Do you want to preorder Flower Moon? Guess what? You can! Just click on the cover image below, and it will take you to Barnes and Noble, where you can preorder Flower Moon today.
The Cover!
I can't even with this cover. It's just so beautiful!
Add FLOWER MOON on Goodreads
Do you want to add FLOWER MOON to your "Want to Read" list on Goodreads? It's out there and waiting for you to click on it! It really is. Don't let my book feel lonely. Plus, the fabutastic cover will be revealed very, very soon. (Fun!)
Flower Moon
Flower Moon is a book so close to my heart. It's about two twin sisters, growing up and growing apart. It's about beginnings and endings, the push and pull between sisters, between friends, between childhood and the great tantalizing abyss of growing up.
Flower Moon's about Pa Charlie's traveling Peachtree Carnival, complete with a candy wagon, elephant ears, and a larger-than-life, lit-up Ferris wheel. There's an old horse named Antique, everybody's favorite friend named Digger, and a hush-hush Trimble family curse that's been secret for too long now.
And, of course, there's magic. Just tiny slivers of magic, splinters really, like the last sparks of a dying firework playing against the darkened night sky-- were they really there? or was it a trick of the eye? Flower Moon is full of that magic. You know, the kind you don't really acknowledge. You don't look at it head-on. We only give it the side-eye, squinting at it, keeping it a half-secret from even ourselves.
It's about those moments, quiet and still, when we acknowledge our truest selves, deep inside that most secret, locked place inside our hearts. And we acknowledge our own power, our own magic, and what it is that we might dare to become.
These are a few of the images that remind me of Flower Moon:
The news is out!
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Books I've Been Reading and Loving
This is a serious psychological thriller. I loved the writing, with the jumps back and forth between past and present!
What an intense read! Edge-of-your-seat, hold-your-breath action. I loved it!
INDIGO paperback →
The INDIGO paperback came out yesterday! It is beautiful and shiny and it has the same cover ... except for the blurb! I have talked about this before, but Tamora Pierce (yes, I know! that Tamora Pierce!) read INDIGO, and she had this to say about it:
"Romantic, tense, edge-of-your-seat reading!"
And now on the lovely new paperback version of INDIGO, this quote is front and center! Thank you, Tamora Pierce!
A Fun Interview!
The wonderful Ms. Kate Hall, the director of the library where I work (and where I live!), asked me to be a part of this fun and informative new series about local artists and authors. Check out the super cool interview. Try to ignore the many strange faces I make as I talk. (And the umms....) However, I do have good hair and a cute dress. So.
Thanks to Kate and library for having me on the show!
What I've Been Reading
We Were Liars. Loved this book. Tight, suspenseful writing. Not a word wasted. I will say nothing else. Trust me, you don't want it spoiled!!!
AJ Fikry. This is one of those books that I really liked, and then the more and more I think about it, I LOVED it. It is going to warrant a second reading, and that is a mark of a really good book! Makes me want to read more of Zevin, as I somehow haven't had her on my radar, and I must remedy that!
The Husband's Secret. I really enjoyed this one. It reminded me of Maeve Binchy in a way. I love finding new authors and knowing they have a backlist that I can work my way through.
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal has a lot of wonderful things to say about INDIGO, and I so appreciate it. Reviews like this one get my book into the hands of young readers, through libraries and classrooms, and I'd just like to say thank you!
School Library Journal
02/01/2014
Gr 7–10—Contemporary issues such as bulimia, oil spills, and Hurricane Katrina augment this romantic coming-of-age saga while drawing on an ancient spiritual practice of seeing auras. After dealing with tragedy, Corrine sees everything through the blue lens of her changed vision. Set in New Orleans, a city where musical roots run deep, Corrine's story focuses on her attempts to reconnect with her family while she herself comes to terms with the traumatic loss of her sister. Corrine blames herself for many of her recent hard times and experiences some confusion regarding her own identity as a gifted and powerful seer. Her childhood friend Mia-Joy's struggles with bulimia help her to realize that even people she perceives as perfect have obstacles and problems to overcome. Teens will enjoy this compelling novel that offers a fresh, modern voice, a touch of the otherworldly, and a satisfying resolution.—Magdaline Henderson-Diman, formerly at Bass Harbor Memorial Library, Bernard, ME
Winners!
I have the five winners from the Goodreads giveaway below. You will each receive a signed hardcover of INDIGO very shortly in the mail. And Hailey, you are the extra-awesome winner in that you also get a paperback of FLUTTER!
- Hailey N.
- Spencer W.
- Debbie P.
- Karen D.
- Mary N.
Congratulations to all the winners, and thank you to the many readers who entered! We will do this again soon.
Gina
Win a copy of INDIGO!
There are five hard copies of INDIGO ready to be given away. All you need to do is enter through the Goodreads form below! US only for this contest please.
And thank you to all of my readers!
Also, one lucky winner of this giveaway will also receive a free paperback copy of FLUTTER!
This tweet made my day!
This came from Booknut101, a reader who has a really awesome blog. And this tweet made my day, because I also LOVE this scene in INDIGO between Rennick and Corrine.
@GinaLinko I loved it! The chemistry between Corrine&Rennick was brilliant + the concepts unique. 1 of my fave scenes pic.twitter.com/ykke7IXOka
— Booknut101 (@Booknut101) December 17, 2013Come to the Prairie Trails Library!
I will be at the Prairie Trails Library in Burbank, IL, at 7:00 on Tuesday, December 17th, to read from INDIGO, to sign books, and to talk writing.
Please come out for fun, books, and prizes!
Thank you to the wonderful Prairie Trails Library for having me.
Christmas Presents!
A signed book makes a great gift, and you can get FLUTTER and INDIGO already signed from the wonderful Anderson's Bookshop.
Also, if you order one of my books before the holidays, all you have to do is send me an email at gina(at)ginalinko.com, with your address, and I will send you a personalized bookplate in the mail! And I promise to send it quickly so it gets there in time!
Check out the bookplates below with a few of my favorite lines from the books. And, as always, thank you, dear readers, and Happy Holidays!
~ a million yesses ~
~A life without love is like a year without summer~
Happy Release Day!
Tomorrow is release day for two books I've been SERIOUSLY wanting to read! Elana K. Arnold's SPLENDOR, the sequel to the deeply romantic and beautifully written SACRED, and Julie Halpern's much awaited THE F--- IT LIST!
Take a look at the gorgeous covers, and then read their summaries on Goodreads. Better yet! Buy a copy! I'm going to!
The hook is not enough.
I'm going to speak at a school today about the writing process, and I was revising my Powerpoint Presentation, when I added a new slide. It said quite simply:
The hook is not enough.
I think this is excellent advice for all of us writers while we have that gorgeous, new idea floating around in our heads (my precious!), while we are brainstorming and researching and taking notes on napkins, scratch paper, and the stray index card.
In my talks with students, I often will ask them to boil down their favorite book or movie into seven words or less. I usually get things like:
Boys finds out he is a wizard.
Girl visits over the rainbow.
And that is where I realized I needed a new slide. This is not enough. This is the HOOK, and it is good. It is needed, but what is the conflict? What does that character want or need?
Because once you have what it is the character NEEDS (or thinks she needs), then you have not only your conflict, but you have your plot. Because all your plot really is, is your character trying desperately to get what she needs. And, of course, failing over and over, at first. The plot is the ACTION that takes your character to her goal, eventually.
I don't know. I spend a lot of time as a writer, before I actually sit down to write, thinking of and perfecting THE HOOK. But that, my friends, is only half the battle.
The real meat of the story is this: What does your character want?
In INDIGO, Corrine has a sixth sense, the indigo touch. There it is: THE HOOK. But that's not enough. What does she need/want? Now there is the story.
Pictures!
The wonderful people at the White Oak Library put on a fabulous launch party for INDIGO! And I just wanted to say thank you to all who came to the event, and especially to Cindy and Natalie for their hard work! I really appreciate it! I didn't get a pic of the cupcakes! They were indigo, sparkly, and glorious! And they had little bookcovers on them!
And on Thursday, I had my first ever signing at the famous Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. A big thank you to the people at Anderson's for having me, to all my friends and family who came out, as well as a few fans!! Plus, my kids LOVED the bookstore. My oldest said she could spend a thousand dollars there EASY. And I agree.
I'm sure I was saying something oh-so-inspiring. Ha ha.
A Post of Gratitude!
Thank you to so many people on this book release day:
Caryn Wiseman: You are awesome! Thank you for always, always having such great editorial and professional advice.
Mundie Moms: You are awesome for all you do for authors! I so appreciate it.
Chelsea Eberly and the team at Random House: Thank you for the great cover, the spot-on editorial process, and for getting Corrine's story out to the world!
Egzon Shaqiri: Check out that trailer! It is beautiful. Thank you!
C.K. Kelly Martin: Every writer needs someone to look up to and turn to with questions. Thank you for giving me an ear, excellent advice, and inspiration as well! Not to mention an early read of such a great book, TOMORROW!
Tamora Pierce: Thank you for your beautiful books, your inspiration for thousands of young girls, and for your Indigo blurb. I still can't believe you read my words on a page!!
Readers: Thank you so much! And in thanks, you must go see the debut of the trailer and enter to win a Kindle Fire! Happy INDIGO day, everyone!
http://mundiemom.blogspot.com/2013/10/indigo-by-gina-linko-blog-tour-book.html