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Confessions of an Accidental Writer

Antony John's Blog

A haphazard blend of reading, writing, reviewing, and ranting, with frequent breaks for a cup of tea.

Check in for updates on all my projects, as well as anything else that has inexplicably grabbed my attention.

I’m a celebrity!

December 15, 2011 – 9:44 pm

Well, for one day at least . . .

The St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance, a groundbreaking coalition of Indie bookstores, had the utterly awesome idea of asking local authors to appear in their stores as booksellers for a day. They’re calling us celebrities, and while I think it’s fair to say that word is being used very loosely in my case, there are some major names involved: Heather Brewer, Ridley Pearson, Curtis Sittenfeld . . . the list goes on and on.

Anyhoo, please do stop by one of the stores this Saturday, December 17th and say hi to an author (times are listed on the link above). (We’re utterly tame, and frequently house-trained.) Best of all, a portion of all the books I “sell” will go to local charity Gateway 180, which provides shelter for homeless women and children – a brilliant cause, and one I am thrilled to support.

By Antony •• Posted in Events, News •• Comments (3)

Win stuff!

November 30, 2011 – 9:35 pm

Ashley at Basically Amazing Books was kind enough to interview me as part of her Just Contemporary series. So did Candace at Candace’s Book Blog. They’re both awesome bloggers, extremely thoughtful and articulate reviewers, and their series of posts this month has been stellar.

And they have books to give away!

Ashley is giving away signed copies of both Five Flavors of Dumb and Thou Shalt Not Road Trip, and Candace is giving away a signed copy of Thou Shalt Not Road Trip. Just click on the links to get entered.

Good luck!

By Antony •• Posted in Ramblings •• Comments (0)

Moments of joy

November 22, 2011 – 12:29 pm

While I was chatting with the wonderful and inspiring Sara Zarr the other day — that’s us with William Shatner, who was one of the more interesting cardboard cutouts I’ve ever spoken to — I made a confession: I don’t celebrate release days. I know I’m supposed to, but by the time the book comes out, I’m already thinking several projects ahead. I’m thinking only in terms of getting books into readers’ hands. I’m barely thinking of the release at all.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t celebrate anything. For instance, I sent the final draft of ELEMENTAL to my editor yesterday. I love this book, and am enormously proud of it. There’ll be a lot of copyediting, as usual, but I’ll celebrate that too, because it means I’m honing in on the finished book. And as for the cover . . . whoa! I can’t share it yet, but let’s just say it’s freaking amazing. In my mind, the book is already coming together. And that is something I can truly celebrate: the pursuit of the dream is every bit as compelling for me as the realization of it.

All of which reminds me of something many talented authors have told me: enjoy the ride. As long as these intermediate goals (first draft, final draft, copyediting, receipt of cover) are cause for celebration, I’ll be a happy camper a lot of the time. The same goes for all writers. Books are as much about the journey as the destination. Make it a pleasant one.

Sara Zarr wrote about this kind of thing herself–and far more articulately–in case you want to see.

On a different note:

* Today I’m guest blogging at Eating YA Books about my history as a reader. No, I didn’t read very much when I was a teen. Now you’ll find out why.

* Two new fantasy novels MUST be added to your wish list ASAP: ASHFALL by Mike Mullin is a captivating story of a boy struggling to reach his parents in the aftermath of a supervolcano eruption. It’s almost unbearably tense, and so real. LEGEND by Marie Lu doesn’t come out until next week, but it’s a dystopian novel about two 15-year-olds on opposite sides of a war. The pacing is breakneck, and the plot twists and turns so much you just can’t put it down. I loved them both.

 

By Antony •• Posted in Ramblings, Reviews, Writing •• Comments (6)

I love festivals

October 27, 2011 – 2:11 pm

Last week I was in beautiful Eau Claire, Wisconsin for the Chippewa Valley Book Festival. It was the best-run festival I’ve ever attended, with lots happening, but not so much overlap that you end up missing half the events. There was also plenty of time to hang out with fellow authors, audience members, readers, etc. Oh, and the food . . . YUM!

I arrived on Thursday (after traveling for 21 hours – yes, you read that correctly) and rushed to meet Katherine Schneider, the sponsor of the Schneider Family Book Award. Dr. Schneider is a delight: thoughtful, kind, witty, engaged . . . I could go on and on. I am so pleased I got the chance to meet her, and had the opportunity to express how winning her award has transformed Five Flavors of Dumb from a small novel into one that is carried in almost every library in the USA.

Next, I gave this year’s Schneider Disabilities Issues Forum talk. I called it “Five Flavors of Dumb: How the Deaf Community Shaped a Novel.” The audience was fantastic, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire provided both an ASL interpreter and closed-captioning. A local newspaper has published an excellent write-up on the event – you should totally check it out. If Katherine Schneider isn’t your own personal hero after reading this, then you’re crazy.

On Friday, I visited awesome students at Eau Claire and Chippewa Falls middle and high schools. Again, kudos to the teachers and librarians at every stop, because these students were prepared. There’s nothing more gratifying than walking into a school and having students ask detailed questions about your book. Just look at how much I was forced to gesticulate!

Thanks to Dr. Katherine Schneider and the organizers of the festival. I look forward to returning in the future!

 

By Antony •• Posted in Events, Ramblings •• Comments (2)

Virtuosity review

October 12, 2011 – 8:19 pm

Jessica Martinez’s debut novel, Virtuosity, will be hitting the shelves next Tuesday, October 18th, and I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy. Let me just say, you need to get your hands on this one.

Jessica is a former professional violinist, and it really shows–I’ve rarely felt so connected to music in a novel. I also loved the book for its behind-the-scenes angst and unflinching conviction. There are enough musical details to please the most diehard muso (an English term, I think, but you get the gist, right?), enough frisson between the two leads to satisfy fans of romance, and enough second-guessing about everyone’s motives to delight drama freaks. Since I am all of the above, I thought it rocked . . . but in a classical music sense, you understand.

By Antony •• Posted in Reviews •• Comments (2)

Wanna Skype?

October 3, 2011 – 10:16 am

I love school visits. I mean, I really love them. But if the school is in Saskatchewan or Pocatello, Idaho, say, it’s kind of hard for me to get there and back in the five working hours I have each day. Which is why a particularly resourceful Ohio teen librarian proposed that I Skype with her reading club instead. And a teacher in Glencoe, Missouri, asked me to chat with her middle school reading club.

Well, you know what? Skyping rocks! (And the commute time is significantly shorter.)

All of which gave me an idea . . .

If your class or book club (whether teen or adult; school, library, or private) is reading Five Flavors of Dumb, and you’d like to discuss it with me, please drop me an email and we’ll set something up. There’s no cost — I’m happy to do it free — and as long as you have a couple of scheduling options, we’ll find a mutually acceptable time for sure.

All I ask is that participants have read at least a few chapters of the novel. Otherwise, my responses may not make much sense. Better still, give readers the chance to read the whole thing. That way, the conversation won’t become a stream of spoilers!

 

By Antony •• Posted in News, Writing •• Comments (0)

Giveaway winners!

September 30, 2011 – 10:38 am

Thanks to everyone who entered – such a fantastic response. Bookplates will be mailed to you all on Monday!

(Oh, and if you want something special inscribed, please drop me an email and let me know what it is. I’m happy to customize / graffiti your bookplate in any way you like.)

And so . . . *drum roll* . . . onto the winners :

Carol B. gets the mega prize pack
Amanda M. and Amanda G. get signed ARCs of THOU SHALT NOT ROAD TRIP

You’ll be receiving the prizes in the mail!

Happy weekend, everyone. And thanks again for reading DUMB.

By Antony •• Posted in News •• Comments (4)

Bookplates and mega giveaway

September 22, 2011 – 2:56 pm

Hard to believe, but FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB is all grown up already. A week from today, it’ll be released in paperback, along with some extras: a never-before-seen playlist, and the first chapter of my new novel, THOU SHALT NOT ROAD TRIP, thrown in for good measure. The folks at Speak/Penguin have done a really awesome job with it, and I couldn’t be happier.

Actually, everything about DUMB makes me exceedingly happy. Every week, small, personal, quirky books like mine are released. Some get lost in the shuffle, some fight the tide long enough to be enjoyed by niche readers, and others (like DUMB) just get plain lucky and enjoy the support of readers, booksellers, bloggers, librarians, teachers, etc. It’s not an easy process to predict, and when as an author you get lucky, you just have to be grateful. And I am grateful – to everyone who chose to read DUMB over one of the hundreds of other wonderful books that have come out in the past twelve months. Piper and her friends are alive and well today because of YOU.

But back to that paperback release. It seems a shame to let the date pass without celebrating it in some way. So I’ve spoken to the lovely folks at Penguin HQ, and they’re sending me a stack of bookplates to sign. And there’s more . . .

For anyone who pre-orders a paperback copy of DUMB by (or on) September 29th, I’ll mail you a signed bookplate (inscribed however you’d like) for you to put in the front. All you have to do is email me at antonyATantonyjohnDOTnet (substituting the AT and DOT for the correct signs; you know the drill), provide your address, and tell me you’ve bought a copy. (No need to send proof of purchase—I trust you.)

What’s more, I’ll also enter you for a BIG prize giveaway. THREE winners will each receive a signed ARC of THOU SHALT NOT ROAD TRIP. And ONE winner will receive the 8-piece mega prize pack*, consisting:

1. Hardback of WILL GRAYSON, WILL GRAYSON (signed by John Green and David Levithan)

2. Signed paperback of THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO by Patrick Ness

3. Signed ARC of THOU SHALT NOT ROAD TRIP by me

4. ARC of LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

5. ARC of VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez

6. ARC of LEGEND by Marie Lu

7. ARC of CROSSED by Ally Condie

8. Critique by me of either an agent query letter or the first chapter of your novel (this may be gifted to someone else of your choice, if you’re not an author).

For anyone who’d like to be entered into the giveaway but already has a copy of DUMB, why not order a copy from my local Indie, Left Bank Books, and have it sent to a friend? I’ll make sure it’s inscribed however you’d like, and they’ll make sure it gets mailed (for an extra fee).

Here’s where you can pre-order DUMB in paperback:

IndieBound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Finally, for all the wonderful folks who have already bought hardback copies of DUMB (and thus made it such a success)—THANK YOU! I’ll be hosting more giveaways on my Facebook page between now and the end of the year, so you’ll have a chance to win swag too.

(* I will ask the winner of the mega prize pack for proof-of-purchase. Hope that’s okay.)

By Antony •• Posted in Ramblings •• Comments (3)

Events in Chicago!

September 16, 2011 – 10:28 am

It’s Chicago time again, and I’m so excited. I’m about to head up to the Windy City for a number of events on Sunday and Monday, and I’d LOVE to see as many readers up there as possible. So, without further ado, here’s the itinerary, kindly put together by Robert McDonald at The Book Stall in Winnetka, IL (they’ll be selling the books):

Sunday, Sept. 18, 2-3:30 PM

Highland Park Library

494 Laurel Ave, Highland Park, IL 60035

This is a pretty laid back event, so there’ll be LOTS of time for me to chat to people.

Monday, Sept. 19, 7 PM

Evanston Public Library

1703 Orrington Ave, Evanston, IL 60201

The teens here put on a stage production of DUMB, so I’m really looking forward to chatting with them.

On Monday, I’ll also be visiting St. Francis Xavier School in Wilmette, and Nichols Middle School in Evanston. A big hello to the students there. Thanks for having me along!

By Antony •• Posted in Events •• Comments (2)

Perks of the job

September 12, 2011 – 7:58 am

I’ve said before that there are a lot of “hidden” perks of being an author. A few months ago I singled out the joy of having a top-notch copyeditor, Regina Castillo, to make me look far more literate than I actually am. Getting packages of books from my editor, Liz Waniewski, ranks up there too! And there are others . . .

For instance, almost exactly three years ago I met the absolutely awesome Catherine Gilbert Murdock (of DAIRY QUEEN fame) when she visited St. Louis for a book festival. We’ve been friends ever since, and she even (very graciously) blurbed FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB. Well, I said I’d love to read any forthcoming novels, and in response she sent me an early draft of WISDOM’S KISS, which comes out tomorrow (Tuesday, September 13th)! And can I just say . . . WOW.

WISDOM’S KISS is a fairy tale of sorts. It’s told from several perspectives, using a playful mix of dairy entires, a play, letters, and more. (It is consistently hilarious.) The genius in the variety of formats is how seamlessly one section continues from another, sometimes overlapping for humorous purposes and to show the unreliability of one narrator’s point of view. It moves along at breakneck pace, has unforgettable characters, and a cat who deserves a spin-off novel in the future. Brilliant!

Incidentally, Catherine is hosting a live chat on her Facebook page at 8PM ET on Tuesday, September 20th. Definitely worth checking out.

Congrats to Catherine on the release. I’ll leave you with the pithy words of the Booklist reviewer (just in case you don’t take my word for how good the book is):

“Packed with double entendres, humorous dialogue and situations, and a black cat that will capture the reader’s imagination, this is a joyful, timeless fantasy that teens will savor.”

By Antony •• Posted in Ramblings •• Comments (2)