Joy Preble's Blog, page 18

Yeah, you know you want to win this advanced reader copy!

I have ONE galley of THE A-WORD (Soho Teen, May 2014) to give away.

One of you will get to find out what happens with Jenna and Casey and Amber BEFORE EVERYONE ELSE!

One of you will get to find out about Jenna's first romance with Ryan Sloboda!

One of you will know who Bo Shivers is!

One of you will get to read book 2 of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE series, which my editor describes in his opening letter in the galley as "Libba Bray meets Kurt Vonnegut." Yes! That's exactly what he says.

Angels. Romance. Mystery. And since it's Texas: kolaches and breakfast tacos and high school football.

All you have to do is: Comment on this post and tell me that you want to win!
(And make sure I know how to find you when you do!)

Think of it as my Thanksgiving gift to one lucky reader!

Contest will be open until midnight on Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, 11/28.  So you can even enter while you're full of turkey and stuffing and pie!

Winner will be announced the Monday after Thanksgiving!

Okay. Go!

(Open to US and Canada only. If you are international, I hope to do another giveaway for you soon!)

Few things are more thrilling than the physical evidence that a book you've been working on is almost a real thing! So when I opened the mailbox yesterday and found a fat white mailing envelope from my editor at Soho Press containing three gorgeous ARCs of THE A WORD (May 2014, Soho Teen), I did the dance of joy! (When your name is Joy this is pretty easy, but you know what I mean!)
The sequel to this year's THE SWEET DEAD LIFE is looking like a lovely almost book! Contest coming soon to win one and find out before everyone else what Jenna and Casey and Amber and a new guardian angel named Bo are up to. Plus Jenna gets her first boyfriend! I am so excited for you to read. 
More soon, but for now, here they are! Feel free to pet the picture! :)

So thrilled today to help reveal the brand-spanking new cover for my friend Kristin Rae's forthcoming WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN, an adorable and romantic contemporary (cute boys! Italy! gelato! pizza! cute boys!) that will be out in May from Bloomsbury. Kristin is my Starbucks writing partner, and I couldn't be more excited for her as I've watched her go from drafting to pitching to agented to sold to this!

Isn't it the best??

Here's what you can expect in WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN (May 6, 2014, Bloomsbury), blurbed by the fabulous Lindsey Leavitt!

Pippa always wanted to go to Italy, but not by herself. And not to sit in a classroom the summer before senior year learning about paintings by dead guys. Tempted by the romance of Rome and the chance to photograph ancient ruins, Pippa ditches the program and sets her own list of goals—get my picture taken at the Colosseum; get a makeover; fall in love with an Italian.She befriends a local girl whose gorgeous cousin may be just the Italian Pippa’s looking for, but the road to amore gets detoured when she keeps running into a cute American student. And she can’t forget that her summer abroad is only temporary. As she explores the famous cities of Rome and Pompeii, Pippa must sort out her feelings before her parents figure out where she really is.
Praise:
“With Italy's brilliant landscapes, a main character you'll love from the first line and a new dreamy book boyfriend (he's mine!), WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN is a charming and addictive read. Devour this delicious treat like a double scoop of gelato.” —Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and Sean Griswold’s Head.
I know, right? I want gelato now. And a trip to Italy. And you know that things are going to turn out in different ways than Pippa expects, right?
Kristin has actually been to Italy (but of course!) and here are some of places and things that inspired this story, along with her own words about them:
The gelato, of course! KR: Gelato plays a big part in Pippa’s story, but I won’t give anything away! There’s really nothing quite like authentic Italian gelato. It was actually hard for me to eat ice cream once we came back home after our trip to Italy. I think it’s the texture and unique flavors that sets it apart. My favorites were mint and stracciatella, though, like Pippa does, I had to at least TASTE the pistachio! I don’t know how they get a nut to taste good as ice cream, but they do!

The view! KR: It’s a dream come true for Pippa to photograph ancient ruins and historic monuments like the Colosseum, but quite a lot of the story takes place in a coastal region called Cinque Terre (“five lands” – pronounced CHING-kway TAY-ray). The views have to be seen to be believed, the food is the best I’ve ever eaten (it’s the birthplace of pesto!), and it’s ROMANTIC! You can even walk on a path between all five villages along the coast, shopping and sampling food in each. I think about going back there EVERY DAY.

And oh my, the pizza!
Pippa’s from Chicago, so she’s had her fair share of deep-dish pizzas! But she’s quickly won over by the simplicity of Italian pizzas and the papery thin crusts. She makes it one of her summer goals to eat entire pizza by herself. If I get a chance to visit Italy again one day, I think this will be a goal of mine too! DELIZIOSO

I say that we all need to pre-order WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN today!
Want to hang out on line with Kristin Rae? Here's where you can find her and WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN:
Website: http://www.kristinrae.com/Twitter:@kristincreativeFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/kristinraewritesInstagram: http://instagram.com/kristinraesnaps/#Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18042393-wish-you-were-italianIndiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781619632851Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Wish-You-Were-Italian-Kristin-Rae/9781619632851Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wish-You-Were-Italian-novel/dp/1619632861/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383157495&sr=8-1&keywords=wish+you+were+italianBarnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wish-you-were-italian-kristin-rae/1117011662?ean=9781619632851Member of the Class of 2k14: http://classof2k14.com/

Thinking about the fanfic subplot of Fangirl and about the ending of Allegiant this morning. (You think there is no connection. But there is, trust me. And some serious thoughts about fiction-writing) And so today's question: Is self-sacrifice the bravest act? Or is living? Thoughts?

Went home last weekend--visiting Chicago family and also fortunate enough to sign THE SWEET DEAD LIFE at Anderson's in Naperville. It's a funny thing about me and Naperville, IL: my first teaching job after Northwestern was in that suburb (English, comp., and also I was the worst volleyball coach ever, which I can admit now even though my JV team won most of their games), and then some years down the road, my first novel, DREAMING ANASTASIA was published by Sourcebooks whose headquarters is in, yup, Naperville. And so here I was again, last Sunday, honored to appear at Anderson's, which is an amazing indie and was kind enough to invite me to sign.

Let me interject that I'm catching up on Vampire Diaries as I type this and I'm a tad tired of evil, angsty, troubled Stefan. And now… vampire amnesia. Oh Stefan. I am never tired of Damon. Like not ever. And I haven't caught up with The Originals yet, but eventually I will. Unless you think it's not worth my effort. Anyone?

Okay, back now:

Beach near where I grew up!It was a good Chicago trip: cold enough for me to feel like a got a dose of actual fall and filled with family and food and wonderful friends and fans who came out to Anderson's and made me feel awesome while we talked Texas angels Jenna and Casey and what's to come with next year's THE A-WORD. I love that this series has a different take on angels. I love that my angels are grumpy and angsty and imperfect and something more than just vampire substitutes. And that many of the humans in the story have no clue that they're interacting with heavenly beings. And that at its core it's story of family as much as it's a mystery and a growing love story. Plus there was Lake Michigan!

Here are some pics:

Started the trip at SuperDawg, my favorite hot dog stand
Where I ate a SuperDawg and fries. (hot dog is buried under there)
Also, there's this on top of the place
Then it was on to Anderson's where my family came to hang! (Even though the Bears were playing)
And I talked about THE SWEET DEAD LIFE
And about angels and Soho Press and other stuff
And we captured my cousin Kurt's new shoes in the wild
And then I read a little.

A really good time was had by all!

Well, if it's October, it must be time for the 4th annual CROSSROADS BLOG TOUR, hosted by an amazing array of bloggers and the brainchild of Canadian author Judith Graves!! By the way, thank you Canada for pumping up e-book sales of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE yesterday when it was the Kindle Daily Deal. You put me in the top 20! Crazy!

Anyway, a group of wonderful authors are teaming with the bloggers for a blog tour of outrageous proportions with a grand prize that involves a fully-loaded with all our books Kindle!!

You can click over through the link on the side of my blog.

Or you can click here! http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/crossroads-2013/

Festivities start this coming Sunday 10/20!!

YOU NEED TO BE THERE!!
So MEET ME AT THE CROSSROADS! I'll be waiting.

And the winner of the free pre-order of BOTH a copy of the SWEET DEAD LIFE paperback AND a copy of THE A-WORD from Murder by the Book is Julie S!

Congrats Julie S!

I'm going to email you later, but if you see this, feel free to email me first!

And thank you to both Murder by the Book as well as Soho Press/Soho Teen for facilitating the prizes!!


In future days:
Crossroads 2013 Blog Tour is coming!
Talking with Blue Willow Bookshop!
More on FINDING PARIS!

And other good stuff.

The back stacks at Murder by the Book
Today I’m starting a series about my favorite Texas indie bookstores! You’ll not only get to read about these special stores, but you’ll also get the chance to win a free pre-order copy of my upcoming THE A WORD  AND a free pre-order pb of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE with the brand new retooled cover!Thanks to my amazing publisher, Soho Press for sponsoring! And MBTB for shipping! (giveaway is at end of this post)
So you can learn about the history and people behind Texas’s independent bookstores AND one of you will win a free, autographed book. I say that’s a good deal—definitely better than Government shutdown and the looming catastrophe of default, wouldn’t you? Yup.
And why am I doing this? Because indie book stores have helped me build my career. Yes, the chains- B&N and the late, great Borders—have done that, too. But as I’ve written, the indies have taken greater chances on setting up events and ordering and keeping my books in stock and have supported me by handselling my books and getting the word out. When I have big announcements, like my recent FINDING PARIS sale to Balzer and Bray/Harper Collins, it’s those booksellers who get the news whispered to them early. Those booksellers who grin from ear to ear keeping my secrets and knowing that the support they gave has been for good reason! And I love them even more for that.
The Murder by the Book StaffUp today is Houston’s Murder by the Book, located on the edge of Rice Village/West University and owned by McKenna Jordan. They specialize, as their name obviously hints, in mysteries and thrillers, but they also have a healthy YA collection and a grand generosity to local authors! Although I’ve been in and out of the store over the years, in the past year or so, I’ve gotten to know them better after an introduction through wonderful blogger/book lover/ Blue Willow Bookshop social media guru Maria Cari Soto. And thus a relationship with another wonderful indie and its people was born!
I sat down – laptop to laptop—with my friend John Kwiatkowski, their publicity manager since 2010 and also a kickass human, to chat about the store and its history and its influence on authors and how they are navigating and thriving under all the many swift shifts in the publishing world. Here’s what John had to say:  Joy: Tell us the short version of the Murder by the Book story—history of how this amazing bookstore came to be and how you came to own and run it. How did the store get its name? Has it always specialized in mysteries/thrillers?
JK: Martha Farrington was the original owner of MBTB.  She opened the store in 1980 because we wanted a bookstore where she could find the mysteries that she loved.  We've been a mystery bookstore since day one.  There are many books with the title, but our store is named after the Rex Stout title, Murder By The Book.  McKenna Jordan bought the store in 2009 after being the manager for many years. 
Joy: What’s a typical day for the booksellers at Murder by the Book? For management?
JK: One thing a typical day doesn't include is sitting around reading!  Our day is a mix of checking in and receiving new books, creating displays for upcoming events, and helping customers.  The helping customers part is the best part of the day.  We love suggesting new titles and helping them find new authors.  We also try to call customers when we know a new title by a favorite authors comes out.  Usually around 5 in the afternoon we start getting set up for that evening's author event.
Joy: What’s the process involved in getting all those wonderful authors to visit the store? Any crazy author visit stories you can share? Or just warm and fuzzy stories?
JK: There are several ways we get authors to visit.  Most of our events are set up by submitting proposals to the publisher, letting them know how we would market an event, how many people we think will show up, and how many books we think we'll sell.  Publishers will also get in touch with us to see if we're interested in hosting an author.   Sometimes we'll invite an author directly as well.  My favorite thing lately has been setting up fun pairings of authors for joint events.
A few weeks ago we had Louise Penny in the store for her new release.  Earlier in the day she found out that her book was going to debut at #1 on the New York Times list.  It was really special getting to celebrate that evening with her here in the bookstore.   I'm afraid I don't have any crazy author stories to share.  99% of the authors that come through the store are really wonderful people. 
Joy:  We read so much about the ‘death of print,’ but many indie book stores such as yours are thriving. Can you talk about this and about how you see the role of bookstores, especially but not limited to indies, in today’s publishing world?
JK: Since the eBook boom started, we've said that at some point the sales were going to even out.  People were going to find a balance between eBooks and print books.  It looks like that's really starting to happen now.   I don't think our role has changed much.  We still keep doing what we love to do, and that's helping people connect with their favorite authors and discover new ones. 
So much of reading is an experience, and our store is an extension of that.  Bookstores give you a place to discuss your favorite books and discover new ones.  A lot of our business is event driven now.  Author visits are what really bring people in, and give us a chance to show off our love of books.   Bookstores have to have a place in the publishing world.  Each bookstore has its own personality, and its own selection of books.  That variety helps give us so many diverse options for what to read.   Looking for something new to read online can be overwhelming.  Each book that we have in the store has been hand selected to sit on our shelves. 
Joy: What are you all reading now? Are you noticing any trends? Thoughts on what you’re seeing?
JK; I'm reading United We Spy by Ally Carter.  It's the final book in the Gallagher Girls series, and I can't wait to see how she wraps everything up.  McKenna just finished Never Go Back, the new Jack Reacher book by Lee Child.   Dean just finished the new Alan Bradley book that's coming out next year and loved it. 
As far as trends, one that we see and that we're excited about it is publishers taking chances on new authors and releasing titles as paperback originals.  Paperbacks are the easiest way to get someone to try a new author.
Joy:  As booksellers, what advice do you have for new authors?  How about advice for readers/customers? 
JK:  For to authors: Make friends with other writers.  The writing community is a great one to be a part of, and in my experience they're so supportive of each other. 
My advice for customers/readers is to not be afraid to read outside of your comfort zone.  I've spent some time this year reading some epic fantasy books.  I didn't necessarily love the books, but I loved the challenge of reading a new genre with its own set of rules.  You don't have to read something WAY out of your comfort zone.  Just stretch it a little. 
My advice for new authors is to make friends with your local booksellers.  If you're lucky enough to have an i
Joy:  And a brief lightning round:a.     Coffee or tea?  Teab.     Wine or whiskey? Whiskeyc.      Book for the deserted island? d.     Salty or sweet? Sweete.     Memorable line from a book? “The temperature hit ninety degrees the day she arrived. New York was steaming–an angry concrete animal caught unawares in an unseasonable hot spell.” - The first line of Valley of the Dolls.  f.      When you’re not working or reading, we could find you taking in a musical or a concert.
And here’s a little about the MBTB Staff Members:
Dean James: Our former store manager, Dean now works full-time at the Texas Medical Center Library.  As Miranda James he is the New York Times Bestselling Cat in the Stacks mysteries.
McKenna Jordan (Owner): McKenna has her Bachelor's Degree in English and a Master's in Violin Performance from University of Houston. She's owned Murder By The Book since January 2009.
Brenda Jordan: Brenda's "Claim to Fame" is she is McKenna's mother.
John Kwiatkowski: In previous career incarnations, John has sold model and toy trains, and been a barista.  Prior to joining the Murder By The Book team he managed one of the local chain bookstores.
Sally Woods: Sally has been in the bookselling biz for almost 20 years.  She comes to MBTB via various Houston indie bookstores.  She did have a life prior to bookstores, but that seems long ago.
Thanks John, for speaking for McKenna Jordan and the rest of the MBTB gang!
And now for the giveaway:
Want to win a free pre-ordered copy of next year's SWEET DEAD LIFE sequel, THE A-WORD (Soho Press) AND a free pre-ordered copy of February's paperback edition of THE SWEET DEAD LIFE with its boot-tastic new cover? Both of them signed by me? Then comment here on this blog post and let me know what YOU love about indie bookstores!
CONTEST WILL RUN THROUGH THIS SATURDAY, October 12th, and I'll announce the winner of the two books on Monday, to be sent to you from Murder by the Book! (thanks again to Soho Press for sponsoring the prizes!)
Want to know more about Murder by the Book? Then visit them at their website: http://www.murderbooks.com

Have been sitting on this news since the end of June, but can finally announce that my new YA, FINDING PARIS, has sold to Alessandra Balzer of Balzer and Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins!

Here is the official deal announcement in today's PW:

Alessandra Balzer at Balzer + Bray took world English rights to Joy Preble’s Finding Paris, in a deal brokered by Jennifer Rofé at Andrea Brown Literary. Preble (The Sweet Dead Life) offers a book that, Rofé said, feels like “Speak meets 13 Little Blue Envelopes,” about a teenage girl whose older sister sends her on a scavenger hunt from Las Vegas to L.A., to protect her from a dark secret.

And here is the link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/book-deals/article/59198-book-deals-week-of-september-20-2013.html

I'll tell the longer story tomorrow when I have time to collect my thoughts.

But until then, I can say that this book was written last year once my dear and tough agent, Jen Rofe, finally convinced me to write the book I wanted to write rather than the one I thought I should write, which is not the same thing at all. The full tale to come.

FINDING PARIS is slated to hit shelves in Spring 2015, which sounds like a long time away, but in publishing terms is not long at all. And I am so thrilled that I am dancing!!

More tomorrow!

Mall Culture Heaven: French Fry Heaven!So here’s the story: One day recently, it occurred to authors Tricia (PJ) Hoover, Mari Mancusi, Mary Lindsey and I that we all had new YA novels set in Texas. This is perhaps not surprising since we all live here in the Lone Star State – Mary and I here in Houston and Mari and Tricia in Austin. But the more we brainstormed, the more we realized that we really had a lot to say about not only why we set our stories here as well as the process involved in the specifics of a Lone Star state setting. Thus was born a panel presentation that we’ll be doing all over Texas this fall at a variety of regional library conferences. Sometimes it will be all four of us; sometimes it will be two. But it’s been both fun and eye-opening to look at the various aspects of setting a novel in Texas and what inspired each of us as well as what Texas elements play key roles.
To catch you up to speed: PJ Hoover’s SOLSTICE is a morph of dystopian and mythology, set in a slightly future Austin where global warming has changed a great deal. Plus two hot guys and one girl who is not quite who she thinks she is!  Mari Mancusi’s brand new SCORCHED uses a West Texas setting to begin a story that is best described as Game of Thrones meets Terminator and has—yup—2 hot guys (twins!) and girl and a dragon egg and a potential dragon apocalypse! Mary Lindsey’s SHATTERED SOULS series has—yup!—two hot guys and a girl who can help lost souls. Right here in Galveston. And finally, my SWEET DEAD LIFE series is about a girl whose brother returns from a fatal car accident as her less than angelic guardian angel, setting in motion a vast family mystery with huge global consequences. Also a cute guy who appears in book 1 for the beginning of a love story that will wind its way through the series. Just 1 guy. At least for now. And set – right here in Houston, with a few Austin road trips.

(Plus all our title start with 's'--something I just noticed)
For some stories, setting is an aspect, but it’s not crucial to the story telling. Certain romances, for example. The story is so much about the couple that the setting feels secondary. But imagine Twilight set in Miami? Uh, no. Even something like Lauren Oliver’s Before I Fall is deeply intertwined to the specificity of a certain economic class in a certain type of suburban CT high school. At least as I see it.
So setting. For those of you who haven’t thought about setting since your 10th grade English teacher asked you to draw a map of Maycomb Alabama or whatever, there’s more to it than just a geographic location. Setting is everything: time period, social milieu, climate; time of year; physical and political environment and more. Here’s a quick Writer’s Digest article if you really haven’t thought about it in a while:  http://www.writersdigest.com/tip-of-the-day/discover-the-basic-elements-of-setting-in-a-story
When my Soho Press editor first suggested the basic idea for the TSDL series, I remember being a bit nervous when I sent him an email saying that I would love to write this series but that I envisioned it set in suburban Houston. I figured he would say, ‘uh no,’ or perhaps, ‘hell no’ or perhaps wtf are you thinking, Prebs?’ But instead, he said, YES!
So why Texas? Well first of all, I live here. So the small societal details come easily to me because I live them every day. I mean let’s face it, there is a stunning specificity to the ‘wasteland’ of the northern Houston ‘burbs’ : Breakfast tacos and kolaches and mall culture and Olive Gardens and strip centers and stuff like how here in the more affluent suburb where I live, they’ve built us a town center that looks like a small town’s downtown, with stores built into old brick buildings. Only it’s just a façade. The buildings aren’t old at all, just a few years old, really. So in essence – a FAKE town center that everyone raves about. Stuff like that sticks in your head, you know?
So when my brain went whirring about where I would set a story about a 14 year old girl who’s older brother came back as a guardian angel, I thought WHAT BETTER PLACE than in the middle of giant high school football stadiums and Crocs kiosks and FAKE TOWN CENTERS, and western wear and cowboy boots devoid of actual farm work, and churches so enormous that they have a Starbucks inside (yes really) and a societal culture that often professes to have a pipeline to all the answers about faith and salvation and things of that nature. So, my brain said, what if the stoner dude (formerly a football star but down on his luck  and failing his classes because he’s been supporting the family since his dad disappeared and his mom went all depressed) in one of those ordinary suburban houses actually came back as his sassy sister's guardian angel? Right before Christmas. When the next door neighbors were putting out their lights and lawn angels? And became the most unlikely hero ever? And what if there was a big global mystery that could change life as we know it and its center was the Houston Medical Center? And the newly minted Texas boy angel and his narrator sister were at the epicenter of it all?
You see what I mean? Houston Texas was the PERFECT setting for this novel—for not only the main story but also much of the subtext. In fact, the setting works as a character of sorts. I can’t imagine this novel taking place anywhere else.
So what novels have you read where the setting plays a huge role in the story?