Emmy Laybourne's Blog, page 10
May 17, 2012
Tor.com story is live!
My friends,
The short story I wrote, “Dress Your Marines In White,” is live today on Tor.com. It’s a free short story pre-quel to Monument 14 and I’m very proud of it. It’s a titch violent, so brace yourself.
I’m proud of this piece for a couple reasons – the first is a writerly one – it’s my first major piece of fiction written in third person. In Monument 14 and in the sequel, Sky On FIre, I’ve relied on first person narrators. In a way, you can hide behind the vocabulary of your character when writing in first person. After all, my narrator Dean, only has so many words at his disposal and he talks like a kid.
Not so in third person. In third person, you are much more present as an author. You’ll find more of my voice, in a way, in this short story, than you do in my novels.
The second reason I’m proud is that I had to write this in a very, very short amount of time. Maybe that’s why it turned out so well, actually. I didn’t have time to doubt myself or second-guess my choices.
Please read the story and pimp it to anyone who might be interested. I’d LOVE to write more for Tor.com in the future, so getting a lot of hits on this would be fantastic!
May 14, 2012
Blog Tour Announced!
Hello Friends!
I have the schedule for my Blog Tour from my fantastic Digital Marketing guru Ksenia Winnicki over at Macmillan.
Please, won’t you tour with me! You’ll get to know my utterly engaging book and my sometimes delightful personality even better and you’ll find a whole bunch of bright, young bloggers, all out to help spread the word about YA fiction!
Sunday 6/3 http://carabosseslibrary.blogspot.com/
Monday 6/4 http://www.princessbookie.com/
Tuesday 6/5 http://www.gonewiththewords.com/
Wednesday 6/6 http://snarkymamma.blogspot.com/
Thursday 6/7 http://fireandicephoto.blogspot.com/
Friday 6/8 http://everafteresther.blogspot.com/
Saturday 6/9 http://www.hookedtobooks.com/
Sunday 6/10 http://bookbrats.blogspot.com/
Monday 6/11 http://withabook.blogspot.com/
Tuesday 6/12 http://www.emilysreadingroom.com/
Wednesday 6/13 http://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/
Thursday 6/14 http://proudbooknerd.com/
Friday 6/15 http://thisblondereads.wordpress.com/
Saturday 6/16 http://chickloveslit.com/
Sunday 6/17 http://marjoleinbookblog.blogspot.com/
Monday 6/18 http://readinginthecorner.blogspot.com/
May 3, 2012
L.A. Book Launch Party will be improv show
Hello friends,
The official launch party for Monument 14 will be held at Improv Olympic West on Monday, June 4th at 7 pm.
This party will actually be a show. I will read from the book based, I think, on page number suggestions from the audience and then a team of world-class, crackerjack improvisers including Sean Conroy, David Razowsky, Andy Secunda.
Details on other cast members (I’m out to some very exciting ones!) to come. While there’s no link to order tickets yet, please, for goodness sakes, save the date!
May 1, 2012
Leave Me Be available on iTunes
Oh my goodness gracious, we have a single on iTunes. It’ll cost you just short of a dollar, but Ava Anderson’s ripping vocals are worth it…
Here’s hard-rocking Ava:
Those of you who’ve read the book will understand it when I say that this is our dramatization of the song Sahalia sings during the memorial ceremony.
Those of you who’ve not yet read the book will just enjoy an awesome, if slightly short, song!
Composer Paul Libman and I recorded Ava Anderson and guitar player Alec Berlin at Madpan productions in NYC.
Now that’s the way to start the morning!
I sent in the rough draft of Monument 14 Book 2: Sky On Fire a couple weeks ago and today I got this message from my Editor, Jean Feiwel:
“I loved it. It’s thrilling. Still needs some fine tuning, but you did a great job.”
It’s a big relief. Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, Jeez Emmy, didn’t you have an idea they’d like it?”
No, I didn’t. It’s a little dark, Book 2. It’s a little scarier than I’d originally intended and I was worried they might not like it.
Also, when I handed in the first draft of Monument 14, Jean did no like it. No, no, no. And she was right. It was a weird draft – the first half was a roller coaster, adrenaline-pumping thrill ride, the second half was a meandering, high-brow novel. Painterly in tone. I ended up doing a complete re-write on the second half of Monument 14 and I’m glad for it.
Some writers, I think, are excessively critical on themselves. I have the opposite problem. I tend to think everything I write is great! This is a nice personality trait to have – it makes being an artist (of any kind) much easier if you tend to enjoy your own work, instead of despise it. However, if your mind runs in the direction of cock-eyed optimist, as mine doesn, you better find yourself a top-notch editor like Jean Feiwel.
Then, when she tells you it’s good, you know it’s actually good!
April 27, 2012
Book Trailer released!
Friends, I am so excited! Macmillan just released my book trailer. You can see it here at Paperbackdolls.com.
The trailer is an expansion of a moment in the book – a ceremony the kids hold to try to honor the dead.
Note Ava Anderson’s awesome voice.
Paperback dolls is also running a giveaway. All you have to do is leave a comment to enter to win a free copy of the book.
Please help me get the word out! I’m beyond thrilled with it.
April 25, 2012
Starred Review in PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
My friends, phew. That’s all I can say.
Until you get the first legit review, you just don’t have a sense of how your novel is going to go over. I’ve had a few blogger reviews, and I appreciate them very, very much, but man, it’s nice to have The Man give you a little nod. And that’s what I got yesterday.
Here’s the review:
Monument 14 Emmy Laybourne. Feiwel and Friends, $16.99 (304p) ISBN 978-0-312-56903-7
Actress/screenwriter Laybourne’s debut ably turns what could have been yet another postapocalyptic YA novel into a tense, claustrophobic, and fast-paced thriller. In the not-too-distant future, a sudden hailstorm—just one small part of a massive environmental cataclysm—forces 14 Colorado students on their way to school to take refuge in a superstore. Cut off from the previously ubiquitous Network (with only one old TV as an occasional information source), they must cope with the standard personality conflicts and also a biochemical weapon leak that causes behavioral shifts in some of the kids. Bookish Dean narrates, observing his own jealousies and concerns, as well as the way the popular kids—like football players Jake and Brayden, and diving champ Astrid—are forced to question their place in the new social order. Although violence (including a sexual assault) is pervasive, it’s rarely graphic and never gratuitous. Laybourne successfully develops a large cast of characters of assorted ages, and if the ending seems designed to tease a sequel, the story still stands well on its own. Ages 13–up. Agent: Susanna Einstein, Einstein Thompson Agency. (June)
Does my ending seem designed to tease a sequel? Good, cause I wrote a sequel. It’ll be out next June.
Thank you Publishers Weekly! I would kiss you, if you weren’t a magazine.
April 20, 2012
Monument 14 Companion Short Story Featured at Tor.com
Tor.com will be running a short story I’ve written called DRESS YOUR MARINES IN WHITE. I am really excited about this story – it’s a pre-quel episode, dating back to a year before the environmental catastrophes that take place during M14. I can’t decide if it’s more interesting to read it before you read the novel, or after. I hope after the book comes out – some readers will weigh in.
I LOVE the painting they made for the cover. It’s such an honor when someone takes your work and makes it live and breathe in a new way. Thank you Gregory Manchess.
April 5, 2012
Ava Anderson is AMAZING
Recorded Sahalia’s song Leave Me Be back in February at Uri Djemal’s Madpan productions in Manhattan. Paul Libman (the composer) and I were totally floored by Ava Anderson. Her voice is hard rocking, but also so emotionally sensitive. I thought she really nailed the character and the song.
The talented guitar player Alec Berlin played guitar on the track. There’s basically nothing that guy can’t play.
Recording a song in a studio makes me really wish I could go back in time and start a rock band. For now, I’ll have to content myself with writing lyrics for people like Ana and Alec to NAIL!
February 29, 2012
McMillian Sending Emmy On Tour!
I will be joining YA debut authors Jennifer Bosworth, Leigh Bardugo and Anna Banks for a two week tour. It’s pretty unheard of for debut novelists to get sent on the road like this so we’re PSYCHED! It’s called the FIERCE READS tour and you can read more about it here.
I’ve been getting to know my Fierce companions over twitter and facebook – I can tell we’re going to cause some real trouble in the cities we visit.
Here’s where we’re headed:
The Fierce Tour Schedule:
June 5, 7 p.m.: Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Bookshop (LaVerne, Calif.)
June 6, 7 p.m.: Mysterious Galaxy (San Diego, Calif.)
June 7, 7 p.m.: Books, Inc. (Opera Plaza, San Francisco, Calif.)
June 8, 3 p.m.: Copperfields (Petaluma, Calif.)
June 8, 7 p.m.: Kepler’s Books (Menlo Park, Calif.)
June 9, 6:30 p.m.: Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park, Wash.)
June 10, 4 p.m.: Village Books (Bellingham, Wash.)
June 11, 7 p.m.: Kings English (Salt Lake City, Utah)
June 12, 7 p.m.: Provo Library (Provo, Utah)
June 13, 7 p.m.: Blue Willow (Houston, Tex.)
June 14, 7 p.m.: Anderson’s Bookstore (Naperville, Ill.)
June 15, 6 p.m.: Schuler Books & Music (Lansing, Mich.)
June 16: Time TBD: Barnes & Noble (Pensacola, Fla.)
June 17, 4 p.m.: Oblong Books (Rhinebeck, N.Y.)
June 18, 6 p.m.: Books of Wonder (New York City)
That’s right, my friends, we’ll be ending the tour in the good old large apple. Anyone know of a good bar near Books of Wonder? (18 West 18 street)
