How to use this Page

Susane was here last year to talk about the original hardcover (pictured below) and now she's back to discuss the brand spanking new paperback version (left):

"Can I just say how much I adore the shiny new paperback cover of So Much Closer?

"This is the first time one of my book covers changed from the hardcover to paperback edition. I loved that the photo shoot for the So Much Closer hardcover was done on the High Line. The High Line is my favorite place here in New York. It plays a big role in the book and has a really unique energy. But my publisher received feedback that the original cover (right) was too street..."

Read the rest of Susane's Cover Story at melissacwalker.com.

Add a Comment

It's been hectic times around here, friendly neighbors. But hectic in a good way. I met with my editors last week about the next revision of book six. I am beyond excited about this new book. For those of you who've asked, yes, it has a title, but I can't share it yet. And yes, it will be out next year! It usually takes me about six weeks to do a revision. Not this time. This time I have, oh, 10 days. It's a 10 Day Deadline Challenge Throwdown and I'm determined to not let it squash me like a bug. So how's it been going? Actually, pretty well. I got a ton of work done over the long weekend. The construction workers who are resurfacing the entire exterior of my building and drilling into the brick outside my window were off and no one was around and I went into throwdown mode. Here we are at day five. It's deadline vs. drill. Game on.

Of course, other stuff is happening. Like my readers being freaking awesome. Sparkly warm fuzzies go out to everyone who's told me about visiting some of the New York City locations featured in So Much Closer. That rules! I've been hearing from dedicated readers who went to the High Line or Crumbs or Big Gay Ice Cream Truck after reading the book. Can I just say how amazing that is? You know that realistic fiction is my thing. I love incorporating actual places into my books. And I was especially psyched about this book because it gave me a chance to share the things I love most about New York City with you. Your sense of adventure is impressive. Thank you so much for embracing the energy. And for sharing your experiences with me.

More sparkly warm fuzzies go out to book bloggers who have posted reviews of So Much Closer. Word of mouth is a powerful thing. I really, really appreciate everyone who has posted about the book or shared it with your friends. In case you're into reviews, here are some new ones:

• YA Book Shelf

• watchYAreading?

• A Word's Worth

Finally, I'm thrilled that my books are starting to be published in Spanish! Take Me There comes out in a few weeks. How much do I adore this cover?



Cupcakes! On the cover of my book! My incredible Spanish publisher even made a page for Take Me There (which translates to Llevame Alli). You can also read the first chapter in Spanish here. I love all the fun graphics they used. Something Like Fate is next up for a Spanish translation. I can't wait to see what they do with it.

Dude, tomorrow is already June. For those of you getting out of school soon, congrats! You're almost there! And for those of you already enjoying your summer vacay, savor it. Kick back, relax, and dive into your pile of summer reading. My summer reading pile is already waiting for me. I'll be joining you soon...

Add a Comment

In case you missed my blog tour, I wanted to give you a complete set of links. Each tour stop features one of the New York City places or things from So Much Closer. Several people have already said that the book felt like a love letter to NYC. I totally agree! Here are some of its best qualities...

• Day 1 - Alley of Books

• Day 2 - Mundie Moms

• Day 3 - Green Bean Teen Queen

• Day 4 - The Story Siren

• Day 5 - Frenetic Reader

• Day 6 - The Book Scout

• Day 7 - The Book Girl Reviews

• Day 8 - The Compulsive Reader

• Day 9 - Pop Culture Junkie

• Day 10 - The Truth About Books

Thanks to all of the sweet bloggers who hosted me. And congrats to our ten book winners!

Add a Comment

That was a whirlwind! The official part of my book tour is over, I've caught up with all the post-tour mail/cleaning/unpacking stuff (which always takes longer than you think it will), and I finally have a chance to share some highlights from my tour with you. Instead of doing several posts, I've decided to go with one big Top Ten Tour Tidbits extravaganza. Not that it will be easy to only pick ten things. And not that my events are even over! I still have upcoming events in New York City, Chicago, and Long Island. The full schedule is here.

Now Transatlanticism is playing, my pics are ready, and I have some time before the Teen Author Carnival. Let the memories begin!

1. First off, I have to give a shout-out to the guy hacking up a lung in the seat next to me for the entire flight to California. Thanks for keeping it real, Hacking Lung Guy! But then I was in San Francisco for three full days of events in the Bay Area, which I freaking love. If I couldn't live in New York City, Berkeley would be my second choice. The energy there is incredible. And this high school I visited was unreal - there were only 113 kids in the entire school! It had this family atmosphere where the kids didn't feel as tormented as they do in regular high schools. If all schools could be like Maybeck High School, I think our kids would be way happier. Let's end this first item with a positive shout-out to Charlotte at Maybeck. Charlotte was the only one out of all my school visits to recognize both The Cure and My So-Called Life from my presentation. Respect.

2. There were more amazing school events, including one at Capuchino High School where all the When It Happens love convinced me to write a sequel. I've gotten lots of email asking if I'm going to write a sequel and it's something I've been thinking about. The thing is, I'm afraid of messing it up. But the kids at Capuchino were so supportive and enthusiastic that I've made an executive decision to go for it! I have to be Not Afraid. This isn't something I'm busting out with super soon - books six, seven, and eight are already in the works - but it will happen. Okay, tangential much? Getting back to Cali...

3. I was stoked for my Books Inc. event in Palo Alto for three reasons. One, it's Books Inc., which is an outstanding indie bookshop that hosts Not Your Mother's Book Club events. Maggie of NYMBC is so cute - she put an ARC from their huge supply on each chair with a pretty red ribbon. That was such a classy touch. But before the event started, I made sure to get myself over to Sprinkles.



This was the second reason I was stoked. Sprinkles cupcakes take cupcakes to a whole other level. I'd only had them once before in L.A. But they've just opened a store here in New York! Check out how much the Universe had my back - the same exact day Sprinkles opened in New York, I was at Sprinkles in Palo Alto. And they were just as phenomenal as I remembered. (Note: Kara's Cupcakes make a carrot cake cupcake that Martha Stewart says is the best. After sampling one, I believe I must agree. It was decadence squared). The third reason for my stokage is James Franco related. He's from Palo Alto. He went to Palo Alto High. So of course I had to go and stalk James Franco's high school:



4. The Most Adorable Girl in the World prize goes to Shea. She won this poster in a raffle at Oblong Books. As you can see, the poster is almost as big as Shea. O

Add a Comment

After a super fun first week, the So Much Closer book tour marches on!  How excited am I for my upcoming Cali events? So. Freaking. Excited. Ah, California. You enchant me with your mellow charms. I'm flying to San Francisco today for some events in the Bay Area. Here they are:

Tuesday, May 10
7:00 pm
A Great Good Place for Books
6120 La Salle Avenue
Oakland, CA 94611
Reading, Q&A, and signing

Wednesday, May 11
5:00 pm
Towne Center Books
555 Main Street
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Pizza party

Thursday, May 12
7:00 pm
Books Inc.
74 Town & Country Village
Palo Alto, CA 94301
Not Your Mother's Book Club event

In other news, my Fourth Annual Ginormous Contest ends tomorrow night.  Show me your Zen place to win So Much Closer.

Hope to see all of my San Fran people this week!

Add a Comment

I am happy to report that I survived yesterday's 17-hour tour day challenge throwdown. Not sure if I conquered it with flair. But I'm still functional, and that's a good thing.

Another good thing is this weekend. I'm so excited for my New York City events! Today I'll be doing a meet and greet at my fave coffeehouse, Joe, which is featured in So Much Closer and Take Me There.

Saturday, May 7
2:00 pm

Joe the Art of Coffee
9 East 13th Street
New York, NY

My first Barnes & Noble event is tomorrow in Brooklyn. I'm pretty stoked. But I'm also worried about the turnout because of Mother's Day. So if you're in the nabe, please stop by!

Sunday, May 8
5:00 pm

Barnes & Noble
267 7th Avenue
Park Slope, NY

Hope you're enjoying this gorgeous springtime :)

Add a Comment

I was able to come home last night before heading out for the next part of my tour today. There were tons of huge movie trailers all on my street. I'm keeping an eye out for Jake Gyllenhaal or any other potential husbands.

Coming home in between tour events is always appreciated. I only travel with two carry-ons. This requires the need to replenish supplies after a few days. Being the organization freak that I am, I love hearing about other author's packing habits and seeing their luggage. Here's mine:



These Baggallini bags have been traveling with me for years. The top one has a panel on the back that slides down on the handle of the bottom one. The top one has a waterproof compartment and the bottom one has tons of nooks and pockets. Flight attendants use them because they wheel down airplane aisles with just enough room to spare. Plus they both fit under airplane seats. I find the watermelon color to be essential. Your bags should stand out among all the black ones, even if you don't check them.

My next tour stop is Philadelphia. Tomorrow is going to be the Craziest Day Ever. I'm getting up at 5:00 (which is outrageous), doing four school events (two each at two schools), a bookstore event, and then taking the train back which gets in at like 10:00. Now, you know I love being on tour and getting to meet my people. But this 17-hour day will be a challenge.

Challenge throwdown received.

Challenge throwdown accepted.

Will I see you at my event tomorrow? It sounds super fun! Harleysville Books is throwing a Teen Girls Night Out with refreshments and a local band. This is a ticketed event - you can purchase tickets at the bookstore. Here's where it is:

Friday, May 6 - 6:00 pm
Harleysville Books
672 Main Street
Harleysville, PA 19438
Phone: 215.256.9311

Today is day four of my blog tour. Check out my guest post at The Story Siren and leave a comment to win a copy of So Much Closer.

As for tonight, I'll get to chill with my friend Mike in Philly. Fun times with friends are recommended before facing a challenge. And annihilating that challenge. So bring it, Craziest Day Ever! Okay, maybe I shouldn't taunt...

Add a Comment

Thanks to everyone for all of your kind words about So Much Closer! You guys rule. I couldn't be more impressed with how quickly some of you read the book and the sweet things you've taken away from it. And Melanie G. let her inner awesome shine by documenting the floor display for me:



It's day three of my blog tour. Yesterday's gracious host was Mundie Moms. I discussed - what else? - cupcakes, and they posted a review of the book. Today I'm over at Green Bean Teen Queen. Remember that you can win a signed copy of So Much Closer at every stop of my blog tour just by leaving a comment.

The story of So Much Closer was inspired by my own experiences. Want to find out how? Check out my guest blog post at Books Obsession. Books Obsession is also hosting a giveaway of Something Like Fate because that's how they do.

Well, it's all cold and rainy today on the Jersey shore. Not the warm and sunny time I was hoping for. But it's all good. There will be lots of other beach walks in my future. For now, I get to chill with librarians, some of the most amazing people on this planet. I'll be on a YA lit panel here at the New Jersey Library Association Conference. Naturally, I'm wearing my Reading Rainbow shirt for the librarians. They know what's good.

Add a Comment

This week, Susane stopped by to talk about the cover of her new book, and she's offering a brand-new paperback version of last year's release, Something Like Fate (remember that Cover Story?). Just leave a comment on this Cover Story over at melissacwalker.com and you're entered to win.

Now here's Susane with the tale of this so-NYC cover...

"You've probably heard that authors don't get to decide anything about their covers. We can't just imagine how we want the cover to look and then have it turn out like that. That never happens.

"But it happened anyway.

"My cover designer is amazing. I saw Jim a few months before this cover was designed and he asked me if I had any color ideas. It was so cool that he was asking me about the cover because I had been envisioning the exact cover I wanted for a while.  So Much Closer takes place right in my New York City neighborhood, the West Village. One place I’m infatuated with in my nabe is the High Line. It's this old section of elevated train tracks that was turned into a magical green space with lots of trees and flowers. Some key scenes in So Much Closer take place on the High Line. I really wanted the cover to show my characters on the High Line at sunset or at night. I told Jim about my idea.

"Then it was summer and I was wondering what the cover would look like. My books come out in May, which means their covers are done the previous summer. Even though I knew dream covers never happen, the hopeful part of me never stopped believing that it might be possible. That's me, always dreaming big even when something seems impossible! But I really wasn't expecting to get an email from my editor with an initial cover design.

"With my characters on the High Line at sunset.

"Dude. They actually did a photo shoot on the High Line. I was beyond ecstatic. [Below, the photographer talks to the models on set.]




"Early versions of the cover featured orange and pink sunsets. The first orange sunset involved some serious Photoshop action. Marketing thought it was too much. Jim toned down the sunset. I love the pink sunset version even more than the final cover...."

Read the rest of Susane's Cover Story, and enter to win a copy of Something Like Fate, at melissacwalker.com.

Add a Comment

It's that time again, friendly neighbors! So Much Closer comes out next week on May 3. To celebrate, I'm giving away three copies in my fourth annual ginormous contest. All books will be signed and personalized.

First prize: So Much Closer plus your choice of any two of my books
Second prize: So Much Closer plus your choice of any one of my books
Third prize: So Much Closer



The contest theme this year is Your Zen Place. In So Much Closer, Brooke likes to chill in a Zen garden she discovers in her new neighborhood. That Zen garden is real. It's a place that speaks to me in an intense way. I just feel totally at peace when I'm there, looking out across the water or watching the city lights come on. I can always rely on the Zen garden to make me feel better. Another Zen place is my future home. I haven't seen it yet, but I imagine the view would be something like this:



What about your Zen place? It could be a place in your town. It could be a place you once visited. It could be a place that you want to visit one day. Or it could even be a place that you wish existed. Wherever it is, I want to know about it.

To enter the contest, email a photo of your Zen place to me at susanecolasanti [at] gmail [dot] com. The photo can be an actual picture, artwork, text, or other type of homage to your Zen place. You can add a quote or anything else you'd like to your photo.

Ginormous Contest Rules:

1. Email a photo representing your Zen place to me at susanecolasanti [at] gmail [dot] com. Tell me where your place is and explain your connection to it.

2. Include your full name and complete mailing address with your entry.

3. Entries must be received by May 10 at 11:11 pm.

4. This contest is open to US residents only. However, if you live abroad and have a contact in the States who can receive the prize for you, it can be sent to their address.

I can't wait to be dazzled by your creativity. Ready...set...dazzle!

Add a Comment

When I found out my publisher did a photo shoot for the cover of So Much Closer, I was ecstatic. Cover shoots are pretty rare. Even better - they actually brought my dream cover to life! You can read how it happened here.

I wasn't at the cover shoot, but my editor was. She's also into documenting. So I can share some behind-the-scenes pics and info with you about the photo shoot. First off, I've been wondering what the models look like from the front. Four Lots of people have told me that it looks like me and John Mayer on the cover. I am totally going with that. Although the boy looks more like Taylor Lautner from the side to me. The models' headshots were much different than what I was picturing!

   

Jim Hoover is my magnificent cover designer. He also did the cover of Something Like Fate. There was a photo shoot for that cover as well. I asked Jim to tell you a bit about his process. He agreed because he is awesome like that. From Jim:

"Susane and I had discussed very early on that we'd like to shoot on the High Line on Manhattan's west side for this cover. I scheduled the shoot, and did a little reconnaissance the week before just to be safe - (always do your homework, right?). I wanted to find the perfect time for when the sun was setting and do a little location scouting. I realized quickly that, while the views were stunning, there was a lot of parking lot space between the park and the Hudson river. I ended up taking some close up images of various buildings, the river, and New Jersey beyond, knowing that we would likely need to composite various elements into the cover to get just the iconic look we were going for."

The background of the original photo was changed. There's not much on the New Jersey side from that spot. So Jim took other background photos from different locations on the High Line and Hudson River Park, then Photoshopped in a new background. That clock tower and the other buildings on the cover are actually located south of the High Line. Here's a photo I took of them from the High Line:



The left side of the photo had to be completely changed, too. There was this big, dark wall that looked kind of evil:



Evil Wall was substituted with a less obtrusive, glossy building. Glossy buildings rule. They did try shooting in the opposite direction, but I guess they originally wanted the sunset.



Which brings me to the pink sky. The very first cover design I saw had a gorgeous sunset. I was stoked. Then the sunset was toned down to look more like the pink sky I know and love. Here's the Pink Sky cover:

   

I love this cover! I think it's even better than the final version. I fought to keep some of the sunset in the sky. I really did. Ev

Add a Comment

In between deciding not to attend my 20th high school reunion (seeing everyone who tormented me every day sounds super fun, but I think I'll pass) and drooling over my new MacBook Pro (the back-lit keyboard! the speed!), I've been switching work gears. I just handed in a revision of book six - for which I have a title, but cannot yet reveal - and am now getting ready for my book tour. I'm doing LOTS of school visits on this tour. I'm beyond stoked to get back into schools and chill with my people. A new seminar/workshop has been taking shape over the past couple of years that I'll be presenting on my school visits. So over the next two weeks, I get to focus on putting that together. I'll be using Keynote, which looks like a much cooler version of PowerPoint. Picking out fonts and colors and photos is going to be a blast!

My book tour starts on May 3 with a sweet pub day event at River Road Books in Fair Haven, NJ. We didn't have the details finalized when I announced my tour schedule, but now I have an update for you about this event. It starts at 5:00. There will be pizza. We'll kick back and discuss matters of importance. Or how cool it is that James Franco will be teaching at NYU next semester and I live two blocks away and will probably be running into him all the time. Or just, you know, whatever you want. This is a ticketed event, so if you're planning on going please call River Road at 732.747.9455 to RSVP. You can find my complete book tour schedule here.

Also exciting: My new Flip cam. After an intricate process involving screen grabs and color palettes, I've designed a customized one I adore. First, I took the stripey spine artwork from Something Like Fate. Then I played with various designs to see which part of the stripes would look best on the cam. Some possibilities were:

         

Obviously, I had a hard time choosing. But in the end I went with the first one. Which I will be using on the High Line this summer to film a video about So Much Closer. And an author video next week. Until then, you can watch the adorable So Much Closer book trailer.

In other book news, I just signed a five-book deal to publish all of my books in Brazil. This is crazy exciting. I get lots of email from people in Brazil who want to read my books. Now I finally have some good news for them! When I posted this on Facebook, I got 70 likes and 27 comments. Which supports a theory I have. Do you think blogs are a bit outdated? I'm noticing way more activity on Facebook and Twitter and less over here. Maybe it's partially because LiveJournal has been the victim of several large security attacks lately and hasn't been working as well. Which is such a shame. It would be awesome to keep my blog here, but I won't be able to for much longer. No worries - the changes I'll be making will be better for all of us, plus you'll still find my blog here. But I'll fill you in on the changes after my book tour. For now, I'm just wondering if people are switching social media gears even more and only want short snippets

Add a Comment

You guys. So Much Closer comes out on May 3. There's less than a month to go! And have you been waiting for Something Like Fate to come out in paperback? If so, you are in luck. The paperback edition comes out on April 19! I'll be doing my annual contests for each book release where you can win copies. The Something Like Fate paperback contest will be posted on Monday and my ginormous So Much Closer contest will be posted near the end of the month. As always, I'm really looking forward to basking in your creative brilliance.

In the meantime, I've decided to post the So Much Closer playlist. This will give you a feeling for the tone of the book. But I don't want to give anything away. These are just the songs for now. I'll explain why each song was selected (like I always do for my playlists) after the book comes out. Enjoy!



1. "Empire State of Mind Part II" - Alicia Keys

2. "Second Chance" - Shinedown

3. "Better Than Me" - Hinder

4. "Break Me Out" - The Rescues

5. "Strange Currencies" - R.E.M.

6. "Train in the Distance" - Paul Simon

7. "The City Lights" - Umbrellas

8. "Don't Stop Believin'" - Journey

9. "Skyway Bridge" - Melissa McClelland

10. "Hey There Delilah" - Plain White T's

11. "Baker Street" - Gerry Rafferty

12. "Angeles" - Elliott Smith

13. "A Heart in New York" - Simon & Garfunkel

Add a Comment

The So Much Closer book tour schedule is ready for you! Some times still need to be confirmed and changes might be made, but this lets you know where I'll be. Any changes to this schedule will be made on the events page of my website.

I'm doing a cluster tour this time around. It's a multi-media approach to touring which involves TV, radio, print, school visits, and bookstore events. Which all sounds awesome! The thing is, cluster tours only focus on a few areas instead of being more spread out. The idea is to saturate a few select areas. So I won't be coming to a bunch of states I was hoping to get to on this tour. Sorry if I'm not coming to you this time - I hear you, Texas and Florida! - but I'm really hoping I'll get to see you on next year's tour.

The So Much Closer book tour is coming to NJ, PA, NY, MA, and CA. Here's the schedule:

May 3
River Road Books, Fair Haven, NJ
Pub day event TBA

May 4 - 2:30
NJLA Conference, Ocean Place, One Ocean Boulevard, Long Branch, NJ
YA panel discussion

May 6
Harleysville Books, 672 Main Street, Harleysville, PA
Teen Girls Night Out - this is a ticketed event

May 7
Joe the Art of Coffee, 9 East 13th Street, New York, NY
Meet the Author

May 8 - 5:00
Barnes & Noble, 267 7th Avenue, Park Slope, NY
Reading, Q&A, and signing

May 10
A Great Good Place for Books, 6120 La Salle Avenue, Oakland, CA
Reading, Q&A, and signing

May 11 - 5:00
Towne Center Books, 555 Main Street, Pleasanton, CA
Pizza party

May 12 - 7:00
Books Inc., 855 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA
Not Your Mother's Book Club pizza party

May 15 - 4:00
Oblong Books, 6422 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck, NY
Hudson Valley YA Society literary salon

May 20
Book Ends, 559 Main Street, Winchester, MA
Reading, Q&A, and signing

June 21 - 4:00
Merrick Library Annex, 2369 Merrick Avenue, Merrick, NY
Beach Bag Book Club - call to reserve your spot

Hope to see you at one of these events!

Add a Comment

The following takes place between 8:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.

Events occur in real time.

Jack: What's your location?

Tony: Houston airport, South Terminal, Borders bookstore.

Jack: Do you have a visual on the suspect?

Tony: Negative. But a visual on your girlfriend's books is affirmative.

Jack: Upload the file to my PDA.

Tony: Stand by.

>upload houstonairport.jpg to pda jackbauer<
>processing file<



Jack: That's what's up.

Tony: Nice documentation, right?

Jack: Copy that. I have a visual on The Hunger Games.

Tony: Google Alert has picked up on chatter regarding So Much Closer.

Jack: Give me the highlights.

Tony: "I needed this inspiration. I needed the characters in this novel. This novel was flawless."

Jack: Source?

Tony: Just Read Books review by Miranda. Reference to Tricia has been traced to The Truth About Books! review.

Jack: Are those girls suspects?

Tony: Unlikely. Where are we on background check?

Jack: Chloe's decoding the files now. Patch me through.

Chloe: Go for Chloe.

Jack: Chloe, this is Jack. Is the background check ready?

Chloe: I need a minute.

Jack: WE DON'T HAVE A MINUTE, CHLOE! MILLIONS OF PEOPLE COULD DIE!

Chloe: Well, maybe if you stop pestering me they won't.

>chloe out<

Tony: This just in. Rumor of your presence on Twitter. What, you're tweeting now?

Jack: Stand by for evidence.

>link to RealKiefer<

Tony: Returning to CTU outpost.

Jack: Returning to NYC. Dinner is ready.

>upload coordinates<
>upload dinner<



Tony: Over.

Jack: Over and out.

Add a Comment

After much waiting and wishing and longing and hoping...

Spring. Is. Here.

*throws sparkly confetti at spring*

Yay yay and YAY! Even though this winter didn't feel as relentless as usual, the vernal equinox remains my favorite holiday. In celebration of the first full day of spring, here are some things that are making me smile.

1. The ginormous Books of Wonder signing yesterday. I was really impressed that Tricia of The Truth About Books! and Miranda of Just Read Books traveled so far to be there. They even made me a gorgeous sparkly star box and decorated journal as gifts for, like, no reason other than that they are awesome. Renee of The Book Girl Reviews was also in the house. She's been to every ginormous Books of Wonder signing since our first. That's hot.

2. The Compulsive Reader's review of So Much Closer. "So Much Closer is an unexpected, funny, and real novel that is charged with energy and life." Sweet!

3. Sunset is now after 7:00.

4. My new iPod Touch case. Lily had the cutest iPhone case on How I Met Your Mother. I just had to have it for my iPod. Google magic led me straight to it. Well, almost. They don't carry her exact one anymore (white with a pink flower), so I got the next best one (turquoise with a white flower). Or maybe the purple one was the best? Or the one with little hearts...

5. Red pandas frolicking in the snow, super moon photos from around the world, and pretty much everything else on The Mary Sue. A guide to girl geek culture indeed.

6. Fresh lavender from the greenmarket. Lavender makes me happy.

7. Three of my books are going to be published in Indonesia! I have a feeling those will be some super interesting covers.

8. The narrators for the new When It Happens, Take Me There, and Waiting for You audiobooks. They're all so perfect I can't even tell you.

9. Zumba! I've only gone to two classes and I'm already hooked. I've never seen the studio so packed. There's like 100 of us in there. Gym crowds usually annoy me to the point where I avoid night gym classes. But Zumba is so freaking fun that I don't even care. When a good workout is also a party, that rules.

10. The first mourning dove of the season has been heard. Check out this fat and fluffy one.

Wishing you a spring filled with good times and exciting adventures!

Add a Comment

What am I doing right now? Or, just admiring a finished copy of So Much Closer! Even though it doesn't come out until May 3, my publisher got a few early copies in. Of course I had to stand there in the lobby like the big book nerd I am and document it for you:



Now it feels real.

Because I am a big book nerd, I must also report that underneath the gorgeous book jacket (love that stripey spine!), the cover is lavender with pink foil lettering. And the book smells really nice. I just randomly opened to page 157 and landed on this quote:

"This dream came true. The possibility that other dreams could also come true makes me want to turn my life into everything it can be."

Always dream big...

Add a Comment

I am just buzzing with excitement right now. First off, February is so over. Longtime readers of this blog know how much I struggle with February. But this year I tried to stay focused on the good things I'm looking forward to and...well, February didn't seem so bad this time. It tried to suck the sparkle out of life and the result was an epic fail. March swoops in tomorrow to save winter. We made it! Congrats, friendly neighbors. This is the best TGIM warm fuzzy I can think of.

And there's more. March starting tomorrow means that So Much Closer comes out in two months! It has a strict on-sale date of May 3. My publicist is putting together my book tour right now. I'm hoping to be able to post the tour schedule by April, so stay tuned! In the meantime, there are two ways you can score a So Much Closer ARC. Book Woman Reads YA! is running this giveaway. It's open to international readers and I think it ends tonight. And Princess Bookie is hosting an ARC tour for book bloggers. If you're an interested book blogger, you can sign up here (scroll down to the So Much Closer area).

But wait! Just when I thought February ending and my next book release getting closer were more than enough awesome for one day, Crumbs announced their cupcake of the week is the Smiley Face. Could this be any cuter?



February OUT.

Add a Comment

A while ago, I gave away an ARC of So Much Closer on Twitter. It was so much fun that I've decided to do another Twitter giveaway this week!


Here's how to enter:

1. Follow me on Twitter. If you're already following me, proceed to step two.

2. Tweet the following:

Win a signed ARC of SO MUCH CLOSER! Follow @susanecolasanti and RT to enter. Giveaway info here: http://tinyurl.com/smcarc


Giveaway rules:

1. All entries must be completed by Sunday, January 30 at 11:11 pm.

2. Only one RT per entrant will be counted.

3. I will announce the winner on Twitter on Monday, January 31.

4. The winner will have two days to email me (at susanecolasanti[at]gmail[dot]com) their full name and mailing address. If a response is not received in time, an alternate winner will be selected.

5. The winning mailing address must be located in the United States.


TGIM :)

Add a Comment

Dude, I'm stressing out. First of all, I banged my head on the glass shelf in my bathroom. It didn't really hurt. But I have this thing where every time I bang my head, I'm convinced that it will result in a massive brain injury and I'll be dead within the next three hours. Could I maybe just calm that down? Not yet.

Regular readers of this blog know that I try to keep it Zen as much as possible. I enjoy minimizing stress. But I'm about to submit the manuscript of my new book (not So Much Closer, which was finalized last summer - I'm talking about my next book). Whenever I get to this point in the writing process, all attempts at a Zen lifestyle pretty much go out the window. I never know if a book is any good until my editors tell me it is. So I will try not to worry (about the book and head injuries and everything else) and keep it in the Now.

A few quick things to share with you:

The Book Queens interviewed me about transitions, writer's block, and advice for aspiring writers. Thanks, ladies!

The More You Read, The More You Will Know! posted this early review of So Much Closer. I know that some of you have gotten ARCs through Library Thing or at ALA and I'm psyched for your feedback.

In foreign edition news, I'm thrilled to report that both Something Like Fate and Take Me There are being translated into Spanish!

Waiting for You was published in Turkey last July, which I think is crazy cool. I mean, Turkish? Wild. Usually foreign edition covers are way different than the American ones. So I was surprised to see that the Turkish cover of Waiting for You looked really familiar.



It's also common for book titles to be changed. I had no idea what this one meant, but luckily my friend Umit is from Turkey. He told me that the title is When Are You Coming? Which really is the main question when the waiting becomes excrutiating, isn't it?

Okay, back to polishing this manuscript. And trying to keep it Zen. I hope your weekend is a peaceful one!

Add a Comment

My editor just informed me that Paul Rudd lives in my neighborhood. How could I have missed this? I love Paul Rudd! I loved him before anyone else even knew who he was! But my editor loves him, too. So of course we had to have a mini throwdown over who loves Paul Rudd more. We determined that we love him equally (note: I totally love him more - I was just being nice). I seriously cannot get enough of him and Jason Segel in I Love You, Man.



Shockingly, my editor didn't call me to talk about Paul Rudd. We just finished going over the first pass of So Much Closer. Could I be any more excited for this book? No. I could not possibly be. Waiting six months until you guys can read it won't be easy. For those of you who are book bloggers, I'm sorry that I won't be able to compile mailing lists for ARCs anymore. I spoke with my publicist about this and she said that reviewers may contact her for an ARC. You can find her contact info on my website. I can't guarantee that you'll receive an ARC, but it's worth a try.

A couple book giveaways are in the house. I managed to score an extra ARC and posted it on Goodreads. Anyone can enter to win it. Also, I'm the author of the month over at Book Reader Addicts. They're running a contest on my fan page where you can win one of my other books. They'll be asking trivia questions all month where you can earn extra entries. Sweet deal!

If you happen to run into me searching the nabe for Paul Rudd, feel free to join in. Maybe we'll even jam. Slappin' da bass!

Add a Comment

I've been getting some questions about what exactly ARCs are and how they're different from galleys and how they're connected to marketing. So I've made an executive decision to answer everyone here! Well, I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. There are still lots of questions I have about this whole process, too.

After a manuscript has been copyedited (where every single detail is completely scrutinized), it's ready to move on to the first step of the pre-finished-book printing process. Oh wait, I want to say something about copyediting. You don't just submit a manuscript and revise it once and then it goes right to copyediting. Manuscripts shouldn't be submitted to any publisher or agent for consideration unless you are submitting your best possible work. And by "best possible work," I mean that you've revised the manuscript on your own several times - ideally, taking a few months off between revisions to let it sit. I'm always surprised by how much I want to change when I step away from a draft for a while. Time really does help to shape your story. Once an editor is working with your manuscript, it will likely go through several more revisions before it even gets to the copyediting stage.

After copyediting is done, first pass pages are printed. This is a layout of how the book will look on big paper. As with copyedits, I'm sure the first pass will evolve from its big paper format to paperless in the near future. Most publishers are doing copyedits in Word with track changes now. But I like being able to see the book pages on paper. For some reason, reading everything on paper makes me feel more secure about catching problems.

Here's the first pass of So Much Closer:



The first pass gives everyone (the editor, the author, and a few other editors with seriously sharp eyes) an opportunity to check the book for errors or other things that should be changed. We check for typos that inadvertently resulted from typesetting. We check for other typos that everyone missed in the previous drafts. You would not believe how many typos slip through the cracks! It shocks me every time, being an obsessive perfectionist and all. The first pass isn't just about making sure the text is correct. I like using different handwriting fonts in my books for notes and stuff. These different fonts aren't formatted until the first pass. So now I can check to make sure they're believable handwriting fonts for the characters. Like if the book describes someone's handwriting as round and loopy but the font is narrow and pointy, that's not going to work. We also have to make sure that any symbols printed correctly. I like to use chapter break symbols and, unfortunately, they were forgotten in this first pass. Good thing there's a second pass!

I'm the last person to see the first pass. By the time I get my copy, there are all these notes and marks and questions written on it by the friendly neighbors who analyzed it before me. Some authors just respond to their concerns, but I read the book over again. This is a lot harder to do than it sounds. By the time the book gets to this stage, I've already read it so many times that the last thing I want to do is read it again. But I do it because this is pretty much my last chance to make any last changes I want. There's always stuff I want to change every time I read a book over. When I read the first pass, I try to focus on what my readers will see, what they'll be asking themselves, and anything that wouldn't seem clear to them.

Then the galleys are printed!* Galleys are very exciting because they're in book form, bound with the cover art. There are several types of galleys. So far, my books have only been printed as two kinds of galleys: a kind I don't know the name of and ARCs (advance readers' copies). What's the difference between these galleys? As far as I can tell, they both look

Add a Comment

Thanks for all of your sweet feedback on the So Much Closer cover here and on Facebook and Twitter. Your excitement for the book makes me even more excited about it! And your early support means a lot to me. With every new book, I keep finding out that the cover has been released from readers. I'd been wondering when my publisher was going to release the cover when a reader commented here to tell me it was out (thanks, Miranda!). Princess Bookie was the first to break the news on her wildly popular blog, along with the cover of What Happened to Goodbye. Sarah Dessen and I have the same publisher, and it looks like they released the cover of her new book at the same time. Which is so funny because I had just been talking to Sarah about our covers, like, two days before. Then the Compulsive Reader posted our covers. Reading or Breathing spread the love (hi, Kelsey!) and Katie's Book Blog was on it as well.

It's so cool how quickly we can get the word out about upcoming book releases now. Back in the day, I'd have to just sit around and wonder if my favorite authors would ever write another book. This is way better. I know it's mad early, but you can even pre-order So Much Closer if you want. Its Amazon page is here.

If you get my newsletter, you've already read the synopsis of So Much Closer (you can sign up for my newsletter on my website). I'm psyched to share what So Much Closer is about! Here's the synopsis:

Scott Abrams is the love of Brooke’s life. He just doesn’t know it yet. So when his family moves to New York City the summer before senior year, Brooke has no choice but to follow Scott. It’s her last chance to prove to him that they’re meant to be together.

But the city is full of surprises that Brooke never expected. Ever since a painful family trauma, she’s been closed off to her family, to her friends, and even to herself. Now, inspired by the thrilling energy of the bustling and creative city around her, Brooke starts to explore her talents and become someone she never dreamed she’d be.

So what will she do when her greatest dream of love finally comes true . . . and instead, she wants something more?


Some of you have asked about the title. It was totally influenced by Death Cab's "Transatlanticism," which also connects to a key scene in Something Like Fate. I've also been asked if the girls on the covers of Something Like Fate and So Much Closer are me. While that would be freaking awesome and it's certainly very flattering (I'm far from a size zero, friends), I must regretfully report that they are not me. My friend Courtney Sheinmel commented that it looks like me and John Mayer on the cover of So Much Closer. And someone commented after her to agree! So we'll just go with that.  Yep, that's me and John, chilling on the High Line how we do.  Nice how this turned out to be my dream cover in ways I never even imagined...