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 Do you think blogs are a bit outdated?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
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It's that time of year again, friendly neighbors! Something Like Fate comes out in paperback on April 19. Which means free copies for you!
Like last year's paperback contest, this one involves National TV Turnoff Week. Except now it's called Screen-Free Week. That was a necessary change for people like me who watch DVDs on their computers. Screen-Free Week 2011 is next week, April 18-24. The goal is to watch zero TV/movies/screen entertainment during the entire week.
If that seems impossible, please note that I spent 12 YEARS without a TV/internet/any kind of screen to watch in my home.
Why did I live like that? Because it was awesome. Most of my home entertainment time was spent reading and writing and I loved it. Did I survive? Heck yeah, I did. Even better - I managed to be a teacher and write my first two books. The only way I wrote those books was chilling unplugged style. I just know that if I'd had a TV and DVDs and internet access, there's no way I would have focused enough to write them. It's absolutely astonishing what you can accomplish by eliminating screen entertainment. Even in one week.
I would love for you to give it a try. And enter my contest! Two winners will be randomly selected. First prize is a signed copy of Something Like Fate and your choice of When It Happens, Take Me There, or Waiting for You. Second prize is a signed copy of Something Like Fate.
1. Enter by leaving a comment here telling me three things you will do instead of watching screen entertainment during Screen-Free Week.
2. Include your first name and email address with your comment.
3. Entries must be received by 11:11 pm on Sunday, April 17, 2011.
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.
5. Your entry will be counted twice if you link to this contest on your blog, Facebook, Twitter, or other site (leave that link with your comment).
This is a chance for you to start that project you've been putting off, to reconnect with those friends you keep meaning to get in touch with, to create a healthy new lifestyle, or to discover a new activity. Or you can just take time to breathe and enjoy life in the Zen lane. Whatever you decide, I know it will be spectacular!
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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!
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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
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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...
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Hot enough for you? I'm good, thanks. It hit 103 degrees here yesterday and we're doing it all over again today. And the rest of the week. The average maximum temperature for yesterday is 83 degrees, by the way. Hopefully, everyone is feeling cooler than I am. Because of course my air conditioner stopped working. One of the few times I actually need it.
So yeah. I'm pretty crispy.
Which is why today's blog entry needs to be done in short snippets. I have things to share, but energy must be conserved.
1. I was really shy about setting this up, but I finally have a Facebook fan page. It would love your love.
2. Does anyone else have a favorite article of clothing they wear right away after doing laundry? I'm currently playing favorites with this cute pajama set from Forever 21. It's a tank with a yellow bird that goes with these little gray shorts. And yes, this does mean that I technically work in pajamas.
3. I haven't seen Twilight, but I'm still impressed with Taylor Lautner. He's always so mature and thoughtful in interviews. Is that boy really only 18?! That rocks. He's one less person I have to worry about.
4. Smiley face fireworks!
5. When I found out who was in The Good Guy, I was stoked. It has Alexis Bledel (from Gilmore Girls), Bryan Greenberg (from One Tree Hill), and Scott Porter (from Friday Night Lights). It was like a reunion of all the best characters playing other characters. I was also stoked because The Good Girl is one of my Top Five Fave Movies Ever. How cool would that have been if I loved this film almost as much? While it was good, I'm not doing cartwheels about it. Definitely recommended, though.
6. Does that ShamWow thing really work?
7. New reviews of Something Like Fate can be found at Teen Ink and The Paperback Princess, who gives it five tiaras!
Keep it cool, everybody!
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After being on a harsh deadline for the past two weeks, I'm thrilled to announce that I am done. Woot! Of course, there's always the next deadline and I'll be working on my revision for another week or so. But I'm happy that I wasn't owned by this deadline. I did publicly challenge my deadline to a throwdown on Twitter. It even whipped out the Freddy claws more than once. I was all, "Do you really think you're scarier than the Donnie Darko rabbit? Best step back, son!" So I'm relieved I met my deadline and showed it who's boss. I even showed it my Michael Scott World's Best Boss coffee mug keychain, just in case there was any lingering doubt.
Speaking of office type paraphernalia, after I finished working today I immediately rewarded myself by purchasing a red Swingline stapler. Just like the one in Office Space! Office Space is one of my Top Five fave movies. Whenever someone feels like they need to be all up in my face with some nasty attitude, I often pull out the Yeah...did you get the memo? line in my head. I own a box of flair, including the I Believe You Have My Stapler piece. So you can see that owning the red Swingline stapler was way overdue.
Things occurred while I was in deadline throwdown mode. Something Like Fate was reviewed by The Book Obsession, Trisha's Book Blog, S. Krishna's Books, and Reclusive Bibliophile. Plus, The Ultimate YA Reading Group posted part two of their interview with me. And Girls Life magazine is featuring Something Like Fate as their book of the month. I really, really appreciate everyone who's taken the time to spread the word about my new book. Word of mouth is a powerful thing!
The last bit of news I have is for those of you in the New York City area. I'll be at Teen Author Reading Night this Wednesday, June 2 at 6:00. It's held at the NYPL on 6th Avenue & 10th Street. Fellow authors reading with me are Cathleen Davitt Bell, Lila Castle, Donna Freitas, Emily Horner, Morgan Matson, and Eliot Schrefer. If you can make it, I'd love to see you there!
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The final part of my book tour was a lot of fun! I got to do school visits as well as bookstore events, which meant that I got to meet even more readers. Awesome.
In case you were wondering, I did manage to wake up at 5:00 and drag myself to the airport. I usually get out a book and read when the airport security line is long, but for some reason I didn't do that this time (anyone sense a non-coincidence coming up?). Which means I was paying attention to the people around me. Which is why I noticed one of my old students. She's a security officer there. I was like, Shut UP! No one is going to believe us! It was probably best to avoid a whole loud scene in the middle of security, so while we were hugging and freaking out and everyone was totally staring (because how often do you know an airport security person?), she told me that she'd meet me at my gate. We got to catch up and document the reunion:
When I landed in Chicago, my author escort took me right to Harlem High School. I spoke to two 9th grade English classes, then met with the book club after school. Can I just say that their book club rules? It's immensely fun to chill with hardcore readers. They're currently reading Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson. Naturally, I wanted to stay and join the discussion.
That night, Wonderland Books & Toys hosted a dinner for me and some awesome readers. They had the biggest pizza in the world! Seriously, when I saw that pizza box I was like, What size pizza is that? It was beyond large. Thanks to Shawna for organizing such a cool event, complete with pink cupcakes. Abbey was there with this cute bookmark she made:
The next day started at Scullen Middle School with a lunch group of 8th grade girls. Ah, the days when I had to eat lunch at 10:30 - I don't miss them at all. A beautiful table was set up in the media center - pink forks, napkins with dots, heart cookies, and a major chocolate cake:
Now, at these lunch and dinner events I don't actually get to eat anything since I'm doing most of the talking. Plus, my Invisalign condition prevents me from eating whenever. But I usually get to take a treat to go, so it's all good. I loved meeting this group of girls! They even made a huge welcome poster for me:
Next I gathered in the band room with about 30 8th graders. But this wasn't a typical presentation. While I was speaking with them, the talk was filmed and being broadcast to the entire 8th grade. All the classrooms have monitors. It's the new assembly, people! That was a really fun discussion, although I should apologize for using the word beeyotch. You're allowed to use that word here instead of the other. It kind of slipped out when I was talking about this girl I went to high school with who was, well, a total beeyotch. My bad.
Then it was off to Waubonsie Valley High School, where I did an activity with a creative writing class. It was wild being in a classroom with so much room to move around. I'm used to very limited space when I'm teaching. I could have done cartwheels in front of that class. I mean, if I knew how to do cartwheels. As we were walking up to the school, I noticed that signs with each room number were in the windows, facing outward. Smart. I recommend that all schools do this in case of an emergency.
Th
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One good thing about being my own boss is that I don't have to get up at the crack of darkness anymore. Except during book tours. Somehow, I will get up at 5:00 tomorrow and fly to Chicago and do school visits and a dinner at Wonderland Books. It all sounds fabulous except for the getting up at 5:00 part. Wait, why am I still awake? Dude. I'd better make this a quick post.
I'll be tweeting updates from the last part of my book tour, but probably won't be blogging until I get back. Here's some stuff to look at while I'm gone:
Some new reviews of Something Like Fate are up at Forever Young, Not Enough Bookshelves, and The Book Cellar.
The Ultimate YA Reading Group has selected me as their author of the month! I'm totally honored. You can check out their Tumblr here. Which reminds me - should I be on Tumblr? Okay, no time! Must wake up at 5:00! We'll discuss this later.
Chicago is mostly all about school visits, but I'm doing an event that's open to the public at Anderson's Bookshop:
Wednesday, May 12 - 7:00
Reading, discussion and signing
Anderson’s Bookshop
5112 Main Street
Downers Grove, IL 60515-4601
Phone: 630.963.2665
After that, my tour will be over. I'm sorry if I didn't make it to your town this time. There are lots of other places I wanted to visit! If you'd like me to come to your town next time, please let your local bookstore know. If they request me, my publicist might add that location to my next tour!
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Picking up where Book Tour, Part One left off...San Francisco! My first event was an afternoon tea at Copperfield's Books. I just loved the idea of an afternoon tea. And Copperfield's did such an awesome job of promoting the event:
Next up was the big Books Inc. Not Your Mother's Book Club YA launch party in Berkeley. This was the first YA event in the new Books Inc. location, which is gorgeous - skylights, wood, airy. I had such a fun time on the panel with Jenny Han, Michael Grant, Cynthia Omololu, and Beth Fantaskey. We found out that Michael Grant wrote some of the Sweet Valley Highs! Jenny and I were in awe. I had to get up in the middle of Q&A to hug him for that. An old friend from college showed up. I didn't recognize him at first, but then I totally did! I love how book tours can inspire these kinds of reunions. Another awesome part of the night was finally getting to meet Jandy Nelson and Cheryl Renee Herbsman, two outstanding authors whose books I blurbed. Here's Cheryl, me, and Jandy:
I was only back home for a night before leaving for my next event in New Jersey. If you've read Something Like Fate, you know that I have a thing for train tracks. Especially train tracks in the middle of the woods. I'm from Middle of Nowhere New Jersey where train tracks represented possibility, exciting adventures, and life-altering journeys. So of course I took the train to Books & Greetings in Northvale. The store's owner, Kenny, is freaking amazing. He had huge posters in the window and flyers and tons of displays around. And the event was a pizza party!
Lauren M. and her sister came all the way from NYC. I was totally honored that Danielle's copy of When It Happens was falling apart, just like my copy of The Outsiders was from reading it so many times! A fellow teacher from my old school came with his fam and daughter, Rachel. All the girls were wearing Silly Bandz. I'm not sure when these busted out as the new hot trend (actually, it was explained to me that they were in like three years ago and then they were out and now they're in again). I haven't noticed anyone in New York wearing them. But I like being trendy with these kinds of things, so Kenny gave me packs of zoo animals, space, and glitter dinosaurs. Plus, he let me take my floor display header home. Thanks for a super fun time, Kenny!
Tomorrow I'll be in Connecticut at RJ Julia:
Monday, May 10 - 4:30
Reading, discussion and signing
RJ Julia
768 Boston Post Road
Madison, CT 06443
Phone: 203.245.3959
Then it's off to Chicago way early Tuesday morning. Scary early, in fact. But readers await on the other side, so it's all good. Hope to see you this week!
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The California part of my book tour was so much fun! It all started in Los Angeles with my amazing author escort, Lisa. Actually, I now think of her as Wonder Woman because she made miracles happen. When she asked me if there was anything I wanted to see, all I could think of was Sprinkles. I'd heard that Sprinkles cupcakes rival Crumbs. I'd been lusting after Sprinkles for years. So when I mentioned Sprinkles, I assumed I wouldn't have enough time to go there and I'd miss it yet again and oh well. But that's not how things went down. Lisa took us straight over to Sprinkles, which of course was right around the corner when I mentioned it (hi, non-coincidence!) and I finally got to go! Here's Lisa at Sprinkles:
This is what I have determined. Sprinkles cupcakes are the best cupcakes in the world. Even better than Crumbs. I know! But it's true. Oh Sprinkles, how I will miss your deliciousness. Another treat I will never forget: In-N-Out. I'd been hearing about In-N-Out for years. Steve Carell said how after big events he likes to get In-N-Out and go home to chill. That made me want to go. My research showed that they didn't have a veggie burger, so I thought I would never get to join in the fun. But! One of my Facebook friends said that they have a secret off-the-menu item. Secret grilled cheese. And that I should get the grilled cheese animal style. Which I did. And wow, was that one of the best things ever. So. Freaking. Good. Thanks a million, Morgan!
We did some stock signings at various bookstores. I'm thrilled to report this breaking news: Barnes & Noble stores are doing stepladders of my books. Stepladders are types of metal floor displays that are much larger than the cardboard ones. If you're entering my Floor Display Contest, it sounds like you will probably see one of these displays. Righteous! I also saw some really sweet endcaps, which you could also document for the contest:
My first event was at Borders in LA. Can I just say that Lita Weissman is incredible? She organized an event that far exceeded my expectations. There were tons of huge displays of my books all throughout the store, including right when you come in. She had cool flyers and bookmarks made. She even had a huge birthday cake for me! With sprinkles and hearts!
Everyone sang when I came out. I just felt so welcome there. The readers who attended were fabulous and so was the staff. Thanks to everyone for making my first official book tour event one I will never forget.
I got to meet up with my friends Jordi and Fabien. It was funny - they lived in San Francisco before moving to LA like two weeks ago, but I didn't know they'd moved. So when I told them I was coming to San Fran, they were like, Drat, we just moved to LA. But then I was like, Sweet, I'll be in LA, too! I hadn't seen them in a long time. They were so LA with their cool summer fabrics and Cali boy ways. I had a great time walking around West Hollywood on a cool night with them.
The next morning, it was time to leave for San Francisco. I cannot even describe to you how awesome the ride to the airport was. At my Borders event, I mentioned Cast Away. I've seen that movie so many times and adore Wilson. That scene where Chuck loses Wilson o
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Tomorrow is May 4. You know what that means. Something Like Fate will finally be released! It's my fourth on the fourth!
Floor displays will be going up in Barnes & Noble stores starting tomorrow, so please look out for them. Especially if you're entering my Floor Display Contest. Either way, all book documentation is much appreciated.
As if that weren't exciting enough, I'm leaving today for my book tour! My events in Los Angeles and San Francisco are:
Tuesday, May 4 - 7:00
Reading, discussion and signing
Borders
6510 Canoga Avenue
Canoga Park, CA 91303
Phone: 818.887.1999
Wednesday, May 5 - 4:00
Afternoon tea, discussion and signing
Copperfield’s Books
140 Kentucky Street
Petaluma, CA 94952-2994
Phone: 707.762.0563
Thursday, May 6 - 7:00
Not Your Mother's Book Club Launch Party YA panel
Books Inc.
1760 4th Street
Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone: 510.525.7777
At the Books Inc. event, I'll be joined by fellow YA authors Jenny Han, Michael Grant, Cynthia Omololu, and Beth Fantaskey. I'm also told there will be pizza!
I expect to be blogging about all of these events while I'm in Cali, but I'm not sure how much online time I'll have. You can follow me on Twitter for the latest updates from the road (and sky - I'll be flying Virgin and I hear they have free WiFi!). If I happen to encounter any warm cookies during my flight, you will definitely be notified.
Well...this is it. I hope to see you on my tour. In case I don't, I just want to thank you for reading, for your sweet encouragement, and for making all of this possible. I wouldn't be able to have this job I love without you. Thank you with my whole heart.
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To celebrate next week's release of Something Like Fate, I'm running my largest (and last for a while) contest to win copies of the book. It's the third annual Floor Display Contest! Starting May 4, Barnes & Noble and some indie stores will be putting up floor displays (book towers) of Something Like Fate. If you find a display and document yourself with it, you can enter to win a copy of the book from me. The floor display and header look like this:
Here's how the contest works. Take a photo of yourself with the floor display. Since not all bookstores put up these displays, you can take a photo with just my books in the store or even at home. As long as the photo includes you and Something Like Fate, you can enter. Email your photo to me at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com. The photo that speaks to me the most will win. Photos will be judged on creativity, originality, and overall awesomeness. You may use Photoshop or another program to alter the image in any way you'd like: adding color, text, graphics, anything that lets you express your artistic talents. Three winners will be selected!
Floor Display Contest rules:
1. Email your photo of you with either the floor display or Something Like Fate to me at friendly.neighbor [at] hotmail.com. Photo enhancement is allowed.
2. Include your full name and complete mailing address with your entry.
3. Entries must be received by 11:11 pm on Sunday, May 23.
4. This contest is only open to US residents. 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.
Prizes: Three prizes will be awarded. First prize is Something Like Fate, Waiting for You, and your choice of either Take Me There or When It Happens. Second and third prizes are both Something Like Fate and your choice of either Waiting for You, Take Me There, or When It Happens. All books will be signed to whomever you'd like, of course.
I can't wait to see your creativity shine. Let's get this party started!
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This email totally made me smile:
Hi Susane,
Maybe you can help me out here. I was in the West Village today w/ my son having lunch. We saw Kiefer Sutherland walk by and my son swears you were walking with him. He's read your books and he insists it was you, now we're both curious if it was you? Sure looked like you!
If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that Kiefer and I are neighbors. You also know that we've met and you know what a huge deal that was for me. However, Kiefer was not walking with me. That was his girlfriend. Kiefer and I have a mutual friend who keeps saying how much I look like his girlfriend. When I Googled her, I discovered the main difference between us: she is gorgeous. But! I did find this pic of her that managed to fool lots of my friends. Even I was like, Wait, when did we have lunch?
Okay, I'm really not supposed to be blabbing about my relationship with Kiefer. I am supposed to be reminding you that it's day seven of my blog tour. You have a chance to win a copy of Something Like Fate over at A Good Addiction. Plus, I speculate about who my main characters would hook up with if they weren't together.
TeenReads wanted me to answer some questions today. I'm going to try something different with them. I've noticed a few author Q&A sessions on Twitter and I'm thinking about doing something like that, too. Which reminds me - I just redid my Twitter page. Does it look okay to you? It's so hard to tell if a new background will work on everyone's monitor. Anyway, in preparation for my Twitter Q&A thing I've decided to do a practice run with the questions from TeenReads.
What's your inspiration? – Brittany P.
Life in its entirety. Especially the parts that make an impact.
Has your inspiration for novels ever come from a dream? – Runa
Definitely! The main plots of Take Me There and Something Like Fate both came to me in very intense dreams.
How do you keep your teen perspective? – Dee
My internal age is 16. I have a feeling it will always be like this.
Are there instances where you've written about your own experiences in your books? – Vienna
Do you base anything you write on your real life? – Adeola M.
Totally. Hopefully, adapting actual experiences helps to make my books feel real. Realistic books are the kind I love to read.
Do you ever get writer's block? If so, what makes you push over that hurdle? – Anne
I've never met that monster. If you're writing about things that make you feel alive, the words will flow. Passion inspires creativity.
With four books under your belt now, what do you think is the hardest part about the writing/publishing process? – Marisa
Expectations, both my own and others'. My expectations are enormous. Disappointing readers is something I hope to never do.
What will your next book be about? – Krissy
I'm revising my fifth book now, but it's too early to discuss. I can say that's it's about following a dream that seems larger than life.
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Something Like Fate comes out on May 4! It's hard to believe that's next Tuesday. Later this week, I'll be posting my biggest contest to win copies of Fate. It involves the floor displays that will be going up in Barnes & Noble stores nationwide starting May 4, so check back here for all the info. These floor displays are the prettiest ever! I think their header (the piece that goes at the top of the display tower) is gorgeous:
I've had an early copy of the book for a while. It's always exciting to get that first copy and then all of my author copies, but nothing compares to that first bookstore sighting. When my books are out in the world where other people can see them, that's when they feel real to me. It's all about my Real Book Love. This is the kind of love one has for books made of paper, where you can turn the pages and smell the ink and adore all of the unique details. Like how underneath the dust jacket of Something Like Fate, it has a pink hardcover and purple foil letters on the spine. Purple foil!
Other big things are happening next week. A week from today, I'll be leaving on my book tour! The Best Friends & Boyfriends Tour is coming to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, CT, and NJ. You can find the complete tour schedule here.
But this week deserves love, too. Particularly for those of us working on living in the Now. Today is day six of my blog tour. Find out how creative visualization has changed my life over at TeenReads. Oh, and what about last week? If you participated in National TV Turnoff Week, I hope you accomplished your goals. Even if you watched less TV instead of none, that means you had more time for other activities. Which means success!
Did you know that the cover photo for Something Like Fate was taken during a photo shoot? The images on my previous book covers were all adapted from stock photos. This time, the process was more exciting. My publisher wanted to show the lovers' triangle conflict in a way that would reflect the tone of the book, so models were acquired and a photo shoot was had. I was originally going to write about it here, but Melissa Walker does such an amazing job with her Cover Story feature that I shared my behind-the-scenes info on her blog. And P.S.? I've seen pics of the boy model from the front. Yeah, he's just as cute as you think he is.
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It's Day 2 of my blog tour! Find out how dreams made me miss the school bus over at The Story Siren.
Today is also the second day of National TV Turnoff Week. For those of you participating, you may be feeling a bit anxious right about now. I know how it feels to look forward to a fave show at the end of a stressful day. Actually, I'm still getting over some show-related sadness from last week. I finished watching Prison Break. As I've mentioned before, the first season is a masterpiece. What an amazing ride! Even though the following three seasons weren't as excellent, they were still awesome. I mean, it's hard to compete with perfection, so what do you expect? I was not at all prepared to discover that Michael Scofield died. I have this thing where I get really attached to my favorite characters, whether they're in books or movies or shows. Michael was one of the most impressive characters I've ever known. I'm not embarrassed to admit that I totally cried at the end of that last ep. The writers are fabulous, but I might have to contact one of them to complain. His death was wrong!
Something else that's wrong? My corner deli's new awning. They spent all this money to have a brand-new awning made. They spent two days putting it up. I'm sure I'd be horrified to discover how must it cost. And what does the awning say? Gourmet deli, grocery, vegetable, beer, ATM. It's such a shame. Like, what, you only have one vegetable? Come on! I get really worked up about typos. When I was younger, I'd get so annoyed that I'd point them out to the people working at the store, even if they had no control over their signs. I'm pretty sure I'll be bringing up this atrocity to the deli owner one of these days.
To end on a positive note, here's a review of Something Like Fate by The Compulsive Reader and another one at BookCrossing. Two of the major reviewers have weighed in as well. Booklist says:
"Colasanti provides credible and engaging character development for each cast member and interactions that spark just the right amount of tension to make this a romantic page-turner."
And Kirkus says this about my main character, Lani:
"Lani recounts both the thrill of romance and the terror of losing what little social status she has in an intelligent, fast-paced present-tense narration."
Yay!
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Next week I will be embarking on a blog tour! To celebrate the upcoming May 4 release of Something Like Fate, I'll be visiting ten blogs. Each visit will include a guest post discussing a concept related to fate, like astrology, palm reading, and tarot. In the book, Lani and Erin have created a list of ten topics related to fate, one for each month of junior year. Their goal is to learn as much as possible about each topic so that they can be experts on fate by the end of the year. I used their list to write about my own experiences with each of their topics. In addition, I'll be answering three questions by each blogger. Three is an auspicious number. In the case of Something Like Fate, the number three represents the lovers' triangle dynamic. It also relates to Lani's environmental activism - how the recycle symbol has three arrows representing Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
But that's not all. At every stop of my blog tour, you'll have a chance to win a signed copy of Something Like Fate. I'm not talking about an ARC, I mean a finished hardcover! Sweet!
Here's the schedule:
April 19 - Presenting Lenore
April 20 - The Story Siren
April 21 - Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
April 22 - Shooting Stars Mag
April 23 - The Page Flipper
April 26 - TeenReads
April 27 - A Good Addiction
April 28 - Book-lover Carol
April 29 - Pop Culture Junkie
April 30 - The Compulsive Reader
In case you haven't heard, I'm also going on an actual book tour May 4-12. You can find all the tour details here.
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If it's as gorgeous where you are as it's been here in New York, you are probably having as much fun as I am. Regular readers of this blog know how much I love spring. Not only is it finally here, it came with the added bonus of really warm weather. We broke a record yesterday for the high temperature - it hit 91 degrees! The previous record was 89 in 1929. By the way, the normal high temp for right now is 58. So yeah, it's been sweet. Flip-flops and everything! I've officially started singing "Summer Breeze" by Seals & Crofts. Continuing the celebration, I'm leaving tomorrow for a long weekend in South Beach. But before I go, there are some things I want to share with you.
First of all, I'm so impressed with your entries to my Waiting for You Contest. You guys rule. So far, I think just about everyone who entered said they're going to read more during National TV Turnoff Week. This makes me really happy. It also makes me think about my own reading time. It must be the Internet that's sucking away most of the time I used to spend reading, but these days I'm just not reading as much as I used to. Ever since I was young, I've read before going to sleep. Even if I'm so exhausted that I can only keep my eyes open for a few pages, it's just part of my lifestyle. Lately I'm so tired that I might only read 20 pages a night. Ridiculous but true. But! Reading time will be mine this weekend. My plan is to relax by the pool every day with these three YA books I'm bringing. And drink fruity drinks with colorful pieces of fruit in them, of course.
My contest isn't the only one. You can win a copy of Something Like Fate from plugintoreading on Twitter! Just follow me on Twitter and then RT the following:
Win Susane Colasanti's SOMETHING LIKE FATE! Follow @susanecolasanti & retweet. Email jillian.laks @gmail.com. Winner selected April 18!
What else. Oh, the Something Like Fate blog tour is coming up. One of my stops is over at TeenReads and they want your questions! You can submit any questions you have for me here. I'll be answering some in my guest post and more on my blog. Speaking of tours, I'm going on my first book tour starting on May 4 when Something Like Fate is released. Which you probably already know because I've pretty much been renting a billboard about it. But in case you haven't heard, all of the details are here.
Creative Blossoms interviewed me about writing challenges, my favorite moment from high school, and which boy character I identify with the most. Thanks for the fun questions, Karla!
Okay, that's the news. I'll be totally unplugged in South Beach. Just sunshine, pool, bikini, books, and fruity drinks. Ciao for now!
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...Waiting for You comes out in paperback!
Check back here tomorrow for my paperback release contest, where you can win a copy of the book (and my other books, too).
Until then, here's an interview with me at TRT Book Club and another at Reading or Breathing. I think the contest to win books over at TRT has closed, but I wanted to link to the interview again because Jen always does such a good job of asking fun, original questions.
There are also some new reviews of Something Like Fate out. Here's a short review at Random Buzz and a longer one at Once Upon a Book Blog. Robby did an excellent job of describing much of the book's plot, so please be aware that his review contains spoilers. Thanks for the comprehensive review, Robby!
See you tomorrow for contest time...
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Have you been waiting for Waiting for You to come out in paperback? If so, your waiting is almost over. Waiting for You will be released in paperback on April 6! Which I can't believe is next week, but there you go.
In other book news, a new review of Something Like Fate is up at The Unprofessional Critic. Lauren even cast characters for the movie adaptation. She picked Zooey Deschanel to play my main character, Lani. That rules. I love Zooey! And casting book characters is always super fun.
Before I started this blog in 2007, I read lots of other authors' blogs so I wouldn't be entirely clueless. Now there are only a few other blogs that I read on a regular basis. At first I felt guilty that I wasn't reading everyone's blog all the time. But then I thought about how much time I spend online every day and...well, I don't feel guilty anymore. One of the blogs I still read is Meg Cabot's. She is always so fun and informative and inspirational and just freaking amazing. A few days ago, Meg wrote about writer's block. She said how if she feels stuck because she can't figure out where she took a wrong turn, she'll think about the problem before going to sleep. In the morning, she usually wakes up with the answer right in front of her. This is an excellent example of how communicating with our subconscious can reveal all sorts of life-altering things. I've had dreams that revealed critical plot points of my books. This is why I keep a notebook and special stripy pencil on my nightstand - you never know when a brilliant idea will strike. I've heard other authors say that their book ideas came to them in dreams, too. There's so much we don't yet know about dreams, but one thing is clear. They have the power to enhance our lives.
If you've been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I'm obsessed with The Office. Remember when Jim and Pam slept over at Schrute Farms and then rated it on TripAdvisor? It turns out that there's an actual listing for Schrute Farms on TripAdvisor! They set it up as a hoot when the ep first aired and then decided to keep it. I'm having the best time reading people's reviews. It's awesome when fiction finds its way into real life.
Something less awesome? Trying to get into a healthy habit that's just not sticking. A while ago, I mentioned how I wanted to start taking Omega-3. The problem is that I can't get over the whole fish oil thing. I have these orange flavored Omega-3 packets that are supposed to be for kids. They don't taste too bad, it's just knowing that fish oil lurks within completely repulses me. In the meantime, I've been drinking Acai berry juice. It's an acquired taste, but definitely worth getting used to. I won't give up on the Omega-3, though. Disguising the taste with animal crackers might work. Yeah, I know I'm supposed to be a grownup. I just haven't gotten the official memo yet.
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It looks like I have some more news about last week's NYC Teen Author Festival. La Femme Readers were in the house! Much footage was documented during the big symposium day. I was on a panel called The Boy You Can't Have with some other authors who have written about this conflict. It was a blast because Elizabeth Scott, Robin Palmer, Melissa Walker, Maryrose Wood, and Elizabeth Eulberg were on the panel, and they are all such amazing readers. The video footage is here, including clips from earlier panels that day. If you scroll down to the last video, you can see me reading from Something Like Fate and Elizabeth Scott reading from The Unwritten Rule.
When Elizabeth was in town last year, we were hanging out and I asked what her next book was about. She said it was about a girl who falls in love with her best friend's boyfriend. I was like, "Get out! That's what my next book is about!" And then we marveled over the coincidence. Actually, there's a quote in Something Like Fate that says how there are no coincidences (if you agree that everything happens for a reason and everything is connected), so I see both books coming out around the same time as a good thing. It gives everyone who loves to read about relationship drama even more to read. What's not to love about that?
This non-coincidence is an interesting example of the collective mind. When I first starting writing books, I'd get worried about using an obscure reference that I'd later find in another author's book. I didn't want the other author to think that I stole their reference. But then I was like, Please. As if they'll even read my book. Now I understand the power of the collective mind. My fellow YA authors are sort of like colleagues to me. We're united by a common goal. So it makes sense that in working toward our common goal, we sometimes come up with similar ideas around the same time. I find this fascinating. Only...I just want Blake Nelson to know that I didn't steal the name of your girl from Destroy All Cars. I started writing my new book before I read yours, I swear!
Getting the party started for the Something Like Fate pub date (May 4!), I've posted an excerpt on my website. And now I have to get ready for the author video we're filming today. We were going to film in Central Park, but of course after days of gorgeous weather it's cold and rainy. But it's all good - we're filming in the best Penguin office ever. As far as magical places go, I couldn't ask for better energy. Yay for non-coincidences!
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It's officially Spring! Oh, how I missed you, season of warmth and new life. There's just something so refreshing about officially putting my boots away and walking around in a tee and sneakers. Okay, so maybe I'm not walking around in a tee today - we were spoiled by some really warm weather last week - but I will be again soon enough. Emerging from beneath the layers is the best kind of spiritual renewal.
This year, I decided to celebrate the vernal equinox upscale style. First there was a sunset walk on the High Line. It was reassuring to see some early buds on the trees. There were even a few flowers blooming. Then we had a fancy dinner at Charles (which, by the way, is not on Charles Street). Fancy restaurants have been doing this thing lately where they'll take some kind of basic comfort food and give it a gourmet twist. It's fun. So I was excited about the truffle grilled cheese. But wow, I did not expect such excellence. This truffle grilled cheese was, like, one of the best things I've ever tasted. Seriously, if you're in the New York area you need to get yourself to Charles immediately. Or Crumbs, for this pretty spring Cupcake of the Week:
Improvements in weather also inspire me to go shopping for pretty spring things. I've found a few new shirts for my upcoming book tour at Forever 21 and such. There are so many gorgeous floral prints right now! Sometimes they psych you out, though. Like I'll see the most amazing jacket and turn it around and there'll be this big honking bow on the back. Why?
I'll leave you with these links to an interview with me at The Unprofessional Critic and this review of Something Like Fate at The Truth About Books. I was so impressed that Tricia got an ARC at the Books of Wonder signing, read the whole book, then whipped up this review all in the space of two days. That's dedication, yo.
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Gearing up for the May 4 release of my fourth teen novel, Something Like Fate, while I was working on a revision of my fifth book was a bit strange. Sort of like I was straddling the Equator with my feet in different hemispheres. But now that I've submitted the revision to my editors, I can move into the next phase of Something Like Fate festivities. Right after I'm done with such glamourous tasks as laundry and dusting, that is. Whenever I'm close to a deadline, everything else just has to wait. Now the waiting is over and it's time to shine.
First up is NYC Teen Author Festival week. I'll be participating in events this week on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Here's a complete listing of events and authors who are participating. Some of you have asked if I'll be signing on Friday after my panel discussion. There's actually an hour break after my panel, so if you can't make it to the massive Books of Wonder signing on Sunday I can totally sign books on Friday. I'm really looking forward to meeting you guys in person!
I've also been asked by some book reviewers who've received ARCs of Something Like Fate when you can post a review on your blog. You may post your review anytime you'd like! Closer to the pub date is always best, but we're only about six weeks from May 4 so anytime between now and then would be awesome. Here is an early review by So Many Books and another review by Jeni Bell.
Even though we "lost" an hour yesterday (which was Pi Day and also Einstein's birthday, as there are no coincidences) due to Daylight Savings, sunset is now at like 7:00. Which is righteous. I am inspired. So as I'm working on happy book release things, I'll also be planning a vernal equinox celebration. It's all about welcoming the light. Shine on, everyone!
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Slogging through winter is not easy. It's cold (except for today - it's supposed to be almost 60 degrees here!). You just want to stay in and read (which is actually a good thing). And there are only, like, three minutes of sunlight each day. Things always feel better when sunset crosses the 5:00 mark. Which it totally did! I am welcoming the light. Or I will be right after this dark, rainy day is done. Not that I'm complaining. Rainy days are cool if they are also warm.
More daylight is bringing even more happiness this year. I'm getting really excited about the release of Something Like Fate. My book tour information and other festivities are still being finalized, but I will share all of the details here as soon as I can. In the meantime, The Book Girl has posted an early review of Something Like Fate. Thanks for your excitement about this book, Renee!
It's sort of weird to be working on a new book when Something Like Fate isn't even out yet. That's how the publishing world works, though. Last week, I met with my editors about book five. I never know if a new book I've written is any good until they give me feedback because I don't show my manuscripts to anyone else. So I'm thrilled to report that book five is approved! It will naturally undergo revisions, but it looks like no major overhaul is needed. Major overhaul = stressful times. I have definitely been there and I don't miss it. When It Happens went through so many major revisions that it ended up looking almost completely different than what I started with. Which was a good thing - that first draft was atrocious. Hopefully, I've learned a few things since my first book was published in 2006. Like how to write a less atrocious first draft.
For those of you also working on revisions or trying to improve your life in any way, we are all in this together. It's time to shine.
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My friendly neighbors at Barnes & Noble are planning some exciting things for the Something Like Fate release. In order to make this happen, they have changed the book's pub date from May 18 to May 4, 2010. May 4 was the When It Happens pub date, so I'm loving how we've come full circle. I knew 2010 would be an auspicious year!
Tonight I'll be interviewed on New York University's radio station, WNYU. I'll actually be at Teen Author Reading Night to scope out new books at that time - the interview was pre-recorded. If you're local, you can hear it at 7:30 on 89.1 FM. It will also be streaming live on WNYU's website.
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