Thursday, December 31, 2009

Covers, News, and the Year in Review

Wow. What year. Most amazing year of my life! But I'll get to that later. First! Covers!!!!!

An anonymous commenter (I kid you not) left me a link to my Russian cover and it is gorgeous!! I am so stoked by it! Very sexy!



I mean, really. Isn't that awesome!!!!

And then we spotted my first foreign Spells cover this week too!



It has a silver chain for a stem, people! Height of awesomeosity. (Yes, I did just make that word up.)

Long-time readers will know this, but in case you don't, generally authors have little to no say in their covers. Closer to the "no" than the "little." And even less in the foreign covers! So all my awesome covers? I can brag about them endlessly because I had absolutely nothing to do with them. Nuh-thing. Nothing.

But aren't they great!!!:D

In news, I have my first event of 2010 next week! Whoo-hoo! Changing Hands, the illustrious Phoenix Indie, is hosting Yallapalooza! Check it out! No seriously, check it out. It is going to be AWESOME!!!! There is going to be live music! I have never been to an event with live music! And free food. Who doesn't love free food?? Anyway, there will be a ton of us there, including my new author friends Janette Rallison, James Owen, and the inestimable Janni Lee Simner. But the AZ authors are getting with a bunch of L.A. authors I've never met and we are SO going to par-tay! I am so excited! It is going to be amazing! There will be exclamation points! So if you are in the greater Phoenix area, or, indeed, anywhere in the Southwest United States, you should come! It's Saturday, January 9th from 4-7PM, at Changing Hands Bookstore. Seriously, come! All YA, all the time. :D

Anyway, it has been an amazing year. And not just for me! So here is my whole year in review:

January and February saw me on a pre-publication tour. It was my very first event for Wings and also my first time signing books. Yay! This was an amazing experience for so many reasons. I met a ton of librarians, readers, and bookstore staff who just fell in love with Wings. I also had to prick my head with a pin every night as they were determined to blow it up to astronomical sizes. :D

April was my husband's month. After three grueling years, he graduated law school! What a momentous day!! I was so proud. :D

May was Wings month. I spent the whole month traveling, often to places I'd never been before. I also went to BEA for the first time and became a NYT Bestselling author. Whoa. I have never had such a whirlwind month! And even if the release of Spells is exactly the same, this year will still be the most special release, because it was the first time, with everything new and sparkly!

June was my first event with other authors (Supernatural Summer, which I will be doing again this year, yay!). It also was the month I moved back to Arizona, which I have been looking forward too since I moved away from Arizona three years earlier.:D I moved into my gorgeous new house (courtesy of the crappy housing market) and have my own office for the first time and everything is wonderful here!

In July my movie deal was announced and I got to watch my own little media frenzy happen. I was mentioned on People.com, mtv.com, Variety.com, ONTD.com and on the TV segment The Soup on E! It was very strange, and unreal, and exciting!!

In August I finally fell off the list after spending eleven weeks there. Completely unreal. Eleven weeks!! And I promise you this; every week was a gift. Makes for some jittery Wednesdays though.:D

In October I got some really wonderful news I can't share yet, but it was important, so I'm mentioning it.:D

In November I hosted Thanksgiving with fifty people in attendance. 'Nuff said.

In December I kind of pulled away from the world and gathered my family in close and had a quiet holiday. Honestly, it was just what I needed. Because despite the wonderful, amazing things that happened this year, my life revolves around my husband and my kids. And they are what make everything worthwhile.

So, yeah, an amazing year. It wasn't all roses and clover. I cried over my books at least three times, determined I was a hack author who couldn't do anything right. I had someone I thought was a friend stab me in the back. I was separated from my family for almost three weeks when they moved while I was touring and that was really hard. And revisions . . . well, they are always soul-sucking.:D But all of that pales in the face of how many great things happened to me this year and the readers, bloggers, and fellow authors who have joined me for the ride. I got to meet so many amazing people in my travels. And readers. Oh, I love my readers! Especially the teen readers. They have such enthusiasm! I have been laughing at my Google alerts the last couple days as I have been placed on both Best of and Worst of 2009 book lists--because no list is as cool as a thirteen-years-old's sparkling eyes. That's what's important to me.

And you, dear readers, thank you for joining me again this year. It's been a long time since I started this blog in January of 2006. Quite. A. Ride. Thank you for coming with me. Whenever you started.

And buckle your seat belts, because this roller coaster ride isn't over yet!

For your viewing pleasure...



Happy New Year!!!

Ciao!

26 comments:

molly said...

That is a great year. I am so happy I read WINGS and that you wrote it. Congratulations on everything!

I have a laser printer! It's LOVELY.

Unknown said...

What a GREAT review! I am SO happy for you and your family! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in 2010!

Daniella said...

YOU WERE IN THE VIDEOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ZOMG YOU WERE TOTALLY CUTE GIRL!!!!!!

Trini said...

Aaaahhh what news did you get in October? I love a good mystery. Well just want to say I totally love Wings and can't wait for Spells. Love ya!

Rachel Bateman said...

WOW!

Russian cover=awesome!!!

I just got all the Harry Potter books in Russian. It looks like I will have to add Wings to my Russian book collection soon--I NEED that cover on my shelf!

You had a great year; I am thrilled that the good far outweighed the bad. I can't wait to read Spells.

Kelsey B said...

Hi! I just finished your book WINGS about 30mins ago. I am 18 and I just have to tell you Stephenie Meyer was right its really good! I am so glad to see you have another book coming out, and the no worries the cover is lovely :)
As I twilight fan I was bored with everyone making new vampire books so I am so glad someone can make something so refreshing but still with the same awe and mystery that meyer created with her own mythology. I totally saw that in your book!
I wish that you had made Laurel older cause she would be more relatable to me (oh well). I totally understand that she had to be hitting puberty. But you have the awesome who do I choose that I love about twilight, i feel so torn already!
I hope Miley Cyrus doesn't play her in the movie, she needs more of an unknown. But if you do make a movie I am so there! :)
I am glad I heard about this book and series and I can climb on the bandwagon early on. Good luck in 2010!

Heather said...

Wow, I love the Russian cover, that is amazing! All your covers have been great but I think that's one of my favorite so far. Congrats on a fantastic year. You earned every bit of it! Here's hoping for production on a WINGS movie in 2010!

Kelsey (Dominique) Ridge said...

Congrats. Those covers are fantastic. :D

Lucinda said...

I really love Wings, and am VERY pleased that my friend basically FORCED me to read it. I couldn't stop reading! Can't wait for Spells! I loved both the covers, and that video inspired me to write some more on a story I have in progress! xD Just remember, you're awesome!!

Jessie Oliveros said...

Great video. It's interesting to see just how different the covers are from country to country-that although the cover changes to appeal to the teens of that particular place, the story is the same.

Becky Jorgensen said...

I just read Wings. I had been looking for a great book to read and found it browsing through the library. I'm surprised it was on the shelf it was absolutly amazing. Thank you for keeping it clean I love finding a book that I can share with my 13 year old daughter. She will be one of your biggest fans I'm sure.
Thanks!

Kari Pike said...

Love the cover! How fun! I have people all over the place asking when SPELLS comes out.

The video was fun. thanks for sharing...love and hugs to the family!

Anonymous said...

It is a great year and congrats on the movie option with Disney. I've really enjoyed the book WINGS and was thrilled to find out there was a movie (I'm just beginning to figure out which books should or will become a movie) and am now a proud, obsessed fan. (Good luck getting me unstuck to the book ;3) BTW, the FAQ totally helped out with about a million and one of my questions, and I hope one day I'll be able to become an author just like you.
Sadly though, not many young authors are recognized (Adults don't give kids enough credit, I think)
But writing is a great gift, and I'm glad you decided on making this book. Thank you for creating WINGS! ^-^

Lacey Allen said...

April - you are amazing... and you do it all with three kids and a husband. WOW Can't wait for SPELLS!
Lacey

Kristy said...

It was so fun to read the recap of your year! Congrats again on everything! I'm so excited for you and can't wait to see what 2010 will bring your way!

The event at Changing Hands looks like fun! Perhaps I'll see you there!

Love the Russian cover too, BTW. :)

Tanvi said...

The Russian cover is so, SO awesome! I actually prefer that instead of the English one - jlt!

But yeah, Spells. I'm so DYING for Spells!

Unknown said...

You did not invent awesomosity!!!!!

:-)

You just embody it, that's all. Props to you on such a good year!

twaddleoranything said...

I just discovered your blog, and I can't tell you how much fun I've had exploring it! I've been reading and writing voraciously my entire life, and it's lovely to hear stories from someone just as enthusiastic about the literary world.

I can only imagine the thrill of seeing your book in other languages--congratulations on what sounds like a fantastic year!!

Elana Johnson said...

Wow, a great year indeed. Congrats on the cool covers!

Darby Lyn said...

Hey!!!! Congrats on the awesome year!!!! I am sorry about your friend, the same thing happened to me this year as well. You are an amazing writer and i am soooooo excited for spells to come out!!!!!!

Amy said...

Hey Aprilynne,
Like many others I have read and loved Wings! An employee at Barnes and Nobles recommended I buy it and I'm so grateful. =)

I think it's awesome that you commment back to as many of your fans as you do. Here's to another GREAT year and I can't wait to read Spells!

Amy

Shelli (srjohannes) said...

congrads! cant wait to see you on the red carpet and on the E channel in fashio review as your movie comes out :)

BreeAnn said...

I just finished reading Wings! And I loved it! I have always loved to read, and hope to one day publish a book of my own! You are truly talented and creative, I cannot wait for Spells to come out! Thanks for enriching my imagination through your words!

Maura said...

Ahhh beautiful covers :) I love seeing foreign covers of books :) When I was in Japan I bought a few of my favorite books that I enjoyed reading in English. Now I have a English version and Japanese version :)

Jewel Allen said...

Aprilynne, congrats on such an awesome year, and then some!

Athena said...

I wanted to say your book is lovely and amazing!!..At first I was skeptical when I lifted it up from a bookshelve.. Although I went through a phase where I loved anything that had to do with faires(like soo many other girls!),now that Im 20 I didnt know whether or not a book about faires would be intresting..But you proved me wrong.It was enchanting and beautifully written..I couldnt put it down..I read it fairly fast and Im glade I chose it from tha book store:)Luv it!Congratulations to you!!!Looking forward to reading your second book:)...And if WINGS does get made into a movie I dont think miley cyrus would make a good Laurel..