It’s New Year’s Day! It’s 2013! Which kind of makes me feel like life is rushing by in one long, ungainly sprawl, but whatever!
Due to some general publishing shuffle-y-ness, resulting in a random (and I’ll be honest, not entirely unwelcome) deadline reprieve, I am still writing the first draft of my current book. Yes, that one. Still. Also, it is—hands down—the longest book I have ever written.
However, right now I’m taking a little break from battling the Ever-Expanding Wordcount because I have about nineteen really exciting things to say about Paper Valentine! And by nineteen, I mean six.
Also, when I present you with this list of six things, you have to promise to keep reading all the way to the bottom, because I’m saving the biggest thing for last. You can tell I’m getting better about spoilers, because that is not actually a spoiler, because I didn’t actually tell you the identity of the big thing. Progress!
Now, without further ado, here are the awesome things:
- Paper Valentine comes out in exactly one week. That is soon.
- Paper Valentine is on the Indie Next extended list (Scroll down. No, seriously—keep scrolling.)
- Paper Valentine is a January Editor’s Pick on Amazon, and is in some pretty excellent company.
- It has a starred review from Publishers Weekly!
- It has a starred review from BCCB, which you can’t see yet, but which I assure you is super-fantastic, because they really, really totally understood and liked every single thing I was trying to do when I wrote the book! (Which, as you can probably imagine, is basically one of those times that writing books is so gratifying I can’t even explain.)
And.
AND.
On a scale of the actual size of things, here is the biggest awesome thing, which is that in February, I’ll be participating in the West Coast leg of this year’s Breathless Reads tour (!!!) It is a week long, and has just a bunch of stops! Needless to say, I am pretty much over the moon.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be back with a post dedicated to the dates, locations, and of course, the lovely fellow-Penguin authors I’ll be appearing alongside! In the meantime, though, you can find out way more by checking out the Breathless Reads Facebook page.
Okay, that’s the big news for today—and honestly, probably for the week—but I promise I will be back with more information shortly. After I write some more scenes about flooded bridges. So stay tuned.
Brenna Yovanoff 
Congratulations on the reviews and your upcoming book birthday! Are we allowed any clues on what New Book is about? Also, I’m reading the Raven Boys and have wondered whether the characters of Persephone and Calla are based on you and Tessa…?
New Book is … long. And title-less. And about the Ozarks, so I mostly just keep calling it “that Ozarks book,” but Tess and Maggie keep calling it “Trash Magic.” Also, there is magic. And water, because things flood a lot in the Ozarks, and also I am terrified of water. In addition to those things, there is kissing and danger and very dilapidated buildings.
(And this—this kind of description right here is exactly why I’m not a spokesperson for anything.)
Also, in answer to your question, no comment, but … yes ;)
Ozarks book sounds exactly like the kind of awesome Brenna-book I’m dying for while waiting for Paper Valentine. Good luck on finishing it! And about the Persephone/Calla comment, I KNEW IT (when I clued into it, it was one of those awesome epiphany moments)!!! If you, Maggie and Tess open up a psychic business, I can promise you I will be first in line:)
Ooh, I didn’t know Paper Valentine was coming out so soon! Yay!
Yes—yes, it is SO soon! ::faints::
Congratulations! I’ll be ordering a copy when I next order books. A few to read first. Love and blessings for you and family for 2013. I’m self publishing this month. Catch up somewhere soon. :)
Oh, exciting! Good luck with your book, and I hope you have a spectacular 2013, Simon!
cant wait to get my copy! Wish you were on the east coast tour I would love to meet you and force you to sign my copy of all your books! lol! would love to meet you but I’m in Massachusetts :(
I’ll get out east again eventually—really, really I will! I keep meaning to go to Boston, so it will happen one of these days, and then if you come see me in Boston, I will sign all your books :)
aww your so sweet! I’ll stay posted!
So excited for this! I’m going to be kinda lame here and gush, but you’re a huge inspiration to me so tomorrow is like this huge holiday of spastic glee and joy. I can’t wait!
Yay for details about New Book, and yay for coming back east again eventually :D Maybe next book!