Heathen much?

A happy and blessed Beltane!

Beltane, sometimes called May Eve, is one of the eight Sabbats. If you want to celebrate right, you should get yourself to Scotland for the Fire Festival.
If you're interested in gaining eternal beauty, be sure to climb the highest hill in your neighborhood and wash your face in the morning dew.

Pagan lore plays a big part in Nightshade's world, but since my book isn't available until October (Samhain anyone??) I thought today would be a good day to recommend some of my favorite books that are steeped in history and the old ways.

Melissa Marr's Wicked Lovely series is gorgeously written and thoroughly researched, reflecting Melissa's graduate work in gender studies and a sharp eye for folklore. It's a good time to start reading her work too - as the fifth book in the series, Radiant Shadows, was just released.

Maggie Stiefvater gained fame for her wolfie Shiver series, but her first books focused on the realm of faerie. Lament and Ballad are wonderful and heartbreaking. Pick them up!

And just 'cause I'm always a bit evil, I'll recommend another 2010 debut that releases a month before my own baby. Brenna Yovanoff's The Replacement is delicious and dark, frequently terrifying and not for the faint of heart, offering an original and haunting depiction of faerie seeping into our world. Brenna and I are Penguin buddies and I'm thrilled that both our books are featured as part of the Penguin Five promotion (I will post more on what that means soon).(Yes, I have an ARC, and yes I just might be giving it away in a contest...If you think the cover looks cool here, wait till you see it in person. Soooooo shiny and beautiful!)

Have a wonderful May Eve and if the books above don't make it clear - you should not mess with the Fey.

Death and the Dandelion

Today - a tie-in to the spring flowers post with this caveat: apologies to any lawn warriors out there - I'm sorry, but I don't see the world the way Scott's turf builder worshipers do.

That said, when I was out walking & taking photographs of spring's bouquet the other afternoon, I also saw this.
One of my neighbors was systematically going through his yard and the green space on the curb, pulling out offending dandelions and tossing their carcasses on the pavement.

And it made my heart hurt.

Plants jerked from the soil, roots and all; left to die in heaps, like garbage.

I'm not a big fan of the designation "weeds" for many a wildflower. I understand that some people like uniformity and neatness.

But to me, dandelions are pure joy.
How can you not love that brilliant, sunshine yellow. And after the lemony brightness fades, you have a bloom full of wishes waiting to happen.
Where is the bad?

Yet dandelions are cast offs. They are yanked from the earth and scorned. I don't like it. I choose to cherish dandelions no matter how often they are cursed by lawn tyrants. Grass isn't natural. Dandelions are.

One of my favorite snippets of wisdom comes from Thich Nhat Hahn:

I have lost my smile, but don't worry.
The dandelion has it.
Somehow I believe the world would be a better place if we all could keep this thought in mind.

Scarcity

I'm terrible at waiting. Patience is a virtue I lack. So as you can imagine waiting for my book's release in October is hard. Very hard. I feel guilty in saying this because in the world of publishing my book sale and release happened incredibly fast. But the waiting is still hard.

Spring chides me for this impatience.

I'm a goal-oriented person. I work fast and obsessively, which is good because it means I accomplish a lot quickly. But there's a price to be paid for being oriented always toward the horizon.

It's too easy to miss what's happening in the moment.

Unlike most years where dirty slush gives way to sudden hot weather, Minnesota is experiencing a phenomenon: spring. We're finally getting a taste of this elusive season.

Spring is precious because of its rarity and brevity. The earth and air crackle with energy as slumbering plants burst to life. I can't help but pause, enjoying each moment that leaves unfurl and flowers peek out of the dark soil.

Some of my favorite blooms appear, ever so briefly, in this season:

the unassuming grace of lily of the valleythe intoxicating perfume of lilac
the sweetness of tulips
the tender petals of narcissa
the joyful scent of apple blossoms

I'm trying my hardest to remember to pay attention and enjoy them because I know sooner than I imagine the fleeting beauty of spring flowers will give way to the lush riot of summer blossoms. Infant leaves of sparkling green will mature to rich emeralds by June.

Spring is a gift. No matter what I'm waiting for, I don't want to miss this season.

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*

Picture This

A frequent question I get is "if there was a movie who would your dream Nightshade cast be"?

It's a super fun game to play and I do have answers. But before I give them, I have a qualifier:
It's really, really important to me that readers envision characters the way they want to. The people I'll mention here are just my ideas - but I love that every person that encounters the Nightshade pack will have their own picks.
Those who follow me on Twitter know that I've had Ren pegged for a long time. I am also engaged in an epic battle with Rachel (aka LadyHawkins) auteur extraordinaire of Hex Hall for the heart of Ben Barnes. You will never have him Rachel!!!
But Shay was eluding me. And how it pained me that I couldn't find anyone who captured the way I'd imagined him!! Then the lovely Mitali (aka AlleyofBooks) introduced me to this guy:
One Max Irons.

And he is PERFECT for Shay. *Swoons* I am sooooo happy. Thanks, Mitali!!

So there are the two lovely boys vying for Calla.

As for Calla herself, She was tricky too. The model they found for the cover was perfect. In terms of actresses, the closest I've seen of the way I imagine Calla is this photo of Dianna Agron: And there you have it.
Those are my picks - I'd love to hear yours!

Winner!!

Thanks so much for the wonderful birthday wishes for my mom and your thoughts about music. My mom printed them out to save - she loved them so much! Thanks for making her birthday extra special :)

And now for the winner - chosen using the Randomizer!

Jessica (jessring)! You win a signed ARC of Nightshade. Congrats!!!

I'm sending you an email now.

The next Nightshade giveaway won't be until June because my May travel schedule is insanity. But if you're looking for a chance to snag an ARC there are two other contests to check out.

Penguin Teen is giving away Nightshade on Facebook.

And Books Obsession is giving away two (yes, TWO!) Nightshade ARCs!

Thanks again for all the entries!!!

Birthday Today & To Be Contest

Six months from today Nightshade hits bookshelves!! So in a way it's Nightshade's -6th months birthday! No matter how I look at it, the six month countdown feels like a milestone. I can't wait 'til October!

Today, however, is another, actual birthday. April 19 is my mom's birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

I have a wonderful mom to whom I am very close. I am greatly indebted to my mom for instilling of a love of literature in me. I have innumerable happy memories of being read to when I was small. My favorite read aloud books that my mom read to me and my brother are The Hobbit, The Chronicles of Narnia, and The Dark is Rising series.

My mom is a giver. She's more of a giver than anyone else I know, which makes her perfect for her profession. She's a music teacher. She directs the high school choirs in Ashland, including show choir. Go Glee!

So my love of music is a gift from my mom too. Thanks Mom!

To enter this contest all you have to do is send my mom (Mrs. Robertson) happy birthday wishes in the comments of this blog post.

If you want your name to be entered into the drawing TWICE - leave the happy birthday message and a brief note about why music is important to you :)

I'm taking entries until midnight! Tomorrow I'll draw a random name for the winner of a signed Nightshade ARC!