Pretties!

I have a couple of pretty things to show off today!

But first, this is your last day to enter to win 1 of 5 sets of the UK versions of Rogue and Pride. click here for details.

And...I forgot to draw winners for the giveaway I hosted at the Deadline Dames last week, so here are the winners:

Kathy M. and Karen Rose. Karen has already claimed her prize. Kathy, please email me at rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom to claim your prize.

Now for the pretties:

First, the SHIFT book trailer, which went out in my newsletter at the beginning of the week. I meant to post it earlier, but this release kind of got away from me. But here it is, and if you want to repost it, feel free!

The images are all HD, so if you want to watch it in HD you can, but I'd suggest pausing it to let the video load first to avoid delays. So far, opinions of the model images vary. Some people like the "casting" and others don't. And all I can say about that is that the beauty of books is that you can picture the characters however you want. And the problem with videos is that it's really, really hard to find real people who resemble the characters. That may be even harder for the author. Which is why Faythe isn't in her own video this time. ;-)

Warning: This video contains major spoilers from Prey!









And...I was going to wait to post this in public until the HQTeen art people had a chance to finalize it, but the cover keeps appearing on Goodreads even after I delete it, so my editor said it's okay to officially share. But keep in mind, this will change slightly between now and the June 1 release. They're going to add a cover quote and tweak the image just a bit. But so far, this one is tied with MSTTake for my favorite of my YA covers so far. What do you think?

If you repost it, I just ask that you please note that it's not the final version.

My Soul To Keep is the third (of the 5 I'm currently contracted for) Soul Screamers novel, due out June 1, 2010.

Shift news!

Well, I think it's safe to say that Shift is out most places, even though it isn't yet March 1. How can I be so sure? Because my agent tells me that next week, Shift will appear at #29 on the New York Times extended bestseller list. ;-)

Thanks so much to everyone who's already bought the book and made the effort to tell me what you thought of it. And, of course, if you weren't able to find it early, you should be able to find it just about anywhere now.

If you've read Shift (or any of the other Shifters books) and are itching to discuss it, I've just opened the spoiler threads on my discussion group, found here.

And here are the current giveaways:

I'm giving away 5 sets of the UK versions of Rogue and Pride, plus 3 Shift cover flats here.
Ink and Paper (Shift giveaway)

A GREAT read (Shift giveaway)

Shift love!

[If you're looking for a chance to catch up on earlier titles in the Shifters series, click here. I'm giving away five sets of the UK editions of Rogue and Pride. And scroll down for links to current Shift giveaways!]

My awesome CP Rinda Elliott sent me this last night. A full-page ad for Shift in Realms of Fantasy magazine! I could not be more surprised, or more pleased.


Except maybe by some of the reviews currently making my head spin. I feel like I should be printing them out as keepsakes because it's really, really hard to keep writing and stay encouraged when negative reviews pop up. As they're bound to. No one book can possibly please everyone. Which makes the good reviews mean that much more, and for the last few days, reviews for Shift have been keeping this huge, goofy grin on my face. I swear, I look like the Cheshire cat. ;-)


I don't have access to the Romantic Times review yet (though a friend read it to me over the phone) but I know they gave Shift 4.5 stars, and the best review I've ever gotten from them. And that was a very pleasant surprise.


Beyond RT, both continuing and new readers seem to like what they've read. Here are a couple of the latest:

Fiction Vixen
Ink and Paper
Paranormal Romance Junkies

And here are a couple of places hosting interviews with me and Shift giveaways:

Ink and Paper (Shift giveaway)
A GREAT read (Shift giveaway)

Want one?

[This giveaway is now closed. Please check back soon to see if you won.]

Dear Readers,

I have too many books. Seriously. My office overflows. So if you want one of the following, leave me a comment in this post. I'll draw names on Friday. One comment per person, please.

British copy of Rogue

British copy of Pride

Cover flat of the American version of Shift. This is just the cover, without the book. People sometimes use them as keepsakes or for promotional purposes.

Five people will win a set of both the UK Rogue and the UK Pride. You do not have to be from/in the UK to win these, but please understand that these covers will not match any US copies you may have. However, the texts of both the US and UK versions are identical.

Three people will win US Shift cover flats.

All prizes will be signed, and I will ship overseas. Please feel free to spread the word!

Okay, if you want one, speak up!

ALPHA! (and several FAQ answers)

You may have already seen this on a couple of blogs. People were really good about not posting it during the early peek on The Pride (which I really appreciate), but several people got excited (which is cool; I'm glad people are eager) and snagged it from the newsletter I sent out last night. I'm sorry about the confusion there. I should have specifically asked people not to post it until I'd put it on my blog. It was supposed to be an early peek for newsletter subscribers. A perk of subscription. But since it's out now, I may as well post it!

However, I would like to ask (beg, plead) anyone who's posted the My Soul To Keep cover to PLEASE TAKE IT DOWN. That cover is not final. It's still being tweaked and is awaiting a cover quote. I only included it in the newsletter as another early peek for subscribers, to show off the art. The cover itself is not final.

Once I post it here, the entire world is welcome to show it off. But as a courtesy to me and to my publisher, I ask you to please wait for that moment.

But since Alpha is already out there, I guess I may as well officially show it off. So, here it is!

Alpha is the sixth and final Shifters book. The culmination of everything Faythe and I have been working for in the Shifters universe. All the plotlines will be tied up. All the decisions will be made. No one will remain unchanged. Not everyone will survive.

It's gonna be one hell of a ride.

I love this cover. It's my favorite cover ever. Not just my favorite of my covers. My favorite cover. Period. And I feel so fortunate that my name is on it. ;-)

I asked for Faythe to look powerful and dangerous, and boy did the art department deliver! I love the chair, love the bracelet, love the leopard-print tights (there to specify this as a cat-shifter book, rather than a werewolf book), and I love, love, love the purple!

The back of the book is gorgeous too, and I'll be posting the complete cover (including the back cover blurb) at The Pride later today.

Alpha will hit the shelf on October 1, 2010, seven short months from now. It isn't up for preorder yet, but I'll announce and provide links when it is.

If you're not caught up on the Shifters series, you can buy or order them from any book store, or have them shipped to you from any online book store.

Shift is now available at B&N, Borders, BAM, Mysterious Galaxy, The Book Depository (both the US and the UK version), and about a zillion other places.

Now for some answers to frequently asked questions:

• My Shifters books are not YA. My Soul Screamers books are YA.
• The Shift trailer is finished, and it went out with my newsletter last night. I'll post it here and on my website tomorrow, and everyone will be welcome and encouraged to link away, or post it on blogs.
• If you're looking for Rogue, it has been reprinted and should already be available to order, if you can't find it in stores. However, I'm being told some stores can't order it for some reason. Fortunately, it's available right now, at a discount, direct from my publisher.
• Yes, Shift will be available as an e-book. If you can't already find it in several formats, check back on March 1, the actual release date, and you'll be able to get it then.
• Yes, as far as I know, Shift will also be available as an audiobook.
• Yes, Shift is already available in the UK. In fact, it was out there first.
• While I am doing a bit of traveling this year, unfortunately, I can't go outside the US in 2010, due to time constraints. I have three full length novels due and four releases. Not including anthologies. But maybe next year, if things slow down...
• So far, my publisher has bought five Soul Screamers novels from me. My Soul To Keep comes out June 1, 2010, and My Soul To Steal (which I'm writing right now) comes out January 1, 2011. I don't have dates or details yet for book five. Anything beyond that fifth book depends on sales. So, if you like them, the best way to make sure there will be more of them is to buy the books and recommend them to others. That's true for any book you like, from any author. Borrowing the books from libraries also helps, because libraries buy books. Multiple copies, if a book is popular.

Shift, on the shelf!

Yesterday I saw Shift on the top rack of the new release display at my local Barnes and Noble! It's still nine days until the official release, and I hope to have some release goodies for you very soon, but some stores already have the book on the shelf. Including the B&N at La Cantera, in San Antonio, where I left a bunch of signed copies.

Yesterday was kind of insane, in the best possible way. I had lunch/dessert/coffee with a friend, signed books at B&N, wrote 3,700 words (chapter 7) on MSTSteal, and finished reading my 3rd YA novel in the last week and a half. I could get used to that kind of productivity. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure it was a fluke.

My Soul To Steal

24047 / 80000 words. 30% done!

Up for today: Chapter 8 of MSTSteal, and probably a couple of online interviews.

I'm really itching to do some Twitter excerpts (quotes from the book, in 140 characters or less! It's like bite-sized fiction!) from MSTSteal as I write it, but since no one's read MSTKeep yet, that would be giving away too many spoilers. So, I'll have to settle for amusing/surprising/angering myself with my many spoilers. For now, at least... ;-)

So... who's seen Shift in the store so far? Leave me a comment and tell me where you saw it! (Store and town would be awesome!)

It's been a good week.

At the risk of tempting fate, I have to say it’s been a pretty good week. In the past seven days, I’ve:

• Written 20,000+ words (Officially a quarter of the way through MSTSteal!)
• Been to the movies twice (a rare treat with my schedule)
• Spent an evening at a friend’s house
• Received “official” versions of 2 new covers
• Read 2 ½ contemporary YA novels (pleasure reading; also a rare treat)

Unfortunately, I still have a lot of pain in my right wrist, but while that’s necessitated a bunch of typing breaks, it hasn’t really slowed my momentum on MSTSteal. Which is good, because it’s due very soon. The pain is quite inconvenient, though. I made my minimum goal yesterday, but didn’t actually finish the chapter I was working on, which means I’m playing catch-up today. I have to finish chapter 6 and write chapter 7.

20318 / 80000 words. 25% done!

And... Faythe is on Twitter, at least for the next couple of weeks, during the Shift release. Her updates will be spoiler free (at least Shift-spoiler free). They're general commentary on on life, including some quotes from other Pride members. If you want to see what she has to say, you can follow her here:

The ALPHA cover will go out in my newsletter, hopefully tonight. Assuming my wrist doesn’t hurt too badly to compose it after I make my wordcount goal. But for those of you who are members of The Pride, you can see it now, in the Alpha forum. But DO NOT POST THE COVER ONLINE. If I find it online before I’ve put it on my own blog, I won’t do early peeks anymore.

If you don’t subscribe to my newsletter but would like to, here’s how:



And, bloggers, if you’d like to host an interview/Q&A/giveaway for the Shift release, please email me privately at rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom.

All things SHIFT!

I'm blogging at the Deadline Dames today, with a new mini-excerpt of Shift and another giveaway, so head over if you're interested.

And if you're not sure whether or not you're interested, let me just say this: I'm so completely overwhelmed by the amazing reviews for Shift so far. It was a tough book to write, dealing with the fallout from what happened in Prey, and if not for a couple of stellar suggestions from my CP, this book would not be what it is today. But I'm pretty proud of Shift right now.

Here are a few of those reviews I mentioned. I think they all contain spoilers from previous books in the series, but no major spoilers from Shift itself.

All-consuming books review of Shift

Patti's review of Shift

The Kindle Vixen's review of Shift

Pizza, Zombies, and Olympians!

There's an actual blog entry in here somewhere. But first, here are a couple of new giveaways you might want to check out:

Tera Lynn Childs (author of Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Bootcamp) is having a Winter Olympics-themed series of giveaways, and this one includes signed copies of My Soul To Take and My Soul To Save as prizes. Be sure and check out the rest of the giveaways too!

And...

BookBound has an interview with me and a signed copy of Shift to give away. Click here for details.

Now for the real blog post:

It's kind of chaotic at chez Vincent right now. Number 1 is up to his ears in work on the Shift trailer, and we hope to have a couple of other release-type things up very soon. Honestly, we expected to have more time, since the book isn't officially out until March 1, but with most places putting it up on the ship date (or before) rather than the release date... well, we're kind of running behind now. ;-)

And I, of course, am buried in the first draft of MY SOUL TO STEAL, the fourth Soul Screamers book, which--they tell me--will be out Jan. 1, 2011. Which means (realistically) it may very well be out in time for next Christmas. Who knows? ;-)

However, even with all that going on, I did make time for a little bit of fun this weekend. For Valentine's Day, #1 and I had pizza at Fralo's, which makes the best pizza I've ever had. For real. We usually get a sampler, and my favorites are the Margherita, the Pozzi, and the Nutty Chicken. Then we watched Zombieland on BluRay!

Loved it! Why don't they set more zombie movies in abandoned amusement parks? I'm glad we bought this one, because we'll definitely be watching it again.

And this morning, we went to see The Lightning Thief. Sooo glad we bought our tickets early, because even the matinee was completely sold out. May have something to do with the fact that Rick Riordan (the author of the book the movie was based on) lives right here in San Antonio. Or maybe it's just because the movie was great! I loved it. I'm a huge classical mythology geek, and I especially loved the bit set in a Las Vegas casino that strongly resembled Circe's island in The Odyssey.

I haven't read the book yet (The Lightning Thief. I've read The Odyssey), but it's on my shelf right now, and comes highly recommended by multiple friends. Anyone else read it?

New SHIFT mini-excerpt

My work got derailed yesterday by errands and obligations, so today I’m playing catch-up on chapter 3 of MY SOUL TO STEAL. So, in my internet absence, I give you a mini-excerpt (including a brief glimpse of their new foes) from near the middle of Shift, which will be available everywhere very, very soon.

NOTE: SHIFT IS NOT A YOUNG ADULT BOOK

------

“I don’t want to kill her,” my father shouted to Beck. “But if you come any closer, I’ll have…” His voice faded into an uneasy silence as the background whisper of wings beating the air grew to a thundering crescendo. I looked up. My cat gaze narrowed. My breath caught in my throat.

“What’s that they say about birds of a feather?” Jace murmured from close behind me.

“They flock together.…” I eyed the sky, trying not to panic over the sheer number.

“How many?” My dad didn’t bother to whisper; they couldn’t hear us over the sound of their own wings.

I glanced down the line of huge bird-creatures, doing a quick estimate. “Fifteen, not counting Neve, Beck, or the one who took Lucas.”

“That’s too many,” Bert Di Carlo said, having assumed a backup stance in Marc’s stead.

“Without more guns?” My dad nodded firmly. “Yes, it is.”

-------

Shift is available for pre-order here. And here. And here. And here (with free worldwide shipping).

The end is near--but not yet!

I’m sitting here in my office, taking a short break from writing MY SOUL TO STEAL, trying to figure out just exactly how I got here. Not here in my office. Here, figuratively. Here, with six books on the shelf (not counting anthologies), and a seventh coming out in a couple of weeks.

I swear, it feels like just last year I was querying agents for Stray. But Stray’s been on the shelf nearly 3 years now, and I’ve been with my agent for more than four. And the Shifters series is drawing to a close.

Am I having second thoughts about ending it? Um…yeah. And third and fourth thoughts. And maybe fifth. Faythe has come a long way, and most of those who have hung in with her would agree (at least, according to the latest reviews). I’ve put all this time and work into helping her grow up, and now that she’s finally there (by the end of Alpha), I’m letting her go. Seems unfair, huh?

But that’s as it should be. When kids grow up, you let them go. When characters are finished maturing, you let them go too. Hopefully on a high note, rather than letting a series drag on past its prime, just because it’s still selling. That’s like letting your kids live with you until they’re thirty. It’s sad, and embarrassing, and ultimately not good for the parent/child relationship.
So I keep telling myself that I’m doing the right thing.

Yet part of me hopes that Alpha needs a lot of edits, just so I can spend some more time with Faythe and her Pride. (And, in all fairness and honesty, I’ll probably get that wish.)

But tonight I’m a little melancholy over saying goodbye. And I kind of hope you guys will be too.

But wait! It’s not over yet! Shift comes out sometime between Feb 18th and March 1st (there’s a bit of confusion between the shipping date and the actual release date, and it’s already shipping in the UK), and while I can’t promise that Faythe has become all she will ultimately be (after all, there has to be something left for her to figure out in Alpha, right?) I can promise several things that you will find in Shift. Here they are…

In Shift:

• There will be LOTS of action.
• There will be lots of heartache.
• There will be lots of injuries.
• There will be LOTS of tension.
• Loyalty will be tested.
• Faythe will have to choose between two options that both go against her conscience.
• And [character name deleted] WILL find out about [event deleted].

Interested? Shift is available for pre-order here. And here. And here. And here (with free worldwide shipping).

And after you’ve read it, if you feel like venting or taking a side, drop by the Pride, where opinions are never in short supply.

More winners! And an update

The winner of Brooke Taylor’s Undone was commenter #8 of 67:
Sharli who wrote...
Before I die I'd like to travel more, get to see other cities and really experience their cultures, feel accomplished :)

And the winner of the signed set of Shifters books was number 370 of 418: January Brown, who has been contacted via email.

Sharli and January, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your name and mailing address so Brooke and I can put your prizes in the mail.

I spent most of yesterday trying to clean out my inbox, but I didn’t quite get done, so if I still owe you an email (even if you wrote to me months ago), I swear you’ll have a response soon. But honestly, the best way for readers to get in touch with me is through one of my blogs. I read all of the comments and try to answer all the questions. And I pop into my discussion group several times a week and read as much as I have time for at the moment, and answer questions in the “Questions for Rachel” thread.

However, if you have an interview, guest post, or appearance request, please do email me privately.

I’ve had a lot going on lately (for years, it seems) and haven’t had much time to blog, so here’re a couple of highlights from my week, though if you follow me on Twitter, you probably know some of this:

• I saw the cover for MY SOUL TO KEEP last week. I don’t have a high res image to share yet, but I will say that it matches the previous covers, but it’s purple. I love purple, and I think the cover is beautiful. I’ll share as soon as I can, but as usual, my discussion group members and newsletter subscribers get the first peek.
• My author copies of SHIFT came in, so I’ll be giving away a few more copies very soon. So stay tuned.
• I saw a preliminary version of the cover copy for Soul Screamers 4 yesterday afternoon.
• Soul Screamers 4 has a title! It will be called: MY SOUL TO STEAL. Now I just have to write it.

Today I start the manuscript, and it’s due in pretty short order, so you can expect short blogs from me in the next month or so, focused on the rough draft aspect of writing and on promoting SHIFT, which will be out in just 2-3 weeks now. And so far, the reviews for it are very, very enthusiastic. ;-)

French winners; Big new giveaway!

[This giveaway is now closed, and the winner has been notified via email. Thanks to all who entered!]

I forgot to choose winners for the French Stray giveaway, so I included all the entries, even those that came in past the deadline. And the winners--better late than never!--are:

Ciara (from Blogger) who wrote: “Hey! So, I'm from Canada and we all have to learn French from kindergarten to high school…”


And …



Keri Kaplan (from Facebook) who wrote: “Very cool! I can only count to 10…”

Ciara and Keri, please email me (rachelkvincentATgmailDOTcom) with your full name and mailing address, and I’ll put your books in the mail. Along with the huge stacks of books I owe other people. ;-)

And now, since Shift comes out in just a couple of weeks (and is reportedly already available in the UK), it's time to turn some serious attention toward the Shifters side of my career. If you haven't read the previous four Shifters books, here's your chance to get the entire series (so far) signed, and for free!

PLEASE NOTE: THE SHIFTERS SERIES IS NOT YA.

Up for grabs, one signed, personalized copy each of Stray, Rogue, Pride, Prey, and Shift.



Entry deadline: 11:59 pm (central), Monday, February 8, 2010.

How to enter: Fill out the form below.

This is really easy, people. Would I like for you to announce this giveaway all over the internet? Yeah. That'd be awesome. Would I like more followers on every social medium in existence? Sure. Who wouldn't. Do you have to do any of that to enter the contest? No. All you have to do is fill out the form. Seriously. One entry per person.

Who qualifies to enter? Anyone who isn't related to me, hasn't already been promised a copy, and doesn't work for my publisher or agent. Regardless of where you live, as long as UPS or FedEx will ship to you.

Okay, start entering!

[Form has been removed, because the contest is over...]

UNDONE giveaway!

This giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly!

If you've been reading my blog for a while, you might remember that about a year and a half ago, I gave away a copy of Brooke Taylor's Undone to help celebrate her hardcover release. Well, this week is the paperback release, and I'm doing it again. And this time, my CP Rinda Elliott is doing the same thing, so make sure to enter her giveaway too for a double chance to win!

About the book:

Kori Kitzler is the "dark angel" of her high school: beautiful, mysterious, the subject of rumors. Serena Moore is just an average girl, until a run-in with Kori in the bathroom in eighth grade. When Kori tells her that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued, and their fateful friendship begins.


When the girls are asked to complete a writing assignment listing the five things they would want to happen--their five ways to tempt fate--Serena doesn't take it seriously. But when something tragic happens to Kori, Serena is left with her loneliness and Kori's five things. Can Serena complete her best friend's tasks, or will she leave her list undone?

I read this one a couple of years ago and loved it!

To enter, leave me a comment telling me what you hope to get done or experience before you die.

Because Brooke's so awesome, she's opened this giveaway up to international entries, so everyone qualifies! This giveaway will close at 11:59 pm (central) on Friday, February 5.