This blog is no longer maintained, but it contains posts dating back to when I was first trying to get published, so I'm keeping it here in the hopes that it might help other aspiring writers.
In Search of the Write Space: Susan Dennard
Oct 09, 2012
Podcast interview
Oct 06, 2012
Podcast interview with Meagan Spooner about SKYLARK and what makes YA fiction awesome. If you want to know more about Lark’s world, this is the interview to listen to!
Podcast Interview about SKYLARK!
Oct 04, 2012
It’s been quite a week on my end of things. Amie and I got copyedits on THESE BROKEN STARS last week and just handed those in this morning, which means now I’m wandering around trying to remember what I’m supposed to be doing with myself. The answer is “back to work on SHADOWLARK,” but making that transition is always a little rough. My two series are so different in terms of style, story, focus–I love them both, but switching between the two makes my brain go ping! So the next few days will involve a lot of listening to my SHADOWLARK playlist (it’s all instrumental and therefore likely very boring for most of you unless you’re a soundtrack junkie like me) and going for long walks while staring off into space. Hey, some stereotypes about writers are stereotypes for a reason! (Read more…)
E.C. Myers
Sep 28, 2012
E.C. Myers was assembled in the U.S. from Korean and German parts and raised by a single mother and a public library in Yonkers, New York. He has published short fiction in a variety of print and online magazines and anthologies, and his first young adult novel, FAIR COIN, is available now from Pyr Books. The sequel, QUANTUM COIN, will be published in October 2012. He currently lives with his wife and a doofy cat in Philadelphia and shares way too much information about his personal life at ecmyers.net and on Twitter @ecmyers. (Author Photo: S. Kuzma Photography.)
A Note From Meg
Welcome to “In Search of the Write Space,” a new feature on my blog where authors share pictures of their work spaces, giving us all a little glimpse into their creative lives. If you didn’t see this week’s earlier post from Kat Zhang, be sure to check it out for a chance to win her debut novel. This time we’ve got E.C. Myers, author of FAIR COIN and its upcoming sequel, QUANTUM COIN. He’s totally awesome, and so is his space, so I’m going to hand it over to him to take you on your tour!
I share this desk with my wife, and we sometimes work side by side. My favorite part of this setup is my clicky old keyboard, which is probably my wife’s least favorite part.
I tend to be more productive away from the distractions of my apartment, so I wake up at 5:30 every weekday morning and write at this Starbucks near my office before work. I pretty much take my netbook everywhere with me.
On weekends, I prefer working all day at the Chestnut Hill Coffee Co. This is the view from the window seat where I usually write; until recently, that building was a shuttered Borders, which was kind of a depressing sight while working on my books.
This is the mighty bookcase that separates our bedroom from the office space. I like to work surrounded by books, especially our favorite children’s and young adult books; the column on the left holds my “vanity” shelf and research collection. Oddly enough, the Superman cape is my wife’s.
This is what you see when you first enter our apartment; we kind of segregated the bulk of our adult books and graphic novels out here. That image from the Narnia books is the essence of fantasy to me: the surprising juxtaposition of the wondrous and the mundane that creates the best magic, and the only kind I know — imagination.
Quantum Coin
by E.C. Myers
Ephraim thought his universe-hopping days were over. He’s done wishing for magic solutions to his problems; his quantum coin has been powerless for almost a year, and he’s settled into a normal life with his girlfriend, Jena. But then an old friend crashes their senior prom: Jena’s identical twin from a parallel world, Zoe.
Zoe’s timing couldn’t be worse. It turns out that Ephraim’s problems have just begun, and they’re much more complicated than his love life: The multiverse is at stake—and it might just be Ephraim’s fault.
Ephraim, Jena, and Zoe embark on a mission across multiple worlds to learn what’s going wrong and how to stop it. They will have to draw on every resource available and trust in alternate versions of themselves and their friends, before it’s too late for all of them.
If Ephraim and his companions can put their many differences aside and learn to work together, they might have a chance to save the multiverse. But ultimately, the solution may depend on how much they’re willing to sacrifice for the sake of humanity…and each other.
I’m giving away one advanced reader copy of QUANTUM COIN that has been SIGNED and can be personalized to you by the author! Entries are open to US and Canada residents only. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to check out the various ways you can earn extra entries. If you’re a Pinterest user, you can score big on the extra entries scale!
“In Search of the Write Space” is an ongoing feature at meaganspooner.com that showcases authors through the spaces they carve out for creativity. You can find out more about the feature, and see a list of past guests, by clicking here.
If you or someone you represent would like to participate in “Write Space,” check out my policies and fill out the application form here!
Kat Zhang
Sep 23, 2012
A Note From Meg
Welcome to my new recurring feature, “In Search of the Write Space!” In this series authors share pictures of their work spaces, giving us all a little glimpse into their creative lives. If you’re new to the series, be sure to check out last week’s guest, Sarah J. Maas, for a chance to win her debut, THRONE OF GLASS! This week we’re joined by Kat Zhang, author of WHAT’S LEFT OF ME, and college student extraordinaire. She’ll take us through what it’s like trying to carve out a creative space when you’re living in a dorm room!
The Tour
1.
Here’s my desk! It’s not super-special because I live in a dorm, so all my furniture is just standard university-issued stuff. I have pasted some stuff on the plain white walls, though. I’ve got some pretty bookmarks, as well as letters people have sent me 🙂 Right now, there are also some lovely flowers my friend Savannah sent me for my release day!
2.
A close-up of the books on my desk. There’s WHAT’S LEFT OF ME on top–actually the book I used as a guest book at my launch party. Beneath that are three school books: one for my screenwriting class, and two for my sci-fi class. Yes, I do have the best classes ever this semester. Be jealous 😛
3.
Because I’m at school, the majority of my for-fun books are on my shelf at home, and I have mostly school books. The HOW FICTION WORKS is for my honors colloquium, and THE OXFORD BOOK OF MODERN SCIENCE WRITING is for my sci-fi class. I’m sadly no longer in the Sociology class, but I kept the book because it was so interesting 😀
4.
This is my pet—I mean muse—I mean friend 😉 The lovely Biljana Likic, who came all the way from Toronto to attend the launch party!
5.
Whenever I stay up super late to write/do homework/both, I tend to bake myself midnight snacks. They extra cookies/pastries then go to my lucky (or not-so-lucky, depending on what you think of my baking skills…lol) first class the next day 😛
6.
And of course, every writer needs to be well fed. Even better when you invite lots of friends over and cook up a storm! I love to cook because it keeps my hands busy while letting my mind brainstorm or work through plotting problems.
What’s Left of Me
by Kat Zhang
I should not exist. But I do.
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t…
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet… for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
I’m giving away one advanced reader copy of WHAT’S LEFT OF ME that has been SIGNED by Kat herself! Entries are open to US residents only. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to check out the various ways you can earn extra entries. If you’re a Pinterest user, you can score big on the extra entries scale!
“In Search of the Write Space” is an ongoing feature at meaganspooner.com that showcases authors through the spaces they carve out for creativity. You can find out more about the feature, and see a list of past guests, by clicking here.
If you or someone you represent would like to participate in “Write Space,” check out my policies and fill out the application form here!
Signed SKYLARK copies
Sep 20, 2012
Want a signed copy of SKYLARK? Meagan Spooner now has a home bookstore that offers signed (and personalized) copies. Click here to find out how you can order one!
In Search of the Write Space: Sarah J. Maas
Sep 19, 2012
Sarah J. Maas was born and raised in New York City, but after graduating from Hamilton College in 2008, she moved to Southern California. She’s always been just a *tad* obsessed with fairy-tales and folklore, though she’d MUCH rather be the one slaying the dragon (instead of the damsel in distress). When she was sixteen, she discovered FictionPress.com, and shared a (very rough) draft of Throne of Glass, a YA epic fantasy retelling of Cinderella. For the six years Throne of Glass was on FictionPress (at the time called Queen of Glass), it developed a massive fanbase–which later gave her the confidence to attempt getting it published.
Many rewrites and revisions later, Throne of Glass is less a Cinderella retelling and more of an original epic fantasy, and it was published by Bloomsbury Children’s in August 2012. Over the years, she’s written several other novels (most of them fairy-tale retellings), and when she’s not busy writing, she can be found geeking out over things like Han Solo, gaudy nail polish, and ballet.
A Note From Meg
Welcome to my brand new recurring feature, “In Search of the Write Space!” In this series authors will be sharing pictures of their work spaces, giving us all a little glimpse in to their creative lives. I’m excited to have Sarah J. Maas as my very first featured author! She’s a deeply awesome person with an equally awesome writing space. Without further ado, here’s Sarah to take you on your tour. (And don’t feed the puppy; she’ll never stop begging otherwise.)
The Tour
My desk!
Where the magic happens (Seriously. I have a crystal ball.). Uber-weird writing quirk: I keep a mirror behind my desk so I can act out the scenes in my book and study my gestures/expressions.
My Super-Unintellectual Writing Couch
When I get stuck on a particularly hard scene, this is the couch I turn to for some quality Brooding. If anything, though, it’s good for a mid-afternoon nap.
My Writing Companion
My dachshund/jack russel/black lab/eerily-bat-like mutt, Annie. She keeps me sane. Unless she’s trying to sit on my lap while I write, which makes me…not-so-sane.
My (tiny) reference section
In my office, there’s this hideously ugly bookcase built into the wall (left over from another era), which I won’t show (unless you want your eyes to bleed), BUT this is part of it…specifically, my little reference section. It’s got everything from books on Russian folklore to my leather-bound edition of LORD OF THE RINGS to my favorite childhood picture books.
My Nightstand
I keep a small library of books on my nightstand at all times–some of the books (like Nalini Singh’s GUILD HUNTER series) are there because I love them and I’m prone to rereading them at random times, others are books I’ve yet to read. I have two copies of THRONE OF GLASS there, too–one of them is the first copy I ever bought from a real bookstore; the laminated one is my author copy that I bring around to events to have everyone sign (think of it as the ultimate yearbook).
My Other Couch
This is my favorite reading spot in my house. We have a sunroom attached to our master bedroom, and I just looove curling up on the couch and getting lost in a book.
Throne of Glass
by Sarah Maas
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
I’m giving away one hardcover copy of THRONE OF GLASS by Sarah J. Maas! Entries are open to US residents only. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below, and be sure to check out the various ways you can earn extra entries!
UPDATE: I’ve decided to also throw in a THRONE OF GLASS bookplate that has been signed by the author! Whee!
“In Search of the Write Space” is an ongoing feature at meaganspooner.com that showcases authors through the spaces they carve out for creativity. You can find out more about the feature, and see a list of past guests, by clicking here.
If you or someone you represent would like to participate in “Write Space,” check out my policies and fill out the application form here!
Updates, travels, and various odds and ends
Sep 17, 2012
Well, sorry for the radio silence from this corner of the internet! As some of you may know from my twitter feed, I’ve been traveling around with co-author extraordinaire Amie. (She just got her plane back to her side of the globe yesterday. I’m pretty inconsolable.)
We caught up with our agents at Adams Literary in Charlotte, then headed to Asheville where we met up with the local author ladies there for dinner and chocolate and discussions of serial killers (thanks for the nightmares, Steph). I managed to get my hands on ARCs of THROUGH THE EVER NIGHT and THE MADMAN’S DAUGHTER, and devoured them both. Seriously, they are amazing, folks. Normally I don’t feel the urge to brag about things when I read them before they hit the shelves, but I will be shouting about these two books for a good long time. (Read more…)
Signed Copies of SKYLARK!
Aug 26, 2012
So, you want a signed copy of SKYLARK, you say? Well, in case you don’t want to track me down in true stalkerish fandom (and, uh, please don’t do that) here are a couple alternatives!
Oh, what a week(s) it’s been…
Aug 10, 2012
You guys may have noticed I’ve been a bit quiet lately. Well, there’s a lot of reasons for that. The biggest one is that this happened last week:
