October Debut WINNNNNERRRRR!!!!

There had to be at least a bazillion entries for Nightshade and Personal Demons!

Okay, maybe not a bazillion, but even though most of you were good and added up your entries, it still took me forever to count and get our winner.

Now that it's out there, it's so fun to watch all the comments go up about how awesome Nightshade is. I can help but be super proud of my awesome crit partner. (And gloat a little that I knew how awesome she was over a year ago!)

So...the moment you've all been waiting for.

The winner of the totally mind-blowing Nightshade, and a signed copy of Personal Demons in the October Debut Contest is...

*clicks randomizer*

throuthehaze

Congrats!!!!

Don't forget, we're up to four winners in the EPIC 666 FOLLOWERS PERSONAL DEMONS/HALLOWEEN CONTEST for signed copies of PD and tons of swag! Enter by Sunday!

Personal Demons in the news...and me in the world

Am I coming or going? I've lost track. I've had so many book events in the last few weeks, and many more coming up in the next few months. As busy as I've been, I have to say, I'm having a blast! I've done some TV and radio shows, which are always fun. There's this interview with Sacramento & Company on the Sacramento ABC affiliate:


And this radio interview with KFBK's Kitty O'Neal, who's a Sacramento radio institution.

I've done some fun trade shows and met some amazing authors, such as Ellen Hopkins and Ally Condie (Never fear! I scored you guys signed books!), and many fabulous booksellers.

And today, right now, as you're reading this, I have the honor of speaking to the County of Los Angeles Public Library Readers Advisory Workshop, where I'll have the opportunity to meet nearly one hundred librarians, who are some of my very favorite people. :p

I've got signings coming up in LA, Indianapolis, Chicago, Huntington Beach, Napa, CA, Pleasant Hill, CA, and Dallas, so I'm really looking forward to meeting some of you on the road too!

This is how I roll... Another contest!

In the last few weeks we've (yes, that's still the royal we) given away signed copies of Radiant Shadows by Melissa Marr, The Keys to the Repository by Melissa de la Cruz, and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White, as well as a slew of signed copies of Personal Demons. Enter by Friday for a chane to win copies of Andrea Cremer's Nightshade and Personal Demons in my October Debut contest, and you have until Halloween to enter to win a signed copy of Personal Demons and tons of swag in my EPIC 666 FOLLOWERS PERSONAL DEMONS/HALLOWEEN CONTEST. (Now up to four winners!)

And, because two contests are never enough, here's a third!

Have you guys heard of this book?

Yeah. I thought so. It's Sophie Jordan's Firelight, and it rocks! And...I scored you guys a signed copy! So, my Bonus Debut Contest #2 is for signed copies of Firelight AND Personal Demons!

To enter, you must be a follower here on the blog and comment below by midnight Wednesday, November 3rd. You get an additional entry if you follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) as well. One entry per person, please.

Good luck! =)

Another winner!!!

If you're anywhere near Sacramento, CA, I'm signing tonight from 6-8pm at the Barnes & Noble on Arden! Come hang out with me! Please! I'm not desparate! Really! But come! Okay? Okay...

So, my Bonus Debut Contest got more entries than either of my Smart Chicks contests. Apparently, Kiersten is popular. She wrote a great book, that's for sure!

So, to remind you, because I'm always thinking of my awesome followers, I scored you guys some signed books when I signed with Kiersten White and Sophie Jordan.

My bonus contest this week was for signed copies of Personal Demons and Paranormalcy. (I'll give you one guess what will be up for grabs in my bonus contest #2, going up tomorrow :p)

And, the moment you've all been waiting for...

The winner, as chosen by the randomizer, is:

*drumroll*

Shannon O'Donnell

Congrats!!

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

Congrats, Shannon! Comment below with your email or email me!

If you didn't win, there are tons of other chances. We're two entries away from adding a forth winner in my EPIC 666 FOLLOWERS PERSONAL DEMONS/HALLOWEEN CONTEST. You can also win a copy of my awesome critique partner, Andrea Cremer's Nightshade and a signed copy of Personal Demons in my October Debut Contest. If you haven't entered, go do it! Now! :p

Fun news!

Next Thursday, Carrie Vaughn and I will be speaking at the County of Los Angeles Public Library's Reader Advisory Workshop. I'm told they expect 80-100 librarians to be there. The topic is, Beyond Twilight: The Secret Lives of Paranormals. I can't even tell you how much fun putting together this presentation has been.

And, like serendipity, Personal Demons was just selected as a Library Journal Fall Firsts pick. This is, like, so cool!

I am in my library constantly. I know my library card number by heart. (And it's long!) There is nothing that makes me happier than the thought of Personal Demons being in libraries where everyone can enjoy it. So, I was THRILLED to make this list. (And my Booklist review didn't suck either :p) It's these reviews and lists that librarians all over the country look to when making purchases for their collections.

Thank you Library Journal and Booklist for bailing my butt out and giving Personal Demons some credibility. And, if you're a librarian, thanks for being such a great resource for readers like me!

So, a question. Do you use your library? If so, what were the last five books you took out? Have you ever ended up buying a book after taking it out from your library? Okay, I guess that was really three questions. O_O

The REAL forbidden fruit

Everyone in the know agrees that the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge wasn't really an apple. But did you know some biblical scholars argue that, because the Garden of Eden was located in the Middle East, it was a pomagranate that Eve picked from the tree? Just one of those things that you learn when you spend a fair amount of time researching Heaven and Hell--like when you're writing a book about it. Like I did. =)

So anyway, we grow a lot of stuff where I live. I've shown you my cherries (get your mind out of the gutter) and I've shown you my tomatoes. It's getting very close to the end of the growing season now. The only thing I can think still left to ripen are the persimmons.

But now, it's pomagranate season, so here is my forbidden fruit. 

And, where pomagranates may not truly be the Fruit of Knowledge, they may be the Fountain of Youth. Did you know they're full of punicalagins! Yep! You heard me right! Punicalagins! Oh...you've never heard of punicalagins? Well, they're powerful antioxidants, which, we all know, keep us forever young.

 

So maybe, in the end, it was just Eve's vanity that got the best of her. Maybe she woke up that day the serpent showed up in the Garden of Eden and noticed a wrinkle. It's possible, since they hadn't eaten from the Tree of Life either. Just sayin'.

German Personal Demons Cover

This is kind of exciting for me. It's my first foreign cover! My German publisher, Rowoholt, has retitled Personal Demons. Its German name is Angel Eyes. They've also done a whole new cover (to go with the Angel Eyes theme).

I translated the tagline and it says "between Heaven and Hell."

So, what do you think?

I promised you another contest. Yes I did...

So, here it is!

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of signing with some amazing authors (and just overall great people) Kiersten White and Sophie Jordan, and I snagged you guys some signed books! See! I'm always thinking of you! :p

So, first, we have a signed copy of Kiersten's fabulous Paranormalcy up for grabs, and just like with my Smart Chicks give-aways, because I'm feeling the Paranormalcy love, I'll throw in a signed copy of Personal Demons as well.

So, it's like a bonus Debut Contest! The rules are the same as with my Smart Chicks contests. To enter, you must be a follower here on the blog and comment below by midnight Monday, October 25th. You get an additional entry if you follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) as well. One entry per person, please.
But wait! There's more!

Don't forget my REAL October Debut Contest! Enter to win a copy of my fab critique partner, Andrea Cremer's Nightshade (which just released today!!) and a signed copy of Personal Demons. And, also, my EPIC 666 FOLLOWER CONTEST (Already up to three winners! Can you make it four?) for signed copies of Personal Demons, a gift card and tons of swag!

Good luck and happy reading!! :p

Smart Chicks Winner!

I should have gotten more signed Smart Chicks books! I had a ton of entries for Melissa Marr's Radiant Shadows, and even more for this one: Melissa de la Cruz's Keys to the Repository. Luckily for you, I've had the chance to sign with some amazing authors, including Ally Condie, Kiersten White and Sophie Jordan, and I also have signed books from all the spectacular authors who blurbed Personal Demons (that would be Claudia Gray and Maria V. Snyder) so there will be many more signed books up for grabs here in the next several weeks.

The Smart Chicks contest is over, but here's what's still up for grabs in other contests here on the blog:
A signed copy of Personal Demons and my awesome critique partner, Andrea Cremer's book Nightshade in my October Debut Contest.

A signed copy of Personal Demons, a Personal Demons tank top, a $10 gift card and tons of swag in my EPIC 666 FOLLOWERS PERSONAL DEMONS/HALLOWEEN CONTEST.

So, the winner of my final Smart Chicks give-away, which includes a signed copy of Melissa de la Cruz's Keys to the Repository and a signed copy of Personal Demons is:

Amy J-Book Addict

Congrats!

*throws virtual confetti*

Check back for another contest tomorrow! It will be fabulous! I promise =)

EPIC 666 FOLLOWERS PERSONAL DEMONS/HALLOWEEN GIVE-AWAY!!!!!

First, let me say that you guys totally rock! We’ve (still the royal we) hit 666 fabulous followers here on the blog, so Luc says it's time for an EPIC Personal Demons/Halloween give away!

So, here we go!

There will be one winner for every 30 entrants. (One entry per person, please.) The contest will run today through midnight (PST) on October 31. To enter, comment below. You must be a follower to win.

Extra entries:

Follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) +1

Tweet this contest +1 (provide link in comment)

Choose your team and add one of these buttons to your blog sidebar +3 (provide link in comment)

Thanks to Shanyn for the buttons!

Oh! You guys want to know what’s up for grabs?

The prize packs will include all of this:

$10 Amazon, Barnes&Noble or Borders gift card (winner's choice)

A signed copy of Personal Demons or Personal Demons CD audio book (winners choice)

A Personal Demons tank top

Signed Personal Demons bookmarks

Team Luc and Team Gabe temporary tattoos (side note: It appears that Luc and Gabe are marking souls via these tattoos. Some people say that the Luc tattoos come off easier; others say the Gabe tattoos come off easier. You be the judge. O.O)

Assorted Halloween candy

So, spread the word! The more entries, the more winners! Good luck!

Also, don't forget that today is the last day to enter to win a signed copy of Melissa de la Cruz's Keys to the Repository and a signed copy of Personal Demons in my final Smart Chicks give-away!

The Devil Inside (aka: Luc)

Yesterday wrapped up my EPIC 1313 Followers Personal Demons Twitter Contest! A ton of you entered, and three of you walked away with signed copies of Personal Demons. Congrats! We're three follower away from the EPIC 666 Followers Personal Demons Contest here on the blog. It looks like it will happen soon, so I've got some fun Halloween prize packs in mind! Spread the word and keep watching the blog!

So, my post... Last month I did a guest post for Tor Teen. It was about having Luc in my head. You can read the post in its entirety here. I'm posting the meat of it below, because it dovetails from my Monday post, where I talked about characters coming to life in my mind and gradually making their way onto the page. I know it sounds crazy and, at this point, I'm okay with that, but I've gotten to know Luc, Frannie and Gabe pretty well by now. Not only do they have conversations with each other, but they include me now too. They've also stepped off the pages of Personal Demons and are making there way into the world on their own. They've all done interviews and Luc in particular seems to be in demand. You can read interviews he's done here, here and a new one that posted just today here.

So, without Further adieu, here's my guest post from Tor Teen:

Personal Demons is the story of Frannie Cavanaugh—a good Catholic girl with a unique skill set—who finds herself in a battle for her soul between Lucifer Cain, who works in Acquisitions for Hell, and Gabriel, the angel sent to protect her.

When I started writing Personal Demons, all I had was a name: Lucifer Cain. I knew he was a demon because…well…his name was Lucifer Cain. What I didn’t know was how much fun it was going to be writing from inside a demon’s head.

One of the things that makes Personal Demons different is that we get the opportunity to hear Luc’s side of the story from his first-person POV. Because we’re in his head, we’re in on his inner dialogue as he muses about things from the unique point of view of a demon. He’s lived a dual life, moving between two worlds, so his perspective reflects that. Through the course of the book, we also get to see how Frannie messes with that perspective as he struggles to define feelings he’s never experienced before.

For example, here’s a snippet of Frannie’s and Luc’s first exchange from Luc’s POV:

 I watch her write “Frannie and Luke: Steinbeck chapter 26 outline” in her composition book, and for some reason it really bothers me that she spelled my name wrong. I fix it before answering her. “I think he made some choices that he’s now got to pay the consequences for.” One of which is eternity burning in the Abyss.

She looks at me, all incredulity. “Just that simple, huh? No extenuating circumstances. No second chances?”

“Nope. Don’t believe in second chances.” The Underworld’s not big on that concept.

She shifts back in her chair and folds her arms across her chest, scrutinizing me. “You’ve never made a mistake? Done something you were sorry for?”

“Nope.”

“Everybody has something they wish they could undo.”

I lean toward her and gaze into those sapphire eyes. “What do you wish you could undo, Frannie?”

She shudders when I say her name, and I realize I’m being unfair. I pushed a little power at her without really meaning or needing to. But I like the reaction.

When she replies there’s more than a hint of pain in her tone, and the faint scent of rose—sadness. I search deep in those eyes to find the root of it. “Lots of things,” she says without breaking her gaze.

For some reason, out of the blue, I don’t want her to hurt. I feel Hell-bent on making her happy. Just the tiniest push is all it would take…

Stop it. Where the Hell did that come from? I don’t even recognize the sensation that passed with that thought. Demons don’t have feelings. Not like that, anyway. This isn’t a charity mission…I’m here for a clear purpose, and Miss Frannie Cavanaugh is showing promise. Lots of promise.


This passage gives you a peek into Luc’s thought processes. He’s pretty cocky, being a Creature of Pride and from one of the top echelons of Hell. But from the minute they meet, Frannie makes him question everything he’s so sure about. She makes him see shades of gray when he’s convinced everything is black and white. At times his perspective is humorous and other times poignant, but it’s never boring. I hope you have as much fun reading him as I had writing him.

And there you have it. I'm possessed. Writing from inside Luc's head is one of the funnest things that I've ever done. I'm in the middle of writing the last book of the trilogy now, but I have a feeling Luc will still be hanging around in my head long after I've typed "the end" on Hellbent.

The Near Witch

Quick, before I get to my post, I want to remind you that my 1313 Twitter contest, in which THREE winners will each get a signed copy of Personal Demons runs through whenever I get too tired to read entries anymore. (Sometime tonight.) If you haven't entered, make sure you follow me (@LisaDez) then watch the Luc trailer in my sidebar and Tweet me the name of the book that Luc is reading to Frannie. Include the hashtag #PersonalDemons so I find your entry! Good luck!

So...there's a book that I'm dying to read coming out next year. Way back a year ago, when my truly fabulous agent, Suzie Townsend, offered representation, she knew I was deciding between a few different agents. She gave me the names of some FinePrint clients she'd worked with as references. That's how I met Victoria Schwab. We (that, once again, would be the royal we) are almost at 666 amazing followers here on the blog (at which point Luc has mandated that there will be an EPIC Personal Demons contest) but I'm pretty sure Suzie and Victoria were my very first blog followers. Victoria has been a great friend and a source of support as I made my way through the publishing jungle.

So, the reason for this post...

Victoria's book, The Near Witch (Hyperion, Aug. 2011) is getting closer to publication and she just got ARCs! That means she can now show us her cover! Yay!

For those of you who haven't heard of The Near Witch, here's the scoop:
"The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.
If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.
There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget."

I couldn't get the youtube embed code to work, so here's Victoria with her book

And here's the link to her YA Rebels video so you can see how pretty her cover is! And the link to the Amazon pre-order page!

The Lunatic is in my head...

Y'all know I love music. There are some songs that are so good that they always give me the shivers. One of them is Pink Floyd's Brain Damage. Actually, a lot of Pink Floyd's music will do that to me. (I wrote Wish You Were Here into Personal Demons.) I haven't listened to Brain Damage in a really long time, but I woke up with it in my head this morning. Specifically, the line "There's someone in my head, but it's not me." The song was accompanied by a whole cast of characters who I'm just getting to know.

That's what the writing process is to me: people in my head. They start out as strangers, but little by little we get to know each other. They tell me things and have conversations with each other, and I take dictation. Some of them, I really like. Others, not so much. But whether I like them or not, I'm just the poorly paid help with the laptop, so they all get an equal crack at getting their story on the page. (I don't play favorites.)

So, I'm still hanging out with my old friends, Frannie, Luc and Gabe, plugging away at Hellbent. But I'm making some new friends too. It's fun to watch these new characters emerge, and I'm dying to hear the stories they have to tell as we get comfortable with each other.

I'll leave you with a question and a song. Question: New stories come to me as characters with something to say. How do new stories come to you?

And the song: Pink Floyd's Brain Damage. As always, if you love it, please visit your chosen mode of music purchase and buy it.

Contest Central!

I feel like Contest Central lately. I love doing contests and sharing books I really love with all of you! I promised an EPIC Twitter contest when I hit 1313 followers there (@LisaDez), because Luc likes that number. I passed 1313 this weekend, so I'm plotting away. The contest will start later today and THERE WILL BE EPIC PRIZES!

I have two other contests going on RIGHT NOW here on the blog!

The first is my October Debut Contest. Enter to win a finished copy of Nightshade by my fab critique partner, Andrea Cremer AND a signed copy of Personal Demons by moi =)

 

The second is my Smart Chicks Contest for a signed copy of Melissa de la Cruz's Keys to the Repository AND a signed copy of Personal Demons, still by moi :p

 

But wait! There's more! Because I'm currently at 649 followers here on the blog. When I get to 666, also a number Luc likes, there will be another contest for EPIC prizes!!! So spread the word!



And also, check out The Bookish Type for an EPIC fall release blog event Fall Into Fantasy, featuring a month of posts and give-aways from Andrea Cremer (Nightshade), Kiersten White (Paranormalcy), Sophie Jordan (Firelight), Brenna Yovanoff (The Replacement) and yours truly. Wow!

Another Smart Chicks contest!

Are you guys ready to win another signed Smart Chicks book? This one is from Melissa de la Cruz! I have a signed copy of Keys to the Repository and a signed Smart Chicks Kick It poster! (signed by Kelly Armstrong, Alyson Noel, Margie Stohl and Kami Garcia)

Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series is fabulous! You want this book! And, because I did it with the last Smart Chicks book I gave away, I'll throw in a signed copy of Personal Demons too!

So the rules are the same as with Melissa Marr's book. To enter, you must be a follower here on the blog and comment below by midnight Friday, October 15th. You get an additional entry if you follow me on Twitter (@LisaDez) as well. One entry per person, please.

Good luck and happy reading!! :p

And we have a winner!!

Wow! A lot of you wanted this signed copy of Melissa Marr's Radiant Shadows! There were some passionate comments =)

Before I click the randomizer for the winner, I have a little bit of news. I've seen two covers in this last week. One is for Original Sin. It's being tweaked and I hopefully will be able to show you something soon. The other is for the German Personal Demons. They've retitled it Angel Eyes. As soon as I get the okay, I'll post that here too. Yay for covers! :p

So, now for the winner. The winner of the signed Radiant Shadows, as chosen by the randomizer is:

*drumroll*

Erin!!!

Congrats, Erin! *blows virtual noisemaker*

And, because Erin has been such an awesome follower, entering every Debut Contest for months, and hanging out here just for the heck of it, I've decided to throw in a signed copy of Personal Demons too.

Extra YAY!!

Happy reading Erin!!! :p

When Frannie Luc and Gabe crashed the Named Lands (aka: A funny thing happened on the way to the Kindle store II)

Last week I told you about Frannie, Luc and Gabe crashing the Kindle edition of Ken Schole's epic fantasy, Antiphon. The free Kindle download that Ken created, Chapter 15.5: Intersections and Interlopers: When Antiphon Met Personal Demons is now up on Tor dot com for those Kindleless readers out there. It's quite funny and there are some characters you know, so check it out.

Frannie got to party with Evie and Jacinda!

Thanks to everyone who came out to Keplers last night! Kiersten, Sophie and I had a blast! You guys asked some great questions!

I was a little afraid going in that Evie might try to take down Luc, Gabe and Jacinda with Tasie, but it all turned out okay =)

Nancy (Ravenous Reader) and Tricia came out decked out as an angel and a demon. :p (Keplers pics courtesy of Tricia)

And Nancy made this for me:

Very cool!

Heidi R. Kling (Sea) came out to see us:

And we had a great time chatting with all of you!

Here I am talking with my hands. If you strapped them down, I’m convinced I’d be mute.

And people bought books, which we signed! Thanks!

There will be give-aways! I've got signed books from Kiersten and Sophie that will be up for grabs. See! I'm always thinking of you guys! Don’t forget that tomorrow is the last day to enter to win a signed copy of Melissa Marr’s Radiant Shadows here on the blog!

And...if you'd like a signed copy of Personal Demons, Keplers has them and will ship! Check my sidebar for the link! :p

It’s been a busy few days, but very fun! You guys are the best for taking time out of your busy lives to come out and see me! I’ve loved meeting everyone and I hope to meet more of you on the road! For my upcoming stops, check the appearances tab under the header.

I'm a total Kiersten White and Sophie Jordan fangirl

I'm signing tonight with some unbelievably talented YA debut authors at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, CA. Here's a clue: they are the authors of my book's Amazon book buddies.

That's right! It's the itty bitty (in stature but not character) author of Paranormalcy, Kiersten White, who will dazzle you with her quick wit,

and Sophie Jordan, the author of Firelight, whose fashion sense I find seriously intimidating. O_O

I'm going to try really hard not to squee and drool or something equally embarrasing.

If you're in northern California, come see us!!! Otherwise, it will just be our mothers.

October Debut Contest and Happy Birthday to PD Down Under!!!

Hey!! For those of you in southern California, I'm going to be hanging at the Orange County Children's Book Festival this Sunday from 1-4pm. I'll be on the YA stage from 2:15-2:30 and signing Personal Demons in the Author's Corner booth before and after! It's free and sure to be a blast! Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick and Maria V. Snyder (who I'm very excited to meet) will be there on the Stage too, so don't miss it! Also, the awesome Maria, who blurbed Personal Demons, is giving away a signed copy on her blog! Comment by Oct. 4 for a great chance to win!

So, it's October first!!! Time for another Debut Contest.

But...before I get to that, I need to throw this:

And set off some of these:

Because it's release day for Personal Demons in Australia!!! Just put a copy of Personal Demons right there in the little guys hands...I mean paws...or, whatever they are.

So, I'm celebrating the release of PD down under in the only way I know how. I'm giving away books!!!

Last month was a big one here. Not only did Personal Demons release, but so did The Duff by one of my bestest writing buddies, Kody Keplinger.

This is another big month, because my awesome critique partner, Andrea Cremer's book Nightshade releases in October. So, once again, I’m doing something a little different. Instead of getting a choice of Personal Demons or another October YA debut, October's Debut Contest winner will get BOTH books. It seems apropriate that they go together since our names are in each other's books. =)

 

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, October 29th. 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 October 29th.

Good luck!!!