So I have this way-cooler-than-me friend who I fangirl on a regular basis because her book is just THAT GOOD. Really. And her book, ILLUSIVE, which I got to read the ARC of, is out in the world as of TODAY so I’m deliriously excited to take part in the official launch by telling all you lovelies about the super secret superpower I wish I had.

But first! You all must know about this amazing book. Here are the deets:

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She’s what’s known as an illusionist… She’s also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere teams up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn’t?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

And here’s Emily:

Emily Lloyd-Jones grew up on a vineyard in rural Oregon, where she played in evergreen forests and learned to fear sheep. After graduating from Western Oregon University with an English degree, she enrolled in the publishing program at Rosemont College just outside of Philadelphia. She currently resides in Northern California, working in a bookstore by day and writing by night. Illusive is her debut novel.

And now to reveal the super secret superpower I wish I had…

Time warping!!! It’s actually not a surprise to anyone who knows me. I complain constantly about not having enough time. As a mother of a 4-year-old with a full-time day job and a book coming out myself in October, I am completely swamped. (Hence the reason I hardly ever post on my blog. Sorry about that. ) BUT had I this superpower, I could stop time to catch up on All The Things while everyone else is frozen.

Or I could turn back time to get something done I forgot to do.

Or I could go forward into the future to buy my next book so I can just type it into ms instead of having to actually come up with it.

Okay, maybe not that last one. It hurts my brain. But still. I could be mega amounts more productive if I could just freeze the world while I finish up just one or two more projects. And my house would be a whole lot cleaner.

Well, maybe not.

*rolls out of writing cave*  *shakes off dust*  *blinks into the overly bright sun*

Yes, it’s true. I’m alive. All reports to the contrary have been grossly exaggerated. I’ve just been laboring for the last six months or so to complete from scratch both a novella and a full-length novel. Mission accomplished! Both are in my editor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi hands, and I am officially writing my first blog post since I turned them in. Woo!

This post is actually part of a larger blog-hop project, which explores various writers’ writing processes. I was tagged in the blog hop by the marvelous Maria Andreu, author of the brilliant book THE SECRET SIDE OF EMPTY. Her post on her process is here: http://mariaeandreu.com/2014/03/30/my-writing-process-blog-tour/

Without further ado, here are my answers to the four official blog-hop questions:

1. What am I working on?

Right now I’m in between projects. I just finished the sequel to my debut novel TRUST ME, I’M LYING and have been taking a much needed break. I’ve been writing full-court press since September, and I need to absorb life for a few weeks to refill my imagination coffers before diving into the next thing. That being said, I have three-quarters of a novel waiting to be finished and revised about an evil reform school for kids with various pathologies—Disturbing Behavior meets Toy Soldiers sort of thing (gotta love those nineties references). I also have another novel idea that’s so new I’m keeping it under wraps for now. But it will be blisteringly fast-paced. (<– Psst: this is a clue.)

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I like to write about bad guys being heroes. My main characters often have unsavory pasts (or presents), with plenty of mistakes they need redemption from. They’re not always easy to sympathize with, but when push comes to shove, they reveal their compassionate marshmallow underbellies.

When I was working with a web designer to redo my author site, I wrote up a description of how I see my “author brand.” It went something like this: I write about teenage delinquents saving the day, because I really dig the idea that sometimes it takes a bad guy to bring down an even badder guy. My (then current) website has a bunch of pictures I took of graffiti coloring a beautiful, burned-down building, because urban-decay-turned-street-art represents to me the attempt by the disenfranchised (which teenagers often are) to reclaim the ruins of their own lives. It’s subversive but poignant and ultimately an expression of what it means to be human, to want to leave our mark on something, even if that something is damaged and forgotten. In short, my creative focus is the plight of disaffected youth—the kids with the snarky, chip-on-the-shoulder veneer that thinly veils the pain and bravery and strength underneath.

3. Why do I write what I do?

I’ve been sitting here for twenty minutes, digging around in my subconscious trying to ferret out my underlying motives. I was a good girl growing up. The only tagging I ever did involved chasing other kids and tapping them on the shoulder; the only hacking I ever did was when I had a really bad case of whooping cough; the only lying I ever did was on my bed with my nose stuck in a book; the only arson I ever did was…well, you get the idea.

I guess when it comes down to it, I always felt like an outsider. I was too nerdy, too gullible, too clueless, too withdrawn, too unnoticeable, too timid, too uninterested in all the things that seemed so important to my peers. So writing about petty criminals being heroes is perhaps a claiming of my less desirable parts, a rebellion against my own self-repression, as well as a wish-fulfilling historical revisionism where I take a stand for something important and prevail.

And at the end of the day, I’d hope that some kid out there feeling lonely, sin-riddled, weak, and worthless would read my stories and feel like self-acceptance is as close as simply deciding to take positive action. IDK, this is far too much deep thought for 6:30 in the morning. *drinks moar coffee*

4. How does your writing process work?

This is how my writing process works: I do whatever it takes to finish. Whatever. It. Takes. I think that’s most people’s process, to be honest, whether they break it down for you into steps or not. Process is adaptable, unique to each book, hard to pin down, and ultimately not as relevant as commitment. Commitment is everything.

But in the spirit of actually answering the question, my writing approach is less a linear process and more a grab bag of tools. My grab bag includes: brainstorming sessions with my critique partners, mind-mapping, storyboarding, Save the Cat methodology, timeline spreadsheets, Google/Wikipedia, character spreadsheets, wordcount goals, word sprints with online writer friends, playlists for plot/characterization inspiration, online thesaurus, and coffee. Lots of coffee.

When I’m stuck, I pull out a different tool and tackle the problem from a new angle. But by far the most effective tool in my arsenal is persistence. Even when I’m mired in so much self-doubt that I’m convinced all my work is complete crap, I keep working. So, yeah. That’s my process.

For those who are all “tl;dr,” here is THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THIS POST:

Next on the list revealing the inner workings of their writing process are…

Clara Kensie, author of the Run To You serials, and
Liz Czukas, author of Ask Again Later.

Both are my literary-agent sisters, and I love their books dearly. <333

The hiatus is over, ladies and gents. I am officially back on the blogging bandwagon. I’ve been around here and there, starting a new Tumblr account, lurking on Twitter, and drafting REFORMED like a crazy person. I’m nearly done with the first pass at REFORMED (yay!), and I just got my first revision from my editor (major yay!), and for the most part, this post is going to contain a miscellaneous assortment of news.

My first big announcement is that CATCH MY GRIFT’s title has changed to TRUST ME, I’M LYING. I was bummed to have to change it, since CMG is so darned clever, and everyone I’ve ever explained it to has loved it. But therein lies the rub. Nearly every time I’ve told someone the title, I’ve then immediately had to explain it. So my editor very kindly and accurately pointed out that perhaps it isn’t the best idea for a book from a debut author to a YA audience. I saw the sense in it at once, even though I was a bit daunted at the idea of having to come up with a new title that I liked as much. But with help, I came up with the new title, and I’m satisfied that it keeps with the overall snark of the novel, so…ta da!

Also, TRUST ME, I’M LYING is now up on Goodreads! The cover isn’t up yet, but you can now add it to your to-read list! It has an ISBN and everything.

To give you an update on where TMIL is in development, I’m working on my big, overall content edit (which is the first round of edits from my editor) and the cover designer is starting to work on the cover (OMG!). I really cannot wait to see it.

I’ve also joined a 2014-debut author’s group called OneFour KidLit. You should all go immediately and check out the blog, the Tumblr account, the Facebook page, the YouTube channel, and the Twitter account. Seriously. I’ve been reading the ARCs, people. These books are going to Blow. Your. Mind.

I think that’s all my news for now. I promise I’ll post something a little less me-centric, and a little more interesting in the very near future. Happy Mother’s Day!