Erica O'Rourke

Let the YASH begin! (UPDATED)

 

The Fall 2014 YA Scavenger Hunt is now OVER. Thank you all so much for participating! I hope you've enjoyed the exclusive bonus content -- and grown your TBR pile!

 

While the YASH is over, my personal giveaway hit a technical glitch -- and to make amends, I'm keeping it open through Monday! So if you haven't entered yet, there's still time. See below for details, and thanks again for making this year's YASH such a success!

 

BONUS CONTEST:

Want to be entered in to win a DISSONANCE swag pack? I'm giving away a signed copy of DISSONANCE, plus stickers, bookmarks, origami and more!

You have several ways to enter, via this handy Rafflecopter: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A few things to note:

• During previous hunts, I've requested you leave a comment on the blog. But I'm going to be switching over to Tumblr full-time soon, so I'd recommend following me there instead. My Tumblr Ask box is also a good place to go if you have questions. (You can still comment, of course! I love comments! It just doesn't count as a contest entry.)
• Obviously, if you have questions about the contest or the hunt, the comment section is an ideal place to ask. (Though Tumblr would work too. Or twitter. Or email. ASK, is what I'm saying, and I'll do my best to answer.)
• Several of the entry options require you to give your username for verification. If I can't verify you, it doesn't count, so check for typos!
• As always, my giveaways are international.
• This giveaway runs until midnight on Monday, October 6.

 

 

I like shiny things and sharing.

First, an announcement: I'll be at the Aurora Public Library's Catch A Bunch Of Authors Book Fair this Saturday afternoon, speaking on a panel with the incredibly talented, incredibly nice Veronica Roth. I'll also be signing books and handing out swag. Because I love swag. Click here for a PDF of the details, or to submit a question to the panel.

Second, I'd mentioned elsewhere that if everything went according to plan, I was going to have new office shelving by the end of the weekend. Naturally, all did not go according to plan. I'm sure you're all shocked.

I'm still hoping to have shelves up this afternoon, which means my rambly, state-of-Erica post will have to wait for another time. In the meantime, I shall distract you with something shiny:

A bracelet! A shiny, shiny, custom-made Torn Trilogy bracelet! (Also in the background: new kitchen table!) It says, as those of you who have signed copies of TORN might recognize, "Make your own fate." It's an adjustable cuff, so you can make it fit as snug or as loose as you'd like.

Want one? I'm collecting shots of BOUND in the wild -- your locker, your bookshelf, your vacation, the front seat of your car, with the pet of your choice...go nuts. Shots of it on your e-reader are fine, too.

Send me the picture at erica at ericaorourke dot com, or @-message me on Twitter, or make it show up on my Facebook page (I don't know much about FB, so I don't know how one does this). I'll close entries next Friday, September 14th, at 5pm CST, and pick a random winner. HOWEVER: I have more than one bracelet. I might give out some to truly amazing entries.

(I'll be using the pictures in another post, FYI, so don't send a picture you wouldn't want seen on the internet.)

And now, I'm off to install shelving. Cross your fingers that I don't lose mine.

Deadly Destinations: Luc's Tour of New Orleans!

So, the winner of the Summer YA Scavenger Hunt is...

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

! Congratulations, Sabine! I'll be emailing you later today to get your mailing address! If you didn't win, take a moment and have a cookie to console yourself. Then, head on over to All Things Urban Fantasy, where Luc is giving a tour of New Orleans as part of their Deadly Destinations series! You've got a chance to win one book from the Torn Trilogy, plus swag, and you'll see some of the real-life locations I used in the books.

Thanks again for participating in the Scavenger Hunt, and good luck to those of you entering the Deadly Destinations giveaway! I'm off to polish up another bonus scene for an amazing event later this month.

WIP Friday: Still Summer Edition

First of all, thank you for all the wonderful comments and shoutouts and excitement over DISSONANCE! I've got plenty of work ahead of me, and I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to share about the story just yet -- but I have heard that you can already add the book on Goodreads.  (Confession: My books are on Goodreads, but I am even more clueless about Goodreads than I am Facebook, if such a thing is possible. Regardless, I think if you click the link above you can...add it? Do things with it? Stare at the placeholder for the cover? I dunno, but I'm told it's a good thing.)

Second, happy news! Kirkus Reviews has named BOUND one of July's Top Twenty-Two Books for Teens! And even better, my dear friend Susan Dennard's upcoming release, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY, made the list as well.

Third, I find this:

UNACCEPTABLE.

Honestly, you guys. This weather? This is Darklings-murder-your-bff-in-an-alley weather. And we're only halfway done with summer.

While I am dreaming of moving to Newfoundland (average July high temp: mid-60s) it seemed fitting to do a very summery giveaway! The best thing about summer, in my opinion, is sitting around and reading because you don't have school. But I've heard that some people actually like to go out, into nature, where it is hot. And you get sunburns. And bugbites. And dehydration. You need to be prepared.

I, myself, always feel better with a survival kit. And I feel even better when you have one, too. So, I'm giving away some essentials to bridge the gap between now and when Nature decides to straighten up its act. Wanna see what's included?

 

(You can never have too many cute bags.)

(It's important to stay hydrated.)

(This sunbock doesn't make your face all greasy.
And nothing's worse than sunburned lips.)

(Chocolate melts in this weather, and you want fresh breath when you see your summer crush.)

(Because nature is dirty. And out to get you.)

(Scarf/wrap/emergency towel/picnic blanket.)

And of course, no survival kit is complete without something to read!

Just to mix it up, I'm including two books in the giveaway:

• Your choice of one book from the Torn Trilogy (TORN, TANGLED, or BOUND) and swag.
• A copy of SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY when it comes out (July 24th). Trust me -- it is worth the wait! In the meantime, go check out the SS&D website, which is chock-full of goodies and a gorgeous trailer. Sooz is including a set of SS&D trading cards, which are custom-illustrated, in the giveaway.

 

To enter, leave a comment telling me what your summer essentials are. The giveaway ends Friday, July 13th at noon CST, and as always, it's international. One entry per person, please.

 

Spring Scavenger Hunt is Here!

I am so thrilled to be participating in the Spring Scavenger Hunt! It was so much fun to hear from everyone last time around, and this Hunt promises to be even more exciting. We have sixty YA authors participating, and the amazing Colleen Houck and Beth Revis have been hard at work streamlining the Hunt to make it easier for you. (Click here to see a list of all sixty authors -- so many pretty shiny covers!)

To make the Hunt a little more manageable, we've split it into three teams of twenty authors each. That means THREE grand prizes (of at least twenty books) and you can enter all three, if you want to. I am on the Blue Team; so if you get lost along the way, you can go back to the original site and pick up where you left off.

 

 

You can get more details about the Spring Scavenger Hunt by clicking here or on the banner  below, but the most important thing to remember is this:

The YA Scavenger Hunt begins Thursday March 29th at noon PACIFIC TIME and ends Sunday April 1st at noon PACIFIC TIME. That gives you only 72 hours to complete the hunt!

 

 

Like before, I'll be offering a special prize here on the day of the hunt, and I'll have more about that later. But for now, I have a question:my bonus content for the previous hunt was an extra scene. This time, I'm taking a scene from one of the books and rewriting it from another character's point of view. And I'm curious: what scene from TORN or TANGLED would you like to see through someone else's eyes? Hit the comments and let me know!

 

Good luck, and happy Hunting!

Destination Destinknitions

I'm over at Allie Pleiter's knitting blog today. Why? Because I knit. And Mrs. Fitzgerald knits, even if you don't see her with needles in hand. And because Allie is one of the nicest people I know and graciously invited me to stop by.

Also, there is a giveaway! How can you resist?

Click here for my knitterly interview.

(As always, I'd be so grateful if you could show some comment love to my hostess, so comments here are closed.)

The Upside of Spectacular Failure: Guest-blogging at Honestly YA

 I'm traveling again today, visiting the wonderful women of Honestly YA to talk about my greatest regrets and the fact that my taste in music hasn't changed much since the mid-90s. We're also giving away a copy of TORN and TANGLED, so swing by and check it out! I'll be back here for WIP Friday.

Click here for the interview.

Also, if this looks wonky, let me know -- I am trying out Blogsy + Typepad for the first time, and decided to throw caution to the wind and skip the instructional video. What could possibly go wrong?

The Glamour Of Pub Day (and a casting contest)

There is a perception in the world that pub days for authors are frenetic celebratory events. Paparazzi. Interviews. Champagne corks popping like the kettle corn booth at the county fair. Flower deliveries. Coordinated outfits. A general recognition by the world that Something Momentous Has Occurred.

No doubt, this true for some people. I, on the other hand, was instructed to scrub the toilets.

"MAMA. You scrub those potties today," said Big Marshmallow as I dropped her off at school, still wearing my pajamas.

So I did.

This is what we in the publishing business refer to as "Living The Dream."

But really, yesterday was pretty low-key. I checked in on twitter and facebook more than usual. Confession: I do not understand how Facebook works. I am the world's worst Facebooker. I spent a lot of time swearing at the screen and wondering who I was logged in as. (Answer: me-myself, me the Author, and my husband, who apparently has a high school reunion coming up.) I answered a lot of emails. I chatted with some friends. I drank more coffee than I should have, but I do that every day.

My one celebratory concession was that we went out for sushi, but that was mostly because the Boyo was out of town for the day and I didn't want to cook dinner. But when we came home, I found the most amazing thing: The delightful BookittyBlog, who had already written a hilarious review of TANGLED, had made a Dream Cast Video. And I am BLOWN away. I stared at the screen and got a little choked up, that someone would take the time to do something so thoughtful. I think she did a fantastic job, especially with her choice for Billy, who gave me the heebie-jeebies in the best possible way. You definitely should check it out and tell her what you think.

TANGLED Dream Cast Video Of Squee

I don't often think about who would play my characters in a movie. My mind doesn't work that way -- Mo is just Mo, when I picture her in my head, and basing her on someone else would get in the way of her development. But seeing this video after the fact is a treat. It lets me see how other people view the characters. It brings them to life in a completely different way. It was the best possible way to cap off my pub day, so thanks, Bookitty, for making it so special.

And before I forget, the winner of the yesterday's giveway is:

Lynda!

Who cracks me up. Behold:

Guess I'll have to go sappy and say it was setting my cap for my future DH. And make no mistake, I pursued him--big time. After nearly thirty years together (yikes, I'm old) we still joke that I did the chasing. All he had to do was stand still and get caught.

 

Today's another giveaway day: Who would you cast for any of the roles in TORN or TANGLED? Winner gets a copy of BOTH books! If you want to make a video/tumblr post/blog post of your choices, so that we can see who you have in mind, paste the link in the comments, and I'll give you credit for a second entry. If you'd rather just list the people below, that's fine too! The contest ends on Sunday at 5pm CST and I'll announce that night, before I sob my way through Downton Abbey. (As always, the contest is international.)

TANGLED is here, and you can win it!

It's official! TANGLED, book 2 in The Torn Trilogy, comes out today. And I can. not. wait. for you to read it.

(Quick Official Reminder: If you're in the north 'burbs of Chicago, I'll be signing copies of TORN and TANGLED at the Vernon Hills Barnes & Noble this Saturday, February 4th, from 2-4 pm. There'll be prizes, treats, and unabashed squeeing at seeing you all in real life.)

TORN was a story about truth. TANGLED is a story about consequences. Because nothing exists in a vacuum, especially the choices we make. There's always fallout. There's always a cost. And for Mo, the truths she learned in TORN were only the tip of the iceberg -- she thinks she knows everything there is to know about the magic and her family, and she acts accordingly -- but the more she learns, the more complicated both become. She's faced with increasingly tough choices, and not just about which boy she loves, but about the person she wants to be. She learns what she's capable of, both good and bad. And she makes more choices, which lead to more consequences -- and to BOUND.

(Side note: TANGLED includes the first chapter of BOUND. And someone you've been waiting to see.)

I love this book. I love Mo, and Colin, and Luc. I love Marguerite and Lena and even Uncle Billy, though he's Bad News. And I want to share the love, so enter below to win a copy of TORN and TANGLED. Just answer in the comments: what's the best choice you ever made? I suppose if you'd rather tell me the worst one, you could do that too...I just happen to be in a cheery mood today. Contest ends tomorrow at noon CST.

I'll go first, by the way. Best choice ever? This boy right here.

 

 

Jiggety-Jog + The Winner

I am back, bay-bee!

My intention was to blog while I was in NYC. I even downloaded a special app designed to make iPad/Typepad blogging work more easily. But it was not to be. Between the meetings and the classes and the procurement of souvenirs and the amazing food, I tumbled into my (ginormous) hotel bed each night, too tired to even attempt it.

But now I am home, wearing my pajamas and staring at an inbox where every other message is flagged with a bright red "FOLLOW UP" label, and a calendar that is giving me what is often referred to as the gimlet eye. And not the good kind of gimlet, either.

SO. TANGLED comes out tomorrow, and of course there will be stuff happening here to celebrate. Later this week I will show you some pictures of New York, including delicious food and even more delicious yarn. And there will, of course, be giveaways and fun things like that.

In the meantime...we have a winner in the Office Space Giveaway:

Stefi!

She has the coolest office imaginable. The blue paint and white quotes, the history captured in the room...I'm jealous, even if she IS freezing. And Stefi, if you wanted to show us pictures of the awesomeness...feel free!

We live in the country, in the middle of nowhere and there's an old garden shed that I kind of took over and turned into my hangout. I painted over the walls in dark blue and every time I read something that I really like, I've got a bucket of white paint and I use it to paint the passage or phrase or whatever on the blue of the wall. That way I have lots of great things to give me a kick when I'm staring at the wall (literally:)) instead of concentrating:)

My brother's a really great artist and sometimes he comes in and paints these little cartoons of something funny that happened or as an illustration for what I've written on the walls. It's actually kinda cool, because over the years he and I have put together this mural that reflects the history of our high school years. You can even tell the difference between our freshmen or junior years by my handwriting (my cursive got worse because I needed to write faster to take notes in class) and his drawing (he's gotten incredibly good!) I often come here to do college applications and my AP prep. I absolutely love this place we've made together, even though in the winter I freeze!

 Congratulations, and thanks again, guys, for sharing your creative spaces with me. It's so inspiring to see the places you'd carved out for yourselves!