Wednesday, December 21, 2011

My REAL Rejection Letters & Why You Should Never Give Up!


This is not some random picture I pulled off Google, these are the actual rejection letters I received from literary agencies from 2008-2009. There are about 75 letters in all, not to mention 150+ email rejections. I'm sure you can do the math. I wanted to toss these into the trash as even now they're a bit hard to look at, but my husband forced me to keep them. He said I'd be happy I did later on, and he was right. Since my first book, Nightshade City, was published, it's won the Westchester Fiction Award for 2011, it's been named a CBC Best Book of 2011, and is a Goodreads Choice Award and SCBWI Crystal Kite Finalist for 2010. I'm invited to speak to kids and other writers on a regular basis and they actually are interested in what I have to say, which is pretty darn cool for a girl who four years ago decided to write a random book about rats--of all things. Nightshade City also resulted in my job with National Geographic, as a Nat Geo editor read it and then contacted me to see if I'd be interested in writing for them. I guess what I'm trying to tell you guys is it's darn hard to get published, but my story is one of the many examples that it is entirely possible and there are many good things to come if you can weather the storm.

Around this time of year we all wonder about our goals in life and if we'll ever reach them. I cannot say I didn't get defeated back then, with my ever growing pile of rejection letters, but I can say, I didn't give up...so don't you do it either.

I mean it. Don't give up or I will hunt you down and slap you around a bit!
Me holding my first copy of Book II
of the Nightshade Chronicles,
The White Assassin

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ONE AND ALL!

Hilary

Thursday, December 15, 2011

And the Winner is.... :)

Congrats, Sheri! So happy for you and I hope these books bring you a lot of joy this holiday season! They all look so great! Please email me your address! 


Thursday, December 8, 2011

HOLIDAY BOOK BLAST GIVEAWAY!!

Pretty, pretty books!!!


HOLIDAY BOOK BLAST!!

Happy holidays everyone! In honor of these merry days of giving, I'm super excited to give away ten (did she say ten?) brand spanking new books! Most of these are either newly released or soon to be released! Yes, you'll have a stack of beautiful YA & middle-grade books that few have read! Now that's a gift!

Here's what the winner will get!
1.       IRISES by Francisco X. Stork - ARC
2.       THE BOOK OF BLOOD AND SHADOW by Robin Wasserman - ARC
3.       THE INTERNATIONAL KISSING CLUB by Ivy Adams - ARC
4.       DANGEROUS WATERS by Gregory Mone - ARC
5.       BEFORE YOU GO by James Presser - ARC
6.       THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST by Emily M. Danforth - ARC
7.       STEAMPUNK! by various bestselling authors - ARC
8.       ROCK ON by Denise Vega - ARC
9.       THE WHITE ASSASSIN by me - Signed ARC
10.   NIGHTSHADE CITY by me - Signed Paperback

To enter:
1.       Follow my blog!
2.       Share the love! Not necessary, but spreading the word about this giveaway is darn good karma!
3.       Leave a comment about your favorite holiday tradition!
4.       Contest open until Wednesday, December 14th. Winner will be announced Thursday the 15th! Open to US and international entries!

Good luck to everyone and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xoxo -- Hilary