What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk, and you can find the link here! 

WHAT I’M READING

I’m midway through THIS SIDE OF JEALOUSY by Lili Peloquin, one of my Breathless Reads sisters! It’s the sequel to THE INNOCENTS and it’s sort of GOSSIP GIRL meets REVENGE with a haunting Gothic feel. Sisters Alice and Charlie move into their super-rich stepdad’s house in an exclusive beach community and start to uncover a lot of skeletons in the family closet. Alice in particular is haunted by their stepsister Camilla’s death last summer and starts to suspect it may not have been a suicide. In Book 2, the mystery continues and both girls become embroiled in love quadrangles. It’s good soapy fun! 

WHAT I’M WRITING

Nothing, at the moment! But after turning Cahill Book 3 in to my editor and then taking 2 weeks off, I’m starting to get a little itchy-brained. Fortunately:

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

I’ve got a writing retreat coming up! On Friday, six of my favorite writer friends and I are heading down to the Shenandoah Valley in VA on our third annual Memorial Day weekend retreat. This is my amazing stable of critique partners, and they’ve been there for me since before BORN WICKED came out and so supportive through all the ups and downs since. They are all incredible writers and smart, awesome women, and we have so much fun together! I’m looking forward to reading a bunch and getting back to work on my potential next-book. I haven’t even opened the document in the six months I was drafting CB3, and I haven’t really written on it in earnest since last Memorial Day, when my CPs demanded more pages! I’m excited to get back into it. Also excited for lots of writing talk and wine and cheese!

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

Both my sisters are home from grad school right now, so The Playwright and I went up to PA to visit my family the last two days. It coincided nicely with a crazy hot spell; the last few days have felt more like July than late May. Fortunately, my parents opened their pool last week, so while the water was still a little on the chilly side, it was an awesome place to spend the afternoons! 

*happy sigh* I love living in the city, but there’s something quintessentially summery about spending lazy afternoons reading and paddling around the pool in the sunshine. Our June is going to be crazy between STAR CURSED’s release and several book events, and July will be equally busy between CapFringe and a trip to Canada. But I’m already looking forward to a long weekend back in PA in early August!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! Wow, isn’t May so full of bookish deliciousness?

Today we’re celebrating the release of Natalie Whipple’s TRANSPARENT, which comes out TODAY! I’ve been a longtime reader and lurker at Natalie’s awesome blog, so I’m excited to help her celebrate!

They say:  

Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

I say:

I haven’t read it yet, but the hook of an invisible girl is pretty incredible. And how striking is the cover? This one’s been on my must-buy list since the deal was announced!

Now for our interview with Natalie:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Fiona is an invisible, distrustful, vulnerable ex-thief.

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

TRANSPARENT is a quirky, fast-paced, superhuman story.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I am a Kdrama-loving, anime-drawing, introverted foodie. 

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

New Zealand, Japan, and Korea

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Cooking, gardening, and art

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Chef, artist, horticulturist (sensing a theme here?)

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Ranunculus, snapdragons, lilacs

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Sushi, curry (all kinds), bulgogi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

THE GIVER, FLASH BURNOUT, INTO THE WILD NERD YONDER

You can find out more about Natalie at her website or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Thank you for joining us, Natalie! Hope you have an amazing week!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Eeep! It’s now less than one month ’til STAR CURSED comes out! June 18! I can’t wait for you all to read it!!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of Ashley Elston’s THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, which came out on Tuesday!

They say:  

She’s been six different people in six different places: Madeline in Ohio, Isabelle in Missouri, Olivia in Kentucky… But now that she’s been transplanted to rural Louisiana, she has decided that this fake identity will be her last.

Witness Protection has taken nearly everything from her. But for now, they’ve given her a new name, Megan Rose Jones, and a horrible hair color. For the past eight months, Meg has begged her father to answer one question: What on earth did he do – or see – that landed them in this god-awful mess? Meg has just about had it with all the Suits’ rules — and her dad’s silence. If he won’t help, it’s time she got some answers for herself.

But Meg isn’t counting on Ethan Landry, an adorable Louisiana farm boy who’s too smart for his own good. He knows Meg is hiding something big. And it just might get both of them killed. As they embark on a perilous journey to free her family once and for all, Meg discovers that there’s only one rule that really matters — survival.

I say:

I love the hook of a girl in the Witness Protection Program! It reminds me of a childhood favorite, Lois Duncan’s DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU. Meg is a tremendously sympathetic main character. Her dad is keeping secrets about why they’ve got to endure this, her spunky little sister is going silent and childlike, and her mom’s drinking is getting out of control. After being abruptly yanked out of her original life and several placements, leaving friends and identities behind in each place, it’s totally understandable that she’s decided not to even try in Louisiana. Of course, that’s before she meets Ethan, who really is adorable. Her attempts to push him away are, again, understandable, but I appreciate that instead of being endlessly patient, he gets frustrated with her and demands the truth. I love the charming small-town setting and the rich family dynamics – but what really kept me flipping pages is the mystery of what got Meg’s family into this situation and the very real sense of danger following her. The neat ending struck me as a tad implausible, but it’s possible that the sequel will make it all make sense. I’ll definitely be reading it! Recommend!

Now for our interview with Ashley:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Meg is a smart, scared, determined sister. (JS: I loved the sisterly relationship here!)

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING is a mysterious, romantic, thrilling novel.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m a happy, independent, kind adventurer.

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Australia, Ireland, Argentina

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Pottery, cake decorating, French (JS: ooh, cake decorating would be so fun!)

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Photography, horticulturist, archeologist

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Gardenia, hydrangea, Louisiana Iris

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Crawfish, German chocolate cake, sushi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

GRACELING by Kristin Cashore, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE & BONE by Laini Taylor (JS: awesome choices! I love all of these!)

You can find out more about Ashley at her website and add the book to your Goodreads shelf here.

Ashley is offering up a swag pack to one lucky winner in the US (necklace, bookmark, and stickers). To enter, leave me a comment telling me what fake name you’d choose if you had to go into hiding. I’m going to go with Lia! ETA: contest open until next Thursday, May 23, at noon.

Thank you for stopping by, Ashley! I hope you’re having a fabulous debut week!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

What’s Up Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jaime Morrow and Erin Funk, and you can find the link here!

WHAT I’M READING

I just started THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, a debut by Ashley Elston which came out yesterday. It’s about a girl in the Witness Protection program who’s been relocated so many times she wants to give up on making new friends – and she meets a boy who starts asking too many questions – and also tries to hold her increasingly messed-up family together while trying to find out why they’re on the run. It reminds me a little bit of Lois Duncan’s classic DON’T LOOK BEHIND YOU. Check back in tomorrow for an interview & giveaway with Ashley!

WHAT I’M WRITING

I sent my draft of Cahill book 3 to Editor Ari last weekend so I’m taking a break. Sort of. I’ve got a lot of promo to do for STAR CURSED, which comes out in 33 days! I’m also starting to think more about what my next project might be…

WHAT INSPIRES ME RIGHT NOW

My students. I’ve been leading writing workshops this semester for the first time through Writopia. I just came from my last class with my eight year olds this semester. They are crazy and bright and funny and so talented. What I love most about working with them is how fearlessly creative they are. They aren’t scared to get it wrong yet. They don’t have that internal editor that stops them as they type, wondering if it’s wrong, what readers or editors or anyone will think. They’re proud and excited about their stories. I envy that a little – but it inspires me to try and find that fearless joy within myself.

WHAT ELSE I’VE BEEN UP TO

I am working on a sekrit project that involves the DC writing community that I’m really excited about, and getting ready for a retreat over Memorial Day weekend with my writing besties, and catching up with friends after the deadline. Yesterday I met a friend for lunch outside – the Chupacabra food truck has opened a takeout restaurant really close to my house, which is either the best or worst thing ever – and then had dinner with my best friend. I was feeling super-stressed about something and we sat on the patio next to the fire pit and drank pinot grigio and I was very grateful that Code Name: Rosalind is such a good listener. Tonight I’ve got a phone date with my far-off bestie in California, too. Yay for friends who make you feel like the best, most lovable version of yourself.

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of Allison Rushby’s THE HEIRESSES, which came out last Tuesday!

They say:  

In Allison Rushby’s HEIRESSES, three triplets—estranged since birth—are thrust together in glittering 1926 London to fight for their inheritance, only to learn they can’t trust anyone—least of all each other.

When three teenage girls, Thalia, Erato and Clio, are summoned to the excitement of fast-paced London—a frivolous, heady city full of bright young things—by Hestia, an aunt they never knew they had, they are shocked to learn they are triplets and the rightful heiresses to their deceased mother’s fortune. All they need to do is find a way to claim the fortune from their greedy half-brother, Charles. But with the odds stacked against them, coming together as sisters may be harder than they think.

I say: I just finished reading THE HEIRESSES! It combines several of my favorite elements – squabbling sisters (in this case triplets!) and a mysterious inheritance and a fabulous historical setting. Rushby paints a fascinating portrait of high-society London during the Roaring Twenties, as the girls come of age in a new world of lipstick and bobbed hair and motorcars…and costume parties, drug addiction, and sex. It’s an immensely fun, frothy read; I was desperate to find out the mysteries behind the girls’ birth, and even though I pieced together part of it, there were still twists and turns that surprised me. I loved how wildly different the three sisters are – clever schoolgirl Ro, cruel flapper Thalia, and sheltered misfit Clio – and how they’re alternately deeply loyal and at each others’ throats. And their aunt, Lady Hestia, is a wonderful, fierce character in her own right. Recommend – especially if you like DOWNTON ABBEY or GATSBY!

Now for our interview with Allison:​

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Thalia, Erato, and Clio are self-centered, intelligent, and nurturing siblings (just not all at the same time).

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

THE HEIRESSES is a fast-paced, dramatic, fun-filled read. (JS: true!)

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m an optimistic, always-writing, hybrid author.

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Finland, Sweden, and England

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Perfumery, speed-reading, and German (JS: perfumery is such a cool choice!)

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Nutritionist, Etsy shop owner, and book cover designer

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

​Yellow roses, tulips, and garish neon gerberas (JS: I love those gerberas too!)

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Anything I didn’t cook, corn chips, and sushi

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

RIGHT HO, JEEVES (P.G. Wodehouse), LOVE IN A COLD CLIMATE (Nancy Mitford), and COLD COMFORT FARM (Stella Gibbons)

You can find out more about Allison at her website or by following her on Twitter or Facebook.

Allison & St. Martin’s are being awesome enough to give away a copy of THE HEIRESSES to one lucky reader in the US or Canada. Contest is open through noon EST on Sunday, May 20. To enter, just leave a comment below answering the following question: who are your favorite fictional twins (or triplets)?  (Mine would have to be Jessica and Elizabeth Wakefield of SWEET VALLEY HIGH.)

Thank you for stopping by, Allison! I enjoyed your interview – and your book! – so much!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! So last night on twitter I was talking with Dahlia Adler and Maggie Hall about my love of list-making. A few years ago, I made a list of 30 things to accomplish by my 30th birthday and did a little over 2/3 of the stuff on it. And since today is my birthday, I decided to come up with a new list of challenges for the next year. Some of them are writing (or reading)-related, some are about trying new things (not my forte), some are about doing things I’ve been meaning to do for ages that I think would be good for me/fun. All of them relate back to my touchstone word for the year, BALANCE.

1. Finish writing / editing Cahill Witch Chronicles.
2. Sell another series
3. Write a whole new book!
4. Be a speaker at a writing conference
5. Organize <sekrit thing>
6. Teach summer writing camp.
7. Attend one big writing conference (RT 2014 in New Orleans?)
8. Paint / redecorate our bedroom.
9. Host a BBQ on our new back patio.
10. Host a girls’ night.
11. Host another write-in.
12. Do a northern VA winery tour.
13. Go to a Nats game.
14. Learn ASL.
15. Take a cooking class.
16. Lose 30 more lbs
17. Go to the beach (visit sister in FL this winter?)
18. Go on embassy house tour
19. Read at least 5 nonfiction books
20. Read at least 5 MG books
21. Try 10 new DC restaurant
22. Try shooting a bow & arrow. (bonus: CoT research!)
23. Get at least monthly massages to help shoulder
24. Go to yoga 2x/week for at least one month
25. Make bread from scratch
26. Create a Happiness Jar (gratitude idea from Liz Gilbert.)
27. Institute weekly date night with The Playwright. And be faithful to weekly date night with BFF. (Deadlines /= excuses.)
28. Create a monthly budget & stick to it for 3 consecutive months.
29. Make tomato – mozzarella – basil sandwich from tomatoes & basil we grow in back yard!
30. Make valentines for VDay 2014.
31. Write a list of 50 new awesome words and use them more often.
32. Throw a literary-themed Halloween party.
33. Learn to make Mom’s best-ever raspberry pie.
34. Write 1 fangirl email to an author whose book I loved every month.

What about you? Have you ever made a list like this? What would be on it?

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! I am FULL of STAR CURSED news today!

1. Penguin Teen is giving away copies of STAR CURSED on Facebook. (You have to “like” their page to enter.)

2. Kirkus gave STAR CURSED a very positive review! Waiting for the first trade review to come can be a little nervous-making, especially so when it’s from Kirkus, which has a reputation of being a trifle harsh. I am very grateful for their review, which says things like “genuinely surprising twist” “page-turning” and “a strong sequel!” Yay!

3. The German cover for STAR CURSED (aka STERNENFLUCH) is up! It continues the German (and US) hardcover look with another photograph by Alexandra Sophie. What do you think? I think it’s gorgeous and sexy and I love it! It comes out mid-August.

4. STAR CURSED is available for review on NetGalley. You can request it here. Note: I have no idea what Penguin’s criteria for approving people is, and I let that totally up to them, so I cannot intervene on your behalf if you haven’t been approved. Sorry!

5. I got over 500 responses for my bookish social media survey! Thank you to everyone who responded. I have been so busy drafting book 3 that I haven’t compiled the responses yet, but I WILL. I’m planning some blog posts on that next week but first:

6. I’m taking a mini-vaca with The Playwright! We’re going to the Poconos and we’re going to play mini golf and go hiking and I’m going to get a massage while he goes to the casino and also we are going to read lots and play board games. We aren’t even taking our computers! I am more excited about that part than I should be. I can’t remember the last time I took a few days in a row totally off, without writing or doing promo or writing-related emails – and didn’t feel guilty about it. Maybe back at Christmas?

7. Now that I’ve finished my draft, I’m hoping to take a break to refill the well and read all the books! On my immediate TBR pile: THE LUCY VARIATIONS, THE 5TH WAVE, THE S-WORD, THE HEIRESSES, DARE YOU TO, GOING VINTAGE, NANTUCKET BLUE, and ACROSS A STAR-SWEPT SEA. What’s on yours?

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

Hi! Today we’re celebrating the release of ​Emma Pass’s ACID, which came out last Thursday in the UK!

They say:  

2113. In Jenna Strong’s world, ACID – the most brutal, controlling police force in history – rule supreme. No throwaway comment or muttered dissent goes unnoticed – or unpunished. And it was ACID agents who locked Jenna away for life, for a bloody crime she struggles to remember.

The only female inmate in a violent high-security prison, Jenna has learned to survive by any means necessary. And when a mysterious rebel group breaks her out, she must use her strength, speed and skill to stay one step ahead of ACID – and to uncover the truth about what really happened on that dark night two years ago.

I say:  ​EEP! I haven’t gotten to read ACID yet but it sounds thrilling, doesn’t it?

Now for our interview with ​Emma​:

1. Describe your main character in 3 adjectives + a noun.

Jenna is a kick-ass, no-nonsense, unlikely heroine.

2. Describe your book in 3 adjectives + a noun.

ACID is a dark, twisty, surprising thriller.

3. Describe yourself in 3 adjectives + a noun.

I’m a wordy, adventurous, bookaholic daydreamer. (JS: I love this!)

4. If you could travel to any 3 countries, what would they be?

Switzerland, Costa Rica, and Japan

5. If you could take any 3 non-writing-related classes, what would they be?

​Sculpture, garden design, shoemaking​

6. If you could have any 3 alternate careers, what would they be?

Artist, musician, paleontologist 

7. What are your 3 favorite flowers?

Lavender, lilac, roses​ (JS: I love roses and lavender too! Though I unfailingly spell lavender with an a…)

8. What are your 3 favorite foods?

Chicken, cheesecake, anything containing chocolate!

9. What are your 3 favorite books?

THE PASSAGE by Justin Cronin, NORTHERN LIGHTS by Philip Pullman, EMILY OF NEW MOON by LM Montgomery (JS: I love EMILY OF NEW MOON too! Yay!)

Thanks so much for stopping by, ​Emma! I hope you’re having a wonderful debut week!

​You can find out more about Emma at her website, or by following her on Twitter or Facebook or her blog!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.

EEEP! I’ve been celebrating all over social media today, but in case you haven’t seen – very early this morning, I finished the first draft of Cahill Book 3!

It’s 317 pages long and 94,504 words.

I feel like I’ve been working on this draft forever. Really, it’s only been since November. Six months. It took much longer than I thought, but it also ended up much longer than I thought! (For comparison’s sake, the early drafts of BORN WICKED and STAR CURSED were both only 74,000. I think the added wordage is due at least in part to the fact that I can now hear Editor Ari in my head, asking me, “Where are they? What are they doing with their hands? What is she wearing? I forget what she looks like…” so I’ve learned to add in more description as I go!) I asked for an extension (on the calendar below, you can see “Deadline” written and then crossed out on both April 15 and April 19), and Editor Ari has been super-busy with other books, so she gave me a whole extra month. I’m really grateful to have had the time to get it (hopefully) right.

I’m also super-grateful to The Playwright, who has brainstormed with me day and night (sometimes at 4am when I came to bed teary and frustrated). And to my awesome critique partners: Kathleen Foucart, Miranda Kenneally, Robin Reed, Caroline Richmond, and Tiffany Schmidt, who have read the first 2/3 of the draft and given me stellar comments and have been begging to find out what happens and who dies. (I admitted last week on twitter to sobbing in the middle of a coffee shop while I killed off a major character.) They’ll be getting a present in their inboxes as soon as I have time to edit up this last chapter…

I also wanted to share a peek into my process – I use stickers on my wall calendar to reward myself. I stole this idea from Erin Bow (author of the fabulous PLAIN KATE) and I find it surprisingly motivating. Lots of days in the middle of the month, I wrote 500 or 800 words – but only 1000 words earns a Care Bear!

I know I’ll spend the rest of the spring and my summer revising this beast, but – you guys, I’ve written a whole freaking trilogy!

Originally published at Jessica Shea Spotswood. You can comment here or there.