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Blog Roll

6/26/2014

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Getting ready to shove off for ALA, but before I do . . .

I've been tagged by Alyson Noel!
Alyson is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of not one, but three amazing series—The Immortals, Soul Seekers, and Riley Bloom-- plus several standalones, plus a spanking new series she's working on, Unrivaled, (yes, I am in awe of her talents) and she's tagged me in a Blog Roll where writers share a little about their work and writing process. I always love to hear how other writers approach writing. Here are my responses:
  1.      WHAT AM I WORKING ON –

I’m currently being torn in fifty different directions, which is the usual state when you have one book coming out, and another you’re trying to put to bed.  I’ve been doing quite a bit of blog writing and interviews for the imminent pub day of The Kiss of Deception.  At the same time, my revisions for the second book, The Heart of Betrayal are almost due. Throw in a little travel and I am working on juggling! It's a tricky part of the process. I haven’t dropped a ball—yet.
Oh wait, what's that rolling away . . .

2.      HOW DOES MY WORK DIFFER FROM OTHERS OF ITS GENRE?

Well to say too much would be spoilerish, but I had one reviewer call The Kiss of Deception, genre-bending, which I think is an accurate way of saying, my work doesn’t necessarily fit into one category of fiction. I write the story I want to write, without regard to genre.  Really though, I think every writer’s work stands out in one way or another, because they tell the story the way only they can.  Every voice and perspective is different even within a genre.

3.      WHY DO I WRITE WHAT I DO?

A character, an idea, a voice, a premise—something grabs hold of me and doesn’t let go. I have to write about it. Writing is a journey for me, as much as it is for the reader. It makes me think, wonder, ponder, and explore all kinds of things. I answer questions for myself, and I discover new ones I  didn't even know existed. While I stick to a teen perspective, the books I write have been all over the map--from contemporary realism, magical realism, romance, and science fiction, to fantasy. It's the character and premise that decides the genre, not me.
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4. HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS WORK?

 My process is always evolving. I’m a writing craft junky and I can never resist hearing how another writer does it.  I usually have at least half a dozen “scenes” in my head when I begin, but I’m not always sure how they will fit together or if they will even all make it into the story. I will kind of sketch out a beginning, middlish, and an end, and other scenes fall into place as I write, but sometimes a character or idea throws me a curve and scenes get thrown out and new ones develop.  Post it notes for scenes on a big board are very helpful for me. No matter what my process though, the time-honored BIC, butt-in-chair, is what saves the day. I live and die by daily word counts. To the left you can see a chart I keep. It is like clocking in for me.  If I didn’t have goals, I would set aside my writing every time I hit the Writing Valley of Doubt. Worth saying again: Butt-in-chair. Keep going. For me, that’s the most important thing to remember.

5.     HOW DOES MY WRITING PROCESS NOT WORK?

One thing I’ve learned is that writing begets writing.  Sometimes I am forced to step away, or I play hooky for a few days.  It is like pulling teeth for me to get back into my writing brain. Hence, a daily word count chart helps to keep me going and avoid that pitfall--even if I only write a few words.

Now it’s my turn to tag!

Lynne Matson – Lynne is a debut author and her first book NIL, came out in March. I loved it. Besides the characters being trapped on a mysterious island, the romance was so—.  I don’t want to spoil it, but trust me, you need to read this one! Let's hear what Lynne has to say . . .

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The Map!!

6/18/2014

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I finally got word that I can share! And just let me say, I've been swooning for weeks over this map!  It's in the final book, and it is simply gorgeous.

It's drawn by the amazing artist, Keith Thompson, who also created the maps for Scott Westerfield's Leviathan series, and Leigh Bardugo's Grisha series.  I was awestruck through all the initial sketches and the final just blew me away.
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Poster! One side is the cover and the other the map!
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Closeup of lower right corner.
Besides being on the inside cover of the book, the Macmillan designers created a beautiful 16X20 inch poster of it.  The Kiss of Deception cover is on one side and the map is on the other. I'm going to frame both sides and hang them in my office!

And . . .
Mysterious Galaxy, my local indie here in San Diego, is taking preorders where you can get a signed, personalized copy of The Kiss of Deception--PLUS they will include this 16X20 poster! Win-win! So if you want the poster too, get yourself hither over to their site!

I can't wait for you to see the final book with the map inside.
I want to hug all the designers for all their attention to the smallest details. I hope you love it as much as I do.

XO


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20 days to go!

6/18/2014

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I'm doing a little twirl around my kitchen (maybe a big twirl)

The Kiss of Deception just got its third *starred* review!  This one is from School Library Journal. Here's a little snip:

"Pearson, author of the popular “Jenna Fox Chronicles” (Holt), has created the first in a marvelous new fantasy series that is sure to find an audience with devotees of Suzanne Collins’s “The Hunger Games” and John Flanagan’s “Ranger’s Apprentice” books  . . . Romance, adventure, mysticism—this book has it all."

I am so, SO grateful for all the readers who have read this book before publication and embraced Lia and her world. And spread the word! THANK YOU!

And now more news . . .
My website is updated and you can get a little glimpse of some of the "goodies" that will be coming for The Remnant Chronicles over the next few weeks on THIS PAGE

Woot! Lots of fun stuff to come!

XO



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One Month from TODAY!!

6/8/2014

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The Kiss of Deception will be out in ONE month! The days are flying by now!

Here's a few things that have been brewing in the last few weeks in case you haven't heard:


~  *Starred*  reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly!

~  The  first five chapters are up on Wattpad!

~  Awesome bloggers have been spreading the work, here, here, here, & here!

~   There's a page on The Kiss of Deception website with easy links to PREORDER at your favorite bookstore. AND if you do preorder, my publisher says this:


Love @marypearson and can't wait for her latest? Preorder #KissOfDeception, and we'll release exclusive content! http://t.co/TSMPFftQXX

— Fierce Reads (@FierceReads) June 7, 2014
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I would be ever so grateful if you did!

MANY thanks to all of you for your enthusiasm and support!

Lots more news and goodies coming! Stay tuned!

XO

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Happy Dance!

6/1/2014

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 A *starred review* from Booklist!

I've had to keep this under my hat for two weeks, but I am over-the-top THRILLED!! Here's a smidge of what the review said:

"Pearson offers readers a wonderfully full-bodied story: harrowing, romantic, and full of myth and memory, fate and hope. She never compromises her characters— especially the multi-faceted Lia—for plot; each element motivates the other. . .  This has the sweep of an epic tale, told with some twists; it’s a book that almost doesn’t need a sequel, but readers will be thrilled if it continues on."

And I was sitting in the carwash yesterday when I got the tweet below on Twitter from Ilene Cooper the editor of Booklist, and I shamelessly admit I let out a huge squeeeeee!
  Or maybe it was a woohoo. Whatever it was, it was happiness.

Favorite book of the spring Kiss of Decetion by @marypearson @macteens

— Ilene Cooper (@Booklist_Ilene) May 31, 2014
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