Lots of news and a teaser or two…

First, I’m super excited to show you the cover for TIME.

 

I’m seriously in love with this cover, and now that I have it done it’s becoming more real that book two is close. That simultaneously thrills and terrifies me. If you’re thinking it looks a lot like Mirror’s cover, you’re right. I’m trying to keep all three books similar but distinguishable. AND I have OCD and want all the spines to match when they’re on my bookshelf.

In other news, here’s the back blurb:

When I finished the first book, I remember sitting there staring at the THE END. I knew the story was going to be three books, but as I sat there I remember thinking, How do I start the second book? Do I pick up right where the first ended? Do I let time go by? How do I keep up the momentum of the first throughout the second? What if I start writing the second and the story falls away? What if I can’t write it?

Why IS THERE NO CHOCOLATE IN MY HOUSE?

These were very serious questions people. Especially the last.

So I put it away for a year. I’d write little things that’d pop up in my mind here and there, but I didn’t actively start working on it until the next summer when Beeg (the husband) got really busy again. At night, I’d gather up treats snacks and write scenes as they came. I actually wrote the last chapter before I wrote the first.

Then something weird happened.

I was halfway through the second book, in a story where I already knew everything that was going to happen, and things started to change. The characters started doing things they weren’t supposed to do. I was the writer, right? I could make them do whatever I wanted, but as I was writing what I had originally planned, it felt wrong. This makes me sound certifiable, but I actually had to take a break because I was so mad that Miles wanted to do that, or that Grace was making that decision. (Yes, I’m aware it sounds crazy. Please don’t call any doctors on me)

So I went with the new direction and it was the exact opposite of where I originally wanted to go. TIME is nothing like I thought it was going to be, and because of that, I love it even more. It is the perfect bridge between Mirror and the third (which, surprise, doesn’t have a name yet).

I still get sick when I think about publishing a book. I don’t know why, but every time I think about it I feel like I need to throw up. Somedays I’m really excited, and then I have those days where I think I’m not cut out for this. I’ll read a book that I love, and as soon as I finish I’ll think, “Well, geez, maybe I should be more descriptive in my writing.” (Which, by the way, I actually hate. If the lamp in the corner isn’t relevant to the story, I don’t want to hear about it. I don’t want to know what the heroes chin looks like because for some reason I always think of Gumby and the character is ruined. I like little description, and what description there is I like it to be vague. I like to use my imagination when I read so don’t tell me about the main character’s ears unless they’re freakishly huge and they’ll use them to fly)

Phew…anyway, I have those days where I’ll compare myself to other writers, and then I get sad and frustrated and I think maybe I should just go to FedEx Kinkos, print off the book, bind it and store it away for my kids.

But then this happens:

Dear Janessa,

Ok, I just finished mirror and wow!!! It was really good!! I had lots of people recommending it to me that I really didn’t think it could hold up to all the hype. Boy was I wrong! I loved it!! I know I’m supposed to pinpoint a favorite part, but that’s really hard!!  (Continues with spoiler…)

I’ll get these kind of emails from readers and the worry, that for some reason I can’t shake, fades a little more.

When I started writing this story, I never once thought I’d publish them, lose sleep over them, basically pull out my hair over them, or grow to love them. And never in a million years did I think people would actually buy them. Okay, I knew my family would, but that’s out of downright blood obligation. Strangers have no obligation to buy my book, and the concept of someone spending money on something I wrote was seriously not even in my realm of thinking. At night, I’ll turn to Beeg and say, “FOUR people bought my book today, and I have no idea who they are!”

So, aside from the fun news, this post is a big THANK YOU to all of you who read Mirror. And THANK YOU for being interested in Time. Hopefully you’ll love it as much as I do.

Now, enough of the sappy stuff. Here’s your Teaser Tuesday:

*A small portion of a letter to Grace from her dad:

My Gracie Girl,

This may seem odd to you that I’ve excluded your mother in this, but there are reasons. Reasons you will soon discover. I assume Mr. Mitchell has given you the eight journals. Read them. I want you to learn about me and pass down the stories to your children (which I’m hoping won’t happen until you’re fifty).

 Grace, the journals I gave are an open book. Anyone can read them. But there is one journal I’ve kept separate. The eight I have given to you are stories of my life growing up, learning about the stone, meeting your mother, building the mirror, and discovering how amazing fatherhood is.

 The journal I have kept private also tells of the stone, meeting your mother, building the mirror, and fatherhood. But there are stories in that particular journal that no one knows, and no one aside from you will ever know. Most of the entries in this journal are not happy. Some are frightening, but essential. Some, Grace, are awful, and I pray you won’t think differently of me after reading them.

I’m so excited for you to find out a little more about Grace’s dad, where the stone came from, and why people want it so badly.

If you’ve made it this far reading, here’s another piece of news: I hate Pinterest. There, I said it. It makes me feel like I’m 13 years old, comparing my handwriting to the pretty handwriting of my friends. I can’t draw, cut, or roll out a circle to save my life. I don’t know what crafty people are talking about most of the time, and to tell you the truth, googly eyes freak me out.

Why am I telling you this? Because I’m warning you that I really have no idea how Pinterest works, but I’ve started a Mirror board and I’ve been slowly pinning pictures I’ve bookmarked throughout this writing process. I have pictures of houses that inspired Rockwell, the clearing in the trees, the rooms, the attic, and I have a folder full of actors and actresses that have been the inspiration for every character since day one. Grace was picked the day I started writing. Miles is a combination of three actors. Harry was picked the first day too.

I usually hate when an author will show pictures of what they think the character looks like because it’s usually nothing like I imagined, so I’ll put it on Pinterest and you can go look at your own risk. And when I say I’ve slowly put them up, it’s no exaggeration. I have like four on there now. I put one up a day. Sorry. I have to keep my kids alive.

And I won’t put the pictures on here because I don’t know how to do the whole copyright thing and I’m scared I’ll get sued.

If you do head over to Pinterest, comment here and tell me if you like the “real” person that inspired the character, or if you think I’m stupid and got it all wrong. Seriously, I want to know.

 

*Disclaimer: This post may contain grammatical errors. If you cringe at the misuse of erratic commas, oddly placed dashes, or inappropriate apostrophes–I’m sorry. My editor has two kids. Deal with it.