pearlescent orbs and delicate butterflies, and at the very end is a glass-encased charm with my cover image inside. My heart actually thumped when I took it out of the envelope. Caught totally by surprise, it was ironic that I'd just put a signed copy in the mail *the day before* because she'd won a contest totally at random. Now THERE'S karma at work! Good art and good people deserve good art and good people. (And you should check out Jots & Tittles on etsy!)
The handmade doll was made by Sandra Van Vooren who is an incredibly talented jewelry artist and one of the people I'd roped into creating one of the skulls for my upcoming launch signing and party. I even vaguely remembered that she made an elaborate soft sculpture doll for our mutual friend,
divinebird
, and I was stunned by its detail.
AND NOW I HAVE ONE!!!
She is pink and sophisticated and lovely with tiny, jeweled skulls in her Spanish-style dress and enormous pink skulls on her black wings, she has a festive skull mask and rose tattoos and painted nails! I can't stop staring at her. I lifted her from the box and wondered how this could possibly be for me. My daughter asked if it was for her and I said, "No. This is mine." rather like a kid myself. It was like a birthday moment. My book birthday moment!And the gift of this moment came from people like you. Joan, Sandra, and you: Thank You!!!
* For instance, did you see the sketch of Tender done by SERENITY ROSE's Aaron Alexovich?!? It's on my website!
June 21, 2011
Paranormal Fiction & Paranormal Romance
This has come up enough times that I figured it was worth a post.
Although folks can argue about whether it's a "genre" or an "age category", "Young Adult" is literature aimed for readers age 12-18, and "paranormal" is literature aimed at readers who like weird, almost-but-not-quite-reality in their fiction, yet there is a discernible difference between "Paranormal Fiction" and "Paranormal Romance" moreso than there being a signed section at Barnes & Noble for one and not the other.
I am a Sign! And, quite possibly, a Sign of the Times.
I've talked about this before, wondering why YA "needs" romance and what makes a great guy love interest, but I've noticed lately that the word "Romance" is being automatically added after the word "Paranormal" sort of like "lemony" being followed by "fresh" (or, more amusingly, "Snicket") and while there *is* an awful lot of fabulous paranormal romance out there, I feel like there's an expectation that this is the be-all and end-all. It isn't. I got into a great discussion on Twitter and boiled the difference (for me) down to this: if the heart of the story is the romantic relationship between the main character and her love interest(s) [or the good looking best friend who she never thought of that way before...you know the score], then I'd characterize it as a romance and if it involves magic, ghosts, vampires, zombies, were-persons, angels, eerie happenstance or other things that go bump, squish, and/or "boogah-boogah!" in the night, it could be characterized as "Paranormal Romance".
However, if the central theme of the book is to save one's sibling, to break the curse, to find the grail, to get back home, to eat the cookie, or save the cheerleader/save the world, and there's a nice-looking, kissable character on the sidelines, then this is "Paranormal Fantasy" because the real thrust of the book isn't romantic (no pun intended), it's to achieve something that has nothing to do with love, but with A Higher Purpose. In romance, there *is* no higher purpose than love: love conquers all and that person is the paramount goal and all sorts of wonderful, anticipatory kissing scenes are to be expected and savored. In Paranormal Fantasy (or a sibling concept, Paranormal Fiction, which has less overt magical mysteries), the main character's goal is to achieve X/Y/Z and getting some smoochies is a nice side benefit, but doesn't save the bacon nor fry it up in a pan. (Most often it can be a huge distraction to the MC's want to achieve the final goal which makes for all sorts of gooey, crunchy angst. Mmmm!)
[image error] 
Sibling-themes are some of my very favorite non-romantic Paranormal Fic.
So do you need ~romance~ or is it okay to have romance the way SPEED has romance; no one's denying there's a hot person next to you, but the real focus is immediately elsewhere? I'm not sure. Paranormal Fiction may be like key lime pie. I know key lime pie isn't for everyone, but I wouldn't want my piece of key lime pie judged on whether or not it's an apple crumb cake. It's not an apple crumb cake. I never claimed it was an apple crumb cake. And I didn't think I was going to be offering an apple crumb cake up for a taste test, but um...no, you're right, there's not enough apple in it to be considered an apple crumb cake.
That's because it's a key lime pie. Crumbling romance on the side. ;-)
P.S. Don't forget to enter the LUMINOUS SUMMER Grand Prize Giveaway going on now through June 30th! (There's no key lime pie, but there *is* chocolate and organic chili-mango lollipops!)
Although folks can argue about whether it's a "genre" or an "age category", "Young Adult" is literature aimed for readers age 12-18, and "paranormal" is literature aimed at readers who like weird, almost-but-not-quite-reality in their fiction, yet there is a discernible difference between "Paranormal Fiction" and "Paranormal Romance" moreso than there being a signed section at Barnes & Noble for one and not the other.
I am a Sign! And, quite possibly, a Sign of the Times.
I've talked about this before, wondering why YA "needs" romance and what makes a great guy love interest, but I've noticed lately that the word "Romance" is being automatically added after the word "Paranormal" sort of like "lemony" being followed by "fresh" (or, more amusingly, "Snicket") and while there *is* an awful lot of fabulous paranormal romance out there, I feel like there's an expectation that this is the be-all and end-all. It isn't. I got into a great discussion on Twitter and boiled the difference (for me) down to this: if the heart of the story is the romantic relationship between the main character and her love interest(s) [or the good looking best friend who she never thought of that way before...you know the score], then I'd characterize it as a romance and if it involves magic, ghosts, vampires, zombies, were-persons, angels, eerie happenstance or other things that go bump, squish, and/or "boogah-boogah!" in the night, it could be characterized as "Paranormal Romance".
However, if the central theme of the book is to save one's sibling, to break the curse, to find the grail, to get back home, to eat the cookie, or save the cheerleader/save the world, and there's a nice-looking, kissable character on the sidelines, then this is "Paranormal Fantasy" because the real thrust of the book isn't romantic (no pun intended), it's to achieve something that has nothing to do with love, but with A Higher Purpose. In romance, there *is* no higher purpose than love: love conquers all and that person is the paramount goal and all sorts of wonderful, anticipatory kissing scenes are to be expected and savored. In Paranormal Fantasy (or a sibling concept, Paranormal Fiction, which has less overt magical mysteries), the main character's goal is to achieve X/Y/Z and getting some smoochies is a nice side benefit, but doesn't save the bacon nor fry it up in a pan. (Most often it can be a huge distraction to the MC's want to achieve the final goal which makes for all sorts of gooey, crunchy angst. Mmmm!)
[image error] Sibling-themes are some of my very favorite non-romantic Paranormal Fic.
So do you need ~romance~ or is it okay to have romance the way SPEED has romance; no one's denying there's a hot person next to you, but the real focus is immediately elsewhere? I'm not sure. Paranormal Fiction may be like key lime pie. I know key lime pie isn't for everyone, but I wouldn't want my piece of key lime pie judged on whether or not it's an apple crumb cake. It's not an apple crumb cake. I never claimed it was an apple crumb cake. And I didn't think I was going to be offering an apple crumb cake up for a taste test, but um...no, you're right, there's not enough apple in it to be considered an apple crumb cake.
That's because it's a key lime pie. Crumbling romance on the side. ;-)
P.S. Don't forget to enter the LUMINOUS SUMMER Grand Prize Giveaway going on now through June 30th! (There's no key lime pie, but there *is* chocolate and organic chili-mango lollipops!)
Paranormal Fiction: The Key Lime Pie of YA
This has come up enough times that I figured it was worth a post.
Although folks can argue about whether it's a "genre" or an "age category", "Young Adult" is literature aimed for readers age 12-18, and "paranormal" is literature aimed at readers who like weird, almost-but-not-quite-reality in their fiction, yet there is a discernible difference between "Paranormal Fiction" and "Paranormal Romance" moreso than there being a signed section at Barnes & Noble for one and not the other.
I am a Sign! And, quite possibly, a Sign of the Times.
I've talked about this before, wondering why YA "needs" romance and what makes a great guy love interest, but I've noticed lately that the word "Romance" is being automatically added after the word "Paranormal" sort of like "lemony" being followed by "fresh" (or, more amusingly, "Snicket") and while there *is* an awful lot of fabulous paranormal romance out there, I feel like there's an expectation that this is the be-all and end-all. It isn't. I got into a great discussion on Twitter and boiled the difference (for me) down to this: if the heart of the story is the romantic relationship between the main character and her love interest(s) [or the good looking best friend who she never thought of that way before...you know the score], then I'd characterize it as a romance and if it involves magic, ghosts, vampires, zombies, were-persons, angels, eerie happenstance or other things that go bump, squish, and/or "boogah-boogah!" in the night, it could be characterized as "Paranormal Romance".
However, if the central theme of the book is to save one's sibling, to break the curse, to find the grail, to get back home, to eat the cookie, or save the cheerleader/save the world, and there's a nice-looking, kissable character on the sidelines, then this is "Paranormal Fantasy" because the real thrust of the book isn't romantic (no pun intended), it's to achieve something that has nothing to do with love, but with A Higher Purpose. In romance, there *is* no higher purpose than love: love conquers all and that person is the paramount goal and all sorts of wonderful, anticipatory kissing scenes are to be expected and savored. In Paranormal Fantasy (or a sibling concept, Paranormal Fiction, which has less overt magical mysteries), the main character's goal is to achieve X/Y/Z and getting some smoochies is a nice side benefit, but doesn't save the bacon nor fry it up in a pan. (Most often it can be a huge distraction to the MC's want to achieve the final goal which makes for all sorts of gooey, crunchy angst. Mmmm!)
[image error]
Sibling-themes are some of my very favorite non-romantic Paranormal Fic.
So do you need ~romance~ or is it okay to have romance the way SPEED has romance; no one's denying there's a hot person next to you, but the real focus is immediately elsewhere? I'm not sure. Paranormal Fiction may be like key lime pie. I know key lime pie isn't for everyone, but I wouldn't want my piece of key lime pie judged on whether or not it's an apple crumb cake. It's not an apple crumb cake. I never claimed it was an apple crumb cake. And I didn't think I was going to be offering an apple crumb cake up for a taste test, but um...no, you're right, there's not enough apple in it to be considered an apple crumb cake.
That's because it's a key lime pie. Crumbling romance on the side. ;-)
P.S. Don't forget to enter the LUMINOUS SUMMER Grand Prize Giveaway going on now through June 30th! (There's no key lime pie, but there *is* chocolate and organic chili-mango lollipops!)
Although folks can argue about whether it's a "genre" or an "age category", "Young Adult" is literature aimed for readers age 12-18, and "paranormal" is literature aimed at readers who like weird, almost-but-not-quite-reality in their fiction, yet there is a discernible difference between "Paranormal Fiction" and "Paranormal Romance" moreso than there being a signed section at Barnes & Noble for one and not the other.
I am a Sign! And, quite possibly, a Sign of the Times.
I've talked about this before, wondering why YA "needs" romance and what makes a great guy love interest, but I've noticed lately that the word "Romance" is being automatically added after the word "Paranormal" sort of like "lemony" being followed by "fresh" (or, more amusingly, "Snicket") and while there *is* an awful lot of fabulous paranormal romance out there, I feel like there's an expectation that this is the be-all and end-all. It isn't. I got into a great discussion on Twitter and boiled the difference (for me) down to this: if the heart of the story is the romantic relationship between the main character and her love interest(s) [or the good looking best friend who she never thought of that way before...you know the score], then I'd characterize it as a romance and if it involves magic, ghosts, vampires, zombies, were-persons, angels, eerie happenstance or other things that go bump, squish, and/or "boogah-boogah!" in the night, it could be characterized as "Paranormal Romance".
However, if the central theme of the book is to save one's sibling, to break the curse, to find the grail, to get back home, to eat the cookie, or save the cheerleader/save the world, and there's a nice-looking, kissable character on the sidelines, then this is "Paranormal Fantasy" because the real thrust of the book isn't romantic (no pun intended), it's to achieve something that has nothing to do with love, but with A Higher Purpose. In romance, there *is* no higher purpose than love: love conquers all and that person is the paramount goal and all sorts of wonderful, anticipatory kissing scenes are to be expected and savored. In Paranormal Fantasy (or a sibling concept, Paranormal Fiction, which has less overt magical mysteries), the main character's goal is to achieve X/Y/Z and getting some smoochies is a nice side benefit, but doesn't save the bacon nor fry it up in a pan. (Most often it can be a huge distraction to the MC's want to achieve the final goal which makes for all sorts of gooey, crunchy angst. Mmmm!)
[image error] Sibling-themes are some of my very favorite non-romantic Paranormal Fic.
So do you need ~romance~ or is it okay to have romance the way SPEED has romance; no one's denying there's a hot person next to you, but the real focus is immediately elsewhere? I'm not sure. Paranormal Fiction may be like key lime pie. I know key lime pie isn't for everyone, but I wouldn't want my piece of key lime pie judged on whether or not it's an apple crumb cake. It's not an apple crumb cake. I never claimed it was an apple crumb cake. And I didn't think I was going to be offering an apple crumb cake up for a taste test, but um...no, you're right, there's not enough apple in it to be considered an apple crumb cake.
That's because it's a key lime pie. Crumbling romance on the side. ;-)
P.S. Don't forget to enter the LUMINOUS SUMMER Grand Prize Giveaway going on now through June 30th! (There's no key lime pie, but there *is* chocolate and organic chili-mango lollipops!)
June 17, 2011
It Took FOREVER to Get Some Sleep
So despite the fact that I am sick, tired, have two meetings scheduled, forgot to pick up the teacher's gifts yesterday, it's my best friend's 40th birthday & my kids' last half-day of school, I stayed up last night reading and I couldn't stop.
Here's why:
Need I say more?
FOREVER ends the WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series by Maggie Stiefvater which, unless you live under a particularly large and heavy rock, has been the werewolf series to sweep the international YA scene and scheduled to be a highly-anticipated movie.
I met Maggie via Fangs, Fur & Fey and exchanged some online babble, shocked when she invited me to join her and some Big Name authors in a rented Victorian house in Savannah and then again in a snowy Moose Lodge in Missouri. I remember her handing us signed ARCs of SHIVER and I read it in one sitting on the plane ride home. That is where I met Sam and Grace and Jack and Shelby and the crisp, cold temperatures of Mercy Falls and the crisp, tight prose of Maggie Stiefvater. Watching Maggie share not only her imagination but her boundless spirit with the world has been something akin to watching fireworks at the Fourth of July: something beautiful and magical and half the fun is seeing the faces and hearing the "oohs" and "aahs" of everyone around you experiencing the same thing.
So I shall not begrudge Maggie my lost sleep (although I might envy her current location in my beloved hometown of Chicago), and instead urge you to pick up the last color-coded copy of her series before delving into THE SCORPIO RACES (which is sitting on my nightstand and remaining untouched until I can get some more shut-eye...with the one eye that *isn't* already shut!)
And no, this is *my* copy. But I have plenty of other fave YA reads you can win in the contest over here.
Here's why:
Need I say more?
FOREVER ends the WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS series by Maggie Stiefvater which, unless you live under a particularly large and heavy rock, has been the werewolf series to sweep the international YA scene and scheduled to be a highly-anticipated movie.
I met Maggie via Fangs, Fur & Fey and exchanged some online babble, shocked when she invited me to join her and some Big Name authors in a rented Victorian house in Savannah and then again in a snowy Moose Lodge in Missouri. I remember her handing us signed ARCs of SHIVER and I read it in one sitting on the plane ride home. That is where I met Sam and Grace and Jack and Shelby and the crisp, cold temperatures of Mercy Falls and the crisp, tight prose of Maggie Stiefvater. Watching Maggie share not only her imagination but her boundless spirit with the world has been something akin to watching fireworks at the Fourth of July: something beautiful and magical and half the fun is seeing the faces and hearing the "oohs" and "aahs" of everyone around you experiencing the same thing.
So I shall not begrudge Maggie my lost sleep (although I might envy her current location in my beloved hometown of Chicago), and instead urge you to pick up the last color-coded copy of her series before delving into THE SCORPIO RACES (which is sitting on my nightstand and remaining untouched until I can get some more shut-eye...with the one eye that *isn't* already shut!)
And no, this is *my* copy. But I have plenty of other fave YA reads you can win in the contest over here.
June 15, 2011
Luminous Summer Grand Prize Giveaway!
Two weeks until launch and just in time for a truly epic giveaway! Now that Mother Nature has graced us with sunshine, fluffy clouds, and pleasant temperatures, it's time to grab that beach blanket, bathing suit, cool sunglasses and your favorite summer read! If your TBR pile isn't big enough already, I have some suggestions of my favorite paranormal picks and am giving them away in honor of my debut launch. Do you like the weird? The twisted? The elegant? The romance? How about the quirky? The lyric? The poetic? The inspired? Well, have I got something for YOU!
***GRAND PRIZE: Three Luminous Chicks of Paranormal Fic!***
ONE lucky winner wins something from everybody:
1. A signed hardcover copy of LUMINOUS
2. An ARC of IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
3. An ARC of HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire
4. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
5. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
6. A packet of marigold seeds
7. 4 novelty buttons & a tiny troll doll c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
8. 3 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
9. A silver, beaded bookmark engraved with Native American blessing
10. A "Fan of YA" complete collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
***1ST-3RD PRIZE: More Luminous Young Ladies!***
ONE lucky winner wins Consuela's pick:
1. An ARC of DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB by Tara Altebrando.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Maddy's pick:
1. An ARC of SISTERS RED by Jackson Pearce.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Sissy's pick:
1. An ARC of CHIME by Franny Billingsley.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
***4TH-6TH PRIZE: Let's Hear It for the Boys!***
ONE lucky winner wins V's pick:
1. The first of the series, WAKE by Lisa McMann.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Wish's pick:
1. The first of the Vladimir Tod series, EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Tender's pick:
1. An ARC of the upcoming, ultra-violent AU REVOIS CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
...I think I'm fanning myself. *Whew!* Okay, now for the details.
HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
1) Pre-order LUMINOUS for yourself or your library. (We're going on the honor system here.) If you already pre-ordered it, that is valid. This counts as 3 ENTRIES.
2) If you change your LJ icon, your Twitter icon, your Facebook icon and/or your Blogspot icon to a LUMINOUS cover for the duration of the contest (now through midnight, June 30th). Each of those counts as 1 ENTRY EACH, so if you decided to change your icon in all those spots, you would have a total of 4 ENTRIES. Active accounts only, please!
3) Link this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. This counts as 1 ENTRY EACH, for a possible 3 ENTRIES.
Sample format: It's the Luminous Summer Grand Prize Giveaway! ARCs, bookmarks, buttons, candy, chocolate! http://t.co/Jw0CWyd Now thru June 30th. [Plz RT]
Simple, no? Well, last but not least:
4) Link everything in the comments section with your grand total and you're entered to win! YOU MUST COMMENT ON THIS POST WITH LINKS FOR YOUR ENTRY TO BE ENTERED INTO THIS CONTEST!
5) This contest is open to US residents only.
This contest runs from right now until launch time, midnight, Thursday, June 30th. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter, probably Monday, with much applause. Here are icons for you:
Go forth & good luck!!!
***GRAND PRIZE: Three Luminous Chicks of Paranormal Fic!***
ONE lucky winner wins something from everybody:
1. A signed hardcover copy of LUMINOUS
2. An ARC of IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma
3. An ARC of HOURGLASS by Myra McEntire
4. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
5. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
6. A packet of marigold seeds
7. 4 novelty buttons & a tiny troll doll c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
8. 3 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
9. A silver, beaded bookmark engraved with Native American blessing
10. A "Fan of YA" complete collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
***1ST-3RD PRIZE: More Luminous Young Ladies!***
ONE lucky winner wins Consuela's pick:
1. An ARC of DREAMLAND SOCIAL CLUB by Tara Altebrando.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Maddy's pick:
1. An ARC of SISTERS RED by Jackson Pearce.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Sissy's pick:
1. An ARC of CHIME by Franny Billingsley.
2. A packet of glitter temporary tattoos
3. A single serve packet of the divine Bellagio's Sipping Chocolate
4. A packet of marigold seeds
5. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
6. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
7. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
***4TH-6TH PRIZE: Let's Hear It for the Boys!***
ONE lucky winner wins V's pick:
1. The first of the series, WAKE by Lisa McMann.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Wish's pick:
1. The first of the Vladimir Tod series, EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
ONE lucky winner wins Tender's pick:
1. An ARC of the upcoming, ultra-violent AU REVOIS CRAZY EUROPEAN CHICK by Joe Schreiber.
2. 2 novelty buttons c/o THE PULL OF GRAVITY
3. 1 hot-n-sweet mango-chili lollipops
4. A "Fan of YA" mini-collection of 2011 bookmarks (some signed by the author!)
...I think I'm fanning myself. *Whew!* Okay, now for the details.
HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:
1) Pre-order LUMINOUS for yourself or your library. (We're going on the honor system here.) If you already pre-ordered it, that is valid. This counts as 3 ENTRIES.
2) If you change your LJ icon, your Twitter icon, your Facebook icon and/or your Blogspot icon to a LUMINOUS cover for the duration of the contest (now through midnight, June 30th). Each of those counts as 1 ENTRY EACH, so if you decided to change your icon in all those spots, you would have a total of 4 ENTRIES. Active accounts only, please!
3) Link this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog. This counts as 1 ENTRY EACH, for a possible 3 ENTRIES.
Sample format: It's the Luminous Summer Grand Prize Giveaway! ARCs, bookmarks, buttons, candy, chocolate! http://t.co/Jw0CWyd Now thru June 30th. [Plz RT]
Simple, no? Well, last but not least:
4) Link everything in the comments section with your grand total and you're entered to win! YOU MUST COMMENT ON THIS POST WITH LINKS FOR YOUR ENTRY TO BE ENTERED INTO THIS CONTEST!
5) This contest is open to US residents only.
This contest runs from right now until launch time, midnight, Thursday, June 30th. Winners will be announced shortly thereafter, probably Monday, with much applause. Here are icons for you:
Go forth & good luck!!!
June 13, 2011
Somebody May Be Trying To Tell You Something
CONFESSION: I haven't been writing.
I hate not-writing. I don't do it often. Writing is my way of processing the world, gaining some sanity and perspective, as natural and necessary to me as breathing. Therefore you can imagine that I have been holding my breath and turning blue as my marbles so skittering across the floor in various directions for the past several weeks. This is not healthy. And, considering this is my long-awaited debut launch (i.e. also known as Lifelong Dream Finally Coming True), this is a really bad time to not be writing as a first time professional writer. And yet, sometimes you must take a step back and consider that perhaps a Higher Power is telling you something and that something is "This is not the time to write." How do you know when this is the case as opposed to, say, normal procrastinating? Well, in case you were wondering, here's a few good hints:
1. A tornado hits your area.
I'm from the MidWest so I know that when sky turns glow-green, that's Mother Nature saying "Stop filming and head for the basement!"
Followed by...
2. A severe thunderstorm knocking out the power for 3 days.
Full disclosure: this is actually a storm pic from guy-sports.com, but you get the idea...
While simultaneously...
3. Contracting a conjunctivitis-like virus that swells one eye completely shut.
Full disclosure: This isn't me. (Thank goodness!) It is Charles Laughton as Quasimodo. (1939)
All the while...
4. Your Significant Other is out of town for the week.
Quote: Decided to take a break from the keyboard and take a hike. That was 40 minutes ago now look where I am. I love CO.
So despite the fact that I really *am* excited about my book coming out and I definitely *will* be posting about my LUMINOUS SUMMER GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY and seriously *can't wait* to share about what people are saying about LUMINOUS, my upcoming signings, and what happens when my very first published book hit the shelves, I have to plead for a little time to recover my sanity and empty the freezers.
I'm around and I will be getting back to writing shortly, I promise!
I hate not-writing. I don't do it often. Writing is my way of processing the world, gaining some sanity and perspective, as natural and necessary to me as breathing. Therefore you can imagine that I have been holding my breath and turning blue as my marbles so skittering across the floor in various directions for the past several weeks. This is not healthy. And, considering this is my long-awaited debut launch (i.e. also known as Lifelong Dream Finally Coming True), this is a really bad time to not be writing as a first time professional writer. And yet, sometimes you must take a step back and consider that perhaps a Higher Power is telling you something and that something is "This is not the time to write." How do you know when this is the case as opposed to, say, normal procrastinating? Well, in case you were wondering, here's a few good hints:
1. A tornado hits your area.
I'm from the MidWest so I know that when sky turns glow-green, that's Mother Nature saying "Stop filming and head for the basement!"
Followed by...
2. A severe thunderstorm knocking out the power for 3 days.
Full disclosure: this is actually a storm pic from guy-sports.com, but you get the idea...
While simultaneously...
3. Contracting a conjunctivitis-like virus that swells one eye completely shut.
Full disclosure: This isn't me. (Thank goodness!) It is Charles Laughton as Quasimodo. (1939)
All the while...
4. Your Significant Other is out of town for the week.
Quote: Decided to take a break from the keyboard and take a hike. That was 40 minutes ago now look where I am. I love CO.
So despite the fact that I really *am* excited about my book coming out and I definitely *will* be posting about my LUMINOUS SUMMER GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY and seriously *can't wait* to share about what people are saying about LUMINOUS, my upcoming signings, and what happens when my very first published book hit the shelves, I have to plead for a little time to recover my sanity and empty the freezers.
I'm around and I will be getting back to writing shortly, I promise!
June 8, 2011
Brave, Honest & True: Kirsten Hubbard
Yes. This.
Kirsten Hubbard bravely shares some hard truths about being midlist.
Worth reading. Worth knowing. Worth following. Worth passing on.
P.S. Buy her book.
Proud to be an Elevensie. Thanks, Kirsten.
Kirsten Hubbard bravely shares some hard truths about being midlist.
Worth reading. Worth knowing. Worth following. Worth passing on.
P.S. Buy her book.
Proud to be an Elevensie. Thanks, Kirsten.
June 6, 2011
True Colors
It's summer, my favorite season of the year! I crave the sunshine, the warmth, but most of all, the colors. When folks talk about using the five senses in writing, I most often find I use smell and touch, but the thing that I'm drawn to most in other people's writing is color.
Having recently read MATCHED, the color green is everywhere, but I'm captured most by the image that "Spring Is Green" is a lie, because the first signs of spring are really red. And it's true: the first buds on trees and bushes sticking out of the black and brown are striking with the promise of new leaves, but we forget that in the Crayola-Crayon world of supposed-to-bes. Sometimes, it pays to look, really look and see what things are instead of how we're told they are. Therein lies some great stories.
Red is the splash of color throughout Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, bursts of koi-colored paint against the sterile environment on ship. Most often, red is blood, throughout THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS, the TWILIGHT series, and Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and its sequels, but sometimes it's a swatch of clothing like in Jackson Pearce's SISTERS RED. I think about the copper wire and rust of SHIPBREAKER, the black-and-gold of THE HUNGER GAMES, the soft mist-gray of the moors in THE NEAR WITCH, the tarnished silver of the Gentry slag heaps in Brenna Yovanoff's THE REPLACEMENT and my own purples, pinks, and oranges--the colors of Dia de los Muertos--in my own book, LUMINOUS.
Color is something that sticks in our minds and calls up associations from deep within our brains. They carry images and feelings that are like photographs; the picture itself is worth a thousand words. So far beyond hair and eyes, colors make the world--fictitious or real--vivid, brilliant, and most of all, alive. If you think of your favorite books, is there a color you associate with its story or characters? My favorites are the trickster greens: the Peter Pans, the Hobbits, the elves and snakes and fairy folk.
And then there is summer, a thousand shades of green...and begging me to go out on the deck and read.
Bye!
Having recently read MATCHED, the color green is everywhere, but I'm captured most by the image that "Spring Is Green" is a lie, because the first signs of spring are really red. And it's true: the first buds on trees and bushes sticking out of the black and brown are striking with the promise of new leaves, but we forget that in the Crayola-Crayon world of supposed-to-bes. Sometimes, it pays to look, really look and see what things are instead of how we're told they are. Therein lies some great stories.
Red is the splash of color throughout Beth Revis' ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, bursts of koi-colored paint against the sterile environment on ship. Most often, red is blood, throughout THE WOLVES OF MERCY FALLS, the TWILIGHT series, and Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and its sequels, but sometimes it's a swatch of clothing like in Jackson Pearce's SISTERS RED. I think about the copper wire and rust of SHIPBREAKER, the black-and-gold of THE HUNGER GAMES, the soft mist-gray of the moors in THE NEAR WITCH, the tarnished silver of the Gentry slag heaps in Brenna Yovanoff's THE REPLACEMENT and my own purples, pinks, and oranges--the colors of Dia de los Muertos--in my own book, LUMINOUS.
Color is something that sticks in our minds and calls up associations from deep within our brains. They carry images and feelings that are like photographs; the picture itself is worth a thousand words. So far beyond hair and eyes, colors make the world--fictitious or real--vivid, brilliant, and most of all, alive. If you think of your favorite books, is there a color you associate with its story or characters? My favorites are the trickster greens: the Peter Pans, the Hobbits, the elves and snakes and fairy folk.
And then there is summer, a thousand shades of green...and begging me to go out on the deck and read.
Bye!
June 2, 2011
It's A Luminous June!
What with the holiday weekend, kids home sick, and local tornadoes, things have been a bit off-kilter in the land of this debut novelist, but, ohmigosh, things are definitely happening!
Thanks to All Things Urban Fantasy & Dark Faerie Tales, I'll be taking part in Deadly Destinations: Your Guide to Killer Hot Spots! Think of it as a luxury summer vacation *inside* exotic paranormal paradises delivered directly to you in the comfort of your very own home. (Cabana boys not included.)
Thinking about slipping off for a summer of sun and fun in the South of France? Cozying up on the beach in Cabo? Partying in Palm Springs? Wouldn't you rather enjoy an all expenses paid, character guided tour of some of the hottest locales in paranormal fiction?
What's the saying in real estate? Location, location, location. Well in Paranormal fiction it's worldbuilding, worldbuilding, worldbuilding. We wanted to think of an event that would promote all the new paranormal titles releasing from June through August and tie them together with the Summer season. We thought a vacation theme would be perfect, but instead of hitting the typical getaway spots, we'd invite you to visit all the different supernatural worlds/locations (guided by your favorite characters) from 62 of the most anticipated new Summer releases.
More to come soon!
Local to New England? The latest signings and appearances for this summer are posted on the "News" page of my website, www.dawnmetcalf.com. Book stores, library talks, special events & ice cream socials -- it's going to be one Luminous Summer!
And to start the month off right, here is a lovely review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books:
After discovering a strange lump on the back of her neck, Consuela realizes that reaching through it allows her to literally step out of her skin to become a powerful, beautiful skeleton, "hard but soft, luminous as shell," able to enter the strange parallel world of the Flow. This, she learns, is where a handful of souls linger in a limbo between life and death, occasionally entering the real world to act as guardian angels using their varied powers. Consuela, for instance, is able to cloak herself in other skins—air, fire, animal—and use their abilities. But something—or someone—is killing off the erstwhile angels one by one, and Consuela seems to be the only one who can save the Flow and its dwindling inhabitants. Appropriately, religious allusions abound, and Metcalf skillfully incorporates Jewish mysticism and Day of the Dead imagery, among others, in illuminating her world as she engages with philosophically and spiritually charged questions of angelic protectors, unseen worlds, and the afterlife. Consuela is fairly devout, giving her some authority in negotiating these currents, but the world of the Flow is strictly interfaith, exploring larger themes within religions and cultures without restricting the book to a single worldview. Though the plot rambles at times, the prose is simply stunning, and it's well worth the small plot fumbles. With her vivid fantastical landscape, evocative descriptions ("She cradled [her skin] in her arms like a precious thing, a gown of tan silk with black satin fringe, and hung it gently on the door hook to dry"), and facility with powerfully grotesque imagery, Metcalf is a stylist to watch. -- Claire Gross
EEEEEEEEEE! (Can you tell what today's letter is? That's right! It's the letter "E"!)
This episode of a Luminous June has been brought to you by the letter "E". Thank you. :-D
Thanks to All Things Urban Fantasy & Dark Faerie Tales, I'll be taking part in Deadly Destinations: Your Guide to Killer Hot Spots! Think of it as a luxury summer vacation *inside* exotic paranormal paradises delivered directly to you in the comfort of your very own home. (Cabana boys not included.)
Thinking about slipping off for a summer of sun and fun in the South of France? Cozying up on the beach in Cabo? Partying in Palm Springs? Wouldn't you rather enjoy an all expenses paid, character guided tour of some of the hottest locales in paranormal fiction?
What's the saying in real estate? Location, location, location. Well in Paranormal fiction it's worldbuilding, worldbuilding, worldbuilding. We wanted to think of an event that would promote all the new paranormal titles releasing from June through August and tie them together with the Summer season. We thought a vacation theme would be perfect, but instead of hitting the typical getaway spots, we'd invite you to visit all the different supernatural worlds/locations (guided by your favorite characters) from 62 of the most anticipated new Summer releases.
More to come soon!
Local to New England? The latest signings and appearances for this summer are posted on the "News" page of my website, www.dawnmetcalf.com. Book stores, library talks, special events & ice cream socials -- it's going to be one Luminous Summer!
And to start the month off right, here is a lovely review from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books:
After discovering a strange lump on the back of her neck, Consuela realizes that reaching through it allows her to literally step out of her skin to become a powerful, beautiful skeleton, "hard but soft, luminous as shell," able to enter the strange parallel world of the Flow. This, she learns, is where a handful of souls linger in a limbo between life and death, occasionally entering the real world to act as guardian angels using their varied powers. Consuela, for instance, is able to cloak herself in other skins—air, fire, animal—and use their abilities. But something—or someone—is killing off the erstwhile angels one by one, and Consuela seems to be the only one who can save the Flow and its dwindling inhabitants. Appropriately, religious allusions abound, and Metcalf skillfully incorporates Jewish mysticism and Day of the Dead imagery, among others, in illuminating her world as she engages with philosophically and spiritually charged questions of angelic protectors, unseen worlds, and the afterlife. Consuela is fairly devout, giving her some authority in negotiating these currents, but the world of the Flow is strictly interfaith, exploring larger themes within religions and cultures without restricting the book to a single worldview. Though the plot rambles at times, the prose is simply stunning, and it's well worth the small plot fumbles. With her vivid fantastical landscape, evocative descriptions ("She cradled [her skin] in her arms like a precious thing, a gown of tan silk with black satin fringe, and hung it gently on the door hook to dry"), and facility with powerfully grotesque imagery, Metcalf is a stylist to watch. -- Claire Gross
EEEEEEEEEE! (Can you tell what today's letter is? That's right! It's the letter "E"!)
This episode of a Luminous June has been brought to you by the letter "E". Thank you. :-D
