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.
* Drum roll, please *
The wonderful folks at Penguin have told me I can share the cover of book 2 in the ELEMENTAL trilogy. It’s called FIREBRAND, and it comes out on November 14th, and the cover is . . . AWESOME! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Tony Sahara is a freakin’ genius.
Way back in the distant past known as spring 2012, ELEMENTAL was tagged as a standalone fantasy on Goodreads. (It isn’t anymore.) I’m not sure how or why this happened, but there has been misunderstanding ever since, and it has been kind of fascinating to watch it all play out.
See, a lot of readers love series. A series means you hit the ground running in book 2: familiar characters, familiar world, familiar rules. It allows more room for story and less for character- and world-building. As a writer, that’s a pretty cool thing too. For those readers, reaching the end of ELEMENTAL must have been pretty gratifying, because it’s clear there’s more to come.
But trilogies are so common these days that some readers are turned off by the idea of reading yet another series. Some of those readers picked up ELEMENTAL precisely because they thought it was a standalone. For them, the end of the book must have come as an unwelcome surprise. This story can’t be wrapped up in less than three books, and three books is what you’ll have to read if you want all the answers.
I guess my point is that it really highlights how important our initial perceptions of a book are. If we’re promised a romantic comedy and get a gruesome thriller, we’re less able to judge the thriller on its merits. I hadn’t realized that could extend to whether the book is a standalone or part of a larger story too. The good news is that it works both ways: a lot of readers have written to me demanding to know if there are more books still to come. I’m delighted to say that, yes, there are more books. Two, in fact. Which is a good thing, since this is, you know, a trilogy.
As for how those other books are shaping up . . .
Book 2 is scheduled for a November 2012 release. I’ll be sharing the title and cover soon, so stay tuned, and prepare to be blown away. Designer Tony Sahara has outdone himself . . . again. The book is finished, copyedited, and the Advanced Reader Copies (ARCs) will be printed soon. All very exciting.
Book 3 is still in the planning stages. Once my editor and I have completed a chapter-by-chapter outline, I’ll commence writing. Over several months, we’ll knock the book into shape. By the end of 2012, the entire trilogy will be finished, and I’ll have to say farewell to Thomas and co. At which point, I’ll be moving on to a new story and new characters.
It may or may not be standalone.
Today is the official birthday of my new novel, ELEMENTAL, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve been dying to share this book with everyone for over a year now, and I really think readers will enjoy it. Certainly, it’s a book that I would have loved to have read as a teen.
Last night my local indie bookstore, Left Bank Books, held a fantastic launch event for me. There was a great (and boisterous) crowd, several thought-provoking questions, and lots of laughter. And as a special surprise, the artist who designed the astounding cover, Tony Sahara, emailed me special “wallpaper” with an extended version of the cover, plus the name of the bookstore. It’s so awesome that I’ve included it in this post.
Please grab a copy of ELEMENTAL, and let me know what you think. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving (to US readers only; UK readers should wait until Christmas for their turkey)!
The wonderful blog, Adventures in YA & Children’s Publishing, invited me along for a guest post entitled Writing About Music. Turns out, I have five rules I try to stick to. If you love YA books about music, or plan to write one, please head along and check it out!
Oh, wow . . . where to start.
So YALSA is the big YA librarians conference. This year it was in St. Louis. Bucketloads of authors, librarians, teachers etc. descended on the Lou and painted the town in various aesthetically pleasing 12-point easy-read typefaces. There were some fantastic panels, and a Book Blitz in which more than a thousand librarians were given the opportunity to snap up five free novels. The signing lines were long and orderly, and the mood rather like Christmas morning. (Thanks to Penguin for making several boxes of my books available – it kept me busy for almost two hours. I even got to sign copies of ELEMENTAL, which doesn’t come out for three weeks. I hope none of the librarians got freaked out by the way I kept looking at the book like a proud pop.)
I was on a “Guys talking to guys” panel on Sunday morning with authors Andrew Smith, Greg Neri, and Torrey Maldonado. Really interesting panel, and it was especially cool to have the insights of four local teens. In the top photo you can see Torrey charming everyone. The whole experience was fantastic. Huge kudos to Carrie Dietz for putting such an ambitious panel together.
Best of all, I got to meet literally hundreds of new friends at YALSA. My fellow participants on the Guys panel, Torrey and Greg, stayed at my house. We stayed up way too late and talked way too loudly. My good friend Brian Katcher and Deborah Heiligman did an excellent book signing event on Friday evening. David Levithan and Patricia McCormick gave inspiring keynote addresses. I met Julie Cross, author of TEMPEST, and A.S. King, author of ASK THE PASSENGERS, and Beck McDowell, author of THIS IS NOT A DRILL, and . . . well, I’ll stop there, or I’ll have a thesis-length post on my hands.
Finally, I got to meet folks I’ve known online for years, including Capillya (aka: host of awesome YA cover art blog, That Cover Girl). You can see Capillya, Torrey, Audrey (my wife!) and I in the photo next door. (Photo credit to the brilliant Adele Walsh, who flew in from Australia, thereby winning the “most air miles” award.)
Huge thanks to the organizers for putting on such a good show. And a big pat on the back to the many St. Louis folks. I heard over and over how impressed attendees were with the city, the libraries, and the people. Good to see our city being shown in such a positive light.
Every now and again, St. Louis becomes the center of the world. It happened in 1904 when the Lou hosted the World’s Fair and perhaps the most bizarre Olympics ever. It happened again in . . . in . . .
2012! Yes, YALSA (the Young Adult Library Services Association) is having its annual symposium next to the Arch — in a hotel, because it’s a wee bit nippy outdoors these days — and lots of Big Names are coming into town for the event. And that’s not all. We have a whole week’s worth of crazy events to celebrate. So if you’re in St. Louis (or think you could make it to town), I’d like to draw attention to the following awesome events:
Wednesday, October 31 – Halloween party at Spencer Road Library as Heather Brewer, Fiona Paul, and I talk about our newest books that feature vampires, death, fierce powers, treachery, mystery, romance and murder. Dress in costume (prizes awarded), make masks, and enjoy Halloween treats. Main Street Books will be selling books. (427 Spencer Road, St. Peters, MO)
Thursday, November 1 – David Levithan and Rachel Cohn have a joint event at St. Louis County Library at 7PM. I really admire both authors, and they each have new books, so I plan to be there. (1640 South Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, MO)
Friday, November 2 – Brian Katcher and Deborah Heiligman have a joint event at Left Bank Books in the Central West End at 7PM. Again, awesome authors tackling some big issues – this is a must-see event for YA book fans. I’ll be there for sure. (399 North Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO)
Saturday and Sunday, November 3-4 – YALSA! You can click on the link to see the program, but I really hope anyone who’s there will pop along on Sunday morning at 10:30AM, where I’ll be joining authors Andrew Smith, Greg Neri, and Torrey Maldonado for a panel entitled, “Guys Talkin’ to Guys: What Will Guys Read Next?”
Hope to see some friendly faces there. After all, by my calculations it’ll be 2120 the next time something this big happens in St. Louis!
On Monday, I had the pleasure of a trip to Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO. I talked to the undergrads there, many of whom are education majors, about my experiences as a writer and a reader (and also as a father to emerging readers). I also got to talk to the students of Canton R-V school. Everyone was awesome, and made me feel extremely welcome. A huge thanks to Professor Glenda McCarty for organizing the whole thing.
Part of the reason I love these visits is because they always get me thinking. And so, in no order whatsoever, here are some random thoughts from my visit:
* When I asked the undergrads how many of them read YA, about one-half raised their hands. When I asked how many had recently read THE HUNGER GAMES, about three-fourths raised their hands. Perhaps it’s because certain books (THE HUNGER GAMES; TWILIGHT) have transcended genre or age boundaries, but it’s good to see the widespread impact YA books are having.
* A few students admitted that they don’t read for pleasure at all. There have always been non-readers, of course (heck, I was a reluctant reader for a while there), but it’s unfortunate to hear people giving up on books. It reminds me how important it is to get the right book into the hands of EVERY student, so that barriers to reading can be broken down. Thankfully, teachers and librarians are working hard to do just this. For instance . . .
* One of the Canton R-V teachers has assigned DIVERGENT to a reading group. She’s hoping to organize a trip to Chicago for the students, so that they can see the setting for themselves. This is brilliant – I hope it happens.
* She’s not the only teacher I spoke to who is using YA novels in cool ways. Professor Terry Sherer told me about an assignment he gives his education students. He has them read books like THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME, and WONDER, and FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB, and use the information to craft an imaginary IEP (Individualized Education Program) for each of the narrators. How cool is that! It’s almost like reverse-engineering the books.
Again, thanks to everyone for reminding me what an engaging world we live in.
I’ve just returned from a few weeks in England–it was my first trip across the Pond in two years–and I’m still buzzing with Olympic fever. True, this is largely because the BBC coverage allowed viewers to watch any event at any time, all with expert commentary by former Olympians in that discipline. It was, quite simply, the most amazing coverage of any event (sporting or otherwise) that I’ve ever seen. But then I came home to the States and . . . well . . . NBC sucks. Tape delays in 2012? Seriously? Limited coverage? Edited highlights of the closing ceremony? “Live internet streaming” through a server that can’t handle the flow and blocks the best events? Unless something changes between now and 2016, I’ll be spending that summer in England too, just so I can watch the Olympics properly.
Talking of which, I must admit to being pleased by the opening ceremony, and I think Piper (from Five Flavors of Dumb) would be too. Not only was the national anthem performed by a signing choir, but the live music was propelled by legendary percussion virtuoso, Evelyn Glennie, who is deaf. Brilliant way to be inclusive and break down stereotypes about deafness–all in front of a worldwide audience.
Incredibly observant readers will remember that in the acknowledgments to Five Flavors of Dumb, I thanked my brother, Mark, for continually educating me on the current state of rock music. It’s a job he takes seriously, which makes me wonder why it took until now for him to bring up the British band Muse (who were edited out of the Olympic closing ceremony by NBC – grrrr). Somehow (maybe because I live under a rock) I hadn’t heard of them before. But this track blew me away. (There’s nothing like having a Rachmaninoff-inspired interlude in the middle of a rock song):
Muse – Butterflies and Hurricanes
But now I’m back, and the second draft of ELEMENTAL book 2 beckons. So I should stop waxing lyrical about the Olympics and get back to work. (Even if I can’t get that darn “Chariots of Fire” theme out of my head.)
Fans of dystopian fantasy know James Dashner well. His riveting MAZE RUNNER trilogy has been a New York Times bestseller, and now he’s busy preparing for the release of his new INFINITY RING series this fall. But being the awesome guy he is, he read ELEMENTAL, and this is what he says about it:
“An absolutely fantastic start to a new series. Completely gripping and full of intrigue, revelation, mystery, and suspense. I highly recommend this book.”
What a fantastic blurb. Thanks, James!
Goodreads is currently running two (yes, TWO) giveaways of my books, so if you’ve ever considered heading over in an attempt to nab free stuff, please do it now!
There’s one for ELEMENTAL (which closes on July 15th), and one for FIVE FLAVORS OF DUMB (which closes on June 10th).
Good luck!
