See this? This was a dead tree I saw walking in the woods today. I had to stop and take a picture, breaking myself out of my normal routine of walking and talking and listening and thinking because I wanted to capture the look of this because it hit me as meaningful to where I am right now.

INDELIBLE is coming. It is my second "first book" (first in a new series, a new publisher, a new editor, a new niche of the market) and is very much what feels like a second chance. Some people know me by my debut book and many don't know me at all. This is my chance to show that I can tell stories, different stories with different characters and creatures and challenges and strange, new worlds but still maintain my "voice"--that elusive quality that defines us as writers and see what the wide world thinks about that. It is pushing through the old to create something new.

When I first thought that this reflected something about my publishing journey, I thought about sloughing off the old and forcing my way up into the light again after being so long in the dark. But that's not true. Like these beautiful little green tendrils that are clinging to the side of the dessicated bark and pushing out tiny newly-spring leaves, I am feeding off what I learned the first time out, using what I know and who I met to anchor and support me as I push forward, creating something tremulous and richer and altogether different, but having been sheltered by the first time, I now can be stronger, more flexible, more resilient and daring--I *had* to have this foundation in order to grow. And this time it's different. It is in many ways, this story is deeper and truer, helped by friends who support it and me, and having new eyes shining down upon it with light and tears and good hopes as it's ready to bloom. (Note the cover art!) Really, that's more what this is like: a moment of two steps on the journey into the sun.

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among stars!" – Les Brown

...or, you never know, you might even grow a tree!

INDELIBLE is out in the world! Hooray!

And to celebrate, I wanted to make *sure* I did one thing for my big Harlequin TEEN debut: I have a number of copies reserved for my exclusive, first-ever, thank-you-so-much...

*** I ♥ Book Bloggers Giveaway!!! ***

Click here to enter!

This is a giveaway just for the blogging community! A library of book bloggers* will have a chance to get their hands on an arc of Indelible: Book One of the Twixt as well as a few extra prizes for themselves and their followers. Indelible will soon be available on NetGalley as well as LibraryThing and a giveaway on GoodReads, but this is my way to say a huge "THANK YOU!" in advance to all the book bloggers who take the time to read and share their passion about books, reading, readerships and fandom. As an author, I can't express what you do for the writing and reading community so this is a little token to be sure YOU know that you are appreciated! Details below:

The I ♥ Book Bloggers Giveaway includes:

- a signed arc of INDELIBLE,
- signed bookmarks for you & for 10 of your followers, and
- a super-secret prize good for the next promotional giveaway! (Stay tuned for details!)

This giveaway is open to ALL YA FANTASY BOOK BLOGGERS so tell your friends & spread the news! Be sure to include all the relevant information for contacting you and whether you're following the latest news about myself and Indelible in any of the many formats that we inhabit online. Know that you, as a reader and reviewer, are a *huge* contribution to the continued life of good books and I, for one, can't thank you enough. Good luck, click here to enter & thank you from the bottom of my chocolate-filled heart!

:-)

* I've decided that a group of book bloggers should be called a "library" of bloggers. I welcome other fun suggestions!