tiredSix months ago, I was in a state of low-grade panic because of the upcoming release of my second novel, A Local Habitation. What if the first book was just a fluke? What if nobody liked Toby when she was less broken? What if everyone lost interest and went off to read something else, and my publisher dropped me, and my numbers were terrible, and my agent told me I should be a dishwasher or something? What if, dammit?!
Right now, I would be in a state of low-grade panic, but I'm honestly too tired to work up the flailing. An Artificial Night, the third Toby Daye book, is out now, and I would really appreciate it if you'd go out and buy a copy, assuming you haven't already. My reasons are legion: I really think it's the best book of the series so far, I really love it as a piece of work, and it's the last book on my original contract with DAW, so it would be nice if it went out with a bang. Like all authors, I worry vaguely about an unknown god known only as "the numbers," and I'm sure I want the numbers to look on me with grace. So that means book sales, and maybe, I don't know, sacrificing a pizza. I'll get on that.
I really love this book. I love the way it looks, I love the way it feels, I love the fact that it exists. It makes me feel like a real girl, because now I can look at my brag shelf and see three Toby books in finished form, all of them there, waiting to be opened. It's amazing. And still a little terrifying.
Release parties start next weekend. Fun for the whole family!
September 11 2010, 01:51:38 UTC 6 years ago
For some reason, I got the idea AAN was being released a few days before August ended, so I took myself to Barnes and Noble to pick up a copy, but couldn't seem to locate where they had it displayed. Asking at the help desk, I was informed they didn't have any copies in stock. WHAT? Horrors! *is aghast with disbelief* Not have any copies of your latest novel? What is this world coming to? Whoever made the decision not to stock your book should be slapped with a fish repeatedly for their stupidity! Disappointed but undaunted, I ordered a copy. Fast forward several days. There's a B&N in the mall where I work, so I went in to browse during my lunch break. Imagine my surprise when I discovered a display containing many copies of your novel. Oops. Guess I was wrong about the release date. That would explain why the store didn't have any copies the week before. ;p
September 11 2010, 18:20:04 UTC 6 years ago
Wait until you see the cover for book four. Hooo, boy.
September 12 2010, 04:08:25 UTC 6 years ago
When I was reading AAN, I confused Blind Michael with Rhyming Thomas and was most confused why Rhyming Thomas would be kidnapping children and what he had to do with the Hunt. Then I read Michael's one of the Firstborn and realized I was thinking of the wrong person. I've never heard of him before in connection with the Hunt.
I know as a writer how hard we are on ourselves and how full of doubts we are about what we write, and how easily we can convince ourselves what we've written is crap and to dismiss/discount the praise we get. For whatever it might be worth to you, I don't give empty praise, have what some might consider high standards for what I read (if wanting a writer to have their facts straight, the characters developed, a plot that's not thinner than cheesecloth, and to use decent grammar and mechanics counts as having high standards, but judging by some of what's on the bestseller lists these days...) and I'm very choosy about what goes on my personal bookshelf.
September 14 2010, 16:05:58 UTC 6 years ago
So much.
September 14 2010, 18:14:19 UTC 6 years ago