The full quote from AMAZING writer, homo sapien, and NYT bestselling author Scott Westerfeld on Blackwood:
"With whip-smart, instantly likable characters and a gothic small-town setting, Bond weaves a dark and gorgeous tapestry from America's oldest mystery."
*glows*
What a week!
Okay, ONE More To End Off The Week (!) Read More »
And another blurb just came in for Blackwood that made me OH SO HAPPY, this time from the fabulous Micol Ostow, author of many extremely awesome books including family and So Punk Rock (the girl's got range!). She says:
"Miranda Blackwood's battle against her own history is utterly modern–and utterly marvelous. She's truly a heroine all readers can rally behind."
My Miranda winning friends and influencing people. *beams*
(Yes, it is the Season of the Blurbs. And I do hope that sharing them isn't getting too obnoxious. It's the opposite of obnoxious for me, more like a season of delight. And like all seasons this too shall pass. Promise!)
This week I am Doing All The Things and attempting to get into a writing rhythm on the new book, which seems to be finding a groove. It turns out this planning the plot in advance business may be a good idea. Who knew? The only thing of DOOM has been daylight savings time (yes, I know it's really saving not savings, but that always looks and sounds weird so not using it). Truly, you would think they had reversed the way time worked or something…
But they haven't, which means that this time next week will be ICFA. Florida, lovely people, pool, poolside bar. Perhaps an excursion to the The Hunger Games movie? (I know Genevieve's in.) I can hardly wait.
Character Reference Read More »
So…I know some of you might be surprised by this, but having good news to share makes me feel so, so very self-conscious. This is the standard writer neuroses kicking in big-time, I'm sure, but, well, there it is. And yet it fills me with such joy to get a blurb for my little-book-that-could like this one, just in from New York Times bestselling author (and extremely amazing writer and person) Cynthia Leitich Smith:
"This haunting, romantic mystery intrigues, chills, and captivates."
How can I not be over-the-moon and share? (Long-time readers of this blog will know just how much I adore Cyn's work.) So. YAY.
I've also seen the very first rough cut for the Blackwood cover and I may have squealed. Actually, I may have squealed both at this blurb and the not-yet-finished cover.
I need to be getting more words on the new work-in-progress (and I shall; 700 today, which is not bad at the beginning), but I also know that it's important to stop and appreciate moments like this. Blurbs from writers whose work I LOVE, the very first cover comp of my first ever Actual Book… Sometimes I have to remind myself it's okay to stop and squeal! over these things, and that some of you might even want to squeal! with me.
Whoopsie, disappeared again there, but lo! I am back.
The final version of Blackwood has been turned in after a last round of changes and copy edits, and I wrote my dedication and acknowledgements–or Ded & Acks as I titled the file, noting that it would be an excellent name for a band. I got a little teary. We also clobbered tax prep over the weekend (commence the waiting and hoping it's not too painful). And, best of all, I now have approval to proceed on the new book. (I am SO excited about this book.) Anyway: whew! And it's only Monday.
Oh, and I have a looong feature in this week's issue of PW. If you're a subscriber and interested in the state of parenting and child care books, there you go. And now a few little links.
Monday Hangovers & Etc. Read More »
"Tuck the Darkness In" by Bowerbirds from Secretly Jag on Vimeo.
Phillips* in Blackwood LOVES this band. So do I.
Thanks to Richard for the pointer to this new video. Also, thanks to the band for releasing a new album just when I'm in need of things for a shiny new playlist. (And for generally being AMAZING.)
Their last album, Upper Air, was perfect background for my gothic Roanoke Island story, and lots of its songs were on my writing playlist.** Plus, Phillips was really into music, enough so that I really had to think about what he'd listen to given his eclectic taste. And the band fit there too.
Aside: I may be absentee for a couple of days working on copy edits and the various other things of life (including taxes! they can be put off no longer). But back soon.
*I can't wait for you guys to meet these characters. I hope you like them. I should say, you might not know he LOVES them without this secret information, just that they're on one of his playlists. This is Imaginary Inside Dirt right here.
**Doubly perfect because they are a North Carolina band. Perfect squared.
Soundtracks Are Important Read More »
I don't think this will affect anyone, but just in case–I switched off the feedburner connection, as I've been hearing from lots of places that it's super-buggy of late. Again, I wasn't warned when I did it that this would create any problems, so I don't believe it will…but the fail-safe always-works feed is this one or your reader will find it for you from the main URL. As you were.
Don't worry, I'm not planning a return to all-links-all-the-time, promise. But I got waylaid by a little cold last week (which meant missing AWP–boo), and then had to deal with a deadline that needed vanquishing (vanquished!), and so today I'm closing some open tabs and playing catch up.
Also: thanks to everyone who checked in with us after the terrible storms that hit here late Friday. Both we and our families escaped unscathed. Others were not so lucky, and many of the hardest hit areas of the state are the ones least financially able to recover from such losses; here's a simple way to donate to the Red Cross's Kentucky-specific efforts, if you're so inclined.
I just got my very first blurb. And let me tell you, as someone capable of convincing herself that Everyone Will Hate It, why yes, I did a dance of joy. It's from Marcus Sedgwick, an author whose work I absolutely love, and when my editor* sent it to me, I might have fallen over. But I have picked myself up and here it is:
"Weird, wise and witty, Blackwood is great fun."
*beams madly*
*p.s. My editor ROCKS.
1. This is primarily a Friday Five about why I was MIA all week.
2. Vacations tend to have that effect, don't they? You get home, rested but with all the things you would have done during that time waiting, plus the new stuff of the week at hand. So lots of things. Deadlines swirling, massing, menacing. And I had two episodes of The Vampire Diaries to watch. A girl's got to have priorities.
3. And some of those priorities included line edits! Yay. I do love to edit. Now those are all done and Blackwood is off to be copyedited. I happily clink my glass with yours. And fabulous editor Amanda also sent cover art thoughts this week too, and let me tell you, I am excited. The concept is thematically perfect and I do believe it will be COOLMAZING.
4. Also this week I've been working hard to nail down all the details of the synopsis for the second book of my contract. Synopses are hard, even if you have a handle on most of the book already (and had a massively helpful brainstorming session with lovely geniuses in Mexico). This book has a pretty seriously involved world, which I want to make sure the story lives up to. So…yes, hard. But it is beginning to fall in line, and once I finish figuring out the exact details of the ending, I think I'll have a good road map for the book. And then I will turn it in and see if we're all agreed. And then–fingers crossed–write like the wind if the wind could write.
5. All of which adds up to: I am taking tonight off. Oh, yes, I am. Couch, Bitterblue, television (Castle two-parter! Fringe!), and a glass of wine. Or two. Here I come.
Have a great weekend, everybody.