THE SUMMER LOVIN' TOUR...

That's right, West Coasters, we're heading your way! 

If you're in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, or Phoenix areas, here's your chance to see Suzanne Young, Shannon Messenger, Jessi Kirby, Morgan Matson, Sarah Ockler, and me all in one place (or four if you're in So. Cal and love us enough to come see us at ALL of our LA-area stops!). 

We'll be playing games, answering questions, chatting about our books, and discussing...well, summer lovin'. (Just saying that makes me want to break out my GREASE album and sing a duet with John Travolta!)

So bring yourselves, your friends, and (as Shannon Messenger says) all the non-creepy strangers you can wrangle, and meet us there...we can't wait to see you!!!

SECRETS REVEALED!

Have you ever had a secret that you wanted to tell so badly you started avoiding people because you were afraid you might let it slip? And even though you knew how much trouble you’d be in, a part of you still kinda wanted to “accidently” tell just so it would FINALLY be out there???

Well, I’ve been keeping one of those secrets. A really exciting one. The kind of secret that limited my Twitter, Tumblr and even my Facebook activity because I was afraid I would, in a moment of weakness, hint at something I shouldn’t. Well, no more! I can finally tell you my secret:

I have a new book deal!!!!

You have no idea how good it feels to FINALLY be able to say that! Out loud! And in public! Well, on my blog at least.

It’s not that I’ve been keeping this secret for so long, it’s just that I’ve been dying to tell you guys everything! About the book, the details, and that it will be available in stores in about a year from now!      

And, you guys, can I just tell you…I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! I know I say this about all my books, and I mean it, I really do. But I really, really, really mean it when I tell you I love this one. This story and these characters…I simply cannot wait to share them with you!

For real!

So here’s part of the official, fancy deal announcement that hit Publisher’s Weekly today (and the reason I can finally tell you all about this new series):

HC Takes ‘The Taking’

"The new series is tentatively called the Taking, which is also the title of the first book. The series will follow the story of a teen who wakes up after one lost night, to find that five years have passed and everything about the life she remembers has changed, even though she’s still the same 16-year-old that she was when she vanished. Publication of The Taking is planned for summer 2014, and film and television rights are being handled by Alicia Gordon, Ashley Fox, and Erin Conroy of William Morris Endeavor Entertainment. Derting’s earlier series the Body Finder has been published in 12 foreign territories, and the Pledge, another series, has been published in nine."

For the full article, click here.

And in case it wasn’t clear, here’s how I’m feeling right now: 

Yes...that good!!!

ICONS: Take Me To Your Reader Tour!

Friends don’t let friends tour alone! That’s right, in honor of the May 7th launch of Margaret Stohl’s (of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES) new sci-fi series, ICONS, some of the most amazing YA authors E-V-E-R have banded together and are joining Ms. Stohl on the road. Just when you thought YA book tours couldn’t get any more awesome, along comes the ICONS: Take Me To Your Reader Tour to blow the rest of them out of the water! 

And how cool is it that I get to be a teeny tiny part of all that awesome???

For the full tour schedule, check out the ICONS Tumblr page here.

And in case you were wondering, here’s which stops you can find me on: 

San Francisco area – Wednesday May 8 at 6:30 pm at the Redwood Shores Library (hosted by Keplers) – Margaret Stohl, Kami Garcia, Melissa de la Cruz, Leigh Bardugo, and me!

Seattle – Thursday May 9 at 7:00 pm – Pierce County Library – Margaret Stohl, Leigh Bardugo, Marissa Meyer, and me.

Seattle – Friday May 10^th at 6:30 pm – Third Place Books – Margaret Stohl and me in conversation with a Special Guest Moderator.  Details TBA.

Trust me, I’m reading ICONS now and I’m completely hooked—this book is AMAZING!  You should definitely check the schedule and mark your calendar for the nearest stop!

BIG LAUNCH PARTY REMINDER!!!

Consider this the string to tie around your finger to remind you that this Friday, April 19th, is the BIG launch party for DEAD SILENCE!

And, man, oh man, am I ready to celebrate!

Books? Check.

Prizes? Check.

Sappy speech in which I try to sound like I didn't prepare anything in advance but really I've been practicing in front of my bathroom mirror for weeks? You betcha!

So don't leave me hanging...come see me at Garfield Books in Tacoma this Friday, April 19th at 7:00PM.

GARFIELD BOOK COMPANY
208 Garfield Street, Suite 101
Tacoma, WA, 98444
(253) 535-7665

Seriously, you guys, if you don't come, then why did I spend weeks practicing my fake I-promised-I-wasn't-gonna-cry move??? But if you really can't make it, you can still order signed copies of my books by clicking here!

And just for the record, I love you guys and can't wait to see you!!!!

Kim

Coming To RT???

If you're in or around the Kansas City area, RT is getting ready to throw one of the craziest parties of the year right in your backyard!

On Saturday, May 4th, the moon and stars align, and some of the most amazing YA authors around gather for this once-a-year event: RT TEEN DAY!!! (Otherwise known as: My favorite day of the convention!)

For just $25, one young adult (up to 20 years old) and one companion get admission for an entire day of signing, panels, and partying, including free books and swag! This event is open to the public, and you don't technically have to be a "young adult" to enter, but teens get extra bonus stuff that the grown-ups don't!

You can get all the details here, but be prepared, this is an all day adventure, so wear your comfy shoes ;)

DEAD SILENCE Launch Party!!!

So it's that time again...launch party time! Only this time it's bittersweet because we're celebrating the end (probably!) of the Body Finder series.

DEAD SILENCE, which releases on April 16th, is the fourth and (most likely!) final installment in Violet's journey, and we need you to come help us send this series off with a bang!

Dying to find out what happened after the ending of THE LAST ECHO? Well, now's your chance to snag one of the first copies of DEAD SILENCE. Haven't read the first book in the series yet? No problem, this is the perfect time to come and get your full set...and to have them all signed. Or maybe you just want some cookies and a good laugh. Well, at least we'll have cookies... ;)

Seriously, I couldn't have done any of this without you guys, so ending the series (for now, at least!) without you would be a real bummer. Come say goodbye with me. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll dance. Okay, yeah, no one wants me to dance, but you get the idea. We'll have a great time!

And did I mention the prizes; because of course there'll be prizes!!!
 
And you know me, I'll probably get caught up in the excitement and blurt out some secret I'm not supposed to, like that time I accidentally told everyone the title of DEAD SILENCE before it had been made public.

So please join me on Friday, April 19th at 7:00PM at Garfield Books in Tacoma. It's a great store with a great staff—the perfect place to say goodbye (possibly!) to the Body Finder gang.

GARFIELD BOOK COMPANY
208 Garfield Street, Suite 101
Tacoma, WA, 98444
(253) 535-7665

Can't make it all the way to Tacoma because you live in Schenectady, New York (or some other inconvenient, faraway location)? Not a problem. Garfield Books is taking phone orders for signed and/or personalized copies.

So, no excuses, people! Clear your calendars and circle this event in bold-tip Sharpie, and we'll see you there on April 19th!!!

Oh, and remember that great picture of all of us in our BODY FINDER shirts at the first launch party? 

Well, we're doing shirts again! And whether you can make it or not, here's how you can order your DEAD SILENCE t-shirts, hoodies, and bags.

I hope to see you all there!

Kim

EDITORS AND THE COMPLIMENT SANDWICH...

Every editorial letter I’ve ever gotten is what I call “the compliment sandwich.” What’s a compliment sandwich, you ask? 

Here, let me show you: 



In editorial terms, it goes a little something like this: 


Dear Author, 

We are off to a great start (note the use of the word “start” and not “you nailed it”)! 

Followed immediately by: 8, or 10, or 12 soul-crushing pages that detail everything you need to change in your manuscript, ranging from plot, to individual character and relationship development, to timing, to scene cutting, to itemized line edits. Basically a page-by-page outline of why your book sucked. 

All of this is rounded out by a friendly and cheerful: Go you! We know you can do it, and can’t wait to see your next draft!!! 

 Love, 
Your Editorial Team 


I both anticipate and fear that moment when I open my editorial letter. I love the feedback, really I do. Seriously, I look forward to the revision process! But the first time I read through the letter, I’m convinced my editor just finished up a three day crack pipe bender. 

But instead of immediately calling her out on it, I have a “process” I have to go through first. I start by taking a full day to let everything sink in. I mull over her points and, more importantly, give my bruised ego some time to heal. 

After that, I go back through the letter and start checking off the concepts that have merit, which at first are few and far between—you know, the crack pipe and all. But after a while, I start to consider that maybe, just maybe, she might be more right than I first believed, and I start conceding more and more points to her, until, in the end, I am sending her a thank-you note along with my shiny, newly revised manuscript. I even start to believe she may have been drug-free when she wrote the letter in the first place. I know, right??? 

Writing is such a collaborative effort. But it’s also not for the faint-hearted. You have to be willing to swallow your pride and accept the fact that you’re not always right, and that others can see things when you aren’t able to. 

But it doesn’t change the fact that a compliment sandwich, while eventually delicious, is hard to swallow when you first get it.