THE LOST SAINT release day...and winners of the Countdown Contest

12/28/2010

It's here! It's here! THE LOST SAINT is finally here!!! TLS Day has finally arrived. Exactly this time last year I was coming down from the euphoria of the release of TDD and working feverishly on the first draft of TLS, and now I can't believe it's all packaged up in a fabulously-gorgeous-real-life-hold-in-your-hands-book.

I plan on spending the day dragging KidA and KidZ around to every local bookstore so I can snap pictures of them with copies of TLS in the wild (I am sure they will be so enthused) and getting ready for the official TLS launch party at The King's English tonight (What to wear? What to say? Hope I don't forget anyone's name!)

In the meantime, I wanted to take a minute to acknowledge and thank everyone who has been involved in THE LOST SAINT. This has been an amazing yet harrowing year, and I wouldn't be sane if it weren't for the many, many supportive people in my life.

I was going to write an open thank you letter for this blog post, but I realized I already did that when I wrote the acknowledgments for THE LOST SAINT and I'm not sure what I would have said differently...So I hope you don't mind if I repost those acknowledgments here (cuz I'm gonna do it anyway :D):

So many people deserve my immense gratitude for helping make this book a reality—and for keeping me from losing it during the process:

You, my awesome readers, because without your enthusiasm this book wouldn’t have had a chance to exist. Thank you for all the love.

The agents at Upstart Crow Literary, namely Ted Malawer and Michael Stearns. Thank you for believing in me and helping to share my books with the world.

The amazing folks at Egmont USA. I am often surprised by how many people think I’m responsible for everything that goes into creating my books, from the cover design, the editing, and even all the way down to the choice of the typeface. This couldn’t be further from the truth. I write the stories, but an entire team helps turn those stories into books: Doug Pocock, Elizabeth Law, Mary Albi, Regina Griffin, Nico Medina, Robert Guzman, Alison Weiss, Katie Halata. And especially my intrepid editor Greg Ferguson, who not only puts up with, but embraces, my crazy antics and the “Jimmy Olsen” nickname I’ve inflicted upon him. And who also isn’t afraid to push me until things are as great as they can be—or to whip out his super-editor cape and come to the rescue of a hopelessly stranded author on the streets of NYC. This one’s for you, Greg: Spunkgate! (Yep, I just worked that reference into a book.)

Joel Tippie at JDrift Designs. I didn’t know it was possible to create a cover even more beautiful than the one for THE DARK DIVINE. Wow, just, wow.

My enthusiastic publicist, Virginia Anagnos.

Noreen Gibbons for never failing to offer help—even when it’s completely inconvenient to her.

Whitney, for being an eager mother’s helper.

My mom, Nancy Biesinger, for bringing over bags of groceries on the deadline days, and for helping out in hundreds of other ways.

Sara Zarr, who gave me just the right advice at just the moment I needed to hear it.

Mathew J. Kirby, for his ongoing friendship and support—and free psychological guidance, of course.

The SIX—the best critique group and posse of friends an author could have: Brodi Ashton, Emily Wing Smith, Valynne Maetani Nagamatsu, Kimberly Webb Reid, and Sara Bolton. If it weren’t for the suggestion of adding a “bedazzled stake” to this book by Brodi Ashton at a hilarious lunch on an otherwise no good, very bad day—THE LOST SAINT may have never come together the way it did. And if it weren’t for the daily input and understanding of The SIX, I may have succumbed to the writer crazies a long time ago. (Or more so than I already have!)

The rest of my friends, siblings, nieces, nephews, in-laws, and dad, who help out in so many ways, from entertaining my boys, to just being a listening ear, or a shoulder to lean on. I feel way too lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life.

My boys, who I couldn’t love more—even when they’re jumping on top of me and pretending to fire-bend lightning bolts at my laptop while I’m working. Nothing makes me prouder than when they ask if they can tell me a story. (Just you wait, publishing world, these boys have got it going on!)

And most especially Brick, who held on tight during the insane roller coaster that was this last year. Thank you for never letting go. You are my inspiration, my love, my saint. I know you’re not perfect, but you’re the perfect man for me. I.L.Y.R.U.T.T.M.A.B.A.

Thank you so much to everyone who shared this process with me. I hope you will all celebrate with me today (and pick up a copy of TLS if you can--heheh). I hope to see many of you at upcoming events.

And don't worry, I didn't forget about posting winners for the Countdown to TLS Contest. We had over 1200 entries into the contest, and compiling the entries was quite the task (for hubby). Winners were selected through Random.org and are as follows:

Grand Prize Winner: Vivien

2nd place winner: Danielle Nguyen

3rd place winner: Riv Re

Winners, please email me to claim your prizes at readbree(at)gmail(dot)com.

Okay, I'm off to make my bookstore rounds. Have a very happy TLS Day!

Lots of stuff happening & how you can read chapter two of THE LOST SAINT

One week from TLS launch day and there's a ton of stuff happening in the next few weeks, so I thought I'd give you a quick rundown. Hopefully, you'll be able to participate in some of the fun.

1. THE LOST SAINT may come out in a week from today, but a preview of the prologue, chapter one, and now chapter two are up on RT Book Reviews' blog. If you comment on the RT post about chapter two, and then come tell me about it here on my blog, you'll get an extra entry in the countdown contest. Go HERE to read chapter two and find links to the other chapters.

2. The Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest continues until midnight on December 26th. For rules and details, see THIS post. Winners will be announced in the morning on December 28th.

3. Mundie Moms will be hosting a pre-launch chat party on December 27th at 9pm EST. Everyone is invited to join us to chat about TDD and TLS. For details, click HERE.

4. THE LOST SAINT hits shelves on December 28th. Join us that night at 7pm at King's English Bookshop for a launch party. I'll be speaking, reading, and signing books. (Note: The book talk will be held in the 15th Street Gallery next-door to the bookstore, so there will be plenty of room for everyone.) Click HERE for more details on the event. Would love to see you there!

5. On January 8th at 2pm I'll be speaking and signing at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble in West Jordan. If you can't make it to the launch party, then this is another great opportunity to get a signed copy of TLS.

6. On January 13th (my birthday!) I'll be speaking and signing at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, CA. Come party with me on my b-day, and get signed copies of TDD and TLS while you're at it. For info on this event, click HERE.

7. On January 20th at 9pm EST Page Turner's Blog will be hosting a TLS spoiler chat. That gives everyone 3 weeks to read TLS and then join us to ask me all your spoiler-filled questions. I'll post more details about how you can join the chat as we get closer to the event.

8. On January 29th I'll be participating in an Authorpalooza at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona. There will be games and lots of authors signing books.

9. Remember that secret project I've been hinting about for the last few weeks?--Well, the date that I get to reveal it has been bumped a bit...but it is still coming soon. I think fans of TDD and TLS will enjoy it.

10. A lot more events and such are in works. I promise to keep you posted as I get more information. In the meantime, be sure to come back on the 28th to help celebrate the release of TLS.

Watch THE LOST SAINT Trailer AND Read The First Chapter of TLS

12/14/2010

***In case you've been wondering (because people have apparently been wondering) THE LOST SAINT releases on December 28th. The official launch party will be at The Kings English Bookshop on the 28th at 7pm. For a list of other upcoming events, please see THIS post or click News in the navigation above.***

Seriously, waiting for TLS to hit the shelves at this point is absolutely excruciating. But at least I (finally) get to share a couple of really fun things with you while I wait. Today is a great day here in ReadBree Land--I get to share THE LOST SAINT book trailer!!!

So without any further ado, I present THE LOST SAINT book trailer:



I don't know about you, but the first time (okay, more like the first TEN times) I watched the trailer I literally squeed with joy.

Huge kudos go to the crew at Kineto Pictures for the creating this fabulous trailer, along with Nathan Day (Daniel), Katya Feinstien (Grace), and AJ Walker (Jude) from Urban Talent for their enthusiastic work in the freezing cold. Despite the low temperatures, we had an absolute blast filming.

But that's not all! Now that you've watched the trailer (admit it, more than once, right? :D) you should head over to RT Book Reviews' blog and read the first chapter of TLS. That's right. The first chapter of THE LOST SAINT is up on RT Book Reviews! And in case you missed it, you can read the prologue first here.

Oh, but before you go:

Don't forget that the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest is still ongoing, and you can get additional entries by sharing the trailer and first chapter. 5 entries if you post the trailer on your blog/facebook page, and 2 entries for telling people about this contest. And you can get 1 entry for telling people about the first chapter preview on the RT blog, and an additional 1 entry for commenting on the RT blog post.

That's a total of 9 possible more entries in the contest. Just be sure to tell me what you did in the comments of this post (with proper linkage) in order to qualify for your entries. (Adding up your entries for me is always helpful, too.)

I've also decided to sweeten the deal by adding two signed first editions of MATCHED by Ally Condie.

So contest prizes are now as follows:

1st Place:
6" Kindle with WiFi.
$10 Amazon gift card (so you can buy an eBook version of THE LOST SAINT)
$20 gift card to iTunes (so you can buy the songs on THE LOST SAINT playlist :D).
Signed first edition of MATCHED by Ally Condie

2nd place:
Signed first editions of: MATCHED by Ally Condie, THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner, and BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

3rd Place:
Signed first editions of: THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner, and BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Remember, contest ends at midnight MST on Dec. 26th and contest winners will be announced the morning of Dec. 28th (TLS release day!)

For full contest rules and information, read THIS POST.

Okay, now go read the first chapter . . .

TLS Soundtrack: Song #19 and Upcoming Events

12/12/2010

***Upcoming Events:

1. A couple of good things will be hitting the blog this week, so be sure to check back often so you won't miss them.

2. I will be a guest on David Farland's Authors' Advisory Conference Call along with the rest of my critique group this Thursday, December 16th at 9pm EST. We'll be discussing critique groups and breaking into publishing. You can listen in on the conference call (and even ask questions). Go HERE for details on how to participate. Look for instructions in the right-hand sidebar.

3. TLS Day is almost upon us! Come join the fun at The King's English Bookshop on December 28th at 7:00 pm. I'll do a book talk at the 15th Street Gallery (right next-door to the bookshop--so there will be plenty of room for everyone) read a bit from TLS, answer questions, and then sign books back over in the bookstore. And I am sure that there will be plenty of yummy refreshments, too. Click HERE for more details on the event. Would love to see you there!

4. On January 8th, I will be speaking and signing at the Jordan Landing Barnes & Noble in West Jordan at 2 pm. Sure to be lots of fun.

5. On January 13th (my birthday!) I'll be speaking and signing at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park, CA. Come party with me on my b-day, and get signed copies of TDD and TLS while you're at it. For info on this event, click HERE.

6. More events are coming. I'll post info here on the blog and on my website when I have it. Hopefully, I'll be coming to your neck of the woods soon. ***


Okay, now that we have business out of the way, we can get to what we've all be waiting for: The last song in the TLS Soundtrack. Tonight's song is "Orange Sky" by Alexi Murdoch. It is only fitting that the last song on the TLS soundtrack is by Alexi, since the last song on the TDD soundtrack was also one of his.

"Orange Sky" is a beautiful song, and to me, it kind of encapsulates the entire story/theme of THE LOST SAINT. Actually, it kind of encapsulates the entire DARK DIVINE trilogy. Basically, I think Alexi Murdoch has been channeling me in his spare time--or the other way around.

These are my favorite lyrics in the song:

When I am alone
When I've thrown off the weight of this crazy stone
When I've lost all care for the things I own
That's when I miss you, that's when I miss you, that's when I miss you
You who are my home
You who are my home
And here is what I know now
Here is what I know now
Goes like this
In your love, my salvation lies

But really, every line in the song is wonderful, so go ahead and listen:



This is the last TLS Soundtrack post, but remember that the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest is ongoing until December 26th. Come back to the blog often until then for more chances to enter to win. Plus, I may be adding some more more goodies to the prizes soon.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 18

Oh man, there's only two songs left in the playlist--and for some reason that makes me a little sad. But never fear, there are a couple of awesome TLS related treats happening in the coming week that will be even more fun for me to share than the playlist.

Tonight's song is another one by The Fleet Foxes: "Your Protector." Sometimes, its feels like certain musicians have looked right inside my head at what I'm writing and then put it to music...and then I listen to that music and put it in writing. *Heh*

The lyrics of this song are just so darn perfect that I figured I put them up here for you all:

She left a week to roam
Your protector's coming home
Keep your secrets with you
Safe from the outside

You walk along the stream
Your head caught in a waking dream
Your protector's coming home (coming home)

As you lay to die beside me, baby
On the morning that you came,
Would you wait for me,
the other one,
would you wait for me?

You run with the devil
You run with the devil

Ooh ooh ooh...

Tell your brother to be good
Tell your sister not to go
Tell your mother not to wait
Tell your father I was good

As you lay to die beside me, baby
I'm the one in the shootin' game
Would you wait for me,
the other one,
would you wait for me?

Ooh ooh ooh

I find that the Ooh ooh oohs are especially poignant, don't you? ;)

Okay now go ahead and have listen to this beautiful song. And don't forget to comment in order to get an additional entry in the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT contest.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 17

Ok, so I lied about there being two songs a night until the end. There are only three songs left and so we will finish up on Sunday with one song a day. Math never really was a strong point for me... as many of you already know. But don't worry. More Awesomeness is to follow next week.

This next song is very plot oriented. In fact, it is almost a soliloquy for one of the characters when things seem a bit dire. It is also a return to why I love The Notwist. Seriously. Those guys would be awesome on Twitter. They seem to be able to say so much with so few words (and an awesome groove).

Song 17: "This Room" by The Notwist.



Don't forget that the contest for the Kindle and a signed copy of THE SCORCH TRIALS by James Dashner and a signed copy of BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS by Kami Garcia and Margaret Sthol is still going on. Don't forget to comment for another entry, or click here if you want more details on the contest.

TLS Soundtrack: Son 15 & 16

12/9/2010

We are getting close to the end of the soundtrack, as well as the end of the story time-line.

Tonight's songs start with song 15: Fleet Foxes' "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." The regret in this song, and the pain of the singer, are really what I wanted to get at. The line "I don't know what I have done...I'm turning myself into a Demon" is of particular importance as well. (But I won't tell you why...Muwahaha.)

The next song is "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver. It ranks in my top 3 favorite songs on the playlist, and I listened to it a lot while writing TLS. It is such a beautiful song because it's so full of raw emotions. I think this song represents a lot of things that happen in the book--and it could be from several characters' points of view.

Take a listen. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. (BTW - the first song is only about 3 1/2 minutes long. Not sure why there is a two minute silence on this YouTube clip after the song...)





Don't forget to comment for to get another entry in the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 13 & 14

12/8/2010

In anticipation of something very awesome happening on December 14th, I've decided that I need to wrap up the playlist posts before then...which means I'm going to be sharing 2 songs a night from here on out. (Yay, for twice the music goodness!)

The first song (song 13) is "The String" by The Notwist. I'll be honest, I'm a huge fan of this band, but this song is not one of my favorites of theirs. However, the lyrics and harder, agressive feel of the song are just right for this point in the story.

Song 14 is "Dressed in Dresden" by The Hundred in the Hands. This song is different from most of my collection--but I totally love it. Basically (without spoiling anything) this song is perfect for this spot in the soundtrack because it's both aggressive and sexy.

TLS Soundtrack: Song #12 (And a chance to read the prologue to TLS)

***Attention: I added this tidbit to yesterday's post, but thought I'd reiterate it here in case anyone missed it...

Want to read the prologue to THE LOST SAINT? It just went live on The Romantic Times' blog. Check it out by clicking HERE. If you read the prologue and leave a comment on the RT blog, and then come back here and tell me that you did, I'll give you 5 BONUS ENTRIES in the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest. If you share the news about the prologue on the RT blog, I'll give you 2 BONUS ENTRIES. Just leave me a link to where you shared in the comments. That's up to 7 BONUS ENTRIES! And I may be adding some more goodies to the prizes soon.***

Glad you guys loved the VW song from yesterday since it is one of my absolute favorites...and the last one on soundtrack, I swear. Today I'm sharing a song that is relatively new to my music collection, but has quickly become one of my absolute favorites on the playlist (and in general).

Today's song is "Fires" by Band of Skulls. Again, this song has the perfect lyrics for TLS, and it has the perfect sound for this point in the book. Basically, for the purpose of the TLS soundtrack, just imagine two people slow dancing to this song. Better yet, find someone to slow dance to this song with you. Then listen to it again, and at least one more time. The more you listen to it, the more you will wonder where this song has been all your life.



Again, commenting on the song will earn you an additional entry in the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 11

***EDIT: Want to read the prologue to THE LOST SAINT? It just went live on The Romantic Times' blog. Check it out by clicking HERE. If you read the prologue and leave a comment on the RT blog, and then come back here and tell me that you did, I'll give you 5 BONUS ENTRIES in the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest. If you share the news about the prologue on the RT blog, I'll give you 2 BONUS ENTRIES. Just leave me a link to where you shared in the comments. That's up to 7 BONUS ENTRIES! And I may be adding some more goodies to the prizes soon.***

So if I had to pick my top 3 songs out of the 19 songs on the soundtrack (yes, there are 19 songs) the next 2 songs would be amongst those 3. I am therefore going to revert back to my one-song-a-day modus operandi, so as to allow you to fully appreciate the next two songs of their own accord.

Ok, remember how I said there was a third Vampire Weekend song coming soon? Well, I meant really soon. As in, tonight. Don't worry. It's the last VW song on the playlist. But this song has special meaning. It is the song I probably listened too the MOST as I was writing THE LOST SAINT. As in, on repeat, over and over again. And when this song is on, I can't help but dancing to it. So imagine me dancing and writing at the same time. Hard to do, but it's my special talent. Also, this song is kind of a character anthem for a new TLS principal character.

The song is "Giving Up The Gun" by Vampire Weekend. I recommend turning up your volume all the way--and I dare you not to start dancing. Go ahead, try it. Be sure to comment for your contest entry, and come back tomorrow for song 12 which also ranks among my top 3 faves on the list.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 9 & 10

12/5/2010

I hope I didn't scare too many off with the Menomena song. That particular song is perfect for what I needed in the soundtrack, but is definitely not my favorite of theirs. Before you give up on them, perhaps look up "The Late Great Libido" or "Twenty Cell Revolt" or another one of their songs from the Fun Blame album... but I digress.

I was pleased to hear from your comments that you all appreciated the inclusion of Vampire Weekend on the playlist. Mostly because, as I said last night, they are among one of my most favorite bands, but also because we get another Vampire Weekend song tonight, and there is a third on the soundtrack (coming soon) that was a huge influence on TLS.

Song 9 is "Run" by...you guessed it...Vampire Weekend. This song is a bit more literal than some of the others. In that it is about characters running. Sorry, not a lot of depth in my choice here. But it's also a great song, so enjoy.

Song 10 is "Tremendous Dynamite" by Eels. This song is kind quirky and different from my usual fare, but it was so spot on it sounds like it was practically written about Grace in TLS. Plus, you can't deny the words "I am el hombre lobo" aren't just perfect for the book, considering...you know. I also see the song as a replacement song for "Eye of The Tiger" in the following deleted rough draft of chapter 15 of TLS (which is actually chapter 17 in the real book now). And yes, sometimes my rough drafts include stick figure drawings when I'm in a pinch.

Song 9:


Song 10:


P.S. I know I keep saying this at the end of all these posts, but just in case you don't know what this is for because you are just getting here after a ReadBree hiatus or you are a new-comer, this is all part of our last Countdown to THE LOST SAINT contest as explained here.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 7 and 8

12/4/2010

As an announcement, for those of you who live in the Greater Salt Lake area (or round-abouts), I will be having my book launch party for THE LOST SAINT on Dec. 28th at 7pm at The King's English Bookshop. I'd love to see you all there!

So for at least the next couple of nights, I've decided to share 2 songs. Maybe we'll make it a weekend thing. We'll see. Also, I was hoping to share the TLS trailer with you all either tonight or tomorrow night, but unfortunately I've been asked to wait by the powers-that-be. I'm dying to post it! I'll keep you updated as I know more about when it will actually go live.

On with the music--

Song 7 is "Trigga Hiccup" by Menomena. This song represents Grace's desire/struggle to gain control of her new wolfy powers. I imagine her running to this song, trying to break through the barrier that's holding her back from embracing all the power coursing inside of her. To me this song just sounds like frustration.

Song 8 is "I think Ur a Contra" by Vampire Weekend (one of my most favorite bands). This song is so darn beautiful, and a little bit heartbreaking. I listened to this song A LOT while writing and revising TLS, and to me it encompasses one of the main emotions of the book--what it feels like when the trust in a relationship is being tested.

Take a listen to them, and let me know what you think for additional entries in the contest... or just because you love them as much as I do :D.





Thanks for stopping by. Come back tomorrow for song 9 and 10.

TLS Soundtrack: Song 6

Tonight, we have a slight departure from the emotional journey that previous songs represented. This song is more of a character anthem. It's also pretty good background music for a particular location that Grace finds herself in at this point in the story. I'm not going to give much more away than that. The song is "C'mere" by Interpol.

I'll be honest. I'm having a really hard time waiting a whole day between songs. There are still a lot to go and I'm really anxious to share them all with you. But at the same time, I want to make sure each song gets its just due. I'll just have to keep myself occupied by listening to the whole soundtrack over and over again in the meantime.

P.S. Don't forget about the contest. That Kindle is starting to look pretty sweet :D.

THE LOST SAINT Soundtrack: Song 5

12/2/2010

So before I share song 5, I have a picture to share with you. THEY CAME!!! THEY CAME!!! My author copies of THE LOST SAINT arrived today!


Unfortunately this picture totally doesn't do the book justice. Seriously. They are so beautiful and I am beside myself to see the finished product in my hands. *pets the copy in my hands gently.*

Ok, now that I'm done squealing for the evening, it's time to share the 5th addition to the TLS soundtrack. As mentioned last night, song 4 represents a specific event in the book. This next song is for the events immediately following that song. It is from one of my favorite bands (who occupy the first 2 slots on the TDD soundtrack as well) and an extremely beautiful song. The words, the emotion, the tone... you'll see what I mean once you listen to it. I think it really captures the idea of feeling paralyzed or helpless when faced with daunting circumstances. (Something everyone can relate to at some point in their lives... for example, right now, as I look over at the sink full of dishes, I'm feeling a bit paralyzed by the thought of having to do them. Of course, Grace's circumstances are little more dire than an overflowing sink.)

So, with that, I give you song 5: "Consequence" by The Notwist.

P.S. In case haven't been to the blog in a few days, this is all part of the Countdown to THE LOST SAINT Contest, as explained here.

Countdown Continues with TLS Soundtrack: Song 4

12/1/2010

Holy crap, it's December!!!! The Countdown Timer says it's only 26 days 3 1/2 hours left until it is officially December 28th here in Utah. And to top it off, I've just watched a preview of the new THE LOST SAINT book trailer that I will hopefully get to debut this weekend, and I literally squealed with excitement!! (Sorry. Too many exclamation marks. I'll tone it down.)

*Takes a few deep breaths--attempts to regain composure* Lets talk more about music, shall we?

Song 4 on THE LOST SAINT soundtrack is "AFK" by Pinback. As I've said before, these songs are more than just a playlist to go along with the book. Not only are a lot of them personal favorites, and songs that helped inspire me, they are also arranged in an order that helps reflect the growing mood and emotion of the story as it progresses. In that way, they almost become the score for the book... the soundtrack (which is why I call it that).

I wanted to explain that again because this next song is all about mood. After the event that song 3 represents, tension and action begin to build in the story. The things that are happening leave the characters with a growing sense of anxiety, fear, regret and even a little bit of anger. One of the things I like about this song is it's about something bigger than yourself moving forward and not being able to stop it. This song also represents a specific event that takes place. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much about that event because I don't want to get all spoilery.

Ok, so now that I've done all the explaining, take a listen and let me know what you think for your next entry in the countdown contest.