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Blog: Freefall Release Day Recap

Blog: Freefall Release Day Recap

Yesterday was the big day, of course.  Dwayne called seven bookstores in advance and then drove me to them so I could sign all the stock on hand.  There were four Seattle area Barnes & Noble locations (Alderwood, Downtown Seattle, Northgate, and University Village), which each had four copies.  There were three Borders locations (Lynnwood, Everett, and Downtown Seattle), which each had between one and three copies.

Here is me at the Lynnwood Barnes & Noble, signing copies of Freefall:

We didn't take pictures at the other locations because, you know, it was all the same thing again.  Overall, the experience was surreal, but certainly not filled with excitement.  Most often, we were in and out in about five minutes.  The employees at every location were very nice to me, but they were also very busy doing their jobs. 

For future books, I probably will opt to wait a week or more to do something like this so that I can be sure the books won't have to be tracked down.  But since this was my first book, I really wanted to make an event of release day, so I did.  And it was a lovely, lovely day!

Oh, and here's proof that my Magic 8-Ball is a truth-teller:

Yes, that is a veggie hot dog on a stick!

Oh, and once again, I was all over your internet today.  Here are the links:

Features:

Interviews:

New book reviews of Freefall:

New contests where you can win Freefall:

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Blog: It's Rex Manning Day!

And okay, I lied.  Today is actually not Rex Manning Day.  It is a big deal for me, though.  For today is Freefall's official "On Sale Day!" 

A book  that I wrote is now resting on many, many bookstore shelves (and in boxes in bookstore back rooms, no doubt) all across the United States.  It's kind of, you know, the biggest accomplishment of my life.

This is a picture of me taken on Friday, October 1st, seeing Freefall at a bookstore for the very first time:

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I look like I cried off all my makeup, but really, I wasn't even wearing makeup to start with.  If I had been, it totally would have been the situation, though.  Promise.

In a few hours, my escort (aka my husband) will travel with me to complete a Signing the Book Stock "tour" around Seattle.  I still need to select a pen for this purpose!  And decide what to wear!  You would think I'd be ready, wouldn't you?  I've had 17 months to prepare!  (Or 33 years plus 2 days, if you truly want to get technical.)

 

Oh, and here's a huge pile of links in case you want to see where I've been online lately!  I really should have been keeping up and posting these daily.  Sorry!  I hope you'll want to check some of them out anyway!

Interviews:

Features:

Reviews of Freefall:

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AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mindi Scott (Yes, I interviewed myself!)

If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you might have noticed this feature I do called "The Magic 8," which is eight questions for authors.  I originally wrote them for John C. Ford when his book came out in the summer of aught-nine after considering which questions I would like to be asked one day. 

Now that That Book I Wrote That One Time is coming out TOMORROW, I decided to finally answer these questions myself. So here I go:

1. At age eight, what did you want to be when you grew up? And at age eighteen? And while you’re at it, what about at age twenty-eight?

Eight: a teacher
Eighteen: a dental hygienist
Twenty-eight: an author

2. Which Breakfast-Club-style label would have best fit your teenage self?

The Extroverted Introvert.

3. What are some of your superstitions and/or phobias?

I am afraid of scary movies. And by scary, I mean just about anything resembling horror or suspense in any fashion.  They give me nightmares and sometimes make me afraid of the dark for years.  Also, seeing tempered glass all broken but still held together in a pane makes me cry (worst-case scenario) or feel itchy on the head(best-case scenario).

4. Without giving away too much from your book, which character or scene are you the most pleased about having created, and why?

Hands down, Seth.  In him, I feel like I created a character who comes a long way in the course of the book.  The guy on page 1 would never have done what the guy on page 295 did.  (And, yes, The Thing that Happens on Page 295 is my favorite moment in the book.  But DON'T look up page 295 unless you've already read the book.  If you read the scene out of context, it won't mean anything to you and then you'll have spoiled yourself and then we'll both be sad!) 

5. Was there any certain music that inspired you while you were writing this book, or is there a song that could serve as your protagonist’s theme song?

Was there ever!  Seth's theme song is "It's Been Awhile" by Staind.  I know, I know! But it really, really fits when he's depressed and stuff.

6. What’s up next for you as a writer?

I'm working on more contemporary YA!  And this is an exclusive!  Right here!  My three in-progress manuscripts deal with 1) teen marriage, 2) sexual abuse and 3) suburban gangs.  [/Bringing the Awkward. Like I do]

7. And, now, the most important question of all: Beatles or Elvis? Please support your answer. ;-)

So here's the thing.  I was big into the Beatles when I was in my early-20s.  Then I decided I was over them.  Then I got waaaaay into Elvis.  Then I watched the movie ACROSS THE UNIVERSE and started to love the Beatles again.  And . . . I kind of feel like I prefer the Beatles to Elvis.  So Beatles!  That's my answer.   Until I change my mind again.

8. Okay, your turn. Do you have a question you’d like me to ask my Magic 8-Ball on your behalf? (I’m telling you, this thing is scarily accurate! Well, except for when it’s lying.)

You don't have to tell ME how scary-accurate it is!  My question is:  Will I eat a veggie corn dog from Hot Dog on a Stick tomorrow?

Hooray!!!

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Blog: Charity auction for the Family Violence Prevention Fund

AuctionTo honor National Domestic Violence Awareness month, author Swati Avasthi has combined a blog tour for her debut novel, Split, with a charity auction. Over 40 authors, agents and editors have donated manuscript critiques, personalized books, and more to an online auction that anyone –reader, writer, booklover -- can bid on and buy.  All proceeds go to the Family Violence Prevention Fund. In addition to the auction, Avasthi is donating $1/comment on her 26-stop, month-long blog tour, coordinated by Kari Olson at Teen Book Scene. If we reach the goal and cap of $250, Swati will double the donation to the Family Violence Prevention Fund.  The CDC estimates that one in four women will experience intimate partner abuse during her life and UC Davis estimates that a child who grew up witnessing abuse is four times as likely to perpetrate abuse, 25 times more likely to commit rape and 6 times more likely to commit suicide. Family Violence Prevention Fund has some great initiatives, including Coaching Boys Into Men and Start Strong, that are about breaking the intergenerational cycle and preventing abuse.  So, follow the tour, get stuff you want, and make a difference.

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If you click on the button, you'll be taken straight to the auction page.  There is a signed and personalized copy of FREEFALL on the list as well as a bunch of great items for reader and writer types!

Blog: 30 days of blogging... just under the wire.

I almost forgot to blog today!  Which would have meant that I would have failed in my attempt to blog every day in September!

But, phew.  I remembered and now here I am.

With nothing to say.

La la la.

I've tried really hard this month to write about things that aren't FREEFALL.  I know that I slipped up a few times, but those were really important, right?  (Ha!) 

I have to admit that this has been a strange, strange, strange time in my life.  A wonderful time, but still very strange.  For the past 17 months, I've been waiting for my book to come out.  I have thought about it every day of my life for 17 months straight.  (And also?  I thought about it every day for 18 months straight back in aught-six and aught-seven when I was writing and revising it.)  I've never experienced anything like it.  I mean, sure, I've had to wait for things to happen.  Summer vacation, graduation, stuff like that.  But there's never been anything like this for me.   It's hard to focus on other things.  I'm ready for the book to be out there--which is good because there is no turning back!   I can't really seem to think beyond one day at a time.

I deliberately set up this week as kind of a do-nothing week.  I'm pretty much done with all my interviews and guest blogs.  I've been off work since Tuesday this week.  I'll be working on Monday, the day before the book officially comes out, but that's mostly because I thought I'd be really distracted if I had to stay home alone that day.  So from yesterday though Sunday, I'm just chilling. I'm doing laundry, cooking, reading, and trying to NOT STRESS OUT.

So, yeah, that's everything I'm up to right now.  What about you?  :-)

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Oh, and in case you're wondering where I've been online today, here are the links:

Blog tour:  An interview by Sarah at the Hiding Spot

FREEFALL Story Secrets with Holly Cupala, author of TELL ME A SECRET   (Leave a comment there before Monday for a chance to win a copy of FREEFALL.)

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