tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44276849690358574722024-03-05T00:52:34.602-08:00Rachel SearlesRachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.comBlogger167125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-72978842024138435372016-05-24T03:37:00.000-07:002016-05-24T04:38:36.406-07:00A long overdue updateSo it's been a super duper long time since I posted here, no? I've started and abandoned several posts over the past year, but I just don't have much time for blogging these days and I feel kind of weird posting random thoughts or personal stories that are mostly only interesting to me. But I've been meaning to write up a little State of the Rachel for readers who've been sending me questions, most specifically The Question, and give a general idea of what I'm doing these days.<br />
<br />
Once upon a time I was a writer whose husband traveled a lot, who had a great day job and lots of free time to sit and ponder and scribble away. I considered myself possibly one of the most mellow people I knew. In the past two years, this all changed: my husband changed jobs and stopped traveling so much, we had a baby, I eventually left the wonderful corporation I'd worked at for over a decade. We jettisoned half our belongings and moved our entire household to Germany. I spent a lot of time sitting in an empty living room on an air mattress and looking after my wee crawler, and sent lonely emails to the writing group I'd left behind in LA. Mellow creativity gave way to lots of new daily tasks and worry and stress, and my writing ground down to a painfully slow crawl. <br />
<br />
As we settled in our new life, eventually I started to regain some productivity on the writing front, and things have been going better in 2016. But for all those readers who've asked about book three in the <i>Lost Planet</i> series, I have to tell you that that's not what I'm working on. I have the third book plotted out and have written the first few chapters, but with publishing being a business and middle grade science fiction being a tough sell, at this point there's been no indication that my publisher plans to pick up a third book in the series. This is life; it stinks, but it happens to a lot of authors. I promise you that I very much intend to finish Chase and Parker's story at some point. I was playing the long game when I wrote THE LOST PLANET and planted a ton of clues in that book that won't be answered until later books. There's a reason for every detail, and a big old backstory about war and tragedy and consequences. It kills me--I can't leave that all unfinished. But again, with publishing being business and me needing to push forward in my career, right now I have to focus my efforts elsewhere. <br />
<br />
So what am I working on? Well, I don't like to give away too much this early, but my interests remain the same: adventures, stories about friendships, cliffhangers, thoughts about communication and understanding and why the world works the way it works. I have lots of ideas, and I'm working on putting them to paper. That said, I'm entering a time of upheaval again. After a year in Germany, my family is relocating back to Los Angeles this summer (BIG HOORAY). Also happening this summer is baby #2--which is also cause for jubilation, but holy smokes is this going to be a crazy few months. So, stress level isn't going anywhere, but happiness level is going up, and with it hopefully more motivation and more writing and more good things. Who knows when I'll post here again, but I'm always available to answer questions on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RachelSearlesAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/RachelSearles" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and when I have news to share, I'll send it out to my mailing list--<a href="http://rachelsearles.us10.list-manage1.com/subscribe?u=299f3b9da6f8a6666550ef9b0&id=a6f24851ae" target="_blank">sign up</a> if you want to be kept in the loop!Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-7587982663183989142015-01-27T06:00:00.000-08:002015-01-27T07:01:40.237-08:00THE STOLEN MOON is here!<br />
Today marks the publication of my second book, THE STOLEN MOON. I'm so happy that this book is out in the world, and incredibly pleased at the good reception it's gotten so far. After spending multiple years working on the first book as a labor of love, I was really proud to get another book written in less than a year, even if most of that writing happened in a panic-fueled haze.<br />
<br />
I got a lot of help with this book, from my husband who cheered me on and left me alone when I needed time to write, from my boss who let me take a three-month leave of absence from my job to write, from my writers' group who are an awesome and supportive group of ladies, from my wonderful agent Joanna and her then-assistant Danielle who heroically read the whole book and got me feedback in two days so that I could make changes before my looming deadline, and to my editor who has been so wonderfully enthusiastic about this series.<br />
<br />
But my biggest thanks go out to my critique partner Liz Briggs, who you may already know is a master plot whisperer. When it got down to crunch time and I only had a half-finished first draft and four weeks left to finish this book, she cheered me on through my chapter-a-day writing rampage and critiqued for me every single day, sending me mid-morning her critique of the chapter I'd sent her the night before. Some days she said, "This was awesome!" and my spirits went soaring. Other days she said, "This was terrible," and I had to nod my head and agree. Twice I had to rewrite the entire chapter. I wouldn't have made my deadline without her help, and the book probably wouldn't be nearly as good. So thanks, Liz, for your exceeding generosity and for keeping me sane. And thanks to everyone who's read THE LOST PLANET! I hope you enjoy this next chapter in Chase's adventures!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rachelsearles.com/books" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFacZPx_KWxBnFQqA69ddVhCGcbAK5NkSTtfyl6JYx0WX7s_hHgGv-tPO_G5_kvcypRV1pwzGFeeQVgoBjXGmmACoccIWQN1nGYbGSWXFIBpRTxMEeyG0kqx3Tx6dRhBSE0J-2kO_q51x/s1600/StolenMoon.jpg" height="320" width="214" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-6768202783269517542014-12-31T16:47:00.000-08:002014-12-31T17:00:27.003-08:002014I can't believe it's already the last day of 2014. This has been a long, weird, happy year for me, marked by some major life moments and a lot of change. It was my debut year! Seeing THE LOST PLANET hit bookshelves--that little book I plugged away at in 2010, determined to finally finish something--has been surreal and exciting. I'm so grateful to everyone who worked with me, helped me out, and cheered me on during that time.<br />
<br />
And speaking of major life moments, it was around this time last year that I found out I was having a baby, though it was less like <i>oh surprise we're having a baby! </i>and more like <i>thank heavens something finally worked! </i>That whole experience ate up a lot of my attention this year, and in August we welcomed a sweet little girl into our lives. She is the happiest, giggliest baby I've ever seen, and we are having so much fun with her. The best part is how she makes everything we do matter a little bit more because we're always conscious of the fact that we're shaping her childhood memories. Christmas this year = awesome.<br />
<br />
Of course, not everything was peaches and starshine in 2014. We got bumped out of the house we were renting and had to scramble to move across town. My husband stepped back from his career for a bit to make some long-overdue changes. With everything that was going on, I got really frazzled and lost the ability to focus well for a very long time, meaning that everything took me ten times longer than it should have. I read little. I wrote even less. For the first time in my life I was unable to get simple tasks done not because I was procrastinating, but because I actually never got the minutes I needed to empty the dryer or answer an email or put the leftovers into the fridge. It's crazy-making. (And just lolololol that I thought I could join in NaNo this year. L. O. L.)<br />
<br />
But just in the past month or so, I've started to get my groove back. I'm learning how to make time for myself again. I've been writing more, skipping around on multiple projects and feeling creative joy instead of stress. Regular reading might actually be a possibility again. I'm heading into 2015 with a healthy, happy family, and high hopes for what I can accomplish this year. I can't wait to watch my daughter grow and change (so fast!). And to start things off with a bang, January 2015 will bring the publication of my sequel, THE STOLEN MOON (aka the book that nearly broke me). I'm proud of this book and excited about the great early reviews it's getting, and I can't wait until it's out in the wild. I'll post news very soon about the launch event.<br />
<br />
Wishing you all a happy, safe, and successful 2015!<br />
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-55594102569237547862014-10-22T10:15:00.000-07:002014-10-23T10:13:55.192-07:00Swag and NaNo insanityThings have been pretty busy in my neck of the woods, aka the middle of Los Angeles, for the past couple of months. The last time I posted, it was to reveal the cover of THE STOLEN MOON. Now I have accompanying swag! Contact me if you'd like a signed bookmark or some stickers. I ordered oodles.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM9CjzUiko6X3-skQIVtgIHLH-tL6iVGMk8BXbjN-oFyvGOPWERNXRJXIo-1usxUav-aj6LHZkhbrKTvd5K-UOGVTVO1DSJQ4RQG9HLgTaEsfOZqlNaSa6oOD8okz6tljc00zjo1TX45f/s1600/IMG_20141022_095106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPM9CjzUiko6X3-skQIVtgIHLH-tL6iVGMk8BXbjN-oFyvGOPWERNXRJXIo-1usxUav-aj6LHZkhbrKTvd5K-UOGVTVO1DSJQ4RQG9HLgTaEsfOZqlNaSa6oOD8okz6tljc00zjo1TX45f/s1600/IMG_20141022_095106.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oodles!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In other exciting news, THE STOLEN MOON has received a starred review from Kirkus! Here's my favorite part of the review:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: 'Crimson Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 18px;">
<span style="box-sizing: border-box;">"Searles’ action- and intrigue-packed sci-fi thriller is peopled with characters who are sometimes confused, sometimes heroic and sometimes brats—that is to say, always genuine. They make realistic choices that are sometimes wrong in a believable and interesting future milieu...</span><i style="box-sizing: border-box;">Star Trek</i><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"> for young fans of the genre, who’ll be thrilled at the prospect of a sequel."</span></div>
</blockquote>
THE STOLEN MOON comes out on January 27, 2015--about three months away. I can't wait to share this book! Writing a book in less than a year for the first time was quite possibly the hardest thing I've ever done, but I am so incredibly happy with how it turned out.<br />
<br />
So this year, for the first time, I am planning to attempt NaNoWriMo. It's never been good timing before, and it's not this time either. You may have heard that I had a baby a little while ago--she is currently sleeping in my lap. She is two months old today and has recently started smiling at people, to my utter delight. That gummy, goofy grin is just about the best thing I've ever seen. Between her and some other social obligations in November, I'm not sure how realistic it is to try NaNo. But I haven't been able to get much writing done this year, and I've got a few outlines at the ready, so as long as I can finish up some other tasks before November starts, I'm going to give it my best. The YA Buccaneers are running a Fall Writing Bootcamp, so if you're looking for a little extra motivation next month, check in to see what we're offering: <a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/">http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/</a>. And if you're NaNo'ing, <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/participants/rachel-s-1041649">friend me</a> so we can cheer each other along!Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-59091535400410478052014-07-10T03:00:00.000-07:002014-07-10T03:00:08.780-07:00Cover Reveal Day!Happy Thursday! I hope you're all enjoying the summer with beach visits and popsicles and lazy days spent reading. I'm so happy to have made it to July after three and a half weeks of travel and an accelerated move across town. I survived! We're all settled into our home, the cats approve of their new digs, and I can finally hunker down and prepare for the arrival of our newest family member next month. New words like Dreft and diaper pail are starting to make their way into my vocabulary, and I'm rearing and ready to start this new phase. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrVAbj1Ma5nwtgbsKj8t8wgGoc7WFiwqjkiW4dVuI61-GhO55gsbfZWxkBiiRuxtz1f81y187cmFSYSzRuDy2wl_KPvw9HbrxUNf5sNhW4v44AL57mXBLDnVDlofowr_saGweYY0_SQs6/s1600/bringit.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrVAbj1Ma5nwtgbsKj8t8wgGoc7WFiwqjkiW4dVuI61-GhO55gsbfZWxkBiiRuxtz1f81y187cmFSYSzRuDy2wl_KPvw9HbrxUNf5sNhW4v44AL57mXBLDnVDlofowr_saGweYY0_SQs6/s1600/bringit.gif" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
But let's get to the main event, shall we? Today the cover for my second Lost Planet book, THE STOLEN MOON, is being revealed over at the YA Buccaneers!! Hop on over and check it out: <a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2014/7/9/cover-reveal-the-stolen-moon-by-rachel-searles">http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2014/7/9/cover-reveal-the-stolen-moon-by-rachel-searles</a>. To celebrate, I'm also offering up a future ARC of the book. I haven't gotten them yet, but when I do, the winner will be at the top of my mailing list. Writing this book was an experience I'll never forget, and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I can't wait to share it with the world in January!Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-69091073072290027102014-04-30T10:59:00.000-07:002014-04-30T10:59:37.632-07:00What's Up WednesdayIt's been a while since I've posted, so I'm jumping in on <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/">Jaime Morrow</a> and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/">Erin Funk's</a> weekly blog hop. Just like 2010 went down in my memory as the year that blew ALL THE CHUNKS, I have a feeling 2014 will be remembered as the year where EVERYTHING HAPPENED ALL AT ONCE. When I tell people about the amount of transition in my life right now, they just kind of pat me gently on the back and look for an escape route.<br />
<br />
<b>What I'm Reading:</b><br />
There hasn't been much free time for reading this year, but last week things lightened up a bit and I managed to fit in a quick beta read for my CP Liz Brigg's <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21861133-more-than-music">upcoming NA release</a>, which was fun and funny and romantic and I highly recommend. I also read Kathryn Rose's debut <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17997591-camelot-burning">Camelot Burning</a> (which comes out NEXT WEEK!), a completely unique steampunk retelling of Arthurian legend with a feisty, brilliant, metalworking heroine that I very much enjoyed. If you live in LA, come to Kat's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1397327427203546/">launch party</a> next Friday at Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach!<br />
<br />
I've got a huge stack of wonderful new books waiting on my nightstand, but right now I'm working my way through <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10664113-a-dance-with-dragons">A Dance With Dragons</a> and hoping that book six isn't far away. I'm also listening to an audiobook of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18007564-the-martian">The Martian</a> in the car--I had recommended it to my husband for a three-day drive he took, and since then he's been raving about it, and it's really excellent.<br />
<br />
<b>What I'm Writing:</b><br />
Right now I'm in that glorious phase of having turned in all my work, and I'm just waiting for feedback and letting my brain relax for a bit. I had a hard time writing earlier this year due to a long bout of nausea and general busy-ness, so it's a huge relief to feel finished, at least temporarily. Book two in the Lost Planet series is coming along nicely, and I'm getting so excited to share this next chapter in Chase's adventures! I've seen a sketch of the cover already, which is just as fabulous as the last one. Hopefully we'll have something ready to reveal soon!<br />
<br />
<b>What's Inspiring Me:</b><br />
I recently had the chance to see some of my favorite authors at the LA Times Festival of Books, including the wonderful Laini Taylor. I'm so excited to read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13618440-dreams-of-gods-monsters">Dreams of Gods & Monsters</a>, which has been patiently waiting for me on my e-reader ever since it came out. I'm saving it for my vacation in about two weeks.<br />
<br />
<b>What Else I've Been Up To:</b><br />
Preparing like a Boy Scout. My husband and I are leaving in a couple of weeks for a three-week trip to Turkey, partly traveling with friends, partly visiting his family. Which is grand...except for the part where we found out our landlord wants us and our two cats out of our house midway through our vacation. Scrambling to find a way to make that happen, which would be easier if my husband didn't have to also cram in two business trips to Europe in the tiny space of time before we leave. Hopefully we'll find a solution so that we can come back from Turkey to a home where we can continue prepping for the babygeddon that's coming our way at the end of summer. It gets even more hectic from there, but I'll withhold those updates until the details are finalized. Things are just kind of bananas right now.<br />
<br />
<b>So what's up with you this fine Wednesday?</b><br />
<br />
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-60506512311526980082014-04-03T08:25:00.001-07:002014-04-11T13:40:23.357-07:00Upcoming appearancesNow that we're all the way to April (April!), I've got some upcoming events I wanted to highlight here. First off, I'll be signing both days at the <b><a href="http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/">LA Times Festival of Books</a></b> next weekend! If you're planning to go, do stop by and say hi.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><b>April 12th, 1pm</b> in the Mysterious Galaxy booth #368</li>
<li><b>April 13th, 11:45am</b> in the Mrs. Nelson's Book Fair booth #720</li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDI4FzSOhKbwHNm3QJqkF4re97St1QkX8WUvFqwt06X3bxG5caMguvVdH1XceRm_Ypvu8sHvzCP7Aj83my7e5CV288lUO-OVQIwC2U0j1mfZ6HDc8b4NntuAfeKGGz6cCU39zUgimWU9GR/s1600/Teen+Author+Reading+Night_April2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDI4FzSOhKbwHNm3QJqkF4re97St1QkX8WUvFqwt06X3bxG5caMguvVdH1XceRm_Ypvu8sHvzCP7Aj83my7e5CV288lUO-OVQIwC2U0j1mfZ6HDc8b4NntuAfeKGGz6cCU39zUgimWU9GR/s1600/Teen+Author+Reading+Night_April2014.jpg" height="320" width="253" /></a>Later that week, I'm participating in a panel discussion at the Sunland-Tujunga library with four other local authors, for the LA Public Library's <b>Los Angeles Teen Author Reading Series</b>. Moderating the discussion will be Cecil Castellucci, whose most recent book is one I'm looking forward to reading, sci-fi thriller <i>Tin Star</i>. That event takes place <b>April 17th at 4pm</b>. More details on the flyer!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpDMDHR6k5b76zSFsbdGrrQDTE_kEnYGoTj9ZWDAS2BeLIvEapFoLI9XRLrARKjworCJmbZP5AilirPHrD_lCNd5Kl5MxPRX2Ul5GJrPrMVWgeu-V9SeRsJEOcTs8XXNiWSfxh3MmIE3V/s1600/pasadenabookfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivpDMDHR6k5b76zSFsbdGrrQDTE_kEnYGoTj9ZWDAS2BeLIvEapFoLI9XRLrARKjworCJmbZP5AilirPHrD_lCNd5Kl5MxPRX2Ul5GJrPrMVWgeu-V9SeRsJEOcTs8XXNiWSfxh3MmIE3V/s1600/pasadenabookfest.jpg" height="320" width="160" /></a><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
And finally, at the end of April, I'll be making an appearance at the <b>Pasadena Teen Book Festival</b>. This looks like it's going to be an amazing event, with around 25 local YA and MG authors appearing, including special guest Andrew Smith. This will take place at the Pasadena Public Library on <b>April 26th from 12-4pm</b>. Tickets are free, but last I saw they were starting to run low, so for more information go to: <a href="http://www.pasadenateenbookfestival.com/">http://www.pasadenateenbookfestival.com/</a>. </div>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-76006884895685543852014-02-26T14:37:00.000-08:002014-02-28T12:03:18.346-08:00Launch Week Recap!This post about my launch week is going up shamefully late--almost a month after my publication date! It was a crazy, fun, hectic week, after which I came home and melted into a puddle for a while. So please excuse the delay. I was busy putting myself back together.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RaLyQzBiv2c7TRgbW06SwYGcp1MRK_unFtIZWht78jx63yBDh17JSDTEgknt3rE3I5mhXVVcEXw4na4beiduzUi4Krb2TJ_dK4pMpmVxsyDfwlArsSb43ska7U3Ah-ct2hXTmInv16w6/s1600/1606383_10151862678086857_620571244_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6RaLyQzBiv2c7TRgbW06SwYGcp1MRK_unFtIZWht78jx63yBDh17JSDTEgknt3rE3I5mhXVVcEXw4na4beiduzUi4Krb2TJ_dK4pMpmVxsyDfwlArsSb43ska7U3Ah-ct2hXTmInv16w6/s1600/1606383_10151862678086857_620571244_o.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: <a href="http://www.jasminelord.com/">Jasmine Lord</a></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The launch party was held on January 27th, the day before my official publication date, at Mysterious Galaxy in Redondo Beach, a fabulous little independent bookstore. We had wine and mini-cupcakes, and all my wonderful friends came out to support me and my little book. Honestly, it was incredible. I gave a completely unprepared speech about how writing a book had always been my dream from childhood, and how much work and sacrifice went into making it happen. Then I did a reading from the book, with the help of a few engineers from Space Exploration Technologies, the company that my husband worked at for almost ten years. Rocket scientist theater! They did an awesome job. As the culmination of years of hard work and persistence and the celebration of a big milestone in my life, my launch party was everything I'd ever dreamed of. And Mysterious Galaxy sold out of copies of my book to boot!<br />
<span id="goog_74191606"></span><span id="goog_74191607"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3BySDojl2vpzvmruGnMN7kxkbsOI7R6PkuB_VuASriDAxITHJqoBb2o5E2MlueI1u4YhEuMEI9KXqph4y1aw5SG-gITyEx9NNFyGDKTOYOG052BWSjxuqzmefGeP69DF6fe0hXxq-47k/s1600/1780625_10104006635661935_1669586192_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3BySDojl2vpzvmruGnMN7kxkbsOI7R6PkuB_VuASriDAxITHJqoBb2o5E2MlueI1u4YhEuMEI9KXqph4y1aw5SG-gITyEx9NNFyGDKTOYOG052BWSjxuqzmefGeP69DF6fe0hXxq-47k/s1600/1780625_10104006635661935_1669586192_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocket scientist theater!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuKfnoxECHNlBjQGV4nXeDyOHQQLZV-xErQYKVoIoBvQhZbJpbo53sX1qwRXZTclbEibidN1qsb4hlVpDL7DR456-iZt8RSGQS9AjhvPYkrFZz5Y2KxB_QlxI12V6TdhgihHvTIn4BCGX/s1600/1026133_10151862677821857_117279214_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuKfnoxECHNlBjQGV4nXeDyOHQQLZV-xErQYKVoIoBvQhZbJpbo53sX1qwRXZTclbEibidN1qsb4hlVpDL7DR456-iZt8RSGQS9AjhvPYkrFZz5Y2KxB_QlxI12V6TdhgihHvTIn4BCGX/s1600/1026133_10151862677821857_117279214_o.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New friends!<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo: <a href="http://www.jasminelord.com/">Jasmine Lord</a></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Early the next morning, I got picked up at home for the first day of my book tour. My amazing publicist at Macmillan had arranged four action-packed days of visiting schools in LA, the Bay Area, and San Diego so I could talk to kids about THE LOST PLANET and the path I followed to become an author. Here's a little secret: Up until my launch, I'd never spoken to a single kid about my book. So I had an insane amount of fun sharing my stories with them and answering their questions, and meeting the young writers who came up to me after my presentations to let me know that they had author dreams as well. All the schools were fantastic--one even hung their students' Lost Planet art projects in the room where I gave my presentation. I just about had an out-of-body experience when I saw them:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl9jwajhrgEtyWRYbX19CLr5z50vOh6fVoTK13qY_bdaRgJE5b4kFDtgeS9cDLaju8_d7l0CcmId2rp-EB6UjmuyZ2NCkyPwb00SVZHemi1UAScJfzm7Av6Wzne3bb_FcA5NjTdvzJZgO/s1600/harrison+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBl9jwajhrgEtyWRYbX19CLr5z50vOh6fVoTK13qY_bdaRgJE5b4kFDtgeS9cDLaju8_d7l0CcmId2rp-EB6UjmuyZ2NCkyPwb00SVZHemi1UAScJfzm7Av6Wzne3bb_FcA5NjTdvzJZgO/s1600/harrison+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesomesauce!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hvjwtGnBF-4u0LxCsOFVvegzysbZnIi8rbDrz-8GB-ys5Qjw1O8Djbfkrf4gei0PX_QEQCgOad__HOK_bFFCkh_y1-BleaTJQy78Vpc-xKQJvzlW2ujs8VhezdI4STjAbmOE35RSg0Cd/s1600/harrison+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5hvjwtGnBF-4u0LxCsOFVvegzysbZnIi8rbDrz-8GB-ys5Qjw1O8Djbfkrf4gei0PX_QEQCgOad__HOK_bFFCkh_y1-BleaTJQy78Vpc-xKQJvzlW2ujs8VhezdI4STjAbmOE35RSg0Cd/s1600/harrison+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More awesomesauce!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since I got home, I've been wrapping up some final publicity stuff and getting to work on revising the sequel to THE LOST PLANET, which is turning out great and I'm super excited about! I've had to take things a little slower than usual because of another project I'm working on in 2014, one that will come to fruition this August. Unlike my writing projects, this project has the side effects of extreme fatigue and the need to huddle on the sofa in a ball of miserable nausea (another reason I've been so slow to post anything). I'm counting down the days until I will (supposedly!) start feeling normal again, so I can get cranking at a decent pace and get all my to-dos in order before life as I know it implodes.</div>
<br />
Other updates:<br />
<br />
ReadKiddoRead is running a sweepstakes this month for THE LOST PLANET. I've been promoting this on Twitter and Facebook, but I wanted to mention it here because there are still two days left to sign up here: <a href="http://readkiddoread.com/uploads/sweeps.php">http://readkiddoread.com/uploads/sweeps.php</a><br />
<br />
I've got a guest post up today on Read Now Sleep Later about world-building in THE LOST PLANET: <a href="http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/2014/02/the-lost-planet-guest-post-with-author.html">http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/2014/02/the-lost-planet-guest-post-with-author.html</a><br />
<br />
I've got some appearances coming up in the L.A. area in April--click on the <a href="http://rachelsearles.com/events">Events</a> link for more info if you're interested!<br />
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-22056521978759625472014-01-28T03:00:00.000-08:002014-01-30T20:00:00.174-08:00On Pub DayWow, guys. It's finally here. Today THE LOST PLANET officially leaves my hands and heads out into the world, to hopefully find its readership among science fiction fans, and maybe even some readers who don't think they like science fiction.<br />
<br />
I've been so busy getting ready for this point, I haven't had a lot of time to reflect on how I feel about it. It's been about fifteen months since my book sold, but I still kind of can't believe that something I wrote is going to be sitting on the bookshelves of people I've never met. That is beyond surreal to me.<br />
<br />
But I'm also incredibly proud of this little book. When I was in grade school, I loved writing SO MUCH--it wasn't so much a dream that I would be an author some day as an expectation. And then I grew up and got sidetracked by life and the zillion wonderful and not-so-wonderful distractions it offers. I still thought about writing, and even tried it again every once in a while, but I didn't get serious until the day about four years ago when I realized that if I didn't put forth some serious effort RIGHT NOW, my dream/expectation was probably never going to happen. And that scared me.<br />
<br />
Writing a book takes a ton of effort, and a lot more knowledge than just how to put pretty sentences on a page. But I've had the best, most satisfying time putting in that work, and I've made some amazing friendships along the way. I hope my little book brings readers as much enjoyment as it brought me writing it.<br />
<br />
Every once in a while when I'm talking about my book to someone who's not a writer, they'll ask a few more questions than usual and get a bit of a hungry look that makes me think, <i>This person probably has a book they've always wanted to write.</i> And I wish I could just grab these people and say "Start writing NOW." Nobody says, Man, I wish I'd spent more time at the office, right? I wish I'd watched more TV series, seen every single episode of Law & Order at least five times. I wish I'd spent more time loafing around on the Internet, browsing my social networks over and over. If you've got a dream, carve out time for it. Find a way to make yourself do it--a calendar, a reward system, whatever it takes. Because keeping that promise to your dreamer self? It feels really good.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to rewrite my entire acknowledgements here, but a huge thanks to everyone who's cheered me on along the way--family, friends, critique partners, my agent, my editor, friends who I've only met online. Your support has pulled me out of my hidey-hole, gotten me through some ruts, and most importantly, made this whole endeavor a ton of fun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXiIGYCv62NvshCwK9fKolI0YibAH5YZB5iU49wmpKCRzxbkaq8pWy09imvKge6qo-vRtKbIhz_wybHVePQ26kitZBW2A74jONpq3e-NUk-9hbP6GzvuK9CFdfERKaVEL6_3_hXAwmHas/s1600/typing.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXiIGYCv62NvshCwK9fKolI0YibAH5YZB5iU49wmpKCRzxbkaq8pWy09imvKge6qo-vRtKbIhz_wybHVePQ26kitZBW2A74jONpq3e-NUk-9hbP6GzvuK9CFdfERKaVEL6_3_hXAwmHas/s1600/typing.jpeg" height="227" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-23709346966354290272013-12-31T09:07:00.001-08:002013-12-31T09:07:58.781-08:00Goodbye, 2013! And a great Booklist review!I'm a little nostalgic about saying goodbye to 2013. It's been a good one for me, in many ways. As a writer, I got to announce my first book deal, see that book come to life with a fabulous cover, and have some exciting new experiences like signing ARCs at BEA in May. I got to see my book translated and published in Spain. And I wrote a second book, both an accomplishment and a huge learning experience. <i>Hey kids, writing books is hard!</i><br />
<br />
On a personal level, it was a rewarding if somewhat stressful year. In April my husband and I moved to a new home, and while we're still just renting for now, it was a great change to go from the tourist-packed Venice boardwalk to a clean, quiet neighborhood just a mile down the road. We took two big trips, one to Israel and Turkey to visit friends and family, and one vacation driving from Budapest to Rome with friends. We just closed out the year with a weeklong stay in Wisconsin and Michigan, visiting my family and getting our fill of snow for the coming year or two...or five.<br />
<br />
2014 is going to be a big year. Big. Huge. For one, it's my debut year! I know I only get one of these, so I hope to enjoy it as much as possible. I'll be announcing my launch party shortly, along with some tour info. But besides writing, there are some potential big changes brewing on the horizon, hinting that 2014 might be one heck of a year. I'm excited (and not a little nervous) to see what all happens in the next twelve months.<br />
<br />
And now I'm thrilled to close out the year on a happy note, as THE LOST PLANET just got a wonderful Booklist review, calling it "perfect for younger teen sci-fi fans." I'll post the full review below. Have a safe and happy New Year's Eve, and all best in 2014!<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Lost Planet.<u></u><u></u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Searles, Rachel (Author)<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Jan 2014. 384 p. Feiwel and Friends, hardcover. (9781250038791).<u></u><u></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Terrifying monsters, cold androids, and intriguing mysteries abound in Searles’ first novel. Chase Garrety<u> </u></span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">awakens on a planet he doesn’t know and with a face he doesn’t recognize, his life up to now a complete </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">blank. But his amnesia is far from his biggest problem: the only thing he can remember is a secret </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">message, but what does it mean? Who is it for? His adventure across the planets of the Federation garners </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">him new friends, old enemies, and more problems than he knows what to do with. Even though Chase is </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">confused from the second he wakes up, his need to find out his history makes him easy to cheer on. </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Comparisons to</span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Star Wars </i><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">are not out of bounds, as this intergalactic escapade races on at an exciting </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">pace. This fun, adrenaline-filled story is perfect for younger teen sci-fi fans. There could certainly be </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">another installment to this story since Chase’s exploits aren’t easily put to bed, but</span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The Lost Planet </i><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">has a </span><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">solid, satisfying conclusion. Let’s hope Searles has more up her sleeve.</span><br />
<i style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">— Stacey Comfort</span></i><br />
<i style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Century Gothic', sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></i></div>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-90420891872482745242013-12-20T08:02:00.000-08:002013-12-20T13:25:50.680-08:002013 Rewind: My Top 10 YA/MG ReadsAs the year winds down, the YA Buccaneers are taking a look at our favorite YA and MG reads of 2013, both new releases and old. You can see everyone's #1 pick listed here: <a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2013/12/19/2013-rewind-our-top-reads">http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2013/12/19/2013-rewind-our-top-reads</a><br />
<br />
I read 30 YA and MG books in 2013, along with a handful of adult books like <i>Gone Girl</i>, <i>The Twelve</i>, and several of the Song of Ice & Fire books. My top ten YA/MG list for 2013 is:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aYDp2h4I4Gui3mLdM0F6hKiZuXmULPJI7Xz66dIxSqqjdzKdKQ54V4P9UO6BhS43_k7-ju1Sco8a-baanT93MIyMpMXaMJlo1Ktq2d6rShSrG3YL1zmsM_8JQgBWnMYOWtB0F0FhRFEi/s1600/2013+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aYDp2h4I4Gui3mLdM0F6hKiZuXmULPJI7Xz66dIxSqqjdzKdKQ54V4P9UO6BhS43_k7-ju1Sco8a-baanT93MIyMpMXaMJlo1Ktq2d6rShSrG3YL1zmsM_8JQgBWnMYOWtB0F0FhRFEi/s400/2013+books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
1. SIX INNINGS - As I said over on the YA Bucs, I was not expecting a MG baseball story to take top billing, but this lovely story about a Little League team and the championship game really stole my heart.<br />
<div>
2. DAYS OF BLOOD & STARLIGHT - Laini Taylor. Do I need to say anything else? She weaves magic. </div>
<div>
3. MORE THAN THIS - I wrote a <a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2013/10/17/book-review-more-than-this%E2%80%8E">post</a> on this book back on YA Buccaneers a while back--a very unique story that kept me guessing. </div>
<div>
4. WONDER - If you haven't read this one yet, do so. My nephew sent it to me and said it was one of his favorites. </div>
<div>
5. THE DREAM THIEVES - I have to admit, this book left me a little unfulfilled--I had that "I want the whole series NOW" feeling at the end. But the writing was absolutely lovely and I'm looking forward to the rest of the books. </div>
<div>
6. THESE BROKEN STARS - Thriller, romantic, space, done. For me, it was worth reading for the spaceship crash scene alone. I love huge action scenes!</div>
<div>
7. TTHE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS - This one sat at the top of my TBR pile for a long time, and I finally got to it this fall--a wonderfully creepy and atmospheric MG read. </div>
<div>
8. THE PLANET THIEVES - I may have a weakness for space adventure, and this book is the real deal. Breathtaking action, inventive descriptions, and bold heroics--loved it!</div>
<div>
9. WINGER - Andrew Smith is another favorite, and this book is a standout. Loved the voice so much.</div>
<div>
10. UNDER THE NEVER SKY - I started out not sure what to think of this one--dystopian burnout, maybe? But the story grabbed me, and the characters were terrific, and by the end I was a fan. Looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-47016233759559817582013-11-12T10:15:00.000-08:002013-11-12T11:11:31.148-08:00Some Updates of a LOST PLANET VarietyWe're about two and a half months away from the publication date of THE LOST PLANET--it's going to be a real book soon! Everything has gone so quickly that I can't believe it's almost here. The awesome people at Macmillan are cooking up some exciting plans for promotion, and while we're busy getting ready and finalizing details, I'm sure January is going to sneak up on us like a ninja.<br />
<br />
Today I have some fun news to share. First, Publisher's Weekly put up their review of THE LOST PLANET, and it's a good one!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EA7YqUG31phHw9qoesswGl0-BivGyTc4LqbeAKtXqjRPK0NuXb6GixjwTd7VQwxMDIj9WbRCyxTFe6f68xMod88obLT5xHLHRcBS2450dTxVEMfBveHto6z4qRjY04TCbwG-sA7I2OSj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-11-11+at+4.34.52+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EA7YqUG31phHw9qoesswGl0-BivGyTc4LqbeAKtXqjRPK0NuXb6GixjwTd7VQwxMDIj9WbRCyxTFe6f68xMod88obLT5xHLHRcBS2450dTxVEMfBveHto6z4qRjY04TCbwG-sA7I2OSj/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-11-11+at+4.34.52+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-03879-1">Link</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Secondly, THE LOST PLANET is coming out in Spain next Monday, the 18th. Yes, next Monday! I'll be toasting that day with some good Codorniu cava. Here's the cover of EL PLANETA PERDIDO (I just love saying that):<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV3XKPQHwQu75CA08hMmMPuCMN6hJxp1Tur0fZ6PJr-0AcgaHpAtwUv8azT-SH0bb2teOx-i-wJujUSd9tEBYV4Fe1QuHNLiwKNt4of_J8r3GZKmkPbr9fDABeHiMQIJlD_2rU8TrH12T/s1600/PlanetaPerdido.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfV3XKPQHwQu75CA08hMmMPuCMN6hJxp1Tur0fZ6PJr-0AcgaHpAtwUv8azT-SH0bb2teOx-i-wJujUSd9tEBYV4Fe1QuHNLiwKNt4of_J8r3GZKmkPbr9fDABeHiMQIJlD_2rU8TrH12T/s320/PlanetaPerdido.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Finally, if you can't wait to get a peek inside THE LOST PLANET, you're in luck! Macmillan will be releasing a free excerpt of the first five chapters next month. You can find information for pre-ordering <a href="http://us.macmillan.com/thelostplanetchapters15/RachelSearles">here</a>. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
That's all my news for now! Happy Monday!</div>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-71166005564637049662013-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:002013-10-21T09:52:50.210-07:00A NaNoWriMo Tip Treasure Hunt!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyE2LR1PD2o01qLeKA8m17kdUNzsPJlyAJkEBtBNS-PnfavTSfxmpXefNu2cSw0RnESSYr6UhNswHAp3XEfao1w27lgElWkiiS5QgBiEzQTl5ZSpb9a5gvZzPkcuk7dRaWO_Cx450OJmI/s1600/nanotip_treasurehunt_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyE2LR1PD2o01qLeKA8m17kdUNzsPJlyAJkEBtBNS-PnfavTSfxmpXefNu2cSw0RnESSYr6UhNswHAp3XEfao1w27lgElWkiiS5QgBiEzQTl5ZSpb9a5gvZzPkcuk7dRaWO_Cx450OJmI/s320/nanotip_treasurehunt_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The time for National Novel Writing Month, aka <a href="http://nanowrimo.org/" target="_blank">NaNoWriMo</a>, is nearly upon us once again! This year, we lady pirates of <a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/" target="_blank">YA Buccaneers</a> have put our scurvy heads together to come up with a treasure hunt of advice for all you brave NaNo participants. And we have a prize drawing for you at the end of the journey! To learn more and get to the start of the treasure hunt, go here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2013/10/17/nanowrimothe-pirate-plan">www.yabuccaneers.com/blog/2013/10/17/nanowrimothe-pirate-plan</a><br />
<br />
Now, for my tip. Writing is solitary work, but one of the best parts of it is meeting other writers and sharing mutual support for the joys and the difficulties of the craft. NaNoWriMo is a prime example of how that support can help people accomplish amazing feats of writing! So take advantage of this time, and use the forums and Twitter to make new friends and participate in that group energy.<br />
<br />
And now you must head on to the next leg of your adventure with our smiling pirate <a href="http://ghenetmyrthil.com/2013/10/21/nanowrimo-tip-treasure-hunt/" target="_blank">Curly McGee</a>! Don't forget to comment below and enter the Rafflecopter to get your prize entry. I leave you now with this very NaNo-relevant quote from Jane Smiley, one that you may have seen me use before. I repeat it to myself regularly:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do is exist."</i></blockquote>
<br />
<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/83e6f66/" id="rc-83e6f66" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//d12vno17mo87cx.cloudfront.net/embed/rafl/cptr.js"></script>Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-62537929904311620192013-09-18T03:00:00.000-07:002013-09-18T07:48:31.744-07:00What's Up Wednesday: The Where I've Been Edition (With Cat Photos)Well, hellooooooo there, strangers! If it looks like I'm blinking a lot in the bright sunlight, it's because I've just crawled out of the deadline cave. And I survived! Because I cannot word anymore, I'm easing back into blogging with a What's Up Wednesday (the weekly meme started by <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/" target="_blank">Jaime Morrow</a> and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Erin Funke</a>, go sign up on either of their blogs!):<br />
<br />
<b>What I'm reading:</b><br />
<br />
Not much since early August, but I'm commencing a major reading binge, starting with these lovelies:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL6zegT8AcYVT7LP7WvLGcfbruLdHlVVD_eUhGjcEwUSd0vibLaIV6pW-CXRvnTVJsSrWzAt5WwI5uH-Apnelc1tewyNR3VsyEK7WwonkvKG6m4I4isotV50xheIsMTMLiiK0Y9mib8QD/s1600/IMG_20130916_125746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqL6zegT8AcYVT7LP7WvLGcfbruLdHlVVD_eUhGjcEwUSd0vibLaIV6pW-CXRvnTVJsSrWzAt5WwI5uH-Apnelc1tewyNR3VsyEK7WwonkvKG6m4I4isotV50xheIsMTMLiiK0Y9mib8QD/s320/IMG_20130916_125746.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>What I'm writing:</b><br />
<br />
The sequel to THE LOST PLANET! I turned in my completed draft to my editor Sunday night, and I'm feeling about a million pounds lighter. I had fun writing it, but it's no joke what people say about the first book under contract being a completely different animal than a book you write in your own free time. I learned a lot about what it takes, particularly energy- and focus-wise, to produce a book in a year, and I plan to use what I learned to make writing the next book go a little more smoothly. Because I'm not going to lie, there were some panic moments and maybe even an epic meltdown in there somewhere. Whew! I can laugh now because I'm on the other side.<br />
<br />
<b>What inspires me right now:</b><br />
<br />
Having free time for the first time in six weeks where I don't feel the constant pressure of a deadline. I haven't entirely lost that feeling of productive churn, and I'm trying to harness it to pick away at some new projects. More sequel ideas, and one Shiny New Idea that hit me like a hurricane while I was revising and has been vying for my attention ever since.<br />
<br />
<b>What else I've been up to:</b><br />
<br />
Um, besides my day job, that's about it. I've been a serious house rat for the past month, swearing off the gym, turning down social invitations, and ordering delivery when my refrigerator ran out of food. Luckily for my productivity, my husband has been out of town for most of the past month. <br />
<br />
One thing I did keep up on was my <a href="http://instagram.com/rachelsearles" target="_blank">Instagram</a> account (which is all cats and food, because what else?), so I'm going to paste in some shots of from this time period. As you can see, I was not entirely alone. I had my two house goblins, Jack and Simon:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0pLoGJatIe6c6UpaE3POIOq7XOB8IC0i7YD082qi44e-Vrih3CDpC0BnZH4fi_aQUENDyB2yf2SlIhe8IwYnYeS0xFlE7n2e5D06TcISKC9lKFQKHzkXc13BZHOaMzflEYZWlrRkXAtq/s1600/IMG_20130908_113421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0pLoGJatIe6c6UpaE3POIOq7XOB8IC0i7YD082qi44e-Vrih3CDpC0BnZH4fi_aQUENDyB2yf2SlIhe8IwYnYeS0xFlE7n2e5D06TcISKC9lKFQKHzkXc13BZHOaMzflEYZWlrRkXAtq/s320/IMG_20130908_113421.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nothing to see here.</i> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nOe3yagu8tF_UBlfOJd1wn5tdwFQrQTWM053hg8cvyblLzuc4K6IwwH2X4u3M1jsMZnuxII5x2kF2nBcJacoT-mb_f9Rtk6NwgzEKmSs9UGNuSft6dWLopUxIT6s4_uYi7PK5WVe3h_y/s1600/IMG_20130906_090642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4nOe3yagu8tF_UBlfOJd1wn5tdwFQrQTWM053hg8cvyblLzuc4K6IwwH2X4u3M1jsMZnuxII5x2kF2nBcJacoT-mb_f9Rtk6NwgzEKmSs9UGNuSft6dWLopUxIT6s4_uYi7PK5WVe3h_y/s320/IMG_20130906_090642.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I don't function without breakfast. Every day.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUj4uxlrBUf1rejFKg1aOJ99R5mtRVknHqhmaTTpnGGrlBWEpgKiwyFIqD6xWUrj1-eJ4Ww4bA5LDzMT6_UHDeJckgUCXxU7Qxz4OEjT-eei9ZGgcAo-gxQ12D2jwmPhOxVAhoXtiOHID/s1600/IMG_20130817_162721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTUj4uxlrBUf1rejFKg1aOJ99R5mtRVknHqhmaTTpnGGrlBWEpgKiwyFIqD6xWUrj1-eJ4Ww4bA5LDzMT6_UHDeJckgUCXxU7Qxz4OEjT-eei9ZGgcAo-gxQ12D2jwmPhOxVAhoXtiOHID/s320/IMG_20130817_162721.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My desk weasel.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaKWdRSr3ljP2HPPWVxgVhssARJ986iiyPRA2olcjEtnAIQ9fW1gLDVNkEck5arsf8Y1ACUlC89WJuE_UH2gJ-mb0Oe8Kx-qBO6m5sEim7NPEfEPBsxeuRhpB0eXYct0sml3dUzByxVfe/s1600/IMG_20130824_123628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaKWdRSr3ljP2HPPWVxgVhssARJ986iiyPRA2olcjEtnAIQ9fW1gLDVNkEck5arsf8Y1ACUlC89WJuE_UH2gJ-mb0Oe8Kx-qBO6m5sEim7NPEfEPBsxeuRhpB0eXYct0sml3dUzByxVfe/s320/IMG_20130824_123628.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>I ate a lot of kale. What can I say? I live in California. And kale is delicious. I pretended I was a vegan for part of the month.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4VqEP_lqALkvABv7ZYk3g_8BrJsNomR1WuHTJiabOGp1PF0xpPOfq7Dw-hgkNKZ2DPXjudzVJ-ES_qYBjN5tsvtMTnk_iV8x1XZVGjXnabId4GK6ATrDfNGsjBc0dcPejpc6sxHgvcWl/s1600/IMG_20130901_180937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4VqEP_lqALkvABv7ZYk3g_8BrJsNomR1WuHTJiabOGp1PF0xpPOfq7Dw-hgkNKZ2DPXjudzVJ-ES_qYBjN5tsvtMTnk_iV8x1XZVGjXnabId4GK6ATrDfNGsjBc0dcPejpc6sxHgvcWl/s320/IMG_20130901_180937.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Until my husband came home for Labor Day, and cooked up this 9-lb rib roast.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2fXJ-Nx2jY9tquFAOqBaLyePslZ9MI-jKxdY0SO2QSyJUJfVfyeLHyqvCZO2Ko5gvvAE195mDG4Bacci4JSqwAWWBbddQf0mH3-NROcfYiw7bhPj5gwuVnm6Q3eQzh3u7de3M9N6p04h/s1600/IMG_20130901_174024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2fXJ-Nx2jY9tquFAOqBaLyePslZ9MI-jKxdY0SO2QSyJUJfVfyeLHyqvCZO2Ko5gvvAE195mDG4Bacci4JSqwAWWBbddQf0mH3-NROcfYiw7bhPj5gwuVnm6Q3eQzh3u7de3M9N6p04h/s320/IMG_20130901_174024.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We took our cat out on the patio on a leash. He loves his leash. Or at least the outdoor time that it brings. The leash is more like a hobble.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw19TzGIFqzEMiWAUc-QRnq49xXLq2WclJ6WsP5wzptVmSotL8c3nZAhXwYbIKGB_MlcY4PAEAyGi-sySoGWWckI_RjFH8G29TMQjqpuyVIKcbArgonBi18DjjExkscJiqy4Bjk3-IpZmX/s1600/IMG_20130907_131143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw19TzGIFqzEMiWAUc-QRnq49xXLq2WclJ6WsP5wzptVmSotL8c3nZAhXwYbIKGB_MlcY4PAEAyGi-sySoGWWckI_RjFH8G29TMQjqpuyVIKcbArgonBi18DjjExkscJiqy4Bjk3-IpZmX/s320/IMG_20130907_131143.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My cats are there for me when I'm writing.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6u3b-ypw334dk9OoDWzQ31HrJk7q5HekiYlttXr3ffQHfIxSC59PAMpS-f7gEiBjLCmcv07XkR4vYlEvlDni56XUVZZ607XyNOM1WTHqfJteuCOttg4wNhsCq75nEX6A7vEIGsQgkNay/s1600/IMG_20130907_145229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6u3b-ypw334dk9OoDWzQ31HrJk7q5HekiYlttXr3ffQHfIxSC59PAMpS-f7gEiBjLCmcv07XkR4vYlEvlDni56XUVZZ607XyNOM1WTHqfJteuCOttg4wNhsCq75nEX6A7vEIGsQgkNay/s320/IMG_20130907_145229.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There when I'm revising.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFr8qQCZI_USaSEOk1nlF4ze3HJ0po9zzkTetSdrWUhZssBVvrecGWU9lifOCSpUG87kF3UJ6U6uNIZMvXwkS1N4-Ofp3mSSIj6HzaT285TOeruwiYQCxWp90crp7qVXKT_kr7qd_e-SA/s1600/IMG_20130816_210853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIFr8qQCZI_USaSEOk1nlF4ze3HJ0po9zzkTetSdrWUhZssBVvrecGWU9lifOCSpUG87kF3UJ6U6uNIZMvXwkS1N4-Ofp3mSSIj6HzaT285TOeruwiYQCxWp90crp7qVXKT_kr7qd_e-SA/s320/IMG_20130816_210853.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>There with me burning the candle on those long, late nights.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2gEsnp6QZLot2O5Yh_st5MU_CG72EpUoGBRitD-m_Pwc4OpHEwB3vkt80Mtgthava8B5OxpMK4V9D2fGSFX4kfW4bPMxutaY8sDqGhwkn0ZOBe4eY_xKmPJ_vuKOvc0y37YeETPOqWQI/s1600/IMG_20130906_170142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX2gEsnp6QZLot2O5Yh_st5MU_CG72EpUoGBRitD-m_Pwc4OpHEwB3vkt80Mtgthava8B5OxpMK4V9D2fGSFX4kfW4bPMxutaY8sDqGhwkn0ZOBe4eY_xKmPJ_vuKOvc0y37YeETPOqWQI/s320/IMG_20130906_170142.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>And finally, a shot from the final stretch. Husband sent flowers and a sweet note of encouragement. Awwwww.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And that's where I've been! What have you been up to?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-45215802632826989912013-08-08T05:00:00.000-07:002013-08-08T05:00:04.155-07:00A Quickie Update<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPJZ6erfakpFn_xwJJPwGQQXG8KQxDUZRmOS6edUJK84Una3uiHEGdeYN-vOIDAYzWzIUkhzQ2fBsLfsUTRUTdegWOHj0xfaKr4tnJs0Defe-aufkoW_84NveK_gBiYPWe3Nw2LTo38Pl/s1600/IMG_20130807_211812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPJZ6erfakpFn_xwJJPwGQQXG8KQxDUZRmOS6edUJK84Una3uiHEGdeYN-vOIDAYzWzIUkhzQ2fBsLfsUTRUTdegWOHj0xfaKr4tnJs0Defe-aufkoW_84NveK_gBiYPWe3Nw2LTo38Pl/s320/IMG_20130807_211812.JPG" width="212" /></a>I haven't been blogging much as there's a deadline looming in my near future, but this week I'm up in the Bay Area on a work trip for my day job. Sitting alone in my hotel room at night is making me stir crazy, so I thought I'd hop online for some quick updates.<br />
<br />
First and most exciting--we've sold translation rights for THE LOST PLANET in Spain! This is my first foreign sale and I'm so thankful to New Leaf's incredibly awesome subsidiary rights director, Kathleen Ortiz. I'm super excited to share my book with Spanish readers!<br />
<br />
Last weekend was the summer SCBWI conference in Los Angeles, which was a blast as always. This was my fourth year attending, and I couldn't help but marvel at the changes that have happened since that first conference:<br />
<br />
Year 1: clueless writer with a completed mess of a manuscript and no friends<br />
Year 2: aspiring writer with a manuscript in revisions who'd started to make a few new friends<br />
Year 3: querying writer who had just received an offer of representation the day before the conference<br />
Year 4: soon-to-be-published author with a two-book deal!<br />
<br />
These days I don't attend the conference so much for the content being offered as for the chance to spend time with "old" writer friends and make new ones. I also hosted the always-delightful <a href="http://ghenetmyrthil.com/%E2%80%8E" target="_blank">Ghenet Myrthil</a> at my home and had a ton of fun getting to know her better. And as an added bonus, my agent was on the faculty this year and I got to spend a bunch of time with her, which was so awesome. I seriously still have to pinch myself some days because I can't believe I get to work with her. She's the best!<br />
<br />
I'm spending the weekend in beautiful San Francisco with my husband, but starting next week I'm going to be on a mega-tight schedule and will probably not be blogging for a while. So enjoy the rest of your summers, and I'll see you on the other side!Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-52385421288497440342013-07-18T04:00:00.000-07:002013-07-18T04:00:11.160-07:00Congratulations Jessica!If you live on the moon, maybe you haven't heard the news yet. Jessica Love has announced her book deal with St. Martin's Press--she's co-writing a YA novel with Chelsie Hill from the Sundance Channel's PUSH GIRLS!!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">YAY JESS!!!!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJMSh3xjt-Ho_XfbATjJHfxbk5IKpMkKFKIUOB2zMOZvYRbr8Qk4dLzCplI0hJJABRvWAyPeICW3PGlzlqLBleqDx-dVC8VDv79SXZ5Z7o2Vpwm-V26_E_OdCm7xuuFj_p0O3YxNpCaG3/s1600/excited3.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJMSh3xjt-Ho_XfbATjJHfxbk5IKpMkKFKIUOB2zMOZvYRbr8Qk4dLzCplI0hJJABRvWAyPeICW3PGlzlqLBleqDx-dVC8VDv79SXZ5Z7o2Vpwm-V26_E_OdCm7xuuFj_p0O3YxNpCaG3/s320/excited3.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Jessica is one of the funniest and most hard-working people I know. She works long, hard hours in her job as a middle school English eacher, on top of which she is working on her MFA, fits in all this writing, and yet she still has a fun social life! I just get tired thinking about it--I don't know how she does it. Go read more about the fortuitous timing of her incredible book deal and give her a virtual high five here: <a href="http://www.jessica-love.net/2013/07/in-which-i-shock-you-all-with-surprise.html" style="text-align: center;">http://www.jessica-love.net/2013/07/in-which-i-shock-you-all-with-surprise.html</a>Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-79553059349253388182013-07-01T01:10:00.000-07:002013-07-01T21:51:53.394-07:00Introducing the YA Buccaneers!<a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4LgmpjtJAtQ3KMyuSmNFM0IAH3x5JKGpdR6h9OaxPgZgojVNj8rE6bZakwICd0afmoPa3gktP4qp1RSZzuZsH48u7TJwuOsJ4TAW1KnUy9OhRrjhSeqS0nzbtbDsIvivAHFz2mCY9x_3o/s200/bucs.png" width="200" /></a>Greetings from Istanbul! I'm jumping online mid-vacation to share something new and fun! Some fantastic writers have been working on a secret project for a while now, and just recently I was thrilled to accept an invitation to join their merry crew.<br />
<br />
And now the big day is here!!! We are so excited to announce the launch of our new group blog:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/"> The YA Buccaneers!</a><br />
<br />
A combined effort by ten amazing ladies, we've put together some pretty awesome content that we hope you'll come on by to check out!<br />
<br />
Today's the official day of launch -- over the next two weeks we'll be introducing you to each member of the crew, not to mention, hosting a pretty incredible giveaway for all those that would like to join us on our journey!<br />
<br />
Adventure awaits and we can't wait to set sail with you!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.yabuccaneers.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPY0A5XOm8YkXwfiMaeM3SegLfsiumoyrG7BRbnV6hCh22fo05VnCOWQprXKBgq1rkp-lQsfrlokLNzu9XS3N8QRXTpfnOEk4II65OJ1xFHqQmLMiOxNSmrAtSlS6mLCpSzrQZc3KNvMgZ/s400/bucs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-89829408387179435972013-06-19T06:00:00.000-07:002013-06-19T07:02:29.913-07:00What's Up Wednesday<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIbChlrznuy2cGCSV7ALOP2lL160niYsn3tZ0LKeb8Uj5ZqCOpJwqu6x1_cZT4fzESoDPK6990xkD3sldqIE2MZcswdncnqA4wGW0_wFO9QyTZwCXXNpVWtL8o01D4kMO_qxaJrWuV0Jr/s1600/Wednesday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIbChlrznuy2cGCSV7ALOP2lL160niYsn3tZ0LKeb8Uj5ZqCOpJwqu6x1_cZT4fzESoDPK6990xkD3sldqIE2MZcswdncnqA4wGW0_wFO9QyTZwCXXNpVWtL8o01D4kMO_qxaJrWuV0Jr/s200/Wednesday.jpg" width="153" /></a><i><b>What's Up Wednesday</b> is a weekly meme, started by <a href="http://www.jaime-morrow.com/">Jaime Morrow</a> and <a href="http://erinlfunk.blogspot.com/">Erin Funk</a>, that helps readers and writers touch base with blog friends and let them know what's up. If you'd like to join in, you can find the link widget on Jaime's and Erin's blog posts. </i><br />
<br />
<b>What I'm Reading</b><br />
<br />
I've had to fit my reading in between the cracks lately, so I'm not reading anything very quickly, but at the moment I'm really enjoying the copy of <i>The Fifth Wave </i>I picked up at BEA. I'm also gradually slogging my way through <i>A Clash Of Kings</i>. I'd like to finish all the Ice & Fire books before the next season of the show starts, but holy LONG. It's kind of painful when you read and read and don't even advance 1% on the progress bar. I do have some binge reading time coming up because I'm leaving tomorrow for a 17-day vacation. I've got some fun ARCs, but I don't like to bring physical books on vacation with me, so I'll be hitting the backlog of awesomeness on my e-reader.<br />
<br />
<b>What I'm Writing</b><br />
<br />
I'm racing for the finish line right now in the first draft of the sequel to THE LOST PLANET--hoping to get it done before take-off at 7pm tomorrow! I may treat myself to a little champagne on the flight if that happens, because writing a sequel on deadline is to writing the first book like motocross racing on a mudslide is to taking a two-week bike tour of Provence. This is a draft that's for my eyes only--I was figuring it out as I went, so right now the front end doesn't match the back end...at all. But at least the hard part's done!<br />
<br />
<b>What Else I'm Doing</b><br />
<br />
As I mentioned, I'm leaving tomorrow for a vacation, aka the European wedding tour. We're going to an old friend's wedding in Bonn, Germany this weekend, and then joining a group from the wedding party to vacation in Israel for a week. I've never been to Israel before, and I'm so excited to see it! Afterwards we're flying up to Istanbul for the wedding of one of my husband's best childhood friends and to spend time with family--including my husband's brand new nephew! I love Istanbul so much and I can't wait for sunny, tea-filled mornings and warm Bosphorus evenings. (And don't worry, we'll be perfectly safe there.)<br />
<br />
<b>What Inspires Me Right Now</b><br />
<b><br /></b>I can't listen to music while I'm writing, but I do keep a playlist of music for getting into the mood of each book. If you're curious about these kinds of things, here are two of the main songs from the playlist for the book I'm drafting:<br />
<br />
<i>(Note: Apparently you need to have Spotify installed for these buttons to work...blerg. Embedded YouTube videos of these songs don't play on Blogger, but if you really want to listen to these tunes, you can check them out on YouTube: <a href="http://youtu.be/WSeNSzJ2-Jw">Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites</a>, and <a href="http://youtu.be/9sluHJGcxek">Allegretto from Palladio</a>.)</i><br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:4rwpZEcnalkuhPyGkEdhu0" width="300"></iframe><br />
<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="380" src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:track:53mkuKhMFe2bvQyIVoAfKC" width="300"></iframe>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-84684572898093798072013-06-10T11:25:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:25:03.672-07:00Imogen Howson interview over at OneFourKidlit <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K36vAz23yNcp_ogyrxvYIYW26IvqraUObgbRmj5MKyqY21uCs4DTCRYXjiI9p85lN6GUnDK6UWdt85LaV-x4ZGHqAgMhYT-8eqyKgdQUrbu2gB9w5IhIZTIyiuYMeF3f0m3B7knFDob7/s1600/linked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_K36vAz23yNcp_ogyrxvYIYW26IvqraUObgbRmj5MKyqY21uCs4DTCRYXjiI9p85lN6GUnDK6UWdt85LaV-x4ZGHqAgMhYT-8eqyKgdQUrbu2gB9w5IhIZTIyiuYMeF3f0m3B7knFDob7/s320/linked.jpg" width="211" /></a>Hey all! I just wanted to let you know that today over on <a href="http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/">OneFourKidlit</a> I'm interviewing <a href="http://imogenhowson.com/">Imogen Howson</a>, author of the breathtaking YA space thriller <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14999965-linked">LINKED</a>, which comes out tomorrow from Simon & Schuster!! Imogen was super fun to interview and kind enough to send me her very last ARC all the way from sunny England.<br />
<br />
LINKED has it all--page-turning action, beautiful writing, crazy twists, and a romantic lead so swoony that even I (who am NOT a romance reader) had a huge crush on him. I highly recommend you check this book out.<br />
<br />
To learn more about how Imogen wrote LINKED and what she used as inspiration for describing foreign planets and spaceships, go read the interview <a href="http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/2013/06/10/gettin-lucky-an-interview-with-imogen-howson-author-of-linked/">here</a>!Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-6147558757670359062013-06-07T13:14:00.000-07:002013-06-14T11:18:15.894-07:00BEA recap!I'm a little late with my BEA recap, but <i>sweet Moses</i> was I exhausted when I got home. I slept on the entire six-hour flight back to L.A., came home, went to bed and slept for five hours, woke up totally disoriented, ate a sandwich and watched Mad Men with my husband, and went back to bed. SO TIRED. <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(Maybe going to Vegas the weekend before BEA wasn't the best plan...)</span></i><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgKjEsYxjUyWHGFQ6nntg8A7KZ3jW-9eijB8isVKnIp09eM35AmC7-O7wlwoSCdZeYUB9PoydmRiKrzX_PYlXFSu0936nWNB1xaAbjQUhNZhfe3qadfzRCmOc20Qg7PkfVTwqFFj2nq3Y/s1600/IMG_20130530_161050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgKjEsYxjUyWHGFQ6nntg8A7KZ3jW-9eijB8isVKnIp09eM35AmC7-O7wlwoSCdZeYUB9PoydmRiKrzX_PYlXFSu0936nWNB1xaAbjQUhNZhfe3qadfzRCmOc20Qg7PkfVTwqFFj2nq3Y/s200/IMG_20130530_161050.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anyhow, I'm caught up on sleep and feeling human again and here to tell you that BEA was excellent! I didn't spend a ton of time on the trade show floor, but how inspiring is it to be surrounded by thousands of book lovers? I got to meet fellow OneFourKidlit authors <a href="http://susanadrian.blogspot.com/%E2%80%8E">Susan Adrian</a> and <a href="http://www.byericacameron.com/">Erica Cameron</a> (who came to my signing and got my very first ever signed ARC!), and lots of other awesome online writer friends. Hooray for meeting IRL!<br />
<br />
One of the big highlights of the trip for me was that I finally got to meet and spend some time with my editor, Liz Szabla, who is utterly gracious and cool and reinforced my belief that I am working with the very best people. She also introduced me to fellow Feiwel author James Preller who is the nicest guy ever and has a new <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16075922-home-sweet-horror">MG horror series</a> coming out. Perfect Halloween gifts for my nephews, yes?<br />
<br />
My ARC signing was on Friday, and it went splendidly. So bizarre and wonderful to meet people who are excited for my book! Here is photographic evidence of how I grinned like a maniac the entire time, with the delightful Anna Roberto of Macmillan looking on.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVG9iGJCKfvRhPL8ySChl9Eq7iuhscMytt2Vx8DQJTRWHKarXs4AW7_OyFAiwb1wsEAoPwrFJaUFtZdHQ-Dy37ucH0m9LdL1_89lxYBDHd14InvpYDQLOOAMC0p550rW2OaiiHVJC4Sk6/s1600/20130531_112459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieVG9iGJCKfvRhPL8ySChl9Eq7iuhscMytt2Vx8DQJTRWHKarXs4AW7_OyFAiwb1wsEAoPwrFJaUFtZdHQ-Dy37ucH0m9LdL1_89lxYBDHd14InvpYDQLOOAMC0p550rW2OaiiHVJC4Sk6/s320/20130531_112459.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>(Side note: Yes, I am aware that I hold my pen funny. I've always held it this way, except for a few years in elementary school where I was made to hold it the "right" way with a pencil grip. As soon as I was able to take the pencil grip off, I tried out this old way again, thought </i>Yes this feels better<i>, and never looked back. Sorry, most excellent Bruce Township Elementary teachers--you did your best.)</i></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The whole experience went by so quickly, and I'm very grateful I had the opportunity to be there, meet so many incredible people, and learn so much. Now I'm settling in for the long haul (235 days to go!), and putting nose to the grindstone on book 2. It's definitely a different experience than writing the first book, but I'm learning a lot about myself as a writer (sloppy first draft! revisions are my friend!) and it's going pretty well.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
A final word of BEA advice: If you're going to go, go with a friend. The fantabulous <a href="http://www.elizabethbriggs.com/">Liz Briggs</a> flew out with me, and it was so nice so have someone to touch base with during the day and decompress with in the evening. Also, did you know that she has mad ninja skillz when it comes to getting highly coveted ARCs? I gave her my little wishlist, which included <i>The Dream Thieves</i> by Maggie Stiefvater and <i>Rose Under Fire</i> by Elizabeth Wein, and wouldn't you know:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0JNRxVD_wnEdHaqZatY2uzFE6hcdxdzVesA39AhTIMHOtuAkRcHd-RM3mb1mUKsMq0idpxH48Ozg9H0Mf_lmKzE3ASK95WLN2EZQRYyYu6RxfjHPqEoGk60qA5iTvETWAYVYPrSMnLLO/s1600/IMG_20130602_132146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM0JNRxVD_wnEdHaqZatY2uzFE6hcdxdzVesA39AhTIMHOtuAkRcHd-RM3mb1mUKsMq0idpxH48Ozg9H0Mf_lmKzE3ASK95WLN2EZQRYyYu6RxfjHPqEoGk60qA5iTvETWAYVYPrSMnLLO/s320/IMG_20130602_132146.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ninja! <3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-90667118863625642242013-05-29T07:06:00.000-07:002013-05-29T07:06:35.141-07:00YAY KAT!!!I'm so excited to finally be able to help share my good friend Kathryn Rose's exciting book deal news--she sold her steampunk Camelot YA in a two-book deal to Flux!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZpXOhrAVxY1O8yaCCAwcQvsB02N3pxHnTbMUfHZ9zOXpjCAJHUBsaxWBBAmNLoJYOLqW3bA5NTdJ0VmraG4hCWNvxr2hIT0HiXGlfCvEP-BsGF3i6ou3GrtTWxynsAyXVIU6YWYFDO-w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-28+at+11.05.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNZpXOhrAVxY1O8yaCCAwcQvsB02N3pxHnTbMUfHZ9zOXpjCAJHUBsaxWBBAmNLoJYOLqW3bA5NTdJ0VmraG4hCWNvxr2hIT0HiXGlfCvEP-BsGF3i6ou3GrtTWxynsAyXVIU6YWYFDO-w/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-05-28+at+11.05.05+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
HOORAY KAT!!! I first met Kat almost exactly a year ago at a writing retreat, and now I cannot imagine the writing world without her witty humor and delicious brownies. Head over to <a href="http://kathrynrosewrites.blogspot.com/">her blog</a> to read more and give her your congrats!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>AND NOW WE DANCE THE HAPPY DANCE:</b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQssowvXp70sGVEvmq1bB3_OuPmPnmRCbkjokVVUYjFdmLNMVafA8mk_vbAg8pBQ89L6B6QL88kqwc2iWRloLTcQQB0RKVBKAyA7aopGqoqWwRm5ggDdAYOzPlI9IoSomLQnL7zIvQgu4/s1600/lmfao.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsQssowvXp70sGVEvmq1bB3_OuPmPnmRCbkjokVVUYjFdmLNMVafA8mk_vbAg8pBQ89L6B6QL88kqwc2iWRloLTcQQB0RKVBKAyA7aopGqoqWwRm5ggDdAYOzPlI9IoSomLQnL7zIvQgu4/s320/lmfao.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-44347162316852513232013-05-21T14:06:00.000-07:002013-05-21T16:40:13.076-07:00New digs! My new website is live! Come on in and take a gander: <a href="http://www.rachelsearles.com/">www.rachelsearles.com</a>. I'm so happy with the way it turned out, which is thanks to the very talented Mark Figlozzi at <a href="http://bizango.net/">Bizango</a>. I'm also happy to move away from my Awkward Girl blog title. Don't worry, I'm still just as awkward as ever, but I've moved on from those early what-the-heck-am-I-doing days (to a slightly more self-aware what-the-heck-am-I-doing phase).<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGTuHz7IO42myoFwUGUjkO3jMdTMvLHcuRpn5BwXKy5_2plp2v5misf9ezD_WFPOZNNF8jDerdSjc-yOpDxqEkt6qKqXNeC-R5BswAP7wBI7wAeGRWZBfYLe8ErIDaB1-dqGXm_M6IgGq/s1600/sofa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGTuHz7IO42myoFwUGUjkO3jMdTMvLHcuRpn5BwXKy5_2plp2v5misf9ezD_WFPOZNNF8jDerdSjc-yOpDxqEkt6qKqXNeC-R5BswAP7wBI7wAeGRWZBfYLe8ErIDaB1-dqGXm_M6IgGq/s320/sofa.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My reading nook</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In other news, BEA is next week! Ack! I can't wait, even if the idea of having ARCs out in the wild makes me want to simultaneously dance a jig and pull the covers over my head. I'm still drafting the sequel, and a couple of weeks ago I finally got that nice big CLICK of important pieces dropping into place. That feeling is the best, no? I spent last weekend up in the mountains at Lake Arrowhead with my local writer pals on our annual retreat, which was so much fun and so inspiring. I wish we could do these once a month instead of once a year!<br />
<br />
As for books, my reading time has been pretty tight lately, so to remedy that I did something dumb with a heavy propane tank that resulted in several days of bedrest. When I wasn't zonked out I read GONE GIRL and ELEANOR & PARK, both of which caught my eye due to massive word of mouth. I think I was too overhyped on GG by the time I read it, but E&P was unexpected and lovely and the kind of story where you rush through the obligations of your day so you can get back to reading it. I also read an ARC of <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14999965-linked">LINKED</a> by Imogen Howson, and WOW! Such an intense ride! I'll be interviewing Imogen on the <a href="http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/">OneFourKidlit blog</a> next month on her publication date, June 11th, so keep an eye out for that!<br />
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-7398226915818996172013-04-26T11:45:00.000-07:002013-05-15T15:10:59.342-07:00In which I get to show you...MY COVER!!!Today I am absolutely hyperactively excited to share with the world the cover for my debut <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17454743-the-lost-planet">THE LOST PLANET</a>!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Here it is!!!!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAEKUQF97qZhqEuhKIthmzvf4h-j_M1xh7uOksvqTW9MYb6cTjbdVvwZTVfYYm0QGOQ0otoP73OLBO0glTsK1bF_u8pcgkjySLD_tbDlFdrjzjHkFeH2fozPkHO9JiH19Ua4fMigxB7ZE/s1600/LostPlanet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAEKUQF97qZhqEuhKIthmzvf4h-j_M1xh7uOksvqTW9MYb6cTjbdVvwZTVfYYm0QGOQ0otoP73OLBO0glTsK1bF_u8pcgkjySLD_tbDlFdrjzjHkFeH2fozPkHO9JiH19Ua4fMigxB7ZE/s640/LostPlanet.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Isn't it FABULOUS?!! The gorgeous artwork was done by the very talented <a href="http://jasonchanart.blogspot.com/">Jason Chan</a>, and I have to say, the first time I saw it, it completely blew my mind. Actually, the first time I saw it, I was at an eye appointment without my glasses, peering at my phone with my -9.5 vision, and it still BLEW MY MIND. I had no idea what to expect with my cover, and I'm so very, very happy that the artist and the brilliant people at Feiwel and Friends came up with something that captures the spirit of the book so perfectly!! Tell me what you think in the comments, I'd love to hear!<br />
<br />
In other news, I also received these lovelies in the mail yesterday:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesGVD_dIjLb1_dgTpu3QoAF4L4URLOdQr_8Q296NPkH5itxX_0bwNTvqCRu8Bc1-snAAnG0KjUy0qRmINHrv1efcajfFgxUl7ODgxWSnCMWEL5VzIDvnjGCfDR9YYupjR7PFF5x5iMzMm/s1600/arcs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiesGVD_dIjLb1_dgTpu3QoAF4L4URLOdQr_8Q296NPkH5itxX_0bwNTvqCRu8Bc1-snAAnG0KjUy0qRmINHrv1efcajfFgxUl7ODgxWSnCMWEL5VzIDvnjGCfDR9YYupjR7PFF5x5iMzMm/s320/arcs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Real live ARCs!! (<i>ARC = advance reader copy, for those who may not know...an uncorrected early version, not the final hardcover!</i>) I may have spent a little time yesterday staring at them...and may even have taken a whiff or two of the pages. Book smell! My signing time at BEA is Friday the 31st from 11-12, so if you're going to be there, do come by and be sure to introduce yourself!!</div>
<br />Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-81829514060487433332013-04-12T12:17:00.003-07:002013-04-27T11:38:14.666-07:00Friday TidbitsHappy Friday! I've got a few things to share with you all today:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr8fjpElX6PfrJLMGU-F_vWj0GVklKkaj49jVrHI4iaTT7MeSh5y9soAT-f4NPqTNEruAPmr4i6fYYatgt5N1kFX50d5pqE2vm4-NnGBts2qcpGbQUpH2CS7sLI2U57lWywoobFOK6LU9/s1600/IMG_20130412_115657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr8fjpElX6PfrJLMGU-F_vWj0GVklKkaj49jVrHI4iaTT7MeSh5y9soAT-f4NPqTNEruAPmr4i6fYYatgt5N1kFX50d5pqE2vm4-NnGBts2qcpGbQUpH2CS7sLI2U57lWywoobFOK6LU9/s320/IMG_20130412_115657.jpg" width="255" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My well-traveled elephant bush at its new home</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
First off--check it out! My book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Lost-Planet-Rachel-Searles/dp/1250038790/">available for pre-order</a> on Amazon! This is very surreal to me.<br />
<br />
Second, the <a href="http://az290931.vo.msecnd.net/www.bookexpoamerica.com/RNA/RNA_BookExpo_V2/documents/2013/BEA13_Autographing_SneakPeek_FULL.pdfx$query$xvx$eq$x635007911086400436">BEA autographing authors</a> list is out, and if you scroll down far enough you'll see my little name! Yes, I will be signing ARCs of THE LOST PLANET at BEA this spring! Right now this is kind of terrifying to me, but I'm sure it will be fun. I just feel bad for whoever the poor soul is that ends up first in line, because I can't promise I'll sign much more than a line of shaky chicken scratch on that first copy.<br />
<br />
Third, it's not ready quite yet, but soon I will be launching my new website! I've been working with a very talented <a href="http://www.bizango.net/">web designer who specializes in author's sites</a>, and I'm very excited about what he's come up with. I can't wait to share it, so keep an eye out for changes ahead.<br />
<br />
The move went smoothly and we're finally settled in our new home, although the garage is still full of unopened boxes. I've been made to promise that I will sort through my books and give all the inessential ones away before our next move. As I slowly put them all back on their shelves, I have to admit that this seems like a reasonable demand. But today is not for unpacking--today is for celebrating because some of my <a href="http://www.elizabethbriggs.net/">very</a> <a href="http://www.jessica-love.net/">favorite</a> <a href="http://kathrynrosewrites.blogspot.com/">writers</a> are on their way over <i>as I type</i> for a Friday mini-retreat. Huzzah! <i>*scampers away to fire up the coffee pot*</i>Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4427684969035857472.post-4443515269476600682013-03-25T06:00:00.000-07:002013-04-27T11:38:01.164-07:00Interview and some updatesHey all, my intro interview is up over at the OneFour Kidlit blog: <br />
<br />
<a href="http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/rachel-searles-the-lost-planet/">http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/2013/03/25/rachel-searles-the-lost-planet/ </a><br />
<br />
Pop over and check it out, and then stick around and read all the other intro posts of my fellow 2014 debut kidlit authors. But be prepared to get very excited, because there are some amazing books coming out next year!<br />
<br />
Other infobites:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>My book is up on <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17454743-the-lost-planet">Goodreads</a>! If you add it to your shelves, I will feel all happy and loved. </li>
<li>Something fun to read: my publisher, Feiwel and Friends, has been running a weekly feature on their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/feiwelandfriends">Facebook page</a> highlighting different members of their staff. Lots of fun facts and pictures--even a photo of a Newfoundland getting acupuncture. I wonder if they do that for anxious cats...</li>
<li>After reaching 3,000 likes on the Grisha Facebook page, the powers that be have made the second chapter of Leigh Bardugo's Siege and Storm available <a href="https://apps.facebook.com/grishatrilogy/home/">here</a>! As if your appetites needed any more whetting for the June 4th release date. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
As for me, right now I'm preparing for some upheaval since we're moving house in about a week. I've been stressing about how to keep packing, unpacking, and all the accompanying address-change paperwork from overtaking my daily allotment of writing time. But certain adjustments in have been made to accomodate this, and as long as I keep some degree of discipline, I'll have more writing time than ever. This may be the point where I draw up a daily time management chart. Have any of you ever used one? Did it work?Rachel Searleshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09413906883952940334noreply@blogger.com4