Rachele Alpine's Blog, page 17

What Happens Next - Colleen Clayton

A few summers ago I met Colleen Clayton at the Cleveland State University Imagination Writers Conference. We were both MFA students in the NEOMFA (which consists of four Ohio colleges working together...Colleen was at Youngstown, I was at Cleveland State), and we were both lovers of Young Adult literature. We hung out together that week talking about our favorite YA authors and our own books that we hoped to one day sell. Back then selling our books was just a dream.
But now, it's not a dream. Both of our books are being published (yay!) and Colleen is now able to reveal her AWESOME cover!

What Happens Next by Colleen ClaytonExpected publication: October 9, 2012Publisher: Poppy (Little Brown Books for Young Readers)YA Contemporary
I mean, seriously, does it not rock? I love how Sid looks like she's glowing!
It's contemporary YA, which is my number one love and takes place in Lakewood (the city I lived in for six years after college!). Here's the synopsis:
How can you talk about something you can't remember?

Before the ski trip, sixteen-year-old Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader, a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. When she ends up on a ski lift next to handsome local college boy, Dax Windsor, she's thrilled; but Dax takes everything from Sid - including a lock of her perfect red curls - and she can't remember any of it.

Back home and alienated by her friends, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey "The Living Stoner" Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy. Now, if she can just shake the nightmares and those few extra pounds, everything will be perfect... or so she thinks.

Humorous and thoughtful, Colleen Clayton's stunning debut is a moving exploration of one girl's triumph over tragedy.
Sounds awesome, right?
Why not go and add it to your Goodreads account?
Or even pre-order it! Barnes and NobleAmazon
I can't wait to read this!

False Spring

We've had weather in the high 70s this week in Cleveland (in CLEVELAND...this is unheard of!).
The dog and I have done lots of walking, we've been a'grilling, the summer clothes were brought up and my main squeezed mowed the lawn.
I thought this quote from one of my loves, Hemingway, was the perfect fit to this amazing weather.
"When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be the happiest."
~ From A Movable Feast
Where are you the happiest in the spring?
*A picture from my side yard of the bushes blooming!

A Book Pitch!

My book is going overseas to London in April to try to sell, sell, sell at the London YA Book Fair.
While I don't get to go with it (boo!), it will travel in a foreign rights guide and part of its belongs will be a book tagline. You see them more often on movie posters, but if you check out your favorite books, some of them have taglines on the cover.
Want to know mine????
If you stay quiet, your secret will destroy you.If you speak out, it will destroy everyone.
What do you think? Would you buy it?
Bon voyage, CANARY, and here's to some foreign sales!
*I'm hoping if CANARY has the chance, it will go visit Kate Middleton and bring back some of her amazing clothes!

Quick Survey

Fellow Lucky 13s author, Emma Pass, has a interesting (and quick!) survey (and contest!) up on her blog.

Take a second to visit and take it...the results should be interesting.

Thanks!

Author Bio...Yikes!

I need to submit my author bio to Medallion. It will go in my book and on their website.
I thought this would be easy, but it's hard! Real hard!
I'm trying to walk the fine line between funny and serious. I don't want it to be too plain old vanilla, but I don't want people to think I'm all crazy town.
I thought that since I've shared so much of my writing/the publishing process with you, I'd show you a draft of my bio.
What do you think? Be 100% honest (even if that means sending out annoymous comment)...I'd love to know what you think. Especially if it sounds like to much "funny" or "quirky."
Rachele Alpine is a lover of sushi, fake mustaches, and Michael Jackson. One of her first jobs was at a library, but it didn't last long, because all she did was hide up in the third floor stacks and read. Now she's a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. She's a high school English teacher by day and writer by night. The words don't come easily unless she has a big cup of coffee, a full bag of gummy peaches and the cutest dog in the world, Radley, sleeping by her side. Rachele lives with her husband in Cleveland, Ohio, but dreams of one day moving to Boston, the city she fell in love with while going to graduate school there. You can find her thoughts about pretty much everything at www.freckle-head.com.

When You Care Enough To Send The Very Best...The Hunger Games Edition

My Three Loves....

Coffee, knitting and Radley!

The Hunger Games: One Week!

How excited are you for The Hunger Games movie?

My students have been reading the books for the last two years and following all the movie information with me (we have a whole bulletin board plastered with movie pictures/articles in my classroom).
The libriarian and I contacted our local theatre and reserved their party room for the 3:40 showing next Friday. Any students who want to can buy a ticket to come watch it together, and then we'll feast on goodies and talk about how awesome the movie was after.
I'm planning on trying to make something creative to share with my students, although I'm not sure they'll look as good as these...

It should be a lot of fun!

Do you plan on seeing it?

What's In a Name?

I'm about 10,000 words into my middle grade novel and I've yet to name my two main characters.

I've scoured baby name websites, eyed up my class roosters and thought about past interactions with people, but nothing seems right for my characters.

Currently, I've been writing a lot about ---- and -----.

I kind of like the ring of it, right?

"Hello, my name is ----."

Doh!

How do you name your characters?

Live Life...

For most of life, nothing wonderful happens. If you don't enjoy getting up and working and finishing your work and sitting down to a meal with family or friends, then the chances are that you're not going to be very happy. If someone bases his happiness or unhappiness on major events like a great new job, huge amounts of money, a flawlessly happy marriage or a trip to Paris, that person isn't going to be happy much of the time. If, on the other hand, happiness depends on a good breakfast, flowers in the yard, a drink or a nap, then we are more likely to live with quite a bit of happiness.
~Andy Rooney