Rachel Vincent's Blog, page 15
August 23, 2011
It's here!
Today's the official Blood Bound release day!
Kind of.
If you live in the US or Canada and want a paperback copy, today is the release day.
If you live in the UK or want a US e-copy, you have to wait for September 1. I don't know why. Why is the sky blue? Why do fish swim? Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
Well, I actually know the answer to those first two. But I don't know about the release date discrepancies. Or the birds. Frankly, that Carpenter's song always reminds me of Hitchcock, which is just weird.
But back to the point...
If you live outside of the US, Canada, or the UK, you can order a copy from The Book Depository, because they're awesome! Although I believe there are some Australian book stores that are actually importing copies. (If you know of one, please leave me a message, and I'll link to the store.)
Want to win a signed copy of Blood Bound ? How about two of them (one for you, one for a friend!). Want them personalized? Here's how you can enter to win:
Post the official Blood Bound blurb, the cover, the video teaser (all three are found in this post), a link to some place the book can be legally purchased, and whatever else you'd like to say about the book or me as a writer (bonus points if you don't use words like hag, hack, or the phrase "blight upon the publishing industry"). Then fill out the form here, including a direct link to your post.
Yes, previous posts/reviews count, so long as they include all three required elements.
(Please do NOT paste in a general link to your blog. I just don't have the time to scroll through back entries when I'm verifying, and I do all this myself. So I really need a link to the actual post.)
Acceptable places to post: Your personal blog. Facebook note. Etc...
Unacceptable places to post: someone else's blog, FB page, author site, etc... Also, anywhere I can't go without joining. Facebook is the exception, because I have a Facebook account.
Deadline: September 1, 2011. Also known as "The Other Release Date."
The official blurb:
By blood, by word, by magic…
Most can't touch the power. But Liv Warren is special— a paranormal tracker who follows the scent of blood.
Liv makes her own rules, and the most important one is trust no one.
But when her friend's daughter goes missing, Liv has no choice but to find the girl. Thanks to a childhood oath, Liv can't rest until the child is home safe. But that means trusting Cam Caballero, the former lover forbidden to her.
Bound by oath and lost in desire for a man she cannot have, Liv is racing to save the child from a dark criminal underworld where secrets, lies, trauma and danger lurk around every corner…every touch…every kiss.
And more blood will be spilled before it's over…
The video teaser:
The UK cover:
August 22, 2011
August 16, 2011
No rest for the weary. Or the writer.
So, remember last week, when I was so excited because I’d finished Before I Wake super-early and would have time to relax and let it sit before starting the rewrites? I had plans to binge-read and promote Blood Bound in a leisurely fashion. (I’m pretty sure doing anything in a leisurely fashion means eating bon-bons and sitting around in a satin negligee. I was looking forward to trying it.) Well, plans change.
Yesterday I got a revision letter and a marked up manuscript for Shadow Bound. Why yes, I did just turn it in five weeks ago. My editor is crazy-fast. The letter looked long, and I was a little overwhelmed, so I have to admit I didn’t read the whole thing right away. I skimmed it, but didn’t find a due date for the revisions, so I emailed my editor to ask when she’d need the revisions. She responded with a huge list of internal (to the publisher) due dates.
My head exploded. There are still bits of gray matter clinging to my monitor.
It turns out that in order to get galleys (ARCs) printed for Shadow Bound and Before I Wake, both have to be revised (and possibly edited) very soon. Mid-September for SB, and Nov 1 for BIW. And the new Soul Screamers novella has to be edited by the end of September.
Yesterday was one of those days when I have to just take a deep breath and think about how grateful I am to be employed in such a rough economy, and how extra-fortunate I am to be doing what I love for a living. Because I’m not going to have much time to breathe this fall. Unfortunately, this is all following a summer during which I wrote two full-length novels and the new Soul Screamers novella (okay, technically I’m not done with that, but it’s almost there).
So…no break for Rachel.
But back to the good news. About an hour ago, I sat down to fully commit to the Shadow Bound revision letter, expecting the worse. And it’s not that bad! I knew the book was flawed when I turned it in, but I didn’t know how to fix it, so having some direction is actually a huge relief. The revision schedule is a tight one, but I think I can do it. And the reward?
Back-to-back releases next summer. You’ll be getting Shadow Bound in June and Before I Wake in July of 2012. Between now and then, there will be Blood Bound, If I Die, the Soul Screamers omnibus, and the third Soul Screamers novella. Guess I better go finish that last one. 
August 15, 2011
Some things you should know.
Yes, it’s a list! Because that’s the easiest format I could think of, and my brain is fried from writing two novels back to back, and now promoting two releases, back to back.
Blood Bound stuff:
Blood Bound comes out in eight days. Or in seventeen days. It depends on whether you count the August 23 shelf date or the Sept 1 release date as the real thing.Blood Bound is getting some really good reviews. I can’t explain this. I am sure this is a flawed book (my first venture into double POV) and I would do a million things differently if I could go back and do it all over again. But I can’t, so I can only hope that the characters and storytelling continue to win readers over in spite of the flaws I still see.I have no promotional plan for Blood Bound, mostly because I’m not sure how to promote this first book in a new series, because most people don’t yet know the characters or the world. But I will be having a spread-the-word contest soon. It involves you helping me spread the word, and me giving you prizes.If I Die stuff:
If I Die comes out in thirty-seven days. Or in forty-one days. It depends on whether you count the September 27th shelf dateor the October 1 release date as the real thing.If I Die is getting some really good reviews. I can’t explain this. A few months ago, at the RT convention in LA, I told a couple of friends that If I Die was the worst book I’ve ever written. I told my critique partner that I couldn’t open the manuscript in Word without feeling like I would lose my lunch. (I almost wrote the word ‘vomit,’ then decided that was a bit graphic for my blog.) My only explanation for this discrepancy between my own opinion and that of reviewers is that I am obviously not the best judge of the quality of my own work. But I have no doubt that other reviewers will soon come to my rescue with some bad reviews. The world of publishing has yet to fail me on that point.
If I Die is going on a blog tour sponsored by my publisher in September. The stops are already scheduled, the grand prize is planned, and I will be soon hard at work writing content for this blog tour. But that’s not all!If I Die is
also
going to be prominently featured here in my own blog space in the near future. In the weeks leading up to the official release, I will be hosting a series of character Q&As, one character per week. You (my loyal online followers) will have all week, beginning Monday, to ask each character your questions. I will pick several (how many depends on how many Qs come in) for that week’s character to answer on Friday. On that Friday, one winner will be drawn at random from the list of question-askers. That winner will receive a signed, personalized finished copy of If I Die as well as a character-specific quote t-shirt. So… Get your questions ready. The schedule looks like this:Week of Sept. 5: Emma
Week of Sept. 12: Tod
Week of Sept. 19: Sabine
Week of Sept. 26: Nash
Week of Oct. 3: Kaylee
Also, there’s one last thing you should know today. Last week, my publisher asked me to temporarily take down the PDF versions of “My Soul To Lose” and “Reaper” from my website, and I have complied. I must apologize, because I said they would always be free on my site, as I intended them as a gift to my readers. Rest assured, this is temporary, and my publisher has my best interests in mind. Here’s why:
The Soul Screamers omnibus comes out on November 22 and will include not only the first two Soul Screamers novels (MSTTake and MSTSave) but also, for the first time in print, “My Soul To Lose,” the online novella that launched both the Soul Screamers series and the entire Harlequin Teen line. I hope to have a cover to show off very soon. To encourage sales of this omnibus, we’ve taken “My Soul To Lose” down from my site. (I’m assuming they asked me to remove “Reaper” too because if the first omnibus does well enough, there could be a second, but don’t quote me on that. I have no official confirmation of that.)
*Warning, shameless self-promotion below*
If you’ll notice, the Nov. 11 release date means that the Soul Screamers omnibus would make a PERFECT gift for any teen who hasn’t yet discovered the series. Know one? Here’s where you can preorder this awesome holiday gift! (Picture me smiling convincingly.)
August 12, 2011
Winner!
Okay, all the names have been numbered and entered into a random number generator, and the winner of this week’s copy of Blood Bound is…
Kellie Donagan
Kellie, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping information, and I’ll put your prize in the mail!
That’s all I have for today. I’m trying to finish the new Soul Screamers novella, and it’s being a pain. I love the concept, though, so I’m pushing through. Wish me luck!
August 11, 2011
Four different perspectives
Today is August 11. Know what that means? Blood Bound will be out in twelve short days! Well, hopefully they’ll be short for you guys. They’ll be long and stress-filled for me. 
Honestly, I’m kind of at a loss for how to promote this release. It’s been a while since I’ve promoted the first book in a new series. Promoting a sequel feels like hitting the ground already running, but getting attention for a new series is like starting from a dead stand-still. Wearing ankle weights. Going uphill. With my feet glued to the ground.
But, reviews are starting to trickle in, so I thought I’d link to a few non-spoilery ones today, each from a slightly different perspective.
Tasnim’s review comes from the perspective of a reader who’s read ALL of my previous books.Melanie has read the Shifters series (I don’t think she’s a Soul Screamers reader) and she’s super-happy there’s no love triangle in Blood Bound.Amy has a review from the perspective of a reader who’s only read my YA books before. (It still amazes and thrills me that some people have actually found my writing through YA!)Kayleigh’s review comes from the perspective of someone who’s never read anything by me before, and again, I’m thrilled to be reaching new readers with this new series.Also, since I haven’t given anything away this week, I thought we’d do a quick Blood Bound giveaway. To enter to win a finished copy, leave me a comment in the corresponding Wordpress post telling me which category you fit into. The choices are:
I’ve read some or all of Rachel’s adult AND YAI’ve read some or all of Rachel’s adult booksI’ve read some or all of Rachel’s YA booksI’ve never read anything by Rachel beforeInternational entries are welcome where allowed by law. You must be 18 to enter. I’ll draw a winner at random tomorrow!
August 8, 2011
As promised!
Two things today. First, last night I finished the rough draft of BEFORE I WAKE!! I’m super thrilled, even though it took three days longer than I expected, because for the first time in more than a year, I finished way ahead of my deadline. BIW isn’t due until October 1, so I have seven weeks to rewrite, have it critiqued by Rinda Elliott, and polish it again before turning it in. Of course, part of that time will be spent finishing and polishing the new Soul Screamers novella, but there’s still plenty of time to let BIW “age” before jumping into the rewrites. And really that makes all the difference.
Now, for those who are interested, the numbers:
85,138 words (it’ll gain at least 10,000 in the rewrites, as I flesh stuff out)it took 4 weeks to the day to write17th completed novelwill be my 14 novel published (summer, 2012)Now for what you guys have actually been waiting for: last week’s prize winners!
Okay, the three winners of a Tod-quote t-shirt are:
Cyndi Jones
andi
Mel rob
And the winner of my last ARC of If I Die is:
evilqueen21
Winners, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) to claim your prizes. T-shirt winners, I will reply with your choices of Tod-quotes for your shirt and a list of the sizes available.
Now, Tod came very, very close to winning the semi-final round of the YA Crush Tourney, but since he didn’t win, I’m not going to post “A Day in the Afterlife of Tod.” Right now. But because he did get well over 5,000 votes and because you guys showed him SO much love, I will finish that piece and use it as one of my guest posts on the If I Die blog tour. So be on the lookout for that in September, if you’re interested.
And, of course, there will be at least one more chance to win a signed set of all five Soul Screamers books closer to the If I Die release date, after I get my finished copies. But for now, this blog will be turning to all things Blood Bound, in preparation for the release, in less than three weeks!
August 6, 2011
Still a triumph! (Now with contestant list)
Okay. So, Tod did not win the semi-final round of the YA Crush Tourney. Yet I still consider this a triumph. He got over 5,000 votes, and was up by 14 with 1 minute left in the poll. He lost in the very last minute by only 52 votes.
Congrats to Jeri Smith-Ready, and to Zach. We couldn’t have lost to a more worthy competitor, and Zach has my total support going into the finals!
Rachel Clarke was an AMAZING advocate for Tod, and the voters were awesome. You guys woke up parents, siblings, and children to borrow their computers. You went to the library and voted on all of those computers. You voted on your phones. You voted on your friends’ phones.
I am blown away. And I am so very grateful to all of you who participated. So thankful to have you all as readers and potential readers. And I'm so thrilled by how many of you spread the word. Even if Tod didn't win the poll, I've won new readers, and I can't tell you all how much that means to me!
And, of course, there are a bunch of prizes to give away.
Yesterday did not go like I wanted it to (not talking about the tourney now) and I didn’t get to finish BEFORE I WAKE or see Planet of the Apes. Number 1 is dragging me to a matinée this morning, but when I get back, I’ll compile a list of all of Tod’s commenters, and that list will stay up for a while. Check it. If you commented or tried to comment and your name isn’t there, let me know in the comments of my wordpress blog, and I’ll add you to the list. The winners will be drawn from the final list tomorrow.
Again, thanks SO much! And Tod thanks you too. 
Okay, here’s the list of commenters from the Tourney post. If you voted for Tod and commented (or tried to comment) and your name isn’t listed here, leave me a comment in the Wordpress post with the name you want listed, and I’ll add you to the list.
The list:
Chrissy
Jess (The Cozy Reader)
khn21
Mel rob
Melody
Jennifer L. Armentrout
amabe421
Victoria
Alaiel Kreuz
Aimee
P.E.
Starr
soulfulll
fadedfragment88
JLynn
evilqueen21
crystalc13
Kelley Vitollo
Kt
WulfLuva
sara.suzana
Melanie
MoniPink83
Daisy
Tatiana_Jade
Amber Griffiths
Naomi
Jeracalea
Miss Jessica
Digital Diva
xsweeteternityx
Cayleigh
Midnight Bloom
andi
Lothfleur
brookea_2006
Just_Me37
Kristina
Lucinda 
Amanda
Ana Lucia
Ifrah Kamil
Rebecca
Dina
Liz L.
Laura_darkelvengirl
Tammi
August 5, 2011
Guess what today is? (Edit x3)
Also, today's the day I finish the final showdown in BEFORE I WAKE. The wordcount has slowed significantly, because of all the verbal and physical choreography required in these last moments of the book. But I am determined to finish that scene today, so that tomorrow, there's only the final, wrap-it-up chapter.
Then I finish the new Soul Screamers story, which will be available for free later this year.
And...(you knew it was coming) today Tod's up against Jeri Smith-Ready's Zachary in the semi-final round of the YA Crush Tourney. Is this just for fun? Yes. And it's been a blast so far. Is Jeri a friend? Yes. Will I be happy no matter who wins this round? Yes. I never expected Tod to get this far anyway. I mean, I love him, but I honestly never expect anyone else to love my characters the way I do, so this has been a total surprise.
Jeri, however, is a formidable opponent, with a massive online army fighting for Zach. She's offered amazing incentives, which, frankly, I can't match. As much as I'd love to write a story from Tod's perspective to thank all of you who vote for him, I have contracted deadlines which claim most of my time. However, there is already a Tod story, which you can (and will always be able to) read for free here.
Don't know who Tod is? (No worries. Everyone has to start somewhere.) Not sure you want to vote for him over Zachary? Here's where you can meet him if you don't have time to read the entire Soul Screamers series today. Your welcome. ;)
"Reaper" the online-only Tod novella. It's free in PDF here.Everyone Dances with the Reaper - Rachel Clarke's (@fiktshun) top ten list of non-spoilery Tod quotes*NEW* Rachel Clarke's interview with Tod - a thank you for all those who voted for Tod in the last round. Rachel sent awesome, non-spoilery questions, and Tod had fun answering them.
Incentives cheat-sheet:
500 votes - I'll post the apricot jam teaser750 votes - I'll give away three Tod t-shirts, with winners' choice of one Tod quote printed on it (I'll have to post the design later. #1 is at work.)1000 votes - I will drop dead of shock. Also, I'll give away my very last ARC of If I Die to one Tod voter who leaves a comment on the YA Crush Tourney voting post.
And, because #1 is so awesome, last night he designed this super-cute "Vote For Tod" button.
The apricot jam reference is a sort-of inside joke for those who've already read If I Die. (As noted, I will release the non-spoilery excerpt that explains the jam reference, if/when Tod gets to 500 votes.) If you like the button, steal it, use it, spread it around like apricot jam.
And here's a word-free one, in case anyone wants a new avatar. ;)
Edit 3 (Yes, still backward): Okay, Tod has far surpassed the 1000 vote mark. He actually has 1,800+ votes. (Yes, I’m completely blown over!) So I will be drawing one winner to revceive my last ARC of If I Die tomorrow. Don’t worry if you had trouble leaving a comment in the tourney post. I’ll post all the names here before I draw, and if yours is missing, let me know, and I’ll add it.
But, Jeri and Zach are hot on Tod’s heels. So, the next incentive… Um…If Tod is the first to reach 2,200 votes I will print, sign, and annotate a copy of the thus-far online-only “Reaper” story. This will be a one-of-a-kind. To enter, vote for Tod and leave a comment tell me you voted for Tod in the tourney post.
Edit 2 (I know, it's backward): Tod has passed the 750 vote mark! That means that tomorrow I will draw three names (of Tod-voters) from the comment section of the tourney post and they will receive a Tod t-shirt with their choice of quotes. I'll provide a suggested list of quotes, but it is winners' choice. And don't worry if you had trouble commenting. Keep trying, and if it doesn't go through, I'll add you manually. The final list of commenters will be posted here to make sure it's complete before I draw.
Edit: Tod has passed the 500 vote mark! Here's your first incentive--the apricot jam teaser! (Spoiler free and calorie free. But it is a teaser.)
“Kaylee?” Tod answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated on my way to the kitchen with Alec’s empty soda can. “How do you know something’s wrong?”
“You only call me when you want something Nash can’t do for you.”
My face flamed, and I was suddenly glad he couldn’t see me. That I knew of. “That is not true.” Was it?
“Oh yeah?” he teased, and I could hear the challenge in his voice. “So…you don’t need anything?”
A smile snuck up on me, in spite of his valid point and the grave reason for my call. “As a matter of fact, I was going to offer you something.”
For one long moment, the only sound over the line was the soft whisper of his next inhalation, then his voice sounded a little scratchier than usual. “What did you have in mind?”
“A field trip. You interested in doing something dangerous, and possibly illegal?”
“Does it involve underage girls, broken curfews, and assorted fruit toppings?”
I dropped the empty can into the recycling bin and leaned against the kitchen peninsula, grinning like an idiot. “Two of the three. And I could probably scrounge up some strawberry jam, if you’re desperate.”
“I’m never desperate,” Tod said, only his voice hadn’t come from my phone. I whirled around to see the reaper standing behind me, still holding his cell. “But for the record, I prefer apricot.”
“Yuck. Nobody likes apricot jam.”
Tod shrugged and pocketed his phone. “Sure, strawberry is the more obvious choice, but I submit that apricot has a more complex, unusual flavor, with just enough tang to keep things interesting…” His raised one brow, grinning more with his eyes than with his mouth, and I had the sudden inexplicable urge to look away, before I saw too much. Then Tod blinked, and whatever I’d almost seen was gone. “So…what illegal adventure will I be aiding and abetting today?”
Guess what today is? (Edit w/teaser + t-shirts)
Also, today's the day I finish the final showdown in BEFORE I WAKE. The wordcount has slowed significantly, because of all the verbal and physical choreography required in these last moments of the book. But I am determined to finish that scene today, so that tomorrow, there's only the final, wrap-it-up chapter.
Then I finish the new Soul Screamers story, which will be available for free later this year.
And...(you knew it was coming) today Tod's up against Jeri Smith-Ready's Zachary in the semi-final round of the YA Crush Tourney. Is this just for fun? Yes. And it's been a blast so far. Is Jeri a friend? Yes. Will I be happy no matter who wins this round? Yes. I never expected Tod to get this far anyway. I mean, I love him, but I honestly never expect anyone else to love my characters the way I do, so this has been a total surprise.
Jeri, however, is a formidable opponent, with a massive online army fighting for Zach. She's offered amazing incentives, which, frankly, I can't match. As much as I'd love to write a story from Tod's perspective to thank all of you who vote for him, I have contracted deadlines which claim most of my time. However, there is already a Tod story, which you can (and will always be able to) read for free here.
Don't know who Tod is? (No worries. Everyone has to start somewhere.) Not sure you want to vote for him over Zachary? Here's where you can meet him if you don't have time to read the entire Soul Screamers series today. Your welcome. ;)
"Reaper" the online-only Tod novella. It's free in PDF here. Everyone Dances with the Reaper - Rachel Clarke's (@fiktshun) top ten list of non-spoilery Tod quotes *NEW* Rachel Clarke's interview with Tod - a thank you for all those who voted for Tod in the last round. Rachel sent awesome, non-spoilery questions, and Tod had fun answering them.
Incentives cheat-sheet:
500 votes - I'll post the apricot jam teaser 750 votes - I'll give away three Tod t-shirts, with winners' choice of one Tod quote printed on it (I'll have to post the design later. #1 is at work.) 1000 votes - I will drop dead of shock. Also, I'll give away my very last ARC of If I Die to one Tod voter who leaves a comment on the YA Crush Tourney voting post.
And, because #1 is so awesome, last night he designed this super-cute "Vote For Tod" button.
The apricot jam reference is a sort-of inside joke for those who've already read If I Die. (As noted, I will release the non-spoilery excerpt that explains the jam reference, if/when Tod gets to 500 votes.) If you like the button, steal it, use it, spread it around like apricot jam.
And here's a word-free one, in case anyone wants a new avatar. ;)
Edit 2 (I know, it's backward): Tod has passed the 750 vote mark! That means that tomorrow I will draw three names (of Tod-voters) from the comment section of the tourney post and they will receive a Tod t-shirt with their choice of quotes. I'll provide a suggested list of quotes, but it is winners' choice. And don't worry if you had trouble commenting. Keep trying, and if it doesn't go through, I'll add you manually. The final list of commenters will be posted here to make sure it's complete before I draw.
Edit: Tod has passed the 500 vote mark! Here's your first incentive--the apricot jam teaser! (Spoiler free and calorie free. But it is a teaser.)
“Kaylee?” Tod answered on the first ring. “What’s wrong?”
I hesitated on my way to the kitchen with Alec’s empty soda can. “How do you know something’s wrong?”
“You only call me when you want something Nash can’t do for you.”
My face flamed, and I was suddenly glad he couldn’t see me. That I knew of. “That is not true.” Was it?
“Oh yeah?” he teased, and I could hear the challenge in his voice. “So…you don’t need anything?”
A smile snuck up on me, in spite of his valid point and the grave reason for my call. “As a matter of fact, I was going to offer you something.”
For one long moment, the only sound over the line was the soft whisper of his next inhalation, then his voice sounded a little scratchier than usual. “What did you have in mind?”
“A field trip. You interested in doing something dangerous, and possibly illegal?”
“Does it involve underage girls, broken curfews, and assorted fruit toppings?”
I dropped the empty can into the recycling bin and leaned against the kitchen peninsula, grinning like an idiot. “Two of the three. And I could probably scrounge up some strawberry jam, if you’re desperate.”
“I’m never desperate,” Tod said, only his voice hadn’t come from my phone. I whirled around to see the reaper standing behind me, still holding his cell. “But for the record, I prefer apricot.”
“Yuck. Nobody likes apricot jam.”
Tod shrugged and pocketed his phone. “Sure, strawberry is the more obvious choice, but I submit that apricot has a more complex, unusual flavor, with just enough tang to keep things interesting…” His raised one brow, grinning more with his eyes than with his mouth, and I had the sudden inexplicable urge to look away, before I saw too much. Then Tod blinked, and whatever I’d almost seen was gone. “So…what illegal adventure will I be aiding and abetting today?”
