My Next Tour Stops and Which Greek Goddess are You?

Hey y'all!


I am fast at work writing the first draft of the third EVERNEATH book: EVERNEATH 3: It's EVERNEATH-iest!


In the meantime, I've updated my Appearances Page on the blog. If you live near Chicago, Jackson (Mississippi), San Diego, San Francisco, or Saratoga Springs (Utah), then I'm coming to you!


I especially want to point out tomorrow's Meet and Greet event at the Saratoga Springs Library from 4-6 pm. If you would like a book signed, or just to say "hi", or to discuss Rafa's Abs, or to deconstruct the Hunger Games movie, then stop on by!


Also in the news (of my own head) the awesome Aussie publisher for EVERNEATH has a bunch of fun stuff going on:


Which Greek Goddess are you? Take the quiz and find out!


For links to reviews and digital downloads, go here.


They also ran a video review contest for the book, and here are a couple of the entries. Dang these bloggers are so creative! The second one ended up winning the contest.


So, go forth and partake of the goodies, and then report back to me and tell me which greek goddess you are!

Kid B Packs his Essentials, and Your Chance to Win an EVERNEATH Prize Pack

Hey, yo.


Things are about to get EVER-FREAKY around here, mostly because my book comes out in 4 DAYS!! 


I am EVER-excited, and to prove this, I'm going to put "EVER" in front of every single adjective! 


Okay, just kidding. 


Sorry for the sporadic blog posting this week and last, but I've been on a cruise. Sam didn't want me to mention it until after we were back, because he was nervous that burglars religiously follow my blog, just waiting for the moment I mention that we're going out of town. 


So, for all of you religious burglars out there: BAZINGA! You've just been EVER-BAMBOOZLED. Ha HA!


When we told Kid B that he was going on a cruise, he promptly found a suitcase and packed everything his 6-year-old mind thought he would need. Here's what it looked like:

I case you can't tell from the picture, that there is a suitcase full of:


1 standard issue pencil box, filled with crayons


4 multi-colored Yoshi's


1 very angry bird (whose talents include destroying wood. Perfect for a cruise.)


1 paper punch in the shape of a tiger


1 industrial sized tape dispenser


1 roll of heavy duty packing tape (I assume for if the ship springs a leak)


The bottom is just made up of stacks of paper. Because that's the one thing you can't get everywhere. 


He zipped it all up and headed for the door. Sam had to break it to him that we weren't leaving for another 24 hours. The Yoshi's were not impressed. 


I'll tell you all about my trip later, but first I had to show you what was on my doorstep when we got home:

And I want to celebrate. Would you like to win a personalized copy, complete with autograph, from my own personal stash? Along with some EVERNEATH swag like temporary tattoos, a guitar pick necklace, and signed bookmarks?

That, my friends, is what the people-in-the-know call a PRIZE PACK!


Here's your chance to win it. All you have to do is pre-order my book, and you're entered to win! Now, I know some of you are thinking, "But if I pre-order her book, and then I win... won't the space-time continuum implode?"


Wait, that wasn't what you were thinking? Oh. Then maybe you were thinking you'd end up with two books. 


And I say... what's the problem? Double the fun! Do you have a friend who has a birthday ever? This would be perfect! How about a holiday that shows up once a year? Excellent. 


So, pre-order my book from places like Books A Million or Barnes and Noble or Indiebound or anywhere else, and then leave me a comment telling me you pre-ordered the book, and you're entered! Just make sure you include where you ordered it from, your confirmation number, your credit card number and your social security number, along with your mother's maiden name. 


Again, I jest. There's no real way for me to tell if you're lying. So, we are making a gentlemen's agreement. But just for fun's sake, tell me where you ordered it from. :) And if you already pre-ordered, EVER-thank you! And yes, that counts too. 


Okay! That's it! And again, don't forget that everyone's invited to the launch party at The King's English on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.


*I should've mentioned that this contest will end on Tuesday, January 24th at midnight.*


**I also should've mentioned that it counts if you're going to buy your copy from King's English on the night of the launch. Plus, this option will also give you a warm fuzzy feeling because you supported your local indie bookstore. And we all know warm fuzzies attract a lot of luck in a random drawing. **

15 More Days... Launch Parties, Revision Woes, and the need for Burned Flesh Factoids

So, I have a revision deadline for the latest version of EVERNEATH 2: It's Everneath-ier on Wednesday. 


This means I'm going through the draft right now, and coming across highlighted words. Stuff I didn't want to figure out right then, but needed to come back to later.


Sometimes I'd be in the middle of a really tense scene, or even worse, a romantic scene, and I'd turn the page only to find this:


blah blah blah... leading up to big kiss *smooch* 


Here are examples of my favorite highlighted reminders:


Blah blah blah... add description (Yeah, this one comes up about once a page)


------- word for hand thingee? -------(I don't know, could it be a glove?)


------ word for leather thing that can old a knife? ------ (Okay, obviously the word "sheath" wasn't coming to me)


------ do "concentric" circles go outward or inward?---------


what else can he do with his hand, besides run through hair?  (I ask myself this question every day. *she said as she ran her fingers through her hair)


-----need transition here: Aaaaaaannnnnnnndddddd... scene!-------------


--- note: what does burned hair smell like?-----


--- note: if you tear off sleeve, will burned flesh come with it? -------


And my personal favorite:


--- say it again, but better---


EVERNEATH comes out in 15 days. The launch party will be at The King's English bookshop in the 15th and 15th area of Salt Lake City. 


When: Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
Where: King's English 
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Treats?: Of course


Everyone is invited, so mark it down on your calendars so I don't look like an idiot up there at the microphone, speaking to an audience of Sam and my mom. 


I practiced my speech on Sam the other night. He had one thing to say:


"I'm not sure it's appropriate to talk about your hatred for faulty epidurals in your book launch speech. In fact, we could probably leave Kid C's birth story out."


Looks like it's back to the drawing board.


So, who's coming to the launch party? And who can answer the question about the burned skin? 

I'm trying to get to my To-Do list, but where am I supposed to find the sand for the Sandcastles?

Hey y'all. There is so much to talk about today! 


First off, I was interviewed by Captain Jack Sparrow over on C.J. Redwine's blog. She is truly hilarious, and you can check it out here.


Next up, the Pitch Dark Facebook Page has the first 72 pages of EVERNEATH up. So if you can't wait until January 24th to start the book, head on over! 


So, I don't know if you noticed, but EVERNEATH comes out in 19 days. 19 DAYS!! 


The other day, I came home to find this on my doorstep:

My niece, M+M, made me a paper chain countdown for the launch date. Isn't that so great? Especially for me, because I have a very hard time counting backward from such large numbers like 19.


Each chain has a quote on it from the book:

So I thought it would be fun to share these quotes as I rip off the chains each day. If you want to follow along, look for me on Facebook or Twitter.


And finally, if you have an interview/swag/giveaway request in to me on my emails, I'm trying to get to them all. Really trying. But yesterday I did four interviews, and then I got eight more requests, so I'm convinced that completing interviews only leads to more, exponentially, and it's very hard. Please be patient, and if I haven't answered you and I was supposed to answer you, send me a reminder. 


Because look at my to-do list:

I'm not sure why I have to do these things, but they are on a list, and that means I'm going to do them! Excuse me while I step outside momentarily to Trust the Universe. 


You may also do this to-do list, if you're bored. I'm particularly eager to FIND OUT HOW THINGS WORK.


With that in mind, I'm off to dismantle my computer. Wish me luck!

Why I'm Hugging my Mail Today... Because it took Years to get Here

Guess what I got in the mail today? 

This little beauty:

An actual hardcover from the first printing of EVERNEATH.

And just like any newborn, it has a spine. 

I actually got two copies. Sam said we should keep one of them exactly like it is, and not besmirch it with my signature. Thanks, Sam. I would hate to ruin it by writing my name in it. 

Here's the truth:

When I opened the package from HarperCollins, I just sat there in my study for about half an hour, staring at the book. I thought about the journey to get to this point, the culmination of factors both in and out of my control, the multitude of people who contributed to this little clump of bound pages. 

There's not enough room on the spine to list them all, but there should be! And those names deserve to be there, mostly because I just spelled "should" as "shood" and my book would've been full of "shood"s without a giant team backing me up. 

I tried to get all eloquent about the monumental effort that this book symbolizes, but then I realized the book is the perfect size and shape to make it very huggable, and so I shall forget the big words and sentiments, and I'll just hug it for a little while.

While I'm at it, let me just say a big thank you to all y'all who have been reading this blog, and taking this journey with me. I love everybody today. 

Three Books I am Excited for... and EVERNEATH gets a Starred Review

First off, the winner of the EVERNEATH mini-giveaway from the YA Scavenger Hunt is...

Tayte Hunter

Please email me your mailing address (brodiashton at gmail dot com) and I'll get that ARC in the mail.

Next...

Now that I've had a chance to breathe, I wanted to talk about some books I've read lately. Unfortunately, they haven't been released, but consider this your official "heads up" to keep an eye out for them!

INCARNATE

INCARNATE is so different than most of the stuff out there! It's sort of Dystopian, sort of Fantasy, definitely romantic, and full of adventure. I thought it was a fabulous debut, and I can't wait to read the next one.

It comes out January 31st, and Jodi is touring with me, so that makes it doubly exciting!

Next up was UNDER THE NEVER SKY

Not only is Veronica Rossi a great person and a great friend, she is also an incredible storyteller. Under the Never Sky is a dystopian, where the worlds of the sheltered "pod-dwellers" and the "savage" outsiders collide, under threats from the ground and the sky. It's pretty incredible. 

And finally, I'm in the middle of reading THE SAVAGE GRACE, the final installment in Bree Despain's THE DARK DIVINE trilogy. 

So far, there has been an explosion, an ambush at demon rave, and lots of smoochies. Three things that will get me to read any book. :) I can't wait to get back to reading it! It comes out in March.

So, what have y'all been reading? What book have you fallen in love with? Which books are you most excited for?

And, in "EXCITING NEWS I'D LIKE TO SHARE" news:

EVERNEATH received a starred review from VOYA (Voice of Youth Advocates)

“The author brings a fresh, innovative concept to young adult fiction with well-developed characters and a fantastic plot line .... Libraries are advised to buy multiple copies-this one will fly off the shelves.”

— Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (Starred Review)

Publishers Weekly had this to say:

“Ashton’s debut, is complex and intriguing. Drawing inspiration from such myths as Osiris, Orpheus, and Persephone, it explores the nature of loss and longing and what it means to be alive.”

— Publishers Weekly

Thanks for sharing in the excitement with me! And don't forget to tell me about what you've been reading.

Look out Texas! EVERNEATH Tour Stops, and... STUFF

Hey y'all!


If you are looking for the YA Scavenger Hunt post, click here. If you aren't, why aren't you? Simply start at my blog, and make the rounds, and you would be signed up for like 37 separate contests plus the grand prize which is being contributed by 37 different Young Adult Authors! Plus, you get to read all the super-secret bonus content, including a lost scene between Nikki and Jack that some readers have deemed "steamy". 


Hint: that scene is on bestselling author Colleen Houck's website. 


Okay, that is my plug for the scavenger hunt. 


On to exciting TOUR STOP ANNOUNCEMENT!


I will be headed to the Lone Star state (Texas) which is good because I've been in a Lone Star state of mind, ever since my only other star burned out with the last revision. 


On a side note, I am also in a Lone Brain Cell state of mind, but that state is more a permanent one. 


Side note to the side note: I had to spell "permanent" ten different times before I got it right. And that squishy sound you hear is my final brain cell deflating. 


Um... where were we? 


Oh yeah. TOUR STOP ANNOUNCEMENT!


Look out Dallas, Austin and Houston, because I'm comin' to getcha! (Okay, why does even the mention of a Texas book tour makes me talk with a really bad cowboy accent? It's like a steamin' pile of cow-pah dung on the fritters of the taters. Makes me wanna slap a skeeter. Niner.) (Somebody help me)


So if you live in one of these fine cities, or any part of Texas, or the U.S., or the world, come and see me!


DARK DAYS OF SUPERNATURAL TOUR STOPS FOR EVERNEATH:

February 16^th @ 5pm    Barnes & Noble              Southlake, TX

February 17^th @ 7pm    Barnes & Noble              Austin, TX

February 18^th @ 4pm    Blue Willow Bookshop    Houston, TX

And it's not just me! I will be with these fine ladies:

Cynthia Hand (HALLOWED), Jodi Meadows (INCARNATE) and Courtney Allison Moulton (WINGS OF THE WICKED)

So, can I get a yee-haw from y'all? Who's with me? 

EVERNEATH Covers from Around the World

I thought it would be fun today to show a couple of the other covers of EVERNEATH from around the world. 


First up, we have the U.K. version. Close to the U.S. version, but different fonts and stuff. You can compare it with the U.S version on the sidebar. 

Then we have the German cover. Definitely staying true to the Persephone myth, with the pomegranate in view. Every time I see this one, I literally have a craving for pomegranates. Someone once mentioned that there's a device you can use to easily get the seeds out. Does anyone know what that device is?

Germany also did this thing where they sent out the book to bloggers with a dust jacket that had previous blogger comments on it:

I borrowed the images from german blogger Bella's Wonderworld.

I love that idea! I wish every book I ever wrote would be wrapped inside the good things people have to say about it. I'd love to be able to read the comments. Does anyone know a little German? 

No, not that kind. The other kind.


Speaking of, if you read and liked EVERNEATH, feel free to tweet me or email me! I love hearing from readers.


If you didn't like it, send an email to J.Sandusky@PennState.edu.*


So, what do you think of these covers and stuff? Please only nice things, because my U.K. and German publishers read my blog too.


And if you have nothing to say on the covers... what are you doing for Thanksgiving? I am having one dinner on Wednesday night, and another dinner on Friday. I'm free on Thanksgiving. Not that you have to invite me to whatever you're doing. 


*Just kidding. I totally made up that email, so please don't send any emails for reals. 

Confessions about EVERNEATH

Hello yon Bloggerville. 

I have a confession. 

I have heard it said that my blog can be "funny". I would never presume to say this. But my friends say it all the time. They also say I'm an excellent cook. My friends can be stupid.

But here's a confession. My book, EVERNEATH?: not funny. Not hardy har har funny. Sometimes it can be funny in a "Can you believe there's So. Much. Death?" kind of way. Other times it's funny in a "OMG she is so screwed! lol" kind of way. 

There's a reason for this. And it's a pretty simple one. The reason is this: Nikki's story isn't funny. It's the one that was speaking to me, but it isn't funny. 

There are funny characters. Cole's probably the funniest, in a "I love to inflict P.A.I.N.!" kind of way.   

Jack can be funny too, in a "Why does Nikki make my heart bleed?" kind of way. 

It would've been so much easier if I could've stepped up to the computer and written a prolonged, book-length blog post. Sometimes I totally dream about doing this. Maybe for the next book after the Everneath trilogy? 

It's not a problem for those people who discover the book first, and the blog second. 

Maybe this confession is for those of you who haven't read the book. I want to prepare you. Especially to anyone who's ever said, "I can't wait to read Everneath and LMAO!"

So, writers out there, have any of you ever tried to write something that's in a totally opposite voice to your own?

Have you ever had a story call to you that scares you because you don't think you can write it? I say... write it! I did.

So far, it's worked out okay.

Win a Package of Three ARCs: SLIDE, GLIMMER AND EVERNEATH

Hey y'all! Vegas was so fun, but it's very good to be back home. 

Here's a pic of me, Bree Despain and Emily Wing Smith in our costumes at the Paranormal Ball:

The wings are on our shoulders. So really, if we were to fly, it would resemble a tree falling. And if no one was there to see it, would it make a sound?

I'll blog more about Vegas on Wednesday, because today I have an exciting (EXCITING!) thingee!!! HarperCollins is giving away packages of three ARCs, including SLIDE by Jill Hathaway, GLIMMER by Phoebe Kitanidis, and EVERNEATH by... this girl. 

Here's what you do. 

1. Go on over to the Twitter, and create a sentence that creatively uses the words SLIDE, GLIMMER AND EVER. 

2. Include the hashtag #3ARCS. (This is very important)

3. Tweet away! 

Each author will pick our three favorites, according to my very strict criteria (which is: how much I like it) and each favorite will win all 3 ARCs!!! If you do the math:

=9 Packages of ARCs!

And if you do some more math, you'll find that the total equals 27 ARCs!

The contest will run for a week, and will end on November 13th at Midnight. 

So, go forth and create! Sentences, that is...

p.s. Just because you're going over to twitter doesn't mean you shouldn't comment on my blog.

 

The EVERNEATH book trailer, and some Behind-the-Scenes tidbits about making it

Hey y'all!

I know a lot of you have seen this already, since it went live yesterday, but I'm showing it anyway since I'm sort of addicted to it. Plus I'll add some behind-the-scenes tidbits!

Presenting... the book trailer for EVERNEATH!

I love LOVE what the HarperCollins team did with this trailer.  

When they first sent me the idea for the trailer, it was called a "creative brief" and it looked like this:

EVERNEATH TRAILER

THERE WILL BE WORDS! LIKE:

"Have you ever broken a heart wide open?" 

*smoke* *smoke* *smoke*

"I have" (repeated a bunch of times)

MOODY MUSIC! AWESOME SOUND EFFECTS! AND DID WE MENTION SMOKE?

And my tiny brain was trying imagine what it would look like, but all I came up with was this:

Which is why I'm so happy I'm not in charge of this stuff. 

They sent me a "first draft" of the trailer, and I was blown away by the graphics, but the music didn't feel quite right. So I hopped on over to confer with my nieces and nephew, who are my music gurus. My nephew came up with some music that fit the mood of the trailer and the book perfectly.

We put the music together with the graphics and sent it back to the Harper team. They weren't able to get the rights to use the exact song that we sent, but they searched and searched and found some similar music that worked even better. 

Then I sat around, a little impatiently, wondering when the video would be ready, until yesterday morning when I got an email from a friend who was all, "Hey! Look what I just saw on the world wide web!" 

And that's a behind the scenes look at the EVERNEATH trailer, from a person who was very minimally involved in the creation. 

Much thanks to the HarperCollins team for all of their hard work and the brilliant result!

So, what do y'all think?

Top Five Signs you have a Book Coming out in Three Months

Hey y'all. I thought I'd start this Wednesday off with a list. Because that's what I like to do. 

Top Five Signs you have a book coming out in three months:

5. You wander around the house, making declarations (in passive voice) of all the things you are NOT going to do.

ex: 

"Hair shall henceforth be air-dried, and no amount of forthwithing will entice me to useth the flat-iron."

and

"Dinner shall forthwith be microwave-worthy, or it shall not be."

(Then your hubby answers: "It shall not be... what?" and you answer back: "It shall not be... made. At all. Or stuff.")

4. When you venture out of the house and into the sun, you flatten the palms of your hand against your eyes and dramatically shout, "It burns! It burrrrrnnnnnns!"

3. Casual conversations become critiques of your book. 

Neighbor: "Are you going to the pig roast on Friday?"

you: "How come nobody understands the strength of Nikki and Jack's love?!"

Neighbor: "Huh?"

you (thinking it was a logical train of thought): "You mentioned pigs, right?"

Neighbor: "Yeah?"

you (realizing logic is probably something you never had): "Nevermind."

2.You bemoan the fact that the New Years Holiday is encroaching on your launch date. Thankfully, you have an agent who reminds you launch dates are like birthdays: Except for the participant, nobody really notices them.

And the number one sign you have a book coming out in three months:

You make stupid lists like you're David Frakking Letterman.

Can you Name That Literary Character? And Win an ARC of EVERNEATH!

So many things to get to today!


1. First off, my sis-in-law is giving away an ARC of EVERNEATH on her blog. The rules to enter are pretty easy and straightforward, so give it a go by clicking here.


2. Second, the winner of the signed copy of BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE and an EVERNEATH guitar pick necklace is...

ANGEL SNYDER!

Please email me with your mailing address. My email is brodiashton at gmail dot com.


Thanks for everyone who entered, and participated in the Facebook trivia contest. I mailed out like 24 necklaces over the weekend. :)


3. NAME THAT LITERARY CHARACTER


I went to a blogger/writer social on Friday night (hosted by Mary Campbell) and we played a game where you stick the name of a literary figure on your forehead and you have to ask questions to figure out who you got.


I figured out the literary figure on my forehead in three simple questions. See if you can guess as well:


Question 1: "Is it a male or female?"
answer: "Male."


Question 2: "Is he hot?"
answer: "Yes. Way hot."


Question 3: "Is he supernatural or just plain human?"
answer: "Plain human."


Can you guess the literary character? (Don't scroll down if you want to try.)
;
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;






Okay, so the answer was Fitzwilliam Darcy. Did anyone get it right? It was simple, really. All you have to know is "hot" and "not immortal".

4. It was my birthday yesterday.


Check out the gift my mom gave me:

Because nothing says "Happy thirty-somethingth Birthday!" like Katy Perry nail polish. I love my mom, and I'm grateful for the gift, but I just want to know the thought process behind it.


Was it: Hey! Brodi loves glitter! This looks perfect.


Or: Hey! Brodi wanted to be a Firecracker for Halloween one year!


or: Hey! Brodi has nails.


She also got me this sun hat:

I can only assume that in her mind, I'm either turning 12 or 80.


It's okay for me to say this. My mom doesn't read my blog. Don't tell her, okay?


I painted my nails:

For the record, the bottom coat is "Teenage Dream" and the top coat is "The One That Got Away."


So, what's everyone up to? I should be getting my "EVERNEATH 2: It's Everneath-ier" revision letter on Friday, so I'm trying to enjoy my last moments of freedom. 

Learn some EVERNEATH trivia, and win some EVERNEATH swag

So, awesome blogger Windy set up a local ARC tour for EVERNEATH where reviewers could get a chance to read it and post their reviews.

Today, the first review is up over at Sara B. Larson's blog. You can check it out here.  Sara is also a writer, and her blog is definitely one you should check out. (That previous sentence was so awkward, what with the preposition at the end and all...)

I'm feeling pensive today. Exactly one year ago yesterday, my awesome agent Michael submitted EVERNEATH to several publishing houses. And exactly one year ago tomorrow, my editor Kristin Daly Rens (KDR) from Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins bought it.  

So I've been reflecting on the journey. Here it is by the numbers:

11 months to write the book

4 Major Revisions with my editor. 2 with my agent.

20,000 words added after KDR bought it.

1 apostrophe removed (the original title was EVER'NEATH. The title before that was The Underneath. The title before that was Broken.) Added trivia: Bree Despain came up with the title EVER'NEATH.

5 foreign rights sold (U.K., Australia, Brazil, France, Germany)

1 sequel written

1 main character name change (Nikki's name was originally Nicole. It took me several months before I realized the two MC's were "Cole" and "Nicole". Seriously, Brodi?)

1 EVERNEATH quiz written. Do you go for the "Bad Boy" or the "Good Guy"? Soon you'll be able to take a quiz and find out. 

3,320 people who have signed up on Goodreads to read EVERNEATH. So Far. (Okay, that number is just crazy)

1 side character name change. Nikki works at the soup kitchen with a guy who was originally named Joel. There wasn't a problem until Nikki introduced Joel to her bffs Jack and Jules. "Jack, Jules, this is Joel. Joel, this is Jack and Jules." Can you spot the problem? So Joel became Christopher.  

I knew I had something with this book because Emily Wing Smith read the entire thing, and she normally doesn't like to read Paranormal.

After I got my agent Michael, we decided to change the ending of the book dramatically and turn it into a series.

Now for the fun part. Would you like a chance to win an EVERNEATH guitar pick necklace?

Here's what you do. Make sure you are a fan of the EVERNEATH Facebook Page. 

Next, study this blog post. Over the next few days, I'm going to be asking questions based on this EVERNEATH trivia. I'll post the question on the Everneath Facebook Page. The first three people to answer the question correctly in the comments under the question will get a necklace! It's easy!

Want another entry to win two necklaces plus a signed copy of Emily Wing Smith's BACK WHEN YOU WERE EASIER TO LOVE? 

Tweet about the contest!

Something like:

Wanna win some EVERNEATH swag? Check out @brodiashton 's blog post on EVERNEATH trivia. http://tinyurl.com/3ura7cz

Then let me know you tweeted about it in the comments of this post. You'll get an entry to win two necklaces (there are two types: one with the band and one with the cover) and the signed book.

What do you think? Fun? Boring? Totally awesome?

*I think I might have to limit it to the U.S.