Sarah Alderson's Blog: Writing and all the bits in between - Posts Tagged "hunting-lila"

A couple of weeks ago I was sent the first proof of the cover for Hunting Lila.

My immediate reaction was to leap squealing from my seat. I loved it. I loved the sense of action and excitement conveyed, because the book is no mistakes a thriller – a paranormal thriller – but a thriller all the same, with murder, intrigue, plotting and enormous sexual tension to boot.

I wasn’t so sure about the shoes though at first – and as a friend on facebook pointed out – she’s not going to be able to run very far from the truth in them heels. The cover is actually a scene from the book – the crux scene where Lila discovers something awful about herself and the people she loves – and has to suddenly flee. And she is wearing a blue dress – I based the dress on a blue silk Balenciaga dress I wore at my wedding – that’s spot on.

But the shoes? She actually discards the shoes – Lila hates heels. She can’t walk in them. When she runs, she runs barefoot (she’s not much of a planner). So I talked to my editor about ditching the shoes – possibly having them lie on the floor by the door but they decided to go ahead with her wearing them because of the connotations of red (the colour of all things paranormal – think Twilight) and high heels screaming sexiness.

And at the end of the day who am I to get my knickers in a twist over shoes? The cover looks great– it’s garnering fantastic responses on the web and most importantly of all it has my name in large font across it. Something I never thought in my wildest imaginings I'd ever see(let’s out another squeal of excitement and passes out).

and no, to the person who asked, they're not my legs.

FATE

I have a book coming out in January 2012 called Fated. Here’s the blurb.


What happens when you discover you aren't who you thought you were? And that the person you love is the person who will betray you? If your fate is already determined, can you fight it?

When Evie Tremain discovers that she’s the last in a long line of Demon slayers and that she’s being hunted by an elite band of assassins –Shapeshifters, Vampires and Mixen demons amongst them – she knows she can’t run. They’ll find her wherever she goes. Instead she must learn to stand and fight.

But when the half-human, half-Shadow Warrior Lucas Gray - is sent to spy on Evie and then ordered to kill her before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy, their fates become inextricably linked. The war that has raged for one thousand years between humans and demons is about to reach a devastating and inevitable conclusion. Either one or both of them will die before this war ends.

If your life becomes bound to another’s, what will it take to sever it?



Following the Bologna book fair I had a quick chat with my editor at Simon & Schuster who told me that paranormal is on the way out, dystopia very much on trend at the moment thanks to the fantastic popularity of The Hunger Games and the eagerly anticipated Divergent which I can’t wait to read. Though what’s going to be next year’s trend is anyone’s guess.

The thing is, Fated is very much a paranormal romance and I was asking her whether she thought it therefore worth my while writing the sequels that I had planned. Her advice was probably not. And she’s probably right, given that I have no contract for them and she works in publishing so has a much better idea of what will sell and what won’t. But she did say, and for this I’m hugely grateful, that if they had to be written then they had to be written.

And I felt like these books had to be written.

With Hunting Lila the characters got into my head so much that they’d have whole conversations with each other. It got so I couldn’t ignore them and needed to write the second book in the series or check myself into an asylum and start receiving treatment for the voices in my head. I needed to let their story finish.

With Fated it’s been similar. When I finished writing that book I couldn’t stop imagining what happened to my characters next. So I mulled and I ummed and I arred. Should I work on the other ideas I had? Should I leap into Dystopia before that craze died too? Or should I follow my heart?

I was still unsure of which direction to go when I bumped into a friend of mine here in Bali. He used to work as a head of something very impressive for a big video games company. We discovered a mutual love of Buffy and all things vampire the first time we met and since then most of our conversations revolve around films and ipod apps.

Anyway I explained to him my dilemma about what to write next and he told me a little story.

When he was working in the gaming industry he had an idea for a baseball game but everyone said, ‘you can’t make that game, there have been dozens of baseball games, they never sell well.’

But he went ahead and did it anyway. They made it so well that it became the biggest selling baseball game of all time.


So write that book, he said.


So I did. And then I wrote the third book. And when I’m done I’m going to write the fourth book too.

Part way through writing the second book I realised that the theme was about trusting your instincts. I don’t think there’s any better advice for living or writing.


Hunting Lila

The ARCs for Hunting Lila went out about a month ago and much to my delight it’s getting awesome reviews…there’s a real buzz starting which makes me giggle and freak out in equal measure. I never thought two years ago that these characters, that Lila and Alex, would have an audience outside of my best friends and my head. I find myself walking around all day at the moment grinning like an idiot at how stupendously exciting life is at the moment.

The consensus so far seems to be that everyone loves Lila and is lusting after Alex. Just as I had hoped. Waterstones and WH Smith are doing a big promotion on the book in August, offering it as part of their 3 for 2 deals - so keep an eye out for it on their tables and snag it at a bargain price. I'm also doing an 8 day Blog Tour starting on 28th July where some giveaways are planned.

I’ve had several emails over the last week from people asking whether there is a sequel to Lila, so I thought I’d post a blog about what I’m working on at the moment.

The sequel to Hunting Lila is written! I wrote it even before I had a book deal. I wrote it on the beach in India. I just re-read it the other day (it’s been a year since I wrote it) and it made me laugh out loud a lot. It’s possibly even more action packed than the first book, with some equally big twists. It’s slightly darker in tone, with more conflict and Lila really struggling to control her growing power. Alex also features a lot, as does his body. But that’s all I’ll say on the matter for now. Let your imaginations run riot.

It’s due out next summer though there’s no release date yet.

However…don’t despair. In between times I have another book coming out called Fated. It’s about a girl called Evie, who discovers that she’s a Hunter – a demon slayer. There’s a love interest who’s possibly hotter than Alex. His name is Lucas and he’s half Shadow Warrior and half-human. He belongs to a band of demons sent to kill Evie before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy. If you visit my Goodreads profile you can read an extract.

I’m so excited about this book – so excited infact that I’ve already written two more books in this series, though these haven’t yet been bought. Apparently paranormal is taking a hit says my publisher, but let’s hope that it isn’t. I personally choose to believe it isn’t! I love paranormal! And hopefully after Fated comes out it’ll change their minds.

At the moment I’m working on edits for Fated and the sequel to Hunting Lila but I plan to start another book in August (top secret at the moment but I’m grinning as I think about it).

Anyway, thanks to everyone blogging, reviewing, tweeting or just adding Hunting Lila to their TBR shelf. I really appreciate it.

Sarahx
Hunting LilaFated

The ARCs for Hunting Lila went out about a month ago and much to my delight it’s getting awesome reviews…there’s a real buzz starting which makes me giggle and freak out in equal measure. I never thought two years ago that these characters, that Lila and Alex, would have an audience outside of my best friends and my head. I find myself walking around all day at the moment grinning like an idiot at how stupendously exciting life is.

The consensus so far seems to be that everyone loves Lila and is lusting after Alex. Just as I had hoped. Waterstones and WH Smith are doing a big promotion on the book in August, offering it as part of their 3 for 2 deals - so keep an eye out for it on their tables and snag it at a bargain price. I'm also doing an 8 day Blog Tour starting on 28th July where some giveaways are planned.

I’ve had several emails over the last week from people asking whether there is a sequel to Lila, so I thought I’d post a blog about what I’m working on at the moment.

The sequel to Hunting Lila is written! I wrote it even before I had a book deal. I wrote it on the beach in India. I just re-read it the other day (it’s been a year since I wrote it) and it made me laugh out loud a lot. It’s possibly even more action packed than the first book, with some equally big twists. It’s slightly darker in tone, with more conflict and Lila really struggling to control her growing power. Alex also features a lot, as does his body. But that’s all I’ll say on the matter for now. Let your imaginations run riot.

It’s due out next summer though there’s no release date yet.

However…don’t despair. In between times I have another book coming out called Fated. It’s about a girl called Evie, who discovers that she’s a Hunter – a demon slayer. There’s a love interest who’s possibly hotter than Alex. His name is Lucas and he’s half Shadow Warrior and half-human. He belongs to a band of demons sent to kill Evie before she can fulfil a dangerous prophecy. If you visit my Goodreads profile you can read an extract.

I’m so excited about this book – so excited infact that I’ve already written two more books in this series, though these haven’t yet been bought. Apparently paranormal is taking a hit says my publisher, but let’s hope that it isn’t. I personally choose to believe it isn’t! I love paranormal! And hopefully after Fated comes out it’ll change their minds.

At the moment I’m working on edits for Fated and the sequel to Hunting Lila but I plan to start another book in August (top secret at the moment but I’m grinning as I think about it).

Anyway, thanks to everyone blogging, reviewing, tweeting or just adding Hunting Lila to their TBR shelf. I really appreciate it.

Sarahx
Hunting LilaFated

Things are getting a bit mental.
In roughly two weeks Hunting Lila gets released in the UK.
To celebrate I've done two things: Bought myself a Vivienne Westwood dress (oh yes) and some shoes I can't actually walk in AND listed a giveaway of two signed copies of Hunting Lila. They're sitting right by me now on the bed, along with the pile of books I pilfered from Simon & Schuster last week.

You can enter the competition here
Goodreads Giveaway

I've also been distracted from my edits of Fated and the ludicrously hot Lucas, by the interviews I've been doing for my blog tour. They've been so much fun.

The blog tour starts on August 1st but in the meantime Simon & Schuster made me reveal myself here.

Revealeda>

I had to take photographic proof



I’m right there on the table next to Stephenie Meyer and beneath the fantastic Divergent.

If the camera panned upwards you’d see my grinning like a loon. I’m on the table NEXT TO STEPHENIE MEYER.

My book.

Is on the table next to BREAKING DAWN.
And did I mention DIVERGENT?

If you’d have told me this a year ago I would have laughed in your face at how ridiculous you were being. But look people – there it is. In Waterstones no less.

I signed my first copies in store (Brighton Waterstones). The staff in Waterstones were brilliant and invited me back to do a reading or signing. (The girl who works there looks just like Keira Knightley.)

I am still grinning like a loon. It’s particularly funny because Stephenie Meyer was the reason I started writing in the first place. I loved Twilight and then when I was struggling to think of something to do to make some money I thought, ‘I know I’ll write a book! Stephenie Meyer’s a gazillionaire and all for writing about vampires. How hard can it be?’

Turns out, very hard, but look, I still made it.

I feel like this story should be in the fairy tale section of Waterstones.

Hunting Lila’s birthday was yesterday. In the weeks running up to the launch I had an inkling of what Kate Middleton must have felt like before marrying Royalty. Not that I had to stand in front of the eyes of the world in a white dress and no one was bestowing any title on me but I honestly couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep and was in a spiralling panic as the day came nearer. All those people looking at me – which given I used to act – wasn’t something I understood until I realised that publishing a book is a bit like standing naked in front of the world asking them to comment on your flaws.

So I did what any sensible girl would do in such a situation, I bought myself the most killer dress (Vivienne Westwood) which took all the attention off me and put it all on my hips and waist – thank you Vivienne. I also bought five inch heels I could barely walk in. My toes are still numb two days later.

It was an awesome evening which passed in a daze. I can’t remember much other than signing what felt like hundreds of copies of Lila and having a ten year old tell me he loved my use of metaphor and simile in the first chapter :) (I’m not sure I knew what a simile was when I was that age).

Thank you Waterstones for being so supportive of the book and Simon & Schuster for being generally wonderful! Can’t wait to do another one for Losing Lila. Any excuse to buy a new dress...

image: Hunting Lila

Today, as part of the Hunting Lila Blog Tour I've done an interview for Bookbabblers.

My favourite question:
What made you set ‘Hunting Lila’ in California?

I love California. After Bali it’s my favourite place in the world. It’s so spectacularly beautiful. I wanted to write about places I had been to, that I would feel confident describing, and I knew I didn’t want to base the book entirely in south London where I grew up. I mean it’s just not as glamorous really, is it?

But the ultimate decision to base it in California came when I was researching Marine bases. Lila’s brother Jack and his best friend Alex work for a shady military organization. I wanted them to be trained marines (too much watching 24 and Generation Kill). They needed to be able to handle weapons, kick serious bad guy butt, have access to sensitive information, know how to go on the run without being detected and… ok, maybe I just have a thing for a man in uniform with an amazingly ripped body who rides a motorbike dangerously…yeah, that would be closer to the truth.

When I was researching the book I looked up Marine bases in the US and found there was one in southern California. And double excitement… it was where Top Gun had been filmed. It was a Bingo! moment. I think I sat there grinning as all the pieces slotted into place (minus Tom Cruise).

I also did a fun interview for Daisy Chain Reviews which you can read here

And here's a post about a day in my life which might make you hate me just a little bit (I live in Bali):
at I want to read that

Thanks to all the bloggers who've reviewed the book and hosted the tour! It's been so much fun.

There's also a giveaway at the crooked shelf!

Lila had its Australian book birthday the other day – I wish I was there for it. Instead I had to make do with drinking frozen margaritas and going to ecstatic dance (moving meditation where you dance like a lunatic in the dark wearing only a bikini until pouring with sweat and ready to collapse – upside is you feel really amazing after). It’s when I dance or swim that I come up with new plot ideas for my books. That’s my excuse anyway.

At the moment I’m writing my sixth book. It’s very different to Lila or Fated, though similar in that it features a teenage girl who’s caught in a situation not of her choosing and who has to figure her way out of it. I’m having fun writing it – loving the flow. And the boys. There are boys. Naturally. In fact there’s only one girl. All the rest are boys. Like where I’m going with that? :)

Am also half way through writing a short story from Suki’s perspective – a side story to Hunting Lila. It’s going to be sold as an e-book on Amazon with all profits going to my friend’s new charity Girltank.

I spent yesterday at the beach dribbling into the sand whilst plotting the story and wrote some pretty awesome dialogue between Demos and Suki and between Jack and Alex. It’s fun to explore these characters outside of Lila’s perspective. I’m still struggling though on how to create a storyline that allows me to have Alex half-naked.

Fail on that score. He’s going to be clothed. BUT we will be finding out more about his love life over the last few years and more about his feelings for Lila – remember Suki can read minds – ACCESS ALL AREAS!

Finally I’m freaking out about Fated. It’s being released in January. With so much Lila love and reviews ending with ‘How is she going to top this?’ I’m having to learn to step away from the refresh button on Goodreads. There should be a cover reveal soon and I had my first reader give it five stars (thanks Jenny!)which helped ease the panic.

And whilst I’m here I need some advice. I’ve been invited to a school to do ‘something.’

Any ideas on what ‘something’ might look like? If I was coming to your school or college what would you want me to do? What would you want me to talk about? Any suggestions gratefully received! Because right now all I can think of doing is an ecstatic dance demonstration.

I hope the wonderful Maggie Stiefvater doesn’t mind me stealing her competition idea…

WIN AN EARLY SIGNED COPY OF FATED, my next book, personalized with a selection of my post-it notes (which I stick all over my walls and desk and which contain words of wisdom – not my own because I don’t claim wisdom as a trait – as well as ideas and quotes for Losing Lila and for Fated).

On your Facebook page or your blog (must be an actual blog from Blogger or WordPress – and not Shelfari or Goodreads etc) post the cover image of Hunting Lila and some words along the lines of OMG THIS BOOK ROCKED. IT’S SO FULL OF AWESOME. ORDER IT NOW! And then link to the Book Depository (Free Worldwide shipping)
here


Then go HERE and comment and add your link (If your FB profile page is private (as it should be!) then just tell me that it’s private and if you get picked we will verify it another way. Or you can just add me as a friend.

If you have Facebook AND a Blog you can enter twice but make sure you post the links to both.

There will be two winners chosen by grand jury of err, me. The first winner will be a random pick from a hat and the second winner will be the person who posted the Facebook Status update or blog entry that made me laugh the hardest!

This contest ends on midnight the 30th September, GMT. I will post winners on October 1st.