tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32913542104414489852024-03-14T08:55:32.699-07:00Rebecca Mahoney - WriterBecky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-8350095033173607632014-10-26T15:07:00.003-07:002014-10-26T15:07:47.220-07:00Filling in the dark room: perception in horror When I graduated from college four years ago, I started working in Washington DC. Some of you know where, but since they instilled a healthy love of discretion in me, I won't name them here. But like most government facilities, the building was steeped in history. In the time I worked there, I heard all the stories, the WWII-era legends, the rumors of tragic artifacts supposedly still on-site somewhere. And of course, I heard the ghost stories.<br />
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Our facility was a cavernous compound, made up of two buildings. One was sterile, functional, built to hold our various offices and nothing more. The second was older, more ornate; when this particular institution was first built, it was both a residence and a central hub. Now it housed a few departments, but otherwise was used mostly for events. The easiest way to go from one building to the other was to walk through the gardens outside, but the two were also connected through the basement. <br />
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The basement under the newer building held the chauffeurs' breakroom, and a hard-to-find ping-pong table, but was otherwise a quiet, unused maze of hallways with dozens of doors that led to nowhere. The basement under the older building was always darker, chillier. It had, at one time, been the home of some staffers, and you could find the closet-sized dorms if you went in deep enough <br />
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This is where all the stories were set, of course. <br />
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As a staffer, I went down to the basement a handful of times. The first few times, the older staffers served as tour guides. But after a while, a few of us had the confidence to start taking tours of our own. Without a natural leader, there was a bit of hesitance when it came to who should walk down those dark hallways first. And more often than not, it ended up being me. <br />
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Being a horror writer doesn't mean the usual tropes won't scare you. The stairways-to-nowhere and the rusty bathtubs always gave me the shivers. But much like Mad-Eye Moody, I'm all about constant vigilance. I've always had an overdeveloped sense of whether I have company or not - and I was always sure, on those basement tours, that I didn't.<br />
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The only time I was less-than-sure, I was in that older building, but I was two floors up from the basement, in the kitchen and in broad daylight. I was standing beside two of my friends, listening to instructions, when I felt the friend next to me, S, take a step back toward the cutting boards, covered in veggies for our event. I heard the rustling of the plastic bag covering the tomatoes, I heard someone moving around - everything in my spatial awareness was telling me that S was behind me, preparing the vegetables.<br />
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Then I glanced to the side, and S was where she had been the entire time: right next to me.<br />
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If you asked me now, my best guess is that the rustling came from a mouse trying to get at the veggies - though I suppose you can guess for yourself. But if it <i>was</i> a rat, what about the other sounds? Did I really feel S take a step back before the rustling started, and did I really hear footsteps? Or did my brain pencil those details in based on what I assumed was happening?<br />
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While working on my last project, I texted a brilliant neuroscientist friend for help with a scene, as you do when you are a writer and have amazingly patient friends who don't mind out-of-context questions. She explained the concept of 'filling in': that there is a blind spot on our retinas without photoreceptors where the optic nerve meets the eye, and the brain fills in the missing information based on context clues.<br />
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We can't perceive everything at every second, but most people don't spend a lot of time thinking about those gaps. We have ways to compensate. Writing horror means trusting that, and leaving space for it. Fear is personal and specific from person to person. And if someone hears a sound behind them in a dark room, chances are their mind will fill in the thing they want least to be there. <br />
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And if your reader can't rely on your main character's perception - or their own - that puts them on unsteady ground. And if they're reading horror, that's exactly where they want to be.<br />
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Here's hoping your Halloween isn't too creepy. (Or here's hoping it is, if that's what you're into!) <br />
Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-71607513856345196382014-07-11T06:23:00.002-07:002014-07-11T06:24:04.653-07:00A love letter to disappointmentsHey, y'all - long time no post! I'm about to rush off, but I have a post up on Operation Awesome today that may be useful to some of you. Check out "A love letter to disappointments" <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-love-letter-to-disappointments.html">here</a>. <br />
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I hope everyone is doing fantastic. Chat soon!<br />
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(paraglides out the window and disappears)Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-64115340409931496472014-06-23T07:28:00.002-07:002014-06-23T07:28:36.185-07:00Support Strange Chemistry Blog Hop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Publishing is weird. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">As writers, we all know this, of course. Maybe some of us go in dreaming about the quick six-to-seven-figure sale and movie deal and accolades, but I think many of us dream about quieter things than literary stardom. Our PM announcements, our cover reveals, even that little inbox *ding* when you're querying or on submission. But then you get those sober reminders that the industry can shift beneath your feet at any time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Last Friday</span>, <span style="font-size: small;">Angry Robot broke the news that they would be <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/2014/06/20/news-about-strange-chemistry/">discontinuing their YA imprint, Strange Chemistry, effective immediately</a>. This is</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">devastating for a number of reasons, of course - imprints like Strange Chem made room for stories you might not otherwise hear, and as #WeNeedDiverseBooks has illustrated, having that space is vitally important. By all accounts it sounds like they had a top-notch staff over there, and I'm sure they will continue to do amazing work elsewhere.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">The position the authors find themselves in is much more precarious, though. Their books, the books they worked so hard on, are now orphaned. Debut authors who thought their books would be out in a matter of months, or even weeks, are now back on submission. These people are all fabulously talented and hardworking and I have absolutely no doubt that they will find a home for their books. But I also know it must be very hard to feel optimistic when you've had the rug pulled out from under you.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the meantime, Strange Chemistry's titles are still available. Having read and adored Gwenda Bond's Roanoke story, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blackwood-Strange-Chemistry-Gwenda-Bond/dp/1908844078">BLACKWOOD</a>, I decided to start my reading binge with her book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Woken-Gods-Strange-Chemistry/dp/1908844256">THE WOKEN GODS</a>. Because seriously, how awesome does this sound?</span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke around the world.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., home to the embassies of divine pantheons and the mysterious Society of the Sun. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way back from school, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, an intriguing Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous relic. The Society needs it, and they don't care that she knows nothing about her father's secrets.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline ! important; float: none; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she's going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it.</span></span></i></div>
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A full list of Strange Chemistry's titles and authors are available <a href="http://strangechemistrybooks.com/our-authors/">here</a>. When you have a moment, look it over. Pay particular attention to those debut authors and follow their books to wherever the publishing whirlwind takes them next. And be sure to read the rest of the amazing Kaye's <a href="http://watercolormoods.blogspot.com/2014/06/support-strange-chem-blog-hop.html">Support Strange Chem Blog Hop </a>to read more about you can help these fabulous people out.</div>
Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-77535015675605108692013-09-18T09:35:00.001-07:002013-09-18T09:35:46.288-07:00What's Up Wednesday - Monster StoriesWow, Blogosphere - it's been a long time!<br />
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Sort of. I'm still around, lurking in the shadows. But between new home, new job, and as much writing as I can squeeze around the two, I don't have a whole lot of coherency left to spare!<br />
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I can't tell you about <i>all </i>the writing stuff. But here's a tidbit...<br />
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My current WIP has led a bit of a tortured life. It's denser and darker and twistier than anything I've ever written - the kind of thing that requires a lot of concentration - and yet every time I got seriously rolling with it, something would interrupt. Usually notes on a different project, but sometimes real life things, too, such as the move to a job I was working at last year.<br />
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It's a YA gothic horror novel, a genre I love but had never written before. More often than not I mix my creepy into fantasy, paranormal, or mystery stories, so entering the realm of straight-up horror was quite the exciting new world. And it's a monster story.<br />
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There's so much that I love about monster stories, but I think my favorite thing is that they're so personal to the author. I've read monster stories about grief and loss, and the pain of marginalization, even the scope of humanity's kindness and cruelty. Monster stories can be devastating and empowering, horrifying and comforting all at once. I had a vague idea from the start what my monsters were about. This was a story about guilt and memory, the way the things in your head can take shape and come to life - for better or for worse.<br />
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At least, I'm pretty sure I came up with that first. I think it was life that started imitating art in this case, and not the other way around. But this time last year, the things in my head <i>were </i>taking shape. <br />
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I already knew my anxiety had gotten worse since I graduated college and started work - I became an obsessive quadruple-checker, I had dreams I was at my job, and when I woke up I'd feel like I hadn't slept at all - but it was manageable then, at my first job, and probably not too different than the stress that most of my friends felt. Starting my new job last year was different. I knew from the start it was more than I could handle, and that in normal jobs people didn't go to work every morning terrified of what might be waiting for them there. But I felt stuck, and I felt like I hadn't earned the right to bail out yet, so I stayed for a year.<br />
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I wasn't doing well. I think I hid that better from some people than others. I think I hid that extremely well from myself, because as far as I knew, I had an illness that just wouldn't go away. I went through the days exhausted, but when I finally crawled into bed, my own pounding heartbeat would keep me awake. When I think back to last year and all the things I usually look forward to - holidays, family gatherings and so on - I remember feeling too tired and nauseous and dizzy to enjoy anything much. It thankfully didn't manage to ruin the moment I'd dreamed about for three years, but I was even home sick the day that Sara offered me representation, and I remember opening several of her subsequent e-mails in various doctors' offices.<br />
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(And there were quite a few of those. And a handful of misdiagnoses that came with them. It wasn't until I was meeting with one of those doctors and let out a particularly dark laugh at the "Do you have a stressful job?" question that the words 'anxiety' and 'depression' were spoken aloud - and even then I didn't think it was right, at first. It was.)<br />
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The change was slow, but it happened. I let go of the idea that I was supposed to have some high-powered, Type A day job alongside my writing. I built up the resources and made a change. The 'monster' isn't gone, but it's curled up at the back of my head. It stirred every now and then over the past couple weeks, but it's keeping quiet today. With any luck, it'll be quiet tomorrow, too. <br />
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And now, without a few of those interruptions, I can work on that gothic horror WIP. The subject matter is as dark and dense as it ever was, but the process is anything but. It comes from that knowledge, that feeling of being swallowed whole - but it also comes from the feeling of finally finding your way out.Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-9330661286027193412013-06-19T08:10:00.000-07:002013-06-19T08:10:11.273-07:00NomadDC was never going to be permanent.<br />
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I could say the same thing about every place I've lived for the past decade or so. When my family moved to Florida, I knew I wouldn't stay. I grew up with brilliantly-colored autumns and winters that never ended, I wasn't built for that constant heat. And Tokyo had an end date built in. I didn't have time to get comfortable, even though part of me did anyway. <br />
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And when I came back to Boston for college, I knew two things: that this was my home without a doubt, but that once those four years were over, I wouldn't necessarily get to stay.<br />
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My relationships with places have always been as fraught and complicated as my relationships with people, and for this city, it started as a business transaction. It didn't matter that we were incompatible from the start. It had a job for me, my first real job, so there I was. I didn't think it'd be a problem, leaving this place. I had far fewer attachments here than in any city I've ever lived in. I'd be out the door before it could sting.<br />
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But attachments show up whether I like it or not - they always do. The things I hated about this place softened into one big affectionate eye roll. Then I found things to like, then I found things to love: the food, the bus routes, the monuments all lit up at night. I got into the habit of turning off all the lights and pulling back the blinds every night before bed to look out at the National Mall, and I grudgingly had to admit that this place could be beautiful when it wanted to be.<br />
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I love it here. I made more amazing friends than I could have hoped for. But I'm still a tourist in the world of politics, and the kind of life I'm looking for as a writer isn't here in DC. So at the end of next month, I am coming home to Boston. And while you can never really say what's going to happen next, it'll be the first time in a long time that I won't be carrying escape routes in the back of my head.<br />
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It's exciting, and terrifying, and I'll miss this place more than I can stand. Maybe I'd hoped, at the beginning, to avoid these mixed feelings. But I'm a writer. I should have known better than that. :)<br />
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Wish me luck!! Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-91223173613182823052013-06-13T07:36:00.000-07:002013-06-13T07:36:34.460-07:00State of the BeckyHeyyyy, all! I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope the USians among you are staying safe amid this swath of summer storms.<br />
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Sorry it has been so quiet around here lately! I am still around, lurking and reading all your posts, but I have not had much to post lately. It seems I have finally reached the point in my publishing journey where it's better if I just keep my mouth shut about the specifics until I have something concrete to say - which is not a natural impulse for me, having blogged so heavily about my querying process, but I'm getting used to it! So all I'll say is: all is well, my soul remains uncrushed by this business, and perhaps someday in the future I will be running all over the blogosphere screaming news from the rooftops.<br />
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In the meantime, I have hammered out my writing schedule for the foreseeable future, and I am <em>really excited about it</em>. There was a significant period of time last year where I had a lot of half-formed ideas but wasn't truly excited about any of them, but now I'm really happy with my line-up and I can't wait to get to work. And, of course, this allows for the prospect of a new idea coming in and sweeping me off my feet, which is always fun.<br />
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Here's what I've got on tap, and the order in which I'll tackle them:<br />
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<strong>Project #1: </strong>Revisionland! Once again. =P I would have thought that revising a single manuscript so many times would be a tad bit disheartening, but it's actually really fun. There's something really fascinating about working on something you know inside and out -just when you think you're done renovating, you find a whole new floor of the house you haven't even touched yet. Working on this one has really been a crash course in how to be a better writer. I'm just waiting on some notes, and then off I go again. <br />
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<strong>Project #2:</strong> Drafting overhaul. I generally don't do this, but Project #2 is a special case - the drafting process got pretty broken up amidst all my trips to Revisionland, and though I had 60k under my belt in the first draft, I realized I was going into Act Three without any of my usual momentum. And since this is probably one of the most heavily structured stories I've done, I need that momentum!<br />
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So once those Project #1 revisions are done, I'm going back to the beginning with Project #2. I won't be starting from scratch, but I can change the things I need to change, and keep the rest consistent. And that'll free me up to plow full speed ahead into the as-yet-unwritten denouement!<br />
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<strong>Project #3: </strong>Drafting! FINALLY. Project #3 has gone through two or three false starts since I came up with the idea a couple years ago, and it's finally ready to go. And I couldn't be happier. It'll take me back in a more surreal, fantastical direction (Project #2 is straight gothic horror), it takes place in one of my favorite cities in the world, and if I do it right, it will give people nightmares. So let's hope I do it right.<br />
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So that's what I'm up to, loves. What are you working on this summer?</div>
Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-91001478027955748172013-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:002013-06-10T11:01:18.560-07:00A Special Preview for Leigh Ann Kopans' ONE - in Comic Form!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrtN17-psDCNksnzc6Z7XfnDYp12qdk04g_-dLqf4_EmUOMJgIQrofidqzb8_Hc3jfE7YwUZGPhU30lzpON5Y5wiu46pH2KxorkDjwmS-kd23WoFvibCGd2Efo08MWFjWryCCPa7WX31T/s1600/Two+weeks+till+One.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrtN17-psDCNksnzc6Z7XfnDYp12qdk04g_-dLqf4_EmUOMJgIQrofidqzb8_Hc3jfE7YwUZGPhU30lzpON5Y5wiu46pH2KxorkDjwmS-kd23WoFvibCGd2Efo08MWFjWryCCPa7WX31T/s320/Two+weeks+till+One.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hey all! As I'm sure many of you know, the fabulous Ms. <a href="http://www.leighannkopans.com/index2.php#!/HOME">Leigh Ann Kopans</a> is coming out with her debut novel, ONE, TOMORROW! As a proud (and thoroughly psyched) member of #TeamONE, today I will be posting the final graphic novel-style preview of ONE. For more information and to see more of the comic, see the link list at the end of the post!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQL04y2bvxB-APiu-6yD0bQZbPlwIBDqqgEPO8mLHZuRdqG8AQMatN023hXVAQiM78ihYiFbFm9G_HCbUHTGbzF7tDxmpgNjAG1pNi-387_3c2Ay77Api_G0fUKreU43vBQ64UKqA52AH/s1600/Part6-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQL04y2bvxB-APiu-6yD0bQZbPlwIBDqqgEPO8mLHZuRdqG8AQMatN023hXVAQiM78ihYiFbFm9G_HCbUHTGbzF7tDxmpgNjAG1pNi-387_3c2Ay77Api_G0fUKreU43vBQ64UKqA52AH/s640/Part6-2.JPG" width="478" yya="true" /></a></div>
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Find a full list with links to the other installments of this series on the author’s blog: <br />
www.leighannkopans.blogspot.com<br />
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Or follow the author on Twitter @LeighAnnKopans for daily updates!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">A<span style="font-size: small;">bout ONE</span></span></b> (a novel by Leigh Ann Kopans:) <br />
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Release date: June 11, 2013<br />
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<br />
When having two powers makes you a Super and having none makes you a Normal, having only one makes you a sad half-superpowered freak.<br />
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It makes you a One.<br />
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Sixteen-year-old Merrin Grey would love to be able to fly – too bad all she can do is hover.<br />
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If she could just land an internship at the Biotech Hub, she might finally figure out how to fix herself. She busts her butt in AP Chem and salivates over the Hub’s research on the manifestation of superpowers, all in hopes of boosting her chances.<br />
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Then she meets Elias VanDyne, another One, and all her carefully crafted plans fly out the window. <br />
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Literally. When the two of them touch, their Ones combine to make them fly, and when they’re not soaring over the Nebraska cornfields, they’re busy falling for each other.<br />
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Merrin's mad chemistry skills land her a spot on the Hub's internship short list, but as she gets closer to the life she always wanted, she discovers that the Hub’s purpose is more sinister than it has always seemed. Now it’s up to her to decide if it's more important to fly solo, or to save everything - and everyone - she loves.<br />
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<b>Add ONE to your Goodreads and learn more about the author here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/<br />show/17251203-one</b>Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-75885723428177278342013-04-16T06:56:00.003-07:002013-04-16T06:56:34.725-07:00Things to love about Boston (and Cambridge, and Somerville, and so on)<br />
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Driving across the bridge at night with the windows rolled down.<br />
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Getting hilariously lost and eventually figuring out where you are in relation to the Pru (or the Citgo sign, for that matter.)<br />
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Friday night singalongs at Jake Wirth's, and how Pianoman judges song appropriateness by the lateness of the hour. ("Lola? At 8:00? Ask me again when everyone's had a few more drinks.")<br />
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The view from the windows of the train when the Red Line rolls across the river at the MGH stop.<br />
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Umbrella jousting with Newbury Street crowds on a rainy Saturday morning.<br />
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T operators who see you running down the stairs and hold the train for you.<br />
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Dinner at Bluefin. Or Addis Red Sea. Or Shabu-ya. Or Fugakyu. Or any Indian restaurant you can find.<br />
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The North End. All of the North End.<br />
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That immediate bond you feel with other pedestrians when a driver does someting monumentally stupid. Especially when you all start cussing him out at the same time.<br />
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Walking all the way from Kendall to Porter on a beautiful day.<br />
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Hot taro milk bubble tea.<br />
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Irish coffee at 1:00am in some random pub you've never seen before.<br />
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$10 nosebleed seats at the theatre.<br />
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The thick, thick accents of the T operators. "Next stop: Pahk Street."<br />
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Waiting for the bus on a freezing winter night and huddling with your closest friends for warmth.<br />
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The way you have to work together to hold each other up on a crowded Green Line train.<br />
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Building a Halloween costume from whatever random pieces you can find at the Garment District.<br />
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Running to catch your movie at the AMC Boston Common after one of those ridiculously strong cocktails in Chinatown. Bonus points for high heels.<br />
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Game day. Even if you're not going to the game.<br />
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The way certain T stations will always be under construction.<br />
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The way the old and the new bleed into each other - the sheer amount of character in each square foot of architechure. <br />
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A quiet morning and a Dunkin iced coffee the size of your torso.<br />
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The sarcasm, the abrasiveness, the snark, the gallows humor. The knowledge that despite all of it, these people have your back.<br />
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Descending into the tunnel on the drive from Logan and knowing that when you get to the other side, you'll be home. Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-21298744028583954702013-04-15T18:04:00.001-07:002013-04-15T18:04:48.467-07:00A peaceful moment in a beautiful town<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's nothing I could possibly say right now, so here's a video of a dog playing fetch in the fountain in Copley Square, Boston. Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-69093604069250365382013-03-26T08:42:00.001-07:002013-03-26T10:55:51.599-07:00Linkage!Hello darlings! I have been busy busy busy lately, but here are a couple things I've written that may be of interest to you:<br />
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<a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2013/03/revising-with-agent.html">Revising with an Agent</a> on Operation Awesome - some tips on unagented revisions, and things to keep in mind!<br />
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<a href="http://afterglowbookreviews.blogspot.com/2013/03/17-and-gone-by-nova-ren-suma.html">My 17 & GONE review</a> on Afterglow - in which I devour Nova Ren Suma's latest, and gush about it in a vaguely coherent manner.<br />
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Phew. I've got lots to catch up on, so I better get to it. I hope you're all getting a great start to your week!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-42854581971678886472013-03-14T07:37:00.001-07:002013-03-14T07:37:49.585-07:00Pens for Paws<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey all! Want to bid on some fantastic prizes and help raise money for an awesome cause? The <a href="http://pensforpaws.blogspot.com/">Pens for Paws auction</a> is going down <em>right now</em> to raise funds for Fat Kitty City, a no-kill, cage-free cat and dog sanctuary located in El Dorado Hills, California. You can bid on signed books, agent critiques, and even a fabulous <a href="http://pensforpaws.blogspot.com/2013/03/awesome-multi-prize-package-from.html">Operation Awesome package</a> full of critiques and more swag than you can shake a stick at, featuring the ladies and gents of Operation Awesome. (Yours truly included!)<br />
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Bidding for the OA package ends on March 15th at 11:00pm, so don't miss it!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-38465684585640641822013-02-25T08:38:00.000-08:002013-02-25T08:38:35.106-08:00Finding my quiet place<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Post-Zombie Apocalpyse DC? Nope - just DC on President's Day at 8:00 in the morning.</span></div>
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At this point, I should just start skipping the caffeine. I could run on nerves alone.</div>
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It's a combination things, really, the first and the most obvious being <em>sub jitters like whoa</em>. I was in denial for the majority of January and parts of February, if just because after years of waiting, everything happened so fast. And at some point, the whole thing sank in, and it has dawned on me that this thing might actually happen for real.</div>
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Scream.</div>
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Thankfully, my family and friends are awesome, and no one has had to talk me off the ledge yet, because my amazing agent has made sure I don't get anywhere near the ledge. I'm a lucky, lucky girl.</div>
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When you combine that with day job, though, it makes for some... interesting results. There are moments here at work where my head is decidedly elsewhere - in my head I'm reading my PM announcement and planning a launch party and holding my book for the first time, and then, complete with a sitcom-esque record scratch, someone interrupts my fantasy to ask me to fix the printer. And then on the other hand, the day job stress ends up displaced to some other inopportune moment. Like when I'm trying to sleep.</div>
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Contrary to popular belief, the writing life is not for the faint of heart. As much as I wouldn't trade it for anything, it's terrifying.Writing does make for excellent stress relief much of the time, but generally, it helps my writing when I'm not a distracted mess. </div>
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And for me, the best thing I can do for myself is find a quiet place and set aside a few moments to just exist in the universe and take in what's going on around me. I had to work on President's Day, for example, and rather than going straight to work, I took a different bus than usual, and I wandered down one of the busier streets almost completely alone. Sometimes I don't have the time or energy to go out of my way, but finding a quiet place for myself can be as simple as turning off all the lights and watching the city from a distance.</div>
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Some days it works better than others. But much of the time, it helps me catch my breath, put everything in the appropriate boxes, and start over with a clearer head.</div>
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And now I'm going to unpack one of those boxes, because I have some receipts to process. So tell me, readers - how do you manage your stress?</div>
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Because I could really use some pointers. ;)</div>
Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-6763443902510180342013-02-08T07:44:00.000-08:002013-02-08T07:44:03.718-08:00Operation Awesome debut!Citizens! I just made my first Operation Awesome post, brought to you by sub, the ALA Youth Media awards, and lots and lots of daydreaming. Check out my post, <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/2013/02/secondhand-triumph.html">Secondhand Triumph</a>, and have yourself an awesome Friday.<br />
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To all my New England/Tri-State Area people out there, stay safe and stay warm!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-29080823873503742042013-02-05T07:15:00.002-08:002013-02-05T07:19:19.494-08:00Awesome News!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANie3SBBV0BoRcl7_NMa_gUDl1CF2RQuYTsVTc5fCYafkH54nBMuX2nEpOyqJZOmbQmXD4s61YXMPPT-9yy6RPm6NOzpCvZfxtLs6ADdu02XuHNM9pJFWOlduMpkqut1_8qrM_i2GIhbu/s1600-r/Oliver+Awesome+BIG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" jea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiANie3SBBV0BoRcl7_NMa_gUDl1CF2RQuYTsVTc5fCYafkH54nBMuX2nEpOyqJZOmbQmXD4s61YXMPPT-9yy6RPm6NOzpCvZfxtLs6ADdu02XuHNM9pJFWOlduMpkqut1_8qrM_i2GIhbu/s1600-r/Oliver+Awesome+BIG.jpg" /></a></div>
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Just a quick update, but for those of you who haven't heard yet, I will be joining the... well, <em>awesome </em>bloggers of Operation Awesome as a new member of their team! You can catch my first post there this Friday, February 8th, but in the meantime, <a href="http://operationawesome6.blogspot.com/">do check out</a> all the amazing posts over there, if you haven't already. Operation Awesome was a huge help to me during my agent hunt, and I hope I can be just as helpful to all the newcomers!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-61139189245077057062013-01-28T07:23:00.001-08:002013-01-28T07:23:52.315-08:00Please Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eCzhZZEc5Zs/UPGZYjjQM8I/AAAAAAAAH24/nMCxSr7UJWw/s320/PAMTRM_Badge.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" oea="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eCzhZZEc5Zs/UPGZYjjQM8I/AAAAAAAAH24/nMCxSr7UJWw/s320/PAMTRM_Badge.png" /></a></div>
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Good morning, all! Just saw this <a href="http://www.breakthroughblogs.blogspot.com/2013/01/moving-forward.html">awesome-looking blogfest</a> going around, and thought I would dive in myself. I'm always getting awesome new people around here, and I don't always get a chance to properly meet all of you. <br />
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So, hi! My name is Rebecca Mahoney, but the only people who call me Rebecca are the ones who don't listen when I say "please call me Becky." So please, call me Becky. :) I am almost 25 years old, and I've been writing for almost all those years. Most of what I write is YA, generally of the fantasy, horror, or mystery persuasion, but I will dabble in anything that grabs my attention. I am represented by Sara Crowe of Harvey Klinger, Inc.<br />
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Some fun facts about me:<br />
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- I am originally from the Boston area (er, Southern New Hampshire, really), and I currently live in DC. It's a strange, strange city, but its quirks have somehow grown on me. Nevertheless, my level of New England pride borders on obscene most days. <br />
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- By day, I work as an admin coordinator, which is a fancy way of saying that I spend most of my day trying to keep that throbbing vein in my forehead in check.<br />
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- I am proficient in Japanese, but my real second language is sarcasm. I am also fully conversant in silliness.<br />
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- I love: food, accessories, marathoning really well-written TV shows, marathoning really hilariously bad movies (preferably with friends), champagne, new recipes, buying more tea than I can possibly drink, adding excessive amounts of hyperbole to rather everyday routines, and of course, reading amazing books.<br />
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- I don't love: rude people, DC public transportation, being chased by bears. Terrible things, all.<br />
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I am also opening today up as an <strong>Open Question Day</strong>. If there's anything you've wondered about me (within reason), please do ask!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-17281817161973298792013-01-11T08:58:00.002-08:002013-01-11T08:58:38.200-08:00Sidekick Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wkgx8AdQ1qihztbo1_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m6wkgx8AdQ1qihztbo1_250.gif" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Pictured above: Actual flawless human being John Watson.</span></div>
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(I found that .gif on <a href="http://lifenpublishing.com/">Life in Publishing</a>, where you should spend your Friday afternoon today if you like laughter.)</div>
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I am deeply in love with all things Sherlock Holmes. My bookshelf prominently displays that giant compendium of all the stories, which could probably kill a man if I threw it fast enough. I also not only have Holmes-inspired blends of tea (mmm, earl grey with hazlenut and caramel), I also have Holmes-inspired <em>perfume oils</em>. I wouldn't call myself an all-knowing superfan by any means, but we are approaching serious geekery levels over here. Arthur Conan Doyle is my hero, even though he totally forever bitter that his Serious Fiction didn't get as much attention.</div>
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But anyway. Like most fans, I have been slowly working my way through all those adaptations, pastiches, homages, and Doyle estate-approved fanfics that are out in the world today. And I'm not actually very picky! As long as its own merits are strong, I don't care if it's particularly faithful to the original stories. The basic idea if the brilliantly observant social maladjust genius is so prevalent, especially on TV today, that you can go at it many ways.</div>
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The way Holmes and his multitudes of TV clones are written and played is a dealbreaker, especially since it's easy for writers to veer overenthusiastically in one direction or another. But lately, I find that even if the central character is brilliantly done, I can't get behind an adaptation without a great Watson.</div>
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John Watson might be one of my favorite characters ever: a good, honest, ordinary person who somehow catches the attention of this larger than life personality, and as the stories go on, the narrative shows us exactly why he is worthy of Holmes' (and our) notice. Not to mention he's a total badass, as well as the POV character of the entire series. There's so much you can do with that character type.</div>
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And plenty of adaptations have completely effed that part up. Adaptations and Holmes-inspired fiction lately has generally been a lot better about that, but others write the sidekick character as a complete non-entity, there to emphasize the brilliance of the protagonist. </div>
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No matter what the genre is, the development of the best friends and sidekicks is vital to how much I enjoy a piece of fiction. If he or she exists purely for the protagonist to bounce off of and then ignore when the love interest comes along, it kind of makes the protagonist seem like a bit of a sociopath. Who you choose to associate with says a great deal about you as a person, so what does it say about the protagonist if he or she spends so much time with a blank slate? When you leave a best friend underdeveloped, you leave the protagonist underdeveloped, and you miss out on having a potentially great character and a really interesting relationship.</div>
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So in conclusion, remember to love your sidekicks. They will love you back!</div>
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(This post is brought to you by my WIP, in which I took a Watson character type and made her the protagonist of the whole damn story. I'm telling you: serious levels of geekery going on here.)</div>
Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-39132087813820971612013-01-10T08:42:00.002-08:002013-09-04T10:22:41.665-07:00Ready, Set, Sub!<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst">
Hello, loves, and welcome to my first post of 2013! It promises to be a very, very exciting year, with lots of great changes to come – you’ll see some announcements around these parts before long! </div>
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But first, something I must get off my chest...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: magenta;">~</span><span style="color: red;">I'M</span> <span style="color: blue;">GOING</span> <span style="color: lime;">ON</span> <span style="color: purple;">SUB</span><span style="color: cyan;">~</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://media.twirlit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/lucille-bluth-celebration-gif.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" eea="true" height="180" src="http://media.twirlit.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/lucille-bluth-celebration-gif.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Y'all know you missed the multi-colored text. It is not a celebration without it.)<br />
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It's an interesting little in-between world I've stepped into, leaving the agent-hunt behind. It was easy to give into querying despair, especially toward the end there, but for the first time since early 2010, everything is new again. I can remember what it felt like to be at my college roommate's house during our February break, sending my first query in the midst of one of those classic New England snowstorms. I remember trailing after my friend during our shopping trip, checking my e-mail every two minutes, and hearing her remind me, very nicely, that it was a Sunday.<br />
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Granted, I am a little more jaded than 2010 Becky. I can (and will) still dream about a quick and wildly successful sub process, but I know now that these things can take time. Sometimes lots and lots of time.<br />
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So in learning to navigate this world, I'm keeping one eye on what is and the other on what might be. I'm going to start working in overdrive to balance the progress of my WIP with the needs of my day job, with the optimism that I will get the opportunity to tip that balance in favor of the former before long. I'm going to make time for things that make me happy and enrich my writing, like reading amazing books, seeing the sunlight on occasion, and working on my mindblowingly awesome just-for-fun cowriting project with my friend. (I highly, highly recommend the latter, by the way. It's like improv with plot outlines!) And I also want to make time to just think, reflect, and just exist in the world for a while, without anxiety gnawing at the back of my skull. I think that might be more helpful to my writing process than anything.<br />
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My only resolution for 2013 is to be brave, whatever that means in any given situation. And for this situation, it means that I'm going to tackle the next step head on and try to enjoy the ride. And wherever it takes me, I look forward to it.<br />
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Happy New Year, and I wish you all the luck in the world on your publishing journeys. I can't wait to see where you end up, too!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-81809746754628221932012-12-03T08:05:00.001-08:002013-09-04T11:17:47.253-07:00And so it begins - HOW I GOT MY AGENTLet's take a moment to just stare at the title of my post.<br />
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*STARES* O_O<br />
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All right now. Here we go:<br />
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For the majority of this year, I spent most of my time staring at my inbox waiting for the e-mail that would change my life. Most of you know how that story ended. And in the month since I posted about the way my R&R ended, I amassed a good handful of crushing rejections from agents and contests alike. And somewhere toward the end, I resigned myself to the fact that my two years of hard work writing and revising, this MS might not go anywhere, and that even if that happened, it would be okay. I decided to work even harder on my WIP to get it query-ready by next summer.<br />
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And then last Tuesday came along. I was home sick with the immortal sinus infection from hell, and in the middle of a work week so intense that when I thought about everything I needed to do, I'd involuntarily groan "Oh <i>God</i>" out loud. I was in bed with a cup of tea, focused on something else besides my writing career for once, when the e-mail showed up in my inbox. "Re: Requested materials: [manuscript]."<br />
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I didn't have time to do the usual pre-rejection ritual, where I circle the room a few times psyching myself up before I open the e-mail, before the auto-preview popped up: "Rebecca! I missed my stop last night because of [protagonist]."<br />
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"Oh wow," I said, "it's a really nice rejection!"<br />
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I had to read the e-mail at least three times before "I am certain that I am the best agent for you" sank in. <br />
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Yep. After three years of waiting and working and tears, I got an offer of representation on November 27th, 2012. <i>And it completely blindsided me</i>.<br />
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And the day after that, after I got home from work, my phone rang, and the second offer blindsided me <i>even more</i>.<br />
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I've blogged here about the value of being a pessimist when it comes to the submission process, but there is one downside! When more than one lovely, talented, amazing agent is passionate about your work, you are so not prepared for it. I dreamed about things like this, where I had more than one dream agent to choose from, but I never thought they would actually HAPPEN. So this weekend, I entered the Decision Bunker (capitalized for dramatic emphasis), and thought about it.<br />
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And thought about it.<br />
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And thought about it some more.<br />
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And watched a lot of Lord of the Rings and ordered a lot of takeout.<br />
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And this morning, after lots of agonizing and making lists and rending garments, I came to my decision, and I finally signed that contract. So I can officially say to all of you that <b>I am represented by the fantastic, the incredible, the wonderful Sara Crowe of the Harvey Klinger Agency</b>.<br />
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I can't think of anything else to say, because I am still so thoroughly stunned and happy and grateful for this opportunity to take the next step with such a perfect partner. I am so excited to work with Sara and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I will be going on submission next year, and I know I wouldn't have gotten this far without such an amazing group of writers in my corner. Thank you, thank you, thank you all so much!!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-31023662271665631422012-11-16T08:06:00.002-08:002012-11-16T08:06:12.715-08:00Dear Teen MeHey all! Nothing much out of me today, but you should all go read Erin's Dear Teen Me bloghop post and watch her amazing video, with cameo appearances from my face, my prom dress, and my terrible handwriting.<br />
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<a href="http://www.erinlschneider.com/blog/2012/11/16/dear-teen-me-giveaway-6-word-memoir-video.html">Check it out here!</a>Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-86819372087244282652012-11-02T11:48:00.000-07:002012-11-02T12:01:19.329-07:00Starting overImportant lesson: life isn't fiction. Just because something looks nice on paper, just because it'd be such a perfect, symmetrical ending to a very long story, just because you've paid your dues and it's your turn to celebrate - that doesn't necessarily mean that thing will happen.<br />
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For example, it would be fitting if, after a year and a half of revising, I ended up signing with the first agent ever to request a manuscript from me - albeit a different manuscript, one sent over two years ago - but that did not happen. <br />
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Yes, this is to say that Secret Agent Man was not able to take me on due to time constraints. He passed it on to a colleague, but said colleague sent a rejection last week. That door may open again in the future, but right now, I am in full agent-hunting mode.<br />
It's a complicated feeling, and I debated whether I wanted to post about it here, in part because I do like to present myself as this sort of Zen-ish aspiring author who just lets the rejections roll right off of her. But my journey thus far has been long, twisty, and rather unique, and it has always helped me throughout this process to read accounts by people who have been through the same things.<br />
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So yes, it's complicated. I have a shiny, revised MS that no one but Secret Agent Man (and his colleague) have seen, and I have already been in contact with some fantastic people who requested material, not to mention a referral and some other outstanding queries. I am pretty much starting over again, which <em>is</em> exciting, too.<br />
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But it's sad. Of course it's sad. I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about when I say this, but being an ambitious person who hasn't achieved her dream yet comes with a special kind of ache. Some days it's not too bad, and sometimes it creeps up on me every time I pick up a book. It can be really hard to shake on those days, when the voice in your head reminds you that you haven't made it yet.<br />
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And yet! If I may act the part of the Zen-ish aspiring author for a moment: I believe nothing is wasted. I could never regret this past year and a half. My writing is better for it, I got to work with some amazing people, and I got a taste of what it's like on the other side. Maybe someone else will love this manuscript enough to take it on, but if not, I am a little over halfway through my WIP as of today, so I can try again. I am very, very good at trying again.<br />
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And hopefully one of these days, I will get to write that 'my success story' post that has always been on the tips of my fingers. Although that post may well be very different than the one I have drafted in my head.<br />
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I hope everyone has a great weekend, and whichever part of the process you're in, best of luck to you.Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-15786222688927625542012-10-30T08:18:00.000-07:002012-10-30T08:18:56.508-07:00Trick or Treat<br />
All those affected by Hurricane Sandy, I hope you're doing okay out there! I am just fine over here in the DC area - I've had my fair share of experiences with intense storm systems, and my power even hung in there this time. And I don't have to go into work today, so I have some time to catch up on blogging. <br />
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Anyway. What even <i>was </i>this month, you guys? I had planned to celebrate Halloween the way I always do - by babbling about it all October-long - but life supremely got in the way. And by life, I mean a time-consuming new job, the sinus infection from hell (and subsequently, an antibiotic that made my symptoms worse and then made my tongue swell up), submission drama, <i>more </i>submission drama, and trying to find time to write all through this.<br />
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So to make up for the rec-fest that never was, we will condense it. Because I am holding Halloween right here on this blog, and inviting y'all to come Trick or Treat!<br />
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So here's how it goes. Ring my doorbell, and request a medium (movies, tv shows, books, webcomics, campfire stories, etc) and a scariness-level (anywhere from 'mildly creepy' to 'balls-out terrifying,' or just 'non-scary Halloween-themed' if lying awake at night isn't your thing.) You can throw in an optional detail if you so desire, such as your favorite thing that goes bump in the night. And taking your preferences into account, I will find some great Halloween entertainment for you. Because everyone knows the best part of Halloween is the stories we tell!<br />
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Ready, set, go!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-54316716378380002592012-10-12T11:32:00.000-07:002012-10-12T11:32:12.478-07:00The WIP Meme... well, it was actually called "The Next Big Thing" meme. And I certainly hope so, but let's keep it a little less ambitious, shall we? ;-)<br />
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<strong>What is the working title of your book?</strong><em>Tick Tock</em>. Some days I like it, and some days I'm sure I could do better, but today I think I like it.<br />
<br /><b>Where did the idea come from for the book?</b><br />The setting, a town built around the ruins of a once-prosperous factory, had been on my mind for several weeks, as well as the desire to write a sort of Sherlock-and-Watson relationship between two teenage girls. It wasn't until I was marathoning <em>Downton Abbey </em>one weekend, that the class conflict aspect came into play, but once I decided to set the story in America, I had a little trouble figuring out how to make that aspect work. After a talk with my friend (in which she shot down most of my fledgling ideas), I remembered the old watch factory in the town I went to college in, and the rest was (alternate) history!<br />
<br /><b>What genre does your book fall under?</b><br />YA historical/gothic horror - my first straight-up horror manuscript. Everything else has been fantasy, mystery, or paranormal. <br />
<br /><b>Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?</b><br />I don't tend to cast actors for my books, because I have fantastic artist friends who illustrate my mental pictures for me. But if you'd like to see my friend's AMAZING art of my two MCs, <a href="https://twitter.com/cafecliche/status/239385338659889152/photo/1/large">look no further.</a><br />
<br /><b>What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?</b><br />Ooooh, I so do not have a good one-sentence pitch yet, but off the top of my head: "After housekeeper Nora saves heiress Claire from an attack by a vicious, unseen animal, she's offered a job in the wealthy Moreau household - as Claire's research assistant." <br />
<br /><b>Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?</b><br />Err, hopefully represented. Its big sister manuscript, <em>The Hungry Ground</em>, has been in an exclusive revision situation for a little over a year now - but no one has seen the revised version other than Secret Agent Man and now some of his colleagues, and I only queried twenty-or-so agents to begin with, so HG still has quite a bit of querying life left in it if it gets rejected.<br />
<br /><b>How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?</b><br />I'm still drafting! This is taking quite a while, because there was a big chunk of HG revisions in the middle of the early <em>Tick Tock </em>chapters. I wrote the first four earlier this year (in April, I think?) and wasn't too sure about it, but strangely enough, when I sent off my HG revisions and came back to it, it all clicked for me. I'm at about 45k of a projected 80k. <br />
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And the first line is: <em>The scar was hard to see if you weren't looking for it.</em><br />
<em></em><br /><b>What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?</b><br /><em>The Monstrumologist </em>series - with less gore and more female characters, to be sure, but that's my most direct YA comparison. (Although Claire and Nora are the same age, as opposed to mentor and student.)<br />
<br /><b>Who or what inspired you to write this book?</b><br />As I said above, <em>Sherlock Holmes </em>and <em>Downton Abbey</em>, and probably a bit of Tim Burton's version of <em>The Legend of Sleepy Hollow </em>for dreary Northeastern atmospherics. <br />
<br /><b>What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?</b><br />It's got a creepy setting, a core mystery, some romance, a truckload of ambiguity, and two teenage girls bonding and hunting monsters. You know you want in!<br />
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And I tag anyone who wants to play. I hope to hear about your WIPs!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-1418491087958885692012-10-11T12:48:00.000-07:002012-10-11T12:48:03.703-07:00It's the mooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yeaaaaar... no, not <em>that</em> one. It's October! Time to celebrate creepiness wherever I find it! HUZZAH.<br />
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Alas, though I'd wanted to do a proper Horror Blogging Month like I did last year, between the new job and my WIP, I have no life. But I am hoping to supply y'all with as many goodies throughout the month as possible: creepy writing music, some scenery inspirations for horror stories, whatever good recommendations I can scare up, and maybe even some flash fiction. Who knows!<br />
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But even more fun, I am going to have myself a little horror/mystery/thriller/paranormal reading marathon! Here's my fabulous list so far:<br />
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THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS by Claire Legrand (accidentally read it last month... womp womp.)<br />
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TEN by Gretchen McNeil (read it on a flight this weekend, actually)<br />
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THE DIVINERS by Libba Bray<br />
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LONG LANKIN by Lindsey Barraclough<br />
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GIRL OF NIGHTMARES by Kendare Blake (having devoured the first book of the duology, ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD, last year)<br />
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And I'll probably stop there, lest I do nothing but read for the entire month.<br />
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I hope the rest of you are enjoying this time of the year as much as I am!<br />
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(And for those of you wondering about the revision status... it's complicated! It looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer for my happy ending, but I am moving forward - though not quite in a straight line. Cross your fingers for me?)Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-45802799149535065742012-09-17T07:33:00.001-07:002012-09-17T07:33:22.803-07:00New review up at Afterglow!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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October is coming up, and as a horror lover, I am SO READY. But if you'd like to get a jump-start on your Halloween reading, check out my <a href="http://afterglowbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-cavendish-home-for-boys-and-girls.html">new review</a> at Afterglow on deliciously creepy MG horror debut THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS by Claire Legrand. And enjoy!<br />
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Do you have any favorite Halloween reads? At this rate I'm going to burn through most of mine before October even starts...Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3291354210441448985.post-69482117057983778052012-08-15T07:30:00.001-07:002012-08-15T07:38:15.881-07:00WriteOnCon 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx3U3OIu3e3Ht5MFP9Z1A_Or0M912iRdC_HuzAKCYMcVo3aR8TjrcRdvJpBtuOPvRS456QKPARXi4SD3E31FiLzrIexLZJ1XaXYJ-AdwtPsm_8-lfTG8wmtPGPIrsx-nj2YM91LW2Ewkz/s400/WOC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjx3U3OIu3e3Ht5MFP9Z1A_Or0M912iRdC_HuzAKCYMcVo3aR8TjrcRdvJpBtuOPvRS456QKPARXi4SD3E31FiLzrIexLZJ1XaXYJ-AdwtPsm_8-lfTG8wmtPGPIrsx-nj2YM91LW2Ewkz/s320/WOC.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hey guys! It's August, and you know what that means. It's <a href="http://writeoncon.com/">WriteOnCon time!</a><br />
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The funny thing about WOC is that I've never actually posted any of my projects there - two years ago I'd just shelved my manuscript when it rolled around, last year I'd just signed on to revisions with Secret Agent Man, and this year I am similarly in Revisions Land (albeit on round two.) But it is such a cool opportunity - I mean, a <i>free</i> writers' conference? That is just amazing - and I love to get in there and see what everyone's got in the pipeline.<br />
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In fact, I'd love to see what y'all are working on now! So if you feel so inclined, leave a comment with a link to your query, your first 250, or your first five pages, and I will <i>definitely</i> go take a look. <3<br />
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And my profile is <a href="http://writeoncon.com/forum/member.php?7784-BeckyMahoney">here</a>, so friend at will!Becky Mahoneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16891727235981320025noreply@blogger.com2