Blurbs, Beta Readers & Bikinis

I have fun book news!


First, Amazon sent me a little update to let me know that The Forest of Hands and Teeth will be shipping on March 10! I scrambled over and checked the Random House Children's Books webpage and yep, it says FHT is coming out March 10 as well. I'm sure these things can still change, but still -- it could be coming out two weeks earlier than planned!


Second, I've said before and I'm sure I'll keep saying it over and over again but it's very surreal and crazy to have people read FHT and tell me their thoughts. It's even more surreal when those people are authors who you have admired and been fan-girly about for years. Even crazier - when they blurb your book! I've posted before about Melissa Marr's blurb, but now I'm very honored and excited to share a few more blurbs:


"A post-apocalypse romance of the first order, elegantly written from title to last line."
-Scott Westerfeld


"Dark and sexy and scary. Only one of the Unconsecrated could put this book down."
-Justine Larbalestier


"Intelligent, dark and bewitching, Forest of Hands and Teeth transitions effortlessly between horror and beauty. Mary's world is one that readers will not soon forget."
-Cassandra Clare

Big time SQUEE!!


Third, today is the day I send Book 2 out to a few beta readers and my agent. I was thinking about this last night and the analogy that seemed to fit was this: imagine that you're told that in February you're going to be in a competition wearing nothing but a bikini. And they'll take pics or video of you in that competition to immortalize it forever and those pics and videos will be distributed to people who will then grade you, critique you, talk about you etc. Great -- that's over 5 months away and you can spend those 5 months working out, toning up, finding the right bikini, etc.


But what if right now, way before the competition, you had to stand on stage in that bikini for a few friends and let them tell you EXACTLY what you look like now and what you need to do to be ready in 5 months. They may poke at your saddle bags, glare at the wobble under your arms etc etc etc. You'd want their critiques -- you welcome them because what really matters is that competition in 5 months.


But you're also a little afraid because some of those people have ONLY seen you when you've been in competition shape before. You don't know what they'll say when the see how you've let yourself go over the past year. Others have seen you look way worse of course and they'll be able to say "you may have let yourself go, but man, you want to know what you looked like TWO years ago? Yikes!"


So... yeah. That's how I feel. The final draft of the book isn't due until February so there's lots and lots of time to get it in shape and tone it up. Right now is the time to start poking at its flaws and weaknesses and start the long regime to get it in order. I'm excited about the process, I love the process -- taking what I have now and (hopefully) transforming it into something great. But still.... must take the deep breath, throw on that bikini and strut across the stage :)