A Grim giveaway

Hey everyone!


We're less than two weeks away till the release of The Forever Song (out on the 15th), so don't forget to pre-order your copy so you can have it right when it comes out.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Harlequin.com


So, to celebrate, let's have a giveaway!  Since the Grim Anthology released a little while ago, it'll be up for grabs, as well as the first book in the Blood of Eden series, The Immortal Rules.  Of course, both will be signed.  Here's a little info on the books.

Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today.


Here's the GRIM trailer.

And The Immortal Rules:

To survive in a ruined world, she must embrace the darkness…

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Forced to flee her city, Allie must pass for human as she joins a ragged group of pilgrims seeking a legend—a place that might have a cure for the disease that killed off most of civilization and created the rabids, the bloodthirsty creatures who threaten human and vampire alike. And soon Allie will have to decide what and who is worth dying for… again.



So you know the drill.  Enter the Rafflecopter thingie for a chance to win.  It is international, so what are you waiting for?




a Rafflecopter giveaway



-Julie

How not to ask Authors for Favors

Hey guys!


So, I was going to do a blog post about a certain character in the Iron Fey series, and why I chose to end their story a certain way.  I was going to write this post because someone on Twitter asked me this question, and I felt that that the answer couldn't be properly addressed in 140 characters, so I would put it up on my blog.


I'm writing this post, instead.



Last week, someone contacted me on Twitter asking about a certain character.  Their question was valid.  I told them I would write a post about it and put it up on Monday.


This weekend, I was in Winnipeg, Canada for C4 lit fest.  I was on panels all day, signed books, talked to other authors and writers, took pictures, answered questions, and generally went to bed completely wiped out.  Also, I had very limited access to email and online stuff, and I couldn't use my phone for anything but text and calling my husband because the roaming charges were killer.  On Monday, I flew home.  I left Winnipeg at 11am that morning and got home around 8pm that night.  After a whole day of travel, I was exhausted.  I tweeted a bit, waxed poetic on the awesomeness of Poutine (Canadian dish of fries, cheese sauce, cheese curds, and gravy), and then went to bed.


I completely forgot about that Monday post.


Tuesday was April 1st, April Fools Day, and as tradition dictates, I posted something to honor the holiday, as I've done every year since before I was published.  It was a rather long post, and I had to take time out of my regular schedule to write it.  I didn't get paid to post it, it was something extra I posted for my readers and fans.


This morning, I received a tweet from the person who originally contacted me about the Monday post, asking where it was.  Except, the tweet went like this:

#liar I went to your blog and it wasn't there. #disappointed

Now, I will admit, I HAD forgotten about it.  I did have an "Oops, I was supposed to do that," moment and felt bad that I'd forgotten.  I told the person that I had been in Winnipeg all weekend, had just come home on Monday, and I would post it soon.


I received these tweets in return:  

 #liar #procrastinator You will post it ASAP.  #disappointed

#liar That's not an excuse.  Tweet me when you have it up.



 Um. Okay.  Let's not even mention that I had an extraordinary busy weekend, and there was no way I could have gotten an in-depth, thoughtful blog post up with the things I was doing.  But besides that, I agreed to do someone a favor.  This was something that I had to take time out of my writing schedule for (my very busy writing schedule), something I am not getting paid for, something that I wanted to do because I thought it would be nice.

HOWEVER, making demands, calling me names, and telling me I don't have an excuse is NOT the way to interact with an author (or anybody else for that matter), especially if you want something from them.  I don't need an excuse.  I don't owe you an explanation.  And you do not make my time schedule, particularly if this is something I am doing on the side.  I understand that you're disappointed, but sometimes life gets in the way of things.  If the twitter person had responded with something along the lines of  "Oh, okay. No problem, let me know when you post it," I would've happily written their blog post and put it up asap.  Now, I'm never going to write it, because I don't like being called names and ordered around.  No one does.


So, this is just a gentle reminder: be nice online.  Authors are people, too.  We love getting questions and staying in touch with our fans, but please remember that the respect has to go both ways.  As the old saying goes, you'll catch more flies with honey than vinegar.




Questions, concerns, comments?  All are welcome.  However, any rude, nasty, or ugly comments will be eaten by the gremlins.  


-Julie

Teaser Tuesday Special: The Fox and the Raven

Welcome back to Teaser Tuesday!


Puck fans, are you ready?  This is especially for you.

This teaser takes place right after The Iron Knight and before Iron's Prophecy, when Puck leaves Ash and disappears for a little while.  Later, he tells Meghan that he was in Kyoto visiting some "friends." The following is a snippet of what exactly happened to him in the time he was gone.

Teaser Tuesday SPECIAL:

The Fox and the Raven

            Kyoto in the Spring is one of my favorite spots to visit.

            I sat on the railing of the temple overlooking the gardens, one knee drawn to my chest, letting the sakura scented breeze cool my face, watching the white and orange koi swirl below me in the tiny pond.  The wind whispered through the branches of the cherry blossom trees and sent a few pink and white petals fluttering into the water.  Birds trilled from the rooftops, and dragonflies buzzed through the reeds.   It was very peaceful here.  Peaceful, quiet, and tranquil. 

            A smirk played across my lips.  Too tranquil in my opinion.  I wasn't here for peace and quiet.  I didn't come to meditate on the yin and yang of it all.  I was here to forget what was happening in the Nevernever right now, the marriage of a certain princess and ice-boy.  A marriage that would take her from me, once and for all, forever. 

            Sighing, I flicked a pebble into the pond, watching the koi swarm below me, my thoughts drifting to my two best friends.  I was happy for them, I really was.  But I couldn't be there.  I needed to clear my head, sort some things out.  I needed to stir up some trouble, and a chaos filled romp through one of my favorite cities would be a fabulous place to start.

            If my partner in crime ever woke up, that is.

            "Goodfellow-san, are you out here?"

            I grinned, swinging my boots over the railing and hopping down as a figure joined me on the veranda.  A girl in a red and white kimono, her straight black hair falling past her waist like a spill of ink.  Cherry red lips, a stark contrast against the delicate, porcelain doll face, were pulled into a gentle smile.

          
  "Itazura-chan," I greeted casually.  That wasn't her real name, of course, any more than Robin Goodfellow was mine.  Itazura meant mischief in Japanese, and she was the reason I enjoyed visiting Japan so much.  Things were rarely dull when the two of us got together.  The last time I visited Kyoto, the statue of a famous Buddha mysteriously vanished and somehow ended up on the roof of a castle.  

            Ah, good times.

            I watched her approach, catching a glimpse of the bushy, white-tipped fox tail peeking out from beneath her robes.  "Uh, Zura-chan?" I pointed out.  "Your tail is showing.  Maybe you should hide that  before we cause another panic in the marketplace?"

            She cocked her head, appraising, and ignored that statement.  "You seem pensive today, Goodfellow-san," Itazura said, sauntering closer.  For a split second, as she came into the light, her eyes glimmered amber and gold, but only for a moment, before they turned black once more.  "Your voice is full of shadows, and you smell like bitter leaves."

            I smirked, ready to give a flippant, smart-ass reply, but she stepped close, reached out, and ran a slender finger down my face.  Unexpectedly, the soft touch made me shiver as the girl peered up at me with large black eyes, still smiling.  "Why so moody, Goodfellow-san?" she asked.  "It's a beautiful afternoon, perfect for teasing monks and stealing mochi and tricking mortals into falling into the pond.  But you look like a neko-cat who watched the hawk steal a mouse right from his paws." 

            I forced a grin.  "I don't like mice, Zura-chan.  They make my breath stink."   

            The kitsune girl gave me a knowing smile, and for a moment, my insides fluttered.  "There are plenty of mice in the world, Goodfellow-san," she said, staring right into my eyes.  "Perhaps you shouldn't be looking for a mouse, ne?  Perhaps you should be looking for something with sharper teeth."  She held my gaze, a beautiful young girl with ancient golden eyes.  "I would help you forget her, Goodfellow-san," she said, her voice soft but completely forthright.  "If you give me a chance, I would help you find happiness again."

            My stomach lurched.  Crossing my arms, I raised an eyebrow.  "Uh-huh," I said dubiously.  "This from a kitsune.  I seem to recall the last time I was here, you somehow lured some poor sap into the temple gardens and then stole his robes so he had to run home in the buff." 

            "No, Goodfellow-san."  Itazura watched me, all innocence.  "I did the luring.  You stole his robes, remember?"

            "Oh.  Right."

            She giggled, pushing her hair back with a smile, before she became serious again.  "We are alike, Robin Goodfellow," she said quietly.  "The same.  A single leaf, split down the middle.  Humans, even half-humans, can never truly understand us.  I know you.  I've seen you for who you really are, and you've seen me, as well.  You should know that I would never hurt or trick you."  Her voice grew defiant.  "And you're wrong if you think kitsune can't fall in love.  It happens more often than you think."  She glanced down at her hands, her next words almost a whisper.  "You've just never been able to see it."   

            My heart pounded, surprising me.  Itazura wasn't Meghan...but Meghan was gone.  I'd already lost her.  Itazura--wicked, playful, always brutally honest--was right here.  My throat felt tight, and I swallowed hard.  Maybe she was right.  Maybe it was time I let my princess go.

            Itazura stared back at me with a stark, open gaze, the breeze playing through her dark hair, and the look in her eyes made my stomach clench.  I remembered the times we shared, the places we visited, sometimes as we were now, sometimes as a raven and a small red fox.  Itazura was sly, witty, and she made me laugh, which was saying a whole lot.  Besides ice-boy, she was the only one who could keep up with me, challenge me.  And, unlike ice-boy, she welcomed the chaos and bedlam that often followed in my wake, sometimes causing it herself.  We did make a good pair.  I was tired of hurting, of pining over a girl who would never love me back.  Itazura and I were one and the same.  I might...no...I could, very easily, come to love her, too. 

            If I could stand to let Meghan go. 

            Taking a deep breath, I made my decision.

             

***

Puck: Happy April Fool's Day from your friendly neighborhood Puck!  Did you enjoy that little teaser?  I did too.  Now, whether or not it's TRUE?  That is a different story.  Do you think we should tell them, Itazura-chan?

Itazura:  Well, we could.  But what fun would that be, Goodfellow-san? 

Puck:  My thoughts exactly.  God, I love this holiday.  

Happy April Fools, mortal!

Teaser Tuesday: Jackal being Jackal

Welcome back to another Teaser Tuesday.  We're not far from the release of The Forever Song, AND the very cool Forever Song blog tour is also fast approaching.  Hope you'll stick around for that, it's going to be amazing.

Anyway, back to the teaser.  On Twitter, I asked who everyone would like to see this week: Allie, Jackal, or Kanin, and the answer came back almost unanimously Jackal.  So without further ado, here is a teaser of Jackal....being Jackal.


***

"Hey old man," Jackal called in a mocking voice, "you forgot to say 'if you kids don't stop I'm going to turn this car right around and then no one will go to Eden.'"


***


And, if you haven't yet, be sure to enter the Forever Song/chibi dragon giveaway for last week's Teaser Tuesday.  You still have about a week to enter.


-Julie

Monday Musings: The white clay lament

Changing Mondays up a little, I think.  Because of scheduling conflicts, I don't think I can do long Monday posts anymore.  Ask Me Mondays will now be Monday Musings, in which I will post whatever fun, random thing comes to mind.  Like today, I will do a small rant on the obnoxiousness of working with white clay.  Cue rant, now:

I keep asking myself why I continue to make white dragons. White clay is SUCH A PAIN to work with. Every teeny tiny speck of dust gets on it and its SO hard to keep clean. I have to stop every ten seconds to wash my hands, and clean the clay, and pick off the lint that sticks to it like a magnet. UGH. It's so obnoxious!  Why do I keep making white things?



But then, I end up with something like this.

And then I remembered something else.

This is a character from a story I wrote as a kid, long looooooooong ago.  I don't remember much, but there was a floating island that was a school for dragon riders--think Harry Potter with dragons--and a kitchen boy who was accidentally "chosen" to be the partner of a little white dragon.  I didn't even realize I was making the dragon in the story until he was nearly done.

And, like all characters, this little guy has a name.  Wanna guess what it is?  Bonus points if you get it right; its not a normal dragon-y name.  I'll tell you his name next Monday and see if anyone managed to guess.

-Julie 

Teaser Tuesday/Forever Song giveaway

A box of shiny Forever Songs arrived on my doorstep the other day.

So, of course, you know what that means.

GIVEAWAY TIME.



But first, here's a short teaser for today's Teaser Tuesday, taken from The Forever Song of course.




***

I slumped in relief, then turned...to face a squadron of suspicious, hard-eyed soldiers, their assult rifles already trained on us all.

***






And before I get to the giveaway, I want to show you the image under the dust jacket. The book itself is gorgeous, but if you take of the cover, you get this:

Isn't she absolutely stunning?  I love her, I have a total girl crush on her right now.  Anyway, GIVEAWAY time!  See below for the cool things up for grabs.

Yep, that is a dragon on The Forever Song reading The Forever Song.  And here is a closer look at the dragon.

So that's it! A signed book and a dragon reading a book.  You know what to do with the Rafflecopter thingie.

And yes, it is international.



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ask Me Monday: How is writing like a dragon?

So I was sick last week and got nothing done, no Ask Me Monday, no Teaser Tuesday, nothing. But I'm back, and today's Ask Me Monday is going to be a little different.  Instead of answering a question, I want to talk a little bit about writing, practice, and why it's so important to not give up.


One year ago, I began sculpting.  I hadn't taken any classes, I didn't really know what I was doing, I just knew I wanted to sculpt.  So I got some clay, watched a tutorial video online, and then proceeded to sculpt a dragon.

This is my very first dragon.

Back then, I was really proud of him.  I'm still really proud of him.  I know that, at the time, I couldn't have done better.  But I wasn't experienced enough to see the flaws that I do now.  He's terribly uneven.  His limbs are stuck on, and he's a bit smooshed in places.  There are dings, scratches, and fingerprints everywhere, and the orange parts are dirty and mixed with black.  But I didn't know this, couldn't even see it, because I had no experience to draw on.  One year ago, I thought he was almost perfect.

And then, I started making more.  I practiced.  I learned new techniques: blending the limbs to the body so they no longer looked stuck on.  Smoothing the clay so no fingerprints were left behind.  Keeping the different colored clay parts separate so they wouldn't bleed into each other.  Skills that only came with time and practice, with doing something over and over and learning how to get better.

Last month, I recreated my first dragon.  I tried to make him about the same as my first attempt, only I used all the skills I'd learned since then.  This is what a year's worth of practice looks like.

It might not look like a huge difference, but there is no doubt that this dragon is the more refined one.  You can't really see it in the pictures, but the first dragon is lumpy, squashed, bulky, and uneven, with scratches and fingerprints everywhere.  The second one is much more polished and clean.

Put them side by side, and you can really tell the difference.

  

So, why am I showing you this?  What point am I trying to make?

It is this: the art of writing is very much the same.  When we first start out, we think our writing is awesome. Its perfect. It doesn't need work, its ready to be published right now.  We don't see the flaws, the dings and bumps and uneven parts, because we simply have no past experience to draw upon.  Like sculpting, like ANY skill, the only way to get better is to practice.

I can take out my first dragon and smile at his goofy imperfections, because I know this is where I started, and I've come a long way since then.  I know I still have a ways to go, things I still need to learn, but he is proof that I have gotten decidedly better, and will only continue to improve.  And, if you're a writer, maybe one who is trying to get published, it will be the same for you.  One day, you'll look back at your first story and see the flaws, but also realize how much you've grown.  So don't give up.  Keep striving, keep practicing. You can only get better from here.

-Julie