DEFY THE DARK Signed Hardcover Winner!

And the winner of the DEFY THE DARK signed hardcover is:

ADRIANA CHAVEZ

Adriana, check your email!

Everyone else, thanks so much for spreading the word!

All About STILLWATER and a DEFY THE DARK Giveaway!

So DEFY THE DARK releases in 3 days, and I am so excited! My little story is going to be out in the world! (And I'm not freaking out about that at all. Not. At. All... Really!)

Since the other tour stops posted reviews, I thought I would talk a bit about STILLWATER and answer a couple of the questions I've gotten about it so far.

Q: What inspired you to write STILLWATER?

A: The core idea of STILLWATER actually came about while I was researching my family tree. Specifically, the idea took root when I discovered that author Beth Revis and I just might be cousins! I know, right? Without going into too much personal family detail, I'll say grandmother's maiden name is Revis, and she is from the same (tiny) part of North Carolina as Beth's husband. And that got me thinking.

As someone raised in the "north", I had never really considered the complex relationships created in the south after the Civil War. I wondered what it must be like for black and white people to be reminded of their family's past history on a regular basis simply by sharing a last name. So that's where the idea for Pruitt and Delilah and the Reese family saga came from.

Q: Where exactly is STILLWATER?

A: I intentionally made Stillwater a fictional town in an undisclosed (but obviously southern) state. However in my mind, I was always imagining western North Carolina. And "the ridge" is based on the cliffs I saw when I was there. I've seen people mention that Stillwater is in Texas, and I love that readers have built their own world around Stillwater. It's one of the reasons I chose not to set it in a specific place. I love seeing what readers take from what I've written.

Q: Why did you decide to write from Pruitt's point of view?
A: Honestly, I didn't give this one too much thought. I love writing boys. I don't know why - I'm sure some psychologist could give you a better answer - but I just find it a lot of fun to be inside their heads. From the moment Saundra asked me to be in the anthology, I knew I was going to write from a male POV - even though I had NO idea what his story might be.

It was only after I'd written STILLWATER and sent it off to Saundra that I realized that Pruitt and I have pretty much zero in common on a surface level. Not our race, gender, or even region of the country. (And then I had a brief moment of panic.) Pruitt was not at all the guy I first envisioned narrating my story, but he came to me as a fully realized person, with his own way of talking and seeing the world and it was all I could do to keep up with writing down everything he was telling me. In the end I feel that he is one of the most "real" characters I've ever created and I have a lot of affection for him (and Delilah!). I'm actually sad that I didn't get to spend more time in his head and in his world. I hope readers will love him too!

And now for your fourth chance to win! I'm giving away a signed, hardcover copy of DEFY THE DARK!

The contest has ended.

DEFY THE DARK Giveaway Winners!

The Random Number Generator has spoken and the winners of the signed DEFY THE DARK ARCs are:
From my blog entries:
DANIELLE WILLIS and from my tumblr:
AKOSSKET
I don't have an email address for either of you, so please contact me and let me know your mailing addresses so I can get these ARCs out to you!
Thanks so much for entering! There will be more chances to win finished copies during the DEFY THE DARK blog Tour coming soon!

DEFY THE DARK ARC Giveaway!

So, I've been away for quite awhile... And I'm sorry for that. Blogging hasn't been at the top of my list lately, BUT, that's changing today. Because while I was away, this happened:

And then last Friday, I went to the last stop on HarperTeen's Pitch Dark Days Tour featuring Aprilynne Pike, Amy Tintera, Kiera Cass, and Liz Norris. (And even had dinner with with the lovely ladies as well as fellow Michigan authors Aimée Carter, and Courtney Allison Moulton!)

From left: D.J. DeSmyter, Amy Tintera, Aprilynne Pike, DJ's friend Andrea, Me, Kiera Cass, Liz Norris

And at the signing, this happened:

Twice! So now, I'm giving away two DEFY THE DARK ARCs signed by Aprilynne Pike (and me). One here, and one on my brand new(ish) tumblr. All you have to do to win here is leave a comment on this post. For an extra entry, tweet or blog about the contest, and post the link to it here as a second comment.

To enter to win the second ARC, head on over to my tumblr - valeriekwrites.tumblr.com, and enter there. This contest is open internationally. Which means I will ship this ARC anywhere in the world!

This contest will be open until 11:59pm Pacific Time on Saturday, May 18th. I will randomly select a winner from the comments and announce them on Monday, May 20th.

Twitter Chat Tomorrow (and other cool things!)

I'm excited to announce that tomorrow night, (Thursday, December 13th) I will be participating in a twitter chat hosted by the Mundie Moms and featuring some awesome YA authors!

Here are the details:

Who:

• Courtney Allison Moulton (@CAMoulton) author of the ANGELFIRE trilogy.
• Susan Dennard (@stdennard) author of SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY,
• DJ DeSmyter (@LifeinFiction) author of HUNTED,
• David James (@DJamesAuthor) author of LIGHT OF THE MOON,
• and me, aka @valeriekwrites (!)

If you haven't noticed, there's a theme going on here. Most of us are from Michigan.

When: Thursday, December 13th at 9 PM EST - (It will last about an hour.)

What: Twitter chat - We will discuss our work, answer writing questions, giveaway stuff, and generally have fun!

Where: Under the hashtag #MundieChat

Which brings me to that other cool thing I mentioned. It appears that DEFY THE DARK has a release date - JUNE 18, 2013 - and IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!! *dies* And my name is even on the listing! I'm going to be in a real live book! With a hardcover and everything!

You can pre-order it right now, in both hardcover and paperback, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and The Book Depository!

So, how are these two things connected? Well, I'll be giving away two hardcover copies of DEFY THE DARK during the chat - one which I will ship internationally. And I will even sign them, you know, if you want. So, be sure to come join in the fun tomorrow! (Learn more about DEFY THE DARK at DefyTheDark.com.)

How To Win The DEFY THE DARK Short Story Contest

I've gotten quite a few hits lately from the search term "how to win the DEFY THE DARK contest" (which honestly I found quite surprising) so I figured I'd do my best to offer some tips. And they are TIPS only, I don't have the inside scoop on anything, and I'm not a judge.

First of all, let me direct you to some great posts that Saundra Mitchell has done on just this subject.

• The first is on what she's looking/hoping for.
• The second is on Editing before you submit.
• And here's a third on her blog Answering the most common questions about things like genre

She's got some really great advice, including actual screenshots of some of the stories in the book (think Tessa Gratton, Beth Revis, Jon Skovron and Christine Johnson) with their edit notes and final revisions!

That said, I've spent some time looking through the entries thus far, and had a few thoughts. So here they are.

1. TAKE YOUR TIME. You've still got over two weeks to enter. There's no bonus for getting your story up early. The prize is MAJOR, so, write your story, let it rest for a few days and then look at it again. Revise it. Send it to a crit partner or friend. Get their notes. Revise it again, and THEN post it.

2. BE CREATIVE. This is not meant to bash any story that has already been posted, but in reading the entries I have found many to be remarkably similar - in tone, in subject, or in plot. Yes, the instructions say to write a story that takes place at night or in the dark but that doesn't mean the story itself has to be dark and/or bleak and/or depressing. (Three things that I love in a story, btw. And three things that, surprisingly, are not in my story.) Sure monster attacks and the end of the world might happen in the dark, but so might a stolen kiss, a bonfire party, or, I don't know, a case of mistaken identity!

3. HAVE A BEGINNING, MIDDLE, AND END. This is not really a hard and fast rule for short stories in general, but in this case, DEFY THE DARK is a book of complete stories. I don't mean that every thread in your story has to be wrapped up tight with a bow at the end. It's more a caution against stories that are really one long descriptive scene, or a vignette that feels like it's the middle of something bigger. For me, a great short story resolves (or mostly resolves) the main issue in the plot and ends with the reader having a sense of what comes next. But that's me.

4. SPELL CHECK DOES NOT EQUAL EDITING. I cannot stress this enough. Running spell check does not fix grammatical errors, missing words, tense issues, homonym/homophone mistakes, or confusing sentences. This is where a crit partner, and a patient eye come in. While I doubt one or two issues will keep you from winning, this story is out there for the world to see. People will assume you are showing them your best work, so why not make sure that it actually is?

5. READ THE RULES. And then follow them, obviously. I've seen quite a few interesting stories that were only 1300 words long. The contest rules state that entries must be between 2000 and 4000 words. (Also, this contest is for YA - Young Adult - stories. I've seen a few featuring adult main characters, which I find bewildering.) Don't shut yourself out before the judging even gets started!

And... that's it. Really! Take your time, and try to think up something that's truly original, and truly you - NOT what you think should be in the book. Or what you think will win the contest. This is not the time to be calculating. Saundra has made it clear that any genre will do as long as it fits the guidelines. What will win the contest is the best, most original story, told by someone who truly loves telling it. And if you're working with a formula, chances are you're not having fun writing.

If you're curious about the tone of the book, which truly does span all genres, and all uses of "dark", check out the DEFY THE DARK website where you can read the opening paragraphs of every story in the book. (Click on each author's photo and it will take you to their bio page which also features the opening snippet of their story. Mine is here.)

I hope this post was helpful. I can't wait to see what you all come up with! Good luck!

DEFY THE DARK Contest - Get Published!

So, remember a few months ago when I said there was a chance for YOU to be published in the upcoming HarperTeen anthology along with me and a bunch of amazing YA authors? Well, the contest has gone live!

Head over to Figment.com to enter and for all the official details, but here are the basics.

• You have until September 1st, 2012 to write and upload a 2000-4000 word short story to Figment.
• The story should take place at night or in the dark. BE CREATIVE with this! It doesn't have to be dark and scary. A girl sneaking out at night to meet her secret crush fits just as well as those creepy things that go bump in the night.
• The winner will get paid and have their story published in DEFY THE DARK!
• Two second place winners will also win cash prizes from HarperCollins and have their stories published on the Defy The Dark website.

Here are the authors appearing in DEFY THE DARK:

• Sarah Rees Brennan
• Tessa Gratton
• Rachel Hawkins
• Christine Johnson
• Malinda Lo
• Myra McEntire
• Saundra Mitchell
• Sarah Ockler
• Jackson Pearce
• Aprilynne Pike
• Dia Reeves
• Beth Revis
• Carrie Ryan
• Jon Skovron
• Courtney Summers
• Me(!)
• ... and YOU?

So what are you waiting for? START WRITING!!

DEFY THE DARK Cover Reveal!!!

Today I'm allowed to share the cover for the HarperTeen anthology I'm a part of. So without further ado, here is the cover for DEFY THE DARK coming next summer, 2013!

Note: This cover is NOT FINAL!

Isn't it GORGEOUS? And my story, STILLWATER, totally fits with it!

This whole being in a book thing is starting to feel more real. It's kind of blowing my mind.

Anyway, I know I've been pretty absent this summer, but it's only because I've been writing! I'm going to try to get back in the swing of things after the Olympics.

For those of you waiting to hear about the DEFY THE DARK contest where YOUR short story can appear in the book, keep checking Figment. The details are coming VERY soon! If you haven't signed up to be notified when the contest goes live, you can DO THAT HERE.

Learn more about DEFY THE DARK at the website: DEFYTHEDARK.COM.

DEFY THE DARK News! Get Published!

Back in January I announced that I was going to be published(!) alongside some of my MOST FAVORITE authors in the HarperTeen anthology DEFY THE DARK, edited by Saundra Mitchell but I couldn't tell you who they all were. Well today I can spill the beans. And what's more, I can also share with you the exciting contest that could make YOU the eighteenth author!

So, first things first, here are the authors appearing in DEFY THE DARK:

• Sarah Rees Brennan
  
• Tessa Gratton
  
• Rachel Hawkins
  
• Christine Johnson
  
• Valerie Kemp (eee!)
  
• Malinda Lo
  
• Myra McEntire
  
• Saundra Mitchell
  
• Sarah Ockler
  
• Jackson Pearce
  
• Aprilynne Pike
  
• Dia Reeves
  
• Beth Revis
  
• Carrie Ryan
  
• Jon Skovron
  
• Courtney Summers
  

So you see why my head basically exploded when I found out.

BUT that's not even the best part, because HarperTeen and Figment have teamed up to hold a contest to find one more story for the anthology. That's right. YOU could have YOUR STORY published alongside those AWESOME WRITERS! The details aren't all out yet on just how the contest will work, but you can sign up here at Figment to be notified the moment they're released.

You can also learn more about the DEFY THE DARK, the writers, and see sneak peeks of their stories at the newly launched DEFY THE DARK website. The sneak peek at my story, STILLWATER is here, you know, if you're interested.

New Year, New News!

So this is something I've been sitting on for months. Partly because I kept waiting to wake up and find out it's not true. Partly because I wanted to make sure I dotted all my i's and crossed all my t's. And honestly because I was painfully nervous about putting it out in the world and seeing what the reaction would be. So what is this news, you ask?

You might remember this announcement from author Saundra Mitchell about the new anthology she's editing, DEFY THE DARK, a few months ago. Here's a little more info:

DEFY THE DARK is an all-new anthology coming Summer 2013 from Saundra Mitchell and HarperTeen. It features 17 stories by critically-acclaimed and bestselling YA authors as they explore things that can only happen in the dark.

So here's the thing. One of those 17 authors is me. I know. I can't believe it either! My short story, STILLWATER, about a town that's just... not quite right (and kissing), is going to be published. In a book. By HarperTeen. Right next to some of my ALL-TIME favorite YA authors. It still feels like it's not really happening.

Me with my publishing contract!

I can't give you the full list of authors yet (trust me, it will blow your mind), but here's a little taste of the authors who have also announced or posted that they're contributing:

• Sarah Rees Brennan
  
• Tessa Gratton
  
• Malinda Lo
  
• Saundra Mitchell
  
• Dia Reeves
  
• Beth Revis
  
• Jon Skovron
  
• Courtney Summers
  

And that is just the tip of the amazing author iceberg. Basically, if I could have hand-picked a group of authors to all be in one anthology, this would be that group. When I look at the full list, I sort of feel like I stumbled into someone else's surprise party.

And so as 2012 gets started, I just want to say to everyone out there who might be reading this and feeling frustrated with their own progress, IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU TOO. I'm living proof that if you keep working hard on your writing, put your heart in it, and put yourself out there, someone will recognize it. They really will.

Being invited to contribute to this anthology was the last thing I expected. It was one of those dream goals I hadn't even put on my list yet because I felt I had so many other things I needed to accomplish first, before I could even dare to imagine it. And now here I am, hoping to survive the apocalypse and make it til Summer 2013!

There will be much more exciting news about DEFY THE DARK coming in the future - including one really awesome surprise. And I'm still trying to figure out what to do to celebrate and share the love. But for now I just want to say thank you to everyone in the YA writing community who has ever taken the time to share their journey, because without all of your blogs and forums and tweets I would still be trying to figure out how to get started writing a book. I hope that my little bit of good news can help spur you on your path to your own.

I'll do a post later on about how I managed to finally get over my fear and actually write the story. (It was not pretty.)

Also, if you haven't yet, go congratulate my CP Kristi V. Helvig on signing with an agent!