FULL MEASURES by Rebecca Yarros: RELEASE DAY

Excitement is in the air! Valentine's is just a few days away. What better way to celebrate than to read a brand new book?

I've got the perfect one for you, just releasing TODAY. That's right! You can be the first of your circle of friends to read FULL MEASURES by Rebecca Yarros. Then you can tell them how wonderful it is, and push them to read it so you can chat about Ember and Josh. 

I'm lucky enough to get an interview with the illustrious Rebecca Yarros, but first let's take a look at FULL MEASURES. * dreamily stares at the beautiful cover*

And here's the tantalizing blurb:

Three knocks can change everything…

"She knew. That’s why Mom hadn’t opened the door. She knew he was dead."

Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart. 

Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.

Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

Rebecca Yarros

Where to find this treasure:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Okay, now for all the questions:

Finish this sentence: If I could live anywhere…

I would be home in Colorado.  You can take the girl out of the mountains, but never the mountains out of the girl.  I adore my family, and I can’t wait to be home again so my kids get a turn at being annoyed by my dad’s “if you started here, and I started there, how long until we met in the middle…” math questions. 

What inspired FULL MEASURES?

That’s a big one.  I’m a military brat, both my mom and dad served twenty years, and given the life I lead now, I wondered, if I’d lost my dad to war at that age, what would it have done to me? How would it have changed the woman I am, or what would I have been willing to risk if I’d already paid the steepest price?

Rebecca's blog is called The Only Girl Among Boys

I already know you are a military spouse, and I believe you told me you grew up in a military family... how much of your own experience (not literally, but in general, such as lifestyle) made it into FULL MEASURES?

I put a ton of effort into making FULL MEASURES as realistic as possible, from military terminology, to the relationship between spouses.  That being said, a lot of the emotion is mine, and I drew on the feelings I had when my husband was seriously wounded during his first deployment a lot.  Also, the way Ember knows Sam from a previous duty station is definitely our life.  Our next door neighbors from two duty-stations ago bought a house six houses down from ours, and our children, who were both born in Germany a few months apart, are now in the same first grade class. I hope I capture the highs and lows we feel as military families.

Is there music or television on while you write?

OOOH, best question EVER! Music.  Music.  MUSIC!  Music puts me into an emotional state for each scene, and I’ll hit repeat on a song until I finish that scene.  I run a playlist for each novel I write on Spotify, and it immediately puts me “in” the work.  With five kiddos at home, I’m also a huge fan of noise-cancelling headphones.  ;)

As an author, are you a planner (outline) or a pantser (by the seat of)?

It really depends!  For the most part, I’m a total a pantser.  I know my characters, where they start, the general conflicts, and where they end up.  I let the middle surprise me as I write.  But for some of my more complicated, paranormal plots, I really like to keep an outline so I get a view of the big picture and how everything connects.

Phobias? Do your phobias ever work their way into your writing?

I think FULL MEASURES takes my greatest fear head-on.  I’m terrified of the knock at the door, at hearing that my husband won’t walk through our door again, so I’d have to say yes.  Now my fear of spiders?  I keep that under lock and key.  *Shudders*

Which authors inspired you when you were younger (or what authors inspired you to write your own books)?

Mercedes Lackey, without any doubt.  I’m a huge fan of the Heralds of Valdemar series!  I’d sneak them into classes and read at school all the time.  As a kid, I devoured C.S. Lewis and Brian Jacques, which I now point my kids to at every available opportunity.

Best advice you’ve ever received about writing/publishing?

 I have a favorite quote by Steinbeck (who also wrote my favorite novel of all time), where he says, “Abandon the idea that you are ever going to finish.  Lose track of the 400 pages and write just one page for each day, it helps. Then when it gets finished, you are always surprised.” I remember this advice every time I’m exhausted by the kids’ hockey schedules and our life, and make an effort to spit out at least one page.  Chances are if you sit down to write that one page, you’ll look up ten pages later.   

Looking back, what’s the one thing you wish you knew before starting your first novel?

 Janet Reid told me once, “your story begins at the choice,” and I wish I’d realized that.  I spent so long writing and rewriting those first chapters, when I didn’t realize they really weren’t needed.  Your story begins when your main character makes the choice that is the catalyst for the plot, and not a page before.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Don’t get hung up on getting your first novel agented/published.  If your queries dead end after you’ve edited it 30 billion times, move on and write something new.  We’re constantly evolving as authors, becoming better and honing our craft.  Chances are your second novel will blow your first out of the water, as will your third, fourth… you get the point. Don’t be afraid to shelve an MS.  Stop thinking of it as “dead,” and instead think of it as “resting.”  Move on.  Keep writing.

GREAT ADVICE, Rebecca!

Do you believe in love at first sight? Why or why not?

I believe in infatuation at first sight, is that the same?  LOL!  I think there can be an instant connection between souls, something that triggers passion, adoration, friendship, all which leads to love.  But, seeing how much I “loved” my husband the first months we dated, versus the depth of love I have for him fourteen years later, it’s a stream to an ocean.

Why did you decide to write the genre(s) you do?

 I write Young Adult and New Adult for two very different reasons.  I love YA because it’s such a great time in life, where you discover who you are and how you relate to the world around you, where anything and everything is possible.  I love New Adult because for me, it’s that time in life where you get to make mistakes, love passionately, and shape your world into what you want it to be.  There’s a lot more freedom in New Adult than YA, and I’m very drawn to that.

I love when authors open up and give us a glimpse of the person behind the pen (or pc, however they go about it). Thank you, Rebecca, for giving us a little insight into you and your world. Be sure to tell your husband 'Thank You' for serving, and thank you for YOUR service to our nation as well. I wish you and your family all the best. 

Okay, readers, get out there and get your copy of FULL MEASURES today, let's help Rebecca have a great first week of sales! Ready. Set. GO!

To celebrate the release of Full Measures, enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win a Kindle!

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The Pitch Wars Wild Ride

This ride can reach dangerously high speeds, though sometimes it will creep along slower than a slug on an uphill slippery slide. 

As many of you know, a few weeks ago, I entered an online contest, called Pitch Wars, spear-headed by Brenda Drake and other wonderful writerly people. Go here if you want to learn more. It's a yearly contest, so maybe you'd like to join the 2014 mania fun.

Please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times. 

Veronica is my hero!

In early December, I spent 8 days staring at the #PitchWars Twitter feed. I hoped to garner a coveted spot as a mentee to one of the four amazing women I applied to from the equally amazing pool of Pitch Wars mentors (total of 46, I believe).

Twitter buzzed with hundreds of authors as we waited for just a tweet or two from one of our chosen mentors. We all wished for even the tiniest crumb of a clue as to whether or not the mentors had read and liked our entries.

Hands up, people, time to raise the roof and touch the sky! (or just hit the refresh button for your email until you have blisters on your clicker finger)

I love roller coasters. They make my heart race and my palms sweat. When I get frightened, I tend to laugh like a mad woman. That's exactly what I did when I got my first Pitch Wars related email. It was from Veronica Park, requesting the first 3 chapters of SECRETS I KEEP. I got so excited I created a fun little super hero image of her and posted it via Twitter as a thank you to her for requesting. I also hoped to get  her attention.

It really was a Pitch Wars version of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride from that point on.

One of my #CoolParts

Some mentee candidates came up with a great idea to offer up more info about ourselves. If our mentor choices wanted to stalk us a bit as they mulled their decision, they could do just that. So #PimpMyBio was born. I posted mine and made sure to tweet my mentors encouraging them to stalk away.

I was all O_O--HOLY COW!

The mentee candidates also tweeted teasers from their books. Using the hashtag #coolparts, I tweeted away. I tried not to tweet too often, so as to not get obnoxious. Before I knew it BAM something amazing happened! Tina Moss, one of the mentors I'd applied to, tweeted one of her applicant's #coolparts. It was MINE! And it wasn't a line I'd even thought to tweet. She just pulled it out of first five pages of SECRETS I KEEP, included in the application I sent to her.

My first five pages and my first 3 chapters were posted on my blog, and people went to check them out. All the wonderful encouragement I've received from my fellow mentees has meant so much me. The writing community is one of the most supportive I've ever seen.

I crossed all my digits, hoping this was my sub.

As the days passed, I received requests from three of the four mentors I chose. I felt like a contestant on The Voice, with coaches turning in their chairs. Some of the tweets I saw come across the #PitchWars Twitter feed amazed me.

The days trudged on toward December 10, the day of reckoning. More tweets flew. Could they be about my entry? Was it possible I might make it into the Agent Round? I'm certain every mentee hopeful had these same thoughts as they watched the Twitter feed scroll.

Jennifer Hawkins

I spent my time on Twitter making new friends and supporting others as much as possible. After all, I'd decided early on, even if I didn't manage to snag a mentor, my main focus for entering Pitch Wars was to make connections and do my best to help others.

Really, the friends I've made, all because I entered Pitch Wars, are my real prize. Another mentee contender, Jennifer Hawkins, and I hit it off right away. We've cultivated what I think of as a tight bond over the last several weeks. She's been one of my biggest cheerleaders, along with all my CPs, The Off Beats. She lives within driving distance and we have plans to get together soon. We'll either be celebrating or crying in our wine over the Pitch Wars results. Either way, I can hardly wait.

Janet, Beer Yoda

There have been several others who I've had the pleasure and honor to chat with via Facebook Messenger and on Twitter. They are all wonderful authors who I will hopefully continue to get to know better as time passes. You know who you are! We all worked hard at distracting ourselves and everyone else with fun things like #PuppyWars and #PonyWars. I even made Janet Wrenn a new avitar.

After all my nails had been chewed to the quick and half my hair pulled from my scalp, December 9th rolled around. The mentors had all made their decisions, or so we heard through the grapevine. The mentees groaned aloud, via Twitter, that we hoped they'd release the results early.

Brenda Drake, Wonder Woman

Brenda Drake, another super hero in this story, did not disappoint. The evening before the official release date, she posted the results. When the lists went up, and this ride hit the first major loop de loop. I almost wet myself trying to click over to her blog and look to see if I'd made the cut. There were over 600 authors who entered (at least, I'm pretty sure that's the number I heard somewhere) and only 46 spots for primary mentees and another 92 for alternates. Odds were against me, but I had hope—all kinds of hope. If the feedback I'd gotten wasn't just smoke blown up my backside, surely I had at least a slim shot at a mentor.

I fumbled my way over to Brenda's blog and scrolled through all the names, checking each of the mentors I'd applied with. Trisha Leaver, Stacey Lee, and Tina Moss all had full rosters, but none had me listed. Then, at the very bottom, Veronica Park's team was listed.

Veronica Park

By some miracle from Heaven, Veronica chose SECRETS I KEEP. Out of all the entries she received.Out of all the talented authors vying for a spot on her team,—*fire off the confetti cannons* *let loose the balloon drop* *commence Kermit flails*—there I was. Her mentee of choice.


My friends, new and not so new, were wonderful and congratulatory. The love they conveyed still warms my heart. Throughout the last several weeks, Veronica has been an amazing resource. Full of awesome advice on not just editing, but also marketing. She has surpassed all my hopes. My manuscript shines like a mirror in the desert sun. It couldn't be more ready.The respect and admiration I have for her is difficult to measure. She is my hero. I pray I have the privilege of calling her "friend" for the rest of my life.

I've been 'stalking' Pitch Wars agents, making a list of those I feel are likely to want to see more of . It's an exercise in futility, as there's no telling who may or may not be interested. Honestly, no matter how many requests I do or don't end up with come Thursday evening, I'll always be grateful to Veronica Park for taking a chance on SECRETS I KEEP and me. Thank you, Veronica. Thank you a gagillion times.

Warning: Loop de loops ahead

Now that we're down to a couple of days from the Pitch Wars Agent Round, this ride is coming up on its last few steep drops, though there may still be one or two more loop de loops. My stomach crawls over itself in anticipation, like snakes in a viper pit. Surely I'm not the only one equally excited and sickened by the possibilities awaiting me on Wednesday and Thursday (Jan. 22nd and 23rd, 2014).

Some day I will add SECRETS I KEEP to my shelf.

I have decided to calm my nerves by remembering this is a very subjective game. I may not get a single request this week, but it doesn't mean my manuscript isn't good, or that I'm not a great writer.

Until this demon car glides back into the station, I'm just going to hold on for dear life and try to enjoy the ride.

Have you entered writing contests? If so, what has been the best take away for you, win or not? Are you participating in Pitch Wars Agent Round in any capacity? If so, please leave your thoughts on the contest and what receiving requests can mean, or doesn't have to mean, to the mentees.

Thank you for stopping in. I will endeavor to follow this post with another next week to let everyone know how it went. I invite you to follow by email to receive that post automatically. Also, I'm working to grow my readership, so please become a member.