I'm a celebrity (in my own mind)

I was on TV. Does that make me famous? :p

Tuesday morning I left my house before the crack of dawn to drive to Sacramento (CA), which is an hour and a half from where I live. Since I live in the middle of nowhere, however, it is my local TV market. We get all the Sacramento stations. I made the trek because I was invited to do a segment on the local ABC affiliate's morning show, Sacramento & Company. The hosts of the show were very friendly, and honestly, I was way too tired to be nervous. (I was up until after 4am the night before finishing up line edits on Original Sin and then had to get up at 5 to drive to Sacramento.)

So, for those of you not in the Sacramento viewing area, here's the interview. Watch at your own risk. =)

Who wants a signed Melissa Marr book?

I promised you a Smart Chicks contest, and here it finally is!

I had a blast at Smart Chicks when they visited Keplers Books in Menlo Park. (Where, incidentally, I will be signing with Sophie Jordan and Kiersten White this coming Monday.) There were shenanigans, and prizes, and books! What else could anyone ever want? Melissa Marr has been wonderful about promoting Personal Demons. She recommended it on her blog back in March and she's currently giving away six signed ARCs.

You've already heard me swoon all over her and tell you she's my biggest writing influence. So, I, of course, went all fangirl when I met her and had her sign all my books!

And guess what? I had her sign one for you too!!! Here's your chance to win a signed hardcover of Radiant Shadows, the fourth book in the Wicked Lovely series.

If you haven't read this series, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I love all the books, but am partial to Ink Exchange (#2).

In her contest post, Melissa says Luc reminds her of Irial, her favorite of her Dark characters. I take that as a huge complement, because her Dark boys (Irial and Niall) from Ink Exchange are my all time favorite bad boys. The second book in my Personal Demons series, Original Sin, just went to production yesterday. It's very dark, and I worried it might be too dark. But every time I felt myself wavering, I thought to myself, what would Melissa Marr do? She made me fearless and let me tell the story that Luc and Frannie needed to tell.

So, I'm very excited that I can offer up a signed copy of Radiant Shadows for one lucky winner. To enter, you must be a follower and leave a comment below by Wednesday, October 6th (midnight PST). You get one extra entry if you follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez). Only one entry per person, please.

Good luck and happy reading! =)

Something funny happened on the way to the Kindle store.

A fellow Tor author, Ken Scholes, writes adult epic fantasy. Antiphon, the third book in his series, The Psalms of Isaak, released on the same day as Personal Demons. It takes place in an amazing world of deception and danger. Sort of like Personal Demons. But REALLY DIFFERENT. So it came as a huge shock to his readers who bought the Kindle edition of Antiphon to suddenly be dumped into Luc's apartment in chapter 16.

You read that right. The original Kindle edition of Antiphon is intact through chapter 15, but then cuts to Personal Demons chapter 16. Chapters 16-23 are my chapters and then it returns to Antiphon at chapter 24.

Tor and Amazon are working to fix the problem, which appears to have happened someplace in Amazon's reformating of the ebook files into Kindle format.

But! For all you Kindle readers, you get a bonus out of this. Ken has written a chapter 15.5 to Antiphon (and I contributed a very small portion) that is available as a free Kindle download. It's titled Chapter 15.5: Intersections and Interlopers: When Antiphon met Personal Demons. It's quite funny and there are a few characters you know in there. =) 

September Debut Contest Winner!!!

It’s that time again! Time to announce the winner of my September Debut Contest! And, remember, this winner is a DOUBLE WINNER!! Not only do they get a signed copy of Personal Demons, be also another awesome September debut signed by my fabulous writing buddy, Kody Keplinger! Thanks right! The DUFF!!!

But before I click the randomizer for the number of the lucky winner, there were a few questions in the comments, so here are your answers.

RJ asks: Question who was more fun to write about? Luc, Gabe, Franny, friends or family? Or is it all the above???
I love all my characters, but I’ve never had more fun than writing from inside a demons head. Luc was the funnest character to write. =)

squinto asks: How did you come up with the mythology for Personal Demons?
I wanted to keep Personal Demons contemporary, so I did a lot of research on lore and mythology and then put a modern twist on it. An example is the bureaucracy of Hell. I took demon hierarchy and twisted it. Luc works in the Acquisitions department and gets offered a promotion for tagging Frannie’s soul.

Abhishek Duggal asks: Which is the book that is closest to your heart?
There are so many I truly love, but my answer would have to be JRR Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings.

Okay! So, the winner…

*clicks randomizer*

The winner of signed copies of Personal Demons and The DUFF is…

Kelsey!

*throws confetti*

Congrats! I will email you for your mailing addy!

If you didn’t win, never fear! Melissa Marr is giving away SIX signed Personal Demons ARCS on Rath & Ruins! See the list under the blog header for other contests! And don’t forget to check back here on October 1st for the October Debut Contest for another chance at Personal Demons! :p

Happy Anniversary, Suzie!!

A few weeks ago, I posted on how clicking the send button on my query to my truly fabulous agent changed my life. Today is the official one-year anniversary of my signing with the rockstar, Suzie Townsend.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that less than a year later we’d have Personal Demons on the shelves. (and I’m sure neither did she) But she’s the Suzinator: kicking publishing butt and taking names. She’s also an editorial genius. When I went back to check dates (yes, I've saved every email) and looked at some of her notes, I realized that everything she asked me to revise before we went on submission (and I thought I did) were the same things that the editors that gave us revision notes asked for even more of. She's always available (we think she's a vampire cuz she never sleeps) and is cheerleader extraordinaire.

So this is for Suzie. Imagine it's Red Velvet. =)

Thanks for all your hard work, Suzie! You totally rock!

The Great YA Bake Sale of 2010 Winner!

First, I want to remind all you Seattlites that I'll be signing at Third Place Books tonight! (6504 20th Ave NE) Please come out and see me! Otherwise it will just me, reading my book to myself, which would just be sad. =(

So, The Great YA Bake Sale of 2010 (aka: The Most Epic Contest in the Universe) has come to a close. There were nearly 600 entries, 95 of which were right here on the blog! (Told you! I have the bestest followers evah!) With over 10 YA authors offering up signed books and swag, it's no wonder! The Grand Prize winner is Arena Blake! Congrats!!!!

Arena won all this!
A signed copy of Cyn Balog’s SLEEPLESS
Bookmarks for KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis
Signed bookmarks for THE CRESCENT and HALF MOON, pencils, and a crescent moon and crystal-studded star necklace from Jordan Deen
A (signed?) copy of THE BODY FINDER, a THE BODY FINDER tote bag, sticker and bookmarks from Kimberley Derting
An EVERLASTING-themed notebook, bookmark and pin from Angela Frazier
A signed copy of CLAIRE DE LUNE, signed stickers and a silver, moon-themed bookmark from Christine Johnson
A signed copy of SHADOWED SUMMER, matching chocolate candies, Twilight-themed heart candies, bookmarks and THE VESPERTINE dance card from Saundra Mitchell
A signed copy of THE PACE, by Shelena Shorts, along with bookmarks and THE PACE pencils
A signed hard-cover of SHADE and a Keeley Brothers pin from Jeri-Smith Ready
A signed copy of PERSONAL DEMONS, a PERSONAL DEMONS tank top, Team Luc and Team Gabe temporary tattoos, and bookmarks from Lisa Desrochers
. . . AND MORE!!!

The winners of the individual prize packs are forthcoming. With 600 entrants, it's taking the mastermind, Christine Johnson, (Claire de Lune) a while to run each contest through the randomizer.

The winner of the signed copy of Personal Demons, plus the delux Personal Demons swag pack will be announced here on the blog SOON! And, if you haven't yet entered, remember that my September Debut Contest closes at noon Friday! Don't miss your chance for a signed copy of The DUFF by my most excellent buddy, Kody Keplinger and a signed copy of Personal Demons! wOOt!

Smart Chicks Tour!

I was lucky enough to be able to go to see the Smart Chicks the other night at the Kepler's event in Menlo Park. The event did not disappoint. All the authors were fabulous. I'd met Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl before and found them hilarious. The others were all very funny and very nice!

If you've followed my blog, you've heard me swoon all over Melissa Marr. I’m a total fangirl. She’s been the single biggest influence on my writing, so one of the most exciting moments of my entire publishing experience to date was finding out that she'd read Personal Demons--and liked it! I almost fell out of my chair when she recommended Personal Demons to her readers and I was beyond thrilled to finally have a chance to meet her. She's currently giving away 6 signed ARCs of Personal Demons on her fan site, Rath and Ruins.

Pictures and a Melissa Marr contest are forthcoming, so watch the blog for details in the next few days. In the meantime, here are some highlights from the event courtesy of the Smart Chicks blog!

What people way cooler than me are saying about Personal Demons

While I'm catching my breath from the whirlwind of the last week, I wanted to take a minute to thank everyone who's taken time to read Personal Demons! I thought I'd post links to reviews that I've stumbled across in the blogosphere. I'm sure there are others that I haven't found, so if yours isn't listed and you'd like me to link it, leave a comment below. For your convenience, I've also created pages (see links under the header) for appearances, reviews, interviews, and blurbs.

(To read the full review, click the blog link next to the quote.)

"The characters were real and funny, the plot was “Damn, girl,” and the ending was like “F*#%, now I gotta go hooker myself out to the publisher so I can get the sequel SOON!” The Naughty Book Kitties

"Action, romance, deception & sexiness! This book had a little bit of everything." The Story Siren

"Personal Demons is a delicious new entry in the Heaven vs. Hell theme." Mundie Moms

"With strong writing, two great view points, a striking plot, and great, enjoyable characters, Personal Demons is a fantastic read that is a mixture of light and dark." A Good Addiction

"The plot of Personal Demons was spellbinding." YA Addict

"Honestly, one of the best YA's I have read all year." Wicked Lil Pixie

"There is romance, tension and intrigue all with a PG rating." BookHounds

"It's a fast paced read, and very well written." Cem's Book Hideout

"Ms. Desrochers has written a fast-paced, sucks-you-in, steamy story that you don't want to end." The Bibliophilic Book Blog

"Personal Demons was so unique and amazing." IB Book Blogging

"Let’s just say that Ms. Desrochers has a future on my bookshelf." Musings From the Slush Pile

"This is a must read for fans of the Paranormal Romance Young Adult Genre!" Reading, Writing and Waiting

"The action in this story was genuine, making it more than just a love story." [Bloggers [[Heart]] Books]

"Great job to Desrochers on writing such a fun, intriguing, sexy book as her debut novel!" Kiss My Book

SPEAK Loudly!!!

I have to say, I really don't understand what's wrong with people sometimes. Back in March, I posted on two books that I believed were must reads for all teenage girls. One of those books was Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Now, that book is under attack for being "soft porn" by someone who is obviously clueless as to the dangers of book banning and censorship just because the subject matter might be disturbing.

Anderson's Speak deals with the rape of a high school girl and the downward spiral of her life, not only because of the act, but because of her fear of speaking out about it. It explores tough issues and ultimately sheds light on how ugly things can get and the importance of speaking out. Not only is Speak NOT pornography, but I view it, and other books like it, as a golden opportunity for parents to talk to their children about these unsettling issues openly in a safe environment. I have two teenage daughters and they will both be reading this book.

I won't quote Wesley Scroggins post on the subject, but this is Laurie Halse Anderson's response to it.

Please don't let narrow minds rule the day. Fight censorship.

Personal Demons Amazing Race winners!

Before I announce the Personal Demons Amazing Race winners, I have to tell you that LUC has a list on Goodreads! It's "The Sexiest Immortal Males of All Time" and people voted for him! He's like, #25 or something. If you're a Luc fangirl, and a Goodreads member, click on over there and vote for Luc =)

So, the Personal Demons Amazing Race officially came to a close at midnight last night. Thanks to the multitudes of you who followed the race through all seven stops, collected your words, and strung them into the Personal Demons tag line:

Most who entered got the phrase right.

So, without further adieu, the winner of Gabe's Heaven prize pack, which includes a signed copy of Personal Demons, an iPod Shuffle with the Personal Demons playlist pre-loaded, a Personal Demons tank top, bookmarks, Team Luc and Team Gabe tattoos, and cool marshmallow (get it--like clouds) candies, is...

*drumroll*

~~*~**~*~~*~~*Jessy~*~~~**~*~*~~~*~~

And the winner of Luc's Hell prize pack, which includes everything above, except substutute cinnamon red hots for the marshmallows (when you read PD you'll know why :p)  is...

*~~*~~~*~**~Katie Butler~~~**~~*~**~*~

*throws virtual confetti* (cuz I don't want to clean the real stuff up)

Congrats to the winners!!! I'll be emailing you.

And thank you to everyone who followed the Personal Demons Amazing Race and entered! If you didn't win, you can still enter my September Debut Contest for a chance to win signed copies of both Personal Demons and The DUFF by my amazing friend, Kody Keplinger!

Personal Demons Release Day Recap! (aka: You guys totally rock!!)

The last few days have been a wild ride and I’m totally exhausted (in a good way). I woke up Tuesday to an exploding inbox and Twitter @replies with well wishes from so many of you! There were also tons of pictures of Personal Demons sightings!

This came from Tricia. It’s Personal Demons in the Redlands, CA Barnes & Noble:

And then there was this one from my agent sister, Ingrid, of Personal Demons hanging out on the shelves at Books Inc. in San Francisco:

My brother sent this one from Borders in Mission Viejo, CA:

And my buddy, Courtney Moulton (Angelfire, Feb 2011) sent this one from Barnes & Noble in Michigan:

I was so happy to see my book out there making friends with Maggie’s, Suzanne’s, Margie & Kami’s and Becca’s books. And so many others! There were so many pictures of so many books that, for a second, I thought the stores must have gotten me mixed up with Stephenie Meyer.

So, I went to work (yes, I still have a day job) all giddy and talked about my book to all my patients. (I may or may not have shown them all the pictures.) And then I rushed home to catch the first 15 minutes of my daughter’s volleyball game:

before I had to head to my local Barnes & Noble for my launch day signing:

My publicists are so sweet and surprised me by having a cake waiting for me at B&N. It was adorable, with devil horns on one side and angel wings on the other. I was stupid and didn’t snap a shot before it was decimated, but here it is:

My husband had this made for me. It’s all etched and hand painted. Beautiful.

Lots of wonderful people came out to buy Personal Demons, including some of my fab Tweeples. This is Molly (but call her Momo).

I came home and collapsed into bed without dinner (I sort of forgot to eat) and spent yesterday decompressing. (read: slept late)

Overall, Personal Demons launch day was fun and exciting. I want to thank all of you so much for your congratulations and well wishes. And a special thanks for those of you who found Personal Demons in the wild and snapped shots (and maybe even bought a copy). *hugs* I can never thank you enough for your support and encouragement! You guys totally rock!

So, as a thank you, don't forget you have a chance to win one of two grand prize pack, including a signed copy and an iPod Shuffle with the Personal Demons playlist! Today is the last day to enter the Personal Demons Amazing Race! Don't miss your chance! And thank you all soooo much!!

Personal Demons Amazing Race finish line!

Because this got a little buried in my academy award speech yesterday, I'm unearthing it and posting it on its own.

You only have until midnight tomorrow (PST) to enter the Personal Demons Amazing Race contest by posting your entry in the form below. There are a ton of responses already, but I know there were more of you participating. So, here's the deal: You should now have 13 words which make up a quite obvious Personal Demons question. First, make sure you've commented on each of the tour blogs. (see list at the top of my sidebar) Then, enter the question, along with your answer, on the form below by midnight PST on Thursday (9/16) for your chance at one of two Grand Prize Packs! Both packs include an iPod Shuffle loaded with the Personal Demons playlist, a signed copy of Personal Demons and a ton of swag!

Don't miss out!



Good luck!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PERSONAL DEMONS!!! And the Amazing Race Finish Line!

Wow. I may or may not be shaking a little. I can't believe it's release day for my baby. But there are soooo many people who deserve at least as much (if not way more) credit than I do for getting PD out into the world. Many of them are in my acknowledgements, and others, I've already thanked publicly here on the blog, but I feel the need to do it again, because I am SO grateful for all the support and encouragement I've gotten from this fabulous group of people.

First, of course, is my family. My husband has been truly amazing. I work my day job, then come home and am on the computer all night. He's picked up the slack (shopping, cooking, cleaning, kids) without ever once commenting about it. Even though he doesn't "get" the whole YA teenage girl thing, he's read my work and been a source of encouragement and support. Without him, there's no way any of this would be possible.

My girls are my greatest source of inspiration, and it was my oldest daughter's love of reading that inspired me to write in the first place. I have no doubt that Personal Demons would not exist if it weren't for her.

My truly fabulous agent, Suzie Townsend, is a rockstar. There's no way I can ever thank her enough for all her tireless work on my behalf and for believing in me and my writing enough to take that initial leap of faith.

Course, Suzie'd still be dropping off that cliff if my seriously cool editor, Melissa Frain, hadn't also had enough faith in my work to sign that book deal. She's taken something I loved and helped me make it into something I hope all of you might love too.

I've been blessed with amazing critique partners. Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Oct. 2010), who is an amazing writer and just an overall great person, has helped me more than she'll ever know. She brings a whole new perspective to my work and picks up on things that I never would have thought of.

Stephanie Howard was the queen of real, and kept me on track.

My Big Sur group was the first to read PD when it was just an infant (only 10K words in) and their feedback gave me the confidence to finish writing it.

Jennifer Laughran, also at Big Sur, was generous with her feedback and time. If you've never met Jen, she doesn't bullshit, so when she told me she thought I had something, I believed her.

Then there's Nathan Bransford, who has no idea who I am. He scared the crap out of me by requesting a partial manuscript on the first query I ever sent (for a different novel). That didn't work out (cuz that other novel sucked at that time), but what I know is that I never would have found an agent, forget an editor, if it wasn't for the plethora of information for aspiring writers on his blog. I never even would have known where to begin. All that info didn't come free (well, it did to me, but not to him). He gives so much to the writing community, and all I have to give back is my thanks.

I get that this isn't like the academy awards or anything. It's just a book. But it's my book and, before I get the hook, I want to send my heartfelt thanks to every one of you who has supported me on this blog and followed me on Twitter and Facebook. I really love chatting with all of you. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you out on the road. You guys totally rock! I've got the bestest followers evah! :p

If you're around, come see me at Barnes & Noble in Modesto, CA tonight for launch, or Wednesday (9/22) at Third Place Books in Seattle. Check my website for other stops =)

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!

Now, for those of you who are only here to enter the PERSONAL DEMONS AMAZING RACE and had to suffer through all my drivel, I apologize. The last word you need to form the Personal Demons related sentence is choose.

You should now have 13 words which make up a quite obvious Personal Demons question. Make sure you've commented on each of the tour blogs (see list at the top of my sidebar) and enter that question, along with your answer, on the form below by midnight PST on Thursday for your chance at one of two Grand Prize Packs, including an iPod Shuffle loaded with the Personal Demons playlist, a signed copy of Personal Demons and a ton of swag!



Good luck and thanks again for all your support! You guys totally rock!

Personal Demons Playlist

Tomorrow!!! Tomorrow is Personal Demons release day! As much as I've been dying for this day to get here, now that it is, I'm terrified. *bites nails* I really hope you all go out and buy Personal Demons, and I hope you love it. =)

As promised, here is the Personal Demons playlist. And, just a reminder: If you want a chance at winning one of two iPod Shuffles with this very playlist pre-loaded, make sure to follow the Personal Demons Amazing Race, which ends right here tomorrow. My fabulous critique partner Andrea Cremer (Nightshade, Oct 2010) is today's stop and she's posted a Personal Demons playlist of her own! (See my sidebar for the blog stops. Be sure to comment on each of the stops for additional chances to win PD swag and to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE packs of a signed copy of PD and an iPod.)

So, the playlist. In addition to the Frannie, Gabe and Luc's songs that were posted last week, there are a few others that were overriding themes for the book that don't show up on the playlist below. The biggest are the two songs that embody the relationships between Frannie and her boys.

Gabe is sent to protect Frannie and never expects to fall in love with her. The song that best captures the nature of Frannie and Gabe’s relationship is Never Going to be Alone by Nickelback.


Where Gabe is peace and love, Luc is everything else: lust, passion, with this seductive energy that makes Frannie want him in all the wrong ways. Frannie and Luc’s relationship is based in deep-seated need with an underlying connection that neither of them understand. The song that best reflects this is Never Say Never by The Fray. The title, the lyrics—everything fits. This one got played on repeat for days on end, sometimes.


And here is the official Personal Demons playlist. As always, if you love any of these songs, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy them.

Personal Demons sightings on the rise! Officials fear epidemic.

Personal Demons officially releases on Tuesday! Did you hear me?? TUESDAY! That's in, like, two days!!! But sightings at Borders book stores all over the country are pouring in!

My only advice is to buy it as soon as you see it to keep the population in the wild under control. It's really the humane thing to do. Really.

Win an iPod Shuffle loaded with the Personal Demons playlist and a signed copy!

There is a totally awesome Personal Demons Amazing Race blog tour going on! You have a chance to win one of two grand prizes. Each includes an iPod Shuffle, a signed copy of PD and all the swag you could ever ask for, plus some Heaven and Hell related treats.

So here's what you have to do to be entered to win the Grand Prize packs:
1. Visit each tour stop.
2. Comment on each tour post.
3. Collect the 2 highlighted words from each post.
4. Collect the final word on my Tuesday post.
5. String the words together to form a Personal Demons related sentence. (Hint: It's actually a question.)
6. Enter that question along with your answer to it on the contest form in my Tuesday post.
Two winners will be chosen randomly from all correct answers to receive the grand prize packs including the signed books and iPods!

But, WAIT! There's more! Because you also have six chances to a Personal Demons swag pack.

One swag pack will be given away each day of the tour by six of the coolest up-and-coming YA authors I know. All you have to do to be entered to win the swag pack at each tour stop is comment on that post. Each author will choose a winner from the comments on their post. If you comment on each tour stop, that's SIX chances to win! (You could end up with all six of them!!!)

Here is the tour schedule. If you're starting late or missed a stop, you can go back and comment now and it will still count toward the Grand Prize!
Wed 9/8: Elana Johnson
Thurs 9/9: Carrie Harris
Fri 9/10: Myra McEntire
Sat 9/11: LiLa
Sun 9/12: Beth Revis
Mon 9/13: Andrea Cremer
Tues 9/14: It all ends right HERE

Lots of you started at Elana's, so be sure to hit Carrie's, Myra's and all the rest to be entered to win! Good luck!!!

Personal Demons Character Week: Supporting Cast

Shelby

Shelby has a major support roll. She’s a black 1968 Shelby Cobra GT 500. She bails Luc and Frannie out of trouble more than once. And, even though she’s Luc’s, Frannie can’t get enough of her. Frannie and her grandfather have been fixing up vintage Mustangs in his garage since Frannie was seven, and she probably knows more about the Shelby than Luc does.

Both boys have their toys, and Gabe’s is a white 2010 Dodge Charger—the perfect car for Frannie’s wingman—with a backseat and everything…

Taylor

Frannie’s best friend is a handful. She has dangerous taste in boys and, from the minute Luc sets foot in Haden High, she’s got him in her sights. Which is exactly why Frannie has always kept Taylor close. She could always count on Taylor to scoop the guy—a good thing, because the last thing Frannie wants to do is put her heart out there. But when Taylor goes after Luc, Frannie finds herself wishing she wouldn’t, and hoping that Luc doesn’t want her.

But what if he does?

Is Frannie ready to challenge her best friend for a guy who scares the hell out of her?


Riley
Riley is Frannie’s and Taylor’s accidental friend. Understated and a little shy, she believes adamantly in true love, and she’s convinced that Luc is Frannie’s “The One.” So, when Taylor makes her move on Luc, and Frannie turns to Gabe, Riley makes it her mission to “fix” things. At the same time, she’s hiding a secret of her own. She’s found her “The One.”

And it’s someone who will make her friend very, very unhappy.


Stay tuned for the full Personal Demons playlist on Monday! =)

Personal Demons Character Week: Who wants to be Frannie????

What can I say about Frannie? Personal Demons is really her story. The double entendre title refers to Frannie’s own personal demons, as well as the demon who’s trying to get personal. (That would be Luc, in case you didn’t catch that from Tuesday’s post.)

She’s experienced some pretty hard knocks in her young life—the death of her twin brother among the hardest. Because of this, she lives within carefully constructed walls to keep anyone from getting too close. She keeps everyone at a distance—her four sisters, her parents—and she’s chosen her best friend, Taylor, very carefully. Someone who won’t push for answers she’s not willing to give.


Her loss has also shaped her entire belief system. She doesn’t believe in God. She doesn’t believe in love.

So, how is it that when she gets close to Gabe, it feels like that’s what he’s made of—love? How can he make her feel something that doesn’t exist? He’s every girl’s dream…God knows he’s been in plenty of hers. And, he’s also clearly the safer choice, because Luc seems more like he could be every girl’s nightmare. Aside from his killer body and that wickedly beautiful face, there’s his dark energy. It scares the hell out of her but also speaks to her like some shadowy siren song that holds her and won’t let her go. A girl could lose control with him—which Frannie doesn’t do. Ever.

Frannie struggles with her belief in a higher power throughout the book, and the song that inspired her character is You Found Me by The Fray. Once again, if you love it, please buy it.

Personal Demons Character Week: No one told Gabe that angels aren't supposed to be HOT!

We interrupt this broadcast for a special announcement. Personal Demons has been spotted in the wild. Here it is at a Borders in southern California.

(thank you, Tricia, for the heads up book spotting) If you see Personal Demons in the wild your only defense it to buy it immediately. Otherwise, I can't be responsible for your crushing regret. ;p

And...one more public service announcement. If you want a chance to win one of two fabulous prize packs, each including a signed copy of Personal Demons, a iPod shuffle with the Personal Demons playlist pre-loaded, Personal Demons swag, and Heaven and Hell related treats, go to the fantabulous Elana Johnson's (Possession, Simon&Schuster, summer 2011) blog to start the Personal Demons Amazing Race! Follow the blog schedule and comment on the authors' posts everday for a chance to win PD swag packs! It all ends right here on Tuesday, Sept 14th! (release day, in case that slipped your notice)

We now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast...

Thanks to everyone who stopped by yesterday and got up close and personal with Luc. Today, we get into Gabe's head.

Gabe has one goal: to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It's his only purpose, and he's willing to do whatever it takes. Because Frannie possesses a unique skill set that has King Lucifer tingling with anticipation, and, if Lucifer gets his hands on her, it would mean the end of Heaven—and therefore Earth—as we know it.

So, what’s an angel to do when he shows up and finds Frannie falling for Luc?

Fight dirty.

But if he goes too far—far enough to lose his wings—he can’t protect Frannie, and he’s useless to her. So, the question is, how far is too far? Because, somewhere along the way he feels things change. What was just a job turns personal. He finds himself being drawn in—wanting her in ways he shouldn’t. And, when it becomes clear that she wants him too, he has to decide if he’s willing to risk his wings—and maybe Frannie’s soul—for what he wants.

Gabe has never before found himself in the position of questioning his purpose. But, with Frannie, the lines between duty and desire blur, and he struggles with basic questions of love and loyalty. He vows to always be there for her, no matter what, but what if keeping that promise means risking everything?

The song that most embodies Gabe is Breathe by Ryan Star. As always, if you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it. Enjoy!

Personal Demons Character Week: The hotness that is LUC!

We're one week and counting from Personal Demons release! ONE WEEK!!! *faints* So, as promised, I'm kicking off Personal Demons Character Week with my beautiful boys, starting with Luc.

Luc is a demon’s demon. He works in Acquisitions for Hell and has spent five millennia using every tool at his disposal to tempt teenagers down the fiery path. Frannie is just one more soul. Nothing special. But, from nearly the moment they meet, she makes him feel things. Things demons aren’t supposed to be able to feel. Things he can’t even begin to understand or articulate. But things that make him question everything that he is, nonetheless.


Problem is, King Lucifer has made it crystal clear that failure is not an option—unless, of course, he might enjoy dismemberment and an eternity burning in the Fiery Pit. He’s a demon, after all. You never know…

But he’s also a Creature of Pride, and when the angel Gabriel shows up, Luc knows Frannie’s soul is worth fighting for. He’s never failed yet, and he’s not about to start now. This time, however, the cost of the fight may be more than he's prepared for.

Luc, obviously, is very conflicted. His purpose is clear, and he’s never questioned it—until now. The song that shaped him as a character, and really inspired the whole book, is Savin' Me by Nickelback. If you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

Meet Frannie!!

To celebrate one week until release, I promised you Personal Demons Character Week. We’re kicking it off with Frannie! So, here it is! The last of three Personal Demons trailers! You’ve met my beautiful boys, Gabe and Luc. Now it’s Frannie’s turn!

*drumroll*



So? Which would you choose?

The Great YA Bake Sale of 2010 (aka: The Most EPIC Contest in the Universe!)

The lovely and talented Christine Johnson (Claire de Lune, Simon Pulse) has organized one the the most EPIC contests I've ever seen! Are you guys ready for this? No, you may think you are, but you're totally not. There's no possible way you could be!

Christine discovered that YA authors seem to have one big thing in common - an obsession with sweets and baking. She also thought that maybe our readers did too. So, she organized a group of us for The Great YA Bake Sale of 2010!

Here’s the deal:

To enter, simply leave a thoughtful comment on this post or any other participating author’s Bake Sale blog post, or tweet about the contest with the hashtag #YABakeSale10. Voila! You’re entered.

When you enter, you become eligible to win any one of the Personal Prize Packs (i.e. a comment on Saundra Mitchell’s blog may net you the Cyn Balog prize pack. You’re entering the whole contest, not just that particular author’s part of it.) You also become eligible to win the humongonormous Grand Prize Basket.

What’s in the Grand Prize Basket?

Each author has hand-written two copies of a favorite sweet-treat recipe. One copy has gone into a beautiful recipe book that is part of the Grand Prize Basket. In addition to the (hand-written! Did I mention that?) recipe collection, the Grand Prize winner will receive:

A signed copy of Cyn Balog’s SLEEPLESS
Bookmarks for KAT, INCORRIGIBLE by Stephanie Burgis
Signed bookmarks for THE CRESCENT and HALF MOON, pencils, and a crescent moon and crystal-studded star necklace from Jordan Deen
A (signed?) copy of THE BODY FINDER, a THE BODY FINDER tote bag, sticker and bookmarks from Kimberley Derting
An EVERLASTING-themed notebook, bookmark and pin from Angela Frazier
A signed copy of CLAIRE DE LUNE, signed stickers and a silver, moon-themed bookmark from Christine Johnson
A signed copy of SHADOWED SUMMER, matching chocolate candies, Twilight-themed heart candies, bookmarks and THE VESPERTINE dance card from Saundra Mitchell
A signed copy of THE PACE, by Shelena Shorts, along with bookmarks and THE PACE pencils
A signed hard-cover of SHADE and a Keeley Brothers pin from Jeri-Smith Ready
A signed copy of PERSONAL DEMONS, a PERSONAL DEMONS tank top, Team Luc and Team Gabe temporary tattoos, and bookmarks from Lisa Desrochers

. . . AND MORE!!! All for ONE LUCKY WINNER!

But that’s not all!

Each author has one other handwritten recipe that will be part of each author’s own Personal Prize Pack.

The prize packs include:
Cyn Balog - Signed copy of SLEEPLESS and a handwritten recipe for Coconut Bread.
Stephanie Burgis - UK paperback copy of A MOST IMPROPER MAGICK and a hand written recipe for Apple Muffins
Kay Cassidy - Hand-written recipe and giveaways
Megan Crewe - Hand-written recipe and giveaways
Shannon Delaney - Hand-written recipe and giveaways
Jordan Deen - Basket with Pampered Chef baking gear and a recipe for Orange Pineapple Cake
Kimberley Derting - Signed copy of The Body Finder, stickers, a totebag, bookmarks and a recipe for Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Lisa Desrochers - A signed copy of PERSONAL DEMONS, a PERSONAL DEMONS tank top, Team Luc and Team Gabe temporary tattoos, signed bookmarks and a recipe for Sunday Coffee Cupcakes
Angie Frazier - A signed hard-cover copy of EVERLASTING, bookmark, and a recipe for Butter Rum
Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting
Judith Graves - Copy of UNDER MY SKIN, a character card, and a recipe for Dead Lady Fingers
Christine Johnson - A signed hard-cover copy of CLAIRE DE LUNE, stickers, a silver moon-themed bookmark and a recipe for Chocolate-Chip Butterscotch Blondies
Saundra Mitchell - Recipe and giveaways
Jennifer Murgia - ANGEL STAR swag, Octogram earrings, and a hand-written recipe
Shelena Shorts - Signed copy of THE BROKEN LAKE and bookmarks and a hand-written recipe
Jeri Smith-Ready - SHADE UK paperback edition and a recipe for Scottish Oat Scones

Fine print: The contest entries must be posted by midnight eastern time on September 20th. This contest is open to the U.S., U.K. and Canada. Questions? Leave them in the comments.

Good Luck!!

Personal Demons Character Week

So, just...WOW! I can't believe how many of you have stopped by to check out the Personal Demons trailers! In two weeks Gabe has gotten over 900 views and Luc, in less than three days, is pushing the 550 mark. Hope you all like them and they've piqued your interest. On Monday, Frannie will make her appearance! I'll be debuting her trailer right here on the blog so be sure to check back!!

After Frannie's debut, the rest of the week will be devoted to Character Week! If you’ve visited this blog in the last six months, you’ve probably read the jacket copy for Personal Demons. It goes like this:

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She's spent years keeping everyone at a distance—even her closest friends—and it seems her senior year will be more of the same...until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can't seem to stay away from him. What she doesn't know is that Luc works in Acquisitions—for Hell—and she possesses a unique skill set that has the king of Hell tingling with anticipation. All Luc has to do is get her to sin, and he’s as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance.

Unfortunately for Luc, Heaven has other plans, and the angel, Gabe, is going to do whatever it takes to make sure that Luc doesn’t get what he came for. And it isn't long before they find themselves fighting for more than just her soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay…for all of them.

But, next week we’re going to get up close and personal with the characters, starting with my beautifully conflicted boys, Luc and Gabe. Then we'll check in with my seriously kick-ass, but very confused Frannie. We’ll also meet the supporting cast, Frannie’s best friends, Taylor and Riley. We’ll get into the character's heads a little to see what motivates them—and what haunts them.

Here's the line up:
Monday: Debut of FRANNIE'S TRAILER!!!
Tuesday: Luc
Wednesday: Gabe
Thursday: Frannie
Friday: Supporting cast
Monday: Full Personal Demons Playlist

Because I really want every reader to make my characters their own, I hadn't planned to include pictures. But then I was threatened with death by a certain few blog lurkers, who shall remain nameless, if I didn't. So...I have include pictures of what my characters look like (to me), their songs and their trailers.

And, because I love to interact with all my totally cool friends in the blogosphere, I'll also answer (spoiler free) questions about the characters in the comments section.

So, stay tuned. =)

September Debut Contest!!

So, you all know it’s September. And you all know which awesome book debuts in September. Yep. You guessed it.

The DUFF!!

Oh yeah, and also Personal Demons… *blushes*

So this month I’m doing something a little different. Instead of getting a choice of Personal Demons or another September YA debut, September’s Debut Contest winner will get BOTH books, signed by BOTH authors. (That would be moi and one of my bestest writing buddies, Kody Keplinger, in case you’ve been living under a rock.)

Other than that, the rules are the same as all year. All you have to do to enter is comment on this post by noon (PST) on Friday, September 24th. Nothing fancy, you can just say hi or ask a question. (I love to answer questions, especially about my books!) In addition to commenting (for which you get one point) you can accumulate extra points as follows:
Old blog follower: +3 points
New blog follower: +2 points
Follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) +2 points
Link to my contest post on your blog or twitter: +1 point
Dedicated post with link to my contest on your website/blog: +3 points
Add me to your blogroll: +2 points

Add up your points on your entry, and please remember to tell me how to find you (email address). And remember, there will be no rollover points. Points start new every month.

The winner will be chosen by the randomizer and posted on the blog after noon on September 24th.

Good luck!!!

You never know what little thing might change your life

It's September first! Time for my September Debut Contest! But...uh...well.... It will be up tomorrow! Promise! I'm working on something to make it extra FUN, so it will be worth the wait!

Thanks for checking in yesterday to catch the scorching-hot Luc trailer! All day, while Vania was editing and I was stalking my inbox, I was thinking about what a whirlwind the last year has been.

And then it occurred to me that it's been almost exactly a year.

Sunday marked exactly one year since I sent the query for Personal Demons to my truly fabulous agent, The Suzinator. It wasn't the first query I sent. Actually, it was the ninteenth. I was hopeful, of course, when I hit the send button, but, being a total newbee to all things publishing, I had no idea what that little click of the mouse would set in motion.

Suzie was truly fabulous even then. She read my query and got back to me within 24 hours with a request for the full manuscript. Everything from there happened in a blur.

So, I've been waxing nostalgic and went back to read my blog during that time and found this. It's my blog post from exactly one year ago today. I thought it was funny to go back and read, so I'll share it with you. Here goes:

My Muse is nuts...
So, I got home from my business trip to Austin on Monday and found out that our family reunion was moved to my house. Today!

It turned out to be fun, and I think everyone had a good time. Now back to writing.

I have three works in progress, and I know I should be working on the other two, but the one that’s really speaking to me (I mean that literally. My characters won’t shut up.) is a sequel to Personal Demons—which I have out on submission with agents. I’m trying really hard to redirect my muse, but he’s not hearing any of it. Problem is, even if my muse isn’t, I’m smart enough to know that spending time and energy on a sequel of a book that hasn’t sold is a waste of time. I’m thinking about writing it anyway—just to shut him up—and leaving it in first draft while I work on the others. By the time I finish those, maybe Personal Demons will have found a home with a really cool agent and editor. Who knows?

Along those lines, I’m still getting requests for manuscripts, so I have lots of really amazing people reading my work, and it’s very exciting and a little scary, but in a really good way. I’m staying optimistic. I will get a call from one of them. Soon. Maybe now… *stares at the phone*

Okay…maybe not right now…but soon.

So, what do you think? Should I bash my muse unconscious with a baseball bat and move on to a new manuscript, or just do the sequel and get it out of the way so my muse will be happy and move on to other projects with me? Truth is, I’m pretty sure I can’t write without him. After all, my job is really just dictation. So he may get his way in the end whether I like it or not.

Update 9/1/10: I was able to resist the urge to write the PD sequel while I waited on agents, but I couldn't hold off forever, and I did write it in November when we were on submission to editors. I couldn't help myself. And I've never finished those other WIPs, though one of those has been whispering in my ear recently. =)

What were you doing one year ago?