Meredith McCardle's Blog
August 2, 2014
My Pitch Wars wish list
I’m so happy to be a Pitch Wars mentor again this year! First, here’s a little about me.
I’m now a full-time writer. Before this, I was a full-time lawyer. And I still squeeze being a full-time mom into the mix.
My debut novel, THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, was released in May. Confetti! It’s a fast-paced thriller set in a world of time-traveling teens employed by the US government. (Because you can take the girl out of the law, but you can’t take the law out of the girl…)
The sequel, BLACKOUT, comes out in January, and I’m hard at work revising the third book.
Basically, I’m busy all the time. I live on coffee and KIND bars. (The dark chocolate nuts and sea salt variety, to be specific).
If you write any of the following, we might be soul mates and you should put me on your submission list. Please note, I’m mentoring YA only this year!
Historical.
Fantasy.
Historical fantasy!
And especially, historical fantasy based on underrepresented cultures.
Thrillers. Anything fast-paced, high-adrenaline, super-actiony. (That’s a word).
As a general rule, the darker, the creepier, the better with me. And if you’re not 100% sure whether I’d like something, feel free to ping me on Twitter and ask! @MeredithMcP
We will probably not be a good match if you write the following. (And, I mean, I’m sure you’re still awesome, and I totally still want to hang out with you.)
Contemporary romance.
Anything light-hearted in tone.
Time travel. I know, I know. I write it. It’s my speciality. But that’s actually why I’m not taking any time travel on. I make it a general rule not to read a genre I’m actively writing, and, from a legal standpoint, I can’t read it right now anyway. So please, don’t waste a spot on me if you write time travel. It’ll be deleted unread. (To be blunt.)
So why would you pick me?
I was a Pitch Wars mentor last year. My amazing mentee got ten—ten—agent requests and wound up signing with one of them only weeks later.
I think I’m pretty decent at reading a manuscript, identifying the problem areas, and working with a writer to figure out how to fix them.
I also think I have a pretty decent knowledge of the industry. What’s selling, what’s not, what agents and editors are looking for at the moment, what they’re not. And that will always be in the back of my head.
And that’s it! If you think we’re a good fit, I hope you keep me on your list. And if not, then I wish you all the best! Good luck to everyone!
July 18, 2014
Good (news) Friday!
Hey, guess what? THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN is heading to Germany!
Woohoo! The book will most definitely have a different cover than my awesome Photoshop job and will probably have a different title than the one Google Translate told me was correct, but woohoo nonetheless!
Next, I picked a random winner for the BLACKOUT title reveal giveaway. The $20 Amazon gift card goes to …
Paloma Virella
Congrats! I’ll be emailing you soon.
Finally (and most importantly), have an awesome weekend, everyone!
July 10, 2014
And the title of Annum Guard 2 is . . . .
Games? Who likes games? Or, I guess I should ask, who doesn’t like games? (And really, is there anyone out there who doesn’t?) Here are a few hints about the title, and let’s see who can guess.
This picture is from England during World War II . . .
Do you know your history?
Pic via BBC
It helps if you know this watch has a name . . .
It’s also named in honor of a very specific subset of our military . . .
Here, getting easier . . .
And easier . . .
Image © National Geographic
Got it? I bet you do.
Here’s the official title of Annum Guard 2.
And here’s what it’s about. (WARNING: If you haven’t read THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, this is very spoiler-y. You’ve been warned)!
Amanda Obermann—code name: Iris—is part of a covert government organization called the Annum Guard that travels through time to alter the course of history. When Guardians start to disappear, Iris uncovers a “blackout” squad targeting anyone who gets in the way of XP, the person responsible for the corruption within the Annum Guard, selling their missions for profit. The Guard’s new leader, Jane Bonner, rules them with an iron fist and refuses to follow any XP leads. Iris and the other Guardians, including her boyfriend, Abe, must go undercover to find the identity of XP and untangle the network of secrets and lies. The trail leads from some of the most significant events in America’s history to the highest levels of the government to Iris’s own father, a former Guardian undone by his own greed.
Can Iris change the past to save the future? How much is she willing to risk to rescue her friends? And what if she makes changes with consequences that she can’t even imagine? Playing with time is a deadly game in this sequel to The Eighth Guardian.
And guess what? You can already preorder BLACKOUT on Amazon! (And the time I’m writing this, the hardcover is priced at only $6 and change. What? That’s an insane bargain!)
And and AND! I’m giving a $20 Amazon gift card to celebrate. Woot! Confetti! Contest stays open for a week. Good luck!
July 7, 2014
Want a signed bookplate?
I have a bunch of these lying around.
If you’d like one to stick in your copy of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, feel free to email me at merediththewriter at gmail dot com (or click the little @ symbol up there by my name), and I’ll gladly send you one! I’ll probably even throw in a bookmark or two.
Thanks for reading!
June 17, 2014
Updates and such
Wow. Somehow I blinked and six weeks went by. I can’t believe that it’s been six weeks since THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN was released into the wild. So much has happened since then.
I had a launch party, which was kind of like a dream come true. I was blown away by the number of people who came out to support me. I did a reading, then a Q&A, then a signing. But hands down, the best part was being able to talk to people about my book—people who had read my book and wanted to talk to me about it. Crazy. Here, have some pictures.
The only part I nearly lost it.
And I only messed up the spelling of one person’s name! (One of my closest friends, doh!)
Don’t let anyone tell you differently—signing books is fun!
My unbelievably supportive family. I couldn’t have done this without them.
And I can honestly say I wouldn’t be here without my awesome critique group. Love these ladies!
Seriously, LOVE.
I’m going to have a few things to announce here very shortly (including the title of Book 2), and I have a bunch of events in the works too that I can’t wait to share.
Finally, I’m running a giveaway on Goodreads where you can win a signed hardcover and a sampling of swag. Just click the link below if you want to enter!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Eighth Guardian
by Meredith McCardle
Giveaway ends June 24, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
May 6, 2014
It’s here!! THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN IS HEEEEERE!!
As in, out there in the wild! The book that I wrote in summer 2011, that I sold in summer 2012, that has been my own little baby for nearly three years. It’s now here, for everyone to read. I can’t even describe how it feels. It’s amazing. Simply amazing.
There are so many people who made this book possible, and I’ve already thanked most of them in the book’s acknowledgments section. But, funny thing about acknowledgments sections: You write them ridiculously far in advance. I wrote mine after the first round of edits, before I had a cover, before I’d talked to a single person in marketing, before I made some friendships that kept me sane during those moments I was teetering on crazy. And these people totally deserve thanking. So, without further ado . . .
Acknowledgments Section: Addendum
Thank you to everyone at Skyscape who made this book happen. My entire editorial team—Marilyn Brigham, Miriam Juskowicz, Courtney Miller—your enthusiasm and devotion to my book has been unparalleled. And thank you to marketing team extraordinaire Erick Pullen and Timoney Korbar, for going above and beyond to get the book’s name out there. Thank you to Katrina Damkoehler for designing a breathtakingly beautiful cover, and to Cliff Nielsen for the gorgeous illustrations. I am so, so blessed to be a part of the Skyscape family!
And thank you to the talented writers who make up One Four Kid Lit. Your advice and encouragement has been priceless. A special thank you to Christina Farley, Jessie Humphries, and Lori M. Lee, my fellow Skyscape ’14 debuts.
And thank you to you, for reading what is rapidly turning into something akin to a cheesy, canned awards speech. And for supporting me always. THANK YOU.
Next, THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN blog tour is in full effect! The schedule is below. There are lots of fun interviews, reviews, and posts in the works!
May 5: Me, My Shelf and I
May 6: Winged Reviews and Pub(lishing) Crawl
May 7: Larissa’s World
May 8: Swoony Boys Podcast
May 9: The Write Path
May 12: Min Reads and Reviews
May 13: Two Chicks on Books
May 14: The YA Guy
May 15: Manga Maniac Cafe
May 16: Mercurial Musings
May 19: I Am a Reader
May 20: Bibliophilia, Please
May 21: Books Complete Me
May 22: Mel’s Shelves and Addicted Readers
May 23: A Chick Who Reads
Finally, I picked a winner for the character reveal giveaway! A signed hardcover and $25 Amazon gift card goes to …
JAIME ARKIN!
I’m so happy that THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN is finally out there in the world and that anyone who wants to can read about these characters who are near and dear to my heart. I sincerely hope you love them as much as I do.
Here’s one last look at all of them together. And HAPPY READING!!
May 5, 2014
Meet the Guardians: Iris
We’re 1 day away from the release of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, which (as the name suggests) centers around a generation of eight time travelers employed by the US government. The Guardians travel through our history and tweak the past to improve the present. Enhancement, not alteration . . . or so they say . . . .
I hired an amazing artist named Liv to sketch pictures of the Guardians, and I’ll be posting one a day, each day before the launch! Be sure to check back each day for a chance to win an autographed hardcover of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Meet Iris, our lovely protagonist.
Code Name: Iris.
Real name: Amanda Obermann.
Age: 16
Position: Junior Guardian
Strengths: Willingness to sacrifice her own interests for the greater good, ability to keep a level head in stressful situations.
Weaknesses: Tendency to jump to conclusions, reluctance to ask for help when she needs it.
Quote from THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN: I gasp as a man dressed from head to toe in black jumps in front of me. His left hand grabs the collar of my shirt, and his right hand presses the tip of a knife blade up to my chin.
“Gotcha,” he says.
I don’t make eye contact. You never make eye contact. I stare into his sternum and look at his hand position. Then I lean back before he has a chance to react. My left hand grabs his right wrist, and I loop my elbow through his, forcing him to swing the knife down. I step back with my left foot, pivot, and grab the knife out of his hand.
That took all of about two seconds.
“Sorry, what were you saying?” I ask.
And those are the Guardians! Hope you enjoyed meeting them as much as I enjoyed sharing them! Make sure to check back tomorrow—Release Day (aaaahhh!!)—to see who wins the signed book and gift card!
May 4, 2014
Meet the Guardians: Violet
We’re 2 days away from the release of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, which (as the name suggests) centers around a generation of eight time travelers employed by the US government. The Guardians travel through our history and tweak the past to improve the present. Enhancement, not alteration . . . or so they say . . . .
I hired an amazing artist named Liv to sketch pictures of the Guardians, and I’ll be posting one a day, each day before the launch! Be sure to check back each day for a chance to win an autographed hardcover of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Meet Violet.
Code Name: Violet.
Real name: 
Age: 17
Position: Junior Guardian
Strengths: Willingness to go to bat for a friend, ability to follow through on orders until the end.
Weaknesses: Tendency to panic in stressful situations, more of a follower than a leader.
Quote from THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN: Violet narrows her dark-brown eyes. “You really need to forget about that boyfriend of yours. That’s in the past. You’re Annum Guard. Well, for now, at least.”
The implication is obvious. She wants me to fail. She doesn’t want me to be in the Guard.
Well, screw her. I take a step closer to her.
“Do you feel threatened by me?”
“Why would I?” She laughs, although I can tell it’s a nervous laugh. Good. “You don’t belong here. You’re an outsider.”
(Only one Guardian left! Check back tomorrow to meet Iris, our protagonist!)
May 3, 2014
Meet the Guardians: Indigo
We’re 3 days away from the release of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, which (as the name suggests) centers around a generation of eight time travelers employed by the US government. The Guardians travel through our history and tweak the past to improve the present. Enhancement, not alteration . . . or so they say . . . .
I hired an amazing artist named Liv to sketch pictures of the Guardians, and I’ll be posting one a day, each day before the launch! Be sure to check back each day for a chance to win an autographed hardcover of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Meet Indigo.
Code Name: Indigo.
Real name:
Age: 17
Position: Junior Guardian
Strengths: Always sees the best in people, first person to volunteer when a friend needs a hand.
Weaknesses: Can be too trusting, opens himself up to be hurt by others.
Quote from THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN: Indigo’s in the living room. He’s sitting on the brocade velvet sofa wearing a gray uniform of some sort. Two heavy black boots are propped up on the coffee table. There’s a rifle resting on the floor. Indigo’s popped off the bayonet and is polishing it with a rag. He stops and looks at me.
“Hey,” he says, as if it’s totally natural that he’s sitting there in a uniform that belongs in a museum, polishing a rifle.
“What are you, headed out for a Civil War reenactment?” I ask.
Indigo flashes a coy smile. “Minus the reenactment part, yes.”
May 2, 2014
Meet the Guardians: Blue
We’re 4 days away from the release of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN, which (as the name suggests) centers around a generation of eight time travelers employed by the US government. The Guardians travel through our history and tweak the past to improve the present. Enhancement, not alteration . . . or so they say . . . .
I hired an amazing artist named Liv to sketch pictures of the Guardians, and I’ll be posting one a day, each day before the launch! Be sure to check back each day for a chance to win an autographed hardcover of THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN and a $25 Amazon gift card!
Meet Blue.
Code Name: Blue.
Real name:
Age: 18
Position: Guardian
Strengths: Determination, willingness to follow through with plans no matter the personal cost.
Weaknesses: Moderate inability to separate fact from fiction, tendency toward feelings of vengeance.
Quote from THE EIGHTH GUARDIAN: “It’s Blue!” he spits. “Blue! Don’t ever call me by that name again. 
is dead. Do you understand me?”
