8/9/12

Guest Post & Giveaway with Sarah Walsh


Hi, Brandi! Thanks so much for letting me visit Nocturne Reads.

With my debut YA novel, The Dark Light, releasing on August 28th, this has definitely been one of the busiest summers of my life, and one I had no idea was going to be so crazy. As a debut author it’s a brand new--and exciting--experience, so I thought it would be fun to share a little of what goes on in the weeks and months before a novel releases from the perspective of the writer.

The cover reveal

We all say, “You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”, yet covers remain a major reason why a reader will be attracted to a book. They are so important. As a writer, you never know what cover you’re going to get until your publisher sends it along, so you can imagine my surprise--and delight--when I first saw the cover to The Dark Light. The day the cover went live was one of the wildest days of my life. My inbox has never recovered!

Interviews, Guest Posts, and Giveaways

Following the release of The Dark Light’s cover, I started to get invited onto lots of different blogs, and this is really where the bulk of my events this summer have taken place. I have to admit that interviews and guest posts are incredibly fun to do. I’ve had events every week since the beginning of June--sometimes two or three different visits a week, including stops on the 50 Shades of YA Boys feature at Dark Faerie Tales. The Dark Light will also soon to be featured on Deadly Destinations over at All Things Urban Fantasy. This has by far been one of my favorite parts of the summer. Bloggers ask such amazing questions.  You really have to be ready for anything!

Vlogs

I was invited to vlog for the Friday the Thirteeners, a group of authors who debut next year. This was an absolute blast, and is definitely something I’d like to do more of if I can find the time. As an author I’m writing so often that it’s sometimes nice to just sit and chat about things away from the computer. I was also incredibly fortunate to visit my publisher, Simon & Schuster, and shoot an author video in their studio at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Very nerve wracking! The video should hopefully be going live around the time of The Dark Light’s release.

Blog Tour

I’m going to be visiting twelve amazing blogs beginning August 20th through September 5th for The Dark Light’s official blog tour. We’re going to be talking about everything to do with The Dark Light: How I got the idea for the story, character interviews, reviews, giveaways, and yes, all about that cover! Blog tours have become such an important part of promoting a new release, because you can reach such a wide range of readers at every stop. Can’t wait until it starts.

Signings

The bulk of my events have taken place online, but we will be taking The Dark Light to bookstores once it releases on August 28th, starting in September with a signing at Barnes and Noble at Oak Park Mall in Overland Park, Kansas. I’m really looking forward to this as Kansas is where I lived when I first got the idea for The Dark Light. It’s definitely going to feel as if I’ve come full circle.

So that’s how my summer has rushed by! It doesn’t seem so long ago that I was working through edits and the dream of the book being published seemed a long way away. And things won’t end once The Dark Light hits the shelves. I’ll be working closely with my publisher and will be one of their featured authors all through September on Pulse It! Simon & Schuster’s site for teen readers.

I have to say that it’s all been a huge adventure, and one that sometimes feels rather strange. In many ways, I still consider myself a reader rather than a writer, so it’s taken a while for it to sink in that a book people are talking about is one that I wrote. As a writer, I can only express my sincere gratitude and thanks to all the readers and bloggers who give up their time to help authors spread the word about their stories.

The Dark Light
Jacket Copy
Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she's concerned, that's about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town.

That is, until Sol arrives. Mia's not one to fall for just any guy, but she can't get Sol--or the brilliant tattoo on his back--out of her mind.

Then Mia's brother goes missing, and Mia's convinced that Sol knows more than he's sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol's not who Mia thought he was--and neither is she.

Bio
Sara Walsh is British, but happily lives in Annapolis, Maryland. She graduated college with a degree in psychology, but soon decided that telling stories was much more fun. When not writing, Sara is usually reading, drowning in tea, or frolicking around town with the world's cutest St. Bernard. The Dark Light is her first novel.



Win a pre-order of a hardcopy or ebook of The Dark Light
(Ebook will have to be North America only).

Leave a comment below and one lucky person will be the winner!
Ends 8/16

8 comments :

  1. Sounds really good! And all things tattoo at that age are awesome...Cheers,

    ReplyDelete
  2. Alyssa Susanna8/9/12, 2:01 PM

    OMG IT'S SARAH!!!! So happy to read more about you and your books!!!! I hate to say it, but I will always judge a book by its cover first, then synopsis, then recommendations. I'm happy to say that your book has passed my test, and I will DEFININTELY be reading it! And I can't wait to see the vlog with the Thirteeners! I love them, and follow them every Tuesday and Friday :D
    Thanks for the post and giveaway!!!

    Alyssa Susanna
    lilleetleet(at)verizon(dot)net

    ReplyDelete
  3. That tattoo is definitely hot! Wouldn't mind seeing that guy in his undies (just sayin). Oh yeah, and the book sounds good too!
    desiree1612@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, my god. I've been waiting for this for the longest time! EEEK!!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I can't wait to read this one! Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have been drooling for this book for awhile, love this cover too.
    Would love to be entered.
    Michelle L Lynn (Concise Book Reviews by Michelle)
    concisereviews AT gmail DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  7. This info is priceless. Where can I find out more?


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  8. Is there a sequel to dark light? Or is it going to be a trilogy.

    ReplyDelete

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