Blog Vacation Over

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:45:20 -0800

Okay, so I went a little crazy blogging in December. So I’ve been taking time off. Besides, I have to get these novels written sometime.

But here’s what else I did on the last day of December, while I was waiting for the ball to drop. I updated my “Books” page to include all my 2010 releases. At the time I had to use placeholder “images” instead of the actual cover art, and placeholder book pages. But the covers are all in now, and each new release has its own page.

First in line will be my novel Electric God, which is being rereleased in the UK in April. I’ve started a new page for it, because it seems to represent a whole new life for that book, which was published in the US in the year 2000.

Second up is the long-awaited (by me, anyway!) brand new trade paperback edition of Pay It Forward. Ten years later the book is still in print, and is just about to be reissued in a bigger format, better quality hardcover (translation: not mass market) and, yes, in case you’re wondering, with the original comet cover. I did not create a new page for it, however, as there’s a great deal of info on the Pay It Forward book page, and there’s no point making this site too complex.

But those are not really new, you say. True. But these next two are.

In September, my brand new adult novel Second Hand Heart will be released in the UK by Transworld (US readers, bear in mind that The Book Depository offers free international shipping) and in October, my brand new Young Adult novel Jumpstart the World will be released in the US by Knopf (UK readers, ditto).

So I hope you’ll check out my new and improved book page, and that you’ll click through to the new titles and read more about them. As the next few months go by I’ll add a lot to the new pages, including--but not limited to--audio excepts, and review quotes when they become available.

And , who knows. Maybe I’ll even get back in the habit of blogging regularly. Stranger things have happened.

A Blog About Happiness

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 10:56:59 -0800

A couple of months ago I bought a new pair of RayBans to replace an old scratched-up pair I’d had for years (I get terrible eyestrain headaches from less expensive sunglasses). Yesterday, at a friend’s memorial, they were in the pocket of my raincoat when I leaned on them and broke them. I thought maybe they could be repaired, and I wasted some time trying. I didn’t succeed in fixing them, but I did poke a nice hole in my finger with the tiny screwdriver in the process.

Then this morning got off to a rocky start. They’re building a house behind mine, in what was once a pristine field with an ocean view. And I mean right behind. A few feet from my back fence. They whacked down two beautiful, huge, healthy trees to do it. And now I get to listen to construction all day long. But that’s just one of those things you have to accept. Short of buying the acre lot myself (I tried, but it was beyond me financially), there’s nothing much more to be done.

This morning, however, they woke me up at 6:30. They were out there in the dark, flooding the work area with the headlights of one of the pickup trucks and hammering on something. So I put on my robe, and discussed with them the laws that limit them to a 7:00 a.m. start. They expressed contrition (always to be taken with a grain of salt in reference to a purely voluntary act) but that didn’t stop the deafening concrete truck from showing up (in reverse—beep, beep, beep) at 6:50.

So let’s just say the morning required a little…reframing. I had one more conversation with the building foreman, who assured me that this was the last “concrete morning” and the last time they’d be pushing to stay on schedule. Then I gave up and ordered a new pair of sunglasses.

Later in the morning I was driving through town with Ella (my dog), and surprised myself (and probably her) by announcing that I had decided to be happy.

So, a blog about what I think happiness is. I’ve been experimenting with the idea that it’s a decision.

Now, that’s an easy statement to argue. You may say, “But there’s so much I can’t control, and it makes me unhappy.” Right. True. There’s a lot we can’t control. But if we could be happy anyway, then we could be happy. Case in point: I’m tempted to be unhappy about a house behind my back fence. But there’s a house on either side of me, and one right across the street. I look out and see them all the time. And they never make me unhappy.

I’ve been noticing lately how often we feel we have “justified resentments.” I hear people say, “I have a right to be upset about this.” And I think, Yeah. Sure you do. But why would you want to be? I always have a right to unhappiness, but it’s not a right I’m all that anxious to exercise.

So here’s my wish for the New Year. I wish for us to all be happy. And by that I don’t mean I wish for every inch of the Universe to line up to suit your preference. Not because I don’t want that for you, or for myself, but because it’s—let’s face it—not bloody well likely. So my wish is that, whatever comes your way in the New Year, you choose to be happy. Happy with it, happy in spite of it…it really doesn’t matter. I just hope we can choose to be happy.

To Link or Not to Link

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:25:14 -0800

Three times in the past few months I’ve had it come to my attention that a “reciprocal link” would be in order (friends have launched wonderful new sites or blogs, and it always helps to have some kind of mechanism for encouraging people to discover them). Here’s the thing, though. I don’t have a links page. I could create one easily enough, but I can’t seem to find a place in me that feels it would work well on this site.

But these are unusually cool people who are doing very good things. So I’m going to blog about them. With links. There’s more than one way to get where you’re going.

First up is my friend Anne Allen. She has a blog for (mostly) writers called “Anne R. Allen’s Blog: Writing About Writing. Mostly.” Anne is a humor writer (mostly) and it comes through in the blog. Her prose is sharp enough to cut glass (for those of you who are not writers and just want to be entertained) and full of detailed advice about the current fiction market (for those of you who are writers and would find it entertaining to get published).

You can check her out at: http://annerallen.blogspot.com/

Next up is my friend Christian Marcus Lyons, who recently launched a blog called “Writer on the Verge: a Personal Journal on Novel Writing.” It’s a bit of an “inside job,” in that Christian’s focus is more on inspiration and the creative process. So, if you’re a writer, the two blogs cover different aspects of what you’ll encounter and should be equally helpful, albeit in very diverse ways.

You can find him at: http://writerontheverge.wordpress.com/

But let’s say you’re not a writer. You might want to check out my friend Anne Smith’s new art website. In addition to charcoal, pen and ink, collage and digital images, she features what she calls “affordable art” (her works on greeting cards, tee-shirts, mugs, etc). Cat lovers might enjoy “The High Priestess” (she who must be obeyed). A great card to be exchanged between cat people.

Her site is: www.AWSfineart.com

I hope you know this is not an advertisement of any sort. I just hope that some of my readers may find these sites to be of interest.

And I guess that’s about as reciprocal as I get.

Happy Holidays.
-Catherine

A P.S. of Sorts

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 11:17:48 -0800

I’m just getting the hang of this whole U.S./U.K. thing myself, so thanks for your patience.

After writing and publishing my last blog (just minutes ago), I learned something new. I published the same blog on Red Room, and linked it with the book “When I Found You” (because of course Second Hand Heart is not yet available). Up popped a link to Powell’s Books, where When I Found You can actually be ordered by U.S. readers.

Now, I do want to note that it ships from an “international partner” and that an extra $4 will be added onto your shipping cost because of it. But that’s still the easiest and most reasonable deal I’ve found for ordering a U.K. book from the U.S.

So, I guess I have good news for U.S. readers as well. Here’s the link:

http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=mass+market:new:9780552775724:11.50&PID=32568.

I’ll be putting a button for it on the When I Found You page as well.

If you get a copy and try it, please let me know what you think. Of every book I’ve written, When I Found You takes the prize for the number of people who say they think it’s my best yet.

And nothing would make me happier than to share it with my U.S. readers as well.

Thanks,
-Catherine

And now, a P.S. to my P.S.: I just learned about a great site called The Book Depository, which offers free worldwide shipping. This means that my U.S. readers can buy When I Found You at a great price and my U.K. readers can do the same with my U.S. titles. I’m going to put link buttons to it on the book pages, but in the meantime the link is: http://www.bookdepository.com

What’s Next, the U.K. Version

Sun, 6 Dec 2009 10:26:22 -0800

I know this is hard on my U.S. readers. I wish I didn’t have to divide books and readers into countries. But, for those of you who don’t know, the selection of my novel Love in the Present Tense for the Richard and Judy Book Club (if you’re in the U.S, think Oprah Book Club with a British accent) changed my U.K. career significantly. As a result, I’m able to market books directly to my British publisher, even as I’m still in the process of finding a new adult publisher here in the U.S.

So, if you’re one of my U.K. readers, good news.

I have just signed a contract for three new novels (over the next three years) with Transworld Publishers.

It’s time to tell you a little about the first of those three.

It’s called Second Hand Heart, and it’s the story of an emotionally charged relationship between a man who just lost his beloved wife in a car crash and the young woman who receives her donor heart. It delves into that mystery of “cellular memory,” the apparent explanation behind the curious phenomenon of transplant recipients experiencing trace memories of their donors. And it’s tentatively scheduled for fall 2010 release.

If you’re one of my U.S. readers, two small consolations: One, I’ll do a giveaway when it comes out, the way I did with When I Found You. Two, you can always buy a book from the U.K. It just costs a lot more to ship it, for which I apologize.

At some point I’ll likely match these same adult novels (adult as opposed to YA, not adult as in...well, you know what I mean) with a U.S. publisher. And of course you’ll hear about it in this blog first.

So...wait for it...please stay tuned.

-Catherine

And the Winners Are...

Wed, 2 Dec 2009 08:53:09 -0800

In the past, when I’ve done a book giveaway blog, I’ve encouraged creativity and expression in the comments, and chosen the ones that seemed to stand out the most. I guess I thought my system would work here, too, but it didn’t. Quite. Because every comment reflected an equal love and generosity. Each person who left a comment showed the same degree of esteem for the person they’d chosen to receive the small gift at hand.

I knew I’d never be able to choose. I didn’t want to eliminate anybody. In fact, if I’d had 38 of these paperbacks on hand, I think I would have given two to everyone who left a comment. I don’t, unfortunately. I only have a very small handful more than I’ve offered to give away. I decided I could go one more winner, but after that I was out myself. So I chose 11 winners at random, drawing names in a blind system. Those whose names were not drawn, I’m sorry, but I will keep doing book giveaways, and there will always be another chance.

So, here goes.

The winners are: Harmony Book Reviews, Shine on Me, C.K., Joybells, Reading Junky, Shaelah Lewis, Lucy in the Sky, Lisa, Katie, Birdie S. and Joan Enders.

If you are C.K., Joybells, or Lisa, please get in touch with me, as I’ll need your mailing address. If you are one of the other winners, I know how to reach you, thank you, and I will be in touch.

With a wish for us to all to go calmly into the holiday season,
-Catherine

More About Reappearance

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:05:22 -0800

At the end of my last blog, I mentioned that I’d soon be coming out with a new video excerpt for my YA novel The Year of my Miraculous Reappearance. Unlike the terrific new video for Love in the Present Tense, this is one of mine, with my voice (as always) over a video created by me.

I would have had it ready sooner, but there’s the issue of the novels. Writing them, I mean. It’s time-consuming, and I insist on putting it first in the pecking order of everything.

But now, here it is:

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO

As promised, I’ll announce the ten winners of the paperbacks in the first week of December. Which is this week. So check back soon.

Many thanks,
Catherine

Yet Another Book Giveaway Blog

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 09:40:41 -0800

So, on the one hand, I’m thinking repetition is not such a good thing in the blogosphere. On the other hand, if I’m going to repeat myself at all, shouldn’t it involve giving away more books?

That’s what I thought.

Last month my Young Adult novel The Year of my Miraculous Reappearance was released in paperback. It’s a tough story about a 13-year-old girl saddled with raising her alcoholic mother, herself and her Down syndrome brother while wrestling with her own budding alcoholism.

I do want to mention, as with all my books, that the determination of “Young Adult” is open to interpretation. I was thrilled to see this line in a review of the book in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “I can’t imagine anyone feeling too grown-up for this story.” I was also thrilled, of course, when the same reviewer declared it: “Very close to perfect.” But now I’m in danger of getting off track.

In honor of the paperback release, I’d like to give away as many as 20 paperback copies of this book. But here’s the twist: I’m going to give those 20 books to 10 people. Two signed paperbacks each. One is for you. One is to give away.

Here’s all you have to do. Just leave a comment on this blog, telling me who you would give the second book to, and why.

Two notes on details I often forget: First of all, please make sure I know how to contact you. If you’d rather not leave an email link, check back to see if you’ve won and then email me (go to the contact page) and tell me privately how to reach you. Secondly, there is one version of one browser that just won’t be compatible with this comment forum, no matter what I do. If you can’t leave a comment, just email your comment to me. I’ll post it for you.

If you want to learn more about this title, check out its book page on this site:

http://www.catherineryanhyde.com/catherineryanhyde/The_Year_of_my_Miraculous_Reappearance.html

I’ll choose winners at the beginning of next month. Just in time for the holidays.

And I’m going to be putting together another author-made video excerpt, this time for the book we’ve just been discussing. So...in case I haven’t said this before...please stay tuned.

-Catherine

Love in the Present Tense video excerpt

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 12:17:40 -0800

A few months ago I posted a blog on MySpace offering free copies of Becoming Chloe to anyone with an idea for how to spread the word about the book. That’s how I first met David Alonzo of Wide Angle Studios. And I’m sure glad I did.

He didn’t even put himself in the running for a book. Just mentioned the idea that a book trailer video might work well. A good book trailer is helpful, of course. But I had to be honest with David and tell him that right at the moment I was looking for promotion ideas on a very small budget.

Every now and then, someone surprises me by Paying It Forward to me. Not often, but it’s been known to happen. Next thing I knew, David was offering his time and talent to create a video project, because, he said, he enjoyed my work, connected with it, and felt inspired to help out. How’s that for a nice guy?

I sent him a couple of books, and now there’s a video excerpt, narrated by me, for my novel Love in the Present Tense. David did a great job capturing the feel of the scene, and boy, when it’s a pro at work you can really see the difference.

Though I want to mention that the three videos I’ve made (so far) myself (Becoming Chloe, The Day I Killed James and Chasing Windmills) also would not exist without David Alonzo and Wide Angle studios. Because it was his great idea about book trailers, and his willingness to share it with me, that got the whole video excerpt project off the ground to begin with. He also viewed the rough films and gave me some great feedback as I was feeling my way through this new world.

To view the Love in the Present Tense video, just go to “Videos” on the navigation bar at the top of this site. There’s a link to Wide Angle Studios, and I hope you’ll look into his video production services. It’s always nice to Pay It Forward to people who Pay It Forward themselves.