Emerald Bound Blog Tour Day 4

Day 4 of the tour was hosted by Bitten, Shifted ... the not so Normal. It's a character interview with one of my main characters, Lindy, and it's one of my favorite posts.

Hi everyone! I’ve talked a lot this week about my main character, Maggie, but Emerald Bound has two leading ladies. So today we’re sitting down with Lindy, the girl who inspired Hans Christian Andersen to write the tale The Princess and the Pea in the first place.

*

Me: Hi Lindy, thanks for being with us today.

Lindy: You’re welcome. Sorry we have to meet out here under this water tower. In the dark.

Me: *yawning because it’s 2am and glancing around at our unusual surroundings* It’s okay. Whatever I have to do for the interview.

Lindy: I don’t have much time before they notice I’m gone—what would you like to know?

Me: Well, I heard you opened up to Maggie and told her about your past. What inspired you to tell the truth after all these years?

Lindy: I’m not really sure. I guess seeing Maggie escape the curse that destroyed my life gave me hope. Hope that one day I might also be free. That by helping Maggie I’d also be helping myself. *fidgets and looks down at her hands.*

Me: Well, that sounds like a good reason. But … is there something more?

Lindy: *leans closer to me, even though there’s no one around to overhear us* It was my fault.

Me: Excuse me? What was your fault?

Lindy: Maggie’s friend getting trapped. And the girl before her. And the girl before her and so on and so on for the past four centuries. It all started with me and I was supposed to stop it. I just … didn’t know how.

Me: Wait, what do you mean you were supposed to stop it? Who told you that?

Lindy: Calista. Right after it happened. She said I had the power to break the curse, but of course she never said how. I tried to do it anyway, really I did. But I never figured out how. And now so many people have died because of me. Not only the girls, but the citizens of my country when Calista waged war on them.

Me: You can’t blame yourself for what Calista did. That’s on her, not you.

Lindy: *sniffles* Maybe. But I still do. That’s why I’m helping Maggie. In four centuries, she’s the only one who escaped Calista’s curse and that gives me hope.

Me: Well, good luck to you both.

Lindy: Thanks, we’re going to need it. *glancing around at the shrubbery, as if she’s afraid someone is going to pop out at any moment and yell Boo!* Was there anything else?

Me: Oh, yeah, I had one other question. Where does Hans Christian Andersen fit into all this? What inspired him to write your tale and how did he get it so wrong?

Lindy: Mr. Andersen’s great-great-great grandfather was unfortunate enough to stay a few nights in our inn, back in Scandinavia. He was one of many that passed through without knowing what was really going on. The ones who came to give up their daughters, well, they knew a portion, but had they known the whole truth I have to believe they would have never agreed to Calista’s terms. Anyhow, Calista insisted we refer to the gemstones we collected each night as “peas” so that anyone who overheard us would believe we were speaking of supper arrangements and nothing more. Mr. Anderson must have overheard one such conversation and told his family. Over time, I presume the story grew and changed until little Hans heard it from his grandfather and wrote it down. Calista’s son was certainly charming—back then, anyway—perhaps that’s where the prince part came from. And patrons of the inn would come and leave their daughters in Calista’s care in exchange for a royal sum—perhaps that’s where the idea of princesses came from? Certainly Mr. Andersen’s tale is much more charming than the truth.

Me: Well, that’s an understatement. The truth is horrifying.

Lindy: *nodding and gazing into the night sky* That it is.

(At this moment in our interview, Lindy gasped, clutching her stomach as if she was in pain.)

Lindy: I must go. *rising and taking a shaky step toward the mansion where she lived*

Me: Wait, are you okay? What’s happening?

Lindy: *calling back to me over her shoulder as she stumbled away* I’m fine, I just … have to go.

*

I attempted to contact Lindy again the next day, but she hasn’t responded to my calls. I suspect we’ll have to read the rest of her story in Emerald Bound.

Lindy, if you’re reading this, I sincerely hope things work out for you. 

Emerald Bound Blog Tour Day 3

Day 3 of the blog tour was hosted by Kit 'N Kabookle. It was an author interview.

-What inspired you to become a writer? 

I started writing as a creative outlet in middle school. I always thought it would be fun to write a book, but it wasn’t until my youngest son turned 1 and my husband was in grad school that I really started taking the itch seriously. My husband was working full time and when he came home from work, he had to spend hours doing homework and I got bored of watching movies by myself. So I sat down one night after the kids were in bed and started writing. Things just snowballed from there, and soon I had a first novel. I started researching publishing, querying agents, attended a writers’ conference and joined a writers group. Soon I had my second novel, this one done much better than the first.

-What draws you to your genre(s) of choice?

I write YA because that’s what I love to read. There’s just something so special about that time—when you’re learning about life and love and what makes you special. I wish I had enjoyed that time of my life more without worrying about what the future would bring or dwelling on the things that made me different from others. Writing and reading YA is my way of revisiting those special years. I hope I can inspire teens to enjoy being young. Don’t worry about the things you can’t change. Just enjoy the things that are awesome.

-Give us a fun or interesting fact you learned researching this book.

Part of my book takes place in Scandinavia in the 1600’s. At one point I was researching what eating utensils people used at that time. I learned that forks weren’t invented until the early 1600’s, and that “early fork users were looked upon by others with mistrust.” I laughed out loud when I read that. To think that the first people who used forks were considered untrustworthy oddballs and the masses who ate with their hands were considered normal.

-Which of your characters would you go out for drinks and/or pizza with?

I would just love to hang out with Maggie and her friends, Piper and Kate. They’re such an odd, mismatched group of friends, I think hanging out with them would be a blast. Especially Piper. She is one-of-a-kind.

-For aspiring writers, any tips?

Everyone says this, but here it is again—keep going, keep trying, keep improving. It’s not over until you give up. And don’t you dare let your desire to publish suck all the joy out of writing.

Also, find a writers’ group that focuses on real critique—not just feel-good compliments. My writers’ group is the reason my book is being published. Because my initial drafts were definitely not good enough. Not by a long shot.

-Is there a genre you could never write? Which and why?

I could never write horror. Never, ever. I can’t even read it. I get scared enough just by my empty, dark basement at night. If I spent my days imaging all the horrifying things that could come out of that basement then it would be all over for me. I’d never be able to go down there, ever again. And forget walking to my car in a parking lot at night. Or taking my trash out to the curb in the dark. Or going camping. Or star gazing. Or … well, you get the point. No horror writing for me.

Emerald Bound Blog Tour Day 2

Day 2 of the tour was hosted by Harlie's Books. It was a top 10/fav 5 feature in which I was asked to list my top 10 and favorite 5 in two categories of my choosing.

Top 10 Favorite Songs to Blast in the Car

10. It’s Raining Men by The Weather Girls—My college roomies introduced me to this song and of course it became one of my all-time favs. I mean come on, how awesome would it be if it really rained men?

9. Bright Lights and the Big City by the Treblemakers (their final number from Pitch Perfect)—I can’t figure out why I love this song so much, I just do. It *might* have something to do with the cute guys in their adorable blazers and converse shoes. Plus, they’re singing, which is doubly adorable.

8. Without You by David Guetta & Usher—When this song reaches its apex, and the sound completely surrounds you, it’s just unbelievable. Go listen to it in your car. Now.

7. Shots by Imagine Dragons—So many of their songs are great, but I especially love this one. If you listen to the lyrics, this whole album is really soulful even though the sound is edgier and grittier than their previous stuff. 

6. Laura Palmer by Bastille—Okay, this is the song I like to end my workouts to. For some reason, listening to this song just makes we want to run faster, push harder, and be better. “This is your heart, can you feel it?” Feeling the breadth of emotions in this song reminds me that I’m alive and that it’s awesome!

5. Superheroes by The Script—Oh man, I love this song! Just so empowering. My preschooler loves it too, which is super convenient for me.

4. Great Big Storm by Nate Ruess—This is one of my newer favs but I love it because it’s so empowering. “We’re holding our own in a great big storm, it’s a great big storm and we’re holding our own.” Just such a powerful reminder that even when life is stormy you can hold your head up and fight.

3. Shut up and Dance by Walk the Moon—this may sound cliché because now everybody loves this song, but I can’t stop loving it just because everyone else does too. I first heard this song on an alternative radio station that prided themselves on being the first to play new music. I went home and played it for my family and made them all dance with me in the middle of our kitchen. It truly is a fantastic song and I can never get enough! Actually, all songs by Walk the Moon are great for blasting in the car.

2. Light & Day/Reach for the Sun by The Polyphonic Spree—You may remember this song from the movie trailer for the animated movie The Lorax. I looked it up as soon as saw the trailer because I loved the song so much. This was one that inspired me while I was working on my first manuscript. (You know, the one that never sees the light of day, but gets you excited enough to get better and then try again?) If you listen to this song, it sounds exactly as I was feeling while I worked on that first book. Just happy and carefree—giddy, even. I felt almost magical, like I could do anything and that anything could happen

1. A Sky Full of Stars by Coldplay—I love, love, love this song. It’s so hauntingly beautiful. It came on once when I was driving home from meeting with my writing group. It was really late at night and the host’s house was pretty far away from mine so I had almost an hour drive ahead of me. It was the beginning of winter and on the drive home, snow began to fall. It wasn’t cold enough out for the snow to really stick or turn into big flakes. It was just slushy snow, but it was so beautiful. I stopped my car on the dark country road and just watched it fall. Illuminated by a streetlamp, it looked like falling stars, and the soundtrack of this song in the background was just breathtaking. Now this song reminds me of The Fairfield Scribes every time I hear it and even in the middle of summer, I can still picture the snow falling that winter night.

Favorite 5 Books worth staying up way too late for

It was so hard to whittle this list down to only five, but here it goes:

5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgentern—this is a hauntingly beautiful book and the way the author ties everything together is just masterful.

4. This Song Will Save Your Life by Leila Sales—this book combined two of my favorite things, music and reading, into one. What’s not to love?

3. The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater—This author has such a unique, breathtaking style of writing, anything of hers is good. But I really enjoyed this book, and all the subsequent books in the Raven Boys series.

2. I’ve Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella—ever since the Confessions of a Shopaholic series, this author has been one of my favorites. But this is the first standalone book of hers that I absolutely fell in love with. I’ve read this book several times and it’s just like a mini-vacation every time.

1. Splintered by AG Howard—Oh my goodness, if I could crawl inside of this book and just live there, I totally would. I love the world Miss Howard creates and her characters are just stunning. This was one of those books that I lived and breathed and just drank in from start to finish. And when it was over, I went through serious withdrawal. Love, love, love this book.

Emerald Bound Blog Tour Day 1

A few weeks ago, Bridging the Gap Promotions ran a blog tour to celebrate the release of my debut novel, Emerald Bound. For anyone that missed the posts or weren't able to follow along, I'm posting them here on my blog.

Here is the post that ran on Day 1 of my blog tour. It first appeared on Reviews by Crystal.

Hi everyone! I’m Teresa Richards and my debut novel, Emerald Bound is now out in the world. Emerald Bound is a dark YA retelling of the fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. Here’s my super-short twitter pitch so you can quickly get the gist of it:

A semi-reformed stalker. A down-and-out princess. Together, they must stop an enchanted, power-hungry emerald.

And, okay, here’s the official blurb in case you want more:

A princess, a pea, and a tower of mattresses. This is the sliver that survives of a story more nightmare than fairy tale. 

Maggie Rhodes, high school junior and semi-reformed stalker, learns the tale’s true roots after a spying attempt goes awry and her best friend Kate ends up as the victim of an ancient curse. At the center of the curse lies an enchanted emerald that has been residing quietly in a museum for the past fifty years. Admirers of the gem have no idea that it feeds on life. Or that it’s found its next victim in Kate.  

Enter Lindy, a school acquaintance who knows more than she’s letting on, and Garon, a handsome stranger claiming he knows how to help, and Maggie is left wondering who to trust and how to save her best friend before it’s too late.

If only Maggie knew her connection to the fairy tale was rooted far deeper than an endangered best friend.

*

I am so excited for you all to read it! Having my baby out there is all kinds of terrifying and all kinds of exhilarating, all at the same time. This is the first stop in my week-long blog tour to celebrate the release of Emerald Bound. What better way to celebrate than with a little glitz?

One of the earliest scenes I wrote for this book was the one where Maggie attempts to sneak into the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington DC to steal the emerald that holds her friend captive. In preparation to write this scene, I visited the museum to scope everything out. My favorite area of the museum (Maggie’s favorite as well) was the national gem collection on the second floor. I based my descriptions of the cursed emerald that causes so much trouble for my characters on the MacKay emerald necklace, which I fell in love with during my visit. Here’s a picture of it—isn’t it gorgeous?

There were so many other amazing jewels there. I don’t wear much jewelry (aside from earrings—I love earrings), but one visit to the national gem collection, and I was pining for a giant necklace full of sparkly rocks.

Here are some of the other gorgeous items on display:

 

The Victoria-Transvaal Diamond

 

The Hope Diamond

 

The Carmen Lucia Ruby

I could go on and on. But I’m sure you’re wondering… is Maggie successful in her attempt to steal the gorgeous yet cursed national treasure? Does she get distracted by all of the sparkly things around her and forget why she’s there? What will happen to her friend if Maggie turns into a jewel-crazed zombie, ogling the Harry Winstons and French crowned jewels along with the rest of the museum’s patrons?

Sorry, but I can’t spoil it for you. I just can’t.

But I can tell you I had so much fun taking this fairy tale and twisting it up to create Emerald Bound. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Oh, and next time you’re at the Smithsonian, maybe keep your distance when you’re admiring the emeralds. They’re a sneaky lot.

Hallopalooza

Calling all book lovers!

I'm participating as a host for Night Owl Reviews' Hallopalooza contest, which is taking place during the month of October. It's an online scavenger hunt and the grand prize is $100. The total prize pool is a thousand dollars (!) with 113 winners, and it's free to enter. Plus, you might find some great new reads in the process. What's not to love? You can enter here. See you along the way!

Big news!

To those of you who have stood beside me and believed in me and cheered me on in my writing journey, today I have some exciting news. I am thrilled to announce that I've signed a contract with Evernight Teen to publish my book, Emerald Bound!

The book will be released as an ebook and print on demand this fall. I am so excited to be joining the Evernight Teen family. They have been very easy to work with and respond quickly whenever I have questions. Evernight Teen will be the perfect home for my book.

I'd like to share a little bit about my journey and how I got to this point, because I always enjoy reading this information from other authors.

Emerald Bound is the second book I queried. My first was an upmarket women's fiction. It had a lot of heart and I loved writing it, but it was my first attempt and the writing just wasn't strong enough.

But I didn't know that. I thought my book was the best thing ever and believed everyone else would agree. (Ha!)

After a few months of querying and entering contests with no interest at all, I found and joined a local writing critique group--The Fairfield Scribes. Though joining was a major step out of my comfort zone, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The Scribes did not shy away from telling me exactly why my first book was not good enough. The Scribes also got me hooked on Diet Coke. (Hey, I needed something to keep me going during our weekly meetings, which often went late into the night).

I soaked up their advice, learned from it, and got to work on Emerald Bound, which is a YA fairytale retelling of The Princess and the Pea.

I began querying Emerald Bound in March of 2014, almost a year and a half ago. Right at the beginning, I entered Brenda Drake's Pitch Madness contest and was accepted onto Summer and Dee's Team Fizzee. I received several requests for partials and fulls from the contest, and so much wonderful feedback, but ultimately all of the agents passed. The feedback I received, however, was positive, and encouraging enough to keep me querying.

And querying.

And waiting.

And querying some more.   

Writers, you know how it is.

I received several requests for full and partial manuscripts. Summer happened and I spent a lot of time playing with my kids and trying not to focus on the manuscripts I had out to agents. Once the kids went back to school in the fall, I started working on another, unrelated manuscript. Every other weekend or so, I'd send out a couple of queries for Emerald Bound.

I heard about Evernight Teen in an interview I read by one of their authors and I decided I wanted to query them. They have a 'No Simultaneous Submissions' policy so I had to wait long enough to hear back on all the manuscripts and queries I had out before submitting to them. I queried them on May 22, 2015. Twenty-six days later, I had a letter in my inbox stating that they would be happy to publish my story!

For those who are interested, here are my query stats on Emerald Bound:

Number of queries: 73
Partial requests: 9
Full requests: 6
No response: 24

So the moral of this story, I guess, is to learn how to take feedback.

And to drink more Diet Coke.

Thank you to everyone who believed in me and kept me going. Thanks to my husband, who takes care of our kids for hours and hours every single Thursday night so I can go to Scribes. And thanks to the Scribes, who all hold very big pieces of my heart. I can't wait to see where our journeys take us.

The Dream Squasher

I'm a pessimist by nature. I think a lot of people are. I prefer to call it being practical, but let's face it, the end result is the same. I am a dream squasher.

Most of the dreams I squash are my own. I've been doing it to myself my whole life without even realizing it. It was all in the name of practicality. No, I won't major in music even though I'm really good at it and I enjoy doing it. There's no career there unless you're freakishly good. And of course I can't pursue writing either because, well, what are the odds of ever getting anything published? 

So I majored in Speech Pathology. And I loved it, I really did. I loved it because it was interesting. And also because it was practical. And safe. I knew that if I got a degree in Speech Pathology, I'd be able to get a good, well-paying job pretty much anywhere I'd want. And when I was in college, getting a well-paying job was all I considered. Because my inner pessimist had been busy squashing my dreams, all in the name of practicality.

Luckily, the one dream I didn't squash for myself was that of becoming a mother. I now have five kids, and watching my children dream has taught me one very important lesson: Dreams are good. Dreams are essential, even.

And dreams are worth fighting for. 

Watching my kids dream big is hard for me. My first impulse is to always be the voice of reason, the person saying  

No, I really don't think you can build a ten-story clubhouse-slash-ninja training center with an underground tunnel to our neighbors house in our backyard.

Or  

No, I really don't think you're going to make a gajillion dollars selling magic potions you brewed in our kitchen.

And, okay, maybe those things needed to be said.

But now that my kids are getting older, they have different dreams. Dreams that they actually have a shot at reaching, even if the odds are stacked against them. My natural impulse when they share these dreams is to be the voice of reason. The person saying That's a beautiful dream, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't come true. My only aim in saying something like that is to soften the blow if whatever they're dreaming of doesn't happen.

But to them, it must sound as if I don't believe in them. When you look at it in that light, trying to soften the blow for my kids by telling them they might not succeed is unforgivable. How dare I come along, with my dream squashing tendencies, and tell them to not even try?

I can't do that. It's my job, as a mother, to give life to my kids' dreams. To be the one telling them they can do it.

And maybe, since I'm learning how to do that for them, I can learn how to do it for myself as well. So here's to dreams. And to going after them no matter how far out of reach they might seem. Thank you to my kids for teaching me that it's never too late to dream.