Breaking down the Last Rite cover, and the musical inspiration behind the book.

So, yay! I had a blast reading all your cover comments on Twitter and all my blogger friends' blogs yesterday! For those of you who may have been under a rock, here's the Last Rite cover!

So, Frannie. She looks like she's getting ready to kick some butt, doesn't she? Because she is. What's that in her hand, you ask. Hmm... Guess you'll just have to read and find out. *insert evil laugh* And, what does it mean that Gabe and Luc look ready to rip each other's heads off? Well...it means that Gabe and Luc are ready to rip each other's heads off. There's tension, and some not so nice words, and actual punches thrown. But the cover alludes not only to the friction between Luc and Gabe, but the overarching struggle between good and evil. This is where it all comes to a head. This is where the final battle takes place.

I know that's a little sketchy, but you know I really want you to buy the book when it comes out in May, so that's all I can tell you without spoiling. But I can throw you a few bones that will give you a definite flavor for the novel. First, if you've read Personal Demons and Original Sin, you know all of my Personal Demons novels open with a Dante quote from Purgatorio, the middle section of his Divine Comedy. Here's the quote from Last Rite:

Here, one must leave behind all hesitation; here, every cowardice must meet its death.

Dante Alighieri, Purgatorio

And if you've been hanging out here for a while you also know that music is a huge influence on my writing. Each novel has an overarching musical theme. Here's the song that shaped Last Rite:


That is Disturbed: one of my obsession bands. Go buy this song!

If you're dying to get your hands on a galley, remember there are nine chances to win one up on these blogs:
Mundie Moms
The Naughty Book Kitties
Bookalicio.us
Books Over Boys
Call Me Crazy
Book Chic Club
A Good Addiction
Harmony's Radiant Reads
Bloggers [Heart] Books

And, my contest is not only for a Last Rite galley, but signed copies of Personal Demons and Original Sin, plus an iPod shuffle loaded with the song above and all the rest of the playlist for the trilogy! Enter all of them for your best chance, because this is it. There will only be one or two more galley giveaways before May.

Good luck!

Last Rite COVER! ...And Last Rite Galley GIVEAWAY!!

Today is a Last Rite blitz! I have something shiny and new. It's very pretty. *stares absently*

Oh..yeah...hi...

So? You want to see it?

Sure you do.

Here it is...

Bwahahahaaaaa!!! I'm going to make you go looking for it. And while you're looking for it, you CAN WIN ONE OF NINE GALLEYS OF LAST RITE! Yes, I'm more than a little excited! But, here's the deal. The fabulous bloggers helping me with the reveal have nine of my precious galleys. There won't be many more until release in May. So these are nine of the only chances you'll have to win a Last Rite galley.

And BONUS!

Right here on my blog RIGHT NOW you can enter to win a signed set of all three books in the Personal Demons trilogy AND a iPod shuffle with the ENTIRE PERSONAL DEMONS TRILOGY PLAYLIST!!!! I have to tell you, I love these songs. There's music by Breaking Benjamin, Disturbed, Incubus, Three Days Grace, The Fray...all my favorite bands!

Ohh! My screen is sparkling with the shiny thing. ;p

*stares some more*

What...?

You want to know where can you find this shiny thing?

Okay...so...each of these bloggers have (or will sometime today) post the Last Rite cover. Each of them have their own contests for Last Rite galleys, so don't forget to enter while you're there. Also, while you're there, look for clues in their posts (a word or words that stand out somehow) and collect those words. Unscramble them into a Last Rite related phrase and enter it in the form below for your chance to win a signed set of Personal Demons books and the iPod!

Mundie Moms
The Naughty Book Kitties
Bookalicio.us
Books Over Boys
Call Me Crazy
Book Chic Club
A Good Addiction
Harmony's Radiant Reads
Bloggers [Heart] Books

That's ten different contests including mine! Ten chances to win a Last Rite galley! Enter below by noon (PDT) on Friday, October 14th! (my daughter's birthday :p) Good luck!!!

Desperate times call for desperate measures? (aka: Advice for aspiring writers, Part 5)

I've spent the last few weeks divulging all my publishing secrets and giving away a slew of first chapter and query critiques to get you all on your way. But there's something else I think needs to be said.

I remember how excruciating it was to have manuscripts out with agents. Here's me waiting. And here's me waiting some more. I was so excited when I got "the call," as evidenced here, here, and here. It was only two years ago, but things were different then. There were some basic questions I needed to ask the agents who offered rep: What was her submission plan for my book? What sort of revisions would she want? What was the agency's commission structure? Did the agency sign the author, or the project? What were the terms of the agency agreement?

What I didn't have to ask is if the agency was involved in self-e-publishing.

Here's the thing. Another literary agency has announced they're opening an e-publishing arm to "assist their clients who wish to self publish." This is the largest agency I'm aware of that has taken this step. It makes me sad.

I get that things are changing in the publishing world. They're changing faster than many people anticipated. But the one thing that should never change is that the purpose of a literary agent is to advocate for his/her client (which is the author, in case I lost you). The harsh reality is that not every novel will sell to a traditional publisher, and self-publishing is becoming a more viable option as that market expands. If a agent has exhausted all traditional avenues and a project hasn't sold, whether to self-publish or not is a personal decision that an author needs to make in consultation with his/her agent.

But, here's the rub.

If my agent's agency has a self-publishing arm, where they stand to make at least the same 15% commission (which is the standard commission most agents charge when they sell your project to a traditional publisher, and which seems to be what they're charging to self-publish your project in their self-publishing arm) then, when my agent comes to me and says, "We gave it the old college try and it just didn't sell. I think you should consider our self-publishing option," how do I know he/she actually gave my project 100%? How do I know he/she tried his/her hardest to sell it to a traditional publisher? They stand to make money either way, so why knock themselves out? It all comes down to how much you trust your agent, but, knowing myself, I'd always wonder.

The bigger problem is that there will always be issues that need to be resolved between an author and his/her publisher, whether it be a traditional publisher, or a self-e-publisher. Most of these issues are things a new author could never anticipate. Some are small and some are major. What's supposed to happen is that an author takes the issue to his/her agent, who acts as an intermediary between the author and the editor. You are paying your agent 15% of everything you make to be your advocate, and that is money well spent. But what happens if your agent is also your publisher? When your agent is the one you have an issue with, who's going to advocate for you? No one, that's who.

As a published author, I find this disturbing and alarming. As an aspiring writer, I'd find it downright terrifying.

So, a word of caution: To get an offer of representation is like hitting the jackpot for most aspiring writers. It's easy to get all, "SQUEE!" and "OMG! I'M GONNA BE THE NEXT STEPHENIE MEYER!" But don't get so excited that you forget to ask that perspective agent what happens if your book doesn't sell. And if, in the end, you decide to go the self publishing route, your agent's going to take their 15% either way, so I'd encourage you to seek out a publisher unaffiliated with your agent or his/her agency to avoid a serious conflict of interest. If they arm-twist you into staying in-house, I'd question whether they have your best interest at heart. You need your agent to be your agent and nothing else (except maybe your friend).

'Nuff said.

Good luck and happy writing!

Query and First Chapter Critique WINNER!! Again!!

So, today is the big day! It's my two year agent signing anniversary!

For the last month, I've been having a Anniversary Bash, including divulging all my publishing secrets and helping a few of you along the path. Today is the fourth week I'm giving away a query and first chapter critique, and the luck winner is...

Julie Murphy!!

Congrats! I will email you soon! =)

Last query and first chapter critique up for grabs!

Here it is--the last of four query and first chapter critiques to celebrate my two year agent signing anniversary.

I've divulged all my publishing secrets, and now you're ready to go, so if you'd like some feedback from yours truly on your query and first chapter, just fill out the form below by Friday, 9/23 at noon PDT. The first three critiques have already been claimed, so this is your last chance! Remember that this critique is fully transferable and never expires until I do. You can enter for yourself or a friend. And, remember, previous entries do not carry over, so please re-enter.

Good luck and happy writing! =)

TV and me: a true story.

It's confession day on the blog, so here goes: I haven't watched TV in years.

Okay, that's a little bit of a lie. I watch sports sometimes. Football and baseball, mostly. But, I've never seen an episode of Buffy, or True Blood, or The Vampire Diaries. Never.

My "no TV" policy started fifteen years ago and it stemmed from me realizing how much of my life I squandered in front of the boob tube. I would come home from work and watch TV until bedtime. That was my day. Work and TV. People would ask if I'd read some book that they liked and I'd say that I hadn't had time. But then I realized I'd had plenty of time, I'd just chosen to spend it vegetating on the couch in a TV stupor. So I went cold turkey. I just stopped watching. Our TV is still on in the evenings because my husband is still a TV addict, but I tune it out and write. I can tell you very little about the shows he watches.

The reason I bring this up here is because my amazing critique partner, Andrea Cremer (who, btw, is a genius) told me that my high school football playing man-whore in my new manuscript was missing the "Tim Riggins factor." So, of course, I had to google Tim Riggins.
He's a high school football playing man-whore on a series that just ended, Friday Night Lights. Whereas it's a series that, at least partially, is about football, and also had an actor (Kyle Chandler) who I'd loved in a series he was in before I stopped watching TV (Homefront), Friday Night Lights had always been a show I thought I might like when I saw the promos.

I'm in that waiting place. I'm waiting on copyedits for Last Rite among other things, so I'm just tweaking and tinkering in a few manuscripts. I have some TV time. We have Netflix. Netflix streams Friday Night Lights. Because I'd apparently written a Tim Riggins-esque character, I had to check it out. I am addicted. In three days, I'm almost through season 1, and now I'm sorry I only found this series after it had been cancelled. I don't drink, or smoke, or do anything illegal or elicit (well...except drive too fast), but I obsess over characters in books and movies. I'm finding out I also obsess over characters in TV shows. My addictive tendencies seem to be limited to fictional people. I don't know if this is good or bad.

So, I hope I can get through the rest of FNL before I'm not waiting anymore, and maybe I'll move onto Buffy. Netflix doesn't stream The Vampire Diaries or True Blood, unfortunately, so I'm not sure I'll get to those. =(

Plethora of contest winners!

Okay...winners. I had two contests that ended today. Thanks to everyone who stopped by to enter over the last few days! =)

I have compiled results and plugged them into the randomizer, and I have WINNERS! So, winner of the Birthday Bash for a signed set of PD and OS is...

Ellen Elizabeth

And, the winner of the third of four first chapter and query critiques in my Agent Signing Anniversary Bash is...

Leah Miller

Congrats to both of you! I will email you soon!!!

And...if you didn't win, another query and first chapter critique will be up for grabs next week! =)