Corrine Jackson's Blog, page 14

Words I Hate (or Can’t Pronounce)

Today’s YA Rebels video.

2012 ALA Annual Conference

Dear Readers,

This Friday I’m off to ALA Annual Conference. For those confused by all the acronyms, ALA is the American Library Association, and this conference is mainly attended by our heroes –librarians – although readers and other bookish people will crash. This year, I’m excited to be taking part in the festivities as an author. I’ve never been, and I’m sure I will be overwhelmed and get lost, but that’s half the fun, right?

Some of you have been tweeting me or emailing me with questions about ALA, so I thought I would answer them in one place. Here we go!

Will there be ARCs of IF I LIE at ALA? This is the number one question coming my way. The answer is YES, but with a huge disclaimer. Quantities are extremely limited. I’m not going to be doing an official signing, and I’m pretty sure the ARCs are mainly reserved for librarians. If you are a reader or a blogger, you may not be able to get your hands on one. May the force be with you in your quest.
Where can I find you at ALA? My schedule is below. If you manage to get an ARC of IF I LIE, stop me because I will happily sign it and your face and any other appendage you like. I’ve only signed one ARC so far – that’s how rare my ARCs are – and I found I quite liked the experience.*

Saturday, 6/23/12:

5:00 PM: YALSA Happy Hour! Morton’s Anaheim

8:00-9:30 PM: The Great YA Blogger Meetup hosted by STACKED and YA Highway. Degrees Wine & Patio Bar at the Marriott

9:30-11:30 PM: Simon & Schuster Dessert Reception Celebrating Picture Books. Sheraton Park Hotel in Anaheim, Palm Ballroom 

Sunday, 6/24/12:

6:00-7:00 PM: Newbery Caldecott Wilder Banquet Cocktail Hour. Anaheim Marriott outside the Marquis Ballroom.

7:00-11:00 PM: Newbery Caldecott Wilder Banquet. Anaheim Marriott Marquis Ballroom.

Monday, 6/25/12:

5:30-7:30 PM : Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing YA Debut Author dinner and speed-dating reception hosted by Deb Caletti at the ALA Annual Conference, Sheraton Plaza Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, Palm West Room, 1855 South Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA (invite only – not a public event)

8:00-10:00 PM: Michael L. Printz Program & Reception. Hilton Anaheim, California C.


*Note: some of these events are ticketed or invite only. Check your schedules to ensure you’re eligible to attend.

How will I know it’s you? I have a red purse that looks like a typewriter, and I’ll have it on me at all times. Just don’t confuse me with the lovely Tahereh Mafi who also has this purse. I know because her 2010 tweet sent me on a quest to have this bag if I was ever lucky enough to get a book deal. SCORE.
Will there be IF I LIE swag? YES. I will have swag with me at all times. Find me, and I will give you the things! Also, remember this contest? Take a picture with me, post it online, and you could win an annotated finished copy of IF I LIE. Full rules here.

And please introduce yourself to me! I am terrible with names, but I love to talk about books.

My Day at BEA

My trip to NYC was a blur of activity and little sleep. Monday evening I took a redeye flight to NYC, and I managed to capture a whole two hours of ZZZs. My flight was delayed an hour due to Obama’s visit to NYC, which meant my cab to the city got caught in rush hour traffic. Once I got to the hotel, though, I freshened up and hit the ground running, determined to make the most of my single day in NYC.

First up, roaming the floor at BEA. I got my badge and meandered, trying to find the Simon & Schuster booth. Along the way, I tripped through the Harlequin booth. I glanced over and saw Debbie Macomber standing around in an oh-so-casual manner, as if she were a normal person, and not this huge romance author I’d read in my twenties. In my mind, she is an AUTHOR, and it was very surreal when it hit me that my badge also said “Published Author.”

From there, I hit the Simon & Schuster booth. As I stood there blocking traffic, the first person I bumped into was Lesléa Newman. She is the author of over 60 books, including one that has currently been adapted for the stage. Plus, she is on the faculty at Spalding University’s MFA program, and I’ve been lucky enough to take part in her workshop. I stood chatting with her for a while as several fellow Apocalypsies and Class of 2k12 people wandered up. It was so incredible to meet these people in person after sharing so much with them online.

Soon my editor Annette Pollert arrived and we were off to lunch to gab about books. She is so sweet and tells such funny stories. I kind of want to steal her brother. After lunch, we hit a YA panel where we met up with KM Walton. We share an editor and she wrote this heart wrenching novel called CRACKED. I had the best time hanging out with her and her agent Sarah LaPolla. We all grabbed coffee (which I desperately needed at this point).

Then it was off to the Apocalypsie Meet & Greet. I was a late addition and a crasher, but I still had so much fun meeting the readers and bloggers. And the Apocs are such a warm, generous group, and it was fun to put faces and voices to the people I’d only met online. Thanks to those Apocs who arranged everything, especially Lenore Appelhans who allowed me to crash, Gretchen McNeil who MC’d, and Zoraida Cordova who arranged to have all my swag there before I knew I could make it.

After that, Kimberly Sabatini, Shannon Messenger, and I made our way to the Simon Pulse/Aladdin cocktail party. I propped my eyes open with drink umbrellas and enjoyed meeting or reintroducing myself to the team at Pulse. These people have worked so hard on my book, and I am ever grateful. We talked about classy things like lip sweat, color-coded spreadsheets, and books.

From there, a group of us walked to the Jefferson Market Library for the Teen Author Carnival. I was on two panels – “Is this the real life? Or is this just fantasy?” and “What’s in a name? New Voices.” The audience mainly consisted of bloggers and teens – so many teens! I was thrilled to meet the people who might eventually read my book, plus the panels were entertaining. And to cap off a wonderful day, I signed my first ever ARC at the end of the evening. I tried to play it cool, but I was actually overwhelmed and choked up. Everyone should experience that moment.

Once the TAC wrapped, I had dinner with a few Apocs, and then it was back to my hotel where my roomie Veronica Rossi and I talked for ages, slept too little, and then woke at 4:45 AM to catch a cab to the airport on Wednesday AM.

The trip passed too quickly, but I’m so glad I went!

“If I Lie” June Contest

June is going to be a crazy, insane month, and I am wildly grateful for this. I’m going to be out in the world meeting readers and bloggers. Plus, ARCs of IF I LIE are making their way out into the world, and people are finally reading my book. People I don’t know. Total strangers. And I’m nervous in that way you get right before you make a speech to a big crowd. I even get a little armpitty (my friend coined this term) when I think too much on it. The thing is, I’m so proud of IF I LIE. It’s a book that moved me during the writing and the editing. It’s made me cry a hundred times, and I hope it makes readers think and feel and maybe “ugly cry” as one reviewer has already said.

So to celebrate my baby’s voyage into the world, I’m announcing a contest. A very simple contest.

HOW TO ENTER:

Find me at any event I’m going to be at in June (the list is below), introduce yourself. That’s it. Say hi, and you will get the things.

The Prizes:

Everyone who finds me gets a signed bookplate, bookmark, and a very special pack of tissues in case IF I LIE makes you “ugly cry.”
AND…drumroll, please…everyone is entered to win (1) one annotated copy of IF I LIE with my commentary in the margins. Think of this like the “behind the scenes” video on a DVD.*
If you take a picture with me and send it to me via email, Twitter, or Facebook, I’ll include it in a YA Rebels video.

BONUS Entries:

+1 – if you confess a lie you’ve told to protect someone. Or one that someone told to protect you. Bring on the scandal.

+2 – if you attend any of the events and send me a picture(s) via email, Twitter, or Facebook.

June Events

BEA (New York City, NY)

Tuesday, 6/5, 10AM – 3PM: Wandering the floor at Javits
Tuesday, 6/5, 3:00-4:00PM: The Apocalypsie Mix & Mingle, Javits Center Room 1E04: I’m not on the official roster for the event, but I’ll be about for a bit giving away swag.
Tuesday, 6/5, 6:30-9:30PM: Teen Author Carnival, Jefferson Market Public Library

ALA (Anaheim, CA)

Saturday, 6/23/12, 8PM: The Great YA Blogger Meetup hosted by STACKED and YA Highway. Degrees Wine & Patio Bar at the Marriott
Monday, 6/25/12, 5:30-7:30PM : Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing YA Debut Author dinner and speed-dating reception hosted by Deb Caletti at the ALA Annual Conference, Sheraton Plaza Hotel at the Anaheim Resort, Palm West Room, 1855 South Harbor Blvd, Anaheim, CA

What I look like (except my hair is darker):

*Note: This prize will be fulfilled in August.

NYC Teen Author Carnival 2012 – Panels Announced

Hi Everyone:

The panels have been announced for Teen Author Carnival. I’m on two panels – “Is this the Real Life? Or Is This Just Fantasy?” and “What’s In a Name? New Voices.” I can’t wait to meet everyone and sign tons of swag. Check out the list of panels here.

Best,

Corrine

 

Teen Author Carnival 2012

I am grinning like a freaking idiot because today the lineup for the TEEN AUTHOR CARNIVAL 2012 was announced and….I’M ON IT. OMGOMGOMGOMG. *breathes*

I’m hyperventilating because:

(a) Oh, hai. I’m going to be speaking on a panel in NYC at the Teen Author Carnival. Dream come true.

(b) I’ll get to see lots of my author and blogger friends, including lots of YA Rebels and former Rebels.

(c) HAVE YOU SEE THE LIST OF AUTHORS? *dies*

So if you are in NYC for BEA or just happen to be passing through, please come out! I’d love to meet you! The event is completely free!

NYC Teen Author Carnival 2012

  Tuesday, June 5th, 2012

6:30pm – 9:30pm

@ Jefferson Market Library

Hannah Moskowitz - Gone, Gone, Gone - @hannahmosk
Melissa Walker - Unbreak My Heart - Modertor – @melissacwalker
Leah Clifford - A Touch Morbid - @leahclifford
Scott Tracey - Demon Eyes - @scott_tracey
Gretchen McNeil - Ten - @gretchenmcneil
Victoria Schwab - The Near Witch - @veschwab
Corrine Jackson - If I Lie - @cory_jackson
Sarah Tregay - Love & Leftovers - Website
K. M. Walton - Cracked - @KMWalton1
Kody Keplinger - Shut Out - @kody_keplinger
Tiffany Schmidt - Send Me A Sign - @tiffanyschmidt
Gennifer Albin - Crewel - @genniferalbin
Aimée Carter - Goddess Interrupted - @aimeecarter
Hilary Weisman Graham - Reunited - @HilaryGraham
Barry Lyga - I Hunt Killers - @barrylyga
Jen Calonita - Belles - @jencalonita
Jennifer Smith - The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight - @jenesmith
Alecia Whitaker - Queen of Kentucky - @aleciawhitaker
Tom Pollock - The City’s Son - @tomhpollock
Crissa Jean Chappell - NARC - @crissachappell
Karen Mahoney - The Iron Witch - @kazmahoney
Fiona Paul - Venom - @fionawritesya
Lauren Morrill - Meant To Be - @laurenemorrill
Katie McGarry - Pushing The Limits - @katiemcgarry
Michelle Zink - A Temptation of Angels - @michellezink
Eliot Schrefer - Endangered - @eliotschrefer
Courtney Allison Moulton - Wings of the Wicked - @camoulton
Lenore Appelhans - Level 2 - @lenoreva
Rebecca Serle - When You Were Mine - @rebeccaaserle
Stacy Kramer - From What I Remember @stacy_kramer
Valerie Thomas - From What I Remember @val_thomas
Siobhan Vivian - Burn For Burn - @siobhanvivian
Margaret Stohl - Beautiful Creatures - @mstohl - Moderator
Lauren Oliver - Delirium, Pandemonium - @oliverbooks
Lucas Klauss - Everything You Need To Survive The Apocalypse@lucas_klauss

YAmazing Prize Winners

Thanks to everyone who participated in the YAmazing Race! Your comments and excitement around IF I LIE floored me. I honestly can’t wait for you to all read this book.

And now to what you all want to know… The winners are:

Paige Schwartz – Pre-order of IF I LIE

Kassiah – Journal

Hillary! – Journal

Blake Haysel – Journal

Alicia Marie – Journal

Adriene R – Journal

I’m also going to include my brand new swag in those prize packs. Be on the lookout for an email from me. I also have all of the bookplate requests, and I’ll be mailing those out in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again for entering!

For a list of the YAmazing winners, go here.

YAmazing Race with MGnificent Prizes!

You’ve arrived at my stop on the YAmazing Race with MGnificent prizes, a blog hop featuring over 50 debut authors, and prize packs that include ARCs, gift certificates, swag, and more! If you haven’t yet been to the Apocalypsies website, please click here to start from the beginning and read the complete rules. The race officially begins at noon EST on Wednesday, May 2. Let’s do this thing!

IF I LIE by Corrine Jackson

A powerful debut novel about the gray space between truth and perception.

Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Being branded a cheater would be bad enough, but Quinn is deemed a traitor, and shunned by all of her friends. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s serving in Afghanistan and revered by everyone in their small, military town.

Quinn could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets that she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. And when Carey goes MIA, Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Debuts: August 28, 2012

Take a snapshot in your mind of all of that, including the cover.

You’ll need to store it all up in your brain for the quiz ahead! And remember, you are eligible for a prize pack when you complete a leg of the race.

Just when you think things can’t get better…Another GIVEAWAY!

Simply leave a comment with your email address to be entered to win a pre-order of IF I LIE, plus five custom-designed journals made by me!  (US and Canada only) Bonus entries if you:

like on Facebook (F)
follow on Twitter (T)
sign up for my newsletter in the sidebar (N)

***Put the code letter(s) in your comment indicating what you did – I trust you.

AND because I love to give things away, I will send a signed bookplate to EVERYONE who emails me their mailing address (US and Canada only)! corrine@corrinejackson.com

Pre-order IF I LIE today!

Amazon | Indiebound | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million

Add to Your Shelf:

Goodreads

The Reading Room

And now on to the next stop of the race! Click HERE.

Vanity, Thy Name is Human

My New Smile

99.9% of people have some physical trait they would love to change. For me, it has always been my teeth. My family didn’t have the money (or insurance) to get me braces as a kid, and I often felt like a human jack-o-lantern. Seriously, they were messed up. I think that was a big part of the reason that I was so shy growing up. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself. Eventually, at 19, I did get braces. I went through having seven teeth pulled, four front teeth and three impacted wisdom teeth. Without anesthesia, mind you, because we paid cash for everything and it would have cost another $1,000 to put me under. (These are the decisions you make when you are without money or insurance.) I still shudder when I remember having my teeth pulled.

At 21, I had my braces off, and it was like I had a new lease on life. I smiled more. I laughed more. I became a little more outgoing. Unfortunately, my retainer broke and (still poor and without insurance), I had to make the decision to buy college textbooks or a retainer. Of course, I chose books and my front tooth started to grow crooked again. I felt like everyone stared at it when I spoke. When I started to vlog for the Rebels, sometimes I would re-shoot footage if I thought it showed my mouth too closely.

Now, this may sound vain, and it is, but man this thing screwed with my confidence. For years now, I’ve had insurance and the money to take care of it, but the dentists recommended braces, and I couldn’t bring myself to get braces at my age (not that people shouldn’t, but that was my choice). This bothered me so much that I put off going to the dentist for far too long. Until last month when a friend told me about the amazing dentist she’d found. I decided it was past time to get over my anxiety and get to a solution. And this dentist found one. Four appointments later, I walked out of the office yesterday with a veneer and a near perfect smile.

Yesterday, I walked into my office and flashed smiles at everyone. Nobody seemed to notice anything different.

I finally announced, “hey, people. i had my smile fixed. SEE?”

And several people said, “what was wrong with your smile?”

To which I responded in shock, “the crooked. and the imperfection.”

And they said, “oh, i never noticed.”

And I walked away in bewilderment.

What I had perceived as this glaring imperfection had been all in my head. Sure, maybe someone had noticed the crooked tooth, but it didn’t matter to them. I’m not going to say that I regret having the work done because confidence is mostly about how you feel about yourself, and I felt like crap with my crooked tooth. Now, I’m full of smiles, and I love it.

BUT yesterday sparked some introspection. If I think back on my childhood or teen years, I can’t remember anyone making fun of my teeth. I remember one family member saying something, but that’s it. I formed my harsh judgments through simple observation of the world and my peers – “one of these things is not like the others.” My sister was the pretty one. By default, I was the ugly one. I remember thinking I could be pretty if only my teeth were straight. It makes me a wee bit sad realizing that I placed such pressure on myself and that I hated myself in that way for YEARS.

I wish I could have been kinder to myself. Why are we taught to tear ourselves down so harshly?

This is me crying. For good reason.