Grim Anthology: New Project Announcement!

I’m so excited to finally be able to share this news!

From Christine Johnson’s blog:

“CLAIRE DE LUNE and NOCTURNE author Christine Johnson, ed.’s GRIM, an anthology of dark fairy tale retellings, featuring stories by New York Times bestselling authors Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Julie Kagawa, and others, to Natashya Wilson at Harper Teen, in a nice deal, for publication in Winter 2014, by Caryn Wiseman at Andrea Brown Literary Agency (World).” – Quick note. Natashya Wilson is at Harlequin Teen, not Harper Teen.

Here’s a list of all the contributors (including me!)

 
You might remember that I posted this dance a while back, mentioning that it was inspiration for something. Hmmm … wonder what!?
 

Upcoming Nashville Events

My deadline is two weeks away, and I look like this: 

 

(Who are we kidding, I’d kill to look that good.) BUT I wanted to make you aware of some upcoming events on my own stomping grounds!

BooksAMillion, Wednesday, October 24th, 6:00 PM, Spring Hill, Tennessee, with CJ Redwine (DEFIANCE, Balzer and Bray) and Shannon Messenger (KEEPER OF THE LOST CITIES)
 
Parnassus Books, Sunday, October 28th, 2:00 PM, Nashville, Tennessee, Tricks and Treats from Six Young Adult Authors: Beth Revis (ACROSS THE UNIVERSE, A MILLION SUNS), Stephanie Perkins (ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR), Tessa Gratton (BLOOD MAGIC, THE BLOOD KEEPER), Victoria Schwab (THE NEAR WITCH), Sonia Gensler (THE REVENANT), Myra McEntire (HOURGLASS, TIMEPIECE)
 
I would looooooove to see you there, and I’ve been known to share tidbits of upcoming works in such intimate situations. 
 
I’ll have posters of the HOURGLASS and TIMEPIECE covers to give away at both events, and the authors will also be giving away a sweet gift basket at the Parnassus event!
 
Come on out! Please? Pretty, pretty please?

Auburn Writer’s Conference and Deadline and Emails, Oh My!

AWC and deadline and emails = lions and tigers and bears. 

Oh my. 

I keep expecting The Twitter to send me a Dear John letter. My Facebook page has cobwebs in the corners, and my Tumblr smells like mothballs. And Pinterest? Popped. Deflated like an abandoned birthday party balloon. My Real Life friends see me, attempt conversation, and end up backing away slowly.

I look forward to rejoining the land of the living soon (braaaainzzz) and sharing stories from this summer and the book tour – it was AH-mazing! Before I disappear again, I wanted to thank you for all the lovely birthday sentiments, however they were sent. Your kindness made my day special! 

As for the Auburn Writer’s Conference next weekend, it’s the first time I’ll be teaching as a Real!Live!Author! I am EXCITED. Also, terrified. You can check out details here, and below are the official descriptions of my workshops:

Lessons from Pop Culture: Sending Your Readers on an Unforgettable Thrill Ride

We read to experience new worlds, to be transported, to escape. Careful pacing and thoughtful plotting can propel readers through a story, inciting them to come back for more. Using tips from authors Blake Snyder, Christopher Vogler, and James Scott Bell, as well as examples from the television showThe Vampire Diaries, and The Hunger Games book series, we will explore ways to strengthen your plot and crank your pace to breakneck speed. Your readers will never go to bed on time again. 

Voice: How to Find Yours and Use It to Keep Your Audience Hooked

Many readers purchase a novel based on the first page alone, so the right voice can make or break you. Voice is difficult to define, but we know it when we see it. In this session, we’ll study examples of strong voice, and discover ways to develop voice through brainstorming, journaling, and mind maps. Learn how to apply your own personality to your work, and how to “rob” the personalities of friends, family, and acquaintances to make each of your characters unique. 

You’ll see by these descriptions why it was totally necessary for me to buy a stand-up, life-sized, cardboard cut out of Ian Somerhalder. It’s for EDUCATIONAL purposes. 

My deadline for INFINITYGLASS is at the end of October. Things are progressing in a satisfactory manner, which means two hours from now, I’ll be curled up in a ball under my bed, watching General Hospital, eating my own hair, and sobbing uncontrollably. Writers. It is The Way We Do. 

As for my email … I am afraid of it. If it requires a one word answer, or perchance a link to Joe Manganiello pics, I’m generally a quick responder. If it’s important or requires deep thought, it goes in my action folder, where it languishes from lack of attention. That’s what you’re supposed to do with important, thoughtful emails, right? Does anyone else have this problem? How do YOU handle it? There’s a comment box right down there, waiting for your wisdom! 

Updates to my October events calendar can be found by clicking here. Lots of fun stuff on the way!

I hope everyone is having a lovely fall – it’s my very favorite time of the year. I’m diving back into my deadline hole now, but I’ll leave you with a picture tease from INFINITYGLASS. Want to know where this picture was taken? Stay tuned!

Please do not use without a link back to this post.

TIMEPIECE Southern Tour

Hi, there! It’s been a while! So nice to see you, and I hope you had a lovely summer!

You might notice that things have changed around here. I’ve migrated from Blogger to WordPress, and in lieu of moving all my posts over, I’ve decided on a fresh start. Blogger is still archived, and I’ll bring back some oldies but goodies on occasion. For now, look around, enjoy, and I’ll have a more official “New Digs” celebration later, along with a recap of “What I Did On My Summer Vacation!”

An announcement! Thanks to my wonderful publisher, Egmont USA, I am so, so pleased to share the stops on the Southern Tour for TIMEPIECE!

Saturday September 15: 4:00pm, Octavia Book Store, 513 Octavia Street, New Orleans, LA

Tuesday, September 18: 4:00pm-5:00pm, Lemuria Books, 4465 I 55 N # 202, Jackson, MS 

Wednesday, September 19th: 4:30pm, Square Books, 160 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 

Thursday, September 20th: 6:00-7:00pm, The Booksellers at Laurelwoood, 387 Perkins Road, Memphis, TN 

There will be lots of school visits as well, and I think I can tell you that this trip also involves Infinityglass research (if not, errrr … oops)! I’m pleased to be joined on the road by my Excellent Editor Regina for the first stretch, and my Perfect Publicist Katie for the second. (I’m also happy to say that this trip made Katie Vampire Diaries up. ANOTHER CONVERT. And my Neighborhood Lady Friends are watching now! You can use your influence for good, pre-coffee, at the bus stop.)

I can’t wait to see you all on the road – to talk about HOURGLASS and TIMEPIECE and INFINITYGLASS … maybe? There will be eyes everywhere, but I’ll try to sneak SOMETHING in. 

More event announcements coming soon!

Update and a Dance

There are a LOT of changes coming to myramcentire.com, and I’ll be announcing those soon, along with announcing prize winners and other exciting things!

A lot of my neglect has been due to my current deadline, and it’s only going to get worse until I finish this first draft. However, as always, I am finding so much inspiration in dance, and I’m in love with this routine by Dave Scott. I want to write it into a story, and luckily I have JUST the one!

For now, enjoy!

You Can Do It – UtopYA Keynote Address

This past weekend I was the keynote speaker at a brand new conference held here in Nashville called UtopYA. It was organized by Janet Wallace, and I can’t even begin to tell you how wonderful it was. I’m sure posts will go up from the attendees, here’s one from DB Graves, and you can check out more about the conference itself here. All I can say is that I smiled from the time I left my house until I got home, and then when I got home and told my husband about all the sweet faces I saw in that crowd, I cried.

You might have seen me put the call out on Twitter last week for help with an encouragement project. It was for this speech, and I spent most of that day crying as well. Over forty authors responded to ask how they could help – in less than six hours.

I love this community. Sure, it’s not always shiny perfect, but last week restored a lot of hope for me.

Here’s the speech, and you’ll find the encouragement project within.

Everyone has their own story.  

Chapter One.

 
Beginnings are hard.
 
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a starting a life, or starting a story. Moving to a new town, starting a new grade in school, transferring to a new college. Taking a new job. Or, deciding, that after almost thirty years, you’re finally going to do the thing you believe you were born to do.
 
For me, it all started with the The Wizard of Oz.
 
I was four the first time I watched it. The flying monkeys absolutely terrified me, but the idea of leaving home, having adventures, beating the big bad – I couldn’t imagine anything better. (And? There was dancing. I’m a dancer from way back.)
 
Then, it was Star Wars.
 
I was five, and I made my dad take me to the theater to see it three times. I had no idea what the story was truly about, just that it meant leaving home, having an adventure, and beating the big bad. The rush I got when Dorothy had to steal the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West was the same rush I felt when Luke Skywalker escaped the giant, sewage filled trash compactor. And while I shipped Dorothy and the Scarecrow, this was the first time I was intrigued by the bad boy. Oh, Han Solo. Even at the ripe old age of five, I saw you coming from a mile away. And I liked what I saw.
 
Second grade was ass, let’s just go ahead and get that out there. I hated math, I hated spelling, I hated sitting still.  I wanted to be on the playground, taking a trip to the Emerald City, or pretending to break up a bar fight in the Star Wars cantina. While my schoolwork was lousy, one truly amazing thing happened that year. I learned to read. Now my imagination could move beyond Oz and the Force. I could do anything. Go anywhere.
 
My biggest mistake at this point was taking my second grade class to the suburbs of New Jersey via a book report on “Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret?” I ended up taking myself to the principal’s office, because apparently, some people take issue with a seven year old ending a book report with “and then, she got her period.”
 
I was really happy when second grade was over.
 
Because third grade is where the magic happened.
 
My teacher, Gigi Hillman, had long black hair, tan skin, and an amazing laugh. (My second grade teacher … didn’t laugh at anything.) I’d suffered academically in second grade, so much so that the school had me tested for delayed development. Turned out, I was “gifted.” That really fixed my second grade teacher’s wagon, but it didn’t sway Mrs. Hillman at all. She insisted that I still do my work. I had to finish it if I wanted to go to “gifted” class. I only went once.
Here’s why.
 
Multiplication tables were the bane of my tiny existence. I hated math. HATED it. And instead of doing it, I would hide my Trixie Belden books under my desk and read. At first Mrs. Hillman tried to stop me. Eventually, as long as I did my math, she’d let me read as long as I wanted. Because she’d figured out, years ahead of any publicized studies on reading and its impact on the brain, that I was learning.
 
When I wasn’t reading, I was imagining. Mrs. H told my mom, “ I don’t know where she goes, but she has a really good time when she’s there.”
 
I was inside my brain, with the BobWhites in the Hudson River Valley (Trixie Belden’s gang – they had a club house and a whistle signal and matching jackets, hello). If you’ve ever read the Trixie Belden books, you might remember that one character is a swimming champion. And that another character has violet blue eyes. These books influence the Hourglass books in so many ways, whether it be physical characteristics, setting, or that both include a group of teens with special skill sets that they use to make their world a better place.
 
All of the aforementioned things shaped me, and all of them occurred before the age of eight. Coincidentally, age eight was when I decided I wanted to be a writer when I grew up.
 
Our hearts know early on what our brains can’t fathom. Sometimes you admit wild and crazy dreams out loud, to parents or teachers, and because they’re all trained to be practical, they suggest something safer. You can’t blame them; they think they’re doing their job.
 
But then, at some point, our hearts move from wanting to knowing, and whenever in life that happens for you, safe ceases to matter. That’s when we’re at our new beginning. That’s when dreams turns into choices you make on your own, as an adult, and you own them, or you don’t.
 
When my son was one, and AOL and dial up were still the only options for Internet access, I was on a fan chat with Nora Roberts and about a million other people. I typed in my question and waited an hour or so and they finally, finally got to me.
 
The question was along the lines of, “How do I write a book when I work full time, from home, and I have a small child (who never ever sleeps)?”
 
Nora’s answer was, “If you want to? You will.”
 
It was curt. It was to the point. It was TRUE. And I wasn’t ready to hear it.
Cut to five years later, and the second I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I know exactly where I was standing. In the hall, upstairs, outside my laundry room. I hit my knees, bawling, partly because of what I’d just read, and partly because surrender took hold of me. There was nowhere else to go, nothing else to do. I had to give in, wholly and completely.
 
My prayer went something like, “OKAY GOD. OKAY. I’LL DO IT. I’LL WRITE THE FREAKING BOOK. IT WILL SUCK, BUT I’LL DO IT.”
 
I’d told Him I would, so I had to. That was my beginning.
 
Chapter Two.
 
Take the first step.
 
Look around.
 
There are people here who are fans of young adult books, and people who have written them. There are people who are happy to stay readers, and some who will eventually be compelled to write.
 
Maybe you’re both. Aren’t you just in a perfect place?
 
This is your first step. This is your chance to gain wisdom from people who’ve gone before you. To make friends who will be part of your publication road. To encourage and be encouraged. You have a whole weekend ahead of you, and if you open your mind and your heart, who knows what you could learn? I can guarantee this – it won’t be anything you expected.
 
My first conference was Killer Nashville, way back in 2008. I didn’t want to write thrillers, but it was located close by, it was the cheapest I’d come across that wouldn’t require me to stay in a hotel, and authors and agents and editors would be there, and my husband didn’t freak out too much. I figured I could soak up some knowledge about the craft, at least.
 
I learned so much that weekend, and I was thrilled to discover that there was a YA panel. It was on Sunday morning. At 8am. And it was attended by all of two people. I’m sure the authors there thought it was a bust, and maybe the organizers, too. But for me, it was a miracle. I had three young adult authors at my disposal for a solid hour and a half. I asked every question I could think of, although most of them were some version of “How do you DO this?” “What does the writing life LOOK like?” (Especially with kids.)
The time with those ladies (Kristin Tubb and Tracey Barrett) is still one of my most precious memories from my early writing life. They were so open and honest, and they made me feel like I could maybe one day be one of them. And it was at that conference that Tracy Barrett told me about the SCBWI conference. It happened right here at Scarritt Bennett.
 
Writing a book involves you and the page, you and your thoughts, for a long, long time. Other people start to work their way in when you search for critique partners, and then again when you look for an agent or publisher. But as independent as the writing process is, the need for validation always manages to work its way in. If you don’t suffer from this problem, I envy you. As a matter of fact, meet me in the parking lot at four so we can throw down.
 
You want to feel like you belong to the community, like you have a place that is special, and your own. I have writer friends who say they want to be the next big thing, or make the “fill in the blank” list, or win the “fill in the blank” awards. I think this is all well and fine and good, but I also believe that if that’s what you’re here for? This industry will eat you alive.
 
Bloggers will sing your praises – until the next big thing comes along. People will be excited about your book deal, your cover reveal, your synopsis, your trailer – for a day or two. If you learn to live and feed off of the attention and affirmation of others, when it comes back to you and the page, you’ll be sorely disappointed. And very, very alone.
 
That’s what writing is really about. You, and the page.  What you can produce, what you have the imagination to create, and what you have the dedication to perfect.
 
The way to achieve Zen in this business is to either have friends who are wildly more successful than you, or to pursue the art, the craft, the page, the story over every other thing.
 
I want to take a second to say something about social media here, too. If you’re on Twitter to promote yourself – even solely to promote other people – you’re going to be disappointed. Retweets, reviews, hashtags, at some point it all becomes noise. Use social media as your water cooler. Go there to encourage people. Go to have conversations, to meet people with common interests, to debate Damon versus Stefan.
 
I stepped back from the personal aspect of my blog over a year ago, because I was convinced no one wanted to hear about the trials and tribulations of being a writer from someone who was published. I believe this was a mistake. I thought posting contests and other author interviews and fancy updates about my own books was the way I was supposed to go. Again, mistake.
 
My blog is getting ready to undergo a major overhaul. (After I meet this deadline!) I want to get back to the “in the trenches” part of social media.
 
It’s hard to be vulnerable and real and authentic sometimes, but when I think back to early days, that’s what I craved from other writers. To know I wasn’t in it alone. I recently asked for help with a project from other author friends, and I got a few emails back from people who were on deadlines. They hadn’t showered in days, they hadn’t eaten in hours, they hadn’t seen sunlight in weeks. One of them had a major stress zit outbreak. Another couldn’t bring herself to wash her hair. All I could think when I read those emails was this:
 
I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE.
 
And that felt so, so good.
 
My hope for you for the next few days is that you meet some people who are in the same season of life as you. That you can connect and be real, not be intimidated by what they’ve done or haven’t done. Don’t let what you know or don’t know stop you.
 
I have friends I lean on who are New York Times best sellers. I have friends I lean on who aren’t agented yet.
 
The important thing? Having friends.
 
Chapter Three.
 
Beginnings are endless.
 
A few quick quotes from Ze Frank, who wrote “An Invocation for Beginnings”:
 
 
“Let me think about the people who I care about the most, and how when they fail or disappoint me I still love them, I still give them chances, and I still see the best of them.  Let me extend that generosity to myself.”
 
“Let me not think of my work only as a stepping stone to something else, and if it is, let me become fascinated by the shape of the stone.”
 
“There is no need to sharpen my pencils anymore.  My pencils are sharp enough.  Even the dull ones will make a mark.
Warts and all.
Let’s start this sh*t up.”
So.
 
Own it. Boss it. Don’t give in to yourself, don’t give in to anyone else. Ultimately, YOU are responsible for YOU.
 
My daddy always said, wish in one hand, spit in the other, and see which fills up first.
 
How about this? Instead, you use both of those hands to fulfill your dreams.
 
Because YOU. CAN. DO. IT.
 

 

 
 
Chapter Four
 
This chapter belongs to you. Are you ready?

Thanks for letting me share, friends! 

TIMEPIECE Finished Copies!

 ARE IN MY HOUSE! (I’m expecting a restraining order from Fed Ex at any moment. BTW.)

 

HELLO BOOK! (In person the dress GLOWS.)
INTRODUCTIONS.
SIDE BY SIDE.
MAKING OUT? (I blame Kaleb.)
ON THE SHELF! (And guarded!)
AND JUST LIKE A CAT, MILO IS ONLY IMPRESSED BY THE BOX. 

 

I CAN’T WAIT FOR IT TO BE OUT IN THE WOOOOORRRRRLLLLLLD! 
 
*gets back to meeting word count goal for the day* 

Quick and Dirty Hourglass Recap

 Quick and Dirty Hourglass Recap

 
Hello friends!

A lot of you downloaded TIMEPIECE today from NetGalley*, and I had a couple of requests for a recap of Hourglass.

The fansite has a plethora of information, and that general link is here. 

To refresh yourself on characters, go here. 

To refresh yourself on places, go here.

To refresh yourself on terminology, go here. 

To refresh your parched throat, go here. 

Now begins the spoilery portion of our program. DO NOT READ BELOW THIS PICTURE IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED FOR HOURGLASS. M’kay?

 

At the end of Hourglass, Emerson learns that Jonathan Landers manipulated her life so that he could use her ability to travel back in time.

In doing so, he damaged the timeline/space time continuum so badly that ripples (people who bleed through time) evolve into time slips (entire scenes that bleed through time).

Emerson and Michael solidify themselves as a couple.

Emerson and Michael have saved Liam Ballard, Kaleb’s father, but Kaleb’s mother, Grace, is still in a coma (thanks to Jonathan Landers).

Landers and his surprise accomplice have escaped, along with information about other people who might have the time-related gene.

If I’ve missed anything, please let me know in the comments and I’ll update!

Thank YOU!

*And apparently some have already downloaded it illegally … REALLY?

The Truth About the Movie Deal, or Why Bloggers Matter

 When I announced the sale of the movie rights for HOURGLASS, I mentioned that a there’s a snuggly story behind how the whole thing happened. 
 
(I’ve started and erased this paragraph four times. There are lots of secrets that I have to keep, so I’m treading lightly.) Let’s just say that in the past two years, Twentieth Century Fox weren’t the only ones who thought HOURGLASS would translate well to a screen, big or small. Moving along. 
 
I’ve seen people claim that book bloggers don’t matter. That social media is a waste of time. 
 
That’s not true. The fact that my little book was optioned by Fox is proof. 
 
The week HOURGLASS came out, some of you crazy peeps on Twitter got the idea to let MTV Hollywood Crush know that you thought they should read it. (I’m looking at you Mundie Moms, Novel Novice, Twilight Lexicon and Twilight Facebook.) You tweeted, you retweeted, you teased, you fished, and MTV, via Sabrina Rojas Weiss, bit. 
 
I spent quite a few weeks in abject terror. What if she HATED it? And then, on the first day of our Ash2Nash tour, I got a text. Hollywood Crush reviewed it, and they liked it! They really liked it! That in itself was cool enough, but what happened next was even better. 
 
At the end of the summer, Hollywood Crush took a poll. They wanted people to vote for their favorite beach read, and they listed all the books they’d reviewed last summer, including HOURGLASS. My first thought was “AWESOME” and my second thought was “OH CRAP. This will be embarrassing.” I prepared for a slaughter, kind of the way Jace killed Kaleb in the YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney. 
 
And then my friend Jen called. 
 
JEN: “Um, have you looked at the Summer Beach Read poll?” 
 
ME: “No.” *gets all hot and sweaty and embarrassed thinking about how bad it must be for Jen to call*
 
JEN: “You should go look.” 
 
I think it was a Saturday morning. I traipsed over to my computer and pulled up the link. HOURGLASS was winning. 
 
ME: “Oh. Probably because none of the other authors are awake. They just haven’t tweeted it yet.” 
 
JEN: *sassy face* (I wasn’t there to see, but she has a real good sassy face and I’m sure she was making it.)
 
 
Over the next few weeks, HOURGLASS didn’t fall to the bottom of the list. Why?
 
Did I call my friends and family on the phone and ask them to vote? NO.
 
Did I canvas my neighborhood and local grocery store with flyers? NO.
 
Did I even send EMAILS? NO. 
 
I tweeted. I put up a blog post. Y’all voted. Readers, bloggers, friends, those of you who liked the book. 
 
Guess who noticed HOURGLASS on the MTV website? 
 
It doesn’t end there. Nope. Just like any of the rest of us, Fox googled (or binged, or yahooed, whatever) the book to see what people had to say about it.
 
In the words of Awesome Agent Holly, “They looked, and it was there.” 
 
The reviews. The author interviews. Teaser Tuesdays and Waiting on Wednesdays. Cover Love. The Debut Author Challenge. ARC tours. Goodreads and Amazon reviews. 
 
Do book bloggers matter? 
 
What do you think? 
 
I wanted to wait until this week, when most of us reflect on the things we’re thankful for, to post this. Because readers and friends, I am grateful for you. I’m grateful that you take the time to thoughtfully review, to discuss things on social media, to be advocates for books and authors. 
 
When it comes down to the nitty gritty, book bloggers are readers. What would books be without readers? Who would writers be?
 
I know the realities of the book to movie world, but those odds don’t matter. What matters is, YOU made a difference. 
 
So thank you. Thank you. 

MY Bits of Shiny News

Bit One:

Earlier this week, I teased that I had shiny news.

I do.

Click here to read the details, but …

The HOURGLASS books have been optioned for feature film by TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX.

YEAH. THESE PEOPLE:

I’m excited for several reasons:

1.) A movie? About the people who live in my head? EEEE!!!

2.) Fox is amazing. They made the Wimpy Kid movies. And the Percy Jackson movies. And (some of) the Narnia movies. And the STAR WARS movies. Which means …

3.) My boys finally think I’m cool.

THANK YOU to my Amazing Agent, Holly Root, of Waxman Literary, and my film co-agent, Brandy Rivers, of Magnet Management. You ladies are fine and fantastic.

AND? All three of us are Southern. Shazam.

Later this week I’ll break down the way everything happened (nutty), the people I have to thank for it (snuggly), and the realities of an Hourglass movie actually being made (chancy).

But right now, I’m pushing reality aside for CUPCAKES, UNICORNS AND DOUBLE RAINBOWS!

Bit Two:

Also, the cover for the ADVANCED READER COPY of TIMEPIECE was leaked by someone online.

 

I am SO in love with it – but be aware that it’s the ARC cover only, and is not final. Lissy Laricchia is the photographer (also for HOURGLASS) – and is she mad talented or what?

I’ve adored seeing all the cover love posts, and to know y’all are excited about TIMEPIECE! I can’t wait to tell you more about it.

(Side Note: The cover wasn’t supposed to be revealed until March 2012. Thank you to all who called, DM’d, texted, gchatted, and emailed to let me know it was out in the world prematurely. I appreciate you!)