#AuthorInGlass

So, many of you may have noticed that in June, I got Google Glass. Beta--they're not actually available. In fact, I will confess, I am SO undeserving!! Earlier this year, Google offered a contest for people who wanted to Beta-test Glass and to enter you had to Tweet or post on Google+ the line "If I had Glass . . ." and then what you would do.

Ya'all, my husband entered me. HE is the one who had been watching Glass develop and been super-interested in them, and he entered me in order to double HIS chances. I kid you not.

So the first I heard about this contest at all, was in a crazy stream of texts that I got all at the same time (because I was flying, so when I landed they all burst out at me!) from my husband, explaining what Glass was, what the contest was, and that I had been selected to be in the Glass Explorer program. It all ended with a text that essentially said, "So . . . can I, er, you, er, WE do it? Itsokayifyousayno."

Like I was going to say no to THAT.

Fast forward a couple months, we got a date to go pick them up at a Google headquarters and figured it was a fabulous time to take our kids to the beach.:D It was a fast trip because we had a zillion things going on, but we got in a lovely visit with my hubby's grandmother, a long morning at the beach, and went straight from the beach to Google headquarters. Yes, I was wearing my bathing suit under a sundress and still had sand in my crotch, which they never point out in beachy movies. The essentially "bouncers" standing in front of the building with clipboards clearly thought I was in the wrong place.

I went in and got one-on-one training with a Google guy and he was able to break down the basics for me in 30 minutes flat. An hour after arriving at Google, I walked out in these:

See? Swimsuit straps and sundress ties. Just like I said.:D Also, no sunburn. Wear sunscreen people. And reapply every two hours.:D

So thus began my life with Google Glass. So what do I think? They're fun. I like them.

Here are the main questions I get asked by strangers in public:

#1 SOOOOOO #1 How do you like them?:

Which, I'm sorry to everyone who asks, is a very silly question. Either, I work for Google and I'd better tell you I love them even if I hate them with the passion of a thousand suns, or I'm a complete moron and am wearing them around even though I hate them, in which case, do you really want my opinion? So when I always, always, answer that question with, "They're fun. I like them," I haven't actually shared any pertinent information.:D

#2 What is that?: This one takes time and the answer depends on how long I have. If I'm in a hurry you just get the, "It's a computer you wear," answer. I do *try* to take the time to explain what they are, but I have a very busy life.

#3 Are you recording me right now?: Okay, let's put this silly rumor to rest, shall we? When you are facing someone who is wearing Glass and it's awake (which it has to be to either take a picture or record) you can see it. As far as I know, (and I'm sure there will be apps that will do this later) you cannot take a picture or record someone without them seeing that you are doing *something.* The guy with the camera that looks like it's just sitting idly in his hand, but the lens happens to be facing you? The girl who looks like she's texting, but it holding her camera at a pretty upright angle? Both of those people WAY more likely to be recording you than someone wearing Glass. (Unrelated, at the store the other day this teen took a picture of my adorable daughter with her phone and was clearly trying to disguise it but left the sound on. My 2yo, VERY familiar with that sound says, "Mommy, you take my picture?" I LOL'ed on the inside.)

#4 No question, just the blank look.: I never leave the house without at least lipstick on if I'm wearing my Glass. Because if you look like you're put together and dressed decently, folks are much less likely to think that perhaps you simply left your tin-foil hat at home. This is such new tech that so many people literally have no clue what it is and you get looked at SO funny. Which is actually kind of fun.:) But I get more looks of "Oh cool!" when my hair is styled and I'm wearing make-up, and more looks of "OMG look at the freak!" when I don't. Which is why, when I wore them to ComicCon is San Diego, even though I knew 90%+ of that particular demographic would know exactly what I was wearing, I still made sure I looked like this:

(ComicCon was the one place where I literally got multiple cat calls of something along the lines of, "Hey! Google Glass! Lookin' good!" I loved it, personally!)

#5 How much did you pay for that?: People, do I NEED to explain why this is a tacky question? I paid more than it's going to eventually be sold for because it's a limited run, not mass-produced, came with extra goodies and personal hands-on training, etc. But what *I* paid for my early edition Glass is not only none of your business, it's not useful information whatsoever. Because it doesn't tell you what you're going to have to pay for yours.:) Let's all wash our hands and move on.

Personal tips:

*This is NOT a tech that you can use while driving. I've heard it bandied about that it will save the world from driving and texting. No. No, no, no, no, no and also, no. It is absolutely no less distracting than texting. HOWEVER, it is a better tech for red light usage because there's no glancing up and down at a phone and then getting honked at when it turns green because you inevitably don't see it. The traffic light is in your line of sight, right next to your screen. When it turns green, you swipe down (turn it off) and drive on your merry way. (I have NO idea the legality of this, do at your own ticketing risk!!!)

*Bring it to social activities and let your friends try it! They have fun! Here's Beth Revis the amazing trying mine out (Sorry for the lighting):

And when they're done, consider laying your Glass down on the table. If you are in a crowd where you wouldn't surf on your phone or answer your email, etc. there's no reason to be wearing glass and I feel like it can be a bit intrusive. At least until everyone has them.;)

*Related, do NOT take naughty pictures with your Glass! Not only does it save all pics to the Cloud, but if you let anyone try them on (yes, I know there is a guest mode, but that is a huge hassle, IMO) they are going to flip through some of your history. And um, they don't want to see nekkid bits. Trust. Me. (Carrie Ryan was flipping through mine, saw the tagline to an email and said, "Oh, hey, congrats on your Italian deal.:D LOL! )

*Remember that you look a little funny while you're using them. While after a while you stop going cross-eyed as my lovely SIL Brittany is demonstrating here...

...at best, you look a little spaced out when you are actively doing something on them. So quickly checking an alert when you are supposed to be listening to your boss? Yeah, don't do it. If there is one thing Glass lacks, it's subtlety. I'm not even saying it NEEDS subtlety. But, yeah . . . it doesn't have it.:D (See the, OMG SEEKRIT PICTURES section.)

So, along with my hashtag, #AuthorInGlass, how does Glass help me in particular as an author? It doesn't, really. I don't wear it at home in front of my computer. I rarely email with it, and when I do, it's to friends or family. The voice dictation works pretty well, but has little to no capitalization or punctuation, and that's not how I want to present myself as an author to my professional associates. However, it is nice to have the little ding in my ear that lets me know I have an email, to glance at it on my screen, and see if it's worth digging my phone out and actually responding to an email. (And in many ways I like the alerts better than simply Push on my iPhone because I can hear it, but no one else can.)

I find Glass most helpful on weekdays when I am out of my house. It's a "busy person" piece of tech.

I like to refer to them as my professional attention-getter. People often want to know how I got them and I can say, well, guess what I do for a living? (Because the fact that I have 10K+ followers on Twitter is almost certain why I was selected and not my husband.;)) Business cards have been handed out; that's all I'm saying.;)

As an author I frequently use them to take pictures while I am traveling and to post them on Twitter. I generally find myself using a hybrid of Glass and my phone because even thought they're supposed to, I have never managed to get the captions to work on my Glass. So I have to add context. Also, adding captions means talking to myself in public. (Voice dictation.) So yes, I use it in my capacity as an author, but I don't think I get any particularly special kind of use out of them because I am an author. Does that makes sense?

*OH!!* And when I'm flying, because without fail, it drives the TSA agents NUTS! Either they want to ask about it and know they can't waste your or their time, or they are like, OMG WHAT IS THE POLICY ON THIS?!?!? And goodness knows, I like to mess with the TSA. (Seriously, the TSA people go crazy.;) In San Diego I went through security during a really dead time and they FLOCKED. I had like six guys surrounding me asking questions. And then a lady on a platform kept shouting down, "What did she say?" It was hilarious.)


If you see someone in public wearing Glass and want to approach them, please keep in mind:

1.) They get stopped a minimum of once every five minutes. After ComicCon followed by a week of tour, I had to put them away for a week because I needed a break from people stopping me in public.

2.) So please be polite. If the person is on their computer, talking on the phone, engaged in a conversation with someone else, eating, or simply look frazzled, let it go. Come ask ME questions. I'll answer them! (Twitter is great for that!!!) Very few of us work for Google (you are way more likely to see an Exporer in them than a Google employee) and because we all purchased our Glass outright, we don't owe Google time, or reviews, or canned good opinions, etc. So I mean this in the nicest way possible, we don't owe *you* anything. If we are clearly busy, find someone online to ask.

3.) I know you're excited, but please don't lose your head. The single bad experience I had was with a man in a Costco where I was shopping with my 2yo. I really, really try to give this man the benefit of the doubt because 1.) he obviously was super-excited and 2.) as he talked it became clear English was not his first language. But still. I was in a corner and all I know is I turn around with my tortillas, try to get out, and am blocked in by a man and the woman with him. And I try to get by and he points a finger in my face and says, "How do you like it?" I'm totally stunned; I've forgotten I'm even wearing Glass (yes, I do totally forget--they're surprisingly unobtrusive) and he repeats, again with a finger in my face, "How do you like it?" I'm there with my child, physically blocked from removing myself from the situation, with someone who, until I remembered my Glass, I literally thought was purposely sexually harassing me. Once I remembered my Glass, (Oh, right, see FAQ #1.) that did NOT make everything okay! I was still physically blocked in with my kid, and felt extremely uncomfortable. Hello, Mama Bear. I gave mono-syllable answers and got myself the heck out of there!! I recommend simply using "Hello," or "Excuse me,"to begin a convo about Glass. Call me crazy.

4.) If you are polite and they're not busy, don't be surprised if they let you put them on. Literally dozens of complete strangers have put on my Glass. Because as an observer, it's super fun to see people's faces light up when they see how it works for themselves! Then again, don't be surprised if they don't, but when I'm not busy, I totally let people try mine.

YMMV:

*I think it's hilarious when people call me a cyborg. Some people won't think so.

*I thought the Glass cat-calls at CC were super fun and not sexual at all. Some people will disagree.

*I hate walking around in public talking to my Glass, so I rarely do the voice-dictation thing outside of my home. I can see some people thinking that is super-fun.

*I think my Glass were easier to get used to because I wore glasses most of my life. Both in terms of having something in my periphery that I mostly ignore and the weight of the earpiece. (The one that holds the screen took me a couple weeks to stop hurting my ear after several hours.)



So yeah, I guess that's my report. I will say, what I'm really looking forward to is the apps that are going to flood in when Glass is actually released. Because while it is fun, and performs its (limited) functions very well, I think its usefulness is going to skyrocket when developers get their hands on it. Right now, it's still a toy to me. Fun. Functional. Not pushing aside my beloved iPhone anytime soon.

So yeah, to answer the #1 question . . . They're fun. I like them.:D

Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Cincinnati, OH!!

I went to Cincinnati a couple of times when the Wings series was young, but I haven't been in a few years. I'm excited to go back!!

THE CITY: Cincinnati, OH

THE STORE: Joseph-Beth Book Sellers

Thevent is the YA Beach Blast, an annual event sponsored by Joseph-Beth's!!

What I remember most about the one time I have been to this store is that I was really tired, but we were an hour's drive away from my hotel and I assured my media escort that I would be fine. And I wandered off and found a bench with a padded seat and took a nap.:D I was fine.;) Nonetheless, I am excited to go back and to remember something other than a secret nap in a strange corner.



THE AUTHORS:

This is the only event for next week that I did not organize and invite all the authors. So several of them I've never met. So excuse the sparse bios below--I'm sure I will be able to write much more about them after I meet them!

Mindee Arnett:

Mindee is the author of The Nightmare Affair and she has pretty blue streaks!!!

Liz Coley:

Liz is the author of Pretty Girl 13 which I SO can't wait to read!!!

Julie Kagawa:

Julie is one of my fellow faerie authors!!!!! She is the creator of the hugely popular Iron Fey series and though I have had several close brushes, I haven't yet managed to meet her and I am super-excited to finally get that chance!

Kristina McBride:

Okay, I admit, I had a funny moment when I Googled for a picture of Kristina. I was like, um, there are a couple pf people here. I finally realized the other frequent face was Martina McBride. So let's be very clear on which one we have here. This is KRIStina McBride and she is the author of The Tension of Opposites, and One Moment. I don't know if she sings at all.;)

Saundra Mitchell:

Saundra is one of my bestest author friend ever and the main reason I was invited to do Beachy Reads at Jo Beth. So, yeah, it's her fault that I'm there. Saundra is the author of Shadowed Summer, The Elementals Trilogy, the upcoming Mistwalker, and the fab editor of the anthology Defy The Dark (which I have a story in!:D)

THE CUPCAKES:

Ooooh-kay, I am totally going to bunt on this one. This tour stop is not of my making, and is not part of the Girls' Night Out Tour. But IF there are leftover cupcakes from the Charlotte, NC stop, and IF I have room for them in my carry-on bag, I will bring a few cupcakes from The Polka Dot Bakeshop with me to Cincinnati. And IF you mention having seen this news here on my blog, tell me at the signing and IF I have any cupcakes leftover, I will give you one. (I know that sounds like a lot of IF's, but I do intend to have about five.)

THE DETAILS:

YA Beach Blast!
Saturday, August 3rd, 1:00 PM (NOTE THIS TIME!)
Joseph-Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati OH 45208

Here is a link to Jo-Beth's Kids' Events including this one. 

I so hope to see you there!!! (And after five days in a row of events I hope I can still speak coherently.:D)

Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Charlotte, NC!!

I've never been to Charlotte. I've never been to North Carolina. (I think.)

THE CITY: Huntersville, NC (Just outside of Charlotte.)

THE STORE: Birkdale Village Barnes and Noble

I SO hope this store is this pretty IRL! Do you see that white trim? Gorgeous!!! The only thing I know about this store is that it's close to where Carrie Ryan and Beth Revis live. I mean, do I NEED to know more than that? *wink* Also that it is run by a very nice woman named Judy. *nods*

THE AUTHORS:

Carrie Ryan:

Okay, so Carrie and I got to know each other about a year and a half before either of our books came out! She is one of the few authors who has been to my house (not that I mind, it just doesn't happen that often), and I seriously adore her like whoa. One of my favorite things to do when describing her Forest of Hands and Teeth series is to say, "Literary Zombie Novel. I kid you not." While best-known for that New York Times Bestselling series, Carrie is most recently the editor of the anthology Foretold and the MG Infinity Ring novel, Divide and Conquer.

Beth Revis:

Who has longer hair than me? Well, actually, a lot of people since I cut it two days ago . . . But even before! Yes! Beth Revis!!! New York Times Bestselling author, Beth, is the creator of the Across the Universe series!!Sci-fi fans, unite!!! I actually heard about how awesome Beth was as a person before I read her books and guess what!?!? She's a good writer too.;) Not only did Beth agree to come up and sign with Carrie and me, when I said, "What store should I go to? Who should I contact?" She said, "Oh, I'll do that." And that was pretty much the theme for this stop. I flailed about details and said, "What do I do?" and Beth replied, "Let me handle it." This tour stop is brought to you by Beth.

THE CUPCAKES: Polka Dot Bake Shop

This is the only bakery where I have not tasted the cupcakes. Yet. So we'll be adventurous together! I was really impressed by TPBS's daily offerings and I always like to support local businesses--even in someone else's locale! (And even though I decided not to order a dozen of them, I am going to pick up and try and Elephant Ear cupcake when I pick up the others! Wish I was there on Tuesday for the Caramel Apple cupcake!!!)


Friday Night's stop will feature Vanilla, Peanut Butter Cup, and Chocolate Raspberry Swirl.



THE DETAILS:
Friday, August 2, 7:00 PM
Birkdale Village Barnes and Noble
8725 Townley Road
Huntersville, NC 28078

Here is a link to their event page.

So come see us!!! Because, well, Beth worked really hard.:D


Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Idaho Falls, ID!!

Now, don't knock it just because it's small and out of the way. I seriously blame this city for the week Wings hit #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List.

THE CITY: Idaho Falls, Idaho

THE STORE: Grand Teton Mall Barnes and Noble

This is one of the most Indie-like B&N's I've ever been too. Run locally by a manager and staff who really put their customers first! My parents used to live here and when Wings came out this B&N got behind it in a huge way! I am pretty sure no store has ever sold more copies of any of my titles as this store did of Wings. They seriously rock!

THE AUTHORS: A few familiar faces.

Natalie Whipple:

Author of Transparent and the upcoming House of Ivy and Sorrow, Natalie has agreed to road trip with me from Salt Lake City to Idaho Falls! (Crazy girl!!) Super-pleased to have the pleasure of her company two nights in a row!

Jessica Day George:

The most prolific of us all, Jessica writes for both the YA and MG markets and has NINE books to her credit. Her most recent YA is the incredible Princess of the Silver Woods, and her latest (*ahem* New York Times bestselling) MG is Wednesdays in the Tower. So honored to have booked her at all, much less for two days.:)

Wendy Toliver:

(I thought this pic was so super cute!) Wendy is my friend of awesomeness who once got me into a group signing in Tooele, UT. Such favors take years to repay. *wink* Wendy is the author of the romantic comedies, Miss Match and The Secret Life of a Teenage Siren, as well as the novel Lifted which is super awesome and has a quote from an amazing author on the front of it. *Ahem* I have not managed to see Wendy in about two years now, so believe you me, I'll be even more excited to see her than you! Although you should be freaking over the moon.:D

THE CUPCAKES: The Cocoa Bean

Okay, brace yourself. Gushing is about to commence. This is my FAVORITE cupcake bakery on the face of the earth. Of. The. Earth. I love these cupcakes the way good mothers wished they loved their kids. If someone offered me a Cocoa Bean cupcake for my child, I might trade. (Depends on the kid and the day. *wink*)

I am one of those people who loves flavors and fillings. So, for example, if I have a choice of vanilla ice cream and chocolate that has more things in it than they have room to list on the menu, I am SO going to choose the latter. So I want you to understand how serious I am when I say that the Cocoa Bean's Madagascar Vanilla-Vanilla cupcake may be the greatest cupcake every created.

Plus, it's pretty.

Yes, this bakery gets TWO pictures. It is that wonderful.

Thursday night's signing will feature Madagascar Vanilla-Vanilla, Fluffer Nutter, and Better Than Whatever cupcakes.

I am having a vanilla one.:D Maybe a Fluffer Nutter as well . . . Okay fine, I'm probably having one of each.:D (And then I will be very sick that night since I generally don't eat wheat. . . It will be worth it! Plus, sugar buzz for the late night drive back to SLC. See? Everyone wins!)

THE DETAILS:

Thursday, August 1, 6:30 PM (NOTE THIS TIME!!!)
Grand Teton Mall B&N
2300 East 17th Street Suite #1101
Idaho Falls, ID 83404

Here is a link to their event page. 

I am actually worried that I may not have ordered enough cupcakes . . . so get there on time! Cupcakes for the first 72 people! (Yes, this little town in Idaho does, in fact, bring out that many people. That is why they rock!!! Last time I was there I signed until 15 minutes after closing . . . thus the earlier time.:)) 

Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Salt Lake City, UT!!

I don't live in Utah. I know a lot of people think I do. But I don't. But I used to, and all my family still do. So I make it up to Utah a lot. But never before with cupcakes!!!

THE CITY: Salt Lake City, UT

THE STORE: Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble

Isn't it beautiful! I went to the Sugarhouse B&N three years ago when Spells came out and they were so lovely and told me to come back any time. When I was arranging this stop I called in and they still have the same manager and they told us to come on by! So we will!!! It's quite a big store that stocks a lot of titles, so come early and do some browsing.

THE AUTHORS:

Brodi Ashton:

Super-popular author of Everneath and Everbound, Brodi and I met almost two years ago and share a publisher and have never managed to do a signing together. Next Wednesday this will ALL CHANGE!!!:D

Jessica Day George:

Looking all noir in black and white (she is colorful IRL) Jessica is a newly-minted New York Times Bestseller known for both her YA and Middle grade novel including the "Princess of"books, The Dragon Slipper books, and the Tuesdays at the Castle series. Also a book with astronomy and weather. I'm not going to try it.;) Jessica is busier than me.

Natalie Whipple:

Another beautiful red-head (I know, you can't tell Jess is a ginger, but she IS!) Natalie is a brand-new debut and I have been counting down to her release of Transparent since she got her book deal! (Which was almost three years ago!) I am so excited to finally be able to sign with her. (Ya'll Natalie came to my signings four years ago. She is an angel!)


THE CUPCAKES: One Sweet Slice

Do I need to disclaim that my cousin works here? Yes, no? Well, I want to anyway. My cousin works here!! Sixteen year old guy. Man enough to bake cupcakes. Oh yes, he rocks. (He's single! And cute! . . . oh yes, the cupcakes.) Earlier this month my cousin (it's about the cupcakes! Be patient!) brought a box of cupcakes to our family reunion. They were incredifabulicious!! And gorgeous besides! My search for a cupcake bakery in SLC was over!



The Sugarhouse stop will feature Salted Caramel, Red Velvet, and Nutella cupcakes. You do not want to miss these cupcakes! . . . . Er, these authors. And their books.


And their sweet, sweet cupcakes. *Ahem*


THE DETAILS:


Wednesday, July 31st, 7:00 PM
Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble
McIntyre Center
1104 East 2100 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84106

HERE is a link to their event site.  I probably ordered too many cupcakes . . . so come and prove me wrong!!:D


Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Peoria, AZ, Barnes and Noble!

For those of you who live in Phoenix (who live in my neighborhood!!!) and don't want to drive 45 minutes to the East Side for my signings, it's YOUR turn!

THE CITY: Peoria, AZ.

THE STORE: The Arrowhead Barnes and Noble!

THE Barnes and Noble of the Glendale/Peoria area, this B&N is just across the way from Arrowhead mall. (It's also in the same plaza as Baskin-Robbins. Just sayin'.) I've never done a signing here, though I often go in and sign stock. This is also the first store where I'm going to see my FLOOR DISPLAYS!!! No, no, not excited about that at all. This will be a less formal signing than the ones I generally do at Changing Hands. Just me, a table, and cupcakes. You can show up for five minutes, get your book signed, and leave. Or you can sit and chat with me for thirty minutes. It's all up to you.

But seriously, it's my first signing at this store and I'm nervous!! Come see me!

THE AUTHOR:

Oh hai. Iz me.

Yes. Just me. This is the only solo signing I am doing the entire week! So I'm by myself, at a new store, and  . . . and . . . I will be lonely if you don't come!!! So, yeah. Come see me. And get a cupcake.

Which leads me to . . .

THE CUPCAKES:

Again, from Sprinkles because . . . well . . . Sprinkles is awesome!!! Because there are going to be a lot of walk-in people just walking by, I am reserving cupcakes for people with Earthbound. But if you have it on your eReader, you're good! If you are sharing your copy with your sister and your mom, all three of you get one! I promise, I will be liberal with the cupcakes, I'm just not giving one to everyone who passes by my table.:D

So come and get a cupcake! Red velvet, vanilla, and dark chocolate!

THE DETAILS:

Tuesday, July 30, 6:00 PM.
7685 West Bell Road
Peoria, AZ 85382

Here is the link to the event. (Their website says 7:00 but they told me 6:00. I'll be there at 6:00.:D)

Come see me!!! :D

Ciao!

Tour Spotlight! Tempe, AZ, Changing Hand Bookstore!

Consider this next week's worth of entries your one-week warning.:) For the next six days I will be highlighting the tour locations I'll be going to next week. So if you live close to one of these locations, or know someone who does, spread the word!!

THE CITY: Tempe, Arizona! 

THE STORE: Changing Hands Bookstore!

This was actually the very first store I ever did a signing at back when Wings was a BB, and I have launched every single book there since! Changing Hand has an amazing staff that will bend over backwards to help readers and authors alike! I adore them! And, because they are SO awesome, if you come Monday night you can get your copy of EARTHBOUND one day early. Yay!!!!:D

THE AUTHORS: On this leg of the Girls' Night Out Tour we have two other super-fun Arizona authors.

Suzanne Young:

Isn't she pretty? :D Suzanne is the author of several novels including the Naughty List series, A Want So Wicked, A Need So Beautiful, and her most recent, The Program (which I DEVOURED!!!!)

Janette Rallison:

Janette is the author of a bajillion books (yes, that's a real number) including, but not limited to: My Fair Godmother, my UNfair Godmother, Just One Wish, My Double-Life as well as the Slayers series under her pseudonym, CJ Hill. Most recently she released Erasing Time.

THE CUPCAKES: Monday Night's Cupcakes will be brought to you by Sprinkles Bakery in Scottsdale!

One of the original names in the big cupcake craze, Sprinkles is still considered the gold standard in cupcakes. Also, my second favorite bakery in the whole freaking world. (My favorite is coming up on Thursday.;)

Monday Night's event will feature Dark Chocolate, Vanilla, and Red Velvet.


THE DETAILS:


Monday, July 29th 7:00 PM
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S McClintock Dr 
Tempe, AZ 85283

HERE is the link to Changing Hands' event page. Hope to see lots of you there!!!!


Ciao!

Shortest Entry Ever!!! Winner!!!

I drove for eleven hours today. This will be a short entry.

Thank you EVERYONE for sharing your fears for the DEFY THE DARK contest!! It was equal parts fascinating and horrifying to read about your worst fears. Things I hadn't even thought of!!! (And am now afraid of. Thaaaaanks.;))

But there can be only one winner and it is:

Heidi ‏@Fantasy397

Who, I admit, appealed to my vanity.
 

"In addition, the thought of NOT winning this ARC is petrifying!"

Well, we wouldn't want you to go another day petrefied that you didn't win the ARC because you DID!!!:D

Heidi, please email me at aprilynne pike at gee mail dot com with your address and how you would like each of the book personalized and I will get them right in the mail to you!!!

Thank you everyone for sharing!!!!!

Ciao!

Win My LAST Earthbound ARC Plus Defy the Dark PLUS LAT!!

Okay, so I have one more lonely little ARC of Earthbound left I wasn't sure how best to use it when my AMAZING editor of the anthology DEFY THE DARK (Saundra Mitchell) asked if I wanted to host a giveaway.

Liiiight-bulb!!!! (I'm a big Dispicable Me fan, don't judge.;))

If you haven't seen our antho, Defy The Dark yet, I am SO excited about it!!! It has a ton of incredible stories from amazingly talented authors, and BONUS, we have our own website.:D (LOOKLOOK!) I am really proud of my story in this antho (Nature) because . . . well . . . I don't write short stories. They're hard!! If you think they're easier because they're short, you're wrong; they're actually harder because they're short! You have to get an entire plot-arc into less than 8,000 words. So yeah, I don't do short stories.

So why did I?

Because if Saundra calls up and asks me for anything other than my first-born child, I'm pretty much gonna say yes. (And even then, I would be willing to send her for a visit!:D) So when Saundra asked, I said yes. But I warned her: I could give her a short story, but I had no guarantees that it would be good. She took a chance on me. I spent months thinking about (being terrified of) this short story and one day I woke up with the barest hint of an idea. An idea about a girl who's enitre life-plan was derailed, because puberty gave her hips one inch too big.

Stay with me here.

Being a hippy woman myself (yaaaaayyyyy junk in the trunk!!!) this bizarre idea stayed with me and turned into a dystopian (which I swore I'd never write) short story. And the first line is:

"In the end, it's because of my hips."

Not only did it turn out okay, the editor at Harper met me at a party and specifically mentioned how much she liked my contribution. Cue melting into a puddle.

Because ya'all, this story scared me. I wanted to give my fab friend something good, but I honestly wasn't sure I could. But one way or another, I did! Now, I'm not out signing up for every antho I can get into now--truth is I'm still not convinced I didn't just have one flukey short story idea. But it was something I was afraid of, and I did it anyway, and people liked it! And have a great deal of pride about that.:D

So you can get your hands on the whole collection of incredible stories!!!! This is a week-long contest in which you can win the DEFY THE DARK prize package (pictured below!! Book bookmark, bracelets . . . But only one book. ;))

Plus my personal addition of an ARC of Earthbound and a hardcover of Life After Theft!!!

What do you have to do? Tell me something you're afraid of. Easy.

You can comment on Facebook or Blogger, reblog with a comment on Tumblr, or use @Aprilynnepike on Twitter. They are all legit forms of entry.:) I will pick a winner next Monday and you will get your stuffs as fast as I can get to the post office!!!

So, *pulls chair closer* What are YOU afraid of. Hmmmmm??

Ciao!

Earthbound Parties!!!!

I am so excited to announce a ton of things today!!!! First off, I have some pretty for you:

Isn't it pretty? Because I have so many fans who have been following me through the whole Wings series and Life After Theft and who are going to take the leap with me to Earthbound, Penguin and Razorbill want to give you a little thank you. In the form of the above poster, signed by myself!

So here's the deal, these are an *exclusive* giveaway for the first 500 people who pre-order EARTHBOUND (or have ALREADY pre-ordered it!!!) and then go fill out the handy-dandy form HERE!!! If you have already pre-ordered it, you are freaking awesome!!! Those who haven't can pre-order it ANYWHERE! Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million, your local Indie. EBook, print book, audio book, it doesn't matter. If you have pre-ordered Earthbound, get yourself a signed poster!!!

Now, the rules specify the continental United States, age 14+. That means if you are fabulously awesome and pre-ordered my book and you are twelve . . . just have a parent fill out the form for you.:D The poster will still get to your house!!!

Do bear in mind this is an EXCLUSIVE offer and will only accept 500 entries so please go pre-order your book and fill out the form!!! (HERE is the link again.;))

But that's only the first part of the awesome!!!

One of my favorite parts of any book release is the fact that I am lucky enough to go out and travel and meet readers!! Not only am I coming to a bunch of places, I am bringing a bunch of friends and we are holding a Girls' Night Out party for YOU!!! Yes, you, the awesome readers!!! Every stop will have cupcakes from a bakery of awesome (not homemade, and yes, you will thank me for that ;)) and will feature authors of other fun, girly books! (Guys, don't let that stop you, pink cupcakes still taste delicious!!!) So please come join me and my friends at the following locations!!!!

Tempe, AZ
Changing Hands Bookstore, July 29th, 7:00-9:00
Yes, you read that date right--if you come to THIS signing you will get Earthbound a DAY EARLY!!!!
Fab authors in attendance: Me, Suzanne Young, and Janette Rallison
Cupcakes from Sprinkles Bakery (because that info is IMPORTANT!!!:D)

Peoria, AZ
Bell Road Barnes and Noble, July 30th, 6:00-8:00 PM
Okay, ya'all, I've never done a signing here even though it's two miles from my house, and on top of that I am doing it SOLO, so spread the word and come and see me so I don't look like a dork in front of the staff of this new store.:D (New to me; the store's not new.;))
And, of course, MOAR cupcakes from Sprinkles!!!

Salt Lake City, Utah
Sugarhouse Barnes and Noble, July 31st, 7:00-9:00 PM
This is my only signing in Utah this entire year!!! I apologize for that . . . but please COME!!!!:D
Fab authors in attendance: Me, Jessica Day George, Natalie Whipple, and Brodi Ashton
Cupcakes from . . . somewhere awesome. I'll let you know.:D

Idaho Falls, Idaho
Grand Teton Barnes and Noble, August 1, 6:30-9:00 PM
Back to the amazing, awesome, incredible Idaho Falls!!!!
Fab authors in attendance: Me, Jessica Day George, Natalie Whipple, and Wendy Toliver
Cupcakes from The Cocoa Bean which is my FAVE cupcake bakery In. The. World!!!!

Charlotte, North Carolina
Well . . . technically Huntsville.;) Barnes and Noble, August 2, 7:00-9:00 PM
I've never been here before!!!! (Yes, North Carolina, I am flirting with you. Come hither. *wink*)
Fab authors in attendance: Me, Beth Revis, Carrie Ryan
Cupcakes from Polka Dot bakeshop because they look awesome!!!!

***Bonus!!!****

This is not part of the Girls' Night Out Tour, but I am participating in:

Cincinnati, Ohio
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, August 3, 1:00-3:00
The 3rd Annual BEACHY READS group event!!!!!!!
Authors in attendance have not yet been announced, but trust me, they are SUPER FAB!!!!
There will not be cupcakes. Actually, assuming there are some leftovers from Polka Dot, I might bring some to give away.;)


THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!! All of the stores I am attending have graciously allowed attendees to bring backlist (though if you have a ton you might need to wait till the end to get them all signed ;)) Please, please, please thank them by buying your copy of Earthbound from that store and maybe some from the other authors too!! *winkwink*

I recommend to anyone attending any tour event to pre-order your book (and then fill out the form HERE!!! *nudgenudge*) just to make absolutely sure you get your copy. (Honestly, it's a good idea for anyone's event.)

So if you live in Arizona, Utah, Idaho, North Carolina, or Ohio and you love books and cupcakes, please come see my friends and me!!!!!!!!!

Did you reach the end? Really? Then you are super cool!!!!! Do you like to read? Do you like free books? Then you are SUPER SMART!!! and I like to support super smart people.

Leave a comment-- (@ me on Twitter, reblog with a comment on Tumblr, comment on Facebook, or comment on Blogger) and tell me what YOUR favorite cupcake flavor is. (Yes, yes, i am researching what flavors I should get while on tour. Consider it a vote!) I will pick five random winners and send them a free copy of LIFE AFTER THEFT!!! (Which you should ALL read because it is my SUPER SPECIAL book baby!!!!!:D)

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!!!!

A Million Little Words

So the saying often goes around that it takes a million practice words to really become a good novelist. A couple weeks ago I realized I have more than hit that mark. So just so ya'all know, I'm a good novelists now.

No, I'm so kidding.:D

But it is an interesting thought. Now, I assume that those words are meant to include things like all of the poems and short stories that I wrote in college. But I don't have any stats for those and ultimately, I think you learn to write novels by writing novels. So I thought I would list my novels and word counts.

Note: I extensively re-wrote every novel here except for the Basque Romance. So I will list "Words" and "Applicable Words" since I think all those words I re-wrote still count.

The Chain and the Sword: Words= 150,000 Applicable Words= 300,000 (minimum! I edited this baby until the pages were filled with blood. Blood, people!! Also, I generally count this as two book because it was two 100,000 words books that I combined and cut the crap out of. Just FYI.;))

Basque Romance: Words= 100,000 Applicable Words= Still 100,000

Wings: Words= 69,000 Applicable Words= 138,000 (Again, minimum. Rewrote no less than half this book just in first round edits.)

Spells: Words= 85,000 Applicable Words= 170,000 (I rewrote this sucker almost from scratch BEFORE I turned it into my editor. *Whine* Sequels are haaaaaard!!!)

Illusions/Wild: Words=88,000 Applicable Words= 132,000 (I'm giving this one 1.5x instead of double because edits were easier on this one. I think . . .)

Destined: Words= 73,000 Applicable Words= 146,000 (DEF doubled the word count in edits for this book. DEF.)

Life After Theft: Words= 80,000 Applicable Words= 160,000 (Though having worked on it for over five years, I think I deserve TRIPLE!!:D)

Earthbound: Words= 86,000 Applicable Words= 172,000 (Again, at least!! This is also a pushing triple book.)

Don't Close Your Eyes: Words= 90,000 Applicable Words= 135,000 (I've done first round edits, so I am giving myself 1.5, but not a full double.)

Earthbound 2: Words= 75,000 Applicable Words= 75,000 (No edits, no increase. *wink*)

So those are my ten (and arguably eleven) books for a grand word total of Words= 896,000 and Applicable Words= 1,528,000.

That's a lot of words.

I'm not really making a statement of any kind with these stats. I just find them interesting. Am I a better writer after 1.5 million words? I hope so. Have I picked up any bad habits in those 1.5 million words? I'm afraid so. But I have put about 1.5 million words into my career in the last eight years. And I'm proud of that.

Ciao!

Anatomy of a Revision

So, aspiring authors often want to hear about revisions. Generally the question is, How brutal are they? So since I actually paid attention to some of my . . . stats, I guess . . . I thought I would talk about what happened during the revision of Don't Close Your Eyes, my upcoming YA Paranormal Thriller . . . Horror . . . something like that. (Okay, I haven't perfected my elevator pitch yet!:D)

When I turned in DCYE, it was 74,000 words. When I turned it in after edits it was 90,000 words. So, for starters, I added 16,000 words. However, I also changed about the same number of words. So I would say that a full 30,000 of the final 90,000 words were written or re-written. So yeah, I re-wrote about a third of the book in revisions this time. (I suspect that percentage was a full half for Wings, but about a third seems pretty normal for me.)

So what did I change? Here were the main things:

1.) I wrote this book fast so the details of my world were sketchy. Half of my revisions involved clarifying world/mythos/etc. it's also where about 10,000 of the extra words came from.:)

2.) Blended two characters into one. Which, oddly, required more words.:D

3.) Smoothed out my romance line and added several scenes to do this.

4.) Slowed my pacing down. And this was a shocker to me. I ended up rushing headlong into the plot so quickly I confused my editor. I added a prologue and a new first chapter at their request.

5.) Gave a personal story to every victim. (Did I mention the serial killer?) This was short. Probably 1,000 words total. But it made a huge difference.

So yeah, that was essentially my revision. You'll notice there was very, very little cutting. That is NOT always the case. In fact it's pretty unique to this book.:) I'm a little sad that it doesn't look like I'm going to have a deleted scene for this book.

Of course, there is one more round of edits. . . .

Ciao!

YASH Winner

This has already been announced on the YASH main page, but the winner of an ARC of both Life After Theft and Earthbound is Justine Winans!!!!!

Justine, I think I found you on Twitter, but if not, please email me at Aprilynne Pike at Gee Mail dot com with your name, address, and how/if you would like your books personalized!!

Thank you everyone for participating!!!!

Ciao! 

Young Adult Scavenger Hunt with CHLOE JACOBS!!!

THE YA SCAVENGER HUNT IS OVER NOW!!! THIS POST IS NOW ONLY UP FOR YOUR ENTERTAINMENT!!! (Winners will be announced on the YASH Main page and once that has been done I will announce here as well. Check back!!) 


Welcome to the Young Adult Scavenger Hunt! I am so pleased to be hosting the lovely CHLOE JACOBS who is the author of --> THE MYLENA CHRONICLES, beginning with GRETA AND THE GOBLIN KING which came out in December of 2012.

A bit about the story:

-->

While trying to save her brother four years ago, Greta was thrown into the witch’s fire herself, falling through a portal to a dangerous world where humans are the enemy, and every ogre, goblin, and ghoul has a dark side that comes out with the full moon.

To survive, seventeen-year-old Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young Goblin King, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her determination to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. The full moon is mere days away, and an ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back…

And, of course, the author, Miss Chloe Jacobs herself!

-->

Chloe Jacobs is a native of nowhere and everywhere, having jumped around to practically every Province of Canada before finally settling in Ontario where she has now been living for a respectable number of years. Her husband and son are the two best people in the entire world, but they also make her wish she'd at least gotten a female cat. No such luck. And although the day job keeps her busy, she carves out as much time as possible to write. Bringing new characters to life and finding out what makes them tick and how badly she can make them suffer is one of her greatest pleasures, almost better than chocolate and fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

You can find out more about both Chloe and her books at her website, HERE.

And if you're interested in buying her book, you can find it HERE.

And for Chloe's YASH exclusive bonus content, we have an excerpt from GRETA AND THE GOBLIN KING!

--> A noise. Distinctive from the natural groaning of tree limbs weighed down by snow. A crunch behind her as someone took a step closer.

Damn. She’d miscalculated, assuming no one would have followed her while she was following the ghoul.

She spun as a familiar "ash of amethyst rushed her in the not quite dark. Before she could duck and roll, a thick, muscled arm slammed across her chest and shoved her against the cave wall so hard the back of her head scraped rock.

With a speed and strength that had been drilled into her daily for four years, Greta brought her knee up. Her attacker evaded but wasn’t quick enough to avoid her headbutt to his lying face.

“Danem Greta, stop.” Isaac grunted and frowned down at her. She sneered at his use of the conventional form of Mylean address. Not that she wasn’t used to it, but coming from Mylena’s shiny new goblin king—who was only a little older than her seventeen years—it felt like a veiled insult instead of an expression of respect.

With a hard swallow, she took in his appearance. His fur-lined cloak gaped open at the throat, and black hair streaked with deep purple curled at his neck. He had a square face and sharp features, although his cheeks were pale and smooth in the dark of the forest.

Like most goblins, he was tall and wide, built like someone had simply chipped away at a hunk of granite. It wasn’t hard to imagine him in a fight to the death for the goblin throne, no matter how young he was.

He rubbed his abdomen with a pinched expression. “What did you do that for?”

Because I knew it was you? “Oddly enough, I don’t enjoy being attacked from behind by strangers.”
His startling violet eyes locked on her. Lying eyes. Manipulative eyes. Eyes she’d been seeing in her sleep for too many nights. He chuckled low under his breath. “Ah, but I’m not a stranger to you, am I?”

She fought against the deep cadence of his accented voice and the mischievous grin that curled his lips, reminding herself it was all an act. Their entire relationship was based on tricks and lies, and Greta wasn’t going to fall for them again.

“But since you mention it,” he continued, “which one of us is out lurking in the Goblin Forest in the middle of the worst storm all year?”

She rolled her eyes. Sure, if he wanted to press the issue, this was technically the Goblin Forest and he was technically the goblin king. She was trespassing.

Technically.

Not that she cared about such minor things as legal boundaries. Not when it came to doing her job. Especially in a territory run by an arrogant goblin whose biggest claim to fame was that he happened to be the youngest monarch Mylena had ever seen.

“This can’t be the worst storm all year,” she said. “I’m sure the one that slammed us a fortnight ago was just as bad. Are there ever any conditions in Mylena other than crappy?”

He grinned and his face was transformed. Suddenly, he was the boy she’d met that evening at Maidra’s who smiled at her and made her feel accepted for the first time since…well, since she found herself trapped here. As the only human in a world where her kind was reviled and any suggestion of their presence created a furious outcry for blood, acceptance and the possibility of friendship were things she’d never expected to experience.

But she didn’t want him to be that boy again. He should go back to being the goblin king. At least then she knew where she stood—as far away as possible.

“I wasn’t aware you felt so strongly about the weather, Danem,” he teased. “Perhaps it irks you because it is one thing that remains irritatingly beyond your influence.”

If the weather really were the only thing out of her control, she wouldn’t have much to worry about. But after being torn from her family and everything she knew at the age of thirteen, thrust
into a hostile environment where food and warmth were luxuries someone like her could not afford, and forced to hide her true identity, Greta had ended up with a whole host of issues. If she ever made it back home, some lucky shrink was going to have a field day trying to figure her out.

“I have legitimate cause to be here. I’m on a job. Why don’t you let me do it?”

With a shove, she tried to get around him but he pushed her back against the rock. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to make a point. “Unless you want to alert the ghoul in there to our presence, quit fighting me so we can handle the situation together.”

“Aren’t you too important to be talking to me? Go home. You have a responsibility to stay safe and provide for your people now.”

His teeth ground together. “Why don’t you let me worry about my people and what they need.”

Her shallow breaths exhaled in a fine puff of vapor that twirled around his, becoming one before dissipating into the frigid air. Greta finally nodded and his grip on her arms relaxed. She twisted and knocked her elbow up into his abdomen. A petty move, sure, but she wasn’t above immature displays of annoyance when the situation called for it—or maybe even when it didn’t.

He grunted as she darted around him and clasped his wrist in a quick twist behind his back. She used the momentum to push him face-first into the rock. In the shadows, his oversized incisors peeked from the corners of his mouth. He twisted his head to the side to look at her.

Her knife was at his throat before he could blink, going a little way towards salvaging the pride that had been damaged when he managed to sneak up on her. “Maybe you’ve forgotten, but I don’t play nicely with others.”

His arm tensed under her grip, and his gaze flickered to her mouth almost hesitantly. “On the contrary, I think the two of us would play very well together.”

******

Thank you for joining me on this stop on the hunt!!! 

Did you make it to the end? Did you know there might be something special down here? Well there is!! In addition to the prize packages for the Scavenger Hunt, I am giving away an ARC of both LIFE AFTER THEFT and EARTHBOUND right here!!! So before you move along to the next stop, take a second to leave me a comment and tell me your very favorite song to enter. I'll pick winners early next week!

Next on your merry way is Marley Gibson!!! You can find her site HERE!!!

Ciao! 

About Rejection

I don't blog very much these days. Why? Because I have four young children, one who jumped into terrible twos with both feet three months ago, a husband in grad school, three children in both school and piano (and I am a Piano Nazi), and my in-laws with two teens still at home living with me. (That makes ten in our house.:D)

Oh, and because I'm writing two books a year.

Well, that's not exactly accurate. I am having two books published a year. But I'll let you in on a secret. I'm writing more than that. Or, at the very least, I'm writing pieces of more books than that.

Why would I bother writing bits and pieces of more books than I'm having published? Because I just love the ideas and am itching to write them? As much as I wish the answer to that question was yes, I seriously just do not have the time for that these days. Maybe when my husband graduates. (Two months! Two months!)

So why am I writing these extra bits of books?

Because I write them, I turn them in, and they get rejected.

Yes, that's exactly what I said.

As a starry-eyed, not-yet-published writer, I thought that if I could just get an agent I would say goodbye to rejection forever!!

Two books and 15 rejections later I sold Wings.

Wings went on to be a #1 NYT Bestseller. One of the few debut novels ever to do that. Well, NOW I would truly say goodbye to rejection forever!

Not. So. Fast.

I want all of you aspiring authors who are drowning (and yes, some days it truly does feel like drowning) in rejections to know that published authors, bestselling authors, mega-ultra bestselling authors know how you feel. No, really.  I had a full novel rejected after three bestselling novels and a partial rejected after four.  It's easy to think that once you've made it, you've made it forever. But it's not true.

So what do I do? The same thing you do. I pick myself up off the ground, I wipe away my tears, I eat way too much chocolate, and then I try to write something better. Sound familiar?

So I guess this is a really long way to say that the book that seriously poured out of me over Winter Break has been accepted for publication. And when the news came in, yes, I was excited and happy and all those things. But above all, I was so incredibly relieved, because it was my third attempt to fulfill this contract.

It doesn't end, guys. And I don't mean that in a demotivating way. You have to always be reaching, always learning, always pushing yourself to be a better writer. So when your next rejection comes, as it inevitably will, remember that we're all doing this together and that your next story will be better if you want it badly enough.

Ciao!

Twice The Winners!!!

Um, okay, guys, the box I put the bags and bags and bags of V-day candy in to mix it up is seriously EPIC!!! (The word my husband used was "Obscene." But it takes a lot of chocolate to make thrity gift bags!!) Seriously guys, check it out (and this is one of those big, Costco sized boxes!!):

I had trouble lifting the box, guys. This is how much I love you!!!! (I got MANY weird looks at the store.)

Okay, winners!!!

***Quick note: Please, please, PLEASE read the specific directions if you are one of the winners. I will try to make it as clear as humanly possible. All you have to do is read.:D***

First Place, getting a signed set of all three ARCs . . . and candy, of course.;)

Amber Lynae

and

Em Ruth

You two, please email me at Aprilynne Pike at Gee Mail dot Com with the following information:

Full Name
Address
Who (if anyone) you would like the books personalized to.


Second Place, getting one of the ARCs and any one of the Wings books. Plus candy.

Danielle Willis

Sky of @Skylyte

and

Emily of @appleblueberry3

You three please email me at Aprilynne Pike at Gee Mail dot Com with the following information:

Full Name
Address
Who (if anyone) you would like your books personalized to.

 The titles of the three ARCs (Earthbound, Life After Theft, and Defy The Dark) in order of preference. (It will be first email in my inbox gets first pick, etc.)

Which of the four Wings books you would like. (Wings, Spells, Illusions, Destined.)

Second placers, you have the most instructions to follow--don't fail me!!!:D


Third Place, getting their choice of any Wings book and candy to read it with.

Lena from @LenaMarstellar

Sara from The Page Sage

Stacy O'neale

Erica Marshall from @omgihavewings

and

Ashley G. from Wholly Books

You five, please email me at Aprilynne Pike at Gee Mail dot Com with the following information:


Full Name
Address
Who (if anyone) you would like your book personalized to.
Which book in the Wings series (Wings, Spells, Illusions, Destined) you would like.


And last but not least, the twenty fourth place winners!!! (Who all get candy!)

Jessy

Claudia Rodriguez

Charyse

Chani

Tiffany

@rainirodfans01

m0mof2

Shantilly

Hannah Royals

YABibliophile

Annie the Bibliobabe

Jess of @celeste_pewter

April Lynn Carr

Meghan S

Amanda Bagley (HI!!!!!!)

Chrys of Oh, Chrys

Sarah J. Cliff

Sara Holmen

Chloe of @chloewis95

and

Renae McKenzie

Is that 20? 1,2,3,4 . . . yeah, I've counted it three times.:D

Okay, so you twenty lovely people, please email me at Aprilynne Pike at Gee Mail dot Com with the following information:

Full Name
Address

Please email me withing the next ten days or my children will HAPPILY claim your prize.:D

Thank you EVERYONE for entering and for spreading the word about the bazillion books I have coming out this year!!!!! My hubby may call the scads of chocolate obscene, but I call it well worth it!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!

Twice The Love! (And Then Some!)

So, apologies for the long time without blogging, but man, have I been busy! (I know, everyone says that and . . . well, everyone's telling the truth.:D)

But enough of my puny apologies. It's time for my annual Valentine's Day ARC Contest!!! But this year is a little different. And monumental in my not-so-humble-opinion.;) I have TWO books coming out this year. Not only two books, but I also have my very first short story coming out!!! This means than I have not one ARC, not two, but THREE ARCs to give away!!! Ep. Ic.

So in order, here are the books I have coming out this year:

April 30, LIFE AFTER THEFT, which is already getting excellent reviews from the pros (Kirkus, Booklist) as well as bloggers (Melania and Midnight Book Girl)

*Warning: Reviews are, by nature, always a little spoilery and MBG in particular did a very smart but in-depth review, so if you want to avoid spoilers here are my favorite, totes non-spoilery, lines from each review:

Melania: It's edgy, witty, fresh, entertaining, and very appropriate to the characters. No wonder this is the book that got her on the publishing agent's radar.

MBG: I was not expecting this book to be this good, but I really, really liked it.  It was unexpected, and even more unexpected, it's a standalone!  God bless you, Ms. Pike!  See, authors, it's totally possible to write a YA Paranormal that doesn't get stretched out over at least 3 books!


And, of course, my PRETTEH COVER!!!

So this one is April 30. Did I mention April 30? Yeah, cuz it'll be out in April. Just sayin'.;)



Next up in the anthology, DEFY THE DARK which comes out June 18th!


So, I have a confession; despite the fact that most authors seem to love writing short stories, do it for a break from novels, and actually consider it fun, there's a reason this is my debut published short story. I'm not very good at them. I think they're HARDER than long stories. So when my lovely fabulous friend Saundra Mitchell, who is editing the antho, called me up and invited me to be in it, I told her that I would, but that I couldn't promise my story would be any good. She took a chance on me. 


And I came up with an awesome idea in the wee hours of the morning that I *barely* remembered when I woke up all the way.


I think it turned out pretty good. I'm seriously proud of this story and as soon as the ARC came I read it again and STILL liked it!! Whoo-hoo!


It's called NATURE and, oddly, it's a dystopia. I didn't think I would write a dystopia anything--because I am too big of a "The Giver" snob. But I did! And so even though you are only getting 40 pages from me, I am giving away the whole ARC so it will have almost four HUNDRED more pages of awesomeness!!! (Thus the And Then Some in the title of this post.;))


Here is DEFY THE DARK's awesome cover!!!

And last but not least, my new SERIES!!!!! It's a full six months away, July 30 (Just a few days after my birthday, Happy Birthday to ME!!!) but EARTHBOUND is on its way as well!!!


It's too far out for EARTHBOUND to be getting reviews yet, but watch for them! They've just started sending the ARCs out!! What I can tell you is that Earthbound is about Tavia, the sole survivor of a plane wreck, who can break the laws of physics, and may have literally doomed all of humankind by falling for the wrong guy. I am so stoked about this book! I am working with a different editor on EARTHBOUND than the WINGS series, and she has stretched me in all kinds of different ways and I can't wait to share the results with you!!!


Also, there a freaking lot of kissing. Just, yanno, in case you're interested.;)


And here is EARTHBOUND's cover of awesome!!!!!

So, contest time. Well, let's talk prizes first. Guys, this is the biggest giveaway I have EVER done!!! I am so stoked about this year I just can't help it!!!!


Okay, there will be two First Prize Winners who will get a set of all three books (signed, of course!) Plus the tradition bag of Valentine's Day candy!


Three Second Prize Winners will get their choice of any of the three ARCs (it will be first come, first served for choices ;)) plus a WINGS book of their choice. Plus the V-day Chocolate.

Five Third Prize Winners who get their choice of any of the WINGS books and chocolate to keep them company while they read. ;)


And then, instead of the ten Fourth Prize Winners, there will be TWENTY. (Yes, I am crazy excited!!!) who will get the Valentine's day candy bags.


So that is 17 books and 30 bags of candy up for grabs.


What do you have to do? Well, the best way is to pre-order my prequel to LIFE AFTER THEFT, called ONE DAY MORE.


Oh wait, did I mention that I'm a big fat liar and I have yet another story coming out??? Ooops. *wink* I don't know just what to call it--I guess it's a short story, but I just think of it as a prequel. ONE DAY MORE is about 10K words or 50 pages long (I always like readers to know what they are getting into with an E-Story) and is a glimpse into my ghost character, Kimberlee's, life before she was a ghost. It was incredibly fun to write because, even though Kimberlee is an incredibly dynamic character, LIFE AFTER THEFT is not from her point of view. ONE DAY MORE is.

ONE DAY MORE is up for pre-order at both Amazon and Barnes and Noble and comes out April 2, which gives you time to read it and start massively salivating for LIFE AFTER THEFT four weeks later!!! (Yes, I'm so mean . . . If it helps, I TOTALLY feel bad about that. *shifty eyes*)


So now we have points:

5 Points for pre-ordering ONE DAY MORE (Honor system here people, a prize is not worth the STAIN ON YOUR SOUL for lying!!! Uh, yeah, whatever, I trust ya'all.:D)

2 Points for following me on Twitter, (@AprilynnePike) because I am jonesing to hit 10,000 followers by the time LIFE AFTER THEFT comes out!! If you are already following me on Twitter, you get two points too. Because I'm nice like that.:D

1 Point for mentioning my books on Twitter (put @AprilynnePike and I'll see you)

1 Point for mentioning me on FaceBook. (I totally won't see you there, but I still trust you.:D)

1 point for mentioning my books on your blog, Tumblr, whatever, you get the point. Social media equals a point.:D

So comment below (or of you're reading this on FaceBook PLEASE go to my blog to comment) and tell me what you did and how many points you get, and you get an entry for every point you scored. Super easy! (And if you need to add on just comment again and add points.:))

Entries need to be posted by MIDNIGHT on Valentine's Day, MY time. (MST at the moment.) Contest void where prohibited or otherwise altered by legal restrictions!

This contest is open internationally, however, I don't know how accessible the pre-order to ONE DAY MORE is outside of the US, so international readers may just not be able to get those points. I sowwy!!!

I will announce winners on February 15th and then we will do all the wrangling on getting addresses, book choices, etc.

I SO appreciate all of you guys who help me spread the love every year, and especially those who spread the love all year long!!! This is how I say THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!