THE LOST SAINT launch party recap...and Top Secret Project revealed!

1/5/2011

UPDATE: Lost Letters Schedule can be found here

Hey all,

I FINALLY have permission to share the details about my Top Secret TLS-related project...but first I wanted to share a few thoughts and pictures from my TLS launch party.

I seriously can't believe THE LOST SAINT has been out on bookshelves for more than a week. That's just plain crazy. The launch party was loads of fun and the turn-out was awesome. Not gonna lie, I felt like was going to puke when I walked into the 15th Street Gallery and I saw all those people waiting to listen to me speak. But I managed to hold it together.

After I did a little book-talk and read a selection from TLS, we headed over to The King's English Bookshop for blue-frosted cookies and I signed books until my special blue pen ran out of ink--which luckily didn't happen until after the last person made it through the line.

One of my BFFs, Michelle Sallay (of Michelle Sallay Photography) brought her trusty camera along and snapped a bunch of awesome pictures. They were all so great that it was hard I couldn't choose just a few, so I wanted to make a slideshow of all of them--but apparently that is far too great a task for someone as technically deficient as I am. Since hubs isn't around to help, I'll have to be content with posting a few of my favorite pics to help you get a feel for the event .




Many thanks to Michelle for the awesome pictures, and many thanks to everyone who came out for the event. If you weren't able to attend and you're in Utah, you can still catch me at the West Jordan B&N (in Jordan Landing) at 2pm on January 8th. For details on other events and happenings, check out THIS post.

Okay, now on to the TOP SECRET project...

If you've been following the blog for the last couple of months, you've probably (or hopefully) have been wondering about this secret writing project that I've been hinting about for like ever (or at least that;s how it felt to me). I finally have the go-ahead to share.

Introducing:

As many of you know by now, Gabriel (Daniel's mentor and an ancient Urbat) plays a rather important role in THE LOST SAINT. We were first introduced to Gabriel in THE DARK DIVINE when Grace is given a book full of old letters that Gabriel (a young monk a the time) wrote to his sister during the crusades, detailing his search to know more about the Urbat. The book of letters ends just before Gabriel falls to the Urbat curse.

Well the exciting news is that a few letters not originally included in that ancient book have been "discovered"-- five of them in fact. These letters detail Gabriel's fall to the curse and then his quest to seek revenge on the man he feels is responsible for his demise.

I am really excited about these "lost letters" because they give a lot of depth to Gabriel's character, and also the mythology of the Dark Divine trilogy. The letters are the perfect lead in before reading THE LOST SAINT (i.e. no TLS spoilers and will hopefully get you excited to start TLS) and are also still a good read for those of you who have already read TLS.


The lost letters of Brother Gabriel will be released one at a time over the next 5 weeks, starting TOMORROW (1/6/2011) on different blogs across the blogosphere.

Which means you need to come back here tomorrow for a detailed schedule and links to where to find the letters. And as a bonus, each blog hosting a letter will be giving away a signed first edition of THE LOST SAINT and a bottle of TLS nail polish. You'll get a entry for each letter you read and comment on.

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!