Rachel Vincent's Blog, page 16
August 4, 2011
Almost...there...
I feel like I spend half my time on this blog apologizing for not blogging, so I’m not gonna do that this time. But I will tell you what I’ve been up to. Ready?
WORK.
Seriously. Not laundry. Not cooking (especially not after that disaster of a pot roast). Not watching TV (except for SYTYCD, on DVR, minus commercials and certain annoying bits of the judges’ commentary). Just work. I’m SO close to finishing BEFORE I WAKE. In fact, I’m at the final showdown, RIGHT NOW. Well, the semi-final showdown. It’s kind of a two-part showdown, between Kaylee and the forces of evil. There are many forces of evil in her world, and she hates them all equally.
76,776 / 90,000(85.31%)
Right now, the manuscript is peppered with comments from myself. Helpful things like, “This sucks. Make it better.” And, “Did you forget about that THING she was supposed to do with that THING?” And, “What is she, cardboard? What is Kaylee FEELING right now?” In the second draft, I will come up with brilliant ways to fix the problems these comments point out. Or I will die trying. Or, more likely, I will come up with mediocre ways to fix the problems these comments point out, then my editor will see these problems and politely suggest that I now get serious and fix them for real.
Hey, if the system works, why mess with it? 
In other news, tomorrow, Tod is up against Jeri Smith-Ready’s Zachary in the semi-finals of the YA Crush Tourney. Now, when this started, I thought it was a cute little internet tournament. A YA popularity contest, which brought all the horrors of highschool* back to haunt me. (I will NEVER be elected homecoming queen!)
But, I have been won over by the YA Crush Tourney, thanks in no small part to the awesome Rachel Clarke (@fiktshun on twitter) who has been championing Tod for several weeks now, and to you, the awesome voters, who keep pulling Tod through to the next round. But the best part? You wouldn’t believe how many people have said that they discovered the Soul Screamers series through this tournament.
That’s right! New readers! This is the internet at its best!
So, that said, I’m both a little nervous and a little excited about tomorrow’s match up, because Jeri Smith-Ready has been a friend of mine for several years (she was among the first of my fellow authors I ever met), so I kind of feel like tomorrow is a win-win. If she and Zach win, I’ll be happy, because I like her. If Tod and I (and @fiktshun) win, I’ll be happy, because I like us too.
Also, I haven’t forgotten that I owe you all a Tod-cookie for voting for him last time. As soon as Facebook stops eating all my updates, I’ll post a real live poll there and let you pick your reward (as a group).
*Highschool wasn’t actually horrific for me. There, now you know my shame. I had good friends, my fellow band geeks, and good grades. But I never ran for homecoming queen.
August 2, 2011
All things BLOOD BOUND
Check in tomorrow for this week’s giveaway, but for today, since I’m in finish-the-book mode (for BEFORE I WAKE), I’m going to leave you with the first chapter of Blood Bound.
And a few pre-order links. Barnes And Noble. Books-A-Million. IndieBound. Amazon. Amazon.co.uk
And a couple of covers.
US/Canadian cover
UK cover
And the video teaser.
Stare. Read. Share. Enjoy.
(Also, maybe consider pre-ordering. You know. If that’s your kind of thing.
)July 29, 2011
Readers' (voters') choice!
First, a couple of reminders:
Today’s the last day to enter the Double ARC giveaway, where you can win an ARC of If I Die and/or an ARC of Spellbound. Cara and I will be announcing and notifying the winners on Sunday.
***
Also today, Tod is up against Michael (from Hourglass) in round 3 of the YA Crush Tourney, and the odds are not in his favor. He’s had a great run, and I’m especially impressed considering that he’s been up against primary (or secondary?) love interests from other books, whereas in the first couple of Soul Screamers books, Tod is a secondary character. True, he kind of took on a life of his own in that third book (My Soul To Keep) and has become a major page-hog ever since, but for those just starting the series, he’s still a minor character who hasn’t had much of a chance to shine. (And if you ask him, he’ll insist that he isn’t the least bit shiny.) So I’ll understand if this is as far as he goes.
That said, I’d love to offer incentive for people to vote for him/reward if he wins. But I don’t know what to offer. What would you guys like from Tod, if he should win? Another Q&A? A scene written (or re-written) from his POV? Soul Screamers Q&A (or video interview) with me? If I get several good suggestions, I’ll start a poll and let you choose your own incentives. 
Also, Rachel (@fiktshun on Twitter) did an awesome post with her top ten (non-spoiler) Tod quotes. Most of them are from “Reaper,” the Tod-novella, which is free in PDF format here.
***
And…Harlequin Teen and Kismet Blog Tours are going to be launching a blog tour for If I Die, and sign ups are now open for those who would like to host a stop. Note: I am not running the tour. I’m very grateful to both HQTeen and Kismet for taking this on, and I’m super-excited to be contributing content for the tour, but I didn’t design the tour and I’m not selecting the participants. But I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun, and there will be prize(s)!
***
Progress stalled out on Before I Wake last night around 4,000 words when I hit a realization that something wasn’t working. I think I’ve worked that out and I hope to have a productive day today. But it may be a short one, because tonight I’m going to see Cowboys and Aliens! I’m so excited (I love movies!) and am willing to work late to make up for the work time lost. I just hope the movie’s as good as the trailers make it look. Here’s how the manuscript looks:
62,500 / 90,000(69.44%)
I’ll report back about the movie later.
July 27, 2011
Did you win?
I just emailed all the Blood Bound ARC winners, so if you entered the giveaway yesterday (or this morning) check your email. I didn’t think this would me much of a draw, considering that I now have shiny finished copies, but there was a pretty good (and fast!) response.
The incidental stats always amuse me, so thanks to those who answered the optional question. Which was everyone. According to the stats, 9% of the entries came from 16 & 17 yr olds who had a parent or guardian’s permission to enter, and 3% of the entries came from people who’ve never heard of me or my books before. And there were 40+ entries from people who read my blog or follow me on Twitter, but have never read any of my books. I find that fascinating. I’m not sure why anyone who doesn’t read my books would want to read my blog, but all are welcome here. Except for mean people. 
There will be more giveaways leading up to the release, so don’t worry if you didn’t win this one. And to those who did win, you’re not obligated to do anything in return for your prize, but if you do choose to review it, I would greatly appreciate a spoiler-free review. I know it’s tempting to summarize the whole (or most) of the book, but try to keep in mind the fact that “review” and “summary” are not synonyms. I get irritated email from readers who accidentally stumble upon spoilers (which I can’t prevent) and Blood Bound has a twisty-turny plot, which makes its reviews extra-susceptible to spoilers.
Also, if you haven’t seen it yet, there’s still the Double ARC Giveaway going on here.
And…I saw cover concepts for Shadow Bound today! There’s one I really like, and I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll be the one picked. For those who don’t know, a cover concept is a mockup of potential cover art. Today, three of them are being shown off at the Mira offices, so everyone can decide which direction to go. I definitely have a favorite.
If anyone from Mira is reading this… *cough* #3 *cough*
That was totally subliminal, right?
In other news, I logged another 5,100 words on BEFORE I WAKE yesterday, and I’m really thrilled with the progress.
55,328 / 90,000(61.48%)
If this rate of production continues (and I doubt it will) I will be able to finish the entire rough draft in under four weeks. But it’s only flowing this quickly because it’s the sixth book in the series, and I know both the world and the characters very well. Also, I started with a very detailed synopsis, so I know what needs to be written before I sit down to work each day.
But that doesn’t mean there are no surprises. There have already been several variations from my synopsis, and that’s always exciting!
Today I’m getting a very late start, though, so I’ll be happy to hit 3,000 words. Still, that’s progress, right?
July 26, 2011
Everything must go!
Since my author copies of Blood Bound came in yesterday (yay!) I need to go ahead and give away the rest of my ARCs. Quickly. The easiest way to do that seems to be a random drawing. So, if you want one, fill out this form. The winners will be drawn and notified tomorrow.
Normally my giveaways are open to international entries, but because I’ve already spent well over $100 US dollars sending out Blood Bound ARCs and I’m not asking for reviews from this giveaway, I’m going to limit this one to US/Canadian residents, for the sake of my own pocketbook. I apologize to my international readers. However, if you live overseas but know someone in the US/Canada who will ship the book to you, feel free to enter and give me your friend/family member’s address if you win. But please verify this with your local connection first. 
Also, I and several of the other Chicks Kick Butt authors will be doing a livechat here tonight at 7 central. Come join us!
July 25, 2011
Double ARC giveaway!
If you’ve been paying attention, you know that this week’s giveaway carries a double-chance to win. Fellow Harlequin Teen author Cara Lynn Shultz and I are teaming up for a double giveaway. Up for grabs? Here, you can win an ARC of Cara’s debut novel, Spellbound, which came out this month. Since the book’s already out, this ARC is something special! An ARC is an Advance Review Copy, printed in advance of the release, uncorrected, so that reviewers will have time to read and review the book around the release date. Few ARCs are printed, which means this is a bit of a limited edition. Also, it’s signed!
On Cara’s blog, you can win an ARC of If I Die, the fifth Soul Screamers book, which doesn’t come out until October. The If I Die ARC is also signed, and since I’ll be shipping it myself, I can personalize it however you’d like.
The catch? There’s a trivia question, so go ahead and rev up your search engines.
To enter to win a signed ARC of Cara Lynn Shultz’s Spellbound, fill out this form. Also, please read the details at the top of the form. They’re simple, but important.
To enter to win a signed, personalized ARC of If I Die, head on over to Cara’s blog.
Also, you can enter both giveaways, to double your chance of winning! Go ahead. You know you want to. 
***
In other news, I officially hit the half-way point in BEFORE I WAKE yesterday and am hoping for another 5,000 words today. Wish me luck!
45,156 / 90,000(50.17%)
July 22, 2011
You ask; Tod answers!
Also, thanks to everyone who sent in a question for Tod yesterday! He got 91 questions, but many were variations of the same two or three questions. You guys have a one-track mind!
I wouldn’t let him answer anything spoilery or anything that will be answered in future Soul Screamers releases, and from the remaining Qs, I chose several cute ones and a couple of serious ones. Tod answered them yesterday on the Soul Screamers Facebook page, but here they are again, in case you missed them.
Addison: Why do you always turn up when Nash and Kaylee are making out?
Tod: I think the real question here is why are they always making out when I show up?Mimi: When you first saw Kaylee with Nash, did you recognize her as the bean sidhe girl from the hospital who was thrashing in her restraints?
Tod: No, it took me a while to make the connection. I’m not perfect—on the inside, anyway.Fan: Do you care enough about Kaylee that you would hurt your brother and try to win her over or would you rather let her be with Nash even if you do like her?
Tod: I would never intentionally hurt Nash. Even if I wanted to, there’s no need. He hurts himself enough for both of us.Rachel: I know you must love your brother but do you like Nash as a person?
Tod: I know Nash isn’t perfect—not everyone can be a witty, charismatic reaper with a heart of gold—but yes, on occasion, I actually like him. He’s dedicated and determined. He’s stronger than he realizes and he’s worth more than the value he places on his own life. He would never let anyone hurt the people he loves, and he would never intentionally hurt them himself. The rest will come with time.Suzanne: Can two reapers have a relationship together?
Tod: I don’t understand the question. I’m the only reaper worth being with, and there’s only one of me. That math doesn’t make sense.Ann: What’s the funniest prank you’ve ever attempted or pulled off?
Tod: Last week I REALLY wanted to start opening and closing the drawers in the morgue and moving the bodies around like puppets, but Kaylee said that showed an ironic lack of respect for the dead. Also, she said I’d scare the employees to death. THAT’S what I call irony.Annie: Did you know that Kaylee described you as angelic, what can you say about that?
Tod: Ha! I’m pretty sure she’s already regretting that.
July 21, 2011
If I could just do it right the first time...
I am not a one-draft writer. I’ve read about a bunch of one-draft writers, and I even personally know a couple, and I’ve always been jealous of them. One-draft writers finish the first draft of a book, then immediately turn it in. Sounds nice, huh? No weeks spent rewriting the rough draft. No passing it back and forth to your CP, who tells you exactly where and how badly it sucks. But that’s more fantasy than reality.
The truth is that most one-draft writers edit as they write, so that by the time they finish that first draft, most of the book has already been reread and edited at least once, and possibly several times. Still, sounds pretty good, right? And I’ve been told a couple of times that maybe I could be this one-draft writer, if I would slow down my rough drafts and edit as I go. But that doesn’t work for me, and here’s why…
Reason the first: If I spend more than one day drafting a single chapter (or scene), I lose perspective on the pacing. It starts to feel like it’s dragging, whether or not it is. To maintain momentum and perspective, I have to write that first draft as quickly as I can, while the words are flowing. Stopping to edit kills the flow, and the words stop coming of their own volition. Which means I have to drag them out one at a time, which makes me hate the words, and the words hate me.
That does not make for a happy time.
Reason the second: Most of my detail work comes in the second and third drafts. This is because in subsequent drafts, I already know the story, so I’m not rushing to get it on the page, and there’s finally enough time and energy for me to concentrate on the emotion and the setting. Not to mention the snappy dialogue.
That’s right. Most of the visceral emotion (the parts people tell me made them cry, or scream, or hug the book) isn’t layered in until the second draft, or later. Same for most of the funny bits. Ethan and Jace’s banter. Tod’s quips. Most of those aren’t in the rough draft. (The exception is Sabine, whose dialogue is harder to stop than it is to start.) Which is why I get nervous when my editor asks me to send in a few early chapters for the copy writer (or any of the zillion other people who need to get a feel for the voice and tone of the book). Those early chapters don’t reflect the final, polished version. Or even the unedited version I’ll turn in to my editor, on the due date, because I need the perspective that comes from having written the entire story in order to fine-tune the tone and dialogue.
What does this mean, in practical terms? It means that I have to finish each book at least a week or two before the deadline, in order to have time to rewrite and fine-tune. No up-to-the-minute drafting for Rachel.
***
In other news, it took me forever, but I finally found another non-spoilery Tod teaser. Seriously, he has a lot of good dialogue (IMO) in If I Die, but most of it is very spoilerific. So, here’s what I found:
“You call that a rescue?”
Tod frowned. “You don’t?”“That aide was about to haul me out of the room!” I pulled Lydia’s robe off in several angry movements, surprised to see that my hands were still shaking from the close call.
“It’s more fun when you’re almost caught.”
“That’s not almost. I was caught.” As evidenced by the remnants of panicked adrenaline still burning in my veins.
“Well, now you’re un-caught. And for the record, you’re the second chick I’ve snatched from the jaws of the mental health industry tonight.” His eyes shined in the dying light, and I couldn’t resist a small smile. Yes, I’d been caught and nearly suffered a fatal aneurysm from the shock—several days early, by my count—but it was over now, and I’d gotten what I needed.
“So, you what? Just blinked us both out of there? So that aide saw us disappear?”
Tod’s brows rose. “What kind of amateur do you think I am? He only saw you disappear. He never saw me at all.”
Also, you guys sent in a bunch of questions for Tod yesterday, and he’ll be answering a few of them on the Soul Screamers Facebook page later today. After that, I’ll compile them here and for the extras page of my website. Some of the questions are hilarious. One lady proposed marriage to Tod via the Q&A form, and another asked for his phone number. The most common questions by far were one variation or another of “Are you in love with Kaylee?” and “Why do you always show up when Nash and Kaylee least want to be bothered?”
Thanks so much to everyone who voted for Tod in the Crushathon (for some reason, I keep typing “crust” instead of “crush”) and who submitted a question for him to answer!
July 20, 2011
Got a question for Tod?
Well, progress on BEFORE I WAKE stalled during my two days off, but I did have a wonderful time with Number 1 and I feel rested. However, now I’m playing catchup on wordcount, email, and shipping. If I owe you a book, it’ll go out today, I swear.
In other news, Tod has prevailed in a narrow victory over Archer (a worthy foe, for sure) in his second round in the YA Crush Tourney. Tod is perplexed by the entire concept (How can you vote for him when you can’t even see him?) but is flattered and grateful for your support. And flattered-Tod is also kind-of-agreeable-Tod, so he’s agreed to answer a few questions in return for such an enthusiastic show of support. (Which is good, because I made a Twitter promise that if he won, he’d do a Q&A).
To participate in the Q&A, submit your question using this form. I will pick several for Tod to answer one at a time on the Soul Screamers Facebook page, after which they will be compiled into a post here and on the extras page of my website, with appropriate spoiler warnings.
Note: Questions left for Tod in the comments here will be deleted, in case of unapproved spoilers.
The promised Tod-centric teaser will be posted as soon as I get a chance to choose one. If you’ve read If I Die and would like to suggest a teaser, you may leave a page number and lines (ex: pg 44, lns 15-33) in the comments of my wordpress blog. Page and line numbers ONLY. Do NOT leave any hints or spoilers.
Okay, have a question or a teaser suggestion? Bring ‘em on!
July 18, 2011
Who doesn't love an underdog?
Sandy, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with your shipping information, and I’ll put your prize in the mail.
Everyone else…stay tuned! I still have one ARC of If I Die to giveaway, and we’ll do some complete series giveaways once I have my author’s copies.
***
Today, Tod is up against Archer from Hex Hall in the YA Crush Tourney. He’s a long shot again (gotta love those underdogs!), so if he wins, I will post another non-spoilery Tod teaser. And this time, I’ll be taking suggestions for that teaser from those who’ve already read an ARC of If I Die. So if you’ve read it and want to help pick the teaser, go be a champion for Tod. He’ll make it worth your while.
***
I worked hard on BEFORE I WAKE all weekend and managed to write nearly a third of the book the week I started it, which I’m very pleased about. But number 1 has today and tomorrow off and he’d like me to slow down and spend some time with him (Yay!) so I’ll be working half days the next couple of days.Here’s where the book stands now:
28,844 / 90,000
(32.05%)
