Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Cover Tweak and Context 25


Yep, you read that title right. The cover for The Nightmare Affair is getting tweaked. Now before anybody panics, the cover is staying mostly the same. The only change will be the girl silhouette aka Dusty. She's getting a makeover to emphasize that the book is a YA and not an MG (if there was any doubt, it is most definitely YA). I've seen the early comps of the change, and they are fabulous. Dusty's getting new clothes, new hairstyle, a brand new and more accurate look. If you liked the cover before, you're going to like it even more when you see the update. I promise!
My other big news of the week is that I'm going to be a panelist at this year's Context 25, a sci-fi/fantasy convention with a literature focus that takes place in Columbus, Ohio. You can find the schedule here. I'll be the blond woman trying her best not to look stupid as I attempt to live up to the title of "entertaining guest." Ha, ha aren't they in for a surprise! Kidding. Well, mostly.
So if you feel like coming out, cheerleaders, hecklers, and SF enthusiasts are all welcome.
***Originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

teamTEENauthor September Topic: Harry Potter


Learn more about teamTEENauthor and my teamTEENauthor friends here.
Oh Harry Potter, where to begin? My undying love for Harry Potter is a topic I could on about for hours. My debut The Nightmare Affair would not be the kind of book it is without Harry Potter as an influence. But that’s a topic for later, perhaps. Instead I’ve decided to come up with the top five signs you might be a Harry Potter addict (hint: I’m guilty of all of them!)
 5. You ritualistically listen to the audio versions of all 7 Harry Potter books.
Yes, I do this. Over and over again. I have a long commute to my day job, and audio books are the only things that make it bearable. Now, while I do listen to other books on audio, I always frame those listens around Harry Potter. I can’t help it. I have a compulsive need to hear the story. And every time I listen, I catch something new. Oh, and can I just say how much better Lord Voldemort’s name sounds in the first 4 books when the “t” is silent the way JK Rowling initially intended it to be? Um, yeah, we can blame the films for that awful change.
 4. You called in sick to work to finish book 7.
Yep, I did this (and don’t worry, the boss knows). When book 7 came out, I was at a horse show, but my husband went out and grabbed the book for me. As soon as I got home, I spent the next two days in my favorite chair tearing through it and avoiding the internet and potential spoilers. I cried and cried in so many places. And burning up an entire day’s worth of PTO, was completely worth it.
3. You describe your child’s educational career in Harry Potter terms.
 Yes, again, guilty. And here’s the proof:
Now to be fair, an entire conversation broke out among my twitter friends about the goodness that exists in Slytherin. And I totally agree. Snape is awesome, no doubt. But the first day of preschool my daughter exhibited some of the more negative traits of Slytherin. And really, she belongs in Gryffindor (for the record, I’m a Ravenclaw). Firstly, she’s incredibly fearless, at least when it comes to any kind of social situation. To give you an idea, when she was 2 we took her trick-or-treating, and she walked right into a stranger’s house! Seriously, she just burst through the door and into a dinner party. Everyone thought it was funny. Me, I thought it was a bit scary. Secondly, she’s a bit of a show-off, always wanting to be the center of attention.
2. You understand that the reason why the movies pale by comparison is because they left out all the whimsy.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the movies. But for the longest time I couldn’t figure out why they were so “meh” when compared to the books—I mean beyond the usual “the movie is never as good” thing. I finally figured it out one day while listening to the audio books. The filmmakers cut out all the funny and whimsical/magical moments that really give the books their special flavor. My favorite example of this comes from book 6 when Dumbledore picks up Harry at the Dursleys’. In the book Dumbledore offers the Dursleys something to drink by conjuring glasses out of thin air. But of course, the Dursleys refuse to accept the glasses which then spend the rest of the scene knocking them in the head. It’s hysterical and the kind of thing that would’ve been visually funny. In the movie though, we go straight to the scene with Horace. I understand why the filmmakers did this, but it still makes me sad. This is also why I harbor a deep hope that someday there will be a cartoon version of Harry Potter that includes ALL the whimsy and magic.
 1. You bought your house because of the cupboard under the stairs.
Well, this one isn’t entirely true, but it definitely didn’t hurt our decision. Rest assured—none of my children have ever been forced to live inside it. Although, more than one cat has spent a couple of hours locked up on accident. I have a feeling they didn’t mind. And no, unfortunately, none of them are named Crookshanks. But I might remedy that someday…
So what are your signs of Harry Potter addiction?
And check out these other teamTEENauthor members talking about HP!
***Originally published at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***

Monday, September 10, 2012

A Preview and a New Blurb


Hey all! Just wanted to give you a quick update. Firstly, my guest post at Fiction Freak went up yesterday. It contains a small preview of a section of The Nightmare Affair. Check it out here.
I'm also blogging today over at the Lucky 13s about signs of a Super Star Agent (here's a hint: Mine is one!)
And lastly, but definitely not leastly, I've been given the go ahead to share another blurb for The Nightmare Affair from the fabulous, New York TImes bestselling author Marissa Meyer, author of Cinder! I couldn't be more thrilled with what she had to say.
And here it is:
The Nightmare Affair is brimming with wit and charm, along with plenty of mysteries that kept me guessing to the very end. Mindee Arnett has created a brand new school of magic to delight and enthrall us, and I'm sure I won't be the only reader impatiently awaiting the next adventure at Arkwell Academy.”—Marissa Meyer, New York Times bestselling author of Cinder
Happy writing!
 ***originally posted at www.mindeearnett.com. You can comment here or there***