Once again, I am guilty of being a bad blogger and not updating.
Is it because my life is so full of excitement, jet-setting all over the world, that I can barely find the time?
No, it's pretty much because I have NOTHING to tell you that would be of interest. In fact, since my last post, I have spent 87% of the time crouching under a mossy rock.
Soooo, how's your summer been, slick? Mine's been keen. I didn't do summer school, either, contrary to the rumor. Yeah, Cyn Balog has pretty much been putzing around for months, and watching too much Dead Poet's Society.
DEAD RIVER is still doing great. Thank you everyone for reading, and for your nice comments!
TOUCHED comes out in paperback August 9!
Nichola, however, has been busy working on revisions to DROWNED and is now drafting BURIED.
DROWNED is going to be published in Germany! This is the most exciting German thing to happen to me since FAIRY TALE was published there. Yay!
Other than that, working on another secret project, and having fun. Gosh, the secret projects are the funnest, aren't they??
Have a great August!
Showing posts with label touched. Show all posts
Showing posts with label touched. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Music to Write By
Every once in awhile, someone will ask me what my playlist was while I was writing a certain book. Or, they will show me a song on YouTube and say that it fits my book perfectly. I love that people can think of songs that make them feel a certain way, and tie that into my book.
But honestly, I don't have a playlist for any of my books, because I don't listen to music while I write. Believe me, I've tried, because I love music, but if the music has lyrics, I'll usually end up incorporating them into my manuscript! So for me, it's either silence or classical.
However, that's not to say that I'm not inspired by music. One of the main influences for TOUCHED is, and I'm sure you're heard it before if you've been to a wedding in the past few years, The Luckiest by Ben Folds, because it explores the topic of fate:
And I know that I heard this song about 4 gazillion times, and so a lot of the sentiment behind it, the idea of going through any torture just to see the one you love, got engrained in FAIRY TALE:
Also, whenever I don't feel like writing because I feel like I'm not good enough, I use this song as a reminder that I'm not alone in this:
So as you can see, it's usually me hearing a song over and over again that the idea behind it gets in my head and ends up inspiring some of my writing. Maybe one of these days I will be able to write to music with lyrics, but until then . . .
But honestly, I don't have a playlist for any of my books, because I don't listen to music while I write. Believe me, I've tried, because I love music, but if the music has lyrics, I'll usually end up incorporating them into my manuscript! So for me, it's either silence or classical.
However, that's not to say that I'm not inspired by music. One of the main influences for TOUCHED is, and I'm sure you're heard it before if you've been to a wedding in the past few years, The Luckiest by Ben Folds, because it explores the topic of fate:
And I know that I heard this song about 4 gazillion times, and so a lot of the sentiment behind it, the idea of going through any torture just to see the one you love, got engrained in FAIRY TALE:
So as you can see, it's usually me hearing a song over and over again that the idea behind it gets in my head and ends up inspiring some of my writing. Maybe one of these days I will be able to write to music with lyrics, but until then . . .
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Glamorous Release Day
TOUCHED releases today.
I have read so many release day stories, which included book signings, travelling to bookstores, parties with cake and friends and champagne and all those good things.
But me? Today, I'm going to work. I'll eat lunch at my desk. I'll come home and take my daughter for her yearly physical. I will go to bed. I will not have received any congratulations from anyone in my "real" life about the release of my book. All the people that I deal with on a daily basis do not know it's release date for me. They know I'm an author, but they don't read, so they don't really care.
So that's release day. Pretty much just like any other day in my life.
But here's why I'm grateful. I have some really great online critique partners and friends that have helped me with TOUCHED, and I know that the book never would have made it into print without their help. Heather, Teri, Maggie, Mandy, Karen, and Brooke, I'm looking at you! Also, I owe the team at Delacorte and my agent, Jim, a huge debt of gratitude for putting up with my craziness. And I can not forget the bloggers who have taken the time to review TOUCHED and my other books on their blogs. And lastly, but most importantly, to all the readers... thank you. My day may be very ordinary, but I'm still releasing A BOOK, my 4th one, and to me, that's extraordinary, and all because of you.
ETA: I've learned that Barnes & Noble IS carrying TOUCHED!! This has made me so happy. Thank you to everyone for the congratulations, for helping me to spread the word, and most of all, for reading my work. It means so much to me.
I have read so many release day stories, which included book signings, travelling to bookstores, parties with cake and friends and champagne and all those good things.
But me? Today, I'm going to work. I'll eat lunch at my desk. I'll come home and take my daughter for her yearly physical. I will go to bed. I will not have received any congratulations from anyone in my "real" life about the release of my book. All the people that I deal with on a daily basis do not know it's release date for me. They know I'm an author, but they don't read, so they don't really care.
So that's release day. Pretty much just like any other day in my life.
But here's why I'm grateful. I have some really great online critique partners and friends that have helped me with TOUCHED, and I know that the book never would have made it into print without their help. Heather, Teri, Maggie, Mandy, Karen, and Brooke, I'm looking at you! Also, I owe the team at Delacorte and my agent, Jim, a huge debt of gratitude for putting up with my craziness. And I can not forget the bloggers who have taken the time to review TOUCHED and my other books on their blogs. And lastly, but most importantly, to all the readers... thank you. My day may be very ordinary, but I'm still releasing A BOOK, my 4th one, and to me, that's extraordinary, and all because of you.
ETA: I've learned that Barnes & Noble IS carrying TOUCHED!! This has made me so happy. Thank you to everyone for the congratulations, for helping me to spread the word, and most of all, for reading my work. It means so much to me.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
The One Moment that Changed Everything
Do you have one?
When you think about it, you must have at least a few of them.... apart from the obvious (getting accepted to the college of your dreams, getting a new job, getting married, having a baby)... some moments, you can just look back on and think, "That moment changed absolutely EVERYTHING in my life."
But it may be something simple. Like the alarm not going off. Or having a knot in your shoelace. Those things alone may not mean much, but even the smallest things can have the most enormous consequences. What is a few minutes to a teen with a tyrannical first period teacher? Or...to a person who worked at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001?
It is true for Nick Cross in TOUCHED. One moment in his life, one seemingly inconsequential decision, and everything begins to unravel.
And even worse, he knows exactly what would have happened had he made a different decision.
Because he can see the future . . . sometimes. Not just one version of it, either... he can see glimpses of all of the versons, melded together, an incomprehensible mystery. And yet sometimes, too late, the pieces begin to make sense.
This is a little bit of Nick's story, TOUCHED, releasing this summer. I hope you enjoy it.
I clenched my teeth. "Green elephant. Green elephant. Green elephant."
I figured if anything could send her away, me muttering nonsensical phrases would be it. The phrase "green elephant" didn't mean anything to her, but I'd invented it when I was 9 or 10, and it meant everything to me.
"Do you want me to get you some water or something?"
Why did she have to be so damn nice? I pulled my head up and stared into her eyes, blue and endless, and
Blood on the staircase
I knew right then I was going to be sick. "Look." I tried to keep my voice even, but it came out as more of a growl. "I don't want anything from you, so just get the hell away from me."
I was surprised by two things. First, at how I could bring myself to sound like a total jerkwad, which is what I probably was. And second, at how she just nodded, as if it all made sense. She hurried up the ramp and jogged off, fastening the headphones over her ears as if we'd been chatting about the weather.
I sat alone for a moment, eyes closed, green-elephanting until the pain subsided and my mind slowed to a peaceful lull. A thousand new memories of the future bubbled under the surface of my eyes. On the bad side, there was something about blood on the staircase, and I had this strange ache in my chest. On the good side, there was kissing that girl. The rest I'd have to sort out later. I felt like I'd gone ten rounds of a heavyweight title match. I couldn't tell if it was because of the cycling or because the new memories would prove too horrifying to bear. I could change them. I could change the bad things, sometimes, by going off script.
You will climb up to the boardwalk and smile at Jocelyn. She will eye you up and down, and a couple of children and a man with a boogie board will step aside to let you pass.
Crazy Cross. That was what they called me at school, and as I felt the eyes of all the beachgoers on me, I knew it wouldn't be too long until they thought the same. As I climbed the ramp, quickly, trying my best to ignore the stares, that same sinking feeling resurfaced. For three months, I'd shed it, but now, it wrapped around me, heavy, like a winter coat.
You will bury your feet in the sand and hurry down the beach.
I groaned and stepped off the boardwalk, sinking ankle-deep into the hot sand.
You will hear the radio crackle with "Ambulance, Seventh Avenue." You will see the crowd gathered at the waterline. Chaos. Shouts. Pedro will narrow his eyes at you when you break through, and scream, "Where the hell were you?"
They will tell you there's no hope of saving the girl in the pink bikini. And you will know it is because of you.
I have three moments in my life (other than the obvious) that changed my life completely. In my next blog entry (whenever that might be!), I'll tell you them! And if you have any, I would love to hear them.
When you think about it, you must have at least a few of them.... apart from the obvious (getting accepted to the college of your dreams, getting a new job, getting married, having a baby)... some moments, you can just look back on and think, "That moment changed absolutely EVERYTHING in my life."
But it may be something simple. Like the alarm not going off. Or having a knot in your shoelace. Those things alone may not mean much, but even the smallest things can have the most enormous consequences. What is a few minutes to a teen with a tyrannical first period teacher? Or...to a person who worked at the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001?
It is true for Nick Cross in TOUCHED. One moment in his life, one seemingly inconsequential decision, and everything begins to unravel.
And even worse, he knows exactly what would have happened had he made a different decision.
Because he can see the future . . . sometimes. Not just one version of it, either... he can see glimpses of all of the versons, melded together, an incomprehensible mystery. And yet sometimes, too late, the pieces begin to make sense.
This is a little bit of Nick's story, TOUCHED, releasing this summer. I hope you enjoy it.
I clenched my teeth. "Green elephant. Green elephant. Green elephant."
I figured if anything could send her away, me muttering nonsensical phrases would be it. The phrase "green elephant" didn't mean anything to her, but I'd invented it when I was 9 or 10, and it meant everything to me.
"Do you want me to get you some water or something?"
Why did she have to be so damn nice? I pulled my head up and stared into her eyes, blue and endless, and
Blood on the staircase
I knew right then I was going to be sick. "Look." I tried to keep my voice even, but it came out as more of a growl. "I don't want anything from you, so just get the hell away from me."
I was surprised by two things. First, at how I could bring myself to sound like a total jerkwad, which is what I probably was. And second, at how she just nodded, as if it all made sense. She hurried up the ramp and jogged off, fastening the headphones over her ears as if we'd been chatting about the weather.
I sat alone for a moment, eyes closed, green-elephanting until the pain subsided and my mind slowed to a peaceful lull. A thousand new memories of the future bubbled under the surface of my eyes. On the bad side, there was something about blood on the staircase, and I had this strange ache in my chest. On the good side, there was kissing that girl. The rest I'd have to sort out later. I felt like I'd gone ten rounds of a heavyweight title match. I couldn't tell if it was because of the cycling or because the new memories would prove too horrifying to bear. I could change them. I could change the bad things, sometimes, by going off script.
You will climb up to the boardwalk and smile at Jocelyn. She will eye you up and down, and a couple of children and a man with a boogie board will step aside to let you pass.
Crazy Cross. That was what they called me at school, and as I felt the eyes of all the beachgoers on me, I knew it wouldn't be too long until they thought the same. As I climbed the ramp, quickly, trying my best to ignore the stares, that same sinking feeling resurfaced. For three months, I'd shed it, but now, it wrapped around me, heavy, like a winter coat.
You will bury your feet in the sand and hurry down the beach.
I groaned and stepped off the boardwalk, sinking ankle-deep into the hot sand.
You will hear the radio crackle with "Ambulance, Seventh Avenue." You will see the crowd gathered at the waterline. Chaos. Shouts. Pedro will narrow his eyes at you when you break through, and scream, "Where the hell were you?"
They will tell you there's no hope of saving the girl in the pink bikini. And you will know it is because of you.
I have three moments in my life (other than the obvious) that changed my life completely. In my next blog entry (whenever that might be!), I'll tell you them! And if you have any, I would love to hear them.
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