Taking Risks Contest

What are you afraid of? How can your fears hold you back?

These questions become very important as you make choices about life and who you want to be in the world. Fear keeps many of us from pursuing dreams.

Super Reader Girl just posted an interview where I discuss how terrifying it was to actually pursue my dream of becoming a writer. But if I'd never taken that risk I wouldn't have any of the joy I'm experiencing now with Nightshade's publication.Last week after BEA I did something else scary. Trapeze.

The Penguin offices in SoHo overlook the Trapeze School New York. When Editor Jill pointed the school out to me and I said "wow, I'd like to try that," she said "next time you're in town we'll go!"Editor Jill keeps her promises.Trapeze is scary. You have a little bit of practice.
But up on the platform you can see all the way to the Statue of Liberty.

Fortunately Abby is up there to reassure you -when you stretch your arm outand then both arms.The hardest part is right here, when you're leaning forward, toes over the edge of the platform and your heart is pounding.And that's when you have to jump. Yes, jump. Even though your blood is shrieking "no, no, no, no, no!" fueled by millenia of survival instincts.

But if you don't jump, you can't fly.And flying is worth the risk.
You just have to believe in yourself.And if you're like Editor Jill you can even fly upside down. Go Jill!! (I couldn't quite get the upside down, but next time I will!)
And remember there are people cheering you on - here's our teacher, Evan.
If you don't leap you'll never soar. And you need to remember that it's okay to fall. Everyone ends up in the net, but that doesn't mean you won't fly again.
It's June - a new month, leading us to summer. And it's time for a new giveaway. At BEA I had the joy of meeting so many amazing readers and writers all aspiring to wonderful dreams.

The characters in Nightshade face a number of their deepest fears to overcome obstacles. To win a signed Nightshade ARC leave a comment below describing something you'd like to try but are afraid to (like trapeze!) be it bungee jumping, writing a story, climbing a mountain.

The winner will be drawn randomly on Friday!

BEA: Day 3

Day 3 was really full and will take up a few posts.

But let's start with the morning. I snapped a few pictures of my favorite BEA objects

the Penguin mini

the giant Abrams typewriter

and the Vlad Tod steps!

Then it was on to the signing. Thanks to Editor Jill and Publicist Sarah for shuttling me around and getting everything set

Thanks to Agent Richard for cheering me on and letting me get him to pose with giant Nightshade. I am officially obsessed with giant Nightshade.
And a HUGE thanks to all the lovely BEA goers who came to say hello!

Signing was fun

I signed 150 books in 50 minutes - there was a line! Amazing!

But my hand didn't cramp up
And it was pretty much a hoot and a half :) Thanks, Jill Bailey, for the fabulous purple Sharpie - the perfect Nightshade signing implement!

I'll be posting more about BEA after I've had a chance to catch my breath. Also coming soon: I visit an aircraft carrier (yes for real) and do trapeze without dying (also for real).

BEA: Day 2

Wow! BEA is a whirlwind. I was so busy I haven't taken all the pictures I want, but promise more tomorrow. For now I'm happy to report that the Paranormal Panel was awesome. I met a bunch of book bloggers - yay!!! - thanks so much for coming to the panel guys :) I'm waiting for group photos to be emailed to me and then I'll post them.

Update - hooray: Agent Charlie posted a pic on his web site!

I think I even managed some coherent thoughts beyond "OMG I can't believe I'm on stage with Richelle Mead and Holly Black!"

And the Penguin Booth has a giant Nightshade!!! So of course I had to get pics of that.This is me and Don Weisberg - who I love - he's the President of Penguin Young Readers.

And here's Team Nightshade (or at least three key pack members) Editor Jill, me, and Agent Charlie. Agent Richard came to the panel too (thanks Richard!!!) but he'd ducked out before pics. Sneaky.

More to come - and remember, if you're around BEA on Thursday I'm signing ARCs in the Penguin Booth from 10 - 11 a.m.

BEA: Day 1

Arrived in New York this afternoon and apparently made a good impression on the hotel desk staff (the note says: Congratulations! Have fun! Enjoy! Go get 'em!)
Had a fabulous time at the ABC Not-a-Dinner and (Mostly Silent Auction), where Heather Brewer, me, and Ally Condie had a red carpet moment

And I got to hang out with my amazing editor Jill

and awesome publicist SaraTomorrow: to the Javits Center!

Not About Lost

The blog/tweetosphere is run amok with reactions to the Lost series finale.
Me? Ummmm....I stopped watching Lost after the second season.
Gasp!

It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but I just didn't quite fall in love the way I need to if I'm going to remain loyal to a show.
For example, if you want to hear my theory about what happened at the season finale of Supernatural I'd be happy to share :)

Now that TV business is taken care of, this post has a two-fold purpose.

One to share a GIGANTIC thank you to my wonderful hosts and dinner companions of last week. I had a wonderful time and though it hardly seemed possible am even more excited about October now than I was before.

My last stop was Chicago - one of my favorite cities.
I love the river
and the architecture.
I even had the joy of being caught out in a thunderstorm. That's not sarcasm - I love being caught out in the rain; it imparts a pure ecstasy of life in the moment ;)

I'd like to thank in particular my teen blogger/readers who came to dinner. My soul sistah Zoe!I know - we really could be sisters?! Right? :)

Hallie - who told me she hid Nightshade under her pillow so she could sneak reads when she was supposed to be doing her homework! And Kristen whose blog I'm so excited to read :) Thanks so much for your enthusiasm and kind words about the series!!

The second purpose of this post is to ask a favor. I'm heading to New York tomorrow for BEA. It's my first book convention and I'm sure there will be tons to report, but I'd like to know what you would like to hear about? What BEA buzz should my blog posts send back yonder?

One last item of note: The Frenetic Reader is giving away an ARC of Nightshade! Hurry over for your chance to win :)

Wishes

So remember a few posts ago when I was wishing I could go to a book fair?
The universe was listening.

I've heard from Penguin that I'll be at the Book Expo America in New York City from May 25 - 27. Woo-hoo!!

I knew this trip was a possibility, but the reality of being their is more thrilling than I can say. Last year I posted about BEA and how much I hoped to be there someday. It's hard to believe that in a single year so much has happened. I'm filled with gratitude and joy.

For anyone who is attending BEA and wants to say hi, I'm on a panel with Richelle Mead (I KNOW can you believe it!!) at the Downtown Stage in the Jarvits Center on Wednesday at 11 a.m.
On Thursday I'll be signing ARCs in the Penguin Booth at 10 a.m. That's right - signing ARCs. Squeeeee!!!!

For the rest of the conference I'll be hanging out with awesome Editor Jill, meeting up with Tenners (woot!) and hopefully getting to know lots of other awesome book people ;)

I feel like a little kid who's so excited they run in crazy circles until they fall down. I'm falling down now. *faints*

Go, Go Graphic Novel!

In further tales of ALA, BEA buzz, the belle of the ball seems to be David Small's graphic novel, Stitches.
I wasn't a comic book kid, though I do have fond memories of perusing my piano teacher's children's cast-off stacks of X-Men while I was waiting for my mom to pick me up. So when it comes to comics and graphic novels I feel like a newbie trying to sneak into a venerated and esoteric society.
I stumbled into the land of graphic novels by way of loyalty to Buffy the Vampire Slayer. When Joss Whedon announced the series would continue in Season 8 with Dark Horse Comics, I'd signed up months before the first issue was out.

And I loved the new format instantly. Graphic novels are an incredible medium of communication. The monumental devotion that fans of Neil Gaiman's Sandman display are enough of a testimony to the depth and strength of writing and worlds built by creators of the graphic medium.

With the growing interest in graphic novels, publishers and marketers alike are bringing more and more of the medium to an ever-growing audience.

There's even a Twilight graphic novel in the works.

My question then becomes how does one go from writer to writer of graphic novels/manga? One of my favorite YA authors, Melissa Marr, has manga in the works that complement her novels.

My only brush with this medium is the comic I made for my husband's birthday last year. And while I'm still blushingly proud of the creation, it hardly makes me a graphic novelist.

Who is the keeper of the bridge between novelists and graphic novelists? How does one cross over, or preferably, live a writing life on both sides?