Susan Adrian's Blog, page 6
September 13, 2013
15 is a good number
It has been an interesting couple of days.
I have not-great news. And good news! And the not-great news makes the good news possible, so it all works out.
Not-great news: the release date for TUNNEL VISION has been moved a few months, to early 2015. I think this is actually a good thing for the book, but you will have to WAIT a little longer. Sorry!
But because the few months' bump put me into 2015, I am no longer really part of the OneFourKidLit group I've been hanging out in. And I found out there wasn't a new group already there for 2015.
So, being me, I'm creating one!
All I know so far is the name: Fearless Fifteeners.
This group will be for YA and MG authors, traditionally published, not previously published or self-published, and debuting in 2015.
If you fit these categories and would like to be an admin/help organize the group, please let me know ASAP (fearlessfifteeners@yahoo.com)
If you fit these categories and would like to join the group as a member, please hold off for a bit, but watch this space/my social media. It'll hopefully be soon!
Because we are FEARLESS. :)
I have not-great news. And good news! And the not-great news makes the good news possible, so it all works out.
Not-great news: the release date for TUNNEL VISION has been moved a few months, to early 2015. I think this is actually a good thing for the book, but you will have to WAIT a little longer. Sorry!
But because the few months' bump put me into 2015, I am no longer really part of the OneFourKidLit group I've been hanging out in. And I found out there wasn't a new group already there for 2015.
So, being me, I'm creating one!
All I know so far is the name: Fearless Fifteeners.
This group will be for YA and MG authors, traditionally published, not previously published or self-published, and debuting in 2015.
If you fit these categories and would like to be an admin/help organize the group, please let me know ASAP (fearlessfifteeners@yahoo.com)
If you fit these categories and would like to join the group as a member, please hold off for a bit, but watch this space/my social media. It'll hopefully be soon!
Because we are FEARLESS. :)
August 29, 2013
Next Big Thing Blog Hop: NUTCRACKED
So has anyone been a little bit curious about this mysterious middle-grade I've been working on? :)
ANSWERS ARE HERE. Today I'm participating in the Next Big Thing blog hop. The blog hop is a series of questions for authors to talk about what they have in the works. I was tagged by Robin Constantine!
1. What is the working title of your next book?NUTCRACKED
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?NUTCRACKED is about a girl who gets to play Clara in the Nutcracker. I was fortunate enough to get to be Clara myself when I was 13, and I knew someday I'd want to write about that experience. Of course I didn't have magical adventures like Georgie does (unfortunately).
3. In what genre does your book fall?Middle grade, magical realism.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in the movie rendition?Oh! I have no idea, sorry. I've never been good at that. But the little girl in this picture looks like my main character, Georgie, to me.
(photo by Tracie Taylor, tracietaylorphotography.tumblr.com)
5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?Two sentences. This is my first stab at it, so I cheated a little.
Twelve-year-old Georgie gets her dreamed-for role of Clara in the Nutcracker ballet, but her best friend doesn't…and then Georgie manages to lose her director's heirloom Nutcracker, triggering long-buried magic. Can she solve the magical clues to get the Nutcracker back, save her show, and hang on to her friendship, while rehearsing ten hours a week?
6. Who is publishing your book?This one is going out on submission in the next month or two! Wish me luck! (Um…and if you're an editor, please let me or Kate know if you want to be on the sub list. J)
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?About 3 months. Though there have been several drafts since then! It's changed tremendously.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?I've been really going for the classic, old-school middle grade feel, like BALLET SHOES by Noel Streatfeild, or the magic in A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? Molly O'Neill, formerly at Harper Collins, told me on Twitter to go ahead and write it when I said I wanted to write a Nutcracker book someday. Quote: "Write it. Write it NOW." J
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I couldn't jam it into the synopsis, but another major piece of the book is the development of Georgie's friendship with a boy named Noah, who ends up becoming her partner in the magical adventures. Georgie's dad is a high school football coach, so there's also a touch of football, and the rest of her big family. And cats!
So what do you think? It really couldn't be more different from TUNNEL VISION, but I am so, so excited about it. They're both completely me, in different ways.
And now on to the next two writers!! I've tagged two fellow One Four Kid Lit authors to participate:Michelle KrysMaria Andreu
ANSWERS ARE HERE. Today I'm participating in the Next Big Thing blog hop. The blog hop is a series of questions for authors to talk about what they have in the works. I was tagged by Robin Constantine!
1. What is the working title of your next book?NUTCRACKED
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?NUTCRACKED is about a girl who gets to play Clara in the Nutcracker. I was fortunate enough to get to be Clara myself when I was 13, and I knew someday I'd want to write about that experience. Of course I didn't have magical adventures like Georgie does (unfortunately).
3. In what genre does your book fall?Middle grade, magical realism.
4. What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in the movie rendition?Oh! I have no idea, sorry. I've never been good at that. But the little girl in this picture looks like my main character, Georgie, to me.
(photo by Tracie Taylor, tracietaylorphotography.tumblr.com)5. What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?Two sentences. This is my first stab at it, so I cheated a little.
Twelve-year-old Georgie gets her dreamed-for role of Clara in the Nutcracker ballet, but her best friend doesn't…and then Georgie manages to lose her director's heirloom Nutcracker, triggering long-buried magic. Can she solve the magical clues to get the Nutcracker back, save her show, and hang on to her friendship, while rehearsing ten hours a week?
6. Who is publishing your book?This one is going out on submission in the next month or two! Wish me luck! (Um…and if you're an editor, please let me or Kate know if you want to be on the sub list. J)
7. How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?About 3 months. Though there have been several drafts since then! It's changed tremendously.
8. What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?I've been really going for the classic, old-school middle grade feel, like BALLET SHOES by Noel Streatfeild, or the magic in A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book? Molly O'Neill, formerly at Harper Collins, told me on Twitter to go ahead and write it when I said I wanted to write a Nutcracker book someday. Quote: "Write it. Write it NOW." J
10. What else about the book might pique the reader’s interest?
I couldn't jam it into the synopsis, but another major piece of the book is the development of Georgie's friendship with a boy named Noah, who ends up becoming her partner in the magical adventures. Georgie's dad is a high school football coach, so there's also a touch of football, and the rest of her big family. And cats!
So what do you think? It really couldn't be more different from TUNNEL VISION, but I am so, so excited about it. They're both completely me, in different ways.
And now on to the next two writers!! I've tagged two fellow One Four Kid Lit authors to participate:Michelle KrysMaria Andreu
August 21, 2013
The Importance of Writing Heroes
I was recently asked for a list of my favorite authors. If you're a voracious reader, much less a writer, that's an almost impossible task, right? Like what movies I like best or which kind of dessert is my favorite. ALL OF THEM, SILLY. (It's even worse because I have so many author friends. I feel horrible leaving anyone off.)
So I redefined the question in my head, and it snapped clear. Who are my writing heroes? Yes, there are SO MANY authors whose books I love to read. But there are only a few who somehow, for indefinable reasons, got under my skin. Most of them are authors I read early on (surprise surprise, kidlit author here), but a couple I didn't meet until high school or college. Still, they're on the list. I read everything (or almost everything) they wrote. I read their books over and over. I memorized pieces of their books, bought collections, moved Every Single Book from home to dorm room to apartment to other apartments to house. I've read their books with my daughter, or I will. I fangirl them. They are, each of them, part of the reason I write, part of the reason I thought it was possible to write. I even type their names with a touch of reverence.
Madeleine L'Engle
L.M. Montgomery
Susan Cooper
Mary Stewart
Douglas Adams
(and yes, Jane Austen)
Sadly, I missed the chance to meet most of them, or write to them, to express in some way how very much their books meant to me. Only two on that list are still living.
I'd rather thought of all of them as unreachable...not instantly accessible, certainly, in the way authors are now. But a couple years ago, when I was at my very lowest writing point--I'd quit writing, and was thinking of leaving my agent, and was despairing a fair bit--I discovered that a good friend of mine (Vicki Pettersson) shared an editor with Mary Stewart. And more amazingly, I could write a letter to Mary Stewart (who was in her 90s), and the editor would pass it on for me. (Thanks, Diana Gill!)
I wrote one. I poured out how much I'd loved her books, how they'd gotten me through all sorts of times...how much she'd touched me with her stories. I told her I wanted to be a writer, but I was struggling, but she was still an example for me. I sent it off, glad I'd told her at least.
I was absolutely floored when she wrote back.
It's probably hard to read, but that last line, there? Says "Good luck with your writing!"
It's a simple note, but I cried as I read it, it meant so much. Just that I'd made contact with one of my heroes, and that she'd reached back. I keep the letter, still, in my jewelry box as one of my treasures. And I wrote another book, left my agent, got another one, and eventually sold the book. I can't say it was all due to her letter--the book dragged me back in, really--but it helped, that encouragement.
So when I saw that Susan Cooper was going to be at Book Expo America this June in New York City, I booked my ticket. I went to BEA for other reasons too, meeting my editor and agent, meeting up with friends, networking, all that good stuff. But I really went, underneath, to MEET SUSAN COOPER.
I was first in line, an hour before. I held the sign for her line. And then this happened:
If I look a little giddy, I WAS. But I managed to be coherent enough to tell her that her books are part of the reason I became a writer. She replied, graciously, "That's the best thing a writer can hear from another writer." I grinned, I'm sure.
I think maybe it's important to have writing heroes, people you admire and respect and whose work you devour, who aren't quite on the same level as you, on Twitter every day and instantly accessible. Or maybe it doesn't really matter HOW readers connect with those heroes, just that somehow, sometimes, it happens, and the authors reach back. As an author, I never expect to be anybody's hero. But I do plan to reach back if anybody reaches out to me.
Who are your writing heroes? Who would you love to meet, or who were you lucky enough to meet or contact (and squee over?)
So I redefined the question in my head, and it snapped clear. Who are my writing heroes? Yes, there are SO MANY authors whose books I love to read. But there are only a few who somehow, for indefinable reasons, got under my skin. Most of them are authors I read early on (surprise surprise, kidlit author here), but a couple I didn't meet until high school or college. Still, they're on the list. I read everything (or almost everything) they wrote. I read their books over and over. I memorized pieces of their books, bought collections, moved Every Single Book from home to dorm room to apartment to other apartments to house. I've read their books with my daughter, or I will. I fangirl them. They are, each of them, part of the reason I write, part of the reason I thought it was possible to write. I even type their names with a touch of reverence.
Madeleine L'Engle
L.M. Montgomery
Susan Cooper
Mary Stewart
Douglas Adams
(and yes, Jane Austen)
Sadly, I missed the chance to meet most of them, or write to them, to express in some way how very much their books meant to me. Only two on that list are still living.
I'd rather thought of all of them as unreachable...not instantly accessible, certainly, in the way authors are now. But a couple years ago, when I was at my very lowest writing point--I'd quit writing, and was thinking of leaving my agent, and was despairing a fair bit--I discovered that a good friend of mine (Vicki Pettersson) shared an editor with Mary Stewart. And more amazingly, I could write a letter to Mary Stewart (who was in her 90s), and the editor would pass it on for me. (Thanks, Diana Gill!)
I wrote one. I poured out how much I'd loved her books, how they'd gotten me through all sorts of times...how much she'd touched me with her stories. I told her I wanted to be a writer, but I was struggling, but she was still an example for me. I sent it off, glad I'd told her at least.
I was absolutely floored when she wrote back.
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It's probably hard to read, but that last line, there? Says "Good luck with your writing!"
It's a simple note, but I cried as I read it, it meant so much. Just that I'd made contact with one of my heroes, and that she'd reached back. I keep the letter, still, in my jewelry box as one of my treasures. And I wrote another book, left my agent, got another one, and eventually sold the book. I can't say it was all due to her letter--the book dragged me back in, really--but it helped, that encouragement.
So when I saw that Susan Cooper was going to be at Book Expo America this June in New York City, I booked my ticket. I went to BEA for other reasons too, meeting my editor and agent, meeting up with friends, networking, all that good stuff. But I really went, underneath, to MEET SUSAN COOPER.
I was first in line, an hour before. I held the sign for her line. And then this happened:
If I look a little giddy, I WAS. But I managed to be coherent enough to tell her that her books are part of the reason I became a writer. She replied, graciously, "That's the best thing a writer can hear from another writer." I grinned, I'm sure.
I think maybe it's important to have writing heroes, people you admire and respect and whose work you devour, who aren't quite on the same level as you, on Twitter every day and instantly accessible. Or maybe it doesn't really matter HOW readers connect with those heroes, just that somehow, sometimes, it happens, and the authors reach back. As an author, I never expect to be anybody's hero. But I do plan to reach back if anybody reaches out to me.
Who are your writing heroes? Who would you love to meet, or who were you lucky enough to meet or contact (and squee over?)
June 20, 2013
A little more TUNNEL news
HI AGAIN.
I can't believe I haven't actually posted since the sale announcement. It's just--well, things change after a sale. Quickly, sometimes! I went to New York for BEA (I swear I will post pictures of that), and it was amazing, but one of the best parts was getting to meet with my agent and my editor (in the Flatiron Building!) and talk about all things book-related. Of course, I came out of that meeting with revisions to do, and a deadline. So that's what I've been up to, basically. You can catch me on Twitter still, but the blog may be light until revisions are turned in. The great thing is working on THE TUNNEL again is making me absolutely giddy. I'd forgotten quite how much I really love these characters, so it's a joy to be able to be there with Jake again.
AND...my fabulous TUNNEL team is growing!! I am so happy to announce that film/tv rights for THE TUNNEL are now represented by Jon Cassir, of Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
And yes, this does all get very surreal occasionally, thank you for asking. And yet ALL GOOD.
Hope you all are well and having a great summer. If you'll excuse me, I have some revisions to get to...
I can't believe I haven't actually posted since the sale announcement. It's just--well, things change after a sale. Quickly, sometimes! I went to New York for BEA (I swear I will post pictures of that), and it was amazing, but one of the best parts was getting to meet with my agent and my editor (in the Flatiron Building!) and talk about all things book-related. Of course, I came out of that meeting with revisions to do, and a deadline. So that's what I've been up to, basically. You can catch me on Twitter still, but the blog may be light until revisions are turned in. The great thing is working on THE TUNNEL again is making me absolutely giddy. I'd forgotten quite how much I really love these characters, so it's a joy to be able to be there with Jake again.
AND...my fabulous TUNNEL team is growing!! I am so happy to announce that film/tv rights for THE TUNNEL are now represented by Jon Cassir, of Creative Artists Agency in Hollywood.
And yes, this does all get very surreal occasionally, thank you for asking. And yet ALL GOOD.
Hope you all are well and having a great summer. If you'll excuse me, I have some revisions to get to...
May 13, 2013
NEWS!!! for THE TUNNEL
HI.
*tries to act cool and relaxed and...*
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I can't do it. I can't act cool and relaxed anymore!!
So about a year ago, Nova Ren Suma very kindly hosted my Turning Point story on her blog--about how I quit writing out of sheer frustration (10 years of trying and banging my head against a wall), but a story saved me and brought me back. The full post is here, on Nova's blog.
THE TUNNEL is a book of my heart, a story I kept in my head and told only to myself for two months, until it finally poured out of me. It's a thriller, and a spy story, but it's also about family and love and self-sacrifice, with gaming and chases and secrets thrown in. Jake, the main character, lives in my head to a startling degree. I said in the end of that Turning Points post that I hoped you'd be able to read the book someday too.
GUESS WHAT??? YOU WILL!!!!!
I am so, so over-the-moon thrilled to announce that THE TUNNEL is going to be published by Brendan Deneen at Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press), in 2014!! Here's the announcement from today's Publisher's Weekly:
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (there are not enough exclamation points)
Traditionally, we do the Snoopy Dance on this blog for good news:
But today I went one step further. In honor of Sparky, Thomas Dunne's mascot and colophon, I give you the Sparky Dance:
I am also like THIS:
HUGE thank yous to both Brendan, for believing in the book, and my unstoppable agent, Kate Schafer Testerman, for NEVER giving up. Also to Team Sparkle, who have been there at my back forever, and the Sub Club for handling all the daily angst. And, you know, my family for living with the crazy.
I am ecstatic to be working with Brendan on this. He absolutely GETS the book, and Jake, and he fought hard for the book already. I can't wait to dive back into this world again with him!
A friend told me recently that success would be all the sweeter for how long and rough the journey has been. Guys, I've been writing fiction off and on since 2000. I've been seriously writing with a goal of publication since 2003. That's 10 years of trying, and writing different books, and trying again, and watching this happen for so many other dear friends (I LOVE YOU GUYS), and writing and quitting and writing again. It finally happened. I finally got to write this post. IT IS SWEETER. IT IS AWESOME.
AND THE TUNNEL WILL BE ON THE SHELVES NEXT YEAR, OMG.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~! I hope you guys all join me on this journey!
*tries to act cool and relaxed and...*
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!
I can't do it. I can't act cool and relaxed anymore!!
So about a year ago, Nova Ren Suma very kindly hosted my Turning Point story on her blog--about how I quit writing out of sheer frustration (10 years of trying and banging my head against a wall), but a story saved me and brought me back. The full post is here, on Nova's blog.
THE TUNNEL is a book of my heart, a story I kept in my head and told only to myself for two months, until it finally poured out of me. It's a thriller, and a spy story, but it's also about family and love and self-sacrifice, with gaming and chases and secrets thrown in. Jake, the main character, lives in my head to a startling degree. I said in the end of that Turning Points post that I hoped you'd be able to read the book someday too.
GUESS WHAT??? YOU WILL!!!!!
I am so, so over-the-moon thrilled to announce that THE TUNNEL is going to be published by Brendan Deneen at Thomas Dunne Books (St. Martin's Press), in 2014!! Here's the announcement from today's Publisher's Weekly:
In a second deal coming out of St. Martin’s Press this week, Brendan Deneen bought world English rights to Susan Adrian’s debut, The Tunnel. The YA thriller, which Kate Schafer Testerman at kt literary sold, is set for a summer 2014 release. In the novel, a teenage boy who has a power he calls tunneling—he can decipher where anyone in the world is (and what they’re doing) by holding something they own—is brought to the attention of the U.S. government. Adrian, a former ballerina, lives in Montana.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (there are not enough exclamation points)
Traditionally, we do the Snoopy Dance on this blog for good news:
But today I went one step further. In honor of Sparky, Thomas Dunne's mascot and colophon, I give you the Sparky Dance:
I am also like THIS:
HUGE thank yous to both Brendan, for believing in the book, and my unstoppable agent, Kate Schafer Testerman, for NEVER giving up. Also to Team Sparkle, who have been there at my back forever, and the Sub Club for handling all the daily angst. And, you know, my family for living with the crazy.
I am ecstatic to be working with Brendan on this. He absolutely GETS the book, and Jake, and he fought hard for the book already. I can't wait to dive back into this world again with him!
A friend told me recently that success would be all the sweeter for how long and rough the journey has been. Guys, I've been writing fiction off and on since 2000. I've been seriously writing with a goal of publication since 2003. That's 10 years of trying, and writing different books, and trying again, and watching this happen for so many other dear friends (I LOVE YOU GUYS), and writing and quitting and writing again. It finally happened. I finally got to write this post. IT IS SWEETER. IT IS AWESOME.
AND THE TUNNEL WILL BE ON THE SHELVES NEXT YEAR, OMG.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~! I hope you guys all join me on this journey!
May 6, 2013
Blatherings
Sometimes I picture blog readers tilting their heads and saying WHY SO QUIET, SUSAN?
But then I realize it's not exactly like blog readers are pounding on my door waiting for a post--there are Plenty of Things to Read on the Internet--so I don't worry about it too much. Besides, I'm on Twitter and Facebook all over the place! And Tumblr, though I still don't know what I'm doing over there.
Anyway. The lull is over, and I'm back at work on one of my books. I'm doing a half re-write, half re-do from scratch, so it is INTERESTING. And hard. And scary. And fun, all at the same time. All of you know what I mean.
Yesterday it finally got warm again, so all of Montana is tentatively excited about the possibility of us maybe having a bit of Spring. At least for a few days. Perhaps tonight I will even take my laptop out into the yard and write outside for a bit! *big plans*
I'm reading only classic middle-grade books at the moment to keep my head in the right place, which is (a) awesome and (b) sad for all the fabulous YA books I bought and can only stare at. But BALLET SHOES: still crazy perfect.
Oh, and I'm going to be at BEA in New York in a few weeks. Anyone else going?
/end of random update
Love! Wishing you Spring and good books, whether you're writing or reading them!
But then I realize it's not exactly like blog readers are pounding on my door waiting for a post--there are Plenty of Things to Read on the Internet--so I don't worry about it too much. Besides, I'm on Twitter and Facebook all over the place! And Tumblr, though I still don't know what I'm doing over there.
Anyway. The lull is over, and I'm back at work on one of my books. I'm doing a half re-write, half re-do from scratch, so it is INTERESTING. And hard. And scary. And fun, all at the same time. All of you know what I mean.
Yesterday it finally got warm again, so all of Montana is tentatively excited about the possibility of us maybe having a bit of Spring. At least for a few days. Perhaps tonight I will even take my laptop out into the yard and write outside for a bit! *big plans*
I'm reading only classic middle-grade books at the moment to keep my head in the right place, which is (a) awesome and (b) sad for all the fabulous YA books I bought and can only stare at. But BALLET SHOES: still crazy perfect.
Oh, and I'm going to be at BEA in New York in a few weeks. Anyone else going?
/end of random update
Love! Wishing you Spring and good books, whether you're writing or reading them!
March 21, 2013
Haunted at 17
Today is the release of my good friend Nova Ren Suma's new book, 17 & Gone! Look at the gorgeousness!I've been waiting to read this one for a LONG time. Nova's books always touch me deeply. To celebrate her release, she's been running a series of posts from fellow authors called "Haunted at 17". I've been reading them with great interest, and debating for a couple days, but in the end I couldn't help but join in. For Nova. :)
*****
At 17, I was haunted by change.
I read a website somewhere that lists major causes of life stress--divorce, marriage, moving houses, major job or life change. I hit most of them within a few months when I was 17.
Susan at 17I've been fascinated, reading all these other posts, at how others documented their experiences, in journals, online. Not surprising, I guess--we are all writers. But I didn't document anything then. I'd had something pretty horrible happen when I was 13, that broke me for a while. (I'm so glad this is not Haunted at 13! I wouldn't be able to do it!) After that I didn't write things down, not for a long time. I kept things in. I kept myself in, private, hidden. Or I let myself out in ways that were still "safe": ballet first, then acting. I didn't want to keep a record of any of it.But the funny thing is, time helps. By the time I was 17 I was starting to come out of the horribleness. I made real, strong friends in that year, finally, friends I could be open with. My mom was happy again. At the end of my senior year (I was always a grade ahead, so I graduated at 17), I went on a trip to Europe with those friends, and had a great time. My mom and her fiancee moved houses while I was gone, so when I came back it was to a totally different house.
I still have dreams about my childhood house. I wonder sometimes if it's because I didn't say goodbye to it properly.
Anyway. That summer my mom got married again, to a man who's been a better father to me than mine ever was. I was a bridesmaid in their wedding. I started college in the fall, at a good, huge school.
So what was wrong? The change.
I'd spent all that time coming back. Getting my feet under me, trying to realize that it was okay, that *I* was okay. That my life probably wasn't going to reverse in an instant again like that. I'd built friendships and helped my mom rebuild herself, and managed to get through high school. And now I had to start ALL over. Be an adult, stand on my own.
I had no belief that I could do it. I didn't have a lot of self-confidence, and what I did was fragile, and false.
I didn't know that college would turn out all right, in the end. It did, of course, after a couple years of floundering.
I didn't know that I'd have trouble finding a job after, but it'd be okay.
I didn't know that I'd meet my husband 5 years later, move in with him in 3 months, get engaged 3 months after that, we were so SURE. Or that we'd still be married 20 years later, with a beautiful, smart 11-year-old daughter.
I didn't know I'd be a writer.
I didn't know any of that, because that's the point of being 17. It's all uncertainty, and fear, and hope, and dreams. And change.
March 8, 2013
Books of Awesomeness
HELLO.
*waves dramatically*
So...I am now in a lull. My life, both writing and non-writing, always goes like this. I have a massive pile of Things, Reports and Books and such, and I work frantically trying to juggle it all and get it all done and turned in and check things off, and I make or come close to making those deadlines, and then...
It all falls off, for a week or two. In both work and writing I've turned everything over to others, and I'm waiting for them to be able to read/proof/evaluate and hand it back to me.
*looks out window*
*taps pencil*
*clears throat*
*looks out window again*
Can I admit I'm much better at juggling lots of things than not having enough to do? The first couple days are all YEAH I'M FREE LET'S READ ALL THE BOOKS AND WATCH ALL THE TV and then about a week in I'm good with having free time and ready to work hard again.
However, let's pick up that "read all the books" part, because in the week and a half or so I've managed to read THREE amazing books, amazing in totally different ways, so I thought I should take the (vast quantities of) time I have at the moment and post about them! Yes! Let's go! In the order in which I read them:
THE REECE MALCOLM LIST by Amy Spalding
I am listening to Pandora as I type this, and it's gone from COMPANY to ANYTHING GOES to SOUND OF MUSIC, which is just about perfect, I think. THE REECE MALCOLM LIST is a wonderful exploration of a girl's search for her place in life--through her relationship with her unknown mother, but also in school and with boys--but it also has great references to musicals and show people that my nerdy musical-loving teenager (and adult) self loved. The voice is spot-on, all at once funny and self-deprecating and yearning. I highly recommend.
THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH by Maureen Johnson
I'm a Maureen Johnson fan. I honestly don't know how any YA author could NOT be a Maureen Johnson fan. She's such an advocate for teens, kidlit writers, and the industry, plus she's ridiculously funny. I've read most of Maureen's books, and I've enjoyed them. But these last two books, the Shades of London series, have hit an absolute sweet spot with me. The writing is impeccable, the voice clear and engaging, and the subject...private British school, ghost hunting, entwined with Jack the Ripper? Yeah. I've sucked them both up with passion. This book is the rare second book that is as good as the first one...and I will NOT spoil, but she killed me with the end. In a good way...mostly. Read THE NAME OF THE STAR first, but have this one handy for the second you're done.
THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab
Just...wow. You guys. Victoria's a longtime friend and all, so I was really hoping I'd love this, but OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The concept...I don't even want to spoil it for you! Let's say it involves a totally new concept of the afterlife, with new jobs and dangers and mythology, that I was completely entranced by. Victoria's writing is breathtaking, and the characters are still in my head several days later. I want more of them and the world, ASAP. There can't be a much stronger recommendation than that.
Here's where I'd usually give one of them away, but honestly I can't bear to part with any of these. I am SORRY. But please BUY THEM FOR YOURSELF AND LOVE THEM TOO.
Next on my to-read list: Laini Taylor's DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT. Hopefully I'll be able to add it to the books of awesome list too!
*waves dramatically*
So...I am now in a lull. My life, both writing and non-writing, always goes like this. I have a massive pile of Things, Reports and Books and such, and I work frantically trying to juggle it all and get it all done and turned in and check things off, and I make or come close to making those deadlines, and then...
It all falls off, for a week or two. In both work and writing I've turned everything over to others, and I'm waiting for them to be able to read/proof/evaluate and hand it back to me.
*looks out window*
*taps pencil*
*clears throat*
*looks out window again*
Can I admit I'm much better at juggling lots of things than not having enough to do? The first couple days are all YEAH I'M FREE LET'S READ ALL THE BOOKS AND WATCH ALL THE TV and then about a week in I'm good with having free time and ready to work hard again.
However, let's pick up that "read all the books" part, because in the week and a half or so I've managed to read THREE amazing books, amazing in totally different ways, so I thought I should take the (vast quantities of) time I have at the moment and post about them! Yes! Let's go! In the order in which I read them:
THE REECE MALCOLM LIST by Amy SpaldingI am listening to Pandora as I type this, and it's gone from COMPANY to ANYTHING GOES to SOUND OF MUSIC, which is just about perfect, I think. THE REECE MALCOLM LIST is a wonderful exploration of a girl's search for her place in life--through her relationship with her unknown mother, but also in school and with boys--but it also has great references to musicals and show people that my nerdy musical-loving teenager (and adult) self loved. The voice is spot-on, all at once funny and self-deprecating and yearning. I highly recommend.
THE MADNESS UNDERNEATH by Maureen JohnsonI'm a Maureen Johnson fan. I honestly don't know how any YA author could NOT be a Maureen Johnson fan. She's such an advocate for teens, kidlit writers, and the industry, plus she's ridiculously funny. I've read most of Maureen's books, and I've enjoyed them. But these last two books, the Shades of London series, have hit an absolute sweet spot with me. The writing is impeccable, the voice clear and engaging, and the subject...private British school, ghost hunting, entwined with Jack the Ripper? Yeah. I've sucked them both up with passion. This book is the rare second book that is as good as the first one...and I will NOT spoil, but she killed me with the end. In a good way...mostly. Read THE NAME OF THE STAR first, but have this one handy for the second you're done.
THE ARCHIVED by Victoria SchwabJust...wow. You guys. Victoria's a longtime friend and all, so I was really hoping I'd love this, but OMG I LOVE THIS SO MUCH. The concept...I don't even want to spoil it for you! Let's say it involves a totally new concept of the afterlife, with new jobs and dangers and mythology, that I was completely entranced by. Victoria's writing is breathtaking, and the characters are still in my head several days later. I want more of them and the world, ASAP. There can't be a much stronger recommendation than that.
Here's where I'd usually give one of them away, but honestly I can't bear to part with any of these. I am SORRY. But please BUY THEM FOR YOURSELF AND LOVE THEM TOO.
Next on my to-read list: Laini Taylor's DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT. Hopefully I'll be able to add it to the books of awesome list too!
February 15, 2013
Win a copy of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS
CONTEST IS CLOSED.
Thanks, you guys!! The winner is:
Ashley!!
Congratulations, Ashley! You'll get an email from me so I can get your fabulous prize on the way. Hope everyone else checks this book out when it comes out April 2!
*******************************************
You know what I haven't done in a while?
A GIVEAWAY.
I think it's time I fix that, right now. And I have the perfect book for it. Take a look at this awesome cover:
I KNOW, RIGHT? Ghosts and historical and creepy-awesome-looking girl with a touch of steampunk. Yesssss.
But what's better is what's inside. Here's the official description:
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book--it doesn't come out until April 2--and I *devoured* it. Disclaimer: I've known Cat for...wow...15 years? More? We worked together long before we both ended up writing YA. She hosted my baby shower. So honestly I was a bit afraid to read it...because what if I didn't like it? How would I deal with it?
NOT A PROBLEM. You guys, it is so very good. Exquisitely written, spooky (almost more because of the influenza than the ghosts), and so, so atmospheric. The voice grabbed me and threw me into 1918 San Diego, and I was fascinated from there.
So, who wants to have my SIGNED copy? It also includes a bookmark signed by Cat. You do, right?
Here's how you enter:
1. For TWO entries in the drawing: comment below with (1) your name, (2) your email address, and (3) a fact about 1918. Any fact! Google happily!
2. For an additional entry, tweet about the contest with a link (@ me (@susan_adrian) so I know)
3. For another additional entry, post about the contest on Facebook! (I am, shockingly, Susan Adrian)
We're trying to spread the word about this fabulous book, so when it releases April 2 everyone will KNOW how much they want it. And one of you will already have it in your hands!
Since it's a 3-day weekend, contest will close Tuesday morning at 8 am MST, and I'll draw a random winner. North American entries only, sorry!
Good luck!
Thanks, you guys!! The winner is:
Ashley!!
Congratulations, Ashley! You'll get an email from me so I can get your fabulous prize on the way. Hope everyone else checks this book out when it comes out April 2!
*******************************************
You know what I haven't done in a while?
A GIVEAWAY.
I think it's time I fix that, right now. And I have the perfect book for it. Take a look at this awesome cover:
I KNOW, RIGHT? Ghosts and historical and creepy-awesome-looking girl with a touch of steampunk. Yesssss.
But what's better is what's inside. Here's the official description:
In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she’s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love—a boy who died in battle—returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her?
Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this book--it doesn't come out until April 2--and I *devoured* it. Disclaimer: I've known Cat for...wow...15 years? More? We worked together long before we both ended up writing YA. She hosted my baby shower. So honestly I was a bit afraid to read it...because what if I didn't like it? How would I deal with it?
NOT A PROBLEM. You guys, it is so very good. Exquisitely written, spooky (almost more because of the influenza than the ghosts), and so, so atmospheric. The voice grabbed me and threw me into 1918 San Diego, and I was fascinated from there.
So, who wants to have my SIGNED copy? It also includes a bookmark signed by Cat. You do, right?
Here's how you enter:
1. For TWO entries in the drawing: comment below with (1) your name, (2) your email address, and (3) a fact about 1918. Any fact! Google happily!
2. For an additional entry, tweet about the contest with a link (@ me (@susan_adrian) so I know)
3. For another additional entry, post about the contest on Facebook! (I am, shockingly, Susan Adrian)
We're trying to spread the word about this fabulous book, so when it releases April 2 everyone will KNOW how much they want it. And one of you will already have it in your hands!
Since it's a 3-day weekend, contest will close Tuesday morning at 8 am MST, and I'll draw a random winner. North American entries only, sorry!
Good luck!
January 31, 2013
Shenanigans
HELLO, my pretties!!
Still here, working away in my own corner of the world. Hope you're doing the same in yours!
Since we last talked I have:
--Been ripping apart my current manuscript and making something new out of it. This is a Good Thing. I got some excellent, deep feedback in November/December (THANK YOU FOREVER, lovely CPs!), and realized I needed to completely rejigger the structure. Rejigger is too light of a word. Rip apart is closer. And the characterization too! I think at least half of it will be completely new material. And this is the third draft. Anyway, I probably will be fairly head-down for a bit until I get this done.
--Auditioned for and got accepted into the university choir. This is my first time singing ANYTHING other than in my shower, and I don't read music (yet--I'm trying to learn it quickly), so it was pretty much a miracle they let me in (Alto 1). I'm floundering a bit so far. But I'm very excited to be part of it and about the songs we're singing (including Oh Shenandoah, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Earth Song, and a version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah). Wish me luck!
--Went to Vegas for the first time, last weekend. I gave my husband this trip as his Christmas present, and we had a blast. We saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and Rod Stewart live, and did fun things like ride the New York New York rollercoaster and sample sodas from around the world at the Coke store. And we did the Pawn Stars tour, because we could. :)
--I also read some great books, including one I'm going to give away soon, once things settle down enough for me to get to it (IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters). And I bought some new exciting ones, like THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor, and THE REECE MALCOLM LIST by rockin' agent-sister Amy Spalding. Yay new books! I'm also reading HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE for the first time with my daughter, and we're really enjoying that.
We are on the eve of February, which has long been one of my favorite months as it has my birthday *and* my daughter's birthday. If we can just skip over that icky Valentine's Day part.
Oh! And tonight after work I have to go buy a ballgown. Because next week we've been invited to the Governor's black-tie ball...
Yep, life is always interesting. Tell me what you're up to!!
Still here, working away in my own corner of the world. Hope you're doing the same in yours!
Since we last talked I have:
--Been ripping apart my current manuscript and making something new out of it. This is a Good Thing. I got some excellent, deep feedback in November/December (THANK YOU FOREVER, lovely CPs!), and realized I needed to completely rejigger the structure. Rejigger is too light of a word. Rip apart is closer. And the characterization too! I think at least half of it will be completely new material. And this is the third draft. Anyway, I probably will be fairly head-down for a bit until I get this done.
--Auditioned for and got accepted into the university choir. This is my first time singing ANYTHING other than in my shower, and I don't read music (yet--I'm trying to learn it quickly), so it was pretty much a miracle they let me in (Alto 1). I'm floundering a bit so far. But I'm very excited to be part of it and about the songs we're singing (including Oh Shenandoah, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Earth Song, and a version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah). Wish me luck!
--Went to Vegas for the first time, last weekend. I gave my husband this trip as his Christmas present, and we had a blast. We saw a Cirque du Soleil show, and Rod Stewart live, and did fun things like ride the New York New York rollercoaster and sample sodas from around the world at the Coke store. And we did the Pawn Stars tour, because we could. :)
--I also read some great books, including one I'm going to give away soon, once things settle down enough for me to get to it (IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS by Cat Winters). And I bought some new exciting ones, like THE ARCHIVED by Victoria Schwab, DAYS OF BLOOD AND STARLIGHT by Laini Taylor, and THE REECE MALCOLM LIST by rockin' agent-sister Amy Spalding. Yay new books! I'm also reading HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE for the first time with my daughter, and we're really enjoying that.
We are on the eve of February, which has long been one of my favorite months as it has my birthday *and* my daughter's birthday. If we can just skip over that icky Valentine's Day part.
Oh! And tonight after work I have to go buy a ballgown. Because next week we've been invited to the Governor's black-tie ball...
Yep, life is always interesting. Tell me what you're up to!!
