A.C. Gaughen's Blog, page 2

Something Lion This Way Comes...

AND IT'S A COVER!!!

So, if you haven't heard me talk about LION HEART yet, click here for a little background information. 

If you have, well, then without further ado....

ARM KNIFE!!

GLOSSY SWIRLS!!

RED AND GOLD GOODNESS THAT WILL ALLOW ME TO BUY NEW SHARPIES!!!

 

...sorry, I'm a little excited.  BECAUSE ARM KNIFE GUYS! 

In the spirit of giving--and stealing, because I'm totally taking this idea from Tiffany Schmidt's cover reveal for HOLD ME LIKE A BREATH--I'm going to give away a signed copy of the LION HEART ARC--which is SO exclusive I don't even have it yet!  As soon as I get one I'll sign it and pop it in the mail to the winner. 

And if you're so excited you JUST CAN'T WAIT, you can preorder LION HEART (which is always very much appreciated!)! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xxAnnie

Introducing...Book Three!

That's right.  I know you have all been waiting on Book Three news for a WHIIIILLLE now, and I'm sorry to tell you I've been sitting on some of it.  I have the name and release date--which will be found in this post--and I hadn't shared yet. 

I didn't know how to. 

Part of that is for you guys--I like doing fun reveals and exciting moments so we can all celebrate together.  I'm not great at celebrating, and that's a problem that I want to fix.  But I also didn't know what to say about this book. 

And then yesterday happened.  Let me tell you a story. 

The day started off inauspiciously--two friends and I were planning on driving to New Hampshire for a third friend's concert, and before we left, one friend got her laptop stolen.  NOT COOL.  But we decided to take Taylor's advice, shake it off, and go anyway. 

It took us about an hour an a half of awesome chill chatting and driving to get there, and we were almost there, roughly an hour early, when we saw the Friendly Farm in New Hampshire.  IT WAS AWESOME, and sun soaked, and we saw bunnies that were born THAT DAY and ones that were six days old and we held all kinds of animals and petted and fed even more.  Six Day Bunnies!HEY GUYS WHATS GOING ON OMG IS THIS A CAMERA?!My new bestie

Sweet--right?  You might be asking yourself what this has to do with Scarlet #3.  Good question. 

So we left the Friendly Farm and followed our GPS.  The road had gravel patches, and then was full gravel.  And then it started getting really rough and uneven, but I have All Wheel Drive and hey, it's still a road, right? 

Then we started pitching really hard from side to side.  We hit some giant rocks and a mud pit that was about 18inches deep, but gravity and forward motion kept us going through it.  It was rougher than expected, and we're all sitting there wondering how other cars are possibly making this drive ok.  This was rough on an SUV. 

And then it got worse.  Bigger rocks, no clear way for the car to go, and we hit things and screamed and I am still lucky nothing popped or snapped--though I definitely thought it did at the time.  We were all freaked out and it kept getting worse. The road was far too narrow to consider turning around, and now there was a sharp cliff on one side. 

Then we came to a point with a roughly two foot high rock wall across the middle of the road.  There was a sort of way I might have gotten over, but it was at risk of snapping the axle of my car.  So, with terror and prayers, I turned around by ramming my car up a hill and trying to stop and turn before we flew off the cliff on the other side.  We managed! 

And then, on the way back, gravity wasn't on our side and we got stuck in the mud so deeply we couldn't even open our doors.  Out of three cell phones, only one had any service to speak of.

The story ends happily--Triple A saved us by winching us out of the mud and dragging us up a hill.  All safe--we even made the concert, and apparently this happens a lot because GPS thinks it's a road, and it's not really. Everyone was very empathetic (AND YET NO ONE WARNED US?!).

BUT WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH SCARLET?

Guys, Scarlet Three was the hardest book I've ever written.  I sold it on an outline, and my outline failed me.  I started writing before I entered grad school, and my head and heart weren't in the right place.  I had opened myself to so many possibilities in my personal life that everything I did to try and close the story felt wrong. 

I hit rocks and mud patches and bigger rocks, and at final count, I had to write 320,000 words to get to the final 80,000.  That means by pretty unqualified math, I had to write this book four times to get one right. 

It was hellish. 

The thing I keep thinking about after yesterday is challenge.  There were so many points at which we probably should have just turned around.  But I didn't think it was possible--I thought this HAD to be the right way because other people did it.  I thought challenges were something to overcome, not roadblocks. 

When is it ok to stop and turn around, and when do we keep going?  Sometimes it's not as easy as having a completely impassable road where the choice is made for you, and often if you get to that point, you've gone past the point of no return. 

In writing Scarlet Three, I had lost trust in my own instincts.  I couldn't feel when it was right or wrong, working or working against me.  I forced my writing vehicle down the wrong road time and time again, only to find a rock wall. 

And then, finally, I found the way out of the woods.  And just like yesterday, when we found the right road, the sun was beginning to set and the green glory of New Hampshire burned golden and warm.  It felt right and perfect in every inch of our bones. 

Book Three is called LION HEART.  It's the hardest thing I've ever worked on, and it's the single thing I am most proud of.  I found a way to tell this impossible story, and I found my own lion heart somewhere along the way.  It was a journey, a path, a trauma--and I certainly had my share of AAA people pulling me out of the proverbial muck--and I made it.  WE made it, because ultimately, this book is both FOR and absolutely BECAUSE OF the wonderful fans, the heartfelt letters, and the love you guys have shown me. 

For so many reasons, I really hope you love it, and that you find your own lion heart. You can preorder the book here (which is very much appreciated!), and it will be in your hands May 19th, 2015!

xx

PS--one more animal picture!

Me and my llama drama friend.

Why Slate's Article is a Societal Problem

Ahem.  *Steps on soapbox*. 

I have something to say. 

Maybe a few different things, but they all wrap up pretty neatly. 

1.  An article is raging over the internet today. Part of me doesn't want to link to it, but a bigger part of me does.  Because everyone has a right to be heard, and I respect this person's opinion; she has done her research, she believes her opinion to be well-considered and well argued.  Fair enough. I'm a Voltaire kind of girl. 

2.  I work with teens.  I work in a non-profit, and I've spent the past year earning my Masters in Education.  Through all of these, one thing has become clear: people don't give a damn about teenagers.  I think people give even less of a damn about teenage girls, but I'll leave that alone for now.  Schools and learning are rarely built to accommodate the voice of students; rarely do students have a say in the ways they learn, communicate, express themselves or lead. 

Which isn't for lack of trying.  "For the kids!" is the rallying cry of every educator.  Every parent wants their child to succeed.  "Youth development" is a hot topic.  I was recently at a summit discussing youth development, and there were about 10 teens for the 400 or so people in the room.  They were a token, a nod--a start, but not an accomplishment.  And one of the teens spoke up and said, "You realize all of you are sitting here talking about what 'the young people' want and no one is actually asking us."

People want to hear the voice of teenagers; we just forget to ask them. 

3.  The conclusion that you may think I'm getting to at this juncture may be this: adults love reading YA for this purpose, and that is why adults should read YA.  Because it's the voice of the teens. 

But that's bull.  YA is not the voice of teenagers--I mean, occasionally it is; there is a smattering of authors actually published in their teens--but it's largely the voice of adults.  So lets get this clear--when adults read YA, they're reading books written by adults about teenagers. When you diss this genre, you're dissing the work of adults that a lot of people enjoy. 

Which is fine.  I have no problem with that.  I think you're wrong, but Voltaire me up. 

Here is the actual problem--when you say that YA as a genre is just for teens and adults should be ashamed, you're saying the things that matter when you're a teen don't matter when you're an adult.  You're saying that adults should be ashamed to care about what teens care about.  You're saying their hopes, dreams, passions and experiences are shameful to adults. 

And all you're really doing is stealing their voice from them.  Again.  Tell a kid her dreams don't matter and you sabotage her confidence, her curiousity, her future.  By so doing, you sabotage our collective future. 

I don't believe allowing other people to have a voice diminishes your own.  I don't believe allowing people to care for and love young adult fiction diminishes the love you have for mystery novels.  And I really don't believe that stigmatizing reading, learning, discovery and joy is ever a good call. 

*Steps off soapbox.*

Thank you. 

TEDx Talk!

In one of the coolest experiences of my life, I got to speak at the TEDxHGSE conference at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.  The link just went live, and you guys can check out what I had to say!

A Valentine's Day Reveal...The Final Part!

Welcome to my Valentine's Day Treat to YOU!  Here is the first kiss between Scarlet and Rob, PART ONE, PART TWO, THE GOOD STUFF, and NOW......

I pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Say it once more?” I asked.

He kissed me. “Scarlet,” he breathed. Another kiss. “Scarlet.”

I didn’t need strength. My heart were so full to bursting that I could have run to London and back without food, drink, or rest. My body were burned over and over with the feel of him, and it were all I needed to stay strong.

It were an awful sin, and I didn’t care. Kissing Rob made me an adulterer, but wedding Gisbourne when he weren’t the one in my heart made me an adulterer too. I didn’t for a breath believe a kiss would make Robin better, but it were all I needed to hold on to everything I were doing this for.

Church bells rang out, and I broke the kiss, listening for the hour. “I have to go,” I whispered against his mouth.

His nose rubbed mine slowly, then his mouth pressed against mine once more. “Do you know how often I’ve imagined kissing you?”

My breath stopped, and I opened my eyes to search his. “And?”

“You cannot tell me to stop now and watch you walk away,” he said, his breath running into my breath. Another kiss. “Especially to him.”

My ring felt heavier then, and I pulled back from Rob. I stroked his cheek slow with my good hand. “I’ll make it right, Rob. I’ll get the annulment and then I can kiss you in public.

All day long. Till the village wives wring their hands at us.”

He smiled, leaning into my hand. “We’ve always been good at causing a bit of chaos.”

I stepped away from him with a sad smile, but he tugged my good wrist and brought me back for one more kiss. Then he let me go and I walked back to the castle, every step dragging and slow like I were fighting against a tide.

Fortunately, if you JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH, LADY THIEF came out this week!

A Valentine's Day Reveal...THE GOOD STUFF!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!  Here's "the good stuff"--and if you're not caught up, PART ONE and PART TWO!

Our lips touched. His were dry and rasped over me a bit, like it were so chaste it weren’t even there. Then his mouth opened and it weren’t dry anymore. His lips were perfect against mine, more soft than I would have never guessed, and warm like the sun hitting the water.

My blood ran hot and fast and I felt more than human, like I were powerful beyond every measure. His mouth opened more and his tongue ran against my lips, and my whole body sparked like tinder. I bare had a thought, but I wanted more of him, so much more, and my hands were desperate for it, fingertips running like they could keep whatever they touched.

My back nudged up against a wall, somewhere shaded from the sun and prying eyes, but I didn’t never remember moving. His head twisted and our lips broke for a bare instant before he touched them back again, twisting his head the other way. His lips pressed my bruise and I jerked.

His arms went tense and hard around me, and the kiss broke apart. His nose nudged me like a dog giving orders, and I obeyed, moving my face to one side. Hot hands running my sides, his mouth touched impossible gentle to the bruise by my mouth from Gisbourne. Rob’s lips left, then dropped soft small kisses on the bruises that he had laid. He kissed my closed eyes and without wanting it, water dripped out from my eyes. He kissed that away too.

“I’m sorry, sweet,” he whispered into my ear. “I’m sorry I pushed you to this.”

My hands twisted to fists in his shirt. “I never should have married him, Rob. I should have found another way.”

“We’ll get out of this,” he said. “I’ll get better, and you can walk away.”

I shook my head a tiny bit. “I’m getting that annulment. They call me Marian, Rob, and they act with so little honor it’s a horror to call them nobility.” I pushed my head to his. “They took my name, Rob. ”

His lips touched mine again, more puffed and soft now, burning against mine. When he stopped he didn’t go nowhere, speaking straight into my mouth. “They can have your name. I know who you are, with or without it. And I won’t ever let you lose that. My love. My Scarlet.”

There's just a little bit more to reveal, and you'll get that tomorrow morning!  For now....savor the love!

A Valentine's Day Reveal...Part Two!

Soo...it's almost Valentine's Day, and I wanted to share with you one of my favorite scenes--a very romantic scene, because it's THE FIRST TIME ROB AND SCAR KISS!  Here's PART ONE, and now here's PART TWO:

Rob’s eyes were fierce and hard and they glittered down at me. “Please explain in some small measure, Scarlet.”

“Allan? He’s a thief, from London. Kindred soul,” I said.

“Gisbourne.”

My eyes shut. “Rob, I had to.”

“No, you didn’t. You told me you would never go back to him. You told me you understood that he would kill you. And what is wrong with your hand? Is it broken? You went to him with a broken hand?”

“Rob,” I said low, not daring to open my eyes. “My hand’ll be right again. And as for killing me . . . well, he hasn’t yet.”

“Scarlet.” My eyes flew open and his were shut tight, his head bent. Hurting, I pushed my forehead to his. His hands came up and held my face, leaning as if he were ’bout to kiss me. His eyes opened a sliver and met mine, and he let me go, swearing and turning from me.

“That’s why, Rob,” I told him soft.

“Why what?” he snapped, turning back round.

“Why I went to Gisbourne. Because I need to kiss you, to touch you, to hold on to you through your awful dreams. Without us both wondering if we’re doing a sin. ”

He turned back to me and caught me, one arm round my waist pulling me off my feet and the other in my hair tugging my head back. I caught his eyes, fixed on me in a way that made heat rush over me in a breaking wave, and I couldn’t breathe.

Stayed tuned tomorrow...you might say it's the most romantic piece yet...

Love is in the Air!

Today, Corrine Jackson and I decided to interview each other--her for her current LOVE IS IN THE AIR blog tour, and me for the release of LADY THIEF!  You can check out my interview over on her site!  And since love is MOST DEFINITELY in the air, check back in a few hours for the next piece of the FIRST KISS SCENE!

 

ME: So personally, the thing I've loved most about this entire series (and I'm fortunate enough to have read it all already!!) is the magic system/paranormalcy/whatever you want to call it.  As an avid lover of fantasy, I think it's AWESOME--it has benefits, consequences, and develops right along with the plot in a wildly cool way.  How did you come up with it?  What inspired you to write about Remy's healing/not so healing power?

 

CORY: I'm a big fan of paranormal romance, but I really hate when heroes or heroines have powers sans consequences. Mary Sues saving the world turn me off. For instance, how great is Buffy? She's a vampire slayer in love with a vampire and they can't be together because he ends up without a soul. Plus she can't ever lead a normal life as much as she tries. Great power with great consequence. That's my kind of story. So I liked the idea of writing about a character whose greatest ability was tied to their greatest pain. The first scene that I wrote is still the first scene of TOUCHED where you are introduced to her stepfather, a cruel man who abuses Remy and her mother. Once that scene was conceived, I knew that Remy would have the ability to heal people. Because how hellish would it be to have someone inflict injuries on you and a loved one while you feel culpable each time you help to heal those same injuries? Remy is tough and scarred, but she wants to be loved. She's been taught that people are cruel and will hurt you, and she closes herself off from the world to protect herself. It's a conundrum for her then that her power works through touch and that she has to be willing to take on others' injuries to help them. The play between these things gave me so many layers of complexity to explore in the trilogy.

 

ME: Let's talk Blackwells.  Without being spoilery, can you say a little about Gabe and Asher and why the Brothers of Hotness have different relationships with Remy?  

 

Asher is the younger brother, and he has really struggled with being immortal. There's a sweetness to him, an urge to protect Remy that says so much about him. Their relationship in TOUCHED brings them both to life in a sense, as they each allow themselves to be emotionally touched by another person for the first time. He helps her to accept her family and believe that people can care about her, while she reminds him of what it's like to be mortal. On the other hand, Gabe is a mystery in TOUCHED and for most of PUSHED. He's larger, more arrogant, and less talkative than Asher. At first, Remy is afraid of Gabe. A lot of the time, he seems to dislike Remy, and so it was fun to write scenes between him and Remy because they are constantly bickering once she gets past her fear. But there's a lot more to Gabe than Remy realizes. Exploring his character and his feelings for her were my favorite parts of writing PUSHED, and I love reading reviews about how much people fell for him. You will be seeing a lot more of him in IGNITED, the final book in the Sense Thieves trilogy.

 

ME: Since Love is in the Air, and I know at heart all YA authors are YA fans in disguise, who do you ship?  Who are two characters you either love the relationship of or desperately wish would get together?  TV show is acceptable too!

 

I don't know how many people watch this show, but I am a huge fan of Syfy's HAVEN. It's based on Stephen King's story "The Colorado Kid." The show takes place in the tiny town that is plagued by "troubles" every couple of decades. The troubles are these powers, abilities, or mysterious afflictions passed down through families, like having your emotions control the weather or turning into a beast that kills people. Audrey, a skeptical FBI agent, arrives in town and stays when she discovers that she has the ability to help "troubled" people because she is the sole person not affected by them. She helps Nathan, the local hot sheriff, solve cases. Nathan is one of the troubled, and he can't feel anything (I loved the similarity to Remy and Asher!). I shipped these two so hard, and I knew Audrey would be the one person Nathan could feel. See this scene and you'll know what I mean when you see the expression on Nathan's face the first time Audrey touches him. It was like seeing my book come to life on the screen. :)

 

ME: The past few years have been so wild for you--foreign sales, this series, and a standalone (IF I LIE--THAT JUST MADE ALA's RAINBOW LIST!).  Impressive and crazy both! As friends, we have the benefit of commiserating with each other over the rollercoaster ride that is this business; you're also one of the people I always turn to for advice and a beta read.  What are some words of advice you have for struggling writers?  

 

Ah, thanks! I'm so proud of IF I LIE making it on to that list. And I'm so glad to know you because I don't think I would have survived the last few years with my sanity in check going it alone. Plus you're an awesome beta reader with a love for one of my very favorite characters. :)

 

I think you've hit upon the most important thing struggling writers need to know: Find a trusted group of fellow writers to go on this journey with you. People you know will give you solid, honest  feedback on your work. Friends who can celebrate the wins with you and commiserate on the losses. The relationships that I've made have been so key to my development as a writer and to keeping me moving forward when I've thought about quitting or was struggling with different hardships. So go out and join critique groups, find beta readers, and network your hearts out. You'll be glad to have those friends cheering you on.

 

ME: Any author crushes?  For their work or them as a person! 

 

Laurie Halse Anderson. I have a major author crush on her. SPEAK and WINTERGIRLS both influenced my writing, and she is just the warmest, most gracious lady.

 

ME: And finally, fill in the blank: Any good YA romance must include _________________ . 

 

Loads of sexual tension (even if you are writing clean romance, I feel like the tension should exist or it isn't true to life).

 

 

 

Thanks Cory!!  Read more about Cory's books, including IF I LIE, TOUCHED and PUSHED here!

A Valentine's Day Reveal...

It's almost Valentine's Day, which means I want to share a piece of LADY THIEF that's kind of like my valentine to Rob and Scar.  You may have noticed that they don't actually KISS in Scarlet.  Well...that's all about to change!  Here is the first piece of the first kiss scene:

We were near the edge of Nottingham, and I saw the market and the castle beyond in one direction. I saw forest in the other, and my heart ached so fierce I almost set off for it, like wading into the ocean with no hope of swimming for distant shores. Allan were talking—for a thief he yapped an amount I could bare fathom—and I thought how easy it would be to just step over the road and into the forest.

“Scarlet!” he yelped, grabbing my dress and yanking me back as a carriage thundered past.

Landing on my backside, I stared up at the blue coach, hung with gold and the royal seal.

“You don’t want to be crushed by the Queen Mum,” he told me, giving me a hand up.

“That’s Eleanor of Aquitaine?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Her carriage, at least.”

“Scarlet,” said another voice, and this one were farther.  The dust from her carriage cleared and Rob were there, looking dark and shadowed and haunted.

My blood ran fast to beating and my mouth hung open. I fair thought I’d know what to say to him, but I didn’t.

“Don’t tell me you’re Robin Hood,” Allan said, crossing his arms. “I thought you’d be taller.”

Robin strode across the road, stepping close to me, so close Allan weren’t even in my world anymore. I blinked and stared at him. Good Lord I couldn’t look at him but for thinking he held everything in my heart. It were a terrible power to keep over me.

“Who are you?” Robin asked, looking to Allan.

“Allan a Dale,” he said. “You sure you’re her man, because I’ll tell you, the stories I hear put you at about seven foot tall.” He paused, but I didn’t look to see his face. “And the stories I tell have you much more game for a laugh.”

“Allan,” I said, breathing in the smell only Rob had, of pine and ash and ocean. “Go now.”

“My lady,” he said, and that were the last of him.

...To Be Continued....check back tomorrow!

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ADD IT ON GOODREADS

So, obviously, there must be a giveaway!  Please note, these are for Advanced Reader Copies, not finished copies (because I have a few extra to give away!), and the giveaway is NOT international.  Have at it! 

 

 

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