Hey Y'all! It's Tuesday and I'm back to share more about the upcoming release of The Dead-Tossed Waves. Yesterday I was THRILLED to get an actual real got-to-hold-it-in-my-hands copy of the book. SQUEE!! Here's a picture of my cat no looking nearly as thrilled as I was:
 And yes! That's a picture of both the hardcover of DTW *and* the rejacketed hardcover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. So if you ever wanted a copy of FHT with the old jacket, now's the time to snag it from the store if you find it. From what I've been told, all the copies left in the warehouse are now bearing this new cover! Yay!
I also got word last week that I'll officially be touring for DTW in March (!!!) and here's where I think I'll be going so far (this could, of course, change as we get closer): Baltimore + DC, NYC (and area), Chicago, Detroit + Lansing, Seattle, San Francisco. I'm also trying to set something up in Atlanta and of course my hometowns Charlotte & Greenville :)
I'll add details as I get them - so excited!!!
Sometimes coming up with a first line for a blog (after taking way too long of a hiatus) is just as hard as coming up with a first line for a book! So I'm just going to jump right in :) A few times this year, someone's asked me what advice I have for writers. I actually love this question because I love to see how OTHER people answer it. I'm constantly wanting to change my answer and offer caveats because there are no rules in writing and to ever talk in absolutes in the writing world can often get you in trouble (there is always an exception to every rule but that's for another blog).
But there is one absolute rule that I have: if you want to be a writer, you have to write. Not every day, not every month but at the end of the day/week/month/year/decade, you should have more words on the paper than you did at the start.
Writer's write. Writers may also blog, tweet, critique, whine (I'm a fan of that), outline, vlog, etc., but they all write. Or should write (and that's a topic for another blog as well).
As some of you who've been around my blog for a while might remember, back in 2006 I started on what I called the Ten Year Plan. It was a pretty basic plan: I would write and seek publication for 10 years without quitting. If I didn't make it in ten years, then I could re-evaluate. Really, it was my way of dedicating myself to the task of seeking publication and giving myself enough time to really truly see if I could do it. Also, I was hoping that if I said I had to do it for 10 years that I wouldn't wuss out when I got rejected or thought it was too hard.
At the end of that first year, I counted up the words I'd written that year: 171,701 (you can see the post here - the project without a name that I mentioned is The Forest of Hands and Teeth).
I could probably go back and tally how many words I've written in the years since then (and might once I'm out from under this deadline) but after re-reading that post I became curious about how many words I'd written in 2009. Here's my tally (and they're rough cause I failed to keep a proper log this year and can only look at the documents I have):
The Dead-Tossed Waves: (first draft written in 2008 but about 50,000 words added in edits in 2009)
Untitled Book Three in Untitled Series: 85,000
Short Story 1: 10,500
Short Story 2: 5,100
Other Short Story starts: 3,500
Cut Files: 190,000
Other Projects: 4,000
TOTAL WORDS IN 2009: 348,100
And yes, looking at the sheer size of my cut files (which I always name "errata and lost words") makes me a little sick to my stomach (okay, a lot sick to my stomach). Also, I find it REALLY interesting that my output of words is about double what it was in 2006 - I'm not sure I ever would thought that to be the case.
So what do I have to show for those words? The Dead-Tossed Waves will be out March 9, 2010 and those two short stories should be out in the fall of 2010. The Untitled Book Three in Untitled Series will be out in Spring 2011.
I never wrote down my goals for 2009 so I'm not sure what I was expecting to accomplish, but I'm pretty darn happy with what I ended up with! Speaking of goals, I guess I should start thinking of those for 2010... hmmm....
Yes, this is what I do when I'm avoiding other things :) It makes me feel productive while also tapping into my laziness. Anyway, I thought I'd post this here -- I had no idea there were that few days until the paperback of The Forest of Hands and Teeth releases - ack! I happen to have a copy of the paperback in my hands right now and it's so gorgeous that I've found myself staring at it quite often (another form of procrastination). I'll post pics this week!
Also... I've heard some people say that these kind of sprout thingies (look at that fine tech lingo there) slows down pages and gets annoying. If that's the case, just let me know and I'll take this down soas not to slow down my blog loading.
So here you go!
  What if the The Forest of Hands and Teeth weren't woods full of zombies? What if, instead, The Forest of Hands and Teeth were an accessory shop? How creepy would that be?
What would it have? Fake Fangs? Nail extensions?
Over the next weeks, I'll try to post more information about The Dead-Tossed Waves in the run up to its release on March 9, 2010. Today, I'm posting a snippet of the opening:
The story goes that even after the Return they tried to keep the roller coasters going. They said it reminded them of the before time. When they didn't have to worry about people rising from the dead, when they didn't have to build fences and walls and barriers to protect themselves from the masses of Mudo constantly seeking human flesh. When the living weren't forever hunted.
They said it made them feel normal.
I'm so super excited about this book coming out!
I'm pretty terrible about remembering birthdays (except my own) and am always feeling terrible when I forget to call or email someone to wish them the best. My grandmother used to say that if anyone forgets your birthday it's your own fault and after pondering that for a while, I agreed with her. Since then, I make it a point to announce my birthday loud and clear :) I know some people are more demure than that but they all must have a better memory than I do!
New years and birthdays tend to be the times when people reflect on where they are and where they're going and since these days come pretty close to each other for me, it means I spend the first part of the year thinking about such things. I dashed off a few resolutions this year (including blogging more - whee look at me go!) but I still need to sit down and really pay attention to what I want to accomplish this year. Perhaps resolutions isn't the right word but goals.
I have a lot I want to do this year (which I shall blog about soon). And I have a lot I'm proud of from last year (which I will also blog about soon). In fact, there's a lot I want to blog about -- some people have asked me to write about my schedule, to talk more about The Dead-Tossed Waves, and I want to do a series on how I found an agent since that's a question I get asked about a lot at events. If there's anything y'all would like me to talk about in the coming weeks, just let me know in the comments!
Now if you'll excuse me, JP snuck out of the house this morning so he could bring me bagels in bed (little did he know I'd be up and at work earlier than usual!).
Hey Y'all!
I'm doing a signing in my hometown this weekend! Just in time for the holidays!
When: Saturday, December 12th from 2pm-4pm
Where: Barnes & Noble on Haywood Road
What: me signing, perhaps reading from The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves (I'll have the ARC of DTW there if anyone wants to flip through it), and of course giving out zombie finger puppets and candy!
Stop by and say hello! And if you don't live anywhere near Greenville and would still like to purchase a signed/personalized copy of my book, you can find out how to order it here!
Thanks and I can't wait to see y'all there!
I'm so proud and pleased to live in a world where young girls are never sexually abused. Where women in high school or middle school aren't raped. Where teen boys never contemplate suicide (or, heaven forfend, actually attempt and accomplish it). I'm blessed to live in a world where there's no bullying, no cyberbullying, no eating disorders or emotional abuse. Where girls don't stick fingers down their throats and slide knives or blades over their skin intentionally. Where teachers don't sleep with students, where fathers don't sleep with daughters, where no one under consenting age has sex, thinks about sex, comes close to having sex, gets pregnant, gets a disease, has an abortion or has a child when they're still in their tweens. How lovely that all girls and boys are virgins throughout middle and high school. That nary a drop of alcohol or a whiff of drugs passes their lips, their noses, their veins.
Surely each child at every school is well loved, well nourished, well cared for. Well clothed and well mannered with bright futures ahead that don't involve peer pressure and binge drinking and drugs and gangs.
Clearly none of those terrible things ever happens in the lives of REAL teens. So why would we ever need books about such horrid and odious happenings? Why would we allow such texts to enter the hallowed halls of our children's schools? Or, worse, to actually be offered on a list of recommended reading? Or even more awful to contemplate, used in a classroom? Forget that such books may have won awards or received starred reviews or been included list after list. Forget that teens have written to authors in tears, in gratitude, in awe that some of those books have changed their lives. That some of those books have saved them.
We don't need those books anymore! Therefore, we don't need them in our classes, in our schools or in our libraries. Hasn't anyone ever wondered what would happen if we let our perfect, pure, untouched and untarnished teen minds read such smut? They might contemplate drugs or sex or suicide. Clearly, all it would take is one page - one paragraph - of Laurie Halse Anderson's book Wintergirls to change even the healthiest girl anorexic! No girl today would ever have such thoughts otherwise!
Won't someone please think of the children? What are we teaching them with these books?
Unless... unless we've somehow failed. Unless we missed something. Unless there are teens out there that are in trouble. That have faced obstacles that their parents don't know about. Unless there are teens out there with secrets -- secret pains and secret fears -- that they can't take to their mother or father or sister or priest or teacher. Maybe they're ashamed. Maybe they're afraid.
Maybe they need to be shown that they're not alone. That you can survive abuse. That you can overcome bullying and peer pressure. That your friends could be facing these issues. That you can find help. Or even, what happens when you don't.
Maybe we need to have more faith in teens that reading a book won't brainwash them. That maybe instead it will expand their horizons. And maybe as the adults of the world that's our job - to show them the world and be there to answer questions and support them.
I get it. I understand that its easier to keep teens in the dark. It's easier to believe that teens aren't dealing with these difficult issues. What parents want to introduce their precious child to all the bad things in this world? What father wants to explain what rape is?
But I need to make this clear, and this comes from my experience and from my friends experiences and from the teens I've talked to: this stuff happens. And it happens to teens and tweens far younger than any of us would ever want to contemplate. They deal with these issues whether we want them to or not. This is life and life can really suck and it can be messy and dangerous and sad. And hiding from it doesn't make it go away.
So whenever someone screams "Won't someone please think of the children" and then they propose banning books or removing them from the classroom or the library, I want to ask them what they think it accomplishes. Because not talking about the difficult issues in this world doesn't make them not exist. Not letting teens read about them doesn't mean teens are somehow not going to face them.
We're not protecting anyone by keeping them ignorant. And banning books or pretending this stuff doesn't happen is the height of ignorance.
Thank you to the authors who write about these difficult topics and to those who fight to keep them in schools.
In case y'all are interested in a personalized and autographed copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, I've partnered with my awesome local indie to make it happen. Park Road Books will be happy to take your order, giftwrap it (I've seen the paper - very pretty!), and ship it to you for the holidays (or any other time!). I live about two miles from the store and love any excuse to stop by (in addition to so many books they have a cute dog!!) so they just call me up and I head over to sign - easy peasy.
 Here are the details: just call Park Road Books at 704-525-9239 and tell them you'd like a signed copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Make sure to tell them who you want the book made out to (and how to spell the name) and if you want a specific message included. Super easy!
Who doesn't want zombies for the holidays?
I feel like I should have a sound file of crickets chirping for when this page loads since I haven't been around in a while. I promise to get back to regular blogging... I just have this issue of my deadline to contend with first. What's funny is that I have a ton of blogs in my head - it's what I tend to think about when I fall asleep at night. If only I could direct wire my brain to my laptop...
I had a fantastic time in NYC an amazing series of school visits with my local library system, a very happy (though damp) Halloween and I just need to upload pics so I can share them. I promise... soon!
I'm super excited about this week because it's the AASL Pit Stop in my hometown (at the Charlotte Convention Center) and I'll be signing at table 10 from 12:45-2:15 and then will be signings at the Follett Library Resources Booth from 3:30-4:30. But this also means that a TON of friends are coming to town and I'm just stoked to see them all!
It's also the beginning of NaNo - yay! I'm not officially entering because I already have a WIP but I'll still be churning out words with the rest of you. I have a special fondness for NaNo since that's when I started writing The Forest of Hands and Teeth back in 2006.
Speaking of NaNo and writing... I have much of that to do today so I must get back to it. Happy writing all!
OH HAPPY DAY!! I got a knock on the door from FedEx and look at what I found!!
Advanced Reader's Copy of The Dead-Tossed Waves! Wahoo!!
Hey Y'all! I had an AMAZING time up in NYC and I can't wait to tell you more about it... but my first pass pages for The Dead-Tossed Waves are due today which means I'll have to wait until tomorrow or Weds before I fill you in on all the details of my trip :)
But I did want to tell y'all about a few events I have this week for Teen Read Week! Tomorrow I'm doing two visits to the Freedom Regional Library, but I'm not sure those are open to the public. The other two events definitely are open to the public and I'd love to see you there!
What: Discussion and signing for Teen Read Week
Where: Davidson Branch of the PLCMC
When: Friday October 23, 6pm-8pm
What: Discussion and signing for Teen Read Week
Where: University City Branch of the PLCMC
When: Saturday October 24, 3pm-5pm
I'm really looking forward to these! And here's my question for y'all as I'm putting together my program. Usually I've spoken to groups who've read The Forest of Hands and Teeth already and I'm fairly certain that some of these groups won't have. What do you like to see in an author presentation (if you've read their book or if you haven't?). Thanks!!
This time last year I was typing up my resignation letter. Okay, I was probably staring around my office a bit freaked out and a lot excited about the step I was about to take (and I was also probably cramming in as much CLE as I could to keep up my law license which I still have active).
Actually, I was freaking out about the pending trip to NYC to kick off my pre-publication tour. Yep, I quit work on Friday and on Sunday I was in New York with my friend Diana Peterfreund (we must have hit like five bookstores that day) and going out to dinner with Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld. That Monday I met my editor and publicist in person for the first time, did my first school visits, attended a meet and greet at Random House Children's books where I met so many amazing people, grabbed a drink with my agent and editor, headed to an awe-inspiring dinner that was just so perfect in every way there's no way I could ever describe it (and where thankfully I got through my speech without crying or hyperventilating) and then capped off the evening having drinks with my agent. It was a divine whirlwind that exceeded every day dream I ever could have had.
Tomorrow I'm going up to New York again. And what I love is that this time, my nerves are a lot lower (though still there!) and my excitement is through the roof! I can't wait to see everyone again and perhaps not be quite so overwhelmed and speechless (though really, I don't see any way to walk into the RHCB's offices and not be stunned). This time I'm pretty sure I'll be able to eat something during the meals we have planned (last time I was WAY too nervous to eat which is a shame because the dinner they planned had fantastic looking food!).
Squee! I'm so excited! And there's nothing more fun than being able to be excited without freaking out :) Now of course I just have to go pack :)
Once again, here are the details of my event up there, and there will be a signing afterward! Can't wait to see y'all there!!!
When: Thursday, October 15th at 7:00pm
Where: The Barnes & Noble at 86th and Lexington Ave
Who: Me, Scott Westerfeld, Michael Grant and James Dashner
What: a panel discussion about the growing "post-apocalyptic teen fiction" genre plus a signing
Hey y'all! I'm super excited about an upcoming event I'm doing with Scott Westerfeld, Michael Grant and James Dasnher! Here are the details (and here's a link to the event page):
When: Thursday, October 15th at 7:00pm
Where: The Barnes & Noble at 86th and Lexington Ave
Who: Me, Scott Westerfelt, Michael Grant and James Dashner
What: a panel discussion about the growing "post-apocalyptic teen fiction" genre
I've heard rumors that this will be recorded and might even be streamed live so that could be awesome! I'm assuming there will also be a signing afterward but will confirm that for sure in the next day or so.
I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this event! Not only because I love all these authors but also because I'm so excited to see what they have to say about writing in post-apocalyptic worlds. Oh, and I'm also SUPER excited to be going to New York -- so many people I'm hoping to run into!!! So you all totally have to come!!
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before and if I have, bear with me as I tell a brief tidbit again. I went to a religious high school and one of our graduation talks was from a bishop. He said something I'll never forget: he asked us to constantly question our faith. If we questioned our faith and lost it, then it wasn't strong to begin with and if we questioned and retained our faith, then it was that much stronger.
 I think this is something that's applicable to all areas of our life which is why I find it so puzzling how many people want to restrict information, especially through banned books. Perhaps it's because I grew up in a fairly open household where our curiosity was supported but really I think it comes down to this: if the only way you can keep people believing what you want them to is to deny them access to other points of view, then not only do you not trust those people but you certainly don't trust the strength of your own message.
This is why I find the notion of banning books utterly absurd. Sure I understand that books can have really mature content, that they can say things that you might personally disagree with or even find morally abhorrent. But denying people the right to read those books doesn't fix anything, it just keeps people ignorant and unable to form their own opinions. If you're afraid of the message in books, afraid of what someone might think or learn then read them together and discuss about the issues raised, don't ban them.
In my book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, Mary is raised in a very strict society where all information is restricted -- there are no books (except for one). Because of this, the ruling class is able to control absolutely every belief held by those in the village. It's done out of fear: fear that if left to their own devices, if allowed to learn and come up with their own points of views, they might rebel. They might wonder if there's life outside the fences. They might question authority and might even begin to determine for themselves how they want to live their lives rather than having it dictated to them.
It's no surprise that so many dystopian novels have societies with restricted information and a lack of books. Control the information and you control the people. You stop them from thinking for themselves.
Because, really, that's all banning books does: it freezes society's ability to question authority. It keeps us docile. In control. Ignorant.
And to me, that's the opposite of how we should live life. We should question everything and we should encourage teens especially to question it all. We should have faith in them -- in all of us -- that armed with as much information as possible, we're going to make good decisions.
Because if we don't believe that, we're all in way more trouble than I thought.
 This is why this week and every other week of the year, we should speak out against banning books. We should support all books and we should support the readers of those books and be there to listen and talk about challenging content rather than covering it up. These are our future mothers, senators, presidents, coaches, teachers, authors, bankers, uncles: we should hope that they grow up with open minds and the ability to think for themselves so they can teach that next generation to do the same.
I've been dying to make this announcement and some of y'all have already seen these out on the web, but I'm getting new covers for both The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead-Tossed Waves! The new FHT cover will be on the trade paperback (out February 9, 2010) and might possibly on future hardcovers. The DTW cover will be on the hardcover (out March 9, 2010) and the eventual paperback release (prob in 2011).
I can't tell you how lucky I feel to have two new fantastic covers! What do y'all think?
And here's the cover copy for The Dead-Tossed Waves:
Gabry lives a quiet life. As safe a life as is possible in a town trapped between a forest and the ocean, in a world teeming with the dead, who constantly hunger for those still living. She's content on her side of the Barrier, happy to let her friends dream of the Dark City up the coast while she watches from the top of her lighthouse.
But there are threats the Barrier cannot hold back. Threats like the secrets Gabry's mother thought she left behind when she escaped from the Sisterhood and the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Like the cult of religious zealots who worship the dead. Like the stranger from the forest who seems to know Gabry. And suddenly, everything is changing.
One reckless moment, and half of Gabry's generation is dead, the other half imprisoned. Now Gabry only knows one thing: she must face the forest of her mother's past in order to save herself and the one she loves.
So I'm in drafting mode: writing book three (still sans title). This means I walk around with my head in the sky a lot doing strange things like baking cookies and downloading dance music. I get crazy urges to move furniture around that JP has to talk me out of (trust me when I tell you there was a very long and detailed conversation about that yesterday when I asked him how upset he'd be if I went ahead and moved the couch in my office to prepare for the new couch we're probably getting in a few weeks). It's been kind of dismal weather here, so I haven't been able to get out and wander around.
I've hit that point in the book I always hit where I panic and gnash my teeth. I'm hopefully going to get through it soon. I totally agree with whoever said that each book you write teaches you how to write THAT book, but I also find that the more I write, the more I find patterns and sometimes patterns can be comforting. It's nice to know that for my other books I hit this point in the drafting and made it through. It's nice to know that when all is said and done I have a wonderful agent and fantastic editor and smart beta readers to help me wrangle it into the story I want it to me.
Recently, my critique partner, Diana Peterfreund (of the killer unicorn Peterfreunds) wrote a blog post about her writing process that I thought was absolutely fantastic (go read it here). She has to get the scene right the first time in order to move forward and I'm just the opposite -- I learn so much about the story during the drafting that I regularly have to go back and rewrite whole chunks of my book. And now that I think about it, the parts that I tend to rewrite are the parts I'm drafting right now.
I think some people would think "this is the part I'll end up having to rewrite" and get stressed out. For me it's a relief to know that what I do now doesn't set everything in stone. I can still fix and change if I go down the wrong path. You know I've used the analogy before that I think of writing as going down a long series of hallways closing off doors that represent all the possibilities in your book.
Now that I think of it more, I wonder if those rooms I'm closing have more than one entrance. So maybe I close the door from THIS hallway, but who knows if I'll double back and find another way into that room later.
See, this is what I do when I'm at this stage of writing the book -- I read craft books, I think about my own style, and I write blogs trying to figure it all out :) Speaking of craft books, anyone have any good ones to recommend?
Wow! Let me just say again, wow! I had a total blast at the North Carolina Literary Festival this past weekend. It was the first festival I'd ever been to (that I could remember) much less spoken at, so I was definitely nervous for the weeks leading up to it. This spawned some panicked "what do I do!?!" emails to friends who were thankfully quite calming and helpful. One even suggested I check out YouTube videos of other authors speaking at festivals and this was awesome advice. So I watched a bunch of authors at the National Book Festival in DC and it was so much fun (and I learned a lot!). One of those authors was RL Stine and I payed particular attention to him because he was the one taking the stage right before me (!!).
Let me pause here and say that when I was a teen, I had two go-to authors. These are the ones that every time I went to the store or library I went straight for their latest -- these are the authors who really helped foster my love of reading (and taught me to speed read because I refused to sleep until I got to the end of the book!). One of those authors was RL Stine so the fact that I'd not only be in the same town, but also be taking the stage after him was flabbergasting.
So I arrive in Chapel Hill, check into the Carolina Inn (they hand you a fresh-baked choc chip cookie on check-in - huzzah!). And who do I see (other than Anna Deavere Smith who I recognized as the national security advisor on the west wing) but RL Stine! He comes walking in and I hyperventilate a bit. But I'm cool and collected and go to the media room to print out my schedule cause I'd forgotten it. But then walking back to my room he's standing alone at the elevator.
And yeah, I was totally THAT girl. I said "I'm sorry, are you RL Stine?" And he turned surprised and said, "Yes, how did you know?" and that's about when I turned into a puddle of fan-girl mess. Seriously, I babbled about how I was taking the stage after him and I was a reader because of him and am a huge fan and he's like a rockstar to me, etc etc. He asks the title of my book and I tell him and he says "Oh yeah!" and had heard of it. OMG! The elevator comes twice and he stays to chat and finally I let him go and I return to my room where I collapse on the bed in fangirl bliss.
Until the hotel brought around truffles and sparkling water -- seriously awesome hotel! I head down to the author reception and have a brief moment of panic because I clearly know no one, but I meet some seriously awesome people like Jenna Black, Virginia Kantra, and John Claude Bemis and have a chat with Sarah Dessen (more fangirl swooning). That night's keynote was given by Anna Deavere Smith and it was amazing and thought-provoking and just wow.
The next morning I hung out in the author hospitality room meeting people and chatting and stressing. RL Stine was there again and gave me advice and then it was time for me to go on! I sort of blank out when I talk so I have no idea how that went. I was mostly happy that most of the 6-8 year olds cleared out to get RL Stine's autograph (I had no idea what I'd talk about to them!) and I had a chance to meet a few readers before my talk -- totally totally amazing. And then it was over, I signed some books and met some great people and that's all she wrote!
All in all it was a totally exciting weekend! And hopefully having done that will make me a little less nervous for the future :) Apparently, according to The Gourmez, my talk was good! Yay!
And I met RL Stine who is totally my hero. Totally totally awesome! Next time I'll take my camera :)
I've been remiss on my blog tours recently and will be remedying that situation over the next two weeks! Today I bring you New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater talking about her recent release, Shiver!
 What's been one of the most exciting moments in Shiver's journey to publication?
The cover. Hands down, it was one of the things I was most nervous about. As an artist I have very annoyingly firm ideas of what is Pretty and what is Not, and I was terrified that I would get something that didn’t match the book. And then my editor said, “Okay, take a look, it’s not done yet, and you can tell us if you don’t like it . . . “ and it was drop. dead. gorgeous. Just like the book -- subtle, genre undertones, and just so artsy. I loved it. I’d never seen anything like it but it didn’t look entirely out of place, either.
Is there anything you can't write without?
Music. I have to have music on, or my brain won’t settle. It has to match the book, too, or I just sit in my chair and jive. There’s definitely writing music -- music that makes me settle down and deal with my plot -- and there’s Maggie music -- music that makes me get on my desk and rock. Obviously I am careful to only play the first while on deadline.
When stuck on a story which do you choose: write make-out scene or explode something?
Can I not do both? Honestly my default setting is angst. When in doubt, reveal some troubling and hopefully crippling element of a character’s past. That ought to get the juices flowing. And lead to either making out or things exploding.
Can you share a favorite line you've written either in this book or a WIP?
I'm sort of a fan of this description of James sleeping, from BALLAD:
James slept like he did everything else; totally intense, like it was a competition and he couldn’t let down his guard for a minute. His scribbled hands were pulled up to his face, his wrists turned to face each other in a sort of weird, beautiful knot. His knuckles were white.
Finally: pro fast zombie or anti fast zombies?
I am pro angst zombies. I don’t care if they go fast or if they go slow, just so long as they feel bad about it.
 I'm super excited that this weekend I'll be attending and talking at the 2009 North Carolina Literary Festival! I'd love for y'all to come out and say hi!
WHAT: 2009 North Carolina Literary Festival
WHEN: September 10-13 -- I'll be talking on Saturday, September 12th at 3:50pm
WHERE: UNC Chapel Hill campus -- my talk will be at the Children's Stage
I'll be talking about how I came up with the idea and world of The Forest of Hands and Teeth, reading a bit from that and also probably a little from The Dead-Tossed Waves and maaaybe even a small snippet from my work-in-progress (book 3) if there's time. I'll also be answering questions and signing books afterward.
This is my first literary festival ever and so of course I'm a little nervous. I'd love to have some friendly faces there!
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And yes! That's a picture of both the hardcover of DTW *and* the rejacketed hardcover of The Forest of Hands and Teeth. So if you ever wanted a copy of FHT with the old jacket, now's the time to snag it from the store if you find it. From what I've been told, all the copies left in the warehouse are now bearing this new cover! Yay!
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