Do Shape-Shifters Trick or Treat?

Yes they do. And you can read all about it in my story on Good Choice Reading today.

If you've read Otherkin, you'll recognize the characters. In my own little timeline of events, this story takes place just before Dez arrives at Morfael's school.

There's also a giveaway you can enter to win my book! And a bigger contest to win a free Kindle and $25 gift card. Go here to see all the fabulous authors posting for Halloween and to enter the big contest.

Now that's a treat!

Death is a Cat

This is a story about death, and cats, and how things go.

Miss Kitty died last week. She was the feral cat whose kittens I rescued, then had spayed, then fed and greeted daily for over 13 years. The story of her death is sad and a little gross and ends up okay at the end. Well, as okay as these sorts of stories go. So don't say you haven't been warned.


I didn't name her Miss Kitty. About five neighbors ago, the very nice man next door  helped me buy a humane cat trap and we trapped and neutered a bunch of stray cats in the area. He's the one who called the skinny black girl cat with a little white on her chest, "Miss Kitty." The name stuck.

Halloween Booktacular!

I've been so busy proofing pages of Othermoon, writing guest blog posts, and, well, working for a living, that I haven't blogged much lately.  But you should know one of the things I did was write up a scene using characters from my books for Halloween!

Yes, the otherkin go trick or treating.

This is all thanks to the Halloween Character Booktacular, created by A Book Lovers Review and Good Choice Reading, with featured blogs:  Books With Bite, The Book Reaper, and Once Upon a Twilight.

You can win any number of fabulous books in the giveaways, or even a Kindle and a $25 gift card! Swag-a-riffic!

Today, for example, writer Cylin Bus has a scene up involving her characters in a Halloween setting on The Book Reaper here. Every day a cool spooky scene shows up on one of these blogs, featuring your favorite paranormal book characters doing something Halloweeny. Tomorrow,  my fellow Apocalypsie, Gretchen McNeil has a cool scene going up on Books With Bite.

My own post will go up Oct. 23 on A Book Lover's Review. I'll alert you again on that day. Until then, enjoy all the other fabulous Halloween fun.

Also, don't forget that October is the month of All Hallow's Read, a movement started by Neil Gaiman in which you give a friend (or a stranger) a scary book to read for Halloween. Neil explains it all, below:



I'll be giving a recommendation for a book to give for All Hallows Read when it comes out officially - next Tuesday!

In Which I Answer Questions and Sign Books at the Big Orange Book Fest

What a crazy week this has been! First up, a post in which I discuss being on a panel at the Big Orange Book Fest.

How lucky am I? To get invited to be on a panel, and to go to a place where there are many books. And there was even more to discover, I found.

1. On Saturday I was a member of a panel of Debut Authors/California Voices at the Big Orange Book Fest in lovely Orange, California. I hadn't been to Orange before. It's incredibly charming, with a cute main drag featuring shops and restaurants with outdoor seating, and of course the Orange County Fruit Exchange.

Enter my Giveaway on Goodreads!

Attention, users of the fabulous Goodreads site! I'm hosting a giveaway of three copies of my book, available in all countries the US Post Office cal reach!

Free books! Everyone loves free books. You have till next Thursday, Sept. 20, to enter.
 
Clicken-zee on the button below to enter! Or if that link doesn't work, go here.

Thanks, and good luck!

 
 

    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

       
   

   

     

          Otherkin
     

     

          by Nina Berry
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends September 20, 2012.
         

         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         

     

   

   

      Enter to win

School's In with the Otherkin!

Dear Readers of Otherkin,

Want to know what November's first day at Morfael's school was like? Well, I wrote about it for Literary Escapism's School's In feature, and the post is up today.

And when I say "I" wrote it, it's actually a letter from November (the school's resident, smart ass rat-shifter) which Morfael forced her to write as a homework assignment. She wasn't thrilled about it, but by now I think she's glad she wrote it.

You can also enter a giveaway to get a free copy of the book!

Be sure to check out Literary Escapism's many wonderful School's In posts throughout the schooly month of September. Which is the name of November's ninth's brother, by the way. No, her sixth brother isn't named June. Her mother's not THAT crazy.

Love,
Nina

In Which I am Interviewed About E-Book Success

As Otherkin heads into its third week in the top ten of the Children's List at the Sony Reader Store (can you believe it? AAAAHHH!), it's the perfect time to post this interview with me by Karleen Tauszik at KidsEBookBestsellers.com.

I'm no expert in e-publishing, but like everyone I have thoughts on it - and I'm continuing to learn more! So thanks to Karleen for asking me to babble about the subject on her blog.

Also big thanks to all the folks at the Reader Store for putting me on the list! You guys rock!

Two Lost Cats. Two Happy Endings

For once, I'm so glad I had to go to the laundromat. My apartment building's plumbing has been on the fritz for months, so they had to remove the washer/dryer ages ago. So I've been going to the laundromat every two weeks for months now.

And I hate it.

This is the couch in the laundromat. I don't hate going because of the couch. I'd hate going even if it was luxurious inside, but the photo conveys my feelings.

But today I'm glad I had to go do my laundry, because I witnessed the happy end of what I thought was a sad tail, er tale.

Giveaway on Facebook and Twitter!

It's past time I did a quick giveaway, and a recent influx of followers on Twitter and "likes" on my Facebook page is a great excuse! It's my way of saying thanks!

This is an international contest. If the US Mail can reach you, you can enter.

What will you win?

1 personally autographed copy of my book, Otherkin (if you already have it - good for you and thanks! If you win it in this contest, you can give it to a friend or to a library, plus this one will be signed personally to you or whatever name you tell me to put in it.)

Five Otherkin bookmarks

One cover proof of the Otherkin cover. Something usually only publishing insiders get! (No, it's not very useful, but I have, like, dozens of them and now so should you!)

One set of tiger ears. (Not actual ears of course. Fun ears. Wear them at Halloween or give to your favorite child.)

Three temporary tiger tattoos. (More fun. Put them on with water, they last for days, or just remove them with rubbing alcohol or baby oil. Hand out a couple to your fellow tigers.)

 (Yes, that's my green couch.)

Here's the deal

To enter the Facebook contest:

1. "Like" my page on Facebook (if you haven't already) and comment on the giveaway post there, telling me what kind of shifter you'd be if you could, and why.

So write along the lines of "If I could shift into any animal, I'd be a tiger because they fear nothing and no one."

The contest starts August 28 at 11am PST and ends in two days, August 30 at 11am PST.

2. The winner will be chosen randomly from among everyone who made a comment during that time using a random number generator.

3. I'll message the winner, get your info, and send you the goodies.

To enter the Twitter contest:

1. Tweet  something like: "In @Ninaberry's Otherkin, I'd shift into a (some kind of animal) because..."  Include the hastag #otherkinbook.

So if I entered, I'd tweet: "In @Ninaberry's Otherkin I'd shift into a tiger because they fear nothing and no one. #otherkinbook" That's way less than 140 characters so hopefully no one will have a problem.

2. You've got between the hours of 11am Pacific time August 28 and 11am Pacific time August 30. So just two days.

You don't need to do it more than once, and doing it more won't increase your chances to win.  You don't have to follow me on Twitter to win. You just have to tweet something like what you see in #1, above.


3. After 11am on August 30, I'll go through the list of the Twitter handles of all those who tweeted something along those lines and use a random number generator to pick one, you guessed it, randomly. I'll tweet and DM the winner and get your info so I can mail you the swag.


4. Be sure your tweet has my twitter handle @Ninaberry in it and/or the hashtag #otherkinbook, or I won't be able to find your tweet and enter you in the giveaway!


Yes, you can enter both contests to double your chances. But you can't win both. I'll pick the Facebook winner first, and if that's you, I'll disqualify you from the Twitter contest so that I can spread the swag as far and wide as possible.


Yay for swag!

Good luck!

Stomp vs Romp! Vote Stomp!

I wrote a prequel action scene involving a major supporting character from Otherkin (hint, she likes to pick locks...) for my Team Stomp post on Rabid Reads Stomp vs. Romp August extravaganza, appearing on the site today.

Want to get inside the head of one of Otherkin's supporting characters just before the book begins? Want to read a fun action scene? Want to see a cool map/info graphic from the POV of the Tribunal assessing the "Otherkin Threat" made by the amazing Elisa Nader?

Then get thee over to my post at Rabid Reads now, and vote for Team Stomp!

Teen Night at the LA Public Library!

I'll be one of four YA authors on the Teen Reader Panel at the main branch of the Los Angeles Public Library this Thursday, August 23 at 6:30.

It almost feels like I'm really an author....

I mean, look at the cool company I'm keeping! Along with fabulous moderator Cecil Castelluci, check out my fellow panel members:

Each of us will read from our books for a short bit, then Cecil will ask and moderate questions.

If you or your teen are in the area, stop by! Should be tons of fun.

In Which I am Interviewed and Talk of My Time at Playboy

This interview with me is appearing in a number of newspapers and online sites today, thanks to interviewer David Kentner and GateHouse News Service.

It's weird to see my own words about my own crazy life in print. It's like I'm me and someone else at the same time. But I talk about my work at Playboy (those were some interesting years!) and how I'm not the model on the cover of my book and how my writing got better once I stopped using it to run away.

Oooh, here it is in another paper! Woo hoo!

OTHERKIN Kindle edition only $3.99!

I just happened to check out the Kindle edition of my book today and saw that it's been discounted to only $3.99! (Usually it's a bit over $7, I think.)

So Kindle owners, if you haven't checked it out yet, now's the time. I have no idea how long this special price will last.

Visit the World of Otherkin!

Today on All Things Urban Fantasy's Deadly Destinations, Otherkin is featured, along with a fabulous info graphic created by designer extraordinaire Elisa Nader.

The graphic is a bit hidden at the very top of my post (at least it is on my browser), so be sure to click on it to embiggen! It's amazing how seeing a map and info on it makes a world feel so much more real.

For those who have read the book, the map and accompanying letter will give you insight into events that lead up to the beginning of Otherkin, as well as hints of dangerous things to come...

For those who have not read it, the post gives you insight into the world that book readers do not have. If/when you do read it, you'll enter the book armed with a bit more information that other readers.

A Visit from Shortie the Raccoon

Those who have followed this blog for awhile will know that I have a lot of wildlife come visit my back door. One memorable night a mother raccoon brought five of her babies by to snack on the kibble I put out there for Miss Kitty. (Miss Kitty is a story in herself, but suffice to say she's a feral cat I had fixed after I adopted out her kittens and kept one for myself.)

Well, I think one of the babies stuck around, grew up, and is now a mom herself. I named her Shortie because in the dark her tail looked kind of short. Today she came at dusk for a snack, and a showdown commenced with Miss Kitty while Lucy (my cat and Miss Kitty's daughter) looked on from behind the screen door.

Miss Kitty meows as Shortie moves defensively behind the steps. Lucy's ears lurk in the foreground as she watches it all like a movie.

Shortie circles around and comes back from a different angle as Lucy continues to observe. Miss Kitty is off camera to the left.

Shortie stands up to get a better look at me and Lucy. You might not be able to see it, but at this point I saw that she must be nursing, which means she has little ones somewhere. She needs to eat to feed them!

As Shortie noses the kibble, Miss Kitty moves in behind the raccoon and pokes at her tail with a paw.

Shortie backs away. An uneasy moment or two passes as the trio eyes each other.

All is resolved when (no photo of this) I pour a cup of kibble in a line down the back porch area, so that Shortie and Miss Kitty can both eat at the same time, far enough apart for everyone to be happy.

An Owlish Break from Book Matters

Are owls the cutest birds ever?

Interviews, Reviews, and More!

Yesterday was amazing. Because of my book launch, I got so much love on Twitter and Facebook I almost felt beat up by it. But in a good way. (Does that make any sense? Do feelings have to make any sense?). A few dear friends took me out for flaming margaritas at El Compadre to celebrate.

I'm so lucky!

When I checked Amazon a little while ago, Otherkin was #73 in Love and Romance! Woo hoo! Thank you all!

In case you're not sick of me yet, below are some links to interviews, reviews, and an article I wrote, all sent to me by the kind folks who put them on their sites.

RT Book Reviews has a review, an excerpt from Otherkin, and a short piece I wrote about otherkin in the "real" world.

I did an interview with La'Tia at The BoOki3 blog. She asked a lot of great questions!

Over in Australia, Ellen at Reading is My Drug also did a terrific interview with me, then wrote a review.

Sana at Arty Musings gave me a very nice review.

Kala at Toonari Post gave me delusions of grandeur with her review.

August is going to be full of more posts by me for some very cool blogs. August 9, I'll be featured in All Things UF's Deadly Destinations event. Be sure to check out the other authors' contributions, a new one each day, to learn more about the worlds they created.

Happy Birthday, Otherkin!

There have been early sightings in bookstores, but today is the day my first book, OTHERKIN, comes out.

July 31, 2012.

I'm a bit dazed, overwhelmed, and giddy.  My book is out! Sing hey!

Thank you, KTeen. Thank you, everyone.

The Crazy and Amazing Otherkin Book Launch and Signing

Yesterday was one of the best days of my life. I had my first book launch and signing at Vroman's Bookstore with fellow authors Brigid Kemmerer and Marni Bates.

It went well. To put it mildly.

(That's Brigid on the left, then Marni, then me - holding our books at the signing!)

It went so well that the day after I was completely drained and overwhelmed with all the love and support I felt yesterday. And I was a little scared. More on that later.

About 50 people showed up, and the store sold out of my book, as well as selling a lot of Marni and Brigid's books. A good number of people there were my amazing friends (this is my home town and Brigid and Marni both live elsewhere and kindly came to the signing while they were at the RWA convention in nearby Anaheim), so that's why more of my book sold. But Brigid and Marni had fans there too.

Book Signing Next Saturday!

The cupcakes have been ordered! Sparkling wine and sparkling cider has been purchased!

Cool giveaways of - Books! Gift Cards! A Nikon Coolpix S6100 Digital Camera!

Why wouldn't you come to my book launch/signing with Brigid Kemmerer and Marni Bates next Saturday at 3pm at Vroman's in Pasadena?

Visit the World of Otherkin!

I'm one of the lucky authors who'll be participating in Deadly Destinations 2012 on the All Things Urban Fantasy blog in August. Guides to fantasy worlds and giveaways galore!

I've got something very cool planned to share with you - you'll be able to enter the world of my book and learn all kinds of secrets about it. But that's not till August 9.

And every day in August, All Things Urban Fantasy will bring you a new fantasy location. Can't make it to Paris or Costa Rica this summer? No worries - you can visit other worlds instead!

More details as we get closer to the date.

Watershed Moment: Seeing My Book in a Bookstore

It happened today. I still can't quite believe it. I took my lunch hour to go to Pasadena and check out Vroman's Bookstore, where I'll be doing my book launch and signing with fabulous authors Brigid Kemmerer and Marni Bates.

It's really a gorgeous bookstore. Here's the area where we'll be doing our talking and book signing. You should come - there will be cupcakes!

I wandered into the children's section because that's always my favorite part of the store, turned down one aisle, up another, admiring everything then -- pow!

There's my book. IN A BOOKSTORE.

I mean, I know that's where books go, usually. But this is different. This is my book.

This is freaky!

I tweeted and texted, stared, managed to be coherent when talking to the very nice staff there, then drove back to work in a daze.

I'm still kind of dazey.

So if you really really need a copy of my book before it comes out officially on July 31, just head on over to Vroman's in Pasadena! Hee hee!

Read the First Chapter of Otherkin!

My book may not come out till July 31, but you can read the first chapter for free!

Thanks, KTeen, for posting it. Hopefully folks will want to read the rest!

Rare, Spectacular Footage of a Tiger Hunting a Boar

A young tigress shows she is queen of her realm. This sort of footage is very hard to find.

Note how she carefully circles her tail around the tall grass as she stalks, so that it makes as little noise as her feet. Amazing.

Kirkus Review of Otherkin!

Kirkus Reviews is a notoriously tough reviewer, and I just got their full review of Otherkin and...

It's awesome!

I can't post the full review yet. Kirkus does that first, later in the month, then I can link to it.  But I can post the "pull quote," which shows you that not only did they like the book, they really "got" it.

“Berry’s debut offers just the right combination of  high-stakes exploits and steamy love scenes to keep readers up until the wee hours…ripe with issues that will resonate with readers. From body image to friendship, first love and betrayal, the novel explores the truth that no matter who or what you are, there’s no escaping the politics of high school.” – KIRKUS REVIEWS

 Woo hoo!!

Happy Fourth of July, everyone! I'm celebrating independence and a great review!

Another Giveaway - from YA Reads!

Here's another chance for you to win a copy of Otherkin from a great website called YA Reads.

Go ye, and enter!

A Taste of the Tasty Reviews for Otherkin...

The reviews are starting to come in for my book, and so far so great! Below are links and some text of one of the reviews. Yes, I'm tooting my own horn a bit here, but hat the hell. Maybe nice words about my writing will be old hat one day, but right now they make me feel awesome.

I will throw in the caveat that I don't read reviews on Goodreads and will probably not read reviews on Amazon. Bad reviews may appear in publications or on blogs, and I will probably avoid reading them and thus not post about them here. I caught a glimpse of one negative remark about the book on Goodreads (although most comments there seem to be positive so far...) and it really played with my head for awhile. As a writer I need to protect my writing head space. More on that in another post. But for now, onto the good stuff!

First up, OTHERKIN got a four out of four star reviews at RT Book Reviews! This is a paid subscription site, so I can't link you directly to the review.  I'll just quote a couple of salient paragraphs here:

Winners of the ARC Giveaway!

*Drum Roll*

To hell with waiting any longer! Without further ado, the winners of the two advance reader copies of Otherkin are:

Leo Bullock

Karen (Commenter #15, your favorite animal was a turtle. I love turtles too!)

Congratulations to Leo and Karen!



Both of you, please send me your mailing addresses at ninaberrybooks [at] gmail [dot] com and I'll send them to you right away. (My email addresses is printed that way to avoid spam. It works!)

So sorry to all those who didn't get a copy. It was hard for me to type the names of the winners because I knew that meant excluding most of you! The winners were chosen by a random number generator using the order in which you commented to establish your number. If a person left more than one comment, I used only their first comment as their number.

I will be doing another giveaway in about a week. If you want to enter again, follow me on Twitter, "like" me on Facebook (see the right hand side of my blog to do that), or check back here in a week or so to enter.

That giveaway will feature another question in the party game, but first l have to tell you that the words you used to describe your favorite animal actually describe...

...your ideal life partner.

No really! Well, okay. It's just a party game, but still!



I love the variety of the words chosen. I totally get how those words could apply to a very cool life partner.

My own three words were: cuddly, playful, and sleek. Used to describe a cat. I can still remember how I felt when someone at the party revealed what those words indicated. It took me aback, but when I thought about it - yeah. A partner with those qualities would be pretty great! I can think of a couple of guys I dated who qualified. Ahem!

And I'm not the only one who chose the word "sleek!" We should start a "Sleek Appreciation Club."



It's amazing what a variety of animals this small sample of people chose: unicorns, dragons, ducks, cats, dogs, pandas, crows, lions, tigers (yay!), ravens, elephants, panthers. I'm a huge lover of all animals (well, except maybe ticks and fleas) so it was a ton of fun to see how YOU saw these animals.



If you've already found your significant other for life, I can't help wondering if the words you chose seem like an accurate description of that person to you. If you feel like letting me know, please do in the comments! And of course, it's just a party game, so you should take it with a wee grain of salt.



Thanks for coming by and taking the time to enter this contest. You guys rock!

Book Launch and Signing in Los Angeles!

Details to come. But this says it all:

The Art of Revision

When I get notes from my editor on a manuscript, a concatenation of emotions tumbles through me. Because I just got the manuscript for Othermoon back with revision notes today, I'm still dealing with all the feelings it brings up. It's a great trip to go on, don't get me wrong. But it's quite a roller coaster.

1. I see an email from my editor in my Inbox. A jolt rocks through me. It contains a jumble of feelings:  excitement, fear, knowledge and pressure that work and a deadline lie ahead.

2. I hesitate. What if she hated it? What if she has notes I disagree with? Even more emotionally charged - what if she loved it? Oh no. That's too much to hope for.

Giveaway: An ARC of Otherkin

UPDATE: June 19, 2012, 9:37pm PST.

And now, because you're all so awesome, double your chance to win!

I've so been enjoying all your animal choices and descriptive words! Can't wait to tell you what they mean, according to this party game.  I'll post that information along with the names of the winners  the morning of June 21. Morning my time, here in Hollywood, Califonia, that is.

But I've also decided to give away not one but TWO ARCs of Otherkin!

Yes that's 2, deux, due, dos, iki (that's Turkish. I can count to 29 in Turkish. Long story.) つ (that's Japanese, according to Google translator) copies of the book will be mailed off to two of you lovely folks, selected at random.

If you haven't entered yet, what are you waiting for? Read the original post, below, to see what you need to do.

The deadline to enter is Midnight (Hollywood, California time), June 20, 2012. Winner announced the next morning. This is open to everyone in all countries anywhere mail can be delivered. I love to travel. If I'm lucky maybe some day I'll come visit you and the ARC and we can chat. Maybe have a nice cup of tea, or whatever they like to drink in your country.

And if you don't win, don't worry. I'll be doing another giveaway at the end of June, with another party game question to celebrate my and my Dad's birthdays.

Thanks, everyone!

ORIGINAL POST
In celebration of my Mom coming to visit this weekend, and to thank you, the readers of this blog, I'm giving away a personally autographed advanced reader copy (ARC) of my book! Woo hoo!

Unlike the giveaway on Goodreads, this is open to international folks. The winner will be chosen randomly.

All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me:

1. Your favorite animal;
2. Three adjectives describing that animal.

Why? Because it's fun, and because Otherkin is about people who shapeshift into animals. I'll choose the winner from among the commenters using this random number generator.

This is actually part of a party game, and it supposedly says something interesting about you. Hee hee. I'll reveal what that is (and if you know, don't tell!) when I announce the winner, next Thursday, June 21.

For the record, when I was asked this question at a party (before I knew what it supposedly meant about me) I said that my favorite animal is a cat. (It's actually a tiger, but I went more general rather than specific for some reason. You should feel free to be as general or specific as you like.)

And the three adjectives I chose were: cuddly, playful, and sleek.

There is no right or wrong answer! If you don't really have a favorite animal, just try to think what cool animal skill (flying, stalking, camouflage) you'd like to have and brainstorm from there.

The contest is officially open now and will close at 12am Pacific Time on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. I'll announce the winner the next day, get your info, sign a book, throw in a cool bookmark, and mail it off to wherever you are.

Can't wait to see what you guys post!

Otherkin - A Great Review!

I promise not to post here every time my book gets a good review. That would get tiresome fast. But this is my first novel, and this is the first "official" review I've seen of it.

It's at a blog called Paranormal Reads. Check it out here.

My head is spinning. Logically I know it's just one review on one blog. I know that there will be people who don't like the book for one reason or another. I'm braced for hate mail, honestly, even though my book isn't the controversial type that usually draws anger. But you never know. The world is big and wide and holds all kinds of opinions, and if you put your work out there, you have to be prepared for the consequences.

But a person I don't know read has my novel - and they liked it. And they wrote down in an official blog about books that they liked it. A lot. And they're looking forward to the next one.

That's just... freaky.

And fantastic.

Getting your first book published is this weird, slow entry into a whole new world. Or maybe it's the world that's entering you. And everything else.

As a writer, you spend so much time alone in front of your computer, living in the world you made, that it starts to seem real. Then you go to brunch with friends or talk to your Mom and you realize, duh,  nobody else is living in that world. It's not real, you silly writer, you!

Then, after a long long LONG time, if you're lucky and you work hard and persist, the book gets bought and you move toward it being published. Someone gives you money for your writing, and they give you notes to make it better, and you realize the world you thought was yours alone now belongs to a few other people besides.

Your private world, which was once just a thought in your head, has become a shared dream.

Then it gets listed on Amazon as copy writers step in and polish it up, and cover artists give you a gorgeous visual glimpse, and the advance copies go out to reviewers.  Dozens of people have knowledge of the world you made.

The shared dream has become instead a hologram, popping into our world like Princess Leigh emanating from R2-D2's projector. It's isolated, far from life-sized, and you can put your hand through it, but it resembles the real thing if you squint.

Then a reviewer comments, and people post about it on Goodreads, and the world you created isn't just an isolated Princess Leia-like hologram. It's as if the book world has begun infiltrating the fabric of the real world, warping things till they resembles the made-up world just a little.

See? I told you. It's freaky.

I can't wait to see what happens when the book is actually released!

Title and Cover Reveal for Otherkin's Sequel!

I'm so thrilled to share with you the cover for the sequel to OTHERKIN, which will also tell you its title:

Don't you LOVE it?

There's so much I think is amazing here - the moon looming behind her, that the model is moving and in action, that her hair (and her butt!) look great, that the tiger lurks almost like something out her subconscious in the background...

That not only is green my favorite color but it echoes the green in the eyes on the cover of OTHERKIN.

The branches are particularly apropos, and hint at part of her character development in this book, which is called OTHERMOON for a very good reason I can't share with you. That would be a spoiler, and we can't be having that. Most of you haven't even read the first book yet, for crying out loud.

The tagline is also an indication of plot and character development to come.... Too bad you have to wait until February of 2013 to figure out what the heck I'm talking about.

...pausing now to reflect on the fact that my name is in green on the cover of another book.

Holy dreams come true!

Guess this means the first one wasn't a fluke.

Title and Cover for Book 2 Coming Soon!

OTHERKIN is the first in a series of books. It's out July 31, and book 2 will be out in February of 2013.

Which means, given how things work in publishing, that I've written book 2 and will shortly be getting my editors notes on it to do a quick rewrite.

Meanwhile, the fabulous folks at KTeen have been working on other things, like publicity for OTHERKIN (more on that soon!), and cover art for book 2.

I got the art, and I love it. Like, unreservedly, fabulously, LOVE. IT.

I first saw it on my phone in an airport, and my heart leapt. I thought, "It can't be THAT cool, can it?" So when I got home and looked at it properly, I was prepared to find things wrong with it.

Except I just kept finding more things I loved!

So I'll be sharing the cover art and the title for book 2 in the Otherkin series early next week. Seriously, folks, it rocks!

Podcast with Jen Klein and On The Page!

I was very fortunate to be invited to be part of "Pat's Angels" in a podcast with screenwriting instructor/guru Pilar Alessandra in their latest podcast for On The Page. You can find it on iTunes here or here.

The lovely, brainy, writer extraordinaire Jen Klein was my co-guest, making it even more fun and informative. That's her on the right hand side, and in between us (in a redhead sandwich he's long dreamed of) is the fabulous Pat Francis. You can find his wonderful podcasts about music called Rock Solid here.

We discussed book writing versus script writing and the YA market because we're both involved in both things.

Pat and Pilar made it so easy and fun. You really should check out their other podcasts.

My voice sounds so... sleepy and nasally and drawled out and yet pushy and somehow weird. And I was wide awake and not clogged up and trying to be nice. Makes me appreciate folks who do this for a living and sound perky and fabulous, like Jen and Pilar and Pat. They are all truly awesome.

I also talked a bit too much. Shut up, Nina! Let Jen talk! Or maybe that's how I am in real life too. If so, I apologize in advance to everyone, ever.

Who knew doing a podcast would be the case for so much self reflection for me? I'll shut up now and let you go listen to it.

Here I am with the lovely Pilar and Jen:

Goodreads Giveaway - Win a Copy of Otherkin!

My fabulous publisher, KTeen, is having a giveaway on Goodreads for my book! Woo hoo!

Readers in US and Canada can win 1 of 10 copies by entering here.

Go ye and enter!

Why We Must Save Big Cats in the Wild

This man, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, is the CEO of Panthera, and a hero.

In this 45 minute lecture he will make you understand not only why we must save big cats in the wild, but how. He will change your understanding of how conservation works.


‘The Future of Big Cats’ Lecture by Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, at the Fortune Brainstorm Green Conference from Panthera Cats on Vimeo.


If you're particularly interested in his Tigers Forever program, that starts around minute 29, but the whole lecture is well worth watching.

He talks about how it's not just our encroachment on nature that is destroying it - it's our lack of respect. But if we are to save ourselves as a species, we must respect others. Dr. Rabinwitz has some great ideas on how to start.

Is it Okay to Write About That Person Who is Gone?

I'm thinking a lot about my dear friend Natalie today. She died in what was essentially a suicide back in February of 2005, and that loss still brings up a lot of emotions for me, as I can only imagine it does for her mother and sister and boyfriend. She was my best girl friend, a person I admired and loved. I still do. But suicide is awful for those left behind. I can't begin to imagine the pain she must have felt to do such a thing.

The photo above is of her with her beloved dog, Frances, a Chow Chow Natalie raised from a puppy who was the dearest, most fabulous dog you could ever hope to meet. Raising Frances brought out the best in Natalie, and there was a lot about her that was wonderful.

She was fascinating, brilliant, creative, hilarious. One of the few people I've met in my life whom I immediately thought: "I must be that person's friend." I was lucky enough that she felt the same way about me.

So now I'm thinking about using things I experienced while with Natalie in my writing. I'm still playing with the idea, but it also worries me. Natalie isn't "mine" to write about. She was her own person, with a family, and I can't help worrying I'll hurt them if I write something they recognize as being part of her.

But I learned a lot from Natalie. We had some hilarious, frustrating, nurturing, angry, loving adventures. I think she'd approve of me using some of those times together in my writing. As a creative person herself, she would understand. And she was, without fail, the most supportive person in the world when it came to my writing.

I'm still thinking about it. I wonder how other writers feel about doing this sort of thing. We often use our own emotions and experiences as jumping off places for our writing. But how much of that is good and is art, and how much is exploitation?

Sorry. A weighty blog post today. But it's also fun to share Natalie with the world. I don't want her forgotten. She was one of a kind.

The ARCs of Otherkin are Here!

I got a box of advance reader copies (ARCs) of my book today!  I picked them up at FedEx and opened the box right in my car using a key because I just. couldn't. wait. And - behold! The most beautiful sight I've ever seen! (You can tell I took this photo in my car. That's the inside of the passenger door of my beloved Accord.)

Advance reader copies are used for promotion before a book comes out. So despite my zombie-like urge to wander the streets blindly handing these out to everyone I meet, I have to use them for giveaways and reviews to supplement the publicity my publisher does.

They are uncorrected, unofficial, without the texture or cover copy of the final book - and they are  GORGEOUS.

I may take one to bed with me. Like a teddy bear. I can still give that one away right?

Keep an eye on this space for giveaways and contests!  Huzzah!

Book 2 - Turned In!

I've been missing in action for the last couple of months due to the looming deadline - I had to turn Book 2 (the sequel to Otherkin) in to my editor by April 1.

Then in mid-March I got the flu. I got it bad. After about a week of fever and exhaustion, I made myself go in to work because I just couldn't believe I wasn't better yet.  But your body doesn't care if you think you're better, does it? I must have looked kind of gray, because most folks at work took one look at me and said  "Go home."

So I stayed home for another week! Fricking flu. Get your flu shots, cherubim. I don't like getting shots, myself, because my last tetanus/polio booster was so painful. But I hear the flu shots aren't nearly that bad, and it'd be worth it not to be stuck on your couch for two whole weeks.

I got relatively little writing done while I was sick. Writing takes energy, even if it's all in your brain. I did manage to finish up a short story I contributed to Two and Twenty Dark Tales (coming this October 16!), but Book 2 wasn't progressing as fast as it needed to.

Enter my fabulous agent and equally fabulous editor, who conspired to give me two extra weeks to hand the book in.

Those last two weeks I only really left my house to go to work and to buy groceries. The rest was a blur of computer screen, typing fingers, and a grumpy cat who wanted to be played with.


Speaking of the cat, along the way, she got a massive toothache and had to have five teeth removed. Poor kitty. She's so stoic, I had no idea she was in pain from tooth decay until it got really bad. Here's my sweet Lucy a couple of years ago. Note her pyramidal shape (we're still working on that), her fluffy blackness w/brown highlights, and how she has co-opted my pillow. Since our beloved older kitty Max died, we have  bonded all the more, even though she remains a bit of a feral cat at heart. I rescued her from the outdoors when she was about six months old.

Cover Reveal! Two and Twenty Dark Tales

Over at The Story Siren you'll find the gorgeous cover of a fall release I'm proud to be part of - TWO AND TWENTY DARK TALES, an anthology of dark short stories inspired by Mother Goose rhymes.

It was a blast going through my favorite nursery rhymes (I still have the copy of Oxford Nursery Rhymes my parents gave me when I was three!), doing some research, and writing my own crazy twist on it. I'm really looking forward to reading the other stories to see how my fellow writers approached it.

The list of YA authors included is most impressive. I'm so excited to be in their company!  Head on over here to check it out and enter a contest to win swaggish goodies!

Page Proofs for Otherkin!

Got this via Fed Ex from my publisher today:

Page proofs of my book!  I'm so tickled, I think I'll just giggle quietly to myself for awhile. I wrote a book! I still can't quite believe it.

After that I'll need to get down to work and read the whole thing very carefully, checking for typos and factual errors. This is my last chance to catch them.

Meanwhile, am down to the wire finishing Book 2 (whose title shall be revealed later...) at the same time! Woo hoo! Bring it on! These are excellent problems to have.

He Speaks for Animals Who Cannot

Checking in from deep writing and a terrible flu to share with you my current hero - Dr. Alan Rabinowitz, CEO of Panthera. He told his story to Stephen Colbert in a far better way than I ever could:

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

He's been diagnosed with leukemia. I don't know how much longer he has, but he's dedicating what may be his last years to trying to save the tiger. You can read about it here.

This is his book.

This is his organization.

Okay, back to the writing cave. I'll emerge in a few weeks. Meanwhile, be well.

Save the tiger!

Alas, No Hotties Here

I'm sicker today than I was yesterday, so I'm really sorry to have to bow out of the Hotties of Literature Event being organized by the fabulous Brigid Kemmerer. 

It isn't often that I'm too bleary to hunt the internet for cute guys (and girls) to cast in a book I love, but this cold or flu thing is slamming me hard. Disappointed!

So I wanted to apologize for falling down on my YA author duties and not offering up my ideas for who should star in the movie of AWKWARD (Marni Bates's first novel - so funny and sweet) and CLOCKWORK ANGEL (Cassie Clare's awesome first book in the Infernal Devices series). But even typing up this apologetic blog post is exhausting enough to make me want to lie down.

Please excuse typos or incoherence. I hope to be back to my snappy writing self in a day or two.

Be sure to visit Brigid's blog tomorrow. She'll have a whole list of blogs participating, so get ready for the hotness!

Crawling back into bed now. Send chicken soup if you get a chance.

Looming Deadline Looms!

I have a big fat deadline on April 1 for book 2 in my Otherkin series (which I'm very excited about!), and another, smaller, but very important deadline on March 25 for a short story that will be part of an anthology published by Month 9 Books. (More on that super cool project in another post!)

So that's why I haven't been blogging much lately, and why I won't be blogging much for the next couple of weeks.

Also, I managed to catch a bad cold and am doing that weak sickly thing at the moment. Sigh. Bad timing, virus, you jerkface.

I'll be pouring most of my energy into writing to meet those deadlines (plus my cool regular job in TV development, once I get better) so this blog will be a bit of a wasteland for a little while. But I shall return!  And with some very cool stuff to discuss.

Till then, have a fabulous March! Keep working on making your own dreams come true.

Kindle Edition of Otherkin now available!

It's still not really real to me, but the evidence continues to pile up that my book is really coming out.

The latest such evidence is that the Kindle edition is now available for pre order.

YAY!

I'll share reflections on yesterday's YALitChat soon. Mostly it was nutty and fabulous!

YA Lit Chat, here I come!

The fabulous non-profit organization YALitChat does a chat on Twitter every Wednesday, usually at 9pm EST./6pm PST, and this week, on Leap Day, Feburary 29, I'm one of the featured authors!  Woo hoo! And lucky me.

If you're on Twitter, just follow the #yalitchat hashtag at 6pm PST tomorrow to join in the conversation, ask questions, play word games, plus win books and other swag!

I've compiled a juicy little gift bag o' swag for one lucky winner. Details tomorrow. Since my book's not out till July and I don't have any Advanced Reader Copies yet, it'll be cool fun stuff in the theme of my book, Otherkin.

Other 2012 debut authors on the chat will be giving away copies of their books and related goodies as well.

It'll be a Leap Day full of tasty book goodness and flying tweets!

Otherkin - Latest Postings

Things are ramping up slowly, publication and publicity-wise.  I submitted an application to YAbookscentral.com (a wonderful site jam packed with cool YA books and reader reviews) and they just approved and posted it on their site! It's here. Woo hoo!

Also, Publisher's Weekly gave the book and the whole series a brief mention in their Fall 2012 Preview here. (Scroll down to Kensington/KTeen.)

It's weird how huge these things loom in my mind. I'm just one of hundreds or thousands on these sites. But for me this is BIG. It's all crazy and official-like. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this! I kind of hope not...

How Publication Works - The Copy Editing Stage

I have now officially gone through the copy editing stage of publication, and I have this to say - copy editors rock!

For those curious about publication, here's how my copy edit process worked.

1. You're done making the changes your editor asked you to make on your manuscript. Congratulations! You send it to your editor and she sends it off to the copy editor. My book went out as a Word file (NOT .docx, by the way, folks seem to hate that format) set up to mark all changes and add comments.  The file still showed all my editor's comments/changes and my edits thereafter.

2. Super Copy Editor goes over ever single word in the manuscript, using his/her Mind Boggling Grammar Knowledge and Special Punctuation Insight, making changes (which were marked in the Word file), asking questions about inconsistencies, and so on.

In my case, he/she also made something called a "style sheet" which listed the different kinds of marks used on the file and their meaning. The style sheet also contained all the unusual or unique terms I used in the book, alphabetically, along with queries about any inconsistencies, as well as a list of all the characters in the book, along with their distinguishing characteristics.  This list has become incredibly useful as I write Book 2 in the series.

Thank you, Super Copy Editor!

3. The copy editor sends the file back to my editor, who forwards it to me with instructions to make changes so that they are marked, and not to delete any other marks or comments.  Also, please save the file as .doc or as the earlier form of Word, not the most recent Word, which is the evil .docx.

4. I go over the manuscript on my computer, checking every change. As I soon realize that Super Copy Editor (hereafter referred to as SCE) fricking knows his/her business, I give up studying every added or deleted comma and concentrate on the queries.

In my case, because I'm writing fantasy, I made up a lot of terms to fit my world buillding.  For example, Otherkin contains an organization called the Tribunal. At some points I referred to it as a singular entity, at other times as a plural one. SCE asked me to choose.  Singular it is!

At other, awesome points in the file, SCE corrected my spelling of Pepe LePew (note that both the L and the P in his last name are capitalized), and asked me very politely if perhaps I'd like to choose a different word here because I'd used the same word in the previous sentence. Yes, please and thank you!

I also changed a couple of things in my acknowledgements, opined on where I'd like the epigraph to show up, and weighed in on whether or not I'd like a break in the text when a time break happened in the story. (Yes, please.)

Behold the fabulousness of the SCE! They respect your work enough to want to make it as correct, readable, and entertaining as possible, without intruding on your vision as a writer.

5. I also went over the style sheet, corrected one description of one character and answered several queries, highlighting those changes in yellow.  Then I sent the file back to my editor.

All of this was surprisingly fun. I know I'm a bit of a word nerd, but it was fascinating to look at my book from this kind of distance, to make sure the world inside it was as consistent and correct as I could possibly make it.

I have to say - I'm a little nervous about this post because it probably needs to be copy edited. Alas, when it comes to the blog, I'm on my own.

Hey, we all make mistakes...

The SCE gives you a chance to look like you're PERFECT.

Well, at least when it comes to spelling and grammar. The actual writing is all you. And if you're a writer, you know that "stuf" is never perfect. But making it as good as possible is part of the job. So the Super Copy Editor is your friend. Embrace him/her and your book will be all the better for it.

Cover Proofs of Otherkin!

Just got these gorgeous things in from my publisher...

I'm such a newbie that I had no idea what they are. They're folded, actually, with the complete back and front cover text. Inside the back cover is my bio, and inside the back front cover is KTeenbooks.com info.

I asked fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer about them, and yes, it turns out they have a name: cover proofs.

It's weird how much cooler the cover is in the actual paper (Is it paper technically? Not quite cardboard, but thicker than paper - gah! Newbie-ness strikes!) than as just a jpeg. The lower part, where the black "grass" is in the image is shiny, and the grass as it pokes up is shiny. And the images of Dez, tiger, and moon, are all more matte.  So awesome! Every step of this process makes it seem more and more real.

Oh, and the back features a quote from the lovely Brigid Kemmerer as well. She was kind enough to read it and give me a blurb

Otherkin Cover Now on Amazon!

Finally the Amazon bots have found my book's cover and put it up on its order page - here.

You can gaze in admiration or pre-order. Me, I'm just giggling with glee.

Tonight, I am this kitty: Woo hoo!

Take your children abroad...

(click on photo to enlarge)

...if you can afford it. I was seven when my parents took me to Europe for three months. It made me realize there are all kind of ways of being in the world, and they're all fascinating. It gave me a lifelong love of travel, exploring, learning languages, history, and art. I have a vivid memory of a Greek beach covered with chunks of white marble, and me wading forever out into clear, warm, turquoise water. And many other wonderful things.

Here we are in our favorite taverna in Naxos, Greece. We spent three weeks on that island with our friends, Tommy and Evie Davis and their three kids. Tom played basketball in Turkey (he was quite a celebrity there), so we met up with his family in Greece, then went on to stay with them in a wonderful place just outside Istanbul.

According to my Mom, during our stay in Naxos we went this taverna every day, sometimes twice a day, to eat or just to have a cup of coffee.  My Dad would play chess with John Stanley (at the center back of the photo) and Tom Davis, and drink beer, philosophizing and laughing.  We didn't speak Greek, and the owner and his wife (standing on the right) didn't speak English, but somehow we all became a kind of family. When we got on the boat weeks later, the owner's wife was at the dock, weeping as she waved goodbye.

From left to right: Paul "Doc" Berry (my dad), me, Jacqueline Berry (my Mom, with the great legs), little Tommy Davis, Jill Davis (the almost not visible towheaded girl), John Stanley, Beth Davis, Evie Davis, and the taverna owner and his wife. I don't know who the seated older man is on the extreme right, but I love him.

I wish I knew the names of our hosts in this photo. Thanks to Tom Davis for taking it (he's behind the camera) and for sending it to my parents recently. Now that it's digital, it'll last forever.

See Through a Dog's Eyes

In his book The Tiger, John Vaillant discusses the idea of umwelt, which is a German word meaning "environment," but is used by Jakob von Uexküll and Thomas A. Sebeok to mean an organism's view of the world.

So a tiger's umwelt wold be very different from a human's. The tiger would not only see things differently, but smell, hear, feel, taste, and on and on. How does walking on all fours affect one's viewpoint, for example? To enter the tiger's umwelt, one can only use one's imagination - imagine how the snow sounds to a tiger crunching under its paws, how the snow smells, what the breeze tells the tiger's whiskers.

How about the umwelt of a more common animal - a dog?  The video below, from a camera attached to a dog's collar during a visit to a dog park, is a wonderful aid if you're wondering how a dog sees the world.  The smells, sounds, tastes, and feel of it all is still up to your imagination...



Beautiful Day at the Dog Park from Kelsey Wynns on Vimeo.
It's also quite lovely and just fun to watch. Oh to be a dog at the dog park!

Tiger Attack!

Holy flircking schnit. The video below was shot in India as a group of men on elephants attempted to tranquilize a tigress.

You must watch this. It's only 28 seconds, and don't worry, there's no gore:

The Moon! The Moon's to blame...

Found this on Facebook and fell in love. Kudos to the "loonies" who made it.

Also, the moon plays in important part in the world of Otherkin, and this is kind of inspiring as I write book 2...

Kitten BBQ = BAD!!!

Thanks to The Oatmeal, who invited one and all to pirate this .gif so that we may hilariously understand why SOPA and PIPA must be stopped.

Blog-O-Changes

Just a quickie to note that I'm slowly changing my blog, and today I added buttons!

See, those things above that say "Blog," and then "About Me" and so on?  I added those.  I feel as proud as a toddler who's had her first bite of blended peas.

One of those buttons is my tumblr, which is called The Tulgey Wood. That's the old name for this blog, and I just couldn't bear to part with it completely.

Later on I'll be shaking things up more, but I want my pal and designing maven Elisa Nader to weigh in on fonts and photos and the like.

Stay tuned.

Almost a Character From My Book...

 Saw this video of a polar bear cub named Siku ....



And thought - Holy Nub-Ears, that's cute! Then I thought - there's a character named Siku in my upcoming book, Otherkin!

Siku is an Inuit name, and my character isn't a polar bear (exactly), and he's a teenager, not a baby, but...

Well, let's just say this is startlingly appropriate. Almost a spoiler, really. You'll have to read the book to find out exactly how.

Yes, it's true. Everything in the world is about ME and MY BOOK. Mwah ha ha ha!

Widget Alert!

Just added a countdown widget to my site, which you'll see to the right here.It counts down the days till release of my book.

Because, I, at least, am counting the days. And I want everyone else to share in my obsession so that I don't feel so crazy.

Many thanks to my genius critique partner, Elisa Nader, for designing it.

Also, a big shout out to fellow KTeen author Brigid Kemmerer for showing me how easy it is to make these widgets over at Widgetbox.  You can see Brigid's fabulous widget for the first book in her Elemental series, Storm, on her site here.

It's also Brigid's birthday. Happy Birthday, gorgeous, brainy, writer Mom woman!

OTHERKIN - Cover Reveal!

How tiger-iffic is this? The colors! The eyes! The stripey stripes and the font! I love it!

Here's the back cover text and blurbs from my wonderful fellow authors:

 

I thought I knew myself. Then I met Caleb.

Dez is a good girl who does as she’s told and tries not to be noticed.

Then she rescues a boy from a cage, and he tells her secrets about herself.

Now inside her burns a darkness that will transform her.

Everything is about to change -- and neither Caleb, nor the Otherkin, nor those who hunt them are prepared for what Dez will unleash.

"Get caught up in a dangerous world of shadow magic, shifters, and secrets."
- New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Estep

 "Be prepared to lose some sleep. Otherkin is full of non-stop action and suspense, and you're not going to be able to put it down!"
-- Brigid Kemmerer, author the Elemental series

OTHERKIN Cover Reveal - Coming Soon!

I just had to tease you a bit, because I've got the cover for my book in my hot little paws - and it's gorgeous!

Stay tuned for the big reveal, right here - tomorrow!

Hello, New Year!

So in 2012, the idea is to:

1. Finish Book 2.

3. Try something new that scares me.

2. Do things in an unexpected fashion at times.

4. Finish short story for fabulous upcoming secret anthology!

6. Maybe visit friends currently living in Kyiv (Kiev) in Ukraine. (Along with day trip to Chernobyl!)

5. Rewrite pilot script until it's fabulous.

7. If I'm lucky, start and finish Book 3.

9. Bodysurf (This one happens every year, and lucky me.)

8. Read some wonderful books.

10. Publicize Otherkin as best I can with all the tools at my disposal.

11. Yes, I know the numbers are out of order. Please see #2 for the reason.

12. A couple of very personal wishes, which will not be expressed here, but rather will reside deep inside my gray matter.


I'm adverse to resolutions. But goals are good. They help you get to the place you're hoping for. That, and luck, and help from other wonderful people, and lots of hard work.

What are your ideas for 2012?