Always

It's been so long since I've logged into this here bloggy thing, I sort of forgot how to create a post. Ooops! 

 

Back when I started this blog in 2008 or 2009 (I don't even remember now), I had no idea what was coming for me. Where the voices in my head would take me. Here I am preparing to visit a teen book club this weekend, where they've all read one of my books. This is a real thing I get to do. 

 

And as I've struggled with writing (especially since my 3.5yo daughter was born and stole most of my brain), and wondered if this path is really for me, I always seem to get a boost telling me that I want to keep doing these things. Just when I doubt, I'll get invited to a book club, or I'll get a book report on one of my books in the mail, or a fan email begging for a sequel to What You Always Wanted. A little poke, a reminder that things I've created are out there, are finding homes, are nestling in hearts. 

 

It's so easy to forget, because writing is so lonely. We sit here in our yoga pants in front of a computer screen and surrounded by Cadbury Mini Eggs and it feels like a small miracle when someone reaches out to tell you that your creation has meant something to them. 

 

That's why I do it, even when rejection after rejection comes. Because there is hope. That I'm meant to share something that means something to someone.  

Do I have anything coming out soon? No. 

Am I still writing? Always.

 

How are you? I miss you. I miss the glory days of blogging and the tiny little writing community we carved out for ourselves.  

 

And before I forget! If you're at all interested in hearing me interviewed about my publishing journey, here's a podcast! 

 

xoxo 

 

What You Always Wanted

Hard to believe it's been over a year since I updated this bloggy thing! And to think I used to hold myself back from posting more than once in a single day! How times have changed here in the blogosphere.

So, let's catch up!

My daughter is officially TWO, which is amazing. SHE'S amazing. And adorable. And hilarious. She runs really fast and dances like Davy Jones from the Monkees and sings "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line like she's on stage.

I've run a few 5k's this year. I might be training for more. I might be training for a 10k in November. I might be training for a 15k in February. I might be training for a half marathon in April. I might be crazy. But only half crazy.

This past March, my second young adult novel was born into the world, officially. Publishingly. Or some such. My launch party was at my local B&N, where I was joined by friends and family. I made yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting, we wore stars on our cheeks, and I gave away a copy of Singin' in the Rain to a trivia winner! It was so much fun. A highlight of my life, because this book, y'all.... I love it so much.

Of course I love Wish You Were Italian, my first book baby, but What You Always Wanted came from a different place in my heart. It's more personal. It's so much more me because I was the high school kid stuck in the past, drooling over hollywood heartthrobs like Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, and, of course, Gene Kelly. Some of my friends humored me by watching old movies with me, but it was mostly a solo venture. And I was okay with that. It led me here. It gave me a story to share.

And I hope you enjoy it, You, Wonderful You.

#pippaversary

Remember May 6, 2014 when I became a published author with my debut YA contemporary novel Wish You Were Italian?!

Remember when I was too pregnant and lazy to organize a launch week giveaway?

Remember last month when I realized I still had FUN THINGS to give away just SITTING on my shelf?!

In celebration of the first anniversary of Pippa out in the world, I'm hosting a #pippaversary giveaway! Open until May 6, 2015. BUT FIRST, A HUGE GRAZIE to all of you for reading, reviewing, gushing, and supporting me and my little book! This dream wouldn't be possibly without each of you! Much love!!

PIPPA'S PRIZE PACK

(US only, but scroll down for international giveaway)

Remember when Morgan gave Pippa a journal filled with fun things to do while in Italy?

Morgan's red journal! 

Remember when author Lindsey Leavitt said:
“With Italy's brilliant landscapes, a main character you'll love from the first line and a new dreamy book boyfriend (he's mine!), WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN is a charming and addictive read. Devour this delicious treat like a double scoop of gelato.”

A hardback of Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt!

Remember when I listened to nothing but Mindy Gledhill's album Anchor while I revised Wish You Were Italian and therefore Pippa is walking the streets of Italy with those songs in her head?

A copy of Anchor by Mindy Gledhill!

Remember when I stumbled upon the cutest little Rome mug with a Vespa on it?

Rome mug with a cartoon Vespa!

This giveaway is open to US addresses only.

Scroll down for the international giveaway!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

SIGNED UK EDITION!

I don't want those of you who live out of the country to be left out, 

so this next giveaway is open internationally!
(open to U.S. and beyond!)

Enter below for your chance to win 

a signed UK edition of Wish You Were Italian!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to use #pippaversary on social media! 

Mangia gelato prima! 

A Good Year

I can't even put into words how happy I am there is an entire year between me and 2013. It was such a hard year for so many reasons. *shudders*

But 2014 was a huge blessing as it brought to life two dreams: becoming a published author, and becoming a mom!

This past holiday season was such a fun time, and I know it will just keep getting better!

So what does 2015 bring? No new book on the shelves (next year, though!), but I may or may not be already planning first birthday photos...

As for goals, getting in better shape is a yearly goal that never really happens. But I like what Miranda Hart says in her book Is it Just Me? when she jokes about writing a diet book. "Chapter one: Eat a bit less. Chapter two: Move about a bit more. The end."

Writing wise, I'd like to finish at least two of my WIPs this year. I've been very distracted with ALL THE SNUGGLING (and rightfully so), but I won't sell another book if I don't write one!

I also want to be more crafty (more artistically productive, not like, sneaky).

Do you have any goals? Do tell!

Here's to an amazing 2015, y'all!

It's a Blog Post, Charlie Brown!

Howdy friends!

Life has been pretty amazing the past two months since my daughter was born. Every day is a dream and I'm so thankful it's my reality.

Cutest baby ever, obvs. 

A friend and agent-mate, Isaiah Campbell, author of The Troubles of Johnny Cannon, tagged me in a blog hop, and I found it to be the perfect reason to hop back over to my lonely little blog.

What are you working on?

What am I not working on might be the shorter answer! Not really. That would be long too. Just last week I turned in the second round of revisions for my second book to my editor. It's called WHAT YOU ALWAYS WANTED and it's scheduled to be published in spring of 2016, also from Bloomsbury. It's about a classic movie-obsessed sixteen-year-old girl with unrealistic expectations when it comes to modern boys. As for what I'm drafting, I'm trying my hand at two different middle grades, and another young adult.

How does your work differ from others in your genre?

Well... it came from my weird brain, so there's that! I like to think of my stories as realistic with somewhat of a fairytale element. Not magic stuff (yet), but more like "This would never really happen... but it COULD!" Wish You Were Italian is a fit for readers with varied interests. Not only did I try to depict a travel destination in an immersive way, but I threw in self-discovery, growth, and family issues, while trying to keep it realistic and emotionally compelling.    

Why do you write what you do?

I tried to write paranormal early on. It's what was popular, so that's what I thought I should be writing. Then I went to a teen book con where I listened to a panel of YA contemporary authors (Stephanie Perkins, Lindsey Leavitt, and a few others), and I left there feeling completely inspired. CONTEMPORARY! That's what's inside me. The gushy sweet stuff. The almost-kisses. The fast heartbeats. The tingles. I want to grow as an author and push myself to write new things, but I think I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for realistic fiction because it changed my life.

What does your writing process look like?

I'm a bit backwards here. I have a whole list of book title ideas. A title pops in my head and then I think up a story seed to fit the title. SO WEIRD, right? When I think of a story idea first, the title seems to take FOREVER to come to me. I get stunted with drafting if I don't have some sort of title to anchor me. I might write bullet points, or beats, of what might happen in the story, but I won't necessarily stick to that. Sometimes my characters say things that surprise me, and I have to be flexible enough to let myself explore that. Speaking of flexible, I don't have to write in order either. With Italian, one of the first things I wrote was a version of the last scene. And if I have an idea of bits of convo I want to come later, I write it and just work toward it. I like super clean first drafts, so I read back through parts I've already written each time I sit down to write. Not only does it help me get back into the head of that character, but I catch more mistakes, or find better ways to word things after distancing myself from it a little. So when I finish a first draft, it's already been edited quite a few times. Makes my revisions much more manageable doing most of the work on the front end. 

That was fun, writing about writing! My lovely friend Anita Saxena has allowed me to tag her, so you're it! 

Book Baby, and BABY Baby

My book baby has been out in the world since May 6th, which happens to be the last time I wrote on this blog. My mind has been elsewhere. Many elsewheres.

Let me tell you, it's a surreal feeling when you can walk into a bookstore and find a book that YOU wrote on the shelves. It's like one of those impossible, intangible life goals/dreams and when it really happens, your brain DOESN'T GET IT. Even when people stand in line at an event to get you to sign your name in said book, your brain DOESN'T GET IT. When someone tweets at you that they want to smoosh your book in their face; when a teenager emails you to say how much they loved your book; when you stumble on a review that says YOUR BOOK is their new FAVORITE contemporary YA... it brings tears to your eyes, but is it REALLY HAPPENING?

IT IS HAPPENING. AND IT'S WONDERFUL. I am thankful. I am grateful. I am humbled. I am inspired.

So this elsewhere my mind's been stuck in…  a person has been growing in my belly, and she's due to make her debut in less than two weeks. As I write this, she's wiggling around like an alien, and I'm struck by how odd this whole thing is. When we have a book coming out, we already know everything about it. What it looks like, feels like, smells like. We know everything. But this is just one giant mystery the whole way through. Thanks to ultrasounds, we know she will be a girl, but that's about it. What will she look like? Will her eyes be blue? Will she have my pointy nose? Will she be taller than me by the time she's in junior high?

I understand that she's coming soon, I know how this works. I've seen friends go through it. I have nephews. There really will be a baby at the end of this. But my brain DOESN'T GET IT. Despite how gigantic I am and how puffy my feet get when I stand for too long, I can't really comprehend being on the other side of this with a baby in my arms. I'm going to be a mother by the end of the month (as long as she's not late!), something I wasn't sure I'd get the chance to be.

And that's pretty incredible.

We'll see you on the other side!

TODAY IS RELEASE DAY!

When I started writing a novel (that no one will ever see) years ago, I researched the publishing industry and totally chickened out. I thought there was no way I was going to be good enough. The prospect of one day walking into a Barnes & Noble and finding a book I'd written on the shelf seemed an impossibility.

But the thing is, if this form of creating is inside of you, it finds a way out. You have to write. You have stories to tell. You suck it up and do the work because you love it and can't imagine your life without this part of you. You long to create characters and stories that someone else can connect with. To share a little piece of what's inside your head, even if just for that one person that needed to hear what you had to say. You get better by doing. By reading. By listening. By seeing. By not quitting.

Starting today I'm going to be able to walk into a bookstore and find a book with my name on it, with words I've written inside, and this is so huge I can't even fully process it. From this day on, I'll always be a published author. Like, what?! ALL THE MUPPET FLAILS!!

And I owe a million thanks to my critique girls, Katie M. Stout, Kristi Chestnutt, and Kim Franklin, and to readers Amy Sonnichsen, Cari, and Mari. My amazing agent Marietta B. Zacker, and incredible editor Caroline Abbey. Laura Whitaker and everyone at Bloomsbury! My supportive and loving family and friends, in-person and online! My journey here wouldn't be the same without each of you.

Colosseum at night

In Wish You Were Italian, Pippa makes a list of ten goals for her summer in Italy:

• Don’t get arrested
• Don’t make a fool out of myself in public
• Get my picture taken at the Colosseum
• Find random souvenir for Morgan
• Get a makeover
• See Pompeii
• Swim in the Mediterranean Sea
• Have a conversation with someone in only Italian
• Eat a whole pizza in one sitting
• Fall in love with an Italian

If I were spending an entire summer in Italy (hey, it's fun to dream!), here are ten things I'd want to do!

• Take an official tour of the Colosseum, including the scary bottom level
• Go to the catacombs
• See Pompeii
• Eat gelato at least twice a day
• Paint on location instead of later from a picture
• Take a gondola ride in Venice
• Stay at a bed and breakfast in Tuscany 
• Learn to make authentic pasta from scratch
• Rent a bicycle and ride around a quaint village
• Learn to speak enough Italian to get by without relying on English

Hubs and me eating gelato in Corniglia, Cinque Terre

 

Painter in Florence | Bikes in Florence

What would you do with a whole summer in Italy?!

If you'd like a signed copy of Wish You Were Italian, my local indie bookstore ships! Click THIS LINK to order, marking any personalization details in the order comments. 

My Big News of the Year!

Many of you saw my news on Twitter or Facebook, but I of course have to share here as well. My book baby debuts in May, and my BABY baby is due in August!

I've been sitting on this news for a long time, so long that I'm nearly halfway through this pregnancy already. We've had some issues the past couple of years, and I just wanted to be sure this time was going to have a better outcome. I'm so excited that this year, hubs and I will become parents!

And LOOK AT THOSE SHOES!! I can't stop staring at them. Sure, she'll be what, three years old before she can fit in them? But they're SO ADORABLE I CAN HARDLY STAND IT!

Swag with Pre-order!

TWO MONTHS TO GO! 

It's so hard to believe the wait is nearly over. Wasn't it only yesterday that we were at the year mark? Then 100 days? And now, TWO MONTHS! 

Wish You Were Italian is available for pre-order, so for some special fun, I'm offering swag with your pre-order! 

I'll send you a personalized bookplate (which is a fancy sticker I'll sign for you to put inside the book!) along with two signed bookmarks. 

At this time, I'm only able to offer this promo to readers in the United States.

I'm so sorry for that. I love all of you and I wish shipping prices weren't an issue. 

WHAT TO DO:

Take a screenshot or some sort of pic of your order confirmation (without sharing your personal billing info) and email it to kristinraewrites(at)gmail(dot)com along with your mailing address and personalization details (what name you want on the bookplate), and I'll send it out a soon as possible! I'll be offering this as long as my supplies last or the book becomes available, whichever happens first. 

Handy links for pre-ordering:

My local indie, Blue Willow Bookshop

You can pre-order hardbacks OR paperbacks, signed and personalized from here! 

If you do this, you won't need a bookplate, but I can send you a super limited edition Riomaggiore magnet that will make TOTAL sense once you read the book!

(I even took that picture when I was there!)

Other links:

 AMAZON  

B&N 

INDIEBOUND

Recap:

Each pre-order = bookplate + two bookmarks

Each pre-order for personalized book from Blue Willow = magnet + two bookmarks

Promotion open until May 6, 2014 or until I run out of bookplates!

Stay tuned for a giveaway around book launch time.

*US only, sorry! *hugs*

Kirkus Liked My Book!

It's happened. My first trade review. And with one of the toughest reviewers known to publishing. 

There are a lot of feelings that went through my head while anticipating this review. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst, all of that. What happens if they hate it? Would it hurt my heart even though I'm mentally preparing for the negative? Would it keep people from buying it? But really ... you can't let that stuff freak you out because it will stunt your creativity. The only thing I have control over are the words I write. That's all I need to concern myself with.

But I won't lie. Getting a nice review is ... nice. The day before my birthday I got word that Kirkus, in fact, found my book to be "an ideal beach read." I'm really so very happy about this. I've been known to form very fond attachments to books I read on trips, so one of my hopes is that people will take it on their own vacations and perhaps read it on the beach! 

I'm also happy my love for Italy came through my words. "While Rae presents an appealing character in Pippa, her evident love of Italy dominates the narrative, making the story feel like an enthusiastic travelogue."

To see the full review of Wish You Were Italian, CLICKY HERE.  

Now Designing Swag

It's true. I got angry when I ran out of swag to design for myself. So after some encouragement from friends, I've decided to offer my services to other authors looking for a designer for their own bookmarks and other swaggy goodies!

Examples of my work can be found HERE, along with contact info and such!

Clearly Great at Follow-Through

I'm one pound heavier than I was January 1 of last year (also the heaviest I've ever been), so clearly I'm great at follow-through when it comes to goals I set for myself. I keep repeating all of these excuses as to WHY I'm a failure. 2013 sucked linty toes. It put me through the emotional ringer. I made bad eating choices. I was lazy too often. My body is still adjusting to what it's been through. I am predisposed to be thicker.

Blah blah blah. Cry me a river.

2013 is over, and we're not going to whine about how terrible it was anymore. We're moving forward, with fresh motivation. New goals. And this year, things will be different. They'll be great.

What I've got my sights on this year:

-Feel better about myself, which includes dropping at least 15lbs.
-Write two books (one YA, one MG--currently drafting both simultaneously GASP)
-Soak up every moment of the debut author experience
-Have a rockin' book launch party
-Meet lots of new writerly and readerly folks
-Read at least 30 books
-Get better at follow-through
-Talk less, love more

Wishing you and yours an amazingly fluffy squishy lovey 2014!!

Countdown Widget!

A BIG thanks to Aly at My Heart Hearts Books for making a countdown widget for 

WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN! 

If you would like to display this lovely on your own blog, just copy the code below.

<div align=“center”> <img src="//img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; height: 324px; width: 206px; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="countdown" data-original-id="countdown" /></div>  

 

My First Book Festival!!

I'm so thrilled to be on a panel at the Montgomery County Book Festival, February 15, 2014! I've attended this book festival for a couple years now, and to be invited to participate as an author is such an honor! They're still announcing the author lineup, but I've seen it, and it's exciting!

If you're local to Houston, come check it out. I'll have some ARCs to give away for the teens, and some swag to sign!

For more information, and to read my interview, CLICKY HERE.

In Which I Announce a BOOKISH THING

I've been getting questions about the little "If Only" heart logo in the corner of my book cover. If you don't know what it means, I'm here to tell you!

From my ARC: If only is "A new contemporary romance line centered around an impossible problem: you always want what you can't have!"

I'm super excited to be part of Bloomsbury's new venture, but what's even cooler, WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN releases on May 6, 2014 along with FOOL ME TWICE by Mandy Hubbard! Have you seen her cover yet?!

They look so cute next to each other, I can't stand it! And something else super fun: ITALIAN is teased in the ARC of FOOL ME TWICE, and Amy Finnegan's NOT IN THE SCRIPT (Fall '14) is teased in the back of ITALIAN's ARC. Love!

More official information coming in the new year!

BLOGFEST: Class of 2k14 is Thankful For...

This week, the Class of 2k14 is sharing what we're thankful for. Click the logo above to see links to posts from the other members!

I'm not going to lie, this has been a difficult year. I'm anxious for 2014 to start, hopeful the new year won't be quite so heart smashing. But despite the trials, there's still plenty to be thankful for.

• My husband. The best man in the world. 
• My parents. Supportive. Loving. Funny. 
• My husband's family. I couldn't have asked for better in-laws and nephews.
• My friends. A wide variety of personalities and interests. I love them all.
• My book deal with Bloomsbury. If it weren't for this amazing dream come true, I feel it's likely I'd be wallowing around in a black hole of sadness. This has been a bright spot that brings a smile to my face every day. And I'm so thankful for that. 
• My agent, Marietta Zacker. She's so great, y'all. I can't even believe I get to work with such a talented and kind person who also gets my stories.
• My editor, Caroline Abbey. Smart, sweet, similar interests. Couldn't have hand picked a better editor for my debut experience. 
• The Class of 2k14. I'm learning so much, and it's brought me a new close friend. 
• My boxers, Duke and Mylie. The personalities on these two! We're laughing every day. 
• My tastebuds. I'll be especially thankful these work on Thursday when I'm eating pumpkin crunch cake. 
• Books, and that people are still buying/reading them.  
• Television shows.
• Movies.
• Music. 
• Hair dye. 
• Tap shoes.
• Scarves.
• Airplanes that allow me to visit far away lands.
• Digital cameras, Photoshop, and that I sort of know how to use both of them.  
• Running water.
• Corrective eyewear.

There's plenty more, but I won't bore you. What are you thankful for this year?

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

My First Foreign Rights Sale!

Pippa's going to the UK! 

Bloomsbury UK is going to publish WISH YOU WERE ITALIAN in July 2014! 

I learned this news the same time I saw my cover for the first time, so it was a bit overshadowed, but once it really registered, I FLIPPED! My book will be on shelves ACROSS THE POND! I'm so beyond thrilled, I don't even know what to say. Eeeeeep!!

This is me NOT keeping calm:

My Book Has a Cover (AND A BLURB!) Part 2

That was such a fun cover reveal day! Thanks again to my blogging friends for helping me celebrate!! Cari's Book Blog, Ex Libris, The Daisy Daily, Gone with the Words, G Reads!, Girls in the Stacks, Hip Mama Jenn, I Read Banned Books, Joy's Novel Idea, Mundie Moms, A Nook for Books, Portrait of a Book, Sarah's Books & Life, and Katie M. Stout!!

Coming May 6, 2014 from Bloomsbury!

I'm also SO super pumped about the AMAZINGLY ADORABLE BLURB from Lindsey Leavitt, author of Going Vintage and Sean Griswold's Head!

“With Italy's brilliant landscapes, a main character you'll love from the first line and a new dreamy book boyfriend (he's mine!), IF ONLY YOU WERE ITALIAN is a charming and addictive read. Devour this delicious treat like a double scoop of gelato.”

Cutest blurb EVER!! I'm still freaking out that someone besides my agent and my editor has read my book, but to have her say such SWEET things about it too?! I'm so so so very delighted and thankful!

My brain doesn't fully understand that in seven months, this THING that I wrote will be OUT in the world! Even sooner once ARCs start floating around! I'm so hopeful that my little story will find its readers and give them all the warm squishy feels. Eeeep!

MY BOOK HAS A COVER! (Part 1)

It's here, it's here!! I have a cover!!

AND IT'S ADORABLE!

My Texas friends are so sweet to join me in the celebration today by sharing my cover on their blogs! Be sure to check out each one--they've all shared a little something different, complete with my own photos from Italy!

Cari's Book Blog

Ex Libris
The Daisy Daily

Gone with the Words

G Reads!

Girls in the Stacks
Hip Mama Jenn

I Read Banned Books
Joy's Novel Idea

Mundie Moms
A Nook for Books
Portrait of a Book

Sarah's Books & Life
And my CP, Katie M. Stout blogged about it too! Thanks girl!

I love my friends!
Thank you for the support and love and for sharing this experience with me! It means SO MUCH!

I'm Publishers Weekly Official!

This may seem like old news since I've been allowed to talk about it since February, but my book deal was just announced in Publishers Weekly!!

This whole experience still seems unreal, like one day I'll wake up to find I'm actually still querying. What a nightmare that would be! But here I'm one step closer to being able to share my little book with y'all! This past year or so has been such an adventure, not only for me, but for so many of my writerly friends signing with agents, getting book deals, getting covers, having launch parties. I feel so honored to be a part of it all.

What's going on with you lately? Any exciting announcements I may have missed? Anyone just starting to query for the first time, or maybe the millionth time? I'm sending you hugs and chocolate and that overused but TRUE encouragement that the hard work can and does pay off.