P.J. Hoover's Blog, page 44
August 12, 2011
YA INDIE CARNIVAL: MY BIGGEST INDIE SURPRISE
It's time again for the YA Indie Carnival, an awesome group of weekly bloggers blogging about the same topic! Wait, you haven't heard of the YA Indie Carnival? You're totally missing out. But no longer! You can check out all the amazing author/bloggers below:
Dani Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen (The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Diamond City Trilogy)
Courtney Cole (Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian)
Wren Emerson (I Wish)
Laura Elliott (Winnemucca)
Nichole A. Williams (Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden)
Fisher Amelie (The Understorey)
Amy Maurer Jones (The Soul Quest Trilogy)
Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer (Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms)
T. R. Graves (Warriors of the Cross)
Cyndi Tefft (Between)
P.J. Hoover (Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis)
Alicia McCalla (Breaking Free)
Heather Cashman (Perception)
Okay, here's the deal! Each Friday, because Friday is awesome, we all blog about the same topic. This week's topic?
WHAT IS MY BIGGEST INDIE SURPRISE?
The path of indie publishing has been such a fun one, filled with lots of surprises. Here are just some of these surprises:
There are TONS of indie books being published. Um, wow. I am overwhelmed by the number.Lots of traditionally published authors are considering indie publishing (or are already indie publishing).Though the stigma for indie publishing exists, it is surprisingly little how much I've actually felt it.I have met some amazing people through indie publishing. Okay, this isn't as much of a surprise as a nice side benefit.
So what's the biggest surprise? I guess if I had to pick from the list above, I'd go with (1). There are a freaking ton of books being published. Every day more come out. And wow. So many of these books are great and totally worth checking out. It's kind of like my eyes have been opened. I have seen the light! And rather that standing back watching it all happen in front of me, I'm a part of it and loving it.
(thank you to Dani for the mood ring Indie Carnival icons! Today I feel purple.)
August 10, 2011
SOLSTICE: When your Agent is your Editor
Since it's hot as blazes here in Austin, I'm feeling all SOLSTICE-like. Maybe Global Warming really is killing the earth. Anyway, we're not going to debate that now. But in the spirit of SOLSTICE and hot weather, I'll be reposting some of my favorite guest blogs that I've written over the last couple months.
*****
When your Agent is your Editor
The life-cycle of revisions has an evolution just like everything in the publishing world. An author writes a perfect story, and then it gets ripped apart and reordered on its path to publication. Traditionally, the story is revised with the help of the author, a critique group, and an agent, and then the story is passed on to an editor. At that point, the author and an editor work together to get the manuscript to a state perfect for publication. So what happens to the process when the editor no longer comes into the picture? How does the manuscript reach that final level of edits that brings it to publication level? And even more importantly, does this final level matter?
I'm thrilled to be represented by Laura Rennert who happens to be a rock star agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Laura and I first met at the Big Sur workshop three years back, and we signed shortly thereafter. Aside from having her finger on the pulse of publishing, Laura is a fantastic editorial agent. With SOLSTICE we worked through a minimum of six rounds of revisions. Yikes! At times, this felt like revision hell, and okay, it was revision hell, but now, in hindsight, I see so many improvements in all aspects of the manuscript: the romance, the character development, the world building, the dialogue. But perhaps what changed the most was the dystopic element of SOLSTICE. It morphed into an entity I never imagined.
When I first wrote SOLSTICE, the global warming crisis was more of an aside. Piper, the main character, lives in a world at least eighteen years in our future where global warming is destroying Earth. This was fine through many rounds of revisions, but when I started exploring this angle more, tons of possibilities surfaced. The best thing is that I adored this angle, and I took it and ran. But without my agent's feedback, I may never have delved into this potential.
Because she is thorough (and awesome), my agent also works with a reader (also awesome) who gives amazing and objective feedback. For SOLSTICE, between Laura and her reader, my story evolved generations beyond the first draft. But it didn't stop there. Once revisions were completed, SOLSTICE went through line edits, copyediting, proofreading, and then one more round of copyediting. I thought at times the editing would never stop.
Does feedback hurt? Sure. Did I get some of those revision letters and cry to my writing group until I'd purged negative thoughts from my mind? Totally. (Okay, we laughed some, too; I admit it. But sometimes the revision notes were just funny.) Does this level of quality matter for an ebook? Definitely! Ebooks are so easy to buy, and lots of authors now are recognizing their popularity. As the author of a digital book, I feel like it's my duty to make sure my work is top quality no matter what the format. And in the end, I have a story I'm super proud to share with the world.
*****
When your Agent is your EditorThe life-cycle of revisions has an evolution just like everything in the publishing world. An author writes a perfect story, and then it gets ripped apart and reordered on its path to publication. Traditionally, the story is revised with the help of the author, a critique group, and an agent, and then the story is passed on to an editor. At that point, the author and an editor work together to get the manuscript to a state perfect for publication. So what happens to the process when the editor no longer comes into the picture? How does the manuscript reach that final level of edits that brings it to publication level? And even more importantly, does this final level matter?
I'm thrilled to be represented by Laura Rennert who happens to be a rock star agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Laura and I first met at the Big Sur workshop three years back, and we signed shortly thereafter. Aside from having her finger on the pulse of publishing, Laura is a fantastic editorial agent. With SOLSTICE we worked through a minimum of six rounds of revisions. Yikes! At times, this felt like revision hell, and okay, it was revision hell, but now, in hindsight, I see so many improvements in all aspects of the manuscript: the romance, the character development, the world building, the dialogue. But perhaps what changed the most was the dystopic element of SOLSTICE. It morphed into an entity I never imagined.
When I first wrote SOLSTICE, the global warming crisis was more of an aside. Piper, the main character, lives in a world at least eighteen years in our future where global warming is destroying Earth. This was fine through many rounds of revisions, but when I started exploring this angle more, tons of possibilities surfaced. The best thing is that I adored this angle, and I took it and ran. But without my agent's feedback, I may never have delved into this potential.
Because she is thorough (and awesome), my agent also works with a reader (also awesome) who gives amazing and objective feedback. For SOLSTICE, between Laura and her reader, my story evolved generations beyond the first draft. But it didn't stop there. Once revisions were completed, SOLSTICE went through line edits, copyediting, proofreading, and then one more round of copyediting. I thought at times the editing would never stop.
Does feedback hurt? Sure. Did I get some of those revision letters and cry to my writing group until I'd purged negative thoughts from my mind? Totally. (Okay, we laughed some, too; I admit it. But sometimes the revision notes were just funny.) Does this level of quality matter for an ebook? Definitely! Ebooks are so easy to buy, and lots of authors now are recognizing their popularity. As the author of a digital book, I feel like it's my duty to make sure my work is top quality no matter what the format. And in the end, I have a story I'm super proud to share with the world.
August 9, 2011
ASHES by Ilsa Bick Gievaway - Signed!
Up for giveaway today is another book I absolutely loved! I reviewed it back in June, and it's going to be released in less than a month. And this ARC is signed by Ilsa herself (who is so amazing and awesome)!
ASHES by Ilsa Bick (Egmont, September 6, 2011)
You can read my review here if for some reason you need to be reminded of how must-be-read and cool this book is. It's going to be epic.
Source of book: From publisher at ALA
From Amazon:
It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.
The contest will run through midnight on Friday, August 19th, 2011.
For your chance to win, you have to follow this blog. That gets you one entry.
+1 entry - Follow this blog
Extra entries are here:
+ 1 entry - Tweet about this contest. See button at the top of post for an easy tweet!+ 1 entry - Blog about this contest. + unlimited - Do something nice for SOLSTICE. You know, like buy it (for $2.99, email me the receipt and you get 15 extra entries*), tweet about it, blog about it, send it chocolate and roses. I'm not particular. And let me know in the "Other" section of the form!
*And if you've alread bought SOLSTICE, just let me know in the comments section :)
Okay, that's it! So click away on the above links, and then fill out the form below. Thank you! And good luck!
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
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ASHES by Ilsa Bick (Egmont, September 6, 2011)
You can read my review here if for some reason you need to be reminded of how must-be-read and cool this book is. It's going to be epic.
Source of book: From publisher at ALA
From Amazon:
It could happen tomorrow . . .
An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.
Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.
For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it's now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.
Author Ilsa J. Bick crafts a terrifying and thrilling novel about a world that could be ours at any moment, where those left standing must learn what it means not just to survive, but to live amidst the devastation.
The contest will run through midnight on Friday, August 19th, 2011.
For your chance to win, you have to follow this blog. That gets you one entry.
+1 entry - Follow this blog
Extra entries are here:
+ 1 entry - Tweet about this contest. See button at the top of post for an easy tweet!+ 1 entry - Blog about this contest. + unlimited - Do something nice for SOLSTICE. You know, like buy it (for $2.99, email me the receipt and you get 15 extra entries*), tweet about it, blog about it, send it chocolate and roses. I'm not particular. And let me know in the "Other" section of the form!
*And if you've alread bought SOLSTICE, just let me know in the comments section :)
Okay, that's it! So click away on the above links, and then fill out the form below. Thank you! And good luck!
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
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August 8, 2011
100K? Something special?
Hey! I'm coming up on 100,000 visits to my blog and it's making me think I should do something to celebrate. Any ideas? Massive book giveaway? Critique giveaway? Commemorative vlog? Oooh, the possibilities are endless. But now I need to brainstorm :)
Hope your week is great!
Hope your week is great!
KARMA KITTY GOES TO COMIC CON by Mari Mancusi
I featured Mari Mancusi's book RAZOR GIRL last Friday in the Indie Carnival as a book I can't wait to read. For those of you who don't know Mari, she's an Austin author, a member of my writing group at THE PLACE, and an excellent writer! Her BLOOD COVEN books are published by Penguin, and the latest one BLOOD TIES (either number 7 or 8, I lost count!) just came out earlier this month!
Anyway, a book of Mari's I recently read and loved is
KARMA KITTY GOES TO COMIC CON by Mari Mancusi
I adored Karma Kitty because:
1) It's an adult book, not a kid's book, and it's nice to vary my reading a bit from time to time.
2) Comic Con. Seriously. This alone is a selling point for me.
3) The main character gets super powers from a kick-butt pair of boots.
4) It's fun. It doesn't try to take itself too seriously.
5) It's a fast read and full of action.
6) It's only 99 cents!
So if you're a fan of ereading, this one is totally worth checking out.
Source of book: Purchased myself
From Amazon:
Comic book creator Hailey Hills has no idea what she's in for when she arrives at New York City's Comic Con for the first time. But when a pair of magical boots manages to turn her into a real life Karma Kitty--the superhero of her own creation--Hailey suddenly finds herself battling ninjas, pirates and a past love she's tried desperately to leave behind.
This novella was originally published in paperback as part of the "These Boots Were Made for Stomping" anthology.
Anyway, a book of Mari's I recently read and loved is
KARMA KITTY GOES TO COMIC CON by Mari Mancusi
I adored Karma Kitty because:
1) It's an adult book, not a kid's book, and it's nice to vary my reading a bit from time to time.
2) Comic Con. Seriously. This alone is a selling point for me.
3) The main character gets super powers from a kick-butt pair of boots.
4) It's fun. It doesn't try to take itself too seriously.
5) It's a fast read and full of action.
6) It's only 99 cents!
So if you're a fan of ereading, this one is totally worth checking out.
Source of book: Purchased myself
From Amazon:
Comic book creator Hailey Hills has no idea what she's in for when she arrives at New York City's Comic Con for the first time. But when a pair of magical boots manages to turn her into a real life Karma Kitty--the superhero of her own creation--Hailey suddenly finds herself battling ninjas, pirates and a past love she's tried desperately to leave behind.
This novella was originally published in paperback as part of the "These Boots Were Made for Stomping" anthology.
August 6, 2011
CONTEST Winner!
Thanks to everyone who entered to win! This is seriously one of my favorite reads, so even if you didn't win, put this book on your must-read shelf. I keep thinking about it even a month later. And for writers out there, the dual POV was great and worth reading from that craft angle, too.
Okay, the winner of LEGEND by Marie Lu (Putnam, November 29, 2011)
is...
BONNIE @ A Backwards Story!
****
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
Okay, the winner of LEGEND by Marie Lu (Putnam, November 29, 2011)
is...
BONNIE @ A Backwards Story!
****
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
August 5, 2011
YA INDIE CARNIVAL: INDIE READING
It's time again for the YA Indie Carnival, an awesome group of weekly bloggers blogging about the same topic! Wait, you haven't heard of the YA Indie Carnival? You're totally missing out. But no longer! You can check out all the amazing author/bloggers below:
Danny Snell's Refracted Light Reviews
Patti Larsen (The Ghost Boy of MacKenzie House, The Diamond City Trilogy)
Courtney Cole (Every Last Kiss, Fated, Princess, and Guardian)
Wren Emerson (I Wish)
Laura Elliott (Winnemucca)
Nichole A. Williams (Eternal Eden, and the upcoming Fallen Eden)
Fisher Amelie (The Understorey)
Amy Maurer Jones (The Soul Quest Trilogy)
Rachel Coles. Geek Mom. Book Reviewer (Diary of a Duct Tape Zombie, Whistles, Beergarden, Plagues, Bees of St. John, and Mushrooms)
T. R. Graves (Warriors of the Cross)
Cyndi Tefft (Between)
P.J. Hoover (Solstice, The Emerald Tablet, The Navel of the World, The Necropolis)
Alicia McCalla (Breaking Free)
Heather Cashman (Perception)
Okay, here's the deal! Each Friday, because Friday is awesome, we all blog about the same topic. This week's topic?
WHAT INDIE READING AM I DOING NOW?
I read all the time. Every night. New releases, yet-to-be-released books, critique partner manuscripts, paid critiques. It's a priority, and I am a firm believer in the fact that the single best way to improve my own writing is by reading other stuff. Over the course of the last year, my reading has changed a bit.
1) I now own a Nook. I love ereading. Never, ever would I have thought this. But it is so much easier. I'll save that topic for another day.
2) I get tons of ARCs. From publishers, from trade shows, by request. I have them stacked in piles trying to pretend they are in some fashion organized. These ARCs make up the majority of my reading.
3) In addition to reading the ARCs, I've also started indie-reading. Yes, this spawned from bringing SOLSTICE out independently, and yes, I'm thrilled to have discovered this vast new source of books.
Perhaps what I love the most about the three bullet points above is a marriage between (1) and (3). Within a couple of clicks, I can sample tons of books. I adore the "read a free sample" feature so many indie authors offer. So that said, here are three indie books I'm planning on reading in the near future based on sample reading.
SLEEPERS by Megg JensenFrom Amazon:
An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can't calm the fires raging inside her.
Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she's always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen's alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?
RAZOR GIRL by Mari MancusiFrom Amazon:
THE WORLD HAS ENDED, MOLLY.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW?
Molly Anderson is not your average twenty-one-year-old. It's been six years since she and her family escaped into a bunker, led by her conspiracy theorist father and his foreknowledge of a plot to bring about the apocalypse. But her father's precautions didn't stop there. Molly is now built to survive.
Yes, Ian Anderson's favorite book gave him ideas on how to "improve" his daughter. Molly is faster, stronger, and her ocular implants and razor-tipped nails set her apart. Apart, when--venturing alone out of the bunker and into a plague ravaged, monster-ridden wilderness--what Molly needs most is togetherness. Chase Griffin, a friend from her past, is her best bet. But while he and others have miraculously survived, the kind boy has become a tormented man. Together, these remnants of humanity must struggle toward trusting each other and journey to the one place Molly's father believed all civilization would be reborn: The Magic Kingdom, where everyone knows it's a small world after all.
ETERNAL EDEN by Nicole WilliamsFrom Amazon:
College sophomore Bryn Dawson is a self-proclaimed poster child for normal. However, the day William Hayward enters her life, normalcy is the last thing Bryn will be able to count on if she wants to be with him. Too mysterious and appealing to be good for a girl, Bryn feels drawn to him in a way that seems out of her control—as if fate is orchestrating it.
Despite every red flag and warning siren going off in her head telling her not to, Bryn falls hard for William, knowing he's categorically different from anyone she's ever met. She never imagined how right she was. When William takes her deeper into the rabbit hole of his world, Bryn must decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice to be with him, knowing no matter what, fate always finds a way to have the last laugh.
Spinning a new twist on star-crossed lovers, Eternal Eden will put Bryn through a gauntlet of turmoil, challenging her to find the power within herself to become the heroine in her own story.
What about you?
August 3, 2011
TRADING CARD WEDNESDAY!
Hey, everyone! Happy Wednesday! Just wanted to let you know if you request a trading card for SOLSTICE today, I'll send you the whole set!
So what are you waiting for? It's easy :)
REQUEST HERE!
So what are you waiting for? It's easy :)
REQUEST HERE!
August 2, 2011
CROSSED by Ally Condie Giveaway
No spoilers, but I'm thrilled to share this sequel to MATCHED. So up for giveaway today is the hugely anticipated...
CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
If you loved MATCHED, you will love CROSSED even more. And here is your chance to win the sequel. Curious what happens?
Here's Ally talking about CROSSED:
From Amazon:
The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
Source of book: From publisher by request
The contest will run through midnight on Friday, August 12th, 2011.
For your chance to win, you have to follow this blog. That gets you one entry.
+1 entry - Follow this blog
Extra entries are here:
+ 1 entry - Tweet about this contest. See button at the top of post for an easy tweet!+ 1 entry - Blog about this contest. + unlimited - Do something nice for SOLSTICE. You know, like buy it (for $2.99, email me the receipt and you get 15 extra entries), tweet about it, blog about it, send it chocolate and roses. I'm not particular. And let me know in the "Other" section of the form!
Okay, that's it! So click away on the above links, and then fill out the form below. Thank you! And good luck!
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
LEGEND by Marie Lu (Putnam, November 29, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
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CROSSED by Ally Condie (Dutton, November 1, 2011)
If you loved MATCHED, you will love CROSSED even more. And here is your chance to win the sequel. Curious what happens?
Here's Ally talking about CROSSED:
From Amazon:
The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.
Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.
Source of book: From publisher by request
The contest will run through midnight on Friday, August 12th, 2011.
For your chance to win, you have to follow this blog. That gets you one entry.
+1 entry - Follow this blog
Extra entries are here:
+ 1 entry - Tweet about this contest. See button at the top of post for an easy tweet!+ 1 entry - Blog about this contest. + unlimited - Do something nice for SOLSTICE. You know, like buy it (for $2.99, email me the receipt and you get 15 extra entries), tweet about it, blog about it, send it chocolate and roses. I'm not particular. And let me know in the "Other" section of the form!
Okay, that's it! So click away on the above links, and then fill out the form below. Thank you! And good luck!
And don't forget I'm also giving away:
LEGEND by Marie Lu (Putnam, November 29, 2011)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER!
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August 1, 2011
SOLSTICE IS A BOOK TRAILER CONTEST WINNER!
I'm thrilled to announce the book trailer for SOLSTICE won the Books in Sync June/July Book trailer contest! Sweet!
I love the trailer for SOLSTICE and am honored to see it get recognized. Thank you so much!
I love the trailer for SOLSTICE and am honored to see it get recognized. Thank you so much!
