This is your brain on books, telling “Jenga” stories, and a PSA on how to hug alpacas.

Things have been busy busy in Victorialand, and not (just) because I’m on a mission to watch every Tom Hiddleston interview on the internet.*

(Mmhmm, right, V. Riiiiight.)

So I’ve got these three books I’m working on right now, each in a different stage of development: one is VICIOUS, which I’m editing, one is the sequel to THE ARCHIVED, which I’m writing, and one is a sekrit, which I’ve been letting sit for a year or so now, percolating, and am now poking.

Anyway, I’ve developed this delightfully mad process of working on one of them in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening. I love it, but it means living in three very different worlds (not including “reality”) on a daily basis, and that’s been a bit time/energy/sanity-consuming.

And in addition to the three books (oh, and how I love them all, these strange and different children), I’m trying to put together a grad school application list (whether I’ll be able to actually apply this fall depends on my pub schedule), figure out if I’m going to stay in NYC past summer (and where I’m going to go if I DON’T), figure out what kind of quarter-life crisis I want to have in July when I turn 25, and, well, basically, FIGURE OUT MY LIFE.**

This is all to say, I’ve been a bit erratic online. Not absent, no, as Twitter can attest, but not present long enough to post, either. Certainly not coherently.

And yet here I am! So forgive me if I become at any point less than coherent. In fact, let’s just embrace the fact that sh*t is about to get random.

THING ONE.

As I said, I’m editing VICIOUS right now, and I’m realizing something about my evolution as a writer. I have become a creator of “Jenga” books. THE ARCHIVE is a bit of a “Jenga” book, and VICIOUS, as I’m discovering, is pretty much the most “Jenga”ish example ever. “Jenga” books, as I call them, are stories in which the narrative is fractured and then reassembled in an often non-linear fashion where short sections are combined in a precarious but balanced order. Whew, that was a mouthful.

Basically, I have lots of short scenes taking place at different points in time that make sense so long as they are kept in the right order. But every time you pull a block out, you risk toppling the whole structure. And editing is kind of necessarily taking out blocks (sometimes you get to put them back in the same place, but sometimes you have to put them somewhere else and hold your breath and hope to God that…). I’m becoming convinced that writing “Jenga” books is a seriously masochistic creative decision. Only, I didn’t make a decision. Not really. Which makes me wonder if my brain is like a “Jenga” tower. I find the thought mildly concerning…

THING TWO.

My housemates believe I should write a picture book on how to resist over-hugging an alpaca. Because that’s a legitimate risk if you own an alpaca. Because they are cute and fluffy and they stand really still. I really have nothing to add to that right now. I can picture my agent headdesk-ing at the mere mention of this non-existent alpaca picture-book (I’m wearing her down on the narwhal book, though! Just give me five more years).

THING THREE.

I want to direct your attention to someone who is blogging, and brilliantly. Beth Revis posted HERE about a term being used by many writers lately, the book of your heart. You should go read after we’re done here.

THING FOUR.

This is probably the only clue I will give about the sekrit book for a long, long time, because I like having sekrit things, and it’s not even really a clue in the “helping to solve mysteries” sense but there you go. CLICK HERE.

THING FIVE.

I HATE ending on even numbers. Like, I hate it more than I hate eggplant. Oh, oh, I have a hug list. It’s basically a list of artists, actors, writers, etc. etc. and instead of wanting their autograph, I kind of just want to hug them. I mean, they can sign something, too, but I’m in it for the hug. Which is a random way to end this post, but really, how can you go wrong with hugs.

If YOU could get a hug from someone, who would it be?

*My mum informed me yesterday that because Hiddleston like chocolates, we’d make a good match. Not because he’s tall, or talented, or anything. No. BECAUSE HE LIKES CHOCOLATES.

**LIFE = apparently a term that comprises everything that happens in “reality” and not in one of your three fictional projects. Who knew?

In which Tom Hiddleston takes over my blog.

Morning, lovelies.

It’s been a noisy couple weeks around here, between the deal announcements and the paperback release and the Cole story, so I thought we could just have a little sit-down and talk about the glory that is Tom Hiddleston.

Not only does he play Loki, one of my favorite villains, not only is he lovely in a magnetic way, not only does have an amaaaaazing accent, but he’s exceedingly intelligent, and articulate, and talks about vulnerability and complexity and the ways in which villains are heroes in their own eyes and all sorts of other musings that make me a little SWOONY.

And because I have a book to write, and because I seem to be somehow behind before I’ve even started, I thought I’d give you some lovely things to look at while I duck out for a week or so to get some words on paper.

An excerpt from THIS marvelous blog post Hiddleston wrote in defense of superhero movies:

…Superhero films offer a shared, faithless, modern mythology, through which these truths can be explored. In our increasingly secular society, with so many disparate gods and different faiths, superhero films present a unique canvas upon which our shared hopes, dreams and apocalyptic nightmares can be projected and played out. Ancient societies had anthropomorphic gods: a huge pantheon expanding into centuries of dynastic drama; fathers and sons, martyred heroes, star-crossed lovers, the deaths of kings – stories that taught us of the danger of hubris and the primacy of humility. It’s the everyday stuff of every man’s life, and we love it. It sounds cliched, but superheroes can be lonely, vain, arrogant and proud. Often they overcome these human frailties for the greater good. The possibility of redemption is right around the corner, but we have to earn it.

[Click the picture to make him smile...]

An excerpt from THIS interview:

“The one thing that I do every time is immersion. I completely immerse myself in the world of the play, the film, the story, the character and try and plaster the walls of my own imagination with extra knowledge and images and music and trivia.

“I have a little office in my house and it is an absolute pigsty but I know exactly where everything is and there are little things stuck all over the walls, and papers in in-trays and files I have saved on my computer and playlists I have made on my iTunes – things that take me to a place that I think is appropriate…”

why yes, Loki. I should.

Hooray! Witchy paperbacks hit shelves, and “The Ash-Born Boy” goes up online!

I’m back in the states, jetlagged and just in time to celebrate!

Not only does THE NEAR WITCH come out in paperback TODAY, but, to celebrate its release, “The Ash-Born Boy” is finally up over at Disney*Hyperion’s website!

AND OMG YOU GUYS.

LOOK AT THE SHINY BANNER ON THE HOMEPAGE.

JUST LOOK AT IT.

And the short story now comes with a shiny summary:

Before he came to Near…
Before he met Lexi…
Before they faced the witch…
Who was the boy named Cole?

Follow us to Dale, a city on a hill, where in a matter of days fire will devour everything. Meet the Lord and Lady, and their son, the boy destined to inherit all…until everything turns to ash.

It’s time to learn the truth behind the stranger’s story.

Now, a note.

If you’ve already read THE NEAR WITCH, “The Ash-Born Boy” is guaranteed to change the way you see Cole.

And if you haven’t read THE NEAR WITCH yet, don’t worry, “The Ash-Born Boy” won’t spoil anything!

And if you want to wait and read THE NEAR WITCH first, don’t worry! Cole’s story will stay up on Disney*Hyperion’s website. It has its own page and everything

BUT I hope you’ll help me celebrate by taking a look!

And if/when you do read “The Ash-Born Boy” I hope you’ll post your thoughts over on Goodreads!

Also! Don’t forget that in the back of the paperback itself, you’ll find the first chapter of my new book, THE ARCHIVED, which doesn’t come out until January!

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY…

Thank you. Thank you all so, so much for sticking with me, for helping me shout and cheer and for being absolutely incredible. You are my sanity and my support and my favorite part of all this madness.

*falls over*

Where in NYC is Victoria Schwab?

(An aside: How much do I miss Carmen San Diego???)

So BEA is only a few weeks away, and I’m going to be doing THREE REALLY EXCITING THINGS YOU SHOULD TOTALLY COME TO AND THEY ARE SO EXCITING I DECIDED TO BLOG THEM.

1. TEEN AUTHOR CARNIVAL

Teen Author Carnival – 2012 Author List
Devyn Burton, Mitali Dave & Korianne Wey
invite you to The Fourth Annual Teen Author Carnival
- a night of fun with your favorite YA authors!

NYC TEEN AUTHOR CARNIVAL 2012
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
6:30pm – 9:30pm
@ Jefferson Market Library

Hannah Moskowitz – Gone, Gone, Gone – @hannahmosk
Melissa Walker – Unbreak My Heart – Modertor – @melissacwalker
Leah Clifford – A Touch Morbid – @leahclifford
Scott Tracey – Demon Eyes – @scott_tracey
Gretchen McNeil – Ten – @gretchenmcneil
Victoria Schwab – The Near Witch – @veschwab
Corrine Jackson – If I Lie – @cory_jackson
Sarah Tregay – Love & Leftovers – Website
K. M. Walton – Cracked – @KMWalton1
Kody Keplinger – Shut Out – @kody_keplinger
Tiffany Schmidt – Send Me A Sign – @tiffanyschmidt
Gennifer Albin – Crewel – @genniferalbin
Aimée Carter – Goddess Interrupted – @aimeecarter
Hilary Weisman Graham – Reunited – @HilaryGraham
Barry Lyga – I Hunt Killers – @barrylyga
Jen Calonita – Belles – @jencalonita
Jennifer Smith – The Statistical Probability of Love At First Sight – @jenesmith
Alecia Whitaker – Queen of Kentucky – @aleciawhitaker
Tom Pollock – The City’s Son – @tomhpollock
Crissa Jean Chappell – NARC – @crissachappell
Karen Mahoney – The Iron Witch – @kazmahoney
Fiona Paul – Venom – @fionawritesya
Lauren Morrill – Meant To Be – @laurenemorrill
Katie McGarry – Pushing The Limits – @katiemcgarry
Michelle Zink – A Temptation of Angels – @michellezink
Eliot Schrefer – Endangered – @eliotschrefer
Courtney Allison Moulton – Wings of the Wicked – @camoulton
Lenore Appelhans – Level 2 – @lenoreva
Michelle Hodkin – The Evolution of Mara Dyer – @michellehodkin
Rebecca Serle – When You Were Mine – @rebeccaaserle
Stacy Kramer – From What I Remember @stacy_kramer
Valerie Thomas – From What I Remember @val_thomas
Siobhan Vivian – Burn For Burn – @siobhanvivian
Margaret Stohl – Beautiful Creatures – @mstohl – Moderator
Lauren Oliver – Delirium, Pandemonium – @oliverbooks
Lucas Klauss – Everything You Need To Survive The Apocalypse @lucas_klauss
Jackson Pearce – Purity – @jacksonpearce
Kieran Scott – This Is So Not Happening – @kieranscott
Jeri Smith-Ready – Shine – @jsmithready

2. BOOKS OF WONDER SIGNING WITH YA REBELS AND ZOMG HOLLY BLACK.

Wednesday June 6th — 6 – 8pm.
Books of Wonder, 18 W. 18th St.

You guys. YOU GUYS.

The last time I was in a room with Holly Black I did my best impression of a HORRIBLE AWKWARD FAN. Only it wasn’t an impression. So you should come for THAT spectacle. Also because my YA Rebel cohorts are all seriously marvelous and talented.

3. BEA AUTOGRAPHING SESSION WITH ARCHIVED BRIBES

Okay, so. My NW autographing session is on Thursday at 10am. And I have this deathly fear of sitting at signing tables and NOT SIGNING THINGS so if you can, you should totally come. The first FIVE people to swing by will get BRAND SHINY NEW ONE-OF-A-KIND ARCHIVED swag. And a hug. And the first chapter of THE ARCHIVED. Because, well, that one is IN the paperback.

In which I explain a bit about my two new book deals!!

First, to recap:

Root Doubles Down for Schwab

Agent Holly Root, of the Waxman Agency, sold, nearly simultaneously, an adult novel as well as a YA one for her client Victoria Schwab. In the YA sale, Abby Ranger at Disney-Hyperion took world English rights to the currently untitled sequel to Schwab’s forthcoming The Archived (which Ranger also acquired); in The Archived a teenage girl tries to uncover the secrets behind a supernatural library. In the second deal, Root sold world English rights to Schwab’s adult debut, Vicious, to Miriam Weinberg at Tor. Vicious, about two best friends whose college experiments to create supernatural abilities wind up turning them against each other, is planned for fall 2013.

TWO DIFFERENT BOOK DEALS OKAY DEEP BREATH LET’S TALK.

FIRST, THE ARCHIVED is going to have a sequel! There are no words for the excitement over here. And relief. You see, THE ARCHIVED was never really meant to be a standalone. The nature of that book’s deal was strange and wondrous, in that the deal came first, and I chose the book to fill it second. The world of THE ARCHIVED is vast and so is Mackenzie Bishop’s story, and I never thought I could fully tell it in one book. And now I won’t have to!

That said, I’m a very, very strong believer that when you have a series, each book should have its own complete arc, so the book hitting shelves in January does, you know, HAVE AN ENDING. But I’m so, so, SO happy that my publishing family over at Disney*Hyperion believes in me and in these books and wants more of them!!

I know that all I’ve really said about the first book is “Buffy + The Shining + If I Stay” or “The Archived is about a library where the dead are shelved like books,” but in the next few weeks I’ll get to reveal both the cover (!!!) and the jacket copy (!!!) for THE ARCHIVED and I am just all excited punctuation marks over here.

SECOND, I wrote an adult book! And I can finally reveal the real title for the long-time code-named project, VAGABOND PUPPIES!!!! It’s called VICIOUS and it’s got super powers and villains and all these awesome things, and I am OVER THE FREAKING MOON that you guys will actually get to read it!!

This was the book that I wrote for ME, when I needed a break from deadlines, something to disappear into. This was a project I didn’t tell ANYONE about–not even my agent!–until it was nearly done. And the more I wrote, the more I fell in love with it, and the more I desperately wanted to be able to share it, and the more afraid I was that I wouldn’t get the chance. It’s a strange little beast of a book, a comic book without pictures, a violent twist on heroes and villains, and I was terrified that no one would love it like I did. So when it went on sub this spring and sold to Tor, I pretty much LOST MY SH*T.

So this means that next year I will have TWO books out, one in winter and one in fall, and then the winter after that I’ll have another! What happens after that remains to be seen

Thank you all so, SO much for all your incredible messages of love and support across the internet. I’m just thrilled to be able to write more books!!

AHHHHHH BOOK DEAL NEWS!!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEE.

CLICK HERE TO GO TO PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY TO READ THE NEWS!!!!!!!!

Explanations to follow, but for now EXCLAMATION POINTS WHEEEEE.

And ALL THE LOVE to my incredible agent Holly Root, and to my wonderful editors, Abby and Laura at Disney*Hyperion, and Miriam at Tor. I am beyond thrilled to continue to grow with D*H (3 books! It’s like a family!), and ecstatic to launch my adult career with such a fabulous house.

[ALSO: YES, VAGABOND PUPPIES = VICIOUS!!!]

EDITED TO ADD: Reactionary rocking out video, in which I dance to “We Are Young” by Fun. You have to supply music :p

In which our heroine goes to find a suitable alpaca farm.

My parents have decided that when they retire, they’re going to move to France and start an alpaca farm (the sheer specificity of this makes me smile). I’ve insisted they let me name the alpacas, and have already decided that one of them will be Frederick, and another Viola.

But until the time comes for a more permanent relocation, France remains my family’s annual vacation spot. My father lived there for some time, and is fluent. I am…less than fluent, but get by. My mum doesn’t speak French–well, she’s quite good with ordering food, having been a caterer–but is happy enough to point and say, “Je voudrais ca.”

Last year, I met up with my parents in Paris at the end of my three month stint in Liverpool. The Near Witch hadn’t come out yet, and I’d just finished the first draft of The Archived. It was a trip of stone and moss.

It was the perfect ending to a time in England.

This trip promises to be a bit different. We’re lurking at the edges of cities, within walking distance of the center, and driving distance of the dozen small towns nestled beyond.

I am going dark in the sense that I won’t be, you know, living on the internet as I usually do.

But I can’t promise there won’t be any posts here because I’m waiting to ANNOUNCE! THINGS! And if I get the chance to ANNOUNCE! THINGS! then I will hunt down an internet café or beg some hot young Frenchman to let me borrow his computer so that I can post (and, you know, admire said young frenchman).

THE BIG NEAR WITCH PAPERBACK SECRET…REVEALED!

The first paperback secret was that I would be signing at BEA.
The second paperback secret was that the entire first chapter of THE ARCHIVED would be in the pb.
And now, the third and final paperback secret is…

THE ASH-BORN BOY.

What is THE ASH-BORN BOY? Let’s look back almost a YEAR to a convo I had with the awesome folks over at Disney*Hyperion.

*wiggles fingers and makes TARDIS-esque noises*

Publisher: Okay, your next book will come out in Jan 2013.

Me: Yay! But…but that means I won’t have any new work out into 2012.

Pub: You’ll have a paperback release!

Me: But nothing new…

Pub: Well, Jan 2013 is kind of like the 13th month in 2012.

Me: But I feel like I should have SOMETHING new. For readers. You know, a gift. A thank-you for sticking with me…Could I write them a story? We could put it up on the Disney*Hyperion website when the paperback releases on May 15th!

Pub: Sure! But what kind of story do you want to tell?

Me: *mischievous smile* I KNOW JUST THE ONE.

There’s one question I get asked more than any other.

Who was Cole, before he came to Near?

For those who’ve yet to read The Near Witch, there is a stranger that comes to Near. His name is not Cole. The main character, Lexi, gives him that name when he refuses to tell her his, when he refuses to tell her anything about his life before setting foot in her village. Over the course of the book we learn pieces of his past, but so much of it is never told.

And that’s why I decided to write THE ASH-BORN BOY.

“Who was Cole?” people ask me.

And so, on May 15th, when the paperback of The Near Witch goes on sale, I’m going to answer that question. THE ASH-BORN BOY is a novella that will go up on Disney*Hyperion’s website, www.un-requiredreading.com. There’s a note with the link posted in the back of the paperback, too.

THE ASH-BORN BOY will have a permanent URL on the site, but if for some reason it ever comes down, I will make sure it’s always up online. It will remain available. And most importantly, it will always be FREE.

This is my gift to readers. It is my thank-you to everyone who’s found me, shared this journey, stuck with me, cheered for me and for my books. I hope to be able to give you many more, but I know I can give you this.

Oh, oh, and if you’re interested in pre-ordering the paperback of THE NEAR WITCH (since I’m still waiting for final, final word that it will be in B+N…I mean, I think it will, I hope it will, but nothing’s sure and oh the stress it burns), it’s currently up for only $6.74 (!!! 25% off!! Free shipping!!) HERE on Book Depository. And you can of course pre-order it now or buy/order it later from any of your local indie or chain stores. THE NEAR WITCH, like all books, needs your love (ahhhhh it sounds like a phone-a-thon, doesn’t it!? Where are my celebrity callers?). Anyway, NW needs your love, since I hear the author has a narwhal-buying problem. And a book-buying problem. And a cupcake-buying problem…though, really, how can anything involving the purchase and devouring of cupcakes be considered a problem??

ANYWAY.

I’m so, so excited to be sharing THE ASH-BORN BOY with you!!!!!!

Heroes, Villains, Antis, and What’s Missing.

“I wasn’t begging for my life. I was offering you yours.” –Sylar, Heroes

I was researching villains this past weekend (I love my job), which somehow led to me re-watching the first season of Heroes, when in turn led to me searching for Sylar music videos on youtube, which finally led to me googling Zachary Quinto photo shoots.

Yum.

Anyway.

Heroes and villains, believe it or not, comprised a part of my undergraduate thesis. The first part of the book I wrote and designed broke down classic archetypes into colors on a wheel, and inserted HERO and VILLAIN as the white and black on the model. The next section of the book was done in grayscale, as an examination of where most heroes and villains in pop culture fell on the spectrum. It shouldn’t be surprising that some of the most popular characters existed not at the extremes, but in the gray middle, the realm of the “Anti” hero or “Anti” villain.”

As a culture, we seem to enjoy our heroes with an inner demon, and our villains with a moral code.

And when I look at some of MY favorite characters right now, that holds true. Up there with Sylar and Elle from Heroes, I have Dexter, the Doctor from Doctor Who, Klaus from The Vampire Diaries, the Darkling from Shadow and Bone, Lex from Smallville, Magneto and Mystique from X-Men, Valentine, Sebastian, and Jace from The Mortal Instruments, Voldemort from Harry Potter, Leck from Graceling.

In the villains (except perhaps the last two), we see the character’s evolution TOWARD villainy. We see them at a time when they are not evil, and that glimpse into their formation humanizes them. In the heroes, we see their dark passengers, that thing they fight in a struggle to be good.

It makes me think that it’s the struggle we respond to, the inner war. When we experience a character who exists at an extreme, be it extreme good or extreme evil, we can’t fully care because we can’t fully relate. We can’t see ourselves in them, in their position. But when we see powerful people, heroes and villains, fighting battles with themselves, we can relate. Everyone reading this is fighting at least one battle.

I did notice one interesting/concerning thing.

When polling the internet, and looking at my own answers, I noticed a MARKED ABSENCE of female characters. It’s not there WEREN’T epically awesome female heroines and villains, it’s that they almost always existed at those white and black extremes of heroism and villainy, rather than lurking in the gray “anti” realm.

Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty), Mrs. Coulter (His Dark Materials), and Dolores Umbridge (HP) are pretty nasty, while Buffy, Sydney Bristow (Alias), Fire, and Tessa (Infernal Devices) are all flawed, but clearly heroines. I wanted to find more female leads with inner demons, characters shaped by complicated pasts, powerful women transforming, evolving from the mundane into the good, or the good into evil.

Can you think of some???

Also, I’d love your contributions to the greater list of FAVORITE HERO/VILLAIN. I’m always so curious to know who people are rooting for, and who they love to hate.

I get tagged, YOU get a little glimpse at THE ARCHIVED.

I’ve now been tagged three times in this Lucky 7 Game going around the blogosphere, so I obviously need to do it :p I’m going to be a termination point, though, instead of passing it on, only because most of my friends have already done it or are on deadline and will punch me for tagging them.

Okay, the rules are, if you’re tagged:

1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines/sentences as they are – no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors

SO.

I’m going to use my next book, THE ARCHIVED, a supernatural mystery thriller thing out in January with Disney*Hyperion! The first chapter of THE ARCHIVED will be in the paperback of THE NEAR WITCH out next month, but this is definitely the first look at ANY of this book.

Lines 7-14 on page 77:

Spiked hair and a slanted smile. My pulse skips. The third floor lurker from last night.

“Sorry about that,” he says, passing me back the basket. “No harm, no foul?”

“Yeah,” I say, straightening. “Sure.”

He holds out his hand. “Wesley Ayers,” he says, waiting for me to shake.

I’d rather not, but I don’t want to be rude. The basket’s in my right hand, so I hold out my left awkwardly, and when he takes it, the sounds rattle in my ears, through my head, deafening. Wesley is made like a rock band, drums and bass and interludes of breaking glass.