Eternal Now Available; Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith; Giveaway Winners

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Feb. 10, 2009) is now available! Read an excerpt from Candlewick Press. From the promotional copy:

"At last, Miranda is the life of the party: all she had to do was die.

"Elevated and adopted by none other than the reigning King of the Mantle of Dracul, Miranda goes from high-school theater wannabe to glamorous royal fiend overnight.

"Meanwhile, her reckless and adoring guardian angel, Zachary, demoted to human guise as the princess's personal assistant, has his work cut out for him trying to save his girl's soul and plan the Master's fast-approaching Death Day gala.

"In alternating points of view, Miranda and Zachary navigate a cut-throat eternal aristocracy as they play out a dangerous and darkly hilarious love story for the ages."

Note: Here are the answers to a few, quick questions I've been asked of late about this new release.

How is Eternal different from its companion book Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008)(Listening Library, 2008)?

The books are set in the same universe, and both are something of a conversation between me and Abraham Stoker about his classic Dracula (1897), especially with regard to such themes as redemption, gender, and the dark "other," which in his day meant Eastern European.

That said, the most obvious difference is that they feature different main characters. (Careful readers may catch a glimpse of a Tantalize character cameo in Eternal, though.) The two casts will crossover in my next prose novel, Blessed (Candlewick, TBA), which I'm working on now. And by the way, I'm shooting for one hell of a finale. Eternal also expands the multi-creature-verse to include angels and a new type of shape shifter.

Beyond that... Tantalize is about more "common man" characters in the universe. Quincie and Kieren are high school students. She works in her family restaurant. He's the studious son of a wedding planner (okay, mama is also a werewolf) and engineering professor. Even the vampires are well integrated into the everyday world. They have jobs, raise kids, and, sure, eat people. But not constantly and not without having to think hard about covering their tracks.

Eternal takes us to the major players--the vampire royalty, the guardian-and-arch angels. These characters on the front lines at a time when those lines are blurring. In that way, the novel is more escapist, what with its castles and ballgowns and blood-wine cellar. It's also perhaps more romantic, more horrific, more fine detailed.

Did any personal experiences inspire aspects of the book?

When I was in ninth grade, my English teacher had the class read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859) aloud in turn over the course of the semester.

I distinctly remember grumbling that the only good parts were the first and last lines. But looking back, much of it did sink in, and fellow lit geeks will find nods aplenty in Eternal. You don't need to know Tale or Dracula to understand my novel, but if you do, the conversation of books is in play.

Drawing again on my adolescence, it was clear that Miranda's dream would be to become an actor. I never longed for the spotlight myself, but I distinctly remember wishing I could shrug off my more conventional high school activities and join the Thespians. I admired their talent and independence and how much happier they seemed than everyone else, especially at a time when I was often just going through the expected motions.

[Note: If you were a Thespian from my high school and are thinking, what?!, I'm sure y'all had your massive teen challenges just like everyone else. But well, you know, greener pastures. And trust me, you were much more awesome than I could've ever hoped to be.]

Beyond that, I set Eternal partially in Dallas, partially in Austin, and mostly in Chicago. All of these are cities that I've lived in and love. Miranda is from Dallas. After his "fall," Zachary spends time in Austin, and the two finally meet face-to-face in a fictional North Shore suburb of Chicago. From there, the story also takes them into the Windy City itself.

Here's a quick excerpt from Zachary (complete with photo illustration):


I'm dwarfed by the tyrannosaur skeleton at the Field Museum. Forty-two feet long, thirteen-feet tall at the hips. It was found buried in the Hell Creek Formation in 1990.

The last time good and evil went head-to-head, no punches pulled, the dinosaurs died out. Lava flowed in oceans as large as the United States. Tsunamis tore apart the shores. Fire engulfed forests, and the sky turned to ash.

According to Angels to Zombies and the scuttlebutt I remember from upstairs, we're shaping up for another showdown. And this lame-ass angel?

I can't even handle one teenage vampire princess.

Grand Prize Giveaway Winners



Congratulations to the Winners of the Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway (click link for details):

First Prize: Danielle in Utah; Brandee in California.

Second Prize: Nadine-Stella in Kentucky; Amber in Illinois.

Third Prize: Nancy in California; Colleen in New Jersey; Erica in Alabama; Beth in North Carolina; Stephanie in Oregon; Mirella in New Mexico; Shelly in Texas; Moriah in South Carolina; Zachary in Missouri; Melynda in Florida; Barbara in Texas; Kassandra in New Mexico; Karen in Washington; Carrie in Missouri; Heather in Michigan; Laura in Mississippi; Brooke in Florida; Bella in Virginia; Catherine in Florida. Note: due to the volume of entries, I added another seven third prizes. International entries were eligible, but I only received a couple of them this time.

Top suggestions for the location of the Wolf pack in Blessed (Candlewick, TBA), in order of popularity, included Massachusetts, New York state, Washington State, Texas, and the Great Lakes region. Note: all feedback is being taken under advisement. Thanks so much for the thoughtful suggestions--many of them complete with local history and links to more information. I am officially wowed!

The most popular Eternal tie-in T-shirt design, was Royal Bat with Dracul Crest coming in a close second! Read a Cynsations interview with illustrator Gene Brenek.

Thank you to the following Cynsational readers for blogging the contest: author Tracy Vaughn Zimmer; Taschima at Bloody Bookaholic; Starry Night; Katie's Bookshelf; The YA Book Reviewer; Gone at MySpace; TBQ's Personal Book Palace; Heather at MySpace; Anna's Book Blog; Kitty at MySpace; Shelli at Market My Words; Brooke Reviews; Beth Revis at Writing It Out; Paradoxical: Reading, Writing, and Randomness (who keeps a running contest list); Karen Kincy at Confessions of a Wordaholic: pookas & fox-spirits & werewolves, oh my; Mary Ann at Haunting the Broken Tree and Under a Broken Tree with Ghost Girl; Carrie's YA Bookshelf; Tales of a Ravenous Reader; Liz Garton Scanlon at Liz In Ink; writereader/Shelly Burns; smallish bear at MySpace; The Not So Closet Geeks AKA Not So CG: soakin' up the limelight!

Note: folks who blogged the giveaway were entered twice. If I missed your link, my apologies! There were a lot of entries! Just let me know, and I'll highlight it next time!

Another Chance to Win

Enter to Win One of Five Copies of Eternal (Candlewick, 2009) from Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central. Here's the giveaway question: "If you had a guardian angel (and maybe you do!), what would his or her name be, and what would they be like?" Contest begins Feb. 1 and ends Feb. 28. See additional details. Note: Thanks to Candlewick Press and Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central!

More Cynsational News

Eternal is the "Soup of the Day" at jama rattigan's alphabet soup. Peek: "Set in Texas and Chicago, the fast paced narrative about the forces of good vs. evil is populated not only with vampires and angels, but werebeasts and shapeshifters, and of course, it is liberally spiced with glamor, smoldering passion, and Smith's diabolical wit." Note: you must surf over to check out today's celebration soup, served in its own coffin!

Kirkus Reviews says of Eternal, "The pace of this entertaining romp is quick and the action plentiful."

Learn more about Eternal, check out the Eternal Readers' Guide (spoiler warning!). For those on MySpace, see my page, Tantalize Fans Unite! (a discussion group), and reader-originated character pages for Tantalize characters Quincie, Kieren, Ruby, and Brad, and the latest reader-originated page Tastefully Tantalizing.

Thanks to the YA Authors Cafe for highlighting Eternal as their "Love Bites" featured title! Surf over the cafe and add more related reading recommendations!

Thanks to Mark G. Mitchell at How to Be a Children's Book Illustrator for blogging the Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway with an emphasis on Gene Brenek's amazing tie-in logos and designs! Read Cynsations interviews with Mark and Gene.

Cynsational Notes

Congratulations to debut author Saundra Mitchell on today's release of Shadowed Summer (Delacorte, Feb. 10, 2009)!

More personally, I've heard that online pre-orders have been high, and I hugely appreciate that! Thanks so much! At the same time, I'd like to remind everyone of the importance of supporting brick-and-mortar bookstores and public libraries, especially in challenging economic times. Note: if the book you want isn't on the shelves, ask if it can be ordered or requested through inter-library loan.

The Eternal trailer below is shown with code from MySpace, which looks much better than the YouTube version. Read a Cynsational interview with Shayne Leighton about the making of the trailer and her latest film, "The Incubus."

Eternal Trailer

Illustrator Interview: Gene Brenek on Images of Cynthia Leitich Smith's Eternal

Gene Brenek is the illustrator behind the tie-in designs for Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008) and Eternal (Candlewick, 2009) used on T-shirts and other items available from the Sanguini's store at Cafe Press.

Gene is an author, illustrator, and advertising professional. In 2009, Gene received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

He makes his home in sunny Austin, Texas; with Michael and John-John. (One's an international spy, the other coughs up fur balls. Unfortunately, Mr. Brenek's not at liberty to disclose who is who.) Read a previous Cynsations interview with Gene.

You last spoke to Cynsations in February 2007 about designing the Sanguini's logos for Tantalize. What is new in your writing and artistic life since then?

This past January, I received a masters in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. Currently my writing is at both ends of the spectrum, in terms of age. I've just finished an alphabet book and a YA psychological thriller. Maybe I could combine the two, do a psychological-thriller-alphabet book along the lines of Ed Gorey, one of my all-time favorite author-illustrators.

In the interim, you have added new Sanguini's T-shirts! Could you tell us about your approach to them? Note: Sanguini's is the fictional vampire restaurant from Tantalize.

Sure. I felt like the original designs captured the spooky aspects of Tantalize. And yes, I added a couple of new designs in that same vein (pun intended).

However, I also wanted to explore the humor that I found throughout the novel. I thought that Quincie would be the type of girl who would display an "I Heart Baby Squirrel" or a "Drop In For A Late Night Bite" [see image] T-shirt at Sanguini's. I think Quincie's like most teens I know, very savvy when it comes to marketing.

Thanks so much for the new designs to celebrate Eternal (Candlewick, 2009)! Give us the full creative low-down. What were your sources of inspiration, and what where the major challenges along the way?

The biggest challenge was creating a style for the Eternal designs that was unique to this particular story, while at the same time keeping the essence of what I had already created with the Sanguini's artwork. This meant keeping the red-and-black color palette.

The designs originated right out of the characters if you will. Daddy Dracul deserved an old-school crest [see below]. The type of artwork that seemed like it had been in the family since the days of yore when Vlad, The Impaler was skewering anything that moved.
Miranda's sensibilities determined the other designs. She's a girly-girl princess who knows how to swing a battle-axe. I started playing around with the shape of a tiara. It reminded me of an upside-down bat and things just came together for me [see below].
I got such a kick out of the descriptions of Joshua and Zachary. According to Zach, being blessed with good hair is one of the assets to being an angel. I had to use a typeface that really captured the essence of heavenly hair. As much work as these guardian angels do, they deserved their own T-shirt [see below].
As a YA reader, what were your favorite books of 2008?

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (Holt, 2008)(author interview),

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (Scholastic, 2008),

Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link (Viking, 2008),

Zombie Blondes by Brian James (Feiwel & Friends, 2008)(author interview),

The Compound by S. A. Bodeen (author interview).

And finally, if you could be a character in my Gothic universe, who would you choose and why?

Probably Brenek. There's something about his character that appealed to me. I can't quite put my finger on it.

No honestly, I was a big fan of Joshua. I'm a sucker (pun intended) for sidekicks that have a great sense of humor about them. Plus, practically everyone else seemed to have a big target on his back. I love to read about characters in danger, but I wouldn't want to be one.

I like angels that have a bit of a sarcastic streak. I'm hoping we see more of Josh in the next book. (Hint, hint.)

Cynsational Notes

Enter to win an Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway. First prize includes your choice of T-shirt. Deadline: midnight CST tonight. See details.

See Gene's T-shirt designs for Tantalize.

See Gene's T-shirt designs for Eternal.

Thanks, Gene!

Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway Package

Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick) goes on sale Tuesday, Feb. 10!

In celebration of the final countdown, you're invited to enter to win an Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway Package!

2 First Prizes

One signed copy of Eternal
One Eternal T-shirt (choices below)
1 dragon finger puppet
1 bear finger puppet
bear stickers
guardian-angel token
signed bookmark

2 Second Prizes

One signed copy of Eternal
bear stickers
guardian-angel token
signed bookmark

12 Third Prizes

bear stickers
signed bookmark
signed bookplate

Here's a peek at prizes! Don't miss the T-shirts and contest details below!


Here are the Eternal T-shirts, designed by the amazing Gene Brenek. From his bio: "Gene Brenek is an author, illustrator, and advertising professional. In 2009, Gene received an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. He makes his home in sunny Austin, Texas; with Michael and John-John. (One's an international spy, the other coughs up fur balls. Unfortunately, Mr. Brenek's not at liberty to disclose who is who.)"

Princess Dracul (above).
Closer look at the Princess Dracul logo (above).

Royal Bat (above).
Closer look at the Royal Bat logo (above).


Dracul crest (above).
Closer look at Dracul crest (above).

"I Heart My Guardian Angel" (above).
Closer look at "I Heart My Guardian Angel" logo (above).

Note: other colors and products are available. See the whole list.

To enter, email me (scroll and click envelope--if the link doesn't work, message me for the actual email address) and (1) include your name; (2) include your snail/street mail address; (3) include your preferred T-shirt design style and color; (4) include your preferred T-shirt size; (5) write "Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway" in the subject line; and (6) answer the following question:

First, some background: Eternal is the second book in a three-set of companions that also includes Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007) and Blessed (Candlewick, TBA). The novels are set in a multi-creature-verse that includes vampires, shapeshifters, angels, ghosts, etc. In Eternal, we find out that the vampire hierarchy is located in Chicago. In Blessed, which I'm writing now, we may go to the U.S. Wolf pack.

So here's the question: Where do you think that the U.S. Wolf pack should be located and why?

Want to double your chances to win? Post an announcement about this giveaway on your blog, website, or other online venue and send me the URL! Note: I'll be sure to thank you with a link. Here's text you can (but don't have to use):

Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway Package: in celebration of the Feb. 10 release of Eternal (Candlewick), author Cynthia Leitich Smith is giving away several prize packages, some including signed copies of the novel, tie-in T-shirts, finger puppets, stickers, guardian-angel tokens, and more! See details here.

Deadline midnight CST Feb. 9! All Cynsational readers are eligible to win!

Cynsational Notes

Learn more about Eternal, check out the Eternal Readers' Guide (spoiler warning!). For those on MySpace, see my page, Tantalize Fans Unite! (a discussion group), and reader-originated character pages for Tantalize characters Quincie, Kieren, Ruby, and Brad, and the latest reader-originated page Tastefully Tantalizing.



Note: Please do feel free to share the trailer with fellow readers. Facebook users can see a higher-resolution version of the trailer here.

Spooky News & Giveaways

Winners of the Cynsations Giveway of signed Eternal ARCs are: Olivia in Connecticut; Michelle in New York; Jocelyn in North Carolina; and Jennifer, a YA librarian in Wyoming! Congratulations to all of the winners! Your copies will go out on my next trip to the post office. Note: didn't win? See an opportunity immediately below to win a final copy from Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central and look for my next post (later today) on the Eternal Grand Prize Giveaway from Cynsations!

Enter to Win One of Five Copies of Eternal (Candlewick, 2009) from Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central. Here's the giveaway question: "If you had a guardian angel (and maybe you do!), what would his or her name be, and what would they be like?" Contest begins Feb. 1 and ends Feb. 28. See additional details. Note: Thanks to Candlewick Press and Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central!

February giveaways at Young Adult (& Kids) Book Central also include ten copies of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Harcourt, 2009 ).

Read a Cynsations interview with author Kimberly Pauley of Young Adult & Kids Book Central about her own fang-ful novel, Sucks to Be Me: The All-True Confessions of Mina Hamilton, Teen Vampire (Maybe)(Mirrorstone, 2008).

More News & Giveaways

KidLitosphere Central: The Society of Bloggers in Children's and Young Adult Literature. Note: "KidLitosphere Central strives to provide a passage to the wonderful variety of resources available from the society of bloggers in children's and young adult literature." Special thanks to the board: Pamela W. Coughlan, Director, of MotherReader; Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy; Kelly Herold of Big A, little a; Anne Boles Levy of Cybils; Jen Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page.

Something Very Smart Writers Do by Janet Reid, Literary Agent. Peek: One of my favorite editors dropped me a quick email today to ask for more info about the author of a book of mine he's considering. I had a couple lines on file from the query letter, but nothing really zippy and exciting. What to do?"

Celebrating the Debut of Shadowed Summer: enter to win one of three awesome prize packages in celebration of Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell (Delacorte, 2009). Grand prize is the Extremely Haunted Gift Bag! It contains: A signed copy of Shadowed Summer, with a limited edition matte jacket; a vial of Haunted perfume oil from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab!; a leather-bound, hand-stitched journal; a blackpaper spell book & gel pen; a playable Ouija board keychain; an engraved river stone; a Shadowed Summer bookmark; a Shadowed Summer T-shirt; a Fresh Films T-shirt; a Fresh Films DVD; a bottle of Tabasco Red Hots; and Tabasco Spicy Chocolates! Deadline: Feb. 9. See details here. See also an interview with Saundra from Jessica Burkhart's Blog. Peek: "I love the going-away time, when I actually leave my desk and slip into the world I'm writing. It feels like a physical leaving- but it also leads to my least favorite part, which is ending the book."

Writers Together: Where Your Voice Will Be Heard: a new author promotional site from C. L. Freire. Peek: "C. L., an author herself, knows full-well the importance of marketing oneself, and how difficult it can be at times. A strong advocate of "Letting your voice be heard," she wanted to give writers a place to come, meet, discover new authors, and be introduced to the work of authors of different genres." Learn more about the launch. Note: See my author spotlight!

Inkheart the movie by Claire E. Gross from The Horn Book. Peek: "...the movie embraces the book's own pace and tone; and the result feels if not exactly fresh then at least individual."

Author Jennifer Ziegler (part two): by Madeline from BookKids Recommends. Peek: "Today, I'm going to focus on Jennifer’s lesser known works – her teen mass market publications." Don't miss part one. Note: it's so awesome that BookKids celebrates and supports local talent!

self-doubt - see, doubt of self by Sara Zarr at Teen Fiction Cafe. Peek: "Try to show yourself at least the decency and compassion and wisdom that you'd show a friend. This may involve a lot of talking to yourself, but that's okay." Read a Cynsations interview with Sara.

The Necessity of Thinking Time by Justine Larbalestier. Peek: "I’m more and more convinced that many of the people who can’t get started because they only have an idea but no plot or characters, or a plot but no setting or characters etc, are simply not ready to write that particular story yet." Read a Cynsations interview with Justine.

Typealyzer: a quick personality analysis for your blog. Source: Tara Lazar.

Interview with Neil Gaiman: a podcast from Just One Book. Peek: "His book Coraline will be released as a movie on February 6th of this year, and yesterday, he won the 2009 Newbery award for The Graveyard Book. On this edition of Just One More Book!!, author Neil Gaiman talks about blogging, giving his books away for free on the Internet and keeping his fans up to date using Twitter."

Adding Dimension to the Storytelling by John Clark from The New York Times. Peek: "During the title sequence of [the film] 'Coraline,' Henry Selick's latest stop-action animated movie, two hands disembowel a doll and then reassemble it with needle and thread." Note: see movie trailer below.

2008 Nominees: The Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. Juvenile category nominees include The Postcard by Tony Abbott (Little, Brown) and YA nominees include Paper Towns by John Green (Dutton). Read Cynsations interviews with Tony about his nominated book and with John about his previous title, An Abundance of Katherines (Dutton, 2006).

The Spectacle: authors talk about writing speculative fiction for teens and pre-teens. Members are Parker Peevyhouse, P. J. Hoover, Jo Whittemore, Greg R. Fishbone, and Linda Joy Singleton. Read Cynsations interviews with P. J., Jo, Greg, and Linda Joy.

Welcome back, Buried in the Slushpile! Cheers to you and your young reader (in progress)!

Marvelous Marketer - Jay Asher (Author of Th1rteen R3asons Why) from Shelli at Market My Words: Marketing Advice for Authors/Illustrators from a Marketing Consultant & Aspiring Children's Book Author. Peek: "The book clubs are a great way to get a number of students talking about your book when you can’t travel to their schools."

Can You Query if You're an Unpublished Novelist and Your Novel Isn't Finished? from Nathan Bransford at Curtis Brown. Note: probably the shortest post I've ever highlighted, but it actually makes an important point that seems lost on a lot of folks. Read a Cynsations interview with Nathan.

Contest: Win a role in my latest short story from author Libba Bray. Peek: "I am having a lot of fun writing my little rock-n-roll vampire story. But I have a problem: I can't seem to come up with a name for my main character or any of the characters really. Nothing that's sticking. Nothing that feels right. Quel tragique! So why not offer you guys the chance to be characters in my story?" Deadline: Feb. 7. Read a Cynsations interview with Libba.

Recommended Reading List from Locus Online: great picks for YA speculative fiction fans.

Thanks to Gottawrite Girl for a great run, and good luck with your writing!

Cover Art for The Less-Dead (Delacorte) by April Lurie from April Afloat. Note: take a sneak peek! Read a Cynsations interview with April.

Congratulations to Kathi Appelt, whose Newbery Honor Book, The Underneath (Atheneum, 2008), marked her debut on The New York Times Bestseller List this week, coming in at #9 in the "Chapter Books" category! Read a Cynsations interview with Kathi.

Art for Cats: Top illustrators and New Yorker cartoonists have contributed original art and limited edition prints to save cats and kittens from certain death. Starting bids for most pieces are set at $100 or less — well below their actual value. Featured artists include Cynthia von Buhler, author-illustrator of The Cat Who Wouldn't Come Inside (Houghton Mifflin, 2008).

The Hollow by Jessica Verdy (Simon Pulse, 2009) is coming soon! Note: I love snail mail.


Cyn-Related News, Reviews & Interviews

YA Wednesday: Eternal from Omnivoracious: Hungry for the next good book. Peek: "Eternal plays skillfully with questions of life and death, fall and redemption, and what it means to save and be saved."

Author Interview: Cynthia Leitich Smith from Kimberly J. Smith at Cool Kids Read. Peek: "Eternal is set in Austin, Dallas and Chicago, as well as a fictional North Shore Suburb of the Windy City."

Author Uma Krishnaswami asks: "What made you go from picture books to culturally grounded middle grade and tween books, to urban vampire fantasy? Just how many Cyns are there in your head?" Read a Cynsations interview with Uma.

Special Edition: The Cynsational Cynthia Leitich Smith from Shelli at Market My Words: Marketing Advice for Authors/Illustrators from a Marketing Consultant & Aspiring Children's Book Author. Peek: "Consistency is more important than an all-out blitz. Sure, you'll probably want to shout it from the rooftops when you finally hold that new novel in your hands. But in the long run, it's more important to look for regular ways to highlight it as long as it's in print."

Author Name Pronunciation Guide: Cynthia Leitich Smith from TeachingBooks.net. Note: in case you want to hear my voice and find out more about my name or other authors' names!

Enter to Win one of 10 Copies of Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, edited by P. C. Cast (BenBella, 2008) from Teen Libris. Peek: "...we're giving away ten copies to bring some heat to the middle of your winter. (Not body heat, obviously, because-- vampires!)." Immortal features my short story, "Haunted Love." Deadline: Feb. 10.

Highlights of the week included receiving an ARC for Sideshow: Ten Original Tales of Freaks, Illusionists, and Other Matters Odd and Magical, edited by Deborah Noyes (Candlewick, 2009), which features my short story, "Cat Calls."

It was a treat to see Eternal featured in the February issue of "My Borders Monthly!" It's listed under "dark and thrilling reads" among awesome new releases including pal Lisa McMann's Fade (Simon & Schuster) and pal Janni Lee Simner's Bones of Faerie (Random House). Talk about great company!

Thanks to Betty Jo Tucker's Blog for recognizing Cynsations as a Brilliante Weblog! Thanks also to Kimberly J. Smith at Cool Kids Read for Counting Down the Days Until Eternal and announcing last week's ARC giveaway! Speaking of thanks, cheers also to Gwenda Bond!

If you want me to see a post related to Eternal (or anything else), please email me with the link. (I do not do Google Alerts as I've observed that they lead to insanity). Thank you!

Here, Kitty Kitty!: my amazing web designer, Lisa Firke of Hit Those Keys, has given my cats an online presence that's actually worthy of them. As these are the two most preferred pages by elementary readers, I'm especially thrilled. Check out the Official Writer Cat Bios, Kit Lit: Cat-Themed Picture Books, and suggest more books for Mercury and Sebastian to review. Read a Cynsations interview with Lisa.

So, do you think I can find anyone who wants to go with me to see this? Note: of course it was a hint!



Cyn's Events

Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith will be on a panel about "First Drafts" at the February monthly meeting of the Writers' League of Texas at 7:30 Feb. 19 at the League office in Austin (611 S. Congress Avenue). Peek: "Sometimes getting that first draft down is the biggest hurdle to bringing a great idea to literary life. Find out how several authors approach the first draft." Note: "Before the program, join us at Doc's Motorworks Bar & Grill, 1123 S. Congress (two blocks south of the WLT office for a 'Mixand Mingle Happy Hour.'"

Due to a technical difficulty, Cynthia's discussion of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008), Eternal (Candlewick, 2009), and related forthcoming books on the teen grid of Teen Second at Second Life has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. Feb. 24. See more information.

Cynthia will be speaking on "Writing and Illustrating Native American Children's Literature" (with S. D. Nelson) and "Monsters and Magic: Writing Gothic Fantasy Novels for Teenagers" on March 15 at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Cynthia will sign Eternal (Candlewick, 2009) and Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008) at 3 p.m. April 2 at Candlewick Booth at the annual conference of the Texas Library Association in Houston.

Cynthia and Greg will visit the Barbara Bush Branch Library in Spring, Texas; at 4 p.m. April 3. Note: Spring is outside of Houston.

Cynthia will visit the YA book club at the Cedar Park (Texas) Public Library at 11 a.m. May 30. Note: Cedar Park is outside of Austin.

Interview: Shayne Leighton on the Eternal Trailer and "The Incubus"

You've heard of rising stars?

Eighteen-year-old actress-director-writer Shayne Leighton is more like a rising constellation!

Today's she's back at Cynsations to discuss her latest book trailers and to tell us about her latest personal project, an upcoming film, "The Incubus."

I had the pleasure of taking a sneak peek at her screenplay, and Shayne's story is a fierce, fascinating mythology twist certain to seduce dark romance fans, both the hopeful and the horrified...

[See a previous Cynsations interview with Shayne]

Welcome back! Thank you for designing new book trailers for my novels Rain Is Not My Indian Name (HarperCollins, 2001) and Eternal (Candlewick, 2009)!

Let's talk about Rain first. What were the challenges in creating that trailer?

The Rain is Not My Indian Name trailer actually was one of the easiest trailers that I have cut. Because the plot was bright (though bitter-sweet), there were not so many twists and turns to portray in this book preview, so in turn, the trailer was just nice and light and a lot of fun to make.

The music helps a lot too, and when the rhythm of what I am editing to is fairly simplistic, the cutting tends to go a lot smoother.

round 5


How did we approach the Eternal trailer--in terms of text, images, etc.?

Well, this trailer is a bit different than the other trailers I have cut for you, in that this book has yet to be released, and so it really has to do the job of capturing the audience even before they see it in the bookstore.

It is vital that the general story be told without giving away too many secrets. So you mailed me a copy of the ARC so I could familiarize myself with the mood and feel to better portray it on screen.

You also gave me a rough list of the textual aspects that you wanted to see in the trailer as well as the royalty-free piece of music, and I went from there.

We both found royalty-free stock images online that fit in with the characters and plot and even used some art elements from the book itself.

How did you try to relate the mood of the book to the trailer?

Eternal is very dark and even sexier, in my opinion, than Tantalize was. It seemed to have a more "grown up" feel overall and had many motifs to make you shiver as you read it.

So for these reasons, the trailer had to be just as titillating, if not more. In this trailer, you'll see a lot of quick cuts, flashing colors and dark, symbolic images because that is kind of what spins through your head as you read this book. I actually even had to add an effect to the bass line in the music because the song was not dramatic enough to begin with!



[Note: Please do feel free to share the trailer with fellow readers. Facebook users can see a higher-resolution version of the trailer here.]

What technological skills/gains were applied to this trailer that weren't available for the last two?

There are a lot of new things happening in this book trailer. I have an updated version of the program that I used and a better sense of a lot of technical things like picture resolution.

All in all, what an audience will see more vibrant colors, cooler transitions, and a better picture quality.

What do you hope prospective readers take away from it?

I hope they get excited by it. Dark, romantic thrillers are my favorite, so I just basically want prospective readers to feel enticed to go out and read this book.

When you last spoke to Cynsations readers in April 2008, you were excited about "Guardian of Eden." What new do you have to tell us about that project?

We took the film to an international film festival and even walked away with an award! I was sixteen at the time, so that was really a cool thing, considering my experience at that time. I took a whole lot away from that project. I met and grew to love a lot of people that I will never forget, and I learned a lot.

What's next up for you in terms of your film career?

I actually have a few exciting things going on. I was accepted into the New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts, School of Film and Television. There is also an online series being released on YouTube by Aberdeen Soldier Productions that is featuring me.

But the thing that I am most excited about is my plan for a new feature film and television pilot, "The Incubus." I am collaborating with Marcie Gorman (previous owner of a successful Weight Watchers franchise in Florida) who has signed on to be my executive producer as well as many other exciting industry professionals.

I had the honor of reading your script "The Incubus," and you do such a great job with the characters! Could you tell us a little more about it? Where will the project go from here?

I had a lot of fun writing it. The screenplay only took me about a month to write, because once I get an idea, I just sit down at my computer and the words are almost projectile from my brain to the screen. I have lovingly named this phenomenon, "word vomit."

Basically it's a cool story about a girl whose town gets haunted by these ghost-people, or "incubus," and she had to try an exorcise these things before everyone in the town, including herself, has all of their energy sucked from them. It falls under the dark romance category.

We are starting production soon, but my plans for the project are to make it a television show on Showtime or HBO. So if we get a lot of people talking about it and wanting to see it, the chances of airing it would drastically increase! So please support us, and tell your friends.

As for now, I am trying to just stay optimistic and shoot for the stars.

What is the timeline for the film?

We start filming in late February and go all the way to the first week of April. I should have something close to final by the time summer rolls around, but the film-making industry is a bit hairy sometimes, so you never know.

What will be your role(s) in bringing it to life?

Much like my last film, I wear many hats. I wrote, am directing, and starring in this film again. And until we get a publicist signed on...I am doing most of the publicizing as well.

How did you approach the story?

I wanted to stick with what I'm good at, thrillers. But I also wanted to do something no one has touched upon. Movie theaters and bookstores today are filled to bursting with vampires, werewolves, and boogeymen. And I didn't want to go there again, even though I love that kind of thing.

My English teacher, who is also very into mythology, had brought up the topic of succubi in class one day. They're beautiful female spirits that come in the night and derive sexual energy from young men. It had intrigued me, because it sounded like such an interesting parallel to the common ghost or vampire, with a very dark twist.

Upon doing further research, I stumbled across the incubus, which is the male counterpart of the succubus. I was hooked, and my brain starting going a million miles a minute with ways of how to contort this creature into a really cool PG-13 rated story.

I made the title "Incubus" unisex to both genders and basically created my own creature, which is a human spirit that did not, for whatever reason, pass on from its physical body, and continues to walk the Earth, feeding on living human emotion and life energy since it lacks emotion of its own. It needs happiness, sadness, excitement, lust, anger, vengeance, and any other emotion just to survive. What an interesting parallel to the human condition.

What were the challenges?

We have yet to even step foot on set, but we have already overcome a few obstacles. One was finding a DP or director of photography to shoot the film. We found an amazing one, Rochelle Kadkhodear. On one of our audition days, we were even incidentally locked outside of our studio. We had to audition two actors in the studio parking lot before the locksmith even got to the building!

I was struck by your use of the past. Flashbacks can be tricky. What advice do you have for writers in integrating them?

Flashbacks can indeed by tricky, and I don't enjoy when they are overused. Actually, I think that flashbacks are kind of a cheap way of giving information to an audience.

However, when crucial details of your character's back-story needs to be laid out in order for your readers or audience to understand what is happening or will happen, use them with grace and caution. I like to make them fleeting and almost dream-like, as if the character was being haunted by their past...and not just as if I am shoving a chunk of back-story in your face with a corny montage.

What else is new in your life? How goes the planning for college? What are your goals on that front?

I have so many things in my life figured out...except for this topic. I have many career goals, but few higher-learning goals, which needs to change.

I am going to Chicago the last weekend of January to audition for performance schools like Julliard and Boston Conservatory. I'll keep you posted on what happens next.

I'm still praying for someone to call me from LA and offer me a roll in their next major motion picture. Quincie in Tantalize the movie, perhaps?

As a YA reader, what were your favorite new books of 2008?

I really thoroughly enjoyed Cassandra Clare's City of Ashes (Margaret K. McElderry, 2008) and greatly look forward to City of Glass (Margaret K. McElderry, 2009).

Book Trailer: Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Coming Feb. 10, 2009; from Candlewick Press...



Eternal trailer produced by Shayne Leighton. Trailer music from Beatsuite.com Music Library, Dracul crest by Gene Brenek (illustrator interview), and images from Shayne, Stock.xchng: The Leading Free Stock Photography Website, and Public Domain Pictures.net.

Cynsational Notes

Enter to win an ARC of Eternal (see details)! Deadline: Today! Feb.5.

Eternal and Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008) are set in the same universe, but feature different main characters. The two casts will crossover in Blessed, which is in progress now. A graphic novel adaptation of Tantalize from Kieren's point of view also is in the works.

Learn more about Eternal, check out the Eternal Readers' Guide (spoiler warning!). For those on MySpace, see my page, Tantalize Fans Unite! (a discussion group), and reader-originated character pages for Tantalize characters Quincie, Kieren, Ruby, and Brad, and Tastefully Tantalizing.

The Bradford Blog Bash Presents an Interview with Cynthia Leitich Smith and a Tantalize Giveaway

Today I'm honored to be featured in an interview in conjunction with the Bradford Blog Bash in celebration of the release of GoldenGirl by Micol Ostow (Simon Pulse, Jan. 27, 2009).

Peek (on my favorite thing about blogging): "Being able to offer a most-days hearty dose of information and inspiration."

Plus, you are invited to comment to the post by midnight Thursday (Feb. 5), and you'll be entered in the random drawing to win a copy of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2008). Winner to be announced a week from today.

Spooky News & Giveaways

Reminder: enter to win one of four autographed advanced reader copies of Eternal by Cynthia Leitich Smith (Candlewick, Feb. 10, 2009)!

There are two ways to enter...

(a) email me (scroll and click envelope) with your name and snail/street mail address;

(b) message me at MySpace or Facebook, but don't send in your contact information on MySpace or Facebook (I'll contact you for it if you win);

and in either case, type "Eternal" in the subject line and, in the body of the message, include your answers to at least three of the following questions about the excerpt of Eternal available from Candlewick Press:

(1) Can you guess who a couple of Miranda's favorite fantasy authors are?

(2) What furniture item in her room does she think may be possessed?

(3) When was Zachary created?

(4) What do people say about the old cemetery near the high school?

Deadline Feb. 5! All Cynsational readers are eligible to win! Note: there also will be a giveaway in conjunction with the release of the novel on Feb. 10!

More News & Giveaways

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan: now available online for a limited time from Penguin Young Readers Group. Peek: "Find out how the adventure begins - but hurry! Read book one of the New York Times best-selling Ranger's Apprentice series FREE for a limited time (1/15-2/15)!" From the promotional copy: "They have always scared him in the past--the Rangers, with their dark cloaks and shadowy ways. The villagers believe the Rangers practice magic that makes them invisible to ordinary people. And now 15-year-old Will, always small for his age, has been chosen as a Ranger's apprentice. What he doesn't yet realize is that the Rangers are the protectors of the kingdom. Highly trained in the skills of battle and surveillance, they fight the battles before the battles reach the people. And as Will is about to learn, there is a large battle brewing. The exiled Morgarath, Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night, is gathering his forces for an attack on the kingdom. This time, he will not be denied...." Learn more about Ranger's Apprentice.

Marvelous Marketer - Lisa Schroeder from Shelli at Market My Words. Peek: "I find it harder on Facebook to connect with people I don't know and get the word out about my books. On MySpace, I had no problems sending friend requests to teens I found on other author's pages and suggesting we be friends because we seem to like the same kind of books. But Facebook is more personal, and I think why people like it more, so I don't seek out people like I did on MySpace." Read a Cynsations interview with Lisa.

Scholarship Available for SCBWI Summer Conference: fAiRy gOdSisTeRs, iNk (FGI) announces its 2nd Annual SCBWI Summer Conference Scholarship! FGI is offering a $1500 scholarship for a SCBWI member to attend the August 2009 conference in Los Angeles. FGI awarded the 2008 scholarship to Linda Lodding of the Netherlands. To apply for the 2009 scholarship, submit a 250-word, double-spaced essay describing what you hope to accomplish by attending this year's summer conference. Send your essay to: fairygodsistersink@yahoo.com. The application deadline is April 15. The winner will be notified May 15. fAiRy gOdSiStErS, iNk. is a small, benevolent squadron of Santa Barbara children's book authors who believe in the magic of passing forward lucky breaks, bounty and beneficence, as so many have done for them.

Marvelous Marketers - Children's Book Editor Martha Mihalick (Greenwillow Books) from Shelli at Market My Words. Peek: "...blogging or being active on Facebook or Twitter puts you in the public eye. Anyone can see what you write, so don’t forget that as you post—be aware that you are presenting yourself to potential readers, critics, editors, agents, and fellow writers."

ALAN 2008 San Antonio: Suzanne Crowley offers a debut author's eye on the workshop. Peek: "I felt like I was at the equivalent of a Hollywood party filled with movie stars. When I came home to my hotel, I rode up the elevator with Laurie Halse Anderson, the highlight of my trip according to my middle daughter." Read a Cynsations interview with Suzanne.

Query Critiques from Nathan Bransford -- Literary Agent. Peek: "...while I think there's an interesting idea here, I found the setup confusingly described." Read a Cynsations interview with Nathan.

Enter to win books and more at the Simon Pulse Spring Fling Contest! Deadline: Feb. 14. Source: Elizabeth Scott.

Scholastic Book Fair features a video of Heather Brewer book talking The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod - Ninth Grade Slays. Peek: "In this thrilling sequel to Eighth Grade Bites‚ Vlad must confront secrets from the past and battle forces that once again threaten his life. Can he identify the slayer in time? Or for that matter‚ can you?" Check it out!

Watch the Music Video and See What Austin Public Library Can Do For You from the APL. Note: Seriously, you have to check it out. I love this town!

Agent Interview: Elana Roth of Caren Johnson Literary from Alice Pope at Alice's CWIM Blog. Peek: "...I have a lot of YA right now, so I'd like more middle grade, but I'm not picky about genre when it comes to falling in love."

Check out a video featuring author Danette Haworth discussing Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning from Scholastic Book Fair.

First in Series Contest from Terri Clark: a contest with the first books in some of her favorite YA series. Featured titles: "Marked – House of Night Series – P.C. and Kristin Cast; Prom Dates from Hell – Maggie Quinn Series – Rosemary Clement Moore; Dead is the New Black – Nightshade series - Marlene Perez. Peek: "To enter please leave a comment telling me why you like (or don’t like) series and what your favorite series is." Deadline: Feb. 13. Learn more about Terri Clark.

More Personally

I will be appearing at Book Roast to discuss Eternal (Candlewick, 2009) on Feb. 19. Please plan to stop by, and don't miss my other upcoming events (listed below)!

Speaking of Eternal, I also was delighted to hear that Walmart will be carrying the hardcover release. I know many of my readers--especially those in small towns, many of them without another bookseller--discovered Tantalize (Candlewick, 2008) in paperback at the chain, and I'm glad that they'll have immediate access to the companion novel.

Attention MySpacers, check out this new reader page celebrating my Gothic fantasy books and see the "support" icon immediately below!



Reminders

Enter to Win an ARC of Geektastic, edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castellucci (Little, Brown, August 2009). Peek: Miss Cecil says: "It has stories from all our favorite geeks: Kelly Link, M. T. Anderson, Garth Nix, Liz Brazwell, John Green, Libba Bray, Cassandra Clare, Scott Westerfeld, Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith, David Levithan, Lisa Yee, Barry Lyga and Sara Zarr with comics written by [Cecil and Holly] and illustrated by Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley." Talk 'bout geektastic company!" To enter: "Make us a geeky icon that screams geektastic! Or an icon for any one of the authors in the anthology. Or for [Cecil] or Holly." See details from Cecil! See details from Holly! Winner announced Feb. 1.

Enter to Win one of 10 Copies of Immortal: Love Stories with Bite, edited by P. C. Cast (BenBella, 2008) from Teen Libris. Peek: "...we're giving away ten copies to bring some heat to the middle of your winter. (Not body heat, obviously, because-- vampires!)." Immortal features my short story, "Haunted Love." Deadline: Feb. 10.

Events

Cynthia and Greg Leitich Smith will be speaking on "First Drafts" at the February monthly meeting of the Writers' League of Texas at 7:30 Feb. 19 at the League office in Austin (611 S. Congress Avenue). Peek: "Sometimes getting that first draft down is the biggest hurdle to bringing a great idea to literary life. Find out how several authors approach the first draft." Note: "Before the program, join us at Doc's Motorworks Bar & Grill, 1123 S. Congress (two blocks south of the WLT office for a 'Mixand Mingle Happy Hour.'"

Due to a technical difficulty, Cynthia's discussion of Tantalize (Candlewick, 2007, 2008), Eternal (Candlewick, 2009), and related forthcoming books on the teen grid of Teen Second at Second Life has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. Feb. 24. See more information.

Cynthia will be speaking on "Writing and Illustrating Native American Children's Literature" (with S. D. Nelson) and "Monsters and Magic: Writing Gothic Fantasy Novels for Teenagers" on March 15 at the Tucson Festival of Books.

Cynthia will visit the YA book club at the Cedar Park (Texas) Public Library at 11 a.m. May 30.