IN THE AFTER September Giveaway - Last Day!!!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

In the After

by Demitria Lunetta

Giveaway ends September 26, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Books I Love - THE RAVEN BOYS & THE DREAM THEIVES by Maggie Steifvater

 

Last week I did a post about books I was happy I held off on reading...because I loved them so much I was glad I could go right in to the second book. Well, here's another fantastic combo:

 

 

 

"There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark's Eve," Neeve said. "Either you're his true love . . . or you killed him."

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

 Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them-not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can't entirely explain. He has it all-family money, good looks, devoted friends-but he's looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys.

 

So...these books are so much more amazing than the summary gives it credit for. While Blue is the MC, the four Raven boys are just as important. Each character is unique and realistic...and don't even get me started on the plot. I couldn't put either of these books down!

 

Maggie Steifvater is a NYT bestselling author, so it's not like she needs a plug from little old me, but I'll definitely be checking out her other books. I've hear the SCORPIO RACES was fantastic as well.

 

Back Wednesday!



Going to Ohio!

The Class of 2K13 is going to be at an event in Ohio next week. Well, six of us are! Here’s the rundown!



Reconnect – Recharge – Renew: N. Ohio SCBWI 11th Annual Conference

WHEN: Friday, September 20, 2013 2:00 PM - Saturday, September 21, 2013 5:30 PM (Eastern Time)

WHERE: Cleveland Airport Sheraton
(216) 267-1500
5300 Riverside Drive
Cleveland, Ohio 44135

WHAT: Reconnect with old friends and make some new friends. You can never have enough acquaintances in this industry. The networking opportunities are AMAZING!!! Recharge and become motivated, educated and inspired with the presentations from experts in the field. Renew leaving the conference with new ideas or goals on making old ideas successful. Feel refreshed and ready to jump into your career of writing and/or illustrating for today’s youth.

WHO: 2K13 Members:
•Kelly Barson, Author of 45 POUNDS (MORE OR LESS)
•Geoffrey Girard, Author of PROJECT CAIN
•Demitria Lunetta, Author of IN THE AFTER
•Mindy McGinnis, Author of NOT A DROP TO DRINK
•Jennifer McGowan, Author of MAID OF SECRETS
•Kate Karyus Quinn, Author of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE

We will be doing a debut panel on Friday: From Finished Manuscript to First Book: A YA Debut-Author Tells All and a Query panel on Saturday.

There are a ton of other authors and panels, so come check it out!

So I'll be at the conference Friday, but I'll be back on the blog Monday. Have a great weekend and I'll post pic to facebook & twitter so check in for updates!

Books I Love

I've recently read a few books that have been out for a while...books I never seemed to get around to before. Sometimes it's better to wait, because then you can immediately read the sequel! Here are the books...I'll only post the summary for the first book, but I'll put the covers for the second books as well.

 

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

 

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

 

It could happen tomorrow . . .

An electromagnetic pulse flashes across the sky, destroying every electronic device, wiping out every computerized system, and killing billions.

Alex hiked into the woods to say good-bye to her dead parents and her personal demons. Now desperate to find out what happened after the pulse crushes her to the ground, Alex meets up with Tom—a young soldier—and Ellie, a girl whose grandfather was killed by the EMP.

For this improvised family and the others who are spared, it’s now a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human.

Now I just have to read the third book in each series! What about you guys...read these, or any other good books lately?
 

The Dynamic Duology!

I’ve been getting a few inquiries as to whether the IN THE AFTER series is a trilogy or a duology…and I can finally say, it’s a duology! Why? Well…I kind of tied up all the loose ends with the second book, IN THE END, something I didn’t know I was going to do until after I wrote the book. I could have maybe broken that book into two, but than the plot wouldn’t have flowed as well and the books would have dragged. A duology was the right way to go.

So what’s next? I’ll be working on a stand alone. No, I can’t say what it will be about or the title…it’s way too soon! I have to say, as much as I love love love the IN THE AFTER world, it will be fun to start work on an unrelated project.

Back Wednesday!

The Blog Chain – Unfinished Business

The Blog Chain question this week is:

Is there a writing project you've failed to finish? If so, why? Are you planning to return to it at some point? Alternatively, describe a book you started to read but didn't finish and why you didn't finish.                                              

 

Writing:

I haven’t started and not finished many writing projects…except for the one I was working on when I got my book deal. Unfortunately my historical fiction was only halfway done when I had to put it aside for two years while I edited IN THE AFTER, wrote IN THE END and edited that same book. I’ve actually started to work on it again, but it may be interrupted by a third book for HarperTeen, a stand alone yet to be determined.

The reason why I don’t start many writing projects I don’t finish is because I don’t start many writing projects. Sure, I have the ideas in my head, but that’s where I try to work them out before I ever put them down on paper. A few people have commented that they’re amazed it takes me 3-5 months to write a book. That’s not where the process begins though. I can think about a book from anywhere to a couple of months to a year before I begin to write.

 

Reading:

I’m one of those readers who will hold on to a book until the bitter end, even if I’m not a huge fan. One reason is that some books start off slow, then suck you in toward the middle. I wouldn’t want to give up on a book a few pages in, when I might actually end up enjoying it.

Another reason is that I see each book as an opportunity. Some books (a lot of books) are for enjoyment. But even the books I don’t enjoy, I can learn from. What was it about this book that made it catch the eye of an editor? What was the author trying to accomplish? What could someone else love about this book? I never ask, “Why was this book published!?” But “Why was this book published?” Any book I don't finish is more because I left if for too long, read something else instead and never got back to it. I always feel slightly guilty toward these books...like I've wronged them in some way!

As an author, I feel I can learn a lot from every book I read, even books I might not enjoy. Being exposed to a range of genres and styles will help me continue to grow as a writer.

Keep following this topic on the chain and check out Michelle’s blog on Monday, or look back at Katrina's post from yesterday.

What do you think? Do you give up on many books/writing projects?

 

IN THE AFTER September Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

In the After

by Demitria Lunetta

Giveaway ends September 26, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win