Ready to be COURTED?
It's weird, being a writer. You spend a lot of time alone. Even when you're not alone, you spend a lot of time in your own head. ...
Happily Ever Afters
Katherine's post yesterday got me thinking about my own views about the Happily Ever After and whether it's a necessary component o...
Muse News: GILT Launch Party
GILT Launch Party 5/2012 All the Muses in same place, at the same time (I know!) Katherine nailed the readings Bret's bab...
GILT
This is a post I've been waiting to write for two years. In May 2010, I sent out a tweet that said "This YA Historical is rocking ...
I'm writing this the day before GILT is released into the
wild. And I'm struggling to find the words that will illustrate how I feel. In
fact, I've started this blog post four times now and still can’t get it right.
I'm flooded by memories from the past three years, all the writing and
revising, all the e-mails and calls and laughter-filled meetings with the
Muses. Because every step, every setback and triumph has been shared with them
and by them and I'm sure I wouldn't be here (and certainly not as sane as I am
now) without them.
So let me bypass my emotions, as well as my memories. Let me
avoid telling you how I feel about my book and its publication, and let me tell
you how I feel about these people.
Donna is my rock. When she comments, she speaks from the
heart. She doesn't need to use lots of words to let me know what she thinks
what she feels, but I know that whatever she says is the truth. Her quiet
certainty is contagious, and the emotional depth of her own writing can fill my
creative reservoir just through reading it.
Talia is an inspiration. I felt uneasy writing romance and
romantic relationships into my novel until Talia showed me how it was done. She
pushed me to try more, to believe in love, and to put that into words. She has
drive and enthusiasm and a seemingly inexhaustible supply of energy, not to
mention courage. One day, Talia, I will write that epilogue.
Veronica is my touchstone. She is the epitome of a
professional writer, of someone always striving to improve her craft, even when
she has already succeeded to a glorious degree. Just by watching her, I have
learned more about writing than I ever thought possible. She instills
confidence through careful words and well-timed e-mails, and I feel like a
better writer (and a better person) just by knowing her.
And Bret? Bret is the closer. He read GILT when it was in
line edits, and the suggestions and insights he offered improved it enormously.
But Bret is also my go-to guy. When I'm struggling, he’ll brainstorm with me.
When I have a crisis of confidence, he'll prop me up, not with easy words and
false encouragement, but with truth and strength and almost always a laugh.
The Muses’ fingerprints are all over this book. It wouldn't
be what it is today if I had never had the courage to take my scrambled mess of
an unfinished manuscript and air it in front of strangers at a workshop. And
I'm thankful every day that those strangers became friends.
Thank You, Muses!
I'm writing this the day before GILT is released into the wild. And I'm struggling to find the words that will illustrat...
My Favorite (Deleted) Scene from GILT
This week, we’re talking about our favorite scenes from our own books. Like Donna, my favorite scene in GILT is full of spoile...
First of all - THANK YOU for taking this wild ride through 2011 with us! We have loved hearing from you, sharing with you, and have appreciated every thought and moment of support. You guys are the best, and make every blog post worthwhile to us.
Secondly, what does 2012 hold in store for the Muses? Well, come and see.
January:
Veronica's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be released officially this week! January 3. We will be hosting an all-NEVER SKY, all-the-time week here on the blog, and will give away four signed copies. Check back tomorrow for details, but be sure to keep a lookout for the book in the wild. We've already seen a few photos, and we'll be asking for more!
V will also be at the following in-person events:
Book Launch! Saturday, January 7th, 4:00-5:30 PM - Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA
Not Your Mother's Book Club! Thursday, January 12th at 7 PM - Books, Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco, CA with Tahereh Mafi, Ellen Schreiber and Anna Carey
April:
Spring Spirit Conference! SCBWI North/Central California's annual event held in Rocklin, California on April 21. The five of us are presenting a panel on revision, to be followed up with five days of revision posts on the blog. Come see us in person if you can! Registration details here.
May:
TNB arrival! Bret and Lisa's baby is due mid-May. Of course, babies no know set schedule, so we can't attach a date to this yet. In the meantime, Bret is in training for the TNB marathon.
GILT launch date! Katherine's book will debut May 15.
October:
SKINNY launch date! Donna's book will debut October 12.
Fall:
SILVER launch! There is no set date for Talia's debut yet, but keep checking back, because we'll know soon...
And of course, you can always find us here and on Twitter. I'm sure we'll have more announcements as the year progresses, and we look forward to sharing it all with you!
Secondly, what does 2012 hold in store for the Muses? Well, come and see.
January:
Veronica's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be released officially this week! January 3. We will be hosting an all-NEVER SKY, all-the-time week here on the blog, and will give away four signed copies. Check back tomorrow for details, but be sure to keep a lookout for the book in the wild. We've already seen a few photos, and we'll be asking for more!
V will also be at the following in-person events:
Book Launch! Saturday, January 7th, 4:00-5:30 PM - Rakestraw Books, Danville, CA
Not Your Mother's Book Club! Thursday, January 12th at 7 PM - Books, Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco, CA with Tahereh Mafi, Ellen Schreiber and Anna Carey
April:
Spring Spirit Conference! SCBWI North/Central California's annual event held in Rocklin, California on April 21. The five of us are presenting a panel on revision, to be followed up with five days of revision posts on the blog. Come see us in person if you can! Registration details here.
May:
TNB arrival! Bret and Lisa's baby is due mid-May. Of course, babies no know set schedule, so we can't attach a date to this yet. In the meantime, Bret is in training for the TNB marathon.
GILT launch date! Katherine's book will debut May 15.
October:
SKINNY launch date! Donna's book will debut October 12.
Fall:
SILVER launch! There is no set date for Talia's debut yet, but keep checking back, because we'll know soon...
And of course, you can always find us here and on Twitter. I'm sure we'll have more announcements as the year progresses, and we look forward to sharing it all with you!
Happy New Year! And...what's happening in 2012?
First of all - THANK YOU for taking this wild ride through 2011 with us! We have loved hearing from you, sharing with you, and have appreci...
