Triple Threat

On July 26 - one month from today - Wolfsbane will be on sale! I can't wait to share Calla's next set of adventures with you.

I have some big news related to Wolfsbane's release date.

I'm having a party! And not just one, but two parties!!!!

July 26 is not only Wolfsbane's release date, it is also the release day of the fabulous Kiersten White's Supernaturally. Since Kiersten and I are friendly-like and we've decided Calla and Evie would get along smashingly, we're throwing a big party in San Diego. And guess what?? The amazing Stephanie Perkins - author of Anna and the French Kiss and the upcoming Lola and the Boy Next Door - will be signing with us too! Given how zany and unpredictable the three of us are, it is sure to be a riotous, laugh-filled evening. Or the universe may implode. Either way, exciting times to be had!

That's right SoCal! I'm coming to YOU!

Our signing will be held at the Barnes and Noble in Oceanside, CA at 6:00 p.m. on July 26.

I'll be in San Diego on July 26 - by I'm not forgetting about my Minnesota peeps!

On Friday, July 29 at 6 p.m. the Minnesota launch of Wolfsbane will be celebrated at
The Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul.

I'm so excited that we're in the final countdown to Wolfsbane. Hope I'll see you soon!!!

(Re)Write!

Do you remember the childhood rhyme:

Pete and repeat are sitting in a boat
Pete falls out, who's left?
Repeat

And it begins again. Oh the joy.

I've gotten into the habit of responding to the question: How long did it take you to write Nightshade, with this - I wrote it between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2008.

Stop. Rewind. Let's clarify and I'm accepting fault here for any misconceptions my pat answer may have created. I wrote the FIRST DRAFT of Nightshade between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2008. I continued revising that draft on my own from January through March of 2009. With my agents from March to June of 2009 and with my editor from August through October 2009. That first ecstatic draft required a lot of refining.
A while ago I did a post for The Tenners about how not to get published. Here's a relevant excerpt about first drafts vs. revised manuscripts:

Another familiar moment in the writing life: you've done it. You've written a masterpiece! It is so beautiful and it's all yours!! In fact, you decide it's so very, absolutely perfect in that moment after typing the last sentence that you need to send it out to your dream agents NOW. Revisions are for wimps, right?

Wrong. Along with not finishing (and don't you DARE query before you've finished, and I mean really finished!!), querying too early will get you NOT published. I attended a writing conference where Jane Smiley gave a keynote. At one point she said "the first draft of what you wrote is perfect and wonderful, because you wrote it." She was being sincere and her comment encapsulated the joy that is the creative process of writing as well as the unbelievably ecstasy of accomplishment when you finish your novel. But the "perfect" is a moment for you and you alone.

You should celebrate. You did it! But you should NOT query. Think of it as a Gold Rush moment. You're alone, panning in a river and you hit it. The mother load! Wow!! That's fantastic. But no one wants your unformed lumps of golden goodness until they've been heated up and melted down and transformed into a beautiful piece of jewelry. Right? Don't send your lumps of gold out. Wait until you learn how to refine them into something everyone can appreciate.

I'm bringing this up because saying I wrote Nightshade in a frenzied four weeks is probably setting a bad example. That first four weeks was my Gold Rush moment, but months of work after that first milestone transformed my shiny lump into a finished piece.

Writing is the beginning. Rewriting brings the real payoff.
Speaking of rewriting - one of my best debut buddies, with whom I've had the joy of sharing revision chills, thrills, and spills - has a wonderful book hitting the shelves today. If you don't have Kiersten White's Paranormalcy on your radar, hunt it down in a bookstore as soon as you can.
You'll be bleepin' sorry if you don't :) It's hilarious, thrilling and glittering, sparkly fabulous. Happy Book Birthday, Kiersten!

Detour

Looking for me?
I'm not here today - but you can find me on Kiersten White's blog :)

Vote!

The time has arrived to select my official author photo and guess what?

My family is split on the opinion, so are my agents. I have yet to run the pics by my editor, but will be doing so very soon.

In the mean time I'd love to hear what you have to say. What photograph should become my author photo? I'd also like to thank the amazing Gina Monroe for her spectacular photography skills - I wonder where she gets that from (ahem...Ed?). Gina, you rock!

If you don't already know who Kiersten White is and that's she's awesome, go read her blog. Since imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I'm snatching Kiersten's idea of having blog readers vote for her jacket photo.

Thanks for helping me with this decision!!

Photo 1:

Photo 2:

Photo 3:

Photo 4:

Photo 5: