MIND OVER MAGIC Revisions

*emerges from writing cave, blinks, looks around*

Oh, hi!

It seems to be mid-November.  Hello, mid-November.  You're cold.  And dark.  And a little bit snowy.  I don't think I approve.  October here was lovely, full of surprisingly warm days and colorful leaves that clung to the branches just a bit longer than usual.  Also, a lot of nuts.  Our lawn was peppered with acorns, and the street had so many beech nuts that it sounded like popcorn when you drove down it.  The squirrels should be happy.  Always good to keep the squirrels happy.  You never know when they might decide to band together and attack.  Tricksy squirrels.

Anyway, the reason that I'm emerging from my writing cave to say hi is that I just finished revisions on my next YA novel.  (Yay!!!)  I really loved working on this book, and I'm really, really excited about it!  It's called MIND OVER MAGIC, and it's Kayla's story.....

Lies, secrets, and magic -- three things that define Kayla's life.

Sixteen-year-old Kayla plans to spend her summer hanging out on the beach in Santa Barbara and stealing whatever she wants, whenever she wants it.  Born with the ability to move things with her mind -- things like credit cards, diamond rings, and buttons on cash registers -- she has become a master shoplifter.  She steals to build up a safety net, enough money for her and her mom to be able to flee if her dad finds them again.  Well, that, and the thrill of using her secret talents.

But her summer plans change when she's caught stealing by a boy named Daniel -- a boy who needs her help and is willing to blackmail her to get it.  Daniel has a talent of his own.  He can teleport, appearing anywhere in the world in an instant, but he lies as easily as he travels.  Together, they embark on a quest to find and steal an ancient incantation, written on three indestructible stones and hidden millennia ago, all to rescue Daniel's kidnapped mother.  But Kayla has no idea that this rescue mission will lead back to her own family -- and to betrayals that she may not be able to forgive... or survive.

MIND OVER MAGIC will be out from Bloomsbury/Walker in fall 2014.

And now I'm going to dive back into my cave to continue work on THE FOUND (book three of THE LOST, my upcoming adult trilogy).  Also, to escape the army of squirrels.

Hello 2011!

Snoopy Dance of Joy! Revisions are DONE!!!

This week, I sent off the revised manuscript for DRINK, SLAY, LOVE, my next novel. Cue dance music.

To be honest, I'm always a little bereft when I finish revisions. I adore revising, and I particularly adored working on this novel. This one was fun from start to finish. I am going to miss Pearl and Evan and Bethany and Jadrien and Antoinette and Matt and Zeke... But I can't wait to introduce you to them!

I have a date for that introduction: the official pub date for DRINK, SLAY, LOVE is September 13, 2011. It's on Amazon already, as well as GoodReads, which makes it feel a lot more real.

Still feels futuristic to write 2011. We're only four years away from the future date in Back to the Future II. And I still don't possess the skills to handle a hover-skateboard. Or, you know, a regular skateboard.

Anyway, these revisions are my excuse for my absence from this blog for the last month. I received the revision letter from my editor just after Thanksgiving. Given the way my family does holidays (sprawled across the entire month), the end of 2010 was VERY busy. But it was busy with family and writing, my two favorite things.

Also, lots of cookies.

Perfect way to end a year (and start a new one!).

So goodbye, 2010! Hello, 2011! And happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all a year filled with health, happiness, and all of your favorite things!

Chocolate-Powered Prose

Today I sent the revised manuscript for book #2 to my editor. Snoopy Dance of Joy!

Now I need a nap. I haven't gone to bed before 2am in... oh, much too long. Been downing lots of Raisinets and Hershey's Kisses and other sugar-and-caffeine-filled chocolate goodies. (I'm not a coffee drinker.) This is what I look like right now:


I desperately wanted to finish this round of revisions before my summer book events started -- which meant today, since my first book event (at least my first one with finished copies of INTO THE WILD) is tomorrow at the Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts. So yesterday, I printed my entire manuscript for book #2 double-sided in an itty-bitty font so that I could stuff the entire thing in my purse and do one final read-through on the train to Manhattan.

Yesterday's Manhattan trip was to attend a going-away party for John Green and Sarah Green, who are moving to Indianapolis very soon. Got to talk with many fabulous people -- Scott Westerfeld ate my fries! -- and the party was a lot of fun. I finished my final read-though on the ride home, so now I'm done! At least until the next round of edits...

Off to Worcester tomorrow morning for my first signing ever!