Lola, Lola, and More Lola

You asked for it, you got it! (And I reaaaaally appreciate you asking for it.)

Here's my official countdown widget for Lola and the Boy Next Door:

If you're viewing this post as an RSS feed, you'll probably have to click on over to my blog to see it. Please add it to your own blog or website, if you wish, and help me spread the word!

A handful of copies of Lola were handed out at Book Expo America last week, and I am enormously relieved (ENORMOUSLY, you guys know what a killer this novel was for me) that these earliest reviews have been positive.

Phew!!!!!!!!!!

Today I even learned that one of my favorite book bloggers, the always professional and charming Story Siren, named it as one of her five early buzz books:

"If you've read Anna and the French Kiss I'm sure you are dying for this novel. And it is that good. I think it's even better than Anna. Now I read this title in public, at the airport actually, so you could imagine my dismay when the book made me cry.... twice. And it wasn't so much that it was sad, but I made such a strong connection with these characters it was hard to not be emotionally involved. You are going to LOVE this one."

Thank you so much, Kristi. Your words mean more to me than you can imagine.

And then . . . I learned that it got blurbed by Sarah Mlynowski:

“You’re going to fall in love with Lola and the Boy Next Door. Madly in love! Every page sparkles.”

— Sarah Mlynowski, author of Bras & Brookmsticks and Ten Things We Did (And Probably Shouldn’t Have)

Oh, heavens. I didn't even know my (fabulous fabulous fabulous) editor was going to try to get a blurb! It's particularly thrilling, because years ago I read Sarah's See Jane Write (co-written with editor Farrin Jacobs), a guide to writing chick-lit, and it was HUGELY helpful in getting me to figure out those things that my college creative writing classes should have taught me, but didn't. I referenced her book ALL THE TIME while writing my first novel!

So . . . it's surreal that now she likes *my* book.

Wow.

WOW.

Isn't life crazy? And amazing? I hope your Fridays were as happy-making as mine!

The Emperor of Mondays

I'm borrowing this title from my friend Laini's January 1st post:


I like to think of New Year's as the "Emperor of Mondays." Mondays, I know, are not everyone's favorite day of the week, but I love Mondays. For some reason, Mondays have always felt like clean slates to me, like . . . new notebooks. You know? Like a fresh etch-n-sketch screen. The feeling is: begin now.


I love (and completely understand) this notion. Unfortunately, I was mud-trudging through Lola and the Boy Next Door revisions last January, and a clean slate felt like an impossibility. But today.

TODAY.

Today is my Emperor of Mondays.

Last Friday, I turned in the first copyedited version of Lola. She is finally—!!!—ready to become a real-live book. It is . . . difficult to believe. It is also awesome.

Really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really awesome.

So today, on my Emperor of Mondays, I'm gazing upon that clean slate: an empty work calendar and a new book. *happy sigh* Picture me rolling around in this moment like a puppy in the grass on a sunny day.

The Author, as interpreted by Frodo, which is, by the way, an excellent name for a dog.

I have many hopes, wishes, and goals for the next few months:


• An okay completed first draft of Isla and the Happily Ever After.

It doesn't have to be great, not yet. Just complete. And I do currently have a full draft, but it was my zero draft, aka my NaNoWriMo draft. Which is helpful! But NOT a first draft. I'll be fortunate if I save even 5k of the current 50k.

The related hope is to keep the work not-overwhelming and not-terrifying. I don't want to live through another Lola debacle. My new strategy is consists of three simple, non-negotiable parts: (1) work steady hours, (2) take scheduled time off, (3) remember that I write for myself first. It's okay to feel selfish, it's okay to shut out the other voices for a while.

I'm the one who has to live with the darn thing.


• A solidly brainstormed Fourth Novel.

Fourth Novel isn't related to Anna/Lola/Isla, and every time I tell someone about Fourth Novel, the idea changes. So . . . I've stopped telling people. But I'm sitting on something veeeeery intriguing. Now I have to figure out how to make it work! And I have to figure it out soon, because, you know, I need a paycheck next year. Groceries are good.


• A return to blogging.

I'm thankful that I've never disappeared for too long, but I do wish that I could return to two weekly posts. I miss this place! And I have so much to tell you about the fabulous books I'm reading! And the conference that I went to two weekends ago! And the extras casting call for the Hunger Games movie that I went to last weekend! And The Killing on AMC, which has excellent, realistic teen dialogue!

Anyone else watching? I heart smart storytelling.

So . . . that's it for now. Hopefully, I'll see you again later this week. Are any of you at a crossroads right now, too?

Best of luck to anyone who is!

Closer and closer, Lola . . .

My parents are in town — for the first time in four years! — and I'm editing Lola and Cricket's story, so I won't be online much this week.

It's still thrilling to be able to publicly say Cricket's name now. Cricket! Cricket! Cricket! Oh, I hope you guys like him. He's kind of odd and very sweet, and I've spent a LOT of time with him in the last year.

I'm line editing, which means that (most of) the big stuff is taken care of, so I'm clarifying/prettifying. I love this kind of nitpicky work. And it's exciting, because this means that the novel is that much closer to becoming an advanced copy, which means that you guys are that much closer to reading it.

(Have I mentioned lately how much I hope you like this book? I've been working my butt off over here. If you hate it, please, for the love, lie to me.)

Three random things before I disappear again . . .

(1) Hey, did you hear about that one time a mutual fan gave Taylor Swift a copy of Anna and the French Kiss? Yeah. That was awesome!


(2) After years of dragging my heels and squirming every time my friend Natalie Whipple mentioned it on her blog, I have finally converted to a single space between sentences, thanks to this article on Slate.com: "Space Invaders: Why you should never, ever use two spaces after a period."

Knowing the history of why two spaces existed in the first place was extremely helpful and persuasive for getting me to quit. I even emailed my editor — JUST IN CASE — and she confirmed that she single spaces everything she receives, because it looks weird to her to read sentences that are double spaced.

So. You win, single space fanatics.

YOU WIN.

And double space fanatics panicking about switching? It only took a day to reteach myself. Easy peasy! And if you use Microsoft Word's Find/Replace feature, you can quickly remove any preexisting double spaces.


(3) My friend Connie sent me Camera Obscura's "French Navy" video ages ago, and I've been meaning to share it. Catchy! Perfect for fellow Francophiles:

Have a good week, friends. Talk soon!

The Cat's Out: Meet Lola and Cricket!

It feels uncomfortable to post this today, because this morning's news is so sad. I hope all of my friends and readers in Japan are safe. And I hope the tsunami warnings for the west coast here in America come to nothing. Much love and hugs to you all.

So . . . a bit of good news . . .

Penguin's fall catalog has arrived! Which means that I'm proud and thrilled for you to meet two very, very special people:

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket—a gifted inventor and engineer—steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

* * *

Lola Nolan and Cricket Bell's story will be released from Dutton (Penguin) on September 29th, and it's available for pre-order here.

If you're curious about the connection to Anna, take a peek outside of Lola's window. A beautiful row of Victorian style *SAN FRANCISCO* houses! And you know who recently moved to the city . . .

Also! ALSO!

Anna and the French Kiss will be released as a paperback on August 4th, and it'll contain a teaser for Lola. Eep!!!

Are you excited? I'm excited!



EDITED TO ADD: A lot of people on Twitter are asking me about her purple hair. Nope! She just owns a looooooooot of wigs. ;)

EDITED AGAIN TO ADD: And here's the related strange and funny story regarding Lola's male model on Kiersten White's blog.

KIERSTEN: I know that guy!
ME: Ha ha.
KIERSTEN: No. I know that guy.

Vague Title About Things and Stuff

Rare Alphabet Butterfly by J. Towbin

First, a quick announcement for teens in the Asheville, NC region:

I'll be at the Weaverville Library (41 N. Main Street in Weaverville) this Friday, February 18th from 4:00 to 5:30 pm speaking with TAG, the Teen Awesome Group.

It'll be a super-relaxed event, and I'll be discussing: Anna and the French Kiss, writing, literature, publishing . . . basically, if you have a question about ANYTHING in the world of books, I'll answer it.

I have an incredibly special connection with this library — I was working there while I wrote Anna — and with TAG's organizer, who happens to be one of my dearest friends. So I know it'll be fantastic. If you're a teen living in Western North Carolina, I'd love to meet you and hang out!

In other cool news:

WOO HOO!!!

It's no secret that Kiersten White and I are, er, heavily invested in each other's careers (being someone's close friend/critique partner will do that to you), so nothing makes me happier than seeing that people are pre-ordering Supernaturally and Lola and the Boy Next Door together. And I know exactly who is doing it:

You! Our blog readers! Thank you!!!

This is an exciting week on her website, because there's a celebration of Supernaturally going on with a giveaway AND a special reveal this Friday. And I probably shouldn't say this, but whatever: YOU WILL LIKE THE REVEAL.

*rubs hands together and cackles with insider knowledge*

Even more importantly, you'll love Supernaturally. Here's another thing that I probably shouldn't say (because it doesn't come out until August): It contains one of my favorite characters that any author has created. Ever. The second this character appeared on the page, I died a little bit of jealousy that they weren't MINE. I want to steal this character from Kiersten's book and place them inside of my own personal character corral. Oh, it kills me.

Okay, okay. I will stop teasing you!

So . . . I turned in another draft of Lola this week. Closer, closer, closer. Each draft gets it closer. My feelings on this novel are still so muddled (and for so many reasons) that I'm realizing I probably won't be able to view it rationally for several more years. Which is why I'm grateful to have such a smart editor and smart friends — people who I trust COMPLETELY. If they say that this book is good, that it's ready for the rest of the world, I will believe them.

The only thing I know for sure is this: I love the characters.

THEY are the reason why I've never been able to let go of this story. [For those new here, it's a *decade* in the making.] THEY are the reason why I keep moving forward. Lola and her boy are more colorful, more bombastic than Anna and Étienne, but I think/hope they're still identifiable as characters that I would create. And I'm excited for you to meet them.

But . . . it's still so weird to know that it'll happen this year! How can that be?!

I wish I could tell you more, but, for now, I'll just share this (colorful, bombastic) song, which I've listened to hundreds of times in the last year. It's referred to in my house as "Lola's Theme," but it's actually "Animal Arithmetic" by Jónsi of Sigur Rós, one of my favorite musical obsessions. His entire Go album fueled much of the energy in Lola's story:

NOTE: There's also a real music video here, which is very pretty (footage taken from his film Go Quiet, which I also love), but it distracts a bit from the song itself.

As for Anna's playlist, I hope to share it with you soonsoonsoon. I realize that my website's "Extras" feature is still empty of Anna content, and I appreciate your patience. As she has been all winter, Lola is my first priority. Which stinks for those of you enjoying Anna and wanting more, but . . . I want you to like Lola, too! (Thus, the prioritizing.)

(I have a lot of parentheses in this post.)

(I feel like I'm talking in code.)

(I suppose I am.)

(How disconcerting.)

In final news, OHMYSTARS, RADIOHEAD ANNOUNCED A NEW ALBUM. And it comes out THIS SATURDAY!!! As obsessed as I am with Jónsi/Sigur Rós, nothing can compare to my musical obsession — nay, DEVOTION — to Thom Yorke/Radiohead. This news made my ENTIRE MONTH. I want to marry this news and have its beautiful, twisted little babies.

♥ ♥ ♥

Seriously, I'm panting in excitement. Saturday, whyyyyy are you so far away???

Ooo! I just received some more exciting news. I'll share it with you next time. Until then, my friends!

These days . . .

I've been working a lot on that.

And I've been feeling a bit melancholy about this. While it's not surprising—and while it's nice to already know that Jack will keep making great music—they DID have a certain something together.

Not to mention a hell of a lot of style:

It's possible I'll miss their wardrobe as much as their music!

Here's my favorite recording of my favorite White Stripes song. It's raw, hard, and sexy, just the way rock should be:

Any fans out there? What's your favorite song?

What day is it? Hello?

Just popping out to say hello. I miss you. I miss blogging and books and movies and sleeping during the night and leaving the house.

Lola is nearing completion.

Good things are coming soon.

Happy New Year. Shiny, shiny. Best wishes to everyone.

Merci, Merci, Merci

This month has been CRAZY.

I am so grateful—and so shocked, and so overwhelmed—by outpouring of support for Anna. I'm honest when I say I believed I wrote a small book, one that would be enjoyed by a modest but (hopefully) devoted community of readers. Contemporary romance is not an easy sell these days.

Thank you for giving my novel a chance.

Thank you for recommending it to your friends.

Thank you for your emails, letters, messages, and tweets.

Thank you, John Green and Nerdfighteria. (My WORD, thank you.)

I was not expecting any of this. And it's sad for me to be so removed from the internet right now, because this has been one of the most exciting months of my life. I wish I were more available to talk to you, to thank you all personally. To give you my time.

I'm working on a major revision of my second novel, and it's due soon, and it's a slow and painful process. I am not a fast writer. And I want it to be good.

It is a difficult thing to work on something that you know will, inevitably, disappoint a large number of people. And I don't say this to put myself or my work down—or to dig for compliments—but I say it in a realistic way. Most second novels (or films) disappoint. Unfortunately, it's the nature of storytelling. Things are no longer new and sparkly. And while I know that there are rare exceptions—The Two Towers and The Empire Strikes Back spring to mind—and while I know that some of my readers WILL love Lola's story, these are the facts:

Lola is not Anna.

The boy next door is not Étienne.

America is not France.

It's hard to finish something when you can already hear the negative reviews in your head. It's stupid and self-centered, I know. But that's the truth. I wanted to spend this month celebrating Anna, and instead, the majority of my hours have been spent worrying about Lola. Sometimes, it's all I can do to keep from jumping on my roof and shouting:

PLEASE LOWER YOUR EXPECTATIONS!!!

Which is not, you know, a great marketing campaign.

So instead, I work. And I hope at the end of this I'll have written something that I can be proud of. (Because if I don't like it, I sure as heck can't expect any of you to like it.) But I'll continue to be fairly absent online for the next few weeks while I finish.

To everyone who has emailed me or sent me a letter, I will reply! (If it makes you feel any better, I have not replied to anyone yet. It's not you. It's me.) I just need more time. But I'm really, really, really looking forward to telling you how much I appreciate your words.

Because I do. So, so much.

Merci.


P.S. Please lower your expectations, okaythanks.

Lo-lo-lo-lo Lo-la Gets a Release Date

Not this Lola. My Lola. But I love this one, too.

Lola and the Boy Next Door has a release date! September 29, 2011! And it's available now for pre-order!

Just thought you should know.

In other news, I am not blogging or tweeting or emailing a lot these days, because I'm revising a book. It's called Lola and the Boy Next Door. Perhaps you've heard of it.

It's definitely the best book I've ever written about someone named Lola. Plus, there's a hot boy in it. (Hint: the one next door.) Actually, there are two hot boys. No! Three! There are THREE HOT BOYS. Maybe even four! It depends on your definition of hot, but there are LOTS of them in this book.

I'll probably have a cover and plot description to share with you in January. Maybe February. Definitely by March.

I think.

Who am I kidding? I know nothing! Nothing except that there are HOT BOYS IN THIS BOOK AND YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY PRE-ORDER AT LEAST SIXTEEN COPIES BECAUSE THAT IS A VERY REASONABLE NUMBER ACCORDING TO MY THERAPIST.

(Also: Happy birthday, Natalie Whipple! I hope your day is very orange and filled with frostingless cake!)

An Epic Post Before I Semi-Epically Leave You Again

That picture is for anyone who has ever wondered what it would look like if you sat on your leg until it fell asleep in a bungee-style office chair. Which I'd like to say has never happened to me, but clearly that would be a lie.

I'd also like to say this has never happened to me more than once, and especially never more than twice, but those would also be lies.

SO, HI! I've missed you guys! And a great big WELCOME to my new blog readers. Thank you for introducing yourselves in my recent comments! I'm excited you found me. So I have lots to say today and not much time to say it—please forgive the scattered nature. (Again.)

Tra la la. Where to begin?

OH, HOW ABOUT THIS:

I FINISHED LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR!!!

This was a thirteen-month (plus nine years) labor of love and heartache and heartbreak and anger and deadness and frustration that stripped away my social life and left me with the heaviest physical and mental exhaustion that I've ever experienced. For thirteen. long. months.

But . . . it's OVER.

(Sort of.)

Early Tuesday morning—when I sent Lola to my agent—was the sort of occasion that deserves sparklers and pony rides and fluffy balls of rainbow cotton candy and a week-long vacation on the Spanish coast that somehow turns into a month, that somehow turns into two months, before dragging myself back to the States with a mermaid tattoo and a mysterious accent before throwing myself into revisions.

I had two days off.

Here's what I did:

• Slept
• Drank jasmine tea in a fancy china cup
• Watched Jónsi's Go Quiet
• Visited a friend at the library
• Drank half a bottle of champagne
• Slept
• Re-read Kelly Link's "The Faery Handbag"
• Slept
• Went to the hardware store
• Slept
• Planted pink and white begonias between 2 and 4 a.m.
• Slept

I was asleep for thirty-something of the forty-eight hours. In other words, I AM TOTALLY AWESOME AT CELEBRATING. Also, I'm pretty sure 2 a.m. is the rational time to garden, right?

NORTH CAROLINA, 2:42 A.M.

ME: Tra la la!

Front door opens. MY CELEBRITY BOYFRIEND THOM YORKE steps onto the porch. Thom sits on the steps and watches me silently for five minutes.

ME: WHAT?

THOM: You're planting begonias.

ME: Yes.

THOM: In the front garden.

ME: Yes.

THOM: In your husband's underpants.

ME: [glances at red boxers] I'M OUT OF CLOTHING. I HAVEN'T DONE ANY LAUNDRY SINCE APRIL.

THOM: Yet it didn't cross your mind that washing the dirty laundry would be a better use of your time.

ME: MY NEIGHBORS HATE ME. MY FRONT YARD IS UGLY. I'M TRYING TO MAKE IT PRETTY FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOREVER.

THOM: At two in the morning.

ME: Yes.

THOM: In Jarrod's underpants.

ME: I hide behind the cherry tree whenever a car passes!

THOM: . . .

ME: Go away.

THOM: Bugger off.

ME: Chris Martin is never this difficult. If he were here—

THOM: I'd be back in Oxford with my wife and children.

ME: —if he were here right now, he'd be helping.

THOM: [Glares. Waters one begonia.]

ME: I hate you.

THOM: I hate you more.

ME: [ten minutes later] I love you.

THOM: Quiet. I'm working on a new song, "Transatlantik Nightsick Gardener."

ME: You are not.

THOM: It's a love song.

ME: [thinking] Okay. I'll allow it.


Speaking of! My curmudgeonly, longest-term celebrity boyfriend was recently a part of this list: "100 Hot Men from Across the Pond."

And . . . I'M PROUD AND HONORED to say that I was asked by Heather Moore to (unofficially) help contribute to the list! My lifetime study of Hot British Men has finally paid off!! The amazing part was that I didn't even put Thom on my list. I wanted to, but figured Heather would think I was crazy.

Her response:

"I was not alone in this. One of my compatriots INSISTED."

HUZZAH! And I couldn't agree with the list's caption more:

Anyway. Check out the list! ONE HUNDRED HBM. I can see no better use of your next five minutes.

So where was I? Oh. Yeah.

I had two days off from Lola. Not two months. And this is where the "(Sort of.)" comes in. Because now I have *WONDERFUL* notes from my agent Kate and Laini Taylor (both superheroes for reading the manuscript in record time!), and I have one teeny tiny singular week to turn these notes into a NEW manuscript, one that I'll turn into my editor. Next week. Did I mention I'm turning in my new draft NEXT WEEK?

Pardon me while I cry for a few minutes.

A few more.

Still sobbing.

Sitting in the bottom of my closet. Light's off. Fat gushy tears. Stomach is tight and head is throbbing and this is the end. I'll wither and shrivel and die in here like an indoor fern. The exhaustion, you guys. I don't even know what to say other than:


(1) Thank goodness this will be over in a week.

(2) Thank goodness I love the novel. I do not like it right now, but I love it.

(3) Thank goodness Kate and Laini DO like it. This falls under "Best News I've Heard All Year." Like "HOLY CRAB APPLES, I'M EXPLODING ON YOUR FACE" news.


Except there's no actual exploding because of the exhaustion. It's more like a weak fizz. Like ginger ale, gone flat.

So . . . a few answers to questions before I leave you for another week:


For those who asked how I managed to do the following while indoors:

(A) Get a sunburn.
(B) Put a live beetle into my mouth.


(A) The magic combination of deathly pale skin and sitting beside a window!

(B) My husband and I receive a weekly CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box. Jarrod picks up our box of veggies straight from the farm. Sometimes, these boxes also contain insects. Sometimes, these insects are clinging to the lettuce. Sometimes, one does not see these clingy insects when one puts the lettuce into one's mouth.

It's strange to have a wiggling beetle on your tongue. And that's all I'm saying about that.

The only species of beetle I want on my tongue.

My friend Amber Nicole Brooks asked this:

Care to share your strategies for producing 19,000 more words in a about a week? I'd love to know your methods...

Cough.

Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this. Lola had grown too complex for me to . . . whip out those words. I DID get this remaining word count, but it took half a month to do so, I had a complex structure already in place, and I worked between 16-22 hours a day. I don't recommend this schedule!

But I do write obscene amounts of (terrible first draft) words in a short time every year during National Novel Writing Month. I highly recommend Chris Baty's (the founder of NaNo) No Plot? No Problem! I give this book ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CREDIT for helping me finish my first draft of Anna and the French Kiss. My first *good* draft of Anna, I credit Laini Taylor's Not for Robots.

Also, I have fast-writing NaNo tips sprinkled throughout these blog posts: one, two, three. Basically, it comes down to this: Allow yourself to suck. You have to write a lot of sucky words before you can write the good ones.

I hope that helps. Good luck!!

Okay, this was awesome. Last week I received one of my favorite comments ever, from fellow Tenner (2010 YA debut author) Lindsey Leavitt:

My six-year-old daughter wants to know if you are the REAL Coraline.
YES SHE IS.

HA HA HA!! I smiled for hours. Thank you for telling me!

Lindsey, by the way, is the author of the fantastic-sounding Princess for Hire, which is currently in my take-to-the-beach-next-week stack of books. I can't wait to read it! (And YES. I'm going to the beach when The Bad Week is over!)

Cover twins! Lindsey's book has the Eiffel Tower on it, too.

And as if this hasn't been filled with enough links, I guest posted on Kiersten White's blog last week. She's in Romania right now, the lucky girl! And all I'll say is that she's a VERY GOOD SPORT for posting what I wrote.

With that clunker of an ending, I'm diving into the revision abyss and bowing away from blogging for another week. Maybe a week plus a few days. I hope you're all having a fantastic June!

What time is it? Is that A.M. or P.M.?

This is the face of someone who knows what she is talking about.

Oh, hello.

This appears to be MY BLOG. What ON EARTH am I doing with a BLOG? Have I had this for very long?

Five years? Really??

Do you hear that? That humming noise? What IS that? I'm confused. You don't hear it?

So I haven't left my house in a while, yet I've still managed to:

(A) Get a sunburn.
(B) Put a live beetle into my mouth.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?

WHY WON'T THIS DRAFT OF LOLA END?? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT I AM STILL WRITING IT???

EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!!

Lettuce attack! Blubberfish!! Tootsie Rolls!!!

Elizabeth Gilbert Saves My Soul (or something slightly less dramatic but no less important)

This is why I love the internet.

Stella heard my cry of help and left the *PERFECT* link in my comments.

I'm sharing it with you, because pretty much everyone expressed concern about the Second Novel Curse. (See? NO ONE can escape!!) It's a talk from Elizabeth Gilbert. I'm not sure how you feel about her — I adore her, but I know many resent her for having the time and money to do what she did, when most of us cannot (I understand this reaction, too) — but I think/hope those of you struggling with the creative process will find something of value in this video.

[In case you're unfamiliar with Elizabeth Gilbert, she wrote Eat Pray Love, a mega-huge bestseller about going through an ugly divorce and finding peace with herself again in Italy (eating), India (praying), and Bali (falling in love). I loved it, and I've read it a few times.]

I cried through at least half of her lecture. It was exactly what I needed to hear. A life-changing, light bulb moment. Thank you, Stella, for looking out for me. I wish I could bake you cookies or give you a bear hug or wash your laundry for a year.

If you're reading this on an RSS reader, you might have to come to my actual blog to watch this. If you still can't see it, you can watch it here.

I hope any writer struggling (and suffering) right now will watch it this week. And I hope you'll find comfort in it, like I did.

More comments stuff . . .


Amber asked: Oh, and I wanted to say that I have a new actor crush. The hottest guy out there on TV? The one who makes ME swoon (which has never happened before)? Rupert Penry-Jones. *swoon* *fans self* Did you see him in The 39 Steps? OMG.

Rupert? Who is this Rupert you speak of? Surely you mean . . .

CAPTAIN WENTWORTH.

You MUST watch Persuasion (2007). And I'll watch The 39 Steps. And then we'll come back here, and we'll be like: "OMGGGGG RUUUUPEEERRRT SOOOO DREAAAMMY!!!"


Jessie asked: Is Anna your very FIRST book written ever? Or do you have another (or others) 'under the bed'?

Yes and no. Anna is the first book I finished, and the first book I showed to people and tried to sell. But Lola is technically my first book! Which adds a lovely complication to our history. Lola and I are about to have our TEN YEAR anniversary this autumn. Pretty frightening.

I never made it far with her, and she used to be veryveryvery different (adult, for one thing). I set her aside when, well, I had to. But shortly after, I had my wondrous Anna dream! I launched into writing her story one week later.

(An excellent career move, if I say so myself.)

I credit that old, ugly, never-ending, never-finished version of Lola with teaching me how to write. Old Lola prepared me for Anna. And everything about new Lola has changed, with the exception of the setting and the characters. They wouldn't leave me alone! It was an exciting moment while working on Anna when I realized the books had a connection. I was THRILLED to know these characters I loved were still salvageable, that I could still tell their story!

Even if their story had changed. Drastically.

In other words, there's nothing under my bed except for dog fur and a large Rubbermaid container of shoes. Unless you count old Lola. Which you probably should.


Terresa asked: Your first book (and cover) sound divine. Have you sold the movie rights yet? I can see it in lights already...

Thank you!! And sadly, no. Wouldn't that be cool? I hope it happens someday!


I'm burrowing into a hole this week to work, so if you don't see me around much, that's why.

THE HOLE

Thanks to Stella and Elizabeth, I feel the beautiful, wistful brush of hope again.

Gratitude + Lola + Rube Goldberg Machines

OHMYSTARS.

Eighty-something comments here! So many more on Facebook, Livejournal, and Twitter! And the EMAIL!! I am overwhelmed with love. Thank you for the wonderful, wonderful, wonderful things you've said about my cover. For an author, especially a newbie nobody like myself, lemme tell ya:

PHEW.

Now that the excitement has died down (and thank you for making it exciting!), I'll move forward with my promise. I realized much, much later — like, ten minutes ago — that when I said I'd invent a new, fun announcement about my second novel with a BIG REVEAL, I'd actually shot myself in the foot. Because now you're expecting something.

Whoops.

Told you I wasn't thinking clearly.

So I don't really know how to do that, so instead I'll try my best to open up about Lola and the Boy Next Door. If you've been reading my blog for an extended period of time, you know Second Novel and I have a . . . rocky relationship. Pretty much every time I've mentioned it, I've used what can only be described as the Jerry Seinfeld "Newman" voice.

"Lola."

This book has kicked my butt, you guys.

I have spent a LOT of time over a course of several years fighting with it. And I have spent a LOT of time this year crying about it. I don't want to go into detail. I want to keep this happy! So I will simply explain it as this: Lola and I suffer from the Second Novel Curse.

If you're a writer who has written at least two books, you know what I'm talking about. And if you aren't . . . well . . . trust me. The second novel is always cursed. There are many, many boring reasons why this is so, and because they are boring — and heartbreaking — I'm stopping this paragraph now.*

Because I want to use this post to celebrate Lola and the Boy Next Door.

Lola is a GOOD, WEIRD, COOL book. The plot must remain a secret because: (A) I like to keep such things secret, and (B) It's still in the organic, muddy clay stage. The idea is there, but it'll take many more months of shaping and remolding before the true story emerges.

But here are some things I CAN tell you . . .


(1) It's a companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss.

This means it's not a direct this-happens-next sequel. The novel is firmly Lola's — thus, Lola gets the title! — and it can be enjoyed on its own. But there's a bit of character overlap, so it'll be enjoyed MORE if Anna is read first.


(2) No, I don't know when it will be published.

From what I understand, it's on track to be released a year-ish after Anna. Which would be awesome! But many factors could change this. One scenario: I turn in Lola and my editor says, "Er, no. Let's do something else." This happens frequently with second novels! (Second Novel Curse, remember?) I hope this doesn't happen. BUT IT COULD. A novelist's motto should be that of a scout: Be prepared.


(3) No, it doesn't take place in Paris.

But if I'm fortunate enough to get a contract someday for Third Novel (currently in "fledgling adorable baby first draft" status), you will see Paris again. Fourth Novel (currently in "have-two-intriguing-scenes and an interesting concept" status) is NOT a companion, but would appeal to the same audience. So even if my fab publisher is like, "Okay, Stephanie. These first two books were nice, but I think we're done." (BE PREPARED, remember??) Fourth Novel should be able to flourish somewhere. There's also a Fifth and a Sixth Novel hovering around in various stages of undress, but they are TOTALLY COMPLETELY unrelated. So I'm not sure why I'm mentioning them, other than I think they'd feel bad if I didn't.


(4) Writers are crazy.

See above paragraph.


(5) Wait, wasn't I supposed to be talking about Lola?

I love characters — characters make or break a story for me — and I'm proud of the strange crew I've assembled on Lola's pages. One of the most enjoyable things for me as a writer is to take someone who is a little absurd and make them relatable. Lola is PACKED with these people. It's fun. It's also challenging. But mainly it's fun.

Lola also does ("will do," someday, after more drafts) something else I love. There are many great types of novels, but perhaps my favorite type are the contemporary romances that FEEL magical. Real magic. Those places and moments and people and emotions that are so wondrous or strange that they make you realize how incredible real life is.

Because it is, isn't it?

First kisses, wishing on stars, secret gardens, dark chocolate with hidden cayenne pepper, the cycles of the moon, a lucky pair of shoes, music, holding hands, watching someone paint, memories triggered by the scent of crayons . . .

There are many wondrous and strange things packed into Lola's pages. Perhaps even some of the things I've just mentioned!

But definitely these:

Putting those images together actually made me teary! For every bad thing I have ever said about Lola and the Boy Next Door — and ohmygosh, that number must be in the thousands — the simple truth is this: I love it.

So that's what I can tell you about Second Novel.

I'll leave you with one final thing. In Lola, there's a character very, very, very dear to my heart who would find much in common with OK Go's latest video. (I didn't think it was possible to top their treadmill video, and I am OUTRAGEOUSLY THRILLED they proved me wrong.) So in that character's honor, here it is:

Real life magic, eh?


*If you're interested, someday I'll talk about the Second Novel Curse. Why it exists and what writers can do about it. Now would be grossly inappropriate for me to address that issue, as I'm still ensnared in the thick of it.

I'm Just As Surprised As You Are

This is the face of someone with NEWS.

I'm not sure where to start.

So I'll guide you to this link on my agent's blog. Why don't you read that and come back? I'll wait.


(Still waiting.)


(Still waiting.)


(Did you really read it?)


(PROMISE???)


(Okay . . .)


Remember that publishing timeline I posted the other day? In particular, the part where I said, "THIS IS THE FUTURE AND, THEREFORE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE"? And then proceeded to explain my work schedule on Anna for the next two years until her publication?

Welcome to the future. It has changed.

I'M BEING PUBLISHED A YEAR EARLY!

As stated on my Publisher's Marketplace announcement (linked above on Super-Agent Kate's blog, which I trust you just read), my first novel will hit the shelves NEXT FALL. Not Summer/Fall 2011.

Fall 2010.

YOU GUYS, I'LL BE IN BOOKSTORES IN ONE YEAR!

ONE YEAR!!

ONE YEAR!!!

And . . . yeah. There are a few more newsy tidbits tucked into that same PM announcement. The most important:


(1) Anna has a new title.

(2) Second Novel's title has been revealed.


I've mentioned before that there was a good chance Anna's title would change during editing (most titles do), and indeed, it has. I think the overall reaction to the original — Anna and the English French American Boy Masterpiece — was "Cool" followed quickly by, "Wait . . . what?"

So now it's just Anna and the Boy Masterpiece.

I'm still happy with the title, and it still meets my goals. I won't share ALL of my reasoning behind it, but one should be quite obvious when you see Second Novel's title:

Lola and the Boy Next Door

Despite everything she's put me through, I'm VERY proud and excited about Lola. And, yes, the announcement says she's a "companion novel." This means that Anna and Lola have overlapping elements, but Lola isn't a sequel. They'll be able to be read independently of one another, though it'll be more fun if you've read Anna first.

(Of course — like everything else — that's all subject to change.)

But back to that whole being-published-a-year-early thing:


(1) Yes, it's rare. My publishing house had an opening in their Fall 2010 catalog for a book like mine, and my amazing editor, Julie Strauss-Gabel, made the push. I am lucky. Very, very lucky.

(2) No, I haven't known for long. Less than a week! It's all still new and shocking.

(3) Yes, suddenly, I have a LOT of work to do.

(4) Yes, I'm panicking. Did I mention I have a lot of work to do? Quite suddenly? And in a much, much shorter time frame?

(5) Yes, I can do it. That chai latte I had last night told me so.


And now for some tweaking on my Official List:


NINE TEN THINGS ABOUT FIRST NOVEL


(1) It's a young adult novel.

(2) Hopefully it has some funny bits.

(3) There is kissing. Of course.

(4) Most of it takes place in Paris.

(5) There is an HBM.* (Well, more like an HBM plus.)

(6) It’s called Anna and the Boy Masterpiece.

(7) It's contemporary and realistic. In other words, no vampires or magic. Or magic vampires.

(8) It's set in a boarding school.

(9) It wasn't (originally) intentional, but several important scenes occur on stairs. Though I shouldn't have been surprised when it happened, because the inspiration for the entire story came from a dream (ack, yes) in which I saw a beautiful boy sitting . . . on the steps of a semi-famous monument.

These steps. This monument.

(10) The main character's name is Anna Oliphant.


The Boy Masterpiece himself remains — for now — a secret. But a good one, I promise! And I don't mean a secret like he's a werewolf (see #7, above). He's a secret, because I'm in love with him, and I'm still greedy and protective.

HE'S MINE!

(Not really, not anymore. But my claws are still gripping his arm, and I'm quietly hissing, "Miiiiiine.")

I think that's everything. My head is spinning, and I'm already editing, and all of those things I'd been putting off for another year — like a real website — have to be dealt with NOW. So if you don't see me around Blogville much for the next few months, I hope you'll forgive me next year.

Next year . . . WHEN YOU CAN READ MY FIRST NOVEL!


*Hot British Man, for new blog readers