Friday, July 29, 2011

Beachy Keen Book Bash
















On Saturday, July 30, I'll be at the Joseph Beth Bookstore in Cincinnati for the Beachy Keen Book Bash with these awesome authors.

Saundra Mitchell (The Vespertine, Shadowed Summer)
Kay Cassidy (The Cinderella Society)
Julia Karr (XVI)
Sara Bennette Wealer (Rival)
Kristina Purnhagen (The Tension of Opposites)
Linda Gerber (Trance, Death by Bikini)

What a great lineup! There will be a panel, a Q&A, and a couple cool summer prizes that you could snag. It'll be fun! It'll be...Beachy Keen!

(I'm almost embarrassed that I was the one who came up with that, lol!)

Anyway, details! You all need details, right? Here they are:


Joseph-Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati, OH 45208

Phone: (513) 396-8970

Website

Date: Saturday, July 30

Time: 1:00pm to 3:00pm


Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Tweeting and winning go hand in hand
















Okay, Team Ashers and Team Puckers (that sounds weird, but go with it). How would you like to win a set of all three Iron Fey books, signed? Harlequin Teen is having a Twitter contest tomorrow, Thursday the 28th, to celebrate the end of the Iron Fey re-read month. Does that sound cool? If yes, here are the deets:


Contest is Thursday 7/28

From 11am to 11pm EST

Entrants should use one of two hashtags, #teamash or #teampuck (Don't forget to make it to @Harlequinteen)

Entrants need to tweet a favorite quote from that character using the above hashtags.

Each entrant has a chance to win one of two signed sets of The Iron Fey trilogy (King, Daughter and Queen).

One TEAM ASH winner

One TEAM PUCK winner

ETA: For more information and contest rules go here . The contest is open to U.S./Canada (excluding Quebec)

Quotes can be anything from Iron King through Iron Queen; no Iron Knight quotes since it is not out yet and we want to avoid spoilers.

Also, if you want to really support your fey boy, here are the links to the wallpaper that you can use for you avatar. Its not required, but it would be very much appreciated. (Also, Puck would get a kick of having his place plastered all over Twitter.)


Friday, July 22, 2011

FandomFest

Ready to get your geek on?

I'll be at FandomFest in Louisville, KY Saturday 23rd. I'll be on several panels with other authors as we discuss YA, writing, fantasy, and other things.

Check out FandomFest.com for information about hotel, tickets, guests, ect.

If you are planning on attending and want to say hi, here is a schedule of the panels I will be on:

11:00am Panel Room A The YA Explosion

1:00pm Concourse Signing

6:00pm Panel Room B Where First Time Novelists Go Wrong

9:00pm Panel room B Urban Fantasy

10:00pm Panel Room B Fight Scenes in Fiction



Maybe I'll see you there. ^__^

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

A (Spoiler-free) chat about Ash

So. With The Iron Knight out on Netgalley, and Ash's story already in the wild, I thought I would post my very brief (spoiler-free) thoughts about the dark, broody prince, and the expectations that might be floating around.
















It's always a gamble writing a book in the POV of an already established character, especially one who has been seen through the eyes of someone else. We see the character as the protagonist sees them; we don't know their thoughts, their feelings, the dark, ugly traits that they keep hidden from everyone else. And if the protagonist happens to be in love with said character, things get even more muddied.

Getting into their head is another matter entirely.

Case in point. Its a common occurrence; when an actor is chosen to play the role of a particular character in a book, everyone always says: "he looks nothing like him," or "that's not how I imagined him at all." This is because we've built up our own image of the character, through traits, character description, and our own preferences. And everyone has a different image in mind. Its impossible to meet everyone's expectations.

The same can be said of a book character.

As I said before, it was a gamble switching to Ash's POV. Before, readers have only seen him as Meghan does: handsome, brooding, protective, dangerous, devoted. But in The Iron Knight, we meet the real Ash, stripped of his air of mystery, his real thoughts and emotions laid bare. It might surprise some people. It might anger some people. To know the Ash they built up in their head is quite different then the real Ash. The Winter prince is not an emotionless automaton: he has fears and insecurities like everyone else. He has also lived a long time, and his past has not been a pleasant one. There are old wounds, scars, past sorrows, and regret. To give him his own story means there are no illusions anymore; this is Ash at his darkest, most intimate level. He might not be what you expected.

I will promise one thing, though. The prince of the Unseelie Court has always been my favorite, and I tried to portray him as honestly as I could. Writing his story was difficult sometimes, because I had to dig deep into Ash and bring all these things to light. But I can say with utter confidence that I regret nothing in Ash's story, and to the readers who love the Winter prince as much as me, this one is for you.



I'd love to hear your thoughts/predictions/expectations. (Though I will answer no spoiler-ish questions about The Iron Knight. The gremlins will eat me if I do.)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Fairyday Quote winner

Okay, so I'm a bit behind.

I was supposed to choose a winner for the #Fairyday contest this weekend, but family came over and I sort of forgot.

BUT, I've picked a winner today, or rather, Random.org picked a number, and the lucky winner is...

Katie at booksaredreams@gmail.com! Her favorite fairy quote happens to be:

"For the rest of my life, however long we have left. I'll consider it an honor to die beside you."


So, congratulations Katie! I'll be emailing you shortly so I can send you your signed Iron Fey trilogy. :) Thanks to everyone else who participated, I hope you had fun, and don't forget to clap so the fey know you believe. ;)

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Livestream highlights

Wow, first off, thanks so much everyone for an awesome chat! I had a lot of fun, and I hope you all enjoyed it too.

So, for those of you who didn't make it, here are a few key events that took place.

The synopsis for The Iron Knight was revealed! I shall post it for your viewing pleasure below. (Warning, possible spoilers for The Iron Queen.)










Ash, former prince of the Winter Court, gave up everything. His title, his home, even his vow of loyalty. All for a girl… and all for nothing.

Unless he can earn a soul.







To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice


***


Also, some major announcements! Announcement numeral uno: Teaser Tuesdays are set to return in August, where I will be posting snippets about The Iron Knight, leading up to it's release in October. So keep checking back for those.

Announcement number two: I have a new series coming out! In the spring of 2012, the first book of my post apocalyptic vampire series will hit. The series is called Blood of Eden, and the first book will be titled The Immortal Rules.

Before I get to the last announcement, here is the excerpt I read today from The Iron Knight. Beware, this has major SPOILERS for The Iron Queen, so if you haven't read it yet, I would refrain until you have. But for the rest of you, here is the first Iron Knight teaser. Hope you enjoy. :)

***

My name, my full, True name, is Ashallayn’darkmyr Tallyn, and I am the last son of the Unseelie Court.

There were three of us at one time, all princes of Winter, myself and my brothers, Sage and Rowan. I never knew my sire, never cared to know him, nor did my siblings ever speak of him. I wasn’t even positive we shared the same sire, but it didn’t matter. In the Unseelie Court, Mab was the sole ruler, the one and only queen. Handsome fey and even wayward mortals she might take to her bed, but Mab shared her throne with no one.

We were never close, my brothers and I. As princes of Winter, we grew up in a world of violence and dark politics. Our queen only encouraged this, favoring the son who earned her good graces while punishing the others. We used each other, played vicious games against one another, but we were all loyal to our court and our queen. Or so I’d thought.

There is a reason the Winter Court freezes out their emotions, why feelings are considered a weakness and a folly among the Unseelie fey. Emotion corrupts the senses, makes them weak, makes them disloyal to kith and court. Jealousy was a dark, dangerous passion that ate at my brother Rowan until he did the unthinkable and turned on his court, betraying us to our enemies. Sage, my eldest sibling, fell to Rowan’s treachery, and he was only the first. In a bid for power, Rowan sided with our greatest enemies, the Iron fey, helping their king nearly destroy the Nevernever. I killed Rowan in the end, avenging Sage and the rest of my kin, but retribution cannot bring either of them back. It’s only me, now. I am the last, the only remaining son of Mab, Queen of the Unseelie Court.

And I’m already dead to her.

Rowan was not the only one to succumb to emotion and passion. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl. A girl named Meghan Chase, the half-human daughter of our ancient rival, the Summer King. Fate brought us together, and despite everything I did to shield my emotions, despite the laws of our people and the war with the Iron Fey and the threat of eternal banishment from my home, I still found myself falling for her. Our paths were woven together, our fates intertwined, and before the last battle I swore I would follow her to the end of the world, to protect her from all threats, including my own kin, and to die for her if called to do so. I became her knight, and would have gladly served this girl, this mortal who had captured my heart, until the last breath left my body.

But Fate is a cruel mistress, and in the end, our paths were forced apart, as I feared they would. Meghan became the Iron Queen, as was her destiny, and took the throne in the kingdom of the Iron fey. A place I could not follow, not as I am—a faery creature whose essence weakens and burns at the touch of iron. Meghan herself exiled me from the lands of the Iron fey, knowing that staying would kill me, knowing I would try anyway. But before I left, I swore an oath that I would find a way to return, that someday we would be together, and nothing would separate us again. Mab tried to convince me to return to the Winter Court—I was her only prince now, and it was my duty to come home—but I bluntly stated that I was no longer part of the Unseelie Court, that my service to her and Winter was at an end.

There is nothing more terrible than a spurned faery queen, particularly if that was the second time you’d defied her. I escaped the Winter Court with my life intact, but just barely, and I won’t be returning any time soon. Regardless, I feel little regret at turning my back on my queen, my kith, and my home. That part of my life is done. My loyalty, and my heart, belongs to another queen now.

I promised I’d find a way for us to be together. I intend to keep that promise. Even if it means trekking through a sprawling, deadly marsh in search of a rumor. Even if it means putting up with my fiercest and most annoying rival, Robin Goodfellow who—despite all his attempts to hide it—is in love with my queen as well. I don’t know why I haven’t killed him yet. Maybe because Puck is Meghan’s closest friend, and she would mourn him terribly if he were gone (though I can’t understand why). Or, maybe, deep down, I’m tired of being alone.

In any case, it matters little. With every ruin we search, every dragon we slay or every rumor we unearth, I’m one step closer to my goal. Even if it takes a hundred years, I will be with her in the end. Another piece of the puzzle lurks somewhere in this dreary swampland. The only difficulty lies in finding it.


***


Okay, and now for the last announcement.

Also coming in 2012, there will be a SECOND IRON FEY TRILOGY. This is for all the Iron Fey fans out there, whom I'm forever grateful for. This series, set several years after the events of the first, will star an older Ethan Chase, Meghan's brother. Yep, Ethan is getting his own adventure, so be sure to be on the lookout for that. :D

And, that's it! If you missed the livestream event and want to see it, you can still catch the recorded version here. Warning though: I have squinty eyes and sound like a chipmunk, so don't say I didn't warn you, lol!

Thanks again everyone!

Julie


ETA: OH, I forgot to mention this! The Iron Knight is up on Netgalley. now, so hurry on over and request a download. :D Ash is waiting. ;-)

Monday, July 11, 2011

The day of Exciting Announcements

Exciting announcements galore!

I will be chatting live, yes LIVE (eek), on Livestream, this Wednesday, July 13, from 3pm to 4pm EST. During which time there will be...you guessed it, EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS. About The Iron Knight. But also some other stuff that you absolutely do not want to miss.

The synopsis of Iron Knight will finally be read! Live. By me. (Did I mention this was live?)





















Questions will be answered!

Excerpts will be read.

Cats will probably walk in front of the camera.

And other stuff!

There might also be a giveaway. (Remember that thing I bragged about on Twitter? You might be able to win one. Signed. On camera.)


And, also very important, there are a couple of mysterious, exciting announcements no one has heard about yet. So you'll just have to show up Wednesday to see what they are.


So drop by Harlequin's Facebook Page Wednesday at 3pm to see me talk about books, faeries, The Iron Knight, Ash, and a few more secret things. Hope to see you there! :D

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Behind the Scenes of The Iron Knight's Photoshoot

Harlequin Teen just sent me the link to a video of the photoshoot they'd done when auditioning models for the cover of The Iron Knight. I'm so excited to finally see this and get to hear Meghan's voice, too!

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The 2011 RITA awards

Yesterday in NYC, the RWA hosted its annual RITA awards.

From the RWA website:

The purpose of the RITA® contest is to promote excellence in the romance
genre by recognizing outstanding published romance novels and novellas.

The award itself is a golden statuette named after RWA's first president, Rita Clay Estrada, and has become the symbol for excellence in published romance fiction.



I am so pleased and honored and humbled to announce that THE IRON KING won the 2011 RITA award for best YA romance of the year.

I was at Kung Fu class when I got the news, and my phone exploded a little bit, with tweets and congrats coming in like crazy. I wish I could have replied to them all. I will try now. So, thank you, everyone. Thank you for your support through this amazing journey. Thank you to the awesome people at Harlequin and HarlequinTEEN; everything you've done for me has been spectacular. To my rock star agent Laurie and all the wonderful people on the inside, Adam, Amy, Jayne, Giselle, and everyone else. And to my awesome editor, Natashya, for making the dream happen. Thank you all so much.

But most of all, thank you to all my readers and fans of the Iron Fey, Meghan, Ash, Puck, and Grimalkin. Your support has taken this series to places I never thought possible. I wouldn't be anywhere without you guys. My sincere thanks for everything.

To learn more about RWA, the Rita awards, and this year's winners, check out RWA's website

Thanks again,

Julie