Brigid Kemmerer

Spirit Launch Party!!

Brigid — Thu, 02 May 2013 19:00:28 +0000

Holy cow, I can’t believe it’s May!

First, have you entered the contests for either Kelley York’s or J. H. Trumble’s books? These are GREAT reads, guys. You don’t want to miss out.

I wanted to let you all know that there WILL be a launch party for Spirit! I’m excited to announce that it will be held Saturday, June 1, at 1pm, at the Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Ellicott City, Maryland. (Link opens in a new window with location details. If you attended the previous launch parties, it’s the same location.)

Let’s add a new twist this time. I’ve talked on Twitter and Facebook about having a reader/writer get together and there’s been a lot of interest, so why don’t we do it after the launch party? Would you guys be interested? I’ll do the standard talk/questions/signing at 1pm, and then at 2pm we can take over the cafe and talk books and writing and hot boys or whatever we feel like. Anyone want to hang out in a bookstore?

Breathless Release Week Celebration: An Interview with J. H. Trumble (And another contest!!)

Brigid — Wed, 01 May 2013 09:52:29 +0000

I told you guys we’d have lots of contests this week!

Today I’d like to welcome J. H. Trumble to the blog. (A.K.A. Janet.) Janet’s books are older contemporary YA (possibly even “New Adult” as some of her characters are in college), and they are the kind of contemporary read that I love: all about the characters and their struggles with themselves and with each other. Janet’s book Don’t Let Me Go was one of my favorite reads last year. This was the type of book I’d force into people’s hands and say, “READ THIS BOOK. YOU MUST. IT IS AMAZING.”

And seriously, it is. Actually, Janet sent me these interview answers last night, and it was so interesting that I almost wanted to post it right that very second.

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

J.H. Trumble’s debut, DON’T LET ME GO, is a witty, beautifully written novel that is both a sweet story of love and long-distance relationships, and a timely discourse about bullying, bigotry, and hate in high schools.

I’m so excited that Janet was willing to answer a few questions about her books.

In Don’t Let Me Go, Nate is a really dynamic character, and I loved his voice. I remember seeing photos submitted by readers on your website, where people had written on their wrists, “WWND,” for “What Would Nate Do?” I thought that was really powerful, and once I read the book, I totally got it. How did you come up with his character?

I love Nate. He’s an original. While quite a few of my characters evolve from people I actually know, Nate isn’t one of them. When I started DLMG, Nate was simply representative of every young man who found the closet suffocating. I introduced him to Adam, and then things just began to happen. He evolved. It’s clear to me, looking back now, that there’s a good deal of me in his character. I was in one of those long distance relationships, and I still remember the craziness, the insecurity, the little hints that something wasn’t quite right. It was just so much more intense for Nate because of what he’d been through.

Nate suffers a terrible trauma in your book. It seems almost too extreme. Was this inspired by any true events?

That particular incident was inspired by a real event in my community. I didn’t know I was going there with Nate until suddenly, I was there. And then everything just made sense to me.

The real-life crime was far more extreme than what Nate suffered (I just couldn’t do that Nate). The young man was assaulted by two other teenage boys who he’d been hanging out with. He was brutally sodomized, burned with cigarettes, doused in bleach, and left for dead. Like Nate, he eventually recovered enough to return to school. He even testified before Congress about hate crime legislation. And like Nate, he refused counseling. Everyone thought he was doing okay. Great, even. I think it was a little over a year after the assault, right after his high school graduation that he climbed to the top of a cruise ship and jumped. We were all shocked by the crime, but devastated by his suicide.

It’s been a number of years now, but I still think about it. No one knew what that young man was going through. He hid the pain. It was something I needed to write about. And I wanted to give him the hero he didn’t have. I do want to add that the young man was not gay, not to my knowledge. This is a news article about the tragedy if you’d like to read about it: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,287721,00.html

One of my favorite things about both Don’t Let Me Go and Where You Are is that your characters are out and comfortable in who they are. Neither book is about coming out of the closet (though this theme is explored a bit through Luke in Don’t Let Me Go). Do you feel that teens today have more of an opportunity to be out? Or do you feel that they have more to lose in this society of Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, where it’s so much easier to be attacked?

I think it really depends on the teenager and the circumstances. When fans write to me about wanting to come out, my first advice to them is be safe. I don’t want to see anyone place themselves in physical or emotional danger. My daughter came out to me at fourteen, but she came out to friends a couple of years earlier. Funny, even though she had to have known I would be supportive, it was still a difficult thing for her. She’s had to put up with her fair share of bullying, but she has a great network of friends, some of whom are gay and some of whom are straight. They really serve as a protective envelope for her.

Being out is always better than being in the closet. But young people who are not yet independent, really do still need to weigh the risks. Not every family, not every community is there yet. And I don’t want to see another kid get hurt.

In Where You Are, your book explores almost a double taboo: you have a teacher getting involved with a student, and both characters happen to be gay. It’s a powerful story, and I was really moved by both Robert’s and Andrew’s journeys to discover who they really were. Did you feel that the subject matter was a risk?

That’s not something I considered when I began writing Where You Are. I just wanted to tell an honest story about a relationship that launched too soon. I have a good friend who is an attorney now. But he began his career as a high school history teacher. He met his wife during his first year of teaching. She was a senior cheerleader. He never crossed that line, though. He waited until she graduated, then asked her out. They welcomed their third grandchild earlier this year.

In Where You Are, I wanted to ask the question, what if . . . what if he had crossed that line. I wasn’t writing about some sleazy pedophile. I was writing about a really good person, a good teacher, a good father and friend. Under what circumstances might he cross that line, and how would he deal with the fallout? Because there had to be a fallout. I would have been crucified if there hadn’t been. And frankly, It wouldn’t have been very realistic. There’s just too much talk in public schools, and there aren’t many secrets.

Tell us about your upcoming projects. What are you working on next?

Thank you for asking! My third novel, Just Between Us, releases on September 24 (also from Kensington Books). I’m so excited about that one. I’ve been working on it for more than three years! Chronologically, it falls between Don’t Let Me Go and Where You Are. Readers will finally find out what happened to Luke during those years, how he met Curtis, and how he became friends with Robert.

It’s a novel about the fear and heartache that comes with a devastating diagnosis (HIV in this case) and the effect that diagnosis has on the various relationships in that character’s life. It’s a novel about walking through the darkness, and coming out on the other side. It’s a love story that raises important questions. I think my fans will really like it. (Edit from Brigid: I strongarmed Janet into sharing Just Between Us with me, and it’s amazing.)

Be sure to check out all of Janet’s books. (Clicking the book cover links to Goodreads.) Keep scrolling for the contest!!

Contest time! I’ll be giving away a copy of both Don’t Let Me Go and Where You Are to one lucky winner! This contest is open internationally. Ready? Here’s your rafflecopter! (And don’t forget to enter to win Kelley York’s book too! All contests are open until the weekend!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author: J.H. Trumble is a Texas native and graduate of Sam Houston State University. You can visit the author online at http://www.jhtrumble.com and on Facebook and Twitter.

Breathless Release Week Celebration: An Interview with Kelley York (And a new contest!)

Brigid — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

First of all, Breathless is available now! ~*confetti*~ Thank you so much to everyone who pre-ordered. I’ll announce the winner tonight. I hope you all enjoy the story.

So if you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably heard me gush about the amazing book Hushed by Kelley York. When I was writing Breathless, I wanted to read as many books from a gay teen boy’s point of view to try to wrap my head around as many emotions as I could. I first discovered Hushed on the Gay YA blog, and I’m so glad I did. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s probably one of my favorite reads this year. While this book does explore the relationship between Archer and his growing feelings for Evan, they are very much a backseat to the thrilling events that happen between the covers of this novel. When I say I couldn’t put this down, I mean I Could. Not. Put. This. Down.

He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

I’m so excited that Kelley was willing to answer a few questions about her phenomenal book!

In Hushed, you create a character, Archer, who does some truly despicable things — but you also portrayed him in such a light that I found myself wanting to make him a sandwich and give him a hug and pat him on the hand. I found myself fascinated by the grey areas between good and evil and how you explored those themes among Archer, Vivian, and Evan. Did you set out to write such a complex book, or did it just evolve that way?

It was very much intentional, and probably a little over-ambitious. It’s tough to try to create a character who is as morally off-kilter as Archer, but still have people want to stick with him throughout the story. He can do all these bad things, but there has to be an underlying level of humanity to him in order for readers to sympathize. I’ve seen a lot of people who say, “I don’t agree with what he’s doing…but I understand why he’s doing it.” That is most definitely what I was going for. On the other side of the spectrum, I don’t see a lot of sympathy for Vivian, but I bet if I had written the story from her perspective, readers might have liked her more. They would have seen what a mess it is inside her head and everything she’s been through. Her journey was not an easy one, either. Even as the author, I don’t like her, but I can feel sorry and sad for the things she’s endured.

As the book opens, Archer is obsessed with Vivian, but throughout the course of the novel, he develops strong feelings for Evan, another example of the exploration of the “grey areas,” only this time with sexuality. Do you think that sexuality is less black-and-white than it used to be, or do you think that current events are beginning to tear down the curtain, and people are feeling more comfortable with themselves, no matter what that means?

I think sexuality is definitely less black-and-white than it used to be. While there is still a lot of hate, it’s slowly becoming more widely accepted. At least in our generation and younger, we don’t tend to see a gay couple out and about and be like, “Oh my god, do you see that??” It’s just another couple. Archer isn’t attracted to genders. He’s attracted to people. I also didn’t want Archer’s sexuality to be a Big Issue in the book. There are plenty of issue books out there about sexuality, and HUSHED (or SUICIDE WATCH, for that matter) simply aren’t those kinds of books. One I’m writing now sort of is, as it’s set in a very conservative school setting where being out is not as easy nor as widely accepted.

No one in the novel is innocent. Did you ever worry that readers would draw a parallel with Archer’s feelings for Evan as being an extension of his immorality? (For what it’s worth, I feel that his developing relationship with Evan is what saved Archer.)

Not at all. Evan is most definitely what saved Archer. Were it not for Evan showing him and, in a way, forcing Archer to give himself permission to forgive himself for things he’s had no control over, Archer likely would have finished off his list and then finished off himself. It would not have been pretty. Evan was Archer’s second lease on life.

Tell us a bit about your next project. Can we expect another thriller?

MADE OF STARS comes out from Entangled Publishing in October! It isn’t quite as thriller-esque as HUSHED, but it definitely has its thriller elements with a murder and a mystery. I had a lot of fun with that book due to the romance in it, and also because it alternates POVs between two siblings. I love writing alternating POV books. I’m also writing a book called DIRTY LONDON, which is the one I mentioned above that touches more heavily on coming out and being closeted in a conservative setting.

You guys totally want to read her books now, don’t you?

Well, now you get a chance! I’m giving away a copy of Hushed to a lucky reader. This contest is open to anyone on the planet. And now, on to the Rafflecopter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Kelley York:

Once upon a time, Kelley York was born in central California. And it’s there she she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and an abundance of cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. She has a fascination with bells and animals, is a lover of video games, Doctor Who, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she’s a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or at least write about them.

Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. Character development takes center stage in her books because the bounds of a person’s character and the workings of their mind are limitless.

Her first book, HUSHED, was released by Entangled Publishing in December 2011. Her second and third books, HOLLOWED and SUICIDE WATCH, were released in 2012, and her next Entangled book, MADE OF STARS, is slated for October 1st, 2013. She is currently seeking representation.

Breathless Release Week Celebration! (Contest alert!)

Brigid — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:13:29 +0000

Hi, guys! The week is here! Breathless comes out Tuesday, April 30, and so far, it’s my favorite novella in the series. If this is your first time hearing about it, here are the details.

Too many secrets, not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

You can also check out an excerpt of the novella by going here. (Opens in a new window.)

For the first time, I’m going to have a week long event here on the blog, with author interviews featuring Kelley York, the author of Hushed, and J. H. Trumble, the author of Don’t Let Me Go and Where You Are. Also, I’m featuring a guest post by Victoria Scott, author of The Collector. There will be prizes EVERY DAY, so be sure to come back here each day for a chance to win signed books and swag!

A few FAQs before I get to the contest details:

I don’t have an e-reader! How can I read Breathless?

You don’t need an e-reader! You can read it on your computer screen, on your phone, on your iPad, etc. Pretty much all e-book retailers have a method of reading books without a specific e-book device. If you can read this blog post, you can read Breathless. And the nice thing about novellas is that they’re short enough to read online.

I’ve never read The Elemental Series. Does this book have spoilers?

While this novella takes place chronologically after Spark, it is completely spoiler free for the entire series. If you want to read this one first, go for it. If you have a friend who hasn’t read the series but might enjoy this short story, tell them to give it a whirl.

Is Nick Merrick gay?

You’ll have to read the story and decide for yourself. I’ll admit that at the beginning of the novella, Nick is definitely unsure about what he wants.

And now it’s time for the first contest! To enter, all you need to do is preorder a copy of Breathless from your favorite ebook retailer. Here are some helpful links:

Amazon

Google Books

iBooks

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Or any other retailer where you find it! (The legal places, peeps, please.)

Just leave me a comment to tell me you’ve pre-ordered, and I’ll randomly pick a winner. (You’ll have to present an email confirmation of your order to claim your prize, however.) This contest is open until midnight Monday night, and it’s open internationally. The prize? A signed copy of ALL the books in the Elemental Series.

Ready to enter? Go!

So I should probably pick a contest winner, huh? (Oh, and some news.)

Brigid — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:30:20 +0000

Happy Earth Day, everyone! Imagine Michael Merrick glaring at you and telling you to do something good for the planet.

And seriously. Go do something good for the planet.

Thank you all for the amazing ideas of what to read at the Annapolis Book Festival! I ended up reading the scene from Elemental when Michael first comes into the sports shop and meets Emily. It’s tough finding a scene that’s not too dialogue heavy (because that’s just awkward to read out loud), doesn’t include profanity (same reason), and isn’t full of spoilers.

Because I didn’t run this contest through Rafflecopter, I copied everyone’s name into an Excel spreadsheet and then used a random number generator to pick a winner.

Drum roll please…

Congratulations to Lisa Shafer and Elizabeth Kallgren!

I’ve emailed both winners personally, and as soon as I have their mailing addresses, I’ll be putting those copies of Spirit in the mail.

This Saturday, I’ll be attending Dallas EdgeFest with a ton of awesome authors. (And here’s a great blog post with lots of details about the authors and bands who will be there.) If you live in the Dallas area, I hope you get a chance to come on out! We’ll have lots of fun and listen to some great music. Or we can stand around and talk books. If you like sports, look for the bored guy with the beard. That’s my husband and he’d love to talk to you.*

Next week, Breathless will be released! I am so excited to share Nick Merrick’s short story with you. I’ve got a pretty cool week lined up on the blog to celebrate, featuring some other authors, some giveaways, a few contests, and a teaser scene from Spirit. Stay tuned!

* So the sports thing is kind of an inside joke between me and my husband. (Which I’m about to bring you all in on.) So anytime Mike has to go to a work event with me or meet a friend’s husband, I’ll tell him if the other guy(s) likes sports. Mike will roll his eyes at me and say something to the effect of, “Not all guys like sports, hon. Way to generalize.” Only my husband would never say something like “way to generalize.” But Mike DOES LIKE SPORTS. And not just like, “Rah rah, go Ravens,” but to an obsessive point. So when I tell him that someone else likes sports, it’s because I think there will be a common interest. Not because of a generalized thought that all guys like sports. I’m boring you. This isn’t as funny outside our relationship, is it? Are you still reading?

A readalong, a contest, and five boys flashing you.

Brigid — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 23:52:33 +0000

Hi, guys! Guess what showed up in my mailbox this afternoon?

Finished copies of Spirit! Do you want one? Keep reading to the end of the post to find out how you can win one!

First off, in case you hadn’t heard the news, the Spirit blog tour will be hosted by Wendy of the amazing blog The Midnight Garden. As part of the tour, both Cuddlebuggery Book Blog and Starry-Eyed Revue are participating as “Elemental Virgins,” meaning they’ve never read the series — AND they’re hosting a readalong! If you’d like to join in the readalong, sign up on either of their blogs. Psssst, they’re also hosting a contest, too… Definitely worth checking it out.

And if YOU are an Elemental Virgin, or if you know someone who is, check out the amazing button you can put on your site! (Huge props to Sarah from Saz101 for the design!)

Also, I’m still planning on being at the Annapolis Book Festival on Saturday. Guess what showed up at my house this afternoon? FINISHED COPIES OF SPIRIT. I’ll bring a few to the Festival. If you want one, you just have to be the first two people to ask me for one. Don’t be shy!

And finally, the CONTEST! I’m going to give away two finished copies of Spirit right here on the blog. This contest is open internationally. Here’s how to enter:

On Saturday, I need to read a few pages of one of my books. In the comments, recommend a scene for me to read to the audience. It can be a scene from any of the books or novellas. If you don’t want to recommend a scene, or if you haven’t read the books, just tell me you want to enter the contest.

Basically, if you leave a comment, you’re entered.

Sound easy enough? Good! The contest is open until Friday night at 8pm, NYC time.

Annapolis Book Festival – Next weekend!!

Brigid — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 12:26:41 +0000

Hi, guys! I hope everyone is doing well! I think spring has finally come to Maryland.

(Watch. I just cursed it. It will snow on Thursday now. Sorry.)

But in case the nice weather holds and you’re looking for something to do next Saturday, April 13, you should come on out to the Annapolis Book Festival! It’s a huge event sponsored by the Key School, and best of all, it’s FREE to attend. I’ll be on a panel with awesome authors Jessica Spotswood (Born Wicked), Lea Nolan (Conjure), and Jon Skovron (Misfit).

But we’re not the only authors who will be there. This is an event for all ages, and there are authors and creators discussing everything from history to comics. Have small children? There will be balloons and magic and all kinds of fun for them too.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out the details on the Annapolis Book Festival Website.

Heard enough already? Here are the details for my personal panel, in case you want to swing by:

THE WORLD OF FANTASY IN YOUNG ADULT NOVELS
April 13, 2013 1:30-2:30 p.m. • Room 3 – Barn Commons

A panel of authors of young adult fiction discusses the creative process of writing a supernatural novel and why this genre is so popular with teens and young adults.

I hope you guys can come out! It looks like it’s going to be a fantastic day!

Reader creations (a.k.a. how you guys make me cry)

Brigid — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 17:58:37 +0000

Let me get something out of the way: I HATE the word “fan.” I don’t think of anyone as my “fan.” I love readers, friends, bloggers, tweeters, people who enjoy my books … I think you get the idea. I know there’s nothing derogatory about the word “fan,” but it makes me feel kinda weird to think that I have fans, so instead I’d like to call you all friends.

Now that just sounds lame. Hello, friends. What, am I a sixty year old man about to give a reading? Am I Mister Rogers?

Anyway. You guys are amazing, no matter what you want to call yourselves. From the reviews, to the blog posts, to the tweets, to the emails and Facebook messages and whatever else you do … thank you. I read every message. When I write back (and I try to write back to everyone), it’s really me.

But then — BUT THEN — as if your awesomeness wasn’t already making me reel, you send me stuff.

Like this copy of Storm that made the rounds of several bloggers before coming to me. Almost EVERY PAGE has commentary and art and jokes and … it’s simply amazing. I cried when I opened the package. Seriously.

Or this one, from a young reader? (This has been hanging on my refrigerator for months.)

Or how about this incredible picture showing all of the characters? I’ve been saving it pressed inside a hardcover book because I want to frame it!

And it’s not just art!! Check out this fan made YouTube trailer for the books? This blew me away!!

Am I missing anyone? If you’ve posted art/videos/fanfiction anywhere and you’d like me to link it, please let me know.

But from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who take the time to review, to tweet, to email, to Facebook, to text, to call, to send messages by carrier pigeon, whatever:

THANK YOU. You all make this whole journey worthwhile.

Winners of the SPIRIT ARC!

Brigid — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:47:23 +0000

Congratulations to Katy and Audra, who both won an advance review copy of SPIRIT!

Thank you everyone who entered! I’ll be having more contests soon, so stay tuned…

Want to win a SPIRIT ARC? Now’s your chance!

Brigid — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:54:02 +0000

Good morning! (Or evening, if that’s more applicable. Good afternoon?)

As promised, I’m going to give away an Advance Review Copy of Spirit, which includes Breathless. I’ve tried to make this contest as easy as possible, so even people without Twitter and Facebook can participate. The contest will run until Friday of this week, and is open to everyone on the planet, even if you’ve won something from me before.

Some frequently asked questions about Spirit and Breathless:

When is Spirit coming out?

In the USA, May 28, everywhere else, June 1

When is Breathless coming out?

Everywhere April 30

I heard that someone gets shot in Spirit. Does this mean someone dies?

Come on. Like I’d spoil that on the blog! Let’s just say no one is safe.

I miss the Merrick brothers! Why should I read a whole book about Hunter?

Trust me, there are a LOT of scenes with the Merrick brothers in this book.

I read the short scene from Breathless that you posted a few weeks ago. Is Nick Merrick gay?

You’ll have to read Breathless and decide for yourself. (But I personally don’t think the short scene leaves any doubt…)

And now, for the Rafflecopter! (If you can’t get the Rafflecopter to work, just leave a comment telling me you want to enter.)