YA Author Stacey Kade

As most of you know, I’m a little on the obsessive side, particularly when it comes to Supernatural. So, it shouldn’t be a really huge surprise that I’ve spent waaaay too much time thinking about this idea and this show. (Have to do something when I’m not writing!)

That being said, my only examples are from my own family (which I describe below), so I’m interested to hear your take on things as well! (By the way, there are spoilers through Season 5 but no Season 6 stuff in this blog post, just so you know.) And if you’re not a Supernatural fan, please feel free to skip this entry. You’re not going to miss anything Alona and Will related, I promise!

I’m a relative newcomer to the Supernatural fandom, but it doesn’t take long to see that people are very passionate about the show in general and also, usually, about one brother over the other.

To be clear, I’m not talking about which Winchester is more attractive–frankly, they’re both hot enough to cause corneal damage if you look at them for too long. It’s not even always about who you agree with in whatever argument they’re currently having. I can often understand where my non-preferred Winchester is coming from, even as I hate what he’s saying/doing. I can also see it when my preferred Winchester is f*cking up big time, but it doesn’t change how I feel about him.

I believe brother preference is, at its core, about sympathy/empathy for that character rather than right or wrong or even logic. When the brothers are lashing out at each other, whether with words or fists or both (like when Dean uses John’s words on Sam, “If you walk out that door, don’t ever come back.” ACK!), who does your heart break for? Who do you want to hug and say, “It’ll be okay?”

That’s what I’m interested in. Both are flawed people–hell, that’s probably one of the reasons we love them so much. They are so broken and we want to fix them, or help them as they try to fix whatever is wrong themselves. One is not more broken than the other. They are just broken in different ways.

But we still make our choice. We ally ourselves with Sam or Dean, in a manner, I think, that has nothing to do with whether they’re right or wrong or even if we, in that given situation, would make the same choice.

Why? My pet theory is that it has something to do with birth order (whether you’re the oldest, youngest, middle or only child). Which makes sense to me as this show is way more about family than it is about vampires, werewolves, and wendigos. But I don’t think it’s birth order operating in the way one might expect. (A quick summary from Wikipedia on the theory behind birth order for those who aren’t familiar.)

I’ll explain, but first, a little background…

I started contemplating all of this because of conversations with my younger sister, who incidentally is the one who introduced me to Supernatural. As with anything–books, tv, movies–we view the Winchester family through the lens of our own life experience. I’m the oldest of three. I have a brother who is almost four years younger, and my sister is thirteen years younger than I am.

The key relationship in this case is the one I have with my sister. People who meet one of us first and then the other are shocked at how similar we are, even with the huge age gap. There are physical similarities, of course–our parents can’t tell us apart on the phone–but I’m told it’s more in mannerisms, how we express ourselves, and even our opinions. We finish each other’s sentences or say things at the same time ALL the time. She chose the same college I did, even the same major. NOT because I did those things, but just because we are very much alike. This is a little surprising to most people, even our parents, given that she was only four when I left for college.

But when she was little, she was often left in my care (hello, thirteen year old in the family is cheap labor–free babysitting). I changed diapers, gave baths, fed her jars of Gerber baby food, and put her to bed. I taught her how to tie her shoes, and I’m the one who witnessed her first steps (she was trying to reach me as I was dancing around the room to a Paula Abdul video–yes, it was 1989.)

I didn’t mind being responsible for her. It was fun to teach her stuff, usually the things she wasn’t supposed to know. She could identify Madonna and Janet Jackson on the radio (again, 1989!) when she was, like, two. Most kids were listening to Barney tapes. In another classic example, she asked my mom what a prostitute was, after I’d watched Pretty Woman (my favorite movie at the time) with her in the room. I’d thought she was too young to understand. (And yes, I got in trouble, but it was funny to see my mom try to answer that one.)

Christmas circa 1990:

As she got older, though, I figured out I had to back off on being responsible for her or she was going to hate me. She already had parents; she needed a sister. So, instead of asking her about whether she’d gotten her homework done, I asked if there were any cute boys in her class.

Now, as a college senior, she is a completely awesome person, one of my best friends, and someone I am proud to know.

Thanksgiving 2010:

I promise, I’m bringing this back around to Supernatural right now…

When I finally got into Supernatural (this is one where she beat me to the punch in being a fan), we started talking about it. It became very clear, almost instantly, that despite our similarities in so many other areas, we were on opposite sides of the Winchester fence. And, like so many other fans, we are fiercely loyal to our brother of choice and unable to understand WHY the other doesn’t agree.

And I think it surprised us both. Not simply because we don’t agree–that can and does happen, though not often (we are both Ryan Atwood girls all the way, for example)–but more because of WHICH brother we each prefer.

I’m the oldest with the youngest left in my care. I’m not the rebel. I’m the one trying to keep the parents happy, if I can. Who does that sound like?

Yeah…except I’m 100% in Sam Winchester’s court, every single time.

And my sister? The youngest, the one who is, in my opinion, braver than me, more likely to strike out on her own? She favors Dean. All the way.

This completely befuddled us, until I started really thinking about it.

I like Dean. I do. He’s funny, sarcastic, and painfully aware of his responsibilities to his family and the world. That being said, I find myself angry with his character. A LOT.

Have you ever had to watch someone make mistakes you’ve made? I can see Dean driving Sam away. I cringe when he’s yelling at Sam for one of his many instances of poor judgment. Dean’s often so focused on that parental-like, “I’m responsible for you” aspect that he can’t see Sam as a person, as someone who is trying so hard with impossible standards as his guide.

My sister, on the other hand, is completely exasperated by Sam’s stupid mistakes. And she doesn’t blame Dean in the least for getting angry with him, even when Sam’s intentions are good.

So, I wonder then if I identify with Dean too much to be comfortable with him. I wonder if oldest children see their own flaws (as they perceive them) in Dean and youngest see theirs in Sam.

In other words, the role we play in our own family affects how we relate to this fictional one. Perhaps we judge the brother in our role more harshly because we have been there. I can’t be on Dean’s side because, gah, I’ve made those mistakes or similar ones. I want him to be smarter or better than me. With Sam, I don’t have that issue. I can view him with sympathy and without that same kind of prejudice.

What do you think? Sound off in the comments. Tell me your Winchester of choice and whether you’re a oldest, youngest, middle or only. (For the record, I’m guessing only children will resemble oldests in their brother choice. Not sure about middles.)

And yes, I know. I think about this way too much.

My goal was to update my blog every Sunday, but I’ve been a little off schedule since the holidays and with working on G&G3.

So, even though today isn’t Sunday, I’m going to post a short update today with the goal of a real post next weekend. (Any topics? I ALWAYS need blog topics. I’m happy to blather on about anything, but have trouble coming up with specific ideas. What do YOU want to hear about, if anything?)

Random G&G stuff:

–Portuguese rights sold last week for G&G and QOTD. Did a little digging and I believe it’s a Brazilian company that bought the rights, which means the books will be available in Brazil (probably not Portugal) as a few people were asking.

–Paperback for G&G comes out on May 10. And I *think* there will be a chapter or two of QOTD in the back! So excited about that!!!

–On February 19, I’ll be attending the Children’s Literature Breakfast at the Abbington in Glen Ellyn, IL, sponsored by Anderson’s Bookshop. Hoping for a chance to meet “Weird Al!”

–And I’m also super excited to be at the Teen Book Convention in Houston on April 9. It’ll be a reunion with Kristen Tracy and Brent Crawford, two of my tour buddies from last summer. I’m so happy to be seeing them again!

–Working on finishing up G&G3. When I’m done and the book is turned in, I’ll be:

a) a little more coherent and capable of carrying on a conversation without breaking off mid-sentence to stare into space

AND

b) writing up a post about some of the things I’ve learned from writing this particular book. Tried something new this time and had a few conversations with other writers about it. Eager to write down some thoughts about it, but must get the book out of my brain first.

Other assorted items (which, oddly, seems to translate to television-related items):

–Supernatural returns this week. Yea! I want my Sammy back, preferably with a soul. I understand why the show needed to tear the brothers apart, but I’m looking forward to having them back.

–I’m kind of addicted to Southland. But mostly the Ben McKenzie parts. Has anybody read Jennifer Echol’s amazing book Going Too Far? If you haven’t, you totally should. It’s SUCH a good book, I’ve read it several times. Ben McKenzie is now who I picture as John After. *fans self*

–Watching Shameless on Showtime. Holy crap. Not for the easily offended, but I love seeing how this family (particularly the kids) all pull together.

Books:

–Purchased…
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook. From the opening pages, it reminded me of the blend of technology and old-fashionedness we saw in Firefly, particularly the episode where Kaylee wears the foofy pink dress and Mal fights a duel. I think this might be considered steampunk. Not sure. This is my first venture into this territory.

–From the library…
Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller
Mindblind by Jennifer Roy
Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff
Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn
Possessions by Nancy Holder
Good Behavior (a memoir) by Nathan L. Henry

Looking forward to reading them all…when G&G3 is done!

All right, I’m probably not even going to post this, but I HAD to get it off my chest. GAH!

I read lots of books in a variety of areas. Adult, young adult. Science fiction, paranormal, contemporary, urban fantasy, historical, romance, mystery. Serious, funny, absurd.

I go to each of these books for a different reason. Sometimes I want to be scared. Sometimes I want to cry or be deeply moved. Sometimes I just want to go along for the ride while we’re slaying demons or trying not be seduced by one.

I don’t consider any of these genres or subgenres to be lesser than another. They’re just different. Depending on my mood or what’s going on with my life, a certain kind of book will appeal to me more at one moment than another. I think a lot of people are like that.

So, can someone please explain to me why we insist on valuing these books differently? I’m not talking about whether you enjoy more one than the other–I’m okay with that. We all do that.

I’m talking about openly praising one type of book for being better than others because of it’s NOT in a particular category or putting down another because it is in said category.

I just finished reading an article–not a blog entry or a personal list but an actual official article from news source–that listed five or so YA books as the best of 2010. And I agree that every single one of those books on the list deserved to be there, based on my own experience with them or what I’d read about the books from others (still need to read a couple of them myself.)

But what bugged me and sent me straight to my keyboard to write this was the last line of the article, which was something to the effect of, “See? Good books in the Young Adult category and not a single paranormal creature among them.” Like this was something to be proud of or–and this is what irritated me–that the category of “good books” and “paranormal” could not overlap.

Urrrrgggh.

First, it’s misleading to assume or imply that YA is made up of nothing but paranormal stories. Yes, there are a lot of them and yes, SOME of them get lots and lots of attention. But there are many amazing contemporary, historical, mystery, suspense, and spy novels, too. (A few recent ones off the top of my head: Rosebush by Michele Jaffe, DUFF by Kody Keplinger, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers, Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles.)

I know the perception is that YA is all paranormal, all the time–and I know that can be frustrating for those who don’t enjoy that subgenre–but it’s not actually helping to counteract that situation by writing a sentence that implies you had to wade through mounds of paranormal crap to find these few diamonds in the rough. If you want people to know about other books outside the paranormal genre, then recommend more of them. There’s no need to bash on your way out the door. There just isn’t. You’re certainly not going to endear yourself to paranormal readers by doing so.

Yes, there are lots of paranormal/science fiction/fantasy stories out there right now and I’m not even going to pretend to be less than thrilled about that. That means I get to read and write what I love. Period. How awesome is that?

But do we need to hate on an entire subgenre just because it’s popular? Do we need to assume that just because it’s popular and kids like it that it must be junk? I don’t get that.

Believe me, I know there’s less than stellar story-telling out there–everywhere, in fact. Not just in the paranormal genre. And I’m all for calling a spade a spade. You don’t like a book? That’s okay, you don’t have to. You don’t HAVE to like anything. There are lots of books that are wildly popular in the paranormal genre that I have not been able to connect with or finish. Fine. That’s just how it is. No biggie.

But to dismiss an entire subgenre simply because of what it is, without regard to the quality of story-telling or writing within it, doesn’t make sense.

If it makes you laugh and cry but has a vampire in it, is it less of a book than one that makes you laugh and cry WITHOUT a vampire in it?

Why? Who says?

I think there might be a perception that working with paranormal creatures is easier because you can just make stuff up. But here’s the deal–writing is hard no matter WHAT you’re writing.

I feel like this is the same attitude that makes comedies less likely to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Do we need to cry in order to acknowledge the quality of something? Can’t evoking emotion–whether it’s laughter or tears–and engaging the reader/viewer–in whatever way possible–simply be enough? Why do we have to qualify it?

Again, we’re not talking about whether you liked a certain book or not. We’re talking about lining books up under the label of “Best Books of 2010.” The selection for that list is completely opinion-based, I know. We have no objective way to measure this kind of thing.

So, maybe my issue is more with how that list in the article was labeled. If paranormal books aren’t even in the running, not even up for consideration, then say that. Call it The Best Non-Paranormal Books of 2010. Then I’m fine with it.

Whew. End rant.

What do you guys think? Am I off the mark here? Blinded by my love of all things supernatural?

When I started thinking about writing G&G, I didn’t have a name for the ghost girl who’d been killed by the bus. Actually, I didn’t have a full name for anyone. I only knew Killian was Killian and that that was his last name. I didn’t know his first name was Will for a LONG time.

But back to Alona (much like she’d prefer it)…I knew what she was mostly like: dead, bitchy, sarcastic, cheerleader. But I also knew she had vulnerabilities she was not willing to reveal and that much of what people did not like about her was a form of her protecting herself. (By the way, I also did not know what Alona’s secret was when I started writing, only that she had one. And my initial guess? Totally wrong.)

In my mind, she is strong, just perhaps not in the way most of us think of it (strength=heroic=nice). She has that not-so-nice edge to her as well. Defense as well as offense, you know?

So, I needed a name that would fit her. I have a baby name book and websites I peruse for this exact purpose. I also usually look up the names that were most popular in the year a character was born so I’m not naming him or her something that is out of date or wildly unpopular (unless there’s a reason for that).

But none of those methods worked for me this time. All the names I could find sounded too typical, cliched, one-dimensional. I wanted her name to convey beauty, strength and the isolation that she feels–not that she would ever admit that.

Now, this would have been back in late 2005, early 2006 when I was just starting to think about writing this book. I wouldn’t actually start writing it until February 2007. But it was simmering in the back of my brain.

At or around that same time, I would have been watching Veronica Mars, one of the BEST shows on television in the last decade. Not kidding. At some point, I noticed that the character of Meg Manning, one of the few people in Neptune still nice to the title character AND a member of the Spirit Squad, was played by an actress named Alona Tal. (I had not started watching Supernatural at that point, believe it or not, so I never saw her as Jo until just this year.)

I liked how she played Meg, showing equal parts vulnerability and strength (the same with Jo, for that matter, although Meg was not nearly as kickass as Jo) and that reminded me of this girl I had yet to name. (I swear to you, it did not occur to me until much later how close “Alona” is to “Alone,” which is perfect for who Alona Dare is.)

So, Alona Dare is named for Alona Tal. And if you haven’t watched Veronica Mars, get thee to your Netflix Queue and order up!

I received the final cover for Queen of the Dead and permission to post it. I really love it and am so excited to share it with you guys!

Without further ado:

If you’ve seen the previous version, you’ll note that the main difference is in Will’s expression. He looks just a little bit more annoyed, which delights me. Though his life is certainly better than it was before, Alona still drives him crazy on a regular basis. That’s just part of who they are together. And I think this image reflects that better.

We still have the gorgeous diner set up with all the yummy desserts and the soft colors. Alona’s expression is still that wicked “I’m up to no good, and you totally know it” look. And Will is showing just a tad more of the “FML” attitude that I imagine he feels on a fairly regular basis when he’s caught up in one of Alona’s schemes.

Also, aren’t the models both so gorgeous? They do such a great job representing Alona and Will. I love it!

I’ve been looking for a topic to blog about and, coincidentally, I’ve gotten a few emails lately asking me about how I found my publisher, how the process works, how long did it take me to get published, etc. (Also, a couple of you suggested this as a topic when I asked–thank you for that. I’m terrible at figuring out post topics!)

So, here we go…

Wait. Before I start this, I have to say that this is just MY experience. Yours may be totally different. Just as there is no one way to write a book (tip of the hat to Ally Carter for that Twitter phrase), there is also no one way to publication. (The negatives in that sentence make my brain hurt, but I think you know what I mean.)

Okay…

What’s interesting to me is that if you look just at my YA experience, it all seems to have happened rather quickly. I wrote The Ghost and the Goth (which is the original title, by the way. I got to keep it!) from February to May in 2007. It was the first young adult novel I’d ever written, but I’d gotten back into reading YA several years before and LOVED how it had changed from when I was that age. (Such variety and freshness and truth-telling in these stories, so exciting!)

As some of you probably know, I have a sister who is thirteen years younger than me. She was graduating from high school in the spring of 2007. I really wanted to write about this YA idea I had about a bitchy dead girl ghost and the outcast guy who can see her, but I was scared to because it was so far outside of what I’d been writing. My motivation, then, became I knew how much my sister enjoyed reading YA and wouldn’t it be fun to give this story to her? Also, maybe if, as I went along writing it, I felt it was holding up well enough, I would try to get it published.

I had a blast writing G&G. Just had so much fun with it. And that was a wonderful lesson to gain from writing this book. I’d never realized it could be that much fun. I actually experienced moments of glee while writing. (This should have been a big clue to me that maybe I’d found what I should have been writing all along.)

Though it wasn’t without its hardships as well. I got about 3/4 of the way through the story and stopped because I didn’t know how to finish it. I’d opened up doors and story threads that I didn’t know how to close off. That is something I continue to struggle with as a writer. I love creating the problems, letting my characters make a mess of things, digging themselves in deeper, sometimes too much so. I get too many things going on at once and then they can’t get out…or the path to getting out is so convoluted, it can’t be followed. I’m still working on getting better at that!

At any rate, I had other writing projects going on at the moment, so G&G got shuffled to the side, temporarily.

I HAD to finish revisions to G&G in about a month or month and a half in early 2008, when a request for a full manuscript came in from the wonderful literary agent who would become MY wonderful literary agent, Laura Bradford. Uh, yeah. Don’t do what I did and query on a project that isn’t quite finished because then you have that awful “quick, hurry up and get it done, but wait, don’t screw it up because this is a big opportunity” pressure that I experienced. I lived on Dr. Pepper and Reeses’ Peanut Butter eggs for quick sugar and caffeine highs to keep pushing those revisions forward. I was, at the time, working full-time in an office and writing at night…and in the morning…and over lunch.

Laura signed me in April 2008, and we had an offer from Hyperion at the end of June 2008. Amazingly fast! Also, I got the most awesome, spectacularly fun, and brilliant editor–Christian Trimmer–in the deal. Yea!

So…just a little over a year from the first word written to having a contract. Fast and simple, right?

That would be a very big fat NO, actually.

See, I’d been writing pretty steadily since graduating from college. I’d started my first book back in 1998 and finished in 2000. That book will be one that never ever sees the light of day, but it taught me a lot. I wrote my second book in 2001 and then struggled with revisions for TWO years because I knew something was wrong with it, but I didn’t know what. The trouble was that everything I’d learned about writing, I’d learned from a couple of creative writing classes and reading lots and lots of books. Both of those are an excellent start for a writing education but definitely not enough. Not even close.

I started researching writing: other people’s techniques, what worked for them, what didn’t. I stumbled across Christopher Vogler’s screenwriting book, “The Writer’s Journey,” which provided the equivalent of a light bulb over my head.

I revised my book and started querying agents in 2003. Lots and lots of rejection followed. I eventually found a small, independent press that was willing to publish my book, the first in a series. Hurrah! They were lovely people, just starting up their own press, and I would be their first release.

It was all smashing and wonderful…for about a year. Then, my publisher contacted me and let me know that the financials just weren’t there for them to continue in this business. I was disappointed (crushed, actually), but understood. They had been very good to me and I had no complaints about the way I’d been treated, which is not always the case in situations like these.

So, then I had to start the querying process all over again. This time, though, I had the advantage of having learned a lot from my first go-around. I’d attended the Romantic Times Booklovers convention, met agents and other authors, and best of all, my mentor and friend, Linnea Sinclair. (She deserves a blog post entirely devoted to who she is, the amazing inspiration and help she has been, and how grateful I am, but the short version is I could not have done this without her. Truly.)

Despite my experience and best efforts, I still, however, could not find representation with an agent. I eventually landed at a supportive independent press willing to take on my previously published book, its sequel, and a new mystery I’d written that I LOVED.

I’m debating with myself now, writing and erasing lines, about how to continue this post. I could finish it as simply as, “And then I started writing G&G, and the rest is history,” but that’s not quite true. If I’m being honest, I’m worried I’m going to get flak for the following paragraphs, but oh, hell, it’s my story and I think you should have the truth as I see it.

The truth is, I wanted to have an agent. I wanted to see my book on the shelves in Borders and Barnes and Noble. I wanted, more than anything, to be a full-time writer. But it is very difficult (though not impossible, as there are examples of those who have done so) to accomplish those last two goals without a larger, NY-based publisher. Larger companies have a wider reach, the means and systems in place for better distribution. And I wanted that for G&G…if it was at all possible.

When I finished G&G, I could have stayed within the small press/independent publishing realm. I had the contacts, the comfort level and the confidence to do so. But I had to choose between the safety of what I knew and the risk of going after what I really wanted. There was absolutely nothing wrong with staying put, except that it wasn’t what I really wanted.

So, I took a chance. I started querying again, getting rejected AGAIN…and what do you know? This time, it worked. I found an agent who loved the book I’d written, and my book found a home with the amazing people at Hyperion.

And all of this happened approximately TEN YEARS after I’d started writing with the intent to be published. (Note: Remember what I said. This is just how it worked for me. Nothing says it will take anyone else this long!)

I guess the point I’m trying to make is that writing, like many, many other things, is often more about persistence than anything else. There are always going to be ups and downs, highs and lows, amazing accomplishments and obstacles that you think you’re never going to get past. But refusing to give up, pushing yourself to keep going and keep learning, and holding tight to your dream–that’s the really important stuff.

So, that’s my publishing story. I know I’m throwing around lots of terms (literary agents, querying, etc.) Let me know if you have questions.

Do I have other stuff I should be doing? Most definitely. Could I resist this form of procrastination once I started thinking about it? Not with all my strength.

And so I present to you…
10 Rules for Surviving Supernatural (the show) as a Female:

1. Never, EVER, wear a white nightgown. Seriously.

2. Do not be attractive and (seemingly) alone in your place of residence. Toss on some baggy sweats and wash off your make up. It might just save your life.

3. If two unreasonably handsome men show up at your door claiming to be FBI (or any other governmental agency), answer their questions as best you can (and admire their unreasonable handsomeness) but then get the hell out of town. Trouble is somewhere nearby, if not already lurking in your home.

4. If you have kids and they’re behaving normally, stick close to them. You *might* just survive whatever is coming your way.

5. If you have kids and they’re behaving strangely, get out, get out NOW. They’ll be fine…or some kind of hellspawn or whatever.

6. Don’t be a virgin in danger. Despite best efforts, it doesn’t end well.

7. Spend your baby’s six month b-day in a circle of salt with a fire hose of holy water at the ready (or in Bobby Singer’s panic room, if you know him.)

8. If you’re an adorable little girl, well…most likely it’s already too late for you. You’re probably a demon or a ghost or weird little vampire twins…

9. Don’t be plucky, feisty, and/or seemingly capable of fighting your own battles. You’ll be called upon to sacrifice yourself.

10. If you have the opportunity to sleep with one of the Winchesters, weigh your options carefully: A long, normal life…or a short one with a brutal end (but directly preceded by said Winchester opportunity.)

Yeah, that’s what I thought. It was nice knowing you.

Okay, fellow Supernatural fans, what else am I missing? What other rules should these women know to protect themselves?

Cross-posted at The Bradford Bunch

Good morning!

I’m so excited–yesterday, I received the advance reading copies of The Ghost and the Goth, Book Two: Queen of the Dead!

For whatever reason, a book just never feels quite real to me until I see it in this form. Writing this book, in particular, was a bit tricky, as it involved revising and rewriting while I was on tour this summer for the first book. In fact, I have very fond memories of squeezing in a paragraph or two, here and there, in various airports, hotels, planes and trains across the country. This was a very well-traveled work in progress.

So, I’m thrilled to see it in book-shape, in the form of the ARC. And I love the diner background for the cover–it’s just beautiful. Alona’s expression is just perfect too–she’s up to mischief and she knows it.

Some interesting (I hope!) facts about the cover:
–It’s not quite final, so there may be some additional tweaks.

–The models for Will and Alona (both of whom I LOVE) are the same as on the first cover. The photos for both covers were shot at the same time. And I believe there are photos for the third cover from that shoot as well. Yea! I think these models are perfect as Will and Alona and I’m thrilled to have the consistency of them on all three books!

–Will is a busboy in the second book; hence, his apron. In the earliest draft of the book, we spent much more time in the diner. But as I was revising, I cut out most of the diner-based material, and then–yikes–learned the cover was going to be set as a diner. But, with that in mind, a perfect opportunity for a new diner scene in the book came up, and it all worked out beautifully.

–I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this, but the gym uniform Alona is wearing is based on my high school’s required gym uniform. So I just love that they put her on the cover in that outfit–it looks so familiar (and right) to me because of my own high school experience!

Here are a few pictures:

The front cover:

The back cover (I love how the diner scene wraps around to the back with the stools and counter):

A close-up (relatively speaking) of Will and Alona:

Queen of the Dead comes out on June 7, 2011! That sounds so very far away, but it’ll be here before you know it…and hopefully not too quickly as I’m still writing the third (and final) book in the trilogy!

(Cross-posted at The Bradford Bunch.)

I went to visit my sister this weekend. She goes to Valparaiso University in Indiana, just as I did. It’s amazing to me that, even after more than a decade, just being on campus brightens my mood. Old buildings have been torn down and new ones put up in their places; the main road through campus no longer goes all the way through, much to my befuddlement; most of the familiar faces are gone, with the exception of my sister, her friends, and few professors. But it still feels like home to me, in a way few other places do.

I hated high school. Well, maybe “hate” is too strong a word. I endured high school. I don’t think it was anybody’s fault but my own. I was just never comfortable in my own skin (something I still struggle with) and spent an enormous amount of time analyzing everything being said and done around me, in the hopes of determining a pattern and/or the “right” thing to say and do. Now, granted, that has paid off with my ability to recall that time in my life with ridiculous accuracy, but it was not a fun few years.

And my worst fear when it came time to choose a college was that I would be in for four more years of the same. I visited all sorts of schools in that year or year and a half and tried to picture myself at each of them. Valpo felt right to me in a way that none of the others did. I remember that I couldn’t exactly express to my skeptical parents why this, the most expensive school on my list with the least amount of financial aid available, was the right fit.

I wanted to be an English major so it wasn’t that the school offered something I couldn’t get elsewhere. It’s a private university with a Lutheran-affiliation…just like two others on my short list. It wasn’t the biggest school on my list (10,000 plus) or the smallest (1,000–yikes).

But from the time I took that on-campus tour (I still remember what I was wearing), I knew this was the place for me. Actually, that makes me sound like I was a lot more certain than I was at the time. It was really more like the first time I felt this vague, I don’t know, *push* toward something. A gut instinct, maybe. It was weird, exciting and terrifying. If I wanted this, I’d really have to work at it. There would be convincing my parents and then getting loans (which I would be paying off until my early thirties). And what if I was wrong? What if I was mistaken about what I thought was guidance? All of this was based on something I couldn’t quite identify–a feeling, an instinct, a whisper you can’t quite hear. Rational thinking would have led me to an entirely different choice.

I wrestled with the decision for months, both before and after I made it. And I have the journals to prove it.

But I did it. I pushed to go to Valpo, even though I had no overriding reason to do so other than instinct, even though my parents were worried about the money, the effect the loans would have on my future, and more.

It was the first time I’d ever heard that little voice inside myself speaking up loudly and insistently enough that I had to listen. I made a big choice that my parents were probably less than thrilled with at the time, my first act of independent thinking and, honestly, rebellion. I was, and still am, a people-pleaser, so making a decision I knew they didn’t like was incredibly hard for me.

But it was the right decision for me, in so very many ways. First in that I found what I was looking for. A community, a place where I could thrive and belong just by being myself. I also got an amazing education, my best friends in the whole world, and my husband, too–all from that one decision.

But there’s more. Listening to that vague voice for the first time and realizing I was correct to do so was invaluable. Not just because it landed me where I needed to be, though that is certainly true. But because that’s the same voice that pushed and nagged at me to write my first book, and then to write another when the first was more of a learning experience rather than anything publishable.

It’s still the voice I listen for today when I’m writing, though some days it’s hard to hear it over the shouting of my own worries and fears. That’s when I know it’s time to calm things down and just listen.

I am proud of myself for listening and pursuing what I felt was right, both back when I was picking a college and when I started to write. It’s never an easy thing to buck the crowd and ignore those who tell you you’re making a mistake, you’re taking an unnecessary risk, or you’re going to get hurt. Those are, as always, distinct possibilities with every decision. But what I’ve come to realize is that you have to go with your instincts, trust yourself, and listen to that voice. Because then, at least the dents and dings you get along the way are ones you’ve earned by going after what you want instead of trying to play it safe, by someone else’s standards, and getting hurt and making mistakes anyway.

How about you? Any voices in your life?

Hey guys…

No vlog today (though I’m still taking suggestions if there are things you want to see/hear about).

But I do have something fun to share. Got permission to share the back cover copy that will be on the ARCs of Queen of the Dead. This is not final, even for the ARCs, and the jacket copy for QOTD will be different as well, but it should give you a pretty good idea of what the book is about!

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.