Tara Hudson's Blog, page 3
May 19, 2011
May 15, 2011
Three Weeks Until Publication = Three Good Things
On Tuesday, there will be only three more weeks until HEREAFTER'S U.S. launch. (Notice a pattern in my posts? Not like I'm counting down or anything.) Since three is the Magic Number (no one start singing "Conjunction Junction"), I've thought of three things that are almost as awesome:
1. My U.K./Australia/New Zealand Cover (available on July 7th)
The front cover is identical to the U.S. cover, but the back of the jacket and spine differ slightly. No whirlpool on the back, and check out the ripple effect on the spine. Nice, right?
2. The HEREAFTER playlist is up on my website and unlike a lot of other playlists, this one actually works! But just in cases, here's the line-up for your at-home listening pleasure.
Bixby Canyon Bridge – Death Cab for Cutie
Semi-Automatic – The Boxer Rebellion
Ghost – Blue Foundation
A Strange Education – The Cinematics
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
Wide Eyes – Local Natives
Too Afraid to Lose You – The Black Keys
Milk – Kings of Leon
Caught by the Light – The Boxer Rebellion
Blinding – Florence + the Machine
Memory Serves – Interpol
The Orchard – Sea Wolf
BONUS: If I Die Young – The Band Perry
Bonus points to anyone who can figure out which song represents which scene/character!
3. Best of all: my blog tour with the Teen Book Scene starts tomorrow! Top Ten Lists, Character Interviews, the works! I'm so excited!!!
1. My U.K./Australia/New Zealand Cover (available on July 7th)
The front cover is identical to the U.S. cover, but the back of the jacket and spine differ slightly. No whirlpool on the back, and check out the ripple effect on the spine. Nice, right?
2. The HEREAFTER playlist is up on my website and unlike a lot of other playlists, this one actually works! But just in cases, here's the line-up for your at-home listening pleasure.
Bixby Canyon Bridge – Death Cab for Cutie
Semi-Automatic – The Boxer Rebellion
Ghost – Blue Foundation
A Strange Education – The Cinematics
Sweet Disposition – The Temper Trap
Wide Eyes – Local Natives
Too Afraid to Lose You – The Black Keys
Milk – Kings of Leon
Caught by the Light – The Boxer Rebellion
Blinding – Florence + the Machine
Memory Serves – Interpol
The Orchard – Sea Wolf
BONUS: If I Die Young – The Band Perry
Bonus points to anyone who can figure out which song represents which scene/character!
3. Best of all: my blog tour with the Teen Book Scene starts tomorrow! Top Ten Lists, Character Interviews, the works! I'm so excited!!!
May 10, 2011
Four Weeks! FOUR!
Is it really possible that only four weeks stand between me and the U.S. release date of HEREAFTER? The day when I see my first novel sitting on bookstore shelves, the day my lifelong dream comes true?
It's humbling. It's exciting. It's scary as hell.
Mostly, it's going to allow me to meet some unbelievably cool people, i.e. all of you. Below are the dates and locations of my signings for the month of June. I really, really hope each of you can make it to one to see me. If not, let me know, and I promise that when I plan future tours this year, I will try my best to come see you.
Because one the best parts of this crazy journey is meeting you.
June 7, 2011: Anderson's Bookshops, Naperville, Illinois, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 8, 2011: Clackamas Town Center Barnes & Noble, Portland, Oregon, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 9, 2011: Book People, Austin, Texas, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 11, 2011: Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City, OK, 3 pm - 6 pm
It's humbling. It's exciting. It's scary as hell.
Mostly, it's going to allow me to meet some unbelievably cool people, i.e. all of you. Below are the dates and locations of my signings for the month of June. I really, really hope each of you can make it to one to see me. If not, let me know, and I promise that when I plan future tours this year, I will try my best to come see you.
Because one the best parts of this crazy journey is meeting you.
June 7, 2011: Anderson's Bookshops, Naperville, Illinois, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 8, 2011: Clackamas Town Center Barnes & Noble, Portland, Oregon, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 9, 2011: Book People, Austin, Texas, 7 pm - 10 pm
June 11, 2011: Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City, OK, 3 pm - 6 pm
May 2, 2011
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous
I have to share this NOW, because it is so beautiful, I'm kind of freaking out! HEREAFTER will be released in Germany on August 29th, 2011, by Heyne Verlag (an imprint of Random House). The German title is "Wenn Du Mich Siehst," which translates as "When You See Me." Love the title, and absolutely love this cover:
Man, the country of my ancestors knows how to treat HEREAFTER right!
Man, the country of my ancestors knows how to treat HEREAFTER right!
April 25, 2011
It's the Little Things...
There are certain things and places that make me inexplicably happy.
If you're anything like me, then
If you're anything like me, then
April 15, 2011
Bridges of DOOM
I have to say, you folks know how to identify your spooky architecture. Makes you much more likely to survive an encounter with a murderous ghost, who may or may not be named Eli.
The winner of the Creepiest Bridge Photo Contest is...
Natasha Parker!
Her crazy-spooky bridge in Scotland actually seems to cause - wait for it - dog suicide. How bizarre and just plain wrong is that?
Natasha's keen eye for the weird has earned her a signed ARC of Hereafter . But I have to give an honorable mention to Danah, @Peppermint1013, for this gut-wrenching view:
So Danah gets a signed ARC, too! Natasha and Danah - please send your addresses to tara@tarahudson.com, so I can get those shipped to you.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated - I wish I had enough ARC's for everyone. I'm just glad you all have such eerie bridges of your own, to tide you over until June 7, 2011!
The winner of the Creepiest Bridge Photo Contest is...
Natasha Parker!
Her crazy-spooky bridge in Scotland actually seems to cause - wait for it - dog suicide. How bizarre and just plain wrong is that?
Natasha's keen eye for the weird has earned her a signed ARC of Hereafter . But I have to give an honorable mention to Danah, @Peppermint1013, for this gut-wrenching view:
So Danah gets a signed ARC, too! Natasha and Danah - please send your addresses to tara@tarahudson.com, so I can get those shipped to you.
Thank you so much to everyone who participated - I wish I had enough ARC's for everyone. I'm just glad you all have such eerie bridges of your own, to tide you over until June 7, 2011!
April 7, 2011
NEWS!
You have all waited patiently...some more patiently than others.
My favorite part of this whole, I-have-news game has been fielding the predictions that you have offered: from pending pregnancies (shame on ya'll, by the way - you know I have a sleep-vampire five month old), to pending missions to space (that was only one person, though, and I still don't know if they were joking).
But none of you guessed it, which is great considering how AWESOME this news is. So, to torture you no longer, I officially announce that the second book in the HEREAFTER trilogy will officially be named:
ARISE
How much do love that title? Isn't it perfect? Isn't it spoilery and tantalizing? Doesn't it make you want to know what's going to happen next?
Even better, I'm revealing it on April 7th, exactly two months before HEREAFTER officially releases in the United States. To celebrate my crazy-perfect second title and the fact that we're only two months away from HEREAFTER-day, I'm having another signed ARC giveaway contest!
HEREAFTER centers around a seriously creepy, mysterious bridge in southeastern Oklahoma. To enter this contest, Tweet or post on HEREAFTER's Facebook page a picture of the creepiest bridge you've ever seen.
For example:
Spooky, right? Can't you just picture a certain ghost girl walking down it, late at night?
Now your mission is to find one even spookier! The winner will be chosen completely at my discretion (since I'm electing myself Grand Priestess of Creepy Bridges), on Friday, April 15th. When you tweet, just be sure to include @thudsonwrites. So start shooting, start tweeting, and get ready to ARISE !
My favorite part of this whole, I-have-news game has been fielding the predictions that you have offered: from pending pregnancies (shame on ya'll, by the way - you know I have a sleep-vampire five month old), to pending missions to space (that was only one person, though, and I still don't know if they were joking).
But none of you guessed it, which is great considering how AWESOME this news is. So, to torture you no longer, I officially announce that the second book in the HEREAFTER trilogy will officially be named:
ARISE
How much do love that title? Isn't it perfect? Isn't it spoilery and tantalizing? Doesn't it make you want to know what's going to happen next?
Even better, I'm revealing it on April 7th, exactly two months before HEREAFTER officially releases in the United States. To celebrate my crazy-perfect second title and the fact that we're only two months away from HEREAFTER-day, I'm having another signed ARC giveaway contest!
HEREAFTER centers around a seriously creepy, mysterious bridge in southeastern Oklahoma. To enter this contest, Tweet or post on HEREAFTER's Facebook page a picture of the creepiest bridge you've ever seen.
For example:
Spooky, right? Can't you just picture a certain ghost girl walking down it, late at night?
Now your mission is to find one even spookier! The winner will be chosen completely at my discretion (since I'm electing myself Grand Priestess of Creepy Bridges), on Friday, April 15th. When you tweet, just be sure to include @thudsonwrites. So start shooting, start tweeting, and get ready to ARISE !
April 5, 2011
I'm a tease like that
Big news coming this Thursday, exactly two months before the US release of HEREAFTER.
Seriously - big.
BIG.
Get excited.
Seriously - big.
BIG.
Get excited.
March 7, 2011
Winning. Winners.
You know, those words have a completely different meaning in a post She-nazy (Sheen Crazy. She-nazy) World.
In all seriousness, I am thrilled and humbled by the response for my first HEREAFTER giveaway. From Romania to Moore, Oklahoma, the entrants were not only globally located but also globally awesome. So, without further adieu, I've drawn the winners for the signed HEREAFTER ARCs! Four of them!
Congrats to:
Jaz Parks
Faye Roberts
Dana Wright
Lucille Ogie
I doubled checked, and I already have your addresses, so I'll get those books in the mail this weekend.
Didn't win this one? Don't fret - you have another chance! In its typically cool fashion, HarperTeen has decided to run a HEREAFTER ARC contest on Goodreads, which should go live on March 10. These won't be signed, but still...how awesome is that?
I'm going to try to post all the appropriate links to the new contest tomorrow, when I figure out this whole, Javascript thing.
Congrats again to the winners, and many thanks to everyone who participated...I have kind, generous, and seriously funny future readers.
In all seriousness, I am thrilled and humbled by the response for my first HEREAFTER giveaway. From Romania to Moore, Oklahoma, the entrants were not only globally located but also globally awesome. So, without further adieu, I've drawn the winners for the signed HEREAFTER ARCs! Four of them!
Congrats to:
Jaz Parks
Faye Roberts
Dana Wright
Lucille Ogie
I doubled checked, and I already have your addresses, so I'll get those books in the mail this weekend.
Didn't win this one? Don't fret - you have another chance! In its typically cool fashion, HarperTeen has decided to run a HEREAFTER ARC contest on Goodreads, which should go live on March 10. These won't be signed, but still...how awesome is that?
I'm going to try to post all the appropriate links to the new contest tomorrow, when I figure out this whole, Javascript thing.
Congrats again to the winners, and many thanks to everyone who participated...I have kind, generous, and seriously funny future readers.
February 26, 2011
THE Store
By now, just about everyone who loves books knows that Borders Bookstore has filed Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. So many people have posted some really insightful comments on what that means for publishers, authors, and the future of traditional books. No need to add my own thoughts there.
What do want to discuss how people feel about brick-and-mortar bookstore closings.
Like so many others did this week, I received the email that announced the closing of my local Borders. As soon as possible, I hurried to take advantage of the deep discounts that always go along with a closure. I walked out of the store with not only a huge bag of books, but also an incomparable sense of loss.
As I walked out, I realized that, no matter how many trips I made into that store to get some amazing deals, my trips were limited. The very thought felt surreal. Since that store opened almost two decades ago, it has played a crucial role in my life. It was the place where I bought my first Neil Gaiman novel (Neverwhere); the place I pre-ordered my Harry Potter books; the place my parents and I spend every December 26th, sipping warm drinks and hunting for a new fireplace read; the place where I went on more than one date. Hell, I even had more than one first kiss in that parking lot!
Because, for people like me, brick-and-mortar bookstores have their own element of romance. The romance of new stories, the romance of discovery. And as we lose those stores, we will surely lose some of that romance.
So please share some of your own thoughts: stories of bookstores you've loved, or maybe even reasons why the emerging world of electronic "bookstores" will still maintain the romance of the book.
What do want to discuss how people feel about brick-and-mortar bookstore closings.
Like so many others did this week, I received the email that announced the closing of my local Borders. As soon as possible, I hurried to take advantage of the deep discounts that always go along with a closure. I walked out of the store with not only a huge bag of books, but also an incomparable sense of loss.
As I walked out, I realized that, no matter how many trips I made into that store to get some amazing deals, my trips were limited. The very thought felt surreal. Since that store opened almost two decades ago, it has played a crucial role in my life. It was the place where I bought my first Neil Gaiman novel (Neverwhere); the place I pre-ordered my Harry Potter books; the place my parents and I spend every December 26th, sipping warm drinks and hunting for a new fireplace read; the place where I went on more than one date. Hell, I even had more than one first kiss in that parking lot!
Because, for people like me, brick-and-mortar bookstores have their own element of romance. The romance of new stories, the romance of discovery. And as we lose those stores, we will surely lose some of that romance.
So please share some of your own thoughts: stories of bookstores you've loved, or maybe even reasons why the emerging world of electronic "bookstores" will still maintain the romance of the book.
