BLOODROSE Tour

Want to keep the holiday spirit going and avoid the winter blahs? Come run with the wolves and celebrate BLOODROSE with me!
Check out the tour stops - I hope you can make it!!!

Friday, January 6: St. Paul, MN
BLOODROSE release party
7 p.m. Red Balloon Bookshop

Tuesday, January 10: Seattle, WA
7 p.m. Third Place Books (Lake Forest Park)

Wednesday, January 11: Huntington Beach, CA
7 p.m. Barnes and Noble Booksellers

Thursday, January 12: San Diego, CA
7 p.m. Mysterious Galaxy Books

Friday, January 13: Manhattan Beach, CA
4 p.m. Pages: A Bookstore

Tuesday, January 17: St. Louis, MO
7 p.m. Puddn' Head Books

Friday, January 20: New Orleans, LA
5 p.m. Octavia Books

24

It's after midnight, which means we're in the last day before BLOODROSE hits stores. I'll admit that I have very mixed feelings about BLOODROSE going into the wild. On the one hand I'm thrilled that the final book of the Nightshade series will be in readers' hands. I can't wait until you see what happens and I hope you revel in the adventure as much as I did.

On the other hand I cried a lot (seriously, a lot) while writing this book. It's a journey coming to a close. And while there will be more stories set in the world of Nightshade, this particular story does have its ending. That's a bittersweet reality that I'm still coming to grips with.

In the last hours before BLOODROSE arrives, there are a couple of things I want to mention.

1) My post about endings. It's the best answer I can offer about everything that happens.

2) My donation to Defense of Wildlife. Your support is invaluable: Here are the details for what' I'm doing: Because I'm committed to advocating for wolves, I've decided to tie in BLOODROSE to this action: for every picture of a reader and her/his new copy of BLOODROSE that is sent to me via email, Facebook, or Twitter I will make a $2 donation to Defenders of Wildlife.

And to up the stakes: If in its first days of release BLOODROSE climbs into the top 10 of the Barnes and Noble (and remember that B&N has an exclusive edition with additional content!) and/or Amazon rankings I'll up that donation to $3 per picture.

And finally: Because BLOODROSE is book 3, Nightshade moves from the New York Times Chapter Book list to the notoriously-difficult-to break-into Series list. If BLOODROSE hits in the top 5 of the NYT series list I'll increase my donation to $5 per picture.

I encourage you to support wolves and spread the word about the risks of taking gray wolves off of the endangered species list. I hope you're as excited as I am for next Tuesday. Thank you so much for sharing Calla and the packs' journeys with me!

Upcoming Appearances

Friday, October 12
NY Comic Con
Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street, NYC
Penguin Young Readers Group booth #921

11am-12pm - Signing of RISE galleys at Penguin booth (#921)

Saturday, October 13
NY Comic Con, Javits Center
12:15-1:15 PM - MYTH MIXOLOGY: How Urban Fantasists Create the Perfect Cocktail
Javits Center, Rm. 1A08 
 Many New Yorkers know their Manhattans, Cosmos, and Long Island Iced Teas.  While the average happy hour drink takes gin, rum, or vodka, these authors spice things up with mystics, witches, daemons, Celtic gods, and other magical beings.  Join these top-shelf authors as they discuss the elements of mythology that go into making your favorite cocktails of urban fantasy.
1. Nicole Peeler (Tempest’s Fury) MODERATOR
2. F. Paul Wilson (Repair Man Jack Series)
3. Kevin Hearne (Iron Druid Chronicles)
4. Theo Lawrence (Mystic City) -- Confirmed
5. Andrea Cremer (The Nightshade series & Rift)
6. Nancy Holzner (Deadtown Series)
7. Amber Benson (Calliope-Reaper Jones series)
8. Anton Strout (Alchemystic)
9. Allison Pang (A Trace of Moonlight)

Sunday, October 14
Hall 1B
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM– GEEK GEEK REVOLUTION: THE SEQUEL
Location: Hall 1B 
Because one fight to the death wasn't enough, GGR: The Sequel brings you a whole new set of authors fighting for the right to be TOP GEEK in this no-holds-bared geek culture game show. In addition the audience members will be asked to 'write-in' questions in hopes of stumping the authors and winning a prize pack of books. Featuring: Anton Strout, Andrea Cremer, Beth Revis, and Myke Cole. Led by Queen Geek Colleen Lindsay


Saturday, October 27
Texas Book Festival

3:30-4:30 pm - With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility panel
Location: Capitol Extension Room E2.036

4:45 pm - Book Signing
Book signing tent

Final BLOODROSE Teaser, plus Saving Wolves!

One week! BLOODROSE is on sale in ONE WEEK!

It's a good thing the holidays keep me busy lest I be tearing my hair out waiting for January 3 to arrive. (Okay, I'm still tearing my hair out a little bit, but not as much as if it hadn't been the holidays).

Here is the last teaser before next Tuesday's release:

"One thing." He leaned down to whisper in my ear. "One thing that I'd always been afraid of. I still am."



As you've read the Nightshade series I hope it's been obvious how much I respect and admire wolves. They are beautiful, intelligent creatures with complex social relationships. If you follow environmental news, you may already know that gray wolves were recently delisted from the endangered species list. I'm deeply troubled by this decision. Humans and wolves have an ugly history; one that drove wolves to the brink of extinction. Since the delisting, wolf hunts are already being organized in Minnesota and across the country. Killing a wolf is not a sporting act. Wolves live in deeply connected communities. To kill a single wolf is to disrupt a family, a social system.

Because I'm committed to advocating for wolves, I've decided to tie in BLOODROSE to this action: for every picture of a reader and her/his new copy of BLOODROSE that is sent to me via email, Facebook, or Twitter I will make a $2 donation to Defenders of Wildlife.

And to up the stakes: If in its first days of release BLOODROSE climbs into the top 10 of the Barnes and Noble (and remember that B&N has an exclusive edition with additional content!) and/or Amazon rankings I'll up that donation to $3 per picture.

And finally: Because BLOODROSE is book 3, Nightshade moves from the New York Times Chapter Book list to the notoriously-difficult-to break-into Series list. If BLOODROSE hits in the top 5 of the NYT series list I'll increase my donation to $5 per picture.

I encourage you to support wolves and spread the word about the risks of taking gray wolves off of the endangered species list. I hope you're as excited as I am for next Tuesday. Thank you so much for sharing Calla and the packs' journeys with me!

Merry Christmas

Wishing you wonder and joy this season.



And for those who prefer their Christmases a bit more macabre, please enjoy this homage to Calvin and Hobbes

Hobbitses!!!

In case you haven't seen it!!!



Cannot wait!!!!!

BLOODROSE Teaser 3!

Two weeks! Two weeks!

In case you haven't seen it - the official BLOODROSE book trailer is live.


And here's your third soundtrack teaser:

"He needs to know you can make the wrong choice and still deserve a second chance."


The National - Afraid of Everyone


Wishing you a wonderful Christmas!

TREACHERY and BLOODROSE Teaser Two

Ansel's tale: Treachery (an e-special from Philomel) is available today! Buy at Barnes and Noble for Nook or Amazon for Kindle.

In honor of the novella's release, today's Bloodrose teaser features Ansel.

"My bones ached as I watched him. Why did it have to be Ansel who suffered?"

Time to Shine

Cool news: for aspiring authors out there Amazon and Penguin have announced today their 2012 Breakthrough Novel Award. And guess what? I'm a judge for YA entries!

If you have a manuscript that you've been itching to get out there - the next month is the time to really polish it to its shiniest, shine. Submissions for the award are accepted from January 23 to February 5.

I'm thrilled to take part in this award and I can't wait to see all the creative magic harnessed in these manuscripts!!!

Now get writing (and revising)!

One Month

It's December 3 that means we're within one month of BLOODROSE's publication date: January 3. In the lead up to the release I'll post a weekly soundtrack teaser, with music and a line from the book (no spoilers though! And not in chronological order - mwaa-haa-haa-haa!)

You should also check out Penguin Teen's Tumblr for more info and teasers leading up to January 3.

Hope you're as excited for the countdown as I am. 2012 here we come!

Week one BLOODROSE soundtrack teaser:

"Waves lapped the shoreline a few yards from where we lounged on the rocks."

Something Special

Exciting announcement! I'm so happy I can share this news: Barnes and Noble will release an exclusive addition of BLOODROSE on January 3 that features additional content. If you'd like to learn more about the Searchers and Keepers and weapons be sure to check it out :)

Leftovers

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

I hope you and yours were stuffed to the max of delicious T-Day goodness. My dad said something after we feasted that's stuck with me: "Thanksgiving is always good...but leftovers are awesome."

That got me thinking. I hosted Thanksgiving this year and I love the all-day cooking event it is. Wonderful smells waft through the kitchen and all over the house for hours. And with the delectable scents come so many memories. I love that I make stuffing using my grandmother's recipe. That we eat this weird cranberry marshmallow concoction we call "the pink stuff." I overcooked with purpose, knowing even before my dad said it that he was right. The leftovers are the best.

But it's not just roast turkey sandwiches and reheated stuffing. It's that every time I take a bite of that meal's remains I have a burst of those memories. Leftover from this Thanksgiving and so many Thanksgivings before.

Those are the leftovers for which I am truly thankful and why I anticipate the holidays with joy each year.

Slow

Though the summer lasted well into October - an aberration this far north - fall has finally, and suddenly arrived. When I wake what's left of the dry grass sparkles with light frost. The wind has a bite to it.
And the dark has come.

No longer do I wake to the sun, but instead must force myself out of warm blankets and into the day. My body wants to remain curled, conserving energy, instinctively wanting to protect itself against the oncoming winter.

While Minnesota winters usually last long enough to make one's bones ache, I still enjoy the shifting seasons. My body's reactions to cooling temperatures and brief daylight reminds me that I'm connected to the earth and its cycles.

As Samhain (Halloween) approaches it reminds me to prepare for the dark and the cold. To contemplate and act with measure.

Last Sunday I planted bulbs that in the spring, I hope, will offer beautiful blossoms. Even as winter approaches, the hope of spring and returning warmth remain present.
Wishing you a blessed autumn.

I Know, I Know...

I'm ridiculously behind on the blog - life has just been too busy. However, I'm full of ideas about things I want to blog about AND I'm a week away from my first international book tour. So I hereby promise to you that I will be blogging more soon and I will have pictures from my tour!

Thanks for hanging out with me even when I'm sadly absent from this page. I do miss blogging - this space in one in which I love to write.

If you're wondering where else you might connect with me and my life, I'm more frequently on Twitter and Facebook due to their facilitation of short online engagements!

Until a real blog post - here's a new favorite artist of mine, whose music is oft playing as I write RISE (Nightshade Prequel #2).



Also cool about Zola Jesus - she's a fellow Wisconsinite!

What's the Word

One of the big perks of being an author is spending time with other authors. Of course, we're scattered across the country so sometimes our conversations are through email, Skype, or Twitter. Three fantastic writers: Nathan Bransford, J. Scott Savage, and James Dashner had the brilliant idea to put those conversations online. I was recently a guest on their Wordplay Podcast and you can have a listen yourself.

If you leave a comment on the podcast web site you could win a copy of Nightshade and Wolfsbane!

Italia!

I have exciting news to share! At the end of October I'm embarking on my first international tour. Thank you so much to my Italian publishers, De Agostini, and the Lucca Comics and Games Festival for inviting me to visit their beautiful country. You can find details on the festival here, where I'll be the patroness of Lucca's Halloween party! This looks to be the Halloween party of all Halloween parties, and given that Halloween is my favorite holiday I cannot wait!

If you happen to be in Italy, here is my tour schedule. I'll post more details as I have them!

October 28th, Friday: Milano
October 29th, Saturday: Bologna; Lucca, in the
evening
October 30th, Sunday: Lucca
October 31st, Monday: Lucca
November 1st, Tuesday: Lucca

Halloween in Italy! Davvero!

Win, Win

Lots of good news today! But before that - don't forget that it's Banned Books Week. Here's a link to the most frequently banned/challenged books of 2001-2010. Support libraries, booksellers, teachers, authors, and readers. Read banned books!!!

First - winners of the 5K contest. Congrats to:

Adriana

Emily Rose

Hayden

@vampirefan2 (via Twitter)

@BecksterMay (via Twitter)

Email your mailing address to andreacremerwrites @gmail.com and I'll get your prizes in the post!

Second, I've been keeping some awesome news under wraps for a while and now I can share: more books are on the way!!!

The official deal announcement from Publishers Weekly:

Cremer Goes Steampunk for Philomel Jill Santopolo at Penguin's Philomel imprint closed a North American rights deal for two new books by Andrea Cremer, author of the imprint's bestselling Nightshade series. Santopolo acquired the titles—one is the first book in a new steampunk series and the other is a second prequel to Nightshade—from agents Richard Pine and Charlie Olsen at Inkwell Management. The steampunk series, the first book of which is called The Inventor's Secret, is set in an alternate 19th century in which the American Revolution never happened and the British rule the world. Inventor's Secret is currently scheduled for fall 2013. The Nightshade prequel, Rise, is scheduled for summer 2013. (The final book in the original Nightshade series is coming out in January 2012, and Philomel has another Nightshade prequel already scheduled for fall 2012.

Here's a rundown of my publication schedule:

January 2012 BLOODROSE
Fall 2012 RIFT (Nightshade Prequel 1)
Spring 2013 INVISIBILITY CURSE w/David Levithan
Summer 2013 RISE (Nightshade Prequel 2)
Fall 2013 INVENTOR'S SECRET

So exciting!

Abundance

Happy Autumnal Equinox (Mabon) - night will soon outpace daylight, but I love this crisp, thrilling time of year where the air is alive and summer's carefree frolicking gives way to the steady rhythms of harvest.

Today I passed 5,000 followers on Twitter. That's still rather mind-bending to me and I'm so excited that so many friends here and on Twitter have joined me on this writing journey. To celebrate I'm holding a 5K follower contest and giving away 5 prize packs! 5 is a special number to me at this moment - not only do I have 5,000 Twitter followers but tomorrow I celebrate 5 years of marriage to my wonderful husband! So much to be thankful for!

In addition to a signed paperback of Nightshade, the prize packs include items that inspired Nightshade: Watership Down by Richard Adams (Calla's favorite book), Sandman by Neil Gaiman (Shay's favorite graphic novel), Zum Bar Sandalwood Citrus soap (From the first time I smelled this soap I instantly knew it was reminiscent of Ren's scent), and a blank notebook so you can begin, or continue, your own writing journey.

To enter: Tell me in the comments (or in a tweet) something that inspires you, if you're leaving your entry in the blog comments be sure to include an email where I can contact you. Winners will be randomly selected on Monday, September 26 so you have through the weekend to enter.

Thank you so much for being a part of my writing life - it means so much to have you here!

Years

When asked to recite a favorite quotation, mine is always the same: "There are years that ask questions and years that answer." - Zora Neale Hurston

On a day that stands in history as a marker of both tragedy and courage, like many I'm inclined to spend some time reflecting on the last decade. Rather than make assertions about global or national states of affairs, my thoughts today are about individual experience.

2001 was a bad year in my life. I was in the middle of a three-year stint working in Indianapolis, and my mind and heart were stagnating at work. Since my teens I've struggled with chronic depression and in the second half of 2001 that condition overwhelmed all aspects of my life. I took a leave of absence from work and went home to reassess my life and try to find the sense of purpose I'd lost. From that place of emotional struggle came some of the best decisions I've made. I realized that my passion for learning needed further attention and I determined to return to school full-time in pursuit of a doctorate. I learned that depression isn't something that can be ignored, but requires healing and vigilant self care.

In 2002 I applied to graduate programs. In 2003 I moved to Minneapolis and started work on my Ph.D. Four years later I finished my degree and began a fantastic job teaching history at Macalester College in St. Paul.

But the story of finding a path to my true passions and goals didn't end there. After one year of teaching at Macalester, in early summer of 2008, I was in a horseback riding accident that left me with a broken foot and orders to stay off my feet for twelve weeks. Stuck in my house and on the couch, I decided to pursue a long-delayed dream: writing a novel.

The next summer my fabulous agents at InkWell sold my debut novel NIGHTSHADE to Penguin.

After 9/11 it felt like the world was ending, and for most of 2001 I'd felt like my own life was in ruins too. But life is always unfolding. Years to come will have answers...and there will be more questions...which brings to mind another favorite quote:

"If you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

Steam what?

If you visit my web site: www.andreacremer.com You'll notice that listed under my current works in progress is a book called THE INVENTOR'S SECRET. IS is the first book in a new series I'm writing and genre of that series is steampunk.

When I mention the word steampunk I get one of two reactions: 1) AWESOME! 2) Steam what?

The first reaction reflects the hard-core enthusiasm of steampunk fans. The second reveals that while steampunk is slipping into the mainstream, it's still a relatively unknown genre. PBS created a web piece about steampunk that's the best quick tutorial I've seen and I'm delighted to share it with you:



As a historian, steampunk is a dream genre for me because it means I'm able to reimagine history while engaging the issues and questions I find most compelling about the past, and I can create all the maniacal and fantastic, beautiful and terrible guns and gadgets I desire. And the clothes! I debuted a steampunk outfit of my design at Comic Con, and I predict much more steampunk fashion in my future.
So that's a little bit on what steampunk is and it's one of the worlds I'm currently living in. That's all I can say about that...for now....