Short and Sweet

Hi Everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. This is going to be a short one for me, because it is my daughter's first birthday and I have a party to throw. She is the youngest and although I love seeing the kids get older, there is a little sadness knowing she is my last baby. Time seems to go by so quickly. I can remember being a kid and thinking that a year was such a long time, and now a year seems to go by so quickly. It's funny to hear the children talk about different things and mention how long it takes for things to happen. They are all so anxious for time to speed up, and I'm so desperate for it to slow down a little. Well that's enough of that! So I'm off to blow up balloons and hang streamers.

If you haven't had a chance to pick up Lesley's new book, please go out and get it. I've only had the chance to read the first two chapters, but I loved what I've read so far and I'm excited to finish it.

See you next Saturday.
Carolyn

Just... wow.

I thought for a long time about what I was going to write for this post.
Y'know - this being Launch Week for me and all...

And, quite frankly? All I can think of to say is - well - "thank you".

Thank you to my fellow Novel Girls for the warmth and well-wishes. I seriously cannot wait until I can return the favor to each and every one of you!

Thank you to everyone who has contacted me, one way or another, to cheer WONDROUS STRANGE on and wish me good luck.

Thank you to everyone who has already bought a copy of the book.

Thank you to those who want to.

Thank you to all the people who were instrumental in the creation of this novel - you made this week possible for me and my story and my characters.

Thank you to all those who read through this Oscar acceptance of a post and still think I'm kinda cool.

It's been a heck of a week so far.
And I've having a great time.

THANK YOU!!

My Wondrous Strange Moment at Borders!

I’m going to make this short, because my copy of Wondrous Strange arrived from Amazon this afternoon, and now that the kids are asleep, I’m SO EXCITED to curl up under a blanket and read it!!

But, I did want to write about my trip to Borders this past Monday, where I encountered a real live copy of Wondrous Strange for the first time. I wasn’t expecting to see it there (It was technically the day before its release date.), but as I walked through the store with my kids and my husband, suddenly there it was, on a big wooden display rack in the middle of the store in the midst of The Chronicles of Narnia and Twilight. “Oh my God. Look!” I shouted to my husband when I saw it, who, from the excitement in my voice was looking around, expecting George Clooney or something.

It was oddly surreal, seeing this book, in the flesh (binding?!), with the same cover I’d seen up on the Novel Girls blog for months. See, as debut writers, I guess we all know our books are going to be in bookstores, but for me, anyway, I’m not sure I still quite believe it. When I saw Wondrous Strange I had this moment, where everything became real for me – here was a book, that Lesley had written thousands of miles away, in Canada, and now it was on display in front of me in Arizona, for everyone to pick up, for everyone to read. Wow! After all the revisions and rejections, the struggle of finding an agent and an editor, the elation of the sales call, and then the long publishing process filled with copy-edits and cover proofs, there is an actual book. On display. In Borders.

Of course I picked it up, and I gushed so loudly over its gorgeousness that I attracted a few stares from people in the store. And the book truly is gorgeous – I’m not just talking about the stunning matte cover with the beautiful red-haired girl and shiny embossed letters, but also the colors and the font and the very cool script page in the front. I was tempted to stand right there and read it, but I didn’t want to hold onto it too long, lest I keep it out of the hands of someone else who'd spotted its gorgeousness and wanted to buy it. (And I’d already pre-ordered mine from Amazon!) So instead, I put the book back down on the display, whipped out my cell phone and snapped a few shots of the book, realizing that if I was this excited, Lesley would be thrilled to see her baby out here in the world.

I agree completely with what Maureen said: writing is such a solitary and unique and often tough profession that the connections we make with other writers are unlike anything else. So as I eagerly await my own release like a proud and nervous parent, I am going to enjoy Lesley’s with the enthusiasm of something like a very, very excited aunt!

Happy Reading and Merry Christmas!
Jillian

PS. Don’t forget to enter our contest to win your very own signed copy of Wondrous Strange.

Here's to a Wondrous 2009!

OOPS, here it is 11:00 p.m., the day is almost over and I've just remembered it's my day! I've been running myself ragged since 6:30 a.m. - it's Christmas Eve after all - and I'm just now sitting down. And yes, I'm a last minute shopper - I'll admit it - a trait I've finally come to accept about myself.

But I'm not a last minute shopper when it comes to Wondrous Strange by the marvelous Lesley Livingston. I have it in my hot little hand and it's gorgeous. Hopefully, I'll have time tomorrow to curl up in front of the fire (even though it's 60 degrees here) and dive in. If not tomorrow, then over the weekend for sure. Lesley, Santa sure was mighty fine to you this year!

The first thing I did after picking Wondrous Strange up off the table was smell it. I LOVE the way new books smell. I'll be doing the same thing to mine but I still have another 8 months to wait. UGGG!

Congratulations Lesley. I'm so excited for you. Here's to a Wondrous 2009! And Merry Christmas to you and everyone else who celebrates.

Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, peace, good will towards men. Luke 2:14

WONDROUS STRANGE RELEASED!

I got a "wondrous" little present this morning in my email inbox--an email from Amazon.com telling me my copy of Wondrous Strange shipped today! It's supposed to arrive on December 29th, which kind of makes me want to run out today and buy an extra copy to take with me down to my inlaws for the holiday. Because Monday seems so, so far away.

Writing is such a solitary, often lonely, profession, that it's really special and amazing to make connections with other writers. Not just for general companionship and to share anecdotes from the latest reality television shows, but to support one another's careers in the way that only another writer can. As both a writer and a reader, I'm so excited for Lesley and will devour the book as soon as the UPS man drops it on my door step.

And, I gotta say, I SO cannot WAIT to hold Wondrous Strange in my hands and say, "I KNOW her!" I might just go sit inside Borders, next to Lesley's book, and hold it up for anyone who walks by. Like, "Look! Pretty cover! Faeries! Buy! You must! Yes?"

Run out and get your copy today!! (Just don't tell me what happens before Monday!)

Wondrous Strange is ONE DAY AWAY!

I am so excited. Not only is Santa getting ready to make his world-wide trip, but Wondrous Strange releases TOMORROW! This book is on my Christmas list, and I am crossing my fingers to find it under my tree Christmas morning. If not, it's the first thing I'll buy on the 26th!

Before I ever "met" Lesley, and before we began this oh-so-awesome blog, I read about this book somewhere (and forgive me, but I don't remember where). What's important is how much I LOVED the concept of this story...so much so, I wrote it down in my "Books to buy" folder. Lesley doesn't even know that! Well, I guess she does now. :)

But come on, fairies in Central Park. What could be better? So to say I was excited to "meet" Lesley is a HUGE understatement. Now, not only do I get to be thrilled at finally getting my hands on a book I've wanted to read for what feels like forever, but I get to share in the joy of a fellow author's first release. And seriously folks, little else can compare (at least to us writers!).

The countdown is almost over! And what a wonderful week to have a first release. Huge congrats, Lesley...I can't wait to cuddle up on my couch with a mug of hot chocolate, a cozy blanket, and your book open in front of me.

Merry Christmas!

Contest

If you haven't already, sign up to be our follower by Jan. 1, for a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of Lesley Livingston's WONDROUS STRANGE!! (Click on "follow this blog" on the right -- you may have to scroll down the page to see it.)

And we're going to be celebrating the release of WONDROUS STRANGE (out THIS TUESDAY, 12/23) all week here at The Novel Girls!

Happy Holidays!
The Novel Girls