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Author: claudia
Interview with Adam Rex!
First of all, time to announce the winner of May ARC Giveaway #3 — Congratulations, Dana W.! Your books are already on their way to you.
As you guys remember, one of the books in May ARC Giveaway #2 was FAT VAMPIRE by Adam Rex, who kindly stopped by to answer a few questions about vampirism, the perils of being an exchange student and the coolest musical instrument in the world (the theremin):
Interview with Aprilynne Pike!
One of the books from the previous ARC giveaway was SPELLS, the second book in the WINGS series from Aprilynne Pike. She’s taken time out of her crazy-busy touring schedule to answer a few questions about her inspiration, love triangles and parents in YA fiction. Interested? Read on …
May ARC giveaway #3!!
Hello all! I hope to have more interviews to bring you shortly, but right now I only have more ARC giveaway goodness — I trust you guys don’t mind.
First of all, congrats to the winner of May ARC giveaway #2, Andye E! She’ll be receiving copies of FAT VAMPIRE, SPELLS and SAVING SKY.
Now, for May ARC giveaway #3: I’ve got two awesome ARCs, Z by Michael Thomas Ford, which is about a world in which a zombie threat is supposed to have been defeated long ago, but returns to haunt the players of a virtual-reality game; and THE POISON DIARIES by Maryrose Wood, about a secret garden of poisons centuries ago that forms the center of a mysterious love affair. To sweeten the pot, I’m throwing in hardcovers of two recently released YA books: THE BLONDE OF THE JOKE by Bennett Madison, about an edgy and difficult friendship between an outcast girl and the new kid in school; and TANGLED by Carolyn Mackler, about a bona fide love square that makes mere love triangles look simple and uncomplicated.
Want ’em? You know you do. Here’s how to enter:
1) Send me an email at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com, with the subject header “May ARC Giveaway #3,” your name and the address where you’d like me to send the books.
2) Do so before Friday, May 28, which is the last day I’ll be able to mail stuff out before the Memorial Day holiday here in the US.
That’s it! Anyone from anywhere can enter, so drop me a line!
First of all, congrats to the winner of May ARC Giveaway #1: Way to go, Shalayna W.! She’ll be receiving copies of WAYFARER by R.J. Anderson, EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO RISE by Kim Harrison and STRANDED by J.T. Dutton.
Speaking of the fabulous J.T. Dutton, she was kind enough to talk with me about her writing process, STRANDED and dancing in her snowboots in Alaska. Take a peek!
Just wanted to announce that I’m taking part in the awesome Do the Write Thing, in which several authors, agents and bloggers are chipping in for a charity auction to benefit flood victims in Nashville, TN. Check out the details here:
http://dothewritethingfornashville.blogspot.com/2010/05/lunch-surprise.html
Basically, if you’re the winner, I’ll fly to the nearest big city in the US or Canada to have lunch or dinner with you and up to three people you choose. (Which means a few people can go in together on the bid — just a hint!) Sorry to limit it to those two countries, but much farther than that is cost-prohibitive for me, plus a little far to go for lunch. We can talk EVERNIGHT, or writing, or publishing, or “Vampire Diaries” — whatever you like! So check out the auction details and bid, bid, bid like crazy. I’m really looking forward to meeting the winner!
Finally, to answer today’s “Writer’s Block” question:
You guys know by now that I love it, and I was going to say why at length, but Cat Valente has done so better than I ever could. Great link — check it out.
Hello everyone! We’re just one week away from my May tour dates in Ohio, so this seemed like a good time to remind you guys about exactly where and when you can come talk about the books/get your copies signed/etc. in the next two months.
MAY
Tuesday, May 18, 7 p.m.: Joseph-Beth, 2692 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH
Wednesday, May 19, 7 p.m.: Books & Co., At the Greene, 4453 Walnut St., Beavercreek, OH
At both events, I’ll be appearing with the fabulous Ellen Schreiber of VAMPIRE KISSES fame, so how can you resist us both? Also, I’ll be a guest on the “Cover to Cover” radio program on May 18, so tune in.
JUNE
June 3-6: Madrid Book Fair in Madrid, Spain! I don’t have specific dates/times for this one yet, but stay tuned; I’ll share more as I learn more. I’m really looking forward to my very first trip to Spain and, hopefully, to meeting plenty of you there.
Sunday, June 20, 10 a.m.: Un Mare di Libri festival in Rimini, Italy! I don’t have more specific location details at this point, but I should closer to time. So, Italian readers, wouldn’t a weekend by the seaside be perfect?
**
Also! I’m going to be doing some ARC giveaways the rest of this month. First batch: the mysterious STRANDED, by J.T. Dutton; the scary EARLY TO DEATH, EARLY TO RISE by Kim Harrison; and the magical WAYFARER by R.J. Anderson. How do you win? Just email me at evernightclaudia at gmail dot com with the subject line “May ARC Giveaway #1,” and include the name and address I should send your books to if you win. One winner gets all three books, when I pick that winner at random on Monday, May 17! (But don’t despair if it’s not you, because there will be more giveaways this month, plus more to come in future.)
I hope to do some interviews with the authors of these ARCS, and sure enough, I got started this week — though I cheated a bit, as R.J. Anderson is a friend of mine from way back. Instead of an interview, we basically had a conversation, which is either due to our long-lasting friendship or my inability to stop blabbing. We talk about her books, how we write, why love can never be perfect, and more. Hope you enjoy!
OK, fun fact: There are limits to the number of times you can tweet in a day, and you guys asked so many questions at today’s chat that WE BROKE TWITTER. But I wanted to answer as many as I could, so I’m putting the rest of the questions I got (and their answers, obviously) in this post.
First of all, for those of you who weren’t able to be with us on Twitter earlier, a link to what I got to answer in the chat itself: a transcript!
NOTE: Both parts of the chat inevitably contain some spoilers for HOURGLASS, though in this section, I’ve moved the spoilery ones to the end and put in a line, so you can stop reading there if you need to.
Now, the rest:
Chocolated limon: how did you find a town like arrowwood for bianca? I’ve been looking places for my vampires but i canĀ“t find any…help me??
Arrowwood is 100% fictional. I highly advocate making up locations you need for your fiction if reality doesn’t fit the bill.
keyra89: will u be doing tours soon? If u are will u be in the boston area
I have a number of stops coming up (Cincinnati and Dayton next month, Spain and Italy in June, Australia in August and New Orleans and Jackson, MS in November), but no current plans for Boston. I could definitely return there, though, and will keep you guys posted!
AcousticAngela: thank you so much for answering my question! Will the dates/ places in europe appear in your site?
Yes, I’ll post the Spain and Italy info fairly soon — I expect to have confirmations on exactly where and when on those within a few days now.
chocolatedlimon: will you ever come to Mexico City?? Will that be soon?? please! I’d love to meet you!
No plans for Mexico City right now, but I loved my first visit to your country last year for the Guadalajara Book Fair and hope to return!
how did you choose the name for the books??
EVERNIGHT was originally the name of a scifi novel I tried to write but could never really get into. So when the time came for me to name a creepy vampire school, I had it ready and waiting!
fingrsxxcrossed: What do you find most important in aiding your writing process?
Interesting question. I’d have to say, honestly, my outlining process is pretty important to me. I fight out a lot of the not-fun stuff of plot mechanics before I get into the book itself, which helps the writing be more fun and more productive. Also I feel surer of myself and the story.
chocolatedlimon: hello! is any character of the saga based on someone you know??
Not really, though if Vic met my friend Steve from New Orleans, they would really hit it off. And probably take out on some epic insane road trip.
GenesisTouchard: Which book is your favorite so far? And Why?
That’s a tough one! In some ways, STARGAZER; in others, AFTERLIFE.
Jennylynne116: how did the idea of lucas come to mind? is he based on someone in your life?
I only WISH I’d known a guy like Lucas in high school. The basic idea of him was — you know, I wanted to have a female main character who was supernatural and a male main character who was human. But I still wanted him to be the frightening, threatening figure her family would always have told scary stories about. If her family members are vampires, then that means the scary figure is a vampire hunter. What I love most about Lucas is that he fell for Bianca thinking she was this nice normal girl, and what he loves most about her is what she cherishes most about herself — not her powers, but just who she is as a person.
Majoo953: Would u come to Peru?
I would if I were invited by my publisher! I have only been to South America once but would love to return and finally to visit Peru.
SandraSara04: why that much?? its not fair!! pls.. there is no way to publish it before??
I’m guessing this is about AFTERLIFE coming out in March of next year. Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d publish it sooner. But it’s not up to me. The publisher in each individual country/region makes that decision based on their own needs/market/etc. And really, after a book is written, there’s still a lot of editing to do, and bookstores have to see it, and the cover has to be designed, etc. — it takes longer than you’d think.
jhmontilla: wthat abaut the 4 book of evernight, its ready?
It’s written. See above for why it’s not exactly ready.
MariBacallado: when will be it come “Hourglass” to Latin America??
No idea. You would think authors would be told all their international release dates, but in fact, we are often the last to know! Your best bet is to check with local bookstores or the book’s publisher in your country.
jenduffey: What book are you reading right now?
FALLEN by Lauren Kate. I just started it, so no spoilers, please!
MT0089: Do you read YA vampire books? If yes, which books?
I used to — I mean, obviously, I love them — but I’ve had to take a break while I am working on my own vampire books. Although this seems impossible, there is such a thing as vampire overload, and I never want to get there; I want to be interested in them forever. So I am piling up all the awesome vampire YA books for a read-a-thon once the Balthazar book is done.
Realcheese98: do you often meet fans when you go out on shoping trips in airports… ect?
I’ve never run into a fan who recognized me at random, or vice versa, I guess.
Babigirl84: is afterlife goin to be the last book in that seris
It’s the last book in the EVERNIGHT series proper. I will then be writing Balthazar’s book, which is connected but stands on its own. Whether there will be more books after that — at this point, I have no idea.
Dreamer_Jk: When do you will be in Italy?????? And, Where do you’ll be in Italy???? *—*
I’ll be in Italy in June, appearing at the “Book Festival by the Sea” (?? my Italian translation is not so hot) in Rimini. I think the date is June 20, but do NOT take that as final; I’ll post definite details once I get them.
Realcheese98: How did you make it, so we could relate to Bianca so well?
I think everybody remembers what it feels like to be in love for the first time. I’m glad you feel like you can relate to her!
FangsUpBarbie: Are you by any chance coming to LA soon?
No LA stops scheduled right now, but I loved visiting there on my first tour and hope to return!
iceypurple: True Blood or Vampire Diaries?
THIS IS A CHOICE NO HUMAN SHOULD BE ASKED TO MAKE. But if I could only pick one? Vampire Diaries.
cindee13: what is one of your fav quotes?
“Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” — Albert Einstein
XXmissabiXX: Who is your favourite character from Evernight?
Honestly, I don’t have a single favorite character; I’m happiest with whoever is giving me the best lines/actions/moments in the scene I’m writing that moment. That said, some characters who often give me good stuff to work with include Balthazar, Dana, Ranulf and Mrs. Bethany.
aimeedorothy: what do you do if you get writers block? How do you get back in to a story after you haven’t written it for a while?
Knock on wood: Writer’s block hasn’t generally been a big problem for me. I always outline/plan ahead, so I generally know what I’m doing next. That said, yeah, sometimes I don’t get to turn to a story for a while, and that means it can be hard to get back into it. I try to just play with the idea again, daydream about it, and rediscover what made me fall in love with it in the first place.
jhmontilla: hi, i just estar reading hourglass, but please tell me that the principal caracters dont die?
I make no promises. But I can tell you that I’m not a fan of unhappy endings … at least, not for a SERIES.
YOU ARE ENTERING THE HOURGLASS SPOILER ZONE
TURN BACK
TURN BACK NOW
OK, WE WARNED YOU —
9t9: why didn’t they destroy Lucas at the end of Hourglass? He has always clearly indicated that was what he wanted in that case.
Let’s just say that question comes up at the beginning of AFTERLIFE.
MariBacallado: There will be some love between Bianca and Balthazar in Hourglass? I love this couple (:
Balthazar is back, and he still loves Bianca, but Lucas isn’t exactly out of the picture.
ailen_aros: You say that Bianca is not done changing in Hourglass, That’s mean that Bianca can return to be a half vampire?
I hate being vague, but I have to! All I can say is that this isn’t exactly the right question to ask.
Thanks again for doing this, guys! It was absolutely awesome. Next time I will figure out a better chat method than Twitter —
Questions and answers!
OK, fun fact: There are limits to the number of times you can tweet in a day, and you guys asked so many questions at today’s chat that WE BROKE TWITTER. But I wanted to answer as many as I could, so I’m putting the rest of the questions I got (and their answers, obviously) in this post.
First of all, for those of you who weren’t able to be with us on Twitter earlier, a link to what I got to answer in the chat itself: a transcript!
NOTE: Both parts of the chat inevitably contain some spoilers for HOURGLASS, though in this section, I’ve moved the spoilery ones to the end and put in a line, so you can stop reading there if you need to.
Now, the rest:
I wanted to let you guys know about two very fun projects I’m taking part in this fall, both essays I’ll be writing for BenBella collections about a couple of my favorite shows. First, I’ll look at the complicated Civil War history in the TV show (as opposed to the completely different but equally complicated history in the books) of “The Vampire Diaries” in the anthology A VISITOR’S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS, which you’ll be able to buy in October. Then, I’ll be writing about all the baby-daddy drama on “Glee” for an anthology called FILLED WITH GLEE, which will be out in November. As you can imagine, doing all the research for these — by watching tons and tons of TV — is so difficult, but I soldier on. You guys know you’ll want to check these out!
Also, speaking of the Q&A — you guys are emailing me about it, but you’re mostly emailing to ask for live chats! So we’re going to get started via Twitter. Next Tuesday (April 27), I’ll sign on to Twitter in the early afternoon US Central Time, and I’ll be answering questions, well, pretty much throughout the rest of the day, off and on. Keep checking in on Twitter and Facebook for more details!