Rachel Vincent's Blog, page 11
December 13, 2011
Heroine. (The good kind.)
[Belated PvZ winners have been announced at the end of this post. But please read the post first. Stop scrolling! I can see that...!]
Those of you who were around this summer will hopefully remember the YA Crush Tourney, and how much fun it was. For those of you who missed it, it was a bracket-style online “tournament” where fictional YA boys deemed “crush worthy” were nominated, advocated, and voted for by the readers. Nash and Tod were both nominated. Tod made it to the semi-final round and fell (literally in the last second) to Zach, from Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade series.
What started out as a small event on a small blog quickly got very big and very competitive. It was a lot of fun, and I heard from MANY readers who discovered the Soul Screamers series through the tourney, which makes me a very happy Rachel.
Now the fictional girls are up in the Heroine Tourney, and I’m sorry to say that in the first round, Kaylee and I are up against Jeri Smith-Ready (and Aura, this time) again. I admit I’m a little disappointed by that because Jeri is a friend and I’m a big fan of hers (particularly her YA). So while I will obviously be supporting Kaylee in the tourney, please know that I also think Aura is a heroic character, particularly in her personal life. I love the risks she took and the humiliation she endured to protect Logan. Aura is self-sacrificing and noble, without ever being self-righteous or dull.
Because I respect the tournament, both advocates, Jeri herself, and both heroines, I would be very upset to see mud slung from either side during tomorrow’s competition. For those who choose to participate (and I hope that’s all of you), please focus your posts and tweets on what you like about your chosen heroine, rather than what you may not like about the competition. Let’s keep it classy.
And honestly, I don’t think I could come up with a legitimate insult for Aura if I tried.
Kaylee's advocate is Rachel (Fiktshun) who defended Tod this past summer. She is awesome, goes way above the call of duty, and deserves both your respect and your support, if you choose to participate.
Obviously, I’ll be rooting for Kaylee and would appreciate your support for her too. Though Kaylee probably wouldn’t agree, I consider her heroic, sometimes to her own detriment. She has an innate need to help those who need it, and she often ignores her own wellbeing to come to the aid of others. Even those who’ve hurt her in the past and those she doesn’t particularly like. (I know no one’s read it yet, but you’ll see that a good deal in Before I Wake .)
But…because I like and respect both Kaylee and Aura (and because, if Kaylee loses, I can’t think of anyone better for her to lose to), I will be giving away a series of “heroine books” (books with strong female protagonists) during the tournament, including a copy of the Soul Screamers omnibus (Volume One) and beginning with Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade.
To be entered to win one of the prize books (including two different pre-orders of not-yet-available books) you must:
Vote in tomorrow’s tournament (for either character, though I’ll love you forever if you vote for Kaylee)! Comment in the tournament post saying who you voted for. Go the corresponding Wordpress entry and post with that same information: who you voted for. Details:
The winners will be drawn at random.Your messages on both the tournament post and this post must be verified before you can claim your prize. If you’re under 18, you must have a parent’s permission to enter and to give me a shipping address if you win.I will ship anywhere, but the pre-orders are coming directly from the vendor, so those two prizes can only be won by US residents.Void where prohibited by law.Any evidence of breaking the tournament rules or disparaging either character contestant disqualifies you from winning.
Tomorrow, I’ll repost this blog entry with live links to the tournament, which begins at midnight (central time zone).
Now for some overdue winners!
Kim Stogner - XBOX 360 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Vivian N - PS3 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Sayomay - Dancing Zombie cap, bumper sticker, your chocie of any one of my books, signed.
Amanda Taylor - Chomper cap, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Winners, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with the subject line “PvZ” to claim your prize. In your email, I’ll need to know what name you entered under, what you won, where you’d like it shipped, and which of my books you’d like included.
Those of you who were around this summer will hopefully remember the YA Crush Tourney, and how much fun it was. For those of you who missed it, it was a bracket-style online “tournament” where fictional YA boys deemed “crush worthy” were nominated, advocated, and voted for by the readers. Nash and Tod were both nominated. Tod made it to the semi-final round and fell (literally in the last second) to Zach, from Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade series.
What started out as a small event on a small blog quickly got very big and very competitive. It was a lot of fun, and I heard from MANY readers who discovered the Soul Screamers series through the tourney, which makes me a very happy Rachel.
Now the fictional girls are up in the Heroine Tourney, and I’m sorry to say that in the first round, Kaylee and I are up against Jeri Smith-Ready (and Aura, this time) again. I admit I’m a little disappointed by that because Jeri is a friend and I’m a big fan of hers (particularly her YA). So while I will obviously be supporting Kaylee in the tourney, please know that I also think Aura is a heroic character, particularly in her personal life. I love the risks she took and the humiliation she endured to protect Logan. Aura is self-sacrificing and noble, without ever being self-righteous or dull.
Because I respect the tournament, both advocates, Jeri herself, and both heroines, I would be very upset to see mud slung from either side during tomorrow’s competition. For those who choose to participate (and I hope that’s all of you), please focus your posts and tweets on what you like about your chosen heroine, rather than what you may not like about the competition. Let’s keep it classy.
And honestly, I don’t think I could come up with a legitimate insult for Aura if I tried.
Kaylee's advocate is Rachel (Fiktshun) who defended Tod this past summer. She is awesome, goes way above the call of duty, and deserves both your respect and your support, if you choose to participate.
Obviously, I’ll be rooting for Kaylee and would appreciate your support for her too. Though Kaylee probably wouldn’t agree, I consider her heroic, sometimes to her own detriment. She has an innate need to help those who need it, and she often ignores her own wellbeing to come to the aid of others. Even those who’ve hurt her in the past and those she doesn’t particularly like. (I know no one’s read it yet, but you’ll see that a good deal in Before I Wake .)
But…because I like and respect both Kaylee and Aura (and because, if Kaylee loses, I can’t think of anyone better for her to lose to), I will be giving away a series of “heroine books” (books with strong female protagonists) during the tournament, including a copy of the Soul Screamers omnibus (Volume One) and beginning with Jeri Smith-Ready’s Shade.
To be entered to win one of the prize books (including two different pre-orders of not-yet-available books) you must:
Vote in tomorrow’s tournament (for either character, though I’ll love you forever if you vote for Kaylee)! Comment in the tournament post saying who you voted for. Go the corresponding Wordpress entry and post with that same information: who you voted for. Details:
The winners will be drawn at random.Your messages on both the tournament post and this post must be verified before you can claim your prize. If you’re under 18, you must have a parent’s permission to enter and to give me a shipping address if you win.I will ship anywhere, but the pre-orders are coming directly from the vendor, so those two prizes can only be won by US residents.Void where prohibited by law.Any evidence of breaking the tournament rules or disparaging either character contestant disqualifies you from winning.
Tomorrow, I’ll repost this blog entry with live links to the tournament, which begins at midnight (central time zone).
-----
Now for some overdue winners!
Kim Stogner - XBOX 360 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Vivian N - PS3 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Sayomay - Dancing Zombie cap, bumper sticker, your chocie of any one of my books, signed.
Amanda Taylor - Chomper cap, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.
Winners, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with the subject line “PvZ” to claim your prize. In your email, I’ll need to know what name you entered under, what you won, where you’d like it shipped, and which of my books you’d like included.
December 12, 2011
Dear Rachel: Why Should I Bother?
Last week, a reader asked me a question about writing, and since I occasionally like to talk about what I do with the majority of my time (did you catch the understatement?) I answered. Her response to my response led the conversation in a slightly different direction, wherein she said that she wants someone to read the first few chapters of her work in progress, so she'll know whether or not it's worth finishing.
I have to admit, that statement bothered me. I've heard the same sentiment many times in the past few years, and it's bothered me each time.
So here's the thing: every story is worth finishing. Here are a couple of reasons…
First of all, there is absolutely no way that someone else will reasonably be able to tell you just from reading the first few chapters of your rough draft that the book isn't worth finishing based on the quality of the writing or even the concept. Why not? Because it's not done yet. The first couple of chapters of EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WRITTEN changed significantly during the second draft. Some were cut entirely. Some later became subsequent chapters after I backed the story up a bit and started earlier in the timeline.
(The third chapter of Rogue was originally the first.)
Both your writing and your concept will become smoother during the act of writing (and finishing) the book. All you need in the beginning is a good idea and a little faith in yourself. An outline doesn't hurt, but it's not crucial, especially if you're still finding your own voice (the natural tone of your writing). The rewriting, revising, editing, polishing, and proofreading…all that comes later.
And honestly, if you think your work is done after the first draft, you need to sit down and reevaluate your reasons for writing. If you're writing only for your own pleasure, fine. A rough draft is all you'll ever need. But if you're aiming for publication (in any of its varied forms), you should know that a completed rough draft is only the very beginning of the work.
Secondly, even if neither your story nor your concept is publishable in its current incarnation (especially if that's the case), finishing the story is never wasted time or effort. It's invaluable experience. It's crucial experience, in fact.
Like most authors, I know LOTS of other writers. Lots of them. And of all the traditionally published authors I know, I can count on one hand the number of them who sold the first book they wrote. I didn't even try to sell my first book. Or my second. They're still buried in a seven-year-old hard drive (the modern version of the box at the back of the closet) because the writing wasn't good enough and the concept wasn't marketable. But if I hadn't written those two novels (and finished them), I wouldn't have improved enough in my craft to sell my third novel (Stray, the first one I ever sent out).
There is one thing that is true for every single writer in the world: we all need practice. That is a fact. No one is born ready for publication. Ask Steven King how many rejections he has (or read On Writing). Ask Frank L. Baum. Ask anyone. We all need practice. And we don't just need practice writing stories—we need practice finishing them.
So, here's my official advice to everyone out there who itches for publication but has never completed a novel:
Finish the book.
Dig deep and find that spark that interested you in your story in the first place, and feed that tiny flame until it roars to life. Write the story all the way to the end, even if it feels like it sucks, because you can fix it in the next draft. That's the magic of the second draft—by then, you already know where the story's going, so you can focus on polishing, rather than plotting.
So suck it up, stick it out, and make it happen. I promise you're not wasting your time by finishing that book. You're simply honing your skills.
P.S. Spellcheck tells me there are no errors in this post!!!
I have to admit, that statement bothered me. I've heard the same sentiment many times in the past few years, and it's bothered me each time.
So here's the thing: every story is worth finishing. Here are a couple of reasons…
First of all, there is absolutely no way that someone else will reasonably be able to tell you just from reading the first few chapters of your rough draft that the book isn't worth finishing based on the quality of the writing or even the concept. Why not? Because it's not done yet. The first couple of chapters of EVERYTHING I'VE EVER WRITTEN changed significantly during the second draft. Some were cut entirely. Some later became subsequent chapters after I backed the story up a bit and started earlier in the timeline.
(The third chapter of Rogue was originally the first.)
Both your writing and your concept will become smoother during the act of writing (and finishing) the book. All you need in the beginning is a good idea and a little faith in yourself. An outline doesn't hurt, but it's not crucial, especially if you're still finding your own voice (the natural tone of your writing). The rewriting, revising, editing, polishing, and proofreading…all that comes later.
And honestly, if you think your work is done after the first draft, you need to sit down and reevaluate your reasons for writing. If you're writing only for your own pleasure, fine. A rough draft is all you'll ever need. But if you're aiming for publication (in any of its varied forms), you should know that a completed rough draft is only the very beginning of the work.
Secondly, even if neither your story nor your concept is publishable in its current incarnation (especially if that's the case), finishing the story is never wasted time or effort. It's invaluable experience. It's crucial experience, in fact.
Like most authors, I know LOTS of other writers. Lots of them. And of all the traditionally published authors I know, I can count on one hand the number of them who sold the first book they wrote. I didn't even try to sell my first book. Or my second. They're still buried in a seven-year-old hard drive (the modern version of the box at the back of the closet) because the writing wasn't good enough and the concept wasn't marketable. But if I hadn't written those two novels (and finished them), I wouldn't have improved enough in my craft to sell my third novel (Stray, the first one I ever sent out).
There is one thing that is true for every single writer in the world: we all need practice. That is a fact. No one is born ready for publication. Ask Steven King how many rejections he has (or read On Writing). Ask Frank L. Baum. Ask anyone. We all need practice. And we don't just need practice writing stories—we need practice finishing them.
So, here's my official advice to everyone out there who itches for publication but has never completed a novel:
Finish the book.
Dig deep and find that spark that interested you in your story in the first place, and feed that tiny flame until it roars to life. Write the story all the way to the end, even if it feels like it sucks, because you can fix it in the next draft. That's the magic of the second draft—by then, you already know where the story's going, so you can focus on polishing, rather than plotting.
So suck it up, stick it out, and make it happen. I promise you're not wasting your time by finishing that book. You're simply honing your skills.
P.S. Spellcheck tells me there are no errors in this post!!!
December 8, 2011
So, here's why I don't (currently) self-publish...
For the past few years, I (along with everyone else on the planet) have been hearing a lot about self-publishing. And I have to admit, I’ve considered the possibility, albeit briefly. Ultimately, I decided not to self-publish, at least at this time. Here’s why, in list format.
But first, the facts…
Fact: Some people are making a lot of money in self-publishing.
More relevant fact: Most are not. In fact, the vast majority of “most” are not. The few you’ve heard about, you’ve heard about because they’re the exceptions, not the rule.
So, considering the very slim chance that I would fall into that "exceptional" category, right now, the risk doesn’t seem worth losing what I gain from traditional publishing.
Here’s another list, this time of things that a self-published author has to do for him/herself:
Cover art – I am not an artist. Seriously. I’ve never had a class, mostly because I’m no good at art. At all. Right now, my publisher designs my covers, and even when I occasionally don’t love one, that cover I don’t love is still infinitely better than anything I could design for myself.Marketing – I don’t know how to market. Marketing isn’t the same as promotion. (If you’re not sure of the difference, look it up.) Right now, I don’t do any of my own marketing. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. My publisher does that for me.Promotion – I do quite a bit of this myself, because I have to. Very, very few authors get book tours, spots on national television, or in-theater advertisement. I’ve never had any of that. But every single magazine/newspaper ad I’ve ever had, my publisher is responsible for, and even the smallest of those reaches thousands more people than I could ever reach online myself. Sales – “Sales” doesn’t mean selling to individual customers. It means selling to book stores and vendors. My publisher has a huge team of people who sell my books to B&N, BAM, airport book stores, Wal-mart, Target, the occasional grocery story and drug store chain, and dozens of foreign markets. I could never do that on my own. There’s about a 0% chance of me getting my books into Wal-mart without a sales team. My chance of getting them into B&N isn’t much better. And if the readers can’t find the books, the readers can’t buy the books.
But here are the most important reasons I currently have no intention of self-publishing:
Prey and If I Die.
To date, these are the books I get the most positive feedback on (followed closely by Alpha), and neither of them would be anything like versions currently on the shelf, if not for my editor.
[Fear not. There are no spoilers below.]
The first version of Prey I turned in had an entirely different plot than what actually made it into the book. During the revisions, thanks to my editor’s input, I gutted the main plot and created a new one, keeping only the subplots and emotional high points. It was a massive, frustrating revision. But it worked.
However, if I’d been self-publishing Prey, it would have gone out in its original form, and people would have hated it, and many of them would have stopped reading my work.
(Before you say that could never happen, trust me, it can, and it has. Every single week, I come across a comment in a Soul Screamers review from someone who's surprised by a good review, because the commenter liked MSTTake, but didn’t like MSTSave, and so stopped reading the series. Every. Single. Week. And none of them say that MSTSave was a bad book. They just don’t think it was a great book. So imagine how many readers I would have lost by putting out a truly bad version of Prey?)
My editor was also instrumental in the development of If I Die, but this time her input came during the planning stage, which saved me a lot of time and frustration. Originally, I planned for Kaylee to remain ignorant of her own rapidly approaching death date until the end of the book, where she would discover that the people who loved her had been scrambling behind the scenes to save her life, while she was fighting the evil incubus.
It was my editor’s idea to let Kaylee know up front that she was scheduled to die, so readers could experience Kaylee’s shock and fear along with her throughout the story. And that one suggestion changed the entire book. Seriously, the whole thing. If I Die would have been a very different (and inferior) book if I’d self-published it with no editorial input.
So, ultimately, it all comes down to quality and my inability to do my best work without a team of professionals/experts behind me.
Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind later, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. Because I’m not an editor, publicist, or member of a sales or marketing team.
I'm a writer.
But first, the facts…
Fact: Some people are making a lot of money in self-publishing.
More relevant fact: Most are not. In fact, the vast majority of “most” are not. The few you’ve heard about, you’ve heard about because they’re the exceptions, not the rule.
So, considering the very slim chance that I would fall into that "exceptional" category, right now, the risk doesn’t seem worth losing what I gain from traditional publishing.
Here’s another list, this time of things that a self-published author has to do for him/herself:
Cover art – I am not an artist. Seriously. I’ve never had a class, mostly because I’m no good at art. At all. Right now, my publisher designs my covers, and even when I occasionally don’t love one, that cover I don’t love is still infinitely better than anything I could design for myself.Marketing – I don’t know how to market. Marketing isn’t the same as promotion. (If you’re not sure of the difference, look it up.) Right now, I don’t do any of my own marketing. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. My publisher does that for me.Promotion – I do quite a bit of this myself, because I have to. Very, very few authors get book tours, spots on national television, or in-theater advertisement. I’ve never had any of that. But every single magazine/newspaper ad I’ve ever had, my publisher is responsible for, and even the smallest of those reaches thousands more people than I could ever reach online myself. Sales – “Sales” doesn’t mean selling to individual customers. It means selling to book stores and vendors. My publisher has a huge team of people who sell my books to B&N, BAM, airport book stores, Wal-mart, Target, the occasional grocery story and drug store chain, and dozens of foreign markets. I could never do that on my own. There’s about a 0% chance of me getting my books into Wal-mart without a sales team. My chance of getting them into B&N isn’t much better. And if the readers can’t find the books, the readers can’t buy the books.
But here are the most important reasons I currently have no intention of self-publishing:
Prey and If I Die.
To date, these are the books I get the most positive feedback on (followed closely by Alpha), and neither of them would be anything like versions currently on the shelf, if not for my editor.
[Fear not. There are no spoilers below.]
The first version of Prey I turned in had an entirely different plot than what actually made it into the book. During the revisions, thanks to my editor’s input, I gutted the main plot and created a new one, keeping only the subplots and emotional high points. It was a massive, frustrating revision. But it worked.
However, if I’d been self-publishing Prey, it would have gone out in its original form, and people would have hated it, and many of them would have stopped reading my work.
(Before you say that could never happen, trust me, it can, and it has. Every single week, I come across a comment in a Soul Screamers review from someone who's surprised by a good review, because the commenter liked MSTTake, but didn’t like MSTSave, and so stopped reading the series. Every. Single. Week. And none of them say that MSTSave was a bad book. They just don’t think it was a great book. So imagine how many readers I would have lost by putting out a truly bad version of Prey?)
My editor was also instrumental in the development of If I Die, but this time her input came during the planning stage, which saved me a lot of time and frustration. Originally, I planned for Kaylee to remain ignorant of her own rapidly approaching death date until the end of the book, where she would discover that the people who loved her had been scrambling behind the scenes to save her life, while she was fighting the evil incubus.
It was my editor’s idea to let Kaylee know up front that she was scheduled to die, so readers could experience Kaylee’s shock and fear along with her throughout the story. And that one suggestion changed the entire book. Seriously, the whole thing. If I Die would have been a very different (and inferior) book if I’d self-published it with no editorial input.
So, ultimately, it all comes down to quality and my inability to do my best work without a team of professionals/experts behind me.
Of course, I reserve the right to change my mind later, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. Because I’m not an editor, publicist, or member of a sales or marketing team.
I'm a writer.
December 7, 2011
Winners!
Thanks so much to everyone who entered the Soul Screamers omnibus/complete-the-series contest! The winners were chosen by random number generator and have already been notified via email (so check your inbox if you entered) but just in case, they are:
Violette (whose entry appears below) and Janelle, who didn't want her picture posted.
Here are a few of the images sent in. I may post a couple more later, but for now I'm waiting to verify that the senders actually wanted them posted.
From Jessica
From Jillian. Love the bowling idea!
Meagen's little Robin is SO adorable! Several of the entries were of ebooks, which surprised me because I kind of assumed the lure of the omnibus to those who already have the first two books in the series was the fact that you can only get "My Soul To Lose" in print in the omnibus. So maybe these are new readers to the series. Which is awesome!
This one's from Rachel Clarke(fiktshun), who championed Tod in the YACrushTourney this past summer and has signed up to champion Kaylee in the Heroine Tourney next week. But that's not why I'm posting her pic. She was the first to send in a cat photo!
From Felicia
From Nicole
If you entered the omnibus giveaway in my forum, I'll be announcing those winners later today, so don't forget to check in!
Violette (whose entry appears below) and Janelle, who didn't want her picture posted.
Here are a few of the images sent in. I may post a couple more later, but for now I'm waiting to verify that the senders actually wanted them posted.
From Jessica
From Jillian. Love the bowling idea!
Meagen's little Robin is SO adorable! Several of the entries were of ebooks, which surprised me because I kind of assumed the lure of the omnibus to those who already have the first two books in the series was the fact that you can only get "My Soul To Lose" in print in the omnibus. So maybe these are new readers to the series. Which is awesome!
This one's from Rachel Clarke(fiktshun), who championed Tod in the YACrushTourney this past summer and has signed up to champion Kaylee in the Heroine Tourney next week. But that's not why I'm posting her pic. She was the first to send in a cat photo!
From Felicia
From Nicole
If you entered the omnibus giveaway in my forum, I'll be announcing those winners later today, so don't forget to check in!
December 5, 2011
PvZ (+ books) Giveaway!
[Today is the last day to enter the Volume One contest, found here.]
As some of you may remember, for this year's annual Halloween gingerbread house, No. 1 and I made a Plants Vs Zombies tribute out of gingerbread, marzipan, and assorted frosting and candy. One of my wonderful readers then sent the people at PopCap (the makers of Plants vs Zombies) a link to our gingerbread house, and PopCap posted that link on their Facebook page.
The result was more attention than my poor little blog is used to getting (proof positive that video games are way more popular than books). That unexpected (but awesome) traffic led to technical difficulties with my blog, which led to an email from the wonderful people at PopCap, who apologized for the trouble (completely unnecessary; I was thrilled for the traffic) and offered to send me some awesome PvZ stuff, as well as a couple of games to give away here on my blog. To you, my lovely readers.
I, of course, said YES PLEASE!!! and three days later, I received a box full of awesome (mostly not-for-sale) stuff from PopCap.
Since I am a lover of both books and video games (and an unabashed zombie fan), I'm going to pair some of that stuff with some of my books. There will be four prize packs:
PS3 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.XBOX 360 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.Dancing Zombie cap, bumper sticker, your chocie of any one of my books, signed.Chomper cap, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.(Sorry, I'm keeping the action figures. I simply can't part with them. But here's a shot of them partying on my desk.)
Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, I have to limit this giveaway to US residents only. But don't worry, international readers. I do a lot of international giveaways, and there will be more coming up.
To enter, leave a comment in the corresponding Wordpress post naming either your favorite PvZ zombie or plant, or your favorite Rachel Vincent character. Or both. This contest will close on December 10. Winners will be announced on December 11.
In your entry, please list the prize pack numbers in order of your preference!
As a side note, I swear, some of those plants would be right at home in the Netherworld. ;)
As some of you may remember, for this year's annual Halloween gingerbread house, No. 1 and I made a Plants Vs Zombies tribute out of gingerbread, marzipan, and assorted frosting and candy. One of my wonderful readers then sent the people at PopCap (the makers of Plants vs Zombies) a link to our gingerbread house, and PopCap posted that link on their Facebook page.
The result was more attention than my poor little blog is used to getting (proof positive that video games are way more popular than books). That unexpected (but awesome) traffic led to technical difficulties with my blog, which led to an email from the wonderful people at PopCap, who apologized for the trouble (completely unnecessary; I was thrilled for the traffic) and offered to send me some awesome PvZ stuff, as well as a couple of games to give away here on my blog. To you, my lovely readers.
I, of course, said YES PLEASE!!! and three days later, I received a box full of awesome (mostly not-for-sale) stuff from PopCap.
Since I am a lover of both books and video games (and an unabashed zombie fan), I'm going to pair some of that stuff with some of my books. There will be four prize packs:
PS3 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.XBOX 360 PvZ game, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.Dancing Zombie cap, bumper sticker, your chocie of any one of my books, signed.Chomper cap, bumper sticker, your choice of any one of my books, signed.(Sorry, I'm keeping the action figures. I simply can't part with them. But here's a shot of them partying on my desk.)
Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, I have to limit this giveaway to US residents only. But don't worry, international readers. I do a lot of international giveaways, and there will be more coming up.
To enter, leave a comment in the corresponding Wordpress post naming either your favorite PvZ zombie or plant, or your favorite Rachel Vincent character. Or both. This contest will close on December 10. Winners will be announced on December 11.
In your entry, please list the prize pack numbers in order of your preference!
As a side note, I swear, some of those plants would be right at home in the Netherworld. ;)
November 30, 2011
The best laid plans...
I'm not supposed to be blogging today. I know, I know, I'm a grownup, and self-employed, and I work from home, so my life should have very few have-tos and not-supposed-tos. But somehow, it never works that way.
This week, I'm supposed to be on a writing retreat with about ten of my writer friends (and one I've never met before). I've been looking forward to this trip ALL YEAR. I set the time aside to do large amounts of work on a side project I might otherwise never get to write, because of how tightly scheduled my already contracted work is.
Now, I'm not complaining about having contracted work to do. I love being under contract. I love being employed. And I almost always love writing my contracted books. (The exceptions are the Unbound books. I love them, but I don't usually love writing them, because they're HARD, and complicated, and long. But hopefully they don't read like they were difficult to write.) But there's something special about writing a book you have no plans for. A book that isn't late before you even start it. A book with no expectations piled on it before you even type the first word.
I have no idea whether or not this story will ever go anywhere. It may never be completed. It may never see the light of day. But writing it is fun, and I'd set this week aside to work on this story, in the company of like-minded people who wouldn't be upset when I ignore them for the book, because they're all doing the exact same thing. The idea was to have no interruptions. No internet until I'd met my wordcount. Nothing to prevent me from writing more than my usual daily wordcount goal. Then, each night, after I'd made my goal, I would reward myself with companionship, a rare thing in a work-at-home-all-alone type career.
I'd already paid for the retreat and the airfare.
But then there was...The Plague. That's the only way I can describe it. My house fell to The Plague. Short-term but nasty illness. It was a horrible 48 hour stomach bug. Seriously, it was wretched. And my best friend and her whole family came down with it too, the day after we left their house after our holiday visit.
The bug is gone (though no 1 and I still feel very run-down), but now the writing retreat is halfway over, and last-minute airfare costs a fortune. So I decided it would be more responsible of me to sit here and whine over all the tweets and pictures of my friends getting stuff done and spending time with each other than to spend twice the airfare cost for half the scheduled time away.
I'm trying to be mature.
I'm kind of failing miserably.
No 1 is trying so hard to make it up to me. He's trying to create an interruption-free retreat-at-home environment by bringing me coffee and lunch so I don't have to interrupt my work to get them. It's not the same (alas) but it's very, very sweet. So how could I not give it my best shot?
Yesterday I stuck to my retreat writing goal (which I decided on months ago). Six thousand new words. That means that at the end of the day, I need to have a net wordcount gain of 6,000 words, even if I actually wrote more than that, but deleted others.
I made it.
Today I feel a little more run-down and far from relaxed, but if I did it yesterday, surely I can do it again today, right? Even with real life going on around me.
Some day, I will actually make it to a retreat, and it will be wonderful. But for now, work calls.
This week, I'm supposed to be on a writing retreat with about ten of my writer friends (and one I've never met before). I've been looking forward to this trip ALL YEAR. I set the time aside to do large amounts of work on a side project I might otherwise never get to write, because of how tightly scheduled my already contracted work is.
Now, I'm not complaining about having contracted work to do. I love being under contract. I love being employed. And I almost always love writing my contracted books. (The exceptions are the Unbound books. I love them, but I don't usually love writing them, because they're HARD, and complicated, and long. But hopefully they don't read like they were difficult to write.) But there's something special about writing a book you have no plans for. A book that isn't late before you even start it. A book with no expectations piled on it before you even type the first word.
I have no idea whether or not this story will ever go anywhere. It may never be completed. It may never see the light of day. But writing it is fun, and I'd set this week aside to work on this story, in the company of like-minded people who wouldn't be upset when I ignore them for the book, because they're all doing the exact same thing. The idea was to have no interruptions. No internet until I'd met my wordcount. Nothing to prevent me from writing more than my usual daily wordcount goal. Then, each night, after I'd made my goal, I would reward myself with companionship, a rare thing in a work-at-home-all-alone type career.
I'd already paid for the retreat and the airfare.
But then there was...The Plague. That's the only way I can describe it. My house fell to The Plague. Short-term but nasty illness. It was a horrible 48 hour stomach bug. Seriously, it was wretched. And my best friend and her whole family came down with it too, the day after we left their house after our holiday visit.
The bug is gone (though no 1 and I still feel very run-down), but now the writing retreat is halfway over, and last-minute airfare costs a fortune. So I decided it would be more responsible of me to sit here and whine over all the tweets and pictures of my friends getting stuff done and spending time with each other than to spend twice the airfare cost for half the scheduled time away.
I'm trying to be mature.
I'm kind of failing miserably.
No 1 is trying so hard to make it up to me. He's trying to create an interruption-free retreat-at-home environment by bringing me coffee and lunch so I don't have to interrupt my work to get them. It's not the same (alas) but it's very, very sweet. So how could I not give it my best shot?
Yesterday I stuck to my retreat writing goal (which I decided on months ago). Six thousand new words. That means that at the end of the day, I need to have a net wordcount gain of 6,000 words, even if I actually wrote more than that, but deleted others.
I made it.
Today I feel a little more run-down and far from relaxed, but if I did it yesterday, surely I can do it again today, right? Even with real life going on around me.
Some day, I will actually make it to a retreat, and it will be wonderful. But for now, work calls.
November 23, 2011
All about "Never To Sleep"
[First a note: The Soul Screamers omnibus, Volume One, came out yesterday and I'm holding two contests for the release. The first is here. The second is for members of my discussion group only. To join and enter, click here.]
Yes, I got pre-empted AGAIN. For those who haven't seen yet, most e-retailers posted the preorder forms--including the official blurb--for "Never To Sleep" yesterday. I was asked to wait to post the plot description and cover until next week. So...more crossed wires. It's no one's fault. There are a lot of wires in publishing, and they often get crossed. But, as I am an optimist at heart (I can almost hear my CP cackling hysterically), I must point out that the cover is still mine to post. Next week.
Obviously, there's no need to eliminate any more possible narrators, so all I can really do now is show off the plot description. Here goes:
Yes, Sophie is the narrator. I know what you're probably thinking.
Sophie? Why her? I don't want to read a story from the POV of a snobby, whining little [expletive].
I know, I know, I had the same thought at first. The idea to write this story from Sophie's perspective came from Harlequin Teen, and at first, I'll admit I was hesitant. No one really likes Sophie. You're not supposed to. She's the mean girl archetype.
That's when I realized that this story is A CHALLENGE! And we all know how much I like A CHALLENGE!
So I started thinking about it and realized that I had a golden opportunity with this story. No one's been with Kaylee and her issues longer than Sophie. They grew up together. Sophie has a unique perspective on her cousin and she knows back story no one else has ever heard. And as those of you who've read If I Die know, because of how that book ended (do you see me deftly avoiding spoilers!!!), Sophie now knows about the Netherworld. But we didn't actually get to see her reaction to finding out about the things that go bump in the Nether.
Also...there's a new character in the Soul Screamers universe. His name's Luca and he plays a prominent part in Before I Wake. But thanks to the "Never To Sleep" novella, I had an opportunity to introduce him early. To give readers a better look at him than Kaylee will have a chance to do from her own POV in Before I Wake. He was actually there during If I Die, but Kaylee was a bit distracted, so she didn't notice him.
But Sophie did.
And I have to admit, in the end, writing the Netherworld from Sophie's POV was just plain fun. She's still Sophie. She's still one of Kaylee's foils. She still views the world from a self-built pedestal, through snob-colored glasses. But she can't ignore what's right in front of her. So I put the Netherworld right in front of her. Here's a little taste, now that I don't have to worry about revealing the narrator through the excerpt:
I can't tell you what's actually going on in that scene, but I can tell you that by the end of the story, I was proud of Sophie. She grew up, in her own way.
Now to answer the inevitable questions.
Yes, "Never To Sleep" will be available only in electronic format. I don't know if it will ever be printed.
No, you don't have to have an ereader to read an ebook. Most can be bought in PDF, which is readable on any personal computer and most smart phones.
No, I don't know when/if "Never To Sleep" or any of my other e-format only stories will be available in other countries. That availability is not up to me. Not at ALL. If it were up to me, all my books would be available all over the world, in every possible format. But that's a complicated issue concerning foreign rights territories and legalities. All I can do is ask my overseas readers to PLEASE not pirate this (or any other ebooks ) just because they're not currently available legally in your country. I'm sorry for the frustration and I admire your patience. Truly. (Also, take notice of the note at the end of this post, please!)
That said, though the book stores appear to be selling "Never To Sleep" for $2.99 (USD) at the moment, it should be free on release day and for a limited period afterward, and I think that means that you won't actually be charged for it, even if you preorder it now.
Note: With the previous e-novellas, I was allowed to post the PDF on my site as a free read as well, and if I'm allowed to do that again, it will be available on my site for readers in any country, without restriction. I'll have to check on that and will post again once I know for sure.
Yes, I got pre-empted AGAIN. For those who haven't seen yet, most e-retailers posted the preorder forms--including the official blurb--for "Never To Sleep" yesterday. I was asked to wait to post the plot description and cover until next week. So...more crossed wires. It's no one's fault. There are a lot of wires in publishing, and they often get crossed. But, as I am an optimist at heart (I can almost hear my CP cackling hysterically), I must point out that the cover is still mine to post. Next week.
Obviously, there's no need to eliminate any more possible narrators, so all I can really do now is show off the plot description. Here goes:
Don't Close Your Eyes.
Sophie Cavanaugh is not going to let her freak of a cousin's strange psychiatric condition ruin high school for them both. Not after all the work she's put into cultivating the right look, and friends, and reputation. But then Sophie sees something so frightening she lets out a blood-curdling scream—and finds herself stuck in a bizarre parallel world where nothing is safe and deadly creatures lurk just out of sight, waiting for her to close her eyes and sleep...forever.
Could this world be real? Or does insanity run in the family...?
Yes, Sophie is the narrator. I know what you're probably thinking.
Sophie? Why her? I don't want to read a story from the POV of a snobby, whining little [expletive].
I know, I know, I had the same thought at first. The idea to write this story from Sophie's perspective came from Harlequin Teen, and at first, I'll admit I was hesitant. No one really likes Sophie. You're not supposed to. She's the mean girl archetype.
That's when I realized that this story is A CHALLENGE! And we all know how much I like A CHALLENGE!
So I started thinking about it and realized that I had a golden opportunity with this story. No one's been with Kaylee and her issues longer than Sophie. They grew up together. Sophie has a unique perspective on her cousin and she knows back story no one else has ever heard. And as those of you who've read If I Die know, because of how that book ended (do you see me deftly avoiding spoilers!!!), Sophie now knows about the Netherworld. But we didn't actually get to see her reaction to finding out about the things that go bump in the Nether.
Also...there's a new character in the Soul Screamers universe. His name's Luca and he plays a prominent part in Before I Wake. But thanks to the "Never To Sleep" novella, I had an opportunity to introduce him early. To give readers a better look at him than Kaylee will have a chance to do from her own POV in Before I Wake. He was actually there during If I Die, but Kaylee was a bit distracted, so she didn't notice him.
But Sophie did.
And I have to admit, in the end, writing the Netherworld from Sophie's POV was just plain fun. She's still Sophie. She's still one of Kaylee's foils. She still views the world from a self-built pedestal, through snob-colored glasses. But she can't ignore what's right in front of her. So I put the Netherworld right in front of her. Here's a little taste, now that I don't have to worry about revealing the narrator through the excerpt:
“In there?” I glanced at the closet, which was too dark to see into. “You want me to walk into a dark hole in the wall, where some horrible Netherworld creature is probably waiting to eat me alive. Obviously you’ve mistaken me for Lara Croft.”
Luca’s brows rose, and I couldn’t tell whether he was irritated or amused. “Apologies, Your Highness, I meant to mistake you for someone who wants to survive.” When I only crossed my arms over my chest and waited for him to come to his senses, Luca exhaled in frustration. “Look, if anything in there wanted to kill you, you’d be dead already.”
Yet somehow, that thought didn’t comfort me as I stared into the dark closet, on the lookout for glowing eyes and menacing fangs. “Then why don’t you crawl into the cave of untold horrors and let me take care of the protective gear?” Whatever that meant.
“Sure.” Luca said, and I turned to find him naked from the waist up. Holding his T-shirt in both hands. Baring a smooth, well-defined chest to the whole world. The Netherworld, anyway. “I just didn’t think you’d want to strip for the cause.”
I can't tell you what's actually going on in that scene, but I can tell you that by the end of the story, I was proud of Sophie. She grew up, in her own way.
Now to answer the inevitable questions.
Yes, "Never To Sleep" will be available only in electronic format. I don't know if it will ever be printed.
No, you don't have to have an ereader to read an ebook. Most can be bought in PDF, which is readable on any personal computer and most smart phones.
No, I don't know when/if "Never To Sleep" or any of my other e-format only stories will be available in other countries. That availability is not up to me. Not at ALL. If it were up to me, all my books would be available all over the world, in every possible format. But that's a complicated issue concerning foreign rights territories and legalities. All I can do is ask my overseas readers to PLEASE not pirate this (or any other ebooks ) just because they're not currently available legally in your country. I'm sorry for the frustration and I admire your patience. Truly. (Also, take notice of the note at the end of this post, please!)
That said, though the book stores appear to be selling "Never To Sleep" for $2.99 (USD) at the moment, it should be free on release day and for a limited period afterward, and I think that means that you won't actually be charged for it, even if you preorder it now.
Note: With the previous e-novellas, I was allowed to post the PDF on my site as a free read as well, and if I'm allowed to do that again, it will be available on my site for readers in any country, without restriction. I'll have to check on that and will post again once I know for sure.
November 22, 2011
Look what's out! (+giveaway)
I'm not going to start this blog post by apologizing for my recent absence because it seems like I do that all the time now. But if you follow me on FB or Twitter, you know that I'm absent less there because it's much easier to post a quick update or a mini-quote in those forums.
That said, guess what today is! Today is the official release day of the Soul Screamers omnibus, Volume One, which includes the prequel novella and the first two novels in the series! I know, I almost forgot too. In a way, this doesn't feel like a "real" release for me, because the stories in this volume were all originally released two years ago.
But on the other hand, this is the first and only way to get "My Soul To Lose," the prequel novella, in print, so that's actually almost as exciting for me as a new release.
So, let's give stuff away! On my discussion group, I'll be giving away two copies of the Soul Screamers omnibus. You must be a member to enter, and entering is as easy as answering the entry question. (Look for that giveaway later this afternoon.)
But here, I want to do something different.
Up for grabs here on my blog: two sets of Soul Screamers books 3-5, signed. (That's My Soul To Keep, My Soul To Steal, and If I Die.)
How to enter: Send me (contestsATrachelvincentDOTcom) a picture of your copy of the Soul Screamers omnibus, taken somewhere other than the store. On a park bench. With your cat. In your little brother's crib. Whatever. I'm just looking for proof that you actually have one, because this giveaway is intended to complete your set of Soul Screamers novels. Let me know in your email whether or not you're okay with me posting your picture, because I may decide to post them. Electronic copies are fine. Just show the cover of the book on your kindle, nook, or whatever.
On December 5, I'll draw two winners at random from the entries and those winners will receive signed copies of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th volumes in the Soul Screamers series. International entries are fine, but please note that Volume One is only out in the US/Canada at this time, so it may be difficult to find overseas. But The Book Depository does have copies and they will ship worldwide (to most countries) for free.
On another note, my Thanksgiving holiday is shaping up to be just as busy as I expected. I'll be turning in the Shadow Bound page proofs this afternoon (one day earlier than they're due, but two days later than I'd hoped). I'm also expecting a brief second round of notes on Before I Wake so ARCs can be printed. And, I'm beta reading a friend's upcoming release and baking! I am baking! So far I've done mini-cheesecakes, caramel-apple muffins, and bacon-cheese biscuits, all from scratch, and there's lots more to come. I love baking season. ;)
That said, guess what today is! Today is the official release day of the Soul Screamers omnibus, Volume One, which includes the prequel novella and the first two novels in the series! I know, I almost forgot too. In a way, this doesn't feel like a "real" release for me, because the stories in this volume were all originally released two years ago.
But on the other hand, this is the first and only way to get "My Soul To Lose," the prequel novella, in print, so that's actually almost as exciting for me as a new release.
So, let's give stuff away! On my discussion group, I'll be giving away two copies of the Soul Screamers omnibus. You must be a member to enter, and entering is as easy as answering the entry question. (Look for that giveaway later this afternoon.)
But here, I want to do something different.
Up for grabs here on my blog: two sets of Soul Screamers books 3-5, signed. (That's My Soul To Keep, My Soul To Steal, and If I Die.)
How to enter: Send me (contestsATrachelvincentDOTcom) a picture of your copy of the Soul Screamers omnibus, taken somewhere other than the store. On a park bench. With your cat. In your little brother's crib. Whatever. I'm just looking for proof that you actually have one, because this giveaway is intended to complete your set of Soul Screamers novels. Let me know in your email whether or not you're okay with me posting your picture, because I may decide to post them. Electronic copies are fine. Just show the cover of the book on your kindle, nook, or whatever.
On December 5, I'll draw two winners at random from the entries and those winners will receive signed copies of the 3rd, 4th, & 5th volumes in the Soul Screamers series. International entries are fine, but please note that Volume One is only out in the US/Canada at this time, so it may be difficult to find overseas. But The Book Depository does have copies and they will ship worldwide (to most countries) for free.
On another note, my Thanksgiving holiday is shaping up to be just as busy as I expected. I'll be turning in the Shadow Bound page proofs this afternoon (one day earlier than they're due, but two days later than I'd hoped). I'm also expecting a brief second round of notes on Before I Wake so ARCs can be printed. And, I'm beta reading a friend's upcoming release and baking! I am baking! So far I've done mini-cheesecakes, caramel-apple muffins, and bacon-cheese biscuits, all from scratch, and there's lots more to come. I love baking season. ;)
November 17, 2011
Guess who? (+ winners)
I've been mostly offline the past few days with family stuff and now I'm playing catch up, so I have a couple of fun things. First, here are the foreign edition winners from my Deadline Dames post last week. They will be posted there too, shortly.
Natasha, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 11:56 am - the French edition to My Soul To Keep (Sauve mon ame!)Mitzy, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 12:57 pm - Toma Mi Alma – (Spanish edition of My Soul To Take)Irene, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 1:47 pm – Minha Alma Para Levar (Brazilian edition of My Soul To Take)Naomi H, who commented on November 12, 2011 at 2:17 am - UK edition My Soul to StealKaren, who commented on November 12, 2011 at 8:06 pm - La rose et l’ombre (French edition of My Soul To Steal)
Winners, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with the name of the book you won and your shipping information, and I'll put your books in the mail.
And, since the release of "Never To Sleep" is rapidly approaching and I don't have permission to post the cover yet, I'm going to eliminate another potential narrator...and post a mini-excerpt to help narrow down your guesses. First, the list, with the two new eliminations, which sould be obvious anyway, based on the excerpt:
◦Tod
◦Sabine
◦Nash
◦Alec
◦Sophie
◦Emma
◦Avari
◦Addison
◦Scott
◦Lydia
◦Levi
A reminder: Notice that Kaylee isn’t on the list. Consider that your freebie. Kaylee is not the narrator.
Now, the snippets.
Okay, since you asked nicely, I'll give you two of them. ;)
Click for larger images. This first one includes comments from one of the beta readers (Fiktshun, Tod's advocate from the YA Crush Tourney) because they made me laugh. ;)
So...new guesses?
Natasha, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 11:56 am - the French edition to My Soul To Keep (Sauve mon ame!)Mitzy, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 12:57 pm - Toma Mi Alma – (Spanish edition of My Soul To Take)Irene, who commented on November 11, 2011 at 1:47 pm – Minha Alma Para Levar (Brazilian edition of My Soul To Take)Naomi H, who commented on November 12, 2011 at 2:17 am - UK edition My Soul to StealKaren, who commented on November 12, 2011 at 8:06 pm - La rose et l’ombre (French edition of My Soul To Steal)
Winners, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with the name of the book you won and your shipping information, and I'll put your books in the mail.
And, since the release of "Never To Sleep" is rapidly approaching and I don't have permission to post the cover yet, I'm going to eliminate another potential narrator...and post a mini-excerpt to help narrow down your guesses. First, the list, with the two new eliminations, which sould be obvious anyway, based on the excerpt:
◦Tod
◦Sabine
◦Nash
◦Alec
◦Sophie
◦Emma
◦Avari
◦Addison
◦Scott
◦Lydia
◦Levi
A reminder: Notice that Kaylee isn’t on the list. Consider that your freebie. Kaylee is not the narrator.
Now, the snippets.
Okay, since you asked nicely, I'll give you two of them. ;)
Click for larger images. This first one includes comments from one of the beta readers (Fiktshun, Tod's advocate from the YA Crush Tourney) because they made me laugh. ;)
So...new guesses?
November 9, 2011
Notice anything missing?
[Note: I posted one of Tod's lines from Before I Wake in my new forum yesterday. It's in the Before I Wake spoiler section, though the kind-of-spoiler is actually from If I Die. You have to be a member to see the spoiler section.]
So, yesterday, my Plants vs Zombies gingerbread house was featured on the Plants vs Zombies Facebook page. Which is awesome. They must have one heck of a following, because this poor little blog (my Wordpress blog, for those reading this from a cross-post) got nearly 12,000 hits in 24 hours--and promptly exceeded my Photobucket bandwidth. Three days into the billing cycle. Or, what would be the billing cycle, if I had a paid account. But I don't.
That's why you no longer see the images that are supposed to be in my Wordpress sidebar.
My options:
Live with no pics in the sidebar until Dec. 6, when my bandwidth allowance resets
Upgrade to a paid account
Use another photohost.
I hesitate to upgrade, because once the awesome PvZ traffic dies down, I'll have no need of the extra bandwidth. Alas. I'd be more than willing to pay for it if I were a huge bestseller and 10,000+ people a day were coming to view the awesome book covers on my sidebar. But that's not the case.
But I can't go another month with no images. Soul Screamers Volume One comes out in a couple of weeks, and it needs all the exposure it can get. All books do.
So, I guess I'm off to find another online photo host. I bet I can host the images on my own site and link to them from there... Hmmm...
Wish me luck!
So, yesterday, my Plants vs Zombies gingerbread house was featured on the Plants vs Zombies Facebook page. Which is awesome. They must have one heck of a following, because this poor little blog (my Wordpress blog, for those reading this from a cross-post) got nearly 12,000 hits in 24 hours--and promptly exceeded my Photobucket bandwidth. Three days into the billing cycle. Or, what would be the billing cycle, if I had a paid account. But I don't.
That's why you no longer see the images that are supposed to be in my Wordpress sidebar.
My options:
Live with no pics in the sidebar until Dec. 6, when my bandwidth allowance resets
Upgrade to a paid account
Use another photohost.
I hesitate to upgrade, because once the awesome PvZ traffic dies down, I'll have no need of the extra bandwidth. Alas. I'd be more than willing to pay for it if I were a huge bestseller and 10,000+ people a day were coming to view the awesome book covers on my sidebar. But that's not the case.
But I can't go another month with no images. Soul Screamers Volume One comes out in a couple of weeks, and it needs all the exposure it can get. All books do.
So, I guess I'm off to find another online photo host. I bet I can host the images on my own site and link to them from there... Hmmm...
Wish me luck!
