Always Learning
Tiburon, California, 2008
There’s this story about a woman in her thirties who wanted to become a doctor, and her mother said, “A doctor! It’ll take you eight years to become a doctor.” And the woman said, “What’ll I be in eight years if I don’t become a doctor?”
I love this story. It’s about believing in ourselves and planning ahead. It involves understanding how time accumulates and choosing what we do with it.
Today, my blog tour for Promised begins as Rachael at The Book Muncher asks… Continue reading
Promised Blog Tour!
I’m starting around on a blog tour next Monday, September 24th! Ten very funny, thoughtful, creative bloggers have been pitching me interview questions and topics about favorite reads, music to write by, what’s changed for me over the Birthmarked trilogy, women’s rights, bravery, inspiration, and whether I’d rather live in Sylum or the Enclave. They’ve given me the perfect excuse to pause and think about how far Gaia’s story has come, and where it goes from here. It’s been interesting and super fun to talk with people… Continue reading
My Story Is Up! Squee!
“Ruled” (Birthmarked 2.5) is up on Tor.com! Read it there for free. Go, Leon!
"Ruled" (Birthmarked 2.5)
Spotlight on Leon
One of my favorite and most frustrating scenes to write happened when Leon was having a fight with Gaia. This scene drove me mad, mainly because I could not get Leon to talk. He was so brittle and enraged that he refused to speak to Gaia, which meant he refused to speak to me, too. He actually walked away from me when the scene opened, which was my first surprise. I knew we were in trouble. As I tried to advance the scene forward, physically walking… Continue reading
Spotlight on Gaia Stone: Teen, Midwife, Idealist, Rebel, Leader
It’s impossible to sort out my thoughts about Gaia from my feelings about her to write anything objective on her as a character. I thought I could do a profile about her, but that feels too detached, too clinical. It involves seeing her from the outside like a reporter, which I can’t do because I only know her from the inside out. I thought of doing an interview with her. After all, I once asked Chardo Will a few questions while he was working on his barn, but even Will… Continue reading
Almost Real!
Squee moment!
My editor sent me the cover of Promised, so naturally I wrapped it around a copy of Birthmarked to see what it looked like for real. Not too shabby!
I’m particularly pleased with the description on the inside flap. Go, Gaia, go!
After defying the ruthless Enclave, surviving the wasteland, and overthrowing Sylum, Gaia Stone now faces her greatest challenge yet—to lead the people of Sylum back to the Enclave and persuade the Protectorat to grant them refuge. But in Gaia’s absence, the Enclave has… Continue reading
Ari & Milo, my serial novel, is now up on Wattpad! I drew illustrations to go with each chapter, and best of all, it’s free! Because of problematic themes, this novel is for mature readers age 17+.
Book Trailer for Promised