Tricia Rayburn's Blog, page 3
June 19, 2011
The Final Countdown Begins...with an Excerpt!
First, thank you SO much to everyone who stopped by and said hi at BEA last month. I had such a great time and hope you all did, too!
In addition to making my day, those who visited at BEA also picked up a copy of Undercurrent. And with its official release only weeks away (July 12!), I wanted to share a sneak peek with everyone else. The first two pages are below, and I'll post more soon.
I hope you enjoy!
@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }It was September first. The day my older sister Justine should have been starting classes. Buying textbooks. Thinking about her future. The day she should have been doing all the things freshmen do but wasn't, because her future had been decided the second she jumped off a cliff in the middle of the night three months earlier.
On this day, I walked a college campus instead.
"That's Parker Hall," my tour guide said. "And there's Hathorn Hall and the chapel."
I smiled politely and followed him through the main quad. The pretty, parklike square was surrounded by redbrick buildings and filled with kids talking, laughing, and comparing schedules.
"That's Coram Library," he continued, pointing. "And right behind it is Ladd Library, the one-hundred-twelve-thousand-square-foot Mecca of learning."
"Impressive," I said, thinking the same thing about him. His brown eyes were warm, his dark hair slightly messy, like he'd fallen asleep on an open textbook before meeting me. His toned arms shone bronze against the sharp white of his crew team T-shirt. If Bates strived to appeal to teenage girls' romantic aspirations in addition to their academic ones, they'd picked a good representative.
"And comfortable. Trust me, I should know." He stopped, took my sweatshirt sleeve in one hand, and tugged. As I stepped toward him, a Frisbee sliced through the empty air space my head had just occupied.
"I do," I said.
We stood so close I could hear his quick intake of breath. His fingers tightened on my sweatshirt, and his arm tensed. After a few seconds, he released me and grabbed the backpack straps near his shoulders.
"What's that?" I asked.
He followed my nod to a tall building next to the libraries. "That is the deciding factor," he said, starting down the sidewalk. When he reached the building's front steps, he turned toward me and grinned. "Behold Carnegie Science Hall."
I covered my chest with one hand. "The Carnegie Science Hall? Where some of the world's most brilliant, forward-thinking scientists conduct groundbreaking research that continues to shape the landscape of modern science as we know it today?"
He paused. "Yes?"
"Hang on. I have to get a picture."
"If you're familiar with the building," he said as I rummaged through my purse for my digital camera, "then you know the work it houses sets this college apart from the rest. Even if you're not a science major, I think that alone warrants the hefty two-hundred-thousand-dollar price tag."
Vox clamantis in deserto.
I stared at the digital camera screen and my mind filled with images of green key chains. Coffee mugs. A sweatshirt and an umbrella. All bearing the familiar Dartmouth shield.
"Vanessa?"
"Sorry." I shook my head once and held up the camera. "Say lobster."
In addition to making my day, those who visited at BEA also picked up a copy of Undercurrent. And with its official release only weeks away (July 12!), I wanted to share a sneak peek with everyone else. The first two pages are below, and I'll post more soon.
I hope you enjoy!
@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }It was September first. The day my older sister Justine should have been starting classes. Buying textbooks. Thinking about her future. The day she should have been doing all the things freshmen do but wasn't, because her future had been decided the second she jumped off a cliff in the middle of the night three months earlier.
On this day, I walked a college campus instead.
"That's Parker Hall," my tour guide said. "And there's Hathorn Hall and the chapel."
I smiled politely and followed him through the main quad. The pretty, parklike square was surrounded by redbrick buildings and filled with kids talking, laughing, and comparing schedules.
"That's Coram Library," he continued, pointing. "And right behind it is Ladd Library, the one-hundred-twelve-thousand-square-foot Mecca of learning."
"Impressive," I said, thinking the same thing about him. His brown eyes were warm, his dark hair slightly messy, like he'd fallen asleep on an open textbook before meeting me. His toned arms shone bronze against the sharp white of his crew team T-shirt. If Bates strived to appeal to teenage girls' romantic aspirations in addition to their academic ones, they'd picked a good representative.
"And comfortable. Trust me, I should know." He stopped, took my sweatshirt sleeve in one hand, and tugged. As I stepped toward him, a Frisbee sliced through the empty air space my head had just occupied.
"I do," I said.
We stood so close I could hear his quick intake of breath. His fingers tightened on my sweatshirt, and his arm tensed. After a few seconds, he released me and grabbed the backpack straps near his shoulders.
"What's that?" I asked.
He followed my nod to a tall building next to the libraries. "That is the deciding factor," he said, starting down the sidewalk. When he reached the building's front steps, he turned toward me and grinned. "Behold Carnegie Science Hall."
I covered my chest with one hand. "The Carnegie Science Hall? Where some of the world's most brilliant, forward-thinking scientists conduct groundbreaking research that continues to shape the landscape of modern science as we know it today?"
He paused. "Yes?"
"Hang on. I have to get a picture."
"If you're familiar with the building," he said as I rummaged through my purse for my digital camera, "then you know the work it houses sets this college apart from the rest. Even if you're not a science major, I think that alone warrants the hefty two-hundred-thousand-dollar price tag."
Vox clamantis in deserto.
I stared at the digital camera screen and my mind filled with images of green key chains. Coffee mugs. A sweatshirt and an umbrella. All bearing the familiar Dartmouth shield.
"Vanessa?"
"Sorry." I shook my head once and held up the camera. "Say lobster."
May 17, 2011
Winners!
Congratulations, Siren contest winners Alana B. and Taylor Z.! Like many of us, Alana fears falling and Taylor's not a fan of being alone in the dark. Maybe reading about Vanessa's fight to stay brave in Undercurrent will help...or at the very least, provide some pleasant distraction!
Thank you again to everyone who participated. I read every entry and truly appreciate your willingness to share!
On another note, I'll be signing advance copies of Undercurrent at BEA next Wednesday at 10 a.m.. If you're around, please stop by and say hello! I'd love to meet you!
Thank you again to everyone who participated. I read every entry and truly appreciate your willingness to share!
On another note, I'll be signing advance copies of Undercurrent at BEA next Wednesday at 10 a.m.. If you're around, please stop by and say hello! I'd love to meet you!
May 10, 2011
Last Day to Enter!
It's May 10th, and that means two things: Siren's out in paperback and the celebratory contest is coming to a close! If you haven't entered yet, please do by the end of the day.
A huge thank you to those who've shared their fears so far! I've loved reading your entries!
A huge thank you to those who've shared their fears so far! I've loved reading your entries!
May 3, 2011
Contest! Win Books!
Siren, with its pretty, brand-new cover, comes out in paperback one week from today! To celebrate, I'm hosting a contest. To enter, all you have to do is email triciarayburn AT gmail DOT com, put "Siren Contest" in the subject line, and answer one very simple question:
What are you afraid of?
Vanessa, as you may know, is afraid of many things. The dark, flying, water, heights...herself. So I want to know what makes YOU look over your shoulder, what gets YOUR heart racing. If you've tried to conquer the fear, I'd love to know that, too—and whether you've been successful.
The deadline to enter is Tuesday, May 10, and winners will be announced by Friday, May 13. Two winners will be chosen. The prize? A signed copy of Siren in paperback, OR a signed advance copy of Undercurrent. Your choice.
I look forward to hearing from you!
April 25, 2011
News!
If you've stopped by my blog recently you might recall me mentioning the fun, new middle-grade project I've been working on. Well, I'm SO happy to report that that fun little project will soon be a real series!
Here's the Publishers Weekly announcement:
Mara Anastas and Liesa Abrams of Aladdin Books at Simon & Schuster have bought North American rights to a new middle-grade series from Tricia Rayburn, writing as T.R. Burns, titled Troublemakers, which Abrams will edit. In Troublemakers, 12-year-old Seamus Hinkle, who has a perfect school record until an unfortunate incident involving an apple, is shipped off to a detention facility—only to discover that Kantor Academy is actually a school to mold future Troublemakers. The first book in the series will be published in hardcover in summer 2012; Rebecca Sherman of Writers House negotiated the three-book deal in a pre-empt.
I look forward to sharing much more about Seamus and Kantor Academy over the upcoming months!
Here's the Publishers Weekly announcement:
Mara Anastas and Liesa Abrams of Aladdin Books at Simon & Schuster have bought North American rights to a new middle-grade series from Tricia Rayburn, writing as T.R. Burns, titled Troublemakers, which Abrams will edit. In Troublemakers, 12-year-old Seamus Hinkle, who has a perfect school record until an unfortunate incident involving an apple, is shipped off to a detention facility—only to discover that Kantor Academy is actually a school to mold future Troublemakers. The first book in the series will be published in hardcover in summer 2012; Rebecca Sherman of Writers House negotiated the three-book deal in a pre-empt.
I look forward to sharing much more about Seamus and Kantor Academy over the upcoming months!
April 15, 2011
Whew!
I'm finally, happily emerging from my writing cave, where I've been working on Siren 3 (official title TBD), to update you on a few fun things.
First, I received advance copies of Undercurrent and paperback copies of Siren last week, and they are GORGEOUS. I'll be giving some away and posting contest details soon!
If you're a Long Island teen, be sure to check out Authors Unlimited, a full-day event featuring breakout sessions with several rock-star writers, like Rita Williams-Garcia, Robert Lipsyte, Tonya Hurley, Coe Booth, Daniel Ehrenhaft and more. I'll be there too and would love to see you! The fun's scheduled for Saturday, April 30. Go HERE for more information!
In other appearance news, I'll be signing Undercurrent at BEA on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. I had such a great time meeting so many readers, librarians, and bloggers last year, and would love to see you again—or for the first time!
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the final season of Friday Night Lights was just released on DVD. We watched the first episode last night and it kind of felt like going home again...even though I've only driven through the Texas panhandle and know nothing about football besides what Coach Taylor tells me. That's just how good this show is! If you haven't had the privilege of tuning in yet, do. You won't be disappointed.
Oh, one last thing: I wore flip-flips yesterday. For the first time in many long, cold months. Between that and FNL, it was a pretty epic 24 hours!
Hope your weekend is just as great!
First, I received advance copies of Undercurrent and paperback copies of Siren last week, and they are GORGEOUS. I'll be giving some away and posting contest details soon!
If you're a Long Island teen, be sure to check out Authors Unlimited, a full-day event featuring breakout sessions with several rock-star writers, like Rita Williams-Garcia, Robert Lipsyte, Tonya Hurley, Coe Booth, Daniel Ehrenhaft and more. I'll be there too and would love to see you! The fun's scheduled for Saturday, April 30. Go HERE for more information!
In other appearance news, I'll be signing Undercurrent at BEA on Wednesday, May 25 at 10 a.m. I had such a great time meeting so many readers, librarians, and bloggers last year, and would love to see you again—or for the first time!
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the final season of Friday Night Lights was just released on DVD. We watched the first episode last night and it kind of felt like going home again...even though I've only driven through the Texas panhandle and know nothing about football besides what Coach Taylor tells me. That's just how good this show is! If you haven't had the privilege of tuning in yet, do. You won't be disappointed.
Oh, one last thing: I wore flip-flips yesterday. For the first time in many long, cold months. Between that and FNL, it was a pretty epic 24 hours!
Hope your weekend is just as great!
March 11, 2011
Scenic Inspiration
When it comes to getting the creative juices flowing, so many things can do the trick. A great book or news story, a conversation or dream, your own experience or someone else's. My stories have sparked from a variety of sources...but I find nothing inspires quite like quality time spent in a beautiful place.
Take this one, for example.
After a good hike through the Southwest I'm always ready to get back to work!
How about you? I'd love to hear how/where you find your creative inspiration!
Take this one, for example.
After a good hike through the Southwest I'm always ready to get back to work!
How about you? I'd love to hear how/where you find your creative inspiration!
February 18, 2011
Justine Magazine Book Video Contest
I was so honored to learn that Siren's trailer made the top 5 in the paranormal romance category of Justine Magazine's Reel Book Video Awards contest. Visit their site to check out the other great nominees—and maybe cast a vote or two!
http://justinespark.com/reel_video_opener.htm
January 31, 2011
Covers!
I'm so excited to be able to share both the Siren paperback and Undercurrent covers! You'll notice Siren has a brand-new look. This is because after much discussion about the sequel's cover with my agent and publisher, we agreed a new approach would be best. And since we want the books to look like they're part of the same trilogy, that meant the Siren paperback also needed a new approach.
I couldn't be happier with the results, and I hope you like them, too!
I couldn't be happier with the results, and I hope you like them, too!
January 6, 2011
11 Things in 2011
Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
I'm not big on resolutions but there are a lot of great things happening this year and I definitely resolve to enjoy each and every one of them. To kick things off, here are, in no particular order, 11 Things I'm Excited For in 2011:
1. The paperback release of Siren (May) and hardcover release of Undercurrent (July).
2. My sister's wedding. (She just got engaged so a date and everything else is TBD, but I can't wait!)
3. The UK release of Siren (Jan. 20).
4. My niece starting kindergarten. (I'm already planning a trip to Costco for tissues!)
5. Sending a brand-new middle-grade project on submission.
6. Finding a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs that'll please my meatball-connoisseur husband. (You'd think this would be easy, but it's really not. I've already tried—and failed—once this year. All suggestions welcome!)
7. Taking a family trip to one of our favorite lakeside spots.
8. Writing Siren 3.
9. Finishing one of the other YA projects I have in the works and brainstorming new YA ideas.
10. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot. Maybe even twice!
11. Discovering new authors and reading amazing new stories.
And those are only the things I know are definitely happening. I can't wait to find out what else 2011 has in store!
Hope your new year's off to a fabulous start!
I'm not big on resolutions but there are a lot of great things happening this year and I definitely resolve to enjoy each and every one of them. To kick things off, here are, in no particular order, 11 Things I'm Excited For in 2011:
1. The paperback release of Siren (May) and hardcover release of Undercurrent (July).
2. My sister's wedding. (She just got engaged so a date and everything else is TBD, but I can't wait!)
3. The UK release of Siren (Jan. 20).
4. My niece starting kindergarten. (I'm already planning a trip to Costco for tissues!)
5. Sending a brand-new middle-grade project on submission.
6. Finding a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs that'll please my meatball-connoisseur husband. (You'd think this would be easy, but it's really not. I've already tried—and failed—once this year. All suggestions welcome!)
7. Taking a family trip to one of our favorite lakeside spots.
8. Writing Siren 3.
9. Finishing one of the other YA projects I have in the works and brainstorming new YA ideas.
10. Returning to my husband's and my favorite vacation spot. Maybe even twice!
11. Discovering new authors and reading amazing new stories.
And those are only the things I know are definitely happening. I can't wait to find out what else 2011 has in store!
Hope your new year's off to a fabulous start!
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