Last Thursday, it finally hit me. It's really happening. The dream that I fought so hard and so long for is at last within my grasp. Literally. ♥˘⌣˘♥
Because my Splintered ARCs (advanced reader copies) came in the mail. And for the rest of that evening, I was *FLOATING*. Still am.
In fact, I can't seem to climb down off of this cloud ... might have something to do with how beautiful they are. See?
One thing that really struck me was what a unique marketing tool ARCs are. They're not just some unedited paperback version of the hardback. They have all kinds of juicy info on the inside and the outside to entice buyers for the book.
So, since I can't hand out an ARC to everyone to show you, I'll share a few of the details via pictures. First, the back cover:
Hopefully, the text is big enough that you can see the different sections.
First there's the blurb by a respected and already published author, to let buyers/readers know that fans of said author might like this newbie author's work, as well.
Then comes the book synopsis with a hook that will hopefully make buyers and readers equally excited to invest time and/or money into the story.
After that comes the marketing information. In other words, what the publisher is doing to get exposure for the author and the book, and in turn, helping to make the buyer's job to sell books easier.
Book specifications follow, such as numbers of pages, price, ISBN, age recs, etc...
The Publisher's insignia and address, and the distributor information for anyone interested in ordering.
So basically, the outside is like a really elaborate business card. :)
The inside offers a preview of the finished layout. Chapter fonts, text fonts, designs, pictures, etc... are all on display. No holds barred, this is the time to display everything the book has to offer aesthetically, like a peacock spreading out those tail feathers to get the attention of his mate. And let me tell you, Splintered has some very pretty tail feathers (thanks to Amulet's design team for their artistic talent and foresight!).
So, there's a quick peek at the ins and outs of ARCs. Congrats to those of you who've already won a Splintered ARC in one of my contests. To those of you who haven't, I'll be having one more contest for one, so be watching!
Hope everyone has a great week! As for me? I'm going back to hugging my book. See you soon! :)
Welcome to the tour! I'd like to introduce my literary doppelganger, A.E. Howard. If you think our writing names are almost identical (what can I say, she has great taste!) you should see her twitter hastag: @aehowardwrites. But I assure you, we are two separate people. For one thing, A.E.'s fantasy debut is being launched today, whereas mine still has another 160 some days to go.
Need more proof? Here's a peek at A.E. and her lovely novel, Flight of Blue, published by Elder Tree Books:
Here's the trailer:
And a quick summary of the book:
A cursed traffic light. A rip in the fabric of the world. A possum sorcerer injured on a quest for revenge.
Kai and Ellie embark on a journey to return the sorcerer to his home. Entangled in events that could destroy the world, Kai must choose whether to accept the role he was born to play, but isn’t sure he wants.
A possum sorcerer? I'm so there!
Flight of Blue has been taking a virtual tour around the web, and I'm honored to be one of the stops.
To help celebrate, A. E. brought along her main character so we could get to know him. He's agreed to do an interview, so without furuther adieu, I give you Kai.
AGH: "Hello, Kai, and thank you for being here today."
Kai: "Sure. You’re welcome."
AGH: "Okay, let's start off with an easy question. How old are you?"
Kai: "I turned 12 on October 3rd."
AGH: "Wow. Impressive! When I was twelve, I was playing with my guinea pigs, not battling dark magic to save the world. You seem very strong for your age. What would you say your biggest strengths are?"
Kai: "Strengths. Well, before all this stuff happened, I think, you know, hiking and football. Oh, and video games. I’m pretty good at that. But since all this stuff happened, I guess I realized that I have more. I stick with my friends no matter what, even if that gets me into dangerous spots, and, well, I’ll do what needs doing, even if it’s scary. So I guess you could say those are strengths."
AGH: "Nice ... but to really know a person, we have to understand their flaws. So, what do you think your weaknesses are?"
Kai: "Oh, that’s easy. Especially in the middle of everything that happened last fall, I got whiny, and, like, jealous that I didn’t have abilities that were as cool as some of my friends. And I guess I really didn’t like the whole "Keeper of the Keys" role, I mean, it’s a big deal, and I was like, "why me?" But I’m cool with it now, I mean, someone has to do something about all this Realm of Darkness stuff, and I’d rather help than not know what was going on, you know what I mean?"
AGH: "Yeah, I get what you're saying. So ... heavy question now ... you ready?"
Kai: Grins. "Sure."
AGH: "I should've known I couldn't spook you. Tell me, what do you think is worth dying for?"
Kai: "Woah, okay, so that’s pretty heavy. But not hard. My parents, my friends. I mean, I’d rather not die period, but if it came down to it."
AGH: "Awesome. In the events that A.E. Howard recorded in Flight of Blue, you ended up sort of thrust into a leadership role. Do you see yourself as more a leader or a follower?"
Kai: "Oh, well, not really either of them, I guess. Before last fall anyway, I just sort of did my own thing. But I mean, after everything that happened, I did end up leading. But it wasn’t really by choice."
AGH: "So you tried to avoid being the leader? Why?"
Kai: "Yeah, I mean, I didn’t want to have to be responsible for everyone else when I didn’t even know what the heck I was doing. It all happened so fast. One day, I’m just a normal kid, and then bang, this possum dude talks to me, and the whole world changes. It’s pretty weird still."
AGH: "Well, I'd say you've done a great job of taking things in stride. Speaking of, after everything that’s happened, what do you see in your future?"
Kai: "Anna, sorry, A.E. Howard, has strictly forbidden me from talking about the events she recorded after Flight of Blue, cause like, those books haven’t come out yet and all."
AGH: "Ah. Gotcha. How about a safe question to end with? Let’s see... what’s your favorite food?"
Kai: "Food."
AGH: "Yes. What’s your favorite?"
Kai: "No, that is my favorite. I’m a twelve-year-old boy, I like food."
AGH: "Haha! Great answer, and great interview. Thanks for being here today!"
Kai: "Thanks for having me."
*****
To learn more about Kai and his adventures, and to see the book tour schedule, please follow these links:
Book Tour Schedule (also includes author interviews, sneak previews, and more on the making of Flight of Blue.)
Oh frabjous day, my new website is alive and kicking!
If you were wondering why I've been so quiet in the blogasphere and on twitter lately, it's because I was designing banners and adding text (we won't even mention my intake of caffeine). Heh
But it was worth the drowsy-hazed days and neglected teddy bear (he' still not speaking to me), because I now have a finished creation: simple, functional, and morbidly pretty. All the things I love in a monster, er, website.
Special thanks to Itkupilli, a Finnish artist and designer who offers free blog banners and backgrounds. You can find the "Free Backgrounds and Other Stuff" button on my blog's sidebar if you'd like to check out the artwork for yourself. One of those lovely free banners provided the perfect foundation for my website/blog's theme.
Also, thanks to my wonderful husband, the real mad scientist behind this project, who brought life to my index page, a Gothic Victorian storefront with blinking candlelight. If you'd like a peek at that, hop over here: www.aghoward.com.
Now, the only thing that makes me happier than this sense of accomplishment is knowing I get to celebrate with you!
And celebrate, we shall. Wonderland style, of course.
Welcome to the...
(Yes, that's me in the red wig. Not the best look, I'll admit,
but I'm thinking I could give Ronald McDonald a run for his money.)
Oh, and best news of all? This contest is INTERNATIONAL, yo!
Now, let's check out what's up for grabs.
1st Place Prize: A hot off the press signed Splintered ARC
2nd Place Prize: Signed 18X24" Splintered Poster
3rd Place Prize: Signed title page from an original Splintered galley
4th Place Prize: Assorted Splintered / Alice swag, all signed
5th Place Prize: Choice between ONE of these fab YA books:
6th Place Prize:
Set of 5 Alice in Wonderland Mini Book Charms
Two super Awesome BONUS Prizes: A query critique by the fabulous Jenny Bent and also one by the fantastic Molly Ker Hawn fromThe Bent Agency (Please note: Ms. Ker Hawn only takes YA or MG queries, and due to time constraints, her critique will get back to the winner sometime in early September).
A couple of notes about the prizes: There's something very special about the galley title page, a secret about the book's formatting that has been kept under wraps. Also, about the BONUS prizes, since there are two crits, that means two lucky writers will get the inside track into what an agent likes to see in their inbox.
Now, how do you get a hold of these wonderful prizes? Use my new website linkies at the top of my sidebar. Go to the "Contests and Giveaways" page, and find out how to get your name in the drawing.
Oh, wait, wrong expression. I meant, "Heads up!" Heh.
A few quick public announcements:
1. FERAL SPLINTERED SWAG ON THE LOOSE: If anyone reading this won a Splintered button in a previous contest/giveaway and never received it, please email me (using my contact info) and I'll see that you get it. I have a friend who works at my local post office and he found one of my buttons in a mail sorting machine. Apparently, the sneaky devil escaped its confinement and rolled far, far away from any envelope or package that could tell us where its destination was. GAH! If the button was meant to belong to you, I will tame it, bind it, and send it on its merry way (the little naughty).
2. AESTHETIC UPHEAVAL IN THE LAND OF MADNESS: By this coming weekend, I'm planning to start changing the formatting here in the land of madness in order to make it website worthy. So don't be afraid if you pop over and see mismatched backgrounds, experimental banners, and runaway text. It's just like when you rennovate your home, you have to make a mess before the beauty can shine through. So please bear with me and be patient, I'm hoping we'll all be happy with the end result. :)
3. LOCAL AUTHORS PROVE ADEPT AT NAVIGATING ROCKY TERRAIN: I am so proud of all of my author/blogger pals, but two of them went through the wringer during their writing journey and could've turned their back on their dreams. But, instead, due to their unrelenting faith and their refusal to ever give up the fight, those pals both now have amazing things to celebrate. Want to share in their accomplishments? Hop over to their little galaxies here in the blogasphere and read their stories, and don't forget to pat their backs for a quest well done:
I know it's a bit early, but I'm going to be on internet haitus for a week to spend some time with the family. So everyone have a wonderful week and a ☆҉‿↗Happy Fourth of July☆҉‿↗.
The lovely and generous Krazy Book Lady is sponsoring a Splintered ARC blog hop over at her place. It's as easy as signing up. Just follow the link above for info and rules. One caveat: Bloggers must live in the US due to the high shipping costs and the long turn around time.
For a teaser, here's an excerpt of Splintered at the moment Alyssa discovers the magical looking glass, the answer to her future and her sanity:
“Want it with all your heart.” The command swims in my head, so quiet it’s an echo from my past. “Then step inside.”
Trembling, I step forward and let both of my hands sink into the liquid glass up to my elbows. On the other side, a cool breeze meets my arms. Someone strokes me, from my elbow down to the wrist . . . fingertips so soft and knowing, they light a firestorm inside my veins.
It’s a touch I already know, yet so different now. No longer innocent and calming.
When I look into the portal, my gloved hands appear in the landscape beyond, casting shadows on the grass next to the guy’s winged silhouette.
Before I can see him clearly, he’s gone.
I hesitate and think of Jeb. It’s almost as if I hear his voice calling out for me from somewhere far away. I wish he was here, right now, stepping in with me.
But I can’t look back. As deranged as it seems, that guy in the mirror is the answer to everything in my past. This is my one chance to find Wonderland, to cleanse the Liddell bloodline of this curse, and to save Alison. If I can do this, I can finally be normal.
Maybe normal enough to tell Jeb the way I really feel about things.
Taking a breath, I plunge.
Here's a black and white rendition of the winged silhouette who's luring Alyssa within, sketched by my very talented pal, Riley, from In the Jungle.
There's also a third player mentioned in the excerpt: Alyssa's best friend/secret crush, Jebediah Holt. If I were casting him for a movie, my first choice would be Ethan Peck.
If you'd like to learn more about my three main characters, sign up for the ARC tour!
Thanks for stopping by. Time for me to get back to my internet hiatus and work on my website. :) See you soon!
Yes, I'm racing against the clock today! Seems like I'm doing a lot of that, lately. When I look back, I realize I was pitted against the clock for years while trying to get published. Interestingly, I never realized how long it took me until I finally got there. That's because I wasn't watching every second tick away like I am now. And I think maybe that saved me. Here's a peek into my publishing journey for those of you still racing Father Time to get your novel written, an agent to take notice, or a publisher to sign you. My Publishing Timeline: • March 2006 started querying my first novel. After 100 or more rejections, trunked it and wrote two more books. • July 2007, started querying my third novel and worked on the forth one while it was out. • May 2008, signed w/my first agent on my fourth novel. She submitted the novel for one and a half years while I finished books five and six, which she turned down for being too fantastical. • December 2010, left Agent One after she wanted me to take the fantasy out of my seventh book, Splintered, my YA Alice in Wonderland spinoff. Started querying new agents immediately. • February 2011, signed with my present agent (aka, Agent Goddess) who loved the fantasy in Splintered. • August 2011, went to auction and signed with Amulet. • January 2013, Splintered hit the bookshelves! Okay, you'll notice I left out two very important details. How long was I on sub and how many passes did I get before I got my yes-es? Splintered was on sub for nine months and was rejected by 23 publishers before it went to auction, sold to Amulet and then to over a dozen foreign countries. The entire series hit the NYT bestselling list in 2015 with Ensnared's launch, and Splintered itself went on to hit INTL bestselling lists, proving that dreams can come true if you never give up, and in a bigger way than you ever could've imagined! So, 7 books and 7 years after I first started this journey, my publishing dreams became a reality. The best advice I can give any aspiring writer is: The only way to "fail" in this business is to give up on yourself. If you keep writing and submitting new work, polishing your craft and believing in your talent, one day someone else will see the value of your stories, and it will be your turn to shine.
I'm hoping that now, after seeing how much time and how many books it took me, you're feeling encouraged, your determination renewed, and can move forward without ever looking back. Because the best way to embrace your future is to leave the past behind and stop looking at that blasted clock. ;)
