Monthly Archives: April 2011
The Mirror Girls: Gaia at Seven
The following is a bit story about characters from the world of Birthmarked.
As Gaia’s father and his customer, a bride, stepped out on the porch, Gaia climbed down the loft ladder to gaze at the creamy yellow dress on the tailor’s dummy, admiring the flow of the gauzy fabric and the tiny, delicate embroidery on the bodice. She knew better than to touch it, but she leaned near enough to smell the trace of lavender that clung to it.
Through the sunny window, her father’s voice dropped… Continue reading
Behind the Scenes: Back Matter
Several weeks ago, Jessica Tedder, the editor of Square Fish, the imprint at Macmillan which is putting out Birthmarked in paperback, sent me a friendly email about a bonus section for the back of the book. Such a bonus section, aptly called “Go Fish” for this imprint, typically includes an excerpt from an author’s upcoming book (in my case, Prized), a Q&A with the author, and some discussion questions. Extras! If you’re interested in production timing, the paperback of Birthmarked will be released in October, so… Continue reading
The Missing, the Lost, and the Stolen
Now and then, when I’m taking a quick break from writing, I go to WorldCat.org, the free website that catalogues books in libraries worldwide, to see if anybody’s reading my book. Birthmarked is listed in 720 libraries. That seems like a lot to me. For a frame of reference, Harry Potter I (1998) is in 5,021 libraries, and Printz-winning Paolo Bacigalupi’s Ship Breaker (2010) is in 1625.
WorldCat.org NY Public Library, Birthmarked
One amusing thing about the site is that it organizes the libraries by distance… Continue reading
Cover Reveal: Prized (Birthmarked #2)
Take a look!
Here’s the cover of Prized, the sequel to Birthmarked, which is due out November 8, 2011. April Ward at Macmillan worked with Tim Green of faceout studio on the design, which I think is fantastic. If it seems like a departure from the first book in the series, take a look at what has been done for the paperback of Birthmarked, due out in October.
Pretty sweet, huh?
Pondering Next Ideas with Agent
Ever since I talked to my agent Kirby Kim last week about what to write after the Birthmarked trilogy, I’ve been feeling optimistic and encouraged, both about the ideas themselves and the open-ended direction of my writing. I’m normally optimistic anyway, but I did wonder if Birthmarked was a fluke. Now I believe my brainstorming is leading me in good directions, and I’m grateful once again that I have a great agent to work with.
Food for Thought
As far as I know, there’s no prescribed way… Continue reading
Idealists At Large
Will LoTurco, Tom Connor, and Michael Kochol, editors of .45 Magazine
At my local independent bookstore, the UConn Co-op, a group of UConn students gave a reading last Thursday to celebrate the publication of a new literary magazine. Welcome to the world, .45 Magazine. Tom Connor, one of the spearheading trio who conceived of and edited the project, began with a heartfelt letter about the power of art and how, in a time when many think the print magazine is dying, written art remains real and vibrant.… Continue reading