RYAN GRAUDIN INTERVIEW AND ALL THAT GLOWS GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday! I'm happy not to be at work today. We had our first layoffs start last Monday. It was sad to see our friends go and already there are messy, stressful cases to handle. But it'll be get better as I review things. And having a day off will definitely help me be more refreshed as I tackle my desk tomorrow. Once I figure out what's going on in my new cases, things will be better.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Crystal Collier is celebrating the release of her YA book in print version. Go HERE to help her celebrate.

And Charlie Holmberg has a story published in the anthology MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Here's a blurb of the anthology and Charlie's story:

My Bloody Valentine is a multi-genre story collection embracing the fact that love hurts. 

Blurb (Charlie's story"Salt and Water"):

Enslaved and brutalized for the healing properties in her tears, Chellis may find the key to freedom in the soft heart of one of her handlers. To find out more, go here:

Link to the Facebook release party tonight: https://www.facebook.com/events/623476677687751/?source=1

Link to the Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20662978-my-bloody-valentine---story-collection?from_search=true

Alex Cavanaugh's publisher has a sale going on of CASSAFIRE, a sci-fi space opera. You can buy it for $.99 through today. Go HERE for details.

And other news/contest reminders:

 IndieReCon, an online writer conference like WriteOnCon, that focuses on self-publishing, will be February 25th-27th. You can go HERE to find out more details soon. 

And Terrie Wolfe from AKA Literary Management will be doing a picture book contest at Sharon Mayhew's blog on February 10th. Five fiction and five nonfiction writers will win a critique and a 30 minute phone call with Terrie. There will be a MG and YA one in March and April too. Go HERE to find out details.

And one last piece of awesome news. Adventures in YA Publishing is doing a pitch + page contest for MG/YA/NA authors on February 15th. There will be book prizes and a critique by an agent. I'm honored that I'll be one of the judges. Go HERE for details.  

And the winner of THE LOST PLANET is Karen Lange!

Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Ryan Graudin here to share about her YA fantasy, ALL THAT GLOWS that releases tomorrow. I have known about this book for ages and now I finally got to read it. I loved that this is an urban fantasy about the fae set in our time. And Ryan has created a really unique world, which is hard given the number of books about faeries. And I’m a sucker for the forbidden feelings between Emrys (such a cool name) and Prince Richard, who she was sworn to protect.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Emrys—a fiery, red-headed Fae—always embraced her life in the Highlands, far from the city’s draining technology, until she’s sent to London to rejoin the Faery Guard. But this isn’t any normal assignment—she’s sent to guard Prince Richard: Britain’s notorious, partying bad boy and soon-to-be King. The prince’s careless ways and royal blood make him the irresistible for the dark spirits that feed on mortals. Sweet, disheveled, and alive with adventure—Richard is one charge who will put Emrys’s magic and heart to the test.

When an ancient force begins preying on the monarchy, Emrys must hunt through the London’s magical underworld, facing down Banshees, Black Dogs and Green Women to find the one who threatens Richard’s life. In this chaos of dark magic, palace murders and paparazzi, Emrys finds herself facing an impossible choice. For despite all her powers, Emrys has discovered a force that burns brighter than magic: love.

Hi Ryan! Happy Release Day!

Thanks! I’m so excited to be here! Literary Rambles was a really big help to me when I was a querying writer!

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

I was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. I did not have a television. I played in the woods and reenacted epic stick sword fights with my brothers. At night I read books. Eventually reading books wasn’t enough, and I had to start writing down the stories of my own. It started at the tender age of eight and just kept going from there. I studied creative writing in high school and college and wrote every chance I got.

2. Sounds like you totally loved writing since you were a kid. Where did you get the idea for your story?

Most of my ideas are born from traveling (which is why I hop on a plane every chance I get!). The seeds for ALL THAT GLOWS were sown back when I was a teenager and made my first trip to London. I got to tour Buckingham Palace, ride the London Eye, meet the tower ravens… all things that eventually bloomed into Emrys’s story. The catalyst was actually a prompt for an anthology I was trying to get a short story published in. The editors were calling for stories about “modern, sexy” faeries. I started thinking about what it would look like if modern day royalty had faery godmothers, which led me to write chapter 2. The story pretty much tumbled out after that!

3. That’s an awesome way to come up with a story idea. And traveling can certainly help inspire story

ideas. I loved that this is an urban fantasy and that it is set in our time. What made you decide to set it now in our world and what tips do you have for others (including me) trying to write an urban fantasy?

The very first “image” of Emrys’s story that came to me was of her exasperatedly trying to protect Prince Richard as he partied in a very crowded night club. The story just came to me that way! I loved exploring how immortal creatures like Fae, who’ve seen so much over the years, interact with the modern age. I was also very careful to balance the mythic feel of Emrys’s narrative with modern detail (laptops, tablets, cell phones, etc). To give the story more of a timeless feel I tried to keep out references that would date the novel, such as Facebook or Tumblr or modern songs, etc. I think the key to setting urban fantasy in the modern world is not to be afraid to weave the two closely together. Make the details of the fantasy aspect just as tangible as real world details. Accenting both makes the reader believe they actually exist in the same realm.

4. That’s great advice on how to balance the two worlds and keep out the things that might date the story. I’ll try to watch for that. Your world building is fantastic and includes Banshees, Black Dogs, and Green Women. Share about your world building process and how you decided on these three magical beings.

Thanks! Because the novel is set in the British Isles I decided to base a lot of ALL THAT GLOWS’s mythology on actual folklore. Banshees come from the Celtic Irish tradition, where hearing their wail means impending death. In ATG they are spirits who are drawn to places of death (funerals, graveyards, etc) and can reap a mortal’s soul with their scream. Black Dogs are also omens of death in English folklore. The Green Women in ATG are based on the Baonan Sith of the Scottish Highlands, which are evil female spirits who appear to men clad in green, dance with them and lure them off into isolation before revealing their demon selves and devouring the men whole. There are other parts of Emrys’s story which are based in real lore and legend. There is a real superstition that if the ravens leave the Tower of London the crown will fall and the kingdom with it. Herne the Hunter is also said to be a spirit who is local to Windsor and its woods. I had a lot of fun trying to implement these legends into my worldbuilding process!

5. I love the myths that come from that part of the world. They really can make for fantastic world building. Name three things you love about Emrys. Do you see yourself in her at all?

She’s a fighter who doesn’t back down from unbearable odds. She wears layers of old queens’ and duchesses’ pilfered skirts. She isn’t afraid to cry.

There are a few pieces of Emrys that I see in myself. Her loyalty and desire to fight for those she loves being the biggest one. I’ve also always wanted to be a redhead. So there’s that.

6. Tell us about your road to a book contract.

It took me over 200 queries, 3 manuscripts and 1.5 years to land my first agent! I actually used Literary Rambles quite extensively as I was building my query lists and searching for the perfect fit. ALL THAT GLOWS (which at the time was known as LUMINANCE HOUR) caught the eye of Alyssa Henkin, who offered me representation in Spring 2011. Together we worked on revisions and went on submission in late July. Two weeks later, August 3, 2011, HarperTeen bought ALL THAT GLOWS and its sequel! Alyssa and I have since parted ways, but I’ll be forever grateful to her for helping me land my first publishing deal.

7. Wow! That’s such an inspiring story of not giving up. To me, it felt like a long time—over a year—between when I heard about your book sale and the release of your book. Share a bit about this timeline and how to handle the long wait.

You weren’t imagining it. It was a long time. From book sale to book shelf it was exactly two and a half years. I’m not going to lie, waiting that long was pretty torturous. The publishing industry is slooooow and it’s not uncommon for books to get pushed back to rearrange lists. I stayed sane by focusing on other projects. I started working on other novel ideas, which ended up paying off, since I have not one, but two books coming out this year.

8. Great idea to work on a new project while you wait. And awesome that you have another YA book, THE WALLED CITY, releasing in the Fall, 2014. Share a bit about it and what it’s been like planning for two book releases in one year.

THE WALLED CITY is one of the projects that I focused on to make the wait for ALL THAT GLOWS’s release bearable. I find it incredibly ironic that, though they were started nearly 2 years apart, they’re releasing within nine months of each other. THE WALLED CITY is a YA thriller that follows the journey of three teenagers who are trying to escape a lawless, walled city. There are opium dens, lost sisters, a boy with a scar and a secret past, ruthless drug lords and dumplings. It’s a project I love with my whole heart and more and I’m really excited for the world to meet it in November!

Planning two book releases in one year hasn’t been too terrible, since a lot of the big edits and things for ALL THAT GLOWS were finished over a year ago. It’s catching up with the next few years that will be challenging (2015 will be another guaranteed two book year for me).

9. Ooh, I can’t wait to read THE WALLED CITY. What are you working on now?

I just finished up major revisions for ALL THAT GLOWS’s sequel, and that’s in copyedits now. In between promo stuff for ALL THAT GLOWS I’m working on the first book in a very sekrit duology that Little, Brown bought when they purchased THE WALLED CITY. It isn’t related to THE WALLED CITY in any way. The first book should be out in Fall 2015!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Ryan. You can find Ryan at::

Website: ryangraudin.com

Blog: ryangraudin.blogspot.com

Twitter: twitter.com/ryangraudin

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/rgraudin/

Tumblr: ryangraudin.tumblr.com/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/All-That-Glows-Ryan-Graudin/dp/0062187414/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388440959&sr=8-1&keywords=all+that+glows+-+ryan+graudin

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-that-glows-ryan-graudin/1115554637?ean=9780062187413

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12711662-all-that-glows

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18196040-the-walled-city

Ryan and her publisher Harper Teen generously offered an ARC of ALL THAT GLOWS for a giveaway. o enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 22nd. I’ll announce the winner on February 24th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome but the winner would get an e-book or $5.00 Amazon gift card.

Here’s what’s coming up:

On Wednesday I’m participating in PK Hzero’s Blog Tour with an interview and giveaway of BUTTERMAN (TIME) TRAVEL INC., a fantastic NA time travel story that I really, really enjoyed.

On Monday I’m interviewing Terry Johnson and giving away a copy of ICE DOGS, her upper MG adventure story about a girl and her sled dogs and a guy she helps getting lost in the wilderness. I read it in early January and loved it.

And Wednesday next week I’m interviewing debut author Gayle Rosengren and giving away a copy of her middle grade historical novel WHAT THE MOON SAID. It’s about a girl moving from Chicago to farmland Wisconsin during the Great Depression.

And don’t forget Casey’s Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Wednesday!

HOLLY SCHINDLER INTERVIEW AND THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY GIVEAWAY

 Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you had a fantastic week. I'm going through lots of stress at work inheriting even more cases as an attorney just got laid off. So happy he already has a job. And once I get through Thursday, I'll be okay. Just hoping I don't revert to eating tons of sweets like last week to deal with the stress.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Julie Musil's new contemporary YA novel THE BOY WHO LOVED FIRE released on January 28, 2014. Here's a blurb:

Manny, a modern teen Scrooge, faces 3 ghosts as he outruns arson charges, falls for his fire victim, & battles for redemption.

Doesn't it sound fantastic? The Boy Who Loved Fire is available now. For more information, or to stop by and say Hi, please visit Julie on her blog, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Here's some other news. I just heard that IndieReCon, an online writer conference like WriteOnCon, that focuses on self-publishing will be February 25th-27th. The schedule isn't up yet, but you can go HERE to find out more details soon. 

And Terrie Wolfe from AKA Literary Management will be doing a picture book contest at Sharon Mayhew's blog on February 10th. Five fiction and five nonfiction writers will win a critique and a 30 minute phone call with Terrie. There will be a MG and YA one in March and April too. Go HERE to find out details.

And one last piece of awesome news. Adventures in YA Publishing is doing a pitch + page contest for MG/YA/NA authors. There will be book prizes and a critique by an agent. I'm honored that I'll be one of the judges. Go HERE for details.  

And I have two winners to announce.

The winner of CRUEL BEAUTY is Jaq!

The winner of TELL ME WHEN is Jessie Humphries!

Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me before the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m thrilled to have Holly Schindler here to share about her new middle grade novel, THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY that releases on February 6, 2014. This is a contemporary middle grade story that I knew many of you who read middle grade stories would love so I jumped at the chance to share Holly’s book with you all. Holly has also published two YA contemporary novels, PLAYING HURT and A BLUE SO DARK and her next YA novel, FEREL, will be published later this year.

Here’s a description of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY:

“Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets Because of Winn Dixie in this inspiring story of hope.

Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of town. So when her wealthy classmate’s father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that are deemed “in violation.” But Auggie is determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the eye.

What starts out as a home renovation project quickly becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled sculpture at a time.

Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.

Hi Holly! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

I’ve always been a writer, really. I’ve long been attracted to books—even when I was a little girl, I had to have a new Little Golden Book when I went to the supermarket with my mom. And I was already writing stories at my child-sized rolltop desk when I was a first-grader (but had been acting out stories with my dollhouse before that). I studied literature and creative writing in college, and published several short pieces: short fiction, poetry, and literary critique, in journals. When I graduated with my master’s, Mom encouraged me to stay home and devote full-time attention to getting a writing career off the ground. (Very ROOM OF ONE’S OWN, isn’t it?) Even with such great family support, it wasn’t easy—it took a full seven and a half years to snag my first book deal. But I’m so, so glad I stuck with it. I can’t imagine a life not writing.

2. That’s so cool how your mom encouraged you. Where did you get the idea for your story?

About four years into my pursuit of publication, I hit a really hard time. I had to ask myself, “Am I really going to keep doing this?” I hadn’t made much progress at all toward my publication goals—I hadn’t even started to get “good” rejections (the kind that come with advice from editors or agents). Obviously, I pushed through my bad feelings, decided to put my rear in the chair and just get to work. The first thing I wrote after making that decision was the first draft of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY.
The book follows Auggie on the journey toward becoming a folk artist. She doesn’t have it easy—she has to fight the House Beautification Committee, which doesn’t see any “beauty” in her folk art sculptures at all. Though I didn’t consciously strive for it at the time, looking back, it seems as though THE JUNCTION was me standing up for my own “art,” me saying that I wasn’t going to back down, no matter how many rejections I got…

3. Awesome how your story is linked to your own battle as a writer. The other three books

you’ve written are YA stories and this is your first MG book. What made you decide to write a middle grade story and how did you find the writing of this story different than a YA one?

The first draft of THE JUNCTION was actually a picture book. But editors who saw that early version indicated they all thought the concept of folk art was too advanced for the picture book readership. So I went about turning a 1,000-word story into a roughly 45,000-word novel. But I really didn’t find the writing of a middle grade all that different from the writing of a YA. In both genres, it all hinges on knowing your characters.

4. That’s so interesting on it starting as a picture book. Having great characters is critical to any story, but especially for contemporary ones. Share your tips on character development.

I really think the key to creating a great character is voice. From the very beginning, I could hear Auggie. Even when the book was a picture book, Auggie’s voice was strong and clear. Sometimes, voices just come that way—easily, all at once. Other times, they have to be cultivated. You can achieve a strong voice by playing with an early draft, or by doing some external writing—imagining a conversation, or how a character would react to a certain sticky situation, for example. Once you can hear your character “talking” to you, once their voice is clear to you, you’ll be able to make that character come to life on the page.

5. That’s such great advice on finding your characters’ voices. What are three things you love about Auggie, the main character in THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY?

Her poetic voice, her sweetness, and her positive “anything is possible” attitude.

6. Deborah Warren is your agent. Tell us how she became your agent and about your road to publication.

My relationship with my agent started in a pretty low-key, old-school method: a query letter. And from my query, the full manuscript was requested. This was followed by a phone call and an offer of representation.

I think that early on in their careers, most people think an agent will magically make their careers better. They can, but even with an agent on your side, a book sale isn’t guaranteed—and it often doesn’t happen overnight. It still took my agent a year and a half to sell THE JUNCTION, with several revisions completed in-between rounds of submission.

7. Yes, you’re so right. Having an agent does not guarantee book sales or that they’ll come easily. You’re an established author with two books published and two books being released this year. What advice do you have for the rest of us in regards to our careers as writers over the long haul?

Don’t give up. Period. But be willing to learn, too. Have confidence in yourself, in your abilities. And know that you have room to improve. We all do, whether we’ve been published or not. I’m constantly growing as an author. Listen to all the advice that comes your way. And even when the answer is “no,” figure out a way to turn the “no” into something positive. Each time you learn something from a rejection, you’re taking another step toward your ultimate goal of becoming a published author.

8. Thanks for the awesome advice. I know you set up an extensive blog tour for this book. How did you find the blogs for your tour and what considerations went into your decision to choose them? How else are you planning to market this book?

I do regularly find and visit new blogs—I’m a reader, too, and the primary way I discover new authors is online. The kitlitosphere blog list was also of vital importance: http://www.kidlitosphere.org/bloggers/. As I set about sending invitations for the tour, regular posting activity was important, as was thoughtfulness in reviews (by “thoughtful,” I mean intelligent and thorough), and a sense of connection to the blogger. (If I connect with their posts, I feel it’s likely they’ll connect with my work.)

In addition to the blog tour, I’m reaching out to librarians in both public libraries and schools. And I’m doing extensive Skype visits. If you’re a teacher or librarian and want to discuss a Skype visit, contact me directly at writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com.

9. Wow! I think I want to follow you around to learn all this. What are you working on now?

My next MG and YA novels, of course. But I’m also working on setting up a tour for my forthcoming YA release, FERAL. To find out more, follow along at my own blog: hollyschindler.blogspot.com, or shoot me a message, again at: writehollyschindler (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Thanks for all the advice, Holly! You can also find Holly at:

Twitter: @holly_schindler
Facebook: facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor
Author site: hollyschindler.com
Site for young readers: Holly Schindler’s Middles - hollyschindlermiddles.weebly.com. I’m especially excited about this site. I adored getting to interact with the YA readership online—usually through Twitter or FB. But I had to create a site where I could interact with the MG readership. I’m devoting a page on the site to reviews from young readers themselves! Be sure to send your young reader’s review through the Contact Me page.

Group Author Blogs: YA Outside the Lines (yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com) for YA authors and Smack Dab in the Middle (smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com) for MG authors.

And here’s THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY Trailer:




Holly and her publisher Dial generously offered a copy of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY: for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 15th. I’ll announce the winner on February 17th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. This is for US/Canada only.

And here’s the next stop on the tour:
Scenes from a chaotic mind: http://scenesfromachaoticmind.blogspot.com/ (This stop is scheduled for Feb. 4.)

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was started by Shannon Messenger. You can find all the participating blogs HERE.

Here’s what’s coming up:

Next Monday I’m interviewing Ryan Graudin and giving away an ARC of ALL THAT GLOWS, her fantastic YA urban fantasy set in London.

Next Wednesday I’m participating in PK Hzero’s Blog Tour with an interview and giveaway of BUTTERMAN (TIME) TRAVEL INC., a fantastic NA time travel story that I really, really enjoyed.

The following Monday I’m interviewing Terry Johnson and giving away a copy of ICE DOGS, her upper MG adventure story about a girl and her sled dogs and a guy she helps getting lost in the wilderness. I read it in early January and loved it.

And Wednesday that week I’m interviewing debut author Gayle Rosengren and giving away a copy of her middle grade historical novel WHAT THE MOON SAID. It’s about a girl moving from Chicago to farmland Wisconsin during the Great Depression. It sounds like a fantastic story.

And don’t forget Casey’s Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Monday!

FAVORITES GIVEAWAY HOP

Hi Everyone! For those of you who I haven't seen since my last Giveaway Hop the end of December, Happy New Year! I hope you're having a great start to the year. This will be a challenging year for me with a layoff as my company moves toward closing and hopefully a career change. Right now I'm starting some online classes to help me when I start looking for a new job. I'm hoping this will be a year of good changes for me with a new, less stressful job. (I'm an attorney. Need I say more?)

I'm excited to be participating in this Giveaway Hop hosted by Stuck in Books. This is a fun hop because I get to share some of my favorite books with you. For the most part, I've stuck with new books coming out soon and my favorites from 2013. Click on the titles to read a blurb from Goodreads.

 

 

 

 

  


ALL OUR YESTERDAYS I really loved the dystopian/time travel aspects of this. This is one of my favorite debut books of 2013
THE BITTER KINGDOM This is a fantastic series. I loved that Elisa struggled with her weight and wasn't gorgeous looking. The progression of the story is great throughout the series and the romance is perfect.
THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLD TOWN I love Holly Black and can't wait to read this in audio version when the weather warms up. I'm adding this one because it's a favorite of so many of you in my recent Giveaway Hops.
CONTROL This is another of my favorite debut books of 2013. I loved the dystopian story that focused on kids that are genetic misfits.
CRESS I love the mix of dystopian/fairytale retelling in this series. I can't wait for the library to get this in.
CROWN OF MIDNIGHT I love this series and this was a great example of how a sequel could continue in the same setting but take the story in a new direction.
ENDERS I loved the dystopian world in STARTERS, the first book in this series. It was so creepy that older people could rent teenagers' bodies. I can't wait to see where the series goes in this book.
IGNITE ME This is another fantastic dystopian series. I loved the unusual writing in this one. I'm so excited the library is getting this one.
INTO THE STILL BLUE This is another of my favorite dystopian series and it ended so great in this book. I loved how Aria and Perry grew as characters through the series and their romance was done perfectly for me.
SIEGE AND STORM This is another of my favorite fantasy series. I love the world building and innovative magic. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.
SPLIT SECOND I love the dystopian world where Addie could chose her alternate future in book one. I can't wait to see how things go for her in this book. I won it in a contest and can't wait for it to come.
TAKEN This is another of my favorite debuts of 2013. I loved the fantasy/dystopian mix and that this was told from a male POV.
THE CRIMSON CROWN This is one of my all time favorite fantasy series with amazing world building and gripping characters. I've read the whole series in both print and audio versions.
THE RUNAWAY KING This is another of my all time favorite fantasy series that reminds me a lot of Meagan Whalen Turner's The Queen's Thief series. I nominated the first book in the series, THE FALSE PRINCE, for a Cybil and was thrilled when it won.
CHAMPION This is a fantastic dystopian series and I loved how it ended. Can't wait to see what Marie Lu writes next.

So there will be one winner who gets the book of his/her choice from the choices listed above. If you're on book 1 or 2 of a series that is finishing, I'm glad to get you that book instead as long as it costs no more than the book I've chosen at Amazon for US residents and The Book Depository for International winners.

To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 14th. I’ll announce the winner on February 17th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome


Here’s what’s coming up:

On Monday I’m interviewing Holly Schindler and giving away a copy of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY. This is a contemporary middle grade story that I know you’re going to love so I jumped at the chance to be part of Holly’s blog tour.

The following Monday I’m interviewing Ryan Graudin and giving away an ARC of ALL THAT GLOWS, her fantastic YA urban fantasy set in London.

Wednesday that week I’m participating in PK Hzero’s Blog Tour with an interview and giveaway of BUTTERMAN (TIME) TRAVEL INC., a fantastic NA time travel story that I really enjoyed.

And don’t forget Casey’s Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Monday!

And you can find all the other blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop at Stuck in Books.

RACHEL SEARLES INTERVIEW AND THE LOST PLANET GIVEAWAY

Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you're having a good start to the week. I'm hard at work these days on my online Office class in preparation for a job search later this year and I'm actually getting some writing done too. That's one good thing about the frigid weather. I just want to stay inside and work.

FOLLOWER NEWS

Bish Denham recently published a picture book, ANANSI AND COMPANY. It looks like a really sweet story and I love the cover.

Here's a blurb:

How do you escape a hungry tiger? Why do ram-goats smell? What happens if you get too greedy? In this collection of ten retold Jamaican stories, Anansi the spider tricks, sings, and dances his way into and out of trouble. 

You can find Bish at: http://bish-randomthoughts.blogspot.com/

And Donna Weaver has a new book out, HOPE'S WATCH. It sounds fantastic.
Here's a blurb:

This little offering tells the story of Elle's first days after being kidnapped during a cruise excursion and then rescued, while the Coast Guard searches for her friend Lyn, who is now lost at sea. It fits nicely between A Change of Plans and Torn Canvas (Jori's tale) which releases in April.

You can find out more at: http://weavingataleortwo.blogspot.com/2014/01/hopes-watch-release.html

And David Powers King with his co-author Michael Jensen just sold their YA fantasy WOVEN to Scholastic to be published in Spring 2015. Go HERE to congratulate David.

I also have a winner to announce. The winner of my ASK THE EXPERT Giveaway is Tina F who picked THE ENCHANTER HEIR.

Cograts! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.

Today I’m thrilled to have debut author Rachel Searles here to share about her sci-fi MG novel THE LOST PLANET that releases tomorrow. This is a fantastic mystery and adventure story set in space. I loved learning about the planets Chase travels to and finding out with him who he really is. This is a great MG adventure story that will really appeal to boys as well as girls.

Here’s a description from Goodreads:

This is what the boy is told:

• He woke up on planet Trucon, inside a fence he shouldn't have been able to pass.
• He has an annirad blaster wound to the back of his head.
• He has no memory.
• He is now under the protection of a mysterious benefactor.
• His name is Chase Garrety.

This is what Chase Garrety knows:

• He has a message: "Guide the star."
• Time is running out.
 
 Hi Rachel! Thanks so much for joining us.
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

I always had my nose in either a book or a notebook from the time I was in first grade, and there was never a time when becoming a writer wasn’t in my overall game plan. But in college I studied political science and German, and then I moved to Munich and put off writing to just live life for a while. I went to grad school, got a great job, got married, and generally got caught up in other things until about 2010 when I realized that if I was ever going to fulfill my author dream, I needed to buckle down and actually write something. Once I got serious, it took me over two years to write and revise (and revise, and revise) this book, which sold in late 2012.

2. That’s great you came back to it and were able to sell your first book. Where did you get the idea for your story?

When I was trying to get serious with my writing, I tried a few different ideas, but I had a hard time sticking with a story for more than thirty pages, so I decided I needed to write something that was just fantastical and fun, like the big epic action movies I love. Space popped into my head as a setting where I could go nuts creating my own worlds, and the story developed organically from there.

3. That’s cool that you drew on the movies you like to watch. And I can see your story like a move. I found the world building in THE LOST PLANET fascinating. You didn’t just create the planet Trucon, but also other planets and space ships. This is a really inter-galactic adventure. Share your world building process. Did it all come from your imagination or did you have to do research in creating your world?

A lot of it came from my overactive imagination, but I definitely read up on astronomy, physics, and space travel. Some of the cultural world building elements bled over from ideas I remembered from my political science studies, or from things I’ve seen or thought about while traveling. And my ace in the hole is my husband—an actual rocket scientist—who spent ten years designing and building rockets and launching them into orbit. So he’s been a tremendous resource for all my abstract space-faring questions.

4. Yeah, that must have been so helpful to have your husband as a resource. Your story mainly has male characters—Chase, the main character searching for his identity, Parker, the boy whose home he lands on, and Maurus, the man they meet and become involved with. Was it easy writing from a boy’s POV and focusing on mainly male characters? Did you face any challenges and how did you overcome them?

For this book, it just felt natural to write it from Chase’s perspective, and once I got the plot figured out,

I really enjoyed exploring the growing friendship bond between two boys who are bright and brave, but both struggling with lots of questions about their pasts and their place in the universe (while also getting hunted down by mercenaries, space raiders, and the evil Federal Fleet!). As for challenges, I revised so many times that I’ve probably forgotten a lot of the things I had to work on, but I do remember that in early drafts, Chase gave the occasional shriek—my critique partner pointed out to me that shrieking sounds more like something a girl might do.

5. Glad I’m not alone in having to revise a lot. What tips do you have on getting a middle grade voice right, especially a boy’s voice?

When I’m trying to get inside the head of my male characters, I think of guys I know: my older brother, guy friends, my husband, my 10-year-old nephew. I think about how they would react, or what they might say in a similar situation.

6. Your agent is Joanna Volpe. She sounds like such an awesome agent. Share how she became your agent and your road to publication.

Oh, I love this story so much! I’d been querying for about six months when I saw that Joanna was offering a full manuscript critique by random drawing to people who bought her client Leigh Bardugo’s debut, SHADOW AND BONE, from Books of Wonder. I bought the book, and then won the random drawing! Offering representation certainly wasn’t part of the contest, but a month later Joanna sent me an email asking if I was available to talk on the phone. I didn’t know what to expect, so when she told me she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night if she didn’t make me an offer, I just about died on the spot. She most certainly is an incredible agent, and I feel so lucky to be able to work with her. After I signed with her, we did two rounds of light revisions together, and my book went to auction two weeks after she sent it out on submission.

7. That is about the most amazing agent story I’ve heard. And to win in a Leigh Bardugo giveaway is beyond cool. What blogs will be participating in your blog tour? How did you chose them or did you have a blog tour service set it up for you? 

Blogs I’m scheduled to visit include The Midnight Garden, ReadingTeen.net, Read Now Sleep Later, Maria’s Mélange, Book Haven Extraordinaire, The Book Monsters, Book YA Review, Alice Marvels, YA Book Nerd, and Book Jems. I’m so fortunate in that Macmillan has been wonderfully supportive of this book, so they set up the blog tour for me, as well as a physical tour to bookstores and schools in California during my publication week.

8. That’s great your publisher set it up for you. I’ll have to check out these blogs. What’s your favorite social media that you use to build your writer’s platform? Why and how are you finding it helpful in reaching other writers and potential readers? 

For me it was difficult to get started on Twitter, but after getting the hang of things, I have found it incredibly useful to reach both readers and writers. Just about the entire kidlit community is on Twitter! And I love the brief, instantaneous, and informal nature of it as a way to connect with people.

9. Yeah, I need to get on Twitter more. What are you working on now?

Right now I’m working on revisions to the second book in the Lost Planet series and plotting out the synopsis of a third book to present to my editor. I’ve got other middle grade projects simmering on the back burner, but right now that’s about all I have time for.

Thanks for sharing all your advice. You can find Rachel at at www.rachelsearles.com, twitter.com/RachelSearles, and facebook.com/RachelSearlesAuthor.

Rachel and her publisher Macmillan generously offered a ARC of THE LOST PLANET for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through February 8th. I’ll announce the winner on February 10th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. International entries are welcome but the winner would get an e-book or $5.00 Amazon gift card.

Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays was started by Shannon Messenger. You can find all the other blogs participating this week HERE.

Here’s what’s coming up:

On Friday I’ll be participating in the Favorites Giveaway Hop. I’ll have lots of great choices that I loved or am looking forward to. My post will be posted on Friday afternoon.

Next Monday I’m interviewing Holly Schindler and giving away a copy of THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY. This is a contemporary middle grade story that I know you’re going to love so I jumped at the chance to be part of Holly’s blog tour.

The following Monday I’m interviewing Ryan Graudin and giving away an ARC of ALL THAT GLOWS, her fantastic YA urban fantasy set in London.

Wednesday that week I’m participating in PK Hzero’s Blog Tour with an interview and giveaway of BUTTERMAN (TIME) TRAVEL INC., a fantastic NA time travel story that I really enjoyed.

And don’t forget Casey’s Agent Spotlights.

Hope to see you on Friday!