Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

Okay Dudes,

This is me waving goodbye!!!

We’re heading to RDU in the morning to catch our flight to NYC. This is the general itinerary (it’s a whirlwind weekend):

Friday: flying and being tour-ons

Saturday: Book Expo America!!! Last time you have to hear it: I’m signing at the WestSide booth (3931) from 2:00-3:00

Sunday: being tour-ons

Monday: flying home (and for me, a suitcase full of dirty laundry to wash)

Hopefully I will recover quickly and have awesome pics to post upon my return. Keep in mind I will be traveling with the guy I’m sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online, who has never flown; a pre-schooler; one indulgent set of grandparents; and two brothers (yes, apparently we picked up another one today).

Good Times. Good Times.

Not only that, but I may self-destruct from being around so much Awesome on Saturday, because I will be surrounded by some of the most amazing people in the industry, and I am a hopeless YA fangirl. (deep breath) Just. Act. Cool. (SQUEEEEE! Ack! Didn’t work!)

Hope you have a great weekend!

Bon Voyage!!

(waves!)

Love,

~Leigh~

I’m preparing for my first school visit, which is so totally scary since I am not a huge fan of public speaking. Truthfully? I’d rather crawl into a cave and write forever and not have to do this stuff that, instead of a “writer,” somehow makes me an “author.”

So I’m working on the outline of what I’m going to say (okay, I admit it: I’m writing it out word for word first, and hoping I can memorize most of it) and going through my old files to find evidence of my journey as a writer.

Among the things I have saved over the years is a pile of rejection letters. A Pile. Rejection letters for poems, and short romantic stories; kid’s books and short stories; rejections from magazines and agents and publishing houses. . . . Rejections from the first YA novel I ever wrote, and yes, rejections of One Wish.

I mean, I don’t want to count or anything . . . but there is a *Stack* of them. (Should’ve gone all Stephen King and stabbed them into a wall with a spike . . . but I digress.)

And so I started reading, and what a flood of memories came rushing back:

“Dear Leigh, While I loved . . . I’m sorry.”

“Dear Author, Due to the amount of submissions we receive there is no way we can possibly. . . .”

“Good luck”

“Best of luck”

“Best Wishes”

They’re all the same; their ultimate purpose to mark me a big, fat REJECT. And it’s not like the detailed ones offer any advice to improve. One house loved the character(s), another didn’t. One thought the plot was great; another thought it was overdone.

I’m saying this because it’s all subjective. What’s not right for one house is a perfect fit for another. What’s not a perfect fit for a house one year will be perfect for it the next. It’s a crazy, mixed-up industry that I’m thrilled to be part of but will never, ever try to figure out. The best thing to do is just keep writing.

“Better luck next time.”

To all you writers, artists, and dreamers out there (my kindred spirits): keep in mind the old saying that “luck” is preparation meets opportunity.

My advice for the day: prepare yourself, keep at it, and the opportunity will present itself. (Though you may have to collect a hefty stack of rejection letters first.)

Hang in there, because one day it’ll happen, and if you work hard and really push yourself, you just might get “lucky.”

Have a great day!

Love,

~Leigh~

Quick Entry

I have a million and one things to do before this weekend, so today’s post is, um, minimal. Perhaps more later in the week.

Today, I’m just posting my blog tour dates. This is the last round!

5/24 Aprilynne Pike http://www.apparentlyaprilynne.blogspot.com

(Superman or Batman?)

5/25 Sarah Ockler http://sarahockler.com

(A Coming Home Party for Wrenn)

5/26 Carrie Ryan http://carrie-me.blogspot.com/

(Make-out scenes or explode something?)

5/27 L.K. Madigan http://lkmadigan.livejournal.com/

(Rain or Sun? Spring or Fall? Early Bird or Night Owl?

5/29 Neesha Meminger http://neeshameminger.blogspot.com

(Advice for my 16-year old self, and to never, ever . . . )

5/30 Cindy Pon http://cindypon.blogspot.com/

(Where I confess my author crush!)

I hope you're enjoying the extended weekend!

Love,

Leigh

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday!

A few things:

1. A HUGE congrats to Aprilynne Pike! Her debut novel, WINGS reached the #1 slot on the NYT Bestseller list this week!!! Here’s the link to our interview from a few weeks ago if you missed it: http://leighbrescia.livejournal.com/11923.html. Also, go visit Aprilynne at her home on the web. . . here: http://www.aprilynnepike.com/. Go Aprilynne!! Woot!

2. One week from this very moment I will be on a plane, on my way to New York City for my first real book signing. I’m stoked/nervous/half-crazed all at the same time, but then, that’s like, my default setting so no surprise there.

3. If you’re going to BEA next weekend come and say hi! I’ll be walking around the convention center, meeting up with Debs and housemates, and stalking some pretty major writers. Will post pics of my sightings upon return. Am hoping I’m not kicked out for being obsessive fangirl. Oh yeah, I’ll be here: WestSide Books, Booth #3931 on Saturday from 2:00-3:00.

4. So far, work on the WIP is going well. Since I’ve never attempted an urban fantasy, I’m fairly obsessive about researching and outlining this one. I have everything planned out all the way to the climax. Not sure how it will all end, yet, though, but I’m going to keep pushing forward. It’s always interesting to me how the story takes on a life of its own. I have full confidence that my characters will tell me exactly what needs to happen. I’m loving writing this book so far. I hope it continues past the honeymoon phase . . . when I’m at 30,000 words and start to flounder (it always happens around then, doesn’t it?). I’m rapidly approaching that mark: fingers crossed!

5. I’m not quite obsessed yet, but I listened to several Muse songs on YouTube last night (Muse is the band Stephenie Meyer credits in her novels, and the song Supermassive Black Hole is on the Twilight sound track [and is AWESOME, btw]). I’m only listening because the guy I’m sorta married to but not allowed to talk about online and I have plans to see U2 (*heart* Bono) this year, and Muse is their opener. I’m not a big concert person, but this may end up being fun. (And, being a writer, I can always write it off as “research.”) I *love* my job!

Hope you have a great Friday!!

Love,

~Leigh~

Cindy Pon is Here!

Today I have Cindy Pon on the blog! Cindy is celebrating the debut of her novel: Silver Phoenix.

About Silver Phoenix – Beyond the Kingdom of Xia

On the day of her first betrothal meeting--and rejection--ai ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people's spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams...and that's just the beginning. ai ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor's palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets chen yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance--of anything with the making of legend.

About Cindy Pon

Cindy Pon was born in Taipei, Taiwan, and her family immigrated to California in 1980, settling in the suburbs of Los Angeles. She began writing stories before she was officially declared English proficient. She received her bachelor's from the University of California, San Diego, and also earned a master's from New York University. The author is a student of Chinese brush painting, and her love for the art is reflected in her storytelling. Cindy Pon lives with her husband and two small children in San Diego, California.

On to the Interview!

Me: Without giving away too many spoilers, what is your favorite part of the novel/what was the part you had the most fun writing?

Cindy: I really love my climax. It’s the culmination of my heroine's entire journey. Will she be able to defeat the enemy? There are many layers to this story and the climax. I love that.

Me: What kind of writing projects are you currently working on? Or, if you aren't working on anything new, is there a different demographic/genre you wouldn't mind tackling in the future?

Cindy: I have a children's picture book coming out using my own Chinese brush art, and also a sequel for Silver Phoenix.

Me: Who is your writing hero and why?

Cindy: Neil Gaiman. Not only is he multi-talented writer, he is also so kind and gracious and charming in person. He gives so much of himself to his fans, and he makes it look easy, and I know that it can't be!

Awesome! Readers . . . You can visit Cindy at her home on the web: http://cindypon.com

Also, you should know that Silver Phoenix is kicking some serious butt:

Booklist just named it one of the top ten fantasy novels for youth . . . and Meg Cabot loved it!

“I couldn’t put it down. Your heart will be racing, and you’ll be aching for more. An addictive gem.” —Meg Cabot, author of The Princess Diaries and Airhead series

If Meg says it, it must be so!

While you’re at Cindy’s site, check out the book trailer for Silver Phoenix. (Go here: http://cindypon.com/silver-phoenix/ then scroll down.) It’s Amazing!

And . . . Silver Phoenix is officially on sale. You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Phoenix-Beyond-Kingdom-Xia/dp/0061730211/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1225672442&sr=1-1

Cindy will be chatting with Neesha tomorrow at: http://neeshameminger.blogspot.com

Thank you so much for stopping by, Cindy!