Soul Screamers blog tour

[Updated 2-8-2010 The last few links on the list are new!]

Okay, I have to admit that my head's spinning a bit here. The folks at Harlequin Teen have been very busy on my behalf (for which I could not be more excited!) and the result is more internet giveaways/contests/events than I can even count. Which means that you, awesome readers, have at least a couple dozen chances to win a copy of My Soul To Save (some of the giveaways also include the first volume, My Soul to Take).

So, if you're interested, check a couple of these out for a good chance to win a free book or two. And if you know someone else (adults are welcome, but especially teenagers) who might be interested, please let them know!

Here's a partial list of the places currently hosting a Soul Screamers event (partial, because I'm having trouble keeping up with them all):

• Bitten By Books is giving away 5 copies of My Soul to Save
• The SciFi Guy (Doug is awesome!) is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The SciFi Chick is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Story Siren is giving away 2 copies of MSTSave and 1 series set
• The Novel Novice is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Twilightseriestheories is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave (to enter this one, you tell them what makes you scream!)
• The Book Muncher is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Book Vault is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Luxury Reading is giving away 2 copies of MSTSave and 1 series set
• Green Bean Teen Queen is giving away 2 copies of MSTSave and 1 series set
• The Compulsive Reader is giving away 2 copies of MSTSave and 1 series set
• Cullen Boys Anonymous is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave (and I'm especially grateful to Joyce, who read the series before posting to make sure she was comfortable recommending it!)
• TV and Book Addict is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Karin's Book Nook is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• YABookNerd is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Book Pixie is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Ravenous Reader is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Robots and Vamps is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Park Avenue Princess is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• Chick Lit Teens is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• WORD for Teens is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave (This one is interesting; to enter, tell us who you'd bring back from the dead!)
• Frenetic Reader is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Book Girl is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Dreamer Reader is giving away 3 copies of MSTSave
• The Book Smugglers are giving away 2 copies of MSTSave and one series set
• YA Book Realm is running a giveaway here.
• Teensreadtoo is giving away 2 series sets (scroll down for details)

Teen sites:

• Teen Scene is giving away 2 series sets
• Teen Hollywood is giving away 2 series sets
• Teen Spot is giving away a series set

If you know of one I've missed, please let me know, and I'll update this list. It'll be available for the next couple of weeks in the Contest tab of my Blogger blog.

Soul giveaway and French Stray

Just a reminder, Tatooed Books is still hosting Soul Screamers week at her blog, and she's got some awesome stuff going on. She's designed a temporary cover for My Soul To Keep (the real cover for which I haven't actually seen yet) and a playlist for the book, as well as commissioning
"Soul" jewelry for her giveaway. Those necklaces are beautiful!











If you haven't already, go check that out!







Also, look what I got! French copies of Stray! They're calling it "Les Grifffes De La Nuit" or, "The Claws of the Night." Interesting, huh?



I'm only planning to keep one, so I have two up for grabs. Speak French? Learning French? Live in France? Or just think the new cover looks exotic? Leave me a comment here, and I'll pick two winners at random on Sunday! (Please include whether or not you speak French, to satisfy my curiosity.)

Dame snippet, interview, fascinating review

Okay, I have a really hectic day today, so I have several great links for you in my absence. Wait! Don't go! Click the links! They're seriously interesing, IMO. ;-)

First up, my critique partner and fellow Deadline Dame, Rinda Elliott, has posted a snippet from a work in progress today. It's from an awesome dystopian YA, and this little bit of it blew me away. She's also got a great giveaway to go with it, so definitely check that out.

Also, my interview with Teen Libris is live here! Teen Libris has been awesome in helping me promote the Soul Screamers series--they've been giving away my new release all month! And they asked some great questions I've never been asked before, so if you want to know my favorite YA of '09, or what my dating life was like in high school... well, the info's there. Along with my typical overuse of smiley faces. ;-) See? There went another one...

And this last one is a fascinating review for the first two Soul Screamers books from Lenore. I don't require all reviewers to like all of my work. In fact, I acknowledge that as an impossibility. And so long as a review is fair and impartial (meaning that the reviewer isn't bringing any of her own prejudices into the picture), I can usually find merit even in bad reviews. Lenore's review fascinates me for several reasons:

1. She calls my Soul Screamers series "literary crack," which I've decided to take as a compliment. ;-)
2. She read the series in spite of having read a bad review, then formed her own opinion. Authors really appreciate this (can't even explain how much), because opinions vary. Different people like different things.
3. She seems to have liked both books, but HATED the ending of My Soul to Save (book 2, the blue book)

I'm coming across this reaction (Point #3) more than I expected, and it fascinates me. It seems I may have violated the Happily Ever After rule, to some extent. Not the traditional romance HEA--I didn't break up the main couple. But I did (evidently) do something unexpected.

Why? (I'm trying to avoid spoilers here, in case you haven't read it.)

The reason is really very simple: The Netherworld (much like real life) has consequences. Serious, irreversible consequences. You can't willfully make a stupid decision and still get a Disney ending. In the Netherworld, you pay for your choices, one way or another. Period.

And if you somehow get out of paying for your choices (which hasn't happened yet in the Netherworld), then someone else will pay for them, and you will suffer life-shattering guilt. Which is just another way of paying for what you've done.

Sound scary? Well... yeah. It is. But I like scary, in case you haven't noticed.

P.S. Lenore, thanks so much for the honest, thoughtful review!

Giveaways and a tease

First up, a little Soul Screamers goodness! The Bibliophilic Book blog as great reviews of the first two novels and the prequel here. And these reviews really made my morning. Seriously.

And... The Book Muncher is showing off the My Soul To Save trailer and giving away three copies of the book here!

And for the Deadline Dames readers (if you aren't one, you should be!), don't forget to check out the second week of anniversary giveaways, starting with Jenna Black. Jenna's giving away a backlist book, as well as a one-of-a-kind, signed homemade ARC of The Devil's Playground to one lucky series reader. And don't forget to scroll down to see if you won anything from last week's contests.

Today (and last week), I'm working on a YA short story for an anthology, and this story is unlike anything I've done before. It's from the perspective of someone you'll meet in Soul Screamers 4. Someone Kaylee doesn't like. At all. You might say, it's someone she dislikes vehemently, which is, in itself, unusual for Kaylee. And I'm in the rare position to write this other character's story before I write her into the fourth novel.

And I kind of love her! Not that I'm cheating on Kaylee. Kaylee's still the star of the series. After all, she's the original Soul Screamer. ;-) But this new girl... well, she's a lot of fun too, for a completely different reason. But you'll have to wait until August to read her story (I think), and until Jan. 2011 to read Soul Screamers 4.

How's that for a tease? ;-)

Website updates and research help!

Number 1 and I did a couple of updates on my website last night. We're working on a new front page, but for now, here's what you might want to see:

• The first chapter excerpt from SHIFT is now available for public consumption (it's been available at The Pride for a couple of weeks).
• I've listed most of my appearances for 2010 on the appearances page. I may be adding a couple more, and I don't have exact locations/dates/or times for my stops on the Smart Chicks tour, so you can expect a couple of updates

Also, don't forget that we're now at the halfway point of the two week Damiversary celebration. So check out the Deadline Dames and scroll down to make sure you enter each Dame's contest. Personally, I'd love one of Keri's mugs! But there are also countless books and a couple of critiques up for grabs. And you can't win if you don't enter.

Can you help?:

I'm currently buried in research for a short story I'm working on. I'm trying to research as I write, but am finding both to be very difficult, and I really want to get this right. So please, if you (or someone you know) has ever worked for/in the Texas juvenile justice system or ever been placed in a youth group home or halfway house, I would love, love, love to talk to you via email.

I'm also looking for a youth social worker who can answer some questions about the treatment and housing of youth offenders in Texas.

All information will be kept confidential, and no specifics will be used in the story. The facilities I'm writing about are fictional, as are the characters, and I just need to check some facts.

Something new...

Today I've posted an exclusive excerpt from Shift at the Deadline Dames, as part of our anniversary celebration. I'm also giving away a prize to one commenter.

A word of warning, though. The excerpt contains major spoilers from Prey. Do NOT read it if you aren't into ... spoiling stuff. ;-)

Dames Anniversary!

This week marks the one year anniversary of the Deadline Dames. Can you believe it's been that long? Yeah, me neither. To celebrate, we're hosting two weeks of giveaways, including books, book-related merchandise, exclusive excerpts, and a grand prize on the last day. Click here to check out the madness, and don't forget to scroll down to Dame Devon's post, kicking the whole thing off!

In other random news from my life outside of writing, I had extended family over this past weekend, and all of us got stomped by my grandfather in several consecutive rounds of Scattergories. Who knew that man knew so many words? I guess I know where I get it. Though my dad's been killing me in Scrabble (played via iPhone) for a couple of weeks now. ;-)

In honor of our guests, I made mini-brownies and a sugar-free apple pie for my diabetic grandfather. The brownies were a hit, but I've learned that the one-to-one conversion ratio of sugar to Splenda doesn't mean much when it comes to pie filling!

Also, I sprained my right wrist. And I'm honestly very surprised by how inconvenient this is, for a non-life-threatening injury. But it's already a little better today, so I'm hoping I'll be all good in a couple of days.

What did everyone else do this weekend?

P.S. Scroll down to Friday's post if you haven't seen the list of places you can win MSTSave this week!

Contests, UK release

I'm finishing up one last, fairly involved bit on the edits for MY SOUL TO KEEP, but I'm stopping in to post a few places for you to win books! Specifically, my latest release, My Soul to Save.

First of all, Enchanted by Books has a "How well do you know Rachel" guest post/quiz, with a giveaway. That one was a blast to do, and I'll be stopping in next week with the correct answers, and a few anecdotes about them.

Second, Laura, from Tattooed Books, is doing something very exciting for the Soul Screamers series next week, but the giveaway is open now! And it's not just a book... Go check it out!

And... Teen Libris is giving away signed copies of My Soul to Save all month long, so don't forget about that one!

And finally, on the adult/Shifters front, as of today, Prey is officially available in the UK! I couldn't get the UK cover to load, but you can see it at the above link. It has a blurb and cover quote that weren't used on the US edition, though the art is the same.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Work and stuff

It's foggy, and wet, and cool in San Antonio today, and my office feels cozy, rather than freezing for the first time in a couple of weeks. I have plenty of coffee, several uninterrupted hours, and the last third of the edits for MY SOUL TO KEEP to get through.

Things feel very calm and peaceful right now, but stuff is kind of bubbling beneath the surface, letting me know it's still there. Other deadlines, interviews, guest blogs, website maintenance, and the Shift release, now just a few weeks away. Not to mention My Soul to Save, which just came out.

Speaking of which, I think I've found something interesting to give away with the Soul Screamers books, so look for another contest next week.

Also, there's an ad for MSTTake and MSTSave in this month's Girl's Life magazine. Anyone seen it? I'm hoping to find a copy for myself tomorrow. So exciting!

Oh, and it looks like Soul Screamers 4 has a title and a release date (can't announce those just yet), and that title is confusing my personal organization just a bit, because it's the title I originally submitted MSTKeep under. So all MSTKeep files are saved in my computer under the title for book 4. If that makes any sense. Guess I should rename them all, huh?

French werecats?

Look! Stray will soon be available in France! In French! With a new title and cover.

I believe they're calling it, The Claws of the Night. Check out those eyes!

This is my first floating head cover, and I like it! ;-)

Unfortunately, I have no idea when or if the sequels will be translated, or what other languages will soon have werecats, if any. This was a surprise to me. And a totally welcome one!

I should be getting a couple of copies, but there's no telling when that'll be and I'm kind of dying to hold my first translation. And to try and read it. It's been ten years since my last college French class. ;-)

In conclusion: Yea! I'm international!

Answers (& a couple of questions)

[Just a note: if you belong to The Pride, check in soon. I posted the first chapter excerpt of Shift yesterday.]

Q: What are you working on right now?

I'm working on a Shifters world short story, taking place a year and a half after ALPHA.

Q: How many Soul Screamers books will there be?

Right now, I'm contracted for five of them. Beyond that, only sales will tell... ;-)

Q: Why can't I find [insert backlist title here] at the bookstore?

I don't know, and I'm very sorry. But bookstores are almost ALWAYS happy to order any book they don't have in stock for you. They'll also typically order a few books from earlier in the series for each new release. And there's always Amazon, or The Book Depository, if you're outside the US. I hear they have free shipping. ;-)

Now, a couple of questions for you, lovely blog readers...

Question one: In the past, I've given away several non-book items with my Shifters series. (T-shirts, cat-shaped chocolate, stuffed black cats, Faythe's necklace, etc...) But I'm having a terrible time finding anything to go with the Soul Screamers books. Does anyone have any ideas? What would you like to see (other than books) in a Soul Screamers giveaway?

Question two: What quotes (from either series) would you like to see on a T-shirt, if I were inclined to give a few away? (No major spoiler quotes, please!)

Look what I found!

The UK cover for Shift!

As usual with the Shifters covers, the art is the same, but everything else changes.



The US is on the left (first), the UK on the right (second).

I'm not sure whether the difference in color is real or not. That could just be the way it's showing up on the screen.

Most notable differences:

• The UK cover has a tagline! "A new nightmare is about to take flight..." I love it! ;-)
• The US has my Kim Harrison quote, while the UK has my Kelley Armstrong quote. The best of both worlds!
• And, obviously, the fonts are different.

Typically, MIRA UK writes a different back cover blurb than what goes on the US edition, but since I haven't seen the full UK cover yet, I don't know how this one reads. But, for the first time with one of my books, Shift is getting a simultaneous US/UK release, so look for it in both countries at the end of February!

And... in case you didn't hear my Twitter squealing, on Monday I saw the cover art for ALPHA! It's awesome. Hands down the best cover I've ever gotten. I can't wait to show it off--when all the little details are final. But I can say that I'm pretty sure they used the same model for both Shift and Alpha. ;-)

A little bit of knowledge...

I'm working on a short story set in the Shifters world right now, and can I just say what an incredible relief it is to be working in that world, for what will likely be the last time? As much as I love Kaylee and the Soul Screamers world, and as much fun as I have there, writing about my werecats feels like going home. I feel like I know where I am in that world, whereas in Kaylee's world, I'm still feeling my way around. (Which is awesome too, in its own way--lots of surprises.)

But anyway, working on this short story has made me think about one of the most valuable things I've learned since I started writing. It's pretty simple, and I sometimes feel like an idiot for not figuring it out earlier than I did. But here goes:

The reader doesn't need to know what happened every moment of my character’s day. Not even in summary. It’s really completely okay to end one scene where it should logically end, then start the next one when the next action begins, so long as I give a reference to location and how much time has passed. Readers don’t need to know what happened in between. If the in-between were relevant, it wouldn’t be the in-between. It’d be another scene.

Hey, that almost rhymes!

So, that's my little bit of wisdom for today. ;-)

Soul Screamers secrets!

Today, I'm guest blogging at the Harlequin Paranormal Romance blog, with some Soul Screamer secrets. Including a question at the end of the post. If someone guesses the answer, I'll tell the story. Have you read My Soul to Save? If so, go give it a shot!

If not, you might not want to read the comments. Not sure, but there may be spoilers. ;-)

New Year in numbers

First, a couple of short announcements:

The winner of my impromptu New Year's Eve giveaway is:

My Blog 2.0 (Dottie), whose comment began:
Happy New Year Rachel! All the best to you and your family, both near and far!

Dottie, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your full name, address, and choice of book, and I'll ship your prize. Along with several other books I owe other people. ;-) Thanks to everyone who entered! There was a great response for such a short-term, last minute giveaway. ;-)

Also, Teen Libris is going to be giving away copies of My Soul to Save throughout January, starting here! There's also an excerpt of the Immortal anthology (with my story "Binge" set in the Soul Screamers universe) in the sidebar.

Now for the regularly scheduled blog post... ;-)

Somehow, 2010 arrived largely unnoticed by me. Because I had deadlines, guests, and a new release. (My Soul to Save was officially release yesterday, on the shelves this past Tuesday!) But now I can no longer deny the passage of time. Time for the numbers, to assure myself that I haven't wasted the past year. That I actually accomplished something.

2009, in numbers.

Releases: 3 (Pride, Prey, My Soul To Keep)
Novels written and rewritten: 2 (Shift and Alpha)
Short stories/novella's written, rewritten, revised, edited: 2 (My Soul to Lose and "Binge")
Revisions done: 3 (My Soul To Save, My Soul To Keep, Shift)
Edits (line and copy) done: 2 (Shift, My Soul to Save)
Total words written: 264,987

Up for 2010:

Releases: 4 (My Soul To Save, Shift, My Soul To Keep, and Alpha)
New novels to write: 3 (Soul Screamers 4 & 5 and new adult book 1)
Short stories to write: 2 (possibly 3)
Countless edits

I don't make New Year's resolutions, because I never keep them. But my personal goal for 2010 is to take more time for myself. More time off, to read and relax. More time with family and friends. Do you have a goal for the new year?

I'm still on vacation today and tomorrow, but I'll be back at work on Monday, writing short stories, promoting My Soul to Save, and generally getting caught up. Bloggers, if you're interested in an interview in January, shoot me an email. I'm totally up for a few!

I hope everyone has a great 2010! (I'm still waiting for my hover car.)