Susan Adrian's Blog, page 4

Thankful Tuesday: Readers

When I was struggling...for fifteen years, struggling...to get a book published, my husband would sometimes challenge me.  "Why are you doing this?" he would ask, always logical. "What is your goal?"

I'd sniff, and waffle around for a while: 'to get a big 5 contract' 'to see my book in stores', all sorts of things. But when it came down to it, I always ended at the same, deep goal: "I want other people to read and enjoy one of my stories."

That's it, in the end. I wanted people to read my stories. 

Fast forward to now, 3 months out from the release of my first book. It's easy--soooo easy--to get caught up in the stress of it: getting another deal, worrying about sales numbers and store placement and comparing. Sometimes I fall prey to it like everyone else. But when I do, I have a very simple strategy for overcoming the stress.

I go and look at Worldcat, and I see that my book, a story I wrote all from my own head, is in libraries. All across the country, across the world. Not only that--it's checked out, in lots of places. Hundreds of copies are checked out right now. It's in people's hands. And you know what that means?

People are reading my story. No matter the rest of it, no matter how many bookstores it's in or who bought it today, someone, somewhere, is probably reading it right now. That was my goal, my dream, and that is real now.

So I want to thank you, the most important people in this equation: the readers. Especially thank you to the ones who blog and review on Goodreads and Amazon and all that, who recommend and share with other people. I am so grateful to you for spreading the word. Thank you to the excited readers I've met at signings, to the ones who email their love. But also thank you to the kid who checked it out from the library yesterday, who's curled up with it on their couch tonight, who's sneak-reading it when they should be doing chores or homework. Even if you quietly close it at the end and smile, and never tell anyone.

Thank you for making my dream come true.

Announcement: YA SCAVENGER HUNT!

Hello Everyone!I’m so happy to announce that I'm participating in the Spring 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt!We have eight outstanding teams this season. I am going to be a part of #TeamGreen! The Scavenger Hunt runs from April 2nd through April 5th beginning and ending at noon Pacific time on those days. If you’ve never been a part of the hunt before you should give it a try. It's my first time! It runs like a giant blog hop, introducing you to new YA authors and books along the way. There are tons of prizes including a grand prize for each team. If you win one of the grand prizes you will get a book from each author on that team! For more information and to make sure you get hunt updates, sign up for news on the #YASH website. And...I will be hiding an exclusive never-before-revealed deleted scene from TUNNEL VISION. :) You don’t want to miss out on this fabulous and fun event, but play fast because the hunt is only live for three days.Here's my team!  I hope you are all as excited as I am!THE HUNT BEGINS 4/2/15!

Annoncement: YA SCAVENGER HUNT!

Hello Everyone!I’m so happy to announce that I'm participating in the Spring 2015 YA Scavenger Hunt!We have eight outstanding teams this season. I am going to be a part of #TeamGreen! The Scavenger Hunt runs from April 2nd through April 5th beginning and ending at noon Pacific time on those days. If you’ve never been a part of the hunt before you should give it a try. It's my first time! It runs like a giant blog hop, introducing you to new YA authors and books along the way. There are tons of prizes including a grand prize for each team. If you win one of the grand prizes you will get a book from each author on that team! For more information and to make sure you get hunt updates, sign up for news on the #YASH website. And...I will be hiding an exclusive never-before-revealed deleted scene from TUNNEL VISION. :) You don’t want to miss out on this fabulous and fun event, but play fast because the hunt is only live for three days.Here's my team!  I hope you are all as excited as I am!THE HUNT BEGINS 4/2/15!

Thankful Tuesday: Fellow Authors

I honestly couldn't do this--any of this, any one day of this--without the support of all the wonderful other authors I've met along this journey.Example A: The Tunnel Tour. If you go to the event page and look at the pictures on the right? I'm touring with (or planning on touring with) 25 other authors. TWENTY-FIVE very busy people who agreed to come and spend their valuable time and energy at a bookstore or library helping to support me and TUNNEL VISION. (And yes, fortunately they have fun and get publicity and sales out of it too, I HOPE!) They're amazing, all of them. This is not even counting all the authors who tweet/FB events, and come and hang out and talk and give me advice and are generally lovely.Example B: The big example: my acknowledgments in TUNNEL VISION!I know it's huge. I KNOW IT. Look at that amazing list of people. And I still forgot some, didn't have room for all, and have met new writer friends since!I'll let that list stand, though, because it says what I need to say.Thank you, writers. You cheer each other, root for each other, console each other, and make it so we can all do this crazy thing together. THANK YOU.Love,Susan

Thankful Tuesday: Bookstores

I spent much of the past week traveling for the TunnelTour, and most of that in bookstores. I am so, so grateful for bookstores. I love ebooks too, in a different way, but there is just SOMETHING special about walking into a real, live space dedicated to books, running your hand over the lovelies on the shelf, cracking one open to browse, and just looking at all the joy and adventure there waiting for you. (It also might have something to do with the fact that my husband and I both spent years managing bookstores, and that's where we met--they're important.)Bookstore people are wonderful, too. Over the past couple weeks I have been tremendously grateful to the bookstores and bookstore people who have carried my book, welcomed me with open arms, ordered it or brought it out for me to sign when I stopped by, or are working with me on an event. I have to do a shout-out to all of you. And to the bookstores who aren't on this list (yet), thank you to you too!! I wish I could visit all of you.THANK YOU to:Butte, Montana:
Books & Books: They are handling signed, personalized copies for me. If you want a signed copy and you're not near any of the other areas, contact them (booksbutte@booksbutte.com, 1-800-273-9520)
Hastings: The Butte Hastings generously brought books to my launch party to sell, and are hosting a hometown signing for me this Saturday (February 7) from 2-5 pm. They've been wonderful!Houston, Texas:
Barnes & Noble Champions Village: This B&N hosted my Houston signing with Joy Preble, Mary Lindsey, and Becky Wallace, and were so kind and enthusiastic. They have several signed copies in stock!
Barnes & Noble Westheimer: They have 1 signed copy!
Barnes & Noble Town & Country: They have 1 signed copy!
Blue Willow Bookshop: This is a fabulous indie that couldn't host this time, but are really fantastic. I left 3 signed copies with them!Seattle, Washington:
University Bookstore: Can't say enough about how welcoming and supportive they were for my signing with Lish McBride and Kendare Blake. I signed 20 copies for stock, and they will ship them for free!
The Elliott Bay Book Company:  They were sold out when I stopped by, but they have it back in now!
Seattle Mystery Bookshop : I was so excited to discover this place!San Diego, California:
Mysterious Galaxy:  This great bookstore--I used to go browse there when I lived in San Diego--is hosting the TunnelTour San Diego stop on February 17th, with Kiersten White, Stephanie Diaz, Shannon Messenger, and Maggie Hall. Can't wait!Pasadena, California:
Vroman's Bookstore:  Vroman's is hosting the L.A. TunnelTour March 12th, with Gretchen McNeil, Livia Blackburne, and Mary McCoy!Salt Lake City, Utah:
The King's English:  Hosting my March 20th event with Courtney Alameda, Jenn Johansson, and Valynne Maetani!Denver, Colorado:
The Tattered Cover: This event was just confirmed! March 21st at 2 pm, with NK Traver!Berkeley, California:
Mrs. Dalloway's Literary and Garden Arts: Hosting the Bay Area TunnelTour stop on March 24th, with Stacey Lee and Whitney Miller and...moderated by S.J. Kincaid!That's it for now, but I will definitely be updating my thankful-to list of bookstores as I continue to travel around and add events. A huge thank you to all of these great stores!

Thankful Tuesday

HI ALL!

It's been a week since TUNNEL VISION released, and wow! What a ride! I had a successful, amazingly fun launch party with my hometown crowd, family and friends. I got to have the first stop of the Tunnel Tour in Houston, with the fabulous Becky Wallace, Joy Preble, and Mary Lindsey. And I saw such a wonderful outpouring of support from friends and readers online. THANK YOU!!

Today I want to start a (hopefully) (at least for a while) weekly series on people or places or things I'm thankful for, and today's shout-out is to LIBRARIES. One of the highlights this week has been peeking at WorldCat and seeing all the far-flung, big and small libraries my book has made it to, seeing it on the "holds" shelf, dancing when I see it checked out. THANK YOU to all the libraries who ordered TUNNEL VISION, who work to get books into the hands of teens and all kinds of readers every day. Here's a call-out to a few of the libraries I saw on that list, randomly chosen! But thank you ALL.

--Eagle Valley Public Library, Eagle, Colorado
--McConnell Air Force Base Library, McConnell AFB, Kansas
--Plano Public Library, Plano, Texas
--Santa Monica Public Library, Santa Monica, California
--Glen Ellyn Public Library, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
--Mishawaka Penn Harris Public Library, Mishawaka, Indiana
--Boca Raton Public Library, Boca Raton, Florida
--Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, New York
--Minuteman Library Network, Natick, Massachussetts
--Horowhenua Library Trust, Levin, New Zealand

Don't forget libraries when you're looking for books! And support your local library!

Hi all!Getting CLOSE now. One week until TUNNEL VISION is...

Hi all!

Getting CLOSE now. One week until TUNNEL VISION is out!

In the meantime, a couple things to get you ready for January 20th:

1. RELEASE DAY CHUCKS!                          
































 
2. BLOG TOUR! TUNNEL VISION is going traveling. There will be reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways. Get ready to check out these fabulous sites next week:


Date Blog Tuesday, January 20th Fiktshun Wednesday, January 21st A Dream Within A Dream Thursday, January 22nd Books, Bones & Buffy Friday, January 23rd The Young Folks Saturday, January 24th Dani’s Book Nirvana Sunday, January 25th Lit Bites Monday, January 26th Unbound Books Tuesday, January 27th Jessabella Reads Wednesday, January 28th Word Spelunker Thursday, January 29th Journey Through Fiction Friday, January 30th The Write Path Saturday, January 31st Bibliophilia, Please Sunday, February 1st Lindsay Cummings Books Monday, February 2nd My Guilty Obsession 

TUNNEL VISION soundtrack

It's kind of a thing for authors to release a playlist for YA books, something they listened to while they wrote, or that inspired them.

I went a step further with TUNNEL VISION: I call it a soundtrack.

Each chapter of TUNNEL VISION lists a song as the chapter heading. The songs and genres vary wildly, from The Clash to Dave Matthews to Blues Traveler to Ray Charles. Each song is closely tied to the chapter in some way, relating to the action, the dialogue, or most often the emotion.

I started the soundtrack early on, when I realized how visual this book is, and wanted "background music" to go with a scene. I started putting it together as I wrote, listening to it over and over to put me in the mood, adding new titles as I wrote new chapters. I only chose music I thought Jake would choose himself. Some of it is very specific to him (and not me), like the soundtrack "Revenge" from Call of Duty: Black Ops.

To celebrate that TUNNEL VISION releases on January 20th, just under a month, I made a playlist of the TUNNEL VISION soundtrack on Spotify. You can get a taste of Jake's story now, and see how each song relates to the chapter when it comes out!

TUNNEL VISION Soundtrack

Hope you enjoy, and share!

Terrible Alternate Titles to TUNNEL VISION

This is fun. My fabulous fellow Fearless Fifteener debut Aisha Saeed (WRITTEN IN THE STARS, March 24, 2015) tagged me in the "Terrible Titles" blog hop! 

The rule is simple: Scroll through your manuscript and stop on random place. Whatever you land on becomes one of eight terrible titles. 

So here we go! This made me LAUGH. Eight terrible titles that could have been the title of TUNNEL VISION, pulled at random—I picked the first short sentence I saw when I stopped scrolling:
1. And Still Not a Video Game2. How Much Did She See?3. I Sure as Hell Want To4. And Whatever Comes After That5. That Surprises Him6. It's Simple7. I Think It's Time for an Afternoon Nap8. Crazy, I Guess
I gotta say, a couple of those are fabulous. Can't you see some of them as titles?
I tag five more Fifteener debuts, the first ones I saw on Twitter:
K.E. Ormsbee,author of THE WATER AND THE WILDDhonielleClayton, author of TINY PRETTY THINGSLaura Tims,author of PLEASE DON'T TELLFrancesca Zappia, author of MADE YOU UPMaya Rock,author of SCRIPTED

Reviews and Tours, Oh My!

So apparently this book thing is actually going to HAPPEN!!
Reviews for TUNNEL VISION have been pouring in the past couple of weeks! So far, so good! In fact, really good. I'm so excited! Check them out:

"An exciting plot paired with a sympathetic protagonist makes for a roller-coaster adventure that asks some big moral questions: Is it ethical to tunnel into another person’s mind, even to do good? Which is more important, the individual or the country? The action moves at a quick pace that fans of adventure fiction will appreciate while still leaving room for deeper contemplation. Danger, intrigue, a dash of romance, and a good, hard look at ethical dilemmas—a pretty complete package. —Kirkus Reviews (full review)

 "Debut author Adrian offers a refreshing spin on the suspenseful spy novel with brisk scenes, adrenaline-fueled cliffhangers, and a sympathetic protagonist. There is much to savor in this thriller.” —Publisher’s Weekly 

"Jake Lukin has a secret talent: if he holds an object that belongs to a person, he can instantaneously "tunnel" to that person—envisioning them physically, pinpointing their location, seeing what they see, feeling what they feel. After Jake reveals his skill at a high school party, he quickly finds himself on the run from government agents who would harness his talents for their own purposes. This YA novel is a heart-racing thriller set at full throttle from the opening page, and it never decelerates. Fans of Cory Doctorow and Anthony Horowitz will consume this title with a passion and will excitedly anticipate a sequel."—Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL, School Library Journal 

"Adrian has crafted a tension-packed spy novel about a likable teen with a special power and his equally likable family and friends. Twists of plot, kids outsmarting the bad guys, and a relatively low-tech but fascinating superpower ratchet up the action to a bizarre conclusion that begs a sequel. With a grandfather that would make Richard Peck or Joan Bauer proud, and government goons, male and female, who morph between good and evil with a single look or comment, this is a must-read." —Booklist

ALSO, I just posted the first batch of events for...THE TUNNEL TOUR! I'm joining with fantastic YA authors all over! So far: Butte, Seattle, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and San Diego, with more to come! Keep up on my events page here: http://www.susanadrian.net/events/