Joy Preble's Blog, page 43

Vasilisa the Brave peeks at Baba Yaga's chicken leg hut
Excited about some upcoming posts: so excited that I'm doing this little teaser!
I love, love, love the Russian folklore that I use in the Dreaming Anastasisa series. So for the next couple of weeks, I'll be doing posts about the various fairy tales, folklore, and folk art that play such important roles in DA and HAUNTED. Going to be doing at least one contest while I'm at it.
So buckle up! We're going to dive into the world of Baba Yaga and her magic forest and her hut that stands on chicken legs, of rusalkas and matroyshka dolls and lacquer boxes, Vasilisa the Brave and Koschei the Deathless!

So everyone's been sending HAUNTED launch pictures: Sandy, Ed, Vonna - enough for me to post some more. Anther shot of the sign, some more of the crowd, a closer up of the really cool t shirts that Kelli Webb - who used to be our attendance secretary - created for me. As you can see, it was a great mixed crowd - friends and family and SCBWIers and students, both current and former, plus readers and bloggers, too! If you came up and introduced yourself, I thank you so much for saying hi! And that woman in pink? That's Crystal Allen. I'll be posting an interiew with her any day now. She's not only one of my besties, she's also the author of How Lamar's Bad Prank Won a Bubba Sized Trophy, which releases from Harper Collins on 2/22 and has been getting highly desered buzz just about everywhere there's buzz.







See that woman with the camera? That's Vonna Carter, who took a lot of these pictures, although not this one. One of Houston SCBWI's very best.

Going to let the pictures speak for themselves. Posters, books, t shirt, lovely people. HAUNTED!! Welcome to the world. May readers find you on many shelves, real and virtual. Hugs to you, little book. And look! There was even cake....

Do I even have seven? Let's see:

1. Launch party was so much fun yesterday. About 90+ I think... and I know it would have been more if not for the weird weather week, rescheduled sports events, etc. February is s fickle little month, esp if your book launches on the day of the great Chicago blizzard. But so good to meet you all/see you all/give away Haunted t shirts, eat cake... If you took pics, post them/send them/let me see them! I got only a few on my camera... too busy saying hi!

2. Have updated my HAUNTED tour schedule on the website news page. (http://www.joypreble.com)

3. Definitely had a sniffly moment yesterday when I said, "you know, last year at this time...." and talked briefly about last year's thyroid cancer journey. Signed book contract/got diagnosis all in same week. But look at the happy happy ending. Yay for health!

4. Need to write 2k today. Let's see if I do it.

5. Thanks to Roecker Sisters for turning me to GOOP. That's all I'm saying. Oh the humor.

6. Hooked on Being Human on SyFy. Vamp, werewolf, ghost - sharing a house. Loving this show.

7. Vampire Diaires continue to get better and better. Oh Damon. How I love you. I haven't enjoyed an hour of tv this much since the BTVS days.

til next time...
and ONE DAY left (through 2/7) to get your free Dreaming Anastasia download on the ereader of your choice. Just like you always do, only it's free!

THANK YOU one and all for supporting me and HAUNTED. I seriously love my middle book. Hope you do, too!

So the snow didn't happen. But the ice did.

Here are the things I did not get to do today: I did not get to meet one of my writing idols, Lauren Oliver, because she did not make it to Houston yesterday for Blue Willow and The Woodlands B&N today. (She was slated to visit the school where I teach, which was totally wonderful) Lauren - Before I Fall is one of my favorite books of 2010. I've started Delirium and it's equally as fabulous.

I did not have to go teach. (okay, I'm not mourning that one)

Here's what I'm worried about: That the damn ice melts so that everyone can make it to The Woodlands B&N tomorrow at 2 for the HAUNTED launch party. (cake! t shirts! Me!)

That the apocalyptic weather conditions do not muck up book sales - for the lovely Lauren whom I have yet to meet, and for me!

That the husband - trapped at my side right now because the toll road is closed - does not decide to do a noisy, banging man cave project while I'm writing.

Here's what I'm going to do: Write, write, write. Drink coffee. Take pictures of the icicles. Keep an eye out for the elusive snow. (better chance of that eye being poked out by a falling icicle.) Ponder whether the Packers are responsible by bringing their frozen tundra weather to Texas with them.

So hi Lauren Oliver! It would have been lovely to meet you. My signing poster at B&N shares a stand with yours. Hope you come back in the spring!

And the rest of you! Get your butts to The Woodlands Mall B&N tomorrow from 2-4. I'm thrilled to meet you! Or hug you if I already know you! Buy a copy of HAUNTED. Buy a copy of Lauren Oliver's Delirium while you're at it.

Til next time...

(and don't forget - Sourcebooks - my poor little team still stuck in a drift in Chicago - is still offering free downloads of Dreaming Anastasia on the ereader of your choice til 2/7, in honor of Haunted's release. Just do what you'd normally do to buy an e book. Except it will be free!)

Happy Birthday, Haunted!

It was a tough, winding road getting you here. But today's your day. May your life be long and full. A week on that NYTimes list wouldn't hurt, either, but no pressure. I will always think you're special.

You survived a crazy teaching and promotion schedule, an editor change, a cancer diagnosis and surgery, and numerous other upheavals. But there you were anyway – the story I wanted.

You're the middle child. Dreaming Anastasia will always be older. And there's a third book coming next year. I don't know what this means, but that's okay. We'll both figure it out together.

So go on, little book. I'm kicking you out into the world. (actually, you've been sneaking onto shelves for a couple of weeks now. You're an independent little cuss and I already love that about you) Go. Grab readers by the scruff of their necks. Do your thing.

Xoxo,
Joy

PS – and if anyone needs to catch up on Dreaming Anastasia, Sourcebooks – wonderful folks that they are – is offering free downloads on all e reader devices for one week starting today!! Check it out now!!

Brief post while I eat my English muffin with Bonne Maman raspberry preserves. Got this love affair going with this little glass jar of French jam. Good God almighty that is some fine tasting stuff. Bought the fig preserves too - good, but not quite as yummy.
It's almost Tuesday. Almost Haunted. I am truly excited. Will post more about that on Tuesday.
Had my first Skype visit with the delightful students at Avalon Middle School and their teachers. Me in Texas. Them in Florida. Thank you all for being so amazingly cool and having such fabulous questions to ask me.
And in the category of fan girl excitement - Lauren Oliver (author of the amazing Before I Fall and whose new book Delirium, shares 2/1 as its release day with Haunted) is coming to my school on Friday! I will try not to scare her away with my gushing about how much I love Before I Fall.
Must write now.
See ya.

The Tantalize Trilogy - by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Cyn in sunglasses - love it

Today I welcome my friend and mentor, Austin's own Cynthia Leitich Smith - author of many, many wonderful books including the Tantalize series - the third of which, Blessed releases this week on 1/25. (which is either tomorrow or today, depending on when I press publish post!)The world of children's publishing is by and large a friendly, generous place. But let's face it, when you're new, people don't really have to go out of their way. So when authors do, we newbies always remember. Cyn's that person for me - the one who didn't have to go the extra mile, but somehow always has. She is special beyond the telling and a phenomenally talented writer. The Tantalize series makes me laugh and gives me creepy goosebumps all at that same time. And as I tell her frequently, I am forever her humble minion. (Cyn likes the word minion, by the way.)In honor of Blessed's release, we chatted about vampires and other paranormal stuff. Enjoy the interview. Then check out the Blessed book trailer. After that, get yourself a copy of Blessed, and if you haven't read Tantalize and Eternal, get those, too. You will be soooo happy that you did!First a little bio:

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of ETERNAL and TANTALIZE (both Candlewick). Her award-winning books for younger children include HOLLER LOUDLY, JINGLE DANCER, INDIAN SHOES and RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME (all HarperCollins). She is a member of faculty at the Vermont College M.F.A. program in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her website at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com was named one of the top 10 Writer Sites on the Internet by Writer's Digest and an ALA Great Website for Kids. Her Cynsations blog at cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ was listed as among the top two read by the children's/YA publishing community in the SCBWI "To Market" column. In January 2011, Cynthia is celebrating the release of BLESSED, the third novel in the TANTALIZE series. Kirkus Reviews calls it: "Wild and ultimately fascinating"…"..the pages fairly smolder in describing their [Quincie and Kieren] attraction to one another." The Horn Book cheers: "A hearty meal for the thinking vampire reader."

And now our q & a:

Joy: Your publisher's blurb describes Blessed (the latest installment of the Tantalize series, combining characters from Tantalize and Eternal) as "a wink and a nod to Bram Stoker." Can you explain your homage to Stoker's Dracula in this series? Do readers need a working knowledge of that classic to best read Blessed?

Cyn: Dracula was the inspiration novel for the series. In doing my homework, I read the preceding YA Gothics like Vivian Vande Velde's Companions of the Night and M.T. Anderson's Thirsty.

(This was back in late 2001/early 2002 before the paranormal craze kicked off.)

Then I turned to horror and paranormal romance novels published for grownups, going all the way back to the classics and the ancient oral stories that inspired those.

I found myself obsessing over Stoker's Dracula, the quintessential vampire novel. So many of his themes—gender dominance, the "dark" foreigner, religion, plague, conquest, orientation—are still very much in play today.

I took note of the fact that, in Stoker's mythology, vampires could take the form of wolves, and I thought it might be interesting to write a murder mystery in which the central question was whether the murderer was a werewolf or a vampire in wolf form.

From there, I gender flipped Quincey P. Morris, a Texan who was one of Van Helsing's original vampire hunters, and brought the mythology "home" to Texas.

Each of my books inches closer to Stoker's classic, and a fourth (still untitled) novel—in progress now—draws on the Count's back story.

That said, no, you don't have to have read Dracula for my series to make sense, though it's perhaps an even more fun read for those who have. I made every effort to provide sparing connective tissue to the classic where necessary.

Joy: Why do you think vampire stories have continued as an ongoing presence in literature, particularly pop culture?

Cyn: A good "vampire" story is a good story—period, one that resonates in our own real world. It's all about the metaphors—the other, the outsider, addiction, dominance, passion, fear, friendship, love…. What happens when we die? What would happen if we didn't? And perhaps most of all, what does God have to do with it?

Joy: I know that you and I share a love of all things Joss Whedon and therefore Buffy, but beyond – and including – BTVS, what are your favorite vampire stories – books, movies, television - and why? Favorite fictional vampire?

Cyn: Buffy, yes! Whedon's "Buffy" TV series to be specific. Beyond that, I have a particular affection for "Lost Boys" and "Fright Night." My inner 1980s adolescent may be showing, but I think horror works best when juxtaposed against humor.

You need some light to appreciate the darkness.

Joy: And since the above question has touched on it – favorite Buffy episodes?

Cyn: I'm fond of "The Zeppo," which is framed from Xander's point of view. I especially enjoyed the melodramatically filmed Buffy/Angel love scenes from his perspective. Very funny.

Beyond that, "Hush" was fantastic, authentically scary, and "The Body" quite affecting. I also adored any Willow-centered episode. If Willow cried, I cried.

Joy: Tell us a little bit about your vampires. What's uniquely Cyn Leitich Smith about the vamp mythos you've created for this series?

Cyn: I should probably start off with the caveat that I see my books as set in a multi-creature verse rather than as vampire novels per se. Main characters also include angels, ghosts, and a wide variety of shapeshifters. You'll even find a pesky human or two.

That said, one of the reasons that I began writing them in the first place was to nod to, but also talk back to Bram Stoker. I've always had a problem with the long-time supposition that someone attacked by a vampire—penetrated (by fang) against their will—was automatically considered a monster and literally damned.

It reminded me too much of the way rape victims are still too-often viewed and treated today. Though, it's subtle and handled through metaphor, I address that traditional view in Blessed.

Beyond that, there are a number of smaller, contextual tweaks. I've created a vampire society with its own history, political structure, and system of laws as well as, say, architectural predispositions. The undead, for example, are big fans of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Joy: How does your use of a restaurant setting mesh with a vampire tale?

Cyn: Restaurants are tremendous stages for drama. You have thematic décor, menus, costumes, people bursting into song. It's like entering another world. And sure, folks tend to think of vampires as more drinkers than diners, but I thought that would generate some of the fresh blood I wanted to infuse in my series.

Joy: Van Helsing vs. Buffy?

Cyn: Buffy + Giles would trump Van Helsing. But the doctor knows his spooky stuff.

Joy: Chicago vs. Austin?

Cyn: Austin winter, Chicago summer.

Joy: The perfect meal to accompany a reading of Blessed?

Cyn: Wasabi deviled eggs, West Texas rattlesnake ravioli, three little javelina chops with lamb's liver, followed by kumquat sherbet with frozen eyes of newt, garnished by a newt-shaped butter cookie!

Joy: Is there anything you'd like to add?

Cyn: Tantalize: Kieren's Story, a graphic novel to be illustrated by Ming Doyle, will be released by Candlewick Press in August 2011.

Want to meet Cyn? Check out her Blessed tour schedule here:

http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2011/01/blessed-by-cynthia-leitich-smith.html

Til next time...

Look at the box of HauntedDo you know that it's almost February 1st? Do you know that Haunted is already filtering into bookstores, available and in stock on Amazon and the online stores of the big box chains and the indies? How this is possible, I have no idea. Wasn't I just writing the darn thing yesterday? But it's true. So get your copy/reserve your copy/ask your library to stock some copies.
Come to the kick off event of my Haunted mini tour - my launch party/signing at The Woodlands Barnes and Noble in The Woodlands TX on Saturday 2/5 from 2-4 PM.

I'll put up my finalized travel schedule soon (waiting on Publicist Paul to give me all the final details about some stuff) but you can expect to see me:

2/26 - Changing Hands in Tempe AZ, 4 PM (more events to come soon)
3/5 - Borders in The Woodlands TX, 2 PM
3/15 - School visit at Pilgrim School in LA
3/15 - Barnes and Noble, Glendale, CA, 6:30 PM (more events to come)
4/1- Barnes and Noble, Layton, UT, (have to find out time)
3/31- 4/2 - various events in Salt Lake City, UT - to be announced soon
4/9 - Houston Teen Book Con at Alief Taylor High School from 10-4 Check out their website. I am so excited to be appearing with the likes of Rachel Hawkins, Lauren Myracle, Deb Caletti, Ellen Hopkins, Gail Giles and many others!! http://www.teenbookcon.org/
4/14 - 4/17 (exact dates to be announced) TLA in Austin (two different signing events)

Let me emphasize here that as I was just beginning my thyroid cancer journey last year at this time, I am beyond grateful and thrilled to be here typing all these dates for you. When my box of author copies of Haunted came a couple of days ago, I surprised myself by bursting into tears.

Am also doing my very first Skype visit this coming week - from my classroom to 100 jr. high kids in FL!! This will either be very fun or very weird. I will let you know. (We practiced on Friday - just me here in TX and the teacher and media center guy in FL. "Can you see me?" "Can you hear me" "Look, it's Joy Preble eating a banana in her classroom and grading Hamlet essays"

Will be blog touring as well.... and doing some contests... and did you check out my book trailer (link on previous post) I lOVE my book trailer. I LOVE Marianne Nowicki of NoWicki Productions.

And writing Again and Again so I can tell you how it all turns out.

Up this week on the blog: a wonderful interview/conversation with my friend and mentor and really cool Texas writer, Cynthia Leitich Smith. Cyn's third book in the Tantalize series, Blessed, is out Tuesday 1/25. She stopped by virtually to chat vampires and other really cool stuff. It's a great post, so don't miss it!! Until then, stop by Cyn's main Cynsations blog: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com

And of course the Kiss Me Kill Me Blog Tour with Sarwat Chadda continues at: http://sarwatchadda.blogspot.com/

Til next time!!

Thanks to Marianne Nowicki of Nowicki Productions, it's time for the HAUNTED book trailer. Hope you all love it as much as I do!!