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!